FSRB Chpt 130

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 130==
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December 3069On the Edge
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===New Regiments, New Troops===
As ever December starts with the AFFS forming it's new regiments, regimental combat teams and light combat teams up from the graduating classes of new cadets while also cycling through the next generation of academy graduates into the various training units and cadres. Meanwhile huge amounts of military equipment already stockpiled for this activation of new units is also broken out of storage and issued to the new forces.
The first and most prestigious of these new formations is the 4th Federated Suns Armored Cavalry which is formed on Robinson. Formed not from graduating cadets it is instead formed from individual companies drawn from some of the finest units in the AFFS and is rated from it's inception as a veteran unit - although it won't be able to fight in anything over company strength at anything better than regular status until it's various component's have finished integrating into the new command. Like all FSAC formations it's equipment is the finest that the Federated Suns can provide - with pride of place going to a full battalion of assault battlemechs drawn from Robinson's own factories - 2 companies of the by now renowned Sagittairre and a final company of Battlemasters. This gives the 4th FSAC a heavier weight than it's sister units, particularly when other heavy and assault designs from the rest of the Draconis March are included in its Table of Equipment. While this will make it slower than a traditional Armored Cavalry unit, it's planned that it will be the assault unit of the brigade moving forward.
The Ceti Hussars Brigade also see's a fourth unit added to it's rolls with the creation of the 4th Ceti Hussars RCT. Drawn largely from the 2 new academies on Lexington and Tancredi it's almost the polar opposite of the 4th FSAC in that it is a light weighted unit across both it's vehicle and Battlemech assets. The various Combat Commands of the RCT are almost organized as semi-LCTs due to the cadets experience with that model of organization. It is decided to form the new unit on Bremond alongside the Bremond DMM as a reserve formation in the event of war with the Combine.
Within the Islamabad Combat Region, a game of almost musical chairs erupts as units are divided, rebuilt, and formed. The Islamabad CrMM officially separates into 3 portions - with the largest 2 sections being used to found the 1st & 2nd Messengers of Shiva LCTs, while the remainder along with new cadets is used to rebuild the Islamabad CrMM back up to strength. Both Messengers of Shiva formations are initially deployed to Islamabad, although the 1st is soon dispatched to Panpour. At the same time the 2nd & 3rd Avalon Hussars break of part of their formations to form the 6th & 7th Avalon Borderers LCTs which are deployed to Panpour and Islamabad respectively. The 2nd & 3rd Avalon Hussars are then deploy to the Pirates Haven Cluster for a concentrated sweep of that nightmarish morass of systems which is the home to dozens of pirate bands. At the same time with odds and ends the AFFS also forms an 8th Avalon Borderers LCT on Basantapur. As soon as the new units have had time to integrate the plan is for the Messenger's of Shiva to deploy to a more active front along with the 2 Avalon Hussar RCTs while the three Avalon Borderer LCTs and the Islamabad CrMM maintain the defense of the Combat Region.
The 1st Bell and 1st Brockton Borderer regiments are also activated during December from their cadre status. Although both units are only at half of their official strength it is felt that they are now sufficiently large enough to form an effective unit while they continue to build up and that they can now participate in patrols against pirates in the case of the Brockton unit or any pro-Capellan insurgencies on the part of the Bell Borderers. The Borderer Brigade also see the formation of a number of new cadres - the 1st Claxton, 1st Hurik, 1st Jasmine, and 1st Preston Borderer Cadres are all added to the rolls of the Brigade in preparation for their formations. Although each will consist of only 2 companies of Battlemechs and similar sized supporting formations until they can begin receiving troops from the training units on their worlds. From 2 individual regiments the Borderer Brigade now includes no less than 14 active or cadre units within it's command structure.
The 1st Syrtis Hussars LCT is joined by a sister unit and the former independent command is now the flagship of a new Capellan March brigade. The 1st Hussars transfers to garrison the key world of Novaya Zemlya while the newly formed 2nd Syrtis Hussars LCT takes it's place on New Syrtis. In this way, Duke Hasek is mirroring the High Commands formation of Dragonlords commands.
Another addition to the AFFS was the upgrading of the 36th Avalon Hussars to a reinforced regiment. This is in keeping with the program of slowly building up the entire Avalon Hussars Brigade to reinforced regiments of battlemechs. Only the 14th, 23rd, 26th, and 28th remain standard regiments while they rebuild. In a similar policy, the 2nd Lexington Combat Guards is also upgraded to a reinforced regiment at this time - giving a clear sign that the entire brigade is likely to be upgraded to a similar level given that the 1st is already a reinforced regiment.
In addition to all of these regular additions to the AFFS, a number of additional training units are formed this December. The 4th & 5th NAIS Cadres are founded with the expanded graduation classes from New Avalon. Similarly, the 3rd Albion Cadre is formed from New Avalon's oldest academy. The 4th NAIS Cadre is dispatched to garrison Shawnee, while it's sister regiment is dispatched to Cerulean to free up the 5th Avalon Hussars RCT to deploy to join it's sister 14th Hussars on Woodbine. The 3rd Albion Cadre is controversially deployed to Delos IV as a counter to any Raven adventurism.
The Kilbourne & Point Barrow Academy Training Battalions are also upgraded to full regiments this month. Much of the equipment for these 2 units is drawn from equipment discarded by more prestigious commands, but even this is often refitted and upgraded equipment and more than a few brand new Battlemechs such as the Sentry, Watchman, and Battle Hawk class machines are found in the expanded units.
The Wolf's Dragoons also reforms their Beta Regiment in December. They have a mix of their own troops and "war orphans" including a large number of CCAF survivors. The unit is immediately signed on by the FedSuns and assigned to garrison Outreach.
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===An Unexpected Invasion===
Even as the High Command reinforces damaged units and creating new ones, the 7th Crucis Lancers RCT, 1st Federated Suns Armored Cavalry, and Wolf's Dragoons' Zeta Battalion appear over Elgin. Making no efforts to communicate or demand the surrender of the capital of the Free Tikonov Province the 3 commands proceed to land outside of the planetary capital of Sochalladan. In a display of elan and spirit the Tikonov Marshal's attempt to charge from the city to contest the landings. This spirited counter attack is shattered when Zeta Battalion lands directly behind and on top of the charging Marshals. Their retreat cut off and their lines disrupted the green troops stand absolutely no chance when 2 of the finest regiments in the entire Inner Sphere close in on them and cut them to pieces. With the garrison shattered and the local militias falling over themselves to surrender the AFFS units and their mercenary allies close in on the palace of the Supreme Leader William Baranov. To nobody's surprise the leader of the Free Provinces has used the massacre of his guard unit to take the opportunity to flee. However the attached air wings of the 7th Crucis Lancers have maintained an iron tight blockade of the planet and so he cannot have gone far.
While the 7th proceeds to garrison the planet, Zeta Battalion begin the search for the hiding Supreme Leader. The first place Zeta look "on a hunch" is the local HPG station which is manned by the WOB. When the Word of Blake garrison of infantry and a few tanks attempts to deny them access. Zeta kill them all in a few short minutes of brutal fighting. At which time by pure coincidence a contingent of Comstar adepts arrive along with a small force of ComGuards to return the HPG to full service. The 7th Crucis Lancers also rounds up the various local leaders of the Free Tikonov Province and within a few weeks they have all agreed that the entire province should join the Federated Suns. Contingents of the 1st FSAC are shifted to take control of the other worlds of the province quickly.
Even as the hunt continues, a number of AFFS specialized infantry formations arrive at the end of the month to arrange the integration of the "Free Province" into the Federated Suns' League March. When the Free Worlds League Ambassador to the Federated Suns demands an audience with the First Prince, it is quickly granted. Half way through his ranting tirade of the invasion of a sovereign nation by the "jackbooted thugs of House Davion" he is told to simply be quite or be ejected not only from the palace but also the planet and realm. In a cold and cutting tone the First Prince informs the ambassador that he and his realm were warned. Multiple times. Their response was meaningless platitudes or pretend the problem didn't even exist. Very well. The First Prince had given them every chance to stop the "Free Tikonov Terrorists" who had launched an invasion of his realm from Free Worlds soil without the slightest action to prevent it or condemn it by the various League leaders. If the League could not police itself then it then forced him to do it for them. He then took the opportunity to inform the ambassador that he had just received a petition to join the Federated Suns by the Zion Province. In front of the ambassador, he signed his acceptance of their request and informed the shocked diplomat that the League had 1 week to evacuate their troops and officials from the FedSun's planets of the former League Provinces of Zion and Free Tikonov or the AFFS would be forced to remove them from the Zion PDZ of the League March of the Federated Suns...
By the end of the month, the "Free Tikonov Province" and "Zion Province" had been accepted into the FedSuns and the 39th Avalon Hussars RCT was moving from nearby Gan Sing to secure Zion against any FWLM attempt to prevent the secession and absorption into the Federated Suns. The new Zion PDZ was formally placed under the command of the Duchess of St. Ives on the 31st of December.
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===Visiting the Nova Cats===
The First Prince's emissaries meet with the Clan Nova Cat leadership in a dead system within the Combine. In a frank (and treasonous to any Kurita who could have listened in) discussion the Nova Cats explain exactly what they have been asked to do. In response Prince's Champion Ardan Sortek informs them that the First Prince accepts that they are caught between a rock and a hard place. He will not hold it against them if they do end up fighting his troops and will order all of his forces to conduct any fights between Clan Nova Cat and AFFS personnel in an honorable fashion. However if war break out then the AFFS will unleash it's full might upon the Combine and any allies it has. He suggests that the Clan consider their position and points out that should they seek aid from the FedSuns in relocating their people this will be given. Clan Sun Jaguar's Star Colonel Inamma speaks out about the honorable way in which the First Prince has treated her own Clan - even while admitting she has no great love for the man following his treatment of Trent. She promises that the Sun Jaguars have not forgotten the aid that the Nova Cats have given them and that they stand ready to help their Clan brethren move as well - offering the services of the Potemkin class CSJ Steve Showers and the locations of a number of virgin colony worlds on the FedSuns Periphery Border... Sortek informs the Nova Cats that his First Prince is prepared to help them settle worlds in this region and to grant them the exact same rights as his current Clan Sun Jaguar allies - up to and including associated membership of the Federated Suns as valued allies...
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===Naval Deployments of the AFFS===
The FSS Daring finishes it's repairs and rejoins the 2nd Destroyer Squadron as it's flagship just before Christmas. It's place is taken at Panpour by the FSS Ozawa and FSS Lothair, 2 lightly damaged Fox I corvettes which will also be upgraded during their repairs. In the Arcadia System, the FSS Churchill finishes it's repairs and leaves to rejoin the 1st Patrol Squadron. The CSJ Rebirth moves to Arcadia to be not only returned to full functionality and repaired but also upgraded.
At Capella, the FSS Trickery and FSS Trickster slip out from the system and head for their rendezvous with the cruiser FSS Covenant... The yards behind them begin work on 2 Fox II corvettes officially...
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===Developments in Industry===
On Novaya Zemlya, the new Dagger-O line for Johnston Industries completes. This brings the total of the popular OmniFighter lines to 3 on the world. Jalastar Aerospace also adds a line for the Sparrowhawk fighter at their flagship plant on Panpour bringing the total production lines for the light fighter to 6 on Panpour alone.
Ranger Battlemechs on Verde add their second line of Battlemech production with the construction of their Warhammer line. Like their existing line of Shadow Hawks these 'Mechs will be used to equip the 12th Vegan Rangers first and the sales of excess machines will also go to rebuilding the mercenary troops of the Duke of Verde.
The new facility on Achernar would see the first of its Battle Armor production facilities begin production of the Cavalier suit. This production is currently at a trickle but as more production facilities go online and hit their stride it is expected that the new facility will produce a flood of new Cavalier and Infiltrator II suits for the League March and wider Federated Suns.
Meanwhile on Capella, the St Ives Metals Industries rebuilds a single functional line of the Defiance-O OmniFighter. Sabotage in the last days of the fighting had destroyed the complex for the top secret pride of the CCAF's aerospace wings and it had taken until now to put it back into even limited production. Plans are to test out the first production models before order large scale production.
On St. Ives, the new flagship production facility of St. Ives Metals is finally repaired and upgraded. For now production is limited to 1 Blackjack-O, 1 Blackjack, 1 Phoenix Hawk Battlemech production lines and 1 Po Heavy Tank line vehicle line. However plans are in place to expand production once the newly rebuild facility hits it's stride.
On Valois, the Sun Jaguars begin construction of their new Warhawk production line. This isn't expected to go into operation until mid 3071 but when it does it will be a huge boost to the Clan's production facilities!
===Dining with Highlanders===
The First Prince enjoyed his first Christmas with his new son and wife on New Avalon, knowing that the clouds of war were forming. His last act of official business before leaving the office to spend some time with his family was to sign an order for Loren Jaffray to be returned to Northwind as he had now recovered sufficiently to travel. It would be up to the Clan Elders what happened to him.
===Word and the Dragon===
In the Draconis Combine, the Warlord of Dieron found his authority usurped when Kanrei Hohiro Kurita and took command of the District, which was the single part of the Combine which was not suffering major communication problems. Warlord Isoroku took the change in as good grace as was possible and placed himself under the young Kanrei's command, effectively raising himself up to the Kanrei's deputy. With the Dieron Military District and elements of the Benjamin Military District under his direct command Hohiro ordered his troops to stand ready to receive new allies in their fight against the hated Davions. He dispatched word to Luthien that he was coordinating with the WOB and that communication would soon be restored...
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Even as the word went out to accept their presence, the WOB was spreading throughout the Combine. Troops and adepts rushed from world to world to secure the HPG compounds - and often found them shattered wrecks from sabotage. In the few cases where they caught Comstar forces which had not managed to withdraw the fighting was brutal and often destroyed the very HPG stations they were attempting to seize. Replacement parts and entire generators were ordered rushed from Terra but it was soon apparent that not even the worst case projections of the takeover by the WOB were even close to the damage that the ComGuards were inflicting on the HPG network within the Combine...
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===The League reacts to the Davion Invasion===
Within the Free Worlds League, word of the Davion "invasion" of the Zion and Tikonov Provinces was met with furious condemnation and little else. Oriente knew that to antagonize the Davions was to invite disaster. While the other governments were too far away from the border to do anything, but spout fiery rhetoric. Still export sanctions were imposed by almost all of the various provinces and governments on military exports to the FedSuns - which 10 years ago would have been crippling, but now did little more than amuse most Davion commentators. A handful of units found themselves short spare parts due to these sanctions for League produced equipment, but most simply traded in the degraded Battlemechs, tanks and fighters for "proper Davion" equipment... Attempts to call in the huge debts that the FedSuns still owed the League (which would have been more damaging) floundered when the various governments argued as to whom the debts were due too!
One final thing within the League was that the various intelligence agencies began to notice was the large scale withdrawal of WOB forces from their various deployments throughout the League. Small numbers remained behind to guard key sites and to give the illusion of strength, but the forces were a shadow of their former strength...
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