Tyranid resurgence on Alphe

Since their initial invasion the Tyranid infestation of Alphe had been curiously passive. The Hive Fleet still hung menacingly in orbit, surrounding the planet and cutting off attempts to re-enforce. Attempts to infiltrate the infested regions were met with an aggressive response but a few probes did surivive long enough to report the area totally denuded of life except for countless millions of tyranid xenomorphs. The Imperial defenders of Alphe drew little solace from the respite – Nemesis was merely biding its time until it could unleash an unstoppable assault, using Alphe's own biomass to construct its ground forces rather than depleting the reserves of the Hive Fleet itself.

As scouts reported increased activity Imperial Command knew the waiting was at an end. Sure enough the first assault came boiling out of the infested city of Pryford. It was barely checked by the Space Wolves, both sides suffering massive casualties in the fighting. They did succeed in recapturing the outskirts of Pryford but then immediately had to call in Thunderhawks and extract to avoid being cut off by a second assault which bypassed their position.

The Tyranid attack seemed unstoppable but the Imperium received help from an unexpected quarter. Materialising out of their webway gates a host of Iyandan Ghost Warriors appeared, determined to join the fight against their most bitter enemies. The reason for the Eldar intervention was unclear but as the Hive Mine suddenly became aware of the incursion in its midst the Tyranid hordes contracted, seeking to crush the Eldar before they could establish a beachhead. As yet too few in number to hold back the vaste hordes the surviving Eldar withdrew through their webway portals to seek another point of entry to the planet.

With the Eldar gone only the Dark Angels could now hope to stem the tide, barring the landing onto Oldmere Island. When the Tyranid assault came it was so sudden the Dark Angel's position was overwhelmed before the task force could mount an effective response. In one titanic assault the Tyranids had succeeding in overrunning all of the cities in the east. Unless an effective counter attack could be mounted the Tyranids would consume these cities populations and add their biomass to their next assault.