A/N Just a short chapter today. Sorry. I hope this helps answer questions from last chapter.

I would like to thank Ragnarok666 for all the ideas for my story and help with all the starcraft lore that I am unfamiliar with. Please check out Ragnarok666's story Aftermath and Revelations. It continues on a after Wings of Liberty and is a great read for any starcraft fan.

Heart of the Swarm Chapter 9

Sarah waited patiently at the appointed coordinates. She had come alone as was discussed despite arguments from both Za'gara and Matt.

She thought back to their last ditch attempt to dissuade her from her decided course.

"Jim would never forgive me if I let something happen to you while he was unconscious." Matt was demanding she at least take a token force with her if not their whole battle group.

Sarah shook her head. "He's has to learn that it isn't his job to save me. Besides if I don't stick with the bargain the Protoss will just attack on sight anyway."

"Let them. We will annihilate them." Za'gara insisted as usual in direct action.

"No, Za'gara. We barely survived the last encounter. They were barely even a fist of the golden armada. If they were to bring their full night down on us it would be over in a matter of minutes. We cannot fight a war on two fronts. Amon is the enemy not the Protoss. I have shed enough Protoss blood to last me an eternity." She said the last part almost to herself. Za'gara would not understand her desire to stop the bloodshed.

"They just might attack anyway. You would have done the same once upon a time." Za'gara still didn't understand why she was trying to change her Queen's mind. If she fell to the Protoss then the Zerg would be hers and she would not have to feel guilty about it because she had been ordered to stay behind. Guilty? Za'gara fumed at herself. When did she ever start feeling guilty about anything?

"Just come back okay?" Matt gave up.

"Since when did you care?" Sarah asked amused.

Matt frowned at her. "Since I saw how different Jim is when he has you."

"Jim." Sarah said to herself as her mind returned to the present. "Forgive me."

"I'm surprised you came alone, Kerrigan." Zeratul materialized not far from her. Behind him a legion of Protoss came into view.

"I said I would." Sarah spread her arms and wings to show that she meant no hostility.

"Previous actions have veiled any promises you could ever make." Another Protoss came into view.

"Artanis." Kerrigan acknowledged. "They attacked me. I had no wish to draw Protoss blood."

"They were a splinter force. They went against command to hunt you though we could see the logic in their thinking. There are those among us who would rather take out chances than risk putting our faith in one such as you." Artanis did not mask his disgust for the creature in front of him.

"You need me." Sarah insisted. "I had no wish to draw Protoss blood."

"You mean more than what you have already drawn?" Artanis said sarcastically. "Our worlds burned at your command, by your will do our people face oblivion."

"I did not lead you to Zerus so you could take more Protoss lives." Zeratul hissed at her.

"I know I have committed unspeakable crimes against your people." Sarah did not come to argue in her defense.

"You would submit to our judgement then" Artanis asked incredulously.

"I would." Sarah told him. "After Amon is defeated and under one condition."

"Lies! No conditions. You would seek a loop hole to spare yourself from the flame. We should destroy her now." Artanis turned to his brethren. "We would avenge our people!"

The legion behind them yelled their approval. Blood demanded blood.

Zeratul though remained silent and it was to him that Sarah turned.

"The condition is not for me but for one whose life I hold above all else." Sarah hoped he would listen.

"Raynor." Zeratul whispered. He said it as a statement rather than as a question. "What would you have of us?"

"Control your people, keep them away. I will take the Zerg back from Aiur and you can reclaim the Protoss home world. Then I will go after Amon." Sarah presented her plan to them.

"The condition you spoke of?" Zeratul asked.

"That Jim not be told of our agreement. He is not to be harmed. I would not see him risk his life yet again in a foolish attempt to save me." She was determined that Jim not be a part of her end.

"She cannot be trusted. She would use your misguided feelings of brotherhood with the Terrans to mask her true agenda." For Artanis and many of his brethren there was only one course of action available here.

"Silence." Zeratul commanded as he thought through what Kerrigan was offering.

"You cannot be seriously thinking about bargaining with this viper." Artanis fumed.

Zeratul raised his hand to stop him from speaking. "You would submit to whatever judgement I would see fit, no matter how unfair or unjust you deem it to be as long as we keep Jim in the dark?" He chose his words very carefully.

Artanis' eyes gleamed at hearing Zeratul's words. They promised eternal torment to their most hated foe.

"Yes." Sarah was fighting back the tears. She was still proud, they would not see her break before her time came.

"Very well. Do not make me regret this decision. The prophecy says you may bring salvation to the galaxy but it does not say how. Maybe your death is a banner that our forces could rally and from that launch ourselves to defeat the fallen one." Zeratul wanted to leave her with no doubt of what would happen should she go back on her word.

Sarah stood silently and waited. Artanis and Zeratul nodded to one another and slowly the Protoss forces departed.

They left no evidence that they had even been there. Just like that they were gone until only Zeratul was left.

They stared at each other neither saying anything until at last Zeratul broke the silence. "He will never forgive you. Or himself."

Sarah was fighting with everything she had to not break. "He has to learn that some people are beyond salvation. You will keep him from doing anything foolish when the time comes?"

The dark Templar nodded his head before blinking away from her sight.

"Forgive me, Jim." She whispered to the empty air in front of her.

A/N sorry again for the really short chapter today maybe we should start a petition that I not be subjected to any surprise tests or inspections especially while writing a chapter You guys still like the story? Keep going?