ALJ Chpt 61

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==Chapter 61 - A Long Journey==
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2 November 2786
New Avalon (Federated Suns
"Now what has Mitchell gone and done?" First Prince John Davion asked not even looking up from the paperwork he was working on.
"Besides pissing off AFFS Command, well all those companies that Gerald Mitchell purchased are heading for Mackolla. Several are already inside our borders and making their way to Mackolla. Newhart Industries has broken down their factory on Thorin and should be departing within the week according to intelligence. Fully capable of manufacturing Trident Aerospace fighters and had been doing so up until they started breaking down the factory."
"I heard about the pissing match. Mitchell did overstep his bounds, but at the same time, how can I fault his reasoning. Besides, him launching those kind of operations safeguards that sector of border plus places a strain on his funds. The Davion Light Guards are out there doing the same thing, just more restricted to our borders, have been for decades. Honestly, Mitchell has done more with less than the Davion Light Guards have and in less time. I have already sent for Mitchell to come to New Avalon, it is time to have another chat and try to explain to him the limits to what he can do and not do. I have already told Command to purchase that Invader Class Jumpship he captured, we can always use another Jumpship." First Prince John Davion said
"We have confirmed they have located quite a few Merchant Class Jumpships. A total of five have been spotted at Mackolla and two have been returned to service so far at the Olympic Station in the system. These reports are from civilian captains visiting the system. There is at least one more out there somewhere because they have a Merchant core being remote delivered due in about two weeks. A new company, Mitchell Transport and Freight is being formed, he submitted the paperwork anyway. Plus he put out a hiring call to staff it."
"Mitchell Transport and Freight, that might be the first time they have actually used their name on one of the companies. When Mitchell gets here I will make sure to ask him about these finds of theirs, I really think he is holding back on us. Until then, monitor the situation."
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Terra (Terran Hegemony)
"That sorry SOB, he has uprooted the Newhart plant on Thorin." Major General Lauren Hayes said after reading the report and the scratching it from her target list.
"They are moving all of their purchased companies and employee's to Mackolla. Every single one."
"At least they fulfilled the last order we placed with them before they uprooted. The Trident is not the greatest but it is dependable. I saw a report about mass hirelings of former SLDF personnel, what do we know about that?" Major General Lauren Hayes asked
"Froy Industries put out a call for corporate security forces and hired almost 4,000 personnel, they are also heading for Mackolla along with three other companies from New Earth. Then not long after Gerald Mitchell did the same thing, but it looking for former SLDF naval personnel for what looks like a Transport company, I have his incorporation paperwork heading this way, it still in transit to New Avalon to make it official. They are offering pretty good hiring bonus' and terms of employment." 
 "I will not fault them for that, I argued to maintain the SLDF pensions but Jerome refused saying he needed the money for the HPG rebuilding. Keep watch on the 79th and 123rd Mechanized Infantry Divisions, they are getting restless about defending the Terran Hegemony borders. Actually, pull their orbital assets so they cannot take off without orders. Personally, I feel the same way but most of our warships are still being repaired and strong as we are, we can defend Terra and maybe the closest systems but not the entire Terran Hegemony. To do more invites defeat in detail. Now, on another note, how do you feel about what Lieutenant General Mitchell is doing out there?" Major General Hayes asked
 "Reports I have seen from the HPG staff is that they just completed a anti piracy sweep with good results. Seems the AFFS folks were not very happy about it and General Mitchell was a little terse in his responses back to them. Currently, they are defending four systems including Mackolla. What they are not getting is AFFS replacement personnel or supplies, not yet anyway. Intel thinks Davion is trying to absorb them entirely but is having some difficulty due to their recovery efforts in the Periphery keeping them with a positive cashflow. They have also been trying to purchase supplies and equipment on the open market but the AFFS is at the head of the line for those. They also seem to have located the 11th Hussar Regiment after their Jumpship broke down for years and absorbed them which the AFFS had a fit over, even forbid them from recruiting their own replacement personnel over it, yet are not supplying replacement personnel."
"You didn't answer my question. I have my own feelings on the matter and am curious about yours. Speak freely." Major General Hayes said
"If I was one of the former SLDF that had been demobilized, lost my pension, and didn't want to join one of the House or Mercenary units, that is where I would head if I knew about them. It is getting ugly around here and if I wanted to avoid getting pulled into another all out war, well I would pack my stuff, sell what I had to pay for a one way ticket to Mackolla and try to join up with them. It is far enough from everything that the risk is pretty minimal."
"I feel the same way as you do. I was angry about losing those three Monolith Class Jumpships and the equipment to bring them back up to strength when General Kerensky ordered it, but they are doing some good work out there, upholding the SLDF tradition and taking good care of those in their command. I hate losing the Trident production but I cannot fault them for uprooting and moving. It is better than risking the loss of their investment. I cannot openly support Mitchell or his people but how could we do so covertly, at least while Blake is gone but not weaken us here?" Major General Lauren Hayes asked
"Covertly? How to help them without hurting ourselves? Maybe getting word out about what they are doing out there, that could entice recruits to head that way, those that still long for military service but are hesitant to enlist in a House or Mercenary command. As for material without hurting ourselves here, that is harder but before he left General Kerensky ordered Krupp to destroy everything connected to the Dragoon series of Battlemechs, which we have been overseeing, the equipment for a single production line still remains and about two dozen Dragoon Battlemechs have not been torn down for scrap. Those could be sent out there along with all the data on them. Blake was quite adamant about fulfilling General Kerensky's order on those, he is leaving soon to speak to the House Lords. As to how to get it there, well there are three Jumbo Dropships, all former Rim World along with a former Rim Worlds' Liberty Jumpship that has not been scrapped yet, mainly because Blake ordered all available slips to be used to manufacture new Jumpships for Comstar." Saying the name Comstar was followed by a snort
"That is perfect. Make it happen, get it all packed up. Quietly get the word out about General Mitchell and the 322nd Armor Division and all that they are doing. Maybe we can staff the ships with new recruits for them. Get some of our fellow SLDF away from the coming madness." Major General Hayes ordered
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