TEP Chpt 18

=The Eagle's Perch=
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==Chapter 18 - Denouement==
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===Who are you loyal to?===
Parliament, AtreusMarik Commonwealth, Free Worlds League2733
Bertram Marik
It was raining in Ionia. I watched the droplets splash and drip down the windows of the Senate. The light of day barely filtered through the dark clouds.
 
Its begun.
 
The collapse has begun.
 
The entire 1st Fleet has been taken. Our most veteran and loyal fleet in the entire Navy was taken without a shot. Now, its ships are currently being filled by rebel sailors and pilots. Our strength is now theirs.
 
Worse, the 1st was the backbone holding the Navy together. A month after their loss, the 5th has defected after a mutiny. The 4th has spoken to no one, or been heard from, while they hung above Regulus IV.
 
There is nothing to protect us now. There are no fleets to shield us. No warships to fight for us. No admirals left to guide us.
 
Poor John. May he rest in peace.
 
And what good is an army without ships. All the BattleMech regiments I possess are less than useless. They continue to demand resources, and protection by what few uncommitted DropShip fleets I have, while they're stuck planetside.
 
Lightning flashed, briefly lighting the dim room. It made the throbbing headache I had worse.
 
Despite anticipating this, defeat tastes so bitter.
 
Now I sit in the hall where it all began. Within the Senate, upon the Speaker's Dias, I address my only allies left.
 
"Jefferies, how is Operation Whiskey? Please tell me it's doing well, the Cause must not die with us," I begged.
 
Everyone looked to Jefferies. Operation Whiskey was his responsibility. A massive undertaking of spiriting away hundreds of billions of Star League Dollars, equipment, and thousands of personnel. Everything necessary for reestablishing organization and cohesion for the Federalists.
 
"It's complete. The funds and critical personnel for organizing the Federalists again will be safe. That I promise," he reassured me. I closed me eyes and sighed in relief. After the war, comes the peace. My compatriots and I may die, but the Cause won't.
 
Parliament will be monstrously strong, but I have faith. I have faith that the Enlightened Ruler will rise to the occasion and defeat the Provincialists that would tear the Free Worlds League apart in their greed. I have faith, a better tomorrow for all is possible.
 
"Good work, Jefferies. The Free Worlds League owes you a debt of gratitude." I nodded to him. The tension was still thick, but at least we were all smiling. "Charles, can you swing another mass Op? Whatever you can, the future Federalists need every advantage they can get."
 
Charles gave me a grim smile. "Yes, sir. But once that's done, that will be the last of us. SAFE will be a shadow of itself inside the Free Worlds League. However, I have to warn you, the Provincialists we'll off will be replaced by those in the Free Trade camp."
 
"Acceptable." Our industry's advocates will be in a tough spot ahead. Still, that's better than economic dismemberment. I still remember what set off Mother and turned her into Elise. A proposal to legalize Provincial currencies, because interprovincial trade barriers weren't enough.
 
"It's done." He nodded back to me, and after sending a message through his noteputer.
 
"Herod, how long do we have?" The last question of the day. The one that haunted us most.
 
He gave me a hoarse laugh. "A month, sir," he roughly said. After a small sigh, he continued, "I've tried." They were two jump away then.
 
No one else has worked harder than him. He was our best. "We all know you did."
 
"That said, it would be remiss of me not to perform my other tasks as your military advisor."
 
"Oh?" I was curious. We've lost the war, what else could be done?
 
"I speak of 'Surrender', sir. Should we surrender to the rebels?" My mouth fell open, and I heard Jefferies gasp softly.
 
"We'll do no such thing," hissed Charles, with his hands tightly fisted. "I'll not have future generations look back on us and think we were spineless! Damn it!" He finished by slamming the table.
 
"It's not our reputation that we should be thinking about. It's about the people with us in the here and now," Herod firmly stated. Turning himself, he faced Charles fully. "We have a responsibility. To see to the functionaries safety is just one of them. The military forces deserve equal consideration. We shouldn't throw away their lives in a blaze of glory when there's still the Lyrans and Capellans to worry about. The state of the Free Worlds League in the aftermath of the Civil War matters just as much as during it."
 
"He has a point," Jefferies expressed. "A point that I concur with." At this, Charles' face turned pink, while his mouth flapped wordlessly. "As leaders of the Free Worlds League and the Federalist cause, it would be hypocritical to think only of ourselves in the final moments of the Civil War. We came together and became who we are because the Provinces refused to see further than their grabbing hands, at the expense of each other and especially the League." He articulated. He poured two glasses of wine and passed one to Charles. After taking a sip, he continued, "Beyond that. There's been reports of 'pirate' activity picking up on the Lyran border. No prizes for guessing what they're targeting. We can't afford to weaken the League, not with the writing on the wall. That would serve no purpose beyond spite."
 
They were both right. The question that everyone put off but still haunted our minds needed to be answered. What happens after the war? The main body of the Marik Militia was savaged in the fighting and the in-fighting, the other Federalist units were better off, as long you excluded their equipment. Our intelligence resources were pulled from external threats to focus on internal threats, making us blind to our neighbors intentions. Our economy is in shambles and would need massive investment to rebuild.
 
We have never been weaker.
 
Charles quietly contemplated while staring into his wine glass. The hot pink his face previously was, returned to a more normal, flushed look. "Fine." Was all he said, before downing the whole glass.
 
It seemed they were all agreed. Shockingly, I did too. "Very well, we'll surrender." There wasn't a hint of disgust or regret in my voice or my heart when I said we would surrender. There was just the calm acceptance of doing what must be done. "We'll have to write out the terms of our surrender." I leaned forward in my seat and started a rough draft of the terms. "The only question is, will the rebels accept." Or will they push for an unconditional surrender.
 
"There's no need to worry about that, Bertram." Jefferies never used my first name before. Charles eyes widened and immediately flicked about the room.
 
Ah.
 
Since the betrayal of the Parliamentary Guards, we had to replace Capitol Hill's security with something else. SAFE was already stretched thin throughout the League, so the responsibility fell on the Ministry of Intelligence.
 
"I am willing to accept it in the Captain-General's place."
 
The guards stepped forward as one.
 
"How long, Jefferies." How long has he been planning on betraying us.
 
"Not long, Bertram." Ah. Since Operation Prometheus. That also explains how the rebels found the First Fleet.
 
The guards produced cuffs and began to arrest us. Herod shot up in a boxing stance. "Stand down Herod," I shouted. "If we should fall, we shall do so with dignity." Herod, thankfully, obeyed. The guards were respectful when they placed the cuffs on my wrists. "I have one more question, not as the Captain-General, but as Bertram. Who are you loyal to?" Were you always a traitor, Jefferies. Was Prometheus just an opportunity to finally turncoat.
 
He gave me a pitying look from where he sat. "Before I joined the Ministry of Intelligence, I served in the Militia. I am loyal to the League, sir. I promise you that, and I never break my promises."
 
Tears welled in my eyes. "I see," I whispered.
 
I realized now, how close I was to following mother's footsteps.
 
All of them.
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===Managing a broken Military​===
Tharkad, Donegal ProvinceLyran CommonwealthMichael Steinter2733
It's been nearly four years since my brother died, and the Archonship forced upon me. It has been thankfully peaceful. There were no worries beyond my neighbors seemingly intent on imploding by their own hubris.
 
'Were', being the key word.
 
Past tense.
 
The original plans of growing the Commonwealth richer were almost immediately put on hold. Not because of disaster, but because of opportunity. The Free Worlds League was the only other power in the Sphere that firmly, and rightly, believed in the Free Market, despite how far they take that belief. That's about the only thing they get right. So when the Marik Civil War exploded, the tax cuts Joan advised me to do were thrown in the trash, in its place low-interest loans for Heavy Industry.
 
Everyone agreed that was a good idea. Even the damned Tamar Pact agreed it was a good idea, and they never think anything that doesn't include more military spending is a good idea.
 
We were poised to sweep in and all but annex the Free Worlds League. The Long Rivalry finally ended. Winner: Lyran Commonwealth.
 
Whatever happens after that, I would have been celebrated as one of the greatest Archons in the history of the Lyran Commonwealth. I could have mooned the entire Council and Estates General, and they would still clap their hands at my name.
 
But, no. We can't have nice things. Specifically, the Draconis Combine can't allow anyone else to have nice things.
 
Those bandits and pirates, they've been kicking out of their territories, have had a field day targeting the wealthier Lyran space lanes. Battle hardened pirates that survived encounters with what is currently the second most experienced military force in the entire Sphere. Of fucking course, my idiot navy can't pin them down and kick them out. The navy couldn't find its own ass on a day that ends with 'y'.
 
Let alone the army, come to think of it.
 
"I think I have a problem." I voiced out.
 
My wife, bless her soul, put down the book she was reading, and turned around to face me in our bed. "Sweety, I thought the last meeting made that obvious."
 
The meeting, that meeting. When the Council and I were given what was essentially a horror story in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. The one when we were told the pirates were feasting on our interstellar trade, and having knock-on effects to the Commonwealth as a whole. The meeting that told us we were skirting the line towards recession, and if our investments didn't bear fruit, 'The Great Star League Recession' might become real.
 
"Not that one," I said hurriedly, "Not the Recession one. An older one."
 
Joan gave me a patient look, waiting for me to elaborate.
 
"Our military is the best funded out of all the member states, but it's also the second most incompetent. We should be the greatest power in the Sphere, barring the Star League, but we're always held back by our Social Generals." We weren't Davions, thank God. Who the hell losses their entire Navy to a Periphery State in a single battle.
 
"Go on."
 
"That incompetence has a genuine effect on the rest of the Commonwealth, our money and resources simply can't cover. The pirates running rampant throughout the Tamarind Pact is just the most recent in a long line of examples. For a State as powerful as ours, pirates should not even be a concern. Don't you think the military needs house-cleaning." I looked to my wife. Her eyes were far away, in that way that said 'that was a good question' and she was thinking on it.
 
After a minute she spoke, "That won't be popular. The Social Generals exist for a reason. Kicking them out will break containment, and they'll be free to demand leadership of our flagship industries."
 
It was no secret the Lyran military was a near joke. The nobles of our country understood now and then the family tree produces a bad apple. To keep the rest of the apples from rotting, you threw out the bad apple in the bin. That bin was the Lyran military. I would know so, I'm one of those bad apples. Another run-of-the-mill LCAF officer.
 
"But it is necessary." I pressed.
 
"It is," she acquiesced, before turning back to her book, something about economics. "But it's still going to be an uphill battle. Not to mention an expensive endeavor."
 
I leaned back against the headrest and looked at the ceiling, thinking about what she said. "I don't think I'll need to worry about the politics overmuch. The Tamar Pact will absolutely be on board. Donegal will follow my lead. It's Skye that's the wild card." And they really were. On the one hand, a competent military would better secure their trade lanes with the rest of the Commonwealth and their lucrative Hegemony ones. On the other hand, they sometimes just told the rest of the provinces to go fuck themselves. "As for funding, we didn't cut taxes, and the loan's interests are getting paid. We should have enough Dollars to throw for reforming the military. Maybe not a reformation and overhaul, but definitely for reform."
 
"And what would the Business Council think?" she asked disinterestedly. That book must be really gripping. I'll have to borrow that from her.
 
"The Business Council is all for the status quo, you know that," I chided her. The Business Council would have been happier with the tax cuts, but like all proud Lyrans, they were the happiest trouncing the Leaguers where it mattered most, in business. "If I can convince them cleaning up the military will get us back on track to buying out the League, they'll support me."
 
"And besides," I continued, "What else is could happen. It's not like the Mariks are a particularly likeable bunch. They won't have any allies to rescue them. So how hard could it be to finally end the Long Rivalry."
I folded my hands behind my head and relaxed more fully. Yes. That was a good plan. Reform the military. Beat off the pirates. Get the economy back on track. Avoid a massive recession. Use the money made to buy out the League. Make even more money from that. Use the extra money to strengthen the Commonwealth some more. Finally, become the envy of the Sphere, and the greatest Archon to ever live.
 
Maybe the Snakes will turn around and help the League. But they've never cared about 'base merchantry' more than was necessary to get BattleMechs. The Davions won't help, they're too busy rebuilding and begging for more funds to rebuild. The Capellans like us more than them, they wouldn't piss on them to put out a fire. Canopus hates their guts on principal. The Hegemony is a vulture that would happily feast on their remains, no help from them.
 
The League stands alone, with no allies, not even ones of convenience. Right now, they're a secondary concern to securing the border. Once that's done, everything should fall into place.
 
A shame their civil war couldn't last a bit longer.
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