"You're saying a black hole appeared inside the city of the Dark Aeldari?"
"Yes, Overmind. Massive swaths of the city have vanished. Even Zerg units that had fled a great distance were consumed. I have failed your expectations."
†No, that's about right.†
The Overmind had long known that the Dark Aeldari possessed many unique "black technologies." Using a singularity bomb to swallow a portion of Commorragh was a standard operation in the Warhammer universe. Humans, Orks, Aeldari, Necrons, and the Zerg all shared the habit of treating their own as cannon fodder; the advantage of sheer scale meant that losing a single planet—or a city sector—was inconsequential.
Compared to them, the Zerg Swarm, which had repeatedly fought to retake Char, seemed as pure and kind-hearted as the T'au.
†Return to Commorragh and maintain your link. I will call upon you when needed.†
"As you command, Overmind."
Nydra returned to Commorragh. For the time being, nothing major would happen there. Looking back at Archon Slacus's former territory, there was now only a void. The spires, the organisms—everything had ceased to exist, and even the singularity itself had vanished. However, the new area where Nydra was stationed was significantly safer.
†My daughter, do you have anything to say?†
"I am loyal to you, Overmind. Commorragh's fate no longer concerns me; they are all enemies of the Swarm now."
There was no immediate need to assault Commorragh. The Overmind didn't want to waste energy there; the Aeldari were, after all, high-risk, low-reward targets. Furthermore, a "Queen of Blades" couldn't be produced just any time. Firstly, the number of Succubi was limited.
Secondly, they needed a sufficiently high psychic level. Finally, for some reason, cloned Dark Aeldari tended to have very poor psychic potential. It would be better to capture established Succubi in the future.
For now? The Swarm didn't want to gamble on how many singularity bombs Vect had in his stash. The fact that he was willing to use them on his own people suggested his inventory was not small. And the Dark Aeldari had more than just that one trick.
Who knew what would pop up next? The ancient Aeldari and the current Aeldari were two completely different beasts, much like the difference between the modern Imperium and the humanity of the 25th Millennium.
This time, the Imperium, the Orks, and the Aeldari likely all knew of the Zerg's existence. The next confrontation wouldn't be a minor skirmish. Previously, it was just a few Space Marines and Astra Militarum regiments.
Next time, it could be Titan Legions, Skitarii of the Adeptus Mechanicus, famous Imperial Guard regiments, multiple Space Marine Chapters, and the various branches of the Inquisition coming together to deal with the Zerg.
†But I'm not afraid either.†
The Swarm developed in an orderly fashion, with new units being produced every second. Their combat strength was constantly growing. It was the other factions that should be worried now; at this point, even a standard Ork WAAAGH! wouldn't be able to break through the defenses of a Swarm spanning dozens of planets.
†However, I'm in the eastern reaches of the Segmentum Ultima. Why haven't I seen any T'au yet?†
What the Overmind didn't know was that the current territory occupied by the T'au was nowhere near as large as what the Swarm held. If they ever met, wiping out the T'au forces would only be a matter of time.
†Sigh, I can't let myself fall into complacency. Just picking on the T'au won't do. I need to find a way to stick it to the Ultramarines. Ideally, I'd strike their homeworld, capture Guilliman, and bring him back to the Swarm to work like a beast of burden—overtime for the rest of his life.†
Baal, the homeworld of the Blood Angels, was also in the galactic east. If the opportunity arose, taking Baal would be even better. But taking Baal felt like a monumental task; every Chaos God had a soft spot for the "Angel's boys," and it wouldn't be fun if a coalition of death-god-worshippers showed up.
†Time to think about the next development strategy.†
Currently, the Swarm's planets were too scattered. The Overmind urgently needed a star chart—ideally one containing detailed information on various sectors. Some might suggest the Celestial Orrery of the Necrons. Forget that; that thing was in the hands of the most powerful Necron Overlord. It was an extremely precious ancient technology, essentially the equivalent of trying to snatch the Golden Throne from the Emperor.
He didn't need anything that high-tech. Just a star chart, a necessity for ship navigation. The only problem was that Zerg infestation didn't preserve the complex navigational functions of other factions' ships. Therefore, he needed a fully functional ship from another faction. Orks, T'au, or other Zerg wouldn't do; Imperial or Aeldari ships were the best bet.
†My daughter.†
"I am here, Overmind."
†I need a star chart. Do you have any ideas?†
"A star chart..." The Queen of Blades pondered. "I could lead a Zerg strike team to seize an Aeldari vessel. It would be easy."
†A good idea, but I have a better one.†
"Please command me."
†The Swarm has happened upon an Aeldari Craftworld.†
The Overmind's appetite was enormous. Ordinary ships couldn't satisfy him; he was actually aiming for a Craftworld. An Aeldari Craftworld was comparable in size to the Spear of Adun, if not larger. These things were essentially mobile colonies, the very foundation of the "Asuryani" presence in the galaxy.
Precisely because of this, their star charts would be sufficiently vast. The ships of most factions only held charts for one or a few sectors, which wasn't enough. As ships that had existed since the height of the Aeldari Empire, Craftworlds surely possessed charts for the entire galaxy, and perhaps even beyond.
The Queen of Blades received the coordinates for this Craftworld.
"This sigil... it is Craftworld Yela'nk."
There were quite a few extant Craftworlds. This was one that hadn't appeared in the lore, marked by a symbol resembling an anvil.
"I recall this Craftworld is famous for its constructs. But that is irrelevant. No matter the foe, I will fulfill your command."
†Before that, make your preparations.†
"I understand."
A Craftworld's defenses were formidable, including an Avatar of Khaine—a fragment of the Aeldari god of war. Its strength varied; a weak one could be taken down by a Dreadnought, while a strong one could annihilate an army single-handedly. But that wasn't the greatest threat. The real danger lay in the Aeldari Titans.
Though their numbers were few, in a real fight, they could likely achieve a 1:5 kill ratio against Ultralisks, or even higher. Most importantly, it was their coordination. The "White Aeldari" (Asuryani) fought with much higher synergy than their dark kin. Between the D-cannon batteries, the Ghost Warrior constructs, the harassment from Rangers and Warp Spiders, and the frontline arrays of Guardians and Striking Scorpions, they were no less formidable than Space Marines.
However, before the iron will of the Overmind, all enemies would be crushed by the Swarm.
†If the Tyranids could chew through a Craftworld from the outside, then the Zerg can do it too!†