Hadron Expanse: Tau setback at Tanis

While the war in the Lysis system occupied the majority of factions active in the Hadron Expanse, the Tau had long since disengaged from the bitter war for the system and the ruined landscape of the planet Hexis. The Tau had made significant progress in their "Hadron Expansion Sphere", helped in part by their alliance with the secessionist human Federacy, and their patronage by the Kel Sandros Eldar. For the last few years the Tau had established a strong base at Echo Reach, and taken the key worlds around the warp junction, including Hussaria and Dnatha. The Tau however, did not want to be constrained, and had turned their attention to the next phase of their expansion. The system of Tanis, while not as critical as Lysis (and Hexis), nonetheless was inhabitable, and stood at the gateway to the Rifts of Hecate, and crucially were the Tau able to control it, would serve to bottle surround the Vanir system and keep a check on the goings on at Hexis.

The expansion had been going fairly well, but in early 10.021M42 the Tau faced and unexpected attack from the greenskins following an ork warboss known as "Ludendorkk". Unaware of the reinvigoration of the orks on Hexis - and unaware that the increasing hostilities had been attracting greenskins from far and wide, the Tau did not expect the sudden invasion of one of the outer worlds of the system.

The Tau however had at their disposal a large array of weaponry and overwhelming firepower. Swathes of orks were cut down as they charged headlong into the Tau lines, and it seemed as if the greenskins would surely have to abort whatever mission they were on. To their horror however, the orks kept on coming, heedless of their losses, and it became apparent that the hunter cadre on the outer world may be lost unless the Tau commander took immediate action. Despite inflicting what should have been catastrophic losses on the greenskins, the Tau abandoned the outer world on 0510.042M42, and had to consider whether the expedition to Tanis was worth the effort. For now though, the Tau continued to construct their bases on the inner worlds of the system.