FSRB Chpt 64

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==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 64==
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September 3066Tensions Building
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===Princesses in the Outback===
On her tour of the Outback, Duchess Isis Marik and her companion Duchess Yvonne Davion-Sandoval head out of the Draconis March and into the Crucis March's Outback region. Moving from world to world they see new towns, factories and even entirely new cities being built on many of the Outback worlds while also being shown parades of dozens of new militia units which have been formed to protect this growing prosperity. The militia's are almost entirely infantry but a handful are beginning to be equipped with small numbers of tanks and a handful have even a lance or so of Battlemechs on some of the more well developed worlds - usually cast offs from March Militias who have seen their equipment upgraded by new production, but a handful of worlds with existing Battlemech factories on them have a small number of newly produced battlemechs from the local factories. The plan is for the 2 duchess's to head to the former Tortuga Dominions, which are currently administered as part of the "Periphery Combat Region" by early October. 
In a meeting with Marshal Todd Revon, the head of the Regular Army and one of Jackson Davion's key deputies Marshal Deedee Faulkner discusses the potential to raise at least 2 new Borderer regiments, suggesting Bell and Conroe as the 2 worlds that are most in need of a Borderer regiment to help the local defenses. She suggest that the next wave of graduates from the 1st Bell and 1st Conroe Reinforced Training Battalions be allocated along with a handful of veterans preferably originating on those 2 worlds to form a cadre for expansion into full regiments. When it is pointed out that Conroe is currently "behind the lines" Marshal Faulkner makes the excellent point that both the Aragon and Kittery Borderer regiments have often been deployed to nearby worlds and in the case of the 1st Aragon Borderer's they were even deployed to Operation Bulldog in the Combine. Having a regiment based on Conroe that can either provide a rallying point in case the frontier is broken or a potential source of reinforcements for worlds like Niles, Groveld and Delacruz. While Bell is an obvious choice given the recent raids. Marshal Revon agrees to take the proposal to the Marshal of Armies. When Faulkner brings up the subject of the Sheraton Knights she is told to drop it. Todd Revon explains to the head of the Borderers Brigade that her almost obsession with folding this unit into her brigade has been noticed and it is not reflecting to her credit. The First Prince himself founded the Sheraton Knights to honor the loyalists who had fought in his name for almost a decade with little to no help from the FedSuns and he wasn't about to sour that bond between Sheraton and House Davion just to appease what was by now appearing to be the ambitions of a staff officer. The Borderer Brigade was being expanded up and would likely continue to grow, but that growth could always take place under a different commanding officer if she continued to make waves and irritate the First Prince. Revon strongly suggest she drop it and not bring it up again for her own sake. Marshal Faulkner assure him that she was merely thinking of the AFFS and how the 1st Sheraton Knights could be better supported within her own brigade, but that what he is saying is the impression she is giving she will let the matter drop. Todd Revon unfortunately cannot help but "hear" the unspoken "for now" at the end of Deedee Faulkner's assurance.
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===New School for SLDF===
The First Prince contacts the First Lord of the Star League on the 18th and discusses with him the upcoming graduating class from the Hasek-Davion Martial Academy on Defiance. Half of the graduating class will be SLDF graduates and the First Prince wishes to ask whether or not the SLDF want the graduates assigned straight to them or for them to do a tour in a Training Cadre. While Christian Mansdottir accepts that the cadets would do better of with some experience in a Cadre he thinks that might reflect that the SLDF is helping defend the Federated Suns and as such says it would politically be unwise. Victor Davion assures him that this causes him no offence and suggests that the first class be used to create a new 2nd Royal Battlemech Regiment which could act almost as an informal cadre, promising that his realm would provide the necessary battlemechs to the SLDF at cost. Indeed he would personally fund at least some of the purchase as a token of his esteem for the SLDF's recent actions on Highspire. Although knowing this would effectively give the already popular Prince Victor a massive boost in popularity within the SLDF the First Lord can see no rational reason to refuse the offer and accepts it graciously.
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===Developments in Industry===
Marshal of the Armies Jackson Davion sends world to the military liaison attached to Jalastar Aerospace that he would like the company to prepare a costings for them to build at least 2 updated Jabberwocky IndustrialMech lines either at Panpour at somewhere else. Although originally something of a flop in sales Jackson Davion can see a large market for the IndustrialMech within the AFFS's engineering companies and is sure that there would at least be some civilian sales to help keep the unit cost low. 
The Federated Suns also announce to Blackstone Battlemechs Limited that they will be raising legal action against them for breach of contract. The company had signed to large contracts to produce Talon and Enfield battlemech's for both the AFFS and LAAF but have been falling further and further behind with their deliveries - particularly to the AFFS. Although they have a large expansion of their plants currently ongoing this will only allow them to keep pace with the existing orders and not actually begin to reduce the backlog. Having evaluated this the Quartermaster office had passed this information along to the Government who have announced they will now be pursuing not only the Blackstone Battlemechs company but also the Blackstone family itself in the courts. This announcement sees a major drop in the share price of the company and an almost panic within the companies executives. 
Into this panicked atmosphere comes an unofficial counter offer from the Federated Suns. If Blackstone commits to funding the construction of a new battlemech factory producing Enfields and Talons within the Federated Sun's on say the world of Vandalia then the FedSuns will halt it's impending law suit. On top of this the MIIO has recently discovered that Blackstone has obtained a license to produce the superb scout mech the Ostscout and they will expect a line for that battlemech to be built as well. When Graf Gregory Blackstone responds that this is blackmail he is informed that nobody is forcing him to commit to this alternate arrangement. If he doesn't want to diversify his production facilities that's his choice and the AFFS and FedSuns Government will see him in court. Through gritted teeth the Graf agrees to fund the new construction as a way to avoid a lengthy and perhaps ruinous court case. Which even if he won might damage his families brand name given the growing popularity of First Prince Victor Davion within many areas of the Lyran Alliance. Even if it didn't Peter Steiner owes his throne largely to his brother and who knows how he might react... Losing the AFFS contract on it's own would be devastating, losing both the LAAF and AFFS contracts would bankrupt his entire family. He assures the Federated Suns that he'll arrange groundbreaking for the new factory by January 3067. He sells this investment to the Lyran Alliance as allowing him to free up the existing lines for purely domestic sales as soon as he can get the new plant operational. 
On Valois, Clan Sun Jaguar begins work on constructing a line to produce Clint IIC and Guillotine IIC Battlemechs. The Clan techs are hoping to get these 2 production lines operational as fast as possible due to a serious shortage in Battlemechs for the Warrior Caste. Work proceeds at a feverish pace and speeds up when a number of FedSuns based companies on nearby worlds are contracted by the First Prince to help the project. Although not as technologically advanced as the Clanner's these firms are extremely experienced by now in throwing up new construction and bring with them a number of industrial mechs to help. These are at first seen as a perversion by the Sun Jaguars but after watching a Filtvelt produced Dig Lord carve out a large foundation hole for the new plant in a matter of hours rather than the weeks they had been looking at the Technician and Laborer Castes swiftly convert to the use of these machines. The fact that within these castes are a number of failed and former mechwarriors would give them experienced and skilled pilots. If they can convince their Khan to approve of the idea. 
The vote for the new saKhan which had been delayed into September by a final Trial of Refusal by a star of Trueborn warriors from the 3rd Sun Jaguar Guards cluster finally takes place after the Khan, Galaxy Commander Paul Moon and another Elemental from the Khan's Gold Keshik others defeat the 5 mechwarriors in an un-augmented Trial. The results are quickly gathered and Galaxy Commander Paul Moon finds himself the new saKhan for Clan Sun Jaguar. This means that both Khans are now Elementals which is rare for any Clan. 
General Motors completes their new Blackjack-O production line on Kathil in September and immediately begins constructing a second one. The Blackjack-O is an extremely popular OmniMech within the AFFS and not only does the company begin work on a second line on Kathil but they start building a new line to add the OmniMech to the designs built on Salem, which until now have been vehicles. 
With support from the AFFS, New Independence Weaponry contacts Grumium Creations to discuss licensing from them their updated CP-11-G Cyclops command Battlemech. At the same time the company which specializes in assault battlemechs also contracts DefHes within the Lyran Alliance to discuss trading a license to produce Victor class battlemechs for being allowed to produce limited numbers of Zeus class Battlemechs within the FedSuns. A number of commands such as the 1st Revenant Guards RCT and FedSuns Dragoons RCTs have a number of ageing Zeuses within their ranks which they hold onto as a sign of their former links with the defunct FedCom. If they can obtain a license to produce limited numbers of updated Zeus's CEO Judith Hotchkiss is sure she can obtain a long term contract for Zeus's to refit these regiments. 
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===Events else where in the Periphery & the Inner Sphere===
Conrad Davion arrives on Erod's Escape and meets with Baron Kithrong himself within hours. He immediately offers that the Federated Suns will smuggle equipment and even battlemechs to the fledgling state via their secure base on Cooperland - which is a shock to the Baron as he had not heard any intelligence reports indicating that the FedSuns were on that long thought to be abandoned world! He points out he can't have obvious links to House Davion, and Conrad assures him that all equipment and designs will be as generic as possible - Wasps, Stingers, Locusts, Phoenix Hawks, Shadow Hawks, Griffins, Wolverines, Warhammers, etc... All easily obtainable non-FedSuns specific battlemechs and similarly for any tanks or fighters they supply. 
Within the Free Worlds League, the Captain-General receives a veiled threat from an anonymous. Either he must step up support for the WOB immediately and stop all efforts to distance himself from them or his actual identity will be leaked to parliament. There is no time frame placed upon this threat, but the word immediately gives him a very clear indication that he will have to make up his mind extremely quickly. 
At the same time and almost as a way to test the Captain-General the WOB launch a series of small raids from locations within the Free Worlds against ComGuard targets within the Lyran Alliance. Striking no fewer than 5 HPG compounds or ComGuard's garrisons. Leading to furious calls from not only the Lyran Alliance but also many within his own realm to expel the WOB from the League... 
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