As countless drop pods slammed into the earth, members of the Guard Legions emerged one after another. After confirming their positions and enemy attack vectors through the battlefield data links integrated into their visors, they immediately commenced combat preparations.
Accompanied by the roar of engines, Alexei and the ground commander, Brand, arrived at the battlefield.
Alexei stepped slowly out of a Medivac, gazing at the towering Pharos mountain range in the distance. Their current landing zone was situated right on the flank of the Scythes of the Emperor's Fortress-Monastery.
"My Lord, all Guard Legions are in position," Brand reported, approaching Alexei.
"Good. Have them prepare to repel the first wave of the swarm," Alexei nodded and turned to leave, delegating all field command authority to Brand.
He had a more critical task at hand. Now that all SCVs had reached the surface, Alexei needed to plan a steel line of defense belonging to humanity.
He quickly reached a high ridge overlooking the main battlefield. As his will focused, the data representing Terran resources on his interface began to flow rapidly. Several precision cubes began to manifest in the center of the front lines; six Command Centers appeared in everyone's sight.
But that was not all. The massive structures began to transform autonomously. Accompanied by the sound of mechanical shifting, massive fortress turrets appeared atop the bases. These Planetary Fortresses, equipped with large-caliber "Ibiks Cannons," would work alongside Siege Tanks and Thors to provide the fundamental backbone of the defensive line.
Next, Alexei constructed a new building on the high ridge where he stood—another upgrade to a Command Center: an Orbital Command.
This structure was equivalent to providing "map hacks" for everyone on the field. Whether high in the sky or deep underground, any Tyranid presence would fall within the range of its powerful bio-radar. Coupled with the real-time remote data transmission links provided by the upgraded power armor, the battlefield situational awareness of all combatants would be vastly increased.
With the initial defensive line established, Alexei left the subsequent refinement—including battlefield trenches, alloy bunkers, and Missile Turret arrays—to the swarms of SCVs.
The longer they held out, the more perfect the ground defensive facilities would become.
In the sky, the five Battlecruisers had provided aerial support for long enough. If they didn't leave now, they truly wouldn't be able to escape.
Numerous Tyranid Hive Ships were gradually closing in on Sotha. In low-earth orbit, the Red Romance had already engaged the distant bio-warships of the swarm.
The firepower from its two triple-barreled Yamato Cannons and its staggering array of automated macro-cannons was enough to sustain it for a significant amount of time.
Within Sotha's atmosphere, the Battlecruisers began to turn and leave under the watchful eyes of the observers.
In the monastery, Thorcyra watched the Battlecruisers turn away, unsure of their intent. The Hive Fleet had already rushed back from the edge of the system. Even if he ordered the twenty surviving ships to assist, they wouldn't arrive in time.
Facing such a massive Hive Fleet, the only outcome for these ships would be destruction. Under Thorcyra's gaze, the five Battlecruisers reached Sotha's Karman line.
Then, to the bewilderment of everyone in the Fortress-Monastery, the short-range Warp drives activated instantly. The five massive Battlecruisers vanished from their sight in a flash.
Meanwhile, in low-earth orbit, the Red Romance received word that the fleet had extracted. Moments before its Void Shields could overload, it successfully activated its short-range Warp drive. The massive hull vanished directly from the Tyranid encirclement, leaving behind a confused Hive Mind.
"This... what is the meaning of this now?" the Chapter Librarian standing beside Thorcyra asked, bewildered once more.
Thorcyra shook his head in silence, gazing at the empty sky. Ever since the Tyranid fleet invaded, he had almost forgotten how long it had been since he had seen the serene sky of Sotha clearly.
At that moment, footsteps approached from behind. It was Captain Tracius of the Third Company, whom he had sent on a scouting mission.
"Chapter Master, they have begun establishing a defensive line at the foot of the mountain on our flank. They possess a large number of heavy vehicles and heavy machinery resembling Knight suits," Tracius's uniquely deep voice reached their ears.
Thorcyra and the Chief Librarian exchanged a look. "What of the Tyranid movements?"
"After being bombarded by those large-caliber energy cannons, they show no sign of counterattacking for the moment," Tracius reported, removing his helmet and meeting the Chapter Master's eyes. "Furthermore, a large number of cloaked bombers and hypersonic fighters are holding the front line against the swarm."
Thorcyra's confusion deepened. Their combat vehicles were not the Imperial patterns he was familiar with, nor did they resemble the Skitarii of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Exactly which faction were they, and with what purpose had they come to Sotha?
His brow furrowed as he asked the Librarian, "Did they say where they came from?"
"They claim to be from the Phoenix Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus, the Hive World of Aiel," the Librarian replied.
Segmentum Obscurus... that was halfway across the Imperium's territory from them. How could they have arrived in time to provide support? It had been less than a few months since the distress signal was sent. Did they know beforehand that Sotha would be attacked by Hive Fleet Kraken?
The possibility of them receiving the message and crossing half the galaxy to arrive above Sotha in such a short time was something that could not even enter Thorcyra's mind.
Without hesitation, he donned his helmet and instructed the Librarian, "Contact them. I will go personally to meet them. If they are a threat to us..."
Tracius attempted to dissuade him. "Chapter Master, it is too dangerous. Let me go."
Thorcyra refused, ordering the Third Company Captain to continue guarding the Fortress-Monastery.
He then led a combat squad out of the monastery and headed toward the defensive line at the foot of the mountain.
Inside the Orbital Command, Brand stood respectfully before Alexei. "My Lord, we have received word. The Chapter Master of the Scythes of the Emperor intends to meet you in person."
"Oh?" Alexei looked up from the construction interface in surprise. He had expected the other party might not take the initiative, and that he would eventually have to go to the monastery himself.
This was better; it saved him the trip. He nodded. "I understand. I'll go immediately. Tell the personal guard not to obstruct them."
If the other party truly intended him harm, the best response to the superhuman reflexes and agility of a Space Marine was area-of-effect firepower.
Having individual squads try to block them was pointless. Alexei looked toward the distant mountains. "Let's see what it is you want."