I do not own Blizzard nor do I own Starcraft. Enjoy!
Ch 14: Defection
"I just don't see," Vincent said through a mouthful of corn bread, "why they would send Zerg to Tarsonis to fight the Confederacy for us. I mean, once the Zerg are there, they're there, and we'll be lucky if the Protoss don't burn this world too!"
Kagi took a quick drink of the 'juice', which was flavored water packed with nutrients, "how else are we supposed to win?"
"By fighting them!" Vincent emphasized with is fist. "Think of all the innocents that will be killed through this!"
"Yes but... what if we didnt?" Jill asked, "what if we went down there and fought them for every meter of soil? Both our forces would be decimated, then who could stand up to the Zerg and the Protoss?"
"Yes, but all the innocents wouldn't be killed, if we had to we could enlist all of them to fight," Vincent concluded.
"No, then they would be killed just the same by the same abominations, and we can't train those replacements fast enough, or arm them as well as we can arm what forces we have right now."
Kagi took another bite, checking the area around their table to make sure no officers nor neurologically resocialized troops were close enough to hear.
"Its the lesser evil Vincent, you have to accept this sort of thing in war."
That doesn't sound like Elly at all, Kagi thought to himself, Elly would be just as furious as Vincent, no, moreso. Whatever they did to her, shes still definatly fighting it.
"I suppose... but, there must have been something else. Only the future will really show us though, when we look back on this. Someone will find something that would have saved everyone. Like a peace treaty with the confederacy or something," Vincent said it a little sadly.
"Maybe," Kagi replied, "but remember, they want us bad, and don't think we're anything militaristically. They probably don't know that we set those psi-emitters up around Tarsonis."
"I'm just a little worried myself," Jill tried to change the subject, "if Mengsk is willing to sacrifice the largest population of the Terran worlds, what else will he sacrifice?"
"Like us? Or other planets?"
"Yeah."
"Well you see," Kagi had that 'I-have-a-lot-to-say' look, "in my opinion..."
Now they all sat outside a re-activated Ion Cannon that had been taken from the Confederacy.
"Vincent," Kagi said, with his glove on his face shield, "tell me why exactly we're here. And why we're up against PeBo and that ex-Marshal Raynor?"
"Because they defected."
"And why did they defect?"
"Because Mengsk sent some troops to their death against the Protoss and Zerg, and left them to rot without e-vac."
"And why are we supporting him!"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
"Will you boys just be quiet," Jill turned to them, "and concentrate on staying alive. At that moment a nuclear explosion flattened some of Alpha Squadron.
They all grew very somber. Despite the massive difference in troops, Raynor and PeBo were gaining a lot of ground, and laying out anything that got in their path.
"Face it, they've got the moral we wish we had," Vincent said waving his hand at the troops.
"Very true, so what should we do? If they get here do we just get blasted?"
"I'd personally rather not die." Jill said with slight uncare.
Three dropship came out of nowhere to make a fast landing on a southern section of the Ion Cannon's platform, "shit, they're here?" Jill asked questioningly.
One of the dropship came apart with marines scrabbling to get away from the wrekage, they opened fire on the missile turrets nearby before any troops could respond in time. One was clad in teal.
"Get ready!" Kagi shouted to the other two, they were posted at the entrance.
Pillars of flame flew up from the destroyed missile turrets. The marines made their way up out of the divetted darker section of the platform. A squadron of wraiths flew in to the, now turretless, lower section.
"Can we really fight against PeBo? He is... was our commander," Vincent spoke to himself and the other two.
"We might be able to defect. Maybe. But chances are that they will shoot first and ask later... what can we do?" Kagi looked between the two, then a smile crept up Jill's face.
"Kris, take blue team and clear those two turrets; I'll take red and hit this one, then we pincer the troops above!"
"Sir!" Kris said with a weak salute, already heading off with the peppy soldiers.
Samuel took the dozen under his command and rushed the next turret on the Ion Cannon's orbital platform. Soon enough, charges were set, and they were standing by while the other team set their second charges. Another few seconds and the smoking craters that were the other two turrets were joined by three fresh pillars of flame.
The two groups moved in on the waiting defense force, abunker held protected troops, three goliaths, three marines and three firebats out of bunkers. The Ion Cannon was a huge monolith in the background, blocking out the capitol of Tarsonis, which was now bathed in flame and creep. Guns blazed in both directions, the troops they were opposing would get injured and fall, or surrender after heavy damages; but Raynor's Raiders would charge until bullets ripped them in half, then fire until they lost consciousness anyway. In no time the unprotected soldiers were dead, rockets tore into the joints of the three goliaths, one pilot was killed by a lucky shot and the other two were quickly captured from their smashed cockpits.
The rest of Red team made a charge at the barracks, the weapons were badly aimed from inside, rather jerky, the soldiers were probably using stim packs. One of the troops were injured and fell to the ground in the charge, the others reached the barracks and hit the ground under the shuttered kill-holes. Samuel signaled to three others to follow him, and the others to support them. The support troops would rise only long enough to fire a few rounds into the barracks before kneeling again to avoid the shots that wizzed over their heads.
Red's leader and his small task force shot open the locks on the barracks door, and rushed it with their shoulders to knock it in, the troopers inside could hardly see that they had lost their advantage beforeC-14 impalers tore them into a gory mess.
The troops reconvened, Kris and Sam, Blue and Red leaders, got orders from commander PeBo; "the enemy forces on the other side of the platform haven't moved yet, they may not know you're there. All thats left to clear now is a missile turret so the air support can get in, then you will support their attack on the approximated forces of eight marines, six goliaths, and a battlecruiser. Go."
PeBo continued to brief them on the situation as the group set the last of the charges for the turret, and prepared for the last assault run, "the battlecruiser isn't showing up as a registered ship so I can't tell you whats onboard it. Leave it to the wraith forces though, the squadron should be able to take it down, attack the goliaths first; as they can fire upon the wraiths easier. Good luck men, I hope to welcome you onto the dropships out of there.
Nineteen were left from the initial twenty-four, two were headed back to the LZ for e-vac due to injuries. Three weren't coming home. "Lets get that bastard Mengsk and show him what Raynor's Raiders can do!" a soldier shouted over his comm-link.
The troops charged off to combat, impaler spikes bit into the cockpits of the goliaths; the last of the rockets blew apart whatever they could make contact with. By the end of the explosive volley only one was still up, two rockets from the opposing marines sailed over their heads, one more found purchase a few feet from some marines; sending them rolling and struggling to some kind of attack position. Red leader's second-in-command was suddenly propelled backward, he could see from his HUD's rear camera that a very powerful rifle had been used to blow a hole in his chest.
"Ghosts!" he shouted over the comm, he kneeled to continue firing on the still very dangerous marines and hit a button on his belt, "command! We need a sensor sweep ASAP North of our position. We have been fired on by cloaked units, please assist."
"No can do, an attack just disabled th-" a wave of static and much shouting, "I'm needed elsewhere, please make do!"
Sam cursed. The last enemy marines were being taken apart when the squad of wraiths flew over and met the lumbering battlecruiser head-on. Sam searched frantically for the warped appearance of a ghost anywhere nearby. A soldier in Blue team called out, blood sprayed from his shoulder in the same way Sam's second had his chest hit. Another shot just bearly missed Kris. The respective teams looked to their leaders in horror while above them missiles and lasers cut into battlecruiser and wraith alike. Then something he really didn't count on, he could see the thrusters of more wraiths coming from the enemy base to support the cruiser. Too many for the wraiths, his men would have to support.
Then something no one had counted on. Or would dare count on. Two ghosts fell to the ground with their cloaking systems flickering off behind their prone bodies were marines in Mengsk's colors.
"Hold fire... wait for them to engage!" he called out to his and Kris' troops.
The wraiths arrived and launched a volley at their allies, "hit those aircraft!"
Red and Blue team collectively fire up at the attacking craft, Sam kept his eye on the three new arrivals. They seemed to speak to eachother, one pointed to the fray of aircraft, two rockets fired from the two battle-dressed soldiers. The one in medic garb rushed toward Red and Blue teams. He let her(?) approach, watching to see where the rockets hit. A slow moving enemy wraith lost its burst laser and stabilizers, another hit from an allied wraith sent it spiraling.
The two marines headed toward Sam's company, one was in command armor, the other looked even more heavy-duty than normal marines. The medic was kneeling beside an injured soldier, and moments later he was up and continuing to fire on the wraiths. A short time of battle later, the battlecruiser crashed to the ground in a mess of flame. The wraiths circled and entered a patrol formation, Sam and Kris forced a link with Mengsk's strange soldiers.
"Who are you and why did you help us?"
"Corporals Kagi, Vincent, and Jill. Sending ID codes now... ... ... sorry guys, we missed the defection party, hope we're still welcome." Sam couldn't tell from here which of the men were speaking, the medic was in fact a woman.
"Command?" Kris had taken the initiative to contact base.
"Command here, things are back under control, but the comsat still isn't online, and-"
"Its alright, we don't need the sweep anymore. We've got three defectors here wanting to join up. Permission? Here are the ID's."
"Hey, these are some of Commander PeBo's flagged personnel, I've been instructed to give them benefit of the doubt until we can check them personally at base. Keep them under watch and bring them straight to the command center upon return."
"Understood." Kris turned to the small group, "welcome aboard, now lets take down that cannon!"
Nineteen marines arrived via dropship at the base, a very electrically charged fire was bursting in what was left of the Ion Cannon facility. Samuel and Kris kept their rifles at ready on Kagi, Vincent, and Jill.
They were taken immediatly to the command center, disarmed, and taken to see the commander.
His room was very utilitarian, no plush anything, no luxuries that his own troops didn't get. His hands were sliding over his keyboard and monitors very quickly. They stood at attention for a minute or two before he looked at them.
"Thank you for waiting," he stood and motioned to armor accommodating seats on either side of his desk. In a few seconds five of the six chairs were occupied.
"Ah, Kagi, Vincent, and E...Jill. Its good to see you again. You've been here since the beginning, really defying the odds to stay alive aren't you?"
"Just reporting for duty sir."
Alright, I'm getting a bit more regular with all this. So we'll see what effect summer vacation has on it! Thanks for reading, Review please! Woo, finals. This'll be interesting. Then I'm taking around four Advanced Placement courses next year. Yes. I will be killed. Then hung. Then shot. And only after then shall I be kicked in the shins whilst down. YAY!
Sharpshooter- I've never actually seen Enemy at the Gates (was that the title?) I looked it up and I think I'll have to give it a look. Thanks for your continued support. If you weren't posting all these comments I just might have given up. But hell, at least I have one fan.