The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

Another fucking skirmish, were the Tau purposefully avoiding them? Henry had always known the blue xenos were smarter than most species in the galaxy, baring the eldars, but the continued prodding and harrying had a clear undertone of avoidance that was both infuriating and insulting to behold. His fingers drumming an agitated tune on the leather grip of the mounted twin heavy bolters atop the King Ghidorah, Henry surveyed their latest battlefield, the green prairie scarred by smoldering craters and scorching rents, marking where shells and lasers were exchanged. Behind him rolled a company of King Russes, spread out across the grassy vista in two wedges and three columns, turrets sweeping the landscape for any sign of the Tau that had attacked them a few minutes ago.

"Found anything?" Ladaee emerged beside him, the hatch they occupied was roomy enough for two people, Henry very much liking the intimacy.

"Nothing at all," Henry shook his head as Ladaee leaned bodily into his back. "Considering that you're up here, I'm gonna guess we're in the clear?"

"We are, I just confirm it with the air force, the group that attacked us had retired, heading west with due haste," Ladaee said. After destroying the Hive City Ralurea and wiping out a good chunk of the traitor forces, the enemy has retreated to Xyvon, the planetary capital. The battlegroup have been pursuing them temperately, Shadowsun being the main reason they haven't blitzkrieg the fuckers yet. "You look worry."

"Am I that obvious?" Henry snickered and Ladaee nodded, her chin tapping his collarbone. "Yeah, you're right, I am a little worried."

"The Tau are not committing fully," Ladaee said.

"You read my mind," Henry said. "After breaking our encirclement five days ago, it seemed more than strange they haven't made another significant push. A feat commander Shadowsun is more than capable of."

"Could she be luring us into a false sense of security?" Ladaee pressed on.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," Henry told her. "My gut instinct is telling me something is definitely wrong. I don't know, it's like jumping into calm water and realizing too late how powerful the current beneath is."

"I see," Ladaee stiffened a bit. Henry's gut instinct possessed an almost supernatural accuracy when it came to gouging emerging events. He had always put faith in good planning and tactics and strategies, but there's no denying the churning feeling in his stomach had gotten them out of many nasty pickles, so much so that the canonesses had him examined. "What do you think is going on?"

"I honestly don't know, and that's really freaking me out," Henry reached down to his waist and grabbed Ladaee's hugging hands. "I mean, we're killing them, but shit, it's like waiting for something to go wrong."

"Henry? Henry come in dude!" Nikki blurted across the intercom.

"See?! What did I just say?!" Henry threw his arms exasperatedly into the air and tapped the side of his combat earmuff. "Give it to me straight dude. Shit just hit the fan, didn't it?"

"Ugh, don't be such a pessimist, it's nothing bad," Nikki scoffed, "just that the Tau and the traitors have finally committed a sizable body of troops and are trying to encircle Tangmo, Laura and the vanguard that were pushing hard against this large town thirty kilometers west of our main column."

"They fucking did what?!" Henry shouted, springing up so fast that Ladaee was thrown against the hatch rim with an undignified squawk, "Tangmo and Laura are about to get fucked?!"

"Would you calm down, they're not getting fucked, yet," Nikki just had to add that last part, "its Tangmo and Laura dude, they'll hold until we get there. By the way, you're north of them, so how about you swing by and give them a nice little flanking surprise while me, Damien, Erik, Yuki and Lita does the same with the south?"

"Great idea! See you in a bit!" Henry tapped his earmuff, switching frequency. "Tangmo! Laura! Hang in there my dudes, I'm on my way!"

"Your stomach is right again," Ladaee sidled down the shaft and swiftly headed to the King Ghidorah's cockpit. "I'll tell Elpida to correct course."

"Thanks babe!" Henry braced his legs and the King Ghidorah swerved smoothly south, whooping loudly as he grabbed the handles of the twin heavy bolters and leaned into the momentum of the swing like he was parasailing, the landscape swept passed in a brilliant colorful blur. As the Stormhammer once again took on a straight course, Henry swiftly tapped his data-pad, bringing up the most updated map of the contested zone. From the reading, the town Tangmo, Laura and the vanguard currently occupied was situated on a pleasant flatland, the layout more reminiscent to a modern city. But as more data started flowing in and the enemy's troop placement became clear, Henry could only quirk a brow in confusion. He tapped the screen several more times, doubled check what he saw, then send everything to Ladaee and Elpida.

"…Is this the latest update?" Ladaee asked after a moment.

"It is," Henry checked the ammo belts and boxes, silently patting himself on the back for arming the heavy bolters with Kraken rounds. "The Tau and the traitors are throwing everything they have at the vanguard, who are quite entrenched around and inside the town. Judging by the corpses ringing the periphery they've made several attacks too."

"What's the point?" Ladaee asked the question on Henry's mind. "The decision to throw this much troops at the vanguard is extremely questionable. Our forward element is comprised of several regiments of guardsmen, Adepta Sororitas, Ulthwe Black Guardians, Aeldari Aspect Warriors, and supporting vehicles, they are the tip of the spear. Why are they attacking our strongest forces? If they had wanted to wreak havoc they should've attack the main body or the rear. This achieves nothing but wasteful posturing."

"My thought exactly," Henry nodded and peaked above the heavy bolters, he can already see smoke marring the horizon, streaked here and there with stray missiles and lasers. "The lack of any sophistication to the application of troops is very at odd with the Tau's doctrine of war, and the traitors also. From the report I've read, the regiments raised in this system are famed for their discipline and sharp tactical mind. These assholes behave more like drunken football fans."

"This could be a trap set up by Shadowsun," Ladaee said poignantly, and the possibility didn't escape Henry. Commander Shadowsun was one of the most accomplished characters in the Warhammer 40k universe, crafty and smart in all the worse possible way. Having read her books from the Black Library catalogue, Henry decided this wasn't her MO.

"Honestly, I highly doubt Shadowsun had anything to do with this," Henry can now see the rear element of the hostile combatants, the firefight brilliant and vivid, the octave rising above the King Ghidorah's roaring engine. "Wedge one and two, follow me into the breach. Column three, four and five, spread out and attack the enemy's flanks. Suppress and scatter them. No mercy, in the name of the Emperor let none survive!"

"Yes sir!" The tank commanders said in unison and the armored company got into the correct formation, at the edge of his vision Henry can see the two wedges matching pace with the King Ghidorah.

"The Lord of Tanks charge into battle once more!" Elpida giggled over the intercom and the King Ghidorah's crew cheered heartily.

"Yo Elpida, haven't you heard, I changed the name," Henry swung the twin heavy bolters forward, fixing the Tau in his crosshair. "I shall now be known as the Steel Commander, like that new Sabaton song about, appropriately enough, tanks! So yes, I'm the Steel Commander now!"

"Don't you dare start singing!" Erik snapped, loud and crisp, almost making Henry jumped out of his boots in fright. How the fuck does the Swedish elf keep doing that?! What kind of godly superpower does he have?!

"Steel Commander…yes, I like that," Elpida was obviously nodding on the other end. "It rolled nicely off the tongue, a lot better than the Lord of Tanks, if I may say so myself."

"If you two are done discussing nicknames like a bunch of fresh cadets," Ladaee cut in and Elpida shut up with a squeak. "Can you be so kind as to mark out our targets, Steel Commander?"

"Let's see," Henry reached down and pulled out a sizable binocular from a holster bolted to the side of the hatch. The reason for its weighty appearance was because this binocular was linked to the King Ghidorah's main computer, the one currently occupied by Ladaee and Elpida, which means Henry can easily pick out the targets and marked them individually for the gunners to calibrate the necessary ballistic for a bullseye. "Hang on a sec…alright, I got it, the Vanquisher Leman Russ dead straight of us, that group of Hammerhead tanks, and the shit load of fuel trucks all clustered over there."

"Targets marked," Ladaee said, "fire in the hole!"

Henry will never get tired of the King Ghidorah's deafening triple barrels reverberation, because holy shit it felt like he was riding the thunder and going supersonic like Superman, the unleashed ordnance shattering his senses in the most bombastic way, an almost out of body experience as cacophonic flame consumed the world. All of that lasted for about a second, and Henry quickly pressed the binocular to his face, grinning when the shells struck brilliantly. The Vanquisher Leman Russ was blown inside out, the war machine torn apart by roiling inferno, hulking, flaming debris scything across ranks of infantries and tanks. The Hammerhead that took the full force of the second shell was wiped out of existence, gone in a flash of light, while its four companions were ripped to shreds by the kinetic force of the blast, sending the carcasses skipping across the ground in fiery heaps. As for the trucks…shit, he can't see anything over the fucking firestorm.

"Direct hit Ladaee, excellent shot!" Henry swept the binocular over the battlefield, the traitors and the Tau were now making a one eighty U-turn to meet the new threats. The King Russes opened fired then, stopping them from salvaging the situation. Grinning, Henry picked out the most dangerous group of tanks and marked those sons of bitches. "New targets Ladaee, let it rip!"

"Yo Henry, was that you man?!" Tangmo piped up over the intercom. "Because holy shit, that was fucking beautiful, thanks for the save!"

"Not that it was needed," Galatea grumbled. The canoness of the Martyred Lady was a charming person like that.

"You're more than welcome Galatea," Henry smirked as the King Ghidorah unleashed another thunderous volley and roaring inferno consumed a large swathe of the Tau's rear, bodies and machines flew across the air in blazing comets. Combined with the unceasing assaults from the other tanks, the enemies were swiftly and easily encircled. "Hey Tangmo, hammer and avail again?"

"Sure dude, but can you and the tanks be the anvil for a change?" Tangmo asked. "The Sororitas really wanna kill shit, and they are threatening me with physical harm if I don't let them go crazy. Can you help me out a bit dude?!"

"Don't be so dramatic, lord commissar," Myorin, koso of the Celestial Serenity, scoffed at Tangmo's cry for help. "We only presented the possibility to you politely."

"Alright guys and gals settle down, we'll be the avail for you," Henry snickered. "I have only one request though, please kindly give them hell."

"Your wish is our command, lord general," legatus Victrix of the Eternal Legion failed completely at hiding her mirth as Henry terminated the transmission and switched to the broad frequency used by the armored column.

"All units, create a cordon around the enemy's forces, block their escape and suppress them with small arms fire, keep them contain while our troops sally forth from the town, be careful of friendly fire," Henry said then changed the channel to the one used by the King Ghidorah. "Ladaee, stop the King Ghidorah, the Sororitas are about to charge and we're the audience now. All side guns, take aim and prepare to fire."

The King Ghidorah rolled gently to a stop, the Stormhammer easily towering above the killing field, granting Henry an unobstructed view of the slaughter to come. Grabbing hold of the twin heavy bolters, Henry swung the gun at a group of Devilfishes and Piranhas trying to bull their way through a thicket of screaming soldiers, and pulled the triggers. Iridescent stream of burning red bolts cleaved the air and tore into the panicky Tau, the armor piercing rounds ripping apart metals and steels like it was nothing, fire and explosions devoured them within seconds. Around the King Ghidorah others tanks lumbered to a stop, heavy bolters, lascannons and plasma cannons unleashed on the enemies, cutting them down with horrific ease, misty sheen of steaming blood hovered above the battlefield like maddened ghosts. Henry gotta give them credit though, despite their hopeless situation the enemy mustered a commendable, yet futile, resistance, what little remained of their war machines tried to form coherent firing lines, but the Immortal Spirit tanks ended the attempt before it even started. The infantries though, were behaving rather oddly.

"Ladaee, are you seeing this?" Henry tapped his earmuff when, lo and behold, a buncha officers in great coats and epaulettes started mustering the surviving rearguard into a tight line, several ranks deep, bayonets gleaming. And standing amongst the humans were Tau and Kroots, like their compatriots they were shaking with what appeared to be frothing anticipation, shoulders heaving up and down with barely restrained violence.

"As in the humans and Tau are preparing to bayonet charge us?" Ladaee deadpanned. "Good to know I'm not the only person seeing it, your order?"

"Simple, we gun the dumb fuckers down," Henry barked a laugh and trained his twin heavy bolters at the mass of soldiers, the officers were brandishing their swords in the air and giving epic final speeches to the troops, all of whom cheered loudly, the timbre bloodthirsty. Shaking his head with a tsk, Henry eased his fingers around the triggers. "Every gun make ready, let them get in range before mowing them down. Steady…steady…!"

The traitors and Tau never got the chance to charge gloriously at Henry and his tanks, because the hammer came down, hard. Like watching a dam burst, the enemy line exploded in a fountain of viscera as the Adepta Sororitas and the Howling Banshees crashed through their unsuspecting ranks. Keeping in with the Warhammer 40k tradition, the warrior women plunged into their wailing foes with melee weapons, chainswords, katanas, swords, halberds and hammers brandished high and bloody.

"Okay, looks like the battle is over, everybody simmer down, the last people you wanna friendly fire are the Sororitas," Henry took off his awesome general cap and wiped his brow, around him the other tanks heeded his warning and swiftly toned down the suppressing barrage. "Hey Ladaee, the coast is clear, come on up."

Ladaee emerged a few moments later and joined Henry in watching the beauty of the Adepta Sororitas in their natural habitat, that being the indiscriminate slaughter of their enemies. On the far flanks slow moving companies comprised of Bloody Roses, Valorous Hearts, Ebon Chalices and Avenging Knights, armed with heavy weapons, created a large screen of blazing bolts, burning promethium, blinding melta, and rolling plasmas as they grind soldiers and war machines to smoldering minced meat. At the center things were more fast paced, but by no means hectic, as three different shield wall formations advanced on the trapped enemies, their concentrated fire failing to deter the Sisters of Battle. The Frost Bringers blew their horns, the powerful blasts reverberating clear across the battlefield as the Viking Sororitas pressed forward unyielding, bolters flashed from between interlocking rims of woods and steels, softening the enemies before charging en masses. The Viking Sororitas cheered wildly as their foes died under battering shields and cleaving axes and swords, the bloodletting joyous and merciless. Nearby the Golden Pride hollered and sang loudly as they closed their distant with the beleaguered troops, the wall of Nguni shields more loose than the Frost Bringer's formation. The Zulu Sororitas would faked a charge, unleashed a barrage of bolts at the enemies, then dashed back before any coherent counterattack can materialized, the constant harassment reaping a heavy toll on the traitors and the Tau. Eventually, the embattled soldiers lost their collective shits and gave chase, which was what the Golden Pride wanted. The Zulu Sororitas closed ranks and countercharged, the center crashing into the startled troops, iklwa spears flashing murderous crimson as the two flanks spread out like a pair curving horns to complete the encirclement. The butchery was short and terrible. Last but not least the Eternal Legion effectively turned themselves into moving bunkers, bolts and rockets flew from tightly packed testudos to land with deadly precision amongst the enemy's ranks, killing them before they can mustered any determined resistance. Slow though the testudos might be compared to the Frost Bringers and Golden Pride, the synchronized discipline displayed was breathtaking to behold, the adamantium scutums never losing its singular shape as the Eternal Legion weathered a downpour of las and pulse bullets, the desperate fusillades unable to stop the Roman Sororitas as they rolled over every opposition with the unstoppable, unrelenting force of a devouring tide. And providing fire support between these shield walls were the Martyred Lady, the Argent Shrouds, the Sacred Roses, the Celestial Serenities, the Aeldari and the Imperial Guards, all guns blazing as they advance on the faltering foes. Tangmo was at the front, as always, accompanied by Cadian, Mordian, Vostroyan, Dawn Blade and Homeland Rifle, the guardsmen making short work of the last few remaining enemy holdouts. If Henry wasn't mistaken, Tangmo and the guardsmen seemed hellbent on reaching the Tau before the Sororitas does. Welp, healthy competition was always good.

"And that's the end of that," Henry put the special binocular back into its holster and tapped his earmuff. "All armor units, reposition around the town, all barrels turned outward, hold your position until the rest of the battlegroup arrives. Keep your eyes peeled people, we don't want another ambush happening."

"Yes sir!" The King Russes swiftly spun around and started taking up optimal positions where they can easily scan the landscape beyond.

"I need to check in with Tangmo and find out what the fuck just happened," Henry pushed himself out of the hatch and sat on the rim, hands extended down to Ladaee, "you coming?"

"Someone needs to take care of our baby while you're gone," Ladaee gave the King Ghidorah a loving pat. "You go ahead and have fun. I'll keep an eye out for the Tau and let you know if they try something."

"Stay safe," Henry took off his earmuff, put on his earbuds, swung over the hatch, and deftly descended the King Ghidorah, easily scaling down the slopped armors and ladders. When he was a few feet from the ground, Henry jumped off and made a badass superhero landing. Dusting off his awesome general coat, Henry spun around and spread his arms out like an acrobat who had just performed an Olympic winning move at Ladaee. "How was it?"

"Eh, Yuki and Erik did it better," Ladaee shrugged and slid inside the hatch. With an indignant huff, Henry smoothen his awesome general coat and stomped across the killing field, which was already simmering down. After a moment he adopted a nice strolling pace, because goddamn the Sororitas and Banshees were fucking thorough. The enemies had been completely wiped out. Their soldiers and war machines lay broken in charred pieces, many still burning. Those were the lucky ones, because the poor bastards who didn't die immediately were now toys for the Sororitas to take apart at their leisure. A Tau Fire Warrior, after making a few pitiful swings at the surrounding Sisters of Battle with his empty pulse rifle, got ganged up by Vikings, Zulus and Romans Sororitas, feet and fists raining down amidst mocking laughter. Henry stopped to gander at the brutality for a moment before quickly moving on when the nuns turned questioningly at him.

"Mercy! By the Emperor, I beseech mercy, please!" Henry leapt away from an injured human officer trying to grab his leg, behind him stalked a pair of Bloody Rose sisters. "Please!"

"Should have thought of that before siding with the Tau, you dumb fuck," Henry flipped him off the same moment a whirling chainsword plunged into his back. Ignoring the screaming man, Henry wiped bloody flecks off his awesome general coat and waved at Tangmo, the Thai commissar was standing with the Imperial Guard colonels and the canonesses, "yo Tangmo!"

"Henry, my man!" Tangmo and Henry clasped hands and gave each other hearty bro hugs. "Thanks for the save dude, goddamn that was some beautiful explosions!"

"We would have easily beaten back the enemy, with or without your assistance," Galatea added sternly but her tone softened when the moderate canonesses shot her reprimanding looks. "But I digress. Your assistance was indeed timely, thank you lord general."

"Happy to help," Henry flashed a dashing smile and was genuinely surprised when Galatea reciprocated with a light grin of her own. "So how was the fight? From what I saw, you guys were having no problem holding them back."

"Oh yeah, buncha fucking amateurs, they just threw everything they had at us," Tangmo told Henry, the Thai holding the American's gaze heavily. "You noticed how they acted like fucking Chaos cultists, right?"

"I saw, yes," Henry nodded. "The Tau are behaving like their human allies, I mean, what the fuck, aren't the blue mofos supposed to be professional commando and not some bayonet charging lemmings?"

"It is as if the Tau forces are split in two," colonel Stanislav of the Vostroyan entered the conversation. "The performance displayed today contrasted greatly with the encirclement a week earlier. Those Tau were deadly and precise, even me and mine can admit to that, but these ones behave like madmen, fighting as a cultist would as the lord commissar said."

"This is like the Space Hulk, but on a larger scale," colonel Kenshin noted, the gathered main characters murmured in agreement. "The Tau forces are fragmented, so it's safe to assume that sooner or later they will implode from within."

"There's one major difference though," Henry said. "Shadowsun is commanding these guys. She won't let her troops cannibalized themselves."

"Yet it is clear that her tactic is erratic at best," Firnera spoke up and even the Sororitas supported her hypothesis. "Besides the surgical strike she performed on us, I've seen nothing but evasion and retreat from this famed Tau commander, and after reading her dossier, well, let's just say many of my Aeldari colleagues are questioning the validity of her accomplishments."

"And when she did attack us like today, the execution can only be described as sloppy," Crestienne added, leaning easily on her power halberd. "Her soldiers behave more like an angry mob than trained soldiers."

"Maybe Shadowsun wants us to think that she sucks?" Tangmo's statement earned extremely incredulous looks from the main characters, prompting the Thai commissar to hold up his hands defensively. "Hear me out, she could be playing possum, tricking us into lowering our guards then bam! She sucker punches us with a haymaker and knocks us on our asses!"

"At the expense of wasting her troops and that of her allies?" Bellona scoffed disparagingly and Tangmo scowled at her. "No lord commissar, no matter how much you try to convince us otherwise, commander Shadowsun has failed to live up to her vaulted reputation, blown out of proportion by the Water Caste no doubt."

"That's still doesn't change the fact that some really strange shit is going on around here," Henry cut in before Tangmo can say something he'll regret. "Now I don't know what the hell is going on with Shadowsun and the Tau and the rebels, but I do know that most of the time there's always more beneath the surface. I mean, I've fought Chaos enough time to know that there's some supernatural shit going on, I can't be the only mofo seeing this, right?"

"You are not, because there is empirical proof to that statement," Krillen nudged a dead Tau onto his back. The pretty boy colonel of the Cadian 89th knelt down next to the xeno and pried his battered breastplate open, revealing an eight pointed star on the underside. The Sororitas made warding gestures and hissed angry prayers. "I wasn't sure at first, only catching glimpses of the shape as we gunned them down. But this confirms without a doubt that the Ruinous Power has gained a firm foothold within the Tau expeditionary force, and possibly the traitors also."

"I want the enemy casualties examined, any signs of Chaos found is to be destroyed with extreme prejudice," Galatea bellowed and the guardsmen and eldars nodded their affirmation, within moments orders were quickly given to the troops. "Build pyres, brothers and sisters. That is the only way to purge the corruption."

"Might as well search this entire fucking town while we're at it," Tangmo checked the ammo on his Zetton lasgun, held it at the ready across his chest, and pointed at the Cadian and Mordian main characters. "You guys are with me, bring a platoon along. And pass the order to every regiment to make a full sweep of the place, no stone unturned." As Krillen and Evangeline contacted their colonel buddies, Tangmo turned to Galatea. "Can I borrow the Celestians and the Banshees? I need people who can quickly spot nearby corruption."

"Very well," Galatea nudged her head and the Celestians of every order and Firnera's Banshees gathered around Tangmo, standing at the ready. "Stay safe lord commissar."

"Thank you, you too," Tangmo waiied the canonesses, adjusted his awesome commissar coat and cap, and waved for Henry to join him at the front of the troupe, "you coming dude?"

"Always," Henry grinned, drew his laspistol, and gave it a dashing cowboy twirled around his finger, earning appreciative whistles from the Avenging Knight Sororitas. "Which way dude?"

"The town center, where the mayor mansion and all the big houses are situated," Tangmo, with Henry beside him, marched deeper into the town, the troops following in a loose column. "We didn't have a chance to secure the town before the ambush happens, could be hostiles hiding all over the place."

"I got your back bro," Henry nodded and followed Tangmo into the first house they came across, the column likewise spreading out to start the mop up operation. The place was empty, and it was only after stepping back into the open that Henry realized someone was missing. "Wait a minute, where's Laura? Fuck, I completely forgot about her!"

"Relax dude. A group of Tau Piranhas managed to breach one of our defenses, so she led the Krieg and the Cadian 101st after them," Tangmo said easily, "she's fine, this is Laura we're talking about."

Henry chuckled in agreement, and for the hour that followed they went about securing every building they came across, from simple two storey homes to wide office buildings, even the large warehouses didn't escape their scrutiny. And Tangmo was right, there were people lurking inside, mostly civilians, but with military men and women sprinkled here and there also. Henry was considering whether or not to take a more humanitarian approach when a stupid wide eyed teenager decided to be a fucking hero and tried to shank Sigrid, a task performed unsuccessfully, with lethal consequence. And just like that everything went to hell. As in, anything that moved either got skewered or shot.

"Bloody stupid fucking bastards," Laura stomped out of one of the building, followed by a group of Krieg and several Cadians, amongst them was captain Minka, who had a whimpering Prassan draped over her shoulder. Wiping sweat from her forehead, Laura turned to Minka as she lowered Prassan slowly to the ground and propped him up in a sitting position. "Christ almighty, is he alright? Where were you hit?"

"The stubber bullet just grazed his arm," Minka deadpanned, giving Prassan her most unimpressed gaze. The young Cadian looked more wounded by the captain's expression than his actual injury. "Nothing bandages and a little healing solution wouldn't fix."

"I could've been hurt a lot worse," Prassan mumbled, cheeks reddening when Minka rolled her eyes at him.

"He's right, I've seen good guardsmen died because of some trigger happy civvies," Laura was currently in full Scottish mode when the rest of the 101st Cadian emerged from the small house they were clearing. "Every cunt in there better be dead sergeant."

"They are, lady inquisitor," Dido nodded, but it was clear she was not happy, and Laura noticed.

"Don't look so down sergeant, people might take it the wrong way," Laura glanced at Tangmo, her pearly white smile all honey and sunshine. "Isn't that right, lord commissar Tangmo?"

"Play nice Laura," Tangmo grinned disarmingly. The 101st Cadian, Minka especially, relaxed visibly when it was clear nobody was gonna get blam, "any casualty on our front, sergeant Dido?"

"None sir, well, beside Prassan's little scratch that is," Dido and the Cadian laughed at the red-faced guardsmen.

"Carry on then, and be careful, eh captain?" Tangmo tipped his awesome commissar cap at Minka, who saluted handsomely before heading off to the next building.

"You know, a commissar is supposed to be scary," Laura rolled her eyes good naturedly and held out her fist at him, Tangmo pumped it friendlily.

"I am scary, but only to my enemies," Tangmo huffed and turned to Henry. "See? I told you she's fine."

"Henry! Thanks for the save mate," Laura held up her hand and high fived Henry, their palms smacking loudly, with heart, and a little bit too much force. Goddamn that stings. "Sorry I wasn't there when the Lord of Tanks swooped in to rescue us damsel."

"It's Steel Commander actually, I'm changing the name. Anyway, I'm just glad you're safe, got a bit scared when I didn't see you kicking ass with Tangmo," Henry stabbed his thumb back at the miffed Sororitas and Banshees, the nuns and elves were not fans of the word damsels. "If anything, it's the Sisters of Battle and the Howling Banshees who won the day for us. I just took out a few tanks."

"Aww, always the gentleman," Laura walked up to Miriya and Firnera and threw her arms over their necks, pulling them uncomfortably close. "So ladies, what did I miss?"

"Nothing of note, although the Tau are acting strange, like how they did back on the Space Hulk," Miriya said. "Where were you headed, lady inquisitor?"

"I was following Tangmo's advice and kicking down doors," Laura nudged her head at the town's deeper interior. "I was just done snooping these houses and was about to go check out the mayor's mansion. Wanna tag along loves?"

"If we are to find useful information, it would be there," Firnera shrugged Laura off, Miriya doing the same, leaving the British inquisitor pouting sadly. "Lead the way, lady inquisitor."

"Okay then, follow the leader!" Henry, and Tangmo too judging by his relieved sigh, was more than glad Laura didn't start singing the Peter Pan song, although the way she held up her claymore and the exaggerated jaunting of steps was very much like that four-eyed nerd with the top hat from the Disney cartoon. Having grown more than accustomed to the Eight's batshit quirkiness, the guardsmen, the Sororitas and the Aeldari followed them at an easy pace, but not without a round of groans and rolls of eyes. As it turned out, the mayoral mansion was just down the road, the round three storey building enclosed within tall stone wall was very medieval looking, early medieval too, all menace and no style. Whistling sharply Laura, with Henry and Tangmo flanking her, strode up to the pitched black iron gate, claymore braced like a badass on her shoulder, "now that looks like a place where you can find all sorts of secrets."

"And a fucking ambush," Tangmo pointed his lasgun forward and summoned the guardsmen with quick hand signals. "Prepare to breach, safeties off people, we're going in!"

"Excuse me Tangmo, but whatever happened to ladies first?" In the blink of an eye, Laura changed from an angry Scotswoman stalking the alleyway of Glasgow and transformed into a posh London madam, the crown jewel of British high society. Her bearing was one of dainty reprimand as she fixed a stern gaze on Tangmo. "I am very disappointed young man, I had expected better from someone of such high standing. One's manner must never slip under any circumstances."

"You wanna go first? Be my guest!" Tangmo stepped away from the gate with a sunny smile. "Hey, I ain't stopping you from getting shot first, I'm more than happy to go second."

"Right you are Tangmo," Laura nodded and got her claymore up in a defensive guard, the gigantic highland weapon clashing greatly with her prim manner. "Agrippina, can you and your princeps be a dear and remove this ghastly gate please, it appears to be fastened quite tight, how rude of the lord mayor to be so unwelcoming."

"Your will be done, lady inquisitor," Agrippina was obviously grinning as she and her princeps went about planting explosives across the gate. When that's done, they swiftly formed a picture perfect testudo in front of the soon to be destroyed entrance. Seeing what was coming, Henry, Tangmo and the guardsmen slipped behind the Sororitas and the Banshees and got into the correct breaching position, "on three sisters! One…two…!"

The iron railing blew inward in gouts of fire, clattering loudly across the cobblestone boulevard flanked by grim statues and well-manicured lawn.

"Domine, libra nos!" The Sisters of battle roared as one and charged the mayoral compound, Agrippina's testudo forming the spearhead, supported by the Celestial Serenity, the Argent Shroud and the Howling Banshee, while the rest of the Sororitas spread out across the lawn, moving like spec ops as they rounded the entire mansion within a minute, no crevices or shadows left unchecked.

"All clear!" By the time Henry and Tangmo led their troops down the boulevard the Sororitas and the Banshees had already gathered around the stairs leading up to the mansion's twin doors, Laura, Firnera and the Celestian leaders standing on the top flight. Upon seeing the boys, she nudged her head at the closed entrance, "your turn to do the heavy work gentlemen."

Henry and Tangmo traded sideway glances, snorted derisively, swaggered up to the door, their steps tapping in sync, and proceed to kick that motherfucker down. The two partitions flew open, slamming loudly against the walls as Henry and Tangmo made their badass entrance, quite reminiscent to that montage scene in the first Captain America movie, the Thai commissar and the American general sweeping the halls, doorways and foyers with their lasgun and laspistol.

"That was rather graceless," Emmanis of the Ebon Chalice deadpanned as Laura led the nuns and elves inside after Tangmo and Henry, their weapons lowered now that it was clear no welcoming committee was gonna shower them with bullets.

"I thought it was rather dashing," Hitomi commented, she and Meifeng giggling as they cast the American and the Thai very appreciative looks.

"Brave, without a doubt," Jenatea of the Valorous Heart gave the interior a look of utter disdain. The gaudy opulent displayed offending her greatly. "Unlike the bastards who lived here, the cowards had all fled."

"Wisdom demands that the mansion be thoroughly searched nevertheless," colonel Evangeline strode primly forward, hands clasped behind her back as she scanned the hall. "I've seen houses like this, live in one for a short time in my childhood, and I know for a fact how many hidden passageways and rooms can be tucked away inside places you would least likely to look. I would advise caution, the mansion might not be as empty as you think."

"Could they have planted bombs and traps around the place?" Tangmo asked and Evangeline nodded sharply. "Should we get the engineers and EODs in here?"

"It wouldn't hurt," Evangeline said, "if anything, it would be very prudent."

"Get to it, and stay safe dude," Tangmo and Evangeline traded tipping of the hats and the Mordian colonel started relaying orders to the guardsmen, the two had gotten a lot chummier since their last stand back on Yomi.

"Do you feel anything?" Henry turned to Miriya and Verity. "Are there any lingering traces of corruption inside the mansion? Have any dark sacraments been performed here or in the surrounding vicinity?"

"Chaos has touched this place, lord general," Verity told him with a frown. "I can feel the residue of the miasma like a weak sheen of mist shrouding the interior. An artifact of some kind had been here, or could still be here."

"Spread out and find the source of the corruption, and be careful, we all know how nasty those Chaos cunts are," Laura told the Sororitas and headed up the stair immediately in front of them, waving for Tangmo and Henry to follow. "This is the most generic looking medieval building I've seen in a while. Therefore the mayoral office should be at the back, down that hallway over there. Let's go guys."

"Right behind you dude," Henry nodded and followed Laura deeper into the mansion with Tangmo, the dark stone walls and statues and pictures and tapestry passing in a blur as they headed down the carpeted corridor and toward the gilded doors looming at the end of their path. "Now that's a door to a study if I ever saw one."

"So who dies first?" Tangmo smirked as he grabbed the diamond topped golden doorknob, "the Asian, the black dude or the girl?"

"All three at once seems like a nice break from the cliché," Laura giggled and took the other doorknob while Henry went to stand between the two partitions, legs braced and body hunched, ready to be the first to breach the door. So yeah, he was probably gonna die first if something happened. "You sure this place isn't bobby trapped?"

"Shit, I haven't a clue, guess we'll find out," Tangmo turned the doorknob, it clicked sharply, but no explosion tore them to pieces, "so far so good. Alright, I'm gonna push this open nice and slow, you with me Laura?"

"Always mate," Laura glanced at Henry. "We move together when the doors open, ready?"

"I got both your backs," Henry pointed his M1911 laspistol forward, eyes trained down the iron sight, his breathing slowed until all his senses were crystal clear. "Open it."

Soundlessly the two partitions split open, Tangmo and Laura's movement was slow and synchronized like clockwork as the mayoral study was revealed, Henry took one, then two steps toward the widening entrance, laspistol honed unwavering, when he reached the threshold the Thai commissar and the British inquisitor joined him, lasgun and claymore in hands. The trio was reaching the center of the room, circular with the usual furniture to flaunt the intellectual quality of the owner, bookshelves stretching to the domed ceiling, cabinets with many curios, and a huge oaken desk of gleaming dark brown, when they realized no bombs or ambushes was happening.

"Looks like we're in the clear," Tangmo lowered his lasgun but held it at the ready.

"I don't think so," Henry pointed at the desk Laura was rounding, claymore raised high above her head like an executioner about to perform a decapitation, where a large, dusty tome lay on the tabletop. "That is one evil looking book."

"A grimoire to be precise," Laura sneered as she, Henry and Tangmo beheld the leather bound cover etched with ghastly daemonic figures and blasphemous runes. "And yep, I think we found the source of the corruption."

"Verity, Alnelle, we need you guys up here right now," Tangmo tapped his earbud and within a minute Miriya and Firnera's squad filed into the study. The Thai commissar pointed his barrel at the Chaos book. "Can you destroy it?"

"I believe we can," Verity sucked in a deep breath, chest puffed and back straight, and took Alnelle's hand into her own, the eldar striking a similar pose, the two medics attempt to look steadfast and indomitable was very cute to behold. "Ready?"

"Ready," Alnelle nodded and took out a tear drop amulet from under her armor, Verity likewise produced a silver aquila from her raiment, blessed by Isha and Celestine respectively, the two religious idols now dangling above the daemonic tome. Immediately the evil book started to quiver, as if sensing it's nearing demise. Trading stern looks, Verity and Alnelle closed their eyes and started praying, the words of the hymn serene and melodic, and despite the verses being different, a harmony developed, a coexisting contrast, two halves joined into a perfect whole. Smoke rose from the spasming grimoire, prompting Laura to lay her claymore on the cover, while Henry, Tangmo, the Celestians and the Banshees pointed their guns at the possessed book. The hymn lasted for only about two minutes, but the moment Verity and Alnelle stopped singing the grimoire burst into flame, the fire piercing blue, the pages thrashed violently but can do nothing thanks to Laura's claymore. Within moments the Chaos book was reduced to blacken ashes, and the closet on the right side of the room burst open. Oh shit, here we fucking go. As one, every barrel in the room swept toward the disturbance, fingers coiled tight around triggers, breath held in anticipation for the violence to come. Expecting a cultist, a Fire Warrior, hell, even some lesser daemon summoned by the grimoire desperate wailing, what greeted them instead was an unarmed, and very frightened, Tau woman. Okay, so, fucking Game Workshop lied again. Henry was well prepared to be revolted by the blue xeno but goddamn, the official art massively failed to do the Tau justice, because now that he was seeing one up close, one that isn't dead at least, he had to admit they were very easy on the eyes. Although not as ethereally beautiful as the Aeldari, the Tau possessed clear feminine characteristics that were familiar and attractive, the contours and curves more than capable of eliciting heretical thoughts. If he was to make a fair comparison, Tau women were straddled somewhere between a Na'vi and an Asari on the attractive scale. This one in particular, clad in a very fashionable mix of futuristic long sleeve shirt and trouser topped off with a flowing coat that resembled a kimono, was quite pretty. Seeing the guns trained on her, the Tau woman squealed loudly and clambered back inside the closet, trying and failing to shut it in her haste.

"Okay, seriously, I'm not the only one seeing this, right?" Tangmo lowered his lasgun and turned to the nuns and elves, like him they were equally confused by what they were witnessing.

"If you are referring to the Tau desperately trying to climb back inside the closet, then yes, it is quite hard to miss," Isabel, Miriya's left hand woman, nodded as she lowered her Godwyn bolter, the first of the Sororitas to do so.

"Phew, for a moment there I thought I was the only one," Henry was scratching his head in confoundment when Laura stabbed her claymore point first into the floorboard, stomped up to the closet, and threw it open, the British inquisitor towering murderously over the paling Tau.

"Ahhh! No, please don't kill me, please!" The Tau squealed as Laura grabbed the front of her shirt, "ahhh! Please!"

"Get over here!" With a brutal wrenched, Laura threw the Tau woman into the room, the female xeno bounced and rolled painfully across the floor, coming to a stop amidst the sneering Sororitas and Banshees. There was no mercy to be found, and the Tau woman started weeping miserably, her begging went unheard as Laura stalked up to her. "Now that's a sorry sight."

"I don't want to die," the Tau woman sniffed as she searched vainly for sympathy from Laura and the warrior women, it was futile venture. "Please, I'm not even a soldier, I'm a diplomat, a Water Caste liaison between the expeditionary force and the planetary governor."

"A damn snake sent to corrupt the mind of the Imperium," Cassandra sneered and pointed her heavy bolter at the Tau woman. "Let's be done with this."

"I just process requests and handle communications between the two parties, that's all I do!" The Tau woman blurted, desperately trying to prolong her life expectancy. "The mayor left me behind, I have no love for them!" She glanced at the table, more specifically the smoldering remains of the Chaos grimoire, then stabbed her finger at a liquor cabinet near the far wall, "there's a dagger and a crystal orb inside the second shelf, underneath the false board. I saw the mayor and his family using them with the book."

The Sisters of Battle traded looks with the Howling Banshees, then after a moment Miriya nudged her and Verity and Alnelle, accompanied by Marcia and Elavena, walked up to the liquor cabinet, the nun and the elf honed their guns forward as the two medics slowly eased the aforementioned shelf open.

"Found it," Verity reached inside and pulled out the dagger and the crystal ball, the former rusted to hell and the latter splintered to pieces, the two items already turning to dust, "at least what's left of them."

"They were spiritually linked with the grimoire, when it was destroyed these objects lost their energy to remain in the physical word," Alnelle explained then looked at the Tau woman. "Did you see any ritual performed here, inside and out of the mansion ground?"

"Beneath the mansion, I've seen the mayor, his family and his friends descending into the chamber below, I tried to follow, to learn more about human culture, but the guards always barred my way," the Tau woman said. "They went down there almost every day since a – commander Shadowsun assigned me to this post."

"Sisters, beware of the chamber under the manor, it is where the heretics perform their rituals," Miriya quickly tapped the side of her helmet. "Stay on high alert, there could be remnant of the empyrean inside, along with daemons stranded on the material world."

"We are inside the chamber Miriya," Kessien of the Argent Shroud responded, her timbre relaxed, which was a very good sign. "Besides the ghastly remains of the victims who had been sacrifice to the Dark Gods, humans and Tau both, nothing of the Immaterium is presence here, nor anywhere within the manor's ground. Did you have something to do with that?"

"We found the source of the corruption and eliminated it," Miriya nodded at Verity and Alnelle, the two medics beamed brightly. "Continue the sweep Kessien, only xenos and traitors to worry about now."

"It's all real," the Tau woman rasped, bleary, dejected eyes honed on the floor. "Everything the Gue'vesa told us was real…by the Greater Good I need to tell her, I need to tell Shadowsun."

"Too bad girlie," Laura slid her claymore under the Tau woman's chin. She gasped when the blade tickled her neck, "but look on the bright side, you're about to see firsthand what the Warp is really like. Tell the Dark Gods we send you!"

"Wait, hold up," he knew his decision to intervene would not be popular, but goddamn the combined glare from Laura and the warrior women was of such intensity that it almost knocked Henry off his feet. "She's a Water Caste. She might have important information pertaining to the disposition of the enemy's forces." He fixed his eyes on the suddenly hopeful Tau. "And we have ways of making her talk."

"Henry…" Laura pouted at him, lips quivering with mockery. "What would Ladaee think? I thought you were the gentlemanly sort."

"Your name," Tangmo cut in before Henry could retort, the Tau woman shrinking from his hard regard. "What is your name?"

"F-Fio'el Ho'sarn, lord commissar," the Tau woman sobbed, unable to control the shudder raking her frame, "Fio for short, my lord."

"None of that my lord shit, I'm not a fucking nobleman," Tangmo growled and Fio hugged herself tighter, trying and failing to make herself small. Like Henry, Tangmo didn't want Fio dead, his harsh façade serving only to deflect the Sororitas and the Banshees from his true intention. If Miriya and Firnera hard gaze was anything to go by however, Tangmo wasn't completely successful with the charade. "How do we know you're not infected, like the traitors who left you behind?"

"I feel nothing," Fio went on hurriedly and looked desperately at Verity and Alnelle, both medics were unguarded in their sympathy. "Please, you two are medical officers, you can vouch for me, whatever it is the human and some of the Tau are suffering from is not presence on my person."

Verity turned to Miriya, and holy shit her puppy dog eyes were almost on par with Yuki. Not even a pious and unshakable Celestian was immune to such an attack, and after a few heartbeats Miriya waved her hand harshly at Fio with a grunt. Smiling, Verity and Alnelle, amulets dangling from their hands, approached Fio.

"Stay calm," Verity said kindly as she and Alnelle held the amulets over Fio's head, the Tau woman was anything but calm as she gazed up at the teardrop and the aquila. A minute must have passed before Verity and Alnelle pulled the amulet back and nodded. "She's clean, there so no trace of corruption on her."

"That doesn't mean we're going to spare her," Laura said darkly.

"I think that's up for her to decide," Henry now joined Tangmo in looming over the frightened Fio. "You will tell us everything you know about the traitors and the Tau expeditionary force, the fighting strengths, the armaments, the dispositions of each regiments and companies. You will also tell us about the rituals the heretics on this planet have been performing. Cooperate, and we might give you certain clemency, if not, well," Henry gestured politely at the warrior women. "Your manner of death will not be a pleasant one."

"I was never made privy to information of the military nature, the Fire Caste doesn't share intels with the Water Caste, but in regard to the humans, I can share all I know, I've everything catalogue inside my data-slate." Henry held up his hand when Fio reached into her flowing coat, stopping the Sororitas from shooting her to shit. She withdrew a data-slate, holding it beseechingly to the American. "Please take it."

"You might as well keep, we're not letting you go," Laura snorted and Fio deflated miserably, the Tau hugging the data-slate close to her chest. "Besides, we might be able to use you as a bargaining chip, for all we know you could be someone important."

"I-I am just a diplomat," nobody in the room missed the stutter, and Henry actually felt kinda bad when Fio blushed visibly, things only got worse when the rest of the sentence tumbled out in a hurried splutter, further implicating her. "I'm no one important, my death would mean nothing to the expeditionary force or the Greater Good, the high command will not trade me for anything."

"Are you sure you're a diplomat? Because shit, I've never seen anyone put a target on their back as fast as you," Tangmo shook his head, more to hide his chuckles than anything, then menacingly angled his lasgun at Fio's face. "And we're already off to a bad start, so how about you rectify that by being honest?"

"Lord commissar," footsteps resounded from the corridor and captain Meko sprinted into the room, accompanied by colonel Krillen and captain Orhul. The three Cadians stared at Fio, surprised to find a living, breathing, and crying Tau in their midst.

"Yes Meko, what is it?" Tangmo slung the lasgun over his shoulder and turned to regard the radio captain, the Thai commissar wagging his finger between himself and Fio. "We're kinda interrogating the woman here."

"Sorry sir, but the Tau high command is requesting an audience with you and the general immediately," Meko went on. "They are very insistence that you respond to their overture, as is expected when waging a civilized war." The Cadians collectively rolled their eyes while the Sororitas and Banshees snorted. "Their words sir, not mine."

"Give me the headphone," Tangmo held out his hand and Meko placed the communicator on the Thai commissar's upturned palm with a manly smack. "And put that shit on speaker too, I want everyone to hear what's going on."

"…Then why do you need the headphone?" Meko made his legitimate question, one brow quirked.

"Because it makes me look cool, that's why," Tangmo, Henry and Laura shared a laugh, while the main characters chuckled and groaned. Fio on the other hand, was near catatonic with confusion and dread. "Anyway, patch those blue motherfuckers through."

Not a second after Meko finished tapping the data-pad on his forearm that a droning, and quite pleasant sounding voice blared across the room, "…like to repeat myself. It is the wish of the high command of the coalition to speak with the commanders of the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, we have made this gesture in good faith so that we might be able to find a resolution to this conflict without more blood spilled on both side."

"You're in no position to make demand of us," Tangmo spoke into the headphone, adopting his trademark douchebag style of negotiation. "In case you haven't notice, we don't negotiate, we kill."

"All forges path toward peace, I merely wish for this misunderstanding to end, so that diplomatic normalcy can be restored," Henry was trading looks of absolute bafflement with Laura when out of the corner of his eyes he saw Fio cringing from the kindly speaker, not at all the reaction he was expecting.

"Misunderstanding?! Bitch, you waltz into Segmentum Solar, the fucking cradle of humanity, teamed up with a buncha fucking secessionist traitors, and overthrow the legitimate ruling government, nah you little shit this isn't a misunderstanding, this is a fucking invasion, and nobody with a functioning brain will ever make peace with you assholes," Tangmo started cutting his promo. "And before we continue with this bullshit, I have a fucking question, who the fuck are you and why should I give a fuck?!"

"I am Paxish Mu'gulath Irahirn, Grand Ethereal of the Sixth Expansion expeditionary force," the pleasant Tau introduced himself, unfazed by Tangmo's rudeness. "May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

"Lord commissar Tangmo, the Beast in Black, the Singing Commissar, you might have heard of me, I'm fucking famous," Tangmo spat venomously. "Me and my bro general Henry, the Lord of Tanks…"

"Steel Commander!" Henry cried exasperatedly, arms tossed wildly into the air. "It's Steel Commander now! God!"

"Correction, general Henry, the Steel Commander," Tangmo held up his thumb and nodded exaggeratedly, and Henry was really tempted to kick his ass. "Me and my main man Henry just fucking destroyed your candy ass piece of shit of an ambush. Let me repeat that, we fucking destroy them, not repel, not rout, destroyed, as in there were no survivors, so why would we want to negotiate?!"

"Do you not want the bloodshed to end?" Paxish went on reasonably, his timbre infinite in patience, genuine in politeness. "Have not war run its course? Surely you can see that there are better ways for us to reach a settlement before everything is swept away in the fires of annihilation."

"You stupid fuck, we're winning, why in the fuck would we want the bloodshed to end?" Tangmo barked a laugh and the main characters joined in heartily. Paxish was trying to get a word in when Tangmo rudely interrupted him. "How about you let me talk to someone who's worth a damn? Someone like, I dunno, commander Shadowsun?! Can I speak to her please?!"

There was a moment of silence before Paxish, a warm smile in his voice, responded, "very well lord commissar, if this will open a path toward negotiation, then I shall oblige. O'shaserra, you have been requested."

"That's her real name, O'shaserra Kiru," Laura said and Tangmo and Henry gave an 'oh' in unison, because for a moment he actually thought Paxish was fucking with them. After a few seconds of empty static a female voice blared from the intercom.

"You wish to speak to me, lord commissar?" It was Shadowsun, but unlike back on the Space Hulk, there was no softness in her voice, only steely sharpest that promises swift violence.

"Finally! Someone who isn't a complete retard," Tangmo smirked into the headphone. "Always a pleasure commander Shadowsun, but I seem to recall being promise an audience with you in the flesh. So far, I only caught glimpses of you during that counterattack a week ago, and since then, well, I'm getting a bit disappointed by your performance."

"I make no excuse, lord commissar, the fighting has been hard for all involved," Shadowsun stated levelly, but there was no denying the undercurrent of displeasure in her tone.

"You know Shadowsun, you're really making me look bad over here," Tangmo went on, swaggering across the study and playing to the crowd. "See, I've been going around telling everyone how awesome you are, setting you up as the battlegroup's greatest challenge yet. Instead all we got was…whatever the fuck it is you're doing. I mean shit, we're slaughtering Tau in the thousands and the best you can give us are suicide charges!"

"Is there a point you are trying to make?!" Shadowsun snapped at him.

"Commander! You will not behave with such incivility toward the lord commissar!" Paxish cut in, reprimanding Shadowsun like some nosy governess. "I have conducted this negotiation in good faith…"

"Hey Paxish, you mind shutting the fuck up so I can have a talk with Shadowsun?" Tangmo cut in, not one to tolerate politicking nonsense.

"Lord commissar I was merely…"

"Sit your ass down and keep your mouth shut, this is a military matter and I'll be damn if I'm gonna waste another second of my time talking to you," Tangmo never let Paxish finished his sentence and continued speaking to Shadowsun. "As a matter of fact commander, I do have a point to make. My question to you is this, why are your soldiers, Tau warriors of the Fire Caste I might add, carrying iconographies of the Chaos Gods on their person? Some of them even have the Eight Pointed Star tattooed on their skin, care to give me an explanation on that?!"

Silence answered him, and Henry was sure a heated conversation was passing between Shadowsun and Paxish. Several minutes passed before the commander spoke up again, "we see no harm in cultural exchange between the Tau and our human allies."

"Cultural – are you outta your fucking mind?!" Laura blurted and snatched the headphone from Tangmo, the Scottish inquisitor now taking over the promo. "Now I don't know if that Startide Nexus thing massively fucked with your collective brains or if the Tau are this fucking dense, but holy God Emperor, you blue knobheads are being converted to the Dark Gods! This had already happened on the Space Hulk, so why are you idiots behaving like absolute deuces?! Can you not see your own soldiers going berserk?! Are you blind woman!?"

"It is you who are blind lady inquisitor Laura," Shadowsun shot back. "The Imperium of Man is a backward and decaying political entity that has the barest comprehension of technology, let alone medical science, while we of the Tau excel in advancement and progress. Our scientists have come to the conclusion that this sickness you now see, with irrevocable certainty, to be merely a passing side effect of the journey initiated by the Startide Nexus, and not because of some superstition about gods and daemons."

Angry mumbles rippled from the Sororitas while the Banshees shook their head in absolute disgust. For her part, Laura just gawked at the headphone, the corner of her eye twitching, completely lost for words, which was a rare thing for the British inquisitor.

"I…I can't, I fucking can't mate," Laura's head drooped dramatically as she handed the headphone back to Tangmo. "The dumb cunt is all yours. I'm so fucking done."

Henry shot Tangmo a sharp glance, the Thai commissar caught it, a quick unspoken conversation passed, ending with them trading nods, the two coming to the same conclusion: something was not right. They all remembered the Shadowsun who had talked to Tangmo a few weeks back, reasonable and poise and a complete contrast to the narrowminded woman who was currently spewing nothing but Tau propaganda. Paxish was definitely the cause of this. Thankfully, Tangmo can behave with nuance when necessary, Henry had schooled him amply on this subject, after all.

"Is that your official statement then, commander Shadowsun?" Tangmo spoke calmly into the headphone.

"It is, lord commissar," Shadowsun responded, unwavering in her enunciation, leaving no doubt to her conviction.

"Then I'm afraid this is where our negotiation ends," Tangmo shook his head like a school teacher who had just witnessed the downfall of his star pupil. "To tell you the truth, I am extremely disappointed. I had expected the famed and feared commander Shadowsun to be able to think beyond the narrow doctrine of her species. By the Throne of Earth, you Tau are even worse than us human."

Ouch, that definitely drew blood, because Shadowsun's next words had a very sharp edge to it, "I am not here for your approval, lord commissar, but I agree that this farce had gone long enough. Therefore, if you and your friends have nothing else worthwhile to add, then kindly let this waste of time come to an end."

"Very well," Tangmo glanced at Fio then, "oh, I forgot to tell you, we caught one of your diplomats. The asshole mayor left her behind when we attacked."

"Is that so?" Shadowsun went on levelly, not giving a hint of how she felt about this development.

"Yeah, found her hiding in the closet," Tangmo's eyes narrowed dangerously on Fio. "What's your name again?"

On que, Laura grabbed a fistful of Fio hair and dragged her toward Tangmo, who had lowered the headphone so that it caught all of her pitiful wailing. Henry kept forgetting how evil those two can be when given the chance to work together. Crap, he really wished Lita was here right now, she's the only one who can rein them in.

"Fio!" The Tau woman screamed when Laura yanked her hair up savagely, "Fio'el Ho'sarn of the Water Caste!"

"What an unfortunate development," Shadowsun said coldly and what remained of Fio's nerve shattered, the hurt and betrayal in her eyes was so heartbreaking that it made Henry flinched physically.

"Please…" Fio blubbered. "Don't leave me…please."

"You knew the risk when you took this assignment, Fio of the Water Caste, there is nothing I can do to assist you in your predicament. Rest assured that your service will be remember in the annals of the Tau Empire," holy shit, even Henry was startled by how heartless Shadowsun was. "If there is nothing else lord commissar, good day."

Tangmo could only stared at the headphone, loud static blared across the room, his expression one of total flabbergast. The Thai commissar was handing the headphone back to Meko when Fio screamed, broken and forlorn. She curled wretchedly on the ground, sobbing heartbrokenly at having been abandoned. Henry sighed, goddamn it he really was a softy, and Fio's crying was hitting him pretty hard in the gut. He wasn't the only one though, Tangmo shifted his foot nervously, not at peace with what was transpiring, even the Cadian men averted their eyes. Such empathy cannot be found amongst the Sororitas and the Banshees though. Besides Verity and Alnelle the warrior women spared Fio nothing but disgust.

"Bring her in," Laura magnetized the claymore to her hellgun's power pack, ignoring the nuns and elves now staring at her.

"We're taking her prisoner?" Firnera said slowly, not quite believing what the British inquisitor had just said.

"She spent time with the wankers living here," Laura went on. "She's definitely withholding intels. And now that Shadowsun had left her for dead, I'm sure she'll be a lot more talkative, if she knows what's good for her."

"A logical decision," Miriya deadpanned, her tone suggesting otherwise as she reached behind her back, withdrew a pair of handcuff, and handed the manacle to Verity. "Cuff her."

"Put her in one of the servant quarter and place some guard on the door," Laura said as Verity and Alnelle, with a gentleness that annoyed their colleagues greatly, clasped the handcuff around Fio's wrist and escorted her from the room, the Tau had stopped crying but tears still cascaded down her cheeks. "She won't be much of a problem."

"Now who's the softy?" Henry's smirk was pearly white, incisors and canines gleaming.

"Go fuck a cactus you fucking cunt," Laura snarled in Scottish as she shoved the laughing Henry aside with her shoulder and stomped after Fio, the Sororitas and Banshees following her. Taking a moment to enjoy the ladies' exit, Henry nudged his head for Tangmo and the Cadian to follow, they had a lot more work to do.

And the day end on a rather pleasant note, all things considered, and Henry took a second to savor one of Sidonius's vintage, light with a nice hint of sharp after taste, he and the Eight and the main characters were indulging now that evening had arrived. They were all seated inside the manor's grand dining room, spacious and luxurious, four grand chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling, tall arching windows dominated one side of the room, giving the occupants a clear view of the garden beyond, which was currently filled with military tents.

"I for one am glad for a quiet night," Damien spoke up, he and the Astartes sergeants were scattered across the room, the Canadian was the only Marine enjoying a glass of wine. "After the rather rambunctious morning, I was totally convinced the Tau were gonna try more shit."

"Alas, they did nothing of the sort," Subutai said. "The Tau merely sent long range reconnaissance units to skirt our column, while the traitor's fast moving vehicles veered close enough for bullets to fly but never truly engage. They thought they were fast, but we were faster."

"Some more than other," Zolwyken raised his glass and Subutai grinned wolfishly.

"Indeed my friend," Subutai inclined his head forward in a little bow. "Although you have to admit that I was faster."

"You are very fast, brother sergeant," Zolwyken went on politely. "But I personally must dispute your claim."

"Nothing inspires me more than men comparing how fast they are," canoness Amaryllis of the Ebon Chalice rolled her eyes, earning hearty laughter from the main characters. "But to reiterate the Brother Captain's statement, the battlegroup was thankfully, mostly, unscathed after the Tau's attempted ambush this morning, with only several dead and hundreds or so injured." She raised her glass to her canoness compatriots, who was now joined by Saint Celestine, then to Tangmo, the Aeldari, and finally to Henry. "To a battle well fought sisters, we and our Militarum and Aeldari allies have proven a bulwark too great for the Tau to overcome. Also our thanks, general Henry, your assistance was greatly appreciated."

"Don't mention it," Henry flashed his dashing smile and was very glad by the canonesses' very positive reception, even Celestine was taken in by his charm. The glowering Greyfax though, not so much. "It was a joy to watch the Sororitas bring the hammer down."

"Of course you did," the narrowing glance Ladaee shot him promised a very unpleasant night.

"It looks like your assessment of the Tau's military capabilities, especially that of the famed commander Shadowsun, have been blow out of proportion," Tanrion looked at Tangmo, his declaration earning stern nods from Aeldari, Sororitas and a few guardsmen colonels. "What we have witness so far have been rather wanting."

"Yeah man, I agree, I absolutely have no idea what the fuck is happening," Tangmo shrugged and poured himself another glassful. "I mean, all of those things couldn't have been lies, right? But…I don't know, after the talk I had with Shadowsun today, I'm really doubting myself right now."

"It could have been a false mask you saw," Akecheta offered.

"The Tau are an enigma, the way they operate is strikingly fluid, making them very hard to predict," colonel Kasteen of the Valhallan spoke up.

"As always, prudence should be observed, regardless of the situation," Min-Jae said and the main characters muttered their agreements. "Only after the enemy is wiped completely off the battlefield can we allow ourselves the luxury of lowering our guards."

Small talks were starting to breakout when the door to the dining room creaked opened and Lita slipped inside. Oh right, the Mexican Warseer had went out earlier, saying she had some business to take care of. Henry's muscles stiffened when, judging by the very rigid posture and sheepish movement, Lita's business had obviously not been a light one.

"Are you alright Lita?" Henry asked and Lita froze on the spot when every eye turned to regard her, the intensity made the Mexican Warseer flinched visibly. "Is something wrong?"

"Hey guys! Nice evening we're having tonight!" Lita's forced smile was not comforting in the least, looking like she had just buried a dead body and was caught red handed in the act. "Is that Sidonius wine? I love Sidonius wine!"

"What did you do?" Laura slowly, menacingly, got off her seat, her dagger glare sharp enough to pierce an Astartes breastplate.

"Please don't be mad," Lita squeaked and threw the door wide open, stepping aside to allow a hooded figure to ominously walk into the dining room. Before anyone can react, the mysterious individual grabbed the edge of the cowl and threw back the hood, revealing a sharp angular face with a flat nose, blue skin and a long braided red hair. It was commander Shadowsun in the flesh.