FSRB Chpt 82

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==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 82==
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Interlude: Tikonov
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City of Tikograd
Tikonov
Federated Suns
November, 3067
Usually when Stepan Makarov was entertaining an old friend he would either do so at his townhouse in Tikograd or at the old family estate just outside of New Moscow instead of his small (small being an relative term) personal dacha. Even when he was on Tikonov he rarely used the dacha, only really coming out here when he wanted to be alone or to hunt in the nearby forest. Still when the old friend coming to visit was a convicted mutineer, deserter, and traitor... Well the usual social graces had to be put aside. So here he was sitting at the kitchen table sipping vodka waiting in the dark for Dmitri Rosilov, former Captain in the AFFC's 3rd Republican Guard, to arrive. Hardly how he wanted to spend his last shore leave before taking command of the FSS Charles Davion, particularly when he had managed to obtain tickets for the ballet for himself and the widowed Baroness Yalena Livovna. Still Dmitri wasn't the sort you left hanging. 
Stepan nearly jumped out of his skin when there was a quite knock on his back door, but hurriedly stood and moved to open it. He paused when he saw not one but two men standing outside his back door. "You said you would come alone..."
Dmitri gave his usual charming smile as he stepped inside and moved towards the table and the open bottle of vodka. "Ahhh... Stanislav is a friend, one of Baranov's people."
The thuggish looking Stanislav stepped inside and shrugged."I'm just here to make sure Dmitri doesn't let old friendship cloud his good judgement..."
Stepan sighed and shrugged himself, closing the door. "Dmitri doesn't believe in letting friendship cloud any sort of benefit to him or his cause... So I'm guessing your here to kill me if I don't make the right noises."
The thug's face split into a wide smile. "Dmitri said you were smart... Yes, that's my job... Nothing personal." 
"Not much of a job is it?" Stepan stopped on the way to the table and secured an additional glass for Stanislav before pouring them all a drink. After they had each downed the vodka he refilled and spoke. "So... What brings you back to my door Dmitri and with such charming company?" 
"The cause. Always the cause." Dmitri's smile went up a notch and he made a dramatic flourish with his hand. "Free Tikonov has need of you, Baron Makarov."
Commander, soon to be Captain Makarov snorted. "Nobody calls me baron. Not even on the estate. My grandfather seemed to take that title to his grave with him..." 
"But you a Baron. A member of one of the oldest and noblest houses of Tikonov..." Dmitri started.
"And soon to be a captain in the Federated Suns Navy. Commanding an Avalon no less..." Stanislav interupted. "A powerful ship."
"If you are wanting me to defect with an Avalon cruiser you might as well shoot or strangle or knife me now... That isn't possible!" Stepan barked back. 
thumb|Avalon class cruiser
"Not at all, not at all... No we just want you to... Do nothing. Absolutely nothing." Dmitri shot his companion a glare to tell him to shut up. "That isn't so hard, and doesn't involve commandeering a ship of war! We just need you to have your crew stand down for a few short hours... And ideally allow a dropship to dock with you. We'll take it from there..."
Dmitri continued on for almost an hour in the same line. Explaining Free Tikonov's plans to invade (although he called it liberate) Tikonov from the Federated Suns. All four Tikonov Republican Guard regiments along with the Free Republic Revolutionary regiment would arrive via pirate jump point and burn for Tikonov - while Captain Stepan Makarov ordered his future vessel the FSS Charles Davion to stand down and or sabotages the ship so it couldn't intervene. Specially training infantry would then dock with the ship and help seize it in the name of Duke William Baranov, Supreme Leader of the Free Tikonov Republic. While the five regiments of battlemechs would land, instigating a revolt and join with the various revolutionary groups to seize the planet and return it to freedom. With at least five Battlemech regiments and perhaps some Cossacks who had seen the light stationed on the planet and taking up positions within the extensive fortifications and with their own Avalon class cruiser in orbit the Davion's wouldn't have a chance of returning the planet to the Suns and would have to cut their losses Dmitri assured him with all the confidence of a fanatic. 
"And the Old Wolf?" Stepan spoke softly, by now most of the bottle of vodka gone. 
"He'll have to go... He's sold out the Cause for reconciliation with his traitor grandson. We'll allow him to leave into exile... We know you are fond of your cousin..." Dmitri's lie was so smooth that you'd have to know him particularly well to know it was a lie. Duke Paul Ryan-Bowman, his distant cousin and the man who had got him into the navy, was not going to be allowed to quietly go into exile where he might form a nucleus for a pro-FedSuns resistance. No, like so many other Russian leaders who had been overthrown or deposed he would be quickly killed in some basement or dark forest. Out of sight. The body likely destroyed. 
Makarov sighed. "Why do you need me?" 
"Because you will command an Avalon class cruiser!" Stanislav spoke up after being silent for most of the discussion. "Even a strong military force on planet might be attacked by the Davions if they control the orbitals! We had hoped to gain access to a League warship, but the late Captain-General was too smart to let us get our people into positions of authority on any of them... And then we heard through back channels about your pending promotion and we realized that we were being blessed with an opportunity!" 
"And in return...?" Stepan knew how Dmitri Rosilov's mind worked. While he spoke of a "Cause" he was more than anything a strong believer in what was best for Dmitri Rosilov. He expected others to be the same. While this Stanislav with no last name didn't know him and would distrust him unless he thought that he was another man like Dmitri. 
"Whatever you want. Grand High Admiral of the Free Republican Navy. Hell we'll rename the Avalon after you if you want, the FRS Stepan Makarov! Better than some Davion princeling...!" Dmitri laughed. "Or money, land, whatever you want! Your family while seeped in prestigious history isn't exactly what it used to be Stepan... Being distant cousins to the Ryan-Bowman's has got you nothing but medals and empty gratitude... Emperor Baranov knows how to treat his people!"
"Emperor? I thought he was now Supreme Leader?" Stepan tried to make it a joke, but Stanislav scowled regardless.
"Oh just one of his little affectations, he likes the older title so some of us in the inner circle still use it..." Dmitri was back to smiling again. 
"And you Dmitri? What do you get? Will you be Baron Rosilov? Or Colonel Rosilov?" Stepan chuckled. 
"Oh I'm already a Colonel! The 2nd Tikonov Republicans my command. But Baron sounds good doesn't it?" The tradesman's son grinned. 
Stepan smiled nodding and then paused to consider. "Fine... But only on the condition that the Old Duke goes into exile. I won't be party to his murder. Is that clear?"
"Of course, of course... Hell, I love the Old Wolf myself, he got me into the academy at the same time he sent you to Galax remember? We don't want to hurt him, hell you and me, we'll ask the Emperor to grant him a nice pension! We'll be important men, barons!" Dmitri assured his old friend. While Stanislav sat wordless. Perhaps he was to be the one to kill the Duke. 
"Very well then... It's agreed. To Grand High Admiral Makarov and Baron Rosilov!" The two old friends clinked glasses and downed the last of the vokda laughing. 
Less than five minutes later the two men slipped out. Makarov then hurriedly slipped the ear bud of the recording device he had placed on the side of the path earlier into his ear to listen. 
"Well?" Stanislav. 
"He's in. If he hadn't made the condition about that drunken fool Ryan-Bowman. I'd have said we'd have had to kill him, but he loves that old drunk and is probably trying to save him from his treachery... He's our man." Dmitri assured his companion. 
"You better be right." 
"I've known Stepan for 30 years. Since we were children. He's a patriot. We can count on him..." Dmitri spoke with absolute conviction as they walked off down the path between the rose bushes and out of range of the receiver.
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Moving slowly to his dinner table Stepan reached under the table to release the small recording device that he had received from a rather grim faced agent from Duke Ryan-Bowman's own Tikonov secret police, the Okhrana, earlier that day. Even before Dmitri had left the spaceport they had contacted him to let him know his old friend had arrived on Tikonov and would be coming to see him. Working alongside the DMI the Okhrana kept a close eye on Free Tikonov Revolutionaries on and around Tikonov. The mixed MI5 and Okhrana Intervention Squad that had been deployed around his dacha would wait till the two revolutionaries were safely away before coming to get the recording of the conversation. As he waited, Stepan began wording the report that he would be preparing for Marshal Daniel Darwith of MI2 and no doubt Fleet Admiral Buchwald as well. 
Even knowing it was his duty to betray his old friend, Captain Makarov couldn't help but feel guilty. They had been friends since childhood and not just that, but if the FedSuns used the intelligence he was giving them to lay a trap a lot of sons and daughters of Tikonov were going to die for nothing. But at the end of the day Dmitri had been right about one thing, Stepan Makarov was a patriot for his homeworld. He could see the growing prosperity that the Federated Suns was bringing to his world. The security and good governance, particularly since Duke Paul had stopped acting against them and had begun to work with New Syrtis and New Avalon in an attempt to mend bridges with his estranged grandson. It was visible perhaps to him more than most as it was sometimes years between his visits home. So the changes were noticeable. The new mines. The new factories. Large new agricultural areas opening up for use. Free Tikonov would destroy all that and leave his world shattered and besieged by the very men and women who had until now been helping it grow. No. He was too much of a patriot to do that to his world. And too loyal to his oaths, not only to the Federated Suns Navy and First Prince but also his oaths to the Duke of Tikonov. Dmitri should have remembered that Stepan was a man of his word and not assumed he was a scheming liar like he himself was!
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