Aurochs Grand Hotel, Samantha
Taurus, Taurian Concordat
12 July 2577 (11 July 3032 local calendar)
“Did you have a good evening?†Rachel asked drily as she poured another cup of coffee, passing it across table towards Savitri.
The Magestrix accepted the cup and sipped slightly before gave it a careful look and setting it aside with a disgusted look on her face. “Not fair giving me caffeine before I’m entirely awake,†she reproved and reached for fruit juice instead.
She certainly looked as if she hadn’t had as much sleep as she wanted. “I don’t think I’ve seen you this tired in the morning since the first time we had breakfast together.â€
“Hmm, twelve years ago. Being a mother will do that for you.†Savitri smiled slightly as she drained a glass of apple juice. “And yes, it was a good night.â€
“I thought so, I visited last night and was surprised not to find you.â€
“Well if I’d known you were coming then I would have been there,†the other woman said with a saucy wink. For someone who hadn’t taken prolong, being too old for any version of it, Savitri still managed to seem younger than her years – not that she was even middle-aged yet, of course.
“Not like that. I am married, as you well know. Or is senility setting in early?†Rachel teased. “So who put horns on Richard’s head this time?â€
“Oh now, if I was one to kiss and tell, Hanse would have tanned your hide no matter if you were a Marksman yourself.†Savitri cut the end off her boiled egg. The two of them were occupying a private dining room in the sprawling hotel complex that was accommodating the majority of the guests.
Rachel smiled nostalgically remembering the Terran Conference of 3021 and sharing accommodations in a recently-repaired luxury dropship she had found on New Dallas and just sold to Savitri. “Much as it’s good to have time to socialise, I had a topic of conversation in mind.â€
“Which is?â€
“I think I may have to take the throne.â€
“I rather thought that you had the throne, of Filtvet at lea... ah. That throne?
“Yes. That throne.†She looked away.
“I always thought, largely because you told me, that you didn’t want to be First Prince.â€
“I didn’t. I still don’t. But if it comes to that...†Rachel was slicing her toast into thinner and thinner strips, only half aware of what she was doing with the butter knife. “I don’t think that Alexander Davion will leave me alone.â€
“So you’re looking at fighting family, for something you don’t really want...†Savitru paused and spooned egg into her mouth, chewing for a moment. “So why are you doing it?â€
“Because if I don’t, he’s going to come here and probably tear my entire March apart. Disarm them, leave them open every damn predator that comes along.â€
“Let’s assume that I’m not entirely familiar with every little detail of Davion history. I know a few things about Alexander, he’s you – how many greats? - great-grandfather, but I don’t know everything. Why do you think he’s going to do that?â€
“Fourteen greats for me, fifteen for Liz Stark-Davion. He grew up surrounded by relatives and powerful nobles who had private fiefs within the Federated Suns. Not quite the same as the arch-duchies in our day, but it all looks the same from a distance. By the time he was grown up they were fighting over the throne that was supposed to be his and in the end he had to conquer each of them in turn.â€
“One aunt committed suicide rather than be captured than his forces, another fled to the Confederation and died only four years ago. His first wife was assassinated on the order of one of his generals. He’s spent the rest of his life ensuring that the Federated Suns wouldn’t face another Civil War and now here I am, to all practises independent and with an army that answers to me over him.â€
“He’s probably the most legendary leader in the Federated Suns has ever had and I’m his worst nightmare.â€
Savitri nodded. “I can’t say I’ve got anyone in this era that I would look on like that. So you don’t think he’d accept an outcome that would leave you independent?â€
“I can’t imagine that he’d give up. We’re talking about a man who didn’t surrender when he couldn’t have raised a company of infantry to his name.â€
“So is this an issue of where your loyalty lies? Or apprehension over taking control the Suns?â€
Rachel hesitated. “Perhaps a little of both. I swore an oath to the Federated Suns. Even if this isn’t the same nation, I don’t want to see it torn apart in a civil war.â€
“Could you outlive him?â€
“All things being equal, he’ll live another twenty-three years. Even if he doesn’t, there’s no telling how his immediate heirs would feel – they died young in accidents and assassinations which we can’t count on now.â€
“Hmm.†Savitri wiped her lips with a napkin. “You’ve got quite a problem. So you think you’re going to have to oust him and take over? Hanse certainly raised you with the intention you would be a possible heir, but honestly you’d be as ill-prepared for it as I was for my own throne. This isn’t the Suns of our day. You don’t know the people, you don’t know the customs... looking back I have to shudder at how unready I was.â€
She stood, walked around the table and kissed Rachel’s cheek. “Win the war for Filtvet, but understand that if you go to New Avalon then you will lose Filtvet. You can’t possibly rule both.â€
Unity City, North America
Terra, Terran Hegemony
12 July 2577
There was a shell-shocked silence in the chamber of the Star League Council as Carlos Dangmar Lee, Commanding General of the SLDF, laid out the situation that they faced.
Over the course of eight months, the Star League Defense Force had lost more than a third of its regiments and seventeen percent of its naval strength. Supporting elements from the Free Worlds League and Federated Suns had been similarly shattered: all thirty-five regiments of the AFFS Auxiliary Corps now confirmed to be in captivity and three-quarters of the Marik Auxiliary Corps simply gone, along with the Captain-General.
Added to the loss of twenty percent of the Free Worlds League Navy, including three of their powerful Atreus-class battleships, and a staggering sixty percent of the Federated Suns Navy at Estuan; it was a string of losses unparalleled in military history.
It was Ian Marik who asked the question that was going through all their minds: “Can we even go on?â€
“We must.†His namesake was uncompromising. “The states of the Periphery have shown themselves to be determinedly opposed to the Star League. As Admiral McSwiggan found out on Tellman’s Mistake, we cannot expect them to leave us alone. We must anticipate that they will continue to attack neighbouring worlds.â€
“What exactly are you proposing?†Hehiro Kurita asked the First Lord.
“I believe it would be best for General Lee to present our proposed strategy,†Ian Cameron said, gesturing to his old friend.
Lee cleared his throat. “There are some obvious points to address. Firstly, any offensive activity towards Taurus and Canopus is completely out of the question for years to come..â€
“Secondly, the next few years will depend heavily upon our ability to deliver forces to Periphery planets and prevent them from doing the same: this will require a substantial naval build up.â€
“In detail: General Wexworth will remain in command of the Taurian Front, commanding I, III and IV Corps. His orders are to see to defense of the Capellan and Federated Suns worlds along that border. V Corps and a provisional VIII Corps, formed for now out of reservists and elements of the Star Guard Corps, will take responsibility for reinforcing the CCAF and FWLM forces along the Canopian front. General Amalthia Kincaid from the Strategic Simulations Command will take command there.â€
“General Forlough remains in command of the Outworlds front although he will be reinforced with the remaining elements of VI Corps. Meanwhile General Nathan Isaacson has accepted command of the new IX Corps, which will form the core of our Rim Worlds Task Force under the overall command of Archon Steiner-Dinesen.â€
All eyes went to Viola Steiner-Dinesen, who nodded to confirm that she had accepted the position.
“The purpose of this force,†Lee continued, “Is to assist First Consul Gregory Amaris in restoring order and bringing his realm into the Star League.â€
Alexander’s fist hit the table in front of him. “I’m not convinced by this course of action. We have a major threat in the rimwards regions and you want to send forces in completely the other direction?â€
“That is correct, Prince Davion.†Ian Cameron seemed unimpressed by the bluster. “There are significant advantages to prioritising the Rim Worlds Republic. Firstly, we have significant support there, meaning that the campaign is likely to be relatively short and straightforward. Secondly, it prevents the Periphery states from being able to send their own forces there, which would place the Lyran Commonwealth on the defensive and unable to support the rimwards theatres of operation effectively. Finally, adding the industry and military forces of the Republic to the Star League will go at least a small way towards redressing our losses.â€
“Essentially our intention is to bring the Republic and the Outworlds Alliance into compliance with the Star League, isolating the Taurians, the Canopians and their Marian and Tortugan allies to be dealt with once we have a better grip on their technology and have rebuilt our forces. We estimate that this could be five to ten years from now.â€
“Five years from now they’ll have Sian, if not New Avalon or Atreus. I hope you have something more concrete in mind to deal with the naval side of the problem.â€
“I would have no objection to sending a detachment of the DCA to support your border with the Alliance,†offered the Co-ordinator.
Alexander shook his head. He was sure the Co-ordinator would be delighted to send his warships across the border, but perhaps less accommodating about removing them later. “That’s very generous, but you have so much to concern yourself with their border in easy reach of your capital. Besides, I’m sure the Star League has something planned or the matter wouldn’t have been raised.â€
Lee nodded. “How about three hundred and fifty warships between seven and eight hundred thousand tons in the next twelve years? The Periphery have shown us that they have powerful and advanced fleets with a sophisticated doctrine. In order to counter that we’ve had to reconsider our own designs.â€
“This, of course, will take time and I assure you contracts for this new construction will be going to yards all across the Star League.†Which by implication meant that the technology would be shared with the other members, even though the Hegemony wasn’t required to do so under the Star League Accords.
“Rather than leave the yards inactive, it’s been decided to upgrade a hundred cruisers and two hundred and fifty frigates from the inactive reserves with advanced point defences to deal with the Taurians’ apparent fondness for missile armaments. The cruisers are already being surveyed to determine what other repairs and improvements should be made and we intend to donate the first twenty-five cruisers to the FSN and the next ten to the FWLN in make good their losses.â€
It wouldn’t, of course. The loss of hulls was terrible, but what had gutted the Federated Suns’ Navy was so many crews dead or captured. They’d be able to put people aboard the cruisers, drawn from shore-establishments, new recruits and cannibalising the remaining crews, but the naval strength of the Federated Suns was going to be an illusion for years to come.
“The frigates will go towards rebuilding the forces along the Taurian and Canopian fronts. I’m not going to deny that we’ve taken a terrible beating but we have the strength to come back from this. Within twelve months, the Star League Navy will be stronger than it was at the start of this year.â€
“That’s all very well assuming we have a year. We haven’t really hurt them yet,†Ian Marik objected coolly. “What do you recommend if they feel that they can keep coming?â€
“Quite honestly, that will have to depend on their methods and resources.†Lee brought up a map of the border. “It isn’t possible to be strong everywhere, so the goal will be to hold onto strategic world while forcing them to expend resources pacifying others. What has been determined that the Ares Convention seems to be held in high regard, even by the Taurians.â€
Ian Cameron cleared his throat. “That does appear to have been a miscalculation on my part. Alexander has requested that we should readopt the Ares Conventions.â€
“Now that we’re losing, you mean,†Ursula observed sarcastically, looking over at the First Prince.
“Until recently, it was believed that any war against the Taurian Concordat would likely see the same brutality as your own state’s Rim War against them a century and a half ago. It didn’t make sense to send the SLDF in while tying their hands.†Alexander spread his hands. “Now that we aren’t facing that prospect, we can commit ourselves to civilised methods of warfare without endangering ours soldiers.â€
“The motion had been raised,†Cameron said formally. “I believe a voice vote should settle the matter. Alexander, your vote is for the measure?â€
“Of course.â€
“Viola?â€
She shook her head. “I don’t endorse such means as a regular matter but nor will I rule them out.â€
Ian nodded and moved to the next voter. “Ursula?â€
“In favour of reinstatement,†the Chancellor said, after a moment’s thought.
“Opposed,†Hehiro declared without waiting to be prompted.
“And Ian.â€
The new Captain-General leant forwards. “Based on an offer from the Marian League to uphold ‘a civilised code of warfare’ for as long as we do, I’m with the First Prince and the Chancellor. And Director-General, it’s our three states that will bear the brunt of any retaliation. A split vote here would suggest a certain lack of common interest between those not in that position and those who are.â€
“A fair point,†Ian Cameron conceded, flinching inwardly at the slightly veiled threat. He sat back in his chair considering how to cast his vote.