Papenia had seen many years of uninterrupted and peaceful growth. Even the forces of the Imperium had grown disinterested in the settlement that had developed here. Though once an Agriworld, now a slowly turned low level Hive World, there was a large and diverse mix of resources on the planet, both surface and below, enough for those that inhabited the planet. Perhaps it was this natural sense of calm that had overtaken the Ork’s usually brutish mindset, even within close proximity of the Tau

Bioscanners on the tracker drones showed that the Warboss Megraka Grimgut had made camp on the outskirts of Papenia’s capital. Final checks before their assault, surely. Perhaps these were peaceful Ork’s trying to get away from the chaos that has erupted in this sector. Megraka had had ample time to attack but still they remain unguarded and passive. Shas’nel T’au Or’es N’lan Kauyon (STONK) snorted a laugh at the latter thought. To cease your breathing into bodily air receptors for an outcome like that would be ill advised, as the humans would say.

Then, the fact lay right before STONK, front and centre. The seemingly uneducated invaders were eating the Rhoubullion stocks growing in small foliage nests where urban met rural, within the Roatexis Thorns. Heavily masticated together, the plant excreted Istaciz Dew, a minute heavy mix of pain retardant and neurostimulus. Lethal in toxicity to most but wildly potent in the digestive system of Ork.

Wide eyed.

T’au communicators were alive with orders from the STONK.

Gun Line. Immediately.

No sooner had the instructions been received and the T’au began to mobilise had the drone images stopped followed by the booms of heavy guns.

Open war had broken out through the city streets as civilians were laid to waste. STONK had to draw the Ork’s out from the populated area and the only was to do that was to systematically keep taking long range pot shots, enough to infuriate the savage beasts from their murderous rampage.

It was working. Soon the Ork’s had emerged from the central hub of the city and were on the outskirts on the opposite side. In full view of the T’au, weapons drawn, charged and ready.

It mattered not for the Ork as they thunderously screamed and hurtled forward, minds ablaze with toxins, oblivious to the carnage to their lines.