Two rapid response forces meet - Guard on the ground and T’au in the sky.
Away from the entrenched battles taking place in the heart of Helios Spire, fast moving detachments on both sides traverse the continent, scouting for any possible weakness in the enemy lines that could be exploited. The T’au skimmer cadre V’sum is one such detachment - the technological prowess of their grav drives giving their transports and battlesuits an edge in manoeuvrability, allowing them to quickly intercept incoming Imperial support columns with hit and run tactics.
The cadre encountered one such column on a reconnoissance mission towards the north of the continent, their sophisticated auspex equipment almost unneeded as a huge plume of dust and engine exhaust marked the progress of a huge intrusion of Chimera APCs. Shas’El Ni’Vea, a strong adherent of the Mont’Ka, decided to strike her killing blow into the Guard advance as it was forced to slow down to pass through the ruins of a small town.
The T’au began the engagement warily, having learned from previous engagements that while they had the edge in speed, the firepower of the humans could not be underestimated. Moving to outflank the bulk of the Chimeras by exploiting the cover of the town’s ruined buildings, Ni’vea was quickly able to break through an initial press of APCs. However, the mechanised infantry of the Guard could hold its own in speed even against the advanced technology of the T’au. The reminder of the Imperial forces shattered the T’au forces left behind to anchor the battlefield core, with squads of Breacher teams being cut down as they attempted their own APC advance, and the critical anti-armour power of a Hammerhead being destroyed as it was caught out of position.
Ni’Vea, realising her only option was to keep pushing forward and try to break the Guard backline, continued her rapid assault, the plasma and fusion guns of her Crisis suits wreaking havoc in the Chimeras in their way. However, it was ultimately for nought - with the bulk of the T’au crushed under the relentless tracks of the Guard advance, the flanking force was doomed to be flanked itself. Seeing that the Mont’Ka killing blow had failed, the Shas’El herself forced her way into the command complex to retrieve as much vital information as she could before fleeing the field of battle.
Once again, the T’au forces on Navio had come up short against the armour of the Astra Militarum - however, their tactics were improving, and Ni’Vea took solace from the fact the battle had been a close one. The information she had taken had also proven to be valuable indeed - it had revealed the location of a previously unknown Imperial battleforce, one of far greater danger…