Even in the daylight these streets look dark thought Colonel Hahn.
It was around mid-morning in Anchorage City, and the day was started with
an overcast sky and drizzle. He always took a walk to clear his mind, and
even the rain wouldn't stop him. Hahn turned the corner and found himself
in the "red-light" district of the city, passing all the whore houses and
nude bars. He was deciding which way to go at an intersection when a fat
man in a business suit trotted up from behind. "Colonel, so good.....to
find......you..." The man was trying to catch his breath, after running a
rigorous marathon of two blocks.
"Mayor Clancy, what brings you out to this part of the neighborhood?" "Never mind...that, I need to speak..... with you." He regained his composure, standing his full 5' 5" height and letting his guts hang over his waist. "It has to do with the defense of the city!" God, not again thought Hahn, listening to the political pig begin to whine again. "We still don't have half the defenses covering the city as does many of the other towns! Most of the weapon systems are old fashion AA guns! What if we came under attack?!?
"Sir, by the time the Protoss attack the city, we might as well throw up our hands. The reason the other towns are more heavily defended is because they are on the front line. They protect your city, Mr. Mayor, and we might as well say they are part of your defenses." "Yes, Colonel Hahn, but-""Excuse me, Mayor, I need to be going now. Good day." Turning his back on the corpulent man, Hahn continued down the street, ignoring the harlots beckoning him into their bedrooms and cabarets.
Above, a flash of light and the sound of thunder encased Hahn for an instant, then vanished. He looked up, noticing the sky was not dark enough for a thunderstorm, then noticed the big blue circle rotating above. It spun around clockwise, much like a vortex, and sparks of blue energy shot out as if reaching for something. "Oh my God..."
Slowly, a massive Protoss Carrier exited from one side of the portal, surrounding it were hundreds of Protoss shuttle craft. Like buzzards they swooped down upon the city, dropping off their cargo. One made its way right towards Hahn, and while it skimmed the surface, four Protoss warriors hopped out, blades at the ready. The few people on the streets quickly ran inside and locked the doors, leaving Hahn with no where to go...
******************************************************
Appolyon looked out from his observation deck down onto the city, marveling at what was being accomplished. He turned his head to face Abaddon, whose hands still laid on the large Khaydarin crystal resting on a pedestal. "Well done, good friend. Are you-" "I shall be fine," replied Abaddon, who had a look of great pain and weariness. Few Protoss had ever been able to construct a warp portal by themselves, much less one that could carry a Carrier. It required the use of a immense Khaydarin crystal and those who survived had the look of a cadaver, as if their very life was sucked from them. "Go now, claim your victory," he uttered withdrawing off the deck, using his feet this time.
Appolyon returned his attention back to the scene of battle. His warriors were all on the ground, spreading death throughout the city. There was several spurts of projectile fire from the ground now and then, but they did no harm to even the shields of the Apostle of Khas. He turned his gaze towards the horizon, and spotted the reason for coming here: the Command Center. Bringing up a computer console from under the floor, he pushed a set of buttons, and gave the final command.
******************************************************
Hahn ducked into the alley and ran as fast as he could, knocking over trash cans and jumping over bits of rubble. He came out into another street, this one deserted. He looked back, but realized he was not being followed. They must have found another target he thought, letting the empty ammo clip of his pistol drop and slamming in a fresh one. Looking back into the alley, Hahn scanned up and down the street, his chest rising and falling from heavy breathing.
Right there in front of him sat a hover bike, its engine still running. Holstering his pistol, Hahn jumped on and revved the motor, releasing the breaks and taking off. Making a right, he got onto the main road, which was the shortest route back to the Command Center. Unfortunately, others were using it as well.
The Dragoon had just finished blasting apart one of the rooftop AA guns when it spotted Hahn speeding towards it. Charging its weapon up, it let a bolt fly right at him. A quick swerve to the left saved Hahn's ass, and another swerve saved him from a second bolt. Pulling out his pistol, Hahn took a few pot shots at the machine. The bullets simply bounced off the Dragoon's shields, but the shield distortions forced the machine pause to re-acquire the target, enough time for Hahn to speed by. The third bolt feel just short of the speeder, and soon Hahn was too far away.
Looking over his shoulder till the Dragoon was out of sight, Hahn looked forward and saw the Command Center, coming over the horizon. He hoped someone was left in there to start the flight sequence, but soon the sky above him was blacked out. Looking up, all that Hahn could see was wave after wave of Interceptors, heading in the same direction he was, but with a different purpose.
Major Trotter was on the Command deck, instructing the only one else with him, some new lieutenant, to begin take off. "But sir, what about the colonel?" "You have your orders, lieutenant. Now, begin take off." Trotter always hoped it wouldn't come to this. He really liked Colonel Hahn, even though he was younger by a decade. "Whatever he did to get promoted so fast, I wish I thought of it," he always thought, but the two were good pals, sharing the lonely days on board throwing back a few, telling stories of the days of old...
"Sir, Sir!" Trotter snapped back to reality, responding to the lieutenant with "What!?" "Interceptors!" He looked up at the main screen, and saw it covered with the robotic drones. "Activate the defenses, NOW!" The lieutenant typed a few keystrokes, then gave the final order. Popping out of the blast holes in the Command Center were several, more powerful AA guns, and when space allowed it, a Goliath or two. The Command Center burst out with tracer fire and missiles, all aimed at the incoming fighters.
A few Interceptors exploded in the initial fire, but there were too many. They swarmed the now airborne building, the fire of their pulse weapons like a laser light show. One shot struck at the #5 Repulsor Generator, causing the supported projectors to explode, and the Command Center to leaned to one side.
"Hold on!" Trotter tried to grab hold of something, but everything on the deck was sliding down, and Trotter ended up banging his head on a metal edge, knocking him unconscious. The lieutenant, panic stricken and his CO down, scrambled out the hole in the ceiling. Both men missed what happened next.
Another pulse shot through an opening of the building's outer shell. It punctured a thin layer of inner wall, right into an ammo storage hold. The resulting blast reached the main reactor, heating up the shield wall and causing a chain reaction. The fiery death of the Command Center took out most of the Interceptors, and a good chunk of the surrounding cityscape.
From Hahn's point of view, his heart sank at the sight of the fireworks display that was home, and last hope of the resistance on Alcinous III. Lifting his head up, he looked all around for survivors. That's when he noticed the side street, and the road out of the city. Perhaps, we still have a chance he thought, revving his engine again, and took off onto the highway. Leaving behind in the dust was a sign, pointing towards his destination: FORT HOPE
"Mayor Clancy, what brings you out to this part of the neighborhood?" "Never mind...that, I need to speak..... with you." He regained his composure, standing his full 5' 5" height and letting his guts hang over his waist. "It has to do with the defense of the city!" God, not again thought Hahn, listening to the political pig begin to whine again. "We still don't have half the defenses covering the city as does many of the other towns! Most of the weapon systems are old fashion AA guns! What if we came under attack?!?
"Sir, by the time the Protoss attack the city, we might as well throw up our hands. The reason the other towns are more heavily defended is because they are on the front line. They protect your city, Mr. Mayor, and we might as well say they are part of your defenses." "Yes, Colonel Hahn, but-""Excuse me, Mayor, I need to be going now. Good day." Turning his back on the corpulent man, Hahn continued down the street, ignoring the harlots beckoning him into their bedrooms and cabarets.
Above, a flash of light and the sound of thunder encased Hahn for an instant, then vanished. He looked up, noticing the sky was not dark enough for a thunderstorm, then noticed the big blue circle rotating above. It spun around clockwise, much like a vortex, and sparks of blue energy shot out as if reaching for something. "Oh my God..."
Slowly, a massive Protoss Carrier exited from one side of the portal, surrounding it were hundreds of Protoss shuttle craft. Like buzzards they swooped down upon the city, dropping off their cargo. One made its way right towards Hahn, and while it skimmed the surface, four Protoss warriors hopped out, blades at the ready. The few people on the streets quickly ran inside and locked the doors, leaving Hahn with no where to go...
******************************************************
Appolyon looked out from his observation deck down onto the city, marveling at what was being accomplished. He turned his head to face Abaddon, whose hands still laid on the large Khaydarin crystal resting on a pedestal. "Well done, good friend. Are you-" "I shall be fine," replied Abaddon, who had a look of great pain and weariness. Few Protoss had ever been able to construct a warp portal by themselves, much less one that could carry a Carrier. It required the use of a immense Khaydarin crystal and those who survived had the look of a cadaver, as if their very life was sucked from them. "Go now, claim your victory," he uttered withdrawing off the deck, using his feet this time.
Appolyon returned his attention back to the scene of battle. His warriors were all on the ground, spreading death throughout the city. There was several spurts of projectile fire from the ground now and then, but they did no harm to even the shields of the Apostle of Khas. He turned his gaze towards the horizon, and spotted the reason for coming here: the Command Center. Bringing up a computer console from under the floor, he pushed a set of buttons, and gave the final command.
******************************************************
Hahn ducked into the alley and ran as fast as he could, knocking over trash cans and jumping over bits of rubble. He came out into another street, this one deserted. He looked back, but realized he was not being followed. They must have found another target he thought, letting the empty ammo clip of his pistol drop and slamming in a fresh one. Looking back into the alley, Hahn scanned up and down the street, his chest rising and falling from heavy breathing.
Right there in front of him sat a hover bike, its engine still running. Holstering his pistol, Hahn jumped on and revved the motor, releasing the breaks and taking off. Making a right, he got onto the main road, which was the shortest route back to the Command Center. Unfortunately, others were using it as well.
The Dragoon had just finished blasting apart one of the rooftop AA guns when it spotted Hahn speeding towards it. Charging its weapon up, it let a bolt fly right at him. A quick swerve to the left saved Hahn's ass, and another swerve saved him from a second bolt. Pulling out his pistol, Hahn took a few pot shots at the machine. The bullets simply bounced off the Dragoon's shields, but the shield distortions forced the machine pause to re-acquire the target, enough time for Hahn to speed by. The third bolt feel just short of the speeder, and soon Hahn was too far away.
Looking over his shoulder till the Dragoon was out of sight, Hahn looked forward and saw the Command Center, coming over the horizon. He hoped someone was left in there to start the flight sequence, but soon the sky above him was blacked out. Looking up, all that Hahn could see was wave after wave of Interceptors, heading in the same direction he was, but with a different purpose.
Major Trotter was on the Command deck, instructing the only one else with him, some new lieutenant, to begin take off. "But sir, what about the colonel?" "You have your orders, lieutenant. Now, begin take off." Trotter always hoped it wouldn't come to this. He really liked Colonel Hahn, even though he was younger by a decade. "Whatever he did to get promoted so fast, I wish I thought of it," he always thought, but the two were good pals, sharing the lonely days on board throwing back a few, telling stories of the days of old...
"Sir, Sir!" Trotter snapped back to reality, responding to the lieutenant with "What!?" "Interceptors!" He looked up at the main screen, and saw it covered with the robotic drones. "Activate the defenses, NOW!" The lieutenant typed a few keystrokes, then gave the final order. Popping out of the blast holes in the Command Center were several, more powerful AA guns, and when space allowed it, a Goliath or two. The Command Center burst out with tracer fire and missiles, all aimed at the incoming fighters.
A few Interceptors exploded in the initial fire, but there were too many. They swarmed the now airborne building, the fire of their pulse weapons like a laser light show. One shot struck at the #5 Repulsor Generator, causing the supported projectors to explode, and the Command Center to leaned to one side.
"Hold on!" Trotter tried to grab hold of something, but everything on the deck was sliding down, and Trotter ended up banging his head on a metal edge, knocking him unconscious. The lieutenant, panic stricken and his CO down, scrambled out the hole in the ceiling. Both men missed what happened next.
Another pulse shot through an opening of the building's outer shell. It punctured a thin layer of inner wall, right into an ammo storage hold. The resulting blast reached the main reactor, heating up the shield wall and causing a chain reaction. The fiery death of the Command Center took out most of the Interceptors, and a good chunk of the surrounding cityscape.
From Hahn's point of view, his heart sank at the sight of the fireworks display that was home, and last hope of the resistance on Alcinous III. Lifting his head up, he looked all around for survivors. That's when he noticed the side street, and the road out of the city. Perhaps, we still have a chance he thought, revving his engine again, and took off onto the highway. Leaving behind in the dust was a sign, pointing towards his destination: FORT HOPE