Chapter Nine: An Eye for an Eye

We missed our opportunity. There is no other way to say it.

We had Alpha Squadron, Raynor's Raiders, and the protoss in the field and we were fighting an enemy which was divided against itself. We should have devastated the zerg in that time. But for whatever reason, it didn't happen.

Our best and brightest, the Executor Tassadar, the Dark Prelate Zeratul, all of their efforts combined couldn't do much more than scratch the surface on the zerg defenses. What was worse was that we were aware that we were on a time table, which meant we were in a hurry to attack.

I've heard horror stories of entire divisions launching hopeless assaults, only to be wiped out. Vast siege tank bombardments were unleashed to no avail. Huge aerial dogfights occurred beneath fields of protoss and zerg dueling. Whenever we took ground, the zerg almost always took it back.

Hundreds of protoss and tens of thousands of terrans were killed in the fighting. The zerg probably lost a lot more than that. But I doubt it mattered to them as much as it did to us.

-Liberty's report, volume 2


The trauma of the Garm broods destruction had not waned. Though Daggoth had stopped the terrans and protoss from causing much damage to the hive clusters, the Garm Brood had caused massive destruction throughout the whole of the swarms dominions. Not that Kerrigan cared, all that mattered to her was tracking down Tassadar. Not to avenge Zasz, but to appease her own pride.

And what had she to be proud of? She had arisen to much fanfare among the Swarm and allowed Raynor to escape even as the Cerebrate had his life and the lives of his crew in his grasp. She convinced the Overmind to send the assembled hosts of the swarm to attack the protoss Tassadar for nothing, even though it left Zasz defenseless. The Cerebrate had in his darkest moments begun to suspect that she envied the position of the Overmind itself.

Kerrigan was the swarms enemy.

Worse still, she was all but useless to them. Because of her, the hive clusters were decimated and Char reduced to a shadow of its former glory. Because of her Zasz was dead. And what true value did she provide? An above average footsoldier.

The Cerebrate had slowly begun to gather his broods while she remained ignorant. He did not need her to destroy the protoss, he would not fall into the trap he did before. Ignorant of his designs she remained alone as he surrounded her hive clusters with his own. Daggoth saw what he was doing and said nothing.

Yes, he would do it! He would slay the foul abomination and put an end to this failed experiment!

And then the Overmind was among them again. The joy of feeling his presence was enough to shake the Cerebrate from his murderous thoughts. He prostrated his will before the Overmind, who loomed over them all in his full glory.

'Behold my long silence is now broken, and I am made whole once more. The cunning protoss have dared to strike down that which was made immortal. For the protoss who murdered Zasz are unlike anything we have faced before. These dark templar radiate energies that are much like my own, and it is by these energies that they have caused me harm.

Yet shall their overweening pride be their downfall. For when the assassin Zeratul murdered Zasz, his mind touched with mine, and all his secrets were made known to me. I have taken from his mind the secret location of Auir, the protoss homeworld.

At long last, my children, our searching is done. Soon we shall assault Aiur directly.'

The Cerebrate felt now ashamed that he had ever doubted the Overmind. His was not to question his glory, merely obey his infallible will. Yes, if Kerrigan served a purpose in his grand design, then that was all he need know. By the very act of taking injury the Overmind had assured their ultimate triumph.

Zasz had died for the greater evolution of the swarm. Kerrigan had had just the wit to play the Overmind's part and that was all she would need. She was still responsible, of course, her mistakes were her own, and the Cerebrate would pay her back in due time. Even now the Cerebrate perceived that the Overmind had found more than Auir, but also the location of the settlement from which the dark templar were operating.

Daggoth spoke: 'For now we must ensure that the dark templar can cause no more harm. Cerebrate, you shall set a trap for our foes. Kerrigan will lead them to you.'

Daggoth then showed him an image of two protoss settlements which had not been found before now. To assault them would surely draw the attention of the main protoss force. There they could be defeated in a decisive battle. Yet to do so they would first need to draw their attention.

'I understand.' said the Cerebrate.

He went then to Kerrigan who was busy constructing new hive clusters that were loyal only to her. Other Cerebrates would gladly trade one hive for another, or allow another creature to wield their power. Yet Kerrigan refused to part with even one of her creatures, and at the same time demanded the full strength of the swarm to aid her.

She was what the terrans called a spoiled child. Nothing more.

'Kerry,' he said 'we have orders to engage the protoss. Daggoth has found their primary settlements. If we launch an assault against them, and you challenge the protoss it will surely draw them out to face you.'

Kerrigan looked up. 'Does Daggoth presume to give me orders?'

'Yes.' said the Cerebrate.

There was silence as they looked at each other, just looked. The Cerebrate wondered what he had ever seen in her in the first place. At last Kerrigan looked away. 'Very well, we will do as you Daggoth suggested. I had intended to destroy the protoss myself anyway.

Yet we will do so in our own way. Those settlements have only three possible entrances. Send forth your swarms to establish a force in the passes. In this way none of the protoss may escape.

Once we have sealed them off, you will lay waste to their settlement.'

'What is this? A plan? An actual strategy beyond go here kill this? You are improving Kerry.' scoffed the Cerebrate. 'You do realize that defending all three entrances will be difficult to say the least.'

'I'm confident in your abilities.' said Kerrigan.

'Of course, you are.' said the Cerebrate.

The Cerebrate loaded his forces onto overlords and sent them forth as quietly and quickly as could be managed. At every moment he was afraid the protoss would catch on, but fortunately they had grown overconfident with their recent victories. He could feel their joy, and he realized that within their golden settlements they were celebrating.

These protoss had refused to evacuate. They had chosen to stand their ground and hold out where others had fled. There were three settlements, surrounding a lake of lava. One was on the eastern side and its defenses were sloppy to say the least. Only a few photon cannons guarded the defense, and the protoss there were resting. On the western side of the lake was a better guarded fortress and much larger. To the north was a village of sorts, without a nexus. It was still reliant on the other colonies, not self-sufficient.

He could sense their ease, their unguardedness. They had not yet received Tassadar's word that they had been grounded. They had scoffed at those who choose to evacuate and now they thought their decision to stay vindicated. Some even whispered that the end of the war was in sight. It was, but not in the fashion they imagined.

Day after day was spent arraying his forces so that he had great numbers of hydralisks hidden in the passes that led out. It would not stop an air evacuation, but it would be sufficient to halt a sudden exodus. Then he circled great flights of mutalisks in from the south and launched his assault.

The hammer fell first on the eastern village hard. The mutalisks surged over the cliffs, overrunning the meager photon cannons set to defend that area and then assailing the nexus directly. Dragoons scrambled to stop them, but the blades of his mutalisks tore through them even as they further weakened the nexus.

He could feel their panic! They had not been expecting an attack now, with the swarms gravely weakened. A time of celebration became a scene of horror as the swarms tore through protoss workers and warriors alike. He could feel their anguish, their suffering.

And yet he could not delight in it.

Some fire which had raged in him for many years was now gone. As he watched his mutalisks eradicate the defenders he realized that just as Zasz had been precious to him, a friend, a brother, so too did these protoss have loved ones. They were watching those loves ones be consumed before their eyes.

And it was not them alone. Across the many protoss settlements the Cerebrate could sense the swarm unleashing its fully fury. Daggoth had called broods from other zerg colonies to fill out the ranks and now the protoss were fighting a battle far sooner than they had expected! They were killing people!

The meaningless creatures who the Cerebrate had destroyed had never been people to him before. Just enemies to be destroyed, he had regarded them as they regarded him. Yet now with Zasz's memory on his mind he realized why they were fighting. Something clicked within his mind. Nationalism, pride, hope, love, passion, these things which before had been utterly meaningless to him now suddenly seemed to hold some value he had never understood.

And he was destroying it.

These thoughts and more flashed through his mind in mere moments as the last of the dragoons were destroyed. The Cerebrate drew back his mutalisks and sent them to destroy the nexus. Little by little, it succumbed to acid and blade and then exploded into a flurry of blue light.

The Cerebrate drew them back, leaving the survivors and giving them the chance to flee through their warp gate. He couldn't bring himself to do what he had.

Sensing around him, however, he sensed that the death of Zasz had had the opposite effect on his brothers and sisters. Consumed with hatred they attacked with reckless fury and utter disregard for their own casualties. Their only concern was to kill as many protoss as possible in vengeance for the death of Zasz.

All except Kerrigan. She cared nothing for the swarm or Zasz, only her own glory. He saw in a vision her walking through carnage wrought upon a protoss settlement, killing warriors. A force of dragoons fired at her, and she summoned a shield to bar their assault. Then with a motion, she summoned to her a great storm of psionic energy which tore through the dragoons.

'Once again, I grow tired of slaughtering your servants.' said Kerrigan, voice filled with hateful pride. 'Have the mighty Templar lost their infallible courage?'

'Well spoken, Concubine of the Zerg.' said a voice, Zeratul guessed the Cerebrate. 'But though we strike at you from the shadows, do not think we lack the courage to stand in the light. You would do well to abandon this attack.'

'You seem overconfident of your abilities, dark one.' boasted Kerrigan 'I am no helpless cerebrate to be assailed under cover of darkness! I am the Queen of Blades, and my stare alone would reduce you to ashes. You and your ilk cease to amuse me. Prepare yourself for oblivions embrace.'

And then a blade came from behind and nearly cut her head off. Kerrigan ducked back and summoned a psi blade to meet a green one. Zeratul was there and they were fighting, dodging and weaving with ruthless ease, neither able to gain an advantage over the other.

The Cerebrate turned his attention to other parts of the battle. He didn't really care who won so long as one of them died. He saw a vast horde of zerg, hydralisks, ultralisks, zerglings and all others rushing at an array of protoss defenses. Reaver scarabs were shot and killed many of them in a barrage that claimed thousands. Those that got through were met by a line of zealots who tore through them easily.

Still more zerg arrived from elsewhere and these too were eradicated by the zealots. Yet more and more came and soon the line began to falter. Then came the storms like those Kerrigan used, yet directed against the zerg. The protoss had unleashed their own power and it was burning many zerg to ashes.

The Cerebrate drew his attention to the passes. The dark ones were making a move to break out. He unleashed his hydralisks and the protoss were taken offguard, destroyed in volleys of spines. The Cerebrate watched, unable to take any delight from what was happening.

Yes, the protoss had killed his brother. Yet how many brothers had the swarm killed? And fathers mothers, and sons and daughters and nephews and nieces. They had carved a swath across the universe and for what? What was the grand mission which Zasz had spoken of? Which Kerrigan had been judged worthy of knowing, but not him?

'Reposition your overlords, Cerebrate.' said Daggoth 'They've fallen out of place.'

Retribution. That was what this was about. Vengeance for Zasz, who the protoss killed because of how many of their own kind were slain by the zerg. It all seemed so meaningless, all of a sudden. The Cerebrate repositioned his overlord, but he could hardly bear to continue.

'Cerebrate, your overlords are in place.' said Daggoth, voice holding a note of threat and anger. 'Be certain that they remain there!'

The Cerebrate supposed he ought to finish all this sooner rather than later. He summoned to him the full might of his mutalisks and sent them along the cliffs in a daze. Finding a collection of photon cannons he annihilated them, though protoss flyers arrived to duel with his mutalisks for a time before he destroyed those too.

At last the way was clear. The protoss tried the other passes and were repulsed each time. They were trapped and it was the Cerebrate's task to execute them. Thus he unleashed his mutalisks on them over the cliffs. He focused all his assault on the nexus, not bothering to conserve casualties. The initial wave was burned to pieces, and he sent another to finish the job.

It seemed the nexus was some kind of communications center for the protoss or something because after he destroyed it, the protoss seemed to panick. They lost cohesion. He had a brief vision of a number of dark templar faded away, but he didn't care enough to pursue them.

'Now, protoss, you will know my wrath!' cried Kerrigan in a voice which reached across Char. 'Now you will know the fury of the Queen of Blades!'

The battles with the protoss continued. Tassadar and Zeratul had survived the swarms vicious attacks, but almost two thirds of their forces were destroyed. Many protosss colonies were laid to waste, and what remained was shattered and leaderless, and many would likely be overwhelmed before any kind of resistance could be mounted.

The Cerebrate took no satisfaction from what had happened. And Daggoth sensed the fact.

'Cerebrate,' said Daggoth 'you allowed many protoss to live in your assault. Why?'

'They are like us.' said the Cerebrate 'Just as Zasz was important to me, many of the protoss are important to someone else. It is like slaying Zasz a thousand times over.'

'This… empathy must be put from your mind.' said Daggoth 'The protoss are our enemy. The swarm must not be held back by such emotions, lest our grand mission fail.'

'What is our mission?' asked the Cerebrate 'What does the Overmind seek?'

'If you are judged worthy of that knowledge the Overmind will tell you in time.' said Daggoth.

'Then why was Kerrigan told?' asked the Cerebrate.

'Kerrigan is… unique.' said Daggoth 'The Overmind raises each of its new creations in a different fashion, seeking to create the greatest strategists. I believe he wished to see what might happen if he revealed to a creature its full importance from the very beginning.'

'And what is my purpose?' asked the Cerebrate.

'I cannot tell you that.' said Daggoth 'Only the Overmind may.'

Then Kerrigan entered and the Cerebrate regarded her as she reached out to contact the Overmind directly. Most cerebrates had to go through Daggoth, and yet she was allowed a direct meeting at once. 'Great Overmind, our broods are even now mustering to assault the hated protoss on Auir, are they not?'

'Indeed my child. Our hour of victory is soon to be at hand.' said the Overmind, seeming very pleased with himself. 'And you shall be first in the assault. The protoss will soon know to fear you more than any other of my creations.'

'I understand your will, Great Overmind.' said Kerrigan 'However it is my desire to remain here and hunt the remaining protoss.'

What?!

'She has got to be kidding.' said the Cerebrate to Daggoth, feeling his inner terran taking control for a moment.

The Overmind did not seem angry. Yet neither did he seem quite so pleased as he had been before. 'Is your mind set in this?'

'The protoss here are still a threat.' said Kerrigan 'It would not due to leave Char unguarded.' Her posture then changed, and she genuinely looked sad. 'And also… it wouldn't be right to just let them get away after what they did to my brother Zasz.'

That was a lie. She was trying to deceive the Overmind itself to his face! Daggoth swelled with fury, and the Cerebrate sensed hatred. Yet the Overmind reached out with His will and calmed Daggoth.

'You may do as you desire.' said the Overmind.

That was it. It was the last straw. That part of the Cerebrate which was petty, vindictive, angry and altogether unzerg manifested within him. 'Go to hell.' said the Cerebrate.

He wasn't sure exactly who he was talking to, and murmurs came from the other cerebrates. Yet it became all too clear when Kerrigan looked to him incredulously. 'What?'

'Kerry…' He tried to find and easy way to say this. And he failed. 'I hate you. I despise you. I loath you. I didn't always, but what is there to like? You're selfish and think the whole universe should revolve around you. And anytime someone disagrees with you threaten to kill them.

You never liked Zasz. You hated him for refusing to treat you like you were something special long before you'd done anything to earn it. You rejoiced when you found out he was dead before what was left of his brood was even purged.

And now you're trying to lie to the Overmind. Do you really think he isn't aware of what you're doing? I don't pretend to know why he's doing this, but I know why you are.

The protoss are beaten. We've burned their settlements and we're about to burn their homeworld. But you aren't satisfied yet. You want more blood, more humiliation. It isn't enough for you to win, you have to kick the loser while they're down.

You want to stay on Char and hunt protoss? Fine. Go ahead. Be my guest. But I'm not staying here with you.'

Her expression darkened and she summoned to her her power. It was painful to stand in her presence, but he didn't care. 'Do not dare to cross me, cerebrate! You are mine, and I will command you to do as I-'

'I am the Overmind's!' roared the Cerebrate 'And I'm telling him that I will not work with you anymore.' He turned to the Overmind. 'Great Overmind, I cannot endure this task you have given me any longer. The chrysalis, for all its potential, was a failure. Her reckless idiocy allowed the terran Jim Raynor to escape. Her insatiable bloodlust caused the swarm to be shattered. And she does not care about any of it.

She has no regret for anything she has done.

I am sorry. However, if you force me to put up with this… monster any longer, then you can consider this my letter of resignation. Destroy me if you want, but I'm done serving her.'

There was a long moment of silence. Then the Overmind laughed. The sensation of it was strange, and the Cerebrate suddenly had the feeling that all had happened as he had planned. Yet why? And how?

'It shall be as you say.' said the Overmind 'You will take your sister's place in the front of the assault.'

'You can't do that!' cried Kerrigan.

And then the Overmind became angry. It was terrifying and magnificent to look upon, and Kerrigan had approximately ten seconds to realized how utterly she had fucked up.

'I AM EVOLUTION AND ADAPTATION! MUTATION AND INFESTATION! BEGINNING AND END!' proclaimed the Overmind and the swarms shook with his anger. Then his will was focused totally on Kerrigan, who was crushed to the floor, straining to breathe. 'In you I gifted the power of choice. To do as you desired. Yet not you alone were given this gift. As you were a terran imbued with the essence of the zerg, your brother was a cerebrate imbued with the essence of a terran. You were meant to work as one, to combine your powers for the betterment of the swarm.

Yet in your purity was pride born. I have born witness to the death of stars and seen all things past, present, and future and yet I have never beheld such reckless hubris. None were more favored in my eyes than you, and in none was a greater hope placed. Yet you despised your birthright and imagined yourself as ruler of the swarm.

You said in your heart, "I will become like the Overmind! I will ascend beyond my place, and place my throne above the swarm!"

Your brother is bound to me as intimately as any cerebrate. You should fear him, for his designs are mine made manifest. He is free to do as he desires.'

'As… as you command, great Overmind.' gasped Kerrigan.

Then the Overmind turned its attention to other matters, heeding Kerrigan no more than any other member of the swarm. Daggoth took its place and regarded Kerrigan with scarcely concealed contempt. 'You shall hunt down the remaining dark templar and see to it that they will not interfere in our assimilation of the protoss. Do not fail us again.'

Thus was the Queen of Blades humbled by the very weapon she sought to control. The Cerebrate took an immense satisfaction from the look on the bitch's face.


Authors Note:

So it is a long running question in Starcraft Lore: Why is it that Kerrigan was left behind on Char when she was the Overmind's secret weapon. Queen of Blades' explanation is that Kerrigan is so tricksy and awesome that she deceived a physical god who can read her every thought. This is really stupid, so I decided not to go with that.

Wings of Liberty's explanation is that Kerrigan is supposed to be a zerg leader untainted by Amon. But I've already established that the Overmind and Duran are working at cross purposes.

So what was left?

This was my answer.