One month ago, what had supposed to have been nothing more than a standard recon mission on a Kel-Morian world that had been the source of rebellion against the Kels, making it a prime target for shutting down the Mining focused government, turned into a mess as instead they found themselves in low orbit over some kind of station. Jim ordered a forward base found and established and all their active forces forwards to establish a safe perimeter. Unfortunately, they ran into more trouble than they'd anticipated and the following battle had left them with casualties that they couldn't afford to have suffered.
Now, as the guards rotate out for their shifts in the bunkers and the missile turrets watch the skies for incoming enemy aircraft, the former rebel-turned-Dominion-Officer sits with Matt Horner and Lieutenant Rave Mallard of the Spectres figuring out what to do.
"We still don't know anythin' about where we are or who all those people who were attacking us, since I'm not sure they were all shooting, are." He pops open his flask and takes a sip of what's in it, Rave assumes it to be whiskey.
"I want you, Rave, to gather up a group of Spectres and go out scouting, see what you can see." Matt and Rave both begin objections, though the former is slightly faster, causing the latter to fall silent.
"Sir, I have to protest. We're still getting the majority of the Spectres out of their stupor after the sudden shift of...whatever dropped us here." Rave picks up where Matt left off, picking up on his unspoken signal.
"I agree with Matt, Commander. We should hold them in reserve, wait for real fighting to break out and use them for what they do best. I can go out, see what's what. Maybe see what that smoke in the rain forest is about. Not much reason to risk more of us than you have to." For a moment, it looks like Jim Raynor, the man who'd brought the Queen of Blades back from her infestation and had never backed down from a fight he could win, was going to argue the point, and then sighed.
"Alright, fine. Rave, you go on your own. But I want you checkin' in every ten minutes and if you don't check in for longer than twenty, I'm sending a medivac with Marines and Firebats to find you." Saluting, the Spectre places his helmet back on his head as he leaves Jim's office while he and Matt began to talk logistics and future troop deployments. His rifle and katana sat on his back already, with his knives and pistol in their respective places on his hip and other hidden positions on his body. The claws in the armor worked fine, so when he left the command center, he set off at a jog for the one way out of their mountain base on this node as SCVs harvested minerals and the automated refineries sent the gas to the CC for processing.
Overall, as the Spectre waved at the marines and marauders in the bunkers as he passed between them and then vanished in a blue lattice work of energy as he cloaked, the base could pass for an outpost on some planet in the Koprulu Sector if those in it didn't know better. All Rave could hope was that the Zerg hadn't also been transported here somehow and were on the hunt for new essence to acquire. Xel'Naga knew they'd already seen plenty of it in their brief battle in the first week of arrival.
Siege tank hydraulics could be heard all the way down the path as their cannons watched for foes to try and cross the desert and attack. As the heat hit him, Rave was thankful for the temperature control inside his suit of Hostile Environment Armor, making sure it was set so that he wouldn't sweat to death and pass out in the sands, likely where he'd never be found again. When the first ten minute mark arrived, he radioed in, confirming he was heading for what looked like mesas that would take less time to traverse before hitting the rainforest than the small mountain range.
Here's hoping I don't find something that'll eat me...
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