#680
In 2990, Maximilian Liao contemplates a coup against his father, Chancellor Tormax Liao. After careful consideration he decides the necessary quick transfer of power to avoid an internal conflict long enough to let the FWLM and AFFS take advantage aren't quite good enough. He will defer action until his position is slightly better.
Less than a year later, in 2991, Tormax Liao judges the developing political balance... and decides that patriotism trumps personal pride. The Chancellor formally abdicates in favour of his son, much to Maximilian's surprise. The younger Liao never expected his father to take such a step and is left wondering if this was pragmatism, cowardice... or familial love... a virtue that in that case he himself lacked.
In this period of uncertainty comes news that Captain-General Stephan Marik has died and Janos Marik now leads the Free Worlds League. The comparatively new Great Lord proclaims a period of consolidation and recovery, as well as preparations to celebrate the coming millennium with great celebrations.
Maximilian cautiously offers Janos a ceasefire until said celebrations, reasoning that the Capellans will probably benefit more than the comparatively stronger League. It's hardly unprecedented - the Liaos and Davions managed decades of truce during the early Third Succession War. While Janos has trouble selling it to the Halas and Humphreys, ultimately he has the prestige of the start of his realm and it's hard not to see that a period of recovery benefits them.
The two heads of state meet to conclude the pact and... to everyone's surprise they get along quite well. It's agreed that they will meet again in 3000 during the millenial year celebrations, with Maximilian ordering similar festivals in his realm. In 2994, Maximilian sends his regrets to Janos on the death of the latter's wife Hilda... and less than three years later, he receives a heartfelt message from Janos when Maximilian himself loses his wife. Correspondence becomes regular... while they clearly have divergent interests and can't afford to fully trust each other, they are... peers. Something that neither has otherwise.
(Anton Marik hates this development).
On 3000, Maximilian visits the Free Worlds League to join celebrations on a border world. Janos then returns with him to attend celebrations on Styk. The two leaders speak extensively and in private, content unfamiliar.
And in January 3001 Janos meets Parliament while Maximilian meets with the House of Scions. The two present figures showing the great benefits the ceasefire has led to, as well as showing crowds cheering and celebrating this period of detente between their realms. They each remind their governments that the Star League was founded by an agreement brokered by Ian Cameron but between House Liao and House Marik to cease their apparently endless warring.
"Are you," they are asked, "Proposing peace with the enemy."
"Peace is the result when one's neighbour is no longer an enemy," they answer word for word the same. And then they present a treaty that would, at a stroke, transform both realms by engaging Candace Liao to Martin Marik, uniting the two dynasties and merging the realms into the Free Worlds Confederation - a treaty with a new constitution drawing from both government models, and with a combined military that can withstand the rapacious Steiners and Davions.
It takes about 48 hours for Anton Marik to rally a rebellion against his brother, which is quick and decisive... in Janos' favour - it might have worked if Anton had been less impatient, for Janos was still riding the wave of popularity of the celebrations, and there was just enough benefits for the major provincial leaders in the proposed treaty (repeal of the Camlann precedent, their assured places on the 'upper house' of the bicameral legislative, etc.) that none of them backed Anton.
