So hey guys... and that one girl, thanks for coming at least this far and reading the description. This is my first story and well it has a lone Ghost operative who decides that life and vengeance have more value than his dominion ghost rank but will others see that? The story takes place after WoL and after Kerrigans re-infestation in HotS when she is regrouping her swarm and fighting the kinda rouge zerg. Also i hope this won't be horrific to read and if there are many misspelled words all i can say is sorry English isn't my native language and if you have ideas or questions or anything you can just PM me. Also i don't own any starcraft material except my OC and the side characters.
-The beginning-
2 men were sitting in a Terran Dominion base command room. They were on a fringe world near a zerg leviathan, location classified. They were discussing about the safety and current situation of the planet because Sarah Kerrigan had show up to a nearby planet and sent most of her leviathans zerg there. This act had confused most people but also frightened them thinking that they were next.
"We must use this to our advantage. I and my other officers have decided you must eliminate Sarah Kerrigan who is in her leviathan which mostly unprotected"
"How come, why'd i take such a mission" said a ghost calmly.
He was sitting on a large chair in a Dominion military base command room. At the other side of a table next to him was sitting a large man who was easily taller and stronger than an average marine but also with countless bruises and scars all around his face and hands. He was a veteran of countless wars and had done things that most would not do to survive but with those acts he had earned his position in the military.
Many didn't even dare to call him with his real name (William Shard, the commander of the 1st expeditionary guard battalion)nor call him with it even when he wasn't around because he would severely punish anyone not willing to call him an officer sir or commander.
"Because there are two reasons" The officer began.
"First you are the only one that we have at the moment" a brief moment later he continued "And your family will suffer if will not accept" said the officer with a cold voice.
"No" the Ghost muttered, as he nearly collapsed out of the chair he was sitting on buried his face in to his palms.
"NO NO NO" he shouted in his mind and stayed quiet.
"You have NO alternative you are the only and the BEST that we have in this shit hole at the moment if you want to see your puny family again complete you task soldier" The officer said with an echoing and powerful voice and after those words the officer left the ghost alone who was fighting against his tears by leaving the command room.
"This can't happen, i must succeed and save the only one that are left" He said quietly.
His mind was racing, either try to escape his duty and upcoming mission of the assassination (well at least attempt) of Sarah Kerrigan the queen of blades herself but his problem was that it was a suicide mission to say the least and failure meant his death if he was lucky not to suffer in the hands of Kerrigan but his family was in the line too and he didn't know what would happen to them.
He could not believe that the dominion would sacrifice men just like that not to speak about threatening them and their families. He didn't ever know that the Dominion was so corrupted that a few men could decide where to send the best soldiers just because a HVT (high value target) was a bit less guarded.
Kerrigan had for an odd and unknown reason sent most of the zerg from her leviathan to a nearby planet and was protected less than normally but it still was a suicide mission firstly because someone had to fly a ship there and also because Kerrigan alone could most likely beat any ghost blindfolded and her hands tied behind her back, also not to forget that there were still zerg in large numbers protecting her and the leviathan. Anyone sane would not take the mission unless they wanted to die, he didn't either but he knew that his family would so he had to try.
Usually a battlefleet would have been called to destroy such a target especially when it wasn't protected as much as normally but barely any battlecruisers or support like vikings, wraiths or banshees were at the sector at the given time so a single ghost was given the (suicide) mission.
He sighed in his frustration his mind was racing but he fell into his thoughts he realized that he had no escape if he wanted to save his family (Mother, Asha and sister, Alex) and started immediately started to regret what had happened to his father. He had once received the same kind of demands/threats for a same kind of mission. He didn't believe the threats that he had received from the Dominion and didn't accept the mission. What happened was a heavy price he and his family paid, to find their father missing and a message that said that he was arrested for working for an "anti-government organisation" only the ghost knew the real reason for what had happened but never dared to tell being afraid of the families reaction and the Dominions action if they found out.
"Ghost operative X01298Z come to my quarters ASAP" The commander was shouting in to his headset waking him from his transe and moment of silence.
"I have a real name too you know" He spat back.
"Operative Atticus East. DO. NOT. TEST. MY. PATIENCE." the officer fumed nearly deafening Atticus with his voice.
"Hmph on my way" he said to the officer.
"Fucker" he murmured not realizing that his mic was still on.
"What did yo-" the officer was saying when Atticus realized his mistake and threw the mic to the nearby wall in the hopes of it breaking... luckily for him it did.
Atticus was running from towards the nearest armor cursing himself and his foolish act. After a couple of short moments he arrived to large metallic reinforced door which was next to the main corridor that went trough the base to ease access any where. Atticus walked over to a panel were he entered his access code and performed a finger print scan and retinal scan. When he stepped in he saw the only person in the base that he cared about (Mainly because he got his gear from him) and sighed.
"Hey, Mathew" He said while stepping trough the empty are that the large door had left there and entered the makeshift armory that was more like a warehouse type of room.
He saw Mathew in his glass/office box thing which was next to the large main door, sitting next to his table and doing some paper work. At the same time he was drinking some coffee and trying not to spill it on he's papers. It took him a while to notice that someone had called him.
"Sup man how you doing" he replied happily a moment later.
"Well i'm going to be just blunt and honest with you this might be the last time you see me" he paused for a while "And it won't be because of redeployment but because of that sadistic bitch commander" Atticus said with a slight bit of sadness and anger in his voice.
"What happened man did you just piss of some too big" he said worriedly
"Nah man just a suicide mission also i'd love to chat but i don't wan't to get skinned by the commander so can you just give me a new mic quickly and i'll be on my way to see him" he said.
"Sure anything man anything" He answered back with a slight tone of sadness in his voice.
Mathew stood up from his comfy chair. He asked Atticus to sit down and left the room hurriedly. The make shift armory/warehouse made him feel like he was in a tin can buried underground and well it kinda was the reality too. Then the thought of his family came back but he slapped himself leaving a small red mark to his cheek and thought.
"I'm a man. I can do this at least to try to protect other people"
While Mathew wasn't around he decided to entertain himself. He grabbed a mug and poured some coffee into it. It reminded him from an easy life that some people had been blessed with. They could eat what they wanted to wake up when they pleased and do what they wanted.
He started to look around in the office. It was a mostly empty metal box that had some pictures of of his family and his son on the wall. Next to the table which he was sitting next to was a small safe were he kept his his more important belongings. Next to the door was a cloth hanger were Mathew had left his brown leather jacket (which was pretty fancy) and his scarf. The only other thing was anymore another table that curved around the corner of the room with his coffee machine and some mugs being on top of it.
He eyed the mug which he had been drinking from. The mug was dark blue and it had a yellow emblem and below it was a text "Nylands brigad"
"A family tradition them" he thought to himself.
At that moment Mathew came back with something in his hands and said "I couldn't find the one that you exactly needed but this is still compatible with your current suit and gear and also it's a bit newer also the only one so just don't break it"
After emptying his mug he said "Thanks, also from the coffee"
"No problem anytime" he said to Atticus who stood up and patted Mathew on the back when he took the new mic from him and left the room and leaving him alone in his office thinking what just had happened.
- 5 minutes later-
After hurriedly replacing his gear he rushed to the officers room knowing full well that he might not have much to live no matter if he took the mission or not, or then he'd have even less time if the officer was going to kill him for calling him fucker. Atticus doubted that that would happen because he knew he had been born with a silver tongue and it had saved him more than he could remember.
"I might have to persuade him a bit" he thought when he knocked at he officers door.
It was way too large and fancy like all the other luxuries officers had but know one dared to question the officers and their resource use. A moment later the door opened and William stood next to the opened door.
"Come in" he said coldly to Atticus who hesitantly stepped in and followed him and took a seat after he told him.
Not many liked William because of his ruthlessness and lack of human feel towards anything. He was also a man who loved wasting the bases resources and money on useless things like a huge painting of of him self because he needed an ego boost or something also a king sized bed... where did he need that for? He also had luxuries like a huge TV and a holoprojector thingy that only existed in the command room and canteen the reason for having them, well mostly an extension of power more than anything else.
Both of them sat down next to a large table with many different papers and other office things that he'd need. Atticus looked at to a nearby wall and saw there some old marine armor (which looked like it had gone trough hell) next to them were a large collection of medals on a table. He also eyed some pictures in one of them the officer was in picture with a general on another he was standing on top of a dead ultralisk.
"So that's how he became an officer" he thought.
"Just heard you needed some new gear" the officer said breaking his deep thoughts with a questioning tone.
"Already got it" Atticus responded being happy that he didn't know what he had said earlier.
"We don't have much time before we believe that rest of the zerg are returning to the leviathan, so will you accept your mission" He asked with a commanding tone looking him strait to Atticuses eyes making him shiver.
Atticus looked at the floor and then back at the officer "I'm ready" Atticus said nervously.
"Good, you'll have 20 minutes to prepare. Meet me at the starport at 1700 hours. Any questions" The officer said with a smirk
"What no training, no nothing so little time" this is too fishy he though.
He would have wanted at least a week to know the hostile ship and the environment, to get intel and learn the targets powers but there wasn't much to learn about the queen of blades so it kinda helped him well at least knowing that he had one shot, one mistake at any point in the mission meant failure, death of him and his family. He thought that he had time barely to take his rifle and check equipment before having to leave.
"No, sir" Atticus said hastily walking out of the officers room.
"Good prepare your self soldier and make the dominion proud" Hearing those words made Atticus shiver again and wonder why he received such commands/missions especially when he wasn't the best of the best he knew that he was very capable and better than most (He was PI 9 which was still very high but not at the level of Nova or Kerrigan and a few other ghosts)
He had been taken to the ghost academy at the age of 12 and he was noticed to very powerful and he happened to have some very interesting capabilities that others didn't poses like the capability to summon psi blades with out the aid of terran technologies just like a dark templar or zealot.
This made him one of the, if not the most lethal terran hand to hand fighter and back at the academy many had found out about his skills the hard way and soon not even the instructors wanted to challenge him in combat hand to hand.
This was one of the reasons that he had been so interesting to the scientists. But even after multiple amount of memory wipes had always had an ability to hide a small portion of his memories dearest to him soon after even that was turned against him when the dominion learned about his skill. He hated the scientists for what they had done to him but Atticus was also always respected by other students because of his powers but also because he was humble and trustworthy. They often told him things that he had forgotten and as a payback he tried to teach them some psi control powers and some lucky ones had learned from him.
This made it so that he became the person was know to liable and who could be trusted if he had promised something or if he was in debt he paid it back no matter what it was. It had shaped Atticus to become a person did many things (or at least wanted) with honor and often tried to give mercy in combat or at least finish his opponents quickly and painlessly unlike many other ghosts.
On one occasion he had let a HVT go when he had been in front of Atticus on his knees begging for mercy for him and his family and that very moment made him think "Why should i take honor executing someone who opposes the Dominions views" (He sent anti-dominion news reports ect.) He let the man go but made him promise to just disappear and he did.
Atticus had become conflicted with the idea of the Dominion being a power for good and totaliterian dictatorship (which it was) but what made not think about what he and the other ghosts did and make him not go MIA on a mission was the fright of his families fate.
Another of his abilities was a psi shield (A bit different than what Tosh has). He could turn his blade in to a shield which he could curve in front of him into many different shapes to shield him self from harmful attacks and objects. The only problem was that he could maintain in for only a short moment.
The shield had saved him often against foolish zerglings that had tried to jump on him only to have achieved to melt them selves.
- Moments after-
Atticus was walking down another depressing hallway and he was deep in his thoughts and didn't pay attention to he's facial expression and neither did he look in front of him self and happened to stumble on something that was on the floor and accidently tackled a medic.
A very short moment later he realized his mistake and offered his hand to the woman he tackled and apologized but the medic did was just giggled while he lifted her up after that she just looked at his face and asked "Something bothering you"
"Well me most likely dying today in a suicide mission i was forced into is kinda bothering me" Atticus said with a slight bit of sadness
"What, no they can't force you can they" she said shocked
"Well they can because i have some family left, i'd love to chat for while but i have to go i have only 15 minutes before i leave" he said coldly to her.
She wanted to say something to him but she couldn't muster up the strength or the correct words to say anything correct or easing for him. Not knowing what to say she hugged him, not really knowing why she had done so (He was a ghost and everyone at the base knew that) but she had thought that she had to do something.
Not knowing what to do he just tried to enjoy the moment of another person caring about him or at least pretending to care about him and his fate.
"Just another mission i'll be fine" he tried to convince himself.
"Can you just make sure my family is fine they live in Korhal? Just ask for Asha East she owns Korhal mining, people know her just ask her to leave town for a while my sister. Could you do that" He asked her starting to tear tear up.
"Of course if it'll help you" She said to him trying to sound convincing.
"thank you miss-"
"Samantha" she quickly interrupted him
"Thanks Samantha, i'm Atticus" he said with a smile and hugged her for the last time.
"But when i'll soon probably die so it won't matter" he said breaking away from her and turning away continuing walking towards the armory that was anymore around only a couple of corners and lightly dimmed tunnels away.
"What happened to me" he thought
"I'm supposed to the best that the Dominion has here and i'm just a wreck. If Willimiam a marine could defeat ultralisk alone i can do same i'm supposed to be better than him... AND I AM" Atticus mustered in his mind
-some minutes later-
After reaching the large reinforced armory door Atticus entered his access code and did the scans. He stepped in to see no one around. Atticus sighed. He walked to his a locker that was in the corner next to a large row of lockers for marines and other personel. He was about to grab his C-20A rifle which was mainly a CQB weapon but then he thought "Well if i'm gonna get one shot better to make it count"
He was about to pick up his older C-10 25mm rifle but then he noticed a small note that Mathew had left inside his locker and it also had a small box under it.
"Just found these old and rare armor piercing incendiary rounds for your C-10. They should cook your opponents real nicely armored or not and their custom made too so make you shots count and good luck" Mathews letter said.
Atticus smirked and whispered a thank you. He started to put on his Hostile environment suit. After he had put on his way too hard to put on suit he grabbed his C-10 rifle, some ammo and grenades and also Mathews gift rounds that were enough to fill 2 of his magazines.
He walked to Mathews office room and opened the door. No sign of him was to be seen other than his pictures at the walls. He saw the coffee mug he had earlier drank from and saw that there was still some coffee left at the machine and thought "Why not"
After drinking his cup of coffee he decided to write a note to Mathew "Thank you for the rounds man and the last cup of coffee i just drank and for everything. I didn't ever show much towards you but you were the only one i could trust with anything but oh well i'll see you at least in hell but hopefully a bit earlier than that. Also if i won't return give this letter to Samantha she's a medic"
After writing the note and the letter Atticus slapped him self to keep his attention. He put his gloves on and mask on and checked that his cloak and different optics worked.
One of the things he did enjoy as a ghost was walking trough hallways and barracks filled with marines and other people and just have a path get carved in front of him as people from fright and respect got out of his way. This made him just feel like a real badass... but this time also a word about his mission had gotten out so everyone wanted to see him/his reaction.
-While walking to the starport-
Atticus sometimes turned his head towards groups that were talking about him on his way to the starport and when they saw a ghost stop and look at them with full combat gear all of them shut up. But this time Atticus walked up to a group of marines who had their mouths opened in terror as they thought that a ghost would tear them apart but Atticus wanted to humor him self so he took the closest marines C-150 pistol using his telekinesis and aimed it towards the marine (The weapon had safety off and had a bullet in the chamber) and said "Hopefully you listened well when you were trained and know what to do with weapons when out of a combat zone" he said and pulled the trigger.
Atticus immediately activated his psi shield from his wrist making instantly a curved shield in front of the guns barrel disintegrating the bullet in mid air and having a small molten portion of the bullet hit the marines power armor and have it splat the ground in front of him.
He still was hearing people gasp and saw pure fright and horror in the marines face.
"It's your lucky day" Atticus said with a smirk and put the weapon in his holster (His pistol had a damaged slide and the base had no spares so he didn't have a secondary weapon, well until now of course) and also at the same time he heard a many sighs of relief from people.
Seeing Samantha nearby he said to her "Could make sure he didn't piss him self dear"
"Sure" She said to him happily,but was surprised when he quickly took of his mask and gave a kiss to her cheek. This of course make her blush.
"Thanks" Atticus whispered to her
"What are you looking at people get back to work" he shouted while putting his mask on because everyone had been looking at him.
"A ghost can have feelings too" whispered a confused marine to someone else. Hearing this made Samantha blush even brighter and made Atticus leap and push his psi blade to the mans throat.
"Ok ok you don't you don't" The marine shouted clearly panicked.
"And who said that i don't" he said with a smirk and quickly leaping of him.
Atticus left a blushing medic and a unit of marines in awe as left them wondering what had just happened.
- End note -
So there was the first chapter. Please give me ideas and stuff and if they fit with what i've planned (Accurately said it includes a bit about what happens during the mission and couple of things that i won't tell because spoilers... duh) i can use them and i haven't really planned much just maybe 1 or 2 chapters and then i'm gonna need ideas. Also if something doesn't fit with the SC lore please tell me because i'm not an expert at it but things like Atticuses powers - psi blade and shield i thought that were just cool and still kinda could fit the lore so i just put them there but also he does have the normal high PI ghost ability set like telekinesis ect. Also i might add 1 or 2 abilities if i come up with them or if get ideas from you people but i'll use them only if they make sense and aren't op. And also should there be a love interest for Atticus? Also it doesn't have to be Samantha... but i'm not sure who it'll exactly be or how it'll work (Also i had no intent of putting her to the story originally... but i have plans for her... just saying). Also i like put some humor from time to time like at the end of this chapter so is was it good? Or should i have more or less of it, please tell me. Also critic, ideas, questions, lore, anything just PM me.