The Dark Aeldari air force continued to demonstrate their hallmark high speed and devastating firepower; a single wave of bombing runs inflicted significant casualties upon the Swarm's units.
But that was the extent of their success.
†Holy sht, those eldar are back? Wait a second, which Webway gate did they crawl out of?!†*
The battlefield this time wasn't the Hive World from before, but the original rainforest world. The Overmind hadn't deployed heavy defenses here. Spine Crawlers and Spore Crawlers cost resources, and with the Overmind currently focusing on developing dozens of stable "farming" planets, resources were stretched thin. It was difficult to maintain an invincible defense everywhere.
†How do they have the nerve? Did Nydusara get wiped out? No, that can't be; Nydusara just reported that the war was going great. How dare they launch a counter-invasion!†
The Overmind thought for a moment. Perhaps the Dark Aeldari were getting desperate and decided to "base race"—trading their home for his. A tactical base-trade? Fine, that's very StarCraft 2!
†Perfect. Zasz, you handle them.†
"As you command, Overmind."
While Cerebrate Kans was still dealing with the remaining Space Marines from the Hand of Judgment, Cerebrate Zasz would take command of this operation.
At the same time, almost every Dark Aeldari upon reaching this planet could sense an utterly sacrilegious presence radiating psychic waves into the surroundings. Although the Dark Aeldari do not use psychic powers themselves, their innate psychic talent has not withered away.
"What is this psychic sensation?" "It makes me feel nauseous." "Could that be the location of the enemy commander?"
In truth, this psychic power emanated from a cocoon. This cocoon was guarded by a nameless, newly-born Cerebrate to ensure it remained unharmed. Originally, this planet was completely devoid of enemies and should have been safe; now, it was at risk.
The Dark Aeldari began their advance toward the cocoon's location. They weren't traveling on foot but were mounted on Raider anti-gravity transports, flying toward the cocoon at high speeds.
The Overmind saw through their intent.
†Are they here for the modified Succubus?†
What a joke. Did they really think the Overmind would let them take back the transformed Succubus? While he wasn't sure about other factions, if those fossils in the Haemonculus Covens got their hands on her, they might actually figure out the Zerg Swarm's command structure.
†Cerebrate, I bestow upon you the name Arc. You shall work with Zasz to resist the enemy invasion and ensure the safety of the cocoon. If necessary, transport it onto a Leviathan.†
"As you command, Overmind."
Upon receiving a name, the newborn Cerebrate's psychic power surged significantly. However, both the Cerebrate and the cocoon were fragile. Zerg units from across the planet began converging on Cerebrate Arc's position to prepare for the coming battle.
The Overmind was originally confident in intercepting the enemy on this planet—the local forces were ample—but his confidence was soon shaken by an unexpected turn of events.
In the distant reaches of Zerg-3's star system, a long-dormant Webway route opened. Several Dark Aeldari cruisers slipped out first, masking their presence. Minutes later, an entire Imperial fleet transitioned out into the system. It included five Lunar-class cruisers, nearly ten frigates, and... a Battle Barge bearing the "U" symbol.
The sigil of the Ultramarines Chapter.
"What? Where is this? Where are those Dark Aeldari xenos?!"
The captains of the various ships were bewildered. The fleet commander was searching frantically for any sign of the Dark Aeldari. Meanwhile, the Ultramarines' vessel didn't seem to be traveling with the rest of the fleet.
"This is the Ultramarines Fifth Company. I am Captain Cato Sicarius. Imperial fleet ahead, report your designation."
"Honored Captain, this is the Planetary Defense Navy from Granwanka. We were engaged with a Dark Aeldari vessel, but they used some xenos sorcery, and we were pulled into the Webway by mistake."
"You were 'pulled' into the Webway as well?"
It seemed the Ultramarines Fifth Company had also "accidentally" entered the Webway while battling the Dark Aeldari. While usually Imperial fleets wouldn't just wander into xenos Webways, the Dark Aeldari knew this and had used a few tricks.
"Confirm coordinates." "Coordinates confirmed. We are currently near the planet Zerg-3 in the Ultramarines' sector." "We haven't strayed too far from our station. Wait... what is the situation on that planet?"
With the Dark Aeldari gone, Zerg-3 became the primary concern for the Imperial Navy and the Ultramarines' Fifth Company.
"Captain, our auspex arrays are scanning a massive number of non-human lifeforms on the nearby planet," the Master of Auspex reported.
As the fleet began closing in on Zerg-3, the Overmind quickly detected them.
†How did the Imperium end up joining this mess... wait? The 'U' shield logo! Is that a 'Smurf' ship?!!!†
The Overmind wanted to scream. The Ultramarines! Please, tell me there aren't any monsters like Titus or Cato Sicarius on board!
Some StarCraft players might not know, but because the Ultramarines are Games Workshop's poster boys, many official authors who work with GW hype this Chapter up to an extreme degree. This has resulted in the lore being filled with incredibly powerful characters.
Take Titus, for example—formerly the Captain of the Second Company. He once crushed the skull of a Daemon Prince with his bare hands, was suspected of corruption by the Inquisition, and then served in the Deathwatch for two hundred years (where mortality rates are staggering). He survived countless suicidal missions against Tyranids and Chaos, earning him the fan nickname "EK" (Dual Champion of the Emperor and Khorne). He is also the protagonist of the Space Marine games.
This Dark Aeldari tactic of "killing with a borrowed blade" is a classic Warhammer move—and, incidentally, a classic StarCraft 2 move as well.
As the Imperial fleet approached Zerg-3, they immediately noticed the planet's abnormality. Cato Sicarius, who was still the Fifth Company Captain and had not yet been promoted to the Second, exclaimed: "Tyranids!!!"
The Tyranid Swarm took the blame once again. But then again, they were close enough.
"The God-Emperor preserve us. Have the Tyranids penetrated this deep? We must report this to Chapter Master Calgar immediately. However, there are only two bioships; we should be able to..."
Just as Cato Sicarius was about to move against the planet, he instinctively felt a sense of foreboding. An indescribable palpitation arose in his chest, as if an invisible hand were squeezing his heart. He couldn't alleviate the phantom itch within his soul.
His instincts were telling him: Get away from this planet. As fast as possible. This is a trap.
Yet, his professional training as a Space Marine told him that he should not fear the enemy. Lead your company and annihilate all foes!
"Captain. Captain."
Finally, the voice of his adjutant brought him back. "What are our orders regarding this planet? There are numerous escorts surrounding the enemy bioships, screening their movements."
"Fifth Company, prepare for battle. Regardless of whether the creatures on this planet are Tyranids or not, we must be ready to face the threat at any moment!"