"Tsk, tsk... Protoss technology truly is awe-inspiring," Alexei muttered, looking at the altar that had been reduced to rubble.
If a few Immortals could banish a Lord of Change without breaking a sweat, what about the legendary Colossi, said to be capable of annihilating entire primitive civilizations with a single deployment?
Or the supposedly invincible Golden Armada? Alexei drifted into a fantasy of the future, where the power to suppress every enemy in the universe seemed within his reach.
Suddenly, a bumping sensation against his calf snapped him back to reality. He looked down to see the Zergling he had ordered to stay behind for protection nudging him with its head. He gave the creature a light kick to shoo it away and sighed deeply. There was still a long road ahead.
Alexei turned his attention to the surviving Enforcers who were gathering their gear and preparing to evacuate. He decided to approach them; it was time to make contact with the official human authorities.
He already knew the Zerg required biomass to unlock units and the Protoss required banishing or slaying demons for Soul Shards. But what were the unlock conditions for the Terrans?
Though Terran technology couldn't match the Protoss and their numbers paled before the Zerg, their equipment was designed for ordinary mortals. If he could possess that...
Take CMC Power Armor and C-14 Gauss Rifles, for example. The former might not be as advanced as the various Marks of Space Marine Power Armor, but it was cost-effective and wearable by any human. As for the latter, it could punch through vehicle armor and kill Mutalisks capable of crossing the void. Its lethality certainly wouldn't be inferior to a Bolter.
Therefore, he needed contact with humanity. He couldn't hide in the landfill forever; he needed to expand. The area beneath the factory zone was excellent—spacious with plenty of local biomass, perfect for a "Natural Expansion." However, it was a high-traffic area, and it was only a matter of time before the Arbites discovered it. At this stage, he couldn't afford to be an enemy of the Imperium; he had to infiltrate the upper echelons.
Lutheca supervised the remaining Enforcers as they recovered equipment from the field. He sighed. The upper levels had sent nearly a thousand Enforcers, several Chimera transports, two Leman Russ tanks, and even a Baneblade.
Now, these were the only survivors. A strange, hollow victory. May the souls of the fallen return to the Golden Throne.
As he scanned the area, he noticed a clean-cut man in a tattered Enforcer uniform walking toward him. He didn't recognize this face. Lutheca immediately raised his hand to signal a halt. "Stop. State your name and unit."
Alexei simply looked at him. His calm gaze made the battle-hardened middle-aged man feel a chill down his spine, as if he were facing a predator hungry for its next meal.
"Let's talk, Commander," Alexei finally spoke. "I saved you."
"What?" Lutheca clearly didn't understand. He immediately raised his lasgun.
Suddenly, he saw dozens of xenos leap from the shadows of the alley, flanking the man. Lutheca's heart tightened—these were the same creatures from before. This man could control them?
Alexei wasn't afraid of them firing. He had noticed toward the end of the battle that these men had exhausted their ammunition; they had been forced to watch helplessly as his Swarm slaughtered the demons.
"I mean you no harm, Commander," Alexei said again. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have survived this battle at all."
Lutheca remained silent, his rifle still leveled. The surrounding Enforcers noticed the commotion and began to converge. From the shadows of the alley, more scuttling sounds echoed as more terrifying xenos appeared, throwing the defenseless Enforcers into a panic.
"Lower your weapons. I know you're out of ammo," Alexei said. "Follow me. Let's have a proper talk. I can help you."
He turned and walked toward the alley, not bothering to check if they were following. If they refused to come, they had no reason to stay alive; he didn't want them returning with a PDF force to wipe him out.
Under the watchful eyes of the xenos, Lutheca's expression shifted between doubt and calculation. He looked at his men, then gritted his teeth and forced a command from his throat: "Follow him!"
The bedraggled group of Enforcers, herded by the Zerg, wound through the tunnels until they reached the entrance of the landfill. Dim lights flickered in the silent tunnel, and water dripping from the ceiling was instantly absorbed by the Creep on the floor.
Lutheca and his men looked at the Creep-covered walls with grim expressions. Their melee weapons had been forcibly discarded; they had to find another way to escape.
"What are these damned things?" Lutheca muttered to himself as he felt the soft, warm, and slimy texture of the Creep beneath his feet. He felt like he had walked into a wolf's den.
"Where are you taking us?" he asked, struggling to keep his footing.
"Don't worry. We're almost there," Alexei replied without looking back.
The reason he dared to bring them to his base was that he had acquired a massive amount of biomass and unlocked a new genetic template: the Infestor. It was common knowledge that Infestors could infect and control other life forms, though it usually stripped them of their consciousness. However, since he had also acquired genetic fragments from the Genestealer Patriarch, he believed Abathur could provide a more refined evolution. The Zerg psychic network still had immense potential.
After some time, the group arrived at the core of the Hive. Lutheca was shocked by everything he saw. It was the most sacrilegious scene he had witnessed in his life. Emperor above, forgive me for yielding to such abominable xenos.
His expression changed again when he saw a massive xeno approach Alexei, seemingly communicating with him.
At that moment, he noticed a little girl watching them curiously from a short distance away. She walked up slowly and greeted them shyly, "Hello..."
Lutheca closed his eyes and whispered a silent apology in his heart. For this girl to survive in such a Hive, she was clearly important to this man.
So he made his move. "Let us go!" he roared.
As Ellie gasped in surprise, Alexei turned around to see the Commander holding Ellie hostage. A look of pity—tinged with regret—crossed Alexei's face.
Lutheca didn't understand that look, but he tightened his grip around the girl's neck. Feeling the pressure of the rough hand, Ellie screamed in terror. "AHHHHH!!!!"
A massive psychic shriek blasted into everyone's ears, knocking out everyone present except Alexei. Ellie immediately threw herself into Alexei's arms, sobbing quietly.
She was a kind girl after all; she had only knocked them unconscious with a psionic shock rather than crushing them instantly.
Alexei comforted her while looking at the unconscious group. Well, this saves me the trouble of knocking them out one by one.
He had already instructed Abathur to study the Genestealer Patriarch's genetic fragments with a specific requirement: find a way to control these people while preserving their self-awareness.
Once they woke up, his plan could proceed. For now, it was time to replenish the Swarm's numbers.