Mykael stared quietly out over the large field in front of him, the loud sounds of machinery cranking and Vultures stomping their way across the ground reverberating behind him. He was puffing on a half-smoked cigarette, the early rays of a new day on Athos-9 reflecting off the corner of his open visor. In front of him, he could hear the calls of platoon leaders as men went through Zephyr's vigorous physical training. Running, jumping jacks, climbing; preparing for any situation they could come in contact with in battle. In other places on the large base, similar scenes were playing out, though including melee and firearms training. Zephyr's men and women were all preparing for the last assaults against the warring Zerg on the planet...now down to five groups in number.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a Vulture pulling up, and of a man walking up to join him.
"Sir?", asked the Marine while he paused at Zephyr's side.
"Yes, son...?", Zephyr turned to face the young man a bit easier. Justin was his name, one of the drivers/couriers in the camp.
"Admiral Chaney is on his way down with the last of our fleet. The Battle Cruisers are still behind the moon as you requested."
Zephyr nodded. "Well, let's go see what stories the Admiral has to share with us...lead the way, Justin."
"Yes, Sir."
Zephyr and Justin each mounted a Vulture, and they took off across the camp towards the LZ of the Admiral and the last of his pilots. Over the past two weeks, the Terrans had been quietly bringing in Vultures and Valkeries from behind their orbiting spot behind Taul, Athos' moon. The Battle Cruisers were left behind due to their huge size, and Zephyr was currently more concerned about keeping their heads down and out of the way of the Zerg until he decided to strike. If they needed the firepower, the Admiral's XO could pilot around the moon and open fire from the atmosphere...until then, he was ordered to stay quiet, and maintain radio silence as much as possible.
Zephyr and the private arrived just in time to see a Dropship complete it's landed in one of the designated spots of camp, the vehicle quickly flooded with maintenance personnel which began going over the more delicate parts of the Dropship, and refuelling the tanks. Mykael was waiting at the end of the ramp when Admiral Matthew Chaney came stomping down the ramp.
"Why you send your damned pilots to shuttle me around I'll never know", came the Admiral's voice, "When mine could get me here without attempting to convince me to show what I had for lunch today!"
The pilot, upon hearing that remark, promptly jerked the ramp up, and let it drop back down, which sent the Admiral rolling across the ground. Mykael couldn't help but laugh at his old friend while he helped the man stand.
"You should really be careful about what you say to your driver, Matt..."
The Admiral's reply was murmuring something about the General's heritage.
"Now, come on, Matt. We've got a lot of things to talk about this Bug Infestation we have on our hands. You feel up to some of Doctor Chase's nutritional goop...?"
"He's still making that shit?", the Admiral asked while the two of them made their way through the camp towards the Command Center in the middle of camp.
"He's convinced it's good for us, even though he never tells us what the hell's in the stuff. His medics keep telling me it's some sort of secret recipe..."
"Not a thing secret about shit."
They both laughed and slapped eachother on their backs.
***
Several hours later, General Zephyr and Admiral Chaney were sitting in a meeting room within the Command Central, along with all the Battalion Commanders, and Lawrence Chase, the Head Doctor. A large map was pinned against the wall in front of the wooden table, decorated with various colored pins to show known Zerg positions, and what territory the Terrans had managed to control. Everyone was served coffee, a rather bitter concoction, but it did a lot to keep someone awake...though the bitter after-taste was something Zephyr was attempting to have improved.
"Well boys and girls, we've managed to keep our heads low to the ground this far, and we've managed to eradicate three groups of the warring Zerg. We have small bases building quietly in those areas, and so far, they haven't been detected, which I hope continues...", Zephyr used a small pointer to indicate the controlled areas.
"Have we found out why they're at eachother's throats, yet...?", asked Pat O'Shea towards the back. He was Irish, and headed up 8th Battalion.
"Unfortunately, no. From what we've seen, they suddenly decided they didn't like eachother, and started attacking. Though, they are acting a bit strange compared to have we've seen them in the past", Dan Azure, leader of "Scout" Battalion answered while sipping on his bitter brew.
"At least it's workin' to our advantage", the Admiral was leaning back in his chair at the opposite end of the table.
"Yes, it is. Though, I don't suspect it to be this easy for much longer-they're bound to investigate all these disappearances of their Nests and Bugs. That's when the real trouble will start for us", the General's eyes touched each of the people at the table. Each of them nodded, knowingly.
"So, let's take advantage of our current position while we still have it", the General began again while moving so all could see the map, "We're working from our base out, trying to take out the ones closer to us to free up our options, and allow us to get some large defenses up. Dan's Scouts have already set traps throughout this area so when and if the Bugs do find us, they're in for quite a surprise when they come charging in."
Dan grinned, and everyone in the room knew exactly what that grin meant. It meant Spider Mines, Trip Wires, Hidden Plasma-Throwers, and generally all sorts of bad stuff for the Bugs. Dan trained his Scouts in every non-conventional way of war imaginable. Though all of Zephyr's troops knew conventional and guerilla warfare, the Scouts took pride in what they did. They were the first ones in, and when they left, there were no doubt cold bodies and slit throats behind them.
"I don't plan on losing any more men or women than I have to. We'll stick to the usual plan that we've gone through; Siege Tanks around the Nest in a circle, and work their way in from the outside to the middle. Behind those Vultures, and with them Goliaths. Behind all the heavy support we'll have the infantry, and behind them we'll have our Snipers ready to blow the heads off anything that comes charging up. Mutalisks and Guardians can deal with the Admiral's Wraiths and Valkeryies. I want any Overlords shot down the second they're seen...we've seen what type of effect it has on the Bugs without them."
It was all old news to Zephyr's bunch, but all remained silent. The General's plan had worked the first, second, and third time they had used it, and now they were getting it down to a fine art. Casualties were extremely low, often none dead and only a precious few ended up wounded. Mostly what casualties they did suffer was when they all moved forward to go over the remains of the Bug Nest. But, with Science Vessels hovering above, it helped them take out any burrowed Zerg before the troops got there.
"I don't want to push our luck, so we're going to have to hurry to this one, gang. I want each of you to go back and make sure all your troops are trained for this. Lawrence, we need you and your medics to make sure you have everything you need as far as supplies. Rosey, have your pilots go over their ships for any possible problems, and get them fixed. When we roll out, I want to make sure our own equipment doesn't end up killing us."
They chuckled quietly. None had any questions, so everyone stood and went to double and triple-check their troops and equipment before they all moved out. The Admiral, Lawrence, and the General all left the room together. Outside, within the hallways, office personnel scurried back and forth, stopping to greet one of the trio by name. Everyone knew everyone else, and no one considered themselves above anyone else...it was quite a sight to behold, and quite a bit more to experience. They all stopped outside while looking over the camp.
"What do you think, Mykael", Lawrence began after a moment of silence, "Do you think we can do it...?"
Mykael Zephyr nodded calmly, "Lawrence, I have no doubt in my mind that we can clear this planet up. Then we can all head home, and take a few days of rest from this war..."
Matt Chaney agreed without hesitation, and was already talking about having everyone over for a big-ass Bar-B-Q at his cabin on a lake back in the Confederacy when Athos-9 was cleared up. They were all due for a vacation anyway. Somewhere in the heavens, beyond mortal sight or comprehension, Fate was laughing...
Part I, just so I don't post a huge story all at once, and my creative well is running dry. Part II should be up shortly. So, do you want to see a huge, well-written battle scene...? A never-before-thought-of love story...? Stunning mysteriousness, and mind-devouring intrigue...? ...Well, I would, too. But, you could always read my next portion while you wait...
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a Vulture pulling up, and of a man walking up to join him.
"Sir?", asked the Marine while he paused at Zephyr's side.
"Yes, son...?", Zephyr turned to face the young man a bit easier. Justin was his name, one of the drivers/couriers in the camp.
"Admiral Chaney is on his way down with the last of our fleet. The Battle Cruisers are still behind the moon as you requested."
Zephyr nodded. "Well, let's go see what stories the Admiral has to share with us...lead the way, Justin."
"Yes, Sir."
Zephyr and Justin each mounted a Vulture, and they took off across the camp towards the LZ of the Admiral and the last of his pilots. Over the past two weeks, the Terrans had been quietly bringing in Vultures and Valkeries from behind their orbiting spot behind Taul, Athos' moon. The Battle Cruisers were left behind due to their huge size, and Zephyr was currently more concerned about keeping their heads down and out of the way of the Zerg until he decided to strike. If they needed the firepower, the Admiral's XO could pilot around the moon and open fire from the atmosphere...until then, he was ordered to stay quiet, and maintain radio silence as much as possible.
Zephyr and the private arrived just in time to see a Dropship complete it's landed in one of the designated spots of camp, the vehicle quickly flooded with maintenance personnel which began going over the more delicate parts of the Dropship, and refuelling the tanks. Mykael was waiting at the end of the ramp when Admiral Matthew Chaney came stomping down the ramp.
"Why you send your damned pilots to shuttle me around I'll never know", came the Admiral's voice, "When mine could get me here without attempting to convince me to show what I had for lunch today!"
The pilot, upon hearing that remark, promptly jerked the ramp up, and let it drop back down, which sent the Admiral rolling across the ground. Mykael couldn't help but laugh at his old friend while he helped the man stand.
"You should really be careful about what you say to your driver, Matt..."
The Admiral's reply was murmuring something about the General's heritage.
"Now, come on, Matt. We've got a lot of things to talk about this Bug Infestation we have on our hands. You feel up to some of Doctor Chase's nutritional goop...?"
"He's still making that shit?", the Admiral asked while the two of them made their way through the camp towards the Command Center in the middle of camp.
"He's convinced it's good for us, even though he never tells us what the hell's in the stuff. His medics keep telling me it's some sort of secret recipe..."
"Not a thing secret about shit."
They both laughed and slapped eachother on their backs.
***
Several hours later, General Zephyr and Admiral Chaney were sitting in a meeting room within the Command Central, along with all the Battalion Commanders, and Lawrence Chase, the Head Doctor. A large map was pinned against the wall in front of the wooden table, decorated with various colored pins to show known Zerg positions, and what territory the Terrans had managed to control. Everyone was served coffee, a rather bitter concoction, but it did a lot to keep someone awake...though the bitter after-taste was something Zephyr was attempting to have improved.
"Well boys and girls, we've managed to keep our heads low to the ground this far, and we've managed to eradicate three groups of the warring Zerg. We have small bases building quietly in those areas, and so far, they haven't been detected, which I hope continues...", Zephyr used a small pointer to indicate the controlled areas.
"Have we found out why they're at eachother's throats, yet...?", asked Pat O'Shea towards the back. He was Irish, and headed up 8th Battalion.
"Unfortunately, no. From what we've seen, they suddenly decided they didn't like eachother, and started attacking. Though, they are acting a bit strange compared to have we've seen them in the past", Dan Azure, leader of "Scout" Battalion answered while sipping on his bitter brew.
"At least it's workin' to our advantage", the Admiral was leaning back in his chair at the opposite end of the table.
"Yes, it is. Though, I don't suspect it to be this easy for much longer-they're bound to investigate all these disappearances of their Nests and Bugs. That's when the real trouble will start for us", the General's eyes touched each of the people at the table. Each of them nodded, knowingly.
"So, let's take advantage of our current position while we still have it", the General began again while moving so all could see the map, "We're working from our base out, trying to take out the ones closer to us to free up our options, and allow us to get some large defenses up. Dan's Scouts have already set traps throughout this area so when and if the Bugs do find us, they're in for quite a surprise when they come charging in."
Dan grinned, and everyone in the room knew exactly what that grin meant. It meant Spider Mines, Trip Wires, Hidden Plasma-Throwers, and generally all sorts of bad stuff for the Bugs. Dan trained his Scouts in every non-conventional way of war imaginable. Though all of Zephyr's troops knew conventional and guerilla warfare, the Scouts took pride in what they did. They were the first ones in, and when they left, there were no doubt cold bodies and slit throats behind them.
"I don't plan on losing any more men or women than I have to. We'll stick to the usual plan that we've gone through; Siege Tanks around the Nest in a circle, and work their way in from the outside to the middle. Behind those Vultures, and with them Goliaths. Behind all the heavy support we'll have the infantry, and behind them we'll have our Snipers ready to blow the heads off anything that comes charging up. Mutalisks and Guardians can deal with the Admiral's Wraiths and Valkeryies. I want any Overlords shot down the second they're seen...we've seen what type of effect it has on the Bugs without them."
It was all old news to Zephyr's bunch, but all remained silent. The General's plan had worked the first, second, and third time they had used it, and now they were getting it down to a fine art. Casualties were extremely low, often none dead and only a precious few ended up wounded. Mostly what casualties they did suffer was when they all moved forward to go over the remains of the Bug Nest. But, with Science Vessels hovering above, it helped them take out any burrowed Zerg before the troops got there.
"I don't want to push our luck, so we're going to have to hurry to this one, gang. I want each of you to go back and make sure all your troops are trained for this. Lawrence, we need you and your medics to make sure you have everything you need as far as supplies. Rosey, have your pilots go over their ships for any possible problems, and get them fixed. When we roll out, I want to make sure our own equipment doesn't end up killing us."
They chuckled quietly. None had any questions, so everyone stood and went to double and triple-check their troops and equipment before they all moved out. The Admiral, Lawrence, and the General all left the room together. Outside, within the hallways, office personnel scurried back and forth, stopping to greet one of the trio by name. Everyone knew everyone else, and no one considered themselves above anyone else...it was quite a sight to behold, and quite a bit more to experience. They all stopped outside while looking over the camp.
"What do you think, Mykael", Lawrence began after a moment of silence, "Do you think we can do it...?"
Mykael Zephyr nodded calmly, "Lawrence, I have no doubt in my mind that we can clear this planet up. Then we can all head home, and take a few days of rest from this war..."
Matt Chaney agreed without hesitation, and was already talking about having everyone over for a big-ass Bar-B-Q at his cabin on a lake back in the Confederacy when Athos-9 was cleared up. They were all due for a vacation anyway. Somewhere in the heavens, beyond mortal sight or comprehension, Fate was laughing...
Part I, just so I don't post a huge story all at once, and my creative well is running dry. Part II should be up shortly. So, do you want to see a huge, well-written battle scene...? A never-before-thought-of love story...? Stunning mysteriousness, and mind-devouring intrigue...? ...Well, I would, too. But, you could always read my next portion while you wait...