“Be happy for periods of great activity for through your attentiveness you emulate the god emperor.” - The sayings of Saint Drusus

It has been a busy few months since you re-established your authority on the Divine Inspiration. Clean up efforts started almost immediately and the ship's unique capabilities have made the work easier going then it might have been. Unfortunately all the extra time must be devoted with dealing withy our wayward underlings. Omoi's evidence that Calan de Croix the house Vorhees administrator assigned to the station was secretly colluding with the house's enemies amongst the Stewart clan required independent verification. You snuck onto port wander with his aide and his information was borne out. From that point on it was a matter of taking Sgt Granx and a small contingent of thousand blades and forcibly seizing the Vorhees compound in the dead of night from the traitors. Secret passages and genecoded locks reserved for expressly this sort of situation as well as most of the Vorhees personnel being unaware of the treachery aided this endeavor. Unfortunately Calan must have been pre-warned as word soon reached you that he had fled the station out into the maw a few days before your arrival. However his flight was so quick that he left vital clues to his destination, a small star system containing habitable planets claimed by house stewart for colonization but not yet ratified by the administratum. If they were funded with Vorhees gelt they would be yours by right of law, but you will still need force of arms to sieze them.

Additionally there is the matter of the Valliant Sword a troop ship that Omoi has received hints of. The ship was originally cataloged by explorator fleets floating adrift in space many years ago. Subsequent recovery operations have failed with no sign of the ship being found and many have written the ship sighting off as a trick of the sensors on the automated explorator craft. However Omoi has heard rumors of a small almost feral colony of humans on a nearby planet that he is convinced are descendants of the ships crew. He believes the ship might be planet bound and with proper skill and resources it could be raised to add to your naval might.

These two targets are displayed on the projection tank in the captain's quarters. With Augustian remaining behind on port wander to act as the stations administrator and keeping Synthia and Ysabell with him as he is unsure who of the remaining personnel are loyal your internal council consists of the four of you plus Sgt Granx and Von Mekkan. Omoi would normally be in attendance however he assisting the elder Dray in overseeing the final outfitting of the ship. In their stead the ship itself is taking part of the discussion.

“My captain, I estimate that within the next two terran standard days we will have completed final restockign of supplies. Magos Hakkonen has made excellent time leading his underpriests in repairing my systems and I feel fully operational. As soon as you decided on a course friend Mordechai can begin calculating it through the warp and we can be off. I fairly quiver in an anticipation.”

Well, from what I have seen of the Blades they are very competent in ship to ship action but significantly less so in ground pounding. I have no idea what Calan has prepared for us, I can only expect heavy fighting to kill the traitor. Right now, I do not know if the blades are up to it. I like going after the troop transport. It allows us to get another ship, to get some ground pounding units, and also to fill the extra space with pilgrims to establish our first colony.

I do acknowledge that there is a risk in going after the transport first, giving the bastard Steward's time to establish and solidify their hold. I just think the more prudent course of action right now is to get the transport.

"Lord-Captain-tain, I also support recover-vering the Valiant Sword. I would point out that we-we currently know nothing of House Stewart's defenses-es. An attack would be precipitous at-at best, and could potentially cost us the Divine Inspiration. I therefore recommend that-that we cultivate an intelligence network, and give them time to infil-filtrate the Stewart holdings while we recover the Valiant Sword. As the Omnissiah teach-teaches, knowledge is sharper than any sword." So saying, Magos Hakkonen flips his hood up, his half-metal face vanishing into its shadowy depths.

"That might take quite a bit of time Hakkoan." Von mekkan points out thoughtfully. "The personel who might be tapped for that might have been infiltrated by house Steward during de Croix's duplicity, may his bones burn. With all due respect to the new administrator it might be months before he can even get his house in order let alone put a operation into place for such a venture." His tone is informal, but respectful, in the months spent preparing the ship he's come to know all of your and been ratified to the first mate position for his knowledge of spacemanship and the crew already present.

The ship speaks up. "Hmmm perhaps a compromise then, as a shakedown cruise we sail for the system, not with intent to confront but instead to survey. We slip in get the lay of the land and then slip out again. If an opportunity should present itself to dispatch a team silently to any planetary bodies we do so. A silent running cruise would be difficult but might serve as an admirable shakedown effort."

Listening to all of the different opinions and ideas coming from the others in the room, Lucian smiles.

"That does sound like a good idea, very... Inspirational". With his pun out and a few chuckles to himself more than for anyone else, he continues.

"Perhaps we should do both. We can go to the planet for a scouting mission, which I am sure this ship is more than capable of, and before we get near enough for any of their sensors to detect us, we slip away.". Rubbing his fingers into his forehead for a moment, he pauses.

"But what about the Valiant Sword? Who knows how long it may take to find, fix up, supply with a crew, and then get the troops and pilgrims onboard? By the time we have the scouting done, and then go and do that, everything we discovered may already by useless."

Lucius stands up, his frustration plain for all to see as he paces infront of his throne. "But if we go for the valiant sword first, and while we are waiting for it to be supplied and manned, and for whatever armour and troops we recruit to be loaded, we can go and do the scouting, returning to a ship ready for the offensive, and return with it to take back our planet and lay the seeds of our dynasty and name.".

That is indeed a wise decision taking all interest into account. Shall I prepare a jump, or is there more to discuss?

Looking over at Mekkan, Lucius purses his lips. "I want a ready report Mr Makken, I want this ship to be warp ready and all crew accounted for by the next day cycle.".

Looking over to the rest of the command crew and finally settling his gaze on the Navigator, he smiles. "Do what you need to prepare the jump my friend, for tomarrow we traverse the gates of hell to come out the other side, blazing for gold and glory.".

Looking over to Omoi he smiles. "What are the chances you can do some recruiting while we are gone? Perhaps dig up some leads on some pieces or armour or a few bombers and air assets. Bombardment artillery too maybe. We are going to wage a war, and I want to crush all who stand against us all.".

Von Mekkan nods. "It shall be done as you wish captain."

Your message to Omoi comes back answered 10 minuets later via vox from where he is on the station.

"I have prepared an armament list I would want for planetary invasions based on imperial guard specifications. Unfortunately such things as tanks, heavy, artillery pieces and full on infantry assault landers are well beyond what my contacts amongst the munitorum can supply me from the reconditioned piles. TO aquire such thing we would need to appeal directly at a Mechanicus lathe world or similar facility. It is my hope that the Valliant Sword will have most of it's compliment still intact although that might be wishfull thinking on my part."