The noble sea fox once belonged to us, bit it has proven weaker than we. We have survived where it has not, by becoming one with the predator that killed it. The diamond shark prowls through the ocean in search of prey, scorning the smaller creatures of the sea in favor of the more powerful opponents. It sees the sea fox, graceful and lethal, but knows itself more lethal still. Here is a foe worth fighting...here is an enemy against which the diamond shark may test its mettle! The gray shape glides through the water, every inch of it a weapon so silent that its victim cannot hear it coming. It bides its time, watching and waiting, plotting the best moment to strike. As the sea fox rises from the water, the diamond shark leaps out of the waves behind it and arrows down in a deadly arc. It plunges back into the surf a hair's breadth from the sea fox, so close that the diamond-hard ridges on its side draw the doomed fox's blood. Too fast for the fox to react to the danger it only now sees, the shark leaps again, this time catching its prey in its powerful jaws and snapping its neck with the slightest downward pressure...

Clan Diamond Shark Totem

The foundation of Clan Diamond Shark is shrouded in controversy. Originally named Clan Sea Fox for the reptile-like amphibian predator native to Strana-Mechty, they were renamed in 2985 following the introduction of the diamond shark to Strana Mechty, where it supplanted the sea fox in the food chain.

Possessions

Worlds: 10 (9 shared, 1 exclusive)

Although they always maintained wide-ranging possessions, the recent Trials of Possession have benefited the Diamond Sharks considerably. Clan Ghost Bear gave them their enclaves on Tokasha and Paxon, but though Diamond Shark forces landed on Tokasha, the Khans decided holding that enclave was not cost-effective and withdrew after blooding Gamma Galaxy, choosing instead to consolidate their grip on Paxon. In exchange for giving the Nova Cats military and logistical support in the Cats' withdrawal, the Sharks gained much of the Nova Cat's Barcella and Delios enclaves. The Sharks continue to face trials on Barcella against the Jade Falcons and Ice Hellions. The Clan's greatest gain came against the Smoke Jaguars. The world of Vinton had long been a source of friction between the two Clans, and preparations were underway of a Trial of Possession even before the SLDF attack on Huntress. Within two weeks of the Great Refusal, the Diamond Sharks occupied Vinton, their first exclusive possession.

Allies and Enemies

The Diamond Sharks know that building strong relationships with particular Clans, whether adversarial or friendly, could harm their relationships with others. Consequently, they have steered a path of neutrality with most Clans. However there are some notable exceptions.

The closest the Sharks have to allies are the Blood Spirits and Fire Mandrills, for whom they serve as intermediaries to the other Clans. They have also had historically good relationships with Clan Wolf. Although relationships with the Wolves under Vlad Ward have cooled, they still maintain limited covert contacts with the Wolves in the ARDC. Similarly, the Ghost Bears respected the Sharks sufficiently to grant them territories when the Bears withdrew from Clan Space.

The only Clan the Diamond Sharks despise is the Snow Ravens, who instigated the series of events that lead to the renaming. They have taken every opportunity to slight the Ravens in business, and the Ravens have been atypically passive in the response.

Military

Although the Sharks fought in the Inner Sphere, most other Clans look on the Diamond Sharks military with disdain. Gutted on Tukayyid, the Diamond Shark Touman has rebuilt in the ten years since with the assistance of the merchant caste. The Sharks rarely resort to violence, preferring to get their way through mercantile means. However, interference with their commercial operations frequently elicits a devastating response.

Like most Clans, the Diamond Sharks discriminate against freeborn warriors. However, the need to guard their territory and merchant vessels means the Clan cannot be too picky, and they do use such troops, mainly in second-line militia. Many freeborns train to fight as marines aboard ship, or to act as guards at compounds.

Usually, many Shark warriors retire from active service and take up positions in lower castes. Little stigma is attached to such actions, and Bloodnamed retirees may retain their warrior qualification by passing an annual Trial of Position. Because of this policy, the Diamond Sharks have few solahma units.

Over the years the Diamond Sharks have developed a reputation as sharp bidders, forcing opponents to miscalculate and lose more frequently than would be expected. Although such tactics have offended the other Clans, the Sharks view them simply as an extension of the standard efficiency measures.

Society

Unlike other Clans, the Diamond Sharks view the civilian castes as supporting the entire Clan rather than just the warrior caste, allowing the lower castes to flourish. The Diamond Shark economy is the strongest in the Clans, which can be attributed to the strong bonds between the castes. This economic success has resulted in disparaging comments from the other Clans (the Coyotes have a saying, "when there are fins in the water, don't go swimming"), especially after the disaster of Tukayyid, but has allowed the Clan to rebuild quickly. The requirements of rebuilding forced the warriors to give up considerable power to the merchant caste in order to accomplish their goals, but the warrior caste recently regained some of that power by agreeing to allow the merchant caste to travel to and trade with the Inner Sphere.

The Diamond Sharks take bondsmen wherever possible. One Star Colonel put it, "Bondsmen are a simple byproduct of another action, one we can exploit." It is not unknown for the Diamond Sharks to return bondsmen to their original Clan in exchange for some form of concession. This allows them to repatriate any troublesome elements and still make a profit.

The Sharks understand honor, but their own application of it is somewhat flexible. They understand the need to display an honorable countenance to smooth dealing with other Clans, but believe strict adherence to the Honor Road is detrimental to the Clan's best interests. To do so would cut the Clan off from many opportunities, something even the warrior caste is loath to do.

Similarly, the Clan is not overly political. Their viewpoint wanders between the Crusader and Warden philosophies. Since Tukayyid and their ejection, they have espoused the Warden cause, but generally prefer to remain apolitical, because favoring one camp too strongly would be bad for business.

The primary reason for the Sharks to support the Crusader faction in the invasion was to gain access to Inner Sphere markets, which they regard as largely untapped. They fully intend to take up Prince Victor’s call for stronger ties with the Inner Sphere, and rumors circulate that they have established relations with Inner Sphere trading cartels.

Brief History

The only Clan not to underestimate the defenders of Babylon, the Sea Foxes emerged from the Pentagon Campaign with the restpect of their peers. The Sea Fox Khan's early initiatives to promote material prosperity and strength of the Clan's economy soon paid off. The Clan pioneered developments in the artificial womb technology, and worked with the Cloud Cobras on genetic engineering techniques. However, it was in trade, both material goods and information, that Clan Sea Fox made its reputation. They prospered for more than a century.

However, jealousy of the Sea Fox's success festered among the other Clans. Following a humiliating defeat in a trial of possession-and Sea Fox bragging about the victory on the Chatterweb-the Khan of Clan Snow Raven took extraordinary measures. Releasing a genetically-engineered breed of shark into Strana Mechty's oceans, he sought to destroy his enemy's totem animal. Although one colony of sea foxes remained, the success of the diamond shark led the Clan to petition for a name change. Viewed as near heretical for casting off the name given them by Nicholas Kerensky, they were nevertheless allowed to do so after winning a Trial of Refusal. On September 30, 2985 Clan Sea Fox was renamed Clan Diamond Shark.

For many years the Clan attempted to keep out of politics, because political disputes were bad for business. Eventually the Sharks succumbed to the Great Debate. Though predominantly Wardens, their desire to return to the Inner Sphere led them to support the Crusaders cause, as much to limit the brutality of Clans Jade Falcon and Smoke Jaguar as to exploit Inner Sphere resources.

When the call for invasion went out in 3048, the Diamond Sharks failed to win a primary place in the invasion, but were designated third reserve after the Steel Vipers and Nova Cats. To further improve His Clan's position, Khan Ian Hawker entered into an alliance with the Jade Falcons. As the invasion progressed, Diamond Shark observers attached to the invasion force traveled with the fleet, identifying the goods the Invaders needed. The passed this information to the Clan's merchants , who made considerable profits. However, the situation soured when an arms transport fell into the hands of Kuritan rebels who used the captured arms against Clan Smoke Jaguar. The merchants were expelled.

When the Clan was finally activated after the death of ilKhan Showers, they were forced to fight the Ghost Bears for a base world, and looked set to share the Bears' invasion corridor. However, before the arrangement was formalized, the Battle of Tukayyid shattered the Shark Touman and they retreated in disarray. The Ghost Bears soon recaptured the Sharks' base world of Nyserta, leaving the Diamond Sharks little option but to return to Clan Space.

With the warrior cast in disarray, the Clan's merchant caste became ascendant, in effect determining Clan policy. Angus Labov, a retired warrior and head of the merchants, became de facto leader of the Clan and worked hard to rebuild the Sharks. The merchants established trade links with the other Clans and the Inner Sphere powers, always with an eye to strengthening their position. By the time of the Harvest Trials the Clan had returned to its former strength, and in the aftermath of the "Great Refusal," Khan Ian Hawker resigned.

Beginnings

Clan Diamond Shark's history is certainly one of the more distinct in Clan history. No other Clan has been forced to make a more fundamental change than the Diamond Sharks. Originally founded as Clan Sea Fox, the Clan was forced to change its name when rivals from Clan Snow Raven engineered the destruction of the Clan's namesake.

Originally named Clan Sea Fox by Nicholas Kerensky, this Clan quickly gained a reputation for free thinking liberalism and a openness with its lower castes which was remarkably different from the other Clans. Under the leadership of Khan Karen Nagasawa, Clan Sea Fox was soon known for its democratic ways and liberal attitudes toward all its caste members. Khan Nagasawa's policies paid off hugely as the Clan reaped substantial benefits from its exploration teams and the Clan-wide information network, the Chatterweb. With access to a number of extremely lucrative markets as well as being one of the first Clans to deploy OmniMechs, Clan Sea Fox rose to a high stature in a remarkably short time. All of these successes, though, came at a high price. The sea fox, once an endangered species, was soon to fall to a man-made threat.

Khan Howell of Clan Snow Raven, angered at recent losses to the hated Clan Sea Fox, ordered his scientists to create the ultimate aquatic killer. The Snow Raven scientists genetically engineered a Terran great white shark to become an even more fearsome predator. The new shark was dubbed the diamond shark, in honor of the diamond hard ridges on its flanks.The shark was then released into the sea in search of prey. It found it - in the sea fox. The sea fox of Strana Mechty knew no natural enemies. It was at the top of the food chain the planet's oceans and greatly admired by Clan Sea Fox. Within weeks, the diamond shark had decimated much of the sea fox's population. Soon the sea fox, which had already been saved from extinction once, was doomed.

No one knew of the sea fox's plight until Khan Clarke sailed out to give tribute. As Khan offered homage to the sea fox, he and his attendants were shocked to see a sea fox brutally killed by a previously unknown sea creature. Khan Clarke ordered the capture of the creature. A squad of Elementals managed to capture the beast, but the Sea Fox scientists were unable to identify its species. The arrival of the diamond shark left the Sea Fox Khans in a quandary. A quick survey indicated that the sea fox would be extinct before the end of the year. Clearly, the diamond shark proved the superior of the sea fox.

Khan Clarke called for vote allowing Clan Sea Fox to change its name to Diamond Shark. During the debates, it was revealed that the Snow Ravens were responsible for the destruction of the sea fox. Some of the other Khans were sympathetic to the Sea Fox's dilemma, but in the end the vote was cast against the name change. Khan Clarke immediately declared a Trial of Refusal and won the right to change the Clan's name.

After much pondering and soul searching, Khan Clarke came to a controversial decision. Khan Clarke threw the vote to change the Clan's name open to all members of the Clan. The warriors were enraged by this, but Khan Clarke stood firm in the face of opposition, defeating all challengers. In the end, the Clans name was changed to Diamond Shark. The Sea Fox was gone forever.

Few Clans were pleased by the vote, the Smoke Jaguars least of all. Appalled that the Sharks would let their lower castes have a say in anything, the Jaguars launched a major attack against a Diamond Shark holding. Khan Clarke ordered his units to use flexible tactics, knowing that the Jaguars depended upon rigid battle plans and strict adherence to the chain of command. The Diamond Shark units crushed the Jaguar force, proving that the Sharks were not as weak-willed as some thought.

Century of Change

The next century brought about great changes as the Sharks continued to show themselves to be expert merchants and scientists. Many technological advances, including the perfection of many BattleMech weapons, gave the Sharks great tactical flexibility as its warriors were amongst the first to field OmniMechs. Diamond Shark scientists also discovered the harjell, which, when combined with a starch produced a extremely durable and flexible substance used in the repair of Elemental armor and securing hull breaches on DropShip, JumpShips and WarShips.

The Crusaders demands for invasion put the Diamond Sharks in a difficult position. While they agreed in principle that the Inner Sphere needed to be brought into the fold, they were at odds with the other Clans as to the method. Over the last century, the Sharks had slowly transitioned from being a Warden Clan to Crusader. The Sharks disagreed with the Wolves about leaving the Inner Sphere alone and definitely did not want the Smoke Jaguars leading the attack. The Jaguars brutal policies and attitudes toward the lower castes left the Shark Khans concerned about the future of the Inner Sphere. Clan history had shown that the Jaguars would likely incinerate any population center that caused them too much trouble.

As the years passed, the Diamond Shark Khans came to the decision that invasion was inevitable and they were the logical Clan to lead the invasion. When Khan Kherlin Ward proposed Wolf's Dragoons in 3005, the Diamond Shark Khans voted in favor of the proposal. The lack of information concerning the Inner Sphere convinced the Shark Khans to wait until they learned how matters fared in the Successor States.

Fortunately, the decision to wait proved correct. The information provided by Wolf's Dragoons convinced many that the Inner Sphere, rather from being a collapsing hulk, was beginning to thrive once more. Further evidence showed that the Successor States were rapidly regaining the technology lost during the ruinous Successor Wars. The emergence of the Federated Commonwealth alarmed many Crusader Khans. They cited that the Commonwealth was on the verge of rebuilding the Star League on its own!

The matter was debated further over the next few years, with all talks of invasion stalled by the Warden Khans. The decision to invade came when Khan Leo Showers presented evidence that the Inner Sphere was readying itself to invade the Clan homeworlds. Khan Showers' eloquence not only guaranteed the invasion, but that he would be elected ilKhan.

The bidding for slots in the invasion force was fierce, only Clan Wolf (by virtue of being the heirs of the Kerensky's) was exempted from the many brutal Trials. Khan Hawker's Diamond Shark forces did not fair well in the Trials and was forced to accept a position as a reserve Clan.

The Diamond Keshik journeyed with the invasion force and fought well alongside the Jade Falcons. The Keshik performed so well, in fact, that prominent Jade Falcons schemed to remove the Diamond Shark presence from the invasion force by any means. The Sharks were eventually force to limit their role in the Inner Sphere, but not after winning the planet Nyserta from Clan Ghost Bear.

Finally, in 3052, the Clans engaged ComStar in one of the biggest battles in the history of the Inner Sphere. The Diamond Shark force, comprised of Alpha, Gamma and Omega Galaxies, was shattered by the Com Guards hit and run tactics. Only the valiant sacrifice made by Omega Galaxy allowed the Sharks to escape. The Com Guards eventually won the battle, allowing only Clan Wolf to win its objectives and the Ghost Bears to win one.

Recent Events

In the six years subsequent to the disastrous battle on Tukayyid, the Diamond Sharks have spent enormous amounts trading with the other Clans and rebuilding their touman. Diamond Shark merchants have made enormous profits in recent years selling goods and equipment to the invading Clans. Diamond Shark transports are the least threatening to Inner Sphere, but their WarShips will not hesitate to attack any vessel that interferes with their trade.

In the interim, Khan Hawker has ceded control of the Clan to Angus Labov, head of the politically powerful merchants council, in return for the resources to rebuild. The Diamond Sharks have rebuilt their military in record time.

Prior to the recent Inner Sphere counterattack, Khan Hawker joined forces with Ice Hellion Khan Asa Taney in an attempt to absorb one or more of the invading Clans. Fortunately for the Inner Sphere, the move was defeated by quick thinking by Wolf Khan Vladimir Ward and Jade Falcon Khan Marthe Pryde. Fortunately, few Diamond Shark troops participated in the Harvest Wars initiated by Khan Ward.

Death of a Clan

With the defeat of the Smoke Jaguars in the Inner Sphere and on Huntress, the Clans found themselves with the unprecedented prospect of an Inner Sphere invasion of Strana Mechty. The Star League Defense Force soon challenged the Clans to a Trial of Refusal over the invasion. If the Inner Sphere won, the invasion was over and the invading Clans would retain the worlds they had conquered. If the Clans won, the invasion would resume. The Warden Clans refused to participate in the Trial, leaving the eight Crusader Clans to face the SLDF. As the Smoke Jaguars had only two Binaries of troops left, it was decided that each Crusader Clan would only commit two Binaries to the battle.

The Diamond Sharks, who had over the years since Tukayyid switched to the Warden faction, refused to take part in the battle with the SLDF. How the merchant-oriented Clan will respond to the new opportunities now made available to it in the Inner Sphere is unknown at this time.