In a clash of Tau forces and their Kroot allies against Chaos Marines of the Emperor’s Children, the Tau objective was represented by a Water Caste envoy who, it was decided had escaped an Imperial city with the “help” of Chaos cultists who intended to hand him over to the fallen Marines.
Most Honorable One:
It is my pleasure to inform you that members of your hunter cadre performed admirably with all due skill and resolve to ensure my safe return to my Water Caste comrades. My final days within Sybilla Primus were fraught with peril as the Imperial negotiations broke down and infighting raged throughout the massive human city. With the help of human sympathizers I was able to escape to the outskirts of the hive.
There, however, my would-be saviors revealed themselves to be of yet another previously undisclosed order of the fractious humans—worshippers of some deity that I can describe only as an abomination of horrific domains. Their susurrous words of what would be done to me will haunt me to the end of my days. My soothing words fell upon deaf ears and I fled after the judicious use of a concealed photon grenade. Though I heard wicked screams and cries in my wake, I dared not look back upon my pursuers and fled to a nearby copse of trees.
While in the distance I could see the armored forms of the cultists’ masters picking their way through the nearby settlements, it was the terrifying sounds of their weaponry that froze me in my tracks. I clung to a hollow tree shuddering as I heard the deafening cacophony approaching. Amid the din I did not immediately hear the familiar clipped bursts of pulse rifle fire to tell me that the battle was already engaged and elements you had in your wisdom dispatched for my rescue had arrived.
Never was I so overjoyed to suddenly find myself surrounded by the silent, stealthy warriors of the Kroot. The loyal servants of our cause seemed to emerge from the very ground of the woods around me and Shaper Ang’kaal stood beside me as a personal guard while his charges set about their grim duty of dispatching my pursuers.
As one would expect, no foe could stand in the face of our combined arms and superior technology. While the foes’ sonic weapons decimated a squad of fire warriors, let it be known our troops perished for the greater good, holding the flank until battle suit reinforcements arrived with all haste.
With my duty done upon this world I wish to return to Fal’Shia and take leave of my position. My contact with these particular humans has left my mind unsettled; I suffer difficulties focusing upon what is required of me for the Greater Good. Perpetually thoughts vex me that I cannot purge from my mind and have been unable to step outside of my quarters aboard the near-orbit air caste vessel. I fear my bouts of panic and terror may well prevent me from ever serving properly in my Caste again.
Please consider my request with all due haste.
In your service,
Pri’tes Fal’Shia Shan, Water Caste Envoy: ‘Medusa V’
In an introductory game for a new player, a small contingent of Tau faced off against his new Necron army. The ensuing bloodbath as his force laid waste to everything before it inspired a great deal of concern amongst other players.
++Imperial Listening Station 138 (Medusa V, Hydra Sector)
++Scanning Array Contact: Cyphered Vox Traffic, “Ash Wastes” vicinity, suspected xenos contact
++Log Classified: Inquis Omega-4; file and await further instruction
++Intercept Begins++
“ …my unfortunate duty to report the disappearance of Shas’o Certain-mind in the deserts to the north of our current position. The lack of communications following his final transmission, from the patrol leader or any member of the patrol, leaves us extremely wary and fearing the worst for our brother.
“The Shas’o and his bodyguard, along with two squads of Fire Warriors, an XV25 team, and a recon element of Kroot noted a contact amid the ruins. Deploying his team to intercept, per tactical doctrine, the Shas’o expected only minor resistance from Imperial forces.
“His final transmission troubles me, which is why I bring the loss of such a minor patrol to your attention. He indicates that his force has been entirely wiped out by the sudden appearance of ‘metal-skinned opposition.’ While initially I assumed this was a reference to our foe’s Space Marine elements the Shas’o, familiar with such foes from previous battles, does not seem to indicate such. Furthermore, and I am hesitant to bring this up and do not wish to slander the name of our most likely fallen brother, a tone of fear ran through the voice of the Shas’o as he spoke. Having known Shas’o Certain-mind personally for so long, I was extremely troubled by this and bring it to your attention only to serve the Greater Good…”
++Intercept Ends, Origin Transmission Cypher Change++
++Append: All similar contact files (key: “xenos,” “disappearance,” “Necrontyr”)
++Secure Files Until Arrival of Ordo Xenos Elements
++Continue All Monitoring Efforts
++Thought for the day: Your work is the Emperor’s Will, shelter in His tasks.++
Using the scattered wreckage of a fallen satellite as objectives on the battlefield, Imperial Guard and Tau converged in a short, brutal battle that saw the Tau’s advanced technology prevail over the Imperial’s armored force.
Imperial forces had descended hastily on the crash site. The valuable astro-survey data pods from the shattered satellite rained down in a display of pyrotechnics visible for miles. But despite the speedy arrival of the enemy tanks, the Shas’o was already prepared. The trap was laid and all warriors awaited word from the Pathfinder’s reconnaissance before the attack would commence.
The humans scurried to form a defensive line, the center of which was held by a pair of the commonly observed main battle tanks [Leman Russ class]. A third tank roared into position on the flank, hints of flame licking from the nozzles mounted to its turret [Hellhound class]. The armored vehicles took what shelter the rolling terrain provided them. Digging in for what they probably hoped would be an ambush of their own, they were unaware of the Pathfinders’ earlier scouting of the deadliest lanes of fire.
“Commence,” spoke the Shas’o. At that single command the marker lights of the swift Pathfinders illuminated the sides of both Leman Russ tanks. Two Broadside suits that had taken up position in an abandoned observation tower engaged their targets with their rail guns to devastating effect. Trails of super-heated air where their high velocity rounds had passed ended in the suddenly engulfed wrecks of the enemy armored vehicles.
Simultaneously, the Shas’o and his battlesuit escort triggered their jet packs, bounding toward the first designated objective, firing their missile pods at the greatest height of their leap. While some of the missiles impacted on the surface of the armor, several found their mark on vital fuel-cell components detonating the remaining tank in a spectacular erruption. Strips of shattered armor and burning debris scythed through nearby squads.
With their armored support eliminated, the Imperial forces found themselves outranged and outgunned. Kroot were already advancing across the field to hold another objective point even as the battlesuits’ jet packs sped them to hold the center of the field and direct more firepower into the nearby platoons of Guardsmen. Outmatched and in disarray, the enemy forces withdrew from the field of battle determined to make their stand closer to the main body of their force.
Data recovered from the satellite’s observation and assessment drones has already been passed on to both the Earth Caste and Air Caste and it is believed the Imperial Forces are still unaware of the Tau’s strategic intentions is in this sub-sector.