Although these two individuals weren't particularly powerful compared to Marcus and the Kryptonians, they definitely represented a beacon of hope for humanity's future in this universe.
Well... Tychus perhaps didn't qualify for that assessment—not yet, anyway. But at minimum, Jim Raynor, wearing that distinctive black armor, was actively leading his Rangers to mediate between three hostile species while steadily advancing toward some final confrontation.
"Who exactly are you?" Jim asked cautiously.
Marcus's appearance had been far too abrupt, genuinely shocking both men. They didn't know what to say for several moments.
"You can call me Marcus. I'm their captain," Marcus explained casually, gesturing toward General Zod and the assembled Kryptonians surrounding him.
This revelation made Jim—safe within his power armor—become even more vigilant. The capabilities demonstrated by these people had already exceeded anything his team had anticipated encountering. How terrifying would the man claiming command over such powerful individuals actually be?
The universe contained far too many mysterious existences. Even people like Jim's team, who regularly traveled between star systems, couldn't claim comprehensive knowledge of everything that existed.
Just consider human history in the Koprulu Sector. The Terran Dominion had been exploring aggressively for three centuries but still hadn't discovered anything particularly revolutionary or enlightening.
It wasn't until a few decades ago that they'd finally encountered the Zerg—and shortly afterward, the Protoss who'd been systematically hunting Zerg infestations.
"Forgive my directness, but is there something specific we can help you with?" Jim asked diplomatically.
"Help?" Marcus smiled, glancing over Jim's assembled team with amusement. "You can't actually help us with anything. But I think our immediate objectives should align perfectly."
His words carried obvious implication, and Jim Raynor immediately understood the meaning.
"You're also here for the Xel'Naga artifact?" Jim asked, his tone becoming grim.
Jim's mood darkened considerably. The Xel'Naga artifacts were critically important to his mission. Facing the fanatical Tal'darim Protoss alone already placed tremendous pressure on his limited armed forces.
If Marcus and his people were added to the competition, Jim felt that successfully obtaining the artifact from Tal'darim control would become an impossible objective.
"Hahaha, don't worry so much," Marcus reassured him with genuine humor. "I'm simply interested in studying the artifact personally. I don't particularly care who ultimately possesses it afterward."
Marcus understood Jim's concerns perfectly well. After all, these Xel'Naga artifacts represented crucial components in the process that could restore Kerrigan to human form. Jim's team absolutely couldn't afford to fail.
After receiving Marcus's reassurance, Jim's tense nerves relaxed slightly.
Regardless of anything else, before actually securing the Xel'Naga artifact, they weren't hostile competitors. They could definitely cooperate until that critical moment arrived.
"Mr. Marcus, I believe we'll have a productive cooperation!" Jim declared, raising his armored hand.
"I'm confident we will!" Marcus agreed warmly, clasping Jim's power armor gauntlet firmly.
They'd reached an understanding and would cooperate to seize the Xel'Naga artifact from Tal'darim Protoss control.
After confirming their alliance, Jim immediately began commanding his personnel. They didn't have unlimited time remaining. They absolutely had to retrieve the Xel'Naga artifact from the Protoss before the supernova detonated and rendered this entire system uninhabitable.
Various abandoned automated structures were rapidly reactivated. Large quantities of weapons and military equipment began manufacturing continuously.
Meanwhile, Jim constantly shouted orders through communication channels, coordinating production to maximize their available armed forces.
"What's your assessment of them?" Marcus asked, standing at a distance while observing the frantically busy base.
Many Kryptonians remained silent for several moments. Finally, General Zod spoke thoughtfully.
"Compared to Captain Locke's people, they demonstrate more focused purpose and superior operational efficiency," Zod observed. "Their coordination exceeds Captain Locke's tactical teams significantly."
The Kryptonians had been working alongside Captain Locke for extended periods and understood that situation intimately.
They could clearly recognize that Jim's team was obviously more capable than Locke's forces. These were genuinely elite military personnel.
"Perhaps this represents the fundamental difference between transport fleet operations and dedicated combat forces," Marcus suggested. "Locke's people were obviously oriented toward logistics and transportation, while Jim's team specializes in actual warfare."
"However, they remain extremely weak regardless," Faora interjected. "That fundamental reality hasn't changed substantially."
Whether comparing Captain Locke's team or Jim Raynor's forces, the Kryptonians could clearly assess both groups' capabilities.
Although definite differences existed in combat effectiveness between the two human forces, for Kryptonians those distinctions were essentially meaningless—like comparing black ants to red ants.
For humans, a black ant and a red ant differed only in slightly varying size. Otherwise, they were functionally identical.
"Well, they can't remotely compare with your capabilities," Marcus acknowledged with a slight shrug. "You understand how advanced Kryptonian technology truly is. And you can absorb environmental energy to strengthen yourselves continuously now that you're away from Kryptonite exposure.
They're simply baseline humans. At absolute maximum, some individuals might develop psionic abilities."
Listening to Marcus's assessment, everyone nodded slowly. They understood how unique their species actually was in this universe.
"But what exactly is psionic energy?" General Zod asked with genuine curiosity. "Captain Locke couldn't explain it clearly to us."
General Zod remained intensely interested in the psionic phenomena Captain Locke had discussed. He wanted to understand which was more powerful—psionic abilities or Kryptonian superpowers.
"How should I know?" Marcus replied with amusement. "Instead of asking me, you'd be better served asking Jim directly."
Marcus didn't understand psionic energy particularly well himself. In his perception, these abilities seemed like manifestations of extremely powerful mental capabilities.
He could accept that sufficiently powerful mental energy could manipulate physical objects. But he genuinely couldn't comprehend why mental power could also produce vastly different specialized abilities.
Consider that the Protoss—who were most proficient at utilizing psionic energy—could even unleash devastating psionic storms through concentrated mental force.
During their conversation, Jim's base continued operating at maximum capacity. Very quickly, because the supernova was approaching critical detonation, blazing flames had spread to encompass their current location.
"All structures, initiate flight mode! We're relocating to the next safe zone!" Jim's voice echoed throughout the base.
After receiving alerts about the approaching inferno, Jim responded immediately.
They hadn't completed production operations yet. They couldn't breach Tal'darim defenses and seize the Xel'Naga artifact with current forces. They still required additional time.
Following his command, engines on all automated structures activated simultaneously. With powerful thruster propulsion, every building lifted into the air and flew toward safer territory according to Jim's navigation instructions.
"No matter how many times I witness this, their innovative solutions always amaze me," General Zod observed with genuine appreciation.
Watching various structures flying through the air, Zod felt impressed despite himself.
Humans might not possess overwhelming individual strength, but they could enhance themselves through countless technological solutions—allowing survival in extraordinarily dangerous environments.
"Perhaps this explains why humanity has persisted so successfully," Marcus suggested with an amused smile. "After all, without these creative approaches, they couldn't possibly withstand Zerg assaults."
Marcus responded casually while everyone launched into the air, flying alongside the mobile structures.
Since they'd agreed to cooperate, naturally they'd operate together. Following these buildings represented their best tactical option currently.
Witnessing Marcus and the Kryptonians flying effortlessly through the superheated atmosphere, Tychus—who was trudging across scorched ground—couldn't help feeling distinctly envious.
"If I could have abilities like that, I wouldn't be trapped inside this mobile coffin," Tychus muttered.
The temperature here was absolutely extreme. Their power armor constantly ran cooling systems at maximum capacity just to keep them alive.
But Marcus and his people possessed no visible heat insulation measures whatsoever. They simply flew through the air, moving slowly through thermal radiation intense enough to ignite solid rock.
The flames didn't spread particularly rapidly. Very quickly, all the structures arrived at a second mineral deposit location. Although resources here were also severely depleted, they'd suffice for immediate production needs.
"Hurry! We must complete manufacturing as rapidly as possible and join combat operations!" Jim commanded urgently.
Everyone throughout the base accelerated production dramatically. All mechanical equipment operated under overload conditions. It seemed as though any momentary laziness might result in being abandoned here to die.
One after another, various weapons systems and military equipment rolled off production lines. These assets made Jim's team progressively more formidable.
But such military buildup meant absolutely nothing to Zod and the other Kryptonians.
Their World Engine possessed destructive capabilities far exceeding anything this equipment could achieve.
Jim's most powerful weapons could create mushroom clouds and transform surrounding areas spanning several kilometers into irradiated dead zones.
But the World Engine could obliterate entire planets and ultimately terraform them into whatever world the Kryptonians required.
"As expected, human technological development proceeds extremely slowly," the Kryptonian scientist observed, shaking his head. "Even after Captain Locke obtained some of our technology, it only marginally accelerated their advancement."
Examining the weapons and equipment being produced, he recognized these systems were nearly identical to Captain Locke's arsenal—actually inferior to new equipment Locke's people had developed after acquiring Kryptonian technological insights.
"Hahaha, your expectations are simply too elevated," Marcus chuckled. "Captain Locke's people have only been lost for a few years. There won't be dramatic changes within such limited timeframes."
Marcus laughed while descending to ground level. These weapons and equipment were nearly sufficient for the operation. And the sea of flames behind them was rapidly approaching their position.
The moment he landed, Marcus heard Jim shouting new orders.
"Prepare for second relocation! I'm taking another team forward to reconnaissance the Tal'darim Protoss positions directly."
Their equipment manufacturing was essentially complete. Now they needed to produce various supplies and ammunition. After this transfer, they could initiate actual combat operations.
"Can you include one of us in that reconnaissance?" Marcus called out to Jim.
Since they'd agreed to cooperate, naturally they should act together—especially at this critical juncture. They definitely needed to participate directly.
Hearing Marcus's voice, Jim turned around. His surprised expression showed he'd honestly excluded Marcus and the Kryptonians from this particular phase.
"You want to join us? This mission is purely reconnaissance—gathering specific intelligence about Protoss positions and preparing for the actual assault afterward," Jim explained.
"Of course. It's an excellent opportunity for you to witness their capabilities firsthand," Marcus replied, gesturing toward the Kryptonians.
Seeing Marcus and General Zod's determination, Jim didn't refuse their participation.
Marcus's previous demonstrations had already proven their tremendous strength. With such powerful teammates accompanying them, they'd be far more secure when encountering hostile Tal'darim Protoss forces.
Shortly afterward, several Kryptonians joined Jim's reconnaissance team under General Zod's orders.
"Care to guess what reactions Jim's people and the Protoss will have after witnessing your capabilities?" Marcus asked Zod with an amused smile, watching the team depart.
But General Zod didn't provide any answer. He gazed at the departing team from a distance, his expression carrying obvious concern.
Although they possessed formidable strength, they'd still be facing these so-called Protoss directly. Nobody could predict what they might actually encounter.
Seeing that General Zod had no intention of responding, Marcus didn't press the issue. He simply transformed into swirling mist and dissipated.
"The Tal'darim encampment lies directly ahead. Everyone maintain maximum alertness," Jim warned, his voice carrying unusual gravity.
Jim had dealt with Protoss forces numerous times previously. He possessed reasonable understanding of Protoss internal politics and factional divisions.
The Tal'darim Protoss they were about to face differed fundamentally from mainstream Protoss civilization. These zealots weren't merely hostile toward other species—they were equally malicious toward their own fellow Protoss from different philosophical factions.
These Protoss behaved like absolute fanatics who would tear all enemies to pieces without hesitation or mercy.
Recalling the Protoss's terrifying individual combat capabilities, Jim shouted another warning to everyone.
"I cannot emphasize this enough—the Tal'darim Protoss are not remotely reasonable! Stay sharp!"
As his words concluded, all team members became hyper-alert, gripping weapons tightly and preparing for immediate combat.
Even the several Kryptonians accompanying the team adopted serious expressions, as they didn't know much about Protoss capabilities yet.
Everyone crept toward the periphery of the Tal'darim encampment. These Protoss had constructed solid defensive walls around their position. The reconnaissance team could only breach through the main gates.
"Jim, only the primary gates provide entrance and exit access!" Tychus's voice reported over comms.
They'd already circled the entire camp perimeter. Except for two main gate structures, there were absolutely no other passages they could utilize for infiltration.
"Damn it. We'll have to force entry through the front," Jim cursed quietly.
He understood exactly how devastating Protoss technology could be in defensive applications.
Precisely because Jim comprehended Protoss capabilities, he felt this situation represented a serious problem. If alternative passages existed, their infiltration would be far simpler.
But if they could only enter through main gates, they'd be greeted by fierce and absolutely terrifying photon cannon bombardment.
With just these few personnel, forcing passage through Protoss photon artillery would require paying catastrophic costs.
"Leave it to us!" one Kryptonian volunteered, stepping forward.
They wanted to directly assess what kind of power the Protoss actually wielded.
As he spoke, the Kryptonian launched into the air. Brilliant red beams erupted from his eyes, attacking the solid defensive wall with concentrated heat vision.
The thermal energy continued burning against the wall's surface. Even constructed from specialized materials, the barrier couldn't resist indefinitely.
After several moments, an enormous hole had been burned completely through the wall. As the heat vision continued moving, that hole progressively expanded—eventually becoming a viable new entrance.
The dramatic changes to their defensive perimeter immediately alerted the Tal'darim Protoss inside. Before Jim and his team could even initiate their planned approach, a group of black-armored Protoss warriors rushed out through the newly created breach.
"There they are—the Tal'darim!" Jim announced grimly.
Seeing those distinctive black Protoss warriors, Jim's expression became deadly serious.
Several Kryptonians were observing these alien warriors with intense curiosity. This was their first time witnessing such creatures—beings that didn't even possess visible mouths.
"How do these individuals survive? Don't they eat?" one Kryptonian asked with genuine confusion.
He couldn't identify any mouth structure on these warriors. Didn't these beings require nutrition?
Unfortunately, nobody around could answer his question. Everyone had become extremely tense, staring intently at those black-armored Tal'darim Protoss warriors advancing toward their position.
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