FSRB Chpt 78

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==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 78==
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August 3067A Coup
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===The Assassination of the Captain-General===
 
August begins with shocking news from the Free Worlds League, that the Captain-General Thomas Marik has been assassinated in orbit. Details are scarce to begin with it but it appears that having arrived in orbit with his accompanying warships the Captain-General was shuttling down to the planet when one of the warships - at this time it is unknown whether or not the warship in question was part of his escort or part of the defensive fleet around the world - opened fire with a full broadside upon his transport dropship. The dropship carrying Thomas Marik was destroyed with all hands in the initial burst, seconds before a general free for all battle erupted over Atreus. More akin to a Clan Grand Melee than any form of organized battle the ship's of the Free Worlds League Navy fired upon each other seemingly almost at random. Some ships banded together against the "Traitor" Thomas Marik, others in support of the presumed dead leader, with others supporting first one side then the other or opening fire on both. Even ships which had previously declared for or against the murdered leader would seemingly at random switch allegiance as crewmen loyal to that faction took control of the ship. In one particularly noteworthy, instance the newly finished Impavido class FWLS Gerald Marik opened fire on both a loyalist and rebel ship with different broadsides controlled by different factions! Along with the transport carrying the Captain-General a large percentage of his guard unit the 1st Knights of the Inner Sphere are destroyed in space, although around half make a hurried planet fall.
Worse from the view of almost everyone is that a number of the ships are known to have deployed nuclear ordinance against each other. The Thera Class Aerospace Carrier, FWLS Sardis for instance is known to have been destroyed by no fewer than 3 nuclear missiles fired by the so called flagship of the First Fleet, the FWLS Xanthos. The Flagship which in turn was destroyed by the firepower of the launched fighters and the FWLS Sardis's 2 attendant Eagle frigates the FWLS Tristram and FWLS Bedevere, although not before destroying the FWLS Bedevere as well and crippling the FWLS Tristram.
 
The situation on the ground is little better with Parliament having suffered an orbital strike from an unknown warship - at least 3 warships are known to have fired on the planet, the FWLS Menelaus, FWLS Raven, and FWLS Attica. Other targets for orbital strikes include the main barracks of the 2nd Knights of the Inner Sphere and the planet's HPG. 
By the end of the 3 day free for all the League's First Fleet has been gutted as have the warships that were escorting the Captain-General. Nobody is quite sure how many have escaped damaged or otherwise or indeed how many remain over Atreus and what their loyalties are. Half of the League's Zechetinu I and II ships - 12 of the fast corvettes were known to have been at the planet for instance and at least 2 are confirmed destroyed but the rest are currently unaccounted for, either still at Atreus or scattered. One final known casualty that is reported consistently is the Illium yard at Atreus which has been destroyed by one side or other, taking it's partially build Agamemnon class cruiser with it. 
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On New Avalon the reports are devoured with horrified interest and appetite. The Federated Suns must know what is going on within the League, yet it appears that not even many within the League know! A handful of facts however are known for sure. Captain-General Thomas Marik has been killed in orbit over Atreus and his government has fallen. The rest of the League is already splintering, with the Duchy of Oriente announcing that they will not recognize any new Captain-General except Janos Marik II, the young son of the murdered Thomas Marik. The Prince of Regulus Kirc Cameron-Jones has also announced that he has evidence that the murdered Thomas Marik was in fact a fake, an impostor and as such is calling for an entirely new line to take the throne - presumably his own. No word has yet been heard throughout August of other known potential claimants/players - namely Kristen Marik or her children, Paul Marik and his daughter Corrine Marik who were both on Atreus at the time of the attack or Therese Marik and her husband Jeremy Brett. Worse with Parliament gone (wiped off the face of Atreus apparently) nobody is quite sure what the legal situation is. 
The situation regarding reliable intelligence from the League gets suddenly worse when the various HPG's within the Free Worlds League go off the grid. As far as the various intelligence agencies can ascertain messages are still being passed by the HPGs within the League, but they are not transmitting to any non-League planet under orders from Terra. 
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===Inner Sphere reacts to the Coup===
The First Prince while keeping pace with all news from the powder keg that the Free Worlds League has became, is also busy attending to his fiancee Duchess Isis Marik. News that her father (at least presumably although Victor knows this isn't the case) is dead has been a shock for her as has the collapse of the League's central government. Thankfully Victor has talked her out of her first instinct which was to rush to Atreus to find out for herself what is going on. For one thing he has told her that if she does so he'll be going with her, with a sizeable chunk of the AFFS to protect her! 
He does however send a hurried message to his brother Peter on Tharkad and requests information about what the current state of affairs is for the Kristen's Krushers. He is told that 2 days after the news broken of the attack on Atreus and the murder of Thomas Marik the unit packed up into it's dropships and left their garrison post for parts unknown, technically breaking contract. 
The First Prince also is in hurried contact with both the Interim Primus Dow and also the First Lord Christian Mansdottir. The First Prince strongly suggests that a Peace Keeping Force be formed to move into the League and prevent civil war - offering up no less than 10 RCTs or battlemech regiments to this force as well as at least 12 warships as a contingent from the AFFS. He even offers to personally lead the AFFS contingent or the entire force if that is approved by the others. 
Dow finds himself unable to commit due to the sudden upsurge in WoB activities in the Skye Province, Deiron District and even in FedSuns worlds bordering the WoB Protectorate. His situation has been complicated by a recent naval strike by the Word of Blake in which three Dante Class Frigates - the WoBS Perdition, WoBS Salvation, and WoBS Rebirth struck out and attacked a supply convoy of equipment from the FedSuns factories to the various ComGuard Divisions in the Lyran Alliance and on the Clan front. Although over 80% of the convoy was protected it had come at the cost of the CSV Resilience and heavy damage to the CSV Enlightened Path. He does however suggest that the WoB is behind this collapse/attack in the League and that the rest of the Second Star League should unite with Comstar to retake Terra and cleanse the Blakists from the Sphere. 
First Lord Christian Mansdottir is a man pushed beyond his limits by the collapse of the Free Worlds League. The leader of a small nation constantly under threat of Clan invasion and sandwiched between 2 major powers he is unable to take decisive action and instead suggests that the matter be discussed at a full formal council in November at Whitting. Until then or until he is requested to do so by a legitimate authority within the League he refuses to dispatch troops, SLDF or volunteer. 
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====House Liao sends Relief Troops to the League====
Disgusted, the First Prince speaks with his Marshal of Armies and returned Champion and orders them to begin plans for an intervention within the League alone if necessary, although he informs them he will at least wait and see how the situation escalates before committing and would prefer to do so with the full backing of the Star League. In preparation for this he instructs them into looking at siphoning off 2 regiments worth of elite and veteran warriors to form a 3rd & 4th Federated Sun's Armored Cavalry from existing formations in the coming year. The FSACs fast moving and hard hitting approach to warfare will almost certainly be exactly what is required in a fluid situation and the First Prince want's to have access to more such troops if he needs them. 
Victor Davion also begins to consider pulling back from the escalating situation in the former Sarna March turned Liao Commonality as he is unsure whether he can afford the distraction purely for revenge on Sun-Tzu Liao for an insult. However, before he can order any recall of the teams sent into the region he receives word that Sun-Tzu himself has made a move. CCAF "peacekeeping troops" have moved into a number of League border worlds to "maintain order". The 3rd Confederation Reserve Cavalry hits the world of Shuen Wan, the 4th Tau Ceti Rangers hit Goodna, the 15th Dracon hit Cronula, the 4th Sian Dragoons arrive on Scarborough, and the 1st Capellan Chargers are reported to be landing on Furud. All unaffiliated worlds and none currently garrisoned by regular troops, the High Command consider this Sun-Tzu testing out the state of the League under the cover of humanitarian missions rather than outright invasions. Although anyone who thinks those worlds will be returning to League control at the end of the "crisis" doesn't know the Chancellor. More, the return of Shuen Wan in particular would be a major boost to the Chancellor given it's historical economic importance due to the widespread appetite for Kincha fruit within the Confederation's elite historically. Returning that delicacy to the plates of his nobles and warriors might not seem a major matter to most, but within the Confederation it would be a sign of the beneficence of the Chancellor. 
While the Federated Sun's can do little for the planets directly, the First Prince orders that anti-Capellan actions within the former Sarna March be stepped up. Propaganda, guerrilla actions and even outright assassinations begin to be ordered to disrupt Sian's control over the Liao Commonality. For instance Zhong-shao Noh Kan Du of the Shin Legions Mechanized Infantry force on Sarna is assassinated by a sniper while leaving a brothel, while the Liao appointed Governor of Wei and three key aides are killed when his VTOL takes an anti-aircraft missile on it's way back to the office from his weekend retreat. Less noticeable but perhaps even more telling are the growing dissent towards Liao rule and underground movements forming that call for a return of Davion rule on over a dozen planets! By drawing off Sian's resources the First Prince can at least divert the Chancellor from further adventures in the troubled waters of the League. 
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===Developments in Industry===
On Crofton, the newly renamed SunCorp Industries new Highlander assault 'mech production line goes operational. Strangely at least half of it's production is diverted to the Clan Sun Jaguar to help them rebuild their Touaman. The other half is sent to high end units like the Davion Assault Guards, 8th Crucis Lancers, etc... In the meantime a third Thanatos-O OmniMech line begins construction. It is due to complete in July 3068. 
The Corean plant on June see's it's new Hammerhead aerospace fighter enter production. Given the escalating situation along the borders the company is contracted to increase production of the Musketeer Hover Tank by upgrading the factory there to fully automated. This will be done by November 3068. 
The New Earth Trading Company plant on Markesan has the Gabriel line constructed from Taurian salvage enter production. There will be a number of teething problems with the high spec vehicles that are first produced, but soon the plant is churning out the light hover tank for both the AFFS and ComGuards. 
Given the escalating situation Maltex, Norse Battlemech Works and Corsara Weapons are all contacted in August to look at creating secondary back up factories deeper within the Federated Suns. All 3 factories have either been destroyed or captured in the past and the Federated Suns is loath to see this happen again and have them loose access to the excellent BattleMech designs they all produce. As such they begin pressing for them to build factories as back ups to their main plants. Similarly Jalastar Aerospace is contacted and requested to add Sparrowhawk light fighter production to their building plants on Baxley and Centurion 'Mech production to Belladonna. Corean is also requested to add a Centurion line to their Augusta based plant. Unlike the others who request time to look into their options, Corean readily agrees by now knowing they will get Government support and increase sales.
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