History FanFic / ByTheHorns

** Thomas shows how much more level headed he is the story by [[spoiler: allowing all six of the foreign agents to leave in peace rather then execute them for their help in preventing two WMDs from being used on his Capital.]]

* MercyKill: Done to some [[ManOnFire Men On Fire.]] during the [[spoiler: [=ComStar=] coup.]]

* TrappedByGamblingDebts: How [[spoiler: [=SAFE=} managed to get plans to the Taurian Research lab that the (fake) Data Core is stored. A contractor that made the escape tunnel for it kept plans and wracked up gambling debts to some legbreakers. [=SAFE=] paid off his debts in returns for the blueprints he shouldn't have kept.]]

* RunningGag: The jokes about SAFE's incompetence.

** [[spoiler: Vesar Kristofur's rant to the First Circuit about the Clan might have been true when Clan Wolverine fled, but is completely ignorant of both the Warden Faction that had since formed among the Clans, and of Clan Diamond Shark's and Clan Ghost Bear's treatment of non Warrior Caste members.]]

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: [[spoiler: Word of Blake or at least what would become the Jihad, along with The Blood show up much earlier.]]
** And with that [[spoiler: The Clans are brought to the attention of [=ComStar=] nearly 25 years before the Inner Sphere learns of them in canon.]]

* WrittenByTheWinners: [[spoiler: Vesar Kristofur history lecture about The Clans is heavily tainted by the hatred and resentment that the Clan Wolverine survivors have for them.]]

** Victor Li [[spoiler: tips off Phil Sheridan that the Death Commandos were going to nuke the University where the (unknown to them) decoy Data Core is being held.]] To go against his own government, even passively is a death sentence in the Capellan Confederation if ever found out.

* ImproperlyParanoid: [[spoiler: McCarron's Armored Calvary expected sabotage and managed to get the codes for Mech's looted directly from the factory. However they didn't expect a second lock out code, and no one has chemical weapon detectors for non-lethal chemicals. Their Mech Warriors can't pilot as they have full body irritation from weaponized and aerosolized poison ivy.]]

* KangarooCourt: What awaits any of the troops that followed [[spoiler: Michael Hasek-Davion]] and only if they surrender. However it's Zigzagged as the trial would be rigged in favor of leniency as they were loyal troops before they had to be declared pirates due to the actions of [[spoiler: Michael Hasek-Davion]] to avoid an open war.

** [[spoiler: Vesar Kristofur's rant to the First Circuit about the Clan might have been true when Clan Wolverine fled, but is completely ignorant of the Warden Faction that had since formed among the Clans.]]

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:The knowledge about the core was deliberately leaked in order to force the other Successor States into rushing to get at it on the Concordat's schedule.]]

* TakeAThirdOption: When faced with immediate humiliation and financial ruin, or a complete shut down of the [=HPGs=]in his nation, both of which would kill the Taurian Concordat, Thomas Calderon instead [[spoiler: seizes all the [=HPGs=]in the Concordat by force.]]

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: [[spoiler: Word of Blake or at least what would become the Jihad, alongwith The Blood show up much earlier.]]

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: [[spoiler: Word of Blake, or at least what would become the Jihad, show up much earlier and are dealt with.]]

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: The deep space only Taurian Dropship Titan deploys into an atmosphere to try and stop Michael Hasek-Davion's plan to nuke surrendering forces and civilians. They wind up taking two nukes that were meant for them]]

* GodzillaThreshold: [[spoiler: Michael Hasek-Davion's plan to use a nuclear bomb on his own surrendering forces and frame the Taurians for it resulted in the Taurians responding in kind.]]