James Raynor awoke with a startle. He was dreaming about what had happened to him throughout the past. He dreamed about his long lost friends, like Fenix. He dreamed of happier times on Mar Sara as a Marshal. None of these had been anything new to him, however there was one thing he dreamed about...The Zerg. They were not as he saw them in real life; savage butchers of Humanity. Instead they seemed intelligent, like maybe they knew and had control of their actions after all. Raynor assumed these weird dream would have to have been some effect of the sleep pills he takes now. After all, someone who has been through and seen as much as he has, how can you possibly get a good night’s sleep?

Raynor opened his window and looked outside. It began to hit him that this planet he had landed on held large similarities with Old Earth. Trees, animals, a familiar ecosystem. He decided to walk down to the command center and eat something for breakfast. It was a sorry excuse for food, but food nonetheless. Raynor walks into the Marine quarters.

“How’s it goin Marines?” Raynor said simply.

“Just fine, sir.”

“That’s good to hear. Anything strange going on? Any reports from the scouts?” Raynor asked.

“No sir, this planet seems to be passive, we’ve encountered no Zerg or hostile wildlife. Whatsoever.” replied the officer.

“Alright then. I’m going to take my Vulture for a spin and get the lay of the land. Can you handle base operations while I’m gone?”

“Not a problem, sir.”

With that, Raynor went into the hangar. There was his old hover bike. Most likely an outdated model, but it had gotten him through a revolution or two. He examined the side dent for a minute. He had crashed into a rock on Antiga Prime, when Sarah Kerrigan had been near him.

“Dumb ass.” she had said.

They had both laughed together.

Kerrigan...

That was someone he had not thought about for a long while. Raynor sighed. He had always admired here efficiency in battle, as well as her build and her physique, but most of all, her personality. Other then when she was physically burned out, she was charming. He had always felt a certain attraction to her, but war usually disbanded all possible hopes. And if they had not been enough, she had been taken by the Zerg, and they recognized her psychic potential, and infested her. It had to be her, of course. Couldn’t have been someone he didn’t know. Fate had rarely been on his side. Raynor sighed once more, and decided it best not to dwell on such feelings from the past, and to focus on the here and now. He passed through a canyon, resembling the one of Mar Sara that he rode along during his rough childhood. It was steep and narrow. He doubted his wits were sharper than before, so he decided not to speed through at 120 Miles Per Hour like he had done as a child. Instead he chose a more relaxing speed. For once, he actually admired the nature of this unnamed planet. Steep, narrow canyons. Beautiful, lush valleys, like how it had been at home. Raynor kept on, nearing the end of the valley. He then noticed something very strange, an all-too-familiar substance was hanging out of a wide cavern.

“No..No!!!!” He shouted.

Raynor is no fool, but he decided to check it out. He had is Gauss Rifle, night vision goggles and armor, he was fine. Besides, whether he died or not, he really didn’t care. As he entered he heard something akin to what a whale would sound like.

“James Raynor...”

“Who...who the hell are you?” demanded Raynor.

“I am Cerebrate Daggoth, and I have been watching you, human. I hold your skills in high regard. I will admit you put the Queen of Blades to shame...”

Raynor calmed down so he could reply. Obviously this cerebrate wanted something, and it had him in a bind. All he could do is listen and reply.

“ Why are you talking to me? I am no telepath like she is. I am normal...”

“Human...I seek not to infest you. I have realized with the past ages that your race is rarely compatible with our genes. However, Kerrigan was a rare exception.”

“Well, I’m flattered that I’m not going to be infested, but I still don’t understand what you want with me.”

“Hmm...Then perhaps I should tell you why. You are familiar with the Queen of Blades, are you not?”

“Yes, I knew here well when she was human. I also know she is the most powerful being in the galaxy now.” Raynor said.

“Ha! If only, if only. The Overmind saw great potential in Kerrigan, and decided to integrate her into the swarm. What the Overmind overlooked was her spirit. The Overmind is dead now, you see. She has taken most of the Zerg under her command.”

“But you aren’t under her sway. And you don’t like her ruling how she is.” finished Raynor.

The cerebrate sounded surprised at his reply.

“You catch on quick, Human. Perhaps I have misjudged your race? Whatever the reason, I have come to offer you an Alliance. Allow me to state my terms, then I will allow you to state yours. Fair?”

Raynor nodded in agreement.

“Very well. I seek to overthrow the Queen of Blades, and place the command back into Cerebrates like myself. I will admit with the small size of my Zerg, it will be very difficult. That is why I request your help.”

“Well, I have helped her in alliance before, she stabbed me in the back and shoveled shit into my face every time.” replied Raynor.

“Ha! Kerrigan is not wise. Nor does she have any regard for allies. I promise you I will hold true to any terms you present me with and that I agree upon. Will you assist me?

Raynor thought for a minute. Did he really have a choice? Would this cerebrate turn on him? Only time could ever tell...it is done.

“Alright, Daggoth. I will join you. However, on these conditions. The Zerg and Terrans are never to quarrel with each other again. Terrans will stay out of your business and Zerg will stay out of our business, unless we are allied, which I would hope we could always hold allied terms.” Raynor stated.

“Very well, Human. I agree to you terms. The Zerg and your race will not be enemies any longer, as long as the pact is not broken. However, Terran’s like Arctutus Mengsk will provide trouble to this pact...I assume this pact holds true only to your forces and civilians.”

“Of course, I hate Arcturus. He can burn in hell. I agree to your terms.”

“And I agree to yours. It is done. We are Allied.”

(Added 06 January 2008)

Chapter 2 The Storm

After forming an alliance with Cerebrate Daggoth, Raynor left the cavern. The cerebrate had told him it would contact him when the first strike against Kerrigan was to begin. Raynor did feel quite edgy about this whole situation; he had just allied with the Zerg. He had known the cerebrates are basically the Overmind’s closest and most trusted servents, and Raynor felt some degree of comfort in that. It would mean less of a chance of being betrayed, again. Raynor mounted his teal Vulture and set off back to his base. It was dusk now, the sun was setting and the planet’s 5 moons came into view, along with the nearby stars. As he neared the end of the canyon, he noticed a pair of Zerglings pacing back and forth from one side to another. Scouts maybe? He assumed they were part of Daggoth’s forces. As he neared the base, Raynor began to worry about something. How was he going to explain this alliance with the Zerg? His troops will think he is a madman. “It can wait.” He thought. After all, there was no real rush. Nothing threatening was on this planet, save for the Zerg he just allied with. Just then, his comm. unit began to flicker and beep. It was base camp.

“Sir, this is Base, is everything alright? We lost contact with you for a few hours.” explained the officer.

“Yeah, everything’s just dandy. You probably lost contact because of the canyons and hills. I’m returning to base as we speak. Anything strange happening? Anything at all?” asked Raynor.

“Well sir, you might want to hurry back. Satellite shows a massive storm coming in from the Northwest.”

Raynor was curious at the man’s tone. He sounded worried.

“What kind of storm?” asked Raynor.

“Unidentified, most likely only native to this planetary system.”

“Alright, well, I’ll be back soon. ETA of the storm?”

“I’d say an hour or two, sir.” replied the officer.

“Okay, thanks for the warning. Save our power, keep radio silence in case that storm is deadly. It could cut the power. Raynor out.”

The Missile Turrets and Bunkers became visible just over the horizon. Raynor let out a sigh of relief, he was glad to be back. “That storm looks bad” he thought to himself. He looked at the gas tank. Shit, only a quarter tank left. Just barely enough to get home safely.

Soon, Raynor reached the outer gates of his installation. Command opened the gate, and he went in and parked his overworked Vulture. He then entered the Command Center, and rode the elevator up to the observation deck.

“Sir!” The men greeted him.

“Hey boys. Thanks for keeping everything up while I was..”

Raynor caught a glimpse of the coming “storm.” he saw something that looked like a bloated flying elephant.

“That’s no storm...That’s Zerg.” Raynor said.

“Sir, shall I power up static defenses and call the troops to arms?” asked the officer.

“Yes, you do that. I’m going to my quarters to work something out. If it gets bad, call me.”replied Raynor.

“Sir”

The long dormant emergency speakers came to life.

“Attention, this is Command. All units, man your battle stations! This is not a drill! Prepare for a Zerg assault! All tech teams, run system scans on all static defenses, protect the gates! If they breach, we lose.

“Those Zerg are not mine, rather Kerrigan’s. Daggoth’s voice startled Raynor.

“What do you mean? How did she find us?” Raynor demanded.

“I do not know, but whatever the reason, she is coming for your base. I suggest immediate evasion. Do not let anyone beyond the outer gates, fight only when they are close. Do not use your siege weaponry.”

“Why? The tanks are our only chance.” Raynor was confused.

“Indeed, it is. But by using them you might divert her Zerg’s attention to thinking that your base is in the hills, where my Hive Cluster is located.”

“Alright, are you going to send help?” asked Raynor.

“ I shall soon. You must hold your ground until nightfall. Then I will awaken my two other Hive Clusters surrounding your base, and attack her cluster with my base in the hills. And if you are wondering, our minds are now psychically bonded, meaning I can talk to you at any time, as can you.”

“Okay, I’ll hold out for as long as I can. Send help when you can.” replied Raynor.

“I shall brave human, I shall.”

With that, Raynor exited his quarters and headed for the armory. Hell, if his men were fighting, then he should be too. Raynor grabbed one of those standard issue shotguns, and two 12 shell belts of ammo for it. He grabbed two of the handguns, and around eight clips for it, and changed into his combat uniform and headed for North Gate. If he knew Kerrigan, she wouldn’t be here in person, therefor, her Zerg will not have superior tactics this round. They would all storm North Gate, so that’s where he was heading.

At first, it was Zerglings. They came in hordes of fifty or so. Got mowed down pretty easily. It was when those Hydralisks showed up did things get a little hairy. Ranged poison attackers. The suits just couldn’t hold up to the acidic poison. As far as Raynor could see, Zerg were lined up to attack. There was gauss fire everywhere. He brought around his shotgun and did a number on a few wise-guy Zerglings trying to climb up the walls. Damn resourceful little bastards. He noticed an overlord looming just above, and his view veered off to one of the hulking missile turrets.

“Yeah.” He thought. “Take out the brains, the brawn is useless.”

Raynor entered the missile turret through a small passage way. He got inside, and sat down at the targeting terminal. He switched it on, and the terminal blinked a reassuring green colored “Target Acquired” sign. Six missiles all launched simultaneously and homed in on the Overlord. No escape for it. The missiles hit, and Raynor could see on the camera feed the Zerglings and Hydralisks all scrambling into disarray. Some of the men cheered, others continued firing. There were so many Zerg corpses it was almost working in favor for the Terrans; yet another wall for the Zerg to plow through before they can even get to the marines. Of course, some Marines were killed off by the Hydralisks, but the Human casualties were only around twenty or so, while Zerg casualties nearing four hundred. Raynor was winning, but once the big stuff came, like the Guardians and Ultralisks, he would need Daggoth’s help. Then there was the problem of explaining all of this to his men.

Chapter 3 A Stranger Comes Along

Despite the high casualties of Kerrigan’s Zerg, the waves kept on coming. Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Overlords. The Zerg had yet another advantage over most Terrans, the Zerg had integrated weapons systems, like claws and acid. The Terrans, on the other hand, relied on technology, technology that jams and runs out of ammo. As the hours passed, the Zerg reinforcements seemed to slow down considerably.

“Sir,” called a Marine. “The Zerg attacks are lettin’ up! I think we won!”

Raynor just nodded to the soldier. The Marine obviously does not know Zerg too well. The waves may have stopped, but that does not mean the Terrans have won. Raynor knew Zerg. He knew aboutwhat was going to come, would be unstoppable. Raynor figured he would let the Marines have their moment of joy, as it would be awhile until another one came.

“Sir, there are no Zerg in sight. At least, as far as our scanners can detect.” said a comm. Officer.

“Well, tell the bulk of the Marines to stand down, but make sure you keep some scouts about. We don’t want to be caught by surprise, otherwise, were screwed.” replied Raynor.

The Comm. Officer nodded and went about his work. Raynor headed for his quarters, leaving the shotgun and the rest of his equipment in the Armory. As he entered his quarters, Raynor sat down shut his eyes.

“James Raynor...”

Raynor jumped at the sudden mention of his name.

“ Your forces held out well against Kerrigan’s Zerg. However, it was a hollow victory, you do know what is coming, do you not?”

“Well Daggoth, if I know Zerg, they only pulled back to regroup and replenish their numbers. They will be back. Only this time, they will be bringing Ultralisks and Guardians. My forces will not stand a chance.” replied Raynor, hesitantly.

“ You are correct, young Human. Your forces are strong, and their will to fight for their cause is unmatched, however they cannot stand against what is coming. That is why I will intervene.”

“Speaking of that...” Raynor said. ‘How exactly am I going to explain this little Alliance to my men? How will we be able to determine your Zerg from Kerrigan’s?

“ You may explain to them the truth. Your forces trust your judgement. As for mine and Kerrigan’s forces...it will be difficult. Terran’s use simulations where the Zerg have a distinguishing color applied to each Hive Cluster. Unfortunately for you, this is not so in real battle. However, I believe there is one way to realize the difference.

“And what would that be? It’s going to be hard enough for my men to believe all of this.” interrupted Raynor.

“ Well, I use different Zerg strains that differ from the original. My Zerg are stronger, faster, and more lethal than others. Kerrigan’s forces will not stand a chance against my forces. However, our numbers are not even. As such...my forces need to fight alongside yours. My Zerg will follow your forces in what they decide to do. Run, fire, defend, attack, tose are very basic commands that my Zerg can comprehend. Now, how your forces will tell a difference is by the size of my Zerg. I will be using Devouring One, Hunter Killers, Torrasque, and Kukulza. All of which are enhanced Zerg strains. Devoruing Ones are Zerglings, Hunter Killers resemble Hydralisks, Torrasque is an ever larger beast than the Ultralisk, and Kukulza are Mutalisks.”

Raynor sat in his chair, deep in thought. Daggoth had everything covered except for one thing. Telling the men what’s going on. For now, it was time for him to get some sleep. The men and women under his command were all ready, Raynor trusted each and every one of them with his life. He was sure they wouldn’t turn loose now. ...Or will they?

“So...I called you all here to discuss what we are going to do about these Zerg. We have two options here. We can run, but where would we go? If I know Mengsk, there are probably bounty hunters after us. So running wouldn’t be a very good idea in this situation.” said Raynor.

“Well...” said one officer. “ What exactly is the other plan? Fight and die?”

Raynor stared at the young officer hesitantly. The meeting room they were in was ice cold, and everyone stared at him from around the room.

“Well you see...When I went out on that scouting mission the other day, I met with a...Cerebrate.” replied Raynor.

“A Cerebrate!” somebody hollered. “ Madness! Our leader has gone mental!”

“Not quite as mental as you, boy.” replied an unseen man. “You all should listen to your captain, he knows what’s best for y’all. Trust me, I know. He’s gone against his superiors to do what is right.”

Raynor stared at where the voice seemed to be coming from. This man’s voice seemed...familiar. Too familiar. At that, the man walked forward. He had a military vest on and buckskin pants. He retracted the hood of his cloak, and the whole room was silent. Just silent.

“...Duke?” Raynor broke the silence.

“Yeah, how y’all been doin’?” replied Duke.

“I thought Kerrigan killed...” Raynor said

“I’m still quite alive, boy.” replied Duke. “That ol’ ship has more secret passages and escape pods than you could ever imagine. I got out okay, along with some of my boys.”

“Now if y’all will excuse me and the Captain, were going to go have a little chat about what’s been goin’ on round here.” said Duke.

Everyone was still silent, and Raynor and Duke walked hastily to the Captain’s quarters. They sat down, and Raynor poured drinks.

“It tastes like shit, but it is whisky, enjoy.” said Raynor.

“Well now boy, I hear you had a little talk with ol’ Daggoth. Somethin’ about an alliance to take Kerrigan down?” asked Duke.

"Yeah, that’s right. Daggoth is going to help us deal with the coming Zerg attack, otherwise we’ll be screwed.” replied Raynor.

“Well, not sure how you guys will take it, but if it means they live, I’m sure they will take it just fine.” Duke said.

“How exactly did you get here, Duke?” asked Raynor.

“Well now, old man Mengsk didn’t even come look for me, so I figured I didn’t mean much to him. Just one of his..pawns...you know?” Duke said.

They both laughed. Mengsk did compare human beings to chess pieces, sure did piss everyone off, too.

Just then, there was an earthquake...the room rumbled. The whiskey bottle fell and broke, Raynor and Duke trying to balance themselves. Was this really an “earthquake,” or was it...

Chapter 4 The Defense

“Oh Shit!” screamed Raynor.

The ground continued to shake, and heavy gunfire could be heard from the outside. Raynor and Duke ran outside, and, yet again, that “storm” was here. This time, not just Zerglings and Hydralisks were coming. Towering creatures appeared over the horizon. “Ultralisks...” thought Raynor.

Duke stared up into the sky. “Aw shit, they got fliers here too?” he said as he grabed a gauss rifle.

Raynor looked up into the sky as well, and saw Mutalisks, though they seemed oversized. Raynor wanted to yelp out in joy, but decided not to. He turned to Duke.

“Duke.” said Raynor. “Go get on the intercom, and inform everyone to meet here. It’s time they knew what was going on...”

“I’m not your errand boy, Raynor.” he said sternly.

“Duke, I don’t need this bullshit right now! If you won’t do it for me, then do it for these brave soldiers!” Raynor screamed.

Duke hesitated for a few seconds. He had been put in this position before, back when there were refugee ships leaving Mar Sara, he faced the moral decision of whether to destroy them or not. He had chosen not to.

“Damn you boy...” Duke said as he ran off to the Command Center.

When Duke was a few meters away, Raynor closed his eyes.

“Daggoth..those Mutalisks...those yours?”

“Yes. I have directed most of my brood to your location. Look behind you, James Raynor.”

Raynor looked for something to elevate himself on. The firing still continued. The Zergling and Hydralisk rushes were coming more frequently. Raynor found some ammo crates, and stood up on them. He saw another “Storm” of Zerg heading to his location. Daggoth’s foces. The Mutalisks had arrived early. As Raynor lowered himself from the crates, the loud speakers came to life.

“Attention all combatants, This is General Duke. Everyone is to report to the center of the base for an important meeting.”

The firing stopped. The only thing that could be heard were the screeches of the Zerglings and Hydralisks. People crowded the middle, and Raynor began to speak.

“Alright, everyone listen up.” he said. “ As some of you heard earlier, I talked to a cerebrate in a cave a day ago. These Zerg that are attacking us are not under the command of that cerebrate, they are Kerrigan’s. The cerebrate...offered his assistance to us, if we helped to take down Kerrigan. I know this is a lot to believe, but we don’t have any other options here. We can’t run, so we have to fight. Now, these Zerg under the cerebrate’s command are different-looking. They aren’t colored like they are in simulations, but they are much larger than normal. Plus, they will be in the base...and they won’t be trying to kill you.” he trailed off.

The crowd was dead silent for a minute before Raynor continued.

“I want everyone to look up” said Raynor. “See those Mutalisks, those are on our side. They are bigger than regular Mutalisks.”

Most looked up, and Raynor thought he heard a cheer or two.

“Look, everyone, I need you all to trust me on this...” he said.

The crowd was silent once again. Then, they slowly raised their weapons.

“Yeah! Let’s fight!” some yelled.

Raynor smiled and said “Alright then, open the back gates..let our allies through!”

There was a rumble through the ground, and the back gates slowly opened, and there stood some. When the two halves of the gate were completely open, some Hunter Killers began to slide in. They assembled behind Raynor.

“Everyone watch carefully.” said Raynor.

Raynor turned towards the Hunter Killers. Raynor raised his right hand, and pointed to the ledges in which the Marines had been firing off of. The Hunter Killers understood the command, and many moved to that location.

“Now..” he continued. “ The Zerg will be looking towards you all for tactics. If you fight, they will fight. If you run, they will run.”

As Raynor finished talking, he signaled the rest of the Hunter Killers to the other side.

“Good luck, to everyone. Dismissed.” he finished.

The Marines all took up their posts around the base, raised their gauss rifles, and opened fire on the Zerg that were trying to knock down the door. The Hunter Killers took up position, just like the Marines. These Hunter Killers were adaptive, they saw the Marines fire, and duck while needle spines flew passed them, and then re-emerged to fire again. They Hunter Killers did the same. Some Marines took notice to the oversized Zerglings running around the base to engage Kerrigan’s forces.

“Hey man, look at those.” one said.

“Heh, they must be on our side. Raynor said the oversized Zerg were ours. Hell, maybe I can get one of these as a pet.” another replied while he continued firing his Gauss rifle.

“Yeah right, it’ll be your pet until it gets hungry. Then good luck.” they both laughed.

Not far from the two Marines, a Hunter Killer got blown off the edge of the ramp.

“Oh shit, did you see that?” he asked.

“Yeah, let’s go see if we can save it. Heh, it might want to be your pet.” the other replied.

As the two marines approached the wounded Hunter Killer, they retracted their protective visors.

“Well, I always did like Hydralisks better. Maybe this one will be a good pet. Heh. Name’s Kevin, by the way.” he said.

“Tim.” the other replied.

Around them, the Marines and Hunter Killer continued firing. The Kukulza Mutalisks came in every so often for air strikes when the enemy Zerg got too close to the walls.

Both Marines bent down over the Hunter Killer Kevin pulled out a roll of gauss, and reconnected the Hunter Killer’s nearly severed shoulder. Though the Zerg have fast-regenerating tissue, that won’t help if the shoulder is severed.

The Hunter Killer hissed.

“Your welcome, Kevin said.

“Come on, let’s get back to our post.” said Tim.

“Yeah...right” Kevin replied.

As they were walking towards their post, Tim asked “ ‘The hell’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, I just thought that Hydralisk would have been a bit more appreciative of me saving his arm.” Kevin replied.

“Whatever. Heh.” Tim replied as he re-shielded he face with the visor.

Around them, the battle raged on. The Devouring Ones were swarming over to where Kerrigan’s Zerg were attacking. Both sides were bringing the big stuff in, now. Daggoth’s Guardians arrived first, which pelted the enemy Zerg ground forces from afar. For now, the Kukulza Guardians could not be touched. The enemy Zerg kept sending waves and waves of Hydralisks and Zerglings. Smoke was in the air. This was truly a war zone. As the Devouring Ones engaged the enemy Zerg, a Defiler popped up and Dark Swarmed the Devouring Ones.

“What the hell is that orange cloud?” some yelled.

Others shouted a reassuring “Don’t worry about it, keep firing!”

That same Defiler slowly moved itself up to the front lines, and cast a Plague on the advancing Zerg. The illness took immediate effect. The Zerg began limping, which crowded the healthy Zerg in back. Daggoth’s forces owned the air, so enemy Guardians were no longer a problem.

Marines began hearing much roaring in all directions.

“Holy shit!! Do you see that Ultralisk? Shit, I’ve never seen one so big!” a Marine yelled.

Some stopped to look, others continued firing. The Torrasque was about twice as large as a regular Ultralisk. The ground began to rumble even more, and three Torrasque came into view. These Torrasque rampaged forward and engaged the enemy Zerg. Using their Kaiser Blades, they ripped Hydralisks clean in half, sometimes in threes or fours. Regular Ultralisks began to appear not far away. Noticing this, the Defiler continued to slowly inch its way up to the front lines. The acids in its body were low, so the Defiler approached a group of slaughtered Zerglings and consumed their bodies to concoct more acids. The Defiler then casted another Plague on the advancing Ultralisks. The Ultralisks began to slow down to a limp, which made them easy prey for the three Torrasque.

The Terrans were low on ammunition. They continually had to return to the armory to resupply. The fact that the Zerg don’t have to “reload” is quite an advantage. While some may run out of acid, it replenishes. Not like ammo. Once it was depleted, it was gone.

The Gauss rifle ammo was gone. The Terrans began using their small-arms, and since the enemy Zerg had been pushed back, Vultures began flooding out the rear of the base. They began to set up a perimeter of Spider Mines. SCV’s came out and started constructing Missile Turrets. It was, after all, time to press the attack.

Raynor was in the Command Center, monitoring the attack. They had successfully beaten off this attack, it had seemed. There were some Zergling stragglers, but the Vultures could handle it. Raynor had outfitted his Vultures with a much faster engine, so the Zerglings simply could not stand up to Vulture hit-and-run tactics.

“Captain Raynor...The defense of this base has gone well. I am impressed how our forces co-operated. Now though, it is time to press our advantage, before we lose it. You may use your Siege Tanks now, as the enemy Zerg have ceased their attacks, and will not stumble onto my Hive Cluster while trying to find the source of the bombardment. You have done quite well, James Raynor. This alliance has so far proven to be very beneficial.”

“Yeah, without your help, I would definitely be a dead man right now...” Raynor said.

“ Ha! Well, while that may be true, what matters is that you are not. Now, I would like to begin a Hive Cluster just outside your walls. Will that be allowed?”

“Yes, I don’t mind. Just please do not allow the creep to enter the base...it could be harmful to us in some way.” replied Raynor.

“Yes, yes of course. Now, on to other matters. My forces will be the bulk of the attack force, as from what I have seen, your weapons are failing you. As such, I will only ask you to provide vehicle support to my forces.”

“That should be fine, I will just need to contact my Vulture squadrons and get those tanks online, and we should be good to go. We will need about two hours of preparation, will that be ok?” asked Raynor.

“Yes, captain. That will be fine. Contact me when your forces are ready to begin the assault.”

Raynor got out of his chair, took one last sip of his coffee, and headed for the door. Raynor remembered something.

“Where the hell is Duke?” he thought. “The comm. Room...”

Raynor hurried down the halls to the communications room. He opened the door, and, no Duke.

“Shit.” he said. “Where could he be?”

Raynor sat in the chair for a minute to think. Maybe, just maybe, Duke was spying? Raynor sighed. He was tired of this kind of betrayal. He knew things had to be done though, so he switched on the Intercom and said

“Attention everyone! We have successfully repelled the Zerg attack! However, we need to press our advantage while we have it. So, since were low on ammunition, I need all Siege Tanks, Vultures, and Goliaths on standby. We are going to provide vehicular support to our Zerg allies when the attack comes. Congratulations to everyone. Raynor out.”

The SCV’s outside the base continued to build turrets, while the Vultures continued their patrol. The Siege Tanks began setting up outside the base. The goliaths were not far behind. As the Siege Tanks reached their destination, two support legs began sliding out from the sides, and a large cannon replaced the regular one.

----

Chapter 5 A Dream

Raynor, having gone to his quarters after the battle to get some sleep, dreamed. He dreamed of his past, and what it meant to him now. He dreamed of Mar Sara, and his years as a marshal on the backwater planet. He dreamed of joining the terrorist leader, Arcturus Mengsk and his Sons of Korhal. He dreamed of Sarah Kerrigan...And suddenly things went dark. Raynor could not move, he was restrained within the clutches of an unknown object or essence. He was in pain, and there was not a thing he could do about it.

“You feel that, Jim? Does it hurt?”

The pain suddenly sharpened, though Raynor still could not move. If he could scream, he definitely would have at this point. He recognized the voice, almost instantly. It was the voice of Sarah Kerrigan. Not Sarah the fearless human, but the dreaded Zerg queen. Raynor screamed her name, though no words escaped his mouth.

“There is no end to this pain for me. You think I am mindless? You think I actually have a choice? You think I’d destroy my own race? You think I’d destroy...you? Let me show you something, Jim...”

Suddenly, things went white. A scene, yes a scene, like a projector, filled Raynor’s vision. In it, was a fiery red planet named Char. The vision lowered to the surface on the planet, and an all-too-familiar substance became visible. The purple Zerg creep. On it, Zerg buildings were littered about. There were Hives, Extractors, Spawning Pools, Creep Colonies, and all that would be expected from a Zerg Hive Cluster. However, this one was different. A strange entity could be seen among the Zerg and the structures. A bloated, cocoon-like entity.

“You see it don’t you? The chrysalis. Me...I am being transformed into the me you know now, right there in that cocoon. What I felt in there, is what you are feeling now. I am who I was before, Jim. I am Sarah Kerrigan. The Sarah Kerrigan you knew from the campaign against the Confederates. I am her, I promise you.”

Raynor listened, unable to speak, move, or think. His view went black yet again, only to be instantly replaced by another vision. That vision was the Overmind, and it’s massive swarm.

“This...this is the reason I am what I am. Act like I act. This thing...controlled me, Jim. Although it is dead, its essence remains. That essence lay within the Overmind’s Cerebrates. Cerebrates like Daggoth...And you would ally yourself with the very reason I am what I am...”

“Would you save me, Jim?”

Raynor awoke with a startle, sweating. Almost instantly, he knew exactly what he had been dreaming about. There was no doubt about it. Kerrigan had been in his mind, once again. He had felt what she had felt, the restraining, the mental draining that was the infestation process of the Zerg. Raynor, now sitting on the edge of the bed, threw his hands into his face, as everything Kerrigan had said to him echoed in his mind. Raynor was amazed. He was speechless. This was Kerrigan’s first mentioning of her past. It had surprised him, to say the least. Sarah Kerrigan, since her infestation, had been an entirely different person. And to hear her like that, and feel what she felt...Raynor almost understood her. Due to such a dream, Raynor now questioned his alliance with the very reason Kerrigan had become what she was. Raynor had been so eager, so determined to get revenge on Kerrigan for what she had done to his friends and fellow warriors, Raynor completely forgot about exactly who it was he was taking revenge on. Daggoth did not control Kerrigan, however if another Overmind could be formed, then Kerrigan would indeed fall under their control again. A mindless agent of the Overmind, betrayed by her own race. Betrayed by herself. Betrayed by Raynor...

Wearied from just waking, Raynor pulled himself from his bed and put his clothes on. He wore the same buckskin vest over his white shirt, as he had done in the past, in the Sons of Korhal. Raynor exited his quarters, and felt the rush of the cold morning air upon walking down the ramp of the Command Center. Raynor saw his men, going about their daily work, patrolling, weapons diagnostics, everything. He also saw the Zerg scrambling about through his base. Raynor drooped his head in despair, as there was no way of backing out of this alliance with Daggoth now. At least not a way to which he or his men would live. If Daggoth desired, all of Raynor’s forces could be easily slaughtered, given their current status. Daggoth claimed they had an alliance, but Raynor simply knew better. He knew that the length of their life is dependant upon his usefulness. As that died out, so would he. For too long he had been used as a tool. Once his usefulness spent, he was always just tossed aside, his destiny undetermined. Every time, he seemed to pull through. This time though, he wasn’t so sure. There’s nothing much more dangerous than siding with a cerebrate itself. Raynor took a deep breath as a Wraith flew by. “Where had that come from? He asked himself. “All the Wraiths should be docked in the Hyperion.”

Raynor looked around the rest of the sky, and he saw Mutalisks and other Zerg. Again, the thoughts of his alliance with the cerebrate came back into his mind almost immediately. Surely his men felt uneasy around these Zerg. Raynor was amazed that his men had cooperated with him. They could have simply branded him as insane and stormed into his quarters to kill him, but they didn’t. That thought reminded him of something. Where in the hell was Duke? He had simply “disappeared” as Kerrigan’s forces sieged his base. Duke was obviously nowhere to be found. There would be no apparent reason for him to stick around. Raynor began to feel Daggoth’s presence in his mind.

“James Raynor, you seek the one whom disappeared as Kerrigan attacked your installation, no?”

The cerebrate’s words echoed through Raynor’s mind like the chime of a bell. Instantly the sorrow from the dream returned to him. “Yes, would you happen to know where Duke is?” he answered the cerebrate.

“I do not know. I only know that he fled the battlefield. I am unaware of his current whereabouts, however I doubt he has left this planetary system.”

Raynor sighed. There were so many things he needed to figure out, find, and plan right now. Along with the dread and sorrow which followed from that dream. Raynor began to replay the events that led up to him allying himself with Daggoth in his head. Thinking back on it, he realized he probably didn’t have much of a choice. If he refused the alliance, Daggoth’s forces would have surely killed him. Or Kerrigan’s forces would have overrun his base. Quite simply, he would have lost had he not chosen to ally with the cerebrate. Raynor closed his eyes. “What are we going to do now?” he asked the cerebrate.

“I will be assaulting Kerrigan’s base. You will keep your forces behind, as they are ill-equipped to attack. Your forces are to stay behind and heal their wounds.”

“Okay. I understand.” Raynor said. He had wanted to say “If only it was so easy.”, referring to the human regenerative process. The human body’s natural healing process could be deemed inferior compared to the metabolic rate of the Zerg. Healing Zerg wounds could be observed by the eye, and as such were many times more efficient than that of human tissue. Daggoth did not seem to understand this. Much of the human healing process is not even performed naturally, but in the form of surgeries and medication. Yet another drawback of being human. Along with these thoughts, a desperate plan entered Raynor’s head. If he could evacuate all of his men, escape the planet, and be out of Daggoth’s reach by the time his forces are done obliterating Kerrigan’s, he and his men might have the slightest chance of getting off of the planet. Alive. While breaking any ties he had with the cerebrate Daggoth.

A few hours passed as Raynor walked about the base, talking with the marines, getting information on casualties and such. Raynor’s personality was something those under his command respected very much. Raynor usually always had something funny or encouraging to say to them. It made them all feel important to the cause, which, in many ways they were. Raynor had a way of boosting morale, even when there is nothing at all to look forward to, which is a trait few behold. Which may explain why Raynor and those under his command still live. They trusted Raynor with their lives, and he could trust them to follow him, and attempt this plan. As such, Raynor called them all to the Command Center to discuss this desperate plan. Many people crowded the Command Center, some sitting at the many tables throughout the mess hall, some leaning against the walls, and some sitting down, all eager to hear the words of their captain.

Raynor looked out upon all of them. He couldn’t help but wonder why these people would follow him. For now, however, there were things to be done. “Alright, let’s get started. How’s everyone today?” Raynor asked.

The people in the room all muttered their responses as Raynor considered his next words. “I called you all here today to discuss something with you.” he said. “I know a lot of you are uneasy about being allied with the Zerg and all...” he hesitated slightly. “...And well..so am I.”

Some people nodded, some again muttered a few things. It was clear they weren’t exactly happy at the fact that they were allied with humanity’s sworn enemy. “So...I have a plan.” Raynor said, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead. “It will be difficult, but I think we can pull it off...”

Again, people nodded, but more did so this time. The thought of escaping this alliance was a comforting thought to many, and likely they would be willing to take risks to see this plan through.

“Basically...” Raynor began. “The Zerg on our side are going to attack Kerrigan’s Zerg. During that time, we pack up and hightail it outta here.” Raynor looked around for their expressions, as he was curious as to how they would take the plan.

Much to his relief, they smiled. Some people stood, in respect to their captain. For the most part, they believed it was a good plan. “Any questions?” Raynor asked.

The crowd was silent for a minute, until one brave person stood up to ask a question. “If this doesn’t work?” the marine asked sternly.

The room fell silent, all eyes on Raynor. He felt the cold of the room’s air conditioning system, a shiver ran up his spine. “..We die...we die..” he said. “But it’s our only hope of getting out of this mess, everyone.” Everything was still as his last few words echoed through the many corridors of the Command Center. Worry filled Raynor, until some of the people in the room adjusted their stances, and, cheered. They had been through so much up through this point, the thought of death was a minor one. Raynor cleared his throat as he prepared to speak again. “Here’s the plan. We wait until the Zerg are permanently out of the base, a few miles from here. As soon as they are far enough, we run. We run towards the Hyperion, and fly the hell out of here...It’s risky, but we can do it. I’ll contact you all on the intercom when the time comes for us to pull this off...” Raynor paused. “...Dismissed.”

At that, everyone began to stand up, and they walked out the corridors. They talked among themselves. Apparently, none of the disagreed with Raynor’s decision. They all wanted to be free from this alliance. Working with the Zerg was simply...too...unnatural...too...inhuman.

Chapter 6 The Escape

Not too long after the meeting, Zerg forces in Raynor’s base began to disperse. It was now mid-day on the planet, the sun high in the sky. Those under Raynor’s command now watched the Zerg even more than before, awaiting Raynor voice on the intercom. Everywhere they went, they had to devise a new plan to reach the Hyperion as fast as possible. Most of the soldiers took their posts on the walls of the base, while others were gathering all of the necessary equipment for space travel. They would be leaving behind anything that could not be carried by three people or less, which, was most the battle hardware.

During this time, Raynor had returned to his quarters to plan his next move. If this plan worked, Daggoth could still chase his forces with ease, but they would have a minor chance of escaping, which, was more than enough reason for Raynor and his men to believe it will work. Raynor leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. Yet again, the events the night before’s dream echoed trough his mind. “We’re getting out of this alliance, Sarah. Every one of us.” Raynor said to himself, hoping wherever she was, whatever she was doing, that she heard him. Kerrigan had been right, Raynor had allied himself to the very reason she had been infested in the first place. Raynor sighed, and rose from his chair. He walked over to a small bar in his quarters and prepared himself some spirits, in the hopes that he would be relaxed by its effects. As he poured into the small glass, Raynor realized that he had turned to alcohol more than a few times these past few months. Raynor sighed heavily, a sad sigh but given the events he has been through, one could hardly blame him. The man had been through a revolution or two, been part of an ancient struggle between the Protoss and the Zerg, which dated back to countless millenia. The man has also faced betrayal, cold betrayal. It would seem impossible for him to escape it. Even when he was aiding the Protoss, betrayal set in one again as the Executor allied with Tassadar and the Dark Templar. It was then that the Protoss Conclave turned on the Protoss traitors, and a bloody rebellion followed, resulting in the death of many Protoss. But, Raynor had been on the right side. He took the side that would ensure the destruction of the Overmind. And it had been destroyed.

A few minutes passed as Raynor rested. He had returned to his chair, and fell into a light sleep.

“Thank you.”

Raynor awoke, and jolted forward. Sarah. It had been Sarah. She had heard him. As Raynor rose from his chair, a beeping sound could be heard emitting from one of the terminals in the room. Raynor rubbed his face as the sleepiness left him. He sluggishly walked over to the source of the loud beeping, and nearly tripped on a table on his way to it. He cleared his voice as he bent over to speak.

“This is Raynor. Go ahead.”

Captain Raynor, no allied Zerg in site. Shall we begin the evacuation?”

Raynor paused for a moment. The time had come to leave this planet, and bound aimlessly through the deep reaches of space once again. Raynor had seem too much of this. But it did not matter. He was a man of action all the same. And the time had come.

“Yes. Begin the evacuation. I will alert the base via intercom.” Raynor said through a determined voice.

Raynor reached over to press a button to activate the intercom. He took a deep breath, then started.

“Base, this is Raynor. The time has come for us to get off this planet. Everyone please listen very carefully...The most important thing here is that everyone leaves, no one is left behind. The equipment comes second. Whatever you can’t carry, leave it. We’ve got enough food supplies on the Hyperion to last us years. I’d like to thank everyone for cooperating with all of this. Good luck, Raynor out.”

As he switched off the intercom, Raynor let out a long sigh of relief. “Time to get off this rock.” he said, to no one in particular. Outside the base, everything sparked to life. Soldiers and non-combatants alike scurried about, finding the surest and quickest route to the Hyperion. Bikers who refused to leave their precious Vultures behind zipped through the base, bound for the cargo hold of the Hyperion. It was time for him to leave, too. As Raynor exited the Command Center for the last time, he took note of how useful it had been to him. They could take it with them, but it would take far too long to load it up on the ship. So, it will stay. Raynor walked towards the garage to his old Vulture hover bike. He looked it over, noting all of the scratches and indentations in the bike. The thought of that day on Antiga Prime filled Raynor’s mind. “Sarah...” he whispered as he rubbed his hand across the Vulture as he made his way to the seat. One thing had been for sure, this bike had been through a lot. It almost resembled Raynor himself. That hover bike had been with him since he was a Marshal on Mar Sara. It’s something he couldn’t leave behind. Raynor started the engine, and the bike roared to life. The onboard computer systems glowed an eerie blue in the darkness of the garage. Raynor pressed a button, and the garage door swung open. He was blinded for a few seconds by the rush of daylight into the garage. Raynor gunned the engine and backed out of the garage. He could barely see the Hyperion over the buildings, but it was there. Raynor’s speed jumped from 20 MPH to eighty MPH in seconds, and he was off towards his trusty Battlecruiser that he had stolen so long ago from Arcturus Mengsk and his Sons of Korhal, now referred to as the Terran Dominion. As he drove, Raynor heard terrible, inhuman screams in the background. The two Zerg armies were clashing, no doubt. The battle would not last very long, seeing as how Kerrigan lost much of her forces when they attacked Raynor’s compound. Raynor finally reached his trusty Battlecruiser, and drove in around the back to the cargo hold. Many other bikers had done the same, and they saw Raynor’s custom bike as he drove in. They commented, most of which were compliments of Raynor’s bike. But the comments that suggested he should repaint angered Raynor. Though he showed nothing, it hurt him deep inside. How could they know what he and that bike had gone through? Raynor decided to let the comments leave his mind. These soldiers constantly risked their lives for him. They don’t deserve to be scolded by him. Not in the least. In fact, he deserved to be scolded by them. Raynor constantly makes decisions that either get his men killed, or force them to dig out of a hole that he made. If anything, these men had every right to rebel, stage a mutiny, and even to kill him. He didn’t deserve to lead these people. But they looked up to him. If only Raynor had realized now his worth to everything...

Raynor gave the bikers a quick nod, before sighing and walking through the corridor of the cargo hold. Raynor made his way to the command quarters. Along the way, Marines in the hallways scurried about. They had duties to follow, as he did. After a few minutes of jogging through the hallways, Raynor reached that old familiar door. Entitled on a gold plate was “Captain’s Quarters”. Raynor opened the old-fashioned door. The room was cold, but it bore that old familiar smell that he remembered every time he entered the room. There were the terminals, illuminating the entire room with a slight flicker now and then. There was the bar, the bed, and all of the other privileges that captains enjoy. This had once been the quarters of Arcturus Mengsk. Or Emperor Mengsk, as he was now to be called. Raynor shook his head at the thought of a terrorist leader and madman such as Mengsk be crowned emperor. Raynor made his way to the command console, and opened up the comm link with the pilots. He cleared his throat to speak.

“This is Raynor. I’m in my quarters. How’s the evacuation going?” he asked, wondering how long it will take for everyone to get on board. In this case, time definitely was not on their side.

“We’re almost ready, sir.” the head pilot said. “Just a few more things and we’re outta here.” The urgency in his voice could be felt over the intercom. The man was worried. “Sh..should I contact you before we’re ready to go?”

Raynor thought for a moment. “No, when everyone’s on, fly. You have confirmation. No sense in waiting.” he said.

“Copy that, sir.” said the pilot.

“Raynor out.” he said, closing the comm link. Now that everything was taken care of, Raynor decided to sit down and relax, and consider their current standing. Almost no equipment, save for a few hover bikes, food, and medical supplies. Within a few minutes, Raynor felt a jerk. The ship was preparing its takeoff cycle. The intercom sparked to life,

“Attention everyone! We are ready to leave. Get to where you need to be. We fly in two minutes. Nav out.”

Raynor could hear scrambling outside of his quarters. Everyone was hurrying to get to their assigned area. Another jolt could be felt throughout the Hyperion. The engines were coming to life, and the jolt settled to a slight, soothing hum throughout the ship. Raynor sat down on his bed, thinking. Where are they to go next? Raynor’s only allies were the Protoss, and they weren’t here. This planet is in the farthest reaches of the Koprulu sector, and with no apparent allies or destination, the Hyperion would be drifting in space aimlessly. But then again, fate and destiny always seemed to come to Raynor, smacking him in the face. He never had to pursue it. Fate had it that he live life by the minute. Whatever happened, happened. And he found he didn’t care. He was used to it. All of it.

Raynor felt a rising sensation as the Hyperion lifted itself into the sky, until the ship stabilized itself. Raynor sat down and thought about his ship. He viewed the Hyperion as a light at the end of a dark, endless tunnel that was his life. The view of his ship instilled a kind of hope in him. Raynor lifted himself from his bed to uncover one of the few windows in his quarters. They were in space now, escaping the planet’s orbit. Raynor looked out upon the stars with awe. They just amazed him so much. A beeping sound from his terminal replaced the soft hum and his quiet thoughts. He walked over slowly to the blue light, and sighed before he switched it on.

“Raynor here.” he said simply.

“Captain, where shall we set a course to?” the pilot asked.

Raynor thought for a moment, considering his next words. “Set a direct course to nowhere.” he said weakly.

“Sir?” asked the pilot, obviously confused.

“Let our destination come to us. It always does.” Raynor replied.

“Aye sir. Nav out.” the pilot said.

With that, Raynor closed off the comm link, and headed back to his bed and continue to observe the stars, before he fell into a deep sleep. And he dreamed.