First of all I want to clarify again that English is not my native language in case you find errors


Chapter 2

In the orbit of the planet, the three Federation ships were taking up a defensive posture due to the massive fleet of bionaves approaching.

"How long until they're close to the planet?" Tiamath watched her ship's radar when the navigation AI appeared floating.

"According to calculations, they will be here in two days. A recommendation would be to deploy drones to harass them, which would extend the time to about a week," Américo communicated while floating beside the general.

"Do it. Have all the ships deploy drones to harass the bionaves, analyze our chances in detail, and send a message to the Fleet." The AI began its tasks, emitting different tones of light until it stopped.

"The analysis of our current chances is very slim; a 42% chance of success because we would run out of ammunition before we could eliminate them all."

"And with the Fleet?" Tiamath questioned, looking at the AI.

"If the Fleet arrives to assist us, our chances increase to 90% of defeating them, but casualties will still occur, especially if they launch living objects to the surface."

"Are you sure these bionaves can launch living beings to the surface?" The general looked back at the ship's monitors and radars, waiting.

"I have continuously scanned these bionaves, and they resemble some records of a strange race that humanity faced at the beginning of the 15th Millennium on the galaxy's borders," Américo commented, capturing Tiamath's full attention.

"At the beginning of the 15th Millennium? I don't recall any battle of that kind," Tiamath remarked, puzzled.

"It's logical. You were born in the year 15,476. These battles occurred from 15,233 to 15,327 with a human victory," Américo explained. Tiamath brought a hand to her chin as she began to ponder.

"Even so, I don't remember them mentioning it during my training," she found it strange but had limited time to investigate further.

"The news of that war was heavily censored and could be disguised by the first Eldar contact, and the battles that took place in that brief period between exploration and their integration into Earth's military," the AI communicated, making the situation even more mysterious for her.

"Why was it censored? Did something significant happen in those battles to warrant such action?" asked Tiamath.

"I'm sorry, General, but that information is classified and only available to the Grand Regent of the Federation," the AI commented, causing the General to sigh in frustration.

Meanwhile, in the medical zone of the ship, Soldier Jenkins was eating in a desperate manner what had been brought to her. She had recently woken up hungry, and as she ate, the Chief of the ship's scientific team reviewed the analyses done on the soldier.

"As you can see, this soldier has various issues, but the most alarming are the small, currently benign tumors in her brain," one of the scientists commented.

"These are only generated by prolonged consumption of human flesh… They don't believe she's a cannibal, do they?" one scientist looked at the soldier who continued eating.

"We still don't know for sure. We could spend the whole day discussing this, but we still have a lot to do. Nevertheless, when she finishes eating, add sedatives to the serum; we'll conduct further examinations. I don't want to take any risks," Lilith observed her team, who nodded in agreement with the orders.

When her team was out of sight, a signal on her bracelet-shaped communicator appeared on her holoscreen. Her mother's figure appeared as a holographic image.

"Is there something wrong, General? I'm very busy," Lilith spoke to her mother somewhat curtly.

"I'm sending you the information the drones from the Bionaves are collecting. I want you to analyze it and give me a report, and has the rescued soldier awakened?" Tiamath's image flickered a bit while her daughter simply sighed heavily.

"She has already awakened. I was about to put her back to sleep for further studies."

"Show her the images of the Bionaves and see if she recognizes them and what she knows about them… Also, daughter, I want to apologize for not arriving on time," Tiamath commented, and Lilith only made a displeased gesture.

"Your apologies are as empty now as when I was a child. Don't waste your breath. I'll send you the results soon," Lilith said before ending the call.

On her data pad, the information from the drones was transferred along with the live signal. Lilith could now see the battle and how the drones were harassing those ships. The RailGun shot from each drone caused significant damage to those ships.

"Curie, freeze the image," Lilith summoned her assistant AI, which, unlike Américo or Galileo, was white and the size of an apple.

The image froze, revealing one of these ships in its entirety. Its shape and appearance were as fascinating as they were terrifying, as well as how they moved.

"How large can they be compared to the size of the drones? Fifty kilometers?" Lilith questioned as she analyzed the images.

"The scans report that the currently attacked ship measures a total of two hundred kilometers in length, but it is extremely fast; the drones won't be able to slow them down for long," Curie commented, while Lilith made a displeased face in response.

Without waiting, she went to where Soldier Jenkins was trying to enjoy some soup they had given her. When she saw the Chief Scientist enter, she looked at her and, without further ado, showed her the tablet.

"Do you know what this is?" Jenkins, upon hearing that and seeing the image, turned pale, and the devices began to beep for a moment before calming down.

"W-where are they?" She asked, trying to regain her composure after the previous shock.

"A little less than four days away if the drones continue harassing them, maybe less based on what the images have shown. I'll repeat it, what do you know about these things?" Lilith asked impatiently of the soldier.

"Those… ships are of Tyranid origin. A xenos race that seems to come from outside the galaxy. Their sole purpose is to consume all forms of life, as well as adapt not only to strategies but also to any type of weaponry. It's said that something you've used once won't work twice," Jenkins commented while looking at the soup.

"I see… Well, it's time for you to speak with someone urgently. Marie, get in touch with the three ships," Lilith said as her assistant AI initiated communication not only with her mother but also with the other two captains of the other ships.

"Chief Scientist Lilith, what's happening?" asked one of the captains of the ship, a young man who seemed to be barely twenty-five years old.

"The data and information I've obtained are alarming. These bionaves are larger than the last hope, and there's the fact that the drones are doing little damage, and the possibility that they will learn countermeasures against our weapons if they survive each shot. As the second-highest ranking officer on this advanced expedition, I propose using the Black Rosary," Lilith commented.

"Are you crazy?! We'll lose several resources from the neighboring planets!" countered the first captain.

"There's no other choice. It's either that or risking these creatures devouring us and becoming immune to our weapons," Lilith replied.

"It's risky to launch the Black Rosary now. We should wait for the fleet. Américo says it will take at least two hours for them to arrive, and they're already on their way," Tiamath intervened.

"But…"

"Lilith, launching a Black Rosary requires a great sacrifice. It's not something to be used lightly. I deny that request; it's an order, and that's final," declared Tiamath, causing her daughter to make a displeased face before cutting off the transmission.

"What is a Black Rosary?" asked Jenkins, who had been listening to the entire conversation.

"A joint weapon. Several ships like ours launch different projectiles with a special cable that, upon impact with a planet, penetrates the surface to the core, then begins to split the planetary core, creating mini-suns to make them explode and turn into supernovas, which then become black holes," explained Lilith.

"It sounds worse than an Exterminatus, which is wiping out life on a planet," Jenkins compared both tactics.

"And that's just the Black Rosary, if we want to exterminate a race, we simply fire a Dyzon shot. Stop asking questions and rest; you'll soon have to speak with the Federation's higher-ups," Lilith said as she administered sedatives to Jenkins from her bracelet, causing her to fall into a deep sleep.

On the Battleship.

General Tiamath was still monitoring the constant movements of the Bionaves approaching the planet with little delay. It was alarming that each time the radar updated, the number of Bionaves increased. At first, there were only five, but after two hours, it had increased to almost twenty ships of this size. If things continued like this, not even the fleet could handle the enormous number of these ships.

"How much longer until the fleet arrives?" Tiamath asked her officers.

"Their communication has now entered hyperspace phase; they should be arriving shortly, General," one of the officers commented.

"General, we have these ships in range of our Black Hole cannons. Why not use them?" questioned the ship's captain, who was approaching.

"We have less than three shots left; I don't think it would be wise to waste them right now," Tiamath replied.

"On the contrary, it would be better to use them now before they get closer," the captain insisted.

Tiamath pondered it. Desperation was starting to affect her.

"I hope you're right… Open fire," declared Tiamath.

On the battleship, two enormous turrets deployed. They began to emit a purple beam, which, when fired, took less than ten seconds to reach and impact one of the Bionaves billions of kilometers away. That shot generated an explosion so powerful that it was like having a second sun in the sector. While the officers and the captain shielded themselves a bit from the glare, Tiamath simply lit a cigarette and watched the spectacle. Then, that light was replaced by a black hole the size of a small moon, which easily swallowed the Bionave it had impacted, as well as four nearby ones.

"Projectile control?" Tiamath asked as she exhaled some cigarette smoke.

"The black hole will reach its climax in ten seconds, its absorption level is stable, ten hostile ships sucked in and counting," reported an officer while the explosion played on the hologram.

That spectacle was both grotesque and fascinating. That artificially created black hole was sucking in the Bionaves at a speed and destructive force, often breaking them in half or even creating the classic "noodle shape" as it elongated these ships. But there came a point where it stopped sucking.

"Activate phase two, fire!"

The general watched as the shot turned white in color, hitting the black hole, which began to contract as if it were consuming itself. What followed was a powerful explosion in a very bright white. After that explosion, the bionaves were destroyed, and their remnants scattered throughout the system's area, leaving only floating debris. There were no traces of the black hole either. Tiamath smiled before extinguishing the cigarette she was smoking.

"Ma'am, the fleet has entered the system," Americo appeared on the scene, and Tiamath only smiled at that.

"Have the drones clean up the mess. If by some miracle anything is left alive, it must be eliminated. Communicate to all ships that once they reach orbit, we will have a meeting at the Last Hope," Tiamath ordered.

"Do we begin modifying the planet's infrastructure?" Americo asked.

"Not yet. Wait for my order, but start deploying more virtual intelligences. Have them search for signs of these Genestealers. I want them dead at all costs," Tiamath ordered.

At the Last Hope,

Admiral Mcmillan had arrived in the planetary system, which consisted of only four planets. They might be of use in the future, but for now, they were not necessary. What caught everyone's attention was the enormous pile of remains, although it was unclear what those remains were, they were much larger than the Last Hope.

"My God…Galileo Analysis," Mcmillan ordered, looking at the pile.

"Classified information, Admiral," the AI commented.

"Information protocol beta one, Admiral of the First Level, James Mcmillan." The admiral looked at his AI, which displayed a red light.

"Information available only to the Grand Admiral and high-ranking officers," the AI explained. The admiral let out some mild curses as the other ships approached the Last Hope.

Later, all the high-ranking military officials gathered in the meeting room, including the captains of the different ships, scientists, and military personnel. Everyone stood in front of a table, with Tiamath at the front, wearing a serious expression as she surveyed those present, many of whom lacked much experience in their fields, except for her daughter Lilith, Admiral Mcmillan, and some other military officers.

"Ladies and gentlemen. As you may already know, we have traveled to the future when we attempted to escape the war. We have good and bad news; the good news is that humanity has not been extinct, and it seems we have won the war against the Droids…"

"Then we should contact Earth again! Wouldn't that be the best? Humanity has been saved!" shouted a ship captain. From his demeanor and the whiteness of his uniform, he had barely been a cadet when he arrived. Some of those present followed his lead, celebrating or hugging in relief, believing that the time travel had prevented the worst of the conflict. However, the more experienced individuals waited for the bad news before showing any emotion.

"So, what's the bad news?" asked a military officer to the general.

"That the Federation may no longer exist, and the current Terran government may be much worse than before," Tiamath commented.

"Any reason for that assumption?" Admiral Mcmillan inquired.

"The Droids have been scanning the city on the planet. The architecture and iconography do not correspond to our time, and we've found this," Tiamath pressed some buttons, and holographic images of bodies began to appear.

Everyone was looking at not only images of servoskulls, which were curious to most of those present, but also some of what appeared to be Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus, members of the Administratum, and even videos of how Mechanicus members began to create one. They saw the subject writhing on a bed, trying unsuccessfully to free themselves before hearing the subject's scream. The camera zoomed out, revealing several beds and many members of the Mechanicus doing the same. This horrifying sight erased any desire among the younger ones to make contact with this new human population. What they saw was gruesome, and it seemed that every moment of their existence was agony.

"What you saw were some of the things we found. First, these are called Servoskulls. We still don't know their function, and the collected information doesn't provide any useful insights. The ones in red robes, according to the information, are known as Adeptus Mechanicus. We don't have much information, but by their appearance, they could be a Xenos race composed of technology. The last part, I doubt you want to know," Tiamath said, to which everyone nodded in understanding, sparing them the nightmares of what they had witnessed.

"Is that all?" asked a captain, his voice trembling with fear.

"We've also received these videos," Tiamath commented before playing some security camera recordings. They saw individuals in officer's attire executing soldiers trying to escape from these Genestealers, or how some left civilians to their fate. The worst was a moment when what seemed like a bunker for refugees, those with a more noble appearance, closed the doors and opened fire on the civilian population trying to enter. That left most of them speechless.

"Do we have the location of that bunker?" questioned an officer, looking at the General.

"We've already dispatched a team to investigate that area. The information they can have can still be obtained through an analysis of their brains, which is why their bodies are expendable," Lilith commented, observing those present, who understood what she meant.

"Now, with all high-ranking officers present, I propose we declare that Eden has fallen, the Federation no longer exists, and we are the last remnants of it. As such, we, as the highest-ranking members of the former government, will take the position of a vote to choose the next Tyrant at this moment," Tiamath said, looking at everyone present, who were silent, contemplating her words. The term 'Tyrant' had lost its negative connotations centuries ago and had become something more like it was in ancient Greece; someone who takes power in a time of need.

"I propose that General Tiamath be nominated to be the Tyrant of the Federation," intervened Admiral Mcmillan.

"Seconded."

"Me too."

And so, everyone present voted while Tiamath only lowered her head in silence, letting out a tired sigh but seemingly resigned to guiding humanity. A yellow AI appeared in front of everyone this time.

"Protocols of Fallen Eden accepted, please, all present except for two high-ranking witnesses, exit the room for the oath," said the AI.

Everyone left the room except for Lilith and Mcmillan, as the five-star admiral and his daughter, who led the scientific branch of the Federation, remained.

"You, General Tiamath, have been proposed to lead the Federation. Do you swear to defend the ideals and all the people of this Federation?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to protect the Human, the Xenos, the Abhuman , and all living beings of the Federation?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to, if required, leave your position and not abuse it?"

"I swear."

"As dictated by the protocol of the first leader of the Federation, today, on September 7th of the Millennium 42, with the power vested in me by the former government of the Federation, you will no longer be known as General Tiamath and will be known as the Grand Regent Tiamath. May your rule be just, may humanity progress, and may God protect you," the AI commented before disappearing. The now Regent Tiamath sighed a bit, looking at the admiral and his daughter.

"Of all the positions they offered me, this is undoubtedly the one I wanted the least," Tiamath commented, laughing a bit, but those present didn't say anything.

"And now what… Grand Regent?" the admiral asked, not knowing what to say or do at that moment.

"Well, it's time to work. Lilith, I want you to descend to the planet with a scientific team and your guards. Supervise the exploration of the Droids in the urban areas, as well as search for survivors, the armory, and areas we can use. Take that soldier with you to be your guide. Admiral, due to current events, you will be promoted to the rank of General Admiral. Your first orders are to oversee the cleanup of the wreckage of these bionaves, and any that can be transported should be taken for study. Also, for now, comb the perimeter of the solar system to prevent anything like these bionaves from arriving."

Both the admiral and Lilith made a slight bow before leaving the room. When they were gone, Tiamath simply slumped into the nearest seat, trying to catch her breath.

Her peace was short-lived when her communicator began to emit light and sound. When she answered it, the hologram of a soldier appeared on the screen.

"General, we have reached the destination of the bunker. How would you like us to proceed?" the soldier asked.

"Use immobilizing and stunning weapons. We need their brains intact. The details are up to your discretion," Tiamath ordered.

"Understood… Regent. Ending communication."

In a somewhat distant area from the city, there was a massive complex that extended into the earth. Outside, two turrets, which had run out of ammunition long ago, stood guard. On the ground lay a vast number of corpses, both civilians and soldiers killed by these weapons.

"This sickens me," one of the soldiers commented as they began to drop a yellow-colored liquid on the bodies, causing them to dissolve.

"I understand, but we have orders to take them and to use violence if necessary," another soldier commented, doing the same.

Some soldiers collected the belongings of the deceased soldiers, such as identification tags, weapons, and other items, placing them in a large chest. Meanwhile, some technicians attempted to hack the massive door.

"Locks deactivated, but there's a manual blockage that I can't break because it's not electronic," the technician reported.

"Very well, Mechs, it's your turn," the leader ordered.

Two nearly three-meter-tall mechs approached the massive doors. They hardly looked like they could do anything, but they both simply tapped the doors with their battle armor fingertips, piercing the thick steel, and then swung the doors wide open.

"Why didn't we try this earlier, Captain?" a soldier asked.

"The Leader of Scientists wanted to leave this bunker as intact as possible. She said something about using it as her laboratory, I don't know, soldier. That woman always scared me. Now, move forward," the captain replied.

The troops advanced in silence as the corridors were lit with dim lights. After the Genestealer attack, these troops had been periodically scanning the area. They moved deeper and indeed reached an area decorated perfectly with a plethora of extravagant items. It almost resembled the Victorian era.

"My eyes hurt just from seeing so many extravagant things," commented one soldier.

"Don't you feel a déjà vu?" asked the soldier in the mech suit.

"You mean the events in the cave? Yes, I feel it too."

The captain advanced a bit further into the area in silence. There was no one in that enormous hall where the only sound was a type of gothic classical music.

"This is depressing," commented a soldier.

"I have readings in different rooms. Split up and gather everyone here, execute without headshots if they resist," ordered the captain as he went with a team into one of the rooms.

Each soldier burst into what looked like royal quarters filled with luxuries and beautiful beds. On those beds were individuals who barely seemed human anymore due to the multitude of cables and other devices connected to them. They were forcibly removed from their beds and brought to the main hall. Some gunshots rang out. Signs of the first executions. The bodies were thrown into the center of the bunker.

"Who are you?! Speak before I have you executed!" shouted a noble. The soldiers didn't say anything; in fact, they were ignoring them.

"Is that everyone?" asked the captain.

"Yes, sir. They're all here. We have a total of twenty surviving nobles; ten were executed. Additionally, we found a Genestealer hideout, nearly thirty enemies, all neutralized," reported a soldier.

"Understood, ladies and gentlemen, I must inform you that you are all under arrest in the name of the Human Federation of Terra, on charges of abuse of power, indiscriminate genocide of civilians, illegal modification of your own bodies and others. The sentence has been passed, and you have been found guilty; your punishment is unanimous execution," declared the captain.

Everyone present couldn't say anything before all the soldiers opened fire, under the astonished gaze of those people. Once that was done, only smoldering corpses remained.

"Regent, mission accomplished. The bodies are intact, we're returning to the ship," the captain reported.

"Was there any resistance?" The Regent asked.

"They resisted; one pulled a weapon, and we opened fire. The brains are intact," said the captain.

"Hmm, understood, Captain. It's a shame that… they resisted. End transmission." The transmission cut, and the captain sighed a bit, knowing that his lie didn't work.

As the troops exited the bunker, a group of scientists entered, accompanied by droids ready to clean the area and begin occupation.

Meanwhile, a Federation transport ship moved through the silent buildings of the city. Soldier Jenkins was wearing her Imperial Guard uniform, and beside her was Lilith, two more scientists, and a team of nearly six soldiers in white serbo suits.

"Are you scientists too?" Jenkins asked, looking at the soldiers.

"We are guards from the scientific division. Are you from this planet?" one of the guards asked.

"No, I was born on the Forge World of Metálica. I was assigned to this planet," Jenkins commented.

"I don't know that planet; I was born on Terra in the province of South Africa," the soldier said.

"Oh, I don't know that area of Terra," Jenkins replied.

"Santa Terra? Hahaha," another soldier laughed.

"Show some respect; this girl is from this time. Remember that we're not in the 25th millennium anymore," Lilith said.

"Sorry, ma'am, it won't happen again, ma'am," the two soldiers said.

"Jenkins, where is the armory?" Lilith asked.

"We're close, past the Ecclesiarchy Cathedral… look! There's the cathedral," she said, pointing to a massive Gothic building with huge golden statues of the Emperor.

"Wow, Boss, is it okay if I request to stay here to investigate this church?" one scientist asked.

"Go ahead, that way we kill two birds with one stone, but request another ship when you're done," Lilith said.

The transport descended a bit without touching the ground so that the scientist and two soldiers could disembark with him, heading into the cathedral.

The transport ship arrived at a military building adorned with different double-headed eagles. The ship was moving deeper, and on the ground, you could see a large number of corpses, both human and Genestealers.

"It's surprising how quickly they fell," Lilith commented, looking at the bodies on the ground.

"Was a massive attack, and they caught us off guard. There were also infiltrators within the guard," explained Jenkins, surveying the scene.

"How did you survive?" asked a soldier.

Oddly enough, because I was ordered to investigate these cults. I was with my team in the city when the attacks began. So, I wasn't present here when the military base was assaulted," Jenkins explained.

The ship descended as the troops and scientists disembarked. The silence of the area was both terrifying and sad, mostly due to the large number of corpses. The team arrived at a damaged but still closed hatch, which was the armory. Jenkins attempted to open it with her key, but it didn't work.

"The hatch is closed. If we reach the control room, we can activate it."

"Let me use my card," said a soldier. He pulled something from his back, which looked like a Necron cannon. The shot from the weapon was less bright and less loud than expected, but it blew the door apart, producing a strong gust.

"Oh, we can do that," commented Jenkins.

The team descended into the armory, reaching its storage area. It was filled with weapons, ranging from the classic Imperial Guard lasgun to bolters and Imperial plasma rifles.

"What is all this?" asked one of the scientists.

"These are what the Imperial Guard uses, the best weapons the Imperium has to fight against xenos, witches, and heretics," explained Jenkins while she picked up a plasma rifle and tossed it to Lilith, who caught it.

"This is an even older weapon than us. Look at the wiring and the type of ammunition. This will overheat after just a few shots. Do they really use this as standard issue?" Lilith asked, looking at the plasma rifle and then at the soldier.

"Well… we use these," Jenkins said, passing an Imperial lasgun.

One of the guards took it and aimed it without warning; he fired at a comrade, but the energy field absorbed the shot. The other soldier checked the readings.

"So, what's the verdict?" Lilith asked.

"Pathetic firepower, 8.9," the guard said.

"Out of ten?" Jenkins asked.

"Out of a hundred. Why do you use what's essentially a laser pointer as a weapon?" Lilith asked.

"Well, it's what the Mechanicus provides. We've always used these weapons," Jenkins said, looking embarrassed.

"And you haven't thought about inventing something better?"

"That's categorized as heresy."

"What?!" everyone present exclaimed, looking at Jenkins.

"This… is a joke, right? What kind of barbaric and stupid minds would think that inventing is heresy?" Lilith shouted, almost as if a vein in her head was about to burst.

"They're from Mars."

"Oh…" Lilith couldn't say anything more; her usually emotionless face now showed a mix of disappointment, sadness, and anger.

"Before something happens, let's drop this conversation; we're not affiliated with the Mechanicus," one of the scientists tried to calm Lilith down, who seemed on the verge of breaking something due to the absurdity of it all.

"Yes, let's load everything up and get out of here. We won't find anything useful here. The more I spend in this place, the dumber I feel. Let's head to the second objective," Lilith commented.

"And what would that be?" Jenkins asked as she boarded the ship with the guards and scientists.

"A laboratory of what you call the Mechanicus. It's not far, but the droids report potential items of value, even if we have orders," Lilith said.

In the Ecclesiarchy Cathedral, the scientist had been waiting for the IV to arrive and begin investigating. As they did, he could see the massive cathedral and its decorations, which would be very beautiful to an art connoisseur if it weren't for the large number of Genestealer and what appeared to be female knights' corpses.

"Well, this is picturesque," the scientist commented as he removed the helmet from one of the corpses to see the face of a woman with tattoos and white hair.

"Akande, do we have life readings?" the scientist asked his guard.

"I detect a very faint life signal among those debris. I'll check; it might be a Genestealer," Akande said as he walked towards a collapsed pillar.

Upon approaching, he first saw that underneath the pillar, one of these women was lying. While she seemed dead, her suit's readings indicated that she was alive, weak but alive. Akande lifted the pillar and moved it away from the woman, who had a deep gunshot wound, infected by the looks of it.

"Professor, I requested a medical transport; we found another survivor," said the Guard as a kind of bluish tentacles extended from his suit and sprayed a pinkish liquid into the wound. The woman grimaced in pain, even though she was unconscious.

"Does she have any identification?"

"I've already called a medical transport, and according to the records obtained by the droids, she's a Sister of Battle, commonly referred to as a 'Sororita.' However, I can't seem to recall which cult or whatever they call it she belongs to. I'll check the back. Can you stay with her?"

The Guard complied with the order.

When the scientist resumed his investigation, he reached a part of the cathedral that served as an ancient library or archive, perhaps both. There were numerous shelves up to the ceiling, all filled with books. The scientist smiled with fascination.

"Bingo."

Near the bionave graveyard, four exploration vessels were monitoring the area to ensure there were no surviving bionaves. It was a straightforward task due to their scanners, but the debris made navigation challenging. In one of the ships, Captain Jean-Pierre silently gazed into the cold expanse filled with death. Before all of this, he was a simple professor at the Jupiter Academy. Now, he found himself back in command as a captain. They had offered him the chance to become an admiral again, but he felt his experience would be more valuable on the front lines than being mostly behind the action.

"Captain, we've detected something," an officer reported, examining the radar.

"Any surviving ships?" the captain inquired.

"The readings indicate they are nearby, but there's nothing visible. There are a total of ten, and the count is increasing."

"So many? Where could they be?" the captain wondered aloud.

"We don't know, sir, but the number has just increased to twenty more!"

The captain fell into silence, contemplating this, but he suddenly realized what was happening.

"All ships, get out of here immediately!" he shouted.

The ships accelerated just as a massive swarm of bionaves was about to collide with them. The four ships opened fire on the enormous Tyranid bio-ships. Their firepower, while inferior to battleships, managed to eliminate five of them. The remaining bio-ships were heading toward the fleet stationed in orbit around Apolion. As soon as the fleet spotted them, they opened fire. The Ultima Esperanza fired its Chronos cannon, shaking the Tyranid fleet and disintegrating half of it. It seemed like they were winning, but then more Tyranid bio-ships attacked from above and below. The fleet narrowly avoided them, but it forced them to move further away from the planet, allowing three Tyranid bio-ships to enter the atmosphere.

"This is Grand Admiral McMillan. All ships, deploy interceptors and bombers. Prepare to deploy ground troops, secure the arks containing civilians." Orders were relayed to the various ships, a total of 41 ships from the Dark Age against nearly 50 Tyranid bio-ships.

Near the Apolion system, a tear in the Warp opened, and a ship emerged. It bore a two-headed eagle on its side, and inside the ship were individuals clad in blue power armor, observing an image of the mysterious fleet facing off against a group of Tyranid bio-ships as they breached the planet's atmosphere.

"Brother Casius, what are your orders?" an Ultramarine asked their leader, who wore a red helmet.

"Prepare the drop pods. We will go to that planet to investigate," declared Brother Casius