MAELCON PRIME

CHAPTER ONE (written by Satyrkarma)

Captain Clayton Cessat slept uncomfortably. After spending most of his nights in one of the bunkers at the base entrance for several weeks, he found it difficult to sleep at night anymore. Hours had passed while he tossed and turned in desperate efforts to fall asleep, but all the while dreading the nightmares he knew would return. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had a restful sleep without the torment of images that plagued his subconscious.

After long hours he finally drifted into slumber, his sheets soaked in sweat. Behind his eyes he fell into a deep, cold, dark abyss. His mind jumped from realm to realm, each one a raging eclectic series of frightening images. Alien landscapes appeared to him where power ruled over light and strength ruled over power. Upon a mighty throne of twisted souls sat the Queen of Blades who, with subduing commands thrust the Zerg into battles overwhelming. Around him, he could see the broken bodies of slain soldiers and the fear-stricken faces of those men who still fought. Dead shells that once were proud Terrans rose again, mutilated and mutated into mindless and heartless adversaries. The stench of blood, hot and fresh, surrounded him, consumed by the sounds of shrieking and agonized souls. All the while, Kerrigan sat, grinning at him.

He awoke nearly crying. Partly relieved but partly wishing that his dreams had killed him. He felt fortunate that no one was around to watch him weep. He felt embarrassed enough that he, a full-grown man and honored Dominion captain, would fall into tears over a simple nightmare. He prayed to God for the ability to control his emotions, but God remained idle to his pleas. He was left in his bunk with his face flush and sticky from salty tears.

He had worked up the courage to admit to himself that he had very little control over his emotions. He could recall many-a-time when he had nearly fallen apart if front of his officers and crew. Though he had maintained enough self-control to hold his own against his thoughts and feelings until he was alone, it seemed to him as if a part of him wanted to break loose and run away. It was like trying to fight the Zerg, except the opponent he faced was far deadlier. This opponent struck at his very mind.

He was an unorthodox man, as few of his generation were. He had joined the Dominion Infantry Forces out of free will. His motives differed from most others he had served with. Where masses of other men had signed up for the glory of fighting for the Dominion and earning their names in the history books for heroic acts of bravery and combat even if it cost them their lives, he simply wanted to be an officer. Where others were resocialized criminals who were signed up like adding more memory to an overused computer system, he wanted to be the one who installed the hardware. He wanted to be able to lead an entire army into battle. He wanted to give the orders and call the shots. He wanted to feel pride that he was the Dominion. He wanted to stand up against all who would oppose the Dominion and show them what it's like to have hell reign down upon them.

His loyalty to Emperor Mengsk and the Dominion was higher than any other. He lived by the words of Arcturus Mengsk, "…and we will win through, no matter the cost!" To him, they were the words of truth and light. The Zerg had been shattered and left to rampage aimlessly without their cerebrate commanders to direct their wrath. Not even the Queen of Blades could reunite the Zerg and begin a fresh assault. And he remembered the campaign on Aiur when the Dominion broke through the Zerg defenses that allowed the Protoss to destroy the Overmind. Though he was thankful for the Protoss' help, he harbored no fondness for them and was absolutely elated to know that their homeworld was in ruins.

He tried to shake the memories of his past and the images of his dreams away, but vivid details yet remained. He could not wave away the scenes of carnage that was stuffed in his head. Epitomes of mass destruction and gruesome deaths the likes of which no Terran should ever have to witness plagued both his conscious and unconscious mind. Panicky and nearly terrified, he rose from his bunk and began pacing around his room, holding his hands over his ears and his head in his arms.

"Go away! Go away! Go away!" he shouted, secretly praying that it might do some good. A few moments later, the images began to fade and disappear. His thoughts returned and he was at last able to think for himself. Dropping his arms, he inhaled a deep breathe of air and moved toward the window.

Outside, nothing had changed. The base was still sitting at a bottleneck between the river and the foothills. The bunkers at the entrance in which he had spent far too many sleepless nights were silent. The other barracks' lights were out and only the Command Center remained buzzing with activity. The sky was clear and the stars were shining brightly. The moon over Maelcon Prime was dazzling as the sun's rays bounced off of the large ore deposits of silver and gold embedded within its deep craters. 'Just another typical night,' he thought to himself.

He backed away from the window and glanced around at his room. Everything was orderly, as it should be. His uniforms were nicely pressed and hanging neatly on the closet rack and the pictures of his wife, Rita, whom he'd lost when the Zerg made their brutal assault on Tarsonis were hung on the wall in a tidy, organized way. Simply the sight of her pictures brought back the memories of that day...

The 99th Infantry Division was returning to Tarsonis for a week of shore leave from an extermination operation on Baxter V when the Zerg hit. At the time, he'd worked for the Confederacy before it was crushed by Emperor Mengsk. He, more than anyone else, welcomed the change as the new Dominion government offered him everything he'd always wanted and more. The Dominion made him a lieutenant and then a captain. Mengsk gave him men to command and then more men. The Dominion was good to him. But at this time he was still a Confederate.

Alert status went red for the closest fifty divisions and the carrier that was taking him home was forced into an unscheduled warp jump. Though the carrier burned out its warp engines, they were the first Infantry Division to arrive.

He remembered staring out from a view port and watching a massive fleet of Zerg descending upon the planet and the orbital stations. Ion cannons and laser batteries were lancing across the stars from the orbital platforms and automated perimeter defense stations. Several dozen wings of Wraith interceptors had engaged the Zerg while a single fleet of battlecruisers had taken up positions around the primary satellites. The weapons fire made for an impressive, yet viciously intense fireworks show. He found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the view port as the carrier descended into the atmosphere. The brutality the Zerg employed upon the orbital stations was astonishing. It took only minutes before they had completely overrun and destroyed them.

The carrier dropped his division off just outside the capital. They had reports from initial sensor sweeps that a legion of Zerg ground forces were advancing on the city. His division would have to hold out until more reinforcements arrived. The planetary reserves had already been deployed, defending the city with an army of some fifty thousand marines and several hundred siege tanks had been dispatched as backup support. Most of the Zerg's air forces were being dealt with in the skies above Tarsonis so most of the planet's resources were being readied for a massive ground assault. He was certain that it wouldn't be enough against a million plus Zerg, but his patriotism told him that the Confederacy would triumph on home soil.

The morning air was cold and damp and a thick fog had formed to the west of the city, allowing the Zerg a blanket of cover. Every bone, nerve and organ in his body was trembling with both anxiety and anticipation. Though he feared for his life and prayed to God that the Zerg weren't on Tarsonis, he loved to fight. He took great pleasure in killing the Zerg. His patriotism allowed him unbridled passions with which he could use against the Zerg. He figured that if he was enraged enough, not even his stimpack would have any effect and he could survive anything. He didn't always count on it though. Though he always hoped for an honorable death, he didn't want to die. He believed that the only greater honor than dying for the Confederacy was living for it. The army stood stationed around the city. He felt he was ready for anything.

The fog seemed to drift closer and closer, as if it had a mind of its own. Suddenly, the Zerg burst through the cloud that had obscured their presence. The fog lifted and dissipated and before him he could see hundreds of thousands of Zerg rampaging toward the capital. In a deafening symphony of destruction, the siege tanks opened up with their arclites. The first waves of Zerg were instantly reduced to ghastly phantoms of red. Another wave of Zerg piled through and around him weapons was blazing fire and death. He hadn't even noticed that he was firing his own rifle. He had no control over himself. Once again, his emotions had taken over. He could only watch as his body mindlessly emptied magazine after magazine. Millions of rounds of ammunition tore through the oncoming Zerg and ripped them to shreds as more charged their way through, zeroing in on the city. The tanks began blasting the Zerg apart with 80mm hollowed-titanium explosive shells and thousands of Confederate militia around him were rattling through their supplies of ammo but there seemed no end to the Zerg.

He could see them closing from the north and south. Moments later, they hit. He could hear the agonized screams of marines and firebats alike as the Zerg sliced through them. Behind him, massive explosions and huge billows of fire and black smoke plumed into the sky above the city. He closed his eyes and simply let his body and mind take over.

The entire battle seemed to have lasted only seconds. He opened his eyes and looked around. The broken bodies of both Terrans and Zerg littered the battlefield, now aflame. He could not recall what had happened or how he had survived while dead Zerg were lain only inches away. After a brief mental struggle, his emotions finally relinquished control over him. He was suddenly able to think for himself and move his body by his will alone. He turned and marched toward the city, completely ignoring the other officers and soldiers in the field who were collecting equipment from the dead and dismembered while field medics treated the wounded.

His journey took him to his home on New Washington Boulevard. He arrived to find it destroyed and burning and with it, his entire life outside of the Confederacy. The unyielding flames had consumed his wife. As he stood in front of the burning remains that had once been his home, a deep and intense rage began growing within him. The alchemy of sparks within his body triggered something within his mind. He no longer wanted to just fight and kill the Zerg, he wanted to mercilessly slaughter and torture them. He wanted revenge.

Then the Dominion came along. And for a while, he fought them as he was ordered. But then things changed. Mengsk took over. The Dominion was born and under the new emperor's leadership they succeeded in driving back the Zerg. The Dominion offered him the means by which he could ultimately carry out his vengeance. All he had to do then was wait.

He forced himself to tear his eyes from the pictures and refocus himself. He dressed in his standard officer's uniform and left his room proceeding toward the mess hall. He thought about an early breakfast, before the morning rush; eggs and bacon with toast perhaps, or a stack of pancakes dripping with syrup. He imagined the delicious aromas drifting through the air. He visualized sampling the tantalizing array of food on his plate before devouring it. The thoughts completely cleared his mind of his dreams and memories; his body relaxing and his headache faded.

The mess hall was empty, but the sounds of clattering dishes and voices from the kitchen announced that the cooks were preparing for breakfast. He wandered toward the counter and waited while turning his view to the eastern window where the sun was beginning to rise. Where only minutes earlier the sky had been black and the stars annunciated the heavens, there was now a panoramic array of color. The pale, white clouds had transformed into a concerto of bright pastels and the muted land once again came alive. Everything that is except for birds in the sky searching for their morning meals.

"Charlie," he called over the noise emanating from the back. "Can I get some eggs and toast?"

A loud and deep voice answered, "Yeah, how do ya' want them? Burnt or black?"

"You know what? I don't really care. Just, whatever."

"You got it, Cap! Come back in a few."

He pushed off from the counter and found a table next to the eastern window. Major Dean Quann appeared just as he sat down. Cessat watched Quann as he stumbled toward the counter, seemingly oblivious to his presence.

"Charlie! Coffee! Double-strong and black, and I want it now!" he shouted as if Charlie was militia.

"Tell you what, you can come back here and get it yourself or wait a minute until I can get a free hand."

Quann slammed his fist into the metal countertop. "Fuck you, Charlie!"

"Feeling as mutual. Have a seat, major."

Frustrated, he pivoted around and glared around the hall. Spying Cessat next to the window, he approached and sat at the table, across from him.

"Bad night, major?" Cessat asked, attempting to get him involved in a conversation while he waited for his coffee.

"Tell me, Clayton, did you sleep at all last night?"

"No."

"Good. Then you know what's it's like."

"I know what it's like for me, sir. Working without sleep has continually become worse and worse with each rank promotion. It must be devastating for you. I'll tell the guys not to push any of your buttons today."

Quann scoffed and a vague smile crossed his face. "You're a good man, Clayton."

It was quiet for a few moments. Cessat wasn't sure if he wanted to bother Quann about work, but decided that sooner was better than later. "What's the shift schedule looking like?"

"Shit, I don't know. I figured I'd just make it up as the day went on. I got swamped with paperwork from the new shipment yesterday not to mention Sonass and Jenkins accident in the minefield."

"Are they still alive?"

"Jenkins is. He's in the medical ward soaking in a cryotic tank. Sonass died last night of severe brain trauma and third degree burns to most of his body."

"Damn," Cessat cursed. Sonass was one of the chief technicians for vehicle maintenance. He was actually one of the finest mechanical repairmen in the galaxy. Without him, he knew their refit schedules would be lengthened considerably. Cessat was not certain that Harad base, where he was stationed, would hold out in the event of a large-scale Zerg attack. "Are there replacements or reinforcements coming?"

"Yeah, but they're a week away. Most of the faster cargo ships and cruisers needed to be rerouted to the Pathcapita-" Quann covered his mouth with his hand the moment the words came out of his mouth.

"What's wrong? What's the Pathcapita?" Cessat asked inquisitively.

"I can't tell you."

"C'mon…" Cessat nagged.

"If I tell you, you must take an oath of silence and dare not tell another soul, even if they break your neck."

"My lips are sealed."

Quann leaned closer and lowered his voice. "The Pathcapita is a secret new space station built as the new Dominion Headquarters. It's flight capable and is equipped with a phasic drive unit, which allows the station to shift into hyperspace where time travels faster than normal space, allowing the station more time to reach a vital area or giving it time for repairs during a battle. In essence, the station could shift away for what would be six hours in hyperspace but only a couple of minutes in normal space. The discovery of hyperspace has remained a secret up until now."

"Why keep it a secret? If Mengsk put phasic drive units or whatever in all of his ships, destroying the Zerg would become a matter of target practice."

"He can't. It's too big, and it draws too much energy."

"Holy shit! What else?"

Quann was about to give him more but restrained himself. "I can't. If anyone found out that I even mentioned the name of the station to you, I'd be gutted and hung from a yardarm."

"Is it that big a deal? I mean, do you think it'll work? Do you think it'll take out the Zerg for good?"

"Yes."

Cessat was absolutely astounded. He found himself imaging what he could do with such destructive power under his control. He also immediately wondered how the major knew about the Pathcapita.

"Major? There's one thing I don't understand. How do you know about this?"

"That, Clayton, is a long story. I don't think you want to hear it."

"Yes I do," he said eagerly.

The kitchen's swinging door suddenly flew open and Charlie emerged carrying a tray laden with a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs. Charlie was wearing a disgustingly dirty apron caked with grease and an array of unidentifiable substances. His bulk body and broad shoulders, characteristic of ancient northern-European Earth descent, overpowered his bald head and scruffy beard. He reminded Cessat of a character out of something science fiction or fantasy that he had seen long ago, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Charlie came up to the table but as he lowered the tray, Quann snatched up the coffee before Charlie was able to set it down on the table.

"You're welcome."

Quann waved his hand toward Charlie, ushering him away. Cessat accepted the plate and took up his fork. Charlie wandered back toward the kitchen. As soon as he was out of sight, Cessat poked Quann again to tell him the story.

"Alright! Here's a short version of it, details disregarded. I used to be an assistant general in Alpha Squadron. General Edmund Duke was my direct superior officer. When the board came from Emperor Mengsk himself, Duke and I along with a score of other high-ranking officers of Alpha Squadron were restationed. Alpha Squadron, and I mean the entire Alpha Squadron of ten thousand group troops and a fleet of battlecruisers and other assorted assault vessels and interceptors, were reassigned to defend a new battlestation called the Pathcapita. However, Mengsk had fixed it so that we were shipped there using blind sensors. We were given coordinates to a region of space outside the Koprulu Sector in the Jekarta System.

"The sight of the Pathcapita send shivers down my spine. It was enormous, no, it was bigger than enormous. I didn't know man could build such things. And the hardware and equipment installed on the hull was a sight to behold. Anyway, after we arrived, the entire fleet docked and the Pathcapita went into hyperspace. After that, the Delta V rockets shot and I don't know where we went. I was stationed on the Pathcapita for a year but I was court-martialed after lobbing a good blow at Duke. I was reduced in rank and then ordered to Maelcon Prime where I've been ever since."

"From assistant general to major? Boy did Duke get back at you!"

"It was Mengsk's idea. Duke wanted to kill me."

"Shit." Cessat eyed his plate. He was about to try his eggs when something occurred to him. "Wait a minute, if you were on the Pathcapita for a whole year, how come we never saw it in any battles, especially the major ones over Char and Aiur?"

"Primarily because it wasn't finished. They've been building the station in hyperspace which is giving them a considerable advantage in terms of time but it's a big station. Also the Dominion was not prepared to expose their secret until they could round up the Zerg and eliminate them with one swift blow. We still haven't had that opportunity. That's why extermination operations have become so common. Mengsk is planning to drive the Zerg back to a location known only by himself and Duke as far as I know. There, he will unleash the Pathcapita against the Zerg. What the Dominion doesn't know is that Mengsk also plans to cripple and destroy the Protoss as well."

"What! Why?"

"Superiority."

"If that's the case, then that means the Dominion will probably try to forge a more solid alliance with the Protoss Conclave. How does he know they'll accept?"

Quann stared at Cessat like he was stupid. "Well, he doesn't have to worry about that because the Dominion and the Protoss are already allied. As of several months ago, the Protoss and the Dominion have been working together to systematically purge the entire sector. The Protoss are working their way out from Aiur and the Dominion are spreading from Korhal. We're to expect Protoss reinforcements next month. As for…" Quann stopped as he seemed to consider something.

"What's wrong?" Cessat asked.

"You don't know about the Alliance?"

"No."

"Then that means you haven't been reading the news transcripts," Quann answered in an accusing way.

Cessat suddenly felt extremely vulnerable. "Umm…I, uh, I've been in the bunkers for the last two weeks. Last night was the shift change, that's why I asked you if you'd made out the new duty roster yet."

"Bad excuse. But don't worry about it. I doubt hardly anyone reads them. Anyway, that's the scoop. And you'd better not tell anyone because if you do, I have no doubt that Duke will find out and he'll try us both and hang us."

"Duly noted, sir. Now, about the schedule, unless I can get some leave."

"Not a chance. Now listen up," Quann started between a sip. "I want you to gather a squad, marines only. Comsat reported a small Zerg base last night about five klicks north. If you can eradicate the base, do it and then set up a field beacon and automated defense cannon. If not, radio Ekans base and have them launch a wing of fighters. Got it?"

"Yes, sir. I'm just wondering as to why we don't just have Ekans launch and take it out without us. If we have satellite visuals, then shouldn't we already be able to determine the best course of action?"

"You're right, but Taunch base was attacked a week ago and they're still picking up the pieces. Ekans can't afford to send any troops or equipment on a simple extermination mission unless absolutely necessary. They've got their hands tied, rerouting the Tanis' transmissions to us and redirecting shipments."

"But I leave with a squad, that's twenty less men defending Harad if the Zerg attack here," Cessat reasoned.

"I know, but our base is much smaller and far less equipped than Ekans. The loss of Harad is marginal compared to the loss of Ekans."

"Understood. I'll leave at o-seven-thirty, my team should be up and fully prepped by then."

Quann nodded in approval. "One more thing, Clayton."

"What's that?"

"I really fucking hate paperwork. You'd better not make any for me or I'll spear your ass."

"Colorful metaphors have been noted and understood, major. Don't worry, when I get back, Duke'll be promoting you and you'll be promoting me. You'll be back on the Pathcapita and I'll be commanding Harad."

"Don't count on it."