The Sound of Music

"This is a mistake."

"You're entitled to that belief General. I am still your prince."

"Indeed. And as the general in charge of every man and woman serving in the Dominion Armed Forces, I'm entitled to tell you that this is a mistake."

Valerian remained standing in place, but turned up the phonograph's volume as Warfield spoke. Beethoven's Seventh blared out across the Bucephalus's bridge. Centuries ago, the music had been used to signal victory in one of Old Earth's many wars. Now, it gave the prince confidence that victory could be achieved again.

"Prince Valerian-"

"Fine," Valerian snapped, still staring out through the bridge's viewscreen, but realizing that Warfield wasn't letting this go. "Give me your informed opinion as to why this is a mistake."

He kept staring, and all that was left was the sound of music. And technicians repairing the door that Raynor had destroyed in order to get to his father.

"Alright," Warfield said eventually. "Here's your mistake. You're organizing an invasion of Char. The Char is crawling with zerg."

"Over six billion of them by our last estimate. Though admittedly that will have dropped based on the vacation of the planet by the bulk of the Swarm over the last month."

"We're utilizing half the fleet, which when combined with infantry, will give us a force of just over two-hundred thousand." Warfield walked over to Valerian, towering over him in his power armour. "Your invasion is predicated on using an alien device that we haven't even assembled yet, let alone getting all the pieces for. Furthermore, for the invasion to succeed, the device has to actually work."

"I have full confidence in our scientists to ensure that it will operate in the field."

"Plus, we have to get it to the surface," Warfield continued. "We can't use it any earlier or the zerg will be tipped off to our plan. And in the middle of all this, you're employing terrorists, mercenaries, and every other piece of human refuse in order to make this plan of yours even gets that far."

"I assume you're referring to Raynor's Raiders."

"Them, and more," Warfield said. "And while I'm on the subject of invading Char, can I point out how poor a track record there is of invading that world?"

"Yes, you may," Valerian said. "When our plans are further along." He turned to face Warfield. "But answer this first general – of all these mistakes, which would you say is my biggest one?"

"In all honesty?"

"I appreciate your honesty General. Almost as much as I appreciate your ability to kill zerg."

"Fine," Warfield grunted. "Killing zerg? I can get behind that. Using space magic? Fine. Another weapon. But utilizing James Raynor in this plan of yours?"

"What about him?"

"He's the man who's the reason you're repairing that door," Warfield said. "The man who charged like a madman in a suicidal attempt to kill your father, which is a goal he's had for years." The general paused. "I think that's all the reason I need to call allying with the bastard a mistake."

Valerian fought the urge to laugh as he saw the door repairs coming along. Warfield was right, of course – Raynor's charge had been suicidal, his war against the Dominion futile. Even as the fallout from the Korhal incident continued, fear of the zerg was drowning out any hatred of his father.

But still, even if he doubted Warfield would understand, he admired it. The type of man who'd go to such lengths to get revenge. The man who'd frustrated his father at every turn. Perhaps Raynor was mad. But men like that were what he'd need in his invasion of Char. Men like Warfield had their place, true. But men were men. Varied. Different. Dynamic.

But he doubted Warfield would understand that. Not until Raynor recovered the last part of the artifact, and he had no doubt he'd accomplish such a thing. But the general needed to be placated somehow. And to do that, he looked at the phonograph.

"Tell me," Valerian said as the seventh gave way to an excerpt from The Magic Flute by Mozart. "Do you know where this device came from?"

"Earth?" The general shrugged, his shoulder pads exaggerating the motion. "Music isn't really my thing."

"Indeed? Well you are correct, it is indeed from Earth," Valerian said. "In fact, it was recovered from the debris of the Aleksander."

"Aleksander…" Warfield mused. "You mean the UED flagship?"

"The same." Valerian chuckled darkly. "The zerg laid waste to the fleet four years ago, but they left some tech intact. Enough for our salvagers to put to good use, and I'm not just referring to advanced technology. We believe this phonograph was in use by Admiral DuGalle himself." He walked over to the device. "Interesting list of songs, you know. I like to think that by listening them I can understand our departed…friend, a bit better. And that I may make myself a better man by listening to them."

"I don't care what an Earther listened to, only that he fought the zerg," Warfield grunted. "And lost."

"Everyone lost four years ago," Valerian said. "And despite your efforts General, by the numbers, we're losing this war too." Warfield opened his mouth but Valerian beat him to the punch. "Don't start General. We both know the truth. The zerg have enough manpower to wipe us from the face of the galaxy if they wanted to. My guess is that the only reason they haven't is that they're focused on other issues, that wiping out the Dominion isn't the focus of the Queen of Blades" He shut off the phonograph. "So yes, I'm invading Char. I'm going to use every lesson we've learnt to do it. From Duke, from the UED, and I'm even going to pass on what info Raynor can give us from when he spent time on the world four years ago."

Warfield remained silent. The music remained off. All that remained was the clank-clank-clank on the door.

"So cheer up," Valerian said, patting Warfield on the shoulder (though struggling to reach it). "In a few months' time we'll be heroes. Humanity's place in the galaxy assured. You get to enter retirement again, and I get to go searching for more tracks for my phonograph."

Warfield remained still, though asked, "is that all, Sir?"

"It is," Valerian said, restarting the track. "Dismissed, General."

"Sir." Valerian didn't see the salute. But he did hear the clunks of power-armoured footsteps.

And Beethoven's Seventh.

He liked listening to that piece nowadays.

A/N

So, DuGalle had a phonograph, and Valerian had a phonograph, and both play the same music...does that make them hipsters? 0_0