Subject: Unfortunately I think it stalls at this point.
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Posted on: 2017-10-20 12:53:00 UTC

The story of the Tau-augmented Rebellion might be interesting. Their ultimate goal is no longer to bring down the Empire, because that would just let the Imperium take over, but to take control of it through subterfuge and cleverness... I have a feeling this might actually take them into the orbit of the Alpha Legion, who are apparently sneaky Chaos types that don't hang out in the Eye of Terror. Given that neither the Tau nor the Rebels have the knowledge base to immediately recognise a Traitor Legion, they could very well forge an alliance (which is in the interests of Chaos, since the Empire is proving a pain).

Over in the Milky Way, though, we've got 'Tau conquer everything easily' as one plot thread. When your weakness is 'numbers', and that gets negated, things get very boring. On the other hand, it looks like Hive Fleet Kraken arrives on the Tau frontier three years after 'Now', so that could work as a source of conflict.

Meanwhile, the Empire is firing Starkiller+Sun Crusher blasts into the Eye of Terror. What will that do? Options range from 'nothing' to 'destruction of one of more Chaos Gods' (^_~). Whatever happens, it'll provoke a response... but the Bugzapper (or whatever Palpy calls it) is a long way away. Chaos can't get there.

Hmm... except if the Alpha Legion is hanging out with the Rebel-Tau Alliance. The Alliance takes Coruscant with their help, then has to balance fighting off an Imperium assault at Kuat (the Imperial - now Alliance - shipyards) with hunting down Palpatine and the Bugzapper in the Outer Rim. They succeed at both... and then the Alpha Legion betrays them, taking both the Bugzapper and Palpatine directly into the Eye of Terror.

That puts Vader in charge of what's left of the Empire, and he's not one for sitting back when there's vengeance to be had. He's convinced he can resist the corruption of Chaos, so intends to head into their own realm to get his Master out/kill stuff. And he knows that the Eldar Webway can probably be used as back door into the Eye...

... and this is the point at which the Tyranids show up, I guess.

So, running down our list of galactic powers:

-Galactic Empire: dethroned, but still a major force. Fighting against both the Alliance and the Imperium to maintain its holdings, while also attempting to find a way into the Webway.

-Tau-Republic Alliance: expanding rapidly, but in trouble. The Alpha Legion took a chunk of the fleet with them when they betrayed them, so they're strictly weaker than both the Imperium and the Empire in the GFFA. Back in the Milky Way, the Fourth Sphere has just run headlong into the Tyranids, and is seriously numerically overwhelmed. A true merger of the two factions is being mooted.

-Imperium of Man: having a really bad day. They hold a huge slice of the GFFA, but nothing truly critical. Meanwhile, Cadia is still under the guns of the Imperial Navy, and the Fourth Sphere is cutting into their back-lines.

-Powers of Chaos: going well! While they suffered some key losses in the Bugzapper bombardment, they now have the Bugzapper itself, a sizeable hyper-capable fleet (assuming they can persuade the Alphas to hand it over), and a Sith Lord to set about corrupting. Of course, there is the annoying matter of that huge fleet outside the Eye of Terror...

-Tyranids: buzz buzz buzz. Who are these annoying white-armoured people who all look alike?

-Eldar, Dark Eldar: both staying out of things, but now there's a Dark Lord of the Sith and a bunch of Star Destroyers harassing them and asking for the keys. Ugh, the Mon-Keigh never learn, am I right?

Orks: WAAAGH!

hS

(Yeah, I was wrong about it stalling.)

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