Another major redraft. As things stood, they were developing very
horribly. Now, hopefully, things will flow more smoothly. Oh, and trust
me. I haven't run out of technological innovations yet.
Birth of the Ancients
Chapter 1: Growing Pains
With Sarah Kerrigan the ruler of the Zerg Swarms, she was now the most powerful force in the Koprulu Sector, if not this branch of the galaxy. The combined military strength of the UED, the Protoss, and the Terran Dominion had failed to stop her. Now it was only a matter of time before she attempted to wipe out the survivors. However, Kerrigan's present course of action surprised all of the major powers.
With the vast knowledge of the Overmind at her disposal, Kerrigan knew that despite the fact that she had crushed the humans of the Koprulu Sector and routed the UED fleet, that did not mean humanity as a whole had been defeated. The United Earth Directorate had been a powerful enemy that at first she herself had been unable to defeat. Also, with their advanced technology, still primitive by Protoss standards but nevertheless dangerous, if she did nothing the Terrans might succeed in actually defeating the Zerg someday.
Despite this, Kerrigan also knew of humanity's weaknesses. Having been one of the most advanced humans once, she had a clear idea of how to defeat all Terrans and incorporated their greatest strengths into her Swarm. Thus the Queen of Blades turned her attention to the source of the Terran problem, Earth. The only obstacle in her path was that she lacked the coordinates for the human homeworld, but that problem would soon be solved. Soon, she would infest the entire UED fleet and turn the mighty battlecruisers against their makers. Soon, the entire galaxy would tremble beneath her blades.
Acting-Fleet Admiral Jonathan Kris, the current supreme commander of the surviving UED fleet, was faced with an extremely difficult task. He had to lead his forces back to Earth without being destroyed, something Kerrigan wasn't about to allow. After Admiral DuGalle's suicide, he was next in line and now the responsibility of keeping his men alive was left to him. Though the mission objective seemed impossible, Kris was determined to see it through. Too many of his men had died at the claws of the Zerg and he would make them pay.
However, while in the Koprulu Sector, he met the rebel commander Samantha Hardy. The two were married and now James has been forced to abandon his wife and return to Earth in an attempt to destroy the Zerg Swarm. Commander Hardy is not alone though. James Raynor and Colonel Jackson Hauler of the former Nova Squadron were at her side to fight with her. Though Raynor had wanted to go with Kris, he stayed behind to watch over his old friend.
With their help, Commander Hardy had set up the new Terran Alliance, a loose organization based on Tarsonis that was attempting to unite the many Terran factions into a force powerful enough to withstand the Swarm. Their numbers are few but the Alliance was gaining allies. It was also involved in biological weapons research and preparations to deploy large scale strategic nuclear weapons against the Zerg. It wouldn't be long before war would consume the Sector again, with a potential shift in the balance of power.
Tarsonis itself was slowly being rebuilt, the five major cities having been cleared of wreckage and filled with people. The population now numbered ten million and the planet was once again rich with human life. In orbit was a fleet of fifty battlecruisers, the principal warships being the Hyperion and the Aleksander, left behind by Admiral Kris to help his wife. Twelve of the battlecruisers were Nova Squadron ships, ten were UED ships Kris had left behind, while the rest were from the Umojan Protectorate. With the fall of Umoja to the Zerg, the survivors had decided to ally themselves with the Terrans that had helped destroy the Overmind in the first place. The major defensive platforms were partially rebuilt and a total of forty Ion Cannons had been placed in orbit with more such installations being built on the surface. These humans were ready to defend their home.
Samantha cradled her daughter in her arms as she looked out the window. The fortress that she and the leaders of the Alliance lived in was one of the most secure places in Terran space. It was also in the massive base that the construction of a new Psi Disruptor was taking place, and it was here that new technologies were being developed by the UED scientists in an attempt to hold off the Zerg. Kerrigan had taken the bulk of the Swarm to Earth but had left five Cerebrates behind. Two of the Cerebrates were not too powerful, but the other three controlled large broods. As long as they lived, humans would have no peace here.
Veronica started crying and Samantha held her daughter closer to her.
"It's okay," she said soothingly. "Everything is okay."
Samantha started humming to try to calm her daughter. It seemed to work as she slowly fell silent and asleep. The mother placed her daughter gently in the crib and sat down to read the reports sent to her. As supreme commander of the Alliance she had many duties, like ensuring people had enough to eat and that Tarsonis remained safe.
The first report was regarding the food situation. Thanks to the engineers from the Protectorate, they had built massive hydroponics facilities in the countryside and now a steady supply of food was flowing in. They no longer had to worry about leaving people to starve as new crops were planted and harvested. Rationing still existed, but in times of war it always did.
The next report was about research regarding Protoss technology. The UED scientists had made some progress and had duplicated the alloy that the Protoss used for their ships. Currently these were being melted right into the hulls of the Aleksander and the Hyperion. The shield technology was another matter entirely. The Protoss did not use magnetic fields to create a forcefield, but instead channeled psionic energies through their generators to create an impenetrable shield. Since Terrans did not have the technology or the ability to do this, not much could be done in this respect.
Too much Protoss technology was based on their psionic powers and this frustrated UED scientists to no end as they tried to study and adapt it for Terran use. The scientists her husband had left behind were brilliant, but even they could do nothing without the right tools.
The third report involved the ship building program the Alliance had started. A shipyard was under construction in Tarsonis' orbit and would be completed in five months so they could then begin building a new line of warships. The starports on the surface supplied enough fighters and two new battlecruisers would be completed soon, but a fully state-of-the-art shipyard would greatly increase construction speed.
The newest warship designs that Samantha had approved were very impressive. Called the Lancelot-class battleships, they were designed to win battles where a single Lancelot was outnumbered a hundred to one. Too many times had the odds been that bad in fighting the Zerg, or worse. It was to be made completely of the NeoSteel and Protoss combination alloy to provide better protection. The weapons were still on the drawing board but antimatter missiles and a combination of phase disruptor and laser technology would certainly be used. The reactor was actually derived from a salvaged Protoss reactor and could supply enough power for two shots from the Yamato cannon. That weapon would still be utilized on the fearsome warship.
Samantha put down the reports and rubbed her eyes. It was getting late and she needed sleep herself. Just as she was about to get ready for bed there was a knock on her door.
"Come in," she said.
The door opened and revealed Jackson. Despite his age and balding head, Jackson was still strong and sharp in both mind and body. It had been he who first joined Raynor and Hardy in the Alliance and also he who invited in various other pirate and private militias. Combined, these forces provided a good deal of muscle and they had dealt well with a Zerg incursion just three months ago.
"Not more reports," she moaned.
"Sorry, but that's the responsibility of being a leader."
"Isn't there such a thing as maternity leave anymore?" Samantha asked.
Jackson chuckled, a rare sign of his humor. "You wish. Anyways, I thought you might be interested in this. Don't worry too much about it. Get some rest tonight and we can talk about it tomorrow. Okay?"
"I'll probably be leaving that for tomorrow anyways."
Jackson put the papers on Sarah's desk and left. She took a quick shower and went right to bed. Sleep came very quickly.
James Raynor had had a light breakfast which was immediately ruined after reading the latest intelligence report Jackson had supplied them. He knew that Mengsk would go to extreme lengths to accomplish whatever goal he had, but this one was new. And this one also had the potential to help humanity survive against the Zerg. Samantha and Jackson were already in the conference room, along with Minister Jorgensen. James took his seat and waited for someone to speak.
"I assume this information is accurate," Jorgensen said after several seconds.
"It's been confirmed by three independent sources," said Jackson, "and I was fully aware of the project when the Confederacy was running it."
"Well I'll be damned," said Samantha. She was holding Veronica in her arms and breastfeeding her, a fact that the other three men did their best to ignore. Right now, the dark-skinned Jorgensen was the most successful. "Mengsk has finally perfected the cloning techniques."
"Could we get hold of this technology?" James asked. "It would definitely help us raise a larger army."
"The technology isn't the problem," Jackson informed them. "It's the equipment. We need to get an intact cloning facility in order to make use of the technology. Otherwise, it would take too long to duplicate."
"There are moral issues regarding this," Jorgensen pointed out.
"There'll be no one left to debate moralities if we fail," Sarah countered. "I say we go for it."
"So you decide we should play God?" Jorgensen challenged. Of all the senior leaders, he was the one that pointed out the things that mad the others uncomfortable. "I am not saying we shouldn't use this, but we should decide here and now how we are going to use it."
James nodded. "Agreed. The Zerg are the monsters and we don't want to create more."
"We are using them to match the Zerg in the one area that they always overwhelmed us in," said Sarah, "numbers. If we had more soldiers, it would allow us to release more people for construction work and also allow us to build more ships and weapons. At the moment we only have forty battlecruisers. At the height of the Confederation's power, they had a fleet of five hundred."
"Could we support such a large force?" James asked.
They looked at Jorgenson. He was the most involved with the domestic affairs.
"We can support a population of fifty million if need be with our current resources," he informed them. "However, that number grows as we have more workers."
"Then it's settled," said Samantha. "We'll have to try to steal the equipment from Mengsk. Where is the lab?"
"That's going to be a problem," said Jackson. "They're all located on Korhal."
James grunted. "Dead end there. There is no way we can capture a fully operational cloning facility and get it off planet without Mengsk killing the team."
"We don't need the entire facility," said Jackson. "Unless you forget, the cloning research was done by the Confederacy and they wouldn't be so stupid to only have one research facility for such an important project, would they?"
The others all looked at Jackson, waiting for him to continue.
"The Confederacy also had a cloning lab on Tarsonis, and it was very well hidden," Jackson revealed. "One of those facilities is located on the main continent. My men found it and we've been studying it."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Sarah demanded, making sure not to be too loud as to disturb her daughter.
"Because we didn't know what it was for," Jackson replied calmly. "It looked like another research base for their Ghost program until we started finding information about cell replication and duplication. That attracted my attention but I still had nothing. After those intelligence reports came in, it pretty much confirmed my suspicions."
"Fine," said James, "but is this lab functional?"
"No. We're missing some key components, but I'm betting Mengsk has them. If we stage a raid, I'm pretty sure we can get what we want."
"How?" Jorgensen asked. "Korhal is incredibly secure and we can't simply land a strike team there and expect to get them out alive."
"Of course," said Jackson. "That's why we're going to steal it from Mengsk without attacking Korhal. My sources have informed me that the Kel-Morian Combine is supplying Mengsk with a large amount of biotech equipment. I'm pretty sure the shipment holds the equipment we need."
"So we're going to hijack it?" said James. "Doesn't sound too hard. What's the catch?"
"The catch is that Mengsk is sending the Norad III to go and pick it up. I'm pretty sure all of you understand what this means."
The looks around the table told him that they did. Norad III was the most powerful battlecruiser the Terran Dominion possessed, rivaling the Aleksander in size and strength. To attempt to seize it was nearly suicidal. Nearly.
"There's something you're not telling us," said Jorgensen.
"I think there might be a way for us to get the Norad III without too much trouble," said Jackson. "Providing the Protoss are willing to pay back the favor they owe you, Captain Raynor."
James thought about it and realized that he had helped out the Protoss several times. But Tassadar and Fenix were dead and Zeratul missing. Would Artanis help him? Maybe Balthazar would.
"I don't really know," said James. "What would we need?"
"An Arbiter to hide three battleships, a few Valkyries, a squadron of Wraiths, and a science vessel."
"Maybe, though I'd have to contact Artanis first. When does the shipment leave for Korhal?"
"In a week," said Jackson. "That should give you enough time to go to Shakuras, try to convince the Protoss to give us a hand, and to get back in time."
"I'll get right on it. Anything I need to know?"
"Try not to reveal why we want the equipment," Jorgensen advised.
James nodded and left the conference room leaving the others to continue talking.
"Another battlecruiser would certainly help," said Samantha. "Especially one as powerful as Norad III."
"A great pity that Norad II was destroyed," said Jackson. "Onto another matter. The new thermonuclear bombs are almost completed. We will need to test one of them but I hope you won't be doing it on Tarsonis or anywhere near here."
"Of course not," said Samantha. "I would like to use it on one of the Zerg's planets. Maybe take out a platform they've infested or something."
"Then I would propose Chau Sara," said Jorgensen. "Though I am reluctant to use such weapons of mass destruction, the Zerg must be burned to hell. They have caused far too great suffering and I do not believe we have any other choice except to eradicate them."
Veronica had enough so Samantha lulled her to sleep. As she did this Jackson activated the holographic display and showed the current intelligence they had on Chau Sara.
"There are currently only three minor platforms and one major orbital platform remaining," he said, pointing them out. "The largest of the platforms is where we believe the Zerg Cerebrate is actually located. We don't know why it isn't on the planet, but this does provide us with an interesting opportunity."
Samantha nodded. "Indeed. Without the Overmind or Kerrigan around, there is no way for the Cerebrates to be reincarnated. Or that's what we believe."
"It'd be mighty hard for them to come back to life if we vaporized them," Jackson added.
"How are we to get the bomb to that platform?" Jorgensen asked. "It would take a large strike force to get close enough to fire it off."
"That's where our other new toy comes in," said Samantha. "The Zerg will basically ignore us if we just park a science vessel and a few fighters far from the planet but still in the system. From there, the science vessel will launch the missile. It will be using a miniature sub-warp engine to get to the platform in maybe thirty minutes. We don't know if the engine will work but if it does we'll have a hell of an advantage."
"We're also pretty sure the nuke will work," said Jackson. "That was actually the easy part. Miniaturizing the sub-warp technology was tricky. The taskforce should stick around to see what happens and after that they pull out fast. The Zerg will not be happy with us once we use the nuke."
"And after this, will we continue to use this on Zerg held worlds?" asked Jorgensen. "Will we continue to dump radiation upon the worlds we are supposed to save?"
Samantha shook her head. "No. This is merely a test of our capabilities. Besides, some of these worlds are so infested that it would be nearly impossible to reclaim them. One world that I would be glad to slag is Char."
Jorgensen had to agree with that. "In that we stand together. But one thing does concern me. Once the Zerg know we have such capabilities, won't they attack?"
"Unlikely," said Jackson. "They know we have the ability to seriously weaken them, and with the Protoss growing stronger and stronger, they cannot afford to waste their troops attacking us."
The image zoomed in and showed more of the platform. From the last scout reports, there were three large Hives centered upon the platform. The Zerg Creep covered most of the platform with a few wrecks lying about.
"The Zerg are extremely resilient against radiation," Samantha noted. "Any attempt by us to utilize a nuclear weapon must depend on the weapon vaporizing them, not dumping radiation on them."
"That might end up making the Zerg stronger," Jackson added. "We have one final matter to attend to. Omega Squadron. The remnants of their forces have withdrawn from the Terran Dominion back to Dylar IV after the disaster on Char."
"How many troops do they have?" Jorgensen asked.
"Like all Terran factions, their forces are also severely depleted, nothing compared to what they had pre-Contact," said Jackson. "However, they do maintain a ground force of possibly 500,000, excluding their naval personnel."
A low whistle came from Samantha. "That's quite impressive. Our combined forces only number about 1 million."
"And they have a fleet of twenty battlecruisers," Jackson added.
That was something else to be impressed with. Humanity was stretched rather thinly throughout the sector, with few major planets under the control of any Terran factions. At the moment, only Tarsonis, Korhal, Dylar IV, and Moria were secure. Dozens of other Terran factions were scattered amongst other systems but none of them could withstand a concentrated attack by the Zerg.
"Twenty battlecruisers would be enough to hold off against any small Zerg incursion," Samantha said. "Do we have anything they need?"
"Food," Jorgensen suddenly answered. "I remember reading an intelligence report that a recent Zerg raid destroyed much of their food production capabilities."
Jackson nodded. "Very true. They're managing to get by, but sooner or later they'll need assistant. And I also know Lt. Commander Reikson well from the old days. A very smart man. He remained loyal to the Confederacy even after Mengsk took power. Though he did join the Terran Dominion, he still disliked Mengsk and after Char, well, that was all the excuse he needed to leave."
"It is an interesting idea," said Samantha. "Who should we send as an emissary?"
"Whoever you think is appropriate," said Jackson. "Politics and diplomacy is not my strong point. Intelligence and covert ops are."
"Is there anything else?" Samantha asked.
"No," Jackson concluded.
"Good, cause I need to change Veronica."
Jorgensen chuckled while Jackson simply smiled. The main reason Samantha brought Veronica to these meetings was to remind the others what they were fighting for, the future generations of humanity. Though Jorgensen had lost his family to the Zerg, James had lost Kerrigan, and Jackson had no family to speak of, Veronica was like a child to all of them.
Despite the fact that the majority of the other warships had undergone major overhauls or were in the process of being redone, the Hyperion was still its rugged self. However, it hadn't completely been unchanged. After Kris had gotten one look at the Hyperion he ordered his engineers to refit the entire bridge with new command-and-control systems. Touch-panels replaced the many buttons and switches that used to occupy this room and everything looked cleaner. James had to admit, he rather liked the new look, even though Kris had gone ahead with the modifications without notifying him.
The bridge crew were all from the old days, the majority of them being from the old Mar Sara garrison that had followed Raynor and Hardy up to now. Instead of their old ragged clothes and uniforms, Kris had also supplied the entire crew with new uniforms with a new marker replacing the UED insignia. There was now a blue shield with some planet at the center and it was a symbol James appreciated. They looked sharper and the professional image helped boost morale a bit.
The Hyperion left orbit and went into warp. James tried to relax in the captain's chair as he stared blankly at the swirling of warp-space. The trip to the new Protoss homeworld would take about two days. From there, providing the Protoss was willing to help, they might warp him back with one of their Arbiters and cut the trip down to a few seconds. But he would have to wait until he got there to see.
James had wanted to go with Kris back to Earth, but had realized that it would be better to remain and watch over Samantha and her daughter. While in the Koprulu Sector, he could also do what he could to prepare a second wave just in case Kris failed to stop Kerrigan at Earth. If that happened, then the rest of the galaxy really was screwed.
He settled down for the long trip ahead of him. Sometimes two days could be an eternity.
The preparations for the construction of the Millennium were complete and Jackson was there to confirm it. After Samantha had approved of the plans, the engineers had begun the preparations right away even though the shipyard itself had not been completed. The main reason was that the Millennium was to be huge. It was supposed to be five times as large as the Aleksander and armed with far more weapons. Because of this the engineers had decided to build both at the same time so the shipyard could accommodate the large warship. It was an interesting idea, but Jackson just hoped they would have enough resources to build both.
He looked over the schematics for the Millennium again. The warship still retained the hammerhead that was a distinguishing feature of Terran battlecruisers but the hammerhead was slightly swept backwards. The wings of the battlecruiser were swept forward and looked more like the wings of a bird. They ended at a point as there was no need for the bars that the old battlecruisers once hand. Once this warship was completed, it would be a beauty and a dangerous one at that.
The disruptor banks that would be part of this ships armaments had been tested and worked just as they were supposed to. Along with the lasers battlecruisers usually carried, the Millennium would nearly be just about invincible. The Protoss technology was quite reliable and would be a large part in the construction of this warship. The reactor was from a wrecked Protoss carrier and thus supplied far more energy than any Terran fusion reactor could. However, just in case, three small fusion reactors surrounded the Protoss reactor to supply extra power when needed.
A few other features of the warship included the factory onboard, also salvaged from the Protoss carrier. The system that manufactured interceptors was now going to be installed on the Millennium. Before, a massive amount of interceptors had been built to act as patrol craft and escort fighters for battlecruisers. They were also used to fend off a recent Zerg attempt to destroy the humans on Tarsonis. The Millennium was in many ways a cross between a Protoss carrier and a battlecruiser, with Protoss weapons added on.
But the greatest breakthrough to be incorporated into the Millennium was the new advanced shield system that had been developed. Using the shield generator salvaged from the Protoss carrier, UED scientists had adapted their magnetic force field into it and created nuclear resonance field surrounding the entire ship. What this meant was that the metals and alloys used in building the warship would be polarized into something akin to a molecule. The forces behind this would be tremendous and would make it nearly invincible. The only problem was that the Alliance needed a great deal of Khaydarin Crystals to create the network needed to generate the shield. This would entail raids to Aiur, a Zerg stronghold at the moment, for these artifacts.
Jackson shook his head. Best to worry about that once the operations were launched.
Along with its own weapons and the interceptors, three squadrons of the new Wraith D-type fighters were also to be stationed onboard. These fighters lacked the belly wing that their older counterparts had, but easily made up for it. Twin laser cannons were under its belly and a phase disruptor was under each wing. They also had heavier armor and still packed the missiles the older models had. This all came at a price though. Speed and maneuverability was slightly reduced, but the armor managed to compensate.
All in all, the Millennium would be a fine addition to the fleet. It would probably take eight months to fully complete it, but in the end it would be worth the resources and effort.
"I'm done. Ensign, take us back to the planet."
"Yes sir."
Jackson's shuttle peeled away and floated down to the surface.
Artanis waited patiently as the Executor looked out on the balcony. The city of New Antioch was the headquarters of the Templar Fleet, and it was the safest place in Protoss space. Finally the Executor turned and faced Artanis.
"My good friend, Kerrigan has left for the Terran homeworld of Earth."
Artanis nodded. Balthazar was one of the most powerful Templars in the Protoss race, as he was one of the few that harnessed both the powers of the High Templar and that of the Dark Templar. However, this power simply made him wiser and that much more suited to lead the Protoss race.
"She still has left considerable forces behind to keep us in check," said Artanis. "Still, the reconstruction of our fleet goes well."
Balthazar nodded in agreement. The first of the new Tassadar-class battleships were being completed. By the end of the month, six of them would be joining a fleet of over one hundred carriers, frigates, destroyers, and Arbiters. The Protoss Grand Armada was indeed powerful, but a full assault by the Zerg Swarm would still defeat it. Shakuras' defenses had been bolstered greatly and would not be easy to penetrate and any land invasion would meet swift retribution from the Xel'Naga Temple. The full power of the Protoss race would soon be realized, but a great disturbance had erupted. Several weeks ago, after having disappeared since the kidnapping of Raszagal, Zeratul had finally sent a message to his fellow Protoss. Not one of his impending return, but one of warning.
The Praetor of the Dark Templars had failed to retrieve their matriarch, Raszagal. However, because Kerrigan had allowed him to live, Zeratul had found something very disturbing. There would soon be a new race and potential threat awakening, and from what Zeratul said about them, these creatures would be very dangerous. These, Hybrids, were combinations of Protoss and Zerg. It was something the Overmind had attempted to achieve but failed, but apparently this infested Terran Ghost had done it. But what was this Terran really up to?
"Something worries you, Executor."
It wasn't a question and Balthazar knew it.
"You have read the message Zeratul sent us," said Balthazar. "You know of the danger that looms in our future."
"Of course."
"I do not know if we can defeat such a race. If they awaken, we could face a greater threat than that of the Zerg."
"And that is why we need to rebuild our great fleets," said Artanis. "We defeated the Zerg twice now, and we can do it again."
Balthazar sighed and walked back into the room. He slumped down into a chair as if exhausted.
"We have not truly defeated the Zerg," he said. "We slowed down their advance long enough to kill the Overmind, with the help of the Terrans at that, only to have a new one appear and being forced to kill it for Kerrigan. Is that any better?"
Artanis shook his head. "Better that we killed all three of them, but we did not have the power to do so."
"We will slay Kerrigan one day."
That statement carried with it a deep conviction that Artanis understood. Balthazar had lost many friends to Kerrigan; Fenix, Tassadar, Raszagal, even Aldaris could be considered a friend. It was bitter, but he kept his fury under control.
A holographic image appeared on Balthazar's desk.
"Executor, we are detecting a Terran battlecruiser approaching Shakuras. It is the Hyperion."
"Allow it to settle into orbit and provide an escort," Balthazar ordered. "I'll speak with Admiral Raynor once I'm ready."
"Yes Executor."
The image disappeared, leaving Artanis and Balthazar alone.
"I wonder what brings Raynor here," said Artanis.
"We shall find out soon."
The planet Shakuras looked beautiful from high orbit, James had to admit. Streaks of energy flowed around the planet and made it look brilliant. He checked the time and right on the second an image of Balthazar appeared.
"Raynor. It has been a while."
"Right back at ya. I hope you're doing okay."
"I am well. What brings you to Shakuras?"
"I'll be frank with you," said James. "We need your help. Mengsk is transporting some advanced technology that we need, but his method of transportation is problematic. He is using the Norad III and we can't sneak up on the warship. We need an Arbiter to hide our ships until we get close enough."
A silence hung in the room as Balthazar appeared to consider James' request. Finally, he answered.
"There is something you're not telling me," he said. "Why is this shipment so important that Mengsk would use his personal flagship and you would require an Arbiter?"
"This technology could turn the tables against the Zerg," said Raynor. "The Zerg have always defeated us because of their superior numbers, but with the technology that Mengsk is transporting, we Terrans might be able to match the Zergs."
"Cloning."
A surprised look appeared on James' face, but he quickly forced it aside.
"How did you know?" he asked.
"I am a psychic," said Balthazar. "My friend, do you know what it means when a race must depend on cloning for its own survival?"
"This isn't a time for an argument of moralities," James snapped, then continued calmly. "We don't have the advantage of superior technology or psionic powers to defend against the Zerg. We must depend on our numbers and ingenuity, and right now that's all we have."
Balthazar nodded gravely, knowing fully well what James meant.
"I will lend you an Arbiter for this mission," said Balthazar, "as a thank you for the many times you have come to aide us, Captain Raynor."
"Thanks Balthazar. You have no idea what this means to us."
"I simply hope you succeed. Mengsk may be trying to trick you."
"Even if he is, we're still getting a battlecruiser," said James. "That's certainly fair exchange."
"Remember that which makes you human, Admiral Raynor. I do not wish for more to lose their honor."
A few hours later an Arbiter broke orbit and flew towards the Hyperion. A dimensional gate appeared right in front of the two ships and they entered and disappeared.
Balthazar watched as his friend went off back to Tarsonis.
"I hope you made the right choice Raynor, for we cannot fix your mistakes."
A dimensional portal appeared and the Hyperion and an Arbiter appeared in orbit of Tarsonis. Several interceptors appeared and fell into escort formation as the two warships headed towards one of the platforms. With its cloaking barrier off there was no risk of anything crashing into the small fleet. Jackson took note of the Arbiter flying along with the Hyperion and smiled. This would make the job of the troops much easier.
"Hail the Hyperion," he ordered.
"Yes sir."
Raynor appeared on the screen.
"Well, apparently your friends decided to help us after all," said Jackson.
"They know what we're up to," Raynor stated.
"Did you tell them?" Jackson asked.
"No. Balthazar is a psychic and apparently he sensed it."
"There's no way around that. But at least they're willing to help us."
"Yeah. So, five more days before we go?"
"Four. We want to be there a day before to set up a trap."
"Fine by me. Who's going?"
"I'll be commanding the mission and I'm taking the Resolute with me. We're also preparing to send an emissary to Dylar IV to see if they're willing to join forces with us."
"Who's going on that one?" James asked.
"We're thinking of sending you," Jackson replied. "I know, your men need rest but we don't have that many people that are so widely respected. Besides, Sarah's too busy to do anything like this."
"Fine. Just give me a day to resupply."
Jackson signed off and looked upon the bridge of his flagship, the Resolute. This battlecruiser was different from many others in that it was equipped with powerful sensors and a defensive matrix. Not as stable as a Protoss shield, it was still effective. Instead of the normal laser batteries, the Resolute had lots and lots of missiles. Overall, it was a fair tradeoff. The Yamato cannon was still on the warship, so it was a very powerful weapon still.
The other two battlecruisers that would be accompanying him would be the Infinity and the Guardian. Both were former Nova Squadron ships, and good ones at that. However, the Valkyries were all former UED vessels considering they were all brought over by the UED. The taskforce was powerful and would have to do for this mission. They couldn't afford to strip Tarsonis of its defenses. Mengsk still had it in for Sarah and Raynor and would love to kill them. The fact that the UED captain that had defeated Mengsk and taken his Dominion away from him was now Sarah's husband didn't help.
The UED fleet comprised of over two hundred battlecruisers and their escorts, though when they first came the armada had over four hundred. After suffering fifty percent of their total strength, even after seizing control of the bulk of the Dominion's fleet, the UED still had some fight left in it. Besides the many battlecruisers, there were also well over two hundred destroyers and possibly four hundred frigates. While the Swarm still outnumbered them a hundred to one, it would be a bloody fight to the finish.
The commodore, like much of the command staff, was not in cryo-hibernation. He walked up and down the bridge, knowing the Zerg were out there. Out of all the commanders, it was he that would probably die first. His flagship was the battlecruiser Regal and was stationed near the back of the fleet so he could command the first three defensive lines. The Valkyrie frigates stationed at the end were only a fraction of the total force he could project, but he kept the others in reserve just in case. Suddenly alarms started blaring.
"Report," he ordered.
"We have incoming," the lieutenant replied. "I'm detecting warp-ins. It looks like Zerg, sir."
The commodore nodded as he pressed the comm. unit. "All hands, report to battle stations. The Zerg have found us. Repeat, report to battle stations."
Across the several dozen destroyers and frigates their crews raced to follow the orders. Batteries were turned on the predicted incomings as the Valkyrie frigates spun around and got ready to unload their first salvoes. Massive wormholes opened up and the Zerg poured out. A legion of Scourges flew at the fleet but their numbers were cut down immediately by the Valkyries. Several made it through the bath of fire only to find Wraith fighters waiting. Lasers lashed out and punched holes in the surviving Zerg, destroying them before they could do any damage. The first group of Valkyries quickly fell back to reload as another wing came forward. The Zerg sent in more of the Scourges, charging them in much faster and more spread out. Again the Valkyries laid down cover fire as Wraiths picked off those that were missed.
This time several squadrons of Scourges got through and started chasing the Valkyries. Too big to maneuver like the Wraith fighters, the frigates could only try to outrun their pursuers and hope for rescue. Three impacted the first Valkyrie and it exploded, sending fragments of the former UED warship splattering all over space. More started pouring through the hole in the UED formation only to be cut off as the destroyers opened fire. However, the damage was done as the Scourges quickly crashed into other Valkyries, decimating the formation. Wraiths flew insane stunts as they tried to outmaneuver the Scourges and some worked. They were able to cut through this second wave but the third one struck without warning.
"Commodore! We're detecting Mutalisks!"
The man frowned. His lieutenant's tone was far too panicked, unless it was something truly grave.
"How many?"
"I'm detecting...five hundred."
The commodore looked at the screen and saw what looked like a tidal wave approaching his formation. Using conventional weapons, even the massive salvoes of his surviving Valkyries, he could never hope to stop such a force. Finally, he nodded.
"Very well. Order all frigates and fighters to pull back. The destroyers are to supply cover fire until they are out of the blast radius."
The officers all knew what he meant and the orders were quickly issued. Considering how quickly his units all retreated, it was clear they had a good idea too. Once they were all clear, he gave the order.
"Fire."
Each destroyer was armed with a total of five nuclear warheads, approximately 200 kilotons each. Now the fifty warships fired a total of 100 such weapons across a broad field, a tactic that would envelope the entire enemy formation in a baptism of fire. As the warships raced away, the warheads detonated and incinerated the entire fleet of Mutalisks. They were slowly burned away and the radiation quickly killed the few survivors, too injured for their bodies to protect them from the intense storm that swirled around them.
The commodore looked at his handiwork and sighed. It was only the first of many waves and the Zerg Broods had billions of warriors to call upon. This was nothing compared to what they were capable of. Still, he had bought the fleet some time. As the warships raced on for Earth, all they could do was wait and hope.
Like her primary Cerebrate Araq, Kerrigan had been watching the battle. Though the destruction her brood had inflicted upon the UED was disappointing, she was still satisfied with the result.
"I suppose you were correct in your assumption," Kerrigan allowed.
Like all Cerebrates, Araq knew to tread carefully with Kerrigan. "It was mere luck, my queen. However, now we have some of the pieces we require."
Unlike the other Cerebrates, Araq had an advantage in understanding the brutal Queen of Blades. Perhaps it was because he had watched over her since her being added to the Swarm, or perhaps it was something else entirely. Still, he knew when to be cautious.
"Retrieve the wreckage and being your examination. When we start taking their ships, I want it done right."
"It shall be as you command."
Acting-Admiral Jonathan Kris had opted not to go into cryo-sleep for the time being. He still had a lot of work to do. The Zerg forces had found the main fleet, but that was not where he was. He was currently taking the Viscount, his personnel flagship while under the command of Fleet Admiral DuGalle, and five other battlecruisers on a mad dash for Earth. All six ships had been modified with enhanced warp drives that his wife had convinced the Protoss to give them and he was grateful for this last gift. No, he was grateful to have just known her. Even now they were pushing the engines to their limits, trying to get to Earth before Kerrigan. If they were lucky, they would have a decade before the Queen of Blades got there and in a decade's time they would have a massive war machine ready to face the Zerg Swarm.
"Admiral, the fleet reports that they have defeated the first wave, but they lost the first defensive line."
"Very well. Tell them to do the best they can. We don't have any way of helping them now."
"Yes sir."
This was the worst thing a commanding officer to go through, being unable to help his soldiers. However, he needed to get back to Earth. Maybe, if the UED could defeat the Zerg Swarm in the Sol System, he could return and see his wife and daughter. Maybe even his grandchildren. Even if Samantha had remarried, it still wouldn't bother him too much. As long as they were safe, he'd be happy.
It must have been pretty unsettling to have five battlecruisers appearing in orbit of their planet, Raynor thought. The Omega Squadron fleet was scrambling defenses and currently six battlecruisers were approaching. They quickly hailed him.
"This is Lt. Commander Gregory Reikson. Identify yourself immediately."
Raynor felt weird speaking to a man that was truly of military rank while he technically was a civilian. Then again, he'd seen a great deal of action himself, more than he had ever wanted.
"This is Admiral James Raynor of the Hyperion. We are not here to attack, Commander. We're here to talk."
"You certainly brought a large fleet to simply talk."
"I'm sorry if we surprised you," said James. "However, I come with an offer from Admiral Sarah Hardy and the Alliance."
There was a pause as Reikson considered it.
"I'm listening."
"The Zerg Swarm is headed towards Earth and has given us a rare opportunity to rearm and become strong again. Shouldn't we take this chance?"
"I see where you're getting at," said Gregory. "You want us to join forces with you."
"You're short on food and resources," said James. "We have those resources. Wouldn't it be beneficial for the two of us to join?"
"Perhaps," Gregory replied. "I am willing to discuss this with you, providing you are willing to meet."
"Where?" James asked.
"I trust you, Admiral Raynor, to be an honorable man. Therefore, I will come aboard the Hyperion with only three guards if you give me your word we will not be harmed."
"You have it."
It didn't take long for a shuttle to appear from one of the battlecruisers. However, instead of the center warship, it came from the one on the far left. Reikson was careful about his actions and obviously an unpredictable tactician. That was both good and bad. When he came on board he just had three Marines with him and they weren't even heavily geared. At the meeting room Raynor allowed one of the Marines to stay with Reikson while he had one of his own officers standing by the door.
"Now is the time to talk," Raynor began.
"First, a question. Since I have never met you personally, this is the first chance I have had to ask you this. Is it true that you fought with the Protoss against the Zerg Overmind on Aiur?"
"Yes," Raynor answered sadly. "We lost many good men and women in that fight."
"Ah. Now onto more important matters. You wish for Omega Squadron to join your, Terran Alliance, I believe it is called. Besides food supplies, what else can you provide us with?" Reikson asked.
"I've heard that your orbital platforms took quite a beating," Raynor replied. "We can help you repair them and install our new Ion Cannons on them. A total of twenty should provide sufficient protection for the planet."
James grinned as Reikson just stared at him.
"And you actually have the resources to do such a thing," said Reikson.
James nodded. "It's not common knowledge, but we do have a good deal of reserves and our forces are also mining a great deal these days. As you know, the Dominion isn't the only one capable of sending out exploration probes."
Reikson nodded reluctantly. "I'll accept, Admiral, under these conditions. For the time being I remain in command of all Omega Squadron assets. If you want to use my troops, you go through me or one of my officers. Also, you help us reestablish our food production capabilities."
"What assurances do we have that you won't abandon us once we've done all this for you?"
The Lt. Commander snorted. "Admiral, I am not stupid. I know my chances of survival if I go it alone and Mengsk is the only other major power in this sector besides you guys."
"Mengsk is losing power and he'll soon lose even more," said James. "He only thinks of his own power and he doesn't consider the survival of humanity."
"That's a known fact. And if your battle record is anything like what I've heard, then we'll get along just fine Admiral."
"Very well then, Commander Reikson."
The two men stood and shook hands.
End of Chapter 1
No, I did not get the cloning idea from Episode 2. I had it running for a while but never bothered to use it. As for the hybrid thing, of course it was from the hidden mission in Starcraft. For those of you that don't know about it, stop using the damned cheats. Actually beat the missions without them and go back if you want to have a little bit of fun.
I decided to drop the solidified light idea for now. Might revisit it later.
Z98
Birth of the Ancients
Chapter 1: Growing Pains
With Sarah Kerrigan the ruler of the Zerg Swarms, she was now the most powerful force in the Koprulu Sector, if not this branch of the galaxy. The combined military strength of the UED, the Protoss, and the Terran Dominion had failed to stop her. Now it was only a matter of time before she attempted to wipe out the survivors. However, Kerrigan's present course of action surprised all of the major powers.
With the vast knowledge of the Overmind at her disposal, Kerrigan knew that despite the fact that she had crushed the humans of the Koprulu Sector and routed the UED fleet, that did not mean humanity as a whole had been defeated. The United Earth Directorate had been a powerful enemy that at first she herself had been unable to defeat. Also, with their advanced technology, still primitive by Protoss standards but nevertheless dangerous, if she did nothing the Terrans might succeed in actually defeating the Zerg someday.
Despite this, Kerrigan also knew of humanity's weaknesses. Having been one of the most advanced humans once, she had a clear idea of how to defeat all Terrans and incorporated their greatest strengths into her Swarm. Thus the Queen of Blades turned her attention to the source of the Terran problem, Earth. The only obstacle in her path was that she lacked the coordinates for the human homeworld, but that problem would soon be solved. Soon, she would infest the entire UED fleet and turn the mighty battlecruisers against their makers. Soon, the entire galaxy would tremble beneath her blades.
Acting-Fleet Admiral Jonathan Kris, the current supreme commander of the surviving UED fleet, was faced with an extremely difficult task. He had to lead his forces back to Earth without being destroyed, something Kerrigan wasn't about to allow. After Admiral DuGalle's suicide, he was next in line and now the responsibility of keeping his men alive was left to him. Though the mission objective seemed impossible, Kris was determined to see it through. Too many of his men had died at the claws of the Zerg and he would make them pay.
However, while in the Koprulu Sector, he met the rebel commander Samantha Hardy. The two were married and now James has been forced to abandon his wife and return to Earth in an attempt to destroy the Zerg Swarm. Commander Hardy is not alone though. James Raynor and Colonel Jackson Hauler of the former Nova Squadron were at her side to fight with her. Though Raynor had wanted to go with Kris, he stayed behind to watch over his old friend.
With their help, Commander Hardy had set up the new Terran Alliance, a loose organization based on Tarsonis that was attempting to unite the many Terran factions into a force powerful enough to withstand the Swarm. Their numbers are few but the Alliance was gaining allies. It was also involved in biological weapons research and preparations to deploy large scale strategic nuclear weapons against the Zerg. It wouldn't be long before war would consume the Sector again, with a potential shift in the balance of power.
Tarsonis itself was slowly being rebuilt, the five major cities having been cleared of wreckage and filled with people. The population now numbered ten million and the planet was once again rich with human life. In orbit was a fleet of fifty battlecruisers, the principal warships being the Hyperion and the Aleksander, left behind by Admiral Kris to help his wife. Twelve of the battlecruisers were Nova Squadron ships, ten were UED ships Kris had left behind, while the rest were from the Umojan Protectorate. With the fall of Umoja to the Zerg, the survivors had decided to ally themselves with the Terrans that had helped destroy the Overmind in the first place. The major defensive platforms were partially rebuilt and a total of forty Ion Cannons had been placed in orbit with more such installations being built on the surface. These humans were ready to defend their home.
Samantha cradled her daughter in her arms as she looked out the window. The fortress that she and the leaders of the Alliance lived in was one of the most secure places in Terran space. It was also in the massive base that the construction of a new Psi Disruptor was taking place, and it was here that new technologies were being developed by the UED scientists in an attempt to hold off the Zerg. Kerrigan had taken the bulk of the Swarm to Earth but had left five Cerebrates behind. Two of the Cerebrates were not too powerful, but the other three controlled large broods. As long as they lived, humans would have no peace here.
Veronica started crying and Samantha held her daughter closer to her.
"It's okay," she said soothingly. "Everything is okay."
Samantha started humming to try to calm her daughter. It seemed to work as she slowly fell silent and asleep. The mother placed her daughter gently in the crib and sat down to read the reports sent to her. As supreme commander of the Alliance she had many duties, like ensuring people had enough to eat and that Tarsonis remained safe.
The first report was regarding the food situation. Thanks to the engineers from the Protectorate, they had built massive hydroponics facilities in the countryside and now a steady supply of food was flowing in. They no longer had to worry about leaving people to starve as new crops were planted and harvested. Rationing still existed, but in times of war it always did.
The next report was about research regarding Protoss technology. The UED scientists had made some progress and had duplicated the alloy that the Protoss used for their ships. Currently these were being melted right into the hulls of the Aleksander and the Hyperion. The shield technology was another matter entirely. The Protoss did not use magnetic fields to create a forcefield, but instead channeled psionic energies through their generators to create an impenetrable shield. Since Terrans did not have the technology or the ability to do this, not much could be done in this respect.
Too much Protoss technology was based on their psionic powers and this frustrated UED scientists to no end as they tried to study and adapt it for Terran use. The scientists her husband had left behind were brilliant, but even they could do nothing without the right tools.
The third report involved the ship building program the Alliance had started. A shipyard was under construction in Tarsonis' orbit and would be completed in five months so they could then begin building a new line of warships. The starports on the surface supplied enough fighters and two new battlecruisers would be completed soon, but a fully state-of-the-art shipyard would greatly increase construction speed.
The newest warship designs that Samantha had approved were very impressive. Called the Lancelot-class battleships, they were designed to win battles where a single Lancelot was outnumbered a hundred to one. Too many times had the odds been that bad in fighting the Zerg, or worse. It was to be made completely of the NeoSteel and Protoss combination alloy to provide better protection. The weapons were still on the drawing board but antimatter missiles and a combination of phase disruptor and laser technology would certainly be used. The reactor was actually derived from a salvaged Protoss reactor and could supply enough power for two shots from the Yamato cannon. That weapon would still be utilized on the fearsome warship.
Samantha put down the reports and rubbed her eyes. It was getting late and she needed sleep herself. Just as she was about to get ready for bed there was a knock on her door.
"Come in," she said.
The door opened and revealed Jackson. Despite his age and balding head, Jackson was still strong and sharp in both mind and body. It had been he who first joined Raynor and Hardy in the Alliance and also he who invited in various other pirate and private militias. Combined, these forces provided a good deal of muscle and they had dealt well with a Zerg incursion just three months ago.
"Not more reports," she moaned.
"Sorry, but that's the responsibility of being a leader."
"Isn't there such a thing as maternity leave anymore?" Samantha asked.
Jackson chuckled, a rare sign of his humor. "You wish. Anyways, I thought you might be interested in this. Don't worry too much about it. Get some rest tonight and we can talk about it tomorrow. Okay?"
"I'll probably be leaving that for tomorrow anyways."
Jackson put the papers on Sarah's desk and left. She took a quick shower and went right to bed. Sleep came very quickly.
James Raynor had had a light breakfast which was immediately ruined after reading the latest intelligence report Jackson had supplied them. He knew that Mengsk would go to extreme lengths to accomplish whatever goal he had, but this one was new. And this one also had the potential to help humanity survive against the Zerg. Samantha and Jackson were already in the conference room, along with Minister Jorgensen. James took his seat and waited for someone to speak.
"I assume this information is accurate," Jorgensen said after several seconds.
"It's been confirmed by three independent sources," said Jackson, "and I was fully aware of the project when the Confederacy was running it."
"Well I'll be damned," said Samantha. She was holding Veronica in her arms and breastfeeding her, a fact that the other three men did their best to ignore. Right now, the dark-skinned Jorgensen was the most successful. "Mengsk has finally perfected the cloning techniques."
"Could we get hold of this technology?" James asked. "It would definitely help us raise a larger army."
"The technology isn't the problem," Jackson informed them. "It's the equipment. We need to get an intact cloning facility in order to make use of the technology. Otherwise, it would take too long to duplicate."
"There are moral issues regarding this," Jorgensen pointed out.
"There'll be no one left to debate moralities if we fail," Sarah countered. "I say we go for it."
"So you decide we should play God?" Jorgensen challenged. Of all the senior leaders, he was the one that pointed out the things that mad the others uncomfortable. "I am not saying we shouldn't use this, but we should decide here and now how we are going to use it."
James nodded. "Agreed. The Zerg are the monsters and we don't want to create more."
"We are using them to match the Zerg in the one area that they always overwhelmed us in," said Sarah, "numbers. If we had more soldiers, it would allow us to release more people for construction work and also allow us to build more ships and weapons. At the moment we only have forty battlecruisers. At the height of the Confederation's power, they had a fleet of five hundred."
"Could we support such a large force?" James asked.
They looked at Jorgenson. He was the most involved with the domestic affairs.
"We can support a population of fifty million if need be with our current resources," he informed them. "However, that number grows as we have more workers."
"Then it's settled," said Samantha. "We'll have to try to steal the equipment from Mengsk. Where is the lab?"
"That's going to be a problem," said Jackson. "They're all located on Korhal."
James grunted. "Dead end there. There is no way we can capture a fully operational cloning facility and get it off planet without Mengsk killing the team."
"We don't need the entire facility," said Jackson. "Unless you forget, the cloning research was done by the Confederacy and they wouldn't be so stupid to only have one research facility for such an important project, would they?"
The others all looked at Jackson, waiting for him to continue.
"The Confederacy also had a cloning lab on Tarsonis, and it was very well hidden," Jackson revealed. "One of those facilities is located on the main continent. My men found it and we've been studying it."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Sarah demanded, making sure not to be too loud as to disturb her daughter.
"Because we didn't know what it was for," Jackson replied calmly. "It looked like another research base for their Ghost program until we started finding information about cell replication and duplication. That attracted my attention but I still had nothing. After those intelligence reports came in, it pretty much confirmed my suspicions."
"Fine," said James, "but is this lab functional?"
"No. We're missing some key components, but I'm betting Mengsk has them. If we stage a raid, I'm pretty sure we can get what we want."
"How?" Jorgensen asked. "Korhal is incredibly secure and we can't simply land a strike team there and expect to get them out alive."
"Of course," said Jackson. "That's why we're going to steal it from Mengsk without attacking Korhal. My sources have informed me that the Kel-Morian Combine is supplying Mengsk with a large amount of biotech equipment. I'm pretty sure the shipment holds the equipment we need."
"So we're going to hijack it?" said James. "Doesn't sound too hard. What's the catch?"
"The catch is that Mengsk is sending the Norad III to go and pick it up. I'm pretty sure all of you understand what this means."
The looks around the table told him that they did. Norad III was the most powerful battlecruiser the Terran Dominion possessed, rivaling the Aleksander in size and strength. To attempt to seize it was nearly suicidal. Nearly.
"There's something you're not telling us," said Jorgensen.
"I think there might be a way for us to get the Norad III without too much trouble," said Jackson. "Providing the Protoss are willing to pay back the favor they owe you, Captain Raynor."
James thought about it and realized that he had helped out the Protoss several times. But Tassadar and Fenix were dead and Zeratul missing. Would Artanis help him? Maybe Balthazar would.
"I don't really know," said James. "What would we need?"
"An Arbiter to hide three battleships, a few Valkyries, a squadron of Wraiths, and a science vessel."
"Maybe, though I'd have to contact Artanis first. When does the shipment leave for Korhal?"
"In a week," said Jackson. "That should give you enough time to go to Shakuras, try to convince the Protoss to give us a hand, and to get back in time."
"I'll get right on it. Anything I need to know?"
"Try not to reveal why we want the equipment," Jorgensen advised.
James nodded and left the conference room leaving the others to continue talking.
"Another battlecruiser would certainly help," said Samantha. "Especially one as powerful as Norad III."
"A great pity that Norad II was destroyed," said Jackson. "Onto another matter. The new thermonuclear bombs are almost completed. We will need to test one of them but I hope you won't be doing it on Tarsonis or anywhere near here."
"Of course not," said Samantha. "I would like to use it on one of the Zerg's planets. Maybe take out a platform they've infested or something."
"Then I would propose Chau Sara," said Jorgensen. "Though I am reluctant to use such weapons of mass destruction, the Zerg must be burned to hell. They have caused far too great suffering and I do not believe we have any other choice except to eradicate them."
Veronica had enough so Samantha lulled her to sleep. As she did this Jackson activated the holographic display and showed the current intelligence they had on Chau Sara.
"There are currently only three minor platforms and one major orbital platform remaining," he said, pointing them out. "The largest of the platforms is where we believe the Zerg Cerebrate is actually located. We don't know why it isn't on the planet, but this does provide us with an interesting opportunity."
Samantha nodded. "Indeed. Without the Overmind or Kerrigan around, there is no way for the Cerebrates to be reincarnated. Or that's what we believe."
"It'd be mighty hard for them to come back to life if we vaporized them," Jackson added.
"How are we to get the bomb to that platform?" Jorgensen asked. "It would take a large strike force to get close enough to fire it off."
"That's where our other new toy comes in," said Samantha. "The Zerg will basically ignore us if we just park a science vessel and a few fighters far from the planet but still in the system. From there, the science vessel will launch the missile. It will be using a miniature sub-warp engine to get to the platform in maybe thirty minutes. We don't know if the engine will work but if it does we'll have a hell of an advantage."
"We're also pretty sure the nuke will work," said Jackson. "That was actually the easy part. Miniaturizing the sub-warp technology was tricky. The taskforce should stick around to see what happens and after that they pull out fast. The Zerg will not be happy with us once we use the nuke."
"And after this, will we continue to use this on Zerg held worlds?" asked Jorgensen. "Will we continue to dump radiation upon the worlds we are supposed to save?"
Samantha shook her head. "No. This is merely a test of our capabilities. Besides, some of these worlds are so infested that it would be nearly impossible to reclaim them. One world that I would be glad to slag is Char."
Jorgensen had to agree with that. "In that we stand together. But one thing does concern me. Once the Zerg know we have such capabilities, won't they attack?"
"Unlikely," said Jackson. "They know we have the ability to seriously weaken them, and with the Protoss growing stronger and stronger, they cannot afford to waste their troops attacking us."
The image zoomed in and showed more of the platform. From the last scout reports, there were three large Hives centered upon the platform. The Zerg Creep covered most of the platform with a few wrecks lying about.
"The Zerg are extremely resilient against radiation," Samantha noted. "Any attempt by us to utilize a nuclear weapon must depend on the weapon vaporizing them, not dumping radiation on them."
"That might end up making the Zerg stronger," Jackson added. "We have one final matter to attend to. Omega Squadron. The remnants of their forces have withdrawn from the Terran Dominion back to Dylar IV after the disaster on Char."
"How many troops do they have?" Jorgensen asked.
"Like all Terran factions, their forces are also severely depleted, nothing compared to what they had pre-Contact," said Jackson. "However, they do maintain a ground force of possibly 500,000, excluding their naval personnel."
A low whistle came from Samantha. "That's quite impressive. Our combined forces only number about 1 million."
"And they have a fleet of twenty battlecruisers," Jackson added.
That was something else to be impressed with. Humanity was stretched rather thinly throughout the sector, with few major planets under the control of any Terran factions. At the moment, only Tarsonis, Korhal, Dylar IV, and Moria were secure. Dozens of other Terran factions were scattered amongst other systems but none of them could withstand a concentrated attack by the Zerg.
"Twenty battlecruisers would be enough to hold off against any small Zerg incursion," Samantha said. "Do we have anything they need?"
"Food," Jorgensen suddenly answered. "I remember reading an intelligence report that a recent Zerg raid destroyed much of their food production capabilities."
Jackson nodded. "Very true. They're managing to get by, but sooner or later they'll need assistant. And I also know Lt. Commander Reikson well from the old days. A very smart man. He remained loyal to the Confederacy even after Mengsk took power. Though he did join the Terran Dominion, he still disliked Mengsk and after Char, well, that was all the excuse he needed to leave."
"It is an interesting idea," said Samantha. "Who should we send as an emissary?"
"Whoever you think is appropriate," said Jackson. "Politics and diplomacy is not my strong point. Intelligence and covert ops are."
"Is there anything else?" Samantha asked.
"No," Jackson concluded.
"Good, cause I need to change Veronica."
Jorgensen chuckled while Jackson simply smiled. The main reason Samantha brought Veronica to these meetings was to remind the others what they were fighting for, the future generations of humanity. Though Jorgensen had lost his family to the Zerg, James had lost Kerrigan, and Jackson had no family to speak of, Veronica was like a child to all of them.
Despite the fact that the majority of the other warships had undergone major overhauls or were in the process of being redone, the Hyperion was still its rugged self. However, it hadn't completely been unchanged. After Kris had gotten one look at the Hyperion he ordered his engineers to refit the entire bridge with new command-and-control systems. Touch-panels replaced the many buttons and switches that used to occupy this room and everything looked cleaner. James had to admit, he rather liked the new look, even though Kris had gone ahead with the modifications without notifying him.
The bridge crew were all from the old days, the majority of them being from the old Mar Sara garrison that had followed Raynor and Hardy up to now. Instead of their old ragged clothes and uniforms, Kris had also supplied the entire crew with new uniforms with a new marker replacing the UED insignia. There was now a blue shield with some planet at the center and it was a symbol James appreciated. They looked sharper and the professional image helped boost morale a bit.
The Hyperion left orbit and went into warp. James tried to relax in the captain's chair as he stared blankly at the swirling of warp-space. The trip to the new Protoss homeworld would take about two days. From there, providing the Protoss was willing to help, they might warp him back with one of their Arbiters and cut the trip down to a few seconds. But he would have to wait until he got there to see.
James had wanted to go with Kris back to Earth, but had realized that it would be better to remain and watch over Samantha and her daughter. While in the Koprulu Sector, he could also do what he could to prepare a second wave just in case Kris failed to stop Kerrigan at Earth. If that happened, then the rest of the galaxy really was screwed.
He settled down for the long trip ahead of him. Sometimes two days could be an eternity.
The preparations for the construction of the Millennium were complete and Jackson was there to confirm it. After Samantha had approved of the plans, the engineers had begun the preparations right away even though the shipyard itself had not been completed. The main reason was that the Millennium was to be huge. It was supposed to be five times as large as the Aleksander and armed with far more weapons. Because of this the engineers had decided to build both at the same time so the shipyard could accommodate the large warship. It was an interesting idea, but Jackson just hoped they would have enough resources to build both.
He looked over the schematics for the Millennium again. The warship still retained the hammerhead that was a distinguishing feature of Terran battlecruisers but the hammerhead was slightly swept backwards. The wings of the battlecruiser were swept forward and looked more like the wings of a bird. They ended at a point as there was no need for the bars that the old battlecruisers once hand. Once this warship was completed, it would be a beauty and a dangerous one at that.
The disruptor banks that would be part of this ships armaments had been tested and worked just as they were supposed to. Along with the lasers battlecruisers usually carried, the Millennium would nearly be just about invincible. The Protoss technology was quite reliable and would be a large part in the construction of this warship. The reactor was from a wrecked Protoss carrier and thus supplied far more energy than any Terran fusion reactor could. However, just in case, three small fusion reactors surrounded the Protoss reactor to supply extra power when needed.
A few other features of the warship included the factory onboard, also salvaged from the Protoss carrier. The system that manufactured interceptors was now going to be installed on the Millennium. Before, a massive amount of interceptors had been built to act as patrol craft and escort fighters for battlecruisers. They were also used to fend off a recent Zerg attempt to destroy the humans on Tarsonis. The Millennium was in many ways a cross between a Protoss carrier and a battlecruiser, with Protoss weapons added on.
But the greatest breakthrough to be incorporated into the Millennium was the new advanced shield system that had been developed. Using the shield generator salvaged from the Protoss carrier, UED scientists had adapted their magnetic force field into it and created nuclear resonance field surrounding the entire ship. What this meant was that the metals and alloys used in building the warship would be polarized into something akin to a molecule. The forces behind this would be tremendous and would make it nearly invincible. The only problem was that the Alliance needed a great deal of Khaydarin Crystals to create the network needed to generate the shield. This would entail raids to Aiur, a Zerg stronghold at the moment, for these artifacts.
Jackson shook his head. Best to worry about that once the operations were launched.
Along with its own weapons and the interceptors, three squadrons of the new Wraith D-type fighters were also to be stationed onboard. These fighters lacked the belly wing that their older counterparts had, but easily made up for it. Twin laser cannons were under its belly and a phase disruptor was under each wing. They also had heavier armor and still packed the missiles the older models had. This all came at a price though. Speed and maneuverability was slightly reduced, but the armor managed to compensate.
All in all, the Millennium would be a fine addition to the fleet. It would probably take eight months to fully complete it, but in the end it would be worth the resources and effort.
"I'm done. Ensign, take us back to the planet."
"Yes sir."
Jackson's shuttle peeled away and floated down to the surface.
Artanis waited patiently as the Executor looked out on the balcony. The city of New Antioch was the headquarters of the Templar Fleet, and it was the safest place in Protoss space. Finally the Executor turned and faced Artanis.
"My good friend, Kerrigan has left for the Terran homeworld of Earth."
Artanis nodded. Balthazar was one of the most powerful Templars in the Protoss race, as he was one of the few that harnessed both the powers of the High Templar and that of the Dark Templar. However, this power simply made him wiser and that much more suited to lead the Protoss race.
"She still has left considerable forces behind to keep us in check," said Artanis. "Still, the reconstruction of our fleet goes well."
Balthazar nodded in agreement. The first of the new Tassadar-class battleships were being completed. By the end of the month, six of them would be joining a fleet of over one hundred carriers, frigates, destroyers, and Arbiters. The Protoss Grand Armada was indeed powerful, but a full assault by the Zerg Swarm would still defeat it. Shakuras' defenses had been bolstered greatly and would not be easy to penetrate and any land invasion would meet swift retribution from the Xel'Naga Temple. The full power of the Protoss race would soon be realized, but a great disturbance had erupted. Several weeks ago, after having disappeared since the kidnapping of Raszagal, Zeratul had finally sent a message to his fellow Protoss. Not one of his impending return, but one of warning.
The Praetor of the Dark Templars had failed to retrieve their matriarch, Raszagal. However, because Kerrigan had allowed him to live, Zeratul had found something very disturbing. There would soon be a new race and potential threat awakening, and from what Zeratul said about them, these creatures would be very dangerous. These, Hybrids, were combinations of Protoss and Zerg. It was something the Overmind had attempted to achieve but failed, but apparently this infested Terran Ghost had done it. But what was this Terran really up to?
"Something worries you, Executor."
It wasn't a question and Balthazar knew it.
"You have read the message Zeratul sent us," said Balthazar. "You know of the danger that looms in our future."
"Of course."
"I do not know if we can defeat such a race. If they awaken, we could face a greater threat than that of the Zerg."
"And that is why we need to rebuild our great fleets," said Artanis. "We defeated the Zerg twice now, and we can do it again."
Balthazar sighed and walked back into the room. He slumped down into a chair as if exhausted.
"We have not truly defeated the Zerg," he said. "We slowed down their advance long enough to kill the Overmind, with the help of the Terrans at that, only to have a new one appear and being forced to kill it for Kerrigan. Is that any better?"
Artanis shook his head. "Better that we killed all three of them, but we did not have the power to do so."
"We will slay Kerrigan one day."
That statement carried with it a deep conviction that Artanis understood. Balthazar had lost many friends to Kerrigan; Fenix, Tassadar, Raszagal, even Aldaris could be considered a friend. It was bitter, but he kept his fury under control.
A holographic image appeared on Balthazar's desk.
"Executor, we are detecting a Terran battlecruiser approaching Shakuras. It is the Hyperion."
"Allow it to settle into orbit and provide an escort," Balthazar ordered. "I'll speak with Admiral Raynor once I'm ready."
"Yes Executor."
The image disappeared, leaving Artanis and Balthazar alone.
"I wonder what brings Raynor here," said Artanis.
"We shall find out soon."
The planet Shakuras looked beautiful from high orbit, James had to admit. Streaks of energy flowed around the planet and made it look brilliant. He checked the time and right on the second an image of Balthazar appeared.
"Raynor. It has been a while."
"Right back at ya. I hope you're doing okay."
"I am well. What brings you to Shakuras?"
"I'll be frank with you," said James. "We need your help. Mengsk is transporting some advanced technology that we need, but his method of transportation is problematic. He is using the Norad III and we can't sneak up on the warship. We need an Arbiter to hide our ships until we get close enough."
A silence hung in the room as Balthazar appeared to consider James' request. Finally, he answered.
"There is something you're not telling me," he said. "Why is this shipment so important that Mengsk would use his personal flagship and you would require an Arbiter?"
"This technology could turn the tables against the Zerg," said Raynor. "The Zerg have always defeated us because of their superior numbers, but with the technology that Mengsk is transporting, we Terrans might be able to match the Zergs."
"Cloning."
A surprised look appeared on James' face, but he quickly forced it aside.
"How did you know?" he asked.
"I am a psychic," said Balthazar. "My friend, do you know what it means when a race must depend on cloning for its own survival?"
"This isn't a time for an argument of moralities," James snapped, then continued calmly. "We don't have the advantage of superior technology or psionic powers to defend against the Zerg. We must depend on our numbers and ingenuity, and right now that's all we have."
Balthazar nodded gravely, knowing fully well what James meant.
"I will lend you an Arbiter for this mission," said Balthazar, "as a thank you for the many times you have come to aide us, Captain Raynor."
"Thanks Balthazar. You have no idea what this means to us."
"I simply hope you succeed. Mengsk may be trying to trick you."
"Even if he is, we're still getting a battlecruiser," said James. "That's certainly fair exchange."
"Remember that which makes you human, Admiral Raynor. I do not wish for more to lose their honor."
A few hours later an Arbiter broke orbit and flew towards the Hyperion. A dimensional gate appeared right in front of the two ships and they entered and disappeared.
Balthazar watched as his friend went off back to Tarsonis.
"I hope you made the right choice Raynor, for we cannot fix your mistakes."
A dimensional portal appeared and the Hyperion and an Arbiter appeared in orbit of Tarsonis. Several interceptors appeared and fell into escort formation as the two warships headed towards one of the platforms. With its cloaking barrier off there was no risk of anything crashing into the small fleet. Jackson took note of the Arbiter flying along with the Hyperion and smiled. This would make the job of the troops much easier.
"Hail the Hyperion," he ordered.
"Yes sir."
Raynor appeared on the screen.
"Well, apparently your friends decided to help us after all," said Jackson.
"They know what we're up to," Raynor stated.
"Did you tell them?" Jackson asked.
"No. Balthazar is a psychic and apparently he sensed it."
"There's no way around that. But at least they're willing to help us."
"Yeah. So, five more days before we go?"
"Four. We want to be there a day before to set up a trap."
"Fine by me. Who's going?"
"I'll be commanding the mission and I'm taking the Resolute with me. We're also preparing to send an emissary to Dylar IV to see if they're willing to join forces with us."
"Who's going on that one?" James asked.
"We're thinking of sending you," Jackson replied. "I know, your men need rest but we don't have that many people that are so widely respected. Besides, Sarah's too busy to do anything like this."
"Fine. Just give me a day to resupply."
Jackson signed off and looked upon the bridge of his flagship, the Resolute. This battlecruiser was different from many others in that it was equipped with powerful sensors and a defensive matrix. Not as stable as a Protoss shield, it was still effective. Instead of the normal laser batteries, the Resolute had lots and lots of missiles. Overall, it was a fair tradeoff. The Yamato cannon was still on the warship, so it was a very powerful weapon still.
The other two battlecruisers that would be accompanying him would be the Infinity and the Guardian. Both were former Nova Squadron ships, and good ones at that. However, the Valkyries were all former UED vessels considering they were all brought over by the UED. The taskforce was powerful and would have to do for this mission. They couldn't afford to strip Tarsonis of its defenses. Mengsk still had it in for Sarah and Raynor and would love to kill them. The fact that the UED captain that had defeated Mengsk and taken his Dominion away from him was now Sarah's husband didn't help.
The UED fleet comprised of over two hundred battlecruisers and their escorts, though when they first came the armada had over four hundred. After suffering fifty percent of their total strength, even after seizing control of the bulk of the Dominion's fleet, the UED still had some fight left in it. Besides the many battlecruisers, there were also well over two hundred destroyers and possibly four hundred frigates. While the Swarm still outnumbered them a hundred to one, it would be a bloody fight to the finish.
The commodore, like much of the command staff, was not in cryo-hibernation. He walked up and down the bridge, knowing the Zerg were out there. Out of all the commanders, it was he that would probably die first. His flagship was the battlecruiser Regal and was stationed near the back of the fleet so he could command the first three defensive lines. The Valkyrie frigates stationed at the end were only a fraction of the total force he could project, but he kept the others in reserve just in case. Suddenly alarms started blaring.
"Report," he ordered.
"We have incoming," the lieutenant replied. "I'm detecting warp-ins. It looks like Zerg, sir."
The commodore nodded as he pressed the comm. unit. "All hands, report to battle stations. The Zerg have found us. Repeat, report to battle stations."
Across the several dozen destroyers and frigates their crews raced to follow the orders. Batteries were turned on the predicted incomings as the Valkyrie frigates spun around and got ready to unload their first salvoes. Massive wormholes opened up and the Zerg poured out. A legion of Scourges flew at the fleet but their numbers were cut down immediately by the Valkyries. Several made it through the bath of fire only to find Wraith fighters waiting. Lasers lashed out and punched holes in the surviving Zerg, destroying them before they could do any damage. The first group of Valkyries quickly fell back to reload as another wing came forward. The Zerg sent in more of the Scourges, charging them in much faster and more spread out. Again the Valkyries laid down cover fire as Wraiths picked off those that were missed.
This time several squadrons of Scourges got through and started chasing the Valkyries. Too big to maneuver like the Wraith fighters, the frigates could only try to outrun their pursuers and hope for rescue. Three impacted the first Valkyrie and it exploded, sending fragments of the former UED warship splattering all over space. More started pouring through the hole in the UED formation only to be cut off as the destroyers opened fire. However, the damage was done as the Scourges quickly crashed into other Valkyries, decimating the formation. Wraiths flew insane stunts as they tried to outmaneuver the Scourges and some worked. They were able to cut through this second wave but the third one struck without warning.
"Commodore! We're detecting Mutalisks!"
The man frowned. His lieutenant's tone was far too panicked, unless it was something truly grave.
"How many?"
"I'm detecting...five hundred."
The commodore looked at the screen and saw what looked like a tidal wave approaching his formation. Using conventional weapons, even the massive salvoes of his surviving Valkyries, he could never hope to stop such a force. Finally, he nodded.
"Very well. Order all frigates and fighters to pull back. The destroyers are to supply cover fire until they are out of the blast radius."
The officers all knew what he meant and the orders were quickly issued. Considering how quickly his units all retreated, it was clear they had a good idea too. Once they were all clear, he gave the order.
"Fire."
Each destroyer was armed with a total of five nuclear warheads, approximately 200 kilotons each. Now the fifty warships fired a total of 100 such weapons across a broad field, a tactic that would envelope the entire enemy formation in a baptism of fire. As the warships raced away, the warheads detonated and incinerated the entire fleet of Mutalisks. They were slowly burned away and the radiation quickly killed the few survivors, too injured for their bodies to protect them from the intense storm that swirled around them.
The commodore looked at his handiwork and sighed. It was only the first of many waves and the Zerg Broods had billions of warriors to call upon. This was nothing compared to what they were capable of. Still, he had bought the fleet some time. As the warships raced on for Earth, all they could do was wait and hope.
Like her primary Cerebrate Araq, Kerrigan had been watching the battle. Though the destruction her brood had inflicted upon the UED was disappointing, she was still satisfied with the result.
"I suppose you were correct in your assumption," Kerrigan allowed.
Like all Cerebrates, Araq knew to tread carefully with Kerrigan. "It was mere luck, my queen. However, now we have some of the pieces we require."
Unlike the other Cerebrates, Araq had an advantage in understanding the brutal Queen of Blades. Perhaps it was because he had watched over her since her being added to the Swarm, or perhaps it was something else entirely. Still, he knew when to be cautious.
"Retrieve the wreckage and being your examination. When we start taking their ships, I want it done right."
"It shall be as you command."
Acting-Admiral Jonathan Kris had opted not to go into cryo-sleep for the time being. He still had a lot of work to do. The Zerg forces had found the main fleet, but that was not where he was. He was currently taking the Viscount, his personnel flagship while under the command of Fleet Admiral DuGalle, and five other battlecruisers on a mad dash for Earth. All six ships had been modified with enhanced warp drives that his wife had convinced the Protoss to give them and he was grateful for this last gift. No, he was grateful to have just known her. Even now they were pushing the engines to their limits, trying to get to Earth before Kerrigan. If they were lucky, they would have a decade before the Queen of Blades got there and in a decade's time they would have a massive war machine ready to face the Zerg Swarm.
"Admiral, the fleet reports that they have defeated the first wave, but they lost the first defensive line."
"Very well. Tell them to do the best they can. We don't have any way of helping them now."
"Yes sir."
This was the worst thing a commanding officer to go through, being unable to help his soldiers. However, he needed to get back to Earth. Maybe, if the UED could defeat the Zerg Swarm in the Sol System, he could return and see his wife and daughter. Maybe even his grandchildren. Even if Samantha had remarried, it still wouldn't bother him too much. As long as they were safe, he'd be happy.
It must have been pretty unsettling to have five battlecruisers appearing in orbit of their planet, Raynor thought. The Omega Squadron fleet was scrambling defenses and currently six battlecruisers were approaching. They quickly hailed him.
"This is Lt. Commander Gregory Reikson. Identify yourself immediately."
Raynor felt weird speaking to a man that was truly of military rank while he technically was a civilian. Then again, he'd seen a great deal of action himself, more than he had ever wanted.
"This is Admiral James Raynor of the Hyperion. We are not here to attack, Commander. We're here to talk."
"You certainly brought a large fleet to simply talk."
"I'm sorry if we surprised you," said James. "However, I come with an offer from Admiral Sarah Hardy and the Alliance."
There was a pause as Reikson considered it.
"I'm listening."
"The Zerg Swarm is headed towards Earth and has given us a rare opportunity to rearm and become strong again. Shouldn't we take this chance?"
"I see where you're getting at," said Gregory. "You want us to join forces with you."
"You're short on food and resources," said James. "We have those resources. Wouldn't it be beneficial for the two of us to join?"
"Perhaps," Gregory replied. "I am willing to discuss this with you, providing you are willing to meet."
"Where?" James asked.
"I trust you, Admiral Raynor, to be an honorable man. Therefore, I will come aboard the Hyperion with only three guards if you give me your word we will not be harmed."
"You have it."
It didn't take long for a shuttle to appear from one of the battlecruisers. However, instead of the center warship, it came from the one on the far left. Reikson was careful about his actions and obviously an unpredictable tactician. That was both good and bad. When he came on board he just had three Marines with him and they weren't even heavily geared. At the meeting room Raynor allowed one of the Marines to stay with Reikson while he had one of his own officers standing by the door.
"Now is the time to talk," Raynor began.
"First, a question. Since I have never met you personally, this is the first chance I have had to ask you this. Is it true that you fought with the Protoss against the Zerg Overmind on Aiur?"
"Yes," Raynor answered sadly. "We lost many good men and women in that fight."
"Ah. Now onto more important matters. You wish for Omega Squadron to join your, Terran Alliance, I believe it is called. Besides food supplies, what else can you provide us with?" Reikson asked.
"I've heard that your orbital platforms took quite a beating," Raynor replied. "We can help you repair them and install our new Ion Cannons on them. A total of twenty should provide sufficient protection for the planet."
James grinned as Reikson just stared at him.
"And you actually have the resources to do such a thing," said Reikson.
James nodded. "It's not common knowledge, but we do have a good deal of reserves and our forces are also mining a great deal these days. As you know, the Dominion isn't the only one capable of sending out exploration probes."
Reikson nodded reluctantly. "I'll accept, Admiral, under these conditions. For the time being I remain in command of all Omega Squadron assets. If you want to use my troops, you go through me or one of my officers. Also, you help us reestablish our food production capabilities."
"What assurances do we have that you won't abandon us once we've done all this for you?"
The Lt. Commander snorted. "Admiral, I am not stupid. I know my chances of survival if I go it alone and Mengsk is the only other major power in this sector besides you guys."
"Mengsk is losing power and he'll soon lose even more," said James. "He only thinks of his own power and he doesn't consider the survival of humanity."
"That's a known fact. And if your battle record is anything like what I've heard, then we'll get along just fine Admiral."
"Very well then, Commander Reikson."
The two men stood and shook hands.
End of Chapter 1
No, I did not get the cloning idea from Episode 2. I had it running for a while but never bothered to use it. As for the hybrid thing, of course it was from the hidden mission in Starcraft. For those of you that don't know about it, stop using the damned cheats. Actually beat the missions without them and go back if you want to have a little bit of fun.
I decided to drop the solidified light idea for now. Might revisit it later.
Z98