On Helos Majoris, a key Imperial base in the Rifts of Hecate, the hope that the tyranid threat was now over was dashed in late 11.024M42. Despite the apparent success of Admiral Gorshkov’s orbital bombardment in temporarily scattering the Tyranid forces of Hive Fleet Poseidon, the xenos menace proved far from defeated. Emerging from the hinterlands of the planet, vast swarms of Tyranids launched a renewed assault, besieging Imperial settlements and military installations with unrelenting ferocity.
By late 11.024M42, the Tyranids had surrounded Helos Prime, the planet’s largest city and key strategic hub for the Imperial war effort in the region. Recognising the importance of holding this stronghold, the Blood Angels Chapter deployed to the planet to spearhead the defense. Under the command of Captain Arceus, the Blood Angels initiated a counterstrike aimed at decapitating the Tyranid invasion by eliminating their hive node synapse creatures, the psychic linchpins of the xenos swarm.
To bolster their efforts, the Blood Angels were supported by an elite Vindicare Assassin, whose mission was to target and eliminate the most dangerous Tyranid bioforms leading the assault.
The Blood Angels engaged the Tyranid swarm on the open plains outside Helos Prime, seeking to prevent the xenos from reaching the city’s defensive walls. Their strategy centered on precision strikes to disrupt the hive mind’s cohesion by eliminating the Tyranid Warriors, Zoanthropes, and other synapse creatures directing the swarm.
Initially, the Blood Angels’ assault met with success. Tactical squads and Baal Predators cut through the lesser Tyranid bioforms with disciplined fire, while Death Company marines tore into the xenos with chainswords and bolt pistols. The Vindicare Assassin, hidden within the ruins of a nearby manufactorum, delivered a stunning blow to the Tyranid hierarchy by eliminating a Swarmlord, its perfect shot piercing the bioform’s thick carapace and destroying its brain in an instant.
Yet, the death of the Swarmlord did little to halt the swarm. Driven by an instinctive hunger, the Tyranids adapted quickly, surging forward in overwhelming numbers. Even without centralised guidance, the sheer mass of Hormagaunts, Carnifexes, and other monstrous creatures soon overwhelmed the Blood Angels’ positions.
Despite their superior training and equipment, the Blood Angels could not hold back the tide. Tyranid Gargoyles descended from the skies, ripping apart devastator squads, while ground forces encircled and annihilated the Blood Angels’ vanguard. Captain Arceus personally led a desperate charge into the heart of the swarm, cutting down dozens of xenos before being struck down by a Tyrannofex’s acid spray.
The Vindicare Assassin, despite eliminating several more synapse creatures, was eventually overrun when his position was discovered by a Lictor. The assassin’s death marked the final turning point in the battle, as the remaining Blood Angels were engulfed and slaughtered by the swarm.
By the end of the engagement, the Blood Angels had been annihilated, and the Tyranids advanced to within striking distance of Helos Prime. While the city’s defences held for the time being, the loss of the Blood Angels and the failure to disrupt the hive mind’s coordination left the Imperium on Helos Majoris in a perilous position.
The battle demonstrated the true scale of the threat posed by Hive Fleet Poseidon. Even in the face of orbital bombardments and elite Astartes forces, the Tyranids displayed their infamous adaptability and relentless hunger. With Helos Majoris once again under siege, General Maximus was forced to acknowledge the inadequacy of his initial assessments. The survival of the Imperium’s presence in the Rifts of Hecate now hinged on reinforcements and the development of a more cohesive strategy to combat the xenos menace.
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