A/N: Season 2 Episode 2 is coming up next, time to answer some reviews and then we get this party on the road!

Foldguy: There is a reason for such a terrible plan, the assassin's handler (I'll let the audience figure that individual out) wanted to strike at a symbolic moment, rather than in private or at a more opportune time. It's a typical terrorist method of attack, rather than one that is strategic or of tactical benefit.

Vittorio doesn't comprehend everything he is facing, he has some idea but his mentality is focused on what the Church believes and what the world actually has. I doubt that Henrietta will ever look down on Kerrigan again or go against her advice; the Swarm could easily take the entire country if she or any others turned on Kerrigan. The Pope is in it hip-deep, that much is certain.

A game of hide and seek and the use of McDongCopter is a possibility, stay tuned.

The Elves have always been involved in some manner or way, but they won't play much of an active role yet. We haven't even seen an elf in this story as of yet, so we will likely meet Tiffania before then.

Also a visit to Tarbes from the Queen is going to happen soon, so wait for that one.

Thanks again for so much input Fold, I appreciate it all!

DarkOwl: He does seem to be a real prick doesn't he? =P

Lucas Bane: It'll be a great season I think, plenty of chapters this time around, and some time back in the Koprulu Sector with our Starcraft characters.

Shadowsong: I got bored of holding onto it, it was a few days early, but I felt it was the right time to bring it out to the public. I have another chapter done right now, but I won't be releasing it right away.

Celestia's Paladin: It will be fast paced for a few chapters before things calm down and the plot begins to fill in. Someone will be bringing another keg to the Bro-down soon enough =) (or is it Sis-Down?)

Lord Arthas: A valid point, however darker, potentially M-rated material is coming soon. I typically use the M rating because it gives me the freedom to write with little restriction on content.

Y para responder a su pregunta, no funciona para el Blizzard, pero la Kerrigan retratan eventualmente se convirtió en Canon sólo días después de que terminé la escritura. Simplemente predije lo que Blizzard haría con ella, no tomar ningún crédito, otro entonces ser original (en el momento).

^ (I don't work for Blizzard)

JudithDeathKnight: Thank you so much for your review! It's good to see people liking the new season already! The Pope may have some inkling on what's to come, but what could that favor be? Hmm?

DaLintyMan: Good to see you again, there will be much Noms and Dakka's to come. The Pope's role will be mostly as a secondary character for now, but his role WILL increase in scope later on. I was being generous with the three day minimum, in all likelihood it'll be a week (probably longer) given my other stories. That and RL is becoming a major hassle (What else is new?).

In any case, enjoy the chapter guys, see you all around =)

Royal Palace

Early Morning

Henrietta found herself crying again after waking from her constant nightmares. She went to her nightstand and took a massive chug of the wine bottle she had 'liberated' from the cellar earlier that day.

She was finding herself drinking in massive quantities, she was drunk and in a stupor a good 10 hours a day, the only time she was buzzed or sober was when she was performing her Queenly duties. As often as she could she was sneaking off to take a drink from the exquisite wine collection that the Royal Family had access to. The nightmares wouldn't stop though, no matter how much alcohol she put into her system.

It was the same thing, seeing the bullet meant for her punch through her heart, the pain, and seeing the blood pour from the wound as she dropped dead. Chills passed through her whole body as catatonia began to set in again.

"Why did you have to die Wales?! I need you so much right now! Your love, your heart, even your body made living as a Princess bearable!" Henrietta continued sobbing until she heard a knock on the door.

"Not a good time!"

"Ann?"

Henrietta stopped breathing, 'That's impossible, that sounds just like him.'

"I-is that you Wales?"

The door opened, revealing one Prince Wales Tudor in military dress uniform with a smile on his face, "Hello beloved, I missed you."

Magic Academy-Alviss Hall

Mid-Morning

Kerrigan was drinking a hot cup of tea along with the rest of the Ghosts, who had all come to the mostly empty dining hall to get some chow for the training they had planned for later that day.

Jessica spoke up first, "So, Sarah, what can we expect to do today?"

"Weapons training Acolytes, you all get to shoot some targets at range with a variety of guns that Elliot supplied for us. You need to become proficient with every kind of weapon there is so you have the means to fight, in any environment. I will also have you train with the standard flintlock muskets they use here as well. Not nearly as fun, but still just as essential."

Grunts of approval seemed to cross the lips of all the Acolytes, but Louise was left wondering, "Sarah, what about my magic training?"

Kerrigan took a sip of her tea and began, "We'll see what we can dig out of that Book the Queen gave you yesterday. I'll be honest though, I don't believe we will make much progress with it; we just don't have the expertise we need to advance your abilities.

Delflinger joined the conversation, ready or not, "Aye, the Gandalfr is right about that. The Founder's Prayer Book only unlocks Void spells as they are needed, to prevent a new void mage from overexerting themselves. This, in addition to preventing non-void mages from discovering the incantations required for those spells, to prevent their abuse."

Louise frowned, "Then why do I carry this thing around Sarah? If I can't use it, it will just weigh me down won't it?"

Kerrigan shook her head, "If what we know of Void magic is accurate, it contains spells that no other tree of magic has, and most likely have few, if any equivalent Psionic ability either. Even with all the people and species the Swarm has infested over the years, my own Psionic powers had to be brought out with considerable practice, and even experimentation."

Kerrigan continued, "We also need to be aware of willpower depletion, it will severely limit your ability to cast Void magic more than once or twice. This physical and mental training has the dual effect of boosting your own physical strength, plus boosting your willpower and Psionic energy levels and abilities."

What Kerrigan didn't mention was that she had no idea if improving her own Psionic abilities would enhance Louise's magical abilities. It was as much guesswork as it was a theory.

Louise nodded her head, she knew that she couldn't have all the answers at one moment; they would have to come to her in time.

All the Ghosts had their morning briefing interrupted by an urgent message from Umbra, 'Mistresses! We have a situation at the Palace! Henrietta has gone missing, and is believed to have been kidnapped!'

Kerrigan's eyes narrowed, 'Explain how that is even possible Umbra, that place is fucking fortress right now!'

Louise perked up with an answer, "She is young, and impressionable. It is possible they may to strike a low blow using someone important to her."

Kerrigan paused in thought, 'Wait, when we were at Lagdorian Lake with Tabitha, the water spirit told us that a powerful ring had been stolen. Supposedly with the ability to control the wills of people -'

'-And recreate life. FUCK!'

Kerrigan's mouth dropped open, "Did we recover the Prince's body from Albion?"

Louise shook her head, "We didn't have time, and he was buried on the church grounds."

"My God, it all makes sense now! They used Andvari's ring to brainwash someone into being an assassin, and then used it to revive Wales in an attempt to lure a vulnerable Henrietta out!"

Tabitha and Kirche both appeared from behind a pillar, collapsing on one another after hearing the news, but only Kerrigan noticed as the Ghost team's faces paled at that revelation, "How didn't I see this coming!"

'Elliot! We need air support ASAP!' A moment passed by before she heard a response.

'What the hell is going on Sarah?! I practically flew out of bed from that message!'

'The Queen has been kidnapped by a resurrected Prince Wales in a second assassination attempt Elliot! Do you have any ships that you can use to cut her off?' Kerrigan could feel a gasp of either terror or horror through the telepathic line, before he calmed himself down.

'The only ones I have pilots for are two Vikings, and they only have half their weapons payload.'

'That's fine; just send them our way right now! I'll send further information later!' Kerrigan cut the connection and reached out to the Umbra, 'Umbra is there any suggestion to where she may be going?'

'Yes Mistress, Dame Milan said there was a sighting of them heading to Lagdorian Lake just under an hour ago.'

'Then that's where we will go, Kerrigan out.'

"Alright girls, they are heading for Lagdorian Lake, get on your Vultures and let's head out. I assume you want in as well Tabitha, Kirche?" Both nodded, "Then you best get Sylphid, we're moving out." Both of the students ran out into the courtyard, with Tabitha whistling for Sylphid.

'Elliot, they are moving towards Lagdorian Lake, send the Vikings there to intercept, but do not fire unless absolutely necessary!'

'Orders issued, we're scrambling. See you soon Sarah, out.'

Kerrigan turned to the group of Ghosts and mages, "Grab your guns and get to the Vultures, we ride into battle today!"

Tarbes-Starport

"ALL VIKING CREWS TO YOUR SHIPS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! SCRAMBLE SCRAMBLE SCRAMBLE!"

Alarm sirens blared throughout the Starport as everyone was rousted from their sleep, preparing for inevitable contact with enemy forces. Both pilots jumped out of bed, got into a skin tight flight suit with the life support gear attached.

Viking flight suits were armored, unlike most other suits used by pilots; mainly due to the Viking's heavy exposure to enemy fire. The Viking's own armor plating was incredibly sturdy and rugged, but even the strongest armor has weak points. Those armored flight suits also gave Viking pilots a fighting chance of surviving a dangerous ejection from their vehicles, where other flight crews had a much higher fatality rate post-ejection. The value of a Viking pilot was much higher then those of a Wraith or even a Valkyrie's.

The armored pilots ran to the waiting Vikings, already on the launch rails, the first pilot jumped in, sealed her cockpit and began a short pre-flight check. She cursed when she heard the radio call out, "Sorry flight lead, your wingman has a serious leak on his aircraft, you'll be on your own for now."

The newly trained pilot frowned, "Understood control, Ileana taking off." She turned to the launching officer, snapped a quick salute, and turned forward.

"Punch it."

Elliot looked at his stopwatch as the Viking screamed away, heading into sky above.

"One hundred and ten seconds, not bad for their first real scramble."

Kerrigan and the rest of the Ghosts began to drive like they never had before; the girls had piled onto two Vultures and were easily hitting 240 kilometers per hour, making every turn a stomach wrenching nightmare. The insane jumps off of one hill easily got them fifteen seconds of air, crossing another half kilometer in mere moments.

Kerrigan rode the lead vehicle with Louise holding on for dear life, while Siesta drove the second Vulture, Jessica was holding on even tighter, simply terrified of going at such ludicrous speeds.

'That girl needs to learn how to handle that fear; otherwise she has no place with the Ghosts.'

Thankfully the ride wouldn't last long; at their current rate of speed they would reach Lagdorian Lake in just a few more minutes.

Royal Musketeers being led by Dame Milan were charging after the Queen and her kidnapper on horseback, far behind, but slowly gaining.

"I almost see her Majesty! Faster Musketeers!"

Agnes was humiliated at just how unexpected Henrietta's kidnapping was; it didn't help matters that she had ordered her and the rest of her guard to leave her presence for the night.

Agnes' eyes went wide seeing a giant wind blast heading her way and impacting the forward elements riding to reach the Queen. The horses and Musketeers both were sent flying heads over heels backwards, barely missing Agnes and impacting other riders, taking them down as well.

'I hope help gets here soon.'

Ileana of Tarbes was a thin, lanky woman with an unnatural love for adrenaline and traveling by horseback at ludicrous speeds. To say she had found her ultimate high in the Viking was not an unjustified statement. It had everything she could ever want, big, fast firing cannons and nasty missiles for taking on the flying bad guys. She could even transform and start walking on the ground, pulverizing everything in sight. The Viking seemed to be a perfect fit for the social deviant teenager and her constant desire for danger.

"Alright Ileana, your mission is simple, stop the kidnapping of Queen Henrietta. Their last sighting put them on course for Lagdorian Lake on horseback, your task is to intercept them and prevent them from escaping across the border." Ileana turned toward the southern border of Tristain that held the massive landlocked lake and punched her ion drives to full power. She had been flying for 5 minutes and had covered the distance in mere moments, Lake Lagdorian was straight ahead.

"Lord Elliot, should they cross the border, will we be able to pursue?"

"You can, but you will be on your own Ileana, no back up, and no support."

"My wingman?" Ileana's wingman William couldn't take off due to what turned out to be a fuel leak from one of his drive cores, meaning she was on her own until he either got things fixed up, or other assets showed up.

"Engine problems, he'll be with you shortly, until then you have the best chance of reaching Her Majesty before she crosses the border. Good luck, use of deadly force is authorized."

Ileana activated her terrain following radar and immediately began to follow the road that led to Lagdorian Lake at 20 meters above the ground. She began to scan the road for activity, and saw a large group of horses galloping after what looked like a single horse in the distance.

'Carrying two people! One in purple!'

"Lord Elliot, I have a visual on the Queen and our kidnapper. Orders?"

"Stop them, however do not fire your weapons unless you have a completely clean shot, Lady Kerrigan will be right behind you once you land and confront them. Ignore any orders given by the Queen until she is rescued."

"Copy, moving to interdict."

Agnes looked into the sky to see a rather odd looking aircraft that flew incredibly fast and smoothly through the air. She saw the insignia of Tarbes on its side and realized it was help that came from Lady Kerrigan.

Her second clue was the sound of two Vulture Hover Bikes passing by at unfathomable speeds, easily overtaking the Musketeers in an instant. The wind blast from their velocity actually blew Agnes' mantle clear off of her shoulders, and earning a surprised reaction from the veteran Knight.

'How can she drive that thing? How doesn't she crash into every little thing in the road?!'

Agnes shook her head and watched as the Viking sped ahead of the group, then came directly over the heads of the Queen and her kidnapper.

Queen Henrietta was unconscious, fast asleep from the magic Wales had used to incapacitate her earlier that morning after she had embraced him.

Flashback

"Oh Wales!" Henrietta ran to him and jumped into his arms, half naked and with reckless abandon.

Wales couldn't help but smile, 'Ann is as warm and excitable as usual; I wish I didn't have to do all of this.'

He incanted a brief spell and Henrietta found herself falling into a blissful, warm slumber.

End Flashback

Wales had already fired several wind blasts at the advancing Musketeers, throwing the lucky ones off of their horses, and cutting apart the rest like dicing a pineapple. He was almost to Lagdorian Lake, and to a small Albion corvette that was waiting in hiding on the Gallian side of the border.

"Wales?" He looked down to see Henrietta looking up at him, with a beaming smile and tears in her eyes, "It's true, you're here my love. We're together again at last!" She glomped onto him harder and closed her eyes; she was happy once again. Wales had to hold himself in check; she was still in her revealing nightgown and underwear, her modesty only preserved by a bathrobe at that point.

'It should be half way across the lake already; we should be able to ride straight aboard-.'

Wales's thoughts were interrupted by an odd sound coming from behind and above. Both turned their heads toward the sky and saw the flying machine begin to match their speed. Wales fired an Air Cutter at the machine but it barely made an impact, leaving a small dent on the armor plating.

The Viking sped ahead and slightly upwards, and began to transform. The entire ship began to transform itself from a flying machine into a mechanical walker in midair, in just two seconds of freefall the Viking had fully transformed and landed directly in front of their horse; the Viking charged forward, terrifying the animal into rising on its hind legs, throwing its passengers off. The walker slapped the horse aside, uninterested in letting the kidnapper attempt to use it again. The Viking's Gatling cannons began to rotate at a moderate speed; prepared to fire on the kidnapper should it be required.

The Viking began to circle the two Royals, "Kidnapper Wales of Albion! In the name of Her Majesty Queen Henrietta I hereby place you under arrest for the crimes of aggravated kidnapping, multiple counts of manslaughter, and attempted assassination. Drop your wand or I will be forced to fire upon you!"

Henrietta was stunned at the machine in front of her, 'Is this one of Kerrigan's new machines? Just what is she capable of?'

"As your Queen I demand you step aside soldier, now!"

"I can't do that Your Majesty, I'm under orders to disregard any instruction you give me," The Viking turned to Wales, "I will not warn you again Wales, drop the wand or I will fire upon you!"

Wales snorted, "Like that contraption can do anything to me now! AIR HAMMER!" Ileana saw a blast of air come towards the Viking, and used her jump jets to dodge it. She spun up the Gatling cannons and fired a burst into Wales. The dual cannons put out nearly 200 rounds into the space where Wales occupied, shredding him instantly, and kicking up a massive dust plume.

"WALES!" Henrietta screamed and pointed her wand towards Ileana, shooting a volley of Ice Javelins, which rammed into the joints and links of the Viking.

Alarms began to blare throughout the cockpit warning Ileana of the severity of the damage. The blast of projectiles had shattered one of her jump jets and had taken off her left arm and cannon at the elbow. The feeding mechanism for the right cannon had been jammed and wouldn't fire; what was worst of all however was the damage to her ion drive that normally functioned while flying, the entire system had been cut apart and was starting to overheat. Ileana saw a countdown timer until the munitions would start cooking off, counting down from ninety seconds, along with an 'EJECT' indicator flashing a bright red.

A cloud of smoke had emerged from the fire, and as it cleared Ileana was horrified to see that even with all the massive holes and damage he had taken, Prince Wales's wounds simply regenerated instantly. "That's impossible! No living being could ever regenerate that fast!" Ileana got on the radio to call for help, the Viking was a lost cause, but the Royals didn't know that.

Xxx

"Viking Ileana of Tarbes requesting assistance from any allied forces in the area! I have been disabled by Queen Henrietta and am no longer combat effective! I require immediate reinforcements and additional Viking units on my position!"

"Ileana! It's William! I'm thirty seconds out; you've got incoming airborne targets!"

"Viking pilot, this is Sarah Kerrigan, Ghost Corps, four troopers inbound on your position; ETA 45 seconds, hold your ground until we arrive. Viking William, you are cleared to begin air patrol over the area. Weapons free!"

William of Tarbes locked up the small scout ship on his Phobos weapons system, and armed his Lanzer Torpedoes.

Viking William, Fox Three!" He pulled the trigger, firing half of his air to air compliment of weapons nearly instantly, the powerful warheads automatically tracking the small ship approaching.

Wales looked to the sky to see a second Viking open fire on an approaching Albion ship, the torpedoes blasting ahead at supersonic speeds. The warheads armed themselves fifty meters after leaving the Viking and activated their own radar systems. The torpedoes landed across the ship's deck and bow, first cutting the bow clean off of the ship and destroying everything above deck; the final torpedoes detonating within the hull itself, turning the ship into a giant firecracker. Bodies and shrapnel were sent careening out of the ship at near hypersonic velocities, as the ship collapsed on itself and sunk into the lake.

Wales's mouth dropped open as their ride out of the country was simply torn asunder by the new, mysterious flying machine as it came in and transformed next to Ileana. "Ileana, are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine William! Just keep your guns on Wales, the man just won't die!" Ileana looked at her control display, which was now shutting down; the red 'Eject' indicator was now buzzing into her headset repeatedly.

"EJECT EJECT EJECT."

"My weapons are about to go, sorry guys!" Ileana limped far enough away from the action, primed the ejection sequence and activated it. Thankfully the ejection system was one that remained fully functional after the craft was turned into a robotic pin cushion.

The cockpit window and dorsal armor plate were blasted clear off as strategically placed explosive bolts detonated in perfect unison. Her visor closed down around her face, her arms automatically were pulled in front of her, Egyptian Mummy style, and she was shot out of the now open air Viking by an electromagnetic rail system.

Just moments after she ejected, the Viking exploded into a ball of fire and shrapnel, leaving a three meter deep and 10 meter wide crater where the assault walker had just been.

Xxx

Kerrigan jumped off of the Vulture and ran towards Henrietta, C-10 in hand as the girls took up flanking position beside her, their own weapons out and at the ready. She saw the Viking pilot eject, followed by the walker's explosion, and ran even faster.

"Your Majesty, I need you to come to me alright? What you are seeing is not the real Wales."

"No Kerrigan! This is the real Wales! He proved it to me!"

Wales laughed, "See Kerrigan? Even the Queen knows that I am the real Wales, why can't you?"

Kerrigan's eyes narrowed, "I know what I saw Wales, I saw a saber ran through you like a screw through a wine cork. You died on the church floor from that wound and I saw Louise tear Wardes into a thousand pieces with nothing but a series of thoughts." Henrietta visibly shuddered at the description of Wales' supposed death, and Wardes punishment, "I'm still pulling teeth and bone fragments out of my hair. I'm well aware of what I saw, the Ring of Andvari is behind this action Wales, and I'd like to know who has it right now."

That's enough Lady Kerrigan! I'm ordering you to stand down, you too Louise!"

At that moment Tabitha and Kirche both landed behind the Royals, and were met with a powerful Air Hammer from Wales, sending both into the ground.

"I think not," Kerrigan raised her hand, and shot a bolt of Psionic Lightning into Wales, punching clear through him and blasting down a tree behind him. She began to advance, rifle in hand, and turned it onto Henrietta. "Please don't make a decision we will all regret Henrietta."

"Stay back Lady Kerrigan!" Henrietta cried out, holding her wand threateningly towards Kerrigan and the girls, "Louise, you cannot possibly understand what it means to be in love!"

Louise found herself looking towards the ground and kicking her feet together, "No Princess, I don't know what it feels like, but this isn't Wales-."

"Be silent!" Henrietta sent a blast of ice spikes towards the Ghosts, as Agnes approached and saw as Kerrigan simply deflected the projectiles away from them with a wave of her hand.

'I have no chance in this fight,' Agnes looked down at the shrapnel wound across her abdomen, 'This is up to Kerrigan now, but just who is this woman?'

"Let me leave in peace Louise, this is my final order for you as Queen."

Louise looked to a frowning Kerrigan, 'She has no way out, and if we lose her she's as good as dead.'

Kerrigan nodded, 'Make the call Louise, this is your decision. You are her closest friend, you have that right.'

Louise closed her eyes, "Sarah, destroy that imitation of Wales."

Henrietta's eyes widened in horror as Kerrigan charged forward, bringing Delflinger to bear on Wales, moving at impossibly fast speed, driving the enchanted blade through his chest. Wales smiled, "It will take far more than that to kill me Kerrigan, Air Cutter!"

Both Delflinger and Sarah were blasted backwards in different directions, looks of shock and horror came upon Kerrigan as she realized her right arm had been severed just below the elbow. 'A clean amputation, little nerve or bone damage, should be a snap to heal.'

She turned towards Wales and smiled, "I'm impressed Wales, apparently the undead attributes the Ring gave you also improved your own physical strength and your magic output. Only one being could ever take one of my limbs, and he was a far greater adversary then you ever could be. Enough games Wales, I'm ending this right now."

Agnes looked in horror as the arm that still carried Delflinger was sent flying back towards its original owner, and reattached itself. Kerrigan awoke her own infested regeneration abilities and began to shift into the Queen of Blades' true form.

Agnes felt it also, 'This is the power of the Shield of Tristain?'

Not quite.

She was about to strike at Wales again, but felt an ominous energy emanating from the Ghost at her side.

"UNCLEAN MONSTER!" Kerrigan turned to Louise, whose eyes had turned a nasty shade of crimson, and her hands rose, palms facing out towards, "YOU DARE HURT MY BEST FRIEND! YOU WRETCH! NOW BURN!" A massive blast of pyrokinetic napalm shot from her hands and immolated Wales whose own mouth was wide open seeing such a wave coming at him. Such sudden fire caused a massive flashover and shockwave that sent all but the remaining Viking, Louise and Kerrigan flying backwards.

Henrietta was shot like a cannonball into side of Sylphid, who had landed to pick up her fallen master and Kirche; she was knocked unconscious by the blast and awoke seeing a dragon begin licking her face.

"What just happened?" Henrietta turned and saw an almost demonic appearing Louise releasing steam and excess heat from her body. The heat had built so much that her rifle had begun to melt; it had already seared the ground underneath and around her.

Wales looked like a work from Frankenstein's laboratory, the undead Prince was cooked into a pretzel shape, and all were horrified to see him begin to move out of his position. The sounds of organs squishing, and bones cracking as slowly he reformed himself into a human being, clothing and all.

Kerrigan frowned, "So much for this being an easy fight, I've seen Torrasques give up after less damage. Delflinger, you fought against Elves who used Ancient Magic, any possible ways we can win this without taking out half the country in the ensuing firestorm?"

The sword took a moment to respond, "You! Void mage! Look at the book!"

Louise seemed to be shocked back into reality and collapsed, before Kerrigan took her canteen and dumped the entire contents onto her face, waking her instantly.

"What the hell was that for Sarah?!"

"Need you to do a void spell, check the Founder's Prayer Book for a new one." Kerrigan turned to Siesta and nodded; the former maid ran over to her Vulture and ran back to the group. After getting the book, Louise opened it and found a new spell glowing in the book.

"Dispel Magic?"

"That will work, where's your wand?"

Louise looked to her waist, and found a piece of charred wood where her wand was placed, "Umm whoops?"

Kerrigan rolled her eyes, "Time to improvise then, I need you to focus Louise. Imagine creating a new wand in your hands, your own creation." The pinkette was about to complain but began to focus her energy, which began to glow around her in a more benevolent blue aura. The wand seemed to spring forth from her hand and flowed like a Protoss energy shield as it was being recharged.

Agnes saw the creation emerge from Louise's hand and was astounded, 'That little girl can create a new wand from nothingness, with nothing but her mind? Maybe we can get some Ghosts into the Musketeers . . .'

Louise opened her eyes and felt the Psionic Wand in her palm, and felt awestruck, 'I created this?'

"Well stop dicking around! Cast that spell, I'll buy you some time!" Kerrigan ran towards Wales with Delflinger, but found herself intercepted by an Ice Wall from Henrietta, who had ran to Wales side and protected him with an ice shield. Kerrigan got wide-eyed having an ice shard stick out, nearly nailing her in the eye.

"What in the flying fuck are you doing Your Majesty? It's safe to say that is NOT Wales."

Wales spoke up, "Isn't it obvious? She has returned to my side, just as she said she would be forever."

Kerrigan grimaced as the pair intertwined their arms and begin to chant together. A massive rainstorm begun to form around them, as the air and water droplets became charged with magical energy.

"You don't realize how badly you're outmatched do you? Now realize the true power of Royal Magic! Hexagon class!" Kerrigan looked forward to see a massive tornado whipping through the distance between the combatants.

"Well this . . . is a bit of a complication."

"Partner! Use me; it's the only chance you got!"

Kerrigan let a feral screamfill everyone's ears and charged forward holding Delflinger in front; the ancient blade began to glow as it soaked up the massive energy output the storm gave off, "I haven't felt this much magic running through me in millennia! I can't hold on like this forever partner!"

Kerrigan turned back towards Louise, who held her Psionic Wand in her left hand, and the Founder's Prayer Book in her right. She was chanting in the strange runic language that Void spells were written in. She took a moment to pause, looked towards Wales and the Princess, and spoke the final word, "IS!"

Electricity began to flow from Louise's wand and manifested itself in a spinning matrix of light which continued to spin faster and faster until it reached critical mass. At that point, the lightning bolt being charged lashed out to hit Wales instantly, earning a massive scream of agony from the undead, as well as knocking the Queen backwards. In just a few moments, the storm had cleared, revealing a devastated battlefield where the Royals had done battle with Kerrigan.

The final sound was Wales collapsing to the ground, blood beginning to spout from his wounds received in Albion.

Henrietta began to lose consciousness as her willpower was ripped from her; the last thought she held, was that of her beloved.

Henrietta awoke to find herself next to Wales near the waterfront, all surrounded by eyes of both curiosity and displeasure.

"...Henrietta? Is it you?"

It was a weak and fading voice, but it was Wales' voice without a doubt. Henrietta's shoulders shook. If miracles existed in Halkeginia, times like this were definitely that.

It was possible that the feelings Henrietta felt for Wales called upon a whim from the gods. No one knows why. Just that, Wales opened his eyes. That was truth enough for her.

"Wales . . ."

Henrietta called her lover's name. She understood. The Wales this time was the true Wales. Not a puppet that moved with fake life, but the true him.

Tears flowed from Henrietta's eyes.

"What a thing. Just how long have I waited for this moment..."

The eyes of the group widened when they saw that Wales had opened his eyes, the real Wales had truly returned.

Wales! Your wounds!" Henrietta began to heal them, but found them unable to be closed.

He was dying, once again; the wound he had received from Wardes was bleeding uncontrollably.

"Wales, do you plan to leave me alone yet again?"

"I have one last wish Ann"

"Don't say that!"

"Make me a promise Ann, promise me you'll find someone else to love, and forget all about me."

Henrietta became silent and shook her head. "Dammit Ann, Swear to me right here and now! To forget me, and find another man to love, in front of me and all these witnesses here!"

"No, I can't do that Wales."

"Ann, do it so my soul can be free."

Henrietta visibly sniffled, "Only if you swear that you will love me for eternity!"

"You first Ann, no exceptions," Wales gave a smile that shattered all the hearts present.

"I swear, to forget about Prince Wales Tudor of Albion, and to find someone else to love."

"Thank you Ann."

"Your turn darling."

"Take me to the waterside." Wales closed his eyes, and Kerrigan knew instantly, but couldn't bear to tell Henrietta the truth.

Both the Royals were walked into the water; Henrietta took Wales's shoulders, "Now say it! To love me forever."

Silence reverberated through the air, Henrietta shook Wales shoulders again, "Wales?"

Kerrigan kneeled and put her arm across Henrietta's shoulders as her life with Wales played back in her mind.

'Our first meeting.'

'Our first touch.'

'Our first kiss.'

'Our first time making love to one another.'

Henrietta gasped for breath, the memories had sucked her conscious mind so deep into her memories that she hadn't been breathing for some time. She took a deep breath and began to weep, tears staining her face and nightgown. She collapsed into Kerrigan's arms and continued to sob uncontrollably for what seemed like an eternity.

She pulled herself together, and looked back to Kerrigan and Louise who themselves had tears in their own eyes, "It's time to give him a proper burial Henrietta, so that none of those bastards ever do this again."

She nodded; Louise helped carry his body into deeper water where Kerrigan and Henrietta both pushed him into the watery abyss. The crystal clear water made it so the entire group saw as his body slowly drifted away, until Prince Wales vanished from the world of the living once more.

The Next Day -Tarbes

Kerrigan found herself in Tarbes, helping build new vehicles for the war effort that was now guaranteed to have them taking the fight to the Albion army.

Henrietta had returned to the Capital and had entered a period of mourning that would last a full week.

It was Cardinal Mazarin's work load for the duration.

'Those fuckers are going to pay for messing with a young woman like that.'

Kerrigan was sitting on top of one of the Factories, looking towards a coming sunrise, looking for answers to all that had happened.

'I was just the same not long ago; I wonder how many would kill me if they got the chance.'

"I thought you might be up here Sarah," Kerrigan turned and saw Elliot with a bottle of wine and two glasses, "Mind if I join you?"

She nodded, "Wouldn't your wife be pissed if you were drinking wine with another woman in a romantic spot?"

Elliot let a loud laugh come from his stomach, "To be honest, I told her what had actually happened, and your story. Given all that happened I wouldn't be surprised if she approved of you being the other woman in my life." Kerrigan raised an eyebrow, along with a smirk as Elliot poured them both a full glass.

"Cheers!"

"I can tell you're conflicted Sarah, spill it."

She closed her eyes, "I was so infuriated at what Albion pulled with Wales, and I swear if I had the ability, I would've turned that entire country to ash and rubble." She put her head down, "But I realized something, I was the same way, and it could be argued I am the worst war criminal to have ever lived. It all seems pretty hypocritical in hindsight."

Elliot held her face in his free hand, "Sarah, that isn't you anymore. You have a new life here now, away from the pain and strife of the Koprulu Sector. You don't have to worry about any of that anymore."

"That may not be the case in the long term Elliot. I managed to send a signal out during the lunar eclipse."

Elliot looked at her, "Why would you do that?"

"For him, for Jim. Jim Raynor."

Elliot's mouth dropped open, "THE Jim Raynor? The famous outlaw and criminal?!"

Kerrigan laughed, "He gave that life up last time I saw him. He became a Marshal on Mar Sara, we met during First Contact when I was undercover for the Sons of Korhal. We were an item for a time, until Mensgk threw me to the wolves. We were enemies after that, from the invasion of Aiur to the Battle for Char, where I got sent here from. He never gave up on me Elliot, and I know when he does find me; I can begin my journey for redemption."

Elliot seemed entertained, "What exactly motivated you to do all that you did?"

"It turns out the Overmind, and myself were being manipulated by a third party during our entire existence. It was a creature that even the Overmind wasn't sure of its identity. Both of us suspect he may have been a Xel'Naga, a nearly deity type entity that created and uplifted both the Protoss and the Zerg millennia ago."

Elliot had begun to drool wine out of his mouth as Kerrigan continued, "When I was hit by the Xel'Naga artifact that Raynor used on me, I was dramatically weakened and sent here, to a new sector of space. I was able to estimate our general location given the communication buoy we got a hold of. We're in the most dangerous part space short of the Galactic Core itself, The Void Sector. It's Protoss territory, only certain people can get in, and Raynor is one of them. Unfortunately, the entire Sector is virtually unexplored, given the hazards of warp travel within."

Elliot was stunned, "How long do you think it will take them to find us?"

Kerrigan shook her head, "I honestly don't know Elliot, and the Erebus gave me a VERY generous estimate of 2-4 years with a dedicated exploration fleet. A single ship or a small fleet at best could take over a decade of constant searching, not including resupply runs or maintenance troubles."

"So it really is a long shot then?"

"It is unfortunately, but this separation gives me a chance to start over, and create a new beginning for the Zerg."

Elliot patted Kerrigan on the shoulder, "I wouldn't worry, even after the darkest of nights, morning always comes."

"Isn't that the truth?"

Both looked towards the sunrise and called out another "Cheers!"

"I never did ask how you got here, why do you have so much firepower? Considering you came here all by yourself."

Elliot frowned, "I deserted, stole as much stuff as I could and went into uncharted space to find a new life. Not much else to say about it to be completely honest."

Kerrigan nodded, "I didn't mean to pry Elliot."

He smiled and shook his head, "I suppose you should know that, provided others from the Koprulu Sector reach us within either of our lifetimes."

She nodded, "Yours perhaps, I will probably live for centuries, and even the Erebus isn't entirely sure how long I could live. It may even be longer than that."

"I can see it now, Sarah Kerrigan, Halkeginia's first human, er, partly human centennial."

Kerrigan burst out laughing, and Elliot joined her as the morning sun continued to rise.

Hyperion

Warp-Space

'JIM!'

Raynor woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. He frowned and rubbed his eyes, 'Not another one.'

The former Mar Sara Marshall had been having nightmares about Kerrigan for well over a week now, it wasn't a mission simply about keeping her safe, and it was a matter of life and death for everyone he had ever known.

Raynor's luck at finding volunteers was proving to be less then successful; most potential candidates were dropping out at the simple mention of leaving the entire Koprulu Sector for a desolate, unknown region.

The Void Sector.

The name alone sent away the young and idealistic, as well as the old and pragmatic. The one group that hadn't shied away from the opportunity was the Protoss, who had signed up for the trip in droves. The Protoss always had a strong, martial background, meaning warriors looking for a challenge were extraordinarily common, especially on the slums of Shakuras. Raynor almost had to stop asking for additional Protoss simply because they were becoming such a large force on the ship he was worried he would lose what little human support he had left.

Through Zeratul, he had earned a large degree of respect and rapport with the current members of the Hierarchy, giving him access to them as well as normally classified information. Most of it was redacted of course, but it was a gesture of good faith on their part. Most members didn't fully trust the idea of Kerrigan being so important to the Prophecy that Zeratul had seen, and shared with Raynor. Even Raynor still didn't completely believe it, seeing it for himself was just part of it. If Kerrigan was still alive, and he knew that she was somehow; she would be their only chance for salvation.

Raynor's own thoughts were interrupted from the communication tablet in his room, "Captain? It's Matt, sorry to disturb you, but you need to hear this."

"What is it Matt?"

"We received a message from the Kel-Morian Combine, they found a rather . . . suspicious message addressed to the Hyperion from an unknown source."

Raynor found his pulse quicken, "Did they get a location on where this was sent from?"

"Not a good one in galactic terms, but close enough. It bounced off an old Confederate Black Ops buoy on the edge of the Void."

"I'll be right up in a moment."

Raynor jumped out of his seat, grabbed his boot and a shirt along with an old pair of shorts and ran to the elevator. Raynor was mashing the button for the bridge, to the point it actually shorted out, making the old renegade grumble like a caged lion.

'I'm surprised we received a signal from the Kel-Morians over this, we don't usually see eye to eye on anything. What I want to know was if they read it, and spread whatever information they found inside.'

His brief mental thought was interrupted as the doors opened and he rushed onto the bridge, Matt over by the restricted communications terminal beckoned, "Captain, over here."

Raynor made his way over to his XO and spoke a single phrase, "Let's drop through the rabbit hole."

Matt smiled and nodded, "Adjutant, attempt to filter out any distortions or interruptions, begin transmission."

A mixed video/audio file began to play, showing Kerrigan in her infested form in what appeared to be a small ship, "I'm Alive Jim. -e Safe. Unknown medieval human w-d, Swarm is -re, safe too."

"Is that all Matt?"

"That is all of it, this proves within a reasonable doubt that Kerrigan is definitely alive and well, but what did she mean by the Swarm is safe too?"

"I don't know, but she wouldn't have reached out to me without a good reason, we should head back to Shakuras. I think it's time to give Zeratul and the Hierarch our proof."

A/N: With that Chapter 2 is concluded! Wanted to close a few plot holes with Elliot that some mentioned during the first season, hope it answered a few questions! Your first Ghost Ops Mission is coming NEXT! Stay tuned!