Borlais had already guessed that it was the Tyranids who would invade this planet, but when he personally witnessed the reality of their arrival, the horrific sight still upended his understanding. They were everywhere, packed so densely it defied logic. If these monsters were replaced with daemons, it would be a terrifying incursion. No—even now, it was a terrifying incursion.
The moment Borlais recognized the true power of the Swarm, he understood that Planet Ende, and even this entire sector, had no means of self-preservation. He should perform his duty as an Inquisitor and declare Exterminatus upon this world.
"Contact the warships immediately... Dammit, if you can't reach them, prepare the ground shuttles. Send us into space first. The ground cannot be held!"
None of the high-ranking officials present offered any opposition. Only Arch-Cardinal Griffiths showed a flicker of confusion.
"But if we leave, the soldiers and resources here—"
"Arch-Cardinal, you are a fool. If you wish to stay here to manifest your faith in the God-Emperor, I have absolutely no objection."
Borlais did not like the Ecclesiarchy. To be precise, at the higher echelons of power, most people outside the church disliked that bloated and stagnant organization. Griffiths froze. He looked at the faces around him and understood perfectly: the Ecclesiarchy's influence on this planet was already weak. If he fled with them, he would inevitably be used as the scapegoat later. Furthermore, his relationship with Yuki—whose current stance was ambiguous—would eventually be exposed.
In that case, staying behind was a better option.
"Inquisitor, I will not abandon my followers. I stay with them, just as the God-Emperor stays with us."
Borlais snorted with disdain. "Then stay."
The Planetary Governor, Sno, also knew his fate wouldn't be pleasant. When a planet falls, the Governor is always the primary culprit. However, surviving another day was better than nothing. Sno took his essential civil servants and followed Borlais to the surface airfield.
The place was already overcrowded. Even without Warp communication, the news of the massive monster invasion had spread through word of mouth.
"Dammit, call the local troops here! Clear a path for us!"
Borlais's subordinates used their rifle butts to shove aside those searching for an escape. These were nobles, carrying their families; no matter how cold-blooded they were usually, they felt the need to band together at a time like this. Those who were struck glared back, but the moment they saw the Inquisitor, their defiance vanished.
Borlais was furious. He had seized supreme authority over the planet, but the troops he could actually mobilize were few. Tens of millions had disappeared in the Underhive and Mid-hive, and most military outposts in the Spire had been seized.
Damn it all. He should have launched the Exterminatus at the very beginning. Throughout his years as an Inquisitor, this was the only time he had hesitated over the destruction of a planet, and this was the result.
While reflecting, the Inquisitor found a gunship. This craft could carry them through the atmosphere, allowing them to escape before more Tyranid forces completely blockaded the sky.
"Everyone, get on!"
"Father."
Borlais was about to snap, but his fury vanished instantly. He looked at Angel, who had been brought before him by soldiers. "You finally decided to come back?"
"I'm sorry, Father. I was wrong."
"And that traitor, Yuki?"
"I don't know. He... he disappeared a long time ago."
Disappeared? Borlais had no time to ponder what had happened to that bastard. He motioned for his daughter to board the gunship. The craft took off, leaving behind hundreds of thousands at the airfield still waiting for a new batch of shuttles to land.
In space, a few vessels were still moving back and forth. The planet's starport was only basic, lacking the capacity to dock large capital ships. The Inquisitor went directly to the starport administrator, displayed his identity along with his armed escort, and requisitioned all ships. Most were merchant vessels and transports with no combat capability, but in the Inquisitor's eyes, they would serve as perfect obstacles to slow the Tyranids.
"Can you detect the current position of the Swarm?"
"We can't, milord. Our psykers have all lost their abilities."
Borlais was deeply displeased. Fighting without information would inevitably lead to the worst outcome.
"Sir! We have detected traces of the enemy!"
"Good! I knew the God-Emperor had not abandoned us. Where are they?"
"Sir! We can see them!"
The room fell into a sudden silence. Borlais turned his gaze toward the distance. A massive, blurred fleet was slowly emerging from the infinite darkness of the universe.
"Everyone, do you know which direction the Convent is? I gave orders to the fleet to gather there if contact with me was lost. That is our last hope now."
"God-Emperor preserve us."
Those gathered began to weep. Were they truly being forced to abandon their home? Yes. If they didn't run now, they wouldn't even have that chance.
Borlais was preparing to filter through the crowd to select those who would follow him when a shout rose from the chaos outside: "The Sisters of Battle have arrived!"
The squad of Battle Sisters was small—less than a thousand. They were covered in wounds, and their weapons were a bizarre assortment. Accompanying them were students from the Schola Progenium. Since the planet's Schola was located in the Underhive, Borlais immediately went to meet them. This was the first Underhive unit to establish contact with him.
The leader was Hopper. Her expression was tinged with sorrow. Faced with Borlais's questioning, she spoke softly: "They are all dead. The water supply of the Schola was contaminated by the Genestealers. The survivors who remained pure fought to the end. We were ambushed as well, fighting and retreating the whole way. Finally, we made it back to the Spire through a hidden path. The Mid-hive has basically fallen, and the Spire will follow soon. Our breakthrough was a miracle."
Hopper looked at Borlais, her eyes filled with a similar pity. "I must take my sisters back. Even if we die, we will die defending the path to our Convent."
The entire front had collapsed. Could the situation get any worse? Hopper looked at the Inquisitor, whose face was growing increasingly pale, and asked a question: "Milord, I heard that all ships now follow your command. Are you willing to grant the wish of these servants of the Emperor?"
Clearly, through the baptism of war, Hopper had become the leader and core of this group. Borlais knew that a confrontation at this moment was unwise.
"I will. I am also going to the Convent. Our goals are the same."
"May the God-Emperor protect you."
"What is your name? Why haven't I seen you at the Convent before?"
"I am Hopper, sir. Just an ordinary Battle Sister."