- On a remote world in the Eastern Fringe -
The wind picks up into a stronger gale and the air starts to crackle and pop between the dense pine-like trees of the forest. The leaves start rustling and there is a short spark of light. An old webway passage has just awakened to life. From the gate emerge 4 tall and lithe figures. Three of them clad in bright orange robes wearing black helmets and a fourth in an ornate yellow suit of wraithbone and a red cloak. The wind dies down and the silence returns to the glade as the figures start walking, leisurely, away from the gate as if on a stroll towards the edge of the woods.
- Baron Haldir, I must protest, what you plan to do is only worthy of a squat. What next? Keep a ledger of grudges you will spend what little is left of eternity hunting? You could have enlisted any mercenary void-dreamer, yet instead you call upon the seers of Lugganath to...ignite a squabble?
- Ah but, High-Seer Elandrin, have I erred in choosing you for this task? We fight the Great Enemy today! Has your foresight dwindled since escaping Vigilus?
- You are a scoundrel Haldir, with no real interest in the fate of the aeldari or the great enemy, leave your honeyed words for the mon'keigh rogue traders and Commorite merchants. How do you intend to fight the Great Enemy on Elas Shil'ui? This is supposed to be a Maiden World last I checked. But for the sake of repaying the favor of saving our humble council and the remains of our meager bladehost I will accompany you on this fool's errand.
- You have been away for a long time then High-Seer. Elas Shil'ui has been colonized by the fledgeling T'au of the Bork'an sept. Their earth caste scientists have found out this planet has been terraformed artificially and are studying it. They want our secrets from before the fall! But not only that but they have turned a significant amount of wildland into a weapons-testing range - only to then try to grow back the forests.
- I can't imagine the zealots of Biel'tan have taken that lightly. How come they haven't been scourged?
- That is unfortunately due to the fracturing of the great Craftworld. Ever since the visit of the mysterious prophetess who claims to channel the God of the Dead, doom has befallen them. That and an ingloriously failed incursion to try and recover the "Spear of Khaine". For all your foresight, you farseers are veritable bringers of apocalypse for many.
- Ah, finally, some refreshing honesty from a Corsair. But for all your distrust here we are. A small seer council at your disposal on a world colonized by a fledgeling race seeking to stand on the shoulders of giants. It would surprise me if you suddenly grew a conscience for the Maiden Worlds and would take up the stewardship that Biel-Tan once offered them. What do we seek here?
- We will take a stroll towards the local weapons testing facility and give the T'au there a real target to test their missiles and railguns on instead of the defenseless foliage and wildlife. As it happens, my scouts report that there is a diplomatic delegation from their very homeworld here to check on the development of the settlement. Normally the T'au leadership would be locked up inside their Coalition center in the planetary capital - but today we have the fortune to see the Ethereals and military leader's from at least a Longrifle's scope, mighty proud of showing of their guns as they are.
- Ah, so assassination is your plan? That might disrupt activity for a little while here, but without a warhost we cannot excise the T'au presence - even if you were to bombard it with your fleet.
- "The plan is a bit more treacherous than just that." Said Haldir with a toothy grin. His deep blue eyes sparkled with anticipation. It was clear that in his head he had it all planned out, better than any seer would foretell it.
- I have tried to scry the fates to decipher your plan and saw the shooting of one of the T'au in civilian garb. The further I have tried to scry the more the paths twisted and twinned, fate is murky. Whatever you have planned here, Baron, is as likely to fail as it is to succeed. More-so towards failiure since it seems to almost flirt with concepts and ideas the Pariah Eldrad of Ulthwe has used in the past.
- Oh what an honor High-Seer to be compared to one of your esteemed rank, believe me, this is all going to work out perfectly no matter what the fates have in store for us. My vengeance on the Great Enemy will be achieved and the Maiden-World will be left defenseless for the reaping.
- Your bravado is becoming tiresome. Let's just get this over with.
- Worry not, we are almost there. Just a couple quick strides. Believe me High-Seer. After this is done the Light of The Fallen Suns will want to promote me into their leadership for my brilliance.
- That or Cegorach will snatch you and make you a harlequin for your random whimsy.
The group reached the edge of the forest after a burst of quick movement. The twin cold suns of the planet were still high in the sky, fully illuminating the mountainous craggs and forested areas.
In what looked to be a barren field now, somewhere bellow the coterie's position, was one of the T'au's mustering grounds. Groups of battlesuits of all categories lined the barracks and the fire cast was preparing to put on a parade for the water and ethereal caste come from the homeworld. Baron Haldir reached for a small cube at his hip, similar to the soul-boxes the Drukhari use. He reaches in and extracts a Long-Rifle.
- A tesseract? I have to give it to you scoundrel you are a resourceful one.
- It's a useful tool for storing many armaments, you should see the size of some things that fit in there!
- Ok now what?
- Now we hide, even more so than we are now. Give the order to your warlocks.
Elandrin nodded towards one of the robed Warlocks. Virnael grabbed one of the spiritstones at his chest and started tracing a rune in the air. A fog rolled in from the woods, and it looked as if the green and brown covered their bright garments entirely. Anyone looking in that direction without very precise instruments would not be able to determine their presence. As the warlock was tracing the runes, Haldir tapped on his armor-interface, sending a message to Elandrin's helmet. The message displayed on the visual interface was an elaborate script and an image of a tall armored figure clad in purple, ornamented with Raven-motifs and on his shoulder emblazoned with the sigil of Oruboros - a snake eating its own tail.
- "Is this your brilliant idea, scoundrel?" Whispered Elandrin.
- The sooner you get it over with the sooner your boon will be fulfilled and we can get our wretched selves away from these barbarians. Be ready for a swift exit. Once this is done we need to be away like lightning on a summer's night.
After a few moments of frantic body language which could roughly be translated as exasperation and a profound wish to kick the Corsair off the ledge they were standing on the High-Seer sat down and gathered his psychic might. The shrouding was still in effect so no prying eyes would be alarmed by the floating aeldari on the cliffside.
Down at the mustering ground the parade began in full-swing. Fire-warriors marched in column, their armor perfectly-polished. While heavy XV-88 Broadsides and three mighty Riptides followed in tow.
The leadership looked pleased at the parade-drill and was eagerly awaiting to see the combat drill for which the artificially created gulch was set up. And then...panic set in as several of the Ethereals and Fire-Cast commanders gasped and started ordering troops to aim weapons at thin air. What they could see and hear in their minds was the image of the armored sorcerer and the sound of his booming, corrupted voice which to their surprise they could somehow understand.
- Xenos filth! I am Akenat'Mat Ra, high sorcerer! This is an ultimatum that your worthless world will be scoured clean of life in the name of the Deceiver within the week! Your preening, strutting and pathetic technology are no use for our arcane might! Your souls will fuel our crucible of hatred, your miserable race is not even fit to even be our slaves. Prove yourselves in a clash of forces and we may spare your mewling, pathetic lives while your retreat to your inner worlds. Refuse and we will grind you into dust beneath out armored heel. Your trial is try to take back the ruins of the city of Tash'ar'is, that you tried colonising on the nearby moon. Should you succeed in beating us back there...we MIGHT stay true to our words. You have exactly three planetary rotations to comply. Behold, with just a flick of my wrist your lives end!
As those final words were spoken, Haldir shot one of the Water caste diplomats dead with his long rifle. The parade ground descended into madness. Weapons went off. The Ethereals were evacuated under heavy guardianship and more and more troops were mustered out to quell the cacophony.
-"Now warlocks! Get us hence!" Said Haldir as silently but as strongly as he could under the cover of the psychic concealment. He grabbed the still-entranced Farseer by the waist and as if reality blinked for a moment - the coterie was no longer there. The Warlock Yloen spirited them away with psychic-quickening.
-That should get their attention! You were right seer...I did have to shoot one of them. Now let's see how this little squabble plays out. Whoever wins, they both lose. Should the Thousand Sons lose we get to recapture the webway-tear that they managed to brute force in. Should the T'au lose Elas Shil'ui should be safely back in Aeldari hands in no time. You'll see Elandrin. This will work out just fine!
Artwork taken from:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/m2yo1 - all credits to the creator.
