Andy Smillie’s The Tau’va is a very short story that follows on from The Kauyon, this time (briefly) exploring the T’au Empire’s driving philosophy of the Greater Good. Kal’va’s actions (see the previous story) may have been performed with honour, but in seeking personal revenge he put his own desires before the Greater Good. To atone for his selfishness, he is tasked by one of the Ethereals with launching an all-out assault on a greenskin horde, spending his life in order to buy time for others to escape and survive.
For all their progressive nature, there’s always been a darker side to the T’au, illustrated here by Kal’va’s wholehearted acceptance of his fate. Fire warriors are weapons, and weapons do not put themselves before the needs of the Greater Good. It’s portrayed with a light touch, unsurprisingly given how short the story is, but as usual it seems like the shorter the story, the tighter and more effective Smillie’s writing is. There’s plenty of depth here, as Kal’va muses once more upon his nature and role, as well as some cool action as he straps into a Crisis suit and drops into battle. It’s short (and should be priced accordingly, but isn’t) but satisfying.
