FSRB Chpt 91

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 91==
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June 3068A Davion Wedding
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===Guests and the Wedding===
With the wedding of the First Prince Victor Davion and Duchess Isis Marik scheduled for the 14th July the entire Federated Suns and particularly the AFFS and the High Command were incredibly busy. The day had been made a national holiday - except unfortunately for members of the various emergency services and the various arms of the AFFS. Celebrations were planned on over 500 planets, ranging from a world wide event on New Avalon to small scale village level events on worlds throughout the Outback. Unsurprisingly the entire AFFS was stood up to it's highest level to ensure that the day went without problems. 
As July progressed the number of VIP's arriving soon had the gossip magazines and holo-news stations busier than they had been in decades, along with the more serious news stations. For instance the arrival of President Mitchell Avellar's arrival on board the CSR James McKenna with Galaxy Commander Thorsten Magnus was considered almost as newsworthy as Archon Peter Steiner's arrival with Marie Hussfiel acting not as his aide but as his partner! The First Prince personally greeted all of the VIPs alongside his bride to be. When greeting the President of the Outworlds and his guest he made the point of inviting the President and the Galaxy Commander to have a brief tour of a Fox Corvette - although more than a few noticed that the ship chosen was an unmodified Fox I. Other keen eyed observers noticed that the greeting of Khan Kell of Clan Wolves-in-Exile was somewhat muted, which wasn't a surprise given the historically strained relationship between Phelan Kell and Victor Davion. The greetings given to both March Lords who were attending in person, and to Duke Kai Allard-Liao and his mother were much warmer. Even the usually prickly Duke George Hasek seemed to relent at the greeting of his cousin and was even seen to share a joke with the happy couple on the tarmac of the spaceport. 
One notable, late addition to the roster of VIPs attending was the official ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Andurien to the Federated Suns - the former head of the delegation which had been sent to New Syrtis for aid. The distant cousin to Dame Humphreys arrived with Duke George Hasek and was granted accommodations within the Duke's own New Avalon residence. The major sign of Federated Suns support for the Grand Duchy was the First Prince's personal greeting and invite to discuss the "terrible situation developing within the Grand Duchy". The various "ambassadors" from the factions within the Free Worlds League and indeed the Capellan Confederation's ambassador loudly protested the granting of such a welcome and invitation to a representative of a false state! In no uncertain terms they were told by Conrad Davion that if they felt so strongly they were of course welcome not to attend any of the diplomatic events around the wedding and indeed the wedding itself. Which had their loud protests turn into pro-forma protests quickly. 
The arrival of Lord Regent Baron Kithrong was another source of news, when Victor Davion met him alongside the Marshal of Armies Jackson Davion. All three soldiers were soon in a deep conversation as they walked to the waiting transport and while nobody could call the body language warm it was soon obvious that they all bore a deep respect for each other. It was to nobodies surprise when Baron Kithrong announced the next day that he had raised the discussion of a return of some of the "looted" military industrial equipment with the First Prince. He acknowledged that the First Prince had informed him that he considered this equipment to be legitimate spoils of war, but that the discussion had been both frank and had constructive and he foresaw that he and the First Prince might be able to come to some sort of agreement if the 2 sides both negotiated in good faith. 
The marriage itself took place in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Avalon City. Even given the huge size of the cathedral it is packed with the great and good of the realm and of the entire Inner Sphere. In a small ceremony the previous day Duchess Isis Marik has been baptized into the New Avalon Church, although her fiancee had insisted that she did not have to do this - pointing out that his mother had not done so. Yet Isis had insisted in turn that she wished to create a new life for herself as the wife of the First Prince of the Federated Suns and as Isis Davion. As such she felt that she should make this step. 
The ceremony itself is a simple (as far as such a state occasion can be) ceremony presided over by no lesser personage than the New Avalon Pope, although various representatives of those religions and churches involved in the Unfinished Book are also included in the ceremony to a greater or lesser extent. Wearing a custom designed gown created by the finest fashion designers within the Federated Suns for Isis Marik marriage to Victor Davion who was wearing the uniform of an officer in the 1st Davion Guards without rank insignia. 
The wedding reception afterwards was somewhat tense, particularly for the less friendly representatives. After all it had been at their wedding reception that Hanse Davion had promised his new bride Melissa Steiner-Davion the Capellan Confederation as a wedding present. However the speeches pass without such dramatic gestures or declarations of war. Isis Davion promises her new husband as her wedding present to bear him strong children, worthy of his name, while Victor Davion promises to include her as his partner and equal in all things. After the last major state affair this is seem as almost anti-climatic by many. 
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===Old Guard deploys to reinforce Capellan Border===
One major military redeployment occurred this month when the Davion Old Guard RCT left their garrison postings and headed for the world of Bell on the Capellan Confederation border. Given the prestige of the unit this is considered a not so subtle indication of disapproval of Sian's recent actions. Alongside this move is the fact that even after the wedding the AFFS does not stand down from it's state of heightened alert. Even as the various VIP's and nobles make their way home or remain to do deals, the AFFS continues on their heightened state of alert. Across the border the units of the CCAF are also at full war readiness, but only the most fanatical of them fail to notice how badly outnumbered they are...
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===Developments in Industry===
A week after the happy couple are married the Bergan Industries Federated Suns branch announce the completion of their third Waylander Mobile Repair Base production line. Again they then begin planning to add a Locust line. 
On Batavia, the Jalastar Aerospace's new Sparrowhawk Light Aerospace Fighter line goes operational. While on Baxley a new Javelin-O OmniMech line goes operation for the same company. Jalastar Aerospace also see their purpose built Javelin-O factory on Palmyra expand production with a third line for the state of the art omnimech. 
Kallon Industries see's the new Templar Assault OmniMech production line they were building on Belladonna go operational. While the rest of the factories production is split between the AFFS and ComGuards the new Templar-O line is specifically for the AFFS and is not offered up for sale to the ComGuards. 
SunCorp industries also see's its third Thanatos-O line go operational in July. They then start work on a third Warhammer line which is estimated to finish by March 3069. The FedSuns Government is keen for the company to set up a back up secondary factory on another world and raises this with them during July. 7
At Filtvelt the FedBoeing shipyards lay down their first Cargoking and Cargomaster dropships. Unlike at Galax these are all laid down in brand new shipyards that have been purpose built to produce the 2 designs rather than being retasked to build them.
Also at Filtvelt Achernar's production line for the Dervish battlemech finishes it's upgrades and begins to produce Dervish-O. The company begins considering whether to build a new Argus-O or Dervish-O line at the plant in the future. 
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===Capellan Invasion of Grand Duchy===
====Battle for Andurien====
On Andurien, the situation remains at a stalemate for a number of weeks, with limited fighting continuing around the city of Baroda. The entrenching 2nd Liao Guard and 7th Sian Dragoons demolish entire neighborhoods to create kill zones and set mines and gun emplacements throughout the city to make sure that they cannot be overrun easily. Meanwhile in orbit, the various fighter wings of the Andurien and mercenary forces fight a running battle to keep the two Sian class corvettes from being able to bombard the planet. 
The 1st Chargers are the first of the Capellan reinforcements to arrive and make planet fall within the city of Baroda at a former plaza that has been "expanded" to accommodate their dropships by the 2nd Liao Guard. They are swiftly in the defending lines and are often used to lead counter attacks at any Andurien probe. Roughly 2 regiments worth of elite mercenaries and a mixed group of conventional troops from the local garrison and militia are now besieging roughly 3 regiments of Capellan troops within the city. 
Shortly after they arrive the 1st & 2nd Magistracy Highlanders also arrive in system. The defenders are extremely apprehensive that if these troops land within Baroda. They would create an almost unstoppable force combined with the CCAF troops already there and that they will soon break out and begin overrunning the planet, but instead the Magistracy Highlanders headed for and seized the city of Qinda. With the 1st Defender's tied down garrisoning Jojoken and their mercenary allies busy holding the line against the Capellan forces in Baroda this allows the 2 Highlander regiments from the Magistracy to expand and take under their control a large area of the planet. The only good news was that the Canopian troops had not attempted to break the siege on Baroda. 
====Relief arrives on Shiro III====
Real good news reaches Andurien when word reached the embattled capital that Korsakov's Cossacks had arrived on Shiro III and utterly destroyed the single battalion of the 3rd Liao Guards that had been garrisoning the planet. Leaving the remnants of the local garrison and government to reorganise themselves the Cossack's had swiftly moved on and struck at the remainder of the 3rd Liao Guards on Conquista. The remaining 2 battalions of the 3rd Liao Guards realise they are no match for the fanatically anti-Liao Cossacks and they attempt to fight an irregular battle, fading back into the wilderness of the world. However in this they are thwarted by the locals who give every aid possible to the Cossacks in hunting down the Guards. At the end of July, the 3rd Liao Guards are still a viable formation, but are scattered and struggling to stay ahead of their pursuers. Worse, the so recently installed pro-Liao government has been overthrown and the legitimate authorities freed and returned to power. The 3rd Defenders of Andurien who have rebuilt to half strength on Xanthe III swiftly move to redeem themselves and head for Conquista at the end of July to continue the hunt for the 3rd Liao Guards while the Cossacks head off to cause more mischief for the CCAF. 
====Duchy victories trigger Capellan reinforements====
In response the CCAF dispatches the veteran Shin Legion to hunt down Korsakov's Cossacks. They also order the 4th Tau Ceti Rangers and 15th Dracon from their postings on Goodna and Cronulla respectively to hit the worlds of Wallacia and Kujari to help expand towards the Andurien worlds of the former Mosiro Archipelagos. Some voices within the Mosiro world's speak up for leaving the Grand Duchy and attempting to come to an arrangement with the encroaching Capellan Confederation but the victories at Shiro III and Conquista steady nerves as does the growing strength of the still forming 4th Defenders of Andurien who are garrisoned on Mosiro itself.
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