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The guards were slaughtered, the screams of dying Stormtroppers and blaster fire were almost drown out by screeching Zerglings and exploding Banelings before dropping into an eerie silence.
Chris Bridger held his wife Lucy sitting on their threadbare bed from the moment the first faint sounds of battle echoed down to the cells, the sounds of battle only confirmed that it was the Zerg, an unending swarm of insectoid aliens that had been slaughtering whole worlds at random, and now they were here.
Chris tightened his grip and Lucy screamed as the cell door was ripped off letting light spill in on the bare cot they sat on and revealing a humanoid Zerg with bone wings, the King of Blades. Nothing was known about him other than that he was the leader of the swarm. Looking into the monstrous face of the creature made of lifeless bone, burning yellow eyes the only sign of savage life, he understood there were worse monsters in the galaxy than the Empire.
After a seeming eternity of staring each other down it raised its arms in a sudden jerky movement and froze again as Lucy let out a frightened squeak, Chris spoke up as he felt the creatures gaze lock onto his wife.
What made you come here to kill us yourself?
It's gaze snapped back to Chris and he suppressed a shiver as he got up to get between it and his wife, rather surprised to find that he was taller, it was an moment before it spoke, its voice distorted but surprisingly soft and young.
"Is that what you should be saying to the good guy?" Even if it's face didn't move Chris could hear the smirk and it made his blood boil.
"The good guy! How many did you kill to get in here! How many on other worlds were consumed by your swarm!" Screamed Chris.
"They were imperials! I thought you of all people would understand the need to fight the empire, that's why your here isn't it!" It growled
We wanted peace! Killing will never-
And what did talking ever accomplish! The senate does nothing but talk and helps no-one. You! Did nothing but talk and all it did was get you locked up here and your Son! left on the street to die! Power! Controls everything!
Chris flinched at the mention of Ezra and his fear that he could have died while they were imprisoned, Lucy filled the silence stepping up beside Chris.
You can't fight evil by becoming a monster.
Bone wings twitched and for a instant Chris thought they would be killed but after a moment of still silence it moved to the side of the door and spoke stiffly.
The transports in the hanger are undamaged take the other prisoners and go.
It watched through the eyes of the swarm as the two gathered up the others and left, only once the transports entered hyperspace did it scream, bone wings tore through the walls and the whole complex shuddered and bucked under his psychic fury and he tore the bone helmet from his head embedding it in the far wall.
"My king are you all right"? The telepathic thought cut through his rolling emotions and helped him finally calm down.
I'm fine Izsha and I told you not to call me that... my name is Ezra... Gather the swarm, there has been a change in plans.
This one-shot is meant as a challenge, I have very few rules for this, you can have Ezra become king of the swarm however you want. The example I'm giving is that to free the Zerg from Amon's control the Overmind killed itself opening a wormhole to a galaxy far far away leaving only the command to find/create a new leader free of Amon's influence. Ezra got a ride off world before meeting the rebels and the swarm captured the ship, by this point they have already overrun a few worlds in their search so by the time Ezra takes control they are already seen as evil monsters (which they kinda are). He uses them to look for his parents, Ezra does keep the killing to a minimum but between their previous actions and the empires propaganda they are still seen as evil monsters.
Rule 1) the empire MUST be competent, and not openly evil, evil sure but not openly, that just invites rebellion. The emperor who played the galaxy like a fiddle is not that stupid Any bad things they do are covered up and or blamed on the rebels (unjust taxes? It's to provide for the people who had their homes destroyed by rebel pirates and fund fleets to hunt them down and protect your world. etc, etc) even 99% of the stormtroopers think that the empire are the good guys with only some of the high ranking officers and the rebel leaders having an idea of how much the empire is responsible for. Make the emperor more like Arcturus Mengsk basically while Ezra is a bit more like Kerrigan.
Rule 2) the rebels are the good guys but not perfect, the cannon rebels can be left as are but try to show that some rebel groups toe the line between freedom fighter and terrorists, they can be completely unrelated to the cannon rebels if you want but even the cannon rebels have to work for the black market to put food on the table.
Now that I think of it some rebel leader could offer Ezra information on the empires political prisons (aka where his parents are) in exchange for using the swarm against some important target in the empire maybe even invading Coruscant.
Personally I would leave Ezra's hair as is, just because I don't think he could pull off Kerrigan's hair.
I know Banelings or Izsha were not in the Overminds swarm but "meh" it's fanfiction and I wanted them, let's say that Izsha was made by the Overmind to teach and guide the swarm's new leader.
If anyone has questions or is willing to take up the challenge just send me a pm.
Alternate ending
You can't fight evil by becoming an monster.
If I'm a monster it's because of you! Chris and Lucy stumbled back at its sudden roar trying to understand what it meant.
Wha-
You just had to provoke the empire! So willing to risk your lives for a just cause, well what about mine?! Did you ever consider what would happen to me?!
It ripped off its helmet revealing the face of a young boy with blue hair twisted with pain and anger.
Ezra you- Ezra cut across him, venting feelings he had kept bottled up for years.
If you had just kept your mouths shut then I wouldn't have been forced to eat out of the trash for years! I wouldn't have been turned into... this!
Ezra I didn't... you... Stuttered Chris while Lucy clung to his arm, suddenly deathly pale.
Ezra didn't wait to hear what they had to say and stormed out, trusting his swarm to block the path behind him and reached out to Izsha's mind.
Gather the swarm, we're leaving.
I kind of like this ending since it will reveal Ezra's identity and motivations to people, the rebels would try to use his past to turn him against the empire and join up with them while the emperor would try to use his pain over being rejected by his parents and reluctance to start burning planets to force a truce/alliance and use the swarm as a threat against rebels and a lurking threat to keep the people of the empire scared and joining the army.