FILE REFERENCE: 0000-XX-MISC SUBJECT: Xenos (General / Fauna / Minor Civilizations) CLASSIFICATION: Varied (Minoris to Extremis) CLEARANCE: Green // Colonial Governor Standard Issue DATE: 999.M41 (Standard Terran Cycle)
The classification "Xenos" is the broad administrative catch-all for the uncountable myriad of non-human life forms that infest the galaxy. While the major threats (Ork, Tyranid, Aeldari) consume the attention of the High Lords, the everyday reality of the Imperium is a constant struggle against a billion lesser species. From the feral beasts of a Death World to the insular star-empires of minor sentient races, the galaxy is teeming with life that is anathema to the Holy Human Form.
The Imperial Truth dictates that the stars are the birthright of Humanity alone. Therefore, any life form that occupies a world desired by the Imperium is, by definition, a trespasser. Whether they are sapient tool-users or mindless predators, they represent obstacles to the Manifest Destiny of the God-Emperor. They are the weeds in the garden of the Imperium, requiring constant pruning by the fire of the flamer and the edge of the chainsword.
The expansion of the Imperium often necessitates the colonization of worlds with hostile biospheres. These "Death Worlds" (e.g., Catachan, Fenris, Cretacia) are home to xenos fauna of terrifying lethality. These creatures are not organized armies, yet they claim more Guardsmen's lives annually than many minor wars.
Prominent examples include the Catachan Devil, a centipedal predator capable of shredding light vehicles; the Ambull, a burrowing insectoid that infests mining colonies; and the Clawed Fiend of the Donorian sector. These beasts possess biological adaptations that defy standard zoological models, often incorporating acidic blood, mono-molecular claws, or chameleonic skin. They are not evil in the moral sense, but they are competitors for the resources of the Emperor's domain. Standard colonial protocol for such infestation is the systematic extermination of apex predators to stabilize the ecosystem for human habitation.
Beyond mere beasts, the galaxy is littered with minor sentient species. These are races that have achieved spaceflight or rudimentary civilization but lack the numbers or power to threaten the Segmentum at large. Examples include the Hrud, a scavanger race that dwells in the shadows and whose entropic field ages everything around them; the Rak'Gol, cybernetic reptiles who raid the Koronus Expanse; and the Slaugth, maggot-men of the Halo Stars.
While designated "Minoris," these races are capable of destroying isolated systems. The Imperium's policy towards them is typically one of immediate annihilation. There is no "first contact" protocol other than firing solutions. Diplomacy is considered a sign of weakness. If a species is confined to a single system, the preferred method of dealing with them is a Crusade of Eradication, ensuring their genetic line is severed before they can become a "Majoris" level threat.
A distinct sub-category exists for xenos entities that are not Daemons but dwell within or feed upon the Warp. These are the Enslavers, balloon-like horrors that float through the Empyrean, enslaving the minds of psykers to manifest in realspace. There are the Psychneuein, parasitic wasps that lay eggs in the brains of the psychically active.
These entities blur the line between biological xenos and warp-predators. They are particularly dangerous because they bypass physical defences, attacking the mind and soul. They are the reason why unsupervised exploration of the Halo Stars and the Ghoul Stars is strictly prohibited. There are things in the deep dark that even the Astartes fear to name.
Despite the rigid xenophobia of the State, the Administratum is pragmatic. Certain non-sentient xenos species are deemed "useful" enough to escape extinction, provided they are enslaved. The Grox, a reptilian beast originally native to the Solomon system, is now the primary livestock of the entire Imperium. It is aggressive, dangerous, and barely edible, but it thrives in any environment and reproduces rapidly. It is the fuel of the Imperial war machine.
Furthermore, possessors of a Warrant of Trade (Rogue Traders) are occasionally granted dispensation to trade with or employ minor xenos breeds, such as the Jokaero weapon-smiths, provided they remain under strict supervision. This is a dangerous indulgence, tolerated only for the profit it brings to the Golden Throne.
The existence of the Xenos is a test of Human resolve. The universe is not empty; it is crowded with monsters. Every star system claimed by the Imperium must be wrested from the claws/tentacles/mandibles of an alien species. There is no room for coexistence. To share the galaxy is to admit that Humanity is not supreme. Therefore, the work of the Ordo Xenos and the Deathwatch is never done. We must scour the stars until only the children of Terra remain.
Thought for the Day: The alien is a lie. Only the Human is true.
@Ambull (Xenos)
@Carrion Bat (Xenos)
@Enslaver (Xenos)
@Gula (Xenos)
@Hrud Warrior (Xenos)
@Rak'Gol Marauder (Xenos)
@Sslyth Mercenary (Xenos)