As many of you have noticed, I changed the first names of Hardy and Kris.
I just didn't like how they matched Raynor and Kerrigan's.
Chapter 2: Initiation
There were some advantages to being bald, but those were few and far in between. After being here for an entire day Jackson was bored out of his mind. However, the operation was about to start so he turned his attention back to the screen and watched as the Norad III headed towards them. Apparently it had detected the Arbiter as it was heading towards it, hoping for an easy kill. Soon it had been completely surrounded by the fleet, though the Arbiter was in some danger.
"Protoss commander, surrender immediately or be destroyed," the captain of the Norad III ordered.
"You may deactivate the cloaking field now," Jackson said to the Protoss commander.
Suddenly the three battlecruisers, Valkyries, and Wraiths materialized around the Norad III, all of their weapons trained on the battlecruiser.
Jackson had to admit, the captain of the Norad III certainly handled himself well. The Norad III didn't attempt to run away or charge up its Yamato Cannon. Instead it simply hung there in space, as if waiting for him to make the move.
"Hail them," Jackson ordered.
The image of Tom Kazansky appeared. Jackson knew of the man. He had formally been one of the Dominion's best Wraith fighter pilots and had apparently been promoted.
"Colonel Hauler, I presume," he said.
"Captain Kazansky. Surrender immediately and prepare to be boarded. If you cooperate, you will live."
"Why should I surrender?" Kazansky replied. "I will not give up just because I'm outnumbered."
"Very well."
Jackson nodded at his comm. officer and the transmission was terminated. Norad III opened fire on the closest battlecruiser, the Infinity, but did little damage.
"Columbus, fire."
The science vessel, still cloaked by the Arbiter, fired off several powerful EMP shells that fried Norad III's power systems and stopped the vessel cold in space. Dropships from the three battlecruisers unloaded and they headed towards the battlecruiser. The first dropships were equipped with plasma cutters and they managed to force their way through the hanger and airlocks. Marines disembarked and started storming the ship. One of the first people off was a Ghost agent, codenamed Nova.
Jackson trusted Nova to get the job down quickly and efficiently. Out of all the agents, she was the one he trusted most. He considered her valuable but knew not to get too attached. Besides, a great commander had to learn when to spend the lives of the soldiers he loved.
Nova wasn't about to break Jackson's trust in her as she led the marines down the corridors and attacked unsuspecting enemy soldiers. Many of the navy officers on board only carried light arms, not powerful enough to get through the armor the marines wore. They quickly fought their way and located an access terminal.
Nova hacked the systems and quickly located the cargo.
"They're in storage bay six," she said. "We can go down that way. Units 4 and 8, go that way to the bridge and take control. 3 and 9, go down to engineering. The ship has internal sensors and some automatic security features. Be careful."
"Yes ma'am!"
Despite the disrupted power supply, a warship like the Norad III would have backups so there was absolutely no guarantee that their progress would go unhindered. That and they also had to force open the doors they came across.
Several of the marines ran off while the rest followed Nova down a maintaince hatch. She detected some enemy units down under and signaled the troops behind her to stop. She activated her cloak and climbed down slowly. The entrance to the level was open with half a dozen Marines standing there, just waiting for someone to pop out. Nova threw a fragment grenade and quickly jumped back up, not wanting to get herself killed. There was a loud explosion and screams from the room, telling her the grenade had done its job. She dropped down and walked into the room, still cloaked. After making sure it was safe she deactivated her cloak and called for the troops.
"Room's clear. Come on down."
The soldiers climbed down and walked into the room. When all assembled, there was a total of sixteen soldiers. They followed Nova out of the room and ran into several automatic cannons. Bullets pelted their armor and penetrated. Two of the lead Marines were dropped by the gunfire but the others responded quickly, one firing off a grenade and silencing the first gun. A quick shot from her rifle and Nova ended the threat from the second. The others simply went into full-automatic and blasted the remaining cannons apart. From there they found an armored door blocking their way into the storage room.
Nova attempted to hack the system but found it too well protected.
"No good," she said. "I can't get into the system."
"Should we blow it?" one of the corporals asked.
"No. That'd risk damaging the equipment inside. Team 4, what's your progress?"
Several decks above teams 4 and 8 were just about to storm the bridge.
"Commander Nova, we're preparing to take the bridge."
"Once you have control of the bridge see what you can do about restoring power and getting the door for storage bay six open."
"Acknowledged."
The corporal nodded to one of the privates. The charges on the door blew and cracked it open. Gunfire erupted from inside but the Marines had already ducked aside. A few returned fire, striking one of the bridge officers. He went down and the Marines ran onto the bridge and opened fire on other guards. Several of the men on the bridge returned fire while others ducked away. From the captain's chair Kazansky unloaded an entire rifle clip, taking down two Marines that had gotten careless. Finally the corporal got a clear shot and put a bullet in the ace's head. The rest that resisted were quickly killed while the others were taken prisoner.
"Private, get the navy techs in here. Commander Nova needs those doors opened."
"Yes sir."
The naval officers quickly disembarked from the dropships and were escorted to the bridge. They walked in and started working on the controls of the Norad III.
"Engineering, how is it going?" the corporal asked.
"We have control of engineering," said the team leader down there. "Resistance has ended."
The corporal walked over to the ops console and looked at the officer.
"Are internal sensors detecting any more enemy troops?" "All of them have surrendered corporal," the officer replied. "I've just about got the doors. There."
The doors slid open all of a sudden, making Nova and the other soldiers jump back. When they saw what was inside, all of them instinctively raised their weapons.
"Hold your fire!" Nova screamed.
The soldiers did and proceeded carefully into the room.
"What"
"the"
"hell!"
The reactions of the soldiers was perfectly understandable as they were witness to something truly horrible. Besides the cloning tanks and other biotech equipment, there was a large tube in the middle of the room that held an infested human. The thing was asleep but it still looked deadly and dangerous. However, what was worst was that the face was recognizable. This was no ordinary infested Terran. This man was formally Vice-Admiral Alexei Stukov.
"Colonel Hauler, we may have a problem," Nova reported.
"What is it?" Jackson asked.
"We have an infested Terran here. I think it's Admiral Stukov."
At first Jackson was too surprised to reply.
"That's impossible! Stukov was killed by Duran on Braxis."
"I don't know sir, but this infested Terran doesn't look like any others. He is still mostly human and his features are clear. I do believe he is Stukov."
Jackson cursed. "All right, post a guard and find one of the surviving officers. I want to know what the hell that thing is."
"Yes sir."
Nova signed off. "Team 6, stay here and keep guard. If that thing gets loose, kill it."
"Yes ma'am."
"Corporal, is the ship secure?"
"All areas report clear," the corporal said over the radio.
"I'm coming up. I want to talk to one of the senior officers."
"Yes ma'am."
Nova ran up to one of the lifts and got on. More soldiers had gotten on board and she ran into several patrols of Nova Squadron troops. They all recognized her so there were no problems. When she appeared on the bridge, she found the corporal waiting for her. A man she assumed to be the most senior officer still living was standing nervously.
"Conference room now," she said.
Two Marines escorted the man into the conference room and Nova followed them. Once the doors were closed Nova began her interrogation.
"All right, what the hell is in storage bay six?" she demanded.
"I-I..."
Nova leaned against the table, a look of ice in her eyes.
"Tell me now. You know something, and I intend to find out what it is."
"Alpha Squadron found him," the man managed to stutter out. "Th-they found him on Tarsonis. They lost an entire division trying to take him alive. I don't know anything else!"
"Where did they find him?" Nova asked.
"I-"
The cold look from Nova quickly silenced him.
"I don't take being lied to very well," she said simply.
"On the main continent, at an abandoned Confederate base! I swear! They sedated him and we're transporting him back to Korhal. He's violent and powerful. I don't know why Emperor Mengsk wants him but it should be destroyed!"
"How did he get infested?"
"I don't know!" the man cried. "He was protected by a large group of Zergs. That thing controlled them. Our initial analysis showed that he was a psychic, but we don't know anything for sure!"
"Very well. Private, take him to the holding cells."
"Yes ma'am."
The two soldiers dragged the man out of the room. Nova sat down and contemplated what she had just learned. This was not a happy development and the last thing they needed was another Samir Duran or Sarah Kerrigan.
"Colonel, it has been confirmed. Stukov has been infested. However, there is another development. He was found on Tarsonis, on the main continent. There might be Zerg there that we don't know of."
"A risk. We'll take him back to Tarsonis for study. I'll also send a warning to Admiral Hardy. Did you find out anything else?"
"He may be a psychic."
"Hmm. Very well. Good work, Agent Nova."
Balthazar emerged from his chamber and took his seat at the council table. The new Council consisted of the leaders of both Templars and Dark Templars and for obvious reasons did not use the name Conclave. There was a slight tension in the room but that abated once Balthazar was present.
The conference room was sparsely decorated but still had a sense of artistic taste that accompanied Protoss structures. The table was a long oval and the chairs each had a high back. A dark yellow color painted the walls and symbols had been carved in as well. The gathered Templars and Dark Templars all wore robes though each of them carried a handheld particle weapon as well. They were learning to trust each other, but there was still some ways to go.
"There have been some new developments that have worried me," Balthazar said as he sat down. "According to reports our Terran allies have supplied us with, we now know of the location of Samir Duran."
Murmurs greeted this announcement. Duran was an enigma that many Protoss warriors saw as a threat. After the report Zeratul had sent to Shakuras regarding the experiments this infested Terran had been conducting, his termination was considered a major priority.
"Where is he exactly?" one of the Dark Templars asked.
"On Khyrador."
Khyrador, now known as Braxis to the Terrans, was the site of the Uraj Crystal that now was secured within the Xel'Naga temple.
"What would draw him there?" asked Artanis.
"The Terran Dominion and the UED both abandoned the planet," said Balthazar. "It can only be assumed that no one else has occupied it so it was an ideal place to set up a new base of operations. The Terran scouts were fortunate to have escaped with this information."
Balthazar touched a stone on his hand and holographic images appeared. The planet Braxis was a cold world, covered in snow and ice. And yet somehow the Terrans had once made that world their home, a sign of their great tenacity and their ability to overcome the elemental forces.
"That looks like a Terran battlecruiser," one of the Templars said. "What kind of force has Duran managed to build?"
"We believe that is Duran's only capital warship," said another Templar. "It is his ground forces that may prove a greater problem."
The image zoomed in onto the surface. A large Zerg base appeared with three Hives and possibly thousands of Zerg warriors.
"That is only one of many bases," said Balthazar, "but the one of most interest is this one."
This time the images shifted to a Terran base. In the center of the base however, stood a lone Protoss Nexus.
"How is this possible!" a Templar demanded.
"Perhaps it was left behind when we escaped the blockade of the UED," a Dark Templar suggested.
Artanis shook his head. "No. We warped out all of our equipment. Duran must have attacked one of our other bases and moved the Nexus to Khyrador."
"But for what purpose?" one Dark Templar wondered aloud.
"We shall find out once we attack," said Balthazar. "The Zerg forces on this world must also be eradicated. Once the Tassador-class battleships are completed, we should launch an assault upon Braxis and investigate. However, there is no reason to engage the Zerg on the surface. Our ships can launch an orbital bombardment to slag the Zerg bases. The Terran encampment we will need mostly intact."
The gathered warriors all nodded.
"Perhaps it is time we test our new Vindicators," Artanis suggested. "Their weapons showed great promise in the tests."
"And now they will face their final test on the battlefield," Balthazar agreed.
Again there were nods around the table. Thus the Protoss fleet prepared for battle again. After being defeated and disgraced so many times, they were eager to redeem their honor and the prestige of their race.
Deep within the fortified research bases, the infested Stukov was held within a cryogenic chamber. Samantha and James looked on at the creature while Jackson filled them in on what they knew.
"So far the only thing we know for sure is that this is Stukov, or what's left of him. His DNA matches the archive records even with the Zerg DNA in his genome. The mutations are actually quite minimal and we know why he's been so violent. Apparently something is blocking the nerve impulses from the small parts of his brain that have been infested, causing a kind of chemical imbalance. He is struggling to remain mentally stable though."
"Are we able to talk with him?" Sarah asked.
"He can communicate, though we're going to attempt surgery to try to remove some of the Zerg tissue. It's going to be tricky. We need to keep him heavily sedated and even with the medical technology the UED provided us there is only a 48% chance of success."
"Not good," James noted. "What about locating the base that Dominion officer was talking about?"
"We've found it and I'm sending in a few teams of my Ghosts to check it out. Nova will be leading them down into those installations. The Marines will support them. We're also prepared to blow the place if we have to."
"To think that those Zerg have eluded us so long," said Sarah. "It's not a pretty thought."
"Is there anything else?" James asked.
"No. However, the equipment we found on Norad III is just what we needed and we're adding the components onto our existing facility. We expect to have the cloning center running in two months," Jackson reported.
"How long would it take to create a clone?" Sarah asked.
"Once the facility is online we'll be able to create two hundred clones at the same time and it'll take about a month for them to fully mature," Jackson answered. "The flash-learning system is ready and we're working out the bugs in the learning programs. Once they emerge, they'll be fully matured soldiers. What should the first group be?"
"Marines," said James. "We'll need more troops."
"Very well."
"Admiral Raynor, a Protoss carrier and three destroyers have entered orbit. They are requesting an audience with you."
"Tell them to come on down. I'll meet them at the headquarters."
"Yes sir."
"Already asking for us to pay them back," Samantha said dryly.
"It wouldn't have been as successful without their help," Jackson pointed out.
James nodded. "I'll deal with it. Besides, I do know our limitations."
A Protoss shuttle and two Scouts were already at the landing pad when Raynor returned to headquarters. He walked into the meeting room to find Artanis waiting for him.
"Admiral Raynor. It is a pleasure to see you again."
"Hello Artanis. What can I do for you?"
The two sat and started talking.
"Executor Balthazar sent me with a message. We are preparing for an assault on a Zerg held world and we were wondering if your forces might be willing to launch a joint operation."
"What's your target?" said James.
"Braxis From the intelligence your forces were able to supply us with, we think we've found Duran."
James thought it over and nodded. "I assume you want us to help launch an attack?"
Artanis shook his head. "No. We wish to settle this ourselves and we do have the forces to do so. What we would like you to do is launch a diversionary attack on a world of your choice. We do not know if Duran has allied himself with the remaining Cerebrates and if there are two attacks, we feel that the Cerebrates will defend their own interests first."
Thinking it over, Raynor realized that this would be entirely possible.
"I think we can do this," he said. "We were preparing to test a new weapon against the Zerg anyways. I will have to speak with the others, but they will probably agree."
"Of course. Confer with your friends before making a final decision. I shall await your reply on my flagship."
As Artanis started walking away, James spoke again.
"I heard that you guys are building new Tassadar-class battleships," he said.
Artanis stopped. "Yes. They are the most powerful warships we have ever constructed."
"I hope they live up to their namesake."
"As do I, Admiral Raynor."
The team of Ghosts led by Nova entered the facility and worked their way down. There was no telling what might be underground so they proceeded carefully, weapons at the ready. They came upon a chamber and suddenly found a Hydralisk, as if it was waiting for something.
Nova took aim and opened fire with her C-20A rifle. The rounds struck the beast several times. It turned and roared, firing off several spikes. The team took over and two other Ghosts returned fire, their shots smashing through the thing's armor and blew apart its brain.
"Room clear," another Ghost said.
Nova walked in and looked around. The room was actually pretty organized. Apparently the Zerg here had not disturbed anything. They continued down another hallway and found a large chamber filled with dozens of Zerglings. The doors were locked so they bypassed them for now. However, the door was tagged for the Marines to station a guard once they arrived behind the Ghost team.
The Ghosts scouted the entire facility and encountered a few other Hydralisks, but otherwise the place was pretty quiet. There were a few other chambers filled with Zerglings but guards were placed around those and charges were set to blow up those chambers if the doors opened.
"All units, report," Nova ordered over the radio.
"Level one clear," a voice replied.
"Level two clear."
"Level three clear."
"All right," she said. "Move in firebats and be prepared to take out those Zerglings."
"Yes ma'am."
Nova made her way to a chamber that squad 4 had found. It looked like another biotech lab.
"What files do we have?" she asked.
"Checking. Augmentation of Humans Using Zerg DNA, Advanced Cybernetics Utilizing Protoss Technology, Gene-Splicing of Human/Protoss/Zerg, hell, this looks like a genetic experimentation lab!"
"Pull the files and send them back to HQ. Colonel Hauler will want to see these."
"Yes ma'am."
Nova looked around the room and saw several tanks that had been shattered. What had been held within those things?
"Commander, we're getting some funny readings down here."
"What is it?"
"Don't know. Oh shit! Open fire! Open-"
The Marine was cut off and the signal turned into static.
"Corporal, what is going on down there? Corporal! Damn. Lieutenant, get your troops together. We're getting the hell out of here."
"Ma'am, someone's unlocking the cell doors!"
"Blow the charges."
The room shook slightly from the explosions that took place all over the installation as charges went off in an attempt to kill the Zerglings.
"Lieutenant, status."
"All of the Zerglings have been destroyed. Wait, we're detecting units in level three. Shit they're moving fast."
"Are the security cameras working?" Nova asked.
"I'm trying to bring them up. Got 'em."
One of the screens lit up and showed a dozen huge Hydralisks race through the corridors towards the stairs.
"Dear god. Seal off level three!"
Marines scrambled up the stairs and all of them managed to squeeze through just as the doors shut behind them. Banging could be heard as the Hydralisks tried to smash their way through. Pins were then heard as they fired their needle spines, but the blast doors were too thick. Finally the sound stopped.
"What's going on down there?" Nova asked.
"Checking," the lieutenant replied. "Fuck, they destroyed the security cameras! What were those things?"
"Looked like Hunter Killers," said Nova. "Bigger, tougher, and meaner than the average Hydralisk. But even they shouldn't be this intelligent unless someone's pulling their strings."
"There could be something deeper in level three," the lieutenant suggested.
"Perhaps. I'm calling in heavy reinforcements. There's no way we'll be able to take these things by ourselves."
Nova activated her comm. and shouted orders through it. More Marines marched down and set up several mounted machineguns at every point of entry into level 3. As she came up to the surface, Nova noticed several Siege Tanks taking position and deploying their shock cannons. Hopefully it wouldn't come to them destroying the facility, it still might have its uses.
"Commander, more troops will be arriving in twenty minutes," a lieutenant said to her. "Until then, we are to hold our position no matter what."
Nova nodded. "Orders acknowledged. Set up sensor stations over the installation. I want to know if the Zerg try digging their way out."
"Yes ma'am."
"And plant three tactical nukes within the installation."
The lieutenant nodded grimly and ran off to carry out the orders. Nova looked at the tactical display, showing the position of her troops on the two levels they had occupied. She only had a battalion of infantry and a single platoon of tanks. It wouldn't be enough. They needed more firepower, and Command would most certainly send them.
After so long the Zerg finally decided to test the defenses of Shakuras. Both races hated each other intensely but this was one contest that the Protoss would surely win.
"Executor, we are detecting a massive force approaching our position," Artanis reported. "They are Zerg."
"How many?" Balthazar asked calmly.
Artanis checked the reports again and frowned. "They are in the thousands."
A nod was his only reply as Balthazar stood in the main command chamber for the Protoss fleet. While he preferred to be on a warship, none of the carriers had the command and control abilities he had here at the moment. But when the Tassador was completed that would change.
"Begin a bombardment," Balthazar ordered. "I do not want the Zerg to advance unchallenged."
His orders were transformed into action as the many Protoss warships opened fire with their particle weapons. Streams of blue energy vaporized the first wave of Zerg but it wasn't enough as more came through. Just as they were in range a massive disruptor field suddenly blanketed the entire Swarm. Balthazar smiled as the Zerg Mutalisks and Devourers tried to escape the field where their weapons were useless. However, the Protoss warships could fire at will and unloaded barrage after barrage of anti- matter missiles and particle beams. By the time the field had dissipated fully half of the attacking Zerg flyers had been eradicated.
Despite their ferocity, without proper coordination the Zerg were hopelessly lost. The Overlords behind the Zerg forces were coordinating the battle and spread out the attacking force so a large disruptor field could not catch all of them. However, there were relatively few units protecting these commanders.
Out of nowhere a Protoss force warped in behind the Zerg fleet and immediately charged at the Overlords. The Scouts blew apart several before elements of the Zerg fleet turned to defend them. It was too late as the Scouts warped out again.
"We attack," Balthazar ordered. "Have three carriers strike the left Zerg formation. Destroyers are to provide a screening force and Corsairs are to provide cover. Use the Disruptor Fields whenever necessary but don't get caught in it yourselves."
Quickly a small taskforce launched forward and sliced through the slightly weakened left flank of the Zerg force. They had cut down more units before the Zerg reacted and balanced out their front again. However, it was too late and the Protoss force had broken through. They circled around the Zerg units and aimed for the Overlords again.
Whichever Cerebrate that controlled the Zerg force decided it was time to retreat and his units started pulling out. The Protoss force was warped out of the way of the massive juggernaut and the stragglers were all destroyed.
"A solid victory," Artanis said.
"Indeed. But the next we must think of new ways to fight the Zerg."
End of Chapter 2
I don't own Starcraft or Brood Wars.
Z98
Chapter 2: Initiation
There were some advantages to being bald, but those were few and far in between. After being here for an entire day Jackson was bored out of his mind. However, the operation was about to start so he turned his attention back to the screen and watched as the Norad III headed towards them. Apparently it had detected the Arbiter as it was heading towards it, hoping for an easy kill. Soon it had been completely surrounded by the fleet, though the Arbiter was in some danger.
"Protoss commander, surrender immediately or be destroyed," the captain of the Norad III ordered.
"You may deactivate the cloaking field now," Jackson said to the Protoss commander.
Suddenly the three battlecruisers, Valkyries, and Wraiths materialized around the Norad III, all of their weapons trained on the battlecruiser.
Jackson had to admit, the captain of the Norad III certainly handled himself well. The Norad III didn't attempt to run away or charge up its Yamato Cannon. Instead it simply hung there in space, as if waiting for him to make the move.
"Hail them," Jackson ordered.
The image of Tom Kazansky appeared. Jackson knew of the man. He had formally been one of the Dominion's best Wraith fighter pilots and had apparently been promoted.
"Colonel Hauler, I presume," he said.
"Captain Kazansky. Surrender immediately and prepare to be boarded. If you cooperate, you will live."
"Why should I surrender?" Kazansky replied. "I will not give up just because I'm outnumbered."
"Very well."
Jackson nodded at his comm. officer and the transmission was terminated. Norad III opened fire on the closest battlecruiser, the Infinity, but did little damage.
"Columbus, fire."
The science vessel, still cloaked by the Arbiter, fired off several powerful EMP shells that fried Norad III's power systems and stopped the vessel cold in space. Dropships from the three battlecruisers unloaded and they headed towards the battlecruiser. The first dropships were equipped with plasma cutters and they managed to force their way through the hanger and airlocks. Marines disembarked and started storming the ship. One of the first people off was a Ghost agent, codenamed Nova.
Jackson trusted Nova to get the job down quickly and efficiently. Out of all the agents, she was the one he trusted most. He considered her valuable but knew not to get too attached. Besides, a great commander had to learn when to spend the lives of the soldiers he loved.
Nova wasn't about to break Jackson's trust in her as she led the marines down the corridors and attacked unsuspecting enemy soldiers. Many of the navy officers on board only carried light arms, not powerful enough to get through the armor the marines wore. They quickly fought their way and located an access terminal.
Nova hacked the systems and quickly located the cargo.
"They're in storage bay six," she said. "We can go down that way. Units 4 and 8, go that way to the bridge and take control. 3 and 9, go down to engineering. The ship has internal sensors and some automatic security features. Be careful."
"Yes ma'am!"
Despite the disrupted power supply, a warship like the Norad III would have backups so there was absolutely no guarantee that their progress would go unhindered. That and they also had to force open the doors they came across.
Several of the marines ran off while the rest followed Nova down a maintaince hatch. She detected some enemy units down under and signaled the troops behind her to stop. She activated her cloak and climbed down slowly. The entrance to the level was open with half a dozen Marines standing there, just waiting for someone to pop out. Nova threw a fragment grenade and quickly jumped back up, not wanting to get herself killed. There was a loud explosion and screams from the room, telling her the grenade had done its job. She dropped down and walked into the room, still cloaked. After making sure it was safe she deactivated her cloak and called for the troops.
"Room's clear. Come on down."
The soldiers climbed down and walked into the room. When all assembled, there was a total of sixteen soldiers. They followed Nova out of the room and ran into several automatic cannons. Bullets pelted their armor and penetrated. Two of the lead Marines were dropped by the gunfire but the others responded quickly, one firing off a grenade and silencing the first gun. A quick shot from her rifle and Nova ended the threat from the second. The others simply went into full-automatic and blasted the remaining cannons apart. From there they found an armored door blocking their way into the storage room.
Nova attempted to hack the system but found it too well protected.
"No good," she said. "I can't get into the system."
"Should we blow it?" one of the corporals asked.
"No. That'd risk damaging the equipment inside. Team 4, what's your progress?"
Several decks above teams 4 and 8 were just about to storm the bridge.
"Commander Nova, we're preparing to take the bridge."
"Once you have control of the bridge see what you can do about restoring power and getting the door for storage bay six open."
"Acknowledged."
The corporal nodded to one of the privates. The charges on the door blew and cracked it open. Gunfire erupted from inside but the Marines had already ducked aside. A few returned fire, striking one of the bridge officers. He went down and the Marines ran onto the bridge and opened fire on other guards. Several of the men on the bridge returned fire while others ducked away. From the captain's chair Kazansky unloaded an entire rifle clip, taking down two Marines that had gotten careless. Finally the corporal got a clear shot and put a bullet in the ace's head. The rest that resisted were quickly killed while the others were taken prisoner.
"Private, get the navy techs in here. Commander Nova needs those doors opened."
"Yes sir."
The naval officers quickly disembarked from the dropships and were escorted to the bridge. They walked in and started working on the controls of the Norad III.
"Engineering, how is it going?" the corporal asked.
"We have control of engineering," said the team leader down there. "Resistance has ended."
The corporal walked over to the ops console and looked at the officer.
"Are internal sensors detecting any more enemy troops?" "All of them have surrendered corporal," the officer replied. "I've just about got the doors. There."
The doors slid open all of a sudden, making Nova and the other soldiers jump back. When they saw what was inside, all of them instinctively raised their weapons.
"Hold your fire!" Nova screamed.
The soldiers did and proceeded carefully into the room.
"What"
"the"
"hell!"
The reactions of the soldiers was perfectly understandable as they were witness to something truly horrible. Besides the cloning tanks and other biotech equipment, there was a large tube in the middle of the room that held an infested human. The thing was asleep but it still looked deadly and dangerous. However, what was worst was that the face was recognizable. This was no ordinary infested Terran. This man was formally Vice-Admiral Alexei Stukov.
"Colonel Hauler, we may have a problem," Nova reported.
"What is it?" Jackson asked.
"We have an infested Terran here. I think it's Admiral Stukov."
At first Jackson was too surprised to reply.
"That's impossible! Stukov was killed by Duran on Braxis."
"I don't know sir, but this infested Terran doesn't look like any others. He is still mostly human and his features are clear. I do believe he is Stukov."
Jackson cursed. "All right, post a guard and find one of the surviving officers. I want to know what the hell that thing is."
"Yes sir."
Nova signed off. "Team 6, stay here and keep guard. If that thing gets loose, kill it."
"Yes ma'am."
"Corporal, is the ship secure?"
"All areas report clear," the corporal said over the radio.
"I'm coming up. I want to talk to one of the senior officers."
"Yes ma'am."
Nova ran up to one of the lifts and got on. More soldiers had gotten on board and she ran into several patrols of Nova Squadron troops. They all recognized her so there were no problems. When she appeared on the bridge, she found the corporal waiting for her. A man she assumed to be the most senior officer still living was standing nervously.
"Conference room now," she said.
Two Marines escorted the man into the conference room and Nova followed them. Once the doors were closed Nova began her interrogation.
"All right, what the hell is in storage bay six?" she demanded.
"I-I..."
Nova leaned against the table, a look of ice in her eyes.
"Tell me now. You know something, and I intend to find out what it is."
"Alpha Squadron found him," the man managed to stutter out. "Th-they found him on Tarsonis. They lost an entire division trying to take him alive. I don't know anything else!"
"Where did they find him?" Nova asked.
"I-"
The cold look from Nova quickly silenced him.
"I don't take being lied to very well," she said simply.
"On the main continent, at an abandoned Confederate base! I swear! They sedated him and we're transporting him back to Korhal. He's violent and powerful. I don't know why Emperor Mengsk wants him but it should be destroyed!"
"How did he get infested?"
"I don't know!" the man cried. "He was protected by a large group of Zergs. That thing controlled them. Our initial analysis showed that he was a psychic, but we don't know anything for sure!"
"Very well. Private, take him to the holding cells."
"Yes ma'am."
The two soldiers dragged the man out of the room. Nova sat down and contemplated what she had just learned. This was not a happy development and the last thing they needed was another Samir Duran or Sarah Kerrigan.
"Colonel, it has been confirmed. Stukov has been infested. However, there is another development. He was found on Tarsonis, on the main continent. There might be Zerg there that we don't know of."
"A risk. We'll take him back to Tarsonis for study. I'll also send a warning to Admiral Hardy. Did you find out anything else?"
"He may be a psychic."
"Hmm. Very well. Good work, Agent Nova."
Balthazar emerged from his chamber and took his seat at the council table. The new Council consisted of the leaders of both Templars and Dark Templars and for obvious reasons did not use the name Conclave. There was a slight tension in the room but that abated once Balthazar was present.
The conference room was sparsely decorated but still had a sense of artistic taste that accompanied Protoss structures. The table was a long oval and the chairs each had a high back. A dark yellow color painted the walls and symbols had been carved in as well. The gathered Templars and Dark Templars all wore robes though each of them carried a handheld particle weapon as well. They were learning to trust each other, but there was still some ways to go.
"There have been some new developments that have worried me," Balthazar said as he sat down. "According to reports our Terran allies have supplied us with, we now know of the location of Samir Duran."
Murmurs greeted this announcement. Duran was an enigma that many Protoss warriors saw as a threat. After the report Zeratul had sent to Shakuras regarding the experiments this infested Terran had been conducting, his termination was considered a major priority.
"Where is he exactly?" one of the Dark Templars asked.
"On Khyrador."
Khyrador, now known as Braxis to the Terrans, was the site of the Uraj Crystal that now was secured within the Xel'Naga temple.
"What would draw him there?" asked Artanis.
"The Terran Dominion and the UED both abandoned the planet," said Balthazar. "It can only be assumed that no one else has occupied it so it was an ideal place to set up a new base of operations. The Terran scouts were fortunate to have escaped with this information."
Balthazar touched a stone on his hand and holographic images appeared. The planet Braxis was a cold world, covered in snow and ice. And yet somehow the Terrans had once made that world their home, a sign of their great tenacity and their ability to overcome the elemental forces.
"That looks like a Terran battlecruiser," one of the Templars said. "What kind of force has Duran managed to build?"
"We believe that is Duran's only capital warship," said another Templar. "It is his ground forces that may prove a greater problem."
The image zoomed in onto the surface. A large Zerg base appeared with three Hives and possibly thousands of Zerg warriors.
"That is only one of many bases," said Balthazar, "but the one of most interest is this one."
This time the images shifted to a Terran base. In the center of the base however, stood a lone Protoss Nexus.
"How is this possible!" a Templar demanded.
"Perhaps it was left behind when we escaped the blockade of the UED," a Dark Templar suggested.
Artanis shook his head. "No. We warped out all of our equipment. Duran must have attacked one of our other bases and moved the Nexus to Khyrador."
"But for what purpose?" one Dark Templar wondered aloud.
"We shall find out once we attack," said Balthazar. "The Zerg forces on this world must also be eradicated. Once the Tassador-class battleships are completed, we should launch an assault upon Braxis and investigate. However, there is no reason to engage the Zerg on the surface. Our ships can launch an orbital bombardment to slag the Zerg bases. The Terran encampment we will need mostly intact."
The gathered warriors all nodded.
"Perhaps it is time we test our new Vindicators," Artanis suggested. "Their weapons showed great promise in the tests."
"And now they will face their final test on the battlefield," Balthazar agreed.
Again there were nods around the table. Thus the Protoss fleet prepared for battle again. After being defeated and disgraced so many times, they were eager to redeem their honor and the prestige of their race.
Deep within the fortified research bases, the infested Stukov was held within a cryogenic chamber. Samantha and James looked on at the creature while Jackson filled them in on what they knew.
"So far the only thing we know for sure is that this is Stukov, or what's left of him. His DNA matches the archive records even with the Zerg DNA in his genome. The mutations are actually quite minimal and we know why he's been so violent. Apparently something is blocking the nerve impulses from the small parts of his brain that have been infested, causing a kind of chemical imbalance. He is struggling to remain mentally stable though."
"Are we able to talk with him?" Sarah asked.
"He can communicate, though we're going to attempt surgery to try to remove some of the Zerg tissue. It's going to be tricky. We need to keep him heavily sedated and even with the medical technology the UED provided us there is only a 48% chance of success."
"Not good," James noted. "What about locating the base that Dominion officer was talking about?"
"We've found it and I'm sending in a few teams of my Ghosts to check it out. Nova will be leading them down into those installations. The Marines will support them. We're also prepared to blow the place if we have to."
"To think that those Zerg have eluded us so long," said Sarah. "It's not a pretty thought."
"Is there anything else?" James asked.
"No. However, the equipment we found on Norad III is just what we needed and we're adding the components onto our existing facility. We expect to have the cloning center running in two months," Jackson reported.
"How long would it take to create a clone?" Sarah asked.
"Once the facility is online we'll be able to create two hundred clones at the same time and it'll take about a month for them to fully mature," Jackson answered. "The flash-learning system is ready and we're working out the bugs in the learning programs. Once they emerge, they'll be fully matured soldiers. What should the first group be?"
"Marines," said James. "We'll need more troops."
"Very well."
"Admiral Raynor, a Protoss carrier and three destroyers have entered orbit. They are requesting an audience with you."
"Tell them to come on down. I'll meet them at the headquarters."
"Yes sir."
"Already asking for us to pay them back," Samantha said dryly.
"It wouldn't have been as successful without their help," Jackson pointed out.
James nodded. "I'll deal with it. Besides, I do know our limitations."
A Protoss shuttle and two Scouts were already at the landing pad when Raynor returned to headquarters. He walked into the meeting room to find Artanis waiting for him.
"Admiral Raynor. It is a pleasure to see you again."
"Hello Artanis. What can I do for you?"
The two sat and started talking.
"Executor Balthazar sent me with a message. We are preparing for an assault on a Zerg held world and we were wondering if your forces might be willing to launch a joint operation."
"What's your target?" said James.
"Braxis From the intelligence your forces were able to supply us with, we think we've found Duran."
James thought it over and nodded. "I assume you want us to help launch an attack?"
Artanis shook his head. "No. We wish to settle this ourselves and we do have the forces to do so. What we would like you to do is launch a diversionary attack on a world of your choice. We do not know if Duran has allied himself with the remaining Cerebrates and if there are two attacks, we feel that the Cerebrates will defend their own interests first."
Thinking it over, Raynor realized that this would be entirely possible.
"I think we can do this," he said. "We were preparing to test a new weapon against the Zerg anyways. I will have to speak with the others, but they will probably agree."
"Of course. Confer with your friends before making a final decision. I shall await your reply on my flagship."
As Artanis started walking away, James spoke again.
"I heard that you guys are building new Tassadar-class battleships," he said.
Artanis stopped. "Yes. They are the most powerful warships we have ever constructed."
"I hope they live up to their namesake."
"As do I, Admiral Raynor."
The team of Ghosts led by Nova entered the facility and worked their way down. There was no telling what might be underground so they proceeded carefully, weapons at the ready. They came upon a chamber and suddenly found a Hydralisk, as if it was waiting for something.
Nova took aim and opened fire with her C-20A rifle. The rounds struck the beast several times. It turned and roared, firing off several spikes. The team took over and two other Ghosts returned fire, their shots smashing through the thing's armor and blew apart its brain.
"Room clear," another Ghost said.
Nova walked in and looked around. The room was actually pretty organized. Apparently the Zerg here had not disturbed anything. They continued down another hallway and found a large chamber filled with dozens of Zerglings. The doors were locked so they bypassed them for now. However, the door was tagged for the Marines to station a guard once they arrived behind the Ghost team.
The Ghosts scouted the entire facility and encountered a few other Hydralisks, but otherwise the place was pretty quiet. There were a few other chambers filled with Zerglings but guards were placed around those and charges were set to blow up those chambers if the doors opened.
"All units, report," Nova ordered over the radio.
"Level one clear," a voice replied.
"Level two clear."
"Level three clear."
"All right," she said. "Move in firebats and be prepared to take out those Zerglings."
"Yes ma'am."
Nova made her way to a chamber that squad 4 had found. It looked like another biotech lab.
"What files do we have?" she asked.
"Checking. Augmentation of Humans Using Zerg DNA, Advanced Cybernetics Utilizing Protoss Technology, Gene-Splicing of Human/Protoss/Zerg, hell, this looks like a genetic experimentation lab!"
"Pull the files and send them back to HQ. Colonel Hauler will want to see these."
"Yes ma'am."
Nova looked around the room and saw several tanks that had been shattered. What had been held within those things?
"Commander, we're getting some funny readings down here."
"What is it?"
"Don't know. Oh shit! Open fire! Open-"
The Marine was cut off and the signal turned into static.
"Corporal, what is going on down there? Corporal! Damn. Lieutenant, get your troops together. We're getting the hell out of here."
"Ma'am, someone's unlocking the cell doors!"
"Blow the charges."
The room shook slightly from the explosions that took place all over the installation as charges went off in an attempt to kill the Zerglings.
"Lieutenant, status."
"All of the Zerglings have been destroyed. Wait, we're detecting units in level three. Shit they're moving fast."
"Are the security cameras working?" Nova asked.
"I'm trying to bring them up. Got 'em."
One of the screens lit up and showed a dozen huge Hydralisks race through the corridors towards the stairs.
"Dear god. Seal off level three!"
Marines scrambled up the stairs and all of them managed to squeeze through just as the doors shut behind them. Banging could be heard as the Hydralisks tried to smash their way through. Pins were then heard as they fired their needle spines, but the blast doors were too thick. Finally the sound stopped.
"What's going on down there?" Nova asked.
"Checking," the lieutenant replied. "Fuck, they destroyed the security cameras! What were those things?"
"Looked like Hunter Killers," said Nova. "Bigger, tougher, and meaner than the average Hydralisk. But even they shouldn't be this intelligent unless someone's pulling their strings."
"There could be something deeper in level three," the lieutenant suggested.
"Perhaps. I'm calling in heavy reinforcements. There's no way we'll be able to take these things by ourselves."
Nova activated her comm. and shouted orders through it. More Marines marched down and set up several mounted machineguns at every point of entry into level 3. As she came up to the surface, Nova noticed several Siege Tanks taking position and deploying their shock cannons. Hopefully it wouldn't come to them destroying the facility, it still might have its uses.
"Commander, more troops will be arriving in twenty minutes," a lieutenant said to her. "Until then, we are to hold our position no matter what."
Nova nodded. "Orders acknowledged. Set up sensor stations over the installation. I want to know if the Zerg try digging their way out."
"Yes ma'am."
"And plant three tactical nukes within the installation."
The lieutenant nodded grimly and ran off to carry out the orders. Nova looked at the tactical display, showing the position of her troops on the two levels they had occupied. She only had a battalion of infantry and a single platoon of tanks. It wouldn't be enough. They needed more firepower, and Command would most certainly send them.
After so long the Zerg finally decided to test the defenses of Shakuras. Both races hated each other intensely but this was one contest that the Protoss would surely win.
"Executor, we are detecting a massive force approaching our position," Artanis reported. "They are Zerg."
"How many?" Balthazar asked calmly.
Artanis checked the reports again and frowned. "They are in the thousands."
A nod was his only reply as Balthazar stood in the main command chamber for the Protoss fleet. While he preferred to be on a warship, none of the carriers had the command and control abilities he had here at the moment. But when the Tassador was completed that would change.
"Begin a bombardment," Balthazar ordered. "I do not want the Zerg to advance unchallenged."
His orders were transformed into action as the many Protoss warships opened fire with their particle weapons. Streams of blue energy vaporized the first wave of Zerg but it wasn't enough as more came through. Just as they were in range a massive disruptor field suddenly blanketed the entire Swarm. Balthazar smiled as the Zerg Mutalisks and Devourers tried to escape the field where their weapons were useless. However, the Protoss warships could fire at will and unloaded barrage after barrage of anti- matter missiles and particle beams. By the time the field had dissipated fully half of the attacking Zerg flyers had been eradicated.
Despite their ferocity, without proper coordination the Zerg were hopelessly lost. The Overlords behind the Zerg forces were coordinating the battle and spread out the attacking force so a large disruptor field could not catch all of them. However, there were relatively few units protecting these commanders.
Out of nowhere a Protoss force warped in behind the Zerg fleet and immediately charged at the Overlords. The Scouts blew apart several before elements of the Zerg fleet turned to defend them. It was too late as the Scouts warped out again.
"We attack," Balthazar ordered. "Have three carriers strike the left Zerg formation. Destroyers are to provide a screening force and Corsairs are to provide cover. Use the Disruptor Fields whenever necessary but don't get caught in it yourselves."
Quickly a small taskforce launched forward and sliced through the slightly weakened left flank of the Zerg force. They had cut down more units before the Zerg reacted and balanced out their front again. However, it was too late and the Protoss force had broken through. They circled around the Zerg units and aimed for the Overlords again.
Whichever Cerebrate that controlled the Zerg force decided it was time to retreat and his units started pulling out. The Protoss force was warped out of the way of the massive juggernaut and the stragglers were all destroyed.
"A solid victory," Artanis said.
"Indeed. But the next we must think of new ways to fight the Zerg."
End of Chapter 2
I don't own Starcraft or Brood Wars.
Z98