"The swarm has retreated for now..."
The Underking let out a long sigh and wiped the nonexistent cold sweat from his forehead. Trazyn's endless wisecracks filled the channel.
Hades blinked and gazed into the distance at the Tyranids wandering through the nearby star systems. The Tyranids evolved at terrifying speed; countless of them now flickered with light, using it as a secondary means of communication.
This couldn't go on, Hades thought. He felt himself gradually slipping into the abyss of hunger. Scratching his head, Hades reflected that the first phase of the war had been successfully completed: using a planet as a "trap" to eliminate a massive amount of Tyranid living forces.
But the one thing they had misjudged was the Tyranids' obsession with the Underking's genes.
Hades took a deep breath.
Before Trazyn could persuade him to begin the second phase of the plan—fighting while retreating aboard Trazyn's ship—Hades decided to tentatively test an idea in his head. The Underking waved a hand and looked at the Tyranids he had deliberately separated from the main swarm with C'tan lightning.
Completely cut off from the main force, the bugs were anxiously trying to escape the Underking's ring of lightning. Yet they feared the C'tan lightning and had no choice but to retreat.
Hades raised a hand.
"Ah, I've got an idea, Trazyn. No rush. This trap planet can still chew through another wave of swarm forces—we'd be mistaken for having no strength left to fight if we left too early."
"I hope your idea actually works."
Trazyn sprawled across the command chair, waving a hand carelessly.
"At worst... I've got it, Hades! If the Tyranids really force us into a desperate situation, I'll immediately send our spacetime coordinates to the Silent King!"
If the swarm drove them into a corner,