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08.07.---->14.08.904.M38
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"Transfer them to containment cells and make sure they have no contact with any member of their species," I ordered as I stood up and fastened my cloak.
Hours had passed since the assault. Hours spent reading the minds of the captured T'au Ethereals, extracting critical information about the key pillars of their empire. Shipyards, forge worlds, mining worlds, logistical routes—everything that sustained their war effort.
The results were… acceptable.
We had managed to capture around eight Ethereals on the same planet. We didn't know if some had managed to hide or escape. The strike had been fast, designed exclusively to extract information before they could react. Even so, I had hoped for more.
If we wanted to counter the T'au Empire—at least during its expansion phase—we needed to understand them completely. It was only a matter of time before they launched a new Expansion Sphere. If that happened, we would find ourselves surrounded by millions of T'au colonists, and there would be very little we could do to stop them.
According to what I read in their minds, they outnumbered us overwhelmingly. Roughly a million to one. Seven Dominion colony worlds versus hundreds under T'au control. In a prolonged war, we would stand no chance.
The only option was clear: a fast strike. Brutal. Powerful enough to make them believe we were far stronger than we truly were.
In addition to the intelligence, we emptied every available data archive in the attacked region. The planet was left severely damaged. Civilian casualties numbered in the billions—but we could not afford a prolonged, systematic bombardment. Time was working against us.
We struck with everything we had, but without completely destroying the planet. A total nuclear bombardment would have been fast, but unnecessary. Still, I knew that if every Yamato cannon in the fleet fired simultaneously at a single point, it would be theoretically possible to split a planet in half due to the absurd concentration of energy.
"Deploy stealth ships to the coordinates I'm transmitting. This is where the bulk of the T'au war effort is concentrated. I want everything mapped and identified as soon as possible. For now, we're heading to a T'au forge world forty light-years away and we will destroy it completely. You have until then to deliver the information," I ordered over the communicator to all Ghosts aboard the White Star.
The stealth hangar was empty within minutes. Hundreds of Ghosts scattered across T'au space, each on a different vector.
Without wasting time, I continued.
"Kazimir, withdraw from the planet. We already have everything we came for," I ordered, instructing the ground forces to disengage and return to their positions.
"Why? We have full control of the planet. Shouldn't we make sure to clean it thoroughly and leave these miserable xenos properly dead?" Kazimir replied.
"Negative, Kazimir. We now have precise information on the location of their shipyards, military academies, forges, and agricultural worlds. We must strike now, while the iron is hot. Don't let it cool. Every minute counts," I reiterated.
"Understood. I'm proceeding with evacuation," he finally replied.
"Make sure absolutely none of our technology is left behind," I added. "From what I understand, their technological level is far inferior to ours. If they get their hands on anything from the Dominion, they won't take long to study it."
"Roger. I'll make sure nothing remains," Kazimir said before cutting the channel.
I moved immediately to the command deck of the White Star, blinking into place beside Kurt.
"Can you stop doing that? It gets on my nerves," Kurt growled, clenching his jaw as he shook his head.
"It's faster than walking, honestly. But fine. I have the intel. My Ghosts are already mapping the region. We'll have confirmation soon. We need to move south and bombard that forge world as soon as possible."
"I understand. Do you want me to review the nuclear arsenal? Are you planning to destroy the planet?" Kurt asked, clasping his hands behind his back.
"No. The nuclear arsenal is far too valuable to waste on a single forge world. If I ever use it, it will be for a strike so devastating that they can't recover from it. And for now, we can't afford that."
"I'll notify you when the fleet is ready to jump," he replied.
"I'll wait."
I returned to my quarters and waited for Kurt's confirmation. It didn't take long before mobilization began. All our forces returned aboard, and we conducted a casualty count.
They were surprisingly low.
The Royal Guard was extremely difficult to break when supported by field medics and constant heavy support—especially since most of the T'au heavy weaponry had been focused on trying to bring down the battlecruiser Titan and the Odin. As heavy platforms designed to absorb punishment, enormous investment had gone into their shield generators and ultra-heavy armor, clearly intended to draw fire.
Our losses were minimal. Just over a hundred.
Even so, every Royal Guard casualty hurt. They were exceptionally valuable soldiers; each one could easily become an instructor at a military academy. Losing them was never acceptable, even when the overall balance was favorable.
The journey to the T'au forge world was short. Upon arrival, we encountered a small defensive fleet in orbit—about twenty ships. They didn't last three minutes against the combined power of the Dominion fleet. They had clearly sent distress signals, but I seriously doubted the T'au could reorganize in under a month. By then, we would have already struck every critical objective.
The fleet took orbital positions and the bombardment began immediately. Laser batteries fired without pause, and multiple Yamato cannons were activated simultaneously. Impacts were concentrated on the planet's most important industrial zones. Within hours, planetary-scale fires spread uncontrollably as the bombardment continued.
For three full days, we maintained fire.
When it ended, most of the forge world's essential industry had been irreversibly destroyed.
Shortly after, reports from our Ghosts began to arrive. Coordinates, routes, secondary objectives, logistical nodes—precise information on where to strike next.
Thus began our lightning campaign.
Sa'cea. T'au'n. N'dras. Elsy'eir. Vash'ya. And dozens more. All the peripheral worlds around the T'au capital were attacked in rapid succession. The T'au were already on alert, but our strikes were too fast and too simultaneous. They had no time to react or to understand the true scope of our forces.
Each time we destroyed a shipyard or a forge, I read the minds of the survivors. And that's when I realized something crucial: they were convinced we outnumbered them.
The reality was exactly the opposite.
The T'au vastly surpassed us in population and raw resources. But from their technological perspective, receiving simultaneous strikes across so many different systems could only mean one thing—that they were facing a far larger empire, one capable of moving multiple fleets at the same time, never realizing it was the same fleet over and over again.
They believed we were a colossal force.
That mistake worked entirely in our favor.
Everything indicated that they were withdrawing their fleets and concentrating everything on their capital world, preparing for what—according to their values—would be the definitive trial of their empire.
Quite literally, the planet T'au was saturated with T'au warships. Millions of members of the Fire Caste had gathered there, along with countless auxiliaries—millions of individuals from the species annexed into their expanding empire.
If we managed to unleash our nuclear arsenal on that system, we could annihilate the T'au Empire in the galaxy in a single blow.
The problem was obvious.
To reach firing range and carry out a nuclear holocaust over the capital, we would have to sacrifice an unknown number of ships.
I had bad experiences with planetary sieges. The last time, I had ended up forced to hide like a dog. Even with our current fleet, the size of the T'au armada was enormous by comparison, and general estimates indicated a high probability of defeat in a direct confrontation. With our current numbers, a decisive battle could mean the end of the Dominion in this region.
Only one option remained to bring the conflict to a close and complete our plan.
Request a ceasefire.
The T'au feared us. They were convinced that we vastly outnumbered them, and that fear was a strategic resource we needed to exploit to the fullest. If they discovered the truth, it would only be a matter of time before they pushed the war into Dominion space, where the conflict would become long, brutal, and without any guarantee of victory.
Moreover, our logistical situation was beginning to deteriorate. Ammunition for macro-cannons, torpedoes, and missiles was reaching critical levels. Although laser batteries remained operational, after a month-long lightning campaign much of our heavy arsenal had been expended.
We could not sustain a prolonged war.
So, without wasting any more time, the White Star executed a direct jump into the T'au capital sector. The moment we exited FTL, I activated the communicator.
The situation was exactly as expected.
Thousands upon thousands of warships orbited the capital planet. Within seconds, they began to reposition, forming defensive layers and adopting combat formations. Tactical sensors were saturated with hostile signals locked onto us.
"I never question your ideas, Hendrik," Kurt said as he studied the tactical display, where countless energy signatures showed their weapons trained on us. "But doesn't it seem insane to come in here with just the White Star? If they focus their fire, they'll destroy us in seconds."
"Calm down," I told Kurt. "The T'au are more afraid of us than we are of them."
"They outnumber us by what… forty to one in ships? I don't do miracles, Hendrik," Kurt replied.
"They won't waste this opportunity to negotiate," I said calmly. "Otherwise, they would've already fired," I added with a smile.
After several minutes of silence, the communicator emitted a soft tone and the channel opened. The image of a T'au appeared on the other side—upright posture, gaze fixed on the camera.
"This is Por'El T'au N'reth of the Water Caste, speaking on behalf of the High Ethereal Council and the interests of the T'au people," she said in a serene voice, though in Low Gothic. "Identify the authority with whom I am obliged to exchange words."
"You are speaking with the Lord Regent of the Terran Dominion, spokesman for the interests of Emperor Arcturus Mengsk," I replied without raising my voice. "I will be clear from the outset. Aboard this vessel are eight living members of the Aun Caste. While this communication channel remains open, your fleets are to cease all active targeting of our position and withdraw any interception vectors from this system. Any hostile action will result in immediate consequences for them."
There was no visible reaction. The T'au diplomat maintained her composure, but it took her a few seconds longer than expected to respond.
"Message received," she said at last. "I will relay your conditions to the High Council. I request that this channel remain open."
Kurt struck my hand sharply and pointed at the tactical panel. The readings confirmed that the T'au ships had disengaged their targeting systems.
"Good," I said, without taking my eyes off the communicator. "The reason for this conversation with your people is simple. The Terran Dominion considers that the offense suffered has already been settled. Consequently, this unilateral campaign we have unleashed against your worlds—including the systematic destruction of your military capabilities—may now come to an end."
The T'au diplomat inclined her head slightly.
"The High Ethereal Council wishes to understand," she replied calmly, "what offense the Dominion considers grave enough to justify actions of such magnitude against our systems."
"I can offer you a minor example," I answered, allowing myself a faint smile. "The initiation of communications in Low Gothic, a language the Terran Dominion does not recognize as valid for diplomatic exchanges. It is a primitive dialect, used exclusively by lower castes and uneducated populations—a direct insult to the Dominion and to our efforts to eliminate that language."
There was a brief silence.
"No… no," Por'El T'au N'reth replied quickly, without losing her composure. "We possess no knowledge of your language. If the Dominion deems it necessary, we can receive a glossary, a linguistic protocol, or any reference required to immediately correct that error and continue communications under appropriate terms."
"Denied," I said flatly, gesturing with my hand to close the matter. "The real reason for our response was the direct violation of Terran space sovereignty. Your vessels entered territory under Dominion control without authorization. That forced us to act."
I leaned slightly toward the communicator. "The prestige of the Terran Dominion depends on ensuring that such transgressions do not go unanswered."
There was a long silence. Clearly, the T'au were struggling to reconcile the disproportion between our complaint and our response.
"However," I continued, standing tall before the communicator, "the Terran Dominion believes the time has come to bring hostilities to an end. Naturally, after appropriate compensation for the grave insult inflicted upon the prestige and sovereignty of the Dominion."
I paused briefly, just long enough for the weight of the words to settle.
"For that reason, I stand before you to offer peace," I added with an authoritative voice. "A formal peace between our states."
The response did not come immediately. Only when the silence began to grow uncomfortable did the diplomat's voice finally return.
"What are the conditions of the Terran Dominion for bringing this war to an end?" Por'El T'au N'reth asked,
"I would not call this a war," I replied unhurriedly. "There has been no formal declaration. What has occurred is a special operation, carried out to restore balance and ensure respect for our sovereignty."
I paused briefly before continuing.
"Our conditions are simple. The T'au Empire will formally recognize the sovereignty of the Terran Dominion and accept our territorial claims over the sectors we will designate. Furthermore, the cession of several worlds currently under T'au control will be required. These worlds must be completely evacuated of their populations."
I raised a hand, marking the next point.
"In addition, your Empire will commit to never entering Dominion space without explicit authorization, nor initiating any diplomatic activity unless it is channeled directly through the central authority of the Dominion."
The diplomat remained motionless for several seconds.
"I will transmit this information to the High Council," she finally replied. "However, we require guarantees that a similar situation will not occur again."
"It is sufficient that you never again believe you can cross our sovereign space without consequences," I answered firmly. "As long as that principle is respected, there will be no need for further demonstrations of force."
"We need real guarantees of your goodwill…" the diplomat began.
I interrupted her before she could finish.
"I will release two members of the Aun Caste immediately," I said calmly. "Send a transport vessel to my cruiser and the prisoners will be handed over. Additionally, we will release the captured members of the Water, Earth, and Fire Castes currently under our control. Consider this a tangible display of goodwill."
I allowed the statement to settle before continuing.
"If my conditions are fulfilled in their entirety, the remaining members of the Aun Caste will be released gradually over a period of five years."
The channel remained silent for several seconds.
"Even so," Por'El T'au N'reth finally said, "the Council requires additional guarantees."
"What guarantees do you seek?" I asked.
"A treaty of friendship and commerce," she replied. "A stable framework to ensure that something like this never happens again."
I muted the communicator and turned to Kurt.
"They don't know when to stop with diplomacy," I muttered.
I reactivated the channel.
"That proposal is unacceptable," I replied bluntly. "The Terran Dominion does not conceive of friendship with a xeno species. At best, there may be shared interests."
I paused briefly before presenting the counteroffer.
"However, a limited commercial treaty is feasible. This exchange will take place exclusively on the planet Dal'yth, which must be ceded to the Terran Dominion. Only on that world will any form of economic exchange between our states be permitted, under supervision and conditions imposed by the Dominion."
The diplomat remained silent, processing the scope of the offer.
"We require the full release of the Aun Caste members for the treaty to be valid," she said firmly.
"That will not happen," I replied without hesitation. "They are my guarantee that the T'au Empire will not act against us for the next three decades. I will not concede on that point."
"If our demands are not met, we cannot accept these conditions," Por'El T'au N'reth replied.
"Then you leave me no alternative," I began calmly. "I will order the execution of all prisoners and consider this interaction a formal declaration of—"
"There is no need to escalate the conflict further," she interrupted quickly. "We acknowledge that the territorial demands are excessive, but we request either a reduction of the conditions or the release of the Aun. The T'au people do not wish to reach the point of open war."
I muted the communicator and looked at Kurt.
"I told you," I murmured. "They're terrified. They think we outnumber them."
Kurt smiled, saying nothing.
I reactivated the channel.
"We are willing to release six members of the Aun Caste immediately," I said. "The remaining two will remain in Dominion custody for the next two decades. There will be no further concessions. This is our final offer."
The diplomat fell silent for a long moment.
"The High Council," she finally said, "with the blessing of Aun'Va, accepts your proposal to bring this conflict to an end."
"Then let us formalize the treaty," I replied. "You may begin evacuation procedures immediately."
Some time later, I found myself aboard a neutral vessel—a T'au merchant ship. Before me stood Aun'Va and several Ethereals. They did not conceal their hostility, not only because of the defeat, but because we had shattered decades of work devoted to the Greater Good.
Many T'au watched me with open curiosity. By their standards, my height was anomalous. An average T'au barely reached one meter sixty-five. I stood two meters twenty. The difference was impossible to ignore.
While the final details of the treaty were being concluded, I took advantage of the proximity to read Aun'Va's mind. I extracted everything I could: doctrines, strategic assessments, hidden research facilities. Nothing that would immediately alter the balance. Some secrets would have been useful weeks earlier, but now they came too late.
The peace treaty was signed swiftly. Through it, several systems officially passed under Terran Dominion control and, at the same time, T'au attention was diverted toward their next sphere of expansion, far from our borders. As for us, only one priority remained: keeping our true strength an absolute secret, as many within the Fire Caste were already beginning to think about how to strike back at the blow we had dealt them.
Even so, the objective had been achieved. I had secured the survival of the Dominion—at least against the T'au—for another century.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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