A Crusade against a xeno empire is different from a liberation Crusade of Imperial worlds. The standard Imperial tactics would require total extermination, and then perhaps sifting through the ruins to recover valuable artifacts or technology.
I have even taken part in the Ghouls Stars Crusade against the Cythor Fiends, the one where Primarch Sanguinius took command and made a ss of things.
For the Tau, I had different plans though. Burning planets would not recover my investnt, after all.
Thus, I spent a whole month at Prefectia instructing my officers, and the other commanders that arrived to help with the Crusade. We had maps and estimations on the Tau forces, by the grace of the Ordo Xenos and so local Rogue Traders. We had enough ships and ground units to conquer the entire Tau species, although it would be very costly.
However, I did not want that. Only half. I'm modest like that.
"I want their researchers captured! I want their labs intact! I want their factories and shipyards as undamaged as possible!" I demanded in a loud voice.
The Cadian Colonels and the Navy Captains looked down and muttered to themselves, while the Adepta Sororitas and the Astartes Captains glared at with burning eyes. One of them quite literally, because he was a psyker.
"You're making this conquest much harder than it has to be, Lord Lancefire. We have no need for filthy xenos technology or their scientists." a certain Sister declared in a proud voice.
I sighed inward and ntally shifted her congregation to another target, a Farside Enclave, replacing them with a Lanter Company and five Auxilia regints in the battle order for that Sept World.
"Please, Sister Beatrice. You need to consider what other groups in this Crusade need. The chanicus certainly needs that xenos tech. The Rogue Traders also need intact installations and valuable artifacts to recover their costs. The Ordo Xenos is mandated to examine the tech as well." I pleaded in a tired voice.
On the large hololith screen, the field deploynt changed to slot in the Battle Sisters under Beatrice into their new positions.
"... Fine! My Sisters and I will fight to return the captured humans to the light of the God-Emperor. And, try not to burn more than necessary." the woman allowed in a steely tone.
I smiled pleasantly and pointed at the other end of the Nexus, which erged sowhere west of was signed so three hundred years ago, after a major defeat of Imperial forces.
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