drakensis - Hanse Davion and the Fall of the Star League « on: January 23, 2010, 06:13:16 AM »
This was a plot bunny that cropped up over on spacebattles. No story evolved, but I hammered out a rough timeline.
The premise: Hanse Davion is somehow transported back in time and takes the place of his luckless ancestor: John Davion, a quarter of millenium earlier. Given his foreknowledge, can Hanse do better?
For timing purposes this event happens when both First Princes are 41 years old - 3024 for Hanse and 2760 for John.
2760
A nuclear explosion destroys a BattleMech production facility on Demeter. Responsibility is claimed by the Chesteron Liberation Battalion.
Hanse Davion (as of 3024) awakens in the body of John Davion.
When Chancellor Barbara Liao denies involvement with the Chesteron Liberation Battalion, Hanse orders the invasion of Valexa, Westphalia and Tecumseh to placate the militants among his supporters, although he has severe concerns about the readiness of the AFFS. Progress is much less than even he expects.
2761
Hanse rotates units through the ongoing border war with the Capellan Confederation, seasoning a number of regiments although the death toll
The Star League Council refuses Kerensky's pleas to allow him to step in and Star League garrisons are kept away from the conflict.
Hanse begins preparing a dedicated strike force to finish the war, drawing upon veterans. He also orders an expensive reform of the Federated Suns' intelligence apparatus.
2762
Hanse personally commands successful campaigns on one world after another, taking all three worlds being fought on. Based on the reputation this earns him, he begins enacting military reforms.
Richard Cameron takes office as First Lord of the Star League and issues Executive Order 156. Hanse advises him that he could not obey the order even if he wished to and cautions the young First Lord against eroding his own authority by giving orders that will not be obeyed.
Offering to accept arbitration by Richard Cameron, Hanse sees all three worlds he has captured returned to the Confederation. Accepting the outcome, Hanse orders his soldiers home and hands the planets over to the Star League Defense Force to be returned to Capellan rule. There is significant public backlash within the Suns against Cameron's ruling.
2763
Richard Cameron increases taxes upon the Periphery.
2764
Stefan Amaris betrays the Taurian Freedom Army to Kerensky. He then leaves Terra, claiming to Richard Cameron to have been ordered away by Kerensky. Claiming altruism, he offers Richard a secret treaty to defend the Hegemony wtith Rim Worlds regiments
2765
The New Vandenberg revolt begins. The Outworlds Alliance, Tauruan Concordant and Magistracy of Canopus attempt to secede from the Star League.
Hanse places the AFFS's logistical network at the SLDF's disposal and sends AFFS units to support threatened units in the Outworlds Alliance and Taurian Concordat, typically sending inexperienced officers opposed to his reforms.
Kerenksy pulls the SLDF out of the rebelling regions to regroup with reinforcements from the Inner Sphere. Unimpressed by the AFFS's performance, he relegates them to protecting his rear.
Hanse begins rebuilding savaged units to the standards of his 'New Model' Army. Although the AFFS now has a reputation for ineptness, he was the only House Lord to support the SLDF with troops, winning him favour with Kerensky and Cameron.
Richard Cameron calls in troops from the Rim Worlds to defend the Hegemony. Hanse supports Takiro Kurita's protests but is unable to persuade the other House Lords. He quietly withdraws all possible high level presence within the Hegemony, including all members of House Davion. Richard Cameron agrees to token forces of the AFFS holding outlying worlds but reserves the core of the Hegemony for the remaining SLDF and Republican units.
Stefan Amaris murders Richard Cameron and seizes control of the Hegemony.
2767
Hanse reinforces the AFFS on the Hegemony worlds to defend them from Amaris and unleashes his new intelligence services to secure military technology for the AFFS. He orders an increase of manufacture for all supplies the SLDF draws from the Suns, masking the construction of dozens of hidden factories and shipyards deep inside the Suns.
The SLDF embarks on the invasion of the Rim Worlds Republic.
Hanse pledges to raise more troops to support the SLDF in the Hegemony and to hold onto the still free worlds until an offensive can begin. As a result of this and the SLDF's generally low opinion of the AFFS, although volunteer regiments formed from the other Member States would gather in the former republic, Kerensky sends officers and cadre to organise Davion units to protect the rump of the Hegemony.
2768
Probing of the Hegemony by AFFS units provides a wealth of information, mostly bad.
Under the cover of redeployments, Hanse redraws March boundaries, dividing the Capellan and Draconis Marches into Polymorphous Defense Zones and assigning each a militia RCT staffed largely by the most intractable nobility and other opponents of his reforms. Hanse also establishes a vast Periphery March, covering almost everything over 500 light years from Terra, and conceals considerable military infrastructure and stockpiles in the area.
2769
Nirasaki, a world not protected by the SDS, is invaded by AFFS and volunteer regiments. Naval losses are particularly high, pointing to problems with the FSN's doctrine, but the world is captured. Investigating the headquarters of the Nirasaki Computers Collective, a major contractor for the Caspar drones now defending Amaris held worlds, technical data is found suggesting ways to hinder the drones' communications and limit their coordination. Hanse shares this with Kerensky, but also uses it to improve the space defenses of the Federated Suns.
2772
The SLDF begins a three pronged campaign, driving deep into the Hegemony. Although the new ECM reduces the dangers posed by SDS systems, ground fighting remains long and savage.
2773
With a ring of worlds held around Terra and many less protected worlds falling, Hanse suggests a massive naval attack on Terra to cripple the space defenses before they can be reinforced further and volunteers units of the FSN for attacks to wear down the numbers of the Caspar drones. Kerensky declines.
2775
The SLDF finally invades Terra. Hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of soldiers are destroyed before they reach orbit, but a large force is successfully landed in Europe and Asia.
2776
With the Eastern Hemisphere largely liberated, Kerensky begins a massive movement into North America and towards Stefan Amaris' court at Unity City.
2777
Unity City falls and Stefan Amaris is captured. Shortly afterwards, he is executed.
Kerensky asks that the AFFS leave the Hegemony, although fighting continues, in order to avoid impropriety.
Hanse pulls his troops out, including the volunteer units. There is a backlash against Kerensky's ingratitude, but the AFFS has gained many technical secrets and enormous experience over years of campaigning and a programme of rebuilding and re-equipping has left it significantly stronger than previously.
The Star League Council assembles, each Lord arriving at the head of huge convoys of relief supplies for ravaged worlds. Although many expect Kerensky to be named First Lord, instead he is stripped of his title as Protector. Hanse abstains.
During the disputes over the title of First Lord, Hanse makes several proposals for compromises, such as arranging for a new Director-General of the Hegemony or inviting the Territorial States to take full Membership and vote. Nothing is accepted.
2778
The Star League Council disbands permanently.
House militaries begin recruiting from former Rim Worlds soldiers and even from the SLDF. House Davion does particularly well among the SLDF and also manages to secure significant military resources to accelerate the expansion of the AFFS.
2781
Faced with increasing defections from the SLDF, Kerensky appeals personally to Hanse who regretfully refuses and suggests that Kerensky either re-establish the Hegemony as a buffer zone, or the Rim Worlds Republic as a refuge for those fleeing wars he considers inevitable.
2783
Kerensky leads more than half of the SLDF away from the Inner Sphere in an exodus.
Hanse Davion seizes control of the HPG stations in the Federated Suns, barring ComStar. The other Successor States follow suit.
2784
While the other four Successor Lords make bids to carve up the Terran Hegemony, Hanse unleashes AFFS task forces under heavy naval escorts to seize valuable resources and carry them back to the Federated Suns. This includes thousands of refugees with useful skills. Not realising at first that Hanse was making no attempt to hold territory, the other nations are largely unable to anticipate or forestall his movements. On Towne for example, armies sent by the Draconis Combine and Capellan Confederation missed a task force built around the 56th Avalon Hussars and found themselves fighting a pitched battle over warehouses and factories that had already been stripped of much of their value.
Believing that the failure to engage in battle was a sign of weakness by the AFFS, Minoru and Jinjiro Kurita begin preparations to attack the AFFS, intending to knock the Federated Suns out of the Succession Wars and secure a commanding position over their other rivals. Reports from the Draconis March paint them an accurate picture of the March Militia's weaknesses.
The AFFS High Command deems the Capellan Confederation to be the most immediate threat to the Federated Suns. MIIO disagrees, identifying the continued DCMS build up in Galedon District as suspicious now that Kerensky's departure has been confirmed. Hanse orders a substantial movement of the Avalon Hussars to the Capellan March to prepare for an attack... and covertly moves the Deneb Light Cavalry, Ceti Hussars and Crucis Lancers - new regiments largely built from former SLDF personnel - to the border between the Crucis and Draconis Marches.
2785
Hanse makes one last bid to offer peace to the other Successor Lords. In response, Minoru Kurita declares himself First Lord and orders Jinjiro to take advantage of the AFFS' focus upon the Capellans.
Jinjiro first orders an attack on a broad front, hitting dozens of worlds. While the various PDZ focused on their own defenses, he was then able to drive a poweful force deep into the worlds near the border with the former Terran Hegemony. Despite heroic efforts a deep salient is driven into the Federated Suns.
Executing long prepared contingencies, Hanse orders most of the Avalon Hussars back from the still quiet Capellan front by whatever means are available. Meanwhile he personally leads the Davion Guards and the Crucis Lancers to attack the DCMS spearheads as they push into the Crucis March.
2786
Barbara Liao and Kenyon Marik begin a deadly contest of tit-for-tat along their borders, destroying worlds with reckless disregard for the Ares Conventions.
The Ceti Hussars begin a systematic campaign along the Draconis March, relieving and in some cases liberating worlds under attack for most of the last year. The Deneb Light Cavalry launch raids into the Draconis Combine, hitting supply bases that are supplying Jinjiro's offensive.
With pockets of resistance on bypassed worlds and stiffening resistance as the DCMS fought its way into the Crucis March, Minoru Kurita orders a halt to attacks while supplies are replenished and the rear areas secured.
Opportunist attacks by the Capellan Confederation are stalled by the Capellan March Militia, but the remaining Avalon Hussars there are required to throw them back. Hanse orders that the current wave of reinforcements be the last and he moves these regiments to replace the battered Davion Guards and Crucis Lancers that have been holding the line for six months.
Once supplies have been built up and several of his more valuable conquests secured, Jinjiro orders a sudden attack upon the newly arrived Avalon Hussars. The less experienced soldiers are pushed back , creating a foothold within the Crucis March.
2787
Believing that resistance is collapsing, Jinjiro leads a second wave of attacks only to encounter the cream of the carefully hoarded Federated Suns Navy. Dispersed to cover several attacks, the Draconis fleets are engaged piecemeal and take severe losses with Jinjiro himself killed when his dropship is destroyed. Those DCMS units that reach planets - either their targets or their bases - are targeted by the rested Davion Guards, Crucis Lancers and Ceti Hussars. Within the span of a month, many of the finest units in the DCMS are obliterated.
Archon Jennifer Steiner takes advantage of the blow against the Combine to launch her own offensive, making limited successes and forcing Minoru to divert resources from the Federated Suns front.
Using MIIO sources to guide him, Hanse uses his new momentum to strike at remaining DCMS strongholds within the Federated Suns, creating a patchwork of worlds through the Draconis March but pushing his banners forward back to the old border.
Kenyon Marik launches a series of naval attacks at shipyards within the Lyran Commonwealth, trying to cripple their navy.
2788
Faced with the loss of his son and heir, along with the prospect of humiliating defeat, Minoru Kurita orders a wave of attacks upon military industries within the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth, resorting to nucelar, chemical and biological weapons to destroy not only factories but also the work forces. Although suffering brutal losses, the Federated Suns benefits from Hanse's decision to place much of his new developments in the Periphery March.
Barbara Liao suffers a major defeat while leading an attack on Calloway and barely escapes with her life. Neither of her sons are so fortunate, leaving leaving her young granddaughter Ilsa as heir. The price of this is many of her warships, limiting her ability to respond to a series of savage attacks near Sarna over the course of the year.
Hanse suffers a heart attack and returns to New Avalon after an absence of over three years. Before leaving he orders a systematic campaign to liberate the remaining Federated Suns worlds occupied by the DCMS, mostly to be carried out by the Avalon Hussars while his other regiments refit. Rather than directly responding to the attacks of the DCMS, Hanse instead shares intelligence with Jennifer Steiner and Kenyon Marik, allowing them to wreak comparable destruction upon the Combine and Confederation's industries.
2789
The Robinson Rangers are authorised to strike at targets deep inside the DCMS in revenge for their hammering through the course of Jinjiro's offensive. Of the five regiments sent out, only one returns, but almost every world in the Galedon District suffers at least a raid and in many cases brutal nuclear bombardment of industrial cities.
Kenyon Marik orders a major attack on Hesperus II.
The Crucis March is completely cleared of DCMS holdouts.
2791
Hanse orders an end to the counteroffensive once all worlds once lost to the Draconis Combine has been reclaimed. In addition to rebuilding his weary armies, he also devotes efforts to the terrible civilian casualties being suffered.
Jennifer Steiner dies in battle on Styx, her son Richard becoming Archon.
2793
Encouraged by the death of Jennifer Steiner, Minoru Kurita orders further attacks into the Commonwealth.
Troop movements by the Taurian Concordat suggest a threat that the periphery realm will seek to reclaim those worlds lost during the Reunification War. Hanse uses this possibility to deter his Field Marshals from unleashing further attacks on the Draconis Combine while it was focused upon the Commonwealth.
2794
With AFFS units redeploying to face the Taurian border, Concordat troops are also built up, leading to further escalation and sporadic raiding back and forth.
2795
Barbara Liao dies of a rare blood disorder. Sandol Quinn is elected as Chancellor until Ilsa Liao is of age. He orders a concerted effort to seize control of the Chesteron worlds from the Federated Suns. With the Syrtis Fusiliers repositioned to ward off the Taurian Concordat, Hanse Davion elects to lead the restored Davion Guards to relieve the vulnerable region.
2796
After suffering a second heart attack, Hanse Davion has to leave the front. His son, Joshua Davion, takes control of the front and despite competent leadership is killed by a bombing run on his command post.
2797
In order to free up the Syrtis Fusiliers from the continuing brinksmanship on the Taurian border, Hanse opens talks with the Taurian Concordat and agrees to a plebscite on the disputed worlds over their national affiliation.
2798
The plebscite on the Taurian border worlds returns favour House Davion on the basis of presumed security. Hanse dutifully surrenders the three worlds of the Crucis March that returned majority votes for the Concordat after stripping them of all military resources.
2801
Ilsa Liao comes of age and takes power. She offers a peace treaty to Hanse Davion, suggesting that she will cede her claim as First Lord of the Star League in return for the Chesteron Worlds. Hanse Davion states that he will not accept those terms but suggests a ceasefire and talks to see if some other basis for peace exists.
2802
Hanse Davion and Ilsa Liao agree that she and Hanse's grandson Paul will marry, combining their claims to the throne of the Star League and hopefully ending the long feud between House Liao and House Davion. Paul is less than pleased by the notion but obeys his grandfather's dictates.
2804
Kenyon Marik dies. Thaddeus Marik becomes Captain-General and maintains his father's aggressive policies, forcing his emergency powers through Parliament by threatening them with a regiment of BattleMechs.
Minoru Kurita commits seppeku on the 'suggestion' of his son Zabu, who assumes the throne and makes peace overtures towards the other Successor States.
2809
John 'Hanse' Davion dies in his sleep, passing his throne as First Prince of the Federated Suns to his grandson Paul Davion.
Takiro Re: Hanse Davion and the Fall of the Star League « Reply #1 on: January 23, 2010, 10:20:57 AM »
Hmm, sounds a little hocky but I'll play along. My Hanse would....
1. Found the New Avalon Institute of Science and begin a concerted effort to at least pass the other Houses in regards to military technology
2. Begin a reform program aimed at improving the AFFS that surpasses anything previously thought of. He'd probably try and find out everything military from the acknowledged masters of the time the SLDF. This extensive effort would take on many different forms from a personal interest perhaps joining the organization somehow in order to study as much as he could to a greater effort to utilize SLDF veterans. I'm thinking of an Officer Exchange Program (AFFS officers and SLDF switch places with each other with the aim of learning from the others organization), a Joint Training Exercise (AFFS and SLDF units regularly spar in various scenarios on ranges that Davion pays to be setup throughout the Suns), and lastly a Service Transfer Program (which allows native born SLDF veterans to transfer unimpeded from one military to the other retaining or improving their rank).
3. In order to make good on all these new reforms conservative elements of the Federation would have to be placated in some fashion. This has many parts to it as well - recognizing and rewarding Davion citizens who put the Suns first instead of the Star League is key. Your basically looking for loyalists willing to play ball with all your above reforms and more importantly those who understand what you are doing this for. Those folks would be my leaders of the AFFS, can you say Davion Guard. Then there are other patriotic individuals who just don't like the SLDF and they have to be utilized in some fashion. Rather than let them sit in a particular region as the AFFS became accustomed pre-Succession War I would transfer them throughout the nation fostering a more national outlook. Then there are those that must be isolated from the whole or at worst drummed out of the military. Create a special place possibly a mercenary command for problem cases and dump them there basically while fostering the growth of your new AFFS.
4. You know who the black hats are in this adventure, target them and ruthlessly eliminate them. Personally I never had any proof but I though Amaris was behind Demeter call it his MO - nuke anyone? He furthers divides the Council with said action with furthers his agenda. Stefan would be my chief target followed by Jinjiro which could make for an even more interesting alternate. Say Richard Cameron becomes an even larger jerk then what do you do? However you also want to foster friendship with the good guys and help them along - Kerensky, perhaps a Steiner say Jennifer who might mirror Melissa or the original Katrina at this time (a rival to the current Archon not sure if John is married yet in this timeline), and of course native heroes from the FS at the time.
Ice Hellion Re: Hanse Davion and the Fall of the Star League « Reply #2 on: January 23, 2010, 02:20:56 PM »
The problem with time travel is that by your mere presence you disturb the past as you knew it.
But Hanse was also a Fox by himself, so I think he could have changed the plans.
I am just curious about the "lack" of success in the defence of the Federated Suns borders (I know the AFFS retook all of them but still).
Your AFFS is more experienced, has a better battle doctrine, a better spatial organisation and has a good cadre of officers (former SLDF and experienced AFFS officers) and yet you have some units that are fragile, others that are hammered and no quickly available reinforcements to prevent deep thrusts (unless this was the overall plan).
Takiro Re: Hanse Davion and the Fall of the Star League « Reply #3 on: January 23, 2010, 02:57:19 PM »
Yes but it is more of a regional force at this time. Peace time defense expenditures have prevented wide spread training or national travel giving each command a major lack of vision. Davion units at the time fight quite effectively they just won't leave their homeworlds or respective combat region. This allows Kurita to pull of its planet hopping strategy quite well first stranding then bypassing major points of resistance for later clean up.
FedComVet Re: Hanse Davion and the Fall of the Star League « Reply #4 on: January 23, 2010, 03:58:52 PM »
I could see Hanse staging Comstar like raids on known memory core locations, such as Helm, to further his technological edge (possibly even against the Star League). Have a group dress up like some Rim Worlders, disarm the ejection seats and rig the Mech's with self destruct mechanisms to ensure nobody remains alive if they are brought down. For good measure leave behind actual Rim World corpses just to throw people off the trail.
It seems like Kerensky has a pretty low opinion of the Sun's as a whole. Hanse is the only house lord to offer assistance and Big K just shoots hims down, I'm sure he's a little peeved. In instead of Hanse giving back the world(s) he conquered during Amaris' time as leader of the Hegemony, I could see him negotiating for joint ownership with Kerensky or some for of tech.
I also see Hanse sending smaller raiding forces around the Hegemony to harass Amaris and preform surgical strikes for people and property. Doing so may also allow him to extend a bit of good will to the oppressed people, like if he has his strike teams drop off supplies to the resistance forces. This would help when the fall of the League finally happens. Hanse will have populations that look to him as their benefactor and when the time comes they will not only want to be a part of the Federated Sun but they will join his military in droves because they take pride in their new home nation and what it has done for them.
Also, being that he nationalizes the HPG's as does all other house lords, what happens to Terra? Would Hanse make a play for it?
LordGrayson Re: Hanse Davion and the Fall of the Star League « Reply #5 on: January 23, 2010, 07:10:18 PM »
I'm just wondering why the Fox didn't do a covert op to remove or at lest point out what Amaris was doing. Like blowing the cover off the fact that the RWR was backing the revolt. Or simply taking amaris out.
Failing that try to break up the coup maybe invite the Cameron family to new avalon for his birthday party can't kill him if he's not there. Or actually send some of ur army with the star league so General K doesn't have to strip the TH of all its defenders making the coup harder to pull off. If all else looks like its going to fail invite rich's next of kin out of the TH so there's a actual heir to the throne. And look the FS's is protecting him/her and dang look the heir married a davion Smiley.
drakensis Re: Hanse Davion and the Fall of the Star League « Reply #6 on: January 24, 2010, 05:06:53 AM »
I am just curious about the "lack" of success in the defence of the Federated Suns borders (I know the AFFS retook all of them but still).
Your AFFS is more experienced, has a better battle doctrine, a better spatial organisation and has a good cadre of officers (former SLDF and experienced AFFS officers) and yet you have some units that are fragile, others that are hammered and no quickly available reinforcements to prevent deep thrusts (unless this was the overall plan).
The canonical Kurita offensive under Jinjiro (who may have been psycho, but was also a military genius of at least Hanse's caliber) very nearly reached New Avalon and from the invasion being launched to the AFFS retaking the border worlds took over thirty years. ITTL the attack is halted well short of New Avalon and the DCMS is expelled within six years, taking steep losses including Jinjiro himself so even on the surface, the AFFS is doing much better.
Beneath the surface, the major units hammered early on are March Militia units predominantly staffed by noble and well connected officers who have opposed Hanse's reforms. So it might be said that Hanse gained the benefits of purging the AFFS of his enemies without paying the political price for doing so. It might also be considered that the crisis of a major invasion allowed him to take emergency powers beyond those historically held by the First Prince, much as the OTL Paul Davion would have done a decade later. Beyond that, Hanse is now the national hero whose foresight spared most of the Federated Suns from the worst of the early First Succession War and who led his forces to a smashing victory over the hated Draconis Combine.
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I could see Hanse staging Comstar like raids on known memory core locations, such as Helm, to further his technological edge (possibly even against the Star League). Have a group dress up like some Rim Worlders, disarm the ejection seats and rig the Mech's with self destruct mechanisms to ensure nobody remains alive if they are brought down. For good measure leave behind actual Rim World corpses just to throw people off the trail.
Well, this is Hanse from 3024 so I'm not sure if the Helm Memory Core was known at the time. That's one of the big limits he works with: he isn't all knowing, even for what was known in his own time. He also doesn't want to risk overplaying his hand before he has everything in line to win the First Succession War.
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It seems like Kerensky has a pretty low opinion of the Sun's as a whole. Hanse is the only house lord to offer assistance and Big K just shoots hims down, I'm sure he's a little peeved. In instead of Hanse giving back the world(s) he conquered during Amaris' time as leader of the Hegemony, I could see him negotiating for joint ownership with Kerensky or some for of tech.
The AFFS earned their low military reputation the hard way: by playing paper tiger in two successive conflicts. Richard Cameron and Aleksandr Kerensky both appreciate that Hanse and the Federated Suns are doing their best but are viewing them as somewhat inept but well-meaning sidekicks who are useful in supporting roles but can't be relied on for difficult jobs (and Hanse to some extent plays up to this, which has parallels to Stefan Amaris' habitual pretense at being a Periphery bumpkin). Bear in mind that Richard trusted Hanse to help protect the Hegemony in 2765 when historically he rejected a similar offer from Takiro Kurita.
Hanse's reasons for not making claims against the Hegemony both before and after the Exodus are that he doesn't want to extend into that area where a lot of the earlier fighting will take place. Instead he expects the other Successor States to bleed each other there. And up until the League actually collapses, Hanse is playing the good loyal statesman and doing his dirty work on the quiet.
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I also see Hanse sending smaller raiding forces around the Hegemony to harass Amaris and preform surgical strikes for people and property. Doing so may also allow him to extend a bit of good will to the oppressed people, like if he has his strike teams drop off supplies to the resistance forces. This would help when the fall of the League finally happens. Hanse will have populations that look to him as their benefactor and when the time comes they will not only want to be a part of the Federated Sun but they will join his military in droves because they take pride in their new home nation and what it has done for them.
The main problem with this is the SDS networks. Getting raiding parties past those was a real problem for the SLDF. Certainly those worlds he defended from Amaris would look first to Hanse Davion as their protector after the fall of the Star League, and he does carry out intelligence gathering raids and even liberate some worlds such as Nirasaki before the main SLDF offensives begin.
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Also, being that he nationalizes the HPG's as does all other house lords, what happens to Terra? Would Hanse make a play for it?
Good question. I don't think Hanse would go for it, but without a strong ComStar holding it there would be a real chance of the other Successor Lords fighting over Terra, causing even more damage. Also, with seperated HPG networks, communications through the Inner Sphere would be seriously impeded which might be a mistake in the long run.
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I'm just wondering why the Fox didn't do a covert op to remove or at lest point out what Amaris was doing. Like blowing the cover off the fact that the RWR was backing the revolt. Or simply taking amaris out.
Failing that try to break up the coup maybe invite the Cameron family to new avalon for his birthday party can't kill him if he's not there. Or actually send some of ur army with the star league so General K doesn't have to strip the TH of all its defenders making the coup harder to pull off. If all else looks like its going to fail invite rich's next of kin out of the TH so there's a actual heir to the throne. And look the FS's is protecting him/her and dang look the heir married a davion
Your first question is perhaps the most important: could Hanse have prevented the Amaris Coup?
That's hard to say: Richard Cameron was very close to Stefan Amaris and reacted badly to efforts to seperate them. By Hanse's 'arrival', Amaris has already had seven years to secure his hold over the young Richard so discrediting him is probably a loser's game. On the larger scale, the Star League has grown increasingly unstable over the previous half-century and the odds are pretty good it would collapse anyway. Under those circumstances, Hanse decided it would be best to make only minor changes to reduce the chances of rendering his foreknowledge irrelevant... and knowingly allowed the Star League to die. He's not exactly wearing a white hat.
In fairness, he did send the AFFS to help the SLDF in the Periphery and the Hegemony. He did try to give Richard good advice. But once the Amaris Coup was falling into place (and if he'd managed to keep some of House Cameron alive who's to say Stefan wouldn't have amended his plans or launched an all out attack on the Suns to kill them?) he wrote off the Star League and the Terran Hegemony to protect the Federated Suns. I'm basing this behaviour on part of the blurb from the old House Davion: The Federated Suns. "In the 26th Century, Alexander Davion wanted the Federated Suns to be the last to join the Star League. In the 31st Century, Hanse Davion wants them to be the last to survive it." While the Star League was the best option for the Suns he'd back it, but when the better option is to let the League fall and make his own path then he'll cut it off.
And in the end, he's doing well. With the industries of the Periphery March at his disposal the Federated Suns will bounce back better than its rivals, and the Capellan Confederation is on the brink of absorption into some kind of superstate similar to the FedCom, assuming his descendants can hold things together. The Succession Wars would doubtless continue, but potentially this time with a winner who could bring them to an end by the end of the 29th Century.
Ice Hellion Re: Hanse Davion and the Fall of the Star League « Reply #7 on: January 24, 2010, 03:34:00 PM »
Now I understand more the reasons behind the "poor" (did you see the " " Wink) performance of the AFFS.
Something akin to the LCAF trying to resist the teachings of the AFFS.
But still "and covertly moves the Deneb Light Cavalry, Ceti Hussars and Crucis Lancers - new regiments largely built from former SLDF personnel - to the border between the Crucis and Draconis Marches." and yet, he barely manages to hold the line with the Crucis and the Guards.
The best option would have been to strike first but the Federated Suns is not the Draconis Combine and the "I am just defending myself" thing was needed to get public support.
I do agree with LordGrayson's comment on the covert ops side.
Perhaps Richard would not have believed it but Kerensky might and he could have done things in a different way.
Your "the Star League is dying, so let's not change too many things" is a bit too harsh and the Federated Suns might have beneficed from the Star League (perhaps just giving it more time to train its troops and move factories).
However were the covert ops guys up to it?
