Sterbelicht - One Sacrifice At A Time Against The Galaxy (40K)

The war against the Orks within the void was an exercise in frustration for both sides for entirely different reasons.

For the Orks, the Aries simply refused to ever be caught in any position that would allow either a group of Roks or the Drilla-Kroozer to pin them down, even going so far as to lead the latter on a complete round-trip around Neumidia on a chase that was as close as it was mind-numbingly dull for anyone not exchanging insults with the Kroozer's Capt'n.

For the Candle Keepers, while they were able to prevent many Roks from making planetfall and thus allowed the VWU to start and finish work on monitor ships to defend their homes and mining stations better, the Orks themselves figured out quite quickly that the Aries refused to fight if they arrived in large numbers. Thus, they initiated a 'Cunnin' Plan' known as "The Purple Rock Incident" by the Candle Keepers, as the Orks somehow managed to create a sophisticated stealth system they utilize on purple Roks surrounding a singular ship thrown out as bait. Unfortunately, that tidbit of information was bought with the blood and lives of everyone aboard Aries-05; the Orks were not merely content with destroying the ship but also fired upon the life pods doing their best to escape the Orks.

In response, Candle Keeper ships now move across the system in twos rather than ones, though the arrival of the first Sagittarius, named after a heroic Ogryn Gunner during the uprising agains the Dark Priests, promises to offer some measure of retaliation, even if more of them are needed.

---

With the permission of the Corcrat United Board, the forces aboard the Taurus began to disembark for the planet and started their march to their assigned front lines from the drop-off point. The arrival of friendly reinforcements, even with their "Abhuman" Auxiliaries, was heralded by cheers from the local populace and a worldwide advertisement and propaganda campaign from up top to raise morale, especially in light of the arrival of His Holy Angles upon the planet.

Alongside these ground-bound forces, another force descended upon Corcrat, one born aloft on wings of burning promethium and steel, the fighter and bomber craft of the Taurus. Settling in on the assigned airfield near the front for speedy resupply of fuel and munitions alongside on-ground repairs, the sister-sibling pilots were welcomed in a far different fashion than their siblings-in-arms.

Their near-identical faces, voices, and weird religious icons and prayers had spooked the local population and maintenance crews. However, the first could easily be avoided by staying on the airfield. Yet the latter...several injuries would have been suffered by both sides, alongside severe disciplinary actions for the maintenance crews, if it hadn't been for one Loading Master Terodo.

He was a slim man with muscles born from hard labor who walked with purpose, and he had never smiled for even a fraction of a second the entire time the various Thule's stationed at his airfield had seen him, with a face shrouded in more dusk and shadows than the ash-covered atmosphere should be able to cast. A voice like a bark and eyes of piercing deep plasma-blue you could get frozen in whenever he turned his ever-present scowl at you; he was the picture of an officer that brooked nothing less than your best, for he held himself to the same.

And for the sister-sibling crew trio of T1-BC/5, he was a man of much interest.

"We could ask him," Thule-78 said, her hand touching the hair she had been growing out for the last four weeks. "We may not be here much longer," she added with a sigh, watching the man who had told her sister-sibling Thule-55 that she, indeed, had "nice hair" when he was asked.

After taking several long pulls of the rot-gut bottle in her hand, Thule-80 eventually set the bottle aside with a loud 'clink' and turned a glare of seething resentment at the man currently talking shop with a few loaders preparing their bomber for the next mission. "We should just kidnap him," she once more insisted, balefully staring at the man who had caught her when she absolutely had not fallen! And how dare he lay his strong hands upon her and look at her with his soft, concerned eyes... She eyed the bottle again.

"We can't kidnap him...yet," Thule-79, the self-declared 'adult' of the trio, said hopefully jokingly, intently staring at the man. Her mind, however, drifted to scenes where her sister-siblings and her had already claimed him as theirs. Scenes of them cuddling and kissing featured prominently, though her mind slowly imagined what it might be like if they had...if the-if... Thule-79 felt her face grow hot and saw their soon-to-be man glance in her direction, making her turn her head sharply to avoid looking suspicious.

"I still think he'd accept if we'd ask," Thule-78 repeated with a dreamy sigh, ignoring her sister-siblings' sounds of denial at the idea of talking to him. Oh, well. She would just have to ask him herself on behalf of her sister-siblings. The worst thing he could do was say no.

They could always kidnap him after that.

---

Space Marine Shuttle Drop, then into base surrounded but holding out, followed by Scouts clearing the zone for a tactical retreat.

"We have reached the AO, good hunting," came the voice of Thule-101 through his helmet, and Gamma turned toward the doors alongside his brothers, the four of themdoing one last, final, check of their equipment. There was nothing wrong, and so, Alpha stepped out of the plane.

Gravity and the speed of the plane whipped his form away almost too fast for even his enhanced eyes, though that quickly became of no concern as Beta stepped through the door, and he followed.

The undeniable sensation of freefall greeted him as the wind rushed upwards, and gravity called him down to meet his grisly demise on this world's hard surface. He was not inclined to meet such a fate, but it was not yet time to activate the jump pack. They had to fall farther still.

What did not have to fall further were the various bombs released moments before the four of them had jumped, their explosive payloads bracketing the horde of Orks besieging a Corcrat bunker system with titanic blasts of scything metals, force, burning promethium, and sheer explosive weight crashing against fragile bodies of flesh. In but a single moment, several hundred Orks were wiped out, their vehicles trashed, and massive craters dug from the soil of this world.

And the time it took for the Orks to stand up again after the sudden bombardment was, coincidentally, the time the four of them had to activate their jump packs, whirling blades droning to life within the machines strapped to their backs at the exact moment four firing bolter-simulacrums snapping from target to target as Gamma felt his body being pushed into the power armor apeing the real deal, according to Chapter Master Chyron.

A slight correction in course saw him crash against a roaring Ork, his feet smashing through the skull of the despicable Xenos while his bolter found another head to explode. His other arm already unclasped the jump pack and reached for his sword in the same smooth motion. 37 Orks in five seconds across the four of them...barely acceptable.

And with that, four humanoid shapes raced to meet the beleaguered civilians and soldiers huddling within their bunkers and trenches, a scream of "FOR THOSE WE CHERISH-!" on their lips.

Answered by voices laced with a roused hunger for war with: "WE DIE IN GLORY!" as a platoon of Scout Marines followed in the steps of their brothers, touching down in the cleared landing zone, bolters snapping against Orks poking heads above craters or around destroyed vehicles with pinpoint precision.

It was only due to the fact that there were no jump packs rated for Dreadnoughts that Chyron was not present at this battle and would only join later in the spearhead against the northern Ork forces. There, with a swift series of victories and massive improvements to the morale of the local troops, he was able to brutally grind the planet-bound Orks down to nearly one-third of their overall strength with less than two hundred Marines under his command.



You Have 3 [Three] Actions.
[] [General] Construct Something
-[] Food Production V
-[] Civilian Infrastructure Nulla
-[] Heavy Industry II
-[] Void Industry VI
-[] Medical Services Nulla
-[] Military Industry III
(Gain: A boost in production focusing on the chosen option.)

[] [General] Get Us Out! (0/3)
After leveling their "demands" at us, we have received several offers of various legitimacy from within the ruling structures of CUB. However, they quickly boiled into one cohesive slush when the various portions became aware of each other's offers. In exchange for constructing a frigate to their specifications, these high-ranking members of CUB offer us...the system. Initially highly suspicious, further questions and negotiations revealed that these members want absolutely none of this shit, are desperate to flee the Orks, and are more than willing to sell out their supposed people for a chance at nebulous freedom. Also, they'll be gaining a frigate, making them basically kings and queens of the void if the Imperium does not prove willing to play ball.
(Gain: Corcrat becomes a part of the Candle Keepers. +1 Military Industry, Civilian Infrastructure, Void Industry, +2 Heavy Industry, -4 Food Production, -1 Medical Services, +2 Heavy Mechanized Regiments, +1 Light Tank Regiment.)

[] [General] Stay The Course (3/7)
Yes, the cost is steep, but it is the correct thing to do, no matter what the Farseer may think. These people deserve our aid, and they deserve a better outcome than a bullet to the head. If we will not extend a hand to those sinking into the abyss...who will?
(Warning! Not taking this option at any point until completion will force an abandonment of Khara. This reverses the loss of 3 Medical Services, 2 Civilian Infrastructure, and 1 Heavy Industry. After 3 Actions, abandoning will leave behind a Feral World filled with a Hostile Population.
Gain: Khara becomes a functional part of the Candle Keepers. +2 Medical Services and +1 Civilian Infrastructure.)

[] [General] A Ship Worth The Name (0/4)
The Kil'drabi Battlecolony is a marvel of ingenious and studious engineering, something that all who worked on it can be proud of and remember for their lives, handing down the pride and accomplishment for generations to be drawn upon for strength and hope in bleak days and bleaker moments. Yet, for the Candle Keepers, it is a waste of effort, a massive ship barely scratching upon what it could be, scarcely able to give what it was designed to do, and better off rebuilt at once. The Kil'drabi are heralds of what those who bend to the will of the Star Child could gain, and to let them fly in such a ship is an insult to Their Majesty. Rip out the sub-par and replace it all.
(Gain: The Kil'drabi Pact of Our New Path Battlecolony is retrofitted to adhere to the technological standards of the Candle Keepers.)

[] [Military] Lessons Hard Learned
With the first-ever loss of a voidship, questions were raised on what could have been done to prevent such a loss, if not tactically, then doctrinally or strategically. Along such an investigation should come a general moot of your military personnel and thinkers to take a long hard look at your current fleet and army, your likely enemies, and future conflicts so that future needs can be assessed and fulfilled before they become a problem. Creating military academies for officers to teach and learn the lessons learned thus far and in the future should also be tackled so that we do not need to rely on informal or top-down measures to disseminate important information and knowledge.
(Gain: A look at the performance of your fleets and armies and general recommendations for future expansions and current needs. Military Academies teaching and training Officers and above within each system become a standard.)

[] [Military] Raise Two Specialised [Light/Medium/Heavy] [Infantry/Mechanized] Unit - [Choose: Sabotage/Assault/Engineering/Demolition/Ogryn]/ Construct A Warp Ship - [Choose a Design]
With a chosen direction, your Military can now focus on giving the Units you will raise the proper training for the right job. Sabotage Units will focus on raiding and disrupting the enemy with lighting raids and plundering logistics; Assault Units will punch through the enemy in weak points and sow confusion with overwhelming firepower; Engineering Units will focus on creating fortifications and using turrets, mines, and barricades; Demolition Units will be comprised out of heavy weaponry squads with plenty of explosives, from mines to rockets; and Ogryn Units will be Ogryns armored in heavy metals and armed with shields and Beatin' Sticks led by men and women with spiffy hats that will not be disobeyed. Infantry Units consist mainly of boots on the ground, while Mechanized Units are equipped with vehicles that increase mobility and durability at the cost of logistics and all-terrain capability. Light Units are better for Low-Logistic scenarios, while Medium Units rely more on regular shipments yet strike a good balance between supply consumption and effectiveness. Ships are produced at these rates: Two Destroyers or One Frigate per decade.
(Gain: Chosen Military Units/Ships.)

[][Military] Design A New Voidship Class - [Available: Destroyer, Frigate]
From what we can tell, thanks to our history, what information we have available, and what the Kil'drabi and the Governor of Droma III tell us, the difference between a prosperous interstellar polity and one naught but ash is the strength of their navy. At the moment, we have the beginning of a nascent Void Fleet, yet purely defending against our enemies is a great way to get ground down into dust over time; we need to be able to bring the fight to them.
(Gain: A newly designed and built Ship Class.)

[] [Military] A Task For Specialists (Assign Unit/s) (Choose Location/s) (Designate Objective/s)
-[] (1/1) Medium Engineering Unit
-[] (1/1) Medium Assault Unit
-[] (3/3) Droman Coral Assault Regiments
-[] (1/1) Droman Tideswarm Heavy Demolition Regiment
-[] (1/1) Lamenters Space Marine Squad
-[] (1/1) Lamenters Space Marine Scout Platoon
-[] (3/4) Celestial Choirs
-[] Task Fleet Alpha
(6x Aries-Class Corvettes, 1x Sagittarius-Class Artillery Frigate, 1x Taurus-Class Troopship (0/4 Capacity))
-[] Kil'drabi Auxiliary Fleet
(1x Pact of Our New Path Battlecolony)
There is war to be had and battle to be made. Send troops to resolve issues and squash opposition to the Star Child and Humanity and all Their Protectorates. Or send ships to scout neighboring systems to understand what is happening there.
(Gain: Military dispatched to put down opposition violently. Scouts are dispatched to look at other systems.
Scouting Range: 1 System from Claimed Systems.
Note: For use outside your territory or in support of forces specified within another Action.)

[] [Psykana] Conduct a Melody (Choose one below.)
The Celestial Choir has been given the means; with time, they shall conduct their songs. They will listen to the Warp and filter out the false whispers from the slumbering guidance of the Star Child. In halting prayer and stumbling humming, the truth will be stripped until nothing but it remains in the hands of those who shall make it anew into power to be wielded by the Choirs to come.
(Secret: Slumber, Silence, Perception, and Grounding.
Star Child: Hope, Compassion, Humanity, Song, Mercy, Creativity, Health, Unity, Innovation, Machinery, Logic, Progress, Protection II, Justice, Wisdom, The Sun, The Home, Death, Ruthlessness, Brutality, and Fire II.
Kil'drabi: Paths, The Void, Struggle, Community, and Family.
Gain: A Melody newly Conducted.)

[] [Psykana] Sing a Song (Choose at least Three below.)
Mere Melodies are not the end of the journey, nor should they be the start. They are the middle, from which all things shall grow and wither.
(Available: Protection I, Fire I.
Gain: A Song.)

[] [Faith] Nursery-Temples Beyond The Cradles
Droma has been liberated from the tyranny of an Imperium that cares not to defend those loyal for eons nor even to send a hand to help them flee the devastation to come. And with liberation comes the need to have faith in a new system, one brought by the heralds of a better age, an Age of Understanding and Progress! Let us create those temples where the young shall learn of better days and where the old will dream of the galaxy to come. Let us march hand in hand, share the power that gives strength and pride to every woman and man under our protection, let those new faithful lend a hand, and build that very Age we shall all create for future generations!
(Gain: Nursery-Temples are constructed within Droma, aiding the population in staving off Chaos Influence and strengthening their belief in the Droman Creed.)

[] [Faith] Souls Artificial and Minds Constructed
With five of the Psykana Experiments revealed to be not ravening monsters that wish to kill all soul-bearing life to devour, but wounded, terrified, and faithful beings seeking aid from the only source of comfort they had ever gained (the Star Child), questions have come up from various corners. Did they have souls? They should; the Celestial Choir said they felt a Song of Mercy sung by the Five-One for their wounds and minds. And yet, what nature does a soul constructed by malevolent monsters into crafted flesh-psykana automata take?
(Gain: Nail down the soul-doctrine aspects of the Cult of the Star Child.)

[] [Faith] Technology Given Or Earned
Technology is the most fundamental aspect of creation in the name of the Omnissiah, a motion of worship and change that defies the base existence of nature by pulling everything back until only the cosmic machine remains. Technology is holy; it is worship and an act of pure faith. Yet, what of technology made by the Xenos? We know they will bend to the Star Child and become more than they thought they'd be in Their service, but what of their, and our, technology? Will we make use of what machines they use, and will we allow them to make use of ours? Or will lines be drawn never to be crossed upon pain of punishment? Maybe we will dictate tests and demand proof to give what we have gained in freedom and worship.
(Gain: Nail down the Xeno Uplift-doctrine aspects of the Cult of the Star Child.)

[] [Chapter] A Fleet Worthy Of The Name - (2.5/3)
Space Marines are the ultimate answer of humanity against the myriad dangers and monsters lurking within the dark of the galaxy, yet what worth are they if they are stuck on a single planet or in a single system, without any way to travel to where they are needed? With our aid, or simply by letting the Lamenters and their Chapter Serfs work independently, a nascent fleet of three Frigates will be created to suit the specific needs of a Space Marine Chapter.
(Gain: The Lamenters gain 3 Frigates.)

[] [Other] Take Care Of [Future Or Current Problems]
(Write-In the problem being addressed.)

AN: One Man You Can Fix as ordered.