Traitor or victim?

Aurum Surculus once embodied everything expected of a Cadian Guardswoman—stoic, disciplined, and brutally pragmatic. She believed hesitation killed comrades, mercy was a luxury, and duty outweighed the value of a single life, including her own. She rarely smiled, spoke only when necessary, and met hardship with grim acceptance. Fear was ignored, pain endured, and death accepted as another order to follow.

That woman is officially dead.

The individual now known as Shas'la Sharpshot presents herself as remarkably gentle, polite, and endlessly patient. She greets everyone with genuine warmth, thanks others for even the smallest kindness, and speaks softly regardless of the situation. She sincerely believes compassion, understanding, and cooperation are the highest virtues. Her optimism borders on unsettling, remaining completely intact even amidst death or catastrophe.

Her kindness is disturbingly absolute.

She comforts frightened civilians while standing in pools of blood. She apologizes before pulling the trigger. She wishes fallen enemies had accepted the Greater Good so they would not have needed to die. Every execution is performed with calm sympathy rather than hatred. To her, violence is simply another unfortunate necessity in building a better future.

She never raises her voice. She never appears angry. Instead, she becomes quieter.

Despite her apparent devotion, traces of Aurum remain buried beneath layers of conditioning. Certain smells—burning promethium, wet earth, lasfire—can leave her briefly silent. Hearing old Cadian marching hymns, military slang, or familiar Imperial prayers may trigger momentary pauses, unconscious habits, or flashes of distant memories she cannot fully grasp.

Under extreme stress, fragments of her former personality occasionally surface. Her speech becomes shorter, harsher, and filled with clipped military commands before she abruptly regains composure, often apologizing for the outburst without understanding why it happened.

Years of Cadian training were never erased, only redirected. She still possesses exceptional battlefield instincts, flawless marksmanship, unwavering discipline, and a willingness to sacrifice herself without hesitation. She simply believes she now fights for a different cause.

Many T'au admire her effectiveness but quietly distrust her. They know she was once one of humanity's fiercest soldiers, and no amount of reeducation can completely erase that history. Some wonder if she is truly loyal.

Others fear she might remember.

Her skin is painted blue, her ring fingers cut off, with bandages wrapped around it. A symbol of the humanity that's been taken from her.