Valerie took a seat directly opposite him. She set her water glass on the table, resting her hands folded across her lap in a relaxed but professionally upright posture. The two fell silent for a short moment, the quiet murmurs of the bar and soft background music filling the gap.
"Your people settled in?" Raynor spoke first, his tone casual.
"Yes. Some are maintaining the craft, while the others rest," Valerie replied. "Thank you for providing the temporary accommodations."
"Mutual benefit," Raynor said, taking a sip of his drink. "You did a hell of a job out there today. Without your fire support, we might not have made it out so easily."
"We simply fulfilled the terms of our agreement," Valerie said calmly. "Besides, observing the threat of the bugs firsthand is critical to evaluating the sector's risks."
Raynor looked into her eyes, as if judging the truth of her words. "How much do you actually know about them?"
"Only what we have seen in our sensor data and early analysis," Valerie smoothly sidestepped the specifics. "But what I witnessed today confirms that they are a highly organized, deeply aggressive biological threat. Mar Sara is falling far faster than normal."
Raynor's expression darkened.
"Yeah. It's not the first time either. Every time they show up, it means the end of a world," he swirled the liquor in his glass. "Those bastards in the Dominion are too busy scraping for power to care if civilians live or die."
Valerie did not comment, choosing instead to listen quietly. After a brief pause, she asked, "What is your next move, Mr. Raynor?"
Raynor set his glass down, leaning back against the seat. "First, I need to take care of the cargo we're carrying," he motioned with his chin toward the bar's exit. "Tychus lined up a buyer. We deliver, get paid, and then figure out what's left to do."
"Regarding that relic fragment," Valerie's voice remained steady, her gaze locked onto his, "Telesto United is deeply interested in it. If the price is right, we are fully prepared to purchase it from you."
Raynor raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised. "Oh? Your company is interested in old antiques?"
"Not exactly antiques," Valerie explained. "The energy signature coming off that object is entirely unique, unlike any technology we know. Studying it helps us better understand the history, potential technological heritage, and hidden hazards of the Koprulu Sector. It matters greatly for our long-term investment assessments."
She paused slightly before adding, "We can offer a price higher than what your current buyer is bidding. Furthermore, we can close the transaction immediately, without any complicated hand-off procedures."
Raynor fell silent for a few seconds, his fingers tapping the tabletop absentmindedly. He looked as though he was genuinely considering the proposal. Ultimately, he shook his head.
"I appreciate the interest, Miss Valerie. But Tychus and I already have a deal with our buyer. I might not be a saint, but I still believe in basic business ethics. Backing out of a deal isn't my style."
Valerie nodded, showing no trace of disappointment or insistence on her face. "I understand. Respecting agreements is the foundation of any business partnership," she took a small sip of water. "Then, once your deal is complete, would it be possible for us to obtain some of the research data from your buyer? Or, if you make similar discoveries in the future, Telesto United would like the right of first refusal to purchase them."
Raynor smiled, a hint of weary cynicism in his expression. "I can look into that. Once this deal is done, we can talk."
Right then, the communicator on Raynor's wrist suddenly went off with a sharp, rapid chime. At the same time, Matt Horner's voice echoed over the bar's intercom system: "Commander Raynor, please report to the bridge immediately. We've received an urgent message."
Raynor's expression instantly grew serious. He stood up immediately, turning to Valerie. "Excuse me."
Valerie rose as well. "May I join you? It might relate to our risk assessment."
Raynor glanced at her, then nodded. "Come on."
The two left the bar quickly, hurrying down the corridors toward the bridge.
The atmosphere on the bridge was tense. The main screen displayed a star map, where a single cursor flashed rapidly over a system coordinates. Matt Horner stood before the console, his brow tightly furrowed, while several crew members worked to process streams of data.
Raynor and Valerie walked onto the bridge. "What's the situation, Matt?"
"An emergency distress signal just came in, Jim," Matt brought up the communication logs. "It's from the Agria Colony. The sender is Dr. Ariel Hanson, the colony's chief scientist."
He played the recording.
A woman's voice, anxious but struggling to remain steady, filled the bridge: "This is the Agria Colony, I am Dr. Ariel Hanson. We are under massive attack by the Zerg! Repeat, we are under Zerg attack! The colony's defenses have collapsed, and civilian casualties are heavy! The Dominion forces have withdrawn and abandoned us! We need immediate help! To any vessel receiving this signal, please save us! We urgently need medical supplies, weapons, and evacuation assistance! Coordinates are attached to this transmission—"
The recording cut out into a loud burst of static.
Raynor's face turned incredibly grim. "The Swarm... has already spread to Agria?"
"Based on the signal strength and the extra data we extracted, the attack has been going on for at least twenty hours," Matt pulled up some scanning telemetry. "The colony has about three thousand people, mostly agricultural workers and research staff. Their defenses are weak. Looking at the biological readings, the size of the Swarm... is substantial."
"The Dominion military pulled out?" anger simmered in Raynor's voice.
"That's what Dr. Hanson claims. Our intelligence network also confirms that the Dominion garrison in that sub-sector recently made unusual movements, likely pulling back their defense lines," Matt answered.
Raynor slammed a fist down onto the control console. "Those damn bastards! They just left those people to the bugs!"
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down as he looked at the coordinates on the screen, thinking quickly. "How far from our current position?" he asked.
"About six hours if we push the engines to full," the navigator replied.
"Can we handle a swarm of that size?" Raynor looked at Matt.
Matt brought up a more detailed analysis. "From the combat audio and energy readings in the signal, the main body of the Swarm appears to be a mix of Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Roaches, with potentially a few Infestors. We haven't picked up any clear signs of heavy units like Ultralisks or Brood Lords. But they have a massive advantage in numbers."
He paused, then added, "Our Marines, Marauders, and Medics can form a solid defensive line. If we can set up a secure extraction point with orbital fire support, we have a chance to get some of them out."
"Some of them?" Raynor stared at him.
Matt's expression was heavy. "Jim, we only have one ship. The number of bugs... might be more than we can handle. The most realistic plan is to open a safe path and evacuate as many civilians as possible, but we won't be able to save everyone. On top of that, it puts the Hyperion right in the path of the Swarm. The risk is incredibly high."
Raynor went silent for a few seconds. The bridge fell completely still, save for the low hum of the instruments.