James

The HEV rifle was the biggest ass gun Jim had ever handled, and right now he had never been more thankful for that.

"Shot is warped!" barked Saren, and Jim found that his stomach still lurched slightly every time his former friend spoke. Still, glad for the assist. Jim laid the reticule square against where he hoped the big bastard zerg's brain was and squeezed the trigger.

The gun's discharge was a bright violet, a product of the weird biotic manipulation the galaxy had suddenly become much fonder of. Jim's scope shuddered and the giant zerg (as well as the dangling Tassadar) left his sights momentarily. He readjusted as quickly as he was able and found that Tassadar had been dropped; the zerg had been staggered by the force of the shot and now its thick skull was gushing crimson. Eat shit. Jim yanked the bolt back and then pushed it in, waiting for Saren.

"Shot is warped!" The zerg had redirected its attention to the distant snipers, even as the other zerg around it went crazy from the loss of the brain and numerous protoss began swarming its legs. Too bad, big guy. Jim squeezed the trigger again and the gun slammed back against his shoulder. This time, when he re-sighted, it was to find the creature having fallen still, its carcass swarming with angry protoss warriors. Jim grunted and lowered the rifle.

"Thanks, man," he said, not looking at Saren. He helped me save a protoss. It's a start. He didn't know exactly when he and Saren had ended up fighting alongside each other (it had been a long ten miles) but he suspected it was not an accident on the turian's part. Since Sarah had long since abandoned the Ranger's main force to work with the asari commandos (who were more up her alley) he had actually been pretty reassured to have such a soldier at his back. So long as we don't hand him a psi emitter and send him near the protoss, we should be okay. Jim began to descend the slope, knees twinging as he fought to maintain his balance.

The zerg that had previously been all around them were now fleeing in every available direction. The shrieks, spits, and growls that had characterized all too many of the last few hours of Jim's life were now fading away. Killing that Cere-thingy did some good, then. He started feeling nervous, however, as he noted the gathering of protoss close by the carcass. Aw hell. Tell me he ain't dead.

"I shoot it in time?" Jim asked, gently trying to push his way through the crowd of ten foot tall, blood encrusted aliens while ignoring the nearby titanic ball of energy. "Is he alright?"

"Friend Raynor," said the tallest protoss, rising from the prone form of Tassadar. Fenix. I remember Fenix. It's good that he's still alive. "We thank you for your intervention. Were Tassadar's life in danger of fully ebbing away, his suit would have sent him to one of our ships. Still… he is grievously wounded." I've heard Fenix talk before. Hell, I've spent the last few hours occasionally hearing him screaming. Now he sounds somber. That's not good.

Jim took a good look at the body before him. The golden armor, previously resplendent, was now coated in blood and dirt. Much of the outer armor had crumpled, and exposed wiring was visible through some of the outer layer of filth. Don't know much about protoss power armor… but that don't look good. Tassadar's arms were bent at odd angles, and blood was clearly running down his face. God bless the HEV rifle. He couldn't have taken much more.

"We still have thirty-three miles ahead of us," said Saren, having followed Jim down into the pit. Jim rounded on him, wondering if the protoss could sense the kind of hatred the turian had for the lot of them. Does he have a hard time walking among them, I wonder? "I am no expert on protoss medicine, but it is clear that he is in no shape to press onward. The zerg have dispersed; we should get what wounded we can to safety before moving on."

Can't say I'm not in favor of that. Jim looked up at the lightening sky. The night was over. Great. Now the zerg can see us better. There wasn't even really that much light streaming in; the clouds overhead were dark and overcast, while ash still rained from the sky in unkindly copious amounts. Still… no zerg to be seen anymore.

"There is nowhere to take him," said Fenix, now sounding worried. "Our own fleet is still embroiled in bitter battle against the zerg-"

"Third Fleet is overhead," said Saren shortly. "If their ships become unsafe, it is because the line failed elsewhere. It is the logical place to take the wounded. Accept it and get a move on – you're not the only ones to have suffered losses."

Is it just me, or did the air just chill a little bit? The protoss glowered at the defiant turian, only averting their gaze as the previously hidden form of Zeratul shakily rose to his feet.

"Saren… speaks with some wisdom…" grunted Zeratul, holding his arms out to steady himself. "Take advantage of the lull, but do it quickly. I saw the Overmind firsthand, once more. Its rage… is beyond my feeble capabilities to describe. The pace must quicken."

"Victus!" yelled Jim into the command channel. "We're doin' a round of casevac, get some shuttles down here. Fast, man, we don't got much time before the zerg start getting' rowdy again."

"Affirmative!" said Victus in reply, the strain all too evident. Shit, guess the boys up high aren't gettin' any sleep neither. Nodding to Fenix and Zeratul, he exited the pit in search of his Rangers, trailed by a silent Saren.

"How we doin' boys and girls?" asked Jim as he sauntered to his ash and blood-soaked compatriots, the fresh blue paint of their armor already turned dull and gray.

"Peachy," muttered Jenny before spitting a large wad of tobacco on the ground. She eyed Saren with some ire but said nothing. The others, such as they were, only mumbled under their breaths.

"Anyone seen Sarah?" Jim asked cheerfully. A firebat with several holes punched in his front pointed a shaky finger towards the black-clad asari commandos. Still? Alright. He offered his thanks and moved, Saren still following.

He found Sarah in a conversation with one of the only asari present who did not wear a commando uniform. Standing taller than many of the others around her, this soldier bore crimson red armor, and her pale blue eyes were undimmed by shock.

"He's the one," said Sarah to this new asari as Jim approached. "Justicar material. He's got that same inflexibility."

"Excuse me, darlin'?" said Jim. "I'm plenty flexible, trust me."

"You are among those who brought the protoss to the aid of the Council," said the asari in a cool, flat voice that made Jim cease his approach. "You are to be commended. Whatever their crimes elsewhere, the protoss have committed none in asari space. Their wrath is to be lauded, as is your dedication to justice. I am Samara."

"If I'm so just, how come Saren ain't walkin' around with a hole in his head?" asked Jim loudly. There was a twinge of regret as the turian stiffened before storming off, but it was eclipsed by a sense of satisfaction. Sarah shook her head, her ponytail whipping back and forth.

"Not going to help, Jim," said Sarah, raising her voice as the turian shuttles began to descend. Muffled shouts echoed through the burnt out remains of the hive cluster – troops carrying their wounded comrades to safety. "One down, right?"

"Next one's about thirty miles away," said Jim, "but yeah. We got the first bastard… and a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." He shook hands with the justicar, who only hesitated momentarily before realizing what he had tried to do.

"We will be moving out shortly," Samara said, her cool voice reflecting no fear. She's just statin' facts. "Sarah requested I stay with your Rangers, to help deflect the worst of the zerg biotics."

"Can't you handle that, darlin'?" Jim asked. Kerrigan shook her head.

"I'm needed everywhere, Jim. I've been running up and down with the commandos, trying to keep our flanks steady when the zerglings come rushing down. Samara volunteered her aid."

"Sarah gave me compelling reasons," said Samara, causing Jim to flush as she glanced at him. Uh… how old do these folks get again? They can't read minds, right? "Justicars also tend to make commandos nervous. I shall gladly endeavor to keep you and yours safe."

"You're good with biotics, then?" asked Jim. The flush turned to a chill as he suddenly noticed the weight behind Samara's eyes.

"I have over seven hundred years of experience with them," she said lightly. "I hope that will be satisfactory."

The shuttles were taking off. Jim hoped Tassadar was aboard one of them, if not conscious then at least safe. Shouts filled the hive cluster, and the protoss were beckoning the other forces onward. The turians had begun their damnable singing again, and the siege tank line was surging to life, flanked by Goliaths.

"Keep safe, Sarah, alright?" said Jim, looking into her green eyes. "I'll try to do the same."

With a smirk, she blew him a kiss and began helping commandos to their feet. Long night. Now it's gonna be a long day. Jim returned to his Rangers to notify them that the break was over.

"Rangers roll!" bellowed Jim, actually drawing a few cheers. They fell in line with the Umojans and some of the lagging turians, with Samara standing amidst the Rangers almost serenely. Rays of sunlight began to shine through the dark clouds, and Jim was almost able to ignore the burning sensation in his heels for a moment. Thirty-three more fucking miles. It was all he could do to keep the HEV rifle from dragging on the ground as he walked. Sarah says it'll keep me out of trouble, but nothin' says trouble like my arms fallin' off. Still, at least he could keep away from the zerg and still do plenty of damage to the bigger targets.

It was one of the few occasions in Jim's life where he was surrounded by the sounds of soldiers and vehicles built for war and felt quite reassured by it. Zerg screamin' all around you can get quite wearing. He almost felt the urge to whistle, but looking around and seeing the obvious gaps in the lines of infantry, as well as the shells of once beautiful asari buildings quite killed the moment. Can't relish the quiet too much.

"This area was once among the most peaceful that could be found on Thessia," said Samara, walking alongside Jim. Despite towering above her in his suit, Jim still felt like a child before the asari. Eight hundred years... "To see it ravaged by the zerg firsthand-"

"Wait – did we pick you up after coming down here?" Jim shuddered when Samara nodded. "Damn. Well, maybe we can get it back to the way it was." Shouldn't lie. I've seen Mar Sara and Tarsonis. Once the zerg land, there's no goin' back. Samara just gave him a sad smile.

"We've received the shuttles," said Victus tersely through the comms, causing Jim to shift his concentration back to the matter at hand. "Tassadar is aboard Momentum. He's still unconscious, however. The zerg are regrouping, though it seems the death of the Cerebrate sparked some infighting. You should still have a little more time – make the most of it."

"Keep beating feet," moaned a marine from behind Jim. "Fuck, can't the protoss carry us?"

"Stim up and shut up," snapped Jenny. "This is the easy bit."

Jim marched on in silence, looking at the closest Goliath and wishing fervently that he were piloting it. Not that I know how, but still…

"The grand old duke of York," muttered Jim to himself as his feet burned. "He had ten thousand men..." He grunted the rest to himself as his part of the column reached the hill. Soon after that, he felt the familiar crunch of creep underneath his boots. Wild country, again. Ahead, the sound of the protoss colossi liquefying distant zerg structures carried clearly through the thick morning air.

There was no great alarm this time when the zerg began their approach. Jim heard Adrien say something and it was followed by the distant booms of orbital bombardment. The wind carried with it the scent of burned flesh and the hissing of millions of infuriated bugs. I have a feeling this time, they won't stop until one side is dead. The column had gone fully quiet. Stay safe, Sarah. Here we go.

"Here they come!" Jim didn't know who had shouted it, but the horizon was alive with motion. Sliding his visor down and surrendering himself to the sweat of the interior, Jim watched his motion sensors light up and begin outlining targets.

The Council forces were already firing into the horde while the siege tanks extended their pontoons. The Rangers had formed a battle line before the oncoming tide of zerg, headed by a softly glowing Samara while Jim stood in the back with his rifle. Find a big one. He sighted a snakemantis and squeezed the trigger. When he re-sighted, it had been buried under the horde of its fellows. Good enough.

The staccato of Impaler slugs drowned out the noise of the zerg. Samara had produced some kind of shimmering barrier and was swatting incoming projectiles out of the air with enviable ease. Jim found one of the psychotic elephant types and aimed as best as he could for its head. By the time he had yanked the bolt back and chambered another round, it too had fallen before the onslaught.

Runners were making the rounds, handing out ammo to the marines as they passed by, much to the obvious befuddlement of nearby turian and asari forces. Jim hoisted another belt of HEV ammo over his shoulder with a grunt, not sure whether to thank or curse the man responsible for the resupply. The zerg began to thin out, and the order was given to move forward again. Jim felt nothing but exhaustion as he changed the mag and began to shamble in the general direction everyone else was heading. To his complete lack of surprise, thunder had begun to peal overhead. It was shortly followed by the soft plink plink plink of rain hitting the helmets of countless tired soldiers.

They got about two miles before the protoss sent up a great cry. Victus yelled something that Jim could no longer recognize beyond the dull throb of his pulse, and his heart barely fluttered as his motion sensors went crazy again.

"We need to keep moving!" a nearby turian was shouting frantically, and Jim believed him. His senses slowly deadening, he advanced, scanning to either side of him as he went.

Atop a nearby hill, a silhouette caught his attention, mostly because he thought at first that it was Samara. Standing tall with the profile of an asari, it watched the procession of soldiers with the kind of keen interest a hawk might show a furtive lizard. Then it was gone.

"They're running alongside us," a batarian was saying loudly to himself as Jim passed. "They're not charging. What are they waiting for?"

Light flashed across the sky, followed by a boom that almost shook Jim out of his exhausted stupor. The zerg still did not charge. It's enough to make a man anxious.

A yell went up ahead, and Jim saw a figure go flying. Almost too fast to see, a blue line crossed his vision, and where the line ended there was a sudden impact. A Goliath was tipped over by the force, and an inhuman, berserk shrieking went up where it had stood.

The darkness was lit up by gunshots and the soft blue of biotics. The zerg were no longer running perpendicular to their forces – and the skies had filled up with their command bugs, the overlords.

One of the blue lines burst next to Jim nearby, showering him with dust and water. The creature met his eyes and screamed, its face alive with biotic energy. So that's what the zerg do to asari. Jim lifted his rifle, but a firebat reached the infested asari before he did. Its barriers flaring, the creature reared and screamed as it burned, and Jim could not help but feel sympathy for what the creature had once been, if nothing else. He brought the rifle scope to his visor and looked to see what kind of damage control he could conduct.

One of the big worm creatures had emerged amidst the siege tank line and was causing some consternation amongst those nearby. Jim shot the creature in what he hoped was its head, and it retreated back underground, later emerging close to the protoss. Your funeral. That great ball of gas, the Archon, did not take kindly to its presence. Jim walked toward it like it was the light of God, stopping periodically to find big zerg and put them down before they became a problem.

The overlords had made it overhead at this point, although the turians were doing their damndest to shoot the things down with their little hover tanks. Strange, round creatures were being dropped from their tendrils among the infantry lines, and judging from the violent explosions that followed, Jim guessed the zerg had taken up suicide bombing. Guess I gotta shoot those down, too.

He had outpaced the rest of his Rangers and was drawing ever closer to the protoss line. He heard a familiar voice bellowing from an overturned siege tank, recognized it as Duke. At the man's furious request, he helped a trio of Dominion marines bring it back right ways up. The general was swift in emerging from the hatch afterwards.

"Who I gotta thank- oh. It's the Hick." Duke spat, just adding to the wetness of their surroundings. "Figured that's why it took so long. You expectin' thanks?" Jim just moved on, deaf to Duke's continual gesticulations and insults. A roaring had filled his skull, drowning out all thought and most sensation. He just knew he had to push.

The protoss were engaged in a frightening melee. Every time lightning flashed across the sky it was to reveal an image more violent than the last. The ball of gas was ploughing its way forward, a bright light shining in utter darkness. Jim wondered vaguely how the protoss had made the thing.

The bigger targets were the ones the protoss were having trouble with. Hardly any of their colossi walkers still stood, having been mostly toppled by the angry elephant bastards. Jim found their skulls and emptied Penetrator rounds into the thick carapace, wounding the strong ones and finishing the injured. The protoss shouted back thanks to their hidden savior, but Jim paid it little mind. Slowly, the line got moving again. A tall protoss held back and met Jim midway.

"James Raynor!" cried Fenix, covered in cuts and burns. His hand found a rest on Jim's shoulder. "Your thoughts…? Hold still!"

Jim shuddered as warmth flowed through his body, and the sense of disassociation ebbed away. Sadly, this meant that once the initial sensation had dimmed, he realized how cold and tired his body felt.

"These zerg leave wounds on more than just the body," said Fenix. "Stay near the front, your Rangers are welcome here, also. I would prefer to keep an eye on those we know will remain our allies when this is done."

"Thanks," said Jim, looking back and suddenly noticing the sheer number of bodies behind him. Shit. Maybe it would have been better if I were still some sniper zombie. Too many of the stiff corpses were terran for his liking. Not that the turian or batarian corpses make me feel good, or anything...

Calling back for his Rangers, what was left of them joined him at the front.

"Still alive?" asked Jenny, softly punching his armored arm. "Don't wander off. It's a bad neighborhood."

"Thanks, mom," whispered Jim, though a smile tugged at his lips. Gotta find sensation, somewhere. Something to cling to.

If there was one thing to be said for the fucking terrifying protoss gas ball, it was that it produced tremendous amounts of heat. It paved the way through the wreckage of the asari civilization with a kind of casual menace, pausing only to allow the protoss colossi to wreak havoc on some distant target. The fighting picked up, occasionally, and Jim lost himself to the reticule and rifle again, only to be brought back either by a friendly protoss or a stimpack. During one of the gaps, Jim found Zeratul walking alongside him.

"That thing," Jim said, pointing to the Archon, "Archon, I heard Fenix call it that. What is it?" Aside from the only source of warmth in about a ten mile radius.

"A merging of the Khala, the protoss gestalt in its purest expression," said Zeratul. "Two High Templar merged to create the ultimate warrior – for a time. When the battle is done, they will fade like a dying star. They are Aurilar-Kedraxis."

This made Jim feel sad, even though he didn't fully understand it.

"You guys – Dark Templar – you're different though, right?" asked Jim. "You got your own "pure expression?""

Zeratul's visage, shining green in the light of his warp blade, noticeably darkened.

"Yes," he said carefully. "Though such things are best left… alone. The Dark Archon is the purest expression of entropy. Life dies in its wake. Where the Khalai record the names of sacrificed High Templar in their Archives, we forever strike away the names of those Nerazim who would merge. They would not want to be remembered."

"Protoss are weird," said Jim, prompting a bark of laughter from Zeratul, who melted back into the shadows shortly afterward.

The fights went on. Jim knew this. He could recall the faint glistening of blood amidst the Creep as lightning flashed overhead. His shoulder felt half-shattered from absorbing the rifle's recoil over and over again. He vaguely remembered witnessing a batarian tearing the head from the shoulders of a snakemantis struggling in an electrified net he had thrown over it. The turians had begun singing again at some point, though in truth it sounded more like some sort of avian death cry that layered over itself, over and over again, becoming a never ending shriek of defiance.

And amidst all this madness stood a little shivering band of Rangers, far from the Mar Sara they had long ago pledged to defend. Their gun barrels glowed brightly in the cold dark, their armor whirred and clunked as they pounded mile after mile of befouled soul, and their eyes deadened as the day threatened to become unending. The protoss had ceased their war cries, and only two colossi still remained. This will soon be it. One way or another.

A patch of red had appeared on the horizon. Silhouettes of shattered buildings threatened to obscure it, but snatches of that threatening glow could still be seen as they marched ever onward. Jim knew what it was, and knew it meant they were almost there. And it makes me feel somethin'. Not relief, though. Fear.

"We are almost upon the Cerebrate!" bellowed Fenix, somehow sounding hoarse through his psionics. "This has been a fight beyond imagining, and our strength threatens to ebb away. Yet look back and take heart that those the Conclave deemed our "lessers" still follow, while the Conclave is nowhere to be seen. We are close to the end, brothers."

"This is Third Fleet!" General Victus cut in with a burst of static. "You're close – you are very close – but we've got a problem. We've got these damn… rifts opening up near the other fleets. The zerg are swarming them – I think the Overmind's responsible. General Desolas says he can hold for a little while, but the numbers are overwhelming. Short jumps aren't working, they're following too fast. Artanis, can you spare any of your vessels?"

"We are nigh spent," came the exhausted reply. "Desolas must hold as best he can. I am sorry."

"I… I see." From Adrien's tone, Jim guessed that a lot of turians were about to die in the cold of space. When he thought of Victus, it made him feel sad. When he thought of Saren, it almost made him stop caring. Got enough to worry about. This last part, for example.

"The Cerebrate has made a vast nest for itself," said Fenix. "Alert General Duke. I need him to provide a distraction. James Raynor, with me." Huh. This should be good.

Duke and what was left of the siege tank line were not far behind. Their armor was pitted with countless scorches and punctures, and their engines were chugging in a manner Jim judged unhealthy. Still, the general himself still seemed intact.

"What the hell you want now?" growled Duke. "We're close to the end, right? Make more damn gas balls and push forward!"

You fucking idiot. Jim watched Fenix take the protoss equivalent of a deep breath before proceeding.

"Do you see that hill, Duke?" asked Fenix, pointing to a darkened slope, the skeletons of several smaller asari structures clinging to it. "Take your tanks to the top of it and begin shelling the hive cluster. I will lead the protoss and batarians through. You will take everyone else. Yours will be a delaying action, so that we may slay the Cerebrate. Do you understand?"

"Do the heavy liftin' while you protoss wave your swords around," replied Duke. "I got it, I-" He made a choking sound and turned a bright red. With a shimmer, Zeratul appeared atop the tank beside Duke, his hand around the man's throat.

"You will offer us respect, Duke," said Zeratul, "and in return, I will not slide a blade between your ribs at the battle's end."

"Release him, Prelate," said Fenix, failing to contain the note of amusement in his words. Zeratul vanished as quickly as he arrived, and Duke vanished back into his tank with a curse. "Raynor, I am trusting you to reinforce this buffoon. Can you keep him and his alive long enough to make the difference?"

"I'm sure I can make some difference," said Jim, feeling the pressure in his neck as he injected what was left of his stims. "Guess this is the end stretch."

The force separated into two; Jim followed the infantry and armor up the hill while the protoss and batarians walked in the wake of the Archon. Jim noted (with a small amount of trepidation) that his motion sensor was alive with signals, yet they were only coming from one direction. That red patch. They're sendin' us a message. This is where you don't want to go - last chance.

The wind and rain had stopped, having been replaced with a menacing still that seemed out of place given the state Thessia was in. The siege tanks set up along the hilltop, flanked by what was left of the turian hover tanks and Umojan Goliaths. Jim sighed, checking his rifle one last time. Twelve rounds left. Enough to serve up a bit of hurt.

"Hey," said Sarah, appearing like, heh, a ghost, "something we're good at. Holding a fortified position against the zerg. You okay?"

"You just stay beside me, darlin'," said Jim, finding a nearby outcropping of concrete and rebar and positioning his rifle atop it, "and I'll feel a lot better."

"Y'know," said Sarah, "I think I feel the same way."

"General Victus," said Fenix, still graciously letting the other leaders know what the plan was, "if you can provide any more orbital support, I have yet to see a more pressing need for it."

"Shots are blocked," snapped Adrien. "Damned Orbital Platform Siha is in the way. It's shifting slowly, but we won't be able to fire for another twenty minutes at least."

"That is a shame," said Fenix, and Jim could hear a hint of dread in his tone. Shit, now even he's on the verge of giving up. "Very well. We shall continue regardless. General Duke, we await your lead."

"Alright you goddamn apes," said Duke, "it's shitty weather and we're surrounded by aliens. Time to let the zerg feel the kind of bad day we're havin'. Fire at will, and watch for fliers."

His inspirational speech concluded, the arclite cannons thundered. Far below the hill, flames licked the barely visible hive structures, and Thessia drew in its breath.

The reaction from the zerg was immediate. Thousands of fliers rose into the skies and obscured the stars, their screeches sending a chill down Jim's back. The ground rumbled as the Swarm made its fury known, and Jim's motion sensors temporarily went mad as more and more targets came into range. Duke's fire did not slow, and it was now punctuated by the stuttering of rifles and the scream of homing missiles.

"There's a big one," said Jim, sighting an overlord that seemed positively stuffed. With a sharp crack, the rifle jerked upward and Jim chambered another round. He didn't need to check on his target, a different crash followed by a roar indicated his success… although it sounded like the overlord's payload had survived.

Sarah was crouched next to Jim, gun pointed at the sky, her red hair plastered against her scalp by the blood and rain. She fired in short bursts, aiming at the fliers that threatened to overrun their perimeter. You're doin' a great job, darlin'. I know you can hear me.

Jim heard screams behind him. When he turned, it was to find turians and terrans alike impaled by foot long spikes, their cries dying in their throats. Shit, these guys again. He found them easily enough – and they were far closer than usual.

"GURGLING PROCLAMATION: THERE IS NOWHERE TO RUN!" bellowed the damned things as they advanced relentlessly, ignoring the hail of gunfire that slaughtered all other zerg around them. "FRENZIED SCREAM: THE PROTOSS HAVE FAILED YOU."

"What the hell is with these things?!" yelled Jim as he emptied his third round into the same target, finally dropping it. He was about to sight another one when he came across a familiar and very unwelcome sight. "Oh, goddamn it. It's him."

Flanked on either side by six infested asari was the big blue elephant-bastard that had knocked Tassadar out of the fight. With a roar, it began charging up the hill. When Jim fired a round into its head, it bounced off harmlessly.

"I NEED BIOTICS!" screamed Jim, gesturing frantically for someone, anyone to help him stop that thing before it got among the tanks. Someone kneeled close by, their hand glowing a soft blue. Jim chambered another shot.

"Round warped!" yelled Saren, and Jim was too panicked to feel anything other than relief.

"Firing!" The gun cracked, and there was a sound like glass shattering. The elephant-bastard buckled for a moment, and the asari alongside it vanished, charging into the fray. Shouts went up, and Jim saw a siege tank go up in flames. Shit.

"Round warped!" Saren yelled again, and Jim remembered to chamber another shot. The elephant-bastard was almost on top of them. He fired again and abandoned the rifle, yelling at Saren and Sarah to fall back.

The creature broke through with the force of a wrecking ball. Its head was a bloody mess of drool and brains, but it did not lack for hate. Jim looked around frantically for a weapon while Sarah and Saren scattered, their rounds pelting the creature without apparent effect.

There were dead marines all around Jim, but he knew the weapons they carried would help him no more than it had them. Heavy weapons, anything. He felt heat to the left through his visor, and when he turned in that direction it was to find a siege tank burning. Aw hell. Aw hell aw hell aw hell.

"HICK!" screamed Duke from behind him. Jim made an about face to find a sparking siege tank lodged in the ground, one of its treads having fallen off.

"I've lost control of the damn turret!" snarled Duke from inside the tank. "You want that thing dead? Grab the gun and start turning it! Climb on, dammit, I think it's after your girlfriend!"

Jim launched himself on top of the hull and grabbed ahold of the gun with both hands, wrapping his arms around it as best as he could. With a lurch, it began to turn.

"Right! Not that far right! Kerrigan, if you're readin' my mind, get that thing to stop moving!" Duke's yells were barely audible above the surrounding chaos. "Up! DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT DIRECTION "UP" IS YOU GODDAMN YOKEL?! Yes! Left! Hold… hold…" Jim panted, half-crouched, ready to dive from the tank at a moment's notice.

"Only a 29% chance of friendly fire? Well hell! I'd say that's good enough. Cover your ears, hick."

"You son of a-" Jim dove off of the tank as the boom of the arclite cannon rung through his ears. The explosion that followed it drove sound away altogether.

Jim's vision blurred. From his left, the gun fired again. Jim had fallen over, but didn't remember doing so. A scaly hand lifted him up, somehow lifting him even through the armor. The helpful figure left him in a standing position, and Jim did his best to bear his own weight, though he was not sure what good it would do anymore. Can't feel my feet… legs… arms… hands… head is pounding. Vision blurred.

An ugly alien face filled his visor. Saren. The alien was shouting something at him, but Jim couldn't remember anything other than a thousand thousand zerg descending on Tarsonis… and now here. His fists clenched. Saren's hand collided with the side of Jim's helmet, and Jim could tell he was shouting. What? What could you possibly say that would matter? You killed a planet and now the world is ending. I hope at least I took that fucking elephant with me.

"Jim…" it was Sarah's voice, speaking directly into his head. "Jim… look." Something compelled Jim to look toward the red patch in the distance. It flickered, and then flashed. Even through the buzz of far too many close by explosions, Jim heard the zerg's reaction. Panic. Outrage. Holy shit. Fenix and Zeratul did it.

Flashes of white smote the horizon – General Victus finally had a clear shot. Jim stood still among the shattered survivors. They were safely gathered on their little island amid a shifting sea of fleeing zerg.

"…ou unwell?" The asari justicar was here. She walked with a limb, her previously unflappable countenance now sullied by injury. Jim looked into her eyes and just nodded.

"I'm ready to go home. Can we go home? What is there left to do?"

"We're… we're almost there, Jim," said Sarah, uncloaking at Jim's side. "You and Duke killed the thing… I think… for now. Now we just have to finish what created it. The protoss are waiting." Sarah extended a shaking finger into the distance. Three balls of gaseous light flickered in the dark. More sacrifices. Was that for us?

"Yeah," said Jim, one foot moving forward, then another. "Yeah… I can do that. This. I can do this." He didn't notice as everyone else stopped dead. It was only when he saw the red on the horizon turn a bright blue that he realized something was wrong.

A great tendril of energy had extended into the atmosphere, tugging on something. Victus was yelling something on the channel, Jim could see the protoss hauling ass back to where they were standing – away from the Overmind – but it didn't register. From high above, swiftly becoming visible through the clouds, the Overmind slowly pulled Orbital Platform Siha into the planet.

"Mother of God..." Jim drew in a deep breath and just sat down. Everyone around him was going crazy, but he had never felt more calm in his life. Weird. Complete helplessness feels the same as feeling completely in control.

Jim laughed a mirthless laugh until he was shoved over by rough hands from behind. The last thing he saw before the world began shaking was Saren standing over him, a blue shield cast over both himself and Jim.

Then there was nothing.