Clan Cloud Cobra

Named for the species of snake that developed from Terran cobras released onto Arcadia, Clan Cloud Cobra is a study in contrasts. They are the most religious of the Clans, paying homage to a concept they call The Way that enshrines aspects of all religions. And yet they are also one of the most devious and political of Clans, equating The Way with in the Warden cause, while seeking to further their own agenda.

History and Origins

Shrouded in mysticism, parable and dogma, the history of Clan Cloud Cobra reflects the Clan's founding by Windham Katib, a SLDF chaplain. Together with his saKhan, Vice Admiral Rafe Kardaan, Katib forged the Clan into a solid unit. Although ostensibly putting cultural differences aside, Katib fostered a number of debates to encourage understanding among his troops of different religions and ethnic backgrounds. Together the Cobras forged a new philosophy, comparable to the Inner Sphere "Unfinished Book" movement, which sought the common ground between all religions. Katib called this non-denominational system "The Way," and it would forma fundamental part of the Clan's existence.

Though badly bloodied on Babylon, the Clan fulfilled its objectives during the liberation of the Pentagon. However, an ambush by rebel forces cost the Clan almost half its number leaving aerospace forces in the ascendant. The Clan sustained further damage in the internal strife that followed Operation Klondike. The Cloud Cobras avoided the fate of the Wolverines, but their internal fighting further weakened them. This prompted many raids against them for their most valuable commodity: technological expertise. The most prominent raiders were Clan Coyote, and counter-raids and captured Coyotes eventually netted OmniMech technology for the Cobras.

When a large number of civilians and warriors belonging to Clan Burrock defected to the Bandit Caste, the Cobras accompanied the loyal Burrocks on a mission to return their wayward kin to the Clan fold. The Burrocks claimed to have punished the transgressors, a story accepted until Clan Star Adder proved it a lie in 3058.

In 2935, the Cobras were honored when their Khan, Tobias Katib, was selected as ilKhan. He ruled for more than a decade, doing much to advance the cause of the Cloud Cobras. However, Katib's indictment in 2947 tarnished the gains. Katib was found guilty of murdering his predecessor, and the Grand Council stripped him of his office and executed him. Suspicions of a wider conspiracy were never proven.

As the Clans chose sides in what would become the Cruaser-Warden debate, other divisions within the Cobras came to the forefront. Predominantly religious in nature, these divisions led to a fractionalization of Cobra society akin to that which consumed the Fire Mandrills. The Cobras divided into groups known as Cloisters, some of which supported the Warden and others the Crusaders. However, The Way ensured that as a whole the Clan supported the protectionist policies of the Wardens. When the Outbound Light triggered a call for invasion, the Cloud Cobra Khans voted to attack, but lacking the strength to prosecute the war, the Cobras withdrew from the bidding, angering several pro-crusader Cloisters and triggering dissention.

When Clan Star Adder uncovered details of the Burrock deception regarding their lost members and ongoing dealings with the Dark Caste, the Cloud Cobras were among the most vociferous in calling for the Burrock's absorption. The venom of their call lead many to suspect a hidden cause for their actions, perhaps associated with the Burrocks' crime, but possibly the Cobras' revulsion at the treachery of their former allies.

Society

Cloud Cobra society centers around the Cloisters and the religions of The Way. Their warriors serve also as priests and teachers, requiring a higher degree of philosophical and theological awareness than is found in other Clans. While the Cloisters are divided in the interpretations of The Way, the common devotion to it also serves to limit their divisiveness. The result is greater internal cohesion than is found in other splintered Clans such as the Fire Mandrills.

The Cloud Cobras accept bondsmen, but those taken by the Clan often have difficulty adapting to the theological debates that are part of everyday life. Cloud Cobras taken as isorla by other Clans rarely abandon their faith, therefore enclaves of belief in They Way exist in many other Clans.

Cobra civilians, through the Cloisters, have a limited say in the governance of the Clan. In addition to warriors, each Cloister contains ordained ministers of the civilian castes, who (in theory) advocate the interest of the people. And yet the Cloisters are elitist institutions, with menial work beneath their members, which reinforces the caste divisions. In fact, many regard the Cloisters as political rather than spiritual organizations, used by opportunists to further their own goals.

Most Cloud Cobras are pragmatic, realizing that many of their goals (largely unknown to the rest of the Clans) cannot be easily achieved and they are willing to take the long-term view. This may be on of the strengths of the Cloisters. While most Clansmen plan for now, or at best a few years into the future, the Cobras appear to plan generations in advance. Each Cloister, headed by an ecKhan, takes a proactive role towards attaining its goals, building or breaking alliances as needed.

Cobra technological expertise is among the best in the Clans. Although Clan Diamond Shark claims the credit for developing the current Iron Womb technology, much of the expertise in genetic engineering stems from the Cobras. Their military technology is similarly well developed, although much of their work is refinement of existing systems rather than new developments.

Military

The Cloud Cobras have a relatively small Touman, a result of a series of catastrophic events in their history. They emphasize aerospace, as a result of the major losses suffered on Babylon, leading to their focusing on what assets remained.

The aerospace bias has colored their tactics, with aircraft used to "soften up" targets in advance of a ground assault. However, their small ground force means that the Cobras are prepared to be very patient, allowing the air arm to complete their task rather than the ground forces being goaded into action.

The number of places in front-line units is strictly limited, and only the best go straight into such units. Most new graduates join one of a series of reserve units attached to each Galaxy. These serve as a trained pool of troops ready to make up losses in the principal units.

The Clan follows a combined arms doctrine, making use of conventional infantry and vehicles. However, many units are not well rounded, being dominated by BattleMechs or aerospace fighters. Cobra Elemental forces are surprisingly weak.

Allies and Enemies

The Cloud Cobras have few real enemies. Their belief in The Way makes then natural allies of the Warden faction, but also allows individual Cloisters the freedom to espouse Crusader views. The Cobras regard even die-hard Crusaders such as the Jade Falcons as simply "misguided." Only the Coyotes are their enemies.

However, this also means the Clan has few staunch allies. They worked with Clan Burrock for many years, sharing mutual interest such as the Tanite worlds. And this relationship has transferred to Clan Star Adder. While many in the Clan regard the partnership with Clan Star Adder to be a new move for the Clan, there are suggestions of decades-old deals between the two.

Clans Diamond Shark and Clan Snow Raven are alos peripheral allies of the Cobras. The former provides useful mercantile contacts, allowing the Cobras to prosper. Clan Snow Raven espouses similar military principals and the two-share information and technology.

Least known are the Cobra's tacit alliances with the Nova Cats and Wolves (in Exile). The Cobras applauded our willingness to do what conscience and visions dictated. To them the true mark of The Way is firm belief in a cause.

Possessions

6 Worlds (All shared)

The Cloud Cobras appear to have extensive possessions, but only three of their six worlds fall inside the accepted bounds of "Clan Space." The other three, the so-called Tanite Worlds, form a distinct body outside the Kerensky Cluster or the Pentagon. Discovered in 2965, these worlds, a former Star League colony, were forcibly absorbed. This stretched the Cobra Touman to its limit, prompting the Cobras to contract with Burrock (and later Star Adder) forces to help garrison them in exchange for mineral rights.

In the wake of the Great Refusal, the Cobras have moved to consolidate their position. They gained numerous assets from Clan Nova Cat, though in many cases what the Nova Cats expected to be Cobra support for their withdrawal became an occupying force instead. The Cobras justify their actions, the most significant of which took place on Brim, as necessary to forestall an attack by Clan Coyote.