Astartes POV
The raiding parties of the aeldari were fast in the eyes of lieutenant Cadral hammer of the imperium; they were brutal and his men were outnumbered 100 to one without support from their legions. A bad situation made worse by the fact they were already retreating from the halo stars due to a plague spread among their fleet.
The aeldari were infuriated terribly and all potential talks of peace were cut the moment their chapter master launched the missiles first and asked questions later "as is our way" he said his eyes steely. I could not bring myself to maintain the same grim determination as he.
I knew it would be our demise, likely our warp drives failed. Our tech priests lead us to a portal through the warp they called it as they scratched their eyes in disbelief. I knew it was nothing good the damn moment we were stranded here and worse still when an entire craftworld appeared before our very eyes.
Forward battle brothers FOR DUTY FOR HONOR FOR THE EMPEROR! My brothers screamed joining the raiding party. A measly few of us would survive if any. I did not fear I was astartes but I was honest I knew that our new recruits were untested and our veterans were tired.
The hammer of the imperium is worn and tired and desperately needing an out from one bad situation to the next. I raised my bolter and readied myself as the crash pod shot through the space towards the craftworld. REEEECH. When I landed I was staring face first with a small squad of Aeldari fighters and immediately shots were fired.
I saw the bolters of my brothers light up with holy flame. I saw the aeldari shoot their lasers and blast my brother Alrin's head off his now empty shoulders and I saw their fear when their squad was hit by a stray phosphex grenade. They combusted in the emperor's flame annihilating their squad and all leaving but a few measly crystals on the ground which I picked up and continued with my 3 remaining brothers.
We were charging for their infinity circuit. We pressed on through the shimmering corridors of the Aeldari craftworld, our bolters blazing with righteous fury. The corridors, once resplendent with their alien beauty, now echoed with the sounds of war. Every step we took was a reminder of the dire straits we found ourselves in, yet we pressed forward with grim determination.
The air crackled with energy, and I could feel the oppressive weight of the craftworld's defenses closing in around us. Our path to the Infinity Circuit was littered with the remnants of our fallen foes, a testament to the fierce battles we had fought. The Aeldari, though swift and agile, were beginning to falter under the relentless pressure we applied.
The craftworld itself seemed to react to our advance, the walls shifting and the architecture pulsating as if it were alive. I could see the swirling energies of the Infinity Circuit in the distance, a massive, glowing nexus of Aeldari technology that held the souls of their fallen. It was both beautiful and horrific, a reminder of the alien nature of our enemy and the stakes of this confrontation.
As we neared the core of the craftworld, the resistance grew fiercer. Aeldari warriors, their eyes alight with otherworldly fire, appeared in swarms, engaging us with precision and speed. My remaining brothers and I fought with the fury of the Emperor's wrath, each shot from our bolters an invocation of His divine retribution.
Brother Marius fell next, struck by a pulse of energy that disintegrated his armor and left only the faint echo of his battle cry. The sight of his demise fueled my anger, driving me to press on despite the mounting losses. My remaining brother, Tiberius, fought valiantly by my side, his chainaxe cleaving through Aeldari ranks as if they were mere wheat before the scythe.
We reached the threshold of the Infinity Circuit, the heart of the Aeldari craftworld's power. The Aeldari defenders here were unlike any we had faced before—fierce, desperate, and fighting with a primal urgency. We pushed through, our bolters and blades carving a path through the alien defenders.
Finally, we breached the inner sanctum of the Infinity Circuit. The room was vast, filled with the swirling energies of captured souls, and the sight was awe-inspiring in its alien grandeur. We had little time to admire the view, though. The Aeldari were closing in for one final stand, and their determination was palpable.
The Aeldari leader, a figure of ethereal beauty and dread, appeared amidst the chaos. His presence seemed to distort the very fabric of reality around him. With a voice that resonated through the warp, he demanded our surrender, but we knew such an option was not in our nature.
"FOR THE EMPEROR!" I roared, my voice carrying the weight of countless battles and the honor of the Imperium.
We fought with renewed vigor, pushing back against the Aeldari's fierce onslaught. The Infinity Circuit's energies crackled around us, an ominous reminder of what was at stake. I could feel the weight of our mission pressing down upon me, but amidst the chaos, I found a glimmer of hope—a chance to complete our mission and strike a blow against the alien menace.
A chink in the armour as it were and I allowed my spare lasgun a weapon I took from a dead friend in a war centuries ago overloaded it and threw it towards the opening in the crystal. Tiberius was shocked to death by the wretched lighting from the leader and with his death the onslaught on me intensified I knew I had but precious secoconds left. "PRAISE THE EMPEROR AND PURGE THE XE…"
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The world torn asunder as what looked like wraiths appeared and screamed and burned all around me. I sighed and allowed the emperor to guide me home with one last close of my eyes. The end was here.
END OF ASTARTES POV
"They did much better than anticipated save some geneseed for me to experiment with, especially that one" I pointed towards the brave albeit foolish space marine who caused a crack in the infinity circuit. Mother nodded her head in agreeance it was rare for astartes to go so above and beyond in what could only be described as a futile scenario.
I laughed and sipped my wine. The best part of the show was fast approaching and it was the part I was most in anticipation of looking up. I see a vast swath of purple wriggling creatures on a monitor flying at breakneck speeds through space hurtling toward the craftworld.
"My favorite little helper" I laughed as a tyranid hive fleet appeared and flew directly towards them. I had to sacrifice a dozen imperial worlds to guide this fleet here creating the most delicate concoctions of scent/biomass for them to consume to head this way. Took nearly a decade of coordinated efforts on it to succeed.
"Get ready malekith the real fight starts now" I sent this message via vox and began heading to my lab there was much to make in preparation for the finale and a new toxin was recently concocted by a haemonculi under our employ I could make use of such a thing.
As the last echoes of the Astartes' final stand reverberated through the Infinity Circuit, a shiver of satisfaction ran through me. The Aeldari's attempt at preserving their precious souls had been disrupted, their defenses tested beyond their limits. And now, with the crafty interference of the Astartes, the stage was set for an even greater conflict.
I leaned back in my chair, savoring the moment as I observed the Tyranid hive fleet's approach on the monitor. The hive fleet moved like a living storm, an insatiable tide of biological destruction that would soon clash with the already beleaguered craftworld. It was a masterpiece of cosmic engineering, the culmination of years of painstaking manipulation and sacrifice. The Aeldari's craftworld, despite its formidable defenses, would be caught between the hammer of the Imperium's desperate strike and the anvil of the Tyranid swarm.
"Prepare the new toxin for deployment," I instructed my aides, a cruel smile curling on my lips. The toxin was a subtle blend, a creation of the most diabolical minds among the Haemonculi, designed to exploit the unique vulnerabilities of both the Aeldari and their enemies. Its release would ensure that even the survivors of this catastrophic clash would find no solace or safety.
I watched as the Tyranid fleet's biomass signatures flared brighter on the monitor, a pulsating indicator of their ravenous hunger. The Aeldari, already reeling from their encounter with the Astartes, would find themselves overwhelmed by this new threat. Their craftworld's defenses, though impressive, were not designed to withstand the full fury of a hive fleet at the peak of its voraciousness.
My thoughts drifted momentarily to the intricacies of my plan. The sacrifices made to lure the Tyranids here were not insignificant, but the payoff would be worth every lost world. Each world, each death, contributed to the greater scheme, ensuring that the craftworld would be consumed by a storm of chaos it could not hope to survive.
The sound of a chime drew me from my reverie. The lab technicians had completed their preparations, and the toxin was ready for deployment. I moved to my workbench, the air thick with anticipation. The new concoction would be the final touch in an already complex and deadly scenario.
With the final adjustments made and the toxin prepared, I took one last look at the monitor. The craftworld was now visibly distressed, its once-immaculate energy fields flickering as it struggled to cope with the simultaneous assault from both the Imperium's remnants and the Tyranid menace. The Tyranid hive fleet, a writhing mass of hunger and destruction, was closing in with relentless precision.
I relished the thought of the chaos that would soon unfold. The craftworld, once a symbol of Aeldari superiority and tranquility, would be reduced to a smoldering ruin, its inhabitants torn asunder by the combined might of their enemies. I laughed as I watched countless ships being torn apart but I could tell that the aeldari still had a bit of fight left in them.
It's unlikely the swarm will wipe them out entirely especially with malekith having a tendency to pluck the strands of fate like a chord but it would wound them sufficiently and with some luck… I lazed back and watched the holoscreen going back and forth between separate conflicts throughout the craftworld.