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I want to kill every last one of those Exodites, to decimate their Craftworld cousins and size their precious Maiden World for me to use to build a home for the Hybrids. I was angry, spurred on by grief and the sense of betrayal and inadequacy for a self-appointed protector. So I had told the ship to immediately make for the same direction we came from and the FTL vessels to begin the long change for the jump as soon as possible. Which was apparently an immediate charging to my delight. My mind began envisioning the grand fleet that would be slowly amassed in Auralia. That in the coming days the Exodites would assume their world was finally safe from the horrors of war and would see the sky darken and drop pods and feeding spires descend to overtake them. A sea of Charapace organic blades overtakes them in a matter of days as their war machines burn from organically produced plasma and acids. Of Spore mines raining from the sky to blast any bastion they have or build so they drown in the chemical clouds that burn their skin off and sheer their lungs so they fill with blood.
Up and down my chest went as the pain I felt subsided and the pounding at the back wanned in intensity. Until it was gone and I had the time to consider my next actions with far more tact than before. I was in the main chamber or common room or the place where the Genestealer patriarch once lived in and our food container now sat. My mind was so consumed with murderous thoughts of revenge I could barely register Norma laying next to me on the mound of flesh. Her mind tried to comfort that pain and anger felt. It was only when more of the Hybrids around us began to feel concerned about my mental state did I finally break away from them. Their combined efforts made me realize just how fearful they had become of the hateful plans of conquest I was planning.
It was enough to have me wonder if any of this was coming from a rational part of my mind. That thing in the back of my head was pounding as I was imagining all that. So I took a moment to wonder if global genocide would fit Elor's betrayal and the involvement of the Craftworld forces. Going on the warpath because I was angry didn't sound nor felt like a sound action. I wanted to make them suffer for straight up trying to kill me even when I tried approaching them with words and acting as a kind host. Which of course led directly to Absalom's death...
I cranked my head down at the body armor I still wore and my hands still covered in his drying blood. I was so wrapped up in getting the ship moving and just laying here absorbed in my own thoughts I never thought to find a way to clean any of it off yet. Some of the water the ship made or maybe just the spawning pool later.
It had been a couple of hours since it all happen and now I was thinking... Would genociding an entire planet of Eldar be the best decision here?
I wanted revenge, to get back at them for it. Cause I was totally going to leave them be and avoided conflict with them, they were the ones provoking me. Plus that world might be war-torn but hopping around the find another out-of-the-way planet where someone bumping into me is at a minimum is next to nothing if my luck is any indication. Yet it's not as if everyone in that world screwed me over, there's gonna be children, and just families trying to get any calm existence out of this chaotic universe. Exodites in general just wanna be left alone to be dinosaur riding hunter-gatherers. If I really wanted to take that place it would be a full genocide, no co-existing could occur there. I am not stupid enough to presume that would work.
It also brought on a rather disheartened idea, that their betrayal just made too much sense. Genestealers could infect just about anyone and they can look and act perfectly normal before wham, their mindless drones for the Hivemind. It's happened a couple of times in the Chiapas Cain books. For all they knew this was just a version of the Hivemind that knew what diplomacy was and how to use it effectively. That combined with the fact that killing synaptic creatures didn't disrupt the brood as it should likely create this sense of a newly formed Tyranid threat. One the Craftworlders might have thought to nip in the bud before it could expand into a far greater threat. This meant that any chance of negotiating with someone was going to be extremely difficult or downright impossible without a strong common foe and would not last long beyond that.
My appearance's slow change from fully human to having Tyranid parts like my left ear, cheek, and especially my fully red eyes. That they wanted me dead wasn't too unreasonable. Which didn't mean I agreed nor wasn't going to ignore Absalom's death at their hand. That part is entirely their fault.
However, going down the genocide road wasn't the path I should head down, in fact. I had hoped with every fiber of my being to avoid it all at one point. That's partially why I left Typhon and that sub-sector in the first place. Yet there was a good chunk of me now that we just kill with the idea of genocide and breaking sprite stones. I recalled moving my jaw to mimic the action at the time and enjoyed the idea of damming the Eldar to Slaaneshi. My reservations about that had enough time to surface and ask what the hell is wrong with me. It's one thing to kill in self-defense but to knowingly make people suffer?
That would be crossing a line... right?
...Yeah and one I needed to redraw deeper and with some bright ink to remind me not to think about stepping over it in a fit of anger again...
As much as it irked me, I needed to leave this sector now and that planet alone before I did something irrational. Couldn't take it back... and would probably deeply regret it later. I wasn't some mass-murdering psychopath nor did I want this universe to turn me into another one. Leaving to find another home for the Hybrids and a nice place to bury Absalom with the best tombstone I could make the guy was the best choice I could make. The buzzing at the back of my neck slowly fading only confirmed that this was what needed to be done.
"It's not what I want but it can be justified and that is more important than my personal feelings."
We were charging up to travel to Aurelia, I could tell then to stop and redirect to some location on the data slate Elor gave me. Might as well see if it's any good, if not... I would float that boat when we-
My eyes shot open and I strang up, startling the Hybrids with the sudden movement and hearing them wondering thoughts about my actions.
It was because we were under attack, another projectile impacted the armored shell of the Biocruiser. It didn't take long to have a report from the other ships and it didn't surprise me as you who was trying to kill us. The sleek, fast-moving Eldar vessel came around to strafe us once more, there was thankfully just one but it was one of the larger ones. It moved fast as to befuddle the Biocruiser's plasma batteries and tentacles which flared about to try and ward them away. As panicked as I was it wasn't too bad, we were almost ready to jump and they had no FTL besides the Webway so I assume things would be okay. No one could feel any of the shots hitting where we were. Nor was the ship acknowledging any major damage from the hits.
The idea of us getting away with little trouble disappeared as a small craft flew under intense anti-fighter plasma fire. To impact along the underbelly where hundreds of drop pods were usually primed and then launched from. It was empty so three penetrated fairly easily and disembarked its cargo. The fast movement of running feet was relayed from the Bioship to me and I knew we had been boarded. The doors were all sealed but they likely had powered blades with how easily they began to slice through them. Then my little fleet jumped away, only slightly safer than before as now there wasn't a warship shooting at us.
Instantly I called for every single Tyranid either still nodded or in the spawning pool. I didn't have much, most made were sent down to cover my retreat, and the ones I didn't have were not fully developed or too few in numbers. I mean they were Gaunts the whole point for then was to drown an enemy in numbers. So the eleven Hormagaunts and eight Termagants were basically just a stalling force. The ones I had born early brought those numbers to twenty and fourteen respectively. It was both still too few and varied in quality. None of them had any armored plates, some of their skins weren't properly made and I could feel the air burning them. Some of their blades were half the size. Some Termagants didn't have guns nor ammo. I still had plenty of Sore mines, Lord knows that I had them for days. But the wisdom of using explosive creatures that made gigantic acid clouds inside of an organic ship with tight corridors... Well, they were immediately thrown off the table.
The two Raveners were completely useless. One had no eyes or blades or teeth the other slithered out with its arms curled up to its main body. Attached to the skin there, not developed for movement just yet. It was a sad force to bare, but the only one I had available for me. I looked about at the dozens of Hybrids, their many limbed forms, bulging heads, and balding heads, and knew they were all going to die if I just had all of them run off and hide.
Few armsmen were with us, like four with their own lasguns, plus mine and Tinker's mess of a machinegun. But there were twelve late-generation Genestealers with claws that I knew could rip open the armored forms of the Eldar. I didn't want to do this, but it was their lives on the line same as mine, and therefore their fight as well.
"Everyone with a gun and good claws with me!" I stood, ripping off the armor knowing it wouldn't help anyway. "The rest head deeper into the ship and stay out of this."
With that, I easily imparted on the Eldar boarders and the severity of the situation. Tinker and the Hybrids who could fight funneled outta the room with me, while the rest moved without fuss, but no small amount of concern in the other direction. We met up with all the Gaunts, I knew the underdeveloped ones were bad but seeing them first had somehow made this more hopeless. They staggered and gurgled out, like babies really. Yet I had to deal with the cards I was dealt. I had the blind Ravener dragged alongside the one with eyes. They might be useless combatants but if they lied down atone the other I could have some degree of cover.
"Any Eldar that volunteers, because I know that was how that went down. To go inside a Tyranid Bioship to kill me is extremely dedicated to the cause."
Which meant I needed to kill every one of them, with no prisoners or negotiating. This could be therapeutic if I didn't have any Hybrids with me nor was about to fight a battle I could quite easily lose... Not even the beginnings of a plan forming would not ease that thought.
There had to be at least twenty Eldar, their weapon composition was unknown beyond the fact they had powered blades. I didn't know if they had any fusion cannons or any other heavy weapons. What I did know is that whoever sent them must be desperate to kill me, as this was a suicide mission. One I doubted they thought would work but tried it anyway.
"A straight-up fight down a corridor would be as even as it could get. I'd be funneling my brood and Hybrids down one way and restrict our ability to shoot all our spike, ballistic, and lasguns at once. Lest we hit melee friendlies. Or they just throw a grenade or shoot a fusion cannon."
No, I needed to get them close immediately where my whole force of mostly lackluster 'nids could stall. While the Hybrids do all the real work pulling the Eldar down.
To accomplish this I had some of the developed Hormagaunts surge ahead to attack the invaders the moment they cut open a doorway. I was making that a bit easier so we weren't waiting for hours. The attacks failed but were to encourage them to keep moving in a straight line. Because I doubted try knew where they were going, rather following the resistance as that had to mean they were going to something important. And I waited for several yards behind a side doorway behind five shoulder-to-shoulder Termagants with my Lasgun aimed at full-auto. Having a ship that could feel the Eldar as they crept through was amazing, I bet they were trying to be so sneaky.
They crossed over the door and it retracted open, the Termagants and I opened up before it was fully open. My las-rounds spewed out ahead of the lethal spikes as the Eldar expertly dodged with that speed they were known for. It was not entirely unexpected for us to fail at getting one kill and shuriken rounds flee back as I fled. Staying low enough to be covered by the Termagants while still firing the lasgun, the weapon had literally no recoil and was easy to fire one-handed while I ran. As expected the Termagants didn't last long under the molecular cutting shurikens. After they fell I ran faster than I ever had before, likely helped by whatever enhancements I was steadily getting. The ship told me they were hot on my tail but thankfully didn't have to run far before I had it to the twin Ravener's cover.
One over the other that mass was shall but would do its job. I didn't peer over them and refrained from bind firing. They saw a human fighting alongside Tyranids and knew it had to be me and raced to get this over with. Did they suspect a trap and just didn't care? I don't know but shuriken fire kept me pinned as the melee Banshees surged forwards ready for the kill. Then they stepped in between two other doorways, this was a juncture, hence why the corridors seemed to open up into it. Then two doorways opened up beside them and out poured the underdeveloped 'nids and Hybrids.
To the Banshee's credit, they were skilled warriors, reacting fast and turning to hack away at the flanking threats. They did so with intense speed and agility, some weaved past and sliced into the Termagant's flesh with no effort. They had powered blades, little in the Galaxy could block those. Many more were knocked down by the 'nids and Hybrids scurried over to start ripping open their armored forms. Or just ripping their necked off, all we're being pounced on but all took their toll from us. My heart sank as I felt a few Hybrids die or recoiled in pain from having their limbs cut off or torsos opened. The whole thing was this coordination-less affair with squirts of blood, purple ichor, and chunks of flesh, and shouts of the dying and wounded rang out. All in what could only be described as an orgy of violence.
The Guardians or Dire Avengers or whomever had the rifles and was behind the chaotic melee were too engaged. Although it was from behind. Tinker's distinct 'Waaagh!' and heavy machinegun began spewing rounds along with several lasguns as Hormagaunts charged to draw their fire or exploit a difference in their target priorities. They would be dealt with but not before the Banshees.
I took aim with my lasgun, looking to assist in ending the melee as soon as possible to hit the ranged units from two sides. Yet one of the women, whose chest was behind eagerly torn into by a Hybrid, held up an object of sorts and soon it glowed dangerously. My mind instantly clicked with what it was.
I knew it was a grenade and like before all the 'Nids reacted to my fear disregarding their previous victims to leap toward out to cover it. To my shock and horror, many Hybrids did the same. I tried to cry out for them to stop, it send out a message to he away or lay flat on the floor to cover themselves. Yet I had no time.
The explosion engulfed everyone and blew me and my cover backwards.
So many holes opened up, and so many of the Hybrids I ordered into combat with me. Most of them were gone in an instant, the only reason why the blast didn't instantly kill me was that their bodies slammed the grenade to the floor. How didn't I think of the Eldar trying to suicide themselves? Why didn't I even consider the possibility of them doing anything of the sort on what was clearly a suicide mission!?
I sat up as tears began to drip down my cheeks, more died because I didn't consider the plainly fucking obvious. There was still shooting ahead of me and I staggered up, not willing to let any more die without me trying to help. I almost started to run when I noticed a Banshee get on her feet, assisted by a staff with a large blade with one curved edge. Not quite a spear but defiantly holding the reach of one.
She turned and I backed up trying to draw up the lasgun I still held. She was far too well trained to remain dizzy for very long and surged forwards, thrusting the weapon out to kill. I began firing prematurely, mainly by panicking reflex as my tear-stricken eyes saw death approaching. As fortune would have it the explosion knocking me back and just backing up, in general, allowed me to get past the threshold of a doorway. Not that I noticed but the Bioship did and reacted accordingly to protect its owner by having the flesh close in. The Banshee noted this and kicked off the ground, soaring briefly and jabbing her weapon out.
With speed I wasn't even aware of my body jerking out of the way, leaving my shirtless armor less chest safe. But not fast enough to keep my right shoulder to be tickled by the power field. Which was enough to open the skin and cut clean through the bone. It was brief and meant the arm wasn't taken off but as I drew away and fell over it flopped open. Blood squirted out from the many severed arteries and I screamed, it was a sheering pain I had never felt before. Even being shot didn't hurt this badly, I was swearing like sailor for a brief moment before it subsided and the pounding ad the back of my head were back with a vengeance.
I heard the grunts of exertion and looked up to see the Xenos woman stuck at the waist in the door. She was clearly in pain from the sheer force being exerted on all sides. I glared angrily, this wasn't a civilian, but a soldier who joined in and aided in the death of so many. No different from the ones killed that ambushed the meeting.
With speed I was quickly becoming accustomed to I ran forwards and ignored the pain of my flapping arm. My foot came down on the staff and knocked from her hand. She had the time to crank her head up as my left arm sized her throat and I squeezed.
Every muscle in my arm that contributed to the tightening of my grip went into overdrive. The strength 'gifted' to me by the Tyranid race had her neck straining to hold me back, just before collapsing with an audible snap.
One I won't deny enjoying the sound of.
I held the position for a few moments before releasing to hold my should and arm in place. Her head flopped at an unusual and unhealthy angle and I shivered at what I had just done. I still choose to do it and like every second of it, but was a bit surprised by how quickly I had done it. With one bare hand no less.
I allowed my legs to give and sat down, trying to keep my arm connected and dealing with the sharp sting of pain. It was holding on by a few muscles and tendons right now. This would heal, I knew it would if I just gave it time and wrapped it right against the wound.
"Okay... I'm really... going back to sub-sector Aurelia... there are ships there I'll need for this to us to be safe." I kept trying to hold the wound shut as the last of the Eldar were pinned down and rattled with spike fire. I needed some way to protect the Hybrids and myself to keep a boarding action like this from happening again. We were too vulnerable... I was too vulnerable, I needed a new body, one that could give me the strength to prevent this reliance on the Hybrids from happening again. I knew of one place where I could get that done.
My hibernation pod.
After the Eldar we're cut down I was tended to by a mournful Norma in among all the empty pods being used to grow many more 'nids for boarding defense or general defense. All of the Hybrids were filled with sorrow at the loss of so many over so short a time. Eventually, their focus shifted to the 'Great Carrier' being wounded. She was extremely carefully tying some cloth from a shirt to pin my arm and it still stung like hell, we had no medicine to help with that, unfortunately. The Eldar corpses were being dragged off to be broken down for their DNA to add any new creatures that would add to my template of troops.
"Thanks," I said as she finished tying the clothing under my left arm to hold. "We're going to be hunted across the galaxy now, and this ship will be their main target. I don't want anybody to be off and along no more. From now on remain in one large group in the main chamber." It would make protecting them all the easier, as deep in the ship meant no one could penetrate with boarding craft. Plus I could set up rings of defense and have the main spawning on board within walking distance to deploy back up from behind or the side depending.
"Certainly Great Carrier." She smiled and nodded, taking it as casually as she did anything else and I told her. I use words to communicate this as they were people, they could feel emotions and form attachments to one another. That was something I didn't want to forget by treating them too much like Tinker or my brood.
"How much food do we have left?" I was down there for what had to be over a month and a half. I never brought back anything to eat and despite the fact we borough a hell of a lot of food a considerable dent had to be in it.
"There is plenty Great Carrier, shall I bring some?" She wasn't lying, but there were a lot of empty cans just piled up in a corner of a cargo container. Judging from what images I could gather they were rationing it but we were around halfway through all the food.
"We have that gunk the Biocruiser produces and could sustain off it. No one would argue but I doubted anyone would think it tasted good." I was glad to be asleep when that stuff was being pumped into my body.
"Please take care to ration it all, this trip back to Aurelia shall be as long as it was to leave it." For some reason I reached out with my good arm a patted her black hair. She blushed under the motion, her mind filling with warm thoughts from the touch. I just stared into her innocent and absorbed the good feelings, it was nice but it also felt weird. Norma probably would have thought the same had she not been brainwashed.
"I shall be entering the pod to sleep and... Remake my body into something more suited for the conflict we'll face in this galaxy." After mulling over the idea for a while I decided I was already part Tyranid, with bits of my face and the eyes to show for it. So why not roll with it now and give me the strength to properly defend myself. "So don't go making any more food and placing it around the pod for me to wake up to okay?"
The last thing I wanted was for them to waste our steadily draining canned goods like that. I added a strict telepathic message out to everyone, the same strength to ensure they didn't try breeding and that worked out so why not here? Then with a parting hug from Norma, I ducked under the pod's entrance.
"Here I go again."
Except when I left next time I wouldn't be able to call myself human anymore. I'd looked the part in some respects if I told the Biocruiser and it follows well enough during the process. If this hurt, it will hurt. If this does turn out as I picture, then it won't. And if this kills me, is an end result I'm willing to accept and roll with. With that, I began inserting the tubes once more, it wasn't any easier than before and it took a hot minute to get all three down. I had used the Bioship to change Gaunts into Sargents and I had something within me changing my body anyway. Really this was accelerating this to better suit my needs.
If I didn't have enhanced strength I wouldn't have been able to run fast enough from those Eldar boarders. Or get out of the way of that spear thrust. Not to mention my enhanced eyesight helped me navigate through the Ork vessel when the Eldar showed their hand. So I needed to be personally ready for everything that would come next.
The Eldar were so willing to try a boarding action, than who's to say they'd just give up immediately after I left. No, the Craftworlders especially see me as a threat to be dealt with and I wasn't the optimist to think they weren't coming after me right this moment. A fleet and new body for myself was what everyone else needed. It's not like I wanted to join the Imperium anyway, so completely changing my appearance wasn't hurting my chances for any peaceful or normal life. If those words even have meaning in 40K.
"I am just leaving instructions for the ship to follow the best it can. It worked before with the Gaunts and even that one advanced Ripper I made."
So the ship was good at extrapolating exactly what I wanted it to do. That helped calm me as the dark green fluid filled the pod and some goop slid into my stomach. I still wondered what sort of body I would have when I woke up, and if this would even be worth it...
"No, this is what needs to be done. Not what I want but it can be justified and that is more important than my personal feelings."
