Sprinting as quickly as my hooves could carry me; I leapt forward and landed with a roll, just in time to avoid the volley of primitive rounds which flew over my head. A brief moment of vertigo followed but my mind remained focused and as soon as the momentum of the roll slowed down, I shot back up to my hooves and dashed towards the nearest piece of cover. My back slammed against the hard surface of a large "rock" and I softly panted as my lungs demanded for air.

So far so good, I thought as I glanced to my right and I saw the way which the foliage of plants rustled and I could hear the barbarous war cries of the enemy who fired their guns with typically poor accuracy. Moving back into cover, I checked the ammunition counter of my Pulse Carbine which was now lighted red and showing that there were only three shots left. Pressing the button to eject the Pulse Cell, it made a click as the metallic bar was slipped out before swiftly placing in another cell which then made an audible beep and the ammunition counter showed that it was now capable of making a full, thirty-two shots.

The screen of foliage behind me exploded in a shower of leaves as several hulking Be'gel burst forth, each of the beasts was armed with primitive blades and heavy pistols, the usual sort of close-combat weaponry favored by their kind. Reaching for one of the Photon Grenades attached to my belt, I primed the disc shaped explosive device and I tossed it towards the enemy from cover. I then looked away from where it fell and the grenade detonated with a loud flash of blinding light which caused the Be'gel to roar in surprise while blindly firing at everything around them.

Leaping out from cover, I began firing my Pulse Carbine at the Be'gel. Their heavy bodies hit the jungle floor as a fully automatic volley of bright searing blue plasma rounds cauterized their flesh and in less than a Rai'kor, they were all dead. A great chiming sound began to ring across the jungle and everything around me began to slowly fade until there was nothing but a sea of white with pillars which descended to leave nothing but a flat surface.

In the next moment, I stood there, alone in the pristine white battledome which was pockmarked with black plasma burns here and there. The lights began to dim as the holographic simulation projectors powered down and in the distance, the exit opened up to reveal a pillar of white light amidst the darkness.

'You did very well; Shas'ui T'au Sheia' commented the voice of the Earth Caste Autaku, Fio'la Tyen over the battledome's speaker system. 'That is a total of twenty three orks and thirty four gretchin in a span of a Dec, Twenty Rai'kor and exactly seven Raik'an' continued the Earthkin with barely contained excitement in his voice 'that is a new record!'

'Maybe next time, you can activate the Kommando simulations' I replied with amusement which was slightly muffled by my helmet.

'I will be sure to request a software update on my next report' spoke the Earthkin who then cut the feed of the speakers.

Placing the strap of my Pulse Carbine over my right shoulder, I casually deactivated my helmet electronic systems before removing it. It was nice to feel the kiss of warm, dry air upon my skin and I filled my lungs with it through a deep inhale of breath. Holding my helmet in the crook of my left arm, I began to make my way to the exit before the speakers suddenly came to life again.

'Ah Shas'ui, there is call for you' came the voice of the Earthkin again.

Activating the communications unit of my armour, I then asked in reply 'oh? Who is it?'

'Shas'O Kossyr is the one who sent it' replied the Autaku.

'Tell him that I am on my way' I then said and I began to hasten my stride.

It only took me only three Rai'kor to arrive at the office of Shas'O Kossyr who was busily studying the contents of a holo-terminal, most likely, tactical reports from other warzones across the Tau'va. As I stepped into the office which was the typically well cleaned round space, the Shas'O looked up from the terminal and by instinct, I gave the Commander a sharp salute by solemnly placing my right fist over the center of my breastplate where the insignia of the Empire was placed and the Shas'O gave slight nod.

The Shas'O was, like myself, dressed in the brown nanocular-thread fatigues usually worn under the armour of Fire Warriors. His flesh was a healthy shade of dark blue with many scars and wrinkles which showed his advanced years which was not very common to see among those of the Fire Caste. My respect for the Shas'O is great for since my first days as a Shas'la, I have looked up to him for both mentoring and leadership.

'At ease' nodded the Commander with a slight smile before gesturing towards a nearby chair. 'I would stand to greet you, but well…' said the Shas'O who trailed off while looking down towards where his legs used to be and there was a somewhat pained expression on his face which was mixed with disbelief.

'There is no need for that Commander' I said with sympathy for the Fire Commander's stoicism was commendable, despite his personal loss. As I took a seat, the Shas'O of whom was now confined to a grav-chair (but at least was still capable of piloting a Battle Suit) shook his head and focused back on reality.

'I am sorry Ui'Sheia, the wound of it, the one that runs deeper than flesh is still rather… fresh' said the Commander while regaining his composure.

'I understand Commander I reply. 'I have read the reports and many among our Cadre are now experiencing… Ieur'tae'mont.

'Have you heard then?' asked the Commander with a barely concealed remorse and I gave him a sober nod.

'The Kau'ui (or Cadre) is to be… disbanded' I answered and my attempt at trying sound detached about the matter was not very successful in hiding the distress that I felt.

A moment of solemn silence passed between us as I recalled the events which led up to our current situation and I could see it on the Commander's face that he was thinking of it as well. It was sad really that our Kau'ui, the one which I have spent most of my life serving as part of will cease to be and the few surviving members who are still fit to serve will be transferred to other Cadres. It was part of the duty all members of the Fire Caste must bear, but it is a hard one which every Fire Warrior quietly hopes will never come to pass for the Cadre was our community, our family and to have that gone was deep loss to all who had been part of it.

Our Kau'ui had taken part in a series of campaigns across multiple worlds alongside the alien species known as the El'dar. Wars that were fought against the barbarous Be'gel, the devouring swarms of the Y'he, the Gue'la Imperium and the most dreaded of all were the deathless Necrons and the Gue'mont'sha, or as the El'dar and the Gue'vesa auxiliaries simply called last one, The Forces Chaos. The conflicts had been long and bloody but the according to the El'dar whose words were believed by the Ethereals and the Water Caste, that if we did not stand firm then great ruin would befall both of our species.

As was our duty to the Greater Good, we of the Fire Caste along with the fleets of the Air Caste, made the sacrifice. Of our "allies", I know not what became of them for they had disappeared soon after that last, great battle. According to the Wate Caste, the El'dar had left word, a warning that others of their mysterious species may either know not, or likely not care of the alliance the Tau'va had formed with the El'dar of the clan Val'ser'ys for there supposedly were many separate groups among their species, a number of which were hardly unified and others whom our "allies" will not intervene in if certain parties decided to stand against the Tau'va.

'Anyway, there was something I need to inform you of' spoke the Shas'O which snapped me out from my reverie and I returned my attention to him. 'The Shas'ar'tol has decreed that you are to be transferred to a new, "experimental" Kau'ui which is being formed' continued the Commander.

'An "experimental" Kau'ui?' I asked with a bit of suspicion 'what sort of experimental?'

'To be specific, it will be a… Rehg'ment' explained Fire Commander who pronounced the last word with care.

'You mean a Regiment?' I asked for that was the word which the Gue'va used to refer to their own military forces among the so called Imperial Guard.

'Err yes, that one' replied the Shas'O who then gestured for me to come over to his side of the holo-terminal.

I acquiesced and moved next to the Shas'O who was pointing towards a section of the screen which bore the official insignia of the Shas'ar'tol, the High Command of the entire Fire Caste. The Shas'O then touched a part near the bottom of the holo-screen and he maximized small circular shortcut which opened up the message which had been assigned to me. My eyes quickly scanned the contents of the message, absorbing the information which was displayed

It seemed that High Command has been sent a proposal by one of our more official allies, those of whom have pledge their allegiance to the Tau'va. These allies in question are Gue'vesa from a group of worlds called the Palladian Stars Alliance (of which I honestly have never even heard of before). According to the message, the unified political entities of these Gue'vesa worlds wished to establish an elite regiment of warriors, a counter to the Imperium's… Militarum Tempestus (another group which I admit that I am unfamiliar with) and High Command has given their approval of this proposal.

The Shas'ar'tol has also added as a condition, that an appointed member of the Fire Caste must oversee the establishment of this elite regiment and make sure that it follows an appropriate set of standards required for any army in service to the Greater Good. The message then goes on to explain that after much deliberation and surveying among the service records of hundreds of potential candidates, my name came highly recommended by one of the Ethereals, Aun'Vre Vior'la Eisha. The mere thought of the war-like Lady Ethereal was enough to make me smile but surely there are those who are more qualified than I?

I then noticed that the Shas'O was quietly looking at me and my puzzlement must have been obvious.

'You must be wondering why you were chosen and not another?' questioned the Shas'O who was quite correct. I nodded to him and he spoke 'you are a natural choice, Shas'Ui T'au Sheia, do you remember those campaigns on Kes'ar, Nahlua and Vel'oth?'

'I do' was my quiet reply for how could I forget? I had witnessed so much death; I had slain so many different foes and the things I saw on those worlds…

'Are you all right Ui'Sheia?' asked Shas'O Kossyr with concern.

'I am fine, really' I replied while trying to the Shas'O a reassuring smile. 'So when will I be leaving?' I asked.

'Arrangements are still being made' answered the O'Kossyr 'your shuttle will be leaving in three Rotaa'.

'And I will be ready by then Commander.'

Later...

Looking up to T'au's night sky, I could see the countless lights which illuminated the darkness of the void. Many were distant stars while others belonged to ships, either those built by the Earth Caste or ones which belonged to the various alien species which saw the wisdom in embracing the Greater Good. The dry air was now cooled by the night and the gentle hums of passing anti-gravity civilian vehicles and artificially intelligent Kor'ves Drones could be heard as they moved to and fro on whatever assigned program they were given.

Unlike the filthy Hive Cities of the Gue'la Imperium, the atmosphere of T'au was perfectly safe to breathe and unpolluted by countless tau'cyrs worth of chemical toxins which would have made the air absolutely poisonous. The roads and avenues of Esh'aal were kept in pristine condition by the diligent work of Maintenance Kor'ves which traveled in shoals to remove any unsightly patches of grime and dirt. In the city of my birth, the wars seemed like such a distant thing as those people whether they be Tau or alien were able to go about their lives in peace.

Now riding upon an open topped, Kor'ves controlled shuttle, I quietly watched as Esh'aal passed by with my chin resting upon the knuckles of my right hand. There were other passengers on the shuttle, mostly Tau from other Castes while those few members of my own Caste were young Shas'saals who gave mixed looks of respect and awe, especially when they saw the badge which represented my rank as Shas'Ui. Seeing the young cadets who have likely yet to join a Kau'ui gave me a slight sense of nostalgia for I remembered how it was like when I was one of them.

That nostalgia soon turned into sadness for I began to wonder which of them would survive their first Trial by Fire. I remembered the names and faces of many comrades, who have died in battles across stars, brave warriors who given their all, in service to the Tau'va and tragically, there had been so many who had met their ends far too young. Like the laws which govern the wilds, war was very much alike in that it was a place where only strongest, the fastest and the cleverest survived for there were many things which no amount of training could prepare you for.

A chiming sound came from the front of the shuttle and the artificial intelligence informed us of where we have arrived. Rising up from my seat, I moved towards the front of the transport where the exit ramp was and soon I disembarked from the vehicles which sped away towards other destinations. I then looked up to the white domed tower of the Kyr're Spiritual Convalescence Centre, a facility which specialized in the treating of patients whose maladies were of the mind, rather than the body.

I walked towards the front doors of the facility and I heard the hum of a Kor'ves hovering towards me, I noticed that it was equipped with a holographic projector, a machine that was programmed to greet and assist guests. The Kor'ves drone stopped in mid-air, three dozen Tor'il away from me and the projector lighted up to create a full sized Waterkin male who was dressed in white robes with a pol-hat upon on his head.

'Greetings honored visitor' politely spoke the artificially intelligent Waterkin who gave me a respectful bow and continued 'welcome to the Kyr're Spiritual Convalescence Center, is there any way which I may assist you?'

I nodded and replied 'I am visiting a patient here named Shas'ui T'au Sh'en'.

'One moment' spoke the hologram as the drone checked its databanks. After two Rai'kor, it chimed and spoke 'Shas'ui T'au Shen can be found in the Fire Ward, may I assist you in your visit?'

'Lead on' I replied and the hologram gave a polite bow before the Greeter Kor'ves powered down the projector and it hovered towards the door at a pace which I could casually follow.

Shortly afterwards...

Soft, pleasant music which felt very calming to listen to was played along the pristine corridors of the facility while I followed the Greeter Kor'ves. Along the way, I passed by a number of Water or Earthkin doctors who worked at the center, the former of which dealt with the psychological aspects of their patients while the latter dealt with making sure that those under their care were given the proper dosages of the correct medications. There of course was no visible security for any disturbances would quickly be dealt with by Security Kor'ves armed with non-lethal weaponry, not that such a thing would have been needed of course.

I then passed through a pair of metallic double doors which had the Fire Caste insignia displayed upon it and it opened up to reveal a beautiful indoor garden with paths of polished marble. It was a serene place with many pieces of wondrous artwork which combined with the soft music and the garden itself, served to enhance the soothing effects of their surroundings. Here and there were groups of unarmed Fire Warriors dressed in plain white robes, some wandered the garden on their own while others were attended to by Water Caste doctors.

The Greeter Kor'ves made another chime which drew my attention and it began floating over the marble road. I followed the machine for short time and while I did so, I began to steel my nerve for what I would soon see. Taking a turn to the right, with the Kor'ves ahead of me, the machine then floated towards a familiar figure who quietly sat upon a grav-chair while attended to by a female doctor of the Water Caste.

The lights of the holo-projector came to life again and the holographic Waterkin appeared to greet the flesh and blood one before announcing my intention. I then looked to the machine and gave it a word of gratitude to which it chimed and moved up and down in satisfaction before returning to its previous post.

'Would you like a moment in private?' asked the Water Caste doctor in a polite tone.

'Yes' I simply said and the doctor gave a slight nod to me before quietly informing her patient that I was there to visit him and Sh'en looked at me with an unfocused look, as if he were staring at something else.

'Please do not take too long Shas'ui Sheia' said the doctor 'he is scheduled for a Neurological Scan within the Dec.'

'Of course' I replied and allowed the Waterkin to leave us in private. I then looked to the poor wreck of a Fire Warrior before me.

'Hey' I quietly said while kneeling down upon the grass by him and gently placing my right hand on the back of Sh'en's own and only barely did he notice that I was even there.

The reconstructive surgery that had been given to him was highly successful at the least but like so many others who suffered from Ieur'tae'mont, the struggle was within the mind of the individual and not the body itself. Sh'en then began to whisper something which I could hardly hear and I was forced to move my head closer so that I could discern his words and when I heard them, I felt a dread chill which flowed throughout my spirit. Sh'en was still reliving the battles against the dreaded Mont'au devils and the Undying Ones who silent legions destroyed all in their path, his recounting of the events were confused, mixed up but I knew far too well of what he spoke of.

A flood of dark memories threatened to overwhelm my thoughts as I recalled all too vividly our recent campaigns, the hard days of starvation and fear, the battles against things unnatural and mighty. I remembered the Outpost-22 where our squad had investigated the disappearance of a Kroot Kindred and had later been surrounded by a horde of clawed Necrons which wore the flesh of those missing auxiliaries. I remembered the massive battle when the El'dar had unleashed their Titans against those of the Gue'mont'sha and how reality itself seemed to… change, alter and become corrupted by the supernatural abilities of the enemy forces.

I stood there in front of Sh'en, lost in the same memories as he was and I relived every terrible part of those battles until finally, I managed to summon the will to push those memories away… for now at least. Shaking my head and feeling a momentary sense of nausea, I knew that I could not be here for long if my sanity was to remain intact and I then refocused my attentions to the broken Fire Warrior who was now the last of my La'rua.

'I will be leaving soon Sh'en' I quietly said to him. 'Orders from the Shas'ar'tol have decreed that I will be going to some Gue'vesa world to oversee the training of a new auxiliary cadre'.

Ui'Sh'en's response was a blank look but his lips moved to whisper something so quiet which even I could not hear. It was more appropriate to say that he was trapped in those memories which I knew all too well for they would follow me until my final days. With a sigh, I slowly got up back up to my hooves and I called to the nearest doctor to signal that my visit was now over.

'Take care of yourself' I quietly said to one of the last members of my la'rua but in truth, it was probably more for my own sake.

Three Terran days later…

The warm sun of T'au shined brightly in the sky and a breeze blew across the open space port. I was now dressed in the full battle armor of a Fire Warrior, a Pulse Rifle was slung over my right shoulder with helmet held in the crook of my left arm and my eyes carefully searched for any possible but unlikely signs of trouble. Brawny aliens of various shapes and sizes which possessed great physical strength were assigned to carry crates of supplies and goods up the loading ramp of an Emissary Class Cruiser while a pale-skinned Water Caste Male named Por'El'Kais continuously urged caution to the stevedores.

Nearby, I saw Tyen who had recently been promoted to the rank of Ui, was directing a shoal of drones towards the ship's cargo entrance while using a device that was quite similar to the Fire Caste's Drone Controller. The thought of the Earthkin's recent increase in rank, caused me to look upon the new badge which had been placed upon my breastplate. No longer was I a Ui of the Fire Caste for I would now be known as a Shas'Vre.

My promotion had come with little ceremony when it was given to me by Shas'O Kossyr who could not hide his pride when he had given me the badge. The Shas'O was to retire and take up Taal Saal'Y and already he had been matched with another Shas'O named Firewind who was by all accounts according to the Por'hui media, a masterful pilot of the XV9 Hazard Suit. O'Kossyr seemed less than thrilled in regards to this arranged marriage for he claimed that he had once met Commander Firewind in the past and as he put it "Had the temperament of a Be'gel".

I smiled of course and hoped that he and his new mate would produce many strong younglings for the Fire Caste. We said our goodbyes by clasping arms and pressing our hands over one another's hearts, an expression of deep respect among the Fire Caste. It was a strange experience, I realized that for the first time, I will be going to another world without my Kau'ui.

Looking up to the sky above and I tried to imagine again the stars which would appear at night and I wondered if I would ever see the skies of T'au again. Instinctively, I then reached for a small leather pouch on the side of my belt and from it; I removed a small shiny golden trinket which was attached to a thin metallic string, thus allowing it to be worn worn around the neck. It was a keepsake given to me by... a friend I had met almost four Tau'cyrs ago. I thought of the smiling, golden haired, blue eyed El'dar warrior who had given it to me and I hoped that he was alive and well, wherever he was in the wide universe.

Placing the piece of alien jewelry back into the pouch again, I somehow began to feel a bit better about this new assignment which I would soon be embarking upon.