Recaps

Teresa passed another test from the Dark Prince, strengthened her Psionic Power, and learned that the gods intended to use her as an intermediary with the Devouring Swarm. She ordered a manifestation ritual as the church grew stronger, while wondering what future awaited the Milky Way.

• The Dark Prince and other powers in the Shroud helped Teresa resist temptation, and she passed the test with her will strengthened.
• The Dark Prince ended the Shroud's influence and said Teresa's mental strength needed further training before he returned.
• Teresa caught a Shroud Crystal and discovered it bore the marks of the God of War, the Lord of Desire, and the Father of Life, and could summon at least three thousand Shroud Fleet vessels.
• Teresa understood that the gods meant to use her as a pawn to resolve their conflict with the Devouring Swarm's Overmind through communication.
• Teresa ordered an Abstainer to find Prelate Sun Yun and prepare a manifestation ritual because the church's strength had grown.

Zhang Han struggled to hold Cadian against Zagara’s increasingly costly attacks, adapting his Swarm Network and using Darom Empire ships and people to preserve his psionic forces. As the battle intensified, tachyon reconnaissance detected an anomalous gravitational wave a light-year away, and Zhang Han prepared to counter what he assumed was a small faster-than-light assault.

• Zhang Han’s forces suffered heavy losses as Zagara’s tactical attacks targeted Ghost Bugs, so he added Cerebrates and Darom Empire personnel as Swarm Network nodes.
• Zagara sent Warrior Bug Nests against Zhang Han’s remaining Meteorite Fortresses and used expendable units to drain his Ghost Bugs’ psionic power.
• Zhang Han drew on four thousand Darom Empire warships and the minds of five hundred thousand people on Tabi Star to supply computing power and psionic energy.
• Zhang Han’s psionic Corruptors struck back against Zagara’s fleet, while her Plasma Cannon barrages destroyed some Ghost Bugs and the fleets continued trading losses.
• A Cerebrate detected an anomalous gravitational wave a light-year away, and Zhang Han prepared for a faster-than-light attack, believing Zagara’s force would fall into his trap.

Zhang Han discovered that Zagara planned to destroy Cadian and its star with warp-accelerated impacts, so he evacuated while leaving a rearguard to cover the retreat. As his main force withdrew toward the Fishman System, Zagara pursued the Overmind Consciousness Fragment, aiming to kill its leader.

• Zhang Han repositioned his defensive line to counter Zagara's expected warp arrival, but her Warp Warships arrived three hours later than the Tachyon Radar predicted.
• Zhang Han realized Zagara had sent two massive objects at fifty percent of the speed of light, one aimed at Cadian and the other at its star, and ordered a retreat with only an hour remaining.
• Zhang Han assigned the Specialized Cerebrate to lead the rearguard, and it asked to compete with him in psionic technique after being reborn.
• Zhang Han ordered the Darom Empire to leave five hundred warships behind, and religious volunteers were chosen by lottery to crew them.
• Zhang Han led two hundred thousand Swarm vessels and many Overlords toward the Fishman System as the rearguard fought with the Darom warships' psionic field bolstering half the Swarm Fleet.
• Zagara pursued Zhang Han, intent on killing the Overmind Consciousness Fragment to win the battle.

Zagara’s Gravity Ships destroyed Cadian and crippled Zhang Han’s fleet, allowing her to seize the star system, but Zhang Han escaped and Kundera captured her main production system. Facing danger in her rear and unable to eliminate Zhang Han’s overmind consciousness fragment, Zagara retreated toward the Stargate at Neutron Star.

• Zhang Han’s psionically enhanced Swarm Fleet tore through Zagara’s forces, forcing her to commit more troops and leaving her unable to pursue his retreat.
• Zagara’s two early-arriving Gravity Ships smashed through her own fleet and Zhang Han’s Meteorite Fortresses, then destroyed Cadian and severely damaged the remaining interception fleet.
• Zagara brought her remaining forces into the system, but Zhang Han accelerated his withdrawal and his abandoned fleet was overwhelmed by her superior numbers.
• Zagara recognized that her plan to kill Zhang Han’s overmind consciousness fragment had failed and learned that his next system was fortified and contained another Stargate.
• Zagara learned that Kundera had captured her main production system, then retreated with her fleet toward the Stargate at Neutron Star.

After Zagara retreated, Zhang Han rebuilt his forces and tried to counterattack through the Stargate, only to find the far side heavily fortified. He accepted Kundera’s advice to focus on expanding and building up the Swarm, while Kundera claimed the balance of power had shifted in his favor.

• Zhang Han confirmed Zagara had retreated, counted his losses, and cautiously reclaimed systems while rebuilding his Swarm fleet.
• Kagar returned with 1.7 million Swarm vessels, while Stars and Rosesta sent another 1.2 million; Zhang Han’s total reached 4.2 million.
• Zhang Han mourned the Specialized Cerebrate, who had died when Zagara disrupted the Swarm Network and prevented him from transferring his consciousness.
• Zhang Han sent a reconnaissance force through the Stargate at Neutron Star, but Zagara’s traps and heavy fire destroyed twenty thousand vessels before he ordered a retreat.
• Zhang Han told Kundera that Zagara’s defenses prevented him from deploying more than two hundred thousand vessels through the Stargate, and Kundera said he would take on the pressure himself.
• Zhang Han decided to avoid provoking the Stellaris Council, expand his territory, and compensate for his weaker tactics by building a much larger Swarm fleet.

Zhang Han organized the Swarm’s expansion and focused on developing its Hatcheries while working with his Humanity Consciousness to manage the Swarm Thought Tide. In the Libra Sector, Johnny gathered representatives from twenty civilizations under the guise of an economic forum, then faced a delayed supply delivery from the Mogol government.

• Zhang Han assigned 2.2 million Swarm Fleet units to defend the Stargate and Cadian, and divided two million more among Chloe, Nalga, Kagar, Kagat, and Kamu to unify Hatcheries and colonize new systems.
• Zhang Han and his Humanity Consciousness joined forces to calm the Swarm Thought Tide, while planning to hatch more logical consciousnesses and Cerebrates and eventually create a War Hatchery.
• Johnny convened representatives from twenty civilizations at Giant Serpent Star and led them in worship before a statue of the Four-Armed Serpent God, despite the event being publicly described as an economic forum.
• The Mogol government leader told Johnny that the ordered supplies had been collected but were delayed because Mogol lay far away in the central Libra Sector.
• Johnny weighed how to punish the Mogol leader, knowing that a mild response might not deter the other civilizations while a severe one could be unreasonable.

Johnny presided over a meeting of church bishops, pardoned the Morgor leader after warning him, and revealed that the church’s infiltration of the Libra Sector had been exposed. The bishops supported punishing the Evans, leaving Johnny to consider an overt attack with the Swarm fleets.

• Johnny rejected the bishops’ praise, heard Masuk call for the Morgor leader’s removal, and recorded one offense against the leader instead of punishing him immediately.
• Johnny informed the bishops that an Evans report had exposed a Mimic at customs and that the church had lost one of the god’s fingers.
• The bishops assured Johnny that their governments, Ascendants, and church operations remained secure despite the exposure.
• Masuk urged a Holy War against the Evans, and the other bishops enthusiastically agreed.
• Johnny considered using his hundred thousand Swarm fleets to attack openly and reorganize the Doomsday Church in the Fan Libra Sector.

Johnny ordered the allied Civilization Leaders to build fleets for an attack on the Evans’ homeworld, Blonda Star, and promised them genetic ascension. He sent them with Typhon to the Hatchery for examination and modification, intending to monitor their networks and remove any threats to the Swarm.

• Johnny explained the dangers of traitors’ zeal and ordered the Civilization Leaders to redirect resources toward building fleets for a church-controlled Libra Sector.
• Johnny announced plans to attack the Evans’ homeworld, Blonda Star, and the Civilization Leaders enthusiastically pledged to fight for the Serpent God.
• Typhon arrived, and Johnny told the leaders she would take them to the Hatchery for genetic ascension.
• Johnny privately instructed Typhon to probe the leaders’ thoughts, brainwash anyone dangerous, and connect their networks to the Hatchery on Giant Serpent Star.
• Typhon led the Civilization Leaders away, and each leader approached Johnny to kiss the tip of his tail.

On Blonda Star, Gupi urged Queen Christina to leave the threatened Libra Sector, but agreed to support the Fairy Great Wall and proposed hiding Princess Liliya and other future hopes in a remote star system. Christina then went to the Life Altar to sing the Evans’ Song of Life.

• Gupi met Christina in her garden and gave her technology gathered from major council members, including the Antilians.
• Gupi warned Christina that the Devouring Swarm was too dangerous to fight alone and urged her to leave the Libra Sector.
• Christina showed Gupi evidence of the Swarm’s attacks and explained that the fairies intended to fight for their home and seek revenge.
• Gupi offered to support the Fairy Great Wall plan and suggested sending Princess Liliya to a hidden star system to preserve their future.
• Christina summoned Liliya and took Gupi to the Life Altar, where she sang the Song of Life.

While Gupi watched Princess Liliya sing at the Life Altar, Joey and Terrell escaped a Devouring Swarm attack on a tourist planet. Terrell began recovering strange memories and heard an unknown voice claim to be his “golden finger” as their ship fled the Libra Sector.

• Princess Liliya joined her mother Christina at the Life Altar and sang while Gupi resolved to train her into a queen.
• Joey and Terrell tried to flee the planet as a Swarm fleet attacked and Warrior Bugs slaughtered its inhabitants.
• After their car crashed, Terrell raised his hand toward pursuing Zerglings, and the bugs turned away without attacking them.
• Joey rescued the injured Terrell, and the two escaped the planet aboard their luxury space yacht while the Swarm ignored them.
• As they fled the Libra Sector, Terrell recalled that he and Joey had destroyed civilizations, but Joey dismissed his words as head injury nonsense.
• In the medical pod, Terrell heard a strange voice say they were now one and demand that Terrell call it boss.

Overmind Zhang Han expanded his Swarm while struggling to preserve his humanity, then received an offer from Zagara to pass through an undefended Stargate and join the front against Kundera. Although he accepted, he remained suspicious and fortified the Stargate instead of pressing onward.

• Zhang Han’s expanding Hatcheries increased his Swarm’s strength and Psionic Power, while the humanity consciousness helped his Clone maintain a sense of self.
• Zagara contacted Zhang Han and argued that Kundera might be manipulating him, warning that he would be vulnerable after she fell.
• Zagara offered to withdraw her forces from a Stargate so Zhang Han could observe the fighting and choose whom to support.
• Zhang Han accepted the offer but said he would make his own decision after seeing the situation.
• Ten days later, Zhang Han sent a hundred thousand Swarm Fleet vessels through the Stargate and found Zagara’s defenses and installations withdrawn.
• Suspecting a trap, Zhang Han occupied the Stargate’s far side and began building defenses and planting Spore Towers instead of scouting ahead.

Zhang Han’s dispute with Kundera weakened their alliance and gave Zagara a brief reprieve, but Zhang Han planned to overwhelm them with a larger Swarm. He prepared to harvest a neutron star by using three planets as impactors, leaving the membranes around the star to collect the ejected matter.

• Kundera reprimanded Zhang Han for accepting control of the stargate from Zagara, and Zhang Han insisted that he was a partner, not a subordinate.
• Kundera warned Zhang Han against Zagara and ended their transmission, then diverted forces to guard against Zhang Han, easing the pressure on Zagara.
• Zhang Han realized that Zagara had used his actions to make Kundera suspicious, but resolved to defeat both rivals with superior numbers.
• Zhang Han used the level-seven Hatchery’s Gravity Ships and Warp Drive technology to prepare a neutron-star harvesting plan.
• Zhang Han surrounded a neutron star with specially made Spore Membranes and equipped three planets with Warp Drives to serve as impactors.
• The three planets passed through the membranes toward the neutron star, while Star Eaters began sealing the openings before the impacts.

Zhang Han used three planets to batter a neutron star into ejecting vast quantities of rare elements, and he began considering a Super-Giant Swarm Leviathan. Meanwhile, Zagara tried to turn Kundera against Zhang Han, leaving Kundera uncertain how to preserve the Swarm’s unity and break the deadlock.

• Zhang Han observed as three planets struck the neutron star, with the final collision deforming it and flinging out vast quantities of matter.
• The Swarm absorbed the pulverized ejecta, giving Zhang Han enough rare elements to sustain ship production and consider hatching a Super-Giant Swarm Leviathan.
• Zagara sent Kundera a message arguing that Zhang Han was using both of them to become the Overmind and proposing they unite against him before resuming their conflict.
• Kundera worried that Zagara might be right, questioned whether Zhang Han could be trusted, and feared being forced to fight them both.
• Kundera struggled to find a way to reverse the damage to his reputation and protect the Swarm’s future.

Aike prepared the ratmen’s grand plan while awaiting a signal from the Shadow Rats, then sent another squad with his Psionic Power to oversee their mission. A Shadow Rat infiltrated a supply ship carrying a bomb inside his body and ordered the squad to reach the warship’s engine compartment and detonate it.

• A Rat Prophet reported that the ratmen had amassed over a hundred million armed fighters, giant rats, abominations, tunnels, and bombs for their plan.
• Aike learned the Shadow Rats had not sent a signal, punished a Rat Prophet, and gave another Prophet Psionic Power to lead a new Shadow Rat squad.
• Aike approached the Rat God’s altar, where he intended to announce the grand plan he had invented to secure his authority.
• Shadow Rats hid in a cargo container aboard a supply ship and killed two soldiers who inspected it.
• The Shadow Rats devoured the soldiers and their bodies, then the tall Shadow Rat swallowed a bomb hidden inside a zombified ratman.
• After the ship left the planet, the tall Shadow Rat told the squad to enter the warship’s engine compartment and detonate the bomb.

Shadow Rats infiltrated the Death Cult’s fleet and space station, while two hijacked warships crashed near a major city. Aike then announced the Grand Plan and unleashed the Apocalypse Rat Swarm onto the surface amid a planet-wide earthquake.

• Shadow Rats hidden aboard supply ships attacked the Third Fleet, destroying vessels and taking control of others.
• Zulaman sent the Death Army to reinforce the fleet, but disguised ratmen landed on the space station and set it ablaze.
• Two Shadow Rats piloted hijacked warships toward the planet, causing explosions near a major city and mushroom clouds.
• Aike showed the ratmen the crash explosions and declared that the Grand Plan had begun, naming them the Apocalypse Rat Swarm.
• The master engineers triggered a massive earthquake that collapsed buildings and Ascension Platforms as ratmen poured through fissures and devoured the surface.

The Skaven overwhelmed the Death Cult’s Homeworld, and their Planetary Engines destroyed the fleets sent to stop them. Zulaman’s remaining forces were left to face the invading rats alone.

• The Death Cult’s troops and aircraft failed to stop the Skaven, whose weapons and Abominations overwhelmed the planet’s defenses.
• Zulaman ordered three hundred warships to fire Fusion Missiles at the Skaven, but blue plasma streams destroyed the Fifth and Seventh Fleets.
• The Skaven’s Planetary Engines were revealed, and Great Seer Aike praised Qilabi and the Engineers Association for building them.
• After three days of fighting, the Death Cult lost nearly all its cities, and the remaining fleets withdrew from the Homeworld.
• Zulaman killed a giant rat with Soul Siphon, but more Skaven and Abominations surged toward his last defenders.

Aike kept the Skaven from turning on it by claiming the Rat God had rewarded them and by presenting Qilabi’s inventions as divine revelations. The Skaven Demon Capital then vanished into the Shroud and emerged in a new star system, where an unsuspecting civilization faced the Apocalypse Rat Swarm.

• After ten days of slaughter, Aike lied to the suspicious Skaven that the Rat God approved of their sacrifice and had revealed new plans through Qilabi.
• Qilabi explained that Planetary Engines could turn the planet into a weapon and that the Skaven could use their connection to the Rat God to jump through the Sea of Stars.
• Aike convinced the Skaven that these revelations meant they should continue their Grand Plan of devouring planets and offering sacrifices.
• A month later, General Three and the Silicate Alliance’s Main Fleet found the Land of the Dead Star System’s planet missing and watched satellite footage of it entering a strange space.
• General Three recommended raising the new species’ danger rating and seeking its extermination across the Stellaris Council’s sphere of influence.
• The Skaven Demon Capital emerged from the Shroud in a system inhabited by a crowded civilization that had only recently launched satellites.

Zhang Han awakened Laplace, a Primal Zerg, to study the Shroud, but Laplace first explained why he had created the Swarm Network. He began telling Zhang Han the Zerg’s history, describing how their species learned to plunder genes while struggling to survive.

• Zhang Han approached the special Hatchery as Laplace emerged from its pool, and welcomed the Demon Bug back to the Swarm.
• Zhang Han shared his memories and information about the Swarm and the Milky Way with Laplace, who agreed to begin researching the Shroud.
• Zhang Han asked whether Laplace objected to an Earth-born consciousness ruling the Swarm, and Laplace affirmed that he considered Zhang Han his Overmind.
• Laplace took the form of a kindly old man, made tea for Zhang Han, and explained that he had invented the Swarm Network to save the Zerg.
• Laplace began recounting the Zerg’s history, explaining that their homeworld’s harsh conditions drove them to consume other species and eventually develop the ability to plunder genes.

Laplace told Zhang Han how the Light Giants exploited the Zerg and other races, and how the suffering of the Swarm led him to create the Swarm Network and unite them. He urged Zhang Han to accept his role as Overmind and seek answers through the network, leaving Zhang Han to consider the Swarm’s origins and purpose.

• Laplace explained that the Light Giants promised to improve the Zerg in exchange for help in their war, then bred and deployed them as tools and cannon fodder.
• Laplace described how the deaths of countless Zerg awakened him to the Observer Perspective, which he used to create the Swarm Network and unite exploited races against the Light Giants.
• After defeating the Light Giants, Laplace said he united the allied races into the Swarm, changed the network’s permissions, and established the Overmind and Nodes.
• Laplace told Zhang Han that the Swarm welcomed outsiders and that his accidental rise as Overmind could still be reasonable.
• Laplace encouraged Zhang Han to communicate with the Swarm Consciousness, saying the network was built for unity rather than to suppress independent thought.

After Laplace urged Zhang Han to become the true Overmind, Zhang Han prepared to challenge Zagara with a large Swarm offensive. He finalized his commanders and routes, then launched the attack while informing Kundera that their alliance still stood.

• Zhang Han offered to transfer network authority to Laplace, but Laplace urged him to defeat his competitors and become the true Overmind.
• Zhang Han reviewed the Swarm's expanded forces and the war Cerebrate's plan to attack Zagara along three Hyperspace Routes.
• Zhang Han consulted his core nodes and assigned Kagat to scout the first route, while he and Nalga led the main offensive along the second.
• Zhang Han sent Stars and Chloe along the third route, left Kagar to guard the stargate, and assigned other nodes to develop the Libra Sector and defend home.
• After ten days of deployments, Zhang Han began the offensive against Zagara and told Kundera that their alliance and promises still stood.

After Zhang Han and Kundera joined forces against her, Zagara convened her commanders to discuss how to fight the two-front war. She planned to have Gult contain Zhang Han while she attacked Kundera, and the council ended with Kesaite’s cautious objection dismissed and Zagara promising to keep some reserves.

• After receiving Zhang Han’s message, Kundera agreed to eliminate Zagara first and launched an all-out offensive against her territory.
• Zagara gathered her Swarm nodes, where Moras blamed Gult for losing the home star system and Gult defended his command.
• Zagara proposed that Gult hold off Zhang Han while she fought Kundera directly, arguing that she could exploit openings in Kundera’s aggressive attack.
• When Zagara invited comments, Kesaite warned that the plan was too optimistic and urged her to prepare contingencies.
• Moras accused Kesaite of questioning Zagara and wanting to betray her, while Zagara reassured him that she would keep some reserves.

Zagara divided her forces between Gult and Moras to defend against Zhang Han and the consciousness fragment, while Zhang Han reached Gult’s fortified twin systems. Gult countered Zhang Han’s spore defenses with ground troops, forcing Zhang Han to clear them and expose his fleets to the asteroid fortresses’ fire.

• Zagara assigned five million Swarm fleet units to fight Kundera, two million under Gult to hold the main front, and one million under Moras to seek opportunities on the flank.
• Moras resented her supporting role and viewed Gult as an obstacle, while Gult focused on winning the war for the network core.
• After conquering four star systems, Zhang Han advanced toward Gult’s twin systems, where eight asteroid fortresses guarded the Hyperspace Route exits.
• Zhang Han began attacking the first system with green mist spore fortifications, Mutalisks, and Scourge while pinning down the second system with five hundred thousand fleet units.
• Gult sent Warrior Bugs through the spore defenses using Infestors’ Fungal Growth, then landed millions of troops to attack Zhang Han’s crowded fleets from within the fortifications.
• Zhang Han used Ghost Bugs’ Psionic Storm to clear the occupied spore fortifications, eliminating Gult’s Warrior Bugs but leaving his fleets exposed to the asteroid fortresses.

After countering Gult’s attempted landing, Zhang Han launched a major assault on the Meteorite Fortresses with a specially strengthened Swarm Fleet and powerful psionic units. His forces seized a landing zone and began establishing Hatcheries as ground combat continued.

• Gult’s fire destroyed another three thousand of Zhang Han’s ships, but Zhang Han’s Ghost Bugs enhanced his Psionics Corruptors and drove Gult’s landing fleet away.
• Zhang Han sent a hundred thousand specialized ships into battle, where a thousand Swarm Leviathans used Tachyon Lances to damage Gult’s Meteorite Fortresses and clear Spore Towers.
• Zhang Han’s twenty thousand ships traded fire with Gult’s thirty thousand, and Gult recognized that his fleet’s attacks were less effective against Zhang Han’s reinforced ships.
• Gult sent forces to flank Zhang Han, but Zhang Han’s Nether Bugs unleashed Psionic Storm and Psionics Enchantment, crippling the encircling force and boosting his fleet.
• Zhang Han’s remaining eighty thousand ships advanced on the Meteorite Fortresses, cleared the landing zone, and deployed the first wave of ten million Warrior Bugs.
• Gult sent a hundred and fifty thousand ships to attack Zhang Han’s fleet and committed his remaining Warrior Bugs to ground combat, while Zhang Han’s enhanced Warrior Bugs held the landing zone and began hatching Hatcheries.

Zhang Han’s attack on the Meteorite Fortress failed after Gult deployed a War Hatchery, and Zhang Han withdrew while reviewing the losses and the Swarm’s copied abilities. On the Third Hyperspace Route, Stars and Chloe reconciled and debated how to carry out Zhang Han’s orders safely.

• Zhang Han’s Swarm Fleet occupied part of the Meteorite Fortress, but Gult deployed a War Hatchery to block the Hyperspace Route and halt reinforcements.
• Zhang Han withdrew his fleet under fire; the Warrior Bugs left on the fortress were wiped out, and he discovered that Gult’s Swarm had copied the Defilers’ mist abilities.
• Zhang Han learned that 60,000 of his 100,000 ships had returned after inflicting about 100,000 losses on Gult’s fleet, and he sought a weapon capable of destroying a Meteorite Fortress or War Hatchery in one shot.
• Stars apologized to Chloe for mocking her in the past, and Chloe accepted the apology as they discussed their next moves.
• Stars offered to take the dangerous route into Zagara’s territory while Chloe secured the safer route, but Chloe proposed that Stars take the Stellaris Council’s Fortress Planet while she guarded their rear.
• Stars hesitated because Chloe’s cautious plan did not fully follow Zhang Han’s order to find a route around to Gult’s rear and attack from both sides.

Rita investigated a dangerous new drug while working at Customs, then responded to a terrorist attack there. She discovered the attackers were Judas Eagles and watched them torture an Evans woman as she gathered intelligence.

• Moras’s plan to trap Chloe and Stars failed when Chloe followed the Overmind’s instructions, while Zagara continued holding off Zhang Han and Kundera.
• Rita reviewed seized green drugs whose composition remained mostly unknown, worrying that the trafficking organization had gained new technological capabilities.
• Rita received a distress call reporting a terrorist attack on Customs and armed herself with her Powered Exoskeleton and weapons.
• Rita reached Customs and found four armored terrorists and numerous dead civilians, then identified the attackers as Judas Eagles.
• Rita climbed above the terrorists to observe them and heard one pin an Evans woman with a dagger while reciting a prayer to the Four-Winged Eagle God.