Tyranids appear on Bastien

If events in the Zadoc subsector weren't troubling enough for Titus Luthor, new Lord Governor of the sector, the news from Bastien that the tyranids had reached the upper perseus deepscame as a devastating blow. Although only a vanguard force, as the hive fleet had not been detected as yet, the confirmation that tyranids were present on the so recently won world was made following several mysterious slaughters in the northern continent. PDF forces were sent in only to be similarly massacred. In 10.013M42 the Salamanders advanced on the area prepared for the worst, only to be ambushed by a force of Xenos which matched the genetic pattern of Hive Fleet Nemesis.

Since 011M42 small tyranid vessels, tendrils of the main hive fleet, had been sweeping ahead of the main force. They had avoided the Necrons on Gamordal, and now arrived at Bastien after a long trip through the darkness of the Perseus Deeps. The Salamanders deployed in force and met the tyranids head on, but found themselves soon overwhelmed by the tyranid vanguard force, and few of the marines returned. In private Luthor was becoming worried about the Salamanders. They had suffered serious losses and were now down to half the strength they originally deployed in the sector. No one could fault their bravery, but all too often they threw themselves at the enemy when a tactical withdrawal would have been more prudent.

In any case Luthor was now forced to redeploy much needed force to the Perseus Deeps. With the necrons still on Corticant, the eldar on Ares, and the chaos worlds of Kendrenec and Mordecai still unbowed, the arrival of Nemesis could spell doom for Bastien and the worlds beyond. Titus Luthor now had some hard decisions to make...