From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 671 "In the Name of the Emperor, We Promise..."

“Tell Lady Athena.”

Corey Tower slammed his scepter down heavily. "We will provide the Empire of Man with three thousand elite warriors, but not as vassals."

His nerve cords emitted a blue light that danced with gold, "not as allies fighting side by side."

Zeratul's figure began to be enveloped in psionic energy, and before completely disappearing, the Dark High Priest left behind his final words:

"This is the Governor Kares I know."

After Zeratul completely disappeared, Corey Tower found a badge in his hand, the dragon emblem of the Imperium of Man, but made of Protoss crystal.

Around the square, the Kares warriors knelt on one knee, tilting slightly towards the emblem in the governor's hand, like sunflowers turning towards the sun.

Above the suspended city, the last vestiges of chaos are dissipating in the golden aurora.

At the horizon, the first true ray of dawn pierced the eternal night.

-------
Meanwhile, in Kares's near-Earth orbit, the Imperial human fleet, like a golden constellation, was scattered across various strategic nodes.

The cruisers formed a triangular formation, and every fifteen minutes, the array of light spears on their bows would unleash a precise beam of destruction, melting the stubbornly resisting Taldarim strongholds on the surface into glassy craters.

Further away, drones launched by twelve frigates hovered like a swarm at the edge of the atmosphere, their scanning beams outlining spiderweb-like patterns on the clouds, marking every remaining trace of corruption signal for the ground forces.

On the sunlit side of the track, the Imperial-class battleship, the flagship of the Athena, Nerva, lay quietly at anchor.

This colossal ship, stretching over ten kilometers in length, is adorned with pale golden energy veins, and the prayer inscriptions engraved on its sides gleam under the starlight.

It did not participate in any battle, but silently deployed a psionic shield covering the entire planet, keeping out the whispers of chaos that attempted to seep in from the warp.

Time seemed to stand still inside the bridge of the Nerva.

This magnificent space, comparable to the ancient Greek Pantheon, is hundreds of meters high, with twelve giant pillars inlaid with star maps supporting a dome depicting a panoramic view of the Milky Way.

The floor is made of marble and obsidian, and every step creates subtle ripples of psionic energy.

At the giant observation window at the far end of the hall, Athena's golden armor reflected the azure ocean and continental outline of Kales.

"Mother."

A child's voice broke the silence.

Sui Meng, who was less than a meter tall, tugged at Athena's skirt armor.

This genetic prototype looks like a three- or four-year-old human child, but its pale golden eyes sparkle with a maturity far beyond its apparent age.

His fair little finger pointed to a spot outside the observation window, where a blackish-red energy was rising from the ground, but it was instantly shattered by the orbital cannon fire.

Athena knelt on one knee, trying to make herself look at her young son at eye level.

She removed her one-piece gold helmet, revealing a face so perfect it was breathtaking.

As her fingers gently brushed against Sui Meng's bangs, tiny sparks of electricity danced between the strands of hair.

"Do you see that?" Her voice was so gentle, a stark contrast to her image on the battlefield. "That darkness is like a centipede that has been stepped on; even if it's broken into pieces, it will continue to writhe for a long time."

Sui Meng nodded seriously and continued, "But they can't hurt Kares anymore, right?"

The goddess of war did not answer immediately.

She picked up the small prototype and walked to the center of the observation window, where a holographic projection of Kares was suspended.

As she approached, thousands of tiny black dots suddenly appeared in the projection, parasitizing the planet's ley lines like mold.

"The body is easy to cleanse, but the soul is difficult to purify."

Athena's fingertips traced several of the black dots, and the areas touched immediately glowed with gold. "These traces of corruption can lie dormant for decades, even centuries."

She held Sui Meng's small hand and led him to point to the largest black spot, saying, "Therefore, we need to be extremely vigilant until we clear away all chaos and darkness."

Suddenly, the psionic ripples in the bridge hall became rapid, and the twelve giant star chart pillars simultaneously lit up with a warning light.

A war maid strode across the marble and obsidian floor, her silver armor clanging crisply with each step.

"Miss."

The maid knelt on one knee and reported, "The three salvos of the Flame Lizards have cleared the last stronghold in the Northern Hemisphere, with an overall progress of 60%. It is expected that the complete purification will be completed in two hours."

Another maid wearing a high-ranking crest stepped forward: "Kres Tower conveyed through Zeratul that the Council of Kares unanimously passed the resolution to join the Imperial Sanctuary Network."

She presented a Protoss crystal with both hands, saying, "They are now willing to provide three thousand Protoss warriors from Kales."

Athena's golden fingertips lightly touched the crystal, instantly reading all the information.

She smiled slightly: "Very good."

This simple word instantly reduced the pressure in the hall, and even the starry sky projected from the dome seemed brighter.

At this stage, the fact that Kales can provide three thousand Protoss warriors demonstrates that he has genuinely chosen to "please" the Imperial Family.

After all, the enemy had just suffered a full-scale attack from Tal'darim and Chaos. If Athena had not led the Flame Lizard Trio, the Lamenters, and the Man-eating Shark Fleet to Kales, then the entire Kales would have been sacrificed by Tal'darim.

The Protoss currently do not understand Chaos enough, so they are naturally unable to contend with it.

The Black Templars, led by Sigismund, are responsible for protecting Korhal and the surrounding star systems, ensuring they are not attacked by wild Zerg or other Protoss controlled by Chaos.

At that moment, the goddess suddenly turned around, her golden armor shimmering with a warm glow under the starlight.

She gestured to her two most trusted war maids: "Take the Primarch to the Observatory."

Sui Meng immediately understood. The seemingly young Primarch stood ramrod straight, his pale golden eyes gleaming with a composure beyond his years.
"Do you need me to prepare a tactical simulation?"

"Yes, kid."

A hint of relief flashed in Athena's eyes.

She straightened the collar of her son's miniature battle armor: "First, complete the psionic resonance practice, then review the seventh form."

As she spoke, she lightly kissed Sui Meng's forehead, and a ray of golden light flowed from the head ring into Xiao Yuan Ti's body. "Remember, a true leader must have the bravery of a warrior and the wisdom of a scholar."

“I understand, Mother.”

As Sui Meng followed the maids and disappeared off the bridge, Athena slowly walked toward the control panel.

Her golden boots left faint streaks of light on the obsidian and marble floor, each step carrying an elegant rhythm.

Buzz————!
The center console suddenly emitted a soft golden light, and countless fine hard light particles flowed and condensed like a galaxy.

These particles intertwine and recombine in mid-air, gradually forming a majestic figure seated on a throne of light and shadow.

When the last particle returned to its place, the hard light image of Emperor Sui Yang was fully revealed.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." The war maids and attendants on the bridge bowed in unison, their movements as precise as if they had rehearsed a thousand times.

The emperor gently raised his hand; this simple gesture carried an air of magnanimity that encompassed all things.
"No need to be polite."

Sui Yang's gaze swept past everyone and met Athena's eyes directly.

Those eyes, which seemed to contain the universe, flickered slightly: "What is the situation in Universe 18 (StarCraft)?"

"Tends to stabilize."

Athena's fingertips traced a holographic star map in the air, where the blue area representing safety was constantly expanding. "Without the Queen of Blades and Amon, the Zerg can no longer pose an absolute threat."

Furthermore, the remnants of the Taldarim, corrupted by Chaos and who had invaded Kales, have been largely eliminated, and the Kales Council unanimously approved the cooperation agreement.

She zoomed in on a particular scene, showing the various floating cities of Cares, and wrote, "Governor Cores Tower is a wise leader."

The emperor's projection nodded slightly, a gesture that brightened the lights in the hall, and then asked:

"How is Sui Meng's progress?"

Athena's expression softened, and she waved her hand to bring up a holographic image.

The young Primarch was intently practicing psionic control in the training hall. Pale golden energy flowed from his fingertips, forming perfect geometric shapes, and he said:

"Exceeding expectations, although he is only a few months old, he has already mastered basic psionic manipulation and his tactical understanding is equivalent to that of an Astartes after three years of training."

Upon receiving this reply, Sui Yang, as a father, showed a barely perceptible smile:

"Maintain the current pace of instruction. Remember, the Empire needs more than just a warrior."

"More than that, it is a complete soul."

Athena naturally continued the sentence, her gaze turning towards the observatory, "Whenever there is an opportunity, I will arrange for war maids and attendants to take him to interact with the refugees in Khar and Ma Sara, so that he can understand the ideals of the human empire and what he is fighting for."

Just then, Sui Meng's clear voice came through the communicator: "Mother, I have completed the seventh move."

In the hologram, the young Primarch is holding a small spear, the tip of which gleams with the golden light of pure psionic energy.

The emperor's projection suddenly became more solid. He reached out and lightly touched the void, and a warm golden beam of light pierced through space and reached the observatory.
“Well done, child.”

Athena watched this heartwarming scene, her expression gentle beneath her golden mask.

She then turned to the Emperor: "Should we change the current plan?"

"We should consolidate the existing achievements."

Sui Yang's projection also emitted a soft halo, "Paying attention to sending diplomatic missions to assist the Protoss in establishing a complete psionic defense system, the Protoss are a race worthy of being incorporated into the Empire's rule."

As he spoke, the Emperor's gaze seemed to pierce through the warship, looking directly at Kares and even the future of the entire StarCraft universe. "Universe 18 is of paramount importance to the Empire. It has abundant resources and elite warriors. We must bring it under our complete control."

As the Emperor's projection gradually faded, his final words swept across the bridge like a spring breeze: "It's time for Sui Meng to try fighting alongside Astartes. The Primarch needs to see a wider expanse of space."

"Yes."

Athena bowed deeply, and by the time she straightened up, the hall had returned to calm.

The goddess walked to the observation window and gazed down at Kares, who was being reborn.

Bathed in starlight, her golden armor shimmered with the glow of hope.

...

Twelve hours later.

Golden sunlight streamed through the enormous domed skylight in the Nerva's reception hall.

This magnificent space, comparable to an ancient temple, is fifty meters high, with twelve giant pillars carved with reliefs of human history supporting a dome painted with a star map of the Milky Way.

The floor is made of pure white marble and Keldarin crystals, which are unique to the StarCraft universe.

On both sides of the hall, war maidens clad in golden armor stood like statues, their spears casting neat shadows on the ground.

When Corres Tah led the Carres delegation through the airlock, the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

The governor's silver armor shimmered with a pearly luster under the golden light, while the dozen or so representatives behind him wore ceremonial armor representing different clans, the Kadarin crystals inlaid at the ends of their nerve cords swaying gently with their steps.

"Are these the gods of the human empire?"

A young Protoss scholar gasped in amazement as his gaze swept over the holographic reliefs floating on the walls of the hall, depicting scenes of human emperors conquering all sides.

Corey Tah's nerves were slightly tense, but his steps remained steady.

As the delegation arrived at the center of the hall, everyone's eyes immediately focused on what was ahead—

Athena stood still on the three steps, her golden armor shimmering like liquid metal under the lights.

She wasn't wearing a helmet, and her waist-length blonde hair cascaded down like a waterfall, creating a dazzling halo behind her.

What is most awe-inspiring is the natural aura of spiritual energy emanating from her body. It is not a power that is deliberately released, but rather the aura that naturally arises when a deity walks among humans.

"Homage to you, Goddess of War."

Corey Tahl bowed with his hand on his chest in standard Protoss diplomatic etiquette, but behind him, the delegation members involuntarily knelt on one knee.

"Rise, messengers of Kares." Athena's voice was like a clear spring, both majestic and incredibly approachable.

She gently raised her hand, and a soft golden energy lifted all the kneeling Protoss. "In the human empire, there is no need for such grand gestures between allies."

Suddenly, the war maidens on both sides of the hall slammed their spears into the ground simultaneously, the metal striking the crystal floor with a synchronized boom.

With this signal, the star map on the dome began to change, eventually settling on a three-dimensional projection of the Carles system. Countless golden points of light shimmered on the planet's surface, marking the floating city under reconstruction and the purified ley line nodes.

“According to preliminary statistics,” Athena tapped the void with her fingertip, and the projection immediately magnified to display detailed data, “our army has eliminated all remaining forces of the Taldarim, and the engineering department is repairing the anti-gravity cores of the major cities, which are expected to restore basic functions within seventy-two hours.”

Corres Tower's nerve cords trembled slightly, and the consul stepped forward: "After a night of deliberation, the Carres Council unanimously passed the resolution."

He took out a crystal plate engraved with the emblems of both sides from his waist. "We are willing to join the human empire's shelter network as equal allies and provide three thousand warriors to assist the empire's operations."

Athena accepted the crystal plate with grace and majesty.

As her fingers touched the surface of the crystal, the entire crystal immediately burst forth with dazzling golden light, revealing the covenant terms written in both astral runes and Chinese.

"The Human Empire accepts this covenant." The goddess's voice suddenly became incredibly solemn, and the light throughout the hall intensified. "In the name of the Emperor, we pledge: the skies of Kares will be protected by the Imperial fleet, the lands of Kares will be blessed by the Emperor's light, and the people of Kares will share in a peaceful and prosperous era with humanity."

As she declared, complex psionic patterns suddenly lit up the floor of the hall.

These golden patterns quickly spread to the feet of each Protoss representative, coalescing before them into a small Imperial emblem—a soaring dragon clutching a Protoss crystal…

...

(End of this chapter)