"I, and your father, eagerly await-"
Inside the pipeline chamber, the psychic fluctuations dissipated like smoke, and the mother worm's nimble movements ceased, returning to its base instinctive feeding and egg-laying.
After their colleagues finished checking the equipment with practiced efficiency, the staff reconfirmed the headcount and authorizations, then departed from the sterile chamber.
KV-117 quickly followed, seamlessly mimicking the team's actions to leave the chamber. Its mission was complete, and it simply needed to proceed to a safe zone to await evacuation.
The data intelligence was transmitted back to the Royal Majesty through encrypted channels, and the completed intelligence model finally unveiled the dark mystery of the Shaper Union.
As the filth beneath the false prosperity was exposed, Blazkowicz saw only an Imperium of Man parasitized and farmed by cunning xenos, eager to expand into the stars once more.
"Sir, the intelligence model is complete. Please review it." Sophia stood respectfully to the side, her voice steady as she presented the intelligence data to her master.
A holographic image unfolded in the bridge's dim lighting, vividly displaying the basic ecology, living environment, and expansion patterns of the Ganas Worm.
Compiled by the Iron Men's precise calculations and jointly analyzed by the intelligence department, the xeno intelligence was presented to the bridge terminal in all its horrifying detail.
Blazkowicz raised his head, looking up from his command throne at the bridge information terminal's projection, his weathered features grim as he carefully read the intelligence model.
Ganas Worm. Its origin remained unknown, but it was highly likely to be some kind of native organism corrupted by the Warp's taint.
There were three pieces of damning evidence: first, the Ganas Worm's parasitic history spanned only a millennium, far removed from the Dark Age of Technology, indicating a relatively recent xeno infection event.
Second was the psychic energy; the alien consciousness that descended upon the egg-laying mother worm exhibited extremely obvious psychic fluctuations bearing the unmistakable signature of Warp contamination.
Finally, the high-level ecology of the xeno species, composed of "one father and one mother," was reflected in the parasitic species by controlling the male and female ratio, using specific entities to solidify its symbolic meaning and enhance the power of its real-world existence.
The Ganas Worms had developed a complete ecological hierarchy; their society operated similarly to ants and bees, an extremely efficient "hive mind" society, yet with crucial differences.
In ants and bees, individual intelligence remained limited; the hive mind dictated the underlying logic, and lower-level individuals could not possess advanced intelligence.
If a hive developed multiple advanced intelligences, the colony would inevitably split, which proved detrimental to the collective consciousness.
The collective consciousness of the Ganas Worms was fundamentally different; they parasitized intelligent species, completely devouring and inheriting the host's intelligence and individual consciousness like some nightmarish form of soul-theft.
Among lower-level individuals, almost all possessed self-will, yet remained utterly obedient to the "advanced parents" through bonds that transcended mere biology.
Furthermore, at the apex of the Ganas Worm ecology, there existed two supreme wills: the "Great Mother" responsible for reproduction and the "Father" responsible for hunting and feeding.
The development of the xeno species relied entirely on these two high-level existences, forming an ecological closed loop around their perverted symbiosis.
The mother worm laid eggs in the sterile chamber, reproducing the species with mechanical efficiency, while lower-level individuals parasitized human bodies, reproducing host offspring and providing a continuous supply of fresh resources.
The father worm in the depths of the city decomposed prey with methodical precision, providing nutrition for the mother worm and accelerating species reproduction in an endless cycle of consumption.
Mother, child, father. These three ecological positions were interdependent, engaging in ceaseless reproduction and the systematic plundering of other species.
After absorbing all this intelligence, Blazkowicz's expression darkened like a gathering storm. The parasitic infection of the Ganas Worms had spread throughout the entire Shaper Union like a cancer, encompassing hundreds of core worlds, over the past millennium.
Their reason for not continuing to expand was likely the lack of Warp engines or reliable Warp navigation capabilities.
Now, the arrival of the Imperium of Man, in the compound eyes of the Ganas Worms, represented not only a hope for expansion but also a lavish feast beyond their wildest dreams.
The xenos yearned to board human starships, to extend their infection across the entire galaxy like a plague, even harboring ambitions to eliminate humanity entirely and inherit everything of the human race, establishing a supreme empire built on stolen bones.
This was the ultimate goal for which the Shaper Union displayed such unseemly impatience, willing to relinquish all apparent power and merge into the Imperium of Man as quickly as possible.
And it was precisely this suspicious urgency that had made the Imperium of Man detect something deeply wrong.
As he read and pondered the implications, Blazkowicz's expression remained granite-hard. Looking at the intelligence model with the eyes of a veteran commander, he spoke: "Open the report submitted by the Shaper Union and display its specific territory."
Sophia raised her hand with practiced grace, and the information terminal displayed the Shapers' claimed territory in three-dimensional detail.
To demonstrate their supposed sincerity, the Ganas Worms had submitted comprehensive territorial information during their initial contact with the Imperium of Man, offering it as currency in exchange for Imperial trust.
On the surface, the Shaper Union possessed hundreds of thriving core worlds, several paradise worlds of stunning beauty, twelve productive Forge Worlds, numerous resource-rich extraction worlds, and countless space stations and star forts forming a web of apparent prosperity.
Blazkowicz surveyed it all with the cold eye of necessity, shaking his head and sighing with genuine regret, "What a tragic waste, these high-value worlds, these beautiful paradise worlds, are about to be reduced to radioactive dust!"
Facing such insidiously cunning xenos, he bore the sacred responsibility to cleanse them, to utterly eradicate the Ganas Worms on a molecular level if necessary.
This star cluster harbor, strategically isolated and not located at any critical Warp lane hub, held relatively low strategic significance, which would allow for the full deployment of exterminatus-class weaponry to eliminate the xeno presence without compromising broader Imperial interests.
They must pay the ultimate price for their millennium of atrocities!
Over a thousand years of uninterrupted horror, the Ganas Worms had continuously parasitized humans, implementing what could only be described as sustainable farming and systematic harvesting of human souls.
Based on the Shaper Union's current population of trillions, conservative estimates suggested that at least fifty generations of humans had been devoured by the xenos during their millennium of careful cultivation, with countless trillions of Imperial citizens becoming nothing more than livestock for alien sustenance.
Such utterly depraved xenos demanded nothing less than complete eradication!
Though righteous fury burned within him like a forge-fire, Blazkowicz remained tactically disciplined; he was methodically awaiting reinforcements to arrive and establish a complete blockade of the entire Shaper Union.
In the merciless cosmos, if one entertained the necessary thought of eliminating a species, then it must be thoroughly rooted out down to the last spore, otherwise, the repercussions would echo through the centuries like a curse.
Especially with dangerous species like the Ganas Worms, which possessed such terrifying covert capabilities; if even a single egg escaped Imperial justice, they could rise again like a phoenix of damnation.
They were far too dangerous, inheriting all memories and accumulated knowledge of their hosts, capable of evading even the most sophisticated genetic detection methods, controlling growth hormones to stimulate rapid development, and arbitrarily reshaping their forms like living nightmares.
Without the host's knowledge or consent, they silently occupied human bodies, and the elimination of the original consciousness was merely a trivial exercise in biological superiority.
If any specimens were overlooked and allowed to infiltrate broader human society, the cascading consequences would be unthinkable.
Therefore, out of proper respect for the lethal threat posed by the Ganas Worms, Blazkowicz was methodically preparing a comprehensive solution, the systematic extermination of all xeno-infected worlds.
Excluding the Shaper Union's original homeworld, which would require special handling, all other worlds bearing xeno contamination would be issued formal extermination orders, exchanging the complete obliteration of hundreds of worlds for humanity's continued safety.
Such a price was not only acceptable but strategically necessary! And it must be accepted without hesitation!
To ensure their survival, the Ganas Worms would not hesitate to eliminate humanity entirely; in return, humanity would pay whatever price was required to utterly destroy them first.
Having crystallized the strategic objective in his mind, Blazkowicz seamlessly multitasked, beginning to formulate the specific tactical details of what would essentially be a genocidal campaign of righteous purification.
He casually retrieved a neural interface sensor from beside his command throne, placing it against his temple with practiced ease, converting his strategic thoughts into precise digital signals, performing complex calculations on the holographic projection with the fluid grace of a master tactician.
"Sir, the stoneman Victor requests an immediate audience with you." Sophia's voice remained soft and respectful.
"Send him in immediately."
Blazkowicz continued multitasking with mechanical efficiency, simultaneously formulating the broader strategic framework while preparing to receive Stone Man Victor, the ship's veteran weapons master.
Before long, a barrel-chested figure with an oil-stained face, dressed in the practical robes of a senior craftsman, with several intricate mechanical appendages trailing behind him like metallic tentacles, walked through the bridge's heavy blast doors. "Sir, I see you're formulating a plan to eliminate these xenos," Victor said, offering a crisp salute while one mechanical appendage wrapped around to his front, projecting rapidly shifting holographic tactical displays.
As the developing combat plan remained unclassified, Blazkowicz had left it accessible for simulation in the ship's data core, allowing those with appropriate security clearance to observe and contribute to the tactical planning process.
"Correct." Blazkowicz nodded curtly, acknowledging the weapons master's astute observation.
"Then perhaps you'll find this particular piece of intelligence relevant?" Victor's weathered features creased into a knowing smile, deep wrinkles appearing around his experienced eyes, which narrowed with the calculating look of a veteran who had seen too many battles. His mechanical appendage moved forward with mechanical precision, extracting a thin data-strand from the intelligence model, displaying the specific intelligence record gathered by Iron Man KV-230.
The parasitic worms residing within that couple's bodies had exhibited an unexpectedly adverse reaction to the mild sedative injected by the Iron Men; the hosts had merely assumed it was an ordinary mosquito bite.
"What are you thinking, Victor?" Blazkowicz naturally remembered that particular tactical detail; he had personally noted and filed it with characteristic thoroughness.
As a documented weakness of the Ganas Worms, its immediate value in the grand strategic picture seemed relatively limited, potentially becoming rather insignificant under a comprehensive extermination protocol.
If it were to be weaponized as a tactical tool for biological warfare, the logistics alone would be staggering, how many millions of delivery vectors would need to be deployed?
So Blazkowicz had noted the weakness but hadn't immediately incorporated it into the primary combat doctrine, keeping it archived in his tactical memory as a potentially useful contingency.
"I do have a concept forming," Victor admitted, raising one scarred hand to scratch his balding scalp with its few remaining stubborn hairs, his expression shifting to an almost embarrassed grin, "but it's not entirely refined yet."
"Then make it happen."
Infected by Victor's unpretentious confidence, Blazkowicz allowed himself a rare, slight smile: "Sophia will provide you with whatever resources and assistance you require to develop your unrefined concept."
Victor's expression immediately became serious and focused, accepting the significant responsibility he'd been granted: "If my assumptions prove correct, the results should be... most effective indeed!"
Blazkowicz gave him an approving nod, signaling the Weapons Master to proceed with his mysterious project, while he redirected his full attention back to formulating the intricate tactical details of the coming purification.
Victor offered a respectful bow, and after receiving final approval, departed the bridge to implement his developing ideas and begin the necessary work.
The bridge returned to its familiar calm, the infinite starry void outside the reinforced viewport maintaining its eternal silence. The approaching storm of righteous destruction would soon arrive to eliminate the Shaper Union, completely erasing its corrupt physical existence from the galaxy.
----
In the roiling depths of the Warp, a full Space Marine Legion advanced with inexorable purpose, responding to the urgent call of their Warrior King.