MBMSFS Chpt I7

==Manufacturing a Blueprint for a More Stable Federated Suns‎‎ - Interlude: Industrial Awakening - ==
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===Dueling CEOs===
[Beatrice Hetzman]
[Corean Enterprises]
[New Avalon, Federated Suns]
[December 15th, 3027]
Anthony Hightower seemed inordinately pleased to be sitting here at the 'Grown-Ups' table, and it genuinely rankled Beatrice Hetzman. 
 
The young upstart was overly confident for someone who just barely managed to bring his corporation back from the brink after his father decided that cutting corners to save a few Pence was the correct way to handle business.
 
The younger man toyed with his lip while idly watching the flatscreen in the meeting room, and when their eyes met, he hid a smirk behind his hand. 
 
The nerve.
 
"-which is why I would like for us to start looking forward toward a new solution to our excavation slow-downs," Arthur Corean's voice dragged her attention back to the man, and she had to suppress both a thrill and a shiver. Had she been thirty years younger there was no doubt in her mind that his piercing ice-blue eyes and chilling gaze would have stirred something within her belly, happily married woman or not, but given that she was well past her prime... she only felt the young man's judgement. 
 
He was young enough to be her son, but given what she'd seen thus far, and what she knew from second-hand sources, Arthur Corean was an extremely demanding individual to work for- constantly assessing, constantly adjusting, and constantly shifting focus. That this was the first meeting he'd attended since they broke ground a year ago, some might consider his absence a slight and take it as a lack of interest in their work... but not Beatrice. She knew full well that the man was always on the run, from meeting to meeting, to his labs, to NAIS for classes, and back again; he had enough energy for three men, and she'd be a liar if she said that he didn't have her respect.
 
The fact that he instructed his younger brother to not call them out when it was revealed that they were starting to fall behind schedule, Bauer and Hetzman risking burnout for both their crews and equipment, showed that he was also quite flexible. The man cared more about the results rather than the particulars; if he wished he could have come down on them like a ton of bricks for over-promising on their contract and levied severe penalties. Yet, he knew that while it would have been justified, it also would have been counter-productive. He could have made them bleed, but he didn't.
 
That was why Bauer and Hetzman didn't raise any contractual complaints when a new firm was brought on board to see their schedule kept, though they were vocal about who it was; Highrise Construction had been around for centuries that is true, but the previous CEO left a lot to be desired. While they had managed to recover some of their reputation under the helm of Anthony Hightower, Bauer and Hetzman weren't certain about the quality of the company's work to have their hard work finished off by Highrise.
 
"While you all know each other, I will introduce the two new players that have been patiently waiting for me to bring this particular portion of the meeting around," The CEO of Corean Enterprises gestured to the two uniformed AFFS Officers seated to the side of the room, "May I introduce Captain Tyler Johnson and Major Kershaw Williams. Both are from the 3rd Davion Guards, and they are here to represent the Civil and Combat Engineering teams that will be joining us in the coming weeks."
 
"A pleasure, gentlemen," Anthony Hightower stole the march with a wide smile as he nodded, leaving Beatrice and Ruval Moore- the CEO of Bauer- to follow along after him with their pleasantries, "Though I am curious as to what project we'll be working on considering the lads are from the AFFS."
 
Arthur Corean nodded before the clicker in his hand moved the flatscreen to the next slide, "What we'll be working on, gentlemen and lady, is a brand new Engineering Vehicle, one that can pull double duty in both the civilian and military space."
 
He clicked and a few different models of Engineering vehicles popped up, from the EarthWerks Earthmover, a 40-ton model, to the New Earth Trading Company's... aptly named Engineering Vehicle. The photos were of the power digger, trench digger, dual-shovel, tree-cutter, and other various models.
"The current market of Engineering Vehicles is fairly sparse with options, with most of them being different flavors of the same vehicle- this is unsurprising given that most are simply licensed designs from EarthWerks or NETC's offerings," He clicked over to the next slide, showing the specifications of the two most commonly available models, "These vehicles, while serviceable, are lacking in capabilities that we need to efficiently move forward with our expansion plans. Corea Enterprises isn't going to be rebuilding here on New Avalon, no, we will be rebuilding on Petrolia II, Zovaya Zelyma, Bristol, Augusta, and likely other locations as well."
 
The Corean CEO turned his attention to the rest of the room, "Considering how critical excavation is for my SCMF designs and its derivatives, it would behoove me to ensure that these operations are conducted quickly and efficiently. Which is where the new Engineering Vehicle will come in."
 
The next slide came up:
"Corean Engineering Vehicle - 100 Tons
-Name: Undecided.
-Role: Civilian & Military Multi-Purpose. 
-Traits: Durable, reliable, versatile.
-Must Haves: Multi-purpose tool heads, options for Fusion Engines/Life Support/Environmental Sealing for Adverse/Vacuum Environments..." 
The list went on, and Beatrice nodded her head as she looked them over.
 
Ambitious, but certainly doable.
 
"This vehicle will be able to fit any role needed in the market, with a wide variety of interchangeable tools that the vehicle can replace as needed. I have plenty of experience designing multi-function heavy machinery for my Battlemech and Vehicle factories, and the work I've conducted on 'hot-swappable' tool heads for my Agristar Agri-Robot series has given me some insight into how we can do the same for other pieces of equipment," Ice blue eyes swept over her as Arthur tilted his head to the side, "I am not expecting you to have anyone 'working' on this project, per se, but what I am asking is that your senior engineers, workers, and foreman have some time cleared in their schedule to sit down with the lads from the AFFS from time to time. I am an engineer, but I do not know what tools would be considered a 'must have' and what would be a 'very nice to have'... and what would be 'niche'. You, the Civil Engineering, and Combat Engineering corps, however, do."
 
"Your people will serve as the Subject Matter Experts, whereas my people and I will be the ones who make it happen," He cupped one hand over the other in front of his waist as he nodded to the two AFFS Officers taking notes on their noteputers with a stylus, "You will not be getting paid for this in cash, but in vehicles. I am willing to offer fifteen of these new vehicles, as well as offer a lifetime discount on parts and services for those fifteen vehicles, as payment for services rendered."
 
"So..." Anthony Hightower's voice had a slightly... disinterested drawl to it, "We won't be getting monetary compensation? At all?"
 
Arthur Corean arched an eyebrow, "Potentially millions of Pounds worth of vehicles and a discount on parts and services isn't enough compensation for a few hours worth of work per month over the next few years?"
 
 Beatrice had to suppress a scoff at the boy's gall, and she could see Ruval Moore roll his eyes.
 
Fifteen free vehicles for serving in an advisory capacity were payment enough; the fact that the gifts would be tax deductible for Corean Enterprises and more lightly taxed for their companies as the recipients just made it much more attractive. It just showed that for all of young Hightower's capabilities, he was still unwise to many aspects of the business world. He should hire more competent advisors, ones that won't leave him lacking in critical knowledge of some of the more widely used loopholes to avoid taxation.
 
Considering the bitching and moaning she had to put up with about the 'old tubs' that her employees had to use over the decades she was tempted to pay Arthur Corean for the chance to sit in on the design of a brand new Engineering Vehicle. If her opinionated workers got the chance to help design the "digger of their dreams" then alone would be enough; then maybe they'd finally shut up about it.
 
The young Hightower's lips twitched a little bit before he nodded, though his confusion and displeasure were hardly concealed, "Very well."
 
"You're more than free to refuse," Arthur Corean slipped a hand in his pocket, "This is 'volunteer' work with no direct compensation. The vehicles would be a gift; you wouldn't have to pay a sales tax for them when they're finally ready. Besides, it is not as if I need you, Mister Hightower. This is, however, a courtesy- how would it have looked if I were to begin construction on such a vehicle and didn't bother to ask if you wanted to participate?"
 
"Mister Corean, you shouldn't have to explain such basic practices of businesses..." Beatrice drawled as she drummed her fingers on the surface of the table, the old woman leveling the upstart with her best unimpressed look.
 
"Now, now, we all had to start somewhere." Mister Corean chided her gently, a small lilt to his lips as his cool eyes settled on her.
 
The CEO of Hightower Construction's eyes darted around the room, the younger man likely realizing how deep a hole he had dug with his complaints, and he coughed into his hand, "I understand, Mister Corean. I will... ask my employees if there are any volunteers, and will direct them once I have the particulars."
 
"Excellent. That is all I am asking. Now then, where were we? Ah, yes, the goal is to design a single chassis that can be easily modified to suit the mission of the purchaser-"
 
Beatrice could barely keep the smirk off of her lips as she watched the young Hightower tug at the collar of his suit.
 
Serves him right.
----
===Construction Tour===
[Rodina Achernar - Achernar Battlemechs]
[Corean Enterprises]
[New Avalon, Federated Suns]
[December 15th, 3027]
"Well, well, well," Rodina hummed appreciatively as she and a dozen other women stood in a locker room within the Corean Enterprises' Administrative building, "Arthur Dear certainly has a way of making a girl feel appreciated, doesn't he?"
 
Countess Rodina Achernar, the CEO of Achernar Battlemechs, ran her hands over the smooth and glossy surface of the one-piece jumpsuit she was wearing. It was nice and snug, with padding in all of the right places for protection, but there was also a nice bit around her breasts, hips, and posterior that added a bit of support and made her feminine traits really pop. It was probably the most appealing jumpsuit she'd ever seen, and not even the slightly bulky spinal protector running along her back could detract away from its appearance; her's was white with the two-tone 'Archernar Gold' running in a thick bar along the outside of the arms and legs to give a splash of color. The Archernar Battlemech's 'Star Logo' was emblazoned on the left shoulder, with her name stitched onto a velcro pad on her right. 
 
"I had been curious as to why he'd asked for such thorough measurements when we RSVP'd," Duchess Henrietta Ursala of Universal Air replied with a slight smile as she stood next to Rodina and admired herself in the full-length mirror; the woman turned around and toyed with the padding around her buttocks with gloved hands, "I must say that the boy has good tastes; if my husband and wife saw me in this..."
 
"Oh, I've met the boy more than a few times when he was growing up. Quiet, reserved, intensely focused; listening to how his mother Anabelle told it- may God rest her soul- she practically had to drag him away from NAU's campus to get him to attend some of the industry galas. She had been worried that he might never find himself a lady of appropriate breeding," The Countess' smile turned wistful as she sighed, "Though I'm sure that she's very happy to see that he's found himself a good woman to keep him company. However, other than the design of the protective features I don't think he had any say in the aesthetic of these jumpsuits; we'll likely have to thank Miss Sterling for her input. The boy is rather... practical when it comes to certain things. Or so his Mother always said."
 
"And why are we wearing these jumpsuits in the first place?" Rodina looked in the mirror to see her adjutant, Selena Arrapado, sliding up next to her to observe herself, "The invitation stated that this meeting would be 'Business Dress'."
 
"We are going to be taking a tour of numerous different facilities, many of which will be Heavy Industry areas in nature," The smooth African tones of Kitty Wright, the newly raised CEO of General Motors spoke as she gathered up her waterfall of obsidian hair and pulled it into a tight low ponytail, "It is only natural that we wear the appropriate safety equipment. Besides, it is just as much a statement as it is a practical demonstration of the new direction Arthur Corean is taking Corean Enterprises. He wants to show us something, and that something is..."
 
The dark brows on Selena's face furrowed slightly as she thought the young CEO's words over, "A new path forward?"
 
"Yes," Kitty Wright nodded with a hum, "I believe that something very large is on the horizon, and Mister Corean means for his company to be the trailblazers for this new road."
 
Rodina felt her eyes crinkle as she clapped her thinly gloved hands, "You are a treat, my dear. Your grandmother was such a stick in the mud!"
 
The CEO of GM's face grew a complicated expression, "I am aware of my Grandmother's... disposition... but I will not speak ill of her. She was the driving force that has helped keep GM together these past few decades."
 
"Of course, of course, dearie, we were not speaking ill of her either. Just... pointing out the notable differences between you, that is all," Rodina smiled as she patted her fellow CEO on the shoulder, "Now, shall we get going? It wouldn't do to keep the boys waiting any longer than we have to."
----
With a hard hat now firmly placed on the crown of her head, Rodina Achernar felt her cheeks starting to hurt as she felt herself constantly smiling throughout the entire tour. 
 
The hours worth of NDAs she had to sign to attend this get-together had been so very much worth the trouble!
 
They were in the deepest sub-basement of Corean Enterprises' first completed Self-Contained Manufacturing Facility, and she could see why the young man had been so enthusiastic about showing it off. While he wasn't spastic, there was a certain level of energy to his movements and a static that crackled within his ice-blue eyes as he led herself and her fellow industrialists from all across the Federated Suns through his company's latest triumph. 
 
Nine floors of heavily automated manufacturing, each floor designed with modularity in mind- able to be reconfigured to build a different Battlemech or Combat vehicle in as little as thirty days. Armor plating, weapons, electronics packages, optics, heatsinks, motive assemblies, and of course the primary assembly line on the ground floor. That alone made all of the wrist pain signing those documents worth it- just to see a glimpse of someone else's vision for an efficient and self-contained system. Every building manufactured the components it needed to build its assigned 'Mech or Vehicle, with absolutely zero reliance on outside sources. 
 
No waiting on Federated Hunter targeting and tracking systems from Novaya Zelyma, no waiting on focusing crystals for their ChisComp Large and Small Lasers from Tiskilwa General Optics on Tiskilwa. No waiting on Nissan to deliver their 200 Standard Fusion Engines from their plants on Clovis; granted the Fusion Engines were produced in their own buildings due to Federated Suns regulations, but that was neither here nor there as everything that was needed was produced on site. The only supply chain that needed to be worried about was maintaining the in-flow of raw materials, and even then there were fail-safes built into SCMF design as the bottom-most floor held within it enough refined materials for six months of operation.
 
Even from where she now stood, on a raised platform running along the side of the 3rd Basement floor, Rodina could see stacks upon stacks of refined materials, containers of refined silica, and steel containers filled to the brim with the 'Special Sand' that made the star of the show possible.
 
And the Augusta Process machines truly were the stars of the show.
 
Below them were two hundred and fifty Augusta Process machines of varying sizes, large and small printer heads tirelessly working with precision to lay down feedstock onto a thick tray; when a 'pass' was completed she got to watch as it was slowly lowered into a vat of orange-ish red suspension fluid before flashing arc of blue plasma lit up, and the tray was raised out of the fluid and waldos with nozzles sprayed compressed air to clear remaining fluid that clung to the foamed metal frame. Then the process resumed once more.
 
In front of her, she could see the frames of Sun Chaser Scout Tanks being made in small sections, and further beyond them were much smaller frames for what she assumed were energy weapons. It was mesmerizing to watch, like those time-waster videos she indulged in on occasion on the NewAvNet, the ones where you watched master craftsmen and machines perform various tasks with speed and efficiency. Therapeutic, almost.
 
"So this is how you made it!" A surprised gasp caught her attention, and she tore her eyes from the hypnotic display and looked over her shoulder to see a portly man with a rather large belly- not even his custom-fitted jumpsuit could smooth over those unfortunate curves- slapping Arthur Corean on the shoulder. 
 
'Dr. Gerald Beauford' - 'Federated-Boeing' was what his name tapes read on his shoulder, and he did indeed have the company's logo patch on his other shoulder. He adjusted the thick-lensed glasses on his face, "I should have known that it wasn't so simple! When I handed over that sample you gave us to our metallurgists they damn near tore their hair out in frustration trying to figure out how you got such uniformity! Ha! It was never foamed at all!"
 
"Indeed, you are correct, Doctor," If Arthur Corean had been displeased with the man's familiarity he didn't show it, if anything he seemed to appreciate the Fed-Bo Representative's candor, "That is by design. The longer our nation's enemies scratch their heads in confoundment the better. I'm certain that this particular secret will remain with everyone here?"
 
"You don't have to worry about a thing, Arthur Dear," Rodina spoke up as she turned her back toward the machines and placed her back against the high railing, "Those NDAs you had us sign before we even set foot in here were rather thorough. Not to mention..."
 
Her eyes flicked over the rather obvious MIIO Security Detail that was shadowing their movements- both for their protection and to be a visible reminder of the stakes; the First Prince was the sort who valued secrecy.
 
It was a statement that the Federated Suns as a whole would not tolerate any form of espionage in these matters. For all the Federated Suns kept out of corporate affairs as a matter of course, to observe the rights that corporations had in a free market, it was plain to see that if any sort of chicanery was to be had after this reveal then it wouldn't be the Powdered Wigs of the Courts that they would have to answer to.
 
She felt a slight shiver slip down her spine as his ice-cool gaze settled onto her, his chiseled features barely hidden behind the neatly trimmed beard on his face; well, if he hadn't found his calling as an industrialist he certainly could have become a cover model with a look like that. Calvin Klein would have tripped over themselves to secure his likeness for their perfume and cologne advertisements. 
 
"I'm glad that everyone here appreciates the gravity of these reveals, my Lady," Oh dear, she suppressed a shiver once more, "Half-weight chassis for Combat Vehicles, be they Tanks, Armored Personnel Carriers, or VTOLs has a lot of potential to change how we build our products. However, upon the floor above, we'll find the second great innovation that Corean Enterprises is bringing to the field."
 
He looked down at the chrono on his wrist and nodded, "After that, we'll take a quick tour of the primary automated line for the Sun Chaser, spend some time on the other floors to see the Component Manufacturing areas... and then we'll break for lunch on the roof. Does that sound agreeable to everyone?"
 
Like the ears of wolves pricking up at the sound of prey, the Countess of Achernar Battlemechs watched the already hungry gazes of her fellow industrialists turn positively ravenous. 
 
She too had to admit that his words had piqued her curiosity, after all, what else could there be to match the Augusta Process before them?
----
===The wonders I've seen today===
The rooftop garden was a marvelous little thing.
 
Oh, yes, it was unfortunate that the small fountain in the middle was empty, and circular plastic cover was pulled over the grass, and the few dozen trees were spindly things without the leaves on their branches... but that was to be expected considering they were deep into December. That didn't make the ferrocrete and hardwood pavilion they were enjoying lunch on any less darling; it was mostly open air, but a thick hardwood wall was on the back end, and a track ran around the top and bottom of the perimeter where dozens of thin, Henan crystal ferroglass panels were lined up. Not only did the ferroglass let in plenty of cheery afternoon sunlight, but they also kept the warmth from the heaters inside to ward off the winter chill. The thick wall at the back of the pavilion was where the crystal panels were stored, the Battlemech grade plate glass slid out along the tracks when in use and put away when not.
 
The wooden benches and tables were not the fanciest, but given this area was meant for the everyman employee to enjoy his lunch break in a green and open-air environment that was to be expected. Still, the thick padding on her posterior made sitting on it much more comfortable, and the meal she was enjoying was still of upper-class fare. It was a small demonstration, part of a new Corean sub-division for Spacer Rations, and they were enjoying a meal set fit for the upper crust of society; while most of the nobility who traveled were sure to stock fresh ingredients for their discerning palates, there were often times when such fresh produce could not be stored indefinitely during long treks. 
 
There were certainly companies that catered to this market, but their volumes were low and prices often rich even for the blood of the folks who preferred to enjoy the finer things in life. However, like all things after the fall of the Star League, the best preservations too were lost to time.
 
Not with Corean Enterprise, however, as Arthur Corean had managed to glean a great deal of insight from a large stash of Star League era meal rations he'd found when restoring the Recharge Station within the Petrolia system to working order.
 
Rodina herself was enjoying the 'Set - A', with a finely cooked steak of Grade-AAA Wagyu, two side dishes. One of Potatoes Au Gratin, and one a system dish from Markesan called Fruet- a heavily seasoned mixture of caramelized onions, mushrooms, and other tubers bathed in a butter sauce. The meal set came with two rolls of bread that had been preserved using Star League techniques, thus they were still springy and flakey rather than compacted and hard as with most ration breads. For dessert, she had a thick brownie cookie with a rich chocolate fudge in the middle. All of this was pre-cooked and warmed up to temperature in a Corean "Hot-Rat" ration heater.
 
Arthur Corean looked inordinately pleased with the simple ration heater, the man lovingly patting the small Andosteel box on the top as he pulled out the next ration tray and handed it to the next noble in line, "I aim to put one of these bad boys in every Combat Vehicle and 'Mech Corean Enterprises produces. Every soldier deserves to have a hot meal in their downtime, and by God, I'll make sure they get it!"
 
"Here, here! Even if none of the other wonders I've seen today come to pass, if you can wrangle the Appropriations Snobs into installing these you'll no doubt be a hero among the fighting men and women," A strong voice called from the back of the line, and Rodina smiled as she lifted a plastic spoonful of fudge and brown up to her lips as she leaned back in her seat to see who spoke.
Theodore Strong was beanpole of a man, though he was long-limbed that didn't mean there wasn't some meat on his bones, as the form-fitting jumpsuit that clung to his frame belied whipcord strength. He was the current CEO of Phoenix Heavy Industries, a retired Colonel from the Capellan March; they were small, a relative newcomer to the scene, the nascent corporation having revitalized Akshum's old Urbanmech lines into something serviceable as the clock turned to 3002.
 
They were most notable for developing a new Urbanmech variant, the UMR-90 Suburbanmech, and then subsequently allowing it to be stolen by the Capellans who were more than happy to start refitting their own vast stables of Urbanmechs with the freshly created design. 
 
While the company was not implicated in the theft, their men and women cleared by MIIO of suspicion, the raid on their facilities had been surprisingly smooth and swift... hinting that the Capellan assailants had some inside knowledge as to when and where to strike. Though if MIIO had cleared them, then that meant that the leakers had to have been someone higher up in the food chain, which left some rather unsettling thoughts about the upper echelons of the Capellan March potentially cavorting with Maximilian Liao. 
 
No one else said it, but everyone knew. At least those who had any lick of common sense in their heads; as industrialists, it was a requirement to see through the most basic subterfuges to identify corporate espionage.
 
Arthur Corean leaned to the side and looked down the line, and his eyes lit up in recognition, "Ah! Colonel Strong! Do be sure to see me after the hullabaloo for the day is finished, if you would be so kind. I have a few things to discuss with you that might pique your interest."
 
The CEO of Phoenix Heavy Industries shifted his ration tray to his free hand so that he could toy with his handlebar mustache, "Oh? I will look forward to it then."
 
A slight chime filled Rodina's ears and she watched Arthur Corean pull the tray out and hand it to the CEO of GM, the young man completely oblivious to the calf eyes the young woman was giving him while she waited patiently for her meal to heat up.
 
The Countess felt a chuckle bubble up as she placed her spoon down on her tray, and she placed her elbows on the table so that she could rest her chin on her interlaced fingers, "You see exceptionally pleased with this simple little achievement of yours, Arthur Dear."
 
He took the tray from the Duchess of Delavan and slipped it into the receptacle before flicking the switch and a soft hum emanated from the silvery box as its convention heaters spun up to bring the tray's contents to the perfect temperature. 
 
Arthur Corean's frosty eyes and small smirk made her belly clench, "It's the small pleasures in life that you have to savor, my Lady." 
 
She resisted the temptation to fan her face; the boy would have to tone down the charm lest he start giving the ladies attending ideas. 
 
"For all that we might be on the lips of the people for our mighty Battlemechs, I'd like to think that we can also be remembered for the smaller things that make people's lives just a little bit easier. A little bit more convenient. A good, reliable car to take them to work. The busses that take their children to school each day. The power cells that keep their homesteads functioning... and in this particular case," He drummed his fingers on the shell of the ration heater, "The simple but robust heater that gave a soldier or Mechwarrior a hot meal when they're far away from home and needed that small bit of comfort the most. Millions across the Federated Suns all have these same, shared experiences, and when they see the Corean name I want them to not just associate it with the Battlemechs, tanks, aircraft, and weapons we produce..."
 
There had been a far-off look in his eyes for a moment before he regained himself, the man shaking his head slightly, "But we're not here to discuss industrialist philosophy, we're here to eat. After this, we'll have a short recess where you can spend the next hour within the SCMF and bug my workers and representatives to answer the burning questions you no doubt have. Then we'll retire back to the Admin Complex where the true meeting of the day will commence."
 
Rodina smiled as she allowed a young man wearing a simple dress uniform to clear her tray away from her.
 
Ah, if only Annabelle Corean could see her son now. 
 
No doubt she would be so proud of what her little boy has managed to accomplish since their fateful passing.
 
When everyone had finished with their meal, Rodina couldn't stop herself from sliding up next to Samantha Sterling, the young little redheaded minx who managed to capture young Arthur's attention, "You're going to have to keep an eye on that one, Dearie. If he keeps going at the rate he is you'll find yourself with more than a few other ladies vying for his attention."
 
Though now that she got a much closer look she could see some evidence of a few touch-up jobs; definitely Canopian in origin. Good work. 
 
The 'young redheaded minx' perhaps wasn't so young after all.
 
Though she supposed that just made her feat of drawing young Arthur's gaze all the more respectable; there was no reason why the older gals couldn't have a fine young stallion as well!
 
Artfully hooded eyes looked up at her from the noteputer cradled in her arms and over the rims of her non-prescription glasses, a small smirk on her lips, "I don't think that I'll have that problem, my Lady. Arthur and I have an understanding."
 
"Good, because dare I say whenever that young man looks at me I feel thirty years younger," She tittered slightly as she leaned casually against the other woman's arm, "I think I'm not the only one who feels the same way."
 
"He certainly has that effect on people," The Chief Secretary hummed as she tapped the stylus in her fingers against her pouty lips, "You either feel like fleeing... or that icy edge of danger within his gaze draws you in. The most amusing part about it all is that he seems to be unaware of the effect his attention has on people. I suppose it's fortunate for me that I like my man with an air of danger."
 
Arthur Corean's gaze slid over to them as he watched everyone pile onto the 250-ton cargo elevator that was going to head down so that the main event could begin, and when his eyes landed on Miss Sterling his frosty orbs flickered with warmth.
 
"It appears that you two are definitely in agreement with one another, and that's something more of us in the business can boast. I married my husband because his family had mineral connections Archernar needed, and I got lucky in that he just so happened to turn out to be a wonderful man," Rodina Archernar's hands slid down to the front of her belly, "And he gave me two beautiful sons before he passed away. I've remarried since then but... I can only pray that your impending marriage will be just as nice."
 
The woman's posture shifted immediately, "We... haven't announced any plans for a wedding yet."
 
"Announced? No." Rodina smirked a touch as she patted the woman's elbow before striding toward the elevator so that they wouldn't keep everyone else waiting, "But the Federated Suns Marriage Registry is a matter of public record, and Mister Corean has set a date."
 
"H-he's already set a date?" 
 
The shock in the seemingly unflappable woman's voice was a balm to Rodina's old soul, and the Countess stopped and pivoted on the ball of her foot, "Yes, he has. August 20th of next year. Congratulations."
----
===A new dynasty will be born===
Rodina felt her blood thrum in anticipation as she and her fellow industrialists were ushered into a very highly secured conference room. They were allowed their formal attire, but they had been thoroughly screened by numerous security personnel and the MIIO staffers before they were allowed inside. The lighting in the room was low, and there were comfortable, upscale leather chairs in a theater-styled seating arrangement around a very large holotank; it felt like she was stepping into a War Room for some Lyran Social Generals!
 
All that was missing was crystal decanters of expensive booze and clouds of cigar smoke.
 
The Countess wasn't the only one to feel the sudden shift in the atmosphere, as the room was positively abuzz with energy as CEOs and Representatives took their seats next to their Plus Ones. 
 
"Tell me I'm not the only one with their heart rate elevated, Selena," Rodina whispered conspiratorially to her future daughter-in-law, a wry smile on her lips.
 
"You certainly are not the only one excited... Mother," The young woman's sun-kissed cheeks darkened as her warm brown eyes circled around the room, "This appears to be the climax of this meeting."
 
"Huu, huu, huu, I wonder what little Arthur will have to tell us now?" The CEO of Archernar Battlemechs tittered behind her fingertips daintily, "The Augusta Process and Henan Crystal Process were certainly breathtaking, but the whole SCMF concept itself? All of it was simply wonderful; it really makes me wonder just what he has in store for us now."
The lights near the holotank grew a touch brighter as the rest of the room grew darker, providing a certain ambiance that told Rodina that Arthur was someone who had a flair for the dramatic. Due to the nature of the room's layout, the sound of shoes tapping across the floor carried across the conference room-turned-amphitheater, and Arthur Corean- now sharply dressed in a finely tailored suit- strode out to a podium near the holotank, "Greetings, ladies, and gentlemen. Fellow industrialists of the Federated Suns. I trust that your time here has been enjoyable? Informative?"
 
There was a polite round of applause as their fellows made their pleasure known, however, there were more than a few in the crowd who appeared to be far less joyous and were more nervous than anything. Of course, why wouldn't they be nervous? Corean Enterprises dropped into their laps a tactical nuclear device after all, all but boasting about it by bringing them all here to see behind the curtain, but Rodina liked to think that Anabelle knew her son a bit better than that, and the woman certainly loved to talk about her reclusive child more than anything else at their get-togethers. 
 
No, Arthur Corean wouldn't have let such an advantage slip through his fingers just to be a braggart.
There was a reason they were all here, after all, and it wasn't to give them a glimpse of what they would be up against.
 
Arthur nodded, "Excellent, excellent. I am gladdened to hear it. However, I did not invite you all here for that alone, I invited you here for a very specific reason. Big things are on the horizon, ladies and gentlemen. Very big things. However, these things will not be made known to the general public for some time to come because the First Prince has placed secrecy above expediency."
 
The Countess felt her heart rise into her throat as she leaned forward into her chair.
 
"So, to prevent prying eyes and ears from gleaning too much information, the Prince and I decided that an event like this one would be the perfect ruse to bring us all together in a secured location," A chorus of murmured filtered from the small gathering, "So as far as anyone on the outside is aware, if they're aware at all as I made certain that these invitations were kept as secret as possible, I personally brought you all here to so off my new factory. To serenade you all with just what Corean Enterprises is going to be doing in the future to set the new standard for manufacturing in the Federated Suns. However, that is not the case, because the true reason for our gathering is thus... Mister Winfield? The floor is yours, my good man."
 
"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen," A tall, reedy fellow with a balding pate and a tweed jacket stepped into the limelight, "I am Bruce Winfield, a Senior Analyst for His Majesty's Ministry of Information, Intelligence, and Operations. The true reason you are gathered here today is thus: On November 17th of this year, acting on intelligence provided to them by the Federated Suns, the Lyran Commonwealth was able to uncover a pair of astounding finds within their borders. Two once lost SLDF facilities, one a massive storage depot resplendent with LosTech machinery and the other a hidden Star League research facility hidden within a Lyran University, were found."
 
Rodina was happy that she was seated in a comfortable chair because if she had been standing she would have been afraid of her legs giving out on her. Her hand reached out and clasped onto the limp fingers of Selena and squeezed them, as if she held onto her future daughter-in-law the room might stop spinning. The rest of the room seemed to be in much the same state, as all of the background chatter had faded away; the room was so quiet a pin drop could have been heard.
 
However, there was something in the man's words that forced the giddy dizziness away from her head and focused her mind.
 
"Yes, I'm certain that you heard me correctly. The Federated Suns worked in conjunction with the Lyran Commonwealth to make these finds happen, among them were multiple Regiments of Battlemechs, Tanks, Aerospace Wings, and so much, much more, however," The man clasped his hands behind his back as he surveyed the room, "The greatest find is the Star League Library Core contained within the University."
 
"A Library Core?" Rodina felt the words leave her breathless lips, and she cleared her throat before speaking up, "You said that a Library Core was found, Mister Winfield?"
 
"You are indeed correct, Lady Achernar. While it is still being cataloged, our compatriots at the Lyran Intelligence Corps believe that this is likely the single most important find since the Fall of the Star League. The core is a wealth of knowledge, containing much knowledge that was lost to us over the centuries of war the Inner Sphere has experienced. However, not to be left out in our newfound spirit of Jolly Cooperation, the Lyrans too had intelligence that led us to discover our own Star League cache, complete with Regiments worth of material in our own backyard," The man sniffed slightly, "So it wasn't exactly a one-sided affair."
 
Mister Winfield looked to the side, nodded at some unseen signal, and ceded the floor back to Arthur Corean, who strode out calmly- as if he didn't find this stunning knowledge to be that impressive... or it was likely that he already knew it was coming well before they did. 
 
"I understand this might have come as a surprise, but I will reiterate this: Big things are coming on the horizon, and not just for us, but the whole of the Federated Suns. The Prince would love to be the one to tell you all this in person, but the astute of you will know that the First Prince has been absent from the public eye for several weeks now... and that is because he has been at this yet-to-be-named planet surveying the find in person. So he has entrusted me to tell you this..."
 
The holotank came to life, showing a full-color map of the Inner Sphere.
 
Red for the territories of House Kurita. 
 
Blue for those of House Steiner. 
 
Gold for the lands of House Davion. 
 
Green for sickly Liao. 
 
And purple for that of the Mariks.
 
Then the map shifted.
 
The borders between Blue and Gold faded away, and the sigils of House Davion and House Steiner- a large Blue Mailed Fist and the Sword imposed over the Sunburst- came together and joined as one.
"There will be a union in the coming years, one between our beloved First Prince and the darling daughter of Katrina Steiner," Arthur's cool gaze stared up at the newborn sigil for a few moments, "The Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns will be no more. A new dynasty will be born- that of Steiner-Davion. A new nation formed in the Federated Commonwealth."
----
===Revalations of Breakthroughs===
[Doctor Gerald Beauford - Federated-Boeing]
[Corean Enterprises]
[New Avalon, Federated Suns]
[December 15th, 3027]
"A-ah... Mister Beauford... your... popcorn..."
 
Doctor Gerald Beauford looked up and adjusted his glasses to see a young man in a butler's attire standing next to his seat with a crystal bowl filled with popcorn balanced on a silver tray, "Ah! Thank you, my boy. Here."
 
He reached up and stuffed a hundred quid bill into the lad's breast pocket, "Don't spend it all in one place now."
 
"I don't even know why I'm here. Should I be present for this? Did someone make a mistake? I'm just a Uni student..." The Shell-shocked young man numbly walked back over to his position on the wall and tucked in on himself.
 
Poor lad appeared to be state of disbelief, and Gerald couldn't blame him! The boy had probably been psyching himself up something fierce to be part of the serving staff for a bunch of haughty industry nobility, and yet here he was, present for one of the most earth-shaking reveals of the century!
 
And he wasn't the only one either, as the two dozen different corporate owners and their Plus Ones were all up in a tizzy, but not Gerald! He was just going to sit back and enjoy the show!
 
"Oh God. That kid is right," A small groan came from Gerald's right, "Do we even have the necessary clearances for this? Are we going to be accosted by some MIIO suits after this? Why did you even bring me of all people, Doctor Beauford? I should be in the lab, not here."
 
Michael Collier, Doctor Beauford's red-haired not-quite-a-newby-anymore engineer had done quite a bit of growing up since his first stint outside of the safe and cushiony walls of Federated-Boeing's lab complexes; something about his meeting with Arthur Corean had led to a change in the boy. A positive one, to be sure; he was far less acidic than he had been before- far less dismissive of those he deemed not as intelligent as himself. The number of complaints about his attitude had dropped by more than half! 
 
If just one exposure to Arthur Corean was enough to do that, then Gerald reasoned that a second one just might do him some more good!
 
"Relax, Michael, my boy. If we weren't cleared to be here then Arthur would have asked our bosses to send different representatives," Gerald stuffed a handful of the popped kernels into his gob, the man mindful to make sure none of it landed on his suit; the cleaning fees for the rental suit would be astronomical if he got butter on it!
 
"Ugh. I came here because you promised me Tech, Doctor. Not politics," The ornery young man made a face of disgust as he watched the nobles cluck and crow to one another at the reveal of this bombshell information.
 
"You'll find that, unfortunately, technological achievements and politics go hand in hand, just like in business. As a researcher, you only see the business side, but at the upper echelons you see more and more the political side- oh, it's getting good!"
 
Arthur Corean raised his hands in the air, "Please. Calm yourselves. We can discuss the political implications of this union at a later date, but time for our little gathering here grows short, so I'm going to cut to the heart of the matter here and now: When this union is finalized, that will mean that the usual borders for commerce and industry between our nations will fall. The companies of the Federated Suns will be no longer competing amongst ourselves... we'll be competing against the corporations of the Lyran Commonwealth."
 
Many faces in the crowd turned sour at that thought, and the good Doctor smiled broadly.
 
The Federated Suns economy was robust, boasting the second-highest earnings per capita in the Inner Sphere. They were ahead of the Free Worlds League by only a small margin, but when compared to the incredibly strong Lyran Commonwealth? It was like showing up on a race track with a reliable, sturdy economy car... and the racer next to you had a Fiat-Ferrari.
 
You would definitely finish the course without issue, but you would be left far in the dust.
 
"-if we are to put up a strong showing with our new compatriots on the other side of the Sphere, then we must unite. And I'm not talking physically, but metaphorically." Arthur Corean's hands clasped behind his back as he surveyed the room, "I have had a chance to get a glimpse of the findings thanks to my position as a researcher as part of NAIS, and we're going to need to roll up our sleeves and work together with the Institute if we're going to compete. To that end, I would like to make a proposition: A Research Cooperative. One where all of us in attendance here donate some of our best and brightest, both in fields of research and industrialization, to the NAIS to speed up the rate at which we can bring the Lost Technologies of the Star League back into the fore. Where the Lyran Corporations will be competing amongst each other like a bucket of crabs, the Federated Suns will unite and show them that through cooperation we can achieve much more together than apart."
 
Doctor Beauford nodded and hummed along with Arthur Corean's words as he spoke to them- the young man laying out a plan for the future of the Federated Suns.
 
The New Avalon Institute of Science was the bleeding edge of scientific study in the Federated Suns, and it made a great deal of sense: for all of the money that a corporation could offer a scientist, the First Prince was always willing to pay just a little bit more to ensure they got the best and brightest right out of school. They had the advantage of being the ones to teach these young up-and-comers, which essentially gave them the ability to recruit them directly into the fold; something that the corporations grumbled about incessantly.
 
Nobody liked getting the 2nd and 3rd stringers of any line-up, not in sports and certainly not in the world of business.
 
The issue NAIS had, however, was that for all of their wealth of scientific human resources, they were exceptionally lacking in the fields of industrialization.
 
Something he keenly explained with his recounting of how he got the secret Double Heatsink production up and running. They had figured out the processes and steps needed to create them- the team was able to make Double Heatsinks by hand- but they didn't know how to set up a complete manufacturing process. Or automate it. 
 
What information they lacked, however, Arthur Corean had.
 
What information NAIS lacked, the industrialists of the Federated Suns had.
 
While the charter of the NAIS stated unequivocally that any advances the Institute's scientists made would be available to any Federated Suns aligned corporation for manufacture... while in theory it was "good", in practice its implementation left a lot to be desired. To date, none of the corporations had contributed at all in the slightest, and Federated-Boeing was on that list as well so it wasn't like Gerald would be casting any stones for his employer, because why would they? If the taxpayer's quid was being put forward and the innovations would roll over to them anyway, to everyone anyway, then why would they put forth their own money, time, and employees toward helping develop things faster?
 
"As I am the one proposing this initiative, Corean Enterprises will be the first to contribute; I will be putting together a team of one hundred employees that run the gamut from seasoned veterans to novices fresh out of school. Scientists, engineers, Industrial Process Implementation experts, and even a handful of qualified test pilots and paper pushers as required. Granted, I have had this idea in mind for years now and I've been hiring and cross-training my employees to prepare for this eventuality, but I do not expect everyone here to contribute right away; a pledge now will earn a three-year grace period to hire more employees and get them trained up to replace those who would be leaving your halls."
 
The infographic on the holotank shifted and Arthur Corean turned his attention back to the room, "If every company here contributes, then we can more than triple the research capacity and capabilities of the NAIS as their research team stand now. Now, whether that will triple the number of projects being worked on or see more bodies thrown at currently operational projects I cannot rightly say, as those decisions would fall to the Director of NAIS' Research and Development Office and the First Prince, but what I can say is that any progress we can make now will only have compounding effects for our future production capacity as a nation. If we can shorten the R&D of Endosteel from five years down to three, then that gives us time to take our orbital factories out of mothballs... something of which Corean Enterprises is already starting to do as we speak."
 
The infographic faded away to allow a tri-vid holo-image of six Large Factories conjoined together at their sides, with a trio of small shuttles attached to some of the docking ports, "By March, Corean's New Avalon orbitals should be 100% operational, ready for NAIS and myself to divine the secrets of Endosteel so that the moment we've finished re-learning what we've lost... I will be able to begin production of Endosteel Blanks immediately."
 
Gerald stifled a chuckle as his fingers disappointingly scraped the bottom of his empty bowl, and he reluctantly set it off to the side so that he could dip his napkin into his glass of water and clean the butter and salt from his fingers.
 
"I won't say that anyone would be penalized for not contributing, but it is rather plain to see that those who do contribute to the Cooperative will have advanced notice on the status of the project's progress and can begin repairs and refits ahead of schedule so that when everything for a project is finalized production can begin immediately. I will tell you right now, the moment my next SCMF is completed it will begin turning out Star League Double Heatsinks at a record pace." Arthur Corean shrugged, "So if you needed any more motivation or incentive there you have it. Or? Or you can get left behind by the rest of us and the Lyrans. The choice is yours."
 
There seemed to be malaise that swept over the room as the industrialists placed fingers to lips in concentration... or fingers to foreheads, as though they were trying to fight an oncoming headache.
 
"Though... there are two things that I can do to sweeten the pot..."
 
And just like that, the miasma cleared the air, and the people were riveted to their chairs.
 
"For those who contribute to the Cooperative, putting forth a genuine, honest effort, then I'm willing to part with the design plans for the Self-Contained Manufacturing Facilities- both the full-sized and miniature models... and license out the plans for the Augusta Process and Henan Crystal process machines," The holo-image of the orbitals faded away to the wireframe of the large, and expansive SCMF, and a small presentation played as it went from a plant that built Light Battlemechs like the Valkyrie to a medium-sized tank chassis, and then converted to that of a heavy VTOL, and then back again; the positions of the stations were adjusted, waldos of the inappropriate size picked replaced by larger models, and the conveyers updated to move the necessary parts for each build.
 
The design was built from the ground up to be a one-stop shop for manufacturing, and able to be quickly reconfigured to suit the needs of the customer. Had you built all of the Battlemechs needed for the local planetary militia's TO&E? Then switch the factory over to produce tanks. Fulfilled those requirements? Then reconfigure the factor to produce VTOLs until those needs are met as well. Hovercraft? Reconfigure. Conventional Aircraft? Reconfigure. Aerospace Fighters? Reconfigure.
 
If the overall requirements were low enough, there was never a need to purchase more land, which for a corporation was an expensive venture, or to build even more factories. Which required more workers and more materials, and if demand for a design your company was manufacturing dropped off then you were left holding the bag until demand rose up to acceptable levels once more. For most of the smaller companies in attendance, all of their production capacity could be fulfilled with four large SCMFs and eight miniature SCMFs, those twelve buildings freeing up large amounts of space that could be used for other warehouses to hold raw materials or house completed products awaiting shipping so they didn't have to pay the exorbitant fees spaceports charged to house them.
 
Yes, there would be an initial price tag for the buy-in, which wasn't cheap, but the capacity to manufacture everything in-house in one facility wasn't something to be scoffed at either. 
 
No having to wait for Comms equipment from one system eight jumps away. 
 
No having to wait for weapons from four jumps away. 
 
No having to wait for heatsinks, Targeting and Tracking systems from six jumps away. 
 
If you could manufacture your own engines, be they Fusion or otherwise, then you'd only have to worry about two supply chains- the inflow of raw materials, and the outflow of completed products to the customer.
 
Just the savings alone in shipping costs would make up the initial costs within a quarter-century. Considering most Corporations were as dynastic as the nobility, some pains taken now under your tenure would save your children great pains in the future.
 
Then when adding on top of the SCMF design plans the versatile Augusta and Henan Crystal Processes?
 
It was... incredibly generous for only pledging a hundred or so men and women to assist the NAIS. One would say almost too generous, even.
 
That would make the skittish wary of some sort of hidden hook, but Gerald liked to think he knew Arthur Corean a bit better than most; the man was rather straightforward and very honest once you got to know him. The man would hardly utilize his own blood, sweat, and tears as a trap to lure others in- no, such a thing would sully the product and his reputation. It would dirty his name on the lips of everyone in the industry.
 
The possibility of there being something nefarious baked into the contracts was as close to zero as it possibly could be- especially since the First Prince's best and brightest were party to this whole meeting. There is no way in hell MIIO would allow anyone to poison the word of the First Prince, and given how staunch a patriot Arthur Corean was?
 
No. The objective here, Gerald believed, was to see everyone else yanked up to his level, to be ready for when the bounty that was the Memory Core was unleashed.
 
However, just to be sure...
 
"Arthur, my boy. These SCMFs of yours..." The Good Doctor paused for effect to let everyone hear him, "How many will you be building?"
 
Ice-blue eyes widened a fraction of an inch, as if he was almost surprised that someone was willing to provide an 'Alley Oop' for him to slam-dunk. 
 
Gerald longed for the days when he could get on the court and shoot some hoops with the lads, but with his gut and knees, those days were long behind him.
 
"Ah, Doctor Beauford. To answer your question, there will be 36 fully operational SCMFs that Corean Enterprises will have open by 3033 at the latest," He mirrored the Doctor's pause for effect before finishing off, "Here on New Avalon alone. There will be at least half as many active on Augusta, and should my dear friends at Federated Arms stop playing childish games with the Senate and Presidency on Novaya Zemlya I will set up a branch there as well. Ah, and I cannot forget the Bristol plant, as I've recently finalized the purchase of Jolassa Weaponry."
 
Down in the front row, Franklin C. Butcher, the CEO of Federated Arms, seemed to be keenly aware of the numerous sets of eyes that immediately turned toward him, and the elderly man coughed into his fist, "Ha-hem. I am afraid that I have no idea what you might be referring to, Mister Corean; the inner workings of Novaya Zemlya's governance are beyond a man such as myself. I am a businessman, you see, not a politician- but! Buuuuttt... I do believe that I might place a good word in with some folks that I know that might be able to see what they can find."
 
Arthur Corean tilted his head to the side, a wry smile on his lips, "Excellent. In that case, then I just mmiiigghhhtt have the inside line on a small-arms contract that the First Prince is rather keen on seeing fulfilled. I'll have my own lines, of course, but with all of the millions of soldiers within the Federated Suns, there is no way that I could hope to produce all of their equipment. So, see what you can get done on your end, and then come back and visit; we can talk simple business then."
 
The man gave a slightly strained smile in return, but he gracefully nodded his head as he dabbed at his cheek with a kerchief, "Of course, of course. As you so rightly pointed out... the Federated Commonwealth will soon be on the horizon and if we do not cease with our- hmmm- petty infighting then we might find ourselves drummed out of business altogether by the Lyran machine."
 
"Smashing." Arthur clapped his hands together lightly, "Now, do be aware that the license of these machines is contingent upon adhering to MIIO's strictest information protection protocols. Should you accept expect to see an increase in their presence, as the Prince has classified the Augusta Process and Henan Crystal processes as top-level state secrets. There will be updates to your information and physical security, but to keep these advances out of the hands of the Capellans, Snakes, and Free Worlds League I don't think that any stone should be left unturned."
 
The holotank became blank, though still active, and Arthur Corean interlaced his fingers behind his back, "Also. Before we call this soiree to an end... as a personal plea... if you haven't already, I would implore you to update your personal security plans; both for yourself and your families."
 
The holotank once more came active, except this time it showed the interior of a large office, with Arthur Corean at his desk and a young man lying down on the couch. Doctor Beauford felt his stomach start to drop as the seconds ticked by at the lower left-hand corner of the display before suddenly- it happened. A large spider web appeared on the thick window behind him, and Arthur threw himself over the desk to drag the other young man onto the ground behind him. They low-crawled quickly across the smooth floor of the office as a new spider web appeared at each corner, and Arthur had just regained his feet- quickly accessing a terminal hidden on the wall- and brought down a blast door not moments before the camera's feed was engulfed in a flash of light and smoke.
 
Gerald Beauford's belly was around his ankles as he watched the seconds tick by on the screen, more terrifying than any horror tri-vid he'd ever watched, as with each passing second the layers of protection were stripped away from them one bullet and one missile at a time. 
 
It continued on for almost two full minutes before the onslaught ceased, and Arthur Corean and the young man were left to sit next to one another as they stared at the large bulge in the very last armor plate that shielded them.
 
That the whole clip was completely silent, relying on the frantic energy of Arthur and the young man only made it that much more harrowing.
 
Gerald's palms were slick with sweat and his heart thundering in his ears as he watched the tri-vid start to play from the very beginning, but the Doctor squeezed his eyes shut as a low moan left his lips, "Oh, Arthur. My boy..."
 
"The enemies of the Federated Suns have proven that they are no longer content to eliminate the competition quietly. Not anymore." There was a solemness in Arthur's voice that was impossible to deny, "My brother and I only survived that day because I knew that one day they would come for me. The murders of my parents were what sealed the deal; a 'blown hydrogen seal' on a brand new Leopard? Please."
 
"Federated-Boeing would never!" A voice next to him shouted, and Gerald was startled enough to open up his eyes and see Michael standing on his feet, teeth bared and fists clenched, "We would never! Our reputation is everything, and I know everyone else in this room feels the same way! We would never stoop so low..."
 
Arthur Corean gave the lad a soft smile, "I know. It wasn't Federated-Boeing that supplied the faulty seals. So rest assured, never once have I ever held Federated-Boeing even the slightest bit responsible for the deaths of my parents. If I did, we would have had a much different conversation a long time ago."
 
The young man inhaled slowly before taking a seat, and when he looked over at Gerald he flinched, as if ashamed by his outburst.
 
"However, Mister Collier brings up an excellent point. I know that I need not fear anyone in this room, for we are all sons and daughters of the Federated Suns. To strike at one another when we're surrounded by foes? Unthinkable. It is everyone else I am worried about because I have experienced firsthand just how close I came to losing my life that day... and I pray that my warning will give you a reason to look into expanding your own security so that such an event might be mitigated or avoided entirely."
 
Arthur Corean cleared his throat, "With that, I am going to call this to a close. Data packets will be handed out to you before you leave, although there are those I wish to speak with concerning other matters, so we'll begin those meetings promptly. However, if you have further questions, then please see Miss Sterling at the back of the room and we'll pencil in a date for us to speak in private; those of you with rigid travel schedules will have priority, and for those of you based here on New Avalon? Well, you can come over and visit at your leisure."
----
===Revelations and Crimes===
Doctor Gerald Beauford watched the CEO of Phoenix Heavy Industries walk away from his conversation with Arthur Corean with a data chip tucked into his pocket and with a pep in his step- the man sporting a massive grin as he power walked out of the room.
 
The representative of Federated-Boeing looked toward the Countess of Archernar Battlemechs, the woman seated comfortably in her leather chair with her legs tucked up and a glass of wine in her hand, "My Lady...?"
 
"Hmm? Oh, no, go ahead, darling. I can speak to Arthur Dear anytime I please; the boy is naught but a hop and a skip away from me. Go ahead; besides I believed he called for all Aerospace corporations anyway, and Achernar Battlemechs doesn't have anything that soars in the clouds or sails the void." She waved him off diffidently, and he nodded.
 
"Smashing, I think I will take my leave then! Come along, Michael, let's go see with Arthur Corean has for us!" The Chief Engineer for Federated-Boeing's Aerospace Department clapped his hands, and Michael followed along behind him with a long-suffering sigh.
 
"Oh, joy of joys."
 
The others joined them, and Gerald looked around the 'Round Table of Aerospace' and nodded in satisfaction; when was the last time all of the greats were together like this? Other than at a party where snide remarks were exchanged over drinks, of course?
 
He and Michael Collier representing Federated-Boeing. 
 
Countess Tyrell Jaffery and her daughter Corealia represent Lycomb-Davion Introtech. 
 
Mister Martin Hendrickson and his Vice-CEO Yuri Lowe representing Cal-Boeing of Dorwinion.
 
Baron Earl Easterling and his Chief Engineer Aurora Hastings representing Clyde Shipyards.
 
Baron Tevile Wester I and his son, Tevile Wester II representing Wangker Aerospace.
 
Countess Irene Belasco and her cousin Doctor Jorge Belasco representing Frieden Aerospace Park.
 
Mister Eli Johnston and his brother Whitney Johnston representing Johnston Industries.
 
Baroness Deborah Venchil and her husband Baron Vincent Venchil of New-Syrtis Shipyards.
 
Duchess Henrietta Ursala and her Chief Financial Officer Genevieve Aristeed representing Unlimited Air.
 
And lastly, Baron Albrecht Duskendale and his aide Sasha Fomoire representing Jalastar Aerospace.
 
The Baron of Jalastar gave Gerald the stink eye, which Gerald didn't blame him for, but it wasn't as though he had any knowledge of the hostile takeover Federated-Boeing had attempted against his company!
 
Arthur Corean stood in front of the holotank and hummed as he looked over the Aerospace contingent of the gathering, "I had noticed that Mister Gordon Renly and Count Eric Von Steffelbus from Golden Star Entertainment and Interconnectedness Unlimited were not in attendance..."
 
Baroness Deborah Venchil scoffed, "You'll find that they are difficult to contact in the best of times, Duke Corean. The elusive rat Steffelbus is..."
 
"Hmmm, yes, I would think that after his company's 'accident' at your shipyards he would indeed wish to disappear from the limelight entirely," The CEO of Corean tapped a finger against his chin, "Unfortunate, that. Thousands of lives lost and billions of Pounds worth of damage to your shipyards from a chain reaction of 'explosions'."
 
Gerald blinked as he watched the Baroness stiffen, muscles in the woman's jaw twitching as though Arthur Corean pressed a particularly sore spot, "Yes... we were immensely unfortunate with that accident. A lot of good men and women were lost because of it; I couldn't care less about the money. I can make money. I cannot replace lives lost."
 
"I agree with you 100%, Lady Venchil," Ice-blue eyes shifted toward the ranking MIIO representative in the room, "I do believe you know what to do, Mister Winfield?"
 
The MIIO rep, suddenly put on the spot, looked intensely displeased with Arthur, "I am very uncertain that I understand the request, Duke Corean."
 
"I am saying that if you don't know who can get us the information we need to put this whole fiasco to rest, then speak to someone who does and get us the need to know. For God's Sake, man. We're on the cusp of an industrial revolution here, bringing all of the Federated Suns together behind a common goal. It is time we put some skeletons to rest, and it is MIIO's job to help me do it. If you can't or won't, then that is fine, I'll just pencil in a meeting with Count Allard and the Prince when he returns and get it myself." Arthur frowned at the man deeply, who appeared to be stiff-backed and stubborn, "There is a time for secrets, by God I know that to be true, but we cannot possibly move forward in good faith if there are corpses chained around our ankles."
 
Arthur Corean's eyes swept over the people gathered around the holotank and he acknowledged each and every one of them by name, "-Mister Eli Johnston, Baroness Venchil, Duchess Ursala, and Baron Duskendale."
 
He looked at Mister Winfield, "What you see before you is the greatest meeting of the Aerospace community since the fall of the Star League. With our minds and combined industrial might... I believe that there is no task we cannot accomplish. No trial we cannot overcome-"
 
Nods went all around, and Gerald added in his support, "Here, here, Arthur my boy!"
 
"- and while I cannot claim to know what Golden Star Entertainment and Interconnectedness Unlimited were working on at Duke Winward's New-Syrtis Shipyards... I can make some very educated guesses." Arthur tilted his head to the side as he stared the other man down, "Would you like for me to start laying out my thoughts, Mister Winfield? Because I am very certain that everyone here is just dying to know what I have to say, especially when their research led to the deaths of thousands and for all intents and purposes there has been no restitution made to the good Lady of New-Syrtis Shipyards for the pains that the absent Count and his Interconnectedness Unlimited have caused."
 
Gerald saw what the young man was doing, and it took everything he had to keep the broad grin from his face, so he kept it to himself.
 
The CEO of Corean Enterprises inhaled and then exhaled slowly before plucking his cuffs straight, "I would hope that should any one of us be as wronged by another one of our own... that we would all band together to hold the responsible party's feet to the flames. To see that justice be done... even if we have to hide that justice behind a cloak of secrecy for the good of the realm."
 
The Good Doctor swept his eyes over the attending faces and saw once disparate parties nodding their heads in agreement.
 
None moreso than the Baroness of New-Syrtis Shipyards, the elderly woman bolstered by the outpouring of support. 
 
Gerald had heard about the unfortunate accident more than a decade ago, but he hadn't really thought anything of it. However, if Arthur was bringing it up here and now, with all of the other Aerospace Giants in attendance, then it was painfully clear that there was far more to the story than what was spewed out by the Media and the talking heads. 
 
The Baroness had likely been stonewalled for years in the lead-up to this moment, maybe she had even given up, but Arthur Corean standing up for her here and now had galvanized her.
 
With Arthur's connection to the First Prince and the sheer importance of this newly formed... Coalition of Industrialists...
 
However, let it never be said that an MIIO Analyst couldn't analyze the sudden shift in the room.
 
"I... do not understand or know about anything you are referencing, Duke Corean, as compartmentalization is a standard practice," The MIIO Representative tugged at the tie around his neck, "So I will speak to my bosses who... will speak to their bosses and we'll see if we can't find out the information that you're looking for. Pending Quintus Allard's and the First Prince's approval, of course."
 
And just like that, the tension that sparked in the air had been cut, and everyone in attendance relaxed immeasurably. 
 
Though this time Doctor Beauford smiled genuinely.
 
And just like that, Arthur Corean had gotten a great many direct competitors to rally to his banner with one single stroke, and what a masterstroke it was. 
 
If nothing else, if no one else walked away from what was about to be discussed in agreement, Arthur Corean would certainly have Baroness Venchil's support in its entirety; though they were still recovering from the accident that reduced them... what little capacity they had would be at Arthur Corean's disposal.
 
"Excellent, you have my thanks," The Duke of Petrolia smiled genially at the man who looked as though he was about to suffer a heart attack, though Arthur did flinch slightly when he met the gaze of someone off in the shadows.
 
Still, whatever transpired did not seem to tamp down his spirits, and he activated the holotank after slipping in a data chit, and on the screen, a wireframe of a large orbital structure appeared, "Now. I think just by looking at this everyone here can get where I am going with this. The simple fact is that all of our orbital facilities are 500 years old or older than that. With Andosteel and some further improvements, I think that we can build new orbital factories more quickly and more cheaply than ever before. Now, I have a general framework- an ideal we can work toward, but I do not have the expertise to see this all to fruition. At least not yet; I'm a few years away from my doctorate in Aerospace Engineering you see..."
 
Doctor Gerald Beauford smiled beatifically.
 
This trip had been well worth all of those weeks on a jumpship!
----
===Handling Fiancé Gone Rogue===
[???]
After all of the hubbub was concluded, it was well into the evening. 
 
Industrial Giants from every sector, from power generation to Aerospace, and Battlemechs and Vehicles had been courted. Plans were hashed out, nominal agreements made, and large forces put to a task.
 
The details would be hashed out by armies of lawyers in the future, more meetings penciled in at later dates, and likely a second and third gathering in the coming years. It took a great deal of time, money, and effort to set a ball this large into motion, but by God had Arthur done it.
 
Whatever the Prince had hoped for from this gathering she was certain that he had accomplished all of it and so much more...
 
The unveiling of the Federated Commonwealth and all of the boons and banes it would bring was now front and center in the minds of the industrialists. However, she was certain that the Prince would have wanted to it sound less... adversarial in nature... there was no denying that the money-hungry Lyrans would only look at the Federated Suns and see ripe new markets to expand into and consume with little thought given to the local industry. Arthur, she believed, was right that if the industrialists of the Federated Suns were caught unawares by the merger then it might very well spell disaster as they were suddenly forced to compete with an industrial juggernaut that outmassed them heavily.
 
Medium 'Mechs that were versatile and agile tended to avoid confrontations with an Atlas at every opportunity for a reason.
 
That and signaling theory was a powerful tool, and while most of the industrialists who remained behind to see it through to the end might not have been close enough to hear what had transpired between the Aerospace Community and the MIIO representative... what they did see was every direct competitor come together. Not for a brief moment, no, this was no mere flash in a pan, they came together and stayed together. Going so far as to stand around for hours around a holotank while they hashed out details for a new multi-purpose orbital facility.
 
Most of the participants were nobles.
 
That sent a powerful message: there could be no wallflowers in this new era of manufacturing. 
 
No sitting on the sidelines while waiting to see what would shake out- seeing which way the winds blew.
 
If the giants were getting together and putting their collective noggins and resources together with minimal complaints then you either joined up and rode the wave or you were swept away by the tides. 
 
It would have been a beautiful display if Arthur had only managed to scapegoat the elusive and secretive Count Elric von Steffelbus the IV... but he had gotten MIIO caught in the splash zone with his attack.
 
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, dear, I think I've suffered enough humiliation and abuse now," Arthur reached up and grasped onto the hand that had been pinching his earlobe as they strode toward his safer quarters deep within the belly of Corean Enterprises' Admin building.
 
Yet as much as she wanted to continue treating him harshly for his indiscretion, Samantha Sterling was well aware that her husband was not a man-child, and he didn't need to be treated as such. He merely humored her, of that she was thankful.
 
It still didn't help the feelings burning deep within her breast, however, "First I find out that you planned our wedding date without me knowing about it-"
 
"Wait, wait, wait- how did you not know about it? It was you who submitted the paperwork! Three weeks ago!"
 
"-and then you go through and put one of my men on the spot in front of all and sundry-! Wait, what? What do you mean I submitted the paperwork?!"
 
"Alright, marriage date first, the second thing second," Arthur placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her from pacing, and he exhaled, "Are we about to have our first argument?"
 
"Yes, it appears that way." Samantha hissed between her teeth, but the way his hands gently squeezed her shoulders seemed to drain some of the tension from them, "Now, explain, please."
 
"Three weeks ago, at 2:47 pm. I asked you if you would be fine with an August wedding. You said 'Mhmm, yes, August sounds fine.' To which I replied, 'Alright then, August 20th it is.' Then I filled out the marriage registration paperwork and mailed it to your terminal for you to look over and submit when you had the time."
 
Full red lips pursed as she took a half-pace back so that she could unlock her noteputer. The MIIO Agent navigated to her Mail Portal and scrolled back to the 24th of November. As her eyes scanned the contents of that day's mail traffic she realized that she had been inordinately swamped that day. 
 
Being the personal secretary for one of the busiest men in the Federated Suns short of the First Prine himself meant that she was always metaphorically running about; not that she disliked the work. However, it did mean that she was always working from the moment the heels came on to the moment the heels came off.
 
There, hidden among two dozen different correspondences with various Corean departments as well as updates from Petrolia II... was a single mail from Arthur titled "Tentative Wedding Date Plans". 
 
Sure enough, sent at 2:47 PM.
 
She felt her mood sour as the righteous indignation that she had been saving up throughout the day was blown away like a leaf on the wind, and the retired MIIO Agent pouted as she let her head fall to his chest, "I was incredibly busy that day. I don't think I even read it fully; just... forwarded it off to the New Avalon Registration Office."
 
Was she slipping?
 
"Mhmmm... not everyone can have a perfect memory like me," Arthur's chest rumbled as a chuckle vibrated her forehead, and the man wrapped his arms around her shoulders and squeezed her tight to him, "And do I sound all that broken up about it?"
 
She grunted as she wrapped her arms around his waist, "If anyone ever asks, or I decide to retell this tale, I'm going to say that I won the argument. My pride as a woman would never take it if I was forced to admit defeat to my husband in our first official sparring match."
 
"I reserve the right to defend myself in front of our children at every dinner table meeting; besmirch my good name to all of the courtly ladies you wish, but we'll be having a much different conversation if that happens to carry over to the family." He drummed his fingers along her spine, and she hummed.
 
"I can accept that."
 
"Good."
"Good."
"Fine."
 
"Now, about what you did to poor Mister Winfield," She pinched his sides, her fingers finding what little remained of his love handles after his months of training- the woman relishing in the feeling of solid muscle underneath, "You put him on the spot. All but dragged MIIO's name through the mud in front of a lot of powerful and important people."
 
"I did no such thing. The First Prince will not be implicated, and if Quintus Allard doesn't fuck this up then neither will he. MIIO will have merely performed its duties to keep a sensitive state secret covered up, but ultimately all of the blame will fall onto Golden Star Entertainment and Interconnectedness Unlimited. They're a rather large corporation that no one really seems to know how they function at all. How a corporation can keep itself so secretive when every single one of us is raked over the coals for every improperly filed employee expense report is beyond me."
 
Samantha Sterling sighed as she turned her head and rested her cheek against her husband-to-be's sternum, the woman allowing the gentle thrum of his voice to carry her away, "Seriously. You blow up a whole multi-billion Pound shipyard and no one catches any flack for it? No jail time. No restitution. No fines. No shutterings. No nothing? And believe me, I saw the photos- saved them to my hard drive the moment the news broke the air; as good as MIIO is they're not going to outpace ComStar New Network- not with a scandal as big as that. Sure, you won't be able to find the original photos anymore but what happened there? That wasn't an accidental explosion. I have multiple doctorates and years of experience watching shit blow up and making chemical compounds to do said blowing up, and I ain't never seen anything like that."
 
"I'm certain that you have a whole file on this that I can give to Quintus so that he'll not ride my ass as to how you've cottoned onto some... sort of MIIO cover-up?" Samantha asked tiredly.
 
God, it was so late and she just wanted to strip out of her clothes- her heels most of all- and curl up against Arthur and go to sleep. 
 
Hell, she might even put her icy feet on his legs; her toes got cold and the man was a furnace.
 
"You bet your beautiful ass I do. My money? A new jumpship. I've seen the after-action photos of what happens when a vessel is too close to a jumpship when it makes the hyperspace translation, and given the hole left in the New-Syrtis orbitals looks like a perfectly spherical cut away; as if someone scooped half of the New-Syrtis Shipyards out of existence with a giant hyperspace ice cream scooper. I think that the Duke was more than aware of what was going on, but when MIIO starts stone-walling... well it is difficult to play chicken against MIIO..."
 
"And you think that you can play chicken against MIIO now?" Samantha drawled softly, her fingers slithering up the back of his coat to slide along the silk fabric along his lower back.
 
"If MIIO decided to hold onto the 'Idiot Ball' and play fuck-fuck games? Yes. I'd win." Arthur chuffed as he buried his nose against the crown of her head and planted a kiss, "But I know that you love MIIO too much to let them do something so stupid. I have complete confidence that you'd manage to steer them clear before committing suicide-by-Corean. Besides, Hanse would be sad if I broke his intelligence Agency. He'd have to ask Melissa to shore up the losses."
 
Something within Samantha broke in that moment, and she began to laugh. 
 
Why she laughed, she didn't know. 
 
Even years and years down the road there was nothing that she could point to that made her break down and laugh like a maniac. 
 
When she looked up, the woman reached up and grasped the side of his face, her giggles petering out as something cool dripped down the back of her spine.
 
"You truly believe that, don't you?" She whispered.
 
"I'd win. Without question," Ice-blue eyes speared into her very soul as the man's visage was nigh unreadable, "However, it would take a great deal for me to ever consider harming my own countrymen. I'd like to think that my love and loyalty to the First Prince and the Federated Suns is made of sterner stuff."
 
Samantha Sterling smiled as she popped up onto her toes and pressed a brief kiss to his lips, "You are an infuriating man, sometimes, Arthur Corean."
 
With that, she reached down and picked up the heels she kicked off, and she strode the rest of the way toward their underground abode, "I'm going to be hogging the shower, for at least an hour, Arthur."
 
"That's fine... I didn't need to bathe anyways..."
 
He tread a very fine line, damn him, but the worst part was that deep within the pit of her gut she believed him. The man ran rings around her simply by going about his day- she would need at least three more assistants to spread the workload around enough that she could do her job as a wife/minder to give the important things the attention they deserved. 
 
Missing her own wedding date? That was a sign if there ever was one.
 
Colonel Ming would assuredly help shore up some of the gaps but while she was unquestionably loyal to the Federated Suns, would she be more loyal to the Suns or the new husband that she has longed for?
 
Only time would tell. 
 
And the retired Agent hoped and prayed that they would never have to find out, because as this singular meeting showed... Arthur Corean had effectively eliminated himself as an Island; it would take a violent and swift rebuke from the crown to scatter the various industrialists. Though the true question is would the First Prince even consider such a thing?
 
He gave Arthur a great deal of latitude with this plan. His trust in Arthur was unshakable, just as Arthur's trust in the First Prince was unflappable. They both put forth their best efforts for the Federated Suns without question- two dynamos that have been moving perfectly in synch since the unfortunate passing of Arthur's parents. Even MIIO was following the Prince's lead, and she hoped that those seated within wouldn't see the Prince's latitude with Arthur as a threat to their independence... 
 
And God knows that MIIO could be petty...
 
Samantha felt her lips curl up in distaste, as she once more felt herself falling even deeper in love with her husband-to-be, but also immensely aggravated with the workload he's just dropped onto her shoulders. It was a brilliant play, she wasn't too far up her own ass to see it- in the blink of an eye... a sea full of competitors were suddenly shoulder to shoulder and discussing plans for an 'open source' Orbital factory design...
 
"Augh.... Arthur, please..." Samantha whined like a teenage girl who found out her boyfriend said something uncouth in front of her father, "So many feathers I'm going to have to unruffle."
 
The First Prince better be thankful for all of her hard work, and Quintus better be kissing the ground she walks on by the time this is all said and done.
----
==Notes from Author==
*; Note from the Author : A LOTS of big things and small things happened this chapter. I was hoping to get to the Christmas Special this chapter but unfortunately, it ran... very long. For obvious reasons. I hope that everyone enjoyed this industrialist special chapter! (And I'm not too certain how I feel about the interaction with MIIO at the end... dunno. Though I'm letting it ride because I've spent days writing this chapter and I don't want to stall out. Some headaches will be had, but ultimately the Prince and MIIO won't really come out of this too worse for wear, even if they covered up the Lucretia Incident (for very obvious and reasonable reasons) they weren't the ones responsible for the destruction to the New Syrtis Shipyards; that rests solely on Interconnectedness Unlimited and Golden Star Entertainment... as after a security breach your first inclination usually isn't to murder thousands of people and destroy billions of dollars worth of exceptionally important shipyards as even a 'reflex action'. Shipyards are more important than 'Mech factories. Especially yards that can work on new jumpships. That we never saw these new Super Jump Drives at all despite it having been a functional prototype that was destroyed 50-years later by micro-jumping into a star to avoid handing it over to Wobbies means that Interconnectedness Unlimited had no plans on sharing the designs with the Federated Suns... who likely funded most of the project anyways. I'm betting that Count Whatshisnuts stone-walled MIIO and the Federated Suns and told them that it was gone and they lost all of the data... convincingly enough to not have himself strung up by his thumbs until he relented. Because thousands of people died and billions of dollars worth of very important equipment in the form of valuable shipyards got destroyed. He must have been able to tap dance while singing in the rain. Upside down. In a sandstorm. Because as nice as the Feddies are... they aren't that nice. I wonder what backroom deals were struck to get ICU as influential as they were despite almost no one knowing shit about them.So ICU being the sacrificial pawn/rallying cry to get all of the important players on board was a relatively easy decision to make. Even if the industrialists wake up a few weeks later and realized that they might have been outmaneuvered... what are they doing to do? Back out? In front of their peers? In front of agreements made in front of each other? Admit that they might have gotten played? In the end their pride will take a hit because it was the most sound business decision. They might be Counts, Dukes, Barons, and not engineers and scientists, but you don't need scientists to see the benefits of Andosteel and Henan Crystal manufacturing as well as a ready-to-build design that you didn't have to pay to develop of test... and more importantly, know for a fact that it works and is efficient because you just got to see the SCMF in action. That and tossing a few hundred scientists and engineers and a few million Pounds into the NAIS isn't going to be too much of an ask because the weapons licenses they just picked up will mean that they don't need to waste development dollars elsewhere.The sooner they get all of the good stuff operational- Endo, Ferro Fibrous, XL Engines, ER Weapons- the better. And if the Cooperative gives such amazing benefits it would be stupid not to take it. Especially since everyone else is going to be taking the deal. They might have been dismissive at the onset, but in this case, seeing is believing.
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