Today we look at a femme fatale from a far away universe! Come with us on her journey of success and accomplishments for the greater good.
Let’s take a look at the Great O’Shaserra and find out how she took command and led her race through the third Sphere of Expansion!
Via Lexicanum:
She was selected to replace the former commander, Commander Farsight, and was one of the top students of Commander Puretide, displaying her skill during the Damocles Crusade and battles against Orks in the K’resh Expansion during the Great War of Confederation. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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.
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. 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.
