Donatos War - Council of Despair: Standing in the ruins of their first victory since High King Tolwyn's death, the Loyalist Imperial Knights gathered around their leader. Although they had triumphed, none of the Nobles felt like cheering -- their losses had simply been too heavy at the Adeptus Arbites tower ambush, where they had lost twenty Knights. Twenty invaluable war machines destroyed. The accumulated wisdom of hundreds, perhaps even thousands of Nobles snuffed out with the loss of their Knights. At the same time, Polluxis' crawler emerged from their subterranean realm to begin repairs on Oath of Flame, Sword of Heroes, and the other surviving Knights that had been damaged either in battle or during the ambush. With less than 40 Knights remaining, they gathered in council, every Noble remaining seated on their Thrones Mechanicum in case a hidden foe emerged.Thanks to Polluxis' data-wards, the Loyalists had restored communication with the remaining Imperial forces on Donatos Primus, yet the half-heard conversations over the global Vox network painted a grim picture: the enemy had not yet won, but he had secured a great advantage.In lower orbit, the Imperial Navy had perhaps fared the best. Even reinforced by the Chaos warfleet of Varakh'Lorr, the bastion fleets of House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn, still outnumbered by the Loyalists, had been forced to retreat. While still contested, lower orbit remained safe enough for the Navy's wings of Marauder Bombers and Thunderbolt Fighters to provide air support for the Imperial ground forces still holding out.Contingents of the 27th Mubraxis Dustdogs had retreated as far as the Pentakhost Peninsula and were barely holding on to the Imperial landing zones. Dozens of Imperial formations were requesting support from various battlefields all over the continent. The only question that remained was where the Knights of Adrastapol would commit their remaining forces. Their own lines had been severely depleted, but battles had been won with less Knights that they currently had at their disposal.Miraculously saved by the reactivation of his Knight's generator during the ambush at the Adeptus Arbites tower, Sire Percivane's faith in their victory was unshakable, but his words of encouragement mostly fell on deaf ears. Even with all the losses they had suffered, none of them would have turned tail and fled. Still hurting after the death of her brother, Lady Suset Dar Draconis argued they should abide by the Code and make a glorious last charge which would make the enemy pay in blood for the companions that had been taken from them.But the diplomatic Lady Eleanat Dar Pegasson pointed out that it had been the Code and their pursuit of vengeance that had led to the terrible ambush at the tower. While it quickly grew evident that most of the Knights were against wasting their lives and last resources in a futile fight, the council could not agree upon a single course of action. Having learned their lesson, the senior members of House Draconis -- the same Nobles that had urged Danial to act in the wake of Tolwyn's death -- were now counseling caution. Better to retreat to Pentakhost where they could be properly resupplied and use the landing zone's strategium to gain a wider picture of the war than to act on instinct alone, argued Markos Dar Draconis. Backed by Sire Garath and Sire Olric, this course of action was almost agreed upon before a single word broke the silence on the Vox: "No." The rebuttal had come from Oath of Flame, the young High King's Knight.Tired by the paternal attitudes of the old Nobles in his court, High King Danial finally spoke up, chastising himself for his previous unwillingness to rule and the mistake he had made by doing so. The High King's crown rested upon his brow, which made him not a barely blooded young Knight but the lord and commander of this whole war.The steel in his voice was such that none dared countermand him. In a calm yet determined voice, the High King explained that even if events had taken a turn for the worse, the strategic situation on Donatos Primus had not changed since their first landing. Whilst the Archenemy held the Valle Electrum, he controlled the Adamant Citadels and as long as he controlled those fortresses the Imperials could not advance into the northern regions of the continent.Likewise, all other Imperial forces would have to brave the Citadels' guns to reach them, which could very well degrade their combat readiness past the point of no return. If the strategic situation was unchanged, then the Imperial forces' objective also remained the same -- to seize or destroy the Valle Electrum. With the element of surprise on their side and the enemy scattered over several warzones, marching on the Valle Electrum provided the best option.And so, with their young High King at last in the lead, the Imperial Knights prepared to launch a second assault upon the Valle Electrum.