Six hours of planning and preparation. Six hours in which the muddy waters might become slightly more clear... or not.

In reply to Gvoellaekh (msg # 1):

     "Just how low is the Sharshana going?" Ishakhi asks, "We planning on making a direct landing, or are we going to hold position over the 'Port, where we can provide covering fire for our Marine Landing?"

Jacqueline nervously looked from person to person. Finally, she managed the courage to speak.
"Um, I, this... this may sound unusual, but should we see if we can contact the insurgent leaders? A combination of force and diplomacy might end the situation with a minimum of bloodshed. I think we want to avoid any additional damage to the spaceport if possible... it would further damage the planet's economy and probably increase support for the rebels, and on a planet of 90 billion people that's a serious concern."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:46, Mon 09 Nov 2020.

In reply to Jacqueline Yune (msg # 3):

"I agree with Lieutenant Yune", added Iita, with an encouraging smile; "covering fire on the starport actually means punching many large holes on buildings already crumbling. We simply don't have enough material on board to rebuild the starport from scratch.

Also we could present an ultimatum to the insurgents and gangs squatting the premises, urging them to evacuate or be blasted out with heavy damages. They might evacuate, probably they won't, but at least they would have been warned, so they won't hate us and they might retreat after a baroud d'honneur - last stand.

Plus, coordinating our actions with the two Imperial nobles is good diplomacy - One, they'll be informed, so they won't loose face, and ultimately they'll give good reports of the captain's intervention - but, two, they could also provide valuable insight into this mess.

Of course we'd loose the effect of surprise, but OTOH, a 50,000 tons cruiser in the sky...", she blinked.

The Baron nodded at Yune and there was a flicker of a smile on his lips. It seemed he and his protege were thinking along similar lines.

"See if you cannot find a communication channel to contact the insurgency. Barring that we will broadcast on all channels. The insurgents will be ordered to withdraw from Imperium property or risk an orbital bombardment on their positions.

Tactical prepare targeting solutions for missile bombardments of insurgent positions near the starport. Any damage to the starport is unacceptable but civilians and noncombatants surrounding the starport are necessary collateral damage.

Contact the local government and see if there are any reports of insurgency bases of operations that are potential target options. I don't intend to win this war for the local governments single-handedly but if necessary our threat of force might need a more teeth behind it than just targets surrounding the starport."

In reply to Iita Tsetsegma (msg # 4):

     "Yes, but..." Ishakhi interjects, holding his hand out over the table and tapping a finger on it "Many of the Insurgents seem to be getting onto the 'Port through that abandoned section.  And, if the area is abandoned, anyways, couldn't bombarding it just be considered...Urban Renewal?"

     "Plus, as has been mentioned, abandoned or not, if we determine that dropping a missile on any part of the 'Port becomes necessary, it's Imperial property we're destroying, not Local."

     Ishakhi turns to look to the Captain,

     "My recommendation here, Sir, would be to make our first priority getting in contact with the the local Imperial Nobles--this planet is, after all, their responsibility--and seek their input.  If they are unavailable--or worse, dead or captured--only then should we consider the actual use of force on the locals."

     "Send our Marines down now to recover the Imperial Nobles, and get them up here, if possible.  That's my recommendation.  Sir."

"I agree about contacting any stranded Imperial Nobles but we are not a troop carrier. Our ability to deploy boots on the ground is very limited currently and I will not have our marine contigent cut off at the knees right at the start of our patrol.

As I said any damage to the starport is unacceptable but we need to be evaluating other potential targets. Nobody is pushing any red buttons, Lieutenant, however if action is required I do not want there to be any hesitation on our part.

Deliver me targets and firing solutions now so if they are needed they are ready, understood?"

"If I may suggest..." As usual, Gvoellaekh's cadence was ponderous as usual as he stirred from studying the screen in front of him. "The threat of force, and perhaps a show of force, may be more useful than fully employing it. A well-timed warning shot while our marines relieve starport security. It doesn't have to destroy anything significant. It just has to look impressive."

"I still want those firing solutions just in case. And sensor sweeps to detect any potential ground weaponry that the rebels might have but if it is a show of force with minimal collateral damage then why don't we give the locals here a real show.

Sublieutenant Standarsson, plot a course for us to enter the upper atmosphere over the starport. Make it bearing 235 mark 45 so that the Sharshana blocks out the sun. Maybe we can resolve this without having to waste a single round of ammunition."

"If we can contact the rebels, sir, is there anything we want to communicate beyond the demand to retreat?" Jacqueline asked. "Also, will we want to send any Naval personnel down to the surface, either with the Marines or in the aftermath?"

The Baron shook his head.

"The Imperial Navy is not needed to intervene on behalf of local governments. It is their responsibility to preserve order. Our only concern is with damage and disruption to Imperial property.

We will keep the marines prepped but undeployed for now. Let's see if they have any defensive weaponry and if they're willing to use them. I will not have our only squad of marines picked out of the sky en route."

Communicating with the insurgents on the way in proves to be challenging on two fronts: first is simply establishing contact, and second is the fact that they aren't a professional fighting force: several 'leaders' exist among them - perhaps no surprise given that they're civilians making a rather precarious attempt to gain some leverage over their government.

Negotiations via comm channel and the dramatic arrival of the Sharshana overhead are enough to convince most of them to cease pressuring the command center, but they're largely unwilling to abandon the starport. Not without some kind of reassurances, at least: without anything to use as leverage, the planetary government is likely to enact lethal justice. More troublesome are the few who take the Sharshana's impending arrival as a sign that they need to capture the control center now so that they aren't facing the double jeopardy of an angry government and an angry cruiser without something to use as insurance.

That effort, forceful but now undermanned and just as haphazard as ever, succeeds only in adding a few bodies to the count by the time that the Sharshana arrives overhead. They're not going to take the administrative building by any means, but they're a wild card in what might otherwise be... well, still a tricky situation if the insurgents conclude that they have nothing to lose.

Still, you have the upper hand for the moment, and there's no sign of any heavy weaponry in their hands. They'd probably have made more progress in taking the facility by now if they had that kind of firepower!

"Lieutenant Kimpasherki. Begin decoy deployment maneuvers. Put real marines on the third transport down but keep small craft going continuously."

Reziilka leaned over to Gvoellaekh to ask him a question.

"How extensive is the ship's armory. We only have a single squad of marines but do we have the gear to equip crewmen like they were marines?"

     "Affirmative, Sir." Ishakhi nods in compliance--starting to turn his chair away from the conference table--then swinging back, to address the Captain.

     "Sir?" Ishakhi calls out, "The Marine Commander will want to know--is the use of Lethal Force, by his Marines, in order to take control of the Port command center Authorized, or not?"

Jacqueline looked increasingly uncomfortable. This was not how she had hoped things would work out, and things were shaping up towards potential considerable violence and loss of life.

"Either way, I'd suggest we issue as many stun grenades and stunners as the armory has" she suggests in response to the talk about lethal force.

"Are we going to try to keep them talking, or wait until they call us to surrender?" Jacqueline asks. She knew more about this than weapons loadouts.

Rezillka nods at Yune before responding through the comms.

"Lethal force is authorized if necessary but nonlethal force is recommended if possible. The fewer bodies we add to their insurrection the better."

Iita is communicating with the procurement office, so as to reply to the Captain's question : "do we have the gear to equip crewmen like they were marines?". Anything that could help irregulars combatants parade martially in a non-fighting location; cooks, mechanics... She reviewed all dress uniforms or spacesuits or hazards suits that could look like Marines' advanced combat gear/exoskeleton. The more signs and numbers on it, the better.

The same creativity was called upon the engineers. Even if a broom or a vacuum cleaner could look like a disintegrator from away, this would do the trick. And of course, Iita'd lent her saber to the most fearsome-looking "officer".

Captain Reziilka got on the comms to begin issuing orders to the rest of the crew now that he had a plan in mind.

"Gunnery, I want full power to every weapon station we have. If they do an energy reading of our ship I want it to blow out their sensors. Marines, get ready for a hot drop into potentially hostile territory. The LZ should be clear but once our landing craft start making trips the rebels might decide to put a stop to it.

Small craft I want anything that even looks like a landing craft doing nonstop round trips. Make those rebels thing we're deploying a full troop complement.

Sensors, continue to scan and monitor for communications. If the rebels start calling for orders or reinforcements I want those frequencies and I want them intercepted.

We have Imperial property down there and I'll be damned if we let those rebels think for a second that their little uprising with the locals is any excuse for threatening the the Empire's infrastructure.

Remember, you are the sword and shield of the Imperium. Now is the time to put that duty to the test."


Captain REziilka gives a rousing speech as he issues orders!
09:26, Today: Baron Thenroy Reziilka rolled 11 using 2d6+4.  soc/leadership.

CEI Result: 10.

It is a challenging operation, but the crew of the Sharshana is up to the task: the small craft land with only minimal interference in the form of scattered gunfire from the surrounding buildings; anything more serious is effectively forestalled by the ominous and overwhelmingly armed presence of a heavy cruiser overhead. It doesn't take long for the ground force to press into the administrative section of the starport, either; the rebel forces are horrendously outmatched by heavy arms and battle dress, and for the most part, don't even try to contest their advance.

They don't simply flee the starport however, instead retreating into the dilapidated sections. Some sensor blips indicate a few bursts of gunfire within those sections, perhaps the result of less-than-peaceable meetings between groups of rebels and some of the resident scavenger gangs.

Jacqueline stays on the comms, trying to convince the rebel leaders to retreat from the starport before lives are lost.

03:00, Today: Jacqueline Yune rolled 8 using 2d6+2.  Soc/diplomat.