Magistrate to Commander
Chapter 12: Heart to Heart
The door closes and locks behind us. "What'd you want to talk about?" I ask, sitting in the chair across from Kerrigan in my personal quarters.
"I've never seen anything react like that, the…" She has trouble finding the words.
"It was a feeding frenzy down there, whatever that Psi emitter did, it drove the Zerg mad." I rub my eyes, the memory of Zerg rushing around the Goliaths and over the tanks while the marines cowered to get at the emitter is burned into my skull.
"I could feel it when I turned on the emitter, a scream of someone in anguish… I feel like I know who was used to make it." Kerrigan rubs her temples.
"I didn't get that feeling at all." I frown. "All I could feel was that same familiarity."
Kerrigan's head snaps up at this. "You could feel it?" She asks for clarification.
"Yes?" I respond uncertain. "The squad could feel it." At least, I think they did?
"I… didn't reach the Confederate base before turning it on." Kerrigan admits. "If we weren't able to commodeer a vulture we'd have been stranded out there."
"Why'd you turn it on?"
"Because you would have been killed!" The Ghost remarks. "Nobody said anything about a battlecruiser, and I panicked when I saw the Yamato cannon charging… I knew I had to." She looks down.
"Thank you." I say full of gratitude. "There wouldn't have been anything left of us, the Yamato Cannon has roughly the same power as a Nuke, but it leaves the Battlecruiser on reserve power until it can recharge." They were willing to take a battlecruiser out of commission to kill me.
"Mengsk would have gotten mad about it if it didn't work out the way it did." She lets out a sigh of relief, smiling.
"He seems a bit up tight doesn't he?" I ask rhetorically, and she laughs.
"I'm worried that he still blames me." She says once she stops laughing.
"For what?"
"I was on the team of ghosts that killed his family." She looks at a portrait of the man in question. "I was the one who shot them, actually."
Then it would be Kerrigan's fault, but he must have forgiven her by now since she's still here… And I'm glad I got to meet my Angel.
"Oh stop it." Kerrigan rolls her eyes.
"I told you it would get worse if you kept reading my thoughts!" I snicker loudly.
"How many Ghosts have you dealt with?" Kerrigan wonders curiously.
"Why?"
"You seem really comfortable with me reading your thoughts to have had one interaction with a Ghost prior."
"Tosh and one other, never told me her name." I stretch. "From those two experiences I learned that my thoughts are never safe while in the presence of a Ghost." And given that you're asking me about this, it must be working.
"I remember being with senators who've been around ghost's their entire lives and never even considered it!" Kerrigan lets out a laugh.
I just blink. "I guess it never crossed their minds?" I hazard a guess.
The ghost leans back with a smile, but then it vanishes. "Do you think we'll use the Psi emitter again?" The mirth vanishes from the air.
I rub my chin in thought. Mengsk sounded like he planned on using the Psi Emitter again. "I hope that if we do, that it's only against military installations where there aren't civilians."
The speakers crackle to life. "All Alpha Squadron members are to report to the hangars for relocation on the Norad Three." Duke says with authority.
A thought strikes me. "Adjutant, override the mic in the apartment and play a recording of some classical music for them, throw in some of our noises, but not our conversation." I quickly tell the Adjutant.
"Playing record"
"Just in case someone wants to listen in on us." I growl, we came out here for privacy.. If we wanted to be listened in on we would have talked in the canteen or something.
"Glad you brought that thing along." Kerrigan points at the Mobile Adjutant. "How'd you get it?"
"Every Magistrate gets one for their first quarter, then they're supposed to give it back." I answer honestly. "When the Confederacy falls and Mengsk replaces it, which I know he will, he'll make it a point to change the Adjutants to make these redundant." I tap the briefcase.
"Eleven warp signatures detected, the rest of the Sons of Korhal fleet has arrived." My Mobile Adjutant pipes up.
I choke on the number. "Eleven!?"
"Mengsk kept the fleet split up to make it harder for the Confederacy to track their movements." Kerrigan explains. "Should we go see what's going on?"
"No, if we were needed we would have been called. " Besides, we can do with a break for once.
"Great, now I can blame you if we get yelled at." Kerrigan jokes.
"My one weakness, responsibility!" I make fake gurgling sounds with a wide grin, hand on my chest, and the Ghost breaks out laughing.
The gurgling turns real and have to reach for my inhaler quickly before suffocating. "Are you okay?" Kerrigan asks with eyebrows raised in worry.
"Asthma sucks." I cough, feeling my throat relax. I wonder whose brain scan was used to make the Psi Emitter. My thoughts turn back to the original subject without even thinking about it.
"I don't know." Is all Kerrigan says. "I just hope we never have to use it again."
"Agreed… is there anything you do in your spare time?"
The Ghost blinks. "I… Like to sing." She says embarrassed.
"Really?" I never thought that a killing machine would take up such a peaceful hobby. "Could you treat me sometime? I bet you sound like the angel you look like."
She nods. "What about you?"
"Rifling, just because I can't be a marine doesn't mean I can't learn to shoot a gun." I answer eagerly.
"For someone who says he can't fight for health reasons, you certainly make me doubt that." Kerrigan claims.
"Anyone can fight, I can't be in the Marines because of health issues." If I had an asthma attack while fighting hand to hand, that would be the end of me. "And then I became Magistrate and now I'm told I doubly can't fight."
"Enjoying the Goliath I got you?"
"Yes." I nod furiously. That thing lets me be on the frontline from the safety of a mech cockpit. "I cannot thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to fight with the troops."
She smiles. "I knew you'd like it."
"Adjutant." I turn to the mobile unit.
"Yes, Magistrate."
"Remind me to get Kerrigan something nice, she deserves it."
"Reminder set."
"You don't have to-"
"I don't, but I want to." I rest a hand on hers. "Thank you, it's because of you that we were able to get off of Antiga Prime."
"But you're the reason why we stopped to help them." She reminds me.
Thank you for helping so much… Serah.
` The speakers pipe up. "I want all hands at the ready for Duke's signal." Mengsk's voice booms, ruining the moment.
Conflict fills me, on one hand I want to be ready with my troops, but on the other hand I don't want this moment to end. "We can meet again later." She gives me a genuine smile.
We approach the door together, it's when it opens that I notice that our hands never broke contact. "Magistrate, we need to be ready to-" Raynor then notices Serah holding my hand, and falls quiet.
You're not doing anything wrong, Serah. I tear my eyes from my Angel. "Yes Captain?"
Raynor clears his throat. "We need to be ready to mobilize, Mengsk sounds almost excited and I don't want to be the one to put a damper on it."
"Serah, I want you to tell Simmons to destroy any Psi Emitters we have left, I need to rally the Refugees."
"Yes, Max." Kerrigan pulls her hand away to give me a salute, and then cloaks.
"You're one lucky son of a-" Raynor starts, but I stop him.
"Cloaking isn't teleportation, she's still right here… And I do think of myself as Lucky, but not for the reason you're thinking." I adjust my collar. "I'm lucky to have been Mar Sara's Magistrate, I'm Lucky I had such devoted officers like Simmons, Graves, and Serah, I'm Lucky you were my Marshal, and now my Captain, I'm lucky that the Sons of Korhal came to my aid, I do think of myself as Lucky, maybe abnormally so, but that's life." I tap Raynor's marine armor. "No hard feelings, I'll be your wingman when you find your gal." I give him a stupid grin.
Raynor takes a deep breath. "I'm Lucky you're my Magistrate." He finally says.
"That's the spirit! Let's get ready for the next mission."
Circled around a holo communicator is Graves's Siege Tank, Raynor's Vulture, my Goliath, and our respective squads just behind them.
Already gathered in lines by the bay doors is every Dropship onboard the Hyperion, the engineering teams are scrambling across the busy floor making sure everything is ready to go. The entirety of the Hyperion is waiting with bated breath for Duke's go ahead.
Gathered directly around the communicator is Raynor, Graves, Myself, some engineers performing frantic last minute checks on the vehicles, and Sarah. We've been waiting for an hour now.
"Mind revving the vulcan turret Lieutenant?" An engineer asks her, and she complies. My Goliath's turret spins to life.
"No jams, okay we're good." The engineer gives me a thumbs up.
I lean against the leg of my Skybreaker. "There's only so many times you can test our weapons." I tell the Engineer.
"I know, don't tell me how to do my job." The Engineer stresses.
"Must be huge if the entire engineering staff is performing last minute checks, over and over again."
The Engineer looks at me. "It's the largest assault we've ever staged, of course we're going to be on edge!"
"You make it sound like we're going to attack Tarsonis." Raynor notes.
The engineer shrugs in response, moving onto the next Goliath. "Sounds like we're going to be waiting for awhile it seems." I let out a sigh and climb into my Goliath. "Comfy?" I ask Serah, sitting with my back against the reinforced glass.
"Whoever I stole this from put a lot of effort in making sure it would be." Kerrigan nods, shifting in the seat.
"It also had to be rebuilt as I lost that one to a Scourge bombing run." Simmons is a great engineer.
Serah simply nods. "All soldiers of the Sons of Korhal." Mengsk appears on the communicator. "Duke has succeeded in punching a hole to the surface of Tarsonis, it's time to rid the universe of the Confederacy once and for all!" A massive cheer goes up.
"We're actually Sieging Tarsonis." I breathe. The rest of the Skybreakers activate their Goliath's.
"I don't like this." Raynor says suspiciously.
"You don't think…" Serah asks me.
"It's a possibility, but for now we have to be ready to mobilize." I push myself off the glass and the Angel gets out of my seat, letting me pilot the mech to join up with the other Skybreakers.
Graves's Shock'n Awe tanks take up three dropship vehicle bays, my squad takes up one, Raynor and his Rangers completely fill up a dropship, both the vehicle bay and the infantry hold.
I've never been part of an invasion before. With stress taking hold I take deep breaths to calm myself. "It'll be like when you hot dropped in the middle of the Zerg." Serah tells me reassuringly. "Only… more explosions."
"Thanks."
The Ghost pulls out her rifle. "I'll be right here for the impact."
"Are you sure?" I ask skeptically. "If we hotdrop you won't have anything supporting you."
"I'm a Ghost, it'll be fine." She gives me a sly smile.
I doubt it, but won't push the issue any further. The Hyperion warps, and I can feel it, my mind is pulled in four ways.
"Psi Emitters." Serah gags while shivering.
Horror spreads across our faces. "No." I breathe out in horror. "The bodycount will be in the trillions, even if we were to begin evacuations now." I watch her face drain of color.
Kerrigan punches the transmission button. "Who authorized Psi Emitters?!" She demands.
"I did, Lieutenant." Arcturus Mengsk growls.
'I will rule, or watch this system burn around me.' A phantasmal voice echoes in my mind, and it doesn't look like Serah was reading my mind when it happened.
Stunned, she leans back, ending the transmission. "Why?" She wonders meekly.
"He doesn't care about humanity." With shaking hands I reach down for the repurposed mini-fridge and open it. Secured inside is the Portable Adjutant unit, plugged into the Goliath, another reason why Simmons is a genius.
"You keep it here?" Serah asks as I pull the briefcase out and open it.
"Adjutant, monitor and record any and all communications going to or from the Hyperion, time stamp the recordings and make sure you remain undetected."
"Yes, Magistrate."
With my orders issued, I replace the Mobile Adjutant back in the fridge and lock it shut. "I always keep this thing close, it's impossible to replace."
"Magistrate?" Mengsk's voice comes in on the Goliath's comms.
I hold a finger to my mouth and Serah nods. "Yes sir?" I respond to the transmission.
"As a desperate measure the Confederates have activated several Psi emitters, by the time we destroy them it'll be too late and the planet will be consumed, we need to make the most out of this opportunity."
"I knew I felt something." I feign ignorance.
"...I want you to set down and start the evacuation." Mengsk informs me and I let out a sigh of relief. "The Protoss have beaten us to the planet and are killing everything on the planet as a precaution, I want you to send the lieutenant to New Gettysburg to deal with them."
I look to Serah, and she nods. "Yes sir." I say once more, and the transmission cuts.
"Looks like he doesn't want me to know that He planted the Psi Emitters." I tap the transmission button after I've finished speaking. "People of Mar Sara and of Antiga Prime we have our orders, the Zerg have beaten us to Tarsonis and are murdering everything that blinks, even though they're Confederates there are still innocent people down there, unaware of the hell their leaders have put us through because of the Zerg." I clear my throat, hearing my voice echo in the speakers in the hangar. "There won't be a reserve for this one, every available soldier is to go planetside and show them the same mercy they tried to starve us of, no matter what happens today the Confederacy is no more. What makes things worse is that the Protoss are also here and are doing the same thing as the Zerg, this is the ultimate test of our resolve, let's show these Xeno Freaks what humans are made out of!"
I can hear the infantry in the dropship cheer. "When you're done with the protoss, fall back to my position and we'll get you offworld." I tell Serah.
"If you leave me behind, I'll haunt you from beyond the grave." She responds jokingly.
"Can ghosts do that?" A Ghost and death have never been in the same sentence before, unless it's 'Ghost's cause death in others'.
Serah shrugs in reply. The dropship lifts off. "Where too?" Aaila asks.
Because of course it's Aaila. "We're setting down in the most populated part of the planet to begin evacuation, Kerrigan is taking a small army with her to fight the Protoss."
"Roger that, don't mind the bumps, that'll just be the war going on around us." Aaila says with a straight voice.
"Your prefered habitat." I say with an equally straight voice, getting chuckles from the rest of the Skybreakers on board.
We were in the sky for over an hour before the red lights turned on, warning us of the impending hotdrop. "Hope being a Ghost means you're immune to velocity." I tell Serah, genuinely worried.
"Almost." She admits.
"What do you-" The bottom of the dropship opens, dropping four Goliaths to the ground, a quick look around shows that the other eight Skybreakers were dropped at the same time as we were.
We hit the ground, the Goliath's shock absorbers taking the impact again. "Secure a perimeter so that reinforcements can land!" I yell into the local coms. Serah jumps out of the Goliath and starts shooting.
We're surrounded by Zerg and Protoss battling, the contrast between these ancient foes is astounding. A command center drops out of the sky, crushing a group of battling Zerglings and Protoss Knights, the ramp lowers and a group of SCV's emerge. "Command Center deployed." Simmons announces.
Dropships land and unload, then load up on civilians. "Raynor! Set up manned defences in the nearby skyscrapers." I shout into the coms.
"On it!"
And then Shock'n Awe hot drops in Siege mode, and the fighting ramps up to eleven as the shock cannons blast holes in the battling Xeno lines on both fronts. "Those tanks aren't going to last long on their own, move Skybreakers!" Already now there are Zerglings hopping onto the tanks, trying to burrow into the neosteel plating and get at the crew while the cannon's fire.
A barracks lands on a line of slithering Zerg while a factory crushes a mechanical Protoss shooting plasma at it. The Skybreakers are now forming a protective line around the Shock'n Awe tanks.
There is a roar as an Ultra-Zerg charges for the command center. "Route an inbound fabricator into that thing."
A starport about to land stops, and moves to intercept as Shock cannonfire lights the Ultra-Zerg up, but it doesn't slow down. "For Aiur!" A nearby Protoss knight shouts, charging for the enormous Zerg.
"Protoss can speak?" A Skybreaker exclaims.
"Focus, clear the landing zone and keep enemy air broken." I turn my Goliath to shoot at a group of Zerglings running for the Shock'n awe tanks, I don't lose sight of the Ultra while firing.
And i got a spectacular view of the impact, the knight kept the Ultra distracted long enough for the Starport to get above, then the adjutant made it pull maneuvers I've never thought a building would be able to pull, and thrusts downwards towards the bladed behemoth, crushing it under the weight of a structure that's it's size.
"Zerg forces in the immediate area have been wiped out, and Protoss forces are in retreat." The Command Center's Adjutant informs me.
"Alright everyone, get a defensive perimeter up and make sure the evacuation goes smoothly." I march the Goliath around the town square we've set up in. "Serah, take whatever forces you need before you leave." I say.
No response, but I know she heard me. The Shock'n Awe tanks begin the lengthy unsieging process.
"Square Secured!" Raynor calls out.
"Start the evacuation, then we're going to wipe the Zerg off of this planet."