# The Battle of Gehenna - Blood Angels and Necrons vs Tyranids



## Lord of the Night

We're all aware of the infamous Blood Angels/Necrons team-up to stomp the Tyranids from the Blood Angels codex that provoked this image;










Well in reality, according to the recently released short story The Word of the Silent King by LJ Goulding, it was nothing like that at all. It was a much tenser alliance that both sides intended to backstab at the earliest opportunity, even the honourable Blood Angels. In fact the Necrons were the least treacherous since they at least made sure the Angels survived, albeit mauled, but the Angels would have eradicated the Necrons if they had the chance. The story reveals a lot about the events at Gehenna, here is some info and my examination of it;

First Gehenna begins with the Necron Legions attacking the planet, a planet that according to the Angels has been invaded many many times before by lots of different xenos armies, but the reason behind their attack is more altruistic than it appears. The story reveals that the Silent King Szarekh tracks Hive Fleets through space and is constantly battling against them, and pretty much only them, and he tracked a fleet to Gehenna. He invaded the world to use it as a base to end this Hive Fleet and prevent them from destroying Gehenna and using it's biomass to further invade that particular sector, but the Angels assumed the Necrons were taking the planet for themselves and responded. The Necrons were trying to save the Imperial sector.

As the two sides clash Szarekh offers an alliance to Dante through the Judicator-Prime of his court. Dante, Tycho and a young Machavi, the future Captain of the Third after Tycho falls and dies at Armageddon, go for two reasons; first to see exactly what the Necrons are offering them, and second because the Silent King, who the story reveals the Ordo Xenos doubts that he actually exists, is supposedly there and they want to see him, and kill him. They secretly brought a cyclonic warhead with them and planned to detonate it in the meeting, but the Necrons are courteous and fair. They don't flip out when the Angels refuse to bow before Szarekh, and the Silent King even honours them by wearing a Death Mask of Sanguinius that he carved himself after meeting the Primarch at an unspecified time in the past, the SK's mask is a bit more elongated and androgynous than Dante's (Which we know means that the SK's is more accurate), though the Angels are offended by it. The meeting goes as well as you could expect until the Silent King speaks to Dante in a whisper, after this Dante accepts the alliance.

However both sides screw each other. The Necrons use the Angels as cannon fodder, putting them in the heaviest fighting and just supporting them enough, and do not mention that the fleet is actually alright and leave the Angels to handle all the space fighting. By the end the Angels have been mauled, and have realized the truth, but before they can do anything the Silent King and his forces have left Gehenna in pursuit of yet another Hive Fleet. Machavi says that he will alter the records to say that Dante allowed the Necrons to leave in recognition of their unexpected aid, and leaves out any mention of the Silent King, as it's implied if he leaves it in the Inquisition will come down hard on the Blood Angels as they will hold the view that the Angels should have sacrificed themselves to kill such a notable xenos warlord, and that killing the Silent King would have been more important than destroying the Hive Fleet in their eyes. Dante says that the Silent King told him, (regarding the Tyranids) "They are the rising storm, and you must become the shield."

The Silent King knows about the Cryptus Shieldworlds and about the encroaching Tyranid attack on them.


After having read this story I am convinced that LJ Goulding is the man to take all of the lore that we have been divided over; Mortarion and Draigo, the Khornate Grey Knights, the Blood Angel and Necron team-up, etc, and turn them into stories that make for damn good reading. Not only does this story take the implausible idea of an alliance between the Blood Angels and the Necrons and make it not only an possibility, it also makes it enjoyable and offers background to the idea that begs for it's own story. In this instance it is the hints towards the Silent King having met Sanguinius and what might have been;



The Word of the Silent King said:


> It is curious what the humans choose to know of their past, and what remains unremembered. They do not heed the lessons that they have already learned, because they often elect to forget them. Perhaps, had he not fallen to illogical and prideful infighting, their Sanguinius-Angel might have steered them towards a more enlightened destiny.
> Certainly, he would have made a more amenable emperor than a preserved witch-corpse.
> If ever there were a human to be mourned, noble Szarekh would say that it was him. That alliance – the first alliance, perhaps? – might have ended the threat of the Devourer before it ever surfaced. At least, the tyranids might never have been drawn to this galaxy in the first instance.


So at one point in the past, Szarekh the Silent King met Sanguinius and offered him an alliance, an alliance that Szarekh believes could have prevented the Tyranids from ever coming to the Milky Way in the first place. What exactly did he want Sanguinius to do?? Why didn't this alliance occur?? How long has Szarekh been preparing the galaxy for the coming of the Tyranids?? A lot of questions come from this story, and I hope that we might get to see some Heresy-era Blood Angels interacting with the Necrons, that would make for a damn good story.

I greatly enjoyed this story, another piece of love/hate lore redeemed by LJ Goulding in my opinion. Hopefully next he'll tackle the Khornate Grey Knights, because I think they would make a brilliant short story or even a novella.


LotN


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## zerachiel76

I like this too, thanks for a good post


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## Serpion5

Damn, I have to get a hold of this now. 

I could offer some speculation based on what I already know of these factions, but I think I'll wait until I've read the book first. Excellent thread though, expect to see more from me on the topic as soon as I can contribute it. :good:


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## kwak76

why does necron fight the nids? And I thought the nids avoided the necron home worlds.


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## MidnightSun

So, you think the battle of Gehenna is really good?

Would you say that...

Gehenna's Gold?

YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHH


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## Serpion5

kwak76 said:


> why does necron fight the nids? And I thought the nids avoided the necron home worlds.


So you didn't read the first post at all then...?


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## kwak76

Serpion,

It still doesn't explain why necrons are fighting the nids? I mean this was a imperial run planet. The necrons didn't take it for themselves so the reasoning is that they are fighting for altruistic reason? I mean these are necrons.


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## Vaz

> he invaded the world to use it as a base to end this hive fleet and prevent them from destroying gehenna and using it's biomass to further invade that particular sector, but the angels assumed the necrons were taking the planet for themselves and responded. The necrons were trying to save the imperial sector.


rtfm


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## Brother Lucian

This should give a good explanation for the motivations of the Silent King.

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Szarekh

With this final order, Szarekh severed the command protocols that allowed him to control his subjects directly and went into a self-imposed exile in the intergalactic void as his penance. However, in the late 41st Millennium, the Necrons began their Great Awakening and Szarekh returned to the galaxy after discovering the approaching Tyranid Hive Fleets during his sojourn in the intergalactic void. The Silent King recognised them as a major threat to his people's chances of reconquering the galaxy and regaining their organic forms. It was Szarekh’s dream that the Necrons might find an organic species whose bodies would prove to be suitable vessels for Necron minds, thus finally ending the curse of biotransference. However, if the Tyranids were allowed to consume all life in the Milky Way Galaxy, there would be no species left to serve as Necron vessels, and so the Silent King now travels across the galaxy, seeking to awaken and unite his people against this terrible extragalactic foe. 


And Ive also heard this tidbit. Appearently space marine bodies can serve as excellent vessels for Necron souls. But Ive no source for this one. But considering how daemons love them, it comes as little suprise that others also wants to hollow them out and inhabit the shells.


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## kwak76

Brother Lucian,

OK that make sense . Which leads to the question would the necrons afterward take on chaos ? I mean deamons as you mentioned would also compete to possess the flesh.


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## Brother Lucian

kwak76 said:


> Brother Lucian,
> 
> OK that make sense . Which leads to the question would the necrons afterward take on chaos ? I mean deamons as you mentioned would also compete to possess the flesh.


The necrons are masters of anti warp technology. So theyd easilly be able to shield themselves against chaos. Just look at the cadian pylons.


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## Serpion5

Okay, this story really does open up more than a few possibilities about the future of the 40k universe. The very fact that Szarekh has specifically targeted the tyranids confirms a few things. 

The tyranids are indeed the greatest threat to the galaxy. 

It seems likely now rather than just plausible, that the astronomicon is indeed what drew the tyranids to this galaxy. Mostly because:

The alliance of the past referred to seems to suggest that Szarekh was willing to aid Sanguinius at some point, but whether this came to pass or not isn't expanded upon. Perhaps the Imperium could have triumphed and the Emperor's goal succeeded if they had been willing to accept necron help? 


Tying in with the novel _Devourer_, it seems now more than never that the necrons will finally be turned to a large scale counter offensive against the tyranid hive fleets. With the influence of the Silent King and the many tombworlds that Anrakyr the Traveler has indentured, the tyranids could be set to encounter their greatest losses since their first venture into this galaxy. 

Anrakyr looks set to be ding some pretty awesome things in my opinion. _Devourer_ has set him up for what appears to be a rather important role. 

But, as Khatlan said, he will need allies.


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## Brother Lucian

Speculation: If you recall, Sanguinius is currently marooned on Maccragge. The whole Imperium Secundus starting because the Astronomican went offline.

When the Astronomican goes online again, it might be exactly there Szarekh makes his move, pleading to Sanguinius to ensure it will go offline again as its drawing an ancient threat to the Galaxy. But he is most likely not believed, or Sanguinius deems the upcomming Battle for Terra to be of a far higher priority than letting Horus win and save the unborn future of the Galaxy.

While Sanguinius is a precog, the Shadow point of the Horus Heresy likely blinded him to the future consequences as well, like the Emperor.


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## Brother Lucian

Hum, I just recalled something. I remember from the Grey Knights codex that they are in possession of tesseract labyrinths, which they use to capture daemons with. But is no longer on good terms with the makers of them. 

I speculate, could those tesseract labyrinths have ended up in imperial hands after the supposed Heresy era contact with the Silent King? Wouldve certainly have made a worthwhile gift to a primarch to help with dealing with troublesome entities plaguing the imperium.


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## Serpion5

Brother Lucian said:


> Hum, I just recalled something. I remember from the Grey Knights codex that they are in possession of tesseract labyrinths, which they use to capture daemons with. But is no longer on good terms with the makers of them.
> 
> I speculate, could those tesseract labyrinths have ended up in imperial hands after the supposed Heresy era contact with the Silent King? Wouldve certainly have made a worthwhile gift to a primarch to help with dealing with troublesome entities plaguing the imperium.



Definitely a possibility. I had assumed that Trazyn was the most likely candidate for these transactions, but perhaps the Silent King had more to do with it. 

Honestly it wouldn't surprise me to know that Szarekh has had dealings with Malcador at this point.


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## Brother Lucian

Serpion5 said:


> Definitely a possibility. I had assumed that Trazyn was the most likely candidate for these transactions, but perhaps the Silent King had more to do with it.
> 
> Honestly it wouldn't surprise me to know that Szarekh has had dealings with Malcador at this point.


Szarekh did after all not go into the Great Sleep and stayed awake for 60 million years, unlike nearly every other necron.


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## Over Two Meters Tall!

Serpion5 said:


> Tying in with the novel _Devourer_, it seems now more than never that the necrons will finally be turned to a large scale counter offensive against the tyranid hive fleets. With the influence of the Silent King and the many tombworlds that Anrakyr the Traveler has indentured, the tyranids could be set to encounter their greatest losses since their first venture into this galaxy.
> 
> Anrakyr looks set to be ding some pretty awesome things in my opinion. _Devourer_ has set him up for what appears to be a rather important role.
> 
> But, as Khatlan said, he will need allies.


From _Devourer_ I also got the impression that the Flayer Virus is a far more prevalent and active contagion to the Necrons than previously indicated. I can see this lending a sense of urgency to Anrakyr in his efforts to wake any Tombworld before infection sets in.

As well, the Nids in _Devourer_ seemed to be more concerned with anything that moved, rather than just consuming organic matter. Could this be due to the history of the Hive Mind with the Silent King, that all Necrons are now viewed as threats? This development in itself would establish a firm mutually genocidal relationship between the Nids and the Necrons.


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## Protoss119

Well, crap. At this rate, I'm going to run out of things to rant about.

I'll have to pick this up at my earliest convenience. Like I said way back when he covered Draigo's fluff, it's good that we have a "denier" on board so we can go to someone else over a controversial piece of fluff and ask for a second answer, a more satisfying answer. In this case, it looks like Goulding turns what was cause to headdesk into a stark reminder of the Imperium's severity, and that not even First-Founding chapters are exempt from it. I think that's pretty cool.


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