We all know the Tyranids found us in the universe, but what exactly alerted them to our presence and brought them to mankind?
Let’s take a look at the events that lead up to the Tyranids contact with mankind.
Via our good friends at Lexicanum
Once primarch Guilliman was made aware of the situation via Pharos’ communication beam, he ordered Dantioch to contact captain Lucretius Corvo, hero of Astagar and commander of 90th ‘Nova’ Company, who was nearby in the Beremin system with two and half Ultramarines companies and Dark Angels demi-company, to move with his squadron and companies to Sotha. Per Guilliman’s orders he was to launch diversionary attacks to slow down Night Lords advance. Corvo’s diversionary attacks were to provide more time to Mount Pharos’ defenders and also to allow larger relief force under Guilliman’s personal command to arrive to Sothan system and defeat the traitors. Corvo and his squadron left Beremin system immediately after receiving his orders and set course for Sothan System using the Pharos beam to guide his course through the Ruinstorm.
At the time when Pharos was captured by Night Lords final assault, Corvo’s squadron experienced sudden drop of speed and he ordered immediate activation of immaterium drive to enact emergency translation into realspace. All of his vessels were damaged by the emergency re-entry into realspace and one ship, Spear of Hermia, was destroyed after her reactor detonated. The squadron was however only nine hours of flight from Sotha. Corvo ordered his ships to launch a salvo of torpedoes and missiles that preceeded them. Thanks to having translated out of immaterium with high residual velocity, it caught theNight Lords fleet by surprise. Several Night Lords vessels were damaged and other were provoked into pursuit of Ultramarines vessels. This created window of opportunity for Corvo’s flagship, the Glorius Nova, and for Dark Angels vessel, the Watcher. While Watcher engaged remaining Night Lords vessels and was destroyed in the process, Corvo led a strike force of hundred and twenty-six legionaries of his company to relieve defenders of Mount Pharos. On the surface of Sotha, Corvo’s strike force linked up with Sothan First Auxilia soldiers and Scouts of 199th Company. Scouts led the strike force into caverns under Mount Pharos while soldiers of Sothan First Auxilia engaged Night Lords pursuit force and delayed them before they were destroyed .
Not knowing that the relief force is only few hours from rescuing him, warsmith Dantioch located the Nightfall, flagship of the Night Lords legion after being tortured and blackmailed by threats to Polux. Krukesh knowing that his forces above the planet were engaged by Ultramarines vessels decided to use Pharos and transport himself and Skraivok aboard the Nightfall. Dantioch used this to tune the Pharos beacon into overpower that killed most of the Night Lords legionaries in Primary Location Alpha, transported blinded Krukesh and Skraivok to Nightfall and disabled majority of shipboar systems and power armour systems on planet and in orbit above it. This way, he turned the tide against the traitors and enabled Ultramarines victory costing Dantioch his life.
The last light of Pharos beacon enabled second relief force led by primarch Guilliman to translate directly into Sothan System. This second fleet reinforced Corvo’s vessels and hunted down disabled Night Lords vessels in the system. Guilliman posthumously awarded Dantioch the title Hero of Imperium, inducted the neophytes who survived the battle into legion and promoting their leader to the rank of Reconnaissance Squad Sergeant.
Under Polux‘s guidance a partial functionality of Pharos beacon was restored and Guilliman announced construction of larger fortress to guard Mount Pharos. The 199th Aegida Company of the Ultramarines was awarded by Guilliman with an emblem of two crossed scythes, which would eventually form their basis to become the Scythes of the Emperor after the implementation of the Codex Astartes.
Unknown to all involved, the Battle of Sotha would have grave consequences for the galaxy, as the overloading of the Pharos alerted the Tyranids, then drifting in the intergalactic void, to our galaxy.
Ten thousand years later, Sotha would later be invaded by a splinter of Hive Fleet Leviathan, resulting in the destruction of the world and the near-annihilation of the Scythes of the Emperor Space Marine Chapter, which had made Sotha its homeworld.
Find out more about the Battle of Sotha
About the Author: Zeb Barrett
