Inside Sere Kl's command center, the atmosphere was as heavy as solidified metal.
On the holographic tactical map, the blue lights representing the Fire Warriors were extinguishing in swathes at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, the red icons representing the 'human' invaders spread forward like an unstoppable plague, tearing through their painstakingly established defensive lines.
"What's going on? Why did Defensive Lines Seven and Nine collapse so quickly?!" Staff Officer Shas'o R'myr slammed his fist onto the control panel, producing a dull thud. His usually calm and composed face was now filled with rage and bewilderment. "The defenders there didn't even manage to send a complete distress signal!"
Just then, the alloy door of the command center was violently thrown open, and a dust-covered junior officer stumbled in, scrambling. His combat suit was covered in scorched marks, his helmet was missing, and his breathing was as ragged as an old bellows.
"They're crazy... crazy! The humans are all crazy!" He shrieked incoherently, his eyes filled with the terror of a survivor. "They... they're all going to explode!"
"Calm down! Junior Officer!" R'myr strode forward, grabbing the junior officer's shoulder guard and shaking him vigorously. "Think of The Greater Good! Think of your duty! Now, tell me, what exactly happened on the front line!"
Under his superior's booming reprimand, the junior officer, after all, was a well-trained warrior. He gasped a few times, forcing his chaotic thoughts back into order. A few seconds later, he managed to steady himself, his voice still trembling but his words becoming clear.
"The humans... the humans have gone mad, sir. They've abandoned their previous steady, methodical tactics," he began to organize his thoughts, recounting the hellish scene. "They're driving those clumsy vehicles — each vehicle covered with their infantry, like a moving armor of flesh and blood — at maximum speed, charging directly at our positions."
"As soon as their vehicles break into our positions, or crash into our high-value units like hammerheads, they immediately detonate. It's a suicidal attack, sir; every vehicle is a giant mobile bomb!
Our warrior numbers and average firepower are already less than theirs. Although we tried our best to intercept, we simply couldn't stop all of those insane, casualty-ignoring charges. The result... the result, of course, is mutual destruction with those humans in earth-shattering explosions."
R'myr frowned deeply, pacing back and forth in the command center.
"What are they doing..." he muttered to himself, full of confusion. "No logic, no honor. If they just relied on their vast numbers and advanced steadily, the scales of victory would eventually tip in their favor. It's a surefire method, so why use such suicidal, insane charges? This is completely squandering the lives of their soldiers as if they were weeds in a field!"
Just then, another junior officer hurried in, reporting nervously: "Sir, you need to make a decision quickly! All front-line nodes are reporting that the human advance is extremely fast. They are almost continuously assaulting our defensive lines with wave after wave of suicidal attacks! Our defensive lines are being rapidly dismantled!"
"Fast? Yes, fast!"
This word, like a flash of lightning, instantly struck R'myr's mind. He suddenly realized something, and the confused expression on his face was instantly replaced by a look of grave understanding.
He immediately rushed to the communications console and dialed an encrypted rear channel.
"Hello, is this Engineer Nerva P'es? This is Front-Line Commander Shas'o R'myr! I order you, with the highest military authority, to complete the transfer of all important technical data and the evacuation of prototype equipment within two T'au hours!"
An old and surprised voice came from the other end of the communicator: "What? Shas'o, that's impossible! Just backing up the data for those prototypes would take at least three T'au hours! Two T'au hours, there's simply not enough time!"
"Then pick the most important ones!" R'myr roared decisively. "Prioritize the transfer of prototypes and core algorithm data! Anything that can't be moved, blow it all up with bombs! Remember, only two T'au hours! After two T'au hours, the human fanatics will charge into your laboratories!"
In his view, everything made sense. The only explanation for the humans suddenly adopting such a reckless, almost insane tactic, regardless of casualties, was that their goal was not to occupy this planet, but to penetrate Sere Kl's research center as quickly as possible and seize the T'au Empire's cutting-edge technology!
This deduction was completely logical and reasonable.
But in fact, it was a complete and utter mistake.
The Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus were indeed very interested in T'au Empire technology. However, there were no high-ranking Tech-Priests accompanying this Damocles Gulf Crusade, and their influence was far from enough to dictate the strategic decisions of the entire human army. This was evident from the absence of any Adeptus Mechanicus representatives in the War Council.
The reason humans used this tactic was far simpler and more absurd than R'myr imagined—it was simply because their commander felt that fighting slowly looked too ugly.
R'myr abruptly cut off the communication, turning to face all the officers in the command center who were anxiously awaiting orders, his eyes gleaming with a calm and sharp light. Confusion and passivity were swept away, replaced by a hunter's focus.
Now that he had discerned the enemy's "true" intentions, everything that followed became simple.
"Transmit my order!" His voice was loud and decisive, echoing throughout the command center. "All front-line units, abandon current positions and immediately conduct a full retreat!"
At these words, the command center erupted in an uproar. The junior officer who had just retreated from the front line widened his eyes in shock.
"Abandon positions? Sir, those are defensive lines we held with the lives of countless comrades!"
"An order is an order!" R'myr retorted, waving his hand unequivocally. "If the humans want to advance quickly, then let them have it all! I don't want to see any more Fire Warriors needlessly sacrificing themselves in those meaningless suicidal explosions!"
He paused, then continued to issue detailed instructions: "Order all squads to carry as much usable weaponry and equipment as possible during the retreat, especially heavy weapons and drones. Any equipment that absolutely cannot be taken, such as damaged combat suits or fixed turrets, is to be destroyed on the spot! Gather them together and blow them up; we must not leave a single screw for the humans!"
His gaze swept across the holographic map, his finger tracing a clear retreat route on it.
"All forces, move at maximum speed to the Third Reserve Defensive Line. That is a permanent fortification complex our Earth Caste comrades spent several cycles building. The terrain is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the firepower configuration is the most complete."
"Sir..." the junior officer stammered, his face filled with disbelief. "Are you saying... we are to completely surrender all areas of Defensive Lines One and Two?"
"Yes." R'myr turned around. He walked to the large tactical map, propping his hands on the control panel, looking down at the red arrows representing the humans, which were advancing frantically.
"The humans think their mad rush is unstoppable, that we are being beaten back. The more eager they are to rush to the research center, the more stretched their formation will become, the more difficult their logistics will be, and their momentum will be worn down by the continuous charges."
He extended his finger, drawing a large, deadly encirclement around the Third Defensive Line on the map.
"We will consolidate all our retreating forces at Defensive Line Three, preparing a strong pocket for them."
"Then, we'll just wait for these madmen to willingly fall into the pocket!"