FSRB Chpt 76

----
==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 76==
 Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter
----
June 3067An Engagement
-----
===Sun Jaguars Colonization Efforts===
Within the 3 worlds of the Clan Sun Jaguar there was a growing discontent within the Merchant Caste. They had learned that their Jumpships and Dropships were rarely welcome within the Outback of the Federated Suns as many still distrusted the Jaguars. This made trading opportunities difficult to find and usually with high prices attached to them. A handful of worlds, most of them a "safe" distance from the Sun Jaguar enclaves were prepared to trade with them but even these due to knowing that the Jaguars were struggling for trade partners would charge a premium for the items the Jaguars wished to trade for. When they raised these concerns to the Khan she was for a time confused, not sure how to handle this problem as it was outside her training as a warrior. Still she eventually decided to contact Duchess Marik and Duchess Davion-Sandoval to ask for their advice. After a quick series of discussions between the 3 women a solution was suggested. By now the First Prince's push outwards into the Periphery was well known as was his investment within the terraforming industry. The two Inner Sphere women suggested that the Sun Jaguars attempt to form the vanguard of this movement. With a large merchant fleet and experienced spacers based upon the very edge of the Outback they were well placed to begin exploratory work to find new colony worlds and indeed had advanced technology that would let them increase the number of potential viable worlds. These worlds could then be "traded" to various groups within the Federated Suns to colonize. Not only would this allow them to profit from their merchant jumpships but it would also help them to normalize relationships with the other FedSuns communities who would be drawn to the Clan to seek help for their own colonization efforts. 
Taking this, advice Khan Nevversan ordered her Merchant Caste to begin exploration sweeps, not only in the near space to their own worlds but arcing out into the Periphery around and beyond the Tortuga worlds. Any worlds which had large concentrations of raw materials or were suitable for colonization were to be flagged for further investigations by small parties drawn from all the Civilian Castes and protected by the Warrior Caste. After some initial concerns, the Merchants soon became enthused with this potential profit bearing enterprise and threw themselves into it with a passion. 
----
===Feduns Naval Developments===
At Galax, the LAS Tharkad, LAS Donegal, and LAS Skye slipped from their slips as did the WiES Wolfbrother and Wolfkin. Along with the production of their own expanding shipyards this gave the Lyran Alliance 11 Fox Class Corvettes - although 1 of them was still heavily damaged from the battles against the Jade Falcons - and their Wolf-in-Exile have another 2. Critics do point to the fact that over a quarter of their ships have been build in foreign yards, but the vast majority of members of the LAN and the civilian population are just happy to see their fleet expanding! 
Also at Galax Space Yards, a new Avalon slip and the slip for the crippled exCJF Falcon's Nest complete. The cruiser slip immediately begins construction of a new Avalon class cruiser, while a larger slip is soon filled by the Texas class battleship. Security is tight but it is soon obvious that the Davions aren't just repairing and refitting the venerable battleship, they are rebuilding it... 
At Kathil, the cruiser FSS Ian Davion slips free from it's yard and is soon engaged in a shakedown cruise before it join's the 1st Cruiser Squadron as part of the First Prince's escorting warship squadron. This will bring the Federated Suns Navy to 11 cruisers - 10 of them Avalon cruisers and a single Covenant class cruiser. 
In the New Syrtis system, a new Davion class destroyer slip completes construction and begins work on the next Davion III. A similar slip also enters commission at Filtvelt's yards. This brings the total number of destroyer slips to 11 at 4 separate locations, although just under half of the yards are at Galax. 
At Panpour, 2 new warship slips are finished, although only 1 is broadcast. A third Congress-D II slip enters production of the upgraded frigate. Unmentioned to anyone without the highest security clearance is the second battleship sized slip which has also completed in a remote part of the Panpour system. This secret slip is tasked with duplicating the rebuilding battleship at Galax...
The High Command orders a brief pause to the construction of new shipyards for the time being. There are still 4 Fox corvette slips under construction, 2 for the ComGuards and 2 for the AFFS. However, no new shipyards will begin construction while a review is put in place to see what areas the Federated Suns should concentrate on. Some are pushing for more heavy shipyards to build additional battleships or carriers while many are suggesting that the current trend of mass numbers of light warships backed up by highly capable medium weighted ships should be continued as it has proven itself. Others (not within the Treasury it has to be admitted) wish to pursue both options. 
----
===Robinson Rangers expand, new mercenaries sign on to AFFS===
Also in June word comes from Robinson, that all 6 Robinson Rangers regiments have now been fully upgraded to RCTs. Mostly this has been done by attaching existing suitable conventional brigades to the battlemech regiments, although in the case of the 6th Robinson Rangers RCT the supporting conventional troops are entirely new formations. 
On Great Gorge, the Longwood Bluecoats mercenary regiment is formally granted a Federated Suns contract. Not withstanding it's breach of contract with the Taurian Concordat it is granted favorable terms and a much of it's initial signing on bonus is provided in upgrades to their Battlemech forces. Upgrades that were frankly impossible for the Taurians to provide to a mercenary formation, but ones which are considered the bare minimum that the AFFS would consider to be needed to make the unit a viable combat unit in the modern era. 
----
===Wedding Proposal & Protests===
Over dinner with Duchess Marik the First Prince formally proposes on the 20th of June. When asked if he is proposing for dynastic purposes as the First Prince of the Federated Suns to the daughter of the Captain General of the Free Worlds League or as Victor Davion to Isis Marik the normally confident First Prince is thrown for a second before finally almost blurting out that he is proposing as Victor Davion to Isis Marik. Dynastic matters be damned for now. With that assurance Isis agrees happily and both of them announce their engagement the following morning. Even a few years before such an announcement would have caused at the very least grave concern within the Federated Suns, but now with the popularity of the First Prince going from strength to strength and the growing respect many hold for Isis Marik and her attempts to help the FedSuns the news i largely greeted with joy. 
Within the Outback a number of small demonstrations take place by the Citizens for Davion Purity against the marriage. In several cases militias are required to be called out - but usually to stop the large counter protects from pummeling the bigoted supports of the fringe movement into the ground. 
----
===Developments in Industry===
Just over a week after the formal announcement of the First Prince's impending nuptials Achernar Battlemechs unveil their new offering, the Dervish-O. An entire pre-production company of the new OmniMech is handed over for testing by the AFFS on New Avalon. Along with the team who designed the new omnimech being volunteered by their parent company to attend Mount Davion or the NAIS to answer any questions that might be raised. Achernar want's this new product to take off and revitalize the company! 
On the 30th of June, Conrad Davion and Lord Regent Cham Kithrong formally sign the peace treaty between the Taurian Concordat and the Federated Suns. Already the various prisoners of war are begin returned and formed into new or existing units to replace the losses. As a first gesture of goodwill Conrad announces that the Federated Sun's Government will immediately make available funds to help finish the still problem riddled shipyards over Taurus... To build Merchant class JumpShips to help give an immediate boost to the Taurian Concordat civilian economy... Faced with turning down the offer and looking like he is merely signing a truce, or agreeing and having to abandon the possibility of the yards beginning to rebuild the Taurian Navy the Lord Regent feels he has no other option to accept the investments and donation of the Merchant class jumpship design. After all nothing that Conrad has said is in fact wrong... 
On Kathil, the GM factories there are expanded with a second Blackjack-O OmniMech line. In a strange announcement for a company that makes most of it's cash in arms sales GM announce that they will be pressing ahead with plans to massively expand the Tunnel Rat mining exoskeleton. Given the huge upsurge in demand for raw materials within the Federated Suns however this is seen by almost every economist as a wise move that is likely to return large profits for the company. GM also announce that their plant on Point Barrow will begin construction of a new Stealth Medium Battlemech line which they expect to complete in early 3068. Further Tunnel Rat lines are being considered to be added to not only Point Barrow but also their plants on Salem and Talcott. 
On Killarney the Arc Royal MechWork's plant sees both new Arctic Fox-O lines go operation. Specifically to provide the AFFS with a new light OmniMech the production is snapped up for the next few years on long term contract. Although the addition of the Javelin-O to the AFFS's battlemech stables has somewhat reduced the need for the Arctic Fox-O it has not removed it entirely and so the Omnimech is well received. 
----
===Turmoil in the Free Worlds League===
While the impending marriage of Victor Davion and Isis Marik is warmly greeted in the Federated Suns, the same cannot be said within the Free Worlds League. Already in a state of turmoil this news when it breaks is like oil upon the fire. In an inflamed speech within the Parliament the representatives of the Sirian Holds, Border Protectorate and Free Tikonov worlds declare in one voice that they will not be sold to the Davions as a dowry for the Captain-General's runaway daughter! Had this been the only speech things might have settled down - but the representatives of the Zion province stood up and announced that they would be more than happy to gifted to the resurgent Federated Suns, as it would at least allow them to be free of the Captain-General's religious fanatic allies in the WOB! An almost riot occurred on the floor of Parliament and it eventually had be suspended until July to allow tempers to cool. 
Voices called throughout the League for the Captain-General to return to Atreus and exercise leadership and with almost visibly reluctance Thomas Marik left Oriente and began heading for Atreus. He did however make a very public speech that not one League world would be given away to anyone in any circumstances. In an effort to present strong and stable leadership he declares that the worlds of the League will only be able prized from his cold dead hands. Unfortunately many of his enemies turn this image of a strong hand on the steering wheel into that of a power mad tyrant squeezing the League between his fingers and riots break out on both sides on over 3 dozen worlds. 
From the point of view of the Word of Blake, the fact that the Captain-General doesn't slap down the Zion delegation for their insult to the WOB is a concern. A small sub-faction of the Toyama faction decide to do something about that themselves... A show of strength. To remind their enemies who they are dealing with!
----
===Events elsewhere in the Inner Sphere===
Within the Draconis Combine and the Capellan Confederation the news is greeting with horror. Even if Isis Marik brings not a single BattleMech or trooper or C-bill to the marriage the fact that the First Prince of the Federated Suns will now have a potential claim to the Captain-General's office of the Free Worlds League is one that fills both the Liao's and Kurita's with dread. Worse, from Sun-Tzu's perspective Victor Davion has claimed the prize he himself discarded. He publicly announces that "Victor Davion is welcome to my leavings..." while privately fuming! When Victor Davion hears the insult uttered by Sun-Tzu Liao the Chancellor will regret his poorly chosen words... 
Theodore Kurita, unknown to any except his private doctors, suffers a small stroke at the news of Victor Davion's impending nuptials. While a minor stroke, it leaves the Coordinator shaken. Many comment that at this time he becomes almost obsessed with his distant nephew Kitsune Kurita. Who issues an summoning for the boy and his father Miyako Kurita to the Imperial Palace to live there with him. An action that raised the standing of Isoroku Kurita, Warlord of Kurita and Kitsune's grandfather.
-----
 Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter
076, Chapter