"Perhaps by the time we arrive, the residents under the Imperium of Man's rule will welcome us with pots of tea and bowls of rice."
"Precisely. The Greater Good is the most righteous ideal."
As Shadowsun and Masha chatted and laughed, a signal suddenly came through. Masha adjusted the communicator to a channel both of them could hear.
"Greetings, Diplomat Masha. For the Greater Good. During our last infiltration of the world of Likode, we captured an Imperial Governor. He wishes to speak with us now."
"Excellent." Shadowsun nodded approvingly. "At last, the hardliners of the Imperium of Man are willing to communicate. I had thought they knew nothing but killing and destruction."
Accompanied by an escort of elite Fire Caste warriors, the two took a Devilfish transport to the secret prison holding the Imperial Governor.
The secret prison hidden within the forest was not particularly conspicuous. It had abandoned the T'au's usual sleek, rounded curves in favor of a camouflaged structure designed to blend into its surroundings as closely as possible.
T'au warriors patrolled the area in XV25 Stealth Battlesuits, an improved version of the XV15—larger, heavier, and tougher, with powerful plasma reactors supplying their energy.
They retained the mobility and agility of the basic model while also being able to mount a powerful Fusion Blaster. The weapon hardpoints on their backs could be customized according to mission requirements.
Everything from drone controllers to target-locking systems could be installed.
As for why they did not simply place a stealth field over the building, their plasma reactors were not capable of sustaining invisibility for such a massive structure over long periods.
Even the stealth mode of these battlesuits was intermittent. Remaining invisible for too long would consume excessive energy.
Thus, every warrior who used an XV25 Stealth Battlesuit possessed exceptional