FSRB Chpt 126

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 126==
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August 3069Shiva
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===First Prince on Tour===
After having brought the Sian Republic-Federated Sun's Peace Treaty to it's final points the First Prince deputised the new March Lady of the League March to sign the treaty on his behalf and left St Ives. Again using a command chain of Jumpships and with warships strategically placed along the route to ensure his safety he travelled quickly to first New Syrtis and then on to Islamabad. At New Syrtis he met with Duke Hasek and discussed with him briefly the Duke's plans for improving the defenses of his March. Prince Victor agreed to almost all of the proposals - namely the expansion of the independent command of the 1st New Syrtis Hussars LCT to be the basis for a new brigade of LCT class units native to the Capellan March and the 2 planned new Borderer regiment's at Preston and Claxton and promised support for these commands. He also backed plans to rebuild and reopen the destroyed Capellan military academy on Victoria - agreeing with the Duke that the academy should be named simply the Victory Academy.
Leaving New Syrtis, the First Prince then moved on to Islamabad where he was greeted with a series of parades by both the Islamabad CrMM and 3rd Avalon Hussars RCT. Also present were elements of the 2nd Avalon Hussars RCT as well as the 1st Davion Guards who were escorting the First Prince. Once the parades had finally came to a conclusion the First Prince began his meetings with the commanding officers of the 3 units which were garrisoning the Islamabad Combat Region as well as a number of civilian leaders. He made 2 proposal's to them. The first was that the 2nd and 3rd Avalon Hussars RCT's would detach a third of their strength to form the basis of 2 new Avalon Borderer LCT which would take up their garrison postings allowing the Hussar's to be freed up for other deployments. This move was met with a great deal of hostility particularly from the civilian leadership. They had helped to form the 2nd & 3rd Avalon Hussars on the specific understanding that they would be retained to garrison the Combat Region after all.
The First Prince acknowledged this, but pointed out that the main threat to the region - the Taurian Concordant - had been largely dealt with. Retaining 2 entire front line RCTs in the Combat Region was massive overkill against the few pirate raids that took place. Indeed studies conducted by the High Command on New Avalon indicated that 2-3 LCT sized formations would be much better suited to counter these threats. In light of their fears however he promised to form an additional Avalon Borderer LCT within the Combat Region to act as a more mobile reserve while allowing both Islamabad and Panpour to be garrisoned full time, while also rotating either the 2nd or 3rd Avalon Hussars back into the region whenever it was possible. Which would give the additional benefit of keeping the ties between the units and the local communities alive.
With his audience (who had started the meeting almost in awe of their First Prince's presence) now lapsed into sullen silence the First Prince brought out the carrot. He informed them that as they knew it was his life's work to strengthen the AFFS and the realm as a whole so that it was safe from any foreign invaders. In the pursuit of this he had formed several new brigades - such as the New Avalon Cavaliers, Avalon Borderers and Lexington Combat Guards - and reformed others such as the Dragonlords. He had long been impressed by the valor of the Islamabad CrMM who had always carried the banner of the now defunct Messengers of Shiva. It was his intent (if they agreed) to reform the Messengers from the current Islamabad CrMM, breaking the March Militia into two LCT sized formations to restore the Messengers of Shiva to the active rolls. The Islamabad CrMM would then be reformed. To support this new formation a small military academy would be founded on Basantapur to provide recruits not only for the CrMM, but the Messengers of Shiva and indeed the local Avalon Borderer formations.
The sullen acceptance, the First Prince had faced from his subjects at the loss of "their" Avalon Hussars RCTs was totally dispelled by this announcement. The officers of the Islamabad CrMM in particular were enthused by the prospects of being converted into front line commands and realizing their ancient heritage. While the nobles of the region were aware that such investments would more than make up for the losses of the 2nd & 3rd Hussars in terms of revenue and would potentially lead to more worlds sharing in the military basing of these units. Plus it would be almost a certainty that these new units would largely be equipped with the production of the local Jalastar Aerospace plants. The First Prince did state that the newly reformed Messengers of Shiva LCT would be deployed across the Federated Suns and would not be merely for local defense. They would carry the warrior culture of the people of the Islamabad Combat Region to the stars and help defend the entire Federated Suns.
The month ended with the First Prince still on Islamabad continuing the planning and discussions with the various officers and nobles to ensure their support for his project. While he knew he could merely command their obedience - and with his popularity with the common people of the FedSuns would be successful in quashing any resistance to his project, he intended to bring them onside and actively supporting him rather than trying to frustrate him. For instance one suggestion that was made that he agreed with was that prior to any redeployment the 2nd & 3rd Avalon Hussars RCT would deploy enmass and move into the Pirates Haven to run a sweep in an attempt to clean out that long time nest of pirate activities. With support from the 7th Corvette Flotilla perhaps.
===Changing the Borderers Brigade===
On New Avalon a few staff officers raised with Marshal of the Armies Jackson Davion the continued support/basing of a number of Borderer units. For instance the Aragon, Bell, Kittery, and Mitchel Borderer regiments had seen the border they were to guard pushed long past them. It was suggested that perhaps these units could be disbanded and their personnel and equipment converted either to Avalon Borderer commands or perhaps to FedSuns Dragoons or Avalon Hussars RCTs. Jackson Davion had these proposals written up, but held them back to await the First Prince's views. The First Prince was expected back on New Avalon as a priority next month - given that his son was expected to be born at the end of September! While Victor Davion might be considered by many within the Federated Suns (and no few outside of it) to be perhaps the finest First Prince in centuries given his recent triumphs, everybody knew that if he wasn't there for the birth his wife would never let him live it down!.
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===Developments in Industry===
On Outreach work began on the latest rebuild factory line. Despite some attempts to push for a more flexible medium class battlemech to be produced the Wolf's Dragoons had decided that they wished to return their iconic C variant of the Marauder II battlemech back to production. Given the complexities of this design and difficulties in building an entirely new plant to build it this project wasn't expected to be completed until the start of January 3071.
The Bergan Industries plant on Andalusia completes it's first battlemech productionu line (it already has 3 Waylander Mobile Base lines operating) with the Locust entering production. While not a flashy battlemech with the expansion of the FedSuns the demand for battlemechs like the Locust remains high, not only to rebuild savaged recon lances but also form up new companies of March and Planetary Militias.
Johnston Industries announce that they will be adding a new facility on the world of New Hessen to help supply the ComGuards. The initial line will be a Thunderbolt-NAIS production facility. They will also be adding a new battlemech to their stable of designs, the Valiant, axe wielding light Battlemech. This will be produced on New Hessen and on New Syrtis.
On Tikonov the New Independence Weaponry plant see's it's new Zeus line go operational. This brings the total to 2 lines of Zeus within the Federated Suns, most of their production is currently going to replacing worn out Zeus's leftover from the FedCom era and producing parts to keep them operational. The design isn't exactly popular within the AFFS although the FedSuns Dragoons do have several officers who like the design and request it for their companies.
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===Events around the Inner Sphere===
Within the Free Worlds League, a number of provinces, shocked at the open aggression of the Lyran Alliance call for unity. Of the major factions, Oriente stands behind this call, while Atreus demands that the unity be provided by the others acknowledging their position. Regulus merely ignores the issue and continues to put pressure on individual worlds near them to join them. One province however has had enough and at the end of August Zion announces it's secession from the Free Worlds League and demands that the FWLM leave it's borders.
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Meanwhile, Hohiro Kurita has arrived on Terra and is in deep discussions with the Word of Blake leadership. It's fair to say they are delighted at the prospect of an anti-Davion alliance with the Combine and are already making promises of support...
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Within the former Confederation, the 1st Sian Dragoons leaves Sian and lands on the world of Pella II. The "defending" 2nd Sian Dragoons when faced with their larger sister regiment and with little desire to continue to suppress "rebels" defects to the Sian Republic. Both the 1st & 2nd Sian Dragoons swiftly bring order to the world which formally joins the Republic.
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