"Madam, we have deciphered a couple of the coded planetside transmissions..."


This message was last edited by the player at 02:09, Fri 15 Sept 2023.

Gregory begins barking orders rapidly to his subordinates; the breachers get an unexpected break while the assaulters are going back to Gelron.

Mr. Vanlen has already presighted all the major landmarks on the planet for orbital bombardment, which means when Gregory relays Serlait's request to stand by, the reply he sends back is "Which regions do you want me to focus on, ma'am?"

Gregory also contacts Wing Commander Laurel and Ravandio, both for dropship pilots and fighter cover thereof.

At almost thirty megatons it is no easy matter to turn the Pious Lament around and head it back the way it came and the fact that the Enginseer Prime is not onboard is very evident. It takes hours just to rotate the five-kilometre ship and only then can they fire up the drives to slow its momentum and start it moving in the opposite direction.

As Gregory makes his preparations, he learns that Ravandio has been tasked with planetary patrols in the Northern alliance territory.

Paklor Ank makes an announcement, ”my Lady, we have just detected a series of re-entry trails in the planets atmosphere, seven in all but close to the horizon and there may be more. We thing they are the salvation pods launched from the Emperor’s Glory just before it entered the warp.”
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A series of responses get shouted out across the bridge as different departments acknowledge her commands and start their missions she in turn listens to the various inputs she hears and responds first to Faith "Relay all relevant information on Gelron Primary troop movements to the military command of the Northern Alliance."

To Asgard she tells him "I'm going to first try a show of force, a lance strike nearby the GP troops that are moving towards the launcher, enough to startle them into surrender hopefully and if not then directly into at least one unit of them and systemically hit them until they give up or die."

As Ank gives her information about saviour pods launched at the planet she tells him "Can you get me telemetry on landing sites, possible capacity and if they actually were saviour pods or some sort of stealthy lander vessels."

Openning a direct voxline to her forces on the planet she orders her vox to contact ++Master Rathnyr, I've received reports of possible saviour pods from the Emperor's Glory landing at the following co-ordinates, attempt a recce run, but priority is keep the bird as undamaged as possible, there has been a coup in Gelron Primary and we will be there as soon as possible and likely in combat stance++

Closing her direct input but leaving it open for response then openning another to the Manufactorum based crew ++Magos, Gelron Primary has had a change of leadership and we hear they are attempting to destroy the Launcher mechanism. I am attempting to get troops sent there from the Northern Alliance, I am aware that they possess a skitarii armoured regiment. If you could attempt to convince them to mobilise immediately and head to defend the launcher we are enroute as fast as we can to provide support. If the Manufactorum has any troops and a way to get to the surface that may be prudent. Our shuttles both on the surface and the manufactorum are at your disposal.++

Opening a third Voxlink she contacts agent Tungsten ++Abitrator as I am sure you have received information of a Coup attempt in Gelron Primary, as well there appears to be an attempt to destroy the orbital launcher as well as falling saviour pods from the Emperor's Glory. Any additional information you may have would be helpful while we make our way back++
This message was last edited by the player at 01:27, Sat 16 Sept 2023.

With the flurry of activity around the bridge, the Mavigatrix returned her attention to the displays above her station. Her form once more braced fully against and leaning heavily upon the staff as she began to manipulate course information and integrating useful stellar information for the gunnery teams. Once satisfied with what could be done from her particular skills given the once more martial footing, Cennet looked back to the Lady Captain.

"Is there anything my kin and I might do to assist in the matter, Lady Captain?" Cennet asked with the same soft, pleasant and controlled voice but raised to be heard over the din of frenetic activity. There was no great use for most navigators in matters of battle but any learned soul knew to be leery and concerned any time they might be glimpsed. The showing alone a fine means to lend gravitas to any declarations and more vigorous negotiations.

Faith relays the necessary information to Mr. Yorick, who proceeds to send a copy planetside, as well as to the Deck 10 Ops Room.

At the moment the Pious Lament is too far away to do much of what Searlait asks, there is no useful information about Gelron Prime troops to relay, they will need to achieve orbit before a lance strike can be targeted, Paklor Ank can provide no further information on the salvation pods, just a very general location that could be up to a quarter of the planet’s surface.
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The reply from Tungsten is more positive, ”My Lady, Manistee and Volt have been cooperating with us and have put together a small airborne force that they are willing to commit to the defence of the magrail orbital launcher but need you assurance that they will not be acting alone. With that assurance and your permission I will dispatch them immediately and we intend to accompany them and assist where we may.”

”In the meantime I am attaching a file that lists the last known dispositions of Gelron Prime forces but please bear in mind that there was a lot of troop pavement before and during the coup and also that it is known that not all the Gelron defence force took part.”
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The Northern alliance have monitored the re entry trails but did not know what they were, investigation is currently underway and they are able to provide the Captain with more accurate locations.
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"Lady Navigatrix if your people can keep an eye to the warp currents in case the Emperor's Glory attempts to return or some others, as well for other disturbances that may happen."

When the vox kicks in she listens then responds ++Agent Tungsten, we are rushing there as fast as possible and will provide support once we can, we are in contact with the Northern Alliance for military assistance but have no confirmation on support. We are also seeking assistance from Manufactorum forces but again, no confirmation as to additional forces. Recommend staying nearby but under cover in case we need rapid attack. I have a guncutter and Halo barge with minimal troops in the NA but may not be much help. If you can co-odinate with the NA on GP troop movements I'm going to try a little shock and awe before unleashing a full military strike on them. I'm sending you co-ordinates of possible saviour pods locations near the equator launched from the Emperor's Glory, if you can recce the nearest one to you and report that would be appreciated as well.++

Sending off the last vox she suddenly is struck with an idea and heads towards the chambers set aside for Tenvar and brings with her his armour, being carried on a grav sled and left slightly visible from the door and opens the door, two guards taking a space beside the door as she moves in "Greetings Tenver, how has the last few days aboard been?" she asks.

The Eldar stands as the Captain enters, and bows, ”your people have been most generous in looking after me, I lack nothing and am well content,” Searlait thinks perhaps he is not being entirely truthful but he’s Xeno, so she could be wrong, ”and you my lady, living in interesting times I think.”

"Indeed" she says "What would you know of small that would have been launched from the Emperor's Glory, and remember, your truthfulness will go a long way towards a comfortable stay and a quicker return of the stones still in our possession."

”Your threats are not necessary my lady, I am grateful for the favour you have bestowed on me and have vowed the be cooperative and helpful as I may, for as long as I am aboard I am at your service.”

”As to the question, I have not been aboard that ship so can only speculate but, I understand that the crew are badly treated there, kept in place by fear and cruel punishments, if salvation pods left just before a jump and were fired upon I would surmise that they were probably crew escaping the ship. There again, Captain Vexel has a devious mind and may have staged the event to make it appear so,” the xeno shrugs in a very human like gesture.

Just a reminder that Garu had previously informed you that a number of Vexel’s crew had jumped ship at Stone’s Throw, including the Astropath that was rescued and now serves in your choir.
This message was last updated by the player at 10:13, Thu 21 Sept 2023.

Searlait receives a message from General Peliaxe, head of the Northern Alliance armed forces in which he informs her that all mobile units and every other unit they can find transport for has been dispatched across the border to the orbital launcher, the first elements should arrive in about eight hours. He has also dispatched recognisance units to the area where salvation pods may have landed. He finishes with a statement that he has put all his faith in her and hopes she knows what she is doing.

Searlait also receives a message from Tungsten stating that she and most of her team are also on their way by air, supported by two hundred commandoes, ETA within the hour, other forces from Manistee and Volt are following overland. They have not been able to contact the facility but will report as soon as they have any further information.

Above the Mechanicus balcony the red neon numbers counting down the time to arrival in orbit around Gelron stand at twelve hours, thirteen minuets, eleven .  . ten .  . nine .  . eight seconds.

Small craft can be launched from here and will arrive much sooner.
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"Hm, this leaves me with the same thoughts as when I came down here. Thank you for your understanding as I navigate this flurry of information. As a symbol of my trust I bring you this" she says stepping aside as one of the guards pushes the sled inside and she unlocks the chest revealing the armour he was taken prisoner in "I return your armour to you, as it was taken. I'm afraid your weapons will be held for now, but I thought you would appreciate an additional barrier from our kind." she waits a moment to see if there's a response then departs and heads back to the bridge.

Once on the bridge she contacts Wing Commander Laurel and Asgard "I need to know when we are in effective range to deploy our remaining air wing to the surface in support of land operations. Full armoured support as well as troops, Herald of Armato's spirit was awakened hopefully we will not need to release its wrath."


++Tungsten, confirmed. General Peliaxe of the Northern Alliance has confimed full armoured mobilisation to the launcher, 8 hours estimate of arrival. Recommend either digging in once you get there and attempt defensive barricades. If you think the force is less capable of such actions pull outside of launcher and hold until reinforced. Our arrival is estimated as 12 hours, small craft will be launched as we close, time estimate will follow once flight maps are complete.++


Aware of mutinous crew Searlait is just untrusting of both Vexel and the eldar, who are know for their duplicitous nature. For her she thinks this could be an attempt to covertly land troops or special operations operators.

The Lady Navigator bowed her head as instructions were given and then turned with that same pain-staking and deliberate care back towards the console and Master Van Der Hilder. The conversation playing out quickly in the cant of her house and guild to prepare a rotation of herself and her peers for warp-watch... along with secondary instructions to begin drafting up charts based on local augury scans of real space to best pinpoint the ideal translation points for more... pointed monitoring to come.

"Special mind will have to be paid to some of the interference presented by our proximity to the Sink Hole. A truly clever navigator and helmsmen, with sufficient support of the blessed spirits of their vessel, could likely use it to mask translation or approach. We've had enough surprises as it is and I'd like to avoid any further ones with just a measure of foresight." the Navigatrix added, realizing the impropriety a moment later, in the common low gothic of the vessel. She leaned then on her staff for support, there was precious little she might do to avoid the agony inflicted by her treacherous muscles without dulling mind or wit. So it was she leaned again on her prodigious and tempered will to simply ignore the pain that spread across the breadth of leg, hip, spine, neck and clawed slowly into mind through the gate way of the temples and scalp.

"Aetherics, you wouldn't happen to have been able to trace the approach trajectory of the salvation pods? It's an academic curiosity but helps with the accounting of the situation." the Navigatrix concluded as she glanced towards the station and it's principle officers.

Tenver responds to Searlait’s kindness with a bow and a few words in elder, he seems to visibly relax a little.

The Wing Commander informs the Captain that craft launched now would reach the planet three or four hours ahead of the Lament and Tungsten acknowledges Searlait’s instructions.

At the Navigators station Cennet prepares to withdraw and is told by Paklor that they could only calculate the trajectories of the salvation points, they were not recorded during their flights.

Levie enters the bridge from the stair way not from the Navis private blast door, he is on time but a little out of breath, ”I’m sorry Lady Shiraishi, your elevator is out of action, as are the stairs there, you will have to return to the quarters by the main corridor,” to his credit he does look genuinely dismayed.
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"Launch initial troop deployments, have Umbra 2 and 4 cover their movements and 3 & 5 on patrol around the ship. Ensure some sapper units are in the initial deployment to help fortify the launcher for any impending assault" she orders of Laurel & Asgard.

Umbra three and five launche imidiatly, there si a slight delay before the rest of the ships launch as some of the regular troops are swaped out for sappers but they are away within the nex five minuets.
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"Of course, of course." the Lady Cennet Melek Shiraishi replied with a calm and dutifully accepting note to her voice. The expression she might wear to accompany such words was an utter mystery thanks to the exquisite mask that hid her wretchedly wasted countenance... but it could be felt. A subtle, mild exasperation that was held in terrible check by her potent will.

"I presume, Master Levi, that this has been reported then? With all that's happened in so short a span... I find I'm rather tired of surprises." the Elder Navigator asked with soft, gentle notes to her voice as she leaned heavily upon her staff. The familiar pain clawing at the stability of her stance with the need for some measure of rest that could not be had whilst in the eyes of the bridge staff. Appearances, after all, was yet another aspect of her duty that she could not deny.

It was likely to the more skittish junior navigator that there was no malice, no accusation, no barb or dagger hidden among her words. Merely the sincere request for a report so that she might add such to her endless tasks or be assured that those who needed to know of such an issue were well aware.

Cennet only has to open the door at the back of her to see that the anti-chamber is full of mechanicus personnel and servitors of labouring to reinstate the elevator, to do so they have had to dismantle parts of the spiral stair caser that wraps around it to gain access to some of the working parts.

Cennet is offered a conveyance which will save here a twenty minute walk.
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Gregory is aboard the landers as they leave the bay, the only difference is that this time he really is loaded for bear. He heads over to the vox operator and requests a patch into the tac frequencies so he knows what's ahead of them.

No joint tactical frequency has been established at this point, the Lament's ships are all one channel, (including one gun cutter with Ravandio Rathnyr who is doing a recognisance flight for the Captain to the north of the planet and another at the manufactorum with Jak and Harmonia).  The Northern alliance forces and those with the Inquisition party can be contacted but on two different channels, Vormav may be contacted on a third.

Gregory has one gun cutter and six halo barges; please can you tell me who or what is loaded there.
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Gregory doesn't bother Ravandio right away. He's confident the man will comms him when he finishes the recce flight.

++Vormav, this is Asgard. What's going on down there? Getting reports of an uprising and the assistant chief astropath intercepted some planetside message traffic.++

The assistant chief astropath in question is in the guncutter's cockpit with him, while another choir member is on the bridge with the Lady-Captain. That way, at least someone will have astropathic comms in case all else fails.

OOC: IIRC the assaulters are all planetside with some penal troopers, so we have the ship's armsmen with us. That's 6 barges' worth of armsmen and a guncutter as his command craft. He's going to try and bring a chimera along for fire support but it might be best to rely on existing ground forces for that.

The vox crackles to life. It's a crisp clear signal delivered from a comfortable palace in the capital. ++Vormav to Asgard. I was not assigned to tactical for this sortie. Majority of my information has come from yourself and the captain. I expect I can bully my way around if anyone is being difficult. But as I understand it all potentially cooperative parties are falling in line. Advise as needed I'll pass anything I hear up the chain.++