The Segmentum Pacificus—I remember it as a chaotic realm of the Empire, plagued by endless rebellions and the taint of Chaos. Granted, such regions are common, but Pacificus holds the record for the highest number of rebellious Planetary Governors.
There is a long-standing joke in the Imperium:
"If you are attacked by enemies, the Empire might not come to your aid; but if you stop paying your taxes, the Empire will definitely come to beat you!"
However, in Segmentum Pacificus, there are many governors who haven't paid a dime in taxes for centuries, and just as many who consort with Chaos or Xenos. It is arguably the most rebellious and disorganized sector. Though it settled down slightly after the Age of Apostasy due to several Imperial military suppressions, "slightly" is the operative word. It remains a breeding ground for Chaos cults; while the Galactic East is infested with Genestealer Cults, the Galactic West is dominated by the cults of the Dark Gods.
"That brother of mine actually has such a vast territory, so why haven't I seen his troops? Logically, I should have spotted the forces of my fellow human transmigrator by now. I've even sent Swarm units into the Western Fringe, yet I still can't find him."
The reason is simple: the composition of the "human race" here isn't just limited to the units seen in the RTS games or campaigns. It includes vast arrays of buildings, vehicles, and populations that usually only exist in the lore backgrounds. A clever transmigrator doesn't share their technology with outsiders but uses Imperial planets to fill their own resource banks.
The humans the Swarm Overmind encountered on this planet were, in essence, the descendants of the Warhammer Imperium and the StarCraft Terran Dominion. They were still human, yet... not entirely. The further you traveled toward the fringes of that Terran transmigrator's influence, the more common these "hybrids" became.
"Overmind."
Zasz's voice suddenly interrupted the Overmind's train of thought.
"What is it, Zasz?"
"The humans on this planet seem to be looking for something. They aren't engaging us in combat. It's highly unusual."
"What?" The Overmind was surprised. Even Zasz could tell they were avoiding a fight—this did not fit the typical MO of Warhammer's humanity.
Sure enough, through the vision of an Overseer, the Overmind spotted a group of Ultramarine Scouts. These Scouts, clad in light power armor, were faster than standard Space Marines but lacked the protection of heavy plates. They moved across rooftops, deliberately bypassing Swarm positions. Neither the Tyranids nor the Zerg were being engaged in large-scale combat by them.
"My 'Blueberry' neighbors, who usually drown enemies in numbers, wouldn't typically use Raven Guard stealth tactics. They aren't here to fight; they're searching for something."
What could drive hundreds of Ultramarines to risk everything? An STC? An Imperial Relic? Whatever it was, the Overmind's stance was simple: "I don't care what they want—they're not having it!"
The Overmind continued to clash with the Tyranid Swarm while sending small detachments to shadow the Ultramarines. Though the Marines knew they were being watched from the shadows and the skies, they were powerless to stop it. They lacked the manpower to fend off the Swarm and could only hope the local Planetary Defense Forces (PDF) could hold out a little longer.
The Tyranid assault provided some relief for the PDF, but the Zerg were no longer the Swarm of old. Defeat was an impossibility. Even when the Tyranids deployed a Hive Tyrant, they couldn't reclaim their lost ground.
"Oh, a Hive Tyrant," the Overmind noted. With a single thought, a pack of Hunter-Killers and specialized strain hunters began to warp and hatch, swarming the Tyrant amidst the chaos.
Despite its Tyrant Guards, the sheer volume of Zerg units was overwhelming. The Hunter-Killers lunged, their razor-sharp limbs piercing the Tyrant's joints. It was brutal. The Tyrant's massive size became a liability, and its guards were bogged down by endless Zerg units, occasionally being rocked by the impact of Banelings.
A Baneling's explosion could melt a hole the size of a man through thick chitinous plating. Even a Tyrant Guard's legendary constitution could only tank one hit; a second would shatter them.
Then, the Hive Tyrant experienced the Zerg's most "toxic" maneuver. An Overlord drifted directly above it.
First, the Overlord intentionally dropped a massive glob of Creep. The viscous liquid drenched the Hive Tyrant, looking for all the world like the Overlord was "relieving" itself on the Tyranid leader. Insulted, the sentient Hive Tyrant roared at the sky.
Then came the real payload: dropped Banelings.
The Tyrant didn't even see them coming before they hit him right in the face.
Boom! Even with its extreme biological resilience, taking several Banelings to the face resulted in the Tyrant losing its head and half its upper torso. Subsequent drops reduced its tank-shredding body to mere scraps.
"Is that it? Not even half as tough as a Protoss Immortal."
Units without shields simply cannot withstand Banelings. Even with shields—like a Zealot—three Banelings are enough to finish them off. In localized warfare, the Tyranids were being utterly outclassed.
"When I first arrived, I feared the Tyranids and Necrons most. Now? Let them come. Bring a biological fleet of tens of thousands. The Zerg don't fear them."
"Wait... it looks like the humans found what they were looking for."
A dozen Ultramarines emerged from a building, forming a protective perimeter around a central brother. That Marine was dragging a heavy, reinforced iron crate.
"Aha. Time for an unboxing."