Hive Tyrant: What shall we do with this world?
Norn Queen: The same thing we always do! Eat everyone! Gribble Gribble Gribble Gribble Gribble Gribble Gribble Gribble Gribble Gribble......




P.S. What does this key thingy do/taste like?

Who are you?
"The Darkmakers"

What do you want?
"To build up an unstoppable force that will shatter galaxies!"

Who do you serve and who do you trust?
"We trust no one but our master, Sharazad: Keeper Of The Dead"

“Sir, what would you have me do with the.......corpses? “
“Leave them where they lie, it will act as a warning to any others who would attempt to assault our command”
“Yes Sir!.........”
“Is there anything else?”
“Sir, the corpses, they don’t seem to stay dead.”
“What do you mean, ‘stay dead’?”
“Well sir, they keep getting back up.”
“Persistant are they? Just shoot them in the head!”
“Yes sir!..............”
“What?”
“Sir, what about the ones who don’t have a head?”
“What do you mean? Show me, switch to your optical view”
The vid-screen switches to a view of a battle field very familiar to the Tau Cadre commander. Initially dismissive, he notices a slow and gentle movement on the icy plateau. He checks the horizon to see if the Shas’ui squad leader was simply surveying the scene. But the camera was still and it was the bodies of the fallen humans that were slowly crawling across the ground. Where some of the fallen still had liquid inners, they had frozen to the sheet ice and were flailing slowly with what was left of their limbs, like grotesque baron bushes blowing in the wind.

“Shas’ui, requisition fusion blaster from the earth caste and disintegrate them. Ensure that not a single molecule is left!”
“Yes sir!”

With a flicker, the commander bought up a vid-screen to the Ethereal for this expedition.
“Greetings commander.”
“Aun At’Tok, I have worrying news. I believe I understand the reasons behind the sudden appearance of the human forces within our borders. They were no longer human but the forces of Chaos. I have ordered the immediate atomisation of all elements left of their forces. I must ask you to negotiate with their Shaper to ensure that none of the Kroot ingest any of the corpses.”
“Thankyou commander, I have just this minute come to the same conclusion. I have Kroot Shaper himself with me and he has just informed me of the identity of the enemy.”
“Greeting Shaper Krizaak”
“Greetings Commander. Thank you for your concern with regards to my warriors. We do not want another Geidi Prime incident. We have however developed an enzyme along with the earth caste that should will eliminate the infectious content of their flesh. With you permission we would ask to be able to consume the bodies for our development.”
“Very well, I will inform the clean-up squads of your arrival. I will continue the clean-up after you have had your fill. For the Greater Good!”
“For the Greater Good!”
“For the greater good. *Squark*!”

With another flicker, the commander bought up a vid-screen overlooking an earth-caste laboratory.
“Prae’Kor, how goes your technical repairs?”
“Ah commander, good news! Very good news! All repairs are complete, and I have adapted the scanners to search inside the compounds as well as out.”
“Good. Is there something else?”
“Very much so commander, I took the liberty of examining some of the technology recovered from dead. I have managed to adapt several pieces of their technology to work in conjunction with our own. With your permission I would like to start immediate field trials......”
“Stop, do you have any of the alien devices there?”
“Of course not commander, I followed standard protocol and had them all incinerated once the full multi-spectral scans were complete.”
“Excellent, ensure that any and all devices your science teams find from our recent enemy are atomised immediately after analysis. I am holding you personally responsible. Have the specs for the trial equipment to me as soon as possible. For the Greater Good!”
“For the Greater Good.”

The Shas’O sat back in his chair and relaxed for a moment secure in the knowledge that the first major engagement had not only boosted morale but wielded technological advancement as well. For the first time since landing, the earth caste science teams may prove useful rather than complaining about the working conditions.

He could understand their complaints, this was a science expedition after all, but they had no understanding of the difficulty in selecting a secure landing site that was easily defendable. They were doubly tiresome when they were informed of the baron arctic wasteland that had been identified as the target drop point. However, this raid by the forces of un-dead chaos had given them all something to wrap their intellect around. They would soon be more than happy with the artefacts they would soon uncover.

The dig site had been selected from orbit. A valley nestled deep in a massive chain of mountains ranging north from their arctic base. The high heat of the mountain ranges would be a great relief from the constant cold of the polar winds. Here, the Kroot would prove their worth. Here, the Tau cadre would truly flex their military might!

+++++Incomming Message+++++
+++++Source - Commorragh+++++
+++++Message Reads+++++

Be safe in the knowledge that we don't want the key, only your bodies and souls.

Archon Rhakorta

+++++Message Ends+++++

“Commander,” the Ethereal, Aun At’Tok’s hallowed face appeared on the vid window in the commander’s visor. “The earth caste’s scanners show the anomalous energy readings coming from the abandoned human outpost at the heart of the valley.”

“Understood, I shall begin the investigation.” The commander turned to his stealth suit Shas’vre and gave a nod. With the silent command, the stealth suit team vanished and headed in the direction of the valley.

“Oh Commander, there is one more thing. The earth caste’s sensors have detected movement in the area, however they are having difficulties in getting a firm fix due to the depth of the valley walls. I have requested that Shas’El Kel’Tores leads a rapid response force into the area to assist you if necessary. I hope you will make good use of his talents. I understand you two were sparring partners in your Bonding Knife ritual back in your days as a Shas’La? Good hunting Commander.”

The vid window promptly closed before he could politely refuse the assistance from his former squad leader. The idea of asking for help from one as arrogant as he was infuriating.

He focused on the task at hand; the stealth team were forwarding telemetry on the settlement ahead. There appeared to be no sign of life, yet every building was intact, personal transport vehicles parked neatly, roads unmarked by the classic scars of battle. Whoever lived here either left calmly on foot or vanished from the face of the planet.

He ordered the cadre to advance, allowing his troops and battle suits to investigate the buildings supported by the artillery when the trap was sprung. He knew it was a trap, but he had his orders.

As soon as they left the entering valley, sensor warnings lit up across his visor. A flood of sensor blips scattered before his eyes, both friendly and hostile. He looked to his left to see the forces of his former squad leader flowing forward firing away from the Commander. Zooming in, the commander saw what they were firing at. Fast moving slender vehicles screaming through the valley floor, in and out of the buildings. Without skipping a beat the tank commanders opened fire on the largest vehicles. Each one either ploughed into the ground of exploded into a shower shrapnel.

Immediately a vid window appeared with the agitated face of Shas’El Kel’Tores on it. Before he could speak, the Commander imposed his authority and barely held back his obvious satisfaction, “it looked like you could do with some assistance. Take your ground forces into the building and begin the search of the power readings.”

A stunned Kel’Tores stood silent with his mouth open. “Is there something else Shas’el?” Kel’Tores was obviously upset that his plan to ‘save’ his former squad member had backfired and more importantly, he knew the Commander knew it.

“No Commander, I will find it myself”

The tanks of both detachments immediately began to co-ordinate their attacks on these lithe and slender aliens, whilst the ground troops began to investigate the nearby buildings.


With the background explosions of rail guns and seeker missiles, the fire warriors began to search inside the abandoned buildings.

Despite the lack of light in the bottom of the steep valley, some of the rooms had a distinct red-green-purply glow about them. The teams began to scan each room as per their instructions from the earth caste.

The Commander heard the screams of the Dark Eldar just before the calls came in from his ground forces. The trap had sprung, but not as he had thought. He recognised the energy spikes before the would-be ambushers appeared; Chaos. But these were different to the forces met on the snowy plateau. These were not the twisted remains of space marines coerced into a fighting force but knarled beasts randomly appearing from grotesque shrines to pain and suffering. The people of this settlement hadn’t been destroyed by some plague or hostile force, they hadn’t even left, they had sacrificed themselves on the altar of those unholy churches.

With the carful co-ordination of artillery and small arms fire, the daemonic incursion from the chaos forces ceased. The now raged forces of the Dark Eldar had not fared well against the Deamonic ambush and had but a few ground troops searching the ruins.

“Commander, I have located the objective and have secured the package. Well done Kel’Tores, we will begin extraction” at that point a vid screen appeared next to the Shas’El with the Ethereal primed to intervene.

“Commander, I believe that you have secured the source of the abnormal power readings. Congratulations.”

“Thankyou Aun At’Tok. The package has been secured by Shas’El Kel’Tores.”

“Ah yes, Kel’Tores. Thank him for me. The Earth Caste are already en-route to you location. In the mean time I feel it may be of some use to take this opportunity to utilise the Shas’El’s unique gift at sparring. Perhaps some training exercises for both detachments are in order.”

“Yes sir, I shall begin preparations immediately. For The Greater Good”

“For The Greater Good” The vid window vanished leaving the window of the Shas’El open.

“What do you say Kel? For old times’ sake?”

“I beat you once I can do it again.”

“Yes but the last time we sparred, I beat you.”

“Like I said, I can do it again.”

“For The Greater Good”

“For The Greater Good”


An hour later the Commander stood over the beaten Shas’El and offered his hand, whilst the Orca’s of the Earth Caste arrived overhead. Reluctantly he took it. Despite powering down the pulse weapons to acceptable training levels, they still packed a punch and Kel’Tores had received more than his fair share of punches that day.

“It looks like I’ll be presenting the artefact to Aun At’Tok.”

“It certainly looks that way.” The Commander started to help the hopping Shes’El to his transport, but was shrugged off as soon as Kel’Tores was standing.

The Commander’s bodyguards soon appeared at his side. One with a data pad in his hand. “Commander, we have located another power source. It is moving at altitude towards a small equatorial island. Our scans show that the forces of the Imperium are in possession of the device.”

“Thank you, inform the Earth Caste of the presence of a second Key.”