Lord Commanders,

I bring you grave news. The threat we face may be far more vast than we ever dreamed. Technical analysis of Dalki-Prime pre Tyranid consumption survey information when cross-referenced with the data from Dalki-Mons post Tyranid consumption shows some startling information.

Dalki-Prime was an agricultural planet with a diameter of 12,500 km, slightly smaller than Terra. The Tyranid fleet was able to remove the following quantities of material from the planet within 100 days [Terran Standard].

1.55 billion cubic km water, one cubic km of sea water weighs over 1 trillion kg.
8.67 billion cubic km gases, at STP theoretically they could reduce this to 1 tenth its volume by super cooling and pressure (3 atm, and 0ºC).
72 million cubic km soil and minerals, weighing 1.4 trillion kg per cubic km.

It is nearly inconceivable how they were able to accomplish this in such a short time, much less explain where the materials were taken, as the typical hive fleets encountered historically are not capable of transporting even a fraction of this volume. Over 10 billion cubic kilometres of material was removed from the planet. This would require untold millions of ships and is far beyond the scope of the entire Adeptus Mechanicus to accomplish given a decade. Most astonishing is that this is insufficient to sate their hunger and they strike again and again, often within months. We must somehow determine if these fleets are somehow sending material back to their home systems for it seems obvious that they are not using all the materials.

Detailed analysis of devastated worlds have yielded the following data in conjunction with orbital surveillance satellite and data recordings which were recovered.

Magos Biologis Salk,
Draco Legion Biomedical Research station, New Hallefuss

TYRANID PLANETARY ASSIMILATION: DALKI-PRIME

Day 0: Dalki-Prime a-class Aggregate: 2800

Analysis of records from Dalki-Prime have indicated invasion began quietly without any full-scale assault. A drop pod was detected entering the atmosphere of the southern hemisphere; this occurrence is the first known indication of Tyranid activity. We have chronologically designated this as day 0 insertion.

Day 7: PDF forces engaged and destroyed over 137 individual Tyranid organisms in an uninhabited area where the mycetic spore landed. No record exists of the elimination of a Hive Node creature but the mission was designated a success by the lax planetary governor, against the registered complaints of the PDF commander.

Day 9: Two separate outbreaks of Tyranid infestation were encountered, both over 200 kilometres from the initial insertion point. PDF were dispatched along with considerable forces of the IG garrison.

Day 13: Tyranid organisms were dredged from the main fishery areas on the northern coast some 700 kilometres from initial insertion point. Conflicts continued in both other fronts. Basolithic infestation is assumed to be progressing unchecked at this time.

The Planetary Governor issues a distress call.

Day 37: Major sections of all surface areas within 2,000 kilometres of the insertion point are firmly within Tyranid control. Basolithic infestation is verified by PDF navy submersibles which are destroyed 5,000 kilometres from main insertion point. Undersea agricultural complexes are attacked and destroyed.

Desalination plants along the coast were invaded from within and destroyed, access being easily gained from the large pumping stations.

Day 42: Planetary Governor and staff abandon the planet to the control of IG commander Gal Markit, who immediately orders orbital planetary bombardment with little success.

Day 48: IG forces are sorely pressed at all junctures, field reports indicate exponential growth in the numbers of Tyranid creatures. (Rough estimates indicate doubling every 2.5 days.)

Data File: Day 50 "Planet Lost"

Day 50: All psychic contact with Dalki-Prime is cut off by the overpowering presence of the Tyranid hive fleet which drops from warp space around the planet. Preliminary estimates place the numbers of space borne creatures at 1.46 billion. All escape attempts from this point on are intercepted and destroyed.

Mycetic poison spores are released into the atmosphere. These rapidly grow on all organic material, rhizomes burrow deep into organic tissue releasing enzymes to begin the rendering of the material. These aid the Rippers and also render any exposed material useless to other creatures as a food source as the fungus is highly poisonous to most life forms. Living creatures exposed to high concentrations of spores [200 per m3] typically develop lethal mycetial infestations within the lungs. Death occurs within 24 hours.

Day 51: Primary consumption of all biomass on Dalki-Prime commences with little resistance. Brood ships land on the planet and release the Ripper larvae, billions upon billions of them. These voracious creatures spread out, divesting the planet of all organic material and returning to the reclamation pools to deposit the nutrient broth. Capillary towers relay the material to orbit. Brood ships periodically return to orbit and unload this material to the great brood factories and feeder ships. Surface and aerial mobile lifeforms which do not succumb to the spore clouds are hunted and eliminated in the initial stages. This continues for approximately 8-10 days non-stop, accomplished primarily by Gaunt species, the carcasses left to the Rippers and the spores. These hunter swarms return to the Rippers to obtain regurgitated digested food.

Date File: Day 80 All vegetation gone 97% divested

Day 80: Ripper swarms, having systematically divested the land masses and basolithic planes of soil and dermis, board the brood ships and return to space. Once this has been completed the huge hive ships descend into the upper atmosphere. These creatures, which resemble primitive radiant life forms with long tentacles, then drop into the atmosphere and begin removing it. As the atmospheric pressure is reduced, the water of the oceans begins to evaporate and it too is vacuumed up. As the tectonic plates begin to move due to the shift in planetary pressures caused by the removal of the vast oceans, volcanic activity increases dramatically. Devoid of the huge weight of the oceans many areas rupture, spewing hot gases and lava onto the surface. As the hive ships take the last remnants from the planet, they retreat into the warp leaving the barren sphere in its death throes.

	Day 100: Imperial Navy arrives in response to the distress call finding the planet lifeless. Data File: Day 100 Imperial Navy Arrives Halo effect noted due to high metallic residue. Planetary Diameter reduced by 4.2% Dalki-Mons d-class
	Next: Tyranid Bio-structures