A short story I wrote in the space of a day: got inspired rereading the old Tyranid Codex and putting together a Deathwatch force and decided to put this to paper: the Kryptman Gambit was, for someone just getting into 40K at the time, quite a interesting thing to read about, even if the general impression given by the background is that plan caused more problems than it solved. Been wanting to write something set in the 40K universe for a while, and this is the first thing I've managed to complete writing-wise in ages, so I'm quite satisfied with that.
Hope you enjoy!
"My enemy's enemy is a problem for later. In the meantime, they might be useful."- Inquisitor Quixos
"Is this necessary, Inquisitor?" Watch-Captain Hector Alvarez insisted on addressing the man by the title he was no longer allowed to bear. "It goes against the grain to take aliens, particularly ones as dangerous as these, alive".
"I understand your distaste, Captain" the former Inquisitor Kryptman replied in a placating tone "but desperate times call for desperate measures. My erstwhile colleagues in the Ordo fail to heed the lessons learned from the losses of Tarsis Ultra and Gryphonne IV, that conventional methods are not going to be sufficient to win this war. Leviathan's rampage is fast outpacing our resources and ability to stop it, and if we let it continue with its push towards Segmentum Solar, then…" the former Inquisitor trailed off, not needing to drive home the point of what would happen if the Great Devourer's swarms were allowed to reach Holy Terra.
"Then you mean to go ahead with what you propose?" Alvarez queried. Kryptman nodded tersely as he inspected the first of the stasis pod in the cargo hold containing the requested specimens Alvarez and his men had acquired on Carpathia.
"I have no choice. I have devoted two centuries to the extermination of this cancerous race since the day I first discovered them, and I can assure you, as I assured my purblind colleagues in the Ordo Xenos, we are facing a crisis on a par with the insurrection of Horus. The resources we have to contain this threat are stretched to the breaking point- our fleets need rearming and resupplying, casualties and mechanical losses need to be replaced- and the speed at which Leviathan is advancing is denying us any such opportunity. If we withdraw ships and soldiers from other parts of the galaxy to reinforce, how long before the Traitor Legions, the Tau Empire or any other of the Imperium's enemies take advantage? We need time, Captain- what I plan to do will buy that"
"I trust my objections to this scheme are noted, Inquisitor?" Alvarez continued, gnawing at the argument like a vorehound with a bone. "I can attest from my personal experiences fighting both that the greenskin and the Tyranid are species that thrive on war- conflict is the crucible that strengthens them; with every battle fought, they grow stronger, more cunning, and more deadly. You may inadvertently unleash something far worse than what you seek to contain…"
"That as may be, Captain" Kryptman cut across him "but if you have another plan to offer that may divert the Hive Fleet before it is beating down His Divine Majesty's door, I am all ears". When Alvarez remained in sullen silence, Kryptman continued "I am aware my plan is not fool proof, but as you can attest, the damage Orks and Tyranids can do if unchecked is severe. If a Waaagh! breaks out amongst the greenskin filth infesting Octarius while we continue to fend off Leviathan, the results will be catastrophic. No, better to let the xenos blunt themselves against each other than against the Imperium, while we use the time to fortify and prepare ourselves for what comes next"
"For all our sakes, Inquisitor, I hope the Emperor looks favourably on your scheme" Alvarez griped. "Four of my men died to provide you with what you seek, and none of those who survived the planet below us did so unscathed" the Watch-Captain went on, gesturing to his right pauldron, where the red-and-blue symbol of the Crimson Fists was defaced by a trio of diagonal furrows carved by razor-edged talons, and the armour of the two Deathwatch veterans following behind- one from the Howling Griffons, the other of the White Scars- wore power armour that was similarly torn, battered and damaged. "If this plan fails, I will not thank you for making those sacrifices in vain".
Kryptman nodded, though the Space Marine's ire meant nothing to him- he'd burn countless worlds and sacrifice entire armies if it stopped the insatiable juggernaut he'd made it his life's work to exterminate. 'I already have' Kryptman mused, remembering Chordelis burn as the virus bombs and lance strikes did their work.
The chamber they were in aboard the strike cruiser was rectangular in shape, festooned with wiring and power cables, control panels and information systems all devoted to feed and maintaining power to the six pods generating stasis fields at the far end of the chamber, containing the crux upon which the rogue Inquisitor's plan rested.
Genestealers.
Six of them, the only ones of a brood of ten the Deathwatch had been able to take alive, though not without cost (four battle brothers lay dead in the ship's medicae decks, awaiting extraction of their geneseed and return of their bodies to their parent Chapters, while another three would require extensive surgery and augmetic replacements of various organs and limbs before they were fit to fight again- the infestation on Carpathia had been quite extensive). Aside from the ubiquitous Mechanicus staff ensuring the machine spirits did not cause the generators to fail and the stasis fields to release their lethal captives, Epistolary Askari continued his vigil- it had been his psychic abilities that had crippled the genestealers long enough for the Kill-Teams to take them captive, and he seemed to have taken it upon himself to ensure they remained that way. Beneath the hood of his robes, coal-red eyes burned in the gloom of the chamber's low light.
"Captain. Inquisitor" the Librarian inclined his head in greeting. Like the rest of the Deathwatch, the Librarian bore signs of battle; the drake's head symbol of the Salamanders all but obliterated by a broodlord's talons, robes torn, tattered and smeared with gouts of purple-black ichor. He, Alvarez and the other Space Marines- Vortgyn of the Howling Griffons, Tömörbaatar of the White Scars- kept their weapons ready, waiting in silence as Kryptman studied his prize, wanting to make sure the creatures would suit his purpose.
"Five will serve. That one" Kryptman indicated the occupant of the third stasis field, most of the limbs on the left side of its body severed by a power weapon, its right leg severely damaged as well "will not". The creature wouldn't survive long enough to propagate as he planned- it would likely expire from its injuries the moment it was released from the stasis field.
'No sense in wasting time' Kryptman mused as he motioned for the Space Marines to deal with it. A negligent wave of the hand to the Mechanicus adepts saw the stasis field deactivated. Released from the techno-sorcery holding it, the injured genestealer collapsed, disorientated, and the Astartes didn't give it a chance to recover- the loud bark of bolter fire echoed around the chamber, mingled with the alien's shrieks as bolt shells fired almost point blank blew it apart as they detonated inside its chitinous thorax, spraying dark gouts of ichor everywhere. The screaming abruptly terminated as Tömörbaatar's last shot detonated inside the 'stealer's mouth and promptly evacuated the contents of its skull. The Deathwatch ceased fire and Alvarez ordered a cleanup crew to remove the vile thing's remains, while Kryptman had gone back to studying the others, his fingers forming into a steeple, deep in thought.
'Five should be sufficient' he mused. 'They do not have to infect many; even a small number infected would be enough. Once they return to world with high population densities, the infestation will spread rapidly, growing until it's strong enough to call the hive fleet into new territory, away from the Imperium…'
Opening a vox channel, Kryptman addressed the vessel's captain: "Captain Maturin, how long until we rendezvous with target?"
"At present course and velocity, we will reach the space hulk in four hours"
"Acknowledged, Captain. Inform me when the hulk is in visual range" Kryptman replied curtly, before closing the channel and addressing the other captain present.
"Watch-Captain, have your men ready. Ensuring those things are safely placed aboard that vessel will be your task. We will need to find a suitable position where, once released, they will be able to easily ambush any intruders"
Alvarez looked decidedly displeased with the orders, but he accepted them, making the sign of the Aquila before departing with Vortgyn and Tömörbaatar, Askari remaining where he stood in silent watchfulness. Kryptman knew the Watch-Captain still had his reservations about the plan, but he also knew and respected the knowledge of a man who'd made studying, understanding and exterminating these vile aliens his life's work, and Kryptman knew Alvarez and his brothers in the Deathwatch, as well as their kin in the Adeptus Astartes, were being pushed to the breaking point by Leviathan- if the pressure could be taken off them, to let them attend to other foes that might seek to turn the situation to their advantage, they would take it.
The pict-captures from the Inquisitorial spy-satellites clearly showed the space hulk, codified 'Perdition's Flame', moving with steady speed deeper into the Ork-held worlds of the Octarius system. The destruction of a nearby moon and the resultant gravitational alterations had been sufficient to divert the derelict vessel's course in a new direction. Kryptman knew enough about the Orkish mentality to know what would happen next- soon enough, Ork looters and pirates would come to investigate the interloper in their territory, thinking it a valuable source of plunder and salvage for their more mechanically minded ilk.
'Completely oblivious to the fact they'll find something completely different in there' Kryptman mused, a thin smile crossing the former Inquisitor's lips. He couldn't deny there was a certain satisfaction in pitting the enemies of humanity against each other; it was only to humanity's advantage. 'Let them fight to mutual destruction; I and what allies I have left to call on will ensure the time their war buys the Imperium is not wasted'.
"Mission complete" Captain Alvarez commented. "What now?"
"We have brought time, that most valuable of commodities, for the Imperium" Kryptman replied. "I suggest we do not waste it" he concluded, before exiting the cruiser's bridge, his retinue in tow. Alvarez waited until the Inquisitor was gone, then exchanged a significant look with Tömörbaatar at his shoulder. Both Astartes had fought both Orks and Tyranids before, both knew those two alien breeds to be races that thrived in war, that adapted most swiftly in combat situations, becoming harder and deadlier, and the warriors of the Deathwatch knew there was an all too strong probability, as Askari had postulated, that far from breaking two of humanity's most rapacious foes against one another, they had created a crucible that would ensure whatever emerged from the war they were trying to engineer might prove a far deadlier threat than the foes the Imperium had faced before the conflict.
"Aye, Inquisitor" Alvarez muttered "You may have bought time, but what price will we ultimately have to pay for it?"