Who Came?
"The attack has begun."
The Ethereal felt his mouth go dry. The gray-blue-skinned alien looked toward the star map, where the golden markers representing the Imperium of Man almost covered the largest node on the second line of defense.
"It's time to leave."
Another Ethereal behind him answered. In truth, the Ethereals huddled within the core region had not been entirely idle—the allied Xenos had yet to completely fall out with the T'au, and the Ethereals deserved some credit for that.
The foolish allies had all been persuaded to head for the front lines, while the cunning ones withdrew alongside the Ethereals.
The Ethereals hurried out of the command room. Inside, only the central system continued directing the battle according to its previous orders. As they passed through a sunlit corridor, a tall Kroot saluted the two passing Ethereals.
"May we have a chance to meet again someday."
The Kroot's rough voice was like stone scraping across the earth. The meaning hidden within it seemed to make the two T'au shudder, but there was no time to stop. The best opportunity for escape was fleeting. If they failed to flee now, the advancing Imperial fleet would catch them.
"Until we meet again."
The Ethereal spoke, his words fading into the corridor behind him. Rows of towering buildings cast silhouettes beneath the sunlight. It was such a prosperous, peaceful sight, yet they were about to abandon it once more.
The rest would be left to Shadowsun.
They would drift once again.
Until the day of restoration.
The aftermath of the explosion had yet to fade. Thick smoke billowed from the ruins of the first defensive wall, scorching across bone helms and rising toward the falling sky.
The bright white Psychic Arc faded, and frost crept across the ground.