Wow! I actually wrote chapter five! I really have to get on the ball and
write faster! Everybody cross your fingers with me!
Let me know if there is a problem with this post!
I do not own Starcraft, nor Ranma 1/2. I am writing this
because I have great affection for both. I am making no money from
this, nor make any sort of pretensions to ownership of either. I do
hope, however, to receive C&C for this work!
Warning, possible spoilers for the game Starcraft lie herein.
I have changed the plot of the game's storyline somewhere near the
end of the first Act, but enough suggestions are, and will be, made
such that you will know how the game went along originally. You
have been warned!
Another tip o the hat to Louis-Philippe Giroux for giving this
chapter the once-over for me. Now it is up to you. See something
wrong? Have questions? Have suggestions? I'd like to hear from
you! I'll take short notes saying you loved this story, and I'll
take notes and mails that offer constructive criticism even more
eagerly! Just no flames, thank you very much.
OK, what has gone on before: Well, a lot in some ways, and not
much at all in others. If you really want to know, go read the
first four chapters. That really is the best way to find out. This
will hopefully be the last of the 'background' chapters, as I am
calling them. Chapter 3 was a good example of a 'background'
chapter. Do not worry, the plot will start advancing more quickly,
starting with the end of this chapter, and continuing into future
ones.
Second Star
Written By: Michael D. Rever
Chapter 5: Hello, my name is Mud
Ranma was, once again, asleep. But it was not like the sleeps
he has been having for the past several days. No, this was a *good*
sleep. One of those deep, dreamless, disembodied experiences that
all sleeps aspire to be. One of those naps from which a person
wakes up rested, alert, full of piss and vinegar, and ready to take
on the world. One of those sleeps that makes you feel like you're
lying naked on a down-filled comforter, surrounded by warmth and
security. Somewhere deep inside Ranma's mind, something purred.
That purring turned more into a squawk when a sudden feeling of
vertigo thrust itself into that serenity, and pain blossomed
throughout his head. Oh, well.
*Damn! That hurts* Ranma thought while rubbing the back of
his head furiously. With his eyes shut, and still rubbing his head,
he awkwardly stood up and started bouncing from one foot to another.
Slowly opening one eye, he squinted at the form of his 'guest' that
stood before him. "Whadja do that for? Damn! First good nap I
get, and I get treated like a freakin side of beef!"
It could be said that he was a little....grumpy.
That did not last long however, as the pain in the back of his
head quickly faded and he remembered more of where he was and
exactly who it was that woke him up. Standing up straighter, he
looked at the woman. Currently she was giving him a look that
promised severe pain if he tried anything stupid.
Naturally Ranma either did not recognize the look, ignored it,
or thought it was meant for somebody else.
Gathering himself a bit he locked eyes with his now-awake
patient for a few seconds, before he bowed to her slightly and said,
'Saotome Ranma desu. Onamae wa."
His guest looked at him with a startled expression. "What?"
A sweatdrop appeared on the back of Ranma's neck. "I said my
names Ranma Saotome. What's yours?"
The woman raised her eyebrows slightly and looked curious
before responding, "I'm Kerrigan."
Ranma waited a bit, but it became obvious that that was all she
was going to say. OK, he would have to break the ice. *Maybe I
should make sure she still isn't hurt or something.* "So, errr,
your body looks good." Never let it be said that Ranma couldn't
carry on a conversation and be witty when he wanted to be.
The woman who had identified herself as Kerrigan narrowed her
eyes and answered dryly, "Thanks."
"Listen kid," she continued, "I want some answers. The last
thing I remember was climbing a mountain and getting hit into a
wall. Then I woke up here. Why?"
Ranma was starting to get a bit tired of the woman's
standoffish attitude. "Yeah, well the last time I saw you awake,
you were about to get up close and personal with some big, ugly
Zerg. If I didn't show up right then, ya wouldn't be awake right
now!"
Slowly Kerrigan relaxed and she let out a small breath.
"You're right. Thanks. When I saw the Hydralisk, I thought I was
dead." She placed her hand on one of the larger rips in her
uniform. "And thanks for patching me up."
"Hey, no problem! I was just about to go get some dinner, you
hungry?"
Kerrigan hesitated, then admitted, "I could use something to
eat." The loud rumbling that suddenly emanated from her stomach
backed up her statement.
"So, where exactly are we?" Kerrigan asked around a small bite
of meat, cooked courtesy of Ranma.
"Well," Ranma began, biting into his own dinner, "we're in a
cave at the top of a mountain. Other than that, I don't know."
Ranma was actually pretty relaxed. At first he had been a bit
worried and uptight about the girl, and how she might react to the
camping lifestyle the sparse furnishings in the cave forced on them.
However, she did not complain and actually accepted things as
normal, adapting quickly to the situation. Ranma was *very* used to
being around strong women who were fighters and survivors, and he
was glad he would not have to watch out for her. Much.
Kerrigan raised her eyebrows at his statement. "You don't
know? You don't live here?" For the most part, Kerrigan was still
on her guard, but not as much as when she woke up. True, she still
had no idea where she was or how to get back to Jim...errr, the
rebellion, but her instincts were telling her that she could
trust the boy in front of her (even if she still could not read his
mind). The fact that he had saved her life might have something to
do with it.
Ranma shook his head a bit. "Nah, I just got here a little
while ago myself. I'm kinda new around here. Actually, I was
exploring when I saw that Zerg about to jump you, and brought you
back to heal up."
Kerrigan looked around at the remarkable cave, confused. "Who
lives here then?" *Those machines are too sophisticated, and this
place too clean, for someone not to be living here,* she thought.
"Yeah, well, the...girl...that made this place died a little
bit before I found ya. She went off to fight some Zerg that were
headed this way."
"I'm sorry. Was she a good friend?"
Ranma shrugged. "Not really. We talked a little, but that is
about it. She seemed like a nice enough person though. I guess."
Throughout all of this, Kerrigan was covertly studying her
erstwhile doctor. His skin color, the shape of his eyes, the
texture of his hair, the style of dress, and the accent of his
speech. All were being catalogued and categorized. In the end
though, she just could not pinpoint what planet he was from. Truth
be told, she had never seen anybody with his characteristics before
in her life. Where was he from? Certainly not Tarsonis. Maybe the
Umojan Protectorate? Nobody in the Confederacy knows much about
that system. *Well,* she thought, *when in doubt, ask.* "So, if
you are new around here, where are you from? I can't quite place
your accent."
A little confused about the accent comment (*Why would I have
an accent?*), Ranma stumbled a bit before slowly answering. *She
definitely won't believe me if I tell her I'm a 35 million-year-old
alien with an entire race of bloodthirsty monsters hot after my
body.* "Well, since I was a kid my dad has been training me how to
fight. We move from place to place, fighting the best to learn from
the best." Ranma then launched into a slightly edited version of
his history, changing things a bit and leaving other things vague,
hoping that she would buy it. "So finally Pops said were we were
going to visit an old friend of his, and here we are."
Kerrigan took stock of Ranma. Sweating profusely : check.
Twiddling of thumbs : check. Won't make eye contact: check.
Fiddling with hair: check. Huge, strained smile: check. Did not
actually answer question asked: check. However, there were times
during the story that his voice rang with sincerity, and he
displayed genuine emotions while explaining one memory or another.
Kerrigan was no fool. Far from it, she was professionally trained.
And one of the things she was taught was that the best lies were the
ones that held some element of truth. *So he is being cautious.
Fair enough. He doesn't know me any more than I know him. He
obviously can't lie very well.* Deciding to probe for a little more
information, she continued "We? Is your father around here
somewhere?"
She was actually unprepared for his response. His head
drooped, his shoulders slumped, and he took a deep breath through
his nose. But when he brought his head back up and looked into her
eyes, his voice was steady as he said, "He's dead." Kerrigan got
the impression that it was a topic he did not want to talk about.
Realizing that she won't get far down this line of questions she
decided to just drop it. *Damn, I wish I could just read his mind.*
"So what about you? Where are you from?"
Kerrigan grimaced. *Guess its only fair.* Hoping to get Ranma
to open up a bit more about his past, she decided to tell the truth
rather than take a chance that he might catch a lie. "Well, I do
not really know where I was born. The first thing I remember is
being groomed for the Ghost Program when I was just a little kid.
When I was old enough, I was put into the Ghost Basic Training."
She grimaced as she thought about what her 'superiors' made her do.
"Eventually, Mengsk broke me out and I've worked for him ever
since." *Better to find out now rather than later if he is friendly
with the Confeds.* She tensed her muscles slightly, preparing for a
fight if Ranma was against the Sons Of Korhal.
But Ranma just looked curious. "Who is Mengsk?"
For some reason she could not fathom, Kerrigan fell forward and
landed on her face. When she sat back up, she could only stare
incredulously at the boy before her. *He's serious!*
"You don't know who Arcturus Mengsk is? The head of the Sons
Of Korhal?"
Ranma looked a little irritated. "What do you want? I've been
moving around all the time. That don't leave much time for goin to
school, ya know? All my Pops cared about was teaching me how to
fight." *Well, that and food, but that's not important right now.*
*Could he be serious? He knows nothing about what has been
going on?* "Well, what _do_ you know?"
"Ummm, not much? Like I said, Pops didn't tell me anything he
didn't think was important. And that was just about everything but
Martial Arts."
"Martial Arts? What is that?" *So that's what happened to me.
Weird. Hmmm, landing on your face like that should break your nose.*
Ranma shook his head a bit after recovering from his faceplant.
"What are Martial Arts? What do you mean? I see how you move,
how you sit. You know how to fight. How can you ask that?" Ranma
exclaimed incredulously. But then he frowned. "And you never told
me who this Mengsk guy is. And what are the Suns Of Cobol?"
"The Sons Of -Korhal- is a group of rebels that was created
when the Confederacy nuked the Planet Korhal to show the quadrant
what happens to planets that disagree with them. We fight the
Confeds when we can, and where we can, trying to overthrow the
government."
Kerrigan looked closely at Ranma and his expression. She shook
her head wonderingly. "You have absolutely no idea what I am
talking about, do you?"
Ranma just shook his head.
"Okay, I'll start from the very beginning. Let me know when I
start going over something you know already."
"A long time ago, we Terrans all lived on one planet, called
Earth. Good, I see you have heard of it. Well, do you know why we
are not there now? Okay. Our ancestors lived on Earth until
something really bad happened. Records are unclear exactly what it
was, but for some reason all the people of Earth turned away from
higher technology in many of its forms. Things got so bad, that
they grabbed everybody on the planet that had mechanical
'enhancements', shoved them on several ships, and sent them out to
the stars."
"Those people, the people with mechanical arms, or legs, or
brains, or anything, were our ancestors."
"What happened for a while after that is unknown. All of the
people were in stasis during the trip. What _is_ known is that the
ships' engines all started to suffer meltdown, and the decision to
land in this sector was made. Most of the landings were rough, and
one of the ships crashed and burned. With one exception, the few
that did survive were in bad shape, and spread across many planets.
Most of the computer banks had been magnetized and were useless, and
none of the communication equipment made it. The only exception was
the ship that landed here, on Tarsonis. That landed safely, though
they too found themselves without interplanetary communication due
to a computer malfunction."
"All the survivors on the various planets started to make
themselves homes, and colonies were built. Cannibalizing what was
left of the ships, all of the colonies grew and advanced, and in
about fifty or sixty years they all found each other again through
the reestablishment of space travel."
"By that time, Tarsonis had become the largest and most
technologically advanced of these 'New Worlds'. They became the
first to build rudimentary warp engines that allowed them to travel
further and faster than the other survivors, allowing them to
colonize planets before their neighbors could reach them. They
called their new, expanded empire the Confederacy."
"For a time, things were peaceful. But eventually the vast
amount of resources Tarsonis had in its command allowed them to
increase their civil and military forces very, very quickly."
Kerrigan stopped for a second, thinking to herself. She shook
her head a bit and continued. "Their policies and actions gradually
got worse and worse. More and more oppressive. The leaders were
always corrupt, and as the Confederacy became more and more
powerful, they became more and more corrupt."
She looked up, right into Ranma's eyes. "Finally some of the
citizens could no longer take it. Korhal was one of the core
planets in the Confederacy, having been one of the first to be
colonized. It was rich in minerals and Vespene gasses. Though
loyal for many years, the citizens of Korhal resented the corrupt
Confederate Senators that were placed in control of the planet.
Riots and acts of civil disobedience began, to which the 'Feds
answered by declaring Martial Law." Kerrigan smirked. "This just
pissed the people off more. The riots grew stronger and more
violent."
"Eventually a native born Senator named Angus Mengsk took up
his people's cause. Rallying them and organizing the citizens, he
was able to capture every Confederate outpost on the planet. After
that, he declared Korhal separate from the Confederacy."
"The 'Feds started to sweat. They saw what was going on and
how it was giving hope and courage to other colonies that were being
suppressed. They saw that if their most prized and pampered planet
could revolt against them, then they would lose others as well.
They decided that they needed to send a message across the planets
about what happens if you defy the Confederacy."
She took a deep breath. "They sent three Ghosts to Korhal, to
kill Mengsk and his supporters. Mengsk, his wife, and his young
daughter were found decapitated in their apartments the next day.
But the 'Fed's plan didn't work. All it did was strengthen the
resolve of the people."
Kerrigan stopped here. She hesitated before continuing, and a
hint of pain flashed through her eyes so quickly that Ranma didn't
see it. "Arcturus Mengsk was the son of Angus. He was never much
in politics, and was actually embarrassed by his father's actions.
He was a successful Prospector, and knew what the Confederacy was
like, but he never thought they would stoop so low as to kill his
family just to prove a point. He was off the planet when his family
was killed, and so was spared."
"Gathering the militant groups that had followed his father
together, he formed a pirate militia that preyed on the Confederacy,
destroying much and robbing the Confederacy of what it valued the
most. Money."
Letting out a long breath, she continued, "Eventually the
Confederacy became tired of the attacks and of the embarrassment
that Korhal represented."
"From the safety of Tarsonis, the 'Feds launched over a
thousand Apocalypse-class nuclear missiles at Korhal. Over 4
million people were annihilated and the planet was reduced to
nothing but glass and super-heated rock."
"Mengsk and his pirates have been fighting the 'Feds ever
since."
Strangely enough, Ranma had been paying close attention so the
story. He knew that if he was going to fool anyone, he would have
to know how to act, and what kind of society he was in.
He had learned in interesting ways that he should learn about
the laws and customs of a people, before trying to interact with
them.
Sitting back on his feet, he thought about what he had just
heard; oblivious to the intent stare Kerrigan was giving him. *Hmm,
these Confeds don't sound like nice guys. 'Course I only know one
side of this, but I think I can trust her.* Glancing over at the
young lady, he noticed that she seemed to be waiting for him to say
something. But for the life of him, he could not figure what.
Mentally shaking himself, he decided to ask a question. "So is that
where you learned how to fight? With this Mengsk guy?"
Kerrigan's eyes narrowed, searching his face for something.
"No, fighting was one of the things they taught me at Boot Camp."
Ranma's eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh, you mean in that
Ghost training thing you talked about. What, does that mean you
were a soldier for these Confederate guys?"
Kerrigan stiffened and stood up. "No, not a soldier." She
started to walk away, back to the room where she had originally
woken up. Before she disappeared through the door, he heard her
say, "Assassin."
The Next Day, Around Noon
Ranma was lost in thought, while his body went through the
comforting motions of a complex kata. *Assassin? Ninja? She moves
well enough, but not -that- good. She hates this Confederacy. What
did they make her do?*
His body was on automatic pilot, doing the punches, kicks, and
jumps without thought. At times, his arms and legs seemed to blur,
at others, they moved with great slowness and precision. As his
mind worked on what he had heard the previous night, his dance
continued.
Kerrigan was sitting naked on the floor of what she had named
the Bedroom. In her hands was her HES (Hostile Environment Suit).
Minutely checking the complicated wiring and circuits sewn into the
lining of the clothing; searching for any major flaw or break.
Finally, smilingly, she sat back.
*Well, that's good. Nothing broken and the power cell is
charging normally. That'll be handy when its time to leave.* Her
smile faltered a bit. *But to go where?*
Despite her happiness at finding her suit in working order,
Kerrigan was fairly depressed. After what happened at New
Gettysburg, and Mengsk's betrayal, she knew she couldn't go back to
the Sons. But she didn't want to stay here the rest of her life
either. *Besides, the Zerg will find this place eventually. They
own Tarsonis now. Our plan was too perfect for them not to.*
There was one ray of hope though. There were two people that
would not have taken Mengsk's actions laying down. If she could
just somehow get a message to them, or find them, than things will
be fine. *Dammit Jim, where would you guys go?*
Standing up, she quickly dressed herself, and walked to the
Bedroom door. Leaning against what would be considered the
doorsill, she just shook her head in wonder at the display Ranma was
giving in the center of the main room. She knew how to fight. She
knew how to move absolutely quietly, and more ways to kill a person
than a person had a right to know. But she freely admitted that she
came nowhere close to the level of skill this teenaged boy was
demonstrating. He was doing things she would have sworn were
impossible. The height of his standing jumps, the speed of his
kicks, the way he bent his body backwards. *I wonder if he could
train me how to do that,* she mused.
When she had woken up that morning, and saw him performing
these feats, she immediately started quizzing him about what kind of
implants and enhancements he had. At first she refused to believe
him when he denied any such assistance, but a few pokes and prods on
his muscles proved him correct.
"I don't need help like that. It's a crutch. The human body
can do anything a machine can do, if its just trained the right
way."
She was still skeptical about that, but she had to admit, the
boy was impressive.
While she watched, Ranma seemed to be heading for a great
finish. The moves became tighter, quicker. Finally, with a great
yell, Ranma suddenly stopped and shot his cupped hands out in front
of him. After a few seconds of complete silence, he finally moved,
bringing his hands up before his face with a look of accusation in
his eyes. His hands actually managed to somehow look slightly
embarrassed.
Seeing him finish his current kata (she had learned the word
from him that morning), and not really wanting to ask him what he
was doing there at the end, she shouldered her rifle and started
walking towards the path that led outside and called out to him.
"Hey Ranma, I'm going to go look for some fresh food and supplies.
Some of the roots on these plants can be eaten, if you know what is
what. I'll be back in about an hour." Actually, little of the
vegetation in this area was edible, but there are other uses for
certain plants. One, for example, had a sap that was a very good
disinfectant and deodorant (the second part of that being the most
important right now. While the cave somehow managed to keep the air
inside it fresh, the fact of the matter was that there was no
running water to be found. No water, no showers.)
Ranma just nodded his head and sat down in the middle of the
room. Closing his eyes, he seemed to be starting a meditation
routine. "Hey Kerrigan," he called out, stopping her for a second,
"be careful. Any Zerg show up, come get me."
Though his eyes were closed, she nodded her head towards him.
She turned back to the pathway out, and hesitated. "Hey, Ranma,"
he opened one eye at the mention of his name, "my friends call me
Sarah."
Ranma slowly lay back in the center of the room. Eyes closed,
breathing regular. An observer might think he was sleeping. But
the fact of the matter was, he was not. He was, for lack of a
better word, introspecting. After Kerriga...Sarah left to go get
some more food, he had tried to lose himself in some simple Ki
building exercises. But the mental concentration needed had eluded
him. Now emotions, strange ones, started to swirl through his head.
Confusion, anger, sorrow, disgust all surged forward. Smoky and
throbbing, they mixed and roiled, but in the end were swallowed
whole by one overriding, all-consuming feeling. Guilt. Hot,
sharply dull guilt. Guilt of surviving. Great sobs racked his
frame as he lost the tight controls he had placed on his feelings.
Slowly though, he gradually reigned in his feelings once again,
and the depressing mood was quickly receding. However, in its place
was a sound, like a loud crack, echoing through his ears. Opening
his eyes, he sat up and looked to his side, where the sound seemed
to be originating. It seemed that while laying down, he had hit
the floor with his fist several times, hard. Next to him, in the
exact center of the room, were four fist sized holes in the floor,
with large cracks radiating outward from each of the impact points.
What was strange about this, were the sounds that were
beginning to emanate from the ground, deep below. Cracks, pings,
and several grinding noises seemed to be coming from deeper and
deeper in the mountain. Suddenly a memory of Ranko's voice rang
through Ranma's head.
**You have to leave this cave and find a life-path to follow.
When you do, stamp three times with all your might on the floor in
the center of the room. You will then have five minutes to leave
before this cave destroys itself.**
Eyes wide, Ranma slowly stood up, brushed his pants off, and
straightened his shirt. He took a deep breath. And then another.
He then proceeded to scream out every single swear word and
curse he had ever heard, and in several languages, as he ran like a
bat of out hell through the door.
Sarah was pretty happy, comparatively. She had found exactly
what she had been looking for in respect to the plants, and two of
the snares she and Ranma had set out had caught some game. Slowly
dragging her prizes up the path towards the cave, she stopped for a
second as a strange sound seemed to be coming towards her. Louder
and louder, it came echoing through the entrance.
"shhhhhhhhhhhhhIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" To her surprise, Ranma
came barreling out of the cave. As she stood there in bemusement,
Ranma came straight for her. Then she found herself slung over his
shoulder and being carried back down the path she had just climbed.
>From her viewpoint, she could see dust and strange, sparking lights
billowing out of the rapidly receding doorway. Then the shaking
began.
Falling to the ground, Ranma covered her body with his as the
entire mountain shuddered and rumbled. Confused as hell, Sarah just
lay there and buried her face into his shoulder.
After about a minute, the shaking settled down, and Ranma
slowly stood up. When both of them were on their feet, and they had
brushed off various debris, they both turned and looked up.
The very top of the mountain has collapsed in on itself, and
the cave was, very obviously, inaccessible.
Sarah turned to look at Ranma with an expression of shock, to
meet his very embarrassed gaze.
"Ooooops?"
Author's Notes:
Well, Sarah and Ranma have met and made their introductions.
Just so there is no confusion on this fact, I have absolutely no
plans on making Sarah and Ranma a couple. She already has someone,
and it is that fact that prompted me to start writing this story in
the first place. They are just friends. Sorry if this bursts your
bubble.
Coming up next chapter: Ranma and Sarah have to get off the
Zerg infested planet. But where will they go? More explanations
are given, and Sarah becomes Ranma's first student in, well,
millions of years.
By the way, I realize totally that this chapter has been a
loooong time in coming. Blame these things: Work, Heroes Of Might
And Magic III, Diablo II, The Wheel Of Time CCG, and, most recently,
Winter's Heart (errr, and laziness, but lets not get into that).
At least those are the biggies. Hopefully, the next chapter will
come out much faster, though I have promised a friend to work on my
other story 'Ranmanji' some more. Plus there are a few other stories
that have been rolling around in my head. Probably nothing will come
of them, but I might crank out a one-shot or two, just to rid myself
of them. ^_^
Later!
Mike Rever
11/27/00