Tau Uncertainty

While the Orks made steady gains and the forces of the Catechism swept all before them in 11.008M42, the Tau found themselves boxed in, and making little if any progress. Despite initial victories against the Imperial Guard, their new found stubborn resistance meant the Tau were having to pay for every inch of gound in blood. Meanwhile to their west the forces of the Catechism were advancing on average 30 miles a day, and the Orks had landed in the east.

Many in the Tau high command now felt the invasion of Tarsis a folly. Too many lives lost, or wasted, for too little gain. Sunstrike, from his base in Cernunnos grew ever more concerned and reported his findings to the Ethereals. However the concensus agreement was to pursue the invasion, at least for the time being, no doubt a decision influenced by Shadowstrike.

The logistical problems were also causing the Tau high command serious headaches, with the drain on the merchant fleet particularly strained. Sunstrike, supported by his old friend Longstride, now commanding Melberg, argued that another full on invasion of a major world was foolish and that the tau would be better served by consolidating their recent gains and improvements to their infrastructure, while limited offensives against smaller, less well defended targets, made more sense. By 2011.008M42, with the invasion stalled and the intervention of Chaos and Ork forces on the same continent, this view was gaining ground.