The Great Refusal: The Inner Sphere Challenges the Clans

Destroying Clan Smoke Jaguar did not automatically end the legal basis for the Clan Invasion. Victor Steiner-Davion therefore carried the Second Star League to Strana Mechty and challenged the Crusader cause through the same institution the Clans used to legitimize war: a Trial of Refusal. Eight Crusader Clans were paired against eight Star League contingents in a series of relatively small but fiercely fought engagements beginning on April 23, 3060. This episode examines victories by units such as the First Genyosha and Third Drakøns, Nova Cat’s decision to fight alongside the Star League, genuine Clan successes by Jade Falcon and Star Adder, and the draw between Vladimir Ward’s Wolves and Kai Allard-Liao’s St. Ives Lancers. The Star League ultimately won enough engagements to defeat the collective Crusader claim. The result did not end all Clan warfare, but it removed the common mandate for renewed conquest. The intended subjects of Operation REVIVAL had crossed the Exodus Road and forced the conquerors to answer their own challenge. Visit ImaginedBattlefield.com for more military and science fiction.