The Tyranids, also known as the Great Devourer, are a predatory species from beyond the galaxy. No one knows where they came from; they seem to exist solely to consume, evolve, and expand their numbers.
The Tyranids are the natural enemy of all life. Within the galaxy, they typically appear in the form of Hive Fleets—swarms of colossal space-faring organisms capable of transporting or gestating smaller specialized units within their bodies.
The Ghazghkull fleet, which Kenmyo Isayama was currently part of, ceased its Warp travel on the outskirts of the Octarius system.
This was because a collective consciousness, powerful enough to rival a god, had appeared in the Warp currents ahead. It suffocated and severed all spatial activity within the Octarius system, making Warp travel or communication impossible.
That was the "Shadow in the Warp"—the arrival of the supreme Hive Mind near Hive Fleet Leviathan, one of the main Tyranid fleets. It was so terrifying that the Warp itself was warping under its weight.
Once, every planet in the Octarius system had been blanketed in dense green vegetation, sown with Ork spores that grew into vast forests of mushrooms. Now, the surrounding area was filled with barren, giant spheres of rock. Not a trace of the former greenery remained. Even the Orks were uncharacteristically quiet, their eyes filled with rare solemnity.
The aftermath of a Tyranid attack is absolute. Everything—including bacteria and even a planet's atmosphere—is absorbed by the swarm. What remained were giant rock masses resembling desolate asteroids, floating alongside the lonely debris of destroyed Greenskin fleets.
This "strip-mining" of entire worlds is why the Tyranids are the mortal enemies of all races in the galaxy. They are ruthless, devoid of even a sliver of mercy.
"Ya see dat, lads?"
Ghazghkull Thraka's massive frame stood up from his throne, a sight that inspired awe and terror. His eyes bulged larger than copper bells, and his breath huffed like a bellows.
"Dis is wot our enemies done. Dem zoggin' bugs did dis! WAAAGH!!!"
Orks shout "Waaagh!" when they are happy, and they shout it when they are angry. With their leader taking the initiative, these short-tempered Ork brothers wouldn't be outdone. Every one of them was itching for a death-match with the bugs.
"Dis won't stand..."
"We gonna let dem bugs spit on our 'eads? Not on my watch!"
However, Kenmyo knew that these green bruisers weren't angry because of their dead kin. They were angry because they couldn't get into a proper scrap with the bugs right now!
Orks don't see massive casualties as a problem; they don't even see death as a bad thing. As long as the fight was "right proper" before they died, their life was worth it.
"Die more, WAAAGH!! more!"
"Grow more boyz, die more, WAAAAAGH!!! more!"
"More boyz, even more dyin'... den we win! We all turn into bigger Orks! Bigger WAAAAAAGH!!!"
This was why these green monsters remained the most cheerful race in a hopeless universe. Death was just a cycle; bury an Ork in the dirt, and new boys would sprout continuously from the soil.
"Tell da whole army!" Ghazghkull grabbed an Ork comms-boy by the collar, lifting him like a chick and roaring into his face. "FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!"
Thraka turned to Kenmyo, his tone softening slightly. "Gul'dan, fix da tellyportas. I'm gonna be da first one on da field!"
"Roight, Boss. I'm on it," Kenmyo nodded. He took one last look at the desolate universe filled with wreckage before turning to leave.
The situation was far worse than Kenmyo had imagined. They had passed at least a hundred planets, all reduced to bedrock that even the Tyranids wouldn't eat. How much organic matter had been devoured and returned to the hive? How many new bio-ships and terrifying monsters would be born?
The Tyranids were a nightmare for the Imperium, Orks, Aeldari, and Tau because they grew stronger as they consumed. They absorbed genetic material to redesign themselves into more lethal killing machines. Their evolutionary speed was unimaginable; they ate everything, including organic matter corrupted by Chaos or Warp energy.
The swarm shifted constantly. The Hive Mind would mutate its genes based on the enemy's weapons, tactics, and traits, creating new armies tailored to counter their strategies.
Kenmyo felt that if he could replace the Hive Mind with his own psionic will and control the vast Tyranid fleet, he could walk through the material universe unopposed. But it was just a thought. The terrifying shadow that had nearly smothered the Warp was just a fraction of the Hive Mind's projection; he had a premonition that if he looked directly at it, he might turn into an idiot instantly.
Currently, there were no Tyranid fleets nearby. They had likely used the biomass from the system to mass-produce troops and head straight for the Ork Empire's core world in Octarius.
At least for now, Kenmyo's interests aligned with the Orks. He needed to be on the battlefield to farm as many points as possible.
When Kenmyo reached the machine shop and opened the doors, he was greeted by a sea of Gretchins. From one end of the hangar to the other, it was wall-to-wall Grots. They were so dense that Kenmyo feared he'd crush several just by walking.
Are they planning a revolt?
Recalling the host's memories, he quickly found the reason. Unsurprisingly, they were here to buy "lottery tickets," hence the long queue.
At the front of the line, several Mekboyz—who usually acted subservient to Kenmyo—were now strutting around like kings. They were expertly collecting teeth (Ork currency) that Grots had pulled from their own mouths in exchange for a "Lotto Ticket." The pile of teeth already reached the knee of Kenmyo's Gargant.
Occasionally, a Grot would win and jump three feet in the air with joy. But most were left slapping their thighs in regret, cursing their bad luck.
Suddenly, a Mekboy counting teeth happened to glance at the door. His soul nearly left his body. Who was that in the shiny armor if not their direct superior, the Big Mek? He quickly kicked his colleague's backside.
The Mekboyz snapped to attention, using whips to drive away the Grots blocking Kenmyo's path. Some unlucky Grots were even shot on the spot and kicked into the junk pile for being too slow. Even though the line was ruined, the little creatures huddled together, not daring to utter a word of protest.
Seeing the path cleared, the Mekboyz put on fawning smiles, surrounding Kenmyo like sycophants. Kenmyo exchanged a few words and told them to get back to work. He politely declined the bribe of the massive tooth-mountain.
The Mekboyz were actually "recruiting," but there were so many volunteers that they had to use a lottery system. There was a weapon specifically designed for Grots called a "Killa Kan"—a miniature walker that looked like a scaled-down version of the Ork Deff Dread. Both could krub 'Umies just fine. No Grot could resist the chance to wear such a "flash" suit of armor and lord it over the Orks who usually bullied them.
This led to a never-ending stream of applicants, so a draw was held to decide who got in. Kenmyo even spotted "Grot" (his own assistant) in the crowd, trying to hide himself in the floor.
Kenmyo told the Meks: "We're short on 'Grot Bombs' too. Add the Grot Bomb slots to the Killa Kan lottery and tell the winners they got in."
Most Grots weren't smart enough to know the difference; they just knew the "shiny big boss" had increased their chances of winning.
"He's actually a pretty good guy," the Grots whispered.
"No need to thank me, it's my pleasure," Kenmyo thought with a smirk.
He moved to another machine room to finish calibrating the teleporters. It wasn't just one machine this time, but dozens. The elites would be tellyported directly into the thick of the battle, followed by the main force landing via other means. Kenmyo's Gargant would be in the first wave alongside Ghazghkull.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
After finishing the teleporters, Kenmyo prepared to upgrade his Gargant again. But this time, while he was studying Ork psychic energy, the Weirdboy he had been dissecting spoke.
The scene was terrifying. As Kenmyo was looking for where the Weirdboy stored his energy, the creature floated into the air. Its eyes, nose, and mouth erupted with roaring green flames.
Is it possessed?
It was a manifestation of Gork and Mork, the two supreme Ork gods. These unreliable deities hadn't realized that Gul'dan had been replaced; they still thought he was their loyal Mek who had ascended from Mekboy to Big Mek.
This resulted in Kenmyo receiving a "Blessing of Gork and Mork," upgrading his technical skills to the level of a Mek-Boss. Suddenly, even a piece of trash looked like a treasure to him.
"Dammit, I'm excited."
A massive amount of green WAAAGH! field energy surged around him. As a Mek-Boss, this was his natural aura. The giant junk mountain behind him began to float automatically.
Hand-crafting nukes? No, he was going to build something far more advanced.
The knowledge and mission Gork and Mork gave him was to build a "Waaagh!"-class World-Ender Psionic Cannon. He wanted to show these "country-bumpkin bugs" from outside the galaxy what Ork technologie really looked like.
With Gork and Mork backing him, Kenmyo felt he could take down a Hive Fleet Leviathan bio-ship.
The teleporter flickered with an unknown light, and arcs of lightning crackled through the air. Once fully armed, Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka raised his three-meter-long power claw, let out a deafening "WAAAGH!" and charged into the portal, followed by his elite Orks.
The rest of the army followed, dropping into the war zone via "Roks" (hollowed-out asteroids).