Recaps

Zhang Han defeated Abaddon, took control of his Swarm, and began preparing to challenge the powerful Hatchery nodes. Meanwhile, Johnny built a Slarkan religious network, the Antilian military captured a strange warship, and Zhang Han ended the first Hatchery’s resistance by finding its hidden core.

• The Randallans entered the Holy Guardianship’s Ringworld system, but the Guardianship refused to help against the Swarm, while Abaddon’s fleet began moving toward Zhang Han’s territory.
• Zhang Han heeded Overmind Zhang Han’s warning about the Shroud and prepared his Swarm for an approaching enemy fleet as the Contingency’s mechanical planet awakened.
• Johnny recruited desperate Slarkans, used Infestors to build a church devoted to the Four-Armed Serpent God, and organized its believers into a growing Swarm network.
• Zhang Han and Isha fought Abaddon’s fleet, while Abaddon’s forces invaded Tabi Star and Chloe defended the planet’s ground forces and its people.
• Zhang Han shattered Abaddon’s fleet with a warp-bubble strike, captured Abaddon, and accepted his allegiance after learning about the Stellaris Council and its Hatchery systems.
• Chloe helped Tabi Star’s survivors recover and worked with Ika to establish a church devoted to the Four-Winged Dragon God, while Abaddon improved the Swarm’s units and Hatcheries.
• Yanren and Kunmao led the mission to capture the strange warship, where Yanren and Second Company died, and the Antilian Military Empire recovered data about the Contingency and a Strange Countdown.
• Johnny expanded his church through Ascension Rituals and Infestor coordination as Zhang Han defeated a Hatchery fleet, traced its hidden core to a moon, and seized the Specialized Roach.

Zhang Han expanded the Swarm while the Shroud weapon damaged his human consciousness, and Chloe worked to restore him. Meanwhile, Johnny led a Swarm-backed revolt against the Giant Snake Corporation, and Kagat defeated Kagar’s forces in a planetary ambush.

• Roach Kagat recognized Zhang Han as the resurrected Overmind and pledged allegiance, while Zhang Han absorbed his hatchery and led the combined Swarm toward another star system.
• Chen Hui investigated an immobilized Ultralisk, named it Nalga, and arranged for it to join her expedition after it offered a lead to a nearby antimatter deposit.
• Chloe ordered Typhon to coordinate work at the Giant Hatchery, directed the Darom Empire to send magic crystals to the Hatchery, and placed the Empire under the Four-Winged Dragon God Church’s authority.
• Zhang Han broke through a defending Swarm fleet and destroyed its Hatchery, but the Logic Cerebrate rejected his claim to be the Overmind and challenged him to a contest of psionic strength.
• Wendak and Zulaman activated the Shroud weapon with ten million Xeloran souls, sending a system-wide psionic shock that damaged Zhang Han’s human consciousness and drove two million Warrior Bugs mad.
• Chloe entered Zhang Han’s consciousness fragments to help join them, while Ika and Emil spread Neural Thorn implants across the Darom Empire and Isha continued restoring the Overmind’s clone.
• Zhang Han sent a 350,000-strong fleet to ambush Kagar, while Kagar pursued Kagat and Johnny organized a Swarm-backed uprising against the Giant Snake Corporation.
• Johnny’s rebels overwhelmed the corporation’s forces, killed Mengka, destroyed the Giant Serpent Tower, and declared that the planet belonged to the Swarm.
• Kagat used fog spores, terrain, Defilers, Ghost Bugs, and psionics to defeat Kagar’s invasion force, leaving Kagar stunned by the scale of his losses.

Zhang Han expanded the Swarm while the Antilians and Sapphire fleet fought Kereit over Cadian, and Teresa’s bargain with the Shroud helped establish a new church. Nalga’s intervention secured a ceasefire, while Arthur faced a choice about how to find work in the transformed Darom Empire.

• Kagar surrendered to Zhang Han, who stabilized his Swarm Network and began integrating nearby Hatcheries as the Antilians called an emergency Stellaris Council meeting.
• Fengyu warned the Council about the Ghost Signal, the Contingency, and the coming crisis, then offered Antill technology in exchange for military support and resources.
• Zagara and Kundera battled for the Overmind position, while Zhang Han expanded his Swarm and planned a wormhole to supply Stars and Rosesta.
• Johnny took charge of a Hatchery and the Libra Sector, while Teresa’s ritual summoned a Shroud being that transformed her and bound her to the Dark Prince.
• Kunmao rejected Shuiyi’s request to father her child, and Zhang Han agreed to investigate the Shroud cautiously after Abaddon explained its dangers and potential.
• Fenghuo defended Cadian from Kereit’s assault, and Langzhua sacrificed his regiment to destroy the largest incoming asteroid before the Swarm overran the planet.
• Zhang Zihao’s Sapphire fleet fought Kereit’s Swarm, but Chen Hui and Nalga used the Field Shield generator to secure a ceasefire and withdraw the Swarm forces.
• The Sapphire fleet remained on Cadian to recover as reinforcements arrived, while Arthur learned that code monkey jobs were full and considered other work or joining a warband.

Zhang Han and his allies launched a devastating campaign against the Stellaris Council, capturing Cadian and spreading panic across the threatened regions. As the Council abandoned much of the Libra Sector, Johnny’s forces invaded on multiple fronts, leaving the Anfenli and other civilizations to face the Swarm.

• Ika supervised the Highlanders’ essence marrow stone trials as Isabella’s team started a frigate, while Zhang Han connected with prayers to the Rat God and empowered the Skaven Swarm.
• Zhang Han discovered that the Skaven were his clones, and Rat Prophet Aike rallied them to repay the Rat God by destroying their world.
• Zhang Han joined Kundera in opposing Zagara, divided his forces among three routes, and led a fleet toward Cadian to rescue Nalga.
• Johnny and Queen Typhon strengthened their Swarm network as Mimics infiltrated influential groups, while the Gestalts and Snoern prepared Tomb Worlds and Immortals for disaster.
• Zhang Han’s Swarm destroyed Cadian’s combined defense fleet and seized the planet, though Fenghuo’s Final Protocol caused heavy losses, and Skadi’s forces also conquered the Fishmen’s system.
• The Swarm’s advances sparked panic and riots in Morgor, while Johnny prepared to guide a hundred-thousand-ship raiding fleet into the Libra Sector.
• Chen Hui’s Sapphire fleet found an antimatter deposit but became stranded when the Swarm captured Cadian, and she urged Zhang Zihao’s crew to seek help from Nalga’s child.
• The Stellaris Council agreed to abandon seventy percent of the Libra Sector and arm the Anfenli, while Gupi chose to return and fight, and Johnny’s divided fleets attacked across the sector and destroyed an Evans defense force.