Opening Shots

Peace a Possibility

by William H. Keith, jr.

Dateline: Tharkad

The announcement made earlier this year of the impending marriage of Prince Hanse Davion of the Federated Suns to Archon Designate Melissa Steiner of the Lyran Commonwealth has raised widespread speculations about the possibility of peace. Michael Fyhne, Duke of Arcturus, was quoted last week as saying that the much-talked-about alliance between the two houses could well be Man's best hope of a lasting peace.

Right: A Kurita Rifleman photographed in central New Derry, Galtor III, during the recent campaign on that border world. Growing concerns that continued war could bring on the end of technic civilization have fed speculations that a Davion-Steiner alliance could mean final and lasting peace.

"We've been balanced too long against the points of five drawn daggers," the Duke said. "The alliance between Davion and Steiner would change that old balance of power and eliminate the rivalry which brought down the old Star League in the first place."

Government officials on Tharkad refused comment. One Lyran official, however, was quoted as saying, "I think the marriage is going to bring us peace in our time."

The Duke's suggestion that peace was a possible result of the marriage alliance between Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner brought only subdued comment from the capital of the Federated Suns. "Peace? It's a possibility," said Colonel William Moore of Davion's Public Information Office. "Let's hope Liao and Kurita see things the same way."

Continuing war has been a fact of life for the citizens of all of the Successor State Houses for centuries. It is generally acknowledged that the conflict known formally as the Third Succession War, which began in 2866 with the invasion of core-ward portions of the Lyran Commonwealth by Draconis Combine forces, has long since petered out due to the mutual exhaustion of the combatants. Raids and skirmishes continue along all of the House frontiers, with no formal cessation of hostilities.

News of the alliance has raised hopes that a firm Davion-Steiner union would be so powerful that the other three major houses would be forced to fall in line behind Hanse Davion. Rather than risk defeat on the battlefield, Houses Kurita, Marik, and Liao might sue for peace--or voluntarily join the alliance--to avoid being left out as plans for a new Star League are drawn up.

Optimism over the alliance is not universal, however. Government officials on Atreus, Sian, and Luthien all refused comment. A usually reliable source on Luthien, however, assured BattleTechnology correspondents that the announcement earlier this year has raised grave concerns within the Draconis Combine government. "All of the big bosses are in an uproar," the source reported. "They don't like this one bit."

If optimism and acceptance of the alliance are not universal, however, it is certain that warsickness is. "It can't continue," one Davion official said, on condition of anonymity. "The Third War has us all worn down to where we can scarcely defend ourselves against pirates and bandits out on the Periphery. These raids and harassing strikes we've been seeing would be nothing compared to what a fourth major war would bring on all of the houses."

The official added, "We must have peace. Another big war will ruin us all."

BattleTechnology News Service

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