Legate Dralson, ex-Dino Army and Security CouncilI've been tracking the possibility of a breakaway Bolitic faction for some time now though i assumed that the end of the War of Succession would bring the barons who have their power base off Castarian back into the fold. However it seems it hasn't, Baron Erinthorn who bought together 8 major houses and 27 satellite houses back in March into a pact of "mutual cooperation" is understood to have refused an order of tribute to the Emperor.
I've thought this might happen for years, in the old days all the major houses were based on Castarian with only outcast small houses and depots of large houses being off world but the trend for major houses to move away mostly to Relia Magnus has begun to destabilise the Bolitic state.
So what if Erinthorn and his pact members split away? It is actually very serious for the Bolitic Emperor. Despite the huge war losses the Bolitic Confederacy is still a major power but a split will mean around 40% of the Bolitic armed forces and territory will be lost. The remaining Bolitic Confederacy will be reduced to being an upper second-rank power, a Raegris instead of a DDS.
So what can Melson do? Sending a fleet there would be difficult, his major supporters are still rebuilding and his own fleet would not be enough to take on Erinthorn and his pact. Diplomacy makes Melson seem weak and brings Erinthorn to the same level as the Emperor, if Melson did this he might as well kill himself right there and then to save an assassin the bother. Melson could seek to break up Erinthorn's pact, as the Bolitic are generally a selfish and treacherous lot there is no doubt plenty of scope to weaken Erinthorn's hand. This might spark off a civil war though which the Bolitic could do without though.
Maybe Melson's best bet is propaganda, threats and simply ignoring Erinthorn and just hope an external threat or opportunity comes along soon. Only one thing truly can bring the Bolitic together, hatred of infidels and to the Bolitic we are all infidels.
