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-So What Now?-
-Augustgrad, Imperial Park-
Augustgrad's Imperial Park. A recreational park with an area of one square mile, complete with grass, trees, winding sidewalks where people would jog, lakes where both Earth ducks and geese and Korhal's alien avians feast on synthesized algae designed for both their digestive systems in harmony, and several recreational fields where citizens can play sports like tennis or golf derived from old-Earth.
But the most iconic feature of the park was an area reserved as a memorial to those who fought in the Dominion Armed Forces; specifically, those who fought at the Second Great Battle of Char.
There was a good reason the "Second Great Battle of Char", or just "The Battle of Char", became an important historical event to the Dominion as a whole. A statue was erected at the center of the plaza, showing Commander Raynor and the late General Horace Warfield, both in marine armor, shaking hands with the banners of Raynor's Raiders and the Dominion towering beside them.
Raynor, dressed in a black formal military uniform, looked up to Warfield's statue. "You know, I never thought I'd ever wear a suit. 'Always preferred the cowboy look m'self. But I figured I could make an exception for you... just this once." He held in his hand a bottle of Torus wine and poured steadily over the flowers at the statue's feet, "You were a father to your men and gave folks like me the benefit of doubt. That day, we were just two soldiers trying to do the right thing and help our boys survive."
"Your uniform is spiffy, but you didn't even bother to fix your hair," jested Horner, who came to his side and grasped his shoulder. "He died a war hero. Come sir, Valerian's about to begin his speech."
Raynor gaze lingered for a few seconds before he joined Horner, sitting together with other Dominion leaders on a platform while Valerian stood behind a podium, facing thousands of people that congregated for the Emperor's oration.
And standing with these people were columns of soldiers from all branches of the military in military formal wear, standing stiffly and silently as they watched their young ruler stride to the podium
One of such soldiers was Lexi Nguyen, a short black haired 26 year old woman in military formal wear. She stood in formation with hundreds of other women and a few men in the Dominion Navy Medical Corps, all veteran medics who fought on Char and beyond.
She looked around, noting a distinct split between the military.
On one side were the victorious Dominion Renegades. To the public, they had heroically risked treason and helped place Valerian on the throne, and many were celebrated survivors of Char. They stood tall with their heads held high.
On the other were the disgraced Dominion loyalists, soldiers and officers alike, that continued to serve Mengsk. To the public, they were either blindly obedient or too cowardly to defy the late Emperor. The difference between them and the renegades was subtle, but noticeable: most hung their heads lower and averted their gaze from the people.
The two groups stood in separate blocks, since it was mostly organized regiments instead of individuals that picked sides in the Civil War. This made them stand out as if to say, "One of these groups are the bad oppressive soldiers". And the memory of these two groups fighting and killing each other was still fresh on everyone's minds, creating an awkward, painful schism in the military
Aside from their families, the general public virtually ostracized them, stripping them of respect in society. In fact, Lexi could hear whispers of scandalous gossip from the audience, most certainly directed at the "loyalist dogs".
Did they really deserve that?
Lexi didn't dwell on it further, as Valerian began his calm speech with a practiced voice.
"My fellow citizens. Barely a month has passed since the Zerg Swarm deposed my father's grip over the Dominion; finally bringing peace to our nation and the sector. The Second Great War was fierce and costly, but with that finally over, now is our one true chance to rebuild our cities and bring the people back onto their feet. We've watched our homes burn to the fires of war. We've lost countless friends and family to the battles that raged across the sector."
"We can do our best to recover. Rebuild our cities. Support those who have lost dearly."
"But the one thing that still plagues our hearts and minds is our faith and pride as, not just citizens of the Dominion, but as a strong people in this cold, harsh cosmos."
"The history of our military is short, with only 5 years of official existence since the Sons of Korhal. Yet the vastness of space and constant warfare with aliens and other terran factions ensured no shortage of action, with most hardly conducive for the nation's pride."
"We suffered a string of humiliating defeats at the hands of the UED during the Brood War, which ended in a crippling loss dealt by the Cerebrate at the Battle of Char Aleph."
"We were powerless to stop pirates from preying on our citizens, and the throne squandered billions to chase rebels, allowing us to lose several minor conflicts."
"Our reputation was further soiled by the military's callous mistreatment of fringe world populations, and aggressive forced conscription laws demanded by my father to solve the diminished manpower shortages inflicted by the wars."
"And what did that amount to? Commander Raynor highlighted the weakness of our military when he successfully raided UNN studios to reveal Arcturus' crimes against humanity. And it all culminated to the final moment, when Kerrigan rebuilt the Swarm and curb-stomped the Dominion until she tore down the gates of Augustgrad itself."
Raynor distracted himself with rubbing his beard as he listened intently. He considered himself fortunate the people finally accepted him as a hero and a role-model citizen, despite waging his own little war against the Dominion.
He also ruminated on Kerrigan's actions. It was her brutal campaign and final victory that made the populace ultimately realize the true face of Mengsk after the UNN broadcasts - he sacrificed countless lives, placing as many bodies as he could between Kerrigan and the Augustgrad palace, including the civilians whom he refused to evacuate, just to protect himself. He wanted to take the Dominion down with him. The civilians and soldiers were quick to realize that... if Kerrigan truly wanted to exterminate the people, the military could do nothing to stop it.
Valerian continued, "So while the people still look up to and recognize the Dominion Armed Forces as the bulwark of humanity's defense, it is stained by its history of failures and crimes against the people."
Even from the eyes of a core-worlder, to be placed in a red power armor was to be either a literal redshirt incompetent, or a crazed soldier ready to commit atrocities at the bark of an order. Raynor's Raiders' numbers swelled with volunteers who wanted to serve without the negative connotations associated with the DAF.
"Fellow citizens and soldiers. I understand this is difficult for us to bear in mind. I evoke these painful memories so we may learn from our mistakes and, should your pride and faith waver, I ask that you remember the Battle of Char. Rebels and the military alike joined forces in a united front to strike down the Zerg threat, a beacon of humanity untarnished by political factionalism. The battle on the fiery landscapes of hell against nightmarish monsters forever immortalized all its combatants as brave soldiers. It rewarded humanity with the moment of triumph when the Queen of Blades was truly defeated for the first time in history, and honored the courageous men and women who fought through fire and teeth to make it happen."
"It was the most redeeming moment in the history of the Dominion Armed Forces. It symbolized the moment when humanity temporarily ignored its petty conflicts and won their first major victory in years. If you fought on that hellish planet, you can raise your head tall with pride and honor as a real heroic soldier, or be forever remembered as the dead who bravely sacrificed."
Valerian's voice lowered, almost to a whisper, as he maintained a level tone, "And there were a lot of dead men and women from that audacious, costly campaign."
The young emperor couldn't help but pause to take a breath and blink. Horner looked to him and the audience with concern.
Fortunately, it seemed, everyone forgave the turmoil in the Emperor's mind, as they too knew the severity and significance of the sacrifices to win the battle.
"To those who answered my call as volunteers; those who fought and died... I, Emperor Valerian Mengsk,... thank you for your loyalty and believing that we were fighting for a greater good."
A collective weight seemed to lift from the audience. Soldiers and families felt compelled to watch the Emperor publicly thank them.
It was nothing new, Arcturus was expected to thank and congratulate the government and its military. But coming from Valerian, it somehow felt... genuine?
Lexi glanced to the 'loyalist' bloc who displayed no further emotion on their stoic faces. They probably felt left out from the praise and high honors, she thought with pity.
"To commemorate these brave men and women. We've constructed our new Memorial Wall in Imperial park."
It was nigh impossible to recover casualties, both dead and wounded, from the Zerg (which also made fighting them especially brave). And with the scale of warfare in the Koprulu sector, there would be countless bodies to cremate or bury in one area.
So the Dominion took inspiration from a famous Memorial Wall on Earth and built their own wall surrounding the Raynor-Warfield statue. It listed the names of every soldier lost in battle on bright orange holographic projections instead of engraved stone blocks, and the wall was several times longer than the one from Earth.
"For many," said Valerian, "this will be the only place to commemorate the fallen, and the only place to grieve."
"But before we open this memorial to the public, there is one more thing I would like to address, for those still with our armed forces today," he said, adding power to his voice. "We have more than just those who fought on Char. There are those who, by remaining loyal to the crown, fulfilled their duty to the Empire."
Being suddenly made the focus of attention, the loyalists tentatively glanced at Valerian. The audience broke in murmurs.
Raynor eyed the soldiers who wouldn't hesitate to make him a dead man on Mengsk's behalf no less than a month ago..
'What are you up to, Junior?'
"People of the Dominion. I ask you to think of the men and women who continued to fought on behalf of the common citizen in the final moments of my father's regime. In truth, they are among the bravest of the Dominion."
A dim hope filled the eyes of the loyalists as they watched and listened for their emperor.
"They stood their ground and fought against Kerrigan's terrifying swarm when she sought revenge."
"Neither could they cower from the Zerg, lest they be executed for treason, such as the fate that tragically befell Warfield's evacuated Char garrison," Valerian couldn't help but allow passion to seep into his next sentence, "They survived the onslaught and evacuated as many wounded as possible under our beloved general's direct orders, only to return home to die as failures and traitors! Not soldiers! Not heroes! That is not how we reward courage and loyalty!"
Anger and shock rippled across the Dominion, with Valerian's speech being broadcast across UNN channels. The media already saw witness to Arcturus Mengsk publicly executing the survivors of Char, and truly believed them to be traitorous scum at the time.
But the way Valerian worded it...
It filled them with shame.
"These men and women faced the Swarm and sacrificed in vain for Arcturus because they truly believed in defending humanity. If we are to rebuild this nation, we must do so together, starting with the military that owes so much to the people it promised to protect."
"Fellow citizens. All I ask is your renewed faith in the entirety of the Dominion Armed Forces. The men and women who once served my father stand beside us now. Give them back their right to dignity and honor. Let them raise their heads high once more as proud defenders of the Dominion. They are not cowards! They are not thralls!"
"They are soldiers."
Horner watched with bated breath as the Emperor concluded his speech, letting the entire Dominion soak in his words. Tosh would probably write off the loyalists as blind followers of Mengsk that needed to be culled, and that this speech was the epitome of naive idealism.
Naive idealism which Horner would gladly eat up himself.
And apparently... so did the people.
Someone in the crowd started clapping. Then another. Horner was quick to join in with his own energetic clap as he stood, and Raynor remained seated with a smile as he offered his own laid-back clapping.
All of which was directed to the loyalists.
One officer from their ranks let loose a breath of relief with a pained expression, unable to face the crowd. But every other soldier or officer couldn't help but look around at the faces and voices once more cheering for them, and either smiled or shed tears of happiness.
It took guts and courage to stand between the Queen of Blades and Arcturus, and the Emperor honored them for that heroism. And maybe, just maybe, the Dominion accepted them once more.
Horner smiled. Sometimes, naive idealism is exactly what the people need.
Hearts and Minds.
"Let us rebuild our great empire as one united Dominion," added Valerian amongst the loud cheering.
"Salute to the Emperor!" shouted the hardened General Davis.
Every Dominion soldier, loyalists and renegades alike, saluted to their leader, inspiring many citizens to mimic the gesture as well.
Lieutenant Morales led the Dominion Navy Medical Corps. "Salute!"
Lexi joined suit, pride swelling within.
Meanwhile, Delta and Sharp blended in with the audience in their civilian clothing, with the former tearing up.
Sharp looked to her bemused. "Why are you crying?"
"It's just -hic- so touching that he forgave them!" choked Delta.
"My god, Delta. You're so sappy," said Sharp with a smirk, "I mean, Valerian kinda has to. Either he forgives them or loses the support of a huge chunk of his military."
"You're ruining the moment, Sharp! You don't have to think too hard on these things! Just feel it."
"I don't even know how you graduated ghost training. But whatever. I thought you invited Nova?"
Delta laughed as she wiped her tears. "I did; told her we should attend the memorial opening to fulfill our duty as citizens. She said yes."
"But?..."
"She showed up in sweats, told me this was a waste of time, and ran off to jog."
Sharp chuckled, "Of course Nova. Of course. What did you expect, Delta?"
"I d'know Sharp," she humored him. "Kinda foolish on my part."
A couple was jogging along one of many sidewalks that wound around Imperial Park. They were doing a nice brisk pace, taking it slow and casual. Yep, nice and realaxing.
BOOM.
That was the sound of a young woman that landed on her feet with her back turned to them, and sprinted ahead.
Two thoughts ran through the couple's minds.
First, who does this runner think she is, jumping around and sprinting at so fast she'll probably collapse in 10 seconds flat?
Second, did she just jump over them?
Nova didn't care. She continued to push on in a full-out sprint, speeding past the numerous stupidly slow joggers and catching the eyes of many surprised bystanders. To them, Nova was running like an Olympic sprinter... and she wasn't tiring out!
By psionically boosting the muscles in her legs, Nova could move them faster and push against the ground harder. Her trained lungs, which burned like a fire, worked in and out to constantly supply her boosted body with much needed oxygen. But Nova can easily ignore that stinging pain.
Even as a psionically-enhanced terran, sprinting at top speed was still a physically taxing feat for her.
Especially when she's wearing a 100 pounds weighted vest beneath her steel-blue sweatshirt.
Did you really think she'd go easy on herself?
The blonde kept pushing on with her ponytail whipping behind, her legs and feet burning hard to move 280 pounds at top speed.
Nova wasn't interested in standing or sitting still for hours just to listen to Valerian huff a sentimental speech. Whether or not she possessed patriotic pride, she was still loyal to the Dominion, she just would rather train and prepare to actually serve the Dominion rather than be inspired by a pep rally.
The ghost supposed that's what separated ghosts from the civilian normies or even regular soldiers: the former will readily serve the Dominion at all times without the need for inspirational speeches or patriotism, while everyone else needed to be coaxed and encouraged to get off their lazy asses and do something for the country they claim to be proud of.
That's why Nova never bothered with politics and the nationalist propaganda used by the Emperors and their government, it was simply much easier to just obey orders without considering the morality or consequences of her actions.
Nova began to slow, unsure if it was because she was wearing out or dedicating more energy to think. She resolved to take a break on a bench.
Was it really okay to just follow orders without thinking about the repercussions of her actions? After all, she knew ghosts were supposed to be weapons, tools of the Dominion, and she wouldn't mind if she's really just that. Better that than be confused by morals and sentimental emotions.
A memory of someone preaching her to change and consider otherwise resurfaced and inflicted a whole slew of messy, painful emotions, and she quickly suppressed the memory and its associated feelings back to the deepest recesses her mind.
She's really considering getting those memories mind-wiped... but at least they taught her valuable and harsh lessons.
Whatever! That's all in the past. With the wars officially over, everything will go back to the way they were, and she'll continue her mission to protect the Dominion no matter the cost.
Nova felt something sinister occurring with her psychic precognition and looked around, spotting a scene that would send paranoid chills down the spines of any responsible adult.
A stranger luring an unsuspecting child to their truck with the promise of candy.
A simple mind probe confirmed Nova's suspicion, that man was intending to abduct that kid!
She bolted straight towards them. "HEY!"
A psychic message warned the child to run, and run he did, away from the frustrated stranger who saw Nova speeding straight towards him. He cursed, jumped into his truck, and hovered away to escape the scene.
The child was safe, but Nova wouldn't be satisfied with letting that sick predator get away. She moved to unzip her sweatshirt and remove her weighted vest.
The zipper was stuck.
"Oh- Come on!" she growled, futilely tugging the zipper as she raced after the hovertruck. Stupid discount zipper!
Should she try to slip out of the sweatshirt? Rip it off?
Screw that! there's no time!
Might as well make this a challenge.
The 280 pound woman sprinted after her target, ignoring her body's weariness from its earlier exercise holding her back.
Augustgrad's avenues were wide to account for the city's massive population condensed into one location, allowing the criminal to weave through the traffic at a brisk pace, and around a corner.
Nova took a short cut and ran through a construction site where a skyscraper destroyed by the Zerg was just starting to be rebuilt. She ignored the protests of the workers and their SCVs, and nimbly dashed through, jumping off planks, large pipes, metal scaffolding, and someone's car roof, all with fleet of foot.
Or, it would have been fleet of foot, had Nova weighed 100 lbs lighter...
Nova heavy footsteps had no trouble moving her at such speeds, but the spirit of Isaac Newton wanted to screw with the construction workers.
Her foot flipped a plank that catapulted some wet concrete over the workers' lunchboxes, pushed a giant metal pipe to roll into a panicked SCV and knocked it over, rattled the metal scaffolding so forcibly that workers almost tripped and fell off, and left a dent on that car roof before she ran down the street.
Stopping at a red light, the would-be abductor briefly checked his rear-view mirror and spotted that blonde woman, in the middle of the street, still chasing and closing in on him.
"Oh shit!" Not wanting to take his chances with someone who could run that fast, he slammed the accelerator pedal.
Fortunately, Nova managed to close enough distance to telekinetically lash out, breaking the truck's engines as it swerved and crashed into a lamp post. The predator stumbled out in a daze and tried to run, before Nova's fist crashed into his face and knocked him to the ground.
His attempt to get up was easily thwarted when Nova's weighted body pinned him down, allowing her the ease to pull back and tie the man's hands behind his back with her shoe-laces.
"You're under arrest for an attempted kidnapping!" screamed Nova with the upmost disgust.
The scene was attracting a lot of attention from bystanders who crowded around to watch. The ring of people widened when a police hovercraft landed close by and the officer approached her.
"Halt! This is the police! What's going on here?"
Nova never dealt with law enforcement before, but she did deal with disciplinary preceptors and dangerous soldiers. She noted the policeman's neo-steel baton, taser gun, and a sidearm, and responded confidently. "This man was about to abduct a child at Imperial Park."
The policeman raised his eyebrow at Nova and the man pinned underneath. Law enforcement members were trained to take child predation very seriously. But still... "Where's your proof?"
Nova bit back from simply blurting out "I read his mind". Damn it! She should have seen this coming! The ghost contemplated her answer and spoke quietly to avoid the eavesdropping crowd. "I am Dominion Ghost Agent X41822N, Nova Terra, I read this man's mind and preemptively stopped his attempt to kidnap a child."
The officer gave her a raised brow, one that spelled bemusement and uncertainty, as he eyed Nova seriously. "It's a serious criminal offense to be impersonating Dominion agents."
Nova groaned, pulled out her wallet from her sweatpants' pocket, and handed her ID to the officer.
The policeman looked to the ID, then to Nova, then back again. Same cold, stone face. He took out a scanner and verified the authenticity of the ID. He chuckled. "Wow. You really are Nova Terra. I'm sorry agent. I just didn't expect you to be in that get-up."
"Figures..." deadpanned Nova. "I've got things to do. Inspect the man's truck and I'll be on my way."
The officer motioned her to stop. "Now hold on, Miss. I'd wager you're already aware that ghosts now receive all the same rights as citizens under Valerian's new reforms."
"...Affirmative?"
"That means all ghosts are also subjected to the same criminal charges and jurisdictions as any other citizen, with the exception of specific military tribunals." he surveyed the scene around them. "Smashed street lamp, disturbing the public peace, and jaywalking. I'll have to take both you and that man in for questioning and investigation so we can confirm your story."
"Are you serious? You can't detain me!"
The officer held out powerful magnetic hand-cuffs. "Resisting arrest or formal detainment for questioning is also a criminal offense."
Nova groaned in disdain and frustration, and eventually she was escorted into the officer's hovercraft in a separate holding room.
"Dayum girl!" said the officer as he noted the hovercraft's weight scale, then looked back at the lean Nova. "How are you so heavy?!"
-Augustgrad Imperial Palace-
"That was a great speech, sir." said Horner as he accompanied the Emperor down the halls. "I couldn't have worded it any better."
"You flatter me, Admiral." said Valerian with a crisp voice. He was in a very good mood. Only a nerve-wracking month of being Emperor and the media was already praising him for the 'mercy and forgiveness bestowed on the brave soldiers of the Dominion'. "It was only natural I capitalize that political move. The Dominion needs to remain whole and united; we will never subsist by punishing our dissenters and ostracizing the former opposition."
"It's too bad we're short on both trustworthy bureaucrats and manpower. With that said, it's still a risky move to allow former elements of your father's inner circle to run your empire. Especially with these new reforms..." said Horner as he scrolled through a list in a holopad. "Your crackdown on corruption involves seizing power and control Arcturus granted to high-ranking officials. I don't think they'll just hand it over without protest, especially General Davis. Do you have a back-up plan?"
"Have faith in Davis." reassured Valerian. "Sometimes, Horner, the best way to win someone's trust and loyalty is to give them the benefit of doubt. But of course, I wouldn't be so foolish as to forgo a back-up plan. I'm rebuilding my intelligence service with the help of a close associate of mine."
"Who would that be?"
"His role is meant to be secret. All you need to know is that he has certain useful skill-sets you wouldn't find in the average Terran."
"Okay... On another topic, sir." Horner frowned as he read his holopad, starting with a long-winded title. "The Warlord Aurelius Hai of the Canton Autonomous Sector is scheduled to meet with you to discuss politics."
"Oh dear..." Valerian chuckled halfheartedly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Former General Hai, she's been causing a storm in the central administration with her ambitious stunt."
"Very ambitious, sir. She's seized control of the Hakka system with its inhabited planets Canton and Song, both with middling populations and infrastructure with Canton being the new sector capital. When Kerrigan's swarm abandoned Dominion worlds they infested, this warlord seized Jontur II, a major Dominion ship-building world, and Mistaff IV, a hub of military production."
Horner set down his holopad and continued, "Seizing Dominion worlds, especially those we need to rebuild our military, is ridiculous! This schism will weaken and divide the empire; we can't just let this slide."
"I concur. If we don't take action and thus allow Aurelius to get away with usurpation, it will destabilize the Dominion. If we can't stop one rogue general from breaking off, what will stop another from doing the same thing? The people will lose faith in the government's power to maintain unity and stability in our vulnerable years."
"Do you think you can convince her to submit?"
Valerian sighed. "Diplomacy is always the first answer. I will have to try my best."
"If not... I'll have a fleet ready to attack within three days." Horner ran the plans through his mind. "Our military and industrial capacity far surpasses what the warlord possesses. We should strike swiftly and decisively before she solidifies support for her power base and builds a dangerous military threat. I promise it will be a quick, clean, and civilized operation."
The young emperor chuckled. "Think about what you just said again, Horner."
"I'm sorry?" Horner contemplated his words. He then frowned, his faced flushed red with mortification. "Oh. I apologize, sir. I don't know what came over me..."
"I don't blame you for that. It takes a while for people to get used to new powers and responsibilities. Like myself for instance." Valerian moved to the point. "If we forcibly invade and reoccupy the worlds, the people may see that as an act of oppression."
"What about a simple assassination?"
"Neither that is tenable..." lamented Valerian. "She's openly declared her support to me and the crown. If she were to suddenly die, and the public found out why, it would destroy our integrity in the eyes of not only Aurelius' people, but also that of our own."
"I can't believe she's managed to do this and cause so much trouble on our part."
Valerian shrugged. "That's politics, dear Matt. Even the simplest matters are never easy to solve."
"Sir, I hope you can convince her otherwise."
"I appreciate and share your hope..."
"Oh, and on another completely unrelated note..." Horner pulled up his holopad again. "One of our ships transporting new psychic recruits to Korhal was raided by an unknown group of rogue ghosts. We've lost one ghost, a Tanya Caulfield, and all new recruits. One of the abductees was Drake Shimada."
"Shimada? As in Shimada Arms Industries?"
"Owned by the family that somehow managed to buy out Wolfe Industries and Enlightened Dynamics and combined it into one giant arms manufacturer? Yes, sir. That same family."
"Their son was kidnapped..." Valerian pinched the bridge of his nose for the second time, this time nursing a real headache. "First Aurelius, now the Shimadas' kid... I promised their family we'd enroll their son at the Ghost academy in exchanged for guaranteed contracts."
"They already know about the kidnapping, and they're not happy..."
"Okay..." recited Valerian to himself. "It's fine. I'll have one of the ghosts investigate the incident so I can focus on General Hai's visit." He waved his finger. "Call Nova to the palace. I know she's been dying to go on another mission."
"About that, sir... I've just received a report literally a minute ago. Nova was involved in an incident of criminal arrest."
"Who did she arrest?"
"That's just it, sir. She was the one caught by the police."
Valerian snorted. "Was that a humorous attempt to lightened my mood? Good work, admiral. It was hilarious."
He turned to face Horner, whose face remained professional and dead serious.
"Oh... you were being serious."
-In a random police station somewhere in Augustgrad-
"This is hilarious." said Nova to herself as she was being detained alone in a holding cell to be sorted before being placed in a private cell. She sat on a steel bench, contemplating her situation.
She wasn't concerned about being imprisoned, she literally had a million better things to do than camp behind bars.
She just hoped no one from the academy found out.
And as luck would have it, escorted by a warden and approaching her cell was Director Jones himself.
"Crap..."
The Director pushed in his glasses with a smirk. "Sitting behind bars is our own model citizen! How did you even wind up in prison, Nova?"
"I went for a jog. I saw a criminal. Arrested a Criminal. Got Arrested. What do you think happened!?"
"I already heard what happened; just wanted to see you all riled up." He continued with his coy smile. "Lucky for you, the police investigation found evidence condemning that man guilty of previous child-abductions. You did a good job on that one at least, but regardless of that outcome, I'm here to bail you out."
"Wonderful." snarked Nova.
As the warden unlocked Nova's cell door, Director Jones continued. "Why didn't you 'convince' the officer to let you go? Or at least telepathically confirm your story?"
Nova shook her head. "I didn't want to cause more trouble if something went wrong. People aren't used to dealing with psychics."
"And getting jailed is no less of a hassle?"
"Maybe I wanted to see what getting jailed on Augustgrad was like, and see how that compares to New Folsom."
"You're a fucking pain in my ass, Nova." They stopped at the edge of the expansive streets, where a dropship was parked at a reserved landing pad marked on the road; the traffic adjusting to move around the landing zone when the ship was present. "Get in the ship. Valerian wishes to see you."
Nova scowled at the mention of the soft, ridiculous new Emperor, "What does Valerian want from me?"
"I hear he's got a mission for you. It's classified, so I'd reckon it's a damn important one."
"At least I like the sound of that. Fine, let's go see what the Emperor wants."
-Hyperion Cantina-
Having just returned from the memorial ceremony, Raynor, dressed once more in his cowboy get-up, took a sip from a glass of beer and set the drink down with a sigh of content. "Okay Tosh. You mind tellin' me why'd you invite us all here? You ain't usually the social type."
The Hyperion crew, including Rory Swann, laughed at the quip as a wide smile split on Tosh's lips. Many were unnerved by such an unfamiliar emotion from the eccentric spectre.
Also because the usually hidden spectres of Raynor's Raiders were present with them. They segregated themselves in their own corner of the cantina, and watched with unreadable expressions as Tosh spoke.
"My brothers an' sisters be stagin' a little raid on the Dominion Ghost Academy." said Tosh in his characteristically slow speech. "Thought I'd let you in on the action." He gestured to the cantina's TV, which was currently showing the video feed from the helmet of a spectre as it traversed Augustgrad's urban shadows.
Murmurs broke out as Raynor furrowed his brows. "Now hold on there, Tosh. What exactly are your boys up to? You know we ain't supposed to be pickin' on the Dominion."
"Don't you worry, Mr. Raynor. Ain't nobody gonna lose their heads. Though.. maybe them ghosts would rather die than live through what will happen next."
"That ain't exactly reassurin'. Did you put them up to this?"
"No. They wanted to do it. They do it. Tried to invite me, and I refused. But I'd be damned if we miss out all the fun."
Raynor sighed. "Well, whatever it is... maybe it's too late to stop it. I'll just go with my gut feeling and hope they know what they're doin'. Can someone pass me that beer?"
A/N: The spectres are moving in to tangle with some ghosts. Ooh~ Spooky. I wonder what they're up to?
It's been a while since the last update, but after some reviews, PMs, and a lot of planning and thinking. I've decided this story's worth continuing and conjured this second chapter. May this story see new life and success to come!
Does anyone ever felt sorry for the Dominion? Are they more than just literal redshirt stormtroopers to be gunned in droves. At least in-game, it was easy and satisfying to watch your own forces destroy the Dominion, but when you think about it from a story perspective, it becomes less black and white.
Still not much to say, but by the way... Bonus points to anyone who sees the symbolic parallels with Shimada Arms Industries and its former parts Wolfe Industries and Enlightened Dynamics. I'll watch over your response. O u o