Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 658 Shattered Peace

Chen Xi's command was like a flare piercing the calm night sky, suddenly illuminating the "Azure Dawn" and forcibly lighting up a battlefield that no one had anticipated.

The authority of the court is beyond question, especially in the face of this sudden and incomprehensible crisis.

A global emergency alert forcefully cut into all communication channels via the Gabbro relay station in orbit. The crimson symbol coldly covered every screen, and the repetitive siren echoed over the streets that had been filled with laughter just yesterday, yet no one could decipher for whom the alarm was sounding.

The real chaos began with confusion. The soldiers of the Planetary Defense Force did receive orders to assemble, and they appeared in groups on the streets, dressed in uniforms and carrying standard weapons, to carry out blockade and control tasks.

But their eyes were empty and wandering, and their movements were mechanical and hesitant.

They set up roadblocks according to the manual, but they didn't know whether the roadblocks were meant to stop rioting citizens or some kind of uninformed foreign invaders; they raised their weapons to maintain order, but the direction in which their guns were pointed was empty except for equally confused and terrified civilians.

They asked each other in hushed tones, only to be met with even more bewildered shrugs.

They are pawns pushed to the front lines, ordered to defend a war to which no one explains anything, against an enemy whose name, form, or even existence has not been revealed.

Maintaining order? They don't even know why order has collapsed.

In the temporary command center of the island of "Peak of Tranquility"—a large hall hastily cleared of entertainment facilities and with data cables snaking across the floor—Chen Xi stood before the main screen, his face as cold as ice.

Oregana had directly connected her analyzer to the main thinker array of the gabbro, and a massive torrent of data poured out like a galaxy, scrolling wildly across several floating screens.

“The global genetic screening order has been enforced,” Olegana’s synthesized voice said in a steady tone, but with an inhuman urgency, “but the implementation efficiency is lower than expected, with less than 40% of remote islands and offshore platforms responding.”

Several high-ranking officials of the local planetary government... failed to arrive at the designated safe node as ordered, citing numerous and illogical reasons.

“They’re not delaying,” Chen Xi’s voice was deep and sharp, like a drawn blade, “they’re obstructing. Activate the gabbro’s deep multispectral biological scan at maximum power.”

I will penetrate every inch of seawater, every meter of rock, to see clearly what is hatching within the very core of this planet!

The Faggot slowly turned its hull in mid-air, and the layers of armor plates on its belly opened to reveal a complex, honeycomb-like scanning array.

A silent yet powerful energy beam, capable of discerning the very essence of life, suddenly descended, like the indifferent gaze of a deity, beginning to lick every inch of the planet's skin.

Scanning takes time.

In this agonizing wait, sporadic genetic screening results began to arrive.

Initial reports showed that the genetic samples of ordinary people were generally normal, but soon, abnormal data emerged one after another like a boil.

“Chen Xi!” For the first time, Aurejana’s voice carried a tone similar to “confirmation,” cold and deadly. “In the collective sample of the Third Regiment of the Planetary Defense Force, ‘Siren’s Scale,’ twelve percent of the senior officers have consistent genetic sequence abnormalities.”

Recessive modification, perfect match of signature points... confirmed as a typical pattern of fourth-generation infected individuals from the Genestealer Cult.

Genestealer.

The silent nightmare of the Terran swarm, the most vicious vanguard.

They do not conquer with swords, but rather write destruction into their genes, implanting it into the bloodline of a civilization, allowing it to internally nurture a sect that worships a god of devouring, ultimately dismantling all defenses from the inside out, and welcoming the main fleet's feast.

Chen Xi's eyes seemed to freeze with ice: "Continue."

"Deep scanning in progress... Multiple anomalous biosignal clusters have been detected. Coordinates Alpha-Seven, located at the extreme depth of the 'Deep Blue Hole' trench, have detected large-scale, high-concentration Tyrannosaurus biomass signals, resembling biological shipwrecks or large incubation ponds."

At coordinates Beta-Two, deep underground in the southern industrial area of ​​the main island, lies a non-natural, gigantic organic structure. Its energy signature matches the Tyrannosaurus biosignal by 91.7%. At coordinates Gamma-Niner, beneath the northern ice cap, a…”

Coordinates were coldly marked on the planet's hologram, like festering black spots appearing on a beautiful face. The planet's facade of tranquility was shattered, revealing its ugly, writhing inner truth. It was already terminally ill. And then came the most fatal judgment.

"Scanning and comparison complete." Aurejana's voice was like a death knell, a final pronouncement. "Planetary Governor Crosso, Defense Force Commander General Valence, Chief Representative of the Ministry of the Interior..."

A total of seventeen members of the planet's highest management team, including their reserved genetic samples and real-time scan data...

It perfectly matches the characteristics of the fourth-generation gene stealer infected.

Conclusion: The planet's ruling core has been completely infiltrated. All our previous orders have most likely been systematically delayed, distorted, and intercepted.

The command center was deathly silent, save for the low hum of the machines and the distant echo of the alarm.

All the clues finally converged into an irrefutable fact.

Why does everything seem prosperous and peaceful? Because all the blemishes have been carefully covered up by this controlled system!
This is a world that has already fallen, a tribute served on the dinner table, awaiting the arrival of swarms of insects!

A chill ran down Chen Xi's spine, but it was quickly replaced by an even more raging rage.

He was not only angry at the alien's blasphemy, but also felt a deep, almost suffocating fear.

Azure Dawn is a renowned garden world in the star sector, a top vacation paradise for nobles and high-ranking officials in the Mariupol star sector and even the entire Solar System.

For hundreds and thousands of years, countless imperial officials, wealthy merchants, and even some military leaders and their families have enjoyed the sun and waves here, completely unaware that they are walking on a huge infected nest.

They encountered local officials, service personnel, and even strangers they met by chance...

How many of them are members of religious sects? Every handshake, every meal together, every seemingly harmless social interaction could be a potential opportunity for infection to spread.

The pollution from gene thieves is a hidden, intergenerational curse.

Have those nobles who left here and returned to their posts or fiefdoms unknowingly become time bombs, bringing the shadow of the swarm to the deeper core areas of the empire?

The fear this thought evokes far surpasses even the fear of a planet falling.

This is no longer an isolated local pollution incident, but a plague that may have already quietly spread within the empire! Its potential impact is immeasurable.

We must act immediately and eradicate this in the most thorough and ruthless way possible.

“Aurejana!” Chen Xi’s voice was firm and decisive, brooking no doubt. “Immediately send an urgent message in Star Language to the Rostov Star Region headquarters! The message is as follows: The planet Azure Dawn has been confirmed to have been fully infiltrated by the Tyranid Genestealer Cult. The ruling core and some of its armed forces have betrayed the cult. Multiple confirmed Tyranid biological strongholds exist on the surface and underground.”

Request: Immediately dispatch an Ash Knight Titan battle group, no fewer than three regiments of elite Imperial Guards, and a Mechanicus biological extermination task force authorized to use advanced viral weapons and ground-crushing equipment.

We need absolute firepower sufficient to carry out an extermination order, sealing off the star system and preparing for the worst-case scenario of annihilation!

The information was encrypted and compressed, and propelled by the Star Speakers on the ship with all their willpower into the waves of the warp, hurtling toward the distant headquarters.

However, the moment the urgent message from the stars was sent, Aurejana's alarm suddenly turned shrill!

"Large-scale directional communication jamming detected! Source: Planetary capital, Haian City! Multiple previously silent ground defense weapon platforms have changed their signal status to 'hostile'! The Gabbro reports—missile lock-on signal detected from the surface! Multiple sources!"

The Genestealers cult realized their disguise had been completely torn off. They would no longer hide.

The massacre has begun.

(End of this chapter)