Okay, the new chapter came sooner than expected. Don't get used to it! I will continue to update unregularly.
Disclaimer: I don't own StarCraft, StarCraft: Ghost, StarCraft II or any other product which is owned by Blizzard Entertainment.
-Chapter 3: Brake Through-
Nova's mouth went dry. Guardians were the nightmare of every infantry. They were slow but their range was terrific and their balls of acid could melt through the light armor the Dominion's marines wore in a matter of seconds. Nova gritted her teeth and consulted the computer built into her suit about the time left she could stay cloaked before she had to draw back and let the device recharge. Through her ear-piece the computer told her that the cloaking device could only transform her psionic powers into a cloaking field for another 30 seconds. She didn't waste anytime and started running through the Zerg towards the Refinery. With a single thought she channeled her mental powers into the synthetic muscle fibers woven into her suit. Although this would drain her even faster it allowed her to move four times her normal running speed. In less than ten seconds she had crossed through the valley and stood at the foot of the hill on which the Vespene Refinery was clearly visible. More and more Zerg were pouring down the sides and into the valley. Nova deactivated her cloaking since the Zerg were focused on the ring of marines who were desperately trying to hold their ground. She checked the ammunition she had left for her C-10 and the Impaler she had taken. Positive she could manage alone for a while she slung her Rifle onto her back and took the Impaler into both hands. She then closed her eyes and, taking a deep breath, used her telekinesis to lift herself into the air and on top of the hill in front of the remains of the Refinery. The concentration this act took together with the drainage from before sent Nova to the ground. Sweat poured down her face and her breathing was fast and heavy.
Sergeant Milton encouraged his men to press onward. They had gained valuable ground on their way towards Captain Bock's position and Sergeant Milton was truly believing they could make it to him without losing a man. Part of their success was due to the surprise their arrival had caused and partly because they were prepared for what awaited them, unlike Captain Bock...
The shouts and screams reached them shortly after they had cut a passage to the first members of Bock's marines.
"Sarge, look! There are Mutalisks and Guardians attacking Captain Bock's army!" Loster shouted through the suits comm-link. Sergeant Milton looked into the sky and knew immediately that staying any longer with these few men was suicide.
"Listen up, men! We'll break through to the captain and then leave this butcher place, ASAP!!!" He shouted over the firing of his own Impaler. Without further command the squad rushed forward to aid their comrades and their idiotic captain.
The arrival of the Mutalisks and the Guardians didn't go unnoticed by Captain Bock. The fact that his marines stood no chance was noticed as well.
"Haggs! I want the status of the aerial back-up I ordered!" He yelled while firing his P1000 into the mass of Zerg bodies between him and his objective.
"Sir!" Captain Bock turned around to the marine approaching him.
"What is it, soldier?"
"Sir, Sergeant Milton and his black-ops unit has cut their way through to us! They are currently trying to keep it open with the help of some of our men."
"That's good news!" Seems that those pegs have their use after all. Now that he looked he could see the path cutten through the swarm of Zerg at the other side of the valley.
"Right, inform Lieutenant Haggs that we're pulling back."
"Sir...", the marine hesitated before continuing, "Lieutenant Haggs is dead, sir. He was picked up by a Mutalisk and flung into the swarm." Captain Bock hesitated at this revelation but only for a second before shouting into the built in comm-link:
"Attention, all men! We're retreating, NOW!!!"
Upon hearing their captain's order the marines farthest away from the escape path started pulling back while receiving fire cover from their comrades closer to the new target. Sergeant Milton smiled behind his visor.
"Seems that Bock has for once given an intelligent order, right Corporal?"
"Seems so, sarge."
"Alright boys! Give cover for the others, we're pulling back!" He shouted while retreating as well. The Zerg, having lost their opponents, were dumbstruck for a moment before chasing after the retreating humans.
"Loster, call in HQ to order some transporters with air support. We're aborting main mission" The sergeant ordered while covering for the fleeing marines. Although they were concentrating their fire several fleeing marines were caught and killed by the Zerg who had given chase. A marine approached the sergeant and from the number of stars on his shoulders it wasn't hard to guess that this was the 'famous' Captain Bock.
"You there! Are you in charge of this squad?"
"Sir, yes, sir. I'm Sergeant Milton, black-ops unit, sir." Milton couldn't stand the Captain from the first moment. The way he walked and talked made him dislike the captain from the first moment.
"Good job in creating this path, sergeant." Captain Bock stopped for a second and then continued: "And congratulation on your promotion, lieutenant. Now get a move on and outta here!" Sergeant Milton was stunned for a moment before replying:
"Yes, sir. Come on, boys, let's move it." With that the marines retreated back up the cliff they had just descended down a few minutes ago.
Nova pushed herself off of the ground and groaned because of the throbbing of her head. She couldn't say how long she had spent on the ground just trying to catch her breath but it couldn't have been too long otherwise she'd be dead. Glancing back she saw that Captain Bock's marines made a full retreat out of the valley. This would prove to become problematic unless they had ordered back-up and were just regrouping and even then it would leave her with a high probability of getting killed. I just have to finish what I was sent here for before that happens. Everything else is irrelevant. Nova turned towards the Refinery and called up the map of the compound from her computer. Pulling her goggles over her eyes the map was projected onto the lenses and she entered the wrecked building. I have to seal area 4 and 6 then my mission is finished and I'll have to hold out until the Dominion sends in heavy weapons to reclaim the Refinery. She followed the map towards were the main control room was located in order to seal the areas off. Upon arriving she knew she could have saved herself the trouble since the whole room was wrecked: every computer terminal was busted and the floor was covered with glass shards and pieces of equipment and personnel. She turned around and walked out of the door when a cracking sound let her spin around just in time to shoot the airborne Zergling with a full salve of her Impaler. The bloody remnants of the Zerg landed with a sickening slush on the ground in front of Nova. Without looking back once she left and instead headed towards area 4 in order to seal it manually.
Captain Bock and Lieutenant Milton were leading their troops through the canyon in which the black-ops team had originally landed. Loster had informed them that they would be met there.
"Sirs, HQ just called in and said that ETA is 5 minutes now. We're supposed to wait here and hold out until then."
"Thank you, Loster" Lieutenant Milton said. He glanced toward Captain Bock but he was just staring down the path they had passed through. Sighing Milton turned around and spoke into the comm-link:
"Listen up, men! ETA for our ride out of here is 5 minutes. We're going to stay here and pound every critter which dares to come down this path back to the holes they crawled out of." A loud cheering echoed from the walls and the marines formed a half-circle facing the direction they had come from and blocking the whole width of the canyon. The first row consisted mostly of firebats with marines giving them cover from the Hydralisks while the second row consisted purely out of marines. Not even a minute had past before the walls were shaking and the echoes of claws scratching over rock could be heard. Milton noticed that several marines had like him tightened their grip on their weapons. The first Zerglings rounded the corner and were immediately faced by a wall of projectiles as the marines wasted no time opening fire. The Zerglings were torn into shreds but more came and although they didn't last long either their bodies gave cover for the ones behind them and so they were 'slowly' advancing toward the humans. The firebats, like the marines, wasted no time in attacking as soon as the Zerg got within the range of their flamethrowers. Soon the area in front of the marines was covered in a blanket of Zerg bodies over which the advancing ones had to climb, slowing them down tremendously and thus giving the marines more time to mow them down. Maybe we can really make it. Milton thought to himself but was soon brought back to the situation at hand when the fire of the marines was decreasing. That's strange, we didn't lose anybody so why...? It hit him like the club and he shouted:
"Everyone who's run out of ammunition, switch with the second row and reload!" The marines quickly complied, breaking formation in order to switch with the second row. During this time the Zerg had gotten closer and Hydralisks were already taking out the firebats who were busy torching Zerglings who got too close with their needles. Formation was breaking up but when second row had replaced the members of the first the Zerg were driven back and forced to take cover. They retreated round the corner and the humans didn't waste this opportunity and attended to the wounded. While they were busy bringing the wounded to the back the sound of flapping wings filled the air and the Mutalisks were advancing onto the defending humans.
"Get back into formation and take those flying menaces out!" Milton shouted. The marines got back into formation and started firing on the Mutalisks. Glancing forward Milton saw that the Zerg who had previously taken cover where now advancing over the bodies of their fallen toward them. Shit, we can't fire on the Mutalisks and the ground troops... and once the Guardians arrive we're history.
"Everyone, fire at own will! We have to hold out until the dropships arrive!!!" The marines diverted their fire towards the enemy they deemed most dangerous at the moment. Suddenly the air was filled with the humming of engines and when Milton looked up he could see strange fighters fire missile volley after volley into the Mutalisks turning them into pieces of flesh and blood. Four of the fighters descended and once above the Zerg underwent a transformation: the wings were retracted together with the thrusters and two legs were extracted and the fighters landed on top of the Zerg with a loud thud. Without wasting their breath the goliath-walkers resembling machines opened fire on the Zerg out of two gatling guns attached at their sides, forcing the Zerg to retreat for a second time. The walkers however gave immediate chase. Milton wanted to warn them but the approaching sound of dropships made him turn. Several dropships were landing in the canyon but instead of letting the tired and demotivated marines in marines, firebats, siege-tanks and, to Milton's amazement, reapers were unloaded.
"Captain Bock?" Both Milton and Bock turned toward the marine who approached them from one of the dropships.
"Yes?"
"You are hereby replaced as captain of this operation. From now on I will be giving orders and we're going to complete this mission."
