NationStates Jolt Archive

Through the abyss they came like so many immense, bloated insects; like a shoal of terrible predators sliding through the grand expanse of space; towards the light of countless civilisations; towards worlds ripe with flesh and new genetic material. The Hive had rested; regrouped; swelled its numbers; hundreds; thousands; millions of living weapons upon each vast living vessel; each ready to consume entire worlds. To lay them low before the ravenous maw of the Hive Fleets.

An arcing wave of assault lay across this galaxy; a vast scything movement with which to devour entire systems. Such was the intent of the Tyranid threat; the hive fleet resurgent, once again codified as Nergal; genus: Umbran. Genestealer infestations across the path of the Great Devourer was likely; they would probably already be amongst the populace; slowly gaining power for the moment when they would rise up; overthrowing the established order; plunging all into chaos; chaos unfit to resist the terrible advance of the Hive.

A black day was dawning; as the first of the immense hiveships reached the first systems; as surely they were detected; slowly; surely; making their way forth; towards countless worlds ripe for the picking; worlds ready to be feasted upon.

Once again, the Devourer was come.

ooc> Tag... I could have one of my colony systems get invaded or something.

OOC: Tag also, for further editing when I have more time. For this, I'll be using the Tau version of my nation... ah, Tau...

OOC: Gonna assume this is a "volunteer to be invaded" style rp.
IC: In orbit of Fortress, in a small scientific station, several high ranking officers sat listening as a man indicated pieces of the eviscerated, not-quite-human... thing on the table before him
"In summary, it cross-breeds with, and assumes the charicteristics of, the locals, case in point: us."
The scientist began to go into more detail, but a young woman near the front wearing a Flotte-admiral's uniform held up her hand to silence him. Even if she hadn't been among the most senior officers in the whole fleet, no-one was going to argue, because the women in question was the infamous "ever-tactful" Hilde Menkeln.
"Okay, enough science talk. How do we kill the bastards?"
"When it comes to a confrontation, the normal way, but there's no telling how many species these things have absorbed, and they could be only one species within a collective. Their certainly a form of group-mind. As for your own service, we don't know they have ships yet, but this thing appeared on Boozia and Furnace, so we can assume so. That's all I know."
Another officer speaks: a lanky army officer who has just been promoted.
"We have plans for a full quarantine ready, but don't ask me for any culling until the enemy show themselves. My men will hardly shoot their fellow Boozians in what they see as cold blood."

A roar cut through the vast chamber; the thing squatting upon a makeshift throne, bellowing in inhuman rage. The Patriarch grew restless; it's claws skittering against stone, multi-limbs flexing as it rose up to it's full height, snarling; an obscene ichor oozing from its fanged maw.

The Magus knelt, whispering softly; he could hear it in his mind, speaking; whispering; all of them. His brothers. Brothers in blood, brothers in the brood. One by one, they began to move; knowing their place; knowing their role in the grand scheme that was unfolding across the Boozian world.

"Now" A cold whisper carried the first rumblings of discontent; across the capital, the bombs began to go off; how many of them were there? None could truly know; but the infiltrators had done their work. They had begun the grand design. A civilian had caught one of them at work, and a swift blast from a bolt pistol had sent him tumbling to the ground, a crumpled heap. Blood and brain material oozing from what remained of his shattered cranial cavity. The half-breed spat upon the corpse; whirling about, running off down a back-alley. It felt invigorated; the hate fuelled it. It wasn't normal hate, it was pure, a compelling alien desire.

It felt like love...

Deep below, the monstrous lord of the coven reared up, roaring in triumph and anger; the desire to crush and assimilate the hated flesh things above. Slowly; its beacon, its forced message of psychic need, traversed the void. The fleet was aware now; aware of a world in readiness; and slowly; a tendril of the beast unfurled...

OOC: If anyone else wants involved; feel free to post. Be it detecting the Hivefleets or having Genestealer infestation

"Schnapsemarschall! A network of bombs just went off in the Alchaholiaswiksburg conurbation!"
Otto Morlok did not hesitate for a second.
"Casualties?"
"In practice, not very much, what with the upped security keeping them out of major buildings, but the civvies are in panic."
"Tell Schelner to shoot anything that moves and looks like the thing we caught earlier. And if he can clarify there are no civvies in a district, he can bombard to his hearts content. Hell, let him use panzers, titans even! Now get me Gerspel."
A moment later, an Admiral with greying hair and an epic moustache appeared on the communications screen.
"Sir?"
"Martial law, Gerspel, shut down the beacons and kill all unauthorized shipping. Especially if it looks organic."
"Immediately."

More bombs went off. Where they could they destabilised the foundations of larger buildings; to have them collapse onto the civilians below. Panic ruled the streets, and the hybrids slunk in the shadows. Something drew near; something terrible and wonderful. A glorious thing from the skies. They lashed out at the occupants of this world with their own weapons; guns went off; grenades streaked through the sky. They knew the hour was drawing near...

High above, the first of the Hive ships began to advance; crossing into the system with the practiced ease of those who traverse the void; hunger consumed them, hunger drove them. And so they descended upon this ripe world. The first weapons were readied; and countless mycetic spores were ready to rain down upon the chosen place. Soon, all would return to the Hive; unified; to advance the species. Soon; soon they would be victorious.

A roar came from the throat of every organism, each trained and ready to kill and feast. Slowly; the Shadow in the Warp descends upon the system; and the Devourer readies for its first assaults.

Sitting just outside the system, Shas'O Sa'cea J'kal looked at his Kor'el pilot,"Tell me, Kor'el, what is the reason that you have woken me after only a single dec of sleep, when you are well aware that I have not slept for at least five rotaa before this."

"I apologise, Shas'O, but I had to speak with you urgently. OUr sensors are recording things which I have never seen before."

"Why did you not wake the Aun'ui?"

"With the greatest respect and humility, the Aun is very young. I thought it best to speak with you first before bothering him."

J'kal nodded,"It seems best that way. What are these readings?"

The senior pilot brandished a report handed to him, and placed it in the Fire caste commander's hand. The old solider took one glance at it, and what little colour existed in a Tau face seemed to drain,"Kor'el, inform the fleet. We are to move to these coordinates immediatley, and with all speed."

"You are doing this without the Aun's permission?"

"These readings indicate the xenoform known to the Gue'la as Tyranids have emerged. These are very dangerous lifeforms, and it is commonly policy to exterminate them whereever possible. You recall the colony on Hkala?"

"Yes?"

"Wiped out by such lifeforms. I will speak with the Aun myself. Inform the Kroot of our intentions, and order them to fall in line with the rest of us. I have a suspicion we will be thankful for their prowess in close quaters later."

The Kor'el did not respond, merely turning to go about his task. The Shas'O rubbed a finger along his scalp lock, before he turned and stalked from the bridge. All of those who saw him moved out his way, for he now carried himself with an air of worry and menace...

The Tau fleet turned around, and vanished, making the short hop into the system, to find themselves faced with a hiveworld. All Tau onboard were able to see the swarms of Tyranids, and the Shas'O, now accompanied by the Aun'ui, looked out at it,"All railguns, open fire. Free targeting."

Outside, in the silent void, the powerful railguns opened fire, their solid slugs moving across the void at speeds that even the Tau eye could not follow effectively, to smash against the Tyranid scum. At the same time, a hailing frequency was sent to the colony that seemed to be under attack,"We are the Tau. We are here to aid you."

OOC: Just a note, I am not a Tau nation normally. I just wanted to do something a little... different from my usual.

All across Boozia Prime, soldiers rushed to their stations. Commissars attempted to restore order, while the infantry poured firepower into the mobs. fallen districts were assaulted by Kriegreisig, their huge, metal legs crushing the genestealers beneath them, while "Trogdor the Burninator!" blasted from their speakers, images of Trogdor, Bun-bun, Schnapsemarschall Schmaldt, and other popular heroes being painted on the vehicles sides.

In space, the first line of defence, Dernels fleet, sprang to life, engaging the tyranids at battleship and battlecruiser gun ranges while the shorter ranged ships used their torpedoes to aide the assault. All firepower was thrown at the larger ships.

One the flag bridge of the Verloren und Verdammt, the navigator screamed.
"They're in my head... thousands, millions! They're coming for us! Turn on the beacons, now, or we will die alone!"
The beacons on each Boozian world were hastily activated, allowing travel between the core systems, but the dispuptive hivemind presence meant all contact with colonies further out was lost, while on all the ships of the fleet, navigators had similar fits of aginy, before being knocked out for their own good.
"Message from an unknown fleet, sir! They claim to be on our side."
"Send them my gratitude."

Rounds thudded into flesh and bone, slamming against the bio-organic fabric of the Hive ships. While they seemed, momentarily to falter, many of them continued on; lashing out with bio-plasma gouts and great bone shards, dripping acids, toxins and plasma. They fought onwards; a forceful thrashing assault against the defences of this world and the Tau who had come forth to aid them. Some burst like rotting fruit; sending organisms, ichors and flesh spinning into the void; many clinging to surrounding vessels; as though hitching rides.

The scream of the Devourer echoed about everyone; as the hiveships forced their way towards the world; the first spore pods beginning to taper off; plunging towards the world below; or towards the ships. Some were filled with organisms, others contained yet more spores; malicious alien toxins to plague and frustrate the advance of their foes....

It had begun...

ic> Macbeth III was the outer-most Core System of the Great Forge of Gronde. It was still a vital part of the nation, containing 3 populated and developed worlds and important military installations. It was also the home of the second Space Marine Chapter.

For a long time, Macbeth III had not been directly attacked. Despite this, it was always well defended. One of the most prevelant defencive structures were the Centurion Gunner/recon stations. These 10 x 10 x 14 km installations dotted the outer reaches of the system in clusters of three, designed to warn of attacks, and potentially stop or stall them.

The life of commander of one of these stations was usually quite uneventful. They would almost always be observing empty space. But this time, something strange was being detected...yet, something familiar: Tyranids.


ooc> Ok, so not the greatest post in the world. I figured that we could start with a small engagement around of of these recon clusters and it can go from there as the Hive ships move into the system.

Marines battled desperately to control their ships, but not many, as the Boozians remained well beyond the range of most attacks excepting fighters and spores.

No, it was the army that was going to weather this storm. Troops reformed to enclose confirmed drop-sites, while hurricane barrages heralded massed attacks by panzers, panzergrenadiers, and kriegriesig, attempting to smash the gaunts and carnifexes before the great bio-titans could spawn.

On the bridge of Wenig Weisses Häschen, a Krieglord battle-titan, Major Hakenpefer guided the lumbering machine forward.
"Open up with all arm and shoulder weapons."
His gunnery officer chuckled.
"Let's rock, insect boy!"
The machine, like so many others, opened fire.

The Tau fleet continued to fire into the oncoming horde,"Prepare to repel borders. I say again, all Fire Warriors prepare for boarding actions by hostile forces."

Onboard every Tau ship, Fire Warriors raced to their assigned positions, cradling their pulse weaponry in their arms. They were not built for close quaters, but the Tyranids were not built to repel such firepower in such an enclosed space. Shas'la Sa'Cea Tka gripped the stock of his pulse carbine, sliding a grenade into the breech of the underslung launcher. His nerves caused him to shake slightly, but he steadied himself with the thought that focused him most: For the Greater Good.

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the command ship, Shas'O J'tal nodded in response to hearing of the returned greeting,"Tell them we are making haste towards them as fast as we can. All ships, accelerate to maximum speed, and break through the Tyranid lines."

Ether drives pushed these starships through the void, launching Barracuda fighters, piloted by members of the Kor, to deal with the oncoming pods. Inside, the males and females, all of whom had been born in space and never once set foot on the surface of a planet, prepared themselves to sell their lives if it was called for, all for the Greater Good.