Magistrate to Commander
Chapter 14: Vindictive Rebellion
Act 2
"Protoss and Zerg forces sighted."
"Set us down, they're going to need our help." I tell the pilot through my suit's communicator.
"Roger that."
"Do not fire on the Protoss forces." They're our only ticket off this planet, since the Sons of Korhal are in control over the orbital defenses.
I can feel the dropship touch down, light spills in as the doors open, revealing the skirmish. For once there isn't an overwhelming number of Zerg. "Establish a perimeter, do not fire on the Protoss."
A dozen marines charge out around me. Part of me wonders where all the Zerg went since the Sons of Korhal shut off the Psi Emitters, but the rest of me doesn't care… The Zerg will get what's coming to them.
I scan the battlefield, looking for what might look like a Protoss officer, but so far all I'm seeing is warriors and those spider legged things. "We'll need another Dropship here for the Protoss armor."
"On my way." A loyal Pilot informs.
This is the third group we've found, but no leaders, but at least we don't have to explain ourselves anymore as word seems to have gotten out amongst the Protoss forces that we're aiming to evacuate survivors.
An electrical storm erupts, covering the Protoss retreat, and hope rises as a Protoss who's clearly not a warrior emerges, escorted by a few of the warriors. "I think we've found who we're looking for." I tell the Pilot of my current dropship. "Next stop is the Command Center."
"Roger."
The protoss throws an arm out and summons another storm. "Greetings, Executor Terran."
Executor? "Name's Max, are you a commander?"
"I am Tassadar, Executor of the protoss force here on Tarsonis." The protoss introduces himself.
If 'Executor' means what I think it means, Jackpot. "We need to head back to base, in the meantime we need to talk." I turn to enter the Dropship.
"I can feel your anguish, Executor-"
"Later." Great, they're telepaths… that explains how word got out. "We need to get offworld first."
"Understood." Tassadar nods in understanding. The dropship doors close as the dropship reaches capacity, I sit across from Tassadar, my guards at my sides, as his are beside him.
"Have you splintered off from your main force?" Tassadar asks, genuinely curious.
They don't have mouths, how do they- "Yes, we split off from the Sons of Korhal when Mengsk tried sacrificing a quarter of my forces to the Zerg after using them to distract your forces, Executor." I explain, the bitterness slipping out.
"You lost someone important to you, didn't you?" I'm not sure what tone Tassadar's speaking to me with, or how he's speaking for that matter.
"To the Zerg, yes." It should have been me. "I want to make Mengsk pay, for what he did to her, and to Tarsonis."
"How did Mengsk lure the Zerg to Tarsonis?"
I sigh, and then tell him what I know about the Psi Emitters, how we got them, where, and why I endorsed the use of it on Antiga prime. "And to top it all off… it was my Brain Scan that was used to make it possible." I knew it the moment I realized what Serah did… The psi Emitters were echos of my pain.
"That explains why we felt as though something was being tortured." Tassadar muses.
Yup, Psionic. "Mengsk left a blockade of Battlecruisers surrounding the planet, if either of us wants to get offworld we need to take care of them."
"If you can find a probe, I can warp in structures and gather the rest of my forces and punch through it."
"Not a chance, Gen-Executor Edmund Duke got control over Tarsonis's defences, including the Ion Cannons, any fleet you could muster would drop out of the sky like flies once those start firing." I shake my head.
"What would you propose instead?"
"We're going to take control of the Ion Cannons, and turn them on the Battlecruisers, force some Yamato's out of them or risk losing ships."
"Magistrate." Graves voice comes over the coms.
"Yes Sergeant?"
"Alpha Squadron tanks moving into firing position."
"Have they spotted you?"
"Course not."
"Hit them while they're Sieging."
The coms crackles as Graves cuts the transmission. "If what you say is true, Mengsk's forces will protect the cannons with everything, how're we going to get close?"
"That's where you come in, Executor Tassadar." I look the Protoss in the eyes. "My men will distract Alpha Squadron and the Sons of Korhal in a way that leaves a corridor open for your troops to slip by unnoticed."
"This is quite the task you're trusting to us, Executor Max."
"If we don't work together, neither of us are getting off of Tarsonis alive, it's a risk I'm willing to take… Inform your men, we can't wait long."
"We are connected through the Khala, they already know."
"Khala, connected?" I furrow my brow, Tassadar just nods. "So… You guys are like a semi Hive Mind?"
"Explain."
"You're connected with every Protoss, but your thoughts are your own?"
"Correct, but we aren't a Hivemind, like the Zerg are."
"Knew it… what's controlling them?"
"The Overmind." Tassadar's voice is full of spite and hatred. "It controls the Zerg along with it's cerebrates."
"When this is all over with, I want you to tell me everything you know about the Zerg." The last thing I remember is the kiss, such a bittersweet memory.
Tassadar nods. "You have my word."
"Shock'n Awe change positions to Sieging Grounds three and six."
"Moving out!"
"Wraith squadrons provide air support to Shock'n Awe."
"Roger."
"Rangers I want you on Hit and run, don't let them regroup and don't get bogged down."
"Whatever you say." Raynor responds, eager to get into the fight.
"Tassadar, stay hidden and wait for the signal."
"We are ready." Tassadar responds, it's convenient that they don't need a terran communicator to keep in touch.
"Adjutant, keep an eye on the Battlecruisers, tell me immediately if anything changes."
"Yes magistrate… Yamato signatures detected, several Alpha Squadron Battlecruisers destroyed. Incoming transmission."
"To whom am I speaking?" I demand the moment the channel opens.
"This is Matthew Horner, we've taken control over the Hyperion and a number of battlecruisers, and managed to cripple the blockade."
"You glorious bastard!" I let out a laugh. "What about Mengsk?"
"Warp signature detected leaving Tarsonis."
"He got away." Matt responds.
I let out a groan. "Chances are he bailed once the mutiny began, we're doing what we can to deal with the Ion Cannons, but it'll take time."
"Communication terminated, signal lost."
Speak of the devil. "Is that the signal you were referring too?" Tassadar wonders.
"No, but it'll do!" I hop into the flame car that Simmons left for me, and join up with the Executor's forces. "Shock'n Awe give the Protoss Siege support, we're going in!" I'm flanked by several more flame cars, or whatever Simmon's called them.
"For Auir!" A war cry erupts from the Protoss, and they charge ahead, the car just barely able to keep up.
Skyscrapers fall as artillery strikes, collapsing on top of stray Zerg Clouds, and electrical flurries take out what's left. Zerglings attempt to flank us, but these Flame Cars are more than enough to corral the creatures away from the insurgency force.
To say that we managed to charge through undetected is a bold faced lie, and I got to see firsthand how the Protoss fought Serah.
They're protected by some sort of shielding, allowing them to blindly charge into the stream of bullets, and even mortar shells as they descend upon their prey. It's a slaughter, as the plasma blades cut straight through the neosteel armor. "Terran tank sieging in the distance!" A warrior calls out.
"Take it out before it-" And it's gone as an artillery shell hits it.
"Boom baby!" Graves cheers over the comms. "That's the farthest we've ever hit!"
"Good work Sergeant, keep it up!" I can see the Command Center in the distance, we're close. "Target in sight!"
"Come warriors, victory is upon us!" Tassadar rally's his forces, and the protoss surge ahead, Dragoons blasting enemy Wraiths out of the sky, and providing ranged support, it's not as good as Shock'n Awe, but it's a giant plasma spewing shielded metal spider that can be taken cover behind. And that's fine by me.
Alpha Squadron artillery shells start striking the Protoss forces, well out of range of Shock'n Awe. "If we get bogged down we're dead men!" I shout to Tassadar.
And then the protoss air arrives, moving in ways I've never seen a wraith move. "Scouts, prioritize the terran tanks."
Without realizing it we've reached the Command center. "Last stretch, get me to the AI core and the battle's over."
Tassadar, a number of his warriors, and a few of my marines enter the Command Center. "Can't expect me to stay on the sidelines forever." Raynor flips his visor open long enough for me to acknowledge him.
"I can't imagine a better soldier by my side." I return with a grin, the briefcase is carefully tucked away beneath my arm, careful to avoid crushing it.
"Where is the AI core?" Tassadar asks.
"Center of the structure, be wary of automatic defenses." There are Ghost's in here, I can feel them. And they can feel me. "We are not alone." The ghosts disappear from my perception.
"Stay sharp my warriors." The lights turn off, the only things lighting the room are my troops flashlights, and the protoss blades.
While staying in the center of our combined forces, I lead the insurgency through the dark corridors. "Gah!" There's a gunshot, and one of my marines falls to the ground.
"Contact!" Raynor shouts, spinning with his rifle raised.
Tassadar creates a storm, blocking off half of the room we're in, frying a ghost that was expecting his cloaking to protect him.
A bullet ricochets off of the Executor's shield, and his warriors leap towards the direction of the second ghost.
Tassadar grabs me and pulls me within his shield. "If you fall, all this is for naught."
"Thanks, ghosts are terrifying." I say that, yet I fell in love with one. I let out a sigh, trying to clear my mind of the loss.
A bullet ricochets off of the shield where my head would be. "Found you!" Raynor starts shooting, forcing the ghost to run, the Protoss warriors pursue.
Before the Warriors can reach the ghost, it drops a grenade, which explodes in a bright flash of light blinding everyone.
Three more shots, and then silence. The Ghost got away, another marine has fallen. "After this, can I trouble you for some shielding tech?" I jokingly ask.
"No."
"Worth a shot." I shrug. "Someone turn the lights on, these rooms are way to big for their own good." Something to streamline with Simmons later.
"Found a switch!" One of my three remaining marines shouts, turning on the lights.
The command deck. "We're right outside the AI core, someone help me get this blast door open." Two Warriors step up and start carving away at the door. "That works."
A sharp pain and my arm falls numb. "Ghost down." A marine snarls.
"I'm hit." I hiss, holding the briefcase in my hand while I clutch the wound. "Can't feel my arm."
"Raynor to base, Magistrate's wounded, we need a medic asap."
The marine ties up the ghost, and the warriors finish cutting the door off. "I thought there were more defences."
"Chances are Duke took them out for us when he was doing what we're doing." The arrogant old man was finally useful for once.
The only thing in the AI core is the Adjutant, and some broken turrets. "Paranoid for nothing."
"Yamato signature detected, aiming for the command center."
I sprint into the room and carefully plug the mobile unit in. "Common, we don't have much time!" I hate how strong this suit is, I'd be faster without it.. But probably dead… but with two working arms.
"Adjutant online." The command center's adjutant reboots.
"Retarget the ion Cannons for Alpha Squadron and the Sons of Korhal, but leave the muitanying battlecruisers alone."
"Targeting parameters set, defence grid activated, firing."
Several battlecruisers land, hopefully they're ours. "Need a lift back to… Auir, was it?"
"There are surviving Carriers, we will be fine, Executor."
"Oh right, the linked mind thing." I cannot fathom having my thoughts open to my entire species twenty four seven. "We'll call this even, you helped me and I helped you."
"Indeed, it will be an honor to fight alongside you again." Tassadar nods, and then… vanishes? Along with his warriors.
"What the hell." Raynor breathes.
"I'm there with you Raynor… let's go find a medic, and bring our prisoner with."
Waiting for us outside the Command Center is the Hyperion, ramp lowered with a welcoming committee.
I walk aboard the Hyperion to the salutes of loyal men and women. "Welcome aboard the Hyperion, Magistrate." Matthew greets, standing at attention.
"Thank you captain, nice ship you have here." I'd shake his hand, but that arm's in a cast, and numbed to the afterlife.
"Once everyone's loaded we'll take off."
"Are the Zerg still on the planet?" I ask.
"Not nearly the same number."
"The protoss are forwarding a ton of info over Magistrate, you need to see this." Someone on the bridge says through the intercom.
"Compile it for later, I need to take a nap." Constant fighting for three days, my goliath needs more than just repairs now, it needs a miracle. "Matt, how many bodies do we have?"
"Easily over two thousand, but there hasn't been a count yet."
"Do we need repairs before going anywhere?"
"Some of the ships took heavy damage, and there's no telling what the Ion Cannon didn't fry, and-"
"I've heard enough, we'll commandeer a shipyard for a bit, and then we can start our war in full."
"You have a plan?"
"I always have a plan." I answer with a sly smile, then drop it. "But it won't be liked by most of the people here."
"Transmission open." Matthew tells me.
I pull the microphone close. "Attention loyal citizens of the Confederacy, this is Maxton Dirge, Magistrate of Mar Sara." I pull on my collar, I can't believe I'm doing this. "Tarsonis has fallen to the Zerg, the Sons of Korhal crippled the planets defences, lured the Zerg to the planet and placed a blockade in orbit to make sure no one escaped the Zerg, and as a man who was on the ground for three Zerg invasions, I can personally tell you that they leave no survivors anywhere they go." I take a deep breath. "I would like to apologize to everyone for the family and friends they've lost, as I was the one who unwittingly handed over the ultimate weapon to the Sons of Korhal, and they turned around and used it on the Confederates without batting an eyelash. I gave him the Psi Emitter, a device that calls Zerg by ringing the dinner bell and again I've personally seen the effects myself, that safety he offers is nothing but lies designed to force you to flock to him, he's not some benevolent ruler, he's a Fear Monger who would rather watch your homeworld burn to ashes than to allow it to live outside of his control-"
"Battlecruisers warping in, sir." Matthew informs me.
"Even now he moves to silence us, and if you're listening Mengsk I have only one thing left to say."
"The Confederacy hasn't died yet, not on my watch." I flick my wrist across my neck.
"Finished, recorded, and warping to the randevu." Matthew informs me, and then issues orders to the rest on his bridge.
The first barrage manages to graze the ship, but we warped out before any lasting damage can be done. "If the Sons of Korhal attack any world we need to be there to protect the people."
"You think that Confederate soldiers will join us?"
"It's either us or Mengsk, I think I made that pretty clear."
"At least one of us is optimistic."
I chuckle as I walk towards the elevator. "And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see how many Ghost Academy personal stowed away on our ships."