Tyranid menace resurfaces

As 11.013M42 drew to a close, the tyranid menace surfaced once again. Isolated incidents on Bastien now began to paint a picture of a tyranid vanguard force, and Inquisitor Hathek immediately set out to find out if the tyranids now being encountered on the world were of the same genetic stock as those who had annihilated Betor, Alphe and so many of the Rim Worlds. While he was en route, the tyranids attack again, this time in larger numbers, springing out of the rough mountains near Lacunia.

The force of aliens ambushed an imperial patrol on 2211.013M42. At first the guard regiment thought it was a regular insurgent attack, but soon the alien menace was revealed as hideous monsters from some kind of nightmare plunged down from the sky or burrowed up from beneath the imperial positions. Despite a hard fight the imperial guard units took heavy casualties and were forced to retreat back to the city. This seemed to be a classic tyranid "testing out" of defenses, assessing the imperial strength before the main invasion. As a precaution, Admiral Jellicoe moved the fleet to the system in order to intercept the hive fleet.

Meanwhile on Memnon, a separate splinter fleet of Nemesis was ravaging the tau settlements on Memnon. To the north the tau faced Na'Porkleon's orks and to the south the tyranids swept all before them. At Duran'Demlock, the last tau settlement remaining in their hands, they made their stand against the tyranids.

The battle escalated as both sides threw in more and more reinforcements, the tyranids swarming towards the tau as they put up a desperate fight. At first the tau succeeded, killing a Mawlock which suddenly appeared in their lines and annihilating a brood of ravenors before they could reach the tau lines. However the tau could only postpone the inevitable. Soon the main swarm and its attendant monstrous beasts, descended on the tau defences. Tau broadsides were ripped apart, and the tau Riptide soon found itself in close combat with the xenos abominations. Though badly damaged, the giant suit did manage to tear apart a Carnifex before being taken down by a tervigon. Even a brave last stand by fire warriors who managed to kill a charging Trigon was not enough to stop the horde of aliens from finally breaching the tau defences. Seeing their lines broken, the tau retreated deeper into the settlement, and the street fighting began. The tau were now holding an ever shrinking pocket, with their backs to the sea and no where to run.