"We should gather some intel first," Nova said. "Before you arrived, I was about to interrogate a prisoner."
"Lead the way," Ward said, ever the gentleman. If he enjoyed walking behind her a bit more than professionally appropriate, he didn't let it show.
What she led him to made him pause though. "A ghost?" Keeping one of the spooks prisoner was always a risky proposition, and trying to get useful intel out of them even more so. Being forced through what was essentially a child soldier indoctrination program that would make the Spartans proud had that effect. Ward didn't doubt Nova would've chosen death over defection if she was ever given the choice. "We don't exactly have the time to get anything useful out of him," Ward said. And by the time he offered anything useful, the situation was likely over.
Nova seemed to find the thought amusing. "Trust me, getting him to talk won't be a problem," she said.
It can't hurt to try, Ward thought. They were already here after all. Their intel was shockingly low at the moment, and they were going into the platforms practically blind. "If it looks like we're getting nowhere, I'm leaving."
"I'm a ten," Nova said.
Ward blinked. "What?" He couldn't deny she was a looker, but what did that have to do with anything?
"On the Psi Index, the standard Dominion measurement for psionic abilities," Nova explained, rolling her eyes at him. They entered the barracks cell where the ghost had been chained up.
"Ah, there are two of you now," the ghost said.
"Making yourself comfortable?" Nova asked with a sickly sweet smile. Without so much as blinking, her hand enveloped his finger and broke it with a firm squeeze.
The man didn't even flinch. He just smiled right back at her. "You're supposed to ask a question first."
"Why would I do that?" There was another sickening crunch of bone beneath her grip. "Oops." A third finger went before the ghost even tried to pull his hand away from Nova, but her grip was ironclad. "Maybe I just enjoy inflicting pain."
Good cop, bad cop, Ward realized. She was too much of a professional to enjoy torturing someone. This was just business to her. "Nova, that's enough," Ward said.
She pouted, backing off with a wink.
The prisoner cradled his hand. "So you're in charge here?" he asked.
"Let's start with a name. I assume you have one?" Ward asked.
"Call me Hermes," the man said.
"Like the deity?" Ward asked. At the man's nod, Ward continued. "Alright, Hermes, what can you tell us about your friends on the other platforms."
"Now why would I do that?" Hermes asked.
Ward frowned. "Nova, if you would?"
"Here, I'll save you the trouble." Hermes laughed, wiggling his twisted hand, and smiling all the while, broke his last two fingers with a psionic blast that seemed to leave him drained. He paid his mangled mess of flesh, blood, and bone no mind.
That's not normal, Ward thought. Even for a ghost, that wasn't normal.
Hermes glanced at Ward, then at Nova, still smiling. "Are you mortals finally catching on?"
Nova gasped, as if taking her first breath of air, and stumbled backwards. "Your mind ... what did you do to yourself?"
"You presume much," Hermes said.
"Nova, what's going on?" Ward asked, giving her a sidelong glance in askance.
"His mind ... it's been consumed," Nova said. "He's not even there anymore."
Ward frowned. "Consumed by who?" Or by what? What was powerful enough?
Hermes sneered. "Terran simpletons. I am a servant of the Dark God. This fleshbag is merely one my puppets. In time, all of you will fall under his sway." He leaned back, looking straight at Nova. "Can you hear it yet? Can you hear his voice? Give in. Give up. Become a vessel of Amon."
"Sorry," Ward said, pointing his gun at "Hermes". "I'm afraid that's not in my vocabulary."
"You know his victory is inevitable," he said, still looking straight at Nova.
"Inevitable?" Ward repeated. "There's no such thing in a war." He pulled the trigger.
The back of Hermes' skull exploded in a spray of blood as the bullets tore right through his visor.
"You alright?" Ward asked. "What happened?"
"I tried to read his mind," she answered shakily. "It was ... unpleasant."
"Can you continue?" Ward asked, giving her a worried look.
She took in a deep breathe, then nodded as she got to her feet. "I'm fine." Her facade turned to hardened neosteel. There remained a tenseness beneath her muscles that wasn't there before. She narrowed her eyes. "I appreciate that you care, but I'm not some invalid. I've gone through much worse before."
Right, she was a mind reader. "Do you always do that?" Ward asked.
"It's easier for me to read minds than to stop," Nova said.
Wasn't that a terrifying thought. "I think I'd go crazy if I had to deal with that 24/7," Ward said.
"Good thing you're not psionic then," she said.
"How much time do we have left?" Ward asked.
"A little more with one of the stabilizers under our control," Nova said. "A little over an hour I think, and any additional stabilizers we secure should buy us more time."
Ward nodded. "A lot of ground for us to cover in an hour. There are two routes available, each of us should take one."
Nova considered the idea, appearing to understand the intent behind it. It was a neat solution that would let them sidestep the chain of command issue for the moment. "The idea seems sound."
"Of course, I've got a surplus of air support available, and you've got more boots on the ground than I do," Ward said.
"Intermixed forces?" Nova asked.
"All in the spirit of camaraderie," Ward said. "I've got a feeling this isn't going to be the last time we'll need to work together. The forces I... loan to you will obey my commands for the duration of the mission, and vice-versa, or until we mutually decide to swap them back. It would give us more of a tactical edge."
"Some air support would be nice," Nova admitted. "All right, Ward. Fair's fair. I'll show you mine if you show me yours?"
The display between them changed, showing the list of personnel Nova had with her. Ward reciprocated. While each would be getting a little of everything from the other, there was an opportunity to focus requisitions around particular typologies.
Ghosts were worth their weight in minerals, and while their skillset made them useful sentries, it also made them useful for a whole host of other activities. Each was a trained marksman who could help clear out entrenched positions, or scout ahead with their cloaking tech. Siege tanks needed no introduction as the tried, true, and tested means of delivering overwhelming firepower on the field. Marauders wouldn't be half bad either as a more mobile alternative to give Ward's marines a bit more bite.
Nova had to be given something in return too, and something she'd find useful on her half of the map.
[X] Requisition Extra Siege Tanks
[X] Requisition Extra Ghosts
[X] Requisition Extra Marauders
[X] Offer Extra Liberators
[X] Offer Extra Medivacs
[X] Offer Extra Vikings
[X] Offer Extra Wraiths
There were several paths of attack to consider at the moment, but the three being discussed between Ward and Nova were as follows.
First, Platform 3 which had an atmospheric stabilizer. It would be an easy enough position to hold and could serve as a springboard to take down another EMP scrambler or the nearby Moebius Corp base. Second, attack Moebius' base directly, wiping out half their forces on the platform in one fell swoop and leaving half the platform effectively under friendly control. Third, strike northwest into Platform 6. Removing the EMP scrambler there and securing that central platform would cut off both Moebius bases from reinforcing the other and disrupt their internal lines.
Nova and Ward each had a force, so only two out of the three options could be taken.
[X] Attack Platform 3 (Atmospheric Stabilizer)
[X] Attack Moebius Corp Base
[X] Attack Platform 6 (EMP Scrambler)
[X] Suggest Nova Attack Platform 3 (Atmospheric Stabilizer)
[X] Suggest Nova Attack Moebius Corp Base
[X] Suggest Nova Attack Platform 6 (EMP Scrambler)
(Commanders cannot attack the same area).
"Plan isn't half bad," Nova said, golden tresses bobbing up and down, the hints of a grin blooming across her lips. "For an airhead, that is." It was almost as if the interrogation they'd just conducted had never happened for her. She'd make a great actress, and she had the looks to back it up.
A bark of laughter ripped out of Ward. "Let's sync up on channel six. Good luck and good hunting."
Nova nodded, adjusting her earpiece, and taking a step back. If one blinked, they'd miss her fading into thin air.
Guess that's why they call them ghosts, Ward thought.
