FSRB Chpt 258

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 258==
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April 3072Interlude: Response
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Office of the Regent (General of the Armies)
Asgard, Mount Wotan 
Tharkad, Donegal Province 
Lyran Alliance 
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"That IDIOT!" Adam Steiner almost screamed in rage as he hammered his cybernetic hand into the desk hard enough to cause a crack to appear in the hardwood and a surge of pain to shoot up what remained of his arm as the prosthetic arm was pushed far past the "safe" levels built into it. He pointed with his single remaining real hand at Hauptmann-General Stellwar. "Your Colonel has cost me Thorin. That twice bedamned idiot has made it impossible for me to do anything about their treason!" 
Before the general could respond Adam snatched up one of the dozens of printed out dispatches littering his desk and waved it in the strained face of the older officer. "Have you seen this? Have you seen the moron's response to the recent events? I know you have! He wants me to send him REINFORCEMENTS so that he can seize the Duke for treason and suppress the "rebellions"! Is he out of his *** *** MIND?! If the 16th Regulars so much as BLINKS the wrong way the AFFS units on the planet will wipe them out! The Revenant Guards could do it on their own in an afternoon even without the help of the 3rd Ceti Hussars forces on the planet! I know they are broken up between Thorin and Murphid and the Revenant Guards are understrength, but I wouldn't trust O'Connell to be able to win against a damn training battalion at this stage!" 
Coughing Stellwar chose his words with care. "I realize that in retrospect the deployment of Colonel O'Connell and the 16th Lyran Regulars was a mistake..." 
Adam interrupted with a growl as he sat back down. "I'd use a stronger word than mistake as that is the understatement of the year..."
"Well yes..." The Hauptmann-General coughed and acknowledge the point. "However, he was placed in an impossible situation. He has few infantry assets, the planetary population was hostile as was the Duke who refused his entirely legitimate request for the local militia's to deploy to aid him..." 
"Stellwar. Let me make something clear. Former Colonel O'Connell's career is done. That is at this stage a foregone conclusion. Nothing short of direct intervention from the Almighty is going to keep that man in uniform. He'll be lucky to be cashiered rather than shot! Your future however remains in the balance. Precariously so. So I don't want to hear any more justifications or excuses for that man's ineptitude. Are we clear?" Adam snapped.
"Crystal clear, Lord Regent." Stellwar responded quickly. 
However, before he could continue the third man in the room spoke quietly. "As you have said, Regent Steiner, the late-Colonel O'Connell's mistakes have placed us in an impossible situation. We cannot avoid facing the unfortunate situation that any attempt to repair the situation on Thorin can only lead to a further worsening in the situation there and potentially with our allies the FedSuns." 
Adam turned to face Tormano Liao and tried not to let the disgust he felt for the fallen prince of House Liao show on his face. The man was a snake in the truest sense of the word, always looking for an angle. He had served first one master and then another without any shame at his changes of allegiance, while his advice to Katherine Steiner-Davion had been one of the main reasons for her disastrous misstep in attempting to take control of the Federated Suns. However he was despite that mistake still acknowledged as one of the foremost political advisors in the Inner Sphere. Which is why Adam had sent for him. "So then what would you have me do then? I pay you to advise me. Advise me." 
"First I believe a heart felt response to Duke Sakuma's message is in order. Something along the lines of parting in sorrow, not what you wished, etc..." Seeing the glare on the soldiers face Tormano held up his perfectly manicured hand. "To put it in military terms Regent Steiner... The battle for Thorin is lost. At this stage any attempt to rectify that is throwing away good troops - or in this case political capital - after bad. You must acknowledge the loss and shepherd your remaining capital, as you would your troops in a war, for fights that you might still win. Even before the 16th Regular's blundering the situation within the Terran Corridor and Lyon's Thumb was spiraling into a series of losing fights. It's too early for us to tell what effect the events on Thorin will have on this, but I can hazard a guess that it wont be to our benefit! We have certainly lost Thorin, likely Murphid and probably the majority of the Lyon's Thumb as well. Pro-FedSuns feelings are already running high there. So we should concentrate our efforts on worlds we still have a chance of holding onto or regaining. Denebola, Lipton, Chara, and Lyon itself as examples. I would also advise a quick arrest for all those involved in the tragic deaths at Firebase Thunderhammer and speedy court martials." Finishing Liao sat back his hands resting in his lap as he stared back at his new patron's face calmly. 
Despite himself Stellwar burst out. "We can't just give up those worlds without a fight!" 
"A fight we would lose." Tormano responded condescendingly. "Both in military and political terms. And a fight we cannot afford."
"Stellwar." Adam glanced at the officer. "I need you to cut orders for Colonel O'Connell's arrest. Promote one of his subordinates to replace him. Kommandant Wilson seems the best choice, but I'll leave it up too you. Bare in mind that any more mistakes from the leadership of that unit will reflect directly upon you. You are dismissed." 
As the stiff backed officer left the room he could already hear the Lord Regent discussing with his new political advisor the best way to mitigate the disastrous events on Thorin... 
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