FSRB Chpt 186

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 186==
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November 3070Peace and Civil War
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===Treaty of Robinson===
For much of November the various worlds of the Inner Sphere held their breaths awaiting word on whether or not there would be peace between the Draconis Combine and the Federated Suns. On the 21st of November with the signing of the Treaty of Robinson peace was publicly declared - although a number of Combine worlds wouldn't know for almost another six months due to the HPG network within that realm being so badly damaged. Responses varied.
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===Border & Troop Alignments and Adjustments===
Within the Federated Suns the news was met with almost rapturous approval. While a few hardliners lamented that the First Prince hadn't driven the sword home and finished of the "Snake" once and for all even they usually were prepared to admit that the Draconis Combine in it's death throws could have done huge damage to the AFFS and FedSuns. "Merely" settling for the seventy two worlds seized (along with the eleven seized during the first round of fighting with the Combine) was more than good enough for the vast majority of the troops of the AFFS and the people of the FedSuns. Combined with the gains made in the former Capellan Confederation, Sarna March and Periphery and the borders of the Federated Suns had expanded on all fronts. No fewer than five new PDZ's were planned for the Draconis March, another two (Combat Regions) had already been added to the Crucis March and two more added too the Capellan March (although two had been transferred to the new League March) and the League March including the two transferred from the Capellan March numbered eleven PDZ. Frankly many leading economists and political commentators suggested that the FedSun's would struggle to absorb the worlds that it had already seized from the Combine let alone taking more!
At the same time as the peace was announced the "Periphery Combat Region" of the Crucis March was formally renamed the Tortuga Combat Region. For now no March Militia unit had been raised for the new Combat Region or for it's neighbor of the Cooperland Combat Region, but the plans had been formally laid. As soon as the 1st Tortuga Borderers had been raised to full strength the plan was to begin building a Tortuga CrMM while the Cooperland CrMM was planned to follow soon after.
For now however rebuilding existing commands and reinforcing the newly acquired Draconis March PDZs took precedence. The AFFS High Command were keen to continue expanding the AFFS given the vastly expanded borders of the realm, however they also had a huge number of shattered and damaged commands to reinforced and rebuild. Still they didn't want to flood these battle hardened formations with green recruits and cadets who might expand numbers but reduce quality. Given these limitations a small number of new formations were still flagged for the coming graduation class of '70. The 1st An Ting Borderers would formally be added to the rolls of the AFFS - now that the peace treaty was signed. Most of it's members would be former troops of the 7th An Ting Legion, although even with a handful of newly raised troops it was unlikely that the Borderer Regiment would be above 30% strength. The 5th Ceti Hussars RCT would also be formed largely from the graduating classes of the NAIS, Albion and two companies from the Lexington Military Academy. Major General Lafayette of the Combat Command Bravo of the 2nd Ceti Hussars was flagged for promotion to Marshal and command of the new 5th Centi - which he would be allowed to would in his own hard fighting style. A final unit proposed was the formation of a 9th Crucis Lancers RCT - a strong indication that plans were to add new Crucis Lancer formations to maintain one for each Combat Region of the Crucis March. The 3rd NAIS Cadre would also be formally reactivated. 
One final huge "addition" of the AFFS was the planned formation of cadres for each of the League March Militias - drawing almost exclusively from the various Temporary Training Battalions formed for the express purpose of build these formations, along with a handful of experienced AFFS officers largely drawn (and promoted) from the Crucis March Militia and Capellan March Militias. The 1st Capella LMM, 1st Corey LMM, 1st Hexare LMM, 1st Ingersol LMM 1st Menkib LMM, 1st St Ives LMM, 1st Styk LMM, and 1st Truth LMM. For the same purpose the 1st Zion Reinforced Training Battalion would be formed to begin raising local troops for the 1st Zion LMM in the future. Each of these new March Militias would be only 10% of it's listed strength and would exist as basically a paper formation for the time being. The Grand Base CMM and Victoria CMM were also raised to a similar level - but largely from troops drawn from existing Capellan March Militia formations and the Warrior's Hall graduating class as New Syrtis had not raised Temporary Training Battalions on Grand Base or Victoria. Plans were also put in place to raise additional Temporary Training Battalions on Dieron, Proserpina, Iruzun, Matsuida and Kaznejoy to help form their new Draconis March Militia. Much of the equipment for these new formations were deprived of the best salvage from the DCMS formations and rebuild machines which had been replaced in front line formations. What few new machines were available were often Legionnaire, Watchman, and Sentinel Battlemechs. 
On St. Ives, Duchess Cassandra Allard-Liao met with the military officers to seek their advice regarding the expansion of her March's military formations moving forward. While she was keen to rebuild the shattered formations which were all that was left of the St Ives Armored Cavalry she also could see a requirement for a fast reaction force based upon the LCT principle. Discussions began about converting the heavily under strength 1st St Ives Cheveau-Legers to the LCT model. So badly damaged as to not be considered combat effective as a Battlemech regiment or RCT the remaining troops with some reinforcements could make up nearly 75% of a LCT. The surviving members of the storied command were requested to report to St Ives for the Duchess to personally ask them to consider the switch over, with promises that they would be the core of a new brigade if it worked out and additional units would be formed. 
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===Developments in Industry===
On Firgrove, the second Vulcan fighter line began producing aerospace fighters. The entire production run for the next four years were already ordered by the AFFS and ComGuards, so the Firgrove Consortium rushed to began work on a third line. 
On June, the first Legionnaire BattleMech production line completed construction and went into full scale production. Given the huge demand for second line Battlemechs two new lines were immediately ordered into construction. Although it was unlikely that they would fill the immediate need, it was agreed that a steady supply of these Battlemechs would slowly allow the upgrading and expansions of the various March Militias and training commands moving forward. 
At Kirklin's Factories, the second Enforcer III line entered production. This line was dedicated exclusively to producing the ENF-6T variant due to demand for the targeting computer equipped Battlemech during the recent fighting. 
The Davion-Com joint factory on Marlette finished construction of the new Shootist 'Mech line. While a joint project the AFFS offered the majority of it's share of the venerable command Battlemech to the ComGuards. Still a handful were kept for some training commands and a few commands which had expressed an interest in them - although the vast majority of Davion regimental commanders preferred command Battlemechs such as the Battlemaster or Templars OmniMech. 
At Panpour, the first of the civilian Jabberwocky Engineermech lines came online. Given the huge number of rebuilding projects in the former Combine and Capellan territories demand for the industrial mech was far in excess of production. Even the prospect of the second line going online in December would barely put a dent in the flood of orders pouring in. As such Jalastar Aerospace (with the full support of New Avalon) began planning for a purpose built construction plant for this ancient design on Panpour, one that would initially consist of four new production lines and with room for further lines. 
At New Hessen, the Thunderbolt-NAIS line began producing the first Battlemechs, but was shut down within three days of starting as suspected pro-Capellan insurgents managed to damage the plant.  Repair work wouldn't complete until March 3071. 
At Wei, the first Centurion plant is joined by a second and third and by the end of November both new lines have entered full production. While there had been plans to add additional lines to this plant the demand for Jalastar to increase Jabberwocky IndustrialMech production on Panpour are taking priority. Although Duchess Cassandra is pushing for at least one Jabberwocky line to be built at Wei. 
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===Instablity in the Draconis Combine===
While within the Federated Suns the Treaty of Robinson is greeted with overwhelming approval, the same cannot be said for the reaction of the Combine. Horror at the loss of so many worlds and the sheer scale of the defeat that is now evident isn't just restricted to the DCMS. Riots break out on over a hundred worlds. Dozens of major nobles question the necessity of the peace treaty - some genuinely, some merely jockeying for position.  Former Kanrei Hohiro Kurita, who has never acknowledged the loss of his position immediately upon receipt of the treaty publicly denounces it and both it's signatories. In a scathing message he sends word out to the DCMS that clearly Minoru Kurita has betrayed the Combine and House Kurita, which is suggesting that Minoru has seized control of the Coordinator in part of a coup on Luthien. Declaring his intent to overthrow his brother and free the Coordinator he calls upon all "True Sons and Daughters of the Dragon" to rally to his banner. Much of the Benjamin District, already under his direct command immediately swears to join his "crusade". While Benjamin's military is heavily battered, he has the advantage of better communication than Luthien due to his WOB allies and takes ruthless advantage of this to begin approaching various military commands.
Hohiro is unsurprised when the Warlords of Galedon and Pesht reject his entreaties and swears allegiance to Kanrei Minoru Kurita. He is however more surprised, indeed shocked, when Warlord Kurita of Dieron declares for Minoru. Given his time on Dieron and the surrender of that world in the peace treaty he was sure that he could count on the Warlord's support. This reversal damages his ability to recruit Dieron Regulars to his cause, although many individual regiments declare for him when they discover their brigade is to be disbanded. He begins ordering them to seize key worlds and bases in preparation for an attack towards Galedon and Luthien. 
Minoru Kurita rushes back towards Galedon, gathering up a number of POW troops on route with the "permission" of First Prince Davion. These warriors allow him to almost double the strength of his escorting 5th Sword of Light regiment to 40% of it's nominal full strength. What they are lacking in is Battlemechs and other equipment. Although as per the treaty the Davions do sell him a number of heavily damaged Battlemechs to equip the POW with. At full price. 
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===Troubles in the Lyran Alliance===
Within the Lyran Alliance, the only response to the Treaty of Robinson is the hope that this will mean that the AFFS will have more units to send to their aid. General of the Armies Adam Steiner however isn't prepared to await for such a nebulous prospect of reinforcements - particularly given the cracks beginning to show throughout the Alliance. Summoning his own 14th Donegal Guards as well as the 13th Donegal Guards which have just retreated from Oliver he personally leads the two regiments along with no less than eight Fox I corvettes to Arcturus. Breaking the blockade of Clan Wolf Warships with massed fighter wings he heads for the planet to take personal command of the battle - declaring in an HPG message to the entire LAAF that he will fight and die to hold the ancient capital of the Lyran Alliance and that the Wolves can take Arcturus only from his cold dead fingers!
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===Crusader Wolf forces gathering===
When word of this development reaches Khan Ward and his adviser Galaxy Commander Katrina Steiner the two lovers begin gathering an even larger force for the conquest of the key world. Joining the Khan's own Alpha Galaxy is Beta & Delta Galaxy as well as elements of Katrina's own Tamar Galaxy. Much of the Wolf Clan's warship assets are also marshaled for the coming battle. 
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===Ghost Bears on the Move===
On the World of Rasalhague, Clan Ghost Bear also begins gathering it's forces, moving them slowly towards the border with the Combine...
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