Cerebrate Hanoe had suffered a humiliating defeat. He would do his best to make amends for this setback. He would not fail the queen or the Swarm. He concentrated his energy and directed more nutrients to the Spire, which was now under metamorphosis. The spire would develop into a tower and could help direct the battles from afar and make communication with Char easier.
An urgent and excited voice called in his mind. "Eight forms….human flesh…I sense, my cerebrate…on our side of the Janji."
"Do not attack yet. Stay concealed my lurker. Do not let them cross the river. Follow them." Hanoe replied psychically. It was taxing to manage a battle with what little resources he had while at the same time flush nutrient food to the spire now under metamorphosis. He could not worry about the eight souls. They would be assimilated after the storm. He would see to it. Cerebrate Ganach could infest them as broodlings with the six queens up in orbit. The storm however was becoming not just a nuisance, but dangerous as well for Zerg air groups.
Even the Overlords had sought shelter in the upper atmosphere from the devastating electromagnetic storm. For Hanoe, it was becoming increasingly difficult to manage everything with the storm. Two guardians, a mutalisk, three overlords and small fleet of scourge had been lost in the ionosphere due to the storm. Hanoe had to send for their bodies so that he could consume them for nutrient energy. His Hunter-Killer Hydras had not eaten in two days. On the last engagement, some units had stopped in mid-attack to consume their wounded brethren to gain energy. This lack of unity and discipline had hurt the assault. Hanoe knew that he had not the strength to command the willpower and state of mind of all the forces on Uramon. Because of this, and the lack of support and distance from the planet Char, control over the Zerg forces was becoming even more tenuous. The attack on the middle bridge, which the humans called Dragon, had sputtered as a result, and the losses had stunned the Zerg Cerebrate as well. It was expected that 40 percent of his forces would have died in the infestation of this planet. But the fatality rate was closer to 90 percent of those committed, a stunning setback for the Zerg force. That could only be interpreted as mismanagement of the battle, and for this, Hanoe would be held accountable. "Blast this storm…this is a useless place…"
Hanoe and others thought that Uramon 18 would be teeming with minerals and vespene. Yet it's once vast mineral and gas reserves were non-existent. The humans had mined it all. For once, the Zerg intelligence had miscalculated and Hanoe and his expeditionary force suffered setbacks. This was not Hanoe's fault, but it was his problem to address. He remembered Kerrigan's warning…"Excuses like yours are meaningless…" Only victory would serve the hive. Hanoe awaited more reinforcements from orbit. Hopefully they would break through the defense line that the held them at bay. This time, the terran force would suffer the full wrath of the Zerg. The upcoming battle would mean victory or death.
Hanoe decided to take matters into his own hands. The Greater Spire had now completed metamorphosis and the cerebrate had decided that the time was appropriate to communicate his will to the forces in orbit and on the planet. His voice began to resonate throughout the solar system and it echoed in the minds of all of his sisters and brethren.
"My precious children, even on this desolate planet, we must strive for perfection. We must eliminate the humans on this planet, for such is the will of our queen. Our struggles for the past few days have been valiant; they have not been in vain: for we have attacked the finest and most elite of our enemy, the terrans. Victory is near and we must not turn against each other. That is not the way of perfection, of total unity, nor of our queen. We must strive for an even greater purpose. We must not yield to the temptation and hunger, but strive for greatness and totality in victory. I know you will not fail the Brood, our Queen, or me. As soon as the storm subsides we will unleash our own tempest on the compound across the river Janji. All who oppose the swarm shall be assimilated, consumed or destroyed, for only we are perfect, and only we shall remain."
With the communiqué, Hanoe had used a tremendous amount of energy. The once tireless cerebrate needed rest. With the storm at full strength, sand and rock pelted Hanoe at tremendous velocity. Although he could withstand damage such as this, it was difficult without nutrient minerals and gas to heal. Most of his forces were above orbit resting for the duration of the storm to rest and recuperate. Hanoe rested; knowing that that after the storm, he would be re-energized and his forces would arrive from orbit. The Zerg would be unstoppable.
Hanoe could see the final wave of fresh Zerg forces arriving through warp, hungry for battle, craving human flesh. They could not see the tiny flotilla that stood against them on the other side of the planet, but could sense it. The horde of Zerg forces followed the example of their cerebrate and rested. The time to attack would come soon enough after the storm. For now, it was time to rejuvenate from the long journey.
12.5 km East by North East of DragonThe troop had headed directly west, but it had been slow, the sand was becoming more and more difficult to navigate through. After five minutes of moving west, Lt. Fisk stopped and crouched down. He raised his hand to signal a full stop. "Damn…my zoom viewer is going out." He could hear the rushing boots of the captain behind him. The captain slowed and kneeled beside his second in command..
"LT…what's the sitrep (Situation Report)" White yelled. The sandstorm' winds were humming loud now. Yelling was barely loud enough to be heard.
Fisk pointed to his zoom viewer, which was now flickering on and off. "It's dying out...The viewer won't last, not in this storm"
White took a deep breath and exhaled. He shook his head. Damn We'll hold tight for a couple of minutes and see if I can cup up with an idea.
Battle Group Cornerback - 04/08/56 1505 Uramon CTColonel Mason anxiously awaited news. He wanted to do something. He had monitored the battle at Janji. Captain's Konyetsnoy and Winn had experienced little if any battle, but Charlie Company of the Lights was now fully engaged. With the apparent death of White, he now needed to act. "We need to get down their Janet…We need to know what is going on., and I am especially concerned about Charlie Company. We need to get down there ASAP." Mason had developed the Lights into a respected military unit. He had felt responsible for this mission
Major Janet Conroy was skeptical. "It's is a bad idea Terr." Terrance was her beloved, and although a superior officer, she had professionalism about her that he had come to know and love. She would always question him if she thought something was not right. For this, he valued her. He was glad that she didn't just agree with everything he said.
"Jan…There is too much at stake down there. Those men need us. They need leadership. White is dead, and they took a beating over the past 24 hours."
Conroy was quick to respond.. She had seen this attitude in a prior instance. "Are you not the one that told Captain Winn that he was in control, that you had faith in him, that Captain Konyetsnoy could do the job…. To go down there may undermine their confidence and their ability to lead.
"It's not them I am worried about, Charlie company is in serious disarray. They're getting massacred."
" OH?" she retorted in a loud voice, She was angry now. This was a stupid risk. "Is it about White, because he is in the thick of it? At least he held out longer then I gave him credit for. He should have crapped out in the morning. If it had not been for the Angels and the heavy gun ships, the Zerg would have smashed through the perimeter. Winn and Konyetsnoy can hold out.
"No…"
"OH…Oh I see now… It's about you, isn't it.."
That stung Mason and he barked back. "NO NO NO…." Now she had done it. Janet had crossed the line. "It is about the operation in its entire scope. We are blind. And so are they…We need information.
"And you think that this is going to happen…I have news for you Colonel. I have faith in my abilities to fly the transport, and I have been busting my hump all day ferrying colonists to the Noah, but I will be damned if anyone can fly into that ionic storm. That is madness…it's insanity.
"I think the Zerg are hurting and we can deal them a crushing blow. I think we may have gone about this all wrong. The cerebrate is guarded by only three sunken colonies and three hatcheries and probably a token force of hydras. If we can get up top to Hill 601, position some forces there, we rain havoc on the cerebrate, take him out and the Zerg will fall dormant. I think we need to change tactics. The situation has changed. I think we should take the offensive on the ground and give those bastards a serious bloody nose and something to think about. We need to come down hard and fast now."
Janet was not convinced. "Our evacuation lines are strained as is and you have seen the sensors readings about the warp gate area where the Zerg are filtering through. There are hundreds if not thousands of scourges. We are doomed if they attack the battlegroup. I think you're wrong. I think its time to cut out of here tomorrow at the latest. Let's get Alfa, Bravo and whatever is left of Charlie and figure a way to warp out." She continued, "Think about it…We have got what we came for. We have 90 percent of the colonist, we are already evacuating Alfa company as soon as the storm subsides."
Mason was starting to see the logic and now resumed his meticulous thought process of his own. Survival alone would be victory enough, but to really hurt the Zerg, to kill that cerebrate and then kill of an entire armada of Zerg units, that would be worth the risk. The operation had suffered setbacks, but clearly Charlie Company had done well, all things considered, and had bought Winn and Konyetsnoy time to evacuate the colonists and some additional resources. Mason wanted to know his resources though. "Are Linebacker and Fullback still operational or have they been disassembled?"
"I ordered them disassembled. They are ready to be transported back after the storm. They are no longer able to be deployed." Janet responded now in her antiseptic professionalism. She knew that Mason was listening and plotting.
Mason was calculating now. "Who is in command of Charlie, Major?"
Janet now knew this side of the man she loved. This was the clinical and professional soldier. "We can't get through. The electromagnetic storm is hampering all of our communications as well as flight operations.
Colonel Terrance Mason had made a decision: "Janet, we are going to sacrifice Charlie. Send them across the river and give the Zerg a nasty surprise. All the while pull out everyone and everything else. Send them across the Janji now under the cover of the storm. Any way we can get word to them?"
No harm in trying. But I will be damned if anyone can fly through that storm.
"Janet, if we destroy that cerebrate, the Zerg forces will fall dormant in this sector and we can hack them to bits. We can deliver a horrible defeat on them, all for the cost of a company of men, and some of our ammunition. We can then warp and get away. That cerebrate is vulnerable. We could overwhelm him under the cover of the sandstorm. You have even said it yourself that the moment that storm subsides, we go back on the defensive and the threat of an attack on the Battlegroup would be imminent." It was a grim assessment, but both knew the plan could work.
Janet decided to play devils advocate once more. "Maybe this is a risk worth two companies. Send in Captain Winn with Bravo Company. He can take control of this and can do the job."
Mason would have none of this. He knew that she was trying to talk him out of going down to the surface. "Winn is out of position. Besides, Charlie needs to be rallied. White is probably dead or soon will be. Fisk probably is too. That means they are missing their CO's. Now it's time to take the offensive. Those men have truly had the worst of it. They are itching to get even with the Zerg. It's time we go down there and motivate them so that they can pull this off."
Conroy knew what was coming next. It was the thing that drew her towards him in love and it was the aspect of his personality that she despised. "Janet, honey, we have to go down there….That's an order." She sighed, shutting the hatch on the both of them.
" This is my ship Colonel, so buckle up as we are in for some serious chop, the like of which not even I have seen."
Colonel Mason activated his call sign. This is Sierra to Coach. We are headed planet side.
"This is Coach. Sierra request clarification, you are heading for surface. Why?"
"Coach, request SCIMITAR over."
"Terry, SCIMITAR is active now, speak plainly. What is going on?"
Commodore, I know that you have struggling with the problem regarding the evacuation at the warp gate. The place is teeming with Zerg. But I have an idea…." From there Mason revealed his plan to an irritable Commodore Park. The commodore however did listen carefully and approve.
"I must confess Terry, I can see no other way out through the gateWhy don't you commit some more men and resources to this.
"Okay…I can send in Winn and Bravo Company. We'll keep Konyetsnoy and the Alfa's in reserve
"Excellent…Be careful out there. Report back to me when you reach the surface. Let me know you have taken over Charlie. Why are the attacking over the bridges anyway? Do you know? I thought you believed that they were going to attack over the tar lake and the northern areas.
"Yes the Zerg are not cooperating with my contingency planning Mason chuckled. I was reluctant to reinforce Charlie, thinking they would hit us as soon as we moved Winn's company.
The Angels are definitely making an impact though. Most impressive. How are you on ammunition?"
"Winn and Bravo have plenty. We have the shrapnel cluster shells. I know we have been holding out on those, but I think its time we unleash them on the cerebrate.
"How many siege tanks does Bravo have?"
"They don't have siege tanks, sir. They have the light hover tanks. Twelve of them in fact. They have yet to see action either. I have kept them well hidden.
"Ah, now I remember, the hover tank, the Razors. Tanks using hover bike technology. They outrun the Zergling and use gravitational engine technology. How are they holding up in the storm? Any problems?"
Surprisingly, no major problems, but we kept them grounded and hidden. I think we have seen all the surprises from the Zerg that we are going to see.
"A for the weather? How long for that sandstorm to hold?"
Tricky question. This is where your guess is as good as mine. The density of the storm is thinning out. It should hold out another 5 hours though. I am thinking that we can take hill 601 by that time. If the storm holds out longer, that gives us more time, if it subsides, our light hover tanks get their faster. The hover tanks are a lot faster then the MBT Siege tanks. Plus they can engae air units with their beam weapon. They don't have the heavy high explosive ammo with gunpowder, they use carbon dioxide compressors to launch the shells. Their primary weapn is the Mercury nergy beam weapon. The secondary weapon is similar to the siege tank. The hover tank is armed with light cluster shells that will be raining glass on the cerebrate and everything else in the line of fire. . I got my best crews in those tanks too. When we get up to 601, we just park and fire. The cerebrate will be destroyed within a minute if all tanks get up there fast enough. Even if I get only 6 up there, the cerebrate will only last 96 seconds.
I can see why you have withheld this weapon from the action. How do you know it won't take longer. What happens if you have miscalculated. Just how good are your crews andhow much practice have they had with hover tank.
These are some of my best crews. They'll know how to compensate for any major contingencies. The shrapnel cluster shells have glass shrapnel instead of steel. That means they are lighter and can get up to 85 mph. We have tested those shells out on zerg carapaces. The beam weapons alone can cut through a Gaurdian wing armor. We'll have hill 601 very quickly. I think the Zerg are just waiting.
"Charlie company had the old tanks, correct?"
Yes the slow and go ones with the high explosive shells. Those are not appropriate for the Lights and our doctrine of quick strikes anyway, but we had them, so I deployed them with Charlie. I figure the remnants of Charlie Company can at least secure the advance.
"Yes…I agree. What path will you take.? Dragon or Eagle?
Most likely Eagle.
"What happens if you meet too much resistance prior to getting to 601?
We just fall back Eagle and then Zulu. I'll know a lot more once we get on the surface."
By then Janet's shuttle teams will have evacuated Alfa Company or at least have them boarded. We just retreat to the defensive positions there. We'll let the Zerg take Cobra and the compound. We'll keep a token force at Dragon
So the most dangerous part of the mission, the most vulnerable, will be if the sandstorm subsides while you are crossing Eagle. What happens if you commit…
If the storm subsides we will get across faster and hit 601 in minutes
Provided you don't meet up with Zerg ground units en route."
We wont engage them. Leave those to the infantry. The hover arty will head straight for 601and unleash on that cerebrate.
What about air units….the scourge kamikazi assault. We never factored that into any contingency.
Our hovertanks use beam weaons, not the heavy siege cannon. They can engage the air units if necessary.
When I looked at Safety's last readout, just tbefore they hit the ground, there were no air units in the area. That was just minutes before the ionic storm hit. The Zerg are suffering from a lack of air support just as we are.
Anywor on Safety? Captain White.
"No I think we'll have to assume MIA at the very least. He did a decent job, I know that defense is not his forte. Bravo company however is my strongest.
Regarding Charlie company, did you review their defensive positions
Yes, it was what we could afford.
"Okay Terry, I am much more comfortable now with you in charge of the operation.