"Normal speech"

"Gothic around non-Imperials."

"Mental Links."

"Ship Names."

Hey everybody! We're back in business. Now for my excuses; their actually pretty good for once. Number one I had exams way back in May/June so that took up some time but hey I passed with flying colours. Then during late June I had a small operation on my back. And as you may/may not know post-op drugs are fricking hallucinogenic! I was off my god damn mind for the better part of two weeks on those and it's a little off putting for you writing when you can't sit straight. Anyway during my hospital stay I contracted a rather nasty lung infection. This is where it gets good. I almost died. Twice. According to my G.P. if they hadn't finally found a brand of antibiotics that the accursed little bacteria weren't resistant to it would have killed me within a week. That happened twice, so as you imagine facing you mortality before your even twenty is a bit of a mind fuck. So that put me back a little. Plus a little overworking of my Beta with this monstrous chapter didn't help.

So here we are: longest wait ever super-longest chapter ever (almost a mini-story in its own right). Seems fair. I think? Whatever, hope you enjoy it.

skipper 1337: Sorry no he's not a Farseer. He´s the director of the intelligence department, meaning its his job to know what everyone in the galaxy had for breakfast. That's why he seems to have foresight. He's just that well informed. It's more subtle than a blank, but yeah that's the basic idea. And I guess if you want to think that way they are like Necrontyr with Eldar tech. The Asgard have long ago abandoned ethics, after all it begs the age old question. Just how do they know so much about our brains? Thanks bye the way.

The strip mining is done with little or no regard for the future. After all there isn't going to be one if they are all dead. The practice is unilaterally considered a last chance sort of thing.

That was a scaling issue. At the time of publishing there wasn't an official designation of size and even then estimates varied wildly. So I took rough Imperial sizes and mashed them into Stargate until I got a couple of sizes that could fit. Sorry if that seems stupid but it was all I had to work with at the time and it helped integrate the two techs. Also the Cruiser to Battleship ratio is because they need ships 'on the ground' so to speak but they also need firepower against the Replicons so more Battleships are in the attack fleet and more Cruisers or out on patrol.

I hope you got the answer to the rest of you questions in the PM if not tell me and I'll resend it. Oh and keep up the good work with the side story! It's great! Victory is simply greater Perseverance.

Nim Maj: Good idea but that just leaves too many problem because who ever wins is going to be 'god mode' strong. So it will have to be handled the old fashioned way. With guns; lots and lots of guns. Hope is sin.

AngelForm: Thanks. I know the SGC loves its Deus Ex and I have got some of that but I though a nod to the old Navy boys and their love of blowing shit up was better for the Replicons the Tyranids get a Dues Ex, sort of, though. The SG ships are too fast, minus Wraith Hives, for broadside to broadside bombardment to the tactic is a flop from the get go. Burn the Unclean with the fires of Purity.

Huitt1989: Thank you so much! All this praise is going to my head. I hope this lives up to your expectations. Ignorance is a virtue.

Thrans: Um… sorry. Thanks anyway even though you'll probably never read this. And yes, oh god yes. Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of it.

Lol: Sorry. Its already mega-length and I couldn't find a way to jam it in. In short their a bit freaked out by the militarism but other than that they like the Imperials. Even though you once called him friend, the Traitor has forsaken you. Show no mercy even if he begs for it, for his soul is tainted and given the chance he will betray your trust.

Nerupe: Thanks. It's sad, kind of, for the Zerfàrim at the same time it's good to go out and do new things. And god bless Walter, he's there the entire ten years. Watches everyone else climb the ranks but I don't think he ever gets a promotion. Not even once. Praise the sun that brings the dawn of our final doom.

SGT CJC: Thanks. Sorry about that but my spellchecker hates me. (See author page). Here is a new one hope you enjoy. The greatest man is but a ripple on the surface of space.

GOOD GOD: Behold and be amazed! Be just and fear naught.

Thieri Ghen'Hòar obediently followed behind the bobbing body of the Furling as it moved through the city. She kept her head low to avoid the cold stares of the other Zerfàrim. Someone had started a rumour that the horrendous losses suffered during the Imperial attack were her fault. Her family had nearly disowned her when their political rivals had pounced on her and only Lord Commander Àsthar's intervention had stopped her court martial. To keep herself from falling into a spiral of misery she had volunteered to stay with the Furling. That had been a mistake; they must have been walking for hours and hours, if she hazarded a guess they were on the far side of the city from the Council Chambers and the Imperial landing craft. The humans and Asgard had returned to their Thunderhawk for a meal, after hanging around the Council Chambers for most of the morning waiting for a verdict, and then the Furling spewed some nonsense babblings about exploration and wandered off. When she had offered to keep it out of trouble they had told her in no short order not to let the Furling out of her sight. One of the Asgard, Tror she believed, had warned her that the Furling could be incredibly dangerous. She had seen nothing to indicate such a threat from the enigmatic being but heeded the warning. That decision was doing a number on her nerves; her hand slowly inched towards the Pulse pistol at her hip when the large six eyed head moved a little too close to a random female's face. The poor Zerfàrim in question just backed away slowly from the large brown suit before it could make another move.

A sound like glass shattering echoed from the Furling and the civilians, whom had seemed so uninterested and aloof a moment ago, scattered in every direction. "All Hollow."

"What?" Ghen'Hòar asked with as much politeness as she could muster.

The Furling turned to face her, its deep blue eyes burning with an intensity she could barley understand. Then they died. She gasped as hundreds of scenarios raced through her mind. What if it was hurt? Sick? Dead! The Imperials would react violently; that was almost a given. They would demand answers. They would find answers. And then they would take their revenge. Quickly and without remorse. She grew frantic at the mental images of her world in flames. Then just as suddenly as its eyes had died a blue light began to emanate from the back of the Furling. Ghen'Hòar paused in her mad dash to the creature's side. Her hand automatically snapped to her sidearm, fearing some form of attack.

What emerged from the brown suit was beyond her wildest dreams. Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis the deep blue thing unfurled itself from the back of the now limp suit. Ghen'Hòar felt a wave of power, a feeling like static electricity, wash over her body for an instant as the creature reached its full height. However she was far too focused on the first thought that sprang to her mind; this creature was deadly. Claws that looked sharper than the finest of blades adorned the things hands. Jagged protrusions lined the creature's body making any attempt to grapple with it suicide. And a thunderstorm of endless purple clouds filled the things core. Blue sparks danced along its entire body as it reached into the empty suit and pulled out a small silver device. Before she could even start to sort through the thousands of questions that wanted to pour out of her mouth the creature held the device to its flat face. The blue substance shifted in a mass of sparks as it absorbed the silver device into itself.

"What..." She swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. "What are you doing?" She finished, training her Pulse pistol on the strange creature.

She jumped as the suit sprang to life next to its former occupant. Her moment of distraction cost her. She caught the blue thing moving at a surprising velocity out the corner of her eye. Impulsively she fired her weapon at it; before the realisation of what she had done had even struck home the blue bolt struck a shimmering wall of air and dissipated harmlessly. A sky blue hand clamped around her head; the thing was cold to the touch like stone and, like she had suspected, it felt harder than steel. She screwed her eyes shut, awaiting the horribly feeling of her skull caving in. It never came. Light assaulted her shut eyes and the hand on her head began to shrink. She warily cracked open one eye only to come face to face with a clone of herself.

Her clone moved her face in a truly unnatural way in what she assumed was an attempt to smile and made several strange chimes that seemed to emanate from her – its – chest. "Greetings... From the Furling Dominion."

Ghen'Hòar fainted.

Reality tore open as a bleeding wound right through sub-space and into the Warp. The unfortunate Frigate caught in the sanity defying Warp tear was ripped apart as the laws of reality ceased to apply. Pink bled into black as the Immaterium and Materium interlocked. Two Wraith Cruisers emerged unopposed into high orbit above the lightly colonised moon of Zerfàron.

Hammond almost broke his own neck when frantic screaming erupted on the bridge. "Warp tear in progress! The reality schism is affecting sub-space! Two ships emerging! Wraith Cruisers!"

Without thinking the aged General became the centre of the bridge. "All hands battle stations!" He roared. "Send a data dump to Atlantis! Move us into attack position!" Before the two Battleships guarding their Imperial counterpart could react an unstable hyperspace window had flashed into existence and spat out the Fenrir ten thousand kilometres sunward of Zerfàron.

Tharvèn was having a fit. Two enemy Cruisers had just appeared above Zerfàron's moon totally unopposed, and even worse undetected, then the Imperial ship had broken station keeping before it had any right to and jumped practically on top of Zerfàron. And as the coup de grâce none of his ships could form a hyperspace window leaving most of the fleet stranded at the systems edge or guarding the Imperial ship. The moon's only hope was the few Frigates and lonely Cruiser that could get into position before half the colony was glassed.

"What is the enemy doing?" He demanded, slumping into his chair.

"Unknown my Lord. They appear to be moving into a standard recon orbit of Zerfàron." There was a pause as the female's hands danced across her terminal. "We are receiving a data stream from the Imperials. They have projected that at least one Cruiser will attempt a suicide run on the Capital." She finished scowling at the generated image of the Wraith Cruiser smashing into the large dot designating the city below.

"My Lord two Frigates have de-cloaked and are beginning their attack." Tharvèn nodded once and turned to watch the battle that was so close yet so far away. "The `Dharis Meonarh is accelerating towards the enemy but won't reach them in time."

Space rippled as the cloaking devices were shut off, the power needed to operate their shields. Hammond watched in trepidation as the two tiny ships assaulted the Wraith Cruisers. The leading Frigate dove straight into a strafing run at the power core and engines hoping to at least disable the Cruiser. Its small Pulse-Lances burned brightly as they tried to punch through the unusually thick Wraith armour. A series of glowing red streaks marked its attempts but there were no fires of jets of crystallised air that would indicate a puncture. The Cruisers flipped end for end surprisingly quickly, the Frigate barley managed to avoid becoming an ornament, the Cruiser then unleashed a broadside of modulated energy blasts at its attacker. The nimble little Frigate spun away from the lazily aimed attack.

Hammond frowned, he knew for a fact that a Wraith Cruiser could shoot straighter than that. The Frigates Captain seemed to have the same thought as the ship tried to frantically move away. His eyes widened when the second Cruiser suddenly emerged from the shadow of the first angry gashes marred its hull from the attacks of the second, and so far ignored, Frigate. Spines mounted along the keel were forced outwards by rapid muscle contractions and miniature chemical explosions. The half organic and half metallic spines speared the Frigate in multiple places spilling its crew into the void. The Frigate spun with the force of the hits and was easy pickings for a second broadside from the first Wraith Cruiser. The second Frigate tried one last time to burn through to one of the Cruisers engines using its close range Fusion Batteries but the armour held back the assault. The Frigate corkscrewed round a series of purple energy blasts before it accelerated away towards the approaching Cruiser and its twin Frigate escort.

"Open a channel." Hammond growled. The entire bridge froze and glanced up at him.

"Sir?" Someone questioned.

"We need to stall so let's stall." He reiterated, he just hoped to whatever god was looking out for the Imperium that the Wraith still needed to stroke their own egos.

"Channel open." The sceptical communication's officer reported.

"Attention Wraith Cruisers." A grim smirk worked his way across his face. "You have violated a system under the protection of the Second Imperium of Man." He could almost hear the Eldars' spluttering. "Be gone or be destroyed."

There was a single heart beat. "Foolish humans, none can oppose the might of the Wraith." Thank God for the small mercies Hammond sighed in his mind.

A thousand light years away the Progenitor Hive turned her consciousness from subjugating the last of the Queens, finishing the assimilation of the world bellow and upgrading all her weakling children's flimsy ships. It seemed her foolish children couldn't resist these strange impulses living apart from the Hive Mind had given them. She had allowed them to retain their self-awareness and independent thought; after all it made them far superior warriors but it also seemed to be a major weakness. Later, after this galaxy was defenceless and easy prey, she would craft them a better sentience. With a thought all traces of individualism was erased from every Wraith in the fleet surrounding her feeding body. If a dialogue had been established then she might as well use it to gain information. So far the memories of the Wraith and the prey she had taken from the hidden vessels was sorely lacking in truth. Yes; gathering information was the most prudent course of action. It would also increase Her plan's chance of success. She reached across the vast gulf of space that separated Her from the two Cruisers and asserted Her will.

Hammond's retort died on his tongue as the Wraith before him started to spasm. The Wraith let lose a howl of pain and collapsed out of view. There was a moment's pause before it reappeared. Half its face was slack and blue blood leaked from its eyes and ears. It made several wet choking sounds before sucking in a huge lung full of air. A trail of drool leaked from one side of its mouth as its eyes seemed to glass over. The muscles in its face sprang back into action returning its visage to a disturbing blankness as it sucked in yet another huge breath of air. At this point Hammond was getting a bit freaked out.

"Well speak!" Hammond demanded of the Wraith. The Wraith's eyes rolled aimlessly in its head but he could feel a consciousness turn towards him.

"Th... Th... There..." The Wraith hissed drawing in a slightly more controlled breath. "There is... mu... much... talk. Now We... talk." The Wraith stuttered and growled out every syllable its voice completely different than a moment ago.

"And who are you?" Hammond asked, out of the corner of his eye he noted the time until they were in range of the Fenrir's Lances.

"We... We ha... Hav... Have many... N... Names." The intelligence that Hammond was sure wasn't the Wraith replied. "Who... Who are you?" It repeated at Hammond. The disturbing thing was it tried to emulate his accent.

"General George Hammond, United States Airforce and His Second Imperial Navy." Hammond replied crisply, watching as the Wraith's face went slack again.

The Wraith snarled as the Hive Mind finally got the majority of the Wraith's speech centres mapped out. Its glassy eyes snapped from their random rolling to pierce Hammond with a malevolence that was born of an immortal hunger. "Spawn of... my Enemy. We off... Offer a trade." The Wraith wheezed. "We go one way. You go another." Of course the moment the She had recovered enough the Hard Prey would pay a bloody toll.

Hammond didn't even pause to consider the offer. No way in hell was he going to trust an intergalactic compound mind of pure evil. "No." He spat at the Wraith's image.

The Wraith bared its teeth and shrieked, a sound that made everyone wince. "Why defend the Soft Prey? Not your own. Not self." The Wraith paused to pant a little; it seemed to be getting a better idea of how to breathe now.

"That is none of your concern. Now leave before I shoot you down." Hammond instructed gesturing with his hands for the Lance Batteries to lock onto the Cruisers.

The Wraith laughed. Or at least tried. It got about three quarters of the way through a single chuckle before it swallowed its own tongue. Hammond, and admittedly the rest of the bridge, watched in amazement as the Wraith slowly choked itself. After a small but surreal moment it stopped choking and turned back to Hammond. The Cruisers were in position. Time to act. The General suddenly felt an itch on the inside of his skull, he tried to ignore it but it only increased in intensity. "We see your world. So green. So plentiful. So alive. So much prey."

"Get out of my head!" Hammond shouted as the itch became a horrendous clawing just behind his eyes. "Fire!" He roared.

"We are Life! We are Existence! We have consumed galaxies of flesh and bone, air and water! We have beaten fleets of thousands! We are a timeless voice! Victory ever lasting!" The Hive Mind paused as Hammond's mind finally shielded itself from Her sight. "You will be nothing but food." The Hive Mind whispered as the Lance beam punched through the already damaged hull and vaporised the Cruiser's bridge.

The second Cruiser pulled away from the listing hulk of its counterpart only to be caught in a deadly crossfire of Pulse-Lances and Fusion Cannons from the Cruiser and the `Dharis Meonarh. The thoroughly holed Cruiser slowly lost momentum and fell towards the moon below. Hammond wiped the sweat from his brow and quickly ordered the floating hulks to be targeted and destroyed. No one questioned the order, they simply obeyed. Torpedoes streamed forth from the prow of the Orillia Class Battleship, their plasma cores building up power with a murderous intent. The remains of the first Wraith Cruiser were vaporised in the heart of a star. Before the second could meet a similar fate the three torpedoes tasked to its annihilation were speared by the whiteish-yellow beams of the sole Cruiser's Pulse-Lances.

"Stand down human!" The accented English of a Zerfàrim screamed from the Vox.

Hammond growled, those ships needed to be destroyed. Didn't the Eldar see that? "That Cruiser must be destroyed." He replied malice dripping from his voice.

"It is destroyed, you stupid human." The Captain spat back. The Cruiser smashed into the lifeless surface of Zerfàron's moon throwing up a huge cloud of dust and fragments of armour.

Hammond's eye twitched as the crash site was hidden by the dust cloud that would take days to fall back to the surface. "Arrogant son of a bitch." He hissed. "This was far too easy! There was something on that ship!" Hammond shouted slamming his fist into the chairs armrest.

"Don't be a fool. We would have detected any weapons with our superior sensors." The Zerfàrim replied with a haughty sniff. "The only thing that registered was the Cruisers organic components." He said dismissively.

Hammond face palmed. He couldn't help himself. These were Tyranids! They were the weapons! "Now look here Xeno. I'm going to take that ship out and, so help me God, if I have to vaporise your sorry ass then I won't hesitate for a second!" It suddenly occurred to him that he would only be saving Eldar civilians. For a moment a dark part of his mind considered just leaving them to their fate. That was a moment too long.

"You wouldn't dare." The Captain growled; his eyes widened in alarm when the Imperial Battleship turned to present its starboard broadside to the moon.

May God save him. "Master at Arms prepare to fire." There was a non-verbal confirmation. "Fi..." Hammond was cut off as the Shagath`Hòar jumped almost on top of the Fenrir.

"I would advise against such an action, my friend." Tharvèn said in a jovial tone. His eyes however were burning pools of fury. "Firing on our colony while you are here under a flag of truce isn't a good idea."

"We meant no harm but that Cruiser is most likely swarming with Tyranids." Hammond stated his case. Subtly he motioned for the port weapons to target the two Eldar Capital Ships.

Tharvèn frowned. That was an uncomfortably terrifying thought. Something had to be done. "Is that so? Well I can't risk the safety of the entire colony by firing on the surface. We will send a team to investigate the crash site." And it would be an exceptionally well equipped one; he would make sure of that. Hammond nodded imperceptibly. "Now stand down." He bit out. The huge guns of the Imperial ship slowly targeting him hadn't gone undetected.

"Move us back to position and inform Dr. Weir and her team of the developments." Hammond ordered, resting back into his seat, suddenly feeling very old.

Àshtar stared at the side of the crashed vehicle. The Soltàri-Skimmer, a fast moving troop transport, was buried nose first into the side of a building. The thing about the whole scene that really drew her attention though was the large hole that had been punched out of the side. Two Domìnar-Suits and a squad of Guards were milling around awaiting orders. She grumbled some incomprehensible insults about the Universe at large. After the debacle in orbit the Giirathar'Jetai had been recalled from the systems edge and she had been asked down on the surface. She sighed before turning to the cause of the ruckus.

The young Ghen'Hòar at least had the common sense to avoid her gaze. Her copy on the other hand seemed far more interested in sunbathing than the silly little organics running around. The idea that she, and her people, could be ignored so easily irked her a little. But when you could punch through, roughly 5 inches of the best light weight armour ever produced by Zerfàrim science , using only your bare hands, some credit was due. Not that she liked it, but well...

"Well?" Somehow she dreaded the answer.

"Hollow. The Mountain shall converse with you." The Furling spoke slowly; several different accents mingled together. Àsthar could detect a corrupted Lantean, something that sounded like the human that seemed to laugh a lot, Sheppard or something, twisted Zerfàrim and the dead mechanical tone of its suit. Underneath the words was the Furling's constant crystalline chiming.

"And the Skimmer?" She asked; the anti-gravity device chose that moment to belch smoke and flames.

"The Mountain cannot be swayed." The creature replied twisting its copy of Ghen'Hòar's waist to a totally unnatural angle.

"You didn't have to break it." Ghen'Hòar hissed, she had the sinking feeling that she was going to be held responsible for the Furling. She was beginning to understand the deadly serious tone of Tror's warning.

"Foolish Hollow."

"I have a name." The silver haired Captain growled.

Belshanior slowly and deliberately blinked. An action it had seen other organics do. It was beginning to regret taking this organic form even if it facilitated easier communication. It was little wonder only highly trained individuals were allowed to transform into the shapes of other races. All these mannerisms, inflections, tones and tenses were so ineffectual when compared to real speech. Still it was nice to be out of its suit for a short time but it couldn't bear the knowledge of how truly alone it was. At least inside the suit it could pretend.

"Captain Thieri Ghen'Hòar." The Furling responded at last. Ghen'Hòar smiled in victory until she was poked in the forehead. "Hollow."

"Could you change your appearance a little? This is getting a becoming slightly disturbing." Àsthar asked, she was finding this all far too weird. Damn Imperials.

"Yes." Belshanior chimed. Àsthar awaited the shower of blue sparks that every one claimed to accompany the Furling's powers. What she got was a startled yelp as the Furling's arm extended to abnormal length and grabbed a hold of a passing Guard. A wave of shuriken bounced harmlessly off the Furling just as it released the startled Zerfàrim. Àsthar managed to wave down her soldiers before they vaporised the upstart creature.

Blue lightning arced from Belshanior as it transformed again. It grew taller and wider changing from female to male; its features became a blend of Ghen'Hòar's and the Guard leaving it looking like the Captain's... Uncle, or a person of similar relation.

"Good. Now what is this all about?" Àsthar demanded, fixing the Furling with her strongest glare.

"The Mountain wishes to speak of the Wind." A slightly harsh sound accompanied Àsthar's blank look. "The Mountain wishes to speak of the Wind." Belshanior repeated with more force. It vaguely remembered what the Zerfàrim called the Wind. "Humans." It said uncertainly.

Àsthar blinked then started to get angry. "Then why didn't you speak up at the Council!" She shouted, startling the Guards that had begun spiralling in closer.

A low rumble filled the abandoned street and both female Zerfàrim took a step back from the Furling. "The Mountain did not know that the Hollows would be so stubborn. The Lightning must be stopped! The Great War must end! You will join with the Wind or perish. The Pebble has spoken of this before."

Àsthar had to agree. The Council was taking its sweet time deciding on what to do and she had seen the uncanny devastation Tyranids wrought. Hopefully the attack would hasten their decision. "So what do you expect me to do about it?"

Belshanior made a vague waving motion with its left hand. "You are so alone. Trapped inside your shells, never knowing another. Like the Children of Iron. You and the humans. So alike. Yet they are so much more. You are not as afraid as you should be. If you understand..." The Furling paused its speech unable to find the words to express itself.

"Alright." She dreaded what was to come.

The first Replicon ship, a Dirge class, died in the heart of a supernova the moment it deactivated its Inertless Drive. A multitude of flickering white lights struck out from a detachment of Defenders sucking up every dead block and roasted scrap of Necrodermis they could detect before sending the debris to a pre-prepared vault buried under the Martian North Pole.

"Target destroyed!" Master Sergeant O'Neill's grin was savage.

"More targets incoming!" A voice creamed over the Vox. "Massive power surge from the Supreme Commander's Tel'tak!"

"Re-align the Lances. Prepare for rapid fire mode!" O'Neill snapped ignoring the feeling of dread that settled in his heart. The monumental scale of their task finally clicked into place when over a hundred Replicon ships appeared in flashes of light.

The Star Cutter and her combat group banked sharply bringing a dozen newly arrived Jackals under their guns. Above them a squadron of Avengers backed up by a trio of Ragnaroks rained their righteous fury down on another cluster of Replicon ships. More forms of death than the human mind could truly understand poured down from the Imperial fleet. The arrival area of the Replicon fleet became a huge mass of boiling plasma, swirling superheated gas and shrapnel. Gauss blasts and lightning bolts flashed out splashing across several Void shields, only to be answered by concentrated Railgun bombardments backed up with anti-Replicator weapons slamming into the conflagration. The blockish ships shattered under the assault, blocks and Necrodermis whirling around as Asgard beams scooped them up by the ton. There was a momentary pause between the arrival of different Replicon fleets that allowed the I-301s to be launched in vast formations.

With the success of the initial strike the majority of the Imperial fleet formed together into a large sphere around the Tel'tak and turned their broadsides to face the Replicons approach. The moment another wave of Dirges and Jackals arrived they began blasting away with every weapon in humanity's considerable arsenal. Hundreds of ships were torn apart under the barrage as the Battleships poured enough energy to shatter planets down upon them. The nimbler Defenders ducked in and out tearing through the larger swarms of Replicons that survived their initial deceleration into the firestorm. The return fire was more concentrated and several Defenders were grievously wounded or outright destroyed as their Void shields and armour were overcome by spears of lightening and tongues of emerald fire. I-301s in massed squadrons herded any of the Dragonfly pattern Replicon fighters that spawned from disintegrating ship back into the inferno.

O'Neill clenched his jaw as Teal'c put their little cargo ship into a series of near impossible evasive dives and rolls. He vaguely registered a Lance beam tearing through the area they had occupied a moment ago.

"Teal'c!" He shouted as the Tel'tak over stressed its inertial dampeners dodging a wall of torpedoes. O'Neill slammed harshly against the hull but he managed to catch Beyla before the Asgard smashed face first into the wall beside him.

"Move towards the Star Cutter." Angelus ordered stomping heavily through the hatch way as his Power Armour kept him relatively upright. Zelenka, who was unconscious and bleeding from a gash on his forehead, was slung under his arm; behind him Gideon was holding Carter and Daniel.

"Delta squadron has exhausted their torpedo munitions." The Communication office shouted as another wave of Gauss slammed into the Void Shield, the ship shuddered slightly as arcs of lightning probed for weaknesses. A section of the shields failed and a fork flashed through the momentary gap and tore into the rib like structure of the Battleship.

"Move them back! Bring forward elements of Gamma and Epsilon. Status on the Pariahs?" The Star Cutter's Captain snarled as the ever growing Replicon fleet began hitting back with more and more force. To his port a Ragnarok and two of her three escorts suffered horrendously under a prolonged Gauss assault. The Battleship was shielded by its third escort as it limped to the back of the fleet leaving the two burning hulks of the Defenders behind.

"Representative O'Neill is overseeing their collection. Terra reports contacts on every major Industrial world. So far they have all been catatonic." The news was received with a grim satisfaction. The I.G.L. regiments aboard the fleet had been on standby at the vital support systems but they couldn't cover the entire fleet. "Supreme Commander O'Neill is aboard." The Captain nodded once. They were now the focus of the enemy attack and the centre of the fleet.

"Teal'c take Zelenka to the sick bay. Carter we're going to the bridge; Angelus, Gideon get McKay back here and you two." O'Neill ordered pointing at Beyla and Daniel. "Make sure that he can keep the Replicons here."

"Move them over there!" Master Sergeant O'Neill ordered as two Jaffa carried in the unmoving and heavily armoured body of another Pariah, this time from the Lord Uuz another Ragnarok class.

He nearly screamed when a man frantic looking man suddenly appeared in front of him holding an unconscious woman dressed in the standard SGC uniform.

When no rational explanation could be found he fell back on his time tested method when sarcasm failed; shouting "Who the hell are you!"

"Are you a doctor?" The strange man demanded ignoring O'Neill's query.

"No. Now who are you?" O'Neill demanded his hand straying to his only weapon, his Power Sword.

Once again the man ignored him and swept deeper into the Pariah infested room. McKay got two steps before he felt the heat of an active Destructive field on his back. He turned his head slowly to stare at the teenager who was glaring right back at him.

"Identify yourself." The young man growled shifting slightly so that his Power Sword could either be thrust or swung.

"I don't have time for you." McKay hissed. He swung his arm out, the limb wrapped in the flickering green light of a Distortion field. The two fields met tearing into each other and the material that generated them.

O'Neill stared as his Power Sword seemed to warp and disintegrate before his eyes. But what caught his eye was a hand crafted in a very familiar shade of silver. "Replicon!"

The words were barley out his mouth before he was diving behind a gurney while the air turned red with Las. McKay sneered at the attack; with a flicker of a thought he altered the composition of the air around him sending the Las bolts wide. The Necrodermis infested man stalked forward his mind fixed on getting Davidenko medical help.

The I.G.L. riflemen began to panic when not only their target proved immune from Las but also all the Pariahs in the room began to spasm and thrash. The Replicon infiltrators tore through their restraints and shattered the gurneys they had been placed on sending the heavy bodies tumbling to the floor in a mess of bladed and heavy limbs. Terrified of the Pariahs' strange reaction and McKay relentless advance Plasma weapons and solid round semi-automatics were added to the hailstorm.

Time stopped for McKay when a Plasma bolt made it through his defences and clipped Davidenko's shoulder. The unconscious Russian half Pariah moaned in pain and McKay finally noticed how much she was quivering in his arms. The cruel sneer vanished from his face only to be replaced with utter terror and shame. He raised his arm in preparation to sweep away the annoyances with a wall of Gauss when a strong hand reached out and grabbed him.

"Enough!" Teal'c bellowed, it was a rare occasion that the Jaffa raised his voice. And when he did people listened, being a First Prime had its advantages.

The weapon fire died almost instantly. Teal'c calmly deposited Zelenka onto a bed that a Pariah had vacated in its spasming before turning back to McKay. "You have my word that I will see to her safety."

"Teal'c?" A confused voice came from behind them.

Teal'c turned around coming face to face with a slightly dishevelled Master Sergeant O'Neill. He tilted his head slightly as he regarded the young human. "O'Neill." He finally said bowing slightly.

"Level with me big man. What the hell's going on?" The clone asked, questioningly gesturing at McKay.

"This is McKay." Teal'c motioned towards McKay, who was examining the clone with a confused frown on his face.

"As in 'final solution' McKay?" Teal'c nodded slightly. "Ah...ehh...ooops?" O'Neill chuckled nervously, glancing at the charred remains of the wall behind him.

"Indeed." Teal'c intoned relieving McKay of Davidenko.

"Sorry guys, false alarm. Back to work!" O'Neill shouted down the room causing several confused mutterings and relieved sighs.

"Angelus and Gideon are looking for you. It would be best if you met up with them before they do anything... rash." Teal'c informed McKay before he moved deeper into the sick bay looking for a bed to put Davidenko on.

"Okay." McKay worriedly glanced after the large Jaffa before hesitantly walking out the hatch.

"Adventure or work?" O'Neill pondered for a moment. "Don't get paid enough to work." He decided placing the mangled remains of his Power Sword in a corner and swiftly followed McKay.

"You want to what!" Lord Protector Anùi'sil all but screamed.

"You heard me." Lord Commander Khe'Makar replied with a hint of a smile. "We board that human ship and take whatever device they stole that allowed them to detect that peculiar phenomenon before us."

"You can't be serious?" Anùi'sil pleaded. Her answer was the widening Khe'Makar's smile. "They managed to get on top of us before we could react and they have openly admitted to be carrying anti-planetary weapons." She reasoned.

"We will have the Giirathar'Jetai laying in wait. Its superior attack power would be able to destroy them before they acted." Khe'Makar countered getting nods and mummers of approval from the rest of the council.

"You are forgetting Boy. That shield technology of theirs is similar to the Lanteans' City Shields. I've seen models older than our race take far more punishment that the Giirathar'Jetai can deal out in one attack. Who knows how many hits it would take? And you also seem to have forgotten their transport technology. We have no idea of its range or limitations." The Lord of One Thousand Eyes retorted, once again spreading doubt amongst the Council.

Their argument had changed topics from the merits of an alliance with the humans to how they should react to Hammond's threats, the Wraith incursion and the humans annoying ability to outperform their ships, even if only in parts. It had been raging for the better part of the day with the half that opposed the alliance trying every single angle they could to prove that the humans should be destroyed and their technology confiscated into more mature hands against the half that wanted the alliance shooting down said arguments.

Lord Devastator Zamn'èik glared at the old male for what seemed the hundredth time. He nearly exploded in fury when a wizened hand raised a small card with the number thirty six written on it. "I doubt that such a machine could be relied upon in the heat of battle."

"A planet is a very big target." One of the Lord Protectors quipped. There was a small chuckle from the High Council.

"This is becoming pointless." Sàdo'Gha stated. "I move that we call the vote now." He continued, the conversations had become tiresome and he was missing a very opulent party thrown by one of the rather important High Families.

"Agreed." A male Lord Protector replied before anymore 'issues' could be concocted.

"Finally." One of the civilians sighed.

The only Zerfàrim in military dress, the Anur, the greatest warrior in their society, on the lower tier stood. "I, Rhiaghar, call the Council of Zerfàron to a vote on the subject of an alliance with the Second Imperium of Man against the Wraith and Tyranids. What say you?"

Zamn'èik was on his feet before Rhiaghar had even sat down. "Lord Devastator Zamn'èik votes no."

"Lord Protector Anùi'sil votes yes." She said shooting a defiant glare at Zamn'èik.

"Lord Protector Shae'Randin votes no." The oldest and only Lord Protector not the meet the Imperials cast his vote.

"Lord Commander Lithar votes no." Said another, glancing sideways at Khe'Makar only to receive a slight nod.

"Lord Devastator Darag'kii votes yes." He spoke for the first time that day.

"Lord Commander Khe'Makar votes no." The male said with a small smile.

"Lord Devastator Ghihiir'ama votes yes." The female Lord Devastator said quietly.

"Lord Commander Kaerèth'Enura votes yes." He said with a distinct note of displeasure in his voice; as if he was dirtying himself by agreeing to the alliance.

"Lord Protector Porlìlim votes no." The male Lord Protector that had met the Imperials said after a moment's pause.

"Quramin'Sai, Lord of One Thousand Eyes, votes yes." The oldest, and most well informed, Zerfàrim on the Council stated firmly.

"Demiurge One, Sadò'Gha, votes yes." The overweight male's words tumbled from his lips far too quickly.

"She Who's Hand Embalms Ilarlia votes yes." A small female with a drawn face said serenely.

"Diviner of Worldly Things Hàlli'Oan votes no." A heavily built male rumbled.

"I Wylth'Àx The Guardian of Past Dreams vote against this insanity." The pasty white male sneered at those who supported the alliance.

"Lord of the Abyss Càshimn votes no." A very tall and thin male stated quickly.

"And I Anur Rhiaghar, The Pillar of War, vote yes." The Anur sighed heavily. "We have not come to a consensus. As such it is now the responsibility of the High Council to break this deadlock." Inside his head Rhiaghar groaned. The High Council was run by the High Families, those charged with running the Zerfàrim race by the Lanteans. While intelligent and competent, they were notoriously petty and neck deep in politicking. Not the best group for a quick and decisive answer. And if they couldn't come to a conclusion within 9 Days it would come down to something that hadn't happened for almost two thousand years; a Wartime Challenge.

A wrinkled male that looked like an aged version of Khe'Makar right down to the small smirk he wore stood. "We require a recess to contemplate this argument. You may leave."

Squad-Leader Barann gently shifted her feet over the loose rocks as she negotiated the unstable edge of the crater left by the Wraith Cruiser. Her five strong team followed behind carefully picking through the loose rubble. One slip and they could float away into the void with little hope of rescue. The five Domìnar-Suits gently glided down the crater's side the tear shaped heads sweeping back and forth searching for targets. Another two squads of ten Elites followed behind them and at the back waited six Diving Eagles, their purple and grey armour almost seamlessly blending them in with the lunar horizon.

The Wraith Cruiser was battered and broken, corpses floated freely around the shattered hull and the faint glow of discharging power systems would illuminate the jagged holes in its armour. All in all it looked dead.

"Barann. We've confirmed that the ships inactive. Can't we go back?" A young voice whined over the communication net.

Barann rounded on the tallest of the team and glared at him from within her helmet. "Don't be so stupid. Lord Commander Tharvèn was very specific and Administrator Juui'Nen was adamant that we ensure not only the security of Hòar-base but safety of the civilians as well."

"Yes Thaèn." The young male drawled.

Barann ignored the disrespect, knowing full well that the more experienced members of her team would 'teach' the new recruit the need to fulfil missions to the letter. Once again they started their descent, the flickering shadows along the hull were attributed to the sudden arcs of light or the corpses of the dead.

The Tyrant snarled silently as the leading five prey approached the hulk it was hiding in. A faint burning in its heavily armoured chest alerted it to the collapse of one of its four lungs. Clouds of blue blood hung in the air ejected from the hundreds of floating Wraith corpses that were being torn apart by the Gaunts as they desperately ingested food to fuel their metabolism. Beside it two Lictors shimmered out of existence, their targets the communications devices in the prey's metal boxes; the only sign of their passing was the broods of feeding Gaunts parting. Several Warriors melted from the shadows; each one having sporting a different set of biomorphs, they made their way towards the Hive Tyrant followed by the glowing forms of three Zoanthropes. The Tyrants highly evolved brain pulsed with pleasure as it watched the prey finally enter the crater basin. With a motion one of the few remaining Wraith Drones activated the sub-space communicator. The battered but operational Wraith device sent out a shrill wailing on all frequencies that blanketed the area in static. Disrupting communications was a time honed tactic that had proved most effective against the Alliance. A feeling little more than a vague shadow of a memory flickered through the back of the creature's mind. The Tyrant amplified the will of the Hive Mind a million times over and passed it onto the horde around it. As one they moved.

Barann stopped as a tremor ran through her feet and a faint whistling emanated from her communicator. A scream of retreat was on her lips when the side of the Wraith Cruiser exploded open. The hole was torn open by two ridiculously long talons that cut through the Wraith armour like a knife through air. Out of the jagged breach in the side a huge creature lumbered out. A face of bony protrusions and tusks topped a body of rippling muscles, impenetrable chitin and super dense bone. The two closest Zerfàrim tried to run but the creature's second pair of arms, each ending in wicked looking claws, swung forward with a speed nothing that size should possess and snatched up the fleeing Zerfàrim. Barann had blinked once when the two most experienced members of her team were severed in two. The Tyranid beast let loose a roar that she felt in the soles of her feet and spread its fours arms wide.

A beam of light flashed in the corner of her eye and suddenly one of the Domìnar-Suits disappeared from her tracker. The vacuum exploded into light and streaks of white as the Suits returned fire on the Zoanthropes.

Her Shuriken rifle was half way towards the creature when a bolt of green light vaporised the upstart male next to her. The explosion of dust and rock sent her tumbling uncontrollably; she frantically scrambled along the ground trying to find purchase. The two remaining standing members of her team died of vacuum exposure as a hailstorm of frenzied beetles ate through their armour.

After witnessing Barann's command being annihilated the first Elite squad sprang into action. Pulse and Shuriken swept through the Termagaunts slaughtering them in droves. A blue crystal flew through the vacuum and exploded above them showering the Elites with deadly crystal. Most of the Zerfàrim managed to doge the hailstorm of living stone but the lapse in fire allowed the Gaunts to close. Beetles and worms raced through the vacuum seeking out the sources of delicious flesh. Most of the Elites were caught in mid motion stuck between dodging the blue crystals or firing upon the six limbed creatures when the living ammunition hit them. The engineered organisms ate and burrowed with fanatical intensity, many of them died before they could feast, but those that made it to their targets gorged themselves.

The Diving Eagles had launched the moment the Carnifex had emerged; unfortunately they had also missed the two Lictors that slipped past them and into the three Skimmers. They swooped down the crater, ripping through the vast hordes of Gaunts as they drew nearer to the besieged Elites. They were scattered when one of the huge creatures leapt at them. The Carnifex missed all but one of the Diving Eagles; the unfortunate Zerfàrim's leg was caught in the beast's jaws and he was dragged screaming down to his death.

Kuthanèl, de-facto leader of the second Elite squad after his commander was killed by a large acid filled crystal, screamed the order to retreat when creature only describable as a living tank ploughed into the four remaining Domìnar-Suits. The beast bit down on one Suit's head its Crushing Claws bludgeoning another sending it spiralling away with the shredded remains of its pilot. The other two blasted away from the deadly organism a blur of blue and brown slammed into the back of one. The Warrior dug its Rending Claws as deep as it could into the back of the large prey. The Domìnar pilot swerved frantically trying to dislodge the monstrous creature. The Warrior hissed silently as it exposed a tube in its mouth to the back of the prey's body; both of them vanished in a flash of light a moment later.

The pilot of the Suit trapped in the Carnifex's mouth fired frantically into the Carnifex's chest with his wrist mounted Burst Cannon. Ichor and fragments of chitin flew from the maelstrom of Pulse blasts; the Carnifex enraged by the wounds its prey was inflicting belly flopped the creature. The Domìnar-Suit didn't stand a change as the Carnifex fell on to it.

The Hormagaunts flew through the air in disturbingly graceful arcs. The classic leap and slash attack was proving very useful in low gravity. With their foes too concerned with slaughtering their Terma brethren and avoiding the Carnifexs the little killing machines could launch them selves like missiles from the sides of the crater. Kuthanèl slammed into the ground as something hard hit him. Rolling instinctively he was rewarded with a strange crunching sensation as he shattered the Hormagaunt's body. He glanced up as a flying pair of Scything Talons decapitated the Elite next to him; he returned the favour with his Pulse rifle. After the initial surprise of the attack they were fending off the flying balls of death rather easily. He never noticed the thick ropey muscle wrapping around his leg until it pulled taut. With a startled yelp he was yanked into the air, swinging round his Pulse rifle to kill the large creature he was greeted with a malevolent yellow eye. The Hive Tyrant swung its Bone Sword round cutting the prey in half; the return swing took the head off another. With a mental command the annoying flying prey were bracketed by bio-plasma and Borer beetles. Quickly they were overwhelmed by the mass fire power and leaping attacks.

The final Domìnar-Suit after quickly realising that they were being overrun by the far larger force jumped to the lip of the crater all the while her Laser and Shuriken rifles took apart any Warriors she could see. She cursed as the wailing static that filled her communicator intensified. Whirling round to the Skimmers in hopes of using their more powerful transmitters she was greeted with the carnage that Lictors could reap. Of the three Skimmers one was missing its hatch and the dismembered bodies of the pilots were hanging out of the opening. Another had the body of the strangest creature she had ever seen draped across its side, clutched in the creature's massive claws was the Skimmer's pilot. The third seemed fine except for the cloud of red crystals that lingered at its entrance.

Suddenly warnings flared into life, huge blood red runes flashed up on her screen. Startled the pilot jammed on her thrusters sending them skyward. A tearing sound ripped through the Suit's cockpit the last thing she saw before her screens went dead was a face of tentacles leering at the Suit's head. The Lictor clung desperately to the prey as it flailed helplessly and wildly fired its deadly flashes of light; the Suit had surpassed the escape velocity of the moon and the two of them were drifting into interplanetary space. Inside the Suit the pilot stopped trying to dislodge or shoot the tentacle creature. With a mighty swing that startled the Lictor the Domìnar-Suit batted the creature off its back. The Lictor flew even faster away from the surface and the Suit, most of its momentum transferred to the Lictor, began to slowly float downwards.

The female pilot threw herself from the near useless Suit. She landed in a roll on the far side of the crater form the Skimmers. Below her a massive horde of Tyranids was amassing thousands possible more swarmed in, on and around the Cruiser. Desperately she began to walk-jump back towards the colony. Her armour's rebreather would keep her going for awhile but she wouldn't make it back to the colony. She could only hope to clear the interference before then.

She didn't make it more than a couple hundred meters before she was overrun by the far faster Hunters.

Barann slammed into a detached piece of hull and managed to grab a hold and arrest her motion. She caught a strange ripple in the corner of her eye but wasn't fast enough to turn towards it before the Lictor's huge clawed hand slammed into the side of her helmet. The world became a blur of dull colours as she was send spiralling through the vacuum. She managed to spray shuriken in the direction she thought the Cruiser was in and was rewarded with a spray of crystallised ichor as two Gaunts were shredded. Suddenly she jerked to a stop.

The Tyrant pulled the single remaining prey towards it. The prey swung its sleek weapon towards its face; the second of its large claws reached out and grabbed the weapon. Barann's eyes widened when the huge creature that was holding her calf tore her Shuriken rifle from her hands and crushed it. The thing turned its head slightly and its cruel yellow eye examined her with detached interest. She yelped when the thing jumped high above the ground, the creature twisted around to face the open void its maw wide exposing a strange tube in place of a tongue. For a moment she could see the pole of Zerfàron cresting the far horizon with the very top of the bio-dome of the colony, the only exposed part of the large structure, silhouetted against it. There was a flash of light and suddenly their direction was reversed back towards the surface. Barann clenched her eyes shut as the serene image was torn away to be replaced by the barren and unforgiving landscape of the moon. The Tyrant landed with an almighty crash that shattered the rocks under its hooves.

The Hive Tyrant sensed the sole remaining Lictor already inside one of the metal boxes the prey had arrived in already it was pillaging the neural pathways of the deceased warrior-prey for whatever they still held. The vehicle before it was still active and relatively undamaged by the Lictor's attack; perfect for the task they needed to accomplish.

Barann stared at the upside down Soltàr-Skimmer confusion dominated her thoughts as the beast that held her waited patiently at the transports hatch. Speaking of which she was sure they had left it open. All thought ceased as a wave of frozen air and water hit her, the door slid open to reveal the blood splattered interior of the craft. The pilot was strewn around the interior in five separate pieces. But what stole her attention was the hunched creature that stood in the hatch. Before she could react its large hands shot and grabbed her arms. With a deceptively small bulge of its muscles both of her elbows were broken leaving her arms useless. She screamed into her helmet as the larger creature relinquished its hold on her leg. She tried to blink away her tears as the tentacle face thing dragged her further into the Skimmer but the constant jerking on her arms made the task nearly impossible.

She never noticed the Lictor prop her up in front of the onboard communicator. She did however notice the creature relinquishing its hold on her arms. She kicked out against the creature's leg, her heavy boot connected with its reversed knee joint. The creature let out a high pitched screech but didn't budge. One of the large spiked arms sprouting from its back swung round and shattered her knee in return. She whimpered, her body going into shock, as she collapsed to the floor. The Lictor's Rending Claw wrapped around Barann's helmet and pulled the Zerfàrim to her feet. She didn't even have the strength to scream as six points of pain erupted in her back. The Lictor released its prey letting the limp body sag on its Flesh Hooks. Barann finally let her tears fall as the things in her back pulled her into the creature chest.

The last thing she ever knew was the sound of her helmet being cracked open.

"I understand General. Thank you." Weir smiled politely at Hammond's image. The aged General smiled thinly back and cut the connection. She sighed as she leaned back in the chair next to the silent and still Servitor. They had been here for over a day and a half and other than start a small fight in the Zerfàrim Council they had been cooped up in or next to the Thunderhawk.

"Bad news?" Sheppard asked leaning casually in the cockpit entrance.

"Two Wraith Cruisers attacked the moon-space and destroyed a Frigate." She noted Sheppard wince. "Also General Hammond fears that the wreck that crashed on the moon was some form of ploy. I not as sure. It could be harmless but... it just feels wrong." Weir concluded.

Sheppard nodded slowly as he processed the information. "Anything from the Eldar?"

"Nothing all day." The Governor of Segmentum Atlantis sighed. "How're the others. I imagine the Marines and Asgard are a bit restless. And have you seen Belshanior?" She asked; nothing had exploded yet and no building had collapsed so there was no reason to worry too much.

Sheppard chuckled nervously and scratched absently at his arm. "Well no. Titov and Ommarin went looking for it after Cerberus and Levi said they felt a strange presence in the Warp. Other than that the others are fine. Their entertaining the crowd."

"Entertaining how?" Weir's eyes narrowed to slits as she pinned down the Major with a glare.

"You know them." Sheppard replied. Weir's glare only intensified. "They're teaching each other the art of combat."

"You mean their fighting?" Weir groaned. If word got back to the Zerfàrim that they were fighting amongst themselves then who knew what would happen.

"Not fighting exactly, more like training. For eight hours straight." He mumbled the last part.

Tror grinned like a manic as the towering form of Cerberus loomed over him before an incredibly heavy boot slammed into his midriff. Somewhere Tulinen let out a yelp as he found himself on the receiving end of a rather harsh elbow to the face. The gathered crowd of Zerfàrim, military and civilian alike, let out a gasp as Levi picked the stumbling Asgard up and threw him across the landing pad. The Riddari landed in an undignified heap and groaned as Levi smirked down at him.

"And that is why an Astarte is better than a Xeno." The Librarian announced. It was currently six to two in favour of the Imperium of Man.

"I dislike you with great intent." Tulinen growled as Levi helped him to his feat. No matter how much he, like any proper Asgard, loved a good fight being thrown around like a toy was rather annoying. Stupid temporally displaced genetically enhanced humans and their fancy extra-dimensional armour.

"So we've done: knifes, swords, Chain Swords, Power Armoured combat and anti-Psyker tactics." Levi summarised, Tror and Tulinen couldn't help the grimace that flashed across their faces at the mention of Psykers. Having lightening fired at you by a pair of giant in blue armour who shouted strange phrases in their language for half an hour wasn't one for their fondest memories. "What do you need schooled in now?"

"Bolter." Tulinen almost whispered. The reverence he held for the weapon was almost fanatical.

"No." A stern female voice commanded. The four armoured warrior turned to face Weir as she exited the Thunderhawk. "You'll kill too many Eldar. Ahem, I mean Zerfárim." She added with a sniff.

The crowd of civilians, who had only congregated to gawk at the strange humans and aliens, dispersed rather quickly at the mention of being killed. They left behind a rather worried squad of Guards. The twenty strong team quickly returned to their patrol of the landing pad when the sceptical came to an end; none of them wishing to be reprimanded for dereliction of duty.

Titov grumbled under his breath. An unusually violent string of words tumbling from his mouth in a bizarre mixture of languages ranging from Arabic to Ancient and Gothic to German.

Most of the population seemed to deem them little more than a nuisance; many plainly ignored him or gave him the curtest answers possible. And they were the good ones. So far they had run into at least three groups that had lost family during the short Imperial-Zerfàrim war, Ommarin's inelegant observations about the whole thing didn't help. The stinking juices of some piece of rotting fruit he had never seen before were stained into his flack vest and his arm stung from where he had blocked a graceless right hook. It seemed even untrained and unconditioned the Zerfàrim where stronger than average humans.

What little information he had wrangled from the populace put the traitor/heroine, depending on who you asked, Ghen'Hòar and a strange brown creature on the far side of the city. It also corresponded to where a thin pillar of smoke was lazily snaking its way into the sky. The only problem was that the city was built like a maze. He was sure he had passed the same group of building five times and it seemed that the locals found his situation terribly amusing. It occurred to him that if the Furling was trying to start a riot he was probably going to join in.

"Thank you." He murmured after the old woman finished her horribly slow and drawn out directions. Being treated like a child when he was recognised as a linguistic genius across an entire galaxy was really beginning to get to the normally laid back Colonel.

"Cheer up! We've got them now." Ommarin grinned playfully, slapping Titov on the back for good measure. Titov just glared.

"Wow. I didn't think that hair could get so... grey." O'Neill spun at the comment ready to tear a strip out of the fool who dared to disrespect him. Not that power was going to his head.

"You!" He roared pointing an accusing finger at the smirking Master Sergeant. "Who are you?" He asked after an uncomfortable moment's pause.

"And senile too? Oh joy." The clone muttered.

O'Neill scowled at the young minion. He seemed familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Representative O'Neill. How goes the Pariah collection?" The Captain of the Star Cutter asked rising from his chair.

"How would I know?" Supreme Commander O'Neill demanded shooting the Captain a very confused look. Representative? Did someone give him yet another title while he wasn't paying attention?

"Not you sir. Him." The Captain replied, nervously gesturing at clone O'Neill, who smirked and waved back.

"You!" O'Neill shouted again.

"Sir?" Carter asked becoming slightly worried for O'Neill's sanity.

"You!" He simply shouted, again pointing vigorously at his clone.

"Alright, alright; clam down Old Man. Last thing we need is to have a heart attack." The clone said motioning for O'Neill to calm down. "Hi Carter!" He shouted waving at the Colonel.

"Hi sir." She replied automatically. "Damn it." She muttered her brain finally catching up on the lunacy of the situation.

"Still got it." The clone smirked at his older counterpart. "So Old Man how's life?"

"Can't complain. Ruler of intergalactic empire. Overlord of trillions. Destroyer of gods." The two O'Neills, disturbingly, nodded in sync with each other. "Free muffins." The elder added.

"Free muffins?"

"Free muffins!"

"Nice."

"I hate to interrupt... what ever this is. But you know..." McKay waved his hand at the panorama of death outside the ship. "Kind of important."

"Right you are my super power friend. Old Man can you find us... who were we looking for again?" Master Sergeant O'Neill asked McKay. His face twisted in confusion.

McKay sighed wondering just why the disturbingly cheerful and insightful Master Sergeant had tagged along. "Angelus and Gideon."

"They are looking for you." O'Neill growled at McKay. "I'll send them back to the Tel'tak. You get back there as well." He said motioning for the Captain to get on the Vox.

"Thanks Old Man." Master Sergeant grinned as Supreme Commander O'Neill glared.

"I'll be going." McKay muttered, no longer wishing to be around the two O'Neills, he vanishing into darkness.

"Mini Me stay." O'Neill the elder ordered as his clone made to leave.

"You're not going to drop that are you?" O'Neill the younger asked. The two stared at each other for a moment before the Master Sergeant slumped in defeat. "Damn it."

"There, there Mini Me." O'Neill said mockingly patting his clone on the shoulder.

"Um sir. The battle." Carter pushed as the two O'Neills turned to face the huge main window.

"Everything the light touches will one day be yours!" O'Neill Mark I said, sweeping his arm out.

"They shall look upon my works and despair!" O'Neill Mark II stated, the start of a smile creeping up his face.

"Excellent." O'Neill barley managed to say around his lop sided grin. "You were saying Carter?"

"Never mind sir."

"Ah!" Beyla screamed when a ball of black suddenly appeared right in front of her face. The Asgard scrambled away as McKay emerged from the strange anomaly.

"Do you guys know a Master Sergeant that General O'Neill is really friendly with?" McKay asked Daniel and Beyla.

Daniel paused his newly accelerated translation of the Necron language and turned to face McKay. "About 18-19, seems cheeky, bit weird, very well versed in the military?"

"Yeah he's also very flirtatious." McKay replied, allowing Beyla to attach several probes to his body.

"Yeah and yuck." Daniel answered. "Should have known Jack was a lecherous old man... Teenager, this is still so confusing."

"McKay, please resume sending the signal." Beyla ordered, attempting to push the larger and much heavier man into the cargo hold.

"Okay." The man mumbled. He once again placed his hand on the Pariah's chest and dove back into the Link. He marvelled at the ease with which he established the connection for a moment before he began the battle for control with the Replicons.

The Harbinger's eyes pulsed as it once again felt the presence of a god filter through the Link. It reviewed the data from the hundreds of Replicon ships that had perished under the humans' guns. The entire Replicon race, nearly twenty thousand ships, was heading towards their god at its bidding.

"Father. I am worried about this. So many of the little ones are being destroyed by the humans." Seventh pleaded as hundreds more Replicon ships were destroyed.

"Then we shall destroy them." The Harbinger replied, leaving little room for argument.

"But..." She was silenced as the Harbinger whirled around to face her, its cold dead eyes blazing with unmatched fury.

"We exist to serve the gods." It stated, extending its bladed arm towards Seventh. The female human form Replicon cried out in pain as the Necrodermis in her body responded to the Harbinger's commands. "We do not question the will of the gods." The Necron Lord continued, forcing the Necrodermis in Seventh's body to destroy her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Seventh cried, as her limbs began to dissolve. The Harbinger released her and returned to analysing the slaughter.

"Are you okay?" Ninth asked, moving forward to help his sister to her feet. Jeff the Neo Replicon hissed as it hung from the wall.

"I'm fine. Father knows best." Seventh replied shakily. "I wonder how Fifth is doing?" She mumbled trying to change the subject.

"He's fine. Fifth is in front of us by a few minutes, he's using the second Command Ship." Ninth said, unwilling to push his sister.

The two paused as the presence of their god expanded beyond anything they could comprehend. It filled every tiny part of the Link, touching every Replicon in existence. And then it was gone suddenly leaving the two human form Replicons feeling empty and less than they were before.

"We must hurry." Seventh stated; suddenly very serious in contrast to her usual childish demeanour. The Harbinger let the tiny spark of amusement flitter inside its soul; it was good to see its children understanding their place.

Fifth grinned manically as his ship decelerated into the battle. Huge Gauss cannons lining the side of the tear drop shaped ship fired in a single volley splitting open a duo of Terran Defenders. He laughed as he used the ships sensors to watch the corpses tumble through the void. With a wave of his hand another volley of Gauss raced away from his ship to crash against the shields of the Imperial fleet. His laughter increased as the first wave of anti-Replicator weaponry smashed into him and his escorts. Hundreds of Dirges and Jackals died all around him and the rear section of his ship shattered but he never stopped laughing. Another wave of Gauss struck out to smash apart the foolish humans that dared to oppose him. Again the Command Ship shuddered as more Imperial weaponry tore into it but Fifth's smile never wavered. He readied to launch himself in a capsule of Replicon blocks at the nearest Imperial ship, intent on butchering the crew in glorious slaughter and converting the fleet to serve the C'tan. The manic grin that had never wavered even as he waded through rivers of blood faltered when he felt his god turn its awareness towards him.

"Sleep." The god whispered, seemingly gentle, yet somehow harsh and commanding all the same.

Fifth stopped, the Replicon blocks that half surrounded him stopped and even time seemed to stop. The insane human form Replicon smiled serenely as he felt his god's pleasure with him filter through the Link. Slowly he allowed his Necrodermis to enter a dormant phase that could see it through millions of years and the tiny artificial cells that made up his body gently severed their connections and finally shut down. The last sight that Fifth ever experienced was the front of his ship being vaporised by a Lance and his body tumbling into the deadly firestorm. Then he ceased to exist.

The O'Neills shared a grin when the huge Replicon Command Ship was finally torn apart by a Railgun salvo from nearly thirty ships. With McKay actively silencing the Replicon ships the battle was becoming far more one sided than had already been. The ship rumbled as forks and lances of lightening splashed over the shields but didn't find any purchase.

"Sir, reporting estimating nearly eighty percent of the enemy destroyed. The fleet has sustained twenty percent losses." Someone shouted over the constant stream of voices tumbling out of the Vox.

"Supreme Commander we have received a communication form the Tel'tak in the hangar. Doctor Jackson confirms final fleet is about to arrive."

"Order the depleted elements to report to Ultima Segmentum fleet depots for rearmament and redeployment to the Pegasus Conquest staging area." O'Neill ordered, allowing the many Cruisers and several Battleships that had depleted their solid type ammunition and had been relegated to providing support.

"Sir! That's nearly half the Defenders, all the Avengers, twenty of the Orillas and a third of the Ragnaroks!" The Star Cutter'sCaptain protested.

"I know but we need to start moving our forces towards the West. There is still a battle to be fought." O'Neill stated.

Before anyone could question him on that odd statement the final Replicon fleet appeared. Numbering almost a thousand ships the last vestige of the Replicon race entered the battle all guns blazing. Space turned green with Gauss weaponry as the Replicons fought to avoid extinction; but it was to no avail. The area was saturated with stray rounds, energy and waves of anti-Replicator weaponry. The Replicon fleet began to disintegrate even before the Imperials targeted them proper.

The Harbinger resisted the lurching motion of its ship with its Warscythe. Hundreds of ships in the fleet had already been destroyed and many more were crippled by the horrendous maelstrom that engulfed almost the entire Northern hemisphere of Mars.

"Sleep!" The will of their god boomed across the Link.

The Replicons resisted for but a moment before they submitted to the will of the C'tan. The Star Gods had assured the loyalty of their undying slave armies by making their order unquestionable. Not once had it occurred to them that such a system could be used to the advantage of their enemies. After all not even the Old Ones had truly been able accomplish such a feat. So, even in the face of annihilation, the Necron programming so deeply embedded into the mixture that created the Replicons demanded absolute authority.

"It was good while it lasted; I guess." Ninth muttered as his body disintegrated into white dust.

And so they slept.

The silence on the bridge of the Star Cutter was crushing. "All targets... All targets silent." The Helmsman whispered as the Replicon fleet simply broke apart.

"We won!" Master Sergeant O'Neill screamed jumping into the air. A second passed before the entire bridge, and by the sound of the Vox, every single human in the fleet joined him in victorious celebration.

"Have four Terran Defenders remain behind for clean up. We're taking the rest of the fleet on the Pegasus Conquest." O'Neill ordered.

"But, sir, the men need rest. And many of the ships are in need of repairs." The Captain once again protested, even he felt like he was about to collapse never mind the gunners or engineers.

"Don't worry, we will rest and repair while the fleet gathers. Open a Vox channel to all ships." O'Neill said gently giving the Captain a reassuring smile. With an unsure nod the Captain activated the Vox in his chair's armrest. "Brave warriors of the Emperor. You have won a great victory in His name." He paused for the triumphant scream that issued from the Vox. "But there is still one last battle ahead. One last foe that dares to oppress humanity. We shall proceed to Pegasus and liberate our brothers and sisters there. To assure safety for all humanity now and forever there is one last enemy that must be destroyed." Sometimes he wished he had never learned how to make speeches. He sounded a little too much like a certain Goa'uld ex-System Lord he would rather forget.

With that the mighty Imperial fleet vanished into hyperspace leaving behind four Terran Defenders slowly shifting through the remains of an entire race.

"Why are we here?" A voice moaned for the six time.

His companion groaned into her helmet. "Its our job. The faster we get the recon team back in the faster we can get to the retirement party."

"I know that." The male whined. "It's just they are taking so long. You think that Barann would make this quick."

"Just stop complaining." The female engineer snapped.

Before the male could continue to complain and yellow ruin flashed up on his helmet. "Skimmers back." He muttered moving from the depressurised control booth to the large blast doors.

The female nodded as she ran the sequence to open the hatch. Huge bolts designed to hold the door in place in the event of a Wraith attack slid back with ease. The large slab of metal split open and sank diagonally into the floor. The male engineer died as the Rending Claw of a Warrior tore out his intestines. Two of the three Wraith Drones beside the Tyranid collapsed dead; their bodies had been pushed beyond their considerable boundaries by running at full speed while carrying one of the Skimmer's IFF and a power module.

The female screamed as the two Warriors advanced into the airlock. She lunged for the emergency alarm only to be cut down by a hailstorm of black headed worms from the second Warrior's Devourer.

Behind the two Synapse creatures a brood of ten Spine Gaunts, the lightest and fasted Gaunt sub-species, poured into the colony. The final Wraith Drone mindlessly began to seal the airlock. Hisses and growls of pleasure filled the airlock as the Tyranids finally breathed in fresh air. Even being born and bred for vacuum combat they had their limitations. Quickly the Drone set about falsifying a report from Barann, it wouldn't hold up to close scrutiny but by using the codes and phrases they had taken from her still warm brain it would by precious time. The Warrior with the Rending Claws reared back its head as bio-plasma began to build in it mouth. With an ear piercing screech the green bolt was loosed. The inner hatch withstood the point blank attack for almost a second before it gave way.

The Spine Gaunts were already in motion before the bio-plasma had even fully penetrated the door. The Tyrant had given them a simple mission. They were to spread out into what the dead prey had called the 'living quarters' and begin killing. The more destruction and chaos they could generate before the main swarm arrived the better. With that single impulse the ten Gaunts flooded into the airlock's surrounding chambers.

Hadte'Arà had had another boring shift cleaning out air vents. Why they couldn't make the military do it was beyond him, all they did with this base was run drills for an attack that was never going to happen. The cream coloured wall slid back to reveal his personal locker. His work section had been stationed way out in the periphery of the colony leaving them far away from the already limited civilian workforce. The five other Zerfàrim of his detail were changing shifts as well. The sound of the airlock opening rumbled through the adjacent rooms but no one paid it any attention. He was to busy considering whether it was worth taking the hour long trip planet side to see his wife or if he should go Màren's party and make a pass at the young communications technician Xarinìn. Decisions, decisions. He smirked as he shrugged off his uniform and stored it in his locker. He died with the same smirk on his face as ten neurotoxin tipped bone spines buried themselves in his back.

Three Spine Gaunts started firing the moment they entered this room. The deadly projectiles shredded the two Zerfàrim that staring in shock at Hadte'Arà's dead body. Screaming erupted from the remaining three, followed by a mad and chaotic dash for the door opposite the aliens. They were silenced before any of them could make it within three feet of the sealed portal.

The other seven broke their way into air vents and some of the larger water pipes. The Warrior with the Devourer followed them making sure the smaller Tyranids didn't go feral.

The Hive Tyrant's powerful legs propelled it twelve meters at a time sending up huge clouds of dust behind it. All around it other Tyranids threw themselves across the lunar landscape. The main swarm was being held back by the slower organisms, such as the Carnifexs and Zoanthropes, and almost a half day's travel lay ahead of them but the exposed tip of their target was already insight. The weakest had started dying of asphyxiation only to be consumed by their brethren allowing them to press on further. In the Warp the Hive Mind pulsed with pleasure.

"Do I even want to know?" Weir asked rhetorically as Titov came into sight. He looked particularly sulky, Ommarin on the other hand seemed as bright and chipper as even and the Furling had Ghen'Hòar slung over its shoulder.

"No ma'am." Titov responded sullenly.

"Miss Ommarin?" The Governess asked sweetly. Titov, seeing his chance to escape, tried to slink away until the Furling's arm shot out and caught a hold of his collar. He gave the suited Xeno a betrayed look before settling into place.

"Well!" Weir suddenly regretted asking the woman. Sometimes she forgot that for most of her life Ommarin had been raised by a culture who killed and tortured for sport and fun; but mostly fun. "All the Eldar people in this place are very rude. But eventually we got to where these two were." She gestured at Ghen'Hòar and Belshanior. "And all these people were unconscious and that one lady, the leader, was in this guy's arms muttering about 'the wind' and 'the fifth race' or something. So seeing as stuff was on fire and all…" Ommarin stopped when Weir raised her hand.

"Things were on fire?"

"Yeah! It was great! There was a big hole in the side of their floaty tank thing and…" She was stopped again by Weir.

"I get the picture. So you what? Ran away?" Titov gave a noncommittal shrug before glancing at Ghen'Hòar. "So you kidnapped someone and then ran away." Weir reiterated.

"Da."

"I hate you." Weir muttered, glaring at the Furling. Somewhere in the distance Tror cried out in victory and demanded money off Cerberus.

The Furling chimed at them but before it could start Weir was in its face holding a threatening finger up. "Don't you even start." She growled.

The brown suit seemed to slump before it deposited Ghen'Hòar gently on the ground and went off to sulk beside the Asgard.

"Don't see that every day." Titov muttered before he once again tried to leave.

"Colonel. I assume everyone wasn't unconscious when you arrived." Weir hissed.

"Niet. Whatever the Furling did it was thorough." He replied fighting the urge not to snap to attention.

"Colonel, Miss Ommarin would you please see too Miss Ghen'Hòar and make sure she isn't permanently damaged." Weir ordered before storming over to the Furling.

"You and you come with me." Governess Weir ordered Tror and Belshanior. The trio was inside the Thunderhawk before Weir turned to face them. "Explain." She demanded.

"The Mountain is impatient. Hollow avarice; delay and feigned ignorance. Lightening grows ever stronger. Children that wail. Enshrouded by night. Only a mask of flesh and bones."

Weir glanced at Tror who just sighed before trying to pry any information from the Furling's words. "It is feeling impatient. It feels that the Eldar are greedy and arrogant. They are delaying over petty things and they don't realize the true scale of the Nidhogg threat. The Nidhogg is getting stronger even as we speak. I not quite sure about the last part; I think it is a warning that we need to work together or die."

"So you destroy things?" Weir wanted desperately to sit down and forget about all of this.

"The Mountain shall not be denied." Seeing the human female's strained face Belshanior elaborated. "Accident. Teaching Hollow to see."

"See what?" Weir pressed. If the Furling had melted anyone's mind then the Imperials might have to flee.

"Everything. Nothing. All is well." Belshanior stated then with out a backwards glance left the Thunderhawk.

"Its only trying to help." Tror offered rather weakly.

"If it ever helps negotiate again I'm going to shoot it and you into the heart of a sun." Weir grumbled. Tror just chuckled nervously.

When Thieri Ghen'Hòar awoke she was in the arms of one of the Space Marines. She turned an undignified shade of red when she realized they were inside the Council building. Cerberus glanced down at his cargo when it started to squirm. Gently he placed her down on to the floor and handed her a small ration satchel. She took a moment to note the Imperials around her. The two Space Marines, Weir and Sheppard.

"Welcome back Eldar. We were afraid that the Furling had damaged you permanently." Cerberus said as he helped the Xeno into the unfamiliar Imperial rations.

"Thaèn Àsthar!" Ghen'Hòar shouted, memories of what had happened returning to her.

"Don't worry nothing happened. She's fine. Actually we met not to long ago. Seems your commanders are getting twitchy with the Tyranids poised to strike at any time." Cerberus responded, tearing off the plastic wrapping that shielded the rations from the hungry Eldar.

"But that creature, the Furling, it did something to her." Ghen'Hòar protested.

"According to the both of them it was some sort of information transfer. We think the Furling was trying to let her see all sides of the argument at once. Why a telekinetic backlash knocked everyone out is probably due to the Furlings instability or your races lack of Psyker talent." Cerberus informed the young Zerfàrim.

Before she could ask any more questions they were ushered into the Council chambers. Seated on the highest tier only the High Council remained. The seven aged men and women all looked down on the humans with an air of disdain.

"You will answer the questions of this Council." The head of the Shae`Randir clan ordered the Imperials before he cast his gaze over the rest of the High Council. "This is the final debate before we must decide."

"If I may." Khe'Makar stood slowly letting his glittering red and gold robs flow around him. "Humans." He said the word like it was an insult. "It has plagued us for sometime, if you are as powerful as you claim then why do you seek aid form us?"

"Its obvious you scheming fool." Chian`Furthaak sneered at his war rival. "They seek to avoid a war they could never win." The large and heavily muscled man let loose a deep bellow at the thought that the humans could even touch them. The reports that the Imperial Battleship had so far outperformed and outmaneuvered its counterparts were dismissed as a fool's notion.

Ghihiir`ama gave a disgusted snort that silenced Chian`Furthaak. "How unseemly. They seek something from us you have missed. They are seeking adequate bait for these Tyranids."

On the ground floor Ghen'Hòar noticed the several of the Imperials wince at Ghihiir`ama's words. She was appalled that they had been planning to use her world as bait in a larger game. Once again her view of the Imperium switched to that of a bloodthirsty and ruthless expansionist empire.

"I do not like this. They are too advanced, they expand too quickly and they are too unpredictable. We will be allies one moment and targets the next." Rean`Athuir was almost standing as she preached her Family's brand of isolationist propaganda.

"Sit down." Kaerèth`Enura growled. The short tempered smaller male turned his calculating eyes towards the Imperials. "They have much to offer and if we send them away they will not return. Despite being barbarians and brutes they have a sense of honor like all humans. It's win-win. Personally I like the prospect of finally seeing an end to this war."

"Don't be so short sighted and sentimental. Like these barely evolved monkeys could do what even the Lanteans could not!" Rean`Athuir was almost falling out of her seat in anger.

"Your Clan's decision to cling to Lantean lies is as disgusting as ever." Khe'Makar snapped bringing the bickering to a sudden standstill. "Answer me humans!"

"While we can bring many ships and even more troops it would be in interests of all if even a little could be added." Weir said politely trying to keep the Zerfàrim from returning to the Imperium's true goal. It wasn't good when your bait knew it was going to be eaten.

"Little! Our fleet is the mightiest in the galaxy. None can stand against the full wrath of Zerfàron!" Chian`Furthaak roared, pounding his fist against the wood like desk.

Thieri Ghen'Hòar suddenly understood why the Elders were acting so strange. They were afraid. Afraid that such a powerful and deadly human empire existed. They wanted the old order to be maintained and there was no way in hell the humans would let themselves be ruled over by Zerefàrim. It dawned on her that their behavior was like a child getting its favorite toy taken away.

"What constitutes 'normal' or 'large' then?" Shae`Randir asked his mind working to decipher every little meaning behind the female human's words. He shared a small nod with Ghihiir`ama just as Weir began to speak.

"The standard for a Battlefleet like Solar is two hundred warships. Segmentum Tempestus and Obscurus have about one hundred ships at the moment. Ultima Segmentum, being the largest, has just over two hundred while Segmentum Pacificus has in the region of about four hundred battle worthy vessels." There was a stunned silence.

"Lies." The word drifted through the room like a foul odor.

"No such force exists." Ghihiir`ama hissed. Inside his mind a horrible calculation was taking place.

"Well it's probably gotten a bit bigger by now." Weir said with a light shrug. Thieri Ghen'Hòar congratulated her on playing the Council so well. The woman really was a cunning diplomat.

"This is insanity. If humans possessed such a power then you would have wiped your selves out almost instantly. The three Battleships we have witnessed must be the entirety of your fleet not a small part." Rean`Athuir almost screamed.

"Enough! You are going in circles. We vote!" Shae`Randir shouted bringing the bickering Zerfàrim to order.

"Before we vote I would like to hear from Ghen'Hòar. He has been awfully quiet considering this mess is all his family's fault." Quiet groans and almost fanatical agreement followed Khe'Makar's weekly dig at his main political rival.

Thieri Ghen'Hòar suddenly tried to be very small when her fathers weary gaze swept over her. Around her the Imperials were completely at a loss to the High Council's actions.

"Yes. Well I doubt one of your sons or daughters could have saved as many lives. Even if it was a complete military disaster." The head of the Ghen'Hòar family replied smoothly, he hated himself when he saw his daughter wince but he couldn't afford to lose face now.

"To true." Khe'Makar agreed soaking in the pain that flickered across Ghen'Hòar's face.

"Point of fact." Sheppard suddenly spoke up. "If she hadn't been so cooperative then our leaders would have probably bombed this place into an atomic waste land by now."

Cerberus couldn't help it and allowed the manic grin to appear on his face. It was the, admittedly non-aggressive, Major's first time threatening a Xeno with any form of Imperial backing. It made him so proud.

Weir groaned internally when everything was going so well Sheppard just had to play the hero. Although the silver haired Zerfàrim did look like she had just been kicked in the stomach.

Thieri Ghen'Hòar felt very sorry for herself, her people and the Universe in general. Everything was turning out like that nightmarish future she had witnessed. The youngest Ghen'Hòar felt like crying as her idyllic picture of her society suddenly became so very grim and dark. Levi, however, finally snapped.

The laughing Chian`Furthaak was a centimeter from death as a bolt of Warp lightening streaked past his head. "Enough talk! These things need killing. If that means I have to sacrifice all of you in some ridiculous way… Then all the better." Levi's outburst silenced the room. Weir sighed as she felt the tension in the room break. Just before the screaming match could begin the large doors burst open.

"Forgive the intrusion! I bear an urgent message! The lunar colony is under attack by an unknown foe. Casualties have already been reported. Also there are unverified reports of Wraith amongst the attackers."

Weir pressed her hand gently against her ear-piece activating the Vox channel to the Fenrir. "General Hammond prepare for an imminent attack. Please augment the Zerfàrim ground forces as best we can." She whispered into the small microphone. The High Council was a mess of arguments and screaming. So much for diplomacy, even she was beginning to wish for a large gun.

"Yes Ma'am. We've already linked the Eldar sensors to our own so they can detect Warp windows before they're fully formed." Hammond replied.

"Let's get back to the Thunderhawk. We'll be needed, before the end." Weir commanded as she turned sharply and strode out. Everyone of her entourage followed even Ghen'Hòar.

The Tyrant's blood sang as it felt a full 1.7 Gs pull on its limbs. Its initial attack force had been wiped some time ago but they had inflicted medium casualties. With the prey's habitat on 'alert' most of them had been concentrated in heavily entrenched areas leaving sparse pickings. With chaos and confusion about the location and disposition of the attackers the Zerfàrim had locked down the colony. However now broods of Wraith and Hunters were advancing further into the habitat using the pathways marked out by the advance force; small skirmishes had already started with the prey normally being overrun by the infiltrated broods. Lictors had penetrated through the more crowded zones marking out concentrations of the vastly more common warrior type prey. The beast paused to sooth the group of Carnifexs, the mighty engines of destruction were becoming restless in the small confines.

A brood of Warriors passed the mighty leader of the swarm as they urged the hordes of Terma and Horma Gaunts to follow them to battle. Already the bodies of the dead, Tyranid and Zerfàrim, were being fed to the foetal birthing chambers. The Hive Tyrant growled, almost purred, with pleasure as the Hive Mind removed the block on its more violent urges. The creature gave a mighty bellow that was echoed by every Tyranid around it. The Great Devourer's attack had begun.

Amaras laughed at the joke Joril'Len just made, the sound reverberating through their security checkpoint. The others in the room all rolled their eyes at the two; their tasteless humour about the Imperial humans wasn't considered funny by most of their colleagues. These roaming attacks had everyone on edge. Every eye in the room snapped to the large window as a strange black beetle smashed into it making a very loud noise.

"Never seen a beetle like that." Amaras commented as the little bug went into death throws.

He never saw the flying metal encrusted crystals full of deadly acid before it smashed into the thick window. The first crystal exploded open the acid burning through the window almost instantly allowing the second crystal to crash into Amaras chest. The Guard died when his ribs shredded his lungs and heart. The acidic capsule exploded showering several others with its deadly contents. Screams and panicked shouts filled the room as six Termagaunts jumped through the still smoking hole were the window used to be. The Gaunts had barley landed when they triggered the electro-chemical shock that launched out the Borer beetles from their Fleshborers. With half the members of the security team dead and others wounded when the incensed beetles tore through their bodies in a feeding frenzy, the return fire of Shuriken was sparse and felled only two of the six Gaunts. It was a scene repeated over and over again as Zerfàrim soldiers all across the Tyranid's breach were systematically attacked and exterminated.

A scream tore through the large marketplace. The huge crowd of civilian Zerfàrim, gathered for their own protection, began to panic; their already frayed nerves finally snapping. Mass hysteria swept through them and they began trying to force their way past the Zerfàron-Guards that had blockaded the two entrances to the chamber. The Warrior cared not for the fickle reactions of the crowd as it tore the screaming female open with its Rending Claws. The Synapse creature turned to where a brood of Gaunts was feasting on the remains of the other shop owner. The Warrior leapt over the feasting Tyranids, with a hiss it tore open the rear wall, the seething mass of Gaunts shied back from the sudden intrusion of light. The Warrior poured the Hive Mind's fury and bloodlust into the Gaunts, enraging them into a frenzy. The Warrior swiftly moved to the store's entrance, with a roar the Tyranid burst through the door Rending Claws wide and Barbed Strangler already in spasms. The Devourer equipped Gaunts followed the Warrior as a wall of enraged flesh and chitin.

The Rending Claws passed through the civilians with sickening ease. The first swipe killed six and left another dying behind it as the Strangler seed-pod arced over the heads of the crowd and landed a fair distance from the Tyranids. The plant exploded into an orgy of growth expanding in all direction, barbed tendrils wrapping up and shredding Zerfàrim in the blink of an eye. The already panicking crowd turned violent as the deadly plant ensnared more and more people, fear and confusion ran rampant as they tried to escape the lethal plants suddenly appearing seemingly from nowhere and the murderous creature tearing through the densely packed prey. Then the Gaunts opened fire.

Nearly a hundred Gaunts fired simultaneously into the crowd. The thick black headed worms easily ate through cloth and flesh in search of nervous tissue. Fresh and even more pained screaming erupted in a symphony of fear and extreme agony as the wounded went in incredibly painful contortions while the worms began to feast on their brains. The stampeding civilians killed many of their own, by crushing them under foot and against walls, while more and more Tyranids descended on such easy prey.

Guard squads desperately fought through the crowd in an attempt to engage the source of the disturbance. With nothing to stop them the civilian population of the colony escaped back into it. Just as the crowd began to thin out and allow the Guards from both entrances to fire at the Tyranids a brood of Wraith Drones assaulted them. The mindless Drones charged through the storm of Shuriken to engage the Zerfàrim in combat. With their attention split between the Wraith trying to feed on them and the Tyranids firing indiscriminately they never truly stood a chance.

Hammond grimaced as deep scans revealed the scale of the Tyranid infestation. The colony was small when compared to what Angelus described Luna; it only covered a small fraction of the lunar surface but most of that was buried deep under the satellite's crust. It was divided into several of sections ranging from the large central bio-dome that served as a massive oxygen plant to a high intensity factory to sprawling habitats that housed its sizable military garrison. The Tyranids had spread into the area around the third airlock. Thankfully the area was distanced from the main habitats and work areas; however it contained the primary vehicle bay and a decent chunk of the armoury, the civilian markets and, most worryingly when dealing with Tyranids, the food stores for the entire colony. Already troops from Zerfàron were landing in the space-dock but they were trickling in too slowly for Hammond's liking. According to the Space Marines to halt a Tyranid assault you had to hit hard and fast when it was in its infancy or build a strong defensive line.

"Beam every member of the I.G.L. we can spare, every piece of armour we have and all our reserve ammunition into that open area." Hammond ordered, he was effectively abandoning half the colony to the Tyranids but it would give them time to deploy and allow the tanks to operate, something he knew they would need.

"Sir, the Eldar have agreed with your suggestion. But they have decided to limit troop deployment in case this is a trap." The Communications officer reported.

Hammond growled. If the Tyranid fleet arrived now all reinforcements to the colony would be cut off leaving the soldier stranded. If they didn't go all in now then they would be over run and slaughtered. Before he could snap out a reply a deep baritone warble emanated from the Vox.

"My Lord! News from Terra! The Pegasus Conquest fleet is on its way E.T.A. three days."

Sheppard didn't like to admit it but he was afraid. Even the backbreaking work of digging trenches didn't distract him from the knowledge that less than a kilometre away the Eldar and Tyranids were engaged in a murderous game of cat and mouse. Half the Zerfàrim's committed force was with the Imperials, not that they were helping them dig, while the other half was trying to relieve and rescue as many as possible in the infected half of the colony.

He had to commend the Zerfàrim they were learning quickly but their initial reliance on defence plans that the Tyranids had torn from their own soldier's minds had cost them. The initial wave of troops had initiated a text book Eldar counter-offensive. Feints, traps and highly specialised assault teams had taken its toll. However they had found that the Tyranids, whom many of the less experienced commanders had dismissed as mere animals, set up ambushes and counter-ambushes as well. A team of Angry Stars, perfectly suited to slaughtering Gaunts, would await a Guard team to lead the horde to them only to find a Carnifex bearing down on them instead or Hunters attacking from what they thought to be a secure area. The tactics were excellent against an enemy that was restricted to humanoid dimensions and limitations. But the Tyranids weren't so restricted.

Ten thousand years of anti-Wraith combat doctrine didn't just vanish in the blink of an eye. However the second wave had regroup with the bloodied primary force and once again advanced into the infested area to rescue as many stranded soldiers and remaining civilians as they could. Levi in an act that Shepard found to be too cold blooded for his liking had dismissed the brave endeavour as a foolish waste of skilled fighters that could have been useful in defending the uncontaminated sections of the colony. But since then they hadn't heard much from the attacking Eldar either.

"Bring that Leman Russ over here!" Cerberus bellowed, waving the Battletank forward onto a small hill where it had a commanding view of the flat area Chimeras were still bulldozing into a muddy, flat, stretch of open ground in front of the Imperial trenches.

"I love you guys!" Tror shouted from his position at the controls of a mounted Railgun. The two Asgard and Furling were... eager to participate in the destruction of the Tyranids.

Ommarin hissed expletives as she carried another boxful of Heavy Bolter rounds to one of the Fire Bases. Lacking the man power to create a line of properly, in an Imperial sense, armed trenches a series of Fire Bases stretched across the wooded area; each Base contained mounted Heavy Bolters, Las Cannons, Railguns, Auto Cannons, Plasma Cannons and Assault Cannons. Communication trenches linked the defensive structures all in all it should, hopefully, prevent the Tyranids advancing past them.

The Hive Tyrant watched through the eyes of a Lictor as the Hard Prey continued to burrow into the ground. It was... different. The prey that had fought them tooth and claw so close to extinction didn't burrow. They constructed great fortresses of metal and stone surrounded by fields of energy that repelled most ranged assaults. The Tyrant was only receiving basic command from the Hive Mind; most of its attention was taken by upgrading the Wraith fleet. So the great creature allowed the vastness of the Hive Mind to filter through the information and concoct a plan. But for now the Soft Prey had plunged deep into their killing grounds, the warriors had rescued many of their own but were slowly being surrounded by broods of Gaunts and Warriors, two of the Carnifexs were prepared to ambush them at any time.

The birthing chambers had finally begun converting the gathered biomass supply the prey had prepared along with the prey themselves into more Tyranids. The Soft Preys' reliance on the strange bladed weapons was a gift for them leaving so much of the dead Tyranid's biomass intact when compared to plasma or particle weapons allowed for a much greater reclamation rate. Maybe a lull in the fighting to increase their numbers was for the best, but it couldn't allow such a large concentration of prey to leave its clutches without claiming some of their biomass.

The Dominàr-Suit fell to the ground as the Warrior leapt away with the dead Elite in its Rending Claws. The squad of Guards gave a pained bellow of sorrow as they fired after the leaping Warrior. The shuriken shredded the Gaunts rushing up to attack but didn't find their mark. A squad of Elites rushed the hundreds of civilians along as their comrades fought a retreating battle against the horrendous six limbed monstrosities. Fiery Eyes and Angry Stars stood back to back building a pile of charred and shredded corpses in the small antechamber, they were the rear guard and unfortunately for them the first to encounter the Tyranid's living tank.

The Carnifex, too big to fit through the low doors, came through the wall. Saying it smashed doesn't do the action justice, the Carnifex didn't even pause in its charge as the flimsy metal crumbled under it. The creature was upon the two squads of Aspect Warriors before they could truly react. Huge Scything Talons came round at head and leg height. Zerfàrim fell left and right as the hyper sharp bone tore through armour and flesh, as the creature passed through the two squads its bladed tail lashed out at the few who had managed to dodge the sudden attack. The Carnifex didn't stop as it hit the opposite wall in fact it ploughed through it leaving behind only carnage in its wake.

Levi's enhanced hearing picked out the panicked screaming of massed civilians, for a second he was back in the Imperium of Man fighting to protect the ever shrinking havens of mankind but the moment passed. The colourful clothing of the Eldar was the first thing he saw as they streamed into the open. The Imperials had blockaded and collapsed all but one of the entrances on the Tyranid's side in an effort to bottleneck the deadly creatures. With a sigh he linked his armour's Vox into a larger Vox Caster.

"All civilians move this way!" His voice boomed across the torn up ground. Quickly the Eldar around him began shouting in their distorted version of Lantean.

The crowd moved as a single entity running as fast as they could towards the Zerfàrim and humans. Several Eldar soldiers burst from the hatchway shouting in their language at the non-combatants, more Aspect Warriors poured from entrance firing desperately behind them. Levi dryly noted that their number was almost half of what they had entered with. He quietly ordered the two Basilisks to target the opening. Just as the Eldar started to fall back a Carnifex exploded through the hatchway, almost doubling the thing in size, the creature's Barbed Strangler launched a seed pod at the Eldar then it stopped. By sheer luck the Carnifex's halt saved it from the shells that impacted in front of it, doing little more than spraying dirt over the Tyranid. Most of the Zerfàrim managed to avoid the grasping plant but a few unlucky Guards were caught and murdered by the extra-galactic organism. The living engine of destruction paused in the doorway its bloodshot yellow eyes following the retreating Eldar with a deadly intensity. Slowly the beast turned and vanished back into the darkness of the corridor.

Levi was surprised by the Carnifex's retreat. But he didn't let the fact distract him for too long; already the civilian Xenos were crossing their lines and making a fine mess of it too. Many of them were too shaken by their multiple near death experiences to even stand once they stopped running so riflemen were needed to carry them and care had to be taken not to damage them excessively. Having a strange alien throw you across a hole in the group after escaping even stranger and deadlier aliens wasn't a healthy experience. He quickly ordered the I.G.L. to delegate the duty to the Eldar. Hopefully familiar faces would stop some of the panicking.

"Are you in command?" The voice was feminine and soft with the normal Zerfàrim accent.

The Space Marine turned to face the blood smeared Eldar. "Yes." He answered smoothly. Somewhere in his mind he remembered that there was a Lord something or other floating around. But he ignored that in favour of ordering his Vox to alert Cerberus about a Leman Russ that was out of position.

The Eldar seemed to deflate slightly. "We are ready to assist anyway we can." She said proudly.

Levi resisted the need to snort. Here was a Xeno covered in blood that wasn't her own still clinging too her pride. Eldar amused him in a dark way. "Good. What is the state of your forces?"

The naturally beautiful features of the Eldar seemed to tighten in pain. The Marine attributed it to her reminiscing on their losses. "There are six twenty strong squads of Zerfàron-Guard, two fifteen strong squads of Guard-Defenders, my squad of eight Elites, five Solemn Reapers and three Angry Stars. None of the Fiery Eyes or Dominàr-Suits made it."

Levi nodded his head slowly. Very little outside the numbers and references to those Battlesuits and generic foot soldier made any sense to him. "Good. Go and find the leader of your forces. Coordinate with them and Eldar." She looked confused at the strange term but continued to listen to the huge human. "Take the opportunity to rest and re-arm."

The Eldar nodded her face grim. He fought the urge to laugh at her, as cruel as it sounded, the loss of every single being on this moon would be a good price to stall or even stop a Tyranid Hive Fleet. Once she was gone Levi allowed his shoulders to slump, the action translated into a very bizarre jiggle of his Auto Responsive Shoulder Plates, he wasn't cut out to lead an army. There was a reason that he had never commanded anything bigger than a squad, and that only happened in emergencies.

"My Lord, we have completed the last of the trenches. This position is as secure as we can make it." The I.G.L. Lieutenant was standing at rigid attention. Levi regarded him for a moment.

"Almost. Take the Chimeras over to that grove of trees." The Astarte said pointing at a group of large red barked and blue leaved trees. "Cut as many as you can down and use the wood to reinforce the trenches but more importantly the Fire Bases."

"Sir, yes sir!" The man snapped off a standard salute and jogged back the way he had come.

"And now we wait." Levi muttered. He finally allowed the snarled to materialise on his face as the horrid presence of the Hive Mind once again probed the edges of his mind. The annoying ability of the Wraith to influence humans was allowing the Tyranids undue influence over the minds of the Imperial forces. An annoying nuisance that could prove fatal.

"She is watching." Tror shivered at the proclamation. The dinky little fleet of one Imperial Battleship, three Capitals, a handful of Cruiser and barely enough escorts to go around wasn't going to stop the Progenitor. The Alliance of Four Great Races had thrown thousands of their best at those creatures and barley won. The Asgard desperately hoped that the Imperial fleet would arrive before She appeared.

"Then it is time to end this." Tror proclaimed with far more courage than he was feeling. Beside him Belshanior let out a sad melody that its suit failed to translate. "For the Empire!" The warrior, out of time and place, bellowed at the top of his voice. Bravado was what the Riddari did best.

"For the Imperium!" The humans replied in kind, the very ground seeming to shake with the force of their shout.

Then a roar, more like a screaming hiss, cut through the air. Cerberus turned towards the opening and his Power Armour's Machine Spirit zooming in on the threat and highlighted it on the display in his helmet. A Hive Tyrant was standing in the single entrance way the Imperials hadn't collapsed. The Hive beast spread its Rending Claws wide, while the Lash Whip and Bone Sword remained at rest at its side. Cerberus brushed aside the psychic assault and shielded as many of the I.G.L. as he could but many still flinched. Then the ghosts appeared.

In sheer panic many of the misty projections were perforated with Las and in some cases heavier weapons. Levi's voice snapped through the Vox ordering them to cease fire as the spectral illusions danced, mockingly, across the open field. The Eldar seemed confused for a moment before they realised that their temporary human allies were under the Wraith's spell. Fear radiated from the woefully out numbered humans but they stood fast, as always the Eldar were featureless in the Warp but their faces displayed a grim resolve. They would need that. There was a hearts beat pause before the attack began.

All three Carnifexi tore through the already damaged hatchway. The false ground shook violently as the multi-ton beasts charged unflinchingly towards the Imperial line. The muddy and open ground, courtesy of the Chimeras, offered no safe haven and slowed the super heavy Tyranids. With each earth shaking step the powerful hooves were driven deep into the muddy soil slowing the Tyranids by precious seconds. The entire Imperial line almost faltered as the engines of destruction bore down on them ignoring everything but the Railguns and Las Cannons which only seemed to spur the Tyranids on. Then the first Battle Cannon roared into life and the leading Carnifex, a Thornback and the largest, suddenly lost its head. The relativity small protrusion exploded into a shower of gore as the explosive shell reduced its target to a fine black mist and chunks of twitching purple gore. The second largest Carnifex, with the Barbed Strangler, opened fire on the Imperials. The deadly seed pod bounced off the hastily added wooden barricades at the lip of the trenches and exploded into life away from the vulnerable soldiers. A literal carpet of Termagaunts finally caught up to the two remaining Carnifexi, mixed in with the tiny creatures were several Warriors adapted for brutal close range combat.

The heavy weapon teams had specific orders; as soon as the first Warrior was sighted amongst the Gaunts a hailstorm of Heavy Bolter rounds and Auto Cannonade rained down on it. The lightly armoured creature was literally torn apart under the barrage that also claimed the lives of many of the surrounding Gaunts.

"Fire!" Levi's Vox Caster bellowed. And the air exploded into red.

"Engage!" Lord Protector Anùi'sil roared. The Aspect Warriors of Zerfàron added their firepower to the battle.

Lasguns fired in volleys slaughtered the first few ranks of Termagaunts leaving the six limb beast little more than smoking, cratered, wrecks. The Tyranids tumbled over each other the living getting caught by the falling bodies of the dead. Shurikens big and small slashed through the air taking off limbs and splattering organs onto the ground. Pulse blasts ripped apart the lightly armed Gaunts and Lasers eviscerated multiple targets in sweeping arcs. The Railguns swept back and forth churning up the ground in a hailstorm of flying dirt; the hyper velocity rounds tearing through chitin, muscle and bone with ease. Heavy Bolters rained death into the tighter concentrations murdering two or three creatures at a time. Las Cannons punched out at the Carnifexs burrowing deep glowing holes into their super hard exoskeletons.

Levi ducked as the third and final Carnifex fired its Venom Cannon. The huge crystals soared over the Space Marine's head and exploded behind him. Screaming erupted all around him as droplets of acid, so strong it could burn through the hull of a Lantean Battlecruiser, splattered the crews of two Heavy Bolters and a Railgun. Swiftly men dropped their Lasguns and jumped behind the controls of the weapon emplacements even as their former operators were dragged away by the desperately few medics.

More screaming erupted as the Termagaunts finally returned fire. Men and women, human and Zerfàrim, fell thrashing to the ground as the black beetles gnawing their way through their faces gorged themselves into oblivion. The Librarian lashed out as a Warrior took an exceptionally long leap towards him. The bolt of lightening blew the things ridiculously thin thorax apart. With a roar he started throwing his Warp conjured powers without pause to aim at the mass of flesh.

The Zerfàrim fighting beside the Imperials were in awe of the display of raw firepower. Basilisks boomed as they flung death into the rear of the Tyranid horde, Leman Russes jumped every time their Battle Cannons sought out the Carnifexs their three Heavy Bolter a constant roar as the explosive rounds slaughter with gleeful ease, the snap crack of Las weapons of all sorts as they tore into the Tyranids assaulting them, the electric crackle of the Railguns as they threw lumps of metal faster than sound. One thing was true about the humans; they were very loud.

There was an explosion of light and suddenly one of the Leman Russes and the heavy weapons around it were gone. Three Las Cannons converged on the offending Zoanthrope, the creature was totally vaporised before it could react. The sudden lull in firing as the riflemen and Guards dove into cover allowed the Gaunts to close in. Hormagaunts distilled from their Terma and Spine Gaunt brothers leapt into the trenches as the other species flanked another section of defences. Panicked shouts and screams exploded from the trench as the waist high creatures turned into hurricanes of blades and teeth tearing through the disorientated Imperials and Eldar.

Cerberus threw himself backwards crushing the two Hormagaunts that had jumped on his back in an attempt to blind side him. The creature made a satisfying crunching sound as they were pulverised under the half tonne Space Marine. With a snarl the Librarian eviscerated two more and blew another's chest open with his Bold Pistol before saving a riflewoman from being disembowled with a thin stream of blue flames. The Librarian of the Sons of Sol Third Company pulled the woman to her feet and killed a Hormagaunt with a vicious backhand in one motion. Sweeping past he vaporised three more with a wave of his hand, he was about to unleash his devastating rendition of 'Fury of The Ancients' when something hard and powerful connected with the side of his head. The display of his helmet faltered as the lenses of his eyepieces shattered and the ceramite-plasteel armour buckled under the force of the blow.

Cerberus slammed heavily into the earthen side of the trench. In a deft motion born of many near death experiences her tore loose the now useless helmet and rolled to the side avoiding the two Scything Talons then plunged into the ground where he had been moments ago. The Warrior wasted no time and lashed out with its Rending Claws tearing a deep gash into Cerberus's greave. The Librarian responded with an armoured boot to the creature small face. The Warrior stumbled its lower jaw torn away by the force of the blow, in its brief pause Cerberus regained his footing and lunged at the creature.

The Force Sword clipped the creatures head crest severing a chunk of deep blue chitin. Hissing in pain the Rending Claws flashed out only for one to fly away, severed by a Bolt. The other however connected with Cerberus's midriff, the diamond hard claws bore into the Power Armour scrapping against the solid bone mass that was the Space Marine's ribcage. Cerberus clenched his jaw as the Tyranid ripped its claw out tearing a long gash into his side. The Scything Talons came round in a circle level with his now bare face, the Librarian lashed out only for his sword hand to be caught by the remaining Rending claw. Cerberus still managed to catch the one Scything Talon and mostly dodge the other.

The Warrior struggled to remove its second Scything Talon from the prey's grasp even as the prey fought to free its own weapon. The Adrenalin Gland on its back convulsed and the Warrior's eyes dilated as the boost in power surged through it. Cerberus was unprepared for the creature's powerful leap forward. He once again slammed into the trenches wall, the impact braking his concentration on the Warpfire he was attempting to conjure. The Tyranid's sudden iron grip on his sword hand was preventing him from killing the Xeno in a more normal way. Before the Warrior could finally kill the armoured prey a sharp pain cut through the super-powerful adrenalin induced haze. Its yellow eye glared at the small prey that had her weapon buried in its exposed side.

With an angered hiss the Warrior swung at the riflewoman its Scything Talon tearing into the Flack Armour over her stomach. With the warrior distracted Cerberus completed his preparations, with a mental tug a tiny Warp tear formed inside the creature's undersized brain. It died instantly and Cerberus closed the opening before it could grow. He vaguely noticed that the Furling was standing in front of the disorganised stretch of trench work, lightening coursing off its mechanical suit and frying any Tyranid that dared approach. In his chest he felt a deep rumbling that was accompanied by a mental projection of impotent rage the sensations faded as his Psychic Hood filtered it out. The Librarian ignored his own wounds, they were already sealing up, and checked on the prone form of the woman that had saved him. The cut was shallow and hadn't punctured her intestine so she wasn't going to die from this encounter. A mental command to his Vox summoned a medic as the Librarian moved off to help the Flamer and Fiery Eyes teams clear the rest of the trench.

Levi wrestled his Force Sword from the skull of the Warrior he had just killed. The shredded remains of the teams that had been manning the heavy weapons lay scattered around him. Three of the Fire Bases had already been annihilated and more and more Gaunts were in the trenches. He swept his gaze over the killing field they had created. It was at least two bodies deep, at the highest point it was taller than a Dreadnought, for almost a hundred meters in front of the trenches. The Carnifex with the Venom Cannon had, by the Emperor's grace, been killed by a Basilisk shell but the final one had seemingly vanished. But the accursed creatures had still claimed many lives and maimed even more.

"Sir! Their pulling back!" The excited voice crackled in his ear, the Space Marine was filled with relief to see most of the Tyranids rapidly disappearing into the darkness of the tunnel they had emerged from. The ones that were too close to retreat were already being mopped up by aggressive squads of I.G.L. and vengeful Zerfàrim.

"Tend to the wounded! Re-arm as many heavy weapons as we can! Rebuilt those barricades!" The Astarte bellowed both manually and through the Vox. "Contact the Fenrir we need more ammunition." He said to the one armed man sitting next to the Vox Caster.

"Sir, we're receiving a message from the colony. It reads: 'First assault repelled. Losses medium. Requesting re-supply.'" The Comms officer informed his Capitan.

"Beam down everything we have left." Hammond commanded. Behind him Weir sighed in relief.

"Well this certainly helps our case." The Governor muttered as the thick red mess that was the Tyranid life signs retracted upon itself.

"I suppose it does." Hammond replied. "But that will do no good if we're all dead." He muttered. So far their deep scans of the system had revealed nothing but without a trained Navigator or Librarian devoted to the task they were never going to detect anything in Warp transit.

"How are our chances?" Weir asked, glancing at the contested moon.

Hammond muttered some unsavoury things before he answered. "With the Asgard unable to beam anything in or out I'd say we're on the back foot." Had he known that the Asgard transportation system could be disrupted not only by the Furling's infernal device but also by a powerful enough concentration of Psykers. Say: two Beta level Librarians, a Hive Tyrant, a handful of Zoanthropes and the will of the Hive Mind, he would have beamed everything out permission be damned and nuked the place.

His Asgard on the other hand were loving the chance to study the distortions in sub-space that affected their targeting sensors so. Already Skuld and Syn were happily postulating ways they could use the less sub-space dependant sensors of the Imperium or even an advanced enough A.I. to compensate for the deformations. The moment the two little grey aliens had plunged into the world of sub-atomic particles and probabilities Hammond had given up trying to understand them.

"General how accurate is a Tel'tak's hyperdrive?" Weir asked innocently.

"What?" Hammond stared at the unofficial Governess like she was insane.

"I have... an idea." She replied with a devilish smirk.

Tharvèn quickly scanned over the Imperial's emplacement. Crude but effective. Approach to the colony was becoming harder and harder as a cloud of spores began to emanate from the infected section. For now they were under control but it was steadily getting thicker and soon might completely impede any landing craft. He turned to the defence plans of Zerfàron, they were the original set in place by the Lanteans so long ago, and now they looked completely inadequate. He sighed as he began to alter them.

"The hell!" The startled scream was the only warning that Levi got before something exploded behind him.

Out the corner of his eye he caught an unstable hyperspace window snapping closed. Following the directionality of the phenomenon his eyes came to rest on a Tel'tak, damaged and trailing smoke, buried nose first beside where what remained of his Eldar reserves waited and a hastily erected triage centre.

The cargo ship's side door was forced open from the inside and Cameron Mitchell dropped out face first, followed by a lazy trail of smoke. The Space Marine rolled his eyes when Mitchell began mutter a declaration of love into the soil.

"Cameron Mitchell, explain yourself!" Levi ordered.

The man groaned before managing to turn his face upwards. "Weir... unstable hyperspace... Tel'tak Rings... reinforcements." After muttering the last word of his incoherent report he threw up and passed out.

A loud and mechanical humming followed by an anti-gravity engine and a flash of light emanated from inside the Tel'tak. Levi peered into the golden coloured interior when the grim starmarked Mask of an Eldar appeared from the cargo hold.

"Where do you need us?" The Angry Star asked shouldering his large Shuriken Cannon.

Levi allowed a small smirk to grace his face in reply as the Ring system activated again.

With a mental command the second full attack upon the preys' position began. Hordes of Gaunts and Warriors bounded across the killing field towards their targets. The maelstrom of death tore all of them apart before they could even get close enough to return fire. The Tyrant, pleased that the prey had fallen for the trap, moved almost silently into the tunnel. Ravernors had been busy for the last six hours tunnelling right under the colony bypassing every security measure the Imperials and Zerfàrim had implemented. They had to go deep and the lunar rock was ridiculously hard but the dedicated brood, that had literally worked themselves to death, had finally punched through into a small area in the remaining half of the colony. The tunnel's entrance, wide enough to accommodate the Carnifex, was already filled with Hunters, Zoanthropes, Lictors, a few Warrior broods and enough Rippers to finally finish the battle. It would take a while to navigate the huge parabolic tunnel but victory would belong with the Hive Mind.

Levi knew something was wrong as another wave of Gaunts died before they could even attack. To the untrained and un-cynical it would appear that the enemy was simply running out of troops or in this case biomass. In such a case it was normal for the Tyranids to throw massed Gaunts, easy to grow and replace, at the enemy to simply overwhelm them and/or drain their ammunition. But the Librarian felt slightly off; looking up at the spore obscured void he wondered what the fiendish Xenos were plotting.

His question was answered when a large hole swallowed a Basilisk. From the gaping maw in the ground streamed forth a brood of incredibly aggressive Ravenors. The first ten or so I.G.L. they came upon died before they even knew they were under attack. Scything Talons designed to dig as well as kill tore them apart in showers of gore. The brood then disseminated into the Imperial emplacements intent on slaughtering as many as possible.

The Angry Star enjoyed this. Watching the snake like beast being bisected by his weapon filled him with pride. Beside him his team mates shredded even more of these creatures. He was so engrossed in slicing the arms of a fleeing creature he didn't even notice the ground begin to sink beneath him. At least not until a pair of white muscular arms dragged him screaming into the dark.

Levi swore the Warp up and down as well as several unsavoury remarks about the Emperor's mailed fist. The white coloured creatures along with a new blue variant were now streaming from the holes in the ground backing up the Raveners that had finally been contained. A hiss of static sounded in his ear as the Eldar communication device integrated itself with the Machine Spirit in his Vox.

"Help! We need reinforcements! They're coming from underground... No! No!..." The rest of the transmission was a rather loud rendition of the Eldar's guts being torn out of his body and presumably eaten.

Levi closed his eyes, focused his powers, and vaporised an entire brood of the Wraith-Hunter hybrids that had emerged in front of him. "Eldar! The Tyranids are attacking your civilians evacuate as many as possible through the Tel'tak!" He shouted at the female Elite that had approached him earlier.

The Eldar, in an impressive display, flipped over the outstretched claws of a Wraith-Hunter hybrid and landed on the creatures back, dodged the whip like bladed tail before snapping the creature's neck in a single motion. She nodded to the huge blue warrior and raced away.

Lord Protector Anùi'sil cut another of the disgusting creatures that dared to defile her home in half. The Lord Commanders had initially decided to limit the number deployed here in case the Tyranids were planning to blow the entire colony up or vent it into space; it seemed however that they had a different objective. What it was eluded her at the moment. An Elite appeared at her side in between flawless strokes of her Power Sword.

"Lord Protector the civilians are in danger!" The Elite shouted over the deafening noise of the humans' weapons.

With a nod the Lord Protector had already begun formulating plans. While not as brilliant as one a Lord Commander could craft she still managed to fully organise her forces to retrieve and evacuate a full eighty percent of the civilian population. If all went according to plan, and she was quickly learning nothing with the Tyranids went according to plan.

Tror lived for moments like this. The Warrior creature wailed in pain as the Asgard, clad in his race's version of Power Armour, ripped the things still beating heart out. He threw the organ aside wiping black ichor across his chest as battle lust took a hold of him. With a mighty bellow the temporally displaced warrior threw himself into a flying tackle that took another Warrior unaware. His weapons long forgotten or empty he went hand to hand with the flailing Tyranid totally happy to grapple with the multi limbed creature. A pleasant feeling accompanied the humans' terrified stares when he pulled out the Warrior's spinal cord through the back of its head. Tror only laughed heartily before tearing off a dead limb and proceeding to beat a Termagaunt to death with it.

Belshanior, its suit covered in the exploded remains of Tyranids, took one look at the retreating Eldar and followed them. A mental backhand sent a Hunter trying to sneak up on it bouncing along the ground its neck broken. The Furling had, enjoyed was not the right word, appreciated its time out of its suit. To do combat with its bare hands; to feel the blood of the creatures that had dared to kill Furlings was an impulse the Furling trapped between life and death had never been able to indulge before. However with the Hollows it, for once, might just be able to tear and rend with its physical body rather than its mind. The dark green uniforms of the Zerfàrim were easy to follow and the Furling desperately wanted to kill.

A pulsing hatred and anger filled the crystalline creature as it observed the first Furling hybrid, Kruosvore, it had seen on this moon. The Kruosvore was about to bombard the Eldar rushing to save the non-combatants with its deadly weapon. It was, simply, living artillery; a beast engineered from the millions of large, strong backed, herbivores the Hive Mind had consumed with a deep blue crystal growth on its back. The crystal was little more than a large near mindless lump that could reconfigure into a firing mode reminiscent of a cannon's barrel.

The Furling's suit split open releasing the entity within. The area was so saturated with the Hive Tyrant's, humans' and Zoanthropes' constant psychic assaults that the expanded Furling presence actually helped to alleviate the horrifying scratching. Before the artillery beast could react a diamond hard claw with the force of a train behind it shattered the creature's skull. The Tyranid slumped to the ground dead however the threat was not truly over, as many overconfident Alliance soldiers had learned, the crystal was still capable of attack. Sucking up all the stray energy it could the crystal launched a suicide attack at Belshanior.

The large block of living crystal dodged the strike by a hairs breadth. Without energy to support it the large jagged spike of crystal began to crumble. Tentatively, almost lovingly, Belshanior reached forward and rested a claw upon the now dead crystal. With a sad melody the silver translator embedded in its head didn't bother to work on the crystal was absorbed into the Furling. With almost a thousand years worth of growth added in an instant Belshanior bounded after the Eldar intent on helping the silly little organics.

Anùi'sil gasped when she came upon the first hastily erected shelter. After the debacle in the market place it had been decided to break the civilians up into smaller groups then seal them into reinforced rooms. The large sealed door, a spare airlock in fact, had been torn free and thrown aside. The chamber housing almost a twenty Zerfàrim was a charnel house. It looked more like a huge spinning blade had descended on the unprotected civilians. Considering the way those small bladed creatures fought it was an apt description. The Guard squads around her all backed away from the scene of carnage, it was the first time many of them had seen so many of their own dead.

Aspect warriors and Elites flashed past, seeking to engage the enemy and allow the Guards to extract as many as they could. Already the forward forces were slaughtering the smaller meat-shield creatures establishing a faint and weak perimeter around the Tyranid tunnel. Happy that most of the choke points from the Tyranid entrance were at least being contested Anùi'sil ordered squads to move as a single large unit to prevent them being systematically eliminated. As they plunged towards the heart of the conflict she was startled when a huge blue thing rumbled past each motion setting off a display of blue sparks. The Lord Protector watched in amazement as the creature, she recognized Àsthar's description of the unsuited Furling, waded into the bestial smaller creatures. Energy and crystal blurred together as the Furling vented its rage.

The last sight she caught of the creature was it tearing one of the larger creatures limb from limb while a deep baritone that could only be described as 'angry' rumbled in its chest.

The next shelter produced a more promising bounty, seventy people mostly children and the old, were rescued before a brood of Hormagaunts could savage them. The incensed Zerfarim instead shredded the surprised Gaunts into a fine paste. Quickly and efficiently they moved on.

The Angry Star groaned as yet another wave of the barley armed barley armoured smaller creatures charged down the long, narrow and straight corridor. The hailstorm of long ranged Shuriken backed up by the Pulse rifles of the six Elites left the remains as a long black smear across the walls and a slowly building mountain of twitching purple and red flesh.

Only the Elite leading the two squads noticed the distortion and she died as a huge claw blew through her chest. Startled by the seemingly random explosion of gore two Angry Stars were decapitated by razor tipped shoulder mounted arms. The Lictor disengaging by leaping backwards and refocusing its Nox stolen cloaking ability didn't move fast enough to avoid the explosive counter-fire. Even the vanguard creatures ridiculously fast reactions and the fact the Eldar were firing blind couldn't stop the sheer volume of fire the Shuriken Cannons created from dismembering the Lictor in an instant.

Hundreds were saved in the first few minuets by the sacrifices of the Aspect Warriors and slowly but surely the attacks grew weaker. However that didn't mean things got easier. When the Zerfàrim were approaching the limits of their ammunition Warriors, Hunters or scant few remaining Wraith would descend upon them. The timeless Tyranid tactic proved as effective as ever when holes began to appear in the perimeter. However the battle was still in the favour of the Zerfàrim and with the Imperials slowly bleeding off forces to help, the Tyranids were on the back foot.

The Hive Tyrant tore the struggling Soft-Prey in half. A ball of bio-plasma followed its retreating broodmates, Rippers descended on the survivors tearing them apart. It lashed out with its tail taking the sword wielding prey that was attempting to sneak up on it by surprise. The Daring Shadow bounced off the wall her ribcage a shattered mess. The Tyrant growled in anger as the Hive Mind alerted it that its forces were faltering. A booming sound like a thousand thunderclaps at once that the Hive Mind hadn't heard since its last battled the Alliance echoed through the blood splattered hallways.

Turning slowly the Tyrant turned to face the sparking body of a Furling. The Tyrant hissed and crouched lower preparing to charge. For in the thousand year war between the Tyranids and Alliance the Furlings had fought the hardest. Belshanior, its crystal body dripping with entrails, bellowed its challenge again.

Almost at the same time the two threw themselves at each other. The ground cracked under hoof and crystal talon with a might crash the two giants slammed into each other. Furling claws dug into Tyranid flesh as Rending Claws racked down its side tearing out chunks of blue stone. A blast of energy threw them apart, the Lash Whip flashed out only to be caught in a clawed hand. Belshanior pulled on the muscular rope tipping the Tyrant off balance; a bolt of lightening flew from the Furling's other hand. Snarling in fury as the blue bolt blasted apart its sword arm the Tyrant retorted with a bio-plasma blast. The green ball of star fire smashed into a hastily erected psychic shield. Gouts of bio-plasma the broke through the barrier to tear chunks out of the Furling.

With a wail of pain and rage Belshanior dropped the shield and charged the wounded Tyrant. Again the two giants slammed into each other, claws flashed out raking deep wounds into each other and plasma and Warp fire were traded without regard for their personal safety. One of the combatants tripped and dragged the other down with it. Limbs, sparks and energy bolts flew through the air as the two rolled down the corridor.

The Daring Shadow barley managed to pull herself out of harms way as the blue and brown ball thundered past her. Belshanior grabbed a hold of the Tyrants head even as a Rending Claw was forced further into its chest. With a roar the Furling squeezed. Brain matter and chitin exploded from between the clawed hands of the crystalline creature. The Tyrant twitched twice before it fell silent.

The Furling lumbered to its feet and screamed in victory.

Cerberus felt the reverberations of the Furling as the Shadow in the Warp began to lessen. A quick jab punched through the Hunter's chest, removing his gore covered fist the Librarian turned to the I.G.L. riflemen at his side. Already the Gaunts were turning feral and several of the Warriors were following suit.

"Eldar press forward." The Space Marine Psyker bellowed as he blew a Warrior in half with a couple of Bolts.

Anùi'sil, who had become use to the odd name the humans had for her people, noted the smaller creatures beginning to retreat or turn upon one another. With a wordless cry she, and the Solemn Reapers around her, charged into the centre of the last swarm. The Tyranids broke. Without the Hive Mind to guide them they were utterly lost. The six limbed engines of death died in droves as the Imperials and Zerfàrim slaughtered them with ease.

Anùi'sil almost wept with joy when the Imperial soldiers and orbiting ships announced an all clear. She turned to the blue armoured behemoth beside her and smiled her thanks.

Two days later and the I-301s and Marnith Koòr fighters were still flying missions to mop up the spores. A lot of the animosity towards the Imperium from the Zerfàrim military and general population had died away when the news of the humans' actions spread. There were still doubters that claimed the Imperium was too aggressive or unpredictable but the majority had shifted towards a more positive view on the human empire.

"So this?" Anùi'sil asked as she stared at the large creature. The creature was basically a massive brain contained in a millimetre thick membrane.

"Yes." Cerberus answered glaring hatefully at the corpse.

"And it would have?" The Lord Protector continued.

"Definetly." The Space Marine replied again.

"Umashát! Anùi'sil breathed before she could recompose herself.

The massive Zoanthrope, for the creature seemed to have been spawned from that species, was nestled actually more attached to the colony's power core. The large pseudo-ZPMs used by the Zerfàrim, while not as powerful or efficient as their Lantean analogues, were still powerful self-contained zero-point sub-space bubbles. And Levi's little discovery of the overpowered Zoanthrope as it slowly gathered power answered what at least one of the Tyranid's goals were. A zero-point detonation combined with a super powered Warp breach. It left little to the imagination. If the initial blast didn't kill off most of Zerfàron, the Warp bleeding over into real-space and plummeting debris from the shattered moon would definitely be considered an extinction level event if not just leaving the planet totally lifeless. And the Zerfàrim's inability to sense disturbances in the Warp, while it allowed them to avoid the Tyranid's mental assault, meant they wouldn't have found the creature before it self-destructed.

"Do you think they will still come?" Anùi'sil asked the Space Marine as they exited the large chamber.

"Yes. But this delay between its initial attack and the main fleet has me worried. If they instead splinter the fleet." Cerberus shuddered. Even with the powerful Pegasus Conquest fleet they would be hard-pressed to hunt down every Tyranid ship and if just one went intergalactic they could be under threat from the Hive Mind for the rest of time.

"Yes but I think they will still come. We are still the biggest threat to them." She replied. She had at least taken the humans seriously, now that was turning into respect.

"Indeed." Cerberus muttered. With a quiet nod to the Eldar he vanished in a flash of light.

"Well?" Hammond asked as Weir sauntered into one of the more opulent briefing rooms, this one actually had padding on the seats.

Her grin was all the answer he needed. "I knew I hadn't lost my charm. A few promises about not violating their space once the war is over, a non-aggression and mutual-defence treaty, officer exchange and technology exchange was all it took." Seeing the look Hammond was giving her she continued. "I know their angling for some of the Asgard tech and a way to spy on us but I'm sure we can keep who ever they send on an Agri-world or something and load them up with Goa'uld, Rillaanian and Hebridan tech for the next century." The two former leaders of the SGC shared a smile; there existed enough variations on the same idea in the pre-Imperium Milky Way to repeat the same thing at least four or five times.

"Was it really that easy?" Hammond pressed. The last thing he needed was his 'allies' shooting him in the back.

"Well… I may have showed them one or two little videos." Weir admitted looking slightly embarrassed that she had been caught.

"Which ones?" Hammond sighed.

"The Aschen and Stragoth." She answered quickly.

"Okay the Stragoth I get. The Emperor's Light blasting apart their orbital station before sparing their main cities is very impressive, and they deserved it." He muttered with a vengeful smirk, he had never forgiven the large aliens for taking over the SGC. "But why the Aschen? I don't think it paints a good image if we portray Ishmael bombing a planet with viruses while he rambles on and on about his faith." It had been Ishmael not Angelus that had been leading the Sons of Sol when they stumbled across the Aschen home world. Filled with warnings from Terra the Space Marine had immediately ordered the planet cleansed. And the rest was history.

"I didn't show them that part where the man melts alive." Weir protested. "I just gave the impression that when push comes to shove we can actually hit back just as hard as they can."

Hammond sighed in defeat. It was all moot now, they had agreed to a treaty. "So what now?" Hammond wondered aloud. The Pegasus Conquest fleet was still some twenty hours out and there was still no guarantee of when or even where the Tyranids were.

"We wait." Weir answered as she made to leave Hammond to his work.

The Hive Mind reviewed the failed assault again. A spectacular failure to either establish a beachhead or deploy the Zoanthrope bomb. But a learning experience none the less. The extra time She had taken before launching Her attack had allowed many of the Wraith ships to be upgraded even if only a little. The new Hives growing inside their Wraith counterparts were coming along nicely. It seemed that the Hard and Soft prey were truly in coalition now. Still a series of detailed sensor sweeps from the two Cruisers had proven that the Soft Prey's world was indeed lush and ripe for harvesting She had also confirmed that the Soft Prey were related, and fairly closely if Her guess was right, to the prey she had fought before Her apparent death. Still a few more hours and then the Hive Fleet would begin Warp transit. One way or another the thousand years of war were going to end.

"Warp tear in progress!" Came the shout. The swirling pink mist was closer to the local star than the data about the Emperor's Light's own Warp Drive suggested. Unfortunately Hammond couldn't really make heads or tails of the sermon like reels of paper the Tech-Marines had created to explain Warp engines.

"Lock on and fire!" Hammond roared over the pounding of his own heart. His mind flashed to his grandchildren; he couldn't die here, no, he wouldn't die here. All he had to do was resist for another three hours. And General George Hammond was as stubborn as they come.

The Warp tear was a thing of terrifying beauty to the Zerfàrim. It represented something new, something undiscovered, something they had yet to experience. For a civilisation that had been given most of their technology, knowledge, insight and had been locked in a monotonous war for over ten thousand years the unknown was something they had little experience with. This was the reason they seemed, to the humans of the Imperium at least, to be so slow on the uptake of things. So despite Hammond's warnings about the unpredictability of the Warp a Frigate strayed too close, its Captain thinking the tear would act like a hyperspace window. The Warp fissure lashed out towards the source of the gravitons, the Zerfàrims unique style of propulsion interfering with the reality schism.

The Frigate was caressed by pink flames, the Immaterium tearing a long strip from the Frigate's portside. However the interference did cause the tear to destabilise for a second crushing the exiting Wraith Cruiser to about the size of a baby's fist. Unfortunately the Hive right behind the Cruiser had no such problems and re-emerged into real space with its Wraith weapons already firing.

The damaged Frigate was blown apart by the Hive ship's massive volley. Three War Cruisers pounced on the Hive like avenging angels. Pulselances, Fusion Cannons and Beams, missiles and Sunlances poured down on the thirteen kilometre Hive. What happened next was so horribly terrifying that it nearly made hardened officers weep.

A faint but visible dark chanteuse barrier appeared around the Hive. The torrent of doom fired from the three War Cruisers hit the Warp Field; the missiles detonated as the reality defying Warp Field tore them apart, the Pulselances simply bounced off while the burning white and orange of the Fusion weapons appeared like tiny motes of lights all along the green barrier. With the field weakening under the barrage the three powerful Sunlances managed to punch through. The thick yellowish beams raked along the Hive's dorsal spine banks fusing the semi-metallic projectiles into their organic launchers. However the enhanced armour managed to prevent the deadly beams from ravaging the Hive's interior.

Stunned silence rained through the Zerfàrim fleet and the Fenrir's bridge. Shielding technology was the one big advantage anyone had over the Wraith; with such a handicap overcome the ships formerly useful only as target practice were suddenly a very deadly threat.

"Contact the Giirathar`Jetai. Co-ordinate our fire with them." Hammond ordered as another Warp tear started to form.

Three white Imperial Lance beams were joined by six Sunlances as they smashed into the prow of the Hive. The green field flickered for the blink of an eye before it buckled under the strain, vanishing in a swirling pattern of light. Unbeknownst to the Eldar and humans the neural pathways of the Zoanthropes that had been projecting the field were completely fried by the backlash leaving the powerful creatures little more than vegetables. Immediately the intense beams tore into the reinforced armour. The prow of the Hive crumbled under the attack; the beams shattered the port arm of the Hive before blasting apart the bridge. Disabled and listing the Hive still managed to act as a shield for the next two Cruisers.

From the second Warp tear three Hives soared out surrounded by six Cruisers. Although he would never admit it to a human's face Tharvèn was thankful for the intelligence the Imperials had provided, although it still seemed that his peoples' tactical flexibility was meaningless in the face of such an esoteric enemy. The Lord Commander of the Zerfàrim fleet dismissed all superfluous thoughts as the Shagath`Hòar, and her two Frigate escorts,slid into position. The eight Sunlances lining the front of the Battleship fired as one, two beams flew wide as the three Hives went evasive but the others scored deep gashes into one of the un-enhanced Hives. The Hive seemed to spasm as internal explosions tore through it but, before the raging infernos sweeping through the Hive consumed them, hundreds of Darts swarmed from its intact bays. As one the Wraith fighters accelerated to ramming speed and charged the Shagath`Hòar.

Anticipating such an attack the two cloaked Frigates in front of the Capital ship de-cloaked when the fighters entered range of their point defence. Shuriken Cannons tore apart Darts with ease, monomolecular blades slicing through the lightly armoured cockpits and sheering off huge chunks of internal machinery. The Darts, surpassing their normal speeds, raced past the Frigates not even pausing to fire at them. Tharvèn allowed a vicious grin as the Wraith Darts entered rage of his ship and its escorts, a torrent of white streaks reached out to slaughter the Wraith. The tiny purple fighters began swerving in ways that would have killed a human pilot, for many of them it was a futile gesture. Explosions blossomed across space but the Darts charged on regardless, the Zerfàrim's own fighters rose to meet the threat but they did little to delay the swarm. The order to evade was half way out Tharvèn's mouth when the Darts suddenly changed course, as one the Darts dove into a steep right turn that took them between the Shagath`Hòar and a Frigate. Tharvèn cursed silently as the seemingly suicidal Darts raced between his ships preventing him from attacking. His attention was distracted when his Senior Sensor officer let out a disturbed squawk and screamed for them to bank hard to port. The Shagath`Hòar barley dodged the Warp rift.

Àsthar grimaced as three new Warp tears burst into life. Her Battlegroup was tearing into two Hives but were suffering from the unpredictable nature of the spores and spines, the Imperial ship had placed itself, rather boldly, in the centre of the battle line and was trading broadside for broadside with a Hive. The `Dharis Meonarh was in orbit over the moon its more powerful shields allowing it to slug it out with the Wraith Cruisers that forced their way past the small Zerfàrim fleet occupied with the Hive ships. A horrible foreboding coldness had settled in her stomach; their fleet was just to small to fight off the entire Wraith species: Hives took to much fire power to kill quickly, the new armour allowed Cruiser to basically ignore the Frigates for a while and the Darts were simply overwhelming their counterparts with sheer numbers.

She caught yellow streaks out the side of her eye as the Shagath`Hòar unleashed its trump card. The Drones smashed into the two Hives the Battleship had been engaging; the Ancient's most powerful weapon broke one Hive's back in a single pass. The yellow specks of light swirled round the second Hive annihilating important systems before they split into three separate streams and proceeded to shred the three Cruisers around the dying Hives. The few remaining squid like projectiles tore into the two disabled Wraith Hives destroying engines and power systems before the volley was totality exhausted.

In retaliation the Tyranids, who had racked up a pitiful tally of a handful of Frigates and a Command Cruiser, unleashed their own surprise weapon. By sacrificing the projection of the Warp Field the Zoanthropes began to generate a Warp Blast. A single concentrated blast could blow a Leman Russ Battletank into so much scrap metal; their combined efforts were a force to be reckoned with. The Hive's prow was wreathed in a blinding rainbow of light as energy poured from the Zoanthropes, with one mental push the Warp Blast surged forth. Having no Psykers, especially Navigators or Astropaths, the only warning the Zerfàrim got was the light show before the blinding beam leap from the now charred and twisted Hive's prow towards the Shagath`Hòar.

The Flagship dove to the side in a desperate evasive pattern. The Warp Blast clipped the Battleship's powerful shields, the energy field designed to repel all forms of radiation managed to keep most of the deadly blast out but couldn't stop the reality defying effects that mutilated the ship's armoured hull. However the two escorts Frigates weren't so lucky; one was completely smothered by the beam and was utterly erased from existence while the second was only clipped by the blast; the elegant fish like design losing a chunk from its starboard. In retaliation six midnight black two hundred feet long plasma torpedoes and another volley of Drones slammed into the Hive. With the deadly Hive a floating and burning hulk the Drones once again tore into the Cruisers.

Hammond enjoyed his sixteenth kill as an Imperial Navy Commander. Three hours remained until the Pegasus Conquest fleet arrived; the little titbit that O'Neill had dropped about the fleet being outfitted with a new more destructive weapon warmed his heart. A white light swept past the bridge and suddenly space in front of his ship was clear. The hard work of Syn and Skuld had barley compensated for the Warp distortions it still couldn't beam a human or Eldar around in this mess but the Asgard devices had been freed up for their more... destructive use. Hives and Cruisers might have had jammers but Darts, spores and spines didn't. The real irony was that the raw mass was being transmuted into more, but lower quality, ammunition that they promptly used to kill more Tyranids. He was nearly thrown from his seat as the Battleship suddenly accelerated more than the inertial dampeners could compensate for.

Opening a Warp rift so close, a little over one A.U., to a system's primary star was nearly impossible. For the weakened Hive Mind the task was insurmountable on its own. The hyperdrives of the Wraith proved somewhat useful in that regard. With three Hives generating hyperspace windows from the Warp side the Hive Mind was able to force itself through the last few strata of sub-space and emerge into reality once more.

When the initial tear had started to form a War Cruiser and three Frigates had vectored in to, hopefully, slaughter the Wraith ships as they emerged. As the, now, painfully familiar pink mists began to coalesce the four ships, well out of range of a normal Warp tear, opened fire on the opening. Rather than catching a Wraith Hive or Cruiser by surprise they found themselves suddenly swerving as the disk of Immaterium bleed over expanded exponentially. Two of the Frigates were caught in the nearly ten kilometre wide opening and vanished into the unnatural blackness of the Warp. The War Cruiser had a magnificent view, just before it was crushed against the impossible huge organism, as the Progenitor Hive reintegrated into real space. The sole remaining Frigate accelerated away under heavy fire from a pursuing Wraith Hive.

The Progenitor Hive examined the burning hell it had entered. As expected even with the few enhancements She had been able to give Her long lost children they were still inept at catching the fast moving Soft Prey. Of the nearly twenty Hives committed to the battle so far nine were flaming wrecks, two were operational but heavily damaged and one was spiralling helplessly towards the fresh green world below. The less said about the more plentiful Cruisers the better. With the mental equivalent of a sigh the Hive Mind ordered the Wraith built fleet to break off. She could no longer reproduce other Hive ships, the Alliance had seen to that, but even now maturing inside the three Hives beside Her the new generation of Tyranid Hive ships were quickly approaching the end of their gestation. And they had to survive, with that singular thought one of the most powerful Tyranid organisms to ever exist entered the battle.

Hammond just stared. There was little else he could do; the impossibly large thing was beyond his ability to comprehend. There was nothing in his mind that could allow for a creature so vast to exist. The stunned silence on the bridge was testament to the Progenitor's immense size. Some of them had seen it before, true, but back then it had been a large shadow behind a far more important Wraith fleet. Now however they were within rock throwing distance and the immensity of the thing was plain to see.

"Pull us back!" He roared; an eye the size of a Ha'tak had just swept over them and he could feel the scratching pick up behind his eyes again. "Contact the Eldar! Fire at weak points in its skin! Aim at the things eyes!" The General turned Admiral bellowed as the moderately damaged Fenrir accelerated backwards.

Tharvèn swiftly ordered Drones to be launched at the creature. The yellow blobs were swiftly intercepted by the origin of their design. Praetorian spores and Zerfàrim Drones smashed into each other in mutually assured annihilation. The Lord Commander snarled in fury when the spore towers on the other side of the massive creature rained death down upon their planet. None of the spores made it to the lower atmosphere but the strange energies the glowing greenish yellow organic projectiles radiated was playing merry havoc with the weather system.

Not for the first time Hammond desperately wished to be somewhere else. The accursed thing was ignoring them! It hadn't even bothered to open fire as it drifted slowly towards Zerfàron's moon unless they closed to within fifty kilometres. The shredded wreckage of a pair of Frigates was a testament to just how much fire power the Hive possessed. Even the ridiculously nimble Eldar ships couldn't dodge a cloud of spines and acid crystals ten kilometres long.

His I-301s had acquitted themselves marvellously. The black delta shaped fighters had slaughtered any Darts that had tried to assault the Fenrir and, when the situation allowed, had even condemned a few crippled Cruisers to the void. But ammunition was low, many of his best and bravest pilots were dead and several of the remaining fighter-bombers sported severe damage.

"Message from the Eldar, sir. All ship retreat to close Zerfàron orbit. Lunar orbit lost to enemy advance." The Communications officer read out the text-only transmission.

Hammond sighed in relief. Watching a weapon you knew could burn through just about anything be withstood so easily and repeatedly was a little draining on the moral.

"Transmit the latest logs and database to Atlantis and then move us into position abeam to the Giirathar`Jetai." He liked to keep close to the most aggressive of the three Eldar Battleships.

"I want this ship ready to storm the gates of hell itself within one hour." Hammond growled as the Battleship slid into position beside the severely depleted Eldar fleet.

For the first time in its history Zerfàron was preparing for invasion. With the Tyranid fleet seemingly happy to hold the lunar colony and orbit before they advanced on Zerfàron the Zerfàrim were desperately preparing for the assault they all knew was going to come.

Sitting a full one and a half light seconds apart the two fleets were at a stand off. The Zerfàrim couldn't mount an offensive due to a sheer lack of the man power needed to even engage the Progenitor effectively and the Hive Mind, thinking it had all the time in the Universe, was growing the next wave of assault organisms. Thankfully the lunar colony had been abandoned after the initial battle so the Tyranids had only captured an empty base void of biomass. With the Progenitor Hive, and the corporeal centre of the Hive Mind, hovering over the satellite in a repeat of the horrid mess that happened on Ortus Veriumas the targeting sensors had gone all screwy again. Even with the adjustments sub-space was so distorted and warped that they could even beam across hydrogen without it being rendered into free floating low energy protons and electrons or simply not appearing at all. So the Eldar's plan to start beaming anti-matter and fusion bombs into the heart of the Tyranid fleet had fallen flat on its face.

"Any change?" Weir asked, there were dark circles around her eyes and she appeared to have aged. In fact all the humans were haggard; they couldn't relax or that horrible itching inside their skulls sky-rocketed. The constant psychic assault over the last hour was beginning to ware many of them down. Insubordination and infighting had taken hold in some of the lower decks, the dynamic tensions that held the Imperials together were beginning to destabilise.

"Not since the last time you asked." Hammond snapped back; then cursed himself for it.

Weir crossed her arms and scowled, but with a visible effort she bit back the scalding retort that lay on the tip of her tongue. "How are the I.G.L.?"

Hammond sighed and rubbed his blood shot eyes. "Levi, Cerberus and that Furling have been able to construct a rudimentary shield against this thing but they've said it won't hold against a direct attack." He replied sadly watching the Darts swirl around the Hives like leaves in the wind.

"Sir, message form the Xenos." The Comms officer's voice was caustic; the source of his bitterness was the Zerfàrims' apparent immunity to the Hive Mind.

Tharvèns face appeared; it was almost as drawn as Hammond's. Almost. "General, our sensors have detected fluctuations in the abandoned base's power systems. We are also reading an exponential increase in the number of alien life in the Hives."

"The Tyranids are probably sabotaging the system to secure their flank." Hammond replied. "I'll inform my troops to prepare for combat." The Terran said and then cut the channel. The two Imperial Landers in the Fenrir's hangar bay dove towards the planet below one carrying the two remaining Leman Russ Battletanks and a Chimera the other the lonely Basilisk and the other two Chimeras. Behind them raced the three remaining Tel'taks followed by a quartet of Al'kesh all of them loaded to the brim with the few remaining battle worthy I.G.L. personnel.

It was a little known fact, even by the Lanteans, that power was the true key to accelerating Wraith, and now Tyranid, reproduction. Everyone had just assumed that the Wraith did such things when they started to conquer larger feeding grounds or it was their technology advancing as the Lantean-Wraith war progressed. No one suspected that the wrongly presumed destroyed ZPMs were the true source of the endless Wraith horde. The Hive Mind discovery that Wraith organic components could be grown at an even greater rate had implanted the technologies required into the gestating Hives. The hope that this would allow a fleet to be grown in a matter of hours had died when the problems of power arose. Even collecting sunlight using the massive bulk of the Wraith Hives provided pittance when compared to the energy of a ZPM. Nothing the Tyranids had access to could produce enough energy to stimulate massive cellular growth on the scale the Hive Mind desired. That was until the prey had abandoned their large power core on the lunar colony. The original plan to blow it up had failed but that didn't mean they couldn't use it in other schemes.

The roughly one meter and a bit high pseudo-ZPMs used by the Zerfàrim were not as powerful as the Lantean equivalent but removing the one powering the colony gave them the necessary power to jump-start the growth of the new Hives and the beginning of the Tyranids return as one of the deadliest forces in the Universe. For the last hour the gestating Hives, shielded from the prey by the Progenitor, had been linked together by a series of cables sharing the pseudo-ZPM amongst themselves. Now the fruit of their labours was about to come to fruition.

"Power spikes!" Tharvèn unconsciously gripped his armrests tighter. The Zerfàrim had suffered more losses in a single week that they had suffered in the last three thousand years.

The Hive convulsed. The sight was mesmerising; armour cracked open revealing a fleshy interior, lights flickered along the Hive, things that looked like membranes deformed and tore open sending a purple liquid spraying into space. Then with a convulsion that actually look painful for the Wraith Hive a five kilometre long black cone shaped Hive surged out into the world. The Hive rolled away from its 'mother' three huge arms unfolding around its large mouth each tipped with Massive Claws. Along its back ran black and purple pipes that attached to deep purple Wraith machines all along the Hive and ended in six engines surrounding the massive bio-plasma chamber at the stern.

"My Lord I'm detecting three new targets behind the Progenitor Hive. Each has a massive power reading compared to the Wraith Hives." The sensor Officer reported diligently as his readings twisted and warped as the space deforming might of the Hive Mind asserted it's self to pull the Progenitor along.

"Prepare for the final attack." Lord Commander Tharvèn whispered as the full might of this horrifying enemy made ready to finish his people.

Hammond felt slightly better when the clock ticked over the final hour. The relief fleet was only fifty minutes away and from what his people were telling him were burning out their hyperdrives to get here. Nine enhanced Wraith Hives, twenty three Cruisers, three Tyranid Hives, more Darts than their sensors could count and the Progenitor were all that remained of the deadly Hive Fleet. Hammond felt slightly proud that they, a force that he had assumed would only last about an hour maybe two, had beaten the enemy so thoroughly that half their fleet were hulks. But all good things come to an end; the newborn Hives were growing exponentially, already they had added another kilometre to their length and showed no signs of slowing down; and he just knew that soon they would be able to spawn more of the accursed things. As the Tyranid fleet began forming up for their attack run the aged General straightened his back. It was unbefitting for an Imperial officer, especially one of his rank, to die in an undignified position.

"The moment they enter extreme Lance range start blasting and don't stop. I want this place to burn like the heart of a star with torpedoes." Hammond ordered, he knew very well that they only had about one or two volleys left in their ammunition stores.

The first sign of the attack was the Darts. The fighters that had been casually circling the Hives suddenly changed direction and charged towards Zerfàron. Not having enough fighters to respond to the challenge the Zerfàrim replied with Drones. The tiny yellow streaks launched in the thousands, wiped out almost an equal number of Darts. The ion drive propelled fighters ducked and weaved through the glowing swarm of Drones leaving behind more explosions than any Zerfàrim had seen before. Point defence batteries firing everything they could jam into their weapons opened up at the swarm slaughtering the fearless fighters by the dozen. The Hive Mind, confident that it's three new Hives had reached appropriate combat size and that its prey was totally at its mercy, pushed forward.

Cruisers followed in the wake of the Darts, the Wraith vessels absorbed the vast majority of their preys' fire power letting the Hives close unmolested. Under the cover of flames and explosions reaching out from the hulks of the dying Cruisers Wraith Hives opened fire. Purple energy and bio-plasma smashed into the Zerfàrim and Imperial ships. The deadly assault punched through even the Zerfàrim's specialised shields cutting through armour and blasting apart several Frigates and mortally wounding a Cruiser. Even the Giirathar`Jetai suffered damage as it shielded several stricken Frigates from death. The return was just as punishing, more of the Cruisers were simply vaporised or shattered and three Hives finally gave in to their wounds the Wraith ships going dark or exploding as power systems failed and hyperdirves detonated. Mixed in with slower moving second wave of Tyranid projectiles were Mycetic spores.

Defensive fire reached out from the fleet smashing apart spines and vaporising acid crystals. Hammond cursed as another Sub-Unit reported total depletion of their ammunition. Nearly sixty percent of his Railguns were dead and some of the cannons in the broadsides were actually launching the cutlery stolen from the Mess. The Lances of the Fenrir, Giirathar`Jetai and Shagath`Hòar reached out and blew through a Hive end to end. The burning wreck slammed into the side of the Progenitor and exploded, the huge Hive didn't even seem to notice.

"Thaèn! There are infestation vectors amongst the bombardment." Tharvèn snarled when a pyro-acidic crystal annihilated a Sunlance and began eating through his ship's hull.

"Redirect Shuriken Batteries to take them down!" The Lord Commander shouted, forwarding the same instructions to the rest of his fleet.

"We cannot. If more than twenty percent of the Batteries are stop targeting the ballistics and Darts the fleet will be destroyed." Tharvèn clenched his jaw so tight that his teeth almost cracked.

"Destroy as many as we can. Alert interception squadrons and ground forces." Inside his head Tharvèn cursed the Tyranid race into oblivion.

The two fleets intermingled and closed to knife fighting range. The entire battle dissolving into a huge dog fight, thankfully a situation that favoured the Eldar. The comperatively tiny Frigates, only a couple of hundred meters long, danced between the huge Hives. With the larger weapons unable to be used at such close range finally the Frigates who had so far been unable to do more that screen the larger ships were able to slip in and sheer away engines and weapon mounts with their Fusion Cannons.

Spore clouds drifted in space, impacting upon unwary ships, tearing apart the weak and stricken form both sides. Hives, both Wraith and Tyranid, punched through the Zerfàrim lines and settled into orbit to begin Tyrano-forming the world. When ever the ground defences had a pause between destroying as many spores as they could beams of yellow and white light mixed with fast paced but low yield missiles leapt up from surface batteries to tear at the underbellies of the ships. Sometimes a Hive would suffer a catastrophic blow sending the ship either spiralling downwards or simply detonating but waves of spines would descend upon the offending position turning the landscape into a cratered mess. The process would repeat endlessly as the ground defences never once wavered even as they were systematically exterminated.

Lord Commander Surrikàn Farhaè aboard the `Dharis Meonarh had enough time to scream his defiance when the Tyranid Hive he had been tearing into launched its hidden Feeder Tentacles. The huge kilometre long ropes of muscle and sinew punched through the ships bridge opening the entire deck to vacuum. Noxious gasses and deadly pathogenic micro-spores pumped into the ship by the kilo-litre slaughtering the stunned crew by the hundreds before automated systems sealed off massive chunks of the vessel. The Tyranid Hive tore its Feeder Tentacles free, the organic weapons curled back into the Hive's mouth, and the `Dharis Meonarh was left to spin dead in space.

Ghen'Hòar instinctively threw herself to the ground at the distinctive roaring of a Drop Pod rather than the hissing of a Mycetic spore entering the atmosphere. Many of the Zerfàron-Guards around her stifled laughter as their once again social tolerable commander looked up from the dirt. They were silenced moments later when the lonely Drop Pod landed, more like crushed their recently erected barriers, only ten meters from where they were stationed.

The Tyranids were landing on the second largest continent. The landmass was awash with thick forests, a few sparsely grouped farmsteads and the one large city. Built atop a large plateau the original Lantean design had it as a fortress come space port but over the millennia it had changed into a busy market town come space port. The city boundaries now extended far past the original walls and some buildings even perched on the steep cliffs. When the battle had raged on the moon the entire continents population had been quickly evacuated into the city.

"Activate the beacon. I want a fly by from the Landers before they return to the Fenrir and I want a command post set up with the Eldar's. When the I.G.L. arrive have them coordinate with the Eldar for maximum efficiency; please Brother try and keep their proper disgust for the Xeno focused on the Tyranids. I'll be trying to find someone of importance." Levi ordered as he strode from the Drop Pod. Cerberus gave grunt of acknowledgment as he wrestled with his harness.

"Space Marine." One of the better informed Guards hissed. The armoured warriors had become rather famous after rumours of their battle prowess had spread through the ranks. As with all rumours it grew will every retelling and only two days later Levi and Cerberus could apparently punch through the hull of a Cruiser, eat the flesh of the dead and distorted the laws of reality as they saw fit.

Levi turned at the sound his hand flashing to the Plasma Pistol at his hip. "Ah, Ghen'Hòar. Would you be so kind as to direct me towards your commander?" Levi asked with his normal flat tone.

"Okay. Sovàll you're in command until I return." Ghen'Hòar said motioning for Levi to follow her.

The Guards watched their new commander walk away. It had been well discussed during the period when Thieri Ghen'Hòar had been the greatest criminal in living memory just how friendly she had become with the humans. Once again the rumour mill had churned out some really bizarre stories. Tales ranging from: the Imperials using an insidious parasite that took over the body of its host and controlled their every action and memory, as stupid as that sounded, to her falling in love with the prince of the human empire, a story favoured by the gossip rings of the Art's colleges. The six Zerfàrim were shaken from their thoughts when an enraged roar followed by the sound of overstressed metal echoed from the space black human entry vehicle.

"Greetings!" Cerberus boomed as he finally freed himself from the Drop Pod. Several Eldar took hesitant steps back as the truly massive Space Marine swiftly strode over to them.

"What is the situation?" Levi asked as the two of them made their way towards the centre of the Zerfàrim's head quarters.

"It's not good. Almost all of the ground to space batteries have been destroyed, a cloud of some kind drifted through here a little while ago and many of the civilians are suffering form respiratory problems and there have been reports of impossibly large creatures roaming through the forests." Ghen'Hòar replied.

Spore clouds, that was never good, and Bio-Titians. Just great. He was broken from his musings by a smarmy voice he had hoped to never hear again. "Ah, so good of our allies to join us." Lord Commander Khe'Makar smiled politely at the Astarte.

"Eldar." Levi acknowledged with barley a glance. He was more interested in the perfect picture they had of two Hierophants. The pictures were perfect even at the obvious extreme distances and Levi, who was used to discerning details from flickering holograms or the overly grainy photos most imagine system in the Imperium produced, was almost enthralled by the clarity. Damn Eldar and their fancy surveillance technology.

"Well, let us begin." Khe'Makar said jovially as he swept his arm over a map of the city.

The beginning of the Tyranid assault was not a surprise. The somewhat oversized shadows of the Bio-Titians against the spore tinted sky were a massive give away. Like all Tyranid battles it was led by a swarm of Gaunts released from the Tervigons and Cerebores. The Zerfàrim rained the fires of hell down upon the little creatures as they desperately charged up the single road. Entrenched Aspect Warriors, Angry Stars especially, and Zerfàron-Guards, mostly Defenders, tore them apart long before they could even get half way up the mountainside. They even managed to prevent the Carnifexs, Hieroduls and Haruspexs from getting to them through liberal applications of massed missiles and lasers.

Cerberus watched the slaughter through a vid-screen, all around him the depleted I.G.L. forces made themselves comfortable on the city's old wall. With their higher vantage point they spotted the Gargoyle carrying Harridans first. The swarm of leathery winged massive flying Tyranids banked away on mass as their clutches of Gargoyles released and plunged into the city. Anti-air missiles and Shuriken cannons opened up on them sending many of the smaller flying beasts screaming to their deaths but before they could be exterminated the swarm completely it was amongst the tall cream coloured buildings.

The Space Marine waited with baited breath as his Vox began intercepting the startled cries of the Eldar as they came under attack from all directions at once.

Ghen'Hòar ducked low under the blast of bio-plasma, her Pulse pistol blew a hole in the Gargoyles chest sending the thing crashing into the ground. A Trygon exploded up from the ground its four Scything Talons butchering three Zerfàrim while a fourth was electrocuted to death. The creature hissed as it lunged at her only for a Domìnar-Suit to land on feet first on its head. The Mother Ravener collapsed as its skull was crushed by the falling Battlesuit.

"We are to retreat!" The Suit's pilot boomed as he mowed down Gaunts with his Burst Cannon and Shuriken rifle.

The Suit got three steps before a large shadow fell over it. The tear shaped head looked up only to see the hooves and Bone Sabers of a Winged Swarmlord about to collide with it. The falling Tyranid sent the Suit crashing to the ground, the four Furling crystal infused blades stabbed into the Suit, slowly the Herald of the Great Devourer crouched over its kill examining the prey's weapons. Ghen'Hòar stared at the thing as it folded its wings over the fallen Suit. A moment passed as it regarded her and her squad. Suddenly with a mighty beat the leathery wings sent the Swarmlord skywards with the Suit secured in its grasp.

The Zerfàrim sighed in relief until they saw what was coming round the corner. The Carnifex roared as it lowered its head in preparation to charge. The flashing pale yellow light of a Zerfàrim laser reached out and punched to perfect holes in the creature's skull. The beast lumber drunkenly for a moment before it slammed into a building and collapsed. Ghen'Hòar turned towards the Sli'ceàr Battletank. Like most Zerfàrim designs it was vaguely fish like and relatively lightly armoured. The floating tank slowly advanced its twin Burst Cannons tearing into the lightly armoured Gaunts and Hunters. Suddenly the tank was simply gone.

Throwing themselves into cover the Guards witnessed one of the Hierophants ponderously negotiate the city streets. The fifteen meter tall Bio-Titian lumbered along on its long blade like legs. The beast slumped to the side as a group of missiles slammed into its flank. The Hierophant let out a wail as one of the missiles actually managed to penetrate not only the bio-plasma shield but also its thick exoskeleton. The two Domìnar-Suits jumped out of harms way when the building they were standing on was annihilated by the twin Bio-Cannons.

One of the suits landed safely and fired into the Bio-Titian's face, the other wasn't as lucky when a Harridan's elongated snout snatched it out of the air. Ghen'Hòar and her remaining troops fled when a Kruosvore began lobbing its crystalline projectiles at them. The last thing they saw was the Domìnar-Suit activating its self-destruct right in the face of the Bio-Titian.

Cerberus's Bolt pistol clicked empty again. With most of the Eldar having finally retreated behind the wall the ancient, no pun intended, Lantean City Shield had been activated. Now they were just gunning down the mass of Tyranids as they fire upon the near impenetrable Lantean shield. Even Dactylises and Exocrines were blasting away at the shield to no avail and the Lanteans paranoia had paid off. Like Atlantis when activated the Zerfàrim city was completely surrounded on all sides by the energy barrier, including underground.

The Librarian picked his target, a particularly fruitful Tervigon, and blasted it with his favourite and most powerful Chapter spell. The Fury of the Ancients. The massive towering construct of Warp flames took a thundering step forward. The warrior armoured in what looked like Mark I Thunder Armour drew a large sword from his side. The flaming construct raised the blade high. It took another thundering step forward easily crushing the Tyranids foolish enough to get below it. The flaming sword struck the ground like the fist of the Emperor. The Tervigon, its broods of Gaunts and several other monstrous creatures around it were vaporised. The flaming effigy continued on slashing wildly at the Tyranid horde cutting a burning swath through the Xenos. Suddenly the Warp spawned figure was struck by a flying blur. The flames lost cohesion and exploded outwards in a display of colours and sound.

The Swarmlord rested on the hollowed out shell of a building its Bone Sabres still crackling with the power they used to destroy the Librarian's construct. The Swarmlord hissed as it observed the energy barrier that blocked their advance. This was far more reminiscent of their battles with the Four Prey. And they knew just how to crack their defences in a hurry.

The second and larger Hierophant thundered through the streets to where the Tyrantlord of the Hive Mind desired it to be.

Cerberus gasped when the large Hierophant ploughed through a building. The creature was the largest land based monstrosity he had ever seen. All across its considerable back was a covering of jagged blue crystals. Blue crystals that looked very strange. He glanced to the side when the Furling, that had been acquitting its self well by launching forks of Warp lightening at the Tyranids, let out a shriek like tortured Adamantium. The Bio-Titian let lose a screeching roar and Cerberus finally remembered what Levi had said about crystals and Furlings.

Oh by the Throne no! The blue crystals began to arc with energy and a faint chartreuse mist began to coalesce around the Bio-titian. The Hierophant turned to squarely face the wall its back arced to expose as much of the crystal as possible. "Emperor curse it!" Cerberus screamed.

The massive blast of energy blew straight through the shield, the wall and many of the buildings behind it. The swarm was pouring through the breach before anyone could stop them.

The atmosphere on the bridge of the Fenrir was grim, the ship was dying all around them and their forces on the ground were being cut to ribbons. Coolant was gathering around their feet in a thick mist, power was variable at best and two of the main plasma cores had been shut down to prevent catastrophic overloads.

"It's been a pleasure." The General growled as the Progenitor, confident that most dangers had been seen too, settled into orbit over the Eldar planet. "Supercharge the Naquadah in hyperdrive and prepare to ram that Hive."

The Imperial Battleship swung round its broadside bloodying but not destroying a Wraith Hive. Then the Vox crackled and a stern voice delivered them from death.

"Move."

It took a moment for the remaining Zerfàrim to understand the message, grunted in both Gothic and English, Tharvèn was screaming orders to evade a second later. If it hadn't been below her station Àsthar would have wept when the twenty hyperspace windows burst into life. She tried to keep the small specks of light in view as she and the entire Zerfàrim fleet scattered in every direction. So few ships and so small compared to their Battleships had everything really been a ruse? The thought died stillborn when a Cruiser near the periphery of the battle detected another wave of ships approaching in a pincer manoeuvre.

She sighed in relief; for better or worse. The Imperium had arrived.

The twenty Terran Avengers exited hyperspace firing. The crews rested from the Replicon Annihilation Campaign threw themselves into their work. Torpedoes rained down on the unaware Tyranid fleet in a cloud of doom. Plasma detonations enhanced by Naquadah burned like miniature suns as they ate through Tyranid armour and flash boiled internal systems. Six Hives, seven Cruisers and hundreds of Darts burned as the torpedo heavy Cruisers were already launching their second salvo.

The Progenitor Hive stopped its decent into the atmosphere of the planet as Her children came under attack by a new foe. The few remaining prey were vectoring away from Her children and their world, a strange move considering how hard they had fought to defend it. Sudden realisation dawned on the Hive Mind. They had to move. Now!

The reaction was too slow. Too slow to avoid the fury of the displaced Battlefleet Solar. The Zerfàrim, at least the ones who could understand the implications, stared in beautiful relief and terrified realisation as almost a hundred Imperial ships entered the battle at once. The humans hadn't been puffing them selves up and showing off; everything they said had been true. A deep seated relief spread through those that witnessed the sheer volume of firepower the humans brought to bare. Truly the children of the Lanteans had inherited their throne.

Space burned as the newly arrived Imperial ships exited hyperspace all forward weaponry firing. Ragnarok Nova cannons and Orilla Lances pounded the Hives to floating scrap in an instant. Cruisers found themselves surrounded by their Imperial counterparts, broadsides tearing them apart before the brain dead Wraith could react. Cheering erupted across the Zerfàrim fleet as nearly every single Wraith vessel was slaughterer in a moment. A great roar echoed through the Zerfàrim when Hive that had killed the 'Dharis Meonarh was gutted from end to end by two Orillas.

The Hive Mind, worried by the Hard Prey's sudden influx of ships, made to withdraw. The Progenitor began to accelerate away from Zerfàron shielding itself and the two remaining newborn Hives from the multitude of Imperial ships with a volley of Praetorian spores and bio-plasma. Perpendicular to the systems plane another hundred ships flashed into existence. The second part of the Imperial fleet opened fire with all of their defensive weapons; the cloud of spores simply vaporised as plasma, Railgun rounds, anti-matter and a myriad of particle and explosive weapons tore through them leaving only the bio-plasma heading towards their allies. Void shields were highlighted by halos of green light as bio-plasma flowed over them. The two halves of the Imperial fleet closed to range and opened up on the Progenitor. Energy and projectiles flashed between two adversaries each searching for a killing blow.

The Emperor's Light once again crewed by a full three Companies of His Angels of Death settled above the besieged world. Marines teleported and dropped down to the surface with the sole purpose of cleansing the Tyranids.

Masàmuim was running as fast as her legs could carry her. Far behind the sound of battle raged but the clicking and hissing of those horrible creatures was always floating in the air. Her baby was unnaturally silent in her arms but it was an oddity she was grateful for. Screams and the sound of slaughter were becoming far more common and she dreaded the thought of anything being attracted towards them.

Rounding a corner she bounced off a deep blue wall. Landing in a sprawling mess she could only stare up as the larger creature with a strange head crest turned to face her, its lipless mouth a constant snarl. When the creature reared back its two clawed arms, its bony blades remaining at its side, she screwed her eye shut on reflex.

A sound like a hundred infernos and a wave of warm air washed over her and a meaty thump followed a moment later. Her bones shook as something heavy thundered its way past her. After a moment of silence she dared to peak through her eyelashes.

Instantly she wished she hadn't. Twin pools of blood red glared down at her from a black sneering helmet. The huge creature moved the large tubular thing in its arms towards her. The bronzed and blackened end came to rest in front of her face and a small blue flame came to life underneath it. All Masàmuim could do was stare dumbfounded up at the spectre of her death. Her child finally let out a frail wail that seemed only to intensify the glare she was receiving.

"Eldar." The thing growled, its voice deep and unnatural.

Another black armoured hand shot out and grabbed onto the metallic end. Masàmuim blinked in confusion as the two armoured giants stared at one another. She tried to crawl away but the movement only seemed to bring her unwanted attention from the two beings.

"Brother-Sergeant Ootmon I must fulfil the Blood Vengeance." The Flamer armed Marine, Narra, growled sneering behind his helm at the terrified Eldar female.

"Not now Brother. Brother-Captain Angelus has issued orders for a cease fire. We must obey or we will tarnish the honour of the Chapter in the eyes of the Emperor." Ootmon replied releasing the Flamer's muzzle.

"By you command." Narra intoned.

Ootmon turned to face the unmoving Eldar. "Arm yourself Eldar. No one else here will save you." The female nodded frantically as the Marine turned away.

"Ezekiel, Belphegor, Novalis take point. Morpheus and Dilum you're in the rear. Narra, Sargaris and Egestari we'll sweep room by room with Flamers and Bolters. The Emperor Protects!" Ootmon ordered resting his purring Chainsword on his shoulder.

Masàmuim stared in confusion and terror as the strange creatures vanished from sight. The roaring of flames and a strange barking noise started soon after.

Angelus roared the Emperor's glory as his Power Sword swept through the brood of startled Gaunts. The creatures panicked as the bizarre prey let out another terrifying bellow and slaughtered another four of their number. The Space Marine Brother-Captain grinned ear form ear as Brother-Sergeant Achilles of Terminator squad Valliant threw the headless body of a Warrior into the Gaunts.

"For the Emperor!" The five Terminators bellowed as they smashed into the small creatures.

"Cleans and Purify!" Nestor roared over the sound of the Flamer in his expert hands. The room full of Tyranids burned under his tender ministrations. Around him Tactical squad Purity and Red unleashed their own Meltas and Flamers into yet another Ripper filled abode turning them into unquenchable infernos.

The aged Marine turned from the pyre at a loud hail. Several I.G.L. riflemen, battered and bloodied, were running towards them.

"Sir, we need your help to stem the breach!" A man, a Sergeant by his stripes, shouted.

"Brothers we shall link up with Devastator squad Reaper and proceed to the breach in the defensive wall." Nestor commanded as yet another building was condemned to flames. He could see a massive Bio-Titian in the distance near the wall. With a nod to the I.G.L. the Space Marine sprinted away their massive step covering ground in a heartbeat.

Angelus re-checked his helmet's display as the detailed map of the Eldar city swiftly changed colour form red to blue. A proud smile graced his features as nearly three hundred Space Marines slammed into the flank of the Tyranid's advance. They had still to engage the larger creatures at the breach but for now they were sweeping away the smaller Xenos like dust.

"Brothers with me!" Ishmael was atop a pile of shattered corpses, in one hand he held a roll of text in the other his Crozius Arcanum descended on the head of a Termagaunt.

Tactical squads Fury, Aqulia and Hope swept past the Chaplain their bolters slaughtering the retreating Gaunts and Warriors with precision bursts. The near manic Chaplain followed after them screaming Litanies and slaughtering everything with too many legs. The Tactical squads cut through the disorientated Gaunts with ease leaving a trail of carnage in their wake.

The Chaplain stopped his preaching when they came to the breach. Massive Carnifexi, Tyrannofexi and Trygons poured through the hole crushing the bodies of dead human, Tyranid and Zerfàrim alike. Several of the Eldar Battletanks were stationed behind rubble their anti-gravity drives allowing them to pop out slaughter several Tyranids and then hide again to avoid the counter fire. The Battlesuits under the command of Lord Devastator Ghihiir'ama were hopping from building to building raining doom upon everything they could, the colourful Aspect Warriors were hunkered down firing indiscriminately into the swarm and several Imperial heavy weapons teams were firing from the windows. They were keeping the Xenos at range but only barely; everyone knew that the moment the battle descended into a swirling melee they were all dead. Still broods upon brood of the smaller less immediately deadly Tyranids were slipping through into the city. Two pillars of blue flames struck one of the larger Trygons as it tried to burrow away. There was no corpse to speak of.

"Forward to our Brother-Librarians!" Ishmael screamed over the noise of the battle. He was thrown from his feet when a second blast struck the wall increasing the girth of the breach.

With out a moment's hesitation the three Tactical squads threw themselves into cover and started blasting holes into Tyranids.

Khe'Makar, his heirloom Shuriken pistol in one hand the antique Power Sword in the other, gracefully slaughtered another of the smaller creatures that had penetrated past their lines. Thankfully most of the larger ones were dead or being held in place by Aspect Warriors. A noise that belonged to no Zerfàrim weapon boomed though the street. He tried to resist staring when nearly twenty Space Marines came marching down the street Bolters constantly firing in precision bursts. The Zerfàrim of the besieged command post had paused for a moment as the double line of black armoured humans had rumbled past blasting apart everything in their path.

Boras grunted in annoyance as the Warrior gave one final spasm as he removed his over sized Power Fist from the creature's torso. As Brother-Captain of the Assault squad heavy Third Company he prided himself on achieving a killing blow with every strike. Around him Brother-Assault Marine squad Fear, veterans of Pegasus, shredded the remaining Warriors.

"Brother-Sergeant Actern. Proceed forward and link up with Squads Hate and Death. I want you to then proceed to that large Eldar structure and secure our Brother-Devastators flanks." Boras ordered before he punched his way through a wall and descended on a brood of Lictors.

"I hate providence." Hadril's voice boomed from its Vox.

"I know Brother, but think of it as a gift from the Emperor to once again test our selves against a worthy foe." Orpheus replied, his Assault Cannon mowing down a horde of Gaunts that were attempting to flank them.

"I hate tests." Hadril responded, dully pulling the Carnifex's last arm off.

Both Dreadnoughts ignored the legless, and now armless, creature's wail of pain as Hadril threw the severed limb into the pile of others. The ancient Battle-Brother finished the creature by punching its Power Fist through its head and into its body.

"Always so negative. It's a wonder they keep you awake." Orpheus sighed, as best he could, while beating a Warrior to death against a wall.

Hadril paused spewing flames into the fleeing Gaunts for a moment. "I hate you." The mighty engine of destruction followed after the Tyranids hoping to break something's head open.

Sachiel pulled the small lump of dried leaves from one of his pouches. With a motion he lit it on the pilot light of Cenobi's Flamer.

"I love it when a plan comes together." The Neophyte Team-Leader uttered as he mental chanted the Rights of Detonation and the Prayer of Combustion. The Demolition Charge blew a flawless hole into the fleshy heart of the massive Spore Chimney.

"You spent too much time around Master Sergeant O'Neill." Solomon, Leader of team Blue, muttered as he primed another two Demolition Charges.

Sachiel blew a perfect ring of smoke into the already smoky air. "Just throw the bombs."

The two explosive packages shredded the last of the Spore Chimneys destroyed the Hive Mind had lost the ability to bombard the city from range with deadly spores and the Tyrano-forming process had been ground to a halt. The massive organic construct began to spasm as it bled out.

"I pity the fool." Tannis muttered and for some reason lost to both Team Blue and Team Raven the entirety of Team Ghost broke down into uncontrollable laughter.

Karrack of the Devastator heavy Fourth Company unleashed a miniature star of flaming death form his personal Plasma Cannon; the 'Doom of Eldar'. Rather inappropriately named but never the less the superheated charged ball of gas collided with the Warrior's face and exploded taking many of the surrounding Gaunts with it. The Eldar civilians ran screaming from the Marines, as they should Karrack grumbled mentally, before he could stop them. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as they did an about face and came running towards him followed by a brood of aggravated Hunters. The Bolters of Tactical squad Gold finished them off in short order.

"I can see why Brother-Angelus gets so… aggravated with these Xenos. They are most annoying." Karrack muttered to his Battle-Brothers as he peeled a weeping female Eldar off his chest plate. And clingy he added mentally as the female now clamped on to, and failed to release, his oversized arm.

Anùi'sil barely parried the Scything Talon but couldn't dodge the teeth. The victorious Hormagaunt tore a chunk out of her shoulder as it leapt backwards. The exhausted Lord Protector readied herself as the creature made to lunge again. What happened next was utterly terrifying.

A box, a big black box, tore through the side of a building snatched up the Tyranid and beat it to death against the ground before squeezing the body into a fine paste. The bulky thing turned towards her and a single red lens was tilted towards her.

"An Eldar? How pleasant." The talking box boomed before it snatched her up.

The Lord Protector almost fainted when the pilot light on the flame weapon on the things other four fingered paw sprung to life.

"Or was it the Eldar we were to leave? I can't remember." Anùi'sil struggled vainly against the things tight grip trying to escape her certain cremation. "Tyranids! That's right Little-Brother Angelus said attack the Tyranids!" Gaius dropped the forgotten Eldar on her ass and raced after the retreating Tyranids bellowing his resolve.

"Lord Protector what was that?" A female Elite asked, as she watched the Dreadnought plough through another building chasing after a Hunter.

"I believe that those are our allies." Anùi'sil answered, rubbing her tender ribs. The Elite only gave her a disbelieving look.

"The monsters are loose." Ghen'Hòar was unsure what the Furling was on about until she caught sight of a faint green in the air. Not the light yellowish green of the Tyranids but a deep emerald green. She immediately imposed the Furling between it and her. "Behold the Unborn God. Behold Death Reborn."

McKay grinned. It was the first time that he was going to be set loose with the pure intent of mayhem and murder. The trip to this battlefield had been long and arduous for the Star Vampire but looking at the battle that raged around him it was worth it. Sure the amount of Warp power being thrown around was causing him a noticeable amount of pain but it was outweighed by the sheer amount power that charged the air. Already he was drunk off the delicious taste of the battle. He phased into real space right in front of a Carnifex the charging beast didn't even register him before a pillar of Gauss had pierced it from front to back. With a manic giggle he launched a sonic wave at a brood of Warrior that had their organs melt. Phasing back out he jumped atop a rather large Trygon, the thrashing creature never knew he was there until a blade of Necrodermis severed its head.

Cerberus blinked in surprise when a brood of Gaunts spontaneously combusted. He witnessed a flicker of silver and green bounce between the some of the larger Tyranids before they exploded into showers of gore. It was very strange watching their pocket god at work. One moment pillars of green light were shredding Gaunts and the next a Tyrannorex would suddenly be inside out.

The Swarmlord watched the little silver prey dance through its assault beasts. A deep growl emanated from the creature as once again the prey vanished only to reappear some distance away. Not even the Four Prey had done things like that. Already its billion year old intelligence was trying to compute a viable strategy. Seconds that stretched into infinity passed as the Swarmlord filtered through the minds of the thousands below. Then it found its answer.

The silver blur smashed into a Zoanthrope, rather than tearing through the flimsy Tyranid it recoiled as if wounded when it hit the Warp Field. With little more than a passing notion the Swarmlord ordered several Zoanthropes to self detonate. The battlefield was momentarily filled with light as the suicidal Zoanthropes blew up in a torrent of Warp power. Right at the edge of the blasts it saw the silver prey wounded but alive and seemingly healing. With a mighty lunge and beat from its wings the Swarmlord fell towards its target. Pushing the air out of the way with its truly Alpha level psychic power the massive Tyranid fell from the heavens faster than a bullet.

McKay, even using the Chronometron to give himself more time to heal, barley managed to move before the Swarmlord struck. Of the four Bone Sabres only one managed to strike the Star God. The crystal impregnated sword cut a deep bloody strip into McKay's arm. Phasing out before the Tyranid had even recovered from the crater it had made Mckay screamed in pain. The laceration was bleeding freely and the every piece of Necrodermis he tried to seal it shut with was destroyed by the lingering Immaterium forces in the wound. Somehow the Swarmlord knew where he was and he was forced to abandon his evaluation. Ducking under the dual swing he was hit in the face by the creature's whip like tail.

The Swarmlord had growled in pleasure when its Psyker powers registered the blow. By forcing its power into multiple phased states it had nullified McKay's greatest defence. It brought down its other two Bone Sabres in a double slash that missed by the barest of margins. All it had to do to follow the prey was pay attention to the coldness that kept trying to pick at sections of its psyche that had long ago been cut away.

McKay threw himself backwards and launched a wall of Gauss at the Tyranid. The Swarmlord shoved aside the attack with a mental shrug and lunged at where it knew McKay to be. The Star God's Lantean eyes allowed him to dodge three of the strikes but the fourth he had to block. The Disruption field slammed into the serrated edge of the Bone Sabre. The Necron anti-armour field ripped into the super dense bone of the blade but it stopped when it hit the Furling crystal. The crystals drank deep from the Disruption field trying to absorbing the massive amount of energy that made up McKay's C'tan side.

With the momentary pause Mckay forced power into his eyes. The now familiar burning and dampness of blood erupted around his eyes as the Particle Whip fired. The Swarmlord hissed in aggravation when one of its swords began to disintegrate. It screamed in fury when a green mushroom cloud exploded in front of it. The Swarmlord was thrown back by the blow but saved from death by its hastily summoned Warp Field. McKay took the momentary pause to shift into his full battle form. Blades sprouted from his back, razor sharp edged adorned his fingers and toes and the leering death mask of a Necron covered his face.

The Swarmlord spread its wings wide and roared to the heavens. The shattered Bone Sabre in its hand shifted and writhed as the crystals reacted to the oppressive will of the Swarmlord. Shaking free of the now useless bone covering the crystal core contracted in upon itself becoming an unbreakable deep blue dagger. With out a second's hesitation the two threw themselves at each other. Bone Sabres met Disruption fields as the two parried and feinted at speeds that exceeded the human ability to comprehend. Ducking under an exceptionally long lunge McKay launched himself at the Swarmlord's chest. The small dagger swung round aiming for his head. The Star Vampire barley managed to avoid the Warp charged blade but he still received a long gash down his death mask. The elbow of one of the Sabre arms hit him in the ribs and sent him rolling to the side. At the last moment he kicked out with his bladed foot and tore five long jagged holes into the Swarmlord's huge wing.

McKay landed in a heap and barely managed to push himself out the way before a hoof shattered his skull. A Bone Sabre swung round the serrated edges missing their mark but the flat of the blade still hit him. The Star God rolled away from the Swarmlord and ended up in an undignified heap. With a mental check through the entire collective knowledge of the Necrontyr on close combat he decided that he needed more reach. The knife like fingers shortened back to normal and a long thin strip of Necrodermis grew out of his hand. The Phase Sword looked like liquid silver as it rippled and swirled in McKay's hand.

The two hit each other with concussive blasts that sent them both spiralling into the air. McKay landed in a half crouch in the street while the Swarmlord smashed into a building above one of the Tactical squads. The Marines scattered as rubble began falling from the building. The great beast roared in fury as its other wing was torn from its body by a stray strut of metal.

Seeing his chance McKay charged the beast. His Phase Sword bit deep into the Bone Sabre that greeted him. With a mental command the silvery sword phased through the Sabre and cut a deep slash into the Swarmlord's arm. Hissing in annoyance at the prey's tricks the Swarmlord brought two of the Bone Sabres down on the silver pest. The Lantean eyes barley managed to calculate an evasive pattern before the Sabres were upon him. With a nearly impossible contortion the two slabs of crystal and bone missed by a hairs breadth. Lashing out McKay cried in victory when the Phase Sword passed through the flickering Warp Field and dug a deep gash into the Swarmlord's chest. The tip of the Necrodermis sword broke off from the main body and plunged deeper into beast. It got several centimetres before the Tyranid's extreme immune system and passive psychic defences kicked in. Still the Necrodermis forged on digging deeper and deeper even as it was constantly melted by acids and crushed by mental powers.

McKay didn't escape unharmed though. The third Bone Sabre swung round and dragged its serrated teeth across his stomach. With a scream of intense pain McKay wrapped himself in darkness and teleported away. Landing in a bleeding mess he immediately tried to flee back towards where he had seen the Imperials. Hissing in enraged fury even as the shard of Necrodermis worked its way ever closer to its mighty heart the Swarmlord charged after its prey.

The Swarmlord's bladed hoof smashed into McKay's back sending him to the ground. Raising two of its still good swords it readied to decapitate the threat to the Hive. McKay writhed in agony under the heavy weight of the Swarmlord. He clenched his eyes tight and whimpered in fear as the Bone Sabres began their descent. With no warning a supernova intensity blast of light exploded of the crippled Star God blinding everything that was even remotely in the same direction. McKay was swallowed by darkness and deposited some distance from the Tyrantlord of the Hive Mind. The Swarmlord screamed in agony as its eyes flash boiled inside its skull. Flailing wildly for a moment the great creature cut down many of its own before it could assert its iron will and calm its self.

The two god like opponents stared down one another: McKay bloody and beaten, the Swarmlord blind and slowly dying. With a hiss and a growl they charged at one another. McKay dodged the first two Bone Sabres and parried the last with his Phase Sword but he still took the small crystal dagger to the chest. The Furling crystal discharged into the human-C'tan hybrid's torso seeking to kill him out right. McKay's free hand grabbed a hold of the Swarmlord's face and pushed the destructive resonance wave into it. The mightiest of the Hive Tyrants swaggered drunkenly dragging McKay along by its crystal dagger for a moment before its brain finally suffered too much damage to function. The massive beast collapsed dead with a guttural scream.

Samuel and Felix were upon the nearly dead McKay moments after the Swarmlord fell. The two dragged McKay to a sheltered spot were they started to pump every coagulant, stimulant and healing chemical their Nartheciums contained into him.

Levi wanted to hug something when the Swarmlord died. Suddenly the Warriors that had been bombarding them with long ranged fire were squashed under a half-tonne of flying Marine. Two Assault squads, Abyss and Wrath of the Second if he was correct, had just come bounding onto the field of battle. A moment later the last Tyrannofex that had been keeping them pinned was blow apart by a duel Melta-bomb blast. He glanced upwards and sure enough the black shadows of the Hives were pulling up and away. With the last of the larger battle beasts dead only the clean up remained.

"Salvation is at hand! Soldiers of the Emperor! Forward!" The Librarian thundered.

The Hunters, Gaunts and remaining Warriors were unprepared for their cornered and weakening prey to suddenly surge forward. Tyranids fell to Las volleys and bayonets as the I.G.L. charged into them fighting like men possessed. With many of the Synapse creatures dead and their prey going berserk the horde broke under the charge and scattered. Only them did the Devastators of the Fourth Company unleash their fury.

Fire, Punishment, Sword and Executioner all of them armed with Plasma Cannons and Heavy Bolters unleashed a rain of fire strong enough to rupture a Baneblade. Or three. Levi halted his charge as the heart of a sun erupted amongst the fleeing Tyranids. He smiled as the familiar roar of Heavy Bolter accompanied hundreds of explosions throughout the horde.

He and the I.G.L. following him reached the breach only to witness the empty streets beyond. "Victory!" He yelled over his Vox as the humans around him collapsed in exhaustion and bliss. He opened a private Vox channel to the Devastators. "Many thanks Brothers."

The Winged Trygon Prime or Harpy Prime represented the last major Tyranid threat to the city. With the Swarmlord dead almost all of the Tyranids away from the plateau had reverted to their baser instincts and now roamed the vast forest killing indiscriminately. The Harpy Prime roared in fury and pain as its upper Scything Talon connected with the lightening wreathed claws of its smaller foe. It jerked its limb back protectively even as the Terminator, Sephiraph, soared through the air only to impact a distant wall. Another of the six black prey charged forward its claws poised to strike. The Harpy hissed at the creature before swinging out with its lower Scything Talons and long snake like tail. The wickedly sharp bone caught Hercules by his huge armoured shoulder pauldron and the muscular tail slammed into his side. The Terminator gave a grunt of annoyance as he was sent tumbling through the air. Joshua was caught in the face by the other upper Talon; the bio-electric field discharged into the Tactical Dreadnought Armour. Joshua was sent skidding along the ground one of his eyepieces shattered and his entire Terminator suit freezing up as the Machine Spirit faltered.

Angelus ducked in under the thrashing leathery wings while the Harpy was distracted with Brother-Terminator Sergeant Achilles, the Terminator had both of his Lightening Claws stabbed through the lower set of Scything Talons disabling the weapons. The Space Marine Captain lunged upwards with his own Power Sword the ancient and sacred blade biting deep into the Tyranid's side. The Harpy roared in pain as Angelus ripped his blade free and ducked under the poison coated tail blade. He was too slow to dodge the upper Scything Talons that backhanded him in the chest and sent him flying away.

With its attention drawn Achilles tore himself free of the beast and swung at its face. He never made it before a weaker bio-electric blast slammed painfully into him and the tail swung round to smash him into the ground; despite that he did cover Odysseus's flying hammer strike. The Terminator came down on the Harpy like the fist of an angry god. His Thunder Hammer discharged hundreds of volts of power into the Tyranid's back as the incredibly thick chitin shattered under the blow. One of the wings crumpled upon its self as the light bones that held its shape shattered and the Containment Spines across its body were sent out of control as the Thunder Hammers massive electrical charge overwhelmed them. Odysseus barley managed to shield himself from the Scything Talon. The Terminator swore as he landed in a crouch; the Storm Shield's Machine Spirit had fallen silent and the holy device was no longer active.

"Hercules!" Achilles roared blocking a hasty swing of the Harpy's Scything Talons.

The biggest of the Terminators sprang forward his Thunder Hammer aimed squarely at the Harpy's chest. The blow connected with a might thunderclap. The Harpy wailed for a moment until a large pink sac on its chest pulsed. The Harpy's yellow eyes dilated to ridiculous proportions and it let out a terrifying roar. Before Hercules could react the bladed tail whipped round and smashed into his face sending him bouncing along the ground. The Terminator came to rest inside a wall some twenty meters away the helmet of his Tactical Dreadnought Armour a mess of cracks and fissures.

"Brother-Captain?" Joshua sounded indignant as Angelus used him as a platform.

The mood challenged Astarte flew through the air bringing his Power Sword down in a double handed strike. His aim proved true as the blade buried its self into the Harpy's back. Ichor poured from the wound in a flood of black liquid. The adrenaline high beast registering the wound as little more than a nuisance. It whipped round its tail even as it fended of the other Terminators with its upper Scything Talons. Instead the muscular seventh limb impacted against Odysseus's Thunder Hammer. The beast wailed as the discharge and Destruction field shredded its muscles. Unable to even move properly the Harpy collapsed forward.

Ichor spewed forth from its multitude of wounds as the beasts overactive heart sped it ever closer to death. The Tyrant used its upper Scything Talons to pull its self upright. It glared as the smallest of the Hard Prey advanced forward. It tried to lash out with its remaining bio-electricity but the attack only served to electrocute itself.

Angelus looked into the bestial yellow eyes of the Harpy and saw only a never ending hatred. Something he approved of. "Beware Xeno." Angelus intoned as he raised his Power Sword. "Humanity has come!" He shouted driving the point of his weapon through the creature's reinforced skull and into the ground below.

With their Swarmlord dead, almost all the independent or Synapse creatures dead and the Hive Mind more occupied with the Progenitor and its brood the remaining Hive beasts went insane. The vast roving broods in the forests turned upon one another or simply fled into the darkest recessed they could find. All thought of attacking the weakened prey was lost as Bio-Titians duelled across mountain ranges and might beasts of destruction rampaged meaninglessly.

Angelus strode towards the congregation of Imperials that were manning the breach in the Eldar's wall. He was towing several Eldar behind him. He itched to kill them all but he would honour his word. Not that the filthy Xenos knew the first thing about honour.

"All hail the Emperor!" The Brother-Captain bellowed. A shout mimicked by the other Imperials. "Inform O'Neill that we have stopped the Tyranid's advance on the planet."

O'Neill, Supreme Commander, grinned from his position on the bridge of the Star Cutter. Their attack had been flawless. The Tyranid fleet was dead; they just hadn't stopped moving yet. Their attempt to break this monstrosity of a Hive with conventional weapons was proving fruitless. Even if they could keep this pace up for the next year or so he wanted that thing dead before it had a chance to leave the system. He motioned to his side, time to show off their newest weapon.

O'Neill, Master Sergeant, giggled like a little boy when the message hissed from the Vox. Striding out into the middle of the hangar bay he observed the mass of machinery below. A sharp bark from a nearby disciple of the Machine God brought the deckhands to attention.

"This." The clone gestured at the huge black tube lying on the hangar doors. "This is fifty thousand yottatons (roughly 2.4*1032 J) of divine intervention! With it we shall condemn the enemies of Man to death. With it we shall erase all who dare oppose our might. This is the Mark IV Anti-Planetary 'Cataclysm' Torpedo! All hands pre-pare for launch!"

The Mark IV Anti-Planetary Torpedo codenamed 'Cataclysm' was developed by the Imperium as a final solution to Replicon invasion. It had been proven that the Exterminatus launched from the Emperor's Light on infected worlds was not able to truly eradicate, only slow, the Replicon menace. The idea was simple in its brutality. Shatter the planet and vaporise most of the surface in a titanic explosion. A sort of massive 'fuck you'.

The Mark IV had a kilogram core of antimatter, based on the Consumer torpedoes, surrounded by Naquadah this was then further surrounded by twenty micro-plasma cores encased in Naquadria. Therefore the device had an explosive potential greater than everything short of a ZPM detonation. Finally the device was tipped with a Destruction field to burrow through the crust of a planet.

The hanger bay doors cracked open and the massive torpedo fell out of the gravity field. A simplistic Machine Spirit activated a moment later. A sensor suit little more than a sub-space tracker, a basic camera and a gravimetric sensor swept the surrounding space, the silhouette matching its primary target was selected and locked on. The twenty plasma reactors pulsed into life accelerating the massive weapon towards its target. Amongst the storm of torpedoes, plasma, anti-matter, cannonade, Railgun rounds, Lances and multitude of other weapons that rained down on the Tyranid Hives as the Imperials pulled away from the doomed Hive the Mark IV went unnoticed. The torpedo travelling at a third light speed slammed into the kilometre thick super dense hide of the Progenitor. The Destruction field activated just before impact and burned its way through the massive Hive seeking its vulnerable innards. Detonation occurred moments later.

With the tip of the torpedo barley managing to pierce into the layers of muscle below the magnetic containment field surrounding the anti-matter finally failed. The packet of energised anti-protons annihilated in a massive explosion that was only magnified some three hundred thousand times by the Naquadah at the same moment the every single one of the twenty plasma cores reached critical and exploded with the Naquadria amplifying the explosion through several thousand orders of magnitude. The resulting detonation was so large it could be seen a systems away and blinded every single sensor even remotely trained in its direction.

The Progenitor Hive didn't die instantly. The insanely massive bomb tore nearly half of the creature apart leaving a wound so large and deep that the entire remaining Zerfàrim fleet could comfortably fit in it twice over. As ocean's worth of its ichor spewed into the void powered by its nine hearts the Progenitor witnessed the last two Tyranid Hive in existence, each desperately fleeing towards the minimum Warp point, being speared from multiple different directions by Lances. The Progenitor's still active hearts skipped a beat.

With a death wail so powerful that its was visible in real space for kilometres around the Progenitor Hive and sent many of the humans near the Hive screaming into unconsciousness the Hive Mind lost cohesion and ceased to exist. A titanic release of energy pulsed through the Warp following the psychic wail.

"Ah. I love it when I win." O'Neill smiled through his pounding headache.

Now to start the clean up.

Àsthar watched with a detached sense of awe as the Imperial fleet continued it's clean up. Three kilometre Cruiser gently coasted along the fan like beams of white light sweeping back and forth absorbing everything they touched. Already hundreds of bodies had been beamed onto the surface for burial. She turned slightly to look down at her planet.

Dark green clouds hung over the second largest continent. The Imperials had called them spore clouds. The black angular shapes of Imperial Battleships moved along in a staggered line. Even from orbit she could se the flashes as they whisked away every single Tyranid organism from huge Bio-Titans to microscopic spores. Thousands were dead and even more were injured or traumatised. The worst had been on the single medium sized city the swarm had reached on the planets surface. Half the population was dead and the amount of soldiers lying in the street was nearly unfathomable. And the Imperials had cleaned the place into pristine condition in the blink of an eye.

Her eyes flashed towards movement as another three Battleships and a handful of Cruisers vanished into hyperspace. She and the other Lord Commanders had heard the fleeting references to a Pegasus Conquest operation; it seemed the Imperials were starting to set up bases throughout the galaxy. A thin smile worked its way onto her face. Their contacts had already reported that nearly half of every single known world was completely under Imperial control.

A hiss alerted her to Tharvèn's arrival. Turning from the mass of Imperial ships she gestured for her fellow Lord Commander to stand beside her.

"What is it Sighraè? The Council is having a fit over such a large Imperial fleet entering orbit. I'm even facing threats of mutiny from some of the hardliners that say they won't just sit by and wait for those white 'death rays' to sweep them away." Tharvèn muttered coming to a rest beside the lightly smiling Àsthar.

"Well Asthuùr what are you going to do?" She asked watching an Imperial Cruiser 'accidentally' absorb a piece of the Giirathar`Jetai's armour. The chunk reappeared a moment later but she knew the Imperials would have a complete record of it.

"I don't know Sighraè. I just don't know. I… we almost died. All of us. We are completely at their mercy but they seem more interested in some grandiose idea of a unified humanity." The Lord Commander muttered as another Orilla class vanished into hyperspace.

Àsthar laughed. Something that caught Tharvèn by surprise, it was unusual for the hard-bitten female to show anything more than mild annoyance. "It's not so grandiose Asthuùr. They are here now and soon we'll look like insects compared to them."

"What's gotten into you?" Tharvèn asked she had been a bit off since her run in with the Furling but suddenly he was very worried about Àsthar.

"Nothing much. It's just that Furling creature has shown me the truth. I didn't really believe it until I saw this." She gestured at the hundred or so remaining Imperial ships.

"Truth?" Tharvèn asked, already his scepticism was on the rise.

"Yes Asthuùr truth. The truth about the humans." Àsthar answered with a small smile.

"How? Sighraè is this about what happened on Zerfàron?" Tharvèn demanded grabbing her arms.

"Yes." Àsthar replied tilting her head to the right. Her hair fell away revealing her slightly pointed ear and a small raised red area behind it. "It showed me things. Things from the past. Things from the minds of others."

"Sighraè? You know this sounds insane?" Tharvèn pressed, hoping that his words weren't true.

"I suppose. But Asthuùr the things I have seen. The Space Marines come from a place so dark and filled with pain and misery that even a day like this would be considered a great victory. And the humans; they have been slaves one way or another since their creation." Àsthar said getting a sad gleam in her eye.

"And what of it?" Tharvèn demanded finally releasing Àsthar's arms.

"Don't you see? What did we use too talk about so long ago?" Àsthar asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"The humans? The reasons why, every now and then, they would go collectively insane and stand up to the Wraith." Tharvèn answered.

"Exactly. This is their entire race 'going insane' all at once." Àsthar replied once again turning her gaze to the armada of Imperial ships.

"So?" Tharvèn was truly confused now.

"We cannot hope to stop them. We have both seen the way they can fight when they get like this. The way they die by the hundreds to protect their 'freedom'. The way that even when faced with utter despair they fight on simply so that another might survive a moment longer. They are the Fifth Race. Chosen from the myriad of life that fills the galaxies, even over us, to inherit everything the Lanteans were. This rebellion against the Universe is so large and so long in the making that we cannot even begin to slow it." Àsthar smirked at the idea of using the Furling's terminology. "Like a Hurricane it will sweep away everything in its path. So we should join them and be taken far out into the Universe. Haven't you wanted to see something new? Somewhere that the Wraith have never defiled or that no Zerfàrim has ever seen before?" She pleaded, stretching out her hand towards the billions upon billions of stars that lay just outside Pegasus.

"Yes, but we can't just follow the humans blindly." Tharvèn responded slowly. It had been a secret dream of his when he was a child to take the Stargate to so far off land where something new awaited him at every turn.

"True, but they are a kind people to their friends. They have such great potential." Àsthar responded, unknowingly echoing the Asgard's evaluation of humanity.

"So you want me to make the case for a full alliance to the Council? Sighraè You do know that we could be executed for treason? They could claim that the Imperials brainwashed you; they could say that we're all compromised." Tharvèn asked with a crooked smile.

"I know Asthuùr; but we need to leave this tiny place and step out into something bigger or we will stagnate and eventually die away forgotten and alone." Àsthar responded, turning to face the other Lord Commander.

"Alright Sighraè I shall make a case for the alliance." Tharvèn replied with a small chuckle. It was rare indeed to see her get so intense about things.

"But…" Tharvèn stop when Àsthar's unsure voice reached him.

"But what Sighraè?" He asked turning back to face her and the ever moving Imperial fleet.

"The Furling showed me other things. Terrible things." She whispered shivering at the memories of fire, death and brutality beyond words or sanity.

"Like what Sighraè? You can tell me." Tharvèn prompted, worried at seeing Àsthar so shaken.

The only female Lord Commander paused for a moment before turning fully to face Tharvèn. "Within the humans; there is so much… darkness." She shivered slightly and grabbed a hold of her arms as if trying to keep warm. "Hatred, aggression, malice, avarice and war… such a genius for war."