Chapter 1 can be found here:
http://www.staredit.net/topic/335/
Part Two: The Hive
Chapter II
A Chance for Redemption
Werner solemnly piloted a vulture towards Mon Ortha. They had just ventured out of the Zerg-ridden swamp and were continuing on flat land towards their base. As the engine roared, and the vulture zoomed past the ground, a cloud of dust was left where he traveled, as the hover cycle’s jet pounded against the dusty ground. The depressing atmosphere of defeat still loomed in the air. Sophie Harrington was his back passenger, and the other infantry units of Mon Ortha, had a method of transportation. Werner worriedly thought of how to report his failure back in the swamp, but Harrington kindly laid a hand on his shoulder. Apparently, she had been reading his thoughts telepathically.
“Don’t worry John,” Sophie said as she gave an encouraging smile, “Aldus is a good man, he’ll understand.”
“I’ll be lucky if I’m not demoted,” Werner said sourly, “but I doubt complaining will help, I’ll need to find a solution sooner or later.”
“We have landed in Mon Ortha base sir.” a Marine said politely, as their transports stopped beside the heavy bunker fortifications. Werner jumped off his Vulture.
“Let’s just get this over with.”
“I’ll come too,” Harrington, commented.
“I’ll enjoy the company.”
Werner and Harrington entered Aldus’s office. As the doors slid open, they saw that everything was disorganized. Books lay scattered on the floor, paperwork was everywhere, and junk carpeted the floor. Apparently, his office was definitely not lavish, for Aldus was frantically working to organize some paper that Werner couldn’t make out what they said. He was a tall lean man with long silvery hair that was tied behind his head. Aldus had misty blue eyes, and had wrinkles on his face.
“Sir?” Harrington tried to catch his attention. Aldus slid some paper to a corner of a desk. He tore his eyes away from them, and caught a quick glimpse of Sophie looking uneasily around his room. He then continued onto organizing his paperwork, and began a conversation,
“Ah Sophie, you probably notice this room is in disarray. I must be getting old; I’m losing my sense of organization. Therefore, we’ll need a new leader this year. I’ll retire; yes, I will do that. Go back to my home planet and relax instead of protecting this planet from these bugging Zerg.” He sighed, “The job is getting harder, and it used to be simply defeating rebellions, on Mon Ortha, keeping justice, and to continue our bequeathing knowledge. Right now the war is escalating between what aliens?”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Sophie said
“Fine?” Aldus smirked “A man over 65 can’t do fine for a job like this; we require a younger more powerful leader, who can lead an entire army in the most desperate times. I’ll try to find one before my term expires which should be some time soon. I’ve been in wars and everything for over 40 years, I need a rest I have enough money to retire, and soon I hope I will be able to find a dedicated person.”
“I’m sure we will,” Sophie smiled weakly, she wasn’t so sure about what she said though
“Ahem,” Werner thought to Harrington, who picked this thought telepathically.
“Uh Werner wants to speak to you sir,” Harrington said in a neutral tone. Aldus had been too busy organizing paper work that he hadn’t noticed Werner, for he kept his eyes on his task. Aldus looked up,
“Ah Werner!” Aldus beamed, “how are you?”
“Fine sir,” Werner lied; he did not feel fine at all.
“Now why are you two here?” Aldus asked Werner and Harrington exchanged glances.
“My mission sir,” Werner said uneasily, “the one on Dagon?”
“Dagon?” Aldus said dumbfounded. “Sorry I’ll have to check the records on my computer. Please excuse me Werner.” And with a grunt, he heaved himself up and sluggishly sidled onto the lead computer. “I’d like your mission number please” Aldus said without looking at Werner.
“503” Werner moved his lips slowly as he formed the words. Aldus remained unmoving except for his swift hands typing the information on the keyboard and his eyes moving along the screen as he read the details of the mission. “It seems you’ve just returned from that mission. Well could you give me a report on it?”
“Overall, I failed sir.” Werner said in a strained voice as he attempted to conceal the guilt that had felt like a stone in his stomach, “heavy casualties most of the squad dead, very little information obtained about enemy force.”
“Your failure doesn’t concern me son,” Aldus said, Werner blinked
“Sorry, it concern-?”
“No not at all,”
“But what about the troops we lost?”
Aldus impatiently waved his hand signaling that he wanted to wave the topic aside and announce what he wanted to say. “I have a new mission for you and Harrington. One that I hope will give you an opportunity to redeem yourself.” Werner tried to digest this all, first Aldus forgave him for a disastrous defeat, and then he says that all losses will be covered up. Now he sends them on a mission.
“What is the mission sir?” Harrington asked, breaking Werner’s line of thoughts.
“Well, this mission is very important; we can’t afford to fail on this one.” Aldus said. He averted his gaze from Werner, who felt his nervousness flow back into him, to the ceiling.
“And?”
“You and Werner must assail a Zerg Hive,” Aldus explained to Harrington, “You will receive some of Mon Ortha’s most skilled warriors and a remarkable army. Put them to good use because you will need them. The Zerg base is heavily defended by structures and more of those slimy critters. More importantly they have a lot of those mammoth like freaky things.”
“Ultralisks sir,” Harrington corrected,
“Yes, yes Ultralisks, you will have to penetrate their defenses, or do whatever it takes to blow up the hive or kill it or something. The reason this mission is extremely important is because if you destroy the hive, it will be practically an instant victory for Mon Ortha. The reason is that many of the Zerg Hatcheries rely on that single Hive for it to give orders and think. This is not the case with normal Zerg bases; however, the infestation on Mon Ortha has become an exception. The Hatcheries have lost their independency ever since the Hive provided auxiliary power for the Hatcheries, soon the Hive became a primary power source for the rest of the Zerg on this planet. It’s sort of like the engine of a speeder if you know what I mean. Mon Ortha Officers will oversee your troops, and ensure that you will have plenty of ammo. Be ready for your mission by tomorrow, and meet outside the northern takeoff dock Alpha. Any questions?”
“No sir,” Werner and Harrington said in unison.
“This time I’m not going to fail.” Werner said gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in determination. “I’m going to ensure that we emerge victorious from this one Soph.”
“Don’t worry about failing this mission John, when have the both of us ever let Aldus down?” Harrington gave a light grin.
“Well there was Bontoa II,” Werner said his lips curling into a smile, Harrington gave Werner a playful shove.
“You set off that C-4 under the cave,”
“Well it was an accident; you know how I am with C-4’s.”
“I’ll make sure you don’t get even close to one this time John,” Harrington gave a tiny giggle. Werner felt the anger and embitterment of his previous failure drain out of his body. His mood enlightened, Werner set his mind towards the one crucial mission. It was more than a chance for him to redeem himself. It was his chance for the elimination of the Zerg once and for all.
One day later
The Nameless Planet: Mon Ortha base
Mission Number: 508
As Werner and Harrington moved towards their Dropship the immense army prepared for their mission. Throughout the crowd bidding their goodbyes towards the leaving soldiers, he spotted a tall man with a bright expression on his face waving to him. When the Dropship started its engines he could make out the man General Hamlet. General Jerry Hamlet had always been his friend and mentor; he had been with him at the beginning of his training. Werner sometimes wished Hamlet was with him on one of the harder missions, instructing him on his tactics. After walking through the Q-23 Dropship hatch door it hissed behind him closing shut.
The fleet of airborne units was like metallic eagles shimmering in the air, as the sunlight reflected off the polished anti-rust steel of the Battlecrusiers. The Wraiths appeared like falcons soaring swiftly into the battle, and the ground troops looked like ants from where Werner looked down on them from the digital window, but he was well aware of what the vehicles traveling across the landscape were capable of. Werner then diverted his gaze from the digital window and resolved to do some resting before charging out to the intensive battle that would determine his and Mon Ortha’s futures
When Werner’s troops landed and John Werner and Sophie Harrington got out of the Dropship onto the dusty land, they saw that the terrain was fairly smooth, with quite a few boulders that blocked their way. The air smelled of foul Zerg creep that was not very far away.
“Let’s go with our first tactic,” Werner said turning to Harrington. She nodded,
“I’ll lead the infantry diversion, while you get your tanks and other mechanical units to the left flank of the Zerg base. According to Aldus’s map, we should be able to penetrate the first line of defense.”
“Right and I’ll keep the air units landed for now.” They both worked to muster their forces.
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Harrington signaled the Marines to follow her behind the boulder, a few Ghosts stayed behind in case they needed backup in a trance. The Marines were stationed thoroughly throughout multiple boulders along the perimeter, and they pointed their rifles from different angles. The Firebats tried hard to stay concealed, but their large mass, and size made it quite difficult and they were ordered to charge up if the Zerg got too close to their infantry.
On her cue, Harrington and a few Ghosts whirled over the boulders. In a few booms, purplish creep flew everywhere, coating the boulders and the blown up corpses of some Zerglings flew sky-high due to the force of the explosion. The Marines positioned their Gauss rifled from behind the boulders and shot furiously through their aiming reticule. The rattling sound filled the air as any Zerg defenders were ripped up to shreds. The whizzing bullets pierced their rough carapace, and killed them in a cry of anguish as they fell face first into the ground. A small Zerg force turned their heads, and just as Harrington predicted they left their left flank, and romped towards Harrington’s strike force.
“Steady,” Harrington ordered her troops, “hold position as long as you can.”
Some of Harrington’s troops brought out their sniper rifles. As they looked through the scope in mere concentration, they blasted away at the Zerg infantry in long range, and sent deadly bullets, and lasers shooting long range at them. A large amount of the opposing forces were annihilated in the multiple blasts, but it was not enough to stop the Zerg from progressing carelessly towards the Terran infantry. As the Hydralisks got in range, they flexed their muscular chest cavities, and fired needle spines, which narrowly missed the marines. Harrington silently gave them the order to immediately change weapons to Gauss Rifles. As they raised, the rifles shifting into combat position, the machine guns again rattled as they fired furiously at the Hydralisks. It took several impaler rounds to bring the bulky Hydralisks down. The Hydralisks retaliated as they unleashed a more powerful volley of needle spines, and this time their aim was better, breaking the skull of a few marines as the needles pierced their powerful visor.
“Control your fear” Harrington breathed nervously noticing the slightly intimidated marines who just witnessed their comrades’ fall before their very eyes.
“They’re too tough!” a marine roared over the sound of gunfire,
“Aim at their chest cavities where they shoot their spines,” Harrington ordered, “that part of the body isn’t protected by carapace.” The marines exposed themselves from the boulders more as they tried frantically to aim at their chest cavities. A few fell as they locked eyes and head with the needles that came out of the chest cavities. Most of the Marines however were lucky from their simulation target practice, and managed to get a few bullets to shred the Hydralisks. The ground was beginning to be colored a crimson red, as blood of their fallen enemies carpeted it.
“Has Captain Werner started his attack on the Zerg colonies yet miss?” A Marine asked,
“No, and I hope he will soon,” Harrington said, but they had been too busy attacking the Hydralisks that they were unaware of the miniscule Zerglings who had eluded their gazes, and now were closing up on them.
None.
