The Drawbridge System - a colossal Imperial logistics installation, providing food, ammunition and fuel to several key battlefronts.
Since the events of the Zamaroon Campaign, this crucial supply nexus has become next in line for Hive Fleet Afanc. As the Shadow in the Warp falls across the system, the Imperium races to redeploy defence forces from more than a dozen other warzones.
Winter had come early, and the few remaining spaceports were already gripped by snowstorms. The cold was also affecting the power grid - defence grids were on the blink, and small groups of Tyranids were breaching every defence line.
2. The Spore Flank Redemption: Mantis Warriors vs Tyranids
Primaris Librarian Nagai Ryozo, wounded during the fight, found himself in command of a small group of marines and veterans, trapped inside the generator tunnels. Unable to contact their cruiser either via comms or psychically. Ryozo decided on a simple course of action.
If they could cleanse and retake the generators, repairing even one would be certain to attract attention from the planet's defenders.
3. Light the Lampreys: Tempestus Scions vs Tyranids
All across Drawbridge, spaceport defence systems shut down. Deprived of their automated turrets, landing pads were smashed to rubble by falling sporocysts or strafed by Harpy flybys. Those spared devastation from above were overrun from within, Genestealers emerging from supply tunnels to devour personnel or tear apart vital maintenance rigs.
One single terminal remained open, saved for the time being by the desperate sacrifices of the Mantis Warriors - Cullis, a relatively small port on the northern continental mass. It was here that the Hagan Lampreys would have to deploy.
4. The Alphalant Mantis: Mantis Warriors vs ...
The Mantis Warriors were already a depleted force, but Captain Nampo insisted on leading a scout team to check out the largest spaceport on the planet, Crenel. It had fallen to the Tyranids only days ago, the defenders going silent after a massive discharge of psychic activity.This indicated the presence of some sort of Synaptic leader, Nampo reasoned, a lead that needed to be checked out...
5. Prime Cuts: Tempestus Scions vs Tyranids
They arrived too late to help the citizens of the hive. Communications went dark shortly before they arrived. Once in range, they could see that the outer wall of the spire had been punctured in dozens of places, huge tunnels scoured out of the plasteel and into the infrastructure beyond. Most of the attacking hive fleet were presumably already inside the city.
But one creature was still outside, overseeing this invasion...
6. Alphapollo 13: Alpha Legion vs Tyranids
The Hydra is many-headed. Even as their main base was obliterated by orbital fire, a second cell emerged from their hiding place and made to leave the planet. Imperial pic-sec cameras caught them making their retreat. They also picked up a tide of chittering horrors lying almost directly in their path.
Unaware, the Alpha Legion made for the void-capable craft with apparent haste. Patched into the feed, Hagan Lamprey commanders sat back and got ready to enjoy the show.
7. Fight Them On The Beaches: Scions & Marines vs Tyranids
Creaking metal piers jutted out into the water, studded with small bunkers and long-dead seawater fusion reactors. Supplies had been dropped onto the beach only minutes ago. Weapons crates and ready-to-assemble defence positions lay in jumbled piles.
Haart knew they had a tiny window to get their positions ready, get troops on the ground and take out any nearby Tyranid defensive growth before the alien invaders detected their presence here.
8. Ammo Problems
Their course of action was clear - they would have to destroy the hauler ship rather than risk the Tyranids capturing it. As the lighters clamped themselves into position and the Millstone primed its macrocannons, it received a signal from the hauler. Broadcasting on Astartes frequencies, the message was short and to the point.
+++Stand down, brother Astartes. Do not fire. The xenos will be purged. Rylstone protects its own, in His name.+++
Once again, the Alpha Legion emerged from the shadows. A final cell of murderous traitors rose up once the Tyranids were gone. They quickly made their way to the bridge and activated the cultists amongst the crew there.
Their goal was simple - take control of the freighter and kill the Crypt Saints, then take on their identities and proceed to the Rylstone system, striking the beleaguered chapter there from within for whatever reasons they had for doing so.
The pressure in Haart's head was building, a scream that wanted to escape. His heart was pounding, he couldn't even pull his pistol from its holster. That unnatural wave of monstrosities! They'd roll right over the bunker! They'd be drowned in a deadly sea of life!
The squad were doomed, only his own superior training was keeping him alive. Somehow, he pulled himself round and began to run, too slowly, towards the empty beach behind the bunker. Perhaps he could escape...?
The beach was no longer empty. A line of green armour stood there.
From nowhere, the Mantis Warriors had returned.
Commissar Haart tried to get to his feet. Everything was too much - the noise as the entire gunline of Marines hammered away with their bolters and the Tyranids screeched and howled, the smell of blood and cordite, the intense jungle heat. His head swam, his knees were weak.
A huge armoured hand grabbed him by his collar - him, an Imperial Commissar of the elite Hagan Lampreys! - and hauled him up. The marine's helmet was impassive, other than the angry red flare of his autosense lenses, but there was no mistaking the impatience of the Astartes.
"Get up," the space marine growled, firing his bolter one-handed into the onrushing swarm. "The Emperor requires that the xenos die. Your duty calls!"
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