Zehaka tore through an obstructing hab-block, the sound of grinding stone and shrieking metal echoing through the district. His massive frame had simply outgrown the narrow, suffocating streets of the Underhive.
Fortunately, to keep the Great Volkanon supplied with its mountain-sized shells, Volkus was crisscrossed by colossal magnetic railcar tracks. These gargantuan arteries extended from the depths of the processing plants in the sumps all the way to the weapon's core.
Zehaka's objective was clear: seize a maglev munitions train and ride it directly into the heart of the Mountain Cannon. Once inside, he would trigger a catastrophic detonation, turning the Imperium's pride into the galaxy's largest pile of scrap.
It was a sound plan, though execution would be bloody. Every checkpoint along the tracks was a fortress, heavily guarded by local PDF and specialized Astra Militarum units. Seizing a train meant facing the full weight of a planetary garrison.
But for Zehaka and his Primal pack, this was merely an invitation to the hunt.
When Zehaka—now towering like a Titan—reached the rail-marshalling station, the local garrison was paralyzed with shock. They were used to suppressing cultist uprisings and hunting ganger scum; they had never encountered a xenos beast of this magnitude.
Zehaka completely ignored the puny human guards, wading through their defensive lines as if through tall grass. Behind him, his Primal Zerg units—vicious and elite—shredded the Imperial defenses. It was a nightmare come to life: a swarm of biological "Dreadnoughts" charging an infantry line, supported by super-heavy "Igniters" spewing torrents of caustic flame.
The defensive line didn't just break; it vanished in an instant.
"Sometimes, a small group of elites is more effective for a breakthrough, isn't that right, Abathur?"
"Agreed," Abathur rasped. "Large biomorphs. Suitable for heavy penetration. Efficiency high."
Even the Primal Zerglings, fueled by massive amounts of biomass, had grown to the size of Roaches. They were capable of clearing out entire trench lines solo.
"It doesn't feel like a 'Swarm' anymore," the Overmind mused. "It feels more like a specialized strike force of apex predators. We'll keep the main Broods as they are for the tide, but these Primals will be our surgeons."
"A sound strategy, Overlord. Your foresight remains impeccable," Abathur added, never missing a chance to flatter the Sovereign.
Zehaka quickly secured a maglev munitions car. Now, a human might ask: How does a giant space-bug operate a magnetic train?
The answer, as always, was the Infested.
An Infested specialist climbed onto the rails and planted a Phage—a specialized organism designed to accelerate the spread of the Creep and the Hyper-evolutionary Virus. Like a Brood Queen, the Phage acted as a catalyst. And the Creep, as the Imperium was beginning to learn, could "infect" machinery.
While the underlying tech-heresy was unknown to the humans, the Overmind knew that the Creep could interface with and bypass mechanical controls. Once the organic carpet covered the maglev train, the control consoles began to glow with a sickly violet light.
"Assimilation complete."
The train groaned to life, carrying a cargo of elite monsters toward the Volkanon. This was a decapitation squad that would make a Tyranid Lictor pack look like house cats. Zehaka crouched at the front of the lead car, which was built in the typical Imperial style: "Bigger is Better."
The train was carrying a segment of a macro-shell—a piece of ammunition so massive that the railcar could only support a fraction of its armored casing. The train moved with a steady, rumbling momentum. It would take days to reach the cannon's primary loading chamber, and the Imperium wasn't about to let them ride in peace.
Reports of the station's fall reached the upper spires. Soon, several Valkyrie gunships streaked across the smoggy sky, their sensors locking onto the behemoth riding the rails.
"By the God-Emperor, what is that thing?"
"Scans indicate a xenos organism of Warhound-class proportions!"
The pilots had heard legends of such beasts, but seeing one was another matter entirely. Regardless of their fear, their duty was clear.
"Flight One, target the beast! Open fire!"
A Valkyrie banked sharply. The pilot thumbed the trigger, and the aircraft's heavy bolters roared, raking Zehaka's position with a fierce barrage. A squadron of Valkyries was a threat even to a Warlord Titan; their firepower was not to be scoffed at.
Zehaka reacted with predatory instinct. He leaped toward the rear of the car to avoid the initial strafing run, then shifted his weight as several orifices on his shoulders flared open. He fired a volley of high-velocity organic spikes into the sky.
The anti-air traits of the Queen remained within Zehaka's genome. The lead Valkyrie was hit instantly.
"Engine failing! Mayday! What hit me?!"
The gunship plummeted, trailing black smoke before crashing into the Hive's infrastructure. The pilot had underestimated the "dinosaur." Zehaka wasn't a helpless target; his "stinger" volleys were lethal to low-flying aircraft.
The remaining Valkyries pulled up, circling at a safer distance.
"We can't hit it from low altitude! Should we target the tracks? Stop the train?"
"Don't be a fool. Those magnetic rails are reinforced with meters of plasteel. Our nose cannons won't even scratch the paint. We need a localized lance strike or heavy artillery."
"Return and report. We need ground cover, otherwise—wait! Incoming!"
Before the pilot could finish, several Primal Mutalisks intercepted them. These creatures were far more dangerous than their Swarm cousins. Moving with the agility of dragonflies, they clung to the Valkyries' wakes.
"They're on us! Maneuver!"
The Valkyries rolled and dived, but the Primal Mutalisks were relentless. One flyer slammed directly into a gunship's engine intake, sacrificing itself to send the craft spiraling into the abyss.
Crucially, any wounds the Primals sustained were closing in real-time. The Primal Mutalisks possessed a regeneration rate that bordered on the supernatural—surpassing even the standard Swarm's resilience. The hunt for the Mountain Cannon continued.