"Did anyone notice that that Bob The Newt logo looks like a man with an extremely large penis?"
-SqueakyMonkey
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| Phoenix Legion Chronicles: Part VI | | | Author: | | | IP: | XXXX | | Date: | 07/30/99 03:07 | | Game Type: | Starcraft | | Labels: | Famous Reporter(1), Starcraft(1), Old Classic(1), Text Only(1), Fan Fiction(1), Series(1) | | Report Rating: , # of Ratings: 1, Max: 8, Min: 8
Lifetime Rating for .Praetor: 8.2877 |  | Well I'm posting this on Friday, in part out of guilt there will not be an addition to the main Phoenix Legion story. My normal computer is still down, holding hostage chapters four and five. My friend who actually knows how to use computers should be back soon, and I can slave my hard drive to his, retrieve the necessary information, and have two or three chapters up next week. Or, at least, that's how it SHOULD work. Oh, and any rumors that may arise out of last night's mini-tourney about a gay commander to be featured in Phoenix Legion are absolutely true. Upon the request of Mark4, Brian Uri will eventually command the legendary 'Pink Squadron.'
Ok, the 'Pink Squadron' part is a joke. But I am putting Commander Uri in, as a statement, and in part from guilt that I do little to nothing to battle the massive homophobia on B.net. Plus, I might actually get more than 10 non-me comments on one of these.
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The chicken forms a cold, slimy lump in my stomach. The chicken was not a healthy one, very fatty and un-appetizing. And the mushroom sauce had started coagulating. On the up side, the last sunken in the Zerg base had fallen, the new parts for irradiation are being installed in my science vessels, and a damaging storm has recently been avoided at my resource node in the middle valley. And I'm finding plenty of troops in my base.
"Sergeant Ummox, take the two new vultures and mine the ridge around the south node."
"Yes sir. About that attack on the new Zerg area. My vultures killed three hydralisks with no losses, and seven drones. I've retreated them to be repaired at the central valley expansion."
"Very good, Sergeant."
I look back at my screen, and find the zerg base is starting to disappear. I assume the vision of the lead marine.
My gun is firing at a rapid pace, perforating the surface of the spawning pool several yards ahead. The dull blast of an arclite cannon sounds, the full fury muffled by the thick muzzle. A few seconds later, the explosive shell carves a hole in the Zerg Greater Spire. At the edge of my vision, to the left, I can see firebats glowing by the exposed mineral veins. Two more shots from the siege tanks and the Greater Spire starts to topple forward. The tall structure bends, folding in upon iself, the top-heavy abomination unrooting itslef. The golaiths behind my view and the marines have finally shredded the tough top layer of the spawning pool, exposing the liquid underneath. The cannon shell impacting what remains of the structure makes a bigger splash than an ultralisk doing a cannon ball. The explosion underneath the goo ruptures what remains of the pool structure, and the pool drains into the ground, while the wall slowy collapse inward. The marine I am watching through runs out of ammo, and he detaches the feed line from his gun, shrugs off the ammo pack, and trades his empty for a full rack with an enviornmental-suited runner from the dropship, which carries plenty of U-238 rounds. After shrugging the ammo pack back on, the marine hooks up the new feed line, and walks forward, firing at the massive Hive.
The living mass shudders as the tank rounds hit. A wall of lead impacts its side, slowly pushing back the fleshy armour. Several important veins inside the structure had burst when the marine's view turns. Several overlords, at least ten, float up from the Zerg valley and slowly head towards my forces. "Switch back to the overhead view."
My forces have advanced through the zerg base, destroying all the structures excepting the hive and queen's nest. The hydralisk den must be in the Zerg valley. The science vessels estimate the Hive's structural integrity at only forty percent. "Pull back, everyone in the transports, those troops are getting out of there." The icons on screen head for the transports, load up, and fly out, with Science Vessels as an escort.
"Comsat the center island. And the new Protoss encampment. Have the marine transport drop off its troops at the southern resource node. When it returns, have it pickup four marines and four SCV here, and ferry them over. Lieutenant Johnson, I want a base set up there."
"Commander?" This is my foriegn relations officer. "We have
a message from the Praetor himself, sent in from Aiur."
"Put it on screen."
The Praetor is obviously transmitting from a small computer, as his head takes up most of the screen. For some reason he is in battle armour, and there is dirt smudged across his face. "Your message about Daggoth is extremely pertinent. I thank you for sending it. I mig#*)..." Static fills some of the transmission, "so feel free to negotiate with Daggoth's forces, though I obviously do not wish you to share the system." Tanks siege in the background, and the rattling sound of guass fire is heard. "The campaign here on Aiur, goes well." More static, but this just of the visual type. Three wraith squadrons pass overhead the tanks. "Though it is far from over. However, the last major battles have gone our way. No word from Mengsk yet. I believe our wraith wing was to be the core of his new fleet. I still do not know whether I wish him well." Static again. "... and increased Zerg activity on Korprulu border worlds has strained our response squads and weapons production to unheard of limits. Haven is at its most undefended point ever. You must finish your conquest of Ashrigo as quickly as possible, and take what forces you can back. I do not know what will happen should a strike occur, and Aiur demands reinforcments, it cannot deliver them. Press on." The Praetor looks behind himself, then back, but static fills the rest of the transmission.
Silence fills the command center for a few seconds. "Well, lets review those comsat pictures, shall we." Movement resumes, and the staff returns to this world, and stops thinking of events outside of our control. The screen turns to a shot of the Fourrier center base, a few minutes ago.
Hydralisks have defintely left their mark, with a burning command center, and only two missile turrets and a refinery left on the island. An SCV emerges from the command center and immediatly begins repairs. Two Fourrier dropships are arriving when the shot ends.
At that same time, the Protoss base is having more problems. Probes working on the minerals are being shot by raiding Fourrier wraiths, though the gas line is protected by two photon cannons, of four total. The Fourrier wraiths retreat as dragoons positioned on the ridge open fire, having somehow gained detection. One templar also resides in the base.
The foriegn relations officer announces a transmission. "Sir, Nezalis is hailing us."
"Put him on."
"Headquarters has done research on Terran tribes, and sent it to me. We accept your proposal to work together against the Fourrier, should our forces ever find ourselves in such a position."
"The Phoenix Legion would like to reiterate its proposal to share this moon with Protoss forces."
"That will not be possible." Nezalis breaks off the transmission.
The foriegn relations officer leans over. "The Enseldraees Cerebrate has been waiting."
I lift my eyebrow in surprise. "Well, first have the empty, when it returns, load up with Golaiths, and send them just south of the island. Take the science vessles with them. Have our wraiths move north to our established center expansion. Queue up some more science vessels, and start another Starport and Factory. I also want better batteries for the science vessels, and get better armament for all three types of troops. And have any unused SCVs transferred to the south base. Except for four. I want those on permanent repair duty." Various officers nod. "Put it on."
The grotesque and cancerous presence of Enseldraees again makes itself known on my screen. "A prudent move, retreating your invasion forces."
I nod. "Perhaps. I am sure you were happy, in any case."
"Truly? You do not wonder that I do not seek revenge against them?"
"Of course not. You wish to keep yourself alive, after all. You would rather my troops not face yours. What is your wish in this conversation."
"You know that Daggoth and the Legion currently engage in a battle of words larger than our situation can affect."
"Of course."
"Daggoth wishes to negotiate for the sharing of this moon."
"Daggoth can go to hell. Oh wait, you Zerg have already visited. No. The Legion is not fool enough to share such a bounty with Zerg."
"Very well. I am required to make it known that Daggoth is willing to let you retreat with your floating installations and your forces, with reparations given to you for what trash you leave behind."
Enseldraees seems to think it is offering a bounty. "Should your swarms prove victorious, that will be taken. However, I remind you that I am not the one missing half my main."
Gas expulsion, "indeed. In the interest of making sure one of us does take that deal, I suggest an attack on the Fourrier. They have a surprising lack of detection in their valley, and are weak from my recent attack. Should you be able to do anything about their island, a simultaneous attack would be advised."
I nod. "Commendable. The Legion will seige the Fourrier island in approximately one hour, or one thirtieth the time it takes for this moon to rotate around the planet."
"The swarm knows of your time units." With that, the transmission ended.
Sergeant Ummox turns around. "It could be a trap, sir."
He's smart. Nothing is better than knowing what an opponent's forces will be doing, and when. "Yes, but I do not believe the Zerg have the numbers to exploit that trap. And was it not Enseldraees who said, 'Daggoth and the Legion currently engage in a battle of words larger than our situation can effect'? No, I say that Enseldraees has specific orders not to offend us too highly."
Sergeant Ummox still doesn't look happy. Behind me, and officer curses. "An alliance with the Zerg, an unforgivable action. The Legion will lose many officers should such a thing happen."
I turn around. It is Lieutenant Grady, the foriegn relations officer. "Yes Grady, but there will be no allaince with the Zerg. At worst, the Legion will negotiate with Daggoth, most likely about the best ways for their forces to avoid conflict."
Grady looks embarrassed. "You're right sir."
The recon officer breaks the tension. "Protoss scouts sir, behind the western base. Must have an observer with them, they shot up a mine."
"Right. Comsat the area, cloak the wraiths. How many observers?" The scouts move over my mining SCV's in the few precious seconds it takes to spot the observer.
"Just one sir."
"Send in the wraiths, get that observer first. Give me vision from the lead wraith." I wince as scout fire destroys one SCV, and the pilot inside. I wince again as scout missiles shred one wraith, armour cracking all over the fighter. Vision finally transfers. The screen shows a clear window ahead, and several of the sleek scouts use maneuvering jets to turn towards the pilot I am observing. Before they can fire, though I can see the missile points refilling from the scouts' reserves, ten Gemini missiles make themselves known, streaking towards an empty point above the scouts. Only the targeting computers, tied in with the satellite taking the picture, know exactly where the observer is.
Missiles, however, do not need sight, and the blue explosion of the obsever is not masked by the dirtier explosions of the Gemini missiles. The slight whirr of machinery is heard as missiles replace those fired on the wraith's pylons. The eight scouts raiding my expansion retreat, fast enough that the wraiths cannot pursue.
"Wraith One to base, is that scouts' average speed?"
I'm startled. One doesn't hear from front-line units often, once a force of this size has been reached. But I am selected directly on the wraith. "No, it is not, the Protoss must have upgraded their engines."
"Acknowledged."
"Pull yourselves back over the bunkers." I use my own control pad to put the screen back on overhead, icon view. "Have a missile turret built in the back of that base.
"Aye sir."
I shake my head. It would be so much easier facing just one opponent. Sure, my raid on the Zerg was a very successful one, but if the Zerg were all I had to worry about, I could have wasted their reinforcements and finished them. And, of course, diplomacy can be a nightmare.
"Start another Starport." The Protoss seemed to want a fleet. Well, fine, I can do that myself. "Send half of the remaining Golaiths in the base to the ridge by the western expansion." Four battlewalkers head on over.
Looking at the map, I own a considerable proportion. With the exception of this Fourrier engagement, it's time to dig in. The Praetor may want a quick battle, but I am certain he regards victory as even more important.
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The first three chapters of the main story, Phoenix Legion, still reside at www.sclegacy.com/phoenix. When new ones go up, I'll write another installment of Chronicles. So, those of you who check br.com with any regularity can expect that. Otherwise, the Chronicles may slow down again, because I am starting a new, (not StarCraft related) writing project. |
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