Changes

|Outcome =Apparent Tau victory, Death Guard status unclear{{Fn|2}}withdrawal

|Commanders1 =[[Aun'la]]<br>[[Commander Shadowsun]]<br>[[Commander Surestrike]]|Commanders2 =Unknown[[Oratius Glurtosk]] (KIA)

The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is an ongoing war was between the [[Tau Empire]] and Forces of [[Chaos]].

When [[Commander Shadowsun]] learned of the assault she immediately responded, and upon arrival broke down her fleet into small battle groups, each with dedicated targets and responsibilities. Some relieved the defense stations while others engaged Death Guard fleets. Others engaged in baiting attacks and feigned retreats before striking again. Despite these tactics however the Death Guard advance could still not be halted. Death Guard vessels advanced on the Nexus and Shadowsun considered that victory might not be possible. She became determined to warn the Tau Empire of the coming threat and sent a drone into the Nexus. Though {{Fn|2}}  By this point, Shadowsun had begun to become suspicious of the [[Fourth Sphere of Expansion]] forces under [[Commander Surestrike]]. Determined to learn the truth of what befell the Sphere and the supposed [[Warp Entity]] they encountered in the [[Warp]]. For these actions she was briefly relieved of command by the [[Ethereal]] [[Aun'la]] and replaced with [[Commander Surestrike]].{{Fn|4a}} However Shadowsun gathered a small group of [[Tau Auxiliaries]] which included a [[Kroot]], [[Nicassar]], and [[Charpactin]] 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 saved the 4th Sphere. Afterwards, she began to become less distrustful of the emerging cult of the "Tau'va God" and was reestablished by Aun'la as Supreme Commander.{{Fn|4b}} After Shadowsuns attack, the acting Death Guard commander [[Oratius Glurtosk]] was forced to withdraw, but his flagship ''Nephylum'' was destroyed in the [[Warp]] by the Tau Warp Entity.{{Fn|4c}} Soon the Death Guard vessels managed began to enter withdraw from the Nexus, others suddenly withdrewNem'yar Atoll entirely. Even more perplexing was that the Death Guard never emerged on the [[Zone of Silence|other side]] to the waiting Tau defense fleets. For months the Tau stood at high readiness, waiting for a foe that never appeared. The Tau are busy analyzing what exactly the Death Guard objective in the battle was.{{Fn|2}}{{Fn|1}}