The 4th Company of the Hands of Judgment was a professional combat unit, and this was no minor skirmish like the one the Salamanders had dealt with previously.
Thunderhawk Gunships descended in organized formations. Scourges and Mutalisks attempted to launch an assault but found it difficult to break through the interlocking fields of fire provided by the Gunships—especially the Scourges, which detonated upon the slightest contact.
Because this was a newly occupied Zerg world, the Swarm's local air force hadn't yet reached a "sky-blotting" density. Coupled with the cover from ground-based anti-air fire, the 4th and 7th Companies of the Hands of Judgment landed at the local Planetary Defense Force (PDF) base with almost zero casualties.
"Sir! Our reinforcements have arrived! It's the Emperor's Angels!"
The officer overseeing the PDF's troop dispositions looked up. He wasn't particularly excited; instead, he asked tentatively, "They aren't here to collect the Tithe, are they?"
"No, sir. They said they received a distress signal and are here to investigate the xenos situation on this planet."
"Phew. That's a relief then."
The PDF commander went out to greet the Captains of the 4th and 7th Companies. While the equipment of these PDF soldiers closely resembled that of the Astra Militarum, a distinction had to be made: not every planet hosts the Astra Militarum, and not every Astra Militarum regiment is elite.
"I am Captain Ares of the 4th Company, Hands of Judgment Chapter. We received your request for aid."
"I am Brigadier General Hyral, Commander-in-Chief of the Lotasen PDF. It is an honor to meet you."
"Your situation is grim," Ares observed.
Ares surveyed the surroundings. This PDF base had already been breached by xenos. Behind the towering steel walls, one could see the mangled remains of Zerglings and Hydralisks. In the distance, the Creep was only a few kilometers away from the base. However, after the recent wave of orbital bombardment, the Creep had lost its connectivity and was beginning to wither and die.
"As you can see, these xenos appeared suddenly on Lotasen and launched an immediate assault. we have exhausted all our strength just to hold back their initial waves. I don't know how much longer we can endure."
"Fear not, Brigadier General Hyral. From this moment on, I am taking command of this battle. We shall stand with you."
"The honor is mine."
As soon as the Hands of Judgment arrived, they began constructing fortifications. Perhaps due to the genetic legacy of their parent Chapter, the Imperial Fists, the Hands of Judgment—as Sons of Dorn—were also masters of defensive warfare. They completely redesigned the base's defensive layout, sealing off difficult-to-defend passages and leaving only the main, easily defensible corridors open.
Their firing positions were optimized, which not only bolstered the defensive strength but also significantly boosted the morale of the local PDF. Only Brigadier General Hyral remained somewhat anxious.
"Captain Ares, perhaps I shouldn't say this, but I must speak with you. Our forces may not be enough to eradicate all the enemies. These xenos... they are different from any we have faced before."
"I have already sent a request for aid to our Chapter. If all goes well, they will arrive within a few days—carrying an Exterminatus order."
"Exterminatus! Is the situation truly that dire?"
"Yes."
The Hands of Judgment had experienced the terror of the Tyranids before. Even the virus bombs used in an Exterminatus couldn't completely wipe out a Tyranid Hive Fleet. Although the Tyranids would initially suffer from the virus, they would gradually adapt. Of course, an Exterminatus involved more than just virus bombs; it included Cyclonic Torpedoes and other orbital strikes.
"It's just... they are slightly different from the Tyranids I've seen."
Ares looked at the Zergling corpse near his feet. A Zergling... didn't look as "sleek" as a Termagant, though the Hydralisk's head was still very similar to Tyranid morphology.
"Perhaps they have developed many mutations. Regardless, you must evacuate as many civilians as possible from this planet."
"Many settlements have already been wiped out. Everyone else, man or woman, has chosen to take up arms to defend their home. There are only some children who need transport; we will send them to near-orbit."
At that moment, Ares sensed something.
"They are coming."
"Captain!!!"
A messenger rushed in, breathless.
"Report from the front lines! The xenos have launched another attack!!!"
Hyral waved a hand, ordering calmly, "Do not panic. Relay the order: hold your positions. The Emperor's Angels walk among us. Hold this line at all costs."
At the front-line trenches, several Space Marines from the Hands of Judgment stood alongside the PDF soldiers. Though there were only a few Space Marines, their presence provided a massive boost to morale.
"They're here."
Through the enhanced vision of the Astartes, a tide of Zerglings could be seen galloping across the hills. There were only a small number of Hydralisks and Roaches interspersed within the sea of Zerglings.
"They don't look like Tyranids? But they act exactly like them?"
Their appearance differed from Tyranids, but their tactics were nearly identical—especially the Zergling rush, which looked almost indistinguishable from a Hormagaunt swarm. Sometimes, a Zergling rush was all it took to end a battle; against a world with weak resistance, it could drown all opposition.
But the defenses of this PDF base were anything but weak.
Ares watched the sea of Zerglings charge toward the base. He waited, and waited, and waited—until they were less than thirty meters from the front line.
"Artillery batteries, FIRE!"
The thunder of consecutive artillery fire erupted. Massive shells traced beautiful arcs through the air before slamming into the Zergling horde. Dozens of huge fiery blossoms bloomed instantly. The blasts sent the leading Zerglings flying, some even landing inside the front-line trenches.
A dazed Zergling, just regaining consciousness from the blast, looked up only to see a massive iron fist smashing into its head.
The Space Marines of the Hands of Judgment swiftly dealt with these stray Zerglings, while the PDF soldiers opened fire to clear out the ones missed by the artillery. The first round of shelling successfully halted the Zergling's momentum, causing the morale of the PDF to soar. Fighting alongside the Emperor's Angels, they suddenly felt that death wasn't so terrifying after all.
†Yellow armor? Imperial Fists?†
When the Overmind saw those yellow-clad Space Marines, he initially thought they were the Imperial Fists.
†No, wait—the insignia is wrong. The Fists have a black fist; these guys have a black power claw. Tsk, whatever, I can't keep track. Only a ghost could remember all those thousands of Chapters!†
Anyone who could remember the names of every Chapter in the 41st Millennium would probably get a standing ovation from GW.
†Who cares who they are. It's just one Chapter—at most 1,000 men. It's not like the Smurfs (Ultramarines), who claim to have a thousand or two on paper but actually have hundreds of thousands. Killing you lot won't be hard at all.†
In truth, both the Imperium and the Zerg Swarm already knew the eventual outcome of this war: the Swarm would inevitably win. The Imperium knew their numbers were insufficient and lacked the means to end the fight, so they were waiting for the Exterminatus.
As for the Swarm, even if they traded a thousand units for every one Imperial soldier, they had more than enough biomass to drown this tiny Chapter.
It was just that the process wouldn't be easy for either side.