Wait! It's dangerous out there, take two!

"'It suffices to say that little display was a small fraction of Tanurom's full might. Now, about those ground scans...'"

"Unfortunately, my access to the scanning technology has been curtailed. Unless I can regain contact with my allies we will be unable to carry out any scans. Does your ship not possess this capability?"

"'It does, but I would much prefer to run silent and get the jump on our foes. If I must, I'll use them. As much fun as it is to run into a flight blind, I'd rather not have to waste time on repairs. Surely you must know something about this one-armed lord's fleet. Even better, if I could speak with this being, I'm sure we could stop resorting to such barbaric measures as violence.'"

You remember Zandric himself possessing a light cruiser but no fleet

"To my knowledge, Zandric of the Solitary Arm possesses only a single light cruiser.  Perhaps he has recently scavenged two ships, or called in favors to stop his inexorable decline. Perhaps if we patched my messages through your shuttle's vox it would have the power required to reach my allies."

"'It can broadcast to the void from here, so it's worth a try.'"

Aten sends the messages he has been trying to send FOREVER through the shuttle. He also asks for a scan of the three energy signatures approaching from behind the moon.

Aten uses the shuttle to send his message and receives no immediate response

Tristan starts explaining Firsa's plan to his Lord-Captain. He draws this diagram on the floor of the cell:


He explains that the ghost crew of the Tanurom will calculate the trajectory of the enemy ships from their current position and velocity. Then the ship will lock into an orbit going orthogonal to the plane of the moon's. Once in orbit, the ship and its interceptors will cut off all power and let inertia carry them on their collision course. The idea is to make the group only detectable visually, but to use the planet as cover for as long as possible.

Desilco seems to follow most of what's going into this plan but offers a couple of question:

1.) Are you attempting to utilize the inertia to carry you into the enemy fleet while in silent run to set up an ambush for them?

2.) Once in silent run, it will prove difficult to know if you have been detected but relatively easy to detect the high heat signatures from enemy ships against the cold of space. It is still fully possible to be detected while running silently since they are actively going to look for you. Are you comfortable with this risk?

3.) Are you all going to go to the ship to carry out said attack/avoidance in person or will you leave the fate of your ship to the actions of the souls within the ship?

1) Exactly.

2) Does the Elder holo projection help us here? It apparently gives people -30 on focused augur to detect us. Would that require power or is it always on? Also, how long would it take to power the ship back on?

3) We'll stay planet-side.

[The holofield will stay active but expect them to have to fail several saves for them to not detect you. There are rules in the book for how long it would take you to power the ship up from a silent run, may very well be nonexistent]

The big blue alien looks up at Tristan and the lord captain and asks, "Can we talk to the souls on the ship without Baravyn on board? I might be wrong but don't we need a seer on the ship to talk to the souls?"

"I thought the ghost ship was able to react with some degree of understanding and react autonomously as best it can but the seer enhances that connection?" Desilco says, likely not having full understanding of the nuances of the ghost ship

Lae'orenar interrupts. "Not to metagame, but the Ghost Ships of my Craftworld brethren require no commanders on board. They are crewed by the souls of fallen Eldar, and every one of those souls is more capable than anything you humans would consider 'autonomous.' They are fully sentient and able to respond to any changing situation. It is rare for a Ghost ship to have any crew at all."

"The question is mainly whether the ship can even receive orders from anyone other than the seer"

"That is an excellent question. You have already had the ship address Tristan, ah, I mean Firsa, directly. I believe the seer acts more like one of your crude tech-priests, and keeps the spirits placated and happy. Not that I am too well versed in the disgusting actions of these psyker happy fools. They only draw the attention of She Who Thirsts upon them." Lae'orenar shivers at the mention of the name, then decapitates some nameless nearby slave. It has been too long since she has fed upon the pain and suffering of one near her.

"Enough of this meta gaming, it is heretical and we all know what happens to heretics. Back to the matter at hand!" Desilco says with a wave of his finger

"The ship is capable of autonomously handling all aspects of this plan except for combat. The spirits are too fickle and the energies to tumultuous for the disembodied spirits to handle without their seer"

"Looks like we'll have to send Baravyn up" resigns Tristan. "Before he leaves, he should use his powers to see if this plan is going to backfire horribly."

"Has the Zaldic guy responded to us yet?"

Hearing this Baravyn takes a minute to look into the future, hoping not to see his own firey death aboard the ship. Baravyn reaches out with his mind and asks the question, "Will Captain Firsa's plan work?"

You focus your mind and see the blurry image of Tantrum floating through space, the pilots inside along with you waiting for hours praying to the Eldar gods that you not be discovered before the time is right. After that the image blues and you see several diverging paths. The first where the plan succeeds and a battle of epic proportions breaks out. Lightning arks across space and weapons of arcane nature bypass the defenses of the holofield and the outcome of the battle is unknown. In the second the ship is discovered before the ambush can be sprung and the Tanorum is annihilated in the fires of cold vengeance. The third and final divergence is the least clear. In it all you feel is the raging maelstrom of the Tanorum's soul matrix rage out in one at some unknown force before all goes dark

The big blue alien looks at the lord commander and asks, "can Baravyn determine the opposing forces in the battle described in the second possible future? Like how many ships there are in the battle or what kind of ships they are?"

"They're the same ships in the first. Three of them, you're unsure if their classification"

Does Baravyn have any idea of how likely each possibly future is?

"After Baravyn tells Firsa about the visions, Firsa voxes back to Tanurom, her playful manor instantly disolving. 'Change of plans. Seer Baravyn has examined our current course of action and the results look bleak. Have no fear however. After our little display of force, we are in a good position diplomatically on the ground.

Here is the new directive: run a full power scan of the enemy vessels with special attention to their fire-power. If they have any weaponry they could use for orbital strikes, report back to me immediately. If they don't, keep a fixed separation from the enemy, circling around the planet. Try to delay a full-on engagement until we have reached a peaceful solution. With any luck, they will split off one of their ships to try and flank us, in which case we can pick them off individually should it come to violence.

In the mean time, Seer Baravyn will be en route to Tanurom. Keep an active perimeter of interceptors for maximal protection. Do you read me officer?'

Firsa turns to Aten, her whimsical smile back in its full glory. 'Now, does this fine fellow you're not so fond of want me dead or alive?'"

"They copy captain, they're awaiting the shuttles return with Seer Baravyn. Eta to Tanorum from the ground is twenty minutes" says the shuttle pilot

"The Lord Phaeron ordered me to bring you before him. I doubt he wanted us to bring him a pile of ashes. One-Armed Zandric is attempting to steal my success, but he has shown a quick temper and cannot be trusted to act rationally."

As you all continue your discussion a pair of Necron Warriors return from the crater created from the lance strike. In the Necron tongue they tell Aten that the lance strike has appeared to have penetrated deep enough to open a path into the tomb below. You remember that the area of the tomb you're currently over has not been awoken yet as the Crypteks have not had the time to reach out to those sealed within. It is fully possible that due to the heavy damage sustained, the tombs AI could view any intruders as hostile and do everything in its power to protect its charges

"This could be the break we need to escape Zandric. However, my long hibernation damaged my memories disastrously. I have been slowly remembering my technological skills, but I cannot guarantee that I will be able to convince the Tomb AI of our friendly nature. It has been programmed to hate and kill any intruders for the past 65 million years and it does not change its habits easily. Should we risk moving into the Tomb so soon?" Aten tries to figure out where this entrance is in relation to Trazyn's audience chamber.

"'I don't see any need to. As exciting as orbital bombardments are, I'm just here for a peaceful exchange of information. I came to Solemnance hoping I might find someone willing to guide me through the Halo Stars, but if all that's here for me is murderous death robots, I'll be more than happy to be on my way. How far away is your king? I can have another shuttle down here in twenty minutes. I don't see much need to keep moving surrounded by an army like this. It's not really my style, you know?'"

"We remain in this formation because we need to remain protected from Zandric the Limited Limb's attempts against my life, and your capture. While a shuttle would be much faster, can we guarantee protection from any of his aircraft? Currently our only real option for dealing with them is an orbital strike. We are now seven hours from Lord Phaeron Trazyn; five until we reach the Tomb entrance and two once we have entered the tunnels. It is possible we could find a shortcut through this new entrance, but I cannot promise such a stroke of good fortune."

"'Seer Baravyn,' Firsa voxes, 'a tomb has opened at the epicenter of the lance strike. Can you see if it connects to Phaeron's chamber?'

Firsa turns to Aten. 'Seers... can't live with them, can't live without them.'"

Lae'orenar shivers from so much discussion of Seers and at the thoughts of the Warp which follows them closely, waiting to pounce on any Eldar nearby.

Baravyn sighs at Firsa's comment, then once again reaches out with his mind into the warp and asks, "Is there a path from the opened tomb in the crater to Phaeron's chamber?"

You try to focus but you find your mind unable to see the future. Perhaps because you are still tired from the previous divination or the tides of the warp you are attempting to read must calm before another look

"Unfortunately it seems that the future does not wish to be read, I can offer no insight on this matter."

Tristan speaks out of character for a moment. "It says in your pages and pages of notes that our fighters have a speed of 12 VU and can last 4 strategic turns. Could we use those to scout the other side of the planet?"

"One VU is approximately 10 thousand kilometers. Terra is 13 thousand kilometers wide and this planet is approximately the same size. Luna is approximately 385 thousand kilometers from Terra and again we there are similar dimensions here. So the answer is yes, the planes can easily scout around the planet"

"Excellent. Also I just remembered our ship has -40 to silent running" Tristan chuckles.

"'I understand, thank you Seer Baravyn. You've preformed admirably. Make sure you're available when you get back to the ship, I don't want to leave any more unpleasant vox messages for you today.'

'Zuensyr, dispatch a squad of darkstar fighters to scout out the approaching vessels. Have them learn as much as they can. Under no circumstances are they to go into turret range. If an engagement seems imminent, report back. In the mean time, send a shuttle down to pick me up. I'm coming up for a visit.'"

"Lady Firsa, perhaps I could accompany you. With me there, I will be able to translate if necessary between you and Zandric, the Three Limbed. Perhaps we can even portray me as your prisoner as a valuable bargaining chip."

How are the 500 necron warriors going to be transported?

We will be leaving behind the vast majority of the warriors, with orders for them to return to my home and fortify it. In addition some will go off with personal messages for Lord Trazyn, alerting him to the situation, and to my allies, politely requesting a response. Aten will take as many as can fit on the shuttle with him.

"'You know what Aten, I'm fond of you. I'll take you and some of your soldiers up to Tanurom. On the ride up, I'll consider what I can do with your hostage idea...'"

You manage to fit 10 warriors into the shuttle. As you rise up into the sky and through the atmosphere you are greated by the serene sight of Solemnance. The newest site on the planet is the kilometer sized crater with smoke coming out of it spiraling into the clouds. The sight of the Tanorum is a welcome relief from the stress and dangers on the ground. Once on board you make your way to the bridge where the ship alerts you that fighter squadrons on combat patrol around the ship are awaiting command

Aten immediately spends his time studying the wraithbone technology, trying to determine how it all functions.

"Firsa asks if there has been any word from the scouts, then calls Baravyn to the bridge."

"She means you!" Lae'orenar whispers to the big blue xenos. "I know you had issues with this last time."

Baravyn was content, he had just found a new sequestered spot on the ship and was getting ready to relax, but right before he actually got settled in Baravyn received the message from Captain Firsa. It was rather unfortunate, but remembering Firsa's threat from last time he had ignored her messages he figured that he should probably answer the message reasonably promptly. He still hadn't looked into the future to see what the threat was and he still didn't want to know, so with great reluctance he got up and went to the bridge to see what Firsa wanted.

The ship responds that the scouts are expected to return to deliver their report in person in half an hours time

"Can I vox to one of them?" Tristan asks.