Chapter 378 – Farming, Development, Infrastructure! Cooperation with the Raiders and the Hyperion!
After hearing Paul's proposal, Payne was a little surprised. He countered, "I have been in contact with the Raiders, but why are you people looking for them?"
"There's no longer any Zerg threat here, so they don't have much reason to keep wasting manpower on rescue missions."
Payne couldn't understand why a powerful force like the Universal Megacorp would concern itself with a small-time outfit like the Raiders.
"Just tell them the Universal Megacorp is interested in working with them—whether it's to resist the Zerg invasion or overthrow the Terran Dominion and establish a new order."
"As for our strength and resources, you can assure Raynor he has nothing to worry about."
Paul didn't beat around the bush. Since they were planning to recruit the Raiders, he might as well lay all the cards on the table. Compared to the Foundation, the Universal Megacorp was clearly a more worthwhile backer.
Payne studied Paul seriously for a moment, then looked down in thought, as if making an important decision. At last, he sighed lightly and said:
"Alright, I'll help you with this. Honestly… I'm actually an undercover intelligence agent for the Raiders. I've been embedded in the Dominion for three years now."
"My codename is Pangolin."
The Raiders weren't exactly short on "sponsors" these days, but what they really lacked were critical resources—like advanced weaponry and solid logistical support.
While the Moebius Foundation could provide some material assistance, its scale was nowhere near that of the Universal Megacorp.
Even if the Moebius Foundation had once supported the Raiders, it wouldn't stop the Raiders from choosing a bigger, better sugar daddy!
Payne's candid confession caught Paul a bit off guard. He hadn't expected a Raiders agent to have infiltrated so deeply—not even he had picked up on it.
But he quickly composed himself and gave a nod. "Alright, I'll leave it to you."
At that moment, the Hyperion and other battleships arrived at the abandoned mining zone.
The good news: the area did contain numerous energy crystal veins and high-yield vespene gas vents.
The bad news: small Zerg detachments had already occupied the place and were actively extracting the gas and minerals.
From the Hyperion, Paul frowned at the sight. Hadn't the Protoss Golden Armada been more thorough in its extermination sweeps?
Some Zerg were still crawling around down here?
"Looks like we'll need to thoroughly search this entire star system and wipe out every last Zerg infestation."
He immediately reported the situation to fleet command, and after receiving clearance from David Martinez, the Hyperion prepared to deploy Scorpid Manticore Virus spores.
Thankfully, this planet's hive had only recently been established. Aside from the vespene, there wasn't much biomass or essence to harvest.
That meant the Zerg presence here wasn't a serious threat.
To swiftly clear out the pests, the carrier's AI-controlled drone units dropped an appropriate payload of Scorpid Manticore Virus spores.
Black spores swept through the Zerg like a scythe through dry grass. Many didn't even realize what had hit them before their bodies dissolved into pieces—utterly annihilated.
After witnessing the Universal Megacorp's efficient extermination process, Payne looked at Paul in astonishment, as if asking, With tech like that, why didn't you use it earlier?
Why bother sending in ground teams to rescue survivors at all?
Wasn't that just… unnecessary?
"Our Scorpid Manticore Virus has an IFF system. If we deploy spores while humans are present, you'd be shredded too."
Paul shrugged. "Normally we don't use them either—it's a pain to input and register every operatives' genetic signature beforehand."
"This is what gives the Universal Megacorp the confidence to conquer so many universes," Payne muttered, thoroughly impressed. Even the Terran Dominion wouldn't stand a chance against them.
He couldn't fathom why a maxed-out god-tier civilization would be interested in playing games in such a small pond.
"This is just one of our standard-issue weapons," Paul said calmly.
He didn't elaborate.
The Universal Megacorp's preferred method of attack was still long-range ship-based main cannon bombardments. Things like neutron purges, Stellar Spears, or Scorpid Manticore Virus were used sparingly—only for specific targets.
Especially after they built the Inferno Godweapon, the use of WMDs dropped even further.
Sometimes, not firing was a greater deterrent. Once such a weapon was used, there would be no turning back. The target species had to be completely wiped out to maintain credibility.
Once the spores had cleansed the terrain and devoured all the creep, the Universal Megacorp began recovery. Combat drones reclaimed the viral payloads while engineering AI units took over the mining operations.
After confirming there were no remaining Zerg, Paul turned to Payne and gave another order:
"Getting in touch with the Raiders is now your top priority. This is important to us. If there's anything you need—just say it. Whatever it is, we'll make it happen."
Propping up an existing puppet force was far more cost- and time-efficient than creating a new one from scratch.
The Universal Megacorp had already set its sights on the Raiders. Even if the Moebius Foundation showed up now, it'd be too late.
After issuing his instructions, Paul stepped out of the command center and headed to the bridge. There, he contacted Din Djarin, who was conducting a security sweep.
"How's the situation down there? Don't tell me we still missed a few damn bugs."
Din Djarin chuckled. "Relax. All the creep on this asteroid has been sterilized. The landing teams haven't found any leftover Zerg."
"How much energy crystal and vespene is left?" Paul asked.
"Initial scans show the surface veins are nearly exhausted. To get more, we'll have to drill deeper underground."
"Estimates put it at less than 30% remaining."
Hearing that, Paul let out a small breath of relief. That wasn't bad for a nearly depleted resource planet.
Sure, digging deeper was more difficult than mining exposed veins—but for a megacorp that had moved mountains and reshaped planets, drilling into a planetary core was nothing.
Even if they had to hollow out the entire core—it wouldn't be a challenge.
"Start drilling immediately. Energy crystals and vespene are our war budget. Gold and jewels don't work out here."
Paul didn't expect this small haul to meaningfully power the Universal Megacorp's fleets. What he needed most was bargaining chips—something to pay others to get things done.
Of course, energy crystals and vespene were also strategic objectives for the Universal Megacorp.
In the StarCraft universe, Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss all developed their civilizations using these two resources.
Whoever controlled most of the crystal and gas supplies essentially choked the other factions' development—stalling their technological and military progress.
Switching to a new energy system or industrial model wasn't something that could be done overnight. Without a gradual transition, it was practically impossible!
Meanwhile, back at the Universal Megacorp's multiverse headquarters, Li Ang was watching footage of the engineering team excavating the planetary mine, extracting every last resource.
While the corp only controlled a tiny, almost-depleted mining zone, this was their first step toward outward expansion.
The first step was always the hardest. But if they could get a foothold here, forming alliances—or waging war—against the Dominion, Zerg, and Protoss would become far easier.
"Paul has done a great job this time. If he hadn't insisted on leading the rescue himself, our expeditionary force might still be drifting through the void."
Secretary Lucy could see Li Ang's growing admiration for Paul, and followed his lead.
Li Ang smiled faintly. The Universal Megacorp's greatest strength was its deep bench of talent. Paul's performance showed he had the potential to succeed V.
"Boss, do you think Jim Raynor will agree to join our faction?" Morgan Blackhand asked.
Raynor's background was no secret—he'd served as marshal and militia commander. A prominent figure in his region.
But thanks to Arcturus Mengsk's many screw-ups, Raynor had defected from the Dominion and dreamed of creating a new regime.
Guys like that—with both political experience and a rebellious streak—weren't easy to recruit.
In the Star Wars universe, rebel leader Saw Gerrera would never have worked with the Universal Megacorp if he hadn't gotten too old to fight.
And Raynor? He was still in his prime. Under those circumstances, tossing him an olive branch might not be enough.
For all he knew, the Universal Megacorp could be another Dominion trap.
"Whether he agrees or not doesn't matter. All we need is to use the Raiders—leverage their name to get things done."
"As for who leads them? That's irrelevant."
Li Ang had already considered the worst-case scenario. If Raynor absolutely refused, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him and put someone else in his place.
If the local population saw the Raiders as their saviors, then the solution was simple: control the Raiders—through impersonation, infiltration, or outright replacement.
Even just keeping the brand name would be enough.
…
At that moment, the Universal Megacorp's engineering team had already begun large-scale excavation.
To reach the deeper veins of crystal and gas, they'd brought in dozens of giant, worm-shaped transformer machines.
These worm-shaped Transformers were known as Drillbeasts, affiliated with the Decepticons. They could effortlessly tunnel through the ground or even shear a skyscraper clean in half.
Machines like these were truly meant for construction—not warfare. In battle, they were sluggish and unwieldy, and a few bombing runs would always be more efficient.
Nowadays, these Drillbeasts served as the Universal Megacorp's super shield tunneling rigs, deployed for resource extraction and demolition alike.
"Commence drilling!"
At the foreman's command, dozens of enormous mechanical worms burrowed into the asteroid's crust.
With serrated maws opening and closing, these Transformer-like creatures chewed through the hard bedrock, swallowing chunks like larvae burrowing into a fruit.
Thanks to the Drillbeasts, the Universal Megacorp's engineering team quickly carved out a tunnel leading directly to the subterranean mineral veins, and established a functional mining zone.
Over the years, the Universal Megacorp had devoted the lion's share of its manpower and material resources not to war—but to infrastructure.
Farming, development, and infrastructure had long been etched into Li Ang's soul. Under his leadership, the engineering teams had honed underground operations to perfection.
Before long, a fully operational underground mining complex was established within the asteroid. A steady stream of energy crystals and vespene gas flowed through pipelines to the Hyperion.
While the Universal Megacorp's operation proceeded smoothly, Payne successfully reestablished contact with the Raiders.
When Jim Raynor's face appeared on the holoscreen, the Hyperion immediately locked onto his transmission source.
> [Payne, I can't believe you're still alive. I heard that place was scorched into glass. By the time we picked up your distress signal, it was already too late.]
Raynor's first reaction upon seeing Payne was disbelief—followed by guilt, then joy. Whatever else had happened, at least Payne was still alive.
"Guess I got lucky," Payne replied. "I ran into a human faction with powerful military capabilities—far beyond anything we've seen or imagined."
Sticking to Paul's instructions, Payne immediately shifted the focus toward the Universal Megacorp.
> [Let me guess—they're with the United Earth Directorate? The UED is a long way from the Koprulu Sector. Why would they come all the way out here?]
Raynor's first suspicion was the UED. He had, at one point, considered working with them to fight back against the Terran Dominion.
After all, by blood and heritage, the UED represented humanity's origins. Joining them would've felt like returning home.
But the UED's xenophobia wasn't just directed at aliens—they also discriminated against clones, gene-modified humans, and cybernetic implants.
Meanwhile, the Terran Dominion had already integrated psionics into their military, with Ghost operatives being standard psionic soldiers.
The Raiders had their own psionic talents too. But the UED? They would never truly accept people like that.
"No, they're the Universal Megacorp—a multi-universal super-civilization. Their Executors have led humanity in conquering countless universes. And now… they've come here."
"Raynor, I know how insane this sounds. But they saved me. They saved the survivors of this colony. That's why I'm still alive to speak with you."
Payne gave a measured but passionate pitch about the Universal Megacorp, careful not to come off as a brainwashed cultist. No one wanted to sound like they'd joined a pyramid scheme.
As expected, his words piqued Raynor's interest. Though still skeptical, Raynor chuckled with a teasing tone:
> "Payne, let's be real. No one in the Koprulu Sector gives a damn about some backwater colony—except us. If it weren't for your signal, I would've thought you'd fled to Korhal."
Of course, Raynor suspected a trap—that Payne had been turned by the Dominion and sent to lure him out.
But once he confirmed Payne's location wasn't anywhere near the Dominion capital of Korhal, he didn't hang up. Instead, he continued listening—curious what Payne was up to.
"I get that this is hard to believe. I'm sending you some footage—see it for yourself before making any decisions."
"They want to cooperate with the Raiders. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our only real chance to succeed. If we miss this, there might not be another."
Payne sent the pre-prepared footage to Raynor: Universal Megacorp troops fighting the Zerg, the Scorpid Manticore virus at work, and visuals of the crystal and gas extraction in progress.
Nearly thirty minutes later, Raynor—after confirming the footage hadn't been doctored—finally softened:
> "Got it. I'll think it over."
Then he cut the transmission.
Paul had been watching the entire conversation. He thought it might take days to get a response.
But just six hours later, the Universal Megacorp's sensors picked up a battlecruiser entering the edge of the star system.
Paul, tasked with handling the negotiations, let out a small breath of relief. Thank goodness Raynor came by invitation. If they'd had to send a fleet to intercept, it would've been… awkward.
Naturally, Paul would be the one to greet the Raiders. Neither David Martinez, the flagship's commanding officer, nor Li Ang, the Universal Megacorp's Supreme Executor, would meet a rebel leader in person.
Before long, a battlecruiser drifted into low orbit above the Universal Megacorp's forward base—it was the Hyperion, the Raiders' flagship.
Technically, the Hyperion was the same model as the Universal Megacorp's standard troop transport, but to the Raiders, it was their prized "big toy."
The Hyperion's most distinctive feature was its hammerhead-like front, with a massive main cannon running through the centerline of the hull.
Unlike the Universal Megacorp's Hyperion-class vessels, the Raiders had outfitted theirs with heavy laser batteries on each flank to maximize firepower.
It also boasted point-defense kinetic turrets across its hull and nearly 20 meters of reinforced alloy armor—making it look more like a space fortress than a warship.
In contrast, the Universal Megacorp's Hyperion-class ship had been remodeled to prioritize troop deployment and onboard systems, treating these cruisers as giant transport ships, not primary strike platforms.
Because of these differences, the Raiders didn't realize just how similar their "flagship" was to the Universal Megacorp's mass-produced vessels.
"Nice ship you've got there," Paul said half-jokingly, watching the bloated silhouette of the Hyperion descend. "Think it can outrun a Protoss fleet or a Zerg swarm?"
Payne shrugged helplessly. "This is our headquarters and command center. We had to sacrifice some speed and looks for internal capacity."
The Hyperion had been "liberated" by Raynor himself during his rebellion. He and his men hijacked it from Mengsk, who later issued repeated bounties for Raynor's head.
Since the Zerg invasion, the Hyperion had been refitted into a multi-purpose fortress, able to house refugees and rebels alike.
As it landed, a middle-aged man in gray powered armor stepped out of the hatch. A white skull emblem was painted on his helmet.
When the helmet retracted, the strong, resolute face of Jim Raynor emerged.
"Thanks for everything you've done for the people down here. I'm Jim Raynor, leader of the Raiders."
He extended a hand toward Paul. They shook hands firmly, signaling the start of formal negotiations.
But to be safe, Raynor insisted they discuss the details aboard the Hyperion.
Paul accepted without hesitation. If Raynor was willing to show up at their base, then going aboard the Raider ship was a fair gesture in return.
Didn't want to look cowardly, after all.
With first-person camera feed activated, the Universal Megacorp's top brass watched everything in real-time. Paul followed Raynor deeper into the Hyperion.
Seeing Paul board alone, unescorted, Raynor looked at him with newfound respect. He asked curiously:
"You really just came along by yourself? Aren't you worried we might think you're with the Dominion?"
Though Raynor posed the question, he had already dismissed that possibility. On the way here, he had seen the Universal Megacorp's massive warships with his own eyes—mobile celestial-class vessels.
As a former high-ranking officer within the Dominion, Raynor was certain: no way the Dominion had anything remotely like that.
He couldn't say for sure if the Universal Megacorp was related to the UED—but they definitely weren't the Dominion.
Paul smiled calmly. "If you really thought we were Dominion, you wouldn't have come. But since you did, it means you're at least open to working with us."
As they walked deeper into the Hyperion, Paul silently observed the surroundings—nervous Raiders, uneasy civilians, dirty children running between bulkheads...
Payne hadn't been exaggerating. The Hyperion wasn't just a warship—it was a Utopian refuge cobbled together by ordinary people.
Though conditions were harsh, there was solidarity here. A shared sense of family and belonging—free from the oppression of the Dominion.
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