Prologue
"This is Duke. The emitters are secured and on-line."
"Who authorized the use of Psi-Emitters?"
"I did, lieutenant."
"What?! The Confederates on Antiga were bad enough, but now you're going to use the Zerg against an entire planet? This is insane!"
"She's right, man. Think this through."
"I have thought it through. Believe me. You all have your orders. Carry them out!"
"I've picked up several dozen Protoss warships descending upon Tarsonis. They seem to be heading on a direct course to the primary Zerg Hive."
"If they engage the Zerg, the Confederates may escape. Commander, send Lieutenant Kerrigan with a strike force to engage the Protoss. Captain Raynor and General Duke will stay behind with the command ship."
"First you sell out every person on this world to Zerg, then you ask us to go up against the Protoss?! And you're goin' to send Kerrigan down there with no backup?!"
*Calmly* "I have absolute confidence in Kerrigan's ability to hold off the Protoss, Captain Raynor."
"This is bullshit! Kerrigan, are you reading this?"
"I heard. I'm going down there. Arcturus knows what he's doing. I can't back out on him now."
"Why are you doing this, Kerrigan? Look. I know about your past. I mean, I've heard the rumors. I know you were a part of those experiments with the Zerg; that Mengsk came and saved you, but you don't owe him this! Hell, I've saved your butt plenty of times."
"Jimmy, drop the knight-in-shining-armor routine. It suits you sometimes. Just not... not now. I don't need to be rescued. I know what I'm doing. The Protoss are coming to destroy the entire planet, not just the Zerg. I know that because... well I just know it. I am a Ghost, remember? Once we've dealt with the Protoss, we can do something about the Zerg. Arcturus will come around. I know he will."
*Sighed* "I hope you're right, darlin'. Good huntin'!"
"This is Kerrigan. We've neutralized the protoss, but there's a wave of zerg advancing on this position. We need imediate evac."
"Belay that order. We're moving out."
"What? You're not just gonna leave them?"
"All ships prepare to move away from Tarsonis on my mark."
"Uh, boys? How about that evac?"
"Damn you, Arcturus! Don't do this."
"It's done. Helmsman, signal the fleet, and take us out of orbit. Now!"
"Commander? Jim? What the hell's going on up there-"
"Arcturus, please don't this. You're putting a mark on her head, she's gonna die out there. You gotta bring her back!"
"There's no time."
"Then make time!"
"Get Captain Raynor out of the Bridge, General Duke."
*Struggling* "She's loyal to you, Arcturus! She believes in you! She's even willing to die for you!"
"Then this will be her chance to prove it. Get him out of there!"
"YOU BETRAYED HER! SHE LOOKED TO YOU AS HER FATHER SHE NEVER HAD AND YOU DARED TO BETRAY HER! THIS ISN'T OVER ARCTURUS!"
The blast door closed.
His grey eyes stared at the blast door, now displayed prominently on the main monitor, for a long time. What the former marshal of Mar Sara said kept on playing in his head.
"Sir?"
He turned to look towards the helmsman.
"Are we to proceed, sir?"
He paused. Deliberating. Thinking.
"How long do we have until the Protoss and the Zerg notice us?"
"I can't give you the exact number, sir. We're pretty much hidden at this point but it won't take long for them to notice us. The Zerg keep pouring in. It's a massacre down there."
He nodded in understanding.
"Ready all the guns. At the same time, do what you can to keep us hidden. Send three dropships down to the surface. We have a lieutenant in need of extraction. Tell them not to leave until they found her."
The helmsman eyes widened.
"But sir!" he protested.
"Do as I say!"
"Yes, sir."
To be continued…