From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 660

The torrential rain poured down like a silver river, enveloping the noble district of Khar in a dense curtain of water.

Raindrops pounded on the gilded streets, splashing up countless tiny crystal beads that draped the entire area in a flowing, hazy veil.

The iconic plants of the aristocratic district drooped limply in the rain, and artificial light sources were blurred into hazy halos in the mist.

Nova Terra's slender figure stood quietly in front of the ventilation window of the suite's bathroom. Rainwater slid down the curved armor of her nanosuit, forming a constantly flowing film of water on the surface.

Pure psionic energy flowed through the patterns on the armor, refracting every drop of rain into an iridescent halo.

Her figure began to undergo subtle optical "distortion," the edges of her silhouette twisting and undulating like air under high temperature, until she finally blended completely into the background of the rainy night.

"Psionic synchronization rate 98.7%, very good."

Stone's voice rang out in the encrypted neural link.

The figure of this former Ghost Agent also began to "blur," with the quantum camouflage on the surface of his combat suit perfectly replicating the spectral characteristics of the surrounding environment.

Two other agents followed closely behind, and the four of them formed a psionic network, weaving a sophisticated interference field in the air.

Even the most advanced phase-scanning array at Terran Palace would only recognize it as electromagnetic noise caused by the rainstorm at this moment.

Like four invisible ghosts, they lightly leaped onto the intricate rooftops of the aristocratic district. The foot-adhesive modules in their nano-combat suits allowed the agents to walk on slippery surfaces as if on flat ground.

On Nova's retinal projection, a 3D model of the palace complex is updating in real time.

Dozens of patrol heat sources were marked in red, and more than a dozen dynamic monitoring outposts flashed yellow warnings.

“Area A3 is relatively safe.”

Nova's instructions are transmitted directly through neural links.

Her nano-gloves glide seamlessly through the rain, conjuring up a more detailed architectural cross-section in the void, highlighting a hidden maintenance passage.

Meanwhile, in the hotel lobby on the first floor—

Baze Mabus grinned menacingly.

His massive hand pressed against the hotel's main entrance. His enhanced physique, combined with the power bursting forth from his power armor, caused the alloy door frame to groan under the strain.

boom--! !

With a sharp, metallic whistling sound, the heavy metal door was torn from its hinges as if it were a piece of paper.

The door panel slammed onto the road, sending debris flying everywhere.

Buzz—! Buzz—!
The hotel's security system alarm suddenly blared through the night, the piercing electronic sound and flashing red warning lights tearing a "wound" into the rainy night.

The plasma cannon on Bates' shoulder began to charge, and the azure energy flow swirled and converged inside the barrel, emitting a chilling hum.

"Listen up, you little rascals!"

His deep voice echoed through the street as he picked up a modified rotary machine gun with one hand, "Today I'll show you what the firepower aesthetics of the Human Empire are all about!"

More than a dozen stormtroopers followed closely behind Betz, their black power armor gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the downpour. Each armor plate was specially polished so that rainwater would bounce off the surface, forming a fine mist of light.

The muscle bundles, driven by the hydraulic system, contract and expand rhythmically, emitting a deep and rhythmic hum.

These enhanced warriors average over two meters in height, and the smart warheads in the miniature missile pods protruding from the shoulders of their power armor are already in a ready-to-go state.

The heavy Gauss and hard-light firearms they carried were capable of penetrating the frontal armor of siege tanks with every shot.

As they marched forward in formation, the water on the road surface rippled in regular patterns.

A data stream flashed across the visor of a Stormtrooper, and the tactical goggles marked all the structural weaknesses of the buildings in front of them in red. In the visual system of these elite warriors, the entire world was a killing map composed of deadly nodes.

At the very front of this small torrent of steel, five men in black robes formed a stark contrast.

Chiru Inveil walked in the middle of the group. His seemingly simple black robe was actually woven from a special material, with psionic patterns that were difficult to see with the naked eye flowing across its surface.

The torrential rain split automatically when it came within half a meter of his body, as if it had crashed into an invisible dome.

His steps were light, and the surface of the water did not even ripple. This was not a simple use of the Force, but a "reality distortion field" produced by the perfect fusion of the Fiber Primal and pure psionic energy.

Four Jedi Knights behind him spread out in a diamond formation, their black robes billowing in the downpour.

The youngest apprentice held an unactivated lightsaber, the hilt inlaid with a Kyber crystal that changed light and shadow in sync with its owner's breathing.

Chiru suddenly stopped, his blind eye "looking" into the shadows on the right side of the street, a knowing smile playing on his lips:

"coming."

The piercing alarm blared throughout the noble district.

More and more Terran Marines rushed out from behind the barricades, and the servo systems of the CMC-400 power armor also emitted a sharp hum in the rain.

They simultaneously raised their Gauss rifles and pointed them at Chiru and the others standing at the forefront.

"Open fire! Kill without mercy!"

Tap tap tap!

At the squad leader's command, a large number of supersonic spiked projectiles tore through the rain.

The deadly spikes of these depleted uranium warheads carved straight paths through the air, shattering raindrops into white mist with the shockwave.

Kechiru simply raised his right hand slightly.

Time seemed to suddenly stand still—

All the spiked bullets hovered eerily three meters in front of him, their heads spinning violently but unable to move forward an inch. Even the rainwater began to gradually condense into glistening ice crystals.

Ding-dong!

The Jedi Master slightly turned his palm, and the spiked bullets, like chess pieces being stroked by an invisible giant hand, fell to the ground in unison, making a crisp metallic clanging sound.

"lay down your weapon."

Chiru's voice wasn't loud, but it pierced through the torrential rain and sirens, resonating directly within the skulls of every Marine: "Your hearts are weary; you need not bleed for lies any longer."

His words contained a dual power.

Pure psychic energy softens the will to resist like warm water, while the Force potential represented by the fibroma acts like a precise scalpel, severing the brainwashing memories implanted by Mengsk.

"Forehead!"

A Marine suddenly staggered backward, his trembling finger unable to pull the trigger.

The images of massacres they saw before being forcibly brainwashed are now crumbling in their minds.

"I participated in violent and bloody repressions."

The soldier suddenly ripped off his helmet, revealing a gaunt, scarred face. "Those civilians...they're waving white flags."

Qilu stepped forward slowly, his black robe sweeping across the puddles without leaving a single water stain.

He raised his hand, extended his index finger, and touched the soldier's forehead with his fingertip. Psionic energy flowed into the soldier's consciousness like a warm golden current.

"it's not your fault."

Those few simple words brought tears to the eyes of the Marine in front of him. The other Marines lowered their guns one after another, and their CMC armors disengaged from combat lock.

Some people knelt in the rain, some wept bitterly, and many more looked around blankly, like sleepers just waking up from a deep dream.

The youngest Jedi apprentice approached Chiru: "Master, their emotional wounds are deeper than we thought."

"Because the most terrifying aspect of tyranny is not the killing."

Chiru's blind eyes reflected the outline of the distant palace, "but rather to make ordinary people believe they are guilty."

He turned to the soldiers who had laid down their weapons, “Take up your weapons—but this time, fight for your true homeland.”

Boom! Boom!

As if in response to his words, a deafening explosion erupted from the direction of the palace.

Bates' voice came through the comms: "Front gate taken! Now it's your turn to perform, you black-robed boys!"

While Chiru and his men were controlling the surrounding Tyrannical Marines, this former Temple Guard had already led more than a dozen Stormtroopers in a feint attack on the main gate of the palace.

Chiru shook his head and smiled, then gripped the hilt of the lightsaber in his right hand.

Buzz~!

Meanwhile, the four Jedi Knights activated their lightsabers simultaneously, and azure plasma beams pierced the rainy night.

This is not a signal to attack, but a beacon illuminating the way forward for those who have lost their way.

This side of the main entrance to the palace complex;

"Hahaha!!"

Bates Marbus's laughter was particularly jarring amidst the roar of gunfire, and the moment his thick finger pulled the trigger, the barrel of the rotary machine gun began to spin wildly.

With a firing rate of nearly 10,000 rounds per minute, the guns spewed out tongues of crimson fire up to half a meter long. The metal storm composed of armor-piercing rounds tore the palace's main gate and the automatic turrets into countless flying fragments.

Hot shell casings rained down on the waterlogged ground, hissing and sending up plumes of white steam.

"That's what art is!"

Baze's roar drowned out the gunfire, and the plasma cannon on his shoulder was fully charged at the same time. The azure energy ball shot out and hit the energy node of the defensive fortification.

boom--!
The shockwave from the explosion instantly evaporated the rainwater within a 50-meter radius, and the palace's magnificent gilded gates twisted and deformed in the high temperature, like melting candles.

The stormtroopers seized the opportunity to advance, their heavy weapons spitting deadly flames, while the molten metal bombs and metallic hydrogen bombs fired from their shoulder-mounted missile pods bloomed like falling meteors, creating "colorful and beautiful" and "warm as spring" flowers of destruction on the defensive positions.

"Come on, you scum!"

Bates kicked open the deformed alloy gate, the shrill sound of metal breaking was enough to make your teeth ache.

His massive body blocked the doorway, his rotary machine gun spitting fire continuously. "Let you taste the warm hospitality of the human empire!"

Inside the palace, alarms had already blared through the night, and the crimson emergency lights stained the corridors blood red.

Large numbers of Royal Guards poured out from various passages, their CMC-660 power armor flashing a dangerous red light, their weapons already charged to critical levels.

However, these Royal Guards faced more than just violent firepower suppression—

Four Jedi Knights cut into the battlefield like ghosts.

Their lightsabers drew brilliant arcs of plasma light against the dim night sky, their azure energy blades precisely piercing the energy core of each power armor.

The damaged armor immediately lost power, and the Tyrannical soldiers were shocked to find themselves trapped in an iron coffin that had suddenly lost power.

The most impressive thing was the young Jedi apprentice.

As a rocket hurtled toward his face, he calmly raised his left hand, and the rocket suddenly froze in mid-air. The propellant in its tail flame was still burning, but the rocket body was firmly imprisoned by an invisible force field.

With a gentle wave of his hand, the apprentice obediently placed the deadly weapon at his feet.

Tap!

With a crisp snap of the fingers, the rocket's fuse disintegrated automatically, and the high-energy explosive in the warhead poured out like quicksand, turning into a pile of harmless chemical powder.

“Remember,” the apprentice’s voice could be heard clearly amidst the gunfire, “true power lies not in destruction, but in control.”

"tsk"

Bates clicked his tongue as if he hadn't meant it, but the listener had taken it to heart, and casually tossed the empty ammunition belt aside:
"That sounds nice, kid!"

As he spoke, Bates had already switched to a new ammunition box and continued, "But sometimes, this is more effective!"

The rotary machine gun roared bloodthirstyly once more, suppressing another wave of reinforcements at the corner.

The Jedi Knights seized the opportunity to advance, their lightsabers tracing elegant death trails in the darkness, each strike crippling the enemy's weaponry with lightning speed.

This seemingly violent offensive was in fact a brilliant tactical dance.

Baze's Steel Storm is a breathtaking drumbeat, while the Jedi Knights' lightsabers are the "conductors" that control the rhythm.

The palace complex's defenses were completely disrupted by the torrential rain, and the psionic pulses released by Chiru swept across the entire area like an invisible tide.

The surveillance cameras went out after a brief flash, instantly paralyzing the previously tight defense network.

The Tyrannical soldiers were thrown into chaos, their communication channels filled with intermittent screams; they couldn't even determine the enemy's exact numbers.

Is it an infiltration squad? Or a full-scale attack?

Panic spread in the darkness.

Baze Marbus's stormtroopers continued to make a show of force on the front lines, the roar of rotary machine guns and the boom of plasma cannons weaving a deafening symphony that tore the palace's outer defenses to shreds.

Two Jedi Knights moved along the edge of the battlefield, their lightsabers drawing cold arcs in the rain as they precisely destroyed the energy nodes of the automated turrets, while providing cover and assistance to Baze and the others.

Their actions, though seemingly violent, were in fact meticulously calculated, ensuring that the attention of the Tyrannical defenders was firmly pinned on the front lines.

Meanwhile, Chiru Inveil had quietly left the main battlefield, his black robes fluttering in the downpour, as if the rain itself feared his presence.

Soon, he led two other Jedi Knights swiftly along the shadowy underground maintenance passageway of the palace.

The passageway was damp and cold, and the water droplets condensed on the walls trembled slightly under the influence of psionic energy.

Their objective was clear: Mengsk's escape shuttle.

The small vehicle hidden in the lowest level of the palace was the tyrant's last resort. As long as it was controlled or destroyed, Mengsk would no longer be able to take the risk of using the entire Korhal as a bargaining chip for a final, crazy gamble.

Meanwhile, Nova Terra and Stone's group are climbing up the palace's vertical structure.

The optical camouflage of their nanosuits, combined with the psionic energy they received after being "blessed," allowed them to perfectly conceal themselves in the rainy night. The chaos created by Chiru and his team rendered the sentry posts set up by the Ghost Agents ineffective.

Nova's fingertips brushed across the bas-relief decorations on the palace's exterior walls, her psychic senses spreading like ripples on water, capturing every possible trap.

Stone followed closely behind, his jammer operating silently to ensure their location wouldn't be revealed at the last minute.

The top floor of the palace—

Mengsk's private property is within easy reach.

Behind the one-way transparent crystal window, the ruler of the Tyrannical Empire may still be gazing down upon this city on the verge of collapse, completely unaware that the hunter is already behind him.
(End of this chapter)