From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 616 Strange Visitor
Inside the meditation hall;

The dark blue holographic projection slowly flowed in the air, reflecting Sui Yang's stern face.

His eyes glowed with a faint golden light, as if countless data streams were flashing in the depths of his pupils.

On the hard-light screen in front of him, battle reports, analyses, and strategic deductions from various departments were constantly scrolling and updating, but his eyes were not really focused on them.

In fact, he didn't need any of this complicated information to know the general situation over there.

As early as the moment the space gate was opened, when the Imperial Guards and the reconnaissance troops sent back the first set of images, a long-lost sense of familiarity had quietly emerged.

But, the time is too long——

It was so long that he almost forgot where he came from, and so long that those memories belonging to another world seemed to have been buried in the dust of time.

But the word "StarCraft" is still as clear as yesterday.

The dark blue sheen of the crystal ore, the iconic heavy outline of the CMC power armor, the mechanical roar of the siege tank when it deploys its gun mount, etc. These classic settings are deeply engraved in his mind like a brand, and have never faded even after the erosion of time.

His fingertips tapped lightly on the armrests of the throne, his thoughts surging like the tide.

In the world of StarCraft, three major races stand side by side:

Humans, Protoss, and Zerg.

The main stage of this interstellar war is the star region called Koprulu.

Interestingly, the humans there are not truly "human civilization", but rather the descendants of a group of exiles from Earth.

They took root in this remote star region, experienced hardships, and eventually developed a population, technology, and military strength sufficient to compete with the Protoss and the Zerg.

According to the setting, when a semi-exploratory human expeditionary force from Earth "happened" to arrive in the Koprulu sector when all races were severely damaged, they almost swept everything with a devastating force.

Ironically, this fleet representing the Earth and "real" humanity was ultimately defeated by the joint counterattack of local humans, Protoss and Zerg.

How powerful is the Earth in StarCraft?

The answer to this question may never be revealed.

After all, before he traveled through time, "StarCraft" had already fallen into silence with the decline of Blizzard. Those unfinished stories and those foreshadowings eventually became eternal regrets in the hearts of players.

Originally, "anything produced by Blizzard must be high-quality", but due to various inappropriate actions among senior management, the reputation of "Blizzard is dead" has dropped sharply.

Especially the line "Don't you have a mobile phone?" is a classic among classics.

At that time, Sui Yang didn't worry about these things. He just wanted to be a good gamer.

He slowly closed his eyes, and golden light flickered slightly under his eyelids.

Now, the universe on the other side of the space gate is a living StarCraft world.

The blue veins of crystal ore lie dormant deep in the planet's crust, like a sleeping beast.
The steel shadow of the battlecruiser cruised silently in the cold sea of ​​stars, the tail flames of its engines drawing pale blue tracks in the vacuum;

And in the darkest corners, swarms of Zerg may be lurking in the shadows. The rustling sound of their shells rubbing against each other is silent in the vacuum, but it is brewing a terrifying wave that is enough to engulf the entire star region.

Now, the veil of that universe will be unveiled by him and the entire human empire.

As for whether to continue to deploy troops
He opened his eyes again, and the golden light flowing in his pupils reflected the holographic projection floating in the air.

Preliminary and detailed information about the "18" universe appeared before him.

According to the analysis of the current situation of Ma Sara, the coordinates of the opening of the space gate, this desert planet has obviously experienced the ravages of the Zerg, the purification fire of the Protoss, and the re-occupation of the Terran Empire.

The charred molten glass on the surface was the cruel mark left by the Protoss' purification beams, while the emblem of the Terran Empire that could be seen everywhere indicated that human forces had regained control of this place.

In addition, the Terran Empire is still on the lookout for the "terrorist" Jim Raynor, and there are no signs of another Zerg invasion in Mar Sara.
All clues point to a clear time node, which is after 2502.

This is exactly the main storyline period of "StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty", the rise of Raynor's Rangers, and the delicate moment of the game between the Terran Empire and the Zerg.

At present, two "middle-aged" senior agents, Leon and Mike, have been rushing towards the possible hiding place of Jim Raynor according to the intelligence with a team of Flame Lizards.

Given their efficiency, it won’t be long before they come into direct contact with the legendary rebel leader known as “Thunder God”.

If we can successfully bring its ranger forces under the Empire, it will undoubtedly provide great convenience for subsequent operations.

But the negotiation process may not be smooth.

Jim Raynor has always been known for his unruly nature. This man, who would rather wander around the star regions in exile than bow to Arcturus Mengskmon, the leader of the Terran Empire, will never easily accept any form of jurisdiction.

Leon and Mike need to use diplomatic wisdom, and perhaps even appropriate military deterrence, to make the stubborn commander seriously consider the possibility of cooperation.

As for the issue of continuing to send more troops to the StarCraft universe, Sui Yang believes that the existing combat power is sufficient to deal with most threats.

A hundred Guardsmen, together with the complete structure of the 3rd Company of the Flame Lizards, are enough to sweep away any conventional armed forces in the Koprulu Sector.

The Zerg's swarm tactics will also collapse under the Astartes' heavy bolt artillery and the auxiliary army's hard light gun firepower network.

What's more, there are hundreds of guards led by Constantine. In theory, they are not afraid of any threats, even those from the Protoss who are good at using "psychic power".

The only thing we need to be wary of is the being called "God" in this universe - Amon the Fallen among the Xel'Naga.

That ancient life form that can control void energy might cause some trouble to his imperial troops.

But even so, in the face of the absolute gap in strength, even the so-called gods will eventually be reduced to ashes under the illumination of the pure light.

Right now, the most pressing threat to the front-line base is that the Zerg swarm is about to sweep across Mar Sara again.

Those greedy biomass devourers will never truly give up a marked planet. They lurk deep in the earth's crust and in the silent universe, waiting for the right opportunity to break out of the ground and fall from the sky.

Therefore, while completing the military integration, the Imperial Guards and the Flame Lizards must also shoulder the task of evacuating civilians.

Those ordinary people who are struggling to survive in the desert settlements must not become the flesh and blood food in the mouths of alien insects.

Every minute and every second is precious, and as many innocent people as possible must be rescued before the swarm returns.

The hall fell into a brief silence, with only a slight hum coming from the holographic projector.

Sui Yang's eyes swept across the planetary model floating in the air, and finally fell on the two artificial intelligences under the throne, namely Apu and Melissa.

"Order the Engineering Department to immediately plan and build a new city at the 18th Front Base to house the refugees from Ma Sara."

His voice echoed in the hall.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Execute immediately, my lord." The two artificial intelligences bowed at the same time, and data streams flashed rapidly in their pupils.

With the amazing efficiency of the Imperial Engineering Department, with the support of modular construction and various technologies, a modern city with complete facilities can be built within seventy-two standard hours.

From residential areas to medical centers, from sky farms to energy networks, the new city will be able to easily accommodate a population of one million.

However, the actual population of Ma Sarai may be far lower than the figure of "one million".

This war-torn planet has been severely damaged by the Zerg invasion. Conservative estimates put the current population at no more than one million, and possibly only a few hundred thousand.

After all, after the Terran Empire regained control of this place, most people who could afford it were unwilling to return to this troubled place that had once been ravaged by alien insects.

Only the poor who are desperate will risk returning to this cursed land for the meager miner's salary or the false reclamation subsidies promoted by the Terran Empire.

On the holographic projection, the conceptual blueprint of the new city is taking shape rapidly.

Sui Yang watched the building modules gradually light up, knowing that this new city was not only a shelter for refugees, but also the empire's first permanent base in this universe.

"Besides." Sui Yang's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the throne, and a sound similar to the collision of metal echoed in the hall:
"Send Athena and her subordinate Greek demi-god troops to the frontline base of Universe 18 immediately to deal with possible psychic threats."

"As ordered."

The responses of Apu and Melissa were particularly clear in the meditation hall.

And as the order was given, in the New Olympus "Temple" on the high mountains west of the Imperial Palace, the female war god in golden armor also opened her eyes, as if sensing the upcoming battle.

More than a hundred Greek minor gods walked out of their respective temples, their armor gleaming in the sun.

These ancient gods will use their "divine power" to clear all psychic obstacles for the empire.

After giving the order, Sui Yang fell into deep thought again.

The integration of the StarCraft universe still needs to be done step by step, and there is no need to rush.

Even if they encounter the Protoss of the Protoss or the ghost agents of the Terran Empire, with the presence of Athena, the goddess of war, and the extraordinary combat power of the Greek gods, they are enough to deal with any psychic threat.

As for the Thousand Sons' psychic masters who are proficient in "magic", there is no need for them to appear on the scene for the time being.

Likewise, the Primarchs do not need to lead their legions on expeditions themselves for the time being.

The difficulty of conquering that universe in the early stages is acceptable. A complete Astartes company, combined with the elite Imperial Guards, is more than enough.

Sui Yang's intention is very clear -

The entire "StarCraft" universe, along with its rich crystal mineral resources and technological heritage, must be fully incorporated into the direct territory of the Human Empire.

As for the human forces on Earth in StarCraft that are hiding behind the scenes.
That mysterious human civilization that has yet to fully demonstrate its strength can be dealt with later.

With the empire's military strength, it should be able to use "simple" military deterrence, coupled with relatively tough diplomatic skills, a two-pronged approach of force and politics to incorporate the opposing forces into the empire's territory.

After all, before becoming emperor, Sui Yang was best at this kind of "simple" business competition.

Sometimes, precise physical elimination of high-level enemy forces is often the most economical and immediate solution.

On the holographic projection, the star map of the StarCraft universe slowly rotates, and every planet will be bathed in the glory of the Golden Throne in the near future.

Meanwhile Ma Sara;

The desert in the southern hemisphere ushered in another "cruel" morning.

The reddish starlight penetrated the atmosphere, dyeing the entire Gobi Desert a dark rust-like red.

The Thunder Raider flew low over the dry riverbed, the sandstorm kicked up by its engines forming muddy wakes on both sides of the fuselage.

Looking down from the porthole, the earth is devastated.

Countless abandoned mines are like festering wounds on the surface of the planet. The exposed crystal veins have long been mined out, leaving only jagged rock walls reflecting the cold light.

Even more shocking are the scars left by the alien insects——

The kilometers-long acidic corrosion gullies, the surface melted into glass by biological acid, and the scattered remains of human armor, silently tell of the tragic battle that once took place here.

The raider suddenly slowed down, and the hum of its engine startled several local desert vultures.

On the horizon ahead, a small town made up of prefabricated houses and the wreckage of old spacecraft gradually became clear.

The settlement was unusually quiet. There were no mining carts coming and going, no bustling market, and only a few wisps of smoke from cooking fires proved that there were still people living here.

As the assault craft landed in the central square, the rusted metal floor groaned under the weight.

Before the hatch was fully opened, the scattered residents in the square sensed something was wrong and quickly scattered.

But Leon and Mike keenly noticed that those strong "miners" did not really leave, but quickly hid in the shadows of the tunnel, casting vigilant glances from every corner.

When the six Flame Lizards stepped out of the hatch, the air in the entire square seemed to freeze.

The giants' dark green armor shone coldly in the morning light, and the lizard emblems on their shoulder armor looked as ferocious as living creatures.

The faces of those sturdy men who were observing secretly changed suddenly, and everyone disappeared in the intricate alleys of the town in an instant as if they had received a silent command.

"Looks like he's a member of the 'terrorist group'."

Mike whispered, his finger already on the safety of his exclusive pistol, and jokingly said, "Quite a quick reaction."

Leon did not respond, his eyes were drawn to a relatively intact building at the edge of the square.

It was a bar called "Joey Ray". The neon sign flickered stubbornly in the morning light. What was even more eye-catching was the brand new footprints at the door, which was out of tune with the deserted scene around it.

"Opening a bar in such a place?" Mike sneered, "You're either a fool or..."

"Or waiting for someone." Leon took over the conversation and walked towards the bar, saying:
"Let's go, it's time for a drink."

"It's time to moisten your throat, but it's your treat."

"."

The two agents from the Investigation Department walked straight towards the bar, while the six Flame Lizards dispersed and stood guard tacitly.

squeak----!
The rusty door hinges groaned harshly, and Leon and Mike pushed open the cowboy-era waist door and walked into the bar filled with the turbid smell of alcohol and motor oil.

In front of the bar, a sturdy man in a faded short-sleeved shirt sat with his back to the door, his rough fingers slowly turning a half-empty glass.

The bartender suddenly stopped wiping the cups, and the conversation of several drunks in the corner stopped abruptly. They looked at the two strangers.
(End of this chapter)