Capturing the Male King Alive

The magnificent celestial phenomena twist the vortex of time and space.

Like a heavy hammer blow, crimson battlecruisers emerged from multiple rifts in deep space. Each one was a magnificent and imposing vessel, a symbol of human courage and strength. The Fleets represented the final order of the Terran Empire standing in this Sea of Stars.

Even in this great era in which humanity has ventured into the stars, space travel still requires the most sophisticated equipment and the most accurate calculations. Those who have ever traveled through the universe have always been the bravest among humankind.

As spacetime stabilized, more capital ships lined up in an area thousands of miles wide, and a standard Imperial Fleets was about to emerge. The number of battlecruisers reached sixteen, all of which were the main force, the Behemoth-class. The Fleets also had twice that number of destroyers, while the even larger Mammoth-class transport Mothership were fully loaded with supplies, soldiers, and Banshee tanks and other weapons.

Its size is equivalent to a reinforced Confederacy naval squadron, and the warships of the Terran Empire are more advanced than those of the Confederacy era, and the tactics they use are more suited to large-scale Fleets battles.

No human world could withstand this military force, and there are at least three more such Fleets empires.

With a dazzling flash, the Imperial Fleets, which had teleported in, opened fire. In the deadly jungle of bright orange laser barrages, Wraith continuously launched from the docks of the battlecruisers, their fiery red exhaust flames weaving through the intense flashes of the Yamato Cannon cannons amidst their roars.

Thirty miles away, a Swarm Behemoth, their backs covered in thick exoskeletons and sharp spikes, were subjected to a fierce barrage of artillery fire. The Psionics screams emanating from this behemoth suddenly and uncontrollably echoed in the minds of all the crew members.

In the vastness of space, this distance is negligible. The enraged Swarm surged forth, unleashing a barrage of live, self-targeting Scourge, cannon-like bursts of acidic liquid, and splattering corrosive spores that resembled exploding bouquets, bombarding the Imperial warships' energy shields and sturdy armor.

They are incredibly fast, moving with the agility and speed of fish in space, making them impossible to evade through ordinary maneuvers.

"All Fleets, full firepower!" Vice Admiral Wozowski had faced Tosh's Swarm Swarm head-on before and was well aware of its strength and cunning.

The Tosh Swarm generally possesses a weak Psionics, manifested as a barely perceptible red glow on their bodies, which grants them greater speed and endurance. Originating from the ignorant and cruel Voodoo cult of Haj, the Witch Swarm is no less threatening than any established race.

Scholars from the Terran Empire failed to find Psionics organs during their dissections, indicating that the Psionics of the Witch Swarm did not originate from evolution, which is quite unusual. Human Psionics originates from a certain area in the brain, from the impulses to express emotions and the neural electrical signals that transmit emotions, which is the result of slow evolution.

In an instant, the enraged Witch Swarm charged toward their enemy. Thousands of Scourge pounced on the Fury, like fireflies with their tails swaying in a fluorescent green light. The Fury's laser cannons shot down hundreds of them in a matter of minutes, but many more Scourge continued to crash into the ship's bow and port shields, and the violent explosions quickly tore through the capital ship's shield force field.

Then came hordes of Mutalisk with their dark red, hardened shells, along with their variants: Swarm Devourer and Brood Guardian. These large flying Zerg, enraged by surging hormones and the will of the Swarm, quickly surrounded the Fury, tearing through its steel armor—which could withstand the firepower of a battlecruiser—with their devastating biochemical weapons and sharp teeth and claws.

The Fleets flagship, the Fury, led the charge and was the first to bear the brunt of the Zerg's fury.

"The Fury is under attack; the No. 7 hull and No. 4 deck are damaged, the hull is cracked, and there is a gas leak inside," Matt Horner said. "The Zerg have entered the battery compartment and relay compartment and are engaged in fierce fighting with the defending soldiers."

"Sir, if a large-scale explosion occurs in the battery compartment, the power supply will be severely insufficient."

"The more serious consequences are obvious; it could blow us all to smithereens." Lieutenant General Wozowski ordered, "Assemble emergency tactical teams to drive Zerg blockade breach. We must shake off the Zerg clinging to us with a short jump."

At that moment, the Witch Swarm had already engaged the Imperial Fleets in close combat. Although the Imperial Fleets was formidable and the brave and fearless Imperial naval warriors launched an attack without hesitation, they did not have the upper hand.

In the war against the Zerg, humanity has never been on the winning side. The Swarm are a true natural disaster, and fighting them requires courage, determination, and a willingness to die.

Outside the Fury, the Behemoth, which was languishing amidst the Imperial Fleets's ineffective attacks, was rapidly approaching.

The Behemoth of the Swarm originated from a colossal space monster that roamed the universe, and were transformed into part of the Zerg race by the Overmind.

Each Behemoth is Fleets to a massive Swarm. They themselves have almost no combat power or ability to retaliate. What is truly terrifying are the horrific creatures residing in their internal chambers and vesicles. They are like a combination of a spiny-finned fish and a baleen whale, floating miniature satellites, and mobile platforms for the Swarm to launch its invasion.

This Swarm of Behemoth was over 5 miles long, and its massive head was nearly 1.4 miles wide. It was not exactly slender, and battlecruisers were no match for it.

If Behemoth weren't far less aggressive than Leviathan, it could easily tear apart human warships.

"Why haven't the Protoss arrived yet? Their Fleets is just a few parsecs away (approximately 3.26 light-years, a larger astronomical unit)." Lieutenant Admiral Wozowski realized that the Tosh Swarm that had appeared this time was much stronger than he had estimated.

"Strange, they're always so punctual." Matt Horner also felt uneasy; anything that went against his expectations made him panic. After all, in the eyes of Raynor and the others, this young imperial general was no different from a naive child.

By activating the ancient Xel'Naga Temple on Shakuras and harnessing its boundless energy, the Protoss have wiped out the Zerg that invaded their homeland.

Now, in order to rescue their beloved archbishop and patriarch, the Daelaam have dispatched a considerable Fleets, possibly more powerful than any expeditionary force the Protoss Empire has ever sent cruising the Milky Way Galaxy.

They had already assembled near the star system where Shi was located, and leading this Fleets was Commander Yurlan of the Protoss Empire, a respectable Fleets commander.

It is said that before humans even set foot in the Koprulu Sector, Yurlan was already the leader of the Auriga Tribe.

Not long ago, Matt Horner, along with Lieutenant General Wozowski, had met with this Protoss. Yurlan was a staunch advocate of war, striving to reclaim Aiur and eager to avenge his defeat in order to achieve this great goal.

At their first meeting, Yurlan behaved no differently from other Protoss, neither friendly nor distant towards humans. The only one whose name he remembered was Augustus Mengsk, the emperor of the Terran Empire. While most Protoss in the past were arrogant, Yurlan seemed easygoing, but he became incredibly angry when the Zerg were mentioned.

After a short wait, a beam of light from the Carrier's main cannon struck the Behemoth's brain, which contained a large number of central nervous systems, tearing the behemoth apart. Blood splattered everywhere, and the spilled tissue and blood even splashed onto the gunboats of the Fury, where they were then burned away by the scorching laser.

Multiple golden-blue Carrier emerged from the cloaking force field, followed by two majestic Protoss Mothership that leaped out from the surging spacetime. Even by visual estimation, the surging spacetime force field was quite astonishing, exceeding sixty in a short period of time. This Fleets was even more terrifying than the Tassadar Expeditionary Force Fleets of the past.

Considering this Fleets was dispatched immediately after the attack on Shakuras, the Daelaam sending so many warships is remarkable. The current High Priest Tassadar is indeed an ambitious, decisive, and confident Protoss leader; from a human perspective, Tassadar undoubtedly deserves the title of a great ruler.

As Hierarch of the Daelaam, the supreme leader of the Protoss Empire, he could not help but must assemble his forces.

"Exactly right," Matt Horner said, glancing at his watch, a sigh of relief washing over him.

Let alone dealing with a single Tosh, this Fleets is large enough to even launch an expedition against Aiur. The Protoss Empire's fighting style is as magnificent and elegant as their warships, but when dealing with the Zerg, it's always been a case of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, wielding too much force and sending bricks flying.

"This isn't what we agreed on." Wozowski frowned. "That Yurlan didn't follow our plan at all; they need our help."

However, the Wozowski couldn't complain to the Emperor. The Protoss simply needed detailed intelligence and coordinates from the humans, and then their allies could call in their Fleets with a single click.

The Protoss Fleets gained an absolute advantage from the moment it appeared. Their magnificent warships unleashed a barrage of fire on the Behemoth of the Witch Swarm from all directions, while high-speed fighters leaped out of the hyperspace tunnels like a thousand swords drawn from their sheaths.

Countless Zerg were torn to shreds by the Protoss's dazzling plasma beams. Under the Mothership's unparalleled firepower, even Behemoth trembled like a tattered rag.

"They really made a big splash, but I could win the battle even without them." The lieutenant general was always stubborn.

Matt Horner shrugged, hoping his demanding superior hadn't witnessed this.

"Now we have to figure out whether Tosh came or not, and if he did, where is he now?" Wozowski just grumbled.

"It could be on the surface of a planet, or it could be inside one of the Behemoth," Matt Horner replied.

"If he hadn't come at all, it would have been all for nothing."

"Tosh has always been hands-on and has never strayed too far from his Swarm," Wozowski said.

They had long since discerned that Tosh harbored a deep hatred for the rulers and soldiers of the Terran Confederacy. As for the origin of this hatred, it was now unclear.

But Tosh doesn't seem solely motivated by revenge; the Empire believes his ambitions extend far beyond that.

In less than an hour, Tosh's Witch Swarm had been completely routed. Two Behemoth were almost burned to ashes by the Protoss's plasma cannon, and the remaining body fragments slowly froze in the dark depths of space, the larger of which were several times the size of the Fury.

The last Behemoth was putting up a desperate fight under the protection of numerous Zerg. Large numbers of Protoss Templar Knights and Dark Templar warped directly into its interior through the warp field, turning the entire Behemoth into a brutal battlefield.

It seems they have confirmed that Tosh is on this Behemoth.

After a short jump, the Fury had shaken off the Zerg pursuit, and the damage control team and engineers were urgently repairing the damaged compartments. The Fury was not a battlecruiser built to flagship standards, and her shields and armor were somewhat outdated. New upgrades and modifications could only be implemented after returning to Bennett Port in Korhal.

"Communications are coming in, sir, it's unmarked." On the command deck, Matt Horner glanced at the control panel and said to the Wozowski beside him:

"It's Gabriel Tosh."

"Enough, I surrender, I surrender." Tosh's ashen face appeared on the screen, as green as if a bucket of green paint had just been poured on it. His skin was covered in spots like a spotted seal, making him look like a vengeful ghost.

Tosh kept waving his hands, looking as if he had been completely defeated.

"But I have one more condition before I surrender." This was real-time communication, Tosh may have also made contact with the Protoss at the same time.

"I don't need to agree to your conditions," Wozowski said.

You are doomed to defeat.

"Speak," came the Psionics language translated by Commander Yurlan from the other end. "As long as you can guarantee the chieftain's safety."

"I can surrender, but only to humans and not Protoss. Otherwise, I will kill your chieftain before I am arrested." Behind Tosh was the central nervous system chamber of Behemoth, filled with enormous nerves and powerful tentacles wrapped in fleshy tendrils, and the female chieftain Raszagal was bound within dozens of tentacles.

"I don't trust the Protoss, but at least falling into human hands offers a chance of survival."

"There is no difference." Commander Yurlan remained remarkably calm.

Although the Terran Empire and the Daelaam are not quite on par, their relationship is fairly good.

"I agree." Wozowski had originally intended to refuse; things had gone a little too smoothly. But hearing what Yurlan said, he agreed.

The Terran Empire has already taken in a lazy, good-for-nothing Cerebrate; providing it with food and lodging is no problem.

"He surrendered too quickly, that's not right. If we accept his surrender, what will happen to His Majesty?" Matt Horner whispered to Wozowski.

This time, Tosh truly had nowhere to retreat, was in dire straits, and no Overmind would come to his rescue.

Without any backup plan, without any desperate struggle or resistance, Tosh surrendered. In the past, Tosh would never have yielded, even if it meant certain death.

Falling into human hands, at the very least, means endless imprisonment, torture, and experimentation.

The Protoss will most likely burn Tosh, but the humans won't let him go either. This level of infection is incurable; no antidote can cure it.

He should have known his fate.

"I will send landing craft soon, and you will be judged by the laws of the Empire." Wozowski glanced at Matt Horner, his eyes clearly indicating that he would coax him into surrendering first and deal with the rest later.

In any case, there's no reason not to accept it.