"Here's one guy who's really improved as of late - at the expense of his girlfriend, his academics, his job, his weight and his haircut."
-|]agomar
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| Phoenix Legion Chronicles: Part X | | | Author: | | | IP: | XXXX | | Date: | 11/13/99 10:11 | | 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: 10, Min: 10
Lifetime Rating for .Praetor: 8.2987 |  | Wow, that was quick. What can I say, I felt the urge this weekend. Phoenix Legion proper still resides at http://www.sclegacy.com/phoenix/. Brigand still resides at http://www.wclegacy.com/brigand/. My war3 analysis can be found at http://www.wclegacy.com/war3/analysis.html (thank you Hannibal). As always, if you haven't read the other chapters of Phoenix Legion Chronicles, search for praetor and read them first. And if you haven't been to the site over the weekend, you may have missed installment IX, which isn't even rated yet =).
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I continue to stare at Major Renault, who is telling me defenses just outside my main base are being destroyed without resistance. "Are they out of ammo? No one has a reason to mutiny..." My voice trails off after that last thought. There have been only two mutinies in all of Phoenix Legion's history, and only one since we've been called the Phoenix Legion.
Renault looks as worried as I feel, "the turret self-diagnostic states that the targeting program is mal-functioning, and it is mission the missile ejection system."
"Missing it? Not a problem with the ejection system?" This just gets weirder and weirder.
"That's right sir." Renault looks over his pad again. By the quickness of the check, I'm sure he has read over the information several times.
"How could the private building the tur... an SCV can't forget a component. The self-diagnostics would catch the missing part as soon as power came online."
"Exactly, sir. One way or another, the turret is a total loss. But it gets worse. I got reports from all the marines. Apparently, they can't see the Protoss fleet because of, and I quote, 'too much damn glare.'"
I jump up and walk over to Renault's work station. The reports are on the screen in front of me. "Glare from WHAT? They have thermal and positional sensors. AND THERE IS NO DAMN SUN ANYWAY!"
"Yes, sir." Renault talks quietly after my minor tirade. He gulps before continuing, "And they report problems with their guns too." Renault points to the transcript from each marine as he reads them, "Private Schurr reports 'uhh, command? You're not gonna believe this, but I can't find my trigger.' Bentola says, 'my firing pin is freakin' gone! I can't believe you gave me a gun without a freaking firing pin!' Maremed claims his gun is jammed, and Uva, her excuse is the worst, 'like, sorry major, I kinda like those Proties. Don't want to shoot at them.'"
Trying to take this all in, I realize I need more information. "I want them up here for interrogation. Order them to come back to the command center."
"Sir, sorry, it's... too late for that." Renault avoids looking me in the eye.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Between the marines and I, the underworld's population of undesirable objects is rising quickly. "Keep fortifying major. Not all of our defenses can be nullified." I leave the last part, I hope, off. "We have a science vessel ready in the main base. Get it near the Protoss fleet, I need answers. And get that command center out of the valley. We don't need to lose those people too."
Renault looks like the doesn't want to interrupt, but he does, "sir, the Protoss fleet is attacking with two carriers and scouts. One presumes those little fighters also there can hit air. Attempting to retreat will only hasten their deaths." Renault doesn't have to tell me we need to buy time.
"You're right," I manage to keep myself from adding another dammit, "don't lift off the command center, but get that science vessel in the area. And make sure it backs up it's data with all working command centers." I know I'm missing something, there is an itch in the back of my mind. I go back over our conversation mentally. Two carriers and scouts... "Major Torino!" My call from the other side of the operations center surprises the major, who turns around with a surprised look on your face.
"Yes, sir?" The thought is entirely out of place, but I suddenly notice how attractive the tall major is. Blinking, I shove the thought out of my mind.
"Uh.. the wraiths are needed elsewhere. Have them move..." I turn and grab Renault's laser pointer, I had left mine by my chair, "...here. Just north and to the east of the center island." I illuminate the area on the situation map with a small blue dot. The use of red laser pointers, while cheaper, has been discontinued in most military forces, because of the color of the beam that aims a nuclear missile, ever since modern technology developed other colored lasers that do not harm eye sight.
I hand the pointer back to Renault, and walk back to my chair in the center of the room. "Ummox! Heads up, six carriers are headed your way. They could strike the center island or your attack force. What are you going to do about it."
Ummox had noticed the departure of the carriers before I did, so he already has a plan. "If they hit the middle, let them engage the turrets and bring the golaiths back via transport. The wraiths will circle around and hit the carriers from behind. If they go north, engage with the golaiths and battlecruisers and hit them from behind with wraiths again."
I nod and look at the Northern theater of operations. "Move the tanks, so they don't get in the way of maneuvering golaiths." Ummox nods. He also moves the battlecruisers closer to the ridge. Between them, the tanks and the cruisers have the last pylon cracked, and the shields of the Nexus damaged. I look at the cracked pylon. Humans with EIS, or Elevated Intuitive Senses, report seeing blue flame or gaseous substances, they don't know which, escaping from the cracks in damaged pylons and other Protoss buildings.
Thinking about burning buildings reminds me that my own position is not what I'd call secure. I direct the main screen back to main base and nearby valley. The Protoss forces have concentrated their fire on the command center stationed in the valley, ignoring the refinery, comsat statin, and the bunker and turret watching over the entrance to my dual bases. The loyal workers in SCV's have already been evacuated. Major Renault has ordered the construction of sporadically spaced towers as well as four bunkers. I frown thinking about the defense. "Major Renault, wouldn't concentrated towers be more effective?"
"Not necessarily sir. I'm counting on using the four golaiths and eight marines we have as the core defense. The towers are to keep the scouts at bay until we can down those two da... carriers. Besides... excuse me sir, the science vessel's report is in."
I wait, annoyed as Major Renault listens to the report silently. Examining the map idly as I try not to speculate, I notice the science vessel is being repaired. I also order two siege tanks placed behind the command center to enter siege mode. No reason they should be out of position just because the main threat is currently in the air.
Finally, Major Renault speaks up, "I think you should listen to all of this sir." I nod, and Renault puts the recording on.
The disembodied voice of the captain of the explorer vessel is played over the speakers, "I was unable to precisely determine what the source of disruption to our missile turret and bunker. However, when I scanned the area, there was indeed a residual trace of distinctly Protoss energies. Specifically an type of energy unknown to us. I would hesitantly say it has both mechanical and psionic properties, but I cannot be certain. Additionally, you can be assured the small fighters do have the capacity to engage flying units. My scarred hull can attest to this fact. Thus assured they are fighting units, and considering their lack of engaging ground targets and our current lack of air-borne opposition to the Protoss, I would conclude the field is generated from this source. That conclusion is, of course, supposition." Major Renault cuts the voice off there.
"Well," I say, pausing.
Major Renault takes the opprotunity to interrupt me. "The command center in the valley is gone. The Protoss are advancing their attack."
Ummox cuts in, stating quietly, "on both fronts."
I think for a bit, again experiencing that awful emotion when a commander knows something big is happening, but really can't do anything directly to influence events. "Where are they hitting Ummox?"
Ummox's reply is slightly delayed, and short, he is obviously busy, "North. I'm handling it."
I wait until he looks somewhat less busy. "Then you won't need the transports. When you aren't busy send them down to the main base." It takes a few seconds for the implication of a possible evacuation for the command staff to sink in. Ummox and some of the more inexperienced officers look a little but more worried. The operations center always seems like a safe place. Those with more experience, like Majors Renault and Torino, look a bit less worried, knowing they aren't invulnerable.
Putting off watching the decisive battles when I can't do anything about them, I check over at Major Torino's Eastern theater. She has moved her tanks from siege positions on the ridge just north of the Zerg valley's vespene geyser, to a position overlooking the accessible slope down into the valley from the ridge, taking the marines she has with here. Six marines are spaced along the ridge, keeping an eye for any aerial movements. Mines watch over the mineral node in eastern part of the area's main depression, as well as the land exit from the Fourrier base. Pressing a few buttons on my chair, and tapping the small situation map on my chair display, I order a satellite sweep of the Fourrier valley and main base. I can't see everything, but there aren't many troops. Mainly some bunkers and siege tanks. Most notable is a lone silo in the main base, and a command center floating towards the Fourrier valley, which had been previously attacked by the Zerg a few hours ago.
Knowing the Fourrier are currently too weak to launch a major operation, I tell Major Torino to keep an eye on the Zerg and not engage in any attacks. Suddenly hungry, I walk across the operations center to a supply cabinet, and pull out a nutrition bar and a cup of coffee. Having enough excess staff to keep the command center's kitchen running is now but a pleasant memory.
Going back to my chair, I force myself to pay attention, and analyze the situation with Ummox's forces in the far north, taking the first bite out of my nutrition bar. The situation looks about as good as the bar tastes. The seven carriers, the group must have been reinforced from the Protoss base, have already destroyed one golaith, leaving four on the field. These four have at least managed to maneuver themselves within range of the lead carrier, but two still have minor damage from the earlier battle with recalled troops. The first volley from the golaiths hits the lead carrier in a massive barrage of eight missiles, knocking its sheilds below fifty percent. In retaliation, however, the inteceptors suddenly organize themselves out of seeming chaos into a several-pointed star formation, all descending on one of the damaged golaiths, leaving only small pieces from the mechanical walker.
I don't count the battle lost yet, however, as I know something the Protoss don't. Checking on the map, I eye my eleven wraiths attacking at top speed from the south. A better pincer maneuver would have been preferred, but getting the fighters into the battle is top priority.
Quickly, I switch the main screen to the battle for the main Phoenix Legion base. Some one instructed the display computer to show the new energy field as a silver shading, the bright lines looking quite out of place. I ignore the garish look. Plenty of time after the battle for someone to make the representation more pleasing. Two erratic rows of missile turrets stand against the invaders. The center of the front row is covered by five of the unknown fields, covering four missile turrets and the two new frontal bunkers. As the bunkers come under attack by scouts and interceptors, the marines exit quickly, and run back to a second set of bunkers embedded in the rear line of turrets. Seven of the eight soldiers make it. Wondering about the golaiths, I see Renault is moving them throught the turret lines in the far West, as far from the rest of the battle area as possible. This is good, putting them in a position to surprise the two remaining carriers in the fleet.
Not willing to wait for the golaiths to get into position, I switch the main screen back to the battle in the north. The golaiths have already destroyed the lead carrier. It's battered hulk is falling into the lava moat between the ridge and the Protoss main base. Seven interceptors, presumably belonging to the carrier, also fall from the sky, spread over a large area. A second carrier soon falls as well, the wraiths' second volley largely following it's first, carving a jagged hole deep enough into the carrier to disable it, the majority of the carrier's surface looking oddly polished. The wraiths are already moving around the hulk as it starts to sink rapidly, its drive mechanism failing. The two remaining golaith pilots must feel as if a deity has intervened on their behalf, for the remaining five carriers turn their attention directly on the wraith fighters.
Surprisingly, it takes some time for the interceptors to reorganize themselves, but once they do, two wraiths are picked apart by rapid fire quickly. The wraiths have gotten off two volleys though, and one carrier's sides are pitted with blackened areas. Half of the wraiths move on, leaving the others to finish the severly wounded Protoss ship. The golaiths have moved into position again, and the carriers still sustain damage from both sides, another carrier having lost its shields from the mechanical walkers. I hit my left hand with my right in a silent cheer as the Legion battlecruisers enter the scene. The Protoss aren't the only race with capitol ships! The powerful frontal lasers of the battlecruisers have less range than a carrier's inteceptors, but they sure pack a punch.
Having watched the entire battle, I can still hardly believe my eyes when the carriers start to retreat, interceptors still engaging. It is a rare sight indeed to see a Protoss fleet, no matter how small, in retreat. The wraiths' second kill hits the ridge, creating a huge plume of volcanic dust through which the wraiths, guided by precison instruments pursue the carriers. Two last orange-black blasts from the battlecruisers, the small amounts of black from burning carbon created from burning matter in the air, and four missiles from the golaiths down the carrier they were attacking, before the golaiths and battlecruisers have to chase the fleet, which has moved out of range. A second hull falls towards the boiling lava, where the first carrier destroyed is eerily illuminated, just the light frontal portion of the carrier sticking out of the molten rock.
Another missile volley from the reformed wraiths decimates the shields of one of the three remaining carriers. The Protoss, however, see fit to remind me that in war, even victory has a bitter taste. A templar is suddenly illuminated by blue lightning suddenly striking in front of him. In fact, it strikes over my wraiths. The destructive energy overloads one fighter, which explodes in mid-air. The others escape, but each blast from an interceptor seems to do incredible damage to the scarred armour of the remaining wing of wraiths. Ummox only manages to save two, which head back to the battlecruisers, golaiths, and SCV's. The golaiths cannot pursue the carriers or the templar due to two of the dead carriers. One blocks off much of the ridge, and the falling hull of another took the rest of the passageway into the lava with it. The two carriers and the templar keep moving back to the Protoss main base, one of the carriers severly damaged. "Have an SCV keep watch over the area Ummox, and move your forces east. Contain the Fourrier, and discuss with Torino the possiblity of destroying the refinery in their valley."
I turn the main screen back to the main base, where the Protoss have made alarming progress. I think of my earlier thought about seeing a Protoss fleet in retreat. The carriers aren't the whole fleet. "Ummox, head for the ridge outide the Protoss valley instead. I want it under siege. Be careful, and take the vultures if you need them." I feel guilty giving him the order. I am well aware he may not have the forces needed to siege the Protoss, let alone approach the base. I rewind the main screen, and play the action forward quickly, making up for the time I spent observing the battle in the Northern theater. The golaiths had surprised the carriers, destroying one and all but removing the shields from the other. Another energy field nullified them, and the scouts moved in. Two of the brave pilots were killed before the golaiths could retreat behind unaffected turrets. Almost the entire front row of turrets has been decimated by the alien fleet, and the forward bunkers are gone. Surprisingly, just thus much action brings me to the current battle.
The carrier, well within range of the scouts, is slowly removing an unaffected missile turret slightly east of the bunkers. The second row has been doing its job, and I only count five interceptors. Two of the small fighters move forward, and then stop, just out of bunker range. The display shows two more shaded areas, disabling the rear bunkers and two more turrets. The scouts, extremely powerful fighters despite their name, move forward and attack the bunkers. Both begin to burn.
Major Renault pounds his fist several times on his station just as I wonder how much of this energy field the small fighters can generate. Growling, Renault issues some new orders. I watch the main screen as, seconds later, the marines leave their bunkers and start to run through the energy field. The golaiths also leave their protected positions behind the second wall of turrets just west of the bunkers, and head for the scouts. The marine is... disintegrated the massed fire of the scouts, probably surprised by the movement. Undeterred, the other marines keep running through the energy field, and the scouts turn their attention to the golaiths, who had not needed to take much time to close within range. My heart jumps as the golaiths do manage to fire missiles, and the marines finally exit the field, also firing on the scout group.
The first volley of explosive cannons shells reduces one of the golaiths to minimal structural integrity. A bitter smile covers my face as a defensive matrix forms around the golaith just as the second volley impacts the battle-walker. The smile disappears as the scouts dart forward, flying over the golaiths, and destroy the only science vessel in my base in a single massive missile volley. I push my face through my hands and grab the back of my neck, tensely watching the battle continue. The Legion fire has taken its toll on the scouts, and suddenly two explode almost simultaneously. I consider reminding Renault about the benefits of concentrated fire, but the frown on his face indicates that he has had the same though, or is too busy to rectify the situation. My decision proves wise, as a third scout explodes due to combined gauss and missile fire.
My over-active imagination is beginning to see a rout when the scouts regroup and destroy the golaith without a matrix. Wheeling, the turn on the marines, killing the brave Legionaries one by one. Four of the scouts are still in the sky when the defensive matrix around the damage golaith finally destablizes, and the valiant pilot is killed.
The scouts begin to remove the second line of turrets, which is far more sparse than the first. The carrier works in the east of my base, having finished the first line. The small fighters still hover menacingly. One of the four scouts is destroyed, surprising me. The unknown fighters must be out of energy or something. I breath a sigh of relief at the brief reprieve. The Protoss continue their assualt, however.
I'm frowning at the resource totals, wondering where all the minerals went. I suddenly realize that only the gas intensive nodes on the island in the middle of the depression and in the south of the depresion are being mined at the moment. I order the construction of two more science vessels, even while wondering how they are going to stop actual fighters. My rational half tells me they will increase the efficiency of my troops, of which I still have several in the field.
Major Torino interrupts my argument with myself, "the Zerg are moving! Two marines have spotted and engaged six, no, eight overlords leavin the Zerg base. They're moving West, towards the southern base!
I quickly move the main screen to the area around the scouting marines. The Zerg mass is ignoring them, the pot shots from two gauss rifles doing no effective damage. Eight overlords, all heading along my southern front.
What am I going to do if they are all full?
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I love comments as always =). For my stuff on WCLegacy, if you find it interesting, you can comment in the WCL forums. Or here, frankly, I love 'em any way you get the comments to me.
Apologies for any errors (especially spelling), I'm still using WordPad. Also, for this chapter and the last, remember, the Phoenix Legion has no Charon Boosters. |
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