Causes of chapter delay: Playing Pokémon Y, and also playing Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 to prepare for the release of the Full Burst DLC. Expect further delays for future chapters because of these.
PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
High orbit over Tarsonis
"Never thought we'd be back to this graveyard again. What've we got, Matt?"
"The Dominion's restored power to the old rail network. They're using the trains to move salvage to a central processing station. Our informants say the Dominion's found something unusually valuable, and they're transporting it to the processing station today. It's on one of these trains, but unfortunately they're all scan-shielded, so we can't tell which one. We'll have to hit as many as we can and hope we get lucky."
"'Hope we get lucky'? That ain't the usual Matt Horner plan!"
"If you got a better one, sir, I'm all ears."
"It's all good, Matt. You sold me. Well, let's go rob ourselves some trains. Ol' Tychus is gonna love this one!"
-SCENE BREAK-
"Sir, it turns out there are a few Confederate vehicles in the hills that the Dominion hasn't salvaged yet."
"Diamondbacks!" Swann said. "Man, I didn't think they made it past prototyping! These tanks are designed to be able to fire accurately while moving, and their anti-armor railguns will be great for stoppin' those trains… no pun intended. Once we grab a couple, I can upload their schematics to our Factory network."
"There may be other vehicles we can commandeer. We should keep our eyes open."
As SCVs got to work harvesting, Marie and a squad of marines escorted a trio of UNSC specialists to the three abandoned tanks, and the trio were quickly driven back to base, gathering a few Zerg Defiler skeletons for Stetmann's research. Within several minutes, three more new Diamondbacks had rolled out from the base's factory.
"A train is approaching from a tunnel in the northwest" the Adjutant reported.
Marie hopped into the pilot's seat of a Sangheili T-48 'Revenant', and she & the six Diamondbacks rolled (or rather, hovered) out, taking position on and by the northern railway. Before long, the Dominion train came rolling by, and the seven vehicles opened fire, blasting its anti-grav engines and punching through the armor protecting its power plant. 20 seconds of continuous fire brought the train down, the main engine erupting in a ball of fire as cargo spilled out of its other cars.
"Excellent work, Gamma-4" Horner radioed. "We can utilize the train's payload to assist our mission. We obviously won't find many natural mineral fields here, so we should make the most of what we can salvage from the trains."
While recon forces moved out to gather usable supplies from the train's wreck, Marie & the Diamondbacks went north, attacking a small force of Dominion marines that were guarding a prime potential base location; the concussive plasma shells from Marie's Revenant got at least half of the kills. With that done, they returned to base to refuel and rearm. A Marauder emerged from the barracks, while a fireteam of Devil Dogs dropped in from the Hyperion, and the factory continued to crank out new Diamondbacks.
"A train is coming through the western tunnel."
"Check it out, Jimmy" Tychus said. "Dominion's started sendin' escorts to protect the trains."
"…Poor saps actually think that'll make a difference?" Marie wondered.
A second Command Center completed construction and lifted off, flying north to the northern mineral fields, while Marie's Revenant, the Diamondbacks (now numbering 10), two Marauders, and Tychus & four other marines moved southwest to cut off the second train, which was escorted by a squad of Dominion marines and three Hellions. The flamer-equipped vehicles were first to go, the Diamondbacks targeting them all at once and blowing them to bits. Tychus and his marines worked with the Revenant to gun down the Dominion foot-soldiers. The Diamondbacks focused fire on the train, taking out its propulsion system and then pounding it until the engine car exploded. The all-clear signal was sent, and salvage teams raced in as the attack force headed north to congregate west of the base. There, they found two more Diamondbacks and a UNSC Scorpion waiting to join the team.
"Commander," Horner said,"I'm picking up increased comm. traffic from the Dominion. Sounds like they're planning to attack our base. We better be ready."
A perfectly-aimed and -timed shot from the Scorpion blew an approaching Dominion Seagull out of the sky, foiling the Dominion's pitiful first attack without giving the enemy a chance to fire even a single round. Two more Diamondbacks rolled off the assembly line and joined the tank force out west.
"A train is exiting the southern tunnel."
The assault force quickly rolled/hovered over to the southern railway and took position. More marines and Hellions escorted the third train; the Scorpion made the first kill, blowing a Hellion and two marines to bits with one shot, while the Diamondbacks took out the rest of the Hellions fairly quickly. Tychus & the marines, Marie's Revenant, and the Scorpion's machinegun turret shredded the Dominion marines, and focused tank fire quickly brought the train to a halt, the engine car coming apart and the cargo pods unsealing for salvage teams to move in and gather from.
"The Dominion are constructing a series of bunkers to protect the tracks" Matt reported. "Be careful."
The Scorpion and two Diamondbacks went north to destroy a few under-construction bunkers and the SCVs building them, while the rest of the attack force headed back to base to refit, repair, and refuel. Two 'Siege Breakers' had dropped in and taken defensive position near the base's entrances, and a second Scorpion joined the tank force.
[AN: At this point, with over a dozen tanks making up the assault force, there's not much opportunity to stretch out the engagements they get into; you can't make much out of "the tank squad blew everything to bits with their many heavy guns in a single devastating volley"]
Before long, the next train came rolling, escorted by marines and Firebats, all of whom were blown into chunks and pieces of armor within a few seconds. The 14 tanks then brought their guns to bear on the train, bringing it down very quickly; salvage teams raced out to grab what it carried. The tanks then headed southeast, wiping out a small Dominion defensive position. Another train came out through the northern tunnel, but when the tank force got there they found a pair of Dominion Siege Tanks escorting it; the hostile tanks managed to destroy two Diamondbacks before being brought down by the Scorpions. Once this train was taken down, salvage teams moved to gather resources and valuables from it.
"Sir," Horner radioed, "I'm detecting a Dominion kill-team patrolling the tracks with a large group of Marauders."
"Confirmed" Col. Holland added. "One of our recon drones has them in sight. They're southwest of the base, heading east. It looks like they're setting up for a circular patrol route."
"Sir, there's another train coming through the western tunnel. And man, is it moving fast!"
"The Dominion are boostin' their trains' speed somehow" Tychus said. "The Diamondbacks will have ta run & gun at the same time, and I don't think the Scorpions can keep up! Least it looks like they're goin' too fast for any escorts to keep up, either…"
The tanks took position along the tracks on either side, and when the train came speeding by they all opened fire; the Diamondbacks ran alongside the train while still blasting it, while the slower Scorpions fell behind but still fired shots at the retreating vehicle. Even with its speed, the train couldn't outrun the tank shells being fired at it, and it soon derailed and slid to a stop, the engine car bursting into flames. As usual, salvage teams raced out to the other cars. Back at the base, a 'small' Dominion attack force smashed itself against the Raider base's defenses; the Dominion 'Raven' was blown out of the sky by a SAM turret, while the three attacking Goliaths were reduced to twisted scrap metal by the Siege Breakers' super-heavy cannons.
Before long, another high-speed train came from the northwest tunnel. The tanks again took position, and again they brought it down. As the dust settled, one of the Scorpions' drivers zoomed in on movement in the distance, spotting the Dominion Marauder kill-team heading toward them. Grinning, he adjusted his tank's gun, aiming up to compensate for distance (there was no wind at the moment), and fired. A second or two later, the HEAT shell impacted, killing three of the distant Marauders and sending the others scattering. The two Scorpions' "snipe-shots" took out a few more before they could get into cover, and then the whole tank force rolled in that direction. The Scorpions continued lobbing long-distance shells at the Marauders, softening them up, and by the time the Diamondbacks got into range only a handful of Marauders were left, quickly dealt with by the hover-tanks' armor-piercing railguns.
"A train is emerging through the western tunnel" Adjutant reported.
"Looks like the Dominion ran outta whatever they were juicin' the trains with" Tychus pointed out. "They're puttin' out bigger escorts, though; we better watch ourselves."
This time, the normal-speed train was escorted by half a dozen Goliaths and a quartet of Siege Tanks. Unfortunately, some of them saw the Raider tank force coming, and the Siege Tanks entered Siege Mode and opened fire. Two Diamondbacks were destroyed, as the Scorpions took out two Goliaths while the other Diamondbacks returned fire on the Siege Tanks. The two UNSC MBTs then focused fire to bring the Siege Tanks down one at a time, while the Diamondbacks protected them from the Goliaths at the cost of another hover-tank destroyed. The rest of the Goliaths went down without further casualties amongst the tank force, and all remaining vehicles focused fire on the train's engine car, soon bringing the massive vehicle to a halt. Salvage teams came racing out.
"Sir," Horner said, "we're detecting electrical activity inside the wreckage."
"Now let's see what they were so fired up to get their hands on" Raynor replied.
"Adjutant 23-46 online. System recording. N-N-New Gettysburg Defense Initiative… S-Submit a-access codes."
"Well, I'll be. It's an old Confederate adjutant. Now what intel's so important they'd go and dig her up to recover it?"
-SCENE BREAK-
Hyperion bridge
"Sir, that adjutant we recovered is down in the lab. She's all powered up."
Laboratory
"Talk to me, ya old piece of junk. What do you know?"
"User identified: Raynor, James. Ex-marshal, Mar Sara colony. Joined Sons of Korhal terrorist group. Status: Criminal."
"Enough about me, darlin'. What else you got locked up in that synthetic head of yours?"
"User status: Criminal. Access denied."
"Playin' hard to get, huh? We'll see about that."
Cantina – 21 minutes later
"Sorry we couldn't crack it, Mr. Raynor" Teana said. "My Device has fairly potent knowledge of UNSC- and Covenant-made networks, and some basic hacking data on Dominion things, but nothing on old Confederate codes. It would take our specialists at least a week to identify and crack the codes – a week we don't have."
Jim said. "It's all right, kiddo. You tried. So, Tychus, robbin' a train get ya feelin' nostalgic?"
"Damn straight. We musta hit the Shale Express a dozen times back in the day. Ah, that caper never got old."
"Almost got us killed when they smartened up and started usin' outriders to chase us."
"Never was a man of 'em could keep up with you on a Vulture, Jimmy. Just added to the fun. How the hell you got a job as Marshal after all that I'll never know."
"Ladies and gentlemen," Anchorman Vermillion said on the news above, "each night we bring you the news in the most fair and balanced manner possible. (Marie: "Still bullshit!") But tonight, I have a commentary. Some have asked me what the difference is between our leader, Emperor Mengsk, and the traitor Jim Raynor. They point out that Mengsk rebelled against the government of his youth, and came to power through the use of violence and subversion. Why is it wrong for Jim Raynor to rebel in similar fashion? There is a difference. When Emperor Mengsk began his revolution, there was no threat hanging over humanity. James Raynor is waging his revolution while we are at war with two alien races. James Raynor, have you no conscience? Shouldn't you fall in line, putting your petty complaints aside as we struggle for humanity's very survival against this alien menace?"
"Everyone's a critic…"
Bridge – Six Minutes Later
"How's it goin', Matt?"
"I've been looking for an encryption expert so we can access the Adjutant we recovered. No luck so far."
"Colonel Orlan at Dead Man's Port can crack anything. Haven't been back there in a while. Say, didn't you end up gettin' married last time we were there?"
Shion and Mai's heads spun to listen in so fast that the cartilage in their necks popped.
"I told you before: if I knew what the prize was, I never would've joined that card game."
Shion: "Oh…"
Mai: "My…"
"There's just somethin' about a lovers' reunion that chokes me up" Jim joked.
Matt growled. The girls started snickering.
"Boss has got to hear this…" Shion whispered. She and Mai managed to sneak off the bridge without catching Matt's attention. Five minutes later, the cafeteria rang with the raucous laughter of Teana and Marie.
-SCENE BREAK-
High orbit over Dead Man's Port
"Dead Man's Port… It's risky just waiting here with all these mercenaries around. Colonel Orlan's sure taking his time decrypting that Adjutant for us."
"Yeah, I'm gettin' a bad feelin' about this."
"Incoming transmission."
A woman appeared on the screen, with dyed-pink hair and a cybernetic right eye. Matt quickly ducked to the side before she could see him.
"James. Orlan decrypted your Adjutant, but he's planning to sell it to the Dominion. Must have been something exciting in there! He wants me to keep you off his back until Mengsk's boys arrive."
"That's nice, Mira, but why are you tellin' me all this?"
"Because I like you and Matthew better than him, of course! Match Orlan's offer, and I'll help you take him out instead. He's paying in minerals, so I'll give you the same deal."
"Done. Always a pleasure, Mira."
"Don't take too long, now. If Orlan comes up with the goods first, I'll have to side with him. Oh and, um, say hello to Matthew for me; ask him why he never calls."
Teana, Shion, and Marie burst into giggles. "Sure thing… Mrs. Horner" Teana said with a grin. Matt glared at her. Mira ended the channel, and the screen showed Orlan's base and the surrounding area.
"It's gonna be hard to get minerals down there. We'll have to find salvage if we're going to hire Mira before Orlan does. Think she'll help Orlan, sir?"
"She's a mercenary. She'll help whoever pays the most."
-SCENE BREAK-
"Alright, folks! We got a deal with Mira Han! Now let's get to work and get that Adjutant back!"
"Pirates have been stripping down ships here for years" Matt said. "It should be pretty easy to collect enough scrap to pay Mira off."
The SCVs immediately got to work in the mineral fields and Vespene geyser, as the marines, medic, and Ahsoka got to work gathering nearby resources. The team moved north, encountering a fireteam of Orlan's men; the Raider marines caught them by surprise and gunned them down before they could get off a single shot. There was an industrial shredder nearby, with a massive store of salvageable resources that were quickly sent back to base. After about a minute, an old Seagull dropship flew in, dropping off four hover-bikes.
"I left a little present out here for you and Matthew" Mira radioed. "I never got to give it to him last time you boys were here."
"Damn, Jimmy" Tychus said. "Are those Vulture bikes?"
"Good eye, Tychus. We can use 'em to lay mines around our base to hold off Orlan."
A squad of Orlan's men attacked from the south, and Teana & the Vultures moved to head them off; the hover-bikes' frag grenade launchers shredded the enemy marines, with Teana using her Device's pistol form (even bulky Koprulu-Terran armor couldn't stand up to .45 SAP-HE rounds) to deal with the lone leftover. Meanwhile, Ahsoka and the marines & medic moved north to find a small enemy base defended by a squad of Orlan's marines. Ahsoka used her lightsabers to kill all but four of them, who were quickly gunned down by the Raider marines.
A pair of SCVs moved south from the base, clearing away a rubble pile and finding an old Protoss artifact. Ahsoka's squad moved west and found another one, along with more usable salvage, and then continued west, Ahsoka carving through a few more merc-marines while the others flagged some valuable resources. Back at base, a larger force of Orlan's men attacked; one of the Vultures went up in a ball of fire and shrapnel as it took one too many bullets to its important parts. In response, Teana switched her Device to Mirage Rifle burst-fire mode, and started picking off enemy soldiers in rapid succession. The remaining Vultures added their frag grenades to the cause, quickly finishing the enemy off, and an SCV came over to repair them. From above, several drop pods came down, depositing a few ODSTs, two 'Devil Dogs' Firebats, and two 'Hammer Securities' Marauders.
Ahsoka led her group back to base, linking up with Teana and the Vultures. They hunkered down for a few minutes as marines and another medic suited up in and emerged from the barracks. Once the force was built up, they all (with the exception of three marines and two Vultures remaining as base defense) moved south. Another of Orlan's small expansion centers was there, guarded by a squad of his mercenary marines along with a Vulture. The Raider Vultures focused fire on the mercenary one, their frag grenades blowing it to scrap quickly. Meanwhile, Teana and Ahsoka rushed in amongst the enemy soldiers, using Mirage Shotgun and lightsabers to cut them down and sow panic & disorder, leaving them easy pickings for the Raider marines. Once that was done, some det-charges brought down the enemy base, freeing up the mineral fields and a shredder surrounded by valuable resources.
The Raider base's command center lifted off and flew south, touching down at this new real estate and disgorging its SCVs to harvest the minerals here. A pair of Siege Breakers was dropped in, taking defensive position around the base, while two Missile Turrets were constructed as well, and most of the guards at the north base moved down to the south one. The attack force, meanwhile, headed west, finding a third enemy expansion center just east of Mira's base guarded by two Vultures and a handful of marines. Ahsoka quickly took the enemy hover-bikes out, but not before they managed to kill a pair of Raider marines. Teana and the ODSTs used their weapons to help the Raider marines finish off the rest of Orlan's men, losing another Raider marine in the process, and the expansion base was demolished, leaving the nearby industrial shredder up for grabs.
Everyone hunkered down as the SCVs worked as quickly as they could to gather minerals. With help from regular deposits from the shredders, the quota was reached mere minutes ahead of Orlan.
"Alright, Mira," Raynor said, "we both know you're rippin' me off, but I'm gonna hire you anyway."
"My forces are yours, Jim" Mira replied. "I'm so glad I get to side with you and Matthew!"
"Oh, you scheming little bitch!" Orlan radioed. "I'll show you what happens to double-dealing backstabbers!"
"Hypocrite…" Ahsoka muttered.
The Raider buildings at the first base's location relocated to the new one just outside Mira's. There was already a formidable fighting force of Goliaths, Diamondbacks, and Siege Tanks in Mira's base, along with plenty of marines, but it was decided to beef the attack force up even more before assaulting Orlan's base to the north. Everyone took defensive positions in and around the base while the auto-factories went to work.
Finally, a massive force of Diamondbacks, Siege Tanks, Goliaths, Vultures, and foot-soldiers moved north. As they approached the entrance to Orlan's base, a flight of Shortswords from the Starshot performed an airstrike, bombs wreaking havoc amongst the enemy armor and soldiers. The attack force moved in, Diamondbacks leading the way and destroying wounded Goliaths and Siege Tanks.
"I got a little present headed your way…"
"Ground forces, this is Commander Horner! There's a tactical nuke coming in! Get away from the impact zone!"
Everyone immediately doubled back, as the missile became visible high in the sky. Less than 20 seconds after they got to safety, the 3.5-kiloton warhead impacted and detonated. As soon as the dust had settled and the ground had cooled enough to move across, the attack force advanced again. Long-range scans showed two very big problems, however: a Planetary Fortress Cannon atop Orlan's command center, and an old Behemoth-class battlecruiser.
"How do we get through that?" Teana wondered.
In response, two starships descended into the area, main guns charged and ready. First, the Starshot fired its particle-beam cannon, piercing through Orlan's old battlecruiser, which began to plummet in flames. Then, the Hyperion fired its fusion cannon at Orlan's base, obliterating the cannon on top and dealing significant damage to the rest of the structure. Both ships then opened fire with their guns, raining hell down on Orlan's army. After less than 10 seconds of this, they got a transmission.
"Alright, alright!" Orlan said. "I surrender! Just take your damn Adjutant already!"
"I oughta do the galaxy a favor and put you down, Orlan" Raynor said. "It's too bad I might need to hire you someday. Mira, do me a favor: keep him on ice."
"You got it, Raynor" Mira replied. "I will keep the snake safe & sound for you. I will even do it for free!"
-SCENE BREAK-
Hyperion Laboratory
"Well, ol' girl, we dug you up on Tarsonis. Were you online during the Zerg attack? You remember anythin' about Arcturus Mengsk bein' involved?"
"Mengsk, Arcturus. Ex-Confederate officer. Civilian Prospector. Founder and leader of the Sons of Korhal terrorist group. Status: Criminal. Accessing intercepted transmission 0081 to 0086 Alpha."
"This is Duke. The emitters are secured and online."
"Who authorized the use of Psi Emitters?"
"I did, Lieutenant."
"What? The Confederates on Antiga were bad enough, but now you're going to use the Zerg against an entire planet? This is insane."
"She's right, man. Think this through."
"I have thought it through. Believe me. You all have your orders. Carry them out."
*static*
"I will not be stopped. Not by you, or the Confederates, or the Protoss, or anyone! I will rule this sector, or see it burnt to ashes around me!"
"Holy… I can't believe it! We can nail Mengsk to the wall with this!"
Hyperion Armory – 15 Minutes Later
"Those goofy mercs are still usin' Vultures; can ya believe it? Damn things are death traps even when you ain't got people shootin' at ya."
"Careful now, Swann. My old Vulture saved my skin more times than I care to remember. I ain't gonna listen to you trash-talk a classic piece of engineering like that."
"Classic? I suppose you could call 'em that. 'Course, most folks like a bike that don't explode on 'em when the repeller seals freeze up, or the fuel cells start leakin' radioactive waste, but hey, who cares if it's a classic, right?"
"No one likes a smartass, Swann."
Cantina – Eight Minutes
"I gotta know" Tychus said. "Just what was it went down between you and Mengsk? Seems you boys were tight once."
"I used to think Mengsk'd be a force for change. I fought alongside him right up until Tarsonis. That's where he crossed the line by usin' Zerg to murder the whole planet. He left Kerrigan there to die 'cause she called him out on it. Turned out he was just as rotten as the Confederacy."
"Damn. You sure know how to pick your friends, Jimmy."
Up on screen, UNN was interviewing Mengsk.
"Emperor, much has been written in regards to the tragic fall of Tarsonis. Tilosky's investigative documentary 'Imperial Dawn' even claims that you brought down the Confederate system by assuring Tarsonis' fall."
"I've heard these conspiracy theories before. But the fact remains the Zerg invaded Tarsonis en masse, and no force in the universe could have stopped their onslaught. It was a very… terrible day."
"Tilosky's film highlights the seeming… convenience of the aliens annihilating a corrupt government that you yourself spend a lifetime trying to overthrow."
"Millions died that day, and you speak to me of convenience? Yes, I strove against the evils of the Old Confederacy, but never with the object of personal gain! When I was called upon to take up the heavy burden of leadership, I did so only to ensure our continuing survival as a species."
"Striking words from the Emperor himself. Up next: Zerglings allergic to lemon juice – old wives' tale, or new super-weapon in the fight for humanity?"
Jim shook his head and made his way to the bridge, walking up to the starchart.
"We need to find a way to broadcast the records we found from the Adjutant" Matt said. "Mira Han gave us a tip that might help. The Dominion is unveiling a new war machine called the 'Odin' on Korhal. If we hijack the Odin, we can use it to gain access to the UNN studios and broadcast the records of Mengsk's war crimes. The Odin is currently in the testing facility on Valhalla."
-SCENE BREAK-
Low orbit over Valhalla
"Our team's in position" Matt reported, noting the position of Tychus, Teana, Marie, an Mgalekgolo pair, and several Sangheili. "We're ready to steal the Odin. Are you absolutely sure about this, sir?"
"Yep. Tychus is definitely our best man for this kinda job. He does get a little excited in combat; we're gonna need to keep up with him once the fightin' starts."
"If he can actually commandeer the Odin, it's vital that we take out all of the Dominion bases in the area. Hopefully we can block off all transmissions long enough for him to do that. We can't risk word of this getting back to Korhal."
"How much do we know about this 'Odin'?"
"It's an experimental super-heavy siege walker designed for prolonged front-line combat. Very powerful."
"Great. Even Tychus can't wreck it, then."
At the base's main entrance, Marie's det-charges blew away the sealed door. Tychus, heavy machinegun in hand, led the charge.
-Break-
"This ain't a stealth mission anymore, boys & gals! Bring it loud and fast!"
The Elites quickly mowed down the inferior-trained Dominion marines, and then followed Tychus and the Gamma girls through the halls. More Dominion forces and a pair of auto-turrets up ahead fell to Tychus' gun.
"You boys ain't keepin' me from that monster!"
In the next room, a team of Dominion marines backed by a Firebat guarded the Odin. Tychus took down the red-armored fire-thrower, while Teana and Marie effortlessly killed the marines. Tychus walked up to the magnificent machine of malice and engaged its assembly.
"Hot damn! I can't wait to get inside that thing and tear this place up!"
As soon as it was done, Tychus ran up and climbed inside. The mighty machine rose to life and walked out of its cradle.
"Hold your position, Tychus" Raynor ordered. "Let us get a support force up there to cover you!"
Tychus walked out and blew away the door ahead.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!"
"Damnit, Tychus! Stand down! Can you hear me?-!"
"He's got it stuck on transmit, sir" Horner replied. "He can't hear us at all. Defenses are coming online at the Dominion bases."
"Wonderful. Get our base set up ASAP. We'll just have to follow him in and hope he doesn't get too crazy. …Ah, who am I kiddin'…?"
Up ahead, a command center, barracks, and factory landed next to a mineral field, and the SCVs came out and went to work. Four marines manned the eastern bunker and booted up its auto-turret.
"Sir, I'm picking up two Dominion capital ships on an intercept course with the Odin."
"Hey, hotshot!" Swann said. "You want these Wraith fighters now? They'll take down a battlecruiser easy. You can build more at the starport any time. Oh, and I fixed these Sabres up with some Wraith-style cloakin' devices; I'm gonna see if the Starshotcan equip the rest of 'em."
The two Dominion light cruisers suddenly lurched as anti-ship missile explosions detonated amongst their rear thrusters, courtesy of a flight of Wraiths and Sabres. A few more barrages took the disoriented vessels down, crashing to the ground below in pieces.
"So what's the plan now, Jimmy?" Tychus asked. "Trash them bases, right? …Uh, Jimmy? Pardner? Can ya hear me? …Well, if you ain't gonna tell me not to have a little fun, I'm gonna have a little fun! Here I go!"
The Odin advanced, escorted by the fighters and followed by a pair of SCVs to keep it in shape. Up ahead, four Dominion marines were literally blown to bits by the Odin's arm cannons. The fighters cloaked and flew ahead, taking out several Firebats and Marauders while the Odin moved to blowing up buildings and hapless marines, the fighters joining Tychus in this as soon as the enemy ground forces were dead, wiping out the base. Meanwhile, back at Raider base, two siege tanks bolstered the eastern defenses.
"Sweet. You just keep me repaired, Jimmy. I'll win this whole war for ya!"
"Does he always talk this much, sir?"
"Yep, once you get him in a fight he never shuts up."
"Well, now that that's done with, I'm gonna take me a little break."
Two Siege Breakers were called in to further fortify the base's eastern defense.
"I can't wait no longer! Here it comes!"
The fighters cloaked and flew ahead, destroying an enemy bunker and raining death on the enemy Banshees and Marauders, while Tychus used the Odin to obliterate anything else. The fighters took down an approaching Dominion frigate, and then focused their attention on the enemy barracks.
"Ok. Flashy red button, what do you do?"
Two massive artillery cannons folded up from the Odin's back, and they & the arm cannons commenced a withering barrage that destroyed another barracks. Two Wraith fighters joined the assault team, and they proceeded to wipe out the rest of the enemy base. One of the three escort SCVs broke off to assemble a second command center where the Dominion one had been.
"Reckon you boys'll need some time to catch up" the Odin came to a stop. "Good ol' Tychus be right here takin' it easy. Just wake me up when you're ready. I reckon a small nuke oughta do it."
A pack of enemy Vulture bikes rode in from up ahead, but the Wraiths and Sabres took them out easy. Two Wraiths fresh from the main base's starport moved to provide defense to the new base. The Odin started to move again.
"C'mon, Jimmy! We got heads to break!"
As they moved to the next base, Diamondbacks, Vikings, Vultures, and Reapers came to meet them, only to fall to the fighters' guns & missiles and the Odin's arm cannons. Another Dominion battlecruiser was destroyed, and the Odin wrought havoc amongst the enemy structures and ground forces. One Wraith was shot down by a Dominion SAM launcher, but two more from the main base took its place.
"Time to kick ass and chew bubblegum!"
"Three bases down" Horner said. "Maybe the convict has his uses after all."
"You reckon those Dominion boys'll put up a fight this time? I ain't barely broke a sweat."
The Odin and its 22-fighter escort moved south, and encountered a massive ship.
DOMINION LOKI-CLASS BATTLESHIP – 2,200 METERS
The battleship may have been powerful, but against 22 sets of missiles it was scrap metal within less than half a minute.
"Here we go! I'm hittin' my stride now!"
The Odin and its escorts advanced, taking out more enemy units including a Dominion destroyer (which took out a Wraith and a Sabre before it went down). The base soon fell. Vikings from the south caused some trouble, shooting down two more Wraiths before being brought down.
"Now that was fun! Don't worry, old buddy, I'll give you some time to catch up. …Well I'll be. Those Dominion eggheads thought of everything. Pardon me a moment."
After about a minute, the Odin began to advance again, with the fighter escort moving ahead and shooting down two battlecruisers at the cost of three fighters. The Odin caught up and blew away a few bunkers and several marines, and the attack force then proceeded to steamroll over everything in their path. Two more battlecruisers fell, and the Odin's artillery cannons took out several structures.
"Hello there. Now how'd I miss this button with a skull on it?"
A four-kiloton warhead launched from the Odin.
"Oh, baby, you're in for a worldof pain."
The tactical nuke obliterated what was left of the enemy base.
"Excellent!" Matt said. "With the Odin secured, we can hit the UNN complex on Korhal and make our broadcast."
"Hey, can ya hear me, Captain? Maybe next time you'll trust ol' Tychus with a little bit o' mayhem."
"Heh. That's about all I'd trust you with, Tychus."
-SCENE BREAK-
Hyperion cantina
"Well… you fought real good out there, Tychus. Your time in the freezer didn't dull your edges none."
"Well, fear and violence always did bring out the best in me."
"Have to admit, we always did make a good team."
"Yeah… well, that was until I went to prison, and you went legit."
"Right. So how does the Odin rate as a fighting machine?"
"Brother… it is the single greatest creation in the history of mankind. Stridin' around and dispensin' righteous fury… just about brought a tear to my eye. Heh. You just let me know when I can take it out for another spin."
"You'll get your chance soon enough, ol' buddy. Don't you worry."
"This is Kate Lockwell reporting from UNN Headquarters on Korhal. Let's go to Donny Vermillion on special assignment."
"Kate, I'm very pleased to be talking to General Horace Warfield. General, I understand that Dominion Forces will soon be showing off their newest weapon, the Odin war machine?"
"That's correct, Donny. We'll show the Odin on the streets of Korhal itself, with full coverage from your fine network."
"General, Kate Lockwell here. I've heard rumblings about some sort of logistics trouble with the Odin's debut?"
"It's true, Kate. The Odin was delayed in shipping, and we briefly lost communication with the production facility. But it arrived safely, so we can go ahead with the unveiling."
"You heard it here first: the Dominion unveiling new weapons of destruction on the streets of Korhal!"
"Your boy Horner is actually pullin' this off" Tychus said. "Gotta say, I'm mighty impressed."
Jim headed down to the armory, greeting a trio of Erohn's Elites as he went.
"So Swann, what're the chances we can build somethin' like that Odin?"
"You nuts? No way we got the facilities for mass-producin' hardware on that scale."
"And here I was thinkin' you could build anything, Swann."
"Cute. Alright – forget the scale! I'm gonna figure it out, don't you worry. An' I'll come up with somethin' a damn sight more practical than that show-piece. You see if I don't."
Jim headed up to the bridge.
"We have our Odin," Matt said, "now we can use it to spearhead our take-over of the UNN studios on Korhal. Once the Odin has taken out their defenses, we'll broadcast our evidence against Mengsk. Figure they'll throw everything they have at us. They'll be talking about this one for years."
-SCENE BREAK-
High orbit over Korhal
The Hyperion "hid" in plain sight thanks to a sophisticated dummy signature that fooled the Dominion scanners, while the Starshot chose a more conventional cloaking device installed by the Protoss (which didn't so much bend light like traditional cloaking devices as warp space-time itself to hide the craft).
"Our raid on the Valhalla facility hasn't even been reported yet" Matt said, as he, Jim, Tosh, and Teana watched the parade on the bridge screen. "The Dominion has no idea we stole the Odin. I had to call in every favor I had, but I got the Odin on the surface, with Tychus inside."
"Matt, you're a miracle worker" Jim replied. "It must've been a complicated operation."
"You don't even wanna know, sir. I'm not going to let anything keep us from exposing Mengsk."
"So they're still expecting to film it at the UNN Studios later today?"
"That's right, and we won't disappoint them. Seeing as he's the only one with experience, Tychus will pilot the Odin and hit the studio guards with a surprise attack. They'll be confused for several minutes, and won't even know who to attack at first."
"And during the confusion, we'll establish a forward base usin' this command center we 'acquired' earlier. Pretty devious, Matt. I like it."
"If Tychus can inflict enough damage during the sneak attack, making the broadcast should be relatively easy. Keep in mind: we'll only have a few minutes before the Dominion realize that Tychus is in the Odin. Once they figure it out, they'll use everything they've got to stop us."
"Whatever happens, we'll be givin' Mengsk one hell of a broadcast. Let's do this."
-SCENE BREAK-
Korhal
Imperial Plaza
"I'm in the Dominion security network" Matt reported. "Bringing up their locations now."
Dominion military base locations were uploaded to Tychus' TACMAP.
"Alright, Tychus. Do your thing."
"Thought you'd never ask."
The Odin, surrounded by cheering people and a squad of marines with two Hellions, sprang to life and started blasting the military surrounding it, sending civilians scurrying and obliterating the military escort before they knew what was happening.
"Odin has gone rogue! Repeat: Odin has gone rogue! Take it down!"
"Attention, rogue pilot! This is General Warfield of Dominion command. You are ordered to stand down or face immediate termination."
As a Sangheili stealth team infiltrated a science facility in the southeast, finding some very interesting data, the Odin headed for the base to its northeast. Once it destroyed one bunker, killing the marines inside it, the others opened fire, but their anti-personnel assault rifle rounds did nothing to the Odin's super-thick armor, as the titan began systematically tearing the northeast base apart.
"An alert's gone out" Matt said. "It won't be long before they shut me out of their system."
"Don't rush me, kid" Tychus replied. "Can't a man take some pleasure in his work?"
By the time Tychus realized he was running low on time and started heading for the southwest rendezvous point, the Odin had obliterated almost the entire northeast base, including all its missile turrets and unit-production facilities. The massive machine reached the southwestern field just as the command center flew in and set down.
"The Dominion's switched to a secure channel" Matt said. "I can't track their positions anymore. But I have gained access to the UNN network. We'll need troops to stay close to one of the broadcast towers long enough to get our message out. For our broadcast to reach all of Dominion space, we'll need to control each broadcast tower long enough to upload the data."
"You can bet Mengsk'll have somethin' to say about that" Raynor replied. "Let's get movin'."
At the Raider base, SCVs got to work repairing the minor damage to the Odin. A UNSC Albatross flew in, carrying a rather large mecha.
"Hardware inbound" Swann radioed. "These Thors are smaller than the Odin, but they handle better – and they still hit hard. Enjoy!"
Two siege tanks rolled out from the factory, taking defensive position near the mercenary compound. An engineering bay was erected, and several marines and medics were brought in. A third siege tank rolled out and switched to Siege Mode, while the barracks continued to churn out marines. A squad of Dominion marines attacked from the east, but a single mortar shell from the Odin blew them all away. Marie, Kaede, and Mai waited for their chance to work, ensuring that the Gauss Warthog they'd brought with them was in top shape. A handful of upgraded Goliaths strode out from the factory one by one, as a couple more probing attacks were blown to bits by the Siege Tanks and the Thor.
Soon, the Odin headed north and then northeast, accompanied by 13 marines, four Marauders, six Goliaths, the Gauss Hog (Marie driving, Mai shotgun, Kaede on the big gun), a Chaingun Warthog, a pair of SCVs, and four medics. The small Dominion mining base north of them was almost totally wiped out by an artillery barrage from the Odin, with the Goliaths moving in and mopping up the few disoriented survivors.
"This mighty steel giant stands as a testimony to the skill and determination of our Dominion engineers and scientists. Human tenacity and ingenuity have come together to forge the final answer to the Zerg threat!"
The attack force moved north, and a Chaingun Warthog joined them. The base guarding the northern tower had multiple Wraiths and Banshees (the Terran type, obviously, not the same-named Sangheili vehicles) as well as a few of the newer Vikings. An opening anti-air missile barrage from the Goliaths and the Odin cut their numbers in half at the outset, and then the attack force moved in en masse, Marauders and marines taking out defensive structures and the relatively few foot-soldiers present while the Goliaths, Warthogs, and Odin focused on the air units. Although six Raider marines fell, and a couple Goliaths took moderately heavy damage, the area was soon cleared. One of the more tech-savvy marines then made his way to the tower
"Security breach at one of the towers!" Gen. Warfield reported. "Strike-Team Alpha, engage! Stop them!"
The tech-marine worked diligently as the Odin and the Warthogs decimated the approaching enemy forces, Kaede firing a single well-placed gauss shot that took out two Hellions at once along with any Dominion marine too close to either of the vehicles when they were hit. An SCV started assembling a command center near the mineral fields to the north, and four more Marauders and two Devil Dogs joined the assault team. The Odin's artillery guns wiped out an approaching tank column. Soon, the upload was done, and the assault force headed east.
"First transmission uploaded" Raynor said. "Even Mengsk won't be able to wiggle out of this one."
"Incoming Transmission" the Adjutant reported.
"There's only one man arrogant enough to think he can get away with this… Raynor!"
"Ha! Just for once, Arcturus, this really is all about you. I hope you enjoy our show."
"I knew it. Warfield! Get your men down there. I want Raynor's head, you understand?-! Him and all his terrorist friends!"
The assault force continued east past the bunkers they'd just obliterated, being reinforced by new arrivals at regular intervals as they attacked the previously-battered northeast base. Thanks to the Odin's earlier devastation, there was hardly anything left to fight back at them, and they made it to the broadcast tower without casualties.
"They're attacking a tower! Strike-Team Bravo, take 'em out!"
As the computer tech got to work, a pack of Dominion Hellions attacked from the southeast. A barrage from the Odin destroyed most of them within a few seconds, while the Gauss 'Hog took care of the rest. A flight of Dominion Vikings from the west went down in flames thanks to the Goliaths' surface-to-air missiles. Soon, the data was successfully uploaded.
"We're almost done transmitting Mengsk's dirty little secret to the Dominion" Matt said.
The strike force, again reinforced and repaired, moved southwest, heading for the final tower, the two Warthogs leading the way. Reapers, Hellions, and Vultures guarded the final tower, along with a few Siege Tanks that were immediately singled out for artillery shots by the Odin. The Reapers proved somewhat problematic, destroying three Goliaths before the Raider marines and the Chaingun Warthog brought them all down. Kaede used the M68 Gauss Cannon to scrap Vultures and Hellions left & right, while the Odin swatted a flight of Banshees out of the sky with its AA guns. As the fighting wound down, the tech specialist started his last bit of work.
"Strike-Team Charlie, get to that tower! Bring down those rebels!"
A force of tanks and Wraith fighters attacked from the south, but the Odin's guns handled the former while a strike by a flight of Sangheili Seraphs handled the latter. The enemy kept coming in waves which were promptly killed, and the technician finally finished his task. Mengsk's secret was out.
"That's the last one!" Raynor said. "Let's see what the people think of their 'beloved' emperor now!"
"All transmissions have been sent, sir" Horner reported. "Every planet in the Dominion just got a 'UNN special bulletin' about Mengsk."
-SCENE BREAK-
Hyperion cantina
"-these shocking revelations-"
"-veritable firestorm of anti-Mengsk sentiment-"
"-the Emperor held a news conference earlier today."
"Emperor – how do you respond to these allegations of genocide? Of using Zerg to-"
"I assure you, these slanderous attacks against the throne are baseless and irresponsible!"
"Sir," Kate Lockwell asked, "do you still stand by the sentiment that selfless devotion to the people is the basis of your rule?"
"Well, of course! I was called upon to serve the greater interest of humanity! Personal power was never my goal!"
"Then how would you characterize this statement?" she held up a tape player and pressed 'play'.
"I will not be stopped. Not by you, or the Confederates, or the Protoss, or anyone! I will rule this sector, or see it burnt to ashes around me!"
The crowd broke into a murmur, and the flashes of cameras filled sight.
"I… I won't STAND for this! You jackals think you can come in here and question ME?-! This interview is OVER!-!"
Jim switched the TV off.
"Y'know, I love seein' him squirm, but the Dominion's just gonna spin this like they do everything else."
"Not this time" Matt replied. "Mengsk used the media as a weapon for years; now we've turned it against him. One broadcast, and it won us a bigger victory than a hundred battles."
Matt handed Jim a cigar, grabbing one for himself as well.
"I guess you're right. Well, it's what we started this whole revolution for in the first place… We've got a long way to go, but maybe we started somethin' here."
"Hearts and minds, man. Just like you always said."
"Y'know, Matt… someday you're gonna end up leadin' this bunch of misfits."
"Oh, no… that's what I keep you around for, sir."
They lit their cigars and laughed.
Few hours later – Cantina
"Kate Lockwell here, live from Korhal. There's rioting in the streets. Citizens are setting fire to government buildings to express their shock and anger at the startling revelations from earlier today! Donny, what's the situation where you are?"
"I had a brother on Tarsonis… Jacob… My little brother Jacob was there! Um, I… um…"
"Right. Uh, th-thanks for that, Donny. …Okay. Emperor Mengsk broadcasted a statement earlier today. Unfortunately, UNN satellites were on lockdown at the time. Let's replay a bit of that."
"This evidence has been falsified! The enemies of the Dominion will go to any length to soil my good reputation! These ruthless, slanderous attacks cannot-"
"At that point, the Emperor was shouted down. He's since retreated to his palace and refuses to speak with anyone. In this reporter's opinion, Emperor Mengsk has been revealed as a-"
The signal was cut off. Jim finished his dinner and headed down to the armory.
"Ha-ha! Y'see? Told ya I could build somethin' better than that piece-o'-crap Odin."
"I like that. That's the spirit, brother! Show 'em who's boss!"
"Got some work to do on the chassis still, but I got to thinkin' about upgrades and variants, y'know? They ain't gonna be cheap, cowboy. Big honkin' thing like that never is. But they'll be worth it, you'll see."
Jim headed up to the bridge, finding Tychus.
"So," he asked the big man, "are ya thinkin' about givin' up this life of luxury and becomin' a professional broadcaster?"
"Aw, regular folks just ain't ready for the raw sex appeal I'd unleash into their gray little lives. I reckon my niche is right here with you, ol' buddy. Right to the end."
"I'm glad you're part of all this, Tychus. You did real good today."
As Tychus walked off, Matt walked up.
"Those classified documents that the Sangheili found on Korhal weren't anything special" Jim told him. "Just referred to some old bio-weapons lab orbiting Castanar."
"I think this one might be different. The files suggest they were planning to terminate everyone who ever worked there."
"I assume that doesn't mean firin' 'em. But why would Mengsk wanna kill a whole research staff?"
"I don't know, but it seems like something we should check out."
"It does, indeed."
-SCENE BREAK-
High orbit over Castanar
500 kilometers from orbital research station
"So what's the scoop on this top-secret death lab?"
"This asteroid is registered as a beryllium storage warehouse, but that must be a cover for the Dominion's bio-lab."
"Let's hope so. We'd look pretty silly comin' all this way for a few tons of beryllium. Did those documents give us any clues as to what the Dominion's cookin' up in there?"
"No, sir, but they did contain some of the facility's security codes, so we may be able to hack into their systems."
"Sounds fun. Well, 'long as we're here, we may as well take a look."
-SCENE BREAK-
"Sir, parts of the facility seem to be scan-shielded – our signals are breaking up left and right. Be careful in there."
"Hey, careful's my middle name…"
"I thought it was Eugune."
The stealth Pelican flew in, dropping off Raynor, Teana, Shion, five ODSTs, and two Terran medics.
"Shut it, Matt. Alright, boys & girls, stay frosty! Surprise, surprise… the door's sealed. Nothin' a little breachin' charge won't cure."
The door was blown down, and the team poured in, running into a trio of Dominion marines and a Firebat.
"This facility is strictly off-limi- Raynor?-! Halt, you're under arrest!"
The team responded by gunning down the enemy forces before they could react – Mirage Rifle took down the Firebat while Raynor and the ODSTs killed the three marines.
"Not today, buddy."
The team moved forward, finding a terminal and tapping into the security camera. It showed that up ahead were three Firebats, seven marines, and six auto-turrets that quickly folded up.
"Hm. Fry any rebel you see."
"Looks like we got a reception committee waitin' for us. Adjutant, activate those gun turrets and give 'em a surprise!"
"System accessed. Decrypting security overrides. System control established."
"…Well, we got half the guns. Should take some of 'em out, at least."
Raynor activated the right-side turrets, which sprung to life and started shooting, killing two marines right off the bat. Raynor's team rushed in and took advantage of the confusion; Teana and Raynor brought the Firebat down, while Shion and the ODSTs killed the disoriented and wounded marines. They advanced into a lab, and the few scientists there quickly put their hands up. They were no threat. However, there was something of interest here, inside the stasis tanks.
"These creatures… they ain't like any Zerg I've ever seen before. Matt, scan their bio-signatures."
"Hold on. The signal's weak in there. Wait… Sir – I'm reading both Protoss and Zerg DNA. Were those… things assimilated somehow?"
"I don't know. But I'm real curious as to what they're doin' inside a Dominion lab."
Suddenly, the two doors sealed shut.
"Hey, check it out" a Dominion marine's voice was intercepted on the comm. "We got that Raynor guy trapped in lab one."
"Ha! Nice! Release the Zerg!"
A large structure in the room opened, and Zerglings ran out. The team opened fire on full-auto, shredding the beasts before they could get close.
"They're comin' from the holding pen! Destroy it; we gotta block 'em out!"
Teana threw an Antlion anti-personnel mine like a Frisbee, and it destroyed the holding pen, killing the few Zerg still inside. Raynor moved up to the sealed door and placed a breaching charge, blasting through and allowing the team to advance.
"Shit! They got out!"
Shion warped in amongst the three Dominion marines, and in a flash of green they fell to the floor in halves. As the team continued on, Teana used her Spartan speed to rush in amongst a few more Dominion marines and use the two orange energy blades of Mirage Longsword to cut them apart, while Raynor and the ODSTs focused fire to bring down a Firebat. Ahead, a group of enemy marines and a Marauder were taken out when the ODSTs threw a barrage of frag grenades, allowing the team to access another console. The next room held three auto-turrets, four scientists, three Marauders, and 18 Dominion marines.
"Looks like we got a few options on this terminal to soften 'em up before we go in."
Jim let loose a horde of Zerglings on the surprised Dominion forces, letting the beasts tear apart most of the enemies before swooping in to pick off the stragglers. There were more creatures in stasis tanks.
"Looks like the same creature was mutated and cloned over and over. Matt, you got any additional info?"
"Stetmann's been running some tests, sir. He says the specimens' DNA strands have been artificially spliced. Whoever's in charge of this mess did it deliberately."
It was now that Jim remembered Zeratul's visions and made the horrifying revelation.
"Matt… we gotta blow this place sky-high. No way we can just leave it standing."
"Well, I'm picking up a strong power signature close to you. There must be a large fusion reactor somewhere near your location in the facility."
"Perfect. We'll find the reactor, set it to blow, and then we're outta here!"
The team moved on, using a breaching charge to access to a prototype Dominion plasma charge launcher which Jim grabbed. They then moved the other way deeper into the facility, and a Dominion Viking in walker mode appeared in their path. Jim hefted the plasma charge launcher and fired, and the explosive plasma shell hit the Viking's cockpit, vaporizing most of the pilot and knocking the gutted walker over. Up ahead, a Dominion Siege Tank was patrolling; Raynor waited until it turned away, and then blasted the vulnerable rear with another plasma shell, destroying the vehicle. They then found another terminal.
"Oh yeah… siege tanks… Vikings… wait. Some kinda warbot? Looks like I can pick a weapon upgrade and activate it from this console. Here goes…"
The war-droid, armed with anti-personnel napalm, came to life and rolled into the next room. As it started burning through the surprised Dominion marines, Raynor's team followed in its wake, Jim using the plasma-charge launcher to take out a Siege Tank while the ODST carrying a rocket launcher destroyed a pair of Vikings with it. Once the area was clear (with the warbot managing to destroy the last vehicle – a Goliath – just before it succumbed to damage and shut down), the group moved up to another console.
"You readin' me, Matt? I could use some reinforcements down here. They got somethin' big in the next room and I don't think it's friendly."
"You got it, sir. I only have one dropship available. What do you need?"
"Send us some Marauders."
"Yes, sir. Reinforcements inbound."
The Seagull flew in, dropping off a trio of Marauders to join the assault force. Jim placed another breaching charge on the door ahead, and the team rushed in. A Dominion Ghost almost managed to line up a sniper shot on Teana, only for Shion to Void Prison him before he could fire; Raynor then took him out with a grenade. A Brutalisk was locked up in a stasis field in the center of the room; the team gave it a wide berth as they advanced. The next door was blown down, and the team, entering a large room with an opaque-walled containment device in the center… and full of armed guards.
"Sir, you're right on top of that power signature. The fusion reactor must be nearby."
Against a Spartan, a human Dark Templar, ODSTs, Marauders, and Jim Raynor, the Dominion forces stood no chance. Team Raynor found the reactor, and Teana repeated what she'd helped the Master Chief do on the Pillar of Autumn. The base darkened, emergency lights coming on. Suddenly, there was a loud thud from the opaque containment vessel in the center of the lab, and then another, as if something was trying to break out. A hand with four large, sharp claws punched through the weakened metal, followed by another, as the thing within ripped its way free. It was huge, with a chitinous dark hide with glowing psionic energy veins, two Hydralisk-like mandibles flanking its lower jaw full of huge teeth, and glowing eyes beneath a spiked head-crest. Raynor, Teana, and Shion went pale with recognition and horror as the Reaver-type Protoss/Zerg Hybrid tore its way through and let out a psionically-enhanced deafening roar.
"…We need to get the fuck out of here" Teana said, her voice trembling faintly with barely-contained terror. "Now."
"Sir, you'll have to be careful" Matt radioed. "That place is starting to come apart. All the containment fields are down; who knows what else you'll run into?"
"Just what I wanted to hear. Thanks for the heads-up. Stay tight on me! Let's move, Raiders!"
As Team Raynor got moving, rushing through the facility as it steadily began to come apart, they fought through a few panicking Dominion soldiers along with a handful of escaped Zerg. Surprisingly, there turned out to be a few captive Tal'darim Protoss aboard the station as well; they were now loose and attacking everything in sight. As they entered a smaller room, they found another experimental weapon.
"Chrono Rift Device? Must be based on alien tech. Mengsk is really playin' with fire here."
They blasted their way through some rubble, and fought their way past a few more Zerglings. They passed the Hybrid, which was trapped between rapidly-failing rubble.
"Ah, Hell! That debris won't hold it for long! Keep moving! Go! GO!"
As soon as they got out of the room, the Hybrid broke free. They came across a terminal.
"Another war-droid! Adjutant, send it against the Hybrid to buy us some time!"
They advanced, fighting through rubble and Dominion marines. Behind them, the war-droid opened fire with its cannons against the beast. Up ahead, Tal'darim and Zerg were fighting. Team Raynor rushed through, killing anything that moved, but one of the Tal'darim Zealots managed to spear his Psi-Blade through an ODST's neck before being brought down; the dead UNSC trooper's comrades grabbed his ID tags and kept running. Behind them, an explosion rang out.
"Hell, that warbot didn't last long. This place is comin' apart fast!"
They busted their way through more debris, Jim using the chrono rift device to stall the Hybrid's advance. They continued on, fighting past Zerg while some Tal'darim Zealots ran in to engage the Hybrid. After a short while, Matt contacted them.
"Sir, I've lost the Hybrid's signal. It seemed to just disappear."
"Define 'disappear'."
They fought through a small Zerg infestation. An Ultralisk tried to pursue them, but the Hybrid suddenly busted through a wall, and the large Zerg attacked it instead, giving the team a chance to run. They fought past a last squad of Dominion marines and hijacked a Dominion transport.
"Time we were leavin'! Lift off! Matt, can you hear me? I'm inbound in some big transport the Dominion was nice enough to supply. Don't shoot us down!"
Less than a minute later, the transport shot into the Hyperion's hangar, and the Hyperion and the Starshot immediately jumped out. Seconds later, the system briefly gained a second star.
-SCENE BREAK-
Hyperion bridge
"That thing down there… it was like the Hybrids Zeratul fought."
"Here? But how?"
"Mengsk. It's always Mengsk. The end of the universe is comin', and I shoulda known he'd be behind it!"
"But how did he hybridize Zerg and Protoss? The technology required is way beyond anything humans have developed. He can't be working alone on this…"
Cantina – 11 minutes later
"Whatever you found down dere makes me afraid. What was it, mon?"
"Somethin'… monstrous – a Zerg/Protoss hybrid. It must've been a powerful psi for you to feel its scream from all the way up here."
"Searing. Blinding. Like feelin' the sun burnin' your face with your eyes squeezed shut. I never felt a thing like that before. I hope I never do again."
"This is Kate Lockwell for UNN. Donny Vermillion remains on sick leave – get better, Donny! Coming up later, we begin a 10-part exposé on corruption in the Dominion government. How high does it go? Tonight, however, I'd like to return to the topic of Tarsonis, and the day it fell. Families ripped apart – literally – when the savage Zerg arrived. Mountains of dead bodies, deserted cities… let's play that clip again."
"I will rule this sector, or see it burnt to ashes around m-"
The transmission was interrupted when a Dominion marine barged into the studio and smashed the camera.
"We finally got ya, Arcturus. Nice to see the media takin' shots at you for a change."
Jim headed down the armory.
"What in hell's name did you stir up in that lab, cowboy?"
"Mengsk has taken to playin' God literally now. He made that thing and a whole heap more like it! An' who knows how many other labs he's got out there?"
"Great; like we ain't got enough to handle with the Zerg. Now we got Mengsk breedin' his own damn monsters, too. …So, what next?"
"Well, Tosh says he's got a job for me…"
-SCENE BREAK-
Next Time: New Folsom and Haven