Okay, this is a far longer chapter than normal because I am not going to be able to update this next week, so I didn't want to leave anyone waiting for too long for the battle scene and resolution. Enjoy

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Okay, I had the guy's attention and interest. Now to continue off and do something with it. I had to make a case that would convince him to go off and try and convince his fellows that temporally working with a bunch of genetically engineered killing machines that seemed to be controlled by a human. All to kill an Ork Warboss and hack apart his Warband was a worthwhile idea because if I didn't the Orks might just come this way anyhow and then I'll have to deal with that by myself.

"Breaking the horde shall leave us with all the time we need to repair ourselves, we already have a ceasefire. We've not made one another enemies as of late." I mean that kind of did with the whole assassination plans they made but I was willing to ignore that future problem.

"No I supposed, for now, we are not."

For now, that wording more than means he knows this temporary thing. He already confirmed this thing was a tenuous agreement from amongst the Exodites. It's only really being held up by the Orks, to cripple them further brings them trying to kill me back on and I do not like that. Yet I really had no other options, Craftworlders could be arriving soon, or the Orks tracking down a good fight that made me want this. If only because it shall make getting all that scrap for the ship I need easier.

"I would require the aid of your people in order to make this work- Nothing serious mind you!" I added when he looked to be ready to argue. "We need to kill enough of that horde to draw that Warboss into exposing this head. Then take it off as well as the ones of his direct subordinates and just any Nobz in general to scatter the force... But I cannot do both alone."

If there is one thing I've learned from the Chiapas Cain books it's that if Geenskins lose enough of their leadership. Plus the horde gets enough gaps within it the army will scatter into competing forces and widdle themselves down for you. Then all one has to do is keep killing the heads of the disorganized mobs and they will keep on bickering and hacking themselves apart more than you.

"A sound tactic, we have done much the same this past year..." His approval was welcomed because it felt genuine, I was getting good at feeling others' emotions for some reason. "It seems you can formulate a better strategy than merely sitting about and blasting them to pieces."

"It seemed to be working just fine until recently." I shrugged sheepishly.

Didn't see much of an issue with it until a Warboss with real control over this army showed up. This whole idea was pretty much just a scaled-up version of what happened when that one Warband assaulted the landing zone when I first got here. Killed enough of his forces then he and a boat load of his Nobz then hacked apart the retreating Greenskins. Except now I was trying to do it on purpose and they had a lot more Orks plus armored vehicles... and tanks.

"We both know this is an issue that cannot be passed down for later. It will be too costly to deal with by then." Yeah, get him and the rest thinking about how much this would cost if they just leave it be. They have been fighting them for longer and know just how much damage a straight-up fight will cost. "Dealing with it now before they have a chance to make more war machines and grow fresh Boyz is the best shot we've got. This is not the kind of threat we can just push off till later."

He hummed and turned to his lady friend with a thoughtful expression on his face. She clearly only understood a very general sense of what was going on as she gave a curt shrug. Unable to input much or he was thinking about how she would die out here if this base falls and he's have no realistic way of evacuating her. That would be okay, as it would help influence his position to help me.

"That means he at least will support me, even if I truly need his Exodite buddies to make this fully work. A psyker wouldn't be the worse reinforcements I needed" I needed everything forced toward building up my defenses, the Orks could be barely two days or weel with their vehicles I supposed it might be a bit more than that. Especially with this thick foliage. I was not going to get optimistic about this and assume I'd have the time to harass and lure a horde here. Plus build up a force to whether the storm and lure their Warboss out. Plus kill him and a ton of the Nobz all the while waiting for the rest of the army to realize this loss in leadership and break off.

His gaze turned away from her, his thoughtful look hardened slightly in what I could only presume was determination. "What do you require of us for this... Alliance?"

"I swear he almost sounded unsure or disdained on that last word."

"All I need is a few things from you guys, first off you gotta get the Orks coming in from this direction." I raise my arms and rotated to gesture the whole eastern part of my stronghold. I was going to mine the ever-loving hell out of that space. "Then I'm going to need some of your best snipers to spare, people who can identify the Warboss and as any of his Nobz then kill them. And finally, assist me in hunting down and raiding this scattered Warband to keep it from reforming."

He nodded along, already saying this was a sound plan or adding that he saw what I was asking as reasonable requests, I would be taking the brunt of their attack or a reason. If he wasn't putting on an act. Which had crossed my mind as I would be able to tell the difference, then I really did have him. "And why can you not kill the Warboss or hunt down his scattered forces on your own?"

"This fight is going to be an attritional numbers game all to draw the guy into the open. There is no guarantee that I'll be able to take him out when that occurs. Or even get through any bodyguards he might have." This Boss had a head on his shoulders and a lot of Orks to throw at me. It would probably take a while before he'd feel the need to come out in person. I did not have the numbers to face them. Plus gambling that they wouldn't come here until I was fully prepared was not something I wanted to do.

"I wondered if this at all lined up with what Absalom had said. I mean I am not trying to uncover the Eldar's angle more trying to give them one that works for their benefit a bit more than mine." I was the one about to be hit by a small Waaagh and they just needed to lure them here, kill the leadership, then deal with stragglers. At least that's how they should see it if they would be another dice cast.

That was a pretty big dice roll too because it banked on the idea they'd see this as the enemy of my inevitable adversary is my ally.

He at least seems on board with the idea nodding slowly. "What guarantee do you have that this plan shall work?"

"Only that I'll be fighting to the death to make absolute certain the Greenskins bleed on that day." If this failed I might as well put my mouth into the barrel of this lasgun. This was an all-chips play and I didn't even know all the cards in my hand were. Or if there was another player at the table.

He, thankfully, didn't take long to reply. "I shall extend this plan to my kin, whether or not they agree shall be up to them. My voice is not great and diminishing..."

Him losing that favor because of the deal he personally made with me went unspoken. I knew full well why he said this though. Pskyer man's angle and motivation were clear. "She will be cared for regardless of their response, our past deal involves keeping Absalom safe and cared for. Just keep doing so." I took my hand off the lasgun sling and held it out with a polite smile.

He looked kind of relieved as he accepted the hand but as always it was hard to tell with someone so in control of their emotions.

After we finished shaking hands my guest spoke up in their language, no doubt confused as to what just happened. He began to fill her in and I saw as her expression darkened, kinda understandable as the last time he made a deal it ended up with her as an official hostage.

"I have a plan, and a lot of work ahead of myself. Best to get started now..."


I would spend the next day or so with almost no sleep, mainly digging up Spore mines from the west and replanting them at the Eastern crescent. They were the one thing I had in abundance and I was not about to let any of them go to waste. The attack should be coming from the east so I could concentrate everything I had on that side of my third line. This Warboss had never faced this trick before he'd pretty much just have his army barrel on into it. Whether or not he'd learn from it's up in the air. Hence why I was going to completely deck out my third mine with mine. Hormagaunts made quick work of it with their clawed hands, digging and burying as mines floated over and were covered by dirt.

It all reminds me of watching ants picking apart a bit of dropped food in elementary school. The methodic way they moved to dig, never coming close to ones already planted. They knew exactly where they were and precisely the manner I wanted the new ones to place never with me having to say it. They just knew my will, as an instinct deep within. Or more likely as cells within my expanded being. They were organic machines after all and I was the main device issuing commands down to the workers. Except unlike computers or queen ants, they couldn't feel every movement and motion their charges made. That's exactly where the analogy broke down and I moved on to just digging new bunkers with the Centaurs and Ravengers then stripping down the ones not in the path of the Orks to build them. All to keep my mind off of the inevitable thoughts

"More targets for them to focus their fire on." I thought as I felt Tinker once more growing restless about the fact that combat was coming without him being allowed to participate. He and his other mechboyz could not run out with their custom shootas and die. So I headed over to nip this in the bud for certain this time.

"Get yer zoggin' butts back underground ya gits!" My voice took on the accent Orks had and Tinker and the rest seemed to flinch under my command. It wasn't some loud bellow like they would do but they were Hybrids and affected by it to see me as some untouchable boss of theirs.

"But Boss, wez wanna get stuck into the fight!" Tinker tried to argue back. "Wez 'aven't been krumpin' any gitz! Wez Orks, made for fightin' and winning-"

"You were made to follow my orders now do so!" I shouted but wasn't actually angry. But used my telepathic link to get them to follow my orders for good. Cause this was not something I wanted to get frustrated about.

They reacted... Well, they did what I told them to but the way they went about it. Stilling up and turning in almost clockwork unison to match into the dugout. Then there was no thought it emotions to pick up on from the link. It creeped me out just to watch, I recalled from the books that is how Hybrids truly act. They seem so normal and act just like anybody else, then the hivemind takes over and now they're machines like the rest of the brood.

"Well, it... It worked out in the end they'll stay where they are and not get themselves killed." At least it was Orks I was doing this to.

"Was I prepared for this? I have new units coming down but it takes at least half a day to get one Gaunt out of the pool. Far too long for the larger ones."

It was questioning this in the cool morning air did my snipers arrived, at least I correctly presumed the Eldar approaching were that. The man of the hour was leading the group a full yard ahead of at least a dozen armed and cloaked Exodites. Whether that's because he trusted me not to kill them or so his companions would trust him by making himself an early warning detection. In case I tried anything, not that I would but either would make perfect sense.

I only trusted them to act out for themselves and mainly for self-interest. It's what I was doing when proposing this temporary alliance. I had four Termagants sort of form a box around them. Escorting the group is to try and express they were expected and were guests. This is why I had them lead to a bunch of log seats with a fire pit and fruit to eat. All pre-prepared yesterday at my second line of defense. I didn't know how many were coming so I had guests and got a low ball estimate of eight.

"Okay someone should be grabbing another spare log in a second." It was going to take some Termagants time to drag it over there but I was the large Centaurs to stay away. I needed them to believe I was serious and that they would not be harmed. The last thing I wanted was for them to get an idea to try and shoot me in the battle.

"Yeah that would be stupid but sacrificing yourself in an insane way that hurts those around you is not regulated to only humans."

Nevertheless, I was glad this alliance thing seemed to have bore fruit. The rangers had these green cloaks about them and somehow less armor on than all the other Exodite warriors I had seen at this point. The Psyker man was the only one not to act guarded against the four Termagants still a yard or so from the makeshift camp I set aside for them. Whether that was based on trust was yet to be seen, nevertheless, he was the only one I wanted to speak with.

"I taken it things have gone well?" I asked with a genuinely thankful grin plastered on.

"Somewhat." His tone made me tense slightly. Someone had agreed and sent these guys meant things he been successful in some regard.

"Unless these lot are here without permission from whatever authority commands them..." Not having the support I needed to finish the Ork horde off was not what I wanted to hear. This seemed to have shown on my face as he spoke with a far more level tone.

"My people are wary of your intentions but I have called support from an unexpected source."

"...What does that mean?"

"You shall know when the battle reached its conclusion."

"Oh come on, why do you have to be cryptic here!" I supposed it was an Eldar 'thing'. I knew better than to ask and get nothing from it though.

"They'll lead the Orks in from the east then help take them out once we've dealt with the bosses right?" He nodded without hesitation and that was probably the best answer I could get here. "Good, so when will your people be drawing them into the trap?"

"As soon as you've made your preparations. I would advise not to want long the Orks have already left their encampment in force." It was as I feared then. Those guys are looking for a fight. "They are migrating relatively in this direction, no doubt seeing the massive.. tower you have planted and tracks left behind. It won't be long before ensuring they come from the east will be impossible."

If that was true it was time to have them lead the Orks in now. The man didn't look to have any kind of radio equipment so how he was even supposed to- "Oh right he's literally physic."

"Tell them to try and have them here tomorrow afternoon, so we can all rest up." He nodded, not really approving of my choice but he wasn't the one taking the biggest risk here. "If you need more food don't hesitate to ask when I come by. This place is busy and loud so don't wait or anything."

He eyes the area around us quizzically. "There are few sounds about us?"

I snorted. "Well maybe for you... If that's all I need to get back to preparing."

"Wait." He called after causing me to pause in my step. "I wish to see her now."

I pointedly eyed the troops he brought, some had taken a seat but they all still looked tense. "I don't want anyone within the inner ring right now. She'd perfectly fine, her wound has sufficiency healed up I swear." I really wasn't lying, the cream they gave us was almost out from our collective use. I stopped from the recent patch of Tyranid skin. I kept rubbing it into her wound and replacing the bandages just in case. We were almost out of everything.

Instead of arguing he maintained a neutral expression and slowly produced a piece of folded paper from his clothing. "This is from her family, ensure this makes it to her." His voice made it clear he was leaving no room for argument and I wouldn't. This was important.

So I nodded along quickly. "I'll do that right now, okay." I turned and when he didn't try and call after me got on my ride. I know how I'd feel about getting a message from any member of my family. So I had the Hormagaunt bolt in the first ring fast. It was a quick hand off and she even nodded in what I am certain was thanks.

It felt nice considering she was an assassin who came to kill me and I blew her arm off. She never seemed to hold a grudge, or just hide it exceptionally well.

"Probably the ladder in all honesty."

I tore my thoughts away from that and gazed about my defenses. Able to sense a good sense of when entire eastern half through the Tyranids. The Exodites glared or remained guarded against the horde of murder machines giving a wide berth around them. The newest bunkers are settling in at the second line of defense. I wonder if I could buy more time to build more defenses or make more troops.

I decided to doubt that I could get the Exodites to agree to harass and keep the Orks away to build up my forces. From the way the Psyker man said it seems like this agreement was a tenuous one as is.

"I shouldn't test it, not when I gave them the idea of throwing the Orks at me. They could always just leave me to deal with it. I just gotta put some faith into my preparations."

Much like someone piling up sandbags in front of their home and covering the windows with wood for a hurricane. That's all I could do before it hits, just get ready and hold out for the inevitable storm... I slide off the bandages on my face when I was certain no one was looking. I became more akin to a face cover really, the pale leathery skin juxtaposed by the stubble of hair growing around it.

"I need this, I need whatever those Hybrids did to me back on Typhon. Full control over the horde, everyone doing exactly what I wanted, they were already an aspect of who I was. Time to use that completely." A sting was felt at the back of my neck.


The night came and went with only a few hours of sleep, it wasn't just that I needed less either. Just could stay asleep. I was surveying my defenses the exposed trench lines and dozens of bunkers lined up. I have even taken to digging trenched a bit in front of them, low enough to allow for more Termagants to fire. Plus the Sargents dotted around to maintain order, just in case. A massive dugout trap was placed behind the third line. My fingers crossed for it to work as I envisioned. My ratio for Hormagaunts and Termagants was so vast by now to classify my army as copying Tau tactics. To say I was tense the next day would be an understatement. My stomach had a pit open up that no amount of food would fill. It wasn't that I was about to face a large Ork horde, I was kinda glad to have home-field advantage for this. But I was leaving almost three-fourths of the place behind us open to attack. Then was relying on a tenuous agreement with the Exodites to not exploit that fact.

"It would only take a few to lead the Orks towards to the north or south. It was even understandable as to why they would even try that, just looking at the slowly dying ecosystem was evidence of that."

Despite my misgivings, things were rather calm that morning. I was ready and has a last-minute reinforcement of Centaurs to get my numbers up to ten. Not enough in my eyes but good enough for what I could manage.

"They shall be upon soon." My thoughts were broken and centered on the Psyker man now. He had told me about the Orks being directed some time ago so this wasn't unexpected.

"Then get you guys ready, I'm heading to the back."

"How will you command from so far away?"

Without thinking about the potential danger I gestured at the nearby Tyranid Warrior. "I'll be right here, in mind if not in person." He eyed the creature oddly then redirected the gaze with a sort of conspiratorial look before I hopped on a Hormogaunt.

"Be safe will you." I didn't bother waiting for a reply.

The rangers or just snipers were already taking up their positions atop the bunkers. Obviously, it would be stupid for them to bunch up in one place. I didn't need experience in the field to know fanning out to get all angles or to not risk getting a bunch killed was the sensible thing to do.

I wasn't running to my personal dugout just the first line, and hiding in one of the bunkers there. These ones we're mainly manned by a skeleton crew. Just to keep the Exodites from trying anything with their fellow still my hostage. Plus if the second line did get overrun I wanted a bodyguard detail to accompany me into the jungle. In case fleeing was in order. I didn't know how long we all just sat there, guns aimed, mines primed, Centaurs hidden. Me sweating, eyes closed tight in a packed bunker untilInited trees were knocked down. The Tyranid's enhanced ears picked up a steady rumbling in the distance, even so far away it was slowly but surely increasing in volume.

"This has to be the Orks and certainly thousands of them of we can hear them..." I took a deep breath to steady my mind, I needed to remain fully in control for this to work. My brood somewhat helped, their mechanical minds and bodies stilled my own as I further dove into our connection. I could almost think that I was the Tyranid Warrior for a second.

A moment later a truck the size of a garbage collector with what I could only assume were circular saws mounted to the front. Even if there were no more Bunkers there and the land quite flat it was still a vast distance away. It made sense, as to how else was their armor going to come out. A lot of large green figures started trickling out in steady order, not surging out like maniacs. That would change soon as-

A blue beam of energy soared out to likely take the head off some poor Ork. The Synaptic creature looked down that the roof of the bunker it was hiding behind to see Psyker man take yet another shot.

I knew what he was doing, trying to provoke the Orks into attacking. He really shouldn't have bothered, I quick order from me and a few Spore mines dotted around the edge of the treeline exploded and small groups of Termagants popped out of cover a further distance ahead of them and began firing. They weren't aiming as they ran backward but with the denseness of foes they were facing it was hardly needed. It all had the intended effect, with a bellowing 'WAAAAAGH!' that sounded as if it was being shouted from a hundred megaphones. So that I covered my ears, even the Tyranid Warrior mimicked the gesture to shield me.

Soon a tidal wave of Greenskins surged out from the woods still being pelted by spike round and blue sniper fire from all the Exodites now. Somewhat mirroring my first siege with the beasts. Except I wasn't exaggerating, this was a lot like a tidal wave coming through the blacken green acidic mist. Their tolerance to pain allowed them to do so, trampling the thrown bodies and remains of their fellow boyz.

These were all Choppa Boyz as evidenced by the fact the air wasn't immediately replaced with ninety percent lead. Many had pistols but most of their modding was returned for their melee weapons. Accuracy being of course poor the twenty Termagants, divided into groups of five each, we're able to make it further and further back. For a moment I thought they just might continue like this until they got back.

Then the war trucks rolled over the Choppa Boyz and began firing wildly. From here it was hard to tell but there had to be twice as many that counter-attacked me at the crash site. They were able to blaze ahead of the guys on foot and cut down the Termagants with ease. While the number of trucks had me startled they weren't completely unexpected nor was I unprepared for it.

They blazed through the densely packed minefield and past the dig-up bunkers. They were zooming at speeds Orks typically moved at and ran right into the dugout trap I had made and covered with foliage. The whole thing was made for them, I had a feeling they'd just barrel towards combat and run into the one-and-a-half-yard wide and one-yard deep trench. It had the intended effect. Five of the fastest fell and rammed into the dirt, and the back occupants sored out to splatter on the ground. Leaving trails of blood and gore for a distance ahead of them as they decelerated on the ground. A few more followed the same fate all along the trench, one even rammed into the bad of one, flipping it completely. The rested tried slowing down but it was a losing proposition. They were simply going too fast and even with their tires borrowing twin lines in the dirt behind them they all joined the fate of the rest.

I had planned to open up on and shred any survivors from the clustered vehicles but the Exodites beat me to it. Taking the thirty or so that were scrambling disoriented from their respective trucks.

It was the tanks that really gave me pause, at least ten of the things rolling amongst the Choppa Boyz. It wasn't a neat line they made, followed closely by the tree cutters and they were sort of slowing down the Horde. Forcing them to slip around the obstacles they couldn't trample. The ones ahead were clearly getting ahead of the main force, moving like a blob. This was okay, it just meant I was going to delay the Spore mine until a sufficient number had gotten over.

"At least I would get the vehicles in the blasts." I thought gratefully.

The minutes it took for the Orks on foot to reach the same trench as their trucks. If they had any sense the Orks would have taken the guns on the trucks and used the trench to fire at us. But these were Orks and melee ones who always loved getting stuck in over anything else. As they crossed the trench I had expected more blue beams, except no. I had my head incline down to see the Pysker man staring back expectingly.

"I suppose it's fair to say it's my turn to start shooting." Before I had even completed the thought the air was filled with spikes. Hundreds, perhaps even getting over a thousand shots were soring through the space. I could feel every round squeezed through the muzzle of their guns, every shift in the bodies to properly direct the rounds. The denseness of the Greenskins made missing impossible and many started to drop slowing their charge further and further. The Centaurs remained crouched behind the bunkers, I wanted them to conserve ammo for a different goal. I didn't need them either, the Orks were halfway to my second-line bunkers before they were finally cut down to an Ork. The few still trying to charge were either sniped or booked it back to regroup with the others.

Enough time had been spent to have those tanks and other Orks to almost be at the empty holes of the bunkers. Bullets and rockets flee but the few stray projectiles that hit only wounded a few Termagants. The rockets never came close to the trench line, the mines did begin going off from the shot though. So I decided to finally detonate the third line's explosives.

A second after that pulse the whole eastern half of my stronghold was covered on the green, nearly a quarter of a mile high and spreading out from the origin point. A red hue had also been present in the acidic mist. Body parts and even whole Orks went flying higher than the mist cloud before gravity dragged them down to splatter. Acids still breaking them down as they occurred. I was taken aback as it felt as if a part of my body had just... well exploded right off

That wasn't even taking into account the noise.

Once more I clapped my hands against my own ears as the auditory senses of the Synaptic creature transmitted into my head. It once more copied me. Even the Psyker man followed suit as he too possed keen hearing, once the ringing had subsided. I found him looking back at me with a strong sense of worry, perhaps he was realizing the strength of those things. Or worried his own people could've been caught in that if they had attaked.

Nevertheless, I turned my gaze back up to the strong cloud as a rumbling penetrated it. Then I saw the red-painted tanks roll through, looking thoroughly eaten up even from here.

"I... Guess that makes sense...?"

Spore mines killed through concussive blasts and strong acid clouds that form afterwards. Good against infantry and light vehicles like the tree cutters. The tanks were clearly a different story, their ramshackle design enough to keep them moving, if far slower than before, and now they began lobbing shells and heavy bolter rounds at us. One of the shells blasted away a bunker, thankfully no sniper was killed. Yet more and more landed around us, few would hit a trench and would take out some Termagants. The bolter round, what few hit, instantly killed and I knew if this continued they scythe through a significant portion of my forces.

The Termagants would still focus on the Orks that we're able to be ahead of the blast. Still picking themselves off the floor to continue their charge.

I had a plan in place for the tanks and my Centaurs were already up and focusing half their cannons on two different targets at a time. The tanks didn't stand a chance, the guided armor-piercing rounds found their marks on such slow-moving targets. I was right and a focused volley broke apart the vehicles, some finding a weak spot and all would be disabled in under a minute. Any that still fired would get a second volley for their trouble and any Ork trying to flee was cut down by sniper fire.

I began to relax a bit.

Having just cut apart the Ork tide I expected the next wave to contain the Warboss, he'd need to maintain his control. Show he was competent or end up as Gorgutz during the chaos campaign for Winter assault. The only way to do that here was by winning this fight. Except there was just one problem.

"That mist isn't clearing up!"

There was so much in the way, and while it tended to dissipate quickly, as I saw before, but the sheer volume of it!

"If they try to flank us..." It would make sense to them, just go around the mist. We were in a fixed position so they had no real reason to rush. I was just about to start repositioning a bunch of my brood when a few loud bangs in the distance were caught by the Tyranid Warrior.

There was a screeching sound in the air and I just had the time to crank my head up before an artillery shell struck the ground behind us. Blasting a bunch of Spore mines. More and more shells were being shot over the most and I was going to order a retreat back but most were missing. The few that hit on did blow open bunkers and trenches, and a few of the Exodites were killed as well. Yet will art the ones detonating near the line and setting off more mines behind them. I felt it would have been worse to have the brood leave their covered position to retreat.

The Orks had artillery, which was inaccurate but still took a toll on my forces and the integrity of my defenses. I tried having Termagants to shepherd the Eldar into the bunker or trenches but they pointed their guns threatening as they tried getting them off. It was only when, I assumed, the Psyker man send out a message to comply did everyone take cover. It likely saved many lives as a lost two more bunkers and even two Centaurs, crippled beyond their ability to shoot or even move.

The ground was even shaky from the blasts and craters they made. I was glad to have chosen to sit down and lean my back against a wall, cause my body might have fallen over. My Spore mines were being destroyed and ruining fields for both the second and first lines. Soon I wouldn't have minefields on either!

I thought this was going to be a constant thing, yet as the minutes ticked by and the shells lobbed over. The most cleared and soon enough Orks began to trickle over. We could do nothing really, out of range and pressing my marksmen allies. This wave, while not as big as the first was sizable enough to be a serious threat to me.

"Perhaps two-thirds the size of the first..." These guys were mainly Shoota Boyz and did what they did best on the move. Waste their ammo on trying to hit anything. That was only an issue when they got close and the amount of bullet drop and scatter diminished.

They kept coming and I could even eye some really large Orks somehow bellowing louder than the ones around them.

"Nobz!" I realized aloud. "But how are the rangers going to pick them off with all these shells dropping!"

As is that had signal some kind of hidden cue on a play the shells had stopped. I was immediately confused, the Orks were nowhere near here so why stop firing? Were they out of shells? Did their Warboss order them to? I wracked my brain for the answer before it came to me.

"The Exodites! They must've known what this was doing to my defenses, and took them out!" Not that the Orks seemed to notice or mine. Too dead set on closing the distance and getting into a proper fight.

I managed to nudge the Eldar out of their shelters far easier than getting them under them. With speed and grace, the remainder of them were on the top of their respective bunkers and picking targets. Just as the Orks cross the dugout trap and all the ruined vehicles. Nobz began to drop like flies soon thereafter. Their leadership was falling as fast as they could manage.

Termagants began to fire, not as grand as a volley ss the first time around. It was definitely not enough as this force was moving like a block and too many mines had been blown by the artillery. The Orks were also shooting back better now and some shots were landing. Rockets hitting their marks, more through sheer volume of fire than being properly aimed. Throughout the whole battle, I felt more and more voids open up from the Gaunt losses, but here they seemed to slowly accelerate in size. It seemed like this was when I'd send in my Hormagaunts to charge and try and bunch them up for the Centaurs and few mines laid about.

That was when I spotted him, the biggest Ork I had been thus far in an equally huge suit of armor. Likely powered and a huge cannon on the right arm and a clawed hand on the left. He was bellowing orders from the middle of the formation, to use that word as loosely as possible. I had the Tyranid Warrior stretch out one of its only two free arms to point and growled, the Psyker man turned annoyed before following that finger. Then snapping back to his scope.

He took care and precision with his rifle and I smiled knowing this would be the moment the tide turned. He fired... and the Warboss turn his head ever so slightly to only get nicked on the back of his skull. The massive Orks turned and wasted no time leveling his arm cannon and after a second or so a blue ball of plasma shot out from it. It soared fast through the air and I reacted through impulse alone to grab the Eldar back by his leg and clutch him to my chest. Turning and crouching just in time for the ball of blue death to take off the top of the bunker. Showering the Tyranid Warrior's back with bits of burning and splintered wood.

I took a moment to look over my confused Psyker before laying him down to look back at the Warboss. He had taken another shot and blew open another bunker top and ranger off. The line would fall apart as soon as the Orks got here in just a few moments. I didn't have enough melee-focused Tyranids to deal with that having o focus all my time into ranged units. I was in the process of ordering my Centaurs to focus their fire on the Warboss when a weight climbed over my back and rested their gun over my head.

The Tyranid Warrior became a stone statue as the man atop it took careful aim while his target was busy sending yet another shot down range. His armored Nobz bodyguards were no help to the blue beam that tore through the Ork's left temple and out the right. Vaporizing its brain matter and dropping the Warboss like a sack of bricks.

I allowed for a few mines to detonate and Centsuars to carve holes into the Orks ranks. It didn't do much to the still hundreds of greenskins but what it did do was force them to consider the prospect that they were losing and soon enough broke and fell back once they realized their Nobz were dead. They were kept on the run by continued sniper fire up and down the line as well as over my head. Keeping any larger Ork from establishing any semblance of order. The few Orks are bloodthirsty enough to keep charging and were much easier to mow down than before.

With an Exodite firmly on my back I rode out as my Hormagaunts, Ravengers, and Termagants surged out. I didn't even need to think that, it was like the muscles in my legs moving to chase after the Orks. Our progress was slowed by the few that tried stopping us and many small and large bands broke off to flee in all directions. If the Exodites were doing their part in already attacking the retreating Orks I needed to assist them. Partially because I wanted to be seen doing my part and also because even if they weren't out there I still wanted to follow the plan as much as possible.

The Orks kept running, being slowed by the holes created from the Spore mines, their artillery, and the wrecks of their vehicles. My brood couldn't keep up through. We were running into the same obstacles and needed to finish off any wounded Ork. My rider still firing round after round, heads being torn open from the back. They managed to flee into the treeline and I was sure some would be slowed by the Exodites. Some gunfire howls of pain came as we closed and rammed past the wilting foliage, collapsed trees, and carefully decrewed artillery guns.

The Tyranid Warrior slowed as it sensed my panic and desire to soak in the carnage. The other 'Nids were carried on by the Sargents to fulfill their last orders. I stared into the violence, Orks of every size were being hacked apart or shot down. One with a rocket launched paused for one second to fire and was shredded by shuriken rounds. Blade-wielding warriors surged out to meet any Greenskin that tried to charge the various firing line. Their powered blades easily sliced through the Orks choppas.

Then their clumsy armored chests.

But what scared me most wasn't the surgical precision they hacked down hundreds of Orks with, not the strength they poured into the retreating greenskins, nor the efficiency of their movements and strikes...

But that fact that the warriors doing so were not the half armored forces of the Exodites but the properly armored aspects warriors of an Asuryani Craftworld.

We decimated the Ork forces in short order, or should I say: The Banshees hacked apart, Guardians riddled them with holes, the Fire Dragons vaporized any armored Boyz they could linen up shots on. And my God they were a lot of Wraithguards present! Their cannons shooting howling holes into the warp and blowing holes into the ranks of the larger bands or focusing fire on the Orks that looked to be rallying any of his fellows. They cut the Orks down with such precision, such marvelous zeal, and so much grace I had the Tyranid Warrior stand for a while to just watch it all unfold. I didn't even register the shots being fired by the man still on my back.

My brood was nipping at the heels of the Greenskins as well. Hormagaunts and Revengers dragging the slowest down to slice their heads off before chasing down the next slowest. Slowly but surely my various broods were widdling down the fleeing Orks but it was in no way as efficient as what the Craftworlds were doing. Especially with their abundance of Wraithguards. We weren't fighting side by side more like next to one another and not even acknowledging the other.

The Orks were soon not even routed, within the hour they were utterly wiped out with flame throwers setting some piles alight before the Craftworlders just bolted off. Before I could even get their insignia. Not even sparing a moment to speak with their Exodite cousin who tried to approach. I didn't dare follow and pulled everything back expecting an attack that never came. They just rolled in, did most of the work finishing the Orks, and ran off without so much as a loss to the hundreds of phantoms that showed up.

"...I gotta get the heck outta here now."


After I was certain the Orks had been thoroughly taken careful and dispatched Sargents to maintain the gathering of the non-burning bodies. Like nerves sending pulses to keep the body working. I had the Tyranid Warrior lean down to offer the Psyker man a ride back but he decided to just walk... For like one minute before realizing the distance back and climbing onto the back of the Synaptic creature without a word. The rangers were standing about but guarded, I gave them a wide berth to show they weren't in any danger and was surprised when the man didn't approach them but dropped off in front of the Tyranid Warrior and asked to speak with me.

It wasn't long as he left the gun with his fellows behind to me halfway.

"It's done then, the Orks have been scattered and their threat has been stopped with minimal involvement from my people." He said smiling graciously.

"That was the plan yes, it... went a lot better at the end than I expected." I shrugged trying not to look like I was panicked and likely failed due to the knowing expression he held.

"Elor Ororu."

I paused wondering if that word was what I thought it was. "Pardon?"

"My name is Elor Ororu, you have kept your word thus far Michael and I... appreciate meeting someone so amicable."

"Especially after getting so much flak from making a private deal with me mainly to protect his woman."

I supposed he wasn't that bad of a guy, it's not like that ambush he was leading was done for personal reasons. Elor wasn't a bad guy and I was kind of hoping he'd get some recognition for going along with this plan. I mean just how many Eldar died dealing with the Orks?

"Will you be seizing the Ork vessel as before?" He seemed to have realized my interest went beyond just killing Orks here.

"Yeah, I'll be spending a lot of my time building up my forced to take over that crash site."

He nodded knowing full well the best thing to do here was to keep up any infighting. "Yes, now that the final Warband is scattered the Orks should be a far simpler foe to deal with."

It took me a second to process this information.

"Final Warband?" Like that was the last major threat posed by the Greenskins? That is what final means, the absolute last one! I was seriously concerned about this because if the Orks begin to wan in their threat level then just how long before clean-up ends? How long before they turn to look at the Tyranids wandering about. This might also mean I would fall into their crosshairs before long... And the Craftworlders were already here for who knows how long before an army of warriors show up to kill me.

I used every ounce of self-control I could muster from deep within my consciousness to not express any of this outwardly. The Tyranids seemed to mine, feeling as of they wanted to jump out and hack apart the Exodites now they were beginning to be classified as a threat. I got them to calm down, no need to spark the inevitable war now. The Craftworlders being here didn't seem to surprise Elor so he probably invited them without telling me.

"Well I too was withholding information so I suppose this should be expected."

"It shall not take long to be finished with the Ork threat after long." As is the man needed to say that. The tone he held made me think there was some kind of a point he was going to make. "Events have been set in motion that shall cleanse our world of any foreign entities soon."

Was that a warning about an impending plan against me? Why would he do that?

"I suppose you guys would be doing just that, it's the sensible option..."

"Yes, and the Galaxy is a massive place with many worlds besides the one we now stand upon. Many you could find that isn't a chaotic battlefield, where no one is aware of your existence."

"Is he warning me to leave or has Elor figured out my real intentions for taking over the crash site...?" I left the nose of Tinker's creation but could he ascertain its use from it alone? What was the man's angle? Sure I would like to leave. That is why I am doing this but why would be warning me and trying to encourage me to take off from this planet?

I needed to know Elor's motivations for this- "No wait I know what it is! His lady friend can get killed if they attack me. He's already confirmed to be on thin ice with his people, plus he could be concerned about another conflict wrecking his planet further."

All were likely and valid reasons so he was being serious about warning me to leave the planet. I had to resist the urge to jump into the air and start dancing, this was certainly something I could make use of!

"Perhaps if there was some other world without such difficulties as this one, I'd head there for easier prey..." I gave him the most obvious pointed look I could form and he nodded gathering want I wanted.

"We shall speak again... Michael."


As I mentioned at the beginning there shall be no update next week, I shall be busy then, things shall resume as normal the week after.