The fleet sailed on in absolute silence, gradually drawing closer to the patch of space dimly lit by the Protoss's glow.
Most of the refugees had no clue about their actual destination or the massive risks involved; they just waited numbly for fate's next move, buried in hunger, pain, and exhaustion.
But on the bridge and in the minds of the few who knew the truth, the worry over their unknown, arrogant neighbors felt like a tightening noose, growing clearer with every passing click.
Fourteen hours later, the fleet quietly slipped into the outer edge of the Haven system.
On the Hyperion's main screen, Haven slowly came into view.
It was a beautiful blue-green world, white cloud layers stretching out lazily, with polar ice caps reflecting the soft light of the local star.
Preliminary long-range scans backed up the older data: an oxygen-rich atmosphere, massive oceans, and land masses covered in thick vegetation.
Life signals were active and... "normal," showing none of the warped signatures unique to Zerg creep or infected hosts.
"No artificial power sources, major structures, or orbital facilities detected," Matt reported, his tone easing up a bit.
"At least in the hemisphere we scanned, there are no obvious signs of Protoss activity.
Natural electromagnetic background noise is extremely low."
"Keep us silent, passive reception mode only," Raynor ordered, his eyes locked onto the gemstone-like planet.
"What's the status on the chosen landing zone?"
"Latitude 35 north, longitude 120 east.
A wide alluvial river valley flanked by low mountain ranges, with a river cutting right through it.
Remote sensing shows fertile soil, vegetation mostly made up of temperate broadleaf forests and grasslands, and plenty of water.
The area sits on the side of the planet facing away from the traditional Protoss activity sectors, and the mountains should give us decent radar and visual cover." Matt pulled up a magnified terrain map.
"That's the spot," Raynor made the call.
"Tell the transport fleet to get ready.
First wave down: engineering crews, surveying teams, the core medical group, and a company of Marines for early watch.
Tychus, you're leading the pack."
"Finally get to step on some solid ground." Tychus's hologram rolled his shoulders.
"Don't sweat it, Jimmy.
I'll find us a nice spot."
"Remember, keep it as low-profile as possible.
Use non-energy tools for the initial clearing and building, and keep power signatures at absolute zero.
Try to use biodegradable stuff or materials that blend into the environment for the structures, and avoid massive logging," Raynor warned.
"Our main goal is survival and hiding, not building a city."
"Got it."
The landing operation kicked off in a high-tension atmosphere.
Several transport ships broke off from the fleet, diving straight toward Haven's azure atmosphere.
The Hyperion stayed behind in a relatively hidden spot in high orbit, shutting down most of its active systems and floating like a silent asteroid.
Valerie went down with the first wave.
She needed a firsthand look at the environment to prep for any potential "contact" or "clashes." Her Security Team B and some Skitarii soldiers were packed into the vanguard, tasked with throwing up an initial defense and scouting the perimeter.
The vibrations as the transport ship punched through the atmosphere felt completely different from Meinhoff's ice shelves, carrying a damp, humid quality.
When the ramp dropped on a relatively flat stretch of grassland at the edge of the valley, fresh air packed with the scent of soil and plants rushed inside.
Sunlight filtered through sparse clouds, warm but not scorching.
Rolling green meadows lay right before them, with thick forests in the distance and a crystal-clear river bubbling nearby.
For people who had been jammed into steel coffins for way too long, witnessing nothing but death and despair, this view was straight up paradise.
A lot of the engineers and refugees stepping down the ramp just froze on the spot, barely believing their eyes.
Some squatted down, hands shaking as they touched the soft grass and damp dirt.
But the vanguard crew didn't have time to soak it in.
Tychus immediately started barking orders, directing the Marines to set up a perimeter watch.
The engineering SCVs roared out of the transports, clearing the field and piecing together basic prefab shacks and protective fences.
Surveying teams headed out toward the river and the forest edge with their gear, checking water quality, testing the soil, and hunting for edible plants and wildlife.
Valerie and her crew got to work fast.
They deployed a small sensor network to track local life forms and energy spikes, while helping set up a quarantine zone.
Every single person landing, no matter who they were, had to pass one final quick test by Dr. Hanson's team here before stepping foot into the campsite under construction.
The first few hours went by in a busy but relatively quiet blur.
The water quality tests came back great—rich in minerals and good to go straight up or with basic filtering.
The surveying crew found a few kinds of edible berries, roots, and mushrooms at the forest edge, and there were signs of fish in the river.
The SCVs worked fast; a dozen simple shacks and a temporary medical station were already up.
It was bare-bones, but enough to keep the weather off them.
By noon, Haven's sky turned a pure, solid blue, with a few white clouds drifting lazily.
Over at the camp, kids' laughter echoed from the simple medical tents—the first time in weeks these refugees could actually relax for a second in a relatively safe spot.
Valerie Anderson stood on a newly built watchtower on the west side of the camp, her gaze sweeping over the crowd lining up for purified rations.
One of her Skitarii soldiers was repeatedly checking the sensor arrays, which had been running silently ever since they touched down.
"All readings nominal, ma'am," the soldier reported.
"No abnormal life forms or energy spikes detected."
Valerie nodded, but her brow didn't clear up.
She knew damn well that in a strange sector like this, quiet was usually just the calm before the storm.
Her gut feeling was proven right thirteen minutes later.
The sensor array's alarms suddenly screamed, the sound tearing right through the camp's quiet and making everyone jump.
"Report! Picking up a massive warp signature! Bearing...high orbit! Energy profile confirmed—Protoss fleet-level scale!"
Almost at that exact second, the Hyperion's emergency comms cut right into every channel in the camp.
Matt Horner's voice had lost its usual cool, replaced by a tight sense of urgency: "Commander, we're surrounded! A full Protoss fleet just warped in at the edge of the Haven system, and they moved straight into an orbital blockade position! We're looking at at least three Carriers, and...a Mothership!"
The camp instantly dissolved into an organized mess.
The soldiers scrambled into their preset defensive spots, but everyone knew deep down that against a Protoss fleet in orbit, dirt trenches were basically paper shields.
The engineers rushed to kill non-essential systems to drop their energy footprint.
The refugees were quickly guided inside the sturdier buildings, and the kids' laughter turned right back into muffled crying.