Alone in his vast war-chamber on Kendrenec, Lieutenant Gallowfen sat in an iron throne and surveyed a bank of screens, each one displaying technical data; armed forces, planetary dispositions, space fleet allocations. As the War Smith's optical receptors glanced from one screen to another in rapid succession, absorbing and processing the information, his heavily augmented mind was forming a plan.
On his lap his Kai-Gun shuddered and growled, pulsing with a dark energy. Gallowfen stroked it like a pet.
"Soon we will have our revenge. Soon the Imperium will pay." He said in a low voice.
"And how will that be achieved?" Slithered a voice from behind him. Even Gallowfen, veteran of a thousand campaigns, was startled. He rose to his feet, hefting his gun and pointing it directly at the intruder.
In front of him was the creature that had both blessed and cursed his operations for a year. The body was of a loyal marine, but it rose on a single worm-like tail which constantly circled the floor. And worst of all was the creature's crescent shaped head and its two beady red eyes that caused even Gallowfen to flinch. It was the creature known only as
Moon Face.
"How dare you enter my chamber!" Roared Gallowfen, not moving the Kai Gun's barrel away from the mutant.
"I simply wished to know how things were proceeding. Whether you had decided on the method of your revenge." Replied Moon Face, apparently unconcerned by the weapon trained on him. In his hands he held his twin swords that had slain so many a man.
"It is not your concern!"
"Oh but it is. You do wish to make the Imperium pay, do you not?"
"Of course, how dare you suggest otherwise." Gallowfen's finger tightened around the Kai Gun's trigger, and the daemonic weapon thrummed beneath his grasp. It was taking all his restraint not to shoot the impudent mutant right now. The trouble was that Moon Face had proved immensely useful over the past few months. The tactical advice offered had bordered on the pre-cognisant.
The mutant had also proved highly resilient. In every battle he would charge ahead, outrunning all men as his tail snaked its way towards the enemy. There he would cut down whole squads with his power swords before being taken down himself. But each time, each time Gallowfen saw his moon head cleaved from his neck, or his whole body blown apart by a Demolisher shell, the creature would suddenly return at the end of the battle unharmed.
"And?" Asked Moon Face calmly.
"We have the troops and ships under our command. We will return to the Perseus Deeps, pillage every planet, destroy Imperium and Tau alike. All will crumble before our might!"
Moon Face looked downcast. "I am disappointed. A chance to strike back is so close."
"Explain yourself, worm." Growled Gallowfen, angered at this insubordination.
"Cerberex."
Gallowfen almost laughed. "Cerberex? The Imperial capital? The most heavily defended planet in the system after Hartak? Ridiculous."
"The Eldar will help us."
"What? I will not ally with those scum and they will not ally with me"
Gallowfen's often limited patience was stretched at its thinnest. The mutant had lost it, his strategic advice had turned to nonsense. Perhaps Moon Face had finally lost the blessing of the dark gods.
"They wish to see the Imperium fall." Moon Face replied, ever calm, but with a slight grin on his pock-marked face.
"I refuse to communicate with them. Now get out of my sight, maggot, or by the gods I will strike you down where you stand."
"How... disappointing. It seems you have outlived your usefulness, War Smith." Moon Face said, slowly slithering across the floor towards Gallowfen.
"Halt!" Barked Gallowfen. But Moon Face came fast at him. In Gallowfen's hands his Kai Gun squealed with pleasure as he squeezed the trigger, two blasts of white energy hurling at the mutant. Moon Face dodged low, but still one shot hit him straight between his eyes. The mutant was thrown back to the floor. His swords seemed to... vanish? Gallowfen had not seen him let go but could not see them now.
Gallowfen paused. In front of him lay the hated Moon Face, his head now a smoking mess. The War Smith walked slowly forward. His gun remained trained on the creature, the mutant looked dead but Gallowfen took no chances.
As he stood over the body he growled. The crescent head was somehow reforming, moving as though made of mercury back into its original form. Gallowfen sighted his gun at Moon Face's body.
Suddenly he was thrown off his feet and landed with a smash on the cold marble floor, Moon Face's tail wrapped tight round his leg. The Kai Gun went spinning across the room. Still entangled, Gallowfen quickly rose to his feet, but the mutant was already up and towered over him. Gallowfen tried a punch at the creature's reformed head but Moon Face grabbed his arm in an iron grip.
"Very disappointing!" It let out a terrible cry, wrenching at the War Smith's arm. His ornate power armour snapped in the mutant's hands. Beneath the armour most of Gallowfen's flesh had been replaced by whirring gears and pistons, which were now crushed. The mutant leaned in, his terrible grinning face leering close to Gallowfen's.
The War Smith suddenly lurched forward, the top of his helmet smashing into Moon Face's nose. The mutant briefly recoiled and let go, Gallowfen using this as an opportunity to dive out of the creature's entanglement. His right arm was useless, but his left still struck out at Moon Face's neck, grasping it tightly. Gallowfen squeezed.
But Moon Face's grin never faltered. Sudden jolts of pain shot through Gallowfen's body. The War Smith looked down to see the mutant holding a sword, flickering blue, and sticking through his chest. Gallowfen barely had time to wonder where the weapon had come from. He staggered back, inside him circuits were failing, gears were shattered and flesh was severed.
Moon Face pulled back his sword from Gallowfen's chest. It was slick with blood and oil.
"Now for my plan." Smiled Moon Face, and with one dramatic arc sliced the War Smith's head from his shoulders.
Tuesday, 12 June 2007
Thursday, 26 April 2007
Aurelis Crossing
The Tau leader sat patiently in his official robes as he waited for the fleet commander, casually reviewing the data slate in front of him. Images of whitewashed space vessels scrolled past as Kor'O Shovah took in the information. Presently there was a knock at the door and it slowly swung open.
Standing to greet his guest the Aleph Sector Commander bowed slightly to the figure now before him. Fleet Commander Kor'O Auymun had travelled many millions of miles for this briefing, recording the first successful crossing of the Aurelis Deeps by a Tau fleet. Shovah was keen to know the details and the mind behind the individual who had led his fleet into Sunstrike orbital city to the cheers and adulation of an exultant crowd of spectators.
"Kor'O Shovah, I am deeply honoured", said Auymun, bowing.
Shovah smiled at the younger Tau commander.
"The honour is mine Kor'O Auymun. Please, sit and tell me of your journey through the Deeps."
Kor'O Auymun smiled and sat on the chair opposite the sector commander as Kor'O Shovah picked up the data slate from the desk and began scrolling through its information once more. After a brief pause the older Tau looked at his subordinate and smiled.
"So, let us start from the beginning. You left Tau space some forty Ro'taa ago bound for our new outposts here in the Aleph sector, via the shortest route, the Aurelis Deeps..."
***
Kor'O Auymun remembered the exhilaration when he heard the news from high command that his request had been granted. He would be the first Tau to cross the notorious Aurelis Deeps, a vast area of uncharted dark space, home to countless aliens, countless enemies. The rewards were obvious. Auymun was not doing this for his own personal glory, but for the good of the Tau race. From the time the Tau first started their colonisation of the Aleph sector, they had been forced to travel the long way round in a broad arc, avoiding the area known as the Deeps. If Auymun could find a safe, or relatively safe, passage through the dark and foreboding region of old dying stars, warp rifts and thick nebulae, the transit time between the Tau inner colonies and the Aleph Sector would be more than halved.
The fleet given to Auymun was the largest ever entrusted to an individual of such relative inexperience. Although Auymun was a full fleet admiral or Kor'O his experience within the Kor'Vattra was limited, though he had been a captain of the Hero class Lar'vre fro eight years before moving on to the Kor'O'Vesh project. Clearly the fleet commanders had decided Auymun, with his knowledge of both old and new Tau vessels was the right individual for the task at hand.
The fleet, from that historic day to be known as Kor’Vattra Auymun, assembled at the edge of Tau space, ready for its departure. Auymun retained his familiar calm and relaxed on the outside as he walked on to the Ores'Au, but inside the fleet commander was electric with excitement. His flagship, one of the newest Custodian Vessels headed the convoy of ships as it began to slowly move away from the space dock and into the void. Three protectors and a Hero class provided the main firepower while an Emissary and two Merchants set off in their task to bring new riches to the Tau Empire, followed by a host of transport and escort vessels following the larger vessels like ducklings on a pond.
***
Kor'O Shovah nodded as the younger Kor'O relayed the story of his departure. For eight Ro'taa the ships had plied the void between real space and that strange other-world of the warp, one of the longest coordinated jumps in Tau fleet history. Eventually however the warp drives had given out on the older vessels and the ships re-entered real space in the Raidu System, one of many uninhabited and unimportant systems in the Aurelis Deeps.
Shovah nodded, impressed at the skill of the fleet commander at having gone so far in one jump while keeping the fleet together. But the old Tau knew that wasn't the end of the story. Somehow this great Tau success had almost turned into a disaster. Kor'O Shovah leaned over the low desk and clasped his leathery hands in front of his face.
"Tell me, Kor'O Auymun. How did the forces of chaos come to find you?".
***
"Kor'O!" Came the shout, "Vre' Aun reports unknown contacts closing fast! At least six capital ships!"
Kor'O Auymun looked up at his first officer with concern. It would be at least twelve hours before the older ships had recharged their jump engines.
"On tactical!"
At the command of their captain the crewmen obeyed. A fuzzy image of distant vessels appeared on the bridge main viewer.
"Magnify!"
The image enlarged, gradually becoming sharper as the complex computational devices on board the Ores'Au struggled to make up for the dimness of the light at the edge of the Raidu system. Slowly a vision of dread filled the screen.
"Prepare for battle. Form up the fleet into the box formation. Comms! Tell the Savon Ro to get back in station!"
Once again the inexperienced crew of the new cruiser had allowed the tight Tau defensive formation to become strung out. As his orders were carried out however he was pleased to see the white ships reform into an impenetrable wedge of railguns and overlapping deflector shields. Several thousand kilometres in front the chaos fleet, dedicated to the worship of the decadent God Slaanesh, raced to meet them...
It wasn’t long before the range came down and the massed railguns of the Kor’Vattra Auymun opened up on the Slaanesh vessels. They had split up into three squadrons, hoping to confuse the Tau, but Kor’O Auymun was experienced at fighting the forces of chaos and didn’t take the bait. From his captain’s seat on the Ores’Au the Tau fleet commander controlled the battle.
“Kor’El Avre, switch to tactical.”
The first officer’s hands moved gracefully across his console and the view on the main screen changed from the outside view to a tactical map, showing the Tau ships and the enemy as coloured icons. Noting the squadron of escorts off his port bow Auymun judged the time had come and patched himself in to the launch bay control room.
“Kor’El Shavre, have your mantas ready for immediate launch. I want those escorts dealt with.”
Auymun turned to his first officer.
“Avre, keep the merchants in line with us, once the main battlegroup has fired its main salvos the remaining chaos fleet will come for us. Prepare missiles for launch!”
As predicted the chaos fleet came ever onward, one cruiser squadron taking terrible punishment from the Hero and Protector class vessels in the Tau gun line. The escorts, despite a brave defence were no match for wave after wave of Tau mantas which streaked around them, unloading hellish fire onto each until all but one were reduced to burning hulks.
The final chaos cruiser squadron came straight for the Ores’Au and her consorts. Auymun realised the protectors and hero class vessels would be unable to manoeuvre quickly enough and come to their aid before the chaos vessels, their flanks bristling with heavy guns, turned broadside and severely punished the weaker Tau vessels.
“Avre! Have the merchants break off! Launch all remaining mantas then disengage!”
The order was successful. In the next few minutes the merchants and Emissary managed to evade the worst of the chaos gunfire and the Ores’Au herself slipped away behind the debris and energy clouds left by the battle. The chaos fleet, crippled and bloodied, disengaged in the face of overwhelming firepower…
***
Kor’O Shovah leaned back in his chair, regarding the young fleet commander.
“So, the box formation was a success then?”
“Yes Kor’O Shovah. As we showed before no chaos fleet can close with us directly once the formation is locked in.”
Shovah nodded. For years now Auymun had argued the merits of the box formation. A tight and rigid fleet formation with the massed firepower of the Tau main warships protecting the weaker trading vessels, all backed up by barracudas, mantas and smart missiles. Once again the dynamic young Kor’O had proved its worth in battle.
Shovah returned to the data slate.
“And yet you were not done with the forces of the chaos Gods?”
Auymun nodded.
“Unfortunately the chaos fleet marked our position and by the time we entered the warp once more another fleet of the dread Norsefire Empire has followed us. They kept well back and maintained contact with our fleet, waiting for our warp engines to run down.”
Shovah nodded respectfully, encouraging his subordinate to continue.
“Knowing we would face battle once we dropped back into real space I turned the fleet around to face the chaos threat. We would face them in the Stajak Cluster.”
“A risk.” Stated the older Tau flatly.
“An opportunity.” Replied Auymun.
***
“Kor’O Kauymun, with respect, are you completely insane?!”
The commander of the Mont'yr Sha'is was clearly enraged, his skin turning an ever paler shade of grey. The fleet commander remained impassive as the captains of the fleet looked at each other in dismay around the flat grey briefing table aboard the Ores’Au.
Although the Tau had technology to allow meetings such as this to be conducted using viewscreens, Kor’O Auymun believed in face to face communication. It promoted better understanding between him and his commanders and fostered the all important brotherhood spirit. As he regarded his subordinates Auymun could tell this was one time none of them understood him.
The murmuring calmed down as Auymun raised his hand.
“Colleagues. I am fully aware of the risks but you all know that once we drop back into real space there will be a chaos fleet right behind us. The Stajak Cluster gives us an edge over our opponents. We have the communications and sensor equipment to cope. It is unlikely the enemy does.”
“But it is still dangerous!” Protested the ever cautious commander of the Protector class Shi'mont'ka.
“Indeed Kor’el Affrveh, but so is the chaos fleet. Now let us put an end to this. We drop into real space in less than a Ro’taa. Get back to your ships.”
The Tau were ready for the chaos ships when they began their attack run. Formed into the box formation each commander could see the enemy as the green vessels of Nurgle closed with their own fleet. Meanwhile the crew of the Vre’Aun scrambled frantically to make sense of the data which flooded in from the ship’s advanced sensory equipment.
The vessel, the fleet’s messenger class was tracking warp anomalies as they drifted, seemingly at random, through the Stajak cluster. Each on varied in size and several small rifts dotted the space between them and the chaos fleet. The captain of the Vre’Aun wondered if the Kor’O’s gamble would pay off.
Back on the Ores’Au Kor’O Auymun felt relaxed as he watched the tactical readout update. His formation was intact and the warp rifts seemed to be keeping their distance, while the nurgle fleet attempted to navigate around these most capricious of hazards. Get trapped in one of the rifts and you may never be seen again.
It wasn’t long before Auymun’s strategy began to pay dividends.
“Kor’O Auymun,” called an excited voice across the Tau fleet intercom, “Vre’Aun reports three enemy escorts have disappeared into a small rift!”
“Thank you Kor’El Hans’Shi’tau, I rely on you and the Vre’Aun to keep me updated.”
Auymun smiled. Still out of maximum weapons range and already the enemy had lost three escorts and a cruiser was heading directly for the same rift. This was too easy.
“Kor’O, sensors indicate the enemy vessel, Yersinia pestis, closing at speed.”
Auymun felt irritation building within him. The chaos fools were still not going to break off and he would have a battle after all. The Tau commander sighed before answering.
“Very well. Launch all ordnance and prepare to open fire on the enemy.”
Kor’O Auymun switched the viewer from tactical to external as the rest of his crew efficiently passed his orders to the rest of the fleet. This time the box was perfect, with Savon Ro, holding her station well. In the distance the chaos ships began to become more distinct, their plasma drives flaring, pushing their tainted hulls bristling with unclean weaponry through the void.
It wasn’t long before the three protectors at the front of the Tau gun line reported a lock on.
“Good. Protector squadron, open fire on Yersinia pestis. Send the abomination to hell!”
Auymun had picked up the phrase from humans while trading on the eastern rim, and he enjoyed using it.
Within seconds of the Kor’O’s order the weapons systems aboard the Savon’Ro, Shi'mont'ka and Mont'yr Sha'is powered up to full strength. Using the tracking information from the messenger Vre’Aun the three Tau vessels could hardly miss. Suddenly the space between them and Yersinia pestis became full of hypersonic particles which slammed into the chaos vessel, reducing her to a worthless hulk almost immediately. Railgun munitions tore through the hull of the ship and orange explosions blossomed along her length as atmospheric oxygen ignited and vented into space.
Shi'Mek'Tau, Hero class, added her firepower as the chaos cruiser drifted into range, splitting the mighty vessel in half amidships. The debris from the cruiser continued to drift, flaring orange as isolated munitions and pockets of gas were ignited. First blood to the Tau.
Staphylococcus aureus was the next cruiser to suffer at the hands of the Tau as the entire fleet turned their attention to the Carnage class cruiser. Having seen the damage the massed railguns and ion cannons could do the captain of the chaos vessel tried, in vain, to make evasive manoeuvres to save his ship. The tracking systems on the Vre’Aun were too accurate however and ionized plasma bursts and hypersonic metallic munitions slammed into the closing chaos vessel, stripping her shields and ripping off her bow, exposing thousands of crewmen to the vacuum of space. The next volley from the Tau heavy cruiser squadron slammed into the vessel’s bridge section, shearing the entire command structure off. Drifting and without effective command the Staphylococcus aureus was effectively out of the battle.
The chaos vessels did manage to fire on the Tau fleet but the damage was light. Only Savon Ro suffered any significant damage when a lance shot from a slaughter class slammed into her main launch bays, setting off secondary explosions which knocked out her power grid. It was several hours before the ship was able to rejoin the fleet.
At close range the fighting became a confused affair with the Tau holding their formation as the chaos vessels were punished by smart missiles and Tau Manta attacks. By this time two more chaos vessels had been caught out by the shifting warp anomalies and the chaos warmaster disengaged the fleet. Kor’O Auymun had secured his second victory.
***
Kor’O Shovah sat back and enjoyed the tale as it was related to him by Kor’O Auymun. To read about the Tau success was one thing but to hear it first hand from the commanding fleet officer was somehow more satisfying. Even so the old Tau knew the chaos almost inflicted appalling casualties on the fleet in their next encounter and asked Auymun to explain what had happened and how things had almost gone horribly wrong…
***
Almost a week after the battle in the Stajak Cluster the chaos forces were still not done with Kor’Vattra Auymun. The Norsefire Empire had suffered two resounding defeats and had lost several irreplaceable ships, but the loose alliance of systems which made up the chaos realm still had one remaining fleet patrolling in the vicinity. If they too were bested by the Tau the chaos empire knew that in all likelihood they would have to accept the aliens crossing through their territory for the forceable future.
The Kor’O knew this too. If he could inflict yet more casualties on the chaos fleet they would eventually be forced to accept the Tau presence. Once his journey had been completed the systems he visited would be command that Tau waystations be set up to protect further Tau convoys through the Aurelis Deeps, and there was one system, inhabited by a mysterious alien race, which the Tau hoped to would join them, providing a permanent base in the Deeps.
The commander of the third chaos fleet had seen how the previous encounters had gone when facing the Tau Kor’Vattra and he had no intention of falling into the same trap. Consulting his sorcerers the warmaster planned something special for Kor’O Auymun. Something which would counter the Tau tactics which had cost so many lives. The chaos warmaster split his fleet up around the Vertarion system and waited.
***
Kor’El Pa’Shva shifted in his seat, unable to get comfortable despite the low gravity environment which suited him aboard his Orca. The small vessel had been sent out to patrol the Vertarion system ever since the fleet had mysteriously been split up in the warp. Kor’O Auyun had immediately ordered the fleet to reform once they had dropped into real space but most of the ships were still scattered across the uninhabited star system. One with an abnormally high number of asteroid fields, perfect for laying an ambush.
Aboard the Ores’Au the Tau fleet commander received the report from his science officer with concern. The sudden warp storm which had scattered his fleet was unlike anything previously encountered. It was specific and highly localised. Auymun looked suspicious as he glanced at his junior.
“You are sure these figures are correct?”
“Yes Kor’O.” Came the reply.
“It all looks far too convenient, far too neat. Its almost as if this warp storm were a deliberate act…”
Just then the Kor’O was interrupted by his first officer.
“Kor’O, the Ka'Limar reports she is under attack from a chaos cruiser!”
Kor’O Auymun considered the evidence and nodded.
“It’s a trap.”
***
On the bridge of his Styx class heavy cruiser the chaos warmaster could not hide his glee as the icons flashed on his tactical viewer, each one representing one of the scattered Tau vessels, isolated and vulnerable. Now is our chance! Wailed the demonic voice in his head as he ordered the fleet to close on the Tau. Very soon the fleet which had ravaged his brothers in arms would be vanquished by the guns and warriors of his chaos fleet.
***
“Increase to maximum acceleration Avre!” Bellowed Kor’O Auymun over the noise of frantic crew activity and the grinding of metal as the Ores’Au struggled to catch up with her companions. Just ahead the two merchants and emissary had joined up, while across the other side of the system three protectors were having a running battle with two chaos cruisers.
From all accounts the protectors were easily having the better time of the exchange but the less heavily armed merchants were in deep trouble as a chaos daemonship bore down upon them. Even before the custodian and her mantas could help two of the Tau vessels were crippled and burning while the emissary class tried desperately to disengage.
Meanwhile the Tau protectors had been joined by the Hero class Shi'Mek'TauI and were causing terrible damage to the chaos fleet. However the chaos commander then ordered an all out attack on the Savon Ro and there was nothing Kor’O Auymun could do as he heard the anguished cries of those aboard her as chaos marines teleported aboard, maiming and killing.
At the height of the confused battle it looked very much like the Tau would be forced to disengage or risk losing their entire fleet. The Tau fleet commander successfully disengaged the lighter Tau vessels along with the flagship, Ores’Au, leaving infidel raiders searching in vain among the gas and debris of the battle while the Tau slipped away.
Meanwhile the three protectors and one hero class were locked in a vicious duel with three chaos vessels, one of which was identified as a Styx class - the flagship of the fleet. The Savon Ro was drifting, her crew massacred by the chaos boarding action and her main systems disabled. The remaining Tau cruisers concentrated their firepower, first on the closest enemy, a warped and disfigured slaughter class, pummelling her with close range railgun and ion cannon fire until she lurched off course venting gas and plasma.
The Tau then turned their attention to the Styx and in a short but decisive firefight the two remaining protectors and one hero class vessel tipped the balance for Kor’Vattra Auymun, crippling the chaos heavy cruiser and forcing the chaos fleet to withdraw.
Several hours later the Tau fleet was back together and licking its wounds. Savon Ro had been recovered and was now crewed by a skeleton crew made up of members of the other vessels. The scene aboard her was gruesome with blood spattered across the pristine white corridors and consoles, the crew maimed and dismembered at their posts. The chaos marines had shown no mercy.
The Kir'Ishima and Ka'Limar had taken severe damage in the battle and would need further repairs. With this in mind Kor’O Auymin set course for the only known friendly system in the Aurelis deeps, the planet Calabris in the Maljaq system, home to the alien race of the Kelmari.
***
Kor’O Shovah shifted in his seat as he searched a new data slate for the information on the Kelmari. There wasn’t a great deal to learn. Contacted some twenty years ago in a scouting mission into the Aurelis deeps they seemed to have a reasonably advanced civilisation and limited space travel, based on nuclear fission reactor engines. The bipedal, reptilian creatures stood a little taller than the Tau and negotiations had begun to bring them into the Empire when attacks by the chaotic Norsefire Empire forced the talks to cease.
Since then sporadic tales of fighting between the chaos Empire and the Kelmari continued to circulate on the fringes of Tau space but few paid any attention. Most assumed the civilisation had been destroyed. Only once the Tau began expanding into the Aleph subsector did interest once again stir in the Aurelis Deeps and the possible alliance with the reptilian race.
The Kelmari were not completely helpless however, and over the years had begun to build formidable defences against interstellar attack. Though they had not mastered shield technology their space stations were armed with powerful plasma cutting beams with similar power to ion cannons and a similar range.
Shovah regarded his subordinate as he sat opposite him. Even now, under the scrutiny of the most senior member of the Air Caste in the Aleph sector the young Kor’O remained un-phased, sitting relaxed in his seat. He knew he had achieved a great success regardless of the outcome of this briefing.
“So you proceeded to the Maljaq system?”
“Yes Kor’O Shovah”, came the steady reply, “It took us just a few Ro’taa even with the damage sustained to the lighter vessels. Only when we dropped back into real space did we realise we were not alone…”
***
Kor’O Auymun absorbed the data on the Maljaq system as quickly as it flashed up on the main viewscreen of the Ores’Au. The navigator for the fleet had clearly found his niche in life as the drop back into real space had been to within one hundred kilometres of his calculations.
The fleet had arrived in good order and were only a few days from the planet Calabris, homeworld of the Kelmari. Kor’El Shatsui had done well and the specially constructed transports were ready on schedule. These small ships would disable the automated gun sentries surrounding the planet by sending out a previously arranged de-activation code.
The next two days passed without incident and soon the great blue orb of Calabris loomed into view, along with the energy signatures of the waiting defence sentries. Auymun gave the order for the fleet to halt and the specialised sentries were sent to complete their missions.
“Kor’O Auymun”, shouted Kor’El Avre, his voice taught, “the Shi'mont'ka is too close to the nearest sentry!”
“What? Get me their commander!”
But it was too late. By the time Auymun had made contact with the bridge of the protector class vessel the sentry had already locked on to its target. Oblivious to the friendly nature of the vessel it opened fire, shearing through the Tau vessel and knocking her out of formation. It took several minutes for the crew to regain control of the Shi'mont'ka and the damage was severe. Kor’O Auymun was unimpressed at this needless casualty.
The transports performed well however, deactivating the two nearest defence sentries. It was as the ships moved off to the next station that the Tau realised they were walking into a trap. With a blinding flash of light the nearest defence sentry exploded, peppering the tau fleet with hot gases and debris. Void shields and prow deflectors flared as the powerful energies were kept safely away from the ships’ hulls.
“First Officer!” Shouted Auymun. “Find out where that came from!”
“Kor’O, we are picking up multiple energy spikes from the far side of Calabris. There is a fleet there sir!”
Kor’O Auymun switched the viewscreen to tactical as he ordered a protective screen of barracudas and mantas to be launched. It was grim reading. One huge capital vessel and several smaller ones, along with a host of escort vessels. Ordnance filled the void between the two fleets and it was all heading towards the Kor’Vattra. The energy signatures were unmistakeable, the Kelmari were being attacked by the Imperial Space Marines!
***
“You hadn’t faced Marine vessels before?”
“Once, only once, many years ago. The entire fleet had to disengage. The damage and loss of life were appalling.”
For the first time Shovah noticed the young fleet commander show a hint of emotion as he recorded the battle of Trascia Run. It had been a bloody affair but neither side could claim victory. The Marines had taken the field but the Tau had escaped. Kor’O Auymun had been a mere commander of a Hero class back then. Even do the memory was vivid.
“But you did not hesitate this time?”
Auymun looked the old sector commander in his eyes, a look of defiance and duty burning just beneath the surface, which had returned to its usual calm.
“We had made a promise to the Kelmari. We would fight the Marines, for the greater good…”
***
As fast as they could the ships of the Tau Kor’Vattra raced towards the planet of Calabris, launching wave after wave of mantas at the enemy while barracudas had their work cut out intercepting the Imperial Thunderhawks and boarding torpedoes. The Marines had made short work of the remaining defence sentries and now seemed intent on reaching Calabris.
With their slight edge in speed the Imperial vessels were already in low orbit when the Tau fleet arrived. To the horror of the fleet commander he noticed that the Marines weren’t just bombarding the planet, but a full scale invasion of Calabris was occurring! Quickly he contacted his fire caste generals and a hastily prepared counter invasion was drawn up.
Things started going wrong from the start as the Space Marine escort vessels began attacking the Tau cruisers as they unloaded their manta-borne hunter cadres to the vicious warzone which had erupted on the planet’s surface. As the Ores’Au and her consorts fired their heavy railguns and ion cannons into the near stationary targets presented to them as the Marines unloaded, the Imperial vessels did the same and before long the entire atmosphere was lit up by shield discharges and explosions.
Neither fleet could take this kind of punishment for long and the Marines were the first to disengage, having landed their forces on the planet. The cost had been high as seven escorts and a strike cruiser had been sent crashing into the planet, leaving enormous craters several miles wide. Estimates of casualties ran into hundreds of thousands.
The Tau Kor’Vattra too was made to suffer as the hunter cadres unloaded. The crippled Savon Ro soon lost all control and crashed headlong into a Kelami city. Soon after she was joined in destruction by the merchant class Ka'Limar and the emissary vessel Ko Kauyon. They were the worst casualties yet inflicted on the Tau fleet and yet the mission had not been a complete failure. Faced with ever more destruction the Marine fleet had fled the immediate area and only seven companies had made it to the ground. Commander DawnSight was left in command of the Tau forces on Calabris as they prepared to defend the Kelami from Imperial attack.
The Kelami paid the highest price. Several cities had been destroyed, either by Imperial bombardment or by a mighty starship crashing down from above. The reptilian race wept as the death toll mounted. By the time the Tau fleet prepared to leave orbit the count was over one million…
Kor’O Auymun wondered if the battle had been worth it, but he consoled himself in the knowledge that the Norsefire Empire had been beaten. There were only a few jumps left before their crossing of the Aurelis Deeps had been completed. So far he had lost three cruisers. Far fewer than previous expeditions. Even so he mourned the loss of each and their crew as the Kor’Vattra Kor’O Auymun prepared to leave the Maljaq system.
***
“You lost three vessels in the Calabris venture?”
There was a pause as Kor’O Auymun considered the older commander’s words. He gave no indication as to his feelings on the matter. The question was more of a statement.
“Yes Kor’O Shovah. We lost three. The Savon Ro was indeed a great loss. We were left with just three front line cruisers and one merchant. I felt our losses put the final completion of our crossing in jeopardy, so that is why I requested your aid.”
Kor’O Auymun had not been disappointed. Coming from the Tau base at Cernunnos the commander of Tau forces in the sector had sent his most trusted fleet commander, known to the Imperium as “Cold Sight”, with three powerful vessels to aid the Kor’Vattra Auymun in crossing the last few light years of the Aurelis Deeps, passing through the Harlaq System, a known haven for ork pirates.
The decision to send Cold Sight and his three cruisers, a protector and two emissaries, almost caused a disaster rather than help to avoid one. The small fleet dropped out of the warp in the Harlaq System and immediately found itself being tailed by a squadron of ork escorts. Cold Sight was able to avoid them and make the jump to the neighbouring Sakeni system and join up with Auymun’s fleet, but the orks had been tipped off. When the Tau fleet dropped into the Harlaq System in good order, the orks were waiting for them…
***
Kor’O Auymun sat back in his chair as the tactical display filled the viewscreen. Upon seeing the Ork formation Auymun was worried and contacted his fellow Kor’O aboard the protector class Kais Ka.
“Kais Ka this is Ores’Au. Have you seen what we’re facing?”
The replay came quickly, Cold Sight’s voice taking on a metallic and unworldly quality as it was transmitted across the void.
“I have them on tactical Kor’O Auymun. It looks like they mean to take us on head on. May I suggest the sideswipe stratagem? It has worked on Ork scum before.”
Kor’O Auymun smiled as he realised the other Tau fleet commander was in agreement with him. Forming up the box formation the Tau fleet began to close slowly on the Orks as the aliens roared across the system as fast as their drives would allow. The two fleets were approaching head on but with one important, yet subtle, difference. Kor’O Auymun had aligned his fleet to miss the main Ork fleet, aiming his ships so that if they continued on their course they would pass down the Ork’s port side. The trap was set.
“Kor’O, the Orks are launching torpedoes and fighter-bombers.” Said Kor’El Avre aboard the Ores’Au.
“Commander, launch equal squadrons of mantas and barracudas. Have the rest of the fleet do the same. Prepare to launch missile wave one on my mark.”
Soon the Tau fleet, moving slowly towards the Orks launched a devastating wave of missiles and attack craft which soon had the Ork pilots and turret gunners busy. Damage from the initial wave was light as the thick frontal armour of the brutal Ork vessels kept the worst of the explosions from the ships’ vitals.
Then, as in previous engagements, the main Tau battle line opened up on the nearest Ork kroozer. The unfortunate vessel, a hammer class, was soon reduced to a hulk despite the ship’s thick armour and evasive manoeuvres. Auymun was pleased but knew that in a matter of minutes the heavy guns on the Ork ships would be in range, and the Tau vessels would be vulnerable.
Minutes past as the two fleets exchanged devastating volleys. Another Ork vessel careened out of the battle line on fire as the Tau railgun volleys ripped her apart. As the range closed the brutal firepower of the Ork fleet became evident as the lead kroozer zeroed in on the Shi'mont'ka. Taken by surprise the ship was unable to brace for impact and the frontal deflector failed almost instantly under the weight of Ork shot.
Auymun and the bridge crew of the Ores’Au watched in horror as the ship directly infront of them was blasted by the Ork volleys and shook under the massive impact. Her hull glowing red from internal fires the Shi'mont'ka listed to starboard. Kor’O Auymun was able to raise her captain who insisted he could save the ship.
Seconds later the protector’s warp drive reactor overloaded and the ship detonated. The explosion ripped through space impacting on the Ore’Au, her shields flaring orange as white hot plasma blasted her hull. When the glow died down the Shi'mont'ka was gone and he Ork fleet was closing for the kill.
It was now the Tau fleet sprung the trap. The Orks, in their haste, had not corrected their course and were about to pass down the port side of the Kor’Vattra Auymun. With one command the entire Tau fleet, led by the main Tau cruiser gun line turned as one to port, launching a deadly torpedo salvo into the vulnerable flanks of the Ork kroozers.
Too late the Ork commander realised the trap and attempted to break off with his remaining ships. Two more Ork vessels had been crippled by the Tau manoeuvre and deadly torpedo salvo and were being mercilessly finished off by Tau mantas.
The remaining Ork ships powered their drives to maximum, attempting to ram any Tau vessel in their path before speeding off. The merchant class Kir'Ishima suffered minor damage in a lucky escape as a hammer class scraped the length of the vessel. Fortunately the Ork crew were so intent on ramming and boarding their prey the massed gun batteries, capable of obliterating the Tau vessel at such short range, stayed silent.
Auymun ordered a final bomber wave to follow the fleeing Ork vessels but the battle was over. The Tau had triumphed once again but the stunning victory was tempered by the loss of the Shi'mont'ka and one of the fleet commander’s closest friends.
One more jump later the Tau fleet arrived at Cernunnos docks, greeted as heroes by the massed crew and visitors lining the giant orbital city.
***
Kor’O Shovah smiled a his subordinate.
“Well done Kor’O Auymun. Thanks to you the Aurelis Deeps now has an open passage, protected by our waystations. The Norsefire Empire will continue to be a threat I have no doubt, but they cannot deny us passage across the Deeps any longer. Your actions have strengthened our position in the Aleph Sector and secured you an honoured place in Tau history.”
Kor’O Auymun bowed his head.
“You honour me Kor’O Shovah. I did this but for the greater good of the Tau race.”
“Indeed Kor’O Auymun.”
Standing to greet his guest the Aleph Sector Commander bowed slightly to the figure now before him. Fleet Commander Kor'O Auymun had travelled many millions of miles for this briefing, recording the first successful crossing of the Aurelis Deeps by a Tau fleet. Shovah was keen to know the details and the mind behind the individual who had led his fleet into Sunstrike orbital city to the cheers and adulation of an exultant crowd of spectators.
"Kor'O Shovah, I am deeply honoured", said Auymun, bowing.
Shovah smiled at the younger Tau commander.
"The honour is mine Kor'O Auymun. Please, sit and tell me of your journey through the Deeps."
Kor'O Auymun smiled and sat on the chair opposite the sector commander as Kor'O Shovah picked up the data slate from the desk and began scrolling through its information once more. After a brief pause the older Tau looked at his subordinate and smiled.
"So, let us start from the beginning. You left Tau space some forty Ro'taa ago bound for our new outposts here in the Aleph sector, via the shortest route, the Aurelis Deeps..."
***
Kor'O Auymun remembered the exhilaration when he heard the news from high command that his request had been granted. He would be the first Tau to cross the notorious Aurelis Deeps, a vast area of uncharted dark space, home to countless aliens, countless enemies. The rewards were obvious. Auymun was not doing this for his own personal glory, but for the good of the Tau race. From the time the Tau first started their colonisation of the Aleph sector, they had been forced to travel the long way round in a broad arc, avoiding the area known as the Deeps. If Auymun could find a safe, or relatively safe, passage through the dark and foreboding region of old dying stars, warp rifts and thick nebulae, the transit time between the Tau inner colonies and the Aleph Sector would be more than halved.
The fleet given to Auymun was the largest ever entrusted to an individual of such relative inexperience. Although Auymun was a full fleet admiral or Kor'O his experience within the Kor'Vattra was limited, though he had been a captain of the Hero class Lar'vre fro eight years before moving on to the Kor'O'Vesh project. Clearly the fleet commanders had decided Auymun, with his knowledge of both old and new Tau vessels was the right individual for the task at hand.
The fleet, from that historic day to be known as Kor’Vattra Auymun, assembled at the edge of Tau space, ready for its departure. Auymun retained his familiar calm and relaxed on the outside as he walked on to the Ores'Au, but inside the fleet commander was electric with excitement. His flagship, one of the newest Custodian Vessels headed the convoy of ships as it began to slowly move away from the space dock and into the void. Three protectors and a Hero class provided the main firepower while an Emissary and two Merchants set off in their task to bring new riches to the Tau Empire, followed by a host of transport and escort vessels following the larger vessels like ducklings on a pond.
***
Kor'O Shovah nodded as the younger Kor'O relayed the story of his departure. For eight Ro'taa the ships had plied the void between real space and that strange other-world of the warp, one of the longest coordinated jumps in Tau fleet history. Eventually however the warp drives had given out on the older vessels and the ships re-entered real space in the Raidu System, one of many uninhabited and unimportant systems in the Aurelis Deeps.
Shovah nodded, impressed at the skill of the fleet commander at having gone so far in one jump while keeping the fleet together. But the old Tau knew that wasn't the end of the story. Somehow this great Tau success had almost turned into a disaster. Kor'O Shovah leaned over the low desk and clasped his leathery hands in front of his face.
"Tell me, Kor'O Auymun. How did the forces of chaos come to find you?".
***
"Kor'O!" Came the shout, "Vre' Aun reports unknown contacts closing fast! At least six capital ships!"
Kor'O Auymun looked up at his first officer with concern. It would be at least twelve hours before the older ships had recharged their jump engines.
"On tactical!"
At the command of their captain the crewmen obeyed. A fuzzy image of distant vessels appeared on the bridge main viewer.
"Magnify!"
The image enlarged, gradually becoming sharper as the complex computational devices on board the Ores'Au struggled to make up for the dimness of the light at the edge of the Raidu system. Slowly a vision of dread filled the screen.
"Prepare for battle. Form up the fleet into the box formation. Comms! Tell the Savon Ro to get back in station!"
Once again the inexperienced crew of the new cruiser had allowed the tight Tau defensive formation to become strung out. As his orders were carried out however he was pleased to see the white ships reform into an impenetrable wedge of railguns and overlapping deflector shields. Several thousand kilometres in front the chaos fleet, dedicated to the worship of the decadent God Slaanesh, raced to meet them...
It wasn’t long before the range came down and the massed railguns of the Kor’Vattra Auymun opened up on the Slaanesh vessels. They had split up into three squadrons, hoping to confuse the Tau, but Kor’O Auymun was experienced at fighting the forces of chaos and didn’t take the bait. From his captain’s seat on the Ores’Au the Tau fleet commander controlled the battle.
“Kor’El Avre, switch to tactical.”
The first officer’s hands moved gracefully across his console and the view on the main screen changed from the outside view to a tactical map, showing the Tau ships and the enemy as coloured icons. Noting the squadron of escorts off his port bow Auymun judged the time had come and patched himself in to the launch bay control room.
“Kor’El Shavre, have your mantas ready for immediate launch. I want those escorts dealt with.”
Auymun turned to his first officer.
“Avre, keep the merchants in line with us, once the main battlegroup has fired its main salvos the remaining chaos fleet will come for us. Prepare missiles for launch!”
As predicted the chaos fleet came ever onward, one cruiser squadron taking terrible punishment from the Hero and Protector class vessels in the Tau gun line. The escorts, despite a brave defence were no match for wave after wave of Tau mantas which streaked around them, unloading hellish fire onto each until all but one were reduced to burning hulks.
The final chaos cruiser squadron came straight for the Ores’Au and her consorts. Auymun realised the protectors and hero class vessels would be unable to manoeuvre quickly enough and come to their aid before the chaos vessels, their flanks bristling with heavy guns, turned broadside and severely punished the weaker Tau vessels.
“Avre! Have the merchants break off! Launch all remaining mantas then disengage!”
The order was successful. In the next few minutes the merchants and Emissary managed to evade the worst of the chaos gunfire and the Ores’Au herself slipped away behind the debris and energy clouds left by the battle. The chaos fleet, crippled and bloodied, disengaged in the face of overwhelming firepower…
***
Kor’O Shovah leaned back in his chair, regarding the young fleet commander.
“So, the box formation was a success then?”
“Yes Kor’O Shovah. As we showed before no chaos fleet can close with us directly once the formation is locked in.”
Shovah nodded. For years now Auymun had argued the merits of the box formation. A tight and rigid fleet formation with the massed firepower of the Tau main warships protecting the weaker trading vessels, all backed up by barracudas, mantas and smart missiles. Once again the dynamic young Kor’O had proved its worth in battle.
Shovah returned to the data slate.
“And yet you were not done with the forces of the chaos Gods?”
Auymun nodded.
“Unfortunately the chaos fleet marked our position and by the time we entered the warp once more another fleet of the dread Norsefire Empire has followed us. They kept well back and maintained contact with our fleet, waiting for our warp engines to run down.”
Shovah nodded respectfully, encouraging his subordinate to continue.
“Knowing we would face battle once we dropped back into real space I turned the fleet around to face the chaos threat. We would face them in the Stajak Cluster.”
“A risk.” Stated the older Tau flatly.
“An opportunity.” Replied Auymun.
***
“Kor’O Kauymun, with respect, are you completely insane?!”
The commander of the Mont'yr Sha'is was clearly enraged, his skin turning an ever paler shade of grey. The fleet commander remained impassive as the captains of the fleet looked at each other in dismay around the flat grey briefing table aboard the Ores’Au.
Although the Tau had technology to allow meetings such as this to be conducted using viewscreens, Kor’O Auymun believed in face to face communication. It promoted better understanding between him and his commanders and fostered the all important brotherhood spirit. As he regarded his subordinates Auymun could tell this was one time none of them understood him.
The murmuring calmed down as Auymun raised his hand.
“Colleagues. I am fully aware of the risks but you all know that once we drop back into real space there will be a chaos fleet right behind us. The Stajak Cluster gives us an edge over our opponents. We have the communications and sensor equipment to cope. It is unlikely the enemy does.”
“But it is still dangerous!” Protested the ever cautious commander of the Protector class Shi'mont'ka.
“Indeed Kor’el Affrveh, but so is the chaos fleet. Now let us put an end to this. We drop into real space in less than a Ro’taa. Get back to your ships.”
The Tau were ready for the chaos ships when they began their attack run. Formed into the box formation each commander could see the enemy as the green vessels of Nurgle closed with their own fleet. Meanwhile the crew of the Vre’Aun scrambled frantically to make sense of the data which flooded in from the ship’s advanced sensory equipment.
The vessel, the fleet’s messenger class was tracking warp anomalies as they drifted, seemingly at random, through the Stajak cluster. Each on varied in size and several small rifts dotted the space between them and the chaos fleet. The captain of the Vre’Aun wondered if the Kor’O’s gamble would pay off.
Back on the Ores’Au Kor’O Auymun felt relaxed as he watched the tactical readout update. His formation was intact and the warp rifts seemed to be keeping their distance, while the nurgle fleet attempted to navigate around these most capricious of hazards. Get trapped in one of the rifts and you may never be seen again.
It wasn’t long before Auymun’s strategy began to pay dividends.
“Kor’O Auymun,” called an excited voice across the Tau fleet intercom, “Vre’Aun reports three enemy escorts have disappeared into a small rift!”
“Thank you Kor’El Hans’Shi’tau, I rely on you and the Vre’Aun to keep me updated.”
Auymun smiled. Still out of maximum weapons range and already the enemy had lost three escorts and a cruiser was heading directly for the same rift. This was too easy.
“Kor’O, sensors indicate the enemy vessel, Yersinia pestis, closing at speed.”
Auymun felt irritation building within him. The chaos fools were still not going to break off and he would have a battle after all. The Tau commander sighed before answering.
“Very well. Launch all ordnance and prepare to open fire on the enemy.”
Kor’O Auymun switched the viewer from tactical to external as the rest of his crew efficiently passed his orders to the rest of the fleet. This time the box was perfect, with Savon Ro, holding her station well. In the distance the chaos ships began to become more distinct, their plasma drives flaring, pushing their tainted hulls bristling with unclean weaponry through the void.
It wasn’t long before the three protectors at the front of the Tau gun line reported a lock on.
“Good. Protector squadron, open fire on Yersinia pestis. Send the abomination to hell!”
Auymun had picked up the phrase from humans while trading on the eastern rim, and he enjoyed using it.
Within seconds of the Kor’O’s order the weapons systems aboard the Savon’Ro, Shi'mont'ka and Mont'yr Sha'is powered up to full strength. Using the tracking information from the messenger Vre’Aun the three Tau vessels could hardly miss. Suddenly the space between them and Yersinia pestis became full of hypersonic particles which slammed into the chaos vessel, reducing her to a worthless hulk almost immediately. Railgun munitions tore through the hull of the ship and orange explosions blossomed along her length as atmospheric oxygen ignited and vented into space.
Shi'Mek'Tau, Hero class, added her firepower as the chaos cruiser drifted into range, splitting the mighty vessel in half amidships. The debris from the cruiser continued to drift, flaring orange as isolated munitions and pockets of gas were ignited. First blood to the Tau.
Staphylococcus aureus was the next cruiser to suffer at the hands of the Tau as the entire fleet turned their attention to the Carnage class cruiser. Having seen the damage the massed railguns and ion cannons could do the captain of the chaos vessel tried, in vain, to make evasive manoeuvres to save his ship. The tracking systems on the Vre’Aun were too accurate however and ionized plasma bursts and hypersonic metallic munitions slammed into the closing chaos vessel, stripping her shields and ripping off her bow, exposing thousands of crewmen to the vacuum of space. The next volley from the Tau heavy cruiser squadron slammed into the vessel’s bridge section, shearing the entire command structure off. Drifting and without effective command the Staphylococcus aureus was effectively out of the battle.
The chaos vessels did manage to fire on the Tau fleet but the damage was light. Only Savon Ro suffered any significant damage when a lance shot from a slaughter class slammed into her main launch bays, setting off secondary explosions which knocked out her power grid. It was several hours before the ship was able to rejoin the fleet.
At close range the fighting became a confused affair with the Tau holding their formation as the chaos vessels were punished by smart missiles and Tau Manta attacks. By this time two more chaos vessels had been caught out by the shifting warp anomalies and the chaos warmaster disengaged the fleet. Kor’O Auymun had secured his second victory.
***
Kor’O Shovah sat back and enjoyed the tale as it was related to him by Kor’O Auymun. To read about the Tau success was one thing but to hear it first hand from the commanding fleet officer was somehow more satisfying. Even so the old Tau knew the chaos almost inflicted appalling casualties on the fleet in their next encounter and asked Auymun to explain what had happened and how things had almost gone horribly wrong…
***
Almost a week after the battle in the Stajak Cluster the chaos forces were still not done with Kor’Vattra Auymun. The Norsefire Empire had suffered two resounding defeats and had lost several irreplaceable ships, but the loose alliance of systems which made up the chaos realm still had one remaining fleet patrolling in the vicinity. If they too were bested by the Tau the chaos empire knew that in all likelihood they would have to accept the aliens crossing through their territory for the forceable future.
The Kor’O knew this too. If he could inflict yet more casualties on the chaos fleet they would eventually be forced to accept the Tau presence. Once his journey had been completed the systems he visited would be command that Tau waystations be set up to protect further Tau convoys through the Aurelis Deeps, and there was one system, inhabited by a mysterious alien race, which the Tau hoped to would join them, providing a permanent base in the Deeps.
The commander of the third chaos fleet had seen how the previous encounters had gone when facing the Tau Kor’Vattra and he had no intention of falling into the same trap. Consulting his sorcerers the warmaster planned something special for Kor’O Auymun. Something which would counter the Tau tactics which had cost so many lives. The chaos warmaster split his fleet up around the Vertarion system and waited.
***
Kor’El Pa’Shva shifted in his seat, unable to get comfortable despite the low gravity environment which suited him aboard his Orca. The small vessel had been sent out to patrol the Vertarion system ever since the fleet had mysteriously been split up in the warp. Kor’O Auyun had immediately ordered the fleet to reform once they had dropped into real space but most of the ships were still scattered across the uninhabited star system. One with an abnormally high number of asteroid fields, perfect for laying an ambush.
Aboard the Ores’Au the Tau fleet commander received the report from his science officer with concern. The sudden warp storm which had scattered his fleet was unlike anything previously encountered. It was specific and highly localised. Auymun looked suspicious as he glanced at his junior.
“You are sure these figures are correct?”
“Yes Kor’O.” Came the reply.
“It all looks far too convenient, far too neat. Its almost as if this warp storm were a deliberate act…”
Just then the Kor’O was interrupted by his first officer.
“Kor’O, the Ka'Limar reports she is under attack from a chaos cruiser!”
Kor’O Auymun considered the evidence and nodded.
“It’s a trap.”
***
On the bridge of his Styx class heavy cruiser the chaos warmaster could not hide his glee as the icons flashed on his tactical viewer, each one representing one of the scattered Tau vessels, isolated and vulnerable. Now is our chance! Wailed the demonic voice in his head as he ordered the fleet to close on the Tau. Very soon the fleet which had ravaged his brothers in arms would be vanquished by the guns and warriors of his chaos fleet.
***
“Increase to maximum acceleration Avre!” Bellowed Kor’O Auymun over the noise of frantic crew activity and the grinding of metal as the Ores’Au struggled to catch up with her companions. Just ahead the two merchants and emissary had joined up, while across the other side of the system three protectors were having a running battle with two chaos cruisers.
From all accounts the protectors were easily having the better time of the exchange but the less heavily armed merchants were in deep trouble as a chaos daemonship bore down upon them. Even before the custodian and her mantas could help two of the Tau vessels were crippled and burning while the emissary class tried desperately to disengage.
Meanwhile the Tau protectors had been joined by the Hero class Shi'Mek'TauI and were causing terrible damage to the chaos fleet. However the chaos commander then ordered an all out attack on the Savon Ro and there was nothing Kor’O Auymun could do as he heard the anguished cries of those aboard her as chaos marines teleported aboard, maiming and killing.
At the height of the confused battle it looked very much like the Tau would be forced to disengage or risk losing their entire fleet. The Tau fleet commander successfully disengaged the lighter Tau vessels along with the flagship, Ores’Au, leaving infidel raiders searching in vain among the gas and debris of the battle while the Tau slipped away.
Meanwhile the three protectors and one hero class were locked in a vicious duel with three chaos vessels, one of which was identified as a Styx class - the flagship of the fleet. The Savon Ro was drifting, her crew massacred by the chaos boarding action and her main systems disabled. The remaining Tau cruisers concentrated their firepower, first on the closest enemy, a warped and disfigured slaughter class, pummelling her with close range railgun and ion cannon fire until she lurched off course venting gas and plasma.
The Tau then turned their attention to the Styx and in a short but decisive firefight the two remaining protectors and one hero class vessel tipped the balance for Kor’Vattra Auymun, crippling the chaos heavy cruiser and forcing the chaos fleet to withdraw.
Several hours later the Tau fleet was back together and licking its wounds. Savon Ro had been recovered and was now crewed by a skeleton crew made up of members of the other vessels. The scene aboard her was gruesome with blood spattered across the pristine white corridors and consoles, the crew maimed and dismembered at their posts. The chaos marines had shown no mercy.
The Kir'Ishima and Ka'Limar had taken severe damage in the battle and would need further repairs. With this in mind Kor’O Auymin set course for the only known friendly system in the Aurelis deeps, the planet Calabris in the Maljaq system, home to the alien race of the Kelmari.
***
Kor’O Shovah shifted in his seat as he searched a new data slate for the information on the Kelmari. There wasn’t a great deal to learn. Contacted some twenty years ago in a scouting mission into the Aurelis deeps they seemed to have a reasonably advanced civilisation and limited space travel, based on nuclear fission reactor engines. The bipedal, reptilian creatures stood a little taller than the Tau and negotiations had begun to bring them into the Empire when attacks by the chaotic Norsefire Empire forced the talks to cease.
Since then sporadic tales of fighting between the chaos Empire and the Kelmari continued to circulate on the fringes of Tau space but few paid any attention. Most assumed the civilisation had been destroyed. Only once the Tau began expanding into the Aleph subsector did interest once again stir in the Aurelis Deeps and the possible alliance with the reptilian race.
The Kelmari were not completely helpless however, and over the years had begun to build formidable defences against interstellar attack. Though they had not mastered shield technology their space stations were armed with powerful plasma cutting beams with similar power to ion cannons and a similar range.
Shovah regarded his subordinate as he sat opposite him. Even now, under the scrutiny of the most senior member of the Air Caste in the Aleph sector the young Kor’O remained un-phased, sitting relaxed in his seat. He knew he had achieved a great success regardless of the outcome of this briefing.
“So you proceeded to the Maljaq system?”
“Yes Kor’O Shovah”, came the steady reply, “It took us just a few Ro’taa even with the damage sustained to the lighter vessels. Only when we dropped back into real space did we realise we were not alone…”
***
Kor’O Auymun absorbed the data on the Maljaq system as quickly as it flashed up on the main viewscreen of the Ores’Au. The navigator for the fleet had clearly found his niche in life as the drop back into real space had been to within one hundred kilometres of his calculations.
The fleet had arrived in good order and were only a few days from the planet Calabris, homeworld of the Kelmari. Kor’El Shatsui had done well and the specially constructed transports were ready on schedule. These small ships would disable the automated gun sentries surrounding the planet by sending out a previously arranged de-activation code.
The next two days passed without incident and soon the great blue orb of Calabris loomed into view, along with the energy signatures of the waiting defence sentries. Auymun gave the order for the fleet to halt and the specialised sentries were sent to complete their missions.
“Kor’O Auymun”, shouted Kor’El Avre, his voice taught, “the Shi'mont'ka is too close to the nearest sentry!”
“What? Get me their commander!”
But it was too late. By the time Auymun had made contact with the bridge of the protector class vessel the sentry had already locked on to its target. Oblivious to the friendly nature of the vessel it opened fire, shearing through the Tau vessel and knocking her out of formation. It took several minutes for the crew to regain control of the Shi'mont'ka and the damage was severe. Kor’O Auymun was unimpressed at this needless casualty.
The transports performed well however, deactivating the two nearest defence sentries. It was as the ships moved off to the next station that the Tau realised they were walking into a trap. With a blinding flash of light the nearest defence sentry exploded, peppering the tau fleet with hot gases and debris. Void shields and prow deflectors flared as the powerful energies were kept safely away from the ships’ hulls.
“First Officer!” Shouted Auymun. “Find out where that came from!”
“Kor’O, we are picking up multiple energy spikes from the far side of Calabris. There is a fleet there sir!”
Kor’O Auymun switched the viewscreen to tactical as he ordered a protective screen of barracudas and mantas to be launched. It was grim reading. One huge capital vessel and several smaller ones, along with a host of escort vessels. Ordnance filled the void between the two fleets and it was all heading towards the Kor’Vattra. The energy signatures were unmistakeable, the Kelmari were being attacked by the Imperial Space Marines!
***
“You hadn’t faced Marine vessels before?”
“Once, only once, many years ago. The entire fleet had to disengage. The damage and loss of life were appalling.”
For the first time Shovah noticed the young fleet commander show a hint of emotion as he recorded the battle of Trascia Run. It had been a bloody affair but neither side could claim victory. The Marines had taken the field but the Tau had escaped. Kor’O Auymun had been a mere commander of a Hero class back then. Even do the memory was vivid.
“But you did not hesitate this time?”
Auymun looked the old sector commander in his eyes, a look of defiance and duty burning just beneath the surface, which had returned to its usual calm.
“We had made a promise to the Kelmari. We would fight the Marines, for the greater good…”
***
As fast as they could the ships of the Tau Kor’Vattra raced towards the planet of Calabris, launching wave after wave of mantas at the enemy while barracudas had their work cut out intercepting the Imperial Thunderhawks and boarding torpedoes. The Marines had made short work of the remaining defence sentries and now seemed intent on reaching Calabris.
With their slight edge in speed the Imperial vessels were already in low orbit when the Tau fleet arrived. To the horror of the fleet commander he noticed that the Marines weren’t just bombarding the planet, but a full scale invasion of Calabris was occurring! Quickly he contacted his fire caste generals and a hastily prepared counter invasion was drawn up.
Things started going wrong from the start as the Space Marine escort vessels began attacking the Tau cruisers as they unloaded their manta-borne hunter cadres to the vicious warzone which had erupted on the planet’s surface. As the Ores’Au and her consorts fired their heavy railguns and ion cannons into the near stationary targets presented to them as the Marines unloaded, the Imperial vessels did the same and before long the entire atmosphere was lit up by shield discharges and explosions.
Neither fleet could take this kind of punishment for long and the Marines were the first to disengage, having landed their forces on the planet. The cost had been high as seven escorts and a strike cruiser had been sent crashing into the planet, leaving enormous craters several miles wide. Estimates of casualties ran into hundreds of thousands.
The Tau Kor’Vattra too was made to suffer as the hunter cadres unloaded. The crippled Savon Ro soon lost all control and crashed headlong into a Kelami city. Soon after she was joined in destruction by the merchant class Ka'Limar and the emissary vessel Ko Kauyon. They were the worst casualties yet inflicted on the Tau fleet and yet the mission had not been a complete failure. Faced with ever more destruction the Marine fleet had fled the immediate area and only seven companies had made it to the ground. Commander DawnSight was left in command of the Tau forces on Calabris as they prepared to defend the Kelami from Imperial attack.
The Kelami paid the highest price. Several cities had been destroyed, either by Imperial bombardment or by a mighty starship crashing down from above. The reptilian race wept as the death toll mounted. By the time the Tau fleet prepared to leave orbit the count was over one million…
Kor’O Auymun wondered if the battle had been worth it, but he consoled himself in the knowledge that the Norsefire Empire had been beaten. There were only a few jumps left before their crossing of the Aurelis Deeps had been completed. So far he had lost three cruisers. Far fewer than previous expeditions. Even so he mourned the loss of each and their crew as the Kor’Vattra Kor’O Auymun prepared to leave the Maljaq system.
***
“You lost three vessels in the Calabris venture?”
There was a pause as Kor’O Auymun considered the older commander’s words. He gave no indication as to his feelings on the matter. The question was more of a statement.
“Yes Kor’O Shovah. We lost three. The Savon Ro was indeed a great loss. We were left with just three front line cruisers and one merchant. I felt our losses put the final completion of our crossing in jeopardy, so that is why I requested your aid.”
Kor’O Auymun had not been disappointed. Coming from the Tau base at Cernunnos the commander of Tau forces in the sector had sent his most trusted fleet commander, known to the Imperium as “Cold Sight”, with three powerful vessels to aid the Kor’Vattra Auymun in crossing the last few light years of the Aurelis Deeps, passing through the Harlaq System, a known haven for ork pirates.
The decision to send Cold Sight and his three cruisers, a protector and two emissaries, almost caused a disaster rather than help to avoid one. The small fleet dropped out of the warp in the Harlaq System and immediately found itself being tailed by a squadron of ork escorts. Cold Sight was able to avoid them and make the jump to the neighbouring Sakeni system and join up with Auymun’s fleet, but the orks had been tipped off. When the Tau fleet dropped into the Harlaq System in good order, the orks were waiting for them…
***
Kor’O Auymun sat back in his chair as the tactical display filled the viewscreen. Upon seeing the Ork formation Auymun was worried and contacted his fellow Kor’O aboard the protector class Kais Ka.
“Kais Ka this is Ores’Au. Have you seen what we’re facing?”
The replay came quickly, Cold Sight’s voice taking on a metallic and unworldly quality as it was transmitted across the void.
“I have them on tactical Kor’O Auymun. It looks like they mean to take us on head on. May I suggest the sideswipe stratagem? It has worked on Ork scum before.”
Kor’O Auymun smiled as he realised the other Tau fleet commander was in agreement with him. Forming up the box formation the Tau fleet began to close slowly on the Orks as the aliens roared across the system as fast as their drives would allow. The two fleets were approaching head on but with one important, yet subtle, difference. Kor’O Auymun had aligned his fleet to miss the main Ork fleet, aiming his ships so that if they continued on their course they would pass down the Ork’s port side. The trap was set.
“Kor’O, the Orks are launching torpedoes and fighter-bombers.” Said Kor’El Avre aboard the Ores’Au.
“Commander, launch equal squadrons of mantas and barracudas. Have the rest of the fleet do the same. Prepare to launch missile wave one on my mark.”
Soon the Tau fleet, moving slowly towards the Orks launched a devastating wave of missiles and attack craft which soon had the Ork pilots and turret gunners busy. Damage from the initial wave was light as the thick frontal armour of the brutal Ork vessels kept the worst of the explosions from the ships’ vitals.
Then, as in previous engagements, the main Tau battle line opened up on the nearest Ork kroozer. The unfortunate vessel, a hammer class, was soon reduced to a hulk despite the ship’s thick armour and evasive manoeuvres. Auymun was pleased but knew that in a matter of minutes the heavy guns on the Ork ships would be in range, and the Tau vessels would be vulnerable.
Minutes past as the two fleets exchanged devastating volleys. Another Ork vessel careened out of the battle line on fire as the Tau railgun volleys ripped her apart. As the range closed the brutal firepower of the Ork fleet became evident as the lead kroozer zeroed in on the Shi'mont'ka. Taken by surprise the ship was unable to brace for impact and the frontal deflector failed almost instantly under the weight of Ork shot.
Auymun and the bridge crew of the Ores’Au watched in horror as the ship directly infront of them was blasted by the Ork volleys and shook under the massive impact. Her hull glowing red from internal fires the Shi'mont'ka listed to starboard. Kor’O Auymun was able to raise her captain who insisted he could save the ship.
Seconds later the protector’s warp drive reactor overloaded and the ship detonated. The explosion ripped through space impacting on the Ore’Au, her shields flaring orange as white hot plasma blasted her hull. When the glow died down the Shi'mont'ka was gone and he Ork fleet was closing for the kill.
It was now the Tau fleet sprung the trap. The Orks, in their haste, had not corrected their course and were about to pass down the port side of the Kor’Vattra Auymun. With one command the entire Tau fleet, led by the main Tau cruiser gun line turned as one to port, launching a deadly torpedo salvo into the vulnerable flanks of the Ork kroozers.
Too late the Ork commander realised the trap and attempted to break off with his remaining ships. Two more Ork vessels had been crippled by the Tau manoeuvre and deadly torpedo salvo and were being mercilessly finished off by Tau mantas.
The remaining Ork ships powered their drives to maximum, attempting to ram any Tau vessel in their path before speeding off. The merchant class Kir'Ishima suffered minor damage in a lucky escape as a hammer class scraped the length of the vessel. Fortunately the Ork crew were so intent on ramming and boarding their prey the massed gun batteries, capable of obliterating the Tau vessel at such short range, stayed silent.
Auymun ordered a final bomber wave to follow the fleeing Ork vessels but the battle was over. The Tau had triumphed once again but the stunning victory was tempered by the loss of the Shi'mont'ka and one of the fleet commander’s closest friends.
One more jump later the Tau fleet arrived at Cernunnos docks, greeted as heroes by the massed crew and visitors lining the giant orbital city.
***
Kor’O Shovah smiled a his subordinate.
“Well done Kor’O Auymun. Thanks to you the Aurelis Deeps now has an open passage, protected by our waystations. The Norsefire Empire will continue to be a threat I have no doubt, but they cannot deny us passage across the Deeps any longer. Your actions have strengthened our position in the Aleph Sector and secured you an honoured place in Tau history.”
Kor’O Auymun bowed his head.
“You honour me Kor’O Shovah. I did this but for the greater good of the Tau race.”
“Indeed Kor’O Auymun.”
Monday, 12 February 2007
THE HUNT FOR RED SLAUGHTER
+++In the darkness of the Perseus Deeps Imperial rule is weak. Imperial Navy patrols are the only thing which stands between humanity and chaos...+++
The Hunt For Red Slaughter
The incessant rumble emanating from the massive engines echoed around the metal decks of the sword class Valiant as she came to her new heading. Captain Langsdorf stood stiffly at his post aware of the oppressive presence of the commissar behind him.
“Well done captain, we have the traitor cornered at last.”
Langsdorff was surprised by the praise from Herman Kreuzer, it was the first he’d received from the usually acidic tongue of his ship’s commissar since his arrival barely two weeks ago.
The captain bristled inside as he recollected the first moment Kreuzer had come aboard, determined to root out the apparent cowardice in the ship’s senior staff. A charge levelled at him by the petty captain Voight of the Lurcher for his part in the recent disaster of convoy PX17.
There was nothing Langsdorf could have done, even the admiral agreed. By the time the Valiant had returned from her forward picket the five chaos raiders had already destroyed the transport vessels and the Lurcher was facing overwhelming odds. Langsdorf and the Valiant could not have helped and the captain found himself wishing the other convoy escort had been destroyed rather than crippled. That way that bastard Voight would not have filed his complaint.
But it was too late now. Langsdorf and his crew of just over a thousand were stuck with the tall hawk featured commissar for the duration, until he decided the captain and crew were fit to serve on one of his emperor’s vessels.
“Communication from the Revenge sir,” said the Valiant’s communications officer.
“Put it through mister Heinz.”
The crackling hiss of static distorted the words of captain Maher, master of the escort squadron’s other sword class frigate.
“Ah Langsdorf!” Maher’s voice was full of enthusiasm as the realisation that the quarry had finally been brought to heel. “We have him now! I am on an intercept course and ready to follow Valiant’s lead.”
Langsdorf allowed himself to smile. The chase had been hard. For seven days the Red Slaughter had led the two imperial ships a merry dance around the Castius system, but now the infidel raider had been cornered at last. Venting gases from her engines the traitor vessel could outrun imperial justice no longer and captain Langsdorf eagerly anticipated the battle which would surely clear his name.
“Indeed captain Maher, our time is at hand.”
With a hearty chuckle the captain of the Revenge signed off. Several thousand kilometres off the Valiant’s starboard bow the second frigate would now be straining hard to intercept the enemy vessel, an angry flashing icon picked out in blood red on the Valiant’s tactical display. There would be no escape.
+++
Captain Lucius Maher, veteran ship’s master for the past twenty years, shifted in his captain’s chair, wondering for the thousandth time why the Navy didn’t provide suitable seats for men of a more ample build. Adjusting his position he regarded his bridge crew with pride. The atmosphere was one of tense anticipation. Maher could not deny he was looking forward to the destruction of the Slaughter, a renegade raider that had been responsible for thousands of Imperial deaths, including his good friend captain Denham of the Chrysalis.
+++
“Captain,” said first officer Krauss, leaning over his display lectern, “the traitor vessel has changed course.”
“Then change ours to intercept,” said Langsdorf curtly. He should not have to give an order twice.
“My apologies sir, but he is heading for the Castius belt.”
Irritation rose in Langsdorf’s mind and the captain fingered his short moustache and beard, now fully grey after thirty years in the navy. Filled with plasma and dust the Castius belt spelled danger for any vessel traversing it. Void shields would be useless and targeting arrays would be confused by the belt’s massive electromagnetic fields. Despite everything the captain of the Valiant had to admire his counterpart on the traitor vessel. He obviously knew what he was doing.
The bridge became quiet as the crew waited for the captain’s next order, save for the continual hum of the engines and whirring of logic engines. Langsdorf could feel the gaze of the commissar behind him. Fingering his ornately braided collar, as he was wont to do when major decisions had to be made, Langsdorf considered his options. Wait it out or pursue at full speed? The former would certainly reek of over-cautiousness, not something Langsdorf needed right now, but the latter invited possible disaster to his ship
and crew, Commissar Kreuzer cleared his throat.
“Presumably you aren’t about to let the traitor escape?” He asked quietly.
The decision had all but been made for him, realised Langsdorf with considerable frustration.
“Of course not commissar,” came the stiff reply, “helmsman, alter course to intercept.”
First officer Krauss raised an eyebrow but knew better than to question the captain’s orders. Thirty-three year old Krauss had served under Langsdorf for six years and knew the position the captain now found himself in.
The huge vessel heaved over onto its new course, gaining on its target with every minute, but the marker on the display marking the chaos ship shimmered and winked in and out of existence as the vessel entered the edges of the confused dust cloud of the Castius belt. Still, with the range down to a few thousand kilometres captain Langsdorf was confident the mission could still be achieved.
“Captain, incoming transmission.”
It was Maher. Langsdorf signalled wordlessly for the communications officer to put it through.
“Langsdorf, are you sure we should follow him into the belt? We can wait him out. He can’t stay in there forever.”
“I’m sure captain Maher, if we don’t follow the traitor could disengage and yet escape. I’m not prepared to let that happen.”
There was a pause while Maher considered his reply. Langsdorf and he were the same
rank, but it was Langsdorf who commanded the sword squadron.
“As you wish captain, I will intercept in approximately twelve minutes. Maher out.”
At least the commissar would not be able to level accusations of cowardice this time.
Time slowed for the men on the Valiant’s bridge as the distance closed. Soon the enemy would be in weapons range and feel the wrath of the sword’s massive forward gun batteries. Combined with the firepower of the Revenge, the traitor vessel Red Slaughter stood no chance.
+++
Maher exchanged a look with his first officer. Following the chaos ship into the belt was a bad plan, and the old captain knew it. From the pacing of his number one Maher was aware his views were shared but it was Langsdorf’s decision.
“Helmsman,” said Maher, “time to belt at current speed?”
“Nine minutes captain”, came the reply.
Maher exhaled heavily, his oversized navy uniform relaxing on the captain’s bulky frame. He nodded and signalled to his first officer. Maher’s number one approached the captain’s chair.
“I don’t want any foul ups in there number one.” Said Maher quietly so no-one else on the Revenge’s bridge could hear.
The first officer nodded.
“Its that damn commissar making Langsdorf do this captain.”
Maher sighed. Imperial commissars had no place on a Navy ship in his opinion.
+++
“Master gunner, how long till maximum weapons range?” Asked Langsdorf.
“Nine minutes.”
About the same time the quarry would enter the belt reasoned Langsdorf. Looking at the tactical display the blue icon of the Revenge was also closing fast and would soon be entering the mass of gas and dust. For a moment Langsdorf wondered whether having both imperial ships pursue the Red Slaughter into the confusion of the belt would be wise, but he knew that only together would they be sure of the kill. Minutes passed and the range reduced, but the enemy vessel was still out of range.
“Dammit can’t we go any quicker.” Said the captain, glancing with frustration at adept Lucius, master engineer and priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Though rhetorical, adept Lucius chose to reply, his flat emotionless voice in stark contrast to the tension filling the Valiant’s bridge.
“We are at maximum speed captain. The engines are working at their full capacity.”
The reply did nothing to ease the captain’s nerves and he wished he hadn’t asked. Commissar Kreuzer sighed ever so slightly behind the captain’s lectern, infuriating Langsdorf.
“Enemy vessel entering the belt captain,” said the first officer.
Langsdorf watched the display as the icon representing the Red Slaughter flickered then winked out of existence. Leaning over the thick glass screen he clenched his fists and groaned. The sensors had failed as predicted. The only way to pick up the trail now was to follow the vessel in and get close. Too close for Langsdorf’s liking.
“Thirty seconds to the belt.”
Langsdorf acknowledged his first officer with a cursory wave without looking up from the display. The ships automated systems began to take over, lowering the adamantium blast shields over the forward viewing windows in preparation for entering the belt. The blackness of deep space shrank and was then shut out as the shields closed with a heavy metallic clang.
“Entering the Castius belt now sir,” said Krauss.
Lansdorf watched with a feeling of dread as all the icons on the display vanished, leaving only the blue eagle in its centre representing the Valiant herself.
“Communications non functional captain.”
“Void shields ineffective.”
The reports came in from his senior staff with implacable predictability. This was bound to happen. His ship was now blind and defenceless. Why did he follow the chaos renegade in here? Minutes passed and Langsdorf’s frustration grew.
“I think you’ve lost her captain,” said commissar Kreuzer with a marked hint of disapproval.
Captain Langsdorf slowly turned to face his tormenter, the colour burning in his cheeks. Seeing the captain’s pent up rage the commissar retreated a step. Langsdorf returned to the display. Where was the traitor vessel?
+++
Shimmering dust and gas shrouded the Revenge as the pitted armoured prow of the Sword class frigate pushed its way through the Castius Belt. On the bridge captain Maher and his first officer stood leaning over the main tactical lectern in the centre of the room, directly below the decorated vaulted ceiling. Both men were frowning.
“Bloody nothing. You see that?”
First officer Callum had to agree. The tactical display on the Revenge was indeed blank, but swearing and getting red-faced, as Maher was, wasn’t going to change that. However after serving with the old man for ten years Callum was used to such outbursts.
“Throne of Earth! We’re blind in here!”
Callum didn’t reply, knowing the captain was relieving his frustration in his own unique way.
After a few more curse filled seconds the first officer’s attention was drawn to a brief flash on the display. It wasn’t there long but for a second a white icon had appeared of the stern of the ship.
“Captain, I think there is something else in here.”
Maher stopped mid stride as he paced up and down the bridge. Returning to the display lectern he saw the same icon appear, briefly glowing white, indicating a vessel only a couple of hundred kilometres distant. Then, as the two naval officers watched, the icon appeared again, this time glowing blue. Without taking his eyes off the display Maher gave his orders.
“Comms, get me Langsdorf.”
“Communications are being blocked by interference,” came the immediate reply.
Maher’s eyes locked with those of his first officer noting his look of concern was shared by his number one. The Valiant was directly behind Revenge and there was no way of knowing whether Langsdorf could see them.
+++
A flicker of light flashed into existence on the Valiant’s tactical screen, glowing white just a few hundred kilometres off the ship’s port bow. Krauss noticed first and shouted to his captain, his voice quavering with excitement.
“Vessel at 340 degrees captain! Range, three hundred kilometres.We have a firing solution.”
“Wait,” commanded Langsdorf, “We must await target verification.”
Langsdorf willed the flickering white icon to glow red, identifying it as an enemy, but the change would not come. If he waited too long the target lock might be lost.
“Sir, range increasing to four hundred kilometres. It must be the Red Slaughter.”
“We have to be sure.”
Commissar Kreuzer strode forward impatiently, standing beside the captain, his face dark and insistent.
“Captain Langsdorf,” he said, “must I remind you of your sacred duty to the emperor? You have the enemy in sight, you must open fire!”
“I am still in command of this ship,” hissed the captain, “I will not fire on an unidentified vessel!”
All eyes were fixed on the confrontation in the centre of the Valiant’s dimly lit bridge. Only the mindless servitors, wired into their posts, continued their duties. First officer Krauss looked nervously from Kreuzer to Langsdorf while the gunnery officer stood ready to unleash the devastating firepower of the frigate’s forward batteries.
“Range five hundred kilometres, course 340,” said Krauss, “captain, it’s the Slaughter, it must be.”
The commissar leaned over the captain’s lectern, bringing his stern face inches from Langsdorf’s, his whisper audible only to the captain.
“If you do not open fire, captain, you’re career in this navy will be over. I will have you court-martialled for cowardice!”
The words stung Langsdorf to his very core, but the commissar had left him no choice. He held the commissar’s gaze for a few seconds before returning to the tactical display. The icon was still flashing white indicating an unidentified target. It had to be their quarry. From its course and speed there was no way it could be anything else could it? In any case Kreuzer had left him no choice. With an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach the captain gave the only order he could.
“Open fire.”
+++
“Energy spike directly astern!”
Maher noted the edge in the young lieutenant’s voice, indicating his fear.
“Comms?” Asked the captain desperately, looking over to the officer manning the communications console.
Taking the heavy headphones off his ears the lieutenant looked at his captain with a look which made Maher sick to his stomach. They couldn’t raise the Valiant. Idiots! Couldn’t they see the Red Slaughter must have disengaged?
“The Valiant’s firing sir!”
Maher quickly returned to his chair, followed by his first officer.
“All hands brace for impact, helmsman take evasive action!”
The crew followed their captain’s orders without question, activity breaking the atmosphere of fear and tension on the Revenge’s bridge, but Maher knew it wouldn’t do any good. They were too close and their shields were inoperative. Only a miracle would save his ship now.
“By the Emperor get me Langsdorf!”
+++
On the Valiant the tension of the bridge immediately evaporated in the frenetic activity that followed as the crew carried out their duty. Having given the order to engage the captain became an island of calm in a sea of barked orders and shouts. With a mighty shudder the Valiant’s forward guns opened fire, rocking the ship and causing the lights to flicker. Again and again the batteries fired, sending thousands of high velocity projectiles slicing through the void. At this range they couldn’t miss. The icon on the display screen flashed orange then grey, indicating a kill.
+++
As the first volley impacted with the unprotected stern of the Revenge the bridge rocked violently, sending anyone not seated sprawling to the cold mosaic-patterned floor.
“Damage report!” Barked Maher.
First officer Callum frowned as he struggled to take in the information flashing in red and yellow across his screen.
“We’ve lost engines and aspect control captain. Another shot like that and we’re done for.”
As if Captain Maher didn’t know.
“Valiant’s firing again captain!”
Maher waited in grim resignation as he imagined the massive projectiles slicing through the gas and dust, covering the distance between the two ships in mere seconds. There was nothing he could do now.
The second volley of fire from the Valiant hit the Revenge along the length of her port side, rupturing the ship’s armour and spilling atmosphere out into the vacuum of space. Hundreds died in the initial impact but more suffered an agonising death as the breath was sucked from their lungs as the pressurised compartments vented into the void. Secondary explosions tore the ship apart, splitting the mighty vessel in two, sending the aft portion spinning away from the prow, plasma and gasses pouring from the wounds torn in the Revenge’s hull.
The ship’s bridge was a scene of total chaos. With the artificial gravity gone crewmen struggled to stay at their posts. Many were screaming but most were still trying to carry out their duty and wrestle some control over the convulsing ruins of their doomed vessel.
“Shut down the main reactor”, screamed captain Maher over the deafening roar of explosions emanating from the heart of his ship, “We must disengage!”
“It’s too late”, roared the first officer, “We must abandon…”
First officer Callum’s words were sucked from his throat as a devastating explosion ripped through the command section, buckling the adamantium walls and blasting an ugly gaping hole in the side of the bridge. Many of the bridge crew were sucked, still alive, into space, their screams rendered silent in the vacuum of space.
Those who clung on suffered no better fate as superheated plasma escaping from the ruptured power core vaporised them in seconds. Less than a minute later all the bridge crew were dead. They were lucky. In the twisted wreckage of the Revenge’s two drifting sections men still lived, doomed to a slow death as their oxygen ran out in the still sealed compartments of the forward weapons decks.
+++
The guns ceased firing and several of the bridge crew cheered the victory. They had gone in after the chaos renegade where the traitors had thought they wouldn’t be followed. Red Slaughter had paid for that arrogance. Even commissar Kreuzer was smiling.
The one man not rejoicing was captain Langsdorf. For him the victory was hollow having been forced into the action by the unwanted intervention of the commissariat. The captain sighed and ordered the ship about to investigate the drifting wreck of the enemy vessel.
“Open blast shields, let’s get a visual conformation of the kill.”
The crew complied with their usual efficiency with which Langsdorf was highly satisfied. Slowly the vast metal sheets retracted revealing a scene of devastation set to a backdrop of shimmering orange and red, the colour of the Castius deeps. There was no question the guns of the Valiant had done their job. Floating in the void the hulk in front of them had been broken in two by the fury of the ship’s fusillade. Wreckage floated listlessly in space as the ship’s broken sections burned with internal fires, the armoured prow blackened and pitted by the impacts of the Valiant’s weaponry.
Armoured prow? Horror gripped Langsdorf as he stared in disbelief at the wreck drifting across the prow of his ship. Gradually the triumphant cheering on the bridge was silenced as every man stared in shock at the scene of carnage. As the Valiant passed within ten kilometres of the devastation the nameplate of the vessel spun into view. It read simply Revenge.
Sweating profusely with his eyes wide in disbelief, commissar Kreuzer turned to face the captain of the Valiant, his trembling hands brandishing a laspistol levelled at Langsdorf’s head.
“Captain Langsdorf,” said the commissar, struggling to stop his voice from cracking,
“You have failed in your duty to the emperor and destroyed on of the imperial navy’s vessels.”
Captain Langsdorf managed a smile. Of course it would turn out like this. In the heat of battle his fears of being labelled a coward had allowed him to act against his judgement. It didn’t matter that the commissar practically ordered him to open fire on an unidentified vessel. Straightening his uniform and holding his head high Langsdorf accepted the inevitable.
“Long live the Imperium.” He said before the shot rang out.
The Hunt For Red Slaughter
The incessant rumble emanating from the massive engines echoed around the metal decks of the sword class Valiant as she came to her new heading. Captain Langsdorf stood stiffly at his post aware of the oppressive presence of the commissar behind him.
“Well done captain, we have the traitor cornered at last.”
Langsdorff was surprised by the praise from Herman Kreuzer, it was the first he’d received from the usually acidic tongue of his ship’s commissar since his arrival barely two weeks ago.
The captain bristled inside as he recollected the first moment Kreuzer had come aboard, determined to root out the apparent cowardice in the ship’s senior staff. A charge levelled at him by the petty captain Voight of the Lurcher for his part in the recent disaster of convoy PX17.
There was nothing Langsdorf could have done, even the admiral agreed. By the time the Valiant had returned from her forward picket the five chaos raiders had already destroyed the transport vessels and the Lurcher was facing overwhelming odds. Langsdorf and the Valiant could not have helped and the captain found himself wishing the other convoy escort had been destroyed rather than crippled. That way that bastard Voight would not have filed his complaint.
But it was too late now. Langsdorf and his crew of just over a thousand were stuck with the tall hawk featured commissar for the duration, until he decided the captain and crew were fit to serve on one of his emperor’s vessels.
“Communication from the Revenge sir,” said the Valiant’s communications officer.
“Put it through mister Heinz.”
The crackling hiss of static distorted the words of captain Maher, master of the escort squadron’s other sword class frigate.
“Ah Langsdorf!” Maher’s voice was full of enthusiasm as the realisation that the quarry had finally been brought to heel. “We have him now! I am on an intercept course and ready to follow Valiant’s lead.”
Langsdorf allowed himself to smile. The chase had been hard. For seven days the Red Slaughter had led the two imperial ships a merry dance around the Castius system, but now the infidel raider had been cornered at last. Venting gases from her engines the traitor vessel could outrun imperial justice no longer and captain Langsdorf eagerly anticipated the battle which would surely clear his name.
“Indeed captain Maher, our time is at hand.”
With a hearty chuckle the captain of the Revenge signed off. Several thousand kilometres off the Valiant’s starboard bow the second frigate would now be straining hard to intercept the enemy vessel, an angry flashing icon picked out in blood red on the Valiant’s tactical display. There would be no escape.
+++
Captain Lucius Maher, veteran ship’s master for the past twenty years, shifted in his captain’s chair, wondering for the thousandth time why the Navy didn’t provide suitable seats for men of a more ample build. Adjusting his position he regarded his bridge crew with pride. The atmosphere was one of tense anticipation. Maher could not deny he was looking forward to the destruction of the Slaughter, a renegade raider that had been responsible for thousands of Imperial deaths, including his good friend captain Denham of the Chrysalis.
+++
“Captain,” said first officer Krauss, leaning over his display lectern, “the traitor vessel has changed course.”
“Then change ours to intercept,” said Langsdorf curtly. He should not have to give an order twice.
“My apologies sir, but he is heading for the Castius belt.”
Irritation rose in Langsdorf’s mind and the captain fingered his short moustache and beard, now fully grey after thirty years in the navy. Filled with plasma and dust the Castius belt spelled danger for any vessel traversing it. Void shields would be useless and targeting arrays would be confused by the belt’s massive electromagnetic fields. Despite everything the captain of the Valiant had to admire his counterpart on the traitor vessel. He obviously knew what he was doing.
The bridge became quiet as the crew waited for the captain’s next order, save for the continual hum of the engines and whirring of logic engines. Langsdorf could feel the gaze of the commissar behind him. Fingering his ornately braided collar, as he was wont to do when major decisions had to be made, Langsdorf considered his options. Wait it out or pursue at full speed? The former would certainly reek of over-cautiousness, not something Langsdorf needed right now, but the latter invited possible disaster to his ship
and crew, Commissar Kreuzer cleared his throat.
“Presumably you aren’t about to let the traitor escape?” He asked quietly.
The decision had all but been made for him, realised Langsdorf with considerable frustration.
“Of course not commissar,” came the stiff reply, “helmsman, alter course to intercept.”
First officer Krauss raised an eyebrow but knew better than to question the captain’s orders. Thirty-three year old Krauss had served under Langsdorf for six years and knew the position the captain now found himself in.
The huge vessel heaved over onto its new course, gaining on its target with every minute, but the marker on the display marking the chaos ship shimmered and winked in and out of existence as the vessel entered the edges of the confused dust cloud of the Castius belt. Still, with the range down to a few thousand kilometres captain Langsdorf was confident the mission could still be achieved.
“Captain, incoming transmission.”
It was Maher. Langsdorf signalled wordlessly for the communications officer to put it through.
“Langsdorf, are you sure we should follow him into the belt? We can wait him out. He can’t stay in there forever.”
“I’m sure captain Maher, if we don’t follow the traitor could disengage and yet escape. I’m not prepared to let that happen.”
There was a pause while Maher considered his reply. Langsdorf and he were the same
rank, but it was Langsdorf who commanded the sword squadron.
“As you wish captain, I will intercept in approximately twelve minutes. Maher out.”
At least the commissar would not be able to level accusations of cowardice this time.
Time slowed for the men on the Valiant’s bridge as the distance closed. Soon the enemy would be in weapons range and feel the wrath of the sword’s massive forward gun batteries. Combined with the firepower of the Revenge, the traitor vessel Red Slaughter stood no chance.
+++
Maher exchanged a look with his first officer. Following the chaos ship into the belt was a bad plan, and the old captain knew it. From the pacing of his number one Maher was aware his views were shared but it was Langsdorf’s decision.
“Helmsman,” said Maher, “time to belt at current speed?”
“Nine minutes captain”, came the reply.
Maher exhaled heavily, his oversized navy uniform relaxing on the captain’s bulky frame. He nodded and signalled to his first officer. Maher’s number one approached the captain’s chair.
“I don’t want any foul ups in there number one.” Said Maher quietly so no-one else on the Revenge’s bridge could hear.
The first officer nodded.
“Its that damn commissar making Langsdorf do this captain.”
Maher sighed. Imperial commissars had no place on a Navy ship in his opinion.
+++
“Master gunner, how long till maximum weapons range?” Asked Langsdorf.
“Nine minutes.”
About the same time the quarry would enter the belt reasoned Langsdorf. Looking at the tactical display the blue icon of the Revenge was also closing fast and would soon be entering the mass of gas and dust. For a moment Langsdorf wondered whether having both imperial ships pursue the Red Slaughter into the confusion of the belt would be wise, but he knew that only together would they be sure of the kill. Minutes passed and the range reduced, but the enemy vessel was still out of range.
“Dammit can’t we go any quicker.” Said the captain, glancing with frustration at adept Lucius, master engineer and priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Though rhetorical, adept Lucius chose to reply, his flat emotionless voice in stark contrast to the tension filling the Valiant’s bridge.
“We are at maximum speed captain. The engines are working at their full capacity.”
The reply did nothing to ease the captain’s nerves and he wished he hadn’t asked. Commissar Kreuzer sighed ever so slightly behind the captain’s lectern, infuriating Langsdorf.
“Enemy vessel entering the belt captain,” said the first officer.
Langsdorf watched the display as the icon representing the Red Slaughter flickered then winked out of existence. Leaning over the thick glass screen he clenched his fists and groaned. The sensors had failed as predicted. The only way to pick up the trail now was to follow the vessel in and get close. Too close for Langsdorf’s liking.
“Thirty seconds to the belt.”
Langsdorf acknowledged his first officer with a cursory wave without looking up from the display. The ships automated systems began to take over, lowering the adamantium blast shields over the forward viewing windows in preparation for entering the belt. The blackness of deep space shrank and was then shut out as the shields closed with a heavy metallic clang.
“Entering the Castius belt now sir,” said Krauss.
Lansdorf watched with a feeling of dread as all the icons on the display vanished, leaving only the blue eagle in its centre representing the Valiant herself.
“Communications non functional captain.”
“Void shields ineffective.”
The reports came in from his senior staff with implacable predictability. This was bound to happen. His ship was now blind and defenceless. Why did he follow the chaos renegade in here? Minutes passed and Langsdorf’s frustration grew.
“I think you’ve lost her captain,” said commissar Kreuzer with a marked hint of disapproval.
Captain Langsdorf slowly turned to face his tormenter, the colour burning in his cheeks. Seeing the captain’s pent up rage the commissar retreated a step. Langsdorf returned to the display. Where was the traitor vessel?
+++
Shimmering dust and gas shrouded the Revenge as the pitted armoured prow of the Sword class frigate pushed its way through the Castius Belt. On the bridge captain Maher and his first officer stood leaning over the main tactical lectern in the centre of the room, directly below the decorated vaulted ceiling. Both men were frowning.
“Bloody nothing. You see that?”
First officer Callum had to agree. The tactical display on the Revenge was indeed blank, but swearing and getting red-faced, as Maher was, wasn’t going to change that. However after serving with the old man for ten years Callum was used to such outbursts.
“Throne of Earth! We’re blind in here!”
Callum didn’t reply, knowing the captain was relieving his frustration in his own unique way.
After a few more curse filled seconds the first officer’s attention was drawn to a brief flash on the display. It wasn’t there long but for a second a white icon had appeared of the stern of the ship.
“Captain, I think there is something else in here.”
Maher stopped mid stride as he paced up and down the bridge. Returning to the display lectern he saw the same icon appear, briefly glowing white, indicating a vessel only a couple of hundred kilometres distant. Then, as the two naval officers watched, the icon appeared again, this time glowing blue. Without taking his eyes off the display Maher gave his orders.
“Comms, get me Langsdorf.”
“Communications are being blocked by interference,” came the immediate reply.
Maher’s eyes locked with those of his first officer noting his look of concern was shared by his number one. The Valiant was directly behind Revenge and there was no way of knowing whether Langsdorf could see them.
+++
A flicker of light flashed into existence on the Valiant’s tactical screen, glowing white just a few hundred kilometres off the ship’s port bow. Krauss noticed first and shouted to his captain, his voice quavering with excitement.
“Vessel at 340 degrees captain! Range, three hundred kilometres.We have a firing solution.”
“Wait,” commanded Langsdorf, “We must await target verification.”
Langsdorf willed the flickering white icon to glow red, identifying it as an enemy, but the change would not come. If he waited too long the target lock might be lost.
“Sir, range increasing to four hundred kilometres. It must be the Red Slaughter.”
“We have to be sure.”
Commissar Kreuzer strode forward impatiently, standing beside the captain, his face dark and insistent.
“Captain Langsdorf,” he said, “must I remind you of your sacred duty to the emperor? You have the enemy in sight, you must open fire!”
“I am still in command of this ship,” hissed the captain, “I will not fire on an unidentified vessel!”
All eyes were fixed on the confrontation in the centre of the Valiant’s dimly lit bridge. Only the mindless servitors, wired into their posts, continued their duties. First officer Krauss looked nervously from Kreuzer to Langsdorf while the gunnery officer stood ready to unleash the devastating firepower of the frigate’s forward batteries.
“Range five hundred kilometres, course 340,” said Krauss, “captain, it’s the Slaughter, it must be.”
The commissar leaned over the captain’s lectern, bringing his stern face inches from Langsdorf’s, his whisper audible only to the captain.
“If you do not open fire, captain, you’re career in this navy will be over. I will have you court-martialled for cowardice!”
The words stung Langsdorf to his very core, but the commissar had left him no choice. He held the commissar’s gaze for a few seconds before returning to the tactical display. The icon was still flashing white indicating an unidentified target. It had to be their quarry. From its course and speed there was no way it could be anything else could it? In any case Kreuzer had left him no choice. With an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach the captain gave the only order he could.
“Open fire.”
+++
“Energy spike directly astern!”
Maher noted the edge in the young lieutenant’s voice, indicating his fear.
“Comms?” Asked the captain desperately, looking over to the officer manning the communications console.
Taking the heavy headphones off his ears the lieutenant looked at his captain with a look which made Maher sick to his stomach. They couldn’t raise the Valiant. Idiots! Couldn’t they see the Red Slaughter must have disengaged?
“The Valiant’s firing sir!”
Maher quickly returned to his chair, followed by his first officer.
“All hands brace for impact, helmsman take evasive action!”
The crew followed their captain’s orders without question, activity breaking the atmosphere of fear and tension on the Revenge’s bridge, but Maher knew it wouldn’t do any good. They were too close and their shields were inoperative. Only a miracle would save his ship now.
“By the Emperor get me Langsdorf!”
+++
On the Valiant the tension of the bridge immediately evaporated in the frenetic activity that followed as the crew carried out their duty. Having given the order to engage the captain became an island of calm in a sea of barked orders and shouts. With a mighty shudder the Valiant’s forward guns opened fire, rocking the ship and causing the lights to flicker. Again and again the batteries fired, sending thousands of high velocity projectiles slicing through the void. At this range they couldn’t miss. The icon on the display screen flashed orange then grey, indicating a kill.
+++
As the first volley impacted with the unprotected stern of the Revenge the bridge rocked violently, sending anyone not seated sprawling to the cold mosaic-patterned floor.
“Damage report!” Barked Maher.
First officer Callum frowned as he struggled to take in the information flashing in red and yellow across his screen.
“We’ve lost engines and aspect control captain. Another shot like that and we’re done for.”
As if Captain Maher didn’t know.
“Valiant’s firing again captain!”
Maher waited in grim resignation as he imagined the massive projectiles slicing through the gas and dust, covering the distance between the two ships in mere seconds. There was nothing he could do now.
The second volley of fire from the Valiant hit the Revenge along the length of her port side, rupturing the ship’s armour and spilling atmosphere out into the vacuum of space. Hundreds died in the initial impact but more suffered an agonising death as the breath was sucked from their lungs as the pressurised compartments vented into the void. Secondary explosions tore the ship apart, splitting the mighty vessel in two, sending the aft portion spinning away from the prow, plasma and gasses pouring from the wounds torn in the Revenge’s hull.
The ship’s bridge was a scene of total chaos. With the artificial gravity gone crewmen struggled to stay at their posts. Many were screaming but most were still trying to carry out their duty and wrestle some control over the convulsing ruins of their doomed vessel.
“Shut down the main reactor”, screamed captain Maher over the deafening roar of explosions emanating from the heart of his ship, “We must disengage!”
“It’s too late”, roared the first officer, “We must abandon…”
First officer Callum’s words were sucked from his throat as a devastating explosion ripped through the command section, buckling the adamantium walls and blasting an ugly gaping hole in the side of the bridge. Many of the bridge crew were sucked, still alive, into space, their screams rendered silent in the vacuum of space.
Those who clung on suffered no better fate as superheated plasma escaping from the ruptured power core vaporised them in seconds. Less than a minute later all the bridge crew were dead. They were lucky. In the twisted wreckage of the Revenge’s two drifting sections men still lived, doomed to a slow death as their oxygen ran out in the still sealed compartments of the forward weapons decks.
+++
The guns ceased firing and several of the bridge crew cheered the victory. They had gone in after the chaos renegade where the traitors had thought they wouldn’t be followed. Red Slaughter had paid for that arrogance. Even commissar Kreuzer was smiling.
The one man not rejoicing was captain Langsdorf. For him the victory was hollow having been forced into the action by the unwanted intervention of the commissariat. The captain sighed and ordered the ship about to investigate the drifting wreck of the enemy vessel.
“Open blast shields, let’s get a visual conformation of the kill.”
The crew complied with their usual efficiency with which Langsdorf was highly satisfied. Slowly the vast metal sheets retracted revealing a scene of devastation set to a backdrop of shimmering orange and red, the colour of the Castius deeps. There was no question the guns of the Valiant had done their job. Floating in the void the hulk in front of them had been broken in two by the fury of the ship’s fusillade. Wreckage floated listlessly in space as the ship’s broken sections burned with internal fires, the armoured prow blackened and pitted by the impacts of the Valiant’s weaponry.
Armoured prow? Horror gripped Langsdorf as he stared in disbelief at the wreck drifting across the prow of his ship. Gradually the triumphant cheering on the bridge was silenced as every man stared in shock at the scene of carnage. As the Valiant passed within ten kilometres of the devastation the nameplate of the vessel spun into view. It read simply Revenge.
Sweating profusely with his eyes wide in disbelief, commissar Kreuzer turned to face the captain of the Valiant, his trembling hands brandishing a laspistol levelled at Langsdorf’s head.
“Captain Langsdorf,” said the commissar, struggling to stop his voice from cracking,
“You have failed in your duty to the emperor and destroyed on of the imperial navy’s vessels.”
Captain Langsdorf managed a smile. Of course it would turn out like this. In the heat of battle his fears of being labelled a coward had allowed him to act against his judgement. It didn’t matter that the commissar practically ordered him to open fire on an unidentified vessel. Straightening his uniform and holding his head high Langsdorf accepted the inevitable.
“Long live the Imperium.” He said before the shot rang out.
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