Chapter 7: All In a Day
(Sorry that I took so long, but at least this is nice and long.)
Five months past quickly for Alex, so much happening all at once. His ship, which he had named: The Magreha, as a sort of combination of the names of his two dead mothers, had been in a constant state of evolution. In the first three weeks he had multiplied the speed at least four times over, but that was only the beginning. After salvaging the strongest psi-field generator he could find off of an upgraded protoss carrier, and some careful interlacing of the cores, the Magreha had its own plasma shield, which protected its already extremely powerful outer armor.
Unfortunately, he could never manufacture the proper resonance to the ships laser batteries so they could pass through the plasma shield and fire on any targets. Effectively, his own shields rendered him powerless to fight until they were depleted. At first, Alex decided to take off the psi-field generators, but then, as he was inadvertently looking through blue prints, he realized that he had all the necessary parts to put a protoss carrier bay under the hull of his ship. There, he realized, he could manufacture and store computer guided interceptors, which could be set to pass through his plasma shields and attack targets.
He began to reconstruct the bay under the hull, but as he got about halfway through, he realized that the interceptors, although having their own plasma shields, were made of the inferior protoss material. So, he scrapped everything, and started over, creating a manufacturing bay, which used terran metal, but still maintained the protoss system of plasma shields and computer guided attacks.
All this while carefully installing the khaydarin core so that the ship would have arbiter capabilities ended up being an even more complicated task than he had imagined. Sleep became only an occasional thing for Alex during those months. He would work on his ship for as long as sixty hours straight, with only short breaks with time enough to eat. Only Alex's psionic connection to his body and extreme will power kept him going where a normal terran would have given out to physical and mental exhaustion.
In the midst of all of this, Alex was getting closer and closer to Eliza. The time he spent with her, along with occasional transmitted conversations with Zosh, represented at least nine tenths of his social life. She and Alex had an extremely happy relationship, except for the fact that she became furious when he would disappear for up to six days at a time. She was the forgiving type…eventually, so it all worked out.
He also developed a friendship with Nathan, the first person he had talked to when he came to the planet. Nathan was, just as he had put it, the nicest bastard Alex knew. Unfortunately, due to Alex's lack of free time, they rarely hung out. Still, Alex could tell that Nathan was someone he might be able to trust, when the time came, and Alex might be pushed into making a move. He found himself very worried about the time when Nathan might be subjected to the Neural Resocialization, which the confederacy was implementing on more and more of its marines. If this were done, Alex knew, it would leave Nathan with only a small trace of his original personality, for the purpose of making him a fearless, and mindless, soldier.
There were so many considerations that Alex made during all of this. Eradicating the Zerg was his top priority, and though he knew he certainly could not do this himself, he still believed that the solution might lie in the almost legendary world called "Earth," where the terrans had come from so long ago.
At the end of the sixth month since he had come to the terran world, Zosh came to inspect Alex's ship. As his arbiter dropped down and he got out, Zosh's glowing eyes widened to an incredible extent as he looked on the Magreha.
Alex smiled at Zosh's reaction and said, "What do you think?"
Zosh paused, unsure what to say. Slowly he said, "Does this massive thing actually…work?"
"Of course it works," said Alex. "That is, everything that I've been able to test works. But of course, I don't have the mental discipline to activate the khaydarin core, and that's why I need you here. Just take a look inside the ship, I'll be in your head sucking up your training."
Zosh was a bit annoyed at the casualness in Alex's voice as he spoke of going inside Zosh's mind and taking in the course of probably a few hours, what it had taken Zosh weeks to master. But this feeling passed quickly as he entered the Magreha, and was immediately overwhelmed by the sight.
Zosh had not imagined such a perfect intertwining of protoss and terran technology was possible. The terran computer systems linked directly to the khaydarin crystal systems. It was genius, inventive and orderly.
Alex walked in from behind and said, "I can already store five interceptors more than a fully upgraded carrier, and I think I could get more if I tore out some of the cargo section. I'm not sure I should though. That would leave me with only the cockpit, and I may have to live on this ship for extended periods of time."
"Why would that be?" asked Zosh in surprise.
"Well, you know, sooner or later my people may catch on to me, and if that happens, I'll have to make a run for it."
"Oh, I'd forgotten about that," said Zosh. "But obviously you haven't. You're an intelligent one Alex. It's good that you prepare for every eventuality."
"You can never prepare for every eventuality," said Alex. "That's an old terran saying by the way."
"Hah! So your people do have a slight bit of wisdom about them," said Zosh. "Oh well, little good it will do them in the end."
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Alex, almost apprehensively.
Zosh's eyes narrowed, and he hesitated before speaking. "Alex," he said, "when you go to earth, perhaps you should stay there. There is much blood yet to be spilt here, and of the three forces, perhaps only one shall have survived in the end."
"And your saying that its going to be protoss, which means that either you or the Zerg are going to wipe out all of the terrans here, is that it?" asked Alex.
Zosh sighed in a melancholy tone, "I do not believe my people would wipe out yours, even after all that has happened. But the wretched Zerg…if our intelligence is accurate, then they have invaded Aiur itself. If they could do such a thing Alex, invade the protoss home world, then I do not believe your people stand a chance. There are rumors, that even if you destroy an entire colony of Zerg, it can grow back in a matter of hours, perhaps a matter of minutes. It is whispered among the tribes that only the dark templar energies can truly harm the Zerg. I don't yet know what the foundation of this rumor is, but it comes from the highest levels."
Alex smiled and allowed his eyes to glow as he said, "Well, whose got more dark templar energy than me?"
"This is not a game!" snapped Zosh. "I have raised you as a dark templar, but you are not a dark templar Alex. I've struggled with this, in my mind, many times over the last season. If you were a protoss, as I wish you were, then you would still be considered a child at your age, and you would be kept from the fighting. It isn't right that you should fight, that you should…die."
"But I'm a terran father, and—"
"It matters not to me Alex," interrupted Zosh. "You call me father, and I've come to view you as my son, no different than if you were my own blood. You've grown up almost in the blink of an eye, and the technicality of that being because you are a terran holds no barring to me. Every time I hear that the Zerg have attacked a terran colony, I race to the readout, desperately praying that nothing has happened to you. I've been frightened like that too many times. Promise me Alex, that if you find safety on this earth, then you will embrace it, and never return to this horrid war."
"Father, you know that I can't make such a promise," said Alex. "If I have the power to help here, then I must help, especially against the Zerg above all else. I'm sorry, but you can no more make such a request to me than I could ask you to abandon your people if the Zerg come for them."
Zosh looked at Alex in silence for a solid minute or so. "Alex," said Zosh finally, "I…knew what your answer would be, I didn't raise a coward, and yet I had to try."
"I know," said Alex. "But don't worry about me, I don't have any plans to end up dead."
Zosh peered at Alex, and then around the incredible ship, and he said, "You know Alex, with a mind like yours, that statement you just made is actually reassuring, even in the face of the Zerg. So long as you control your emotions, I believe you just might find a way to survive this conflict."
Alex and Zosh sat and talked, while inwardly, Alex was drawing fourth the skill to operate the khaydarin core from Zosh's mind. After about an hour and a half, Alex suddenly stood up and said, "That's it, I have it all." Without another word, Alex got up and ran into the Magreha and put his hands on the khaydarin core. After a few seconds, a blue light emitted from the front of the ship, and then, over to the left, Zosh watched the blue, angular absolute pocket of space known as a stasis field form around his arbiter. It looked like it was within a massive crystal or something.
Alex opened the door and ran back out of his ship and said, "What do you think father?"
"Very impressive, but you didn't have to have your first test on my ship," said Zosh.
"Oh what are you so worried about?" asked Alex. "You know as well as I do that the core has a fail-safe mechanism for the stasis field function."
"I know," said Zosh, "I just didn't know if you knew. I can never tell what your pulling from this old brain of mine."
"Only the things I need," said Alex. "Just like with my own people. At first I used to go reading every thought around me, but not anymore. There's just things in a person's mind that nobody else has any business knowing. I'm not going to go into detail, but let's just say there are some sick things going on in some of my people's heads."
Just then Alex's amulet beeped.
"Uh oh," said Alex, "Eliza's trying to get a hold of me."
Zosh exclaimed in alarm, "You gave another terran access to our technology?"
"No," said Alex. "I hooked up a transmitter to my tellescreen. When it rings, and I don't answer, I programmed my computer to scan the voiceprint of the message the person leaves. If the voiceprint matches Eliza's, then it transmits a signal to me, which of course since it's a protoss subspace signal, can reach across all these light-years, but you already know that part. Anyway, I had to do it, because when she wants to talk to me and she can't find me, she gets really mad. She thinks I'm cheating on her."
"Cheating?" said Zosh in a puzzled tone.
"I'll explain the concept some other time," said Alex. "I should be getting back. I know her schedule and she's supposed to be working right now, and she never calls from work, so this must be important."
Alex said goodbye to Zosh and quickly passed through the warp-gate, where he came out a minute or so later in his lab. He went to the telescreen, but just then the buzzer on his door rang. He opened it to see a strange looking bald man standing there. "Can I help you?" said Alex.
"Are you Alex Reeve?" asked the man in a cold voice.
"Uh, yeah," said Alex.
Just then Alex sensed another telepath around, not a protoss, but what had to be a ghost soldier. In the fraction of a second between curiosity and alarm, Alex heard the shot, and instantly felt a sharp stinging in his right shoulder. His psionic connection to his body told him what was happening instantly, he didn't even have to look down to know that he had been struck with some sort of drugged needle, and a ghost had fired it, from some unseen place.
Whatever drug it was, was working incredibly fast, and after only a second his vision began to go black. He staggered forward, gripped the jacket of the man in front of him and said, "Why?"
As Alex wobbled and tried to stay standing, he heard the man chuckled, "Impressive, very impressive. A regular man would already be out cold, you definitely have the gift."
As Alex fell forward, to his knees, he managed to say, "How---did---you---find---out?"
"All in good time," said the man. "We have a lot to talk about, you and I, and a few others in intelligence. I hope you've had a happy life, because it's all over now."
Alex fell forward, his entire body went limp, but he used every bit of psychic strength he had to stay conscious. He needed to know just one thing before he blacked out: Would they know how to bypass his security system in the lab?
He heard the man standing over him order a few men into the door. It was an echo like sound, so distant from him, but he forced himself to concentrate on it. He heard the footsteps of the men going in, one of them shouted: "He's got some kinda weird setup in here. Buncha crystals stickin out uh steal."
Then he heard the computer voice in his lab activate, "Unauthorized entry, intruders have ten seconds to vacate the premises."
"What the hell?" someone shouted.
"Ten," the computer voice said.
"Is this thing serious?"
"Nine."
"Where's the terminal?"
"Eight."
"Over here? No, that aint it."
"Seven."
"Look for it boys."
"Six."
"Five."
"Shit boss, I can't find where this damn system is."
"Four."
"Just shoot everything then."
"No you fool!"
"Three."
"We gotta get out of here."
"Two."
"Stand your ground men."
"Fuck you commander, I'm outta here!"
"One."
Then Alex heard an uproarious sound of a C10 explosive going off, the sound nearly split his ears. Alex heard the series of all the explosives he had placed begin to go off. He knew after that, that intelligence wouldn't get to his portal, or his ship. He allowed himself a small smile before his mind gave out completely to the blackness.
Alex awoke to two sensations, the sounds of voices speaking, and a splitting headache. He didn't open his eyes or increase his breathing; he stayed quiet and listened, trying to take stock of his situation. He wanted to reach out with his mind to the minds around them, and learn what he needed, but he could sense the ghost soldier near to him, and it made him uneasy about using any telepathy. He didn't know if the ghost would be able to sense a mind leap.
He heard speaking, between two men, he carefully took in their conversation:
"I'm telling you that this is just another psychic whose slipped through the confederation's program, nothing to get so worked up about," said one.
"How short sited you are Barns," said the other. "I was there, he stood up to the serum for almost a minute."
"That's ridiculous," snapped the one who was apparently called Barns. "You're obviously exaggerating greatly. Psionic or not, nothing but a Zerg could stand up to the serum the way you're saying. It's quite unprofessional of you to be spinning stories Johnson."
"Fool! The entire encounter was recorded, just look for yourself," said the one who was apparently called Johnson.
Just then the sound of a single pair of footsteps began to come from off in the distance. Alex heard Barns sigh, "Oh son of a bitch, it's the damn planetary governor Milton. You just know that this is going to be trouble. Why do the local bum-fuck leaders think they can throw their weight around with intelligence? Back in the old days we'd just have—" Barns cut off as the footsteps drew nearer. When they sounded like they were within about ten feet, Barns said, "Good morning sir, it's a pleasure to—"
The third new voice cut Barns off, saying, "You better have a damn good reason for snatching up two of my citizens."
Barns sneered, "They are confederate citizens first, the fact that they reside on the backwater little world that you've been assigned to doesn't mean that they're your citizens."
Johnson spoke up, "Forgive my associate sir, he's not accustomed to diplomacy."
"Diplomacy nothing," barked Milton. "You've arrested a seventeen year old female medic, without any formal charges. I can only guess what kind of torture you're planning to subject her to find out whatever you think she might know. Maybe that kind of crap flies on Tarsonis, but not here."
"Sir," said Johnson, "perhaps we can explain our motivations to you."
"You damn well better," said Milton.
"All right sir," said Johnson, with only a touch of annoyance in his voice. "That young man in the restraints there, he is what we call an unchecked psychic."
"Johnson!" exclaimed Barns.
"It's alright Barns, we do owe him an explanation," said Johnson. "Anyhow, this man is a danger, a great danger to everyone around him. With his telepathic brain, he could learn any number of vital military secrets without ever putting himself in any danger."
Milton spoke slowly, "That's…interesting…if true. I guess you're claiming that this young man is some sort of secret telepathic agent for the Son's of Korhal?"
"Actually for an enemy far more dangerous," said Johnson. "We took this from around his neck. I'm sure you've seen the reports on protoss technology. You really can't help but notice the similarities."
Milton paused, and then gasped, "I didn't realize."
"Yes sir, and now you see why it is important that you give us any and all cooperation we need," said Johnson. "Now, we really must be getting back to work, so if you don't mind…"
"Just a damn minute," said Milton. "This story of yours, along with that golden necklace, just might have been manufactured. And even if it's not, you still haven't told me why you're holding the girl."
"We have yet to discover her part in this plot," said Johnson. "If she's innocent, then you have our assurances that she will be released back to you promptly. We have no intention of doing harm to her."
Right then Alex couldn't help scanning Johnson's mind, just to see if he was telling the truth. He wasn't. They were going to inject her with chemicals to make her tell them everything she knew, and when they were done, they were going to kill her, and probably the Milton fellow as well.
Alex opened his eyes and looked down. He was suspended upright in metal restraints, which looked pretty strong. Just as he began to wonder how easily he could break free, he sensed the presence of the ghost again. Then, from out of nowhere, he heard a grizzled voice say, "Sir, he's awake."
All three men looked over with shocked expressions on their faces. Johnson exclaimed, "This is unfathomable! The serum should have kept him out for at least three more hours."
"You want me to sting him again sir?" asked the grizzled voice out of nowhere.
"Who's saying that?" asked Milton, nervously looking around.
"There's no need Kurt," said Johnson. "He's restrained."
"Who are you talking to?" asked Milton, in a still more nervous voice.
Barns sighed, "De-cloak Kurt, there's no point in it now."
With a deep and echoing sound, a tall ghost soldier suddenly became visible, standing only a few feet away from Alex. The ghost soldier had an odd looking long black rifle, with a long silver barrel. As soon as the ghost was visible, he aimed his weapon at Alex's head, and winked at Alex with a smirk.
Alex rolled his eyes. He looked up at the three men and said calmly, "Well, it's obvious that you want to talk to me, otherwise I'd be dead."
"Yes, we have a lot to talk about Mr. Reeve, or whatever your name is," said Barns. "But first," he turned to Milton and said, "this needs to be done in privacy sir."
"I want to see the girl," said Milton. "I don't trust you with her."
Alex looked up at Milton and said, "You're a good man, I can tell. But don't worry about Eliza; I can take care of her from this point on. You don't need to put yourself in danger."
Barns laughed loudly, and Johnson and even the ghost gave a chuckle at Alex's words. Barns laughed, "Just how the hell are you going to protect anyone?"
Alex looked around the metal room he was in. He briefly scanned the minds of the men in front of him, except for the ghost, and got the layout of the building. It was a series of corridors, with about thirty or so marines on duty posted throughout, as well as a few auto guns. In the room he was in, there was one auto gun, and the ghost soldier, but seemingly no other danger.
Alex ignored Barns's question and again spoke to Milton, "Just go. If you make yourself too much of a problem to these people, they'll eliminate you."
Milton hesitated, looking at Alex. And for a second, Alex sensed that Milton was perhaps a bit smarter than he was letting on. Milton seemed to understand something in Alex, and he said, "I suppose I'll be taking my leave for now." He turned and started walking out, but he called back over his shoulder, "but nothing had better happen to that girl!"
Once Milton was out of site, Barns turned to the ghost and said, "Take care of him later, just as we discussed." The ghost nodded.
Then Barns and Johnson turned to Alex. Barns started to speak, but Alex quickly said, "I don't trust you with Eliza. Bring her here."
Barns laughed, "What makes you think that you're in any position to make demands?"
Alex smirked and said, "Because you contacted your superiors, and they ordered you to find out why I have protoss technology. They're very interested in protoss technology, and so you'll be needing my cooperation if you don't want to be executed for failure."
Barn's humored expression turned to a cold glare and he said, "So you can read our minds, so what? That doesn't mean that we're going to bow down to you. You're in restraints, and at our mercy, so we can just make you cooperate."
Alex laughed, a long and drawn out laugh. He knew it was making his captors uneasy, and that was just what he was counting on. He knew they only truly understood one emotion: fear. He decided to capitalize on this knowledge of them. Finally he stopped laughing, but still kept a confident haughty nature as he said, "It doesn't matter that you have me restrained, I can take my own life at any time. I never had any of the surgical procedures done to my brain, and I was trained by the protoss. You can't imagine what my mind is capable of now."
He could tell that both Barns and Johnson were panicking now, even though their faces remained calm. He knew the order Barns was about to give, and he said, "It won't do you any good. If you tell the ghost to tranquilize me again, I'll take my own life before my eyes get a chance to roll back in my head." Alex smirked and said, "Tell me, what will they do to you if you let that happen? I know about the chips in your heads, the ones that all intelligence officers have implanted. You're thinking about the chips right now, I can tell. They can be activated at any time can't they? With just the press of a button somewhere by one of your superiors, the chip, which is linked directly to your nervous system, will cause a level of physical pain unimaginable. And best of all, you can't just pass out, because they deactivate that particular safety mechanism in your brain, so you just have to feel the pain until you go insane from it. Now you really have to admit, that's pretty damn good motivation not to screw up."
When Alex finished speaking, Barns and Johnson were glaring at him with morbid expressions and, he noticed, there hands were trembling. He smirked and said, "Bring Eliza here…now."
Barns swallowed slowly, and pressed down on his wrist communicator and said, "Bring the girl to us."
A voice came back saying, "But sir, you told us to—"
"Just do it!" snapped Barns.
Alex looked up at the ghost, who was still aiming a gun at Alex's head. Alex took the opportunity to return the wink that the ghost had given him earlier. The ghost silently mouthed the words: fuck you.
About a minute later, the hydraulic steal doors to the room opened, and a marine shoved Eliza in. She fell to her knees on the floor. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, and she had a swollen black eye. When Alex saw this, he had to clench his eyes shut to conceal the fact that they were glowing from his anger.
She looked up at him and said, "I'm sorry! I this is all my fault."
He scanned her mind to see what she was talking about. He realized that she had suspected for a long time that he was a telepath. He remembered a time when he had unthinkingly lifted a three hundred pound chunk of steal in his lab to clear a place for her to sit. Then of course there were his unbelievable levels of pain tolerance, and just a few other things, little things. Alex realized that he had let his guard down around her, stupidly, because he was too comfortable around her.
When she had taken a strand of his hair and done a genetics test in her lab, just to be sure, she hadn't realized there was a secret program installed on all computers in confederacy medical installations. A program that sent out an alert if the computer ever came across telepath DNA. Not many people knew how truly fanatical the government was about controlling psychics.
She had waited a day or so to confront him about it, unsure how she felt. That was about how long it took intelligence to make it to the planet. The call, the timing, he realized that if he had waited another hour before coming back, she would probably already be dead.
Eliza started to explain what had happened, but Alex said, "Don't worry about it. Just come over here." She stood up and walked over and put her head on his shoulder. As she did this, he whispered, "When I tell you, get behind me."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Just trust me," he said.
She hesitated, but then nodded.
Alex turned to the ghost, and with a smirk, said in a clearly snide voice, "Hey buddy, I got a little itch on my nose. Do you think you could scratch it for me?" The meaning was clear, even if only to the two of them: Alex was daring the ghost to hit him.
The ghost soldier, who was already annoyed with Alex, moved forward. Alex was reading the ghost's mind; he knew that the ghost was moving in to hit him in the face with the blunt end of the rifle. This had been his purpose in returning the wink, to make the ghost mad enough to do something stupid. Alex knew that the ghost, in the back of his mind, was already extremely jealous and resentful that Alex had escaped the procedures that he himself had to be subjected to. That's why it only took a small push.
The ghost moved in, aiming just right. The blunt end of the rifle came, and at the same time, Alex snapped his restraints and shot his hands out to catch the rifle just in front of his face. He shouted, "Now Eliza," as he quickly flung the ghost back, turned the rifle forward and aimed it, and fired into the ghost's neck. The ghost fell back and went unconscious.
Just as Eliza got behind Alex, a spray of rounds came at the two of them from the marine who had brought Eliza in. In a sparkling blue tremble, the rounds bounced off of Alex's shield and fell onto the floor in front of him. Alex calmly aimed the rifle, and at just the right split second, he relinquished his shield and fired. The needle flew through the air and entered through the front of the currently exposed opening in the marine's helmet. The marine fell back unconscious from the serum. Barns and Johnson started to run, but since neither of them had any body armor; they were both easy to pick off with the needles. When he was done, he and Eliza were the only ones left conscious in the room.
Eliza shrieked, "How did you do that?"
Alex bent down and broke the restraints on his ankles and said, "Listen, there's a lot to explain." She started to back away from him nervously, and he suddenly shouted, "Stop!"
She stopped dead in her tracks. He pointed behind her and said, "The auto gun, I don't know if it's activated or not, now that I put these guys down. There was something in their minds about a brainwave failsafe, anyway you don't wanna get killed."
She gulped, "It's right above the door."
"Let me test it," he said. He walked forward, and the auto gun aimed and fired at him. After the heavy-duty rounds bounced off his shield, he stepped back, just outside of the range. Alex turned to Eliza and said, "Depending on what you wanna do, I can blow that thing up in a minute." He moved over to Johnson and found his amulet in Johnson's jacket pocket. He pressed down on it and said, "Father, I may need you to get me out of here pretty soon."
"That thing's a communicator?" said Eliza in a still nervous surprise, remembering all the times she had looked at it.
Suddenly Zosh responded, "Alex, are you in trouble with those terrans?"
As the sound came out, Eliza heard it sort of echo, perhaps not in the air, but in her mind. She also noted the way the voice said: those terrans. She said nervously, "Who…or…what are you talking to Alex?"
Alex swallowed dryly and said, "It was my adopted father."
She stepped back and said, "Do you work for the protoss?"
"No, I don't work for anyone," said Alex. "Listen, I have to get you out of here right now. You're only in danger because of me. Now there are two ways out of here, one is for us to punch through a series of heavy auto guns and at least thirty armed marines. And the other is…to let my adopted father get us out of here."
She trembled and said, "Your adopted father, he's…a terran right?"
Alex slowly shook his head.
"You fucking asshole!" she exclaimed, as sympathy for a telepath on the run turned to anger at a traitor who was probably playing her from the start.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm not a terrorist though. My father has nothing to do with the attacks. There are two factions of protoss, and only one is fighting in this war. My father is a member of the other faction, and he—"
"Just shut up!" she shouted, half crying.
"Look, you don't have to forgive me, you don't have to like me, but I am gonna get you out of here, and we don't exactly have a lot of time to argue about how it's going to be done. If you let my father help, then we don't have to deal with the marines. I swear I'll take you right back here to this planet if that's what you want, and I'll never bother you again."
Just then they heard a voice come in over a speaker, saying, "What's going in there sir? Hello?"
"They're gonna come in here any second," said Alex.
Zosh came in through the communicator again, "Alex, are you there? I can warp you in at any time."
Eliza shut her eyes and said, "Alex, get me out of here!"
Alex ran up next to her and spoke into the communicator: "Zosh, I need you to warp both me and Eliza. Don't argue, this is an emergency! She's right next to me, recall now!"
The door opened and the soldiers burst in just in time to see the last traces of the swirling blue light fade away. The soldiers looked down to see the drugged needles sticking out of the four men in the room. One of them called, "Get a medic or something in here now!"
Eliza opened her eyes to find that she was standing below a giant yellow ship. She gasped and looked around, but she didn't see Alex anywhere. She looked down and let loose a scream as she suddenly realized that she couldn't see her own body. She fell to her knees, feeling her body, but not being able to see it. She began screaming, "Alex! Where are you? What's going on?"
She heard his voice call out, "Turn off the invisibility field, you're scaring the hell out of her!"
Eliza heard a low-pitched sound, and a strange sensation went through her body as inch by inch, she suddenly began to become visible again. She gasped furiously, the adrenaline coursing through every cell in her body. She looked around, and realized that she was no longer on her own world, but on a strange planet, with dark blue rock across the horizon and a blue atmosphere all around. The ground below her almost seemed to be glowing, but she couldn't be sure.
She heard and saw the ship above her begin to move to the right, Alex came up and kneeled in front of her and said, "It's alright; you're safe."
"Where the hell am I?" she snapped, still breathing hard.
"I'm not quite sure," said Alex.
"What do you mean your not quite sure?" she demanded with even more alarm in her voice.
"Take it easy," said Alex.
"Don't tell me to take it easy!" she shouted. "You have no right to tell me what to do you son of a bitch!"
Just then Zosh's arbiter landed and he leaped out. He began walking towards Alex and Eliza. When Eliza saw him she shrieked and backed up shouting, "You keep away from me!"
"I just saved your life," said Zosh in annoyance.
Alex sighed, "Take it easy father, she's understandably having trouble with all of this. By the way, this is Shakuras isn't it?"
"That's right," replied Zosh. "We're away from the cities and bases, but I still don't like having you here. I want to leave as soon as possible."
"Yes," said Alex. "I need to get to my ship. I'm worried about Delmagoth. When intelligence finds out that I've escaped, they may blame the governor, and think he was somehow involved. The intelligence officers I left back there will likely either commit suicide or make a run for it, without explaining what happened."
"What are you talking about?" asked Zosh.
"I don't have time to explain, just take my memories," said Alex. And with that, he telepathically transmitted his memories from the time he had left Zosh on Garjin.
When it was over, Zosh sighed, "Alex, I don't like this."
"I don't know what to tell you father," said Alex. "If intelligence sends forces to Delmagoth, well, I'm not about to hide while people die because of me. I've got to go back with my ship."
"Then I'm coming with you," said Zosh.
"No you're not," said Alex. "My ship looks like a terran vessel, all be it an irregular one. I can probably convince the governor that I'm on his side. But if they see your arbiter, they'll probably fire on it, no matter what I tell them."
"Fine," said Zosh. "But I'm keeping a lock on you at all times, and if things get too dangerous—"
"Don't warp me out unless I tell you to," said Alex. "My ship can stand up to an unbelievable amount of bombardment. I should have plenty of time to tell you before it gives out, that is… if it does give out. Remember, my people are at war, and they probably don't have a lot of units to spare for something like this."
Maggie, who had been silently listening, said in a quiet voice, "The soldiers…"
"What about them?" asked Alex.
She still had contempt in her eyes as she looked up at him, but at the same time, she could tell he was trying to do the right thing. She said coldly, "You don't know where the soldiers loyalties lie. Will they obey the governor, or the confederacy? You don't know. If they choose not to side with the governor, then there's no point in going back at all."
"If that's the case, then I still need to get the governor out of there," said Alex.
"You'd be risking your life," said Eliza.
"I don't want a good man to die because of me," said Alex. "I couldn't live with myself."
His words, and the way he said them, surprised her, and laid to rest any ideas she had about him being some sort of protoss agent conspiring against his own people.
"Now come on," said Alex. "We need to get moving." He looked up at Zosh and said, "If it's possible, I'd like an observer. I haven't had time to augment a special detection field to my ship."
"That's going to be hard right now," said Zosh. "The tribes are gathering up every force they have, for the possibility of stepping into this war. I don't know if I could slip an observer out without their knowing."
"What are you talking about?" asked Eliza. "Why would you need to slip one out? Won't the protoss help you, if you were raised by one of them?"
Alex sighed, "I was raised in secret. My father here is the only protoss who knows of my existence."
"Does she really need to know all this?" asked Zosh.
"Who's she going to tell that would matter? The tribes?" said Alex. "Don't worry about her, she's no threat to you. Besides, I trust her, even if she is mad at me right now."
"Well anyhow," said Zosh, "I'm not sure how to get an observer for you."
"You don't have to," said Alex. "I just remembered that there's still the one you brought to my mother when I was little. I think it's still there. Just get me to my ship and I'll go by the old place and pick up the observer on my way back. Let's go quickly."
"Are you sure that vessel you constructed is capable of opening it's own warp gate?" asked Zosh.
"I'm sure," said Alex. "I tested it several times."
"All right, then let's get in the arbiter," said Zosh. He glanced over at Eliza and said, "I suppose we have to bring her along."
"Of course," said Alex. He turned to Eliza and said, "We're going to have to make a few stops, but I'll get you back safely, I promise."
"And what if you do and I'm considered a criminal because of my association with you?" asked Eliza. "What then? Did you think of that when you decided to keep all of this from me? That my life would be ruined? If I'm charged with treason Alex…do you know what the confederacy does to--"
"I'm not going to let anything like that happen to you," said Alex. "I'm really sorry about everything. I'll find a way to make things right."
"How are you going to do that?" she asked angrily. "No matter what happens I'm going to be viewed as a criminal by the confederacy."
"Look, I don't have time to discuss this right now," said Alex. "I am sorry, I really-really am, but there are more pressing matters at the moment." He held out his hand and said, "We need to get in the ship."
She coldly walked past his open hand towards the ship, which Zosh had already gotten back inside of. She nervously stepped inside the small compartment, keeping her distance from Zosh. Alex got in and stood next to her, but she refused to make eye contact with him.
The arbiter lifted up, opened a large blue warp-gate, and passed through. A few minutes later they were hovering over the surface of Garjin, next to where Alex was keeping the Magreha. The arbiter landed and Alex and Eliza got out quickly. As soon as he was out, Alex called back to Zosh, "I know you're worried father, but try not to be. I can take care of myself."
"I pray you can" replied Zosh. With that, the doors to the arbiter shut and the vessel lifted up, opened a warp-gate, and passed through it. After the ship had vanished completely, Alex's amulet beeped, and Zosh came through it saying, "Stay in contact during any and all fighting. There's no need for you to get hurt, don't forget that."
"Don't worry father," said Alex into the amulet.
"How can you call that alien: father?" asked Eliza with contempt in her voice.
"Because he raised me," said Alex.
"Is that why those bullets didn't touch you?" she asked. "Because he did something to you to make you like a protoss?"
"He didn't do anything to me," said Alex as he started walking towards the ship.
She followed him and said, "Then what protected you?"
"My mind," said Alex. "My father showed my how to use it the way that the protoss use their minds."
"Are you saying that any telepath could raise a…whatever you wanna call it…a shield around his or herself?" asked Eliza.
"I don't know," said Alex. "My mother never learned to do it, but I don't know if she was trying. I just know that I can do it, along with a few other things."
"What other things?" she asked.
He sighed, "The protoss use their minds as weapons. I've learned to use my mind in a similar technique to theirs."
She said coldly, "So you kill with your mind?"
"I've never killed anyone," said Alex. "But I suppose I may have to today."
Just then they entered the ship. Eliza hadn't really been looking at the ship from the outside, but when she entered, she was awestruck by the sight. The dark metal was laced with glowing crystal everywhere. "You built this?" she asked.
"I've been building it almost since the time I met you," he said.
"So all those times you said you were busy with work, you were here?" she asked.
He nodded, and then smiled and said, "You know, if you think about it, I wasn't really lying when I said that."
She rolled her eyes and said, "Don't try to make light of what you did to me."
"I'm sorry," he said.
"You know, when I found out you were a telepath, I was really angry that you didn't tell me, but I never even thought for a single second about turning you in," she said. "And when they brought me to that place, and threw me in that sell, I was more worried about you than I was about myself. I thought that I had ruined your life. Pretty ironic huh?"
"I'm sorry," he said.
"I worked really hard to get where I am, or where I was I should say," she said. "Now I just want to know one thing, why? What is your motivation? Your purpose? Why build a ship? Why come to Delmagoth? What agenda are you serving? I think I have a right to know what my life was ruined for."
Alex stepped up to the controls and turned on the gravitic thrusters, and the ship rose up off the ground. He looked back at her and said, "I want to go to earth."
"Earth?" she exclaimed in surprise. "Why?"
"Because maybe I could find help there," said Alex.
Eliza rolled her eyes and said, "Alex, have you read any history books? Earth sent us away. They're filled with prejudice, especially against your kind…telepaths. You think the people on earth are going to give a rat's ass about any of us out here?"
"Maybe," said Alex. "I don't know. It's been centuries since our ancestors left. Who knows what's been going on back on earth? Maybe they've changed. If there's a chance, then I have to try, because maybe I'm the only one who can. This ship can open it's own warp-gates, like a protoss ship. I can get back to earth in a matter of minutes." With that, Alex entered in the data and the ship opened a blue warp-gate in space, which they passed through.
As they passed outside of the physical universe, Eliza sighed, "Alex, don't even think about going to earth. It's stupid and dangerous, and if they get their hands on you and they see what you can do, they'll probably kill you and dissect your body."
"Who knows, I may not live long enough to try," said Alex. "I didn't tell my father because he would have tried to stop me, but I may end up surrendering myself to the confederacy."
"Why the HELL would you do a stupid thing like that?" demanded Eliza.
"Because it might end up saving lives, like yours for example" said Alex. "Like I said, I don't want any good people to die because of me. If I surrender myself to intelligence, then they'll have no reason to attack. And all I have to do is tell them that I was using you without your knowledge, and they won't have a reason to arrest you."
"But you'd be killed!" exclaimed Eliza.
"I've been ready to die at any time since the moment I decided to return to my people," said Alex. "And like you said, this is all my fault."
"You're being stupid Alex," said Eliza. "You're not going to surrender yourself to anyone, understand?"
"It's really not your decision," said Alex.
"Oh is that how it is now? She demanded. "Just shut up Eliza, is that how it is?"
"What do you want from me?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes and said, "You know, for a genius who can build a ship like this, you're pretty damn stupid."
He peered at her, starting to enter her mind to try to understand her. She glared at him and said, "Keep out of my head! I know when you do it now. Just knowing that you can do it has opened my eyes to what the strange feeling I always got, when you looked at me that way, has been all along. You stay in your own damn head, understand me?"
"Fine," he said.
Just then they exited from the warp-gate, back into the physical universe. They were hovering next to the cave where Alex had lived for so many years. He looked at the image of it in the view screen, and allowed himself a few seconds of quiet nostalgia. Then he sent out the telepathic call and the invisible observer came towards his ship. In it's level of psychic resonance, he could see it's image in his mind, though he knew that Eliza couldn't, and through the view screens, she couldn't even detect the blur that the thing emitted while in motion.
"It's with us," he said.
"What's with us?" she asked.
"The observer," said Alex. "I'll need it just in case I do end up fighting, and I have to go up against cloaked ships."
Eliza peered at the many view screens around her. With so many cameras around the massive vessel, there was practically not an inch of air around them not being monitored. "I don't see it," she said.
"It's invisible," said Alex.
"Well, if you say so," she grumbled.
Alex sighed and flipped on the warp-field generator, and another blue warp-gate opened in front of the ship. They started to pass through it. For the first time, Eliza looked at the computer screens that Alex was peering at. There weren't any letters, only a strange formation of symbols that she couldn't even come close to recognizing.
"Is that protoss?" she asked, pointing to the symbols.
"Yeah," said Alex. "Protoss computer systems are more advanced than terran, and their writing system is a lot more logical than ours."
"You sound like you're in love with their damn culture," she said.
As they passed outside of physical space again, he looked back at her and said, "The protoss society has its problems, just as ours does. Their government, the conclave, has greatly underestimated the terran race. They would have arbitrarily destroyed many terran worlds just to get at the Zerg, because they viewed our people as insignificant, and not worth trying to help or work with. They've committed many sins against our people for the mere reason that we're not just not important enough to factor into their decisions. They've paid for that arrogance, for our military is quite a bit stronger than they believed, and we've actually defeated the protoss in our share of battles."
"Was your father part of any of that? The killing?" she asked.
"No," said Alex. "Like I said, there are two factions. My father is part of a small group of protoss called the dark templar, who were cast out of protoss society. They have nothing to do with the conclave's arrogant actions. They despise the conclave."
Just then the ship passed out of the warp-gate, and they were hovering over Delmagoth, about three miles from their city. Alex landed the Magreha on a large open patch of grass. He turned to Eliza and said, "Wait here for probably about an hour. By then I'll know what's going to happen, and I'll transmit a signal to you." He held up his amulet and said, "I'll be able to communicate with the ship with this. Just stay in here and you'll get my transmission when it comes."
She ran up to him and exclaimed, "You're not going to just walk in there are you?"
"It's ok, I know what I'm doing," he said.
"Alex, don't do this," she exclaimed. "I forgive you for everything, don't go getting yourself killed on my account or anyone else's, please!"
He smiled and said, "Trust me, I can take care of myself." With that, he raised his shield and bent the light around it, making himself invisible. Eliza gasped. Alex called out, "Trust me, I really can take care of myself. Now stay inside the ship until you get my transmission."
"Alright," she said nervously, being completely shocked by Alex turning himself invisible before her eyes.
Alex ran quickly through the terrain back to the city. When he got there, he heard the end of a transmission coming through a loud speaker or something, loud enough for the whole city to hear. It cut off, and then started up again. Alex recognized the governor's voice saying, "Citizens of Delmagoth, our colony is following the example set by Arcturas Mengsk, and his forces. We are breaking away from the confederacy and becoming an independent colony. There are transports on standby for any citizens who do not wish to take part in our breakaway. Whoever wishes to leave may do so, but the transports will be leaving in a short time, so all of your decisions must be made promptly. I am confident that our secession can succeed, and any who wish to be free of the confederacy's oppression are invited to stay and take part in this historical battle."
"Crap!" shouted Alex. He guessed that the intelligence officers must have committed suicide and the governor had figured out what that meant for him and his people, and was making preparations. Alex went visible in an alleyway and dashed to a telescreen, where he got the location of the planet's capital from the database. He ran at top speed through the streets, not caring that people were seeing him move so quickly.
He made it to the capital building, a tall structure made mostly of concrete. He ran up to the door and a guard pointed a gun at him and said, "Just stay right there sir. We're not allowing visitors at this time."
"I'm really sorry about this," said Alex. And before the soldier knew what was happening, Alex moved in with incredible speed, snatched the gun out of the soldier's hands, and hit him in the forehead with it, knocking the man out.
He turned to the doors, which were made of a strong and thick metal alloy. He could tell that they were hydraulically controlled, and from the look of the small screen in front of him, they would only respond to the correct access code. Alex sighed and telepathically reached out with his mind to make sure that no one was standing behind the door, and then he let loose a psionic blast from his right hand that ripped the thick metal doors apart.
He went invisible and ran inside the structure. He could sensed the governor's mind and could tell that the man was above him, probably on the second or third floor. He started running quickly towards the stairs he saw across the hall when an auto-gun came up from the floor panels and fired on him. The round bounced off his shield, but another one came quickly, and Alex could tell that his shield couldn't stand up to too many rounds from such a weapon, and he didn't have enough energy built up yet for another blast. He didn't have time to do too much thinking, so he charged in as fast as he could at the auto-gun, taking two more hits as he came. He made it to the thing and gripped the shaft of the gun and used his psionic strength to crumple it in his grip. He backed up as the auto-gun tried to fire again, and blew itself up in the process.
He dashed quickly up the stairs to find another auto gun in the hallway of the second floor. Still not having enough energy for a blast, he ran in and snapped the base of the auto gun with a hard kick, this time taking three more hits. By the time the second gun was down, he knew his shield was almost completely depleted. He sighed in annoyance. He ran across the hallway to a large set of closed doors, which to his relief were made of wood. He could sense that the governor was on the other side of the doorway, and that there were at least five others with him.
Alex could tell that the governor was frightened, as he was aware that the capital had been breached. Alex knew that the door wouldn't be opened for him, and he wasn't sure how much time he had to explain himself. He ran up and kicked the doorway open, and inside a huge office, he saw the governor, and two other older men backing up, and four marines aiming guns around. Alex stayed invisible and moved in.
When Milton, the governor, saw the blur coming at him he shouted, "Don't just stand there men, fire!"
"We can't sir!" shouted one of the marines. "Our fuckin targeting systems won't let us!"
Alex moved in and snatched the guns out of the marines' hands one by one, and they were helpless to do anything but try to run as he did so. He snapped three of the four guns in half, and kept the last one in his hands.
Then, he went visible in front of Milton. When Milton saw Alex he gasped, "You!"
"That's right," said Alex. "I've come here to help you."
"You have a funny way of showing it," said Milton.
"I wasn't sure you'd talk to me to me if I came in with my arms raised," said Alex. "I'm prepared to surrender myself to you, but not before you hear what I have to say. Now I know you've called in marines to this place, call them off please."
"Will you kill me if I don't?" asked Milton.
"It's very much within my power," said Alex. "But no I won't. I came here to help you." And with that, Alex handed the gauss rifle to Milton and said, "I need you to trust me, so I'll trust you first."
Milton took the gun up in his hand, and then peered at Alex very carefully. After a few seconds he said, "Call off the men."
"Sir!" shouted one of the marines.
"Just do it," said Milton. "It's obvious that he could have killed me if he wanted to. I don't think I'm in any danger here. Now all of you get out, I want to hear what this young man has to say."
One of the old men said, "Sir, I really must protest to this."
"Your protest is noted, now please leave," said Milton.
The marines and the elderly men grumbled as they exited the room. When they were gone, Milton faced Alex and said, "You're certainly no normal young man. When you told me you were going to protect the girl this morning, even though you were in chains, you were so confident that I found myself almost believing you could actually do it. Tell me, is she alright?"
"Of course," said Alex.
"That's good," said Milton. "I couldn't stomach the idea of intelligence torturing or even murdering one of my citizens, especially an innocent seventeen year old female medic of all people."
"I know," said Alex, "which is why I came back here to help you."
Milton peered at Alex and said, "Before I hear what you have to say, I'd like to know something. I read a report about a female ghost soldier named Maggie Reeve making a run from the confederacy about sixteen or seventeen years ago. It was reported that she was killed, but I've come to know that not every report the government makes is on the level. She was reported to have headed into what we now know is protoss territory. Now this is just a shot in the dark, but given your age and last name—"
"She was my mother," said Alex.
"I thought so," said Milton. "Your mother is quite famous on my little colony. You have no idea how many of my citizens have tried to make a run for it, following hers and a few others examples. More than a few of my citizens have actually succeeded, though that fact has been covered up by me so as to protect them."
Alex looked at Milton and said, "You believe that I'm affiliated with the protoss and you're still willing to talk to me?"
"Pretty stupid leadership huh?" said Milton. "Perhaps I'm being stupid, but I'll tell you my thinking: These people are looking to me to protect them, and for some reason that I can't comprehend, they're putting their faith in me, enough to stand with me against the confederacy. And you know what? I'm afraid I'm going to let them all down; it's been my greatest fear since I took this job. So here you are kid, bringing this revolution upon me before I'm ready. I suppose I could hate you for that, but maybe that would be stupid leadership. You're obviously an enemy of intelligence, and hence, you're an enemy of the confederacy. And you know what they say: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. You seem to be involved with the protoss in some way, but I don't believe that they've twisted you against your own people, not after I saw the genuine concern in your eyes over the girl. They said that you were a spy for the protoss, but what tactical information could you possibly be gathering from my little colony? A spy would be on Tarsonis, not on some backwater little world like this. Given all of that, plus the fact that you proved in here that you could kill me if you wanted to, I don't think you're a threat to me, protoss or no protoss. So I'll listen to whatever you have to say, but make it quick, I have a battle to prepare for."
"That's just it," said Alex. "There's no need for a battle. I'll give myself up to intelligence if that's what you need me to do for you to save your people."
Milton gasped, "Are you serious?"
"Of course," said Alex.
Milton studied Alex for a minute or so silently, and then said, "No I don't think so. If this hadn't happened I would have revolted against the confederacy within six months anyway. I've been planning to do so for a long time, in secret. All the marines that have been trained here; I'll tell you a secret, I haven't allowed the Neural Resocialization process to be inflicted upon any of them. I don't believe in the technique, even if it does make for better soldiers. My citizens will be free as long as I draw breath, that's been my secret oath from the time I took this job. You're a brave young man for offering, and your obviously very intelligent and resourceful if you've managed to escape out of a guarded intelligence installation without a scratch. So no Mr. Reeve, I'm not going to let you throw away your life for me. If you'd like to fight in the battle though, I'd welcome any help. And somehow, I get the impression that that was your plan B."
"You're a smart man," said Alex.
"Me?" muttered Milton. "No, I'm just some idiot who's probably about to get himself and his people killed."
"I have a powerful ship," said Alex.
"I assumed you had something," said Milton.
Alex had to chuckle, for Milton really was a shrewd and intelligent man, even more than Alex had guessed when he first met the man. Alex could tell that Milton would make a very valuable ally if they both managed to make it through the coming battle.
"I'm sorry I got you into this," said Alex.
"Bah! There's no time for such feelings," said Milton. "Now if you're going to bring a ship into this battle, you'd better have it linked to our command grid quickly."
"Sorry," said Alex, "I can't do that. It runs on…protoss computers."
Milton started laughing and said, "You know Mr. Reeve, if we make it through this then you're going to have to tell me your life story. Anyhow, I guess it doesn't matter. My commander is brilliant, but everyone makes mistakes. It might be good to have a craft working independently, especially a powerful one. But I may have a bit of trouble getting my men to cooperate with a protoss vessel."
"It's not a protoss vessel," said Alex. "I used a Behemoth Battlecruiser as my base, and just started adding on protoss technology. It looks like a terran vessel, though it's sort of shaped like an egg with arms."
"Hah!" laughed Milton. "Well, bring it in, I'd like to see it. Where do you have it hidden?"
Alex hesitated before answering, taking a few seconds to scan Milton's mind just deep enough to know whether the man was planning any sort of betrayal. When he found no signs, he felt almost guilty for checking, seeing how much faith Milton was willing to show in him. Alex replied, "It's about five miles west."
"Alright," said Milton. "I'll have a ground car take you."
When they walked down to the doorway, Milton looked at the torn and charred metal. He looked at Alex and said, "You must be a read pro kid. That was three solid feet of the strongest alloy known to man, and somehow you seemed to have managed to blow it up without harming anything else. What kind of precision explosives did you use?"
"Uh, I'll tell you some other time," said Alex.
Milton spoke into a wrist communicator, and a few minutes later a ground car pulled up in front of the two of them. Milton walked up to one of his men and retrieved something and tossed it to Alex. Alex caught the small metallic item that he immediately knew was a wrist telescreen. "Keep in touch Mr. Reeve," said Milton. Alex nodded and then jumped in the back of the car and told the driver where to go, and about fifteen minutes later they were in front of the Magreha.
"Holy crap!" shouted the driver as he looked over the ship. "You're gonna use this thing to help us?"
"Of course," said Alex. Alex pressed the crystal button on his amulet and said, "Alright Eliza, it's all worked out. I'm right outside and everything's safe. Come on out."
A hissing sound erupted as the hydraulic doors on the side of the ship opened up. Eliza slowly stepped out, peering nervously at the driver of the car, who happened to be armed.
"He'll take you back to the city, somewhere safe," said Alex.
She walked up to Alex and said, "What's going on?"
"War," said Alex. "The confederacy is coming, and I'm going to help defend these people."
The driver stepped forward and held out his hand, saying, "Ma'am, if you would."
Eliza ignored the soldier and said, "Alex, are they here? The confederate troops?"
"No," he said. "But of course we have no way of knowing when they'll arrive. It could happen very suddenly. You need to be in a safe place."
The soldier spoke up again: "Miss Stevenson, let's get you to the stronghold."
"Hold on," she said. She walked up and hugged Alex extremely tightly, and said in a voice filled with worry, "Don't you dare get killed!"
He sighed, "Do you still forgive me?"
"No," she said, "but I'll let you make it up to me if you live." A tear ran down her face and she said, "So you better not…die, or else…" she broke off, unable to finish.
He smiled and said, "Then I'd better live, because your forgiveness is the most important thing in the universe to me."
The soldier rolled his eyes at the outpour of emotion, and he groaned in annoyance when Alex and Eliza kissed. When the two finally released one another, the soldier sighed in relief and said, "Miss Stevenson, we really must be going."
She nodded, and slowly got in the car.
Alex watched as they drove off, and then he got back in his ship. The second he was inside his mind snapped back to the matters at hand. As many tests as he had done, and as confidant he was in his work, the fact still loomed over him: The Magreha had never seen actual battle before. He began to flip on the status and diagnostic computers, while at the same time, going over the five long months of work he had put into the ship. Whether those five months were ill spent or not, he would soon find out. He went over the special modifications he had made, wondering just how stable they really were. He would soon know if his work would hold up under fire, and not just in simple controlled tests.
Even though the computers gave perfect readings on every system, he pulled the SCV out of the back of the ship and just went around tightening, strengthening, and even polishing the metal in his nervous obsession.
Finally, after about an hour and a half, Alex got the call from Milton, two words: "They're here."
Milton stood nervously in front of a long row of view screens. Barkley, the elderly man on his right said, "Sir, do you think your terrorist friend will really come to help us?"
"Yes I do," said Milton. "I'm actually arrogant enough to believe that I can tell what's in a man's heart just by talking to him and looking into his eyes."
"And what is in his heart sir?" asked Barkley.
Milton aloud himself a small smile and he said, "That boy's just like me: he's naïve enough and crazy enough to believe that he can actually change the world, for the better." Milton's smile faded as he peered back at the screens. He said, "But we can't worry about that boy right now."
Barkley nodded and said, "Yes sir. Now…" he paused, the micro-computer/transmitter/receiver in the back of his skull began to inter-work with his brain. From it, he could instantly transmit instructions to any soldier, any unit, or any building. "Sir, we have confirmed twenty seven Behemoth Battlecruisers…twenty nine now. There are also thirty-six confirmed wraiths, fourteen Arclite Siege Tanks, and eighteen Dropships carrying an undetermined number of ground forces. I'm continuing to use the ComSat Stations…ah, the sweep has revealed that they have located the mineral and gas deposits on grid 52x by 39y."
"Excellent," said Milton. "Are our ghosts in place?"
"Yes," said Barkley. "But I would prefer to wait on the nuclear strikes until they've allocated a larger number of their troops to defend their ground base."
"You're the commander," said Milton. "I'll just stay out of your way."
"Please sir," said Barkley. "You're an excellent tactician and I value your input."
"My input eh?" said Milton in a tone filled with suspicion. "The men and women here have put their faith in me, and it's only right that I face the danger along side them. I'll be taking my battlecruiser out now."
"That's what I was afraid of sir," said Barkley.
"I know," said Milton. "And please don't be telling me that you value my input when I'll your trying to do is keep me alive. You're a good friend, but I'll get angry if you try something like that again."
Barkley pleaded, "Sir, there's no need for you to—"
"Of course there's a need," said Milton. "They need to see me out there. They need to know that I'm not just using them like the confederacy. If I just sent them out and hid in safety, what kind of a leader would I be?"
"A living one," said Barkley.
Milton laughed and said, "Oh Barkley, I have too much faith in your abilities to be thinking about that."
"I always said you were an idiot," said Barkley.
"Hah!" grunted Milton as he exited the room.
Milton got into his Behemoth Battlecruiser and lifted up into the air.
Barkley returned his attention to the screens and his units and buildings. Another Scanner Sweep revealed that the base had been set up, and five of the Battlecruisers, nine of the wraiths, and three of the siege tanks had been set up to protect the base."
"That's right you bastards," said Barkley, "just keep thinking that you're gonna take our recourses to use against us." He made sure that all of his ghosts were properly positioned on the rock flats above, and then, he gave the order.
Inside the base, Barkley knew, they would be seeing three laser dots, and the confederacies commander would be hearing the standard alert: "Nuclear launch detected."
Barkley watched as the SCV's and the soldiers began scrambling to get away. "Not gonna work fools," said Barkley. "The choke's being targeted too, there's no escape. You shouldn't have set up a row of bunkers like that, now you can't even get out." Barkley counted down out loud, and when the nukes came down, he enthusiastically shouted, "Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Then he shifted one of his screens to communicate with Milton's battle cruiser and said in a triumphant voice, "Sir, they're cut off. They can only attack with what they have…at least for now."
"Excellent work Barkley," said Milton. "Now don't get cocky, from what you've told me of what they've already got here, we're still in a lot of trouble. Too bad this didn't happen three months into the future, when we would have had a fleet of our own."
"Yes sir," said Barkley, agreeing with Milton's comment. On the entire planet, there were only sixteen actual warships, and the rest of the air compliment was purely transportation. They lacked the capability to build starports with their current planetary clearance. Barkley had studied countless battle reports, and he knew even without them, that large enough fleet of Battlecruisers could plow through an almost unlimited number of marines, which was Delmagoth's main force. There were Goliaths, but not enough to stand up to the number of Battlecruisers they were being met with. Barkley knew his only chance was the ghost soldiers. He possibly had enough of them to neutralize the bulk of the opposing fleet with Lockdown rounds, but only with the absolute best of timing could such a strategy possibly work.
If only we'd had more time to prepare, thought Barkley to himself.
Barkley quickly returned his attention to the section of the city that would most likely be attacked. He had a vast and intricate series of missile turrets set up, but it was such a large area to cover, and the planet wasn't particularly rich in resources to build an unlimited amount.
As Barkley saw the blue sparkling enemy sweeps around his city, he knew that his enemies knew: It was a perfect target. The buildings were scattered, preventing his ground forces from being able to move easily to wherever the enemy chose to attack. He knew that only the most dull-witted commander would miss taking advantage of something like that.
He sighed, "Damn sweep technology!" He realized that he would have to take the fight to his enemies, which was risky, considering that it would leave his bases unprotected. And he also knew that even if everything went perfectly, which it certainly wouldn't, he would lose so very many men in the battle. It sickened him.
He gathered up all of his forces, placing the ghost soldiers in the middle, making sure they had all been fitted with cloak suites. If only we'd had more time, he thought again. We're not ready for this. He had to suppress the emotion, for he knew from experience that it would cause him to make mistakes. Still, it was difficult to shake the feeling: We don't have a chance in hell.
Then, out of the southwestern corner, he received a transmission, "This is Alex Reeve; I'm joining the battle sir. Please transmit your battle data through this frequency."
As Barkley stared at the very odd looking ship, he sighed, "Ah what the hell, Milton seems to have faith in this kid." He transmitted the gathered data through the frequency and then said, "Well kid, why don't you just go join the main force."
"Negative," said Alex. "I'm going ahead."
"What?" exclaimed Barkley. "Do you have some desire to die quickly?"
"I know what I'm doing," said Alex.
"Whatever kid," said Barkley, "I really don't have time for this, do whatever the hell you want. We'll give you a funeral if we win."
Alex smirked, and then his face disappeared from the screen. Barkley was just about to take his eyes off the craft, when his eyes suddenly widened. It was bigger than a battlecruiser, but it was moving with the speed of a wraith, maybe even faster. "Such a shame," said Barkley to himself, "that whatever technology this kid has come up with, is about to be blown into little pieces."
Alex headed in quickly. He had sent his observer in ahead of time, knowing it would take far longer to cross the battlefield than his ship. It was almost to the enemy while he was back at the other end of the city, but in only a short time he was catching up.
From his battlecruiser, Milton saw the strange ship pass quickly by him, and he curved a smile up and said, "Damn kid, what the hell did you build?"
Alex made sure that he was next to his observer, and then he rushed head long to the enemy. He centered in on one of the Battlecruisers and sent every one of his modified interceptors at it before the enemy even knew he was there. It took only a short time and then his target was reduced to shrapnel. The enemy was quick after that to begin firing. As the lasers and missiles hit his shield, Alex knew it was time to move away. He turned to the left and flew at top speed, and just as he had planned, every ship gave chase.
After a few seconds, the Battlecruisers broke off, the commander evidently having figured out that they could never catch the strange ship, but the wraiths continued to follow him. This was also as Alex had planned. He knew he had to be careful, he wanted to draw out the chase long enough to build his shields back up a bit, but not draw it out so long that the enemy commander would give up the chase. After about fifty seconds, Alex circled around to meet his observer, and then he stopped dead in the air.
From his station, Barkley saw this and uttered, "What the hell are you doing kid?"
Alex's face came up on the screen quite suddenly, and Alex said, "I'm going to borrow a few of your goliaths, but only for a minute or so."
"Huh?" uttered Barkley. Even though the statement was ridiculous, Barkley found himself shifting his eyes to his goliaths. Quite suddenly, in a massive bluish spiral of some sort, they vanished. He got a signal a second later from across the grid, one of the goliath operators saying, "Sir, what the hell's going on?"
Just then flying blurs that told of wraiths came at their position. Barkley instinctively started to send a Scanner Sweep to reveal the cloaked vessels, but they became translucent before he did so. The goliaths, having targets in front of them, set aside the feeling of confusion and began attacking, and Alex's ship fought with them, with his metallic interceptors flying and firing about.
Alex's ship moved in front of the goliaths to take the brunt of the fire. In less than thirty seconds, all thirty-one of the wraiths that had followed were wiped out. Barkley could scarcely believe his eyes. The only thing that was allowing his mind to accept what he had seen was that Milton had said something about the young man having a ship with protoss components.
From his communications array on his ship, Milton heard the cheers of his men as they watched on their mini-screens how so many ships had been taken out so quickly without a single loss on their side. Milton sighed quietly, "Excellent Alex, very excellent. But the Battlecruisers are the real danger."
Alex looked at the readouts on his computer screens. Five minutes, that was how long he needed to land the ship and make repairs with his SCV, along with the time it would take to replenish his shields, his khaydarin core energy, and replace the interceptors he had lost.
Barkley looked down and saw his three ghost soldiers near the resource section die, almost simultaneously. He barely had time to see the three wraiths and a battle cruiser that had done it before his view of the area went gray. "Dammit!" he shouted. He knew that if the enemy got a hold of the resources there, that the battle was over hands down, no matter what tricks the strange young man had up his sleeve. He also knew that he didn't have any other units in a position to get to the base they would be setting up.
He had to try something, so, he elected to call the strange young man. He sent a communication while at the same time, scanner sweeping the area. He said, "Mr. Reeve, if you will take a look at grid—"
"I see it," interrupted Alex. "I felt it when your ghosts died. They can't get to those minerals. I'll clear the area for you. Get some SCV's and a few siege tanks together, and I'll warp them in when I'm done, and you can set up turrets there." Barkley nodded and ended the transmission.
Alex grunted, "Shit," wishing he'd had more time to repair and replenish before attacking again. He flew in quickly, having already at least replaced most of the interceptors he had lost. Just before he arrived Barkley scanned again, and Alex's screen showed where the four ships were, along with the group of about fifteen marines.
He took out one of the wraiths almost instantly, and he watched as the other two came at him. He kept his ship hovering over the top of the mountain, so that the marines couldn't get close enough to fire. The two wraiths that came at him only manage a shot each before he blew them out of the air. The battle cruiser started to come at him, but he was quite confident that he had it represented very little threat to him. But then he looked down and saw that the SCV below was continuing to construct the command center. At first he thought this was due to carelessness of the enemy commander, but quite suddenly the realization came to him, he sensed an enemy ghost near to him. But the realization came too late, he started to ask Barkley for another scan, but right then the lockdown round came at his ship. The gray static field started to surround his ship, and he barely had enough time to open the hydraulic doors before his vessel was completely disabled.
He ran and leaped out of the door, noting as he fell that he was lucky this had happened over a high mountain flat and not over low ground, or else the fall would have probably killed even him. He raised his psionic shield and let it absorb the impact from the twenty-meter fall. As he hit, he heard a "Twang" and he felt and saw his shield vibrate from a bullet, which he knew had to have come from the ghost.
The impact from the fall had heavily drained his shield, and he still didn't have any body armor. He couldn't see the ghost, but he knew vaguely where it was. Right then the battlecruiser came at him. He knew he had only a split second to save his life. He gathered up all of his psionic energy and sent a blast at the huge ship, ripping in apart in a violent explosion.
Barkley, Milton, and nearly every other soldier on the field were all watching their screens at that second, and the amazing sight stupefied them.
Alex didn't take time to marvel at his work, for he knew that the trained ghost soldier wouldn't either. He bolted away as fast as he could, but he took another shot as he did, which depleted the last ounce of his shield energy, leaving him without the ability to turn invisible. He ran as fast as he could, but the rock flat cut off to a narrow cliff. Alex desperately searched for some kind of cover, but found nothing, and off in the distance, he could see the blur of the ghost soldier coming at him. Alex reached for his amulet, to ask Zosh to warp him out, but found that it was no longer around his neck. He realized it must have come off during the fall. Adrenaline began to course through Alex's body as he realized: There's no way out of this. I'm going to die out here.
Alex shut his eyes, remembered the dark templar philosophy: Meet death bravely, for this is the last chance for honor to shine through.
He opened his eyes to look at his killer calmly, when all of a sudden, the blur formed into a translucent shape. He saw three laser blasts fire at the ghost soldier, whose body ripped apart. Alex looked up to see three wraiths and a science vessel above.
He heard static come through his wrist telescreen, and he looked at it. Milton came through, smiling and saying, "What? You thought you were fighting this battle alone?"
Alex laughed, and suppressed the adrenaline surge within his body. He said, "Thank you sir."
"I'm not really sure how you did that thing with the blue beam," said Milton, "but I can tell you're even more useful than I guessed. Far too useful to let die." Right then a dropship moved in overhead, and set down four SCV's. "Let's get that ship of yours fixed," said Milton.
"No good," said Alex. "Your SCV's don't have the programming to repair my ship. Just back me up. I need about three or four solid minutes and then I'm back in the fight."
The face of one of the wraith pilots came through below Milton's, saying, "Sir, we can clear the area now that you've taken out the air units. Just repair your ship, and have it ready, because backup may be coming to this area real soon."
"Thank you," said Alex.
"Thank you," said Milton. "You've already done more than I could possibly expect from any thirty soldiers, and the battle's just begun."
Alex had one of the wraiths carry him back up to his ship, and when the lockdown field rescinded, he landed the Magreha on the rock flat and pulled out the SCV and quickly began repairing the ship. Meanwhile, the enemy marines below had been taken out and the SCV's began setting up missile turrets.
Alex had his ship back up to optimum levels within two minutes. Right about then was the time that eleven battle cruisers came slowly flying in. Alex dashed into his ship, lifted off, and immediately emitted a stasis field burst, and four of the Battlecruisers were caught in blue crystal like absolute pockets of space-time. Alex then immediately sent all of his interceptors at one of the Battlecruisers, while transmitting a message to Barkley: "Have those SCV's keep building turrets!"
Alex managed to destroy the first of the Battlecruisers with little damage to his own ship, but upon destroying the second battlecruiser, his shields were almost depleted again. But more and more turrets were coming up. And all of a sudden, the Battlecruisers turned away and retreated. A minute or so later, the four Battlecruisers came free of the stasis field and, even though they were being fired upon, they turned and retreated instead of fighting.
Barkley came in over the communicator, "Their commander has given up on the resources, which means he's probably going to attack with everything he's got very quickly."
"Keep scanning and keep track of where his troops head," said Alex. "Your plan will work if we do it just right."
"My plan?" muttered Barkley.
"With the ghost soldiers and the lockdown rounds," said Alex.
"That's right, Milton said you're a telepath," said Barkley almost in annoyance.
"Anyway, all we have to do is give the Battlecruisers enough targets in front of them and they won't be able to concentrate on your ghosts," said Alex. "I can freeze a few of their ships in space time like I did over here. As many as eight with a full charge."
"There's another possibility," said Barkley. "They have only two science vessels among their entire fleet."
"I see," said Alex.
"And I've located their ComSat station," said Barkley.
"So if we take out all of these, then their entire fleet will be completely unable to detect cloaked units," said Alex.
"Correct Mr. Reeve," said Barkley. "Now…ah yes, the ComSat has just been destroyed by our marines. Now, I believe I know how to get at those science vessels."
"Good plan," said Alex.
"STOP READING MY MIND!" shouted Barkley.
"Sorry, it's just faster this way," said Alex. "And it is a good plan, I'll meet the ghost soldiers."
"Alright," sighed Barkley.
Alex circled around the enemy fleet and met the large group of ghost soldiers, whom he hovered over. They slowly moved all together to right next to the fleet of Battlecruisers that were moving in. There were about twenty-five Battlecruisers left, and there were about fifty-five ghost soldiers. As Alex hovered above them, he marveled at their discipline, which he could sense from each of them.
They came up alongside the fleet and Alex and his ship hung back. All of the ghost soldiers cloaked and they began to run in one at a time and fire lockdown rounds at the Battlecruisers one at a time. Barkley conducted them like clockwork. Then it came, the enemy science vessel to scan over the cloaked units. Alex moved in quickly and sent all of his interceptors at the science vessel, though to his dismay: five of the ghost soldiers were killed before he accomplished his goal.
Alex immediately turned around, taking heavy fire before he got out of range of the Battlecruisers, but he took comfort in watching all of his attackers from behind be hit by lockdown rounds. Barkley came through, "They're sending the other science vessel I think, you have to take it out."
"No good," said Alex, "in this condition my ship wouldn't make it to the damn thing."
"NO!" shouted Barns. "We don't have anything else that can make it in their either. I don't want to lose it like this, not when we've come so close in absolutely impossible odds."
Alex sighed, "I think we can still win this. Keep your ghosts doing what they're doing. I'll take care of the science vessel when it comes."
"How?" muttered Barkley.
"You saw what I did to that Battlecruiser," said Alex.
"Right," said Barkley in a somewhat confused voice. "Ok, have one of the ghosts give you his cloaking suite."
"Uh…I have my own," said Alex, not wanting to explain the dark templar technique under the pressing circumstances.
Alex jumped out and went invisible and ran into the group of ghost soldiers. He couldn't see them, but he could see inside his shield, down at his wrist telescreen, which had projections of the soldiers where the ghosts were standing over the terrain. He watched as battle cruiser after battle cruiser was hit by lockdown rounds, and off in the distance, he saw the massive group of marines and goliaths readying to come in and destroy all the disabled ships.
Finally the science vessel came in, and twenty ghost soldiers became translucent around Alex, along with himself. The lasers fired in, and the bodies around Alex ripped apart. Those screams would haunt him for many years to come. He let loose his furry from their deaths in the form of the psionic blast at the science vessel. So intense was the blast that it ripped through the science vessel and made it to a battlecruiser right next to it, which also ripped apart.
With the last detector gone, the ships were effectively blind against their cloaked attackers. Not a single of the slow moving vessels was fast enough to escape, and they were all disabled. The ground forces moved in and destroyed the ships incredibly fast. Here and there a ship came out of lockdown only to be put back in instantly. And the enemy was annihilated.
Where there had been no chance in hell, they had succeeded, and Alex had been the difference. This fact was not lost on any of the soldiers. Though he pleaded for them not to, they picked him up on their shoulders and paraded him back to and throughout the town. By the end of the day there were a hundred stories circulating around about Alex, anywhere from him being an escaped genetic experiment of the confederacy's, to him even being a magical being sent to protect them from on high. But there was no question about it; he was a hero to the people.
That night, after having had to go invisible to make it past all of his fans, he sat down to have a victory dinner. Milton and his wife were there, along with Barkley and his wife, and just so he didn't feel alone, Alex brought Eliza.
Milton stood up and made a toast, "To Alex Reeve, hero of the people."
"Oh dammit," sulked Alex.
"Hah!" laughed Milton. "So our special young man dislikes his new status?"
"Oh man, people have been running up and grabbing me and having their holographs taken with me and everything," said Alex. "It's ridiculous, and besides, we don't know how long before the confederacy attacks again."
"I don't think they'll attack again at all," said Milton. "They've learned their lesson when it comes to this world. And besides, they have their hands full, and I seriously doubt that they have any forces left to spare over a small colony that they don't really need in the first place. No Alex my boy, this is the time to be happy, to celebrate!"
"How can you celebrate when nineteen of your men died today?" asked Alex.
Milton peered at Alex for a few seconds and then said, "You're thinking that they died because of you. Because if you hadn't caused this dispute, that those men wouldn't have died, is that right?"
Alex nodded solemnly.
Barkley broke in, his voice speaking with authority, "Let me tell you something Mr. Reeve, when Milton and I began to make our plans to revolt, we projected our losses in the hundreds, perhaps the thousands. Nineteen is a truly AMAZINGLY small number. And I want you to know that what these people are saying is true, without you, this all would have failed."
"If you say so," said Alex.
"I'm not just saying that to make you feel better," said Barkley. "You're a telepath…read my mind."
Alex rolled his eyes and said, "It doesn't matter. I know that people die in war, I'm not stupid; I've just never seen it before." Alex stood up and said, "I don't think I'm hungry anymore. I'm gonna go work on my ship." Alex walked quickly out of the back, so as to avoid the crowds, and Eliza went running after him.
Barkley rubbed his forehead and said, "I wish there was something we could do for him."
"Don't worry about him," said Milton. "This will only make him stronger in the end. You'll see Barkley, he'll be just fine."
--To be continued
Did the battle come out ok? I usually write things small scale, like 1 on 1, so I wasn't sure how to do a battle. Tell me what you think please people. It's been really cool getting the reviews and the e-mails about this story, and I want to thank everyone for their time and interest. I'll be seein ya.
