Damocles Gulf.
This was the site of the first confrontation between the Imperium of Man and the Tau Empire—one an ancient, decaying empire, the other young and full of boundless potential.
Yuki gazed from a distance, sighed in contemplation for a moment, and then swiftly moved on. The current scale of the Aether Fleet sat somewhere between Hive Fleet Behemoth and Hive Fleet Gorgon. Given that the Tau Empire had undergone decades of development, completely devouring them was an impossible task.
Despite Yuki's personal biases against the Tau, he had to admit that under the "favoritism of the Nottingham township enterprise" (Games Workshop), the Tau Empire possessed considerable strength.
"Our goal is—"
"To find the largest remaining splinter fleet currently active," Yuki determined.
"I expect Calgar is already pursuing us with his men. The Ultramarines are not known for being forgiving. However, I have a brilliant idea."
"What do you want to do?"
"To what extent do you think we can act out a play?"
"What do you mean?"
"Osh, be careful!"
Inside the auditory receivers of Osh, a Fire Caste warrior clad in an XV Crisis Battlesuit, came the low-voiced warning of a comrade accompanied by static. He immediately suppressed the restlessness of stepping onto a strange world for the first time. Controlling his battlesuit, he shifted two steps back, allowing the angular silhouette of his armor to blend into the covering line formed by the rest of the squad.
The soil beneath his feet was soft and moist, a sharp contrast to the dead rocks described in the database for this sector. This system, temporarily designated "Gamma-7," had been abruptly revealed by anomalous gravity readings during a routine patrol by the main fleet of the Air Caste. According to ancient star charts mapped by pioneer explorers centuries ago, this place should have been a celestial tomb—nothing but a few lifeless rocky planets locked in an endless orbit by their star's gravity.
However, data returned by the warship's advanced sensors had shocked everyone. Those planets that should have been dead had somehow quietly transformed into vibrant green worlds with stable atmospheres and even detectable water signatures.
This illogical upheaval immediately alerted the high command of the Tau Expeditionary Fleet. A squad of elite Fire Caste warriors was quickly dispatched for a preliminary reconnaissance mission. Osh's squad was one of them.
"The time has come. Everyone, I shall reiterate the details we must attend to for this operation."
In the squad's communication channel, the steady and somewhat rigid voice of Team Leader Fal resonated.
"Good grief, just say it, Fal. I've practically memorized the operational summary by heart," Osh couldn't help but grumble in the encrypted channel. This was almost a mandatory ritual before every mission.
Fal ignored the complaint and continued in his characteristic tone: "Remember, this time we may encounter enemies, or we may meet potential allies. Since no Water Caste diplomats are participating in this operation, we must temporarily step into their shoes and conduct preliminary, simple diplomatic contact if necessary."
"Can't those Water Caste guys be a bit more reliable and come with us?" Osh grumbled. Ever since the landing craft touched down, he had been speaking intermittently in the comms channel. This more or less represented the feelings of the other young warriors in the squad.
However, this time, Fal clearly did not intend to indulge such sentiments further. He turned his battlesuit toward Osh. Though there was no actual eye contact, the cold stare of the observation lenses on the faceplate was enough to convey his displeasure.
"Osh!" Fal's tone grew stern. "Every one of us is fulfilling the noble responsibility bestowed upon us by the Ethereals. Doing one's duty is the cornerstone of the Greater Good. Why do you complain so much?"
"It's not like that, Fal," Osh said awkwardly, trying to explain. "We've trained for so many years and been through so many battles. Everyone does their duty at their post; it's always been like that. I just feel—I feel the Water Caste should be the same, especially on a mission that clearly requires their professional knowledge."
In all fairness, Osh didn't have much of a personal bias against the Water Caste; it was just this specific instance that made him feel dissatisfied.
Fal seemed to want to say more, perhaps an impromptu lecture on unity and duty, but from the front of the line, another warrior's voice cut into the channel, concise and powerful: "Movement. Ten o'clock, edge of the jungle."
In an instant, all stray thoughts were cast aside. The warriors entered a combat state like precision mechanical parts. The heavy footsteps ceased abruptly, and weapon servo systems emitted a faint hum.
A rustling sound approached from the distance. Several massive, strange figures parted the thick vines and fungal plants, appearing before the Tau. These creatures possessed enormous bodies covered in thick chitinous carapaces and four sturdy, powerful limbs. Their overall morphology instinctively brought to mind the image of the terrible predator recorded in the Imperial database known as the Tyranids. Their shells reflected an oily, dim luster under the faint light of the Gamma-7 star.
Osh's index finger nearly squeezed the trigger to unleash the first volley of searing bolts. But with great willpower, he restrained this instinctive urge. Although the opponents were terrifying in appearance, they showed no immediate signs of aggression.
Not only were they not attacking, but they even began to sway their massive heads slowly, almost clumsily. The one in the front even raised a relatively slender forelimb to the level of its torso, waving it gently up and down. In the context of many different civilizations, this gesture was sometimes interpreted as a sign of goodwill.
"This—" someone's voice crackled with confusion in the channel.
"What's the situation?" another warrior whispered.
Intense doubt mingled with the tense atmosphere. The Tau warriors had been prepared for the worst-case scenario, but now, it seemed the situation could be slightly more optimistic?
"Maintain formation. Do not lower your guard," Fal's voice remained calm, though a hint of unperceivable bewilderment could be heard.
Just then, the giant creature that seemed to be the leader lowered its massive head, which was covered in compound eyes and strange mouthparts. Using a relatively slender tip of one of its limbs, it reached out extremely slowly and tentatively, gently touching the leg armor of Osh's XV battlesuit. The movement was so soft it was as if it feared waking something, a stark contrast to its hideous appearance.
"They... don't seem to have any hostile intent?" Osh reported uncertainly. He could feel the slight pressure from the limb's touch, and that was all.
"I repeat, do not lower your guard," Fal emphasized. "We are warriors first, and only then do we temporarily take over the duties of the Water Caste. Attempt communication protocols. Standard friendly frequency. Can they communicate?"
The Fire Caste warriors followed orders, playing a universal greeting code designed by the Water Caste through the battlesuit's external speakers. The code contained simple mathematical sequences and basic physical constants.
However, the creatures seemed to have no reaction. They just stood there quietly, occasionally emitting a few low, clicking sounds that seemed like the friction of chitinous plates, with no recognizable, organized language or signal response.
"Communication attempt failed, Leader. They seem to... lack a mode of communication we understand," Kor reported.
"Then—can we preliminarily determine the contact is safe and report the situation to the fleet?" Osh asked, feeling a slight sigh of relief in his heart.
However, before his words could settle, a sudden change occurred.
The creatures that had appeared calm and even somewhat docile just a moment ago suddenly raised their heads in unison. The chitinous plates on their heads opened slightly, revealing vibrating membranous structures beneath, and they let out a sharp, bizarre screech! The sound was extremely piercing, causing a burst of ear-splitting static overload in the warriors' auditory receivers.
"Prepare for battle!" Fal's command rang out instantly.
All weapon systems recharged, muzzles locked firmly onto the targets. But the expected pounce did not come. After letting out that meaningless roar, these heavily armored creatures turned simultaneously. With an agility that belied their bulky forms, they vanished rapidly into the dense jungle from which they came, leaving behind only swaying leaves and a deathly silence.
"Follow them!"
Every movement of the Tau was under the observation of the true master of this system. Now, it was time for this young race to experience the treachery of hearts.