Heroes Never Die
Chapter 2: Soon To Be King
By: Dark-Elk
"You wanted to see me, Emperor?" asked a middle-aged man as he stepped through the wooden door into the office within. Rich wood covered the walls, lending a sense of splendor to the room.
"Yes, Doctor Parsons, I'll be right with you. Please, have a seat," said the man at the rear of the office.
Arcturus Mengsk stared out of the window of his office into the inky darkness far below. The height of the building reduced the bright lights of the bustling city into mere pinpricks on the fabric of the planet. Mengsk allowed himself a moment of luxury to marvel at the sight of his capital before turning to the person sitting in front of his desk.
"Doctor Parsons, what do you have to say about the disappearance of your subordinate, Doctor Malcom?" asked Mengsk calmly.
The quietness of Mengsk's question worried Dr. Parsons; Mengsk was not known for being quiet. Often what came to mind for most people who had dealt with Mengsk was his booming voice.
"Emperor, the defection of Doctor Malcolm is a setback, but it is relatively minor. His portions of the Starlancer research and development have been long completed, and he's since been confirming and optimizing his research. I'm sure he got tired of the work and ran off to be a hermit or something. I don't consider him to be a problem or a liability at this moment."
"Then I suppose it would surprise you," Mengsk said, his voice slowly growing louder, "that Doctor Malcom did not do as you have predicted, and instead joined the rebel group lead by James Raynor?"
Dr. Parsons sat heavily back in his chair, his face passive. He hadn't been worried too greatly about the man's disappearance. . .but defection? That was a different story, a story that Emperor Mengsk wasn't pleased with.
"Yes Emperor, I'm most surprised. Doctor Malcom never struck me as someone who would be willing to join such a group. He went through the Dominion flight academy and graduated at the top of his class with high honors. After that he was discovered to have a remarkable scientific mind, and was enlisted on a number of top-secret projects before finally being assigned to Project Starlancer. Nothing in his profile suggests that he could possibly find the thought of joining a rebel group appealing. On the contrary, his profile indicates he has a deep passion for order and justice, neither of which I would imagine he would find among the uncivilized rebels Commander Raynor leads."
"I don't give a damn about your predictions, Doctor. They were wrong, regardless of what they were!" Mengsk thundered. "You scientists are all the same. You make your predictions, your studies, your observations, but you eventually screw up, and it's people like myself that are forced to clean up the messes."
Dr. Parson seemed to wish to comment, but a glare from Mengsk silenced any objections he might have had.
"Doctor Malcom knows about Project Starlancer. Not only that, but the techs have discovered evidence of him stealing information from our network, so now he has evidence. If he gives it to Raynor. . .I don't want to think of what he could do with the information. Do you realize that the entire Dominion will rebel if knowledge of Project Starlancer is made public? They won't give a damn that we'll use it to win the war against those damn aliens. . .they're going to see it as another example of 'Dominion repression tactics' as the media recently stated."
Dr. Parsons swallowed hard; Mengsk was right that he hadn't realized the ramifications of an information leak fully. He quickly and carefully thought of the only possible response.
"It is fortunate at least that Doctor Malcom did not possess the location of Starlancer.. All of his work was done remotely, because most of it was only theoretical."
Mengsk grimaced. What he had to say now galled him more than the defection of Dr. Malcom. He enjoyed the squeamish look upon Dr. Parsons's face though; clearly the man knew he was arguing for his life.
"Wrong again, Doctor Parsons. The group of Wraiths Dr. Malcolm lead to defect to Raynor were all part of the Omega Sqaudron battalion stationed at Starlancer for security purposes. He somehow managed to transfer these pilots away from their garrison and into active duty. After that, he managed to transfer himself to this flight wing, because as you mentioned, he graduated from the flight academy with high honors. He was more than able to pilot a Wraith, and for some reason none of the officers that could have prevented his transfer know anything about it. If he transferred the pilots from Starlancer, he obviously knows where it is. It is my opinion he discovered the location during his pillaging of our information networks, but the technicians have been unable what exactly he stole. At this point, it no longer matters to you."
Mengsk favored Dr. Parsons with a feral grin, watching as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Mengsk was confidant that Parsons knew what was coming next. Dr. Parsons's vision blurred slightly, and he had difficulty seeing Mengsk as more than a vague, blurred shape.
"Doctor Parsons, in the terms of an ancient game played on Earth, that was three strikes, and you're out. Your administration of Project Starlancer has been bungled horribly, and I don't see any need to keep you in command," Mengsk said, still grinning. "Furthermore, you are now a security risk for this operation. You will be eliminated."
Dr. Parsons jolted up from his chair quickly, or rather tried to. He felt a boot press itself onto the center of his chest, knocking him backwards to the floor. A knife suddenly appeared, floating in mid-air, and sped quickly towards Dr. Parsons, striking him in the throat.
Dr. Parsons had time for a parting shot at Mengsk, and grasped it.
"Damn you to hell. . ."
His vision slowly collapsed as darkness ate away at the edges. Mengsk laughed, the first time he had shown actual amusement.
"No, Dr. Parsons, I believe that you will be in hell before I will. After all, the deaths that I can cause with the Starlancer project you nurtured into being can be partially blamed upon you. I am not a God fearing man anymore; my sins have long since been committed, and I doubt there is absolution enough to expunge them. Fortunately, I don't intend to die any time soon."
With those final words ringing in his ears, Dr. Parsons gasped once and then died. The blur on Mengsk's desk shifted, revealing the svelte form of a young woman. Her long black hair was streaked with white locks and tied into a long ponytail. She was dressed in the daily uniform of a Ghost rather than the environment suit that was required in the field. A C-10 Canister Rifle was slung over her shoulder, a belt of knives similar to the one in Dr. Parsons throat across her chest. She reached over and pulled the knife from his throat, wiped it on a cloth on Mengsk's desk and replaced it on her belt. She turned and smiled at Mengsk.
"Was that theatrical enough for you?"
"Yes Lina, that was more than adequate. It never ceases to amaze me that the majority of the upper crust elite of the Dominion don't know that my lover is an amazingly skilled Ghost; with the media the way it is, I figure that should be common knowledge."
Lina chuckled and slid off the desk. She stretched her arms high above her head, and then turned to Mengsk.
"You're right, it is astonishing. I suppose that most of them would rather not pay any attention to your son and his origins if they could avoid it. It could lead them to know far too much about you. People who find out too much about you and your history have a tendency to meet unfortunate and messy ends," she said, waving at the body of Dr. Parsons behind her. "Ends such as the one this scientist met. Anyway, how is Domis doing, Arcturus? I haven't seen him in a very long time, you know. Active duty and all."
Mengsk returned his gaze to the window overlooking the cityscape below.
"Right now he's magistrate for a border colony so far out I can't even be bothered to remember the name. There aren't many resources there, and very little worth colonizing, but at least the job is giving him administration experience and keeping him out of trouble," said Mengsk. He sighed softly. "Lina, I just don't know how we ended up creating that boy."
Lina snorted in humor and said, "I'm sure you remember the process Arcturus; it is a mandatory course in school, you know."
Mengsk chuckled softly. Lina had a wonderful sense of humor; it was one of the things that had first attracted him to her, and seemed to be rare among Ghosts. Most were far too grim or maniacal to be considered sane.
"You know very well what I mean, Lina. An extremely talented Ghost for a mother, the Emperor of the entire Koprulu sector as his father. . .and we ended up with a boy who has no tactical sense and barely any political skill. He doesn't even have any psionic talent like his beautiful mother, which closes your path in life off completely."
Lina sighed and walked over the window. She wrapped her arms around Mengsk reassuringly. His son's skills, or lack thereof, was a source of continual disappointment and worry for him.
"Yes, but I'm sure his skills will mature in time, whatever they may be. You certainly didn't start out as a politician. You just need to give him time."
"I hope you're right, Lina. I would rather die than give the reins of the Dominion over to him such as he is now."
"Such melodrama, Arcturus. I'm sure all Domis needs is an opportunity."
Mengsk nodded slowly. "I'm going to hope it won't take the same circumstances for him to realize his potential as it did for me. That path will require me and those closest to me decapitated by a trio of Ghosts, like my father was."
Lina moved her face close to Mengsk's ear, whispering softly into it. "I'm here, and nothing will happen to you so long as I live. That little I can guarantee."
Mengsk turned and kissed her. Breaking their kiss, he said "I know, my love."
He pushed himself away from the window, and began walking towards the far wall. He thumbed a button on his desk as he walked past, and a section of the wall became translucent. A broad map of the Koprulu sector formed, showing a fiery swath of red down the center marking off the borders of the Terran Dominion. One side of it was little more than a massive purple area, delineating the conquered worlds of the Zerg lead by the Zerg bitch, Kerrigan. A much smaller section showed the contracted borders of the Protoss. Aiur wasn't among their holdings any longer, something that pleased Mengsk greatly. The alien bastards had annihilated many in the opening days of the war, and he thought it was nice that someone had stolen their homes away from them as well. It kept things fair. Mengsk wished that he knew where their new home world was. It would make such a delightful test for the Starlancer. . .
Looking at his map always brought him back to reality, back to the power struggle that had consumed the Koprulu sector so fully, the sector he had scrambled over and double-crossed to where he was now, emperor of the majority of humanity in the sector. He drew in a deep breath, and sighed softly. "Lina, these factions gather around my feet like ants, but even enough ants can topple a giant. The Zerg are the greatest threat, of course, but the Protoss are becoming stronger every day, regardless of how many strikes we launch at their forward bases. Of course, I cannot forget Commander Raynor. . ."
A white area appeared on the map, resting across the boundaries of the three races. "His convoy raids are becoming more and more daring. . .and with the knowledge I know he has gained from Doctor Malcolm, I have no doubt he will attack the Starlancer, and probably sooner than later."
Lina nodded. "That would be a wise move. You shouldn't look at Doctor Malcolm's defection as a wholly negative move, though."
Mengsk turned to her, a surprised look on his face. "What do you mean? The Dominion needs the Starlancer badly. . . if Raynor destroys it, this war could drag on for centuries, assuming the Zerg don't overrun us soon."
"But this situation could let you solve many problems at once. If you pull Domis away from whatever menial task you have him doing now, give him command of the largest fleet the Dominion can create without weakening it's defenses, and send him to defend the Starlancer, you could conceivably destroy Raynor, keep possession of the Starlancer, and give Domis a good beginning to his career."
Mengsk laughed. "The boy has no tactical sense, Lina! He'll probably order his Battlecruiser onto a suicide run, or something even more asinine. I don't think we can take the chance. . ."
Lina held up a hand to silence Arcturus. "That's why you send a few of the military geniuses you have locked away in think tanks. They aren't doing you any good there now that the war has slowed down, and if you put them in command of the fleet under Domis's guidance, they can make him look like a genius."
"You'll need to silence them once this mission is done, you realize? We can't afford any unfortunate leaks to the media. If Domis is going to do this, it needs to be perfect."
Lina smiled softly. "Silence a few military geniuses to ensure that our son has a bright future? I don't have a problem doing it, and I highly doubt such a mission would tax my skills in the least."
Mengsk sighed happily as he thought of a universe without Raynor. "Very well. We will use Domis as the hammer and Starlancer as the anvil. I only hope that Raynor acts as we predict and obliges us in becoming smashed into oblivion."
Mengsk touched a small pad beside the map and turned away as it slowly returned to the texture of the rich wood that covered his walls. "So Lina, what do you have on your agenda for the next few days?"
Lina frowned. "I've got to go pay a visit to a Vespene miner who's contemplating leading a strike in two days, but I'm completely free until then. Why?"
Mengsk turned to her and favored her with the roguish grin that had so entranced her years ago. "Because after I send Domis to do this for me, I've got some free time as well, and I thought we could catch up a bit."
Lina smiled broadly, and they both walked out of Mengsk's office, already planning their well-earned vacation weekend.
Chapter 2: Soon To Be King
By: Dark-Elk
"You wanted to see me, Emperor?" asked a middle-aged man as he stepped through the wooden door into the office within. Rich wood covered the walls, lending a sense of splendor to the room.
"Yes, Doctor Parsons, I'll be right with you. Please, have a seat," said the man at the rear of the office.
Arcturus Mengsk stared out of the window of his office into the inky darkness far below. The height of the building reduced the bright lights of the bustling city into mere pinpricks on the fabric of the planet. Mengsk allowed himself a moment of luxury to marvel at the sight of his capital before turning to the person sitting in front of his desk.
"Doctor Parsons, what do you have to say about the disappearance of your subordinate, Doctor Malcom?" asked Mengsk calmly.
The quietness of Mengsk's question worried Dr. Parsons; Mengsk was not known for being quiet. Often what came to mind for most people who had dealt with Mengsk was his booming voice.
"Emperor, the defection of Doctor Malcolm is a setback, but it is relatively minor. His portions of the Starlancer research and development have been long completed, and he's since been confirming and optimizing his research. I'm sure he got tired of the work and ran off to be a hermit or something. I don't consider him to be a problem or a liability at this moment."
"Then I suppose it would surprise you," Mengsk said, his voice slowly growing louder, "that Doctor Malcom did not do as you have predicted, and instead joined the rebel group lead by James Raynor?"
Dr. Parsons sat heavily back in his chair, his face passive. He hadn't been worried too greatly about the man's disappearance. . .but defection? That was a different story, a story that Emperor Mengsk wasn't pleased with.
"Yes Emperor, I'm most surprised. Doctor Malcom never struck me as someone who would be willing to join such a group. He went through the Dominion flight academy and graduated at the top of his class with high honors. After that he was discovered to have a remarkable scientific mind, and was enlisted on a number of top-secret projects before finally being assigned to Project Starlancer. Nothing in his profile suggests that he could possibly find the thought of joining a rebel group appealing. On the contrary, his profile indicates he has a deep passion for order and justice, neither of which I would imagine he would find among the uncivilized rebels Commander Raynor leads."
"I don't give a damn about your predictions, Doctor. They were wrong, regardless of what they were!" Mengsk thundered. "You scientists are all the same. You make your predictions, your studies, your observations, but you eventually screw up, and it's people like myself that are forced to clean up the messes."
Dr. Parson seemed to wish to comment, but a glare from Mengsk silenced any objections he might have had.
"Doctor Malcom knows about Project Starlancer. Not only that, but the techs have discovered evidence of him stealing information from our network, so now he has evidence. If he gives it to Raynor. . .I don't want to think of what he could do with the information. Do you realize that the entire Dominion will rebel if knowledge of Project Starlancer is made public? They won't give a damn that we'll use it to win the war against those damn aliens. . .they're going to see it as another example of 'Dominion repression tactics' as the media recently stated."
Dr. Parsons swallowed hard; Mengsk was right that he hadn't realized the ramifications of an information leak fully. He quickly and carefully thought of the only possible response.
"It is fortunate at least that Doctor Malcom did not possess the location of Starlancer.. All of his work was done remotely, because most of it was only theoretical."
Mengsk grimaced. What he had to say now galled him more than the defection of Dr. Malcom. He enjoyed the squeamish look upon Dr. Parsons's face though; clearly the man knew he was arguing for his life.
"Wrong again, Doctor Parsons. The group of Wraiths Dr. Malcolm lead to defect to Raynor were all part of the Omega Sqaudron battalion stationed at Starlancer for security purposes. He somehow managed to transfer these pilots away from their garrison and into active duty. After that, he managed to transfer himself to this flight wing, because as you mentioned, he graduated from the flight academy with high honors. He was more than able to pilot a Wraith, and for some reason none of the officers that could have prevented his transfer know anything about it. If he transferred the pilots from Starlancer, he obviously knows where it is. It is my opinion he discovered the location during his pillaging of our information networks, but the technicians have been unable what exactly he stole. At this point, it no longer matters to you."
Mengsk favored Dr. Parsons with a feral grin, watching as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Mengsk was confidant that Parsons knew what was coming next. Dr. Parsons's vision blurred slightly, and he had difficulty seeing Mengsk as more than a vague, blurred shape.
"Doctor Parsons, in the terms of an ancient game played on Earth, that was three strikes, and you're out. Your administration of Project Starlancer has been bungled horribly, and I don't see any need to keep you in command," Mengsk said, still grinning. "Furthermore, you are now a security risk for this operation. You will be eliminated."
Dr. Parsons jolted up from his chair quickly, or rather tried to. He felt a boot press itself onto the center of his chest, knocking him backwards to the floor. A knife suddenly appeared, floating in mid-air, and sped quickly towards Dr. Parsons, striking him in the throat.
Dr. Parsons had time for a parting shot at Mengsk, and grasped it.
"Damn you to hell. . ."
His vision slowly collapsed as darkness ate away at the edges. Mengsk laughed, the first time he had shown actual amusement.
"No, Dr. Parsons, I believe that you will be in hell before I will. After all, the deaths that I can cause with the Starlancer project you nurtured into being can be partially blamed upon you. I am not a God fearing man anymore; my sins have long since been committed, and I doubt there is absolution enough to expunge them. Fortunately, I don't intend to die any time soon."
With those final words ringing in his ears, Dr. Parsons gasped once and then died. The blur on Mengsk's desk shifted, revealing the svelte form of a young woman. Her long black hair was streaked with white locks and tied into a long ponytail. She was dressed in the daily uniform of a Ghost rather than the environment suit that was required in the field. A C-10 Canister Rifle was slung over her shoulder, a belt of knives similar to the one in Dr. Parsons throat across her chest. She reached over and pulled the knife from his throat, wiped it on a cloth on Mengsk's desk and replaced it on her belt. She turned and smiled at Mengsk.
"Was that theatrical enough for you?"
"Yes Lina, that was more than adequate. It never ceases to amaze me that the majority of the upper crust elite of the Dominion don't know that my lover is an amazingly skilled Ghost; with the media the way it is, I figure that should be common knowledge."
Lina chuckled and slid off the desk. She stretched her arms high above her head, and then turned to Mengsk.
"You're right, it is astonishing. I suppose that most of them would rather not pay any attention to your son and his origins if they could avoid it. It could lead them to know far too much about you. People who find out too much about you and your history have a tendency to meet unfortunate and messy ends," she said, waving at the body of Dr. Parsons behind her. "Ends such as the one this scientist met. Anyway, how is Domis doing, Arcturus? I haven't seen him in a very long time, you know. Active duty and all."
Mengsk returned his gaze to the window overlooking the cityscape below.
"Right now he's magistrate for a border colony so far out I can't even be bothered to remember the name. There aren't many resources there, and very little worth colonizing, but at least the job is giving him administration experience and keeping him out of trouble," said Mengsk. He sighed softly. "Lina, I just don't know how we ended up creating that boy."
Lina snorted in humor and said, "I'm sure you remember the process Arcturus; it is a mandatory course in school, you know."
Mengsk chuckled softly. Lina had a wonderful sense of humor; it was one of the things that had first attracted him to her, and seemed to be rare among Ghosts. Most were far too grim or maniacal to be considered sane.
"You know very well what I mean, Lina. An extremely talented Ghost for a mother, the Emperor of the entire Koprulu sector as his father. . .and we ended up with a boy who has no tactical sense and barely any political skill. He doesn't even have any psionic talent like his beautiful mother, which closes your path in life off completely."
Lina sighed and walked over the window. She wrapped her arms around Mengsk reassuringly. His son's skills, or lack thereof, was a source of continual disappointment and worry for him.
"Yes, but I'm sure his skills will mature in time, whatever they may be. You certainly didn't start out as a politician. You just need to give him time."
"I hope you're right, Lina. I would rather die than give the reins of the Dominion over to him such as he is now."
"Such melodrama, Arcturus. I'm sure all Domis needs is an opportunity."
Mengsk nodded slowly. "I'm going to hope it won't take the same circumstances for him to realize his potential as it did for me. That path will require me and those closest to me decapitated by a trio of Ghosts, like my father was."
Lina moved her face close to Mengsk's ear, whispering softly into it. "I'm here, and nothing will happen to you so long as I live. That little I can guarantee."
Mengsk turned and kissed her. Breaking their kiss, he said "I know, my love."
He pushed himself away from the window, and began walking towards the far wall. He thumbed a button on his desk as he walked past, and a section of the wall became translucent. A broad map of the Koprulu sector formed, showing a fiery swath of red down the center marking off the borders of the Terran Dominion. One side of it was little more than a massive purple area, delineating the conquered worlds of the Zerg lead by the Zerg bitch, Kerrigan. A much smaller section showed the contracted borders of the Protoss. Aiur wasn't among their holdings any longer, something that pleased Mengsk greatly. The alien bastards had annihilated many in the opening days of the war, and he thought it was nice that someone had stolen their homes away from them as well. It kept things fair. Mengsk wished that he knew where their new home world was. It would make such a delightful test for the Starlancer. . .
Looking at his map always brought him back to reality, back to the power struggle that had consumed the Koprulu sector so fully, the sector he had scrambled over and double-crossed to where he was now, emperor of the majority of humanity in the sector. He drew in a deep breath, and sighed softly. "Lina, these factions gather around my feet like ants, but even enough ants can topple a giant. The Zerg are the greatest threat, of course, but the Protoss are becoming stronger every day, regardless of how many strikes we launch at their forward bases. Of course, I cannot forget Commander Raynor. . ."
A white area appeared on the map, resting across the boundaries of the three races. "His convoy raids are becoming more and more daring. . .and with the knowledge I know he has gained from Doctor Malcolm, I have no doubt he will attack the Starlancer, and probably sooner than later."
Lina nodded. "That would be a wise move. You shouldn't look at Doctor Malcolm's defection as a wholly negative move, though."
Mengsk turned to her, a surprised look on his face. "What do you mean? The Dominion needs the Starlancer badly. . . if Raynor destroys it, this war could drag on for centuries, assuming the Zerg don't overrun us soon."
"But this situation could let you solve many problems at once. If you pull Domis away from whatever menial task you have him doing now, give him command of the largest fleet the Dominion can create without weakening it's defenses, and send him to defend the Starlancer, you could conceivably destroy Raynor, keep possession of the Starlancer, and give Domis a good beginning to his career."
Mengsk laughed. "The boy has no tactical sense, Lina! He'll probably order his Battlecruiser onto a suicide run, or something even more asinine. I don't think we can take the chance. . ."
Lina held up a hand to silence Arcturus. "That's why you send a few of the military geniuses you have locked away in think tanks. They aren't doing you any good there now that the war has slowed down, and if you put them in command of the fleet under Domis's guidance, they can make him look like a genius."
"You'll need to silence them once this mission is done, you realize? We can't afford any unfortunate leaks to the media. If Domis is going to do this, it needs to be perfect."
Lina smiled softly. "Silence a few military geniuses to ensure that our son has a bright future? I don't have a problem doing it, and I highly doubt such a mission would tax my skills in the least."
Mengsk sighed happily as he thought of a universe without Raynor. "Very well. We will use Domis as the hammer and Starlancer as the anvil. I only hope that Raynor acts as we predict and obliges us in becoming smashed into oblivion."
Mengsk touched a small pad beside the map and turned away as it slowly returned to the texture of the rich wood that covered his walls. "So Lina, what do you have on your agenda for the next few days?"
Lina frowned. "I've got to go pay a visit to a Vespene miner who's contemplating leading a strike in two days, but I'm completely free until then. Why?"
Mengsk turned to her and favored her with the roguish grin that had so entranced her years ago. "Because after I send Domis to do this for me, I've got some free time as well, and I thought we could catch up a bit."
Lina smiled broadly, and they both walked out of Mengsk's office, already planning their well-earned vacation weekend.