From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 634 Withdrawal of "Power"

"Roar----!"

The mutants, twisted by the Zerg virus, let out a chilling, agonizing wail the moment they spotted the aerial formation.

They raised their deformed arms, grabbed rusty mining laser guns, modified civilian firearms and other crude weapons, and fired wildly into the sky.

Crimson energy beams and warheads poured upwards like a torrential rain, drawing countless fleeting streaks of light against the dim sky.

However, these attacks appeared utterly ridiculous against the energy shields of the Imperial transport fleet.

After all, at this stage, almost all military vehicles of the human empire are equipped with energy shield generators. The light blue shield field ripples slightly in the barrage of bullets, like raindrops falling into a lake.

The escorting carrier-based aircraft quickly launched a counterattack, with their bomb bays on the belly and back of the aircraft opening neatly.

"Aerial bombs are being dropped."

With the pilot's calm instructions, a hundred silver-white missiles hurtled down.

Boom—boom—!
They detonated simultaneously tens of meters above the ground, and in an instant, the entire block was turned into a sea of ​​fire.

The orange-red flames swept across every corner like a tidal wave. The twisted figures convulsed violently in the high temperature, their skin melting like wax, revealing the writhing worm tissue beneath.

Next came the even more powerful metallic hydrogen bomb—

Ri~——咻——! ! !
After the blinding white light, the shockwave leveled the buildings in the entire area, and even the spore cloud in the air was instantly purified.

When the landing gear of the lead Thunderhawk gunboat slammed heavily onto the cleared square, the platoon leader's helmet screen displayed the entire process of the formation from flight to landing, which took only three minutes and twenty-seven seconds.

As soon as the hatch opened, the Flame Lizards, equipped with dark green titanium armor, rushed out.

Bang! Bang bang!
The roar of the bomb gun instantly echoed through the street, each bullet blasting several mutants into mincemeat.

"Establish a defensive line! Third squad, protect the left flank!"

The platoon leader's voice boomed through the communications channel.

Not only did over a hundred Flame Lizards pour out of the cockpits of the Thunderhawk Gunship and Thunder Raider, but nearly a thousand Hell Paratroopers, Elf Warriors, and nearly ten thousand auxiliary troops also poured out of the cockpits of various transport planes and transport ships.

Meanwhile, dozens of heavy armored units, such as Achilles assault tanks, were also deployed and put into combat.

In an instant, the once "peaceful" city was "awakened" by the sound of gunfire.

The Zerg and the infected civilians, namely the large number of mutants, were already severely weakened after being bombed by carrier-based aircraft. Now, facing the fierce suppression of the Flame Lizards, they are unable to organize an effective swarm of Zerg or zombies in the short term.

As for the platoon leader of the first combat platoon, he led five veteran Flame Lizard soldiers through the burning streets, their magnetic boots leaving deep dents in the molten metal pavement.

The tactical goggles continuously scanned the field of vision, and with the aid of the helmet screen, the residual Zerg acid on the shelter door still emitted an eerie green fluorescence.

The crisscrossing scratches, several centimeters deep, seemed to silently tell the story of the desperate resistance that had taken place here.

"People inside, listen!"

The platoon leader's power boxing gloves slammed heavily against the alloy door. The shockwave from the impact traveled along the passage into the depths, and the echoes in the confined space kept amplifying until they finally turned into a thunderous roar.

"We are the Flame Lizards of the Human Empire! Activate the airlock immediately!"

The surveillance camera's motor hummed softly as the lens focused, and then a hoarse male voice, cracked from prolonged dehydration, came from the speaker:
"How can you prove you're not those monsters in disguise?"

The platoon leader acted swiftly and decisively, removing his helmet to reveal a resolute face hardened by the crucible of war.

"Just because I can smash this door in three seconds."

He raised his right hand, and the force field generator of the power gauntlet began to hum. Crimson energy ripples flowed between his knuckles, ionizing the dust in the surrounding air into tiny sparks.

The platoon leader pressed the boxing gloves close to the door, and the metal alloy had already begun to glow red and "soften" under the high temperature.

"You have thirty seconds to choose," the platoon leader said calmly. "You can open the gate yourselves, or I can force it open, but that would be a serious waste of your best window of opportunity for rescue."

The shelter was deathly silent, save for the tense breathing of thousands of people and the suppressed sobs of children.

Sizzle!
After a long ten seconds of silence, the airlock finally hissed.

When the view of the shelter entrance was fully revealed, the platoon leader's pupils contracted slightly.

The crowded space was filled with a foul stench of sweat, blood, and excrement.

Standing in the front row was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, his bony fingers gripping a Molotov cocktail made from a wine bottle and strips of cloth.

The boy's sunken cheeks were covered in grime, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

"Are you gods?" the boy asked, his voice trembling.

Behind that boy, more survivors stared wide-eyed.

Some began to pray quietly, while others gripped their makeshift weapons warily. The platoon leader noticed several women in the corner desperately trying to hide children behind them, their eyes constantly shifting between the explosive pistol and the power gauntlets at his waist.

Clearly, legends about the "descent of the gods" are spreading rapidly in the outer galaxies.

For example, the miracle of Ma Sara and the redemption of Agriya spread like wildfire through private channels and refugee accounts, despite the public opinion blockade imposed by the Terran Empire.

However, the core star system of the Terran Empire remains completely unaware of the true situation on planets such as Mar-Sara and Agriya, because the Terran Empire's most adept method of rule is to use the media for political propaganda and brainwashing.

At this moment, the platoon leader knelt on one knee, and the armored joints emitted the distinctive hissing sound of hydraulic devices.

When his gaze met that of the boy, the roaring fire dragon emblem on his shoulder armor was reflected in the boy's eyes.

“No, child.” He deliberately lowered his voice, “We are not gods, but warriors of the Flame Lizards, and the Emperor’s angels of death.”

The boy's Adam's apple bobbed, and he reached out his hand with trembling hands, but pulled it back sharply just before touching the power armor, as if afraid that it was a fragile illusion.

"Sir!"

The tactical channel suddenly exploded.

The platoon leader's quick movement to stand up created a gust of air, and the "click" sound as he put his helmet back on sounded like a kind of verdict.

In the shared field of view on the helmet screen, the horizon is "twisting and writhing"—

That wasn't a sandstorm, but a black wave composed of Hydralisks, Zerglings, and a large number of Aliens.

Even more terrifying are the mutants mixed in with them. They have hunched over, yet they keep pouring out of the buildings that are also infected and twisted, and their deformed forelimbs have evolved into sharp bone blades.

Seeing this, the platoon leader took the bolt pistol hanging on his waist and gave instructions through the tactical channel:
"Attention all units! Establish a crossfire network at positions one through four. Heavy armored units, fire freely! Buy civilians twenty minutes to evacuate!"

As the orders were given, the engines of the transport ships began to warm up, while Hellfire Troopers and auxiliary troops quickly set up heavy weapons. Armored units, including Achilles assault tanks, formed a mobile defensive line. At the entrance to the shelter, the boy suddenly mustered his courage, rushed forward, and grabbed the platoon leader's leg armor, who was about to turn away, exclaiming in terror:
"Those monsters would drag living people to the hatching pool. My father and mother were victims of them."

Upon hearing this, the platoon leader turned to look at the boy, then glanced at the civilians boarding the ship with the help of the auxiliary troops and elven warriors, and then looked at the approaching swarm of insects.

He then placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, the power armor's servo system precisely controlling the force to ensure no accidental injury.

"Don't worry, child, we're here. You and everyone else will be fine."

After saying that, the platoon leader switched off the safety on the bolter and led a group of Flame Lizards to the front line. The muzzles of the bolters and plasma cannons formed a deadly steel wall in the twilight.

The wave of Zerg is imminent.

The first to rush in were a group of mutants, their twisted limbs running wildly in bizarre postures, their rotting skin revealing writhing worm tissue.

"Roar--!!"

These former humans, now driven only by bloodlust, roared as they charged toward the fire lizards' defenses.

However, they were met with the synchronized roar of bolt muskets.

Bang—bang bang!

Without the platoon leader's order to fire, the first salvo tore through the air.

The spinning explosive warhead pierced into the mutant's body and then detonated inside, blasting its twisted form into a cloud of blood mist.

Ri~Whoosh—Whoosh—!
Then came the roar of the plasma, as the blue-white, high-temperature plasma drew a deadly arc, blasting open a purification zone several meters in diameter within the swarm of insects.

The main force of the Zerg has finally appeared.

The swarm of hydralisks burst forth from the ruins of the building, their bone needles raining down like a storm, yet only creating ripples on the energy shield.

The black torrent of zebras that tried to bypass the flanks was torn to shreds by the automated turrets deployed by the Hellscreamers.

"Maintain formation!" The platoon leader stood at the forefront of the defensive line, each swing of his power gauntlets smashing several Zerglings to pieces. "Buy time for the transport team!"

On the helmet screen, the progress bar for civilian evacuation is moving rapidly.

Guided by auxiliary troops and soothed by the psychic powers of the elven warriors, these tormented survivors boarded the transport ships with astonishing efficiency.

Someone turned to look at the battlefield and saw a Flame Lizard sergeant crushing a Hydralisk's head with one hand.

The battle seemed to be one-sided, but the number of Zerg and mutants was simply too great.

Every time a swarm of insects is wiped out, more will emerge from underground tunnels or building ruins. They advance by stepping on the corpses of their own kind, and acid and bone needles constantly deplete the fire lizards' ammunition and shields.

"Sir! The last transport ship is fully loaded!" the voice announced over the channel.

The platoon leader glanced at the clock on his helmet screen—nine minutes and forty-three seconds.

It was faster than expected.

"Attention all personnel, evacuation procedures initiated!"

With the platoon leader's order given, the Flame Lizards' tactical retreat was textbook perfect.

Hellscreams boarded the ships first, maintaining suppressive fire, while auxiliary troops and armored units formed mobile cover. The Flame Lizards, being Astartes, were responsible for the rear, using bolters, plasma weapons, and molten metal to clear out the pursuing swarms of insects.

Throughout the entire process, not a single alien insect or mutant was able to break through to a range of 100 meters.

As the hatch of the last Thunderhawk gunboat closed, the escorting carrier-based aircraft swooped down to provide final cover for the entire transport formation.

After the transport formation detached and took off, the carrier-based aircraft dropped not ordinary aerial bombs, but a large number of tactical-grade metallic hydrogen bombs.

The transport formation climbed rapidly, and just before breaking through the atmosphere, the platoon leader saw through the observation window that the city below was blooming with "flowers of death".

First came a blinding white light, as if someone had ignited a miniature sun on the earth's surface, followed by an expanding fireball, the shockwave vaporizing buildings, streets, and swarms of insects.

The final mushroom cloud of fire that rose up presented an eerie and magnificent sight.

"mission completed."

The platoon leader muttered something to himself and glanced around at the civilians crammed into the same cabin as their Flame Lizards.

At this moment, he looked at the boy huddled in the corner, who was looking at the sea of ​​fire through the porthole, his eyes reflecting the light of destruction.

“That’s…our home,” the boy murmured.

The platoon leader was silent for a moment, then took out a magazine, took out a standard bolt-action round, and handed this "simple" souvenir to the boy:

"Don't be afraid, child, you will soon have a new home."

The transport vessel continued to climb and entered near-Earth orbit.

There, the lights of the Indomitable Flame, like a lighthouse guiding the way home, quietly awaited these warriors returning from hell.

Swish——! !

The veil of space was torn apart by a ghostly blue light, and a behemoth-class battlecruiser ended its warp drive and appeared within the gravitational pull of a planet.

This is a planet covered by vast green vegetation. From orbit, the dense forests resemble an emerald ocean, gleaming with vibrant life under the starlight.

However, this tranquility was shattered by the sudden appearance of the steel behemoth, the Rangers' flagship Hyperion, which hovered majestically in the planet's orbit.

The Hyperion's hull has a typical StarCraft II universe style, with thick armor plating covered with battle scars and repair marks, a giant laser cannon array on the bow gleaming with a cold metallic luster, and missile launch hatches on both sides half open, revealing neatly arranged warheads inside.

At the stern of the ship, huge engine nozzles intermittently spew out blue ion flames, maintaining the warship's stable attitude in orbit.

Inside the bridge at this moment;

Soft blue light illuminated the spacious command center, and holographic projections intertwined in the air to create complex star map data.

Jim Reynolds stood in front of the center console, his rough fingers tapping lightly on the control panel. Beside him stood Tychus Finley, who always had a cigar in his mouth, squinting at the data on the star map.

“Monles,” Matt Horner’s voice broke the silence. The young adjutant pointed to the planetary marker on the star map. “According to the intelligence provided by Mr. Finley, another artifact component is hidden here.”

Standing around the center console were Leon S. Kennedy, Mike Monardi, and Chris Redfield.

The three of them exchanged glances.

As special agents transferred from the Empire of Man, they boarded the Hyperion to assist Jim Raynor and Tychus Finley in collecting artifacts and making contact with a faction called the "Moebius Foundation."
(End of this chapter)