Gadelica

The Gadelica is a broad, square-nosed troop carrier with a rear castle like a stepped pyramid, composed entirely of the black-clad adamant typical of Imperial manufacture. Her hull number is MTC-10459 and her manufacturing plaque gives her origin as Red Star Foundries, Hermonassa, with a date of ISD 16009.04.26. She is described as ancient and smaller than the Demiurge.

She has a vast hold running nearly two miles that houses thousands of fugue creches in stacks half a dozen high along long avenues. The ship includes an aft munitions storage bay with stowed floaters and cargo lifters, a bridge section forward, and cubicula in the lower areas. An overlook gallery with slanting windows looks down on the ventral hold, which contains the Ascalon, Hadrian Marlowe's personal vessel. The ship's name and serial number are stenciled on the hold wall. She has a maximum warp speed of around 700C.

The Gadelica is large enough to have a tram system in normal circumstances, though Hadrian notes it has no tram system unlike the Tamerlane. She has a lift system and officer quarters near the bridge at the top level. The captain's stateroom features a great false window displaying exterior camera feeds, tufted black leather furniture with brass fixtures, glass tabletops, a spotted fur rug, a verawood desk of antique hand-carved green wood, and a painting of a hunting scene with hexapedal creatures.

The ship has a shuttle bay with a suppression-field curtain that holds the atmosphere in the hold. Unlike the Demiurge, the Gadelica lacks suppression fields for the crew, who must use standard crash webbing and harnesses instead. She has a workshop where sand etching was performed to remove the White Hand emblem from Ramanthanu's armor. The Gadelica's telegraph connects directly to the Imperial relays, making her the communications link used to contact the Emperor during battle.

The ISV Gadelica was commended into Hadrian Marlowe's service by the governor-general of Sabratha to carry the surviving personnel from Operation Gnomon back to Forum. She carried approximately three and a half thousand survivors of the operation, including eight hundred Irchtani.

The Gadelica was mothballed at dock in orbit about one of Forum's sixty moons during Hadrian's stay on the capital. While docked, Chantry agents discovered the presence of Ramanthanu and its Cielcin kin aboard and boarded and searched the ship. Edouard Albe, Cassandra Marlowe, Neema, and Selene Avent commandeered the Gadelica with Lorian's assistance during their escape from Forum. After the escape, their force numbered fewer than three thousand, less than half the strength they had taken to Sabratha.

The Gadelica was carried inside the hold of the Extrasolarian Sojourner, the Mistwalker, for the journey from Latarra to Merope, as she is too slow to keep pace with the Extrasolarian fleet independently. Hadrian recognizes that keeping the Gadelica aboard the Mistwalker is also a means for Harendotes to hold his people as leverage. Before the assault on Vorgossos, the Ascalon was detached from the Gadelica's electrical grid for a secret planning meeting.

After the escape from Vorgossos, the Gadelica is described as limping when Hadrian Marlowe's shuttle docks with her. Hadrian docks briefly to wash and change before proceeding to the Demiurge.

During the Vorgossos operation, the Gadelica rendezvoused with the Demiurge. Cassandra Marlowe was brought from Vorgossos to the Gadelica first, where doctors cleaned her wounds and applied the corrective sleeve to her lost arm, before being transferred to the Demiurge by shuttle. The Gadelica was assigned to hold in low orbit during the planet assault and received Hadrian Marlowe's returning team.

The Gadelica rendezvoused with the Demiurge before the deployment of the weapon that destroyed the Bradamante, allowing Azhar's party to escape the battle.

The Gadelica is held in one of the Demiurge's mighty holds. Ketevan is stationed aboard. The Gadelica's telegraph connects directly to the Imperial relays, serving as the communications link used to contact the Emperor during the battle.

Captain Ghoshal commands the Gadelica. Captain Adraiano Azhar is also associated with the ship as a Jaddian officer. Ketevan is stationed aboard. The ship carries medical personnel including junior medical officers.