Jennika Tan Draconis - Opportunities: As the duel concluded, important news reached the High King. Two sentries of the 454th Cadian Regiment had spotted a party of House Chimaeros Knights searching for the location of their hidden encampment.Danial and his advisors realised that if the Traitors of House Chimaeros still followed the basic tenets of the Chivalric Code this meant that their progress would be overseen by one of their senior commanders. By tracking one of these search parties back to their camp, the Traitors could unwittingly lead the Loyalists directly to one of their headquarters.With the likes of Sire Markos and Sire Garath urging the High King to take action, a plan of attack was agreed upon. The High King would lead the majority of the Loyalists against the enemy, while Jennika remained behind with two lances of Knights and the Cadian infantry to watch over Zeta-Lamda-Rho, for the Sacristans needed protection while trying to reestablish communications with other Imperial forces.The High King left strict orders with his sister and Major Kovash of the 454th Cadian to evacuate Zeta-Lamda-Rho after 24 solar hours, regardless of their return or not. Should the worst happen, Jennika would then lead the retreat back to the Penthakhost Peninsula and leave Donatos Primus.What had been intended as a precautionary measure soon turned into bitter reality when the enemy discovered Zeta-Lambda-Rho. Through a mixture of sorcerous and scientific means, the Dark Mechanicum forces allied with the Word Bearers were able to pinpoint the Loyalists' location.Unwilling to trust his treacherous allies in House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn, the Dark Apostle Varakh'Lorr unleashed a force of Chaos Cultists and Renegade PDF troops commanded by his Heretic Astartes and supported by the Daemon Engines of the Dark Mechanicum.Jennika's Knights and the Cadian Guardsmen proceeded to defend their position from waves of enemy attackers. Three solar hours after the High King's deadline passed, the Loyalists still held the perimeter, but their situation had become desperate. Without further reinforcements, the Loyalist camp would need to be abandoned.Just as as Jennika was about to order the Cadians to mount their Taurox APCs, the static within Jennika's Vox-system cleared and High Sacristan Polluxis' voice cut through, informing her that he had successfully developed powerful data-wards counteracting the enemy's scrap-code.At the same time, the incubators on board the Sacristans' crawlers had produced the first batch of the renewed Heavenly Host which were promptly released. The flying swarm of Cherubim and the data-spikes and Auspexes they carried greatly enhanced Jennika's tactical view, giving her a clear count of the enemy's numbers.Her heart sank as she realised the hours of hard fighting had barely put a dent in the foe, but then she heard a familiar voice over the Vox, that of Herald Markos Dar Draconis telling her the High King's party was on his heels. He informed her that they had fallen prey to yet another ambush, but while severely diminished, the High King's retinue still was large enough to deal with the threat at hand.With the towering ruins of Donatos' industrial landscape to mask their advance, the returning Knights charged the enemy's vulnerable rear. Eager to mete out vengeance, the Knights around Markos Dar Draconis charged the enemy's flanks, tearing through an armoured battalion to reach the small cadre of Chaos Space Marines coordinating the attack. Markos concentrated the fire of seven Knights at the small group of corrupted transhuman warriors and a deluge of fire swallowed them, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.Their best warriors slain in spectacular fashion, the Chaos army soon lost its will to fight and fractured. Jennika rallied her Knights and charged into the retreating foe, cutting the enemy army in two before circling back and joining Markos and his troops in the massacre of the survivors. By the end of the day the vast plaza was choked with enemy bodies, while the mounted unit of the Cadian 454th mopped up what remained.With both Sword of Heroes and Oath of Flames damaged in the enemy ambush, both the High King and the Knight of Ashes arrived only after the fighting had ended. Amidst the ruins of battle, the Sacristan Crawlers at once set to repair the stricken suit of Knight-armour. Without having to be asked, every surviving Knight gathered around the High King and his council.In the back and forth of voices, Jennika soon learned what had happened. The enemy had claimed to hold Alicia Kar Manticos, Luk's mother, hostage and demanded their surrender in exchange for her life; upon the High King's refusal Alicia had revealed herself not only as being in league with their enemies but also a powerful psyker, and she had then attempted to kill the High King, her own son and their warriors by dropping almost an entire cliff onto their heads.