Heroes Never Die
Chapter 8: Setting the Stage
By: Dark-Elk
"Domis, this is very important. I'm. . . I'm trusting you. Don't let me down," said Arcturus Mengsk slowly. "If this project fails, the Dominion will be greatly weakened."
Domis Mengsk nodded. "I know, father. Project Starlancer will be completed on schedule and without interference from anyone. Trust me."
Arcturus held Domis' gaze for a few more seconds before looking off screen. He nodded at a few things before returning his attention to the screen. "I'm sorry, Domis, but the Dominion calls. Good luck, son." His hand reached up, tapped a few buttons, and terminated the communications link.
-_-_-_-_-
"Have the tacticians been sent with the fleet, Lina?" asked Mengsk.
"Yes, Arcturus. A trio of them went out on the Pride just a few hours ago. They and the rest of the fleet will get to Domis later today. I hope you realize how many ships you sent."
"We cannot afford to have Project Starlancer fail, Lina. It is the most important thing we have to ensure the Dominion's survival and dominance. Stripping the defense of a few border colonies to provide defense for the installation is a sacrifice I am willing to make. Should those colonies fall, we can always use Starlancer to reclaim them. Besides, the Protoss are too weak to consider an attack, and Raynor's men are all too happy to play pirate," Mengsk sighed heavily. "Losing that component and the crew of the Star Child was terrible, but Domis told me the backup has already been received and installed. The Star Child had orders to destroy the device if they were under attack, and I have no doubt that they performed admirably."
Lina walked over to where Mengsk was seated and rubbed his back for a few moments. "Yes Arcturus, but that still leaves the Zerg."
Mengsk smiled broadly. "I don't believe the Zerg have received knowledge of Project Starlancer. If Dr. Malcolm hadn't defected, Raynor wouldn't have the slightest idea either. Border reports are also coming in saying that the Zerg are acting oddly. Most of the major offensives they were undertaking have halted, and the Zerg have run back to their Hives. Astonishing, yes, but it's about time the Dominion had a streak of luck."
"You don't believe in luck, Arcturus."
"I'm aware of that."
"Let me see what I can find out about this Zerg. . . pacifism, okay? I'm sure one of the scientists you have working for you has figured out why. . . I just need to find him."
Mengsk nodded slowly. "Okay, you might as well get moving then. I need to be leaving shortly anyway. I'm scheduled to be in a press conference in a few hours," Mengsk turned to look into Lina's eyes. They were a blue so light that they almost looked white, and it was most alluring when added with her white streaked hair. "I love you, Lina."
Lina stood, slung her canister rifle over her shoulder, and walked across the room. She turned as she placed her hand on the doorknob and grinned roguishly at Mengsk. "I know." With that, she stepped through the door into the darkened hallway beyond.
-_-_-_-_-
A knock on Domis' door forced him to look up from the paperwork he had been rifling through. His dark black hair was immaculately plastered to his head, and he was dressed in a full suit, giving him the appearance of a businessman. His eyes glowed with intensity and excitement as he yelled out "Come in!" to the personnel standing beyond. The door opened as a trio of middle-aged men stepped through, closing the door behind them. One of them strode forward and handed Domis a folder filled with data disks and paperwork.
"Administrator Domis Mengsk, I presume? I am Lieutenant Colonel Jerod Locke. To my left is Major Richard Sandfield, and to my right is Major Robert Daniels. Emperor Mengsk sent us to help advise you in your administration of this fleet and this installation," Locke said as he reached his hand out to Domis. Domis shook it briefly, along with the hands of Sandfield and Daniels.
"Excellent. My father told me of your pending arrival. I see you've brought my fleet with you as well. What have we been allocated for this installation's defense?" asked Domis.
"You have eighteen battlecruisers at your disposal, along with nine squadrons of A-19 Wraith-class interceptors, four squadrons of Valkyrie- class missile frigates, and a half-dozen Explorer-class science vessels, all outfitted with the latest technological advances in armor and weaponry," recited Daniels, his voice crisp and precise. "As far as ground forces go, we have brought with us slightly less than three thousand ground troops, a mix of Marines, Firebats, and Medics. We also have been allocated eight-dozen Goliath-class assault mechs, and three-dozen Arclite Siege Tanks. Finally, you also have four special operations Ghost agents."
Domis nodded appreciatively. "Quite a large allotment. Is my father expecting an attack on this installation? I can't see him giving us this many troops otherwise."
The trio of advisers looked at each other before Sandfield answered. "Yes, Administrator Mengsk. The emperor expects an assault force of Protoss and rebel Terran factions, possibly working in concert. A key scientist for this project disappeared a few weeks ago, and Emperor Mengsk believes him to have defected to Captain James Raynor's rebel group."
"Raynor? That explains it. My father and he were allies once, but Raynor turned on him once my father defeated the Confederacy. Raynor is a black- hearted pirate, and he wants nothing more than to supplant my father. The Protoss are just as evil, and he's worked with them closely in the past against the Dominion."
Domis walked slowly over to the large window at the rear of his office. The view beyond was both sobering and awe-inspiring: the inky velvet of space studded with pinpricks of light. The moon below his office was covered with power lines and machinery, all devices to power the massive gravity-manipulating repulsor buried in the heart of the moon. Domes were scattered around the surface, temporary homes for the engineers and scientists working night and day to complete the Starlancer. He turned and looked back to the three advisers.
"This project can not fail. My father and the Dominion are counting on this project's completion. When it's done, we'll go crush the Zerg, the Protoss, Raynor, and any other two-bit rebel who thinks he can stand against the Dominion!" Color flushed Domis' face as his visions of the future grew ever more grandiose. "The Dominion will settle hundreds of worlds, build the most massive fleet possible, and then with the Starlancer at its' heart, we'll go after Earth. We'll take up orbit, we'll shove its moon into Mars, and we'll deliver them the ultimatum: surrender to the Dominion or be destroyed. The UED expedition should never have interfered with my father's plans. They got what they deserved from the Zerg: total annihilation."
The mania slowly faded from Domis' eyes as he basked in the future glory of the Dominion. He looked each of the advisors in the eyes. "Each of you will have command of a portion of this moon. Majors Sandfield, you will have command of the upper hemisphere, while Major Daniels will have command of the lower. Lieutenant Colonel Locke, you will be given command of the starships we have. Deploy them in the positions and formations you think most defensible."
"I anticipated your orders, Administrator Mengsk, and I have already ordered the fleet to begin scouting the system around us to find positions to stage from and areas in which we can trap our attackers."
Domis glared at Locke. "You issued orders to my fleet without permission?"
Locke bowed his head for a few seconds before returning Domis' gaze. "I did, Administrator. My apologies, but I assumed. . ."
"I don't give a damn what you assumed, Lieutenant Colonel. In the future, you will not undertake any maneuvers without my direct orders. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir, I understand."
"That goes for all of you. I want to authorize everything you wish to do. This project cannot fail!"
-_-_-_-
The trio of advisors walked down the hall briskly, wanting to get as far away from Domis as possible. Sandfield was the first to speak.
"Did you see his eyes when he was on that power trip? His eyes looked like he was insane. Did you guys catch that?"
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. He only got this post because his father is the emperor. We're evidence of that. He needs three advisors to nursemaid him? We could be doing more important work elsewhere," said Daniels. "The Zerg were still slamming the outpost I was stationed at when I got called away for this."
Locke stopped walking, as did the two majors. "I agree with both of you fully. But Administrator Mengsk is the one in command of this operation only officially, as we well know. Emperor Mengsk obviously doesn't think too much of his son, and I'm inclined to agree with him. Any other officer with any brains would have been pleased I had ordered the fleet to take up defensive positions once we arrived, but he got pissed off at me instead. If the Protoss and Raynor had attacked while we were having that little meeting with the fleet clustered like it was when we arrived, it would have been crushed, numbers or not," Locke paused for a few seconds, clearly thinking out what he wanted to say. "Though Administrator Mengsk is inept, he was right about one thing. The Starlancer cannot be taken or destroyed. Either of those outcomes would result in the destruction of the Dominion by the Zerg. And I don't know about either of you, but I don't fancy being infested by those bastards."
"So we hold little Domis' hand while he fumbles, and then we pick up the pieces?" asked Daniels with a grin.
"No. We make sure he doesn't fumble. This position is as much about the defense of this project as it is making Domis' more politically favorable. His father wants him to succeed him someday, and with how Domis' is now, the Dominion would be crippled in days, destroyed within a month. We have to make sure that nothing happens to the Starlancer while making it look like it was Domis' genius that defended it," said Locke. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a fleet to run. Both of you get your troops off of the transports in the next few hours. I'm going to have them hide at the rear of the sun so whatever fleet comes in here won't detect them." With that, he walked off down the hallway, disappearing into one of the side hallways.
Sandfield looked at Daniels. "Splitting the ground forces, eh? Did you notice we weren't sent with any Vultures? I wonder why."
"Probably a screw-up at Command. Requisition some for us if you want them. I've never had much use for them, really. The drivers are always so. . . coarse. They tend to have more conflicts with other soldiers, and we really don't need the distractions."
"Yeah, true. We got sent with some heuristic mines anyway, so those will do fine I suppose. We've got materials for buildings, right?"
Daniels pulled out a data pad from a pocket and turned it on. "Yeah, we've got enough for a mid-sized base and a few small outposts. Probably not enough to work on turning out anymore Wraiths or the like, but enough to put defenses around the most vital components of the Starlancer."
"Good. Well, let's get moving then. Like Locke said, the enemy could be here sooner than we want them, and even factoring the delays in that he'll cause with the fleet, I'm sure some of them will make planet fall, and I'll be all too pleased to crush any force they send after us. It'll be a welcome change after fighting the Zerg."
-_-_-_-
Domis fidgeted anxiously in the shuttle as he rode down to the surface of the moon; he had never enjoyed space flight, especially that oft-turbulent ride into atmosphere. Of course, the moon Starlancer was being constructed on barely had anything that qualified as an atmosphere. . .just enough to make working a little easier and less dangerous, should environmental suits get torn or fail.
He pressed a button on his chair, opening the communication line to the cockpit. "How much longer until we reach the surface, Pilot?"
The smooth voice of the copilot answered Domis. "The pilot's kind of busy right now working on our approach vector. We should be down in two or three minutes though."
"Thank you." Domis looked out the window of the shuttle, gazing lovingly at the ever-closer surface of the moon. It's beautiful, in a deadly sort of way, thought Domis.
Conduits and energy towers were becoming visible as they approached; some of them were crackling with energy even now as the Dominion scientists tried to finish their projects quickly to stay on schedule. He could make out the faint outlines of a military convoy weaving between the buildings that studded the surface, and watched as construction vehicles peeled away holding sheets of neosteel, obviously constructing static defenses. A siege tank halted its' advance across the lunar soil, shuddering to a stop next to a control station. Massive braces clamped down on the surface of the moon, holding the tank in place while it deployed it's' 120 millimeter "Shock Cannon".
The shuttle banked to the left, taking the surface out of view, and the copilot's voice came on the communications line again. "The pilot is making the approach now. Thirty seconds to landing, Administrator Mengsk."
The shuttle leveled out, and Domis watched in fascination as the massive domed structure in front of them slowly split open, revealing a landing pad inside. The pilot skillfully hovered as the door opened, and then carefully lowered the shuttle down to the pad below. Domis waited patiently as the door started to close again, and then stood as the ramp hydraulics hissed softly before it creaked open. He walked out onto the greasy floor of the landing pad where a female officer greeted him.
"Administrator Mengsk? I am Lieutenant Susan Ansel, the commanding officer of this outpost. What brings you to this facility?" she asked cautiously.
Domis favored her with a broad grin. "Surprise inspection, I suppose you can call it. I just want to make sure all these scientists are working to their full potential."
"Indeed they are, Administrator. Would you like a tour? I know that you've only recently assumed command. . .is this your first time on the surface?"
Domis nodded. "Yes it is, Lieutenant. I intent to visit all of the major facilities over the next few days, hopefully to inspire some of the workers to. . . expedite the final work for Starlancer. A tour would be most helpful."
She gestured towards a doorway across the room. "Shall we begin? I know you are a busy man, Administrator, and I wouldn't want to take up any more of your time than necessary."
-_-_-
"Hold on, Lieutenant. I'd like to speak with some of these scientists, if you don't mind." Domis said as he placed his palm on the door pad. It slid open, and Domis stepped through, quickly flinging his arm up over his face to shield it from the bright light that stabbed his eyes. The corridor had been only dimly lit, and walking into this room was akin to staring at a star afterwards.
A man walked over to Domis, extending his hand to him. Domis shook it briefly, and then asked, "How is your division doing, doctor?"
The doctor pointed to a scheduling board to Domis' right. "As you can see here, this is the timetable for completion of our portion of Starlancer," he said as he walked over to the board. "This is where we should be now," he said while pointing to a few areas. "And this is where we are." The second area he pointed at was in front of the first.
"You're ahead of schedule? How have you managed that after the hijacking of the supply ship?" asked Domis incredulously.
"We've improvised in a few areas, and we've been cutting some corners on parts we really don't need. So far we haven't run into any major problems," said the doctor proudly.
Domis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Are you in contact with the other construction sectors?"
The doctor blinked at the sudden change of subject, but said "Occasionally, Administrator, but only when necessary. Why?"
"How are they faring compared to your sector?"
"Not as well, I've heard. None of them are behind schedule, but most are riding the edge. A few that I have talked to have had problems improvising like this sector, which may be part of their problem. More supplies would be most welcome, Administrator, if it is within your power."
"Very well. I am loath to requisition more supplies, but if it must be done to complete Starlancer on time, it shall be done shortly. So assuming that all the sectors manage to catch up with you and keep up, when will it be completed?"
"In less than two weeks, Administrator, if all sectors are problem free."
"Excellent. All sectors that complete their work ahead of schedule will receive bonus pay. Please pass that information along," said Domis as he turned and walked out of the chamber.
The lieutenant was standing there, and gestured ahead of her. "Shall we continue the tour, Administrator Mengsk?"
"Sadly, I am forced to decline. I believe I should begin visiting the other sectors immediately, and I need to fill out the paperwork to requisition more supplies. Perhaps another time, lieutenant," said Domis as he began walking down the hallway. "I must return to the shuttle now. Thank you for your hospitality."
The lieutenant just stared incredulously after Domis, somewhat unwilling to tell him that he was heading in the same direction they had gone before. She muttered to herself, "I guess he's getting the tour whether he like it or not." Sighing heavily, she trotted after him, hoping to stop him before he got lost.
Chapter 8: Setting the Stage
By: Dark-Elk
"Domis, this is very important. I'm. . . I'm trusting you. Don't let me down," said Arcturus Mengsk slowly. "If this project fails, the Dominion will be greatly weakened."
Domis Mengsk nodded. "I know, father. Project Starlancer will be completed on schedule and without interference from anyone. Trust me."
Arcturus held Domis' gaze for a few more seconds before looking off screen. He nodded at a few things before returning his attention to the screen. "I'm sorry, Domis, but the Dominion calls. Good luck, son." His hand reached up, tapped a few buttons, and terminated the communications link.
-_-_-_-_-
"Have the tacticians been sent with the fleet, Lina?" asked Mengsk.
"Yes, Arcturus. A trio of them went out on the Pride just a few hours ago. They and the rest of the fleet will get to Domis later today. I hope you realize how many ships you sent."
"We cannot afford to have Project Starlancer fail, Lina. It is the most important thing we have to ensure the Dominion's survival and dominance. Stripping the defense of a few border colonies to provide defense for the installation is a sacrifice I am willing to make. Should those colonies fall, we can always use Starlancer to reclaim them. Besides, the Protoss are too weak to consider an attack, and Raynor's men are all too happy to play pirate," Mengsk sighed heavily. "Losing that component and the crew of the Star Child was terrible, but Domis told me the backup has already been received and installed. The Star Child had orders to destroy the device if they were under attack, and I have no doubt that they performed admirably."
Lina walked over to where Mengsk was seated and rubbed his back for a few moments. "Yes Arcturus, but that still leaves the Zerg."
Mengsk smiled broadly. "I don't believe the Zerg have received knowledge of Project Starlancer. If Dr. Malcolm hadn't defected, Raynor wouldn't have the slightest idea either. Border reports are also coming in saying that the Zerg are acting oddly. Most of the major offensives they were undertaking have halted, and the Zerg have run back to their Hives. Astonishing, yes, but it's about time the Dominion had a streak of luck."
"You don't believe in luck, Arcturus."
"I'm aware of that."
"Let me see what I can find out about this Zerg. . . pacifism, okay? I'm sure one of the scientists you have working for you has figured out why. . . I just need to find him."
Mengsk nodded slowly. "Okay, you might as well get moving then. I need to be leaving shortly anyway. I'm scheduled to be in a press conference in a few hours," Mengsk turned to look into Lina's eyes. They were a blue so light that they almost looked white, and it was most alluring when added with her white streaked hair. "I love you, Lina."
Lina stood, slung her canister rifle over her shoulder, and walked across the room. She turned as she placed her hand on the doorknob and grinned roguishly at Mengsk. "I know." With that, she stepped through the door into the darkened hallway beyond.
-_-_-_-_-
A knock on Domis' door forced him to look up from the paperwork he had been rifling through. His dark black hair was immaculately plastered to his head, and he was dressed in a full suit, giving him the appearance of a businessman. His eyes glowed with intensity and excitement as he yelled out "Come in!" to the personnel standing beyond. The door opened as a trio of middle-aged men stepped through, closing the door behind them. One of them strode forward and handed Domis a folder filled with data disks and paperwork.
"Administrator Domis Mengsk, I presume? I am Lieutenant Colonel Jerod Locke. To my left is Major Richard Sandfield, and to my right is Major Robert Daniels. Emperor Mengsk sent us to help advise you in your administration of this fleet and this installation," Locke said as he reached his hand out to Domis. Domis shook it briefly, along with the hands of Sandfield and Daniels.
"Excellent. My father told me of your pending arrival. I see you've brought my fleet with you as well. What have we been allocated for this installation's defense?" asked Domis.
"You have eighteen battlecruisers at your disposal, along with nine squadrons of A-19 Wraith-class interceptors, four squadrons of Valkyrie- class missile frigates, and a half-dozen Explorer-class science vessels, all outfitted with the latest technological advances in armor and weaponry," recited Daniels, his voice crisp and precise. "As far as ground forces go, we have brought with us slightly less than three thousand ground troops, a mix of Marines, Firebats, and Medics. We also have been allocated eight-dozen Goliath-class assault mechs, and three-dozen Arclite Siege Tanks. Finally, you also have four special operations Ghost agents."
Domis nodded appreciatively. "Quite a large allotment. Is my father expecting an attack on this installation? I can't see him giving us this many troops otherwise."
The trio of advisers looked at each other before Sandfield answered. "Yes, Administrator Mengsk. The emperor expects an assault force of Protoss and rebel Terran factions, possibly working in concert. A key scientist for this project disappeared a few weeks ago, and Emperor Mengsk believes him to have defected to Captain James Raynor's rebel group."
"Raynor? That explains it. My father and he were allies once, but Raynor turned on him once my father defeated the Confederacy. Raynor is a black- hearted pirate, and he wants nothing more than to supplant my father. The Protoss are just as evil, and he's worked with them closely in the past against the Dominion."
Domis walked slowly over to the large window at the rear of his office. The view beyond was both sobering and awe-inspiring: the inky velvet of space studded with pinpricks of light. The moon below his office was covered with power lines and machinery, all devices to power the massive gravity-manipulating repulsor buried in the heart of the moon. Domes were scattered around the surface, temporary homes for the engineers and scientists working night and day to complete the Starlancer. He turned and looked back to the three advisers.
"This project can not fail. My father and the Dominion are counting on this project's completion. When it's done, we'll go crush the Zerg, the Protoss, Raynor, and any other two-bit rebel who thinks he can stand against the Dominion!" Color flushed Domis' face as his visions of the future grew ever more grandiose. "The Dominion will settle hundreds of worlds, build the most massive fleet possible, and then with the Starlancer at its' heart, we'll go after Earth. We'll take up orbit, we'll shove its moon into Mars, and we'll deliver them the ultimatum: surrender to the Dominion or be destroyed. The UED expedition should never have interfered with my father's plans. They got what they deserved from the Zerg: total annihilation."
The mania slowly faded from Domis' eyes as he basked in the future glory of the Dominion. He looked each of the advisors in the eyes. "Each of you will have command of a portion of this moon. Majors Sandfield, you will have command of the upper hemisphere, while Major Daniels will have command of the lower. Lieutenant Colonel Locke, you will be given command of the starships we have. Deploy them in the positions and formations you think most defensible."
"I anticipated your orders, Administrator Mengsk, and I have already ordered the fleet to begin scouting the system around us to find positions to stage from and areas in which we can trap our attackers."
Domis glared at Locke. "You issued orders to my fleet without permission?"
Locke bowed his head for a few seconds before returning Domis' gaze. "I did, Administrator. My apologies, but I assumed. . ."
"I don't give a damn what you assumed, Lieutenant Colonel. In the future, you will not undertake any maneuvers without my direct orders. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir, I understand."
"That goes for all of you. I want to authorize everything you wish to do. This project cannot fail!"
-_-_-_-
The trio of advisors walked down the hall briskly, wanting to get as far away from Domis as possible. Sandfield was the first to speak.
"Did you see his eyes when he was on that power trip? His eyes looked like he was insane. Did you guys catch that?"
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. He only got this post because his father is the emperor. We're evidence of that. He needs three advisors to nursemaid him? We could be doing more important work elsewhere," said Daniels. "The Zerg were still slamming the outpost I was stationed at when I got called away for this."
Locke stopped walking, as did the two majors. "I agree with both of you fully. But Administrator Mengsk is the one in command of this operation only officially, as we well know. Emperor Mengsk obviously doesn't think too much of his son, and I'm inclined to agree with him. Any other officer with any brains would have been pleased I had ordered the fleet to take up defensive positions once we arrived, but he got pissed off at me instead. If the Protoss and Raynor had attacked while we were having that little meeting with the fleet clustered like it was when we arrived, it would have been crushed, numbers or not," Locke paused for a few seconds, clearly thinking out what he wanted to say. "Though Administrator Mengsk is inept, he was right about one thing. The Starlancer cannot be taken or destroyed. Either of those outcomes would result in the destruction of the Dominion by the Zerg. And I don't know about either of you, but I don't fancy being infested by those bastards."
"So we hold little Domis' hand while he fumbles, and then we pick up the pieces?" asked Daniels with a grin.
"No. We make sure he doesn't fumble. This position is as much about the defense of this project as it is making Domis' more politically favorable. His father wants him to succeed him someday, and with how Domis' is now, the Dominion would be crippled in days, destroyed within a month. We have to make sure that nothing happens to the Starlancer while making it look like it was Domis' genius that defended it," said Locke. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a fleet to run. Both of you get your troops off of the transports in the next few hours. I'm going to have them hide at the rear of the sun so whatever fleet comes in here won't detect them." With that, he walked off down the hallway, disappearing into one of the side hallways.
Sandfield looked at Daniels. "Splitting the ground forces, eh? Did you notice we weren't sent with any Vultures? I wonder why."
"Probably a screw-up at Command. Requisition some for us if you want them. I've never had much use for them, really. The drivers are always so. . . coarse. They tend to have more conflicts with other soldiers, and we really don't need the distractions."
"Yeah, true. We got sent with some heuristic mines anyway, so those will do fine I suppose. We've got materials for buildings, right?"
Daniels pulled out a data pad from a pocket and turned it on. "Yeah, we've got enough for a mid-sized base and a few small outposts. Probably not enough to work on turning out anymore Wraiths or the like, but enough to put defenses around the most vital components of the Starlancer."
"Good. Well, let's get moving then. Like Locke said, the enemy could be here sooner than we want them, and even factoring the delays in that he'll cause with the fleet, I'm sure some of them will make planet fall, and I'll be all too pleased to crush any force they send after us. It'll be a welcome change after fighting the Zerg."
-_-_-_-
Domis fidgeted anxiously in the shuttle as he rode down to the surface of the moon; he had never enjoyed space flight, especially that oft-turbulent ride into atmosphere. Of course, the moon Starlancer was being constructed on barely had anything that qualified as an atmosphere. . .just enough to make working a little easier and less dangerous, should environmental suits get torn or fail.
He pressed a button on his chair, opening the communication line to the cockpit. "How much longer until we reach the surface, Pilot?"
The smooth voice of the copilot answered Domis. "The pilot's kind of busy right now working on our approach vector. We should be down in two or three minutes though."
"Thank you." Domis looked out the window of the shuttle, gazing lovingly at the ever-closer surface of the moon. It's beautiful, in a deadly sort of way, thought Domis.
Conduits and energy towers were becoming visible as they approached; some of them were crackling with energy even now as the Dominion scientists tried to finish their projects quickly to stay on schedule. He could make out the faint outlines of a military convoy weaving between the buildings that studded the surface, and watched as construction vehicles peeled away holding sheets of neosteel, obviously constructing static defenses. A siege tank halted its' advance across the lunar soil, shuddering to a stop next to a control station. Massive braces clamped down on the surface of the moon, holding the tank in place while it deployed it's' 120 millimeter "Shock Cannon".
The shuttle banked to the left, taking the surface out of view, and the copilot's voice came on the communications line again. "The pilot is making the approach now. Thirty seconds to landing, Administrator Mengsk."
The shuttle leveled out, and Domis watched in fascination as the massive domed structure in front of them slowly split open, revealing a landing pad inside. The pilot skillfully hovered as the door opened, and then carefully lowered the shuttle down to the pad below. Domis waited patiently as the door started to close again, and then stood as the ramp hydraulics hissed softly before it creaked open. He walked out onto the greasy floor of the landing pad where a female officer greeted him.
"Administrator Mengsk? I am Lieutenant Susan Ansel, the commanding officer of this outpost. What brings you to this facility?" she asked cautiously.
Domis favored her with a broad grin. "Surprise inspection, I suppose you can call it. I just want to make sure all these scientists are working to their full potential."
"Indeed they are, Administrator. Would you like a tour? I know that you've only recently assumed command. . .is this your first time on the surface?"
Domis nodded. "Yes it is, Lieutenant. I intent to visit all of the major facilities over the next few days, hopefully to inspire some of the workers to. . . expedite the final work for Starlancer. A tour would be most helpful."
She gestured towards a doorway across the room. "Shall we begin? I know you are a busy man, Administrator, and I wouldn't want to take up any more of your time than necessary."
-_-_-
"Hold on, Lieutenant. I'd like to speak with some of these scientists, if you don't mind." Domis said as he placed his palm on the door pad. It slid open, and Domis stepped through, quickly flinging his arm up over his face to shield it from the bright light that stabbed his eyes. The corridor had been only dimly lit, and walking into this room was akin to staring at a star afterwards.
A man walked over to Domis, extending his hand to him. Domis shook it briefly, and then asked, "How is your division doing, doctor?"
The doctor pointed to a scheduling board to Domis' right. "As you can see here, this is the timetable for completion of our portion of Starlancer," he said as he walked over to the board. "This is where we should be now," he said while pointing to a few areas. "And this is where we are." The second area he pointed at was in front of the first.
"You're ahead of schedule? How have you managed that after the hijacking of the supply ship?" asked Domis incredulously.
"We've improvised in a few areas, and we've been cutting some corners on parts we really don't need. So far we haven't run into any major problems," said the doctor proudly.
Domis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Are you in contact with the other construction sectors?"
The doctor blinked at the sudden change of subject, but said "Occasionally, Administrator, but only when necessary. Why?"
"How are they faring compared to your sector?"
"Not as well, I've heard. None of them are behind schedule, but most are riding the edge. A few that I have talked to have had problems improvising like this sector, which may be part of their problem. More supplies would be most welcome, Administrator, if it is within your power."
"Very well. I am loath to requisition more supplies, but if it must be done to complete Starlancer on time, it shall be done shortly. So assuming that all the sectors manage to catch up with you and keep up, when will it be completed?"
"In less than two weeks, Administrator, if all sectors are problem free."
"Excellent. All sectors that complete their work ahead of schedule will receive bonus pay. Please pass that information along," said Domis as he turned and walked out of the chamber.
The lieutenant was standing there, and gestured ahead of her. "Shall we continue the tour, Administrator Mengsk?"
"Sadly, I am forced to decline. I believe I should begin visiting the other sectors immediately, and I need to fill out the paperwork to requisition more supplies. Perhaps another time, lieutenant," said Domis as he began walking down the hallway. "I must return to the shuttle now. Thank you for your hospitality."
The lieutenant just stared incredulously after Domis, somewhat unwilling to tell him that he was heading in the same direction they had gone before. She muttered to herself, "I guess he's getting the tour whether he like it or not." Sighing heavily, she trotted after him, hoping to stop him before he got lost.