Unable to expand across planets on a massive scale for the time being, the Overmind shifted his focus to developing his existing holdings. Currently, the Hives on various planets were progressing well; with just a little more time, the Swarm would have the resource output of dozens of worlds. This would be enough to establish a firm foothold in the early-to-mid game. The various galactic factions were far from united, and they had yet to realize the true terror of the Zerg Swarm.
The Great War in Commorragh raged on, with Nydusara consistently reporting the battlefield situation to the Overmind. New Wych samples were being sent back daily, a trend that finally signaled to the Dark Aeldari that something was amiss.
"What do you mean you lost hundreds of Wyches and a Succubus?"
Standing before Archon Slacus was another sensual Succubus, her body drenched in Zerg ichor, reporting the latest casualties.
"Do you think my Kabal of the Abyssal Depths hasn't suffered? We've lost nearly ten thousand warriors! It's as if these bugs can never be cleared out! Kill one, and two more take its place!!!" Slacus's eyes gleamed with murderous intent beneath his helm. Since when did the Wych Cults become so petty, reporting back after losing a mere few hundred?
"No... I saw that those bugs didn't kill them. They took them away."
"What? Are you implying those insects take them to their nests to use their bodies as incubators?!"
Slaanesh would likely find such a concept "acceptable"—barely passing, but please, continue! The idea of insects laying eggs inside one's body was a bit too much even for the Dark Aeldari—not because of the act itself, but because Aeldari pride generally forbade such "filth" from entering their physical forms.
Slacus made no effort to hide the contempt in his voice as he spoke to the Succubus. He said impatiently, "Those bugs don't need such complicated processes. My scouts have infiltrated that nest; they produce larvae directly. At most, your people were taken to be eaten as food."
"No. They took them through a Webway gate."
"..." Archon Slacus was no fool. He quickly understood the implication. "You mean to say... those bugs took the Wyches to another planet?"
"Yes."
"Excellent!"
Slacus immediately grasped the Succubus's point. On the other side of that Webway gate, there was undoubtedly a "Commander" unit of some kind. All he needed to do was deliver a "grand gift" to the Swarm Commander on that planet—a decapitation strike. By killing the Swarm's Hive Tyrant (as they assumed), the rest of the bugs would lose control.
The logic was sound. Unfortunately, while the Tyranid Great Devourer doesn't manage day-to-day affairs (leaving that to Norn Queens), the Zerg Overmind is very much hands-on. Given the Overmind's power, if forced into the open, very few in the physical universe could best him in combat. While the death of the Overmind would indeed cause the Swarm to splinter, even if a new Overmind were born, it would take a long time to reunify the Swarm. But like the Celebrates, the Overmind is virtually immortal; his psychic essence allows for infinite resurrection.
"I will deploy my Incubi and air wings. Tell the Haemonculi to unleash their Pain Engines. Your Wych Cult must also send Succubi and their elite forces. No one is allowed to hold back. We must slay the enemy leader. If we fail, Archons from other districts will be more than happy to seize our territory. If you wish to be sold as slaves, then by all means, keep your secrets to yourselves."
Slacus didn't need to say more; the Wych Cult knew the stakes.
"But perhaps we shouldn't rely solely on ourselves," Slacus's adjutant reminded him. "Remember how Archon Malys bypassed the protections of those 'Mon-keigh' to seize their precious relic?"
"Oh, you mean..." Slacus smiled. "Excellent. Let's proceed with that."
The "Malys" they spoke of was one of the top Archons in Commorragh, perhaps second only to Vect. She had once infiltrated a heavily guarded Forge World by luring a massive Ork fleet to the planet, allowing her to easily seize a precious STC template amidst the chaos between the Imperium and the Orks.
That STC was called the "Panacea," capable of curing almost all diseases permanently. The Imperium could have saved billions of lives with it, but now it remained forever out of their reach. Such creative torture and mockery had become a favorite topic of conversation in Commorragh.
"Begin the operation! Anyone caught holding back will be dealt with by me after the war!"
The three factions sprang into action. Inside the warehouses of the Haemonculus Covens, various Pain Engines—monstrosities of machine and flesh—began to stir. No two of these twisted creations were exactly alike; they were the failed or successful results of Haemonculus experiments. Without exception, they were lethal weapons, and the Covens grew rich by producing and selling them. One could even see modified Tyranid Hormagaunts and Warriors among the ranks.
Elsewhere, within Slacus's Kabal, the elite units known as Incubi began to deploy. Every member was the elite of the elite; the weak were slain by their peers and replaced by the strong. Each Incubus possessed combat prowess comparable to an Archon.
Simultaneously, more non-Aeldari forces were being mustered: well-equipped Sslyth mercenaries, Medusae capable of psychic attacks, and Beastmasters driving swarms of Warp-beasts with their whips. Archon Slacus had clearly summoned everyone suitable for this operation.
They arrived at the Webway gate and began a forceful assault against the Zerg forces guarding it. Since this wasn't a major battlefield, Nydusara had deployed limited defensive forces. This composite army was significantly stronger than previous Kabalite squads, and they soon broke through the Zerg line to reach the gate's control.
The Succubus who had reported to Slacus operated the ritual console at the Webway gate, quickly locking onto the coordinates Nydusara had traveled to previously. "Coordinates found. Data uploaded," she reported to Slacus.
"Good."
At another large Webway gate, the Dark Aeldari opened the way. The already-prepared Dark Aeldari Air Force—piloting Razorwing Jetfighters, Raven Strike Fighters, and Voidraven Bombers—poured through, appearing on the planet closest to the Overmind as the vanguard.
This sudden strike caught the Zerg Swarm off guard. Countless ground units had just spotted the attacking aircraft when Void Mines dropped from the Voidraven Bombers detonated amidst the Swarm.
BOOM——!
Following the violent explosion, a massive hemispherical crater appeared. Everything within the blast radius was annihilated; even the hardiest Roaches and large Spine Crawlers were wiped from existence.