Zurcon

Zurcon was once a glittering jewel of the Imperium, existing beyond the coreward borders of the old Jericho Sector but owing fealty to the Lords of Verronus.

In common with only a handful of other worlds in the Jericho Reach, Zurcon remained faithful to the Pax Imperium even after the last Imperial Navy warship abandoned the region to its fate and the Age of Shadow plunged all into anarchy and bloodshed.

When the T'au discovered Zurcon, Water Caste contact specialists knew immediately that they would not easily usurp the population's faith in their distant, yet still present God-Emperor, and so they concocted an ingenious plan. Over the course of a decade, T'au agents infiltrated the ruling class of Zurcon and insinuated their own proxies into its structure.

By way of a series of all but invisible assassinations, painless re-educations, and subtle coups, T'au agents took over the government without the populace ever knowing of it, or them.

The average citizen is entirely unaware of both the T'au and the Achilus Crusade, and ignorant of the fact that his toils are all directed towards a war against his own people, the Imperium. The world is entirely in thrall to the T'au Empire, yet only the very highest placed in its government know of the fact.

The Water Caste fully intend to slowly usurp the Imperial Creed, which has endured on Zurcon for many thousands of years, yet they know they must do so slowly lest the people rise up in rebellion.

To date, this program is only partly complete, and the T'au have gone to great lengths to ensure that the Imperium will not discover the world and upset their plans.

The situation on Zurcon has been greatly complicated by the arrival of Hive Fleet Dagon. A vanguard fleet has recently launched a series of probing attacks into the system's outer regions and a number of T'au-crewed waystations have been lost.

To date, the T'au have yet to decide whether Zurcon should be evacuated or its population mustered to fight the Tyranids. Either way, the edifice of lies which the T'au have built around Zurcon must surely soon come crashing down.