Imperial Purgation of the Tengu’s Watchman

The Purgation of the Tengu’s Watchman was one of several Imperial Campaigns along the Tau boarder systems in the centuries between the Second and Third Sphere Expansion. Tengu’s Watchman was one of those worlds on the western edge of the Damocles Gulf whose Imperial Governors had cut selfish deals with the Xenos, turning their citizens and their worlds over to the Tau Empire without a fight.

Loyalist forces arrived to reclaim the system in 963.M41, spearheaded by the Astartes of the Steel Harbingers Chapter, but including both a Battlegroup of the Imperial Navy, an Imperial Guard Armygroup, and of course, representatives of the Holy Inquisition. While Brethren Lord Slavicus Ven led his 3rd Company, known as the Precursors, and the Navy in assaulting the Air Caste Orbital Platforms, Lord General Horatio Couture led the 35th Armygroup to assault the planet.

While outlying settlements were quickly reclaimed, the substantial defenses of the Fire Caste in and around the Capital City of Takane set the Imperial Guard on the back-foot. In addition to an seemingly unbreachable perimeter, and a strong mobile reserve, the Tau had achieved effective local air superiority through the use of mobile Sky Ray missile platforms and a seemingly limitless supply of aerial drones. While the Steel Harbingers could still, in theory, breach the Tau parameter using orbital drop pods, there was no guarantee that they could overcome the Tau defenders without their heavy equipment.

As Lord Ven and Lord General Couture prepared to commit to a massed frontal assault, using the Guard Regiments to soak up damage while the Astartes brought their mighty siege engines into position, one of Couture’s Colonel’s spoke up. Colonel Hung Tran of the 11thLaconian Riverine Raiders pointed out that there was a swamp on the eastrn side of Takane which led right into the enemy’s soft underbelly. The Yokai Swamp, had been an all but impassible wetland to begin with, but it was now also inhabited by the Tau’s Kroot allies, and in great numbers. None of the other Officers present felt that any force could pass such an obstacle, but Tran swore that if the Astartes could keep the Kroot off of them, the Riverine Raiders would transport their vehicles through the swamp.

That night, as heavy artillery from Lord General Couture’s lines seemingly presaged a ground assault, the Harbinger's blades began to reap a silent harvest from the Kroot. Meanwhile, using converted Chimera APCs, what local rivercraft they could find, and even buoyant ration crates, the 11th River Raiders managed to move almost 200 tons of equipment through an all but untraversable swamp in under five hours. As dawn broke in blood red upon the City, the Emperor’s angels of death strode forth into Takane, leading Predator Tanks and Hellfire Dreadnaughts. While the Fire Caste reacted quickly and fought ferociously, it was already too late.

While Lord Ven led the bulk of his force against the City Center, two squads, accompanied by the exhausted Laconians, assaulted the defensive perimeter from behind. With the Tau distracted, Lord General Couture brought the rest of the Army group against the City, overwhelming the defenders and following in the Astartes’s wake. While the Fire Caste fought on, trying to buy time for their Ethereal overlord to escape, Slavicus Ven personally managed to overtake and slay the Xeno Leader. While fighting would continue for several days, the death of the Ethereal seemed to break the spirit of the Tau. The world was soon declared compliant, and its people handed over to the Inquisition to be put to the question.