FSRB Chpt 74

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==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 74==
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April 3067Ceasefire
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===Taurian-FedSun War===
====War with the Taurian Concordat ends====
Even as the Lord Protector rushed home via the Capellan Confederation the Davion assault on his realm continued. On Brockway the 1st Federated Suns Armored Cavalry, 2nd FedSuns Dragoons and the two Blue Star Irregular mercenary regiments are joined by a combat command of the 6th Syrtis Fusiliers - drawn from the reinforced RCTs heaviest assault elements. The 3 assault weighted battlemech regiments with a full regiment of assault and heavy class tanks leads a full on assault on the weakened Taurian lines and breaks them right open in a 3 hour firefight on the 4th of April. Flooding into the gap torn in the Bull lines the other formations soon destroy all organised resistance and formally return Brockway to Federated Sun's control. The combat command of the 6th having fulfilled the mission they were sent on by their Duke take the pick of the salvage and return to their post on New Syrtis. The remaining salvage is divided between the other commands, with the Blue Star Irregulars using the 3 companies worth of battlemech's (albeit heavily damaged battlemechs) to reform their Avatar's of Painful Death regiment, which does leave their other regiments somewhat under strength. The former owners of the battlemech's (those not in military hospitals) are marched away to join the survivors of their fellow regiments in captivity. 
Having had their last holdout troops within Federated Suns space crushed morale within the Taurian Defence Force dropped to an all time new low. Not only had their invasion failed but almost every unit which had crossed the frontier had never returned. The active regiments of the TDF now included only the Taurian Guards, 1st Taurian Lancers, 1st MacLeod's Regiment and the 3rd Taurian Lancers supported by the mercenary Longwood's Bluecoats, Vandelay's Valkries, and Summer's Storm. Although to call the 1st MacLeod's Regiment "active" was a massive understatement as it numbered little more than a company of battlemechs with a few attached supporting forces. The 1st Taurian Lancers was little better having been reduced to half strength and the unit's morale was paper thin. 
From Logan's Land the 36th Avalon Hussars heads on to Norman's Land and Celentaro. There they repeat the mission they performed on Logan's Land, smashing the local militias and systematically reducing the systems defenders to shattered remnants before replacing the local political leadership with those less favorable to the current Lord Protector. The unit has lost a little under a fifth of it's strength on these missions (worse in it's infantry brigade) but is now rated as veteran by the AFFS High Command and is developing a skill for swift assaults. 
Having finished the looting of Pinard, the mercenary unit of Hansen's Roughriders strike out for Illuishin. They hit the fragile 1st Taurian Lancers and in a running 2 week battle destroy them almost entirely. A handful of remaining Lancers are forced to abandon their equipment and hide in the general population to avoid annihilation. Only a handful of prisoners are taken by the mercenary force who rely on shock and awe to keep the large militia forces of the planet from coming to the Lancers aid until it's too late. After which they begin picking off the various militia and Taurian Volunteer Guard apart in hit and run strikes. While they are unable to seize the vital Vandenberg Mechanized Industries plant, they are able to seize a large proportion of it's finished products awaiting shipment in a lightning strike by 2 cavalry companies and a fast light armored battalion with 2 mechanized infantry battalions from the AFFS conventional brigade attached to them. By now the elite mercenary regiment has almost twice as many battlemechs as it does mechwarriors, having been whittled down to a little under 2 battalions in strength over the course of their raiding. Before they can finish the job of destroying the Illuishin defenses and moving to fully seize the industrial plant they get recall orders from New Avalon... Orders they wish had come a few weeks later but which they obey. 
These orders are precipitated by a chain of events that begins when the 12th and 34th Avalon Hussars along with the 1st Patrol Squadron jump into the system of Sterope together. Faced with not 1 but 2 RCT's and 2 huge warships the local government of Sterope immediately renounces it's allegiance to the "usurper" on Taurus (ignoring that he isn't actually ON Taurus at that moment in time) and declares their allegiance to the "true heir" Erik Martens-Calderon. 
This defection of a major industrial system is the beginning of the end for Shraplen. Even as the 3rd Taurian Lancers are landing on Taurus to secure his position the Taurian Guards march to the spaceport to stop them. In a brutal and one sided battle the elite Taurian Guard put down the Shraplen loyalist 3rd Lancers, before moving to seize various organs of the government and declaring for Lord Protector Erik Martens-Calderon. They also invite Regent Baron Kithrong to come to Taurus to begin the formation of a Regency Council under their protection. 
With the combined defection of Sterope and the Taurian Guard itself, the remaining systems are soon falling over themselves to declare allegiance to the new regime. The only real holdout is the system of MacLeod's Land where the remaining 1st MacLeod's Regiment remain loyal to their former governor. However, when Gordon's Armored Cavalry arrives in system the remnants of the unit flee the system rather than face the furious mercenary regiment. They are soon making their way to Laconis to form a "military-in-exile" for the "True Lord Protector". Given that even having rebuilt with what salvage they can and absorbing the handful of locals who would join them they number barely 2 companies of damaged battlemechs there is little threat of them being used to seize power back for the disgraced Shraplen. 
Even as Baron Cham Kithrong is making his way with Erik Martens-Calderon (and his 1st Taurian Pride regiment) to Taurus he is sending messages to the First Prince requesting an immediate ceasefire and peace conference. Even as these messages are being sent (and before they reach New Avalon) the High Command is ordering it's units to withdraw from the Taurian Concordat. First Prince Victor Davion has no territorial ambitions on the Concordat and wishes to make that apparent. Besides which the AFFS forces have achieved their objectives, the Taurian Defense Force is shattered and couldn't mount any offensive actions at the current time and is unlikely to manage to rebuild to a level it can for decades. Going with the retreating Davion troops are the mercenary Longwood Bluecoats. Disgusted with not only their own treatment by the Taurians but also the abandonment/sacrifice of other mercenary commands they cancel their contract with the Concordat and appeal to the First Prince directly to take service with him. They are instructed to take up position on Great Gorge for the time being while the contracts are ironed out. 
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===Developments in Industry===
However in a clear sign of his intent the First Prince as soon as he arrives back on New Avalon declares the formation of a new military defence firm, the Federated Sun's Defense Industries. With House Davion keeping 50% of the shares he announces that on the 1st June there will be a shares release for general purchase. The initial plant for the new firm is to consist of the salvaged and looted industrial equipment from what is now being known as the Taurian Campaign. From MacLeod's Land half of the Locust production of a single line and 1 Stinger Mech production line are joined by 2 Wasp lines and a Vedette Medium Tank, Light SRM Carrier, J. Edger hovercraft and Fulcrum hover tank line each. Additional 3 truck lines (Bull Dog and Pit Bull) are added for civilian sales and a Thunderbird aerospace fighter line is a final addition from the various Pinard Protectorate plants. An additional Phoenix Hawk and Marauder Mech line begins assembling fresh from the world of New Vandenberg. This plant begins construction on the world of New Damascus and will take almost 2 years to fully come online although some lines will be assembled faster than others. 
Notwithstanding that the bulk of the looted industry goes to this new company on New Damascus a number additional allocations of industry are made. 
Andoran Industries Ltd is gifted with the looted salvage for a new Clint and is invited to use it to begin a new factory on Shawnee - with the cost of the line paid for by the initial production of the new plant. 
While the New Earth Trading Company is invited to begin production of the Gabriel hover scout tank not only at it's plant on Markesan but also at a new plant on Kentares. In return for enough salvage to create a new line at each location the New Earth Trading Company is also expected to expand the plant on Kentares to include Von Luckners and Alacorn Mk IV tanks.
Outback FarmMech's are granted a license by the Federated Suns Government for the Locust battlemech design. They are also granted half of the pillaged Locust battlemech production facilities taken on MacLeod's Land along with support to put it back together. This will allow them to put the line together at breakneck speed (in comparison to their previous construction timetables). 
The mood of these new additional plants formed from salvage taken during the Taurian Campaign is best summed up by Precentor Martial Focht who when asked about it responds with the new famous line "Only the Davion's can make war pay!". While citizens of other nations will use this as an insult the citizens of the Federated Suns take the expression to heart and throw it back at their detractors with pride! 
On Baxley, in the Crucis March the new Jalastar Aerospace plant to build |Javelin-O OmniMech lines begins construction. The first of the Javelin lines being retooled to Javelin-O production on Panpour itself begins the construction of the new omnimech, with the other 2 not far behind and scheduled to begin production in May. While this won't be anywhere near enough to keep up demand it will at least provide a steady supply of new omnimechs while the expansions on Baxley and Islamabad are pushed ahead. 
Andoran Industries Ltd not only receives the offer of support for a new plant in April (an offer they accept by the end of the month) they also see their second Clint line go online at their main plant on Broken Wheel. This gives them 2 Clint lines as well as producing 2 lines of each of the Mercury and Hussar light mechs to be split between the AFFS and ComGuards. From a company that was barely able to keep up with refit orders for their single Battlemech design they now have 6 active production lines at their main plant and a new plant about to begin assembly with a seventh line. To many this company more than any other embodies the new found economic and military strength of the Federated Suns. 
On Kestrel, New Independence Weaponry see's it's new Cyclops line go into production. While sales are strong there is no company plans to expand production beyond the single line given the highly specialized nature of this command design. Although the Federated Suns Government has already strongly hinted they would approve of a second line to promote redundancy. 
The major event in military production within the FedSuns is the first line for the Huscarl Heavy Omnifighter line on New Avalon going operational. With a second line close behind and a Hammerhead line also nearing completion this will add new designs to the AFFS's fighter wings and is much anticipated. If the designs to as well as expected Lycomb-Davion will be encouraged to increase production at other plants as well. 
On Torrence a new Nightsky hatchet armed Battlemech production line goes operational for Johnston Industries at the same time as Veridian Dynamic's plant produces it's first full Vali artillery tank in centuries. With the addition of lines at 2 separate plants the Duke of Torrence announces a day of national celebration on the 30th. He also begins campaigning for the Veridian Dynamic's company to be awarded a new vehicle design to add to their production. 
The Corsara plant on Northwind completes it's new Crab battlemech line near the end of the month and immediately offers it's production up to the AFFS and ComGuards. Both militaries are soon buying as many of these battlemechs as can be produced. Entire companies are sent to units which are expected to operate far behind enemy lines or where ammunition stockpiles will be low. 
The FSS Joseph Davion is taken into the free cruiser/frigate slip at Panpour by mid April and begins a hurried repair and refit. Given that the armor had held when the missile struck most of what is being replaced/repaired is armor plating and the ship is expected back into service by October. Although a handful of smaller items will require the crew to continue work beyond this time, these repairs will not require yard time. The 3 damaged Fox class corvettes - the heavily damaged FSS Edwards and lightly damaged FSS Ridgebrook and FSS Bryceland are sent to the FSS Edward's namesake system to await the finishing of the repair slips over that planet which are due to come online in December. 
Given the initial reports from the naval Battle of Ridgebrook, the Davion High Command send orders to Galax to look into improving the Fox corvette design... 
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===Effects of the Davion victory over the Bull===
The speed of the Davion's victory over the Taurian Concordat is a wake up call for any who might need it across the Inner Sphere. While the Bulls are a Periphery Realm they have always been considered by most to be the premier military power of the Periphery and one which had held off the Star League for years - albeit with a much stronger military. Still the swift victory that the AFFS has won over the TDF is shocking to many. In fact victory is too light a word to many, instead many feel that the AFFS has routed and humiliated the premier military within the Periphery in a few short months while strengthening itself as it did so. Combined with the victories on both the Capellan and Draconis borders it forces even the most skeptical to sit up and take notice. While Theodore Kurita had been somewhat reluctant to fully commit to his son's alliance with the Confederation he now see's no other option but to push forward at full speed with this strategy or see his children's futures dominated by Victor Davion and the future descendants of Hanse Davion. 
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