++ Aiming to cause some mayhem here, Lady-Captain ++, voxed Garu, ++ Junta forces here have lightened and we will aim to drive them from Gelron Prime ++

Gathering his teams-in-residence, Garu laid out his plans: Mjød would take out patrolling forces with his newly-recruited assets, whilst Gleece would seek to coerce a mob into action against City Hall

Gregory briefly takes stock of their assets; 2 gun cutters and 6 halo barges. 2 Chimerae on 2 of the barges for fire support. 2 motorcycles on each barge remaining (total of 12) for scouting work. 30 men on the gun-cutter and 40 more on each lander, total of 240.

He thinks briefly about what he's going to say, and then he asks the radioman to patch him through to all the landers and guncutters on a tightbeam encrypted frequency.

++Ladies and gentlemen, we have our work cut out for us. Barges Aurochs, Grox, Ambull and Mukaali will land on the fringes of the jamming zone, where you will deploy your men and your motorcycles under cover of darkness to deliver these devices to the rebel forces' ammo dumps.++

He holds up what looks like an ordinary emergency vox from the shipboard emergency kit.

++You know these. You activate these and they automatically broadcast salvation prayers on emergency vox frequencies. Here's the rub; these have been tuned to broadcast on a secondary fire control frequency that the gun crews are looking out for. Your job is to take these and get them as close to the ammo dumps as you possibly can. Once you do that, run like hell, fight only if cornered. I don't know how long orbital strikes take to hit but I don't want you to find out firsthand. The tech boys have rigged up around 50 of these, so that's 10 per barge on strike beacon duty. I repeat, Aurochs, Grox, Ambull and Mukaali are on ammo dump hunting duty. As for Onager, Ram and the guncutters... we get the hard job.++

After the four dump-hunting barges touch down on a remote farmstead outside the city and as near to the ammo dumps as they dare venture, the two guncutters and two barges take off amidst the setting sun and fly a circuitous route around the city, which they hope is the least defended corridor into the city that will also bring them as close to Vormav's location as possible.

"Onager and Ram will touchdown just outside city limits to drop off Chimeras and cycles. Ground vics will proceed toward Vormav's location while gun-cutters will provide as much CAS as possible. We have one case of orbital strike beacons; I don't know if the jamming will interfere with them, but do not count on their use, especially within city limits. We do not have manpower advantage; strictly in and out."

Night is falling as the Chimeras and bikes roll out of the barges. Two sections of sappers are split between each one.  Once the barge ramps hit the ground, the vehicles roar into the darkness, followed by the guncutters on which Ravandio and Gregory are riding.

Let's hope Vormav's coordinates are right...
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:23, Tue 14 Nov 2023.

Rather than jog the pilot's elbow at a key moment Harmonia just keeps an eye on their flight path down to the most likely location of anything like a central jamming station or command post.  Listening to the chatter going on until such time as the gunship loses enough signal to quiet the voices.

 "There are five distinct centres of the communication disruption, not one singular point-source. I would urge a negotiated solution to this confrontation, but the matter remains in your hands." Tesla states as the ship continues down, according to Harmonia's instruction to the crew.

++I propose a meeting with the leaders of all elements at a neutral location, one leader and 3 aids, face to face, no soldiers allowed within 1 km of the meeting place. In the meantime all conflicts are to cease. All forces return to their respective boundaries, no besieging towns or facilities. Free passage of personnel back to their respective factions.++

Reading General Peliaxe she types out a response that she is in negotiations for a cease fire but unknown how its being taken. Attempt to keep forces as intact as possible. If needed light air support could be called in or if more amenable space superiority support.

Clune’s responds to the Captain, his voice is calm and resolute. ”I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to get rid of those corrupt and decadent wastrels, I don’t intend to sit around a table with them for talks. If you want Manistee and Volt at the table, I have no issue with that but I am now leader of this planet under the Emperor and MaCregge and her cronies will be facing criminal charges when this is all over.”

General Peliaxe, respond to the Captain that they are making best speed and will send a revised ETA once they are sure what that is.

Meanwhile, it is two or three hours before darkness falls on the NA capital and Gregory’s forces move into positions and prepare to attack once it does.
.

"Get me a co-ordinate both vox and if possible get the choir to pinpoint Clune's exact position I need to know if he's in GP territory or in the field, work quickly."

turning back to the vox she hits the key ++Your troubles are your own, while the Imperium generally doesn't care about local politics what they do care about is a damage it can cause to the greater Imperium. You feint at the orbital launcher can be construed as an attack on the greater Imperium. I have authority from the High Lords of Terra to determine the situation  at hand as I see fit. Should you lay out your argument against the other leaders I have the authority to declare you Imperial Governor and them Excommunicatus. Proper legitimacy, alternatively I could send word of a seditious coup by a backwater despot threatening a potential STC with destruction and have an imperial guard regiment and skitarii maniples here removing every last vestige of you from galactic records.++

Having been paying attention to, but not interrupting, the ongoing negotiations Harmonia sends a text message to the captain on a different, crew only, channel.

++I can redirect and join you at the meeting place if you want to prioritize the negotiations over restoring communications by more destructive means.++

Responding to Harmonia she sends ++Please do, If I can find out where this idiot is located I may be able to end this in one lance strike++

Searlait continues negotiations with Clune but they are getting nowhere, each side just rephrasing their various threats and persuasions, this changes when night falls and bot Gregory and Garu go on the offensive.

In the Capital city Garu organises a mob of civilians to attack the much reduced street patrols while another makes a frontal assault on the city hall both attacks being broadly successful until a large contingent of Junta forces hurries back from their siege of the lodge where the government leaders had been holed up. This influx of fresh troops sweeps all before it as they approach the city hall to break the siege there. However, the Garu’s people have not been idle and manage to rise a huge number of ordinary civilians, although mostly armed with only broom sticks and kitchen knives their numbers, and the heavy losses already suffered by the patrols, make the trained soldiers of th4e junta think twice and they retreat to their barracks. Garu takes over the City Hall and arrests everyone within.

Meanwhile at the Northern Alliance capital Gregory mounts a sharp and focused rescue mission of Vormav, men and armoured vehicles cutting through the cordon with speed and precision while gun cuter provide covering fire from overhead.

Aboard the Lament the Master of Ordinance, Roscar Vanlen, receives the signals from the homing beacons left by the rest of Gregory’s troops. ”Permission to fire on the Junta’s ammunition dumps,” he asks, fingers poise expectantly over his firing runes as various weaponry comes to bare.

In another gunship Jak and Harmonia have no meeting place arranged so proceed with their previous task of destroying the jamming.

Please feel free to elaborate on any of this, it would be nice if everyone joined in at this stage and you are free to be as inventive as you wish.

Jak and Harmonia, how do you wish to proceed on this.

Sorry, still no role for Cennet in this unless you can dream up a way to get involved, we will have to consider this carefully going forward the next chapter.
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This message was deleted by the player at 23:20, Fri 01 Dec 2023.

She acknowledges Roscar's request and sends a confirmation to his console and feels the thrumming discharged through the superstructure as the dorsal lance battery unleashes searing beams of violet light, setting the night to look like high noon, hopefully the troops on the ground have glare-goggles or know to close their eyes and seek cover.

Receiving communications about the re-revolt lead by Garu in the Gelron Primary capital and the arrest of officials, she requests a list of officials arrested and if any of the Junta are on that list. Should Clune be on the list then perhaps the forces in the field will surrender, hell even with word of the capital falling will stop them. "Someone contact Garu and get a sit-rep on the situation, is reinforcement required and if so how long they can last until transports become available as combat is ongoing."

With nowhere else to be, and most of the way in already, Harmonia lets the gunship pilot do his thing and land them near one of the jamming facilities.  Rather than any kind of overly complicated assault plan she simply walks out of the ship unarmed except for her formal vestments, and asks the first person she sees to take her to the leader of the facility so she may offer the Emperor's guidance to them.

Even a backward or forgotten colony world like this knows the value of faith, and those who have faith in the Emperor most of all so gaining entry to the facility goes smoothly as expected.  What happens after she enters however is somewhat of a mystery as she makes no effort to send or receive any messages or vox communications while inside.

Roughly concurrent with the timing of the orbital bombardment however smoke begins to billow out of every window, door, and or ventilation shaft in the facility, and moments later Harmonia steps out the main door unharmed except for a few smudges of smoke, passing the confused guards and emergency response people with nothing but a nod and a soft cough to clear her lungs with the outside air.

 Jak - having enjoyed no small success in orbit, aboard the Manufactorum - has quite comprehensively ceded the role of peacemaker to Harmonia, and while it cannot be said that the servants of the Omnissiah are any less respected than those of the God-Emperor in his more conventional face, he does not intrude upon one who has skills more appropriate than his own.

 His intentions did of course, extend to shutting down the jamming station but with Harmonia also seeing to that, he instead focusses upon support matters, interfacing with the lay adepts and mere lexmechanics attached to the facility in order to work out the most effective means to implement the new requirements of the manufactorum - which, since they include vastly reduced launch-tithes are likely going to meet with widespread approval - as soon as the electromagnetic fog of the jamming has ceased.

The streets of the NA capital are deserted; everyone has either fled or is in hiding, and so there is nobody to see the Chimeras emblazoned with the house symbol roaring down the streets like the Abductor-pattern Rhinos of the Arbites. The barricades they do encounter are mainly meant for civilians and the dozer blades and steel tracks crunch them underfoot with hardly any resistance.

As they draw closer to Vormav's location, the sound of gunfire and laud hailers grows louder and louder, until the force besieging Vormav's location comes into view. The rebel forces only realize that the enemy is behind them when the Chimerae break out of their single file formation to deploy in a rough diamond formation, but by that time it is too late.

The dazzling red beams of their multilasers shears through the ranks of the rebel troops and easily breaches the rear and flank armor of the police Rhinos deployed around the building, while the dull staccato thumpathumpathumpa of Light of the Emperor's autocannon firing immediately afterwards precedes the vehicles blowing up in a blazing display of pyrotechnics. The hull-mounted heavy bolters rake across sandbags and send rebel troops diving for cover in what they think are sheltered positions, except that they give no shelter at all from the heavy flamers carried by Emmaline and Megara's Might. Attempts are made to fire missiles at them from the roofs and second story buildings, but the gun-cutters were on watch specifically for this; hails of heavy bolter and autocannon reduce the luckless ambushers to exploding sprays of gore and meat.

The violence ends as quickly as it began, and as troopers dismount under turret overwatch, striding across the scorched road littered with smoldering corpses and pocked with holes from cannon and multilasers. Gregory and two platoons of men storm the building, swiftly gunning down any further resistance in their way until they finally reach Vormav's position.

"Ladies and gents, your ride has arrived," Gregory says.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:05, Mon 04 Dec 2023.

Gregory, with his men behind him, stands in the empty hall, nothing remains here but office furniture and a light scatering of paper sheets, the still silence is almost overwhelming after the noise intense activity involved in getting here and one can almost see the tumble weed rolling through everybody’s imaginations.

The good news is that the Chimeras and staff car are still outside and mostly intact, just a few laser hits which were probably over enthusiastic friendly fire.
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"...Uh, sir?" one of the troopers asks.

"Did we just walk right past them?" Gregory asks quietly, resisting the urge to groan.

Once Vormav's escort squad found the access leading from the building's basement to the sewers he wasted no time ordering the squad to lead the way and his staff to follow. After what seemed like over an hour of crawling, wading, and swimming through mud and filth they arrived at the exit, pouring into a drainage lake outside the city walls. Naturally the exit was covered over but there was little the steel grating could do against Vormav's hellgun and inferno pistol.

So bedraggled and filthy the group made their way out of the city into the surrounding plains. Vormav tried to raise the crew on his vox bead but the jamming was still active in his area. Frustrated he had the squad fan out to keep an eye on the enemy while he directed his staff to keep heading away from the city and take cover in some nearby hills.

When his squad reported a lightly guarded tuck nearby with a lot of aerials and dishes on the roof it was too good of a target to pass up. He mustered the squad and led the charge, easily overtaking the vehicle. Unsure of what exactly he just captured he ordered his squad to investigate and if possible reestablish communication with the Lament.

Two huge explosions rock the landscape as the junta’s looted stockpiles of ammunition and promethean are blasted out of existence by orbital fire, although far to the north they are heard in Gelron’s Capital city.

Meanwhile a second jamming station suddenly goes off lin.

In the Northern Alliance Capital, surrounding forces are breaking away from the siege and fleeing into the countryside.

.

Everyone's vox crackles ++-peror's balls. Give me that. Is it on... To any Rogue Trader forces in range this is Vormav. Reporting successfully exfiltration from the city. Please respond.++

++Vormav is that you, the signal appears to be on a none standard vox set up, please provide your authentication++ she sends know that all senior officers had different codes depending on their situations.

Looking across the deck to Gregor she yells "Gregor, send out a general amnesty notice to all rebel forces across Gelron Primary military vox channels as long as the forces surrender at the following co-ordinates" she sends the co-ordinates, a location halfway between the two capitals. With any luck they could end this without any more tribal strikes.

"Well, no point wasting time. Police up our vehicles and let's get the hell out of here," Gregory says.

The assault team leaves with considerably less gusto than they entered, detaching any personnel capable of driving to at least man the new-found Chimera and staff cars in that order of priority.

On the way out, Gregory reports, ++Ma'am, we were too late. Seems Vormav managed to extract himself. We managed to recover the vehicles, but that's it.++

Vormav rattles off his authentication code and adds ++Happy to hear from you too my Lady.++

As Gregory's vox call comes across he replies ++Thank you for that Mr. Asgard, I was afraid I might have needed to extort to the local for replacements if those were destroyed in a bombing. Better to keep our materiel close.++

The convoy is leaving the capital as Gregory hears the exchange.

++Ah, Vormav! Seems we missed you. We picked up the vehicles outside the building; what's your current location? We'll come pick you up.++

With the authentication of his credentials Searlait lets out a sigh of relief at his having safely escaped. ++Confirmed, good to hear from you too, I'll have Asgard make his way to your location, he has collected your vehicles and it appears the rebel forces are in full retreat from the Northern Capital but be wary of die-hards and opportunists++