Chapter 4: The Hammer Falls
The distant thunder of missile explosions was drowned out by the whine of the dropship's engines as they settled to the ground almost a click east of the base. Three of the heavily laden craft lowered just enough that the treads of the siege tanks rested on the icy tundra before releasing their magnetic clamps and letting the three massive war machines settle to the ground. Not wasting time the craft then lifted slightly, floating backwards, to touch down just behind the tanks. The ramps lowered and four squads of armored marines jogged down onto the flat wasteland, spreading out to find what little cover they could to protect the landing zone.
A black armored marine walked off the fourth shuttle at a steady pace, lowering his skull-covered visor as he went and hefting his gauss rifle. Jim Raynor switched to the command channel as he glanced around checking that his forces were in place. Over his comm he heard three short beeps as someone repeatedly keyed their comm unit without speaking. Nodding to himself he addressed the troops.
"Alright boys, advance to eight hundred fifty meters. Siege tanks, cannons out and standbye for targeting info."
Suiting actions to words Raynor moved into a jog toward the distant Dominion outpost, flanked by two squads of blue armored marines. Ahead and to his left and right the three siege tanks rumbled forward quickly, pulling to a stop just outside what would be the effective range of the enemy infantry defending the base.
With a chorus of loud mechanical whining the three tank's turrets twisted around, the twin ninety millimeter cannons collapsing into the main body of the turrets as the more powerful hundred and twenty millimeter shock cannons extended from the other sides. Two thick mechanical arms extended out from each tank, one on each side, lowering a large clamp into the frozen turf. Metallic claws shot out of the clamps hooking down into the soil to hold the tanks in place and with a loud clunk each tank's tracks locked into place. Not missing a beat Raynor hailed the distant wraiths.
"Reaper One this is Raider Actual. We're set."
Another voice responded, sounding strained as the fighter pilot was no doubt maneuvering his craft in for another attack run on the Dominion troops.
"Copy Commander. One bunker's down and I'm transmitting targeting data for the other two."
"Copy Reaper. Give 'em hell. Raider out."
Moment's later three massive booms sounded out in quick succession as the tanks fired. Three large fireballs appeared in the distance as the huge rounds impacted. Even from his distance Raynor could make out bits of debris flying in all directions.
"This is Reaper Four, good hits! Second bunker's down!"
The great cannons were already lining up with the last bunker, however, and within moments they'd annihilated the last target in similar fashion. Without missing a beat the tank commanders began raising their clamps and getting their vehicles ready to move. As soon as the last tank was ready to go, revving it's engines loudly to announce the driver's eagerness, Raynor's voice rang out on the command frequency again.
"All unit's bumping advance! Move!"
Two of the tanks shot forward, followed by two of the marine squads, the armored men being careful two stay behind the heavier armored hides of the tanks. As the tanks moved they opened up with their twin ninety millimeters. The shells impacted against the distant berm sending the lucky Dominion marines scrambling for cover and the unlucky ones flying away in pieces. One tank and Raynor's two squads hung back, spreading out and firing out potshots at the distant berm, hoping to keep the defending Dominion fighters behind cover as their comrades advanced.
Once the advancing Raiders were roughly a hundred and fifty meters ahead they pulled to a stop, the siege tanks still firing and several of the marines from behind each tank peaking around the armored beasts firing short bursts from their gauss rifles.
"This is Raider Two-One. Set!"
"Roger. Moving," Raynor acknowledged briefly before waving his own tank and infantry forward. The tank sped off, heading towards its comrades, Raynor following along with the remaining two squads behind the tank. Once they had reached the other two groups they halted with a shouted "Bump!" from the black armored commander as he went to a knee, firing a short burst from his gauss rifle towards the berm. The other two groups moved forward again, relying on Raynor's group to cover their advance. In this fashion they continued forward until they had closed within a few hundred meters of the Dominion line.
A hail of gauss rifle fire streaked back and forth between the two groups. Most of the Dominion's fire pinged harmlessly off the heavy armor of the Raider's tanks. A few bursts of spikes found their targets however. One of Raynor's men flew backward with a yell as a burst caught him in the arm. A flurry of shattered armor and blood erupted from the limb and he was thrown back cursing in agony. Raynor hurriedly passed his rifle to one of his men, grabbed the man's blue armored leg in both hands, and dragged him back behind the cover of the tank. A white armored medic appeared at his elbow, rolling the injured marine onto his back and examining the wound.
Snatching his rifle back Raynor quickly jerked out on one knee, moving his rifle out from behind the tank and unleashing a steady stream of spikes at the stubborn defenders. His tanks thundered their own reply at the Dominion troops and at this range their accurate fire was devastating, blowing great chunks of dirt and men into the air. The red armored troops continued to hold though.
"Break you bastards… Break damnit," Jim Raynor growled as he fired another burst at a red armored figure peaking over the berm. The spikes clipped the man's armored shoulder but didn't quite penetrate and he ducked back behind the berm. For a moment the firing died down as most of the Dominion troops disappeared behind the remains of the berm. Raynor glanced around his tank, hoping they'd finally retreated.
"Watch out! Watch out! They've got launchers!"
As one, the surviving Dominion fighters rose and sent a storm of spikes at Raynor's men. Two of the red armored marines raised large anti-armor missile launchers toward the tanks.
"Shit! Take those launchers down now!"
Fighting back his fear Raynor raised himself up, bringing his gauss rifle to bear over the back of the tank. Spikes impacted around him, pinging off the tanks armored hull. Spotting one of the launcher wielding marines he started to bring his rifle in line for a shot. Before he could do so, however, a chunk of the man's visor erupted outward with a spray of blood and he toppled forward, sliding a ways down the berm with the launcher still clutched in his dead fingers.
Sending up a silent cheer Raynor moved to bring his weapon in line with the other missile launcher, only to see a flurry of spikes take the man in his armored chest and face, shattering armor and flesh. As the man died he pulled the trigger on the launcher. But in his death throes the missile went wide, impacting harmlessly a good forty meters behind Raynor's tanks. A few Dominion marines let loose some final bursts before disappearing behind the berm.
"This is Reaper One! Their breaking! They're making for their buildings!"
Raynor motioned violently toward the top of the berm.
"GoGoGo! Get to the top of the berm but hold your fire."
All around him blue armored marines charged up the steep berm, using the massive craters dug out by the siege tank's attacks to move up. Reaching the top of the berm they raised their rifles but held their fire as ordered. Raynor crested the rise himself to see the surviving Dominion troops, only a few dozen now, sprinting toward the mobile barracks and armory. Not bothering to raise his own rifle he switched to an open frequency so the Dominion troops would hear him.
"Hold where you are! Throw down your weapons and turn around slowly or I promise ain't a one of you gonna get to those buildings without holes in you!"
The Dominion marines stumbled to a halt, still a good fifty meters from the closest cover. One of them whipped around, Raynor could barely make out the Staff Sergeant insignia painted on his hardskin's chestplate. Growling the man raised his rifle, shouting as he did so.
"Go to hell Raynor!"
With a sharp whistling sound a bullet punched through the back of the man's armored helmet, blowing bit's of the his brains out the front, and the rest of the dominion troops froze. Men glanced uncertainly at the dead staff sergeant, who slowly fell forward with a thud, his gauss rifle slipping from his fingers as he hit the ground. All around Raynor his own marines held their rifles steady on the Dominion troops with fingers resting nervously against triggers. One Dominion fighter turned his visor toward Raynor and the black armored former marshal held his gaze. The skull visage on his visor gazed back at the man ominously.
"How do we know you won't just kill us all anyway? We all heard about that shit you pulled in New Raleigh…" the man's voice was laced with bitterness as it came over Raynor's comm. Jim felt a stab of anger, tempered with dull throb of sadness. These bastards didn't know a damned thing.
A dull roar, rising slowly but with a deep and threatening volume, began to sound from the sky behind Raynor and he raised his head. Putting all thoughts of New Raleigh to the back of his mind he raised his visor with a hiss and let a wry grin emerge on his bearded face. Seeing this many of the Dominion marines shifted nervously and glanced at the sky as the roaring grew louder. Raynor raised his voice, so as to be heard over the growing sound.
"Don't believe me if you like friend. But my rides here, and the chauffer takes a particularly dim view to folks in red pointing guns at me."
The thundering noise above reached a crescendo and every Dominion marine's eyes rose to the sky beyond the black armored Raider as a great metal warship emerged from the thick clouds. A broad hammer-like forward section appeared ominously from the clouds like the head of some great beast emerging from the depths of a dark ocean. Only this ocean was a grey, cloud-covered sky and the beast was an enormous battlecruiser.
A thinner section followed after the hammer. After this came a thick central section that swept out into two great wings tipped by huge three sided stabilizers. Last to emerge from the clouds was the engine compartment. The glow of four massive engines framed the rear of the ship in a bright blue glow and lights shown from viewports all along the length of the great behemoth.
As the enormous ship came into a hover, the sheer size of it seeming surreal as it hung in the sky and cast a shadow on the Dominion outpost beneath it, laser batteries and gun turrets along the bottom of the massive ship's hull rotated and aimed down on the small troop of Dominion marines. Those marines stared up in wide-eyed awe at the huge battlecruiser.
A voice came over the open frequency. It was soft, clear, and threatening. Jim smiled again as he recognized the sound of his second-in-command, Mat Horner.
"All Dominion troops, this is Captain Horner of the Hyperion. Throw down your weapons and surrender immediately or every single one of you will die today."
Without a word spoken, and almost simultaneously, dozens of weapons clattered to the ground.
0000
Raynor watched as a large group of his SCV's, techs, and mechanics disembarked from the Hyperion's dropships. The flood of personnel spread out, heading to pre-established areas of the former Dominion base. Their orders were simple. Grab everything that wasn't nailed down. Weapons, equipment, supplies, intel, and anything else that they could either sell or use themselves. Even the fallen Dominion marines were being scavenged for their hardskins, or at least what could be salvaged. The bodies had been laid out in rows against the berm and covered with tarps.
Over by the armory the surviving Dominion marines and military personnel were being held under guard by his own marines. He'd told them to keep them out of sight of their fallen. Sitting there looking at their dead friends would only incite them into doing something stupid. To his left a group of weapons researchers were herded onto one of the Raider's black dropships by a group of blue armored marines. They were going to be interrogated, gently, and once the Raider's had gotten as much intel and technology out of them as they could for Stetmann they'd drop them at some fringeworld where they could make a living or contact the Dominion as they saw fit. Raynor doubted many of them would choose the second option. Explaining to Emperor Mengsk how they'd given all of their valuable knowledge to one of the most wanted men in the sector wouldn't be a particularly pleasant experience.
Raynor closed his eyes and inhaled. Enjoying the bite of the cold wind across his face. While some bundled up against the chill he reveled in it. It let him know he was alive. Something he took for granted less and less as the years passed. He stood in his black hardskin at the bottom of a dropship's ramp with his great armored arms crossed. He'd stowed his gauss rifle inside with the fighting over, though he kept his revolver holstered at his thigh. Passing marines and non-combat personnel saluted as they moved past on one errand or another and he nodded or sometimes saluted in reply. One approaching figure caught his full attention.
Moving calmly and confidently across the tarmac was the lean, grey-haired ghost. The man held his canister rifle casually across his chest as his hard grey eyes took in the activity around him. The other Raiders gave the man a respectful, if not wary, berth and he quickly crossed to the waiting commander.
Raynor nodded.
"Blitz."
The aging ghost everyone knew only as Blitz nodded back.
"Jim," one could hear years of hard living in the soft growl of the man's voice.
Raynor hesitated before his next question.
"Was it…"
"Looks like it," the grey haired man answered before Raynor finished his question. "There was some kind of detonation system set up on the observation deck. I checked the labs when the boys went in to get the scientists. The whole place was rigged to blow." He glanced back toward the underground research center. "It was sneaky though. Well hidden. I'm guessing none of the staff knew about it."
Raynor nodded.
"More 'n likely. Doubt most folks would care to work in a place that could come toppling down on them whenever their emperor fancied it." The black haired commander's jaw clenched and a look of anger passed through his brown eyes. "Mengsk likes his assets that way… expendable."
Blitz nodded, looking at him speculatively before replying.
"How long till we lift off this rock?"
Raynor sighed and glanced around.
"Shouldn't be more'n another few minutes. Just waiting on a few things then we'll head back up to the ship and let these folks do their jobs."
Blitz nodded and started up the ramp. Raynor watched him go and before he disappeared into the ship he called up after him.
"That was some fine shooting today."
"Of course it damn was," Blitz called back down without breaking stride.
Jim Raynor chuckled softly. Cocky bastard.
"Ummm… sir?"
Raynor turned to see one of his marines standing in front him, looking nervous, and his mood immediately soured.
"Relax son. You brought 'em?"
"Yes sir," the marine replied as he held out a handful of dog tags. Six sets total. Raynor took them solemnly before replying.
"Thanks Brooks. Carry on."
"Roger sir," Brooks replied. The young marine saluted before turning and heading off to join a group of men spray painting a huge Raider's emblem on the base's concrete. A memento for whatever Dominion response force showed up in the next few days. Raynor returned his salute half-heartedly but found his gaze drawn to the dog tags in his hand. Six sets of tags. Six dead marines. Six more lives extinguished trying to bring down that bastard Mengsk. The wearied ex-marshal almost didn't hear his comm unit beep at him. It was almost unconsciously that he spoke into his combat suits transmitter.
"Go ahead."
"Sir? It's Horner."
"What's the word Mat?"
"Final count is in sir..."
"What's the bill?"
Horner hesitated before replying. "We've got six marines KIA and another four wounded, though the medics say they'll live. We've got one wraith and pilot KIA and another two wraiths damaged."
Raynor sighed. Another death. And a wraith gone too. Those things weren't easy to throw together. Horner came back, a note of consolation in his voice.
"We dealt the Dominion a serious blow today sir. The gear and the tech from this mission should keep us going for a good while." He hesitated again before continuing. "They were good people sir, but all in all this isn't bad for a days work."
Raynor nodded grimly as he replied.
"Your right Mat. Anything else?"
"No sir. I'll see you when you get up here. Horner out."
Raynor trudged slowly up the ramp. His armored boots beat a melancholy rhythm as they thudded against the metal of the dropship. At the top he paused and took one more look at his people. They moved with an energy and enthusiasm he hadn't seen in them for months. Some of their friends had died. But at the same time they'd struck a good blow against Mengsk, and that was what they worked for.
Raynor hit the button to raise the ramp. The pilot, taking the cue, started the engines to prepare for takeoff. The black armored commander sat wearily across from Blitz, who's eyes were closed. He looked at the ghost for a moment wondering if he was actually asleep. The old coot always had his guard up. Jim Raynor snorted ruefully before taking one last look out the back of the dropship as the ramp shut with a series of clicks.
Not bad for a day's work.
That wraps up chapter 4. Hope everyone's enjoyed things so far. Like I've said I intend to expand this into a full length story about the meeting of Jim Raynor and Rory Swann and how they ended up working together. I'm planning on bringing in a couple new characters, such as Blitz, and a few old ones. I figure it's a fanfic so I'll do whatever the hell I want :P. I'll try and keep as much to the StarCraft storyline as I can and to the best of my knowledge. Like I said I do NOT own Starcraft. I just enjoy the game and figured I'd write a fanfic on it. It's been a lot of action up to this point but the next few chapters are going to take us to other members of the story and they'll be focused on advancing the plot and setting the stage for the rest of the story. Hope your all looking forward to it as much as I am. Enjoy and by all means review.
-James