Decima Rendik

Decima Rendik. Gue'vesa'vre of the Mang'shas Sept

"*I am Decima Rendik, Gue'vesa'vre of Mang'shas. Both you and the soldiers under your command have fought bravely, but there is no need for further bloodshed in the name of an Imperium that cares not for its honorable soldiers. Please stand down and I promise that you and your men will be given sanctuary.*"
—Decima Rendik
**Decima Rendik** is a commander of a number of gue'vesa cadres of Mang'shas, and considered by many to be the best human strategist and tactician within the Sept. Though she has achieved a reputation within the Fifth Sphere Expansion as the **Angel of Cadimus Prime** after helping to liberate the planet from a Genestealer Cult. Her new found fame, enhanced by the propaganda of the Water Caste, caused many squads and regiments of the Astra Militarum and Planetary Defense Forces to join her informal Contingent called Gi'yanni'ka ("Absolving Host") in her campaign to liberate more humans to pursue a better tomorrow in the name of the Greater Good.

## History

### Origins

Decima Rendik is born upon the Tau world of Mang’shas and the oldest child of Kanan and Felinda Rendik, both of whom were once influential Guilders of the Hiveworld of Dimeeki who had long become disgusted with the bureaucracy of the Imperium bogging down trade within the sector. In hopes of finding more lucrative wealth and financial freedom, the couple fled toward the Western Veil Nebula in hopes of coming across a rumored xenos empire that welcomed humans. Their break for freedom couldn’t have been more properly timed as the T’au were commencing their Third Sphere Expansion with the Western Veil Nebula being one of these select areas, in particular the planet that would host one of the newest Sept of the T’au Empire: Mang’shas. The Rendik’s were intercepted by a T’au Scouting Fleet at the edge of the system and were granted asylum upon the world. During their first couple of months upon Mang’shas Felinda would become pregnant and ten months later she would give birth to a healthy baby girl, one of the first Gue’vesa to be born on Mang’shas soil.

During Decima’s childhood her parents would become close with a member of the Water Caste named Am’Niroi who is assigned to help smooth out the Rendik’s integration into the society of Mang’shas. Am’Niroi would become something of an honorary uncle to the young Decima and one of her few friends as she didn’t have any other Gue’vesa children her age to play with. To help her cope with her loneliness Am’Niroi gifted her with his outdated Escort Drone during Decima’s 8th birthday. Decima would become attached to the aged drone and would lovely name it N’Dras, the T’au word for “Good Fortune”. N’Dras would become Decima’s most loyal companion during her formative years, following her wherever she went like a loyal pet and would sometimes be seen serving as a makeshift pillow when Decima fell asleep late into the night. Decima would eventually get siblings and while she did the best she could to take care of them, she did so by trying to control them when they don't listen, causing her to have rocky relations with them. She would be taught not only the T’au language but both Low and High Gothic by both of her parents while also telling her scattered stories of their former life within Dimeeki which naturally fueled her curiosity toward her ancestral home. Though as she became older Decima would soon learn of the truly horrid conditions of the Hiveworld and many other worlds under the Imperium of Mankind, their zealous worship of the Emperor and the genocide of all those that they consider unclean. This revelation would change the young woman and set her down a much different path than what her parents had wanted for her in a new era of prosperity and peace within the T’au Empire.

### Steps to Greatness

Initially Decima’s parents had hoped she would carry on the family legacy by becoming a Gue’vesa merchant under the Water Caste, though instead the young woman wanted to join the Fire Caste to contribute in the fight against the tyrannical Imperium and avenge the many innocents lost in their needless crusades. Fearing the path that their daughter was going down both mother and father tried dissuading her from joining the military, but Decima’s patriotism to the Tau Empire was stronger than they realized and after some convincing from Am’Niroi maybe it was for the best that they allow their daughter to determine her own destiny instead of having it made for her. Decima would go to the prime Gue’vesa academy to learn military tactics and strategy, learning about many of the other races known to the T’au along with learning the philosophy of many T’au Commanders such as the legendary Puretide. The young human would prove to be something of an outcast to the rest of her classmates, not participating in social gatherings and never making any friends, instead focusing on her studies and receiving good marks in her tests. By the end of her semester she scored relatively low on her physical scores, but she scored high in intelligence having a propensity for utilizing the Mont’ka in training exercises. She graduated from the Academy as a fully fledged Gue'vesa Auxiliary and would serve her first four years assigned to remote outposts at the edge of the Nebula where she would have her first taste of real combat against the Orks.
Decima would become battle hardened against the ruthless alien savages, having many close brushes with death including one fateful encounter where a raiding party of Orks stormed the bunker her team was assigned to. While she was saved by a Team of Fire Warriors she would not emerge from the encounter unscathed as her left arm would be taken by an Ork Choppa. Though during her four years of service she would learn everything she can about the Ork's unpredictability and brutish tactics, or as she has come to call it "tactics lack thereof". When her four years came and passed she climbed through the ranks of her Cadre and would be promoted to Gue'vesa'ui, a Lieutenant of the Gue'vesa Auxiliary. Her Cadre would be recalled to Mang’shas for a reassignment, though this gave her the chance to reunite with her parents and catch up with her siblings who, unlike her, have followed in their parents footsteps in becoming merchants under the Water Caste. Though her reunion would be short lived as it was announced that a massive contingent of the Mang'shas Sept led by Commander Firespark himself would contribute to the T'au Empire's Fifth Sphere Expansion led by the legendary Commander Shadowsun herself into the Startide Nexus into frontiers unexplored by the T'au. Decima through her promotion would lead multiple Gue'vesa teams made up of fellow graduates from the same Gue'vesa academy. She gave her family a most heartwarming goodbye, but before she departed her mother gifted upon her a family heirloom. A necklace that holds a special icon that she once wore as a Guilder, letting her oldest daughter know that no matter where Decima is, her family will always be with her.

### 5th Sphere Expansion

Decima would become one of many rising stars of Mang’shas during the Fifth Sphere Expansion having a hand in to putting down local resistances upon a couple of Imperial Worlds either directly through ground invasions or other times more covertly utilizing her family lineage as Guilders to gain valuable insight on the inner workings of the Imperium. Even though she and her fellow Gue'vesa would be looked down upon with suspicion, especially by remnant forces of the Fourth Sphere Expansion, Decima would prove herself in both combat prowess and tactical ingenuity.

#### Liberation of Cadimus Prime

One of Decima's most famous engagements was on the Imperium Mining World of Cadimus Prime, which formerly contributed a large amount of resources to nearby Manufactory Worlds within the same sector. Though in recent years the Imperium Nihilus demanded more manpower against the growing enemies of Mankind. A majority of the Planetary Defense Force of the Mining World were conscripted into the Astra Militarum and Navis Imperialis, heavily depleting Cadimus Prime's defenses. This would not be the end of their worries as for generations a new resistance movement had been festering underground in the depleted quarries, a movement motivated by the promise of liberation under the Four Armed Emperor. This new cult was known by many workers through the moniker of ***The Heralds of Clawed Revolution***. As the Imperium conscripted more of the planet's PDF and demanded more output from their mining operations, many of the workers that grew dissatisfied with their minuscule income and harsh living conditions began to flock to the Cult in droves. When the time was right the Heralds sprung their uprising against what was left of the PDF and local Adeptus Arbites, as it was found out that half of these forces had also joined the side of the Cult, outnumbering the remaining defenders. In desperation the Planetary Governor by the name of Janius Galvanis tried sending a distress signal to any nearby Imperial forces to help quell the rebellion, but her calls fell upon deaf ears. However much to her surprise and shock someone else had answered her signal. A fleet of the Tau had arrived over the world of Cadimus Prime, ready to respond to the world's plight.

The leading Shas'el, known to the Imperium as Commander Purestorm, answered the distress signal but was initially under the impression that the world was under siege from a human rebellion, composed of workers that were mistreated by the Planetary Governor. This caused the veteran warrior to contemplate allowing the rebellion to run its course, recruiting the victors into the Greater Good. However among the fleet Decima Rendik voiced her opinions toward her immediate superior that the rebellion was uncharacteristic of any sort of human insurrection she had experienced, as their foot soldiers looked more mutated and monstrous. Purestorm doubted her word at first as the Imperium were known to utilize sanctioned mutants within their regiments, but he was also aware that if they choose the side of the rebellion they would lack the infrastructure that the Planetary Governor possessed. Deciding to listen to reason Commander Purestorm agreed to deploy troops upon the world within the main cities of the Mining World where a majority of the insurrection is transpiring. For the next couple of days the Tau and the Cult would engage in fierce combat, with Decima and the Gue'vesa teams under her command cleaning up most of the important staging areas for additional reinforcements. Along the way her teams would tend to the civilian population caught in the crossfire, becoming the most prominent unit during the battle. Decima found fierce resistance from many of the Cult's forces, but with the help of a newly arrived Kroot Kindred Decima was able to keep their momentum going and thus allowing them to push against the Cultist assault to the outskirts of the city. Her presence on the battlefield was awe-inspiring to many of the civilians, who believed her to be an angel meant to bring them back to salvation. This was enough to encourage the population to take up arms against the Heralds. In desperation the Cultists unleashed several large mutants to break the line of the joint Gue'vesa and Kroot offensive. While many soldiers were smashed to bloody pulps, the superb coordination from both auxiliary races were able to slay the abhorrent giants, with even Decima herself saving the life of Shaper Baluk who was moments away from being slain by one of the mutant's giant pickaxe.

The Tau through superior strategy and military hardware had managed to pushed the Cultists out of the edges of the Mining cities, but they soon had to turn back into the cities to deal with a third party comprised of the remaining Arbites who remained loyal to the Imperium and found the Planetary Governor to be a traitor in working with xenos, calling for her immediate execution. Their resistance while stiff was insignificant and were easily cut down by the elite Assault Clearance Cadres that were backed up by many Fire Warrior Teams and Drone Squadrons. Decima herself managed to barge into the Governor's office and saved her from the Arbites Marshall, an act that the Imperial Official became very grateful for. The Arbites resistance served to be a mere distraction as the main concern of the Tau is stamping out on what they properly identified as a Genestealer Cult. Purestorm prepared to mobilize a full scale assault into the mines to ensure the destruction of the Cult's leadership, however Janius Galvanis offered a different and more cost effective solution. The Planetary Governor revealed the existence of several sealed canisters filled with toxic gasses that were marked for shipment to the frontlines of the Imperium, given that they had ignored her cries for help there was no need to store them and could be used in a more practical manner. Purestorm was disgusted and outraged that such a dishonorable tactic would even be considered and was ready to forcibly detain the Governor on the spot. Fortunately Decima intervened in the discussion before things could become heated between the Shas'el and Planetary Governor. She convinced Purestorm that the use of the toxic gasses, while inhumane and abhorrent, was a more viable option against the Genestealer Cults as she has personally seen that they are merciless and unable to see reason, in addition it is the only option that allowed the Tau Commander to not waste anymore lives, and at the very least crippling the Genestealer Cult and securing the remaining mines firmly in Tau hands.

While Purestorm remained firm in his belief of resolving the conflict through conventional means he had to accept the reality that if his Fire Warriors were sent into the Cult's home base it would be a massacre. Decima's consul had proved illuminating though and she had the support of the native Gue'vesa and Planetary Governor. Despite his best wishes the Purestorm supported the action and gave Decima Rendik full command over the operation in deploying the makeshift chemical weapons. Decima with assistance from the Planetary Governor's ministers converted the canisters into improvised explosive devices for the fumigation operation. Decima ordered the recon of numerous known abandoned quarries across the surface to deduce which might be the closest to the Cult's base of operations. After the massive counterattack the Genestealer Cult seemed more cautious, making sure not to reveal their exact location only periodically sending out Atalan Jackals for scout operations. After much deliberation one Squadron of Recon Drones came back with "The Fortune Pit" having the greatest amount of activity as many Broodbrothers and Atalan Jackals departed the mouth of the quarry. With an objective set Decima assembled her Strike Team which comprised many of her best Gue'vesa soldiers, volunteers of what remains of the PDF, and several Squadrons of Gun Drones along with Baluk’s Kindred as support. Decima, knowing that if her Strike Team were detected they would in all likelihood probably not live long enough to set up the explosives, requested Purestorm to create a distraction while the PDF combat engineers prep the IEDs. Purestorm denied her request as he doesn't want to risk anymore of his warriors or battlesuits in an insignificant strike, though Decima suspected that her superior was secretly setting her up to fail. Fortunately for her, Shaper Baluk, impressed by her bravery on the field, offered his Mounted Great Knarloc in assaulting the camp instead. While it lacked the firepower of a Crisis Battlesuit Team it would still prove effective enough to draw several platoons of Broodbrothers and Aberrants to embark from the quarry, allowing Decima and her Strike Team to move into the mouth of “The Fortune Pit'' where they meet stiff resistance from the Broodbrothers left behind, but were cut down with quick efficiency. Knowing they needed to work quickly the combat engineers moved the canisters into position within the mouth of the tunnels within the deeper parts of the quarry. Decima ordered her troops and support to get into defensive positions around the quarry to buy the engineers more time. Her insight proved correct as several Atalan Jackals were the first units to return having grown suspicious of vox silence from their rear guard. As a fierce firefight broke out Decima noticed that one of the squad of combat engineers was being assailed by a more unique variant of Genestealer. One that came to be known as a legendary hero among the Heralds of the Clawed Revolution, a Kelermorph known as Shem Pyre. Shem Pyre gunned down most of the combat engineers with his many Liberator Autostubs, Decima charged toward the position bringing several of her own Gue'vesa and Kroots with her. Pyre would kill most of the brave soldiers with superior reflexes, but would be blindsided by Decima who tackled the gunslinger and quickly delivered a quick headshot with her Pulse Pistol, but not before the Genestealer delivered a crippling shot nearly hitting Decima's heart much to the shock of her troops who recovered her and attempted first aid. Decima's Strike Team managed to put down the Atalan Jackals, but were made aware that more would return when the Great Knarloc riders reported that the Genestealer Platoons were beginning their retreat toward the quarry. Decima, who was slipping in and out of consciousness, ordered the remaining combat engineers to hasten their efforts while requesting extraction. After a little more time passed the canisters were placed far enough into the tunnels so as to not blow away the sealed entrances that the soldiers collapsed not long after. Once all the tunnels around the quarry had been closed and were extracted the canisters were detonated. The entire quarry shaked from the contained explosions, but all of the entrances held steady. Word soon spread that the once organized squads of Genestealers that were firing upon the Tau transports devolve into what could be described as rabid animals who lashed out at anything living even their own allies, which is all the confirmation that she needed that they have been successful in killing the Broodlord. Though to ensure that there aren't any remaining pockets of resistance to rebuild, Shaper Baluk would dispatch Kroot Hound Packs across the wilds of Cadimus Prime. Though aside from the remnants of the Cult scattered across the planet, the insurrection has been declared neutralized by Purestorm.

Though the cost of such a victory was too high as Decima Rendik was rushed to a Earth Caste medical center, barely kept alive by life support. Her heart has not been completely destroyed but several arteries have been severed by the point blank gunshot. It was determined that the only way to save the young Gue'vesa'ui's life was through a heart transplant. Unfortunately none of the Gue'vesa among them shared her blood type and finding the right candidate would be a waste of resources. Fortunately among the volunteers of the PDF was a young woman who offered her life in return to save Decima's while famously proclaiming "I'd give my life to the Angel of Cadimus Prime". The woman's blood was compatible with Decima and the operation commenced without a hitch and soon Decima received her heart transplant and was alive again, but at the cost of the young woman's life. The inhabitants of Cadimus Prime roared in celebration and fully welcomed the Tau Empire as their new allies. Decima Rendik herself would be hailed as a hero and the Planetary Governor had invited her several weeks later to the unraveling of a statue in the Gue'vesa'ui's honor, even labeling it as "The Angel of Cadimus Prime". Word of Decima's legend spread across the Mining World as partially all citizens recognized her name and accomplishments. Despite Decima loathing the glorification of her actions on Cadimus Prime she cannot deny that her efforts earned a new world that has the ability to contribute both resources and gue'vesa recruits toward the Greater Good. Though the actions of the brave young woman had a much more profound effect on the young Gue'vesa'ui, shaking to her very core and would even personally pay her respects to the gravesite of the individual that she would come to know as Private Vikki Stern. The integration of Cadimus Prime through the skillful efforts of the Water Caste will be a slow yet steady process, within several years Cadimus Prime will become a new Sept. Even Commander Purestorm, who wasn't pleased with the praise that the Gue'vesa’ui was receiving, was nevertheless equally impressed with Decima's part in ensuring Cadimus Prime's coming into the fold of the Greater Good and would promote her the rank of Gue'vesa'vre, giving her command over several large Gue'vesa Cadres. In the aftermath of the battle the Ethereal Council caught wind of Decima's unique position as the savior of a former Imperial World and saw the potential in the new Gue'vesa'vre as the focus in a Tau por’sral or propaganda campaign. Numerous posters of Decima Rendik would be commissioned and secretly spread to other nearby worlds of the Imperium by Water Caste diplomats, and her legend continued to grow among the surrounding systems. Whispers of this new human hero among the Tau Empire would catch the attention of several Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos and Ordo Hereticus who saw her as a massive threat and placed Decima Rendik onto their most wanted targets for the Officio Assassinorum.

## Personality

"*As we all know the Be'gals may seem dim witted or outright disorganized, but that is the least of our concerns. Their weaponry and technology while crude is more than effective. Their lack of strategy? Unneeded considering their physical strength and durability, but more vexing, their unpredictability. How does one counter such an enemy when they lack strategy and common sense? The answer is quite simple. Keep them at a distance and prioritize their largest ones, Be'gals have a primitive hierarchy and follow the largest of their number. Put them down and they will fight among each other to fill the position. That is the perfect opportunity to cut the rest down piece by piece.*"
—Decima Rendik briefing her cadre before their first assault on the Ork World labeled 'Occalos Major'

Renowned for her calm and patient demeanor even during her days as a cadet in the Gue'vesa Academy on Mang'shas, Decima proved to be a remarkable individual who keeps her focus even with significant pressure from the chaos that happens all around her on the battlefield. She is a very inquisitive learner always finding the need to absorb as much knowledge on both the enemies and allies of the Tau Empire, her unique experiences with the Orks in her first four years of service proved to be influential in her combat doctrine given that she had to work with the unpredictable yet bloodthirsty nature of the fungoid xenos. Ever since the day she lost her left arm to an Ork Choppa, the now Gue'vesa'vre ensured that her Cadres would have many close range weapons on hand should their countermeasures against the Orks fail and are forced to engage in close quarters combat. Decima Rendik taking after her parents, who were former Guilders, has a knack for analytical thinking not just in combat strategy but also with logistics, always needing to know the exact number of warriors and assets she has at her disposal, on top of knowing what her enemies are capable of and having her warriors act accordingly. She is a skilled practitioner of the Mont’ka (The Killing Blow) military doctrine though she has put her own spin on it by using a large number of drones to lure the weaker lines of an enemy position. This tactic, while unorthodox, has won her many battles for the Tau Empire in the Fifth Sphere Expansion, earning the admiration of several Tau Commanders.

She is considered the best gue'vesa strategist within the Mang'shas Sept and is second only to Karbak Al'Shehaijem himself as the most influential gue'vesa within the Sept let alone the Fifth Sphere Expansion. Though one thing she has in common with Karbak is that she is a true patriot and believer of the Greater Good, believing that it was humanity's future if they all embraced the philosophy of the Tau Empire. Decima might be seen as brilliant, but for those under her command they see her in a different light. She is strict and judgmental to those who go against regulation, always pointing out the flaws in her subordinates within any circumstance even when their actions brought them a well earned victory. This attitude makes Decima Rendik unpopular among her soldiers, but popular with her superiors as she gets results. This was especially shown when massive waves of defectors joined the Tau because they believed the Gue'vesa'vre to be a serene and beautiful angel-like figure, only to be disappointed with her lack of empathy and her strict adherence to order. Despite her apathy and abrasive personality Decima shows a legitimate care for those under her command as she makes sure to ensure their health and morale is in high spirits by allowing her lieutenants to organize parties, but usually she never participates in them seeing social interactions as a waste of time. The young gue'vesa sees herself as a woman of action which makes her an atrocious motivational speaker, though she makes up for this through the more aspiring minds of the Water Caste or even former Imperial defectors who help write most of her better known speeches.

Decima is seen as a walking glossary of many of the factions in the Milky Way Galaxy known to the Tau Empire, even some of the more elusive ones. She has a certain fascination with the Ar'cea, or the Aeldari as her mother knows them, and their technology that are yet to be understood by the Earth Caste, such as their own battlesuits and the barely understood "Mind Science". She has heard scattered stories of the very same alien race when her mother would share stories of when her merchant ship was attacked by pirates, but they were saved by a band of elusive humanoids that resembled a living kaleidoscope and wore masks akin to jesters of ancient Terran mythology. While Decima is yet to encounter them in the flesh she both savors and dreads the opportunity, for she considers them almost as unpredictable as Be'gals, but far more reasonable. For the Be'gals, or the Orks as her parents know them as, she sees them as simple minded barbarians that need to be exterminated. Though despite her general overview on the alien race she still voices massive caution toward their superior strength and almost uncanny engineering skills, for she has personally seen them utilize bits and pieces of Tau weapons and vehicles, a true bastardization of the Earth Caste's elegant work. She has a passing curiosity for the resurgent Ves'ron, or what the Imperium calls the Necrons, finding their technology intriguing yet cautious of what their true motives might be. She is fearful of the Y'he, or what the Imperium calls the Tyranids, seeing them as the polar opposite of what the Greater Good represents for they consume all that stand in their way, little better than a virus that simply needs to be quarantined.

She finds allied races of the Tau in a positive light such as the Kroot and Demiurg given that she has fight alongside them her entire life, but has less experience with the others such as the Vespid, Nicassar, Galg, and many others given that they have never been a significant part of her Sept. However she is disturbed by the Nagi's potent mind control abilities and sympathizes with the Tarellian for their understandable hatred towards humanity in the part they played in destroying their homeworld. However the entity she hates more than any other on both a philosophical and psychological level is the Imperium of Mankind. Based on the stories her parents would share with her before bedtime, she would have a small fondness toward the Imperium and would always dream of visiting her family's homeworld of Dimeeki. Though after studying up on them in her time within the Academy and first hand experiences in the Fifth Sphere Expansion, she has come to the conclusion that while humanity itself is full of hope and nobility she views the Imperium itself as pure evil. Hiveworlds for her in particular are symbolic of how she sees the Imperium of Mankind, worlds filled to the brim with billions of people with the few at the top hoarding all the wealth and the rest living in squalor within the underhives. A world filled with fear, despair, and butchery covered up with the hypocrisy of faithful harmony and trade. Even when she personally wonders through the alleyways of many Hivecities, Decima is still baffled of how her parents were able to tolerate such conditions before their defection to the Tau Empire.

She finds all factions of the Imperium to be xenophobic and unreasonable, though some more than others as she has come to realize in her studies and later field experience. She has found the Adepta Sororitas and other branches of the Adeptus Ministorum to be the least likely to convert to the Greater Good given their zealotry and fanaticism. Adeptus Mechanicus less so, but Decima has come to realize that Kelbix and his Hereteks are the exception as every Tech Priest her forces have encountered care not for the advancement of Mankind nor cooperation with aliens, merely finding knowledge in the name of the Omnissiah. She holds a modicum of respect for their ancient God-Engines and Knights which she considers a waste of resources, but their firepower and the presence on the battlefield is unquestionable. The branch she finds most susceptible to defecting to the Tau are soldiers of the Astra Militarum as they are the men and women who fight in the name of their God Emperor, though she has found it pitiful that their superiors value the lives of their soldiers very little. A fact that has allowed Decima on more than one occasion to sway many to her side, sometimes changing the flow of entire battles in favor of the Tau. One faction she fears of meeting on the field are the legendary Adeptus Astartes from both the stories she has heard from her parents of these "Angels of the Emperor" and accounts retold by many of her training instructors of the Academy.

## Appearance

Decima Rendik has a surprisingly slim athletic build for a woman of her age who was born on Mang’shas. She shared the same pale skin color of both of her parents who were fortunate enough to have grown up within the higher levels of the Hivecity they both came from, though admittedly they had less than ideal conditions on Dimeeki in comparison to Mang'shas. Decima would be born with natural red hair which is a huge rarity on Dimeeki itself and was seen as a miracle by both of her parents when she was born. While she scored low on her physical scores in the Gue'vesa Academy she is on par with an average Fire Warrior, but still pales in comparison to her male Gue'vesa compatriots. When on duty she wears a modified set of Combat Armour that was designed to fit her more human-like proportions than a normal Tau. During her first four years on duty Decima would receive a prosthetic left arm when her arm was cleaved off by an Ork Choppa which retains the movement and strength of her original arm. When she's on the field she exudes this aura of calm and confidence, her posture always straight and unwavering making her a foot taller than her contemporary Fire Warriors. Despite her seemingly intimidating presence, Decima bears the symbols of the Mang'shas Sept and the frontal symbol of the Tau with honor and dignity.

## Wargear

* **Pulse Blaster** - Designed to be used by Fire Warrior Breacher Teams, Decima Rendik found a particular fondness for the weapon as a close range weapon which has helped her in many sticky situations especially during her first years of combat service when Orks would find ways to bust through several bunkers she was station in. Though in her campaigns during the Fifth Sphere Expansion she has found it advantageous within the confines of Imperial Hivecities and mineshafts.
* **Pulse Pistol** - A smaller version of the Pulse Rifle, the Pulse Pistol outclassed many other types of sidearms of its kind in the Milky Way Galaxy. Though despite that it is mostly used as basic defense and a hold-out weapon in desperate situations. Decima utilized her trusty Pulse Pistol to kill the Ork Slugga Boy that took her left arm. Decima keeps that same Pulse Pistol on her person even as a Gue'vesa'vre and it continues to save her from many close shaves with death both off and on the battlefield.
* **N'Ras** - N'Ras is the name of a Escort Drone formerly used by Am’Niroi for his duties within the Water Caste, but it's been showing its age and was given to Decima Rendik for her 8th birthday given that there aren't many Gue'vesa children her age growing up. N'Ras was one of the few beings that Decima grew a personal connection to even in her adult years. While N'Ras wasn't a military drone, its AI chip would be modified and moved into a more advanced MV52 Shield Drone chassis to continue its service under Decima when she became a Gue'vesa'ui and eventually a Gue'vesa'vre for the Fifth Sphere Expansion.
* **Combat Armour** - The combat armour is a light weight armor standard issue for all T'au Fire Warriors and provides the wearer with energy absorbent padding and blunt force trauma from high velocity impacts. Decima Rendik wears a modified set of Combat Armour which was designed to fit her slim and plantigrade body plan, though her Armour lacks the enlarged left shoulder given that she finds it to be more of hindrance than an actual benefit for her.
* **Intelligence Accumulator Matrix** - Since gaining the rank of Gue'vesa'vre, Decima Rendik has found it necessary to acquire a means of gathering more information on both the resources she has at her disposal and those that her enemy may possess as well. As a result members of the Earth Caste would design a biochip that would be surgically implanted into her brain, which allowed her to draw upon all known personnel and assets within her Contingent and assigned Command. Though this technology is far from perfect and must be used in limited amounts as to not overwhelm her brain and is advised not to be used near a being utilizing 'Mind Science' knowing the failings of those who utilized the **Sword of Puretide** biochip.
* **Guilders' Icon** - An ancient heirloom of the Rendik family, it is a necklace that prominently shows the Guilders icon as an indication of their status as representatives of the Merchant Guilds. While mostly a useless object within the Tau Empire, Felinda gave Decima her necklace as a momento and reminder of her family heritage. The Guilders' Icon has proven to be a useful tool for Decima when she formerly went undercover on Imperial Hiveworlds to gather intelligence and help escort members of the Water Caste.