Masters of the Hunt: White Scars Omnibus (Warhammer 40,000) by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2022-01-29T00:00:00+00:00

There is a cancer eating at the Imperium. We have given the horror a name to salve our fears; we call it the Tyranid race. If it is aware of us at all it must know us only as Prey.

– Inquisitor Czevak

CHAPTER SEVEN

INVASION

TIME TO FURNACE SEASON PEAK

[TERRAN STANDARD]: 45 HOURS.

TIME TO PREDICTED PRIMARY XENOS PLANETFALL

[TERRAN STANDARD]: 0 HOURS.

The scriptorium, Heavenfall

The commanders of the Fourth Brotherhood – Joghaten, Qui’sin, Chaplain Changadai and those squad leaders not riding among the tribes – watched the beginning of the alien invasion from the arching windows of Heavenfall’s primary scriptorium, seated high on the upper slopes of the temple district. The night sky was filled with falling stars: the contrails of a thousand xenos spores, each packed with ravenous warrior organisms. The sight would have been beautiful had it not presaged such horror.

Barely an hour had passed since reports from the brotherhood’s outriders about encountering vanguard organisms had started to filter in. From the contact zones and the approximation of the primary xenos landing sites, relative to the contrails streaking overhead, Joghaten had located the nearest likely swarm clusters. For now they would be assembling out on the plain, forming a horde with which to overwhelm the slope-city and its defenders.

The White Scars would strike before they were ready.

‘Brother-Chaplain Changadai,’ Joghaten said, breaking the scriptorium’s silence. Changadai’s grim death’s head visage swung to face him.

‘Go with Steedmaster Chokda and the demi-ordu. Strike out towards the Hills of the Broken Bones – that is where the nearest swarm is gathering. I will have exact coordinates uploaded to the tactical displays as our wind-brothers triangulate them. Slaughter all that you find. I will take the other half of the brotherhood and make for the Yellow River. I suspect there is another swarm forming there. They are still weak and scattered immediately after planetfall. If we strike hard and fast, we will cut away some of their numbers before the main brood can gather.’

‘What of the city’s preparations?’ Qui’sin asked. ‘The populace has not yet been fully relocated underground and the wall is still being prepared.’

‘The squads assigned to Heavenfall will continue assisting the preparations,’ Joghaten said. ‘But you will ride with me, weathermaker. If our strikes are successful, we will buy enough time for the final defensive efforts and give hope to the tribes still coming in from beyond the Founding Wall.’

For a moment it looked as though Qui’sin was going to debate his commander’s strategy, but instead he bowed his head.

‘As you will it, my khan.’

Joghaten’s gaze turned back to the window arches, and to the thousands of twinkling lights falling with distant, silent grace from the firmament. How strange the irony, he thought, that the galaxy’s horrors could arrive clad in such beauty. After a moment more, he turned abruptly back to his brothers, his face set, eyes burning with determination in the dull light of the scriptorium’s ancient lumen orbs.

‘The hunt calls us,’ he said. ‘We wait no more. To war, brothers.’

Qui’sin remained in

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