Chapter Ten: The Cost of War

When I first met Serena Calabas, my impression was that she was more than a politician. I'd heard she was taking the position, of course, but I'd never expected to actually see her at the front. Yet there she was, given orders to Guild Wars veterans and the planetary Marshall like she had been born for it.

She seemed perfectly in control of herself.

That just made what we saw next all the more horrible.

-Liberty's reports, volume I

The next morning the newly bolstered militia pressed on into the eastern highlands. No sign could be seen of Alpha Squadron or any life at all for that matter. The sun was particularly harsh today so that even their armor's built in air conditioning soon proved insufficient to keep them cool.

Serena marched at the head of the column, while Raynor scouted ahead. Eventually, he zoomed into sight and halted. 'We've got trouble boys,' he said 'there are a whole lot of zerg waiting just over the next hill, with more of those structures. There have got to be more than a thousand.'

'What are they doing?' asked Serena.

'Nothing,' said Raynor, 'just milling about, but you can bet they'll come charging right at us if we get too close. We ought to do the same thing as last time.'

They scaled up over the hill and looked down at the area below. Vast stretches of creep could be seen covering the surrounding area. True to Raynor's word there were more than a thousand of the creatures. In fact, there might have been closer to two thousand. Serena bit her lip. For they were as still as the grave.

'Gui,' said Serena, 'have you ever encountered anything like this before?'

'No,' said Gui, 'in my experience the critters attack like crazy unless their massing for a real onslaught. Course we haven't seen many of those around here.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'alright ladies and gentlemen, we'll do this like before. Fan out, two ranks deep, firebats in front, marines behind.'

The ensuing battle felt more like butchering cattle at a slaughterhouse than a true life or death struggle. Serena watched from the hilltop as Raynor lured small portions of their force, one after another into an onslaught of impaler rounds. Those zerg who got close were roasted by the firebats into ash. Some of the firebats had their suits badly damaged, but it was overall far too easy.

'This is ridiculous.' said Serena as the marines and firebats converged to burn down the hive structures. 'Not even dumb animals would act like this, and these zerg were supposed to be smarter than them.'

They're like ants, aren't they?' asked Raynor.

'Yes,' said Serena, 'but ants are smart as a whole. They're constantly working to do all kinds of things, whether going to war or simply finding food for the Queen. There is no natural reason for anything to act like this.'

'Well, what about an unnatural one?' asked Raynor. 'Some of the boys have been theorizing that there is some kind of disruption going on with their communications. Maybe if they get cut off from the hive mind, they just go dormant.'

'Maybe,' admitted Serena, 'but if that were the case, it would raise the question of what is cutting them off from said hive mind. We simply don't know enough to make a judgment here.

Whatever the case, our priority is the destruction of the zerg infestation wherever we find it. We'll deal with why we're having such an easy time of it later.'

South they traveled now and soon began to scale down the cliffs. Beneath them, they could see a forest of scraggly trees. As they reached the bottom, they found the zerg waiting for them. The creatures burst out of the ground and unleashed flurries of spines at them. Several men before Serena fell to the ground, many spines breaking through their face and chest plates. They spasmed and then fell still.

They were dead.

As the sound of gunfire broke out and the militia struggled to form a battle line on the rough terrain, Serena realized something. Men had died under her command. Mean with families and friends. It had been her fault; she was the one who ordered the descent without regard for formation. She'd gotten people killed. The sound of gaussfire was muted around her.

A savage fury took hold of her as the battle raged on. She raised her gun and rushed to the front and opened fire, gunning down a zergling, then another, then another. Her weapon then turned to the hydralisks, gigantic snakes with arms like the scythe of the grim reaper. Several of her men fell, but nothing touched her as she fired into their ranks.

One of them fell to her, then another. Several more followed from the militia as a barrage tore through several of the trees. Finally, it halted, and Serena realized she was breathing hard, and tears were coming from her eyes. Her lips were dry; her hands were shaking.

'…Attend to the wounded,' said Serena, 'anyone who needs transport back to base will be escorted. Damn it! Damn it all!'

'It wasn't your fault.' said Raynor.

'The hell it wasn't!' snarled Serena. 'I just assumed that the zerg weren't any threat and ordered us to descend without doing any scouting! Because of me… because of me, those people are dead…'

'We all got complacent.' said Raynor. 'I should have brought it up. I've seen this kind of thing happen in the Guild Wars. Things go really well for a bit, and folks get sloppy. Hell, that is what started the Guild Wars in the first place. Right now we have to worry about making sure it doesn't happen again.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'right, okay, Raynor I want you to scout ahead. See if you can find any of those towns you mentioned, and get in contact with the locals if you can. They might know more about what is going on. If you can't… well come back here and tell me.' She looked up to the formation. 'All right people I want everyone down here ASAP. We can't stay out of formation any longer. We'll advance slowly behind Raynor and kill everything we find.

Don't try and do anything heroic, and don't try to scale the hills. Remember what happened here. Where is Marsha?'

'I…' A soldier, Fredrick, came forward. 'Marsha is dead. She was next to you when we came under attack. She pushed me out of the way, actually.'

'I…' A lump formed in Serena's throat. 'Okay, okay, belay the advance order. We'll bury our dead first. Is there a chaplain assigned to the militia?'

'We don't usually go out in force.' admitted Raynor.

'We have one back at base.' said Gui. 'I could send for him.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'okay we'll do that. We'll rest an hour or two.'

'I'm heading out right away.' said Raynor. 'Those towns might need help and if I get there sooner the better.'

'Do what you want.' said Serena.

This was war. People died in it, not always heroically either. It wasn't like anything which propaganda had shown. She'd known it wasn't, of course, but it was like nothing which she had ever experienced. No, she had to be strong. She had to be in command; people were counting on her to be in command.

That afternoon Raynor did not return, but the chaplain did arrive, and a funeral was made. It passed in a blur for Serena, and as the soldiers were laid to rest in a mass grave, their armor salvaged for use later by Gui, she had to speak.

'These men…' she began 'they died for something greater than themselves. They fought bravely against the zerg to protect the innocent, to protect Mar Sara. They have earned their rest. It now falls upon us who remain to ensure they did not die in vain.'

It was not entirely terrible for something made up on the spot. Yet it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

With the bodies buried the rest of the afternoon was spent on vengeance. They made their way throughout the lowlands and forests, finding pockets of zerg and killing them. No one else died, for no more hydralisks were there. Yet by the time it had gotten dark they all felt bitter and angry, or so Serena assumed. As the sun began to sink beyond the horizon, she suddenly snapped.

'Where the hell is Alpha Squadron?!' snarled Serena. 'They said they'd take of it! Two days in and we haven't seen any sign of them?! What? Are they waiting to see what will happen?'

This set off a series of other grumbles and muttered statements of hostility which occurred before they finally set up camp.

'What the hell are they doing?' said Fredrick. 'We mobilize in hours, and they call us inefficient. Now they're two days late, and nothing has happened.'

'They aren't trying to get here.' said Gui, in a low tone.

The statement took her off guard. 'What do you mean?' asked Serena. 'You don't really think that-'

'I've worked with Alpha Squadron several times.' said Gui. 'I was in Alpha Squadron during the Guild Wars. Duke is a lot of things, but he isn't sloppy. He prides himself on being able to deploy his forces in full order faster than anyone else. Hell, his whole purpose is to break open the gate so other Squadrons can finish the job. If he was trying to get here on time, every zerg in this damn region would have been a smoking crater by now.'

'…Okay,' said Serena, 'so let's say he is deliberately staying out of it. Why would Duke want to let a station get destroyed on his watch?'

'He wouldn't.' said Gui. 'Duke is a real frontal assault type. Always prefers to smash his enemies to pieces. If he is deliberately staying out of this, then he's doing it on orders higher than he is.'

'So someone in the Confederate High Command wants the zerg to win?' asked Serena. 'No, Mar Sara is no threat. They stand nothing to gain by crushing it, and a victory here would be good for PR. There has to be some other reason behind it.'

'Think it has anything to do with the zerg who don't do anything?' asked Gui.

'Yes,' said Serena, 'it could be coincidence, but if there was research being undertaken into the zerg it's possible that they might have found a way to pacify the creatures. If that were the case, they would want to learn how long they could keep the creatures pacified.

'I think we just screwed up their whole plan.'

'A weapons test?' realized Gui. 'It might be a weapons test you mean?'

'Yeah,' said Serena, 'don't tell the men about this. Say nothing, you understand me, not even to the other officers. Especially not Raynor. Once word of this gets out, everyone will want to pay back the Confederates, and that won't end well at all. We have trouble enough with the zerg.'

Raynor came back the next day. In his company were two people, a thin man with dark brown hair and wearing a long coat that was tattered. He stepped off, and after him stepped off a very pretty woman, who had a gun slung around her arm. Gui stiffened.

'That woman is Emily Swallow.' he said. 'No idea who the guy is.'

'He's a reporter of some influence.' said Serena 'My mother is best friends with his mother, so he can get away with broadcasting things which would get anyone else crucified.' She moved forward. 'Michael Liberty, you are a long way away from Tarsonis.'

Liberty looked up in surprise. 'You recognize me?'

'Yes,' said Serena 'my uncle hates your guts.'

'Oh, uh…' Liberty paused. 'You are Serena Calabas aren't you? That rebel princess of the Old Families who turned down political marriage and got yourself a degree in administration.'

'More or less.' said Serena. 'Raynor, what have you found?'

'Everyone is dead.' said Raynor bitterly. 'Two whole damn towns slaughtered. Some people looked like they left in a hurry so a few might have made it to refugee camps. The attack happened a day before we got here.

'If help had arrived sooner, they'd probably still be alive.'

'We couldn't have gotten there sooner.' said Serena.

'I'm not talking about us!' snapped Raynor. 'If Alpha Squadron had brought the Norad II down here right away those people would still be alive. Where the hell is Duke?'

'I must inform you,' said Emily, 'that the Norad II would be an overreaction to this level of force.' She paused. 'However given what you've said it seems there has been a delay in the deployment of forces. I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for it. Before we…' She noted the glares directed at her from the militia. 'Nevermind.'

'Perhaps there is,' said Serena, 'whatever the case our priority is to exterminate the zerg infestation.' She noted at Emily had a gauss rifle slung over her back and decided to pretend to not know who she was. 'Are you trained with that?' That was an incredibly stupid question, reflected Serena to herself moments later.

'I am proficient.' said Emily. 'Alpha Squadron prides itself on keeping its members well trained.'

'You're from Alpha Squadron?' asked Fredrick. 'Where the hell are the rest of your team.'

'I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of Alpha Squadron forces.' said Emily. 'I am at present off duty acting as an escort for Michael Liberty while he conducts his investigations.'

'Yes, she's right.' said Michael Liberty, who looked shell-shocked.

'She is one hell of an escort.' said Raynor. 'There were half a dozen dead zerglings in the place when I got there. When I found her, she'd killed a hydralisk.'

'Well, I killed-' began Serena.

'With a knife.' said Raynor flatly.

Serena opened her mouth, then looked at Emily, then back to Raynor. 'Are you serious?'

'Yes,' said Raynor.

'We are also trained in hand to hand combat.' said Emily modestly.

'Well get that gauss rifle of yours ready.' said Serena 'We're heading north next, into the highlands. The maps of this place tell me that south is a dead end, so we'll find the source of these zerg here.' She paused. 'Wait a minute; there is a Confederate Installation in that direction isn't there?'

'Yes,' said Gui, 'research center I'm told.'

There were murmurs among the men. Serena raised a hand for silence. 'Don't get carried away. It was probably overrun when the zerg attacked. Maybe evacuating the facility took top priority for Alpha Squadron.'

'…That may be the case.' said Emily. 'Confederate Colonial Protocol clearly indicates that active Confederate installations take priority over private enterprise.' Several more resentment murmurs came around.

'That private enterprise includes peoples lives, Swallow.' said Raynor, frowning.

'I am not making an ethical statement.' said Emily. 'Just telling you what the protocol says. It is determined by Confederate High Command, I don't have any say in it.'

'Whatever it says,' said Serena, 'it doesn't matter. Gui, tell me this, what is the best way to get up onto those cliffs?' She motioned northwards.

'There is only one way I know of.' said Gui. 'The slope becomes level enough to climb. Thing is, it's really thin and we might end up getting strung out like before.'

'Alright,' said Serena, 'here is the plan then. Raynor you will race up first to draw the fire of any zerg in the area. While you are doing that, we'll follow up behind and set up a two sided battle line. Once we're through the breach, so to speak, things should get easier.'

'That may not be necessary.' said Emily. 'Given that Backwater Station is now secure it might be wise to simply take a defensive position and allow Alpha Squadron to handle all further operations.'

'Oh yeah, because that worked out so well last time.' said Fredrick.

'She may have a point.' said Gui. 'We'll probably take casualties if we scale that way. And we've achieved our primary objectives. The colonists are all secure.'

Serena considered it. She got the feeling that it would be the most tactful response to the situation. If she left some of the zerg intact it might allow the Confederacy to still gain the benefits of her experiment. By all rights, she should allow it to happen.

She looked to her men. She did not want to lose anyone else.

Then it occurred to her that if she let Alpha Squadron finish the job the Confederacy would take all the credit. The militia who had fought, killed and died would be given an offhand mention while glorious Alpha Squadron would be lauded as heroes for coming in and destroying the zerg. The idea was intolerable to her.

'No.' said Serena. 'I will not concede defeat. We march on the zerg north of here.' She paused. 'Michael Liberty,'

'Yes,' said Liberty.

'I am relying on you to write a full report on what happened here today. You should note the Confederacy's lack of action and the heroism of the colonial militia. You will then conclude by noting that the colonists of Mar Sara eagerly await the Confederacy taking action against the zerg.'

'I was pretty much going to write that anyway.' said Liberty.

'Excellent,' said Serena, 'let's move.'

They went north, guided by Gui until at last, they came to the ramp he had spoken of. Arraying their forces at its base, Raynor stood ready. He took a deep breath and looked at her. 'You know this is crazy right? You are using me as cannon fodder.'

'You can call yourself bait if you would prefer it.' said Serena.

'I don't.' said Raynor, before gunning his engine.

Surging up the cliff, the men followed behind in a mass. Sure enough, the sound of spines being shot resounded and they bounced off Raynor's bike as zerglings rushed after him from either side. For a few terrible moments, the militia was racing, hearts pounding, legs pumping. They knew that if the zerg barred their path they would be utterly screwed.

Then they were over the edge of the hills and spilling forward. Turning around in mid-step they opened fire on the distracted zerg. The creatures redirected their attention too late. Many of the zerg died in moments, yet more was on their way from both sides. It wasn't long before the militia was fighting against waves of zerg numbering in the thousands from both sides. The ground shook, and you couldn't shoot without hitting something.

Raynor fired his grenades as the line reached the firebats, who roasted the zerg as they came. For a few moments, there was terrible chaos as several of the firebats exploded and died. A zergling ripped through a marines arms and legs, before eating his face.

Finally, it stopped. The zerg now lay all dead around them, charred and shot to pieces. Some of the militia had died as well. Serena felt bitter as she watched some of her troops bury them, or what was left of them. She now wondered if her choice had been right, to launch the attack. Had she caused more trouble for the militia than she had solved?

Even so for now they had a series of flesh structures to obliterate. The sight of watching those hive clusters be consumed in a pillar of flame as the men fired incendiary rounds into their midsts. Soon enough they were all ashes and the creep began to recede.

'Well, that's that.' said Raynor. 'Figure we ought to call it a day?'

She wanted to, but she had a job to do. 'No,' said Serena, 'not yet. Gui is this where the Confederate outpost was located?'

'No,' said Gui, 'it was a little way to the north. See over there.'

Serena looked and saw a vague shape on the horizon. 'Right, we'll head over there and check it out. Lock and load people, we're not out of the woods just yet.'

The troops moved forward together towards the command center, and as they drew closer, it began to look wrong. Many fleshy tendrils were running throughout its metal frame, which seemed to have partially collapsed in on itself. Vast pulsing fleshy growths could be seen all over it.

'What the hell did they do to that Command Center?!' asked Fredrick.

'Whatever it is, it ain't natural.' said Raynor. 'Burn it, boys.'

A soldier raised his gun and opened fire before Serena slammed it down. She had to leave the Confederacy something about this, and they would probably want to study it. 'Belay that order! Take up defensive positions around it! Scan for hostiles but do not destroy the building, I repeat, do not destroy the building.'

'Are you kidding?' asked Raynor. 'That thing… it might be dangerous.'

'Organic material fusing with neo steel?' asked Serena. 'That is the sort of thing which could be worth scientific research. The Confederates will probably want to take a look anyway.'

'That factory could be dangerous.' said Raynor. 'For all we know it could be creating the things we've been fighting all this time. We can't just let it be.'

'…No,' said Serena, 'you are right. That is why we are going inside.'

Authors Note:

Okay so here we have the latest chapter. Originally I was going to entitle this Backwater Station part 2. However, I decided that since Backwater Station was secured last mission, we're going to have it be named something else. The thing about the Backwater Station mission is that a lot of things of import happen in it. The bond between the Magistrate and Raynor deepens, the Overmind's ultimate plan is hinted at. And the Confederacy sets the stage for it becoming the primary antagonist.

Also, did Serena just figure out the plot?

Now some of you may have noticed that I am giving the zerg truly massive casualties compared to the terrans. Some might say this defies belief. I would argue that if would defy belief for the zerg not to take massive casualties, and to give you an idea of why I will bring up World War 1.

In World War 1 whole armies were killed almost to a man because they had to assault positions guarded by machine guns and men with rifles which could only fire one bullet at a time. A common strategy was to unleash a massive artillery bombardment on the enemy position to soften it up, then launch a charge.

Okay, imagine that. Then imagine that every single soldier on the opposite trench has a fully automatic gauss rifle which reduces sentient creatures to bloody chunks and almost never has to be reloaded. Imagine that you have no artillery to support you. Then further imagine that you do not have a rifle to shoot back with.

Now you have an idea of what it's like to be a zergling.