The End War - A Starcraft Commander Quest

[Halt]

What this is?

This is a quest set in the Starcraft universe, approximately at the start of Amon's End War. You will take the role of an OC allied commander and join the fight against him.

Quest features:

1) This is a narrative-based quest. Numbers, dice-rolls, stat sheets and the like play a very limited role. You will be presented with problems, and choices. Solving them will require picking up on clues presented within the narrative.

2) While this is heavily inspired by co-op mode in starcraft, it will not always follow it strictly as that's a game, which does not always translate well into a story.

3) Playing in character is far more important than trying to min-max. There will be a stress system (such as in CK3) which punishes very OOC choices. It is, however, possible to change your character's traits (by consistently choosing OOC choices), just keep in mind you're likely to get a negative trait to balance out the one you changed.

4) This is an AU. While the broad strokes of Starcraft 2 remain more or less correct, there will be points where we deviate to make for a better story.

5) The start of this quest was ported over from FictionLive. However, from this point on whatever votes you do make are considered a separate route from what's on the other site. Only votes in SV count for this quest iteration.

FAQ:

1) How are battle going to be fought in this?

At decisive points, you get to make tactical / strategic choices (write-ins usually allowed, the choices I offer tend to be broad "themes" of how to approach a fight). The combination of choices you pick decides the outcome of skirmishes, and you're judged on certain hidden factors (is the mission on a timer? Is it a defensive mission? Did you focus on eco early on?) Think of it like a sequential and concurrent puzzle game in novel form, basically.

Sometimes there may be optimal choices. Sometimes, there are no good choices. But every choice matters, and can even affect outcomes several votes down the line.

 

[Halt]

Rank: Commander Ward of the Blood Hawks
Specialty: Starport Specialist (SS) - Victory begins in the skies! Combines the mobility of lighter aircraft with powerful and expensive capital ships.

Stress: 35/300 (For more information on Stress, Traits, and Doctrine, see the relevant Threadmark under Informational).
Gains a negative trait (or furthers a negative trait) at intervals of 100 Stress. At 300 Stress, Bad Things Happen.

Traits:

• Strike First, Strike Fast, No Mercy - Ward has a noted predilection towards aggressive tactics on the battlefield. Gains more stress the longer he delays and builds up.

Doctrine:

• SS+ Starports no longer have tech requirements and do not cost gas. Armories require Starports instead of Factories.
• SS+ Expanded arsenal of aircraft available to include Dominion prototypes.
• SS- Ground arsenal is severely limited.

Arsenal:
(T) = Requires Techlab
(A) = Requires Armory
(F) = Requires Fusion Core
* = Not Available
T1 = Tier 1 Unit. Resource Cost 1. Build Time 1.
T2 = Tier 2 Unit. Resource Cost 2. Build Time 1.
T3 = Tier 3 Unit. Resource Cost 3. Build Time 2.
T4 = Tier 4 Unit. Resource Cost 4. Build Time 3.

Ground

• T1 Marines
• T1 Marauders
• T1 Hellions / Hellbats
• T1 Widow Mines
• T2 Vikings

Air

• T2 Wraiths - Light aircraft armed with anti-air Gemini missile and anti-ground burst lasers. Cloaking field makes this an ideal unit for reconnaissance.
• T2 Vikings - Modular vechile capable of shifting from an anti-ground walker to an anti-air light aircraft. Can be produced from factories.
• T2 Medivacs - Standard Dominion transport and biological healing vessel.
• T2 Banshees - Light aircraft armed with rockets designed to clear out anything from marines to siege tanks.
  
  
• T3 Liberators (A) - Air-superiority fighter capable of transforming into a stationary area-denial emplacement. Powerful lasers capable lasting structural damage.
• T3 Ravens (T) - Defensive support vessel capable of air-to-air repair, detecting cloaked units, and deploying defensive drones.
• T3 Corvettes (T)(A) - Offensive support vessel armed with anti-armor missiles, minesweeping lasers, and forward turrets. Armed with rapid-fire lasers useful for shooting down small and fast drones.
  
  
• T4 Battlecruiser (T)(F) - Standard capital ship of the Terran Dominion. Can be individually upgraded to deploy marines and marauders on the field, armed with additional laser systems, or deploy a shield generator.
• T4 *Strikecraft Carrier (T)(F) - Next generation capital ship emulating the fierce Golden Armada carriers, though modified for greater anti-ground capabilities. Can be upgraded to produce hellions and widow mines on the field.
• T4 *Gorgon (T)(F) - Next generation prototype battlecruiser designed to be the new flagship of the Dominion Fleet. Can be upgraded to produce light aircraft on the field. (Can only build 3)

Tech Tree

• Command Ship
• Refinery
• Supply Depot
• Barracks
  • Factory
  • Bunkers
  • Missile Turrets
• Starport
  • *Orbital Platform (Command Ship Upgrade)
  • Tech Lab
  • Armory
    • Fusion Core

Calldowns <WIP>

• *Orbital Bombardment - Unleashes the full might of a Dominion Fleet.
• *Planetary Scan - Order the fleet in orbit to continuously monitor an area (provides detection).
• *Fleet In Being - A Dominion Fleet need not engage in combat to deny the enemy air and space.
• *Per ardua ad astra - Through struggle to the stars.

Upgrades <WIP>

 

[Halt]

The shrill ringing of warning bells juxtaposed with the ever-calm voice of Ward's Adjutant.

"This is Colonel Cyrus Peyton broadcasting to any and all friendlies. Korhal is under attack! I repeat, Korhal is under attack! Requesting immediate reinforcements and evac for the civilians!"

"Commander," Adjutant said, "multiple sectors are sending out distress signals."

"So I've heard," Ward said, furrowing his brows as he watched a string of distress calls the Circe's systems were receiving. It seem the whole of the Korpulu Sector was under attack. "Korhal? Who'd be crazy enough to attack that rock?"

It was Emperor Mengsk's homeworld, and since his ascension, he'd poured billions of tons of minerals fortifying the formerly desolate world. Its defense budget had only increased after the zerg attack during the Brood War, and more recently, the Queen of Blade's attack which ended with Emperor Mengsk's abdication and imprisonment.

Now his son Valerian ruled, and according to the rumors, he hadn't forgotten how many millions had died for his father's complacency.

Who's attacking though? he thought. The planet wasn't anywhere near the usual front lines with the zerg, and tensions with the protoss were at an all time low, mostly because their formidable Golden Armada was too busy with the Reclamation of Aiur.

More to the point, how had they managed to get planet side in such large numbers without anyone noticing. It would have taken a protoss mothership to do so, and surely they'd have noticed a giant golden triangle hovering in their atmosphere.

"The aggressors appear to be terrans," Adjutant said.

He could feel his veins freeze over. "Terrans?"

"The hostiles appear to be Moebius Corps, and rebellious elements within the Dominion military," Adjutant said.

Ward's brow rose up a notch. "A bunch of bodyguards and rebels are behind this?"

Moebius didn't exactly have a stellar military record or the numbers to wage this kind of war. They were a bunch of fodder in case something went wrong with whatever godforsaken science experiments caught the higher-ups fancies, and more than one time they had to be bailed out by proper soldiers. Hell, Raynor even saved their collective asses once.

As for rebels within the Dominion, the Emperor's ghosts should have seen to that. The number of officers who would be summarily replaced and disappeared was a testament to their effectiveness.

"Affirmative. Reports are, however, preliminary," Adjutant replied. "We're also receiving word that the atmospheric stabilizers of the Sky Shield orbital defense platform above Korhal have been sabotaged. It has begun plummeting towards the surface."

Ward cursed under his breath. That thing was large enough to wipe out the capital city of Augustgrad, even after a good chunk of it burned out upon entry.

"Put up a map of the installation on my screen," Ward said.

"Affirmative."

"We've identified friendly forces holding out on one of the platforms, which would make an ideal landing zone for our own personnel. Alternatively, you may choose another location to begin with and link up with allied forces later on," Adjutant said.

"Do we have any idea who's there?" Ward asked.

"It appears to be a special operative. Accessing these records are above your clearance."

Ward sighed. Even in a crisis, bureaucracy remained a giant pain in the ass. "Assemble the troops. We're moving in immediately." And after that platform was stabilized, they'd have to see to the pandemonium down below.

"Displaying available troops," Adjutant said.

Vote: Landing Zone

[X] Land in the recommended zone ("Start" on map)
[X] Assault hostile base marked "B1" on map
[X] Assault hostile base marked "B2" on map
[X] Write In

Vote: Commander Type
[X] Barracks specialist - The backbone of any army. We will win, because we have the best men, not cheap criminal conscripts on death row.
[X] Elite composition - Above average in all aspects, but with a large price tag to match. Quality ain't cheap folks.
[X] Vehicle specialist - Slow, but reliable. From the siege tanks to the massive Thors, your machines of war do the heavy-lifting
[X] A generalist composition - No particular strengths or weaknesses, you're as vanilla as white bread.
[X] Starport specialist - Victory begins in the skies! Mobile and powerful, but expensive.
[X] The Mengsk Model - A lot of fodder with a solid core of professional troops to back it up
[X] Write In

 

[Halt]

Under the reforms of Emperor Valerian, the battered Dominion fleets had been placed under the overall command of the newly appointed Admiral of the Fleet and former rebel, Matthew Horner. In practice, not a lot changed for Ward. He remained a respected sub-commander over Alpha Squadron and held command over its formidable spacefaring elements.

Those who remembered the days of the Confederacy still knew them by their old name: the Blood Hawks.

"it seems Moebius Corps has forgotten why we're called that," Ward said, standing on the deck of his flagship, behemoth-class battlecruiser Circe. Through the thick glass that separated the the heat of the bridge from the cold void of space, he surveyed the dark red hues of the enemy fleet arrayed against him.

"Are we sure they're hostile?" asked his second, Commodore Isabelle Knox, the proud white stripes of their insignia displayed on her uniform.

"When they start shooting, we'll be sure," Ward said.

"We've the numbers to beat them in a straight up fight, but they might still delay us long enough to scuttle Sky Shield," Knox said.

"Then we send a force in advance to take back the platform while our fleet engages theirs," Ward answered. "Once Sky Shield is back in our hands, we can use its ions guns against the enemy fleet and force them to fall back or fall apart. It doesn't matter to me which they choose." After a moment's pause, he added, "I'll be taking personal command of the expeditionary force."

Knox's brow shot up. "But sir, you're the commander of this fleet. Your place is here."

"My place is where I'm needed," Ward said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I have faith you'll be able to bloody our enemies without my oversight, but someone needs to go down there and ensure it isn't all for naught."

"We might not be able to support your operations once you land," Knox said.

"I'm aware of the risks," Ward said. "First in!"

"Last out!" Knox finished.

"You have the bridge, Commodore."

The battle began as it always did, with a messy splatter of Yamato plasma blasts on the black canvas of space. Rings of escort ships surged ahead; wraiths and vikings trading lasers and missiles with hostile fighters while the larger battlecruisers traded volleys with each other. Support corvettes and ravens weaved in and out of the battle lines, unleashing anti-armor missiles or sending out repair drones as the capital ships grinded each other down.

The expeditionary force launched from the Circe's hangars, a respectable mix of banshees, vikings, and whatever ground escorts they could scrounge up. They skirted the battle lines, going the long way around, but were largely unimpeded on their approach towards Sky Shield.

"Preparing bombing run," a banshee pilot said over the communicator.

Ward could see a projection of the waiting forces on the platform they'd chosen. It was severely lacking in anti-air, having a single missile turret and a pair of ghosts.

They were wiped out easily by a barrage from the banshees.

"Landing zone secured," Adjutant said. "Dropping ground escorts."

That went as well as could be expected. From the central location of Platform 1, the banshees would have a decent operational range, although a base facility would need to be set up to continue operating.

While waiting for the SCVs to finish, there were a number of options available to the forces at hand, or perhaps it would be best to double down on setting up the base to allow for even greater logistical capabilities later on?

[X] Make contact with friendlies to the southwest
[X] Scouting run on the surrounding platforms
[X] Repair and study the first atmospheric stabilizer
[X] Focus on expanding base facilities

 

[Halt]

Victory began in the skies. It was a maxim as old as planes, for who hadn't dreamed of sailing the stars and skies as child?

Yet, there was always a need for boots on the ground. That much did not escape Ward, and that he did not have much of. It'd never been a particularly pressing issue until now. According to the Adjutant, there were friendlies present to the southwest-a special operative of some sort. He hadn't seen anything on his way down, which suggested they were on the ground and exactly what he needed to shore up his own compositions' weakness.

Plus it'd be a terrible waste of ammunition if they started shooting each other over a lack of communication. They had more than enough enemies as it was to shoot at.

Ward left some instructions to his staff over how the base ought to be setup, but for the most part left it in their hands. They were all professionals who'd been with him for decades; they knew how he liked his eggs scrambled.

"Ten-hut!" bellowed a sergeant by the markings on his chest.

"Sergeant Blackwell," the Adjutant helpfully provided through his earpiece. "Recently promoted for valorous actions during the Assault of Korhal."

Ward returned the salutes he received from his designated escorts. One of them held a dominion flag up high, hopefully to signal their intentions to would-be allies.

"Sergeant Blackwell, is it?" Ward asked as they strapped themselves into the medivac. "I hear you were promoted for Korhal."

"Sir, yes sir," replied Blackwell over the engines screams, allowing the spacecraft to achieve vertical lift. Their ship was sandwiched between a pair of vikings, while a cloaked banshee went ahead to scout the area and provide air support if things went sideways. "We helped Emperor Valerian evacuate civilians during the siege."

"Well deserved then." Ward nodded. He had some detachments stationed in the capital at the time, though his primary fleet was busy patrolling the frontier to participate in the battle which ousted the former Emperor. It had surprised everyone when the Queen of Blades hadn't killed him, though some suspected she'd just been sloppy. Arcturus Mengsk had been stuck in the Imperial Medward for weeks after the incident, and by the time he got out, Valerian's "coup" was over with.

Bullshit is what it was. People forgot or perhaps didn't know that Kerrigan had been a ghost once upon a time, one of the best of the Confederate spooks. They didn't make mistakes like that.

The most logical explanation was that Kerrigan and Valerian had made some sort of deal to remove Mengsk from power. The old Emperor had it coming really, and had become deeply unpopular after Arcturus' role in the Tarsonis affair was revealed. Ward shuddered. It'd taken weeks to quash the rioters on Korhal. He didn't sleep well at all that month, kept awake by dread and fear of orders that never came.

The medivac began to descend. It was a short enough trip if they'd gone on foot, and the only reason they'd used a medivac was over his staffers' fears of the worst case scenario. They worried too much, but then again, that's what they were paid to do.

The vikings too began to drop, parts shifting this way and that until they turned into a bipedal walkers. Then, the ramp opened and half the marines streamed out to check for active threats.

"We've gotten the all clear, sir," Blackwell said, cocking his rifle. "The local commander is here to meet with us."

Ward nodded, put on his officer's cap, and headed outside, flanked by his bodyguards. The commander was not what he expected.

She had blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, and wore a skinsuit that definitely wasn't standard issue for the Dominion, but one Ward had seen before. She's a ghost, he thought, body clenching up. "I'm Commander Ward of Alpha Squadron, responding to a distress call from Korhal."

She stared into Ward's eyes for a long while, before nodding. "The name's Nova." She kept her rifle pointed towards the ground and had her free hand on her hip. "Glad to see some reinforcements."

"Glad to see someone's still fighting," Ward replied. "As the senior ranking officer on the field, I'll be relieving you of command."

Nova arched a brow at him. "You must be confused. I don't fall under your command, you fall under mine. The Emperor's tasked me with securing this platform."

"Ghosts don't command," Ward said, frowning. It was against practice and good sense to let the Emperor's assassins boss around the army. There was an important balancing act between the senior officers and the ghosts to ensure neither branch of the military could pull off a coup against the Emperor.

"This ghost does."

Ward took a moment to consider the state of her men. They looked bruised, but in good shape considering how outnumbered and cut off they must have been. Special forces? It was a serious possibility. The chain of command dictated that he ought to have precedence, but if, if the Emperor had given an order, that could trump his status. Unfortunately, there was no way of reaching the Emperor at the moment, nor would he take this kind of interruption kindly.

[X] Insist on the Chain of Command
[X] Put yourself under Nova's command
[X] A compromise: Joint Commanders and Allies

"What's the situation here?" Ward asked.

She pushed a few buttons on her suit and projected a map for reference. "This is where we are now," she said, pointing to the south-central platform with a slender finger. "Sections one to five---" each area lit up in sequence, "are where the atmospheric stabilizers are located. We'll need to secure all of them before we crash and burn."

"Section one is that way?" Ward asked, pointing to where they'd landed. At Nova's nod, he continued, "In that case, it's already been secured. My men are establishing a base there as we speak."

"Efficient of you," Nova said. "Moebius Corp has two bases in the area they're operating out of, to the northwest and northeast. Intel suggests they're holding some of our scientists prisoners there. We'll need to wipe those out to make sure they can't cause further trouble after we've gotten things in order. Finally, we've got EMP scramblers in sections six, seven, and eight," she said, wincing. "They've done a number on my suits, and seems to disrupt cloaking tech. I'm not sure how they'd interact with your gear, but I'd advise caution moving through those zones."

"Taking them out would make our lives easier," Ward said, "but probably not the priority."

"Agreed," Nova said. "How many men do you have with you?"

"A few squads of marines," Ward said. "I've mostly got airpower with me. Vikings, banshees, wraiths, a few liberators and medivacs. The rest of my fleet is fighting for control over the surrounding space, so I wouldn't rely on them to provide us further support. How much time do we have left?"

"Not a whole lot," Nova said. "An hour tops, though any stabilizers we secure should buy us a bit more time."

Ward nodded. "A lot of ground to cover for an hour. Might be better for us to split up."

She considered the idea, seeming to reach the conclusion that it would let them sidestep the chain of command issue for the moment. "I'm fine with it, but are you sure? We're going into this outnumbered."

Questions of command aside, what that relationship translates to on the field will need some... clarity.

[X] Joint Operations - Combining your forces would make it stronger, but would also require both to agree on any plan. Delays could be deadly, but the potential for synergy was well worth the risk.
[X] Individual Operations - Keep your forces separate. This means two independent forces acting in cohesion, which could mean clearing out Sky Shield faster, or getting picked apart.
[X] Intermixed Forces - Ward has plenty of skypower. Nova's got boots on the ground. Mixing up compositions would allow for greater flexibility and allow each to to hold their own command.

A plan would also be needed.

[X] Death from Above - Use Ward's air superiority and central position to launch strafing runs on enemy positions
[X] Clear and Hold - concentrate forces in clearing out each platform and holding it against enemy counterattacks
[X] The Blitz - Clear out each platform, but there's no need to hold all of it. Just the objectives would be enough.
[X] Write-In

Would you be willing to share when we'll be able to start going for these sorts of upgrades, or is it too early for that?

Click to shrink...

At the earliest, when the Sky Shield Mission finishes, but it also depends on what routes you take.

 

[Halt]

"We should gather some intel first," Nova said. "Before you arrived, I was about to interrogate a prisoner."

"Lead the way," Ward said, ever the gentleman. If he enjoyed walking behind her a bit more than professionally appropriate, he didn't let it show.

What she led him to made him pause though. "A ghost?" Keeping one of the spooks prisoner was always a risky proposition, and trying to get useful intel out of them even more so. Being forced through what was essentially a child soldier indoctrination program that would make the Spartans proud had that effect. Ward didn't doubt Nova would've chosen death over defection if she was ever given the choice. "We don't exactly have the time to get anything useful out of him," Ward said. And by the time he offered anything useful, the situation was likely over.

Nova seemed to find the thought amusing. "Trust me, getting him to talk won't be a problem," she said.

It can't hurt to try, Ward thought. They were already here after all. Their intel was shockingly low at the moment, and they were going into the platforms practically blind. "If it looks like we're getting nowhere, I'm leaving."

"I'm a ten," Nova said.

Ward blinked. "What?" He couldn't deny she was a looker, but what did that have to do with anything?

"On the Psi Index, the standard Dominion measurement for psionic abilities," Nova explained, rolling her eyes at him. They entered the barracks cell where the ghost had been chained up.

"Ah, there are two of you now," the ghost said.

"Making yourself comfortable?" Nova asked with a sickly sweet smile. Without so much as blinking, her hand enveloped his finger and broke it with a firm squeeze.

The man didn't even flinch. He just smiled right back at her. "You're supposed to ask a question first."

"Why would I do that?" There was another sickening crunch of bone beneath her grip. "Oops." A third finger went before the ghost even tried to pull his hand away from Nova, but her grip was ironclad. "Maybe I just enjoy inflicting pain."

Good cop, bad cop, Ward realized. She was too much of a professional to enjoy torturing someone. This was just business to her. "Nova, that's enough," Ward said.

She pouted, backing off with a wink.

The prisoner cradled his hand. "So you're in charge here?" he asked.

"Let's start with a name. I assume you have one?" Ward asked.

"Call me Hermes," the man said.

"Like the deity?" Ward asked. At the man's nod, Ward continued. "Alright, Hermes, what can you tell us about your friends on the other platforms."

"Now why would I do that?" Hermes asked.

Ward frowned. "Nova, if you would?"

"Here, I'll save you the trouble." Hermes laughed, wiggling his twisted hand, and smiling all the while, broke his last two fingers with a psionic blast that seemed to leave him drained. He paid his mangled mess of flesh, blood, and bone no mind.

That's not normal, Ward thought. Even for a ghost, that wasn't normal.

Hermes glanced at Ward, then at Nova, still smiling. "Are you mortals finally catching on?"

Nova gasped, as if taking her first breath of air, and stumbled backwards. "Your mind ... what did you do to yourself?"

"You presume much," Hermes said.

"Nova, what's going on?" Ward asked, giving her a sidelong glance in askance.

"His mind ... it's been consumed," Nova said. "He's not even there anymore."

Ward frowned. "Consumed by who?" Or by what? What was powerful enough?

Hermes sneered. "Terran simpletons. I am a servant of the Dark God. This fleshbag is merely one my puppets. In time, all of you will fall under his sway." He leaned back, looking straight at Nova. "Can you hear it yet? Can you hear his voice? Give in. Give up. Become a vessel of Amon."

"Sorry," Ward said, pointing his gun at "Hermes". "I'm afraid that's not in my vocabulary."

"You know his victory is inevitable," he said, still looking straight at Nova.

"Inevitable?" Ward repeated. "There's no such thing in a war." He pulled the trigger.

The back of Hermes' skull exploded in a spray of blood as the bullets tore right through his visor.

"You alright?" Ward asked. "What happened?"

"I tried to read his mind," she answered shakily. "It was ... unpleasant."

"Can you continue?" Ward asked, giving her a worried look.

She took in a deep breathe, then nodded as she got to her feet. "I'm fine." Her facade turned to hardened neosteel. There remained a tenseness beneath her muscles that wasn't there before. She narrowed her eyes. "I appreciate that you care, but I'm not some invalid. I've gone through much worse before."

Right, she was a mind reader. "Do you always do that?" Ward asked.

"It's easier for me to read minds than to stop," Nova said.

Wasn't that a terrifying thought. "I think I'd go crazy if I had to deal with that 24/7," Ward said.

"Good thing you're not psionic then," she said.

"How much time do we have left?" Ward asked.

"A little more with one of the stabilizers under our control," Nova said. "A little over an hour I think, and any additional stabilizers we secure should buy us more time."

Ward nodded. "A lot of ground for us to cover in an hour. There are two routes available, each of us should take one."

Nova considered the idea, appearing to understand the intent behind it. It was a neat solution that would let them sidestep the chain of command issue for the moment. "The idea seems sound."

"Of course, I've got a surplus of air support available, and you've got more boots on the ground than I do," Ward said.

"Intermixed forces?" Nova asked.

"All in the spirit of camaraderie," Ward said. "I've got a feeling this isn't going to be the last time we'll need to work together. The forces I... loan to you will obey my commands for the duration of the mission, and vice-versa, or until we mutually decide to swap them back. It would give us more of a tactical edge."

"Some air support would be nice," Nova admitted. "All right, Ward. Fair's fair. I'll show you mine if you show me yours?"

The display between them changed, showing the list of personnel Nova had with her. Ward reciprocated. While each would be getting a little of everything from the other, there was an opportunity to focus requisitions around particular typologies.

Ghosts were worth their weight in minerals, and while their skillset made them useful sentries, it also made them useful for a whole host of other activities. Each was a trained marksman who could help clear out entrenched positions, or scout ahead with their cloaking tech. Siege tanks needed no introduction as the tried, true, and tested means of delivering overwhelming firepower on the field. Marauders wouldn't be half bad either as a more mobile alternative to give Ward's marines a bit more bite.

Nova had to be given something in return too, and something she'd find useful on her half of the map.

[X] Requisition Extra Siege Tanks
[X] Requisition Extra Ghosts
[X] Requisition Extra Marauders

[X] Offer Extra Liberators
[X] Offer Extra Medivacs
[X] Offer Extra Vikings
[X] Offer Extra Wraiths

There were several paths of attack to consider at the moment, but the three being discussed between Ward and Nova were as follows.

First, Platform 3 which had an atmospheric stabilizer. It would be an easy enough position to hold and could serve as a springboard to take down another EMP scrambler or the nearby Moebius Corp base. Second, attack Moebius' base directly, wiping out half their forces on the platform in one fell swoop and leaving half the platform effectively under friendly control. Third, strike northwest into Platform 6. Removing the EMP scrambler there and securing that central platform would cut off both Moebius bases from reinforcing the other and disrupt their internal lines.

Nova and Ward each had a force, so only two out of the three options could be taken.

[X] Attack Platform 3 (Atmospheric Stabilizer)
[X] Attack Moebius Corp Base
[X] Attack Platform 6 (EMP Scrambler)

[X] Suggest Nova Attack Platform 3 (Atmospheric Stabilizer)
[X] Suggest Nova Attack Moebius Corp Base
[X] Suggest Nova Attack Platform 6 (EMP Scrambler)

(Commanders cannot attack the same area).

"Plan isn't half bad," Nova said, golden tresses bobbing up and down, the hints of a grin blooming across her lips. "For an airhead, that is." It was almost as if the interrogation they'd just conducted had never happened for her. She'd make a great actress, and she had the looks to back it up.

A bark of laughter ripped out of Ward. "Let's sync up on channel six. Good luck and good hunting."

Nova nodded, adjusting her earpiece, and taking a step back. If one blinked, they'd miss her fading into thin air.

Guess that's why they call them ghosts, Ward thought.

 

[Halt]

Bold. It was the only word that aptly described Ward's plan.

Why get drawn in into a drawn out tug-of-war over the stabilizers at all? If Moebius Corp was removed from the platform, there'd be no one to compete against.

The first hurdle to the plan was firepower. Most of a fleet's firepower was in its capital ships, and most of Alpha Squadron's capital ships were busy securing the skies over Sky Shield. Lighter crafts worked fine against armies or forward emplacements, but an entire base was another matter altogether. While victory was still possible, taking heavy losses at the beginning of a mission was unwise.

Nova offered three siege tanks and a few squads of marauders to supplement Ward's marines. There was a ghost too, answering to the callsign Lockheed, though mostly he shadowed Ward everywhere and said little. In exchange, he'd loaned Nova the medivacs she sorely needed and liberators which were a nice touch, but not quite as essential. She'd be pushing into Platform 3 and whatever defenses were there to secure another stabilizer.

The Moebius base was setup in a standard Dominion layout, with bunkers and turrets covering the entrances and a line of depots nearby acting as both a wall and a means of resupply. Siege tanks were a few meters further behind, with enough space between them for overlapping fields of fire. Further in were the production facilities and troop quarters , and at its very heart was the orbital center from which all orders came and all information went.

"Let's burn this mother down," Ward said. "Begin the assault."

The wraiths and banshees floated, barely making a sound as they inched closer. At the very edge of the missile turret's detection range, their engines roared to life, hurtling them forwards and no doubt giving the sentries a nasty shock at their sudden appearance. It took them a few seconds longer than they should have to begin firing, and the wraiths began evasive maneuvers as they danced around the turrets to buy time for the banshees.

Backlash rockets fell from the skies, emitting a shriek that gave the VTOL tactical strike craft their name. Once, twice, thrice they unleashed their salvoes, and the siege tanks were turned to scrap. Immediately, they began pulling back.

The first phase of the plan couldn't have been longer than half a minute, but already they'd lost three wraiths. Two of the pilots managed to eject in time, but the third...

Ward shook his head. "Send in the tanks."

They were already rolling forward. The men and women present were veterans, and knew their roles better than Ward did. Magnetized legs unfolded from their sides to give the mobile artillery more stability, even as marines and marauders screened for them during this period of heightened vulnerability.

The enemy base was still in disarray, though some tanks stations elsewhere were moving forward to reinforce the area.

They didn't make it in time.

Shells fell all around the bunkers and turrets, propelled by 180mm shock cannons. The men inside were hopelessly outranged, and hopelessly outgunned. They held on for a while longer, but when the ordinance began to punch through the neosteel casing, the doomed men abandoned the structures.

Wraiths and banshees returned overhead once again, this time truly invisible to the men beneath them as the turrets were reduced to slag.

It should have been over then and there, but from the depths of the base came a towering walker, heavily armed and heavily armored in a thick composite neosteel-ceramic. Ward could feel the ground beneath him vibrate with each step it took forward.

"I'm heavy metal!" screamed its controller, a man with a thick accent judging by the voice.

The orbital center's radars spun into overtime that they might have unscrewed themselves from the structure, and Ward felt his blood go cold.

The thor slammed one foot into the ground, then the other, as if a sumo wrestler, before letting loose a salvo of javelin missile launchers from its back. The fragmentation warheads were guided by the orbital command's extensive array of sensors, each one hitting their mark as the air was suddenly filled with explosives. Broken wings and burnt out engines began to fall from the sky, and Ward's pilots withdrew before another salvo could be launched at them.

One salvo, and Ward had lost half a dozen pilots.

"Goddamned mechs," he snarled.

The thor had stiffened enemy resistance, no doubt comforting many to know a literal wall had their backs now. From that position the siege tanks, marines, and marauders had clustered around.

If he withdrew now, it'd give the enemy a chance to refortify, or evacuate. But continuing might mean heavy losses he could not recover from. The cornerstone of their defense was the thor and the orbital command that let it see their cloaked banshees.

[X] Withdraw from Assault
[X] Continue Assault

If one chooses to continue the assault:
[X] All out attack on the thor
[X] Bait out the orbital scans and deplete its energy, before committing
[X] Send in the ghost Lockheed to sabotage the orbital center
[X] Write In

 

[Halt]

The resistance was stiff, but not insurmountable. Yet, if Ward allowed his enemies to slip past him now, how many more men would die in the battles to come because he lost his nerve here? The sum of his enemies was greater than the parts.

No, there was no choice but forward.

"Siege tanks, forward," Ward ordered over his earpiece. "Men, continue to screen their advance."

"Is this wise?" Lockheed asked, speaking at last. "Moebius has already sieged up their tanks, and they have more of them. Commander Nova's men are the best of the best, but even they'd find such odds difficult."

"They're a distraction," Ward said.

"A distraction? For who?" Lockheed asked.

"For you," Ward said. "I've a mission for you." He pointed to the orbital command and the thor. "Those are the cornerstone of their defense. Take one of them out, even for a minute, and this battle will be won decisively."

"The orbital command will be easier, but it'll take longer," Lockheed said.

Ward frowned. "I thought all ghosts were psionics. Couldn't you just fry the thor's pilot's mind?"

Lockheed tilted his head. The visor made it hard to tell what the ghost was feeling. "If I had a few minutes, direct line of sight, and no interruptions, maybe. I'm sure Commander Nova could do it, but I am a lowly 7 on the Psi Index."

"What about sabotage then?" Ward asked. The ghosts were said to have superhuman strength, if the news was to be believed. "Apply enough kinetic force to the joints, or cause of its explosives to go off prematurely in storage."

"You've been listening to too much propaganda," Lockheed said. "I wouldn't believe half of what the newscasters say about what we can or can't do."

"I'll leave it to you then. You're the expert on what you can do," Ward said.

"The orbital is doable," Lockheed said. He watched the tanks began to roll forward, accompanied by squads of marines. "That's a lot of men to spend on a distraction."

I don't remember ghosts giving this much lip in the past, Ward thought, before chalking it up to Valyrian's "humane reforms". "They were never going to decide this battle," Ward said, feeling his stomach twist. Sending men to their deaths was never something a good commander got comfortable with, though it was easier now. "The enemy has to believe this push is not a feint, or they'll suspect something. Go, quickly. Each second you tarry is more of my men dead."

Lockheed nodded, breaking off into a run along the edge of the platform. It was hard to tell the exact moment he faded from sight, happening so gradually, so seamlessly it was as if he was never there.

Ward shuddered. This day was one giant reminder not to get on a ghost's bad side.

"This is Ward to all pilots, stay out of the thor's range for now," he said. "Pick off any stragglers, but keep out of anti-air range."

A chorus of affirmations streamed through the intercom, and Ward watched as his pilots began a furious aerial dance. It was a feat of skill, knowing just how close they could get before having to pull back. Some of the enemy marines were fooled during the first few passes, leaving the safety the thor provided for the briefest of moments, but the briefest of moments was all the banshees and wraiths needed.

There was a flash of turbolaser or a streak of missile, and the smell of charred flesh filled the space through their odour simulants.

The ground troops did not fare so well, however. Like Lockheed had pointed out, the enemy's tanks were sieged up already, and they outnumbered theirs. Some of the marauders accompanying the tanks intentionally rushed forward to take the first volleys in lieu of the tanks, and Ward had scarcely seen such bravery before from the Dominion. There was some footage from Raynor's Raiders in the early days of the Brood War using similar tactics, but they were desperate men with nothing to lose.

Finally, finally Ward's own tanks managed to set themselves up. The veteran crews fired significantly faster and surer than the Moebius tanks, but that experience was about the only thing going for them in the ground fight. The infantry screening them had scattered, taking cover against the shells falling on their positions. The enemy infantry was doing something similar on the other side of the field.

Had the fight over the skies been more contested, the enemy might have decided to charge forward with their infantry at this point to try and overwhelm their position. It seemed almost crude to resort to the tactics of the First War of Terra with massed men charging fixed artillery, but sometimes the old ways were best.

War really didn't change in the end.

"This is Lockheed," buzzed Ward's intercom. He heard gunfire through it. "Comms are down."

"Enemy comms are down!" Ward relayed immediately. "All crafts focus down that thor!"

Banshees and wraiths turned on a dime, closing in from everywhere and disappearing from their enemy's sight. The thor's pilot visible panicked, unleashing a whole barrage of ordinances, but without any guidance on where the stealth crafts were, they hit nothing but empty air. Modern crafts were simply too mobile to hit randomly.

Missile after missile flew into the thor's joints. It stood up to the punishment well, truly a testament to terran engineering, but nothing could last forever. First went its knees, causing it to collapse forward atop a siege tank and more than a few marines. Then, its arms, so it could not push itself up or attempt some desperate suicide.

Then, only when it had been crippled beyond use, did they land the killing blow.

Afterwards was cleanup. The infantry and armored cavalry did not really have the means of shooting up fast enough to overcome their air superiority. The smarter ones among their enemies did not descend into blind panic, but attempted to regroup near the missile turrets on the other entrance of their base. Unfortunately for them, none of the siege tanks escaped the strafing runs and a single siege tank under Ward had survived the furious exchange of volleys.

Slowly, surely, the lone siege tank whittled away what missile turrets remained, and when the last one fell, the marines activated their bayonets and made a desperate mad dash against Ward's men. Their enemies broke like ripples against stone, barely getting any shots off within effective range before the vikings landed and finished gunning them down.

"Lockheed, are you alive?" Ward asked.

"It'll take more than a few lab rats to put me down," Lockheed said. "You may want to send some men in here. Quite a few prisoners in here."

Those must be the scientists, Ward recalled. Nova had mentioned some being help prisoner, though what to do with them? They could be put to work, but it'd require keeping them defended. Also, there was every risk that some of them were collaborators. After seeing the ghost from earlier break his own bones... well, it was best not to assume anything about this enemy of theirs.

It didn't take Ward long to arrange for a squad of marines to seize the command center and march the scientists out.

Lockheed headed straight for Ward, accompanied by a dark-skinned man with cybernetic arms. "Sir, this is Reigel. He claims to be a defector."

"I'm sure many of them claim to be defectors from Moebius Corp," Ward said.

"Not Moebius Corp," the man, Reigel, said. "That refers to the security arm of the Moebius Foundation, and yes, I've left their services permanently."

"He made some bold claims," Lockheed said. "I thought it best to kick the matter up to you."

Ward crossed his arms across his chest. "Alright, let's hear it then."

"I work directly for Emperor Valerian," Reigel said.

Ward's brow shot up. "You know the Emperor?"

"I'm a weapons technology specialist in his employ."

A bold claim indeed... "Is that so? I don't suppose you have any proof of this," Ward said.

Reigel visibly deflated. "No, nothing like that. My work was deemed top secret."

The man seemed to believe what he was saying, but there seemed to be some mind fuckery going on with whatever the hell was going on at the moment. Sleeper agents weren't uncommon threats.

"Why were you on this facility?" Ward asked.

"I'm afraid that's classified," Reigel said.

Ward frowned. That was becoming an all too familiar refrain these days, and he didn't like it one bit. "Alright, is there anything you can tell me about this facility, anything that could help my mission?"

"That I can do," Reigel said. "There are three EMP scramblers on this station, as you might know. Their effects get stronger the closer you are to them. If one of your pilots should fly too close to it, there's every chance it'll cause them to crash or turn their vehicles non-responsive."

"How do you propose we eliminate them then?" Ward asked.

"With infantry would be best," Reigel answered. "They might have reduced output from their suits, but they should still manage fine. There's no easy answer unless you have some zerg lying around. The scramblers affect just everything in the Dominion's arsenal. All of our weapons run on electricity of one form or another."

"Why in Terra's name would we build these things here then?" Ward asked.

Reigel smiled. "They were originally a countermeasure designed to stop any protoss incursions. If you think what it does to our tech is bad, you should see how quickly it shreds through the psionic shields of the protoss."

"I'll take your word for it," Ward said. "What about these stabilizers then? I haven't gotten a straight answer on how much time we have left before we turn Augustgrad into a pancake."

"By my estimates, you have less than an hours left to secure the remaining stabilizers before we pass the point of no return and have to evacuate," Reigel said.

Ward cursed. "That's not a lot of time."

"No, it isn't," Reigel said. "But for every additional stabilizer you secure, it should buy you about forty-five minutes each."

"Is there anyway you can help us?"

"It depends on how much freedom and access you're willing to give me."

[X] Give Reigel and the scientists full access - A double edged sword if there ever was one. Letting an unknown run rampant could do untold damage to communications and infrastructure, but he might also have some tricks to help seize the most heavily fortified sections of the platform
[X] Partial freedom - Post Lockheed to shadow the lab rats. It will slow down their work, but would let Ward keep tabs on whatever he's up to
[X] Limited access - A somewhere in between option that keeps Reigel from damaging certain critical functions the operation needs to continue.
[X] No access - Remains a prisoner, but has no chance of sabotaging ongoing operations
[X] Make it Nova's problem to deal with.

If given access, what should the scientists work on?
[X] Focus on upgrades - It won't yield immediate benefits, probably not even until Sky Shield is secured, but having better weapons was always, well better
[X] Focus on stabilizers - This should buy Ward more time to secure the platform
[X] Focus on EMP shielding - Allows Ward's aircraft to actually operate within the EMP zones, albeit still with reduced effectiveness.

"I heard you managed to turn the base to scrap," Nova said.

"I did," Ward said. "Did Lockheed tell you?"

She hummed non-committal like. "You picked up some scientists?"

"Yes, but I find it hard to trust them," Ward said. "After what happened with the ghost from earlier... who knows how many of them are compromised. Giving them access to our systems is risky."

"All of war is a risk," Nova said. "Anyhow, I just finished up on my end. I think I'll push towards the EMP scrambler near me. Make sure we're not leaving a knife at our back."

Ward informed her of the intel Reigel provided.

"He certainly seems to be making himself useful," Nova mused.

"A common enough tactic for sleeper agents," Ward grumbled. "That's the tricky thing about imposters---they're always hell to pick out from among us."

Nova didn't pursue the subject. Instead, she asked, "So, what'll you be up to?"

Ward paused, giving the question some thought. He could push forward, but they'd suffered moderate casualties taking the base. The men and their gear weren't in the best shape to keep fighting at the moment, and some time to repair their crafts would return effective strength to more appropriate levels. They also had a new cache of resources to exploit from the enemy base.

On the other hand, aggression had served them well so far.

Trait Gained: Strike First, Strike Fast, No Mercy - Ward has a noted predilection towards aggressive tactics on the battlefield. Gains more stress the longer he delays and builds up.

[X] There is a plan of attack: Attack! (-20 Stress)
[X] Repair and Refit Craft - Fixes what can be fixed and brings Ward's troops back into fighting condition (+15 Stress)
[X] Expand Base Facilities - Greed is good, and there's a base for the taking. It would make ramping up far easier (+30 Stress, grants bonus actions)

When all is said and done, eventually a new target for attack will have to be chosen.

[X] Attack Platform 5 (Stabilizer)
[X] Attack Platform 6 (EMP Scrambler)
[X] Write In

Note: Appendix has been updated.

 

[Halt]

What is Stress narratively?

War is hell. Starcraft is worse.

Stress captures 2 things for this quest. 1) It reflects the mental strain of being in combat, and certain things like prolonged combat beyond expected, lack of supplies, heavy losses, increase this. 2) It reflects how in character you've chosen to play as.

What is Stress mechanically?

Mechanically, it's a resource. You can accumulate up to 300 Stress before Bad Things Happen. Additionally, at intervals of 100 Stress, you can gain negative traits, or make existing negative traits worse.

Thus, taking on Stress is a trade-off between playing in character, or choosing paths which might yield great benefit. This does not mean that all Stress-inducing path always yield greater benefit. It's entirely possible playing in character is the objectively better choice. What taking Stress on does allow you is the flexibility to do so, while also putting actual stakes in every decision made.

What are Traits?

Traits are essentially what characteristics Ward has taken on, as a result of your votes. Note that I say votes, not winning votes. Votes that win in a landslide have far more impact on swaying Ward towards certain characteristics, and votes that end up being close have less of an impact (unless both options trend towards the same theme). Similarly, the timing of your votes can affect traits as well, though to a far lesser degree.

This means that when I say your vote matters, I mean every vote matters.

Some traits are negative, which means they tend to be used as "stress burners". They make reducing stress easier. Some traits are positive, which means they give some bonus or open up special interactions. All traits tend to narrow the scope of actions you can take stress-free.

This means there's a balancing act in play where accumulating high stress leads to negative traits which makes it harder to keep accumulating stress, and getting positive traits makes it easier and so on and so forth it goes.

Can traits be changed? Yes, through consistent voting of options that are opposite from what the trait suggests you ought to take (gaining you stress), it's possible to overwrite it. It usually means taking on enough stress to take on a new negative trait however.

At the moment, I have decided on a hard cap of 5 traits you can take on to prevent bloat.

What is Doctrine?

Doctrine is traits writ large. A trait you take on can become adopted by Alpha Squadron at large, becoming a modus operandi or an ideal your men strive to follow.

For example, "Strike First, Strike Fast, No Mercy" as a doctrine would give your forces a bonus at mobilizing, which decreases in strength the longer a mission progresses (until they return to a base of zero). Almost any trait can become a doctrine.

How do traits become doctrine? Through consistent voting patterns essentially. Once enough votes following a certain trait is reached, there'll be an option to turn it into a doctrine, which often causes more stress as you try to implement large scale changes. Doctrines can also end up influencing what calldowns you have.

At the moment, I have decided on a hard cap of 3 doctrines you can take on to prevent bloat, not including the specialist doctrine you get with every commander.

 

[Halt]

The scientists assembled before Ward in two uneven rows within his newly acquired Command Center.

"Congratulations lady and gentlemen," Ward said. "As of this moment, you've been drafted into the Dominion military in line with Executive Directive 51."

"Drafted?" one of them asked hesitantly. "With utmost respect, we've never---"

Ward staved off his words with an outstretched palm. "Rest assured, I don't expect you to fight with guns, but with your minds. Really, it won't be much different than what you did for the Moebius Foundation, though you might rest assured that your weapons won't be used to slaughter the Emperor's subjects."

Well, hopefully not at least. Valerian didn't seem the type to turn his weapons on the people, but he might still prove to be his father's son in the end. Stressful times brought out the true nature of men.

"Is this really necessary?" another asked.

"No," Ward said, tilting his head. "I could have you all shot for treason if you prefer."

The men (and woman) paled.

"The fact of the matter is that I expect martial law has already been declared by Emperor Valerian," Ward said. "Such a large scale attack on Korhal ensures it. Might I remind you Emperor Arcturus' executive directives are still the law of the land?"

Not that Valerian hadn't tried to strike them down, but he was not so entrenched as his father once was. There were those among the military's brass who still supported the imprisoned emperor, a mix of loyalists who'd grown powerful under Arcturus Mengsk's regime, some true believers in the his militaristic policies, and men suspicious that Valerian was Kerrigan's puppet. It was rumored there were elements of the Imperial Guard who'd support Arcturus' return. The manner of Valerian's ascension was questionable to say the least, and ironically, as much as he tried to distance himself from his father, Valerian had not suffered a coup yet precisely because he was his father's son and heir.

So it was to be expected that when Valerian tried to make changes to the wide-sweeping powers the Dominion military was given during martial law, the top brass pushed back hard. General Davis in particular was adamant, and in the end Valerian backed down.

One of those powers allowed for, and in fact encouraged, the summary execution of traitors; a word which had a rather wide-sweeping definition that officers' were charged with interpreting.

"Rest assured, this is just a bureaucratic trick," Ward said. "But consider how this looks from my end? Less than an hour ago, you men aided and abetted a terrorist attack on Korhal that would have murdered millions. It was under duress, perhaps, but even that would fall well within the definition of high treason. Only the Emperor's decree can pardon you, but I'm unable to reach him at the moment. Conscription will let us forestall execution at least. Can I count on your cooperation?"

Slowly, Ward noted the nods around the room. He signaled to Lockheed to step forward, and, perhaps involuntarily, the scientists took a half-step back at the ghost's approach. "This is Operative Lockheed of the Ghost Program," Ward introduced. "Given we are still in an active war zone and your valuable contributions to the Dominion's cause, I've tasked him with overseeing your protection for the duration of this campaign. He'll take you to one of your coworkers... a man named Reigel, I believe?"

"We know him," one of them said. "Thank you, Commander." They performed a sloppy salute that irked Ward, but he quashed the urge to correct them. They had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people.

Instead, Ward executed a crisp salute, and dismissed them.

There was another reason he'd chosen to keep them close to his chest. There was no telling how many of them might have been compromised by the enemy already, and letting them loose into the public could be a hidden danger. Best to keep them all where he knew to find them, at least until they could get specialists to sort them out.

Who knew when the Dominion could spare those resources?

"Adjutant, how are the repairs proceeding?" Ward asked.

"Quite well, Commander Ward," answered the feminine voice. A hologram of the base popped out of Ward's screen, with the starports blinking green. "Salvage operations have finished, and we're replacing some damaged parts. Refueling has been completed as well. 70% of the fleet is ready to move out."

"Excellent," Ward said. With one of the hostile bases neutralized and nearly half of sky shield in their grasps, the mission seemed well under control for now. It might be time to consider my move after Sky Shield, Ward thought. There were two critical pieces of information he'd need for that. "Adjutant, contact..."

[X] Commodore Knox - Assess the state of the Alpha Squadron Fleet and its fight with Moebius' Space Elements
[X] Korhal Command - Determine the situation planet side, and figure out who's in charge

The attack on Platform 5 proved to be... anticlimactic. There was little in the way of resistance there.

"Weren't there supposed to be guards here?" Ward asked.

"Affirmative," Adjutant said. "It appears they've withdrawn from this position. Latest reconnaissance indicates Moebius' anti-air elements are massing up ahead, however. We have found indications of newly erected bunkers and missile turrets."

"Any thors?" Ward asked. One had been painful enough to deal with, nevermind a second one...

"Not at the moment," Adjutant replied. "They do, however, have a battlecruiser."

"Great." Ward sighed. "How's Nova doing?"

"She is still en route to Platform 6. Scouting indicates hostile siege tank and hellion elements have fortified that route."

Ward considered the situation. He could go help her easily enough with most of his fleet capable of flying across chasms, but that left this area open. The enemy could potentially recapture a stabilizer, and maybe their base if left unchecked.

[X] Push Into Platform 8 (EMP Scrambler)
[X] Link back up with Nova and her push into Platform 6 (EMP Scramber)

Attack Plan
[X] Write In