3065 - September - Concord Reborn
On the 1st of September Marshal Arisota Neece formally resigns her commission and goes into retirement in order to avoid the shame of a formal court martial. She immedietly cashes in her financial assets, pensions and seeks backers to fund her own mercenary formation - Neece's Giants, a roughly company sized outfit of mostly refurbished medium weight battlemechs named partially for her form command's nickname the Green Giants. A small number of current and former Raiders join up with her although most of them aren't exactly considered great losses to the AFFS. The one officer who almost certainly would have joined her is Captain Harold Kerr who is now in a maximum security military prison facing a number of ever growing charges. It's no surprise to anyone not even the former Marshal when the AFFS does not offer her mercenary company a contract. Likewise the Lyran Alliance and Free Worlds League turn down her requests for contracts. However both the WOB and the Capellan Confederation extend offers, of which Neece accepts the Capellan Contract to help garrison Ningpo.
While the former command of the 1st Chisholm Raiders is seeking employment elsewhere the remaining flag officers of the unit both active and retired continue to be canvassed as their views upon the reformation of the Brigade from RCT's to LCT's. Most have misgivings but all of them can see why their own small demi-brigade was picked for the possible conversion. Their regiments are famous for their irregular tactics and innovative ways of waging war and this conversion might be a good fit for them. Although some concerns are raised by various officers it is finally agreed by the majority that Marshal Fitzwilliam's should accept the offer of the Chisholm Raiders Brigade being restructured from 2 RCT's to 8-10 LCT's. Although newly assigned Leftenant General Ryan Rand-Davion points out that the Raiders should push for upgrades to their battlemech and vehicles to maximise their firepower given the smaller nature of the future commands as well as access to the latest designs and omnimechs.
This acceptance is forwarded to the Marshal of Armies Jackson Davion who makes preparations for both Chisholm Raiders to be "raised" to reinforced status so as to allow the creation of more integrated LCT's in the fullness of time. The conversion will wait till both commands are at full strength as reinforced regiments and as such may take 3-4 years if this expansion is done slowly, although some consideration is being given to adding a small number of LCT's to the existing commands in the meantime or expanding the units faster at a risk that some of the new LCT's formed will not be as well integrated or experienced as might be wished.
Kallon Industries announces in September that it will be entering into a partnership with Prescision Weaponry to build a new battlemech facility on Tancredi. This plant will when fully operational be buried deep underground against any attacks and consist of a Penetrator 6T variant line and 2 lines producing the Rifleman 8D and 6X variants. If this plant is a success there is some thought of adding a Shadow Hawk line to the facility in the near future.
The newly reforming 28th Avalon Hussars is ordered to move from it's base alongside it's parent formation on Crofton and take up station guarding the auto-cannon construction plant on Gulkana. Although woefully under strength it is felt that such a posting will give the unit time to expand while also increasing security on that troubled world - which will hopefully lead to increased production and sales of their high quality guns.
The Precentor Martial requests a meeting with the First Prince and suggests in the request that Fleet Admiral Buchwald be included in the meeting on the 4th. He does not however include the Precentor New Avalon in the request despite orders to the contrary. When the meeting takes place 3 days later the two officers are almost shocked to hear the request from Comstar that they be allowed to build a shipyard capable of construction warships within Federated Sun's space. Victor is the first to ask a question, namely just how large a facility is Comstar talking. The Precentor Martial explains that initially they would be looking to build 2 slips capable of building a modern corvette design, but eventually adding destroyer and frigate slips at the very least. Admiral Buchwald does then point out that as far as he knows the ComGuard's navy have no modern day corvette design in production, unless it's a new design. Focht smiles at this and points out the Fleet Admiral is entirely correct but that they were hoping that the Federated Sun's would share with them the proven Fox corvette and help them get it into production as soon as possible as a counter to the warships no doubt under construction within the Terran system.
This final point, which has weighed heavily on both the Davion prince and his naval commander, carries a great deal of weight and the First Prince promises to consider this request but asks what the ComGuards are offering in return for not only permission to build shipyards but also such a major design. The Precentor Martial offers that in return for the rights to build shipyards the ComGuards will promise to fund the construction of a similar number and size of shipyards at any location the Davion's request. So if they build 2 slips for corvettes at their own shipyard they will fund the building of 2 slips within Davion shipyards to build corvettes. As for the design of the Fox they offer to undertake the mission that the First Prince has hired one of their Faslane yardships to complete for free and not only that but undertake the redesign and upgrade of the ship design in question free of charge and using their own impressive technological capabilities. They can start by December if the First Prince gives the go ahead.
First Prince Davion explains that for such a major decision he wishes to get the opinion of key advisers and also the High Command, which the Precentor-Martial agrees is reasonable. He does however point out that this is the best offer he can make in the circumstances and it is very unlikely to be improved upon.
After a number of heated sessions with his advisers and the High Command the First Prince soon responds to the ComGuards request with his approval. He suggests that they begin constructing a new warship shipyard over the world of Novoya Zemyla for themselves and that any Davion slips they will fund are to be constructed at the new shipyard of Filtvelt to expand the production facilities there. Knowing the desperate straights that the ComGuard's Navy finds itself in the Precentor Martial agrees before even checking the terms and locations with the Interim Primus. Although this approval is granted, this action and the failure to include the New Avalon Precentor in the negotiations is more than an irritation to Interim Primus Dow who formally rebukes Precentor Martial Focht and reminds him that he serves upon the whim of the Primus.
However before the matter between the two men can escalate further word comes that the WOB have attacked and destroyed the ComGuards fleet anchorage and repair facilities at Ross 248. The ComGuard's 1st Independent Squadron had manage to inflict heavy damage on the attacking force, destroying the WoBS Vendetta, a Quixote class frigate and badly damaging the WoBS White Devil and WoBS Red Angel both Riga class destroyers, but had not managed to save the facility. The CSV Hammerstrike, an Essex class destroyer had been destroyed in the fighting and the Sovetskii Soyuz class CSV Blake's Vengeance had taken heavy damage. Faced with these mounting losses the Interim Primus approves Focht's dealings but does not forget his insubordination.
New Independence Weaponry announces that it will begin construction of a new Atlas line at their plant of Tikonov, largely using machinery and parts made on Tikonov itself. This will be the first line added to their plant that doesn't come from looted salvage during what is now being described as the "Talon Incursion". Work is scheduled to begin in December and will finish hopefully in October 3066.
On Outreach a number of Sun Jaguar technicians and a small warrior escort arrive to aid not only in the rebuilding of the city but also the rebuilding of a military-industrial complex. They are soon working to fully upgrade a damaged but salvageable Falcon line to Clantech standards. In return for their aid the Wolf's Dragoons promise to help support the creation of an industrial complex within the Sun Jaguar enclaves on the Periphery border.
The new Kallon Industries facility on Belladonna has it's first line enter production when the Partisan anti-aircraft tank begins constructing fully operational tanks. The Challenger MBT facility isn't far behind and the various battlemech lines are also nearing completion - although the Exterminator line is proving to be particularly difficult.
On El Dorado the Ajax omni-vehicle enters production alongside the Battlemaster battlemech line that has been operating since June 3065. The Templar-O line however is taking further time and isn't scheduled to go online until November.
The Outback FarmMech's corporation successfully negotiate with Robinson Standard BattleWorks to license the Watchman battlemech for production for local sales to the Crucis March Militia and Training Battalions as well as the local planetary defence militias. Until now almost none of the worlds within the Outback could have afforded even a single lance of light battlemechs of antique vintage, but with the growing prosperity Outback FarmMech's sees a potential market that the Watchman would be ideally placed to fill. The company is also in discussions with Corean and Achernar to license a Locust line.
Johnston Industries announce during September that they intend to add a Caeser production line to their production facility at Torrence while also adding a Hatchetman line at their new plant on Novoya Zemyla and potentially an Axman line there as well in the future. They have seen their Dagger-O profits soaring over the last few years as the production of the signature omnifighter doubled and doubled again, but their battlemech sales had languished. This is a first step in attempting to catapult them back into the major leagues for not just fighter designs.
On Woodbine the Robinson Standard BattleWork's plant has a Black Knight line enter production, with a back order catalogue of over 6 months production to be sent to the various commands within the Draconis March's Edgeward Combat Theatre. A full company will be diverted to the 1st Ceti Hussars RCT stationed between Niles and Groveld, with further follow on orders to be used to rebuilding the Bryceland and Mayetta DMM's command companies and lances.
At Tharkad the troops being drawn from across the LAAF slowly increase towards the level of being a full combat command of a RCT. By now almost everyone is certain that the Archon intends to announce the formation of a premier RCT to help with the faltering morale within the LAAF, although a few are now wondering if the initial guesses of the 10th Lyran Guards is the correct one.
The Coordinator formally welcomes the Clan Nova Cat delegation to the Imperial Palace. After a short round of pleasantries and honours, including the gift of a fully rebuild former Clan Smoke Jaguar built Warhawk omnimech to the Clan delegation, he gets down to business. The Dragon is critically short on aerospace fighters and warships of all types while their Davion enemies are advancing in leaps and bounds in this area. He however is aware that previous Clan Smoke Jaguar had seen promise in the Combine built Sai aerospace fighter and had upgraded a factory to Clantech standards to produce the fighter for their own second line formations. His own technical staff have been unable to keep the facility operating to that standard and he now wishes the Nova Cat's to aid in the production in return for a 25% share in the output.
After some discussion the Clan delegations agrees but with one additional requirement. They wish that in return for their aid in returning the factory to Clantech levels of production and technology that all former Clan Smoke Jaguar warriors and lower castes currently held by the DCMS and various planetary governments be turned over to them. All of them it is stressed. The Coordinator, who had largely ignored the Star League call to send all captured Smoke Jaguars to the Federated Suns, agrees to this seemingly minor term considering that the Clan is probably hoping to replace the personnel it will have to send to Schuyler to help with production. He is unaware that the Clan is operating on the basis of a vision.
Within the Free World's League General Tamara Findlay of the Free Worlds Guards begins sending out covert orders to the 1st, 2nd and 5th Guards. All 3 commands are officially told to concentrate at Irian for a series of war games and equipment upgrades that she herself will oversee. She does not include the 3rd Guards within her orders having decided that whatever the official line is that the unit has mutinied and betrayed the League and the Guard. Even if the politicians don't intend to do anything about this, the Guard will she swears. Alongside her 3 regiments a small force of former Guard veterans also begin to assemble on Irian, drawn largely from retired Guardsmen and women who are members of the various regimental associations. Those lacking gear will be issued battlemechs directly from Irian's huge factories and formed into an "Old Guards" regiment.
On Sian Hohiro Kurita arrives and is greeted as a long lost brother by Sun-Tzu Liao. The two men of course have met each other before and have never been close, but judging by the reception given to the Kurita heir this isn't the case. Tellingly not only does Hohiro not baulk at the over friendly reception he seems to embrace it and play his own part within the parades, receptions and balls. Kali Liao is even wheeled out (heavily medicated although the doctors have been careful to choose medications that will not be evident) and dances with the Kurita heir at a ball in his honour under the glowing smile of her brother, before being quickly ushered back to her private "rooms". The next morning once the medication has worn off the mad Liao will kill 3 of her medical orderlies and guards with her bare hands and carbon enhanced nails. Regretfully Sun-Tzu will order that her nails be removed in response to this attack.
Even while his sister is undergoing the procedure to remove her nails Sun-Tzu Liao and Hohiro Kurita meet in private to discuss the realm purpose of the visit. The warm smiles and friendly back clapping are entirely absent and the two men make no effort to hide their own apathy towards each other. Hohiro Kurita informs the Chancellor that his father had dispatched him in order to present the Confederation with a gift, he then presents a series of data chips containing the production specifications for the Inazuma class corvette. In return, the Chancellor presents the heir to the Combine with the production data to allow the Kurita's to produce stealth armour for their battlemechs. He also invites the Kurita's into an intelligence sharing alliance where they will pool the intelligence that they both have on the AFFS and Federated Suns. Neither man thinks for a minute that the other side will pool all their intelligence assets and both assume that the other will withhold the occasional key piece of information, but they both agree on behalf of their respective houses. When Sun-Tzu makes a comment that the Concord of Kapteyn is reborn, Hohiro genuinely chuckles and points out that this time they won't make the mistake of inviting the Free Worlds League to the party...
