Editing Vandervahn Chistu

{{Update Needed|[[Era Report: 3052]]|[[Bred for War]]}}
{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Vandervahn Chistu 3052.jpg
| caption             = 
| name                = Vandervahn Chistu
| birthdate           = [[3010]]<ref name=ER3052-84>''Era Report: 3052'', p. 84: "Vandervahn Chistu Profile"</ref>
| died                = 14 Dec [[3057]]<ref>''Malicious Intent'', ch. 6</ref>
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[Clan Jade Falcon]]
| rank                = [[SaKhan of Clan Jade Falcon|saKhan]]
| title               = 
| position            = 
| profession          = [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]
| parents             = 
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = 
| children            = 
}}

'''Vandervahn Chistu''' was [[saKhan]] of [[Clan Jade Falcon]] during the latter part of the [[Clan Invasion]], most notably during the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]]. He was killed by [[Vlad Ward]] after the [[Refusal War]] and was succeeded by [[Marthe Pryde]]. 

==History==
{{Quote|''Suggesting that the Clans will not one day return to Terra is akin to a man suggesting that the sun will not shine tomorrow or that Clan Jade Falcon has forgotten the words of the Great Kerenskys.''
|saKhan Vandervahn Chistu speech before the Grand Council<ref name=JFSp17>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 17: "Call to the Crusades"</ref>}}

===Early career and Clan Invasion===
Little is known of Chistu's career prior to becoming saKhan of Clan Jade Falcon in [[3050]], following the removal of his predecessor, [[Timur Malthus]] after the [[Battle of Twycross]]. It is known that he saw little action during the earlier stages of [[Operation REVIVAL]], but upon his ascension he quickly began to assert himself, naming [[Kael Pershaw]] as a high-level advisor.<ref name=JFS54>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 54</ref> Pershaw would ultimately go on to found and lead the [[Clan]]'s [[Watch]] Intelligence organization and become [[Loremaster]]. As saKhan, Chistu was in command of the [[Turkina Keshik (Clan Jade Falcon)|Turkina Keshik]]. It is rumored that Chistu was the Galaxy Commander of [[Gamma Galaxy (Clan Jade Falcon)|Gamma Galaxy]] during the invasion and attempted to direct [[Nicolai Malthus]] and the [[Falcon's Claws]].<ref name=1SS-009>''1st Somerset Strikers'', p. 9</ref><ref name=1SS-065>''1st Somerset Strikers'', p. 65</ref>

Chistu also supported the rebuilding of the [[Falcon Guard]], using it as a unit to send [[Solahma]] and misfit warriors. Chistu recognized that [[Star Colonel]] [[Aidan Pryde]] would either succeed and prove worthy of the command, or be killed and removed as a source of trouble once and for all. While the Battle of Tukayyid was a major setback for the [[Crusader Clans|Crusader movement]], it did justify Chistu's judgment regarding Pryde and the Falcon Guard.<ref name=JFS54/>

Following these events, Chistu orchestrated a series of attacks against [[Federated Commonwealth]] planets "north" of the [[Tukayyid]] line.<ref name=JFS54/> A major invasion of [[Morges]] in [[3053]] was pushed back by the [[AFFC]] and [[Wolf's Dragoons]].<ref>''Wolf Pack'' p. 82-93</ref> Following this setback, Chistu had greater success organizing lightning raids that kept the border defenders on their toes. There are also indications that Chistu helped orchestrate the [[Red Corsair]] attacks in an attempt to end the Truce.

As a Khan, Chistu was regarded more for his cunning than his leadership skills. Like Timur Malthus before him, senior Khan [[Elias Crichell]] was content to allow Chistu to handle most operational details, knowing he could always blame his subordinate in the event of failure.

===The Refusal War===

{{Quote|''We are the Jade Falcons, the heart and soul of what Nicholas Kerensky saw as his great vision for our people. Even if you took away our weapons, destroyed every BattleMech, Elemental Suit, and fighter, we still could defeat our foes. The reason is simple: we are not just a Clan driven by our technology, but a race of superior Warriors. A Warrior does not require weapons to crush his or her foe, they can do it with their bare hands. The BattleMechs make us even more deadly. I hope that the Wolves consider this and tremble in their dens.''}}
:''-Vandervahn Chistu''{{cn}}

Chistu played a key role in the removal of [[ilKhan]] [[Ulric Kerensky]] from power in [[3057]], with the justification that the [[Treaty of Tukayyid]] effectively represented the destruction of the Clan way of life. When [[Clan Wolf]] declared a [[Trial of Refusal]] against the Jade Falcons, Chistu handled most of the planning, willing to sacrifice his second-line units to wear down the front-line Wolf task forces. Though costing the Falcons dearly in warriors, this tactic eventually bore fruit with the death of Wolf Khan [[Natasha Kerensky]] on [[Twycross]] at the hands of Star Commander [[Joanna]].  

{{Quote|''Ulric and his pack of Warriors think they have us where they want us. We shall teach them the pain of the talons wrapped around their furry throats.''}}
:''-From the private diary of Vandervahn Chistu''{{cn}}

When Ulric Kerensky's task force reached the Falcon world of [[Wotan]], Chistu personally goaded Kerensky into a [[Trial of Grievance]]. This was actually a trap where Ulric and most of his escorts were killed by guided [[Long Range Missile|long range missiles]], a complete breach of Clan law and tradition. Nevertheless, with Ulric's death, the Refusal War was effectively over. The Jade Falcons even declared that their victory constituted a [[Trial of Absorption]] of Clan Wolf. However, Star Captain Vlad survived the ambush, and was able to produce a recording proving Chistu's treachery.<ref>''Malicious Intent'', p.40</ref>

===Death===
Using the recordings as leverage, Vlad convinced Khan Crichell to allow him to challenge Chistu to release the Wolves from the Absorption. Piloting a ''[[Warhawk]]'', Vlad successfully defeated Chistu. In an attempt to save his own life, the Jade Falcon Khan offered to serve Vlad as a political advisor. Vlad flatly declined, however, and killed Chistu. Afterward, Vlad would earn the Ward Bloodname and was named Khan of the new Clan Wolf.<ref>''Malicious Intent'', p. 51</ref>

==BattleMechs==
Chistu piloted an ''[[Executioner (Gladiator)|Executioner]]'' [[OmniMech]] during the later years of his career.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Vandervahn_Chistu_JFSB.jpg|Vandervahn Chistu ca. 3052
Vandervahn Chistu JFSB p54.jpg|Vandervanhn Chistu ca. 3052
Image:Vandervahn Chistu2.jpeg|Vandervahn Chistu in 1st Somerset Strikers
Image:Vandervahn Chistu CCG.jpg|Vandervahn Chistu
Image:Malicious Intent.jpg|Chistu's fate as seen on the book cover ''Malicious Intent''
Image:Lincoln Osis and Vandervahn Chistu.jpg|Khan [[Lincoln Osis]] with Vandervahn Chistu (on right)
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook)]]''
* ''[[Bred for War]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Era Report: 3052]]'' 
* ''[[The Falcon and the Wolf]]'' 
* ''[[Jade Falcon Sourcebook]]'' 
* ''[[Malicious Intent]]'' (novel)

[[Category:Clan Jade Falcon Characters|Chistu, Vandervahn]]
[[Category:SaKhans|Chistu, Vandervahn]]
[[Category:Notable Executioner (Gladiator) Pilots|Chistu, Vandervahn]]