Hunter Cadre Hun'k

ORIGINS
The Hunter Cadre of Shas’El Sa’cea Kauyon Hun’k has been engaged in reasonably successful operations on the edge of Tau space for some time now. Hailing from the densely populated urban sept world of Sa’cea, Cadre Hun’k has a preference for urban combat. Although not officially recognised as a dedicated urban warfare formation by the Shas’ar’tol, if a deployment is expected to call for either city fighting or other combat in dense terrain, then Cadre Hun’k are likely to be the most favoured choice.

FORMATION AND TACTICS
Hunter Cadre Hun’k is an entirely mechanised, fast moving formation. All its Fire Warrior squads are mounted in Devilfish, and all the heavy fire power comes courtesy of Hammerhead gunships. Additional support comes in the form of Crisis and Stealth Battlesuits, Tetras for scouting on the move and when they are available and infiltrating Kroot kindreds to harass and disrupt the enemies’ plans.
Shas’El Sa’cea Kauyon Hun’k earned his middle name from his expert and efficient application of the Kauyon (Patient Hunter) tactic. Using either a perceived weakness in his own lines, or Kroot kindreds if they are available, as ‘bait’ to draw opposing forces forward and into carefully prepared kill-zones. Once the ‘bait’ has been taken, the jaws of the trap can close; the jaws in this case being teams of Battlesuits and vehicles trained to work in deadly unison.

HISTORY OF THE CADRE
Leaving Sa’cea almost 250 years to the day after the Imperium’s Damocles Crusade was finally repulsed from the sept world of Dal’yth, Cadre Hun’k pushed outwards towards the northern rim of the Tau Empire, a series of important missions entrusted to them by the Ethereal council on T’au. As yet unidentified aggressors were making inroads along their borders and all with knowledge of this threat agreed that it could not be allowed to continue. Due to the high importance of the mission an Aun’El by the name of K’myar’sa was assigned to advise Shas’El Hun’k and the other commanders in the fleet, and guide the actions of their Cadres in the pursuit of the Greater Good.
On the journey towards their boarders the Cadre encountered two races characteristic of the Eastern Fringe – Tyranids pushing in from the galactic rim, and Ultramarines on covert deep reconnaissance missions into the heart of the Tau Empire. While these foes were swept aside with relative ease, they were not the only hostile forces encountered.
Cadre Hun’k found itself drawn into the defence of newly founded minor septs against the unwelcome attention of Dark Eldar, Necron and Chaos raiders. While the Dark Eldar attack was driven off with few casualties, the battles against the Necrons were much harder fought. As the battle for a recently founded Tau colony devolved into bitter street-to-street fighting, Aun’El K’myar’sa came close to loosing his life when the section of the Cadre he was accompanying fell prey to a ruthless Necron ambush. Following this near disaster, and the pleadings of Shas’El Hun’k, the venerable Ethereal agreed to take on a more rear-echelon role. Driving away the Chaos attackers was just as costly and it took the combined might of several cadres to dislodge them from the Earth caste outpost world that they attacked.
Having repelled the all invaders, Aun’El K’myar’sa believed it was time to commence the second phase of their mission – to expand the Tau Empire’s northern borders. However in reality this mission has almost become a holding action due to the increases in Tyranid activity in the adjacent Imperial Antona Australis sector. The Cadre has also encountered the 3rd Lastrati Imperial Guard regiment out in the border regions, and even managed to induct a few deserters into their ranks for a brief period as auxiliary troops. Although the Imperial Guard seem to be in the region to mount their own defence against the Tyranid threat, and hence share the same objective as the Tau, more often than not any contact between the two forces has regrettably resulted in conflict.

Cadre Hun’k played a pivitol role in the fighting on Dolor and its eventual succesion from the Imperium. Shas'el Hun'k currently sits on the military council of the Brightsword Protectorate, a Tau enclave centred around the newly renamed Tau'lor.