Chapter 739: Heading to the Koprulu Sector
The area where the test subjects were located was even quieter.
They wore uniform gray training suits, their physiques robust, their eyes carrying an implanted resolve mixed with a silent resignation to the unknown.
A Tech-Priest read the mission summary to them: They would serve as vanguard test units, deployed into an alien world teeming with various hostile organisms. The mission objective was "live-combat evaluation and data collection."
There were no further explanations, nor did they need any.
Obey orders, complete the mission—this was the core logic hardwired into the deepest levels of their minds.
Valerie traversed the dimensional gateway and arrived smoothly at the Death World base. Looking travel-worn but moving with crisp efficiency, she headed straight to the command center to report in.
The second avatar was already waiting for her.
"Situation briefing," the second avatar dispensed with pleasantries, directly bringing up an image of Jim Raynor and data on the planet Mar Sara. "Your mission is to act as our primary contact window with the target individual Jim Raynor and his affiliated faction."
"Establish contact. Acquire detailed intelligence on the local situation, the distribution of major factions, and especially regarding the 'Zerg' threat. Evaluate the reliability, strength, and potential value of Raynor and his organization."
"Keep a low profile. Avoid prematurely exposing our true scale and objectives. You may use the cover identity of an 'independent prospector or technical group from another colony'. The specific details are for you to judge based on the situation on the ground."
Valerie scrutinized the data, her eyes—honed by the countless dark corners of Night City—rapidly analyzing the information.
"Jim Raynor... leader of a resistance organization, a decadent middle-aged man who likes to hang out in bars. This type of person is either truly useless, or a ruthless character hiding a lot of secrets. I need to probe his background and true intentions."
"Intelligence on the Swarm is the priority. If we can directly acquire information on the Swarm's active zones and hive locations, the value will be the highest."
"Correct," the second avatar affirmed. "In the initial phase of the operation, you will infiltrate Mar Sara carrying a small communication relay device to establish contact with Raynor. The subsequent support and testing forces will choose the appropriate time and method to intervene once we have gathered sufficient intelligence."
"You have the authority to call for limited orbital support or extraction in an emergency, but you must strive to avoid exposing our presence."
"Understood," Valerie nodded. "I need some local currency, clothing fitting the local style, and some gadgets to quickly build trust or acquire information. As for weapons, a concealable compact laser pistol and some non-lethal gear will be enough. Causing too much of a ruckus would actually be bad."
"All prepared. Go to the armory to collect them." The second avatar pulled up an authorization. "You have forty-eight hours to prepare, which includes familiarizing yourself with all known intelligence, formulating a preliminary contact plan, and adapting to potential environmental differences. Forty-eight hours later, you will depart with the vanguard reconnaissance team."
"That's enough time." Valerie turned and left, her steps steady. To her, this was just another mission requiring meticulous planning and execution. The target had changed from a corporate executive in Night City to a decadent resistance uncle, but the essence was the same.
Aboard the Eternal Seeker, Ryo's main body completed the final inspection of all the warship's systems.
The joint weapon system checks passed; the Exterminatus weapons were in a launch-ready state.
The dimensional navigation system maintained a stable harmonic link with the Pandora Gateway; the transit parameters were loaded.
Production facilities and resource reserves were confirmed.
Inside the hangars, several small aircraft meant for reconnaissance and rapid deployment were ready.
The crew and stationed Tech-Priests were all in Condition One readiness.
He returned to the bridge, standing before the massive observation window. Outside was the desolate orbital view of the Death World. In the distance, the relocated Predator homeworld glowed dull red under the starlight.
"Report final personnel and equipment status," Ryo's main body communicated via an encrypted channel.
"Red Unit-01 maintenance complete, pilot is ready. One thousand Titan Guards assembled, final equipment checks complete. Twenty-three test subjects in stable condition, tactical briefings complete. Valerie has received the mission and is making pre-departure preparations. All personnel are expected to finish boarding within forty hours," came the second avatar's report.
"The Eternal Seeker is ready and can commence the dimensional transit sequence at any time," Ryo's main body replied. "As planned, in forty hours, once all personnel have boarded, initiate maneuvers toward the dimensional gateway coordinates. The transit sequence is expected to initiate within twelve hours after boarding is complete."
"Understood. I will supervise the final boarding procedures and continue executing my oversight duties at the Death World base after all personnel have transferred," the second avatar said.
The communication ended.
Ryo's main body pulled up the final version of the operational timeline, scrutinizing every link once more.
This operation was different from previous squad explorations.
Deploying the Eternal Seeker, a cruiser-class unit, across dimensions was in itself a test of the extreme limits of the dimensional gateway technology.
Bringing Exterminatus weapons into a world housing multiple interstellar civilizations brought both risks and opportunities.
The Swarm held extremely high value as test subjects, but if mishandled, it could attract undue attention or even hostility from the Protoss or local Terran factions.
However, the risks were within a controllable range.
The Eternal Seeker's firepower was sufficient to handle most conventional threats, and if worse came to worst, the Exterminatus weapons served as a final resort.
The core of the operation was data collection, not conquest or occupation, which afforded greater strategic flexibility.
His logic core evaluated various potential variables, simulating different contingency plans.
Ultimately, all analyses pointed toward the operation's feasibility.
Forty hours slipped by amidst final preparations as precise as the meshing gears of a clock.
Asuka, Valerie, the entire thousand-strong Titan Guard regiment, the silent ranks of test subjects, and the red-robed Tech-Priests all transferred systematically into the massive hull of the Eternal Seeker via an array of shuttlecraft.
The cruiser, like a living metallic behemoth, utilized its complex and efficient internal circulation systems to absorb, sort, and settle the newly arrived personnel and supplies into pre-designated compartments and battle stations.
The entire process was solemn and quiet; only the hum of servitors and the low rumble of mechanical transmissions echoed through the corridors.
At the Death World base, the second avatar stood still as a statue, his mechanical silhouette reflected in the cold observation window.
Outside the window, in low-orbit, the Eternal Seeker slowly detached from the physical docking ports. Several thick energy and data conduits deftly decoupled and retracted.
Along the ship's hull, light sequences symbolizing different zones and statuses illuminated one after another, like the opening eyes of an awakening behemoth.
Vernier thrusters expelled fine jets of directed plasma fire, pushing this miles-long city of steel to turn gracefully, aiming its prow at the predetermined coordinates in the void on the outskirts of the star system.
"May you reap a bountiful harvest of data." The second avatar's communication was concise, akin to handing over a final checklist.
"It is a certainty." The reply from Ryo's main body came from the bridge, equally devoid of redundancy, yet beneath the calm synthesized voice lay absolute anticipation and control over the soon-to-open unknown testing ground.
The command was issued.
A deep, powerful pulsation emanated from deep within the Eternal Seeker's hull—the resonance of the main energy core's output abruptly spiking.
Driven by a surging thrust that seemed capable of warping space, the Eternal Seeker began a sustained acceleration, firmly leaving its anchorage and sailing toward the dimensional gateway connecting to the Koprulu Sector.