Countless shattered hulls drifted in the orbit of Planet Sotha. They had failed. This was an unfair battle, and the conclusion had been predestined from the moment the Hive Fleet set foot in the system.
Over a hundred warships were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot before the endless Bio-ships of the Hive. At the very instant battle erupted, numerous vessels disintegrated and were destroyed in the void. The remaining remnants retreated behind the orbital outposts, attempting to hold out for one more wave of assault.
However, the sheer number of Tyranid ships drove everyone to despair; countless Bio-ships almost entirely encircled the isolated and helpless planet of Sotha.
Even though the Scythes of the Emperor had sent out distress signals not long ago, they had yet to receive any response from the Imperium. The entire Eastern Fringe was burning under the shadow of Hive Fleet Kraken; they could only rely on themselves to resist the Tyranid invasion.
Now, the orbital fleet and defensive measures were nearly completely annihilated, leaving only twenty-odd ships conducting guerrilla resistance in the void.
All other surviving Space Marines of the Scythes of the Emperor chose to return to the surface of their home world for a final stand.
"Agathas, the swarm's offensive has begun again. Take the Second Company and help the PDF hold the defensive line," Thorcyra said to the battle brother before him.
Looking at the Second Company Captain's chestplate, which was covered in blood and deep gouges, Thorcyra knew that the casualties of the Second Company were mounting steadily.
Currently, they were trapped by countless Tyranids within the Fortress-Monastery beside the Pharos. The battle had raged for several weeks, and their supplies of ammunition, food, and water were nearly depleted.
By now, the world outside was essentially declared lost. The skies of Sotha were choked with red spore clouds and tens of millions of Tyranid aerial organisms, bringing death and termination to all life on the planet.
The last place on this planet where humans still survived was likely the Fortress-Monastery guarded by the warriors of the Scythes of the Emperor and tens of thousands of PDF soldiers.
Thorcyra knew they could no longer change the final outcome, but he would never compromise. He silently swore to his gene-father that he would hold Sotha until his very last breath.
Suddenly, alarms blared within the Fortress-Monastery. A large number of Tyranid Trygons had bypassed the forward defensive lines, tunneling into the interior of the monastery and bringing with them a massive wave of the swarm. The rear was now in critical danger.
Receiving the news, Thorcyra did not hesitate for a second. He snapped on his helmet, and the roar of his chainsword erupted instantly. With heavy yet swift strides, he rushed toward the source of the alarm.
Stone pillars flashed past him. The enemies of mankind appeared in his vision. After pushing aside a PDF soldier who was firing, Thorcyra's pace accelerated abruptly. The bolt pistol in his left hand barked violently at the distant enemies, bolts slamming into the chitinous carapace of a Trygon.
Before it could react, Thorcyra's silhouette was already upon it. Amidst a roar, his chainsword blocked a downward strike, and he jammed his bolt pistol under the Trygon's jaw. Boom! With several explosions, foul-smelling blood was painted evenly across his crimson eye-lenses.
At that moment, a gust of wind came from behind him. Superhuman senses and neural reaction speeds allowed his massive frame to dodge to the side instantly. A Tyranid Warrior was launching a sneak attack, with several Hormagaunts lunging behind it.
Without missing a beat, his bolter accurately detonated the heads of two Hormagaunts while simultaneously shredding another with his chainsword.
The Tyranid Warrior, having failed its ambush and lost its balance, had not yet recovered its posture when Thorcyra slammed directly into its chest. Tossing away his empty bolt pistol, he gripped the xenos's bladed forelimb with a death grip.
Amidst a howl of agony, one of the Warrior's forelimbs was torn off by Thorcyra with brute force. As ichor sprayed everywhere, its head was impaled by its own weapon.
Thorcyra threw the severed limb to the ground. The chainsword continued to roar as the slaughter persisted. Through the precise coordination of the Scythes of the Emperor warriors, the xenos within the monastery were executed one by one.
As the final Trygon had half its head sheared off amidst its shrieks, the incursion ended. The Space Marines suffered few casualties, but the number of already decimated mortal auxiliaries was further reduced.
The Chapter Master removed his helmet, several service studs glinting in the dim light. He watched in silence as the Chapter serfs cleared the battlefield, until Captain Tracius of the Third Company approached him.
"Chapter Master, our forward defensive line is about to break," a heavy voice echoed in Thorcyra's ear.
He couldn't even remember how many times their lines had been on the verge of being overrun, but it didn't matter; they would hold again. "Have the First Company Terminator squads move up."
He donned his helmet once more. He needed to go to the front lines to support his battle brothers.
The thunder of countless cannons echoed across the hills, as fierce fire continued to bombard the swarms not far away. However, each strike only slightly hindered the enemy's advance; the swarm's numbers were sufficient to ignore all fire and continue the charge.
The PDF soldiers screamed as they fired at the foes. Often, those who could no longer endure tried to drop their weapons and flee the battlefield, but where could they possibly run?
Bang! Thorcyra used his bolt pistol to shatter the head of a coward attempting to flee. He watched the fighting masses; in the sky, dense swarms of Gargoyles constantly hammered at their anti-air batteries.
Under the bombardment of countless bio-spores and the impact of the massive swarm, even the superhuman bodies of the Space Marines were falling. Just then, a heavy thud of footsteps approached.
Veterans of the First Company, clad in Terminator power armor, officially joined the fray aboard Spartan Assault Tanks. The pressure on the main battlefield eased significantly under their heavy suppressive fire; these heavy warriors stood as firm as reefs amidst a tide.
Seeing the defensive line hold despite the assault, the Hive Mind let out a massive shriek from the distance. Just as everyone thought a more ferocious offensive was coming, the Tyranid swarm began to slowly retreat.
Amidst a landscape of broken corpses—a mixture of humans and Tyranids—Thorcyra stood with sword in hand, looking into the distance. They had repelled the swarm once more, though the next assault was bound to be even more violent.
"Our ammunition is almost exhausted," a footsteps approached from nearby as the Chapter Librarian stood behind him.
"What were the losses this time?" Thorcyra asked calmly, without turning around.
"We have lost several more suits of Terminator armor... and more than half of the battle brothers in the various companies are now casualties. The mortal auxiliaries have had entire formations wiped out."
Listening to the Librarian's report, Thorcyra fell into silence. Looking at the crimson sky, he did not know where hope for Sotha lay.
"Chapter Master, we have received a message," a Space Marine arrived before the two to report. "They claim to be reinforcements from Aiel."