From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 652 "God, do you mean to lure that crazy woman out?"

In the pitch-black abyss of space, a torrent of alien insects surges forth with suffocating density.

Tens of thousands of biological vessels wriggled forward in the vacuum, their purplish-black shells covered in slime, reflecting a nauseating sheen of oil under the starlight.

Even more terrifying were the swarms of flying mantises, resembling locusts, with millions or even tens of millions of alien insect flying units forming a "dark cloud" that blotted out the sun outside the atmosphere.

Inside the bridge of the Busefalos, the air seemed to freeze once again.

Valerian's left fingernails dug deeply into his palm, while his right hand left several whitish scratches on the alloy surface of the tactical table.

Lieutenant General Warfield's helmet secondary screen kept adjusting the focus. On the tactical screen, the red dots representing the Zerg had become so dense that they formed a sea of ​​blood. The old general's Adam's apple bobbed laboriously.

According to the original plan, they were supposed to use their own fleet as bait to attract the Zerg's main firepower, and then send a large number of marines, together with Jim Raynor and Tychus Finley's Rangers, to escort the artifact to the surface and activate it, thereby achieving the goal of purifying or killing the Queen of Blades.

But now it seems that the Zerg vanguard alone is enough to overwhelm the entire Terran fleet.

"All ships, to battle positions!" Valerian's voice crackled through the communications channel. "Until orders are received from the Empire of Man, deploy into defensive formations to resist!"

Just as the entire gunnery of the Terran fleet was preparing to lock onto their target after receiving orders, a dazzling blue light suddenly illuminated the universe—

Ri~咻————! !

A horizontal beam of light, over three thousand kilometers in diameter and nearly one-third the diameter of the Char, burst forth from the front of the Black Templar's Traveler-class vessel, instantly traversing the entire Zerg fleet.

This matrix beam, clearly a product of Forerunner technology, evaporated biological warships like dewdrops under the scorching sun wherever it passed, leaving not even ashes behind the swarm of flying mantises.

The high-energy particle stream at the edge of the beam of light formed a deadly radiation storm, ionizing all the Zerg within hundreds of kilometers into elementary particles. With just one salvo, a third of the Zerg vanguard was wiped out.

However, the beam dissipated automatically just before it made contact with Char's atmosphere, preventing the planet from collapsing.

!!!

Upon seeing this, Valerian's pupils contracted sharply, and the red dots on the tactical screen disappeared in swathes at an alarming speed.

The destructive beam of light lasted for more than ten seconds. When it finally went out, all that seemed to remain in space were drifting organic debris and twisted shell fragments.

Even more chilling was that the Black Sanctuary's Traveler-class armor was only now beginning to truly unleash its power—

Her armor plates slowly slid open again, revealing honeycomb-shaped launch silos. Then, twelve giant metal rhombuses, each a kilometer long, were deployed, forming a matrix at the front of the ship. The flashing energy light indicated that a second wave of attacks was brewing.

"Is this the strength of their main warships?"

Warfield's voice was dry, like sandpaper rubbing, and his arms, covered by the CMC power armor, trembled uncontrollably. The damage data constantly refreshing on the tactical screen had exceeded the calculation limit.

It's important to know that the Traveller-class Dreadnought was the main warship of the Flood, one of the most troublesome Zerg races, in the Halo universe 100,000 years ago. So dealing with the Zerg, who are also Zerg, is naturally "easy."

Bang!

A crisp sound came from the corner of the bridge as a data pad hit the ground.

A young communications officer slumped in his chair, his lips trembling as he muttered, "We actually considered making an enemy of such a being."

Valerian suddenly realized that his back was completely soaked in cold sweat.

He looked out the porthole at the giant ship that resembled a moving blade; at that moment, "she" was adjusting its angle, preparing for a second salvo.

The prince couldn't help but recall his father Arcturus's arrogant demeanor.
I wonder what kind of expression that man, who thinks he's in control of everything, would have if he witnessed such firepower firsthand.

"Recalculate our survival probability after engaging the human empire," Warfield instructed his AI lieutenant.

"Calculation result: 0.003%", the female electronic voice quickly and calmly announced, "Note: This probability is based on the premise that the enemy only uses conventional weapons."

Ri~咻————————! ! !
The second matrix beam continued to tear through the void.

This time, the beam of light had a spiral structure, rotating like a drill and penetrating into the center of the swarm.

Hundreds of thousands of Zerg units were shredded in an instant. The biomass slurry produced by the explosion solidified into a bizarre coral-like structure in the vacuum. Some Overlords that were lucky enough to be on the edge of the attack range frantically released escape spores, only to be turned into mincemeat by the radiation aftershocks in the next second.

Valerian noticed that the other warships of the Human Empire didn't even seem to be firing.

It seemed that the Astartes warriors inside the ship were simply observing the battlefield calmly, and that this massacre was not worth their full attention.

This discovery caused the prince to experience a sharp pain in his stomach.

The fleet he "stole" and assembled by gambling with the fate of the Terran Empire is probably not even a warm-up in the eyes of the enemy.

"The entire fleet shall maintain its current formation." Valerian's voice suddenly calmed, and this time it sounded more relieved and understanding. "Await further instructions from the Imperial Family."

The tense atmosphere on the bridge subtly eased.

Several officers secretly exchanged relieved glances, some even starting to record the energy characteristics of the matrix beam, even though they knew perfectly well that the Terran Empire's technology was simply not up to par with analyzing such a weapon in a short time.

The universe outside the window was still burning, but everyone knew in their hearts that the war was already doomed.

At that moment, a burst of rapid-fire commands erupted from the communication channel, interrupting the atmosphere on the bridge.

Several communications officers' fingers flew across the holographic keyboard, projecting the information they received onto the main screen.

"Your Highness! Lieutenant General!" The chief communications officer's voice trembled slightly with anxiety. "The latest operational orders have come from the Human Empire. They require all our ground troops to immediately prepare for an airborne assault to cooperate with them in the surface operations of Char!"

Valerian nodded slightly, tapping his fingertip on the tactical console to bring up the Marine Corps deployment interface.

His movements were much more composed than before, and a complex light flickered in his eyes, while Lieutenant General Warfield had straightened his back, the old general's eyes scanning the paratrooper sequence.

"Notify all squadrons to load equipment according to the Alpha plan," Warfield issued a firm and powerful order. "Let the siege tank companies board the boats first; the Marines need the fire support of those 180mm siege guns."

And, to everyone's surprise, after giving the order, the lieutenant general also turned and walked out of the bridge, his golden boots in power armor making heavy footsteps on the deck.

“I will lead the team myself.” Before leaving, Warfield turned to Valerian. “Your Highness should stay.”

“I understand.” Valerian interrupted the vice admiral’s remaining words, and the prince’s gaze swept over all the tense faces on the bridge. “The Busephalos will provide you with orbital support.”

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As the order was given, the entire Tyranid fleet began to operate like a precise machine. The ventral armor plates of the Tyranid fleet opened one after another, and tens of thousands of airdrop pods were accelerated off the hull by magnetic tracks. The surfaces of these metal containers were also sprayed with the special insignia of their respective units, which looked like a rain of steel falling against the blood-red sky of Char.

At the same time, the human empire's fleet demonstrated breathtaking battlefield dominance.

When the Black Templar's dreadnoughts unleashed their third volley of matrix beams, the beams split into twelve branches, carving out radial death corridors through the swarm.

The Blazing Lizard's strike cruisers unleashed swarms of attack aircraft, these hard-light weapons specifically designed to snipe Zerg swarms attempting to intercept airborne troops.

"The optimal window for airdrop is forty-seven seconds!" the tactician's voice boomed through the fleet channel. "All transport units, advance at full speed!"

The airdrop pods of the human empire's ships were the first to enter the atmosphere. The outer walls of these metal containers glowed red from friction, and their contrails drew countless crimson trails in the murky sky of Char.

Following closely behind were airdrop pods carrying CMC Marines, as well as transport ships and aircraft formations from both fleets.

Under the cover fire provided by the fleet, the airdrop pods and transport formations had almost no worries about the Zerg threat and "crashed" into the designated landing area at a near-vertical angle.

Meanwhile, on the surface of Char, a hellish scene is unfolding.

The purplish-black fungal carpet seemed to cover every inch of the land, and pulsating organic structures rose from the volcanic rock like tumors. Hundreds of millions of alien insects shuttled between their nests, their sheer number making the entire earth seem to writhe as if alive.

Sudden--

boom! Boom!

The first wave of orbital bombardment arrived precisely on time.

Thousands of cluster bombs disintegrated into hundreds of submunitions in mid-air, and the resulting metal storm tore all the Zerg within a radius of two hundred kilometers to pieces.

The high temperature carbonized the fungal carpet into flying ash, revealing the cracked basalt surface beneath.

A springtail that had miraculously survived crawled out from the pile of limbs, its fluorescent green blood seeping from the cracks in its shell, which had been shattered by the shockwave.

This "survivor," who had narrowly escaped the bombing, raised his deformed head, his chitinous jaw stretched to its limit, about to let out an alarming roar—

Boom! Splat—!

The airdrop pod, falling from the sky, hit its target with incredible speed and precision, shattering the surviving springtail and creating a crater along with the rock beneath its feet.

The metal container deployed its cushioning device upon impact, and six hydraulic supports were inserted into the scorching ground.

Bang~!

"Hehe, lads, the show's about to begin!"

As the explosive bolts on the warehouse door rang out, Tychus Finley's distinctive voice followed.

The burly man, clad in CMC power armor and wielding a rotary machine gun, led several Rangers in blue CMC power armor as they poured out of the drop pods. Then, more and more drop pods descended onto the ground.

As a deep rumble echoed over Char, several beams of blazing white light shot down from the orbit, piercing the thick layer of volcanic ash on the ground.

Following closely behind were large airdrop units falling like meteorites—

They all came from the Hyperion and were deployed to the ground via airdrop of large, modular engineering units.

These units automatically deploy within tens of seconds of landing, slowly "unfolding their spines" like a giant beast, constructing a temporary forward command center, an automatic repair bay, an armed outpost, and an ammunition transfer platform.

While these buildings cannot directly mass-produce troops like the "Barracks" or "Factory" in StarCraft, they possess powerful detection capabilities, fire support, and energy jamming modules, enough to build a solid defensive line and technological advantage on the battlefield, becoming the tactical anchor point for the Allied forces.

Amidst the swirling ashes, Jim Raynor, clad in his familiar custom power armor and wielding a large-caliber anti-machine gun, slowly approached Tychus Finley.

Meanwhile, Leon, Mike, and Chris are escorting a large, sealed box containing the artifact with the Special Operations Unit of the Investigation Department.

Upon arriving at the center of the drop zone, Leon and the others opened the sealed box, revealing the artifact inside.

This artifact is about two meters long, and its surface is covered with complex inscriptions and energy channels. Its core seems to contain a star, and faint light occasionally flashes from the gaps, as if some higher-dimensional being is whispering from within.

The moment the artifact was assembled and embedded in the ground, the surrounding air began to tremble unnaturally, as if the gravity of the entire planet Char was being slightly disturbed.

"Based on data provided by the intelligence department."

Lyon stood in front of the control panel, glanced at the light screen, and said calmly, "It is estimated that the artifact will take three hours to fully activate. During this time, the energy fluctuations will have a very high probability of attracting the Queen of Blades herself."

He turned to look at the crowd, his eyes revealing an undeniable sharpness.

"Our real purpose is for the Goddess of War, Athena, to personally descend and capture the Queen of Blades alive. The artifact is just bait."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tychus's heavy tactical power armor creaked softly. He turned around, his face filled with disbelief, and said:
"God, do you mean we have to hold this position for three hours? Just to lure that crazy woman out?"

“That’s right.” Lyon nodded without hesitation. “There’s a certain probability that artifacts are one-time use items. Besides, it’s actually more reliable to have the Goddess of War handle the capture.”

Boom, boom, boom—!
At that moment, a series of muffled impacts came from afar.

Immediately afterwards, figures resembling a swarm of sharks traversing a sea of ​​lava broke through the dust and smoke from the gray mist.
Tiberius arrived with his gang of man-eating sharks.

These Astartes, clad in sea monster bone paint, lined up like war machines, with chainsaws, power swords, and other melee weapons humming beside them, seemingly eager to tear the insect swarm apart.

Tiberius's helmet visor remained as cold and stern as a shark's. "Don't worry, with us here, we won't be disturbed by any bugs for these three hours."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than several more forces arrived at the drop zone—

Flame Lizards, Lamenters, the Black Templar's company commanders and Astartes, and Hellscreams have all completed their deployments. In addition, more auxiliary troops and armored units are approaching.

Even Warfield's Marine Corps is about to complete its ground assembly, with hundreds of thousands of CMC Marines lined up for deployment. Moreover, the vast majority of them no longer harbor the same doubts about the Empire of Man as before, after all, the godlike existence and the strength of the Empire of Man's fleet have convinced them.

Now, all they need to do is fight and eliminate the Zerg once and for all to ensure the safety of their home.

Just as the battle lines were gradually being stabilized, the tactical sensor array suddenly began to shriek!
"Swarm response!"

"It's the Zerg! They're here!"

Electronic alarms instantly filled all channels, the ground began to tremble, and the distant volcanic ash cloud rolled in like a giant beast that had been awakened.

Amidst the convergence of heat waves and electric arcs, countless dark shadows emerged at the edge of the field of vision, and swarms of insects surged like a tide, covering the earth and devouring the light.
(End of this chapter)