Commissar Valian Hesh faces an unprecedented crisis when tasked with restraining rather than galvanizing the Krieg 472nd Siege Regiment's assault against T'au Empire fortifications. As their world descends into apocalyptic ruin beneath an Imperial bombardment, toxic atmospheres consume the landscape, and Hesh confronts a harrowing paradox: survival demands he suppress the very martial fervor that defines his regiment's identity. With annihilation imminent, the Commissar must navigate impossible choices to extract his forces from certain destruction and preserve what remains of his command.