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The Sargeant, Merrick was his name, stood resolute over the fallen angels. Two creatures that dwarfed the six-foot man in height lay sprawled out on the sand. Purple Ichor, their lifeblood was spilled in patches around them. The lascannon he fired had killed it, scorch marks lay over both bodies from the turret. The second corpse nearest to the front of the Chimera also had lasbolts from Mousah's sidearm. They had to stain themselves with the deaths of the Gods above warriors. The Captain wouldn't understand, not yet as the Great Carrier's plan was still underway to enlighten the rest of the platoon. But for now, Merrick would have to stand with his savior's blood over the ground, it was as if he shot two of his men. The Great Carrier's plan was unknowing to his mind so he steeled himself as he was a warrior of the brood now and would serve with distinction as he did while unenlightened.

"At least that's what the man thinks now."

In actuality I just had two Lictors run over here and get shot up by the turret's lascannon. Positioned to look as if they just popped outta the ground and then attacked the transport. All to explain why the metal on the driver's front hatch was pulled apart. When Captain Sorg, as he was called, voxed back telling them to hold position cause he was coming. I contemplated setting up an ambush to infect the man and any he brought with him but Sorg was bringing in two Chimeras with full squads. Even though I had the time to rebury every Genestealer I brought as to leave as few tracks going away as possible. It seemed like this Captain was taking the appearance of two Tyranids seriously. The ensuing fight would garner casualties mostly on the troopers. The last thing I needed out here so I stayed my hand for later, this wouldn't be the only opportunity to do this.

The sand being kicked up by the speeding transports could've been classified as a sand storm there was so much chasing them. The four implanted Guardsmen stood just as resolute as their Sargeant watching the cliff sides and canyon further on. Looking like a force that just encountered and killed a Tyranid scout variant in a routine patrol.

Soon the Chimeras came to a stop and out flooded twenty Guardsmen all at the ready as if they expected to start shooting the moment they exited the vehicles. Their Captain was dressed in the same flak vest as everyone else. Although his helmet had a bill extending outwards and lacked the side protection covering the ears.

Seeing things through Merrick's eyes was an odd one as I really wasn't 'connected' in the way I had been before with the Synaptic-gifted Tyranids. Before I could literally see through their eyes but here it was more like he was holding a camera and live streaming the information in real-time whilst I was a mile or so away with the Lictors and Tyranid Warriors. I had never done anything but take memories before with Hybrids and would continue to do so. Invading too deeply into their minds and linking to their eyes felt wrong.

Captain Sorg marched past all his men, including the saluting Merrick, and to the corpses of the Lictors. He scrutinized both bodies, turning his gaze from the one with its whole upper torso melted from the lascannon. The second with its lower left side was blown off. It apparently held what he was looking for and the man whipped out his laspistol and fired at the intact head. The action was so sudden and spontaneous that everyone including two squads brought with him ducked respectively. Scanning the area for a moment for threats before realizing it wasn't an enemy shooting at them.

The commanding officer kept firing until the forehead of the deceased 'nid had popped like an over headed watermelon. Spewing bits of brain matter, bones, and purple ichor in a tiny radius around it.

"These things like to play dead Sargeant, you should know this by now." Sorg had turned towards Merrick and sounded more disappointed than mad.

"It hadn't moved since it went down, sir." The newly hybridized man calmly stated back.

"Still, no reason not to be careful especially with this kind of Xenos. It's a scouting type, the kind that leaves an obvious trail for the rest to follow..." He trailed off staring down the canyon away from the outpost. No doubt imagining a force already coming down it. "If they were buried that suggests some degree of planning by these things."

Now that was a train of logic I wanted to dissuade. Part of the reason why I had Lictors killed here and not any pure-strained Genestealers was to keep thoughts of organized Tyranids away from his mind. To make the man think it was just a pair of 'nids Merrick's squad happened to get attacked by.

Merrick could more than sense my desires and interjected. "These Xenos were beaten after the counterattack on Typhon. I was there and I know there ain't much planet side to suggest these two are anything else but struggles finally meeting the Emperor's justice."

Sorg turned to regard this subordinate quizzically. "Oddly optimistic of you Merrick. Nevertheless, patrols are going to step up after today and regular intervals shall be established. No need to be reckless when these aliens are about."

"This Captain Sorg is certainly taking the existence of just two Lictors dead seriously." Considering this planet suffered a Hivefleet invasion over a year ago it makes sense. The man must have experience thousands of Tyranids swarming over his position and slaughtering his men to be this serious.

"Pile on the of bodies over the other them, and someone grab a flamer! We're not leaving this blight upon the Imperium and while they do that I want half of your squad to stay here and search for tracts. Or any further signs of Tyranid activity."

"Good thing I had the 'stealers hidden beneath the sand. Then covered what few footfalls that were made from myself and companion leaving."

While Captain Srog was certainly taking this seriously the moment the body was burned. He and all but half the squad designated back in the Chimeras and speeding back to the outpost. Likely to implement his changes this man was clearly taking his job seriously and that was something I'd have to deal with. Starting with implanting the squads that go on patrols.

The four men were left without their Sargeant, who was speeding back to their staging ground. Four would be fine for now as I already had Genestealers reading and waiting and it wasn't as if the Captain wanted them back as soon as possible. So I had the luxury of waiting until the twin vehicles had left and the Hybrids lured them into a far nicer ambush than the one before.

"Four more souls to condemn into my eternal servitude."

It was all for the good of the hundreds of innocent Hybrids.


The four Guardsmen implanted became useful immediately, as they were a part of the morning patrol. Thusly taking over the driver and their Sargeant by just having the four men overwhelm them and then dragged outside for infection. Merrick's only had him and the driver yet he was able to order everyone outside the transports and right into the middle of a bunch of Genestealers.

It was the third Chimera patrol that I felt as if I'd have the most trouble with. No Hybrids on the inside to give me an edge it was almost the same plan as with Merricks. Only this time lady luck wasn't paying attention to me or was cutting me some slack this time

"Probably the former of the two in all honestly."

The plan was to same but with a few Lictors added t the mix. Thankfully they parked right where I needed them to be to spring the trap and implant many more. Long before any, including the driver, from calling the base and reporting any of this. My plans of implanting the patrols were working well for now, with the steady infiltration of the base's minor Harrison almost halfway done.

The minds of the twenty-eight soldiers delivered a treasure trove of information about who was in charge. How many men they had within the outpost, who slept where, what their patrol patterns were, and what their capacity for dispensing violence was. Everything I wanted to know about how the platoon was defending the communications relay. Taking over each patrol completely was going to be a lot easier with Hybrids in each one. There was one squad using each of the three Chimeras for these trips down the canyons. They'd just swap out a fire team on alternating days except for each squad's Sergeant and respective drivers who had to come each and every time.

Which meant continued ambushes would grant me about thirty-three Guardsmen. Considering each squad was about ten men strong plus three drivers. In total this base had sixty-seven Guardsmen including the Captain and a Lieutenant. I had all their Sargeants and drivers now, which made luring everyone into traps that much easier. So if I kept this up, by tomorrow afternoon I'd have half the base ready to go turncoat at the drop of a hat.

"I already have twenty-nine, that's how many men I've consigned to this fate, and just over fifty more to go." As deaths would have people wondering just how they were killed. "I still haven't decided which fate is even worse for my fellow man..."

That wasn't true I knew which was worse. I just kept putting it off to stop thinking about it and causing me to hesitant. I was committed to this and it needed to happen, it was a human's highly sentient mind that helped drive this to success. I was tooting my horn but the true Tyranid Hivemind as smart as it was, couldn't think up a lot of things I had done with individual 'nids.

They were still violent and ravenous beasts but ordering them to grab the arms and specifically stick their tongue into the shoulder. Where it could easily be concealed with the uniform and flak armor. Plus hiding them in the sand under a semi-hibernation so the air wasn't that big an issue for said ambush. Plus usually, Spore Minds just float towards the enemy before detonating at the first detection of a life form. Instead, I had them wait many times for the right moment to blow to maximize damage.

All of this was because I gave careful thought about how to use every unto in unconventional ways. Having them go against their main instincts to just charge in and start ripping apart anything and possible because I wasn't really the Hivemind. Nor some bizarre extension of the overarching Tyranid race. I am my own person and anything I do is...

"... Well, completely by my actions and therefore any failure was my own and I could screw it up. It wasn't like, screwing up and losing the Soccer ball or failing a Geography test though. A fact I can never allow myself to forget as too many lives would be lost."

It was time to move on from that now as more minds became connected to the Brood mind and I began plotting the takeover. The place was well fortified with six Heavy bolter turrets scattered around into well-made sandbag positions. Two of which were actually in those towers overseeing the main plaza. So I was right to be concerned about those towers and we'd needed to remove that threat before making any moves over the men on the ground.

"Cause obviously they have people inside that could see with all the interior lights and tip off their commander when boxing him."

I contemplated finding a way to cut the power but no, that would just top everyone off to the fact something was off. Slipping in while most of the Guards are asleep would be best. Especially because I can just have the two fire teams still sleeping and pretend they are until I give the telepathic signal to move out and prepared. Everyone would have a role and I was keen on figuring out where they slept and the routine followed.

What friends were close enough that they would unsuspectingly follow them into some secluded zone within the town ruins. It wasn't the most comfortable planning session I've ever had and the Hybrids troopers were all just nodding along or adding the smallest suggestion to the plan. At least when it seemed clear for them to say something without interrupting me and through it I was able to gain good insight for this.

The attack had to be at night, they had spotlights to light up their encampment as well as the immediate area around it. But I felt nighttime would be the best as plenty of Guardsmen would be asleep and I had the Genestealers to get inside. Many of the men out that night would be Hybrids so overpowering the Guards and taking the main camp would be a relatively simple manner. I still didn't have much to go on for the communication building itself, just that it held their Captain, Lieutenant, and some Guards within.

The rubble buildings would cause an obstacle hard to deal with since it was intentional for them to leave main roadways coming in from whatever canyon mouth. Funneling into well-dug-in and preplanned fire lines.

This should be easier to take over tomorrow night, with half the base under my control. The rest are sleeping or ignorant of the threat right next to them. Over sixty men would be implanted that night and I would have my first outpost towards the city opened for us. It was up in the air for me on how many I would have to condemn to the same fate as the ones now...

"There's no time to be getting cold feet now, I am committed to this course of action and that's that." Right now I had to focus on what was in front of me because adding the grim task ahead would only cause hesitation and ultimately failure. All on something I chose to commit myself to.

"It's too late to go back on it now." I thought as one of the Hybrids nuzzled their head against me. They could feel my discomfort and it was nice to have someone around who cared... Even if it's because they literally cannot respond in any other way.


As soon as Merrick's Chimera reached the spot first ambushed I got into the back. Seating myself in the very back it

I wasn't sure if I should feel grateful for the increase in patrol frequency that allowed me to take control of them. Or the extra Guards ended up being the Hybridized troopers that made this go faster than it otherwise would have. Because I wasn't sure if these were the usual forces trying to lull me in with something nice like always before a rug pull into disaster. So I was cautious about my Genestealers and Lictors creeping forwards and the latter using their chameleon skin to semi-surround the base. Just in case, the towers were the biggest threat to me and three Guardsmen marched up each of them. All it took was them pointing their lasguns at the two men in each tower for me to gain control.

Although out of the fifteen men I had I kinda over killed that by taking six away. The nine remaining were supplemented by ten more untainted men but thankful they didn't seem to note the men gone or more likely just weren't questioning it. That lacked attitude towards their comrades would only last so long as all three Chimeras came back ahead of schedule. Their next check-in was done and the commander was unsuspecting. Then converting at the center canyon mouth to disembark drew more attention away from the flanks. Covertly many Genestealers slipped through the night and lack of overwatch. Their sense of smell allowed the pack of creatures to judge which tents had slumbering Guardsmen.

"Would they even realize what's happening?" A sharp stab in the shoulder and waking up disoriented by the fluid expanding throughout their body and seizing control of their minds. Or they don't wake up suddenly and in the morning it's suddenly Tyranid appreciation time! It wasn't long until most of the outpost was implanted and soon under my control. The remaining twelve were awake and still staring curiously at the men filtering out of the Chimeras didn't know what was going on.

"Everyone gather around, we need to have a talk." I was still in the Chimera but could hear even before the engines of the transports died. Merrick slung his weapon securely over his shoulder and his men did the same.

"Merrick what in the Emperor's name is going on here you guys were supposed to be back yet." The Sargeant on duty that night stared puzzled as his men crowded up to the sandbag barrier. Except on who remained at the heavy bolt and I made sure an implanted shuck up right behind him.

"What has to be done, we've spent too long serving a failing order and it's time for everyone to see the light. It is time for you all to be enlightened as we have become, as comrades in arms to brothers of the brood." I did not tell him to say that, but the man did it anyway and it had the effect anyone could've predicted.

The opposing non-com glared hatefully. "Traitors and heretics! Gun them down!" He tried raising his lasgun but Merrick was faster and grabbed at the man's gun and yanked him over the sandbags.

It did not take me long to order the Lictors to rush in to prevent a blood bath. Although they were a bit too far away to participate as the Guardsmen from the front and back grabbled at everyone not infected into a choke hold or pinned to the ground.

I was not expected that but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth for now. Genestealers were redirected and the men from the towers were dragged down. Retracing back into myself I tried my best to ignore the whole struggling aspect as each was implanted and left sitting dazed as they always did.

"The base's exterior is now under your control, sir." Merrick saluted smartly and the rest joined in.

"At ease, we still have work to do." I didn't physically do much here but I felt tired of how everyone kept resisting the taint only to have that will sapped outta them like heat in the snow. Little time to dwell on it now as I had a diversion in the form of the final push.

Everyone that could marched with me right up to the comms tower, its large dual sliding doors looked pretty tough. It was a good thing I wasn't trying to siege this place as this would've taken a long time to bust open. But with Merrick, a simple vox message would have them opening the twin doors to-

I had been scanning the metallic doors when my gaze drew up to notice a cylindrically shaped device aiming down. "Someone shine a light on that." I didn't have to point as a few flashlights lit it up and the glass lens at the front glowed a red dot blinking to the upper right also caught my eye. It sort of looked like a-

Object terror washed over me as I realized over twenty Guardsmen and many Lictors were standing in front of a camera.

"Forget asking them to open! Someone gets explosives and blasts this thing open!" The combat engineer, the one on that is, stumbled out of bed. A Genestealer needed to bridal carry him over to their ammo dumb to gab the necessary charges. With more time being spent waiting for both of them with arms carting satchel charges to make it to the door. Subtly was out the window and everyone fell back to a safe distance as I wonder if a message was already going out to half the planet right now!

The sense of allowing a still disoriented man to plant explosives was also waved as we had no one else that could do this. The charges took several painstaking minutes to get up and prime and I wasted no time having the man hauled away and setting them off. The explosion echoed throughout the quiet canyon and likely out for miles, the Lictors flooded into the beach with reckless abandon. Their size meant it was strictly two by two. Some slammed their clawed hand onto door panels as instructed and searched rooms while others followed the main hallway towards the large communications room.

Merrick's memory came in handy while I chased after them to ensure some degree of smoothness to this operation. Some lasbolts were fired she the main doors at the end of the hall were opened. It didn't matter as Lictors could rip the heads of Space Marines and by my estimate, it was just Sorg, the Lieutenant, and just two Guardsmen. I reached the room and it was about as you'd expect large consoles cluttering the room and a massive screen with even more consoles below it. Three stairs lead up to it and the railing was dented and broken in places by the sudden Lictor assault.

There were also two red-robed extras around but I decided to chase that outta my mind for later. I needed to know if Captain Sorg had contacted anyone before we breached in. The Genestealer stepped up the stairs and loosened its tongue but the CO had other ideas for how this should end.

"Xenos filth! I'll never become slaves to your taint!" His left hand drew up to his face and the pin of the grenade clenched tightly between his teeth. No one was fast enough to stop the pin from being removed and the primer flew off.

No doubt he expected to be blasted away and take as many of the Tyranids that stole his platoon with him. It was bolt and I couldn't blame him with a Genestealer fast approaching. It was a pointless gesture a second later as a nearby Lictor free from pinning down anyone and leaped over the railing and curled into a ball. The blast contained but still caused the 'nid to erupt into a gory mess of foul-smelling ichor and bits of itself. I staggered as a large piece of Carapace slammed into my head while its blood coated my right side.

"That'll take a while to clean." I thought as the Captain was injected with the same organic needle and the taint flowed through his veins.

I might have paid attention to each of them but a metallic screeching caught my ear as I turned to pay mine to the robed figures in the back corner of the room. It was binary, it had to be as multiple mechadendrites slamming uselessly against the far larger creature pinning it down.

They had a couple of Tech Priests present...

Why the hell did lady luck have to lull me into such a false sense of success and then snatch it all away with the worst bull-

"What am I saying of course they'd be at least one tech priest here! This is a communication tower and I just never asked for anything beyond what the platoon had!" Never about who else outside their force would be here... and now I have two witnesses I cannot turn because they're mostly just metal...

"Shit."