I'm going to try and get a story published soon so it might be awhile before I put another story on here, but stay tuned because I'm sure I'll post something again, I just don't know what or exactly when. I'd like to thank you for reading.
Project Ragnarok Part Two
One of the dominion marines fired at Daniel from the catwalk above. He dodged and placed a transponder onto another stack of crates. He sent a return volley behind him before running towards a pile of medical supplies - they got a transponder as well. So far the raid had gone well with a minimum of casualties. The dominion forces had been caught off guard, enabling Daniel’s companions to clear out two cargo holds in the first five minutes. They were now on the third.
Every time a transponder was placed on a crate or a barrel it would disappear in wash of shifting energy. The supplies were being teleported directly to the cargo holds aboard the Myanot.
“Over here!” said Jessica over the comm. line. She was crouching over a hatch in the floor and gesturing for Daniel to come. As soon as he started moving she slid through the hatch and into the hold below. Daniel was a moment behind her. Sliding down the ladder, he felt a buzzing sensation in his mind. He assumed Jessica was using her telepathy.
He hit the floor, spun, found a target, and fired. Any compunctions he may have had about killing fellow humans who had once been his comrades had been extinguished when Emperor Mengsk had ordered the destruction of Sanctuary. Jessica had already killed most of the guards in the hold so he quickly went about distributing transponders. The air was soon filled with the crackle of the protoss teleporter.
They had almost completely emptied the hold when Mathews said, “All right, that’s enough. Let’s get back to the Myanot so the Protoss can turn this place into space dust.” Daniel and the others triggered their suits to send the signal to trigger the teleporter and he was pulled out of the hold by blue-white energy. The sensation was no less disturbing the second time.
The moment he reappeared in the teleportation chamber he knew something was wrong. The ship was being hit by enemy fire far more than it should when maneuvering properly and there was a group of terran soldiers waiting for them. Mathews had begun to ask them what was going on when they all started speaking at once.
“There’s something wrong with the Protoss!”
“The Protoss are sick!”
“There’s no one running the ship!”
“Shut up!” barked Mathews. He picked someone out of the crowd and said, “You! What’s going on?”
“The Protoss all collapsed a few minutes ago. They aren’t dead but we haven’t found any way to revive them. There’s no one left to run the ship.” Mathews swore vehemently. He turned to Daniel. “Is there anything you can do?” Daniel shook his head.
“I’ve only learned about navigation, and even that only at a basic level. I don’t know anything about running the combat functions.”
“What about the warp engines?” asked a marine.
“Protoss systems are very complex. I haven’t even begun to learn about opening warp gates.”
Councilor Shimizu ran in and reported, “I checked the core. If I read the instruments right we’re under attack by at least one squad of wraiths backed up by valkyries and the station’s defenses.” The floor lurched as he finished speaking.
“Does anyone have any idea what’s wrong with the Protoss or how to wake them up?” said Mathews. No one answered.
“What about the teleporter?” Jessica blurted.
“What?” said at least a half a dozen people.
“We teleport the ships into the station. I saw the Protoss running it when we left. It didn’t seem that complicated. It’s gotta cause a disruption of some sort.”
“You might be surprised how complex these people can make their stuff but I suppose crazier stuff has worked in the past,” said Daniel. He and Jessica jogged from the teleportation chamber into the control alcove across the corridor with Mathews and the others following behind. Inside the control alcove was a hologram projector showing the area surrounding the Myanot and several red icons representing the enemy ships. It also showed the dominion station complete with detailed depictions of its internal structure and rooms. Daniel flipped up his visor and took off his gauntlets. “Any ideas on how to work this thing?” he asked as the Dominion continued to pound the ship.
“It looked to me like he just pointed at what he wanted to be teleported and then pointed at the place he wanted it to go,” said Jessica. Daniel shrugged and tried pointing at a wraith and then at a corridor - one too small to accommodate a wraith - within the station. A line formed between the two points followed by a number of alien icons. Daniel’s finger hovered over them as he tried to use his extremely limited knowledge of protoss computers to interpret their meaning. A loud boom could be heard outside the hull. Daniel got the distinct impression the shields were about to fail. He hurriedly tried to pick an icon.
“Daniel!” said Major Mathews.
“I’m trying! Do you want me to warp it on top of us?” He finally picked an option. The wraith and some parts of the corridor walls vanished only to reappear at the edge of the solar system.
“Okaaaay. Let’s try another.” It took him another moment, a very uncomfortable moment, to decide on a new course of action. Once again he picked a ship - a valkyrie in this case - and a location within the station. He picked a different icon this time.
Success.
The valkyrie materialized in a hall half its size, destroying the ship and damaging the inside of the station. Daniel felt a burst of relief and broke into a grin. The ship quaked as if to remind him that it wasn’t over yet. He repeated the procedure. This time he moved a wraith into what he thought was an armory. The subsequent explosion confirmed his theory. Soon he was becoming adept at teleporting enemy ships into places where their size and still running engines would do the most damage. The hologram showed multiple fires aboard the station and even a few hull breaches.
He moved a valkyrie into the station’s engine room thus crippling their power systems. Soon all the enemy ships had been neutralized as well. It was only temporary but it bought them some time. Daniel let out a sigh of relief. Carl Leblanc stepped over and slapped him on the back.
“Nice work Dan,” he said.
“Yeah good work,” echoed Mathews and several others.
“Now,” said Mathews, “we need to figure out what’s wrong with the Protoss before our dominion friends get their weapons back online.”
“I’m sure they aren’t dead. I can still sense their minds. Albeit barely,” said Jessica. Her tone indicated that she viewed the fact with mixed feelings. The continuing noise - for lack of a better word - of their minds was still a daily torment to her.
“Does anyone here even know anything about protoss physiology?” Leblanc asked.
“Not really,” responded Daniel. He found himself desperately wishing he had learned more about the Protoss before.
“Well let’s go have a look at them. See what we can figure out,” said Mathews. He didn’t sound enthusiastic. Or hopeful.
At first it felt as if he was drifting in darkness without end. Then memory started to return. Who he was, where he had been before he blacked out, and an all consuming howl that had burned away his consciousness. Pain. It came in an instant and filled his awareness. Every nerve burned. It shocked him the rest of the way out of his comatose state. Marzare’ul was able to sense his surroundings again. The chatter of human minds, the pulse of his ship’s systems.
“I think he’s coming to!” said a voice. Marzare’ul opened his eyes as a small crowd of terrans gathered around him. He groaned and propped himself up his elbows. This took him to a whole new level of pain. His vision was foggy but he was able to recognize some of the humans: Daniel, Shimizu, Mathews.
“What happened?”
“While we were raiding the station you and all the other protoss blacked out. We don’t know why,” said Shimizu. The station! I forgot.
“What happened in the battle?” asked Marzare’ul.
“We used the teleporter to move the dominion ships into the station. Crippled their offensive capabilities but we expect they’ll be back online pretty soon,” said Mathews.
“An original solution. Not sure I would have thought of that. I’ll get us out of here as soon as I feel little better,” said Marzare’ul. His condition was improving rapidly but he still felt like the epicenter of a supernova. It took a monumental effort but he was able to stand. He found he was in the ship’s core. Right. This is where I was. Je’dax, Krassus, and several other crewmembers were splayed on the floor, still unconscious.
“Were there any deaths?” he asked.
“No. They’re all just like this,” said Daniel, indicating Je’dax’s prone form.
“Do you have any idea what happened?” asked the human major.
“No. I heard a terrible roar and then I blacked out. I don’t know where it came from. It was like… I cannot describe it. It overwhelmed my senses.”
Jessica said, “I felt something too when we were breaking into the last cargo hold. It was like a scream. I thought it was just one of the dominion troops dying but it was very… odd.”
“Wait, I felt something then too. I thought it was you Jes,” said Daniel.
“I didn’t use any telepathy then.”
“You must have felt the same thing I did,” said Marzare’ul. The more he thought about it the more disturbed he was. He had encountered numerous psionic phenomena in his lifetime but none had been anything like what he had just experienced.
“Something is not right,” he said to no one in particular. Je’dax began to stir. Good. We’ll be able to leave soon. Marzare’ul went to his side to wait for him to regain consciousness. He thought again about what kind of force could have done this to them. Whatever it was it was not natural and it was not benign.
The months continued to pass on the Myanot with relative quiet. Daniel and most of the other terrans had gotten into a routine that kept them busy. Even the most skittish and distrustful people were beginning to feel comfortable living with the Protoss. A similar if less dramatic shift was occurring in their alien counterparts. On the recommendation of Major Mathews all the human soldiers and many of the civilians now participated in the protoss calisthenics. It provided a relief from boredom and a way to stay in good physical condition as well as a chance to bond with the Protoss.
Marzare’ul and his people were very disturbed by what had happened to them during the attack on the station. Even the most learned among them could offer no answer - not even a theory - as to what had occurred. Many believed it had been some sort of attack. Protoss are not very open about their emotions but Daniel could tell they were scared. Fear was not something he was used to seeing in them and was a little unnerving.
Marzare’ul had made it their mission to discover the source of the phenomenon. It was not said but all knew that if it was found there would almost certainly be bloodshed. Mathews and Shimizu had initially raised objections to the search but Marzare’ul had assured them they would continue searching for a new colony site for the humans in the meantime.
Though most of the terrans had begun to adapt to their surroundings there were still those who were unhappy aboard the Myanot. Mathews and Leblanc were still losing their minds for lack of anything to do, and Jessica was becoming more tortured with every passing day. She rarely left her quarters and when she did she looked drawn and pale. Daniel was getting worried about her. Her mental state was bad enough on the best of days and now she seemed to slipping further and further into the dark parts of her psyche. The only good thing he could say was that she was doing better than John.
Daniel had begun to wonder if John would ever recover from his brother’s death. He rarely talked; he rarely ate. He rarely did anything. Daniel had tried everything he could think of to help. He had even talked about his own pain surrounding Penelope’s death but none of it had done anything to bring John out his depression.
One piece of good news was that the raid on the dominion station had provided them with the supplies and equipment to survive for months, if not years, to come. People were always a little happier with a full belly. Daniel tried to focus on the little blessings and his lessons with Je’dax as he waited out his time onboard the Myanot.
Outside of the facility the wind was howling through the canyon. But it did not trouble General Greenefield. He was deep inside the tunnels that housed Ragnarok, and the project was going well. The zerg attack on the first facility had been a setback, but it had also been the perfect opportunity to test the prototype. The test had gone flawlessly; every zerg within a few hundred miles of Trojia Five had been killed in mere seconds.
After that it had been decided it was too risky to continue at the first facility and they had moved the entire project to an unexplored and unnamed system far from the Zerg and anyone else who might interfere. This had, again, been a setback but a necessary one. Now they were settled into their new lab and progress was being made in leaps and bounds.
Greenefield stepped into a large, two story tall, cylindrical chamber. While tests were being run on the various components of Ragnarok this room was already being prepared to house the finished product. Workers were scurrying about welding, cutting, and wiring. Greenefield walked to where Professor Mitchell Jenkins was overseeing work. Mitchell was a man of average height with blonder hair and freckles. He wore a beard to counteract the boyish look created by the freckles.
“How are things going?” Greenefield asked. He was almost yelling to be heard over the noise of construction.
“They’re going well. We’re about to install the first motors. We just have to finish the foundation struts and do some preliminary wiring for the khaydarin matrix.” Greenefield nodded and stepped back to survey the work. It would only be a few months - if that - before Ragnarok was online and the Zerg were cleansed from the universe. Greenefield had been fighting the Zerg for so long now that he had a little trouble picturing a time when they were not a concern. It will certainly make my job a hell of a lot easier. I can spend more time in my office on New Korhal and less slogging across the border worlds.
He had never expected to fight extraterrestrials when he had begun his military career. Back then no one had even heard of the Zerg. But when the Dominion had risen from the ashes of Tarsonis things had become complicated. The Zerg had proved more dangerous than anyone - except maybe the Protoss - had thought possible. It had become Greenefield’s ongoing mission to protect the Dominion borders from zerg attacks. A task that had gotten more difficult and bloody with very passing month. Sarah Kerrigan, once his comrade, had become his deadliest opponent. There were times when he regretted suggesting to Arcturus that she had outlived her usefulness. Just not many. Now the chance to end what had begun as an attempt to eliminate a political rival and turned into a long and bloody interstellar conflict was finally within his grasp. He took a moment to savor his impending triumph before leaving to report to Arcturus back on New Korhal.
Daniel ran his fingers across the floor. This place never gets dirty. How is that possible? Sitting in the common room with Jessica watching the fountains for the umpteenth time, it had occurred to him that he had never seen the Protoss clean, yet the ship was spotless. No dust, no mud, no fingerprints!
He looked up. God. I must be bored.
“Do you ever notice the Protoss cleaning?” he asked Jessica.
“Cleaning?”
“Yeah.”
“No. What does it matter?”
“Nothing I guess.” I thought we had something to talk about there for a minute. Despite his efforts to fight off boredom there were still times, like this, when things could be really, painfully dull. Little changed from day to day on the Myanot and it didn’t make for good conversation. He had come here to try and bring Jessica out of her shell for a day. It was just turning out to be a waste of time for all concerned. Maybe I could make her a dinner instead. Of course she probably just wants to be alone. A protoss was making his way towards them. It was Marzare’ul. Jessica gave a faint groan and lowered her head.
“Hel-en taro Adun,” said a perplexed Daniel as Marzare’ul squatted across from them. Marzare’ul rarely socialized with or even talked to terrans.
“En taro Adun humans.” He looked at Jessica and addressed her, “It has come to my attention that you can hear our minds. That it is unpleasant for you.” She nodded. Marzare’ul opened a broad, gray fist to reveal what appeared to be a small piece of jewelry. It was made of something like gold and inset with several small, blue crystals. “Tikor made this at my request. It will filter out unwanted telepathic noise. It hooks around your ear.” Surprise, hope, and skepticism showed on her face as she reached for it. She placed it on her right ear and her face lit up in a rare smile.
“It works!” she exclaimed. If he didn’t know better Daniel would have assumed the device was a piece of fine jewelry she had donned. Between it and the radiant smile on her face he was able to get a glimpse of the beauty she must have held before war had taken its toll. As quickly as it had appeared the smile was gone.
“Thank you. Thank you so much,” she said.
Marzare’ul said, “You’re welcome,” and moved off.
“That was odd,” said Daniel.
“This is wonderful. It’s quiet. I’ll be able to sleep now,” said Jessica.
“Awfully nice of him. I wonder why he did that?” thought Daniel.
“I don’t know. He did. Isn’t that what’s important?” replied Jessica.
“I guess so.” Despite being perplexed Daniel felt glad that Jessica could finally have some peace. Now if we could only fix John… Marzare’ul’s behavior did leave Daniel wondering though. He obviously had compassion or else he never would have saved the terrans from Trojia Five, but he had never shown any outward sign of it around Daniel. Maybe he doesn’t want to risk that she might be able to make out what they’re thinking? Naw, that’s too cynical. He looked at the archway Marzare’ul had disappeared through. A new surprise everyday.
Marzare’ul tried to muster his courage as he made his way down the corridor. How can talking to a human who’s less than an eighth my age be less appealing than facing down twenty zerglings? The last few months had changed his perspective on humanity. After living with them for more than half a year he was beginning to gain an understanding of them. He even found himself respecting certain aspects of them.
At first he had found them an irritant more than anything. Their loud, chaotic thoughts; their alien culture; and their unpredictable temperaments had caused serious damage to his peace of mind. Yet as he became accustomed to them he began to understand why they did so many odd things, and as his understanding grew he began to regret some of his opinions and decisions. What had changed his view more than anything was what he had seen after the one terran had lost his brother. The near tireless efforts of Daniel and Jessica to ease his pain had shown him a compassionate side of humanity that previously he had only heard about - and frankly he hadn’t believed half of what he had heard.
All this led to one inescapable conclusion: he had been wrong. He hated being wrong.
He realized now that his image of humanity as merely a fractured, impetuous, and often avaricious race was, at least partially, incorrect and that many of his actions towards them had been wrong. And this had led to another conclusion: he had to make amends. The first and primary way he planned to do this was to apologize to Major Mathews - and, by extension, the rest of the terrans - for his outburst before the attack on the dominion station. He had finally decided to get it over with after putting it off for days. The dread of anticipation had almost usurped the cause of his crew’s collapse a few months ago as his primary worry.
He really hated being wrong.
He arrived at Mathews’s room and hit the door chime. After a moment the door opened. Marzare’ul looked down at the broad form of Major Argyle Mathews.
“May I come in?” said Marzare’ul, feeling more uncomfortable by the moment. Mathews, looking somewhat irritated, gestured for him to enter. Marzare’ul stepped to the center of the room and knelt on a cushion. He had not been in this room since its original dark templar occupant had been killed. The banners that had adorned it previously were now neatly folded in a corner. A trunk of clothing sat against the wall to the left of the door and a set of the weights humans used for exercise were stacked against another. Judging by Mathews’ heavy breathing and sweat soaked clothing he had been using the weights before Marzare’ul arrived.
Mathews sat cross-legged across from Marzare’ul and said, “You obviously came here for a reason. What is it?” Marzare’ul bit the bullet and answered.
“I wish to apologize.” Mathews blinked.
“Apologize?”
“Yes. I have observed your people for many months now and I have realized that my treatment of you personally and your people in general has been unfair. Especially when you decided to raid the dominion station. Your ways are not ours and it was not my place to judge.
“You were right. If you had not taken the dominion’s supplies there would have been suffering and starvation. You may tell your people that I am sorry.” Marzare’ul bowed his head as a sign of respect. Mathews was silent for a moment after Marzare’ul straightened.
Then he said, “I respect a man - or a protoss in this case - who can admit when he’s wrong. Apology accepted.” He extended an arm for the human handshake ritual. Marzare’ul clasped it with one of his own. His long fingers wrapped completely around Mathews’s hand. After that Marzare’ul got up to leave. As he was reaching to open the door Mathews said, “Thank you.”
“You are welcome.” Marzare’ul replied. He left and stepped into the corridor. That takes a weight off my mind. I need to meditate.
Daniel furrowed his brow in thought. I feel like I’m back in college. After nearly a year aboard the Myanot and months of lessons he was finally beginning to learn the more advanced functions of the navigator’s station. Currently he was attempting to coordinate a warp jump with the protoss running the engines. The complexity of protoss systems was still baffling to him. In order to simply warp from one system to another required the navigator, the engine master - as the protoss called the position - and the pilot to work together in an intricate series of calculations and maneuvers. He finished the first series of calculations and paused before beginning the next.
Je’dax was standing at his side to oversee his work. Daniel found Je’dax to be an excellent teacher; he was patient, understanding, and informative. Recently their lessons had expanded to include protoss culture and beliefs with a small dose of history. Daniel was starting to understand the ideological differences that separated the Dark Templar from their cousins devoted to the Khala.
He launched into the final calculations. His brain was starting to ache. It took him several minutes to enter the numbers. He was sure it wouldn’t have taken Je’dax nearly as long but he was simply glad to have finished. He let out a breath and stepped back.
The warp distortion came and went, and the screen before him showed them as sitting in orbit of a ringed gas giant. Je’dax was moving to congratulate him when two large red blips appeared from behind one of the planet’s moons. Daniel recognized their shape instantly as behemoth-class battlecruisers. Remembering what had happened the last time the Dominion attack, he sidestepped as Je’dax rushed to man his station.
“The Dominion!” shouted the protoss. What the hell are they doing out here in the middle of nowhere? The protoss telepathy eliminated the need for alarms such as were used aboard terran ships but it was easy to sense when the ship was under attack by the hum of the deck, the increased glow of the khaydarin crystal that powered the ship, and by the feeling of tension and excitement that the aliens broadcast through their ship. By the time the first dominion shots were connecting, Marzare’ul, Tikor, Krassus, Mathews, and Shimizu had arrived.
“What’s going on?” asked Mathews as he jogged in.
“Two dominion battlecruisers,” said Daniel.
“Power the sterilization array!” ordered Marzare’ul. Daniel gestured his fellow terrans over to an auxiliary station and activated an external camera to observe the battle. In situations like this there was little they could do but watch.
The camera was located near the Myanot’s midsection. They could see the massive battlecruisers striking at the Myanot with crimson lasers. The golden fronds at the fore of the ship were crackling with power that built and swirled around the Myanot’s nose. The energy coalesced, forming a blue-white spike that glided through space and collided with the battlecruiser on the right. The beam ripped through the battlecruiser’s nose section and into the main body of the ship. Its hull began to tear and fracture in various places. Then, with a flare like a star’s dying gasp, the battlecruiser exploded and the beam terminated. Daniel had seen the power of the Protoss before - his home had been destroyed by it - but even now he was in awe of the awesome forces the aliens commanded.
“Recharge the array! Prepare for a second shot!” commanded Marzare’ul.
“There’s a power surge in the array! I think it’s from the damage it took during the crash on Trojia! We won’t be able to fire again until we get it sorted out,” said Krassus. Daniel heard a grating sound that he was pretty sure came from Marzare’ul.
“Then target the photon canons! We need to hold them off until the warp engines recharge,” said the protoss leader.
Now the screen before Daniel showed the Myanot firing small globes of deep blue at the remaining battlecruiser. The battlecruiser took damage but it was clear the much larger dominion ship had gained the upper hand.
“Shield generator four is beginning to overheat!” warned one of the protoss crew. Marzare’ul was now manning the pilot’s station - a pair of globe-crowned stalks before the khaydarin crystal. He seemed to be attempting evasive maneuvers. A particularly intense volley struck the ship’s hindquarters causing the floor to lurch violently and Daniel’s screen to go dead.
Daniel got an idea. He ran to the pilot’s station.
“Marzare’ul!” Marzare’ul, looking annoyed, turned. “If we board the enemy ship we can buy some time or maybe even capture it. I’ve been on battlecruisers of that class. I know exactly where to strike to cripple them.”
Marzare’ul deliberated briefly before saying, “Krassus! Gather as many warriors as you can and prepare to teleport to the dominion ship.” To Daniel he said, “You will show them where to go,” and finally, to Mathews, he said, “I will not order your soldiers to join the boarding party but I would be glad if you were to send them.”
“They’re shooting at us too. You’d have lock me up to stop me going over there,” responded Mathews. Marzare’ul nodded. Daniel thought that if Marzare’ul were human he probably would have smiled. Mathews, Krassus and Daniel beside him, left the core for the teleportation chamber.
Daniel performed some last minute checks on his gauss rifle and armor while the preparations for departure were being made. The boarding party had been split up into several different groups, each with their own target. Daniel’s group, led by Krassus and Jessica, would assault the bridge. A year ago he never would have expected to be boarding a dominion battlecruiser with a bunch of protoss but now it seemed almost natural. The last checks were finished and the teleporter engaged. I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to this.
He found himself in a neosteel corridor facing a door labeled bridge. Krassus shouted a battle cry and hurled himself through the door. Daniel, Jessica and the others followed him onto the bridge. Daniel ducked behind an unmanned console for cover and started firing at the dominion officers. Nearly half of them were killed before they managed to start defending themselves. Jessica used her telepathy while Krassus waded through them like a gold plated juggernaught. Alarms blared through the ship and echoed off the metal walls. Several automated defense guns lowered from the ceiling and targeted the intruders. One was practically on top of Daniel. He dove to the right as the autogun tore through the floor where he had been moments before. He spun around and fired full auto. The autogun was destroyed. He looked for a new target but found that none existed. He stood up.
“Secure the area. They’ll be sending troops here any minute,” said Jessica. Guards were placed at each entry to the bridge to await the inevitable counterattack. Daniel ended up guarding the door they had come in through along with Krassus and two marines.
The Dominion’s efficiency was admirable. It took less than two minutes for a squad of marines in their huge powered combat suits to come charging up the corridor. Daniel and the marines opened fire a moment before Krassus charged. Daniel couldn’t get a shot around the protoss’ massive form but it was quickly apparent that he didn’t have to. Krassus sliced one marine in half with his energy blades before slamming another into the wall. He then delivered a punch that pulverized the helmet and skull of another marine before finishing off the rest with his blades.
Similar skirmishes were fought at the other entrances without the Dominion gaining any ground. Soon after word came in from Mathews and the other squad leaders that the critical areas of the ship had been secured; though fighting was still heavy in some places.
Jessica activated the internal communications and spoke.
“Attention dominion soldiers. We are now in control of the ship. Surrender and you will not be harmed.” Most of the enemy soldiers opted to surrender and in half an hour more than seventy-five percent of the ship had been secured. With the Myanot no longer in danger more of the protoss crew was brought over to aid in keeping the peace. The focus of Daniel’s group - they had been joined by Mathews, John, and Leblanc - became discovering what the battlecruiser had been doing in this system and, if possible, why the Dominion had started attacking them in the first place. The computers - along with all major systems aboard the battlecruiser - had been locked down when they boarded. So far they hadn’t been able to access anything but communications and scanners. Leblanc had been trying to hack in but hadn’t had much success despite his considerable abilities. Like most other things about his past Daniel thought it best not to ask how he had learned to hack with such skill.
Daniel took a moment to compare this ship with the other battlecruisers he had been on. It couldn’t be called luxurious or fancy but it was well polished and clean, which is more than he could say for a lot of other behemoth-class ships. Everything was in tones of black or the silver-gray of polished neosteel.
“I have something!” Daniel and the others crowded around the console where Leblanc was working. “I think it’s a crew manifest,” he said as text began appearing on the screen. Daniel read.
Dominion battlecruiser Tigris
Assignment: special operations, Project Ragnarok
Area of operations: Koprulu Sector perimeter, system designated R2
Senior crewmembers:
Commanding officer: Commodore Michael Shank
First officer: Colonel Helen Maxwell
Second officer: Major Robert Anderson
Weapons officer: Major Eva Stefanopolous
Chief engineer: Lieutenant Murphy Darren
Commander of ground forces: Colonel Andre Yuschenko
Daniel did a double take when he read the last name. It can’t be him can it? What are the odds Andy would be on this particular ship? But then what are the odds there are two Andre Yuschenkos serving in the Dominion military?
“What is it Dan?” asked Leblanc.
“I think I know him,” said Daniel pointing to the name. “When I was in the Dominion Marines I served with a Corporal Andre Yuschenko. I don’t know if that’s him or not.”
“I can’t access any further information. It could be the same guy,” said Leblanc.
“Do we know if he survived the attack?” said Daniel. Mathews said, “I don’t know. If he did survive he’s probably locked in his quarters like the other high-ranking officers.”
“If it’s all right with you I’d like to see if I can find him,” Daniel said.
“Go. If we need you we’ll call you,” said Mathews. Daniel thanked him and left the bridge. He wandered the corridors looking for a door labeled with Andy’s name. It seemed utterly bizarre to be meeting Andy again under these circumstances. Daniel had only served with Andy for a few months but he had proven himself a good friend in that time. They had saved each other’s lives many times. Occasionally Daniel had wondered what had become of him but because the most likely answer was death at the hands of the Zerg, or the UED, he had tried to avoid thinking about it.
He was disturbed by the idea that Andy may have had a hand in the attack on the Myanot. It also disturbed him that Andy may have been killed by Daniel’s comrades. I need answers.
Finally he found it. A door guarded by a statuesque protoss soldier with the name Andre Yuschenko on it. Daniel told the protoss he wished to speak with the prisoner before typing in the code to enter the door. It opened and Daniel stepped in.
It was him. He was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. He looked twenty years older than the last time Daniel had seen him. Andy was in his mid – thirties - about ten years older than Daniel - but he looked Mathews’ age. His blonde hair was now almost completely gray and lines crisscrossed his face. It seemed war was not kind to anyone. The door slid closed at the same time as Andy looked up. His jaw dropped.
“Dan? Is that you?”
“Hello Andy,” said Daniel for lack of anything better to say. He felt almost as shocked as Andy looked. Daniel found a chair and sat across from him.
“What are you doing here?” asked Andy. Daniel saw trouble on the horizon but answered truthfully.
“What does it look like? Taking over this ship before you blow us out of the sky. What are you doing here? On this ship, in this system.”
“You first. What the hell are you doing with the Protoss? You should be helping us fight the alien bastards!” This wasn’t going well.
“These protoss are my friends.” It felt weird to say it but it was the truth. “And you fired on us. We were defending ourselves.”
“We? This doesn’t make any sense Dan. What the hell are you doing on a protoss ship? Did they brainwash you?” Daniel almost laughed.
“The Protoss didn’t brainwash me. That’s Mengsk’s specialty.” Andy was eyeing him with mounting suspicion.
“What the hell happened to you Dan? You used to be a good soldier. You used to believe in Emperor Mengsk. What are you doing helping those aliens?” Now Daniel got angry.
“Mengsk is an evil bastard! He destroyed Tarsonis! He killed my sister! I would trust each of those protoss with my life. They’re a hell of a lot better than that slime ball Mengsk!” He hadn’t meant to yell quite that loud. He expected the protoss guard to come in any minute.
“What are you talking about? The Zerg killed your sister not the emperor!” Daniel sighed. I’m not handling this right.
“You really don’t know do you? I’ll start at the beginning.” There must still have been some trust in Daniel lingering in Andy because he quieted down and listened. “A few months after I was transferred, my new squad was ordered to attack what we were told was a group of anti-Dominion terrorists. We burst into the home they were using a base and like the good soldiers we were we killed everyone. I didn’t even realize what we were doing until after it was over.
“They were an extended family of civilians. They weren’t even armed. I don’t think I killed any of the women or children. At least I hope I didn’t. I really hope I didn’t.” Next to the destruction of Tarsonis this was the memory that haunted him the most. “That night I snuck out of the barracks and went back to try and see if I could find out what went wrong. The thing is, nothing did. The mission had gone exactly as Mengsk wanted.
“The family had been distributing facts that Mengsk wanted covered up. They weren’t terrorists. The closest thing they had to weapons were kitchen knives. The only threat they represented was to his image. I stayed there all night watching the holo-vids they’d built up. Their evidence was impossible to deny. Mengsk wasn’t the hero of Tarsonis he was the destroyer. He used devices called psi emitters to call down the Zerg and then he let them do their work. They were just the weapon; he was the wielder. My sister, and all the others that died, were sacrificed so he could realize his dreams of power.” Andy wore a shocked expression.
“That can’t be right,” he said. “The emperor wouldn’t do that. And that still doesn’t explain what you’re doing helping the Protoss attack us.” Daniel sighed. This is not going well.
“Trust me, Andy. Mengsk destroyed Tarsonis and his people ordered me to kill civilians. He probably did a lot of other things I don’t even know about. As far as why we’re with the Protoss and why we’re fighting you, well, it’s a long story.”
“I got time,” said Andy with no small degree of hostility.
“Okay. I did rejoin the Dominion briefly to fight Kerrigan in that last battle over Char. After that disaster a bunch of us that had survived banded together and started looking for an isolated planet where we could live. Eventually we settled on a planet way out in the fringe called Trojia Five. We were there about a year when the Protoss came. There was an incident. It’s kinda complicated and there’s no real point in telling you the details but long story short we ended up forming a truce with them to fight some zerg.
“About two weeks later the Dominion attacked. I don’t know why, maybe you could tell me, but they just showed up and started shooting. Civilians, soldiers - they killed anyone. Our only choice was to leave on the protoss ship. We’ve been with them a year or so now. They’re good people, Andy. They seem cold at first but they’re just stoic.” Andy looked very skeptical but there was also something in his bearing that seemed to show Daniel’s words had struck a cord of truth in him.
“I know this is a lot to take in. I’ll let you think about things and come back later,” said Daniel. As he left he added, “I’m not lying, Andy. I want you to understand that this is the truth. You shouldn’t fight for a cause that doesn’t exist.” Andy said nothing.
“Still no word from the Tigris sir,” reported a lieutenant.
Greenefield nodded and responded, “They’ve most likely been captured.” He grimaced. Ever since they had detected the arrival of the protoss ship the large combat command center within the Ragnarok facility had been buzzing with activity. All around the general was the chatter of technicians and soldiers monitoring the scans of the ships high above them. Things were not going well. The Tempest had been outright destroyed in the first few minutes of battle and not long after that they had received a message over a covert channel from the Tigris saying that they had been boarded. The transmission had been cut short. The only useful intelligence transmitted had been that the boarding party contained terrans - including at least one telepath - in addition to protoss.
For some reason Greenefield found it especially vexing to know that the ship now poised a mere few thousand kilometers from the Ragnarok facility was the very same one that carried the survivors from Trojia Five. What the hell are the odds that they would show up here? he raged silently. Used to being informed and in control, he despised not having the answers to his many questions. Why are they here? Do they know about Ragnarok? Will they be able to crack the Tigris’s computers? He grabbed the edge of the console in front of him and squeezed it. Hard.
He started channeling his mental energy from anger into solutions. Best to assume the worst: that they either know that Ragnarok is here or will find out soon enough. Also best to assume they’ll attack us in retribution for our assaults on them. In that case we should prepare for an all-out offensive.
“Put us on heightened alert! Order all soldiers to man their posts! Activate the shield!” he ordered. His words echoed off the domed ceiling causing his underlings to burst into action. After a moment’s thought he added a final instruction. “Prepare to send a message to Dominion Central Command.” Although contacting the central command was a blatant violation of his orders to maintain radio silence it might also prove to be the only way to save them if the Protoss and their chums decided to come calling. Of all the times for this to happen... On paper Ragnarok was ready to fire now. The final tests on it would be complete in the next two weeks. To have the project come under threat now with final victory so close was maddening. But there was no use complaining about something that couldn’t be fixed. Greenefield left to make sure the defenses were being organized properly and to calm his anger. Anger was never good for decision-making and that was dangerous in a battle.
Daniel poked at the remains of his lunch. The food dispenser had claimed it was steak with mashed potatoes. He chose not to speculate as to its actual identity. He was mulling over the orders Mathews had given him a couple hours ago. “We need to get access to their computers. I want to know why they’ve been attacking us and what they were doing in this backwater system.” Naturally it had fallen to Daniel to try and get the codes from Andy - the only officer still alive who knew them - because, it was hoped, he would be inclined to trust Daniel. Jessica would be used to extract the codes telepathically if Daniel ultimately failed, but everyone preferred not to use that option if possible.
The conversation had not gone well. Although Daniel had succeeded in shaking Andy’s trust in the Dominion but he hadn’t done a good enough job to actually get the codes. Andy had become frustrated and angry at Daniel’s insistence he break his oath of loyalty. Now Daniel worried he had compromised not only his chances at succeeding in his mission but also his friendship with Andy. Daniel also found it disturbing how much Andy had changed. He seemed tired. Really tired. Daniel guessed that all these years of war had drained the life out of him.
But then didn’t war do that to everyone? He thought of Jessica’s scarred face and his own cybernetic hand. Of John’s dead brother and Marzare’ul who had barely even seen his own homeworld before it was destroyed. There’s so much war now. So many people being killed. Bad enough having the Zerg around without people like Mengsk starting more killing for their own purposes.
His contemplation ended when the door to the battlecruiser’s mess hall opened. Andy entered followed by his protoss guard.
“He wished to speak with you,” the protoss said curtly.
“Thanks. Leave us along please,” responded Daniel. The guard hesitated but left. Andy sat across the table from Daniel.
“Do you really trust those guys after they destroyed Chau Sara and all those other colonies?” Andy asked once the guard had left.
“They’re like us - there are tons of different factions among the protoss. Some agreed with the decision to sterilize terran colonies, some didn’t. Most of the ones in this group were against it and those that weren’t regret it. The Dark Templar weren’t even involved. I’ll tell you something: we raided a dominion station a few months back. Marzare’ul, he’s their leader, went ballistic because we were going to be stealing. I’ve never seen anyone, human or protoss, get that mad. Just because we were gonna be stealing! That’s the kind of people they are.” Andy grunted noncommittally.
“I know you didn’t come down here just to ask about the Protoss,” said Daniel. Andy sighed.
“They were really trying to kill everyone in Sanctuary? Civilians too?”
“I saw it with my own eyes,” said Daniel. Andy massaged his weather-beaten forehead and said,
“I’ve heard the soldiers who were assigned to this mission before me mention attacking a base on Trojia Five. They don’t mention anything about killing civilians but I trust you, Daniel. I don’t know how it’s possible but you must be right. Mengsk is a murderer.” Daniel felt a stab of pity for Andy. The truth can be hard.
“Does this mean you’ll release the computer lockouts?”
“Yeah. I’ll do it.” Daniel reached across the table and patted him on the shoulder.
“Thank you. You’ve done the right thing.” They stood and departed for the bridge.
“Andy, I’m curious. Do you know what you and the other battlecruiser were doing here?”
“No. All they told us was that we were to fire on any ships that entered the system. I figured anyone out this far couldn’t be a law-abiding citizen anyway. I think the captain knew but I never asked.”
“I think I’ve got it!” announced Carl Leblanc. Everyone quickly gathered around his computer terminal. The exception being Andy who joined them but without any speed or enthusiasm. Daniel’s curiosity overrode his sympathy for Andy’s disillusionment for the moment.
Even after Andy had released the computer lockouts it had proved very difficult to access any files with pertinent information. Once again they had turned to Leblanc’s hacking skills. Now, at last, they would have their answers.
Dominion Special Operations project 782
Codename: Ragnarok
Commanding officer: General Paul Greenefield
Chief scientist: Professor Mitchell Jenkins
Goal: Construction and implementation of a psionic weapon to eradicate the Zerg
Origin: Following the Dominion’s heavy losses in the Brood War, Professor Mitchell Jenkins of Dominion Military Science proposed a weapon that would use the Zerg’s susceptibility to psionic influences (as seen in the effects of devices such as psi emitters and psi disruptors) to wipe out their race with a high frequency psionic pulse. Though requiring a level of psionic engineering above and beyond anything seen before, General Greenefield approved the project due to its potential to end the zerg threat. Once approved the project was given top priority by Emperor Mengsk and classified top secret. Orders were given that any who learned of the project without authorization were to be killed immediately. For more detailed development history see the attached timeline.
Concept and mode of operation: The Ragnarok device functions by using the energy found in khaydarin crystals to create a psionic pulse, which is then transmitted via amplifiers similar to psi emitters. The pulse overwhelms the neural functions of all known zerg breeds resulting in seizure and fatal brain hemorrhaging.
Current understanding of psionics shows us that the pulse cannot be stopped by any known shielding or interference and that it should have nearly unlimited range. This means that a single firing of the completed Ragnarok should be sufficient to annihilate the entire zerg Swarm.
Orders to DBS Tigris: Protect Ragnarok facility in system R2. Destroy all ships that enter the system. Maintain radio silence with the Ragnarok facility and any ships/persons/facilities outside the system. Safeguard the knowledge of Project Ragnarok, its nature, its mechanics, its goals, and its location from all but the most essential personnel.
“Destroy the Zerg!” said Leblanc at the same time as Daniel exclaimed, “General Greenefield!”
“One at a time,” said Mathews.
“Who’s General Greenefield?” he asked.
“Supreme commander of dominion military. Second only to Emperor Mengsk in power. If he’s leading this project it must be big. Very big,” Daniel explained.
“If they’re gonna destroy the Zerg I almost regret we destroyed their ship,” said Leblanc. Daniel was inclined to agree. The universe would be a much better place without the Swarm.
“I still don’t understand why they attacked us on Trojia. Open that timeline,” said Shimizu. Leblanc opened the file and began scrolling through text before settling on one section.
He read out, “’Based on the recommendations of General Greenefield, Emperor Mengsk sent the project team along with a large military detachment to Trojia Five with orders to capture the terran town on its surface as well as a small collection of khaydarin crystals located just south of the town. All inhabitants were to be eradicated to prevent word of Ragnarok spreading, however they escaped with the aid of a group of protoss. Standing orders exist in the Dominion to destroy the protoss ship on sight.
“The town was retrofitted into the first Ragnarok facility where the earliest prototypes were built and tested.’”
“Oh God it really is true,” said a stricken Andy Yuschenko. Daniel clenched his fists in anger. No witnesses. All this fighting just so Mengsk could keep his secret. Amidst his hatred was also a small feeling of amusement that even in death - if a crystal can be dead - the Khaydarin Mind was being used as an instrument of destruction.
Daniel realized that Marzare’ul was being unnaturally still even for a protoss. He wore an expression of intense thought. Daniel could almost hear the gears working inside his head.
“Marzare’ul?” Daniel said. The protoss returned to the present and looked at Daniel.
“I’m thinking. A psionic weapon…” To Leblanc he said, “What was happening with the project when you raided the dominion station?” It took Leblanc a minute to find it.
“I think this is it. ‘On the three hundred and fifty-seventh day of project development the facility’s defenses were overwhelmed by a massive zerg assault. General Greenefield ordered the most recent, and most advanced, Ragnarok prototype to be fired. The prototype produced a shockwave which resulted in the death of every zerg on or above the planet.’” Realization dawned. Daniel remembered Marzare’ul’s words from months ago. “I heard a terrible roar and then I blacked out.” “It overwhelmed my senses.”
“That’s what it was! What I - what we - felt was Ragnarok!” said Marzare’ul. Daniel looked at Jessica. She didn’t need to say anything for him to know she agreed. “If this thing can affect us as well then we are in grave danger,” said Marzare’ul. “We have to destroy it.” The look on Marzare’ul’s face made Daniel extremely grateful he was not General Greenefield.
“Wait. How could a weapon designed to kill zerg affect protoss?” asked Major Mathews. Marzare’ul paused before answering.
“Only a handful of humans know what I am about to tell you. The Zerg and the Protoss are… cousins of a sort. There was a race known as the Wanderers from Afar, the Xel’naga. I will not say they created us because that is not accurate but they made our two races what we are today. We are counterparts. The opposite yet the same. A weapon, especially one using khaydarin crystals, would more than likely affect both peoples.” Daniel could hardly believe it. It was almost unbelievable that something could have even created the Protoss. Even more unbelievable that those same beings had given rise to the Zerg. Judging from the faces of his fellow terrans Daniel was not alone in these thoughts.
“So how can we protect your people from Ragnarok?” Mathews asked.
“As I said, we destroy it.”
“Hey wait a minute! Now I appreciate the risk to you and your race but this thing offers a way to get rid of the Zerg for good. Doesn’t seem very smart to destroy it,” said Mathews.
“I agree. Perhaps we can work out a diplomatic solution with Greenefield,” Shimizu suggested.
“I know a bit about General Greenefield from my time in the Dominion. Diplomacy isn’t what he’s known for,” said Daniel. Andy agreed.
“Still don’t you think it’s worth a try?” said John, surprising Daniel by speaking out loud.
“If we try diplomacy we risk alerting Greenefield that we know what he’s doing and we waste valuable time. He could be ready to deploy that thing at any minute,” Marzare’ul argued. Daniel was grateful the protoss seemed to be keeping his temper in check. At least for now.
“But what if we can prevent bloodshed by coming to an accommodation?” said Andy.
“These are the same people that have been trying to kill us for the past year,” said Krassus. His voice sounded even more thunderous than usual.
Leblanc said, “I say we should at least try and capture Ragnarok if we don’t make a deal with Greenefield. A future without zerg is a welcome one.”
“I could live with capturing it. All I care about is finding out a safe way to use it,” said John. There was a look in his eye Daniel couldn’t name. Something between hope, sadness, and hatred.
“Capturing it would be much more dangerous than simply destroying it. We would have to hold it against all the Dominion troops in the facility plus any they send to find out what happened to their project,” stated Tikor.
“Unfortunately I have to agree. We don’t have the manpower to hold off the Dominion while we modify this thing to kill only zerg. That’s if we can even find a way in the first place,” said Mathews.
“If capture is out of the question then it’s all the more important we choose a peaceful solution,” said Shimizu.
“I agree,” said Daniel. Though he doubted speaking with Greenefield would solve anything it was always better to try and avoid a fight where possible.
“Me too I suppose,” said John. The rest of the humans agreed and Marzare’ul acquiesced with a grating psionic snarl.
“I’ll find a frequency we can contact the facility on,” said Leblanc. A thought occurred to Daniel.
“If they’re building this thing in this system how come we only detected the battlecruisers?”
“It says here that the facility is on one of the gas giant’s moons. The giant has an ultra-strong magnetic field. If they had a city down there we wouldn’t detect it,” Leblanc answered. After a moment he announced he had the frequency and was calling the Ragnarok facility. Nothing happened for about a minute. Anticipation hung heavy in the air.
A small hologram projector just down from Leblanc flared to life. Standing on the circular pad was a 3D, miniature image of a man in a midnight-black uniform with perfectly groomed hair and shoes of the same colour. His face showed a mixture of surprise and annoyance. Daniel - along with his companions - moved in front of the hologram and studied the man behind the dominion military.
“This is General Paul Greenefield of the Dominion. Who are you and why are you calling?” His tone did not imply anything even close to friendship. He was eyeing the protoss with extreme suspicion. It was Major Mathews who responded.
“My name is Argyle Mathews. I led the militia in Sanctuary. That’s the town you destroyed on Trojia Five. But I’m not here to argue about that. We know what you’re doing here and we’ve found a design flaw in Ragnarok.” Greenefield arched an eyebrow. Even as a one-foot hologram he radiated authority. Marzare’ul spoke.
“If you fire your weapon it will destroy my people. Destroy the Protoss. You must modify it to only target zerg.” His voice left no room for argument. Or so Daniel thought.
Greenefield turned his head from Marzare’ul to Mathews. “Why are you bothering with this, Mathews?”
Daniel quickly found himself disliking the general-a sentiment that seemed to be common in the room, especially with the protoss. Krassus and Marzare’ul looked ready to leap through the transmission beam and throttle him, and even the normally placid Tikor looked slightly murderous.
“Because they saved us back on Trojia. Saved us from you I might add. They’ve never done anything to us and we owe them, so if you don’t hold off firing Ragnarok ‘till there’s a way to stop it from killing them things are gonna get real ugly, real fast,” said Mathews.
Greenefield scratched an eyebrow and said, “Let me be blunt. I have here the best of the best from across the Dominion to defend Ragnarok. I can hold off your ragtag posse more than long enough for the emperor to order every available ship here to crush you. You can’t stop me.”
Greenefield cut off the transmission and turned to the aide next to him. “Cancel all testing on Ragnarok. We’re going to fire it. Now.”
Marzare’ul clenched his fists until the colour left them. “We tried it your way. Now we do it my way,” he grated.
No one argued. If Greenefield wants a fight that’s what he’s gonna get, thought Daniel. After nearly a year aboard the Myanot no one viewed the destruction of the Protoss as a worthwhile sacrifice.
“Does the file say what kind of defenses the facility has?” asked Mathews.
Leblanc answered, “It isn’t very specific. ‘Defenses include arclite siege tanks, gun emplacements, and ghosts.’”
“Not exactly a cakewalk,” said Jessica.
“I don’t care if they have the Seven Gods of Aiur guarding them! I am going to destroy Ragnarok and then I’m going to rip off Greenefield’s arrogant head!” Marzare’ul ranted. He transmitted a mental image along with the words. It reminded Daniel of something he had once seen a zergling do.
“Wouldn’t it be safer to destroy it from orbit?” asked Daniel; though there was a part of him inside that would have welcomed close combat with the people who had driven him from Sanctuary.
Leblanc said, “I don’t think that we can. According to this the facility is protected from above by an advanced EM shield similar to those generated by explorer science vessels. The only way to get to it is by landing-or in our case teleporting-a few hundred meters away and then entering the canyon where the facility is located.” A natural chokepoint. Great.
“Then we will face them on the ground. And they shall feel the wrath of the Firstborn!” said Krassus.
The teleporter placed him in a world of white. A vast plane of ice and snow stretched out around him. The sky above was a mirror of the ground below-endless white clouds. The wind was fierce and icy. It cut through Marzare’ul’s robe to chill his bones. He was grateful that protoss were less susceptible to frostbite than terrans.
Up ahead, barely visible through the shroud of blown snow, was the great glacier wall where their quarry awaited.
Without any word or signal the protoss warriors-the entire crew of the Myanot save one, chosen by random draw, who would stay behind to teleport them back if they succeeded-began loping across the plane as fast as their legs would carry them. The humans followed behind. Their preference for ranged weapons meant that they would be able to engage the enemy at roughly the same time as Marzare’ul’s people despite the Protoss’s lead.
A combination of fear, bloodlust, and the exhilaration of combat made Marzare’ul’s heart hammer and his veins pulse.
It was difficult for even keen protoss eyes to see anything through the blowing snow but slowly a notch in the glacier began to appear, becoming more distinct the closer they got. It looked to be only about twenty-five meters wide at the entrance. It widened as it went deeper into the glacier forming the canyon where the Ragnarok facility was located.
Now he could see towers and structures, most built into the canyon walls, beyond the entrance. A low, gated wall manned by infantry stretched across the entrance. The walls of the glacier near the notch were pockmarked with gun emplacements and artificial caves sheltering siege tanks and other artillery.
The boom of a siege tank cut through the icy stillness. Just before the shot landed, Marzare’ul’s men leapt out of its path. A blast of hot air hit Marzare’ul but none of the protoss soldiers were badly hurt. Galedorn deployed the cannon on top of his exoskeleton and returned fire with a volley of antimatter bolts.
Now all the dominion guns were firing. The Protoss and their allies responded by dodging and weaving. Nonetheless casualties were suffered. A dark templar warrior just a few feet from Marzare’ul was hit in the chest by an explosive shell. As the soldier’s mental death scream assaulted him Marzare’ul swore the Dominion would pay in blood for every protoss killed.
The high templar began unleashing psionic assaults on the terran defenses. Whole sections of the glacier’s face were obliterated by their fury. Marzare’ul added his own energies to the mix, sending out tendrils of scarlet energy to rip through the enemy guns.
They were now close enough for the marines at the wall to start firing.
“Destroy them!” he sent to the high templar. The marines along the wall-together with most of the wall itself-were swept away by a wave of psionic power.
Volleys of fire from their terran allies shot over the heads of the Protoss. Marzare’ul jumped through a gap in the wall and into the canyon. The battle began in earnest.
The air reverberated with weapons fire, telepathic strikes, and the screams of the dieing. The Protoss and their allies were greatly outnumbered by the dominion soldiers but the Protoss fought for the very survival of their race. They knew failure was not an option.
In the center of the battle fought Marzare’ul, dancing and wheeling and lunging and striking. He cleaved the head off one marine before blasting the mind of another. He dodged the flames of a firebat before disemboweling another soldier. He was in the grip of a primordial bloodlust that would not be satisfied until the defenders of Ragnarok had been brought to their knees. His fury was made all the more deadly by the fact it had not impaired his thinking. He was able calculate each attack.
When he became separated from his fellows and surrounded by marines he wrapped himself in shadows and started slaying them one by one. His stealth proved ultimately unnecessary when Galedorn slaughtered them with his disruptor cannon. Marzare’ul dropped his cloak.
A shell exploded behind him sending him to the ground. He looked up. An arclite siege tank-probably one of the survivors from the outer defenses-had joined the battle. It was rolling forward after firing the shot that had nearly killed Marzare’ul. Think you got me do you? He stood and hurled a spiraling blade of energy. It ripped through the tank’s treads; the tank ground to a halt. Krassus threw himself onto it, tore off the arclite’s turret, and hurled it into a knot of marines.
A strange feeling tickled the edge of Marzare’ul’s consciousness. It was like whispering voices or the rustle of leaves. He knew it for what it was: Ragnarok.
“It has begun!” His warriors pushed themselves into an even greater fervor hoping to defeat their enemy before Ragnarok could fire.
Pain like a knife lanced through his skull. At first he thought it was Ragnarok but it did not feel the same. He spun around to find the source. There. A dominion warrior wearing armor similar to that worn by Bravo Squad was standing several meters away. Marzare’ul struck with a blade of thought but before it could reach its target the ghost hit a button on his belt and vanished.
Marzare’ul countered with a cloak of his own. He stalked the battlefield, completely invisible, looking for any footprint or sign of movement on his opponent’s part. He tried searching for the thoughts of the ghost. He found nothing. He must be powerful-for a human-to shield his thoughts so well.
Pain assaulted his mind once again just as he heard the sound of a rifle firing. He barely dodged the shot. He launched a bolt of energy but missed again. Another shot, another dodge, another failed counterattack-so their deadly dance continued.
Marzare’ul could feel Ragnarok getting closer to full power-the death of his race approaching like an enraged ultralisk. I can’t waste time with this, he thought. Then, searching frantically for his assailant, he saw something kick up a small puff of snow. It did not move in the right direction for it to be the wind. He acted quickly. Removing his cloak, he focused all his energy into a single, serpentine bolt of power. It burst forth from his hand and tore through first the ghost’s cloak and then his torso.
Marzare’ul had resummoned his psi blades and was running to rejoin the main conflict when he heard someone calling his name.
“Marzare’ul! -Over here!” called Jessica.
She and Daniel stood in front of a reinforced door into one of the buildings set into the canyon walls. The schematics had said that it was the quickest way to the chamber where Ragnarok was kept.
Marzare’ul jogged forward under the protection of the covering fire provided by Daniel, Jessica, and the squad of marines accompanying them. For this mission Bravo Squad had been split. Daniel and Jessica had been assigned to find and destroy Ragnarok while John and Leblanc had been given the task of destroying all files on the project’s research-something Marzare’ul had insisted they do to prevent Ragnarok from being rebuilt.
The protoss leader arrived and Jessica said, “We’d rather not waste any explosives on the door.” Marzare’ul took her meaning. He obliterated it with his psionic power.
They charged into the structure. A set of automated defense guns burst from the floor, instantly eliminated by gauss rifle fire.
Jogging through the corridors, they came ever closer to Ragnarok. Every corridor looked virtually identical. Several times they found themselves consulting their memories of the schematics, trying to figure out which turn to take. Daniel cursed himself for not suggesting they load the floor plans into their helmets.
Thankfully most of the enemy soldiers were fighting outside and they encountered only isolated pockets of resistance until they started getting close to Ragnarok.
They were now deep in the glacier, below the level of the canyon floor. They were rounding a corner when gunshots rang out and Daniel felt a burning pain in his right arm. He ducked back into cover.
The pain was making it hard to think. The injury repair systems in his suit began pumping painkillers and clotting agents into the wound. It would not heal the wound completely but it would prevent it from becoming serious until he could receive proper medical treatment.
As soon as the painkillers began to kick in he was leaning around the corner and firing on the dominion officers that had attacked them. It took the lives of two allied soldiers to do it but they won through and were able to continue their journey toward Ragnarok.
Even this deep in the compound they could still hear the sounds of the battle in the canyon. All this destruction because Greenefield didn’t want to slow down his project. What a waste. The fighting inside was becoming heavier as well. The closer they came to Ragnarok the more human and automated defenders they encountered.
Ragnarok had not yet fired but already it was taking its toll on Marzare’ul. His skin had turned a paler shade of gray and he had lost much of his earlier energy. He still held his own in combat but it took more and more out of him every time. Daniel knew the only things keeping him going were protoss stoicism and grim determination to get to Ragnarok.
And then they were there.
The massive neosteel door to the Ragnarok chamber loomed before them. The autocannons guarding it were destroyed before they could fire a shot.
“I will open it,” rasped Marzare’ul. Daniel had to wonder if the exhausted protoss would be able to defeat the reinforced door in his present state. He should have known better by now.
Marzare’ul raised a fist wreathed in darkness and struck the door. The clash of fist and steel reverberated through the facility and left a broad dent in the door. A second hit and the door began to buckle. A third and it was torn from its moorings.
Afterward Daniel would find he could remember little of the charge into the Ragnarok chamber. Only chaos and people shooting in, and from, every direction. After a few seconds of frenzied fighting he found himself crouching behind a computer terminal next to Jessica and near the body of a freckled man in a white lab coat. The room they were in was big-two stories tall with a catwalk circling the chamber above them.
Their level was mostly taken up by computer consoles and other scientific equipment. In the center of the room stood Ragnarok. It stretched from the floor all the way to the ceiling; a column of steel impregnated with shards of the Khaydarin Mind. In three places along its length-at the base, the top, and the middle-there was a set of four devices, like speakers, spinning and emitting a loud humming that Daniel heard in his mind almost as much as his ears. The entire machine was suffused with a faint blue light.
Daniel started when he saw Marzare’ul splayed against the wall next to the door. Jessica jerked her thumb at Ragnarok. “Machine got to him. Don’t worry he’s just unconscious.” Daniel was relieved.
Gauss rifle fire ricocheted off the top of the computer terminal. Jessica began to count. On three she and Daniel stood up and killed the two marines that had fired on them.
“I think that was the last of them,” said Daniel. Jessica started to nod but instead she shrieked and toppled to the floor, holding her head.
“You missed one,” said Greenefield stepping out from behind Ragnarok. He wore a strange crown-like device on his head and another device around one wrist. In his right hand he held a blaster pistol. Daniel raised his rifle to fire but Greenefield was quicker. He hit Daniel twice in the shoulder. His armor stopped the bullets but the force of the impacts knocked him backward and sent his rifle flying. He scurried behind the console and drew his pistol. He tried to glance out at Greenefield but a bullet sped by his faceplate the moment he did. Damnit he’s fast.
The noise of Ragnarok was starting to increase in pitch. I need to stop that thing now.
Greenefield stalked the chamber. Two of them. I wonder if the other one is a telepath too? He pressed a few buttons on his psi screen’s wrist console. Nothing happened. At least I can still control the other one. He hit another button and the woman screamed again.
Something clattered near the fallen protoss. He fired but nothing was there. It’s a trick! He spun around as the second intruder bolted out from cover on the other side.
They both fired, they both dodged. No one was hit. The intruder hid behind another console. Slippery bastard.
Ragnarok was increasing in power, getting louder. It won’t be long now.
The intruder peaked his head up from cover. Greenefield fired but his foe ducked. Come on. I only need you to make one mistake.
A voice, laced with pain, spoke in his mind. “Die!” It’s not possible! He looked over his shoulder. The woman was standing. She extended an arm and a chair flew across the room. As the woman collapsed, it collided with Greenefield and knocked him to the floor.
When Daniel saw the chair soar across the room he knew he had his chance. He leapt on top of the console and took aim for Greenefield. The general’s fingers were already closing around his gun but this time his speed couldn’t save him. Daniel squeezed the trigger once, twice, three times.
Greenefield’s face showed no pain, only surprise.
As soon as Daniel was convinced the general was dead he was running to Ragnarok. This close to the machine the air was buzzing with energy that made Daniel’s skin crawl and his hair stand on end. The noise was almost deafening. He pulled an explosive charge from his belt and put it on the machine. He set the countdown and ran for the nearest cover.
An explosion ripped through the chamber followed by the scream of tearing metal and a mighty crash.
Daniel stood. The explosion had completely severed the machine from the floor. The part connected to the ceiling had been unable to hold the weight and the whole thing had collapsed. It was now leaning haphazardly against the catwalk that surrounded the chamber.
Daniel took a deep breath before going to check on Jessica and Marzare’ul.
The Myanot’s sterilization array flared. Its beam shot downward into the clouds of the moon. Daniel could imagine it pulverizing the glacier and eradicating every last trace of Project Ragnarok. Marzare’ul would not allow any chance of the project being resurrected.
Daniel turned away from the window and surveyed his new room aboard the Tigris. It was Spartan and lacked the grandeur of the Myanot but it was familiar rather than alien. It got dusty if you didn’t clean it.
It had taken little debate for the survivors of Trojia Five to decide to make the Tigris their new home. The dominion prisoners were going to be released in unarmed dropships and left on their own. There were also some that had elected to stay, Andy among them. Daniel was looking forward to picking up their friendship where they had left off.
Marzare’ul, Mathews, and Shimizu had all agreed that the Myanot and the Tigris would travel together; at least until the terrans found a new planet to call home. They might very well need each other’s protection. It was unlikely the Dominion would stop hounding them and there was always the Zerg.
Daniel returned to the window. The Myanot had stopped firing. There was a part of him that still wished they could have captured Ragnarok or found a way to protect the Protoss from it. It’s for the best I suppose.
On a positive note they had suffered surprisingly few casualties in the battle with the Dominion. His own injury had been easily mended and Jessica was expected to be released from the hospital bay soon. The psychological wounds suffered during Greenefield’s torture would take longer to heal but she was tough and she had been through far worse. Or so she had tried to assure him. She said that the pain inflicted by the psi screen could have been much worse if she had not been wearing Tikor’s device. If it had not been for that one piece of technology she never would have been able to throw that chair and Greenefield likely would have prevailed. I’m sure Marzare’ul didn’t think it would save his race from extinction when he asked Tikor to make it. It’s interesting how little acts of generosity can pay back in unexpected ways.
Daniel’s doorbell chimed. He turned about and said, “Come in.” The door opened and John Teckama stepped in. Daniel greeted him. It was a little surprising for John to have left his quarters of his own accord.
“Hello Daniel,” said John as he sat down on Daniel’s bed. John seemed his usual melancholy self but there was also something different about him that Daniel had trouble placing.
“What’s up?” asked Daniel as he leaned against a table.
“I came to say goodbye.”
“Goodbye?” said Daniel, perplexed.
John produced a small disk from his pocket. “This is the entire Project Ragnarok database. I was gonna settle for just taking what I could from the ship’s computer before Marzare’ul had it deleted but then I had the fortune of being ordered to destroy the computer core down on the moon. I did, but not until after I’d copied it. We’re going to continue the project.”
A thousand questions rushed into Daniel’s mind. “Continue the project? After all we suffered trying to stop it? Who’s ‘we’?”
“Don’t worry. It’ll be different this time. We’re going to make sure the Protoss aren’t at risk. The only things I plan to kill are Zerg.
“As far as who we are, I think it’s best not to name anyone specifically but I’ve talked to a bunch of people-some dominion, some not-who all agree that we have to put an end to the zerg threat. We’ve made arrangements to be on the dropships with the dominion prisoners when they get cut loose.”
“I take it you haven’t exactly cleared this with Major Mathews,” said Daniel, arching an eyebrow.
“We can’t take the risk that he wouldn’t let us leave.” Daniel realized how much trust it must have taken John to tell him this. All it would take to end John’s plans was for Daniel to go and tell Mathews.
An awkward silence followed while Daniel digested what he had heard. It was true that the Zerg were going to continue spreading across the galaxy, destroying everything in their path-Heck, he thought, they might even make it to Earth some day,-and that Ragnarok was probably the best chance of defeating them, but it was also true that getting it to work only on Zerg was a long shot at best and that his friend was placing himself in terrible danger. At least aboard the Tigris he would have protoss allies and an arsenal of state-of-the-art weapons to protect him. Maybe I just don’t want to see him go.
Daniel drummed his right hand on the table, causing its motors to hiss faintly. Suddenly he was reminded of a dark day on Tarsonis. And of Penelope. Suddenly he understood.
He stepped forward and put his hand on John’s shoulder. “Go. Give ‘em hell,” he said quietly.
“Thank you. Tell Jes I said bye,” said John as he rose to leave. The door shut and Daniel was alone in his room again. He didn’t know what he was going to do or say when Mathews and Shimizu discovered John’s departure, but he didn’t think about that now. He just gazed out at the eternal, unchanging stars.
