Starcraft (IC)

[DMBlackhart]

Torus, Abandoned Terran Base Camp, 0100 Hours

Zerinal-
You paced through the abandoned command center. It was here, you recall. The lost Xel'naga artifact was definately here. You could feel it calling to you. But where, was the question.

You currently stalked quietly through an abandoned SCV-construction garage. The place was in notable dissaray. Ruined machenes stood on support platforms, only half finished. The psionic call of the artifact continued to penetrate your thoughts.

Come! It is here! Come!, the voice echoe'd, awaiting you to find it, and secrure it.

Vanessa-
You were sent to the torus command center, the only remaining one since a mysterious "attack" by alien forces. You crept through the command's control room, searching for your objective.

You were tasked with recovering any lost data, as well as with the nuclear codes the facility still held. Regardless of your current mission, something kept distracting you, a sort of "call" in the back of your head. It was psionic in nature, although your unsure of what it could belong to. The call came from deeper in the base.

Lord of Flies-
Ah Torus! You remember well this place. Although it was not by your hand, it was indeed the zerg brood who had brought such a mighty outpost to it's knees. The base now lies in ruins, creep sloppy all over the outside of the struture. However, it was inside the structure you wanted.

Inside the command center, a voice called. It was an artifact, he rare remains of that disgusting race that lays ownership to the zerg! Although as all zerg, you have little need for the technology and magic of such a putrid thing, securing it against those who may wish to use it to do you harm is still a very nescessary goal.

With your size and girth, sneaking through the halls was impossible. You could barely fit as it was, and are forced to slither, rather then walk. The artifact calls from somewhere deep within the base, somewhere much further away.

As it stands, you are within the command center's armor, a large allotment of forgotton munitions and armor left to decay.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pyramus, lone moon on the outer reaches of th koprulu sector, 1300 hours

Rathus-
The zerg are strong, the zerg are powerful, and the zerg are many. Except here, the zerg are few, non-existant even. It is on this lone moon you land, without a clue as to why, or for what purpose. However you can feel the call of a brood lord. A zerg hive exists, somewhere on this miserable rock. If nothing else, might as well say hello to the new neighbors!

Jorryn Nell-
You land on a remote moon, according to intel one that is void of all life, save a few native aliens. The oxygen levels on this planet are non-existant, requiring constant containment in your suit. This desolate little rock is the PERFECT place to test out the coalition's new toy.

Aszagal-
The dark templar are young compaired to the many zealous protoss factions. But even in their youth they are advanced. Many protoss turn to the void, and become "dark". A unison of the templar people seems still far at hand. However, for the time being, this is of little concern to you. What IS of concern is this moon. It is young, like yourself, and much like yourself it houses many dark secrets. Below it's crust there are powers awaiting your call, waiting for you to free them, to unleash the mysterious of the dark templar who roved here before you.

You land atop a massive plateu, the perfect place to establish a base. Unfortunately you have little time, or reasources to do so. Your expidition must be a solo one.

In the distance you can make out a few notable features. The first is a large Crevous in the horizon, a break in the moon's crust.

The next is a equally large valley, someways over. You cannot make out the exact purpose of the valley, only that you can see the very pinnacle of a tower portruding from within.

Finally you see a small explosion. It was at first a star streaming through the galaxy, which had crashed some ways off in the distance. If there had been an atmosphere to this planet, you're certain stacks of smoke and fire would be arising from the crater.

[Trulhammaren]

The call is intoxicating, I must find it. The artifact may be what I need to finish my newest project. Zerinal thinks as another wave of psionic whispers bombard his mind. Searching through the wrecked construction garage Zerinal searches for a computer terminal of any kind, for surely there is bound to be one, after all the Terran tend to put the damn things all over the place.

He needed to find some kind of schematic of what was left of the command structure, and hopefully cut his search time down immensely. He had things to do elsewhere, like finishing his projects so that he could better evade detection from his former friends and allies.

[Johel]

Torus, Abandoned Terran Base Camp, 0100 Hours

Entry denied
Please introduce valid ID code

Plugging her data pad into the main pannel, Vanessa let it copy the relatively simple softwares that controlled the main door. Once that basic process was completed, it took barely two minutes for the computer to find a correct combination.
With an hydraulic hiss, the door opened, letting steam and stagnant air out. The sensors on Vanessa's suit analysed the atmosphere, revealing presence of unprocessed methane before relaying the information to the wearer. Similary, she had to adjust the light amplification of her googles, as the dark corridor wasn't exactly lit brightly.
With but a whisper, she recorded the first line of her report.

"-Ghost Operative 01458-98, Mission "Lost Birdy", Day five, 0100 TMTS*.
Successful landing.
No contact with hostiles yet. Reached Position 4.
30 minutes in advance of planned schedule.
Entrance into CC-0965 : clean.
Atmosphere analyse reveals ventilation systems might not be fully operational.
Building probably running on internal emergency power.
Maybe damages to the Main Vespen Processing Unit.
Progressing now toward Position 5.
Over."

The message was recorded, crypted and saved for her debriefing or, if she was to be in dire situation, for transmission to an Confederate orbital satellite. Usual procedure : no broadcast during missions unless failure is obvious.
This being done, HUD googles on, cloaked suit ready but still on sleep mode, she entered the darkness of the facility, advancing slowly, with cautious, warry of any still-operating security system, her sensors passively scanning for obvious electronic signals.
Military facilities, especially command structures and scientific labs, were always heavily defended by automated sentries. A good thing when the place was functionnal but a death trap when things started to fall apart, the computers going rogue and failing to differenciate friends from intruders.

Well... I am an intruder, aren't I ?
As she walked through the main mineral processing bay, a nagging feeling started to bother her. Advancing through the storage silos, it started to hitch the back of her neck, travelling down to her left leg before going up again, twisting in her mind.
She tuned down the neural dampeners, opening her psychic-enhanced mind to any local thoughts, her left hand clunched on the dampener control behind her ear while her right hand gripped lightly her C-10 Canister rifle. She would need both to use the weapon accuretally but that wasn't a problem : she was trained to react fast.

She eventually reached the Vespen Storage Bay, where the sealed barrels of preprocessed fuel were pilled, waiting to be used. A metalic creaking noise startled her and, with a swift fluid motion, the Ghost brought her left hand in support of the rifle, turning at 180° to point the laser designator to...the Command Center's main fuel feed, which had just pushed a barrel into place for electricity production further up, in the turbines.
Sighing with relief, Vanessa kept advancing toward the SCV bay, last of the industrial level before reaching the cleaner, usually quieter but more heavily defended command&control area.

*TMTS : Tarsonis Main Time Schedule

[Terraspaz]

Pyramus, 8 hours since last sunrise

"Augh... Augh, it is the greatest of blessings to be able to walk again. ...No telling how long I just drifted along. Now then... where am I?"

Rathus hobbled out of his Chrysallis, taking in the strange, cool environment of this new world. Rathus allowed a brief smile, looking up and seeing countless numbers of stars, far more than he ever could have seen on the ashen and smoke-choked skies of Char. It allowed a brief reminder of how big the galaxy really was, and all the potentials of life that existed out there. Can't wait to meet you all, citizens of the universe! Alight with a new sense of contentment, Rathus began the work of setting up a shelter, and very rapidly discovered the limitations of this world. There were no broken, deceased life forms about that he could persuade to help in his works. Also, there was very little he could find in the way of nourishment, and after such a long journey, he was quite hungry.

He tore off a leaf of his Chrysallis, and secured it onto the spines protruding from his back. Not sure when I'll find anything worth eating on this rock... better pack a lunch. And so Rathus trudged off into the distance, toward the faint yet unmistakable call of life.

[Gunther]

Does it sing to us? Does it call our name in the darkness, knowing that there will forever be ears to hear, and eyes to look?

With a slithering, chittering sound, the first of the larva finally gnawed through the armor plating in the armory. So many humans had once marched through this place, taking with them their weapons and their cybernetics and their armor. So very long ago, they had tried to fight against the inevitable, to resist the power of the Swarm. As the second and third larvae poured through the breach formed, an inevitable tide of chattering and clicking insects entered. The creep would likely follow through the hole they had made, piercing the interior of the structure and slowly leeching precious minerals from the metal of the walls. Over a few months, this entire place would soon decay into nothingness. Only the presence of the artifact had prompted the Zerg now forming to interrupt.

As its massive form continued to grow in size, its millions of beady eyes focused on the interior of the armory. Boxes of spare ammunition were piled up haphazardly, everything from regular Impaler gauss rifles to crude combat shotguns mounted up on the wire racks. The Terrans were a curious species- what they lacked in the adaptability of creatures like the Lord of the Flies, they made up for in the versatility of their technology. They wove metal like flesh, and used chemistry and electricity to boost their frail biologies to untold heights.

It was amusing, in retrospect, that the highly adaptable Swarm member had arrived here. Even its massive frame brushed up against guns, it could not help but express its mirth. Swarms of larvae split open across the rough estimation of where its head would be, dangling chitinous insects swinging back and forth like black, loose teeth. Psionic energy rushed along its frame as- one by one- it infested the rifles present. Boxes of ammunition found their nails ripped out by the scurrying feelers of the larvae working in unison, the Lord of the Flies- its name derived from a fabled entity in Terran lore- feeling untold joy as the steel coverings opened.

And there, the boxes of ammunition, the neatly pressed rounds of Terran origins. Drawing forth its crude arms, millions of tiny feelers and legs worked in unison to drag the cartridges of ammunition within its form, as- elsewhere- pure psionic energy began to levitate the massive rifles present. Swinging them around, it shifted the weight of each gun, ramming it through its torso and the rough approximations of its hands. Rockets, red, blue, and other colored tips marking their specialties, were slowly concealed within its frame. Slowly but surely, it pilfered all that it could conceal within its body, psionic energy rushing forth as it armed itself with every imaginable tool the Terrans could wield.

Then, after the last belt feeds of ammunition slid within its massive form, after the last rifle muzzles disappeared into its torso, the mighty Zerg creature advanced, slithering towards the doors of the armory leading into the central hallway.

It would not be denied.

Pulling back only a scant few meters, it brought the guns forth, telekinetic pushes firing multiple triggers at once as it unleashed a torrent of rounds at the doorway, attempting to force its way through the base. It would consume the artifact calling to it, it would take the power for its own, and then it would find more, and more, until it could finally feast upon a new world.

[DMBlackhart]

Zerinal-
You pace the out-of-use SCV bay. There were indeed many information terminal's scattered about. These creatures, the terran's, were pretty advanced for such a young species, unfortunately they were too easy to manipulate.

You move to the nearest terminal, and without even touching it, hack into it's files. All the secrets of the base are at your finger tips. The layout was first, showing you where you were located, as well as labeling the other rooms of the base.

Very little of this interested you, except the location of the artifact. Although it was not labeled as such, there was a considerably advanced "holding" facility one level down. You'd have to find the nearest elevator, and pass through the ex-crew quarter's. Otherwise it was an easy task.

The last thing to catch your eye on the terminal is the current power status. Everything on this level was shutdown, however the lower level had sporadic power surges, enough to maintain auto-turret defensive units.

As the last of your peeking is through, you notice a far-off door open in the SCV bay. Although nothing seems to have entered, you can FEEL a prescence. It may just be your imagination, but it felt like a psionic mind was close, too close.


Vanessa-
You advance through the base, an eery feeling creeping along your spine. This feeling was amplified when you entered the SCV-bay. Large, ten-foot high machenes, half finished, sit along the sides of the bay on construction decks. And in the center of the area was a single, lit terminal. No terminal on this level has had power yet. If it haden't been for your own personal equipment, retrieving the information you had thus far would be impossible, so why was this lone terminal active?

Just as quickly, the terminal shuts down, and you feel a pinch in the back of your head. It's a psionic call, something you have, as a ghost, been attuned to slightly. Although your experiance is weak, you can tell when another psionic-entity, perhaps another ghost, is in the vacinty.


Lord of Flies-
The armory consumes you as you consume it. The two become one, and the room is stripped bare. An entire base's munitions lays dorment in your form as you stalk the base. Room after room you knock down the doors, making your way closer to the call.

You quickly come to a last hallway, at the end of which are out-of-power elevator shafts. One is bust open, perfect for small, crawling parasites to swarm though. The artifact continues to call in the distance, deeper and deeper, as you get closer and closer.

The damage you left in your wake was not without notice, but you were an almighty zerg entity, who cared little for meek creature's creations.


Rathus-

You stalked the lifeless world, little there to sustain you. You find simple creatures, small, almost meeningless to the universe. Somehow they find nutrients in the soil, as they have an natural ability to ingrain themselves. These simple life forms aside, you continue your search for the brood-lord call that pierced your thoughts.

In time, however, your search proves fruitful. You come to the precipice of a large valley. Below, you see the towering might of a zerg hatchery, the most common evolution among your species. The living structure, working much like an insects hive, pulsates with each passing second.

Below the structure are a number of more imposing figures. Three brood lords, which explains the strength of the signal, patrol the outlining valley. Among that, are many burrowed zergling. You cannot see them, but being one of their kind, you know too well the signs. A small army has amased, for what purpose your unsure. The base is small, and still developing, but it proves a neuscense if left to grow.

[Terraspaz]

Dammit! I didn't travel halfway across the universe just to be taken back in like some sort of pet... like some tool to be discarded. I got out of that once before, and I'm not going to be anyone's slave any more. No, no it's best to just find another planet. I'll just head back to the Chrys...

Rathus winced, realizing his fatal mistake. While he had a leaf of the Chrysallis with him, the rest remained completely unhidden, a giant luminescent beacon of his arrival. Those below were surely alerted to his presence, and would have patrols watching his pod. He could yet escape, but it would take time to grow another Chrysallis from the leaf on his back. Well, at least they can't sense me, like the rest of those drones. So I still have that on my side... ...so what do I do with it.

Rathus laid back against a pile of pebbles, planning and thinking. Well, I've gotta find out what they're up to, before I can think of anything else. So, that's priority one. ...I could find some of the fallen warriors, and awaken them to life, outside of the gaze of the Brood Lords. Then I could ask them what was going on...

Nodding in contentment, Rathus slid ever so slowly along the ridge, keeping an eye on the hatchery, and watching for any small patrols in the area. If he couldn't find a fallen zergling... well... ...he had firsthand experience on how to deal with live ones, and there's more than one way to find a fallen lifeform.

[Trulhammaren]

One level down, and with defenses as well. Not that they will probably detect me with that amount of power. But, I better keep my wits about me one never knows.

Disconnecting from the terminal and turning to head toward the nearest elevator Zerinal had a strong sense of awareness that he hadn't felt in a long while, another psionic presence. Looking around expecting to see the culprit, he was surprised when he did not immediately see the figure. The presence did not feel right for it to be a walker within the powers of the Void, those who to his knowledge where the only ones capable of hiding their presence.

Unless.....he knew the Terrans had members that were psionically oriented, ghosts they were called once they finished some kind of training that Zerinal had limited information about. Perhaps they had found a way to hide themselves without true access to the Void. This would require some looking into, but first things first. Who is the presence.....

Knowing that the power levels of the building shouldn't have been able to make the terminal accessible and he also knew that if there were a ghost in the area they would know the same thing.

Picking a place where he could, if needed, rush forward to activate his mind control crystal should the entity attempt to examine the cause of the terminal powering on. But that was a last resort option, not something he enjoyed doing if there were other options available.

[Mashimoto]

The Far Star was never designed as a ship of war. It was brutish and square and adorned with mismatching patters of giant metal sheets for shielding. Photon-cannons and laser batteries were haphazardly strewn across its sides, and much of the interior showed signs of constant renovation. Initially a freighter, it was commandeered by Coalition Navy before Jorryn Nell was even born. Some seventy years ago, when the Coalition of Worlds was in its infancy and most politicians in the Terran Empire humored it only as a political experiment inevitably doomed to fail.

It was a bold gambit. A handful of privately settled worlds opted for their own self-government, taxation, and military--effectively separating them from the golden teat of the Empire. The early years were rough. Starvation, family, technological dark-age and eventual insurrections that led to the conscription of The Far Star from the freight sector to the military.

In that time, it had served reliably through two dozen or more wars and conflicts, outlasting almost every other ship in Coalition Navy, which seemed to be replaced every decade or so--with the exception of The Far Star.

At the time of Jorryn Nell aboard the gunship, the Coalition Navy was reduced to its very dregs in the immediate aftermath of a devastating war with a neighboring Alliance of Pirate Worlds. It was a war that added a handful of mineral-rich planets to Coalition space, but nearly bankrupted the empire in the process, while also devastating its navy.

Nell was an experimental project viewed by many in Coalition Brass to be a valuble waste of resources. The manpower and funds that went into constructing his highly experimental personal-combat armor alone could have produced half a dozen interstellar fighters. The subatomic fusion slugs powering the thing could easily operate the main cannon on a Galaxy-Class battleship.

Yet, despite their arguments, Nell's battlesuit existed--and none could argue against its effectiveness. In it, the genetically-engineered Terran resembled something of a walking-tank-- nano-gen hydraulics enhanced his strength while monomolecular titanium fibers threaded themselves on the outside of the bulky machinery keeping out all but the strongest attacks. The pilot himself was quite the officer--a natural leader who had no formal education in the subject of command.

"Okay," Captain Hartigan spoke into the radio-headset within Nell's suit. "You can hear me? Good. We're deploying the landing pod in 3...2...hold on."

Nell had clamored into a squad, metal casket that barely accommodated his bulky, armored frame. In an instant, the pod shot itself towards the dull, gray surface of the moon below at bullet-speed.

"Remember, Nell. This is a weapons test, first and foremost, but this moon is in former Pirate space. There may be residual elements of their presence, not to mention alien life. You're out on the boondocks here, and if you need help, we won't be down there to help you--"

At this point, the pod had dropped the hundred or so kilometers to the planets surface, smashing into it and blowing a fresh steaming crater in the barren surface.

"Christ, Nell!" Hartigan shouted. "You could have at least deployed antigravity measures and landed nicely."

"Sorry," Nell croaked back through the suit microphone with a wry crooked smile on his face. "All systems normal. I guess we've proven it can withstand blunt force trauma and life support."

"Guess so," the captain responded. "Don't be a smartass. Remember, you're on your own from here out. Contact me with updates as you find them. Over."

"Sure thing, cap. Sure thing."

[Johel]

Silence.

No a sound beside the dying humming of the terminal...which screen switched off along its faith greenish light. Maybe the thing did go out of power ? Then maybe not.

Excess of care is better than lack of.

Vanessa waited, slowly and softly stepping to the side of the room as her googles adapted to the new level of light (or absence of such). Feeling the hard, metalic wall on her back was conforting.

And now, think...

The terminal could have shut down on its own. Lack of power would be the main reason. Because the modular aspect of Standard Schematics Construction, each and every component had redundancy in equipment, allowing limited autonomy. So even with a damaged main power supply, several subsystems of a facility could keep running on their own... for a time.

This, however didn't explain how the terminal powered on and activated itself.
This base had been overrun days ago. And for power economy reasons, it was standard procedure for most non-essential systems to power down on sleep mode if lacking activity ater a few hours.
Auxiliary computer terminal weren't suppose to be on stand by, let alone to be switched on, indicating a recent activity.

Conclusion : either the network's configuration was organized in opposition of all Confederate military regulations... or there was somebody alive here. Somebody that could use a computer, aka not one of those locust-like aliens the colons encountered a few month ago.

The Ghost activated her cloaking field, savoring the chill as electricity rolled along the suit, tickeling every inch of her skin as the photosensors adjusted to replicate the surrounding with near-perfect precision. A sot beep inside one of her neural implants confirmed her that the cloaking was on. The information was confirmed again by the small red signal at the left of her google's display, showing Vanessa the remaining level of the suit's batteries.

Vanessa then prepared.
She unclipped the light torch under her rifle.
Chances were high that the terminal's user was near. So, when she switched the torch on and threw across the room, toward the terminal, while moving on the left side as she did, it was a risky move.
The sudden light was mirrored with a mere second of lag by the cloaking device, resulting in a humanoid-shaped area of shadow on the wall. But it was gone before any human could react.

Having moved a dozen meters away from her initial position, she waved her rifle around, looking for her target to betray his own position.

[Trulhammaren]

The light drew Zerinal's attention immediatly, what he little he saw was a great relief to him. What little bit of shadow the light had given off upon it's activation was very brief, but long enough for Zerinal to conclude that the entity in the room with him was not Protoss in origin.

So the Terran have found ways to hide their presence. Interesting, I must learn of this technology. Knowing that he would not stay where he was if he has activated the light source Zerinal attuned his mind to narrowing down the location of the psionic energies the Terran, or so he assumed, in order to make friendly contact. After all, if there are any unknown threats to his person within the base, then surely a Terran would know.

Eliminating the possibility that the person was to his left, Zerinal broadcast his thoughts to the rest of the room. Greetings Terran. I mean you no harm. I do not wish to interfere with whatever it is you are doing here, although I would be interested in asking more about how you have managed to hide your presence like you have, I was unaware the Terran had such technology. I am not your enemy, I am willing to allow myself to be seen as an offer of peaceful intent. Is this acceptable to you?

[DMBlackhart]

Rathus-
The "base" was expanding, so slow, yet it was there. Another lifeform began it's formation, a large, spiral like entity was being birthed from the unison of many mutating drones.

This was of little concern to you at the moment however. What WAS interesting was the outlining levels of the valley. There were three distinct "levels" of narrow cliff side before you reached the base of the indent in the earth. Along each you could see faint markings of burrowing. However you were unsure of how far these defenses stretched, or what power they hide.

Closer to you came a brood lord, floating well out of range, it's very digusting form maliscious to your intents. If it were to get too much closer, you'd be revealed, and the enemy could act with purpose against you.


Jorryn Nell-
You hit soft, loose earth. The planet was covered in it. This particular moon was ill-formed, and would no doubt periodically collapse in areas. However this was little concern to you. What WAS concerning was the small gathering of lifeforms in the distance. No normal man could have seen it, but with your advanced technology you are able to spot a gathering of "insectile" lifeforms, gathering around what you first assume to be a plant of some sort.

The lifeforms are still unsuspecting of you, and their party is small, easy test subjects for your new toy.

[Johel]

...am not your enemy, I am willing to allow myself to be seen as an offer of peaceful intent. Is this acceptable to you?

Now, that's unexpected...
Usually, people would panic when they notice a ghost, especially if they are alone, in a dark room, with no way to pin point their future doom's movements.

Not only the intruder remained incredibly calm...but he (she ? it ?) answered right back at Vanessa, directly in her head, in a way only high-level psychics were capable of.

With her neural dampeners wide open, it wasn't a problem for her to get the message. Actually, she could nearly ear the alien whispering his surface thoughts...without getting a single word, as the alien was thinking in his own language.

Against an untrained, weaker mind, she would have gotten pictures too. Flashes of his deeper thoughts, maybe even be able to "see" through his eyes... but the alien was disciplined and strong-willed, in addition of having far more practice with telepathy than Vanessa herself, as proves what followed.

Ghosts don't like the company of other ghosts and for a good reason : since they can get what others are thinking, bringing two ghosts together amounts to create titanic echoes of both minds in both heads at once. Messy and painful to the point of sickness. Training reduces this effect to a certain point. Neural dampeners, when closed, can completely cancel it.

But confused as she was by the sudden polite and ordered telepathic message, Vanessa forgot briefly her training. As for the neural dampeners, she had opened them precisely to be able to read minds...with the undesirable effect that other psychics could read her own. For a fellow ghost, that would just have been a bit messy. For the Protoss, that was like a live concert of heavy metal. Among the mental screaming, Zerinal got this :
WhAt tHe HeLl Is ThAt ThInG ?...CaN I tRuSt It ?...Of CoUrSe YoU CaN'T, yOu sIlLy !! StAnDaRd pRocEduRe :"

Flashes of dozens of people, murdered in dozen of very imaginative ways, with a cold, quick, professional efficiency, burst in the mind of the protoss.

BuT tHaT tHiNg cAn CLOAK tOo...HoW thE HEll aM I gOiNg to AiM iTs hEAd ? DoEs iT eVeN hAvE a HeaD ? DAmN ... aNd thAt sUiT iS tHiGh !! GuEsS pReViOus mODel wasn't REVEALING eNouGh fOr tHe tOp bRaSsEs tO gEt tHeIr BoNer lOoKiNg At ME...
Oh stop, stop... Focus, Vanessa, focus !! So, that thing... What do I do ? Oh, to hell !! I just have to tell it yes. I can't see it, it can't see me. Whoever sees the other first get an edge. If I feel like shooting it when it shows itself, I can always do it. And if I don't... Well, with the neural dampeners that wide open, I can... Wait a minute... Why don't I get more than a whisper from that thing and... Oh crap !!
And that was all what the alien got from the short yet intense internal monologue of the confused ghost. The next second, left hand at her ear, Vanessa increased the dampener's frequency to normal level, allowing her to both not listen to parasite thoughts and not broadcast any for fellow psychics to read.

Vanessa took a few more seconds before pacing slowly around the room, following the walls, looking for any sign of movement while letting the eery feeling guide her.

[Mashimoto]

"Lifeforms detected. Insectoid appearance." Nell says into his commlink as he strolls towards them. "Potentially intelligent, certainly social. Approaching with interest. Transmitting live video feed, any ID on them?"

[Trulhammaren]

The onslaught of panicked thoughts and images surprised Zerinal, but only for a few moments. Listening to her thoughts while he was able he began to better understand the kind of training, or lack there of as the case may be, the Terrans would put their psionically gifted through. Beginning to think it might be better for him to just sneak past and continue his search for the artifact, a nagging feeling would not let him just leave knowing how potentially unstable this person's mind was. Best to leave her with a choice.

I apologize if I startled you, I will let you calm your thoughts, but I must get back to my search. If you wish, I can help you to better control your mind. I will be making my way to a holding facility a level below, if my offer interests you. If you need to find me just call for Zerinal. He broadcast to the room.

Being as silent as he could, he began to make his way to the passageway that the terminal had indicated had the nearest elevator down.

[Gunther]

The Lord of the Flies could not help but feel endless glee in the carnage it produced as it pounded through the hallways. Heavy blast doors shredded under the weight of the guns it had stolen, ammunition belts spraying out of its body as it forced itself between openings. Laughter rang from the dozens of larvae that composed its body, each one slithering between cracks and bullet holes until- eventually- it reached the bust-open elevator shaft.

Its fell and terrible glee grew as it began to funnel through the breach, its amorphous form letting out a howl as it came closer and closer to the artifact. It would reach the Xel'Naga's remnant device, and when it reached the device, it would consume it, contort about it, it would absorb it into its form and wield the enervating energy it possessed for itself. It would take the power calling to it and bend it to its will, and when it finally controlled that power, it would convert this entire planet into a home for the Swarm. A new planet, upon which all life was categorized, developed, and eventually transformed into newer and more glorious creations!

Grabbing onto the line shaft, its massive form began to slowly descend, new limbs forming out of grappling larvae as it crawled downwards. Power cables hissed and sputtered as makeshift legs pressed against them, the guns it had stolen pointed downwards. Oh, how it would make this whole planet one giant, larvae-ridden parasite. Organisms would bloom with life, vast armies forming from little more than biomass! The atmosphere would be stripped of life, the minerals of the world consumed and converted into new forms! New breeds of glorious life!

And in the end?

The Lord of the Flies would reign supreme.

[DMBlackhart]

Jorryn Nell-
You head nearer to where you saw the biosignatures, and scarce movement. The group of alien creature's seem to have vanished into thin air. All that remained was a opened, flower-esque pod. It is similar to an insect's chrysillis in shape and life signatures.

The pod is damaged, having been damaged, possibly by the scavenger's you saw before. The alien entity may be capable of surviving off this material.

As you patrol the area, examining the chrysillis, you are suddenly caught off gaurd by the rushing of four large, reptile-esque aliens.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.deviantart.com/download/90539613/zergling_by_Nik_Ants.jpg&imgrefurl=http://hakim-makala.home4blogs.in/10042216/zergling/&usg=__d00jN3rUYVoXHB6UNP-xvzO40Ng=&h=960&w=1280&sz=308&hl=en&start=0&tbnid=DieHbTvUBpC1DM:&tbnh=119&tbnw=159&prev=/images%3Fq%3DZergling%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN% 26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7ACAW_enUS342US342%26biw%3D117 4%26bih%3D539%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=390&ei=XcRlTLaNDoXUtQPIqM3yDA&oei=XcRlTLaNDoXUtQPIqM3yDA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&tx=89&ty=80

The small pack of creatures had appeared right from the earth below you, dirt and gravel spraying to all sides. The pack is quickly apon you, giving you little breathing room.
(Each one is 3 spaces away, and closing. So do what you will do)


Vannesa-
A door to the south end of the room, which had once been opened, had been forced shut. With the power inactive this shoulden't have been possible, or perhaps it could have been a surge in electricity to this sector.

Regardless you recieve no future mental calls, and are unable to pintpoint the protoss scout that was possibly still in this room.


Lord of Flies-
You push your way down through the elevator shaft, every bit of mechanical structure being covered in scraps and dents as your form rushes through the passage. Wires are snapped, leading to the collapse of a partly-suspended elevator only a few yards down. This lands with a resounding *CRASH* before you reach the end.

By the time you hit the bottom of the shaft, you have caused considerable desctrution. A wake of chaos and ruin is your signature as you make your way deeper into the facility.

You pass around the ruine elevator unit, crawling out into the stale air below. Another halllway stand sbetween you and your goal, however the hall is lengthy, further then your collective senses can view.

Along the edges of the hall are destroyed rooms. Every couple yards another door is forced open or destroyed, leading into a seperate cubicle of carnage and gore. Terran's lay scattered across the hall and in their seperate rooms, their injuries looking obvious of zerg attacks. This is further enforced by the few zergling and larval corpses you find scattered through the wake.


Zerinal-
You come to the elevator shaft as quietly as possible. You notice the hallway that you pass through is in utter ruin. Many tiny scratches and dents are set in the walls, floor and cieling. The path of mechanical ruin seems to head to the elevator shaft, it is possible an alien swarm had passed through here at a time, whicfh would explain the bases current ruined status.

However some of the marks seem fresh.

You come to the dual-elevation chambers. One is entirely ruined, nothing more then a shaft leading into darkness, and the lower levels. The other is still held together, but without power is of little use. You could move it with your mind, but that may take TOO much effort on your part.

[Mashimoto]

"Hostile aliens, engaging."

The hydraulics in the suit whizzed and purred, and two slots on the robotic thighs hissed open, revealing the handles of two submachine guns. Jorryn watched through his visor's HUD as the automated crosshairs locked onto the aliens, giving a vector-readout of threat-assessment Drawing his submachine guns, he begins to run backwards, away from them, while firing two torrents of lead at the nearest target.

Combat Statistics
Sight: 11
Range: 7
Speed: 9
Armor: 10
Damage: 27
Hit Points: 450

[Terraspaz]

"No, no, that's not good... maybe I'd be better served to deal with something farther away from this base... at least I'll have a head start to prepare for what's coming." Rathus slowly sulked away, and then broke into a full retreat from the base.

After a few short minutes of walking, tiny but fierce crashes echoed from in front of Rathus, booming over the landscape. Dashing towards the top of the hill, he sees four zerglings closing in around some being clad in metal.

Well, four is definitely a more manageable number than 400! And heck, maybe that metal thing can help somehow! Rathus raced down the gravel hill, Chrysallis leaf flapping behind him, spines firm and ready.

Combat Statistics

Hit Points: 225
Sight: 5
Speed: 9
Regen: 10
Armor: 2
Damage: 20
Attacks: 2

[DMBlackhart]

OoC- I COMPLETELY forgot to explain combat. I'll do so at my next opprotunity. As it stands you can't attack & move (in the same turn) without some sort of ability to allow it. So, im assuming your shooting Mashimoto.

Jorryn Nell-
The sound of gun fire and destruction rained out through the barren landscape. *clak clak clak* it was a quick, clean kill. Most of the rounds piercing the creature's head. You had taken one down quick enough, and turned your attention to the other two. They were almost apon you, insectoid/reptilian hybrid forms prepared to tear through your suit, and expose you to the vaccum of space, and their stomachs.

One leaps after another, tearing through the sky with high pitched *Skreeeeee*'s. However, only inches from your position, they fall flat and strike the earth, limp and lifeless. Portruding from each lifeform was a slender, blade-like spine. It seemed organic, like deep-colored bone. The spines were now covered in alien blood, and the owner of the blade-spines stood right there, only feet from you.

It wasen't terran, that's for sure. It had a humanoid form, but was clearly alien like the things you had just fought.


Rathus-
You dashed down the crater left by your crysillis, at the bottom of which the "iron-man" was unloading round after glorious mechanical round into the zergling scouts. The entity had only taken out one of the things before the other two were apon him. But before they had a chance to dig into his heavy metal armor, you were there, spine blades ready, posed to strike.

With two short, sweet slices the zergling where dropped. You impaled one on each arm, and as the metal-man watched in surprise you non-chalantly shook the dead zergling off your blades.

(There were only 3 btw. Dunno if I typo'd)

[Johel]

And so it was gone.

Catch you latter : you'll have to come back up if you are to exit this building.

Still cautious, Vanessa searched the whole room, making sure the alien couldn't just be hiding. When she was sure of his disappearance, she picked up her torch, clipped it back under her rifle's cannon, waited for a second then, as nothing happened, she deactivated her cloaking field and used the torch to look around with even more care.

As nobody has shot her or tried to eat her brain yet, she relaxed her grip on the weapon. She then gave a closer look at the southern door.

Force shut... Like they wanted to keep something out... or seal it in ?

She could hack the door's terminal to open it.
But doing so without being sure of what was behind... Not a smart move.

The Ghost walked to the wall terminal the alien had used, now switched off, and looked at it closer, using the Moebius Reactor as an autonomous power source for it.
Once the thing would be on, she would search for three things.
First, what that alien had been searching.
Second, an up-to-date plan of the facility.
Third, and most important, the security logs.
If there was any information about why the door was shut, it would be in the logs : tactical orders, internal notes, quarantine measure, maybe even archives from the security cams...

OOC :
A map of the Command Center would be great.
Or at least a general draft as to where we have to go.

[DMBlackhart]

OoC-
Unfortunately I do not have maps for anything yet. I personaly have very little skill mapping things. So as it stands we won't have maps for some time.

Vanessa-
The terminal lights up, feeding off your own power to keep running. The terminal still contains all the bases information, however it is limited in actions, due to the sporadic power loss.

It seems, from the last entry on the terminal, that the protoss had been looking at the bases "containment" sector. This location, deep in the command center's bowels, was normally used to store minerals or other misc. supplies. However the terminal gave a different read-out. It seems the containment sector is giving off an almost insane amount of power, enough to fuel all of the command center if you needed to. Whatever the source is, most be very dangerous, or exotic.

You then continue with your search of the base's information. Next comes up the center's layout and blueprints. It seems there are a number of places left unvisited. (Red, unvisited)


Bunks- One level down, general housing for all personnel. Adjacent hallway retains remote power.
Command Bay- The entrance bay to the command center.
Infirmary- One level down, all purpose medical bay, still retains remote power.
Operations Room- One level up, Contains all the command center's information and data, as well as serving as a "war room".
SCV-Maintenance Bay- Current location, contains no power. Self Explanitory use.


With the layout in hand, you continue your search, trying to access all the data possible. This specific terminal revealed little information. Most of it's logs and data concern the SCV-bay. However with a little clever hacking your able to access Security Cameras for the Infirmary and Adjacent Hallway in the lower levels.

As for information to this exact room, there is nothing to not security measures that haven't already been applied. In case of mass-power failure all doors are to remain sealed open for quick and efficiant evacuation. In the case of a malfunction in the bay there are fire-extinguishing turrets as well as auto-turrets to handle any possible situation. (from mechanical malfunction, to explosions). There even seems to be a manual over-ride for the SCV Bay's main functions (repairing and putting together SCVs). However all of these actions require much more power then you have on you.

[Trulhammaren]

Damn, there must be a better way down. Turning back he decided to take another look at some of the markings, some of them looked decidedly to fresh for when this base was originally attacked.

{insert whatever he finds}

Interesting.....I should warn the Terran....and perhaps she might know of a better way to get down a level. Surely there must be a passage that doesn't require power to allow access.

OOC
I can try my hand again at some rudimentary mapping. I was kinda planning on doing something for my buildings in the first place, after all almost every single one of my things are custom. It may take me a couple days before I can get started on anything like that as I am in the process of moving downtown and I have to refind all of my computer stuff that isn't my laptop.

[Mashimoto]

Jorryn mentally operates the computer on his HUD, wiring it to transmit everything he heard and saw back to The Far Star.

The SMG's fell to his sides, clenched in his steel fists.

"You are on a coalition system," Jorryn droned out. "Under jurisdiction of the Coalition Marines I demand identification."

[Terraspaz]

"Coalition what? Look stranger, this is just another version of hell out in the void, same as many others." Rathus bent down, collecting various scattered parts of one of the creatures he had cut apart, dragging them about 20 feet from the damaged Chrysallis. "Though you can certainly bet that those contraptions on your arms have summoned a boatload more of them on the way. They've got a sizeable base a few hills over that way, and forces in numbers that would bury us." Rathus took a deep breath, focusing on his own vitality, and forging a link between himself and the broken zergling. He felt the fluids begin coursing through the creature once again, and it growled and crackled as the zergling crawled to it's feet. The creature looked blankly up at Rathus, awaiting direction.

"I'm Rathus, and right now, you and I are the only friends we have on this awful rock. I suggest we get out of here. Now."

[Gunther]

The Zerg creature, seeing its fellow creations fallen dead to the hands of the Terrans, let out a shrill scream at seeing so much wasted life. It would need to find a way to recycle these carcasses later on...after it obtained the precious artifact it sought for. Not to waste, however, its form washed over the dead bodies, the larvae consuming each and every corpse in a gory splattering of blood and bodily fluids. Rending, chitinous mandibles tore apart the bodies inside the armor piece by piece. Guns were hefted upwards, joining the conglomeration of firepower. Power conduits in each suit were torn open, raw energy funneling into the mass as its psionic powers grew. Tossing back empty, gore-slick suits of armor the Lord of the Flies progressed further onward.

Soon, very soon, it would have what it came here. And when that time came?

The Swarm would grow tenfold in power, and none would dare question the psychic might of the new King of the Brood.

[Johel]

While the "containment" area was enough to attract her curiosity, she had a mission and better focus on it.

If Vanessa already got the codes she had come for :

And with a alien intruder smart enough to sniff around and use a Confederacy's terminal, the whole place was now more of a liability than an asset for the Umojan Protectorate.

Getting out of here... and then call the Singapore* for a orbital strike.

The Ghost made a clean exit from the terminal's network and then switched off the power feed. She then proceeded to the exit, not willing to spend more time here than necessary.

If Vanessa doesn't have the codes yet :

And with a alien intruder smart enough to sniff around and use a Confederacy's terminal, the risk of leak was too important for her to daydream around.

Let's proceed to Position 5. I have to find a way up to the Operations Room.

And so she started walking again, rifle at the ready.

As Vanessa progressed, she started the recording again, feeding it the data she just had recovered from the terminal. Then she commented :

Contact with intruder. Alien in origin, with telepathic capacity and some kind of cloaking field, albeit more sophisticated than ours. Not outrightly hostile.
The creature was able to access the data network of CC-0965.
It also probed my mind. No idea of what it found.
Should the alien exit the building, possibility of information leak. Orbital strike recommended once the mission is completed and the codes secured.
Resuming mission as per previous instructions.

The message wouldn't be sent before she exited the building...or before she died trying. But still, it was the procedure.

* : the UPSS Singapore, a Chimera-class starship, used as the flagship of the 14th Umojan Protectorate Task Force.

[DMBlackhart]

Zerinal- You return from the elevator shaft. As you make your way to the SCV-bay to locate the terrain, you cannot help but brood on the images you saw.

It was undecidedly alien in origin. However, unlike most of the damage to this structure, these markings were fresh. A creeping ichor oozed off of the halls on your way back, and gun fire and damage to the walls were plenty.

You could only assume it had to be some fight. Perhaps alien life form still exists within the complex. And if that is the case, you will need to be more careful then before.

Finally you return to the SCV-bay. However, apon returning you cannot link to the female terran "vanessa"'s mind. It seems either she is absent, or cloaked. In either case there is little want for her to reveal herself.

Vanessa- I will get to your post after the other 2 are done here alright?

Lord of Flies- You push through the carnage of a past conflict. The bodies of both terran and zerg being consumed by your self horde. Deliscious sustinance fueled from the rotting carcasses of fallen bretheren, and foe alike.

You continue to press through the hallway, the inhuman call of the xel'naga technology awaiting just at the end. However, a power surge see's to it you are halted, in a feirocious and dibilitating way.

Jets of flame rip through the walls and floors. It seems that, whatever turrets weren't destroyed before, are active now. A spray of volitile flammable gel washes over your larval horde. The gel ignites on contact, and your body is awash with fire!

(so, if it is or isen't important, 15 damage this turn. List any applicable statistics for your turn please.)

[Ilena]

Curious, Aszagal watchs as the shuttle that dropped me off from the carrier leaves. Watching it gain altitude, she turns back to the scene before her, body naturally invisible to all but the most advanced life forms and technology. Three options are open to her, 3 choices .... but its the spire that tugs her sense of being. She hops down the loose gravel slope, doing her best to avoid anything that will slide and give away her possition, hoping from large rock to large rock. She might be invisible but her tracks are not.

[Mashimoto]

"Coalition what? Look stranger, this is just another version of hell out in the void, same as many others." Rathus bent down, collecting various scattered parts of one of the creatures he had cut apart, dragging them about 20 feet from the damaged Chrysallis. "Though you can certainly bet that those contraptions on your arms have summoned a boatload more of them on the way. They've got a sizeable base a few hills over that way, and forces in numbers that would bury us." Rathus took a deep breath, focusing on his own vitality, and forging a link between himself and the broken zergling. He felt the fluids begin coursing through the creature once again, and it growled and crackled as the zergling crawled to it's feet. The creature looked blankly up at Rathus, awaiting direction.

"I'm Rathus, and right now, you and I are the only friends we have on this awful rock. I suggest we get out of here. Now."

"Jorryn Nell, nice to meet you." The Terran soldier lowers his submachine guns, but keeps them in his hands. "This moon is in recently-taken Coalition space. You say there's a zerg hive here? That's not on any of our records... My ship is just above, we can return to it in my recon-craft." He indicates the crater behind him with a point.

He switches on his radio and speaks quietly into it.

"We've got a Zerg here--not openly hostile. Alleged colony on the surface. I'm taking him back to the Far Star. In the meanwhile--run some goddamn scans on this planet, will you? He claims there's a large military base of operations near current location. Requesting Pegasus-Drone for extraction."

Jorryn begins to lead the way towards the extraction point of his drop-pod.

A Pegasis Drone is an automated recovery craft that flies from space to land and magnetically recovers deployed drop pods (with or without people inside of them)

[Gunther]

The massive creature could only laugh as the flames licked against its body. Fire harmlessly fluttered against the psychic shields it had erected, before the searing heat eventually subsiding as its power was devoted more towards healing its fleshy form. These fiery turrets were little more than a nuisance- and though they sprayed it with fire, they did not know that which they dealt with!

Its voice turned into a shrill battle cry as it focused on one turret at a time, annihilating the machines with furious strikes, all the while firing the guns it had salvaged non-stop. Telekinetic bursts on each trigger fired the weapons, the amorphous form- bristling with small arms- unleashing torrents of untold carnage in conjunction with its telekinetic strikes. When the last of the turrets were destroyed, it would infest them, securing its flank against any others that would dare crave the artifact's blessed touch!

Shield: 0
Shield Regeneration: 2
Regen: 15
Hit Points: 55
Armor: 2
Type(s): Biological, Ground, Psionic
Armor: Medium
Damage: 6
Attacks: 1
Target(s): Ground, Air, Medium
Range: 6

[Terraspaz]

"Well, it certainly is better than loitering around here, I'll wager. " Taking a deep breath, Rathus clenches his jaw, crouching down near another of the two zerglings, and relaxing as the creature's eyes dart open, and it looks blankly around.
"Now, you two keep watch on top of that ridge, and if you see anything coming, run back here, okay? Don't try to attack them, just come straight back." The creatures nod with a blank understanding, and scurry off toward the top of the nearby ridge.

"I don't know what sort of craft you came here with, but I hope it's either fast, or powerful. Whatever our plan is, we don't have a lot of time, Jorrynnell."

This creature's definitely not like anything I've seen before... I wonder if I can trust him. But then, I don't wager I have much choice, do I.

[Mashimoto]

"Well, it certainly is better than loitering around here, I'll wager. " Taking a deep breath, Rathus clenches his jaw, crouching down near another of the two zerglings, and relaxing as the creature's eyes dart open, and it looks blankly around.
"Now, you two keep watch on top of that ridge, and if you see anything coming, run back here, okay? Don't try to attack them, just come straight back." The creatures nod with a blank understanding, and scurry off toward the top of the nearby ridge.

"I don't know what sort of craft you came here with, but I hope it's either fast, or powerful. Whatever our plan is, we don't have a lot of tim, Jorrynnell."

This creature's definitely not like anything I've seen before... I wonder if I can trust him. But then, I don't wager I have much choice, do I.

"It's both. I got here on a recon craft just back there, we can ride it back into the atmosphere. Before we board the ship, though, I'm going to need you to surrender any weapons you might have. Nothing personal--just protocol."

[DMBlackhart]

Lord of Flies-
Despite the ruined state of the flame turrets, their metal casings hold expertly against your onslaught. It takes the bulk of your larval form just to damage a single turret, and even then you are not able to out right destroy one before it receeds into the wall.

It seems that, thanks to the power surges, the turrets are now switching from a closed position within the wall, to the more imposing mounted position outside of the wall. This is causing new waves of turrets to pop up. Over-all it seems you have 3 distinct waves to manage.

The first is the weakest wave you met. Strong enough to shut down your shields, but not enough to damage you further then your body can't naturally heal. The second wave of turrets pops up next, the last set receeding into the wall. This wave is much larger, and will prove to be the most imposing. Fortunately however even this wave is small enough for you to shrug off most of the damage.

The third wave is the most impossing, a larger grouping of turrets juts out, delivering heavy damage, however it seems these sets of turrets remain receeded the longest.

Fire continues to fill the room, the "friendly fire" of the turret's flames unfortunately causing most of the weapons to hurt themselves more then you.

(( 20 damage this turn)) ((You delt 6 to a single turret))

Mashimoto- If I recalll your first post mentions a drop pod. Not a space shuttle. *shrugs*

[Terraspaz]

"I'm not exactly in the mood to hand over my defenses to a stranger who I just met. It's moot, though, as all I'm carrying is this leaf, and I assure you, it's of no danger to you. Now, do you mind expediting our departure? You don't want what's over that ridge finding us here."

[Mashimoto]

Jorryn Nell hammers a few digits into the large keypad on the side of the drop-pod conveyor. The planet the moon is orbiting crests over the lip of the crater, looking like a mountain with glimmering stars behind. A hum grew in the distance as the drop-pod collector thrummed into the moon's miniscule atmosphere.

"Come on, get in the pod. Recovery in 10." Jorryn climbs into the pod, and prepares enough room for the zerg to squeeze in.

[Trulhammaren]

Where could she have gone..... Unable to make a psionic link, Zerinal turned to less sophisticated methods. Searching the ground on the room Zerinal looked for any signs that might tell him which direction the Terran had went, scuff marks, disturbed dust, residual energy signature that he could sense, anything.

[DMBlackhart]

Zerinal- It doesen't take you long to pick up on the psionic trail of the terran female. The trail is faint, however, due to a mixture of her own ability to mask the "scent" as well as the time that lapsed between your last visit. The path leads out of the SCV bay, and ultimately leads towards the command center's entrance. You can leave the complex, following after the mysterious entity whom dissapeared as quickly as she arrived; Or perhaps you can continue, follow the haunting call of the xel'naga artifact. It's voice piercing your own ambigous thoughts.

Jorryn Nell & Rathus- I am to assume you are stocking up in a cramped drop pod for 10 minutes with the zerg guy? If not, please correct me so I may correct my post.

You and the zerg clamber into the pod, trying best to keep as comfortable as possible during your momentary stay. However it's well before the recovery ship shows up that other, unexpected company, shows up.

Outside the pod, first it was sensed by the zerg, then by your own sensory equipment. A small horde. The life signs are very similar to the things you had recently fought.

The pack of alien lifeforms are only a minute off. Unfortunately meening you have little more then a minute to prepare for the inevitable, and a crippling nine minutes to fend off the invaders, and survive before you can see the safety of the coalition's starships again.

[Mashimoto]

"Sh*t..." Nell hammers into his commlink with the ship. "Incoming...if you're not busy or anything, do you think you could hurry it up a bit, please? And get ready for an orbital bombardment as soon as we're up."

He turns to the zerg and hammers keys into the panel, the door slides up with a hydraulic hiss.

"Nothing we can do but fight. Let's get to the top of the ridge, though. The bottom of this crater is exactly the worst place we can be right now."

Nell starts to sprint up the crater incline, towards the rocky lip. When he reaches the top, he pulls his assault rifle from the carrying case on his back and scans the horizon for the incoming enemy.

[Gunther]

Let fire cascade over it! Let the flames boil its outer layers away, and let the heat bring forth new layers underneath! Its body was malleable, its essence was refined, and even as the machines harmed themselves to get at the psychic gestalt with their flames, it could not help but revel! Adding to the damage with a continuous barrage, the Lord of the Flies slithered past the turrets, raking them with fire as it went, its psionic barriers now intent on lessening the damage as it continued to heal.

Shield: 0
Shield Regeneration: 2
Regen: 15
Hit Points: 52
Armor: 2
Type(s): Biological, Ground, Psionic
Armor: Medium
Damage: 6
Attacks: 1
Target(s): Ground, Air, Medium
Range: 6

[DMBlackhart]

The Lord of Flies- It really HAS become pointless at this pont to continue this little "combat" scenerio, so unless your having fun with it im going to skip slightly ahead.

The conflict continued, you tore at the turrets as they themselves burnt each other to a cinder. Soon nothing was left in the room but decay, melted debris, ash, and you. You, the lord of flies, still stood tall, moving ever so closer to your goal.

The door was now just inches from your grotesque form. The door was heavy, a very durable metal which you are certain you'd never be able to break. However, this proved little obstacle, as the minute you came to the door, a surge of psionic energy erupted from inside, and your own mental capacities fused and surged with that inside, forcing the door open.

Inside you could see it. A glowing artifact. Something of beauty to others, something of worship, and mystery to your protoss cousins. As well as something of use to you. These artifacts remind of a time when there were no zerg nor protoss. There were only a super powered race of impossibly powerful entities. Now that this race is dead, you plan to claim their spot in the universe. Amass a new army under a new power. And this symbol collection of energies, traped in a single block of carved metal, would do it for you.

The artifact looked simply like a rounded piece of metal. Much like a coin, with indents along the side, similar to a gear.

The black metal glowed blue as you approached closer, it's heat threatning to melt you to ash. However, it never did. The artifact could never harm you. You knew of it's origins, and you know how to use it. And so, it must bend to your will.

[Trulhammaren]

Try to find the Terran or go back to his search and deal with the whatever it was that was down where he wanted to be. The decision was a tough one one Zerinal's part, but soon his mind was made up for him. A surge of psionic energy bombarded the area for a brief second, but that was enough to cause him to turn back.

If that thing has gotten to the artifact, then I may be to late to get it back, but I might be able to stop it from leaving this area alive. Running back to where he had seen the Vespen Storage Bay earlier in his search. If I can get the vespene gases to ignite then it might just cause a large enough explosion to at least collapse the building, hopefully I will be able to escape in time.

Getting to the storage bay, Zerinal amassed all of the psionic energy that he could muster and focused it directly into the mass of gas canisters in order to magnify the destructive energy of his weapon. When he had done all that he could, he backed up as far as he could toward the exit before firing a shot and running.

[Terraspaz]

"Not even here a day, and I hate this planet already. Hope those soundmakers on your arms are worth the noise, Jorrynnell!" Rathus charged up the hill behind Jorryn, towards the top of the ridge, and the two zerglings that awaited at the top. leaf fluttering behind him.

"Just go back! We don't want anything to do with you! Leave us in peace!!!" Rathus screamed out towards the advancing mob, spines all the while bracing for impacts

HP: 175/225 (assuming 2 turns of regen)
Energy: 30/90
Damage: 20
Attacks: 2
Armor: 2

And with two zerglings in tow, whatever stats those have.