OBT Forum

Interesting, reminds me of Cray's Sign in Blood but certainly different. Not sure Davion could become the next Captain-General but attacking the Capellans I could see. Poor Confederation not sure they would survive.

Interesting idea but it doesn't fit my idea of Janos Marik (although I might be wrong about him)

ComStar First Circuit Compound
Hilton Head Island, Terra
24 September 3028

"What is the third member of the Kapteyn Pact doing," Julian Tiepolo demanded. Having previously served as Precentor Atreus, the Primus was not accustomed to being ill-informed as to events within the Free Worlds League. Unfortunately, previous excesses by Precentors Kristofur and Rachan had damaged the previously strong postion held there.

Tojo Jarleth, current leader of ROM, tucked his hands securely inside the wide sleeves of his robe. "Captain-General Marik is proceeding with unusual security. The messages he has sent to direct the war effort have thus far been short and limited to simple code words. However, a number of regiments have enshipped and we presume therefore that offensive action will take effect soon. Based on what information we have, there would appear to be two plans in action."

From her place in the First Circuit, Myndo Waterly sniffed. "I understood that division of forces was against military principles."

"That is correct, Precentor Dieron," agreed Jarlath humbly. "However, another military principle stresses the value of audacity. Our current projections suggest minor attacks in the region of Bolan, to be carried out by the 1st and 5th regiments of the Oriente Hussars. At the same time, a very strong force drawn from worlds on the Liao borders will strike into the Terran area. Opinions are divided as to whether the attack will be into the Federation of Skye - perhaps targeting Hesperus II - or into Capellan worlds that have fallen to Hanse Davion."

Tiepolo nodded. "Do you have any opinion yourself?" he asked.

"I would favour the latter course," Jarlath said without hesitation. "It would ostensibly be in support of House Liao, but once Marik troops are on those worlds, they would not be relinquished."

"Laying the seeds of another war between Liao and Marik," the Primus nodded satisfied. "And what numbers do you expect to be involved?"

Jarlath smiled slightly. "At least a dozen federal regiments have enshipped," he revealed. "It would appear that all three Sirian Lancer regiments are also on the move, a very likely sign that they will also -"

A buzz from the door turned heads and the head of ComStar's intelligence agency broke off. "If the First Circuit will permit," he requested humbly. "I have asked to be updated immediately of any important developments."

Tiepolo nodded. "In the meanwhile, Precentor Galedon, perhaps you could update on the progress of Takashi Kurita's campaign against Wolf's Dragoons?"

"Fighting has begun on Harrow's Sun, Wapakoneta and Glenmora," Kalafon reported. Unlike more senior Precentors holding places on the First Circuit, the middle-aged man had to stand in the centre of the circle as Jarlath had. "Thus far the Combine has committed five regiments against them. While that is an even match on paper, my information is that after their losses on Misery, the Dragoons are operating at barely half-strength." He shook his head in wonder. "With any other unit, I would say that the outcome is a foregone conclusion."

"The Dragoons are not superhuman, Precentor," Tiepolo declared, but the rest of his commentary was cut off by a violent exclaimation from the doorway. "I didn't hear that clearly, Precentor ROM. Would you like to repeat it in a more civilized fashion?"

Jarlath cleared his throat, face reddening. "My apologies, Primus, but I have disturbing news. The Sirian Lancers have landed on Sirius."
It was a long time since Julian Tiepolo or his former protege Myndo Waterly had been united in anything, but no one noted the irony of the shrill "What!" that they uttered in unison.

"Correct me if I am wrong, Precentor ROM," Villius Tejh asked, gathering his wits faster than the rest of the First Circuit. "But Sirus, besides being only eight light years from Terra, was firmly in the hands of the Capellan Confederation as last I heard."

"That is correct, Precentor Sian," Jarlath confirmed grimly. "However, Maxmilian Liao has only two battalions on planet and with Hanse Davion invading the Sarna Supremacy, it is unlikely he can throw substantial support to Sirius. With three regiments landed, it is highly unlikely that the Lancers will fail to take hold of the planet."

Tejh exhaled slowly. "So much for the Kapteyn Pact," he said resignedly. "I must presume that other reports are en route from more distant worlds along the border between the Confederation and the League."

"We must interdict them immediately!" shouted Myndo Waterly.

Tiepolo shook his head. "On what justification, Precentor Dieron?"

"Be damned to justification!" the woman snapped. "If Hanse Davion unites the Inner Sphere under his rule then everything our Order has worked for will be reduced to ruin. Do you think Liao or Kurita will question their good fortune if we cut the communications of their enemies?"

Physical violence within the First Circuit was unheard of, the only thing that stopped Tejh from crossing the floor and trying to slap some sense into the hysterical woman. "Before you concern yourself with the wellbeing of Takashi Kurita or Maximilan Liao, you may wish to consider our own security," he told her flatly. "In case you have forgotten Precentor Dieron, our colleague admitted earlier that Marik has at least a dozen federal regiments moving. Now that his actual intentions revealed it is likely that he will also commit them against House Liao. But they are not the only possible candidates."

"What do you mean?" Ulthan Everson asked carefully. He was no great admirer of Tejh, but nor was he an adherent to Waterly's particular fanaticism.

Precentor Sian's voice was harsh and rasping. "Janos Marik knows full well how involved our Primus was in uniting - excuse me, trying to unite opposition to the Federated Commonwealth. It occurs to me that the ComGuards would be a very thin line of defense if those regiments were en route to Terra."

A twisted vision but it could evolve into something interesting.
And the dinner scene was great with Liao acting strange and Marik acting with his own secret plans.

Why can't TPTB in CBT ever have a Marik Captain-General as good as this.

My guess is the FWL didn't have the following of the other states.  It's not the Bad Ass Dragon, the Kung Fu underdogs of the Capellans, the mighty Davions nor the beer and big 'mech brigade of the Lyrans.  Untill its dismemberment by the Blakists and then the Allies the League has pretty much been just "those purple guys over there".  Sad for the 1st Interstellar State after the Terran Alliance.

Trelane Heights, Pella II
Sian Commonality, Capellan Commonwealth
3 October 3028

The firs of the hills over looking the planetary capital reminded Janos Marik of childhood camping trips with his brother. Bittersweet memories now and it was too late to make new memories with his own children. Perhaps after the war he should try to patch things up with Therese and her husband. They had given him his only grandchildren after all.

The old man stood in a large tent, his Rifleman standing above the command post of the 1st Free Worlds Guards as if on guard, studying the map. "So the local defense units have been dispersed," he affirmed. "And their supplies?"

"All in hand, sir," Colonel Alcala told him. "The Hussars have secured them and I've sent technical crews to assist them in taking stock of them." The handsome officer stroked his beard. "Not much resistance here, for a border world."

"There's not much here to protect," the Marik told him. "Don't fret, Colonel. There will be plenty of action for the Guards once we're closer to Sian. We caught them with their pants around their ankles but once Smiling Max stops foaming at the lips, he'll call for every reserve he can muster. The Big Mac, most probably. Davion seems to be concentrating on the Sarna Commonality for now, and the McCarron's proved he can move fast." Janos handed the map to an aide and turned towards the radio operator who was in attendance upon him. "Have ComStar relayed reports from the other task forces?"

The young woman nodded her head. "Yes sir," she said, consulting her pad. "Colonels Kimbolton and Van Castille have reported little resistance on Jasmine and Frondas. Colonel Langsdorf reports that the defenders on Calpaca have fallen back into the cities and 11th Dragoons are having trouble rooting them out. He's taking a battalion of the 3rd Guards in with him and expects the matter to stabilise within the week."

"Good, better than good in fact." Janos looked over at Alcala. "I see no reason we can't hand over to the 2nd Oriente Hussars when they arrive next week then. Do you?"

"No sir," replied the commander of the 1st Free Worlds Guards. "With your permission, I'd like keep the 3rd Hussars on planet a few days longer than expected. They took the heaviest damage and can do with some time to finish their repairs. They'll be our tactical reserve on Bentley anyway, so we can afford the time."

The Captain-General smiled slightly. "It's your task force, Colonel. I'm simply here to keep communication lines shorter if - when - ComStar decides to screw us over." He ran one finger across the eagle tattooed on his forehead. Four border worlds taken, although pacification would take much longer. It wasn't the first time that an offensive had started with grand progress but all too many had ended with the attackers being thrown back across their borders in disarray. Not this time though. The Capellan reserves were already in motion towards the worlds taken or threatened by the Federated Suns, a region that actually extended so deeply as to include worlds adjacent to the League.

"It'll take weeks to turn the troops around," he concluded. "Archie McCarron might hit us on our second wave objectives, but other than that they won't stop us short of the third wave." And of the four task forces operating as part of the innocuously named Operation Uniform, three of them shared a single world as their objective for the third wave.

Sian. Capital of the Confederation for over five hundred years.

"Ah, sir?" the radio operator said. "ComStar are also relaying a message from Atreus. Apparently it was sent from Sian and it's been making its way back to us for most of a week."

Janos blinked. From Sian? Then his lips parted in amusement. Of course. It would have taken a week or so from Sian to Atreus, and most of that back so it would have been sent some time before the first wave of his ships jumped into Confederation. "Let me guess, the Chancellor is whining at me."

The young woman pulled a sheet of teletype paper from a printer and scanned it before passing it to her liege lord who read it with amusement. "Well now. Apparently I am a subordinate, who need only be addressed by surname by his 'Celestial Wisdom', who demands humanitarian and material aid, since I apparently won't send troops to fight for him. He also characterises Hanse Davion's soldiers as the 'hordes of hell' and makes not one but two slighting remarks about the League's democratic institutions. Charming." Janos folded the paper up. "I believe that I will reply in person," he told the gathered officers with a twinkle in his eyes.

Its about time someone ended that mistake.