FSRB Chpt 134

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 134==
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January 3070Fleet reformation
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===Pirate Hunting===
The new year started with the 2nd & 3rd Avalon Hussars RCTs along with the 7th Corvette Flotilla moving into the Pirates Haven Cluster and beginning a sweep of the myriad systems it contained. While there was little expectations that the two Hussars RCTs or the six Fox II class corvettes of the 7th Flotilla would actually cleanse the Cluster for good of pirate activity it was hoped that they would at least curtail the local threat of pirates for a few years. Any pirates they managed to catch and either capture or kill was merely a bonus. The sweep also served a cover for the setting up of a number of hidden listening posts within the Cluster to report on future pirate activities and bases. With all of these objections in mind the operation was expected to last for 2-3 months.
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===Naval Developments===
With the start of the new year Fleet Admiral Buchwald began the reformation of the Federated Sun's Navy to better take advantage of the growing number of warships available. While before the ships had been deployed in singletons are squadrons he now began to form the core around which task forces and fleets could be formed. The first of these fleets to be formed was ironically the 4th Fleet at Robinson consisting of the 2nd & 4th Cruiser, 3rd Destroyer Squadrons and the 4th & 5th Corvette Flotillas - although the 5th was on detached duties along the Outworld's Alliance frontier, the remaining ships were based out of Robinson itself. The 2nd Fleet was formed at New Syrtis to consist of the 3rd Cruiser & 1st Destroyer Squadrons as well as the 3rd and 6th Corvette Flotillas. The 3rd Fleet was to be formed within the League March and for now consisted of the 1st Patrol Squadron and the 1st Corvette Flotilla, with the ships based over Tikonov. The Crucis March was to be protected by the Home Fleet which was to be formed around the 2nd & 7th Corvette Flotillas - home ported at New Avalon/Galax, but with the 7th currently detached and based out of Panpour. A final fleet was to be formed, the 1st Fleet which was built up around the First Prince's own 1st Cruiser Squadron as well as the 1st Carrier Battle Group and 2nd Destroyer Squadron. For the time being the 2nd, 3rd & 4th Carrier Battle Groups were unassigned, at least until they could be provided with some escorting assets for their precious carriers.
The FedSuns Navy also saw a number of ships finish and be commissioned. At Filtvelt the FSS Bastion and FSS Fincastle finish and are dispatched to join the 7th Corvette Flotilla. The FSS Nahoni and FSS Millray are laid down in their place. Meanwhile, the FSS Shensi, FSS Mira, FSS Sauk City, FSS Vicente, and FSS Hurik all finish at Galax and are used to begin forming the 8th Corvette Flotilla which is scheduled to be assigned to the 3rd Fleet. The FSS De Berry, FSS Diboll, FSS Greely, FSS Adrian, and FSS Tarkio are laid down in the now empty shipyard slips. The 8th Corvette Flotilla is also reinforced by the FSS Hickock and FSS Protection, completed at New Sytris. The New Sytris slips are filled with the FSS Elgin and FSS Zion. 
The FedSuns shipyards also complete an additional 4 Fox I corvettes for the ComGuards which are immedietly handed over. This brings the total Fox corvettes with Comstar fleet to 15 ships. With another 4 immediately begun at Novaya Zemlya. 
The Federated Suns also offered up for sale 2 Fox I corvettes to the Lyran Alliance and Wolves-in-Exile in January. Both the Wolves and the Lyran's bought a single corvette each - although both again ask for the specifications to upgrade their corvette fleets to Fox II standards. For the time being they are told no, but the FedSuns government hints that such specifications might be available shortly. As a sign of good faith the shipyards at Filtvelt lay down an additional 2 corvettes which will be offered for sale to the Lyrans and Wolves-in-Exile.
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===Growing Anxiety in Draconis March===
Even as more ships were moving up to join the Navy, the various intelligence agencies kept close watch on the Draconis Combine and the WOB. Working with ROM they also made every effort to make the communication problem's within the Combine worse. In a number of cases hastily repaired HPG stations found themselves targeted for sabotage, while shipments of spare parts to help bring damaged HPGs back online were attacked by small ComGuards formations en-route to their destination. The various Davion intelligence agents also helped to guide fleeing Comstar and ComGuards personnel to friendly territories.
With the First Prince's views made abundantly clear the Duke of Robinson found his hands tied in launching the preemptive strike that his instincts were screaming at him to make. While he was certain that Victor Davion was making a terrible mistake James Sandoval managed to control his urge to ignore the orders coming from New Avalon. While he had absolutely no doubt that many of the commands within his March would follow his orders to attack in disregard of the orders coming from New Avalon - the 1st, 5th and 6th Robinson Rangers and the Kentares DMM sprung to mind instantly - such an order would break down the trust between the various AFFS units within the Draconis March at a time when they could least afford it between those units which looked to Robinson and those which looked to New Avalon. Worse Duke James knew that not even all of the units which he could traditionally have relied on would follow him against the First Prince's orders - the 8th Crucis Lancers and the 3rd Robinson Rangers were prime examples of this. Not even Hanse Davion had been as popular within the Draconis March as his son Victor and with good cause. 
Instead of launching an unsanctioned attack upon the hated Dragon the Duke instead opted for something almost as shocking. He formally placed his son in command of the Draconis March in his absence and took a command jumpline to New Avalon to make his case personally to the First Prince. He would arrive on the 30th January and meet with the First Prince in a series of meetings lasting into February - during which he almost pleaded with his First Prince to allow him to derail the attack he was sure was coming. He found a welcome ally in the returned Ardan Sortek who made a similar case to the First Prince...
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===Developments in Industry===
While the leadership of the FedSun's argued it's industrial might continued to expand...
On Chesterton the new Argus-O Production line came online and immedietly began dispatching the much sought after heavy omnimech to the units facing the DCMS. Even as this line completed a third Argus-O line began construction alongside it. 
At Demeter, the Lycomb-Davion's new aerospace facility see's it's first production line go operation. The first of 3 planned Stuka assault aerospace fighters goes online and begins sending it's products into the nearby League March to provide heavy hitting power to the new formations and existing formations of that March. 
Within the huge caverns of Victoria the Axman production line begins to produce the first of this popular design. Meanwhile, work continues to return the remaining 2 damaged lines to production... 
At Bristol, the fourth line of the Fury Command Tank goes operational. A further 2 lines are still under construction but even when these are completed it's not expected they'll be able to keep up with demand. As such the company is encouraged to begin construction on a new facility on Kentares, with plans for 2 lines on that world to help supply the large AFFS presence within the Draconis March. 
The new Pillager Assault 'Mech line on Kirklin finishes work and immedietly dispatches the first of the newly constructed machines to reinforce the 6th & 8th Crucis Lancers nearby. The plant begins work on a new Enforcer III line. 
On Achernar, the new battlemech production facility sees it's first 2 lines go operational. The rugged Battle Hawk and Watchmen Battlemechs produced at this facility are soon being rushed to the various future bases of the League March Militia and the various Borderer units.
Even as new production facilities go online the AFFS is presented with a new battlemech design by Corean Industries and Achernar Battlemechs. A rugged and easily built and maintained battlemech that while not as tactically versatile as many fulfills a useful battlefield role. While Corean had had the initial idea and done much of the early work they had brought Achernar into the deal to solve a few of the issues regarding the advanced targeting computer and to make the battlemech more cost effective and so more attractive to the AFFS. Having reviewed the design and the various recordings of the combat trials of the prototypes the First Prince and Marshal of Armies both agree to authorize it's mass production. The Legionnaire class Medium Battlemech will be put into production at Corean's New Avalon and June based factories and at Achernar's Filtvelt and Mayetta based plants. While each facility will only add a single line the easy of manufacture and the fact the battlemech will be built at 4 separate facilities means that it will soon spread throughout the FedSuns. Plans are also discussed to adding a production line for the Battlemech within the Capellan and League Marches as well...
===Dragon's Preparations for War Continues===
Within the Combine, the Kanrei Hohiro Kurita is informed by his WOB liaison officer that the WOB wishes to launch a full scale assault upon the Federated Suns in March. When Hohiro raises the issue that such a swift invasion will leave the Combine vulnerable to a counter attack by the LAAF - who are led by Victor's own brother - it is explained to him that this threat will be taken care off. The WOB will watch over the Dragon's back while it attacks the AFFS. Indeed the WOB promise at least 10 of their Divisions and an unknown number of warships to support the DCMS's offensive. 
After considering the promises and knowing that the AFFS will grow stronger almost daily, Hohiro Kurita agrees. He dispatches word (via HPG, Blackbox, and JumpShip courier) on the 31st of January to his father on Luthien and to the DCMS units along the FedSuns border that alongside their allies they will attack the hated foe in March...
On Luthien itself, the Coordinator spends the month discussing a potential anti-Davion alliance with Clan Snow Raven. While the Ravens refuse to commit to an actual offensive, they do request a number of concessions that might convince them to look upon the Coordinator's suggestions more favourably. Most of which involves huge amounts of raw materials, finished goods and food for their growing enclaves within the Alliance. A large quantity of the raw materials and goods are exactly what would be required to refit or build a shipyard complex... 
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