Greater Good

by Sandy Mitchell

  [19] The tau who specialise in diplomacy and administrative tasks, maintaining social cohesion within the Tau Empire, and overseeing the smooth integration of conquered species. The closest Imperial equivalent would be a cross between the Administratum and the Ecclesiarchy, although the caste’s responsibilities and remit go far beyond anything which that would imply, touching almost every aspect of life among the septs.

  [20] Word of the tau invasion had spread quickly, and the dozens of civilian vessels which would normally have arrived or departed each day changed their routes to avoid the Quadravidia system. Their new paths through the warp were, of course, far slower, and the resulting economic disruption was to continue rippling through the sector for over a decade.

  [21] An uncharacteristic moment of introspection; presumably he was reminded of his own near-death in this manner during the First Siege of Perlia.

  [22] Though an undoubted goal of the invasion fleet, it was probably a secondary one. Tau planetary assaults make great use of assets in fixed orbit, and, more likely, they hoped to use the orbital as a gun platform, and to speed up the deployment of their ground forces by using it as a staging post.

  [23] For a fuller account of this incident, see Royz, chapter 17.

  [24] Big, certainly, but hardly that big.

  [25] Almost certainly an exaggeration for effect, although it’s possible, pace his earlier remarks about the size of the vessels intended to use it, that he was simply misjudging the scale of his surroundings. A space that size could hardly be opened to vacuum and repressurised as regularly as required for commerce without considerable difficulty.

  [26] Enabling personnel to enter or leave while the hangar was decompressed, to speed up the arrival or departure of traffic.

  [27] Probably because the humans assimilated by the tau generally regard Imperials as uncouth barbarians, and she would have expected all Imperial Guardsmen to be like that.

  [28] One of the Imperial worlds whose annexation led to the Damocles Gulf Crusade; after a quarter of a millennium, it was hardly surprising the population had become as thoroughly assimilated as it appears here.

  [29] A matter of some debate among the xenopsychologists of the Ordo Xenos, some of whom hold to Cain’s opinion, while others assert that the upper echelons of the tau are perfectly aware of the vast disparity between our two powers, but remain convinced of their ultimate victory regardless. Quite why any would be so deluded as to think that is beyond me, but it’s certainly true that most denizens of their empire have a faith in the Greater Good no less strong than our own in His Divine Majesty.

  [30] Not entirely true, but such clashes are rare, and confined almost exclusively to Imperial invasions of tau worlds with a substantial human element among the population.

  [31] Literally ‘those who guide wisely.’

  [32] A Valhallan beverage, for which Cain had a particular and inexplicable liking.

  [33] Though many adjectives spring to mind concerning the flavour of tanna, ‘delicate’ is not one of them. It’s like describing a Baneblade as ‘dainty.’

  [34] Most unlikely; the water caste making a habit of preparing detailed psychological appraisals of anyone their diplomats are liable to come into contact with as a matter of course. Then again, they appeared to believe Cain’s reputation was entirely genuine, so were clearly capable of being misdirected on occasion.

  [35] No area in or around the Damocles Gulf has this Imperial designation, so it seems El’hassai was translating the name from its tau equivalent. Since anywhere coreward of T’au would be on or near their border with the Imperium, this is hardly much help in fixing the location; if he was more precise, Cain doesn’t mention it.

  [36] Or cultivated to put them at their ease during negotiations.

  [37] Not to be confused with the small drones commonly used by the fire caste and others, these are essentially self-guided torpedoes, just large enough to hold a databank, a gravitic drive, and a machine spirit to pilot it; lacking astropaths, this is the only way for exploration vessels to remain in contact with their home worlds, other than taking full-sized courier ships along for the ride.

  [38] On the Eastern Fringe, at least, which would, naturally, be his main concern. Hive Fleet Leviathan’s thrust up through the galactic plane would have little bearing on the immediate tactical situation in the Damocles Gulf.

  [39] It’s unclear here whether he actually used the Imperial term, or Cain is simply translating with hindsight.

  [40] As was his habit, Zyvan had simply taken passage on the largest warship in the flotilla, commandeering the space he needed; an arrangement the Navy seemed as happy with as possible under the circumstances, no doubt reflecting that at least that way they got to keep an eye on whatever he was up to.

  [41] A cartographic convention which has led to occasional confusion, given that most Imperial tactical displays use red to mark contact with the enemy; though few incidents were so embarrassing as the orbital bombardment of the Shrine of the Omnissiah on Kaftagrie, by an Imperial Navy flotilla under the erroneous impression that it had fallen to the Traitor Legion besieging it.

  [42] An exaggeration, but a pardonable one; it certainly manufactured a high proportion of the materiel used by Imperial Guard units in and around the Gulf, including lasguns, powercells, and most common variants of the Leman Russ.

  [43] In fact, the tau appear to have no psykers of any kind among them, although there is much speculation among the Ordo Xenos as to whether or not the Ethereal caste’s ability to inspire and lead might be an entirely natural phenomenon, or have something of the warp about it in a manner not yet evident or explained. Similar doubts exist about the other races associated with the tau, although the question remains a little less clear cut; and surely only the most optimistic could believe that the humans in the tau empire are entirely free of taint, those afflicted undoubtedly being encouraged to use their curses in the name of the ‘Greater Good’.

  [44] He seems to be drawing no distinction between the manufactoria themselves and the adjoining habs; which, to be fair, were so intermingled it was hard to tell where the dividing lines were in any case.

  [45] Terraforming efforts had begun in M35, with the establishment of an atmosphere, which rapidly became all but unbreathable as the business of plundering the world’s resources had begun in earnest.

  [46] Pyria, noted for its extreme geological instability, on which Cain had encountered an eldar raiding party the year before.

  [47] Actually three or four times would have been a more accurate guess.

  [48] Though Fecundia’s strategic value to the Imperium was predicated on its prodigious output of munitions, it produced a great many non-military commodities too; hardly a world in the sector was without ground vehicles produced there, and the chemical fertilisers made alongside the military explosives (often utilising the same reaction chambers) were all that made food production possible on three neighbouring agri-worlds of otherwise marginal fertility.

  [49] In fact, tau and human hearing appear to be in a broadly similar range, although the average tau seem deaf to the higher frequencies while capable of distinguishing sounds most humans would perceive merely as uncomfortable vibration. Which probably accounts for their lamentable taste in music.

  [50] By this time their prospection fleet had, in fact, identified five other worlds in the sector suitable for exploitation, and begun preliminary work on two of them, estimating that they would become fully-functioning forge worlds by the end of the first century of M43. Of the other three, one was of equal interest to the tau, who had fortified it heavily against rival claims, the second was overrun by orks and not felt to be worth the trouble of cleansing, while the third lay directly in the path of Hive Fleet Kraken, and was therefore considered a poor long-term investment of resources.

  [51] Not the downward-sloping, ones, obviously.

  [52] A gesture common on several worlds in the sector, where the thumb is folded into the hand so that the finger
s form a stylised aquila wing, meant to invoke good luck or ward off misfortune.

  [53] From which we can infer that Cain had at least taken the time to familiarise himself with the datafiles on the most senior members of the Adeptus Mechanicus on Fecundia.

  [54] Probably because, being out in the open, Cain was now the most visible target.

  [55] Such constructs are usually programmed to concentrate their fire on the greatest perceived threat; in this case the shuttle’s multilaser, and the presence aboard it of a xenos interloper, compared to which Jurgen and his lasgun would simply be a minor irritation.

  [56] Typically, the high regard he was held in, admittedly in stark contrast to most of his colleagues, doesn’t seem to have occurred to him.

  [57] Three and a thumb, for the pedantic among my readers.

  [58] Given their relatively slight stature it’s no surprise that tau, on average, are somewhat weaker than humans, but, as in so many other respects, it’s never wise to underestimate their resolve or tenacity in a crisis.

  [59] Or, more likely, felt that the risk of hitting Zyvan by accident was too great to try it.

  [60] Not a bad estimate, if the combat armour is also taken into account.

  [61] Most unlikely; if it had been that critically balanced it would have toppled from the vibrations induced by Cain and El’hassai’s disembarkation.

  [62] As it most certainly should; a molecular bond effectively makes both components a part of the same object.

  [63] Typically, it doesn’t seem to have occurred to Cain that Zyvan was prompted to listen by his personal regard for him, rather than the authority of his office.

  [64] Probably he was simply out of practice, after decades of communicating almost exclusively in binary.

  [65] A tradition still stubbornly maintained by a handful of tech-priests, who claim it predates the russet generally favoured by the priesthood of Mars. It seems likely that this unconventional attire is meant to display the wearer’s position on one or other of the countless doctrinal disputes continually raging among the disciples of the Omnissiah, although what these may be is utterly opaque to outsiders, and unlikely to matter to anyone but the participants.

  [66] Like all forge worlds, Fecundia was continually surrounded by a swarm of freighters bringing in food and raw materials, and carrying away the products manufactured there. Zyvan may have been exaggerating the number of civilian vessels present, but not by much; shipping records for the time show an average of six to eight hundred arrivals and departures a day, while many more would be in orbit transferring cargo at the same time.

  [67] Or Jurgen, knowing Cain.

  [68] Mostly from within the sector, although regiments from Brimlock, Elyssia and Valhalla were also present; including the 12th Field Artillery, the unit with which Cain had commenced his career, although if he found time to make a social call on his old comrades-in-arms he doesn’t bother to mention it.

  [69] Consisting as it does mainly of reconstituted pulses, the consequences of relying on it as a staple become all too evident remarkably quickly, particularly in a confined space.

  [70] Since the Adepta Sororitas believe they take their orders from the Emperor Himself, by way of the Ecclesiarchy, they have little time for the instructions of any mere generals or Chapter Masters they may find themselves fighting alongside. Or inquisitors, for that matter, although members of the Ordo Hereticus tend to make a little more headway with them than the others.

  [71] If Cain is a little vague about Naval ranks that’s hardly surprising, given that he spent his entire career attached to the Imperial Guard, and would be far less familiar with their insignia and rank structure.

  [72] Almost certainly, as tech-priests conversing among themselves are unlikely to confine themselves to Gothic.

  [73] Most of them would have found the noise inspiring in fact, considering it the shuttle’s hymn of praise to the Omnissiah.

  [74] Probably processing data, or interfacing directly with the on-board systems.

  [75] Which was, indeed, compelling.

  [76] Practically a requirement for service with the Ordo Malleus.

  [77] A near enough approximation, although the actual numbers might vary: combat servitors like the one Cain encountered on his initial arrival would sometimes be attached directly to the formation in place of a regular trooper, as would specialists with other useful skills.

  [78] Which implies that the landing skids had been mounted on wheels or gravitic repellers, probably somewhere out of Cain’s line of sight.

  [79] Probably because the contaminated air which had entered along with the shuttle was quickly dissipated by the air currents from the recirculators.

  [80] After a certain level of augmentation, the difference is purely academic in any case.

  [81] Cyber-Altered Task unit, a mobile mechanism built to carry out simple tasks; like a basic servitor, although their lack of organic components makes them far less versatile, and incapable of being programmed for anything other than their original purpose.

  [82] A combat drug designed to enhance strength and aggression, most commonly used by the penal legions; the long-term effects on unaugmented physiologies are deleterious in the extreme, but this isn’t considered a disadvantage where the troopers aren’t expected to survive more than a battle or two anyway.

  [83] From which we can infer that, to Cain’s eyes at least, the centurion appeared unarmed; an impression which may not have been entirely accurate, as Mechanicus skitarii tend to have a number of implanted weapon systems designed to enhance their lethality at close quarters.

  [84] As a matter of fact Dysen was; his internal pict recordings show the action did indeed take place much as Cain describes it, although with rather more audible profanity.

  [85] The first time he mentions a change of level, although, given that the hangar was just below the roof, that’s hardly a surprise.

  [86] While the others of that generation revert to purestrain genestealers, ready to continue spreading their taint.

  [87] Either by magnifying the images provided by his augmetic eyes, or by interfacing directly with the shuttle’s telemetry in some fashion, probably.

  [88] A reasonable assumption, since he would have been able to exchange data with the skitarii directly.

  [89] A fanciful suggestion, but there is still much we don’t fully understand about the nature of genestealer brood telepathy, so perhaps we shouldn’t dismiss the notion completely out of hand. More likely, however, is that it was hanging back until the skitarii had been driven from the boarding ramp, and only noticed Cain and the others when Dysen attracted its attention.

  [90] In all probability the genestealer patriarch was using the power of the brood mind to launch a psychic attack, which Jurgen, being a blank, was able to nullify.

  [91] So either Cain was mistaken about him being unarmed before, or he’d picked up a fallen one during the melee.

  [92] Cain’s superficial familiarity with Space Marine terminology appears to have been acquired during his secondment to the Reclaimers as their Imperial Guard liaison in 928: his experiences at the time have already been disseminated, and need not detain us any further at this point.

  [93] Which was hardly surprising: like most Adeptus Astartes Chapters, the Reclaimers numbered around a thousand warriors, operating in company or smaller sized units, often isolated from the others for decades, or even centuries, at a time.

  [94] Evidently the older Corvus-pattern, which the Reclaimers generally awarded to those showing particular bravery or initiative on the battlefield.

  [95] Hardly a facility most tech-priests were likely to need, I’d have thought.

  [96] The Techmarine who crafted the fingers, and who subsequently became the closest thing to a friend Cain had among the Reclaimers.

  [97] Typically, it doesn’t seem to have occurred to Cain that the good opinion Zyvan had of him almost certainly played a large part in his willingness to listen.

  [98] Havin
g had the opportunity to interact over a prolonged period with members of the species, becoming a familiar enough presence to catch them in the occasional unguarded moment, I can confirm that they do indeed look just as gormless as the average human while lost in thought.

  [99] The tau word for humans, one of a handful of simple phrases Cain apparently picked up during his occasional contacts with members of the race which didn’t involve physical violence.

  [100] No doubt a number of messenger drones had come aboard the Imperial flagship with him.

  [101] Ha!

  [102] Despite my best efforts, I have thus far been unable to determine the world on which this stood; or, equally likely, was burrowed into.

  [103] Actually a fair-sized suite, although, to be fair to Cain, he probably remained unaware of the existence of the rest of the rooms.