Ci'haan Sept

Ci'haan is a Sept of the xenos T'au Empire centered around the planet Ci'haan in the Eastern Fringe of the Ultima Segmentum. Ci'haan was colonized early during the Second Sphere Expansion. Members of this Sept are characterized by their seemingly conflicting natures. They are Thoughtful and solemn. Yet they also tend to be decisive thinkers and do not like to stay still or in one place for very long. They are renowned for the quality and quanity of their Fire and Air Castes, and for their mastery of the meta-strategy known as "Rip'yka" or "Thousand Daggers".

History
Ci'haan was founded early in the Second Sphere expansion, around 040.M39, and encompasses all five habitable planets of the Ci’haan system. It grew quickly and within several centuries was able to send cadres of Fire Warriors to aid in expanding the T’au Empire. It was during this time that Ci'haan first aided their neighbors Xe'Voh, creating the bonds of a strong friendship and partnership that lasts to this day. The Second Sphere Expansion would end when, after many centuries, the Imperium of Man attempted to destroy the T'au Empire with the Damocles Crusade. Here Sept Ci'haan undertook daring infiltration raids and strike missions against the multitudes of the Imperial host. Although the cost was enormous eventually the Imperium was forced to negotiate a truce and retreat. Ci'haan continued to grow as a military power and would go to earn further prestige during the Great War of Confederation. Ci'haan's Fire Warriors played an important role is destroying Toofjaw's endless Ork hordes, with their tactics, mobility, and firepower annihilating countless Orks. As the Orks spread amongst T'au space their neighbor and ally Ve'Voh was heavily infested with Orks. Ci'haan selflessly helped defend their allies in a cleansing operation that lasted almost two centuries. With the end of the Great War, the road was paved for the beginning of the Third Sphere Expansion.

With the Third Sphere Expansion, Ci'haan sent more Fire Warriors than ever before to aid in colonizing Imperial worlds for the Greater Good. Ci'haan's tactics were greatly valued by Supreme Commander Shadowsun, and they were at the fore of many of the greatest battles of her campaign, one of which is the great victory of Mu'Gulath Bay. The fortunes of the T'au would soon be reversed however at the disappointing defeat of Voltoris Prime. Determined to regain their momentum Ci'haan joined with other T'au forces to launch a series of deep penetrating assaults into Imperial space, bringing many planets under control while Shadowsun held the Imperial forces in the Zeist system. Things would come to a head when the Imperials launched a counterattack against Mu'Gulath Bay. The resultant battle leads to the destruction of the planet, and the entire Damocles Gulf region was set alight by the apocalyptic force of the Imperial exterminatus. As the T'au retreated the Great Rift split the galaxy in twain, and these twin disasters brought the Third Sphere Expansion to an end.

In response, the Ethereal's soon declared a Forth Sphere Expansion and armed a new expansion fleet with experimental new warp drives. However, the sheer number of warp drives created a giant warp rift and the entirety of the Fourth Sphere fleet was lost. Ci'haan who had finally risen to the cusp of being a major power amongst the Septs was devastated when the majority of their military was thought destroyed. The event that was thought to be their ultimate triumph turned out to be their ultimate triumph turned into their darkest defeat. However, it was soon revealed through an exploratory probe that after suffering severe attacks from the denizens of the warp, one-fifth of the Fourth Sphere forces had survived. These forces had been defending T'au holdings on the other side of the Damocles Gulf, and in their excitement the Ethereals declared a Fifth Sphere Expansion to unite with the survivors. Ci’haan managed to form an expansion force and joined the Fifth Sphere Expansion through the warp rift, now named the Startide Nexus. They successfully emerged on the other side, and the Fourth Sphere survivors were merged into the Fifth Sphere.

These survivors, however, were not unchanged by their experiences. They were hardened, and as the Fifth Sphere fought to spread the Greater Good the Fourth Sphere survivors were noted for excesses. This included reports of the execution of civilians, and noted conflicts were recorded between them and the auxiliary species of the T'au military. This further exacerbated suspicions raised by the fact that none of the auxiliary forces originally sent on the Fourth Sphere fleet survived the ordeal. In response, out of concern for their Vespid allies, Ci'haan sent the worst offenders on isolated missions, as part of investigation and salvage cadres on the very fringes of T'au space. Despite these tensions, Ci'haan and the rest of the Fifth Sphere forces noted tremendous success. Although Ci’haan’s military strength was but a shadow of its former self, they were able to launch dozens of successful infiltration missions and hit and run attacks alongside other Septs colonizing many Human worlds for the Greater Good. They were particularly noted for their skill in destroying the remnants of Tyranid and Ork forces. Indeed, the current commander of all Ci’haan forces Shas’O Ur’anuk, also known as Commander Swifthawk, earned his fame and rank slaughtering unnumbered Tyrannic Gaunts and Ork Boyz during the Fifth Sphere Expansion. The greatest battle of the conflict, however, was when Death Guard forces, frustrated at having to retreat from their attempted invasion of Ultramar, came across the Started Nexus. The result was the T'au desperately attempting to stop the Death Guard from breaking through the Startide Nexus, and into the very heart of the T'au Empire. Although Ci’haan did not have the numbers to spare in the grinding attrition, they did contribute to several surgical strikes against Death Guard leaders. This battle remains one of critical importance, with brave Fire Warriors being the only thing standing between the Death Guard and the T’au heartland.

Notable Campaigns
First Defense of Ve'Voh- Early in the history of Ci'haan they would come to the help of their neighbor Sept, aiding them in fighting off an attack by an unknown alien enemy. This would create a spark of friendship between the two Septs that would soon grow into an ironclad alliance.

Damocles Crusade- The largest battle of the great Second Sphere was in defense against the immense invasion attempted by the Imperium of Man in the Damocles Crusade. This was an enemy as of yet unlike any CI'haan had ever seen, and the Sept was tested like never before. After devastating early losses Ci'haan quickly learned vital lessons and were soon put on an equal footing against the Imperials. After a bloody stalemate eventually, the two sides called a truce and the Second Sphere Expansion came to an end.

Great War of Confederation- As the Second Sphere expansion ended Ci'haan would face its first true threat. Orks lead by a Warboss named Toofjaw spilled into the T'au Empire, slamming into Septs like a river against rock. Ci'haan's tactics, mobility, and firepower would prove highly effective against the Orks and their performance would grant them much recognition amongst the Septs.

Second Defense of Ve'Voh- During the Great War of Confederation the Ork threat loomed close and attacked Ci'haan's neighbor and ally Xe'Voh. Ci'haan pledged it's aid and continually sent cadres of troops to aid in a cleansing operation that lasted almost two centuries. Such dedication improved already great trade relations between the two Septs. Since Ci'haan relied greatly on imports this allowed Ci'haan's military to grow exponentially, as Ve'Voh was a noted producer of arms and armor. In return, Ci'haan pledged to always offer aid to protect their staunchest of allies.

Battle of Mu'Gulath Bay- As the Imperials withdrew the T'au quickly seized the opportunity and launched the Third Sphere Expansion. The tactics of Ci'haan fit in well with those of Supreme Commander Shadowsun and they served at the fore of many of the greatest battles of the expansion. None sweeter than the glorious victory of Mu'Gulath Bay.

Battle of Voltoris Prime- The successes of the Third Sphere Expansion would soon reverse as Shadowsun's forces including the Ci'haan Sept suffered a disappointing defeat at Voltoris Prime. As a result, Ci'haan leads several deep penetrating assaults to capture Imperial worlds, while Shadowsun held their attention in the Zeist system.

The Scarring of P'ktor- In the final days of the Third Sphere Expansion Ci’haan’s Earth Caste was hard at work on the inter-Sept project to develop an experimental Warp-Drive. Learning of this and jealous of the technology the Sept was invaded by a Cohort of the Skitarii Legio Omega, from the Imperial Forge World of Ferunus, who was already launching a major invasion of the Vior’yth Sept. The Mechanicus fleet tore through the defenses of P’ktor, the least populated planet of the Ci’haan Sept that contained Ci’haan’s most sensitive Earth Caste labs. The Mechanicus launched devastating radiation bombs and virus weapons on the city surrounding the research facility, and any T’au that were not safe below ground quickly perished as the capital city of P’ktor was rendered an irradiated hellhole. Thus the Adeptus Mechanicus was free to land their forces and begin their assault on the research lab. Though they were met with heavy resistance from members of the Fire Caste who were protected within underground bunkers. Inch by bloody inch the Mechanicus managed to penetrate inside the complex, although the warriors of Ci’haan proved determined. With news of an incoming counter-attack from the Prime World, the commanding Magos of the Ferunus forces ordered a tactical withdrawal. Although the Mechanicus failed in securing the experimental warp drive they did succeed in downloading critical classified data over the project and managed to capture an Ethereal overseeing the facility. Enraged by the kidnapping of one of their beloved leaders, Ci’haan rapid response cadres attacked the Ferunum Cohort in a brutal counter-attack in the less irradiated suburbs of the city. Here bloody urban warfare saw Ferunus take heavy losses, including the death of their Magos commander. With skill and the deadly efficiency of the machine god, however, Ferunus managed to break through and escape both with the data and the Ethereal. The resultant defeat was hard for Ci’haan to stomach, even as they continued to rise in power and prestige. Soon new research facilities were built on P’ktor, but the taint of the irradiated city refused to fade. Even today rumors persist of cybernetic monstrosities haunting the hellish ruins. In fact, secretly Ci’haan sometimes sends patrols and kill-teams into the lethal rad ruins, some of whom sometimes never return.

Second Battle of Mu'Gulath Bay- The Imperium would have revenge however when they launched a massive counterattack at Mu'Gulath Bay. Here the Imperials launched devastating exterminatus grade weapons and after a grueling battle destroyed Mu'Gulath Bay, setting alight the whole Damocles Gulf region in the process. Defeated the T'au retreated and the Third Expansion Sphere was over, Ci'haan, however, left the battle near the height of their power and was on the cusp of being a major power amongst Septs. They soon began devoting massive amounts of resources into the upcoming Fourth Sphere Expansion, in what would supposedly be their moment of glory.

Sept Culture
The Ci'haan Sept was first founded on the Prime World of Ci'haan, meaning "Obscured Rain Place". The name is largely derived from its geography and climate. Ci'haan is a cool world largely covered in oceans, with landmasses being countless small islands forming archipelagoes. Ci'haan also experiences an extreme amount of rainfall and most of the island communities are shrouded in a near constant mist.

The denizens of Ci'haan primarily live in thousands of small fishing villages scattered across the islands of the planet, and the planet itself has very little rare minerals or production capabilities. Instead, the Sept imports most of what it needs including military materials, with exports in exchange being large amounts of both seafood and strong capable Fire Warriors. Indeed Ci'haan boasts several Fire Warrior Academies, Water Caste delegations, and Earth Caste research centers. The disadvantages of Ci'haan's geography is somewhat offset by the other four colonized planets of the Sept. These are mostly mining sites, research facilities, and population centers. The most important being P'ktor, the least populated of Ci'haan's planets but containing many mineral deposits and their most sensitive research labs.

Traditionally Ci'haan has been dominated by the FIre and Air Caste, producing a large number of Fire Warriors and a sizable fleet. Since the Fourth Sphere catastrophe, however, Ci'haan lost almost sixty percent of its Fire and Air Castes. As Ci'haan desperately tries to rebuild its military strength the Water Caste has risen in influence. Ci'haan Water Caste delegates have always been exceptionally skilled, especially in regards to working with the Vespid, but now are achieving wider success. They have made great strides in converting human colonies to the Greater Good, and negotiating new trade deals, in order to speed up Ci'haan's military recovery.

The people of Ci'haan are characterized by their seemingly contradictory natures. They are of an independent, solemn, and severe bent. The typical member of Ci'haan tending to prefer small extremely close friend groups rather than many acquaintances, and are very serious. Whatever humor they may show being of dry wit rather than of casual joviality. They are also generally very thoughtful and analytical, and examine a situation from all angles before acting with all available advantages. This said they also happen to be very quick and decisive thinkers, reaching a conclusion quickly and not likely to change their minds once they have. Perhaps as a side effect, they also are inherently nomadic, hating to be tied down and rarely sit still or in one place for very long. It is very common for natives of Ci'haan to move from island to island many times when on their Prime World.

Tactical Doctrine
Instead of being devoted practitioners of the meta-strategies "Kauyon" or "Mont'ka", Ci'haan incorporate both while exemplifying the meta-strategy known as "Rip'yka" or Thousand Daggers". This strategy focuses on a series of highly mobile cumulative strikes to whittle away the opponent's strength before crushing him with one final blow.

On an organizational level, Ci'haan structures their military with Rip'yka in mind. Contingents are formed from specially picked cadres to perform a specific tactical role, instead of a more generalist structure. Communes incorporate contingents with the aim of being self-contained tactical units, able to execute every level of a Rip'yka. Traditionally due to the efforts of the Ci'haan water caste and complementary ways of waging war, Sept Ci'haan has made heavy use of Vespid auxiliaries. Since the disaster of the Fourth Sphere Expansion, Ci'haan lost the majority of its Fire and Air Caste. This has lead to a marked change in how Ci'haan wages war as they work tirelessly to rebuild. Fourth Sphere survivors due to their trauma are organized into separate formations and are mainly used as long ranged reconnaissance and infiltration units. While the mainline Ci'haan forces make even heavier use of the Vespid and, for the first time in Sept history widespread use of the Kroot. In general, due to the decreased size of its military Sept Ci'haan has been forced to rely on its tenants of mobility even more in the Fifth Sphere Expansion. Conducting infiltration missions and hit and run attacks instead of committing to full-scale battles.

Of special note, Ci'haan mostly uses the older XV15 stealth suits as opposed to the newer XV25 suits. This is due to the Sept both appreciating its smaller silhouette and increased signal shrouding, as well as the availability of surplus models no longer used by other Septs. This is a boon since Ci'haan uses a large number of stealth suits as a matter of course, and that the Sept needs to import most of their military material from other Septs. Ci'haan also makes wide use of XV9 Hazard battlesuits, TX7 Fire Support Hammerheads, the powerful XV109 Y'vahara Battlesuit, and makes almost exclusive use of the newer TX-47 model Piranha. While Ci'haan commanders are noted for preferring XV86 Coldstar Battlesuits in combat. Ballistic suits such as Stormsurges and Tau'nar supremacy armor are not commonly used, unless in specific circumstances as they do not fit in well with Ci'haan doctrine. In terms of auxiliaries Ci'haan typically only deploys Kroot in specialized Auxilary detachments at the command level, with Kroot Carnivores and Kroot Hounds being used as scouts and skirmishers. Instead, strains of Vespid Stingwings are used at the basic cadre level to wide and great effect, with almost all communes containing at least some Vespid auxiliary support.

When prosecuting a battle deployment is typically broken up into waves. There are typically three main waves deployed in a battle, with a fourth preliminary wave. Each commune deploys their forces in conjunction with others simultaneously and across the battlefield, leading to mass confusion as the enemy is attacked from several directions at once.

Wave Tsaa consists of infiltration of the battlefield by cloaked stealthsuit and pathfinder teams. These teams identify critical targets such as enemy leaders, supply dumps, and communication lines, while also setting up homing beacons, and pre-sighting marker lights to direct seeker missile bombardments.

Once the order is given Wave Neg begins and a devasting surprise attack is launched with the aim of crippling the enemy. Lethal XV109 Y'vahra battlesuits are unleashed to deliver wanton destruction, Seeker missiles and teams of XV9 Hazard suits destroy hostile armor, stealth teams destroy lines of supply and communication while assassinating enemy leadership. The Air Caste also now releases its own cadres, with waves of Razorsharks, Sunsharks, and Barracudas achieving air superiority and delivering devastating air strikes throughout the remainder of the engagement. As soon as one strike is finished these forces withdraw, and specialized search and destroy teams designate new targets and the destruction begins once again.

Once the enemy is crippled and disorientated Wave Xor is announced. This wave shows the full might of Ci'haan unleashed. With mainline combat cadres filled with mechanized Fire Warriors, Vespid strains, Skyray gunships, XV8 Crisis suits, and TX-47 Piranhas unleashed to engage in a series of baiting hit and run attacks. With this Ci'haan lures in and spreads out an already stunned enemy. Once the enemy has overextended himself the "Kauyon" is complete and all Ci'haan forces come together to unleash brutal ambushes that thin out the enemy numbers to a ghost of its former self.

Finally, with the enemy decimated, starved, blind, and leaderless Wave Gur is unleashed. Lead by the Shas'O commanders themselves, heavy support elements consisting of XV104 Riptide, XV88 Broadside, XV8 Crisis suits, and Hammerhead gunships form a spearhead as the entire Ci'haan force delivers a "Mont'ka" in the form of a final killing blow at the enemies weakest point. Thus has Ci'haan waged war since its exception, constantly adapting and improving as new technology and lessons are implemented.

Sept Appearance
The colors of Sept Ci'haan are meant to evoke a sense of sobriety and pragmatism. Across all units, the Sept symbol and stripes are rendered in a rich cream color and blue optical systems. Fire Warriors are equipped with black armor plating with brown soft armor underneath. Shas'ui typically display a cream pauldron for easy identification. Battlesuits are the inverse. Brown armor plating with specific pieces of armor rendered in black according to the wishes of the pilot. Shas'el and Shas'O commanders typically have cream antennae or helmets respectively for identification. Vehicles and aircraft commonly are colored black, with brown and gray camouflage designs

Notable Members

 * Shas'vre Ci'haan Cano'ty Tsotai'ka "Slystrike"- The Warrior that would become "Slystrike" began his career as a Shas'la, as a hopeful and ambitious member of a Pathfinder squad. Unfortunately he like so many of Ci'haan would have their hopes and naïveté crushed in the catastrophe that was supposed to be the Fourth Sphere Expansion. In that catastrophe, he and his squad would face the terrible denizens of the warp as the expansion fleet tore the Startide Nexus into being. Once they finally arrived back into real space he and the surviving members of his squad took on new names to reflect how their traumatic experience had changed them. He who would become Slystrike took on the name Cano'ty, "Yearning for Serenity. The Fourth Sphere would go on to attempt to protect T'au holdings and to forge new colonies on the other side of the Damocles Gulf, cut off from their Sept and the rest of the T'au Empire. Cano'ty would graduate and become a Shas'ui serving in an XV15 Stealthsuit team, and would soon face his time of trial. During a routine infiltration mission of a human colony, his team discovered that the planet was host to a massive genestealer infestation while trying to plant a homing beacon for the rest of his Cadre. Soon they realized they were being stalked, and Cano'ty was the only surviving member of his team when they were ambushed by a Tyranid Lictor. As his Shas'vre lay dying he bestowed unto Cano'ty his own title, Tsotai'ka, or "Slytrike"for his skill in defeating the Lictor. After the battle, the lone Slystrike was promoted to Shas'vre and would go on to lead his own stealth team. By the time contact was established with the rest of the T'au Empire Slystrike was serving as a Ghostkeel pilot and had earned some renown. However, the T'au Empire was disturbed by the state of the Fourth Sphere survivors. They were prone to excess in battle including the execution of civilian and had trouble working with the Auxiliary species even Ci'haan's staunch Vespid allies. Ci'haan as a solution took the worst Fourth Sphere offenders and created isolated investigation cadres to scout and salvage on the fringes of T'au space. It was while a part of one of these Cadres that an ancient and grizzled Slystrike sent his last transmission to Sept Command, a garbled message saying he was investigating a wreck named "Charon"


 * Shas'O Ci'haan Ur'anuk "Swifthawk"- Shas'O Swifthawk is the current supreme commander of all Ci'haan forces and currently hunting down Ork and Tyranid remnants as part of the Fifth Sphere Expansion. Swifthawk earned his fame and command fighting these creature having slaughtered thousands of boyz and gaunts with his twin airbursting fragmentation projectors. He gained his appellation for his mastery in controlling his XV86 Coldstar battlesuit, rarely touching the ground he delivers explosive judgement from on high. Indeed, some have compared him to a one-man airstrike.