FSRB Chpt 253

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 253==
 <<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
----
April 3072Shockwaves
-----
===Taking Stock the loss at Rigil Kentares===
====Troops losses====
April begins with the ramifications of the Battle of Rigil Kentares hitting home within the High Command. While maintaining the official line that the battle was a great victory for the Federated Suns Navy - not a hard sell to the vast majority of the public given the Warship losses - they privately are left aghast at the losses in their DropShip and JumpShip squadrons within the system. Dozens of JumpShips and hundreds of DropShips have been lost. Eight entire military commands have lost their transport assets while thousands of trained crews and hundreds of aerospace pilots are listed as KIA or MIA on top of the losses to the military commands themselves. The loss of a single Fox II Class Corvette is the only "highlight" in that the other Warships committed all survived. But even those that survived have suffered light to heavy damage and will require extensive work before returning to frontline duties. The most heavily damaged ships are directed back to the various repair yards. 
Marshal of the Armies Jackson Davion does his best to shake the various members of the High Command from the shock that the losses have created and soon has almost the entirety of Mount Davion bustling into action in order to alleviate or work around the losses. Replacement JumpShips and DropShip are to be found - from reserves, transport squadrons, new construction, and even from rear area commands giving up at least some of their transportation assets. Fleet Aero Regiments are to be rushed to the area to replace losses - either taking the place of mauled formations until they can be brought up to strength or entirely rebuilt - along with similar assault DropShip squadrons. Reserve equipment from the stockpiles are rushed to replace any damaged or lost equipment who's soldiers or naval service personnel survived the loss. Promotions to fill voids in the ranks are to be made. As well as being essential work, this sudden flurry of activity has the benefit of shaking the glass eyed look from the faces of the men and women working in Mount Davion.
----
====Urgent need for Education Expansion====
While all of this is ongoing the first major response beyond just damage control is put in place. The Marshal of the Armies meets with Field Marshal Angela Kouranth and Fleet Admiral Buchwald and dusts off the old plans for Naval Education expansions. Dusts off and expands rather. Immediate work is to commence at building an annex for the Armstrong Flight Academy at Novaya Zemlya as well as another at Filtvelt. However given the sheer demand for crew and officers from the fleet and the huge loss of experience personnel this is no longer felt to be enough. A further annex is ordered to be created at Verde - with plans for an additional annex to begin construction somewhere within the League March as soon as a suitable site can be identified - with Necromo and Sarna both being strong contenders. Initial plans are for the annex's to begin operating at roughly 10% of the main site on Galax's capacity and increase over a 4-5 year period to a full third. As a stopgap measure, the Robinson Battle Academy, Hasek-Davion Martial Academy and Tikonov Martial Academy are all ordered to begin construction of facilities to begin training DropShip and JumpShip crews. New Syrtis's Warrior Hall already has said facilities but they are to be expanded.
----
====Orders for Replacement JumpShips====
At the same time Challenge Systems, FedBoeing and Universal Air are all contacted about increasing production of JumpShips. Challenge Systems are to begin work on expanding Monolith production to their yards at June. At the same planet FedBoeing's shipyards are to begin construction of Invader JumpShips to supplement the Merchant class ships already being built there. Universal Air are offered incentives to begin building a new yard to build both Tramp and Star Lord class vessels and finally agree to construct a new shipyard complex around El Dorado - relying on the already excellent infrastructure and wealth of that system to help speed production. At the same time Kathil and New Syrtis's shipyards are both authorized to increase production of Invaders and Star Lords respectively. While there are some concerns that this might be an over expansion that might strain the trained crew reserves further it is agreed by all concerned that any surplus JumpShips can be sold to the ever hungry shipping lines that are expanding as quickly as possible into the Outback due to it's increased prosperity. Or if need by sold to other powers - the Lyran Alliance is always in need of the larger JumpShip classes due to it's shortage of domestic production. 
----
====The Need for more Borderers====
Given the losses suffered (particularly by the 1st Kathil Uhlans) the Duke of Robinson and Duke of New Syrtis's request for two new Borderer formations are both approved. Within the Draconis March the Fairfax and Clovis Reinforced Training Battalions would be formed to provide recruits for the respective formations while cadres would be drawn from the local DMM and other units to begin building the new units. Similar efforts would be made upon Midale and Hyalite. The ambassador to the Taurian Concordant is instructed to notify the Lord Protector and make every effort to point out that these units are defensive and are only to be used to free up more prestigious unit for front line deployments on other fronts. Whether the ever prickly Taurian's accept that or not is another matter.
----
====The Prince at center of all things====
The First Prince while involved in these discussions via HPG also makes a point of sending a series of messages to the commands which have been engaged at Rigil Kentares. Only the strong opposition of both his Marshal of Armies and Prince's Champion prevent him traveling to the system himself. 
----
===Return from the Periphery===
Having been mauled fighting pirates the 7th Avalon Borderers LCT is withdrawn back to it's normal posting of Islamabad. The 6th Avalon Borderers LCT is however to continue the ongoing anti-pirate sweeps for the current time and the 8th Avalon Borderers LCT is ordered to replace the 7th Borderers. While a few feel that the CO of the 7th Avalon should be reprimanded for the heavy losses suffered by her command, many point to the successful wiping out of several bands of pirates in return. In the end several awards for valor are made including one to the CO in question - with an off the record warning to the 7th Avalon's CO to also "be more careful" in future.
----
===Capella Unrest Continues===
Ongoing riots on Capella and the surrounding worlds begin to die down further, but don't entirely disappear. The 8th FedSuns Dragoons RCT along with local units have a handle on things and by now have arrested hundreds of dissident leaders, but cant seem to entirely stop the simmering resistance to FedSuns rule. There is now a strong suspicion that a foreign power is supporting or at least financing the groups. 
----
===Wild Geese Continued to be Celebrated===
Tikonov by comparison is a model world for the Federated Suns. The Wild Geese mercenary unit, a long and storied pro-Davion unit, finds itself warmly welcomed even beyond the initial parade thrown in it's honor. A series of parties, dinners and balls are thrown for the officers and men by various nobles and important personages while the local people are equally welcoming to the enlisted troops. On a more practical side the Tikonov Martial Academy invites a number of the officers to speak to their cadets and engages in a series of training exercises with the mercenary unit as do the 2nd Tikonov Cossacks. 
----
===Troop Movement & Deployed of the AFFS===
At the beginning of April there is also some discussions regarding the Lexington Combat Guard brigade. The unit has given sterling service to the Federated Suns, both as the mercenary Lexington Combat Group and also since fully joining the AFFS. All three of it's formations have taken heavy losses and are being rebuilt to full strength slowly to allow them to keep their hard won experience levels. Discussions are put in place for upgrading the 1st and 3rd to full RCT in line with the 2nd Guards as well as upgrading the 3rd to a reinforced regiment in line with the other two units. A final idea is being considered to add a 4th Lexington Combat Guard RCT in the near future. The first two suggestions are both approved, pending the final approval of the commanding officer of the brigade, but the idea of raising a new unit is placed on hold at least until the existing units can be returned to full strength. 
The very organization of the Crucis March is also placed under the subject of a small group of officers at Jon Davion's suggestion. Several of the inner Combat Region's of the March are up to three times the size of many other Combat Regions or PDZ in less developed areas - and given the wealth of their worlds the economic output of these regions dwarf those of less developed ones. The group is to look, informally for the time being, at breaking off parts of the New Avalon, Kestrel and Nunivak Combat Regions to form at least one more Combat Region within the heart of the March and potentially also breaking up the Broken Wheel Combat Region - given the sheer number of systems that the Broken Wheel CrMM is forced to cover. 
The |1st Sherwood Foresters LCT and 9th Avalon Borderers LCT continue to train hard both against themselves and also the cadets of the 1st Hasek-Davion Martial Academy's Uhlan Cadre in order to improve the skills of all three units. Under the command of their skilled CO's both frontline units in particular begin to show a marked improvement in their skill levels - sufficiently so that their proposed operations in the Periphery on anti-piracy patrols are moved up in schedule. Both Marshal Bradford and Leftenant General Tyler are notified of this. The two men while opposites in character have fallen into an easy working relationship during this training period. The only friction is that although the Forester's are the "senior unit", Marshal Bradford has seniority in rank.
----
===Developments in Industry===
On Menke the SunCorp facility begins producing Hauberk class battle armor suits. Although output is small and plagued with some teething problems the staff and workforce at the factory continue work not only to increase the quality of the production but also the output with a rolling expansion planned. 
Clan Nova Cat see two new factory lines go operational in April, both on New Barcella. At their Novacat Alpha Industrial Unit the first Nova Cat Heavy OmniMech walks of the lines to a warm welcome not only from the Clan's Warriors but also the civilian castes who have worked so hard to get the factory operational. A further line of Nova Cats as well as an individual lines for Huntsmen and Shadow Cats are also under construction. For now the Clan does not share the Nova Cat omnimechs with either the AFFS or Clan Sun Jaguar - although promises at least some of the output of the Huntsmen and Shadow Cat lines to their allies. They do however ship the first Nova Cats to the units fighting the WoB. At their Beta Industrial Unit the third Ocelot line goes operational. While further expansions and diversification of the plants production is planned for now the Khan is content with it's output, concentrating expansions on the three other industrial units the Clan is constructing. The Khan does order design work begun on a new second line heavy battlemech. 
----
===Other Events in the Inner Sphere===
-----
====Ghost Bear demands on the Republic====
On Orestes, the Ghost Bears finally contact the Free Rasalhague Republic's leadership. They announce that having spurned their offer of friendship and integration the Clan will no longer give the FRR or KungsArme any leniency. Any further provocations or raids will be dealt with severely. However, they do offer the Republic a ten year non-aggression treaty. 
----
====Lyran Regent struggles====
Within the Lyran Alliance, dissent continues to simmer but at least in the areas around Tharkad the Regent is happy to have reports that his leadership is being seen in a more and more positive light - with a particular spike in approval from those worlds around Odessa. The same cannot however be said for those worlds who's representatives have been arrested. Trying to at least build on his skill set and success with dealing with Odessa he begins preparing a campaign to bring the rebel "Protectorate of the Rim" to heel. He deliberately picks at least some units which are considered only marginal in their support of his regime. He also continues to meet with Duke Kell, Duke Bradford, and the ambassador of the Federated Suns on an almost weekly basis - all of whom continue to petition for the release of at least some of the imprisoned representatives.
----
====Clan Wolf strikes the Jade Falcons====
Clan Wolf's forces under their saKhan, continue to hit and raid across the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone, shifting from hitting factory worlds to hitting less well protected worlds. The pattern remains the same however, the Wolves arrive and crush the garrison - usually taking most of the survivors as bondsmen or women and then loot the planet quickly and move on. However, the Jade Falcons are closing in behind them. 
----
====Free Worlds League forces struggle on Gibson====
On Blakist held world of Gibson, the battle between the reformed FWLM and the WoB continue in a grinding war of ambush and counter ambush as the League slowly expands it's lodgement on the planet. The 1st Orloff Grenadiers approach the city of Portent and halt to regroup, resupply and refit while still in the suburbs before pushing on into the city itself. The fighting to reach the city has been a nerve-wracking series of probes and attacks by the "ghost" 2nd Shadow Division, which hits and melts away before it can be brought to battle. The 8th Free Worlds Legionnaires request to join the 1st Orloff for the "big push", eager to come to grips with the Division which had killed so many of it's members. The newly arrived 6th Oriente Hussars push out from the landing zone and begin a drive on the city of Harrisburg.
----
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
0253, Chapter