LUU Chpt 1-16

==Let Us Unite - Chapter 16 -==
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
----
===Goods and the Bads===
Date: July 4th, 2862Location: New Avalon, Federated Suns
"Prince Davion," Prime Marshal Rebecca(Melissa) Davion greeted her father when he walked into the war room.
 
"At ease, Marshal," Michael Davion sighed. "We can keep things casual for now, we've got enough pressing issues to cover today."
 
"Where would you like us to start, sir?" Field Marshal Hasek asked.
 
"Start with the least bad and move on through the list," Michael replied, his hair already starting to gray from the stress of the past few years.
 
"The peace with the Capellans is holding strong for now," Hasek replied. "Currently our trade deals are the only thing holding both our nations economy together. If something happens to change that, we're going to be in big trouble."
 
"We've consolidated and rebuilt the HPG complexes across the borders of the nations around us," Rebecca spoke up. "We stripped parts from more interior systems to make sure that we had a proper chain across the border to the capitals of each March. But if any of those systems start to fail then we're shit outta luck, sir. We're working on reverse engineering the few HPGs that we've marked as nonessential, but our best projections put us at thirty years before we've got our own."
 
"There is one good thing about losing the ability to communicate across the rest of the Inner Sphere," one General spoke up. "We know that everyone else is reeling just like we are. So they're not going to be attacking anytime soon."
 
"God willing," Michael sighed. "Let's start coordinating with the Capellans, see if we can work out some sort of military purchase agreements. We need some of their hardware, and they need some of our advanced expertise. There's gotta be something that we can work out."
 
----
===Cleaning House amidst a Crisis===
Date: July 15th, 2862
Location: Tharkad, Lyran Commonwealth
"Give me the report," Elizabeth Steiner looked at the chief of the LIC.
 
"We managed to sway a great deal of HPG technicians," Agent Smith reported. "It will take time, but we estimate a decade before we're manufacturing spare parts for our HPGs, and fifteen years before we're able to manufacture our own."
 
"Anything else critical?" She asked.
 
"The Free Worlds League has completely destabilized. I'd expect that any peace we worked out with them before 2860 to be disregarded. We're going to have groups coming to attack us, and they're going to be dealing with massive infighting. Our projections put them on the path to a full breakdown within the next decade."
 
"I've seen the reports from the Combine border," Elizabeth replied. "Am I right in expecting them to attack soon?"
 
"It depends on who they decide to focus on," Smith replied. "If they decide to attack the Davions, the Terran Hegemony, or us."
 
"What do you recommend that we do in the time that we have before such an attack?"
 
"Reform the military and get rid of the corruption. While also pushing as many resources as possible into the HPG spare parts production and procurement. Even if we do work out a deal with the Hegemony for parts, we're going to eventually want our own parts production as well as the potential to build our own HPGs."
 
"I'll start working on the Estates-General," Elizabeth agreed. "It will take time, but if we can get the reforms started and begin pushing out the social generals while we have the opportunity…" She trailed off.
 
"Then I'll start preparing the dossiers and begin distributing the information we've compiled on corruption over the last few years," Smith grinned. "It'll be good to see the Commonwealth begin to recover from the damage that your father did."
 
"Were it so easy," Elizabeth sighed. "You're dismissed, I'll begin working on the approval paperwork for whatever you need to get the job done."
 
"Yes, ma'am. Always a pleasure."
----
===Between a Rock and Hard Place===
Date: August 9th, 2862Location: Procyon, Free Worlds League
"We're fucked," Gerald looked at his sister. "Even if we manage to recover some of the HPGs the Free Worlds League is done. The shooting war has already begun, and it's too late to step back from it. Our best option is to hold onto the worlds that we Mariks have direct control over and ride this out the best we can. We've got enough regiments loyal to us to secure our worlds while the rest of them slaughter each other."
 
"And what then?" Phillipa raised an eyebrow. "We both know that you hate the Lyran Commonwealth, and there's not doubt that they'll be willing to absorb any worlds that ask them to."
"That's one option," Gerald frowned. "Being subordinate to another nation wouldn't be preferable, but at this point, the Free Worlds League is finished as a nation. The question is. Which nation will we become beholden to?"
 
"That is the question, isn't it?" Phillipa tensed her fist before slamming it down on the table in a burst of anger. "Godammit, I just got a peace treaty signed with the Lyran Commonwealth! Now everything's gone to shit."
 
"We'll figure it out," Gerald shrugged. "But it won't be the Free Worlds League after this, it'll be something else entirely."
 
"You're friends with the General Bradley," Phillipa looked across the table. "I'll approach the Commonwealth, and you do the same with the reborn Hegemony. Whichever one is the better option is the one we will go with and swear to. With the hope of eventually reforming our shattered nation."
===Time hit road, take people home===
Date: January 2th, 2863Location: Terra, Terran Hegemony
"Our goal is to retake Altair, Keid, Sirius, and Fomalhaut," Commanding General Hanni Schmitt of the Hegemony Armed Forces looked at the other generals. "The Navy already has a plan in place, and has a plan for dealing with any defenses in the void. Our intel on the ground is solid, and we've gotten everything prepped for our invasions."
 
The room was silent.
 
"General Bradley, you and the Eridani Light Horse have Fomalhaut. General Brighton, you and the Bluestar Irregulars are to take and hold Sirius. Bradford, you've got Keid. And Colonel McFadden,"
 
"Yes ma'am?" the leader of the new BlackWatch Regimental Combat Team stepped forward.
 
"I want the snakes thrown off of Altair." Hanni grinned. "If they think they can hold it, then they've got another thing coming."
----
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
Chapter 1-16