Editing Ajax Drummond

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Ajax_Drummond.PNG
| caption             = Ajax Drummond
| name                = Ajax Drummond
| birthdate           = [[3035]]<ref>[https://bg.battletech.com/forums/errata/historical-wars-of-the-republic-era/msg878617/#msg878617 ''Historical: Wars of the Republic Era'' errata]</ref>
| died                = 
| affiliation         = [[Clan Nova Cat]]
| rank                = [[Khan of Clan Nova Cat|Khan]]
| title               =
| position            = 
| profession          = [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]
| parents             = 
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = 
| children            = 
}}
'''Ajax Drummond''' was [[Khan]] of [[Clan Nova Cat]] during the [[Second Combine-Dominion War]]. Leader during one of [[Clan Nova Cat]]'s deadliest conflicts, he would oversee their acceptance of Cultural Preservation Districts within the [[Draconis Combine]] and the creation of the [[Mystic Caste]].

==History==
===Early Life===
Decanted prior to the [[Clan invasion]], Ajax Drummond would live a life defined by upset and turmoil. [[Star Colonel]] of the [[100th Striker (Clan Nova Cat)|100th Striker Cluster]] by [[3058]], his skill as a MechWarrior and support for Khan Santin West would propel him to the command of the newly formed [[Tau Galaxy (Clan Nova Cat)|Tau Galaxy]] in [[3060]]<ref>''Field Manual: ComStar'', p. 119 - "Tau Galaxy"</ref>. Tau, and Drummond in extension, were chosen to serve as [[Clan Nova Cat]]'s contribution to the [[Second Star League Defense Force]] by 3061, remaining in that role even through the fighting of the [[First Combine-Dominion War]]<ref>''Field Manual: Updates'', p. 100 - "Tau Galaxy"</ref>. The Jihad, launched by the fanatical [[Word of Blake]], would tear the [[Second Star League]] apart. Tau Galaxy would be recalled back to the Nova Cat holdings in [[Irece Prefecture]], where visions held by the Nova Cat Khans set the entire Clan on a quest to find and assist Devlin Stone in his struggle against the Word of Blake. A Trial of Refusal lost to Stone would later force half of all Nova Cat units to remain within the Combine to guard the Irece Prefecture — Ajax Drummond would be among their number. 

The Nova Cat Warriors who had fought with [[Stone's Coalition]] would remain with him upon the formation of the [[Republic of the Sphere]]. With them would be former saKhan [[Karl Devalis]]. This gap in leadership would be filled by Ajax Drummond, stepping up to command Lambda Galaxy in his new role as saKhan<ref>''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 51 - "Lambda Galaxy"</ref>. His love of Kuritan culture, along with his friendship with Coordinator Hohiro Kurita and his sharp mind, would serve his Clan well in securing needed supplies and accessing needed production facilities. As saKhan, he would encourage his Warriors to ignore requests for ''[[hegira]]'' when fighting [[Clan Ghost Bear|Ghost Bear]] forces, and to claim bondsmen and salvage whenever possible to speed the rebuilding of the [[Clan Nova Cat Touman|Nova Cat ''touman'']]. His planned reorganization of the ''touman'', however, would be cut short by the rapid increase in hostilities with the Dominion<ref>''Historical: Wars of the Republic Era'', p. 23-24 - "Ajax Drummond"</ref>.

===Khanship and the Second Dominion War===
The death of Khan Santin West by a Dominion headhunting mission would mark the tone of the war to come. Ajax Drummond would be elected Khan in his place, and would use his newfound position to better tie his Clan to the Draconis Combine. Securing logistical and industrial aid from the Coordinator himself, Drummond would build stockpiles of munitions and parts for the inevitable re-escalation of combat between Clan Nova Cat and the Rasalhague Dominion. Drummond, however, did not expect the willingness the Dominion would have to wage a fullblown war.

The [[Second Combine-Dominion War]] would tear Drummond's Nova Cats—and the Irece Prefecture they were meant to safeguard—completely apart. Ghost Bear forces showed no mercy, running a scorched earth campaign meant to destroy Nova Cat infrastructure and kill its people. The secretive [[Kokuryu-kai|Black Dragon Society]], aiming to weaken two Clans with one conflict, would facilitate and escalate hostilities between the Clans with targeted intelligence leaks—even perpetrating their own genocides upon Nova Cat populations. The war would steadily escalate, and Drummond himself would nearly fall in combat when the city of New Barcella on [[Irece]] was blown apart around him by indiscriminate Ghost Bear missile fire. Though peace would eventually be brokered between the Nova Cats, Dominion, and the Combine, it would leave the Nova Cats with horrendous civilian casualties, a shattered military, and their industries in ruin.

A direct result of the war would be the Combine's imposition of "Cultural Preservation Districts" onto Clan Nova Cat. Little more than reservations meant to keep Nova Cats away from the general populace of Irece Prefecture, the rights of Clan Nova Cat would be heavily curtailed by the new districts. Khan Drummond had little choice but the accept the terms laid out by the Combine—his broken military was hardly powerful enough to stand against Kuritan forces. This sense of betrayal from the coordinator and nation he had once admired left him bitter and angry, and much of his time would be spent on calming the emotions of the general Irece Prefecture populations to prevent further bloodshed.

===The Aftermath===
Drummond's actions postwar focused on rebuilding the broken Nova Cat ''touman'' — notably, with the [[Shadow Cat III]] — and healing the Clan<ref>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 3'', p. 6: "Shadow Cat III"</ref>. His approval of the [[Mystic Caste|Mystic]] program in [[3102]] would herald a new and experimental subcaste within Clan Nova Cat that would eventually culminate with [[Kishi|Kisho Nova Cat]] by the time of the [[Draconis Combine Civil War|Nova Cat Rebellion]]<ref>''Heretic's Faith'', Interlude IV </ref>.

== BattleMechs ==
Ajax Drummond piloted a ''[[Nova Cat (OmniMech)|Nova Cat]]'', configuration F, during the [[Second Combine-Dominion War]]<ref>''Historical: Wars of the Republic Era'', p. 98 - "Ajax Drummond"</ref>. Noted as a highly skilled MechWarrior, he lost his 'Mech in combat when the buildings of New Barcella were brought down on top of him.

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Field Manual: ComStar]]''
* ''[[Heretic's Faith]]''
* ''[[Historical: Wars of the Republic Era]]''

[[Category:Clan Nova Cat Characters|Drummond, Ajax]]
[[Category:Khans|Drummond, Ajax]]
[[Category:SaKhans|Drummond, Ajax]]