The story so far:

Roughly 55 years after the events of LotV the war with the race/species named the Splitters has ended and the sector is in the process of rebuilding. Ivan and Leah Flint have finally closed out the mercenary group know as Poltergeist and began to prepare to seek out their lost brother John Flint Jr.

As they prepared to leave they received a distress signal from a colony on Korhal IV. As they arrived they saw the settlement being besieged by raiders and only one man trying to fend them off. Ivan and Leah went to aide the man, who later introduced himself as Shadow, and managed to clear the area of the invaders. When Shadow, Rave Mallard, was talking to Ivan and Leah he revealed he had been in cryo-stasis for sixty years.

The Flint siblings brought him up to date the best they could and explained they were going to search for their brother. They offered to give Shadow a ride to where ever he needed, to which he replied he would rather travel with them for the time being.

Shortly after arriving in the system on the fringes of the sector, they found John Jr. on a remote planet and were joined by Stefan, an old family friend. After having to incapacitate him for a short while they found an old cruiser from the former Poltergeist group had crashed on the planet. They decided to reclaim it and rid it of the broken AI and leave the world behind. They then jumped to another system to then be attacked by a splinter group of zerg.

The zerg attack had been repelled and the Broodmother shot out of the old cruiser by using a combination of zero gravity and Stefan as a projectile. They are now descending onto a planet with a colony ran by another friend, and in the case of Leah a lover, seeking fuel and repairs.

And so the story shall continue here.

[Amanda]

{John!?! I~} Amanda cuts off abruptly as muffled gunfire, swearing and the screeching of Zerg can be heard over the comm line. {Sorry, little busy down here... I'm afraid we're stretched to the limit right now, so Stef's gonna be on his own for a bit unless you guys can pick him up. But if he's taking out the Broodmother, that'll make things~} She cuts off again as there's the shriek of tearing metal and the screams of more dying Zerg. {~Easier. If ya'll could provide some fire support that'd be greatly appreciated.}

- - -

As the Fury of Terra continues to descend through the atmosphere, sensors pick up a series of colony ships turned into emergency fortifications besieged by a not insubstantial Zerg horde and a Zerg hive a few kilometers away. The latter is of course where the projected impact site for Stefan is.

[John]

{Right, I'll do what I can.}

"Ivan, might want to hop in your ship and head to see if Stef hits exactly on the hive."

"Delta, rally the mechs and ready them for drop as soon as Ivan clears."

{Leah, your choice drop pod or turret support. Same for you Shadow.}

Ivan nods and leaves the bridge heading to his Valkyrie readying it to launch. Once he had left I shift the ship slightly so fire support could be provided from the broadside turrets. The auto target systems, turned on by Ivan before he left, were already picking targets by threat factor to the ship.

[Leah]

{I'll take a pod.}

"Sounds like we have more to deal with. Seems like this thing is going to go on for awhile. Should give you plenty of time to think about going back on ice."

I leave Shadow with that and head towards where the drop pods were kept. Once there I strap in and wait for launch readying myself for a highly probable hostile landing zone.

Watching Leah leave the hangar, I look around at the remaining gore, which would likely get cleaned up when the colony's issue was dealt with. "Back on ice..." As much as the idea had seemed appealing a moment ago, I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I went back on ice while the Sector was in pieces. Motioning Jerra, the name I'd given to the panther, to follow me, we head for the drop pods. "Jerra and I will help on the ground. Zerg always did hate subzero temperatures." I pause a moment then facepalm.

"Jerra's the panther."

True to form, Stefan rides the Broodmother straight into the side of the Zerg Hive; the resulting impact sending fleshy bits and ichor flying in all directions. Moments later, the psionic aftershock of the Broodmother's death echos out over the planet. The effect was immediate. Across the Zerg battleline chaos reigned. With the loss of their central leadership, individual queens and overlords vied for control over the swarm, turning what had been an organized assault into a now writhing mosh pit.

{Well that certainly simplifies things. Now we've just got to clean up this mess. Once again, thank you uncle Stef.}

Amanda quips, taking a quick breather to watch the chaos unfold.

With a slight shudder the two drop pods are sent away toward the coloney defenses. After several minutes a dozen more follow the others down to the surface bearing mech walkers.

With that the capital ship slowly drops closer into orbit targeting any zerg in the air with all available ata batteries and a few of the ats begin firing into the clusters of fighting zerg.

[Leah]

The drop pods rocks as it enters atmosphere and gives a sudden jolt as the flaps deploy slowing the drop pod allowing it to land without harming the occupants. The same couldn't be said for those that were under it.

A sickening crunch is heard as the drop pod lands several yards away from the defensive front. As I pull the release lever the door shoots off knocking over a few zerg and leaving a clear path to the line. I step out and cloak before dashing towards the defenders only stopping when I had to move around a few remaining zerg. Once at the defensive line I turn off the cloaking module.

"Friendly. My name is Leah Flint." I hold my left hand up off my rifle looking over the crowd of defenders. "The others should be here soon."

[Ivan]

Once over the main zerg hive I activate the cloaking module and try to find a clear path to Stefan. After several minutes I find a path only having to take iut a few overlords and mutalisks.
Upon landing nearby, the ship begins to provide some fire support while readying to drop the ramp once Stef gets close enough.

{{Stef evac is here better hurry while they are still in disarray.}} I call over external comms dropping the cloak just long enough for Stef to see the ship.

I brace myself as the pod touches down and grin a grim grin when I feel it crush several Zerg beneath it before I hit the release button on the door. The specially designed explosive bolts blast the door outwards, killing several more Zerg, and I'm close behind, my rifle putting rounds into the various alien creatures all around me. I can see the pod that Jerra's in and use my crytokinetic powers to freeze a group of Zerglings fighting near it near instantly before approaching it and setting the panther free. She leapt out, her tail lashing out to run the bone tip through a Zergling's eye before we work towards where we can see Leah, taking out Zerg in our path. Upon reaching her location, I raise my visor.

"Rave Mallard, Spectre. Also friendly." Enough, I think to myself, knowing that some of these people might not have much trust for people they don't know.

[Stefan]

The hive is an absolute mess. There's a gaping hole in the upper edge of the organic superstructure where Stefan crashed into it. A minute or two after Ivan's callout, Stefan casually makes his way out of the hive, resting the broken tip of an Ultralisk kaiser blade over one shoulder as a makeshift sword. As the super soldier makes his way towards the ship, Ivan can start to make out Stefan's seemingly superficial battle damage as none of it appears to be slowing him down at all.

A veritable pincushion of hydralisk spines, he's equally burned from both reentry & Roach acid. In addition, Stefan's armor is covered in cracks from his impact into the hive itself. Boarding the Valkyrie, the venerable super soldier makes his way to the cockpit, grinning like a loon. "Thanks for the lift Ivan. Damn that was fun." He says with a laugh, casually picking hydra spines out of his armor.

The defenders are motley mix of armed colonists and their security escort; the latter of which are equipped sleek power armor, vaguely reminiscent of the old CMC armor. A member of the security team briefly speaks into a private comm line before turning back to Leah and Rave.

"Thanks for the assist. I take it the boss took out the Broodmother."

He half-asks, half-states, the entirety of the defensive line taking a much needed breather as the leaderless swarm rips itself to pieces. Judging by the soldier's comment this must be the mercenary detachment that Stefan sent along with the expedition. A few moments later there's a steadily growing rumble of jet engines. With a roar and crash a mech-jet hybrid that might have once been a Dominion Viking makes a rough landing a several yards from the party before stumping its way over.

The mech itself is a ramshackle mess. Covered in emergency spot-wielded armor panels, a traditional ballistic glass cockpit cover has been replaced with an armored roll cage. It's weapons are an equally eclectic mix. With a hiss and a jolt, the roll cage lifts up and a woman in an armored flight suit climbs out. In the place of a proper suit helmet, she has some sort of armored oxygen mask and a pair of old-school flight goggles. Dropping the mask to around her neck and lifting the goggles to her forehead; Amanda grins a lopsided, slightly crazed smile.

"Bloody fucking hell, it's good to see you again Leah." The empath says, looking like death warmed over; a pair of rather large & fresh scars across her face giving the woman a roguish look.

[Ivan]

"Your welcome, though I think you and I have different definitions of fun"

I quickly get the ship back into the air before the zerg regroup and unite back under another command. It took a little while to get to where the settlement, mostly due to needing to dodge around a few clusters of zerg with Overseers.

[Leah]

I rush forward slinging my rifle behind me popping my helmet open as well. Once I was about fifteen feet away I blink the remaining distance and wrap my arms around her.

"I leave you for six months and you end up like this. What am I supposed to do with you? I swear you will cause me enough stress to have a stroke."

I look at her face tracing the new scars with the tips of my fingers. "Maybe next time somewhere with less zerg?"

[Dm]

Up in the distant sky the shape of a large ship slowly starts to increase as the Fury of Terra descends to the surface.

[Rave]

I hang back while the two have their reunion and kneel down next to Jerra, running a hand down her back. For the time being, I was pretty sure I was just an awkward third wheel until Leah's brothers caught up. However, a figure approaching with a large sword on his back and a pair of large caliber revolvers in hand approaching made my subconsciously reach for my rifle again.

[Terrance]

I come out of the smoke the battle had caused with a grin on my face, my combat armor smoking in a couple of patches from Roach acid, but otherwise undamaged. I holster my revolvers and rest a hand on my twin's shoulder while ruffling Leah's hair. "Leave it to the wonder triplets to swoop in at the last minute, you glorious bastards. What brings ya?"

[Amanda]

"Hey! The Zerg showed up after we did." Amanda quips back with exaggerated indignation as she returns the hug before stepping back to arms length. "I'd give you a kiss, but I'm well aware that I smell like absolute shit right now." Trailing off, the empath's expression turns sober. "This place has been an almost constant battlefield for the past two weeks. Even with my nanites and the combat stims, I've barely been able to keep pace. I..." She trails off as Terrance approaches, a bit of her lopsided smile returning.

"...I'm just glad we managed to keep our casualties to a minimum." Amanda finishes, lightly ribbing her brother with her elbow. "I do believe we can thank Uncle Stef for saving our bacon once again for the umpteenth time." With a deep breath, Amanda takes a moment to stretch before looking at a readout on her suit's arm. "Well, a proper catching up can wait. I've got just over three hours left on my current stim drip, and I see no reason to wait around while the Swarm properly reorganizes itself. With your added firepower and Uncle Stef's multiple lifetimes worth of combat knowledge, we can clean up this mess, flatten their hive and then maybe, just maybe, get some fucking sleep."

[DELETED]

[Leah]
I pull away from Terrance ruffling my hair before it got to look worse than it already was.

"Well we found John and we also found an old flag ship of Poltergeist. One that was once thought lost and destroyed a while ago. It needs fuel and repairs and you guys happened to be the closest."

I look over to Shadow noticing him reaching for his rifle. " Don't worry about Terrance he just looks more threatening than he really is. These two are Amanda and Terrance Reaver. Amanda and Terrance this is Shadow, yes I know it seems weird that he uses the same name as my dad's old friend and boss but I also don't think it is his real name.

Oh look John and Ivan are finally getting here.

I put my helmet back on and look up as the old capital ship was making its way over the encampment. Landing a short distance away was Ivan's ship with him disembarking shortly after.

[Terrance]

"Ah, but who delivered Uncle Stef to us in the first place? Wasn't anyone but the wonder triplets." I step back and look up at the ship as it descends, listening to my sister continue talking before nodding. "She's right, this is the best time to strike, though, I followed Uncle's trajectory, Amanda. The main Hive isn't a concern anymore I think." Turning my attention away from them as Ivan and John join us, I appraise the armored form who had resumed stroking his...pet. "Shadow, huh? Well, I'm not worried about the former head of Poltergeist anyways."

[Rave]

I appraise the pair and nod. "It's an old alias is all, something that helps me stay grounded right now. Aaaanndd, maybe a way to keep from betraying anything til I actually know you people." I shrug. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

[Terrance]

Nodding, I turn and lean over towards Leah as indicate this 'Shadow' character. "You sure he's not completely bonkers?"

[Stefan]

"No crazier than me, though that's not exactly saying much. Trouble really follows you two wherever you go, doesn't it?"

Stefan pipes up as he tromps over from Ivan's ship, still resting the broken tip of the Ultralisk kaiser blade over one shoulder. Stepping over to the super-solider, Amanda pulls out a couple of hydralisk spines that Stefan missed. "Yeah well, we come by it honestly." Stefan snorts in amusement. "Ain't that the truth. Now, if you don't mind I need to borrow a comm unit." "Right, the drop would have fried yours, or was it the impact?" Amanda replies cheekily, supplying the requested device. "Oh shush you." Stefan says absently as he quickly punches a code into the device before returning it to Amanda.

A few moments later, there's a low rumble as a small cargo pod launches itself out from on the Fury of Terra's hanger bays and lands next to Stefan a minute later, spraying dirt in all directions. Opening it up, the pod is filled to the brim with weapons and military equipment. Replacing his fried electronics, Stefan straps on a powered exo-frame, slinging an absolutely massive blade onto it's back rack; the absurd weapon being somewhere between a zweihander and a buster sword. Next, he loads up on demolition charges as well as what can only be a mini-nuke. Finally, the super-soldier straps some sort of heavy plasma weapon to the underside of his left arm.

Now armed to the teeth, Stefan turns back to face the group. "Aright here's the plan. I'm going to go finish off the Hive and it's supporting structures. While I'm doing that ya'll need to clean up the remaining Zerg. Use Cleansweep 3 as the basis for your op, that should cover the basics. My mercs will know the details. Any questions?" Stefan states, one hand resting on the hilt of the massive sword.

[Leah]
"You two don't really remember much about the original changelings do you? Laura almost if not tried killed Andy and my dad. Then there is Zack...

Anyway I'll check with John and see if that old bucket of bolts he is calling a ship can help. It should at least be able to provide aerial support."

I give Amanda a quick hug and then blink towards the ship to check in with John.

[Ivan]

"Yeah I do have a question. What is Cleansweep 3 and is a mini nuke really necessary? We do have a capital ship, though some maintenance may be needed. And a small crew."

I nudge Terrance. "We really are not all that you know. Hard to kill yes but not exactly wonder triplets as you say.

[Rave]

"I also want to know who put you in charge. Just because you dropped out of orbit in one piece doesn't make you the man we all answer to." I raise my hand and the air around the infighting Zerg begins to rapidly freeze, turning them into ice sculptures ready for shattering almost instantly. "Besides, there are better uses for the ammunition than clean up. Give me ten minutes." I glance back at Stefan. "Oh, and I can make that Hive easier for you as well. No need for the nuke then."

[Terrance]

I whistle as Shadow shows his power. "Wow, ain't seen Crytokinesis on that level since the Academy. Hey sis, go get your blades! Not gonna need the guns now!"

[Stefan]

In response to Ivan, the ancient super-soldier sighs almost dejectedly. "Fine, take all my fun away. I'll do this the boring way." Still grumbling under his breath, Stefan returns the nuke to the storage container. Briefly fiddling with his tech, he patches into the Fury of Terra's systems and projects up a 3d holographic map of the surrounding area.

As the holomap comes completely online, Stefan addresses Shadow. "First, Experience. I earned my commission the hard way; back in the days of the Confederacy. Two, I've spent a lot less time on ice than you have. Third, War is my life. There is no human body underneath this shell, no possibility of settling down, of retiring. If this body does age, I have yet to notice it. And fourth, I've made the most of my time. I've studied, practiced and implemented both the art & science of war." For a moment, Stefan truly seems to look his age; the super-soldier who has watched more than a generation of allies, comrades and friends develop, mature, grow old, retire and eventually die. It's a sad and lonely face.

In the awkward silence following Stefan's monologue the holomap's projector chirps, lighting up with IFF markings. The projection paints a stark picture; the colonists being vastly outnumbered by the Zerg horde. Returning to the task at hand, the super-solder quickly sizes up the situation. "Alright Shadow, what's the effective range limit on that flash freeze of yours? How long can you keep it up for? How far into the ground can you reach with it? I spotted a Nydus network when I dropped in, so that'll need to be dealt with." Stefan asks, rattling off his questions in rapid-fire succession; the super-solider having switched from happy-go-lucky berserker to cold-blooded tactician with an almost unnerving swiftness. Not missing a beat, he casts a quick glance over at Amanda. "Are the colonies' class-3 terraformers still working?"

Pausing for a moment, the woman in question stares off into space; thinking. "Uhh... Yes. They're currently offline to conserve power, but they are one the few things we've managed to avoid stripping for parts."

"Good. That'll simplify things. Get them powered up."

Nodding, Amanda takes a couple of steps back from the group and starts barking orders into her comms.

[Ivan]

"I'll provide air support where I can. Once John has the other ship in place I'm sure clean up won't take to long." I head to my ship to prepare to take off and begin to help with clearing out the remaining zerg.

[John]

"From what I can tell Leah we should be able to add some support but it won't be fast. Only about a third of the ats batteries are fully operational. The ata batteries are at about half operational now after that zerg attack we had."

"This really is a bucket of bolts John. Are you sure this ship will even survive?

"It should but like I said before it's going to need repairs and fuel for the reactor."

{Alright Stef were do you want me to provide support at? Most of the ats batteries are going to need some tlc before they are running again but I can provide some cover against any of the hostile air power.}

[DM]
The ship finally finishes its decent through the planet's atmosphere and currently sits over the colony maintaining a high altitude while it's pilot waits for further information.

[Rave]

I didn't give an answer right away, finishing up a deep-freeze on several of the nearby zerg. "No more than a kilometer down, especially in the creep. Stuffs not all liquid, but you already know that. Length of time isn't a factor, average temperature when I freeze things is well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, nearly to absolute zero if I really push it. If you can get me to the network entrance, I can deep freeze it from there." Jerra was near me, her tail lashing out towards any mostly frozen Zerg that still managed to escape my ice storm. "Radius is...I'll say large. I've never pushed myself to the limits with it before."

[Terrance]

Drawing my own massive blade, I set out into the field, the weapon moving easily between everything that move in my expert hands. "He isn't kidding, they're easier to shatter than slice through or shoot. But..." Humming thoughtfully, I sigh and open a channel. {Frank, get a couple of the old Goliaths out here and have them open fire on the ice sculptures our friend is making.} After receiving an affirmative, I turn back to Uncle Stef. "I think they can handle clean up out here, we should head into finish off the remaining hive buildings."