Chapter 11: The End of an Alliance
Raynor was in the command center, supervising the defense preparations. Kealer was besides him, impatiently waiting for the battle to start. Raynor radioed one of the base's technicians,
"What's the ETA of the enemy forces?"
"Thirty minutes at max, sir." A man answered.
Raynor then said, "All SCV's must return to the Command Center immediately. I repeat, all SCV's must return to the Command Center." Raynor turned off his radio and asked Kealer, "How is Kerrigan holding up?"
"The boys say she's awake, sir. They think she's a bit calm, though, especially in those circumstances. The Ghost operatives sensed that she's hiding something. Shall we interrogate her, sir?"
"No, I'll take care of that."
Raynor headed towards the supply depot Kerrigan was in. He saw Kalis in front of the door, looking quite nervous. Raynor asked him,
"You are looking nervous, Kalis. What's wrong?"
Kalis answered, "Nothing, I'm fine, sir." He paused for a brief moment, then continued, "Sir, if you're here to interrogate her, I advise you to forestall it."
"I wanted to go ask her a few questions. What's the problem with that?"
"For your own safety, don't."
"I don't see the problem. Unless...Kalis, are you hiding something from me?"
"It's a tale quite long to speak of, but if you want a short version, your presence may endanger her and yourself."
"Okay. I'll take your word for it, Kalis. But when this is over, I want you to give me the full explanation of what's going on here."
"Noted, commander." Kalis said, relieved that Raynor would stay outside. Shortly after going back to the command center, Raynor took his radio, adjusted the frequency and said,
"Private, I want you to interrogate the prisoner--" Raynor whispered, turning to glance at Kalis- "—After the lieutenant is gone, is that clear?" he added.
Kerrigan had just awakened. She was in a supply depot and five marines were around her, guarding her. She asked,
"Where am I? What happened to me?" she croaked.
The marine who had carried her there did not reply to that. Instead, he gave her an icy cold glare.
A few moments later, Jim Raynor spoke in a guard's radio. The marine listened for a moment and said, "Yes sir!" He then said to Kerrigan:
"Kerrigan, Commander Raynor has a few questions for you."
"I understand. Go ahead." answered Kerrigan.
"Are you the one who sent that huge force on our base?"
"No. It seems to be a renegade brood."
"Why do you mean by renegade brood, who are they.???...."
The interrogation went on for a while, after which artillery fire was heard outside, soon followed by the sound of a zerg stampede and gauss rifles fires ringing through the air. The marine which had been interrogating Kerrigan contacted Raynor and said to the other guards,
"Ok, guys. No matter what happens, we're to stay and protect Kerrigan at all costs. Is that clear?"
"Sir, yes, sir." they replied in unison.
A few minutes after the beginning of the battle, someone very familiar spoke to Kerrigan in her head, saying: "We will aid you, my Queen."
Kerrigan said, surprised: "What the? D-Daggoth?"
"Damn! That last wave was rough." Raynor said, a bit shocked by the sheer size of the huge attack. "Damage report!" he added.
Kealer said, "The losses were minimal. We've still got 90% of our wraiths. Our tank squadron was pretty beaten up, but their artillery fire held our defenses together. Other than that, ten goliaths are gone, along with three marines casualties. Also, we have several structural damages, as at least five bunkers were destroyed, not to mention the military personnel in it.
"All right." Raynor said. "Send all our SCVs, I want everything repaired ASAP. No breaks, and I mean it this time."
"Yes sir!" Kealer said.
Raynor turned towards Kalis.
"Well, it's a good thing the men had their thermo-goggles or we would've been zerg meat. Anyway, do you still remember how you nailed those hallucination-guys? Do they have any more weakness?"
"Well..."
Kalis was interrupted as alarms sounded all over the base. Raynor asked Kealer:
"What the hell is happening here?"
"Sir! There are more zerg incoming from the east and the west! What shall we do, sir?"
Raynor did not reply to that. "F#$#% zerg." Raynor cursed. He then received an incoming transmission. It was from the marine guarding Kerrigan. He said,
"Sir! Kerrigan has something to tell you! I'll pass her the radio." A few seconds later, Kerrigan spoke,
"Jim! The zerg from the east and the west are my broods. My cerebrates want me out of here!"
Raynor swore under his breath and said,
"Ok. Kealer! Are we gonna hold together?"
Kealer answered, seeming bitter,
"I doubt it, sir."
"Ok. Time to put our evacuation plan I told you about in motion. Get our dropships out here! We'll evacuate from the south. Until the ships arrive, we'll have to hold them off as long as we can. I'll go now."
Kealer answered, "Me too. Just give me time to fetch Mengsk's Zippo guys, they'll toast them."
Kerrigan said, "What do I do?"
Raynor answered, "Honey, you just be cute and stay put. You're their target. And unless my men are in trouble, we won't be serving you to their silver platter yet."
Kerrigan answered, exasperated, "All right." Raynor turned off his radio and headed out of the base.
When he was outside, he turned his radio on again. He started adjusting the frequency and suddenly stopped as he intercepted a conversation. He heard a marine say,
"Yes, we'll eliminate him and Kerrigan after the mission."
Arcturus Mengsk's voice was heard afterwards, saying,
"You better. Jim's been a problem to us for far too long. He has to be eliminated as soon as possible. If you--"
Raynor turned off his radio, too disgusted by Mengsk's attitude to hear another word.
"I should have known. This joint combat troops alliance was a big bull-. So the turncoat Mengsk wants Kerrigan and me 'out' again. Damn you, Mengsk. You'll pay for this. But why did you forget your IJS?" Raynor turned once more his radio on, called Kalis and said,
"Kalis? There's a change of plans. Go get Kerrigan immediately. After that, go see the arbiter who recalled us here and wait for further instructions."
Kalis answered, "Understood. I'm going now."
"Good luck, Kalis." Raynor said as he waited for Kealer, who came out a few minutes later, with all his firebat equipment on. He said to Raynor,
"Sir! I'm ready to go, and Mengsk's Zippo guys are already on the front line!"
"Come with me, Kealer. We need to go away from here right now."
"How come?"
"Follow me, and I'll tell you. For now, you only need to know that Mengsk's turning against us again." After Raynor finished speaking, Kealer and him dashed away towards the arbiter Raynor had borrowed from Artanis.
Raynor was in the command center, supervising the defense preparations. Kealer was besides him, impatiently waiting for the battle to start. Raynor radioed one of the base's technicians,
"What's the ETA of the enemy forces?"
"Thirty minutes at max, sir." A man answered.
Raynor then said, "All SCV's must return to the Command Center immediately. I repeat, all SCV's must return to the Command Center." Raynor turned off his radio and asked Kealer, "How is Kerrigan holding up?"
"The boys say she's awake, sir. They think she's a bit calm, though, especially in those circumstances. The Ghost operatives sensed that she's hiding something. Shall we interrogate her, sir?"
"No, I'll take care of that."
Raynor headed towards the supply depot Kerrigan was in. He saw Kalis in front of the door, looking quite nervous. Raynor asked him,
"You are looking nervous, Kalis. What's wrong?"
Kalis answered, "Nothing, I'm fine, sir." He paused for a brief moment, then continued, "Sir, if you're here to interrogate her, I advise you to forestall it."
"I wanted to go ask her a few questions. What's the problem with that?"
"For your own safety, don't."
"I don't see the problem. Unless...Kalis, are you hiding something from me?"
"It's a tale quite long to speak of, but if you want a short version, your presence may endanger her and yourself."
"Okay. I'll take your word for it, Kalis. But when this is over, I want you to give me the full explanation of what's going on here."
"Noted, commander." Kalis said, relieved that Raynor would stay outside. Shortly after going back to the command center, Raynor took his radio, adjusted the frequency and said,
"Private, I want you to interrogate the prisoner--" Raynor whispered, turning to glance at Kalis- "—After the lieutenant is gone, is that clear?" he added.
Kerrigan had just awakened. She was in a supply depot and five marines were around her, guarding her. She asked,
"Where am I? What happened to me?" she croaked.
The marine who had carried her there did not reply to that. Instead, he gave her an icy cold glare.
A few moments later, Jim Raynor spoke in a guard's radio. The marine listened for a moment and said, "Yes sir!" He then said to Kerrigan:
"Kerrigan, Commander Raynor has a few questions for you."
"I understand. Go ahead." answered Kerrigan.
"Are you the one who sent that huge force on our base?"
"No. It seems to be a renegade brood."
"Why do you mean by renegade brood, who are they.???...."
The interrogation went on for a while, after which artillery fire was heard outside, soon followed by the sound of a zerg stampede and gauss rifles fires ringing through the air. The marine which had been interrogating Kerrigan contacted Raynor and said to the other guards,
"Ok, guys. No matter what happens, we're to stay and protect Kerrigan at all costs. Is that clear?"
"Sir, yes, sir." they replied in unison.
A few minutes after the beginning of the battle, someone very familiar spoke to Kerrigan in her head, saying: "We will aid you, my Queen."
Kerrigan said, surprised: "What the? D-Daggoth?"
"Damn! That last wave was rough." Raynor said, a bit shocked by the sheer size of the huge attack. "Damage report!" he added.
Kealer said, "The losses were minimal. We've still got 90% of our wraiths. Our tank squadron was pretty beaten up, but their artillery fire held our defenses together. Other than that, ten goliaths are gone, along with three marines casualties. Also, we have several structural damages, as at least five bunkers were destroyed, not to mention the military personnel in it.
"All right." Raynor said. "Send all our SCVs, I want everything repaired ASAP. No breaks, and I mean it this time."
"Yes sir!" Kealer said.
Raynor turned towards Kalis.
"Well, it's a good thing the men had their thermo-goggles or we would've been zerg meat. Anyway, do you still remember how you nailed those hallucination-guys? Do they have any more weakness?"
"Well..."
Kalis was interrupted as alarms sounded all over the base. Raynor asked Kealer:
"What the hell is happening here?"
"Sir! There are more zerg incoming from the east and the west! What shall we do, sir?"
Raynor did not reply to that. "F#$#% zerg." Raynor cursed. He then received an incoming transmission. It was from the marine guarding Kerrigan. He said,
"Sir! Kerrigan has something to tell you! I'll pass her the radio." A few seconds later, Kerrigan spoke,
"Jim! The zerg from the east and the west are my broods. My cerebrates want me out of here!"
Raynor swore under his breath and said,
"Ok. Kealer! Are we gonna hold together?"
Kealer answered, seeming bitter,
"I doubt it, sir."
"Ok. Time to put our evacuation plan I told you about in motion. Get our dropships out here! We'll evacuate from the south. Until the ships arrive, we'll have to hold them off as long as we can. I'll go now."
Kealer answered, "Me too. Just give me time to fetch Mengsk's Zippo guys, they'll toast them."
Kerrigan said, "What do I do?"
Raynor answered, "Honey, you just be cute and stay put. You're their target. And unless my men are in trouble, we won't be serving you to their silver platter yet."
Kerrigan answered, exasperated, "All right." Raynor turned off his radio and headed out of the base.
When he was outside, he turned his radio on again. He started adjusting the frequency and suddenly stopped as he intercepted a conversation. He heard a marine say,
"Yes, we'll eliminate him and Kerrigan after the mission."
Arcturus Mengsk's voice was heard afterwards, saying,
"You better. Jim's been a problem to us for far too long. He has to be eliminated as soon as possible. If you--"
Raynor turned off his radio, too disgusted by Mengsk's attitude to hear another word.
"I should have known. This joint combat troops alliance was a big bull-. So the turncoat Mengsk wants Kerrigan and me 'out' again. Damn you, Mengsk. You'll pay for this. But why did you forget your IJS?" Raynor turned once more his radio on, called Kalis and said,
"Kalis? There's a change of plans. Go get Kerrigan immediately. After that, go see the arbiter who recalled us here and wait for further instructions."
Kalis answered, "Understood. I'm going now."
"Good luck, Kalis." Raynor said as he waited for Kealer, who came out a few minutes later, with all his firebat equipment on. He said to Raynor,
"Sir! I'm ready to go, and Mengsk's Zippo guys are already on the front line!"
"Come with me, Kealer. We need to go away from here right now."
"How come?"
"Follow me, and I'll tell you. For now, you only need to know that Mengsk's turning against us again." After Raynor finished speaking, Kealer and him dashed away towards the arbiter Raynor had borrowed from Artanis.