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Chapter 19: Kronus: Consequences

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Part 5

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Court of the Young King

Craftworld Biel-Tan

Taldeer stood in a daze, scarcely believing what was happening. She was in the middle of a glade in one of Biel-Tan's seldom used gardens, which was the current meeting place of the Court. The ancient trees, soft grass, and quietly bubbling water did nothing to soothe her mind. She listened to the Exarchs and Autarchs arguing over her actions on Kronus. That was bad enough but expected.

The sudden and odd turn the debate took, was anything but like he expected it to go.

"This debacle is yet another proof that the Farseers leave their Sight blind them for simple facts." A Fire Dragon Exarch spoke with rarely heard passion. "The use of basic tactics and strategy could have won the day, avoiding this disaster! Mark my words. The Yungir are using the Mon-Keigh, and we will rue the day we let such abominable 'alliance' stand!"

"That's an overly harsh assessment." Autarch Galanta countered calmly, giving Taldeer a hint of hope, she immediately dashed. "It is no surprise that the Yungir managed to deceive a young and inexperienced Farseer. They did it to much more powerful and experienced ones during the war. Nevertheless, Taldeer's failings as a leader of a warhost are obvious and inexcusable. I'm against giving a command to Farseers who haven't both proved their mettle in combat, and capability as strategists and tacticians."

That sentiment met universal approval. At that moment, Taldeer felt alone and abandoned. There wasn't a single Biel-Tan Farseer backing her. They were too busy divining the future and deciding her fate at a meeting of their own to attend this judgment. Ether that or deployed all over the galaxy, along with the other members of the Court of the Young King.

"We're agreed then." Autarch Mauryon sneered. He was the newest Exarch to earn the title and a living example of how Biel-Tan differed from other Craftworlds. Due to the size of their military and constant deployment, they needed multiple active supreme commanders to oversee operations all across the galaxy.

Of course, the existence and importance of this very council were another difference. It was a direct consequence of the great importance of the military.

"It might be for the best if," Mauryon pointedly paused before uttering her tittle, "Farseer Taldeer spends some time receiving orders. She must learn when and why they're issued before she dares even think about being in command again. She needs to prove her competence in tactics and strategy. However, her failures are less important than their consequences. We need to neutralize this 'alliance' before the old enemy could bury us in Mon-Keigh and then strike while we're dealing with those pests!"

Exarch Kyre clapped once at the sentiment.

"We need actionable intelligence. What of Ulthwe's involvement? What is Eldrad plotting this time? It is no secret he is no friend of our goals even if he often finds our military useful in his schemes." The Exarch thankfully shifted the topic away from Taldeer.

"You've seen the message from Ulthwe. That is either another of his plots, or one of them failed spectacularly enough for She-Who-Thirsts to retaliate." Mauryon let out a quiet chuckle before sobering up. "I find it telling. They didn't just request assistance to protect their Craftworld, but require that we deal with rising threats Ulthwe is no longer in position to counter."

"The portents of more Necrons rising in the same general region of space as Kronus." Autarch Galanta pointed out. "That is no coincidence. We can't allow the Yungir to grow any stronger. We should be moving in to neutralize the threat once and for all. However, it will be cycles before we could shuffle enough troops from other critical theaters for such a blow. It's not just the infestation on Kronus, but the source of the reinforcements that arrived just before the last of our warriors left."

"The course of action is clear. We need to place Kronus under observation, investigate and find all active Tomb Worlds before striking swiftly." Kyre declared as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"We will do so. In the meantime, we need to pursue a containment and neutralization strategy. We have to investigate all portents of more Yungir slaves stirring up and put them down everywhere we find them." Mauryon suggested. "At the same time, we have to track the Mon-Keigh subverted by the old enemy. We must kill them before they could bring even more of their rotten Imperium under the sway of those ancient terrors. As much as I dislike the prospect, we'll have to aid the primates in combating such subversion." Distaste dripped from the Autarch's aura.

"I agree." Autarch Galanta nodded sharply. "This is also a learning opportunity." She looked at Taldeer. "Young Farseer, I suggest in front of this council that you join one of the strike forces we dispatch to search and destroy Yungir Tombs. You will be there in strictly support capacity, using your gifts to aid the warhost and learn from its commanders."

"Who knows, she might turn out into something useful. Besides, this way, if she dies, it might be in a productive way." Mauryon shrugged in indifference.

The sentiments of the other council members were similar, if often equally biting.

"I humbly accept." Taldeer finally found her words and bit off.

"Good. Then you can leave. We'll inform you when and where you'll have to report for duty." Galanta dismissed her with a wave of a hand and Taldeer hurried to leave.

She didn't run away even if it was close. Taldeer saw all her failures dissected, evaluated, and used against her fellow Farseers. That hurt almost as much as failing those under her command. Taldeer had to make up for her disaster, and no matter the source, she was grateful for the opportunity to do so. As much as possible anyway.

The empty streets and vacant homes she walked past didn't help her mood. A large part of Biel-Tan was in a similar state. It was empty, felt lonely, and longing for a better future. However, that could come only once they finally won their wars and could enjoy the fruits of victory. Until then, Biel-Tan and her inhabitants would have to endure.

There was no other way. For the sake of all Aeldari, they had to bring the Empire back and put their people where they belonged – on the helm of the whole galaxy.

What else was there?

Taldeer kept walking and braced herself. She was yet to meet the Farseer Council and their judgment.

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Part 6

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Fire Blade

Or'es El'leath Class Battleship

en route to Kaurava

Awareness came back quickly, with the familiar tingle of stimulants flooding his system. Commander Shas'O Fal'shia Or'es'Ka cracked his drowsy eyes open to find himself still stuck into his stasis pod. Flowing script ran down the smart glass keeping him safe from the perils of the long journey.

Systems nominal. No immediate threats were detected. His health status was nominal.

That was all one could hope for when awakening from the cold sleep.

Or'es'Ka could have done without the next message.

More intricate symbols flowed like water. Identification codes, the Commander's mind supplied. It took him a few minutes to recognize what the smart programs taking care of it already knew – the codes were genuine.

First came a critical strategic update. The Commander scanned it, and while his mind hasn't been operating at a hundred percent yet, he got the important points.

The Kronus system had fallen to an alliance between the Imperium, and so far unknown machine race that had awakened on the planet.

Betrayal by Eldar after their forces made an appearance, and pretended to respect the Greater Good.

If Or'es'Ka's throat wasn't parched, he would curse them to the deepest, darkest corner of the galaxy until the stars themselves burned out. The Greater Good was life. It was the light of civilization and the compact of all civilized people of the galaxy. Pretending to acknowledge it and then betraying it was unthinkable! Curse those alien barbarians!

The pod's life support system beeped in displeasure at the Commander's agitation and sent more drugs into his system. Or'es'Ka quickly calmed down and focused on the more immediately important parts of the strategic briefing and updated orders. He could curse those treacherous aliens to his heart's content later!

The strategic implications of the human Imperium allying with treacherous aliens weren't lost upon the Commander. Doing so would allow those superstitious fools to concentrate on fewer threats at a time, something that anyone saner would have realized centuries if not millennia ago. That was unfortunate for the Tau. Or'es'Ka was privy to the classified information outlining the extent of the so-called Imperium of Man. It was amazing how vast it was supposed to be, and its sheer size was only overshadowed by the sheer insanity gripping it.

That was the core of Tau's issues with the humans. While the Imperium was very much a nation in decline, perhaps even in its death throes, it was still dangerous and commanded overwhelming material resources. If it could concentrate enough of its attention upon the Tau in the foreseeable future; the only possible outcome of that meant it was to be avoided at all costs.

That was why the Commander wasn't surprised by his updated orders. He didn't want to know how many fast courier drones burned out to carry the messages this far, this fast, however, the expense was worth it. Now he had time to plan, and knowing what was at stake, he would have to revisit his original ideas on how to tackle Kaurava.

The orders were simple and to the point, and they were very logical considering the situation.

Take the Kaurava system or deny its infrastructure to the Imperium of Man and their allies. Neutralize human, Eldar, and Necron forces, if present, with extreme prejudice. Make it painfully obvious to the humans how tough an enemy the Tau Empire was and that, taking it out, could come only at a ruinous price.

It was all for the Greater Good. He had to buy his people enough time to bring new hardware online, expand, spread further across the stars.

It was all to guarantee their long-term survival, and in the face of that, Shas'O Fal'shia Or'es'Ka would do anything.

The Commander went through the strategic update again. This time he read it carefully, noting anything new about demonstrated and suspected enemy capabilities, then absorbed the updated orders. Only then he gave the order for his principal subordinates to awake. They had strategic plans to update and new tactical responses to craft.

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Alpha Legion base
Kaurava IV
Kaurava system

Sometimes, the schemes of the Legion High Command, or what has left of it anyway, were odd, especially when you didn't have the full picture. And you rarely got your hands on the full picture, because what you didn't know, no one could tear out from your screaming soul.

That knowledge was cold comfort for Operative Karsten. This was supposed to be a simple operation. Offer technical assistance to Carron's band of useless berserkers. If they somehow failed to get themselves killed, make sure they did get themselves thoroughly killed. This particular Warband had not only fully succumbed to Chaos, but it also outlived its usefulness. Carron couldn't be trusted to put the Legion's objectives first and what his dubious patrons wanted second. That's why he and his buddies had to go.

Throwing them at the Blood Ravens would have been poetic justice, Karsten thought.

Unfortunately, now he had to contend with a significantly changed tactical and strategic situation, without an opportunity to get new orders. The Techmarine hammered a tentacle that spouted from the tank he was working on and glared at it. The bloody thing glared back and hissed from a teeth-filled mouth drooling venom.

Karsten also had to endure the presence of multiple warbands, some commanded by vaguely competent Warlords. Only one of them was from the Alpha Legion, and as far as he knew, "Commander" Nazuras was little better than Carron. Both were too fascinated with the dubious gifts from their patrons and had an unhealthy fascination with bloodbaths.

The Thousand Sons Sorcerers hit it rather well with several Nazuras' boys, which was both curious and disturbing. Karsten had to figure out what the crazies were up to while keeping as much distance from their brand new, or perhaps ancient, contingent of Plague Marines.

An ugly abomination styling himself the Prophet of Decay led that particular group of goons. They were even now gleefully spreading filth all over the place, all in the name of offering Papa Nurgle's gifts. They were a tad bit desperate, the Operative thought. Whatever happened last week shook everyone who could sense the Warp. Rumor had it that the Corpse Emperor wasn't as decayed and useless as everyone believed, and he had thrown it down with Nurgle over one reason or another. And won handily at that.

All the jeers, ill-spirited jokes, and barely restrained hostilities between the base's new inhabitants gave credence to such a momentous event. If true, it might change some of the higher-ups' calculations. Meanwhile, Karsten had to survive the coming storm and figure out what to do. Should he play the eager little traitor? He used his servo-attachment to swat down another tentacle, this time, a spiked one.

"Do you want your damn engine fixed, or would you prefer to miss the slaughter and rot in the motor pool until we require spare parts?" Karsten growled at the infested tank.

The tank rumbled in anger, while a dozen eyes glared at him venomously. However, the tentacles kept away from that point on. At least here he was in the company of mostly "harmless" demon-possessed equipment and the odd Techmarine attending to them. Most importantly, the Nurgle worshipers kept away ever since a Thousand Sons' Possessed Dreadnought took offense at their preaching and ate one of them. How the damn thing could stomach something like that, Karsten didn't want to know.

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