A/N: I've had the prologue and first four complete chapters of this sitting on my hard drive since last summer, so I figure I may as well post them. For those of you following my Skyrim fanfic "Of Legends" (yes, all one of you), know that I'm slowly, but surely, writing it. Unfortunately, the time between updates is bound to get longer once the semester comes around the bend. I don't plan on giving up on it, though. To start, I'll upload what I have of this monthly-chapter 5 is still in the works-so I hope you're all willing to bear with me.
And yes, for the first couple chapters, I am tearing a few pages from a deadlocked fic that's also StarCraft-related.
Primary Zerg Hive Cluster, Char | 20 minutes prior to "All In"
POV: William "Billy" Kerrigan, AKA "Will Winter"
One word: FUBAR…
That's exactly how this recon turned out for me; I scout the Zerg strength around the primary hive cluster only to get captured on the orders of Sarah Kerrigan herself. I was kept in place by the pincers of two Hydralisks flanking each of my shoulders, my psionic abilities weakened to the point where I could only touch minds—and I could feel the Swarm's hunger.
All around me, monsters ranging from the lowly Zergling to the mighty Ultralisk stared with intent eyes, doing what I could best describe as "drooling" at the thought of my flesh rending and bones snapping in their mouths. I could feel their eagerness, as well as irritation that their Queen ordered me kept alive for Christ-knows-what reason as they dragged me through the organic tunnels. I knew I was being dragged to the center—the air became more humid, and the Creep that was under my legs grew thicker.
Soon enough, I was in the bowels of the tunnel kingdom that hundreds, if not thousands, of Zerg creatures surrounded me like someone on a concert stage. In the center sat a pile of bones and flesh held together by the Creep—it looked like one big mass of tendon, bone, and muscle arranged in the shape of a throne.
The creatures in the cavern snarled in unison and as if on cue, the woman of the hour—the infamous Queen of Blades—crept out of the darkness and sat down lazily on the throne. The Hydralisks restraining me shoved me forward and drove my knees hard into the pulsing ground, but I gave no satisfaction of a grunt of pain.
"My own personal taxi service," I snarked. "A little bit rough for my tastes; too bad I don't have a bullet handy." The Queen of Blades laughed amusedly at my show of defiance, her yellow glowing eyes rolling around in their sockets.
"My, my…so feisty," she said in an alien voice that reverberated every single word. "Did the 'Lion of the Fringe' get rusty over the past two years?" She forced my chin up with scaled hands and forced me to look at her straight in the eye—she was a corruption of the woman in Raynor's photo. Her body was decked in purple carapace, her fingers were tipped with sharp talons, and the ivory wings that everyone knew her for were as sharp as ever. The tip of one wing caressed the side of my face, treating me like a toy or doll to play with. The only thing remotely human about her was her face, but it was discolored with a greenish hue and decorated with sadistic pleasure.
"The only thing 'rusty' is the knife I've been saving just for you," I replied, as defiant as before. "It's a pity I won't get to use it, Queenie…"
"Respect, weak fool, or else I skewer you on my wings," she warned me, her uncooperative prisoner. I looked deep in her eyes, and I had second thoughts about Jim's plan—whatever humanity was left in Sarah was buried so deep it may as well not exist. I saw no point to disinfesting her; at best, the infestation would only be suppressed, only to reemerge with everything that defined the Queen of Blades in the first place.
"Go on, kill me," I taunted. "It's not like you haven't had plenty of practice!" Despite my attempt at goading her, she laughed as though I was a welcome change from her last meal.
"I will enjoy you so much," she chuckled, and looked to the creatures restraining me. "Leave us; we have much to talk about." The Hydralisks released me, leaving me dangling in the Queen's grip and with my hands tied behind my back. Kerrigan released me and let me fall on my knees in the Creep. The stuff pulsed and throbbed under my knees and felt cold to touch. It was no surprise—Creep was essentially a giant fleshy weed that dug into the ground—but the cold touch added to the tension I already felt.
"Now," Kerrigan started, walking around me with hips swaying with every step. "Why don't you start by telling me who you are and why you're here?
"What does it matter if you know who I am?" I said, with disgust evident in both my voice and my eyes. "I was doing recon, as you know."
"I like being acquainted with my…prey," she chuckled in a high-pitched tone laced with sadism.
"Oh, I feel so lucky," I said as I looked up at the ceiling. Corpses, both Terran and Protoss, hung from the ceiling in great numbers, attached by web-like fleshy goo. Limbs hung on individual strands like wind chimes.
"Do you like my…exhibits? They were all far less entertaining then you are," she said, her arms theatrically spread out as if presenting a wonder of the world. "You're so entertaining, in fact, that you would be wasted up there with the rest of them. Maybe I'll keep you as a pet?"
"Enjoy your bragging while it lasts, Queenie," I taunted. "Your rule of the Swarm is about to come to an end in the next hour or so—I believe I should thank you for taking time out of your day to talk to me…saved Jim the trouble of clearing out your front lawn…"
"What type of fool do you take me for?" she asked, her clawed hand gripping my neck and yanking me in the air, bringing my eyes level with hers. "I would never have allowed your precious comrades to get so close if I thought they would pose a threat to me. Jim's plan will fail, the fleet will fall, and then the entire sector will fall to the Swarm—and you will watch, whether you like it or not."
"You're overestimating your chances," I said. "Why don't you go out there and see for yourself?"
Pain ripped through my body as one of her signature blades pierced my gut, leaving one gaping hole that just missed my abdominal aorta. I fell to the ground as she released me. "Thank you soooo much for the suggestion," she cooed, her tongue tracing her lips. "Oh, don't worry: you won't bleed out from that—I have plans for you when this is over, my pet."
I struggled to sit up, but to no avail as she brought her face mere inches to mine.
"That's right," she said. "Infestation awaits you after this—you have such untapped promise, and I will make good use of your abilities…and your memories."
My head started to feel light as I fell to the floor; my vision blackened, and all I could make out was sound. The Queen of Blades loved chewing the scenery, it seemed.
"Come, my underlings! Defend your queen from those who would harm us! Arise, and let us take back our planet from the Terrans! THIS ENDS NOW!" Kerrigan commanded, and I could feel the millions of Zerg respond. Zerglings, Banelings, Roaches, Hydralisks, and so many more…it was all so overwhelming.
Around an Hour Later, Primary Hive Cluster
POV: Medic Amelia Sanderson, Private First Class
The interior of the primary hive cluster was dead silent after the Artifact's energy nova went off. Whatever Zerg remained littered the ground as though ruptured from within; the cluster itself remained alive, as did the largely human body of one Sarah Kerrigan. Her form, stripped of the alien carapace that had covered it for four years, lay stark naked on the ground.
She gripped herself as if in pain, and the Commander cradled her in his armored arms. A voice was heard from within another helmet, lost in static; when Amelia tried to place where she heard the voice before, Commander Raynor interrupted her thoughts.
"Tychus," he growled. "What have you done?"
"I made a deal with the devil, Jimmy—she dies, I go free," the man replied.
"We all have our choices to make…" Raynor trailed.
"Damn shame…"
There were two shots, and one body—the body of one Tychus Findlay…with the Commander standing over it, revolver still smoking.
...Minutes Later…
"Commander, I found him!" Amelia called out.
William had his hands bound behind his back, and by all appearances was barely conscious and aware of what was going on around him. But he was fading rapidly, and he bled heavily from a wound in his gut—it neither hit the aorta nor went all the way through, as if whatever inflicted it had intentionally missed.
Seemed to her that the former Queen of Blades wanted him unconscious, not dead…
"How is he?" Raynor replied.
"He's alive, but he's bleeding badly," Amelia said, already hard at work trying to stabilize him. "I'm patching him up, sir."
William seemed to have managed to use his psionic powers to stem the bleeding, so applying the nanites needed to accelerate the body's natural healing mechanics was straightforward. Scans didn't show significant internal injuries—merely a few grazes that mended very easily.
"Make it fast…we've gotta move quickly. The Zerg are going feral!"
"Just hang in there, William," she reassured. "You're going to make it…"