StarCraft

On Liberty's Wings

DISCLAIMER

I do not have or claim to have any ownership of StarCraft, StarCraft II, the StarCraft Novels, Comics, or Spin-Offs.

StarCraft on Liberty's Wings is a NON-PROFIT Fan Novelization of the Blizzard Game StarCraft II Wings of Liberty. More specifically, based upon how I believe the story should unfold, following the choices I made in the game, as well as taking some Artistic Licensing. As I'm a big fan of the StarCraft Lore in general, the story will reference not only events from the first and second game in the series, but also the Official Novels and Comics. If you are unfamiliar with the events I'm referencing or just wanna know more, feel free to ask questions.

Also as this story follows my opinion of how the story should unfold, it may not follow the same as your experience with the game or how you believe the story should unfold. Don't let my Fan Novelization ruin the experience for you.

Special Thanks to ZenWriterZero's Fan Fictions Wings of Liberty and Scoundrel for inspiring me to write my own Fan Fiction. Hope to see yours update again soon.

They say a man never really knows himself... until his freedom's been taken away.

I wonder...how well do you know yourself?

Former Confederate Marshal James Eugene Raynor groaned as he lifted his head off the bar, wondering how long he'd been wasted.

Raynor fumbled through his pockets for his phone, finally finding it already out on the bar, next to an unfortunately empty bottle of whatever-it-was. Two Hours? Like Swann said, Raynor needed to cut back on the sauce. Of Course Raynor was already reaching for another bottle as this train of thought motored through his head.

Reaching over the bar for said bottle, Jim also grabbed up the remote for the Vid Screen, and thumbed it to the Universal News Network. It wasn't the most reliable source of information out there, fekk that, it was downright lies more than half the time, but still Jimmy could use it to see what Mengsk was up to, or at least what Korhal thought about his actions.

Unfortunately it was about some War Memorial, something Jim didn't care for. Sure he fought in the Brood Wars, mighty proudly in fact, but the wars had also been filled with horrid and downright regrettable and sad memories. Memories that Jim wasn't in the mood to relive.

Ignoring Donny's introduction, Jim hobbled over to the Jukebox and smiled. He remembered the time he first saw the blasted thing. Jimmy and ol'Tychus had just barely boarded a train back on….

No. Tychus wasn't who Raynor wanted to think about right now. Remembering Tychus brought back painful memories, which only opened the flood gates for even more. Shaking his head, in an attempt to shake out the memories, the ex-Marshal pulled out a coin and stuck it into the slot, which started the thing up. He began scrolling through a list of music, finally settling on Jem's Tune, a song that was virtually banned throughout the Terran Dominion.

"Just the tune the leader of a pack of Rebels should be listening to," Raynor said to nobody in particular. Come to think of it, and a quick look around the room to confirm, JoeyRay's Bar was empty other than Raynor himself. JoeyRay must have stepped out sometime ago. It didn't bother Jim none, JoeyRay let the Rebel have free range of the place, specifically when it came to the Jukebox, which Raynor had "lent" the barman.

Jim knelt down next to the box, and fished a small key from his vest pocket. He then unlocked the small chamber that held onto to the money that had gone through the machine. Taking out the box that contained the coins he shook it, and after finding it full, brought it back over to the bar. Seating himself on the stool he had been on early, he poured the coins out onto the counter and began counting them, also taking the one he put in back. After dividing up the coins, and tossing out what appeared to be an old washer somebody got the music box to read as a coin, Raynor put half of them into JoeyRay's tip jar, and the other half into a small bag he carried on his belt. The coins hadn't added up evenly so Jim decided to throw the extra into the tip jar. As much as the Raynor's Raiders needed money, one small coin wasn't going to make enough difference.

Counting money got Jim back to thinking about Tychus. So he turned his attention back to the news briefly before being unable to resist any longer. He then pulled the small picture from his vest.

"Sarah…" he breathed. Her Red hair stood out beautifully in the picture. Her slight smile and tilt of head, Jim couldn't even remember when he took the dang thing or if he didn't how he got it. It pained him to look at it, but he was unable to avert his gaze.

Sarah Kerrigan was just another friend, well more than a friend, that Jim had lost over the years. Tom Omar, Jim's buddy back from his home on Shiloh, who had died from wounds he received after following Jim's orders when they had first joined the Confederate Marines. Connor Ward, another war buddy, one who had become part of the Squad known as The Heaven's Devils with Raynor, who died sacrificing himself to save the rest of the squad. The same fate suffered Max Zander who had last second tried to rescue some civilians who had been caught in the crossfire. And Hank Harrigan, an old rival of Jim's who later became one of his closest friends, had been put down so he wouldn't have to suffer the agonizing pain of burning alive.

The man who put poor Hank out of his misery had been Ark Bennet, or Ryk Kydd as Raynor preferred, another Devil who had managed to escape with him and Tychus, only to later be murdered by a bounty hunter who had been put on their trail. The deaths didn't stop there either. Hiram Feek, who was just as much part of The Heaven's Devils as anyone, though wasn't officially, had also been murdered by the same blasted bounty hunter. Jim spat at the thought of Daun.

Daun also was partially related to Tychus's downfall. Though the big man may yet live, last Jim knew off was Findlay being locked away, probably for good. Tychus had been Jim's best friend for a long time. It hurt still to know the only reason Jim was here today was that Tychus stayed behind to save him.

Then there was Liddy. Oh beautiful, wonderful Liddy. James had gone out and married her. She was a wonderful woman, who he had shared a son with. "Had" was the word. Little John had a gift, psionic powers, so the Confederacy had demanded he be sent to them for study, under the guise of a schooling deal. John supposedly died in transportation. The death had taken its toll heavy on Liddy. She never was able to cope with it, always blaming herself.

Until it killed her.

Miles Hammond wasn't around too much longer after that either, though luckily the old man had died of old age. Miles had been the Magistrate of Mar Sara, who had help clean up Jim's record and the reason he'd become a Marshal there. Miles's replacement had been just as good a man.

Jim poured himself another glass of whatever-it-was-he-didn't-care. The flavor was terrible but he filled it up again.

"The Commander" as the Raiders had affectionately referred to him as, had been with Raynor when he joined up with Mengsk to fight the Confederates. Nearly every victory credited to Emperor Mengsk could be credited to The Commander, Sarah Kerrigan, Michael Liberty, or James Raynor himself.

But Megnsk betrayed them, and Sarah was left to die at the hands of the Zerg.

Not long after that Mike, Jim, and the Commander left the Sons of Korhal. Jim was the only one that remained. Mike had gone off to become a freelance, pirate being the more accurate term, broadcaster. The Commander, Jim had no idea what happened to him, but considering Mengsk didn't put much effort in tracking him down, he was likely dead.

Or worse.

New friends also appeared. Raynor was one of the few Terrans in the Korpulu Sector who actually befriended the Protoss. Fenix had been one of his greatest friends. The two fought side by side in many battles.

The Queen of Blades Murdered Fenix. Raynor had allied himself with her to take down the United Earth-whatever-they-were-called, along with Emperor Mengsk and his Dominion. The Queen of Blades betrayed them. Stabbed them in the back while they were unprepared, and Fenix was the one who paid the price.

The Queen of Blades…..Sarah Kerrigan.

Tears filled Jim's Eyes. They had gone out of their way to try and save Sarah. They tried to find a cure. At one time they were sure they had one, but the Dominion stole it away before the Raiders were able to confirm if it was successful. Another of Jim's friends, a man named Bud Morris, had died trying to secure that cure.

"Jim Raynor represents a clear and present threat to this Dominion! He is an unscrupulous, lawless revolutionary bent on spreading fear and desertion across the sector! He and his ragtag band of miscreants have instigated open rebellion across the separate worlds - and stolen vast amounts of Dominion weapons and hardware!"

Jim looked back up at the News feed. Arcturus Mengsk, Emperor of the Terran Dominion, dictator, tyrant, traitor, and just all around scumbag, was calling him a "lawless, revolutionary".

"I assure you, this criminal will be brought to justice... very soon," the feed continued.

Jimmy's blood boiled. He reached down to the holster on his hip and drew his revolver, and took aim at the screen, "It ain't over 'till it's over, you son of a b…" The sound of the shot swallowed up the last bit of his curse, but rather than censor, it seemed to emphasize.

The bullet went straight through the head of the tyrant on the news feed on one of the smaller of the three screens. The screen flickered just briefly before shutting down for good. The other two larger screens also flickered before returning back to the News Feed, but Raynor was no longer paying attention.

Instead he had turned his focus to the small metal case that sat at the end of the bar. Quickly thumbing in the passcode that unlocked the case, Jimmy flipped it opened and flipped on the holotransmitter inside. A blue-ish, green light arose from the center of the devise which then formed the image of a female figure. Her features weren't unattractive, but of course the synthetic nature of them also didn't make her unugly either.

"Commander," the Adjutant acknowledged Raynor.

"Adjutant," Jimmy acknowledged back, "Are my troops ready for action?"

"Your forces are prepared and awaiting your orders, Commander," she replied back, "Uploading tactical data now."

A smile crept of the leader of the Raynor's Raiders's face, "Good, it's about time we kicked this Revolution into overdrive."

Taking a moment to reload his pistol, and finish the remainder of the liquid that had been in his glass, Raynor turned to the large metal suit stored in off to the side of the bar. Its color was black with a bright orange-gold visor. A large Skull was painted white across the visor giving it an intimidating look.

"Better get dressed for the party."