Magistrate to Commander

Chapter 13: Rebel Yell

"Base is secure." A Marine informs me.

"And the dropships?"

"First group is already heading for the Hyperion."

"Great, we've moving out to eradicate the Zerg, there's no way I'm letting the Zerg take another world from us."

"Delay that order Magistrate." Suddenly Mengsk's voice crackles to life in my Goliath's coms. "The Zerg are keeping the Confederates pinned and if we interfere they'll escape and continue using the Zerg to ravage other worlds."

"They're also slaughtering civilians left and right, I can't sit here and-"

"Evacuate the ones who aren't being eviscerated first, no sense in spending resources evacuating past enemy lines when we still have people we can safely get offworld." Mengsk says patronizingly.

"... Yes sir." I turn my attention back to the marine. "Cancel that order, we're staying put until we've fully evacuated the area, then we'll move on."

"Double transport numbers?" The Marine wonders.

"Sounds like a great idea, Adjutant!"

"Scrambling every transport under your direct control."

"Not everything?" I furrow my brow.

"Alpha Squadron is holding in orbit with Arcturus's forces."

I grumble under my breath. "Is there a battlecruiser we can route from the main fleet?"

"Request pending, will provide an update as soon as possible."

We're fighting the Zerg without orbital support… "Simmons?"

"I hear you."

"I want you to take a car, and stick a flamethrower on it."

"Sir?"

"Take a car." I enunciate. "Stick a flamethrower on it, and tell me the results."

"I'll… see what I can do."

"Skybreakers we're heading in the direction of the Zerg Hive, just because we're ordered to ignore them doesn't mean we're to neglect the coming attacks."

"Oh and Simmons, I want more flying bricks to drop on the Zerg, it seemed to have worked on the big blade armed thing… Starports but without the fabrication matrix's."

"You did wh-" He starts shouting at me, but I cut the comms before he could blow my eardrums out.

"Okay Skybreakers, let's get these people out of here, Shock'n Awe I want you providing covering fire." If we're not getting orbital, I'm certainly getting artillery.

"Halfway unsieged." Graves informs us.

"Rotate to the eastern front, we'll evacuate as close as we can to the Zerg before Mengsk gets mad at us." I say and my fellow Skybreaker pilots chuckle.

"Picking up movement in the store." A Skybreaker informs me.

I flick on the megaphone. "Attention citizens of the Confederacy, we're here to-" Several spine spitting Zerg emerge from the building, hissing and growling. "Open fire!"

A Scythe arm hits the reinforced glass of my cockpit, but no marks. The gunfire killing the snake on the other hand, leaves small cracks in the glass that's hit. "Remind me to thank whoever designed the Goliath." I say as a Skybreaker stomps on the head of an attacking Snake.

"Amen brother." A Zergling hops on top of a Goliath, and in response the Pilot makes the mech jump to throw it off.

"I've never seen a Goliath jump before, mind giving me some pointers after this is all over?" I say impressed.

"Can do." The Pilot says with pride, stomping the dismounted Zergling into the pavement.

I turn on the megaphone once more. "Citizens of the Confederacy, we're here to help, the Zerg are overrunning the planet and the Protoss will turn the surface into Glass soon, I repeat, Citizens of the Confederacy, we're here to help-"

We pass another block and a group of people bolt out of a home and sprint for us, several Zerg unburrow around us. "Put guns on Automatic, we can't risk hitting civilians." I flick a switch and the onboard targeting takes control of the vulcan turret beneath the chassis.

Accurate fifty caliber ammunition rips through the Zerg, but they don't go down fast enough to prevent casualties. "We've cleared the way back to base, move!" One of the Skybreakers yells at the fleeing civilians.

"Keep going, we have to rescue as many as we can!" I shout, marching ahead.

"This is Graves, Shock'n Awe is sieged and ready to provide artillery support."

"Shock'n Awe there is a group of civilians enbound, keep an eye on them and let us know if any Zerg slip behind us."

"I can see a bridge a few blocks out and to your left, it looks like the only way across to this part of the city." A Shock'n Awe crew captain informs us.

"We'll push across the bridge and bring back as many as we can." A plan is already forming.

"Better hurry, more of that creepy stuff is rushing towards it and… What is it doing to the buildings?" Graves's disgust and horror comes across clearly. "It's just like Blackwater station." He breathes.

The infested command center. "Double time!" if they infest homes… what happens to the people inside? A shiver goes down my spine as horrible thoughts run through my mind.

A detachment of Zerg are watching the bridge, not enough to stop our charge, but enough to damage one of my squadmate's leg motor. His Goliath is dragging itself along with its functional leg. "I have to go back for repairs."

"Do it, we'll manage."

The Goliath pathetically limps back the way we came, hopefully there aren't any Zerg laying in wait for him.

Upon seeing us, a ton of civilians make a break for the bridge, fleeing from the incoming infestation, and out from these infested buildings are what can only be described as Zombies. "The only mercy we can give them is death, keep them away from the clean civilians." I say as my heart drops to my stomach, watching as the contorted bodies of the infested civilians fall with human screams.

"This ain't right." A squadmate notes.

"Shock'n Awe, once we clear the bridge I want it gone."

"Understood." Graves can see the infestation, and he's as discouraged as I am.

"Adjutant, record my Goliath's visuals." I tell the mobile Adjutant in my Goliath, off of coms. "If there's any argument about using the Zerg as a weapon, I want to show them this."

The infestation reaches the foot of the bridge, but there's still civilians coming across. "Sir, it'll spread to this side."

"I know, but we aren't leaving anyone behind."

"Airborn Zerg inbound!"

"We aren't Skybreakers for nothing!" I turn my Goliath to face the threat and let the missiles fly, the flying snakes shriek as shrapnel shreds their wings, and forcing them to the ground. Enormous glaives strike the Goliath, one breaks into the glass but doesn't go any further.

"Cloud!" A Skybreaker shrieks as the largest cloud we've ever seen rises from the Zerg hive.

The Scourge cloud speeds towards us, being urged on by an unseen force, there is a roar, then explosions rip the cloud apart as the first wave of artillery shells strike. "Can't miss a target that big!" Graves boasts.

"Are you secretly a Skybreaker?" I joke with the sergeant, who laughs in reply. A stray artillery shell strikes one of the flying zerg assaulting the bridge, and the explosion knocks a Skybreaker out of commission. "Watch your fire!"

"Who shot that!" Graves demands, and there's a series of denials.

"Is he still alive?" Ten skybreakers remain standing, but not for long.

"That looks to be the last of them."

"Good, fall back! Shock'n Awe you are clear to fire." We turn our Goliaths around and sprint for safety as we can see the Shock'n Awe tanks fire from this distance.

Firebats and marines vacate a nearby apartment complex, escorting civilians towards the base.

Raynor's Rangers are getting at the places the Skybreakers can't hope to get to. "Keep it up, we'll provide anti air support." I tell the infantry.

More explosions around us. "Shock'n Awe I order you to stop firing! You are firing too close to friendlies!" I shout at the Shock'n Awe company.

"WHO THE HELL IS SHOOTING AT THE MAGISTRATE!?" I can hear the sergeant scream, followed again by a string of denials. "Standby until I tell you to fire, and where!" Even if I was deaf I'd have been able to hear that.

"Find the culprit, I don't fancy dying out here."

This time I was watching when the next wave hits, demolishing the nearby buildings. None of the Shock'n Awe company had fired.

The bodyparts that were sent flying, it makes me sick to my stomach. "Find whoever's shooting at the Magistrate, and castrate the bitch!"

I don't think I've ever seen a man get this angry before. "Full retreat!" I yell at my squad, and just as fast as we made it to the bridge, we fall back.

"Eyes on artillery origin, three clicks south, one click north of Zerg hive, confirm?" A Skybreaker shouts.

"Rotating turret, have eyes on enemy siege- Mother of mercy." Graves says. "They've infested Siege Tanks!"

"Just what we need, our own hardware being turned against us." I scoff. "You are free to return fire."

"My pleasure." Flashes from Shock'n Awe, we're close enough to hear the booms. And then they light up as the retaliation hits, only a few actually hit the tanks, but the explosion size is big enough to not matter too much. A couple of the tanks are immediately taken out of the fight.

"You alright Graves?"

"Th-ly-urt-pr-de, se-d-vo!" Sounds like the damage isn't serious enough to stop the uninfested tanks from firing another barrage.

We finally reach the relative safety of the Siege Tank line, and another Skybreaker is taken out along with a Shock'n Awe tank. I turn my goliath around just in time to see the next return volley, and I accelerate my Goliath out of the firing line, in the opposite direction.

More of the Shock'n Awe company is taken out of the fight, what remains fires back, and silence falls over the long range battle. The coms crackle for a short time, and then the remaining siege tanks begin unsieging, at least the three that still can, five are still functional, but unless they can unsiege they're being left behind.

The surviving crew get out of their tanks and climb aboard the surviving ones. The remaining Skybreakers surround the vulnerable tanks as much as we can, waiting eagerly for them to move.

In the distance I can see several squads move from building to building, scouring the city district for survivors. I'm not an engineer and yet I know that my squad needs repairs before we can return to the fray.

"What did you do to them!?" Simmons screeches as the engineering bay doors open and in comes both the broken Goliaths and Siege Tanks.

I stop my Goliath on a conveyor belt, and hop out. "Turns out that the Zerg can infest terran hardware, and turn it against us." I inform the engineer as a second Goliath steps onto the conveyor belt.

"Had to leave a couple tanks behind due to the damages from the battle." Graves hops out of his tank and joins me.

"What were you fighting?" Simmons calms down, but is deeply concerned.

"Infested Siege Tanks in Siege Mode." Graves says gravely.

"You're kidding."

"No."

I clear my throat. "Simmons, is there anything experimental we can field?"

"I modified a squad cruiser and bolted a perdition turret to the top, it can be controlled by the pilot, a gunner, or the onboard AI, but I haven't had the chance to do any testing yet as my engineers and I have been swamped with repairing everything."

"I'll field test it." I offer.

"The Magistrate, our leader, field testing experimental weaponry?" Graves asks as if I'd gone insane. "I'll do it."

"You can be in a marine suit and still be able to function like a soldier while I can't, I'll pilot it, end of discussion." I say pulling rank.

Silence.

"Hop on in, and I'll tell you how it works." Simmons says.

"I'll wait for my tank to be repaired, if you don't mind." Graves says bitterly.

I pop open the door and sit down. "Is this the same material as my Goliath's seat?" I ask, settling in the comfy seat.

Simmons nods. "Here's the key, you've driven a car before right?"

"A few times before I became Magistrate, someone else drove for me after." I explain, sticking the key into the ignition and turning it on. "Which of these shoots fire, I don't want to burn the Engineering bay to the ground accidentally."

"Big red button on the panel that was obviously grafted in, the switches control flame intensity and turret orientation, the small blue button beneath the big one sets the turret to automatic."

"Does the gunner ride shotgun?"

"Yes, for now… This is a prototype." He reminds me. "The panel can be moved so the gunner can use it easier."

I rotate the panel towards the passenger seat, then back to me. "How about you be the gunner and I'll be the driver, you just said that you aren't an experienced driver and the battlefield isn't the place to learn how to drive."

"You can't leave your Shock'n Awe without leadership, the turret can be set to auto so I won't be splitting my attention. Look I get it, but I'm not helpless and I'm not inept at fighting, I think the Skybreakers can attest to that."

"I'll ride with you, just for the test run." Simmons says as a compromise.

"That I will allow." I'd be insane to try out new hardware without the creator watching closely for errors that I couldn't couldn't possibly notice until all that's left of me is ash.

Simmons hops into the passenger seat and turns the panel towards him. "I'm limiting use of this to inside the base, okay?"

"Understood."

"Oh, so you'll listen to him but not me?"

"One wants to take me out of the fight entirely, the other wants to make sure this doesn't get whoever's driving killed."

"You fill me with so much confidence."

"Can it Graves, this is warfare." I wish people would stop thinking I'm fragile. I've been in scraps before, and It's not as if I don't know why they are so protective, it's just annoying. "Did you modify how it drives?"

"Nope."

I press down on the gas and slowly drive the experimental flamer out of the engineering bay and to a clearing in the base, where we won't scorch anything. Simmons rotates the turret and fires it. I watch as a stream of liquid green flame erupts from the nozzle, leaving a trail of flame in a straight line burning the ground like the Greek Fire I've read about in Earth History back when I was first training to be Magistrate. "How'd you get it to stick around?" I ask the engineer.

"I had to think on how to increase the pressure so that could have some range, and turning vespene into a liquid combustion agent was the first thing that came to mind."

"Is it using the gas tank that leads to the engine?" I wonder.

"No, I attached a second tank just for the flamer."

"Good." At least i don't have to worry about being stranded out there. "Can someone get the Mobile Adjutant out of my damaged Goliath? It's my only connection to the base while I'm out."

"Parker!" Simmons leans out the window.

"Yes boss?"

"Get the briefcase from the Magistrate's Goliath, it's in the remodeled mini fridge."

"On it."

"Is there a place to secure it in here?"

Simmon's looks me dead in the eye. "I wasn't expecting you to be test driving this into a warzone."

"Desperate times, the infantry will need support."

"I know better than to question you, you've successfully lead us through two Zerg invasions." Simmons says respectfully.

I turn my attention back to graves. "Once your tanks are up and running, I'll need Shock'n Awe back on overwatch just in case they get more infested tanks."

I'm handed the mobile unit and I pop it open. "Transmission to the Hyperion detected."

"Patch it through." I hold a finger to my lips, looking at the three men with me.

"This is Kerrigan, the Protoss are dealt with and there's a wave of Zerg incoming on my location, requesting immediate evac."

"Good work." Mengsk praises the ghost.

"Incoming transmission, patching it through."

"All forces pull back, the protoss have been dealt with but the damage has been done, Tarsonis is gone."

"What about Serah?" I question cautiously.

"They're dead." Mengsk lies, and my blood begins to boil.

"Bullshit!" I mend the transmission. "Adjutant, keep me tuned into any transmission coming to and from the Hyperion, route all available forces to New Gettysburg, we're rescuing her."

"Yes Magistrate." The Adjutant loyally tells me.

"Why would Mengsk just abandon his own troops like that?" Simmons asks, clearly mortified.

"Uh guys, where's that Evac?" Serah asks.

"Open a channel to New Gettysburg."

"Channel open."

"Serah I'm on my way, hold out for as long as you can."

"Glad to know that I'm not being left behind." She says relieved.

"I'm going against orders, I'm not letting my Angel die!" I turn the car towards the starport.

"What?" The Angel sounds betrayed, and it sends a spike through my heart.

"Mengsk ordered a full retreat, tried telling me that you were already dead." I explain. "I'm monitoring all transmissions from the Hyperion so I knew otherwise."

"And if you weren't?" She asks.

"I still would have tried contacting you, I love you." A single tear falls. "I want every Dropship ready, we're saving our people."

"But what about Mengsk's order?" Aaila asks concerned.

"He wants to leave an entire detachment behind, nobody gets left behind on my watch."

"Understood, I'll come back around once I've dropped off this load."

"Thank you." Kerrigan's voice is full of emotion.

Replacement vehicles start rolling off the factory ramps, and eager pilots take up their new armaments, I jump out of the car and quick march towards a Goliath, briefcase tucked under my arm.

A Pilot takes the Goliath I was walking towards and rides it towards me. "Here you go sir!" She's a Skybreaker.

"Get another Goliath, we're hot dropping into New Gettysburg."

Simmon's drives the car up beside my new Goliath, this one isn't as comfortable and doesn't have a fridge to store the briefcase. "No time for controlled tests, I guess?"

"Nope."

"Then I'll join you out in the battlefield."

"But you're an engineer."

"But you're a Magistrate."

I let out a laugh. "Fair enough, don't get killed out there."

"Yes sir!"

Slowly but surely, everyone's turning into a soldier.

The wait is killing me, It's an hour flight but every moment could be her last. We don't have the firepower to kill the Ultra Zerg, but we've brought some flying bricks to fix that.

"New Gettysburg in sight, prepare for hot drop." Aaila informs us.

"You heard her!" I shout at my fellow Skybreakers. "When we drop, crush as many as possible and clear a LZ for the dropship to land."

"Hey magistrate." Simmons's voice comes up on the local comms.

"Yes?"

"I had an idea and filled a few dropships with vespene bombs, so don't mind the fire when you drop."

"You brilliant man, I want those bombs used to cut off Zerg reinforcements if at all possible."

"Cloud!" A pilot exclaims.

"Intercepting." A wraith bravely informs us.

"Prepare for hot drop." Aaila warns.

"Bombs away!" Another pilot cheers.

The floor opens and we're dropped into hell's maw. "Calvary's here." I say, anger making my hands shake.

No battlecruiser above us, we're on our own. Explosions rip through the noisy air, completely and utterly destroying pathways into new Gettysburg. "I've never been happier to see you in my life." Serah says, filling me with hope.

"How many are still alive?"

"Three hundred."

We hit the ground before I could respond, in the midst of a swarm of Zerglings, a great many are crushed under the Goliaths, and then Shock'n Awe hot drops in siege mode, crushing more Zerg than my Skybreakers did, but this isn't about the kill count. "Brick one I see an ultra, take it out." The barracks I've dubbed the 'flying bricks' fly overhead, one splits off from the rest and flips around to use it's thrusters to increase its speed on the collision course with the ultra in question.

It sees the barracks coming for it, roars and charges towards it. Neither one makes it out in one piece. "Flying bricks you are to only target ultras, have fun."

The flying bricks split up, choosing targets. There are so many Ultras here, the Zerg desperately want something here dead.

Just as I'm thinking that the LZ is clear, a Zergling breaks through the reinforced glass and into my Goliath to grab me. I can't help but scream as it pulls on me, trying to drag me out of the mech, the straps snap and my mask falls off.

And then the Zergling goes limp, a Ghost uncloaking behind the corpse with a rifle on the base of its neck. "I've never seen one try to kidnap someone before." She jokes.

"Thanks for the Assist, Serah." I cough, barely able to breathe.

I fumble for my Inhaler so I can breathe once more.

A dropship lands and out come infantry and Simmon's flame car. "Time to get out of here." I tell my Angel with a joy filled smile.

"There's so many Zerg here."

"We've cut off Zerg reinforcements, we'll make it." I say, but i'm not as sure, I thought the psi emitter on Antiga Prime summoned a ton of Zerg. "And then we'll make Mengsk regret betraying us."

The line is being held and the exhausted soldiers left for dead are being evacuated, where to I don't know… But we'll figure it out.

"Look out!" I shout as a Zergling jumps for the hole in the Goliath.

Serah spins around with rifle ready, but then a stream of flame consumes the Zergling, it falls short of the Goliath thrashing in pain as the flames consume it. "You need to get out of here!" Simmons shouts, seeing the giant hole.

"Simmons?!" Serah's eyes widen.

"He volunteered to come, and made that thing himself." I say with pride as another flying brick hits an Ultra.

"Not going to lie, I would never have thought of either of these things." Kerrigan says as I turn the Goliath around and walk towards a landed Dropship.

"We'll make it out of this." I say reassuringly, starting to believe it myself.

"Cloud!" A Skybreaker shouts, firing rockets into the sky.

Above us our wraiths are being pursued by an enormous cloud of spaced out Scourges. Each rocket only kills a couple rather than a massive chain reaction, a Shock'n Awe blast kills more, but it's nowhere near enough to take out the cloud anytime soon.

A giant mutated earthworm breaches the ground in the middle of Serah's nearly destroyed base, and our pours so many Zerg that it's impossible to see the worm anymore. "No…" I breathe in horror.

If we can't thin the numbers, then we'll have to leave people behind to protect the fleeing dropships. I look back and forth between my Skybreakers, and Serah Kerrigan.

I know what I must do. "Skybreaker's we're-" I'm interrupted by an angelic kiss, stealing my thoughts from me.

Tears fall from the ghost's closed eyes as the domination takes hold, leaving Maxton Dirge an empty shell. She's not going to let him kill himself, not for her. She pulls away, having psychic dominated the only one she's ever loved. "Skybreakers, Lieutenant Kerrigan will be staying behind with you to ensure the safety of the dropships, there's too many Zerg for everyone to get out of this… it was a pleasure serving with you." She makes him say, sending daggers through her heart.

"No magistrate, it was a pleasure to serve with you." A Skybreaker says with pride, and the others agree.

The Shock'n Awe tanks had been unsieging to reposition before the Worm showed up, but now they're fleeing into a dropship to escape. A Seige Tank isn't useful when overrun.

Kerrigan hops off the Goliath and makes Max walk the Goliath into the dropship, it closes and readies for infantry to load.

Rangers fall back from the incoming horde of Zerg and flood into the dropships. Raynor stops by Kerrigan. "You coming, Darlin?"

"No, I'm staying behind to make sure you boys can get out of here."

Raynor raises an eyebrow. "And Max is going to let you do that?"

"Not that he has a choice." Kerrigan says, swallowing the bitter pill. "Get out of here, cowboy… And I don't know, if Max wasn't around then maybe we could have been something." Raynor's thoughts are displayed like a billboard for her to read.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry that it had to end like this."

"Yeah, same here." They shake hands, and Raynor and his Rangers file onto the dropship, filling it up.

"Thank you for your sacrifices." Aaila says on the speaker. "We will remember you for all of our lives." The dropship takes off, flying for safety.

The Cloud gives chase, but the anti air of the Skybreakers and Wraiths force it to change targets.

One by one the Skybreakers fall, but not without a fight. Until it's only the ghost, surrounded by Zerg. She smiles, drops her rifle, closes her eyes, and cries silently.

Then the Zerg jump on her.

There is an awkward silence as the fighting is over, and then there's a telepathic explosion of pure rage with only one word. "MENGSK!" ringing across the entire planet of Tarsonis as the realization of the loss overwhelms the magistrate, leaving rage where once was love.

The Mengsk in question opens a direct channel to Duke. "Activate Tarsonis's Ion Cannon, the 'Magistrate' has turned traitor."

"Yes sir." A smile spreads across the general's face.

"I will rule this system, or watch it burn around me." He says with a dark grin, and starts chuckling as victory is finally within his grasp, the Confederacy is gone and the people look to him for protection. Nothing can get in his way now.

End of Act One

Authors Notes: Thank you to everyone who's read and enjoyed this, and if you didn't enjoy it, thank you for reading, this isn't the end of Magistrate to Commander, but I'll be taking a bit of a break (one Month) to plan out the next act a bit and decide where I want everything to go, and once again, thank you.