The Tyranids can be said to be the most alien alien race that humans have ever encountered.
Unlike so many other races the Imperium has encountered, the Tyranid do not crave territory, power, dominance, wealth, or revenge.
They don't seem to care about these at all. Their only purpose is to devour all life matter to satisfy a huge stomach that can never be satisfied. It seems that they will not stop until all living things in the galaxy are wiped out.
The most terrifying thing about the Tyranids is their ability to carry out this seemingly impossible plan in a terrifyingly efficient way.
Whenever the Hive Fleet's tentacles reach a planet with life, the end of that planet is already certain.
While the planet's atmosphere is choked with alien spores that allow native vegetation to attack its inhabitants, swarms of ground creatures and giant monsters will plummet to the planet's surface in flesh-and-blood drop pods.
Even as the Zerg prey frantically organizes defenses, spore-spraying chambers and jagged alien structures will burrow into the planet's crust, piercing the surface to spray more harmful microorganisms into the atmosphere.
Many of the worlds that fell prey lacked any means of resisting the invasion of the Zerg, or their military defenses were too weak. Even those planets that could organize effective defenses had to face the swarms of insects.
The Zerg army is composed of deadly and vicious creatures, ranging in size from rolling swarms of tearing bugs to cannon bugs that are taller than tanks. Every member of the Zerg army is a tool to destroy their prey.
On the ground, warrior bugs will use living rifles to weave rains of corrosive slime bullets, or use their scythe-like claws to tear apart any enemy who dares to come close.
From the sky, winged gargoyles pounce on their unfortunate foes.
From below, huge digger pythons and sand pythons suddenly emerged, followed by a large number of gunworms.
Tyranid tactics are versatile - they can overwhelm their enemies with swarms of smaller creatures, engage them with swift and deadly hunters, overwhelm resistance with monsters, or combine all three.
When facing the Hive, what the prey faces is not an army composed of a series of individuals, but a whole will - the ruthless Hive Will wants to devour all life in the galaxy.
Since the first contact, the Tyranids have invaded the galaxy several times. Each wave of invasions was launched by a hive fleet. Biologists and historians have been able to identify them by the appearance and color of the creatures within.
The most famous battle was after the fall of the Tyranid Galaxy. The huge destructive force named Hive Fleet Behemoth crossed the borders of the empire at an unprecedented speed and devoured countless planets until it was destroyed in Markkula.
Ge was stopped by the Ultramarines - and the Ultramarines also paid a heavy price in this battle.
After the main force of Hive Behemoth was destroyed, the remnants of its branch fleets were still wreaking havoc across the galaxy.
The most recent battle involving the Tyranids took place in the Far East Sector. Just as the Tau and the Cadian 18th Army of Fortress Lord Krask were fighting together, the Gorgon Hive Fleet entered the system.
Such a serious threat suddenly appeared, forcing the two former enemies to cooperate with each other to survive the Zerg predation.
More importantly, what the Magyar lord explained to Soshyan was not a distant rumor, but some kind of immediate threat.
At the edge of the Storm Star Domain, signs of Tyranid activity have appeared.
And here, we have to mention another unique alien threat that is closely related to the Tyranids - gene stealers.
The Genestealers are a species of Tyranids, considered one of the deadliest creatures in the galaxy, possessing a high degree of intelligence, quick reflexes, and claws that can cut through the heaviest armor in seconds.
The biggest feature of this kind of near-human alien is that they can inject the gene sequence of the Tyranids into other creatures, turning them into hybrid biological slaves.
In the human world and other planets, there are many sects secretly cultivated by gene stealers.
Generally speaking, Genestealers serve as sentinels for the insect swarm, and their large-scale activities often mark the beginning of an invasion.
The invasion methods of gene stealers are also very different. They often take centuries to infiltrate the society of the target planet.
Initially, gene stealers would inject their alien DNA into controlled humans, and the infected would breed into hateful mutated hybrids.
Hybrids will use spiritual power to control their parents so that they are unaware of the changes in their children, and will nurture and protect their children in a normal way.
When entering a planet, genestealers will attempt to infiltrate highly organized human society.
Initially they will focus on infecting organisms and forming sects in the target society.
The leader of the sect is called the "patriarch" and is the ancestor of the aliens on the entire planet. Those hybrid descendants are connected to him through psychic induction, forming a highly tight-knit group.
All members of the tribe are controlled by the tribe leader and will seek social power, infect other people, expand the tribe, etc., and behave under the normal surface.
They will form small groups and use the name of a certain ethnic minority to hide their identity from others.
When their number is small, they will not show political intentions, but will only establish organizations, spread doctrines, and expand the number of believers.
They will not expose themselves until they have some control of the planet's political and military power.
But once they become stronger and more fearless, the people of the uninfected planet will be surprised by the sudden huge terror, and they will also tear off their disguises and directly attack the remaining humans.
At the same time, the hybrids will also create a powerful psychic network to directly attract the attention of the Hive Mind.
The stronger the psychic network, the faster the hive will react and move towards the planet where the victim is.
When the Hive's main fleet appears around the planet and blocks any calls for help, the Genestealers will carry out riots as a response, directly attacking densely populated areas or assassinating the enemy's command system, often causing unpredictable damage.
Mazar sighed and put his hand on the marble guardrail at the edge of the corridor.
"Large-scale Genestealer sects have been discovered in several hives. The local Ministry of Justice can no longer suppress them. Several regiments of the Astra Militarum, including Tallan's two armored regiments, are also clearing out aliens in those hives.
But the situation is not optimistic."
"Did they make a request?"
Lord Magyar growled and bared his teeth.
"Of course they did, they cried like a bastard whose toe was stubbed."
But now the ascetics have not participated in the operation to liquidate the gene stealer sect, which means that they have not responded to the request.
Naturally, Soshyan would not ask such a question, but the other party seemed to know what he was thinking.
"Planet Flon was once the heart of a small Ork empire. We crushed it two hundred years ago. However, after these years of recovery, coupled with the heavy casualties suffered by the Chapter a hundred years ago, the Chapter was unable to continue.
Suppress them, the damn greenskins are back again! They have occupied the entire sub-system and are likely to continue to expand outwards."
If the Tyranids are a deadly virus, then the Greenskins are the immortal cancer of the Imperium.
As long as there is any opportunity, they will try their best to expand their territory and launch large-scale invasions. In the process, their number and equipment will increase exponentially, and they will eventually form a force no less powerful than the Hive Fleet.
The torrent of destruction.
So Soshyan immediately understood Lord Magyar's thoughts.
"Your group is planning to take action against the greenskins on the planet Fulen first?"
"Yes, I have secured support from nearby star regions. The Astra Militarum and the Navy will participate in the expedition. This hidden danger must be eliminated before the Tyranid threat arrives!"
Soshyan heard another mystery from the other party's words.
"Lord Magyar, do you think... the Tyranid invasion is bound to happen?"
The other party shook his head.
"Through death meditation, our priests foresaw that the hungry tentacles of the Great Devouring had already entangled around the entire star field. It was only a matter of time."
Soshyan responded to this unique, almost prophetic thing with a dubious attitude.