What follows is the first three chapters of Only War, one of my novel submissions to Black Library back in 2010. I will be serializing the first three chapters in roughly 2,000-3,000 word blocks, posted every couple of days (typically Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The total length of the three chapters of Only War is approximately 21,000 words.
Here is the setting: In the Arcadia Sector, a branch of the Tau Empire is impinging on the Imperium. Depleted due to other conflicts, the Imperial forces in this sector have not yet made a move against the xeno threat. The Tau wish to continue their expansion into a sparsely inhabited section of Imperial Space. In the meantime the two sides negotiate to continue the peace, while secretly making preparations for war. It is only a matter of time before a spark ignites a conflagration...