Compiled from the surviving powered armour suit logs, the following text tells of the destruction of the Ultramarines 1st Company.
The Lament of the First
"And thus were the battle brothers of 1st Company tasked with the final defence against the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Behemoth. The ferocity of the Tyranids was unmatched save by the determination of the Company to defeat them. Even those brothers honoured wit Tactical Dreadnought armour could n: stand against the foe in close comba-Only the righteous fire from storm bolters and heavy flamers kept the foe at bay. Multi-limbed creatures with claws and swords of chitin moved like quicksilver and their blades ripped open armour and bodies with equal ease. At the southern polar defence fortress, the vital Eagle Bastion had fallen to the Tyranids and the honour of retaking it was accepted by the surviving detachments of the 1st Company based in this region. The Eagle Bastion provided a solid base to anchor the defences of the fortress and without it there would be almost no chance of continued resistance above ground. Situated on a rocky bluff overlooking the entrance to the underground silos, the bastion had been considered impregnable, but a Tyranid organism was able to infiltrate through the oxy-recyc ducts and slaughtered the valiant defenders of Planetary Defence Auxillia tasked with its defence. The vile creature was eventually destroyed, but not before an uncannily well-coordinated attack carried the walls of the bastion and saw every one of the defenders killed.
Brother Captain Dardinus led his brothers in prayer in the hours before dawn and began the assault on the Eagle Bastion at first light. Unbeknownst to Captain Dardinus, the deviant aliens had laid a trap for him and, as the men of 1st Company stormed the bastion, they found themselves surrounded, every avenue of escape blocked by terrifying creatures bigger than a Dreadnought. Though they knew they were doomed, not a man amongst them was cowed and each vowed to sell his life as dearly as possible. Fighting back to back, the men of 1st Company battled for six hours until at last only Captain Dardinus remained. A beast from the darkest of nightmares faced the brave captain. Fully six metres tall, with four arms and a giant maw filled with serrated fangs, the Hive Tyrant seemed to regard Dardinus with interest as though deciding upon his worth as a foe.
Suddenly the creature's scything talons lashed out and there was a burst of electrical discharge as the captain's power sword parried the blow. The alien screeched and hissed, circling Captain Dardinus more warily now. The beast's claws again struck at the brave captain, but he ducked, rolling beneath its attack and slashed his sword across the Tyrant's flank. Acidic purple ichor sprayed from the wound and the vile creature shrieked in pain. Captain Dardinus scrambled to his feet and parried another strike of the Tyrant's claws. He bled from a score of cuts, but fought with the strength of the Primarch. The Tyrant attacked again and its barbed tail whipped forwards, punching through the captain's breastplate. As Dardinus reeled, the creature's chest spasmed and fleshy lengths of tough muscle fibre fired out to ensnare the captain. Serrated hooks tore into Dardinus' armour and dragged him into the Tyrant's embrace. The beast's talons plunged deep into the captain's body and tore through his flesh, ripping him in two at the midriff. Thus it was that the Eagle Bastion was lost.
At the top of the world, in the northern polar region, the 1st Company detachments were under the command of Brother Captain Adrasta. Despite the bravest resistance, the men of the company were forced underground. Unstoppable waves of the aliens poured over the defence silo, overrunning the surface outposts and bunkers and all subsequent contact with the men of the 1st Company was lost. By this time, the Tyranids were forced to pay a heavy price for every foot they advanced. Running battles were fought amongst the gigantic coolant stores and capacitors of the defence laser batteries. The darkness was lit by the flash of lasers, bolters and the white heat of flamers. Screams, weapons fire and alien howls were the only sounds and many heroes were made in these dark and desperate times. Ultimately, there could be only one outcome to the battle and as the surviving members of 1st Company were pushed back into the Penitorium, every man knew that this was the moment of his death. Chanting the Catechism of the Warrior, the Space Marines fought like heroes of legend and sold their lives dearly. When the brethren of 3rd Company retook the defence silo they discovered a mound of Tyranids, six deep, surrounding the Terminators who died to a man in the subterranean darkness of their home world. The men of 1st Company had broken the Tyranid attack, but at the cost of their own lives.
As the last warrior of 1st Company fell it is said that the flame that burns in the Chapel of Heroes in the Fortress of Hera guttered and died. And for a hundred nights, it could not be relit, a day of darkness and lament for each warrior of 1st Company".
*PICTURE MISSING*
While battle raged on Macragge, the war in space was still being fought. Marneus Calgar commanded the Ultramarines fleet and filed this report following the Battle of Circe.
Post Action Report: 5U/ST/Bakka/745.m41
My order to pursue the retreating Tyranid force was not given lightly. Though the fleet under my command was vastly outnumbered, I knew that were I to permit the alien menace to escape, we would only have to face it again. The fleet harried the Tyranids to the edge of Ultramar, giving them no succour or respite from our weapons. With no sign yet of the Segmentum Tempestus battlefleet, I knew that constant pressure was the only way we could prevent the Tyranids from regrouping and destroying us.
As we reached the outermost planet of Ultramar, my Astropaths warned me of a great turbulence in the warp. It was approaching at speed, but whether it was the Tempestus battlefleet or the second Tyranid fleet, they could not say. I swear the next few minutes that passed were the longest in my life. Then a storm of torpedoes and a veritable fusillade of laser fire heralded the arrival of the Tempestus battlefleet. Nearly two hundred vessels, led by the Emperor class battleship, the Dominus Astra, emerged from the warp, the anvil to the Ultramar fleet's hammer. Caught between the two fleets, the fate of the Tyranids was sealed, but the alien neither knows or understands the concept of defeat and continued to fight on. In the first moments of battle the Pax Imperator and Clavis Regni were overwhelmed by swarms of monstrous creatures that completely obscured the massive Imperial cruisers with their numbers.
Our experiences in fighting the Tyranids had taught us that the aliens needed the largest hive ships to function effectively and I ordered all ships to concentrate their firepower on a tentacled leviathan that lurked in the centre of the swarm. Our ships punched a hole in the Tyranid centre, scattering them in all directions. Screens of smaller ships blocked the way and though our losses were grievous our vessels were finally able to fight their way through to the hive ships and strike at the vile craft with every weapon that could be brought to bear. Caught in the crossfire of two fleets the Tyranids were finally overcome and after a brutal hour of constant bombardment, the remains of the hive fleet was destroyed and the battle won.
In triumphal procession, the two fleets began the journey back in-system. As we passed the gas giant Circe, the fabric of space was torn aside as the second Tyranid fleet emerged from the warp behind us. Realising that the Tempestus battlefleet could not outrun the Tyranids, Lord Admiral Rath decided to make his stand within the upper atmosphere of Circe. With the fate of the defenders on Macragge uppermost in my mind, I ordered the Ultramar fleet not to engage and to return to Macragge. The Tempestus fleet would stand or fall regardless of whether my few cruisers remained.
The previous Tyranid fleet had been weakened and trapped. This one was fresh and undamaged and as the Tempestus fleet turned at bay, the destruction wrought by the Tyranids was fearful. The Imperial craft could not breach the solid wall of creatures that protected the hive ships, the great bell tolled along the length of the Dominus Astra and it seemed as though all was lost'as the hive fleet closed for the kill. The enormous firepower of the Emperor class warship punched great holes in the Tyranid fleet but for every hit that was scored, another Imperial vessel was overwhelmed and destroyed by the hive ship's protectors and, watching on the hologlobe, 1 believed that our desperate gamble had failed.
The Tempestus fleet simply could not bring sufficient weight of fire to destroy enough of the hive ships to disrupt the Tyranids. Suddenly the Dominus Astra's engines flared as it powered deep into the heart of the Tyranids and a fleet-wide communique sounded within the Sacristy of every Imperial vessel:
"Attention all vessels, this is Lord Admiral Rath. It is clear to me that we cannot win this fight by utilising conventional methods of warfare. I order you all to disengage and withdraw. The Dominus Astra shall be the fiery sword of retribution that ends this war. I repeat, disengage and pull away. The Emperor's blessing be upon you always!"
Realising the Admiral's plan, the remaining captains pulled their vessels away from the battle. The Dominus Astra collided with the largest of the Tyranid craft and as the hive ship's tentacles ensnared the vessel, the Admiral triggered his ship's warp engines. Space was torn asunder as an uncontrolled warp vortex erupted and engulfed the hive fleet in its destructive embrace.
The Tyranids were sucked into oblivion by the vortex and when the coruscating warp field died down, not a single hive ship remained. The Dominus Astra was gone also. The great Bell of Souls on Terra shall chime a thousand times in recognition of the Admiral's sacrifice and his name shall be entered in the Chapel of Heroes as a Defender of Ultramar.
The Battle of Circe had been won, but it had claimed nearly the entire Tempestus battlefleet. A small force of cruisers remained to destroy any surviving bio-ships, while the rest of the fleet limped back to Macragge. Contact had been lost with the defenders in the northern polar regions and thus I ordered the 3rd and 7th Companies ahead to bolster the beleaguered defenders. Only time would tell whether or not they would arrive soon enough.
*PICTURE MISSING*
With the return of the Ultramarines, the remaining Tyranids were soon eradicated. Inquisitor Kryptman returned with them to begin the task of cataloguing the various Tyranid organisms.
Personal Log: Inquisitor Kryptman
Upon arrival on Macragge following the defeat of the hive fleet in space, my first impression was of a hitherto unseen scale of slaughter. So numerous were the Tyranid corpses that a man could walk from one end of the ice fields to the other without once setting foot on the planet's surface. By the time I arrived from Talasa Prime, Ordo Xenos battlefield cleansing units had the situation under control and were following my strict quarantine and species classification protocols. The defences of the polar regions were heavily damaged and bore all the hallmarks of a truly titanic struggle. Gazing upon the disgusting countenance of these aliens for the first time, I realised that not only must we resist them when they invade our space, we must seek them out and destroy them also.
Venturing within the hallways beneath the polar fortresses, I was repulsed to find the internal architecture altered in ways too numerous to count. Obscenely organic constructions filled the corridors and despite their destruction it was impossible not to feel that some presence of the aliens remained. Everywhere I looked, there were signs of fighting. Not an inch of ground had been yielded without fierce resistance. Fire blackened walls and the stench of cooked flesh permeated every surface and I doubt I shall ever truly be rid of that foul odour.
I began cataloguing the many and varied Tyranid creatures in an attempt to gain some kind of understanding into this abominable new race of aliens. The Techno Magi of Mars arrived with commendable speed and began the long task of collecting specimens from amongst the dead creatures. It will take many years of careful study before the true nature of the Tyranids becomes clear, but several things are immediately apparent.
Firstly, the presence of Genestealers in the alien horde seems to point to them being creatures of Tyranid origin. Early genetic scans appear to indicate this, but it will require a more detailed investigation to verify it. These creatures have long been thought of as indigenous to the moons of Ymgarl, and how they came to be there when they are possibly of Tyranid origin remains a mystery. In light of this new information, I recommend a xenocidal campaign against this species be mounted immediately by the Adeptus Astartes and that all Inquisitors increase their vigilance in regards to Genestealer infestations.
Secondly, having seen the destruction wrought by the Tyranids against the realm of Ultramar, I cannot stress enough the danger posed by these creatures. They are the ultimate race of predators, consuming with no thought for anything except the absorption of the next race. Knowing what I know now, I cannot help but feel that this may not even have been a true invasion. As incredible as it seems, this may have been a learning experience for the Tyranids. I have perused several post-action reports all claiming that the Tyranids would rapidly adapt to whatever the defenders could throw at them. If this is the case and the assault on Ultramar was but a probing thrust, then we must maintain a constant vigil on the galactic rim and strengthen our military presence tenfold if we are to resist a more determined Tyranid invasion.
*PICTURE MISSING*
Thus I submit my report and again urge you to act with all possible haste in this matter. I believe that should we underestimate this foe it will be the beginning of the end for humanity. The Tyranids cannot be bargained with, reasoned with or forced to surrender. They absolutely will not stop and the only way we can defeat them is to be ready, to use the time the Ultramarines have bought with their lives to better prepare ourselves for the next Tyranid invasion. It may not be soon, but it will come. And we must be ready for it.
