Master Schemer: John Davion
Capella (Capellan Institute Press)
December 14, 2785
Born in the illegitimate branch of House Davion (for more information on this topic, please consult our special articles in the 2720s with obvious proofs of this), John Davion was from birth raised and trained as the heir to be. For example, after serving in the AFFS, he was appointed in 2740 to an important position in the Ministry of Ways and Exchanges where his real job was to manage the secret empire of the Davion family.
It was most convenient for him that his cousin Joseph died in a ‘Mech training accident, giving him access to the title of heir to be. And even more interesting is the fact that Richard Davion died only two years after his son, letting John reach the throne of the Federated Suns in 2745.
When First Lord Simon Cameron died on Star’s End, John Davion saved the Star League through his diplomatic efforts, paving the way to General Kerensky’s appointment as Regent and Protectorate. This is the public image: the White Knight, the Protector of the Star League. The truth is less glamorous. Prince John Davion only indented to protect his interests and those of his realm. Do not forget that General Kerensky accused this same John of being “the traitor who destroyed all that I’ve worked for.” Obviously, he was referring to the period before the Amaris’ Coup where every value of the Star League was perverted until it was too late.
In 2752, he voted for the Amendment to Council Edict of 2650, doubling the size of House armies. Some would say that since all House agreed on this, he could not let his realm lie behind. Excerpts from his private correspondence show that the truth is a little more different. “The truth is that I had to vote for this Amendment. I think it is obvious from the last battles fought by our army that it is not ready to fight a real defensive war. […] This is why I want to increase its size to have the tool needed to prevent any conflict with the use of strength if necessary.”
The following year, he voted against the rise in Periphery Taxes, officially because he would create resentment in the Periphery. The truth is that his opposition was as a way to decrease the efficiency of the efforts undertaken by the other Houses for rebuilding their armies. “I have to stop them. They are just interested in rebuilding their armed forces. […] the Federated Suns do not need this money. We have enough internal resources to strengthen our muscles.”
This will to prevent the other Houses from getting enough money lead to the conflict known as the Border War. What began as a secret operation to reinforce the Federated Suns mercantile interests on the Liao border quickly escalated when the Capellan Confederation decided to defend itself. This is when House Davion launched an attack on three Capellan planets with a sizeable draft of Household troops. However, the Capellan troops managed to make them pay a high price for their foolish invasion.
The end to this war came with the majority of Richard Cameron and its intent to pass Executive Order 156, which was harshly criticized by all House Lords, including John Davion (for more information, read his passionate speech on State freedom).
With all these political maneuvers going on, it was hardly surprising that House Davion like the other Houses refused to send Household troops in the Periphery to stop the insurrection. But this fact was not reported in any media from the free press of the Federated Suns. The only things that could be read where how the Federated Suns Armed Forces were providing logistical support to the Star League Defense Forces.
When the Coup was launched, the Federated Suns stayed out of it, protecting their borders from any interference from Amaris (“I do not recognize your right to the throne”) or from General Kerensky. This protected the Federated Suns from most war damages and let it (like the other Houses) in a relative position of strength.
This was nowhere more obvious that during the last High Council of the Star League where Prince John Davion tried to push himself as the First Lord in spite of the existence of a heir to the Cameron. Once more he was acting for personal reasons, as illustrated in this letter from Coordinator Minoru Kurita: “Yet I must tell you what […] First Lord has […] to confide in me. […] that John Davion takes the place of First Lord if anything were to happen to him.” In spite of his protests, no one can know for sure that he did not know it.
His last tentative to earn the title of First Lord was the so called Goodwill Tour that did not even bother to travel to the Draconis Combine. The Federated News Service in its covering of this even clearly admits that winning support for John Davion’s claim to the title of First Lord was the main goal of this travel: “secure an endorsement of House Davion’s legal claim to the Star Throne.” “The delegation’s findings will […] one day result in the foundation of a new Star League.”
Now the question is can we trust such a schemer should he become the First Lord? The obvious answer is no and we can count on the Chancellor to protect the Inner Sphere from such a troublesome person.