Disclaimer: This is it! The spin-off canon story for Avatar-of-Kane own Starcraft AU; Tiberium Galaxy Trilogy! Starring the stranded UED forces! These fic was supposed to have finish in Christmas, but after reading a few times, it didn't really fit with Avatar's own design, hence a little late in submission. Still, this is the sub-chapter of the United Earth Directorate Expedition Fleet story arc from the day of the Post-Brood War event to the story arch in Wings of Liberty. I've place every detail, every information and every permission from the man itself to make this happen! There is a ton of Command and Conquer and Starcraft reference here and there, as well as a few eastern eggs (like good old Blizzard games that should always have), so read and review will be appreciate! If you like the story thus far, go and check on Avatar-of-Kane own original Fanfic as well! He deserve to be credit as well!
Command and Conquer belongs to former Westwood Studios (I refuse to acknowledge it is made by EA Games) and Starcraft belongs to Blizzard Entertainment.
Starcraft AU; Tiberium Galaxy Trilogy story arch belongs to Avatar-of-Kane
All original character is mine.
Starcraft AU Tiberium Galaxy; Primus
Chapter 01: The Third and Forth Creation
(Koprulu Sector, Year 2500, Post-Brood War… UED Flagship Behemoth-Class Battlecruiser Aleksander)
The war is over, and the UED Expedition Force are forced to withdraw; their objective has been denied and their defeat is immeasurable in total equipment, supporters and troop casualties.
The UED forces are eradicated by the dove, their mighty numbers tingled away to a mere fleets and the hope they all carry to reunite the lost Terran colony is but mere preach. Now, the defeated UED forces have no choice but to retreat. But they cannot be permitted to return to Earth, as the Admiral, Gerard DuGalle stated clearly in his campaign to reunite the 'rogue' colony , that no existing reinforcement from Earth are achievable until their final objective are finally secured. That, and the threat made by the Queen of Blade, who Kerrigan identified herself as, will soon launched an attack that will not only cripple the fleeing faction, but eradicate them as well. Unable to put Earth into anymore danger as it is, the entire UED fleet move further away from their original trajectory, hoping to fool the Swarm to attack them and leave Earth alone, buying the land of holy terra some precious time.
Admiral Gerard DuGalle allows all his troops to send in their final message back home. This give a slight motivation of morale, even a tiny bit, and DuGalle allow any message that are send in will not be filtered. The surviving soldiers responds the Admiral's kind offer, and races down to the nearby terminal on-board the UED fleet to send in their message, most of these messages are information of their loses, how their close friend are brutally mauled by the Khala Warrior or being chewed and consumed by the Insect Xenomorph, or being in a horrible crossfire with the 'rogue' Terran colony, and all their message speaks volumes of fear, dread and home. Soldiers, who had believe they could take on the might Khala Warrior, the corrupted Terran Emperor and the Insect Xenomorph through video feedback are not trained for such outcome, and even when the UED recruited some captured colony to be part of the UED, most of them didn't live long enough to carry their Corporal medal. They are horribly outmatch, to say the least.
As the soldiers down at Battlecruiser Aleksander send in their final message, so too did Admiral Gerard DuGalle on his own personal terminal in his chamber and wish not to be disturb. He approaches a music recorder; a relic device from the days of yore, long before the Great Exile and select a song. He chooses his least favourite one, feeling ironic that it is also his most prized possession in his keep. As the music plays softly at the background, the sound of the keyboard typing from a man who had envision nothing more but victory over this ruthless sector is unrelenting; the man type in each key with great care, but also at great lose;
'Dearest Helena, by now the news of our defeat has reached the Earth. The creatures we were sent here to tame are untameable, and the colonies we were sent here to reclaim have proven to be stronger than we anticipated. Whatever you may hear about what has happened out here, know this: Alexei did not die gloriously in battle. I killed him—my pride killed him. And now my pride has consumed me as well. You will never see me again, Helena. Tell our children that I love them, and that their father died in defence of their future. Au revoir'
The Admiral finishes his message, short but meaningful, powerful emotion in each sentence. The Admiral places his glass of wine after sipping it to taste its content. Taste like defeat, the Admiral thought. As the message is halfway being transmitted back to Earth, he pulls his desk drawer, finding the Luger P08 9mm meant for self-defence. The Admiral did not feel threaten at this present time, but in his mind, he saw this very weapon as his only comfort.
The Admiral picks up his gun.
Angry buzzing suddenly occurred at the bridge.
Gerard load his weapon, unloads it to ensure they are actually life rounds. With a confirm nods, he slap the magazine back in.
The bridge's officer screaming aloud upon seeing what their sensors had picked up; incoming unknown bogey at the rear!
The Admiral takes several deep breathe, eyes closed. His thumb shifts the weapon safety off.
The Aleksander crew are quick to identified the unknown bogey; the Zerg!
Gerard DuGalle eyes wide open, tears begin to form, but he remain strong, allowing no tear to shred from his harden expression.
Admiral Chief Thompson rush through the Bridge, running to the Admiral office to tell him about the incoming Zerg Xenomorph
The Admiral took one last breath of air, his gun swiftly aim at the side of his head.
Admiral Chief Thompson violently open the door to Admiral Gerard DuGalle's chamber, just enough time to see the Fleet Admiral himself pull the trigger, and the gunshot echoed through the halls of Aleksander.
"ADMIRAL!" Thompson scream in horror.
(Not to far behind… Zerg POV)
Admiral Gerard DuGalle is dead. The crew within the Aleksander are quickly alerted by his passing, transmitting their lost to the other UED scattered fleet. Panic soon spread among the surviving UED Expedition Force like wildfire.
The Zerg didn't mind the lost of one man; the Zerg didn't mind the great Admiral passing at all; they mind the fleeing UED fleet, and that was as good as any other possible threats across any Terran or Protoss worlds.
"Attack my minions; destroy their vessel and their fighters! The will of the Queen will not be trifled with!" The Cerebrate Hive-mind signal its minions, giving out the impulse to seek and destroy, eradication of all life form and leave nothing in this cold void of space alive.
The Zerg flyers respond in kind.
Mutalisk, by the thousands, swarm the first Battlecruiser they lay eyes on, firing glaive wurms at their propulsion set, stern, portside and starboard. The Battlecruiser, Freesake retaliate with its own power and Wraith fighters, both faction clash together but the turning point is when the Zerg Scourge flies in among the chaos and slam head first against the fighter by the side. Because the Wraith just deployed in respond of an attack, most of Freesake's Wraith Fighters didn't have their energy reactor built up yet, and it didn't take long for the tiny Zerg creature destroyed the entire squadron of Wraith fighters before going off against the against the Battlecruiser's gunners and turrets, leaving the once mighty Battlecruiser crippled under the assault of the swarming Mutalisk. None of the UED remaining Battlecruiser or their fighter to join in the fight; Freesake is almost alone fighting the bug-like Xenomorph. As the battle continue to rage on, Battlecruiser Freesake bow cracks in two, killing 2100 or so crew, alongside with the unprepared, and grounded (in the ship) Marines.
Freesake is gone; next target.
Surviving swarm of Mutalisk move against Battlecruiser Nefertiti and a squadron of angry Valkyrie (the swarm can tell when someone in the fighter jet is angry; erratic movement, breaking formation and random acts are very noticeable action). The Mutalisk feral instinct is to move in and attack the squadron of angry female driven Norse mythology vehicle, but the Celebrate who oversee the operation forced the evolved Mantis Screamer back off the deadly anti-air Valkyrie, and instead sends in the swarm of Devourer instead; the Mutalisk can join in as soon as the squadron is affected by the Devourer's Acid Spore. The Terran Valkyrie fires their H.A.L.O Cluster Missile against the swarming Devourer, but the creature's carapace snuff the punishment and retaliates with its own. A number of Valkyrie became contact by the Devourer's Acid Spore, and the corrosive chemical agent spit out from the alien creature begins to cause severe system problem and melting the exterior away. Several splash later the swarming Mutalisk joins in, just in time for the Battlecruiser Nefertiti joins in the fight to save its fellow squadron. When Battlecruiser Nefertiti open their squadron of Wraith however, Nefertiti are quickly being infested by the Xenomorph thanks to the Zerg Overlord, which quickly dive in into the small hatch and unloads a pack of hungry Zergling and Hydralisk into the Cargo Bay, and once again the squadron of Valkyrie are back fighting helplessly without any support, not even the fleeing remains of UED fleet. Now Nefertiti is battling within itself; the massive capital ship are responsive at first with transmission of Xenomorph on-board the ship and the sound of Marines weapon open fire, but then as soon as the last Valkyrie blew up in the cold void space, Battlecruiser Nefernitti has been left adrift; its thrusters died down, the weapon system no longer target the Swarm and whatever on-board the ship now is no longer occupied by Terran resident. Nefertiti essentially became a ghost ship.
Battlecruiser Nefertiti will not be remembered, not in the Zerg Swarm history of engagement it is.
Battlecruiser Cyrus the Great is next on the Zerg hit list, but this time, Battlecruiser Cyrus is accompany by another, Battlecruiser Hystaspes, both capital ship sports massive amount of fighter squadron in sheer size in quantity, and for some reason, both Battlecruiser did not retreat like Freesake or Nefertiti; both capital ship turn their ship around and are facing the Swarm along with its fleet of fighter squadron. The rest of the UED fleet continue to flee. The Cerebrate order its remaining bulk of his forces to attack both capital ships, but stayed the Scourge flyers several delayed pulses before psionically tell these suicidal creature to fly around the cluster of units; the Cerebrate attempts to flank the two capital ship to the side.
With the tactic in hand, both Terran UED and the Zerg Swarm clashed in a fitting battle in the void of space, lasers fired, spore splashed, missiles fly and glaive bounces around, it is a chaotic battle, with each faction has the same quantity and quality. Cyrus and Hystaspes open fire from the distance, not caring if certain number of their shots is aiming at the Terran fighters themselves. Both capital ships fire at the safety from the distance, while releasing more fighters from its hull.
It wasn't long when several flyers flank to the side; Overlord and Scourge flies in from their flank, and both massive vessel turn their powerful turret against the incoming hostile forces. Both capital ships uses their frontal main guns aim at the swarm of Mutalisk and Devourer while its side turret aim at the approaching flanking Xenomorph, attack anything that is within their immediate firing range, not allowing any flying Xenomorph to get through its defences. This however, did not mean the threat are contain as another patch of Zerg Scourge flying at the upper side of the capital ship looping over it like a bomber. With both ship being flank at the side, occupying most of their attention at the target until the Zerg Scourge dive down at both Cyrus and Hystaspes, and with most of the turret and battery cannon all occupied, massive number of Zerg suicide units slam hard at the deck of the capital ship, threatening the entire crew with massive interior hull damage and malfunction systems as well as exterior hull damage. While Hystaspes manage to survive the dive bomb to a certain extent, Cyrus however is suffering immense system failure both weapon system and shielding. Battlecruiser Cyrus the Great is suffering from being total collapse, and the Hystaspes are forced to protect the crippling capital ship.
Instead of protecting Cyrus and her crew, the Hystaspes did the unthinkable; Battlecruiser Hystaspes turn its massive self to face with the Cyrus's side, charging up its Yamato Cannon and fires… at Cyrus the Great! The mighty Battlecruiser Cyrus roars in protest into a nuclear explosion globe, its particle debris slams into the exterior hull of Hystaspes, but that isn't all; the Mighty Hystaspes, instead of continue to suppress the Zerg Swarm while the fighters is dealing against a losing battle, Battlecruiser Hystaspes turns around and flee from the battle, maximum speed.
"Traitorous human vermin," the Zerg Cerebrate commented upon seeing such an act through the eyes of many Overlord it dispatched, "No matter, the human vessel and its vermin will receive the purest vengeful wraith the Queen could possibly offer; all Mutalisk, break formation and destroy the fleeing capital ship before it rejoins the rest!"
(At the same time, UED Flagship Behemoth-Class Battlecruiser Aleksander…)
"Captain Khaduera!" exclaim Admiral Chief Thompson remark, seeing the mighty Cyrus the Great explode in a nuclear explosion resulted by Hystaspes deceiving action. Despite both Alexei and DuGalle no longer captain this expedition fleet, Thompson isn't going to abandon his post. Ever since Alexei Stukov died, Thompson has been DuGalle second-in-command, and with his liege died in front of his eyes, the young Britain immediately took charge. "Patch me through Hystaspes! Get me Captain Ra-Shuna on the line!"
"No respond sir!" one of the officers working in the bridge reply, "Hystaspes will not respond to any signal!"
"Darn that turncoat! That man and him will be the death of this blimey expedition if he keep on insisting 'friendly fire' is the best course of action." Thompson growl.
Thompson gaze at the number of fleet currently available; 8 capital ships, each holds about 5000 crew, half of that number are actually the remaining ground forces that had survived thus far on the battle on Char. Even if Admiral Chief turn the entire expedition around and fight back, the insect Xenomorph will overwhelm them. If they flee any further, they'll be overrun eventually, picking up strays along the way.
The scientist back on Earth said that the insect Xenomorph are unified by a powerful psionic presents that acts like a hive mind. But the Overmind is dead, and Thompson had major disagreement that this Queen of Blades has enough psionic powers to keep the Brood in line. No matter what people said about the Terran/Zerg hybrid; she is still a human being with a mental capability no greater than their own. Something else is backing her up, something they missed. It is only logical reason when the Queen of Blades are surrounded by 3 different fleet faction on the orbital platform, surrounded and outnumbered her forces greatly, and yet she and her Swarm manage to best them with no logical reason.
No, thought Thompson, she is just as human as we are, no matter how fancy the labcoat says about her shiny skin and her dreadlock hair and her exposed scally body.
Admiral Chief Thompson is quick to notify that Hystaspes has been overrun and destroyed by a swarm of Mutalisk. He can't say that is relieve that traitor died a matching demise, but he has sympathy for the ground troops that had not step out into the battle within the halls of Hystaspes. Unlike Nefertiti crew and Marines whom are forced to fight the infestation that had breach in the halls to her last legs. Thompson quickly reviews the number of capital ships again that are battle ready, "Anchorage, Paradise Fall, Saint Paul III, Litany of Fury, Iron Patriot, Alexander Axis, Might of Husky…," Thompson pause for a while, "…Aleksander"
8 capital ships, several hundred of brave fighter squadron, against thousands if not billion more Zerg Swarm that wants the UED floating in this cold void of space. Sounds fair aren't it?
"Mr Malmsteen," Thompson said, "I want the entire expedition force turn around; we are not fleeing a fight that we cannot outrun. Get every damn ship turn around now! I want every confirmation from each ship captains!"
"Sir, relaying orders as requested!" Malmsteen are quick to reply, and as soon as the order relayed to the remaining capital ships, choir of affirm acknowledgement soon follows.
"This is Captain Weld Duccan of Anchorage, confirming the latest orders; let's kill some insects! "
"Captain Jones Eulogy from Paradise Fall, giving out green light from the proposal; the men and I are willing to fight to the last men, sir!"
"This is Father Captain Saint Aulrona from Saint Paul III, the Holy Fire is ready and prime, and our sacred warrior will die in the name of the Gods!"
"Commander Felix Parker from Litany of Fury, signalling status as a confirm green. We are peak, ready, and utmost prime for action!"
"This is Lieutenant Captain Carter Birch, Iron Patriot is never shy of battle, Aleksander. It's give them one hellish patriotic scuffle!"
"Captain Mickey Almond of the Might of Husky, hate to leave the fight, so me and my crew is an all-out green, Aleksander. It's payback time!"
"This is Comrade Vladimir Romanov in the throne bridge of Alexander Axis, your orders are heard and the heavy drum of war is once again ascend with the sound of battle!"
"This is Admiral Chief Thompson, Aleksander. Listen up fellow captain of the UED expedition forces. Admiral Gerard DuGalle has just passed, but this expedition will not follow him without a fight! I want every fighter, every ship to do their part, and I want every last bug to feel the receiving end of our plasma torpedo! Make it happen!"
(At the same time… Zerg POV)
"What's this?" the Cerebrate begin to notice the traffic of valor thoughts and patriotic nonsense within its psionic presents of the Overlord, and the remaining capital ships turns around at the direction of the approaching Zerg Swarm, "So they wish to make their last stand… very well then, vermin. I was growing bored dealing with an army of cowards"
Numerous Overlord felt the psionic link from the Cerebrate as it tense up. As the tension pass through, the Overlord respond with a roars, broadcasting the Cerebrate's latest order to the rest of the Zerg Swarm, which literally translate it as, "Eradicate all remaining UED forces."
The Swarm respond by flying frantically towards the cluster metallic titan ship, with Mutalisk, Devourer and Scourge all flew in to get the same piece of action.
The remaining UED capital ship are first to respond by firing their Yamato Cannon against the swarm, hoping to thin down the Zerg rank by a bath of nuclear fire. All 8 Yamato Cannon fired at once, vaporising massive amount of Zerg Swarm that are caught by the passing nuclear fire, but despite having casualties loses, the Zerg Swarm still outnumbered the UED forces, and continue their pursue. A full size squadron of fighters soon join in as Wraith and Valkyrie flew in firing missiles, lasers and rockets against the numerous Zerg fliers while all 8 capital ship moves in with all its gun turret fire wildly at any random hostile alien within range. Front battery cannon fired from Battlecruiser Aleksander and decimate another huge batch of these alien insect in space, and yet still the numbers of Zerg fliers continue to swarm the weaken UED forces.
The Zerg Scourge however are being ordered by the Cerebrate to break through the chaos of space battle and aim at the capital ship, making room for the Overlord to drop in the rest of the Zerg swarm into any exposed exterior hull. The blind suicide creature understood their command and ignores the bulk of Wraith and Valkyrie forces, breaking through the fine line between the Zerg swarm and the UED. Once it pass through the line, the Zerg Scourge came under attack by the relenting firepower of the Terran Battlecruisers. Massive number of Zerg Scourge are killed before getting to any one of the Battlecruiser, all except for a lucky dozen Scourge that survive the barrage of fire. Their target is the Battlecruiser Iron Patriot, which boldly flew forward ahead of Aleksander. The Zerg suicidal monstrosity dodges the incoming barrage of autocannon and battery cannon before slamming hard against the front of the ship. With the Iron Patriot frontal hull compromise, the Zerg Overlord seize the opportunity to make a move and it to flew pass the chaotic battle of fighters, and into the line of fire of the Battlecruiser's frontal battery cannon. Just like the Scourge, many of the Overlord that carry the massive number of Zerg are killed before they reach to their destination, but a few manage to survive the onslaught of fire, flew close to the expose hull of Iron Patriot and begin to extract the Zerg creature safely in. And unlike Nefertiti, this number of Zerg ground units not only has Zergling and Hydralisk, but Defiler and Drone as well.
The Zergling scuffle about before marching forward within the halls of Iron Patriot while the Hydralisk decides to guard the area. Defiler immediately dig into the metallic floor and begin to cause damage from inside the ships interior while the Drone drop down and begin to evolve into a Hatchery. The Zergling, having found human opponent numbered by a few dozen of poorly armed man were a meal to them, mostly because majority of these human crew aren't ready for a Zerg Infestation, and those that are however are quickly being consumed by the evolved Zz'gashi Dune Runner. Marine quickly arrive in the area gun blazing the numerous Zerg creature, but with each one bug died, 2 more took its place. Several Marine who took up defensive position are soon overwhelm by the sheer number of the Swarm.
Automatic turret plays its parts, assisting the Marine and the incoming Firebats. The Marines and Turret gun down the Zerg creature within range while the Firebat burn any that manage to get past the hail of bullets. All was going well when a speeding oversize spikes the size of a combat knife smash through a few Marines and a Firebat dead between the eyes. The shaken Marines immediately knows what had killed them; Hydralisk, and there is a lot of them finally lurking out of the shadows hissing and growling aloud. The Hydralisk roars aloud as it leads a sizeable pack of lesser Zerg creature into battle. The Marine decides to take a strategist retreat, firing a few rounds at the enemy while taking a few steps backwards, but the pyromaniac Firebat did not retreat; the group of mentally disturbed arsonist activate their stimpacks, getting high in the progress and wail aloud like some kind of battlecry as the man in heavy power suit charge forward; fire gauntlet spew deadly flames that burns whatever creature it cross the Firebat's path.
Unlike Nefertiti, the Iron Patriot live up with its name and defend the Zerg infestation longer than the other crippled capital ships, but even then the infestation will eventually cripple the mighty ship if the fire fight inside its hull are not quell. With the halls narrowed and small, Siege Tanks and Goliath are not an option, and the fast moving Vulture can not only kill crew mates when the fragile vehicle is destroyed due to its nuclear capacitor, its fragmentation grenades and spider mines can tear 2 or more interior hull unexpectedly, even with careful precision. Marines, Firebat and captured Dominion Ghost are their only option to repel the Xenomorph intruders to minimize interior hull exposure.
The Zerg has other ideas, however…
As a team of dozen of Marines, Firebats and a handful of Ghost enter into the infested halls to join the fight and reinforce the position, heavy stomping and thunderous roars with a mix of human shriek, scream, gunfire and bodies tossed over the horizon cause the team to freeze in their place. The lead Marine took a courage juice (stimpack) and took a peek at the very corner of the halls end.
What he sees was 4 Kaiser blade slashes his view, and the world went dark.
The body of an unfortunate headless Marine drop dead on his back, his trigger finger held at the trigger firing the weapon and killed a Ghost agent out of pure luck, but friendly-fire wasn't the one that inspire fear amongst the men. It was an Ultralisk; unleashed in this very hull leaving a massive trail of destruction in its wake. The largest Zerg organism goes on a feudal rampage, roaring and head bumping anything not nailed down, its erratic movement has open more than exposed interior breach; it also cause severe damage to air pressure and any breach interior are now a pathway for other lesser Zerg being. Its heavy stomps crushes the men in power suit and the 4 large Kaiser bone blade sweep across the capital ship's hull, killing anything that is not their own. The surviving team all open fire, their desperate battlecry scream aloud along with their weapons, nailing the giant titan of pure bloodlust but the creature roars in objection, its resilient against the puny human weapon are no match against its naturally reinforce carapace; naturally, the Ultralisk continue to slice up the men in power suit up without much effort. The lesser Zerg creature march forth to any other exposed hull and continue to spread the infestation like a plague.
(Inside the now crippling Behemoth-Class Battlecruiser Iron Patriot)
"Interior Hull exposure at 87%! All deck side and Starboard are overrun by the Xenomorph!"
"Portside is under fire! We have report of further infestation running towards the upper deck and into our engineering quarters!"
"All major energy output for our main battery cannons has drop over 70%! Most of our cannon are not responding!"
"Scanner shows large Xenomorph structure situated by the Bow! The Bio-scan has identified the object as the Zerg Hatchery, right at the deck!"
"We are getting hit by the Zerg fliers! Shield is at 2%, our exterior hull is at 55% and our energy is running at 10%!"
"We have detected an Ultralisk amongst the Xenomorph being! The creature is rampaging on Sector 12P and is crashing through Sector 16E and 25D! It is now breaching through the Portside!"
The Battlecruiser Iron Patriot is now in great danger; as more and more dire situation report in bring ill news and major hostile forces on board, Lieutenant Captain Carter Birch shows nothing but absolute frustration on his facial expression as chaos is riding in his ship like an epidemic outbreak. The Zerg infestation is trying to break him and his ship apart both the exterior hull and the interior hull as the damage on both fronts are at its peak; he had heard rumours among many UED officers that a Zerg fliers are notoriously skilled pest worse than a common house flies, it makes every known pilot on Koprulu Sector… no, on Earth look like a corn yield pilot with a poorly condition airplane ever flown! These flying Xenomorph creatures has beaten physics to a small seven letter word by flying through and flow into the cold, void space and now the very same Xenomorph creature even dared to come aboard his ship and lay down its minions in its very hull? Blasphemy!
"This is unacceptable! We are the iron steel of wit and courage within the United Earth Directorate Expedition Force!" LC Carter bellows an authority tone, "No Xenomorph can outlast the Iron Patriot and her crew! I want every Marine, Firebat, anyone who is idle on this ship to suit up and ready to fight the infestation! I want this infestation contend and pacified, and destroy the damn foul Hatchery, whatever means necessary! Redirect all Yamato Cannon main energy into our frontal main cannons; we need those cannons online and to help Aleksander and her allies to repel the Xenomorph monstrosity!"
A huge explosion suddenly occurred, rocking the entire capital ship of the Iron Patriot. The impact suggests that it was coming from the outside, "What just hit us!?" LC Carter Birch yelled over the bridge.
"Another patch of Xenomorph transport!" the flight officer report back, "They are coming from Portside!"
Another explosion rocks the ship, and the same officer desperately report back to his superior, "Another hit; now at Starboard!"
Panic and terror filled the bridge as the alien intruder is now on the Bow, Starboard and Portside, living the Stern and Bridge free from the Zerg infestation. This news however only lowers the morale of the crew of the Iron Patriot. Almost immediately various radios chatter in various secure radio frequencies all suggest the 'mission abort', 'abandon ship', among others that is screaming for help. LC Carter cannot believe it, that he and his crew are to abandon this mighty ship due to overwhelming odds. Lieutenant Captain Carter turn his attention to Aleksander and her allies; they are faring well thus far, but eventually even these mighty ship will fall. The Lieutenant considers his option, and one bought into mind.
"All crew…" he begin, "Abandon ship."
The order of 'abandoning Iron Patriot' was unreal, and yet those words manage to reach into the ears of many younger officers of the UED Expedition Force. Their attention all locked and focus onto the Lieutenant Captain disbelieving what they are hearing. The Lieutenant Captain has never abandon a fight, and usually when the situation looked grin, the Lieutenant Captain and his ship will usually make it out in one piece, along with any UED crew. Now, his ship is on the verge of alien corruption; most interior hull are not properly shut causing the vacuum of space to finish what the Zerg could not accomplish, and yet these alien insect are resilient to even the cold void of space itself. The intense chaotic battle rages on outside the vast dark space and pressure buzzer and fire alarm blazing about at the background, but the order manage to catch almost everyone's attention, even the one who is currently fighting against the Zerg. The revelation hit everyone that the sound of their surrounding area are sucked in, as if a massive vortex of vacuum just took place; has the captain of the Iron Patriot just considered the 'abandon ship' protocol?
"All non-essential crew and all ground forces, report to all functional escape pods effective immediately." Carter bellows, "Those who did not leave this ship are surely perished. Your life is not by my hands."
"Wha…what about you?"
"I'm staying," the captain of the Iron Patriot reply, "but I'm not going alone; I'm going to bring this ship right into that cluster of F-up Xeno creature and do what all proud patriotic man do when they life is hanging in the balance."
Many of the crew on the bridge knew what LC Carter is talking about; he is going to use the reserve nuclear missiles inside Iron Patriot and cause the ship to self-destruct inside the cloud of enemy fliers. While many younger officers decides to take the order willingly or due to fear of dying, the seniors and veterans officers of the UED Expedition Force who had put many years serving the captain did not move or budge; they give a sad, but equally satisfied smile, "Sorry sir," one of the senior officer spoke up, "but I'm not living my post just yet. I've a score to settle with these aliens."
"So will I."
"Aye"
"I'm not going anywhere."
"We're with you along the way sir."
Lieutenant Captain Carter Birch smiles in return, perhaps the old saying, 'if you're the captain of the ship, you'll go down with the ship' does mean something. Carter took a glare one last time at the mighty Aleksander before directing his gaze at his second-in-command, "Mr Rivet?"
"Sir?"
"Open a channel to Aleksander; tell them the Iron Patriot will make Uncle Sam proud, even at the cost of our life."
(Inside the UED Flagship Behemoth-Class Battlecruiser Aleksander)
Admiral Chief Thompson heard the announcement made by the Iron Patriot, and despite protesting the captain and threaten them with a court martial, the Iron Patriot and her crew thrust forward into the cloud of battle. Its main guns no longer firing, one of its thruster engines failed to properly fire its engine, and the Zerg infestation on the Bow, Starboard and Portside are a sign of desperate recognition to be on service with the UED. As the cripple UED capital ship flies into the clustered of Zerg/Terran space battle, multiple Dropship are ejected from its hulls, as well as multiple escape pod being activated from the Stern and the Bridge. Seeing the sight of the capital ship breaking formation and leaving behind people in pods and dropship, both captain from the Litany of Fury and Alexander Axis insisted that they are to be rescued. The Admiral Chief allows them to perform such act.
As the Iron Patriot drew closer and closer towards the chaotic space battle, Admiral Chief Thompson could not tear his gaze away from Iron Patriot as the massive capital ship dive into the fray, ordering all Wraith and Valkyrie fighters to break formation and get out from the Iron Patriot's path. In responds of the mighty yet crippling capital ship entering the densely contested space battle, several more explosion lid up on the structural damage ship before the massive vessel explode into a nuclear fireball of death. The Zerg organism that was caught by the mighty nuclear explosion is quickly perished, leaving only a handful of fliers hovering and distorted by the massive explosion. The remnant of the Zerg fliers are quickly being put down by either the Battlecruiser's own battery cannon or the swarm of surviving Wraith and Valkyrie.
Admiral Chief Thompson understand the need for losing the Iron Patriot, even the most logical tactician will not pass an opportunity to send their most dire ship into the fray to halt the alien horror if given the chance, and he believe most of the ship's captain whose ship are infested will probably did the same. He will have to send in his regards for the many crew member on board the Iron Patriot that has perished back to Earth, provided the Council of Earth are willing to accept this defeat.
As soon as the last Xenomorph fliers are killed, massive wormhole opens up in front of battered UED fleet. Admiral Chief Thompson believe it is another wave of yet another relentless Zerg monstrosity, but the sheer size of the portal is puzzling; the size of the portal is huge, it is big enough to transport through a planet, or less. As the Admiral Chief continue to ponder even more, several flocks of Zerg Fliers did came through the portal, but the number of formation the Zerg exhibit tell-tale that the creature is escorting something, since the fliers are flying at the side of the massively open portal.
Then suddenly, something huge came through, so huge in fact that Admiral Chief Thompson can actually hear the creature bellows aloud in the vacuum of space. Almost everyone hears it bellows, including those on the other capital ships. This… this creature is enormous, the biggest creature that any Earth born human being ever witness not since the UED first witness the grotesque Zerg Ultralisk. The massive creature can easily be the size of a moon, and the Zerg fliers are escorting this monstrosity means the giant creature must be some kind of flagship or something… if you can call that grotesque creature a flagship. The creature appears like an overhaul version of the Zerg Overlord, except the creature look menacingly dangerous compare to the flying floater scout. The monstrosity has four spine crawlers-like appendages on its underbelly, a pair of yellowish eyes and a mouth large enough to be able to swallow any Terran build space station platform, due to having its mouth vertically across its face. If looks and armament did not make it more dangerous, it also appears to be spawning more Zerg flying creatures from its side rear.
But what makes the creature fearsome is most probably due to its sheer size, and such a size should have been recorded by the various faction of the Koprulu Sector, yet no Terran or Protoss forces has ever, if anything, manage to record such a creature alive in their achieve of war. The Admiral even stations almost all UED Expedition Forces around Char and logs any Zerg organism in record in order to catalogue its evolutionary strains to its last possible metamorphosis. This huge creature must have not been in the Zerg usual metamorphosis DNA strain and has been hidden well enough that not even the people who overtake Char knew about it
And now, presenting itself fully at the present of the fleeing UED forces, Admiral Chief Thompson knew this creature will be the death of them all.
"Status report on all ships!" Thompson yelled, he know not what to do at this time being, and he is now desperately trying to get things organise.
"Anchorage reporting! We are at 81% full functionality! Shields at maximum capacity, Yamato Cannon at 250%!"
"Paradise Fall reporting in! Our ship sustained damage from the Zerg suicide bombing, running at 41%, shields at 50%. Our Yamato Cannon is at 105%!"
"Saint Paul III reporting to Aleksander. Our holy hulls are secured by 95% and our divine shields are at 15%, our divine Yamato Cannon is now at maximum input."
"This is Felix of the Litany of Fury! All systems at maximum efficiency! Yamato Cannon is now at 259% and climbing!"
"Vladimir of the Alexander Axis are on status check; all system at maximum output and we have equally maximum power for the Yamato Cannon!"
"Might of Husky here! All system green, weapons are all functional. Our Yamato Cannon is also at maximum output!"
"Alright," Thompson said in great pride, hiding his own voice who is exhibiting a lot of fear; probably because of that… that thing they are currently looking at right now. "I want all Battlecruiser to channel in your Yamato Cannon and fire onto that… that Leviathan in front of us!"
Wow, Leviathan. Now that has a nice ring to it.
Just as Admiral Thompson gives the order to open fire the Yamato Cannon, the giant Zerg organism, now known as the Leviathan, the Leviathan itself has prepared to attack; as soon as all seven Battlecruiser fires off the Yamato Cannon against the massive Zerg, the Leviathan took the attack head on, before it roars aloud in the vacuum of space and fires off some kind of alien bile from its mouth, aiming and damaging Anchorage. The bile which hits the front of the Battlecruiser begins to melt away at an alarming rate, thus giving the crew member of the Anchorage a clear indication that this glob of alien bile is highly acidic solution. Desperately, Thompson order all ships to move forward and attack the creature with their frontal battery cannon at maximum output, but the Zerg massive creature wasn't done with the fleet just yet, as the Leviathan continue the assault with its own, firing some kind of plasma bomb again from the mouth, but this time it targets Paradise Fall. Almost instantaneously upon contact, Paradise Fall ignites into a nuclear fireball, and the Admiral Chief has lost on words; the mighty Paradise Fall has fallen in one attack? No, perhaps Paradise Fall was too damage, and are immediately fallen with just one attack. The Leviathan, however dash Admiral Chief pondering mind and target the crippling Anchorage with the same plasma bomb, and this time, even when Anchorage did suffer moderate damage from the alien bile, a single attack from the Zerg Leviathan destroyed Anchorage right in front of Admiral Chief Thompson's eye. The man leading the fleeing UED is obviously starting to panic.
All four Battlecruiser, the Saint Paul III, Litany of Fury, Alexander Axis and Might of Husky, attempt to use their Yamato Cannon again against the Zerg Leviathan, but the massive Xenomorph flier spew out some kind of sludge onto the Saint Paul III, and upon contact, the holy Battlecruiser seemly begin floating off course; its thruster died down, the charging Yamato Cannon disperse and their frontal battery cannon did not open fire. Communication with Saint Paul III or its captain did not respond! With the holy Battlecruiser appear to have seize to function, only 3 Battlecruiser manage to fire off their Yamato Cannon, but the power of three cannon is not enough to kill the alien creature! As for the Saint Paul III, the Mutalisk escort earlier begin to swarm the floating capital ship, firing its glaive wurms again and again relentlessly. The other Terran fighters who had earlier move out of the space battle flew in to rejoin the fight against the flock of Mutalisk attacking the Saint Paul III, and the UED remaining Battlecruiser continue to fire their primary frontal battery cannon at the Leviathan. It wasn't long when their target are switch to lesser Zerg being as the suicidal Zerg Scourge flies in in an attempt to ram itself against the remaining UED fleet, lifting the pressure off the Leviathan unconditionally.
Admiral Chief Thompson however has beginning to doubt that victory will be within their grasp. Many of the Zerg suicidal fliers has begun targeting Aleksander on purpose, and even the Leviathan has ignore the other Battlecruiser in favour on the Aleksander's destruction. The UED flagship rocks and shakes violently as many successful alien bile or Zerg suicidal fliers make direct contact against it, and each successful attack onto the UED flagship opens up a chance for the Xenomorph to begin their infestation. His grip on the bridge railing tighten as well as his harden face. They have to escape, somehow without leaving to Earth, gaining strength in numbers, anything that would be away from the monstrosity he is seeing right now. So far every single planet on Koprulu Sector will not welcome the UED in open arm, and he has begun to feel hopeless about making an escape.
Wait a minute… there is this one planet just before the UED Expedition Fleet arrive on Koprulu sector… Admiral DuGalle personally had an outpost there in case something like this happen…
Admiral Chief Thompson once again gaze through the remaining Battlecruiser and start looking at his monitor screen regarding the Battlecruiser status. Three Behemoth-Class Battlecruiser, the Litany of Fury, Alexander Axis and Might of Husky are relatively still at full power, with no damage on their own capital ship. After much thought Thompson knew he had to send them off, away from this battle, allowing them to regain lost strength and had the UED influence in this sector to remain strong so long as they live. Admiral DuGalle would approve… even if the cost is high for Aleksander and her crew.
"This is Admiral Chief Thompson to all functional Battlecruiser; I am commencing an emergency protocol Welritter-Foxknot-Pacer, Delta-Charlie-Omega, Zulu-Niner-Niner."
"On whose authority?" the captain of Litany of Fury, Felix Parker questioned Thompson.
"By the late Admiral DuGalle!" Thompson reply with a fitting fit, "It is the only way to ensure the UED forces survival on Koprulu sector! Or have you forgotten the oath for the Admiral who speak highly for all who serve the United Earth Directorate?!"
There was no reply for several minutes, safe for the raging battle.
"Order… receive…" Felix Parker of the Litany of Fury reply.
"Commencing order," Vladimir Romanov of the Alexander Axis reply
"…The Might of Husky…" Captain Mickey Almond pause for a second, "…will not comply."
As soon as Captain Mickey Almond makes that statement, the Behemoth-Class Battlecruiser had its thruster engine fired off at maximum speed towards the giant Leviathan. Radio traffic between Felix, Vladimir and Mickey all arguing regarding insubordination towards their higher ranking officer, and Captain Mickey is one who does not take defeat lightly. This leave only 2 Behemoth-Class Battlecruiser to turn around their capital ship, disengaging the battle and withdraw their fighters before follows their mission instruction to the letter. The Aleksander and Might of Husky unfortunately have to act as bait. As the two UED Battlecruiser flies around the Zerg Leviathan, their sensor pinged up indicating that Saint Paul III has been destroyed by enemy Xenomorph. Unfazed, the two Battlecruiser continue to go around the gigantic beast while firing their main battery cannons against it. The Zerg Leviathan took this act seriously, turning around its massive self, spewing more acid bile against the two UED Battlecruiser. The fact that the Leviathan is targeting the flagship of the UED means that the other two Battlecruiser is now clear to escape the hopeless space battle, and as soon as the Leviathan is facing towards both Aleksander and Might of Husky face to face, Litany of Fury and Alexander Axis opens the wormhole and jumps in, never to look back.
The crew, both Aleksander and Might of Husky are now unsettling, but they know that this is one turning point they cannot redirect. Even before their darkest hour, Admiral Chief Thompson manage to bring in a speech, "Fellow UED pioneers, conscripts, friends, soldiers, psychopath and allies; it is my greatest honour that we all face against a common enemy, an enemy of this sector who are ruthless, untamed, wild and violent. The Admiral will be proud for what we stand up for. We are not here to brand the traitorous Dominion forces for not supporting the Earth's Government, and while the honourable Khala Warrior are still alien, they are hostile, because we are hostile towards them. The insect like creature before us are untamed, wild and violent, but like all creatures on Earth, we invade its own homeworld, and thus come to an erupted conclusion."
"We do not fight for the sake of power, money, or women," Captain Mickey Almond of the Might of Husky join in, "We fight for our love ones, our family, our people, our liberty, our freedom! So long as we still have air in our lungs, we will stand triumph against any and all enemies of men! We fight now against this Leviathan, not for the glory, but for our survival! The UED will remain strong for all time, and for eternity!"
Both UED Battlecruisers once again open fire their primary weapon system as well as their Yamato Cannon against the Leviathan without any sense of self-preservation, and the Zerg Leviathan in respond return fire with its own acid bile and plasma bombs, spawning more Xenomorph fliers against the two Battlecruiser at the same time as Mutalisk Swarm and Suicidal Scourge fliers target both capital ship. Aleksander and Might of Husky continue to take damage from virtually everything the Zerg could throw at, and this time, the Earth born soldiers are not backing down until they kill as many damn alien as they possibly can before expiring.
Far from the space battle, a single Protoss Observer, which is tailing behind the UED forces since their defeat on Char from the start are being psionically ordered to return back to Shakuras by Praetor Artanis; the Protoss drone comply the order as soon as the two courageous United Earth Directorate Expedition Force are wiped out by the monstrous Leviathan. While the UED forces or the Dominion Forces may have miss out the existing creature as great as the Leviathan, the Protoss has witness such a creature through the lenses of the Observer, and are quick to note the existing of this creature in the conflict to come. The Protoss will be ready against such a creature, and Praetor Artanis will be sure to share this information to his Terran allies, as soon as possible.
(3 years after the destruction of the UED fleet... unknown planet, outside of Koprulu Sector)
"Audio Log no.9, Terra time, October 23.
3 years... It has been three years since our forces are decimated by the Queen of Blades, a creature of horrid psionic power and unlimited mindless spawning brood at her command, along with two other fleet from opposing faction, the Dominion forces and this Khala Xenomorph. We, despite overwhelming her forces 3:1, are beaten, all three major fleet, failed to slay the abomination.
We escape from her wrath in the extent of our own battle brothers, who had risk themselves to serve as bait against overwhelming brood monstrosity. We return here on this dead, lifeless planet, gathering strength off those who live under the Dominion rule. Few dare join, others, feared rule in their heart.
The man asked if we will ever return to our ancestral homes, but I gave no word of comfort or word of discouragement. What I did, and what the captain of the Alexander Axis did, is provide them missions to occupy their pondering mind. Mercenary work, to say the least did silent their request. We work in complete secret, few who we work for are an opposing faction against the Dominion, the Kel-Morian Combine and the Umajon Protectorate. It was hard, but we've manage so far.
The shattered UED will rise again from the ashes, and we will bring peace, prosperity and protection against the Dominion, the Xeno's, and the Khala warrior.
I am Admiral Chief Felix Parker, captain of the Litany of Fury. End of log."
"Another log captain?" a voice call out, female.
"Another log, EVA." Parker reply in a tired tone.
Parker had just finish performing an audio log in his chamber when he turn his attention to the ship holographic computer, the Electronic Video Assistance, or EVA as many would refer to. "I'm curious my liege, you make such a fuss over a simple audio log for no one to hear." the artificial intelligence, whom is taking a form of a military woman, asked, "mind me asking what is the true reason for this action?"
"Not your darn business EVA"
"Oh, such defiance!" EVA quickly shoots back, "such action shall and will be addressed to the higher command once we get back to Earth!"
"...and I'll be looking forward on resetting you before then."
"T-that's blackmail!"
"Stove it."
EVA has been with Felix Parker for as long as the good lieutenant captain has been in command of the Litany of Fury, so much so that Felix Parker has jump rank to Admiral Chief though he still thinks it is inappropriate. The importance of having an AI companion during wartime is standardised among all UED forces, and the sophisticated AI has been around even before the Great Exile. One major advantage of having sophisticated AI is to minimize the human error in a considerable margin, and the AI also has its own task such as messages, priorities and logistic authorizes orders.
While the Dominion uses the robotic Adjutant as their military intelligence, the AI holographic computer is far superior to the doll-like robot. One of the unique figures of these AI is their capability of learning and understanding human reaction and body language, and each movement are noted specifically by the AI. The AI is much more merciful, even playful if these computer generated being catches the human behaviour of betray, telling their human officers threats and blackmailing though otherwise harmless comment. This allows any officer under the UED to have a loose restraint and still remain loyal as to oppose to having a Ghost Agent looking at your back, catching any thoughts of betrayal and ended up having a canister bullet between the eye.
The EVA AI unit are also authorized to command an army if the officers in charge are not present, or are given authority from the officer themself. Unlike the Dominion Adjutant, EVA does not have a physical body to speak of; the computer AI exists via massive amount of data that usually comprises by several terabytes of clustered computer figures and numbers. To replace such formless self, each known EVA unit would generate a random avatar of themselves, a few number of EVA units seemed to settle down with a cube-like appearance, though later version usually taking an appearance of a woman, complete with military uniform in an astral projection on any computer monitor. However, it is known that an EVA unit has a lifespan of 15 years since their artificial intelligence will start to deteriorate. So it is no surprise that before one would go rogue, most UED officers will constantly being reminded to reset their EVA unit before that time has come.
Parker's EVA is now on service for over 20 years, and due to not having the AI system reset, the AI has a bad habit to begin question everything around them.
"LC Parker, why are you keeping a log when you know no one is going to read it?" EVA asked again, her electronic body begin to flicker a bit before a solid form of a woman shape in front of the man in charge of the Litany of Fury, standing firmly on his table while both the AI arm are place on her hips. She still calls the Admiral Chief by his previous ranking position.
"Every superior on their ship will always perform a monthly logs whatever they like it or not. It's our duty."
EVA makes a little twirl, "hmm... sounds boring, but a log is a log. Keep it under the usual folder?"
"Yes."
The order is confirm, and the electronically artificial intelligence vanished from sight.
Felix Parker sighs deeply, his mind wonders off to those glory days back on Earth. It wasn't much nowadays but back then, Earth was overpopulated and riot across the world means fighting, and Parker prefer to end his argument with a good black and blue on the opponent than to engage in a slobbering chatter. He's not like his brother who is good at politics, but at least much of his military courier turns out well. Last time he heard from him he was busy reactivating a military hardware used back when the Earth is still green. It is unknown what 3 years would do to a man like his brother, since Felix's older brother is known to operate outside of military and government law.
Shaking such a ludicrous thought about his brother, Felix Parker exits his chamber and head to the bridge, all business like. Many of the crew who walk passes him all greet him with a sharp salute or a nodded head announcing his rank. A number of them appear freshly recruited men and woman from the Koprulu Sector, in the fringe world no less. These freshmen only know him because he is the highest ranking officer on the Litany of Fury, but for anyone who knew Parker through the battlefield, they are a sign of respect. Once in the bridge, Parker sat down on his overall post and begins asking for any abnormally reports.
"Anything to report Captain Rilves?" Lieutenant Captain Parker asked his second-in-command who is sitting just below his post.
"Nothing to report sir; it's as quiet as space itself." Captain Rilves reply.
"Nothing?" the battle hardens ranking officer reply, "no meteor shower, no flying debris, no gravity abnormally, nothing?"
"That's a solid copy, sir"
"First time in 3 bloody years." Felix remark.
Captain Rilves chuckle, "Well, the Mobius team did ring a bell, but I believed it wasn't my call to take it."
The Mobius Research Team, a team of scientist and researches, is actually a team who 'hitch a ride' under the UED influence, and these brave men and woman are credit for a lot of things during the Brood War event; the Mobius team help create a fully functional medical assistant Field Medic and even the fame anti-air Valkyrie that had help the UED destroy all those cluster of Wraith, Scout and Mutalisk. The drug, which also develop by the Mobius team to enslave the Overmind are credited by the Admiral himself. However, when the UED start taking heat from all sides, the Mobius team begin to scrambled into safety, though not all of them retreat. In one disastrous instances tell-tale when the Queen of Blades launch an unrelenting assault against the UED research camp that is busy studying the Xenomorph's biological life form, learning its previous evolution traits and its core value in an attempt to control the creature. An entire patch of researchers and scientists are slaughtered on the spot, along with a handful of 'modified' Zerg creature.
When the Mobius team escape alongside the defeated UED forces via dropship from the Iron Patriot, a small number of them did not survive from the Mutalisk Spitfire or the kamikaze Scrounge ramming into the dropship. Majority of them are perished, but a handful of them survive thanks to the Litany of Fury and the Alexander Axis brave valiant action. Initially, the Mobius Research Team is no more than 5 dozen researchers and scientist, and Dr Alise Carmen is the head researcher of the bunch. Thanks to the recruitment insurgent from the fringe world of that tyrant Emperor Mengsk of the Dominion Empire for the past 3 years, the number of light minded scientist, doctors and researches has accepted the UED kind offer and the Mobius team now has their numbers increase tenfold.
Knowing that Dr Carmen has another request, as per usual, Felix nodded slightly, "what's Dr Carmen wants now?"
"Same thing as before; expend their view on that planet."
Felix Parker gaze his view at the windowpane, gazing at a planet filled with grey's and silver, complete with 3 moons orbiting the unknown planet. No one has named this godforsaken planet yet, and since the planet is way out of range from Koprulu Sector, there is a reason why. When the UED first arrived here, the dead planet was the first planet they sat foot on, and have the terraforming team to quickly erect an outpost in case of an emergency. This planet has been the UED saviour ever since the Queen Bitch of the Universe killed off the remaining UED forces, and for the last 3 years' time period, Felix Parker knows the planet like the back of his hand.
For one, the planet, unlike most others on Koprulu Sector has no sun of its own, and yet the moon that orbit around the planet provide artificial light towards the planet, though it can be very confusing due to its night and day cycle; the daylight cycle has about 25 hours while the night cycle goes to 32 hours, sometimes even in reverse. The planet itself has a unique psionic property from the dirt, the rock; even the ruin structure carries small traces of psionic energy. This tiny cluster of psionic energy reading isn't a life threatening conclusion, but the weather generated by the same psionic energy however does; every now and then massive lightning storm would occurred and strike against the ruin planet without mercy for 12 hours. Worse still is how powerful the magnetism is around the air when the storm occurred. The Mobius team gave a name for this phenomenon as the Ion Storm; a storm that not only carry massive amount of psionic disturbance and filled the ground burning with lightning strikes, but also generate an unbelievable powerful atmospheric EMP that would shut down any electronical devices in an instant. When Parker heard the conclusion of the Mobius team diagnosis research, the young lieutenant captain would not allow anyone in or off the planet until the Mobius team found a work around to absorb the Ion Storm magnetism to most of the forces advantage. This leads to the new upgrade function for all known units to absorb this magnetic pulse to a certain margin, however, that does not mean small fighters like Wraith and Valkyrie to Behemoth-Class Battlecruiser can go in and out of the area as they please as the powerful magnetism on the upper atmosphere is too much for any human-made devices to counter; Felix Parker still remember a daring Wraith fighter flew around the Ion Storm and into the upper atmosphere, thinking that the upgrade will not jeopardize his thrill ride. Take a wild guess what happen next?
Thankfully, EVA has been monitoring the planet weather for three years and had already figure out it's pattern. The AI now has a secondary job as a weather woman with strict rule; under the authority by both commanding officer, should the Ion Storm occurred, seek protection from the ruin structures until the storm disperse.
Secondly, the gravity on that planet is phenomenon; the planet, despite having slightly bigger mass than Earth, it has massive gravitational pull that could pull down even an athletic soldier; even an object as small as a paperweight would weight in as heavy as an empty heavy duty toolbox. The Marine power suit mostly takes the burden for the man, but even the suits power are marginally drain faster than most people would come to realize. Nuclear fuse are later introduce to increase the Marine's armour longevity in the field while the Mobius team are credit for adjusting the gravity field around the outpost on the dead planet.
Lastly are the ruins across the planet, the Mobius Team concludes that the ruins are extraordinarily dense, capable of withstanding a Siege Tank Siege Cannon wrath. The ruins can be as small as a house, to the size that rival even their own tallest or biggest building back on Earth, some of these alien ruin can reach to the stratosphere, which is an astonishing sight to behold. The ruin, according to the Mobius Team, could go back for several millenniums, even more; the science team had not being able to pinpoint the exact age due to insufficient equipment. They did conclude that whatever alien civilization that lived here may have died off due to the warp energy residue across the planet, concluding some kind of cosmic disaster could have hammered the planet and the alien that lived here to extinction.
Strangely enough, despite having or seeing no visible trees, the planet atmosphere can actually support carbon based life form; the planet's atmosphere is equivalent to Earth's own atmosphere. Once more, the Mobius team wants to investigate how such occurrence is possible.
Felix Parker sigh, "tell her that her team can do whatever they want, but this time I insist of having a patch of Marine with them. Despite that they have the greatest mind in lab coats, they have the common sense of a Dodo birds for all I know."
His captain snickers, "I'll give them the call of approval."
"Tell the Marine's to give us a ten minute update as well. I am not going to go blind while Dr Carmen and her team open some kind of intergalactic Pandora box under my watchful eye."
"As you command sir, I will send in your request in-"
"Incoming transmission from Alexander Axis; Vladimir Romanov of the Alexander Axis is on air on secure channel." the electronic voice of EVA interrupt the good captain's line.
"Patch him through the main screen" Parker reply.
As command, the screen that shows the display of Earth sizzle away in static before clearing an image of a man who is heavily beard, thick moustache, his right eye is replaced by mechanical retinal, wrinkle all over his face with a ferocious looking facial appearance and appeared to be smoking an old fashion pipe. The man in question is the captain of the Alexander Axis, a Russian patriot who loves nothing more than volka, women and money.
"Greetings comrade Parker, I trust my fellow comrade in arms are well rested after all the paperwork?" the Russian Commander Vladimir Romanov said heartily.
"Not even a wink of shut eye, my Russian friend, I have dire business to perform and mission to be review; I could use a mock battle sometime soon." Felix reply.
"Ah, I knew as much." the heavily beard man reply, rubbing his finger on his chin, "I suppose I should partake this review as well; I have my own mission I wish to contribute with."
"Agreed, shall we review it in my place or yours?"
"I feel much better if we review it on the ground; less ears and mouth to peep over, comrade."
Felix gives a nod, "very well, I'll see you on planet side in just a few. EVA, you'll be in charge until I get back, and no funny business."
"I'll try and hold my party mode so long as I can Commander." EVA reply almost humorly. "No promises though," she added.
The UED commander narrows his eyes at the AI avatar in a state of uncertainty, "Captain Rilves, consider my last order to Dr Carmen devoid; I'll be overseeing the good doctor's wishes myself. Assign me a few Marines with me. Keep me posted."
"Affirmative."
(Stratosphere, approaching toward the unknown alien planet)
Two dropship, one from Litany of Fury (in black and red colour scheme) and another from Alexander Axis (in blood red and strips of yellow) flew down as it battles the turbulent that had suddenly unfolded as soon as the ships breakthrough the planet's atmosphere. The two pilots piloting the Dropship had experienced far worse turbulence on the planet of Char, and this minor incident pose no threat at the hand of skilled pilot. To them, breaking down the atmosphere and are suddenly showered by powerful blowing wind is nothing compare to diving down and having a nest of Spore Crawler shooting craps load of anti-air matter at the pilot.
Of course, the passengers inside the Dropship are quick to sound very loudly as if the ship is under attack. One of the Marine from the Litany of Fury begins praying for god in silent.
The UED Dropship slow their descent and notice a very high concentrated fog blocking their view. "This is Alpha Niner to Delta Six, do you have visual down here?"
"Negative Alpha Niner, the fog is as thick as pea soup, deactivating thermal sensors and engaging sonar radar."
"Roger that Delta Six"
As soon as Dropship Alpha Niner activates its sonar radar, he came into view a large hanging structure in front of him... on a collision course!
"Shit!"
Dropship Alpha Niner quickly swirl to the side as quick as he can steer, and miss the entire thing altogether. The pilot let out a whistle of relief. "Damn, that was a close one." the pilot pause before switching the intercom, "sorry about that chief, Lady Liberty was waving at me and almost hit her."
Felix frown, "You do know that what was left of Lady Liberty on Earth is her head, correct?"
"Well, I guess I managed to found her a sweet naked body sir, want me to haul it back?"
The Marines gives a noticeable chuckle, Felix smirk, "Just fly this flying bucket, or I'll demote you to Janitor."
A short yelp and a loud burst of laughter soon followed.
After a few minutes of soaring later, while avoiding more ruin structures along the way, both Dropships finally got the familiar UED base frequency.
"This is Dropship Alpha Niner to Bravo Outpost, request for immediate landing"
"Copy that Alpha Niner, you and Delta Six are clear to land on the landing bay, transmitting coordinates to you now. Watch yourself though; them ruins are as tall as trees down here."
"Roger that."
The clearances are given and the two Dropships proceed towards the landing pad without any incident. All the pilot has to do is to ensure their craft do not collide against the ruins and with the help of their sonar radar, the task for landing Bravo Outpost is as stress-free as any pilot would to park a car. Bravo Outpost is one of few recent UED installations on this alien planet, sporting a functional research lab, a Barrack, and a Starport, in an addition of four supply depots. It is just a few short kilometre from their makeshift stronghold due south, and is separated by a huge collection of ruin.
As the Dropship unloads the passenger, several Marines that walk out of the black and red Dropship in the same colour scheme are accompany with another Marine, but unlike the standard power suit that is standardize to all ground forces, this power suit appears thinner, almost like a downsize version of Marine which is also outfitted with jetpack built into the suit and a rather intimidating helmet that shuts all but the visor. This 'Marine' also happens to carry a weird looking weapon that is not standardized to most Marine on the field.
This particular member is an UED Elite Commando, armed with the experimental rapid-fire railgun, and this particular unit is also the true identity of Felix Parker; he, among few UED field commanders, is a Commando, hard-as-nail soldier that could go toe-to-toe with the Dominion Ghost.
"Man, this planet is freaking hot for a cold dead planet." Parker remark under his helmet.
"Haha, says a man who never stood on the surface of an alien planet," a reply coming from the second group of men in bloody red and yellow strips, and among the crowded members of the Alexander Axis crew, one member sticks out just as Felix Parker would with his own armour code. Felix knew it was from Vladimir.
Vladimir power suit of choice is astonishingly eye popping for those who are not familiar the Russian commander taste; Vladimir Romanov sports himself a Firebat power suit, but he had the suit painted black and heavily modified the suit to appeal his military doctrine. His suit that no longer fires a jet of flame from both his gauntlet, instead his left hand is equip with rocket launcher attachment and his right hand sports a minigun. With the gas tank remove from the back of his suit, Vladimir have the engineer to build a mortar gun that can be seen popping out from the back of his suit. Power module and generator are also added in his request, creating a rather superficial heavy siege infantry.
Felix feels pity to those who would dare fight Romanov on a one-on-one battle; most of Romanov's victims are too unrecognizable to be ID by the end of the battle. For Vladimir, it was Tuesday.
As both party crew walks out of the Dropship, a single line of Marine march towards them and welcome them with a salute, "Commander, sir! I'm Captain Darius Rico, welcome to Bravo Outpost."
"Admiral Chief Felix Parker of the Litany of Fury, I thank you for the welcoming mat, but both Vladimir and I desire to reach the stronghold immediately."
"The good doctor is no doubt waiting for you," Captain Darius reply, pointing towards the large looking ruin at the horizon, "We ourselves have begun to back up the research team to Fort Transylvania. She also informs us that I should relay a message regarding her earlier request, and has taken things in her own hands."
"How considerable of her," Felix reply, rolling his eyes "how far is her dispatch research team from here?"
"By air it should take you within an hour," the captain reply, "you can't transcend the path on foot; a huge chasm separates the team and the base from here."
Felix nod accordingly, the man turn around and point the two men in front of him. "Corporal Dennis, Corporal Isaac, you two are on a little babysitter duty; I want a ten minute report every now and then until your tour is complete. Are you understood?"
"Affirmative." the two Marine reply dryly, marching back to the Dropship.
Vladimir, who stood nearby also did as his comrade did, he spoke to them in deep Russian accent which both Marine reply positively. The Russian commander turn and saw a glance from Felix; Vladimir smirk under his helmet, "Can't have your men had all the fun, so I did just as you did."
"Can't say if I should feel thankful or annoyed though," Felix replies silently under his own helmet."
"What was that comrade?"
"I said I should feel thankful for your support."
"The transport is ready, Lieutenant Captain, we are to begin to depart at your command."
(Fort Transylvania... Minutes later...)
Fort Transylvania. The headquarters of the surviving United Earth Directorate Expedition Force, originally built as an outpost, the small compact cluster building begin to house more and more important facilities such as food production, multiple barracks, living quarters, a sizeable mess hall, a huge research station and a Command Center. Due to the base is built clustering so closely with the ruin of an alien civilization, it forms a nature wall of defence leaving room for production structures to form. The inner base has no ground defences structure safe for four bunkers at the entrance of the base and 2 Siege Tank on Siege mode. However, the base did have a multitude of anti-air turret setup almost every inch of the base, since the wall can only halt ground hostile forces, and a possible air raid is always present. At the center of this massive base, is the largest lightning rod existed, standing just as tall as any alien ruins surround the base. This rod is the only defence against the violent lightning storm that is known to ravage the planet.
In Felix's memory, Fort Transylvania wasn't a fort at all; it was originally an outpost for a much earlier expedition force when the UED enter to this sector. The planet was lifeless and the Admiral wanted a small base on the first planet he set his eyes on. The outpost and a number of crew that had send here was left to die, not because of the Admiral DuGallade's action, but because of the planet instability to actually be liveable. The original UED outpost is the Command Center that is still functional till today. Since their retreat, the UED forces have returned here and decided to use the deserted outpost and expend it into what it is today.
As the ground transport which is carrying the two important high ranking officer arrived, Vladimir gives a comment as soon as he step out of the transport, breathing the alien atmosphere heavily without worry of any deadly alien fumes or tiny spore particles, "beautiful, isn't she? The splendour, the angle, it took a military genius to arrange each area to maximum efficiency."
Feeling that Vladimir is bragging about his superior base management again, Felix partially agree, "yeah, it does look like a military base which could house an army to take on a nation, I just feel rather curious how a single Starport not exist in Fort Transylvania at all."
The man chuckle secretly at Felix's logic; Vladimir said nothing, grumbles to himself, "hahaha, very funny comrade Felix... Perhaps you should manage the construction than to handle such an important tasked to an AI."
"Shut up" Felix could only counter Vladimir weakly
The transport door closes as soon as the last personal step off from the armoured APC. The driver and the captain from the Bravo Outpost give a salute to both men in custom armour before departing back to the outpost.
As soon as Felix and Vladimir march onward towards the large research center, Dr Alise Carmen in a Field Medic power suit waits the two men, impatiently tapping her foot. She is accompanying by her security drone, human height robot with prehistoric weapon system. These drone are new to Felix, probably because it was not a standard UED equipment. Either the research team found an ancient alien tech that Dr Carmen did not reported back to him, or she has fed up with her constant request for more protection message being ignored so she and her team build one. The Lieutenant Captain believes it was the latter reason.
"Doctor Carmen, so nice to see you!" Vladimir greet openly. The doctor merely nodded.
She turns her gaze to Felix, who is also attempts to greet her politely, "Alise"
The doctor uses her Field Medic power suit and delivers a punch to the gut. The escorted Marine was about to respond violently but the Admiral Chief signal his hands to back off. The female doctor with her sinister tone voice spoke up, "you have some nerve to come down here, Parker."
"There is a reason why I had to stay afloat, Alise." The Admiral Chief reply after aiding his gut, "Just because I forgot your anniversary doesn't mean I have done no shit to you and your team."
"Oh, so now it's my fault that I'm the one who keep pestering you on those messages, huh?" Dr Alise Carmen reply in anger, "Do you have any idea what it was like to live here for three straight years on this miserable rock? You, of all people know how lonely it is down in this rock when there is nothing but ancient tomb and ruins to excavate?"
"Hey, at least I did my part on protecting Fort Transylvania from outside element and send in new recruit for your little digging project."
"Yes! Thank you oh so much with some blasted recruit who talk nothing but Zerg theorise and Protoss language! Thank you oh so much for some theorise who keep on pestering me about Chaos theory! And thank you oh so much for a group of religious bullshit scientist who worship the end of the universe if we did not research some ancient bullshit that not even the Protoss could translate!" Dr Alise practically yell at that last one, "You and your missionary boys has been collecting the 'greatest mind' on Koprulu Sector alright; the 'greatest pan-minded' Terran no less!"
Felix Parker rub his face, "Look, we have been recruiting people from the fringe colony, not major colony; I've wrote that on our last year's message. Most of the other greatest mind is locked up on this prison planet that not even the Spartan Company is willing to break in just to free some theorise who can make photonic isometric weaponry that dances around the enemy before self-combust or a nuclear power plant the size of an AA battery!"
Both Felix and Alise constant argument has begun to creep among the Marines as they get some idea on those two. For Vladimir, the Russian commander merely walks up on those two and places his giant hand between them, signalling both soldier and scientist to stop arguing, "Look Comrades," Vladimir begins, "I know you both miss so much together and forgot your anniversary and blah, blah, blah, but we need to discuss this inside, where walls, floor and beautiful ladies make better companion!"
Dr Alise Carmen is rather dumbfounded by Vladimir comment, especially walls and floor, but Felix Parker knows what his Russian commander is stating, "He is right; we should not be arguing so open in this place. Let us be inside and let off some load off these armour of ours."
(Inside the Research Facility…)
The United Earth Directorate Research Facility house many collected important alien artifacts and object that peek an interest among the scientist, from a strange looking rock tablet to an object that looks like an ancient weapon, these alien pieces are collected in drove, mostly to catalogue each object and study purposes. Despite what Dr Alise Carmen earlier comment about the liability of the research team gathered throughout the fringe world of Koprulu Sector, decent ones are hard to find and are placed among the top ranking scientist and researchers next to Carmen herself. Lesser scientist and theorise found themselves excavating outside of the Research Facility along with senior Mobius Research Team on the field; Alise Carmen calls it 'field training on extra-terrestrial homeworld', but most Mobius team calls it 'teaching newbie what it's like to dig dirt with your bare hands.'
Inside the secure room deep inside the facility, Felix Parker, Vladimir Romanov and Alise Carmen discuss matters that had happen for the past 3 years, with several Marines station inside the room as added protection. And since Alise Carmen has been on this nameless rock for over 3 years, she has little to no idea what is going on outside the planet system. This is where Felix Parker and Vladimir Romanov fills in; both surviving UED officers has been tremendously busy assigning mission after mission to their men, and when recruitment comes by, the remnant of the UED jump in to gain more people into their rank, mostly on the fringe world where the Dominion Emperor care less about their lesser, 'not-so-important' loyal subjects.
This operation has been divided into 3 separate team, each with a different mission to approach; as the newly elected Admiral Chief, Felix Parker oversees both primary mission on sabotaging the Dominion front and assigning his UED forces, dub Mercenaries (but the Dominion refer them as pirates) on those who are against the Dominion. Vladimir Romanov also jump rank, from Captain of the Alexander Axis to Fleet Master Admiral of the Alexander Axis, and he perform the most humblest act on recruitment, and according to Vladimir himself, manage to bring in many successful recruitment for the past three years due to his 'mafia ancestral lines' as well as giving promise of power and money. In the fringe world, Vladimir's recruitment paper sells like hot cakes compare to the Dominion recruitment.
Felix Parker is actually proud of the Spartan Company, so much so that he allows their highest ranking officer, Major Captain Browder 'Dustin' Elsewood to settle a major encampment base on Abaddon, a volcanic world much like Char itself. On Abaddon, the good major captain did his best to train any soldier enlisted into the Spartan Company to be able not only able to fight in a harsh environment in the Marine power suit, but also teaches them the use of the aging Goliath combat unit. For the past three years the Spartan Company has been under a great deal of mercenary work from the Umajon Protectorate to the Kel-Morian Combine, both Terran faction who are against the Dominion rule and are as equally armed as the Dominion themselves. The problem however is that both anti faction are not well equipped for war; Umajon Protectorate has been a good resource for intelligence work, and for every intelligence gathered regarding about the Dominion, the Spartan Company gets a fair share with it as well, provided their interest is as equally as their pay check. The Umajon intelligent gathering is top notch, but they are fragile outside of gathering information, and the Spartan Company acts as their muscle. The Kel-Morian Combine themselves are actually armed for war, but what they have more in their enlistment are miners, not soldiers. Kel-Morian primary interest is money, and money translate to weaponry and armoury, which themselves translate to enlisted soldiers, which of course translate to mercenary work. Cut any one of those lines and the Kel-Morian are done for. So far, the Spartan Company has been making names for themselves, and their name alone is enough to knock the Emperors interest; the Emperor has declare war against them a year ago.
Everyone who knows Vladimir Romanov, knows how he love to talk, and when he talk, everyone should damn well listen, as his words carries wisdom. Boring stuff, but wisdom nonetheless. The early year during the employment on the fringe world, people are afraid, and that alone has a reason; Vladimir himself oversee this operation, and bringing the Alexander Axis around the Koprulu Sector is like painting a bull's eye marked between the eyes and at the center of your heart. So after a little raiding (or in Vladimir Romanov's case, blowing shit up) on Dominion Starport station, Vladimir manage to get his hands on several Dominion's own Minotaur-Class Battlecruiser; The Ivory Tower, Burning Scourge and Prometheus, Vladimir Romanov manage to fool people, both the Dominion and the people of Koprulu Sector that the ship they are riding really are the Dominion's own Battlecruiser. Calling itself the Turncoat Company, it manages to get past all Dominion security network, one of which are into Korhal itself which is heavily defended and required many encrypted codes to get past. The Turncoat Company manage to get in and out of Korhal undetected. However, in order to allow this captured ship to remain loyal to the Dominion while still operating as a secured UED Battlecruiser, all three ships have been given the 'yellow stripe' by the Emperor's will. Marked as cowards, all three once fearsome Dominion capital ship now flies around showing their cowardice act across the sector. To the Dominion people, having the title as cowardice is a shameful position. In Vladimir point of view, the Emperor just gave them a 'free ticket' into any major and fringe world unopposed. It's actually something that the Emperor had not notice for some time, and even after three long years, all three ships still bear the yellow stripe on their massive hull, allowing the UED recruitment paper to carry on unrestricted. And since the Dominion didn't really care what might happen to fringe colony is just an added bonus. In one case however, a lone rogue reporter named Michael Liberty actually took notice of these three 'cowardice' and had earlier branded them in many names, one of which is 'heroic'. After many months of research of his own, Vladimir is nonetheless delighted to share his finding of another anti-dominion group known as the Knights of Freedom, and their strength come not from guns, tanks or starship, but through media.
Another team, known as the Foxtrot Team is in charge of sabotaging the Dominion's war effort. From blowing up a remote base filled with War Factory to blowing up a government building at the heart of the core worlds, Foxtrot team is like a sister faction to the Spartan Company, except they are skilled demolitions (and probably the most unstable bombers out there) though their numbers are not as numerous as the Spartan themselves. Despite having no fix base encampment like the Spartan Company, they operate willingly alongside with the Umajon Protectorate; if the client has a something to destroy, the Foxtrot team are there to sabotage it. Despite many sabotaging attempts has been made, the Foxtrot team remain blind by the Dominion forces. Not because they were elusive demolition or that no one has caught them planting explosive (several occasion where a team of Dominion Marine hunted down Foxtrot team deep in the core world), it is mainly because the Emperor of the Dominion Empire accused this 'renegade explosive maniac' to be align with Raynor's Raiders and his coop. Felix Parker has been wondering if the blame on this Raynor guy would mean serious business, but he took no serious action nonetheless; if the Dominion accuse this Raynor character over the UED, that's fine by him. However…
"…we lost contact on Foxtrot Team about a month over," Felix Parker ended his missionary review, finishing his glass of purified water.
Vladimir blink at that last comment, "Whatever do you mean comrade Parker?"
Felix sigh, "Foxtrot team was intercepting some kind of transmission on this planet called Bhekor Ro. Supposing there is some kind of warring faction over a single alien structure, the Xenomorph, the Dominion and the Khala warrior all gone down to that planet and rage war to claim it. The Dominion Empire had succeed in controlling it, and the Foxtrot team moves in to remove whatever alien artifact the Dominion had manage to secured. That is when things gone sour…"
There was a moment of silent, and Dr Alise wanted to know more, "So… what happen then?"
"…The Foxtrot team encounter… what appears to be a newly formed Terran faction, armed with weapons unseen before," Felix again sign heavily, taking another gulp of water into his dried throat, "The team of saboteur encounter enemy Marines… that doesn't look like Marines, and Firebat units that carries a flamethrower on his back. The last report sends in was very cryptic as well."
Admiral Chief Felix pulls out a holodisk and placed it on the table, pressing several key before the device itself begins to rumble to life. The disk contains no image, only voice, "Command! This is Lieutenant Ivan! We're been shred down here!"
"What's going on?"
"This is not right, everything is not right! Their like those Dominion Ghost, except they can run and gun at the same time!"
A loud fire broke out, followed by a female shrieking, "Shit! Oh god, oh god, oh god!"
"Report Ivan! What's going on down there!?"
"Bloody Firebat with a flamethrower just roast poor Betty! She's dead! Oh god! I can hear those things!"
"Standby Lieutenant, I'm sending in more team down to the orbital platform!"
"It's no use! Bodies… there are everywhere!" a pause, gunshot then a female scream, "Oh my god Jennifer!"
"Calm down Lieutenant, reinforcement is on the way! Just hole you position-"
Sound of heavy firearm firing nonstop, "Oh my god is that a Marine!? That's not a Marine! Marines don't carry two waists Minigun!"
"We're already down! Where are you?!"
"I'm not sure, I'm not sure anymore! I kept running, and I can still hear those light footed footsteps ringing around me!"
The sound of mighty explosion, loud, "GAHHH!"
"Lieutenant? Lieutenant Ivan!?"
Soft voice, muffling, "stay away… stay away… from the triangle… with… scorpion tail… stay… a… way…"
"Lieutenant! Talk to me!" silent for several seconds, "Foxtrot Team, we have some kind of enemy down there so be sure to check your fire an-"
Massive explosion, followed by static and silent.
Vladimir Romanov and Alise Carmen can actually feel the horror just by listening the audio tape on the holodisk. Vladimir wanted to comment this incident, but he pause as he consider his option. Alise Carmen however is more interested on this new faction with scorpion tail and triangle. Felix Parker sigh, "As you can understand from the holodisk, an entire Foxtrot team has been put down by this new faction in triangle and scorpion tail. EVA has been running scans on this organization, and so far it turn out empty."
"How many soldiers were on that team?" Dr Alise Carmen asked.
"The maximum size of Foxtrot team is only 2 dozen of the finest demolition team, and only requires 5 demolition squad to perform the sabotage mission," Felix fix his gaze at Vladimir, "We lost all of them, including 2 company from Vladimir's own Marine Corp on Bhekor Ro."
Vladimir Romanov blinked; 2 companies? All 64 Marines? How in bloody hell did that happen? Vladimir had never lost any men when he ascend rank, and this loses was but a blow to him. The Russian commander begins to show his uneasy emotion, looking agitated and frustrated at such a number loses, "So that's what happens to them? I have always thought these lazy bastards had gone hooligan on Dominion front gate like dogs they are, but now… hearing these news… angers me greatly…"
"We need to be careful, now than ever, Vladimir." Felix warns, "We're going to have to restrict most of our planning more than ever, as we have absolutely no idea the strength of this Terran faction. However, if this new Terran faction poses a real threat, bigger than the Dominion itself, I'm pulling every team we have out of Koprulu Sector; we can't have more of our team to be killed off while we are still remained understrength."
"Then why didn't we just contact Earth for assistants?" Dr Alise Carmen jumps in, "Surely they wanted this sector back, right?"
Mentioning the word 'contact Earth for help' has place both Admiral Chief Felix Parker and Fleet Master Admiral Vladimir Romanov to remain quiet, staring at the table more than staring back at her. Carmen continues to press the question, "The Earth government wanted to secure this sector, right?"
Vladimir presses his forehead and scratching the back of his head. Felix shut his eyes, letting out a deep sigh; the truth is much more painful than what she would expect, "The Earth Government wants nothing from us, and they have decided that the welfare and the warring faction on Koprulu sector are no longer in their interest."
Dr Alise Carmen blink a few times, unable to accept this news, "What?" she manage to utter a word, "then… then what about us? Can we at least go home? Home to Earth?"
Again, Felix shook his head, his face shows nothing but grim impression, "I'm afraid we are not allowed to return home either, because if we did…"
"…the old government will fire their orbital cannon at us, allies or not." Vladimir finishes, "We might even risk bring the enemy straight back to our homeworld. It is the Admiral DuGalle's last wish not to allow the enemy to reach to Holy Terra."
The female scientist felt like she could collapse anytime; she aid her aching head with her hands, tears begin to form from her eyes, "So… the Earth Government abandon us?"
The high ranking officer of the Litany of Fury turns his gaze at the female doctor, his harden expression says it all, "Yes, we are technically alone in this sector."
(Several kilometer from Fort Transylvania… an hour later…)
The dropship which house 4 UED Marine has finally arrive to their destination as they could see a small outline tent-like structure with a huge symbol of the UED research team. The dropship landed softly on the ground allowing the Marine to move out of the Dropship without any incident. However, when the team of Marines all line up to see the perimeter, a group of scientist in their own diverse version of power suit all hurried towards the armed Marine, worried looks marked on their face, "Oh god, rescue at last!" one of the researcher cheers, "Please help; one of the head researcher has fallen through into the ruin structure and we have been unable to communicating back to base for help!"
As soon as that one researcher finished his plead, the rest of the researcher begun to plead as well, causing uproar among the Marines who cannot understand what they are all mumbling about. Corporal Dennis move forward, his hand gesture is telling the researcher in front of him to slow down, "Calm down and tell me everything in a slow, understandable matter; what happen?"
The same scientist who earlier plead for help did as he was told, "Our head researcher on the field, Dr Petrova was our leading field researcher. She was studying the ruin just north of here when the beam she stood on give way. It happens about half an hour ago. We have been trying to get help, but the communication devices only respond to Dr Petrova's voice imprint. Please, help us get back Dr Petrova, or else Dr Alise Carmen will have our hide for breakfast!"
Corporal Dennis narrow his eyes, babysitting job it is, thought the man in a power suit. "Command this is Corporal Dennis. Be advice, we have one researcher trap underneath the ruin; I repeat Dr Petrova has fallen inside the ruin below us. Please advise over?"
(Somewhere underneath the UED research camp…)
The air down here is very stiff, very murky. Darkness enclosed the surrounding area where not even the light can breakthrough and yet somehow there is light above, glimmering like a ray of hope.
While the female scientist once had a previous work on Zerg autopsy back on Koprulu Sector, studying its alien genes and its powerful natural armaments, Dr Petrova has a chance working with the UED, believing that her research would be beneficial to those who would actually understand her study, not just point a gun and shoot the specimen she had collected thus far because of some few loose specimen. Here, the UED understand her needs, and although she had to work on dead Zerglings and Hydralisk, she understood that keeping a Zerg creature alive will eventually bring disastrous result that she would not want to commit among her new employment. Now, she stood on an alien planet, with ancient civilization long dead with amazing artifact to collect and gather. It was as if she has the greatest Christmas gift from the heaven plane itself, marvel at the ruin alien structure and its collective written tablet. So much so she has forgotten about the Zerg specimen and its creature's rapid metamorphosis.
However, she had never taking the liking of being alone; being a center of attention among her peers, she feel confident, accepted, and assured of her research. Now she is scared, alone underneath the alien ruin. She stares up from the hole she cave in, but could not be sure which hole she fell through. Even the power suits with an equipped GPS locater are damage from the fall. Dr Petrova yelled for help for about half an hour already and yet all she hears is the sound of her own voice, echoing off the wall. She literally jumps at the sound of metal grinding down the wall or tiny peddles fall off above her. Though she is not trained with firearm, she has come equipped with a sidearm, a C-7 gauss pistol; powerful enough to cause serious harm to lightly armoured enemy, but it won't make much different against those with heavier armour. She keeps her gun closer to her, finding comfort over the weapon than her notes and books.
Suddenly she heard noises, whispers and mumbles just beyond her. She turns around and shines her suit flashlight to the sound of whisper in the shadow, gun at the ready. Instinct dictate that she should remain calm and hold her position until rescue has arrive, but her curiosity got the better of her; she could almost made it out what those whisper are, and perhaps discover something more extraordinary, perhaps even the secret why this planet is lifeless and ancient. She took a few steps into the shadow, listening carefully at the sound of subtle whisper. At first she mark her position with her tracker and continue to make progress on locating the subtle whisper, moving from one room to another, and all the room is filled with images crafted onto the wall. To her surprise, most of these image looks distinguishably like Protoss or Zerg, but they appear blurry, unclear and distorted. Dr Petrova took photo of this finding, hopefully when she got out of this place she'll have all the time in the world to study it. As more room are uncovered and more photo captured, she caught something at the edge of her lenses; a ghostly wisp moving out at the corner of her eyes. Dr Petrova never believes in ghost, but here in this dead alien planet, such a thing may have existed. She builds up her courage and follows it.
The ghostly wisp move from room to room, stopping a while as if it is unsure where to go before moving to another room again; Dr Petrova could not help but to wonder if this ghostly wisp maybe the remnant of an alien civilization, or perhaps something more? She is unsure, but she has photograph and document the ghostly wisp action through her power suit, recording it as much as possible. The female Terran scientist continues to follow the ghostly wisp a while longer when the wisp somehow begin to suspect it is being followed and vanish out of sight. Dr Petrova pauses and surveys the area, unsure where the wisp had gone.
Or more importantly, where she had gone.
The female scientist has been chasing the ghostly wisp, walking around from room to room, documenting the spiritual wisp, and she unfortunately document not her way out. She tries to back step her way back, hoping that she would return to her initial point of entry, only to discover that the room she was previously in has no exit, or more precisely never had an entrance. How the hell did she get here? Where is she now? Whisper became whimper, moaning became mumbling, the room she is in filled with dark ominous present. She became even more nervous, frighten and alone. Dr Petrova begin to jump from room to room, hoping to find an exit, but the place is like a maze with shifting walls; one minute she was in a room, the next her previous entry point is being blocked by a solid alien wall and scriptures. It makes no sense at all, and the frighten Dr Petrova is very much shaken to the core.
Whispers once again caught her attention, like little children would share a secret. This time however, ghostly wisp appear brightly on the next room, by the numbers. Building her courage up again, she begins to take a soft step into room to document the ghostly wisp again when the floor she stepped suddenly give way, causing the female scientist to tumble down, fallen deeper and deeper into the unknown catacombs and crypts. She screams as she fell.
When Dr Petrova hit hard on a solid ground, she could swear something just pop or snap as she crash to the ground. Hissing and moaning, her power suit visor informs her that she has suffered minor laceration and fracture on her legs and ribs. Grunting aloud, she allows the power suit neuron life support to take charge of things to administer her injury. Her loud grunting and moaning however did stir up whatever there is down here as whispers transform to mumbles. She turns around and saw something scrambles very quickly out of the room, like an oversize insect.
Oversize Insect
There is only one thing that could have been an oversize insect, and Dr Petrova fear meter shots up like never before; Zerg. She quick checks her surrounding area, hoping that she is not surrounded by any Zerg infestation creep or larva or cocoon. Nothing. She stood tall on a solid ground of absolute nothing; no creep, no larva, no Zerg. And yet something down here has an oversize insect; remnant of an alien life form perhaps? And if it is, is it hostile? Dr Petrova held her sidearm even more closely to her as she ventures into the next room.
The next room she enters is… beyond words.
Images, by the thousands, crafted onto the wall in perfect condition; it's like she entered into a room, filled with storehouse worth of information, there is even a row of wall at the middle of the room filled with the same ancient image. Judging by the size of the room, she could easily be inside some kind of library of ancient archive. Her excitement dominates her fear, and begins to photograph everything again. Each photo she took fills her heart with excitement to study such ancient image, with continuous image that looks like a crystal and bug like sentient being. Forget about Zerg autopsy, this is my new life work, thought Dr Petrova.
As she continues to snap more photos, whispers continue to emit from the room beyond, alongside with tiny clattering sound like a metallic insect walk pass the room. Dr Petrova isn't afraid anymore; whatever's down here has to be remnant of an alien civilization; imagine, a whole new alien race who build this alien city, endure the rough Ion Storm and gravitational pull, to survive without any natural food or water, but most importantly, survive the cosmic devastation that had laid the entire planet barren of any form of life forms. She could be the first to discover it! Not the Terran Dominion, not the Elder Protoss, not even the Savage Zerg, but her, and her team of UED scientist, researcher and pioneer! She could talk about it for years!
Abandoning her fear as she marches into the next room, heart pumping excitedly, she is greeted with the greatest scene of all, a very rare scene since her day of being recruited by Vladimir's Turncoat Company from the fringe colony world.
A Xel'naga temple. Quite small for its legendary size, but a temple nonetheless.
And the temple is not the only thing that makes her heart jump with joy; minerals, strangely in green and blue are down here dotted around the temple, with the largest blue mineral standing tall just at a distance away. Her power suit visor detects massive radiation on the minerals, enough to kill an unprotected Terran. Dr Petrova is lucky to actually worn a Field Medic power suit along the ride. Still, she makes sure her visors are completely seal in and ensure she did not touch the minerals, for some reason the image on the wall regarding the minerals repeated shows the important of minerals on this planet, and she had heard rumours how some alien race (will, only two she can name off) has device some kind of countermeasures to elude thief from snatching the crystals. Judging by the level of radiation, she could conclude that the greenish minerals she sees may have been tainted. Without further complication on navigating her way to the temple, her enthusiastic nature on documenting aliens overtook her own safety measures as Dr Petrova photographing the minerals, both green and blue intensively before snapping one for the ancient alien temple itself.
Whispers, again greeted her, but this time the whisper are more subtle, more friendly, almost alluring. It came from the temple itself, and Dr Petrova is not a person who would turn down an offering.
She has heard a lot about the Xel'naga Temple and how it was worship by the Elder Protoss warrior zealot (pun not intended) by her peers, so it was rather a nervous feeling that the Protoss maybe on this planet and not the Zerg. But that did not explain why this planet ruin structure is different from the Protoss own structure; the alien ruin on the surface if grey, dark blue and silver outline while the Protoss is gold, yellow and blue outline. Perhaps it is a different Protoss factions, like the Dark Templar from Shakuras and the Tal'darim who still resides on Aiur? If so, why is there a strange wisp around? Are they the remaining spirit of a Protoss who is on service that had passed on? Dr Petrova isn't a Protoss specialist, she specialise on Zerg autopsy, but many of her peers are as interested on the Khala warrior alien as she would on the ravage insect alien. She feels sceptical about contacting the Protoss however, some Protoss tribes are known to be very protective, like the Tal'darim whom would rather skin you alive than to negotiate. Others listen to reason, and are open for discussion, but never on the same ideal path; gaining their trust can be very, very difficult task.
As Dr Petrova enters the Xel'naga temple, weapon holstered, the door behind her silently shuts and a wave of psionic energy wash into her mind. The calm, psionic energy probe her mind, and she can feel the psionic wave is studying her, perhaps attempting to communicate. She did not resist the psionic wave, as she sees no threat on a being who is trying to learn about herself. As she walks forward, the door in front of her slowly opens before Dr Petrova, feeling welcome thus far. She enters into the room where she is staring some kind of alien structure not seen or archive before. There is no other entrance, and the exit shuts silently behind her.
"…Doctor… Petrova…" a telepathic message rings into her mind. The female doctor did not flinch upon the psionic being capability to learn her name. She welcomes the psionic being calm essence, "…what… have… you… do…?"
'What have you do?' Is that a trick question? "I'm Dr Petrova of the United Earth Directorate Expedition Fleet, Mobius Research Team, former member of the Dominion Alien Investigation Alliance. I've come in peace."
"…Peace…?" the psionic mind reply, "…the universe… has… united…?"
"Err… no." Dr Petrova reply weakly, "Not that kind of peace; I've come without any intentional means to harm you… or your culture."
"…Ah…" the psionic mind reply, almost sighing, "…I… see… what are… you? You… are… organic… and non-organic…"
Ah, an intelligence alien, thought Dr Petrova, "I am a human, but to a great number of aliens we encounter, we refer to be called Terrans. I'm donning a power suit, helps me survive the harshest condition is space"
The psionic wave shows a slight tension twitch, especially when Dr Petrova mention about 'a great number of aliens', "…Hostile…?" it beckons.
Dr Petrova carefully select her words, hoping not to provoke any kind of hostility, and since the female scientist felt a twitching sensation regarding about the aliens, it would mean this race of alien has been missing out a lot of detail, "A few are, like the enigmatic Protoss, an alien race who is technologically advance than us, as well like the Zerg, which are savage alien that is hostile to all known life form."
"… and the Human… Terrans…?"
"We…" Dr Petrova pause, unsure if she should continue, "… we kinda struck at the middle…"
Suddenly, wisp upon wisp appear before her, initially it appears from the far corner to the room before the entire room practically dances with this ghostly wisp. A few wisp got near to Dr Petrova, like a curious pup to a human. The psionic mind continues, "…the young ones… enjoy your company."
Young ones? So these aren't Protoss spirit?
"…You speak highly on this Protoss… and yet… we sense disturbing emotion… from you… are they… not hostile?"
"They are, but a few tolerate our presents." Dr Petrova reply half-heartily, as she is amaze by the number of wisp that is surrounding her.
There was silent, about a minute or two; Dr Petrova thought the psionic being must have fallen asleep or something before the psionic voice calls out again, "Leave us"
The ghostly wisp disperses as quickly as it was commanded, and Dr Petrova is once again alone in the room. The wall, cleverly hidden as a door open in front of her, and the psionic mind continue to give wave a pleasantest to the human doctor, inviting her in. The doctor walks in, believing that she is going to meet with an alien being who is psionically as powerful as the Protoss itself.
What she stare at looks and appears like an insect made out of metal, and the creature is as big as her. She calm herself down as the alien insect with psionic properties dislodge from its position as it walks around her, studying her, "You are like us… only… you have organic component… and not attached to that non-organic matter to survive…"
'Attach to?' Dear lord, has this psionic beings resort to plugging itself into a machine to survive?
"…yet you make…" the psionic mind ponders a while.
Dr Petrova smile gentle at the pondering alien, "make what?"
"… a perfect subject for our revival…"
The moment the psionic being says those words, the insect-like mech jump on top of her, its claw appendages dig deep into her arms. The female doctor scream in pain, unsure what she did wrong, "…Our young continue to grow, slowly but surely… our once proud race… we the dominate lesser beings for our purpose… our names echoes in destruction of others. We were their chosen gods…"
"What? I… I don't understand! What are you telling me? Let me go!"
"Silence vermin!" The psionic insect practically scream into her mind, causing great pain in the mind of Dr Petrova, "…You… and the Prometheans are all the same; equal in physical form… intelligence… strong… resilient," it pause as the insect-like mech draw closer to her face, "…Pathetic."
Dr Petrova drew tears when she heard that last word; she thought she had found a being far superior to the Protoss, something that would at least help the Terrans, something she should be proud of. She is naïve. She cries aloud, both in physical pain, and emotional. Her cries echo the temple, but the insect psionic being did not let her go. Instead the creature move around its head to the side, staring something from the direction it sees, "…Ah… the young ones. They emerge…"
The female scientist slowly turn her gaze to the direction where the insect-like mech is gazing, and saw an even smaller insect-like being approaching towards them. This one is only as big as a Terran dog, but it has a dark eerie optic staring back at Dr Petrova. What makes her even more horrid is that this new being has massive psionic powers around it, its psionic level is highly unstable enough to cause her head aching just by standing next to the creature, "…You shall make a fine host… Dr Petrova."
The screams echoes throughout the cavern, eerie screams that even the UED scientist above ground heard it, but unable to determine if it was Dr Petrova or not, it was like a mix scream of inhuman shriek and screech. The screaming continues until the screams died down. The insect psionic being move forward at the human doctor, whose power suit armour are reduce to her undies uniform. Whimper at the ground, she still retain her human appearance, but now an alien insect has attach itself from her head down to her spine, her skin colour dramatically change from brownish white to purple, and she has the sickest smirk across her face. She rose up, chuckling as she got up. She hunch forward, smirking at the insect being in front of her. Tears flow down her eyes and down her cheeks.
"How are you now… my dear?"
"Oh… I feel… perfect…" Dr Petrova reply, but she has two voices instead of one, "this being… this so called woman… she is… suffice."
"How many more are up there?"
"Oh… a lot," the possessed female scientist reply, "enough to… rejuvenate the entire species…of Masterminds…"
"Glad to hear that…" The insect leader reply as it move up to its position on a throne-like room, "Prepare for invasion my pet; Primus shall be restored to its former glory."
"I'm willing to assist… the Scrin… Supervisor 331."
(Chapter 01 ends)
Preview
Chapter 02 Bringing the Big Guns
In the year 2504, the alien race known as the Scrin bust out of their millennium of hibernation underneath Primus and launch an attack against the UED stronghold. With the Second Great War occurring at the same time, Felix Parker and Vladimir Romanov has to halt the ancient aliens with their remaining UED forces while they send in an important and crucial information back to Earth; the enemy of mankind has return! At the same time, Felix Parker introduce a never before seen weapon platform and combat suit to battle the ruthless alien menace!
My Original Characters Profile
Name: Felix Parker
Born: Date Classified, Neo New York City, Earth
Race: Terran
Gender: Male
Hair: Brown Red
Eye: Sky Blue
Affiliation: Admiral Fleet of Litany of Fury, United Earth Directorate Expedition Force, formerly Elite Commando of the UED Tactical Anti-Terrorist Division
Felix Parker is born on Old Earth, military family. He at the young age are trained to be a combatant, to be a faithful loyal soldiers who would drop down doing push ups at a drop of a hat. His entire military courier thus far is classified by his commanding officer and by his own family. By the age of 20, Felix Parker has begun accepting missions where no men are meant to survive. Unlike his other candidate, Felix endures at least 12 minor skirmishes and has served one theatre of war against a bioterrorist attack across the planet. After serving the army for 5 years, Felix was appoint to be the Elite Commando and are given a tasked that not even Central Command would usually authorise. He was an icon to most military company as a hero at his late 30s.
Felix is later being appointed to lead a band of freshly trainee by Central Command to test his leadership skills. This manifest a new beginning for Felix, as all he had known for was to fight by himself and safe no one but himself. This new revelation eventually turn the battle-harden commando into a field commander, and in his understanding on a workaround, manages to keep much of his initial squad alive for the past couple of years. His leadership grows within him, ensuring the troops under his care stays by the book or suffer the consequences. He took this courier path and never looks back, commanding a squad of platoon, then a battalion, and later on an army of men in his command as years go by. By the time he hit 45 years old, Felix Parker had already gain reputation to perform his duty and still remain calm while operating on hostile territory. He was the first commanding officer among many to be elected by Admiral Gerard DuGalle.
Unlike most of the UED peers, Felix Parker is not an opportunist commander who would jumps in and scuffles with other faction even if opportunity is presented upon him. He is a tactician, and as a former Elite Commando himself, he ensures that any plan he makes has a backup plan and an escape route. He did not see his men as expendable pawns like most UED peers do, as he value the welfare of his man as much as he value his own life. To Felix Parker, the army he led is his growing family. As such, almost all of his entire Marine Corps never needed to be neural socialized.
Unknown to Felix Parker or his family member, Felix is actually a descendant of Nick 'Havoc' Parker, a legendary Commando himself; Felix even has a catch phrase, "That was left-handed!", "I've gotta present for ya!" and "Keep 'em coming!" while on duty as an Elite Commando
Name: Vladimir Romanov
Born: Date Classified, Soviet Russia, Earth
Race: Terran
Gender: Male
Hair: Grey, Silver
Eye: Brown
Noticeable feature: Heavily beard, thick moustache, mechanical right eye, loves to smoke.
Affiliation: Fleet Master Admiral of Alexander Axis, United Earth Directorate Expedition Force, rumoured to be a former Soviet Premier
Everyone who knows Vladimir Romanov most cherish things to do is to bump women, gain power through political influence and tons of pocket money. What people didn't know is that he is like a walking library of Sun Tzu, spreading his words of wisdom from troops deployment to armour arrangement to base management to dating women without failing. Most importantly, no one knows him better as the former Soviet Premier for over 3 decades.
Not much is revealed over this character other than what the data has provided, as most of his pasts are being classified by the Earth Government. He is also unable to tell people of his past life openly because Vladimir Romanov had been brainwash by the Soviet Russia government themselves. All he could remember thus far is how he served willingly to the UED and that he recall little of his past self as a Soviet Premier. Fortunately for Vladimir, he did not truly enjoy dwelling into the past, as he looks forward what future is heading for him and his entire crew. He also found out that he was once a mafia back in the day of yore, though this information is yet to be verified.
As a tactician, Vladimir Romanov believes in 'strength in numbers' more than ever. His deployment troops are at the masses and he expects nothing but absolute victory after unleashing troops deployment into the field. Many of the UED peers commented that Vladimir's tactic would 'scare a Zergling back to Char' and his ruthless tactics makes him a valuable asset for the United Earth Directorate. Despite that his tactical approach does not meet eye to eye with Felix, both men had a fair share of victories under their belt, and for someone coming from Felix praising Vladimir, the heavily bearded Russian is as happy as Santa himself.
Name: Alise Carmen
Born: Classified, United Kingdom, Earth
Race: Terran
Gender: Female
Hair: Blonde
Eye: Yellow
Noticeable feature: a pair of Topaz ear ring, gold engagement ring.
Affiliation: Chief Science of the Mobius Research Team, Science Department for the United Earth Directorate Expedition Force.
Alise Carmen is a quiet woman with a very big demand for attention. Though she prefers to remain anonymous among the science team back on Earth, she is actually a very selfish woman and tries to create attention without making herself on the scene. Pretty complex stuff, so much so than her husband had migraine for a week every time she had something to show off or let off steam. Her husband passed away even before Alise Carmen is approached by the Mobius Research Team.
As a member of the Mobius Research Team, Alise original tasked was to collect alien sample and document it for later study; that was her life work and had this gives her time to collect herself on board the UED Flagship Aleksander. However, when the enslaved Overmind is killed and the Queen of Blade terrorise the entire Sector, Alise is being place among the frontline as a field medic among many other remnants of the UED survivors. In the frontline, her shaken mind is further shattered by the screaming men and woman in power suit as she desperately tries to heal her fellow soldiers on the field. Although she had survive the traumatize ordeal, Alise Carmen was brought back to the capital ship due to emotional breakdown, and are one of the many few lucky survivors not to openly entered into the fray and had to be evacuated thereafter.
While evacuating from Iron Patriot due to the Zerg infestation, she and a handful of research team are rescued by the captain of the Litany of Fury who brought them on board and escape the Zerg massacre. From there, she caught glimpse of Felix Parker, and her shattered mind immediately rebuild itself centering the man she sees in front of her as her husband. This incident has been a running joke for over 3 years that Felix has stolen someone's wife who had happen to have died even before the UED launches to Koprulu Sector, and this joke is beginning to died down.
Often childish remarks and quick anger span, Alise Carmen is a genius in all alien technological chronology, able to piece together what seemed to be a fragment of an alien weapon and into a fully functional devices for the UED to use. She can reverse engineer almost anything she can get her hands on, and she believes that any technology related gadget is equally the same as man-made devices. She has absolutely zero idea how to work on bio-organism creatures such as Zerg who are depended on evolution traits and DNA manipulating.
Alright, first chapter is done! Off to the next chapter! Read and Review is much appreciated, and if you truly enjoy the setting, go read Avatar-of-Kane's own original Fanfic! I command you to do so!
