"My friends are all like, dude it's just a game, I'm like RRAAAAARGGGGH"
- EldritchEvil in The Good Die Young
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| The Starcraft Chronicles: The Hybrid Wars Episode IX | | | Author: | | | IP: | gateway.XXXX | | Date: | 03/12/01 05:03 | | Game Type: | Other | | Labels: | none | | Report Rating: , # of Ratings: 1, Max: 6, Min: 6
Lifetime Rating for Monty Pylon: 6.0390 |  | Warning: Please read other episodes or this will make no sense.
The Starcraft Chronicles: The Hybrid Wars Episode IX
The endless cloud of Zerg brought back terrible memories of a war long ago. The Protoss held their ground and waited for the first assault. Overlords unloaded cargo of hybrids, while mutalisks kept a watchful eye over the defenders. The hybrids filed into straight lines and stood as an ominous wall of teeth and blades. The hybrids and defenders stared each other with contempt and rage. One side wanting to ease a savage bloodlust and another is fighting for their existence. After the hybrids landed, a large army of Zerg took flanking positions by their genetic comrades. The Protoss and terrans saw the army before them, but Duran was nowhere to be found. Artanis stepped forward to raise a challenge to Duran.
"Coward! Come forward to lead the army that you wish to destroy us with. Do not hide or we will come after you."
The only sounds heard were that of a rustling wind and the growls of the Zerg and hybrids before them. Artanis watched as the mutalisks parted and a huge ship descended over the field. It was ten times the size of any carrier and it had a hauntingly familiar shape. Artanis did not know what he was looking at, but a few of the elders did. The shape and size were unmistakable, it was a Xel' Naga ship. The weapon batteries glowed a fierce red and the hull looked to be war torn and beaten. It sent a chill up the spines of those who looked upon it and from inside this ship Duran revealed his true nature.
"Foolish Protoss, you are so bold to challenge what you do not understand. Your arrogance was why my masters left you all those eons ago."
"The Xel'Naga?"
"Yes, your creators as well as mine. They left this world after your people drove them out. They could have offered you paradise and instead you choose to live in a world consumed by hate and war. For years, you murdered each other for reasons long forgotten and you blamed my masters for your failure. You were their first mistake, their second stands before you now. The Zerg, and their overmind killed the masters for their own needs. All but one survived that day and he used all his resources to plan the elimination of both races. I was born that day and I have served the will of my master for eons. Now, I have completed all but one of my objectives, the annihilation of the Zerg and Protoss."
"But why attack the terrans? What did they ever do to your masters?"
"The terrans have learned much from the Protoss. They are now a risk that I can not allow. Soon all three will be dead and the hybrids shall serve their purpose. The sector will be cleansed and a new era can be allowed to rise up. One without Protoss, Terran or Zerg, one of peace and tranquility."
"Does this justify genocide? What gives you the right?"
"It is my purpose, and my destiny. That is my right, and all the justification I require. The time has come for the end of this era. All forces engage the Protoss and terrans."
The order was given and the hybrids and Zerg moved as one. They charged forward with only a hundred yards separating them from the front lines.
"This is Raynor, all wraiths deploy cargo now!"
The wraiths cloaked and dumped cargo after cargo of paint onto the lines of hybrids. The Protoss had a target and the cannons opened fire. Templar floated forward and released psionic storms over the advancing army. Several Zerg lines dropped dead with the hybrids shaking the blast and moving forward. Terran siege tanks began to bombard Zerg hydralisks, denting holes in the lines. Those hybrids caught in the blast were thrown back. They were unharmed, but it did serve to slow them down.
In the air, wraiths and scouts began to massacre the Zerg mutalisks. Scourge flew in and began to drop the small terran crafts. Scout shields began to run low as scourge embedded themselves into the glowing hulls. The battlecruiser fleet moved forward and vaporized the scourge in mid air. Mutalisks backed by devouers, concentrated fire on the capital ships. Carrier fleets and the remains of the battered corsair fleet fought to keep the skies in control of the Protoss. Interceptors flew in packs and dove for the vulnerable guardians and overlords. A rain of burning debris, blood and crystal fell onto to the battlefield.
By now, the front lines appeared to be holding, but hybrids and Zerg relentlessly clawed at cannons and Protoss. The ghosts continued to spray paint and fought back the Zerg when they could. Kerrigan and Raynor were both deep in the trenches as the Zerg and Hybrids broke the front lines. Two zerglings jumped into the pit and were met by Kerrigan's canister rifle and Raynor's Vulture. One grenade and canister later, and the zerglings were blood and skin. Zeratul and a zealot were holding a partially exposed hybrid at bay. Zeratul was knocked to the ground and the hybrid tore the zealot apart. As the vapor settled, Zeratul found the hybrid baring down on him. Kerrigan leaped forward and slammed the butt of her rifle into the hybrids jaw. The hybrid fell back stunned and slashed the rifle from her hands. Kerrigan pulled a knife and circled the hybrid as it rose up. From behind Raynor gunned the engine on his bike and floored down the narrow trench. Kerrigan ducked down as the bike and Raynor slammed into the hybrids chest. The bike was total and the hybrid was still standing. Zeratul tackled it to the ground and began to gut it with his psi blades.
"You alright Jim?"
"Never better Darlin'. How about you Zeratul?"
"I am uninjured. Thank you Kerrigan for stopping him."
"I hardly phased him."
"But you did stop him from killing me. I am in you debt."
The trio continued down the trench and found Artanis and several Dark Templar.
"Artanis, how are we faring?"
"I believe we can hold them at bay. They are not able to fight both our ground troops and our air units."
"Artanis, Duran is moving his ship. I think he's coming to fight."
Artanis saw the giant ship headed towards the front lines. Fire power of that strength could turn the tide against them. Artanis ordered all air units to converge and attack. He headed for his scout and told the other's to hold the lines. Artanis flew out to meet the monster and finish the war.
Duran moved his ship in range of the front lines. He saw that the Protoss and terran air had been rallied to intercept. He was not concerned and ordered a full spread of the forward cannons. The guns blazed across the sky and struck a battlecruiser and a scout. The scout was turned to dust and the cruiser was split almost in two. The wreck fell to the ground and smashed friend and foe alike. Wraiths cloak and engaged the warship, they unloaded with everything they had to no avail. The missiles had little to now effect on the thick hull. Duran ordered a full cannon spread and many wraiths were caught in the crossfire. The wraiths were forced to fall back as a fleet of carriers moved forward to try their luck. The carriers deployed their interceptors and dodged the cannon fire. Duran began to concentrate his weapons on the carriers and three of the behemoths burst into smoke and flames. The interceptors made suicide dives at the hull, but the tiny fighters were unable to crack the hard shell. Artanis was running out of ships and ideas and needed to stop the ship before it could devastate the front lines. He ordered the five remaining battlecruisers to concentrate yamoto fire on a single panel of the hull. The terran guns charged and five bursts of yamoto struck the side of the ship. Duran's ship remained unharmed and continued to move forward. Artanis was out of ideas and saw a science vessel out of the corner of his eye.
"Science vessel, are you equipped with Defense matrix?"
"Yes we have that capability. Do you wish to use it?"
"Yes, employ it as soon as I am in range."
The vessel complied and soon the scout was under the protective glow of Defense matrix. Artanis headed straight for the ships engine cover and slammed his scout into the plates. The hull was bent, but not broken and Artanis made another pass. He crashed into the hull and again he sat staring at a solid hull. He circled again and shot full speed at the hull. In a screech of metal against metal, the scout broke through the heavy metal plates. Defense matrix had failed and Artanis lay bleeding over his control panel. He opened his eyes and saw he was inside the ship. He heard a faint growling and saw the outline of a hybrid in the smoke. He tried to engage his thrusters, but his ship was offline. He raised his hand to a small blue button and pushed it with his last ounce of strength.
The scout exploded and Duran's ship reeled from the blast. The entire right side of the hull erupted in a wall of flame and the giant began to tilt towards the dirt. Smaller explosions began to tear the ship apart as it careened to the ground. It slammed onto the hybrid and Zerg forces and sliced the defense lines in two. The flaming wreckage pelted the two armies below and sent hybrid, Zerg, terran and Protoss all seeking cover. When the dust settle, no one was sure if the other side had survived.
On Korhal, Mengsk had received word that the hybrids had indeed landed on Aiur. His forces that were with Raynor had reported the battle, but now had been abruptly cut off. Mengsk was sure that the hybrids had defeated the Protoss and wasted no time in ordering his missiles to be launched. Thousands upon thousands of missiles left Korhal with a date with destiny on Aiur. Mengsk was sad that it had come down to this, but sacrifices in war were inevitable.
On Aiur, the fields had been tore and the wreck of Duran's ship formed one large graveyard. The Protoss and terrans climbed from their bunkers to see a field of fire and bodies. From the wreck, hybrids and Zerg rose up and again formed solid lines. They bunched together and looked as sharp and determined as ever. The Protoss and terrans were tired and stared at the army before them with no hope. Before them stood the hybrids and at the center of the pack was Duran. He appeared healthy and it would seem that genetics had made him as invincible as his hybrids. He stood defiantly holding an injector gun with the essence drawn from Kerrigan. Zeratul stepped forward and threw his cloak to the ground.
"Duran, this will be the end of this. Face me in combat and we shall finish this war."
"Zeratul, I would be more than happy to destroy you where you stand. I hold the power in my hand, and once the essence of the overmind and I am one, I will be unstoppable."
Duran raised the gun to his arm, but Raynor stepped forward and shot it from his hand.
"Let's keep this fair, shall we?"
"Insolent fool!"
Duran launched a spine from his arm and it struck Raynor in the chest. The grooved spine torn into his suit and impaled in his chest. Raynor dropped to the ground and Kerrigan rushed to his side. Zeratul leaped at Duran in a rage and slashed at Duran's arm. The arm was severed at the elbow, but Duran embedded a spike into Zeratul's side with his other arm. Zeratul clung to Duran as he watched Duran's arm regenerate before his eyes. Duran shoved Zeratul to the ground and beckoned to Kerrigan and the rest of the defenders.
"Does anyone else dare challenge my power? I am invincible against you. You can not kill me. You can only…"
"DIE!"
Zeratul leaped forward and cut deep into Duran's right side. Duran fell to one knee as Zeratul sliced into his left side. Both blades met in the center and cut to the other side. Duran fell back into two and both pieces dropped to the ground, lifeless and still. Zeratul collapsed as well and his wound finally had overtaken him.
Without a leader and a beacon to control them, both the Zerg and the hybrids turn against each other in a violent frenzy. The Protoss made short work of the confused hybrids and began to cut down the lines of Zerg. Kerrigan was still holding on to Raynor, when an urgent message arrived from a observer just outside of Aiur's fourth moon of Nero.
"Nuclear Launch Detected."
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