[FFML] [Ranma][X-Over] 1 War, 3 Sisters: Prologue

Hi all. Hope everyone's enjoying the holiday. Anyway, here's the latest installment of One War, Three Sisters. It's actually a prologue designed to fix up a couple of plot holes.

Enjoy!

Ranma is not mine. X-Com is not mine. Starcraft is not mine. 'Nuff said.

One War, Three Sisters: Prologue

Invasion: T-10 years

Raynor checked over his gear. Again. It never got any easier,
he thought. Why can't these things leave us alone? Not that he and his
crew weren't ready. They were more than ready, with dozens of ops under
their belts. Hundreds of hours of experience, thousands of training,
his crew could take on anything that could be thrown at them. He was
not worried about his team.
He was, however, worried about the rookie.
Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan was a transfer from the Special-Ops
division. She was the first of a new kind of soldier. A Ghost. She
was a psionic, capable of doing amazing things with the powers of her
mind, if her dossier was to be believed. Jim believed it. He did not
have much respect for the eggheads in the R&D division, but most of the
gear they came up with was top notch, like the mind-blockers, that
rendered telepathic species unconscious without the use of drugs.
Jim got to his feet. "We're ten minutes to the drop," he told
his crew. "Final checks." He went over to Kerrigan, who was busy
making sure her submachine gun was ready.
"You okay?" he asked.
Sarah brushed back a lock of red hair behind her ear before
donning her Kevlar helmet. "I'm fine, sir," she lied. He could tell.
The stiffness of her shoulders, the tightness around the eyes, all the
standard fear indicators were there for someone to see. Sitting down,
he put one hand on her shoulder.
"It's all right to be scared. And call me Jim. At least until
we're in the field anyway."
She looked down at his hand then up to his eyes. After a
moment, she looked away. Her mouth quirked up into what might have been
a smile. "It's my first field op."
"I know. Despite what everyone tries to scare you with, it
really is just like training. You'll be fine."
Sarah looked at the other members of her team who were laughing
and joking with each other as they prepared to disembark. "They're not
scared," she muttered.
Now it was Jim's turn to smile. "Sure they are. They're just
better at hiding it. You're a telepath. You should know."
"I'm not allowed to probe minds without authorization."
"I'll allow it this once."
Sarah's eyes unfocused. Furrowing her brown, she scanned the
group. After a moment, she looked back up at Jim. "You're right."
Some of the stiffness left her. "Thanks...Jim."
Jim grinned. "See? What'd I tell you? Relax. You'll be
fine."

"Okay everyone, we're about a mile away from where Intel says
the enemy are. Lieutenant, you're on point. Give me two clicks if you
spot anything. Everyone else, two man groups with a thirty yard spread.
Danielson, Chavez, you're with me. Let's go people." The group of
twelve X-Com soldiers made their way slowly through the bushes. At
their pace, it took them a better part of an hour to cover the distance.
Almost right on schedule, Jim received a double click over his
radio. "All units, hold!" he whispered into his communicator. The
group came to a halt and melded into the surrounding brush. "Go ahead,
Lieutenant. What do you see?"
"Sir," came the hoarse reply. "I've got two Zerglings about
fifty yards ahead in a clearing. About one hundred yards beyond that
are some more Zerglings, I'd say about six. I can also see some
Hydralisks and a couple of Overlords." There was a pause. "Sir, I
can't cloak from an Overlord."
"Can they see you?"
"No, they're stationary - shit!"
"What? Kerrigan, report!" Nothing. "Sarah, come in! Sarah-!"
[I'm fine Jim.]
Jim was startled so bad he almost fell over, prompting a curious
look from his two teammates. Sarah? he thought.
[Yes, it's me.] There was a pause. [Very nice, Jim. I've
never felt someone with such an ...interesting mind.]
It was very strange. He could actually feel Sarah's
appreciation. As well as a few other things. Call me sir in the field,
he admonished. Now what happened?
[Some more Zerglings came from behind me.] She obviously
detected his alarm, for she assuaged him immediately. [Don't worry,
sir. I cloaked. They can't see me, and they don't seem to know I'm
here.]
With their minds linked, Jim could feel Sarah's emotions. It
was...interesting to find himself connected to someone so intimately.
Tell me Sarah, does combat always make you so...excited? He felt a
surge of embarrassment before her feelings were was suddenly cut off.
[Sorry, sir. I wasn't shielding properly.]
You didn't answer my question.
He heard her sigh. That was especially weird, since this was
all happening telepathically. [Sometimes. You're threatened, put in
mortal danger, and the body thinks about propagating itself so-]
Jim grinned. I'm aware of the effects of stress during combat,
Leiutenant. Just make sure you stay focused. He paused. We can talk
about it later, back at the Nimitz if you'd like.
For a long moment he felt nothing. Then he felt a light
brushing sensation on his head, almost like someone running their
fingers down his cheek. [I think I'd like that,] she replied. "Wait a
sec," she continued over the radio. They're doing something."
"What?"
"I can't see. I'm heading up the hill to the south for a better
look."
"I roger that. Be careful, Lieutenant."
It was several tense minutes before she communicated again. "It
almost looks like they're foraging. They're bringing in trees, dead
animals and piling it up in the centre of the clearing. I don't know-oh
no." Sarah's voice was full of dread.
"What?"
"An Overlord just flew in from the south over my position, they
know I'm here."
"Then get out of there!"
"Wait, they're doing something. The Overlord brought something
with it. I can almost - damn it, get out the way!"
"Kerrigan, get out of there! Now! That's an order!"
Sarah ignored him. "If they'd just...oh God. Sir, it's a
Drone. They're trying to start a Hive."
Jim bit back a retort. That piece of intelligence was valuable,
more valuable than the entire squad. "Danielson, radio that back and
call in an air strike. This is more than we can handle."
"Right, Capt'n," Danielson replied.
"Sarah-"
"I know, I know: Get out of here. Where to?"
Jim checked his map. "Navpoint HOTSEAT. We'll have a chopper
waiting for you. Now get going."
"Don't need to tell me twice." Jim managed to refrain from
pointing out that this was the third retreat order he had given.
Barely.

"Where is she?" Jim exclaimed angrily. They group was at
HOTSEAT, but there was no sign of Sarah. She was not answering her
radio, and Jim did not know enough to try to do anything with his mind.
"Sir, we have to go!" cried one of the helicopter crew. Jim was
the only person left who had not boarded the chopper. "Command says we
have Hydras inbound! We have to leave now!"
"We can't just leave her!" he argued. "She could still-"
[Jim!]
He jumped and turned around. Sarah?
[Jim, help me! I've been captured!]
What happened?
[I was too weak.] Her fear and guilt was like a wave washing
through him. [I couldn't stay cloaked. They surrounded and overran me.
I tried to stop them but there were too many! What do I do?! I don't
want to die! They'll use me as biomass for their Hive, or they'll
infest me and -] The link was abruptly severed.
Sarah? Can you hear me? Sarah!

Invasion: T-7 years

Tassadar stared at the bloated body of the Overmind. It's evil
form extended for miles in all directions, pulsating and flexing, as
though trying to escape the fate set for it.
Tassadar began channelling the power of his people, both light
and dark. A feeling of peace flowed through him. He knew he would not
survive this strike. But in doing so, he would destroy one of the
greatest evils in the known galaxy. The greatest Protoss alive would
destroy the most fearsome creature in existence.
The end was nigh.

On the hot ash world of Char, the Queen of Blades awoke.

End of Prologue

Please insert one session of C&C to continue. ^_^

Adam