Disclaimer: I don't own Starcraft or its affiliates
A Mere Inconvenience
August 15th, Year 7
The royal hanger bay was bustling with activity as the engineers prepared for landing. Men were shouting instructions, machines were clanking around, and lights flashed everywhere as the blue Dropship drew closer to the floor, the jets slowly rotating around into a hover mode. The aircraft's landing gear eventually touched and stabilized on the metal flooring, a rather loud clank heard as the vehicle's weight was transferred to the ground.
Three white hair siblings standing nearby watched the Dropship's bay door hiss open, all of them tensing as they could make out not one, but two figures emerging from the vehicle. However, a more through scan of the individuals allowed them to relax, as it wasn't anyone unknown or hostile. The visitors were friends.
Prince Zeb stepped forward first, extending his hand out with a grin on his tattooed face. "Welcome to Terrazine! I trust your flight here went well?"
"Quite boring, but what can you do?" Commander Anthony replied in kind, grasping his friend's hand and shaking. The Terran then turned and smiled at the other royal persons, taking each of their hands and kissing the top of them. "And how do you two ladies do?"
"Great!" Clara cheered, hugging the Terran to return his gesture of affection. "Oh, I can't wait to catch up with you for the last year or so!"
"Satisfactory," Xana simply replied to Anthony question, her eyes looking past him. "You brought a single General with you."
"That's cause the smartest got himself shot up." General Cain explained, a hint of glee in his voice as he talked. "The weakling is in the hospital right now, couldn't even take a few bullets!"
"Easy Cain." Anthony calmed his friend down before turning back to the trio to fully describe the situation. "Takeshi had recently been involved in a fight with some criminals, and needed some time to recover. Abe flat out refused to come, stating that there was no challenge in meeting friends for talks. Rorke also refused to come, as he is busy 'working on something big'."
"And that's why you should have some closer friends as Generals! You'll have closer and more reliable advisers!" Zeb cheerfully commented, turning and gesturing for the others to follow. Together, the group began walking out of the hanger and into a side hallway. The Terrans noticed the sudden change in the environment as the metal coated hanger walls shifted to white marble coverings, which prompted them to question the change. "The royal hanger bay is a direct addition to our ancient palace here in Terrazine, so the connecting halls are a bit awkward in their design."
"Sharing some of your tech with us brought upon this change," Xana added, placing a hand on the marble wall before continuing down the hall. "The ancient past is fused together with the advanced future of this world, one of the many side effects of the Terran influence on us."
Her momentary action allowed the Terran Commander and the Royal Princess to lag behind the main group. Once he was sure that everyone else was out of earshot, Anthony slightly leaned towards Xana and whispered, "You quoted that from my letter perfectly and without hesitation. Impressive."
"It's a shame. I must've missed my calling as an actor." The white hair girl gave a slight sigh, winking at the black hair boy as she increased her pace to match her siblings. Anthony softly chuckled and quickened his feet as well, catching up with General Cain. The blond looked suspiciously at his boss, but decided to forgo his suspicion quickly. The Terran Commander knew what he was doing.
The group of six continued walking down the hallway and soon came upon several cross paths of halls. Without any sort of hesitation, the trio of white hair siblings knew their way and immediately guided the Terran visitors in the right direction, making way through the winding halls. The marble halls were devoid of any other people, marred only the occasional glimpse of a servant rushing through the rooms that littered either end. Everywhere the General and Commander looked, it was a snow white color, allowing for Zeb, Xana, and Clara to practically blend in with the surroundings especially with their colorless outfit.
"Say, Commander!" Zeb turned around and kept walking as he talked, never once glancing back forwards. "I see you have a new jacket. What happened to your old one?"
"My original jacket got too shot up in a battle to patch up. " Anthony glanced down and tugged at his new clothing choice, a black military trench coat with a few gold threads and medals dangling from it. "General Rorke made this for me in replacement, packing the stuffing with some weird synthetic chemicals for protection. It is supposedly bulletproof."
"Well, it looks good on you!" The Prince complimented, turning back forwards just as the group of individuals reached the end of a hall. A large wooden door stood in front of them, guarded by two Terrazine royal guards in basic CMC power armor. With a few polite nods to the guards, Zeb pushed open the doors and led the group into a large round atrium, with a table for five in the center. Stained glass windows lined one side of the room, allowing in natural light but preventing anybody inside from looking out.
Taking the lead, Commander Anthony sat himself down at the table and sighed in relief. It had been an awfully long walk to this room. General Cain joined his friend on the right, but didn't relax as he took in the surroundings. Lady Xana sat down next, placing herself purposely to the left of Anthony with a professional demeanor in her actions. Sir Zeb and Lady Clara took the remaining seats, sitting directly across from Anthony.
With a clap from Clara, a white clothed servant bearing a silver platter emerged from one of the side doors in the atrium. The platter was placed directly in front of the girl, revealing it to be a teapot and several ceramic cups. The servant bowed and disappeared back into one of the side doors. A steaming liquid came pouring out of the teapot as Clara filled up one of the cups. She made to drink the tea, but suddenly remembered that guests were presents.
"Would you like a drink Commander?" Clara offered, but Anthony politely declined. Another offer was made to General Cain, and he too refused. The white hair girl shrugged and pressed her lips to the edge of the cup, tilting the liquid into her mouth. A flurry of movement followed as Clara jolted and cursed with tea trickling down her chin. "Dammit! It's hot!" She hissed as she dabbed at the liquid on her face.
"Clara, please don't swear. You should have expected the tea to be hot anyway." Xana sighed and took the cup from her sister's hands and ran her fingers across the sides. Anthony watched closely as hints of frost danced across the designs on the sides, slowly cooling down the liquid within. After a few moments, Xana handed back the cup and Clara slowly sipped at the tea, weary of the cool liquid now.
"Well, that was interesting!" Zeb laughed at the discomfort his sister felt, leaning back in his chair. "What better way to open up a discussion than an embarrassing mistake in front of guests?"
"Shut it!" A green spark sprang out of Clara's hands as she glared at her brother. The heir to Terrazine laughed in return, leaning over and tousling his sister's head.
"Oh, you get so flustered easily!"
"Zeb, please get on with the meeting," The other white hair girl requested. "It's about time we got to the main agenda."
The man turned and looked back at Commander Anthony with a searching look. The icy blue eyes slowly trailed down, catching the sight of a small key hanging from the Terran's neck. "Commander, you are aware that we know of your nuclear capabilities correct?"
"Of course," Anthony replied smoothly. "Such a powerful weapon cannot have gone unspoken in this world, and we share information freely with you so as our allies."
"Yet you have not shared with us the information to make such weapons." Zeb's voice took a slightly cold undertone, even though the prince was still smiling. "Do you not trust us as valuable allies to use this information for the advancement of the Terran Empire?"
"No, I merely am limiting the risk of a power leak by containing the information and ability of a nuclear launch." The Terran Commander paused in his response. "After all, this world would become useless if it were covered in radiation."
"Too true." The laughter had no real humor behind it, merely a polite gesture. "But are you sure you can handle the power? Or should I say…you and General Cain together?"
"You know about the launch keys." Cain's eyes hardened as his hand slowly crept towards his holster, never giving away the motion as he talked. "Is that why you called us here?"
"That's a possibility." Clara entered the conversation, placing her empty cup back on the tray and eyeing the teapot. "But I doubt we're that sneaky. There is no doubt that even us three together, going against Anthony, we don't stand a chance."
"I agree," Xana quietly commented. "It is also unwise to attack our allies without any provocation. The world will not view it as a friendly gesture."
"Peace, peace, harm was never my intention." Zeb raised his hands up in a mock surrender gesture. "All I am doing is suggesting that a greater degree of consideration must be given to your trusted allies, especially with military technology. Perhaps you could give us a small portion of weapons, or create a third nuclear key to give as a symbol of trust-"
"A third key has already been created," Anthony interrupted, his eyes looking straight ahead. All three siblings gave jolt of surprise at the news. "However, it has been distributed out already."
"Oh really?" Zeb's face remained unchanged, but the Terrans could see his eyes calculating the possibilities. "And who is the keeper of this final key? I'm quite intrigued now."
"I'm afraid that's information that the Commander and I will withhold." General Cain casually took out a combat knife from his belt, fingering its sharp edge as he placed his feet on the table. "And you're better off talking to the Commander than me, cause I'm not saying a word without his permission."
"Interesting." Clara placed her chin on her hands, a hungry look in her eyes. "Very interesting indeed. Are you sure you don't want to give away that information Commander?"
"I already gave you information on the existence of a third key, which is most certainly not public knowledge."
"So, in a way, this is your symbol of trust to us?" Xana asked Anthony, who nodded his head. "Well, it's not much, but I guess it's a start."
"Indeed!" Zeb smiled. "You see, trust isn't that hard to give! All you need is a nice conversation!"
Cain grunted and crossed his hands while his boss looked down at his hands. He seems to be pondering something. The Terran General then felt a tap on the side of his foot, coming from the Commander's side. A hidden symbol, the blond recognized that the Commander was worried about a possible danger nearby. His hand immediately went to his blaster.
The sound of shattering glass was heard and everyone immediately glanced in the direction of the stained glass windows. A small gaping hole was spotted near the bottom, about the size of a rock. The offending projectile laid on the floor right next to it, surrounded by several shards of colored glass. Cain's reactions kicked into overtime as he recognized the item.
"GET DOWN!" The General roared, yanked the Commander off his chair, and slammed him to the ground. The white hair siblings followed suit, with Zeb kicking the table over so that the legs were facing them. That should hopefully give them enough cover.
A second later, a loud explosion was heard as the grenade detonated, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. It pinged off the marble walls and pillars, leaving large scratches in them before slamming into the thick wooden table. The glass windows shattered from the multiple projectiles, a shower of colored shards crashing down upon the inhabitants. The five waited a few more moments after the loud ringing in their eyes receded before wearily getting up, minding the glass on the white floors as a full view of the palace's entrance was now available.
It was utter chaos outside. Guard turned on guard, igniting a full out warfare in the courtyard of the palace. Guns sang, bullets danced, grenades soared. Explosions rocked the entire place. Screaming could be heard from inside the other rooms of the palace as well as an ominous sounding war cry.
"Down with the Terrans! Long live Terrazine!"
"An assassination attempt." Xana swore under her breath and turned to her friend. "Anthony, we need to get you out of here. It appears that opponents to our alliance in the Royal Court have made their move. You need to flee this place before they find our location!"
"Oh, what an inconvenience!" Zeb didn't panic or grow serious in the face of this new threat. Rather, he stretched and yawned. "It looks like your trip here has been cut short. A pity."
"Aw, this sucks!" Clara grumbled. "I wanted to show you guys my friends, they would love you. But I suppose it'll have to wait till next time."
"Commander, we need to head back to the Dropship right now. Are you armed?" Cain asked, then hearing no response, turned around. "Anthony?"
The fearsome Terran Commander was leaning against a pillar, his arm propped against the smooth and ridged marble as he took in deep breaths. For the last minute, all the voices of his friends and colleagues had been a blur as his mind fixated on one thing. A single war chant.
Down with the Terrans.
"Commander!" Anthony jolted upwards as Cain grabbed his arm. "Are you alright!? Answer me!"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." The teen responded, brushing his jacket with gloves. "It's just…disheartening to hear about this problem of yours."
"It's no problem!" Zeb reassured Anthony as he walked over to a wall, examining it closely. "Just a minor inconvenience."
"Anthony, do you have a weapon?" Xana repeated Cain's question as she joined her brother by the wall and the Commander nodded, taking out his dual revolvers. "I'll assume you know how to use that."
"He's better than that!" Cain boasted, both hands on his blaster pistol. "The Commander excels at it!"
"Good, cause you're going to need a lot of skill to get to the hanger from here," Clara commented. "Hey, Zeb, you find that panel yet? I really want my staff now!"
"Right here!" Zeb's hand pressed down on a specific white tile in the marble walls and a small section of the wall opened up. He reached in and took out three different weapons, tossing two of them to his siblings and keeping the third one for himself. Upon seeing the Terran's confused faces, the prince explained, "We have them hidden all over the palace and move our weapons according to our schedules for these meetings. It's always helpful to have a weapon close by!"
General Cain didn't pay much attention to the explanation, but rather focused on the weapons each respective sibling carried. Prince Zeb was using an icy blue long sword, with multiple runes inscribed on its blade. Princess Xana had already stringed up a black bow and was notching an arrow from a quiver hanging from her back, its feathers ringed with black and white straps. Princess Clara was wielding a staff inscribed with green glyphs and a giant green crystal, with a green orb near the bottom. Unusual weapons, he decided, but shook off the stray thought.
Anthony and Zeb were the first out of the atrium and were promptly greeted by the armored guards in CMC power suits. Their visors were still lowered as they talked through the intercoms. "My lord, are you alright? We heard an explosion and feared the worst!"
"We're alright, nothing to fear!" The white hair man exclaimed. "Really, the only thing that went wrong was that grenade in there. It didn't hit a single thing!"
"Well, that is good news my lord! If you follow us, we'll get you to safety."
"Sorry, but we need to head to the hanger bay instead," Anthony responded, his eyes narrowing. "Is that alright by you?"
"What? No! The bay has already been taken over by the attackers, we need to get everyone to a safe location!"
"Ah, I see." Zeb looked at Anthony and the two nodded. "Somebody had to tell where we were and when so that could trigger the attack. And far as I know, only seven people know. Four of them are standing right here!"
"Damn-!" The two guards-turned-traitors raised their C-14s, but it was too late. Anthony placed both his guns on the chest plate of a guard and fired, the two bullets piercing the armor easily and ripping flesh. Zeb drew his sword and slashed against the other guard's waist, inflicting a massive wound as the ice magic stored within the sword froze the flesh surrounding it, the frost creeping up through the power suit and freezing the man's heart.
"Clear!" The Terran Commander shouted behind and the other diplomats filed out. Upon seeing the C-14, Cain holstered his blaster and picked up the rifle, grunting a little from the weight.
"Normally, I'll be using this with my suit, but can't really complain," Cain muttered while checking the ammo. "Just lucky that I can actually use one unarmored."
"This way!' Xana gestured and everyone followed her, their weapons at the ready.
As they ran, the sounds of combat grew closer and more frequent as the attackers increased the ferocity of their attack, trying to break through into the heart of the palace. No doubt, they were targeting the royal hanger bay. If they took control of that vital room, the Terrans would be trapped here without any ready solution for escape.
To their great luck, the first few packs of the soldiers that the group encountered in the hallways were loyalists. They would provide updates on the combat, informing which routes were safe and which were taken by the traitors. This helped the five leaders by allowing them to bypass much of the enemy, sneaking pass blockades by simply taking a different route.
Eventually, as was expected, the group ran into a squad of three traitorous guards. It looked like they had just killed a patrol of loyalists who in returned killed a few of the attackers, with bodies and guns strewn everywhere. Upon spotting the Terrans, the men in CMC suits shouted and open fired with their guns.
Clara rushed in front, her staff cackling with energy as it was slammed down on the blood stained floor. From the green crystal, a thin green layer of energy emerged and blocked the hall. As the bullets passed through the energy matrix, the metal projectiles immediately froze and clattered to the ground, their speed absorbed by the staff's crystal.
Upon realizing that they were still in one piece, Cain dashed out of the energy shield despite Clara's warning shouts. The soldiers in armor immediately targeted him, focusing fire on him without any other distraction. The Terran General didn't even flinch as the bullets whizzed past him, rushing the enemy's position without any hesitation. As he drew close, Cain's experience kicked in and the Marine dropped and slid, the momentum keeping him moving on the marble floor. With a loud yell, he opened fire with the C-14, spraying and creating bullet holes in the visors of the two guards at the end.
The final guard had quick reflexes and turned his rifle down with the intent of shooting the Terran. Instead, he felt a cold sensation pierce his stomach and looked down at horror. An icy blue arrow stuck out of his belly, piercing the thin layer of metal in the area. A quick burst of bullets from Cain finished the job.
Anthony turned and saw Xana already notching another arrow, her eyes focused as the group ran up to meet Cain. The Commander helped his General get up and noted the several bullet grazes on his limbs. Yet Cain seemed not to care about his wounds, brushing them off as a minor result from his mad dash.
As they rounded the corner, the five was met with a large group of loyal guards. They had a formed a large defensive square in the middle of intersecting hallways, an impromptu command position. Upon inquiry, it was learned that the royal hanger bay was still secure and that a solid defense has finally been erected in the palace. It was only a matter of time before the attackers were defeated now.
"Xana, I want you to go with Commander Anthony and General Cain to the hanger bay," Zeb decided when he heard about the situation. "Get them back to the Terran Empire in one piece."
"But what about you? And Clara?" Xana asked, her voice barely audible through the shouting of guards. "What will you two be doing?"
"Sis, this is the perfect time to take out any opposition we have." The white hair girl leaned on her staff, stretching as she readied for battle. "Zeb and I can easily take care of these ruffians, so don't worry!"
"I'm not worrying, I'm simply asking." The two sisters hugged and Zeb received a kiss on his cheek from Xana. "You two stay safe."
The Terran Commander then stepped forwards, his hand outstretched. "Zeb, thank you for helping us."
"Friends help friends." The two shook, their handshake marred only by the blood on their hands. "Now, go! A wave of attackers will soon be upon us; get to the Dropship before anybody shows up with a sniper rifle!"
As the Anthony, Cain, and Xana dashed out of the defensive position, Cain turned to see a charging line of foes against the loyalists. With another loud roar, Zeb drew and pointed his sword, initiating a counter attack with his allies charging against the traitors. His sword swung in wide arcs and lethal stabs, an aura of frost emanating from it. Clara was at his side, striking green lightning and swinging her bladed staff into those who threatened her friends.
"True allies, or dangerous enemies," The Terran General muttered before turning back.
A/N: I know that it isn't my normal upload time, but my internet schedule is getting hectic and I still want to upload at least one every week. Thus, expect the uploads to be a bit sporadic. I also want to try to increase the number of chapters per week, so be on the lookout for that! Don't worry, I'll try to keep the quality of each chapter still up to the standards set by this story's popularity.