A Lifeboat Adrift (Stellaris x Warhammer 40k)

[Trisurya]

Fio'vre Ka'buto looked at the holo-displays with trepidation, as did the rest of his team. On it was a triumphant display of the T'au empire's technological might and ingenuity, as hundred of ships, taking care to emphasize the sleek and factory-fresh sheen of the T'au vessels from the humble Manta to the vast Or'es El'leath carrier. Some brief shots and overview of Nicassar Dhows, Kroot Warspheres, Vespid Nest Vessels, Greet Stealthers, and even some repurposed Imperial ships ensured that those that embrace the Greater Good have their spot in the limelight, however short it may be. They hung in the void before Numenor Point, ready for the next step in the T'au Empire' glorious history.

Decades spent scouring through the gue'la' confusingly primitive yet advanced technology. Following multiple false leads, conducting tests which broke labs, orbitals, and cost countless Earth Caste lives. It was all worth it, as now, with him contributing in no small part, his team had come up with what had made the Fourth Sphere Expeditionary Fleet possible; the AL-38 Splistream Module. This anti-matter engine, proved and tested through hundreds of tests and trials would carry forth the T'au Empire through the fires of the Damocles Gulf and claim the awaiting galaxy for their own.

At least, that was the plan.

"There is nothing to worry about. The calculation have been triple-checked, the simulations run-" Ka'buto heard the small whisperings of his assistant, Wiseword, and thought it a mirror to his own thoughts. That they were all doing as their duty commanded them did little to assuage his fears of the repercussion that would come should they fail at such a grand project. At best it would be censure or perhaps a fall through ranks back into a Fio'la or even Fio'saal. At worst? Ka'buto could not even imagine such a thing, and perhaps that was for the best.

"Ten. Nine. Eight." Ka'buto breathed hard though his nasal chasm, taking care to calm himself down with a quick game of reciting through all the elements of the periodic table from the heaviest to the lightest, including their isotopes.

"Seven. Six. Five." Halfway through the list, an errant thought derailed the Ka'buto concentration completely. What if we're all wrong? His hands turned into fists as he tried to reorder his thoughts once more, managing at least to keep his gaze fixed utterly to the holo-display before him. He will face whatever comes.

"Four. Three. Two."

He has no regrets.

"One."

All at once, space was lit up by the glow of anti-matter bubbles shimmering into existence around T'au and ally vessels alike. That brief of beacon of hope and progress quickly turned to horror as space was ripped apart at the seams all around the fleet. And from within this wound came forth misshapen things and colors that bleed the mind of all who saw them. The flicker of fusion-jets turned into full reverse thrust only belied the futility of such an action, as the darkness of unreality swallowed whole every craft that was within reach, leaving behind nothing but a vortex of sickening colors behind.

But that was not all that happened. Before the shock and panic could properly set in, that vortex yawned wide open, spilling forth something even more mind-boggling than the disaster that all had bore witnessed too just moments ago. A prow appeared first, steadily growing wider and longer in size until it had surpassed any ships the T'au had seen in size, and yet it still went on. By the time at last that the hulking mass was revealed fully to the T'au Empire, alarms and emergency protocols were flooding the cadre-net, urging all personnel of class Vre and above to report to their stations for further instructions. But Ka'buto ignored it all, entranced as he was by the sight that would haunt his dreams from now on.

Kor'O Ob'ur, or Admiral Strongchild as he's more commonly known, frowned as he reviewed the gist of the mission he was given to by the Ethereals. He was to observe the actions of the alien vessel that emerged out of the strange vortex at Numenar Point and assess its capabilities. To this end, he was given the command of a relatively small fleet composed primarily of older vessels like the Gal'leath Battleship and the Il'fannor Cruiser, escorted by Kir'qath and Kass'l ships. In his heart, he wished he had more firepower under his command, but the Ethereal have decreed it thus, and so he must obey.

"We are approaching the outskirts of Numenar Point. Decelerating now." Skillblaze, his ship' pilot, called out by the cadre-net. Golden glyphs of affirmation came from the rest of the fleet, the fleet as a whole slowing down enough to finally see the point where it all began. The vortex of unnatural colors was still there, as was the alien ship, though it had moved by a considerable amount since its entrance into T'au space. That confirmed to Strongchild it was not an abandoned hulk, as some had proposed while he was preparing for his mission.

"All ships, make for intercept course of the alien vessel. Do not let it escape from our sight." Strongchild spoke by the cadre-net. "Do not engage in hostilities until fired upon." Another wave of golden glyphs was sent from the other ships of the fleet, their engines now straining to bring them up to speed to catch up to their massive target's unlikely speed.

"The target is slowing down. It appears to be powering up its faster-than-light capabilities." A quiver of fear came through Skillblaze even as he tried to suppress it. "By the Greater Good, their energy signature is massive! Admiral, what are your orders?" Strongchild took in a deep breath through his nasal chasm and pondered on what the right course of action would be. As he was pondering however, a bright flash of light came from where the alien ship was, a wave of energy washing over the admiral's fleet shorly after and overloading their systems, turning them into disabled wrecks for a short while until emergency power kicked on.

"Status report!" Admiral Strongchild barked into the cadre-net. "What's going on?!" Only static greeted the t'au for a short while until the blurry image of an Earth Caste Engineer resolved itself on the bridge' holo-display.

"Farlight, what has happened to my fleet? Are we not shielded from electromagnetic attacks such as that one?" The admiral spoke the technical term with some difficulty, only being familiar with such things as simply a matter of course on the dangers of navigating through the hostile environment that was space.

"Apologies, admiral, on behalf of the Earth Caste. It appears that our current countermeasures are not up to par to that level of electrical discharge. Rest assured, core systems will be brought back online in a short while, and we will be able to resume the mission without delay." The engineer gave the sign of contrition and resolve-upon-failure before disconnecting. Strongchild grit his teeth at this failure but restrained his anger for now.

Yes, such was unbecoming of an Air Caste Admiral. He was not a Fire Caste after all; he did not have the luxury of engaging in combat where the enemy could be seen most of the time. He needs to temper his fury, turn it into the cold focus of one who is in tune with their vessel. His endeavor bore fruit just as an Ethereal entered the bridge, followed closely behind by her two guards. A grav-belt on her waist ensured every step she took was light and airy, as though she'd take flight with the next one. She was Aun'H'an, who was enlisted into the mission by the divine will of Aun'Va himself.

"A great tremor ran through the ship, Admiral. What has become of our pursuit of the alien craft?" Aun'H'an said, making the gesture of inquiry-without-fault. Admiral Strongchild stood up from his command throne, cursing himself for forgetting to call upon

"Master H'an, I apologize for the delay. Our quarry has proved to be an elusive one that has escaped our grasp this time. I will ensure that we are better prepared for the next encounter once our fleet have completed their repairs." Aun'H'an looked around the bridge, taking note of the fizzling holo-screens and other electronics with an unimpressed stare before looking back at Admiral Strongchild.

"No need. We shall turn back to Au'Taal and make the repairs there." Strongchild's eyes widened as he went through a slew of emotions all at once. Surprise, then confusion, followed by a spike of disbelief, before turning into calm acceptance of the situation.

"Of course, honored one. Your will be done." Admiral Strongchild said, making the sing of the Greater Good before returning back to his duty, overseeing things with a focus usually reserved for combat. He would not fail on this task. That is a promise.

---

The Au'Taal Sept's deep space sensor buoys were the first ones to detect the incoming alien ship's enormous energy signature as it slowed back down to subliminal speeds in realspace. The closest ones found themselves damaged beyond repair by the energy surges that clung to the alien ship as it passed them by. The alien ship's trajectory brought it close to the orbital path of a gas giant, where an orbital habitat inhabited mainly by T'au auxiliaries lived. They were the first one to witness the alien ship in its entirety, as well as the massive electrical discharges the vessel unloaded onto the gas giant's atmosphere before moving on to a course that would bring it within spitting distance of Au'Taal Prime. Before long, the entire Au'Taal Sept had became aware of the new unwelcome visitor to their system.

This was without a doubt the greatest crisis to have befallen the Sept since its inception centuries ago. The atmosphere was heavy as the Elemental Council of Au'Taal convened an emergency session to discuss what should be done about the alien ship whose size still escaped the comprehension of most who saw it without reference moving through space. All members of the T'au Castes were in attendance without exception, as well as a Kroot Shaper and Nicassar delegate.

"I believe that is everyone in attendance." Aun'Eldi, the Ethereal in charge of the Au'Taal Elemental Council spoke up. "Let us start this emergency meeting of minds to discuss the best approach possible in light of Unknown Species No. 4521, to be referred to as 'Xetans' for the remainder of this session. High Ambassador Understone, how goes your efforts to communicate with the Xetan ship?" A holographic projection of the vessel in question appeared in the middle of the room, its details remarkably precise with how little time there was to gather any data.

"My deepest apologies, ethereal master, but so far we've only been met with silence in our attempts to hail the Xetans. The ship bears no markings whatsoever, not even a symbol upon which we might be able to extrapolate some information. In this, we have failed you most deeply." The T'au in question bowed deeply at Aun'Eldi's direction, his hands making the gesture of deepest contrition and regret.

"I see. I give you no fault High Ambassador, and thank you for your efforts." The Ethereal gave a curt sign of gratitude to the Ambassador, who returned it with the sign for the Greater Good, and moved his sights next to the Air Caste representative. "High Admiral Nightstorm, what have your scouts been able to glean from field observations of the Xetan ship in motion? Does it have any armaments? How fast can it move?"

"Your ethereal majesty, the Xetan ship bears no armaments of any kinds. It also does not appear to have what we can identify as sensor suites, entry points, command modules, or indeed any kind of identifiable features besides the six fins attached towards its back." The High Admiral made a gesture to zoom in at the back of the alien ships, where those eponymous fins could be seen in much more detail, with three of them clasping what appears to be an invisible orb that refused to be seen. "We have detected faint emissions coming from this area which would suggest that this part is responsible for the Xetan ship' propulsion. As for how fast the vessel is moving, it is comparable to a Kass'l Gunship class at normal cruising speed." The true scope of that statement went unnoticed for most in the room save for the Ethereal and the High Admiral himself, who looked positively haunted as he delivered that little tidbit of news.

"Thank you Admiral for your contribution." Aun'Eldi gave thanks with a gesture of polite-retreat. There were now only two T'au left to consider, High Commander Needlesight or High Planner Shadeguard. The former was a veteran of the Second Expansion Sphere, earning the right to retire to Au'Taal after an Ork ambush left him with severe injuries which was only salvageable with extensive cybernetic replacements. He, of course, turned the ambush back on the orks and led the counter-attack to ork positions further in beyond the frontline. The latter was an unusually acerbic T'au by Earth Caste standards. This friction with his fellow Earth Caste members caused him to be indirectly isolated by his peers, which led his current posting at Au'Taal, where his behavior was either ignored or seen as a source of entertainment by the planet's aging Fire Caste population.

"High Planner Shadeguard, your report please on the possible technological make-up of the Xetan ship. Is there a way to discern its internal structure? What have your sensors told you about" The Earth Caste T'au nearly leaped out of his seat, his body positively vibrating with excitement and awe.

"Yes, your ethereal highness. We've found a wealth of information from our drones and sensor relays scattered throughout the system. Observe." Shadeguard brought up a display of Au'Taal star system and plopped in the alien ship' current position as well as its previous path through space. "It first appeared at the edge of the system' gravity well, discharging an enormous amount of energy which was registered by the deep space sensor buoys placed there for observation purposes.

"It then made for Kor'vash'a and discharged once again what appeared to be static charge onto the gas giant's upper atmospheres before now going on its current course to Au'Taal Prime. What this tells us is that the Xetan ship is composed of a material orders of magnitude stronger than any alloys we currently have in our tech base.

"Additionally, gravitational analysis has revealed that the Xetan ship is somehow sheathed in layers of artificial gravity molded into itself like a shield. It brings up an exciting new possibility for our own applications of anti-grav, but that's not the most profound thing that was found in the data." Shadeguard zoomed in the holographic display once more into the alien ship, turning it around until the viewpoint was not looking at the vessel from the back straight-on, to find absolutely nothing staring back.

"This is an artificial singularity. The Xetans are able to manipulate gravity to such a degree that the extreme gravity of this celestial object is not a problem for them. In fact, I believe they are utilizing this singularity to somehow affect space-time itself in ways we cannot even begin to imagine. They are, by far, one of the most advanced alien species I've ever seen in the galaxy." The Earth Caste representative sat back down after his provocative report none too disturbed by what he just said. If anything, he seemed positively giddy, almost euphoric in fact.

"We will discuss further later, High Planner Shadeguard. Thank you for your contribution." Aun'Eldi gave a smile that had no warmth to them to the Earth Caste T'au, before moving on to the last member of the Ethereal Council yet to give his voice. "High Commander Needlesight, do you have any insight into our current situation which might illuminate the path forward?"

The Fire Caste T'au looked pensive before he stood up before his peers and master, clearing his throat before speaking. "Esteemed ethereal, I believe the Xetans, whoever they are, are not hostile to the T'au. No move was made to retaliate against any Air Caste vessels that fired upon them, nor did they intentionally try to destroy any orbital installations that were in their way. Their moves are not those of a hostile alien race. Until new information arrives that says otherwise, my recommendation is hold hostilities with them for now." A mild shock came over the Elemental Council at the sight of a Fire Caste Commander urging non-combat as an option, but that was soon quietened by the Ethereal's next words.

"I agree with your assessment, High Commander. Au'Taal Sept shall move to ready itself for first contact with our new alien guests. Cancel the state of emergency for the civilian population. High Ambassador Understone, I want you to work with High Planner Shadeguard to ensure our visitors will have the very best impressions of T'au culture and civilization. High Admiral Nightstorm, prepare to receive the alien ship in orbit and make sure to prepare enough shuttles on-hand to transport their people down should they need it. And High Commander Needlesight? I want you to pick out your best warriors to form the honor guard that will be escorting myself, the Water Caste delegations, as well as the alien's delegations on the ceremonial parade through the city. Am I understood?" All present nodded and gave the sign of the Greater Good, which was echoed in kind by Aun'Eldi, who for the first time since the meeting started gave a genuine smile for all to see.

"Meeting dismissed.

 

[cestus41]

Mmmmm sicons of the horizon needle editors of reality come to a universe of unreality

 

[ThedudeManBro]

Maaaaan, the Chaos Gods are gonna be feeling the fiercest case of Deja Vu in a minute

 

[Trisurya]

Renthaya Grondgun stared at the broadside window with awe, as did many other of her crewmates as they saw the grand majesty of the alien ship hanging in the void near Au'Taal Prime. The ship they were on, a captured Imperial mining vessel called 'Done With It', was on final approach to Au'Taal Prime to unload their precious cargo of minerals and other raw resources mined from an unnamed barren world near the edge of the star system. It had taken them the better part of an Imperial Year or two to get there, fill their quota, and then get back, but their perseverance had paid off with a front-row view to history.

"Is that a new tau ship? It looks huge." A young bridge crew named Tom called out, only to shut up once a fair few stares went his way. "It's all sleek and stuff, and shiny."

"Looks like Eldar scum to me." An old veteran spat at the ground, touching an old scar that ran from his forehead, through his left eye, ending at the lower left jaw. "Those cursed xenos burned my homeworld clean while I watched from orbit. Left it a barren world, and then they just left. Didn't even give us survivors the courtesy of death. I hope the Emperor kills them all to the very last one."

"Max, old boy, give it a rest. We've all heard your stories a million times by now." A young man patted the old man on the back, which earned him a gaze full of murder. "But hearing it one more time certainly isn't going to kill anyone. Take it away, Max."

"Oh you're all laughing now. But you won't be laughing when they tear you limb from limb quicker than you can blink. You won't be laughing when they line up the heads of your commanding officers one after the other like a fucking totem while leaving the rest of us untouched. You won't be laughing when the Emperor's Angels themselves get gutted and ran through like an Underhive brothel and no one knows until the very next day. No, you won't be laughing at all ever again." Max's rant captivated everybody on the bridge, so much so that none of them noticed a proximity alert appear in one of the hololiths before shutting down shortly after.

A loud beeping noise came from the ship' command throne, taking everyone's attention to it and reminding Renthaya that she was, in fact, still on the job as Captain for the moment. Easing back into her seat, she shivered as a draft of cold air blew across her face, sterilized from its journey into the ship's bowels to be recycled of waste products and toxins. She pressed the flashing button and came face to face with the impassive face of one Kor'O D'Yanaan, the Air Caste Representative of Au'Taal's Elemental Council.

"To all ships around Au'Taal Prime not part of the Kor'vattra, halt all approach until you have received further instruction. Locate the nearest spaceport or orbital your ship is capable of docking with, and await further instruction. Any attempt of forced entry into the planet will be met with extreme force. This is an automated message on behalf of the Au'Taal Sept Elemental Council. For the Greater Good." Renthaya stared at the looping display projected from her command throne for several more seconds before shutting it down and massaging her suddenly throbbing temple.

It's always one thing or another. She thought as her dreams of going back home were delayed once more.

---

As with all Septs, Au'Taal has its own Protection Fleet or Kor'vattra in the T'au language. Its location deep in T'au space and numerous fortifications in space and on land meant that such a fleet do not see action often, and such would be the case in any other day. Today however, they were found wanting as the sheer size and durability of the alien ship intruding upon the star system meant that their attempts to destroy the assumed threat proved futile and a waste of resources. Though none of Au'Taal's Air Caste would dare voice or think of any dissent against their sacred duty to the Greater Good, many were outwardly relieved when the order came to cease hostilities and prepare instead to escort the alien ship on its ponderous journey to Au'Taal.

"So our revered masters have decided to try the hand of diplomacy after such a poor showing by the Protection Fleet." Captain Mirrorstrike softly whispered to himself as he saw the res of Au'Taal's fleets array themselves into an escort detail surrounding the alien ship on all sides except for its back. His own starship, a Defender-class, had taken the point of putting itself on an interception path between the alien ship and a Custodian-class Carrier.

"Incoming communications from Au'Taal Prime. It's from-" The golden symbol of the Ethereals flashed from the Water Caste' display, clearly seen to all. "-. Patching our ethereal masters through now." Slowly, like a vision from a dream, the sage figure of Aun'Eldi graced the eyes of everyone on the bridge.

"To what do we owe this honor, etheral majesty?" Captain Mirrorstrike bowed his head at the hologram.

"Captain Mirrorstrike. I will be brief. You have been reassigned to a new fleet under the command of Admiral Suresword. Further details will be sent by an envoy shuttle shortly." And just like that, the Master of the Au'Taal Sept was gone. Everyone on the bridge looked at each other before eventually settling their gaze on Captain Mirrorstrike, who seemed like a T'au turned into stone. His petrification was short-lived, as he regained his composure and soon barked orders to the other T'au, his face betraying nothing of the array of questions bubbling underneath his skin.

Similar scenes played throughout the rest of the Protection Fleet. At the end of this remobilization, about a third of the fleet detached itself from the escort convoy and moved out into the outermost planet of the Au'Taal system, where they restocked and rearmed as needed, then headed out and about, their destination unknown to all but a very select few.

All eyes that matter, however, were on Au'Taal Prime for now.

---

The entire assemblage of Au'Taal's Elemental Council sat in silence aboard Aun'Eldi's personal craft, an Emissary-Class Starship named 'The Peace Between Worlds'. The alien ship was now keeping apace with Au'Taal in its own orbit around the system's star, some ten thousand kilometers or so away from the planet. That it had chosen to halt its approach, and yet still ignored all hails did not bode well for a friendly first contact, but hope must still be kept for now. And in the event that violence proved inevitable, the Kor'vattra has set up an impressive trap all the same, diminished as it was.

Aun'Eldi could hear those around him busying themselves in various ways while they waited for him to awake. He was, to the outside observer, meditating upon his grav-throne, flanked as always by his two most trusted Ethereal guards, but in truth he was taking in the moment as it happened. High Admiral Nightstorm was relaying an anecdote about his younger days to a Water Caste biographer, getting off tangent several times to the exasperation of his captive audience.

High Commander Needlesight discussed battlesuit tactics with his fellow Fire Caste commanders, looking up field reports of engagements done against the Imperium's Titan Legions at the same time. High Planner Shadeguard was engrossed in the schematics of a device whose function escaped any comprehension for all save a fellow Earth Caste, and so Aun'Eldi made no effort to even try. High Ambassador Understone, perfectionist that he was in his job, was in the middle of memorizing once more every alien language the T'au had ever encountered, as well all of their recognized dialects and slangs.

Aun'Eldi felt pride in his heart swell at the sight of the Castes perfectly in unison as the Greater Good intended. It has taken many generations of careful breeding and education to come to this point, and now their abilities would be tested to the limit. We are to be silk hiding steel; graceful yet unbowed when struck. Aun'Eldi recalled the words of the great Aun'va when he was but a stripling, still studying the ways of the Ethereals on the sacred T'au homeworld.

Just as Aun'Eldi resolved to stop spying on his subjects and meditate properly while he still had the chance, loud gasps were heard all around the bridge. Right in front of the Peace Between Worlds, so close that one could touch it with an outstretched hand, was another alien ship, uncloaked from complete transparency to full visibility in just under a microdec. It was a much smaller craft than the Emissary-Class Starship, but still large enough that a head-on collision would prove fatal.

For the first time in his long life, Aun'Eldi was at a lost for words. And that moment of shock extended when an Air Caste console blinked with a request for open channels. The crew in question looked at his superior, who looked at hers, who looked at his, who then looked at the ship's captain, who looked at the High Admiral, who at last looked at Aun'Eldi. The ethereal faintly felt his head nod, and the chain of command snapped back to execute that command, leading to an open channel broadcast to the entire bridge, seemingly of random static at first.

And then-

"-t'Au?"

-there it was. The voice a poor pastiche of a true T'au, but unmistakably speaking in T'au Lexicon. Silence reigned for another dec before that same alien voice spoke again, saying that same word in a different tone, almost like a question. Immediately, this broke the spell that took hold of everyone on the bridge, their bodies moving according to the training ingrained into them over the years. Aun'Eldi gave the High Ambassador one look and the T'au hurried to the active Air Caste console with a speed his soft body was grossly unaccustomed to.

He, however, didn't start replying to the alien, who had now repeated itself for a third time with a tone considerably lower than before. The High Ambassador produced a datadisk from his person and inserted it into the proper slot, gently patting the Air Caste in charge of said console to do his part. With practiced ease, he went over the holographic displays and terminal, several packets of data were sent over to the alien ship, carrying with it a veritable wealth of information, more than enough for an intelligent mind or two to put together and discover the key to communicating with the T'au. Several tense minutes passed in which everyone held their breath, then the comms channel buzzed once more with the telltale sign of an incoming signal.

"Testing, can you hear me clearly now? Your data package was most helpful in helping us translate your language. Thank you very much for that." The alien voice now spoke in near-flawless T'au, even enunciating certain things the way some T'au from certain Septs did. "Unfortunately, I don't think our systems are compatible enough to send visual data at an acceptable resolution. Would you be amenable to a face-to-face meeting, T'au?"

"My name is Aun'Eldi, the Ethereal Voice of Au'Taal, and we would be most amenable to such a meeting. To whom am I speaking to?" The ethereal spoke up, standing up from his command throne and towering over everyone.

"Aun'Eldi. Yes, names. My deepest apologies for not introducing myself first. I am the Mentat, the Head of Science of the Ascentron Circurrency." The T'au at last had a name to the new alien race that had caused them so much trouble recently. Every Water Caste on the bridge, as well some of the T'au Auxiliaries, were busy recording every moment of this historic interaction, preserving it for posterity. "Shall we meet in your ship or in ours? Either choice is acceptable."

"Let us meet in an orbital instead. We will lead the way." Aun'Eldi replied, letting his eyes rest on the ship's captain, who began charting a course to the closest orbital capable of receiving the Peace Between Worlds and its new tagalong.

"Splendid. I'll see you soon." The Mentat ended the comms link and the Ascentron ship began to move up and back away from the Peace Between Worlds. It moved with uncanny agility and speed, settling in at the Emissary-Class Starship's starboard side. In the distance loomed the Ascentron' Mothership, still as silent and inscrutable as ever.