As the days passed, planet after planet was armed.
The Imperial Guard spent every day training, ready to face the Tyranids at any moment.
Unlike the oppressive waiting endured by the Imperial Guard.
The Imperial Navy had been plunged into utter chaos.
Ever since the Necrons had detonated a star in a supernova, the advancing spearhead of the Tyranid Swarm had been forced to split into two streams down its center.
These dense formations of bio-ships and immense clusters of aggregated flesh accelerated their advance still further.
As the swarm's engagement front expanded rapidly, its surging numbers had grown beyond anything the Imperial Navy could match.
Even adding the Necrons made no difference.
"Hummm!"
A humming sound rose from Imperial Ships throughout the void.
The Men of Iron Titan Ships, which had served as supply starports all this time, finally underwent their first change.
Although their enormous armor plates remained open and large numbers of Imperial Ships continued entering and leaving the starports.
The prow structures of those immense hulls began to blaze with astonishing light.
Points of destructive light erupted from the long-silent, gigantic cannon muzzles, instantly becoming immense beams.
Huge energy shock waves swept through the void, passing over the Imperium's many ships and sending faint resonances through every hull.
The Doomsday Weapons of ten Radiant Conquerors fired simultaneously, unleashing enormous ripples of energy.
Even the aftershocks of their attacks profoundly affected the surrounding ships.
Meanwhile, two light-years away, the Tyranid Swarm, already approaching the edge of the Milky Way, suddenly accelerated.
Nearby, a contingent of the Sons of Medusa was leading three enormous Imperial strike fleets, pouring out fire while maintaining their distance.
This force possessed far greater firepower than other Imperial Fleet Groups.
The reason lay in the Iron Hands ships mixed into the Imperial Fleet.