Editing Marthe Pryde

{{Update Needed|[[Double Down]]}}
{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Marthe Pryde BTLegends.jpg
| caption             = Marthe Pryde
| name                = Marthe Pryde
| birthdate           = [[3012]]<ref name="birthdate">Marthe Pryde's year of [[trueborn|truebirth]] is a matter of some dispute. According to ''[[Shattered Sphere]]'' she was trueborn in [[3010]], while ''[[Field Manual: Crusader Clans]]'' gives the year as [[3012]]. A good deal of supporting evidence can be found for the 3012 date, while nothing can be found to support the 3010 assertion. Therefore 3012 is more likely the correct date. A more detailed discussion can be found in an [https://web.archive.org/web/20090815011041/http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,10765.msg927162.html archived version of the Classic BattleTech forums], with the research provided by site maintainer [[Patrick Wynne|Patrick "Roosterboy" Wynne]]</ref>
| died                = 15 May [[3076]]<ref name="JHP:3076">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 71</ref><ref name="JHS:Terra21">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 21: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref>
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[Clan Jade Falcon]]
| rank                = [[Khan of Clan Jade Falcon|Khan]]
| title               =
| position            = 
| profession          = [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]
| parents             = 
| siblings            = [[Aidan Pryde]],<br/>[[Peri]],<br/>[[Bret]]
| spouse              = 
| children            = 
}}

'''Marthe Pryde''' was [[Khan]] of [[Clan Jade Falcon]] for 18 years ([[3058]] – 3076). She was [[trueborn]] on [[Eden]] to a [[Ramon Mattlov]]-[[Tania Pryde]] ''[[sibko]]'', the same ''sibko'' as the legendary [[Aidan Pryde]].  Raised on [[Ironhold]], she won her [[Trial of Position]] by turning on Aidan and defeating him when the battle devolved into a free-for-all.  Marthe's long service as Khan saw her lead the Jade Falcons through much of the post-[[Tukayyid]] era and [[Great Refusal]], and then through the violent years of the [[Jihad]]. She was ultimately forced to withdraw the Jade Falcons from the [[Clan Homeworlds]] during the [[Wars of Reaving]], subsequently helping to establish the [[Council of Six Clans]] in the [[Inner Sphere]].<ref>''Way of the Clans'', ch. 1</ref><ref name=FMCCp98>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 98: "Khan Marthe Pryde"</ref>

==History==
Described as tall and lean, with dark hair and a build reminiscent of a greyhound – which itself was sometimes said to be typical of Jade Falcon warrior breeding standards and the Pryde Bloodlines in particular – Marthe and Aidan most closely resembled their genemother, Tania Pryde, out of all their many dozens of ''[[sibkin]]''.  Marthe would not inherit the same level of [[Daniel Mattlov|Mattlov brashness]] that often characterized Aidan, but she was certainly more calculating and cool of demeanor than her sib.  Rarely could another warrior raise her ire, though she was always ready to back her anger with violence once roused.  On and off the battlefield, she displayed a creative tactical and strategic flair for using what was at hand, be it the shells of [[Galaxy|Galaxies]] lost during the costly [[Refusal War]], while maintaining an outward image of strength toward the rest of the Clans, or choosing her best personnel for what often turned out to be crucial tasks.  As a commander, her warriors were said to mortally fear her, though on the battlefield, unit cohesion for her troops was often second to none due to her precise ability to communicate her commands.  Her only expectation was that her warriors held themselves to the highest levels of Clan Honor.  Marthe Pryde was often described as a traditionalist, though some of her decisions defied tradition in favor of setting new standards for new times, something that often did not sit well with her detractors.  Her death in 3076 was shrouded by suspicion, and ultimately turned out to be an assassination by unknown agents.<ref name=FMCCp98/><ref>''Way of the Clans'', chs. 1–4</ref><ref name=JFSp83>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 83: "Star Colonel Marthe Pryde"</ref><ref name=OTP:FIp10>''Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion'', p. 10: "Marthe Pryde"</ref>

===Early life and training===
Marthe's skills developed early in warrior training, surpassing those of her ''sibmates'', even staying a little ahead of Aidan, with whom she was still known to be very close.  When the ''sibko'' began to mature during [[Crash Camp]] on [[Ironhold]], Marthe was one of the first to recognize that it had been outgrown.  She distanced herself from the others physically and mentally during the latter stages of training.  Aidan would attempt to close the breach, though his often confrontational attempts did little to help matters, and were called childish by Marthe.<ref>''Way of the Clans'', chs. 1–22</ref>

{{Quote|And I see now that it was wrong. It is wrong for two people in the same ''sibko'' to favor each other. The ''sibko'' is what is important, not its individual members.|Marthe in conversation with Aidan.<ref>''Way of the Clans'', ch. 9</ref>}}

During their [[Trial of Position]] in [[3030]], Aidan made several unexpected moves on the battlefield, resulting in the Trial being declared a Mêlée. ''[[Zellbrigen]]'' was lifted, and all opponents could engage the cadets at once, though all opponents (and cadets) were now considered valid targets for purposes of testing.  When Marthe spotted an opportunity to advance in the Trial, she took it, even though that opportunity was a shot at the back of Aidan's ''[[Summoner]]'', which was now fair game.  This decision helped her to earn two kills and the rank of [[Star Commander]], though it meant failure for Aidan.  He would later confront her about it, but Marthe responded by walking away, aloof towards her ''sibmate'', who was now a member of the tech caste.  When he attempted to make her listen to him, she violently resisted and kept on her way without looking back.<ref name=FMCCp98/><ref>''Way of the Clans'', chs. 23–24</ref>

===Bloodnamed officer===
A very successful young warrior and officer, Marthe earned a promotion to [[Star Captain]] – as well as a coveted [[Bloodname]] – quite early on in her career.  When she learned of Aidan's Trial before the [[Clan Council]], she would attend the event with great interest.  During the proceedings, Aidan recognized her by her posture amid the throngs of Bloodnamed warriors assembled to take part in his Trial.  Having last left Aidan behind as a tech on Ironhold, Marthe Pryde was partly surprised to find out that he had been masquerading as a [[freeborn]] in order to continue serving as a warrior, though in many ways she was not surprised that Aidan refused to live in a lower caste.  After Aidan's hard-fought [[Trial of Refusal]], in which he and their former [[Falconer]]s, [[Joanna]] and [[Ter Roshak]], reversed the Clan Council's verdict against them, Marthe approached Aidan.  The two found some reconciliation, coming to peace with their shared past.  As the candidate that she nominated for that particular [[Trial of Bloodright]] had died in a training accident, she was also free to offer her quiet — if unofficial — support to his quest for a Bloodname, as well as advice about various competitors that he would face.  [[Kael Pershaw]], the commanding officer who brought Aidan's bizarre case before the [[Clan Council]], spoke to her about his own changing thoughts regarding Aidan, while watching the battles with a quiet intensity.  In the years ahead, the support of both would be of critical importance to the young warrior Aidan, who had very few true allies in Clan Jade Falcon.<ref>''Bloodname'', chs. 28–35</ref>

[[File:Marthe Pryde BoC.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Marthe Pryde at age 46 in [[3058]]]]

===Operation REVIVAL===
By the time of [[Operation Revival]], Marthe Pryde was promoted to the rank of [[Star Colonel]], commanding the [[2nd Falcon Jaegers (Clan Jade Falcon)|2nd Falcon Jaegers Cluster]], originally attached to [[Delta_Galaxy_(Clan_Jade_Falcon)|Delta Galaxy]].  During the invasion, she and her unit would see action primarily on [[Seiduts]], [[Waldorff]], and [[Leskovik]].  Her unit was also part of the elaborate trap set for [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] on [[Alyina]], a vicious battle in which ''zellbrigen'' was dropped in favor of attempting to capture the heir to the [[Federated Commonwealth]] at any cost.  As part of larger actions with the rest of Gyrfalcon Galaxy, she and her unit also took part in assaults on [[Blackjack (system)|Blackjack]], [[Parakoila]] and [[Quarell]].<ref name=FMCCp98/><ref>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 71: "2nd Falcon Jaegers Cluster"</ref><ref>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', pp. 36–43: "Jade Falcon Occupation Zone"</ref><ref>''Blood Legacy'', ch. 39</ref><ref>''Double Down''</ref>

====Battle of Tukayyid====
{{Quote|War councils and warriors. The words sound well together, but they do not belong together. Warriors should act, not talk.|Marthe Pryde to Aidan, regarding the Jade Falcon War Council on Tukayyid.<ref>''Falcon Guard'', ch. 26</ref>}}

Marthe and the 2nd Falcon Jaegers were part of the forces bid for the confrontation with [[ComStar]] on the largely agricultural world of [[Tukayyid]].  During a Jade Falcon war council, she would once more meet up with Aidan, now a Bloodnamed Star Colonel as well.  She and her unit would join Aidan and the [[Falcon Guards]] in fording the Prezno River, helping to establish a bridgehead across the treacherous waterway.  She and the Jaegers also joined the Falcon Guards in breaking out from the main Falcon force, moving on the targeted city of Olalla.  The two units almost took the objective for their [[Clan]] after laying waste to the [[Com Guards|Com Guard]] [[201st Division (ComStar)|201st BattleMech Division]] and [[77th Division (ComStar)|77th ComStar Division]].  But it was not to be.  Informed by Kael Pershaw (the Head of Operations for Clan Jade Falcon during the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]]) of a massive Com Guard counterattack toward the rear of the Jade Falcon advance, they were pulled back toward the formation just short of their goal.<ref name=JFSp31,32>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', pp. 31–32: "Battle of Tukayyid"</ref><ref name=ER:3062p55>''Era Report: 3062'', p. 55: "Clan Jade Falcon"</ref>

[[File:Jfdelta.png|left|thumb|150px|Delta Galaxy, 2nd Falcon Jaegers]]

Both [[Cluster]]s were instrumental in keeping the Com Guards at bay while the Falcons began a withdrawal from the planet, holding off the Com Guard [[4th Army (ComStar)|4th Army]] and [[309th Division (ComStar)|309th Division]].  Marthe and the 2nd Jaegers would make it off the world, as would most of the Falcon Guard, though their leader, Star Colonel Aidan Pryde would not, choosing instead to remain behind in order to ensure that the Jade Falcons would escape the planet without being utterly destroyed.<ref name=JFSp31,32/><ref name=ER:3062p55/><ref>''Falcon Guard'', chs. 22–37</ref>

===Khan of the Jade Falcons===
{{Quote|Fare well, Vlad Khanslayer of the Wolves, but not too well. I do not look forward to having you as a rival in the future.|Marthe Pryde to Vladimir Ward, after the death of Elias Crichell.<ref>''Malicious Intent'', ch. 10</ref>}}

As the years of the truce slowly passed by, Marthe Pryde positioned herself well, managing to gain first the post of [[saKhan]] in late [[3057]] when [[Vandervahn Chistu]] was killed, and then [[Khan]] of her Clan in early [[3058]] – two weeks later – after Khan [[Elias Crichell]] was killed.  Both deaths were at the hands of [[Clan Wolf]] Khan [[Vlad Ward]], at the end of the [[Refusal War]].  Shrewdly, she entered her Clan into an alliance with the new Crusader Wolves at this time, displaying a strong pragmatic streak for which she would become well-known.  Khan Marthe also expanded several garrison [[Galaxy|Galaxies]] into front-line Galaxies during this crucial time, despite protests from a great deal of her more tradition-minded trueborn warriors.  She filled out her Galaxies with this new source of troops, in addition to the newest generations of warriors to come from the Homeworlds, as well as those forces won during the [[Harvest Trials]].<ref name=FMCCp98/><ref name=ER:3062p55/><ref>''Malicious Intent'', chs. 9–10</ref><ref name=OTPFI8>''Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion'', p. 8</ref>

[[File:Vlad Ward ER3062.jpg|Right|thumb|150px|Khan Vladimir Ward, rival and ally.]]

Though Clan Jade Falcon was severely weakened by the war, she took these new forces and launched an assault deep into the [[Lyran Alliance]].  Starting from the Periphery, the worlds of [[Engadine]], [[Neerabup]], [[Australia]] and [[Bucklands]] each fell to the Falcons, though the victors moved on each time at the battles end.  They were only stopped at world of [[Coventry]], after a major battle with the Coventry Expeditionary Force, comprised of [[Delta Regiment (Wolf's Dragoons)|Delta]] and [[Gamma Regiment (Wolf's Dragoons)|Gamma]] Regiments of [[Wolf's Dragoons]], the [[71st light Horse Regiment]] of the [[Eridani light Horse]], and the Waco Rangers, along with the attached Crazy Eights mercenary company.  Overall command of the defensive operation fell to [[Colonel]] [[Shelly Brubaker]] of Delta Regiment.  Khan Marthe's warriors clashed with the mercenary forces, with extensive damage to both sides.  The arrival of a force led by [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] brought relief to the defenders.  Marthe accepted Victor's unexpected offer of ''[[hegira]]'', departing with the newly blooded survivors of her expedition.  The venture provided much-needed experience for [[Clan Jade Falcon Touman|her ''touman'']], but also sent a warning to any adventurous Clans sensing an opportunity to destroy the Falcons once and for all.<ref name=ER:3062p55/><ref name=OTPFI8/><ref>''Malicious Intent'', chs. 28–42</ref><ref name=BCSP6>''The Battle of Coventry'', p. 6</ref><ref name=BCSP33>''The Battle of Coventry'', p. 33</ref>

===The Great Refusal===
When [[Task Force Serpent|forces from the Inner Sphere]] invaded [[Huntress]] in [[3060]], certain members of the [[Grand Council]] were incredulous about reports that had reached them.  Khan Marthe provided a recording of communications from Star Colonel [[Nikolai Icaza]], who was stationed at a small Falcon enclave on Huntress, proving to her fellow Khans that the danger was real.  During the ensuing [[Great Refusal]] on [[Strana Mechty]], Khan Pryde led her Jade Falcons to vengeance and victory over a company from [[ComStar]]'s [[2nd Division (ComStar)|2nd Division]]. Among the eight Clans that fought, the Falcons were one of only two Clans to succeed. However, bound by the rules of the Refusal, Clan Jade Falcon was still forced to repudiate the [[Clan Invasion|Invasion]].<ref name=ER:3062p55/><ref>''Shadows of War'', ch. 1</ref><ref>''Prince of Havoc'', chs. 3–15</ref>

===Uncovering the Society===
After the Coventry campaign of 3058, Khan Marthe had created a special [[Trinary]] of freeborn warriors called the [[Khan's Irregulars (Clan Jade Falcon)|Khan's Irregulars]].  Led by Star Captain [[Horse Jade Falcon]], they were charged with tasks that [[trueborn]] warriors would normally balk at performing.  One of these tasks was a mission to Huntress in [[3059]], to inspect a scientific installation where research was being conducted on dual cockpit [[Land-Air 'Mech]]s. Upon arrival, their [[DropShip]] was attacked by Clan Smoke Jaguar [[aerospace fighter]]s, they crashed to the surface, and were captured by Jaguar forces led by [[Galaxy Commander]] [[Russou Howell]].  During his captivity, Horse was able to infiltrate the Smoke Jaguars' Mt. Szabo genetic repository, discovering a copy of Aidan Pryde's genetic legacy.  When coupled with reports gathered earlier by [[Loremaster]] and Commander of the Jade Falcon Watch Kael Pershaw, a conspiracy across the scientist castes of several Clans began to emerge.  Marthe ordered the Falcon facility closed down and the LAM program scrapped, on the emphatic recommendation of Star Captain Horse.<ref name=ER:3062p55/><ref>''I Am Jade Falcon'', chs. 1–28</ref><ref>''Freebirth'', chs. 2–10</ref><ref>''Freebirth'', chs. 22–32, Epilogue</ref>

Scientist [[Peri (Watson)|Peri]] further investigated the Jade Falcon Scientist-General, [[Etienne (Balzac)|Etienne]].  Though her efforts led to her being beaten nearly to death, she took what she had learned to Khan Marthe.  Peri later returned to the Scientist-General, pretending contrition and remorse, and asking for a place within his hierarchy.  After Peri secured and transmitted hard evidence of the illegal experiments that he was performing (including a ''sibko'' cloned from the genes of Aidan Pryde), Khan Marthe had all of the proof she needed to execute Etienne.  But on a pragmatic level, Marthe felt that the brilliant scientist would still come in handy, being their foremost geneticist.  Instead, she chose to remove him from office and banished him from the Inner Sphere worlds, where much of his illegal research was taking place.  She also reorganized the scientist caste in an attempt to further disrupt his activities, though this was only partially successful.<ref>''Falcon Rising'', chs. 15–23</ref><ref>''Falcon Rising'', chs. 24–38, Epilogue</ref>

===War against the Steel Vipers===
The Jade Falcons and [[Clan Steel Viper]] had a long history of disagreement and enmity.  After [[ilKhan]] [[Ulric Kerensky]] assigned them to shore up the Jade Falcon [[Occupation Zone]], problems between the two soon began to resurface.  After an attack in the Grand Council was carried out by Viper Khan [[Perigard Zalman]], mostly centering on the Jade Falcon use of freeborn warriors in their ''touman'', Khan Marthe challenged him to an Honor Duel, to be fought by champions.  Choosing Star Captain Horse as her champion, Marthe thought to silence the Vipers once and for all by sending a skilled freeborn against their champion, Star Colonel [[Ivan Sinclair]].  Horse won the victory, but not the war, as the Vipers still agitated for censure of the Jade Falcons.<ref>''Falcon Rising'', chs. 1–20</ref>

{{Quote|You vile ''stravag''! Your lies foul the air! Your accusations are the lowest use of politics I have heard in this chamber. It is you, Perigard Zalman, who is the filthy freebirth, and I challenge you to a Trial!|Khan Marthe Pryde to Perigard Zalman in the Grand Council, [[3060]].<ref>''Falcon Rising'', ch. 8</ref>}}

[[File:Natalie Breen.jpg|left|thumb|135px|Natalie Breen instigated the Viper attack of [[3061]].]]

After freeborn warrior [[Diana Pryde]] won a Bloodname (an unprecedented event among the Clans, and prompted by Khan Pryde's "persuading" of [[Ravill Pryde]] to nominate her for the vacant Bloodname), the Steel Vipers launched a major attack into the Jade Falcon portion of the Occupation Zone, in an attempt to both punish them and to supplant them in the invasion corridor.  The initial waves were led by Viper saKhan [[Brett Andrews]], who then encouraged his Khan to launch the next attack waves prematurely.  After losing nearly a dozen worlds to the Viper onslaught, Khan Pryde led her forces against [[Clan Steel Viper]] in a massive counterattack.  She and saKhan [[Samantha Clees]] arrived from the [[Clan Homeworlds]] in time to hit the Steel Vipers' coreward positions.  The final battle of the conflict took place on Waldorff, where the newly Bloodnamed Diana Pryde fought and defeated Khan Zalman in a duel on Daemon Beach.  Khan Marthe likewise faced a surprisingly formidable foe in former Steel Viper Khan [[Natalie Breen]], defeating her and refusing to accept her as a bondsman of Clan Jade Falcon.  Afterward, Khan Zalman accepted ''[[hegira]]'' from Khan Marthe Pryde, departing the Inner Sphere with the entirety of his Clan.<ref name=ER:3062p55/><ref>''Falcon Rising'', chs. 32–38, Epilogue</ref><ref>''Era Report: 3062'', p. 98: "Brett Andrews"</ref><ref name=FM:Up48>''Field Manual: Updates'', p. 48: "Clan Jade Falcon"</ref><ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 12: "Armed Politics"</ref>

===Falcon incursion and Clan intrigues===
After rebuilding from the war to eject Clan Steel Viper from the Inner Sphere, Khan Marthe began to plan another foray into [[Lyran Alliance]] territory.  Khan Pryde sought to use the chaos of the [[FedCom Civil War]], as well as action on several other Clan fronts, to make easy gains while once more providing opportunity for glory to her newest generations of warriors.  The assault crushed the defenses arrayed against them on several worlds.  Warring parties led by [[Adam Steiner]] and [[Archer Christifori]] laid aside their differences to fight of the invaders, while a timely invasion of the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone served to cancel much of their material gains.<ref name=ER:3062p55/><ref name=FM:Up48/><ref name=TWORp19>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 19: "Wheels and Deals" and "Considering Twycross"</ref>

{{Quote|The time has again come for our Clan to claim victory. Let us show no mercy, only skill and courage.|Khan Marthe Pryde addresses her [[Galaxy Commander]]s at the start of the [[Jade Falcon Incursion (3064)|Jade Falcon Incursion]] during the [[FedCom Civil War]], May 4, [[3064]].<ref>''FedCom Civil War'', p. 110</ref>}}

While fighting for dominance in the [[Inner Sphere]], events in the Clan Homeworlds began to heat up.  In the wake of fighting between the Falcons and the Wolves in [[3065]] and [[3066]], both Clans were bombarded by Trials and raids in the Homeworlds.  Khans Pryde and Ward agreed to settle their dispute, in favor of maintaining some form of vigilance against several [[Home Clans]] that had begun making advances towards the Inner Sphere.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 23: "Crashing Home" and "Wolf Strike"</ref>

One of the Jade Falcon worlds lost to the Lyrans during the Incursion of 3064 was [[Twycross]].  Eager for more landholds in the Inner Sphere from which to conduct commerce, [[Clan Diamond Shark]] bid for and won the rights to take the world back from the occupying Lyran forces, which they did handily.  Considering the planet to be cursed, the Falcons were at first only too glad to be rid of the planetary system.  In [[3067]], they traded future rights to the world for Diamond Shark holdings on [[Lum]] in the [[Kerensky Cluster]].  The Falcons would later rue their decision when it was revealed that an outer lying body in the planetary system called [[Jonah's Reach]] contained several deep wells of chemical compounds identical to [[HarJel]].  Though she was held in check by her word of honor with the Diamond Sharks (and the Lyrans before them), Khan Marthe was not above ordering some of her naval assets to harass and seize merchant convoys traveling in and out of the system.<ref name=TWORp19/>

[[File:Clan Steel Viper logo.png|right|thumb|150px|Steel Vipers strike back in [[3069]]]]

===Ejection from the Clan Homeworlds===
Tensions in the Clan Homeworlds continued to mount as resentment for the [[Invader Clans|Invading Clans]] boiled over into rage.  Viewed as weak for not being able to carry out their original mission, Clans like the Jade Falcons became the focal points for attacks by their angered and jealous brethren.  The [[Snake Alliance]] actively made war against any Clan that showed signs of taint, savaging [[Clan Snow Raven]], while also carrying out major assaults against the Wolves and the Diamond Sharks.  Chief among the Falcons' Homeworld enemies were the Steel Vipers.  In speeches to the [[Grand Council]], new Viper Khan Brett Andrews would denounce the Jade Falcons as tainted by their exposure to the Inner Sphere, and that their martial strength had deteriorated due to their practice of testing their new warriors against inferior [[Lyran]] troops, and not proper Clan forces.<ref name=TWORp46,47,48>''The Wars of Reaving'', pp. 46–48: "Exodus Requiem"</ref><ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', pp. 50–51: "Raven Absorption"</ref><ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 85: "End of an Era"</ref>

The Jade Falcons and Steel Vipers clashed over their every difference, increasing in frequency and bitterness as the years progressed.  In [[3069]], a deadly battle was fought between the two Clans on [[Marshall]].  As the Trial progressed, the Jade Falcons were forced to break their bid, doing so unannounced.  They also opened up on the dominant Steel Viper forces with a crushing artillery barrage.  Viper Khan Andrews decried the Falcons as ''[[dezgra]]'', holding up this latest flouting of Clan law and tradition as yet more evidence of their total corruption.  When the Grand Council failed to vote to censure the Falcons, the Steel Vipers took it upon themselves to punish the Falcons.  Launching a unilateral assault across Clan held space, the Vipers' battle-hardened [[Clan Steel Viper Touman|''touman'']] took the Falcon garrisons by surprise.  Ironhold, [[Tokasha]], [[Gatekeeper]], [[Barcella]], [[Glory (system)|Glory]], and finally, Lum, each fell to the Steel Vipers.  Andrews led the force that destroyed the garrison at Strana Mechty, but the Grand Council refused to redistribute their holdings, as an official [[Trial of Absorption|Absorption]] or [[Trial of Annihilation|Annihilation]] had not been sanctioned, and all recognized Clans were entitled to a holding on the capital world.  By early [[3070]], the Jade Falcons had effectively been pushed from the Homeworlds, with Strana Mechty remaining their only connection.<ref name=TWORp46,47,48/><ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 45: "Viper and Falcon"</ref>

[[File:Brett Andrews2.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Brett Andrews, the Bloody ilKhan]]

===Wars of Reaving===
Khan Pryde was one of several Clans to vote against the election of Khan Andrews to the post of [[ilKhan]] in [[3072]], votes that were cast in vain.  The new ilKhan would forever alter Clan history by declaring the Reavings, whereby a Clan could lay claim to a Bloodright deemed tainted simply by declaring a [[Trial of Reaving]] and killing the individual specified.  He demonstrated his act by killing saKhan [[Angus Labov]] of the Diamond Sharks in full view of the Grand Council, throwing the scene into chaos as the enormity of his declaration set in.  The new ilKhan held a vote (excluding the Jade Falcons, Ghost Bears and Wolves) to put the egregious Clan Wolf up for Annihilation.  He then ordered [[Loremaster]] of the Clans Kael Pershaw to keep the results a secret.  Pershaw did as any loyal Clan warrior would have done and informed his Khans, as well as certain colleagues, of the vote.  The Steel Viper [[Watch]] overheard his communications, and moved on Pershaw, quickly issuing a call for his immediate Reaving.  When confronted by several Steel Vipers, Pershaw bid himself and the "machines grafted to his bones" against their leader, Star Captain [[Thomas Andrews]], killing him with a blast from the laser built into his left arm.  After the departure of Pershaw from Strana Mechty, the Falcons would not see the Clan Homeworlds again, being [[Trial of Abjuration|Abjured]] from Clan society along with the rest of the Spheroid Clans soon after.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 75: "Viper Ascendant"</ref><ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 78: "The Reaving of the Blood"</ref><ref name=TWORp78,79,80>''The Wars of Reaving'', pp. 78–80: "The Wolf at the Door"</ref>

===Ice Hellion invasion===
Khan Marthe would eventually come into contact with Khan [[James Cobb]] of the Hell's Horses.  Key information was shared between the two (especially the interesting movements of Clan Ice Hellion), and a nonaggression pact was secured for several years.  Their work would lay the foundations for the [[Council of Six]], a ruling body in place of the Grand Council.  Of immediate importance was the shared intelligence, which showed a large force of Clan Ice Hellion to be concentrated near [[Nouveaux Paris]], en route to the Inner Sphere.  Later reports from a [[Clan Goliath Scorpion]] expedition to a former [[Rim Worlds Republic]] site corroborated this information.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 58: "Scorpion Wanders"</ref>

{{Quote|Welcome to the Inner Sphere, Horse. May your warriors find honor, and your enemies howl in fright.|Khan Marthe Pryde to Hell's Horses Khan James Cobb.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 73: "Politics, Birds and Ponies"</ref>}}

[[File:Clan Ice Hellion.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Ice Hellions invade in [[3071]]]]

In June of [[3071]], the first waves of what the Jade Falcons called [[Operation ICE STORM]] swept into the Falcon Occupation Zone.  With one prong of the forces led by Khan [[Raina Montose]], and the other led by saKhan [[Connor Rood]], five Hellion Galaxies supported by the entire Hellion [[WarShip]] fleet moved with lightning speed through the Occupation Zone, taking well over a dozen worlds.  In her reckless assaults, a great deal of collateral damage was done to various infrastructure, rendering much of it destroyed.  Delegating much of the counterattack to saKhan Samantha Clees, the Ice Hellions were driven back in the face of determined Falcon and Hell's Horses assaults.  SaKhan Rood fought against troops from both Clans near the [[Dark Nebula]], conceding defeat and accepting ''hegira'' in order to save the lives of his remaining warriors after a disastrous naval confrontation that left them effectively trapped with only one seriously damaged vessel to see them home.  Khan Montose would die on [[Vantaa]] in March of 3072.  The Hell's Horses had also taken advantage of the situation to gain territory, liberating several former Jade Falcon worlds, but only ceding control of a few after hostilities, driving a new rift between the two allies.<ref name=JS:TBDp28>''Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents'', p. 28: "Report ANA-CIH-3071-V"</ref><ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 63: "The Torrent Begins"</ref><ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', pp. 69–71: "The Hellion Strikes"</ref>

===The Jihad and annihilation of the Society===
In the Inner Sphere, the [[Word of Blake]]'s [[Jihad]] was raging around the Jade Falcons for years.  The Word of Blake first struck at the [[Great House]]s after the dissolution of the Second Star League, and so was not regarded as a threat to the Clans.  The Snow Ravens were first to feel the scourge of the Word fanatics at [[Ramora]], with Clan Wolf next, after the Scouring of Tamar.  In spite of a Word of Blake bombing on [[Arc-Royal]] in 3072 that killed a Jade Falcon diplomatic delegation led by Diana Pryde (who was killed in the attack), Khan Pryde had managed to keep the Falcons relatively safe, though their officer corps and leadership were sometimes targeted for attack.  By dispersing their genetic legacies to several different repository sites around their Occupation Zone, and possessing several industrial sites that were likewise decentralized, the Falcons kept damage to their infrastructure to a minimum.<ref name=J:FRp113>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 113: "The Council of Six"</ref><ref>''Field Report: Clans'', p. 3: "Word of Blake and the Clans"</ref><ref name=MMp125,126>''Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers'', pp. 125–126: "Jade Falcon Overview"</ref>

In early 3072, several outbreaks of epidemics caught the attention of the Khans.  Two of these epidemics in particular decimated the ranks of the Mattlov and Chistu genetic lines, afflicting both trueborns and the section of the lower castes that also carried those markers.  Several computer viruses also struck the Jade Falcons, paralyzing [[JumpShip]] assets and [[HPG]] communications throughout the Occupation Zone, and extending into Horse and Wolf territories.  Initially believed to be the work of Word of Blake, Loremaster Pershaw was eventually able to confirm that the threat was posed by none other than Scientist Etienne.  In a letter to Khan Pryde, Etienne demanded that the warrior caste step down and relinquish power to the scientists.  To back up his demands, he threatened the destruction of a large genetic repository on [[Wotan]], as well as key industrial complexes on other worlds, while hinting that he could unleash yet more plagues on his enemies.<ref name=JS:TBDp28/><ref name=TWORp182,183>''The Wars of Reaving'', pp. 182–183: "Etienne (Balzac)"</ref><ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 99: "Scraping the Falcon" and "Ultimatum"</ref>

[[File:Etienne.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Etienne (Balzac), a leader of the Society]]

Marthe's immediate response was said to be ten minutes of uninterrupted laughter, after which she is rumored to have shot the first scientist that she saw. Of more far-reaching consequence, she would declare a [[Trial of Annihilation]] against the entire Jade Falcon scientist caste.  Led by Pershaw and his protégé, Star Colonel [[Brian Pryde]], teams of Jade Falcon Watch operatives moved from world to world, eliminating their targets in as much secrecy as could possibly be maintained.  In some cases, word was able to leak out about the operation.  The scientists used this to their advantage, recruiting angered and disaffected citizens to their cause whenever possible.  After assembling Alpha Galaxy on [[Von Strang's World]], a trail of bitter fighting would lead them slowly into the [[Deep Periphery]], to a planet called [[Etienne's Sanctuary]], where Kael Pershaw himself would personally see to the death of the ''[[chalcas]]'' scientist in [[3073]].<ref name=TWORp182,183/><ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 118: "Spreading the Contagion"</ref><ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 138: "Falcon Vengeance"</ref>

Khan Pryde would pledge her assistance by way of forces sent to aid [[Devlin Stone]]'s Coalition in the war against the Word of Blake after a meeting on Tukayyid in 3073.  First, her forces assisted with the liberation of Coventry and [[Tharkad]].  Later, she would send Alpha Galaxy under Loremaster Brian Pryde to assist in the eventual liberation of [[Terra]] and destruction of the [[Word of Blake Protectorate]], while also gathering information on the route to the mother world.<ref name=TWORp176,177>''The Wars of Reaving'', pp. 176–177: "Founder's Future: Clan Jade Falcon"</ref><ref>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 51: "The Jihad on Review"</ref>

===Aftermath===
The rebuilding process would be a painful one for her Clan.  Khan Marthe would soon authorize [[Trial of Possession|Trials of Possession]] for scientists from Clans Hell's Horses and Wolf.  More controversially, she chose several leading Spheroid scientists to assist in the task of carefully screening the Jade Falcon genetic legacies at their repository on [[Sudeten]].  Unrest increased on several worlds affected by communication blackouts, though incidents were often crushed in ruthless fashion by the Falcon Watch.<ref name=MMp125,126/><ref name=TWORp176,177/>

===Death and legacy===
Khan Pryde died on 15 May [[3076]]. While it was first thought to be due to a mechanical failure with her [['Mech]], sinister rumors of death by sabotage would later emerge. Clan Jade Falcon has offered little information as to the circumstances surrounding her passing.<ref name="JHP:3076" /> Marthe Pryde's death was later described as an assassination by unidentified agents.<ref name="JHS:Tp22">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 22: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp56">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 56: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> Unknown to almost all, her death came at the hands of her ''[[sibkin]]'', MechWarrior [[Bret]], who had become enraged by her rise to power and the death of his freeborn children. He sabotaged her 'Mech, causing a premature ejection during battle. Marthe survived, severely injured, but Bret, knowing the Watch inquisition were closing on her, confronted Marthe in her quarters. The Khan's wounds prevented her from winning the fight, and Marthe and Bret killed each other.<ref>''BattleTech: Legends'', p. 82</ref>

==BattleMechs==
Throughout most of her career, Marthe Pryde piloted a ''[[Summoner]]'' [[OmniMech]] which she named ''Theseus'', keeping him battle after battle, repairing it no matter the damage it suffered. Theseus continued serving the Falcon ''touman'' for decades after Marthe's death. The appearance of the superior ''[[Grand Summoner (Thor II)|Grand Summoner]]'' relegated it to a training role, until it was destroyed in [[3120]] during a Trial of Position.<ref>''BattleTech: Legends'', p. 83</ref>

<div class="gamerules">

==Game Rules==
Regardless of who they are fighting, all Clan Jade Falcon forces under Marthe Pryde's command must adhere to Level 1 Honor Rules, as specified in ''[[Total Warfare]]''.

Marthe's skill in a 'Mech is such that she possess the Maneuvering Ace and Natural Grace special abilities.  Her renown among the Clans and the Inner Sphere grants her a +4 Positive Reputation modifier, though this is reversed to those with the Compulsion/Hatred of Clans trait.

When present on the battlefield, Marthe's forces add a +1 modifier to initiative roles, and may reroll initiative twice in a battle.  If her forces have taken enough damage to force their withdrawal, the player may roll 2d6 each surviving round.  On a six or higher, the player may ignore Forced Withdrawal rules, though failure of this role results in the normal implication of Forced Withdrawal rules.<ref name=OTP:FIp10/>
</div>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Marthe Pryde TFatW.jpg|Marthe Pryde at age 45 from ''[[The Falcon and the Wolf]]''
Marthe Pryde BoC.jpg|Marthe at age 46 from ''[[Battle of Coventry (scenario pack)|Battle of Coventry]]''
Marthe Pryde OTPFI.jpg|Marthe at age 46 from ''[[Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion|OTP:Falcon Incursion]]''
Marthe Pryde ShSphere.jpg|Marthe at age 49 from ''[[Shattered Sphere]]''
Marthe Pryde BTLegends.jpg|Marthe from ''[[BattleTech: Legends|BT:Legends]]''
Marthe Pryde BTTCG.jpg|Khan Marthe Pryde from ''[[BattleTech Trading Card Game|BTTCG]]''
Summoner (Theseus) BTLegends.jpg|Marthe's ''[[Summoner (Thor)|Summoner]]'' ''Theseus'' from ''BT:Legends''
</gallery>

==Additional Quotes==
{{Quote|I am impressed. A Wolf with balls. Well done, Khan Ward. We Falcons may well yet respect you one day.|Khan Marthe Pryde to Khan Vladimir Ward upon learning that he saved Kerensky's legacy.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 145: "The Council of Six"</ref>}}

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
<div class="desktop-3-col">
* ''[[Battle of Coventry (scenario pack)|Battle of Coventry]]''
* ''[[Blood Legacy]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Bloodname (novel)|Bloodname]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Era Report: 3062]]''
* ''[[The Falcon and the Wolf]]''
* ''[[Falcon Guard]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Falcon Rising]]'' (novel)
* ''[[FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)|FedCom Civil War]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Crusader Clans]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Field Report: Clans]]''
* ''[[Freebirth (novel)|Freebirth]]'' (novel)
* ''[[I Am Jade Falcon]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Jade Falcon Sourcebook]]''
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''
* ''[[Jihad Conspiracies: Interstellar Players 2]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3076]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: Terra]]''
* ''[[Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents]]''
* ''[[Legend of the Jade Phoenix]]'' trilogy
* ''[[Malicious Intent]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers]]''
* ''[[Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion]]''
* ''[[Prince of Havoc]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Shadows of War]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Shattered Sphere]]''
* ''[[Twilight of the Clans]]''
* ''[[The Wars of Reaving]]''
* ''[[Way of the Clans]]'' (novel)
</div>


[[Category:Clan Jade Falcon Characters|Pryde, Marthe]]
[[Category:saKhans|Pryde, Marthe]]
[[Category:Khans|Pryde, Marthe]]
[[Category:Notable Summoner (Thor) Pilots|Pryde, Marthe]]