A team of 4 Terran Ghosts are investigating recent Zerg activity. They are part of a scouting party for the UED that were dropped off a few hours ago, at dawn. They are resting on a cliff. Blake Zeig, the sniper, just returned from scouting the area.
"I've seen some signs uva battle nearby. There's even some dyin' Creep, prob'ly a Zerg camp that was destroyed by the Dominion." he said.
"Good news, everyone, I've finished checking the air. We can remove our breathers." said the team's medic, Zack Fein. The Ghosts removed their masks & goggles. The weapon specialist Adom Curde continued to work on his Canister Rifle.
"Ya gonna say anythin' on this trip," Blake started, "or are ya just gonna love on y'ur damned rifle?"
"I don't need to talk, you do enough talking for the 4 of us." retored Adom.
"Settle down guys." ordered the commander Jack Blurg.
"Yes, sir."
"Sir."
"Is everybody ready? We've spent enough time sitting around, let's continue with the mission. Blake, you're on point." with that the team headed off.
Several hours later, the group came across a rotting Nydus Worm.
"The Zerg wouldn't just leave a Worm lying around. Expect a trap." said Jack. Blake put his goggles on & looked around.
"Th' ground is hot!" he said showing several hot spots that could be burrowed Zerg.
"Cloak, we'll sneak past the Bugs." ordered Jack. The Ghosts put their masks & goggles back on & activated their suits' cloaking systems. While they were sneaking around, a Hydralisk emerged & shook off the debris. It sniffed the air & hissed. After looking around suspiciously it growled & started to slither off, but Adam kicked a rock. The serpentine monster turned around & roared. Lots of Zerglings & Hydralisks unburrowed.
"We've got a spotter," Zack said pointing at an incoming Overlord, "let's retreat."
"Agreed." said Blake as Jack gave the motions. They stealthily moved around the Zerg before the Overlord could detect them. The Ghosts saw many Zerglings feeding on a Terran corpse. A fight broke out over who would eat the entrails. 4 Zergling started to bite & claw at each other with 3 of them retreating, leaving the victor to its meaty trophy. The losers impatiently waited for it to finish. After viewing the scene the group left the area to avoid detection.
While they continued on their mission, the Ghosts discover an abandoned Armory.
"Man, this place is old, look 't th' moss growin' on th' walls." pointed out Blake.
"I suggest we investigate it, there might be more ammunition in there." Adom said.
"Agreed, lets move." said Jack. Zack tried the door but it was jammed.
"Dang it," Zack sighed, "Adom, help me with this door."
"We'll get y'ur backs." announced Blake. As Zack & Adom struggled with the door, Jack noticed Blake rubbing his eye, he'd been doing this for the past week.
"Blake, how's the eye?" he finally asked.
"Oh, nothin', just these damned optical implants." he answered while he continued rubbing his eye.
"Well, that explains why you're the best sniper we got." Jack said with a smile.
"That ain't th' only reas'n, I'm lucky." smiled back Blake.
"Screw it, I'm kicking it in!" said a frustrated Adom, & with a mighty stomp the door slammed open. "There, finally." Zack started to walk in, but Jack stopped him.
"Hold on, I'll sweep it." he said as he put his goggles back on & looked around. "It's clear. I say we hold here for the night & return to the mission in the morning." The squad entered the forsaken building.
As the group of Ghosts made their way through a hallway, they came to an almost smashed in door. Adom & Blake got the door open & as they did this, a crazed Marine began to fire wildly at the Ghosts. Adom & Blake ducked out of the way as fast as they could.
"Cease fire!" ordered Jack, but the Marine continued to fire at the openning.
"You ain't getting in here, no, no way!" yelled back the frantic Marine. Blake nudged his rifle in the door & fired once, hitting the Marine right in the forehead.
"Nice shot, Blake."
"'Twasn't noth'n." he said scratching his head.
"Damn it," Zack exclaimed, "Adom's been hit!" The others looked over to see a bleeding Adom Curde hunched against the wall. He had taken three shots to the chest. "There's nothing I can do for these wounds, I'm sorry Adom." Zack said after he inspected the wounds.
"What'da mean 'there's noth'n ya can do about it'?" yelled Blake grabbing Zack by the chest plating. Jack crouched down near the dying Adom. He looked up at his leader & offered his hand.
"Adom, you know what will happen if I do that."
"Ye-yes, sir." he answered as he choked down his blood, raising his hand.
"All right, you did a good job today soldier. You've earned your place in the books." Jack said with a smile. Adom smiled back as Jack took his hand. Suddenly a blue glow radiated from their hands & Adom's skin started to become wrinkled. When the light died out, so did Adom, his hand & head falling limp. "He gave me his power, he knew the death from that would be quicker than bleeding out." Jack had absorbed Adom's psionic abilities.
"Man, I'm gonna miss 'im." said Blake, fighting back tears. Adom & he had always never seen eye to eye, but they got along & became friends. They still openly engaged each other in arguments, but they remained friends. Jack stood up & walked over to Blake, placing his hand on the sniper's shoulder. They shortly continued into the new room, finding a hole revealing the ground, in which they buried Adom.
The next day, as the Ghosts gathered up supplies, Blake visited Adom's grave for one last time. He said a prayer for his fallen brother-in-arms.
"It's time." said Jack, placing a hand on Blake's shoulder. He nodded & they met Zack at the entrance of the abandoned Armory. They then continued on their journey. They soon came to clearing in which many Terran & Zerg corpses laid strewn about.
"What the Hell happened here?" asked Zack to himself.
"No telling." answered Jack.
"Well, a'least th're ain't any leftov'r bugs," Blake said removing his goggles, "Hell, not ev'n some Terr'n are left." Jack gave the order for the team to continue. Next they arrived at a Terran base.
"Man, it looks like the Dominion guys are fixing to pick up camp & leave." stated Zack.
"Cloak up & move out." said Jack as he & the two others activated their cloaking devices. Many of the building began to lift off & move off world as the Ghosts moved through the encampment, kicking up dust that made the cloaked Ghosts outlines ripple. Luckily they weren't spotted. As the last of the building left the squad began to decloak.
"I he'rd one of 'em Dom'nions talkin' 'bout th' Zerg w're infestin' this world." Blake informed the others.
"Could be true, there are a lot more Zerg than was expected." admitted Jack. "Well, not like it makes a difference, orders are orders."
"Agreed." Zack concurred. Suddenly, at the top of a near by hill, two dozen Zerglings emerged from the ground & four Overlords came into view. The insectoid monsters began rushing at the three Ghosts.
"Oh shit!" exclaimed Blake.
"There's no escape, open fire!" ordered Jack & they did. "Blake, take out those spotters." He nodded, grabbed his sniper rifle, & took aim as the other two shot hot lead into the advancing Zerglings. Blake successfully shot one of the Overlords in the head & it began to fall to earth, smashing into one or two Zerglings. He did this to two others with the same results as Jack & Zack blasted the incoming Zerglings. The last spotter was successfully taken out & Blake changed weapons & targets. Zack was overcome as he was reloading. The others managed to take out the rest of the Zerglings & rescue Zack from being torn apart, however, his wounds were too great & he was bleeding to death, his organs hung out of his torso.
"Damn it, Zack, are... are you ok?" asked Jack, all ready knowing the answer.
"N-no sir, I don't th-think so." answered the mutilated medic. "I'm s-so cold." he said, raising his hand out, just as Adom did just yesterday.
"Have a good rest, you've earned it, along with your place in the books." Jack said, taking his friend's hand.
The next day, the surviving Ghosts continued on their mission, not saying a word, intent on finishing it. So far, their scouting mission has revealed an abandoned Armory & a world that the Zerg seem to be Hell-bent on infesting, as well as two fallen comrades.
"It jus' doesn't seem worth it to me." said Blake to himself. Jack looked at him, thinking the same thing. He looked at his hand, he could feel the power flowing threw him. Then he heard a sound, the sound of a sniper rifle going off. He instantly took cover & looked for Blake. He too had hidden behind a rock & he armed his rifle, meeting eyes with his commander & nodded. Jack picked up a stone & threw it, the enemy sniper shot at it, revealing his posistion. Blake leaned from behind the rock & killed the enemy as he reloaded. They carried on with their mission. They soon came to a Dominion Command Center, entered it as they cloaked & looked for a terminal. Luckily they found one in an empty room & Jack began to hack it. Blake guarded the entrance to the room. After a few minutes Jack found nothing special, but had discovered something interesting, as he began to open the files, a hail of bullets came through the open door way. Blake, acting quickly, closed the door.
"How much long'r, man?" asked Blake, standing near the door.
"Not much." answered Jack as he hurriedly tried to open the file, but it was encrypted in a fashion he had never seen before. Suddenly, the door creaked & Blake turned toward it, then, the door was blown open, sending the Ghost Sniper smashing into the wall next to Jack, who looked, horrified at his comrade. His arm & part of his chest had been blown off! Blake looked up at Jack as his blood poured out of him, he had the look that Jack knew all too well. He reached down & grabbed his hand & absorbed his psionics. As the dust cleared a squad of Marines entered.
"Well, well, look at what we have here, a couple o' 'Spooks'." said the lead Marine, carrying a rocket launcher, he had killed Blake. In a fit of rage, Jack let loose a inhuman roar & sent a psionic shockwave, smashing all of the men against the wall, blood splattering on the inside of their visors. As Jack retrieved the files & began to exit the Command Center, thousands of Zerg came rushing at the Center. Jack killed many, becoming somewhat allied with the Dominion Marines, but they all were overcome by the mighty Swarm. Suddenly, a Hydralisk used its strong arm to bash Jack up against the wall of the Command Center, knocking him unconscious, leaving him at the mercy of the Zerg. They picked him up & carried away.