Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three:

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three: "It's Treason Then"

New Avalon, September 21st, 3031

"We've identified these four as infiltrators and two more as traitors." Quintus Allard told Hanse Davion.

"I take it they've already been imprisoned?" Hanse asked as he looked at the files that Quintus had just handed him. "I'd like to begin rolling up the last of any enemy intelligence cells on New Avalon immediately." He looked at the map on his wall which had Luthien circled. "With the Combine on the back foot we need to begin getting things arranged to exploit the likely succession crisis they're going to go through."

"We've already begun interrogation on the six agents we found in the staff here in the Palace." Quintus responded. "And I'll have our people start removing the ISF cells in conjunction with DMI shortly."

"Have the Taurians or Lyrans been sharing intelligence with us of late?" Hanse asked.

"Yes, we've been coordinating with the Lyrans since they launched OPERATION BLITZKRIEG Quintus said. "We've helped Duke Sandoval to identify several key weak points in the Combine, and he's launching a full offensive on the heels of the Sack of Luthien. That Hull pulled off."

"Sticking with that term huh?" Hanse asked. "I thought that was just something that our PR people came up with."

"It fits." Quintus stated bluntly. "And until anyone knows where Hull is going to move next the entire Combine will be on the move."

"It is fitting." Hanse agreed with a small smile. "And Yvonne and I have a cover story to move forward with in regards to Ian."

"Oh?" Quintus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A hit by the Combine in order to throw suspicion onto Hull after he departed with his two guard units." Hanse said. "The full details are in this packet." He slid the document over to Quintus for review.

"I'll look it over and get back to you along with the results of the interrogation." Quintus replied. "I have a lot of work to do after all."

"I'll let you get to it." Hanse said. "I would appreciate it if you had the results in the next couple of days though." He sighed, "Press release is on the twenty fifth."

"I'll have it on your desk tomorrow morning Hanse." Quintus smiled as he left Hanse's office.

September 22nd, 3031

"We've got around sixty days until we reach New Samarkand." I told the assembled officers. "I fully expect every single regional capital in the Draconis Combine to be on extremely high alert after what we just managed to pull off on Luthien."

"I do not believe that we will face the same amount of forces." Yvonne Hazen spoke up as she brought up the intelligence briefs that Dunham had sent with us when we first left. "The Fifth Galedon Regulars have been stationed there underneath Grieg Samsonov for the last decade or so."

"They have an unusual TO&E for a Combine unit." Mathis brought up. "We know based off of MIIO reports that its a medium unit, but that for every one 'mech lance that they use they're also backed up by two combat vehicles lances." He glanced around. "They may not have quite the sheer amount of skill that we faced on Luthien, but these will be some of the hardest opponents we've ever faced, and a large part of that will be because everyone is going to be trying to bring us down for taking out the Coordinator."

"If they're not too busy trying to fight for the specific person that they believe should be the new Coordinator that is." I said as I looked over the map. "We just took out Takashi, Subhash Indrahar, and were able to take the immediate successors to the Combine as hostages. This along with us making sure that Marcus Kurita was taken out means that there's almost certain to be a succession crisis."

"That may wait until after the Steiners and Davions are done with their invasions though." Godbolt said after processing everything. "There's nothing more unifying than an external threat."

"Unless we manage to feed those flames." I said while stroking my beard. "What if we allow Samsonov to retreat and leave New Samarkand in order to head back to Luthien, we know from out intelligence reports that he's a power hungry man, and that the 5th Galedon and the 19th Galedon Regulars are likely going to be loyal to him."

"Engineer this in a way that we get to hit the ISF HQ and set off a chain reaction." Mathis said as he rubbed his hands together with a grin. "We'll have to make several separate operational plans for this based on the reactions that we get."

"Better to have backup plans and be willing to improvise than to be caught by surprise." I agreed. "While on New Samarkand, I'm going to need someone to get news reports from the rest of the Inner Sphere." I shrugged when I got several questioning looks. "We've been in the dark for far too long, and we're going to need more intel before we return to Kentares IV."

New Avalon, September 25th, 3031

"Almost a year ago today I stepped in as regent while my brother First Prince Ian Davion went on a tour of the Outback in order to survey and check on the improvements that the realm as a whole has been investing in." Hanse began the press release. "When Ian returned from his travels, he told me to remain as regent for a short time while he went on a short vacation before returning to New Avalon in order to resume his duties." Hanse inhaled and looked at the gathered media presence. "A short period of time later, during the standard requalifications for mechwarrior certification my brother was harmed by a Draconis Combine plot to remove him from the head of the realm. Our experts at MIIO and DMI have explained to me that this was likely a plot to try and prevent Duke Hull of Kentares from moving on the Combine immediately." Hanse smiled sadly. "That obviously didn't work out very well for them." He along with several members of the press chuckled. "Seeing as the Sack of Luthien happened last month and they still don't know where Hull will hit next."

"What happened to the First Prince?" A reporter stood up and asked while Hanse paused.

"The details on that will be released shortly." Hanse replied. "But believe me when I say that the truth will not only set you free, but will shock you to the core."

"Is there anything you can tell us now?" A separate reporter asked.

"Just that we are moving forward with an invasion of the Draconis Combine, and that our allies the Taurian Concordat and the Lyran Commonwealth have been extremely helpful in supporting us during this time of crisis."

Author's Note: Sorry if this is a bit short, I'm spending the week with my great grandparents and will be fairly busy over the rest of the week. There will likely be days where there is no update at all and I apologize in advance.