IDGL-1

==Chapter 1 – The Golden Lion Roars==
===Friendly Sibling Competition===
New Avalon (Federated Suns) - 02/17/3039
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“I am going to get you big brother!” crackled over the radio in young Captain Ian Davion’s Marauder currently walking through a narrow pass.  “Ooh I’m shaking in my neurohelmet, sis.  You won’t get that transfer to the Rangers at this rate.  Where are you anyway?  I have a date tonight, you’re not the only woman interested in my time.”
“The only person you have a date with is Death.”  
Two Phoenix Hawk's jumped from one of the ridges nearby painted light gray with the seal of the 11th Avalon Hussars, one forward one behind.  “Now this is a strange ménage a trois.”
The same voice came over the radio, “Eww gross!  That’s something Andrew would say.  Eat laser Perv!”
The Phoenix Hawks fired their lasers damaging the heavy mech’s armor but the Marauder dropped one of them with a lucky cluster that killed the forward mech’s engine.  “Helen, I can’t believe your chest has got you into trouble in the simulator too.  Fine you win this one, brother.”
The simulator screen blacked out and Ian exited the NAIS College of Military Science simulator pod.  The other two women exited, Helen, the moderately endowed blonde wearing a tight NAIS CMS sweater.  The other a brunette, looking much like her mother, wore a green jumpsuit similar to his but with a red trimmed rank plate, Subaltern, she was still on probation after graduating last year from Sakhara. “Davion, Y” was ascribed across her left breast pocket in golden script.
“Yvonne, I knew you two were hiding in there.  You threw away all your mobility advantages in closed terrain.  You should have hit me in the swamp.  I would have been a sitting target.”
Her eyes were narrowed in anger but she knew he was right and calmed down, “You’ll just have to wait till Tancred comes back.”
She let out the most staged cry of anguish, “But that is going to be forever!”
Ian rolled his eyes at his twenty year old sister, so love-struck and distraught that her boyfriend had been recalled to Robinson by his father, 
“it’s like three months maybe four."
"Anyway it’s a good thing he isn’t distracting you from training anymore.  Dad wants you good enough to ship out to David so he personally tasked with me beating you up until you can do the same.”  She dropped her shoulders, flipped her braid over, and stomped off to the locker room.
“Bye, Ian.” Helen blushed and smiled before following after her.
Ian walked out to see the next scheduled group of CMS cadets and gave them the all clear before walking out.  He smoothed out his red hair and walked back toward the lab where Riva Allard was working on something sciency.  She had given him the explanation but Ian was no scientist.  He nodded politely until she got bored and sent him away.  He found her, her brother Daniel, and his wife Megan in the lab.
“I didn’t expect to find such a full lab, Riva.  That saves me a lot of walking, everyone I wanted to see is here already.”
The smallish bespectacled woman was beautiful, tragically she was too old for him, and already taken.  Also her father was Quintus Allard his father’s spymaster the man terrified him even though he was on the same side. “Pleasure as always to see you Prince Ian.  Please take my brother and sister-in-law away. I have so much work to do and they keep distracting me.”
Dan Allard gave her a hug, they looked very similar. Far more so than their half-brother Justin, current consort of Duchess Candace Liao in the St ives Compact.  “So much love sister, is it so terrible that we stop by to see you and dad every couple of years.”
“No, but right now you’re annoying me.  Your prince is calling, go to him.”
“Very well we will see you at dinner then.”
“And not a moment before I assure you.”
Ian, Daniel, and Megan walked the quad of the New Avalon Institute of Science taking in the remarkable landscaping.  The entire complex was established as one of his father’s first acts as First Prince, the Battle of Halstead Station, and the recovery of a treasure trove of technology and information from the Star League era.  To think what they could have done with the complete collection, the remainder of which had fallen into the hands of the Federated Suns ancient enemy, the Draconis Combine.
“Dan, what do you think of Melissa?  She is unproven but seems to have a good head on her shoulders.  Can she keep the Lyran end of the deal?”
“Everyone is a beginner once.  That said Melissa has good starting material.  Her mother is an exceptional woman and was an Archon without peer.  I think she will be fine as there are plenty of good people around her.  FYI Count Bradford of Coventry has apparently made an offer for her hand in marriage but its supposed to be a secret.  She told us anyway in the last transmission.”
Megan Kell laughed surprisingly jovial compared to her rather grim Father, she must take after her mysterious mother, "Maybe you should put your hat in the ring, Ian."
Ian stopped and put his hands out, "Whoa! I don't think so!  Mom was angling for Corrine Marik on her latest bride shopping trip.  You know I don’t have control over this as much as I would like.”
The trio laughed the rest of the way to the car, “Yes Blue Blood problems.  I very much understand.  I think your mother has your best interests and those of the Federated Suns well in heart however.”
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===The Fox issues his children their marching orders===
02/18/3039 - 07:17 - Castle Davion, New Avalon, Federated Suns
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The First Prince’s office was very plain for being such a powerful place; a few knickknacks, three pictures (Ian and Hanse, Hanse and Dana, The Family), and the original Ian Davion’s grave flag were the only decorations otherwise everything was dark wood and books.  Hanse Davion, First Prince of the Federated Suns, still handsome and vital in his 50s was sitting behind his desk while Ian stood in his garrison uniform before him.
“Son, you’ve been a Captain for a week now. How do you like it thus far?”
Ian shifted slightly, “The bars are surprisingly heavy.”
Hanse nodded in approval, “Wait until you add more or wear the Sunburst Vest itself.”
“I’m hoping it’s a long time before I must bear such a burden.”
“As do I.  Ian, I am sending you to the Commonwealth with the Kell Hounds when they rotate back in two months.”
The Captain cleared his throat, “Yes sir.”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“No of course not.  You are the First Prince and my Father, I will go and do as you wish in service to the Federated Suns.  I merely didn’t expect to be going so far so quickly.”
“What did you expect when I called you in this morning then?”
Ian paused gathering his thoughts, “Reassignment to the Armored Cavalry after Yvonne ships out to the Eleventh.”
Hanse stood up from his chair and walked up to his brother’s grave flag, his son followed. “You are very much like him you know but I need you to be something different.  I understand your desire to see some action and feel as though you truly earned those Captain’s bars.  I felt the same way at your age and that is why you are a Guardsmen and not on the front line as I feared you might like it too much.”
Hanse turned around heading toward the window that overlooked Avalon City, “We can’t win the Succession Wars solely from the cockpit of a Battlemech. It’s something I learned a long time ago, that doesn’t mean we don’t use it of course.” 
He paused and looked a resin sculpt of his battle damaged Battlemaster after Halstead Station where both he and Dana almost died and would have if not for Yvonne Davion, “War will unfortunately always be a necessary tool for a Prince, but there are others that are far more effective.”
“What do you mean?”
“I am sending you on a Diplomatic mission just as dangerous as a raid into the Confederation if not more impactful to the good of the Federated Suns. The Lyran Commonwealth is a powerful ally, one that we need to continue to court aggressively, friends can easily become enemies and nothing stays static for long in the Inner Sphere."  
"As if to demonstrate that point reports indicate that Tormano Liao has returned to the good graces of Chancellor Romano and is currently seeking to undermine our relationship with the new Archon on behalf of his sister." 
"Katrina I could trust, but Melissa is not as well known to me. She was a smart young girl last I saw her but now she is a well-established woman with her own agenda.  I want you to ensure that we are higher on her list than they are." 
"There is already grumbling in the Commonwealth about our alliance as they fear the Dragon might continue to build and strike at both of us if it feels threatened.  There is evidence enough to support that theory and it greatly concerns Duke Sandoval and I.  The DCMS has grown much faster than we had projected under Kanrei Theodore.
"To that end I am sending you to Tharkad as an ambassador, military liaison, celebrity; you will be whatever they need you to be.  The goal is to ensure the Confederation doesn’t take away our best chance to end these Wars.”
He put his hands on his son’s shoulders, “This task is far more difficult than any you have ever faced but I trust in your judgement and skill.  I have taught you what I know but you alone must put it into action while I can still provide guidance and support.”
They separated and returned to their original positions, “Additionally assuming the negotiations follow through to our satisfaction and the League gets their house back in order after this Andurien Crisis you may marry Corrine Marik, her father and uncle can be excellent allies if somewhat bristly at times with each other as much as others.  I would like them to see you excel as a statesman and Prince, things that are far more important to the Mariks than your Battlemech prowess.  Although she has at least one cousin and likely others in the League that would put that to the test if you give them cause to doubt in your abilities."
Perhaps you will even get a chance to meet her.  I hear she is a fine young woman.  If you do as well as I believe maybe you even impress them enough to eliminate any hesitance the Mariks have about the Steiners.  There is a lot of bad blood still between the League and the Commonwealth.  The last thing I need is my allies fighting one another at a particularly desperate time.”
“I understand.  What of Yvonne and my other assignments?”
“You have two months to get your affairs in order, which should be plenty of time. I don’t expect you to return for a while so if you can’t resolve it at least make a clean break rather than have it trail you across the Inner Sphere.  
"As for your sister... well your mother is running her through the ringer as we speak.  She was very unhappy after hearing that Yvonne hasn’t made Leftenant yet and took it as a personal affront so you should have all the time in the world for other tasks."  
"I personally think she arranged Tancred’s recall but don’t have any evidence,” Hanse rubbed his short well-groomed beard, “and I don’t think Quintus would tell me even if I asked him.”  
Hanse let out a hearty laugh and smiled, “Yvonne will shape up if only to save herself and get as far away from New Avalon as quickly as possible.  I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble Dana is going to be for Andrew at Armstrong.  She has refined the art of aggressive mothering as much as I have redefined statecraft in our time. I for one am relieved to no longer be the sole target of her energies.”
“May I go now?” Ian asks his father
“Yes, you have much to do before you head to the Commonwealth and I have many meetings to attend this morning.  You are dismissed, Captain Davion.”
Ian saluted, about faced, and walked out of the office.
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Category:Ian Davion, Golden Lion Chapters
Category:Works by AlphaMirage