thefluffyone93: I PM'ed you about that. To anyone else who may be wondering the same thing, let me just say that the Leviathan DLC is still a long way off.
RahXephon: Added that. Sorry you don't like the story, but I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.
So this is chapter four, everyone. A trip down memory lane, as you'll soon discover. Thanks for all your continued support.
Chapter 4: Remembering the Lost and Past
"Game of poker, anyone?" The atmosphere on-board the Normandy was a solemn one. Team Kalantari, Team Shepard, and my team were all gathered on the crew deck...the mess hall, to be exact. It was Garrus who tried to lighten the mood, but it wasn't working.
Dr. Mordin Solus was KIA. On top of that, forty marines were dead. One-third of Fifth company. The loss had opened old wounds. It'd only been a year since the end of the Great Wars. Not that much time. With the first serious casualties since then, I found myself thinking of all the other friends and troops I'd lost over the years. Doubtless Shepard and the others were in a similar situation, although their conflicts had been far less destructive.
To be honest, even the war with the Reapers wasn't that bloody. Sure, millions were dying daily, but back in Koprulu, Aiur and Tarsonis had been overrun in less than a week. Billions had died in the opening three days of the Great War Two. Millions of veteran troops and inexperienced recruits alike had fallen in the fight against Amon. Millions of deaths to us just didn't cut it.
We'd all been thanked by Wrex and Eve, who'd turned out to be Urdnot Bakara. The Krogan had agreed to join the war effort, and so Primarch Victus had pledged the turian fleets to the Alliance's service. The salarian dalatrass was livid, swearing to withhold all support, but large contingents of operatives within STG had given Admiral Hackett their services anyways. The asari still needed to be persuaded, and apparently, salarian Councillor Valern had just called Shepard about suspicions he had regarding human Councillor Donnel Udina.
I'd been excited at first to see that humanity actually had a representative on the citadel-that was before I realized that the asari, turian, and salarian councillors were likely vetoing everything he proposed. After all, the reigning bureaucracy couldn't allow the 'upstart human' in their midst to get out of control. Still, if Udina was a traitor, he needed to be dealt with. Very soon.
I had notified my regiment about what went down on Tuchanka a few hours ago. The Hyperion was following the Normandy right now. Raynor, Horner, and the other Raiders had paid their respects. Valerian notified me that advance units of the Protoss and the Dominion were already on their way to citadel space; in fact, a few of them were set to rendezvous with us soon.
"Commander," Specialist Samantha Traynor's voice crackled over the PA system. "Commander Raynor is waiting for you on the vid-comm." Luckily, there was a vid-comm unit installed nearby, so none of us had to get up to head to the War Room.
"Patch him through." John requested, his expression still morose. It wasn't long before the familiar figure of Jim Raynor appeared on-screen, Matt Horner standing on his left. I could see bridge officer Bralik and navigator Marcus Cade in the background.
"Shepard." Raynor greeted. "Just letting you know that we're at the rendezvous. Tell your pilot that he can stop going for now...Sorry to hear about Dr. Solus. Richard told me a bit about him. I have to say, our own scientist would have loved to meet him."
"He was one of the best," Shepard replied automatically. Of all people, Raynor could sympathize with what John was going through. The Sector had thrown Jim around mercilessly in the past, but he had survived and thrived through problems personal and external.
"Jim, we have ships warping in." Matt stated as he monitored the holotable. "The Koramund, the Bucephalus, and the White Star, respectively."
I raised my head at that. The Koramund was the largest carrier in the entire protoss navy. Literally named the "Great wonder," the supercarrier had the the highest kill-count other than the prized motherships, living proof that carriers were still useful in this chaotic day and age. During the battle of Aiur, the Koramund had fought side-by-side with the Gantrithor, Tassadar's personal flagship.
The Bucephalus was Valerian's flagship, the largest battlecruiser currently in existence besides the experimental Loki's and Pride-of-Augustgrad's. The White Star was the next-best Gorgon-class battlecruiser. Valerian handed command of it over to me after Arcturus's death.
"And...one second...Zeratul's Void Seeker just pulled in." Matt reported. "That's all of them."
"So what's our next destination, Shepard? The citadel?" Jim guessed.
"Yes, sir. I was told to meet the salarian councillor there. It would be the perfect time to introduce you to the Council. We can make it official that we have new allies that way and raise morale across the galaxy."
"Sounds good." Jim decided. "Send us the coordinates, and we'll follow you in. Hyperion out." The screen went dark as Jim cut the comm-link.
"Richard, you okay?" Shaun asked. "Losing forty men...It can't be easy."
"I'm used to it," I admitted somewhat shamefully. "In the Koprulu Sector, you walk with death every time you raise your gun. It's a cruel world out there. That's probably why we've invented so many new weapons in such a short time. The continuous warfare didn't stagnate the K-sector; it led to so much more innovation than we would've had otherwise."
"I've heard you mention the 'Koprulu Sector' in varying forms a couple times." Garrus noticed. "What is it? A place? You've also referenced...the 'Great Wars?' I'm just curious. You don't have to give me an answer if the times were as bad as you say they were."
Naoros, being a protoss, reacted much faster than I did. "The Koprulu Sector is the sector of space colonized by the terrans. It is in the shadow of protoss space, 60,000 light years away from the terran homeworld. 'K-sector' and 'Koprulu' are just convenient abbreviations of the full name. 'Great Wars' is a collective term, referring to three major conflicts and the relatively 'quieter' periods in between them. They began in December, 2499 with the Zerg infestation of the Sara system, and they ended in August of 2505 with the fall of Amon, a fallen Xel'Naga. Just under six years of hostility between zerg, terran, and protoss."
"The funny thing," Robert added, "is that it wasn't just zerg versus terran versus protoss. The zerg and protoss, for the most part were relatively united through the whole thing. They were concentrated on fighting for their own species. We terrans? Hell, even today, we have three governments, countless mercenary organizations, rebel groups, terrorist cells, pirate gangs, corporate private armies, and militias. Back then, it was even worse. We were fighting with one another at the same time as we were fighting the aliens! Couldn't frakkin' agree on anything."
I took it from there. "Initially, the major terran factions were the Confederacy of Man, the Umojan Protectorate, and the Kel-Morian Combine. After the zerg and protoss combined, rebels called the Sons of Korhal led by Arcturus Mengsk were able to overthrow the Confederacy and declare a new government, the Terran Dominion. Shortly after the Dominion's founding, a zUED Expeditionary Force arrived in the sector; they nearly conquered the entire sector.
The others perked up in interest. Inside, I celebrated. I was willing to do whatever it took to take their minds off of Mordin's death and how badly the Reaper war was going.
"These...factions." Liara said slowly. "Could you tell us about them?"
"Ooh...The General loves questions like that." Doug inputted. "Sometimes, I think he'd make a great politician, the way he knows all this stuff."
"Politics revolves around manipulation, private. Not merely a command of knowledge. But considering General Lee's wide range of experiences, you could be right." Valerian allowed.
I readied myself for a long lecture. "The Confederacy was the most powerful of the three terran governments in the beginning. Their capital world was Tarsonis, and they had dozens of thriving colonies, including twelve 'core worlds,' each of which had hundreds of millions of inhabitants. Korhal itself had to be home to at least six billion people before the war. The Confederacy was a de jure democracy, but a de facto oligarchy."
"An oligarchy? That's...democracy and oligarchy are very different things." Shaun protested.
"True. But to understand the structures of the Protectorate, Confederacy, and Combine, you have to go back to when the terrans first arrived in the K-sector. One of the supercarriers, the Nagglfar, crash-landed onto Tarsonis. From the beginning, the commanders of the Nagglfar wielded power over the regular colonists. Over time, their families became the wealthy aristocrats, the Old Families. The Old Families were notoriously corrupt. They had so much political influence over the Confederate Council and the Senate that they were basically untouchable."
The others were all staring at me, obviously eager for more. I secretly grinned, happy that none of them seemed to be still feeling depressed or sorrowful. I liked talking about history and current events, and even the terrans and Naoros enjoyed my talk.
"In the meantime, the KMC's run by two corporate guilds-the Morian mining guild and the Kelendis shipping guild. On Moria, their capital-world, and the surrounding areas, it's very resource-rich. The Kel-Morians became engrossed with extracting natural resources without any care for the environment. Business, gaining wealth, was their way of life. To survive, you have to join a Guild. Everything there's about money. The Confederacy, at least, wasn't that bad.
"During the 2470's, the Confederacy and the Combine butted heads in the Guild Wars. After a few years, the superior industrial might and higher population of the Confederacy won out. They were the unchallenged terran 'superpower' for a long time afterwards.
"The Umojans are very different from the KMC and the Dominion. The KMC's a corporate oligarchy; the Dominion's a downright monarchy, although it's a benevolent one with Valerian in charge. The Protectorate? The protectorate was a real democracy. They had the lowest population-Umoja only had 2.1 billion people. Moria had 4.2 Billion, Korhal had 6.2 billion. But the protectorate gave its citizens the rights they deserved, and it had a very well-established spy network and quite a bit of cutting-edge technology."
"If these Great Wars were so destructive, why are you here? I'd expect the governments there to be fearful of involving themselves in another war." John said logically, interested.
"So many billions of people were killed in the Great Wars that even today, the estimate of KIA still rises occasionally. The truth is, no one is sure how many people died. It's upwards of 10 billion, if you count both terrans and protoss. Add to that a ridiculously-high number of zerg, and you have the death toll. The zerg, you have to realize, are expendable. In the krogan rebellions, the krogan could replenish their armies in a little over a year. The zerg? They can replenish their ranks within days. In a war of attrition, if they lose 1 million creatures to one of your soldiers, you'd probably still come out the loser.
"No one in koprulu wants war to continue, but they're so used to seeing empty chairs, calling the names of friends that are already dead, and listening to news of entire worlds burning, that they simply can't bring themselves to shed a tear over casualty rates in the thousands or millions anymore. It's kind of sad, but it's just how things are.
"That's also the reason we're so willing to help you guys. When you survive a cataclysmic war like that, you come to realize what's the most important in life. Sure, the conservatives back home would say that we're wasting money and time trying to help you when the K-sector isn't necessarily totally secure. But public opinion would overwhelmingly favor intervention. Everyone out there can recall what it feels like to be involved in a total war. They wouldn't want you guys to suffer the same fate. For the present, we can only offer these five ships, but a full fleet is already on its way. It should arrive within the week."
The others were amazed. I didn't blame them; it was a lot of information to take in, and I'd only given them the very dumbed-down version of things. I let them absorb and process all of that for a little while.
It was Shaun who finally broke the silence. "That reminds me...just how did you go from an Alliance marine corporal to a honorary citizen of the Protoss Protectorate and a General in the Terran Dominion marine corps?"
"It sure as hell wasn't easy," I assured my old friend. "If you all want, I can show some memories of mine; it should clear up the questions you have and give you an idea of what warfare in the koprulu sector was like back in the day."
"Well, the ship's guns do need to be calibrated, but I think I'll stay for a story. It sounds like a good change of pace." Guess who it was saying that? Our resident turian.
"Let's hear it…" John agreed. "Wait...you said...memory? Did I hear that right?"
Valerian interjected. "The protoss have energy crystals named Khaydarin crystals and Ihan crystals. Both types can be used to store memories, though Ihan crystals are more effective. It's much more 'real' than being shown a movie or a video."
"Whoa...that sounds so cool…" Nathan muttered. "Count me in!"
"Well," I said. "If the rest of you are open to the idea too, then I'll bring in the Khaydarin projector."
"I think it'll be worth it," Vega decided.
"Why not?" Minsu shrugged.
"Go ahead then, Richard." John prompted. "I don't think anyone has any objections."
"Naoros, order a few zealots to ferry it over to us." My brother-in-arms nodded, swiftly carrying out my request. Before long, the Khaydarin projector had been installed in the mess hall.
"Okay...one-by-one, I want all of you to put a hand on the crystal until it blinks. That way, the crystal will 'memorize' all of your psionic signatures and be able to project the memories to you. I'll demonstrate." I placed my right hand on the crystal. After three seconds, it blinked, neon-blue energy illuminating it for a moment. I removed my hand. Naoros was next. "Just like that," I gestured to the others. "Understood?"
A chorus of affirmations. I waited for them all to complete the process. It took a while-John, Shaun, Garrus, Liara, Javik, Vega, Valerian, Tesla, Naoros, Rob, Doug, Anna, Tenny, Minsu, Nathan, Joker...There we go... "Now that we're all done, get comfortable. I'll be putting my hand onto the crystal again to start playing the memories, and then everything will be going really quickly after that." I walked up to the crystal. "In three...two...one…Brace yourselves." I laid my hand onto the Ihan crystal's cool surface.
In an instant, I wasn't on the Normandy any longer...
The doors slid open with a hiss. The spacious conference room was full as Sergeant Major Robert Agnarsson and I entered, looking for a place to sit. A middle-aged man in a polished uniform waved us over. I recognized him and nodded in greeting, taking a seat next to him.
"General Edmunds, it's been a while." Thomas Edmunds was a former confederate officer who defected to the Dominion shortly before the fall of Tarsonis. He had no love for the Emperor, but he respected Valerian, just as I did. Over the last two-and-a-half years, my 151st Infantry Assault Battalion and elements his 57th Mechanized Infantry Division had cooperated on more than one occasion.
"That it has been, son. I'm guessing your battalion's been involving itself in more wild zerg chases? Heard you mentioned on the news a few times."
"That would be us, sir. You know, can't stay out of trouble."
"Right...because your unit certainly doesn't look for trouble."
"Of course not sir."
"Heh heh...you know why we're here, Richard?"
"Prince Valerian wasn't all that clear."
"Don't know too much myself, but I'm told it's related to...aliens who aren't zerg or protoss."
"Huh, that's interesting. Who are all these people?"
"You should know their names, even if you haven't seen their faces. Lieutenant Commander Gregory Reikson, the CO of Omega Squadron. Everett Vaughn, captain of the Bucephalus. Major Spaulding of the 22nd Division-the Annihilators. Colonel Franklin Davidson of Alpha Squadron. Captain Rourke of Nova Squadron. And that's...Nova Terra, agent X41822N. The rest of them are all aides or subordinate officers."
"That's a whole lot of the Dominion's finest. What I'm not getting is why you and I are here."
"I suspect it's because Arcturus wants to assert his dominance over his son's most loyal followers-remind us who's boss, so to speak."
"Aw man...not the fact that we're the best at what we do?"
Edmunds laughed. "That too. That too." He assured me jokingly.
The others in the room straightened as Emperor Arcturus Mengsk of the Terran Dominion strode into the room. Rob, Edmunds, and I exchanged unimpressed glances.
"At ease, ladies and gentleman." The Emperor's voice was firm and crisp, reminding me that despite his haughtiness and status as head of state, he had once been an officer in the Confederate Marine Corps and the leader of the Sons of Korhal 'Freedom Fighters.'
The hologram of a lush planet appeared on the room's holoprojector as the Emperor spoke, "This is Cavernus III, an umojan colony of previously no importance. Recently, a umojan science expedition uncovered a xel'naga temple on the planet. Whatever they dug up from it, the umojan protectorate seems to think it's important. Dominion Intelligence Section intercepted several of their transmissions. They consistently mention an artifact called...the 'core.' The umojans believe that it contains the coordinates of the locations of several pieces of a larger device. This device could potentially be used, according to the scientists, as a weapon against the protoss and the zerg."
Mengsk lit a cigar. "Such a powerful weapon cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of these race traitors. That's why all of you are here. Each of you has shown your unwavering dedication to our great Dominion and everything it stands for. With the core in our hands, we will be able to find and excavate the device's components. Once our experts assemble the weapon, we will finally be able to end the protoss and zerg threats once and for all. Humanity will claim what is rightfully ours."
He puffed on the cigar. "Now I'll be turning over the 'stage' to Captain Rourke. Captain?"
The slender commanding officer of Nova Squadron stood up and stepped in front of the holo-projector. "Cavernus III doesn't have a very large population. About 100,000 umojans live there, roughly 80% of them concentrated in the colony's major settlement: Pasteur City. The colony's starport is in the north of the city, situated next to Military Base XT9920. According to our sources, the umojans have a regiment of troops posted there.
She paused. "As for the temple, the umojans have gone to great pains to hide its location, but with the help of DIS, we were able to locate it." The hologram zoomed in...onto a Vespene gas refinery a few miles south of the city. "The supposed refinery is actually the science team's research facility. As you can see, the temple structure itself and the surrounding ruins are next to the refinery. The ruins are massive...estimates put them at around the size of a small city. Safeguarding the temple in positions throughout the area are a battalion of elite umojan marines, up to twenty-four umojan Shadowguards, and a network of defenses including auto-turrets, missile turrets, gun turrets, and bunkers." Rourke finished speaking, glancing at Arcturus.
"Thank you, Jessica." The Emperor took over. "In order to ensure that we are able to not only recover the core but also explore the site's other potential secrets, our forces must conquer Cavernus III in the name of the Dominion. All the troops we need for this operation will be ferried to the Cavernus system in a fleet of Mammoth-class carriers, Battlecruisers, and other vessels. The umojans only have a single battlecruiser orbiting the colony. It won't stand a chance. Vaughn, you'll be in overall command of the strike fleet.
"That's where the rest of you come in. Davidson, your 43rd regiment will land outside the city and push into it from the north. Reikson, your 92nd orbital warfare battalion will drop in over the city, thereby attacking the garrison from within and sowing chaos. I will be devoting the 19th infantry division to assisting the both of you in subjugating the population. In the meantime, Edmunds, two of your regiments will help them consolidate control over the area. Your third regiment will surround the xel'naga ruins.
"Lee, after the city and the perimeter is secure, your 151st Assault battalion and Reikson's elite 31st shock battalion will be responsible for clearing the ruins. Detachments from Nova Squadron will aid you in that. Major Spaulding, your division and agent Nova are to breach the temple structure and recover the core. I will be deploying the 19th and 17th infantry divisions to occupy the colony in case of a umojan counterattack and mop up the remaining resistance." He looked at all of us individually. "I will be holding the Thundering Third Division in reserve. Any questions?"
I added that all up in my head. Mengsk was devoting a mechanized infantry division, three infantry divisions, a tactical strike regiment from Alpha squadron, two heavy assault battalions from Omega, a black ops battalion from Nova, my specialized 'light infantry' battalion, the Dominion's finest special forces unit, and its finest ghost to taking Cavernus III. If my calculations were correct, that was nearly 70,000 ground troops plus supplies and vehicles. You'd need one hell of a fleet to carry that many soldiers over interstellar distances.
"Sir, how are you planning to transport so many men to Cavernus?" I quizzed.
"Fifteen battlecruisers and a dozen Mammoth-class carriers, accompanied by three science vessels and a squadron of light cruisers and destroyers will be responsible for bringing everyone involved to the battlefield. This will be a momentous undertaking, but I have confidence that you will succeed. The umojans cannot stand up to the might of the Dominion. If there are no other concerns, you are all dismissed. Good luck, my loyal subjects."
The others stood up to leave the room, Rob and Edmunds falling into step next to me. "What's your opinion on this glorious operation?" I queried the general as we emerged out into light of Korhal's sun.
"To be honest," Edmunds said, glancing around to make sure no one was within earshot, "I'm not too enthusiastic about this. The umojans, if they assembled the device, would likely just use it for self-defense or scientific study. Mengsk? He'd use it offensively. That'll piss the protoss and the zerg off, and then Great War II will start. Sure, you could say that the war's bound to start up, but it's better for that to happen later rather than sooner."
"So you don't want him to succeed."
"In taking the colony? I couldn't care less. But obtaining the core? No, I don't want him to."
"Same here." I put out a hand, which Edmunds shook firmly. "I say we notify Valerian."
Rob interrupted. "I think he already knows."
I looked at him blankly. Rob pointed surreptitiously ahead. I saw a Moebius Foundation security guard ambling casually over to us from a parked groundcar.
"Lieutenant Colonel Lee? Major General Edmunds?" The uniformed man confirmed. "Come with me. Our board would like to speak with you." I read between the lines: Valerian. Robert was right.
The three of us slid into the groundcar, and the nameless guard drove off. Finally, at Valerian's 'secret' residence, the car stopped. "Have a nice day, gentlemen."
We thanked the guard and approached the house. A female lieutenant met us as at the door. "The prince is expecting you. Go on in. He's in the office."
We passed into the house itself. The two uniformed marines on guard duty saluted us as we mounted the staircase. Everywhere, there were signs of the Mengsk Dynasty's wealth...on the ornately crafted balustrade, the expensive wood floor, all the antique decorations from ancient cultures sitting around.
The door to Valerian's office was left ever so slightly open. We could see the insignia of the Mengsk family; two golden wolf heads facing eachother. I opened the door softly. The heir apparent to the throne of Korhal was reading through a datapad. He looked up as we came in.
"Ah, gentlemen. Please, take a seat. Sergeant major, if you would close the door behind you?"
We settled down in a pair of handcrafted seats facing Valerian, Rob taking a position by the door.
"I appreciate you taking the time to come...I suppose my father has introduced you to Operation Cloak-and-Dagger?"
"Yes sir. We were just coming back from the meeting when your man picked us up." I affirmed.
"My father, in situations like these, can be rather shortsighted. I want to know if I can trust either of you with a...rather dangerous task?"
"Of course, sir. If it has to do with not letting the Emperor to get his hands on the core, then you can count me in." Edmunds proclaimed.
"Good...I wouldn't want my father to obtain it either. Instead, I'd like the two of you to find a way to pretend to destroy the core, while instead covertly handing it to the Moebius Foundation."
"Why Moebius?" I inquired.
"My colleague, xenobiologist and archaeologist Dr. Emil Narud, hypothesizes that the components whose locations are stored inside the core can be combined to form a larger artifact, one that could be used to theoretically, deinfest the Queen of Blades."
Edmunds and I gaped at him. "What? How is that-" Edmunds spluttered.
"I understand. It sounds impossible." Valerian acknowledged, holding up a hand. "But Dr. Narud is the expert on xel'naga technology. If he says it's possible...then it is."
"All right…" I conceded. "I'm no archaeologist...We'll be sure to bring the core to the Moebius Foundation...but I think there's another reason you called us in here."
"There is...my grandfather, Ailin Pasteur, is currently on Cavernus III. As you both know, my father doesn't particularly care about civilian casualties, as long as his men achieve their goal."
"The fact that he planted psi emitters on Antiga Prime and Tarsonis makes that a moot point." I responded. "You want us to keep your grandfather safe too? That'll be considerably harder."
"Can I count on you to do it?" Valerian pressed.
Thomas and I glanced at each other. After a pause, Edmunds nodded. I turned back to Valerian. "We'll do it. The general will have to be the one to evac your grandfather, as he'll be posted in Cavernus city. I'll take care of the core, since your father wants my men to accompany Reikson's shock battalion, the 22nd, and agent X41822N in clearing out the ruins."
"I see…If anyone asks…"
"We never had this conversation, your highness." Rob chimed in.
Valerian smirked. "Precisely. I can't thank either of you enough. Godspeed." He shook both of our hands. "Umojan space was home for much of my life, and I still have many connections there. I would hate to witness all of them killed or captured by my father's forces for interrogation."
The meaning of that last sentence was clear; even if the other units didn't take prisoners, we were supposed to. "You don't need to mention it, sir. We're not that type of person." We'd take prisoners anyways...and treat them decently.
"I know. That's why I trust both of you more than the rest. Farewell for now. May you survive and prosper." The Crown Prince of the Terran Dominion hoped as we left his office.
I turned around at the doorway. The guards were within hearing. "We'll keep you updated on the...stock prices, sir." Valerian's expression told us that he knew what I was really referring to. I just couldn't say that in front of the guards, who were likely informants of our illustrious monarch.
Our fones pinged. +++Operation: Cloak-and-Dagger to proceed in 1 day. Report to the Augustgrad Starport tomorrow at 0300 hours+++
I clapped Edmunds on the shoulder. "Keep in touch, General."
"Good-bye, colonel." Edmunds replied. We went our separate ways, Rob and I discussing the logistics of getting six-hundred men and women ready in less than fourteen hours.
"All personnel, be advised. We are pulling into the Cavernus system. ETA half-an-hour. Lieutenant colonel Lee to the bridge, please. Lieutenant colonel Lee to the bridge."
The 151st and I were aboard the Gorgon-class battlecruiser Herakles now, captained by a bright young naval officer named Roger Merriman. He and I had gotten along well from the start, so he was quick to greet me as I accessed the bridge.
"Richard! Take a look: that's Cavernus III over there. And..the umojan battlecruiser and its wraiths are heading in to intercept our fleet...I don't think their captain's realized how outmatched he is….and the Bucephalus just fired its Yamato. The cruiser's drifting now. All systems are down. That was easy. Too easy." The remaining fighters exploded as dozens of laser batteries focused their fire on them.
"Won't be so easy for you guys," Roger said knowingly. "You'll actually have more substantial resistance. Watch your six down there, all right? Wouldn't want to lose someone who's actually willing to play the game with me."
I blinked. "Did you really just…."
"Refer to 'the game?' Yeah I did. I get that it's outdated, but still...it's kinda fun."
"Uh-huh...well, I'll see you later, Roger. Don't let your guard down. Anything could happen."
"Yeah. I was a lieutenant back at Bhekar Rho. I know that firsthand." I heard about the battle of Bhekar Rho; I was still with the protoss then. Naoros told me about it.
I saluted Roger as I hurried off to the hangar bay. My men were already armed and armored by the time I suited up and finally joined them. Rob came to attention. "All units accounted for. Ready to deploy by dropship at your command."
I eyed my marines, veterans who'd served with me for nearly three years on dozens of battlefields against enemies of all kinds, be they zerg, protoss, or terran. We'd become close-knit in our stint of service together, due to our small size for a battalion.
"I'm going to assume the platoon leaders already went over what's happening?" They nodded stolidly in wave of sound.
"Good. Once General Edmunds gives us the all-clear, we're going to deploy near his men. As soon as the 31st battalion's in place, we'll be storming the battlements. Expect heavy resistance and a lot of traps. The umojans know their unconventional warfare. That reminds me...you're all aware of Omega Squadron's reputation. If they go overboard, I'm expecting you all to reign them in. We can't stand idly by while people get brutalized. Am I clear?"
"Crystal, sir!" Hundreds of voices chanted as one.
Satisfied, I sat down and pulled out a canteen, sipping from it boredly. Rob leaned against the wall next to me. I had water in my suit's filters, but I didn't want to waste it right now. It would probably be some time yet before Thomas secured the periphery of the temple. Until then, all we could do was wait. I watched my men as they fiddled with fones, played cards, and ate from their rations. It was oddly peaceful…
"Sir?" Rob and I both looked up. An 'extra' medic who'd been accidentally transferred to the battalion just three weeks ago, private first-class Anna Lewis was so talented at doing her job that she had already earned a Combat Medical Field Badge, after passing an exam that many experienced field medics who'd been serving for years considered tough.
It occurred to me that Lewis had probably never been in an actual combat situation before. "Yes, Lewis?" I asked the blond 19-year old native of Tyrador IX. "Is there something you need?"
"Just wondering, sir...you said the 151st mainly fights aliens."
"It does mainly fight aliens...but when command says you have to fight other terrans, you can't exactly just say 'no, I don't feel like it.' The Emperor points and we obey, through the warp and far away. That's just how it works."
"What was that from?" Rob demanded. "That through the warp and far away business? Sounded like a poem or something."
"Nah, I just took an old marching song that gamers back home changed the lyrics of. It seemed fitting. We're ruled by an emperor and all...My advice to you, Lewis, is to keep your head down and stay close. One bad decision is all it takes. People say that they survive war because of their own skill. That's only partially true. There's a lot of luck involved. Fate may have its favorites, but a gauss spike doesn't care who it kills. So don't tempt fate."
"Yes sir."
I stood up as my comm crackled. "57th to Crimson Dragon, I repeat, 57th to Crimson Dragon. LZ is secure; umojans are boxed in. You are cleared to descend. Over."
"Understood. We're departing now. Over." The marines who were close enough to overhear were already picking up their gear. "151st, it's time to roll out! Report to your designated dropships. Let's get this show on the road."
I made sure my plasma rifle and power sword were in place. Rob and I filed into a dropship with two squads from A Company. The men wordlessly prepared for take-off. On the ground, they were usually talkative and lively, but everyone knew how vulnerable we were in space. All we could do was sit there and hope the pilot touches down safely.
"Morning jarheads, welcome to the Jarhead express." Had this pilot really named his ship the 'jarhead' just to piss off all the marines who rode on it? "Weather today is sunny; the skies are orange and the wind ain't too bad. No flyers or air jockeys interceptin' us-that's a first. Sit back and enjoy the ride…"
Over the battlenet, a high-pitched terran voice shouted, "What the hell? Zerg!" Zerg?
"All units, this is Captain Vaughn. Zerg leviathans are warping in. We will delay them for as long as possible, but expect zerg ground units to drop onto Cavernus III's surface sooner or later. Over and out." This mission just got a whole lot more complicated…
"Well gents and ladies, it looks like we will be able to use our anti-alien training after all…" A few marines chuckled over the comm, but most of the others were lost in their own private worlds, unable to contain their worry as the dropship continued its dive. War never changes…
"All right boys and girls, we're right on top of the LZ. With the zeg ruining our days, I ain't planning on staying here too long, so don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. Remember to kill at least one of the buggers down there for me."
With a thump, the dropship hit the ground. "That's our cue, marines." I unloosened the seat's restraints and pulled out my plasma rifle, its sleek golden design seeming to light up the confines of the 'bus.' "We don't want to have to fight the zerg and the umojans, so let's make this quick."
As I disembarked from the craft. Outside, squads were lining up and NCO's were barking last-minute commands. The color scheme of the 57th mechanized division was brown, and I saw General Edmunds himself walking up to us.
"Glad to see you made it. Don't worry, if the zerg make any trouble, we'll handle it. I'll be taking a shuttle to the city soon. That's where the majority of my men are. Keep the plan in mind: I'll look for Pasteur; you'll handle the core. This is our time."
I straightened. "Yes sir. See you on the other side. Don't die."
"Stay alive, colonel. We'll have one hell of a story to tell when we're older."
I examined my men, who were awaiting orders. A knot of marines in orange armor appeared. Omega Squadron. The marine at their head put his hands behind his back. "Lieutenant colonel Lee. How nice of you to join us." There was a hidden spite in his tone. "Think your men can keep up with the Dominion's best?" Arrogance. It's everywhere these days…
"My men can keep up with themselves, if that's what you're asking." Two can play that game.
Lieutenant Commander Reikson's expression darkened. "Good to know...Well Lee, I've got the order of battle figured out. My color guard company will be taking point, heavies who're perfect for cracking open entrenched positions. I want you and a company of your men going in with them. My shock battalion and the Special Forces will follow you in. Your battalion can bring up the rear. Sound like a plan?"
"That's fine by me. Are you too scared of having my men take away all the glory?"
'No. Your greenhorns wouldn't last a second against determined defenders. I'm doing you a favor." Reikson explained haughtily. Right…
"In that case, I have no idea how to repay you." Besides with a bullet to your head. "When do we start?"
"Right now...my color guards formed up ten minutes ago. You'd better get on your game." The CO of Omega Squadron about-faced and marched off triumphantly.
"What a fecklehead." Rob muttered.
I shrugged. "A company, form on me! Captain Stennis is to assume command over companies B thru E for now." I searched out the older captain with my eyes, who nodded firmly. Stennis, the trustworthy captain of A company, never let his guard down. A fitting choice to assume temporary command of the battalion. I didn't trust Reikson one bit.
The one-hundred twenty men and women of A company assembled. Up front, Reikson's 300 'color guards'-undoubtedly full of resocialized criminals-began their advance.
"A company, let's go!"
A company's personnel had been my first recruits, individuals who'd served with me from the very beginning. There was no one else I'd rather have by my side, other than Naoros and the Legion of Tassadar's Chosen or my friends from high school on Earth.
The first hour-and-a-half or so ticked by uneventfully. By now, the Omegas were out of sight. That's when the umojans decided to show their teeth.
"Taking fire!" A color guard yelled.
"Sniper! Get down!"
"Watch the flank! Goliath!"
"Auto-turrets!"
I drew up the color guard's unit roster. Dumbfounded, I observed that thirty of them were already 'red.' One-tenth of the entire company had been wiped out. And we were right behind them.
"Colonel Lee, this is Major Davis, Omega Squadron Color Guard! We're pinned down. Requesting assistance. Can your company breach the enemy position?"
"I'll see what I can do, Major." I broke into a jog. "We're coming."
We arrived at the color guard's beleaguered position, taking in the sight of the environment and the many casualties the large company had already suffered.
"2nd platoon. Split into two groups and flank the enemy from the side alleys. First platoon, we'll draw their fire. Davis, support us in a frontal assault so that the enemy won't figure out they're about to be ambushed. On three….one...two….three! Stick to cover! Go go go!" I blind-fired my plasma rifle as I ran, doing my best to direct my shots at the flashes of the defenders' rifles.
Our entire first rank was sent sprawling by an ear-splitting volley of spikes. The umojans were damned good. There was a platoon's worth of them huddled behind barricades, with a trio of auto-turrets, at least one sniper, and a marine manning a gun-turret in support. A goliath, too.
I aimed at the plexiglass shielding the cockpit of the goliath, unleashing a torrent of blue bolts. The glass shattered, and the pilot writhed as he was struck a dozen times. I heard a crack, and a pair of rounds slammed into my shields, draining them to half-strength. Damn sniper…. A marine to my left was struck in the shoulder and slumped against the wall. "Medic!" another called out.
I ignored them and sprayed, hoping at least a few of the umojans would be forced into cover. Another marine collapsed, his visor punctured by a sniper round. I saw one of my marksmen return fire with his BOSUN FN92 rifle, one that was usually reserved for ghosts. A figure in a hostile environment suit fell from an ancient xel'naga building's window and bit the dust.
"Nice shot, Campbell. You just hit a shadowguard. Over."
"Saw it, sir. Told'ja I'm the best."
"A master-craftsman," I recalled one of his boasts.
"Hehe...damned right!"
I shook my head. I heard the cacophony of dozens of C-14's firing. The remaining umojans staggered back as if a swarm of bees were stinging them. Concussion grenade blasts disabled the auto-turrets. I grinned. Second platoon.
"Move forward, people! If we're ever going to get to the temple, we'd better press our advantage whenever we can! Come on!" I leapt to my feet. "Second platoon, keep holding our flanks."
I was vulnerable running in front of the men, but I knew my protection was better than theirs. Plus, I was leading the men by example. Most importantly, I really wanted to win this before the zerg joined the party.
A squad of umojans raised their gauss rifles, putting up a hail of spikes. Only a squad? Not worth wasting the time...I sprinted up to them, firing as I did. Hurling my rifle like a javelin, I drew my sword. The marines were clearly intimidated, hesitating at the gleam of my blade. Taking the chance, I surged forward, battering them aside with swift swings and cuts. I missed a few in my rush, but the men took care of them. I picked up my sword, sheathed it, and then scrambled onwards, staying alert for any signs of the enemy.
I dove to the side as spikes chewed up the ground where I'd been standing. A team of marines manning a gun-turret. Peeking out of cover, I fired a quick burst and then drew back. The automatic fire stopped. A lucky shot of mine had incapacitated the gunner. I heard the triple crack of a Bosun, and then one of the marines announced, "Clear!"
We continued storming scattered defenses like that for several hours. I was exhausted as hell from constantly staying in front of the formation, but it had paid off. We'd taken about eighty casualties in total, but dispatched two-hundred umojans.
Still dashing forward, I could hear umojans roaring orders. There were a lot of them this time. I skidded to a stop and raised a clenched fist, the others halting behind me. A long, reinforced barricade was ahead. The ruins for about a hundred yards between us and them had been cleared, and there must have been at least a company of umojans crouching over there waiting for us to charge. I gulped. How were we going to get past them?
I couldn't think of anything at the moment. It was a well-made and heavily-manned line of defense. Sounds of a struggle on my right filtered in before a sergeant from 2nd company notified me that they'd taken out another squad of defenders and a raven who'd been about to attempt to flank us. To be truthful, I don't think they could've done very much damage to us anyway, considering there were nearly three-hundred of us here in the center.
Looking farther, I belatedly recognized the temple itself. We'd pushed so far. The objective was in our grasp! I clicked my comm. "Crimson Dragon to Omega Command. Over."
"Reikson here. Whaddya want, Lee?"
"We've arrived at the main temple structure, where the bulk of the umojans are situated. We are unable to proceed. Defenses too thick. Over."
"Oh...Copy that. We're almost at your coordinates. Hang in tight."
I switched my comm to the general network to see how the battle was going elsewhere. There was nothing I could do until Reikson arrived, after all. I didn't like what I heard.
"Be advised, 19th division has been pushed back. The 17th is in full retreat. Zerg converging on Cavernus city. I repeat, zerg converging on Cavernus city. The Thundering Third is on the ground and fortifying city defenses. Task Force Temple, speed it up. Entire operations is going south. Battlecruisers Aegis, Polyphemus, and Campaigner have been destroyed. Norwegian is conducting emergency warp jump out of the system for repairs. Tactical response squadrons three-thru-nine, redirect to quadrant sigma-tango-alpha-one-two-five-"
So to sum it all up, while we were starting to make gains here, the rest of the expedition was getting hammered by the zerg swarm. Oh boy…And just as I thought this battle couldn't get anymore complicated, the universe decided to spit into my face.
"Bucephalus to fleet; Bucephalus to fleet. Tal'darim protoss vessels warping in; Five carriers and assorted support vessels. Warp prisms have bypassed both our lines and the zerg leviathans. Projections show their destination is the xel'naga Temple. I say again, Tal'darim protoss fanatics are heading to the temple. Ground units, brace yourselves. Prepare to engage."
I swore in three languages: English, Chinese, and Khalani. Rob, a few of the other marines, Anna, and Major Davis glanced at me questioningly.
I grimaced. "Just look up." I pointed into the orange sky. On any other day, I would've appreciated its 'alienness' compared to Earth's blue sky, but I wasn't in the mood today. Tal'darim. Those who could hear me followed the unofficial order I'd just given, likely wanting to comprehend what had gotten me so riled up. As I expected, a chorus of gasps, choice swear-words and nervous chattering filled the air.
The shimmering golden shapes of dozens of protoss warp prisms hovered over the Temple. I would normally be awed and happy to see such a demonstration of the protoss arsenal. But these weren't warriors of Shakuras or Aiur, these were the Tal'darim, fanatics dedicated to preserving holy artifacts and purging the universe of unbelievers and terran defilers. Screams and panicked cries arose from the umojans, and I couldn't help but wince in sympathy.
"Orders, sir?" Rob's tone and expression were grim. We'd fought Tal'darim before, multiple times, but that was with the entire battalion together, sometimes along with detachments of the 57th. Now, we were probably outnumbered by the Tal'darim, and there were still the umojans and zerg to contend with.
I shouldered my plasma rifle. "Extend bayonets. Remember your CQC training. This is going to get messy. Our priority will have to be the tal'darim. Do everything in your power to leave the umojans you run across unharmed. If you see umojans being attacked by protoss, help the umojans out. Acknowledge my orders."
I waited for the others to affirm them. "Then charge! Show the Tal'darim who we are!"
We swept forward in a mob, knocking over or jumping across barricades, which the umojans had abandoned in the face of the Tal'darim assault. I set my comm to an unencrypted broadband so that both the umojan and dominion troops here could hear me. I risked the Tal'darim finding out what I was saying by doing so, but I had to make my meaning clear.
"This is Dominion marine Lieutenant colonel Richard Lee to any terrans on Cavernus III. If we keep fighting each other, the Tal'darim or zerg will kill us all. As commanding officer of a Dominion battalion, I propose a truce between our two sides. The tal'darim and the zerg have to be dealt with first! Otherwise, we're both screwed! If you can hear me, respond!"
"Major Davis, here. I scan you."
"Agnarsson here. The 151st heard you loud and clear."
"Colonel Serge Sage here, senior surviving officer of the umojan garrison. I accept this truce. All umojan forces, cooperate with the Dominion troops against the protoss and the zerg."
"Bucephalus here. We copy."
"This is Edmunds. We'll follow your lead, colonel."
"This is Reikson. We have no problem with that." He didn't say 'yes'...
A few others responded, and then the broadband was silent. I looked around. There were lots of fallen umojan marines, their white armor standing out in the ruins they had been posted to guard. No dead Tal'darim yet. The surprise of their sudden strike was total. We at least got a warning from orbit. The umojans, with no naval assets left to speak of, didn't have that luxury.
"Heads up! Protoss!" Rob bellowed. Dozens of zealots and twenty stalkers materialized seemingly out of nowhere, their platinum armor making the day seem darker despite the hot sun above us. The Tal'darim looked more...sinister than normal protoss, I had to admit.
My plasma rifle was already whining, and C-14's and K-12 punisher grenade launchers clattered and boomed all around me. Somewhere in the back I could hear Reikson's battalion, the rest of the 151st, and the nova squadron teams joining the fight. Just in time.
Rounds and grenades sizzled and exploded on the shimmering blue energy shields of the protoss, and then I became cognizant of terrified cries and desperate roars as the psionic blades of the zealots whirred and the stalkers barraged our lines with their deadly particle disruptors.
En taro Tassadar. I thought as I put my plasma rifle in my left hand and drew my power sword with my right. Bring it on...
Another cliffhanger this time...hope you like this chapter and hope you all know what 'device' and 'components' everyone was talking about. I'll just give you a hint and say: Char. This 'memory' took place pre-Wings of Liberty, just in case you didn't know.
Much of this chapter is filler: Lee trying to cheer his friends up after Mordin's death.
The game never made it clear how the Dominion or Valerian knew where to find the pieces of the artifact, so the 'core' is my answer.
The battle of Cavernus III will be getting even more complicated soon enough. It already has Dominion, umojans, zerg, and Tal'darim, true. There's one more major faction that hasn't made an appearance yet.
Rest assured-chapter five is on the way.
Follow and favorite this story if you like it, and don't hesitate to private message me or drop a review.
Have a great day.
-The General