Ian Hawker

Personal
Born	3000
Died	3060
Affiliation	Clan Diamond Shark
Career
Rank	Khan
Profession	MechWarrior

Ian Hawker was the Crusader-minded leader of Clan Diamond Shark during the events of Operation REVIVAL and often regarded as one of the worst Khan in history, not just as part of Clan Diamond Shark. Leading a Clan with strong merchant support, he was a poor politician and trader even though he was probably as “Clanlike” as possible. While a superior MechWarrior, his failures as a leader almost doomed his Clan before he died “on his own terms”.

Early Life

Ian comes from a trueborn sibko on Delios, where they were matched with a freeborn sibko to improve competition between groups. The young trueborn quickly learned to look down on the freeborn members of his Clan as the second sibko just never received the support their main sibko did and the drop out and wash out rates were much higher. Using this dual sibko method did allow for the later part of the training to be harsher overall, and Ian did keep on scoring great results. During the Trial of Position at the end of his training, Ian destroyed two ‘mechs piloted by freeborn opponents, ensuring his position as a Star Commander.

Military Career

Rapid Ascension

Ian Diamond Shark served as part of Beta Galaxy of the Diamond Shark where he quicky grew in popularity due to his talent and his outspokenness. Even as part of a more Warden-minded Clan, Ian’s Crusader vision for the future was popular with the lower ranked wariors who were looking for more glory. He reached the rank of Star Captain in 3022 after successfully defending a transport in a Trial of Possession, which improved his standing once again.

It wasn’t long before he was allowed to participate in a Trial of Bloodright for the Hawker bloodname, which he won in 3025. Promoted to Star Colonel at that point, he kept promoting the Crusader philosophy and a very conservative Clan behavior for his men. By 3032, he became Galaxy Commander of Beta Galaxy. This positioned him as a potential future leader of the Clan

Crusader Khan of a Wardern Clan

Ian Hawker skipped the saKhan position in his Clan after the death of the previous Khan in 3046, challenging saKhan Kaija Horn to a Trial of Position for the title. While Horn was competent, Hawker overpowered her with his Dire Wolf and showed the entire Clan the “power of the Crusader way”. Taking the reins of the Clan, Khan Hawker knew he would have to contend with a large portion of Wardens but mitigated it by starting a push to see the Inner Sphere as a “new market opportunity”.

Some changes did come under his watch though, as freeborn troops were banned from front-line service and the more outspoken Warden were relegated to rear guard work. The freedom often granted to the lower castes by the Diamond Shark leadership were also curtailed to a more “wartime economy” system comparable to other Clans but not as drastic as the Jade Falcons in the same era.

During the Outbound Light incident, Khan Hawker did not consult with any of his constituents before voting “Yes” on the motion to invade the Inner Sphere and supporting the ascension of Leo Showers to ilKhan. He was challenged by other members of the Clan’s leadership over this, but Ian Hawker argued that spending resources on a trial right before the Placement Trials would weaken the Clan as a whole.

Operation REVIVAL

The Diamond Sharks placed sixth in the Placement Trials, which was pretty good all things considered based on what the Clan could manage. Ian Hawker did manage to position himself in a Trial of Refusal to allow his Clan to participate as a reserve Clan, which he won himself.

During the invasion proper, Hawker and his Trinary were allowed to observe the other parties. Hawker wanted opportunities to gain glory and potentially territory but was rebuffed by all the other Clans, including the vehemently Crusader Jaguars and Falcons. It wasn’t until the fourth wave of the invasion and Elias Crichell’s offer to Hawker to assist him that the Diamond Shark saw any action.

While all this was going on, saKhan Barbara Sennet was managing the trade empire of the Diamond Shark in the Inner Sphere. While warriors were not allowed to conquer worlds, the Merchants were making headway on multiple fronts, especially as garrison units on conquered world were facing more resistance than expected. Ian Hawker was not responsible for any of the merchant action at the time, and when rumors started floating around of merchant’s trading with the spheroid rather than just the Clans, the Khan was enraged. After the ilKhan banned Diamond Shark merchants from working in the conquered territories, Ian Hawker had to destroy a merchantman JumpShip to show just how dedicated he was.

With the death of Leo Showers, the Diamond Sharks were activated as a reserve Clan but not given a particular invasion corridor. Hawker’s Crusader stance likely cost him while he did support Ulric Kerensky’s bid as ilKhan. While merchant and logistics operation from the Diamond Shark resumed, Hawker was only allowed to take Nyserta from Clan Ghost Bear as a holding in the Inner Sphere.

Battle of Tukayyid and Fallout

Ian Hawker is one of the commanders with the worst record on Tukayyid, starting with an aggressive bid which he could never maintain which still led him to land second to last. He also refused to listen to Ulric Kerensky’s plea to use careful planning and strong logistics train, which should have been the Diamond Shark’s forte. Hawker’s desire to show himself as an aggressive leader with a powerful force cost him dearly, as the fight quickly devolved into a stalemate with the Com Guards, which ultimately encircled the Diamond Shark forces and started picking them out. The fact it was the Freeborn commanded Third Shark Regulars which ultimately saved the Sharks from total annihilation damaged Hawker’s ego more than anything else.

With the bloodnamed warriors of his Clan mostly wiped out, Hawker began the trip back to Strana Mechty for the election of the next ilKhan with the news that their holding on Nyserta had been lost to Clan Ghost Bear, and that their holdings in the Homeworlds were also under threat by neighboring Clans. All second-line units were reactivated to defend whatever they could, placing the more Warden-minded warriors at the top of the totem pole once again, further eroding Hawker’s position.

IlKhan Election

During the trip home from Tukayyid, Ian Hawker met with the leaders of the other invading Clans, including former ilKhan Ulric Kerensky. While his position as a Crusader had not changed, it was clear that the Inner Sphere was far more capable than they initially had expected. Hawker also realized he would need at least a decade to rebuild his touman to an acceptable level, even while doing massive concessions to freeborn units. Looking at the options available to him, he realized that supporting either Elias Crichell or Lincoln Osis would not help his position. Clan Steel Viper was in a position almost comparable to the Diamond Sharks, while the Ghost Bears seemed uninterested in the future of the invasion. With Clan Wolf out of the running for obvious reasons, Ian Hawker looked at the other options and decided to back Clan Coyote’s more middle of the road positions.

During the election of the ilKhan proper, Khan Hawker made no waves and simply listened and supported various claims when appropriate. He defended Clan Wolf and Nova Cat when they were called out for their friendship with the Inner Sphere, showing documents comparing the production and development index of worlds under the more clement rule of the Wardens to the ruthless aggression of the Smoke Jaguars. Hawker also supported multiple claims by Khan Lynn McKenna of the Snow Ravens in regards to logistics train, positions and creation of new recharge stations in the path towards the Inner Sphere, again working off of trade and merchant documents.

As the votes were to be put down, Ian Hawker conferred with his Clan, unlike during the Outbound Light incident. Support for the Warden-minded Coyote was highest amongst the warriors and merchants of the Clan, while there was also a movement to support Clan Snow Raven. Ian Hawker and his saKhan decided to put their backing behind Sullivan Koga of Clan Coyote in the first and second round but were satisfied with Lynn McKenna being elected as ilKhan afterwards.

Merchants and Warriors

Hawker’s lack of leadership during this period would have been catastrophic if not for Merchant Factor Angus Labov. A former Warrior, Labov was “reactivated” by saKhan Sennet, Angus Labov quickly climbed the ladder back into the Clan. Hawker was reluctant to accept many of the McKenna edicts, but Labov and sakhan Sennet followed and accepted them which allowed the Clan to bounce back faster than expected.

Khan Hawker still made the decision to establish an Inner Sphere capital in 3056. Using a loophole in the wording of the edicts, Hawker claimed the entire Chaine Cluster and its seven systems as the capital of his Clan. Using some of the reconditioned forces brought up by Angus Labov, Ian Hawker captured the collection of system and its very valuable JumpShip repair berth. Angered by someone “playing the rules”, Khan Malavai Fletcher of the Hell’s Horses called a Trial of Refusal on the Diamond Sharks over their possession of the Chain Cluster, which in turn led to ilKhan McKenna meeting directly with the Diamond Sharks leadership.

In the end, Hawker and the Diamond Sharks were allowed to keep the whole 7 worlds of the Chaine Clusters if they allowed all the Clans full access to the shipyards, while also repairing and upgrading the shipyard as a hub for all Clan to have access to. Another important point was that the Diamond Sharks had to lead the pacification and capture of the rest of the Chainelane Isles but could not lay claim on any other holding on the captured world. The following operation required 3 years with the assistance of Clan Hell’s Horses and Clan Ice Hellion, in a fight later known as Operation ISLANDHOPPERS. Angus Labov and Barbara Sennet were the main driving force behind that Operation, with Hawker being forced to play defense and construction in the Chaine Clusters themselves.

A Warrior’s Death

With his leadership undermined, Khan Hawker looked for options for a “way out”, but there were not a whole lot available to him. Retiring and going into another caste would have been too great of a dishonor for him, damaging his future legacy. Looking at military options available to him, Ian Hawker saw the fighting against the Draconis Combine which was ongoing at the time and decided to lead a Galaxy of dezgra and solahma troops to “one last glorious stand”. On Chupadero, which had been recaptured by the Dragon, Hawker pushed as hard as he could to reclaim the world against increasing numbers of Combine units called in as reinforcements. The planet was finally reclaimed for the Clans, but Ian Hawker died of injuries sustained in the battle.

Personal Life

Ian Hawker always felt like he was born in the wrong Clan. His very “Clanlike” ideas were more in-line with Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Smoke Jaguar of his era than the more liberal Clan Diamond Shark. Throughout his life he had major disdain for freeborn troops and freeborns in general, which caused his some issues when dealing with his own merchant caste and Inner Sphere contacts. While the lead up to Operation REVIVAL was great for Ian Hawker, after the multiple failures since the invasion, he grew more and more reclusive and paranoid.