Crucis March, Federated Suns
3. April 3027
"What happened out there, Stephen? Just tell me, so that we can stop the errors in the future."
"Hanse, we took on Lyran troops who knew how to fight. I think we let ourselves blind by the cliché of Elsie combat prowess. If led by good officers the LCAF units are a tough nut. And we had to fight more enemies than thought."
"A trick?"
"No, the Skye Rangers with us were as surprised as we were when we found out that the 3. Lyran Guards were on Hesperus as well. We still had superior numbers, but the units the Elsies had were all Elite or Veteran status and it showed. Especially on their hometurf."
"I have a prelim report about our losses, but how bad is it with time to look at everything?"
Stephen Davion, the roguish Commander of the 1. Davion Guards was never known for being evasive, but for a moment he hesitated.
"It would have been worse, if I had not sacrificed the Skye Rangers with us. The Lyrans became howling mad when they realised they had been tricked by their 'comrades' and concentrated on hunting down the Rangers. so we could save more of our assets."
"Stephen, I know you long enough to recognize you want to soften a blow. Out with it."
"From my own Guards, we lost 2 Mechbattalions, but might be able to repair a Lance or two of these losses-"
It had been the first time in his life that Stephen had seen Hanse so distraught, but could not fathom why.
"We lost most of our aerospace fighters when we broke through to the Jumpships and all of our Infantry on planet."
"All regiments? How did that happen?"
"We got lured into a trap. We tried to push through the 3. Lyran Guards towards the factories, when they seemingly made a mistake, allowing us to circumvent and encircle them. I ordered my 3. Battalion with the infantry to bag them in. Only later did we get the information how dangerous and different even neighbouring regions can be. The forest they had to move through looked far from dangerous, but is actually one of that parts of Hesperus no Elsie would go into."
"Maybe they will come out, saving us at least the pilots and some infantrists, if the Lyrans do not enter that region and we surprise them."
"No, from what I could find out, the last - and well-equipped - expedition into that region is overdue for decades. There is no chance for them.
The 2. New Ivaarsen has the highest losses of all units from the Hesperus Operation. 58% throughout the whole unit, but with the unsalvageable vehicles and Mechs counted in, we have to re-raise the regiment, because then the losses are close to 93%. It is in no way able to fight for the immediate future, but we should give recommendations for most survivors. They held out for Field Marshal Felsner to reach a Dropship, until they could not wait any longer.
Felsner´s Heavy Guards RCT has the second-highest losses at nearly 50%."
"How can the Heavies have lost so much?"
"We don´t know what happened at Doering after our last radio contact 2 days into the invasion. As you know, we made the daring move to split the Heavies to lend help at both landing sites, which functioned in the beginning really well. The survivors are only those of the RCT who were with my attack force.
Felsner´s group got wiped out. Not a single Mech, Tank or soldier reached the Dropships. And more, only the Dropship Felsner had starting after debarking to try to establish a radio contact way point returned. All others of that group are MIA.
The 1. and the 4. Crucis Lanciers came away with 20 and 32% losses, mostly because the Lyrans were hell bent on hunting down the Skye rebels."
Stephen hesitated once more, seemed to fight something, then began to speak again.
"Hanse, you know well enough that I cannot stand Felsner, he is your friend and all that and while I think his last radio contact was made to cover up a blunder he made, I would be derelict in my duty to the Federated Suns if I do not give you the information.
When we last had contact, Felsner told me that the detachment of the 6. Lyran Guards and some armour and infantry units we counted with, were at Doering. But one of the reasons, he was pushed back harder than he ever thought was possible, was that in the maintenance bays of Doering Electronics there were Sword of Light Mechs beside Elsie ones. And that the SoL units were helping the Lyrans pushing his combat group back.
I personally doubt this very much", Stephen Davion went on fast, when it seemed that the Prince started to say something. He wanted to get his opinion out. "Because I can see that the Lyrans might be repairing Snake Mechs if the price is right, but helping the Lyrans this much, I do not believe that. They might be at peace, but if what Felnser indicated was true, then we and the Mariks would be up to our ears in Snake and Elsie offensives. They would not wait so long, when they have such an advantage. We will counter their strength in time, so they would hit us as long as they are in the better position.
No, I believe Felsner did what we all did, underestimating the Lyrans and he paid the price. The Kurita Mechs might have been really there, but only for maintenance. We will see, when they ransom him, I am sure."
"Thank you, Stephen! It is late, how about we meet tomorrow morning, say10 o'clock, with Morgan, Ardan, Quintus, Aaron and as much as I dislike it Michael, to plan some combat operations against the Liaos, look how well the attacks on Marduk go on and the 'fallout' of the Hesperus action?"
The commander of the 1. Davion Guards had already suppressed several yawns in the last half hour. "This is a good idea! Good night, Hanse!"
"Good night, Stephen!"
Hanse Davion stayed behind, looking at the holographic map of the Inner Sphere, deep in thought. Nobody had seen his shock at the result of the attack his Doppelgänger had concocted, which was at least something in the Fox´ opinion.
The losses were bad, terrible even, if considering the political and military situation in the Sphere, but they could be replaced with time. The political upheaval was another thing, a nail into his coffin. The knowledge about his double was top secret and only a handful of the most loyal knew and he could never use it to save face and the standing of the Federated Suns in foreign opinion. That the Mariks stood even faster to the alliance, Hanse never thought to be a good one, was a highlight in his mind.
"One of the few good developments is the closer relationship with the Free Worlds. Max, you have no idea what will be in store for you. You tried to bring down the greatest House of the Inner Sphere and you failed. We might be inconvenienced right now, but the Suns stand. And our revenge will be something I´ll savour. Liao, you lie between me and another House that wants to bring you down. I think that will be the best revenge, you will live to see the Confederation being parted between Janos and me. Your people will produce for the Federated Suns and the Free Worlds League, enabling us to take out the Elsies and the Snakes.
If we get the time for that. I do not believe that Ran tried to rose tint a fuck up by inventing not existing Kurita Mechs. No, they were there, but Stephen is right that the reason for that goes not beyond simple repair jobs. Why would they wait to unleash their superior numbers on their fronts against us. Tharkad and Luthien might dislike each other, but if they truly were allied they would already have used that opportunity.
I hoped to still get the Lyrans in our boat, with a slightly better balanced treaty, after showing them that being allied with us is better than we working against the Commonwealth. But now that is water under the bridge. As Morgan and Ardan said when we confronted my double, the Lyrans will be majorly pissed off, no matter who wins."
The Prince of the Suns went to a console and opened several news outlets from several Great Houses, but specifically most were from the Commonwealth. The headlines made it clear, any good reputation the Federated Suns had in Lyran Space was no more.
"No, the Elsies are now among our full enemies. Roast in hell, Max, roast in hell! The Lyrans will now work closer together with the Dracs. That is sure. I would do in their situation also. By the light of the suns, if this goes bad, Ran´s vision of Elsies and Snakes fighting together will come true.
We have to take out the Liaos as soon as we can. Before the Archon and the Coordinator attack us and the Mariks. I do not know why we have this pause in the fighting, but the Steiners and the Kuritas will learn about that mistake sooner than they will like."
Franchelco, Dromini VIDraconis Combine, Kessel Prefecture
14. April 3027
One of the hidden ironies of 3027 was the fact, that only months after a terrorist organisation the Leaders and some top Militaries of the Lyran Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine used the garden world of Dromini as a meeting place as well.
In the aftermath of the Lestrade Uprising and the ongoing FedSun offensive against Galtor and Marduk plans were to be made for the future. The Lyran delegation was internally rather happy that the Combine saw no problem for the alliance with the Uprising. House Kurita had been on the receiving end of cloak and dagger Davion plans too. In the end, the unintended harsh smack down of the "Ronin" had been a blessing in disguise. For the leadership of the Combine, Tharkad had moved in accordance with the bushido and no one in the Steiner delegation had the wish to correct them on that notion.
In the beginning, the talks moved along conventional lines. A general overview of the situation in the Sphere, scientists reporting on the advances concerning the Helm Library, the unveiling of an upgraded "Black Box"-Transmitter, which would replace the model that had been spread throughout the important commands in Commonwealth and Combine since 3024 and several typical points any meeting has.
Had there been an independent observer, he or she would never have guessed that History was in the making on the second day. Actually no one in the delegations knew it as well. Not even the woman wearing the Final Steiner Cross on her uniform, who would give the impulse.
It began, when the talks began to circle around common combat operations, if both militaries would be able to stem it and the typical prejudices on both sides.
In a book by Marius Auburn, first printed nearly a century later, it was insinuated that a mixture of frustration about the general situation, a moment of absolute clarity in foresight what would happen if they were not successful, lingering sadness and slight fear about what nearly happened to her realm and the people, revenge for the unneeded deaths, anger about the enemy powers of the Inner Sphere for their unwillingness to see the problems all except Comstar faced and some mostly prepared plans in her head lead the Archon to her sudden outbreak.
Suddenly, Archon Katrina Steiner stood up, planted the knuckles of her hands on the table, leaning on them and then it broke out of her, raw, unrefined, passionate.
"Kleinklein (roughly translated: concentration on unimportant little things), Bias and mindless routine! We suffocate on unimportant details and the endless, plodding routine 3 centuries of static war brought us! We look on small things too often and too seldom on the Big Picture! The Fox plans our downfall, of both our realms, the only stumbling block on the Suns way to the reign over the whole Sphere. He sees the Big Picture, his return to large mass formations, the devious, clever plan to drive a wedge into the Commonwealth, breaking us up, even if it ultimately failed, teaches us or should teach us that moving one or two regiments like on a chessboard will never be enough to reach our goals.
We want to reach a real peace! We want prosperity for our realms and people! We want to be free of the Grey, scheming Eminence Comstar, which goals are unknown, but hardly positive for us! We want honour and glory, the rightful rule over the Inner Sphere! A strong Commonwealth, a strong Dragon! But we will never see that state of being, if we don´t wake up! We need to maximise our advantages and minimise our deficits. We can learn, we must learn, we will learn from each other. Adapting what works, discarding what´s just a wrench between our legs. Either we do it right or we will fail and continue to exist like we do now - a pale shadow of what we once were. Or end under the boots of Hanse Davion, when he finally finds a way to break the stalemate for his advantage, the stasis of thought which keeps the Inner Sphere in it´s agonizing grip.
Or we end up all praying some Humbug to the HPG-Net, pressed into the dust of History by Comstar and it´s lies someday.
No, WE have to be the ones to break up the endless, necrotic standstill on our terms! If we want this, than it does not suffice to build two or three more Mechs. No, we have to rebuild our forces, our industries, our realms to a point not seen in a century or more. This is not a sprint, this is a marathon. Think about it, if we someday come near Atreus and New Avalon, will Comstar stay put? If you hear your consciousness, you know it will not be so. But they have no forces, you say, do they really not? Comstar is far too cocky to be defenceless, they must have surprises ready.
I see it in several faces, the question: Where lies honour and battlefield glory in just building? Ask yourself! There will come a time, where Commonwealth and Combine will stand alone, really alone, against the Fox, the Mariks, Comstar, ... name them. All already have their rapturous eyes on us, when we will surge ahead in a technical rebirth, their greed will have no boundary.
It won´t be tomorrow, or next week... it will be in decade or two decades. They will come for us or we for them, but then will be the time where Fist and Dragon have to be ready. We need old and new industries, we need new and old virtues, we need new strategies and tactics, we need the hearts of our people, we need to build like not seen since the Star League, we need the strength we all have in us, the strength of our cultures, all what makes us Lyrans and Draconians.
Harnessing all that takes time, but whatever we do, there comes a time, when we will be tested, in the Boardroom, in the factories, on the battlefield. Tested if we have the strength, the mettle to show an uncaring universe that whatever it throws at us, the Fist smashes and the Dragon devours all that stands against us. For our right to live like we want to, not dictated by Fedrats with delusions of Grandeur. For our right to rule humanity and lead it into a better future.
We have a choice: Going on as usual, refine here and there and we might keep on existing. Or we see like the Fox does, a bigger picture, a vision of a better future and replace his corrupt plans for the Sphere with our plans. Forged with our hands and minds, defended by our sword hand and spirit, taken to the rest of the Sphere by our hands work, will and spirit.
It won´t be the easy way, Aller Anfang ist schwer (all beginning is difficult), but the Lyran Commonwealth is ready and committed to fight for Peace and Honour, for a Future for 2 trillion souls. It will hurt, there will be painful adjustments in thought, in everything, it will be hard work, rebuilding and surpassing what we once lost, it will be the Dawn of a new Era, a better Era, it will be fighting for something worth fighting for, it will be honourable, because it is right and just. Do we go this path together?"
For a moment, time stood still, everybody shocked, Katrina Steiner herself included, from this outburst. Then, all eyes were on Takashi Kurita, who regally stood up and silently without hesitation held out his hand for Katrina Steiner to shake.
Stellar Trek Headquarters, ChathamDraconis Combine, Kagoshima Prefecture
18. April 3027
Noriko Tetsuhara, one of Stellar´s best engineers with a specialty in Starlord Jumpship and shipyard construction, was not surprised, but curious, why she was summoned. The attractive engineer had been on the wait list for a promotion and so she assumed that was the reason that she was on her way to the Bucho.
She checked her ponytail, the slight, professional make-up of her green almond eyes and the fit of her engineers suit, then entered the office.
"You wished for me to come, Bucho-san."
"Ah, Tetsuhara-san! Good, that you are here so early, take a seat." The Director pushed a button on his desk´s computer array. "Minobu, please bring two Ma teas in my office, thank you."
He turned back to Noriko.
"I do not want to beat around the bushes, Noriko. I know that you stand in line for a promotion and I have one for you. If you want just the promotion, I grant it, you will become chief engineer at Yardframe 4 and that´s it then. Nice and fast. But if you are up for a bigger promotion, I have a proposal for you. It will be worth it, but since I know you and your husband just build a house, it would be not without inconvenience. Do you want to hear more?"
"This is a honour, Bucho-san, to be considered for something like that. I would like to hear more, but if I´m allowed to, I will give my final answer after your proposal."
"Naturally! You know about the 'Helm Library', so I do not need to bore you with details you have. While it will be many years more to decipher all the 'good stuff', it was already possible to find out a lot about construction work and maintenance for technological marvels we barely know how to build anymore.
So the proposal is you as the lead engineer of a full team for a repair work of a disabled and partly destroyed Starlord yard, since your knowledge about the Starlord is important even with the recovered know-how. After that, you would stay the leader of that assembly for 7 years, during which you might be help on other sites with repair and even new construction work of shipyards.
Then, if you perform as well as I think you will do, you will become department head."
"This sounds fine, but why do you say that it will be inconvenient for me, if we rebuild Slip 5? Especially since we can now get the parts we need from the Lyrans."
"Ah, yes, I see! It would be the first thought that we rebuild S5, but our expansion in the next years goes into other directions. No, for this assignment, you and your family will have to move for these 7 years. And it is not Schuyler or Altair, if you imagine that. The Yard to be repaired is the Starlord assembly of the Port Sydney Naval Yards at Alarion."
Noriko was stunned, but that was too good a chance to pass up. "I accept, but...So the rumours are true that there is more to this peace with the Elsies. I knew that our relations were recovering, it was obvious with all those Lyran ships coming and going. And more, since around 3 years ago we get Lyran tech and goods we never got before."
"Yes, it is not a big secret anymore, so I can tell it to you, in just a few days the Coordinator and the Archon will announce an alliance of our realms. But I believe that it is just making official what has already begun. As you said, we get materials, which were banned before, for some time now. And like your and other groups journeys to Lyran space, there are Lyrans coming to our Space. In fact, there is a group from Ioto Galactic on their way to Chatham to help us upgrading the Invader production facilities, so we can produce more."
Eltum-Highlands, KeidCommunality Liao, Capellan Confederation
3027
Captain Percy Birdston from the Fifth Deneb Light Cavalry kept the Liao Vindicator in his crosshairs. He heard the roar of his Autocannons and while some armour splinters flew from the Liao Mech, it´s pilot had avoided much of the shot.
Birdston sweared, but knew that the Federated Suns were winning the Battle for Keid. He and his battalion were driving the last defenders to their escape Dropships. Percy coaxed his Rifleman into a run, not at his fastest pace, but faster than cruising speed. He saw the Vindicator firing his PPC against one of the Deneb´s Valkyries and raised one of his "arms". A stream of AC projectiles raced towards the Liao. From the Chesterton Reserves, if he saw the insignias correctly. He barely recognized the sudden staggering of the Valkyrie, intend on getting the Liao back into the crosshairs. A good Mechpilot, that one, once again evading large damage.
But in the end, the victory belonged to the Federated Suns. Birdston sat on the shoulder of his Mech, taking a break after the planet was finally secured. He did not finish off the Vindicator earlier the day, the Mech escaping thanks to his pilot´s skills, but had made 3 kills during the invasion, so Percy was pleased.
It looked good for House Davion again. The Captain remembered the 20. April all too well. In the evening news the top message was the Alliance of Lyran Commonwealth and Draconis Combine. Percy as a soldier had been less surprised than the majority of the Suns inhabitants. For the AFFS it had been clear that the attack against House Steiner's Federation of Skye would mean definite enmity, but that it was enough to bring the Dracs and Elsies to jump over their own shadows and work really together was new.
Birdston sighed, it should not be that surprising, the last years saw a lot of change. Hell, the last one a half decades saw change. Hitting Halstead Station for the books there was a change from decades of scavenging, the "liberated" books the foundation of the NAIS, an attempt to stop the backslide of the Techlevel in the Suns. The alliance with the Free Worlds League... The Captain was proud of his Lord, the First Prince. Prince Hanse played for keeps, the interstellar position of the Suns had become a lot better under his leadership, the loss in Skye notwithstanding. Even the Prince could not win all the time, but Birdston knew a long-term thinker when he saw one and was sure that the Federated Suns would finally win the right for First Lord under Hanse or his successor.
Still, the Alliance of the Dracs and Elsies had the potential to be a grave danger and unravel the FS goals and steps had to be taken to stop that taking place. Especially since only 2 days later the Wolf´s Dragoons had declined a contract extension and accepted a Liao proposal. The 5 regiments of the Dragoons were not only good for daring attacks but for secure garrison duty as well. With five regiments, a lot of Space could be covered, this was a perk not to be dismissed.
While the Suns as direct former employer were secure from attacks made with the Dragoons as was part of their standard contract, the Liaos had stationed them well. Using them to garrison endangered worlds, would make an invasion there problematic, since defending they could nearly as well. The MIIO had found out that the Dragoons had or were deploying on Outreach, Elgin, Hall and Epsilon Eridani, in striking distance to the FWL.
So the AFFS High Command had concluded that FWL and FS needed a direct border for better cooperation and trade. A so-called Carver-Caph corridor was to be created. Carver would be taken by the Mariks, Keid, New Home and Byrant by the AFFS. It was not the preferred option among the proposed corridors, not only would the Liaos trying to conquer the worlds back, the corridor was in raiding range of the Steiners and Kuritas as well. But it was clear that the Wolf´s Dragoons were contracted by the Capellans for enabling a strike against House Marik and time was of essence.
But the success gave them right. All four planets had been taken in a simultaneous attack, now the League and the Suns were really connected. And even better, for now at least, there had been no raids by the Steiners and Kuritas. According to the MIIO, not even preparations done.
Percy knew that he had no chance to look into the heads of Lyrans and Dracs, but he was sure that there had to be a reason why those two did nothing at this time. And somehow he had the feeling that warriors like him would learn that "why" sooner than liked.