"FIRE! FIRE!! FIRE!!!"
The ground battle had descended into such chaos that even the commander couldn't direct operations calmly and had to personally fight outside the command post.
[Name: Nydus Worm]
[Length: Variable]
[Role: Rapid burrowing transport unit]
[Armament: None]
[Description: The Nydus Worm's astonishing underground tunneling speed is its killer feature. The Nydus Network is the Zerg's subterranean nest structure. After a Hatchery upgrades to a Lair, Nydus Worms can be hatched from the network. Upon receiving orders, these colossal creatures can move freely through the Nydus Network to any designated location.
Upon surfacing, the fearsome Nydus Worm begins spreading Creep and serves as a Zerg transport. It can stretch itself to astonishing lengths, forming fleshy passageways through which Zerg ground forces can rapidly traverse.
Unfortunately, the Nydus Worm is not as sturdy as its massive size suggests.]
†I still remember the Liberty's Last Stand mission in Wings of Liberty—backdoored by Nydus Worms. A Brood Lord and a Nydus Worm, unstoppable!†
Several Nydus Worms breached the surface, spewing forth organized formations of Roaches, Hydralisks, and a few Zerglings. Roaches immediately absorbed immense firepower. Imperial lasguns and rifles couldn't penetrate their armor.
Only armored vehicle autocannons could damage them. Leman Russ tank cannons could blast a Roach to near-death in one shot but couldn't kill these heavily armored, tenacious ground units with a single hit.
Hydralisks were nightmares for Imperial soldiers. Humans were far frailer than Orks. Hydralisk spines pierced Imperial flak armor and the soldier within in an instant.
Soldier helmets bearing the Aquila were mere psychological comfort. A spine hit would explode the head entirely.
Fortunately, Hydralisks had weak defenses. Several lasgun volleys could kill these dangerous ranged killers.
But occasionally, a foolhardy Imperial soldier charged a Hydralisk with a bayonet, only to be bisected by its bone scythe.
Amidst this chaos, Zerglings' agile forms were death incarnate on the battlefield.
"Sir, they're everywhere!" The commander's bodyguard warned the increasingly frantic commander.
"THEN FIRE EVERYWHERE!!!"
The commander's boltgun barrel glowed red from sustained fire. After emptying a magazine, he swiftly reloaded.
He noticed the Nydus Worms. These colossal surface-breaching creatures continued spewing Roaches and Hydralisks right in the center of the position, adjacent to the artillery battery. This prevented the artillery from firing at them.
"Leman Russ company! Blast those underground monsters!!!"
The Leman Russ tanks attempted to target the Nydus Worms, but massive Roaches directly rammed them, tilting the tanks dangerously.
A second Roach rammed, tilting a tank over 40 degrees, its cannon unable to aim at the Nydus Worm.
Nearly every Leman Russ was surrounded by several Roaches—either wrestling with them or corroding their armor with acid spit. Even the Leman Russ's thick armor couldn't withstand prolonged acid corrosion.
Seeing the tank company unable to engage the Nydus Worms, the commander ground his teeth in rage.
"Give me a satchel charge!!!"
The commander shouted, snatching a satchel charge from a guardsman and charging the Nydus Worm.
At that moment, he seemed Emperor-blessed. He slipped between two Roaches, slid under a Hydralisk's scythe strike. His guards were cut off, providing only covering fire.
Several Zerglings lunging at the commander were shot down by the guards, but the guards themselves were blown skyward by a Baneling rolling in from the flank.
The commander's eyes held no fear—only the Nydus Worm.
Satchel charge in hand, he sprinted towards the Nydus Worm at his maximum speed, coming face-to-face with a Roach emerging from it.
"Get back down!"
He shoved the satchel charge into the Roach's maw, like the Emperor's mortal champion. He stomped on its face, forcing it back into the Nydus Worm's gullet.
He leaped away, pulling the charge's igniter mid-air, and landed behind a dead Roach for cover.
Seconds later, a violent explosion shredded the Roach that swallowed the charge and collapsed the Nydus Worm's maw passage.
"One down."
His courage befitted his rank. But as he moved toward the second Nydus Worm, his foot landed on something soft.
The commander only had time to glimpse the green, semi-buried cyst abdomen before a violent explosion launched him skyward. Losing consciousness, he saw his own body parts flying everywhere.
He had underestimated the Swarm's density on this battlefield.
The Nydus Worm he collapsed cleared the blocked passage in under two minutes and resumed disgorging Roaches.
"Overmind, the enemy is broken. Instructions for follow-up."
†Leave none alive.†
"As you command. Leave none alive."
The Overmind would spare none. Survivors would only bring more Imperial forces. Neither these hundreds of thousands on the ground nor the millions in space would leave this planet.
†To survive in this dark, hopeless universe, 'mercy' cannot be in my dictionary.†
In another world, perhaps a little compassion. But in Warhammer 40K, the Overmind must be colder, more ruthless than the true Overmind to survive.
Spare one Ork, and a whole mob grows.
Spare one Dark Eldar, and a raiding party comes.
Spare one human, and an army of badasses returns.
Not one must escape!!!
The ground battle ended swiftly. The Nydus Worms' sudden assault was too unfair—this was practically an infiltration operation disguised as a siege.
Leman Russ tanks were dismantled one by one by Roach swarms. Imperial soldiers were slaughtered by Zerglings and Hydralisks. Even airborne dropships were destroyed mid-air by Scourge.
The battlefield was littered with abandoned Imperial artillery pieces. These potentially decisive weapons never saw proper use, severely hampering the Imperial ground forces' performance.
If attacked from outside the perimeter, the artillery barrage zone would be a death zone no Zerg unit except Ultralisks could cross.
But that's warfare. No one waits for you to set up before attacking.
†Zasz, handle the space forces. Within seven days, I want those five ships destroyed. Authorize Leviathan use if necessary.†