Eternal Fleet Command
WAR!
The galaxy has been in a state of war for the better part of the last decade, in the form of the Second Great Hyperspace War. While the Eternal Empire has involved itself within the titanic conflict alongside other notable powers, such as the Ashlan Crusade and the New Imperial Order; another conflict is rising in intensity to the galactic south - namely the Outer Rim Crusade. The Conquest of D’rinba IV was just the start of the Empire’s concerted effort to aggressively expand into former CIS space. Although the planet fell with relative ease, a series of events would soon confirm that the worlds to follow would not be so easily tamed - with Lorta being the theater to make this fact impossible to deny. The Lortan people have long been regarded as a martial culture, with a history of indiscriminate ferocity dating back to the age of the Galactic Empire during the Reslian Purge. In the wake of the Confederacy of Independent System’s collapse, the people of Lorta have not wasted any time in attempting to fill the vacuum left behind; asserting themselves in a brutal bid for regional dominance. Throwing off the shackles imposed upon them by their former CIS overlords, the radical theocratic government has reemerged - espousing many of the same teachings and ideals which sent their people into a frenzy many centuries prior. Imbued with fanatical religious fervor, and armed with a mixture of reconstituted CIS technology and local armaments, the Lortans have quickly killed or captured those who might oppose them upon their homeworld, and have begun to spread to neighboring systems in a rampage reminiscent of their earlier atrocities.
Coincidentally, their attempt at plunging the region into a period of bloodlust has been cut short by the advance of the Eternal Fleet. Battlegroup Stygian; under the command of Rear Admiral Aximand Sicarus, has made first contact as the vanguard of the Eternal Fleet against the renegade armada of the Lortan Theocracy, with a heated fleet-wide battle developing at the extremities of the Lortan system.
Meanwhile, in a surprising turn of events, agents of the Eclipse Rebellion have heard rumors that a former CIS military commander has survived the initial purges of the religious fanatics on Lorta itself. Further still, it is said that he is held up within a series of military outposts on the fringe of the planet. If help does not arrive, either with the intention of reinforcing him or helping in an evacuation - the commander will die alongside his men, and his supplies will likely be seized by the advancing radicals. Plus, the prospect of what such a figure could offer to the movement is too promising to ignore.
While both the military and more rebellious figures engage in their own petty pursuits, Hi'los Krai has deployed in advance of the fleet via clandestine insertion alongside an elite team of fellow Wardens and Blackwatch Death Troopers. Allured by the sheer devotion inspired amongst the populace with respect to their deity - a cryptic ‘Man-Hutt’ who is prophesied to sweep all evil from the galaxy; the Lord Commander and his team have received orders to investigate what appears to be a very strong force nexus contained within a temple, built upon what the Lortans consider to be holy land. It is believed their mission will draw them ever closer at understanding the esoteric nature of how other cultures manifest and harness the force, to the overall pursuit of their mysterious and far-reaching goal...
Objective 1: VANGUARD
Battlegroup Stygian has been deployed at the forefront of the Eternal Fleet’s inexorable advance, and has met startling resistance in the form of what could only be described as an armada. Comprised of CIS and repurposed open market vessels, whatever their crews lack in experience they make up for in a fanatical fighting spirit. For the first time in this campaign, the Eternal Fleet’s resolve and strength will be tested by a worthy foe as both forces clash in the dead of space.
Objective 2: A HIGHER PURPOSE
Felix Arrendo is a Cathar-born Commander, formerly in the service of the CIS garrison stationed upon Lorta. As everything spiraled out of control, he took command of what resources and manpower he could and made a series of outposts and bases into a respectable bulwark against the rising tide of Lorta’s fanatical population. Within the first few days of the uprising, his forces were able to stand firm regardless of persistent and seemingly endless attacks. As of now, it has become abundantly clear that the situation is completely forgone, whether it is due to the rising numbers of fanatics on the planet, or the encroaching Eternal Fleet.
Yet, there are some adventurous members within the Eclipse Rebellion who would be remiss to see such a charismatic and resourceful leader die a meaningless death. If he could inspire his men to take up a cause doomed to fail, perhaps he could be of value to a cause just gaining momentum within the Empire.
But before any benefit could be derived from such a proposition, he has to get off world first. That’s where you come in, if you choose to accept this assignment in the name of freedom.
Objective 3: THE VALLEY OF DEEP SHADOWS
In an unexpected - and exceedingly risky endeavor, Lord Commander Krai has deployed upon Lorta soil with a team of fellow Wardens and elite operatives to discover the location of a temple built to contain a rumored force nexus, of which the Wardens believe there is some connection between the force and the Lortan faith in their ‘Man-Hutt’ god. Whether it involves harnessing the nexus’ power, or learning how to destroy it; it is the belief of the Wardens that getting to the Nexus first is important enough to deploy before the planet is firmly within Imperial control. Perhaps the secrets they will uncover will assist in the effort to capture the planet - or perhaps even aid in their understanding of the force itself.
Objective 4: Boots on the Ground
While Lord Commander Krai leads his clandestine operation to investigate the reason why the Lortans have reemerged with a near-fanatical religious fervor, STRATCOM has approved the deployment of yet another operation that is far more overt and destructive in nature. Elite Ultranaut units are being deployed in a ‘shock trooper’ capacity via the Eternal Fleet’s “Project Fenris” black ops division so as to be inserted behind enemy lines in considerable numbers.
Their objective is three-fold:
- Cause as much damage as possible to the Lortan defensive infrastructure.
- Draw as much attention as possible away from Lord Commander Krai’s unit
- Establish a defensive position upon the planet so as to hold out until the Empire’s main forces can arrive and offer relief.
Objective 5: BYOO
The chaos of a military takeover provides a prime opportunity for nearly anything to happen, whether it is the establishment of more clandestine criminal enterprises, consolidating influence within more rebellious factions, or in exploring whatever secrets within the force the planet may hold.
