Pain, ever increasing pain coursed through my mind in a white-hot blaze. I felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing. For an eternity all I knew was pain and the sweet release of power that I had no right to wield, that I was not ready to wield, as it left my body in an electrical torrent.

Around me, the Zerglings were hit with single bolts of the Psi-Storm, each bolt burning their carapace hide black, the smell of burnt meat permeating the area as each of the Zerg fell in a wave moving backward, the Psi-Storm growing wider as it went outward, catching each of the thirty or more Zerg in its path.

I saw none of this, I was fairly certain my eyes were bleeding, that my nose was bleeding, and my brain was melting. Dear Marry Mother of God, what had I done? I’d unleashed something I knew I couldn’t use properly in the hope it would save me, only for it to likely be my end.

I couldn’t stop it, I didn’t know how, and it just kept going and going, ever-increasing waves of pain coursing through me. Pain, eternal and all-encompassing was all I knew. Then nothing, nothing but a cool warmth that radiated slowly, burning away the pain in my mind. I mentally leaped for it, reaching for that relieve I was sure was going to be my release from this pain, my death. I didn’t care, I just wanted it to end. God, please let it end!

A voice, soft, so soft and warm. I couldn’t understand it, but I felt safe, I felt secure. More importantly, the pain finally stopped and the sweet blackness claimed me. Freedom from that torment, finally.

-Nova-

Three ambushes as we fell back, the Marines under my command falling like so much dust before the ferocity that was dozens upon dozens of the Zerg as they rushed us from every direction.

Their attacks seemed frenzied, but every so often a small group would act with direction, taking hitting our weaker flank out of nowhere, dragging another Marine under their claws and gnashing mouths. Death everywhere was death. I’d barely survived one Zergling that got close, creating a jagged line of pain across my back when I rolled forward to dodge it.

But we had ultimately made it back to our base, battered, bruised, and infinitely smaller in number, but we had made it. Though, judging from what I saw it wasn’t necessarily the best thing. The com was at least back on, and I had received a rushed report from Pierce about a third of the way back, the Commander had done something idiotic again, sending the men with shield away and trying to hold back a swarm of thirty or more Zerg alone.

Added to that, judging by the screaming I heard when we were still at least half a mile from base, something had gone wrong. I’d heard screaming like that before, primal and wracked with pain. It came from Psionic overload, and more often than not ended in death.

We moved quicker, the few Marines that survived the Zerg assault standing still in both fear and shock, I rushed toward the object of that fear, our Commander, who was currently shooting lightning into a mass of dead bodies, well over thirty Zerg.

I saw a single Marine body by his levitating form. Damn idiot! He had to use what I told him he wasn’t ready for, he had to be a fucking moron and send Marines that could have helped away, and no he killed one of my team with his idiocy. I was beginning to question if this man was worth following at all.

For now though, to save him. I used my own Psionic power to counterbalance his out of control power, a struggle and placed both hands against the bloody mess that was his face, forcing it through toward his mind.

Each bit of his mind I calmed took its toll on me as well, but he was instinctively trying to devour the soothing force of a stable Psionic power, it helped, but added more strain. “Fucking idiot, I told you, I told you to not use that freakish ability,” I muttered, even as his body fell limp to the ground, blood still flowing from his ears, mouth, and nose. The eyes had stopped bleeding at least, he’d still be lucky to survive, but he was stable.

I went to the dead Marine, looking at the charged and partially melted tag that was my only method of identifying him, Greer. I closed my eyes, morning the loss of a potential Ghost so early in his training. “Ma’am...he...he tried to calm him down, to stop the...whatever it was the Commander was doing. I’m sorry, I should have…”

Pierce, the unit's leader when I wasn’t around stopped talking, his own grieve taking hold, not to mention a no small amount of fear. The Commander had too powerful a Psionic ability, was too strong as Psionic to begin with. If he survived though, he should be Psionically crippled, a lesson learned perhaps.

I had an urge to kill him, of course. Fernando, though I disliked him, would make a better leader. I’d wait and see for now, but I was almost certain he’d make me kill him, the fool. “Pierce, get the SCVs back to work. The eight surviving Marines are under your care, complete our objective, then get Greer ready for transport. He’s going home with us regardless.”

-Damian-

I came to in a groggy blur, ignoring the seemingly numberless notifications, to focus entirely on the cold feeling of a metal barrel pressed against my head. I slowly opened my eyes the blonde blur that looked down on me solidifying into Nova, her expression cold and blank. She wanted me awake to see this, what the fuck? What happened to make her do this? Also, why the hell was I alive?

“If you ever use that ability again, I will kill you.” then she faded into nothing and was gone. I was still frozen in my bunk, seeing the reason for the statement before my eyes.

System Announcement!

Due to killing one of your own men with Psi-Storm, Hero Unit - Nova Terra - Loyalty has dropped to ten, furthermore, trust has dropped to zero. Any further decrease will mean she will betray you, she will no longer follow orders without question. -WARNING- Due to the combined points of Trust and Loyalty being below fifty, all passive gains from Nova have been removed.

Due to killing one of your own men with Psi-Storm, Hero Unit - Lieutenant Fernando - Loyalty has dropped to thirty, furthermore, trust has dropped to ten. Fernando will now question your orders, and no longer trusts your judgment. -WARNING- Due to the combined points of Trust and Loyalty being below fifty, all Passive gains from Fernando have been removed.

System Announcement!

Congratulations on completing your first Campaign Map! -WARNING- All rewards gained by the Campaign Map have been removed because you were not actively apart of the completion process.

System Announcement!

Congratulations for completing Hidden Quest - Direct Control - by learning the Zerg were being actively controlled by an outside force. -WARNING- Rewards removed due to killing your own soldier, and not being active in the completion of the main objectives.

System Announcement!

You have reached a follower base of ten!

Five Follower Reward - One Utility Hero Card

Ten Follower Reward - Social Missions and Diplomacy Missions have been unlocked.

Social Missions - Missions gained from your people to increase your standing in their eyes.

Diplomacy Missions - Missions assigned to increase your standing with different factions and Races throughout the Game Universe.

System Announcement!

Use of Utility Hero Card has been locked due to your lack of foresight in battles, prove you are a capable Commander through further Campaign Missions - Requirement, one completed mission without loss of life.

System Announcement!

Hero Unit - Nova Terra - has issued a threat against you, use of Psi-Storm will now result in death.

System Announcement!

You have received a personal message from Administrator Xal’Gul! Playing now.

The personal message I received from the glowing monster was a video, showing exactly what I did, and the Marine I had killed, Greer, trying to stop me before I died. Following that was a voice clip stating how utterly disappointed my Hero Unit must be in me.

Fuck! Fuck you, you big bastard, and fuck this game! I won, but it cost me a Marine, Nova Terra’s Loyalty and Trust, as well as Fernando’s. No doubt all the people under me now saw me in the same light, I had lost my passives, all possible rewards from a mission that was completed, and I had no idea how to fucking fix it.

Social Missions? But even then I couldn’t do shit without knowing how, and I doubted I’d be able to walk anytime soon, based on my body not reacting properly. Diplomacy seemed even more hellish. Added to that, I now understood the meaning behind ‘Hell+1’ difficulty. Nothing would be simple, everything would literally be set to nearly impossible. God DAMNIT!

Fine, alright...let’s try to lift me up with my Psi-energy. Following the attempt, searing pain and me screaming.

System Announcement!

Due to overloading your Psionic energy in ‘Boot Camp’ you have become Psionically disabled, all access to the abilities gained for this energy has been permanently blocked. -Addition- May be healed with System rewards in the future.

I felt everything in me just go cold as I read that...What the fuck? No, no this wasn’t fair in the fucking slightest. Because I tried saving my people from dying in a battle, just because of that, this happened? Save Card! That, I pulled it out, slowly, after I regained the use of my hand, only to have another announcement from the System.

System Announcement!

Save Card may only be used in the Campaign Map, it must be actively used while there, or it is of no use.

I slowly, oh so slowly, came to the realization that seeing the Campaign Map’s first mission as something achievable by myself like I did had just ensured everything became harder...that I would likely be killed by my own Hero Unit, that I might have all my men rebel against me, and that one of my strongest abilities, Psionic Energy, was permanently locked unless I gained some way to heal it from the System. I couldn’t even redo it all in the hopes of changing it to a better outcome because of my idiocy.

I fell back onto my bunk, staring at the ceiling, feeling utterly defeated, not sure how I was going to survive now, how I could fix everything… I was royaly, and utterly, fucked.