Disclaimer: I don't own Starcraft or its affiliates
Ambition to the Stars
December 31st, Year 10
"Takeshi, you're slicing them too thin! A bit thicker please!"
"Rorke, get your nose of that book and just follow the instructions! Stop trying to figure out how to improve the method!"
"Abe, no! The meat should be just slightly tenderized, not smashed into bits!"
"Xana, stop tasting the damn custard and put it in the fridge! We still need an extra set of hands working!"
"This is what happens when you leave an overly eager General in charge of the meal." The white hair woman rolled her eyes as she shoved the bowl of cold desert into the storage unit. "Of all the people, why Cain?"
"Cause the Commander knows he'll get the job done, no matter what," Takeshi offered as an explanation, sighing as his knife bit into another carrot. "To think I've ended up cutting vegetables…"
If one thought that the Terran Siege Tank General looked disappointed with his new-found job, they ought to look at the scientist in the room. His face was a mixture of both excitement and fear as he glanced around all the sharp and dangerous items that lay in the realm of the kitchen. Rorke's mind augmented these small and usually harmless objects into terrifying weapons, his paranoia acting up and scaring his brain. He tried to get out the kitchen through pleading and begging, but nothing could move the uncaring General Cain as he watched over the others to make sure they worked.
"Oi, will you kindly stop standing there and actually pitch in?" Xana asked, grabbing her mixing bowl and continuing to make the mashed potatoes for the dinner in just a few hours. "I mean, if you do something, all of our lives would be very much easier!"
"I am working. I'm making sure the chicken is going up in flames," Cain replied, gesturing with his hand at the working oven. "You know it takes a while for it to cook? And I'm pretty sure that we don't all enjoy a cold meal like you!"
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with slightly chilled chicken! Just as long as it's cooked properly beforehand, then it's good!"
"Say, where is the Commander? Shouldn't he be working as well?" Rorke asked nervously, already edging to the door. "I mean, somebody should find him and bring him here-"
"No need. He's working on his own stuff." The blond Marine visibly shuddered as he imagined what Anthony was doing. "Paperwork."
A moment later, all the other Generals followed suit as they imagined the personal hell the Commander must currently be undergoing and went back to work without any complaints.
O O O
"Alright, that should be the last one in the set of tax 1232!" The black hair man signed his name with a flourish on the legal document and placed it aside on top of a small stack of papers. "Only 23 more tax sets to go!" He said with a cheerful voice turning to the gigantic amount that still sat at his desk.
"Oh, how I love paperwork!"
"…and that's why I don't want to let it pile up," Anthony groaned, placing his face in his hands. "I'll go mad if I let it get out of control. I understand that it's a necessary evil, so I have to keep at it."
"Poor you." Xana smirked at the Commander, knowing that at least a quarter of that paperwork was signing off on warrants allowing for her Shadow Squadron to operate in all areas of the Terran Empire. "Maybe you should switch over to cooking instead. Less paperwork there."
"Please, don't. Do you remember the last time you tried cooking for your family when we were young?" Cain reminded, his mind flashing back to the early days of childhood. "You nearly killed everyone with the horrid smells that your food gave off!"
"Hey, they tasted better than they smelled didn't they?!"
"Perhaps we should utilize that to destroy our enemies on the battlefield." Takeshi's face was hidden under his hood, but everyone knew that he was secretly smiling at the joke. "A concentrated amount, when blown by winds to our foes, will strike them at their hearts and noses!"
The Commander and the Generals all laughed at how supposedly deadpan his voice made it seem, a side of Takeshi coming out that is really seen. They knew that ever since losing his eye, the strategist had something inside of him change, hence his new blue cloak instead of his old green one. Perhaps what he said was true: losing an eye had opened up what seemed to be a new world to him, a Terran one hence his new colors.
"Alright, I'm back people!" Rorke appeared in the door, holding a wine bottle in his arms. "Sorry about making you wait, I just wanted to make sure I found the best vintage and test it to make sure no innate poison was in it."
"You've ruined the drink!" The Ghost exclaimed, rushing out of her seat and gingerly snatching it from the green hair man's hands. She examined the loose cork and the miniscule hole in it, sighing in relief after a few seconds. "You're lucky that it was only a thin hole. It hopefully doesn't affect the quality of the drink in any way."
"Even if the wine was ruined, it's nothing compared to what the brute is lugging up now," The General stated, stepping aside from the doorway
"What do you-" Cain physically fell out of his chair at the sight of his friend. Abe was literally carrying a huge wooden casket of ale, smiling wildly as he dumped the casket by the door in the dining room. "Abe! The heck!"
"It shall be a challenge to drink it all and get drunk!" The bald man declared, completely forgetting his body's accelerated metabolism as he filled up a glass mug with the ale and drank it in, burping the minute he sat down at the dining table. "Now, I shall also undergo the challenge of eating all this food!"
"Wait for the Commander first!" hissed the Marine as he got back in his chair. "He still needs to declare this feast ready to eat!"
"Which I will once Rorke believes my reassurance that this chair isn't bobby-trapped and sits down!" Anthony raised his voice as he spoke, forcing a sheepish looking scientist to finally take his seat at the dining table. "Alright now. Let's have a few words before we dig into this wonderfully cooked meal."
All the Terran Generals slightly leaned forward, expecting one of the Commander's usually inspirational or brilliant speeches. They expected something about the state of the unified Terran Empire, or how utterly tiring this year. It may be a speech about remembering the fallen and their sacrifices, or it could be detailing the bravery of those who still lived.
"Thanks for all your hard work this year. Let's dig in," The Terran Commander stated, raising his knife and cutting into the chicken in front of him. He worked at it for a few seconds before realizing that silence had fallen over the entire dining table and looked up at his stunned Generals. "Um…ink on my face?"
That alone was enough to atone for the lack of speeches, as they all laughed heartily at the confused tone in their boss' voice. With much gusto, they picked up their utensils and ate the meal they had all so carefully prepared only a few hours ago. This was most certainly one of the best feasts among friends in Terran history.
O O O
January 1st, Year 11
"I win this one gents!" Xana triumphantly grinned as she flipped her cards over. "I've got a straight!"
"Oh, what a coincidence. I have one too!" Cain dramatically flipped over his own cards, identical to his colleague's in all but suit. "And that means we have to split the pot!"
"Nope. You two both loose." Anthony smiled as he revealed his two cards. "Flush."
The two Generals groaned as they pushed the pot towards the Commander, both of them taking another sip of their respective drinks. Anthony drank another shot of brandy as well, pouring more from a large bottle with one hand while the other stacked the chips. With their Terran bodies, they didn't ever have to worry about accidentally getting drunk that night.
Rorke, Takeshi, and Abe have all crashed once midnight struck and the near year began, the three exhausted in both energy and cash supplies. Cain, Xana, and Anthony wanted to continue playing poker, and it would be a rather symbolic thing if all three of them stayed awake the entire night. Not to mention that the drinks were really good.
"I need to take a leak. Play among yourselves for know." The Commander groaned as his remaining leg muscles ached, reminding him of the time spent in that chair. He made his way quickly to the nearest bathroom, closing the door and flipping the toilet lid.
A few seconds later, a flush sounded and the sound of running water in a sink was heard. The door then opened to show a relieved Anthony, who began walking back the way he came. But as he walked past an exposed balcony, something caught his attention.
The stars seemed to twinkle as Commander Anthony looked up at them, placing his hands on the railing as he leaned forwards. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, trying to dig up the lost mind that was Marcus of the previous life within him. It took a while, but eventually the boy's memories rose up, reminding Anthony of a quote that the boy's mother had once said. Coincidentally, Anthony suddenly remembered that his mother in this world had also stated this quote.
"The stars up there are the people long gone. If you ever have time to stop, look up at them and know that those gone will always watch over you high above. They'll be there if you ever need them, so don't be afraid to talk to the sky!"
"Well, I'd suppose now is a good time than ever," Anthony mumbled to himself, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Hey…Zeb, Clara…How have you been doing?"
No response quite obviously.
"Zeb…what you wanted of me has become true. Xana is now a General in a united Terran Empire, and she is safer than you think in her position. Nobody can ever hope to kick her out of the military now, especially since I control all the strings when it comes to my Generals. People have already tried, but failed. Your sister is in good hands, even though she is forced into the line of fire. But she doesn't mind and has found a new pseudo-family of sorts.
"Clara…thanks for saying 'hi' I guess. You went out in quite a spectacular way, helping Xana discover how resolute she was in her chosen purpose and how far your sister is willing to go for the Terran Empire. And to top it off, you helped her discover her true calling as a psionic! I can't thank you enough for helping us in that way. Your sacrifice led to the direct forming of a unified Terran Empire: that is a gift that nobody else will ever give us again.
"Both of you, please place your trust on me. I'll make sure that Xana stays safe as a Terran under my control. Thank you, my friends, for giving me so much and asking for so little in return…thank you."
"Commander? You talking to somebody?" The black hair man turned and saw both Cain and Xana walking to him. Their faces showed concern for their friend as they approached him. "Something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong. Everything is…perfect in reality," Anthony replied and it seemed to satisfy his General's question. The two joined him leaning on the railing, looking up into stars for their own reasons even as they slowly disappeared in the dawning sky. "Take a look!" The Commander suddenly exclaimed, pointing towards the horizon.
A red sun had appeared, casting brilliant yellow rays of light across the landscape and towards the trio at the balcony. Anthony, Cain, and Xana all looked with wonder at the beautiful sunrise, stunned by its grand appearance. The Commander slowly reached out of his hand as if to grab it, but instead twisted his fist and grabbed the air instead.
"I can't thank you two enough for what you've done for me this year. Your loyalty and your purpose have fulfilled my long-time ambition of uniting this world under one banner. And now, you two both inspire me to begin a new course of action.
"We will expand the Terran Empire into the far reaches of space, until where the suns of this universe never shine! We will become an intergalactic empire of our own right, bringing civilization and order to where ever we go. We will become the gods of a new people, a space-faring Terran nation.
"And so, I must ask for you to continue your service under my command. What we have accomplished last year will mean nothing to our eventual greatness this year. No matter what happens on Cato Terrareum, we shall conquer planets and exercise our people's right to prosper through the opening of these new frontiers! A brave new Terran world greets this first sun of the year: last time, it wasn't even a unified world, filled with discord and chaos. But next year, we will have multiple suns rising at the proud planets of the Terran Empire!"
