(AN: As a heads up, I will be switching back to the old cover temporarily for a few days. After I switched covers, there was a massive drop-off in readership. Not sure if it's the new cover confusing people or people getting tired of the fic. Hopefully it's the former…)
---An Hour Later, Victor POV---
As the first bombardment fell upon the T'au forces, they quickly hid behind their shields for protection. To nullify their singular advantage, I swiftly seized control of their tech. Stripped of their firearms, power armor, shields, and support craft, they became mere targets. The impact of the second wave shattered what little spirit they had left. Facing insurmountable odds, their only remaining option was a desperate, panicked retreat.
As the fourth wave broke, swarms of White Scars rocketed out of the Hivesprawl on their jetbikes, a blur of speed and steel. They quickly intercepted the fleeing T'au, cutting off their escape route and subjecting them to relentless, high-speed drive-by attacks. Once the White Scars successfully pinned the T'au, the rest of our forces left the city to attack their rear.
"FOR THE EMPEROR!!", Vail bellowed, leading the Imperial charge alongside Cain. "Show these xenos scum the Emperor's Fury."
Echoing her battle cry, the soldiers of the Astra Militarum readied their weapons. The troop carriers slammed to a halt at their destination, disgorging a torrent of soldiers ready to fight. Helplessly trapped between two forces, several T'au attempted to surrender. The gesture fell on deaf ears. Krieg soldiers, wielding their Energy Shovels, showed no hesitation, striking them down without a second thought.
"My men and I have successfully eliminated the traitors hiding within the Hivesprawl's walls. We will be returning to Terra soon to submit our report. Do we need any additional support here?", Valdor inquired over the radio.
"No, this fight should be wrapped up shortly.", I answered. "I shut down their ability to fight back, so it is shooting fish in a barrel at this point. Their poor decision not to train in close-quarter combat is coming back to bite them in the ass. The Imperial Guard are mopping the floor with these helpless fools, especially the Krieg."
"Understood.", Valdor chuckled. "See you later then."
Ten minutes after the Custodes departed, the T'au forces were utterly eradicated. As the troops began preparing to burn the bodies, I intervened, magically retrieving every dog tag before the pyres could be lit. They certainly hadn't earned the courtesy, but the tags would prove a valuable asset in future negotiations. With the tags secured, I immediately returned Aun'shi and Prin'min to our timeline.
Disoriented from the abrupt displacement, the two T'au slumped to the ground. Giving the two a moment to recover, they took the opportunity to survey the gruesome scene. As the grim reality set in, Prin'min shot to her feet and pointed her rifle at my face.
"Why… Why did you spare us!?", Prin'min screamed, trembling with anger and sadness. "I get to carry on living while all my comrades were slaughtered by you filthy Imperials. Do you have comprehension of the humiliation and shame I will endure for the rest of my days?!"
"Prin'min, cease this at once!", Aun'shi demanded as countless eyes turned toward them.
With a single thought, I shut down her equipment. Prin'min immediately collapsed under the dead weight of her power armor as a squad of Krieg pounced on her. Utterly powerless—a sensation new to her—she could only watch as they brutally carved her out of the ruined shell of her power armor. At shovel point, they forced her to kneel. Their commander then strode forward, his gaze overflowing with icy, emotionless judgement.
"Listen well, you filthy xeno scum.", the Krieg captain spoke, lifting her by the hair. "We would normally kill you and be done with it, but Lord Stark has a use for you. Either accept his generous mercy or become a trophy for us to parade around the Hivesprawl. The choice is yours, wretched beast."
The proud warrior broke, transforming into a meek, trembling child. Fearing death, Prin'min humbly accepted my mercy, her apology for past rudeness offered with desperate sincerity. Satisfied that she was pacified, the Krieg commander gave a curt nod. Promptly departing with his men, they rejoined their comrades in disposing of the dead.
"Before we go any further, I believe you should have these.", I spoke, giving Aun'shi the bloodied sack of dog tags I collected. "The terror you sowed within the hearts of the local populace disgusts me. They are mostly defenseless bystanders, yet you choose to involve them in a fight they did not ask for."
Hesitantly checking the bag's contents, Aun'shi was shocked to see the dog tags. Instead of perceiving it as a threat, he accurately guessed what I was doing.
"I will ensure these are returned to their loved ones. A formal burial ceremony will be held to commemorate their sacrifice here.", Aun'shi swore, hanging his head low. "For what it is worth, I tried to dissuade my peers from launching this invasion. Unfortunately, many can easily drown out a single voice.
"I'm afraid my request for you then will be all the more challenging.", I spoke, staring at the two of them. "Initially, my plan was to dispatch an envoy to Tau in a few weeks to open a line of communication with your leadership. Your actions here today have forced me to alter my plans…"
The mention of diplomatic talks was enough to make Aun'shi visibly flinch. His hand immediately tightened around his weapon's hilt, his composure visibly cracking. Had he only pushed his colleagues harder, this massacre—this utter annihilation—might have been avoided entirely.
"In a few moments, I will send you both back to Tau to deliver a message for me.", I said. "Tell the Ethereals to expect my arrival in two weeks. We will discuss a mutually beneficial proposition I have that should keep our people from fighting each other."
"And… if they should refuse to speak with you?", Aun'shi questioned, uncertain how his colleagues will take this news.
"Your empire is surrounded by Imperial territorial space. If your people are to continue expanding at their current rate, conflict is inevitable. Just as you are duty bound to protect your citizens, so too am I.", I remarked. "Should we fail to reach a peaceful solution, I will have no choice but to eradicate your nation. While your empire will crumble, you have my word that I will ensure your civilians' safety. Our galactic neighbor, the multiracial Galactic Republic, has already agreed to take them."
As the weight of my words sank in, Aun'shi and Prin'min understood they had to make his peers see reason. If they failed, their people would lose both their heritage and legacy. Centuries of sacrifice, all the glory their ancestors achieved, would be utterly forfeited.
"If… if I may, why is the Imperium of Man only showing us their true strength?", Prin'min asked, trying to gather intelligence.
"Over the past year, I have made great strides in rebuilding the Imperium of Man. We have a solid alliance with the Aeldari people. We have defeated and subdued the Drukhari, the race that mutilated your kin. I struck a ceasefire agreement with the Tyranids, temporarily abating their threat. In a few days, the Necron race will be nothing more than a footnote in galactic history.", I explained. "At this time, only three threats to the Imperium of Man remain: Chaos, Orks, and T'au. With so few enemies now, we can better deploy our forces to protect our people."
Deemed the lowest priority threat to the Imperium of Man, they were nothing more than a nuisance in our eyes. If they accepted my offer, the T'au would disappear from the list and be free to continue expanding their empire in peace.
"We will do all we can to force my fellow Ethereals to meet with you.", Aun'shi swore. 'I only hope those fools are willing to listen to reason.'
"Very good, I will see you again in two weeks' time.", I stated before teleporting back to Tau.
The T'au threat was no more. All that remained was to pass judgment upon the cowards who fled, leaving their people and children to die. Forming the magic formula in my mind, I locked onto my targets and snatched them away from their sanctuary. Upon their arrival, the fat pig of a governor fell onto his poor wives. Nearly crushing them to death beneath his heft, he flailed around as he struggled to rise to his feet.
"Who dragged us back to here? Was it you!?", the planetary governor snarled, getting back onto his feet. "Do you have any idea who I- "
Before he could finish his sentence, several Krieg soldiers attacked him. Full of righteous fury, they lopped off his limbs and forced him to grovel before me.
"Hold your tongue, traitorous pig! You are speaking to the Emperor of Mankind's grandson, Lord Stark.", the Krieg captain from earlier snapped, cracking his knuckles. "One more word from you and my men will disembowel you with your own limbs."
Drawn in by the commotion, Cain, Vail, and the local militia quickly gathered around to see what was happening. Upon seeing the planetary governor, an enraged Cain tightly gripped his saber's hilt.
"Lord Stark… I beseech you, please let me deal with this garbage.", Cain requested, gritting his teeth. 'Very few people have managed to genuinely anger me, and you are one of them. I will never forget the horrified expressions on your children's faces. They were nearly torn to bits because of you, fat bastard!'
Squatting down to look them in the eyes, I sealed their fates.
"Former Governor Rivers, you and your wives have been found guilty of dereliction of duty and desertion. As a Primarch of the Imperium of Man, I hereby order your immediate public execution.", I stated, rising to my feet again. "Commissar Cain, please ensure this sentence is carried out in front of his former constituents."
"By your orders, Lord Stark.", Cain acknowledged, turning to his men. "Affix a towline to these pigs and hook them to one of the transports. We will drag them behind us…"
Acknowledging the commissar's orders, they hurriedly carried out his command. Once securely tethered, we made the short trip back to the Hivesprawl. Rolling through the gates, billions of civilians enthusiastically celebrated our victorious return.