The bunker complexes on the Cinder Plains near the Main Hive City had been mostly dismantled, their materials repurposed for the construction of new structures.
The Creep had also receded. The Zerg swarms had retreated into the Underhives of the various Hive Cities to accumulate strength. With the Tyranid threat resolved, there was no longer a need to maintain a massive standing swarm; they could simply focus on "farming" in the depths of the Underhives.
After all, the Zerg could naturally produce biomass over time. Given enough time, they were close to generating the biomass required for a Leviathan—a creature far larger than a Battlecruiser.
Abathur constantly suggested acquiring more genetic material to upgrade the Swarm, primarily because the local and non-native organisms in the Underhives had already been thoroughly consumed. Now, Abathur spent its time bored, conducting solitary research on the Swarm's genome.
Oh, and there was the task of watching over little Ellie, ensuring she didn't use high-intensity psionics.
Alexei had initially feared that after waking up and losing the Emperor's power, Ellie would revert to her previous unstable and frenzied state.
Fortunately, his worries were misplaced. Aside from a bit of lingering grogginess, Ellie showed no other ill symptoms after waking.
Abathur theorized that the Zerg psionic network might be sharing the burden of her psionic energy, which could also be one of the reasons why the humans within the network had awakened their own powers.
Alexei didn't delve too deeply into the specifics, as long as Ellie—an Alpha+ class psyker—didn't go on a rampage. The terrifying psionic storm from before had left him with a bit of a psychological shadow.
In the areas once ravaged by the psionic storm, the Creep and bunkers had been replaced by a vast array of structures. This was Alexei's newly built Terran military complex, featuring not only barracks, heavy factories, and supply depots but also strategic buildings like starports, Ghost Academies, and medical research institutes.
Alexei sat in a fast-moving vehicle. The roads beneath him had been renovated by SCVs shortly after the war ended. A massive network of primary roads connecting the various Hive Cities was being established with the help of a large number of SCVs.
The sheer scale of the engineering projects provided work for those who once lived in the Underhives. As for food, the supply depots provided them with tasteless, high-energy nutrient fluid. Although these substances were synthesized from unknown sources, being tasteless and capable of restoring energy was enough for them.
After all, these Underhivers weren't even guaranteed a daily meal of Corpse Starch before; this was already considered luxury treatment. Furthermore, having twelve hours of rest per day was practically a divine blessing.
Thus, when the SCVs busy along the roadside recognized who was sitting in the passing vehicle, they would stop their work and raise their mechanical claws in a salute to Alexei.
In the driver's seat, Kaidel—wearing sunglasses—smiled and said, "Boss, you have no idea how high your status is in the hearts of these guys now."
Kaidel's missing limbs had been replaced by mechanical prosthetics produced by the medical research institute. These products of Terran technology, which would be extremely luxurious for ordinary people in the StarCraft setting, were mass-produced with the system's help. This allowed many soldiers maimed in the war to possess a complete life once more.
The familiar suit Kaidel wore was the hostile-environment suit of a Ghost. After extensive training, he had not only adapted to his neural-link cybernetics and the Ghost suit but had also mastered the use of psionics and various weapons for combat.
Alexei looked at the SCVs working by the road and replied, "Isn't this good? At least they are working of their own free will."
Kaidel shrugged noncommittally. "It makes some people quite uncomfortable, though. Even the laborers in the Low-hive get more rest than he does."
Alexei laughed. He knew exactly who Kaidel was referring to. Since the war ended, more and more administrative tasks required his attention, forcing him to assemble a civil service team.
The old gang members who had fought alongside him from the beginning were undoubtedly his best candidates. Moreover, since they were part of the Zerg psionic network, there was no need to worry about their loyalty.
After over a year of careful instruction and adaptation, these men were now fully capable of handling various affairs. They only sought his instructions for major strategic matters; otherwise, Alexei left them to their own devices.
However, Hive city management was incredibly complex, proving difficult to endure even for those whose minds were enhanced by the psionic network. Over the past year, they had only been able to sleep for three hours a day—a pace almost no one could maintain.
"Boss, why the sudden visit to the military zone? Is the Imperium sending people again?" Kaidel asked curiously.
"No, I just wanted to take a look," Alexei looked up at a Viking fighter screaming overhead. "The Imperium did say they would send another Tithe fleet, but you know the efficiency of those guys..."
"Won't they doubt your loyalty?" Kaidel asked as he performed a skillful drift on the road.
"Lady Diana is vouching for us; trust her," Alexei said calmly. He had spoken with Diana previously; her former mentor was a senior Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus—a Radical. As a member of the Inquisition whose authority came directly from the Emperor, her mentor held significant prestige and a complex web of connections, giving Diana a fair amount of political backing.
"What about the Adeptus Astra Telepathica..."
"They've been our people for a long time," Alexei said, looking out at the endless yellow wasteland. Shortly after the war with the Tyranids, he had used a combination of threats and incentives to bring the newly appointed members of the Astra Telepathica on this planet into the psionic network.
On this planet, his will was law.
Before long, they arrived at the military zone in the plains. Countless PDF regiments clad in various models of power armor were training on the grounds, and a large number of novice tank crews were familiarizing themselves with their vehicles under the guidance of veteran instructors.
Further away, the massive Thor legions were conducting live-fire drills on the open ground. Alexei nodded in satisfaction.
He had deployed the majority of his military strength in the plains outside the Hive Cities. Currently, the interiors of the Hives were maintained by a small number of troops and the Planetary Enforcers organized by Lutheka.
Alexei wasn't worried about cults. The once-chaotic Underhives no longer had room for them to survive, and... he turned his gaze toward Kaidel.
He had organized a group of Ghosts. These members were chosen from the elite gang members within the network who had awakened psionically. Alexei had selected those with combat potential and stable temperaments to become Ghosts. They were his "eyes," watching every corner for him.
Furthermore, a large number of Changelings hatched by the Swarm were blended into Hive society. These were his means of strengthening his grip on the planet. He would not allow the seeds of Chaos cults to sprout on Aiel ever again.