Sic Semper Tyranus

Chapter 1: Raynor's Raiders

By: Duneczan

PLANET SERAJEN, UMOJAN PROTECTORATE, KOPRULU SECTOR, TWO YEARS LATER

Jim Raynor looked out at the land before him and took it in. If war is hell, he thought, then this must be the Devils playground. What he saw was a land of death. The battlefield was covered in blood, Terran and Zerg. Tanks lay burning and in shambles, men in power armor crawl on the ground, some missing arms, others missing legs and some are worse. Medics run around, gathering the wounded and swiftly carrying them off to makeshift triage centers. He looked down at his own armor. It was covered in the blood of countless Zerg. He looked at the battlefield and sighed heavily. It is far from over. He looked up at the cloud-covered sky and sighed again.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Jim turned to see his second in command standing there, his armor also covered in gore. Nathaniel P. Calhoun, one time Colonial Magistrate of Mar Sara and current rebel leader, was a middle-aged man of forty-five. A helmet covered his graying hair, and his brown eyes showed the signs of old age. Jim shook his head. If it weren't for the Zerg, we'd both be home right now, sitting down and eating dinner without a care in the world. The Zerg have a lot to pay for.

"What is it Nathan?"

"More bad news I'm afraid. ComSat's just picked up another wave of Zerg heading our way, and it looks like they pulled out the big guns for this one. Ultralisks and Lurkers are in this one, accompanied by dozens of Hydralisks and countless Zerglings."

"What about air support, theirs and ours?"

"No Mutalisks or Guardians in this one. And our air support consists of them." He pointed behind Jim. Turning, the rebel leader saw a pair of Wraiths decloaking and coming in for repairs. Four SCV's rushed towards them, preparing to patch any and all damaged areas.

"Perfect. What about the fleet?"

"Still bogged down by Zerg forces. Fortunately no Scourge have been sighted, but the Devourers and Mutalisks are bad enough. The Hyperion and its escorts are being overwhelmed."

"Oh that's even more perfect. What about the Umojans?"

"They said they'd contact a friend of theirs. They didn't say much more than that."

"Wonderful." Jim's suit comm pinged, and then a mechanical, female voice emerged.

"Our forces are under attack." Cursing, Jim swung around to look at the channel the Zerg had been using for their assault. Sure enough, there was a telltale dust cloud. The Zerglings had arrived to soften his troops up for the big boys.

"This is it Nathan. This is the end. Do or die, it was a pleasure working with you." He picked up his gauss rifle and popped in another clip. The former magistrate saluted him.

"And it's been a pleasure serving with you." Nathan did the same. As they ran towards the defensive line, it began to rain, and rain hard. They could feel it pelting their modified armor, and it was splashing against their faceplates, almost blinding them. Then, suddenly, a loud thunderclap spread through the air. At least they thought it was a thunderclap. Soon another one struck, then another, and another. The two commanders stopped and stared. It was not thunder; it was the sound of orbital bombardment. Someone was pounding the Zerg forces. Brilliant yellow bolts of energy struck the Zerg at their heart, obliterating Ultralisks and completely vaporizing the lesser strains. Soon blue energy bolts joined the yellow, and more death rained down upon the Zerg. Then they saw it.

Dropping from the clouds was a large gray-green shape. After serving on capital ships so long, Jim could tell it was smaller than a Behemoth class Battlecruiser, but it appeared far better armed. It also was slightly familiar, but he could not remember where he had seen one before. Several more salvos struck the planet, and with pinpoint accuracy destroyed the entire Zerg assault force. After dealing a killing blow to the Zerg, the warship just floated there above the battlefield, rain evaporating as it struck the ships energy shields. There it sat unmoving for many long minutes. Then, finally, the vessel's shields disappeared, and a portion of the ship's underside opened up. The vessel itself moved lower to the ground, until it was only a few dozen meters above the ground. Two large combat walkers dropped to the ground, followed closely by four tanks. The back of the tanks fell open and troops came running out. Two tanks were filled with soldiers in power armor; the other two contained large battleoids piloted by soldiers. There were thirty-two soldiers and eight battleoids total. Hesitating slightly, Jim and Nathan walked up to them. Seeing them, the leader of these new troops saluted.

"Captain Raynor, my name is Colonel Nicols. It is an honor to meet you," came a female voice. Jim returned the salute a bit awkwardly.

"Who are you?"

"Friends, captain friends. The Umojans told us that you were in danger, so we rushed right over."

"But-?"

"Not time to talk captain, we're here to finish what the destroyer started. Our commander should be down here any second." She turned to her troops and yelled at them in a commanding tone. "Come on you apes; we got a job to do. First and Third Sections, you go with Captain Jacobs. Second and Fourth, you're with me. Let's move out!" The colonel and her troops left both Jim and Nathan with bewildered looks on their faces. A loud noise woke them from their reverie. Floating down to them was a small platform, with a single figure standing on it. He was young, with brown hair. Jim knew he had seen the mans face before. This all seemed familiar to him, but he still could not put it all together. The platform finally touched down, and the man stepped off.

"Greetings Captain Raynor, I am Major Aren Hale. I hope I find you well?"

"Uh..."

"Good! Now, if you two would like to join me on my ship, we can go finish off the Zerg hive that's been bothering you."

"Uh..." Jim was trying hard to get his mouth and mind to work in unison. Nathan clipped him on the shoulder, which seems to do the trick. "...Sure. Only I'm going to have my second here stay behind and take care of my men." The man behind him was shocked, but held hid tongue.

"Of course." Jim turned to Nathan.

"Nate, go back and see to the troops."

"But-"

"No 'buts'. I swear I've heard this guy's name before, but I won't be able to remember if I'm distracted. With you here to take charge, I won't be distracted."

"Alright, but-"

"Nate, please?" The XO sighed and shook his head. Taking one last, worried look at the destroyer looming overhead, he turned and ran back to the troops. Aren Hale gestured for Jim to follow him, which he did. Soon enough, the small platform began floating back into the destroyer. Jim was led through a very crowded landing bay, through a long stretch of confusing corridors and other passageways, and finally to the two-tiered bridge. Standing there next to the command chair was another man that seemed familiar to him. Dammit, where have I seen these guys before? Argh, this is going to annoy me for the rest of the day... Aren took his seat on the bridge, and pointed Jim to a seat next to him. The rebel leader sat down and watched the newcomer.

"Helm, set course for the hive cluster."

"Yes sir. Heading towards the land of purple goo and nasty looking buildings that bleed," the helmsman, a pretty young woman with light brown hair, said, with a pleased sound in her voice. Jim looked over at Aren, who had put his head in his left hand and was shaking it back and forth, a slightly exasperated look on his face.

Several minutes later, the Zerg hive came into view. It was a vast base, covered in spore colonies and surrounded by a wall of Devourers, Mutalisks, and Scourge. Aren stood up and strode across the bridge. He looked out at the Zerg base, and he seemed angry. Jim joined him and looked at the Zerg hive cluster. For once, oddly enough, he did not feel the fear that accompanied one that looked upon such a large base. Aren then gave his orders.

"All stop. Guns, I want a firing solution on the defenses. I want them gone." Voices came from the crew pit below, acknowledging his orders. Soon after, the destroyer began firing on the Zerg base. The oncoming Zerg air force was the first to be attacked. Torpedoes, missiles, and energy weapons intercepted the air force. While Mutalisks and Devourers got off shots before being killed, they did not seem to have any effect. Only when the Scourge impacted against the ship's shields did the vessel rock slightly.

The offensive did not last long. The Zerg fell before the destroyer, and soon the spore colonies fell victim to its power as well. Yet, after those colonies were destroyed, the ship stopped firing and pulled back. Jim looked at the ship's commander with a questioning gaze. As if sensing the look, Aren turned.

"Destroying a base of this size would take time. Time we do not have. So I have put into motion a plan to level the base in one single shot. Here it comes." Jim looked out the viewport. Streaking down through the atmosphere was a small craft, slightly larger than a dropship. It flew over the Zerg base. Jim thought he saw something drop from the craft's underbelly. Suddenly there was a flash of near-blinding light, but the viewport went opaque to reduce the light's intensity. After a minute, the light faded. Jim looked out the viewport and gasped. The Zerg base was entirely gone. There were no remains, no creep, nothing was left.

"Wha...wha..."

"Neutron bomb. It completely vaporizes all biological life, leaving inorganic material left intact. Not exactly a nice weapon, but it works well against the Zerg." There was a coldness in the majors' voice as he spoke. "I dislike using weapons like that, but there are times when it must be done."

"I see," Jim said. "You said that we have little time. Why?"

"I assume you noticed the markings of the Zerg that were attacking you?"

"Yeah, their carapaces had a slight purple hue to them. Jormungand Brood. Kerrigan's brood. I guess I thought that, even after all the evil she has done, she would never come after me."

"I don't think she did."

"What?"

"There is more to this whole situation than you realize Captain Raynor. You are a wanted man, hunted by the Dominion, the Zerg, and even renegade Protoss. The Umojan Protectorate is no longer safe for you."

"And where would me and my boys be safe? With you?"

"No, you would merely be safer. Come with me back to my base and I'll show you around. If you like it, you can stay. If not, you still will have to leave here."

"Yeah, I know." He thought hard for a second, then made his decision. "Alright, I'll come with you."

"Good. My ships will remain here to help your second in command with the evacuation."

"Speaking of my second in command, I'd better contact him and tell him where I'm going. He may think you've kidnapped me."

"Sure thing. You can call him in my office. This way please." Aren led Jim to a doorway, which swished open. Jim made his call to Nathan and, while the former magistrate was a little angry at the idea, he finally consented. Within minutes Aren was leading Jim back down to the landing bay.

"We're not taking your ship?"

"No, it'll remain here. We're taking my personal ship." Aren pointed to a large, metallic blue-gray ship sitting in a clear area. Slightly larger than a dropship, the vessel seemed lightly armed. However, Jim decided that, with these people, looks can be deceiving. "This is the Challenger, designed and built by myself."

"Armed?"

"Very much so. I dare say that it could take on one of your battlecruisers, provided it doesn't have a Yamato cannon."

"Really?"

"Yes. Alright, enough chitchat, let's get moving. I make the engineers and technicians antsy when I spend too much time here." He chuckled at this and continued walking towards the craft. Jim followed close behind, taking in what he saw. Jim rethought his original description of the landing bay. He decided that it was not crowded, but chaotic. There seemed to be too little room for the landing craft, shuttles, and the Challenger, which dwarfed everything but the large blocky ship he could only describe as a dropship. Mechanics ran across the brightly-lit room, yelling to their comrades for parts, assistance, and even just idle talk. It was definitely not like any military ship he had ever been on, including the Dominions former flagship, the Norad II. And most definitely like the strict Protoss warships, like the Gantrithor. Then it hit him, he now remembered where he had seen these people.

"Tassadar!" Aren turned just as he reached the boarding ramp of his transport.

"Excuse me?"

"I've been wracking my brain trying to remember where I had seen you people before and then I suddenly remembered. Tassadar once sent images to my mind, and he told me that if I ever ran across you guys, that I could trust you."

"Ah, I was wondering if he had told you about us. So, Executor Tassadar had that much faith in us did he? Too bad I did not get to know him better, he was such a noble warrior. When he sacrificed himself to destroy the Overmind, I felt an emptiness ripple through the astral plane. Even though I saw his death with my own eyes, I still could not believe it."

"You...were there?"

"Yes. We arrived too late to help, as I had not felt something very malevolent nearby." Aren stopped talking and walked up the ramp. Jim quickly followed, not wanting to stop talking about these past events. As the ramp came up behind him, he continued his probing.

"What malevolence? Was it the same thing that brought you here in the first place?"

"He told you about that too, I see. Yes, it did have to deal with our temporal fugitive. Unfortunately, what I sensed was a lure, a fake signal meant to keep me away from Aiur. It knew that Tassadar would have been a great asset in our search."

"'It'? You don't know who or what it is?"

"No, we do not. Three beings somehow escaped a hellish realm called Shagga. They stole three timeships, and each headed for a different place in reality. We tracked one ship here, but we have no clue as to who was in it. Not that it matters, because each fugitive is equally dangerous in their own way."

"I see. So, you think that this...thing may have something to do with people wanting my head on a pike?"

"Yes. You are yet another asset we can tap, and the fact that you have survived so long is a testament to Human survivability."

"Does it tell you anything about the thing hunting me?"

"No, all three fugitives are human, or were. They'd applaud your resourcefulness and try to make it harder for you to survive."

"They sound like such nice people."

"Heh. We're dawdling again. Come on." He led Jim up two flights of steps and into the fairly spacious cockpit. The rebel leader was surprised to see three levels on the Challenger. Despite its size, it is still a relatively small craft.

"Exactly how do you fit everything into this ship?"

"Technological miniaturization. Four of the six ships in my fleet are, technologically, on par with the Protoss. The Nova Fire, the ship you are on now, and the Corsair, and cruiser-carrier, are many times more advanced than the rest of the fleet."

"And your Challenger?"

"Many times more advanced than the Nova Fire and the Corsair. You are a very inquisitive person, you know that?"

"Any race that can wipe out an advanced Zerg hive cluster with one bomb deserves to be questioned many times over. Now, where is this base of yours?"

"On a planet you've probably never heard of. It's called Antaer, an old Protoss colony abandoned at about the same time Braxis was. It is deep within Protoss territory, about two hundred lightyears from here." Jim's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull.

"How the hell..."

"I could give you the technobabble answer, but to save you from a big headache, I'll just say my ships are really fast. At its slowest speed, the destroyer Manticore could get here in a little over an hour. See, fast." Jim was speechless. He wondered exactly why all these powerful people would ever want to talk to him, a lowly former Colonial Marshal from a backwater world.

Perhaps, my friend, there is more to you than you realize, came Aren's voice, only in his mind and not spoken word. He turned to see Aren looking at him. "Never underestimate yourself, not even in the slightest. I was once like you, a lowly little kid from Earth with nothing special about him. Now here I am, an immortal warrior fighting the forces of evil and injustice for all eternity."

The Challenger lifted off from the deck and slowly made its way towards the gaping hole in the bottom of the warship. It easily slid out of the opening and moved across the landscape at a leisurely pace until it was a few hundred meters from the destroyer. Then Aren charged the engines to full power and they rocketed towards the atmosphere and space. The transports powerful engines propelled the ship at such speeds that they reach space in a matter of seconds. Knowing that Jim would want to see the damage inflicted on his fleet, Aren slowed the craft down and moved towards the gathered forces.

Floating in space were countless Zerg body parts, with frozen blood and corrosive acids just hovering there, waiting to be pulled into Serajen's atmosphere. And there was the Hyperion and the five other battlecruisers in Raynor's fleet, along with a few stolen Valkyrie class Frigates and four Wraith Carriers. And then there were the five ships than Jim knew belonged to Major Hale. Two were larger versions of the Nova Fire, the other two were long, sleek looking winged cruisers. The final ship, he guessed, had to be the Corsair. None of those five ships seemed battle scarred.

"I have another question Aren. How dangerous are the Zerg to your forces?"

"For my ground forces, they are slightly less as dangerous as they are to yours, but they can still be a tough opponent. As for their space and air force, they are not much of a threat. As long as our shields are up and at full power, the only Zerg weapon capable of harming one of my ships is a Scourge. Those blasted little buggers wreak havoc when they explode. The acidic weapons of the Mutalisks and the Devourers are no match for our shields, but our armor isn't as acid resistant as we'd like it to be. It's a good thing the Zerg haven't devised a more powerful Hydralisk. Those needle spines could do some serious damage to a starship if they were powerful enough to penetrate heavy armor."

The Challenger pulled away from the ships and headed back towards open space. A silver-green vortex appeared in front of the transport and swallowed the vessel whole. Jim looked at the spiraling corridor that matched the vortex in color.

"A very pretty sight."

"Indeed. Welcome to slipstream Jim Raynor, there's no other way to fly."