The recent course of the war had not been kind to the T'au Empire.
The invading enemy's numbers were simply too vast for the T'au Empire. Whenever they painstakingly repelled one offensive, the enemy would unhesitatingly send in another dozen units to continue the attack.
Commander Farsight's expression was grim. In his hands was the casualty report for the past two Terran standard months.
The losses from those two months alone had already exceeded those of most battles fought by the T'au Empire. They had even long since surpassed the empire's total losses during the Damocles campaign.
In terms of casualty ratios, the T'au Empire had been remarkably successful. Almost every defense had succeeded, inflicting immense losses on the enemy. If the Orks were included, the ratio would have been even more staggering.
But they were still losing.
They were winning every battle, yet losing the war.
The war was being fought in their homes, on their land.
The enormous conflict had brought the trade routes on which the T'au Empire depended almost to a standstill, forcing the homeworlds behind the front to begin rationing supplies.
Although the Ethereals' efforts had convinced everyone in the T'au Empire that victory would be theirs, its two principal commanders, Shadowsun and Farsight, were deeply troubled.
"We need to make some changes now. If this continues, we will bleed to death in this war," Shadowsun said.
"You're right, my friend. This Gue'la faction is different from the human powers we've encountered before."
Whereas the vast Imperium of Man simply did not care about the T'au Empire, this human faction had come with an unwavering determination to destroy it.
At their previous war council, the Ethereal Aun'Va had presented a war plan for the empire on behalf of most of the Ethereals.
They would employ