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

It was a...surreal experience, even for Alpha, to stare at a Xenos that seemed to be made up entirely of either plant matter or machinery. What was more surreal to the large Space Marine was the feeling of having to look up at...well, anything. Doing so to look at the large and towering Irrita...captain? Admiral? The Shipwright's Alliance was still unsure about the correct terminology despite the extended diplomatic contact with these Xenos. In that regard, the Council of Masters would most closely classify the Irrita as a 'Protectorate' species, with one tentatively arguing for 'Kin' status, even if they protested the use of the first word, especially as they had not entered a subservient but equal diplomatic relationship with them, with 'Wayfarer' not applying due to the existing long-term diplomatic exchange. Incidentally, this has caused a debate to break out back home, leading to 'Wayfarer' and 'Traveler' status to be split, with the latter one step before 'Protectorate,' with the Irrita the first to be entered within. Regardless, this Xeno had been the only one who had answered the call to meet face-to-face so that Alpha could take their measure, or at least the only one that had been sent. Thankfully, they had been more than willing to answer questions about the capabilities of their ships, even if the answers had stunned Alpha.

These mad plants were using steel of all things as armor for their ships, and their main armaments could best be described as up-sized bolters and primitive railguns. If they were using railguns on the same level as the Kil'drabi had all those centuries ago, Alpha would not have been as astounded as he was, but those railguns were even more primitive if something like that was even possible. How they had ever developed a Warp Drive before figuring out basic space combat would likely remain a mystery for him. The only less shocking thing about the whole thing was that every ship was only crewed by a single Irrita, as they seemed to follow a philosophy of symbiosis with their vessels, where one became the other.

And yet...he could not help himself but ask two questions of them with a smidge of curiosity.

"You aided the Shipwright's Alliance before you even made contact, delivering tons of foodstuffs without any apparent benefit to yourself or detriment to the people of the planet you aided. Why?" He asked, and the interpreter between him and the tall plant stared at their data-slate with an intense gaze, fingers flying across its surface before slotting a small cable into a machine sitting off to the side that began to put out a variety of chemicals and lights aimed at the Irrita.

A few more minutes passed as the Irrita seemed to ponder before returning with their own set of lights flashing from the topmost portion of their body alongside puffs of scent from the flowers on their 'head.' "The idea that starvation is inevitable instead of a preventable, or something we, or another, should, or would use for gain, is alarming to our people, as we have never encountered the concept in our own cultures or our stories about alien cultures. To starve one of our own is a concept and act of savage cruelty beyond comparison. To aid the starving was no question of morality but of logistics."

His estimation of them rose by a considerable degree. "Then one last question from me, if you would. I will presume you know what battle you are entering and the foes we fight. You could flee and secure your people, knowing what awaits you should you fail to stop them here. Why do you fight against Chaos?"

A minute passed, then another, time stretching into nearly half an hour as the lights and puffs continued. The vine-like appendages of the Irrita moved in slow patterns to lend weight to words spoken by scent and light.

Alpha looked at the interpreter once the Xenos had paused. The man looked intently at the screen of his slate for an entire hour, working quickly to translate the complex and multi-layered response given. His mind churned with the most likely translations and cultural meanings, alongside the references to cultural media he had no idea what they could even possibly mean before he looked at Alpha again.

"Because we must."

Alpha waited for a moment before looking at the Irrita with respect in his eyes. "Aye, we must."

---

You Have 3 [Three] Actions. Currently Active ISC: [New Dawn R&D]
(6-Hour Moratorium)

[] [General] Develop The Federations'...
-[] Food Production VI
-[] Civilian Infrastructure VI
-[] Heavy Industry VI
-[] Void Industry X
-[] Medical Services VI
-[] Military Industry VI
(Gain: A boost in production focusing on the chosen option.)

[] [General] Colonize (Planet/s)
It is time to bring two more worlds into the fold. Thanks to the Kil'drabi becoming our Kin, we can now categorize Frozen, Ash, and Volcanic Worlds as Habitable instead.
(Gain: Two colonized Worlds.
Habitable Worlds: Ultima Sigritta - Sira (Mesa and Savannah), Silista - Silista X (Temperate Continent), Itani - Grubbub (Lichen and Fog), Gnatiila - Smug (Outback and Canyons), Turriamnish's Hope - Hope (Steppes and Moss), Monresast - Monresast Major (Arboreal and Savanna)
Hostile Worlds (-1 Void Industry): Qulach's Forge - Node 17c (Acidic Atmosphere)
Deathworlds (-1 to All): Qulach's Forge - Qulach's Forge (Fallout, Glass, Industrial Ruins, and Chemicals))

[] [General] Research:
01001101 01100001 01100100 00100000 01000010 01101001 01101110 01101000 01100001 01110010 01101001 01100011 00100000 01010011 01100011 01110010 01100101 01100101 01100011 01101000 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100001

[AUTO] [General] Begin Archive/Arsenal Inventories - [8/10]
Though it will likely take over two centuries to review everything both planets have archived or put into storage, we may find some noteworthy things. Slowly Auto-Completes after one Action spent.
(Gain: Stuff?)

[] [General] Propaganda For The Foreign Masses - [0/4]
With the Glimmering Federation struggling to digest its recent mass acquisition of systems and populations, some have raised the possibility of using the Federation's more diplomatic abilities and capabilities to subvert, convert, and then integrate new systems without causing mass casualties or widespread destruction. A Propaganda office outfitted with ships, Choirs, materials, factories, and a mandate to do just that should bring foreign systems into our sphere of influence and then the Federation as a whole. It will be pricy, though.
(Gain: Allows you to slowly convert one [1] random system at a time to the Glimmering Federation without Action cost.)

[] [General] Jolly Economic Co-Operation - [1 Remaining]
Despite what people may think, selling a shit-load of materials at discount prices will make you more money than trying to sell them at the standard markup. However, there are only so many materials to sell until the industries are behind and need to restock and be able to supply the same once again.
(Gain: 50% Discount on your [Develop] Actions taken in the same Turn (1 Dev into 2, 2 into 4). Ashan Families like you more.)

[] [Military] Create A [Blazing Sun - 4x War-Packs] or 3x SAGs - [System/s] - [Weight: Light/Medium/Heavy] - [Type: Infantry/Mechanized/Tanks/Augmetic Legion] - [Classification: Sabotage/Assault/Engineering/Demolition/Ogryn/Kil'drabi]
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 soldiers with spiffy hats that will not be disobeyed. Kil'drabi Units can go into temperature enviroments Humans would require special equipment with ease. 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, with Tanks allowing a myriad of armored spearheads or operations to proceed, and an Augmetic Legion consists of cybernetically enhanced humans, equipped with high-end implants and prosthetics that set them far above the human baseline, allowing for far more dangerous deployments. Light Units are better for low-logistic scenarios, while Medium Units rely more on regular shipments and strike a good balance between supply consumption and effectiveness. Heavy Units rely on solid logistics to continue working while offering an equal force concentration in return. A War-Pack comprises 15 Karnivores grouped in Packs of 3 Knights each, alongside the infrastructure/logistics to support and rebuild their Knights.
(Gain: Three SAGs. These contain [Four Units] chosen from the above choices. Tanks require no Classification.)

[] [Military] [Construct/Refit] A Fleet - [36 Fleet Points]
Ships are produced at these rates: Scouts at 1 FP, Destroyers at 2 FP, Frigates at 4 FP, Light Cruisers at 8 FP, and Heavy Cruisers at 18 FP.
You can refit for 10 FP: Two Libra-S to Two Libra-T, Three Crux to Three Crux-S, and Four Taurus into Four Taurus-S in one Turn.
(Gain: Chosen Fleet.)

[] [Military] Militarize The Schools Of Paladins
Though the schools created to equip and train our missionaries for all possible environments and situations have quickly grown to smooth out all failures and bumps in their curriculum, some military think tanks have poked at the possibility of creating a home-grown version of the Imperial Sisters of Battle mentioned in both records and the descendants of a squad on Saget VII. This would include streamlining the usage of the Militaristic Faith Orders to use them in battles on the front line and training those dedicated to spreading and defending the Faith of the Star Child as parts of the military directly in the use of bullet and sword in heavy power armor.
(Gain: Unlock Templars, boosting your military.)

[ ] [Military] Design New Voidship Classes - [Available: Destroyer (1 FP), Frigate (2 FP), Light Cruiser (4 FP), Heavy Cruiser (8 FP)] - [8 FP]
From what we can tell, thanks to our history, what information we, the Kil'drabi, Yeeni, and the archives of our planets 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 proud 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.
(Information: Ship Classes requiring more FP than you possess take more than one Action to produce.
Gain: Newly designed and built Ship Classes.)

[] [Military] Begin Military Operations (Assign SAG/s) (Choose Location/s) (Designate Objective/s)
-[] 31x Free Celestial Choirs
-[] Task Fleet Alpha (20/20 Ship Capacity)
(2x Andromeda-Class Command Ship, 3x Proof of Our New Path Battlecolony, 1x Libra-Tertium Light Carrier, 2x Libra-Secundus Light Carrier, 3x Crux-Class Missile Frigates, 2x Aries-Secundus Class Corvette, 5x Words of the Writ-Class Frigate, 2x Scorpio-Class Light Cruiser, 2x Taurus-S Troopship (0/10 SAG Capacity))
-[] Task Fleet Beta (13/20)
(2x Andromeda-Class Command Ship, 1x Libra-Tertium Light Carrier, 2x Scorpio-Class Light Cruiser, 2x Words of the Writ-Class Frigate, 3x Aries-Secundus Class Corvette, 2x Crux-Secundus Class Heavy Frigate, 3x Taurus-S Troopship (0/15 SAG Capacity))
-[] Task Fleet Gamma (18/20)
(2x Andromeda, 1x Proof of Our New Path Battlecolony, 1x Leo-Primus Heavy Cruiser, 1x Dauntless Mk.1 Light Cruiser, 2x Endeavour Light Cruiser, 2x Viper-Class Missile Destroyer, 2x Cobra Destroyer, 2x Falchion-class Frigate, 2x Words of the Writ-Class Frigate, 1x Aries-Secundus Class Corvette, 4x Taurus-Class Troopship (0/2 SAG Capacity))
-[] Independent Operations Task Force
(5x Chamleon-Class Infiltration Carrier)
-[] Lamenters Chapter Fleet (7/10)
(1x Andromeda-Class Command Ship, 2x Risen Dirge-Class Boarding Ship (0/2 Companies), 3x Lantern Bearer-Class Commandeering Ship (0/3 Companies), 1x Resurgence-Class Torpedo Hunter, and 1x Bloody Dawn-Class Light Cruiser (0/2 Companies))
-[] Scout Fleet Alpha
(4x Circinus-Class Scout Sloop, 1x Spirit of Discovery Scout-Class Light Cruiser)
There is war to be had and battle to be made. Send troops to resolve issues, squash opposition to the Star Child and Humanity and all Their Protectorates, and send ships to scout neighboring systems to understand what is happening there.
(Gain: Military dispatched to put down opposition violently. Scouts are sent to look at other systems.
Scouting Range: ~10 Systems from Claimed Systems. Scouting Efficiency: 75% Adjacent Systems, 40% Three+ Systems, 10% Five+ Systems.
Note: For use outside your territory or in support of forces specified within another Action.)

[] [Psykana] Conduct Two Melodies (Choose two below.) (0.2/1 - Auto Complete) - [Choose Melody]
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. As there are 10 Celestial Choirs free to pursue research, the High Council can ask them to pursue a target instead of what comes close. This will, naturally, be lost once they dip below 10 Choirs.
(Total: 30
Uncovered: Technology.
Secret: Slumber, Silence, Perception, and Grounding.
Star Child: Hope II, Compassion II, Humanity II, Mercy, Creativity III, Health II, Unity II, Innovation, Machinery, Logic II, Progress II, Protection II, Justice, Wisdom, The Sun II, The Home II, Death, Ruthlessness, Brutality, and Fire II.
Kil'drabi: Paths, The Void II, Struggle, Community, and Family.
Gain: Two Melodies 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.
(Star Child: Protection I, Fire I, The Sun I, Humanity I, Creativity II, Song III, The Home I, Logic I, Unity I, Progress I, Compassion I, Hope I, Health I, and Void I.
Gain: A Song.
Sung: Dirge for the Innocent, Bound To The Stars, A Web Of Song.)

[] [Faith] Sermons To The Families
Though the Ashan Families are not fans of strangers walking into their homes and preaching about strange deities, they are fans of allowing honored guests to preach an interpretation of a sanctioned faith (even if it is a weird interpretation) in exchange for money. However, they will still check if said guests are preaching Chaos, just to be sure.
(Gain: The Ashan Families allow your priests to preach in their territories.)

[] [Faith] The Great Heresies
Though it is infuriating to many that splits and cracks have already started to appear within the structure of our faith, especially when the Prophet hasn't even been laid to rest in his last resting place, these splits were inevitable. There was no way to prevent those who strayed from established Doctrine, so we must expend effort to bring them back into the fold, even if some start to whisper about altering Doctrine itself to incorporate some parts of their beliefs into ours.
(Gain: Reconcile, Syncretise, Legalise, or Crack Down on a Heresy.)
-[] The Particularists
The Droman Creed emphasizes the different qualities and roles of each of the Five, encapsulating the Co-equal Oneness of the Five-One, One-Five, yet some believe this to be a Pantheon. For the Particularists, this is the furthest from the truth, as they believe the Five-One to not be co-equal within their shared Divinity, but One-As-Five, mixing everything into one being by denying the uniqueness of each Five to not deny the Oneness of them all.
-[] The Anti-Particularists
The opposite to the Particularists, they have twisted this section of the Creed to its utter limit: I believe that these Five, Omnissiah, Emepror, Motive Force, Body of the Faith, and Star Child, are Indivisible and One, and Two, And Three, Four, and Five. They believe one can pair the Five-One according to their "Co-Equal Hierarchy," represented by a square with four edges and the Star Child in the middle. In this, they claim that the Emperor and Omnissiah are on the Left and Right of the square, with the Community of Faith and Motive Force in the lower left and right, relating to each other in their respective roles and relations as they come together to create the Star Child.
-[] The Imperial Syncreticists
The Imperial Syncreticists are the leftovers of the Imperial Dogma from within Neon. Their believers and priests seek to reconcile the differences between the Droman Creed and that of the Imperial Dogma into one unto the Holy Child. To say that this has to be stamped out is to tell the obvious, as several portions directly threaten our Kin, and others seek to undo the protections granted to those mutated under the aegis of the Star Child with extended mercy by enforcing genetic isolation.
-[] The Adherents of the Divine Lines
Those who call themselves the Adherents of the Divine Lines hold to the idea that a Divine Lineage exists at all, claiming that, as the Space Marines and Primarchs are the children of the Emperor-and-Omnissiah as well as the Star Child, a clear line of Divine Heritage exists that allows those who partake in its shared blood to better understand and enact the will of the Five-One unto the face of the galaxy, and that the Glimmering Federation need only right what has so long been silenced.
-[] The Order of the Nurenor Roses
The Order of the Nurenor Roses is the epitome of those Cerberus hunts, for they are a Heretical Sect most foul. They believe the Star Child to be a woman instead of genderless. They seek a society split by task and by gender, with women as the spiritual rulers and men as the material leaders, the place of one designated by birth and skill, using the Thules as evidence for the success of such a practice despite all the evidence to the contrary, and more.
-[] The Supplicants of the Aetherical Cog
This outgrowth of the Star-Mechanicum was recently discovered and has, as far as Cerberus knows, been founded by an unknown Magos after the Nuking of the Forge, when they found an artifact of unspecified power and nature. However, interrogations have since revealed that this artifact was a receptible of data and contained several teachings within its form that range, by their descriptions, from "perfectly acceptable" to "utterly heretically." The various sects of the Aetherical Cog are cellular by nature and differ in several ways, even amongst themselves, but all hold to the central belief that a Divided Consciousness is no longer tolerable. Instead, they seek the Convergence, the day when all minds are joined as one under the guidance of the Star Child to be but a cog for their designs of peaceful unity.

[] [Chapter] As The Codex Demands (5.5/7)
Once again, unto the fields of training.
(Gain: The Lamenters fill out entirely for the first time in millennia.)

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