The few diplomatically-inclined members of the Atum command staff have been at their wits' end to prolong their chary welcome. After weeks of guarded half-promises and carefully measured intimidation, Admiral Nilsen can finally announce a way forward. The Atum will once again be on the move - not through the heart of Liberty as many enlisted feared, and not through the chancy Bretonian patrols. Instead, with fresh news from the nearby Borderworlds, the Atum will have a new assignment in Coronado, under the oversight of the Crayter Republic.

With increasing reports of unidentified ships clashing with local patrols in Vespucci, the Gaian contingent could not simply wave goodbye to their unexpected guest. Through promises made in desperation, the support of Artemis and her crack team of veterans of Bretonian aggression, the Atum will make a break with a reinforced escort. While the loan of credits and other favors will need to be paid off eventually, all on the Atum know that the Overwatch will be good for it despite their bluster. Besides, if the ship doesn't get to Coronado in one piece, it won't be their problem anyway.

The Wild, freshly deployed from Trier, have already been drawn to the area by the reverberations of the destruction of one of the rogue war-forms. With the overt nomad presence retreating from the area, the crippled Atum remains an alluring target, worth the risk of operating outside of normal parameters. But even if the escorting force proves too much for the middling resources available on short notice, the mere commitment of local assets will solidify distrust among the human factions in the region. With the Vagrant thralls sure to attempt retribution, there is opportunity to fool the humans into a temporary truce, paving the way for potential operational legitimacy for their new Bretonian dispositions.

While the Wild may choose to play a deeper game, the Wendigos controlled by the mauled Vagrants have a simpler goal in mind: the destruction of their hated adversary. With the accumulation of a steady force of corrupted humans, the rogue Mindshare is willing to risk a substantial fraction in an attempt to delay further Order operations in the area. If the Atum is allowed to be repaired without issue, it will only be a matter of time until it resumes its hunt. And this time around, the chances of getting away have been erased by the simultaneous death of the many sentiences that took it upon themselves to rescue the Wyoming. Either the Atum will come back to finish the job in Vespucci, or it will join forces with local Crayter assets for a push on the Inverness cluster. Neither eventuality can be allowed to happen, no matter the cost.

With any gains towards a Liberty connection erased by the Jericho blast, and lukewarm discussions of continued development, Crayter leadership was more willing to hear out the approach of Order agents on site after disaster struck. In exchange for a comprehensive repair and protection, the Atum and its crew would be put to use, discovering what it is that had happened, and securing resources from Overwatch to deal with the threat. And after the eventual repair, Crayter would no longer need to work with the LSF and their inconvenient priorities to deal with the mounting local threats. After all, if their new guests became unruly, the Republic could always hand them over to their good neighbors, a fact that will surely keep everyone on edge during any eventual cooperation.