Honestly it kinda makes sense that they're assuming that the rough-ish number of Strikecraft correlates in some fashion to the number of ships it'd take their own fleet to wield that many Strikecraft.
A) That border we thought was secured was actually never scouted, due to a "conspiracy" or maybe corruption
2) The scouting fleet we did send did not return
3) The fortified scouting fleet we send afterwards was obliterated by 6 Nova cannon shots
I think we'd panic at least a little.
(And hey, they're not wrong to panic. We are infiltrating their prime recruiting planet, we are planning to attack them.
The only thing they're wrong about is our motive and method).
[X] Broadsword type Boarding Assault Craft
-[X] Weapons: Point defense multi-las guns, Boarding Melta Cannon, Multi-purpose missile launcher, Star-impulse rotary lascannon, Boarding-support weapons turrets
-[X] Pilots: 5
-[X] Equipment: Ion Shield, Powerfield-equipped armored plow
-[X] The Broadsword looks somewhat like its namesake from the front, with a blunt, wide armored plow in the front equipped with a strong but short-duration powerfield meant to allow it to cut through enemy hulls to deliver its cargo within. This craft has a specially designed melta cannon that is in essence a series of overcharged meltaguns that are meant to burn out while delivering a terrifying amount of energy to a target hull to weaken it to allow the armored plow to do its work more effectively. The Broadsword possesses a number of weapons meant to defend itself from a variety of different threats, missile launcher for stand-off anti-fighter defense, multi las for defending against closer in targets as well as enemy missiles, and a Star-Impulse rotary lascannon to give it the firepower to discourage over-bold enemy fightercraft that push through the missiles. It is also equipped with turrets that will deploy once the Broadsword is embedded into the target hull to provide covering fire for its troops.
With a weeping cry from a lover's lost embrace, the Warp released the ships that had traversed through its wombs of festering war.
With a 'humph,' the Captain of the 'Glorybearer' shook off the last vestiges of the Warp Transition after opening his eyes, seeing the crew aboard his ship doing their best to recover and return to their duties as they ought. A quick flicker of his eyes to the side confirmed that the boy that had replaced the last torch-bearer had not faltered and allowed the torch pole to dip below an acceptable height, the Warp Transition washing over the young child a bit better than the adults. Such was the advantage of having a soul untainted by a constant traversing of the Warp and the weight of years accumulating with life.
+++Crew replacement rate has not exceeeded 4%, below average casualties have been sustained+++ Magos Farud exclaimed from their position, the hefty bulk of the vigintipedal mass of machinery and metal shifting and moving with a silent grace that never failed to utterly unnerve the Captain. There was a moment when chasing the purity of the machine turned someone into a non-human beast best put down, and the Magos had crossed that line long ago. Were it not for their invaluable work in keeping his ship intact and his people flying even through the worst of things, they would not have been allowed aboard...or would have suffered an 'accident' by now. +++Praise the Omnissiah+++
"Lord Captain, the rest of the fleet has signaled they emerged unscathed and well within the expected parameters, and are beginning to assemble into the ordered defensive position," a sensor technician spoke, her voice rough and dry, her eyes staring deferentially below the Captain at the foot of his throne.
"Continue your good work," the Captain said, allowing the woman to return to her station once more, an eager energy in her swift movements. A single word spent and a crewwoman made that more energic at her job. A fair trade in the Captain's mind. "Magos Farud, please activate the Harrowayd Auspex Array. Let us see what horrors this system holds," he spoke, and a stillness went over the hulk of machinery that masqueraded as the shell of a human being.
+++By your command+++ Magos Farud intoned, moving over to the console blinking and whirring with a hundred different lights and screens, dials and keys with runes atop them gleaming in the torch-light of the bridge. +++The Omnissiah Sees All+++ the Magos spoke, a dozen mechadendrites plunging into the machine as arms with dozens of thin fingers emerged from their hooded form, eagerly plunging against the runes and dials. +++The Omnissiah Comprehends All+++ They continued, sending orders and instructions to the ship's bow through the Noosphere and the vessel's bowels transmitted by electron and word.
The Sensor Clan stationed there had long since roused itself from the prayers and the chapel they had resided within during the travel through the Warp, spending their time in prayer and anointing those deemed pure enough to withhold the task to come for their bloodlines. When word came from the Hallowed Speakers that the Lord-God Captain had ordered a scan to be taken, hymns rose from the throats of the assembled menials, hands quickly activating the machines humming eagerly to reveal all that was hidden from them and the Lord-God Captain High Above. The Anointed, however, strode into the Chamber of Sight with clasped hands, his mind unbothered by the mundanity surrounding him or the tasks to rouse the machines for the work ahead. For him, only one thing mattered, and that was the part he was to play once the doors to the Chamber closed.
And close they did, slamming shut with a final 'thud' behind the man. The lights within turned from their stark-white humming of the outside world into a blood-red angry buzz. Lines and lines of Holy Script appeared before him that he could not read. But he need not read these lines, for his task was on the small table before him, where a bronze rectangle with the outline of a hand stood prominently, dark splotches recalling all those who came before him.
Placing his hand atop the outline was a matter of a second, his mouth following the whispered prayers emerging from his mind into his throat, and the pain of the stabbing needle was ignored, as was the whirr and clicks within the cogitators surrounding him. Blood was tested against known data, deviations were judged to be within the norm, and a beep occurred as a warning sigil blared its baleful scorn at the praying man. Once, twice, thrice, it slowly blinked...and then vanished as a hum arose all around the man.
Energies gathered, lenses focused, vibrations thundered, and the auspex came to life, building and building its ping with all the anticipation of a thunderclap to come. The man began to speak aloud, warmth suffusing his skin and bones. Cogitators clicked and changed tracks, their internal calculations adjusting the massive sensor antenna at the ship's bow by fractions of degrees for maximized output. In contrast, internal generators spooled their warm thrum of power in rising pitches to the coming explosion. The man was now loudly speaking the prayers, blisters forming on his skin.
Magos Farud received the 'all-clear' signal.
A single rune was tipped.
And a man howled in inhuman agony as every cell was bombarded by radiation and vibration and light and radio and pressure and-
+++Auspex has been fired, results expected within 3.024 Standard Terran Seconds+++ Magos Farud proclaimed. True to their words, the various screens and the massive hololith acting as the main projector of the bridge soon churned with changing lines and burning lights plinking into existence.
"By the God-Emperor," the Captain whispered; symbols denoting ships ranging from Destroyers to Battleships were arranged before the projection of the fleet, the detested rune next to them denoting them all as foul Xenos. And between them all, even racing before the fleet in great plumes, were the symbols for strike craft, that old and oft-worn sigil blinking with its bloody history and well-worn horror, the strokes and chevrons denoting their numbers tallying up to over 2.600 in the fleet racing to meet them, with another 4.000 rising from the void stations they had emerged near to. Though only a mere projection, their course was unmistakable and clear to all who had even one cell within their brain not devoted to keeping them breathing: the vessels of the Duchy. "Initiate Phalanx Doctrine," the Captain heard his words, yet he didn't feel them emerging from his mouth. "All ships, initiate Warp Jump at the earliest possible moment and retreat to Voxx Primus; returning with this information takes precedence over any life within this fleet, including mine. Deploy the Null-Net, Code Iota-Upsilon-13/74 Isonai Barakeesh, Identification Chi-Eta-V//Malange-Becona."
+++Codes Accepted+++ Magos Farud spoke, their mechadendrites moving with agitation as they stared at the projections of the ships racing at them, only to still and have one of them snap to an access port when thin lines of light crossed the distance. Numbers flickered on the small cluster of friendly ships, the shared Void Shield of their tiny numbers depleting by a startling margin as a trio of Lances slammed into them from far beyond the range a Lance should have, not even Prow Lances that far ranged. No matter, the weight of fire was too light to harm them beyond slowly chipping at their shields, and they would be long gone before those popped.
But those strike craft...+++Firing Null-Net+++ Magos Farud spoke, and momentarily, the Captain felt numb and cold. Like the torches that illuminated the bridge were nothing but flickering candles and not roaring fires that donated light and heat at once. But as swiftly as the sensation came, it vanished as the Null-Net appeared on the hololith, racing against the oncoming swarms of strike craft, their tiny forms wavering momentarily before some attempted to scatter. In contrast, others tried to fly through the holes in the Null-Net. Even knowing they were Xenos hell-bent on the death of all that was right and proper, the Captain could not help but pray for them. The Net was a horrific weapon...if not horrible enough to prevent him from using it.
The craft that flew around the edges of the Null-Net re-assembled into formation, flying now far ahead of the others, while those who tried to fly between simply sputtered out and began to drift on the last vectors. Their pilots would no longer provide input.
"To the fleet: trigger Shield Overload before the strike craft reach us. The God-Emperor Protects."
It is arguable if He did at the best of times. It is even more arguable if He did so when the Thules in their Star Raptors and Five Star Heavy Bombers reached the ships of those who had killed hundreds of their siblings in one fell swoop.
What is not arguable is that the 'Huntress of Kreinios' managed to limp into the Warp, her hull battered and broken after the shield generators exploded and the Phalanx Doctrine no longer linking her shields to the other ships, with dead and frozen crew drifting behind as their souls were sucked into the Warp if they were unlucky or annihilated instantly if they were lucky by the opening of a rift into the Veil.
Lady Governor Omamsi van Grim Dracentia de Larraal Hattie Vetesese Suri Consenho Scalle van der Snipe sat the report from the sole returning scout down. She took a deep breath. Held it.
And then slowly breathed out, steadying herself.
"Get me..." she paused, thinking it over again, "call everyone to court. Emergency Priority Nulla."
Lord Duke Mandelbite Manna looked at the report from Voxx Primus, the emergency transmission via their nascent non-Astronomican psyker network spilling demands and cries for immediate aid as one more threat appeared. Because the Orks, soul-eating Xenos, and Cabal of Unfettered Hope weren't enough. No, it had to be another set of highly hostile Xenos threatening a previously thought-to-be-secure border and the Duchy's primary recruitment world as a massive uncovered conspiracy had revealed that bit of information to be a lie, requiring an enormous shifting of military assets and production schedules to account for that and the various holes that doing so would create.
"Well, that's not ideal."
"Onto Off-World News, Economy First," the news anchor said, their even voice soothing after a long day at work in the office. "New Dawn R&D has published a recently developed set of painkillers with vastly reduced addiction-inducing properties coupled with a lessened chance of overdosing if taken. Various Healing Orders, Hospital Chains, and the Military have already taken interest and placed orders, increasing the ISCs stock by 3.8% this quarter."
You Have 3 [Three] Actions. Currently Active ISC: [New Dawn R&D] (6-Hour Moratorium)
[Green Horizons Colonization LTD] - Resettlement Initiatives - Increases colonized worlds by 50% if the Action {Colonize Planet/s} is used. [New Dawn R&D] - Anomaly Identified - Uncover Points of Interest (PoI) within and without your territory every Turn this ISC is sponsored. PoI include (but are not limited to) new colonizable systems, Economic Boons, Military Relevant Resources or Locations, and more. [Federation Post] - Messenger Fleet - Reduce the cost of improving Civilian Infrastructure by 50% (rounded down).
[] [General] Develop The Federations'...
-[] Food Production VII (0/2)
-[] Civilian Infrastructure XIII (0/2)
-[] Heavy Industry VI (0/2)
-[] Void Industry X (0/2) -[] Medical Services VI (1/2)
-[] Military Industry VI (1/2)
(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: N/A
Hostile Worlds (-1 Void Industry): Qulach's Forge - Node 17c (Acidic Atmosphere), Abyssal Eye - Howling Gaze (No Atmosphere)
Deathworlds (-1 to All): Qulach's Forge - Qulach's Forge (Fallout, Glass, Industrial Ruins, and Chemicals))
[] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
-[] Habitat Stations (0/?)
(Gain: +1 Void Industry every three Actions, enough living space for ~10 Billion people per Action.) -[] Irrita Rush Terraformation (0/?)
(Gain: Ask the Irrita about the price to rush terraform some of your worlds and which ones would be best suited to do so.) -[] Evacuation Fleets - (Ship Design Sub-Turn) (0/?)
(Gain: Evacuation Fleets to spread the Voxxians around.)
-[] Nutri-Paste Dispensers
(Gain: Cheap high-nutrition mass-manufacturing vats. Tasting said food is not recommended. Or feeling it. Or looking at it. Or interacting in any way, shape, or form. Just don't.) -[] Poke The Weird Ships
(Gain: Information?) -[] Production Line Rationalization Programs (0/2)
(Gain: Improved industry throughput.) -[] Sophont Workforce Requirement Reduction Considerations (0/2)
(Gain: Tiny increase in partly automated industries.) -[] Hive Agriculture Expanded (0/2)
(Gain: Further improve Hive nutrition production through various means.) -[] Burner Seeker Mines
(Gain: An upgrade to your Mines. These weapons automatically seek out non-friendly ships within a medium radius around themselves.) -[] Snapshot Cogitation Improvements
(Gain: Missiles have increased Breakthrough against Hostile AM-Systems) -[] Tetratek ARc Cannonade
(Gain: Tetratek Advanced-Reach (Grade c) Cannonade Ship Weapon (4 Dp).) -[] Advanced Servo-Skull Militarization Initiative
(Gain: Militarized Servo-Skulls. New Infantry Classes: Human - Scout Hive Trooper, Yeeni - Skull-Swarm Sovereign.) -[] Novel Infantry-Grade Weapons and Armor Development
(Gain: Infantry Weapons and Armor Upgrades.) -[] Experimental Infantry-Grade Weapons and Armor Development
(Gain: New Infantry Weapons and Armors.) -[] Logistical Infantry-Grade Weapons Development (0/3)
(Gain: Cheaper Infantry Weapons.) -[] Logicstical Infantry-Grade Armor Development (0/3)
(Gain: Cheaper Infantry Armor.) -[] Ship Equipment Standardization - [1 DP Equipment] (0/2)
(Gain: Standardize 1 [One] 1 DP Ship Equipment across all new Designs.) -[] Shipyard Automatization III (0/5)
(Gain: 1 Frigate every Turn.) -[] Mind-Machine Interface Re-Examined (0/2)
(Greater Insight into already existing MMI methods and links.) -[] Reconstruct The Shattered STC-Fragment (0/10)
(Gain: An STC Fragment.)
Hereteks Refuge - Reduce Research Cost by 20%, Rounded Up. +0.2 Research per Action Spent. Academic Publishing Institutes - +0.15 Research per Action Spent. [Song - 10x Choirs] - A Spark of Genius - +0.05 Research per Action Spent.
(0.55 Research Banked)
[] [General] Propaganda For The Foreign Masses (0/3)
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] Free Movement and Friendship Declaration
Due to the Glimmering Federations' patronage of the Ashan Families, inconsistent as it was overwhelming in the industrial and economic sectors, they proposed opening the border between the citizens of both nations to seek employment and opportunity (with some limiting factors and clauses, security concerns still apply after all), alongside a Friendship Declaration between the two governments.
(Gain: Ashan Families like you more.)
[] Trigger The Voxx Revolution
May there be peace amongst the stars.
(Gain: Sub-Turn planning the Free Duchy War.)
[] [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] Create A [Blazing Sun - 4x War-Packs] or 6x 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: Four War-Packs or Six SAGs. These contain [Four Units] chosen from the above choices. Tanks require no Classification.)
[] [Military] [Construct/Refit] A Fleet - [42 Fleet Points] - [4 FP Banked]
Ships are produced at these rates: Scouts at 1 FP, Destroyers at 2 FP, Light Freighters at 3 FP, Frigates at 4 FP, Light Cruisers at 8 FP, Heavy Cruisers at 18 FP, and Heavy Freighters at 25 FP.
(Gain: Chosen Fleet.)
[] [Military] Fill Out Sector Battle Group -[] Werewolf (1.5/3.5)
-[] Minotaur (0/4)
-[] Leviathan (0/4)
-[] Basilisk (0/4)
-[] Hydralisk (0/4)
-[] Necrolisk (0/4)
A Sector Battle Group consists of 4 Heavy Cruisers, 8 Carriers, 6 Light Cruisers, 8 Heavy Frigates, and 4 Corvettes. Building them in bulk is cheaper than in parcel, and once we have them all filled, we can think about constructing new ones!
(Information: All Action Costs must be paid to receive the ships.
Gain: Filled out SBG.)
[ ] [Military] Design New Voidship Classes - [Available: Destroyer (1 DP), Frigate (2 DP), Light Cruiser/Freighter (4 DP), Heavy Cruiser/Freighter (8 DP)] - [10 DP]
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 DP than you possess take more than one Action to design.
Gain: Newly designed and built Ship Class/es.)
[] [Military] Begin Military Operations (Assign SAG/s) (Choose Location/s) (Designate Objective/s) -[] 29x Free Celestial Choirs
-[] Sector Battle Group Sphinx (30/30 Ship Capacity)
(3x Andromeda-Class Command Ship, 4x Proof of Our New Path Battlecolony, 8x Libra-Quartus Light Carrier, 6x Scorpio-Class Light Cruiser, 8x Words of the Writ-Class Frigate, 4x Aries-Secundus Class Corvette)
-[] Sector Battle Group Centaur (30/30 Ship Capacity)
(3x Andromeda-Class Command Ship, 4x Leo-Class Vanguard Cruiser, 8x Libra-Quartus Light Carrier, 2x Endeavour Light Cruiser, 4x Scorpio-Class Light Cruiser, 8x Crux-Secundus Class Heavy Frigate, 4x Aries-Secundus Class Corvette)
-[] Sector Battle Group Werewolf (9/10 Ship Capacity) - (Missing: 2 Andromeda, 4 Heavy Cruisers, 8 Carriers, 6 Line Holder, 3 Frigates)
(1x Andromeda-Class Command Ship, 1x Words of the Writ-Class Frigate, 2x Falchion-class Frigate, 2x Aries-Secundus Class Corvette, 2x Viper-Class Missile Destroyer, 1x Sagitarrius-Secundus Lance Frigate, 1x Lupus-Secundus Torpedo Destroyer)
-[] Task Fleet Alpha
(2x Cobra Destroyers, 9x Taurus-S Troopship (0/45 SAG Capacity)) -[] Independent Operations Task Force
(13x Chamleon-Class Infiltration Carrier)
-[] Lamenters Chapter Fleet (8/10)
(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), 1x Eternal Promise-Class Temple Ship (0/8 Companies))
-[] Scout Fleet Alpha - [3x Pyxis-Class Auto Construct]
(5x Circinus-Class Scout Sloop, 10x Pyxis-Class High-Grade 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: 40% Adjacent Systems, 20% Three+ Systems, 10% Five+ Systems.
Note: For use outside your territory or in support of forces specified within another Action.)
[] [Psykana] The Celestial Orrery (0/2)
Taking the first stumbling step in creating wonders by combining technological and psychic disciplines into one cohesive whole is a step that is fraught with dangers. Though we know that such psy-tech can be made that it can become the underlying linchpin of civilization itself, like the Hymns of the Machines, many dangers come with invoking the powers of the Warp without a mind to ward off the daemonic influences that inevitably try to take advantage. Yet, a step can be taken in a direction that will enable us to build familiarity without suffering titanic repercussions in failure. The first intentional psy-tech of the Federation shall be the construction of the Celestial Orrery. This large machine will show the nearest star system's planetary bodies and their stellar paths.
(Gain: 8 DP Equipment: Celestial Orrery. Improves scouting.)
[] [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 II.
Secret: Slumber, Silence II, Perception II, and Grounding II.
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 II, 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.
(Uncovered: Technology I.
Secret: Perception I, Silence, I, and Grounding I.
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, and Health I.
Kil'drabi: Void I, and Struggle I.
Gain: A Song.)
[] [Faith/Psykana] Holy Sigils
While...unorthodox for many, the use of holy symbols and geometry has not been a silent, or consigned, part of the Droman Creed. Many use strings of letters and numbers above their doors to invoke specific phrases and parts of the good book, just as others ink their skin or fur with the lines and colors of symbols used to convey faith and blessings. Yet, some Choirs have investigated the use of, potentially, empowering the same symbols with more than the faith of one, channeling into them the powers of the Warp sanctified by holy rituals to empower the righteous and pure of soul who adorn these symbols upon their person or the locations upon which they are inscribed.
(Gain: Holy symbols with power?)
[] [Faith] The Hallowed Armada
With the major Heresies of the Body of the Faith now mended as far as possible without veering into the territory of burning the fields to prevent a suspected blight, eyes, and minds turn from the halls of debate to the yards of construction. There, ships are built and maintained that have secured the safety and prosperity of the Glimmering Federation for generations, yet the faithful clamor for more to do their part where guns need to lay silent or where the death of a world must be signed. Both are equal in their burning need for those willing to pray and aid and those willing to consign billions to prevent fates worse than mere death.
(Gain: Sub-Turn to create, and get access to the template of, a unique Temple Ship.)
[] [Faith] Saint Candidates
-[] Thule YF/800 'Nagato'
-[] Daring Ignition
Some of the faith have shown the criteria to be declared a Saint.
(Gain: Look at potential Saint Candidates and decide if they are worthy of the title.)
[] [Blazing Sun] Every World A Fortress (2.5/8)
No longer left aside.
(Gain: 4 War-Packs per Action, one per Planet.)
[] [Chapter] Standardize The Chapter Fleet, Please? (0/5)
Seriously, the cost for all the unique and non-standard maintenance parts is astronomical.
(Gain: Large expansion and re-fitting of the Lamenters Chapter Fleet.)
[] [Other] Take Care Of [Future Or Current Problems]
(Write-In the problem being addressed.)
AN: You may ask yourself, "Why did the Free Duchy design a sensor module that requires the person who activates it to be cooked alive by the powerful radiation and energies released?" Well, the answer is simple: When they first created it and put in the bio-lock to prevent FOUL XENO INFILTRATORS from using the things against the Noble Human Liberators, nobody told the people assigned to the things that they were supposed to leave after activating it. They were, in fact, told to shut up and do their duty when asked how to operate the things. So, after some decades, when a Magus of the Mechanicus was confused about how there was a 1-to-1 casualty rate to the system's activation and investigated, they were told that "this is how it is done" by the menial clans that service these sensors. And since breaking with tradition is Heresy...
Because if this is absolutely true, then if we can manage to push them out of the subsystem and lock them out, then we might deal a massive blow to all of their everything through simply removing- what? 30%? 50%? 70%?- of their manpower recruiting pool, causing massive stresses on them and quite possibly opening them up for their other borders to start counter attacking.
... It still baffles the fucking mind how they're a galactic superpower.
Because clearly, sending fleets in means we are "Clearly" hostile and out to kill them all, never you fucking mind that every attack has been from them sending dudes in here.
Nothing about the Imperium makes sense.
But of course, they apparently have a "You just Die now" button that they can fire from their ships that hard counters strike craft, and if our Thules weren't as badass as they were, they'd all be dead instead of just the couple that tried to get fancy.
... It still baffles the fucking mind how they're a galactic superpower.
Because clearly, sending fleets in means we are "Clearly" hostile and out to kill them all, never you fucking mind that every attack has been from them sending dudes in here.
Nothing about the Imperium makes sense.
But of course, they apparently have a "You just Die now" button that they can fire from their ships that hard counters strike craft, and if our Thules weren't as badass as they were, they'd all be dead instead of just the couple that tried to get fancy.
... It still baffles the fucking mind how they're a galactic superpower.
Because clearly, sending fleets in means we are "Clearly" hostile and out to kill them all, never you fucking mind that every attack has been from them sending dudes in here.
Nothing about the Imperium makes sense.
But of course, they apparently have a "You just Die now" button that they can fire from their ships that hard counters strike craft, and if our Thules weren't as badass as they were, they'd all be dead instead of just the couple that tried to get fancy.
Do be aware that "We kill all ships that enter our territory" is usually considered the actions of Not Nice People, even IRL.
Also, a one-shot ~6% casualty weapon on strike craft wave measuring in the thousands is not a "Hard Counter." And they didn't try to get fancy, they decided to fly through the dozen-kilometer wide holes in the net instead of going around the thing. It was a reasonable thing to do when facing a weird energy-net they had no context or clue of.
Edit: Like...you did read the part where the Captain Dude had to specifically unlock the usage of the Null-Net with codes, right? That should be an indication of how often that weapon is both used and given to the troops.
Do be aware that "We kill all ships that enter our territory" is usually considered the actions of Not Nice People, even IRL.
Also, a one-shot ~6% casualty weapon on strike craft wave measuring in the thousands is not a "Hard Counter." And they didn't try to get fancy, they decided to fly through the dozen-kilometer wide holes in the net instead of going around the thing. It was a reasonable thing to do when facing a weird energy-net they had no context or clue of.
Okay, Orks and Dark Eldar are probably as expected, but I'm not liking the sound of these other guys. Although I doubt they'll be a concern for quite a while, thankfully.
So, from what we've found out this turn the Duchy is facing Orks, some other Xenos threat, and also either a Dark Eldar Cabal (because the Cabal of Unfettered Hope sounds like a Dark Eldar group) or a Tzeentchian Chaos cult at its other borders.
We definitely have time to build up. Duchy literally can't send everything at us.
You managed to get people into the shipyards as work-gang leaders because they volunteered to work there, and have some low-level people in the defense stations. Not enough to really do more than note down some data, but enough to note that the "Slice-Feeling" Ships are serviced by Psykers and Magos both, with some components of other ships getting the full "Priest Procession Praying Priestlike" over them.
You managed to get people into the shipyards as work-gang leaders because they volunteered to work there, and have some low-level people in the defense stations. Not enough to really do more than note down some data, but enough to note that the "Slice-Feeling" Ships are serviced by Psykers and Magos both, with some components of other ships getting the full "Priest Procession Praying Priestlike" over them.
Hmm, do our people have any ideas of how to get them higher... or wait, this isn't a meritocracy, so I bet there's basically no way to work your way up at all.
Hmm, do our people have any ideas of how to get them higher... or wait, this isn't a meritocracy, so I bet there's basically no way to work your way up at all.
There are more ranks they can climb by merit than you'd assume, but they won't be able to get more than a third up the ladder before needing to weasel their way into the hereditary and politics pipeline.
You managed to get people into the shipyards as work-gang leaders because they volunteered to work there, and have some low-level people in the defense stations. Not enough to really do more than note down some data, but enough to note that the "Slice-Feeling" Ships are serviced by Psykers and Magos both, with some components of other ships getting the full "Priest Procession Praying Priestlike" over them.
[] Plan: Cautious Preparation -[] [Military] Fill Out Sector Battle Group
--[] Werewolf (1.5/3.5)
-[] [General] Voxx Primus Population Crisis Preparations
--[] Evacuation Fleets - (Ship Design Write-In) (0/?)
---[] S.S Rustbucket
---[] My Light Freighter Mission of Mercy Design
---[] Heavy Freighter that carries people
---[] Heavy Freighter that carries supplies/etc.
-[] Nutri-Paste Dispensers
(Gain: Cheap high-nutrition mass-manufacturing vats. Tasting said food is not recommended. Or feeling it. Or looking at it. Or interacting in any way, shape, or form. Just don't.)
There are more ranks they can climb by merit than you'd assume, but they won't be able to get more than a third up the ladder before needing to weasel their way into the hereditary and politics pipeline.
Honestly a third of the way up isn't bad, since if you get too far up you're presumably unable to exert more than brutal influence on those "below" you, especially at the bottom.
Hmm, well I assume they're going to, as long as it doesn't blow their cover, going to try to do that sort of thing on their own in terms of getting a third of the way up?
Also what's the composition of the fleet at Voxx Primus? And how are things going overall on Voxx Primus, do they need additional help with anything soon?
So, from what we've found out this turn the Duchy is facing Orks, some other Xenos threat, and also either a Dark Eldar Cabal (because the Cabal of Unfettered Hope sounds like a Dark Eldar group) or a Tzeentchian Chaos cult at its other borders.
We definitely have time to build up. Duchy literally can't send everything at us.
From the sounds of things, if we manage to swoop around and take the entry world from their subsector side of things and set up a proper Fortress there (stationary defenses plus 4 SBGs?), as long as we can win the Fleet Battle and work through Primus's pacification, we might end up essentially crippling them on the strategic level due to other pressues.
Hmm, do our people have any ideas of how to get them higher... or wait, this isn't a meritocracy, so I bet there's basically no way to work your way up at all.
That's what Bribes, Corruption, and Infiltration are for.
Might be a good idea to see about picking up the rest of our Melody options eventually for the versatility (aka Mind Reading And Influencing), but that's a ways away probably.
"All ships, initiate Warp Jump at the earliest possible moment and retreat to Voxx Primus; returning with this information takes precedence over any life within this fleet, including mine. Deploy the Null-Net, Code Iota-Upsilon-13/74 Isonai Barakeesh, Identification Chi-Eta-V//Malange-Becona."
ok, so this is interesting. It was not decisive, but that fact that they had a bizarre special weapon suggests something. I wonder if they have a trait where they just have a bunch of borderline heratek stuff that they hate using lying around? It would fit with the local magos we see being a monster among monsters. I suspect we're going to have steady stream of surprises like this, again not devastating super weapons but weird tricks that always let them bleed us a bit more than we expected.
You managed to get people into the shipyards as work-gang leaders because they volunteered to work there, and have some low-level people in the defense stations. Not enough to really do more than note down some data, but enough to note that the "Slice-Feeling" Ships are serviced by Psykers and Magos both, with some components of other ships getting the full "Priest Procession Praying Priestlike" over them.
Oh, btw, I changed that action just now because it should be a Sub-Turn where you create those Designs and agree on a direction for those ships.
The Laurent said:
Also what's the composition of the fleet at Voxx Primus? And how are things going overall on Voxx Primus, do they need additional help with anything soon?
