Dedication: First off, I'd like to thank Depth Charge, and apologize for anyhard feelings. That was the first draft I put in. I actually did edit the story, and submitted it as well. Thank you for your revisions and help, which should appear in the first half of this chapter. I'd also like to thank the Infoceptor staff for setting up a service like this. Enjoy the story!
Amun-Ra
The Return:Chapter II:
The Broken Empire
Battlecruiser SS Hyperion, in orbit of Renas IV
Commander Jim Raynor walked into his command center aboard the Hyperion. It was only of a medium size compared to the newer battlecrusiers, but then again the Hyperion was anything but new. The ship had been captured by Mengsk a little before the destruction of Korhal by the Confederates. It had been in service a number of years before that, and now almost ten years later Raynor used it as his command ship. Much as Jim loved the ship, it was beginning to show its age, and he knew sooner or later he would have to get a new ship, which would be no easy task. As of now the aged Hyperion would have to do.
He was greeted by a number of his tactical crews, and his Lieutenant walked up to him with the data sheet Jim had requested earlier.
"Here you go sir," said the officer. The Lieutenant was a young man with blond hair and blue-green eyes, armed with a sense of indifference about most things. His name was Johann (Yo-hon) Rollmann, and precisely why the man had joined a group like Raynor's was beyond Jim, but the man had proven himself useful many times, which is how he achieved his current rank.
Jim viewed the coordinates of this new swarm of zerg. In a way he was puzzled by it. They showed no coordination, and the reports of the zerg attacking their own seemed even stranger. It was as if they were without a leader, and were now going to fight until they were all dead. It seemed as likely an idea as any, as ALL of the zerg were attacking. There were no reserves. The hives were abandoned, and even the drones were on the assault.
"Lieutenant, what are the battle reports?" Raynor asked an officer near by.
"Front lines of most planetary defenses under siege have been broken, however at a terrible cost for the zerg. There are about twenty-five hundred Thousand Terran casualties, sixty Thousand Protoss casualties, and over thirty billion Zerg casualties." Replied the Lt.
"What were the Zerg starting forces?"
"Thirty-five billion sir."
"They only have about five billion left then, and at the current rate of destruction the reserves will finish 'em. You think Kerrigan might have gone off her rocker, sacrificing her entire swarm like this?"
"Don't know sir," Rollmann shrugged, "At any rate it will be a hollow victory for the Dominion and Protoss with this many dead. There are rumors that a nuclear blast killed the last zerg cerebrate."
"Of course! It all makes perfect sense! Without a cerebrate the zerg would mindlessly attack anything that opposes them, including each other! If the blast went off in the primary hive, then in all likelihood Kerrigan died too."
"That would be correct sir."
"Well then, we truly are facing a broken Empire. Set our course for Char. Our object will be to find and capture Kerrigan, if she's still alive" ordered Raynor.
"Yes Sir!" For once Rollmann acted exited about something. Jim smiled at the thought. The Lieutenant turned to the helm station.
"Attention all crew and passengers of the Hyperion. We are setting our course for the planet Char. Our objective; to capture the elusive Sarah Kerrigan. Set course for full speed!"
Spice Freighter "Scurvy Maiden" Neutral Space Between UED territory and Terran Dominion Space
***
Alexei Stukov looked out his cabin porthole. The view was spectacular as he could see millions of stars. In stark contrast was his cabin, full of rust stains, and barely the size of a large wardrobe. Then again, it was hard to find a ship going to UED territory. It was even harder to find a ship that would take him.
It was all his eyes. If his eyes had not turned red when he was resurrected, he wouldn't have had this problem. Yet still, being alive with glowing red eyes was better then being dead. If he were dead the UED would be without any hope in the future. It was he who finally destroyed the zerg. With the zerg out of the way the Dominion and the terrorist Raynor would stand no chance.
Once the ship docked at Artigona Prime Alexei would take a transport back to Earth. There he would contact his family, and the UED officials. They could begin the master plan, and expand UED territory by nearly a third. It would ensure the safety of humanity for all time. This was why Alexei had become an Admiral, to protect mankind. He himself was mostly sheltered from the UED's most fascist policies, which only made his loyalty stronger. The Directorate must withstand all opposition, the future of humanity depended on it.
Alexei smiled to himself. These simple freight traders were saving humanity without ever knowing it.
"Mr. Orgski, we have a transmission for you," said the ship's captain over the intercom. Orgski was Alexei's travel name. After all, the crew may not know what Alexei Stukov looks like, but they would know the name.
"I'll be right there," Alexei replied. He got up from his bunk (the room was made for two), and walked out the cabin door. Then he took was a short walk to the transmissions room.
"Turn it on now," said Alexei. The holo-screen flickered on.
"Could I have a private conversation?" he turned to the com operator.
"Yes sir," the operator left in a hurry. Alexei turned back to the screen.
"Duran, you bastard! I should have known it would be you!" He cried.
"Well Vice-Admiral, I couldn't resist popping a call to you, so you know I'm alive and well. I also am sorry to inform you that your plan will fail," Duran laughed, "You really are quite single minded."
"What did you do, save your master?" Alexei spat back.
"No, no. Like I said you are very single minded. Kerrigan is no longer of any use to me, and she is still onboard the Aleksander. Your plan will fail, because my plans demands it," he paused, lighting a cigar, then continued, "Your pathetic UED will be no match for my designs. The first one is awakening as we speak. It will be a great honor to kill you again."
With that the holo-screen flickered off. Alexei took a steep back, thinking. What had Duran meant by "the first one?" Kill him again, how would he manage that?
Still thinking, Alexei steeped out of the room, and walked down the hallway back to his cabin. Duran was up to no good, he knew that much. He decided to try and fall asleep, and think about it more in the morning. As lay his head on the pillow and sleep grabbed him, Duran's last two sentences echoed through his mind.
"The first one is awakening as we speak, it will be a great honor to kill you again."
