Any chance we can examine the enemy corpses for any obvious giveaways, like "they're all clones" or "they all have brain surgery scars" or whatever before we make a decision?
 
[X] Attempt to deceive the Dragonflies
-[X] March on the Dragonflies FOB

We need to take the initiative, and simply put, this is the place they are least likely to be adequately prepared for an attack. They have already committed huge amounts of manpower to the field, and operating with disguises is our best chance to assault their FOB while bypassing any fortifications altogether.

I'd like to more directly relieve our forces at the farms, but we don't have the fresh manpower for both, and if we do gain control of their only access point in/out of Shattersaw, we can dictate terms at will to those who remain within, more or less.
 
Chaos corruption and computer hacking works on normal programs as it can on AI.

One could argue the more intelligent the AI program is the better it can resist corruption cause it can devise its own countermeasures.

Maybe we will stumble over a Necron tomb and have a few millenia to examine specimens to gleam some knowledge on how they resist corruption.
It works better on AI. The rebellion of the Man of Iron, that should be happening right now or soon, is the best example. The most likely cause of this is scrapcode.
And the Emperor is likely aware of the truth of what really happend and whatever he knows about it is enough for him to decide that destroying them all is a good thing. The horrors of that war is enough reason for everyone else. Thus the law to destroy AIs.

Of course we don't know this IC and thus have no IC reason not to make AIs. Though maybe the AIs on this world got infected by scrap code and have gone Skynet. That could be an IC reason not to make them, or not.
It's just that if we have them and the great crusade reaches us, the Imperium will demand that we destroy them. Convincing them otherwise will be nearly impossible. But that's a meta reason.

For more info read those:
http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Age_of_Strife
For general info about the age of Strife.

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Crimson_Accord_of_Mars
For the relevant core parts of the Cult Mechanicus.

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Silica_Animus
For more info about how AIs are seen in 40k and that by Imperial law they are outlawed as well.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Abominable_Intelligence
This explains what is considered an AI in 40k.

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Machine_Spirit
This explains what a machine spirit is.


Also vote:
[X] Attempt to deceive the Dragonflies
-[X] March on the Dragonflies FOB
 
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[X] Attempt to deceive the Dragonflies
-[X] March on the Dragonflies FOB

We don't have the manpower to break through the Dragonflies' lines to rescue our men, but we can rely on their being able to hold out for a siege. This way we can turn the tables and hold their base/rear echelon commanders hostage, maybe trade for the farms and our men.
 
Speaking of Slaneesh, its early enough in the age of strife that the gravekeeper might be related to one of the benevolent gods that haven't been eaten by slaneesh yet.
 
4.6
[X] Attempt to deceive the Dragonflies
-[X] March on the Dragonflies FOB

Nope. Nope. You are not going to let these fuckers win. They might not have started this whole spat, but they had definitely continued it beyond the point of reason or honour with this sort of attack. You order half your men your men to restock and rearm while the other half is to collect what is left of the enemy and start stripping them of uniforms.

Rolled 100 + 26 - 30 Has reason to believe = 96
vs.
Rolled 94 + 22 = 116
?????

Looking over the bodies, you notice a lack of women so you gesture for one of your men to come forward while you tune your radio to the frequency given by Grave Keeper. Looking at the man, you say, "Follow my lead on this one."

Setting it to speaker, you then hand the mic over to him and prompt him with hand signs. He says into the mic, "Uhh... not really sure what I'm doing here."

"Who is this?" A voice on the channel demands.

Following your quick prompting, your soldier, Corporal Karellin, stumbles out, "I... uh... sorry, my CO can't talk right now. That was a fucke- err... a, a ah screwed up fight. Uh, sir."

There was a mutter of "Uncultured prole" on the other end before the voice asked, "I take it that this is 1st Company?"

"Umm, yeah, yeah! Sorry sir, I didn't expect to be doing this," Karellin stumbles through before he says, "We just needed to report success against the enemy."

"You got the payload to the Greengraft base?" The voice on the other end asked, somewhat excitedly. "We saw an explosion but were unable to confirm where it went off."

"Ehhh... close enough? The enemy is dead, that's for sure," Karellin states, and you have to kind of stare at his ability to lie while telling the truth.

"Excellent. The bomb against the Unionists went off as planned, but they refuse to submit. Redeploy against them immediately," the Dragonfly officer orders.

"Ye- my CO is glaring at me. Why are you glaring at me? Gun? Oh! Oh yeah, we're pretty low on ammo right now. Pretty banged up too-" Karellin begins to explain.

"Then the men can pay their debts with blood," the Dragonfly CO reports, which gets a raised eyebrow from you. Simple 'debt' was insufficient to get these men to fight like the maniacs they had, so it had to be euphemistic.

"CO is still glaring at me... gesturing... gesturing yeah, okay. Sh-ays that those that can fight will take the ammo of those that can't and head for the... uh... Unionists, while the rest will head back to base. They can relieve the garrison there, let them fight instead of just standing around," Karellin explains, nearly stumbling over nearly referring to you as a 'she' when there are no women present.

There is a pause before the commander says, "That makes sense actually. ETA?"

"Uh... two to three hours. CO is going to really crack the whip on this one but we're all pretty tired," Karellin states, taking his cue from your signals.

"Tell him to crack it twice, two is preferable to three," the voice says, causing you to wonder if maybe their commander did in fact have a whip somewhere.

"We'll get there as fast as we can," Karellin explains.

"Confirmed. Over and out," the voice on the radio states, showing just how amateur he was at the whole radio operator thing.

Shutting off the radio, you begin issuing your orders. Those of your men who are wounded will remain at the FOB, along with some of the more tired militia, while the rest of you march on the Dragonflies FOB. With any luck they will have redeployed before then, leaving only a skeleton crew to defend their FOB... unless they hadn't bought what you had just said and you were being lured into an ambush...

Fuck it, you were committed now.

Morale Check
Rolled 40 + 33 + 20 Discipline - 20 Exhaustion = 73
Considering...

You receive a report on the radio shortly after that, requesting an update from the farms. Apparently the Dragonflies have approached for parlay, demanding the surrender of the soldiers at the farm, stating that the FOB has fallen. They are to turn over their weapons and will be taken prisoner until the end of hostilities, at which point they are to be returned to their people. Failure to surrender within two hours will result in no quarter being given.

To maintain your deception, you send no signals, no orders to them.

The men, while tired, manage to find some extra energy as you have them march across the ruins of Shattersaw towards the Dragonflies FOB. If you can pull this off right...

2 squads infantry
1 squad light infantry
10 squads militia
1 SAW

As you approach, you make certain to slow your men down, make sure that they are moving like they're wounded even as they come into view of the enemy base. It will be nerve wracking and incredibly dangerous, but the closer you can get to the enemy before opening fire, the better. You also make sure to inform them all that they are to remove the captured uniforms before opening fire, which is somewhat aided by the fact that the primary uniform is a sort of tabard that goes on over top of the forestry gear the majority of the enemy soldiers had been wearing. A quick cut with the utility knife and you will be no longer wearing the disguises.

Rolled 23 + 26 - 30 Has no reason to suspect = 19
vs.
Rolled 43 + 22 = 65
Major success
Rolled 100 + 26 - 30 Has no reason to suspect = 96
Garrison maintained
AN: Seriously dice? Seriously?

You march up to the Dragonflies FOB, looking just like you remembered it, although the uniforms of the enemy have become significantly more regular. You do notice that they seem to have a full compliment and have not detached troops to go assist in the fighting elsewhere. Marching on up, sure to keep your head down, you notice that the Dragonflies troops are not really responding to your presence other than a few hails from what appear to be the officers. You wonder how far you can push your luck...

Rolled 4 + 26 - 30 Has no reason to suspect = 0
vs.
Rolled 6 + 22 = 28
Success

You almost lose your nerve. You should stop pushing your luck, you should grab what cover you can, throw off your tabbards and...

Judging by the ostentatious manner of dress, you would have to guess that the base commander himself is running out to meet you.

"Hot damn, you weren't kidding about your troops being banged up. I guess those Greenies fight hard, don't they?" The man says, his voice similar to the one on the radio.

"You have no idea," you mention as you slip your knife out of its sheath and bring it up to cut away the tabard about your shoulders.

Rolled 6 + 22 - 30 Complete surprise = -2
vs.
Rolled 91 + 40 = 131


Your disguise is off and your knife at the enemy commander's throat and one of his arms behind him in a controlling grip, turning him about to present him as a human shield to his own lines as the rest of your men discard their disguises as well. The enemy garrison hesitates and your men rush forward to the walls. No shots have been fired, but it is obvious that you have managed to take complete and total control of the situation.

The enemy soldiers look close to panic. It looks like the majority of them want to start shooting, but with their commander at knife point and you soldiers having them so utterly dead to rights they clearly don't know what to do.

"Tell your men to stand down," you order.

"Uhh... uh... fuck. They're... they're, ah, not supposed to do that," the commander says in a weaselly voice.

"So you can't give them order? Well then what use are you?" You ask, bringing the knife a bit closer to his throat.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" The man winces rather pathetically before he shouts out to his troops, "I, ah, I order you all to stand down! Yes, yes, that's an order, from me, to you, and you have to obey my orders, right men?"

Rolled 72 + 22 - 30 Fanatic + 40 Panic = 104
Standing down

There is a moment where the enemy forces seem hesitant about what to do, before one by one they start lowering their weapons and accepting being tied up by your men as you take over the base. You then put your knife away, police the man's weapons, and have one of your men help frog march him into his base, taking you to the radio room. Sitting him down next to you, you grab the radio and then start speaking, your own radio on for the benefit of your troops.

"This is Grand Captain Dia Stone of Greengraft speaking, and I wish to make a recommendation for a unit citation for the forces sent against me. They fought bravely and ferociously and exemplified the highest honour in military traditions. Their ferocity was so great in fact that they were regrettably wiped out to the last man. I came to deliver this praise personally, and incidentally while doing so have gained control of the Dragonflies base, effecting total capture of the garrison. If the gentleman across from me could kindly corroborate my story?" You speak into the radio, before pushing the mic over to the commander being held at gunpoint.

"This... this is Garrison Commander Winston Gerhawk, and I confirm that the Shattersaw base has been captured completely by elements of the Greengraft forces and I have ordered the stand down of the garrison," the commander explains unsteadily into the mic. He looks like he is about to pass out from fear.

"As to my own forces within the farms, the rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, although I apologize to you for my earlier silence while I dealt with the enemy base. If the enemy persists in continuing combat we shall come relieve you shortly," you state, to bolster your own men and let the enemy know that you will be coming.

There is a long pause before a new voice comes onto the radio and says, "This is Field Commander Yuri Falco. What are your demands?"

Your demands are
[] Ceasefire and negotiation with his superiors (ENDS TURN)
[] Lay down arms and march out (Diplomacy Check Required)
[] Total capitulation (Hard Diplomacy Check required)
 
Seriously, we just capped their FOB with a full garrison, without firing a single god damn shot.
 
what roll do we need to pass the Hard Diplomacy?

- I would like to end the Dragonflies' army now, and then focus on the 504...
 
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