Brokenstar’s Followers by Mellowix

Mellowix takes a look at Brokenstar’s followers.

An example I think that proves that Starclan is a flawed system is the damnation of essentially all of Brokenstar’s followers. I feel like they were sent to the Dark Forest as a group, rather than individuals. Apart from Clawface and Blackstar, the other of followers haven’t seem to do anything. Whether them supporting Brokenstar is right or wrong isn’t as simple as you think. A leader training underaged kits are against the Warrior Code but so is going against your leader, as the word of the leader is the Warrior Code. So what’s the right thing to do? Also, to their credit, they weren’t aware that Brokenstar had murdered his father or Brightflower’s kits. It also never said whether they supported the training of kits. Not to mention the rest of Shadowclan didn’t do much in the way to prevent it either. They just let it happen.

I mean it’s not like his followers were the only ones to do what Brokenstar said, even if was out of fear, the rest of Shadowclan still listened to his orders, helping to kidnap kits, driving out Windclan etc. So no one is truly innocent in this situation. Even the supposedly “honorable” Flintfang trained an underaged kit, Badgerfang and lead him into a battle, which ulimately got him killed. Should he be considered “Brokenstar follower” for that and be exiled? When Brokenstar and his follower’ were driven out, how was it decided who ‘Brokenstar’s followers’ even were? Becuase when they were exiled, it was durying a confusing situation:

Yellowfang, a believed kit murderer at the time, had just been brought into camp, escorted by the exiled elders. Then out of nowhere, those elders start attacking the deputy with some other warriors. Their clanmates are fighting each other with no expectation. And before they can process what’s happening, suddenly Thunderclan attack! In usual circumstances, they would expect to able to reply to your Clanmates to help fight back the attackers, but your clanmates are attacking each other as well. What are you suppose to do? Who are you suppose to trust and who are you meant to fight?

The exile of the Brokenstar’s followers was an injustice, instead of a fair trial, where each cat was judged as an individual. Instead, their exile in a massive confusing frenzy, with no chance to say anything in their defense. How do we know no one abused this free-for-all situation, driving out someone they didn’t like, then just claimed they were ‘Brokenstar’s follower’ as an excuse. What about cats like Tangleburr? How do we know she wasn’t kicked out becuase she happened to be Brokenstar’s adopted sister, instead of proper reasoning? Also, it was Whitestotm who chased Blackfoot, but what gives a Thunderclan cat the right to decide if a Shadowclan is exiled or not? Even then, what gives warriors and elders the right to exile to fellow Clanmates?

This is how they should have dealt with it; when they attacked the camp with Thunderclan, their only objective should have been to drive out Brokenstar, no one else. (Maybe Blackfoot as well since he could claim leadership, making the situation even more complicated) Once that was done, with Thunderclan still there to maintain control, Nightpelt should explain what’s happening. After things have calmed down, Nightpelt could establish himself as leader, promising to make things better. This is when cats are given the option to swear oath to him or follow Brokenstar into exile, similar to Tigerclaw’s exile.

Now, this is where the Dark Forest/Starclan comes in, despite some of those cats returning to Shadowclan and redeeming themselves by serving their clans again, there still sent to the Dark Forest for Brokenstar’s crimes. I mean if Blackstar, who was both Tigerstar’s and Brokenstar’s deputy, who murdered Stonefur and Rosetail, can go to Starclan, why can’t cats like Tangleburr and Stumpytail? Now I’m not sure if this is related to Brokenstar, but Deerfoot also went to the Dark Forest. Why? He regretted Brokenstar’s teachings and served as a loyal warrior. Unless he did something we don’t know about, my only conclusion is becuase he’s Brokenstar’s adopted brother, like Tangleburr.

Personally, I think Starclan did this due to dias. Thunderclan is Starclan’s poster child, always at the center of every prophecy. So any enemies of them is an enemy of Starclan. Here’s is an example: Hawkfrost is a riverclan cat who attempted murder of 1 cat who wasn’t even in his Clan, yet went to the Dark Forest. Ashfur is a Thunderclan who attempted murder of 4 cats, who were his Clanmates, yet is able to go to Starclan.