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Targetdrone.gif This article is about the Tau character; for the Novel by Braden Campbell, see Shadowsun (Novella).
Commander Shadowsun[8]

"To follow any path other than the Tau’va is to doom us all. Only together and with courage and discipline shall we stand victorious. Fight with fire and courage and nothing can stand against us."[11]

O'Shaserra, also known as Commander Shadowsun, is the current Tau Empire supreme commander.

Biography

The young Shas spent much of her youth on Dal'yth as a student of the famed Commander Puretide alongside his other pupils Shoh and Kais. Together, they braved the harsh and frigid conditions of Mount Kan'ji. All three survived and were accepted as full students of Puretide. Shas would go on to become a famous subordinate of Shoh, who became known as Commander Farsight.[13a]

Years later, O'Shaserra was selected to replace the now-rogue Farsight during the Damocles Crusade and K'resh Expansion during the Great War of Confederation[3]. It is on the K'resh that O'Shaserra acquired her nickname - Shadowsun - as she used an eclipse to ambush and destroy a vast Ork horde.[5] Shadowsun seems to be a more steadfast leader, more suited to the job of overseeing the Third Sphere of Expansion. It was Aun'Va who selected Shadowsun, in hopes of replicating the strategic brilliance of Puretide. Aun'va recognized that disciples of the aging Puretide were indispensable, and Shadowsun was among those students put into cryogenic stasis for future expansion campaigns that would occur beyond the natural lifespan of the Tau. Shadowsun was unfrozen during the Great War of Confederation, and was instrumental in the Tau victory over the Orks.[3] When she learned of the betrayal of Commander Farsight, she went into the training dome of the Mont'yr, destroyed there the last statue of the Farsight with the twin Fusion Blasters of her XV22 Stealth Battlesuit and sweared to spread the Greater Good with pride and honour. Shadowsun became known as the master of the Kauyon tactics.[5] She also led several raids against a Tyranid splinter fleet and managed to do so much damage to the hive ships that the Tau fleet was able to fully engage the Tyranid fleet, without losing any ships.[Needs Citation]

Under her leadership, the Tau Empire has again grown with the Third Sphere of Expansion, formed five colonies in a halo around the original Sept worlds, including in the Damocles Gulf, Perdus Rift and much further afield. This success was due in part to the Imperium being distracted elsewhere and the Tyranids and Orks being temporarily contained. Shadowsun went on to score a decisive victory over the Imperium in the Battle for Mu'gulath Bay, one of the greatest Tau victories over the Imperium.[1]

 
O'Shaserra[2]

However it was at Mu'gulath Bay that Shadowsun encountered Kor'sarro Khan of the White Scars, who inflicted horrendous casualties upon her command staff and drove the normally calm Tau Commander into a fury. In her rage and overconfidence, Shadowsun led an offensive that resulted in a stinging Tau defeat. Having barely escaped the Imperial ambush with her life, which was only thanks to the brave sacrifice of her personal retinue, Shadowsun swore to redouble her efforts in the Third Sphere of Expansion. This led to her initiating the Prefectia Campaign.[3] Though successful at Prefectia, Shadowsun was surprised when the Imperium used the war as a distraction to strike at Mu'gulath Bay once more. During the second battle for the world, Shadowsun led an effective resistance but could not stop the destruction of Mu'gulath Bay or the death of Aun'va at the hands of the Officio Assassinorum. Shadowsun herself only survived the destruction of Mu'gulath Bay due to her earlier wounding at the hands of a Callidus Assassin, which forced her to recover aboard a Tau starship. Free from the restraint of Aun'va and grateful to O'Shovah for aid during the battle, Shadowsun secretly leaked information to her former ally that the Ethereal Council had ordered her to capture him.[4]

Later, Shadowsun was taken out of cryo-stasis to command the newly christened Fifth Sphere of Expansion on the other side of the Startide Nexus. During the fighting, Shadowsun expressed frustration with Fourth Sphere Tau led by Surestrike, which displayed excessive brutality and xenophobia. Shadowsun, with the cooperation of the Ethereal Council, eventually disciplined the Fourth Sphere commanders.[6a] Shortly after she engaged in overseeing the defense of the Startide Nexus against Death Guard forces.[6b]

During the campaign in the Startide Nexus, Shadowsun attempted to learn the truth of the 4th Sphere of Expansion and the mysterious Warp Entity they encountered within the Warp. For these actions she was briefly relieved of command by the Ethereal Aun'la and replaced with Commander Surestrike.[13b] However Shadowsun gathered a small group of Tau Auxiliaries which included the Kroot Opikh Tak, Nicassar Ven Tah Regah, and Charpactin A'haia and boarded the Death Guard Battleship Nephylum. During the subsequent battle Shadowsun was sucked into the void of space but seemingly saved by the same Tau Warp entity that had delivered the 4th Sphere of Expansion. Afterwards, she was reestablished by Aun'la as Supreme Commander.[13c]

After the mysterious conclusion of the battle, Shadowsun directed Fifth Sphere campagins at the Chalnath Expanse and Astorgius.[10] She is currently organizing a defense of the Fifth Sphere against a massive Ork horde threatening the Chalnath Expanse and the Nem'yar Atoll.[12]

Weargear

Commander Shadowsun originally wore an XV22 Stealth Battlesuit into battle incorporating both a stealth generator and a jump pack. She was accompanied by a Command-link Drone and two MV52 Shield Drones and was armed with dual Fusion Blasters which enable her to take on enemy heavy armour, she also carried a Bonding Knife.[Needs Citation]

Since the formation of the Great Rift, Shadowsun has been issued an upgraded XV22 Stalker Battlesuit equipped with twin Fusion Blasters and is accompanied by an MV37 Advanced Guardian Drone designated Oe-hei[13d] and a MV62 Command-Link Drone designated Oe-ken-yon[13d][9].

Images

Sources

Uncited


Tau Empire Forces
Leadership EtherealTau CommanderFireblade
Troops Fire Warrior Team (Strike TeamBreacher Team) • Pathfinder TeamStealthsuit TeamDrone Squadron
Battlesuits XV8 Crisis (XV8XV8-02XV81XV84XV85XV86XV89)XV15 StealthXV22 StealthXV25 StealthXV95 GhostkeelXV88 BroadsideXV9 Hazard
XV46 VanguardXV104 RiptideXV107 R'varnaXV109 Y'vahraKV128 StormsurgeKX139 Ta'unar
Vehicles DevilfishDrone HarbingerHammerheadPiranhaSky RayTetraSwordfish
Aircraft BarracudaMantaOrcaSun SharkRazorsharkTiger SharkRemora
Auxiliaries Kroot ShaperKroot Carnivore SquadKroot HoundKrootoxKnarlocGreat KnarlocVespid StingwingGue'vesa
Special Characters Aun'vaAun'shiShadowsunFarsightDarkstriderLongstrike