Da Verminator almost loses Memnon

In early 03.009M42 the Tau high command had realised the vulnerability of their supply lines to Tarsis Major. Tau ships, slower than their Imperial counterparts, needed regular waystations from their holdings in the Perseus Deeps to reach Tarsis Major. This meant New Sparta and Aornis were the only route of supply to their operations on Tarsis.

Elan Ro was the first to suggest a second supply route be opened by an attack through the Shadow worlds. These systems, mostly occupied by Nazghat’s Orks, would link Tarsis Major and operations there, to the recently acquired base of Melberg, and ease the pressure on the Aornis-New Sparta route.

The idea, backed by Fastblade, was considered but shelved, until the Catechism arrived on New Sparta on 0103.009M42. Immediately the Tau organised a task force and dispatched forces to Memnon and Hylas, considered the most vulnerable by their commanders.

The attack on Memnon by Ol Cha, one of Elan Ro’s subordinates, went well and the Orks were unprepared for such an organised assault. The planet, defended by Da Verminator, fell in just three days and the Ork Warlord was forced to abandon his new base, taking his incomplete Stompa with him. Unfortunately for Chaos the renegade Ork warlord was about to make an unscheduled visit to the neighbouring system of Tyndareous.


Never-the-less the Tau now had a foothold in the Shadow worlds. As they celebrated, the second phase of the operation swung into action on Hylas.