Yet today, that peace, which had endured for centuries, was utterly shattered by a shrill, ominous alarm.
When Shadowsun's battered cruiser, riddled with holes, lurched out of the warp transit corridor almost out of control and appeared in synchronous orbit above T'au, the entire orbital defense command center descended into chaos.
Every T'au stared, dumbfounded, at the "ghost ship" that looked as though it had been dragged from a scrapyard. Its once-smooth white armor was covered in scorched shell craters and gaping wounds melted through by Lances. The engines on one side had long since gone dark, leaving only twisted metal skeletons. Those on the other side belched thick black smoke, clearly pushed to their limits.
Even more alarming was the ship's identification signal-it belonged to the expeditionary fleet under Commander Farsight. That invincible armada upon which so many hopes had rested, carrying the vengeance of the entire empire!
"Contact them immediately! Confirm their identity! Ask what happened!" The orbital commander, an Air Caste captain, issued the orders in a trembling voice.
But all that came through the communications channel was the unnerving hiss of static, devoid of any reply.
Just then, the cruiser's damaged hangar doors were forced open with a shriek of grinding metal. An equally battered Barracuda fighter wobbled out and plunged straight toward T'au's atmosphere.
"Distress signal detected! It's from that Barracuda! The pilot is... is Commander Shadowsun!"
The name struck the command center like a thunderclap.
Minutes later, outside the Ethereal Council's shrine atop the capital's sacred mountain, on the vast landing pad reserved for welcoming returning heroes.
The Barracuda slammed into the pristine white surface in something barely short of a crash, gouging a long, scorched trail across it.
The canopy slowly opened with a hiss of escaping pressure.
A group of Ethereal elders,