New Avalon 4.3
Ian Davion enjoyed the matches as they progressed, even more so as the good natured gambling that the nobility of the Federated Suns It wouldn't have been appropriate to wager against any of his own subjects he was the sovereign betting against someone would be poor form. He couldn't be seen to be gambling against a young knight it just wasn't done.
Hanse, not being First Prince, didn't have that problem so they'd split the winnings. Michael wasn't happy, but it wasn't as if the representatives of the Capellan March were doing all that poorly it was just... their losses had the appearance of being worse than they were. That was all... and Michael was a sore loser.
Still they were a nice distraction from his other duties, and the burdens of being first prince. The matches wouldn't last forever though. The young, the cadets would have their fun and then would be apart of the much larger festivities that were really business pretending to be holidays. Speaking of work, "You wanted to say something?"
"Officially Aldis Industries is protesting the production of tanks on Sakhara." Ian wrinkled his nose. His aunt, and his brother were here, the Duke of Robinson was not, the Duke of New Syrtis was also absent... thankfully. "They might actually have some ground for the Schrek but ... If I were to speculate given how many of the tanks are being produced-"
"LosTech, the factory is like the one here that manufactures our Valkyrie." He interjected.
Yvonne nodded, "I have to assume that Clay's factory complex is from the Star League designed to, or originally was designed to produce the SLDF Mark II of the Demolisher, if Aldis is telling the truth and the Mk III was only completed-," at the turn of the century, "When they say it was. All of Clay's tanks rely on a different model 240 engine than Aldis's productions versions though the weapons load out remain the same."
Ian had of course not missed that. Henry had a preference for the ChemJet 185mm Assault Auto-cannon within his own ranks, but provided designs using other models when he had to, and was less finicky about using other versions of the particle projector cannon.... which of course was just a demonstration of his techno-wizards and their ability to insure the PPCs worked correctly with the computers, and machines they were fitted in. "And?" He asked with a suffering sigh.
"I don't know who is behind it, Aldis is a large independent weapons supplier but they provide weapons to the Capellans," She paused, "and of course this could be a fact finding mission, the lawsuit itself could be spurious with the intent of trying to require a disclosure of actual production volume. Clay's assets are all within the Federated Suns, he's largely earmarked sales to the Draconis March Militia and inside the Draconis March..." She trailed off, "I do not suspect this is the Combine,"
"Should I apprise the Foreign Service do they need to be consulted that this is part of some sort of foreign subversion or attack upon our industries?"
"It wouldn't hurt to take precautions." Hanse remarked to him, "Should I inform Quintus?"
"Yes... lets do that," Ian replied quickly, after all Quintus had been his choice for the posting, even if he hadn't had much time to discuss things with the man, "What else is going on?" The question of tanks made sense, given the production of the various battlemechs were largely in house programs. Ian had actually expected there to be something regarding that when he'd been told about this meeting... not tanks. Why not tanks? That bothered Ian, but he supposed it was equally possible that this really was some petty company, especially a foreign firm protesting.
"Sakhara's Shipyards will be a matter..." There was no way they couldn't become a topic of discussion, "I'm not quite certain what Clay's ASF plans are like," His younger brother glanced to their aunt. She was after all the one who'd been the point of contact, it somewhat galled Ian that he hadn't been free to tour the realm he ruled, but he was needed here despite how convenient the circuits that were in place... "How do we deal with this?"
"If we don't know who is behind, I'm not sure there is a good way to deal with it." It was the truth... of course, but it wasn't the answer Ian wanted to hear. This was an attack, someone with more money than sense was attacking him, was attacking the Federated Suns... it didn't matter if it was tanks Ian felt offended on behalf of the kingdom.
"But it could be the Capellans?"
"It is certainly possible," Yvonne replied, "I need time to investigate, and the Foreign Service will also need to compile its own report." Ian didn't want to wait, of course, but he knew it was the right move, Quintus was good at finding answers, was good at his job, had experience with Sian and its court... and he wouldn't arrise any suspicion as a career diplomat.
It would take time though. The other nations' capitals were all so far away. Jump travel was so slow, and the HPG network... his eyes narrowed. The hpg network was on Terra, Aldis was on terra, was that a coincidence... there were so many instances where all through the succession wars things had just gotten harder, where talks had broken down, where ComStar had levied interdicts, where there were delays. There were the other rumors from the other states.
Ian had been willing to believe of course that the HPG Network had been damaged by the Amaris Crisis but the recording Clay had clearly established that Jerome Blake and Kerensky had been able to intercept, not interfere with but watch a live conversation between the Coordinator and Amaris one on Terra and the other on the Capital of the Draconis Combine....
They had been able to hold a live conversation and have a third party watch it at the same time. Something that Henry had handed over... because of course he was still a teenager... his youngest duke didn't understand how important that was, how useful that was. Ian sighed, and that was why it had been important to put him with more of his own age group, and away the viper's nest that was the capital. "I want to go public with the recording."
"Your highness?" "Brother."
"We've," It was actually the royal we there, "already informed the Eridani," What General Kerston would do with that, well the General, it seemed he was respecting his wish that they give the young duke time, "they already know Clay has the descendants of the 19
th we can expect that if they don't seek him out, in the next few days, they'll wait until he returns to Sakhara and from what you've told me he has descendants of men who went with Kerensky..."
"Men who came back because Clay had, has rather a blood vendetta against Amaris," Hanse pointed out raising a long finger from where he'd been tracing the edge of his teacup, "As told auntie he's worried about Amaris coming against him as much as he is Kurita,"
Which, of course he had informed General Kerston, but Hanse hadn't been in the room for that conversation, it had needed to be private, to demonstrate how much he trusted the old mercenary commander. "Yes Kurita," His lips curled in disgust, who knowingly collaborated with Amaris, I want to publish it, the Federated Suns. The office of the First Prince, let them come and fight me." Hanse's expression had turned to a resigned one. The duchess of Victoria nodded after a moment clearly recognizing he had made a decision. No, now was the part where they wouldn't object to releasing the recording, but how they could massage it's release. What statements should go out with it, and that would be a way to delay releasing it just yet. They could leverage how it would go forth. "So how should we do this?"
"Ideally I think we should weigh who we want to tell before hand, within the realm, and outside of it." Hanse replied, "We have to tell the Duke of Robinson, it would reckless not to declare it, and we should inform the Lyrans for that matter... I think we should also inform Sian and Atreus as well. If nothing else before we make the public announcement."
He paused, "I will not wait for October Hanse, it would be too on the nose." Hanse shrugged, but the truth was Valentine's day, or the 11
th of September would be just as on the nose.
"Could you wait until April, to see if we could attract Jaime Wolf's attention first?" Yvonne suggested speaking up.
He really didn't want to wait that long, but being First Prince entailed doing a lot of things he didn't like doing. Could he wait that long? Yes of course the information had been concealed from the Inner Sphere for centuries, someone had done that, and not just Kurita, and his fellow rulers would likely have suspicions of their own, but he could wait a little longer.
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Notes: This is, well I had planned for there to be an interlude in between this and 4.3 but NA4 is going to be on the shorter side as it is itself something of an interlude in between the return to Sakhara while setting up for the DMM receiving a variety of things, and Ian hoping to expand that to the other institutions, and of course the 'mercenaries' perspective, both the Eridani and the Dragoons... because the Dragoons aren't stupid even if they won't show up until probably spring of the following year.