Reeling from the defeat by the human habitat, the hive was growing even more desperate for biomatter. The lifeblood of all tyranid life. Even now Hive Fleet Haephestus's reserves were dwindling to nothing. The conflict so far had only served to drain what they had more quickly.
It needed to feed and soon.
At the centre of the fleet in its specially made birthing pool, the Swarmlord was pouring over all availabe data. Drawing on the senses of every brood and synapse creature it had sent to the planet. Searching for a target.
Just one easy victory was needed to refill the pools and get them creating new life to fill the ranks of the Hive. Even better if an arase rich in life could be seeded with Pylons to draw the very essence of the planet up to the Fleet.
So far the only areas of the planet below that had been seeded were either retaken by the prey on the planet or their brethren that came from the hulking vessels in orbit that arrived at the same time as the Hive Fleet. Or the area that was seeded proved lacking in life. Great pylons reared out of tundras and sandy deserts. The indigenous life barely sufficient to support the growth of these great structures let alone provide extra resource to transmit to the waiting Hive.
Days passed, the spawning pools had dried out, the Fleet near death. Brood began to feed on brood as the Hive mind struggled to keep control. The situation was desperate.
Then, almost by chance the Swarmlord spotted an opening. A large group of prey on the ground was spotted by Lictors and genestealers moving through an area dense in vegetation. They had stopped in a clearing in the middle of a vast jungle, a long distance from the closest habitat.
The group was large and had with it a great number of the metal hulks that was so common amongst the prey. The same hulks that the Hive Fleet had learned to break down and incorporate into it's own organisms but also struggle to bring down without sufficient firepower.
These 'tanks' would be a problem for the brood. But the great cunning of the swarmlord was unpeturbed. It sent gathered what Zoanthropes were let in the fleet and channeled their power through its own mind. Sent out pyschic tendrils to the group on the planet, searching for the leader.
Once found, the tendrils were sent into the mind of this leader. Nudging and suggesting but not outright controlling. Even for just a single organism this subtlety required great concentration and power. By the time the work was done half of the Zoanthropes used were dead or dying. With a brief after thought the swamlord commanded the drones to break them down to be immediately reconstituted before directing his mind back to what would soon be the battlefield.
The ploy worked, the commander ordered a portion of his group, including the greatest of his 'tanks' to scout ahead. Breaking his force up. Breaking it up to make it easier prey for the approaching swarm...
Two great tervigons smashed into the group's flanks accompanied by various smaller broods, a handful of biovores and a unit of genestealers that had been monitoring the group.
The biovore's sporemines smashed right into the middle of the group, caught by surprise the humans could barely react before they were ripped apart by the explosions.
Before they could regroup the genestealers charged amongst them to take them on at close quarters. At the front of the field a great Winged Hive Tyrant swooped down and reduced a team of humans dug in at the top of an old building to nothing but worm riddled corpses. Its accompanying Trygon followed behind, uncharacteristically bogged down by the terrain.
Hive guard on both flanks let rip with their great guided cannons, destorying a metallic hulk on oneside and imobilising another filled with prey on the other.
A large brood of hormagaunts tore accross the river to engage the foot soldiers that had accompanied the 'tank' across the river. The foot gave a valiant defence and the commander managed to weather the initial charge.
After the initial attack the prey seemed to rally. The great armoured hulk at the front fired 3 great shots of energy at the hive guard that threatened it. When the smoke cleared, a grey smudge on the scarred earth was all that remained of them.
The tervigons to either side of the force took the brunt of the attack taking severe wounds each.
The damage and the like of sufficient nutrition affected their ability to spawn more young, both only giving birth to a handful of gants before turning barren.
Showing almost superhuman courage and resilience, the prey managed to tear apart the genestealers without too many casualties only to be met by a charge from the hormagaunts who had finally dispatched the group's leader.
The Tyrant dispatched another group of humans with great volleys of carnivorous worms before finally charging the great 'tank' of the force, his Trygon, not far behind.
The combined might of these two creatures made short work of the creation, leaving a smouldering wreck behind them before moving on to more prey.
Following suit the tervigons, on the verge of death made for the closest 'tanks' and ripped them apart. One of them, caught in the fire of nearby gunfire collapsed with a great scream before falling silent.
It was enough though. The enemy was falling back. The Swarmlord dispatched lictors to follow the fleeing force. Nothing would go to waste.
Already the seeds were planted, the area rich in flora and fauna, as well as the bodies of the fallen would prove a great feast indeed.
For the first time in countless decades, Hive Fleet Haephestus fed.
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