"Friend Raynor, you now bear witness … to the truth. There is a malevolent presence within the Void that seeks to destroy everything we hold dear. Could this … Fallen One be a Xel'Naga? After so long … could the gods themselves seek our destruction? I still don't get how come the Fallen One is in league with the Dark Lord of the untouched planet and this had been kept a secret until now. And Kerrigan … I can hardly believe … the wretched Queen of Blades will prevent the destruction of all that we know. It is unbelievable that she will also possibly prevent the untouched planet from going into flames. Raynor, you may soon hold Kerrigan's fate in your hands and it is tied to the fate of the untouched planet. I know only that she must live. Be wary, old friend … the hounds of the Void … are on the hunt," Zeratul warned Raynor in the crystal showing images of hybrids, Kerrigan, and the Free Peoples of Middle-earth.

Back in reality; Dr. Hanson said, "Jim, something else from the crystal has been bothering you."

"Yeah, it's just an untouched primitive planet called Middle-earth and I've been there before."

"What was it like in Middle-earth?"

"Despite there was no technology there; it was a fantasy world with elves, dwarves, goblins, and trolls."

"Sounds interesting, what makes you upset about it?"

"Watching it burn."

In the Hyperion armory; Swann said, "Don't tell me you have been thinking about that girl again."

"Actually, if we can't save her, the untouched planet will fall."

"Untouched planet?"

"It is called Middle-earth where technology does not exist."

"Well, that … Middle-earth is sure a primitive planet. Those primitives won't stand a chance against Zerg, Protoss, along with men with Gauss guns and combat walkers. Perhaps they could use some help with technology."

In the Hyperion cantina; Tychus said, "I think it's a good time for you to take a drink."

Tosh started the conversation, "It looks like Tychus is not the only one hiding something, you have something you have been keeping a secret."

"I've kept Middle-earth a secret to protect it first from the Confederates and then from Kerrigan, Mengsk, and the Protoss."

"What do you know of Middle-earth?"

"It's outside the Koprulu sector and it's a fantasy world."

"Well, it seems that the secret would be no more."

"Even so, but it looks like … Kerrigan's the key to preventing … Armageddon and Middle-earth from falling into the hands of Dark Lord Sauron."

"Who knows how the wheel turns? Cycles upon cycles. This much I know … those that see the future best take heed. It's both a gift … and a curse."

"But is it cast in stone? That's what I need to know."

"Who knows? I've heard you say we are who we choose to be. If that be true, the future cannot be fixed."

On TV; "This is Donny Vermillion, live in UNN, as you know that the Dominion military are still protecting the core worlds."

"Donny, do you think that there are planets we have not been to?" the report Kate Lockwell asked.

"Possibly."

"So General Warfield, if there are planets we have not been to, do you think it will most likely to fall into the hands of the Zerg?" she asked Warfield.

"Other planets are not my concern; we are to make sure that the Zerg would never get into the Core Worlds," the general answered coldly.

"It looks like …"

"I'm sure that the Dominion military will keep us safe and sound. For UNN, I'm Donny Vermillion, thanks for watching," Vermillion cut her off.

In the Hyperion Bridge; Horner asked, "Sir, what else did you see in the vision of the future?"

"If Kerrigan's killed by us, Armageddon, it even affects Middle-earth an untouched planet I've been to. It's actually a fantasy world as the planet itself is underdeveloped."

"How is it possible? You didn't mention that you had been to that planet."

"The Free Peoples of Middle-earth don't even stand a chance against the hybrid. That's what Zeratul's been trying to tell us all along. She has to live or we're all doomed so are the Free Peoples. You can have a look at Devils and Dwarves," Raynor gave his lieutenant a copy of his story about his adventure in Middle-earth.

Dr. Emil Narud of the Moebius Foundation hired Raynor's Raiders to destroy the data cores in Tyrador when the Zerg attacked their research center. The Raiders and the Moebius security teams destroyed the data cores before Kerrigan got her hands on them so that the Moebius Foundation could evacuate. Raynor slept recalling Mengsk's betrayal on Kerrigan and woke up having Horner to counsel with him. Horner handed Raynor's marshal badge and reminded that the Raiders would need his leadership.

Tosh seemingly left the Hyperion with the intention of busting his fellow Spectres from New Folsom and Nova a Dominion assassin attempted to dissuade Raynor from raiding New Folsom. The Spectre leader argued that he and the Spectres would help them with the revolution against Mengsk whereas Nova would not. She counter argued that any Ghost that became a Spectre would go into a psychotic killing spree and offered the technology to train Ghosts. Raynor chose to help Tosh attacking New Folsom causing Nova to tip off the New Folsom Security that was also part of the Dominion. As a Spectre's role was an infiltrator, Tosh led the assault while Raynor deployed troops to aid him. With the help of the New Folsom inmates, Tosh and the Raiders forced the guards to retreat freeing the Spectres successfully. Despite Tosh was skeptical about the better tomorrow after Mengsk was dealt with, Raynor considered that the better tomorrow with freedom would come true. Eventually the Spectre leader could only recruit volunteers to become Spectres and there would be no brainwashing. Dr. Hanson found out that Nova was lying at the first and that the Spectres were not the monsters they were led to believe.

The Raiders arrived in Haven and the Protoss led by Executor Selendis go there first. Raynor attempted to handle the Protoss diplomatically; however the executor stated that the human colony should be purged as the colonists were infected with the Zerg virus. Selendis allowed Raynor to do her job, however Dr. Hanson suggested an alternative that she would find a cure for her people. Raynor chose to protect the colonists that would anger the Protoss so that Dr. Hanson could work on the cure. The Raiders destroyed the Purifier that was a Mothership used to destroy colony bases and stopped Protoss squadrons from attacking the defenseless colonists. Eventually the Raiders forced the Protoss to retreat after destroying the Purifier and Dr. Hanson left the Raiders.

The Raiders returned to Tarsonis, the former capital of the Confederacy, where the Dominion was salvaging old Confederate technologies. After discovering abandoned Confederate Diamondback hover tanks, the Raiders robbed seven armored trains and the last train had a Confederate Adjutant who refused to give Raynor any information after identifying him. Though the Raiders went to Dead Man's Port where they hired Colonel Orlan to decrypt the Adjutant, Orlan double-crossed the Raiders with the intention to sell the Adjutant to the Dominion and attempted to hire Mira's mercenaries to keep the Raiders at bay. The Raiders quickly salvaged scrap so that they could hire Mira's mercenaries with 6,000 minerals before Orlan did. The combined forces of Raiders and Mira's mercenaries forced the colonel to surrender the adjutant to Raynor. Orlan was spared and Raynor had Mira imprisoned him. The Confederate adjutant revealed to have recorded evidence that Mengsk was responsible for the Zerg invasion on Tarsonis and even had recorded, "I will not be stopped. Not by you, or the Confederates, or the Protoss or anyone! I will rule this sector or see it burnt to ashes around me." Raynor deployed Tychus to steal the Odin, a massive experimental siege mech, from Vahalla and used it to assist uploading the evidence from the Confederate adjutant into three UNN broadcast towers in Korhal causing riots and uprisings in every Dominion core world starting with Korhal. Mengsk later refused to speak to anyone after the scandal so that Raynor could celebrate briefly. Earlier during the mission, Tychus also found classified documents from destroying a science facility in Korhal. Raynor led a squad of troops to investigate and was shocked to find that Mengsk was hybridizing Zerg and Protoss. After escaping the monster, Raynor thought Mengsk had a partial role in the end of all things. However Horner stated that someone else was helping the Dominion with such project beyond Terran capabilities.

The Moebius Foundation reworked the locations of the artifact's remaining pieces. After getting the fourth piece in Typhon from the Tal'darim before being engulfed by the fire wave, a fleet of Dominion ships arrived to the rendezvous location where the Raiders were supposed to meet with the Moebius Foundation. Raynor and Tychus boarded Mengsk's flagship taking out the guards, however the rebel commander was surprised to find Mengsk's son Valerian on board instead. The prince revealed to be the owner of the Moebius Foundation and offered him the opportunity to rescue Sarah Kerrigan. Valerian reasoned that the artifacts the Raiders were gathering could create a Xel'Naga device, which could de-infest Kerrigan and formed an alliance with Raynor. The Raiders resented such alliance as the rebel organization consisted of individuals who lost friends and family to the Dominion. Valerian gave the location of the artifact's final piece in Sigma Quadrant and new Minotaur-class battlecruisers to destroy the Tal'darim Mothership killing the Tal'darim executor. With the help of the Dark Templar prisoners liberated, the vault was destroyed allowing the humans to leave with the artifact. After Raynor and Tychus had a bar fight in the cantina, the rebel commander told his men that the alliance temporarily and if the Zerg wiped everyone out the revolution would be nothing.

The Raiders and half of the Dominion fleet Valerian took invaded the Zerg home world of Char, however it started badly. Raynor and his men gathered Dominion survivors to establish a foothold. After Warfield's ship crash landed, the men managed to rescue him despite a Hydralisk injured him. Tychus was troubled with the Nydus worms whereas Warfield was concerned with Zerg flyers nesting in a platform in low orbit. Raynor chose to sabotage the underground tunnels bringing Tychus, Swann, and Stetman for the operation. They rescued Dominion squads to aid using Seismic charges to flood the tunnels with lava preventing the Zerg from using Nydus worms and killed a Zerg queen during the process. Warfield with a cybernetic arm returned to the surface bringing the Xel'Naga artifact that was later brought to the outskirts near the primary hive cluster. The humans used the artifact's discharge "Nova" to kill many Zerg attacking the humans' encampment from all fronts. Though the Queen of Blades personally attacked the men, they drove her back and killed the powerful Zerg flyer until the artifact was in full power. The Xel'Naga device killed billions of Zerg, obliterated the hive clusters, and successfully de-infested Sarah Kerrigan.

Raynor, Tychus, and a squad of marines entered the primary hive finding Kerrigan was human without clothing. Despite she was human; she still had the Zerg dreadlocks in the place of her hair. "Sarah," Raynor approached her.

"You're reading all this?" Tychus asked his contact.

"You have your orders, Mr. Findlay. Carry them out," it was Mengsk.

"Tychus, what have you done?" Raynor asked realizing his friend was aiming his Gauss rifle at the woman he loved.

"I made a deal with devil, Jimmy. She dies, I go free," Tychus revealed his secret deal as it was Mengsk who let him out of prison.

"Do you want to know what happened to Andriel?" Raynor asked.

"Andriel? Oh, I remember, that elf maid in Rivendell. What about her?" said Tychus as he had not forgotten about his elf love interest.

"She was slain by Azog the Defiler also known as the pale orc and you'll be joining her soon," Raynor unbuckled his revolver.

"Damn shame," Tychus prepared to pull the trigger. He released a bullet that left a dent on Raynor's suit of armor and was brained by Raynor using the revolver's bullet intended for Mengsk. Tychus and Andriel reunited in the afterlife.

"Jim," Kerrigan said weakly.

"It's okay, I got cha," Raynor carried her out into what was left of the battlefield.

Sometime later, Valerian and the Raiders took Sarah to Umoja. "Open the door, son," said Raynor.

"Valerian's orders, sir, no visit-" an Umojan marine refused in the orders of the prince.

"Open the door," the Umojan marine let Raynor through.

"Good morning, commander," said Valerian.

"Junior."

"Gentlemen, the test protocol will begin in two minutes," said the Adjutant. Kerrigan was placed in a containment cell wearing the Ghost's hostile environment suit.

"Make the most of this test, it's your last one … Now give us a minute," Raynor went to talk to his loved one.

"Very well," said Valerian.

"We're getting out of here, darling," Raynor said to Kerrigan.

"Good, then we can go after Mengsk," she hated Mengsk as much as Raynor did.

"Forget Mengsk, forget all of it! This is about you and me. The Free Peoples of Middle-earth will need us in their upcoming war against Sauron who is preparing fresh armies," said Raynor.

"Until Mengsk is dead, there can't be a 'you and me'. What do the … Free Peoples of Middle-earth have to do with us?"

"I moved heaven and earth to bring you back, Sarah! I can't watch you throw that away just for revenge!"

"Initiating test phase two," the Adjutant announced.

"I never gave up on you, Sarah! Don't you give up on us!" Raynor shouted before being shut off.

"Test phase two, commencing," said the Adjutant.

Valerian checked how much Zerg mutagen was left in Kerrigan and she wrecked part of the place with Zerglings without any casualties caused on the humans. Raynor had no regrets of bringing her back and killing Tychus to save her life. Nova led the Dominion force attacked the facility and Kerrigan slew the assassins attempted to kill her. Raynor and Kerrigan made an effective partnership like during their period with the Sons of Korhal. However the Archangel mech separated Kerrigan and Raynor who was presumed killed by Nova. The enraged Kerrigan strangled Valerian briefly and left all by herself to find the man she loved when the Raiders fleet escaped the Dominion fleet. With the assistance of Brood Mother Naktul, Kerrigan led the Zerglings and Swarm Queens to destroy the Drakken Cannon. Though Kerrigan was saddened to learn about the "death" of Raynor, she went to a Leviathan that was the powerful Zerg flyer similar to the one the men killed when defending the Xel'Naga artifact. Inside the Leviathan, there was Izsha who served as an advisor and Abathur the evolution master.

Kerrigan went to Kaldir where Brood Mother Nafash took part of the Swarm. Reclaiming the brood with Roaches and Hydralisks was easy as Nafash was dead; the Protoss expedition was responsible for the Brood Mother's death. Kerrigan's minions captured a female Protoss scientist, Lasarra, who was later implanted with a larva allowing her to be warped into a Protoss ship. The larva grew into a Brood Mother Niadra who led her Zerg offspring to eliminate the Protoss onboard and infested the ship.

When Kerrigan and her minions left Kaldir, Zeratul boarded the Leviathan and had a brief fight with her. He told her about the Zerg birth world of Zerus and gave her images of Zerus psionically. She decided to head to Zerus and the Dark Templar Prelate accompanied her there. Kerrigan was skeptical about the prophecy and cared just about her vengeance on Mengsk. Zeratul first told her to wake the Ancient One and left her on the mission. Brakk led a Zerg pack to stop her from waking the Ancient and was slain by her. Abathur provided her access to Mutalisk flyers to provide air support from enemy flyers. After the Ancient One woke up, he said that the Swarm had a mark of Amon, the fallen Xel'Naga. She learned that Amon desired Zerg's strength and ability to steal essence. The fallen Xel'Naga had bound the Zerg to a single overriding will becoming his slaves connecting them with a hive mind. The Zerg in Zerus were in fact independent and pure to become primals. The Ancient One told her to go to the first spawning pool where the first Zerg came into being and Kerrigan encased herself into a chrysalis. Abathur gave her Swarm Hosts siege units to help defending the chrysalis along with her existing minions. After Kerrigan became the new and powerful primal Queen of Blades, Dehaka who was a humanoid primal Zerg and his pack joined the Swarm. His pack assisted her in killing three pack leaders and the Ancient One so that she could assimilated their essences.

The Swarm returned to Char to reclaim Zagara's brood, however the Brood Mother was alive and would not surrender her brood without a fight. The primal Queen of Blades gathered a hundred eggs that hatched into Zerglings and Banelings before Zagara did. Kerrigan's Swarm overwhelmed Zagara's brood causing the Brood Mother to change her mind and joined the Swarm. General Warfield and the Dominion remained to purge the Zerg out of Char. Zagara spoke of the Bone Trench that was the only way to reach Warfield's fortress in the Dauntless Plateau and her brood attempted to go through there but the man-made Gorgon battlecruisers crushed them. Kerrigan discovered Scourge nests and used Creep Tumors to wake the Scourges so that the suicide flyers could destroy the powerful ships easily. With all of the Gorgon battlecruisers destroyed, Warfield ordered his troops to retreat. The Swarm pursued the men to the Dauntless Plateau where the men attempted to nuke the Swarm and the first attack wave was killed by the powerful weapons. After Zagara gave the Swarm Aberrations, the Swarm overwhelmed the men destroying the fortress leaving the general to be impaled by a beam. Warfield condemned Kerrigan for throwing humanity away for revenge that Raynor would be disgusted with and ordered her to let go of the shuttles packed with injured men. She angrily finished the general off and spared the men in the shuttles allowing them to leave Char. Kerrigan received a two-way communicator and Arcturus confronted her revealing Raynor was alive.

An infested Terran contacted the Zerg Swarm about the Protoss-Zerg hybrids Mengsk was breeding in Skygeirr station. The Zerg Swarm traveled there and the infested Terran turned out to be Alexei Stukov who was Kerrigan's former enemy. With Infestors and infested Terrans, the Swarm broke into the laboratory where the Protoss-based hybrids were released to drain her psionically. Unknown to Raynor, Narud was in fact a shape shifter who served Amon and was the one responsible for the project of hybridizing Zerg and Protoss. Narud challenged Kerrigan to null zone and Stukov had to deactivate five Xel'Naga temples. However, the shape shifter had the remaining Tal'darim to stop the Swarm. After she defeated the shape shifter, she pursued him.

"Face me, Narud! It's over," said Kerrigan.

"It is only the beginning. Amon whispered of this from the stars. He told you of his return … He told you of ruin, extinction. The end of all things. He also told the Dark Lord Sauron of Middle-earth of your presence."

"Your god is dead and he's never coming back! Sauron doesn't exist."

"Is that what you think?" said Narud in Raynor's body.

"No."

"Sarah," Narud's eyes glowed red and he sent a Xel'Naga-made object from the ceiling tumbling on her.

Kerrigan destroyed it and muttered, "No. You're not him." She sent him flying and a Nydus worm attempted to engulf him. Narud destroyed it with psionic energy and she landed onto him. "You are not Jim! You are nothing!"

Narud changed from Raynor to an armored figured she had not seen before. "You fool!" Narud said in a voice unfamiliar to her and sent her flying with psionic energy. He gave her uppercut on her chest with his mace and she crashed onto a wall, "Amon and Sauron are in league, they will rule this sector together." Narud in the body of the armored figured walked towards her.

"Whoever Sauron is, it will never happen," she stabbed the armored with her wings and they penetrated the eye openings of the helmet.

"You've already lost, Amon lives, you will see him soon. You will later meet the demise at the hands of Dark Lord Sauron of Middle-earth," Narud said his last words before he passed away and Kerrigan remained unconscious.

Her minions took her back to the Leviathan for healing and Stukov remained with the Swarm as she offered him a place later.

The Zerg Swarm caught up to the Hyperion and Kerrigan got the Raiders to locate Raynor. Horner knew that Orlan could hack into the Dominion space but the colonel was held captive by Mira. Though Horner and Valerian attempted to negotiate with her, she refused to turn Orlan to anybody other than Raynor. The Raiders launched an assault against Mira's Marauders and forced her to give Orlan to them. After Valerian threated the colonel that they will send him back to Mira, Orlan hacked into the Dominion space and located Raynor in the prison ship Moros. Though Horner offered to send Tosh, Kerrigan decided to lead the Swarm to break Raynor out.

"Sarah," Raynor muttered after the cell was opened. "No," he was shocked to see her infested again.

"I had to get you out."

"What have you done?"

"What I had to."

"Tell that to Fenix! Tell it to the millions you butchered! I won't let you near Middle-earth and my friends there!"

"You swore you'd kill the Queen of Blades," she held Raynor's revolver so it could point at her head. "You were the only one who ever believed in me. Do you still believe in me?" He angrily fired all six rounds at the wall, "I love you, Jim. Never forget it and I'm not a threat to Middle-earth."

"We're done," Raynor left and was at the med bay of the Hyperion refusing to talk to anybody.

Kerrigan had the Swarm invading Korhal to dispose of Mengsk, however the invasion started badly. The Dominion's Drakken defense system destroyed thousands of Zerg sacs and Kerrigan had her minions defended the Bile Launchers that could destroy the Drakken defense system. She also destroyed three gates allowing Zagara's brood to storm Augustgrad. Mengsk then deployed the Psi Destroyer that emitted a field that could kill any Zerg within its radius. Dehaka's primal Zerg pack gave the Swarm an advantage as the primal Zerg were not affected by the Psi Destroyer's field. After the Psi Destroyer was destroyed, Valerian requested Kerrigan to slow her invasion to buy time to evacuate civilians. Raynor heard the conversation and realized that Kerrigan was not the Queen of Blades he remembered. As Kerrigan launched the assault on Mengsk's palace, Raynor took a number of his men to help her out. She cleared three entrenched positions so that Zagara's brood, the infested Terrans, and Dehaka's primal Zerg pack could also provide support. The Swarm repelled two special squadrons and the Odin that Mengsk sent at the Raiders. Eventually she broke into Mengsk's palace and confronted him one last time. Mengsk tortured her with the Xel'Naga device until Raynor intervened and she infused psionic energy into the emperor causing an explosion killing him. Kerrigan thanked Raynor for the assistance and he stated that it was a pleasure. She left with her Swarm to confront Amon the fallen Xel'Naga.

Author's Note

Narud had took the form of Sauron when confronting Kerrigan in Skygeirr.

The sequel StarCraft: War of the Ring is released.