Elena nodded, smiling gently at the man. "Let's go to the conference room." She suggested. Once inside, she sat down and motioned for the gathered people to present the information about the situation in the system, and possible strategies on how to proceed...
Yannika shuddered when she felt the demon's hands and breath press against her. 'Gods... what have I done?' she wondered immediately regretting her decision. She shook her head and forced herself away from despair to help Rhaiya carry the unconscious priestess. "You will not touch him!" Yannika hissed at her dark passenger when the demon mentioned her son. And a dread deeper and darker than any she'd ever felt in her life took hold of her. Carius could be in danger! She had to return to Constantinopolis Secundus immediately! Why did his confessor want her gone? She didn't know but when she thought about how long she'd been away blood drained from her face. Her heart however, was filled with purpose, and her muscles filled with strength and Sister Barra seemed just a little bit lighter.
'Greetings, young lady,' Xavier smiled at her and gave her a nod, 'A table for one and a drink would be lovely. Do you have some local specialties? I'm trying to learn the local culture a bit.'
"So am I!" Hersillia replies with a laugh, "Especially since I haven't--" She remembers the guards in the room and clears her throat, biting her lower lip softly for a moment before continuing with, "-- had a chance to see what you'll think of my suggestions for how to keep the peace!"
Verner stands on the other side, scratching his head. "Err, no, you were just in there for so long that I was starting to worry..." He shakes his head. "Uh, Jeryn and the new girl are back with news about the gambling area."
Bec rolls her eyes, before moving aside so Eanne can head into the room. Inside, Eanne sees the bishop looking at some servants as they move around religious artwork. "No, not there, the sun could damage the paint over time. Try to remember that these are ancient pieces, gentlemen. There, much better!" She smiles. "Fine work." The blonde bishop turns to look at Eanne. "Ah, you're one of the emperor's councillors, right?"
"Fufu. Thank you, my dear boy. You're so sweet to worry about mommy." Vizelle cooed, stroking Verner's cheek with her finger. "Now, let's go hear the report." She said with a smile as she goes to the living room, using her telepathy to summon Jeryn and Iona.
Heading inside the room, they quickly find themselves in a wide room with a circular holotable. There, Thrax and the admirals of the XVth and XVIth legions lay out strategies. With the forces in space, the various suggestions are: - Seek out another pitched battle, like the one they just fought, and wipe out the rest of the enemy ships - Spread out and hit the enemy with hit and run attacks, so they have to divide their forces - Negotiate and try to get enemy captains to betray the prince - A mixture - Write in With the two planets occupied by enemy ground forces, the suggestions are: - Bombard the enemy from orbit. This will lead to high civilian casualties, and the destruction of valuable infrastructure and industry, but the troops on the ground will have very little they can do to stop Elena's fleet. - Send in a ground invasion focusing on the planet that's partially occupied - Send in a ground invasion focusing on the planet that's fully occupied - Invade both planets simultaneously, dividing your forces in half - Blockade the planets and try to starve the enemy out - Negotiate with the enemy and try to get them to surrender or defect - Write in
"Don't worry..." The voice says. "I won't hurt you, or your little boy. The opposite, in fact, I'm going to help you get what you always wanted..." She giggles. "Who would have thought the innocent little priestess was a whore who wanted to fuck her own son?" Grabbing Barra, there's quite a stir outside when the three women exit the cathedral, but Yannika's efforts before prevent the situation from turning violent. A few hours later, Yannika is back in the barracks with her men, while Barra has been taken to the local medical facility. "You saved her." The lieutenant approaches. "Thank you." He smiles.
"Of course!" She smiles and brings him to a table. "We have a lovely Constantinopolis Brandy, if you're looking for something local. First time in the capital?"
"Err, sure. Please, tell me, I'll listen to all your suggestions." He smiles, not understanding what she's implying.
Verner blushes, before the two spies approach. Spoiler: Espionage Roll D100: 94+15 (Jeryn)+15 (Iona)= 114 (Crit) The two of them have smirks on their faces, and Vizelle instantly knows that the assignment went well. "We have everything." Jeryn declares. "Their businesses, their manpower, their internal politics. Turns out that the new girl is good for more than looking pretty." Iona smacks his arm lightly. "I've prepared a detailed report for you on Madame Zhou's organisation."
"Fufu. Nice to see you two work well together." Vizelle cooed, "So, let's see what our next adversary will be like." She said with a grin as she listens, or reads through the report.
Yannika smiled, nodded her head in acknowledgement, and curtsied. "You don't have to thank me Lieutenant. It's what I promised I'd do, and it's part of my duty. I'd never let an innocent suffer if I could help. And with her... ordeal over, I'm certain she'll return to the loving embrace of the gods." she mused for a moment before she added, "In all honesty I don't think she ever left them. And I have faith that this world will follow her example. She is every bit the hero your people said she was. I'm proud to have been able to aid her." She only hoped her own fate would be as fortunate. "I do have some things I must still attend to. First, on my authority as Envoy of the Emperor, Lord Perrygood is to be placed under arrest on the charges of dereliction of duty, and corruption. I intend to return him to the capital in disgrace for his negligence of office. This of course will lead to a vacancy in the position of planetary governor and I trust your men will be able to maintain order until a suitable replacement is either found or elected. "Second, I should like to hold a service in the cathedral in honor of the men who gave their lives to return Sister Barra to us and save this world. Please extend the invitation to all your men, but do well to inform them of what to expect. After our last communion I shan't wish to surprise or shock anyone." She said this with a sly grin. "Once my duties are complete I'm afraid I must depart with haste. I must thank you once again Lieutenant for all your assistance. You are a hero of the Empire!"
The two of them begin listing out the details of Zhou's operation. Spoiler: Leader The undisputed leader of the Zhou dynasty. A woman respected for her pragmatic, sensible way of doing business, she's nonetheless accustomed to acts of horrific violence if they become necessary. Spoiler: Manpower The Zhou organisation has about one hundred soldiers ready for violence, all mostly loyal to Zhou. However, much of the business is delegated to lieutenants, and some soldiers are more loyal to their individual lieutenant than to the boss or the organisation. Spoiler: Business Zhou controls the local gambling interests, with three large casinos, and a host of betting parlours, fight pits and small games of chance. Spoiler: Internal Politics Three of Zhou's children serve as the most powerful lieutenants. They are: Zhou Xi Fei - Enigmatic, charismatic and bold, Xi Fei is the most proactive of Zhou's children, often taking steps to expand her own power and influence. She typically uses a mix of violence and sex to get what she wants. Zhou Wen - Quiet and reserved, Wen is the least public of the three. Rumour has it that he prefers espionage and assassination as his trademark problem solvers. Zhou Liba - Kindly and sweet, Liba prefers diplomacy as her modus operandi, but those who mistake it for weakness quickly discover that she's strong willed and able to do what's necessary to protect her family and her business. There's something of a cold war between the lieutenants, as each knows that they're the front runners for succession, when old lady Zhou finally dies. Spoiler: External Politics Zhou is in a secret alliance with Markus, the most powerful criminal in the district Spoiler: Secret Exit Iona managed to locate a secret tunnel underneath the district that serves as an emergency escape route from Zhou's headquarters.
"We'll have some men bring Perrygood to your ship." The lieutenant nods. "I-uh... I'm looking forwards to the service" He grins, before nodding. "I can say without a doubt that you'll be missed, ma'am, but duty calls, I understand." He salutes and heads out to put Yannika's orders into action. Soon, she's informed that Perrygood is restrained in the brig of her ship.
Elena frowned. "Those options will only make the conflict longer. How do you judge our chances of we attacked the enemy's capital directly? Would it not be a blow to enemy's morale and shatter the entire's army will to fight?" She asked.
"The enemy doesn't have a capital." The governor shakes his head. "The prince is on one of the ships, but we don't know which."
"Wonderful." Vizelle cooed, "So the siblings are her lieutenants as well. The most obvious way to go is through Zhou Xi Fei. But then again, there are always some surprises. Do we know where each of them usually spends their time?" She asked with a grin.
{is it alright to add some characters?} Elena cursed. "Very well." She nodded. "For space forces, I suggest dividing our forces and opening multiple fronts, as well negotiating terms with individual captains. With their morale broken after the last battle, it should be easy to convince some of them to switch side - easier, now that we have their dreadnough. Divide and conquer." She nodded. "As for the land forces, let's reinforce our forces that are fighting on partly occupied planet." She finished. She finished giving orders and decided to travel to her order's cruiser. She moved to the conditioning chamber. "How is the pirate captain?" She asked as she walked. The pirate woman was not that important anymore. The real prize was in front of her. The dreadnought's captain and her second in command. Not pirates, but prince's forces. With them broken, she would be able to break the prince's codes. With that, she could find the prince.
