Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Starcraft or the characters, but
the story is mine. I was not paid or not receiving any money from
Blizzard.
Chapter 18 Alliance Fleet-Sirius System Several Days Later
The Alliance moved off of Shakuras and made a several day long jump to the Sirius system. Zeratul was relieved to have left Shakuras and be back in the fighting. He hated giving the Zerg such advantages especially with their production rate.
The Carrier Needles moved in a formation of Terran vessels along with other Protoss ships. He stood quietly on the Bridge and observed the vastness of dark void that lay ahead of them.
Zelsasha came from behind him and startled him only slightly. "Zeratul, you called upon me?" he asked lowering his head slightly.
Zeratul sighed and looked at him closely. "Zelsasha, you still grieve for the fall of Artanis? Let it go. This is what happens in war. People die, Terran and Protoss alike. What we need is you to clear your head of this," he said quietly.
Zelsasha nodded. "And how is Kerrigan? I heard she was attacked a few days ago," he said with concern building slightly.
Zeratul grunted at the remark. "You should have asked the day it happened or not at all," he replied some what harshly.
"I am sorry, Zeratul. I do not trust her. Even with the power of the Xel'Naga, I doubt they could remove the Zerg from her," he said even more coldly then Zeratul.
"You will respect her, if nothing more. Jim sees life and good in her. I trust his judgment. Attend to your affairs. I'm sure you wouldn't want to keep Latura waiting. And Templar, do keep in mind this is war. Don't do anything you will regret," he said staring intently at Zelsasha.
With a quick nod, Zelsasha stormed off the Bridge. Zeratul sighed. "We are losing and coming apart at the same time. Jim no longer trusts anyone and my own people have all been strained heavily due to Kerrigan and her transfiguration back to a human form. Adun, give me guidance," Zeratul whispered as he bowed his head.
"Zeratul, Commander Raynor has a message for you. Shall I put it on screen?" a young Templar said for his post down below. Zeratul gave a quick nod.
Jim's face appeared suddenly on the main screen inside the Carrier. The last few days had really been hard for them all. Zeratul stared at the screen and saw Jim had aged since the first time they met. While it was little more then a seven months ago, those seven months had its effects and it showed clearly. He only took full notice of it now.
"Zeratul," Jim's expressions were strained and pale. "Well, we are all running out of supplies, men, morale, and trust. Don't get me wrong. There is no one else I'd trust my life more with then you."
Zeratul shook his head. "As I you, Raynor. And I know what is coming. When will we be able to see one another again?" he asked with disappointment in his voice.
Jim sighed heavily. "I have had my share of war. I need a brake from all this. I need more men and more will then what I have right now," he said flatly.
"Jim, there is always going to be some one to fight. And if you leave now, the Zerg will be that much stronger when you return. I know about your men. Mine as well dwindle in spirit. But we will fight on."
"I didn't say I would quit. I need to go to a neutral system and get more people willing to fight. More of my troops are deserting and you don't know what it's doing to my crews," he spoke almost on the verge of tears.
"And you leaving will do what to mine?" Zeratul said staring into his eyes. "Go my friend. Find your men to fight with. I'm sure that one day, we will meet again. We are heading to the Ross system for the next few months. Hopefully to establish a base and get a foot hold there. Take care, James. May Adun and your God watch over you in your journey."
Jim nodded. He smiled and faded away from the screen. Zeratul and his fleet watched as their brothers broke formation and moved toward the Dominion occupied territory of Korhal.
"What do we do now Zeratul?" one asked from down below the main command post.
Zeratul shuddered. "Stay on course. We will see them again. That much I am certain of. Carry on with the duties at hand," he ordered and watched as one by one, the Terran vessels departed into sub-space.
"What does this mean, Zeratul?" Monera asked as she hobbled over towards him from behind.
He turned to face her. She was beautiful and was very interested in him and he knew that. He was to old for her though and preferred to be how he was.
"Jim is going to find more men and will be back with us when he can be. For now we are own our own. But do not fear, nothing could stop us from completing our goal. We will set up our base in Ross and we will defeat the Zerg. Then a day of peace will come through to our peoples and we can live as one," Zeratul said comfortingly.
Monera nodded quickly. He could sense that she was scared but pushed it aside. "Okay. What do you ask of me?"
"Rest. Let your leg fully heal before you do anything else," he said motioning for her to head back to her quarters. She nodded smiling a little. Monera looked at Zeratul sincerely before she walked off to her cabin.
"Zeratul, we are ready to make the jump to Ross. Do you think we will be able to handle the Zerg without Terran support?" the Templar behind the navigation consul asked with a saddened tone and concern heavy in his voice.
Zeratul only nodded without speaking. He was lost in thought. For the first time, he believed that victory against the Zerg was impossible. No matter how hard they fought, how hard they pushed, the Zerg would fight only that much harder and push that much quicker.
The Protoss Fleet's engines roared as one by one, they filed into sub space. They would be making the several week trip in a matter of minutes. Even though they were low on supplies, morale, and men, they were going to drive on. They would resist the Zerg. They would not roll over and die so easily.
Dominion Territory Cruiser Foxwood
Arcturus stood silently on the Bridge of the Foxwood. His long range scouts proved him right. Jim was leaving the fight. Jim had more Battle Cruisers then he did and was running away. He watched as the Protoss Fleet still moved on to Ross even without Terran backup.
The large silver monitor in front of Mengsk lit up and the face of General Madison appeared. From what Mengsk could tell on the younger General, he was happy about something. "General Madison, what is it that you have to report?" Mengsk asked coolly, as he studied the Generals expression intently.
"Sir, we have constructed several new Cruisers and have enough men to operate them as well. Emperor Mengsk, we are ready for a fight," Madison said holding the smile from his face.
Mengsk nodded briskly. "Very well. How many Cruisers do we have now?" he asked. The General was excited for one reason or another and this raised his curiosity.
"Well sir, we have constructed twelve new Cruisers, making our total now thirty two. But we have also received a message from Captain Raynor and he was wondering if we had any volunteers, extra fighters, and some extra resources to repair their ships," Madison said barely holding back the excitement. "They have twenty four Cruisers, just about all of their fighters as well. They just need extra crew men for many of the Cruisers, some extra fighters and pilots and repairs. The Alliance is looking for a fight and looking to the Zerg for it."
"Thank God. Give them what they need with open arms. Rearm their fighters, repair their ships, and send extra crew men and mechanics to aid in other repairs on board," Mengsk ordered breathing a little easier.
A man wearing a headset stood up from his small working station. He turned to face Mengsk removing his headset. "Emperor Mengsk, Captain Raynor is holding for you on line two. Should I put him on your screen, sir?" the man spoke loudly from his post that was down on a lower level of the Bridge.
Mengsk only nodded and the man returned to his seat and tapped a few buttons on his consul. Mengsk rubbed his bearded face and used both of his hands to push his hair back. As his hands came to rest on his gray pants, Jim's face appeared on screen. "Jim, you don't know how relieved I am to see you right now. Hear me out commander, please. I know I have said and done some horrible things and I understand fully that I am responsible for what happened to Sarah Kerrigan and the lives of countless others, but by God I won't let the Zerg gain another inch of ground and by God, I won't abandon anyone this time either," he spoke softly but sincerely.
Jim looked down from the consul for a moment. "Arcturus, save your speeches. We have come here for help. We just need the extra man power and we will be on our way back to Ross," he spoke in a soft tone and without hate in his voice.
Mengsk sighed. "Jim, you leave me no choice. You're pickin' a fight with the worst enemy anyone has ever know. But you see, it's not just your fight. This place is my home as well and it doesn't look like that will stop them. I have thirty two Battle Cruisers as well looking to pick a fight. May I ask, where are they needed Commander?" he said with a light smile building on his troubled face.
Jim slowly began shaking his head. "I'm not asking you to do this, Arcturus," he said scratching his stubby face.
"I know," Mengsk replied and for the first time, was ready to make a true Alliance that wasn't going to just benefit him. This time it may benefit all people. "I just want one more chance to do something about the Zerg and God willing, be able to do something to end this war."
Mengsk watched as Raynor's gaze seemed to look through the monitor and pierce his very soul. "Arcturus, you will have your chance. You will all have your chance," Jim spoke with every last bit of sincerity he could muster in his voice. The two men stared at their screens only a moment longer before they both cut the feed.
Arcturus knew that they had an understanding and while no one said it, he knew he had made his peace with Jim. He knew that this was going to be the last fight. This was going to be the final conflict.
Mengsk stood from his grand elevated chair on the Bridge of the Foxwood. He straightened his gray coat slightly and looked at the crew working below. "Ladies and gentle men of the Terran race, despite of what may transpire in the coming events, know that I am proud to have served with such a fine and admirable crew," Mengsk took a long breath and saw he had their attention. "We won't be coming home. We won't see our families again. We won't stop fighting until every last one of those Zerg bastards are dead. We are going to the Ross system to help some of our allies, no. Some of our brothers. And with our brothers by our side, we will call with one voice, that we will never surrender. We will never give up. We won't stop resisting and we sure as hell won't give up fighting. Signal the Fleet. When the Alliance ships have been repairs, load up all of our Cruisers with ground forces and have all of our fighters on stand-by. Signal Korhal as well and have them ready all planetary defenses in case they break through us. We have a job to do ladies and gentlemen. Let us get it done," he sat down not waiting for his crews reaction though from the cheers and sudden chatter, he knew he had just written his obituary. His final testimony to his people.
UED Fleet under Admiral Renee Orleans Sara System
"Report on hull damage!" Orleans shouted at the top of his lungs. They had walked right into it. Their scans read minimal Zerg activity in the System and they warped in with guns blazing hoping to get the drop on them. Only mere minutes after they warped in, thousands upon thousands came from what seemed to be no where. Already seven of their Battle Cruisers were destroyed along with dozens upon dozens of fighters.
"Sir! What are we doing?" screamed one of the many officers down on the lower level of the Blue Nose's Bridge. "You walked us into this, get us out of it!" the man screamed again.
"Just so you know Admiral, Admiral Gray wouldn't have walked us into this!" cried another officer from the lower section of the Bridge.
Before Admiral Orleans could say something in his defense, he watched in horror as the head of one of the Battle Cruisers began to sink lower with the rear of the Cruiser still pushing on forward. The neck of the ship began to twist and creek while the head of the ship broke away from the neck. Only a moment after the head fell away from the rest of the ship, it exploding hurling debris in all directions. As the explosion traveled outward, a blue shock wave hit the rest of the ship, giving it the final blow before the Cruisers body erupted into flames.
Orleans watched as everything slowed to an ungodly speed. Cries of panic filled the cold lifeless Bridge and he could he and feel his heart pounding in his ears. Orleans was panicking and he knew it. He knew it but just couldn't move, couldn't think. He watched as one of the starfish like Scourges flew past the observation window. The suicidal beast turned its attention to the main deck and slowly began its final approach.
Orleans just in the nick of time managed to get himself under control again to say, "Fire the forward cannon!" As his words seemed to echo through the Bridge, the Scourge vanished from sight. "Why won't they die?" he whispered softly to himself.
A man screamed from behind him unable to control his excitement. "They are leaving! They are pulling out!"
Renee was unsure why they would leave. They were winning and winning by a large deficit. As quickly as the attack started, it finished. The Zerg had pulled back the way they came and they seemed to have abandoned the Sara System. Even their Hives on the surface emptied out.
"Can you raise Admiral Gray's transport?" Renee asked hoping against hope they could.
"Yes sir we can," the communication officer said without turning to face him.
Renee smiled to himself. "Good. Do it. Call him back here," he ordered and a few cheers and praises of thanks escaped some of the crew. "How many did we lose? How many Cruisers have we lost?" he said regaining his composure.
"Eight Cruisers lost, sir. Several have been damaged. One of which needs dry dock for repair," called a woman from her scanning post.
"Jesus, they wouldn't die. They just wouldn't die," Renee said still in shock on how quickly they came, kicked their ass, and left in almost a heart beat.
"With all due respect, welcome to war, sir," one of the officers called from behind him. Renee turned to face the man and met his cold gaze head on.
"You would do well to remember I am a superior officer-," Renee tried finishing but was cut off.
"A superior officer that has no sense of direction on the field of battle! You walked us into this, sir. You would do yourself a favor along with this fleet, if you would go back to the desk you came from, because that is where you belong, sir," he said coldly and with a major emphasis of sarcasm whenever he said sir.
Renee was at a loss of what to say. He straightened himself up, and walked off the Bridge to wait in his quarters till Gray arrived.
"Okay people, we have a job to do! Get damage reports up and see if we can set these crates down for some minor repairs," the officer called to the crew and they began working quickly to comply with his orders.
Renee walked off feeling defeated. He had his chance in the spotlight and choked when it all came down. That officer was right and he knew it. He belonged behind a desk, not out in the field of battle.
Ross System Planet Side-Hellious II Zerg Overmind Reaching Maturity
The ravenous beasts roamed the Creep infested hills of the planet. The Overminds mental power growing stronger with each passing second. The Swarm bent to the command of the Overmind and did so without a moments hesitation.
'The UED are seeking another fight they will not be able to crawl away from. The everlasting power is ours and we shall finish this once and for all. Daggoth, I can feel that our enemy will be coming to us to make their final attack. They will assault us at our heart. Though, they will not get away,' the Overmind spoke in a dazed-like stream of consciousness.
'Overmind, if they do come to attack us at our heart, we will be waiting for them. Though they will not be able to handle what I have in store for them. My ground forces and I shall be returning to Hellious II. Though my flyers will remain in another system and when they come to attack, we will let them land their ground forces. After they have landed their ground troop, my flyers will destroy their means of escape,' Daggoth said knowing that an ending conflict was soon upon them.
The Overmind let out a low growl of agreement. 'Yes. They will not escape us this time. They will join us. They will join us or be crushed.'
Daggoth understood what he needed to do in preparation for the attack. 'My best minions will personally watch over you Overmind to protect you from any harm.'
'Daggoth, remain in the Antigan System and build up forces there as well. For once the conflict ends, we will still need to finish off Korprulu and consume it, make it our own,' the Overmind spoke more confidently as it pulsed and matured further.
'As you wish, Overmind. And what of Kerrigan? Should we still capture her and bring her back into the Swarm?' Daggoth asked with concern in his dream like voice.
'Ah yes, Kerrigan. Bring no harm to her Daggoth. She will fall back into the Swarm, willingly or not. No one can resist us once our influence has been made. She will serve me without question. Or she will die.' The Overmind let the last word ring out into a low pitched growl.
'Very well, Overmind. For the Swarm.' Daggoth replied knowing that this was the ending.
Chapter 18 Alliance Fleet-Sirius System Several Days Later
The Alliance moved off of Shakuras and made a several day long jump to the Sirius system. Zeratul was relieved to have left Shakuras and be back in the fighting. He hated giving the Zerg such advantages especially with their production rate.
The Carrier Needles moved in a formation of Terran vessels along with other Protoss ships. He stood quietly on the Bridge and observed the vastness of dark void that lay ahead of them.
Zelsasha came from behind him and startled him only slightly. "Zeratul, you called upon me?" he asked lowering his head slightly.
Zeratul sighed and looked at him closely. "Zelsasha, you still grieve for the fall of Artanis? Let it go. This is what happens in war. People die, Terran and Protoss alike. What we need is you to clear your head of this," he said quietly.
Zelsasha nodded. "And how is Kerrigan? I heard she was attacked a few days ago," he said with concern building slightly.
Zeratul grunted at the remark. "You should have asked the day it happened or not at all," he replied some what harshly.
"I am sorry, Zeratul. I do not trust her. Even with the power of the Xel'Naga, I doubt they could remove the Zerg from her," he said even more coldly then Zeratul.
"You will respect her, if nothing more. Jim sees life and good in her. I trust his judgment. Attend to your affairs. I'm sure you wouldn't want to keep Latura waiting. And Templar, do keep in mind this is war. Don't do anything you will regret," he said staring intently at Zelsasha.
With a quick nod, Zelsasha stormed off the Bridge. Zeratul sighed. "We are losing and coming apart at the same time. Jim no longer trusts anyone and my own people have all been strained heavily due to Kerrigan and her transfiguration back to a human form. Adun, give me guidance," Zeratul whispered as he bowed his head.
"Zeratul, Commander Raynor has a message for you. Shall I put it on screen?" a young Templar said for his post down below. Zeratul gave a quick nod.
Jim's face appeared suddenly on the main screen inside the Carrier. The last few days had really been hard for them all. Zeratul stared at the screen and saw Jim had aged since the first time they met. While it was little more then a seven months ago, those seven months had its effects and it showed clearly. He only took full notice of it now.
"Zeratul," Jim's expressions were strained and pale. "Well, we are all running out of supplies, men, morale, and trust. Don't get me wrong. There is no one else I'd trust my life more with then you."
Zeratul shook his head. "As I you, Raynor. And I know what is coming. When will we be able to see one another again?" he asked with disappointment in his voice.
Jim sighed heavily. "I have had my share of war. I need a brake from all this. I need more men and more will then what I have right now," he said flatly.
"Jim, there is always going to be some one to fight. And if you leave now, the Zerg will be that much stronger when you return. I know about your men. Mine as well dwindle in spirit. But we will fight on."
"I didn't say I would quit. I need to go to a neutral system and get more people willing to fight. More of my troops are deserting and you don't know what it's doing to my crews," he spoke almost on the verge of tears.
"And you leaving will do what to mine?" Zeratul said staring into his eyes. "Go my friend. Find your men to fight with. I'm sure that one day, we will meet again. We are heading to the Ross system for the next few months. Hopefully to establish a base and get a foot hold there. Take care, James. May Adun and your God watch over you in your journey."
Jim nodded. He smiled and faded away from the screen. Zeratul and his fleet watched as their brothers broke formation and moved toward the Dominion occupied territory of Korhal.
"What do we do now Zeratul?" one asked from down below the main command post.
Zeratul shuddered. "Stay on course. We will see them again. That much I am certain of. Carry on with the duties at hand," he ordered and watched as one by one, the Terran vessels departed into sub-space.
"What does this mean, Zeratul?" Monera asked as she hobbled over towards him from behind.
He turned to face her. She was beautiful and was very interested in him and he knew that. He was to old for her though and preferred to be how he was.
"Jim is going to find more men and will be back with us when he can be. For now we are own our own. But do not fear, nothing could stop us from completing our goal. We will set up our base in Ross and we will defeat the Zerg. Then a day of peace will come through to our peoples and we can live as one," Zeratul said comfortingly.
Monera nodded quickly. He could sense that she was scared but pushed it aside. "Okay. What do you ask of me?"
"Rest. Let your leg fully heal before you do anything else," he said motioning for her to head back to her quarters. She nodded smiling a little. Monera looked at Zeratul sincerely before she walked off to her cabin.
"Zeratul, we are ready to make the jump to Ross. Do you think we will be able to handle the Zerg without Terran support?" the Templar behind the navigation consul asked with a saddened tone and concern heavy in his voice.
Zeratul only nodded without speaking. He was lost in thought. For the first time, he believed that victory against the Zerg was impossible. No matter how hard they fought, how hard they pushed, the Zerg would fight only that much harder and push that much quicker.
The Protoss Fleet's engines roared as one by one, they filed into sub space. They would be making the several week trip in a matter of minutes. Even though they were low on supplies, morale, and men, they were going to drive on. They would resist the Zerg. They would not roll over and die so easily.
Dominion Territory Cruiser Foxwood
Arcturus stood silently on the Bridge of the Foxwood. His long range scouts proved him right. Jim was leaving the fight. Jim had more Battle Cruisers then he did and was running away. He watched as the Protoss Fleet still moved on to Ross even without Terran backup.
The large silver monitor in front of Mengsk lit up and the face of General Madison appeared. From what Mengsk could tell on the younger General, he was happy about something. "General Madison, what is it that you have to report?" Mengsk asked coolly, as he studied the Generals expression intently.
"Sir, we have constructed several new Cruisers and have enough men to operate them as well. Emperor Mengsk, we are ready for a fight," Madison said holding the smile from his face.
Mengsk nodded briskly. "Very well. How many Cruisers do we have now?" he asked. The General was excited for one reason or another and this raised his curiosity.
"Well sir, we have constructed twelve new Cruisers, making our total now thirty two. But we have also received a message from Captain Raynor and he was wondering if we had any volunteers, extra fighters, and some extra resources to repair their ships," Madison said barely holding back the excitement. "They have twenty four Cruisers, just about all of their fighters as well. They just need extra crew men for many of the Cruisers, some extra fighters and pilots and repairs. The Alliance is looking for a fight and looking to the Zerg for it."
"Thank God. Give them what they need with open arms. Rearm their fighters, repair their ships, and send extra crew men and mechanics to aid in other repairs on board," Mengsk ordered breathing a little easier.
A man wearing a headset stood up from his small working station. He turned to face Mengsk removing his headset. "Emperor Mengsk, Captain Raynor is holding for you on line two. Should I put him on your screen, sir?" the man spoke loudly from his post that was down on a lower level of the Bridge.
Mengsk only nodded and the man returned to his seat and tapped a few buttons on his consul. Mengsk rubbed his bearded face and used both of his hands to push his hair back. As his hands came to rest on his gray pants, Jim's face appeared on screen. "Jim, you don't know how relieved I am to see you right now. Hear me out commander, please. I know I have said and done some horrible things and I understand fully that I am responsible for what happened to Sarah Kerrigan and the lives of countless others, but by God I won't let the Zerg gain another inch of ground and by God, I won't abandon anyone this time either," he spoke softly but sincerely.
Jim looked down from the consul for a moment. "Arcturus, save your speeches. We have come here for help. We just need the extra man power and we will be on our way back to Ross," he spoke in a soft tone and without hate in his voice.
Mengsk sighed. "Jim, you leave me no choice. You're pickin' a fight with the worst enemy anyone has ever know. But you see, it's not just your fight. This place is my home as well and it doesn't look like that will stop them. I have thirty two Battle Cruisers as well looking to pick a fight. May I ask, where are they needed Commander?" he said with a light smile building on his troubled face.
Jim slowly began shaking his head. "I'm not asking you to do this, Arcturus," he said scratching his stubby face.
"I know," Mengsk replied and for the first time, was ready to make a true Alliance that wasn't going to just benefit him. This time it may benefit all people. "I just want one more chance to do something about the Zerg and God willing, be able to do something to end this war."
Mengsk watched as Raynor's gaze seemed to look through the monitor and pierce his very soul. "Arcturus, you will have your chance. You will all have your chance," Jim spoke with every last bit of sincerity he could muster in his voice. The two men stared at their screens only a moment longer before they both cut the feed.
Arcturus knew that they had an understanding and while no one said it, he knew he had made his peace with Jim. He knew that this was going to be the last fight. This was going to be the final conflict.
Mengsk stood from his grand elevated chair on the Bridge of the Foxwood. He straightened his gray coat slightly and looked at the crew working below. "Ladies and gentle men of the Terran race, despite of what may transpire in the coming events, know that I am proud to have served with such a fine and admirable crew," Mengsk took a long breath and saw he had their attention. "We won't be coming home. We won't see our families again. We won't stop fighting until every last one of those Zerg bastards are dead. We are going to the Ross system to help some of our allies, no. Some of our brothers. And with our brothers by our side, we will call with one voice, that we will never surrender. We will never give up. We won't stop resisting and we sure as hell won't give up fighting. Signal the Fleet. When the Alliance ships have been repairs, load up all of our Cruisers with ground forces and have all of our fighters on stand-by. Signal Korhal as well and have them ready all planetary defenses in case they break through us. We have a job to do ladies and gentlemen. Let us get it done," he sat down not waiting for his crews reaction though from the cheers and sudden chatter, he knew he had just written his obituary. His final testimony to his people.
UED Fleet under Admiral Renee Orleans Sara System
"Report on hull damage!" Orleans shouted at the top of his lungs. They had walked right into it. Their scans read minimal Zerg activity in the System and they warped in with guns blazing hoping to get the drop on them. Only mere minutes after they warped in, thousands upon thousands came from what seemed to be no where. Already seven of their Battle Cruisers were destroyed along with dozens upon dozens of fighters.
"Sir! What are we doing?" screamed one of the many officers down on the lower level of the Blue Nose's Bridge. "You walked us into this, get us out of it!" the man screamed again.
"Just so you know Admiral, Admiral Gray wouldn't have walked us into this!" cried another officer from the lower section of the Bridge.
Before Admiral Orleans could say something in his defense, he watched in horror as the head of one of the Battle Cruisers began to sink lower with the rear of the Cruiser still pushing on forward. The neck of the ship began to twist and creek while the head of the ship broke away from the neck. Only a moment after the head fell away from the rest of the ship, it exploding hurling debris in all directions. As the explosion traveled outward, a blue shock wave hit the rest of the ship, giving it the final blow before the Cruisers body erupted into flames.
Orleans watched as everything slowed to an ungodly speed. Cries of panic filled the cold lifeless Bridge and he could he and feel his heart pounding in his ears. Orleans was panicking and he knew it. He knew it but just couldn't move, couldn't think. He watched as one of the starfish like Scourges flew past the observation window. The suicidal beast turned its attention to the main deck and slowly began its final approach.
Orleans just in the nick of time managed to get himself under control again to say, "Fire the forward cannon!" As his words seemed to echo through the Bridge, the Scourge vanished from sight. "Why won't they die?" he whispered softly to himself.
A man screamed from behind him unable to control his excitement. "They are leaving! They are pulling out!"
Renee was unsure why they would leave. They were winning and winning by a large deficit. As quickly as the attack started, it finished. The Zerg had pulled back the way they came and they seemed to have abandoned the Sara System. Even their Hives on the surface emptied out.
"Can you raise Admiral Gray's transport?" Renee asked hoping against hope they could.
"Yes sir we can," the communication officer said without turning to face him.
Renee smiled to himself. "Good. Do it. Call him back here," he ordered and a few cheers and praises of thanks escaped some of the crew. "How many did we lose? How many Cruisers have we lost?" he said regaining his composure.
"Eight Cruisers lost, sir. Several have been damaged. One of which needs dry dock for repair," called a woman from her scanning post.
"Jesus, they wouldn't die. They just wouldn't die," Renee said still in shock on how quickly they came, kicked their ass, and left in almost a heart beat.
"With all due respect, welcome to war, sir," one of the officers called from behind him. Renee turned to face the man and met his cold gaze head on.
"You would do well to remember I am a superior officer-," Renee tried finishing but was cut off.
"A superior officer that has no sense of direction on the field of battle! You walked us into this, sir. You would do yourself a favor along with this fleet, if you would go back to the desk you came from, because that is where you belong, sir," he said coldly and with a major emphasis of sarcasm whenever he said sir.
Renee was at a loss of what to say. He straightened himself up, and walked off the Bridge to wait in his quarters till Gray arrived.
"Okay people, we have a job to do! Get damage reports up and see if we can set these crates down for some minor repairs," the officer called to the crew and they began working quickly to comply with his orders.
Renee walked off feeling defeated. He had his chance in the spotlight and choked when it all came down. That officer was right and he knew it. He belonged behind a desk, not out in the field of battle.
Ross System Planet Side-Hellious II Zerg Overmind Reaching Maturity
The ravenous beasts roamed the Creep infested hills of the planet. The Overminds mental power growing stronger with each passing second. The Swarm bent to the command of the Overmind and did so without a moments hesitation.
'The UED are seeking another fight they will not be able to crawl away from. The everlasting power is ours and we shall finish this once and for all. Daggoth, I can feel that our enemy will be coming to us to make their final attack. They will assault us at our heart. Though, they will not get away,' the Overmind spoke in a dazed-like stream of consciousness.
'Overmind, if they do come to attack us at our heart, we will be waiting for them. Though they will not be able to handle what I have in store for them. My ground forces and I shall be returning to Hellious II. Though my flyers will remain in another system and when they come to attack, we will let them land their ground forces. After they have landed their ground troop, my flyers will destroy their means of escape,' Daggoth said knowing that an ending conflict was soon upon them.
The Overmind let out a low growl of agreement. 'Yes. They will not escape us this time. They will join us. They will join us or be crushed.'
Daggoth understood what he needed to do in preparation for the attack. 'My best minions will personally watch over you Overmind to protect you from any harm.'
'Daggoth, remain in the Antigan System and build up forces there as well. For once the conflict ends, we will still need to finish off Korprulu and consume it, make it our own,' the Overmind spoke more confidently as it pulsed and matured further.
'As you wish, Overmind. And what of Kerrigan? Should we still capture her and bring her back into the Swarm?' Daggoth asked with concern in his dream like voice.
'Ah yes, Kerrigan. Bring no harm to her Daggoth. She will fall back into the Swarm, willingly or not. No one can resist us once our influence has been made. She will serve me without question. Or she will die.' The Overmind let the last word ring out into a low pitched growl.
'Very well, Overmind. For the Swarm.' Daggoth replied knowing that this was the ending.