Vandervahn Chistu was a military officer within Clan Jade Falcon and a skilled politician in his won rights. Climbing in ranks quickly, he became saKhan after the death and disgrace of Timur Malthus on Twycross. His political acumen and tactical skills were a benefit for this organization but ultimately led to his position being threatened by more aggressive Crusaders, leading him to take unnecessary risks and his death.

Early Life

Vandervahn Chistu was decanted in a mid-range sibko using genetic material from a multitude of donors and former Star Colonel Kong Mina Chistu. With lower expectations than some of the more “high end” sibko, many members of the creche learned various skills outside pure military experience and some were even motivated to go into the Merchant caste. Young Vandervahn fought for his position in the sibko however and secured a good billet for training as a MechWarrior.

Unsurprisingly, he did better than many of his fellow cadets and he played “sibko politics” to guarantee himself a good position during his Blooding, fighting some of the weaker opponents available. This allowed him to secure a position as Star Captain from the get-go, defeating three opponents through cunning more than raw skill.

Military Career

The Quiet Days

Star Captain Vandervahn Jade Falcon joined Gamma Galaxy by recommendation of then Star Colonel Mar Helmer. He quickly proved his worth as an Executive Officer and planner. The young Star Captain and Colonel worked together on multiple successful bids and trials against the Smoke Jaguars and Steel Vipers, culminating with the taking of Marshall’s mining moon of Diamondstar in 3042. Vandervahn Jade Falcon challenged for a Bloodname in 3034, winning it cleanly after a few of his opponents desisted thanks to his political abilities.

Vandervahn Chistu split from Mar Helmer after the Battle of Diamondstar, starting his own ascension in the ranks of the Falcon’s touman. He was popular with many leading commanders, including Khan Elias Crichell, for his skills off the battlefield more than on the battlefield. This nonetheless allowed him it participate in the Placement Trials and show promise for future operations.

Coming to the Invasion and Becoming saKhan

Galaxy Commander Vandervahn Chistu oversaw Gamma Galaxy at the onset of Operation REVIVAL. He was already manipulating things and people to guarantee his power in the future, leading one Nicholai Malthus to capture Somerset. Chistu also manipulated his way into the close circle of Khan Elias Crichell, providing information on rivals and on “low performance officers” increasing his own prestige.

The destruction of the Falcon Guard and the death of saKhan Timur Malthus gave Vandervahn Chistu the opportunity he wanted and he climbed to the position of saKhan. While he was given command of the Turkina Keshik, he also worked on rebuilding the destroyed Falcon Guard using Aidan Pryde as his proxy. This proved to be a very good choice, as Pryde managed to save the Clan from total defeat on Tukayyid.

Fighting the Good Fight

Vandervahn Chistu attempted to push for his Khan, Elias Critchell, to be named saKhan at the election after the invading clans were recalled from the front. During the debate, Chistu was blamed for the orbital bombardment of Botany Bay. This angered the saKhan, who got into a yelling match with the Khan of Clan Cloud Cobra, Din Steiner. Indirectly, Vandervahn Chistu was also blamed for the strange case of Somerset and the disappearance (and death) of a large portion of the planetary population. Elias Crichell was happy that most of the blame for the failures of Operation REVIVAL for the Falcon fell on the head of his saKhan instead of himself.

After the election and the clear new orders given by ilKhan Lynn McKenna, Vandervahn Chistu still worked on improving his own status and the status of his clan. He ordered multiple raids against Federated Commonwealth worlds to “keep the pressure on the enemy”. The end result was for the Commonwealth to place multiple high profile officers and units on the Clan front, which Chistu saw as a positive as it proved that his forces were relevant in the grand scheme of things.

Khan of the Falcons

Elias Crichell’s untimely death led to Vandervahn Chistu taking the Khanship, as none of the other leading officers in the Clan were wanting to challenge him for the position. After taking the position, the Jade Falcons were moved to be a far more diplomatic player in Clan politics, which surprised many. Chistu positioned himself to get closer to the ilKhan and her more radical positions, supporting her in most of her endeavours. The Falcon’s banking institutions were also “liberalized” under Chistu, allowing for lower castes to open and maintain both regular savings accounts and investment accounts.

Chistu’s biggest problem at that point was the Crusader elements of his own Clan, which were trying to push for more “active roles” in the fight against the Inner Sphere, which Chistu was no longer ready for. His own political plays had made the Falcons stronger, but had also forced the hand of the Federated Commonwealth to commit more forces than were expected to their border. Even the Star Adder’s victory at Arc-Royal, assisted by the Falcons, weakened Chistu’s position as it kept showing that the FedCom was stronger now than they were before.

Ignoble End

Chistu’s position as Khan of the Jade Falcon was also threatened by Marthe Pryde’s youthful leadership and charismatic popularity. But this was not the biggest problem Vandervahn Chistu had to face, however, as the Falcon’s old rivals, the Wolves, also had a youthful and charismatic leadership in Phelan Ward and Vlad Ward. In an attempt to make himself more popular, Vandervahn Chistu began pushing to be on the front-line during operation against the Lyran Commonwealth forces. Things took a turn for the worst when Turkina Keshik engaged Adam Steiner’s forces in a daring raid on Melissia.

In a short fight, Steiner’s Thunder Hawk overcame Khan Chistu’s Executionner. Chistu attempted to eject, but he was unable to as his ‘Mech collapsed under him. The defeated Turkina Keshik returned to saKhan Marthe Pryde with a message from Adam Steiner, politely saying that Vandervahn Chistu got what he deserved for orchestrating his livelong fight against Nicholai Malthus and that the Falcons should learn to fear him more.

Personal Life

Vandervahn Chistu was far from the best MechWarrior of his era, but many compared him to Ulric Kerensky and Leo Showers in terms of political acumen. His biggest problem throughout his life was that he was always playing catch-up to the other power players of the same era. The likes of Marthe Pryde were in the same generation as he was, but they were more charismatic due to larger personal achievements or simply being more personable. While most expected Chistu to be a staunch Crusader like most Falcons, when people got close to him, they realized he was happier just following whichever philosophy or political ideology was most convenient at the time.

In his own time, Chistu was known to paint landscapes using wet-on-wet techniques using oil paints. Many were surprised by how relaxed he was when doing this, and his work have been gifted to many throughout the Clans by the Falcon’s merchant caste.

Vandervahn Chistu’s BattleMech

Vandervahn Chistu favored assault ‘mechs during his career, finally settling for an Executionner during Operation REVIVAL and after.