Editing Kokuryu-kai

{{Update Needed|[[Close Quarters]]|[[Black Dragon (novel)]]|[[Historical: Wars of the Republic Era]]}}
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The '''''Kokuryu-kai''''', also known as the '''Black Dragon Society''', was a hardline traditionalist group opposed to [[Coordinator]] [[Theodore Kurita|Theodore Kurita's]] reforms of the [[Draconis Combine]]. Their intent was to overthrow the government of Theodore Kurita and return the Combine back to the traditional ways that existed prior to the 3030s and Theodore's rise to power. The Black Dragons reached the height of their power during the late 3060s and early 3070s, plunging the Combine into a civil war before their eventual downfall. Crushed both on the battlefield and in the purges that followed, the Black Dragon Society survived and continued to influence Combine affairs for a few more decades. 

By the early 3150s the Black Dragons had been reduced to piracy in [[The Barrens|the Barrens]], but were capable of supporting the rise to power of [[Abdoun Ricol]] and contributed raiders to his attacks upon [[Clan Hell's Horses|Clan Hell's Horses']] Occupation Zone.

==History==
The Black Dragon Society appears to have existed in one fashion or another since the time of the [[House Von Rohrs|Von Rohrs]] dynasty in the [[twenty-fifth century]].<ref name=JSBDp43>Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p.43</ref> How it originally formed or survived in secrecy down the centuries is unknown; only in the mid-[[thirty-first century]] did the Society's existence and activities become public knowledge.

===Clan Invasion===
Following the capture of [[Hohiro Kurita (31st c.)|Hohiro Kurita]] by [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] on [[Turtle Bay]] during the [[Clan Invasion]], a group of Black Dragon members attempted to use [[Franklin Sakamoto]], then part of the [[First Somerset Strikers]], to overthrow the royal family. The resulting three-way conflict between the Black Dragon cell, the ISF, and Strikers ended when Sakamoto renounced his claim to the throne.<ref>''1st Somerset Strikers'', p. 41</ref>

===3058 - 3062===
The ''Kokuryu-kai'' made several attacks against Theodore Kurita's authority during the 3050s, and even staged an assassination attempt on his birthday in [[3058]].<ref>The attempt on Theodore Kurita's life is detailed in ''Black Dragon''.</ref> Prior to [[Operation BULLDOG]] in [[3059]], three ''Kokuryu-kai'' assassins also attacked [[Omiko Kurita]] and [[Victor Steiner-Davion]], wounding the latter before they were all slain.<ref>Shattered Sphere, p.57</ref> The Black Dragons continued to gain influence and support throughout the Combine as conservative citizens reacting with hostility to Theodore Kurita's policies, particularly his alliance with the [[Federated Commonwealth]] and the creation of the [[Irece Prefecture]] for [[Clan Nova Cat]].<ref>Shattered Sphere, p.57-58</ref>

In 3058, they sponsored an operation to invade [[Towne]]. In January of [[3058]], the [[Fifteenth Dieron Regulars]] led a six-regiment invasion force to take possession of the planet. Frontline units, considered renegades by the [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]], were supported by [[Kokuryu-kai|Black Dragon]]-raised regiments staffed with Yakuza thugs. The invasion, which Towne Planetary Chairman Howard Blaylock arranged, quickly took control of the capital city of Port Howard.  On Towne at the time was the mercenary unit known as the [[17th Recon|Seventeenth Recon Regiment]], who had been hired by [[Chandrasekhar Kurita]] to reinforce the planet's weakened militia forces.

Those defenders stationed in the planetary capital were forced into hiding in the rural regions of Hyboria. The mercenaries would manage to build up a number of local resistance groups with the aid of the Popular Militia. Together, they conducted a low-level guerrilla war which whittled down the occupying Black Dragon forces. By April, after the planetary chairman's execution of a number of Seventeenth Recon Regiment officers and making threats against their children, the Seventeenth launched what became known as the Battle for Port Howard. As 'Mechs of the Seventeenth Recon fought Black Dragon 'Mechs, a commando team led by [[Leutnant|Lt. JG]] [[Cassie Suthorn]] penetrated the city administration building and freed the Seventeenth's dependents. The conflict on Towne ended when Suthorn managed to capture the invasion's commander and had him commit ritual suicide, captured on holovid broadcast.<ref>''Heart of Chaos'', - Snapshot of events on Towne from novel.</ref>

===Operation BATU===
In October [[3062]], the Black Dragons incited the [[Alshain Avengers]] into attacking [[Clan Ghost Bear|Clan Ghost Bear's]] capital world of [[Alshain]] as part of [[Operation Batu]], triggering the [[Combine-Ghost Bear War]].<ref>''Path of Glory'', p. 245</ref>

===FedCom Civil War===
During the [[FedCom Civil War]] the Black Dragons were influential in getting the Coordinator to approve counterstrikes into the [[Draconis March]].<ref>''FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)'', p. 135</ref>

===Jihad===
In [[3067]], the [[Galactic Insinuator]] set an alert saying that it was possible that the ''Kokoryu-kai'' would attack the [[Fourth Whitting Conference]].<ref name=Galactic_Insinuator>''BattleCorps: INN Newscast (ScandalVids section), news item published [23/08/3067] "Black Dragons Plot Terror Attack"''</ref>

====General Events====
Black Dragon attacks on most worlds were usually made by gaining control of local militia forces and small mercenary units that fell outside the [[Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission]]. They were not above capitalizing on the confusion of the [[Jihad]] however, with ''Kokuryu-kai'' agents employing weapons of mass destruction on [[Philadelphia]], [[Xinyang]], and Luthien. The Society then tried to blame the Word of Blake for these atrocities.<ref name="frdc19">''Field Report: DCMS'', p. 19</ref>

The Black Dragon Society tended to focus attacks and infiltration efforts on the industrial arm of the Combine, meeting with particular success when infiltrating [[Luthien Armor Works]]; by the time the Jihad began the ''Kokuryu-kai'' were firmly entrenched in the heart of LAW, and this combined with the damage inflicted by the [[Word of Blake]] on the company left some of the largest facilities belonging to the Combine's premiere arms manufacturer in ruins. Such was the level of Black Dragon infiltration into LAW that the Combine had to actively divert resources destined for the company into a range of other manufacturers - including new startups - because LAW simply couldn't be trusted, and while other manufacturers benefited from this increase in supply, the active distrust with which LAW was treated made it unlikely that it would receive any substantial degree of funding or support in rebuilding.<ref name="O:DCp3">''Objectives: Draconis Combine'', p. 3, "Industrial Update"</ref> 

Conversely, the Black Dragon Society made little effort to infiltrate the established training academies within Combine space.<ref name="O:DCp3A">''Objectives: Draconis Combine'', p. 3, "Strategic Update"</ref> Despite this, the ISF actively increased the screening of recruits into training facilities, and by the end of the Jihad the checks and investigations that students seeking entry to certain academies such as the [[Pagoda for Luthien Officers]] closely resembled the interrogations ISF personnel subjected captured Blakists to.<ref name="O:DCp12">''Objectives: Draconis Combine'', p. 12, "Pagoda for Luthien Officers"</ref>

On the 27th of January [[3073]] the Combine government executed a fresh purge against the Black Dragon Society, capturing a number of officials including some as highly placed as the Abbess of the [[Order of the Five Pillars]].<ref name="J:FRp51"/><ref name="JHS3076p26">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 26, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref>

The chaos of the Jihad also worked against the Black Dragons. With [[HPG]] communications interrupted the only way they could coordinate their efforts was through face-to-face meetings and via courier. These methods were slow and prone to error.<ref name="frdc19"/> As a result the [[ISF]] and [[O5P]] were able to infiltrate the organization and capture much of the Society's high-level leadership. This ''Misogi'' War, as the purification effort was known, took security teams from both agencies to nearly every world of the Draconis Combine. Even with these efforts the Black Dragon Society was only defeated, not destroyed outright.<ref name="frdc20">''Field Report: DCMS'', p. 20</ref>

====Battle of Luthien====
On 21 December [[3067]], [[Second Sword of Light]] forces sworn to the Society [[Battle of Luthien (Jihad)|invaded]] [[Luthien]] in an attempt to seize the capital, capturing the [[Voice of the Dragon]] compound in the final week of the month. They had taken control of the planet by 30 December. On the morning of 01 January, [[3068]], the Sword and its mercenary allies, [[Sathen's Snipers]] [[Battle for the Imperial Palace (3068)|routed]] the loyalist Sword members and the [[Otomo]] and [[Izanagi Warriors]] defending the [[Imperial Palace]], capturing Franklin Sakamoto (who had since returned to the Combine) and killing [[Griffon Meshune]] in the process. <ref name=JFS70-11>''Jihad Hot Spots: 3070'', p. 11, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name=BA-171>''Blake Ascending'', p. 171, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name=JTPL8>''Jihad Turning Points: Luthien'', p. 8, "Traitor's Kiss"</ref>

On 28 November 3073, the [[Word of Blake|Blakist]] [[32nd Division (Word of Blake)|Thirty-second Division]] [[First Battle of the Takashi Memorial Spaceport|pushed]] against ''Kokuryu-kai'' forces located in the vicinity of the [[Takashi Memorial Spaceport]]'s customs annex, securing at least one ingress to the underground complex. By destroying the main headquarters compound located there, they forced the [[Fortieth Dieron Regulars]] and Second Sword of Light out into the local neighborhoods. The Thirty-second lost a Command [[Level II]] and an ''[[Overlord]]'' class [[DropShip]] to a booby trap.<ref>''Jihad Turning Points: Luthien'', p. 10, "Tunnel Rats"</ref>

On March 14th [[3074]], the Word of Blake [[ROM]] had leaked information regarding the presence of [[Buda Weapons]] Chief Researcher [[Hideoshi Yamika]] and his prototype [[Large X-Pulse Laser]] to the ''Kokuryu-kai'' as a means of wearing down Loyalist defenders in [[Skytower City]]. The resulting [[Battle of Skytower City|battle]] ended with Yamika and his prototypes being hustled aboard a Blakist [[DropShip]].<ref name=JTPL-10/11>''Jihad Turning Points: Luthien'', pp. 10-11, "Light Machine"</ref>

In December [[3074]], during the [[Clan Ghost Bear]] assault against the Blakist presence on [[Luthien]], the Black Dragon-controlled [[6th Benjamin Regulars|Sixth Benjamin]] and [[40th Dieron Regulars|Fortieth Dieron]] Regulars combined their resources to attack the clan's [[Omega Galaxy (Clan Ghost Bear)|Omega Galaxy]]. Though frustrated by not engaging the [[Word of Blake Militia]], the Clan warriors devastated both regiments.<ref name=JTPL_7>''Jihad Turning Points: Luthien'', p. 7, "Omega Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"</ref>

====Avon====
On the 24th of July [[3072]] the DCA ''[[Kirishima]]''-class [[Warship]] the ''[[Kirishima#Named_Vessels|Urizen II]]'', which had been co-opted by the Black Dragon Society, was destroyed in the Avon system by the [[Clan Nova Cat]] WarShip ''[[Black_Lion#Named_Vessels|Severen Leroux]]''.<ref name="JHS3076p23">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 23, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp51">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 51, "The Jihad In Review"</ref> 

====Bryceland====
Forces from the ''Kokuryu-kai'' tried to raid the Federated Suns border world of [[Bryceland]] for supplies on the 4th of June [[3075]]. The raid was unsuccessful, as the commander of the [[AFFS]] forces on Bryceland ordered that the demolition charges in the underground bunkers storing the supplies be detonated, rather than allowing the Black Dragon forces to seize them.<ref name="JHS:Tp17">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 17, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp54">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 54, "The Jihad In Review"</ref>

====Pesht Military District====
The Black Dragon Society met with some success acting in the Pesht Military District of the Draconis Combine; in November [[3077]] a large cell seized oil fields and refineries on Qandahar, claiming to have defeated the local ISF forces in the process.<ref name="J:FRp58"/> The Black Dragon Society action on Qandahar also damaged the important industrial city of Mistiq on the Cordell continent, damaging the [[Dow-Nexus Fusion Products]] plant there, which was still attempting to complete repairs to the damage inflicted on the plant when Blakist attackers breached the city dome in [[3071]].<ref name="O:DCp13">''Objectives: Draconis Combine'', p. 13, "Dow-Nexus Fusion Products"</ref>

This was followed on the 19th of December by the government on [[Slaithwaite]] publicly declaring in favor of the ''Kokoryu-kai'', while other large Society cells rose up across the Qandahar Prefecture on the worlds of [[Ad Duwayd]], [[Kamarod]], [[Korramabad]], [[Nowhere]] and [[Pusht-i-rud]]. The cell on Korramabad called for the deportation of the local [[Azami]] minority population, and despite an ISF covert operation in late December that decapitated the cell's leadership, on the 31st of December the cell executed more than 450,000 Azami.<ref name="J:FRp58">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 58, "The Jihad in Review"</ref>

Both the Combine and the [[Azami Brotherhood]] reacted swiftly to news of the massacre on Korramabad; the [[DCMS]] dispatched the [[Second An Ting Legion]] to restore Combine control over the world, while the Brotherhood dispatched the [[First Arkab Legion]]. The Second An Ting arrived first and Combine authority over Korramabad by late March, after a month of martial law implemented due to another wave of assassinations on the world. The First Arkab Legion arrived just two days after order was restored; the two units combined forces with the [[Tenth Pesht Regulars]] to plan and mount an operation against the world of Slaithwaite, which began on the 30th of March [[3078]] and was complete by the 15th of April. During the Slaithwaite operation almost 300 Black Dragon Society leaders and sympathizers were executed.<ref name="J:FRp58">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 58, "The Jihad in Review"</ref>

Even as Combine and Azami forces assaulted Slaithwaite, the Black Dragon Society lost control of [[Qandahar]] to the Combine when a covert operation eliminated the key leaders of the Society present on the world on the 9th of April.<ref name="J:FRp59">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 59, "The Jihad in Review"</ref>

===Dark Age Era===
Despite the best efforts of the ISF and O5P, the Black Dragon Society remained active into the thirty-second century. They were known to be active on [[Awano]], and the ''[[Ryuken-go]]'' was used to ferret them out.<ref>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 47</ref> The DCMS purge of Black Dragon sympathizers resulted in the dissolution of two [[New Samarkand Regulars]] units. <ref>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 48</ref> During the [[Second Combine-Dominion War]] the Black Dragons also exacerbated tensions between the Combine and Clan Nova Cat; Ultimately these tensions would lead to the Cat's destruction.<ref>''Era Report: 3145'', pp. 90, 124</ref>

Black Dragon raiders also attacked [[Sadalbari]] in [[3127]] where they were engaged by a young [[Tara Campbell]].<ref>''BattleTech: Legends'', p. 139</ref>

====The Hidden War====
In [[3089]], the Society triggered a hidden war between the Combine and the Republic of the Sphere by attacking former Combine held worlds that had joined the [[Republic of the Sphere]]. The conflict, simply known as the "Hidden War", was designed by The Black Dragons to destabilize the leadership of [[Luthien]]. The fighting continued until 3093, when RAF and DCMS forces joined forces once they realized who was behind the conflict. The joint effort resulted in an assault led by [[Kitsune Kurita]] upon the Society's stronghold on [[Shimonita]]. During the [[Al Na'ir]] campaign , Kitsune's performance in the conflict would inspire an offer of Knighthood from the Republic. It was Kitsune's acceptance of the award which would be the death-blow to the Society's plans. His condition of accepting Knighthood was that his "real" father, [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] would be the one to knight him. The Society had planned for Kitsune Kurita to act as a replacement for Coordinator [[Hohiro Kurita (31st c.)|Hohiro Kurita]]; the realization that they had in fact been backing a half-Davion scion caused many of its membership to commit ''seppuku''. Although demoralized, enough Society members decided they could live with the shame and fight on.<ref>''Historical: Wars of the Republic Era'', p. 18 The Powder Room - A small conflict that was triggered by Black Dragon Society members.</ref>

====Post-Blackout====
By the time of the [[HPG]] [[Blackout]] the Black Dragons were operating within [[The Barrens|the Barrens]] as little more than pirates, establishing alliances with like-minded raiders in the [[New Oberon Confederation]] and [[Von Strang's World]]. Nonetheless they had the resources to aid [[Abdoun Ricol]] in deserting from the [[Rasalhague Dominion]] military and embarking upon his career as a fearsome MechWarrior and bounty hunter. As they also informed Ricol of his descent from Duke [[Hassid Ricol]] (the ''Kokuryu-kai'' leader known as "Ruby"), it was speculated that his subsequent preference for targets affiliated with House Kurita, Clan Nova Cat or the [[Spirit Cats]] was Ricol's way of repaying his benefactors.<ref>''BattleTech: Legends'', p. 154, Abdoun Ricol profile</ref> <ref name=TRp97>''Tamar Rising'', p. 97, Abdoun Ricol profile</ref>

Following [[Clan Hell's Horses|Clan Hell's Horses']] defeat on [[Sudeten]] in March [[3152]], Black Dragon pirates were among Ricol's army of raiders that struck all along the Horses' Periphery border.<ref>''Tamar Rising'', p. 67, "Enemies on all sides"</ref>

==Known Members==
* [[Hoek Botterfield]], CEO of [[Luthien Armor Works]] ("Opal") 
* Regis Ferward, Minister of Communications ("Pearl") (captured and interrogated in late 3072)<ref name=JSBDp43/>
* Qan Hagatomi, Sipher Communications ("Diamond") (captured and interrogated in late 3072)<ref name=JSBDp43/>
* [[Oda Hideyoshi]]
* "Jade" (real name unknown), child of Hassid Ricol/"Ruby" <ref>''Jihad Hot Spots: 3072'', p. 53, "Council of Gems" - refers to "Ruby" as ''otosan'' (father)</ref> <ref name=JHS3072p77>''Jihad Hot Spots: 3072'', p. 77, "Passing the Gem"</ref>
* [[Hohiro Kiguri]] (rumored), commander of the [[DEST]] teams<ref name=AGTCO>''A Guide to Covert Ops'', Page 51</ref>
* [[Hajii Mara]]
* [[Kiyomori Minamoto]] (suspected)<ref name=JHS3072p77/> <ref name="J:FRp90">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 90, "Foreign Relations"</ref> 
* Erik Nekatagu, [[Mangon Aeronautics|Mangon Aeronautical Shipping]] ("Obsidian")
* Paul Omishita, DCMS Tai-sho ("Onyx")
* [[Matsuoka Renya]] (rumored)<ref>''Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade'', p. 98</ref>
* [[Hassid Ricol]] ("Ruby") (died of natural causes c. 3072)<ref name=JSBDp43/>
* [[Li Sak To]], CO of the [[Second Sword of Light]] ("Emerald")
* [[Tomade Yamiro]], Abbess of the [[O5P]] ("Tiger's Eye") (captured and executed in January 3073)<ref name=JSBDp43/>

===Known Affiliates===
* [[Abdoun Ricol]], bounty hunter/mercenary leader and descendant of Hassid Ricol.<ref name=TRp97/>

==Known Compromised Military Units==
*[[Alshain Avengers]] Brigade (4 Regiments)
*[[Sixth Benjamin Regulars]]
*[[Fifteenth Dieron Regulars]]<ref name=HoC>''Hearts of Chaos'', p.??, "Black Dragon Society influenced Regiment attacks FedCom world of Towne".</ref>
*[[Fortieth Dieron Regulars]]
*[[Second Sword of Light]]<ref>''Jihad Turning Points: Luthien'' - Second Sword loyalties sworn to Black Dragons, with few loyal to government of Combine.</ref>
*[[First Proserpina Hussars]]<ref>''Objectives: Draconis Combine'', p. 22</ref>
*[[Third Proserpina Hussars]]
*[[First Dragons Joy Infantry]]
*''[[Kyushu]]''-class DCS ''[[Galedon Explorer]]'' <ref name=FRDCMS-5>''Field Report: DCMS'', p. 5</ref>
*''[[Inazuma]]''-class DCS ''[[Winds of Heaven]]'' <ref name=FRDCMS-5/>
*''[[Kirishima]]''-class DCS ''[[Urizen II]]'' <ref name=FRDCMS-5/>
*''[[Essex]]''-class DCA ''[[Sabre Cat]]'' <ref name=FRDCMS-5/>

==Notes==
* The Black Dragon ruling council used code-names that were similar to [[Council of Gem]] code-names. A similar system was also used by the Rasalhague resistance movement that attempted to assassinate [[Takashi Kurita]] in [[3019]]. [[Hassid Ricol]] was part of that conspiracy, and also went by the name "Ruby". It may be possible it was his idea to adopt those names for the Black Dragons.<ref>''Heir to the Dragon''{{cn}}</ref>

* The Black Dragon Society is likely related to the real [[w:Black Dragon Society|Black Dragon Society]].

==Reference==
<references/>


==Bibliography==
* ''[[1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook)]]''
* ''[[List of ScandalVids articles#Black Dragons Plot Terror Attack|BattleCorps ScandalVids, 23/08/3067: "Black Dragons Plot Terror Attack"]]''
* ''[[BattleTech: Legends]]''
* ''[[Black Dragon (novel)|Black Dragon]]'' (novel) 
* ''[[Blake Ascending]]'' 
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]''
* ''[[FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)]]''
* ''[[Field Report: DCMS]]''
* ''[[Hearts of Chaos]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Heir to the Dragon]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3070]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3072]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3076]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: Terra]]''
* ''[[Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents]]''
* ''[[Jihad Turning Points: Luthien]]''
* ''[[Objectives: Draconis Combine]]''
* ''[[Path of Glory]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Shattered Sphere]]''
* ''[[Tamar Rising]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade]]''  

[[Category:Political Groups|Kokuryu-kai]]