Chapter 1: End of the Line

Lieutenant Weston found himself a sizable enough rock to take a seat and propped his rifle up to the side. The helmet's visor slid back revealing a rigid jaw line and noticeable signs of stress thanks to this sector, small trails of sweat ran from forehead downwards. He took a moment to enjoy the bathing rays of sunlight as they hit his face. To think that not long ago they were on their way home away from this godforsaken sector of space, but then 'She' showed up. As if their prior defeat above Char was not bad enough, her minions hunted them all down to their deaths. The UED fleet was gone and no one would be able to report back to Earth what exactly had transpired.

"Well, sir, this isn't exactly how I thought everything would play out. But certain parts, for once I'm glad of that fact." Weston looked to his right to see First Sergeant LaCroix standing nearby.

"You're not the only one. Hell, we've all been given an unwarranted second chance."

"Yea, so we have." He gazed upon the unsettling clear sky. "Wish the rest could have gotten it also."

"The unlucky ones sadly." Weston ran through their series of unfortunate events in his head. From Char to turning tail to surviving a massacre, it was all FUBAR. "Thank the stars for Talbot's common sense under pressure, or else we'd be along with them."

"Common sense?" Surprise and aggravation arose in LaCroix's tone. "It was crueler than anything else, sir. We don't leave others behind like selfish cowards, yet we did just that."

"I don't completely disagree." Weston stood up from his rock. "But, if we held fast then we were dead men walking. Cowards be damned, we all saw our lives flash before our eyes. The coward's choice was the only fucking choice."

"Not completely disagreeing, but it's still shit."

"I don't like it the same as you. At least we can second guess that decision and live with any regrets, a lot of people gave their lives for it."

Captain Talbot forcefully took command when Major Einsturn wanted to fight to the last man. Einsturn was only doing what he was trained to do, fight. He might have seen the battle was already lost before it began or he might not. But honestly, they probably had already lost the whole endeavor before they arrived in the sector. The Zerg were unpredictable and vicious beyond all their projections.

"Just wished we still had some siege tanks to help pack a punch when needed. But no, guess that would be asking for too much wouldn't it, sir?" LaCroix shrugged before turning to leave. "Going to make a current supply count. Good luck on being in charge, assuming we don't find anyone else alive."

He didn't want to be the one to take charge as the situation was a complete shit show with a slim chance of survival. However, the circumstances did not exactly give him much of a choice. Talbot's dropship got hit on the way down to the surface and the next available chain of command was nowhere in sight. It was him and two other Lieutenants, with him pulling seniority among themselves. That was more or less the skinny on how they got here. Where was here? Just a lovely place called...

"Zerg incoming!"

Before heads could turn, C-14 Gauss rifles fired repeatedly into continuous ranks of oncoming and unending Zerg swarm. They poured out from the foliage and boxed them against the edge of the cliff. However, eccentric Zergling nor ravenous Hydralisk could make any significant advancement onto their position. Seeing them die en masse brought forward a malicious smile, one of the few simple joys of living in the Koprulu Sector.

"Lieutenant Weston! Enemy reinforcements coming from grid twelve, a pack of flyers moving in hard and fast!"

"Son of a-." Weston already had his rifle and jumped into action. "Get those missile turrets online asap!"

Echo Company, 66th Regiment of the UED Expeditionary Force had fallen back to a rocky cliff and were now pinned against the raging sea. Their best defense was a hurriedly constructed line of bunkers, turrets, and whatever else they could grab for protection. Here they were to make their last heroic stand against the insatiable swarm on Balok, a small and rather forgettable jungle planet near the Braxis system. Quite the fitting grave considering how fucked up everything had become.

Weston observed the chaos that unfolded before him. Even as a seasoned veteran soldier, the experiences that the Koprulu Sector brought along with it had been hard to stomach at times. He had fought in battle back home but it was nothing like this. Hell hath no fury like a Zerg swarm, among other things anyway.

"Damn it all to hell, all of this." Weston cursed as he oversaw the battlefield. "I wonder how anyone in this sector keeps their sanity intact, or life for that matter."

"Sir?" LaCroix took potshots when he could while staying on Weston's ass.

"Just saying off the record, I kinda have respect for people like Raynor and Mengsk in a certain aspect." He calmed himself back down from the surrounding panic. "Sane or not, they've survived this longer than we have and most likely will regardless of the end."

"No offense, sir, but this is really not the time."

Right on cue, the familiar screeching of Mutalisk came from over the water near grid twelve. In the distance was a large group of them headed their way, much larger than Weston would have liked. If this was their final moments then so be it, he was going to face it head on and die fighting.

"Squads three and four focus fire on our new guests, your nine." A section of the reserve line turned swiveled their sights. "Everyone else is to hold the line no matter the cost. Understood boys?"

"Yes sir!"

As the Mutalisk reached their position, so too did a volley of stinger missiles impale themselves onto their targets. Primal screams echoed in the sky as the Zerg flyers were forced to veer off from the ferocity of the incoming fire, of both marine rifles and missile turret. A small victory for the UED forces before their almost certain impending doom, if not for an anomaly. All Zerg forces backed off and fled into the foliage or flew off over the water.

"The hell?" Weston observed as Hydralisk and Zergling fell back. "Hold fire! Hold your fire!"

The gunfire slowly died down as the bunkers once blazing with muzzle flashes went silent. The sound of the Zerg became fainter as they retreated into the dense jungle foliage, creating a calm but eerie peace over their position. It was so unnatural that Weston almost wished the Zerg to attack again, just almost.

"Someone mind telling me what in damnation just happened?"

"No fucking clue, Rick, but I wouldn't be questioning a second chance at life right now."

"Yea, I'm with Diaz, so just shut up and enjoy the moment."

"Alright alright, cut the chatter ladies." Weston was still unsure of what he just saw. "We're on high alert until stated otherwise."

"Roger that, sir."

All that ensued was peaceful silence and Weston could not believe his ears. The Zerg had retreated far enough that the tides of the ocean were louder than the nearest creature. He double checked the scanners and they agreed with what his senses told him. Did they just achieve victory?

"Diaz, why don't you use that second life and get me a recon report. Take your pick of personnel."

"Aww hell, knew I should have kept my mouth shut." Grumbling before accepting his orders. "Moving, sir, but someone owes me drinks at the next civilized establishment."

"So be it." Weston turned to a nearby SCV. "Get on those repairs, pronto. I don't want to see those bunkers burn down or your ass is mine."

"Right away, sir."

"Everyone else, take five in turns."

Weston took another breather as he watched the soldiers go about their business. The biggest question going forward was wondering what happens next. Assuming they hold out against whatever else the Zerg threw at them, they needed a place of refuge. Due to recent events, their choice of options was slim and not entirely safe. This was normal for the Koprulu Sector, unfortunately.

"Goddamn, just another fucking day in paradise."