A slightly smaller Mess

Arteras: “My men will line the tunnels with pillboxes and mines, all you need to do get us a hololith with the tunnel layout. What power supply do you use here? Fusion reactors? Plasma?”
The officer speaks as if such generators are a common and easy to acquire technology, seemingly blind to the nature of life on a planet.

Laurence is jarred from his planning, looking up abruptly. "Hmn? Oh, some penal legion woman Von Carstein made an inquisitor to get into her pants."

Viktor: "As a promethium mine, i would assume thats obvious."

her eyes narrow
"What was that about the auxilia?"

Laurence: "That they're human? And therefore die remarkably easily when exposed to high level psykers."

Arteras: “Destroying the rig and detonating the fuel lines will be the likely objective of any assault”

Lyanna: not as easy as you'd think. They know what psykers are. And know not to just run from them. I made sure of that.

Laurence snorts, an ugly sound in the extreme "And how, exactly would your little soldiers deal with me?"

Viktor: "We've drained the tanks up here into safer storage down low. The rig's pretty much empty."

he sees her eye twitch a little bit
"Little?"

His teeth flash in a disturbing smile. "Little."

she takes a deep breath
"one more time, little louder"

Tyren stomps his foot. [Stop this childishness.]

"every single one of those men is worth a dozen of these pathetic PDF troopers you call defenders laurence. Don't you dare underestimate them. Even in the face of a thing like you, they won't take a single damn step back."

Laurence: "I hope you've taught them better than that. Or they'll just die standing."

she grins a little "Just cause they aren't frightened, doesn't mean they're stupid."

Laurence: "So they're the best non astartes troops here?"

"Exactly. Comparable to your tempestus scions, although different equipment and combat doctrine. Every one of them of olympian blood, given the best equipment and training at the Warsmith's disposal."

Laurence: "Katarina... Fetch a map... Now, Lyanna. Describe to me their command structure."

Lyanna: well, the command structure is comparable to your loyalist regiments, if I'm honest. Section leaders, platoon commander, company commander ect. Main difference from say, cadians is that unit autonamy is highly encouraged and drilled, and are permitted to disobey orders from command should it be necessary, although this must be later justified to command to make sure it is not simple insubordination."

Laurence: "So simply eliminating the command structure wont do..."

At this point, Katarina returns with said map, and unrolls it on the table, weighing down the corners with whatever is at hand. That being a recaff cup, a laspistol, it's power pack, and running out of objects, she simply holds down the lower right corner herself.

Laurence walks over, and, while about to lean on the table, halts himself, as the table would likely be demolished by the gesture. "Where would you put them...?"

"at this stage? rear lines. Similar to how I set up our trenches, in depth flexible defence in case we counterattacked 'em. They won't attack us for a while. The first attack will be the lesser troops. An endless tide of undisciplinned and under equipped but zealous or mentally broken, hard to route rabble across the entire line in seemingly endless, constant waves. Not intended to break through, but expose weaknesses in our line, which they'll act on in the later stages of the attack."

Laurence rolls his fingers across the tabletop. Producing a surprisingly tuneful scale of clicking sounds, as each claw, of a different size, produces a different ringing sound against the metal tabletop. "Hmn... Then perhaps we could trick them... deliberately create what appears to be a weakness, but is in fact a strongpoint."

"that could work, although they'll hit every single weak point at once, is the issue. When the attack comes, it will hit every single weak spot with speed and armour, with the intent of penetrating, dissecting and encircling our lines."

Laurence: "That'll be our best opportunity to do some real damage... Come in from behind, once the good troops engage... hmn... yes... Sidonai, myself, the gentlemen downstairs, lazarus... if we deploy separately, we could cover the entire line, near enough."

"Issue is, they'll still be hitting the line with the chaff when they launch these pinpoint strikes. Keep the line pinned to prevent exactly that."

"Slaves with lasguns can still drop lazarus, we can't risk them in that... But the rest of us, it wont matter. We deploy Lazarus on the inside of the line, along with everyone else who can hold a position. I think i have a trick that will let us crack one warp rift and jump safely, so we can get out."

Lyanna: they'll also be coordinating this attack with concentrated and precise artillery bombardment, like clockwork, designed to eliminate our artillery, fuck with our troops' ability to communicate, and perform area denial to prevent reinforcement or flanking, allowing them to further carve up the line. Furthermore, the attack won't just be Auxilia. The astartes will be amongst them.

Laurence: "Perfect. Yes, thats perfect... Once we're safely away, we can detonate the nuclear weapons. Thats a trade i'll take." He attempts to snap his fingers, but fails due to the claws

"oh. oooh I see."

Laurence: "We just need to hold well enough that they deploy their best."

Lyanna looks up at him, the hopeless look in her eye somewhat faded, although not entirely

he nods slowly. "We might even win this..." He chuckles. "Who needs charles. I have nuclear weapons."

"Maybe."

"Now all i need is to figure out a way to kill those bastard sorcerers up there... and i'm a cat among pigeons..."

"That's going to be difficult at best"

"I have a few ideas... I won't share, i would only bore you with the technicalities of waging mental warfare... But that about wraps that up... Other than the daemonically possessed astartes in my living room... which i need to move."

"they're not posessed, but alright"

"Ah semantics." With that he begins dragging the corpses downstairs, assisted by sidonai.

Ateras: “Good, good.” The man nods clearly pleased with what he’s hearing “Are you able to contact any other loyalist forces?”

Lyanna glances over at tyren

Tyren: "I had better close these holes." he gestures vaguely at the deep rents in his armour.

"Need a hand with that?"

Tyren: "I believe i will manage... But i should like your company, if you would like mine."

"Like you even have to ask"

Viktor: "Some, but not nearly as much as i'd like. But we can talk about that indoors, cold must be bite'n you."

Tyren leads the way towards the workshops.

Arteras: “I’ve been colder, but yes let’s go inside. The men will be thankful for a little respite”

lyanna follows

Viktor leads Arteras back towards the building he came from. Stood next to the vast immensity of the hangars, it appears very squat, but drawing closer, its three stories tall.

In private, and only in private, Tyren opens his carapace with a hiss, and a jet of compressed air. Climbing out backwards, slowly and carefully.

he sees the corners of her lips slowly curl into a slight smile

He steps over, and gathers her up in his arms, holding her tightly.

she returns the embrace, softly

"You're not hurt?" He whispers softly, concern etched into his tone.