Nicolai Malthus is a case study in the Clan political and military structure. He is someone who got to a rank he probably should not have had too early, exploiting the Clan system. He was then brought low due to the problems which occurred during Operation REVIVAL, the fall of the Malthus bloodhouse and his own personal failing. Finally, he rebuilt his career and reputation through hard work and good decisions.

Early Life

As part of a Malthus-Hazen sibko, Nicolai Malthus was forced from a young age to excel at everything he did and “always come out on top”. He was known to have beaten multiple other cadets almost to death in various contests just to prove his superiority over them. He was the only surviving member of his sibko left to test into the Warrior caste after his Trial of Position, which he completed to get the position of Star Commander.

Military Career

Meteoric Rise

Right after reporting to his new unit, Nicolai Jade Falcon challenged his commander to a Trial of Position. In a short duel, Star Commander Nicolai killed his opponent by crushing the Mad Dog’s cockpit under his Summoner. While this could have led to massive issues, the Star Captain in question had been on the short list of Falcon warriors that needed replaced by Elias Crichell. Nicolai’s support of the Crusader cause was also viewed as a net positive by the leadership of the Clan, which fostered such an attitude.

Nicolai quickly participated in a Trial of Bloodright at merely 20 years old, joining in after being sponsored by Timur Malthus, who would then become saKhan. His record during the Trial of Bloodright was exemplary, even though some would argue killing every opponent might have been a bit too much. Vandervahn Chistu saw a valuable asset in the young Star Captain both as a political asset and as a soldier in the upcoming invasion.

Operation Revival and the Strikers

As Operation REVIVAL began in earnest, Vandervahn Chistu promoted Nicolai Malthus to Star Colonel and provided him with the Falcon’s Claws cluster. An independent unit attached to Gamma Galaxy, the Falcon Claws were meant to serve as a mobile “problem solving” unit with tactical deniability, the equivalent of many mercenary outfits in the Inner Sphere. Nicolai Malthus was quite proud of this assignment and performed above expectations until he met with Adam Steiner for the first time on Dustball.

While Malthus and his cluster were able to defeat regular Inner Sphere forces, Adam Steiner’s First Somerset Strikers were always a thorn in his side, causing losses for his unit on multiple occasions even after successful operations. During the Battle of Twycross, Malthus captured Adam Steiner, but subsequently let him escape due to a combination of having to endure the fallout of Adler Malthus’s loss and his own ego.

Nicolai Malthus was chastised for his failures, and combined with the disgrace of the Malthus name, started losing sponsors and supporters. His next major action was on Somerset, where he fought against Adam Steiner again and lost a Trial of Possession over the planet, both men not knowing just how far the depopulation of the planet had been taken by Vandervahn Chistu. Recalled from front line command and thoroughly disgraced, Malthus was demoted to Star Commander and put in charge of a solahma unit close to the Periphery border.

Climbing Back the Ladder

Star Commander Malthus did not remain Star Commander for very long, as a Star Captain of Omicron Provisional Galaxy died in an accident and he was seen as the most reliable officer on site. In his new position, Malthus started learning additional logistical and personnel management skills which he had lacked at the start of Operation REVIVAL.

Having been spared the dishonor of the defeat at Tukayyid, Star Captain Nicolai Malthus was promoted once again as part of Omicron Galaxy as one of the Star Colonel in the Galaxy had to join a front-line galaxy as a replacement. Renaming the 4^th Provisional Garrison Cluster “Falcon Claws”, Malthus began a stark training regimen for his unit to bring them up to front line standards in expectation of further combat in the Inner Sphere. It was Galaxy Commander Marthe Pryde who activated the newly rechristened Falcon Claws to defend worlds on the Lyran border, allowing Malthus to serve once again. A lot of Malthus’s work was done to both bolster his image and the image of his bloodname, which was difficult at times.

A Reform Not Everyone Liked

As the Reformation was taking place, Nicolai Malthus was amongst the detractors of Lynn McKenna’s new way for the Clans. A staunch Crusader from the start, Nicolai was vocal about his dislike of sharing victories with other Clans and keeping the peace over the Truce of Tukayyid. While shunned by the Khan and saKhan, Malthus gained popularity amongst the provisional galaxies and garrison units on the FedCom front. Not wanting to push his luck, Nicolai Malthus remained in charge of his unit and followed orders from the current front commander, Marthe Pryde.

While he disliked many of the reform attempts, Nicolai Malthus did appreciate being able to pack his units with “disgraced” and “second tier” warriors and maintain a stronger position than anticipated. This finally paid off for him, as he gained the opportunity to challenge for the position of Galaxy Commander of Omicron Galaxy in 3061. Having taken the role, current saKhan Marthe Pryde moved Omicron from Provisional second line Galaxy to a front line role, assisting her in maintaining control and even taking planets from the Federated Commonwealth.

A New Khan

Galaxy Commander Malthus had warned Khan Vandervahn Chistu not to underestimate Adam Steiner before his attack on Melissia. It was thanks to Omicron Galaxy that Chistu’s own unit was able to evacuate after the death of the Khan at the hand of Steiner. His popularity and his friendship with Marthe Pryde made Nicolai Malthus an easy choice to fill in the shoes of saKhan of the Clan, which Malthus accepted after consulting with more senior members of his Bloodhouse. A now far more tempered and cleverer Nicolai Malthus was going to be a problem for Adam Steiner again in the future.

Personal Life

Nicolai Malthus had never grown attached to anyone during his early years as a warrior and had found nothing outside of military life. His contact with the Inner Sphere changed this, however, as he grew intrigued with the prospect of various trideo games, especially those representing ancient wars and combat. Malthus became quite fond of simulation games representing the Terran 20^th century, especially fictionalized tank warfare. He also learned to enjoy reproducing ancient Terran uniforms, especially of the powers that opposed Germany, which he took as a proxy for the Lyran Commonwealth.

Nicolai Malthus’s depiction in the Tharkad Broadcasting Corporation fictionalized retelling of Adam Steiner’s early career hurt Nicolai Malthus on a personal level. He understood clearly what the TBC had wanted to portray, but he found that his depiction as a “cartoonish, over the top villain” was a misrepresentation and he petitioned the broadcaster for an apology. The company laughed at his request and made further depictions of him which were disparaging, leading Malthus to petition the AFFC directly for a chance to improve his status. Surprisingly, it was Adam Steiner which came to the defense of then Star Captain Nicolai Malthus, saying in an interview that: “He might have been my bitter opponent, but I believe he never did anything outside of the duty imposed on him by his military.” The TBC was forced to issue an apology to Nicolai Malthus, who in return presented the TBC with multiple full seasons of Clan Spaniel.

Nicolai Malthus’s BattleMech

Nicolai Malthus piloted a Summoner with his own custom configuration, replacing the LRM rack with a set of Streak SRMs. After losing the ‘Mech during the second battle of Somerset, he was given a Thresher, which he used as a badge of honor until it was destroyed in 3061 in a fight against the Federated Commonwealth. At that point, he was given a Night Gyr by saKhan Marthe Pryde for his dedication to the Jade Falcon cause.