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The Federated Suns Reborn
- Chapter 66[]
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November 3066
Periphery Developments
Bolstering Training Battalions[]
As with most years November was filled with preparations for the formation of new units, transfers of cadets from the various Training Cadres to the front line regiments and their replacements with cadets fresh from the academies. This year was particularly complex as a number of Training Battalions were being upgraded to Training Regiments. The Filtvelt Training Battalion, Robinson Battle Academy Training Battalion, and Warrior's Hall Training Battalion were all being upgraded to full regiments. Between them these upgrades were requiring 18 full companies of battlemechs, with the newly forming Defiance based Hasek-Davion Martial Academy Training Regiment and the Tancredi War College Training Light Combat Team adding another 12 companies of battlemechs (10 for the Hasek-Davion Academy and 2 for the Tancredi War College) that needed to be assembled to support the new units. Adding to this was the decision to stand up a new Training Battalion at Bromhead to help protect the vitally important world sandwiched between the Taurian Concordat and Capellan Confederation. Altogether 34 companies of battlemechs had to be found to meet these needs. Much of this had already been diverted, either from new construction or from equipment from line regiments replaced by new equipment over the proceeding year. However during November the production of a large number of factories, particularly those nearest the sites of the formation of the new units were diverted. For instance the 1st Tancredi War College Training Light Combat Team would have it's companies filled largely from Woodbine's production, although the first machines off the Penetrator and Rifleman production lines that are coming online in November and December are also earmarked for the new unit. This will give the Light Combat Team a slightly heavy table of equipment, but this isn't seen as a particularly bad thing. When the unit is brought up to strength by the next graduating class more light and medium cavalry mechs are to be prioritized. Even the 1st Bromhead Reinforced Training Battalion would receive a mixed company of new machines - mostly Enforcer IIIs, Griffins, Shadow Hawks, and Jagermech IIIs from Kallon's plant on Talon. These modern machines would be reserved for the officers commanding the Training Battalion and the finest cadets.
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Rifleman Heavy 'Mech
As well as the machines being sent to the various worlds on which training units would be expanded or formed a large number of cutting edge battlemechs, aerospace fighters, tanks and battle armor suits began to be assemble on Muskegon, Talcott, Salem and Victoria. Between the 4 worlds nearly a full expanded RCTs worth of equipment was being put together which wasn't the usual practice. New Dragonlords RCTs were invariably formed on New Avalon, new Avalon Hussar RCTs were usually formed somewhere within the Outback (although that rule had been slightly broken when the 4th Avalon Hussars RCT had been formed on New Valencia to give that industrial world a garrison) and most suspected that the third unit that was to be formed would likely be the 1st Kathil Uhlans which would almost certainly be raised on Kathil itself. What made it stranger was that the 2nd NAIS Cadre and some attached engineering units were busy at work expanding the military bases on all 4 worlds as though in preparation for a large scale new garrisoning force. While the 2nd NAIS was listed as being prepped to move to it's new posting of Clovis within the Kentares PDZ in January 3067. With the vacated base of the 2nd NAIS on Salem itself the new garrisoning posts being prepared would support 2 entire reinforced RCTs across the 4 worlds.
Duchesses and Jaguars[]
Leaving Tortuga the 2 Duchesses make a stop at the Clan Sun Jaguar capital on Valois. Khan Nevversan makes a large show of having the entire Alpha Galaxy form up to welcome the First Prince's sister and what she knows to be one of his closest friends if not more. However, she is shocked when not only the Warrior Caste turn out to greet the two women, but also huge crowds of lower castes. In a totally unsanctioned and unauthorized outpouring of support the various Civilian Castes line the still rough and ready streets of Jaguar City and roar their welcomes to the Inner Sphere nobles who are intrinsically linked in their minds to the First Prince who has given them back their purpose. When one of her aides suggest deploying Beta Galaxy's 5th Sun Jaguar Guards Cluster to force the lower castes back to their work she immediately and while Yvonne Davion-Sandoval and Isis Marik are too far away to see smashes him to the ground with a savage blow that smashes his jaw in an impromptu Trial of Grievance and orders him carried away to the medical facility nearby. There to wait for it's med-tech's to return from cheering the visiting ladies. While he waits he can perhaps muse over his errors if the pain isn't too severe.
When Duchess Yvonne and Isis arrive at the steps to the still building Hall of the Sun Jaguar they are welcomed inside and both are invited to address the Warrior Council of the Clan Sun Jaguar. A singular honor. Isis Marik however quickly responds that they would rather address the entire Clan Sun Jaguar and requests that representatives of the Civilian Castes also join the Warriors. When Yvonne Davion-Sandoval supports this request Khan Tiaret Nevversan quickly orders that the various leaders and higher echelons of the Civilian Castes be sent for as quickly as possible. In the meantime she invites the two ladies to wait in her own office. As they are led there she hurriedly speaks with her new saKhan Paul Moon and tells him to hurry to the Warrior Council and make even the most hot headed Trueborn understand that they will NOT say a word at this development. These two women for all their unassuming stature could bring down the entire weight of the Federated Sun's on the Clan with a simple word to First Prince Victor Davion. Left unsaid is the fact that Victor Davion destroyed the Clan Smoke Jaguar at the height of it's power and the Sun Jaguars are but a pale shadow of that power.
When an hour later, Duchess Marik and Duchess Davion-Sandoval walk into the Hall of the Jaguar they find themselves facing not only the various Bloodnamed Warriors, officers above the rank of Star Captain bloodnamed and the 2 Khan's but also the leaders of all of the Civilian Castes on Valois as well as a smattering of the leadership of those castes. In a move which is obviously choreographed to perfect the First Prince's sister takes the podium to address the Clan and makes a point of welcoming them in the name of her brother and speaking of his strong support of the formation of the Clan Sun Jaguar and their incredible courage in carving out new lives for themselves and all their people here on the Federated Suns frontier. Only the most brutish of Warriors fail to notice that she is NOT welcoming the Warriors of the Clan. But the entire Clan, down to the lowest Laborer. Nor is this missed by the representatives of the Civilian Castes who sit up a little straighter as she speaks. Yvonne then goes on to speak of the wide diversity of the Federated Suns, how worlds with hugely different cultures are united under the banner of House Davion and share a common goal and common defense against those who would bring harm to the peoples of those worlds. Integral to this is the guarantee of the Six Liberties. She goes through them individually and explains how each one contributes to the Federated Suns culture: the right to personal liberty, to own property, to own weapons, to expect fair treatment, to privacy, and to participate in planetary government. She finishes by speaking to the silent hall of her belief that as the Sun Jaguars integrate into the Federated Suns as it's latest people they too will come to benefit from these Liberties.
Into the stunned silence, Isis Marik steps up to the podium. She begins by explaining that she, like the Sun Jaguars is a newcomer to the Federated Suns. But she, like them, has come to recognize the strong leadership of Victor Davion and his total commitment to his people. All his people. She stares out and speaks almost directly to the Warriors. Speaking not about forms of government or laws or things that frankly they don't understand. Instead she speaks to something they do understand. A single warrior. A leader. She speaks to the man as one who knows him. A warrior-prince who will fight to protect his realm and his people. Who has dedicated his life to that single purpose. Who stands in the same place that his ancestors stood and who has proven worthy of their blood. Listening, Khan Nevversan is shocked at the level of insight the civilian duchess is showing into her Warriors. She had feared after Yvonne's speech that by the end of the day she would be facing a dozen Trial of Refusals against the Sun Jaguars alliance and fealty to House Davion. But she can visibly see the assembled Warriors settling down as their apprehensions are diverted. By using the almost supernatural awe that the Warriors hold the Conqueror of the Smoke Jaguars and Slayer of Ilkhan Lincoln Osis in the Marik girl is showing them how the Liberties that Yvonne Davion-Sandoval had explained to them does not need to mean the loss of martial spirit or abilities. Far from it, the very man who destroyed the Clan Smoke Jaguar was a product of those same Liberties and led men and women who believed in them to victory over the Jaguars.
When Isis Marik sits down the Khan stands. She takes the podium and addresses her people. Compared to the two women who have spoke before her she is a hulking giant yet she stands on their shoulders at this moment. She publicly thanks the two duchesses for their words of wisdom and promises them that the Sun Jaguars have listened. They are not the Smoke Jaguars of old to mindlessly pounce and trust in raw strength and ferocity to see them to victory. No they have learned the hard lessons taught by First Prince Victor Davion and have emerged from the crucible of the destruction of their old Clan wiser and more flexible. As a first sign of this, she announces impulsively that she has looked at the proposals of the Technician and Laborer Castes to begin using industrial mechs to speed up the building of their Clan and it's infrastructure. To her these proposals show a wisdom that many of their compatriots within the other Clans still do not recognize within the Civilian Castes. She announces that within the week the construction of the two battlemech lines will be halted. In their place, the Clan will focus it's efforts on building and putting into production a GTX2 Daedalus "Navvy" Construction Mech. To the stunned hall she explains that this industrial mech will in the end speed up the construction of their new enclaves across all 3 worlds and in the end will massively speed up the construction of a viable military-industrial complex. She thanks the 2 duchess's for having shown her the wisdom of this proposal from the various Civilian Caste leaders. She also thanks these leaders for thinking outside of what would be "normal" for a Clan-born individual and bringing this idea to her attention. In honor of the 2 duchess's she announces that the new complex will be the Yvonne-Isis Construction Plant.
When the Khan see Yvonne and Isis to their dropship 3 days later, she does so with a broken arm in a sling along with a number of broken ribs and with one of her eyes entirely missing.....although she assures them that it will soon be replaced. She has fought four Trials of Refusal within 3 days and has only survived the last one due to the brutal support in combat of Galaxy Commander Howell of Beta Galaxy. Had he not charged to her support when her battle armor was crippled she would have been killed. While she recovers both the Galaxy Commander and saKhan Moon have assured any doubters that they stand ready to defend her program and her future plans for integrating the Sun Jaguars into the Federated Suns. With no real leadership the rebel faction of the Jaguars who wish to retain the older ways find itself launching ineffective and disjointed Trials that are defeated one by one throughout November and into December. Worse from the point of view of the traditionalists, the First Prince personally dispatches 2 companies of his finest mechwarriors from the Davion Light Guards, 1st Davion Guards, 3rd Davion Guards, and 1st New Avalon Cavaliers all in Clan OmniMechs to help win these trials for the Khan's faction. He goes so far as to say that were he not tied down with the duties of his office he would personally accompany these warriors to support the Khan in his own Dire Wolf, Prometheus. By the last trial however the traditionalist are noticing that their equipment is no longer being maintained. No Technician or Laborer is prepared to help them arm or repair their battlemechs and battle armor to fight against the reforms which will be to their own benefit. Trials of Refusal against these Technicians and Laborers are met with various other Warriors stepping in to represent the Civilians. In pristine equipment.
Developments in Industry[]
On Outreach another former Clan faction begin work on a new battlemech line. With support from NAIS again as well as their own surviving technicians the Wolf's Dragoons begin construction of a new Imp-C battlemech factory line. Entirely Clan Tech this assault 'mech is intended to form the backbone of Zeta Battalion.
On Defiance, a second Sentinel battlemech line goes operational. It's production is split between the AFFS and ComGuards with the AFFS battlemechs being immediately assigned to the pool for the new 1st Hasek-Davion Martial Academy Training Regiment. Given that the academy is graduating not only troops for the AFFS but also SLDF it is unsurprising to any that many of the machines assigned to it's training regiment are like the Sentinel former First Star League designs revitalized for the modern day era but chosen for not only their effectiveness but also their symbolism.
Achernar Battlemechs announces in November that in the next month they will begin construction on a new Osiris battlemech line on Filtvelt. This is another product of the High Command policy of ensuring that battlemech production is spread out so as to avoid the FedSuns losing access to a design due to damage to a single plant.
Another example of this is when the second Valkyrie production line goes operational on Corean's plant on June. This brings this plant up to three Centurion Battlemech lines, 2 Valkyrie lines, and a semi-automated factory producing Musketeer hover tanks. Corean announce that with the completion of the light battlemech line they will now be working on Hammerhead aerospace fighter line to be added to the plant. Corean has never been a provider of aerospace fighters for the Federated Suns, but the growing sales of aerospace fighters not only to the AFFS but also the ComGuards have prompted the company to enter into an agreement with Comstar to produce the iconic fighter and split the sales between the AFFS and ComGuards.
The Blackjack Refit Center on Talcott finishes it's upgrading and begins construction of new Blackjack-Os for the AFFS in November. The plant already has extensive orders for the new production to the point that GM begins considering a further Blackjack-O line.
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Blackjack Medium OmniMech
On Tancredi, the first Battlemech line for the Penetrator production line goes operation. However, the Rifleman line is not far behind and is expected to enter production within the first week of December. Tancredi produced Penetrator's will soon be massively in demand throughout the AFFS due to the incredibly tight spread of the superior lasers produced on the planet. The Tancredi Loyalists in particular will adopt this battlemech as one of their "signature" mechs - although will only deign to use machines built on their homeworld.
Troubles on the Taurian border[]
The Federated Suns begins shipping small quantities of Battlemechs and vehicles via Cooperland to the Calderon Protectorate. Along with much larger quantities of ammunition and spare parks to allow their existing units to remain operational. None of the equipment is cutting edge or is of iconic Davion designs, however it is a welcome shot in the arm for the stretched forces of the newly formed nation. The AFFS in particular tends to ship them refurbished units from the Boneyards to help keep up the illusion that they aren't supporting the Protectorate militarily.
Not that this matters to the Lord Protector. With no evidence - particularly as the said evidence is still enroute to Erod's Escape - he accuses the Federated Suns of fomenting rebellion within the Concordat and informs "The Poisoned Dwarf Prince" that he will not tolerate this. The newly raised 1st MacLeod's Regiment celebrate this speech by jumping the border and hitting Hansen's Roughriders on Bromhead in an attempt to seize some of the battlemechs being shipped there to help form the 1st Bromhead Reinforced Training Battalion. If that however was their plan it doesn't work out for them. Their plan clearly assumes that the mercenary Hansen's Roughriders will not stand and fight over their employers equipment. This assumption is dead wrong, and soon many of those holding it are just dead. The Taurian unit is not so much routed as shattered in a single 6 hour battle in which the Roughriders use their superior experience and coordination to not only turn the Taurian regiment's flanks but pierce their center and break them into 2 bloody chunks which are then harried back to their dropships. As the fleeing raiders approach their dropships they find them under a brutal attack from not only the local militia's ground forces but a full wing of older Sparrowhawks and Corsairs which had been used to reinforce the local defenses. Where a normal militia would have struggled to deploy and attack so soon, Bromheads locally raised units are very much aware of their precarious position and have worked hard to speed up their deployment rates.
By the time, the 1st MacLeod's Regiment pull off Bromhead they leave a third of their strength dead or injured on the world and another third captured as their dropships are so damaged as to be unable to take off. Just 2 weeks after leaving their garrison post on MacLeod's Land with a full regiment barely a battalion makes it home. A rational response would have been to immediately censure the unit and contact the Federated Suns to request what ransom or terms there would be for the return of the rest of the unit, however the Lord Protector immediately demands their return on pain of a deceleration of war while also award the entire regiment the Taurian Brand - the tattoo that comes with it to be a shattered Davion sunburst under any awardees right eye. In response tensions on the frontier which were already near war level escalate further and the AFFS begins preparing for what might be a brutal border war.
Events else where in the Periphery & the Inner Sphere[]
Within the Draconis Combine voices are raised to discuss potentially taking advantage of this situation to reclaim worlds lost on the periphery border and within the Galtor Thumb. While the Coordinator doesn't authorize any action these raised voices lead the AFFS to retain it's full garrison within the Draconis March.
House Steiner's Archon Peter Steiner declares strong support for his brother's realm, although stops short of offering any military aid. He simply doesn't have the troops or resources to help right now and knows that a foreign adventure is beyond his capacity. He does however authorize the Kell Hounds to look into any way they can support the AFFS. Although stops short of releasing them from their long standing contracts.
Predictably the Capellan Chancellor loudly announces that the Taurian attack on Bromhead is merely in response to the Davion threat posed by the massive militarization of the border which has been undertaken by First Prince Victor Davion. In private it becomes common knowledge that the Lord Protectors name for Victor Davion is one that the Chancellor is extremely fond off. It's soon commonplace upon many late night Capellan talk shows and newscasts to refer to Victor Davion as the "Poisoned Dwarf". The 3rd Sian Dragoons and Warrior House Lu Sann are diverted from Repulse to Rollis, but the MASK team on New Roland is not informed.
The Captain-General makes a generic call for calm in response to the escalating tensions, but many joke crudely that he might be speaking to his own realm. Protests against the WOB and some small scale pro-WOB demonstrations are now rife on most major worlds and spreading wildly. In a few cases military troops have had to be called out to put down riots.