Vash leaned back on the edge of the balcony watching the dust rise off of the distant plains. The foolish Imperials were coming he thought to himself. Rising to a sitting position he took another draw from his canteen. Spacking his lips he lifted his binos and peered into the distance. He could see the command tank rolling forward at the head of the column.

How typical, so arrogant. Slideing down from his seat the man walked inside the domed building.

Meanwhile off in the distance the Tau were preparing the defences. They had to hold the walls long enough for the citizens to evacuate. Down below hunkered down in the line of trenches that ran infront of the wall were the kroot. They clikked and chattered as they sat in preparation for the coming storm of the Space Marines. The Blood Angels were a fanatical bunch and few on the wall held any hopes of leaving alive.

Drones sped the length of the wall carrying orders to the various units. A strict radio silence was in place leaving the soldiers to relly on more conventional means of communication.

Shas'ui Eln'Yi took the slip of paper from the drone and scanned it quickly before tearing it up. He growled as he turned to look out over the gleaming white parapet. He was not used to orders of "hold to the last man." Such things were the machinations of the Gue'la not the Tau. He wondered how the deaths of his unit could serve the greater good. But looking over his shoulder at the stream of transports lifting into the air from the space port he simply sighed and went back to preparing the defences.

"Sergeant, report!" Vash called as he crested the rise outside the cities eastern walls. Sergeant Cain saluted as his commander came into view.

"All is prepared sir, the soldiers are in position." Cain replied brisk and to the point.

"Exelent, change of plans." Vash said staring out onto the plains.

"Wha... what sir?" The sergeant asked confused. "Were not going to attack the city?"

"Nope."

"Then what, it is our duty to the Imperiu..." the Sergeant was cut off as a man spoke from behind the pair.

"Colonel, good to see you, I trust all is prepared?" Said Commisar Ulrik stomping up the hill past the ranks of storm troopers.

"Yes it is." Said Vash his eyes glinting with anger. He had not forgotten the Commisars actions of the previous campaign. The soldiers the cruel man had shot were good men. Making the mistake of shooting men in a fighting retreat and executing cowards was not a difficult one and Vash had never forgiven the blood thirsty Commisars show.

"Perhaps I missheard you, but werent you just saying you were not going to attack the city?" Ulrik said in a low growl as he came up to the pair.

"You know Commisar, I think your time here is at an end." Said Vash drawing his pistol in one fluid motion and putting a shot straight between the villains eyes. With an expression of shock the man fell, dead before he hit the ground.

"Sir, we all know you hated the Commisar, but what in the name of the Emperor are you doing, and what did you do in the Tau city if not sabotage it?" Cain asked in utter confusion, wondering if he would be similarly shot.

"Not to wory, all is in hand. It is time to leave the corrupt Imperium. We can better serve the Emperor elsewhere." Vash said holstering his pistol.

It was a testament to the loyalty of his men that the storm troopers held their disciplin when many wished to chear at the death of the brutal commisar. Even greater did their loyalty show when they remained in place as their colonel talked open herresy. They simply figured he knew best, he had never led them astray before.

"Thats all and good sir but what are we going to do now?" Cain asked pressing the point.

In responce Vash handed a scroll to the sergeant. "See that they are carried out sergeant."

Skimming the document Cains eyes went wide. Still he resisted the shouts in his head to try and shoot the heretic and simply turned heading down the hill to make the new preperations.

Vash smilled fondly as he watched his officer leave. The orders of late had been the last straw. To many times had he been ordered to send his men into a meat grinder. No more, he would not remain the underdog of such a corrupt and ignorant system.

The grassy planes that once rolled in great green sheets glittering in the afternoon sun were gone. Replaced by mud, replaced by plasteel girders, replaced by dirt trenches. The once lush fields were filled with the servants of the Emperor. In all their resplendant glory they did not even notice what was lost.

Trooper Westley fidgeted as he stared at the glittering walls bristling with guns. The aliens had pulled out all the stops. He could see the hastily constructed implacements easily. They were not crude though. Everything had been efficiently constructed making it look as though they had always been there. He shuddered at what those massive guns could do. He had seen enough tanks be touched by the aliens blue fire.

A great tremmor shook the field sending Westley stumbling back. His head snapped to the glittering walls. Nothing, none of the railguns or ion cannons had fired.

"What the..." He began before a massive explosion sent him hurtling through the air. Trooper Westley was dead before he hit the ground. All along the lines soldiers went flying. Huge holes were rent in the ranks.

+GENERAL REPORT, WHOS SHOOTING US??+ Captain Barius of the Blood Angels shouted into the comm.

+Our own sir, our own...+ Came a gagled voice over the radio before the entire network dropped into static.

Far up on the hills to the east of the Imperial battle lines Colonel Vash was smilling. All around him the massive guns blared with angry fire. Every half second another explosion rent the valley, the time inbetween filled with the whistling of shells.

Down below the first sounds of battle could be heard. The angry hiss of Lascannons and the thrum of lasguns reached his ears. Autoguns, bolters and hell guns chattered in the background. He listened as the chorus rose to a crescendo before falling again as the cannons boomed. The music of war was lost on the Imperials below however. Shaking his head sadly he watched the Imperials surge around towards him.

Flank exposed the Imperials were cut down as the Tau cities guns opened up with full force. In seconds the entire right flank of the Imperial forces was gone. A memory lost in the hail of gunfire. He could see the blue streaks of fire where the Railguns munitions had cut the air.

Then all was silent. The air was completely still, not a sound drifted on the breeze. Not even the cries of the dying of skirmish fire reached his ears. Staring down at the killing field the Colonels eyes took in the scene.

Twisted bulks of metal showed where tanks had been. Charred and mangled corpses blanketed the earth. Splotches of color showed the bodies of the Space Marines. He could make out the red of the blood angels, the blue of the Ultramarines, and the white of the white scars. In the distance he could make out the retreating vehicles of the Adeptus Astartes.

"Running away eh?" He said to himself. "Wise move."

"Sir, look sir." Said an aid to his side.

Following the soldiers gaze he could see row upon row of Imperial Guardsmen. Their weopons on the ground, and hands on heads. All of them were staring up at him as the smoke drifted into the air.

"What shall we do with them sir?" Asked the aid.

"Let them go."

Turning around the former Colonel Vash walked away. Down on the plains the guarsmen began to disperse. In groups they left the field, wandering off into the hills. The day was won.
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Gue'O Vash'ir sat on the dommed roof of his house. It was a simple structure. A small dome with a high tower jutting up into the air. It was on this tower that he sat, gazing out on the fields below. The mud and grime was gone, the trenches merely low lines of green stretching in rowes across the plains. The broken shells of tanks were covered in the swaying grass that covered the fields.

He could make out the small patches of white domes marking the small human settlements. It was strange to see how easily the marks of war were covered by the green of life.

His gaze slowly moved from the lush plains to the sword resting at his side. If only he could hang it up.

Standing he stretched his tired muscles. Picking up his blinking communicator he listened to the message. Down below the dark dots of thousands of gue'vesa as the Tau called them were making their way to the city. Gue'O Vash'ir sighed and headed down from the tower. Outside the Devilfish waited to carry him to the space port. Climbing into the turret he took a last look at his home, his home. He finally had a home to fight for. That was something at least.

"Kovash Tauva." He said testing the words. "For the Greater Good. That I can fight for."

Explosions rent the air, crumbling bricks were sent into the air as the detonations impacted all around the ruined square.

Private Vory scrambled on his hands and knees along a ruined and shattered wall. As he moved along he passed countless corpses and bodies that looked no worse than the dead. His helmet slipped off hitting the ground with a rattling clank as he stumbled from yet another tremmor. Scooping up the scant protective item he shoved it on his head and continued onwards.

He reached the edge of the line and burst through a bunker doorway. Inside numerous men scrambled about. Papers were strewn on the floor and radios hissing with static as men desperately tried to get through to command.

Vory straightened as he came infront of Colonel Vash. It had not been long since the new converts to the Tau empire had returned to war. This time fighting their former comrades. But already they were in a tight spot, the differance was that they had chosen to be there.

"Sir, private Vory reporting sir." He said firmly saluting his commanding officer.

"What is it private?" the Colonel asked not looking up from his map.

"The enemy are disengaging on the eastern flank, their pulling back in retreat sir."

"No their not, DAMN!" Vash said his voice breaking its calm and riseing to eclipse the noise in the room. All went still and quite as everyone turned to look at their officer.

Vash paced back and forth tapping his brow for long seconds. Then seeming to come to a decision he turned to his aids motioning them over.

"Seth, pull back the 3rd and 9th platoons from the eastern flank, also have the 5th extend its line I want five paces between each soldier." He said his voice riseing determined and business like.

"But sir, the line is overstretched already we can..."

"I dont want to hear it, do it thats an order." He shouted cutting the man off.

Turning to the next aid he continued. "Urik, form the 3rd, 7th, 9th, and 13th platoons on the center east walls, keep them low and out of sight. I want their loads light, carry nothing but weopons and ammo."

"Sir the 7th and 13th are in reserve are you sure?"

"Yes Im sure now go."

Again he turned to face another aid.

"Turin, get the 2nd armoured core under the south eastern ridge right behind our eastern flank. Have them stay out of sight. Tell them to be ready to advance on my order."

"Yes sir."

Lastly the Colonel turned to private Vory. "Private, run and tell the 1st platoon to form up with the remnants of anything they can. All soldiers that Sergeant McKell can get tell him to do so. He will charge with bajonets fixed on my signal."

"Sir yes sir" Vory said again saluting and racing out of the bunker. He had no idea what the Colonel was up to but they had no other choice.
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Commisar Wallwor stood on the turret of a blasted leman russ demolisher. The tanks shattered shell gouting smoke into the air.

"Hahaha, its working. The fool is drawing men away believeing us broken. It is time for the traitor to die."

The blood soaked commisar lept down into the midst of his command squad. "Send the order, all designated units charge their eastern flank."
--------------------------------------------

The entire 175th Rastmar Devision stormed forward straight at the weakened line. What had appeared to be a retreat instantly became a pell mell charge of roaring men.

Standing in the ruined spire of a small Imperial cult chapel a lone man smilled. A single sword slid from its sheath and rose into the air as Colonel Vash gave his signal.

All along the belagured lines of the gue'vesa red flages were raised. As soon as the flags came into sight the charge began. The rushing Imperials were cought as the armoured core rose onto the ridge and blasted their full might into the oncoming men. Meanwhile the reserve and supposedly retreating platoons charged into the left flank of the Imperial spearhead.

In the center of the Gue'vesa lines a mass of infantrymen gathered from numerous shattered units and what was left of the 1st platoon charged forward. The stunned forces of the Emperor stared in horror for precius seconds as the traitors closed.

Private Vory ran faster than he ever had before straight at the Imperial line. As he came upon them a massive ogryn grabbed up the nearest object raising a massive broken battle cannon over its head ready to smash him apart. With a cry he drove his bajonet up into the creatures chin. He could feel as the blade punctured the flesh driveing up into the skull. A strained gurgle escaped the creature as it fell forward. Vory disapeared under the mass of the supersized brute. The last thing he saw was a sliver of the sky before all light was shut out. Then nothing at all.
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Colonel Vash, effectively Gue'vesa'O as the Tau called him, stalked across the field. The bodies of scores of men lay strewn everywhere with no rhym or reason. Just destruction as far as the eye could see. The battle had been won. The Imperials had been taken completely by surprise and driven away. He came to what must have been the attackers line. He stopped before the body of a giant ogryn. Underneath the arm of an Imperial guardsmen could just be seen. With a heavy kick he rolled the beast off of the body.

"Hmm, what to you know." He muttered bending down and pulling the man to his feet. It was that guardsman that had reported to him that morning. He slapped the soldier a couple of times bringing the man concius.

The weary trooper stared bleary eyed into the colonels face for a few moments before his eyes went wide and he tried to stutter a response.

Shaking his head Vash handed the man to a pair of medics. "Take him away, he needs rest and goodness knows hes earned it."

The colonel made his way past the ruined remains of the Imperial camp and whatever debris had been there before. He could see the mutilated bodies of his own guardsmen hanging on crosses.

"CAPTAIN!" He shouted bringing a man panting to his side. "Cut them down." He said motioning to the abhorrent totems.

"Yes sir, right away." The captain replied waving a nearby group of soldiers to him.

It was several hours before Vash finally made it to the former command center of his enemy. Pushing past the blasted plasteel door he stepped inside the bunker. THe scene inside was terrible. Bodies littered the floor, blood splattered all over the walls. Still it was nothing to the carnage outside.

Vash stepped over bodies working his way to a door at the back of the room. Outside a grim officer stood guard.

"Hes inside sir." The soldier said as Vash came near.

Nodding the colonel opened the door and stepped inside. Shaking his head he turned around and closed the door.

"What was it sir?" Asked an aid tentatively.

With a sigh and a grunt he replied: "He shot himself, the coward shot himself."
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The situation along the lines had stabalized and the flank had been held. But at what coste mused O'Vash. At what coste. He had lost a third of his men and half of his resourses at best. That was no laughing matter. Sure he would get reinforcements but that was many homes that would not rejoice that winter.

It couldent be helped, one more war, another billion men here or there, what did it matter. In the 41st millenium, there is only war.