Zasz didn't want to waste more time. He had given these Aeldari a chance to surrender.
Since they refused, there was nothing more to discuss.
The Infestor needed time to regenerate its severed tail spike. But the Infestor possessed more than just the tail spike. Its surface writhed.
Then, a massive green glob of mucus flew out, splattering onto the battlefield.
This was another ability of the Infestor. The green mucus glob didn't explode to destroy buildings or corrode structures. It simply coated the battlefield in a layer of green slime.
"Disgusting."
Kalesa was drenched in half her body by the green acid, immediately feeling nauseous.
She tried to leave the area but found her feet stuck.
Looking down, the green mucus firmly anchored her feet to the rooftop. No matter how hard she pulled, she couldn't break free from the slime's grip.
†After eating my Fungal Growth, even with godlike skills, you'll stay put!†
Why is the Infestor the strongest unit in Versus? Because none of its abilities are useless.
Fungal Growth can control enemies over a wide area. Even massive units struggle to break free. When enemies are immobilized as targets, both melee and ranged attacks perform at 1000% effectiveness.
Zerglings charged forward. Faced with the incoming Swarm, Kalesa felt extreme anxiety. After confirming she couldn't break free, she drew her bone blade.
But the next moment, the building beneath her crumbled. A Roach burst through the soil and the floor, swallowing Kalesa's lower half in one bite.
The sharp mouthparts snapped shut, severing Kalesa's lower body.
"Ah——————!"
Excruciating pain made Kalesa scream. The agony of bisection was unbearable for ordinary beings.
The other Aeldari warriors fared no better. Either immobilized and shot through non-vital areas by Hydralisks, or limbs torn off by pouncing Zerglings.
As long as they didn't die, the Zerg Swarm's current approach was gentle.
If not for the Overmind's order to capture alive, this place would have been bombed by Ravagers until not even remains were left.
Even the Wraithlord struggled to move. Focus-fired by over a dozen Hydralisks, it was soon riddled with spines and collapsed helplessly.
Kalesa, with only half her body left, crawled painfully on the ground, still reaching for her rifle. But then, the Infestor's tail spike appeared overhead, piercing the back of Kalesa's skull from behind.
The tail spike lifted Kalesa's bisected torso like a claw crane, bringing her before the Infestor. Through the Infestor's vision, Cerebrate Zasz looked at Kalesa's vacant eyes, mocking, "Pathetic lesser being, unaware of the Overmind's greatness."
The Infestor turned and left. The settlement behind was overrun. At the Webway gate, Aeldari children without combat ability and weak civilians were overwhelmed by Zerglings and Hydralisks, but they wouldn't die.
The more live test subjects, the better.
Kalesa and her kin were transported to the Leviathan, guarded by numerous Hydralisks and Roaches.
With samples obtained, Abathur began his work.
For the Zerg Swarm, extracting memories from a living being wasn't difficult. As a biological master, after connecting to the target's nervous system, the target's memories were like a database, accessible at will.
Kalesa's entire life unfolded before the Swarm Overmind like a slideshow.
†Wow, that's... wild.†
Craftworld Aeldari were only slightly more conservative than their Dark Eldar cousins, but still retained some hedonistic practices from ten millennia ago. The wild parts were what the Overmind wanted to see, and likely most time-travelers too.
But the Overmind focused on the parts about the Webway gate.
Webway gates could be opened by other species; otherwise, the Emperor wouldn't have strived to master them for humanity.
Just altering the activation method took the Emperor and his researchers considerable time.
Other species could also traverse Webway gates, but without knowing the operation, they'd be sent to any one of countless Webway gates.
Once, Tau pursued Aeldari into a Webway gate. The Aeldari emerged before Harlequins, while the Tau ended up in Commorragh (see the short film The Exodite).
Commorragh—a heaven and hell any outlaw simultaneously yearns for and fears, the primary gathering place of Dark Eldar.
In the eyes of Warhammer time-travelers, it's the cesspit within the cesspit, a place to avoid no matter how strong.
Back on topic. From the Overmind's review, the Aeldari method of opening Webway gates was simpler.
Any Aeldari could activate a Webway gate via the Webway beacon before it. Larger gates required activating multiple beacons and specifying the destination.
Activating a Webway beacon was even simpler—just touch it. Literally, just touch it. The memory showed Kalesa touching it, and the beacon lit up, displaying star-map-like radiance.
But other species touching the beacon couldn't activate it. Likely determined by genetic sequence.
†The operation isn't hard. But requiring Aeldari genetic sequence alone explains why the Emperor spent so long cracking it back then.†
For the Emperor during the 30K era, no xenos should exist, especially xenos like the Aeldari. He certainly wouldn't cooperate with Aeldari or let Aeldari genes taint human genetics.
Of course, the Swarm Overmind wouldn't cooperate with Aeldari either.
But the Zerg Swarm didn't care about genetic sequences.
Either keep a live, Infestor-controlled Aeldari, or incorporate part of the Aeldari genetic sequence into certain Zerg units, tricking the Webway beacon into thinking they're Aeldari.
The former saves effort; the latter is convenient.
†Abathur, develop a new unit using Cerebrate, Queen, and Aeldari genetic sequences. Classify it under Queen variants. I need this unit to open Webway gates.†
The reason for giving only the Queen the Aeldari genetic sequence was deliberate.
The Overmind didn't want numerous Zerg Swarm units to possess Aeldari genetic sequences. Who knows what criteria Slaanesh uses to judge a being as Aeldari? If masses of Zerg with Aeldari sequences were created and died, their souls might be claimed by Slaanesh.
Then couldn't the Overmind fight Slaanesh in the future?
Queens, as command units one tier below Cerebrates and above Overlords, wouldn't be a great loss even if lost. Moreover, it might enhance the Queen's already strong psychic power, granting some psychic combat value.
"As you command, Overmind. I shall deliver a satisfactory result."
Abathur wriggled its body, returning to its chamber in the Leviathan to work.
Cerebrate Zasz continued expanding Creep, claiming the entire planet as Zerg Swarm territory. The Swarm's numbers grew daily.
In just a month, viewed from space, the planet no longer had its rainforest environment. Instead, it was covered in purplish-black Creep.
Such drastic planetary environmental change was visible to anyone with or without eyes.
Imperial fleets had long observed this planet's anomaly. Half a month ago, a request for approval was submitted by a Naval officer. But until now, the Planetary Governor hadn't approved the document.
[You can always trust Imperial bureaucracy.]