Tor'Vash'Por (4)

Idris: ... moving onto other news now and Tau forces in the Penros system have successfully repelled a surprise attack by pirate forces believed to be affiliated to Mont'au'Gue'la terror groups. The attack occurred on a Tau staging post above Penros X and marks the second major space combat by Tau expeditionary forces in the Penros system, coinciding with the appearance of a Class-8 space hulk in the system that now threatens to stretch Tau naval forces even further. Correspondent Farrier Seyburey has more for us now. 

(In a massive cavernous launch bay a Manta loaded with enormous underwing missile pods tears past our field of view and zooms into space through a vast gaping opening) 

Farrier (VO):  No rest for the weary as Tau aerospace forces in the Penros system continue to face mounting pressure from rapidly escalating terrorist activity.. 

(The missile-laden underside of an SX-06 Barracuda covers the top corner of view as we see a vast cavernous rectangular launch bay rapidly shoot back and downwards, followed by the vast launch bay entrance and enormous shape of an Explorer class starship falling into the distance as the Barracuda takes off and races away on its launch trajectory)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. The latest attack has seen a major raid on the primary Tau staging point above Penros X by Mont'au'Gue'la pirate forces believed to be affiliated with the same terror group that launched an attack on Tau forces above Penros VI earlier this week.. 

(A relentless stream of missiles leaps upwards from a cluster of vertical launch cells amongst the sprawling hull and superstructure of a Tau starship)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. The terrorist flotilla, believed to have comprised no fewer than six capital ships and six frigates of Imperial design, staged a surprise attack on the staging point while a major Tau action group was undergoing replenishment in preparation for further deployment throughout the Penros system.. 

(Stars wheel and whirl around the front underside of an SX-06 Barracuda, jutting across from the top corner of view towards a distant speck of light fixed in the centre of view. After a few moments of chasing a large missile flings itself from the Barracuda's underside just out of view and then hurtles off towards the distant speck)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. Sources indicate that the Mont'au'Gue'la were initially able to achieve complete operational surprise, with only the local defensive patrol of Kir'qath class starships on alert at the onset of the attack.. 

(Stars wheel around the massive sprawling hull of a Merchant class starship as it manoeuvres) 

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. however Tau fleet intelligence was able to correctly predict the most likely avenues of attack and had the squadron positioned to quickly intercept the attacking ships.. 

(Viewed in monochrome through a Tau weapon seeker, the distant shape of a Styx class heavy cruiser slowly begins to grow out from the centre of view, wiggling to and fro as the missile tracks to keep it in the centre of vision. A stream of flashes races forwards from the ship before sweeping up and under out of view. At once the Styx rushes forward into the camera, zooming straight into a section of its hull before the image abruptly cuts)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. This allowed the Tau fleet enough time to activate its ships in holding, and the Tau were then able to hold their own in an 8 dec engagement that ultimately saw the surviving Mont'au'Gue'la forced to retreat after being outmanoeuvred by Tau ships exploiting the gas giant Penros X itself to attack the terrorist formation from their rear aspect.. 

(Viewed in monochrome through a Tau gun camera, a Dreadclaw pod hangs in the middle of view as it hurtles through space at an oblique angle. At once a small flickering flash of light zips up on a smooth intercept trajectory and slams into it from beneath, consuming the pod in a bright flash that leaves behind a spiraling cloud of glittering debris)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. Air Caste Command Penros has praised the professionalism of its pilots and starship crews in quickly responding to the emerging threat and repelling the attack despite continued use by the terrorists of advanced short-range etheric drives and self-repair capability onboard several warships.. 

(The top rear of a Manta sprawls across the bottom of view, furious coronas of light blasting from its engines as it speeds away from a distant speck of light in the centre of view. At once the entire vision is consumed by a searing unbearably white flash that dissipates in a moment, leaving behind a growing cloud of burning iridescent light where the speck once was)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. Tau officials still refuse to confirm or deny unsubstantiated claims that these capabilities may be somehow connected to so-called etheric lifeforms, but have confirmed the destruction of at least two such modified cruisers.. 

(The superstructure of a Tau starship sprawls across the bottom of view, a distant speck of light slowly drifting past where a horizon might be. At once the entire vision is consumed by a searing unbearably purple flash. A twitching visual glitch runs across the camera's view and the flash dissipates, leaving behind a swirling mass of burning iridescent light where the speck once was. A tiny visual glitch persists at the very epicentre of the light mass)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. from catastrophic damage to their plasma drives and etheric engines, as well as the loss of no fewer than three Mont'au'Gue'la torpedo frigates. Tau sources have also reported that the confirmed command ship of the attacking terrorists suffered crippling damage during the battle. 

(A Tau Air Caste pilot, holding her helmet in one hand by her waist, talks into a microphone held from just out of sight)

Tau Air Caste: Mont'au'Gue'la Vattra Mont'[These Mont'au'Gue'la starships are tough, they've been modified with powerful short-range ether drives and sophisticated self-repair systems, and when they use those two together it makes them really hard to destroy because if you don't destroy the ship in one pass it will jump out of space and then return when it's self-repaired all the damage. Normally our guys will fly in multiple smaller forces to cripple many adversaries quickly, but doing that with these ships just lets them escape and self-repair. So instead we started concentrating our guys into single larger strike packages and then we started getting success and destroyed two of their capital ships. It means we hit fewer targets, but the targets we do hit, we destroy for good. I know we lost a lot of ships this time, but I'm still feeling good because we're learning how to beat these Mont'au'Gue'la and we're adapting to beat them]

(Farrier walks down a crisp white corridor aboard a Tau starship) 

Farrier: The Tau ended the battle controlling the field and so have been able to keep open their main supply lines through the system, especially in preparation for additional ships en route to the Penros sub-sector - it's an important victory, but the Tau have paid an extremely heavy price for it, with Air Caste Command reporting the destruction of fifteen escort ships of various classes now that's already seriously heavy losses, but worse still is the reported destruction of two capital ships, the first such vessels lost by the Tau in the Penros system, including a Gal'leath class starship and that's a staggering blow, because these huge carrier starships are the backbone of the Kor'vattra the Tau navy, they're used for logistics, for command and control, for transporting and housing ground forces as well as being the primary offensive striking power of the Tau fleet so even losing just one of these starships is a massive setback for the Penros Coalition. Now, the good news is that the Gal'leath is reported to be relatively intact and in salvageable condition, but the other capital ship lost, which sources indicate to be a smaller Il'fannor class starship, did suffer a catastrophic plasma drive overload and will need to be replaced with another ship from out of system. Tau officials have reported investigations have been launched to determine why these ships were lost, as they were reportedly given multiple direct orders to disengage before suffering catastrophic damage, but in the meantime the Tau Air Caste will be stretched extremely thin across the Penros sub-sector. 

(We focus in on a still frame from a Tau sensor readout, showing a massive contact in deep space)

Farrier (VO): The losses have further compounded the Penros Coalition's increasingly fragile state in space, coinciding with the detection of a massive class-8 space hulk in the system.. 

(Viewed in monochrome through a Tau imager, an enormous roughly shaped mass hangs in the cosmos)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. currently being tracked by Air Caste assets and projected to pass close by Penros VII later in the month.. 

(The superstructure of a Tau starship sprawls across the bottom of view. A distant speck of vividly bright light hangs in the centre of view, keeping pace with the Tau ship as it moves through space at speed)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. It's a glaring example of the growing holes in the coalition's blockade of the system, as more and more fleet assets are committed to hunting down the emergent Mont'au'Gue'la threat to coalition space superiority.. 

(A gleaming four-armed Tau orbital hangs in space above the vast face of a planet covered by oceans, landmasses and clouds)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. With Tau Air Caste assets further depleted, the coalition aerospace forces are now having to compromise in some areas.. 

(Digital contact icons shift and dance across the screen of a Tau sensor readout embedded in a cool grey workstation)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. shifting priority from containment measures for hazards like space hulks.. 

(A Barracuda soars across a twilight sky, teardrop plumes of brilliant flame fountaining from its engines as it cruises on afterburners high above the clouds. The body of its wingman is just visible along the bottom of view)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. as well as aerospace support for coalition ground forces embattled on the surface of Penros VII, and renewed talks of the possibility of escalation by the Gue'la Imperium in the region could now push the expeditionary mission to its breaking point.. 

(Neat slim white contrails arc across a cloudless midday sky across open rolling countryside)

 

Varrier (VO Cont.): .. Meanwhile on Penros VII coalition ground forces have shifted to a more aggressive posture.. 

(Rolling wilderness rushes past the underside of a Barracuda tearing along at low level. The Barracuda's central missile bay drops down and a pair of burning orange lights leap from the front of it one after the other before the Barracuda wrenches upwards and away from the world)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. with missile and airstrikes intensifying around known Ores'la strongholds.. 

(In the middle of a bustling Tau starport, beneath a cold blue-grey-orange dusk, Tau, humans and drones hastily unload cargo and supplies from the open cargo hatches of landed Manta and Orca dropships and onto rows of Tau grav-tanks and troop carriers under the illumination of floodlights)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. and reports of large numbers of Tau reserve units being mobilised.. 

(An orderly column of Tau vehicles screened by drones moves past the view down a desolate countryside roadway)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. in preparation for what is anticipated to be a major offensive operation in the coming weeks.. 

(Viewed in monochrome through a Tau docking camera, the vast ruined shell of an Explorer class starship stretches in all directions as far as the eye can see, slowly growing closer and closer)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. Salvaging operations are also underway to restore the derelict Gal'leath starship lost in combat operations to restore key fleet capabilities.. 

(Humans clad in Tau body armour and undersuit clothing swarm along a length of shattered, ruined Tau starship corridor, pulling battered Tau Air Caste from wreckage, working to repair the cataclysmic damage and moving loaded casualty grav-stretchers back out of view and fresh supplies and equipment out from view to where it's needed)

Farrier (VO Cont.): .. while the coalition awaits the arrival of additional reinforcements. It's now a race against time for the Penros Coalition to shore up its operational situation, but there remains a sense among Coalition Command that this conflict, is not yet over. From Penros System this is Farrier Seyburey, Tor'Vash'Por. 

Idris: Imperial authorities on Lysander have launched a brutal crackdown on civilian protestors calling for more equitable living conditions as well as diplomatic and trade ties with the Tau and Gue'vesa Federation. The demonstrators, only one day after their first mass action have been met with lethal force from local Arbite police units with the death toll currently at...