Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor-Chapter 315 - 316 – Hit the Tau’s Artery?! Big Barrel Is Gone?!

Tau Empire star cluster.

Voidspace.

Hummmm—

Spatial ripples vibrated.

At the exit of the Namiya Atoll Corridor, a deep rumble like thunder echoed.

One by one, colossal voidships forged from plasteel and adamantium burst forth, unleashing a devastating barrage on the orbital defense lines guarding the exit.

The sudden, ferocious assault plunged the starport into a blazing inferno.

Volradi, leading the Savior's Third Fleet—

—had arrived at the Tau Empire's homeworld!

...

Conqueror-class Battleship,

Command Deck.

"No... what have I done!"

Commander Va'an of the Tau looked at the sea of fire ahead, sinking into boundless remorse.

"So we've arrived... your transit corridor was faster than I expected."

Volradi was thrilled.

The Namiya Atoll Corridor was a natural compression zone in space that the Tau had developed into a rapid transit route, linking their core worlds with their frontier realm of Kelto.

This allowed Tau fleets to swiftly reach the periphery, facilitating expeditions and invasions.

It had its advantages and drawbacks.

When facing weak enemies, this rapid corridor was a great convenience.

But once an enemy capable of breaching their defenses, like now, appeared—

—this fast track turned into a deadly vulnerability.

A shortcut that delivered enemies straight into the heart of the empire.

Volradi looked at the star map, his gaze falling upon the marker for T'au, filled with excitement.

He turned to Va'an, patting his shoulder, genuinely moved:

"To be able to launch a raid on T'au... It's a tremendous achievement. Without you, it wouldn't have been possible. You... my friend, are the true hero!"

Upon hearing this,

Va'an wore an expression of utter agony, closing his eyes as tears streamed down his face.

It hurt. It hurt so much!

This ambitious Tau commander realized he was the cause of all this.

His heart twisted painfully.

Regret completely consumed him.

Alongside regret, despair took root.

He dared not imagine what foolish actions his pampered, indulgent kin would take when faced with this monster.

Va'an could not even muster hatred for Volradi.

With such incompetents ruling the Tau Empire, their defeat was inevitable.

He now understood that the Empire's command structure and power distribution had led to its decay.

The pampered Tau aristocracy could no longer lead the empire forward.

Even if they hadn't been defeated by this human, they would have eventually fallen to someone else.

Yet Va'an still held a sliver of hope—

Maybe after this disastrous defeat, the Tau would awaken and begin to correct their errors.

Volradi patted Va'an's shoulder again and said:

"Don't worry. I meant what I said. Once we reach T'au, I'll release you..."

Hearing this,

Va'an plunged into deeper despair. Dying would have been kinder!

Releasing him in such circumstances would only announce to all that it was Va'an, the Tau genius, who led the enemy straight to T'au!

Thus, he would become the greatest traitor in Tau history.

Forever nailed to the pillar of shame!

With a bitter face, almost begging, Va'an asked:

"Could you... perhaps release me in a remote place after?"

"Sure," Volradi agreed after some thought, "After all, we have the recordings, transcripts, and your fingerprints anyway."

Va'an, being of the higher caste among the Tau, was an invaluable asset.

An insider like him would make future campaigns against the Tau much easier.

Hearing this, Va'an's briefly hopeful expression crumbled into despair.

He realized—

He would never escape this fate.

Even if he returned "clean" to the Tau Empire, he would still be the enemy's puppet.

Suddenly, Va'an's gaze hardened.

There was only one way left to preserve his dignity: suicide.

Better to die than to become a tool for the humans.

The Tau genius Va'an absolutely could not become their puppet!

As Va'an built up his courage to sacrifice himself, touched by his own righteousness—

—a sigh sounded.

Sigh...

Volradi seemed to see through him and sighed deeply, looking at Va'an with admiration:

"Are you determined to die rather than become our puppet?"

As he spoke, Volradi handed him a bolt pistol.

"I respect your choice. I'll give you a warrior's end. Only through death can you wash away shame and preserve your dignity as a noble Tau."

Va'an silently accepted it.

His trembling hands pressed the pistol against his temple.

But when the cold muzzle touched his skin—

—an overwhelming fear seized his heart.

Va'an trembled but couldn't pull the trigger.

"I... I can't..."

Clatter!

The bolt pistol slipped from his hand.

This proud Tau commander realized, to his despair—

He wanted to live!

"I'll help you then," Volradi said calmly.

Under Va'an's terrified gaze,

Volradi picked up the bolt pistol, aimed it—

—and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

"No!!!"

Va'an instinctively raised his hands to shield himself.

Then—

Silence.

He touched himself frantically—

Nothing had happened!

The shot had missed on purpose.

Va'an collapsed to his knees, hollow and lost.

He knew—

He would never escape now.

Volradi holstered his bolt pistol, smiling kindly:

"Brother Va'an, it seems you've made your choice."

During the earlier interrogations, the psychological teams had already analyzed Va'an thoroughly.

The Tau aristocracy's long-standing privilege had eroded their ability to make sacrifices.

They lacked the grit to lead in desperate times.

Not like humanity's great Savior or countless human heroes—

Who always fought on the frontlines and never feared sacrifice.

This, was why humanity survived the galaxy's cruelty.

Of course, this analysis was specific to Va'an.

If all Tau aristocrats were like him, future battles would be far easier.

Volradi knelt slightly,

looking at the broken Va'an, and said:

"Now that you're our friend, trust me—you'll gain much more..."

With that, he turned away to command the fleet.

He was confident—

This Tau commander would make an excellent puppet.

...

Meanwhile, the starport burned ever fiercer.

Alarms blared as

a local defense fleet scrambled out to resist.

Yet the few defenders were no match for the Savior's Third Fleet.

Moreover,

Volradi had no interest in lingering.

He ordered the Third Fleet to violently break through—

—to charge straight for T'au itself.

He had to act before the Tau home fleets and reinforcements could arrive—

—to strike hard, destroy critical infrastructure, and withdraw.

Naturally,

T'au was fortified with planetary shields and anti-orbital defenses.

Storming it head-on would be a nightmare.

But Volradi had a secret weapon.

Sliding open an info-panel,

he revealed a green-marked, hazard-labeled, massive torpedo—

—a Green Tide Spore Torpedo.

Developed by the Savior's weapons research division, it was packed with rapidly growing Ork spores.

The plan:

Use heavy bombardment as cover, launch the torpedo into T'au's atmosphere—

—and infest the planet with Ork spores!

Thus, the Tau capital world would drown in endless Ork infestations.

It would be lost.

Volradi finalized his plan—

—and ordered the fleet full speed ahead toward T'au.

Not long after the Third Fleet's departure,

Shadowsun's fleet emerged from the Namiya Corridor, racing after them.

She desperately pursued the enemy,

hoping to stop them before they reached T'au.

But all she found were the smoking ruins of shattered defenses.

The enemy fleet had brutally crushed every line.

They were getting close to T'au!

Shadowsun fell into deep despair.

She only prayed she could intercept them before they uncovered—

—the Tau Empire's deadliest secret.

Although the Savior's fleet moved swiftly,

Tau planetary reinforcements were now gathering.

Shadowsun reorganized scattered forces.

Currently, she had several times the enemy's fleet strength.

She swore—

No matter the cost, she would annihilate the enemy within the Empire's heart!

Otherwise, the Tau would lose all will to resist the human Imperium.

...

T'au.

Equatorial capital city.

This vast, fortified metropolis was the Empire's heart and soul.

Its political and cultural center.

Nearly all Tau aristocrats lived here.

Under the Supreme Ethereal Council, their orders rippled out from this city, executed without question across the Empire.

No one dared doubt the wisdom of the Ethereals.

Within the Savior's embassy compound, Alemane, the diplomatic leader, grew ever more worried.

She had sensed something was wrong days ago.

Worse— her requests to return home had been denied.

They were being detained— softly imprisoned.

Such treatment of envoys meant only one thing:

The Tau Empire had likely declared war on the Savior.

Alemane realized they faced extreme danger— but she felt no fear.

She quietly checked her sidearm.

As a graduate of the Loyal Sons Academy, she had been trained not just academically, but in battlefield survival—

—including live combat against xenos and Chaos beasts.

Every graduate of Loyal Sons Academy— was a warrior if needed.

The other delegation members were the same.

They were ready to fight—

—or die.

...

Outside the embassy,

"Enemy attack!"

The Terminators on guard immediately raised their force shields.

Boom!

The shield absorbed the first salvo.

Then, multiple squads of Tau Battlesuits opened fire— blasting the compound into ruins.

Flames and smoke engulfed the area.

In the distance, a Tau commander hid behind Battlesuits, smugly watching.

Upon hearing the Savior's forces had attacked a Tau fleet, he volunteered to purge the "filthy humans" from this sacred city.

But— through the smoke, a bright heat ray lanced out, killing a Battlesuit warrior instantly.

The fire was abruptly snuffed by hidden devices.

Through the clearing smoke,

a shimmering blue dome appeared—

—the embassy's emergency forcefield.

Standing atop the ruins, the heavy Terminators loomed like statues.

Behind them, sheltered by the shield,

stood the surviving delegation members.

The Savior's banner flew proudly above. frёeωebɳovel.com

"Xenos, perish!"

A Terminator bellowed, raising the banner with one hand,

his red eyes glowing like twin suns.

Then— he opened fire with a heavy bolter,

unleashing hell.

The other Terminators and diplomats followed suit,

raining lasers, plasma, bolt shells, and flamers.

The Tau Battlesuit squads crumbled.

This Savior delegation's firepower—

was fiercer than an entire Space Marine strike force!

The Tau commander realized—

he had underestimated them.

Worse,

his lack of heavy armor to "avoid escalation" backfired.

Facing such unexpected resistance—

he screamed:

"For the Greater Good! Hold them back! Bring in the armor!"

But in his sights, the Terminators advanced relentlessly under heavy fire.

They weren't just surviving—

—they were pushing back!

Tau soldiers fell one by one.

The commander panicked.

Choosing self-preservation,

he turned and fled.

He thought—

the delegation was trapped anyway.

Reinforcements would soon crush them.

However—

just as he turned,

multiple krak missiles streaked in,

tearing apart his shield and breaking his legs.

Crying out in pain,

he tried to rally the survivors.

But—

a crimson figure smashed into the Tau lines—

—a towering Terminator with a roaring chainsword.

The Terminator dismembered the Battlesuit warriors with brutal efficiency,

blood spraying everywhere.

Before the commander could react,

the Terminator stomped down—

—and crushed his skull into pulp.

Meanwhile,

the Tau armored reinforcements finally arrived—

—and unleashed a devastating bombardment.

The Savior's embassy forcefield flickered and failed.

Alemane stood under the collapsing shield.

She knew—

—the next volley would kill them all.

But she felt no fear.

Perhaps—

—it was time to give everything for the Savior.

Still—

she vowed to kill as many enemies as possible before the end.

Alemane gritted her teeth,

and kept firing into the advancing Tau ranks.

Suddenly—

BOOM!

A massive explosion rocked the heavens.

Everyone instinctively looked up.

The city's planetary shield had activated—

—and brilliant bursts of artillery fire bloomed across the sky.

Through his magnoculars,

the Terminator captain spoke with rare excitement:

"Praise the Savior—our fleet is here!"

...

T'au Orbit.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Savior's Third Fleet clashed with Tau defenses—

—and sporadically fired at the planet below to sow chaos.

Before the main Tau battle fleets could arrive,

there was still time to act.

...

Inside the Conqueror-class Battleship,

Volradi's eyes gleamed with excitement.

He stared at the nearby black hole-like phenomenon on the sensors:

a dangerous warp rift.

Upon seeing it,

he knew—

they had won.

Who would have imagined—

—the Tau Empire built their capital next to a dormant warp rift?

If it were destabilized—

—the rift would engulf T'au and nearby worlds.

Everything would be consumed by the Warp.

Why build here?

Partly because it was their birthplace.

Partly because they had never suffered a true invasion before.

Even the Imperium's old crusades had never reached this far.

Also,

it was believed safer to guard the rift from the capital itself.

After all—

if the rift ever collapsed—

the whole sector was doomed.

They had no replacement.

(Truthfully, even the Imperium lived similarly precariously—

Holy Terra itself sat atop an even worse disaster.)

Volradi didn't overthink it.

Upon seeing the rift,

he immediately changed his plan:

Forget the Ork torpedo.

Destroying the rift would be much more satisfying!

Volradi commanded all ships to focus fire.

After several concentrated bombardments,

the rift's defenses were smashed.

A single torpedo shot into the black void—

—and detonated.

There was no light or sound—

but visibly,

the rift began distorting violently.

The Tau Empire's artery had been severed.

The black ball shuddered.

A chaotic spatial tear spread—

—sweeping toward T'au.

...

Charalton Sector.

Omms Star.

Temporary Savior Sanctuary.

Eden sat before his terminal, troubled.

With the galaxy spiraling into chaos,

he grew more determined to expand his military forces.

Aside from capturing Tau Battlesuit technology, he needed to strengthen his elite forces—

the Space Marines.

Currently—

the Savior's three Chapters only numbered around 50,000.

Way too few.

In a galaxy of a hundred million worlds— even a million Space Marines wouldn't be enough.

He aimed to double it to 100,000 soon.

But obstacles like gene-seed shortages slowed progress.

If only he could find—

—or raid—

a non-Imperial gene-seed vault!

Meanwhile, he also thought of improving quality:

Years ago, his research teams recovered a lost STC fragment,

allowing them to create "Centurion-pattern" heavy exoskeletons.

The first prototypes were ready.

Soon to be fielded.

However—

there was a problem.

The Sons of Man Chapter—

—had disappeared.

They vanished during an encounter with a Tyranid Hive Fleet in a barren region.

Their last recording captured Big Barrel shouting about "grabbing some bug meat."

Since then, no trace.

Search teams scoured realspace and the Warp—

—nothing.

Eden could faintly sense they were alive before—

—but recently, even that faint link snapped.

Now—

—he could only pray they weren't dead.

"Big Barrel... where the hell did you all run off to?"

Eden sighed:

"I was still waiting to eat that bug meat you promised..."

Yet deep down—

he believed Big Barrel would return someday.

He was half a god now, after all.

His prophecies weren't often wrong.

Ding—

A new report arrived.

Eden glanced at it—

—and froze.

"The Tau Empire... has surrendered unconditionally?!"

(I think this kind of 'epic' type of translations it's too much. I will go back to smoother one)

(End of Chapter)

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