Outer Defensive Line
The ground was littered with Tyranid corpses, sprawled across the mats of spore-fungus.
The Hive Tyrant's escort creatures were falling one after another, while Tyranid reinforcements failed to arrive.
The segmented defensive zones carved through the battlefield had completely cut off the swarm's retreat paths.
Even those few Tyranids that broke through the lines were met with the unrelenting onslaught of Redeemer-class Titans, Imperial Knights, and squadrons of superheavy Venomblade tanks.
THOOM THOOM THOOM—
Three towering Redeemer Titans advanced, flanked by dozens of Imperial Knights and Venomblade tanks.
The Hive Tyrant, gripped by fear, attempted to break through in multiple directions—only to discover that every path was blocked by terrifying human warriors.
The synapse beast began frantically broadcasting distress signals, darting about desperately.
High above—
Heat shimmered in the air. Crimson Flame beat its iron wings, leisurely shadowing the Hive Tyrant, keeping it within constant threat range.
Atop the molten beast stood two formidable warriors, eyes fixed on the alien monstrosity below.
"Are you feeling a bit hot?" Eden asked suddenly.
He lightly wiped a nearly invisible bead of sweat from his forehead—then realized that the internal temperature regulation system of his armor had failed during the previous battle.
A careless oversight.
And worse, Crimson Flame's internal systems weren't well-optimized. Its sheer heat output made riding it quite… unpleasant.
He really needed to have the Tech-Priests install a temperature control system and a proper saddle. Or just build a cockpit, perhaps?
Dante simply shook his head.
Even without the armor's regulation, he could withstand the heat.
He gazed down at the Tyranid leader with solemn reflection.
"I never imagined that in just a few days, these alien bugs would be on the verge of annihilation…"
Before the Savior's arrival, he had witnessed the sheer horror and might of the swarm—how it had devastated the Sons of Sanguinius.
He couldn't fathom—
What fate would have awaited them had the Savior never come?
But now—
That same monstrous xenos, which had brought devastation to the planet of Higanbana, was trembling in fear.
"Lord Savior, please allow me to personally end that creature—to avenge the fallen!" Dante gripped the Axe of Eternity, burning with righteous fury.
"Hold on, hold on. We have to wait for orders from Command…" Eden quickly pulled him back, fearing the veteran might leap off and challenge the Hive Tyrant to a duel.
That xeno might still be hiding some lethal trick.
If Dante got himself killed again, who knew if he'd be recoverable? The Sons of Sanguinius might just force him into retirement next time.
That wouldn't do.
Besides—
Why bother dueling when you can annihilate with overwhelming force?
The Hive Tyrant was already surrounded by human forces. More heavy support was inbound.
A larger encirclement was forming, cutting off more Tyranid reinforcements and exhausting the synapse beast's stamina.
Eden assessed the trap:
In the sky—Crimson Flame, Dante, himself, and dozens of Thunderhawks.
On the ground—three Redeemer Titans, dozens of Imperial Knights, superheavy Venomblade tanks, three hundred Centurion Devastators, eight hundred warriors from the Blood Angels and Sons of Man.
Plus ranged artillery support.
Unless something went terribly wrong, that synapse creature was going nowhere.
Not even the galaxy's top Chaos Champions or alien warlords would want to be in its position.
Most would beg for a truce the moment they realized what was about to happen.
But the Tyranid leader didn't know how to beg.
It only followed instinct, trying to flee.
HISSS—
The Hive Tyrant eyed the encircling human forces and instinctively retreated.
It immediately avoided the direction of that hulking, bloated green-armored human—the one whose mere gaze felt like staring at a predator.
But when it turned to run, a squad of superheavy tanks forced it back.
Another direction—blasted by a Titan's volley.
Panic set in.
After several failed attempts, it realized most of its escort swarm had perished.
Without them to shield it from bullets and shells, it was vulnerable.
Though it still had a powerful psychic shield and deadly talons, they meant nothing alone against this kind of firepower.
After another few skirmishes—
The Hive Tyrant seized a brief opening and tried to burrow underground again.
But it had barely begun before Earthshaker missiles struck, shaking it loose with soil and debris.
Dazed from the blast—
Something's missing?
It looked up—just in time to see the bloated green-armored warrior and a squad of armored humans standing before it.
The warrior's gaze… was the same the Hive Mind cast upon biomass.
When had they become prey!?
It was the ultimate humiliation.
"The executor of the Hive Mind's will must not become food for primitive apes!!"
And then—
Big Barrel came stomping up, clutching a massive pincer in one hand.
"Oh this is good stuff! Hold it down for me!"
Next second—
SMASH!
The Hive Tyrant threw him off with a violent thrash, then turned to flee.
It would rather face those terrifying human war machines!
Big Barrel hit the ground hard, spat blood, then leapt back to his feet and chased after it.
"By the Savior's holy flame! Don't just stand there—AFTER IT!!"
That thing was the most delicious-looking xeno he'd ever seen.
If it got blown up by artillery, what a waste!
And so—
Under everyone's stunned gaze, Big Barrel and hundreds of Sons of Man veterans chased the Hive Tyrant all across the battlefield.
They began "emergency meat salvage operations."
Even risking injury just to carve small chunks from its flesh.
Big Barrel even pulled a strange fleshy egg out of its torso cavity.
Though none of this was enough to truly injure the Hive Tyrant—
It was deeply humiliating.
Completely demoralized, the creature was terrified these lunatics might swarm and devour it whole—just like its own kind would do to prey.
"Savage…"
Eden sighed, watching it unfold, offering a silent moment of mourning for the xeno.
Truly, there is always a greater predator.
These veterans had fought the Tyranids for centuries—some of the finest among all Astartes.
Most warriors who'd lived that long were already interred in Dreadnoughts.
And these guys had experience.
When the timing was right—
Command issued the order to terminate the Hive Tyrant swiftly, before it could unleash a desperate final attack.
And so—
It endured over ten minutes of inhumane beatdown.
Including strikes from a Primarch, two Chapter Masters, countless veteran Astartes—and one Emperor-class Redeemer Titan.
HISSSS!!!
Amid a shrieking psychic wail, the Hive Tyrant died—consumed by fear and despair.
Its death echoed across the battlefield as a psychic scream, throwing the remaining swarm into chaos.
Leaderless, the Tyranids panicked and scattered, guided only by base instinct.
A golden opportunity.
The Imperials wiped out most of the remaining swarm.
SKRRK—
One of the Redeemer Titans impaled the Hive Tyrant's carcass and hoisted it onto a defensive wall—a gruesome trophy of victory.
Then—
A thunderous cheer swept through the warfront.
The Savior's army and Imperial reinforcements had broken the Tyranid tide with unstoppable force!
Dante looked up at the impaled alien corpse and smiled.
This proved it.
The Tyranids were not invincible.
Humanity could win.
More importantly—
Baal now had a real chance of surviving Leviathan.
But then—
"Savior… is something wrong?"
Dante turned—and froze at Eden's grim expression.
"I just received a report…"
Eden sighed deeply.
"The Leviathan Hive Fleet has accelerated. It'll arrive near Higanbana's orbit in ten days. That means… we need to speed up everything."
He contacted Command.
"Change of plans. Begin the detonations now. Cancel the celebration—start the evacuation immediately!"
At that moment—
All surviving civilians of Higanbana had already been secured aboard the transport fleet.
The original plan—
Was to let the troops rest for an hour, celebrate with a feast, gradually recover key gear, and then leave.
Now—
Only the most vital equipment would be taken. Everything else was expendable.
The Departmento Munitorum had already planned for this contingency—so no one was too upset.
Just an excuse to upgrade.
…
Following Command's orders—
Helios Starport kicked into high gear.
Evacuation began in earnest.
Atop the watchtower—
Eden looked toward the massive capillary spires stretching into the clouds, still pulsing.
They were the biomass conduits feeding the Vanguard Hive.
With the synapse creature defeated, the Tyranids there had lost control—making them easier targets.
No doubt—
The Vanguard Hive was already breeding a new synapse leader and swarm, preparing for the next assault.
And another feast on Higanbana.
Too bad—
The Imperium wasn't staying for dessert.
They were flipping the table—and burning the kitchen.
BOOOOOOM—
Distant explosions rang out.
Meltabombs tore through the capillary spires—causing them to collapse in thunderous ruin.
And it wasn't just that one spire—
Across the planetary surface, explosions rang out in succession. Towering capillary spires collapsed one after another.
This severed the Vanguard Hive's ability to siphon biomass from Higanbana.
Eden raised a magnocular toward orbit.
In his view—
The grotesque tendrils of the Vanguard Hive writhed in fury, shrieking in silence as the capillary spires were destroyed.
It was enraged.
Then—
The hive began a new set of actions. Thick tendrils lashed out, ensnaring nearby bio-ships and dragging them in, ravenously devouring them.
"Looks like the Vanguard Hive… has lost its cool," Eden sneered.
Clearly—
With its primary biomass conduits gone, it had chosen a much faster—but also far more costly—method of replenishment.
It was desperately trying to birth a new swarm to retaliate against the defenders of this world.
But this was exactly what Eden wanted.
The more biomass and resources the Vanguard Hive wasted on Higanbana, the better.
Soon—
It had consumed dozens—if not hundreds—of bio-ships, and hurled down a fresh wave of Tyranid spore pods toward the planet.
The sky grew dark with a storm of descending organic matter.
Eden stared up at the nightmarish spectacle with no fear at all.
Because he was leaving.
He clapped Dante on the shoulder and turned away.
"Come on. Let's go find those metal-boned boys."
From this moment—
The transport fleet would begin full evacuation from Higanbana.
...
In Orbit
Volradi's Savior Third Fleet launched a fresh assault on the Vanguard Hive, drawing its attention.
A cover operation for the retreat.
Compared to last time—
The Third Fleet handled the Tyranid hive fleet with far greater ease.
...
On the Ground
THOOM THOOM THOOM—
Another monstrous synapse creature emerged from a spore pod, even more imposing than the last.
Stronger than the Hive Tyrant.
It fixed its cold gaze upon the human war machines in the distance, screeched to rally every Tyranid remaining on the planet.
This time—
The swarm brought even more massive siege organisms. Their tactics had changed—no more splitting up. Instead, they formed four primary assault groups.
And charged toward Helios Starport simultaneously.
Several Redeemer Titans moved to intercept the lead wave of Tyranids—buying time for the retreat.
After several fierce volleys—
The Titan crews entered their teleportation chambers.
They were extracted via teleportation.
After all, in the Savior's domain, skilled Titan pilots were more valuable than the Titans themselves.
Once the unmanned Titans were overwhelmed by the swarm, their ammo stores detonated—erasing hundreds of Tyranids in the blasts.
BWOOOOOOM—
Amid smoke and ashstorms—
One transport after another lifted off, leaving the planet's far side.
HISSSSS—
The gigantic synapse beast screamed toward the heavens, enraged by the escaping transports.
The Vanguard Hive received the news of the escape.
It tried to pursue.
But its remaining bio-ships couldn't break through the layered defenses of the human fleet.
They could only watch—helplessly—as the transports vanished into the void.
Once the escort mission was complete—
The Savior's Third Fleet withdrew from the battlefield, sacrificing several capital ships to ensure retreat.
The Vanguard Hive originally intended to pursue.
But then, as if sensing something—
It redirected several bio-ships to the planet, launching tendrils down toward the surface.
And then withdrew most of its forces away from Higanbana.
...
On the Surface
The atmosphere turned suffocatingly still.
As if the apocalypse had truly arrived.
The remaining Tyranids seemed to sense the impending doom and scrambled toward the thick, hollow tendrils.
They were trying to flee—seeking shelter in the bio-ships.
Too late.
Deep within Helios Starport, several Whirlwind torpedoes and superheavy Earthshaker bombs had been deployed into the planet's core.
A low thrum echoed.
Then—
With Helios Starport as the epicenter, the entire planet began to quake violently.
Massive fissures tore open the crust. Volcanoes erupted. Lava gushed forth. Ash and molten rock painted the world in dark brown.
Power continued to surge.
BOOOOM—
The planet Higanbana shattered completely.
The cataclysmic explosion and firestorm devoured every Tyranid on the surface—even the bio-ships that had tried to extract them were consumed.
And then—
The shockwave radiated outward, flinging the Vanguard Hive fleet away from the blast zone.
HISSSS!!!
A silent scream of anguish echoed through the void.
—
Far Orbit
Aboard the Dreamweaver
Eden stood at the forward observation dome, watching as Higanbana turned into a blazing sphere.
"I knew it was coming… but watching a planet die with your own eyes—it still sucks," he muttered.
Dante, considering the Savior had only recently returned to the Imperium, tried to console him.
"Savior-sama… from my humble millennium of experience, I believe… you'll get used to it."
Then he added—
"Especially since you'll soon be destroying the entire Hades System."
That made Eden feel worse.
"I'll get used to it," he sighed. "But if I can help it—I'd rather none of this had to happen at all."
"With all due respect," Dante said solemnly, "If every army in the Imperium fought like yours, maybe it wouldn't."
That got a snort from Eden.
"Yeah, and maybe the Emperor'll get up from His golden chair and start dancing."
The Savior's armed forces were supported by the equivalent of three entire flourishing sectors—backed by near-infinite resources.
They possessed miniature suns, Webway tech, and relics from the Dark Age of Technology, the Aeldari, and the Orks.
The Imperium had countless armies.
If all of them were up to Eden's standards?
The galaxy would already belong to mankind.
The Hive Mind would be cowering in a corner, praying the Imperium never comes knocking.
Dante wisely fell silent.
Some things only a Primarch's son could say. Anyone else? Blasphemy.
Just then—
Eden's communicator buzzed. New intel.
The Vanguard Hive wasn't done—it was pursuing the Dreamweaver.
Perfect.
The Dreamweaver was en route to Perdita.
A frigid, desolate world.
More importantly, it was the resting place of the Mephrit Dynasty's Tomb World.
The perfect place to lure the Vanguard Hive.
Force the Necrons and humans to work together—against Leviathan.
The Necrons had once ruled the galaxy.
At their peak, they dared to war with the Old Ones.
Though they were eventually crushed, they rose again with the help of the C'tan—and defeated the Old Ones in return.
Then—
The Necrons turned their weapons on the C'tan and shattered them.
That war—The War in Heaven—had left the galaxy scarred and broken.
And though they triumphed, the Necrons fell into decline.
Meanwhile, the Aeldari took the opportunity to overthrow the Old Ones and ascend.
To escape this rising Aeldari Empire, the Necrons built Tomb Worlds and entered stasis.
They would let time defeat their enemies.
And time had worked in their favor.
The Aeldari declined over the eons.
But the galaxy became… chaotic.
A boiling mess of warring factions.
Now, as the Necrons awakened again—they found the galaxy in utter disarray.
Their dream of ruling once more was... difficult.
Eden didn't care about that.
He didn't care whether the Necrons wanted to rule again.
What he wanted was their tech.
The Necrons were a civilization of full mechanical ascension—their technology unmatched.
Especially their mastery of Blackstone Technology—second only to the Old Ones.
And letting that kind of treasure stay in the hands of the Necrons?
What a waste.
Perdita housed a Tomb World rich with Necron relics. And its tomb lord still slumbered.
If Eden didn't rob them blind, it would haunt his conscience.
Of course—
He'd still have to cooperate with the Necrons. Couldn't be blatant about it.
Had to be subtle. Discreet.
Which is why—
He had already dispatched a special 'engineering' team to Perdita… to "excavate."
—
Perdita
Orbital Space
A warp ripple shimmered—
WAAAGH!!!
A red, rusted, barely-holding-together ship stumbled out of the void…
(End of Chapter)
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