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Chapter 25
"There is da fight! To Waaagh!"
At the roar of their Warboss, the Ork horde redoubled their speed and charged downhill. Against them, Zerglings numbering just over two hundred were sent along with Banelings, Roaches and everything that the colony's Queen could throw at the horde. Terrifying claws and deadly acid were ready to tear through the thick skins and heavy muscles of the Orks, while barbaric melee weapons and crude guns in overwhelming numbers greeted the deadly creatures.
Bullets from Sluggas and Shootas filled the air and the Zerglings were showered with them. Though individual bullets could not pierce the carapace of the Zerg, there were simply too many. Some random bullets would blow up an eye or two here and there and the wings on the Zerglings were clipped and shredded. Then the Gretchens met the Zerglings. With the average Zergling size grown larger, the Zerglings found it easy to tear or stomp through the waves of Gretchens, at least in the beginning. It was mere moments later that the sheer number of Gretchens began to overwhelm the Zerglings and some Gretchens even met Raptors and Roaches. These tiny creatures were mostly armed only with a crude knife, but there were so many. Some of the Gretchens jumped on to Zerg creatures with bombs strapped on their bodies. Giving no thoughts to their own deaths, the Gretches exploded, sometimes killing a Zergling though the bombs mostly wounded the Zerg.
However, the Zerglings slowed down because of the Gretchens and that loss of momentum was critical particularly considering how the Zerg were outnumbered there. As the Raptors jumped around stomping Gretchens and Roaches melted down scores of masses Gretchens, the Ork Boyz came upon the Zerg. Slugga Boyz with their Choppas and Sluggas roared with dreadful glee as them charged into the fray. Choppas severed Zergling heads and necks and legs while the Sluggas spewed down big chunky bullets were blasted upon the thick carapace, cracking the bio-armor. The Zerg fought back hard. Zerglings would form groups of two or three and jump upon an Ork Boy and would tear through the Ork with their claws and teeths. Raptors, led by Velociraptors, would leap into the dust-filled skirmishes and would slice through ranks of Orks, leaving tattered arms and legs, leaving the disarmed Orks to meet their deaths at the claws of other Zerg. Orks recognized the danger posed by the Raptors and fought back against them with Burnas. Crude flamethrowers of the Orks would spew fire upon the Zergs and Orks alike, but they did scorch several Raptors, slowing them down enough for the Shoota Boyz to shoot them down.
The counter against the Burna and Shoota Boyz were the Roaches and Hydralisks. Roaches and their variants leaped into the battle with no hesitation and they liberally dispensed their deadly acid upon the Orks. They would also swing their axe-like claws to cut down large foes so that their acid would melt them down easier. When the Burnas and Shootas began to appear from the behind the Slugga Boyz, the Queen ordered the Roaches and Hydralisk to counter them. Roaches remodulated their acid spewing mechanism to fire narrow but longer-reaching acid and they sprayed them against the Orks. The Beetles, a heavier variant of Roaches did not have the same level of range with their acid but they were slightly larger and had heavier armor, along with denser muscles for the claws. This allowed them to crash through ranks of Orks and Zergs, and opened clear path for other Zerg ranged units to fire. Meanwhile, Smokers did what they do best. They sprayed thick smog of acid that not only hurt the Orks, who were did not have the same mucus covering their exterior like the Zerg units, but the fog made it extremely difficult for the Orks to shoot.
That was not really a problem for the Shoota Boyz though. They never really understood the concept of 'aiming', and simply fired at the general direction of the enemy. A storm of bullets would rain into the smog, but after the first wave of bullets, which had left at least one Hydralisk blind and two Zerglings dead, the Zerg units inside the smog changed their tactics, which was a good example of how versatile Zerg could be. By the time the fog had dissipated, Shoota Boyz had killed nearly fifty Gretchens and six Boyz in their aimless spraying of bullets. Then the Zerg creatures exploded from beneath their feet. Shoota Boyz was not really equipped to handle heavy melee attack. This made it easier for the Roaches, Beetles and Hydralisks to cut them down with claws sharper than razor and gleaming with blue aura. Unfortunately, the valiant defence against the Orks was not going well.
There were simply too many Orks. Though the Roach & Hydralisk team had tore apart a dozen Shoota Boyz and several Burna Boyz, and the Zerglings had managed to slaughter almost a hundred Ork Boyz not to mention over a hundred Gretchens, there were still more Orks while the Zerg now numbered much less than a hundred. Another five groups of Shoota and Burna Boyz appeared along with several hundred more Slugga Boyz, and with several Nobz this time. Though screaming with defiance, the Zerg units relayed the situation to the Queen, who immediately ordered retreat. She needed to buy some time, and this first battle bought her the precious minutes. With her plan in motion, the Zerglings were first to retreat, their bodies being required to turn into Banelings. The larger creatures, including the lone Ultralisk that managed to slaughter over thirty Slugga Boyz and a group of Shoota Boyz, immediately burrowed underground and evaded the enemy. The retreating Zerg forces were covered by the two Brood Lords.
The Brood Lords fired their Broodlings at the Orks, and knowing that the Orks didn't have any weapons to hurt them, the two huge flying creatures focused all their attention into killing the Orks. Each attack by the Brood Lords fired two Broodlings, and they replaced them quite quickly as well. Sending the Broodlings encased in Psi Blade field, their attacks were deadly enough to halt the advances of the Ork horde as the Ork Boyz were delighted in fighting and killing the Broodlings. The Broodlings were fired at such velocity that an Ork Boy would die by a single shot. The damage difference between the new Brood Lords and original Brood Lords was so massive. The Broodlings would actually tear a hole through Ork Boys, and since a Broodling was almost as big as original Zerglings, the hole it leaves behind is massive, and because there are two Broodlings fired at a target, the target is quickly turned into a piece of meat with two large chunks cut out. Not even the tough Ork physiology could handle such damage. Even a Nob was killed by a second attack. Three large holes in the torso and half the head torn out were not something that even an Ork body could handle.
The Orks were not utterly helpless this time. At a bark from one of the lesser Warbosses, several individual Orks moved amid the horde. Carrying gnarled copper sticks, WeirdBoyz appeared among the sea of green. Then they looked up at the Brood Lord and fired Psychic Vomit. It was a disgusting-looking ability, and pillars of crackling green psychic energy sprayed toward the Brood Lord. The Brood Lords was beyond the range of the attack, but the nature of psychic attacks had meant that it was highly unpredictable. The Khaydarin Crystals within the large flying creature absorbed some of the psychic attack that reached the Brood Lord, but their capacity was quickly filled and remaining psychic energy was dispersed by the thin layer of Plasma Shield, draining the shield. Then the rest of the Ork horde responded. Lootas fired their guns and laser weapons up into the sky, while Rokkits flew up in groups of dozens. Faced with an incredible amount of resistance, the Brood Lord began to retreat as he felt some of the bullets and lasers hitting its carapace and eating away at its defenses. In fact, some of the Rokkits even hit the Brood Lord, sending shockwaves through the flesh. Roaring like an wounded animal, the large flier retreated, making the Queen seethe with rage at the Orks' offensive capability that had seemingly increased tenfold.
However, all these counter-attacks had bought the Queen precious time. As the Ork forces halted to scavenge the remains of the Zerg units for their carapaced shells and deadly claws, the Queen had nearly forty Roaches hatch through Rapid Genesis, and only three of them had failed, allowing her thirty seven fresh Roaches to stymie the attack of the Ork Waaagh! until reinforcements arrive. She already knew that the Overmind had sent nearly five hundred Zerglings and numerous other Zerg creatures. Unfortunately, the Zerglings, as the fastest units in the Swarm's arsenal, were still nearly an hour away while the Orks were around 40 minutes away. It was the difference of 20 minutes that could decide the fate of this particular colony, and whether the path toward the Alpha Hive would open for the Ork Waaagh!.
As the Queen prepared for battle and relocated Spine Crawlers in optimal positions behind various covers or up on advantageous positions, the remaining Zerg forces under her command prepared for the battle of their lives. Of course, only the Queen would survive this since her consciousness would be transferred to another body, but lesser Zerg were not so fortunate. With all 21 Spine Crawlers now positioned at their optimal positions, the Zerg could do nothing but wait. Meanwhile, the Queen exhausted her energy to spawn more Larvae, allowing nearly eighty Zerglings to be born through Rapid Genesis. Zerglings had the least failure rate for the Rapid Genesis thanks to their simple DNA.
The minutes passed, and the Ork horde finally arrived. The problem was that the Orks brought armored vehicles. Crude forms of half dozen Wartrukks carrying the Boyz were followed by a dozen Warbuggys. This tactic was not experienced by the Queen, and she panicked. She sent her Zerglings and Roaches to counter the fast-moving enemies but the Zerglings were either shot down by the twin-linked Big Shootas or crushed by the bullbars of the vehicles. Roaches were not fast enough to catch up with the Ork vehicles, but they did manage to spew some acid on several of vehicles. Unfortunately, the distraction only allowed the Orks to flank the Roaches. Thousands of Gretchens and hundreds of Ork Boyz of various classifications rushed upon the Roaches. The Queen was forced to send everything she had against the Orks, though she was sane enough to pull back the Roaches into the range of Spine Crawlers.
Once inside the range of their biological defense towers, the Roaches turned around to fight back, now supported by the long reaching spines. Like harpoons shot at whales, the Spine Crawlers flung their deadly Impaler Tentacles against the Orks, tearing large holes in their tough green bodies. Gretchens were quickly turned into mush at such attacks, but the Boyz and occasional Nobz were able to stand more than one hit from the spines. If he was lucky, an Ork Boy would lose an arm or a leg rather than his head. Of course, the second attack from the Spine Crawler was usually fatal either by making a large hole in the torso or crushed the head. A Nob would survive longer, mostly due to their tougher and large constitution but sometimes because they were fast and strong enough to block or parry the attack from a Spine Crawler. This was rare and even the Nobz were unable to withstand the sharp ends of Impaler Tentacles clad in Psi Blade.
The Orks were too numerous in the end, and even the Queen herself was forced into combat despite every unit under her command, even most of the Drones, were directed into battle. Her claws were sharp enough to pierce the thick skins and muscles of Orks, and she did not hesitate to tear her preys apart. Gretchens were crushed under her clawed feet while her attack claws slashed at the Ork Boyz while she also fired her attack spines. The evolution that allowed her to use spines against ground units at the same time as her claws had allowed her a greater combat prowess. Though stray bullets and occasional Choppas hit her carapace, she was tough enough to ignore them. Also, the retreated Brood Lord was right above her, and sent down its Broodlings to fight those around her. Surrounded by the Broodlings that ate away at the enemy, the Queen pressed on, sending her minions against the Orks so that she could kill just one more Ork.
The numbers began to take toll on the Zerg within minutes. The first casualty was the lone Ultralisk. Dozens of Rokkits exploded all over the Ultralisk as the smaller Zerg creatures were overwhelmed by the relentless green tide. Then one by one, Spine Crawlers began to explode to death as Lootas fired their Deffguns and some of the Stikkbombs were thrown at the Zerg defenses. The Queen fought valiantly but the battle was already over. The Queen fell at the hands of nine Nobz, who had hacked away at the Zerg Queen with their large Big Choppas and even though eight Nobz fell by the Queen, the large Orks were in such frenzy that the Queen could not survive. When the Queen died, the rest of the Zerg in the colony faltered.
Like the Tyranids and their Synapse creatures, the Queen was the brains of the operation, and though the Overlords that floated up high maintained certain level of cohesion among the creatures, they did not show the same kind of determination or tactical movements. Within minutes, rest of the surviving Zerg fell. Gretchens and Ork Boyz with greedy eyes dug into the corpses, hoping to rip our claws or carapace that they could arm themselves with. The choice bits were taken to the big Warboss Bugklaws, but there were enough claws to go around, at least for most of the Nobz. With the Nobz now armed with sharp claws taken from Zerglings or Roaches, the Orks roared in battle frenzy.
If I had a mouth and a throat, I would have growled in deep displeasure. Though my forces were vastly outnumbered, I was surprised at such quick defeat. I honestly did not expect the Orks to tech up. The last encounter with the Orks was against the feral Orks with very few guns. Now, the Orks even had a tank and many lesser vehicles. I had immediately diverted every possible resource that I could muster to prepare a counterattack. All reinforcements to Elric, Hargen and Volran were stopped and redirected to south where my Zerg forces began to pool in large groups. Travelling through the new network of Nydus Worms, nearly a thousand Zerglings have gathered, though more were coming as well as greater creatures.
This distraction by the Orks had greater impact to the Swarm than I had originally expected. Elric, who had captured all six fiefs south of the river, was unable to press further as his forces were stretched over six castles that held firm against the Swarm. Elric's strategy of devouring the countryside and then pressuring the castles was an excellent idea if enough reinforcements, such as Ultralisks, had arrived to break through the castle defenses. Unfortunately, the thick stone walls built upon a deep foundation denied Elric's plans to infiltrate the castles by burrow-move. All Elric could do now was to lay siege upon the castles, though even that was hindered by the small number of Hydralisks.
Hargen was also in trouble. Though his forces, made mostly of fliers, took minimal casualty, the overall number was far too small to conquer all the fiefs he was assigned to conquer. He managed to try hit-and-run tactics and broke the backs of the local forces through destruction of castles and fortifications; the number of kills was relatively minimal as the people fled in all directions.
Volran also had trouble as his forces were utterly cut off, and some of the Zerglings were even forced to return back over the mountain. Though still possessing a cadre of nearly eighty Ultralisks and their variant and a pool of Hydralisks and Roaches as well as several thousand smaller Zergs, the domain he needed to conquer was much more militarized than those targeted by Elric and Hargen. Already, his forces have suffered casualty of nearly three hundred Zerglings from various skirmishes. Volran needed more footsoldier-level creatures now that he was about to collide with thirty eight thousand well armed soldiers. Even though the might of heavier Zerg units would certainly deliver victory, Volran recognized the need for Zerglings to scour the region. Without direct support of the primary Swarm, Volran was forced to use the half dozen Hatcheries within the mountain range.
I recognized their needs, but I needed to prioritize. After rerouting every reserve force I have to assemble and counter the oncoming Ork Waaagh!, I took the first step to eradicate the Ork problem. I began this by calling up Alena. It was high time that she play her role in the Swarm. It was on the perfect timing as well. Her growth was almost complete, and the moments of her overly active affection disappeared as more Zerg aspect began to take over her consciousness. Of course, she would remain that charming person when inside the collective mind but once in her new body, Alena would be a match for Kerrigan. Already, two large cocoons were pulsating right next to the Omega Hive. The large cocoon was for Alena while the smaller one would contain a new incarnation of Toby.
The gestation of the two would still require some time, and my reserve forces would buy me that time. I assembled the first generation of uber-Queen-variants. Three Patriarchs, designed as tactical field commanders for the Swarm, were sent to command the reserve forces. Each Patriarch was a powerful creature designed to be a more aggressive and offensive version of Queens. Operating with male-like consciousness, a Patriarch was armed with four large Psionic Claws with serrated edge dripping with the same acid used by the Corruptors in their Corruption ability. Also, a Patriarch also possessed unsually high number of Khaydarin Crystals, which allows it to do many things beyond normal Zerg powers. The primary manifestation of the crystals' powers came in heavy Hardened Plasma Shield, with the shield strength as strong as that of Protoss Immortal. With thick and powerful carapace and superior muscle and skeletal structure, ironically derived from Orks, a Patriarch has the toughness easily double that of a Queen. In terms of ranged attack, a Patriarch opens its back carapace and raised a tail with similar anatomical form as that of a scorpion's tail. At the end of the tail is a large Khaydarin Crytal, and the Patriarch fires Prismatic Beam used by Void Rays of the Protoss fleet. Given time, the Patriarch can channel energy through its four claws to reinforce the Prismatic Beam, very much like the behavior of Void Rays.
The Patriarchs were not the only commanders sent to hold the green tide. Five Matriarchs, being strategic field commanders and specialists in defensive maneuvers, were also sent. Though not as tough or with thick carapace, a Matriarch actually carries more Khaydarin Crystal than Patriarchs, therefore having nearly double the shielding, which regenerates at double the rate though it is not a hardened shield. A Matriarch is primarily a ranged creature, capable of firing psionically charged spines at incredible range, velocity and rate. Firing at double the rate of a Hydralisk, and firing nearly 10% longer than a Hydralisk, the Psionic Spines of Matriarchs are capable of slicing through thick armors before exploded in a cloud of acid and bone shards. While capable of fighting in melee with two Psionic Claws, a Matriarch prefers to hide behind her brood.
These two Queen variants were not simply larger and stronger versions of Queens. They had abilities that could easily turn the tides of battles. Not only their brains are wired for war, they can focus the incredible psionic energy pulsating within their bodies to create anomalies that devastate the enemies. Aside from the abilities of normal Queens such as Spawn Creep Tumor and Spawn Larva, both of them have the ability to channel the psionic energy to stimulate their special organs, which fires a Broodling Seed, which pierces even the most powerful armor or shield, and explodes into a cloud of acid, amid which four Broodlings are born. Unlike the ability of Queen before Kerrigan overhauled the concept, these new Spawn Broodling ability did not require a host, therefore, it could even affect fully mechanical foes. A Matriarch has more reserve psionic energy, so she can fired many Broodling Seeds in quick succession.
On the other hand, Patriarchs can use their energy to spew sticky green slimes like a net. This was another revival of the old Queens' ability to Ensnare the enemy and slow them. This Ensnare ability, however, was so powerful that even an Ultralisk could not move for nearly 30 seconds during the experimentation. Patriarchs could also cast Psionic Storms. This powerful ability of the Protoss Templars was reformulated for the Zerg. Knowing that the Psionic Storm is basically frying any brains or circuits through enormous amount of highly agitated psionic energy, I changed the ability so that Zerg creatures under the influence of the casting Patriarch, thereby sharing the mental frequency, would be unharmed by the Psionic Storm, while that modification actually made the Psionic Storm more deadly to other living creatures.
I was confident that my Patriarchs and Matriarchs would do fine to halt the Orks.
By the time Orks had divided up the spoils of war, the Zerg's first counterstrike force was ready. Joined by the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the huge Zerg army moved southward. Nearly two thousand Zerglings and four hundred Baneling variants were backed up by numerous Roach variants and Hydralisks as well as Mutalisks and Brood Lords. At least two hundred Mutalisks swarmed the skies above the Zerg army with a dozen Guardians and as many Brood Lords floating high above the Zerg forces. Confident in their numbers, the Zerg army began to move further south, where five hundred Zerglings had already entrenched themselves in the Orks' path.