Yuki stood upon the outer hull of a warship.
How could a mere vacuum compare to his long-tempered physical body?
In the distance, several massive Tyranid Hive Fleets had finished devouring the organic matter on their respective planets. The very plants used to "terraform" those worlds were themselves part of the Tyranids' planetary consumption process, making this harvest terrifyingly efficient. After stripping these planets back to their original, barren states, the scale of the Tyranid swarm had grown far larger than Hive Fleet Gorgon, which had attacked the Tau Empire years ago.
Now, it was time for several fleets to charge toward the heart of the Tau Empire. Yuki felt like a genius.
"Charge! Charge!"
The Aether Fleet split into three sub-fleets, divided according to the distribution of the Tyranid-seeded planets. Three colony clusters established by the Tau were swallowed by the Aether Fleet. To save time, they chose not to regroup, instead racing toward the nearest Tau colonies. Due to the vast physical distances, aside from the main fleet commanded personally by Yuki and Yuno, the other two fleets were left to the control of nodal consciousnesses.
The Second Sub-fleet, the second largest of the three, had its Malanthrope Queen (Bio-Queen) coiled at the center of a Titan-class Mothership, gestating a new generation of Tyranids. Suddenly, she seemed to receive a command. A crouching Norn Emissary nearby lifted its head, ready for combat. The biomass of the entire mothership was channeled toward the Bio-Queen.
The Norn Emissary approached her. Was it going to attack its creator?
No.
A naked body emerged from within the Bio-Queen. Without hesitation, she grabbed the Norn Emissary's scythe-limb and tore it off. She chewed, feasted, cracked open the creature's exoskeleton, and devoured its psychic organs to gain more warp-power. She evaporated the blood and fluids from her skin, took command of the sub-fleet, and sent a transmission to Yuki and Yuno.
If Yuki were here, he would be astonished to find that this woman looked exactly like Yuno.
"Yuno" toyed with her hair. Suddenly, she sliced her long hair into a short bob, seemingly to distinguish herself from the original Yuno. She added a message: "Nodes aligned. Yuno-War at your service."
War-Yuno.
A secondary consciousness birthed unintentionally from Yuno's collective mind, her status in the Hive Mind network was second only to Yuno herself—a product of a specific facet of Yuno's desires. And these secondary consciousnesses all shared a single, mandatory goal.
"How can I ensure the Great One doesn't find me useless? I don't want to be eaten by her."
War-Yuno didn't wait for a reply from the main fleet before launching her attack. She plummeted into a planetary orbit. Friction with the atmosphere caused her body's outer shell to peel away, but eventually, she broke through like a missile, crashing vertically into the center of an active battlefield.
A massive Tau battlesuit was instantly torn apart. No. She had to prove her value, to show Yuno she deserved to remain rather than be reabsorbed into the One. These secondary consciousnesses were the most tragic; if they were ordinary Tyranid organisms, Yuno would be lenient enough to let them keep fighting. But for those possessing traces of the Great One's identity and consciousness, it was a complicated matter.
War-Yuno punched through a Tau soldier. She was the manifestation of Yuno's will for war. In the future, there would be more manifestations of other lingering desires, and not many individuals would be able to maintain this state.
War-Yuno didn't want to die yet. A previously "Cowardly Yuno" had been instantly consumed. If she failed to prove her worth, that would be her fate. She could not accept such an end.
Fight on. Fight on. She would destroy these damnable xenos!
The surrounding Tyranids went into a frenzy. They ignored all casualties, killing the noseless, blue-skinned aliens in the most brutal and rapid fashion. Such a powerful offensive saw the major military facilities fall within hours. The Tau, the Auxiliaries, and every other creature that could serve as food were devoured.
As the victory was secured, a reply from the main fleet finally arrived. It was a single, cold command:
"Advance toward the Tau core. Meet me there."
War-Yuno, who had felt a flicker of joy from the blood and victory, suddenly felt a chill to her very marrow. This was the majesty of the Great One—their origin, their everything. If she demanded death, one could never live.
"As you command."
"What is it, Yuno?"
"Nothing, just a few small troubles."
"Did you split off another secondary consciousness?"
"Don't read my thoughts."
Yuki said no more. The relationship between Yuno and her splintered consciousnesses was complex and beyond his understanding. However, if these secondary consciousnesses were capable enough, perhaps they could stay around to facilitate more military operations. Yuno glanced at Yuki with a complicated expression. Yuki didn't know what to make of it and stopped thinking about it.
Currently, the Tau Empire's defenses were like thin paper before the Aether Fleet. A large number of their forces were locked in a bloody struggle with the Ultramarines. The troops left behind were blindsided by the Tyranid surge; those still capable of action were the elite of the elite.
Yuki's lips curled into a smile. Data showed the Aether Fleet was growing in scale. At this rate, the Tau would have to use their homeworld to endure the weight of his fleet.
Days later, the Tau Empire assembled a powerful fleet, with hundreds of warships surrounding the primary world of the Gra'r-Home sector. This was a Fortress World, built into a military bastion that provided a constant stream of Fire Caste warriors. This sector was a central hub within the Tau Empire. If it fell, the entire Empire could be split in two.
Similarly, if they could stall the Hive Fleet here, the Tau could gather an even larger force for a decisive battle. Additionally, though they loathed to admit it, the Ethereals decided to inform the Imperium of Man about the crisis. They hoped the Imperium would recognize the Tyranid threat—not necessarily to form an alliance, but simply to allow the front-line troops to return and provide aid.
This mission was entrusted to the Water Caste diplomat, De'Dony. He was the diplomat who had negotiated with the serpent-folk. Although the serpent-folk were now missing and presumed to be Tyranid infiltrators, his superior diplomatic skills remained undeniable.
Of course, within the Ethereal circles, there was another explanation for this appointment. Given the violent and cruel nature of the Imperium of Man, the first batch of diplomats would almost certainly meet a grizzly end. This was a punishment for De'Dony.
However, regardless of the reason, De'Dony was deeply grateful. Even if it meant death, to die as a Water Caste diplomat under the orders of an Ethereal—that was the Greater Good.