Chapter 22: To Stand as One

The newly arrived terran fleet hovered ominously over the planet of Krydon as it arrayed itself for battle. There were half a dozen battlecruisers, each carrying thousands of soldiers. A transmission was broadcast on all frequencies from the command ship, making clear the intentions of these new arrivals.

"I am Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov of the United Earth Directorate. In accordance with our mission in this sector, the alien menace shall be purged to ensure the continued safety and prosperity of humanity. We shall bring our might to this battle in the defense of the planet."

In response to this, Krydon's head foreman broadcast his own message. "We have the situation handled just fine. Your assistance is unneeded. The people of Krydon do not wish for your intervention in this matter."

"The zerg infestation on this planet is a threat to the entire sector," Stukov said. "We who have come here to this sector to eliminate the alien threat cannot allow them to establish a foothold in this region. We will purge it for the betterment of mankind. Lower your weapons and allow us to assist you, otherwise you align yourselves with the enemies of humanity."

At this point, Raynor butted into the conversation. "You should take a hint man. You folks from Earth aren't welcome here and you should respect their choice."

"Ah, the notorious pirate Jim Raynor." Stukov's voice was dripping with derision. "We have known about you for some time."

"Well, if it's ol' Mengsk telling you about me, then I'm afraid you've been fed a load of bull," Raynor said. "He stabbed us all in the back and I fought against the Confederacy's tyranny, I fought against Mengsk's tyranny, and I'll fight against yours too."

Stukov chuckled. "We are not as naive as you would think. But your actions in working with these aliens, the enemies of humanity, show your true colors."

"That's rich coming from you," Raynor said. "After all, we know it was the UED that sent the zerg to attack this planet."

"I will not even dignify that with a response, criminal," Stukov said. "You are the one working alongside these aliens willingly and your alien allies are the ones who are controlling the zerg while pretending to fight them. Their words cannot be trusted."

"We all know who the liar here is," Raynor said.

Stukov gave no reaction toward Raynor's accusations, instead continuing with his statement. "To all terrans present, if there are any who attempt to interfere with our forces then they shall be treated as traitors and dealt with accordingly. This is our final warning."

The hangar bays of the battlecruisers opened, sending forth a stream of dropships that descended toward the planet's surface. Around their landing point there was nothing but deserted towns which had been hastily evacuated before the zerg invasion.

"They're coming for us," Raynor said to his allies. "We gotta start digging in to stop them once they attack."

The fighting with the remnants of the UED controlled zerg brood quickly petered out and both sides focused on preparing for the upcoming battle. However, the areas occupied by zerg soon broke out into even more intense fighting.

"What the hell is going on there, Sarah?" Raynor asked. "I've been told that zerg are attacking the interior defensive lines manned by the militia. Good thing they planned ahead of time for a zerg attack coming from your direction and are able to repel them with ease, but this shouldn't be happening."

"The UED are using their Psi Disruptor again," Kerrigan replied. "I've lost control of a number of my zerg and though I've focused on maintaining order near the center and letting the frontlines go, some might have fallen out of line anyways. Or maybe the enemy zerg have gone out of control too and wandered over."

"No wonder the enemy zerg are attacking so haphazardly now," Raynor said. "Also, the UED is sending part of their forces to attack you, so be ready."

"I already know of it. But they're not going to be easy to deal with. I could use some help here."

"I'm gonna have my hands full helping the protoss fight off the other attack," Raynor said. "I really can't spare anything right now."

"I see," Kerrigan said with a frown. "Do we have any plans for an evacuation?"

"We do, but only as a last resort," Raynor said. "If push comes to shove we've got enough extra space on the ships to take the folks on this planet with us, but then they're gonna end up homeless and it'll be hard for us to support them for very long."

Kerrigan ended the call and went back to making preparations for the battle. More sunken and spore colonies were being constructed to defend the hives. While previously they were planning on defeating the enemy quickly and leaving, which wouldn't require much in terms of defensive fortifications, there was now a much more pressing urgency for defense. And defensive structures also had the benefit of being much less susceptible toward going out of control.

Meanwhile, she instructed her cerebrate to relocate into the mountain since it would be more secure from enemy bombardment. "Make sure you keep tight control of all of the zerg in the mountain," Kerrigan said. "Even if it means taking on less of a burden outside. We can't afford any incidents inside."

"I understand," Kaloth replied. "From within I shall continue to direct our stratagems. I have already identified several possible angles of approach for the UED forces and we should prepare to intercept them when an opportunity arises. We must eliminate as many of the attacking terrans as possible to slow down their assault. Eventually they will be forced to withdraw."

The battle was in full swing now, and Raynor peeked over the trench to take a few shots at the approaching marines before ducking back down as he saw the muzzle flashes from the siege tanks in the distance. Moments later, explosions tore up the dirt not far from him, shaking the ground somewhat and causing loose rocks to fall from the sides of the trench. Some others weren't so lucky though and only a few dozen meters away he saw several men blown to pieces by an explosion.

"Have you thought of a way to deal with those tanks yet?" Raynor asked Artanis, who at that moment was crouched next to Raynor.

"Selendis is putting a plan into action to use an Arbiter ship to place the tanks in a stasis field to allow us to assault the position without interference. One of your science vessels will be supporting the Arbiter with a defensive matrix."

"Well we better hope it works out then," Raynor said as took a few more shots at the approaching enemies. "I don't know how much longer we're going to be able to hole up in here."

He could see a group of goliaths heading toward him and he knew that this wasn't something he could take out with his gun. However, he wasn't alone here. Several reavers hidden behind the trenches emerged from view and fired out a volley of scarabs which detonated on the goliaths, knocking them out of action. As the reavers scuttled back, the siege tanks fired once more, peppering the area with explosions. One of the reavers was damaged and had to be hauled out of the battlefield for repairs.

Several more minutes passed before Artanis suddenly sprung into action. "The tanks have been neutralized, though the Arbiter ship was shot down right afterwards. We must strike while we have the chance."

All as one, a whole group of protoss warriors jump out of the trenches and begin sprinting toward the enemy. They were moving so quickly they could almost catch up to a vulture bike as they dashed across the landscape and attacked the UED forces who did not expect their enemy to launch a sudden counterattack.

With their psi blades the protoss sliced through the enemy soldiers with ease, the marine's powered armor being as effective as a wet tissue against the psi blades. The slower dragoons followed up the attack, disintegrating any stragglers who had not been caught up in the initial charge.

Raynor and the rest of his men went on the attack as well and even though they couldn't catch up to the protoss on foot, they were still able to provide some support from a distance. The UED's frontline forces went into a hasty retreat as they were unable to deal with the incredibly ferocious assault.

As the attacking forces reached the foot of the hill where the tanks had entrenched themselves, several spider mines detonated, blowing up the leading protoss zealots and causing the rest to come to a halt. The clock was ticking on the stasis field and anxiety began to creep in among the attackers until an observer arrived to detect the minefield and allow the dragoons to eliminate the spider mines from a distance.

The protoss, along with Raynor's men, advanced up the hill where the tanks had entrenched themselves onto. On top of the hill, the siege tanks and the soldiers guarding them were frozen, surrounded by a bubble of distorted energy. Finally, the stasis fields began to dissipate and the soldiers within came back into being as though no time had passed at all.

"What the hell," one of the trapped soldiers exclaimed. From his perspective, an entire army had suddenly appeared in front of him from out of nowhere. There were so many guns pointed at him that he hardly knew where to look.

The other soldiers also looked around in shock at their current predicament while the tank turrets began swiveling around trying to decide on who to target.

"Surrender!" Raynor called out.

There was a pause. Then, a couple marines dropped their guns, setting off a chain reaction as the surrounded soldiers surrendered. The pilots of the siege tanks also opened their hatches and exited their vehicles.

"I'm tired of fighting anyways," one of the UED soldiers said. "I didn't sign up for this crap. I was in the colonial militia of Mistaff IV before this, but the UED conscripted all of us to fight for them. We were supposed to be defending people from the zerg, not doing this."

"The UED has been lying to you," Raynor said. "They've been setting up zerg invasions and taking over planets by pretending to help. It's all a sham."

"You mean that when my planet got attacked, it was just a huge setup?" the soldier exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"

"Sorry man, but it's true. Maybe after this, we can send you back home and you can spread the news," Raynor said. "We'll be sure to treat you well here."

As the prisoners were lined up to be taken back to the base, some of Raynor's men began climbing into the abandoned tanks and started driving them back. After a change of paint and some repairs, they would be good to go for battle.

As the strike force retreated, Raynor turned to talk with Artanis. "Any way for you to hide something down here to let you recall soldiers onto this location?"

"Teleporting groups is difficult without an established gateway," Artanis said. "An Arbiter can accomplish it, but the equipment needed to perform the task cannot be easily concealed here. Such tactics are not suitable to use for an ambush in this situation."

"That's a shame," Raynor said. "Would've been very useful here. I'll just have some vultures come lay down some mines around the area and the roads coming in. That oughta slow them down a bit."

After Raynor and Artanis returned to their encampment, Zeratul appeared from the shadows. "My brethren and I have destroyed several fuel depots. The enemy will be delayed in sending another force to attack us."

"Well done," Artanis said. "We need this time to recover and bolster our defenses once more. The enemy will be sure not to fall prey to the same tactics again and will undoubtedly redouble their efforts."

"The UED wasn't expecting this much resistance when they assembled their fleet," Raynor said. "If we can hold on long enough then they will start running low on supplies."

"We shall continue to do our part," Zeratul said. "It will be no easy feat to repel their full might though."

"There were many brave warriors who have fallen in battle. We are creating dragoon bodies for them so that they can aid us once more," Artanis said. "In more peaceful circumstances, newly created dragoons would not enter battle until they are more experienced with their new form, but given the urgency of our current situation, it is necessary to expedite this process."

"Sounds good. My men are exhausted and your folks are probably tired too," Raynor said. "Having a bit of a breather would be nice."

"Truly devout protoss warriors will not let tiredness prevent them from doing their duty," Artanis said. "But it is true that we could all benefit from a lull in the fighting."

"What has transpired along the other fronts of the battle during my absence?" Zeratul asked.

"The colonists are still dug in and aside from the group they sent to reinforce my men, they are sticking to defense," Raynor said. "The UED haven't attacked them at all though. Meanwhile, I've heard that the UED forces have been steadily advancing against Kerrigan's zerg. There has been quite a lot of back and forth but over time the zerg are losing ground and not getting it back. But the zerg base is in a defensible location so it will be hell for the UED to make progress. Already they've taken a real beating."

"We must hope that they continue to hold," Artanis said. "The enemy seems to be committing significant assets toward that attack. Defending that area will tie down the UED's forces and give us a reprieve."

"Although circumstances appear favorable at the moment, significant peril exists should that front fall," Zeratul noted. "The enemy would be able to redeploy their forces against us and press on our flanks."

Kerrigan slumped to the ground next to her cerebrate as she let out an exhausted breath. They were beneath the mountain, located in what had once been a holding area for the mining operations. The area within the mountain had become increasingly crowded as they were forced to move deeper into the mountain where it was safe. The original living quarters for the miners were too close to the surface of the mountain so they were forced to move into some of the deeper areas which were deemed stable enough. Those who were tired of staying put wandered about a bit and in the cramped space they were so close that Kerrigan could watch them with her own two eyes.

Similarly, they could watch her too and Kerrigan almost felt a bit perturbed letting them see her in such a sorry state. She had been out fighting, doing what she could to slow down the enemy's advance, but she had her limits. The UED was ready with reserve forces to react every time she put pressure on their front lines and she and the zerg with her were pounded with firepower until they were thoroughly beaten and forced to withdraw. The fighting was getting increasingly desperate and by the time she made it back this time she had practically fallen over, still dripping blood from her nearly mangled body.

The mountain rumbled from the bombardment, but the explosions never reached deep enough to cause damage. On the other hand, the zerg present outside had to bear the full brunt of the attacks and only a continuous stream of reinforcements being hatched within the mountain were keeping them afloat. By now, the entire area was surrounded and the UED was tightening the noose.

The miners inside were getting rather antsy too as they were trapped inside too, and no one believed that the UED would take special effort to keep them alive. At one point, they had reached out to ask the UED forces for a temporary ceasefire to let them leave first. However, the response was unaccommodating. In the eyes of the UED, if the miners were truly loyal to mankind then they would give their lives to inflict as much damage to the zerg as possible.

Now, there was nothing that could be done but to try to hold on for as long as possible. Once the enemy seizes the entrance, they could blow it wide open and that would be it. With each passing hour, more ground would be lost. The few remaining overlords let Kerrigan see a rough picture of the surrounding area and it was clear that the UED's advance was inexorable. But suddenly, their advance halted and they began to retreat.

"We're going in," Henry Grant announced.

"Sir, are we really going to bail out the zerg?" a man beside him asked. "The UED said they would leave us alone if we stay out of this. And they haven't attacked us yet."

"Do you really think that once they win, they won't come after us too?" Henry replied. "That was their plan from the start."

"It might not come down to that," the other man replied. "The UED have taken a lot of losses. They might not have enough left to fight us, especially since we are dug in."

"That is possible," he replied. "But there is always a risk. Besides, even if they are zerg, they did end up helping us out here. It's only fair we do our part."

"Understood sir, I'll call our special advisor now to inform them of your decision." The assistant then inputted some numbers into the datapad to open up a new transmission.

"So you've decided on this course of action then?" the voice on the other end said. "Since I've agreed to command your forces I'll begin putting the plan I've written up into action then. All conditions have now been met for us to proceed."

"Thank you," Henry said. "I'll leave this in your capable hands then."

When the colonial militia began the attack, they moved with precision, the training they had paying off. The UED's forces had to turn to face the new enemy from behind, and engaged their plans to deal with this eventuality.

Siege tanks were redeployed to face off against the colonists rather than the remainder of the zerg, but the need to go around the zerg hive meant that it would take quite a long time to make it there, and by then the colonists were already attacking. While one detachment of the militia met the front group of UED soldiers, two groups of the militia split off and attacked the flanks, cutting off a segment of the enemy army while interdicting the tanks that were redeploying.

The UED forces began to pull back, but behind them the zerg began to stir once more, now no longer suppressed by the artillery bombardment from the tanks. With this, they were now trapped and the southern portion of the encirclement around the hive was destroyed. The UED soldiers chose to run toward the militia and surrender rather than face the renewed zerg attack.

However, the UED soon began to regroup to establish a more defensible line along the northern side of the zerg hive. Their remaining tanks were repositioned to defend against an attack. For a bit, the fighting entered a lull as both sides repositioned. Then, the colonial militia took the next move in splitting their army in half, with each portion moving around the side to get behind the UED's army.

The UED's relief force had arrived and began a battle with the colonists' strike force. However, the militia was more numerous and had taken up positions along a ridge while the UED's relief force was forced to attack in order to reinforce their comrades, who had begun a slow retreat after seeing the situation.

The second UED army was forced back while a portion of the militia along with the zerg harassed the retreating UED forces which were only able to break out after significant losses.

From aboard the command ship, Alexei Stukov examined the situation. "Damn them," he cursed for himself. "These ignorant colonials don't know what is good for them. With the way things are now, we would struggle to hold the planet even if we did conquer it seeing how viciously they are fighting. Even holding onto a foothold here would be far too costly. And these protoss and zerg would just run away if they lost as always. No, if we are to put an end to them we must pin them down."

Stukov gave his orders to his men. "Withdraw all of our forces and prepare for an ordinary evacuation. Have our demolition teams set charges to collapse any mines that we have control of. Since this planet has spurned our generosity, we shall leave them with nothing."

As the UED's forces were withdrawing, Stukov's aide informed him of a new development. "Sir, the cerebrate Daggoth has contacted us, demanding that we cover the retreat of the cerebrate we sent to the surface of Krydon."

"Out of the question," Stukov replied. "If others are able to record us helping out these zerg then that would undermine our mission. No, we leave it behind to die."

Now, Daggoth entered the conversation directly, psionically patching himself into the UED's communications on Char and relaying it to the fleet. "Our arrangement was for you to provide for our survival while we destroy your enemies. If you refuse to provide for our safety then we will consider this arrangement null."

Stukov bristled upon hearing Daggoth's words. "You go too far," he said angrily. "Remember that should we choose to, we can snuff out you and your kind. You live by our generosity."

"If you presume to throw us to our deaths slowly, then we will choose to bring you down with us rather than meekly let ourselves be killed," Daggoth said. "With the way things are now, I daresay your regime will not survive such an event. Your enemies are many and they will prey on you."

Stukov realized that he had let his anger overtake him for a moment. While he kept his face impassive, inside he cursed the arrangement that had been made with Daggoth. Clearly, they had maintained too much independence and had to be brought under control. However, for now there was no choice but to continue maintaining this farce. "Very well then, I shall evacuate the cerebrate along with my men."

After the transmission ended, Stukov slammed his fist onto the table. "Damn that creature," he muttered. "Your days are numbered, I can promise that."