Deep space. So quiet. Dark. Cold. Everything so far from everything else. Empty, yes so beautiful in is own way. It must by. Why else had man had the desire to reach the stars even its early stages? The sky littered with tiny sparkling lights. It was beautiful, and yet so deadly. Why did we bother?

The peace was suddenly interrupted. A swirling blue sphere appeared. A flowing, billowing orb of energy appeared with a little crack. Another soon followed close to it, then another. Each one appearing behind the other. The crackled and sputtered until the first one burst into light and the faint outline of a drop ship could be seen through the light, glowing with blue energy. As the light faded, the ship began to move forward, only slightly damaged. The next drop ship appeared, less battered then the first. The third ship to come through was completely destroyed almost save the single engine that seemed to cartoonishly push it along in cruel mockery.

Finally more drop ships came with varying damage and then wraiths with varying damage. The ships fanned out, some awaiting where they had come out, and some high tailing in out of there. The obedient ones watched behind them hopefully.

The space suddenly erupted in a much larger warp gate. Everyone gasped. They waited patiently, watching the gate with much anticipation. Would he get through? None had witnessed the final battle to its completion, but it had not looked good when they had left.

Finally, the portal burst into light, showing the outline of a giant battle cruiser. There were cheers at first, but then the cries dissapeared. The giant cruiser still had its momentum and shot backward through them. All the ships moved aside trying to avoid being cut down by the giant hull.

~*~

Raynor opened his eyes. The entire cockpit was completely torn apart. The screen before him was blank where he should have a view of the front of the ship. Raynor amused himself for a few moments, trying to regain a grasp of reality. The cockpit was alight with sirens and flashed red through the darkness.

"Danger. Hyperion on a collision course with unknown planet. Engines offline. Life support offline. Weapons offline." The list continued on and Raynor finally snapped back to reality. He looked around. All his gunners and pilots were not moving.

"Who here is alive and conscious?"

No one moved. Raynor gritted his teeth. "Fuck!" he sword hitting his command chair with his fist. "I need a visual of the front of the ship."

"Exterior hull sensors all offline."

"There must be something working out there."

"Exterior hull sensors all offline."

"Fuck!" swore Raynor again. The sirens and beeps screached in his ears. He was going mad not seeing where the ship was flying to. He needed to do something fast.

"How much power is left?"

"Alimentium cells in main reactor are all punctured. The shock from the Yamato Cannon had rendered all primary power offline."
"What about the auxilery?"

"It is suggested that auxilery power is left until we make our crash landing in order to recover any survivors on the ship."

"Override."

"Warning. This course of action is not rec-"

"Override!" cried Raynor desperately.

"Acknowledged."

"And shut these god damn alarms off."

Instantly the lights in the cockpit came online and the alarms stopped.

"I need a status report. Where are we headed?"

"Trajectory unknown."

"All power to scanners."

"Converting." there was a resounding beep and the lights in the cockpit flickered out. "Scanners indicate we are headed for a small moon that is uncovered on any of our charts."

"Are we in terran space?"

"No terran systems in range."

"Shit. We could be anywhere." Raynor looked down at the crystal Fenix had given him. His mind considered for a moment. Perhaps this would be his last chance to use it, but Raynor wasn't sure if it was worth it. If Fenix left Auir to follow them, he would be branded an outlaw immediately. It wasn't worth Raynors life to use it now, and Fenix couldn't get there in time anyways to save them from crashing.

Raynor put the crystal aside. "Where are we gonna hit?"

"We will hit the planet on the rear engines."

"I want three quarters of the remaining power on the rear hull. Put as much energy out of them as you can to cusion the fall." Raynor settled back in his chair and held on to the arms. "All remaining power to life support."

"Life support is offline."

Raynor sighed. "Put as much of in online as you can then."

There was a whir and a beep. "Repair life support bay?"

"No, just give them as much power as you can. get some light in here, and I want a com link established to as many ships as possible."

There were more beeps. The lights flickered on. "Com link established."

Raynor swallowed. "This is Captain Jim Raynor. My ship is headed for a collision course with this planet. I want everyone who hasn't left to leave now. Wipe my name off as your commanding officer, and find a nice place to spend the rest of your lives. You all didn't come this far just to die with me, so leave now."

"Com like closed."

Raynor shook his head. "None of them will listen." he shook his head.

"Entering atmosphere."

Raynor sank into his chair more. His seat inflated a little and his buckle tightened preparing for impact. Raynor took a deep breath. He could here the hull of the ship creaking under the stress.

"Impact in thirty seconds." chimed the calm robotic voice.

Raynor closed his eyes. 'Please don't let it end here. I need to find her. I need to save her.'

"Impact in twenty seconds."

'Arkturus must pay for everything he has done. I can't let him have an absolute hold over the terran dominion. He doesn't deserve it.'

"Impact in ten seconds."

'But most of all-'

"Nine."

'-she must know-'

"Eight."

'-I need to tell her-'

"Seven."

'-that I wish I'd been there-'

"Six."

'-when she needed me most.'

"Five."

'I wish I could-'

"Four."

'-have been-'

"Three."

'-the man-'

"Two."

'-she loved.'

"One."

~*~

Raynor felt like he was in a movie. It was silent at first, watching himself being born into the world. Following his through his years at school, seeing old faces he remembered so well, and some he'd so hastily forgotten. He saw his parents pride at graduation, being handed the scroll of paper. He remembered his pride at being accepted into the academy. His first time firing the old Gauss-128. He was the best marksman in his class. He remembered getting on a vulture for the first time. Being promoted to Marshal, helping exacuate the planet of Mara Sara. He remembered General Duke, and then seeing Mengsk for the first time. He'd had so much hope in Mengsk, then Kerrigan. She had blinded him to Mengsk's true self. She'd believed in him most, and so she was the most blind to his betrayal.

Raynor remembered the hopelessness he'd felt seeing her being swallowed by the zerg, and his hate for Arkturus that day. He remembered leaving and seeing Kerrigan as a zerg for the first time, having to fight her. Being morbidly happy to see her again, even as an insane spawn of the zerg. He remembered flying into the care of Tassadar, who assisted him in escaping. He remembered fighting along side the protoss, witnessing there power, and watching as both races complimented each other so well.

He remembered his fury when the conclave arrested him, but escaping to help the protoss fight their final battle against the swarm. Raynor thought sadly his entire life had been spent in battle and loss.

The huge battlecruiser hit hard. The neck snapped off the front and sent the cockpit flying alone and the hull burst into flame when the leaking reactor caught fire. Raynor only heard the final impact before his chair held him tight to embrace the final impact.

Raynor felt the trickle of blood from his lips only seconds before his vision filled with red and then darkened as he slipped into a quiet and peaceful coma.