The Griffin – Bridge
Agria High Orbit
3:22 PM – Shipboard Time
The Nighthawks had packed up their base and departed, passing the Primal Leviathan as it moved in to collect Dehaka's Pack from the surface. On the bridge, the senior staff and Graven were gathered around the main console at the front. Morales had gotten out of her armor and was back into her old UED uniform.
"Okay, a quick Zergology 101. Prior to the ascension of the Queen of Blades over the Swarm during the Brood War in 2500, the Swarm was ruled over by the Overmind but the Overmind itself employed the use of large psionically charged slugs known as Cerebrates. The Cerebrates were essentially the Broodmothers of the Old Swarm except that the Cerebrates themselves were defenseless and relied on their own broods to protect them. If killed, the Overmind would resurrect them unless the Cerebrate was killed using Dark Templar energies, in which case, the Cerebrate was permanently killed." Nova explained as she motioned to the monitor displaying an archive image of a Cerebrate.
"Permadeath? Way too O.P. if you ask me." Hana commented from her station.
"After the Overmind's death, many Cerebrates merged together to form a new Overmind, the one temporarily enslaved by the UED during the Brood War, and eventually killed by both the Dark Templar and Kerrigan's Swarm. Kerrigan then assumed control of the Swarm and proceeded to slaughter the remaining Cerebrates. We thought they were extinct but as it would seem, Kerrigan missed one. It's been in hiding for almost a decade now, quietly controlling the Zerg Hives we assumed were Feral." Reigel explained.
"So we're relying on the word of a Primal Zerg to verify this information?" Ace asked, suspiciously.
"You saw the Ferals acting crazy. I looked into their minds during the battle and I could feel the presence of both the Overqueen, Zagara, and a presence similar to what Dehaka described, both fighting over control of the Ferals. Dehaka just helped clarify some of the information." Nova replied.
"You know, it makes sense. I've always wondered why there were so many Feral Hives when the Queen of Blades was supposed to be the new Overmind. I always wondered what was stopping her or the new Overqueen from taking control of them." Hana said from her station.
"Probably a combination of, they weren't needed and they had difficulty gaining control of these rogue hives. It's possible that the difficulty controlling them was attributed to Amon initially, but since his demise and Kerrigan's disappearance, the Overqueen's had the excuse that she's been consolidating her power." Reigel added as Nova's expression darkened.
"There's one other thing that worries me. Dehaka mentioned that the Cerebrate was being controlled by something else. If that's true, then what could possibly be strong enough to control a Cerebrate?" Nova asked in thought.
"My money's on the Angels. If the UED could enslave a Juvenal Overmind, then what says the Angels couldn't enslave a Cerebrate?" Morales asked.
"You might have something there, doc. Think about it. The Angels develop a means of weaponizing the Zerg infestation virus, they infest scores of Terrans and then use their puppet Cerebrate to control them. That way they create a panic within the Dominion and conquer entire planets while building their own army without losing a man. Then once they've completed their goal and overthrown the Dominion, they just order the Cerebrate to kill off its forces and then they kill it. They come off as heroes, kinda." Ace theorized.
"What's more, they're picking up where the Defenders of Man left off. Some of those Zerg Attacks during the Defenders of Man seemed too coordinated if you ask me, and they were all Feral Zerg attacks too. The Swarm had no involvement. The Defenders order the Cerebrate's broods to attack Dominion space, the Defenders roll in and wipe 'em out, the Defenders come off as heroes. Nova herself can vouch for their using similar tactics." Reigel said Nova grimaced in disgust.
"Diabolical. Which makes it all the more imperative that we stop the Angels before they have a chance to strike. Graven, I hope you've got an engineer for us." Nova said as Graven pushed his sunglasses up with a smirk.
"As a matter of fact, I think I do." He said, producing a tablet with the profile picture of a Terran woman with long brown hair kept in a pair of long braids with pink ribbons on the ends.
"Sgt. Alabama Kowalski, alias Sgt. Hammer, ex-Dominion Siege Tank Commander and Engineer turned freelance mercenary. One of the best damn Crucio Commanders in the sector and a top notch mechanic. She's willing to join up and bring your factories online once her current contract runs out. It's almost done as it is, all you have to do is pick her up." Graven said as Nova looked over the dossier.
"Looks good. Where can we find her?" Nova asked, handing back the dossier.
"She's currently on Braxis, helping some miners help themselves to some unclaimed mineral fields." Graven said as Nova turned to Hana.
"Corporal, set a course for Braxis." Nova ordered, Hana giving a salute.
"Aye-aye, Chief!" Hana replied as she started entering information into the console.
"Out of curiosity, what did this 'Sgt. Hammer' do to become ex-Dominion?" Reigel asked.
"Desertion, grand-theft-siege-tank, destruction of Dominion property, insubordination, disobeying a superior officer, and failure to properly salute a superior officer." Graven replied, casually.
"Ah that would probably be altering the salute by placing thumb on nose." Ace sniggered, Morales chuckling in amusement.
"Been there, done that, got the report filed on me for it." Morales replied as she headed for the door.
"Alright so once we have Hammer aboard, we'll need a CAG to manage our aerial forces." Nova said to Graven.
"I've already got someone in mind that I'm working on. If it works out, not only will you get a CAG, but also the air forces for them to lead. In the meantime, once we pick up Hammer, we have some mercs willing to come aboard with some armor. I've got assurances from Spartan Company thanks to Morales's influence, I'm inches from signing a deal with the Siege Breakers for you, and the Devil Dogs recommended you to some buddies of theirs, bunch known as the Junkers." Graven said as Ace chuckled.
"Those pyromaniacs? Heh-heh, that's gonna be fun." Ace said as Nova arched a curious eyebrow.
"I've not heard of the Junkers before." Nova said as Ace snickered.
"They're a bunch of ex-Prometheus Company Hellbats and Hellions with their own customized machines. They became fast friends with the Devil Dogs. They specialize in torch and run operations. Also known for being major competition with the War Pigs for being a bunch of barroom brawlers." Ace explained as Graven gave a nod.
"That's them. So it at least gets you Hellions, Hellbats, Siege Tanks, and Goliaths for the Nighthawks." Graven said as Nova looked at him suspiciously.
"And how much is this costing us?" Nova asked as Graven shot her a sly smirk.
"You let me worry about that for now. I have a feeling someone else will end up paying my fees and the fees of the people we're hiring. For now, you just focus on taking down the Angels." Graven said as he turned and headed for the door.
"We should focus on the Angels, Nova." Reigel said as Nova took a breath and giving a nod.
"Problem there is, we hit a dead end. Our lead turned out to be a false lead. We have no idea where the Angels are operating from." Nova said as Ace shrugged.
"I dunno, Nova. The place you described from that Angel's memory could've fit over a dozen different planets. We just picked the choice that fit the build given the intelligence we had. Easy mistake to make. We just need to narrow things down a bit." Ace said as Nova gave a nod, fighting off a yawn.
"Agreed. Some sleep might make things clearer too. I'll be in my bunk, catching some shut-eye. Let me know when we arrive at Braxis." Nova said as she headed for the door, leaving Ace, Reigel, and Hana on the bridge.
"Something's eating her." Ace muttered.
"I agree. She's…having some problems lately. These Angels are preying on her mind." Reigel said but Ace shook his head.
"It ain't the Angels. This is something else. I recognize the look. It's fear." Ace said, earning a curious look from Reigel.
"And how did you reach that conclusion, Captain?" Reigel asked as Ace sighed.
"I knew her a long time ago. She doesn't remember me thanks to the memory wipes, but I sure remember her. I know that look, sir. It's the same look her…" Ace said, his sentence dropping off as he lost himself in thought.
"Captain?" Reigel asked but Ace quietly started for the door.
…
The Griffin – Nova's Quarters
An hour later…
Nova was asleep in her bunk, lying peacefully in her sleeveless suit, her hair down, and goggles hanging up on the wall nearby. To grant her some peace and quiet, she'd activated a small psi-screen around her, giving her silence in her mind. But despite the silence, her dreams were still not granting her any peace…
In her dreams, Nova was in her Ghost uniform, sneaking through a set of regal looking corridors of a Terran structure. The surroundings seemed familiar to her but not entirely so. As she crept through the corridors, she could hear a piano echoing through the halls. She was armed with her C-20A Canister Rifle, and she knew her quarry was near as she approached a doorway to the left where the music was coming from. She rounded the corner, her rifle raised but froze at what she saw. The door opened into a desert wasteland far in the outskirts of the Dominion capital city of Augustgrad. Augustgrad was aglow with fire as Terran, Protoss, and Zerg vessels rained fire down on it from above. Nova could see the a torn Dominion banner fluttering to the ground in front of her, revealing the piano that had appeared with Tosh in the Brig was in front of her, still playing as if nothing were wrong, only she recognized the tune as the one Ace had playing through his suit, the Raindrop Prelude by Chopin.
But seated at the piano was Angel in her full robes, her back to Nova, playing the Brood War Aria over the distant explosions and sirens from the city. Nova raised her rifle at Angel with a snarl, ready to fire.
"Do you really think you have what it takes to pull it off as you are, Nova?" a woman's voice asked, causing Nova to freeze with both eyes wide open. The voice was familiar to her but she didn't know from where. Angel took her hands off the keys, the keys still moving as the piano continued to play. Angel then turned slowly towards her, revealing her mask was missing but in its place was a face that made Nova drop her rifle in shock…
It was Nova's face, smirking darkly back at her but as Nova stared in shock, Angel's eyes flashed briefly with a purple light, purple smoke briefly appearing from them. She then heard a thunder clap behind her and saw a flash of lightning, spinning around to see a field of slain Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss. The Terrans were both soldiers and civilians, including the young Emperor Valerian Mengsk, Admiral Horner, Reigel, Hana, Morales, Graven, Mira Han, everyone she'd known. Even amongst the slain Protoss were familiar individuals including Hierarch Artanis and Highlord Alarak. Even Zagara and Dehaka were among the slain Zerg. In the distance behind them, burning and smoldering was the Griffin, crashed into the ground, while in the sky above were the burning hulks of Terran Battlecruisers, Protoss Carriers and Motherships as well as the Spear of Adun, and the dead and dying hulks of Zerg Leviathans. Nova stepped back in horror at the sight.
"Queen of Hawks, strong in essence but essence is…trapped. Cannot grow, cannot evolve" Dehaka's lifeless body suddenly said, parroting one of his last words to Nova on Agria as Nova continued backing away.
"You can prevent this, Nova." Ace's voice said behind her. She spun around to see Ace, outside of his armor, dressed in an elegant suit, standing next to the piano, Angel having disappeared although the piano continued to play. Ace's face was nearly ten years younger, his hair much fuller and with a full goatee. His clothes indicated someone of great wealth and influence. Ace then turned towards her with a pleading look in his eyes.
"You must become more than a Ghost. You must become something far greater before it is too late." Ace said as Nova looked at him, confused.
"What do you mean? How can I become stronger than I already am?" she asked.
"You have to ask, mon?" Tosh's voice asked, prompting Nova to look to her left, seeing Tosh standing before her but in the sky behind him was the massive floating obelisk known as Ulnar, a radiant blue light shining from around it while a crisp golden light shone from within it.
"You mean, become a Spectre? But…that'd drive me insane!" Nova argued. Tosh let out a long sigh of frustration.
"De shadows of twilight be fallin', Nova. Only you can push t'em back. Follow in de footsteps of de Queen who came before you, oh Queen of Hawks." Tosh said as he looked down at something at her feet. Nova looked down and her eyes widened to see that the shadow she cast wasn't hers but was that of the Queen of Blades. She then heard a strange but violent swishing and swooshing sound that she knew all too well as a red light grew behind her. She spun around and looked up to see a towering red sphere of surging energy. Suddenly she saw a black shape appear in the sphere, a distinctly Protoss shape at that.
"Power…OVERWHELMING!" the massive Dark Archon roared as it raised a hand while glaring at her with its golden glowing eyes. It then brought its hand down towards her.
"NO!" Nova cried out as she sat up in her bunk, breathing heavily as cold sweat coated her skin. She then heard a metal-on-metal knocking sound at the door and looked towards it, unable to tell who it was. She quickly reached over and turned off the psi-screen, suddenly starting to hear the thoughts of her crew around her once again. This sound caused her to let out a sigh of relief but the knocking continued.
"Nova? Are you alright in there or are you just asleep?" she could hear Ace ask from the other side. Nova wiped the sweat from her brow and sat up.
"I'm not decent!" she yelled back, almost shakily.
"And what's a guy hermetically sealed in a two-ton suit of metal armor going to do against a PI-Ten Psionic? I've seen it all before." He replied as Nova sighed and telekinetically reached out and unlocked the door. Ace quietly walked inside, having to duck and move in sideways as he did.
"I thought you said you weren't decent, Commander. Got my hopes up for a moment." Ace said with faux-disappointment. He was trying to lift the spirits of the clearly distraught Ghost. It wasn't working though.
"What is it, Ace?" she asked, running her hands over her face.
"We're due to touch down on Braxis in an hour. Landing zone's too small for the Griffin so we're taking Morales's medivac. We're having to wait for a snowstorm to pass before we can even think about approaching the landing area. We've got confirmation that Hammer's down there and waiting for us but the miners she's guarding are still at it. They're almost done though so it shouldn't be too much longer." Ace reported as Nova gave a quiet nod.
"Understood. Keep me updated." Nova said absently but Ace was giving her a worried look.
"You don't look so hot, Nova. Well, in the ill-health way, that is." Ace said as Nova looked at him for a moment.
"I thought you weren't interested in me." She said as Ace gave a shrug.
"Doesn't mean you aren't attractive, Nova. What's the matter? Bad dream?" he asked as Nova rubbed the back of her head.
"You could say that." She muttered as she started to put her hair back into its usual blonde ponytail.
"There any truth to the rumor that psionics have worse nightmares than the average human?" Ace asked as Nova shrugged.
"I wouldn't know. I've always been a psionic." Nova remarked as Ace chuckled a little before turning towards the door.
"I'll let you get ready." He said, starting to turn for the door.
"Ace, wait, I need to know something." Nova said as she stood up, Ace pausing and looking her way.
"What is it?" he asked.
"What were you before Tarsonis?" Nova asked as Ace let out a reluctant sigh.
"Well…let's just say that were we meeting around, say, eight years ago…you'd probably be putting a bullet in me." Ace said as Nova stared at him blankly.
"You have no idea how little that narrows it down." She commented as Ace let out a small chuckle.
"I suppose you're right. Then I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. From one Old Family man to another." Ace said as Nova's eyes widened in surprise.
"You were one of the Confederate Old Families. Emperor Mengsk had them all executed." Nova remarked as Ace looked at her.
"Believe me, Nova, they aren't all dead. You're still here while the person I used to be…well, he died on Tarsonis." Ace replied as he quietly exited her quarters, leaving Nova to herself, lost in thought.
…
The Tyrael – Angel's Quarters
Unknown Location
Meanwhile
The Tyrael was the flagship of the Angels of Tarsonis, a Behemoth class Battlecruiser with a white livery and with the Angel insignia on the hull. Angel herself sat masked at the piano in her quarters, playing a soft piece on the piano, alone in her quarters. She was soon joined by the unnamed Admiral with a tablet under his arm.
"I have the report from our test on Haven. Preliminary results are very favorable. The infected turned at a faster rate than anticipated and our associate had complete control over them." The Admiral said over Angel's piano playing.
"Had?" Angel asked, turning her head towards him slightly.
"He lost control not long after the Malthael departed. He is unsure whether it was the Protoss reacting to the presence of a Zerg infestation or not. It seems he's having problems of his own." The Admiral said as Angel removed her hands from the keys, the piano still playing despite this as Angel rose to her feet.
"His problems are not our concern. Tell me more about the test. Does the Dominion suspect?" Angel asked as she moved to look out the windows of her quarters, her hands at her sides but the Admiral noticed her hand and fingers moving and bending in synch with the keys on the piano as if she were still playing them.
"Haven was under a self-imposed quarantine and the Dominion was aware of this. They were sending a science vessel to investigate on medical grounds beforehand but now they are sending a small fleet to investigate." The Admiral said as Angel looked at him.
"Why are they sending a fleet?" she asked, a tone of annoyance in her voice.
"It seems that the infestation was not one hundred percent. They established a quarantine safe-zone for their uninfected at an old second-war outpost. When the infestation began, they evacuated and fled to Mar Sara. The survivors apparently informed the Magistrate who then informed the Dominion. No official statements have been issued but it seems the Dominion is aware. The Emperor has personally gone to Mar Sara with his fleet to meet with the survivors." The Admiral reported as Angel turned towards him completely.
"There is something you're not telling me, Admiral." Angel said as the Admiral fearlessly looked at her.
"Our garrison hidden on Haven was attacked before the infestation began. A contingent of mercenaries with support of the local militia stumbled upon them. The garrison was wiped out but suit recordings caught a glimpse of the mercenaries responsible." The Admiral said as he approached her and held out the tablet. Angel looked at the tablet which displayed a slightly grainy image of a femininely built Terran Ghost in full mask staring at the camera. The image was taken from an angle that made it look like the camera was on the ground, facing up, the Ghost propping a foot near the camera with the C-20A canister rifle in hand.
"Have we identified who the mercenaries are?" Angel asked as the Admiral's gaze narrowed.
"Nova's Nighthawks, it would seem." The Admiral said. The piano suddenly hit a sour note and stopped, the Admiral glancing towards the piano for a moment before looking curiously back at Angel.
"This would be the second time that Nova's Nighthawks have interfered with our operations. Third if the Ghost that infiltrated our base on Deadman's Rock is the same as the one in this image." Angel said as the Admiral straightened his uniform.
"Our sources tell us that Nova's Nighthawks is led by an ex-Dominion Ghost. Word has it that she still maintains her loyalty to the Dominion in spite of being a wanted fugitive from them." The Admiral said as Angel looked towards the windows again, her expression unreadable due to her mask.
"November Annabella Terra…is that her name?" Angel asked, the Admiral looking at her suspiciously.
"We were only able to acquire the name Nova Terra. According to our research, she comes from one of the Confederacy's Old Families, one of the last survivors of those lineages if I am not mistaken. It seems Arcturus Mengsk did a good job snuffing them out, or at least the ones who refused to bend the knee." The Admiral said, Angel continuing to look out the windows.
"One of the last." She said softly before looking back at the Admiral.
"I think we need to deal with these Nighthawks. Have a chat with them perhaps. Order our forces throughout the sector to keep an eye out for these Nighthawks and to alert us as soon as they are sighted. In the meantime, we continue as before." Angel said as she started back towards the piano, sitting back down at it and starting to play the same piece she had before from the top.
"Very well. We will continue with the preparations for Horseman One. We are still on schedule to commence Phase I." the Admiral said as Angel gave a nod.
"See to it that we are ready." Angel ordered as the Admiral saluted and then started for the door. He paused as he neared the door, glancing her way slightly.
"That piece…I have heard it before." He said as Angel glanced his way.
"The Raindrop Prelude in D-Flat Major by Chopin." Angel replied as the Admiral gave a slight nod of understanding, recognizing the name of the song, and continuing out the door, leaving Angel alone in her quarters.
End Chapter 7
