Chapter 17 Part 6
Chapter 17: Kronus: Endgame
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Part 6
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Or'es Tash'n
Kronus
For more than two days, Fire Warriors, Vespid Scouts, and Kroot Auxiliaries ran all over the capital, hunting down Orks. The foolish brutes' Kroozer fell in pieces showering Tau controlled territory. That setback not only caused a meaningful amount of damage but masked the landing of the green menace. Thousands, if not tens of thousands of those things fell all over the near-pristine capital, sending it in a time of chaos and bloodshed.
"Commander Kais, this is unacceptable!" Aun'El Shi'Ores admonished. "There is no organized resistance! This isn't a green tide stretching from horizon to horizon! They have no vehicles and little heavy weaponry to speak of!"
"We have only two Vespid Scout squads left, and a small number of Kroot Auxiliaries. Our infantry isn't suited for city fighting." Shas'O Kais patiently explained. He burned to get into his battle suit and join the hunt for the Orks. Instead, thanks to his injuries and the fact that his trusty suit was little more than scrap now, he wasn't fit for combat duty. Kais had to command from a headquarters far away from the fighting. That much would have been tolerable if the venerable Ethereal hasn't been harder to endure with every passing hour. "We lack the usual heavy vehicle support." The Commander kept explaining. Eventually, the Ethereal might get a clue and shut up, or even offer some constructive criticism.
Usually, Shi'Ores was much better than this. The Ethereal was a great administrator and orator. With a few kind words, Shi'Ores was able to restore faltering morale. Just as easily he could heal cracks in the belief in the Greater Good.
However, the civilian leader wasn't a warrior, and it showed when things went wrong. Kais looked away from the holographic tactical table showing the worst-hit parts of the city. And the Ethereal. Even in the secure command center, he could sniff whiffs of ash and scorched flesh. Parts of the capital still burned thanks to Orks running around attacking anyone in sight. Dislodging them proved especially hard without enough auxiliary support and the need to keep collateral damage contained.
Otherwise, Kais might have called orbital support already and purged those ugly brutes from the face of the world.
"We're making slow but steady progress, Ethereal." Kais looked back at Shi'Ores after taking a moment to calm himself as it was proper. Everything for the Greater Good. "We've been isolating the infested areas and setting up containment zones using clear firing lanes. That way we're playing to our advantage. Entering close combat with Orks is a losing proposition."
Ideally, you either burned them out from orbit or fell back while shooting them to pieces. This insane orbital drop forced the Tau Warriors to fight contrary to their well-tested doctrine. Predictably, the outcome wasn't pretty. Now, more than ever, Kais regretted the loss of the Kroot Auxiliaries in the Human/Necron trap. His heavy mobile forces would have been of little use within the heavy build-up capital anyway, but the Kroot close-quarter fighters? Even the few he had left were proving invaluable!
Kais opened his mouth to explain the situation to the agitated Ethereal again and paused. Shi'Ores knew all of this. The Commander studied the Ethereal more carefully, and the signs were there. Shi'Ores was deeply troubled and was quite bad at hiding it right now. He hadn't been acting this way when they got news of the Kroozer heading their way, or when it began raining Orks.
"It's not the greenskins' incursion troubling you, is it, honored one?" Kais asked quietly.
"You were too busy commanding to watch the human's victory parade." Shi'Ores eventually said. "I want to dismiss what I saw as mere propaganda aimed to demoralize us. Or for internal consumption, most humans are religious fanatics." The Ethereal scoffed at that.
Kais nodded along. That much was well known.
"One of those things manifested in Victory Bay spreading sickness and disease over the human military and citizens alike."
That wasn't exactly a piece of good news, even if it meant the odds of conventional assault from that corner lowered drastically. Or they would if what the Ethereal saw was true. However, mentioning one of those things outside of a private and very secure setting was never a good sign.
"Will we have to face it?" Kais whispered. Without his mobile forces, he would need to call the fleet for fire support. As much as they could provide at that.
"It was banished within minutes," Shi'Ores answered.
So it was either one of the weaker ones. Or not, which was worse, both because it would manifest here, and because the humans and their allies could handle it in short order. Neither of those things pointed at a good outcome when the enemy came for them.
"We received a new ultimatum as well. We're to surrender unconditionally, or get on our ships and leave while abandoning our military gear and industry." Shi'Ores grimaced. "Without sabotaging them. Otherwise, they would purge us with orbital fire and make use of what scraps they can recover from the ashes."
"Our remaining ships are a rough match for the Humans in the system."
"If their allies are as powerful in space as on the ground…" The Ethereal didn't have to finish that thought. "What is your recommendation, Commander Kais?"
"Our military position is untenable. We won't be able to hold for long without massive reinforcements, both in naval elements and heavy ground combat forces. My recommendation is to do whatever you believe will serve the Greater Good best."
"I've been struggling with that question for days now. We can't evacuate everyone even if we leave our wargear behind. Our ships lack the space and life support to do it."
Both understood that the Ethereal meant they could lift their military with ample space to spare, and the local auxiliary forces as well. However, by leaving they would have to leave behind most citizens sworn to follow the Greater Good, both Tau and alien alike.
"You lead, and we will follow," Kais vowed.
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Victory Bay
Kronus
"You're awake." Anteas stood by my bed again. This time, he was in his power armor, complete with helmet and weapons.
I blinked at him with bleary eyes. Everything hurt, including parts I didn't know, were there, or could ache. Like the tips of my feathers.
As if that wasn't enough, my mind churned with barely remembered dreams. They were flashes from countless lives across the millennia. While they were fading quickly, I could piece together a few odd pieces. I could see humans and aliens living together, fighting and dying together when a machine tide rose to tear them all asunder. I could see Xenos turning upon humanity in our darkest hour… yet a few others stood their ground and fought beside us to the bitter end.
None of those blessed loyalists made it past the Great Crusade. Those who were still alive were shattered remnants corrupted by lies spread by Chaos. The others? They either fell during the Iron War or fell victim to the insanity that swallowed the galaxy heralding Slaneesh's imminent birth.
What was the message? That we can't trust any Xeno that was still alive in this cursed age? That they would eventually betray us when it suited them? Or perhaps that while all of the above was true, there were a few trustworthy species left even if they were inconsequential in the great scheme of things?
"I'm glad to report that this time you managed to remain intact. No missing pieces we could find." Anteas rumbled in good cheer. "In related news, after yesterday, there is no hope of denying it, you're a Living Saint blessed by the Emperor, lad. Well done." The Librarian saluted me.
I was sure he had a fake tear in a corner of his eye too. After all, his voice was an interesting mix of approval and sarcasm.
"I've dreamed of strange portents, Anteas. Of ages long past, and of truths that are considered heresy these days. And I have an insane plan, that I need your help with." I smiled, and it bloody hurt.
"I'm afraid to ask, Inquisitor. I will anyway. What insanity will you drag us into this time?"
"Right now? We'll be merely paving the way. In the fullness of time, we're going to liberate the Tau from the control of the Ethereals and bring them to the fold as Sanctioned Xenos and competent Auxiliary Troops for use by the Inquisition, Ordo Xenos in particular. Preferably, we'll do it before our new allies decide the Tau might be more useful than we are."
"I'm mistaken, Inquisitor. You've lost your mind and what little sense you had left." Anteas mournfully declared. "You want to be labeled as heretic and shot, don't you?"
"The Tau are pawns the Ethereals use to gain power, status, and prestige. And they're using them against us, along with their various auxiliary alien forces. I know for a fact that several Inquisitors and Rogue Traders are using Kroot and Vespid mercenaries, sometimes even the odd Ork band. When we're done with them, the Tau will be our pawns to use against the enemies of the Imperium." I explained the end goal. Now the only little problem was to figure out how to get there.
"Inquisitor, are you trying to start a Crusade, again?" Anteas bemoaned.
"A Crusade? If properly handled there's some merit to the idea." I paused when my mind registered what he said in full. "What do you mean, again?"