In Warhammer 40K, there are always those moments when two opposing bosses meet somewhere on the battlefield.
At such times, their underlings instinctively back off, leaving them to their one-on-one duel.
Take the Horus Heresy—Rogal Dorn versus Alpharius, Sanguinius versus Horus, Horus versus the Emperor. Or the Plague Wars—Guilliman versus Typhus. These commander-versus-commander duels are a cherished Warhammer tradition, a must-taste delicacy.
This time, the Hunter Killers actually wanted to help their Brood Queen. They had no interest in "honorable combat"; protecting the Brood Queen was their primary duty.
But before they could intervene, more purestrain Genestealer bodyguards burst from the ducts, engaging the Hunter Killers.
Now they couldn't help even if they wanted to.
"ROOOOAR—!"
The purestrain Patriarch clearly saw Izsha as the leader of this xenos force. With a deafening roar, it charged.
Izsha brought her slender eldar-like hands together before her chest, coalescing a psychic blast that struck the Patriarch dead-on, halting its charge and sending it reeling back.
But the purestrain wasn't seriously injured.
†Damn, that thing's tough?†
Tough was right. Genestealers were never cannon fodder. Some could go toe-to-toe with Dreadnoughts.
The sting of the psychic blast only enraged the Patriarch further. It charged again.
"Guess I'll have to rely on my own claws!"
The Brood Queen extended multiple arms. From her maw, she launched several Swarmlings—living weapons gestated within her body, an attack form of the prototype brood queen, the Swarm Queen.
These Swarmlings were less powerful than Banelings. Seeing them fly toward him, the Patriarch raised all four arms to shield himself.
The Swarmlings detonated against the Patriarch's arms, instantly tearing two of them off. A serious wound.
But the Patriarch still closed the distance. Its remaining two arms lunged for Izsha's head—yet her deceptively slender limbs caught his arms, locking his attack in place.
†Quite the grip strength, Izsha.†
Brood Queens were no pushovers. Especially one infused with eldar genes—and eldar were creatures of pure muscle, virtually devoid of fat.
The Patriarch's arms were restrained, but it had other weapons. Its gaping maw shot forward a long purple tongue, piercing Izsha's body.
Slaanesh: I love this!!!
"Ahhh—!"
Izsha cried out in pain. Psychic energy erupted again, forcibly ripping the Genestealer's tongue free.
She tried to snap its neck, but the Patriarch smashed its skull into her head, disrupting her concentration.
†Go Izsha, get him, GET HIM GIRL!†
The Swarm Overmind watched like a spectator at an e-fighting-cricket match, cheering Izsha on internally, refusing to interfere.
Izsha recovered, opened her maw again, and spat several Swarmlings point-blank into the Patriarch's face. Its chitinous facial armor shattered, exposing raw, pulped flesh.
The Patriarch reeled. Its legs kicked violently against Izsha, forcing her to release its arms.
Then the Patriarch began circling her at blinding speed. It was swift—and Izsha, as a Brood Queen, was not. This was one of her few weaknesses.
She could only track its movements while gathering psychic energy for a decisive strike.
The instant the Patriarch lunged at her back, Izsha spun around and unleashed her psychic power—freezing the airborne Genestealer in place.
†Checkmate!†
A hail of bone spikes erupted from Izsha's body. Over ninety percent struck the Patriarch's already exposed head, punching clean through. Holes gaped where its face had been.
With the Patriarch's death, the brood mind began to unravel. The hybrid Genestealers could no longer hear their kin.
Though they could still think, without the "divine guidance" they had worshipped, they were little different from ordinary Imperial citizens.
It was like a StarCraft player losing their F2 key.
†Zasz, take over. Have the infected kill or infect every living thing in the Bottom Hive and Underhive. Then push toward the Upper Hive and Spire. Destroy all critical infrastructure—especially the planetary void shield generators.†
"As you command, Overmind."
The Swarm Overmind shifted his attention away from the underhive conflict. Zasz could handle it.
"Overmind."
Izsha had won, but she wasn't pleased. Her voice was uneasy. "I feel unwell. Something inside me has changed."
†Oh? Izsha, return. Abathur will examine you.†
"As you command, Overmind."
The Overmind suspected the Patriarch's tongue had tampered with Izsha's genetic sequence. Genestealer genes might have entered her body.
Was this, in a sense, NTR?
Kidding. Izsha isn't the female lead. Despite being called a Brood Queen, she has no gender. The title merely denotes a unit capable of producing limited eggs and larvae.
Gender is meaningless to the Zerg Swarm.
Besides, the Patriarch's genetic tampering is so potent that even Orks—who possess built-in genetic locks—can be affected. It's just that Ork Genestealers are rare.
Orks may lack brains, but they don't lack fists. Many Ork Genestealer cults are beaten to death within a few generations.
Back to the matter at hand. When Abathur finished examining Izsha, the stuttering Evolution Master was so enraged, he didn't stutter at all.
"Such blasphemy! These creatures dared attempt modification of the Brood Queen's genetic sequence! So crude! So barbaric! The Zerg Swarm shall conquer and assimilate other organisms—not be assimilated! They try to make a mockery of my work! RAAAAAAGH!"
Abathur was livid.
Izsha was one of his finest works. Tampering with his creation was unforgivable. And the Zerg—assimilators supreme—being assimilated themselves? Unacceptable!
He declared eternal enmity with the Tyranids!
†Can you restore Izsha's genetic sequence?†
"With ease. But this desecration of Swarm genetics cannot be tolerated. After restoring the Brood Queen's sequence, I request additional samples of this organism. I will study its genetic locks to sever the possibility of Swarm assimilation entirely. This concerns the very survival of the Swarm!"
[Objective: Acquire additional purestrain Genestealer individual samples (1/100)]
[Reward: Unlock Genestealer Genetic Lock]