On the surface of Volkus, a chaotic melee erupted as Tempestus Aquilons gravity-chute units and Storm Troopers clashed with Vespid Stingwings and Fire Caste battlesuit teams infiltrating the Hive Spire.
They were bolstered by several Mordian Iron Guard jump pack squads. Unlike many other regiments that rely on gravity-chutes, the Mordians are among the few Astra Militarum forces to maintain dedicated jump pack assault companies. Operating such gear requires exhaustive training and exorbitant funding; the mortal soldiers equipped with these packs must be the elite of the elite.
Yet, even with such a concentration of aerial and anti-grav jump troops, the Imperial forces were only barely managing to contain the swarm of T'au infiltrators.
The Vespid hail from the gas giant Vespid, a world characterized by thousands of floating islands suspended in the upper atmosphere by lighter-than-air gases. The atmospheric pressure within these islands varies wildly with altitude. At their foundations, unique and exotic crystals are harvested, a task only the larger females can survive. These crystals form the bedrock of their technology.
Specifically, these crystals power their distinctive weaponry: the Neutron Blaster. Negotiations between these xenos and the Water Caste were initially fruitless due to their vastly different cognitive structures. Eventually, guided by the Greater Good, the T'au devised a solution—a specialized "communion helm" acting as a translation interface. Under the subtle influence of these helms, the Vespid leaders gradually embraced the Greater Good and pledged their absolute loyalty to the T'au Empire.
Now integrated as auxiliary "Stingwing" strains, they serve as mercenary shock troops in T'au military campaigns. Their Neutron Blasters fire devastating pulses of neutron energy, and in close quarters, their predatory claws and stings are lethal.
The Mordian jump troops and other Imperial detachments were currently struggling to counter these high-mobility saboteurs. The airborne Vespid, interspersed with Fire Caste teams piloting XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuits, were wreaking havoc within the infrastructure of the Hive and the foundations of the Massif Ballistus.
The cramped confines of the sub-structures prohibited the use of Skimmer-bikes, aircraft, or any viable armored support. Furthermore, the xenos' Neutron Blasters possessed far greater stopping power than standard Imperial lasguns, capable of punching through light armor with ease. The Carapace Armour worn by the elite Imperial troops offered no more protection than paper against such thermal-nuclear impacts.
Being naturally winged, the xenos' flight agility far surpassed that of the Imperial specialists encumbered by jump packs and gravity-chutes. The greatest threat, however, remained the XV95 Ghostkeel teams embedded within the xenos flights. These T'au pilots utilized their stealth fields and anti-detection arrays to terrorize the mortal Imperial elite. They lurked within the Vespid swarms to pick off officers with sudden, precise strikes before vanishing back into the labyrinthine girders, only to relocate and snipe from a fresh shadow.
Simultaneously, the insectoid physiology of the Vespid proved terrifying in melee. Their compound-eye motion tracking far exceeded the limits of unaugmented human sight. Despite their basic genetic enhancements, the Imperial elites found the task of pinning down these skittering insects nearly impossible.
Under normal circumstances, the combined might of the Aquilon, the Storm Troopers, and the Mordians should have neutralized these T'au elements. This was, after all, an Imperial world.
But the situation was not so simple.
A band of Ork Kommandos led by the notorious Grimsnik had also successfully infiltrated this vital world. Their objective: to let the "Humies" and "Fish-faces" bleed each other dry before seizing the Massif Ballistus for themselves.
Perhaps due to Ork misfortune, or the Emperor's divine providence, the Kommandos' infiltration route intersected with a Cadian regiment arriving alongside the Mordians. After the Cadians lost dozens of officers and hundreds of elite Guardsmen in the ensuing shadow war, the Orks retreated into the lightless depths of the under-hive and vanished.
This discovery only added to the mounting dread of the Imperial command.
To repel the assault on Volkus, the Sector Departmento Munitorum had already diverted all available forces from the nearby Agri-World of Wilder. The price for this reinforcement was the total occupation of Wilder by the T'au, effectively severing Volkus's food supply. Nevertheless, the Imperial High Command deemed the preservation of Volkus far more critical than the loss of a single Agri-World.
…
"Lorian."
"What is it, Toran?"
At a recently cleared pipe junction, the Tempestus Aquilon named Lorian acknowledged Toran, a Mordian Iron Guard who had just jumped up from the lower levels via his jump pack.
"Does your lot have any spare fuel or rations? My squad hasn't seen a supply drop in three days. This structure is a throne-damned maze, and these xenos are everywhere."
Lorian shrugged, indicating he was equally short on supplies. He looked toward his teammates near the pipe well, who still looked eager for a fight despite the hunger. The Aquilon are combat-hungry specialists, addicted to the rush of the assault. They were heavily armed with Hot-shot Las-carbines and expensive Meltacarbines. Their arsenal also included grenade launchers, Hot-shot Volley Guns, Plasma Carbines, and Meltaguns, a luxurious equipment list.
However, such high-output wargear came with massive energy demands. Furthermore, Tempestus Aquilon are notorious for their high metabolic needs; they were gluttons for supplies. Since the fall of the Agri-World Wilder, Volkus had seen no fresh food shipments for days. Were this not an industrial world, they would likely have run out of ammunition as well.
Lorian soon hit upon an idea.
In a neighboring corridor, a Cadian detachment was tightening its search perimeter, hunting for the elusive Ork Kommandos. In recent days, only a third of their casualties were attributed to the T'au insects; the rest were the bloody handiwork of those persistent Greenskins.
Lorian found a maintenance hatch and climbed up into a wide, deserted corridor.
"Hoo..."
Taking a deep breath, she bellowed at the top of her lungs:
"Cadia has fallen!"
Within two minutes, the rhythmic thud of boots accompanied by a deafening war cry echoed through the hall.
"Cadia Stands! The planet broke before the Guard did! Charge!"
The leading Cadian officer skidded to a halt, looking at the crouching Aquilon squad and the Mordian jump troops with a bewildered expression.
"Did I... just hear someone shout that Cadia fell?"
Lorian stood up, puffed out his chest, and patted the officer's shoulder.
"You misheard, brother. We shouted: 'Cadian brothers, spare us some rations!'"
Under the silent, expectant gaze of the Mordians and Aquilons, the Cadian officer hesitated. Finally, he ordered his men to share a portion of their supplies with their allies before leading his company back into the darkness of the corridors.
As the Cadians marched away, Toran, the Mordian, watched their retreating backs with a flicker of disdain.
"'Cadia Stands,' they say," he muttered. "A regiment that couldn't even hold their own home world."
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