A/N

Another similarity-based crossover, this time based on how both the zerg and Locust have a predisposition to emerge from holes...in the ground, not the other kind.

Emergence

"Hey Agent X41822N. I'm having a blast going in and out of your hole."

"Just shut up and stay down there marine."

"Oh, that's my cue."

Nova Terra, a.k.a. Agent X41822N, a.k.a. "sweet cakes" in the mind of Private Schmidt, remained silent as she continued her watch over the ruined city. She knew enough about the man to see through his tirades. Knew everything from his genuine unease at rappelling down through the gaping chasm running through the streets to how it was murdering his family with an AGR-14 that landed him in the Dominion Marine Corps via neural resocialization.

Humans...all criminals, no matter where you come from.

Knew enough to realize that they weren't alone on this world.

It was a fluke, really, that the Dominion had come across this pristine world at all. Nothing but radio transmissions travelling at the speed of light had alerted the Bucephalus to its existence and with the defeat of the zerg on Char, the powers that were had apparently decided the Dominion Fleet's flagship had nothing better to do. Ordered to investigate the world, it quickly became clear why light-speed transmissions were the only indication of former human settlement. Not only was its technology on par with that of Old Earth half a millennium ago, but the planet was in ruins. Scorched by some kind of apocalypse about fifteen years ago and now overrun with the remnants of stalk-like organisms. The zerg, as some theorized, but without any of the telltale signs of the destruction the xenomorphs usually wrought.

No...destruction by your kind. So much more sophisticated than these "zerg."

And yet...they weren't alone. Yet for now, Nova was the only one who knew it.

Ah, secrets. They cost your kind so dearly on this world. I wonder...what will it cost you?

Nova didn't know. Didn't know why the voice felt telepathic, yet was nothing like she'd experienced before. Not true human telepathy, nor was it wholly the kind of swarm mentality generated by the zerg. And if it was protoss, it was clear that the mouthless alien in question was a few brain cells short of a cerebellum considering how miniscule the effect was.

Brawn before brains then? No doubt you think so.

What do you want? Nova shot back, watching as a DMC squad made its way through the ruined streets of the city.

For you to leave.

And if we don't?

Then history will repeat itself.

Images flashed through Nova's mind, but it was hard to tell whether it was intentional or not. The mind didn't seem capable of projecting images consciously, but it was clear that the individual wanted the Ghost to see them regardless. Creatures, emerging from the ground. Terrans falling before them. Sixteen years of conflict, only ended with some kind of energy effect. One that saved the creatures of some kind of infection, but eradicated humanity.

Shit.

Indeed.

The war had been fought because these...things...wanted the surface. And they were still on it, for all intents and purposes. Or so close to it that they could spring out at a moment's notice...

"Agent X41822N to ComSat," Nova whispered. "Bring down scanner sweep on these co-ordinates."

"Roger that Agent X41822N. Carrying out sweep."

Nova activated her HUD, as did every other grunt in the city (hopefully). Hopefully, being the key word, because until now, they'd have had no reason to suspect the presence of an enemy. But Nova knew better. And assuming that their HUDs were activated, they presumably knew better as well. Because the streets around them were sitting on shaky ground. Ground filled with 'pockets' in the ground, similar to the hidey holes a zerg might use. And right on cue, the holes erupted, the creatures the psychic had seen in her vision popping out as suddenly as a xenomorph.

"Ahh! Ahh!"

Apparently, Schmidt no longer enjoyed being in Nova's hole.

And thus history repeats itself.

Grimacing, the Ghost turned her right eye to the scope of her C-20A, popping off a trio of the...things before they even crawled out of their hole. Could she have warned the Dominion forces firing wildly at the grey humanoids? She didn't feel sorry for Schmidt in particular, but she still knew that the human mind had a wide range of 'qualities,' ranging from resocs to the more decent people she'd met over her life, however few in number they were.

There are no decent humans. I learnt that at New Hope.

And there were apparently no decent...grey things either. Anything that had a chainsaw attached to a rifle clearly had no sense of the concept.

"Bucephalus, this is Lieutenant Stokkseyri!" came the voice of the marine CO on the ground. "Have engaged with an unknown enemy! Requesting air support!"

"Negative, lieutenant. We have airborne bogies on approach."

"So? Deal with them!"

"Just...give us time. There's a lot of them."

Another vision flashed through Nova's mind, showing black, ball-like creatures slamming into primitive rotary aircraft. Captain Gage clearly had the right idea of holding back air support or, as she suspected as it might come down to, evacuation. The grey things weren't making much of an impact on the marines, but the larger, more heavily armed creatures might. The things exclaiming "boom" every three seconds, the spider things, the bi-pedal monsters with rockets firing off their backs...maybe it was just as well the zerg weren't responsible for this. If they assimilated this species's DNA...well, that wouldn't end up well for anyone.

And not you either. But don't worry...you'll be dead before you have to worry about that.

On cue, one of the...drones, as Nova sense they were called, burst into her sniper post, snarling and whipping around its chainsaw. Casually sidestepping the brute, the Ghost cut off its arm with her psyblade and proceeded to do the same with its head.

I see...it just couldn't cut it...

Nova had had enough. These creatures were terrible, but now the voice was making bad puns as well.

"All ground forces, be advised, we're sending down dropships."

"But...what about the air support?"

"Defensive matrixes will cover them and Vikings and Grizzlies will be flying air cover."

"Alright. Move it marines!"

Nova remained at her post as the jarheads retreated, firing single shots and downing a drone with each one. Gage had ordered the marines to retreat, but not her. She knew what was coming. There was nothing in this city that was worth saving, and while she suspected the DMC could stand its ground with enough firepower, Gage was clearly of the opinion that human lives were worth more than the deaths of these creatures.

A false assumption...our lives are worth more. Always were.

"Agent X41822N, be advised, I have a Hawk en route to your position. Prepare to paint target for surgical strike."

"Roger that."

Cloaking to avoid any more nasties that were on the way up to her position, Nova made her way to the roof. She knew what was coming and luckily, these bastards didn't. Which was good. More would die that way.

Bringing down the hammer are you? the voice sneered. It won't be enough.

You planted the seeds of this battle, Nova shot back. Now reap the whirlwind.

More images shot through Nova's mind, this time of satellites raining golden death upon the world they orbited. Satellites that she knew were no longer operating. Satellites that were apparently the most powerful weapon the humans of this world possessed.

Preparing to paint the target, the Ghost was quite willing to show these creatures another kind of weapon...