Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor-Chapter 326 - 327: Second Wave of the Vanguard Hive Fleet — The Galactic Extermination Order Issued

Chapter 326 - 327: Second Wave of the Vanguard Hive Fleet — The Galactic Extermination Order Issued

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Higanbana

(The other name didn't feel right)

Seen from orbit, the once-prosperous planet now appeared pale yellow.

The atmosphere was saturated with nearly imperceptible spores, while more massive Tyranid spore pods, each loaded with bio-weapons, descended toward the surface.

Under the infestation of the Hive Fleet, the planet was dying.

In orbit

The Tyranid vanguard hive stirred.

Numerous Tyranid Krakens, Void Prowlers, and Razorfiends surged forward, spewing predatory tendrils, bio-torpedoes, plasma cannons, and corrosive acid.

They nearly blanketed the entire forward sector of space.

They were attempting to devour the Savior's fleet—a threat to their advance.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the void, cannons roared and light flared.

The Third Fleet of the Savior responded with macro cannons, las-lance arrays, and torpedoes, creating a dense web of fire.

It intercepted the deadly barrage.

Within moments, the space war between the Savior's fleet and the Tyranid vanguard hive fell into a bitter stalemate.

Aboard the command ship of the Savior's Third Fleet

"Group Four of the left wing—concentrate macro-cannon fire! Take down that Razorfiend!"

Volradi stared at the tactical holomap, calmly directing the fleet's defensive efforts against the vanguard.

His gaze was locked on the light dot representing the Tyranid Razorfiend—a specialized assault bio-ship that had pierced through the barrage net.

If it reached their line—

Its reinforced ramming horns and claws could bypass void shields and rip any ship apart.

The destruction would be immense.

Fortunately—

He reacted in time.

Soon—

The concentrated macro-fire tore the monstrous Razorfiend to shreds.

Volradi allowed himself a slight breath of relief.

In truth, the commander was not nearly as composed as he appeared—his forehead was glistening with sweat.

Due to his excellent performance in the Tau War, Volradi had been summoned back from a short leave and dispatched with the Third Fleet to this new front.

The Department of War had assigned him to the orbital combat zone of Higanbana.

It was a tremendous responsibility—

For the great Savior himself was on this planet. Failure was not an option.

The Tyranid fleet's assault tactics were unlike anything he'd ever faced.

For the first time, Volradi felt true pressure in war—

The kind only felt during extreme simulation drills, bordering on despair and helplessness.

Much of his combat experience failed to apply here.

Because—

The Dominion's war database held little data on Hive Fleet Tyranids, and even worse—each Hive Fleet had its own ever-changing tactics and biology.

The only way to learn was through battle.

Although the war against the Hive Fleet was grueling, Volradi believed he could endure and grow stronger.

This was the challenge he had long awaited—where he could go all-out.

And this—wasn't even the worst of it.

What truly frightened him—

Was what came after this war.

Once the Dominion obtained comprehensive data from the engagement with the Tyranids—

They would design even harsher, data-driven extreme simulation drills.

Just imagining facing endless Hive Fleets that blanketed star systems and sectors in those future simulations—

Made Volradi tremble.

It would be hellish—

And compulsory for all commanding officers.

Their results would count toward promotions.

Fail—and you were demoted. Perhaps even stripped of your title.

A disgrace among commanders.

Huff—

Volradi tried to ease the pressure. Fortunately, he had the edge of firsthand combat experience against the Hive Fleet.

Still an advantage.

The void war raged on. The Tyranid offensive was visibly intensifying.

Beyond the dome of the command deck—

The Hive Fleet's shadow loomed ever larger, its myriad bio-ships and weapon-beasts tangled together in dizzying spectacle.

In an instant, the command pressure spiked.

Several cruisers in the fleet's forward wing were ensnared by the feeding tendrils of Kraken bio-ships.

The crushing force cracked hulls open—

Explosions lit the void.

Volradi's eyes reddened, sweat dripping constantly.

His hands darted across the tactical holomap at lightning speed, adjusting strategies in real-time.

He fought tooth and nail to maintain formation integrity.

Suddenly—

Volradi felt his vision blur. His thoughts began to slow.

He roared:

"Apothecary! Another dose of neural enhancer!"

The Apothecary responded instantly, injecting him with a third dose.

The human body was nearing its limit.

But—

Volradi held the line.

Just barely.

He had no confidence in victory.

At best, he could aim to heavily damage the vanguard at the cost of his fleet's annihilation.

Mutual destruction.

But that—

Would be a strategic disaster. The cost too high.

Because current estimates suggested at least five vanguard Hive Fleets were attacking the outskirts of the Minos System.

Just the tentacles of Leviathan.

If this pattern continued—

The Savior's fleets would be crippled before Leviathan's main force even arrived.

Thankfully—

Volradi's mission wasn't to destroy the vanguard.

He only had to delay them, buying time for reinforcements to arrive.

Behind the Third Fleet

Massive logistics ships began dropping supplies to Higanbana, while medium transport vessels, each two to three kilometers long, descended to the surface.

They carried legions of soldiers and vehicles, and began evacuating the civilian population.

Elsewhere—

The same scenes were playing out on planets like Laecios.

——

Within Higanbana's atmosphere

The transport fleet, loaded with troops and supplies, headed toward the Helios Starport.

Once inside the atmosphere, they were less concerned about the spaceborne bio-ships—

As the planet's gravity alone could damage such creatures if they dared enter.

However—

The large-scale movement attracted the attention of Tyranid aerial forces already on-planet.

Spore mines had been seeded along the fleet's route—

Creating deadly kill zones.

Like colossal chitinous dragons, Harridan bio-titans led swarms of Sky-Slayers and Venomthropes, swooping toward the transports.

But—

They slammed headlong into tens of thousands of heavy assault fighters and dozens of Thunderhawk Gunships.

A brutal air battle erupted.

In a storm of flak and fire, masses of chitinous flying beasts were shredded into bloody pulp and rained from the sky.

Over the battle zone—

It began to rain acidic blood mixed with wreckage and metal shrapnel.

Meanwhile—

A squadron of heavy bombers swept ahead, clearing spore minefields.

The escorts coordinated perfectly—

Delivering the transports to the Helios Starport's air-defense coverage zone before the next Tyranid wave arrived.

Upon successful arrival—

Volradi, in the orbital theater, received the news immediately.

At the cost of several capital ships, he withdrew the Third Fleet from the combat zone.

As predicted by the Department of War—

Given their comparable strength, the vanguard Hive Fleet did not pursue.

Instead, they lingered, continuing to drop more spore pods onto the surface—

And harvesting biomass.

In truth—

Volradi had hoped they'd pursue—

That way, he could deliver a heavier blow.

But—

The vanguard Hive was smarter than expected.

It strictly followed its strategy:

To secure the planet and transform it into a logistics hub—before Leviathan's main force arrived.

Volradi halted once he reached a safe zone—

He began fortifying, preparing for a counterattack.

But everything now depended on—

The battle on Higanbana's surface.

If they couldn't hold against the coming wave—

All previous efforts would be wasted...

——

Helios Starport – Temporary Savior Command Center

A strategic meeting chaired by the Savior drew to a close.

The Blood Angels, Astra Militarum, Cadian Shock Troopers, Ogryns, and Higanbana Defense Forces were all assigned to various war zones.

Each commander was to lead their unit into the battle zones designated by the Department of War.

To cooperate with the Savior's forces against the swarm.

After the meeting—

The commanders filed out one by one.

Only Dante, Chapter Master of the Blood Angels, remained.

The old warrior now stood tall, his complexion once again fair and regal like the sons of Sanguinius, though his hair bore streaks of gray.

There was no doubt—

His Red Thirst had been suppressed. His body, mind, and soul had recovered.

He was nearly back to his prime.

Dante had felt brief joy.

After all—

This was the salvation the Blood Angels had dreamed of for centuries: freedom from the curse, shame, and torment.

But once he calmed down—

That joy faded.

Now, as he looked at the Savior before him, his expression was complicated.

After defeating the psychic Tyranids, his body and soul had been utterly drained.

He had kept going on sheer willpower.

When he heard that Karlean had retrieved a blood sample—and the Savior had a way to cure the thirst—

He finally exhaled.

And died.

It was complete relief. Liberation.

Dante felt that after carrying the weight of responsibility and fighting across countless worlds for centuries of suffering—

It was finally time to end.

He was too old. Too weary.

It was time to pass the burden to the younger warriors.

He believed—

They would find a worthy Chapter Master. The sons of Sanguinius would enter a new era.

Just as he once had, long ago.

So—

Dante refused the blood offered by the Sanguinary Guard.

Closed his eyes in peace.

And died.

Once again, just like countless times before, a vision of Sanguinius appeared.

Holy. Radiant.

Just as always.

"Great Lord... I've fulfilled my duty. I beg you to take me. Let me rest in eternal peace..."

Dante pleaded once more for his gene-father to carry his soul home.

His mission was complete. He longed for slumber.

To return to the Throne.

To his surprise—

Sanguinius nodded.

The angel reached out to take him away.

To give him peace.

But just as Dante, overwhelmed with joy, reached out in return—

A soft golden light appeared.

Sanguinius faded.

And in the next moment—

The Savior's hand pulled him back to the cold world of the living.

He was alive again.

The Savior had granted him the essence of life, restoring his body, and suppressing the Red Thirst.

A miraculous gift, no doubt.

But it also meant—

His fate was now indefinitely prolonged—retirement and eternal rest were nothing but illusions!

Dante checked his physical condition. Not only were his injuries completely healed, even the accumulated internal damage from centuries of battle had been repaired.

His spirit and soul were brimming with vitality. He felt more alive than ever.

In this state—

He could easily live another twenty millennia.

Which meant...

The burden of being a son of Sanguinius would be on his shoulders for a very long time.

Just thinking about it—

The Chapter Master sank into a deep depression, sighing heavily.

"Ahem... Lord Dante, are you feeling unwell?"

Eden looked at him in confusion.

This Chapter Master was staring at him with a strange look, almost like he was glaring at a greedy landlord, before letting out a long sigh.

He seemed mentally exhausted.

"Could it be that the treatment wasn't thorough enough? Are there lingering injuries?"

Eden wondered.

He activated his life force energy—his hands glowing with a soft, golden light.

"If you're still not feeling well, I can treat you again. I promise you'll recover even better."

Half-measures were never his way.

If the previous treatment wasn't enough—

Then he'd increase the dose, pour in more of his life energy, and go all out to fully restore the Chapter Master!

After all, there would be many battles ahead against Hive Fleet Leviathan where Dante's strength would be needed.

Seeing that familiar glow, Dante instinctively took a step back.

He quickly raised his hand to refuse, "No need. My wounds are already completely healed..."

If Eden treated him again and increased his lifespan even more, then his rest would be delayed yet again!

"You've already done more than enough for the sons of Sanguinius. You shouldn't overexert yourself..."

Dante gave a grateful smile.

His words were sincere. He was only mildly complaining in his heart.

No matter what—

This Savior had granted them redemption, making him a forever-honored benefactor of the sons of Sanguinius.

"...Very well."

Eden gave him a puzzled glance and dispersed the healing energy.

Saving some life energy wasn't a bad thing.

"Lord Dante..."

He stepped to the star map of the Minos system and pointed to the Leviathan sigil.

"By now, you should have sensed the disparity between us and Hive Fleet Leviathan."

Dante stared at the map and responded, "As it stands, we're unlikely to hold off the xenos. We might need to wait for further reinforcements..."

Eden shook his head.

"The Imperium can no longer send reinforcements. The Savior's domain is the last line. And even that... is not enough to stop the Leviathan's main force."

And that's with his intervention.

Without his help, the Minos system and even Baal would have faced a far darker fate.

Countless lives lost. The Blood Angels devastated.

Nearly annihilated.

Hearing this—

Dante fell into deep worry.

He looked to the Savior, hoping this being could offer a solution.

"The situation is dire, yes," Eden said, "but there is still hope for victory. We must simply pay the price..."

He brought up a new section of the star map.

It displayed a massive mechanical platform near the local star—the Grand Prism.

Eden explained his plan.

After holding off the vanguard Hive Fleet and evacuating the population—

They would destroy the outer planets.

Then—

He would go seek out the Necrons to activate the Grand Prism and strike at the Leviathan fleet while it was still in deep space.

His words—

Plunged Dante into brief silence.

He understood the implication.

It meant the destruction of the Minos system.

But he did not protest.

Instead, he accepted it.

Because that was the only option left.

War against the Tyranids was cruel beyond measure. Any hesitation would bring far worse catastrophes.

And, truthfully—

The Savior's solution was already quite... merciful.

At the very least—

He was trying to save the people first.

Unlike some mad high-ranking Imperials...

Eden looked at Dante.

"Then it's settled."

And just like that—

They decided the fate of an entire star system.

It was cruel.

But necessary.

Mercy has no place on the battlefield.

In this galaxy, soft hearts bring death to more innocents.

Of course—

Eden believed that when possible, one should still show compassion.

The Minos system would fall.

But if more Imperial citizens could live and migrate to the Charalton region—

Then that was already a win.

After the discussion—

Eden officially issued the Extermination Order for the Minos system.

As a Primarch and Savior, he had that authority.

So did Dante.

In times of crisis—

Many Imperial leaders held the power to decide the fate of entire systems and billions of lives.

As long as they had a "reasonable explanation" afterward—

To survive the Inquisition's scrutiny.

For most Imperial officials, the Inquisition was a nightmare.

No one wanted to cross them.

They'd only issue such orders in absolute desperation.

But that—

Didn't apply to Eden.

Maybe back when he was just a planetary governor, he'd have feared the Inquisition.

But now, as a Primarch Savior—

If he went to Terra and told the High Lords of the Inquisition:

"I'm a heretic, please investigate me!"

The Inquisition wouldn't dare. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

Unless they had a death wish.

Investigating a Primarch—an Emperor's son—was tantamount to treason.

And even if they did investigate—

Who'd end up being the heretic was anyone's guess.

Worse yet—

What if it turned out to be true? That the Savior was a heretic?

What then?

Given Eden's power, armies, and influence—

He could easily build a new Imperium, make Urth the next Holy Terra, and rally countless factions.

The Ecclesiarchy and Adeptus Mechanicus would likely back him.

Then who'd be the real Imperium?

It'd be hard to say.

As long as Eden didn't bombard Holy Terra—

He could do whatever he wanted, and the Inquisition wouldn't dare peep.

Even if some self-righteous Inquisitors did speak up—

They'd be purged as heretics, to maintain harmony with the Primarch Savior.

So—

Eden issued the Extermination Order for the Minos system with zero guilt.

In fact—

To avoid disrupting evacuation efforts by the Savior's domain—

He issued the order in the name of the Imperium.

Let the Imperium take the blame.

If that blame could save more lives—

Then the Imperium deserved credit.

In truth—

Before the official Extermination Order was issued—

The Savior's transport fleets had already begun evacuating planets under the pretense of said order.

After Dante left

Eden sat down to continue his duties.

As soon as he did—

He received evacuation reports from the rear planets.

The reports showed—

Evacuation was rough at first.

Many citizens didn't believe it, resisted heavily.

But once the Savior's fleets broadcast messages in his name about citizenship and job offers—

People rushed to board.

No one could stop them!

Afraid of missing such a golden opportunity—

Especially with promises of citizenship, food, housing, and paid vacations.

Even better—

The meals were unbelievably luxurious.

Actually—

That was just the bare minimum job standard in the Savior's domain.

Any less would violate the Redemption Codex.

But—

Most Imperial citizens lived in absolute exhaustion.

Their pay?

Corpse-starch and near-worthless local currency.

They never got to taste real food in their entire lives.

So when the Savior's domain made an offer—

They went mad with desperation.

Thus—

The evacuation progressed smoothly.

Several waves had already been evacuated.

As for the nobles—

They had long since learned about the Tyranid threat.

They were even more desperate to escape.

They wanted to flee to the Savior's domain.

Now that the Tyranid shadow covered the system—

Normal ships couldn't even travel through the Warp. They had no way out.

For these nobles—

The Savior's domain had a different policy: exorbitant boarding fees.

Even so—

They paid while crying, afraid the staff might refuse them.

They feared if they didn't leave fast enough—

They'd be eaten by the Tyranids.

After reviewing the evacuation progress—

Eden was pleased.

It was ahead of schedule.

That meant—

The pressure on front-line planets like Higanbana would lessen.

If things went on like this—

The planetary frontlines could hold out for another half month before pulling back.

Afterward—

Eden opened another file.

This one detailed supplies, vehicles, and unit statuses from Higanbana.

This was the real work.

To counter the swarm—

He had temporarily taken command of all Imperial forces on Higanbana.

Some of those units—

He planned to keep.

Like the Ogryns...

(End of Chapter)

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