War now once again loomed over the horizon.
The galaxy did met several wars.
The Confederacy and it's rebellious colonies,
The Zerg and it's rapid expansion.
The Imperium rapid invasion of the Kel Morian and the United Earth Directorate.
And later on their invasion on the Dominion.
War came after merely three months of peace...
Three months too soon for the people that is unable to grieve their loved ones taken by war, too soon for planets to fully recover the what is essentially the Human Civil war as the scholars all over humanity discuss.
Those that were aware of the Imperium movements know that they are gearing up for a war beyond their understanding.
Quotas were raised, War bonds skyrocketing, warship leaving and entering the star ports were increasing by the day, and the massive recruitment drive.
Even in the civilian sectors, they knew war was coming as well, during this ages of strife, they were living in abundance, flow of goods flooded every planet and the economy was booming.
Now when they heard High Lord Alexander ordered a War Economy, the Corporations and companies in certain industry knew that their golden era is slowly to a end.
The Replicator. Two words gave the corporate sectors a shaking economic disaster.
They knew that replicators were used when a sector is in a famine or a riot and the flow of goods were not to be halted.
To the CEO and president of companies, that technology is evil to them.
But to the people it was the a era that cheap and high quality goods were available for them.
Because when that is put out in the public, it means that profiteer could not marked up prices and earn more profit. And can they even attempt to fight back a Government sanctioned technology.
The orders were plentiful and the forge world expanded its workforce.
Ships were made by the day and Recruits were meshed with well trained companies to gain more experience.
All for a final war in this galaxy.
"The End War" as the surviving Protoss scholars called it.
But to humanity...
"It was a war against the demon posed as a god"
"It was the fight for humanity survival in this uncaring galaxy, it is the Final major war of humanity as a whole in this galaxy, it out shadowed every petty conflict and skirmishers in borders. It's a war where human defied god with spite and the desire to survive... And won." - Unknown scholar.
The embers of war was not smolder out in Korhal, from the death of Acturus Mengsk, the Dominion was indeed fractured.
With a portion of their military gone missing and their capital and planets that is in major production in flames.
Without the strongman of Acturus, all his enemies and opportunistic individuals and factions came out and lash on the beleaguered Dominion, planets were raided by pirates and black markets spring up on the wake of the death of the emperor Mengsk.
And any factions, almost all of human factions were antagonistic towards the late emperor now turned towards Now Emperor Valerian.
Trade routes were on the brink of being disintegrated and crime rates skyrocketing.
Just because one can simply think by disposing the tyrant, they can live a happily ever after. In reality, it was chaos. And the people that were at the bottom, the ones that work, 9 to 5 suffered.
By essence, it should have been failed state.
But Alexander essentially started a Marshall Plan for the Dominion.
Investment flowed in and infrastructure remade and a joint cooperation between the Dominion and the Imperium allayed the people fears.
And he even sent preachers and priest to the Dominion, and convert the ones that used to beloved Acturus was a god and now lost him.
People that lost their jobs now found working in companies that is own by Alexander and the dead soldiers family were guarantee pension.
People that were hired from the rubble's of Korhal were put to work rebuilding their home.
Food aid were guarantee until the Dominion were self sufficient enough.
It was to lessen the hatred to the masses as the Occupier is slowly transition the planet to a better one.
Even the Dominion military hardware were mixed with Imperial tech to lessen the military spending, which reducing the financial burden.
And with low interest of the loans Alexander gave to Valerian. Alexander hoped that the Dominion would recovered soon...
But news struck while the planet was almost fully recovered. It was beyond expectations of Alexander and Valerian.
The Mobius Foundation...
Although that Valerian did his efforts to slowly place the organization he once led away from Korhal without them knowing, started a Insurgency and a galactic scale terrorism, they somehow stolen Imperial Military hardware and Mechs to offset their missing arsenal.
And when Alexander found that the stolen hardware was linked to his Financial Ministry that taken bribes from the Mobius Foundation to smuggle mothball weapons to get hookers and money, he literally killed the traitor on the spot.
At that time he was unaware of the slow trickling of military hardware that didn't add up.
One lasgun can go missing is somewhat understandable, but a literal armory is misplaced? It was warranted for severe investigation.
The Ordo Hereticus and the Adeptus Arbites along with independent Investagator found. Chilling evidence.
Many of the military hardware records is being fabricated and the it was found empty.
Because it was enough to literally armed several regiments and cause enough havoc.
It was ironic, that the insurgents decided to attack the Day Acturus Funeral was ennacted where the Dominion security was at its weakest...
Alexander couldn't bear to burn his former friend to ashes.
Even when he was a tyrant, Alexander gave his friend a face and decorum that he would be buried with his family mausoleum.
It was his final farewell and let the people know that they didn't trade one monster for another. And also give Valerian time to grieve for his father.
It was a day of mourning for the Acturus Sympathizers.
Half of the Imperial Garrison were off duty as they watched the parade of a man their lord killed.
Their opinion didn't matter as he was already dead, unless that dead guy in that coffin jumped out, it was not their problem.
Two familiar people wearing power armor stood on the railing that overlooked the Funeral parade.
"Damm, the Lord really go all out for this parade..." One muttered.
"Hell, we survived worst, at least we got paid." The one next to him chuckled.
"How's the missus?"
"Doing fine, I think she is in the Third trimester."
"Damm, you two really are a rabbit in heat, shoulda called you Rabbit thumper than Buttpatch."
"Shut it Crackhead." Buttpatch smiled.
Buttpatch and Crackhead survive the Siege of Korhal.
These two unlikely heroes have most of the luck and managed to land in Korhal in the second wave as part of Raynor Raiders.
Their unnoticed contribution behind the scenes was taking out Anti-Air batteries for the Hyperion to land and crashing into a Science facility that were producing monsters.
The people soon heard and they gave them a heroes welcome.
From being the UED Grunts that was captured as POW and ended up drafted during the Swarm attack on Mars Sara and they ended up as Participants of a war beyond their understanding.
"Hey, Buttpatch.... I wonder... Had we stayed in the UED... Would we... Be heroes?" Crackhead spoke as he gaze upon the slow parade.
"No... we be put in guard duty in a asteroid base somewhere with boring paperwork at best or we... Ended up dying during the fight with the Imperium...none of it have a good ending for us." Buttpatch spoke.
Both did remember the time they were part of the UED, but knowing how the former government reacted and used their own citizens and they compared it to the Imperium was a bit higher standards at least.
So far, during their off duty, not a slum was found and prosperity was abundant.
They once born in the slum of Europe, they were lucky to be found by the travelling draft officer that promised them both food and a bit of shelter.
It was their luck that they were captured by a more lenient Imperial Company than facing the Kriegs. They later learn that anyone that faced them were executed on the spot, regardless of their surrender.
Luck played a major factor in their lives.
And luck will soon play a factor...
Both watched the parade as they noticed something was wrong.
One of the older imperial mech appeared in a corner of a t-section of a street... And it is walking slowly to the parade.
It was a Zaku 1 mech embroided in Imperial Colors, regalia and was holding a machine gun and it's shoulders and wais was filled with rockets pods. Most of it series was either mothballed or used in construction work. But this mech weapons was like hastily bolted on.
"Wait... That mech... Crackhead, inform Imperial Command if there is a Mech undergoing security near the parade path? Did you got the serial number?" Buttpatch spoke as he felt something was wrong.
His friend nodded and spoke in the comms.
"There's no sorties of a mech leaving the base and task to defend the funeral parade... And the mech service number and record stated it was in New Chicago undergoing a retrofit..."
"Get someone to relay that-"
Before they could respond the irregularity.
The mech immediately open fire its rockets upon the crowds.
Blood and bones splintered across the street as the mech haphazardly fired at the funeral procession.
One of the rockets landed on the building that the two was on and collapse it.
Before they came to, they found themselves stuck on the rubble and pushed their way out of the debris, they found that the parade ground was filled with corpses of off duty soldiers and civilians.
Both of their comms in their battered came to life. The local commander gave a brief, but colorful notice.
<"**All Imperial Garrisons, we are under attack by the insurgents that stolen our armor and begun indiscriminately attacking the Civilians, this is alert level 1, calling all forces to repel the insurgents! The stolen hardware tag and their radio is off and whatever controlling them is deemed a hostile threat. Selected teams are to search and evacuate survivors.**">
"This day, just keep getting better and better." Crackhead smirked as he found their service rifles and began checking for survivors.
They ventured out on the streets of Korhal searching for survivors.
They found several of the Korhal Guards that was also looking for survivors and formed a small platoon of mismatched weaponry.
One of the weirdest sights was a man in power armor screaming as he fired at a Thor.
"God damnit! You wrecked my car! I didn't even paid the first instalment of my Car Insurance! It was my first paycheck I spent on!" He roared in hatred as he, by a stroke of ungodly luck, one of his bullets hit the canopy of the mech and killed the pilot within.
He glance at the group that was surprised...
"What, you going to ruined my life further!?" He yelled at Buttpatch and Crackhead.
"Friendly! Don't bloody shoot!" Crackhead yelled.
"Umm, I could ask the Cog boys to get you a better car?" Buttpatch at least tried diplomacy.
"Really?" The man before them lower his gun for a bit.
"Our power armor have a recorder, if you seen the mech that crush your car, and if you show the video to the cog boys, they can fix a better one."
"Finally, for months of just eating cup noodles, mystery meat at the canteen and taking out monthly laundry... I just had a car to impress my girlfriend..." The man muttered.
"What's your name and rank?"
"My name is Eddie, my friends called me butter. Dominion trooper private E-11, Serial number: 1849275A582p."
"Weird nickname, your data check out."
"Like you the one to talk Buttpatch, your power ass was literally got shrapnel and you quite literally have a hole in your suit cheeks." Crackhead laugh at the absurdity of it all.
"Eddie, can you tell me what's the situation? We kinda got knocked out and we came to and found this place a literal hell."
"All I know, I was in the outhouse in the outpost, doing my Damm business, when the explosions start happening. And I found Mobius Security started attacking people. All of them were like zombies from a old horror flim. Their eyes glassed from those that I saw without power armor at least."
"Did you tried contacting them?"
"They literally shot people and I got a bullet in my pauldron. The Mech I shot belonged to Mobius Security." Eddie patted his shoulder that showed a bullet hole.
"Help us gather the survivors, seemed like we need to inform our respective command of the Mobius Security actions."
"Oh... I forgot about that... Too busy killing the one that wreck my car."
A roar was heard and the group looked down the street behind them and found a behemoth of a monster glaring at them.
It was like a Zerg Ultralisk that is standing on two legs that went to a gym and is color blue.
And it began barreling towards the group.
"Fuck me..."
"You are basically unfuckable. Your wife will beat the fucker up."
The group open fire at the Zerg hybrid.
The street of Korhal is now washed in blood and screams.
It was a day of solemnly respect and it turned into a day of nightmare.
The insurgents attack both imperial and Dominion forces at the same time.
Rockets rained down upon their respective facilities.
By the time of action arrived, they identified the threat as Mobius Security that engage in mass genocide of the citizens of Korhal and across Dominion space, they were accompanied by these giant monsters.
And it's more brutal than the joint attack of Imperial and Kerrigan Invasion.
While both of the respective factions limit what their forces could do to mitigate the civilian casualties, the Mobius Security was even more brutal.
They didn't simply attack military installations, but also the civilian sectors, they attack whatever is breathing and moving, destroyed powerplants, air filtration systems and even Evacuation bunkers to maximize destruction. Destroying enough, years, if not decades to repair if they start now.
At least the swarm simply ignored the evacuation bunkers giving some semblance of recovery and the Imperium held the bunkers safe, the possessed attacked them and literally burn the occupants alive. And that's the merciful part, as some of the evacuation bunkers were gassed or forced into by Bioweapons.
The alarms was raised and now the situation required both Imperial and Dominion forces to join and eradicated a portion of the insurgents that were on the borders between the two.
Raynor and General Ironhide managed to gather the surviving forces and they were both surprised of the sheer numbers of people that followed Mobius Security.
It didn't make sense, especially the Mobius Security was enough for at least five regiments for personal security, but on the recordings, it was way more than usual and now they are led by giant monsters.
To the citizens of the Dominion perspective, it looked like the Dominion having a civil war.
But those in the know, it was a prelude of hell.
And the news of the Protoss suddenly attacking human vessels and their bordering territories place people in paranoia.
Alexander knew that from the chaos, there is one artifact that is the main objective for the now possessed humans and Protoss wanted.
And the fleet he boarded was heading towards Korhal as fast as possible. The rest of the fleets in the Imperium he directed to other sectors of the now war torn galaxy to aid the beleaguered defenders.
The Keystone Artifact.
It was the Xenos artifact that Kerrigan was cured from the infestation and Acturus attempt to kill him. It was somehow lost during the assault on char. But ended up in Korhal.
He and Valerian scientist and tech priest spent weeks after the retaking of Korhal to research the cursed artifact.
He didn't gave it to the Mobius foundation as he knew the energies of the late Queen of blades still linger in that device and could be used to create a physical flesh of the false god. And he's not stupid to let a compromised organization get that device.
And it was literally jammed in Acturus tower.
The plan was supposed to slowly dismantle it, wait till the Funeral was done and they could evacuate the artifact.
But fate had it mocking terms with Alexander.
Remaining Mobius Security at the planet went radio silent, until they bore their fangs on their former employer. From their now defunct facility, humans and monsters flushed out like a tide and began their massacre.
Deep in the planet crust, away from the Dominion prying eyes was a Giant laboratory that the late Dr Narud created by using the funding of the Dominion, and it's purpose was to create the beasts of war before the Imperial arrived, but it was already too late.
It's purpose left unfulfilled.
The people station there were Acturus loyalist, upset that they were to leave.
They created hundreds if not a thousand vats of the monstrosity that is hovering in nutrients gel.
They thought of their last regrets of not contributing the war further.
Until one monster in the vat opened its eyes, as if it was a switch almost all opened at the same time.
Cloning vats broke loose and by the time the people there screamed.
They saw a vision given by the clone beast.
They saw the void and the end of all things and the god that awaited within it...
They lost one god that gave them purpose... And they traded their souls for another that looked down on them.
The crack in the void was opened and hundreds of soldiers made of Void joined their masters, machines that died long ago, they don't need to think, no need to feel pain, they want their fellow humans to embrace the end and join them in oblivion.
By the time the Dominion intelligence bureau realize it. It was already too late.
Sins of the past become the nightmare of the present.
It was one of many places that sprout across the Dominion held territories and it paralyzed the logistics as well.