Chapter 379: The Fragment Secured! Spark the Flames of Rebellion! Kill the Bugs!
Watching everything unfold on the front lines, Li Ang was eager to confirm whether Raynor had already retrieved the Keystone fragment—or if he hadn't even begun the search.
If the fragment was already in Raynor's possession, it would be the perfect opportunity for Paul to negotiate a deal and test the possibility of a trade.
Soon enough, Paul followed Jim Raynor to the Hyperion's bridge, where he was met by the second-in-command of the Raiders and captain of the Hyperion, Matt Horner, along with Raynor's old war buddy, Tychus Findlay.
Both men had been waiting for some time, eyeing Paul, who had come alone, warily—repeatedly assessing whether he posed any threat.
"Ease up. He's here to talk cooperation," Raynor signaled Horner and Tychus to stand down. "If we can sit here and talk in peace, at the very least, it means Universal Megacorp isn't some lapdog of the Terran Dominion."
Seeing the signal, Tychus stepped forward to shake Paul's hand. Clad in a thick, dark blue power armor and with a burning cigar clamped between his lips, he exuded a roguish, reckless vibe.
"So, you're the one in charge of Universal Megacorp, eh? Trying to cut a deal with us?" Tychus gave Paul a once-over. "This rundown temple of ours doesn't seem to hold much value for a partnership."
Tychus' face was weathered and brutal, covered in scars—like a pirate captain who'd spent his life pillaging across alien seas. Truth be told, this wasn't far from reality. Though a former soldier, Tychus was also a hardened street criminal with a record filled with homicides and heists.
That's exactly why he'd ended up behind bars—until Mengsk cut a deal with him: kill Kerrigan, and you go free.
Kerrigan, Raynor's girlfriend, had been captured and transformed into the Queen of Blades by the Zerg, becoming a dire threat to the Dominion's rule. Mengsk saw her as a pest to be eliminated and used Tychus as a pawn, dangling his freedom as bait.
Of course, to Mengsk, this was just another casual move on the board. Keeping Tychus locked up served no purpose; unleashing him might yield... interesting results.
At this point, Raynor was still unaware of Tychus' true situation. To him, Tychus was still a blood brother forged in the fires of war.
Paul gave Tychus a calm look. Before coming here, Li Ang had already briefed him thoroughly on the inner workings and personal ties within the Raiders, allowing Paul to maneuver through their dynamics with ease.
"Tychus, I have to disagree with you," Paul said evenly. "Everyone has value—it's only a matter of degree."
"Even a penniless convict can still serve an emperor. And sometimes, an emperor may need outlaws to do his bidding."
His words were a subtle jab, and as expected, Tychus stiffened. He opened his mouth to retort but found himself at a loss for words.
While Tychus silently stewed, wondering if Paul did know something, Jim Raynor stepped in to break the tension.
"That's enough, Tychus. Don't cause trouble here."
Raynor was well aware of how short-tempered Tychus could be. To prevent him from wrecking the meeting, he ordered Tychus to leave the bridge temporarily.
Once Tychus had exited, Raynor turned back to Paul. "Let's get straight to the point. If Universal Megacorp wants to work with us, you must have something to offer—and something you want in return."
Raynor was a firm believer in value exchange. Though his current efforts to rescue civilians were far from profitable, the goodwill he'd built was already helping the Raiders turn a figurative profit.
But his true ambition was far greater: overthrow the tyrannical Terran Dominion.
"We can offer a lot," Paul replied. "Countless battleships, cutting-edge weaponry, logistical resources—and most crucially, help you bring down Mengsk's empire."
"Universal Megacorp is here to establish a new order. And the Raiders—your team—has been handpicked by our boss to be the successors."
In the original StarCraft storyline, Jim Raynor, after toppling the Dominion, merely helped Mengsk's son Valerian ascend to the throne.
It was a move reminiscent of Joy of Life's Fan Xian overthrowing the emperor—only to retreat into the shadows with a harem, pulling strings from behind while a puppet monarch stood at the helm.
Publicly, it was about justice and peace. Privately, it was about control—enjoying life while lashing the emperor into doing his job.
If that was the case, why not let Universal Megacorp take full control instead?
Whether Jim Raynor wanted to become a Sector Governor or retire quietly with Kerrigan could wait until after Mengsk was overthrown.
"If you can deliver on that promise, I'm very interested," Raynor nodded.
He had once served as an officer under Mengsk, deceived into helping him dismantle the old Terran Confederacy—unknowingly becoming the glove on Mengsk's iron fist.
Now, he sought redemption. He dreamed of building a new, peaceful Dominion—one where people could live without fear.
But most of all, Raynor wanted to be the hero—the champion of justice, the icon of order, the savior everyone revered.
"We can ensure no human colony will suffer under oppression again," Paul said. "There'll be no corruption, no unchecked privilege. The people will live in an orderly world."
Universal Megacorp, strictly speaking, was a "terminal proprietorship." Everything belonged to Li Ang alone. The so-called elite merely acted as temporary custodians.
Yet Li Ang enforced true reward and punishment. Every elite's wealth was made public. Everyone operated under the watch of the AI Overseer Europa.
Illegal activity was tolerated only as future leverage, gathered and logged as evidence for eventual purging.
Big fish eat small fish. Small fish eat meat paste. The meat paste is processed from the big fish. This karmic cycle was executed flawlessly within Universal Megacorp.
Endless internal revolutions—self-correcting reform—was the source of Universal Megacorp's ever-evolving strength.
With their shared desire to crush Mengsk's rule now established, Paul moved on to the real ask.
"Now it's our turn to request something. I heard you're in possession of a powerful alien artifact fragment, am I right?"
He was referring to the Keystone fragment—one of Li Ang's top priorities.
"Well, well. Your intel is impressively accurate," Raynor replied with a faint smile, not even bothering to hide the truth. He looked at Paul's young face, more intrigued than ever by Universal Megacorp's true background.
Could they really be a civilization from another universe?
Raynor followed up curiously. "So why are you so interested in it?"
Even now, Raynor had no idea of the artifact's true value. All he knew was that the Mobius Foundation wanted it—probably for scientific research, he guessed. He had little interest in science himself.
"You don't need to know why," Paul said. "You and I—we both work for our bosses. But my boss can offer a much better price than whoever's backing you."
"You want to topple the Dominion? We'll give you troops. We can even evacuate the civilians on this ship."
Paul could tell that Raynor was struggling financially—scraping funds together to keep the Hyperion operational.
Rebellion was expensive. Without a sugar daddy, it was hard to make progress.
This meeting with Universal Megacorp was, in a way, a sign that Raynor was already considering aligning with them.
"This deal sounds sweeter than ice cream in a desert," Raynor admitted. "But I'm not sure I can go through with it just like that."
He could accept Universal Megacorp as an ally and even agree to work together against the Dominion. After all, the Raiders were his.
But selling the artifact fragment? That would require talking to Tychus—he was the one who'd found the buyer.
Changing the deal now would make them look untrustworthy.
However, Paul was already well-informed. He knew about Tychus' situation. Narud, the Mobius Foundation's head, had long been in cahoots with Mengsk. It was Narud who pushed Tychus and Raynor to track down the Keystone.
Tychus' power armor was actually a high-tech prison designed by Mengsk. With a single command, it could kill him instantly.
Tychus would never agree to hand over the artifact—not willingly.
"Raynor," Paul said calmly, "I've looked into your team's history. Don't you find this whole job Tychus took... suspicious?"
"And a convicted felon—who committed all sorts of atrocities—somehow just walks out of prison? That never made you raise an eyebrow?"
Yes, Paul was deliberately sowing distrust—but for a long-term partnership, some truths had to be revealed.
"What are you saying? That Tychus is a spy for the Dominion? You're trying to divide us!" Horner exploded, drawing his gun on Paul. Stirring up internal conflict in the Raiders was crossing the line.
But Raynor, calm as ever, told him to stand down.
Raynor had thought about these things before—but he simply didn't want to believe them. Tychus was his sworn brother, someone who'd shared life and death with him.
"I'm just laying the facts on the table," Paul said smoothly. "If changing the buyer feels like bad form, then allow me to sweeten the deal."
Paul dropped the one bargaining chip Raynor couldn't ignore: the chance to restore Sarah Kerrigan to her human form.
As expected, Raynor completely lost his composure. Grabbing Paul by the collar, he demanded, "You know about Kerrigan? Why should I believe you can save her?!"
Kerrigan was everything to him. After the Zerg turned her into the Queen of Blades, he'd dreamed of destroying them all—down to the last larva.
But he was only a hunted rebel leader with a ragtag army. What could he do?
Even now, the Dominion had a bounty on his head.
Despite Raynor's outburst, Paul remained composed. "The key lies in the alien artifact you're holding."
"That artifact is actually an ancient Xel'Naga relic—known as a Keystone fragment," Paul explained. "With it, many unbelievable things become possible."
"Right now, the only way to reverse Sarah Kerrigan's transformation from the Queen of Blades back into a human is to collect enough Keystone fragments."
"Mr. Raynor, do you still think it's necessary to discuss this with your 'good buddy' Tychus? Once we've gathered all the fragments, our top priority will be helping you rescue Kerrigan."
Paul knew that even if he didn't say it now, Raynor would eventually uncover the truth about the Keystone. Rather than letting him grow suspicious and shop around for a better deal, it was better to come clean and make Universal Megacorp's position clear—pushing Raynor fully into their camp.
"And how do I know you won't screw me over once you've gotten what you want?" Raynor asked, eyes locked on Paul. Despite the skeptical words, his heart was already leaning toward belief. He just needed more reasons to convince himself.
Paul replied with unwavering confidence. "Whether I'm telling the truth or not, you'll know soon enough—once we've collected all the fragments."
"With our strength, we don't need to work with you. But it's in both our interests. Universal Megacorp needs the Keystone to unify this universe—and you need Kerrigan back."
The exchange was laid bare. Raynor thought it over, weighing the "goods" on the table. In the end, he nodded.
"Alright. What do you need us to do next?"
"Same as before—keep searching for more fragments. But from now on, it must be kept strictly confidential. Ignore the Mobius Foundation buyer backing you."
With that, Paul extended a hand, offering to seal the deal.
"Fine. It's a deal."
Raynor shook Paul's hand—a symbolic gesture marking the beginning of their formal partnership.
Watching from afar at the Wanjie Base, Li Ang finally let out a breath of relief.
Securing the Raiders as allies was a crucial step. With that done, the rest would go much more smoothly.
> [Paul, verify the Keystone fragment that Raynor found.]
Li Ang's command came through promptly.
Paul relayed the message to Raynor, who led him to the Hyperion's lab.
As promised, they had already secured the first Keystone fragment—a metallic block-like piece floating within a tubular containment unit.
From the looks of it, it appeared to be a segment of a larger pillar-like construct. Only after collecting all the pieces would the full form of the Keystone be revealed.
Upon confirming the authenticity of the artifact, high-level figures like V and Morgan Blackhand couldn't hide their excitement. It had been less than two weeks since entering the StarCraft universe, and they had already found the first fragment.
Progress toward unification was advancing at a breakneck pace.
The next step was simple: work with the Raiders to collect the remaining fragments—while taking the opportunity to squash some Zerg and strike deals with the bloated elite of the Terran Dominion.
With a clear roadmap in hand, it was just a matter of following the procedure.
"If Paul hadn't insisted on rescuing those survivors," V said reflectively, "we'd probably be in a firefight with a passing Protoss fleet right now."
The more he thought about it, the more it felt like fate—the unintentional butterfly effect of a small act creating massive ripple effects.
Li Ang nodded in agreement. Even he hadn't expected such a major benefit to come from saving those civilians. The fastest path to victory was often hidden in the most unremarkable details.
Having finalized the deal with Raynor, Paul returned to the Hyperion flagship to report the mission's progress to headquarters.
Meanwhile, Universal Megacorp's research team took custody of the fragment, beginning a detailed study of the artifact's properties.
"Now that we've brought the Raiders into the fold, we can deploy a strike team to the Dominion's core worlds and incite rebellion among the colonies," Morgan Blackhand proposed, already laying out operational plans without waiting for orders from Li Ang.
"Then we'll bribe and assassinate key Dominion elites, forcing them to become our informants. A two-pronged attack—fracturing the Dominion both top and bottom!"
This method had served him well during the unification efforts in the Halo universe, where he had manipulated UNSC elites with great success.
"Not bad," V agreed. He suggested deploying a small task force to assist the Raiders in locating other fragments, while also assigning David to mobilize the Expeditionary Fleet to retake colonies and seize resource zones.
Energy crystals. Vespene gas. Universal Megacorp wanted everything.
Seeing his subordinates perfectly align with his own thinking, Li Ang turned to the hard-light screen and addressed Paul:
"Paul, the fragment recovery mission is yours. As before, you have full command authority. I'll assign an elite unit to covertly support you."
"If you're ever caught in a bind—whether by Dominion forces, Zerg, or Protoss fleets—call for backup."
With the roadmap now fully defined, Li Ang no longer needed to micromanage. Universal Megacorp had undergone many such unification campaigns. Every department was stacked with top-tier talent, all ready to respond the moment orders were given.
> [Understood!]
After officially accepting the mission, Paul returned to fleet HQ. David Martinez had already arranged for a crack unit to act as backup.
As for the Hyperion's personnel, Paul was free to assign them as he saw fit.
Universal Megacorp was now fully prepared for its next major expedition. The Ninth Expeditionary Legion would work with the Raiders' main force to occupy Dominion colonies.
The fleet's military leadership was in the hands of Marshal Terrance and Admiral Andrew—both legendary UNSC naval officers from the Halo universe.
Seasoned and steady, they would ensure that the chaos stirred by the Raiders would yield tangible, strategic results.
Once preparations were finalized and departure imminent, Paul returned to the Hyperion—only to be met with new developments from Raynor.
"Paul, good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" Raynor asked with a sly grin.
"Start with the good news."
Paul didn't care—he could handle anything.
"We've pinpointed the location of the second fragment. It's currently in the hands of a Protoss tribe—but not just any tribe. These Taldarim fanatics on the planet Beshtor are nasty customers."
The Taldarim, as Raynor explained, were just one of many Protoss factions.
Long ago, the Protoss had once thrived as a unified civilization—living communally, attuned to the Khala's psychic link.
But over time, more and more individuals sought independence, rejecting the hive-mind lifestyle.
Ideological rifts split the race in two, culminating in the Aeon of Strife—a brutal, civil war that nearly tore the species apart.
The war was essentially a clash of beliefs—some wanted unity, shared development; others craved independence and individual progress.
The aftermath? Irreparable division.
The Taldarim emerged from this chaos as a brutal, fanatic offshoot—ferocious and dangerous. Definitely not the kind of foe one provokes lightly.
"If we steal their relic, we'll be hunted to the ends of the galaxy," Raynor warned. "These Protoss are lunatics—completely irrational."
Li Ang, observing the exchange, suddenly recalled something about the Taldarim: their god was none other than Amon.
Yes—that Amon. The ultimate villain.
The Taldarim believed they were destined to become hybrid ascendants under Amon's guidance. Their leader, Alarak, saw his people as the Chosen.
In that sense, they were no different from the Zerg—they were all following Amon's will.
In the original story, Alarak's devotion to Amon was so intense that even after Amon's defeat, he refused to return to Protoss society.
Instead, he led his tribe away from Aiur to build a new home—one based on his own beliefs.
So fractured was their ideology that the Taldarim could practically be considered a different species altogether.
Clearly, Amon had sold them on a dream of "ascension"—a powerful carrot that drove them to serve him fanatically.
And the Taldarim? They were the most gullible followers of them all.
Paul, now fully informed of the Taldarim's background, furrowed his brow and nodded. "This... could get tricky."
He'd mentally prepared for obstacles, but he'd also seen Protoss tech up close—he knew what they were capable of.
A direct confrontation with the Taldarim would result in heavy casualties at best...
And at worst? It could tip their hand too early, making the rest of the fragment hunt infinitely harder.
After all, it would be painfully obvious that Universal Megacorp was trying to gather all the fragments—for something monumental.
That was Paul's biggest concern.
Fortunately, the Taldarim weren't exactly beloved by the rest of the Protoss. Even if they picked a fight with them, the Golden Armada wouldn't interfere.
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