In the desert.
A motorcycle lay abandoned on the ground; it would eventually disappear under the erosion of time and shifting sands. Its former owner was now walking across the wasteland.
"Another... two hundred kilometers."
Lachi had truly entered the no-man's-land. In this desolate stretch, not even the Tyranids had appeared yet. She wanted to reach the last Hive city still putting up resistance to tell the cult members there not to be deceived—that their so-called God-Emperor was nothing more than a cruel hoax. If they could cooperate with the Vostroyan Firstborn, there might be a chance to successfully repel this invasion.
Lachi knew this was incredibly difficult, but it was the last hope, the only possibility left. Over the past few days, she had seen several Gargoyles flying past; they were undoubtedly heading to the Hive to join the battle. If she couldn't make it in time, everything would be lost.
Lachi's sheer will pushed her forward. Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed from far behind her. It wasn't the sound of Tyranids, but the roar of engines.
She turned her head and saw several Leman Russ Battle Tanks, accompanied by thousands of Vostroyan Firstborn soldiers riding in various transport and armored vehicles. She was about to say something when a cavalryman caught up to her and knocked her unconscious with the butt of his rifle.
When Lachi woke up again, she was bound before a Vostroyan officer.
"Xenos scum—"
"We were tricked by the Tyranids! They won't bring us happiness! We have to cooperate with the Imperium now!" Lachi shouted without a second thought. Naturally, a soldier nearby struck her in the stomach for her outburst.
The officer said coldly, "I am glad to hear your repentance before you die, but it would have been better if this realization had come sooner."
"Listen, Commander, there is still one Hive left. We still have hope. Tell my comrades, tell them the truth. If everyone unites and relies on that last Hive, we can hold out."
"Heh, easier said than done. Do you really think the xenos-tainted would accept such a claim so easily?"
Lachi was speechless. The officer was right; the perception of the Genestealer Cult was altered at a genetic level. People like her, who recognized the truth early, were a rare minority. If that was the case, then wouldn't it mean—
Lachi didn't dare think further.
The officer also knew that asking her for information was useless. Their enemy had long since shifted from the Genestealer Cult to the Tyranid Hive Fleet itself. Now, facing a Hive Fleet with only one remaining Hive surrounded by cultists, there was little they could do. The goal of this final armored remnant of the Vostroyan Firstborn was simply to kill as many xenos as possible before their own destruction.
"Give her a quick death," the officer ordered.
Lachi accepted her fate; dying at the hands of humans was better than being eaten by Tyranids. However, just as a soldier was about to fire, a sudden jolt interrupted the execution.
The officer looked through the observation port and saw a massive, python-like creature with a chitinous shell erupt from the ground, violently flipping a Leman Russ tank.
"It's a Mawloc!"
"A Mawloc?"
"It moves underground! Drive! Get out of here!"
Before the words had finished, another troop transport was overturned. Surviving soldiers scrambled to escape. A few vehicles stopped to try and pick them up, but the Mawloc crushed them instantly upon stopping.
"Give me a vehicle! I'll lure it away!" Lachi yelled.
"Are you joking?"
"You pampered high-borns have no idea how to fight in a place like this!"
The officer froze. A woman dared to speak to him like that; normally, she would be shot on the spot. Yet, he saw a fierce resolve in her eyes.
"I won't give you a vehicle. Get out and find one yourself."
Without slowing down, Lachi was thrown out of the transport. Relying on her enhanced physical attributes, she tumbled across the ground. After breaking a few ribs, she crawled toward a still-running vehicle. The crew had been eaten by the Mawloc while trying to assist their teammates, but the keys were still in the ignition.
She noticed the vibrations in the ground and threw the car into reverse. The moment the Mawloc burst out, she drove right over its head. Lachi struggled to keep control as the vehicle slid down the Mawloc's massive body, then she began circling the beast.
Enraged by Lachi's maneuvers, the Mawloc began to chase her vehicle. Enduring the sharp pain in her chest, Lachi led the beast in circles. Even when the Mawloc submerged, she could accurately judge its position based on the shifting ground and evade it in advance.
Her driving skills shocked even the officer. "Damn, are all these xenos-tainted this capable?"
At the same time, he ordered his tanks to seize the opportunity to attack. Finally, as the Mawloc lunged at Lachi once more, a Leman Russ armor-piercing shell struck it. A single shell couldn't kill it, but Lachi saw her opening. She slammed on the gas, ramming the Mawloc at top speed.
The Mawloc's attempt to retreat underground was interrupted, and the remaining armored units opened fire with everything they had. After several minutes of concentrated fire and the loss of several more vehicles, the Mawloc was finally slain.
Lachi panted, unsure of what to do next.
"Perhaps you truly are someone who has seen the light," the officer said, reaching out to the surviving Lachi. "Though we Vostroyans don't like doing this, given the urgency of the situation, we can reluctantly accept your help."
Lachi scoffed, "You're still acting like this even now?"
The group set out once again.
"Why did you rebel against the Imperium?"
"If you spent a month in the Underhive, you would have joined us too."
The officer had no rebuttal; he had heard rumors of the horrific conditions in the Underhive. "But the Imperium of Man is still the best choice for the majority of humanity."
"I only realized that a short while ago."
"If only all Imperial citizens understood that."
Neither spoke again for a while.
"We are all going to die."
"Officer, do you usually say that to your soldiers?"
"No. Because we already know it in our hearts."
Lachi sighed. "I hope we arrive in time."
Finally, they reached the destination.
"Oh, by the God-Emperor..." The officer began to pray. Lachi knew everything was too late.
Countless reclamation pools and capillary towers had been established. The Hive had fallen. The Genestealer Cult and everyone else in the city had been turned into Tyranid fodder.
A figure she knew all too well was hovering in the air, seemingly waiting specifically for her.
"Hello, Lachi. It's been a while. Come, return to His embrace and enter the eternal Paradise."
Lachi replied, "No. For the Emperor."