Another one
VII
The trail of cold steel slid across her back. It was good news, she thought. Her plan of hiding inside nearby debris was somewhat fruitful, and she wasn't crushed to death.
Presently, Nova felt warmth all over her body. The moment she regained consciousness, it was obvious these were pools of blood splattered across her tattered body. There was a sense of touch to the sides of her cheeks, however. A salty droplet rolled across the bridge of her nose, dropped from above. Unable to move, she focused energy on opening her eyes. Her wavering eyes made out a slender form, slumped beside her, arms outstretched to the side of her face. A wry smile crept onto her face, until she realised Kerrigan's expression wasn't that which she had expected.
"Sarah?" Her voice was hoarse and pained, and sounded foreign even to her.
Kerrigan did not answer. As Nova's eye sight slowly returned to normal, she could observe those emerald eyes stare with boundless fury. This was when she noticed Kerrigan's hands wrapping around her neck, stiffened and also shaking with every passing second. A sense of primal fear coursed through her, forming beads of sweat. Another glance revealed Kerrigan's coiling, punctured lips. An air of wanton and brutal savagery radiated from those quaking limbs.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't snap your neck right now."
Those words passed through scowling, trembling lips, and communicated such depth and intensity. Nova gulped inadvertently, knowing that were her response deemed unsatisfactory, she'll be killed, and not in the least merciful manner. Her pulverised body allow for no chance of retaliation, and Kerrigan was not someone who could be fooled.
"I'm sorry." Nova could not find better words. At this point, she fully expected to hear the cracks of the collarbones, and witness her beating heart ripped out of her chest as retribution. She knew she deserved it.
Kerrigan's trail of tears had gone dry. The kind of murderous aura she was projecting was a far cry from that during their friendly spar just moments prior. It was that of a stone-cold assassin, just as she was raised. "How could you deceive me like this?"
"I needed Narud to get to you, but it meant that we could not talk frank without him interfering." Nova was aware that an attempt to explain herself would have been far more effective had her plan actually worked. Nevertheless, there's nothing wrong with an old fashioned try. "I didn't mean for it to turn out this way."
These were the first answers Kerrigan received. Despite them being woefully inadequate, the atmosphere cooled down significantly as she pondered over the perspective. "But you did mean to betray my trust in the middle of battle."
"Yes." Nova did her best to sound apologetic, for apologetic she was.
As Kerrigan's grip loosened around her neck, she sighed in relief. Due to this, it came as a great surprise when she felt a fiery, destructive force hitting violently across the broad side of her face. It was so strong that her cheeks instantly became numb, her ears began to ring and her vision clouded. The vermillion pain spread swiftly across her nervous system, as the sting forced her to exhale and whine in suffering.
Presently, the shock passed away, and Nova coiled her body in ineffective defence. Kerrigan had little problems prying open the flailing arms, and pulled her up by the collar. At this point, Nova had just enough focus to notice Kerrigan's and her own eroded clothing, and how they wrapped around the bloodied bodies of the two women. It became apparent to her that Kerrigan suffered no less injuries from the debris than she, but here they were. In an instant Kerrigan moved forward, and Nova closed her eyes instinctively, preparing for another hit.
With great astonishment, she felt no immediate pain. In this bewildering moment, she felt her lips aggressively captured. No mind nor strength to resist, Nova gave into the swollen, blissful pinnacle of rapture. She could feel Kerrigan's breath hitting her skin in a rush of torturous mixed emotions. She, right then, was forced to reflect on her own brittle and unalterable mortality. Fierce, raging, yet hopeless passion boiled within their shared molten core, until ruthlessly pulled apart.
"From now on, we're doing this my way." Kerrigan let Nova go. She moved her arms as if to wipe off her lips, but decided against it. Instead, grabbing hold of what's left of her terribly unfit and ragged attire, she stood up straight. There were cuts and bruises all across her back and leg, suffered from the collapse.
"Sarah," Nova called out, regaining her thinking capacity; the sensation of the utter sublime and teary regrets has yet to leave her lips. "I'm sorry."
"I know." The murderous pressure had completely cleared up at this point. However, the air was still cold. It was unclear whether this was due to a self-defence mechanism, or Kerrigan finally taking matters seriously. "Where are we?"
"After Narud devoured Ouros, he underwent a transformation. I tried to kill him to no avail." Nova thought to herself as to how not to make the context out of place. "He then proceeded to eat us."
"I see." Kerrigan peered about. They were inside a broken Terran transport ship, as far as she could make out. The corpses of previous passengers had dissipated at this point, but there were still a great deal of equipment left. "What exactly was your plan? How exactly does killing Narud solve anything?"
"When Narud and I fused, our histories and personalities became one." Nova slowly climbed up to her feet as she spoke. "I was informed of everything he knew, and he did mine."
Kerrigan took a moment to process the fact that the fallen xel'naga held the memory of all the times she and Nova spent in private, and subsequently pushed that out of her mind. "Is what he said true then? Would it be fine if he were to be here to manage the void?"
"Yes. Due to this, he'll be stuck here until another xel'naga comes and replaces him." Nova accounted for the memories in her head. Most of them were foreign and wasteful, and she struggled for a brief moment. "If he were to leave, the destabilisation of the void will consume him as well."
"Then what was your plan?" Kerrigan asked, assessing the situation.
"Narud knew something Ouros neglected to tell you." This came as a surprise to Kerrigan. "If we could cut off the connection our galaxy has with the void itself, it matters not what happens here."
"Why would Ouros not tell me this?" The questions continued.
"He means to repeat the cycle." Nova finally got back on her feet. Her wounds have begun to close, though they were still a threat. "Ouros might be your ally, but he never shares your interest."
"So what are you suggesting?" Kerrigan determined that if at this point they were still relatively safe, it would mean that Narud was unaware of their conversation. The plating of this ship will be consumed soon enough, but they had time still.
"We escape, and destroy the portal," Nova responded. Kerrigan could swear her eyes lit up for a moment.
It was a sound and simple plan. The mechanics of universes may be above interference, but they should be able to do this much. The question was where to start. Doing anything would require a weapon, and there weren't a lot of those lying around. Nova had a fusion revolver and a plasma rifle coming in, but both had by then been lost in the exchange. They were now forced to scour about the ship for any helpful equipment. Standard issued marine rifles were a plenty, but it was questionable as to how effective they can be against an ancient monster thousands of times their size.
"Come."
The two of them went up to the front of the ship. Charred carcasses of old crew members could still be found here, at least before they were brushed off the seats.
"How much energy do you have?" Kerrigan began channelling in her reservoir, and found it wanting.
"Not much I don't think." The two of them sat in the pilot seats. "Do you have a plan?"
"We're flying out of here." Kerrigan tucked in the half-ripped seatbelt, signalling Nova to do the same. "The same way we came in."
"Can we really afford to do that?" Nova, beaten and shaken, was less than willing to take such chances. She was obliged to play along, however.
"No choice, no time. We're doing it now."
There needn't be any more words. The two, firmly glued to their seat, began to put forth the kind of psychic unison never before seen. They had no knowledge of how the beast's digestive system worked, or even if it was a digestive system at all.
The engine roared in psychedelic ecstasy at the whirling influx of energy. It blasted off at great haste, leaving behind any last remnants of inactions. Doubts still plagued the hearts, but none was enough to keep the spaceship from thrusting its rockets forward. It collided along the darkness the monster's insides, bits and pieces falling off the edges. The ship kept on still, with the pilot gradually getting used to the kind of layout that would belong to the neck of a giant serpent. The smoothness of the ride did not live long, for a heavy crash halted the vehicle.
"This is either the thing's front or back end, either way we can't just bust out of here." Kerrigan switched on the front lights. Utter darkness still reigned over them.
"If Narud hasn't noticed us before, he would definitely have now," Nova remarked. "I don't think we have the king of strength needed to fight our way out should he keeps resisting."
They had foreseen this hurdle from the beginning. Nothing had yet gone according to plan, and there was no reason to believe this one would. Nova turned to her side to find Kerrigan no longer there. The former Queen of Blades was standing at the opening of the ship, observing for floating debris piled up about. Kerrigan possessed traits of Zerg infestation no longer, but her eyes still shone fierce intent. Every glare expressed a great disdain for the world, sizing it up for complete destruction.
"Anna." Those words cut through the silent air. "I have a plan."
"To get us out of here?" Nova held an incredulous expression.
"More than that." Kerrigan returned to her seat. "I could still sense Ouros' presence."
"Are you sure it's not Narud tricking you?" Nova knew that everyone had been at the receiving end of a dire deal by the xel'naga at least once by now.
"The presence does not speak, merely exists." Kerrigan held her hands to her temples, concentrating on the incoming psychic waves. "Through it, I can sense the metaphysical relative. I know where we are."
"Inside Narud?" Nova found this even more confusing.
"Yes, but he has left the inner void." Kerrigan narrowed her eyes in the state of bad news. "Without his power, it will soon collapse."
"He's trying to escape into our sector!" Nova have finally caught on. The xel'naga's plan was of the path most direct. "If he destroy the portal, it will sever the connection with the void, allowing him to reign as the supreme being."
"And that's not going to happen." Kerrigan settled into the seat, not making a move.
"Does your plan have something to do with this?" Nova's anxiety was apparent.
"When he arrives at Mar Sara, his efforts to destroy the portal will be his downfall." Kerrigan's words slithered through her grinding teeth. "We can then make our eventual escape."
"How do you plan to proceed from there?" Already accepting the suggestion, Nova mirrored her co-pilot. "Narud would still be infinite more powerful than us, and I doubt he's going to let us get away easily."
"It's simple." The brevity signalled this to be the last statement. "I'll kill him."
Nova wiped her neck of sweat, teeth biting down her own lips.
