The Manta had crashed to the ground with such a thunderous rumble that even the green-skinned Orks had to stop and stare. Commander Firestorm's unit was dumbfounded. They'd seen the death of their commander and now this Manta - which was ferrying an Ethereal to safety - been brought down by a furious salvo of Krak missles from the Ork camp.
The men were buffeted with and long, loud WAAAGH! As the Ork invaders rushed forward. The lines broke as the Tau Fire Warriors and their Kroot companions tried frantically to recover from their loss. An angry rage was building among the troops, but already they were scattering. One in particular.
Shas'ui Firebrand ran away from the fray, not out of fear, but duty. His path lead him straight to the downed Manta. There was a chance that their Ethereal had survived the crash, and if he did, the he was honor-bound to save them.
Selflessly, he dove into the burning wreckage of the Manta, searching desperately for the Ethereal. A cough from the back of the ship drew his attention and he moved toward it. Half-way there, a bulkhead exploded, blasting flaming chemicals onto the Shas'ui. He cried out in pain, but moved forward still, trying in vein to put the flames out.
He knew his life was all but forfeit, but he would not give up his search.
Outside, the battle raged on. The traumatized Tau were being battered from all sides by the Ork hordes. The sound of heavy bolters and plasma rifles cried out amid the smoke and ash of the battle. Hope was non-existent on this battle field. One after another, the blue blood of the Tau sprayed out onto the field, dyeing the ground purple as it mixed with that of the Orks.
Suddenly, all eyes turned back toward the Manta as a fiersome scream rose above the noise and the sound of a railgun firing off into the sky echoed across the battle field. Even the Orks stopped to behold the site.
Atop the wreckage, Firebrand stood with the Ethereal, his suit still on fire and the ejection of spent air from his rebreather making it seem as those he breathed out fire from his very lungs. The etheral raised his hand, his signet of office glinting against the fires around him.
"Fight, my brothers! For the Great Good, we must prevail!" He cried.
With a furious roar of exaltation, the Fire Warriors turned back to the battle, and began pushing the Ork back. Firebrand stood as lung as he could before letting out a pained whimper and falling to his knees. He was as good as dead, but he'd done his duty and could die with honor.
The next thing Firebrand knew, he was waking up in a Tau medical station. The Ork had been pushed back to their encampment and the planet had been taken for the Tau. Tau emissaries had gone to the Ork camp to attempt to forge a treaty so that the two races might work together for the Greater Good. Rumor had it, those talks were going well.
Shas'ui Firebrand was too badly injured to continue serving as a Fire Warrior, but due to his honor and dedication to his troop, he was given a promotion to Shas'o and command of an elite Crisis battlesuit team. His name was changed, after much debate, to O'Suam'kor - Commander Fire Breather - and his legend preceded him into the ranks.
None question the Fire Breather, for they all know he servers the Greater Good, above all else.
The men were buffeted with and long, loud WAAAGH! As the Ork invaders rushed forward. The lines broke as the Tau Fire Warriors and their Kroot companions tried frantically to recover from their loss. An angry rage was building among the troops, but already they were scattering. One in particular.
Shas'ui Firebrand ran away from the fray, not out of fear, but duty. His path lead him straight to the downed Manta. There was a chance that their Ethereal had survived the crash, and if he did, the he was honor-bound to save them.
Selflessly, he dove into the burning wreckage of the Manta, searching desperately for the Ethereal. A cough from the back of the ship drew his attention and he moved toward it. Half-way there, a bulkhead exploded, blasting flaming chemicals onto the Shas'ui. He cried out in pain, but moved forward still, trying in vein to put the flames out.
He knew his life was all but forfeit, but he would not give up his search.
Outside, the battle raged on. The traumatized Tau were being battered from all sides by the Ork hordes. The sound of heavy bolters and plasma rifles cried out amid the smoke and ash of the battle. Hope was non-existent on this battle field. One after another, the blue blood of the Tau sprayed out onto the field, dyeing the ground purple as it mixed with that of the Orks.
Suddenly, all eyes turned back toward the Manta as a fiersome scream rose above the noise and the sound of a railgun firing off into the sky echoed across the battle field. Even the Orks stopped to behold the site.
Atop the wreckage, Firebrand stood with the Ethereal, his suit still on fire and the ejection of spent air from his rebreather making it seem as those he breathed out fire from his very lungs. The etheral raised his hand, his signet of office glinting against the fires around him.
"Fight, my brothers! For the Great Good, we must prevail!" He cried.
With a furious roar of exaltation, the Fire Warriors turned back to the battle, and began pushing the Ork back. Firebrand stood as lung as he could before letting out a pained whimper and falling to his knees. He was as good as dead, but he'd done his duty and could die with honor.
The next thing Firebrand knew, he was waking up in a Tau medical station. The Ork had been pushed back to their encampment and the planet had been taken for the Tau. Tau emissaries had gone to the Ork camp to attempt to forge a treaty so that the two races might work together for the Greater Good. Rumor had it, those talks were going well.
Shas'ui Firebrand was too badly injured to continue serving as a Fire Warrior, but due to his honor and dedication to his troop, he was given a promotion to Shas'o and command of an elite Crisis battlesuit team. His name was changed, after much debate, to O'Suam'kor - Commander Fire Breather - and his legend preceded him into the ranks.
None question the Fire Breather, for they all know he servers the Greater Good, above all else.
