Campaign Map - Desperate Alliance

* Defend your position for twenty-four hours

* Keep Jim Raynor alive

* Personally kill fifty of each Zerg Unit type that assaults your position.

Bonus Objectives

* Destroy three Creep Tumors

* Keep all Units alive

* Unknown

* Unknown

* Unknown

fact The System hadn’t sent a time-related stipulation was giving me the creeps, it meant this was going to be a really hard one. The fact I had to defend it for twenty-four hours likely meant constant assaults by the Zerg. I remembered almost nothing about this mission beyond there being two choke points that I could take advantage of.

My team and I faded into existence on the Campaign Map. Raynor was present, as was Walter, both had apparently just ended a conversation. Probably with Edmond Duke, if I were to judge the sheer amount of profanity Jim was dishing out.

“Calm down Marshal Raynor, as much as we may not like it we need to keep these people safe. The best way is with Arcturus Mengsk and his Sons of Korhal group.”

“They’re fucking terrorists! You’re right, but the fact we have to rely on them at all... has it truly come to this?”

I moved up beside them, raising an armored hand in greeting. “I believe it has, Marshal. You’re not the only ones the Confederacy has let down either. I’ve been declared a traitor for having Nova under my command.”

Walter eyed me with a wary curiosity while Raynor spun around to face me and began to grin. “I knew you’d show up! We got these Zerg bastards all around us, no telling when they may overrun us and we have to hold out for evac from whoever can make it. Our most trying moment to date, and here you stand!”

He clapped a hand on my shoulder and I could feel the metal grind as he squeezed gently. That boost to friendliness really paid off. “Yes, I arrived to help you boys hold out until we can get all those people out of here. I don’t have a lot to offer, but I did bring these.” I pointed to the Condors behind me, watching as their eyes grew wide in surprise at the massive fuckers in their sleek black and purple colored design.

“What in tarnation? What in the hell are those things?” Raynor asked and I grinned like the Cheshire cat.

“Those, my dear Marshal, are what I call Condors. An upgraded form of the Vulture. They don’t move nearly as fast but they make up for it in sheer firepower and armor. I imagine they will run over everything the Zerg have to throw at us and more.”

Raynor moved up to one, placing a hand on it with an almost odd reverence before turning toward me. “I hate to ask this, all things considering, but do you mind if I take one of these?”

System Announcement!

Campaign Map Hidden Bonus Mission unlocked!

Raynor’s Ride - Raynor gave you his Vulture as thanks before, without his ride his combat effectiveness is limited. Give him a Condor and watch all that stand before him fall!

Conditions for unlocking - Bring a Unique Vulture Unit onto a Campaign Map - Met

Rewards - Raynor’s trust will increase by five. Gain the title of Raynor’s Ally.

I hit yes, having a feeling it would keep my ass alive and change the course of this Campaign Map a great deal, then another message hit me out of the blue.

System Announcement!

Completing the Raynor’s Ride Mission has changed a key Unit in the StarCraft Universe! All Vultures within the game will be upgraded to Condors over the course of all your Campaign Maps.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

The reward for achieving this Pivotal change in Terran military might - Two Terran Unit Selection Cards!

Terran Unit Selection Card - Allows you to select one of any Terran Unit for an instant increase in your military might. It provides the Schematic as well.

I stared at that message. I was almost floored by the revelation that I could even fucking do this. I also decided, here and now, to go utterly insane with funding Swann’s pet projects when all the crap with the Confederacy was over and done with. If I could change Units in the actual Campaign Maps, that would increase my own combat ability. Sure, enemies might change to fit the increased damage and defense as well, but it wouldn’t matter for this map at least. The rewards were fundamentally outstanding as well. I already knew what one of those, if not both, was going toward as well.

I watched as Jim replaced by own pilot in the cockpit and gave a whoop before moving out. The damn thing seemed to be genuinely faster with him at the helm. I wasn’t going to get much more out of Raynor for the time being, so I spoke to Walter. “Got any spare armor for my man there? He seems to have lost his vehicle for the time being.”

Walter watched Raynor go before nodding at me and getting armor for the pilot. I’d keep him off the front lines for now, but I needed him to be an active combatant in this coming hell. “Nova, I want you with me. Walter, not to rush but I have a feeling we don't have much time. Got a situational report for me on our current standing forces?”

He snapped to attention, though remained more or less at ease. He didn’t see me as a commanding officer yet. “Yes, I do. We have eighty Marines, not including yours, thirty Firebats, ten Vultures, and roughly one-hundred Spider Mines. What are you bringing in, the Condor’s aside?”

I nodded, the numbers fit with what I think should be manageable. “The two Condor’s, obviously, Nova and myself. I have Trenton and seven other Marines. Eight if you include the Pilote. Each of the Condors has twenty Spider Mines ready for deployment and I have around five-thousand extra rounds of ammunition on each as well as a few medical implements for any of your own to use and help keep our injured alive. It was all I could bring on such short notice though.”

It really was, I couldn’t afford to leave Bastion undersupplied right now. The medical supplies were three Medical Injectors that my own Medics used and allowed for a near-instant healing of all units. I was a bit disappointed to see no message pop up, but not surprised. Medics were a stable Units in StarCraft, even if not just yet

“It’ll do. I’ll give you another fifteen Marines and five Firebats. I want you and your people to hold the right choke point, I’ll handle the left with Raynor and the rest of my men. Our scouts report the left will take the heaviest of the Zerg forces….” A siren began blaring and I looked toward the sound while Walter started shouting like a mad-man and Raynor rushed off toward the left.

“No time! Get your men over there! We have a small separation wall in place to help you hold it. Move!”

I moved, Nova and Trenton close behind me while the rest of my men and what looked like the promised reinforcements from Walter moved with me.

When we arrived at the right choke point I started cursing like a sailor. Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Overlords. Nothing too difficult, the problem was that The System seemed fit to add in fucking Mutalisks! Not nearly as many as what I saw in the Tutorial, but enough to make this a whole hell of a lot harder. “Nova! I want you focusing on those Mutalisks. Take them down as soon as they get in range! Trenton, form your future Imperial Guard up! I want those shields locked and ready, nothing gets past them in this choke point! Condor’s, move to the flanks and start peppering that incoming horde! I wanna smell burning Zerg!”

They moved, Trenton went front and center, taking the staging point while the other Marines moved in beside him. Their formation was a bit odd to me though, each Unit moved up and placed their shield just a bit behind Trenton's, and so on and so forth. It created a stationary wedge while he made the Firebats in their larger armor place each arm, flamethrowers at the ready, on their shoulders and the tops of the shields. The extra Marines filled in the outer flanks and began firing as well.

The Firebats joined in the killing once the first Zergling got in range. I found it good they could simply unload in a steady stream rather than bursts like in that game as well. It fried the first dozen Zerglings quickly. The Condor’s had begun opening fire as well. The ‘pop’ of their grenades a bit louder than I expected, then a four massive explosions hit center mass in the Zerg horde in front of us. Hydralisks went down, blown to pieces, while Zerglings all but disintegrate into dust. Son of a bitch! What the hell were these things packing?

I was busy popping rounds into Overlords and Mutalisks with Nova, trying to keep our skies clear. The battle had started in full. In front of us were a teeming horde of teeth, claw, and shrieking fury. Behind us were civilians and a few structures to help them last longer should our lines fail.

I took an Overlord out with a burst shot, the fire and minor explosion sending it tumbling into the Zerg below it, killing several Zerglings and stunning a few Hydralisks. Apparently, the Zerg killed in its crash counted toward my kill count as well. Perfect! I began taking out more Overlord's, focusing on the ones that seemed like they would land in the denser packets of Zerg.

The Zerglings that made it to Trenton and my Marines rammed into their shields, the Firebats and the Marines own stances forced the Zerg to move toward the sides, where they were met with a hail of bullets from the Marines Walter gave me. I understood the formation now at least, and I fucking loved it!

I took a shot at one of the Zerglings that managed to jump over the improvised barricade of men, taking it right between its eyes mid-screech as it aimed for me, only to fall to the ground and die. I started hitting the closer Mutalisks after that, though Nova was systematically taking each of them out, keeping our skies clear of offensive threats with a frightening ease.

She wore her ‘Ghost Reaper’ gear and I had no doubt I’d make use of that later. For now though… for now we had long several hours ahead of us. I only hoped that there would be gaps in the assaults. A period of rest, but something deep down told me that there wouldn’t be and I would end up losing men once again.