Vect is a terrifying figure. Even in the grim and hopeless world of Warhammer 40,000, his life story is remarkably "inspirational."
Long before the Fall of the Aeldari in the M30 era, Vect had already lived for a very long time. Back then, he was merely a common Aeldari slave in Commorragh. When Slaanesh was born, Her first cry slaughtered over ninety percent of the Aeldari race. Vect, however, was one of the few lucky survivors.
From that point on, he clawed his way up through the treachery and backstabbing of the Dark City until he reached the very pinnacle. That feat alone is something no ordinary being could accomplish.
He is the undisputed Overlord of Commorragh, a figure so pivotal that even the Aeldari gods cannot ignore him. If the Emperor and Guilliman are the representative icons of Humanity, then Vect is the icon of the Aeldari—even after the rise of the Ynnari.
Nydusara initially had no idea such a person existed in Commorragh. That didn't change much, however, because to catch Vect's attention, she would first have to cause a truly massive amount of destruction.
The area she occupied belonged to its own Archon. An Archon is similar to an Imperial Planetary Governor or a Space Marine Chapter Master; they possess their own fleets and armies, having climbed to their position through the brutal "promotion" ladders of the Dark City. Even the "nepo-babies" among them are those who have survived the lethal trials of Commorragh.
This local Archon was named Slacus, leader of the "Kabal of the Abyssal Depths," a force of over 200,000 warriors. True to his name, he enjoyed playing the pirate, engaging in raids and pillaging. A Kabal of 200,000 is neither too large nor too small. The Dark Aeldari are a race excelling in both melee and ranged combat; their only real weakness is that their armor isn't particularly durable.
The first wave of conflict erupted quickly.
Changelings had long ago infiltrated Dark Aeldari society in various human and Aeldari guises, providing a wealth of actionable intelligence. Swift-moving Zerglings began navigating the various conduits of Commorragh. Their first task was to collect human slaves and the corpses pinned to spikes across various districts, accumulating a massive initial wave of biomass.
Soon, the Dark Aeldari living nearby noticed a significant drop in soul concentration, which began to affect the very foundation of their existence. In the shadows, the silhouettes of Zerglings flickered like ghosts. Occasionally, a negligent Dark Aeldari would be pounced upon and slaughtered by a few Zerglings; conversely, there were scenes where a single Aeldari would wipe out a dozen Zerglings.
However, within those dark passages, more Zerg were pouring out, and the Creep began to spread outward. It looked much like a plague of Nurgle.
"My Lord!!!"
The doors to Archon Slacus's chambers were slammed open! An elite Kabalite Warrior rushed inside. Slacus was leaning leisurely against his throne, polishing a curved blade. The Aeldari constantly strive for a sense of elegance, and this Archon was no exception. Like a refined noble, he asked calmly:
"Why such panic? Where is your composure?"
"My Lord, we are under attack!"
"By whom? Is it Archon Heinrich's forces? Or perhaps a Wych Cult attempting a coup? Or has a Haemonculus released another ferocious experimental subject?"
"None of those. It's bugs!"
The movement of polishing the blade froze instantly. Slacus slowly turned his head toward the elite warrior, his eyes flashing with a cold light. "What did you say?"
"Bugs."
The voice of another elite warrior drifted in from outside the hall. At the bottom of the steps, a blood-soaked warrior slowly entered, dragging the corpse of a Zergling. Upon entering, he threw the carcass into the center of the hall. "And they are a variant of bugs we have never seen before."
"Not entirely unseen," Archon Slacus remarked, remembering the Zergling's form. "A while ago, some Archon's warriors came here to capture these creatures. It seems they didn't clean them out thoroughly, allowing these filthy things to breed in my territory."
"Perhaps they left them here on purpose."
"Whatever the case, these bugs must be purged. Assemble the troops. Kill every last one of them."
The Kabalite Warriors of the Dark Aeldari began to gather, and the ships in the Commorragh port started to move. But it wasn't just the Kabalite Warriors; the Wych Cults had also been attacked and began to act spontaneously. Upon hearing the news, the Haemonculi also released their vicious modified specimens to test their latest experiments.
Nydusara had alarmed the three major factions of the region, yet she remained fearless. Abathur had not only unlocked the basic units for Nydusara but had also granted her access to unconventional troops not typically used by the Swarm. One of these was the Hunter-Killer.
Kabalite Warriors approached the conduit interiors in small squads—swordsmen covering the front, riflemen firing from the rear. Though it was a simple infantry-ranged coordination, their reaction speeds—faster even than the Zerg—allowed them to snipe Hydralisks before they could fire, and then cut down the Zerglings one by one.
"Advance steadily. Do not break the line." The coordination of the Kabalite Warriors was seamless.
But they weren't facing the same unchanging Zerg. The Swarm now needed faster, stronger units, allowing them to temporarily set aside Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Roaches.
The Hunter-Killer—a massive Zerg variant even larger than a Hydralisk—leapt from the darkness with blinding speed. Although a Dark Aeldari warrior fired immediately, hitting it with four beams of light, the creature was not killed instantly.
"What? It's still alive!"
In the next second, the foremost Dark Aeldari was impaled through the chest by the pouncing Hunter-Killer and torn completely in half. This Hunter-Killer was by no means small; its body mass was comparable to a Roach, yet its speed far exceeded it.
"Kill it!" "It's fast! Watch out!"
Melee-focused Dark Aeldari warriors rushed forward with blades. The Hunter-Killer's speed was an equal match, its various limbs lashing out. A warrior managed to sever one of its limbs, but his own head was taken off in the exchange.
Ultimately, however, that was the extent of it. The Hunter-Killer was soon riddled with holes by the concentrated fire of the Dark Aeldari cluster. Looking at their comrade's corpse, the Kabalite Warriors felt no grief, only the realization that this operation had become much more dangerous.
"Damn it, these bugs have variants this powerful?!"
The individual strength of a Hunter-Killer was indeed formidable, but its incubation time and resource cost were higher than a Roach's, which was why Abathur had previously sidelined them as a standard unit. However, in Commorragh, the Hunter-Killer was perfectly suited as a main force. Their high attack and high speed were enough to pose a massive threat to the Dark Aeldari. Their jumping ability allowed them to leap onto high towers, while their tenacious vitality ensured they wouldn't be killed instantly.
At this moment, every part of the conduits was a scene of slaughter and being slaughtered.