Human resistance was already crumbling, and with the addition of the swarm, the ship was essentially doomed. Whether they were humans, Genestealers, Chaos cultists, or the Drukhari, their numbers were finite; every casualty was an irreplaceable loss.
Raynor's insectoid army, however, was constantly replenished.
Swarms of Rippers efficiently scoured the battlefield, collecting all usable biomass—enemy corpses, the mortally wounded, and even the remains of fallen Tyranid organisms. Once transported back to the Purple Crystal, Sarah II would decompose and recombine this biomass, hatching new Termagants, Hormagaunts, and Tyranid Warriors in an endless cycle.
The defenders were losing men by the minute, while Raynor's swarm was infinite.
As for the captain of the Song of Farewell—or at least the nominal captain—Kerry von.
He was experiencing the longest and most horrific day of his life. Not long ago, he had been fantasizing about taking the reins of the planetary governorship upon arriving at Brevis. He imagined himself commanding the winds and rains of politics, trampling Isud underfoot, and restoring his ancestral glory. That was supposed to be the pinnacle of his life.
However, this journey to take office had been cursed from the start. First, they encountered a Warp storm that damaged the ship and threw them off course. Having barely escaped the storm's aftermath, they had just found their way to Brevis. Before he could even catch his breath, the nightmares began.
Elusive Drukhari pirates, Chaos cultists lurking in the lower decks, and Genestealers that had already compromised the crew's genetic purity. Now, an overwhelming swarm of alien insects had appeared!
What drove him to the brink of a nervous breakdown was a specific detail in the reports: the newly emerged Tyranids had locked into a fierce battle with the Genestealers the moment they boarded, as if they were mortal enemies. The world must have gone mad. The God-Emperor must have abandoned this place.
Just then, the thing he feared most happened. Those dreadful, pointed-eared pirates, after losing a significant number of men, finally breached the defenses outside the bridge.
Otto, his usually cunning and shrewd adjutant, suddenly found courage from some unknown depth. He drew his officer's chainsword and, with a roar, led a desperate charge against the pirates who had broken down the door. This bought Kerry and Isud enough time to hide in the secret chamber concealed behind the dining room mural.
Huddled in the dark, cramped room, Kerry could hear Otto's horrific screams—or perhaps someone else's—coming from outside. There were the sounds of metal rending flesh, blood splattering, and bones being pulverized, all accompanied by the pirates' sadistic laughter.
The sounds seemed to last for centuries. Kerry covered his ears tightly, but the noise pierced through. He could only imagine the torment Otto was enduring. He trembled like a leaf, his face smeared with tears and mucus, his expensive shirt soaked with sweat and clinging to his skin. He could even smell the stench rising from his own crotch, but he felt no shame—only boundless, paralyzing fear.
He looked at Isud beside him. His waifu, usually so assertive, shrewd, and proud, was now curled up like a frightened rabbit, her body shaking uncontrollably. Her once meticulously styled hair was a disheveled mess, her lips were bitten bloody, and her eyes were hollow with despair. Kerry knew that she, like him, was praying frantically to the Emperor in her heart, pleading for death to come either more slowly or much faster.
Suddenly, the noise outside stopped. It was an abrupt, chilling silence. Otto's screams, the pirates' laughter, the clashing of weapons—it all vanished.
Then came a new sound: a soft, continuous rustling. It evoked the image of thousands of insects crawling—the sound of hard chitin rubbing together, dense and orderly.
Kerry and Isud's hearts nearly leapt out of their throats. They covered their mouths, held their breath, and stared wide-eyed at the door of the secret room, expecting monsters to burst through at any second.
However, the expected breach did not occur. Instead, a voice came through the doorway, clear and steady. It was unmistakably the voice of a young man, speaking in standard High Gothic:
"To those inside: you don't need to hide anymore. You are safe."
Kerry froze, looking up in a daze.
The voice continued, "We are a passing Imperial Navy patrol fleet from the Cadia Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus. We detected your distress signals and signs of battle and are here to provide assistance. The Drukhari pirates, Genestealers, and Chaos forces that attacked this vessel have been eliminated. I repeat, the threat has been neutralized."
"Captain Kerry, Ms. Isud, please come out. You are safe."
The Imperial Navy? Could they truly be saved?!
A wave of joy overwhelmed Kerry's reason like a tsunami. He nearly collapsed, overjoyed at surviving the ordeal, and wanted to burst into tears. He frantically reached for the switch to open the secret door.
"Don't move!" Isud hissed, suddenly grabbing his wrist. Her voice was low, her expression grim. There was no joy in her eyes, only deep suspicion and lingering dread.
"Are you crazy? We just heard Otto screaming and those monsters laughing outside," she whispered, her voice trembling but her logic remaining sharp. "How could the Imperial Navy suddenly appear?"
"It must be the Chaos demons!" she insisted. "Those demons are masters of manipulation, using illusions and whispers to lure their prey! Besides, we are shrouded in a Warp storm—it's impossible to send out a distress signal!"
Kerry was instantly chilled, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. Yes, it was too convenient. He withdrew his hand in fear, his heart pounding as he was plunged back into despair.
Outside the door, Raynor waited for a few seconds but received no response. Sarah sensed that the people inside had no intention of coming out; their fear and resistance were only intensifying.
"Hiss... they're quite alert," Raynor remarked, pouting slightly.
Sarah had just easily dispatched the Drukhari lieutenant and his remaining elite warriors. After infecting several surviving crew members with Genestealer spores to "read" their memories, she had pieced together the situation of the ship, as well as the identities of the couple.
A cowardly, incompetent, but useful puppet of a husband, and a shrewd, capable noblewoman who held the real power. Upon learning the purpose of their voyage to Brevis, Raynor suddenly had a fun plan in mind—a plan far more interesting and profitable than simply plundering biomass and resources.