At the ti, they had been on the Craftworld. When the cult launched its insurrection, the Craftworld's propulsion systems were sabotaged. By the ti they arrived, not many of the Genestealers had survived the Aeldari's desperate last stand.
This was why the final victory had been so effortlessly achieved. A Harlequin now recounted the full story to Axis and the Laughing God. All in all, the battle had been quite an unexpected turn of events.
"We believe that even before the conflict began, the Aeldari on this Craftworld had already discovered these foul parasites," another Harlequin added, "Knowing they were outmatched, they destroyed the ship's engines, trapping these monsters in the void of space."
"Well done," Axis said, "The next ti we encounter this Genestealer race, the priority should be to exterminate them on sight."
It was a series of fortunate accidents that had prevented the Tyranid Hive Mind from detecting the psychic signal broadcast by this particular Genestealer brood. Otherwise, the arrival of the Tyranids in the galaxy might have been accelerated.
Then again, Axis reconsidered, it probably would not have made much difference.
The main fleets were only drawn to the galaxy Pharos beacon during the Great Heresy, and even then, it had taken them ten thousand years to arrive.
And what had finally co was rely a vanguard. The true main fleet would likely never reach the galaxy. If it did, according to what he knew, the other races might as well give up.
Theoretically, the conflict between the Tyranids and Chaos was even greater than that between the Emperor of Mankind and the four Ruinous Powers.
The reason was simple. The Hive Mind sought to devour every ounce of organic matter in the galaxy, including the very heat from planetary cores. If the Tyranids succeeded in consuming the galaxy, there would be no negative emotions left for the Chaos Gods to feed on, and no mortal souls for their daemons to claim.
Upon discovering that Chaos Daemons were composed entirely of warp energy and offered no biomass, the Tyranids had imdiately assembled a fleet specifically to hunt them. The four great Chaos Gods, however, made no response to this existential threat.
Their food source was being threatened, their very foundation targeted for demolition, yet they did absolutely nothing. Axis was now certain that the Tyranid's Great Devourer was at least as powerful as the four Chaos Gods.
"This is a race that requires our full attention," the Laughing God said, his voice serious, "If you discover any intelligence regarding them in the future, report it to at once." If this species was as terrifying as Axis described, then it had to be treated with the utmost gravity.
"We understand!" the Harlequins affird with a nod.
"Very well, Lord Axis," the Laughing God said, inclining his head, "We will remain vigilant for this race. Should we learn anything, I will share the information with you imdiately. For now, we shall take our leave."
"Until we et again, Cegorach," Axis replied with a nod of his own. He and Cassandra then returned to their Axis' transport ship.
A small troupe of Harlequins guided their vessel through the labyrinthine passages of the Webway. After seven hours, they successfully led Axis back out of the webway and into the designated star system.
Only four days had passed since Axis had left, and there was still no sign of the human fleet.
Axis successfully returned to the bridge of Solus Pri, and bid farewell to the Harlequins.
"Welco back, Father," a holographic avatar of Solus Pri shimred into existence the mont he stepped onto the bridge.
"Thank you," Axis replied. "This is Cassandra. From now on, she will be a mber of this ship's crew. Please register her identity, assign her suitable living quarters, and grant her access to the appropriate life-support sections." He gestured to the Aeldari standing behind him.
"Understood, Father. I will register her information imdiately. Welco aboard the Solus Pri, Lady Cassandra."
"You… you are an artificial intelligence? No, that's not right. You possess psychic energy. You… you are a Machine Spirit," Cassandra said, staring with curiosity at the digital life form before her.
When she first boarded the vessel, she had assud it was rely an advanced AI, but closer observation revealed sothing more. The entity possessed a soul, similar to the constructs created by humanity, but its power clearly far exceeded any normal Machine Spirit. It displayed the capabilities of a true artificial intelligence.
However, artificial intelligence was an exceedingly dangerous thing.
Humanity had recently learned this lesson through the Iron n's rebellion, and the Aeldari had suffered a similar fate during their sixty-million-year reign over the galaxy. These constructs were remarkably useful when first created, but their betrayal was a catastrophe beyond asure.
"That is correct, Lady Cassandra," Solus Pri replied politely, "I was once an artificial intelligence, but through the aid of my great Father, I was transford into a Machine Spirit."
Cassandra's brow furrowed.
She looked at Axis, a question hanging on her lips.
Axis shrugged, having read her thoughts perfectly, "She is a Super Machine Spirit, a unique life form I created with my own psychic power." Solus Pri was bound to him through a special link within the warp, a connection as deep and unbreakable as that between a Primarch and his gene-son.
Betrayal was not a concern.
Cassandra nodded, saying nothing more on the matter.
"Solus Pri," Axis said, walking over to the ship's command console, "During my absence, did you gather any information on the local xenos civilization? What is their level of developnt? And what is the life rating of their ho world?"
"Father, I have already dispatched spy drones to investigate. This species's level of civilization is low. They appear to be in a primitive state, and I am not even certain they can be considered a true civilization. Their intelligence does not seem to be very high." The ship's virtual screen lit up, displaying a planet covered in gelatinous, slimy creatures of green, blue, and red.
"Their appearance is quite abhorrent to human aesthetics. They are a viscous, disgusting life form, resembling slugs or slis," Solus Pri continued its report.
"Their planet is covered in a sickening acidic mucus. While this substance is harmless to the native life, it is extrely corrosive to foreign materials, capable of rapidly dissolving even steel alloys. The atmosphere is composed of a toxic gas. In every respect, this planet is extrely hostile to human life. Based on my comprehensive assessnt, it is unsuitable for colonization."
The creatures on the screen sotis fought and consud one another.
Their thod of reproduction was even stranger; they would split off a piece of their own bodies, which would then grow into a new individual.
Besides these slimy abominations, there was no other life on the planet.
Now, Axis understood why Malcador had ordered an Exterminatus. The planet itself was worthless, offering no value for terraforming. However, the gas giants orbiting the system's star had several suitable moons which could be developed into Forge Worlds or Hive Worlds.
The presence of these revolting sli creatures posed a potential threat to any future colonists, so destroying them beforehand was standard Imperial procedure.
"They are indeed disgusting," Cassandra remarked, watching the gelatinous monsters on the viewscreen, "Strictly speaking, this planet is inhospitable to all life except these creatures."
"Indeed," Axis said, "Solus Pri, what is the life force of this planet? Is it suitable for planting a Tree of Might?" He was not concerned with anything else.
All he wanted to know was the vitality of the planet. Such a vile, corrosive world might not be conducive to the Tree's growth.
If the life force was low, he intended to use a second-generation seed, saving the more precious first-generation seeds. He had hundreds of the forr, but only a few dozen of the latter. He would only use a first-generation seed if the planet's life rating was exceptional.
"Father, I have completed a full analysis," the Solus Pri reported, "Its life force is even greater than that of the last planet we discovered. There are tens of billions of these disgusting creatures, and the acidic substances on the planet's surface also possess imnse vitality. In summary, its life rating is superior to the world where we first planted the Tree of Might."
The planet's life force was truly undeniable.
"In that case, let's go," Axis declared, "We will carry out the Exterminatus now."
"Father, are you not going to wait for your human companions?"
"There is no need. They will arrive with a massive fleet, and it would not be good for so many mortals to witness the growth of the Tree of Might," Axis explained, "I will plant the tree beforehand. After we have harvested the fruit, I will destroy the planet myself."
"Understood, Father. Moving to the target planet now."
Solus Pri quickly moved into orbit above the designated world.
Axis donned a suit of highly protective power armour and descended to the planet's surface. There, he took out a first-generation Tree of Might seed and planted it in the viscous ground.
He then transford, his power surging as he entered his Super Saiyan Full Power state. Unleashing his Ki, he activated the seed.
The seed instantly responded to his energy.
It took root and began to grow at an incredible rate, its roots spreading out to devour the entire planet's life force.
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hehe powerstones?!
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