Best story ever written

Part Eighteen.

Kryptman.


Codian exhaled slowly as the weight of this latest discovery settled in his mind. Things were starting to fall in place, to make sense at last.
Lord Inquisitor Kryptman had been a well-known figurehead of the Imperium for a long time, the unchallenged expert on the Tyranid menace. Despite this he had been declared Excommunicate Traitoris after his desperate actions had caused the deaths of billions of souls under the advance of Hive Fleet Leviathan.
‘Is it really you?’ Codian whispered.
‘It is, Chaplain. Hundreds of years of exile have taken their toll on me, but I am still the same person who fought to save the Tarsis sector. Perhaps you are now better able to understand why Ligur and his brethren class themselves as separate from the main rebellion. I currently have under me around three hundred Marines. Some were initiated as neophytes, others found themselves joining our ranks as disillusioned defectors.’
‘Defectors?’ Codian echoed uncertainly.

Kryptman smiled weakly.
‘There are some that…disagree…with the beliefs and doctrines of the Alliance Imperialis Solar. Most of those, like Ligur himself, found their way to me after the fall of Cadia and the Great Fragmentation. The truth can be hard to accept, Codian, even for one as powerful as Calgar.
You must understand, we all work towards the same goal. We all wish to see the an end to the reign of the Tau. It is unfortunate that we cannot all work together to achieve this.’
‘Unfortunate? I find it absurd that the forces of the Imperium fight a common enemy whilst divided.’

Kryptman smiled again, his ancient face creasing further.
‘As I said, Codian, the truth can be hard to accept. You do indeed have much to learn from me.
As for my own agendas, one of them is to bring the Imperium back together. A goal, I’m sure you can imagine, that is made all the more difficult for me to achieve by my current exile.’
‘I am fully aware of the events leading to your expulsion from the Inquisition.’ Codian answered sharply, his anger lingering at first and then subsiding a little, his change of emotion hidden from sight by the ever-frozen skull of his helm.
‘There were many amongst the Ultramarines that did not agree with your expulsion. Your measures were extreme, I will not argue that, and yet many of my brethren agreed with your decision. Many more lives were saved than were lost. Most important of all, Leviathan’s advance into the Imperium was stalled.’

Codian thought back to that distant time. He recalled just how close the Imperium had come to buckling under the advance of the Tyranids.
‘I sent them against the Orks.’ Kryptman continued, a measure of regret in his voice. ‘I steered Leviathan towards the Octavius system. I hoped against hope that the two forces would expend themselves slaughtering one another. A desperate gamble, by all accounts. Those were desperate times, Codian. Our options were limited.’
‘Did it work?’

Kryptman did not answer, not at first. He continued to stare at the Marine with those unwavering eyes, eyes dark with age and heavy with the burden of all they had witnessed.
‘For a time.’ He finally uttered, lowering his gaze. ‘We always knew that there was risk. The Orks were the most numerous of the Imperium’s foes and yet even they were hard pressed to stall the advance of Leviathan. The Orks of the Octavius sector struggled against the Tyranids for almost four hundred years, Chaplain. Four hundred years. Drawn by the call of war, more and more Orks poured into the sector, unable to resist the challenge. The green menace all but disappeared from Imperial space, and for a time, unbelievably, there was peace.’

The Chaplain sighed heavily and shook his head slowly.
‘So, you are saying that you actually found a way to set the two most arguably powerful xenos races in this galaxy against one another?’
‘In a word, yes. The plan did work, Chaplain. In fact, it worked better than we could ever have imagined. By infesting the Ork empire with Genestealers we managed to alter the course of the entire fleet. The Tyranids simply could not resist such an abundance of life. The Orks themselves in turn could not resist the challenge Leviathan brought with it. The Ork thrives on warfare, you know that.’
‘I am assuming something went wrong, Kryptman. For a time, you said. What happened?’

The ancient Inquisitor fell silent for a moment and then sighed, his fingers tightening around the arms of his obsidian throne.
‘As I said, the plan worked too well. We had hoped that the green plague of the Octavius sector and the ravening swarms of Leviathan would annihilate one another. I only pray to the Immortal Emperor that He can forgive me for the apocalypse I brought into being. The Orks and the Tyranids found in each other the perfect opponent. For the first time in recorded history, the Ork race unified beneath one banner. Entire systems were abandoned as the Orks gathered to answer the call of war. The Tyranids of Leviathan responded in kind. Splinter fleets the length and breadth of the galaxy altered their course to join with the main fleet. Brought together, the Ork and the Tyranid almost wiped themselves out.

The unbelievable had happened, Codian. Both races abandoned their designs on our galaxy and descended upon one another, each utterly obsessed with the other. Stars themselves shook beneath the apocalyptic conflict. We dared foresee a victory greater than any we could ever have imagined possible.’
‘I take it I am to assume that something went wrong?’
‘Indeed.’ Kryptman answered heavily, slowly nodding. ‘As with any plan, there were factors that we did not consider.’
‘The Tau?’
‘The Tau.’

With that Kryptman waved his hand and the field reactivated around him, thrumming softly as it ignited once more.
‘You must excuse me, Chaplain. I am old, far too old to rightfully exist. This field is all that keeps me alive these days, I cannot survive long without it.’
‘You were telling me about the Tau.’
‘That I was.’ He answered, and with that the lights surrounding the chamber increased, revealing the huge space fully for the first time.

Codian looked around him in silence, taken aback by the sheer volume of xenos artefacts that lines the walls of the huge hall. Above the silent hulking machines that flanked the walls hung countless weapons and devices, all apparently Tau in origin.
‘The Tau, Codian. How foolish we were to underestimate them. They were young then, you see, mere upstarts struggling to forge a destiny for themselves in a galaxy already so very old. That was how it seemed to us, anyway. Hmm, if only we knew then what we know now. We came to realise at our cost just how much potential the race had. This device that keeps me alive, even this is of Tau design.’

Codian began to pace around the walls, his hands behind his back. Most of the objects he laid eyes on he did not recognise, though some of the most ancient-looking devices seemed familiar to him.
‘It would seem that we all underestimated them, Kryptman. Tell me, what did the Tau have to do with the Ork-Tyranid wars?’
‘Commander Shadowsun. Aun’Va. Shas’O R’Myr. Are you aware of these names?’
‘No. Should I be?’
‘That is unlikely. Those are just a few of the names of the many enigmatic Tau characters that were starting to emerge round about the time you were lost. Even then the Tau had a propensity for advanced change, both evolutionary and characteristically.
They were already growing stronger, wiser, becoming more of a challenge. Elements of the Imperium were starting to sit up and take notice, though I fear the Octavius wars were at that time more important than any other concern.
It now seems that the beginnings of the Tau threat were already starting to seed. No one truly knows exactly what happened to the Tau, to my knowledge. Those that do would never speak of it, for it is one of the ultimate secrets of our universe. It has taken me many long years to hypothesise that which I am about to tell you.’

There was a brief pause, and then he began.
‘You have encountered the grey Ork, I take it?’
Codian nodded.
‘We fought them on Ryza.’
‘Then I’m sure you are aware that the creatures you encountered are not true Orks, but an amalgamation of Ork and Tau. More specifically, Orkoids that have been genetically modified with elements of Tau DNA.’
‘I am aware of that fact, yes.’

Kryptman nodded.
‘The Octavius wars raged for many years. It was during this time that the Unity discovered the means to genetically conquer the Orks. They began to culture the creatures at an exponential rate, though the reasons for this were not apparent at first.
You see, the Tau did not simply wish to conquer the Orks, they wished to use them. They were created to serve as a weapon, a weapon to use against the Tyranids. The Tau themselves had suffered in the advance of the hive fleets. The Eastern Fringe always was a dangerous place, an unknown territory. It seemed as if they feared the Tyranids above all else.’
‘So, how did they intend to use these creatures?’
‘Quite ingeniously, as it happens. You are probably aware of the fact that they are able to control the grey-skinned Orks due to the genetic bond the two races share. Little by little, the Tau began to send small fleets of modified Orks into the Octavius conflict. These creatures were soon assimilated by the swarms, as were those that followed. Decades passed and, slowly but surely, the Tyranid gene-pool became slowly but surely saturated with Tau genetic material. It was enough to alter the course of the entire war.
The Orks were doomed, of course. The entire might of Leviathan and its splinter fleets was reduced to little more than a shadow of its former self but, in the end, the Orks were wiped out.
The Tyranids had won, but it was a hollow victory. The Ethereals now had a rudimentary control over the remnants of the Tyranid swarms, effectively becoming a collective surrogate ‘hive mind’. It was a control so powerful and yet so vastly different from the psychic influence of the Hive Mind that it eclipsed the galaxy-spanning influence.
The Tau managed to influence the swarms enough to steer them away from the galaxy and back out into the Great Void beyond the Fringe. Some accounts even go as far as to suggest that they were sent to challenge the gestalt entity that directed them here in the first place, but I find this hard to believe.
One thing is for sure though, and that is that the Tyranids were, at last, turned away from our borders.’
.
‘The growing Unity wasted no time in bolstering the defences of the now-conquered Eastern Fringe. Massive stockade defences were erected across the entire length of the Fringe. Millions of gun stations were shipped en masse to defend the area, and to guard the billions upon billions of null-field generators and drones that even now hang in space there, ever vigilant should the Tyranids return to take their revenge.’

Upon hearing this Codian turned away, his eyes finding the many relics hanging on the wall before him.
‘So the Tyranids are gone for good, and not simply another part of the Unity. As are the green-skinned Orks. I thank the Emperor for that, at least.’

He left the edge of the chamber and headed back towards the centre of the room, removing his helmet as he did so.
He had always found it pertinent to wear his helm whenever he met with an opposing commander. Not only did it hide any emotive reaction but it also served to reinforce his position and status. Now that Kryptman had opened up to him, he felt it was time to show his true face.
‘I am sure that you can appreciate my position, Inquisitor.’ He began, using his counterpart’s former title simply due to the fact that he could think of no other.
‘I am still getting used to this grim time. I feel that I can only fully perform my duties if I am brought up to speed with everything that has happened since we were lost.’
‘Of course Chaplain. A good commander directs his actions through knowledge. Know your enemy.’

Codian closed his eyes and nodded.
‘Then you will forgive my questioning. Before Tau came to power, there were three great threats to our rightful dominance. The Tyranids, the Orks…’
‘And Chaos.’ Kryptman interrupted, drawing his pallid head back slightly.
‘And Chaos.’ Codian finished, his mouth twisting into a troubled frown. ‘No one has yet dared tell me of the fate of the Ruinous Powers and their foul minions. The Tau may have changed almost beyond recognition, but there is one thing I know for sure. The Tau were able to bring fear to the arrogant and ancient Eldar. They were able to find a way to best the mysterious Necrontyr. They even managed to bring both the Ork and the Tyranid under their control. I accept all this and yet I can not, I will not, allow myself to believe that they somehow conquered that which cannot be conquered. No force in this galaxy or beyond has the power to bring Chaos to heel.’

Above him, Kryptman’s face altered. He tipped his head, a look of bemusement spreading across his ancient features.
‘An interesting admission for an Astarte to make, especially a Chaplain. You do not believe Chaos can be conquered? Not even by the glorious Imperium?’
‘Don’t mock me, Kryptman. I am no heretic. Neither am I a fool. Faith is worth nothing if it is blind. The only way we can conquer Chaos is to eradicate those who serve to spread its influence. The Imperium has struggled to do this for thousands of years and yet still the rot continued to take hold. Are you to tell me that the Tau were somehow able to achieve this?’
‘In a word, yes.’

Codian spat a curse beneath his breath and swept am arm before him, turning sharply on his heel.
‘Impossible! I will not believe it!’ He raged, his face contorted with anger.
‘The forces of Chaos were beaten back, just all the others were. It is the truth Codian, no matter how hard it is to accept. You have seen with your own eyes how powerful the Unity is. No one was prepared for them, not even us.’
‘Then tell me.’ He answered, turning to face the Inquisitor once more. ‘Tell me how the Tau bested the forces of Chaos.

Kryptman tipped his head and closed his eyes.
‘Very well.’

Part Nineteen.

The Eye.


‘Of all the opposing forces facing the advancement of the Unity, Chaos proved the most difficult to defeat.’ Kryptman began, his voice low and ominous.
‘With the Threat of the Ork and the Tyranid extinguished, the Tau now found themselves with two other major forces to contend with. The Imperium and Chaos.
The Tau knew little of the Warp and its unfathomable denizens. They were a race of blunts, with no psychic ability whatsoever. They did, however, know of the Eye of Terror.
Their plan of attack was simple and yet vastly effective. They began to move against the inner systems, one by one, pushing their empire forward.
This began with Ultramar. The change had already begun to take place, the Great Evolution already well underway at this point…ah, forgive me Chaplain. I do tend to ramble these days. The full history of the Tau’s rise to power will have to wait for another time.
To put it bluntly, the Unity played us for fools. They quickly swamped Ultramar, attacking with a strength and numbers undreamed of. The Octavius conflict had come to an end by this point and the defences along the Eastern Fringe were well established, leaving the Tau free to begin to push west into the Imperium.
Even as the Unity began to move upon the Ultramar system, the full might of the Tau war machine was still being realised. Several huge and powerful fleets began to emerge and, slowly realising that the Tyranids were no longer abroad in our space, the powers-that-be named them after the various Hive Fleets that had plagued Imperial space.’

Kryptman paused for breath, his head sagging a little. Codian watched as his chest seemed to rise and fall, each breath laboured.
‘Rest if you must.’ He uttered hesitantly, unfamiliar with the concept of emotional concern.

Kryptman shook his head and held out his hand.
‘No Chaplain, forgive me. For one to extend his life beyond its natural capacity there are burdens to bear, and bear them I must. I will continue.
As I was saying, the Tau played us all for fools. At first the Tau attacked as one with thousands upon thousands of ships, a vast armada of vessels. Ultramar was unprepared for the sheer size of this fleet and she fell, an inevitable consequence only slowed by the stalwart defence of the Ultramarines. At this point the weight of the Imperium’s fleets were tied in with maintaining the defences around the Octavuis conflict, ready to bear down on the survivors of the war. They were little prepared for what happened next.
The Tau armada fragmented, splitting into the fleets we know today, an unanticipated manoeuvre by all accounts. Kraken continued the war against the survivors of the Ultramar conflict, a war that was to rage on until the system finally fell less than two solar months ago.
Prometheus moved west into the Ultima Segmentum, conquering all before them as they advanced. As the Tau had predicted, the Imperium moved to counter this threat.
The Leviathan fleet moved northwest. They passed through the galactic core, seeding the fallen Demiurg homeworlds as they went, before heading north to skirt the very edges of the Imperium itself.’
‘I have been told of the fate of the Demiurg.’ Codian interrupted. ‘And I see where this is leading. They were headed for the Eye.’

The Inquisitor nodded.
‘They were indeed. The ships of Leviathan were created to hunt down and destroy Chaos, Chaplain. By the time the fleet had passed south of the naval base of Cypra Mundi it was already too late. They seeded the Ork planets of Gathrog and Dreguk north of the Eye and then descended, sweeping all before them.
The majority of the Imperial fleets were either engaged in the defence of the Ultima Segmentum or were heading to meet the advance of Prometheus. Mars had fallen to the suicidal Kroot less two years before and they were taking no chances.
System by system, Leviathan hunted the forces of Chaos back to the very threshold of the Eye itself. Along the way many Imperial worlds were conquered and their populace subjugated, further adding to the fleet’s military might. Those worlds that could not or would not be conquered, such as Mordian, were systematically scoured. Drone factory ships fell from the skies like rain to unfold amongst the packed hive cities, spewing forth millions of murderous yet expendable machines. The Tau had prepared well for this push, and it soon became clear that Leviathan was by far the most powerful of the fleets yet.
By the time war smashed into the naval base at Port Maw, it was too late. The Ork worlds of Gathrog and Dreguk were by now churning out Greyskins at an exponential rate. The Tau advanced slowed and they began to dig in, taking Port Maw as they did so.
They knew the Wolves of Fenris were coming.’

Codian’s face hardened as he heard this.
‘The Space Wolves.’
‘Yes. Unfortunately for the Imperium, most of the Chapter had left to meet the advance of Prometheus. The remaining Wolves gathered to meet the closing threat, accompanied by a great fleet sent forth from Cadia herself. Despite the strength of this vast force, they were ill-prepared for what awaited them.
Hundreds of defence Orbitals now lined the outlying systems. Every world they had conquered now churned out drones, millions at a time. While the fleet dug in and awaited the arrival of this force, hundreds of Vespid Hives were headed towards Fenris, accompanied by around close to a thousand Drone Factory ships. At the same time a vast fleet of Ork landers headed south west of the approaching Imperial forces and descended upon Cadia.
No one is quite sure of what happened from this point. Fenris eventually fell. The Wolves were beaten back, the survivors swearing revenge. The entire Gothic sector now belonged to the Tau. Cadia herself was now embroiled in war…’
‘Chaos, Inquisitor.’ Codian interrupted. ‘You have yet to tell me about Chaos.’

Kryptman fell silent, his grey eyes holding the Marine’s gaze for long moments.
‘You don’t see it? There you have your answer then, Chaplain. No one did. No one realised that all this was about the Eye.
By this point it was thought that the Tau were pushing to surround the Segmentum Solar. In truth, this could have been part of their intended plan. We were to discover, however, that their true goal was to conquer Cadia.’
‘The Cadian Gate.’
‘Yes.’ Kryptman continued. ‘They intended to seize control of the gate. The Imperium realised this too late. The Unity’s push for Cadia came just as the majority of the Imperial war machine reached the edges of the fight for the Ultima Segmentum.
Calgar had by now taken control of the fight against the combined might of both Kraken and Prometheus and was now faced with a soul-destroying choice. He could either continue to fight to keep the two fleets from pushing further into Imperial space, or make the long journey back to Cadia. To compound matters, Macragge herself still held out against the Tau. Isolated and trapped by the sheer weight of the two fleets, the world was weeks from falling.
Somehow, Emperor knows how, he made his decision. Macragge was abandoned to her fate and the Imperial alliance fled west, praying against all hope that they would arrive in time to stall Leviathan’s advance into the inner systems themselves.’
‘No.’ Codian whispered in disbelief, his head falling.

He blinked slowly and shook his head, exhaling a long, hissing breath. He found himself unable to imagine the consequences of having to make such a decision. Abandon his homeworld to defend the seat of the Emperor, or stay and risk His downfall. How could any man choose either path?
‘The choice almost tore him apart. No faithful servant of the Emperor could ever risk an enemy treading upon Terra’s holy soil.
Anyway, for Cadia at least, the decision was made too late. The mightiest of the Imperium’s heroes met the Tau on Cadia and the world itself shook beneath them. Unfortunately the Tau had already established a foothold there…
They were too late. Millions died. It was here that the Imperium fully realised the true power and treachery of the Tau.
There followed the Great Fragmentation, the event that saw the forces of the Imperium divided to this day. Those who stood with the Warmaster abandoned the planet and fell back, dividing further in order to defend the shrinking borders of the Segmentum Solar. Those who did not left to pursue their own agendas, to fight the Unity on their own terms. The rest, as they say, is history.
Cadia was lost. The forces of Chaos had retreated back to the safety of the Eye like a black tide, sweeping all before them as they fought their way back.
It was as if they somehow knew what the Tau intended to do. This caused further problems for the already stretched defenders of the Imperium. Great armadas of Chaos worshippers began to emerge from every corner of the galaxy and head in the same direction, burning everything and everyone in their path in their desperation.
Cadia suffered greatly at the hands of the foul legions as they had fought to bypass the legendary defences of the Cadian Gate and the Unity descended upon the ancient world like carrion birds, sealing her fate prior to the arrival of the Imperial forces.
The Unity’s plan was complete. Cadia stands today as a bastion world, just as she has for millennia, only now it is the Tau that keep watch over the Eye. Millions of orbiting gun platforms are perpetually trained on the rift, weapons with the power to nullify the energy of the Warp itself. Billions upon billions of null-drones are sent into the Eye day by day, slowly pushing the immeasurable power back.
It has to be seen to be believed, Codian. Little by little, the Unity are closing the Eye of Terror.’

Codian shook his head slowly, the weight of this latest revelation too much to bear. To imagine that the Tau had the power and ability to actually do this shook him to the very core of his being.
‘But…but why?’ He asked, his mind reeling. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘The Tau seek to unify this galaxy. It is their ultimate goal, a goal they will see realised at any cost. They can’t conquer the gods of the Warp, Codian, no one can. Neither can they destroy them. But they can contain them. Seal the Eye and they will have succeeded in closing the largest gateway into our reality that Chaos has.
The servants of the Ruinous Powers knew that, should the Eye be closed to them, they would be left stranded, alone. Can you imagine an Imperium without the Emperor? Of course not. They did the only thing they could. They ran for the door before it was locked.’

Kryptman fell silent, his ancient face creasing with exertion. Codian could see that even the effort of talking was beginning to take its toll on him.
‘So, what now Inquisitor? Where do we go from here?’
‘I…I am dying, Chaplain. Time has allowed me to postpone my death this long, but the field is barely able to sustain me now. I wish to see victory before I die. I wish to see the Imperium restored, the Unity scoured from the face of this galaxy.
I sense a strength inside you. You are a leader of men, a living link to a past glory lost, a glory that can rise again. Lead these men to Terra. Steel them as only a Chaplain of the Astartes can, a true Chaplain of the proud times.
Ligur and the Deathwatch brethren are strong and courageous warriors, but they are a rare breed, Codian. The Astartes of this time are not what they used to be. Calgar is a strong and competent commander but he is desperate. Initiates are pushed through too soon. The procedures of replicating the geneseed and organs are rushed, hurried by the impending push for Terra. Deformity and mutation are rife within the ranks.
Steel yourself as you steel those you lead. Prepare for the worst. Prepare to have your faith in the Emperor and the Imperium pushed to its limits. Keep your eyes on the goal no matter what. Your Imperium exists now in but one place, and that is inside you. Strive to restore it and I believe that you will find victory. Mourn its passing too much, and you will fail.
Will you lead my warriors, brother?’

Codian swept his cloak aside and then bowed his head.
‘I will.’
Kryptman smiled and closed his eyes, almost as if the weight of the universe had been lifted from his shoulders.
‘Thank you. Go now; spread the word amongst the others. I have but one more thing to tell you, possibly the most important thing you will ever hear. There is still much that you have to learn, and there are things even I dare not reveal at this stage. In time you will see.
The enemy of your enemy is your friend, Codian. Remember that fact and that alone. Do not consider it; do not even attempt to ponder it.
Remember.’

Only read the first post so far, but I'm impressed. I intend to read more.

I'm slightly skeptical that the Tau would go from having less members of their Empire than there were humans on Necromunda to ruling the galaxy, but never mind.

Great read, i find it a bit odd that the tau could just become so powerful without increased resistance, but it's a good story none the less.

EDIT: Oh crap, I just did it

Hey, it might be worth a Bump.