Seraphs of the Emperor’s Judgment

Chapter 136: Tyranids

The Tyranids could be said to be the most alien extraterrestrial species humanity has ever encountered.

They are completely unlike the numerous other races the Imperium has encountered. The Tyranids do not hunger for territory, power, domination, wealth, or revenge.

They seem to care not at all for any of these things. Their sole objective is simply to devour all biomass entirely, appeasing an ever-insatiable maw, seemingly unwilling to rest until every living being within the galaxy is wiped out.

The most terrifying aspect of the Tyranids is that they possess the capability to execute this seemingly impossible plan in a horrifyingly efficient manner.

Whenever the tendrils of a Hive Fleet reach a planet with life, the doom of that world is already sealed.

While the planet's atmosphere is choked with alien spores capable of turning native flora against its inhabitants, massive swarms of ground bioforms and gigantic beasts plummet to the planet's surface in Mycetic Spores.

Even as the Tyranids' prey frantically organized their defenses, Sporocysts and jagged alien biological constructs would burrow into the planet's crust and pierce the surface, spewing even more noxious microorganisms into the atmosphere.

Many worlds that fell prey to them lacked any means to resist a Tyranid invasion, or their military defenses were simply too fragile. And even those planets capable of organizing an effective defense still had to face the tidal bore of the swarms.

The Tyranid armies are composed of deadly and sinister bioforms of varying sizes—from roiling swarms of Rippers to Biovores standing taller than tanks. Every single member of the Tyranid army is a tool designed to destroy their prey.

On the ground, Tyranid Warriors weave a hail of corrosive slime bullets using living rifles, or they tear apart any enemy daring to approach with scythe-like claws.In the sky, winged Gargoyles pounce upon unfortunate adversaries.

From below, massive Mawlocs and Trygons suddenly burst forth, closely followed by vast numbers of Termagants.

The combat tactics of the Tyranids are highly versatile—they can either overwhelm enemy forces with massive swarms of small bioforms, engage the enemy with swift and deadly hunters, or crush resistance using mammoth beasts. They can also combine all three methods.

When facing a Hive, the prey does not confront an army composed of a series of individuals, but a singular consciousness—the relentless Hive Mind that seeks to devour all life in the galaxy.

Since the first contact was made, the Tyranids have invaded the galaxy several times, with each wave initiated by a different Hive Fleet. Biological experts and historians can identify them based on the appearance, color, and luster of their constituent bioforms.

The most famous battle was after the fall of the Tyran System. A colossal, destructive force named Hive Fleet Behemoth tore across Imperial borders at unprecedented speeds, devouring countless planets until it was finally halted at Macragge by the Ultramarines—though the Ultramarines paid an extremely heavy price in this battle.

After the main force of Hive Fleet Behemoth was shattered, the remnants of its splinter fleets continued to wreak havoc across the galaxy.

The most recent campaign involving the Tyranids occurred in the Eastern Fringe. Just as the Tau and Castellan Crask's 18th Cadian Regiment were locked in combat, Hive Fleet Gorgon entered the system.

The sudden appearance of such a severe threat actually forced the two former enemies to cooperate with each other just to survive the Tyranid predation.

More importantly, what Lord Malakim was explaining to Soshyan was not some distant rumor, but a threat looming right before their eyes.

Signs of Tyranid activity had already appeared on the borders of the Segmentum Tempestus.

And this inevitably brought up another unique alien threat closely related to the Tyranids—the Genestealers.

Genestealers are a species of the Tyranids. Considered one of the deadliest creatures in the galaxy, they possess high intelligence, incredibly fast reflexes, and claws capable of slicing through the heaviest armor in seconds.

The greatest characteristic of these near-human Xenos is their ability to inject Tyranid genetic sequences into other organisms, turning them into hybrid biological Slaves.

Across human worlds and other planets, there are many cults secretly cultivated by Genestealers.

Generally speaking, Genestealers exist as the Sentinels of the swarm. Their large-scale activities often mark the beginning of an invasion.

Moreover, the invasion method of Genestealers is vastly different. They often spend centuries infiltrating the society of their target planet.

Initially, Genestealers inject their alien DNA into controlled humans, and the infected will breed abominable, mutated hybrids.

The hybrids use psychic control to keep their parents completely oblivious to their offspring's mutations, allowing them to nurture and protect their children in a normal manner.

Upon entering a planet, Genestealers attempt to infiltrate highly organized human societies.

At first, they focus on infecting organisms and organizing cults within the target society.

The leader of the cult is called the "Patriarch" and is the progenitor of all the Xenos on the entire planet. All the hybrid descendants establish a connection with it through Psychic Sensitivity, forming an extremely tight-knit community.

All members of the Genestealer Cult are controlled by the Patriarch. They will carry out activities—such as seeking societal power, infecting others, and expanding the cult—all concealed beneath their normal facade.

They form small groups, using the guise of a minority ethnic group to deceive the public.

While their numbers are small, they do not show political intent; they merely establish their organization, spread their doctrines, and increase their followers.

They will not expose themselves until they have grasped a portion of the planet's political and military power.

However, once they grow strong and feel secure in the knowledge that they have backing, the uninfected planetary citizens will be shocked by the sudden appearance of an immense terror, and the cultists will tear off their disguises to directly attack the remaining humans.

Simultaneously, the hybrids also create a powerful psychic network to directly attract the attention of the Hive Mind.

The stronger the psychic network, the faster the Hive will react and move toward the planet where the victims reside.

When the main Hive Fleet appears around the planet and blocks any distress signals, the Genestealers stage an uprising in coordination, directly attacking densely populated areas or assassinating the enemy's chain of command, often causing unpredictable devastation.

Magyar sighed, resting his hand on the marble balustrade at the edge of the corridor.

"Large-scale Genestealer Cults have been discovered in several Hive Cities. The local Departmento Justitiae is no longer able to suppress them. Several regiments of the Astra Militarum, including two Tallarn armored regiments, are currently purging the Xenos in those Hive Cities, but the situation is not optimistic."

"Did they put out a request for aid?"

Lord Malakim, however, growled and bared his teeth.

"Of course they did. They cried like Gretchins whose toes had been stepped on."

But the Excoriators were currently not participating in the operations to purge the Genestealer Cults, which meant they had not responded to the request.

Naturally, Soshyan wouldn't ask such a thing aloud, but the other party seemed to know what he was thinking.

"The planet Forlon was once the heart of a small Ork empire. We shattered it two hundred years ago. But after these years of recovery, combined with the heavy casualties our Chapter suffered a hundred years ago, we lost the power to keep suppressing them, and the damn Greenskins have made a comeback! They have already occupied the entire subsystem and are very likely to continue expanding outward."

If the Tyranids were a deadly virus, the Greenskins were the undying cancer of the Imperium.

Given any opportunity, they would try every possible means to expand their territory and launch massive invasions time and time again. Furthermore, during this process, their numbers and equipment would grow geometrically, eventually forming a devastating flood no less destructive than a Hive Fleet.

Therefore, Soshyan immediately understood Lord Malakim's thoughts.

"Your Chapter intends to strike the Greenskins of planet Forlon first?"

"Yes. I have already rallied support from the neighboring sectors. When the time comes, both the Astra Militarum and the Navy will participate in the crusade. This hidden danger must be rooted out before the Tyranid threat arrives!"

Soshyan, however, heard another profound meaning hidden within the other party's words.

"Lord Malakim, do you believe... that a Tyranid invasion is inevitable?"

The other party shook his head.

"Through Death Meditation, our Chaplains foresaw that the starving tendrils of the Great Devourer have already coiled around the entire sector. It is only a matter of time."

Soshyan maintained an attitude of half-belief and half-doubt regarding this unique, prophecy-like practice.

However, he wasn't foolish enough to say that out loud.