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"They clean up messes no-one else can handle and they don't answer to the emperor...or anyone."

The Covert Ops Crew (or Black Ops Forces) is a former Terran Dominion covert operations team-turned-vigilante group. It was previously commanded by Emperor Valerian Mengsk, who transferred command of the team to Ghost Agent Nova Terra to aid in her operations against the Defenders of Man. They operate out of the Griffin; an advanced stealth ship. They have access to the most cutting edge technology in the Dominion.[1]

History[]

Defenders of Man Insurgency[]

"This ship is at your disposal, along with my covert ops crew. You will lead them–all I ask in return is your loyalty."

- Emperor Valerian Mengsk(src)

The Covert Ops Crew was once under the command of Emperor Valerian Mengsk. When Nova Terra returned from a Defenders of Man facility with no memory of her time with them, Valerian gave her the Griffin and the Covert Ops Crew, provided she swear loyalty to him. She accepted, and she was introduced to Reigel, who helped recover some of her memories, leading them to Tarsonis City.[2]

On Tarsonis, the Covert Ops Crew landed outside of the Defenders of Man base. However, feral zerg surrounded their position, and Nova ordered her forces to garrison structures surrounding the base to buy her time. They were successful, and bought Nova time to infiltrate the base. Inside, Nova discovered a psi-emitter, which was activated, causing zerg to flood into the base. The Covert Ops Crew's position started to be overrun by feral zerg as Nova discovered the Defender of Man's true plan: to use a psi emitter against Tyrador IX to show the weakness of Emperor Valerian Mengsk's regime.[1]

Nova and her crew arrived at the Tyrador IX resort of Elsecaro, but found themselves too late, as the zerg had already overwhelmed the planet. However, the Defenders of Man fleet arrived, and began evacuating the surviving civilians.[3] Nova's Covert Ops Crew deployed banshees to the surface to support Nova while Reigel set up her base, and they began assaulting nearby zerg hatcheries. However, soon the Tal'darim Death Fleet arrived and began attacking the zerg, then deploying a Tal'darim mothership to use against the Defenders of Man. Nova knew that they would kill the civilians the Defenders were protecting, and sent her Covert Ops Crew to destroy the shield projectors defending the mothership. Enraged, First Ascendant Ji'nara, leader of the force, sent the mothership after the Covert Ops Crew, but they destroyed it, allowing the Defenders to rally and defeat the feral zerg.[4]

After Nova made a bargain with Highlord Alarak to find terrazine and restore her memories in exchange for the location of the Defenders of Man,[5] the crew set off for Jarban Minor. There they found the Umojan Protectorate research team sent to the planet infested. In addition, Ji'nara sent her forces to the planet to challenge Nova and prevent her from mining terrazine. The Covert Ops Crew successfully defended the extraction devices from the infested and the Tal'darim, and obtained the terrazine.[6]

With Nova's memories partially restored, she took her team out to Antiga Prime, where she knew of a mission she undertook in the city of New Andasar with the Defenders of Man. The crew fought off the feral zerg inhabiting the city as Nova used terrazine to recover memories of her operation. After retrieving the mission files, the crew departed the planet, and informed Valerian Mengsk of the true leader of the Defenders, General Carolina Davis.[7]

The Covert Ops Crew aided on Vardona as Emperor Valerian Mengsk gave a speech announcing his resignation, while Nova slipped into Davis's compound and captured her. The operation was a success, and she was brought before the Dominion where Valerian announced her arrest.[8] However, just then the city was attacked by an invasion force of Tal'darim. The Covert Ops Crew supported the Terran Dominion defenders along with lower ranking Defenders of Man who were unaware of Davis's agenda in defending the city, pushing back the Tal'darim and inflicting heavy casualties. However, in the chaos of the battle General Davis escaped aboard the Medusa. Nova and her crew boarded the Griffin and gave chase. [9]

Nova was contacted by Alarak, who stated that she had made a powerful enemy. She said he had too, and cut communications. Nova was then ordered by Valerian to bring Davis in alive, an order she disagreed with.[10] They tracked Davis to the Cerros Shipyards, where she had taken her loyal Defenders and activated the Xanthos, an experimental war machine, and attempted to destroy the Gorgon-class battlecruisers stationed at the shipyards. The Covert Ops Crew, along with support of Admiral Matt Horner's forces, were able to disable the Xanthos's weapon systems and assault it as it underwent repairs. Davis attempted to activate the a secret transformation mode on the Xanthos and threw her remaining Defenders against the Covert Ops Crew, but in the end they were able to destroy the machine. Nova infiltrated the wreckage of the Xanthos, and against Valerian's direct orders killed Davis. [11]

Aboard the Griffin, Reigel revealed to Nova that the crew was loyal to her above all else, in spite of the fact they were now fugitives for defying orders. Nova stated they would now defend the Dominion their own way, not connected to the chain of command, and the Griffin sped off, with the Covert Ops Crew now a vigilante group.[12]

Shadow Wars[]

ReigelNovaElmsGhost ShadowWars Comic1

Picking up the cargo

After the Defenders of Man Insurgency, the Covert Ops Crew began to focus on hunting down quantities of jorium at the behest of Nova, with the aim of preventing the creation of any future spectres.[13] The Covert Ops Crew took a stop at Last Junction, with Nova and Reigel buying jorium from a group of renegade Dominion soldiers under Elms.[14] While the crew was initially distrustful, the handoff was successful, and the crew obtained their jorium stock.[15] Later they lent equipment to Elms and her crew, to allow them to assassinate Captain Hogarth, including a cloaked liberator. The assassination was a success, and Elms and her crew parted ways afterwards.[16]

Nature of the Beast[]

The Covert Ops Crew dispatched the Griffin to the planet Tartarus, which housed secrets from the reign of Arcturus Mengsk as well as the largest jorium stockpile in the sector, and the ship was cloaked in orbit. As Nova prepared to go down to the surface, the Griffin's sensors detected an escape pod containing former reporter Donny Vermillion plummeting toward the planet's surface.[17] Nova and Reigel deployed to the surface, where they rescued Vermillion and two survivors of the planet, Evelyn Yoo and Jun-Ho Yoo. Evelyn told Nova of the jorium refinery, and Nova agreed to take her off planet if she took her to the stockpile.[18] However, in the facility, Nova discovered that they had been secretly creating a force of spectres that would be loyal to Arcturus.

NovaSpectres NotB Comic1

Nova fights the spectres

Reigel hacked the facility security and called the Griffin down, but the two debated hotly on what to do with the spectres. When Nova ordered they be killed, Reigel defied orders and released them. However, as they were indoctrinated servants of Arcturus Mengsk, the spectres turned on Reigel, knocking him out, kidnapping Donny Vermillion and stealing the Griffin. Nova and her comrades were rescued by a void ray from Matriarch Vorazun, who helped her hunt down the spectres and find the Griffin, using their psionics to influence the mind of Donny Vermillion to broadcast their location. She tracked the spectres down, and after a fight, instead convinced them to lay down their arms and not die for a dead emperor. The spectres reluctantly agreed, and Vorazun offered to help heal Nova and Reigel's emotional and psychological wounds as well. Riegel declined, and instead took the Griffin to do his own good through the sector while Nova and the spectres tried to find balance by training on Aiur. Riegel would later return to pick the group up, reuniting the Covert Ops Crew with their leader.[13]

Known Members[]

Command[]

  • Agent Nova Terra (ghost, commander)
  • Reigel (de facto second in command, weapons and technology specialist)

Ghosts[]

Spectres[]

Four, or Six were also members, but not both of them. One of these two perished before surrendering to Nova.

Other[]

Temporary Members[]

Notes[]

  • The Covert Ops Crew was built around the idea of giving Nova her own custom army. Aesthetically, they are designed to be on the other end of the spectrum from usual terran aesthetics (rusty, clunky, etc.), instead being more sleek and high-tech.[19]
  • The Covert Ops Crew is noticeably absent in StarCraft II: Nature of the Beast, where despite the use of the Griffin by Nova and Reigel (and later, the rogue spectres), there is no depiction or even mention of a larger crew, be they on the ship or otherwise.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, Enemy Intelligence (in English). 2016-03-29.
  2. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Cinematic: Lost Memories (in English). 2016-03-29.
  3. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Cinematic: Heroes (in English). 2016-08-02.
  4. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, Trouble in Paradise (in English). 2016-08-02.
  5. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Cinematic: The Highlord's Bargain (in English). 2016-08-02.
  6. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, Night Terrors (in English). 2016-08-02.
  7. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, Flashpoint (in English). 2016-08-02.
  8. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, In the Enemy's Shadow (in English). 2016-11-22.
  9. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, Dark Skies (in English). 2016-11-22.
  10. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Cinematic: Broken Alliances (in English). 2016-11-22.
  11. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, End Game (in English). 2016-11-22.
  12. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Cinematic: Resolutions (in English). 2016-11-22.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Brian Alexander, Alex Acks (w), Carlos Rodríguez (i) and Sandra Molina (c). (April 2, 2022). StarCraft II: Nature of the Beast - The Complete Collection. Blizzard Entertainment. ISBN 978-1950366866
  14. Valerie Watrous (w), Carlos Rodríguez (i) and Sandra Molina (c). (October 4th, 2018). StarCraft II: Shadow Wars: Part 9. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Shadow Wars: Part 9 Accessed 2018-10-04.
  15. Valerie Watrous (w), Carlos Rodríguez (i) and Sandra Molina (c). (December 20th, 2018). StarCraft II: Shadow Wars: Part 10. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Shadow Wars: Part 10 Accessed 2018-12-20.
  16. Valerie Watrous (w), Carlos Rodríguez (i) and Sandra Molina (c). (February 14th, 2018). StarCraft II: Shadow Wars: Part 12. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Shadow Wars: Part 12 Accessed 2019-02-14.
  17. Brian Alexander (w), Carlos Rodríguez (i) and Sandra Molina (c). (June 11, 2020). StarCraft II: Nature of the Beast: Part 1. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Nature of the Beast: Part 1 Accessed 2020-06-11.
  18. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SC:NatureBeast_2
  19. 2016-11-05. BlizzCon 2016: Foundations for the Future. Youtube. Accessed 2016-11-05.
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