FSRB Chpt 246

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 246==
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March 3072Interlude: Fanaticism rears it's head
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Government House
City of Samantha, Taurus 
Taurian Concordat 
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Lord Regent Baron Cham Kithrong looked up from his desk as the door to his office was thrown open and a scowling officer stormed in. Sighing as he stood up the Baron waved to his receptionist/secretary who was rushing to the door probably to drag the military officer who had just burst past her desk out by his ear. As entertaining as that might be to see it just wasn't worth it. "Senior Marshal Tharn... As ever my door is open too you, although perhaps a little less energy in the opening in future please... The hinges aren't what they used to be!"
The commander of the Taurian Defense Forces III Corp slammed the door in the face of the still scowling secretary as hard as he could almost to make a point. Clearly the man was furious. "Have you read the reports?!"
Sighing Kithrong sat back. "What reports, Boris? I read a hundred reports a day... You'll have to be more specific."
Tharn grunted and hit the Lord Regent's desk with his fist. "The reports from Organo about the pirate prisoners who were returned to us by the AFFS!"
"Boris, if you hit my desk again and continue to shout at me I'm going to have the Taurian Guard detail outside drag you out of here regardless of your rank." Cham Kithrong met the furious man's eyes and held his gaze until finally the Marshal nodded slightly and grunting what might have been an apology. "Now. Sit. I have seen those reports, in fact I sent a thank you to New Avalon for returning our citizens and the care they provided them... However, given your demeanor I presume you have a different take away about the subject?"
The Marshal forced himself to remain calm, or at least calmer and nodded jerkily. "I do... I didn't even entirely agree with your... position... on this matter before the most recent information was sent to me, but now...? Now I know I was right! Lord Regent we've been had! The damn Davions are at it again!"
Internally, Kithrong counted to ten before asking. "Boris, please. Stop presuming I know what you are talking about and lay it out for me. What has you all fired up!"
For just a second Tharn nearly exploded in rage at the blindness of the Lord Protector before finally forcing himself to continue with at least a modicum of politeness for a man he still considered on some level a traitor. "Lord Regent, the various pirate prisoners that the AFFS returned to us have finally been entirely debriefed. Some things have become evident with those more extensive interviews. Sir, the evidence is quite clear the AFFS brought those civilians to a military base somewhere out with their own borders. From where they knew they were they could not have jumped all the way back to the FedSuns! They have a military base in the dead space between our border and their Malagrotta and Cooperland Combat Regions...! They can have such a military base for only one reason!"
"I'm sure they would say to support the anti-piracy sweeps that they courteously informed us they were undertaking in that region." Kithrong said with a sigh. "However, I presume you have a different motive to attribute this presumed base too?" 
"Sir, you are right they did tell us they were conducting anti-piracy sweeps in the area, but they somehow omitted to tell us they were setting up a base! A base on our vulnerable flank!" Tharn's voice rose again. "That can mean only one thing... The entire anti-piracy operations is a clever feint, a cover for their true purpose! To set up a forward base to take us in the flank when they next invade our worlds! Sir I must strongly request permission to dispatch my Corp's 1st Taurian Lancers on a fact finding mission into the dead space between the Pirates Haven Cluster and the Federated Suns occupied systems of the Malgrotta and Cooperland Combat Regions as a matter of utmost priority! If the FedRats are planning an invasion we must be forewarned as to their attack! I'm sure the other Corp Commanders will agree with me!" 
Lord Regent the Baron Cham Kithrong sat staring at the military officer who's hatred of all things Davion had reached fanatical levels and realized it was going to be one of those days... Worse the damn fool might be right about how the other commanding officers of the remaining Corps might see this... Dammit...
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