Bridge, Hyperion
"…We let her go after that. Not that we'd be able to stop her, but I'm sure you understand I'd rather have the two of us part peacefully."
Jim Raynor was sweating bullets. Trying to explain how he escaped the Dominion with help from the Zerg was difficult regardless of whom he was talking to. Trying to explain it to Hierarch Artanis, the de facto leader of the Protoss Protectorate, even more so. However, he promised Kerrigan he'd try to talk them down and he wasn't going to disappoint her. Of course, having a good reason still didn't make talking to the Protoss Hierarch about this any easier. Artanis may be his friend, but the rebel commander wouldn't be surprised if he cut their com-link and ordered his fleets to hunt down and quarantine the Hyperion, just in case they picked up any unwanted 'hitch-hikers'. While the Hierarch's was extremely happy to hear that the Raiders were still alive, his good mood swiftly faded when he heard how Raynor managed to pull it off. Even more so when the Commander told him about Zeratul and the hybrids found on Char. The commander had no idea what exactly was going through his mind. It was always annoyingly difficult to tell what Protoss were thinking when they kept their proverbial mouth shut.
"In other words, Kerrigan is gonna camp on the ass-end of nowhere and is willing to play live-and-let-live with your people. She won't attack you unless you attack her or her Zerg first. So, I'm kindly asking you to hold off your fleet. We'll need her help when the hybrids show up. We can't afford to have you two at each other's throats."
Artanis simply stared at him. As far as Raynor could tell, the Protoss was rarely left speechless. If the situation was different, Matt might have said something about marking the calendar. Now, however, the captain stood by Raynor's side as if he was afraid the Hierarch would leap out of the screen and tried to strangle them. Finally, Artanis broke the silence.
"Commander Raynor, you have always struck me as a wise man. What do you believe my response would be?"
"Something along the line of 'Have you gone mad?' and 'Stop telling me how to do my job!'"
The Protoss let out a slight chuckle. Finally, thought Raynor, some emotion out of him. "Why you humans insist on making jokes, even in the face of oblivion, is beyond me. However, I fear you are correct. We already heard of the Queen of Blades' escape…"
"Look Artanis, sorry for interrupting, but the Queen of Blades is gone. The artifact killed her. Justice has been served. You're fixin' to hunt down a young woman who has just as guilty of your people's suffering as I am. Even if you can't forgive her, at least try to understand that we're all screwed if she dies." The Protoss was taken aback by the sheer ferocity of the commander's retort. To talk like that to one of the most powerful people in the sector took a lot of courage, especially when you are telling him to spare the worst mass murderess in history.
"I…understand. Far better men than I have trusted your judgment and I would be a fool to ignore it now. However, your history with the Qu…Kerrigan is known to us. I am willing to believe you, but the other tribal leaders may not, in spite of your service to our people. Therefore, I must ask: do you still care for her? If the worst comes to pass, would you be able to take her life to preserve the sector, in spite of your feelings?"
Artanis made a very good point. Jim promised Kerrigan he'd put her out of her misery if she turned into the Queen of Blades again, but whether he'd actually be able to do it is another matter. However, this was politics. Politics isn't about reality, it's about making your opponent think what you want him to think. "If she goes crazy on us again, I will make sure she dies, even if I have to put a bullet through her skull myself. I would do this because of what I feel for her, not in spite of it. The Kerrigan I know, the one I care for, would rather die than live on as an abomination."
The Hierarch shook his head. "I am as much a politician these days as I am a warrior, commander. Knowing when someone is sincere is important, and I am no stranger to Terran mannerisms. I can tell that you want to convince me while you are uncertain yourself. You wish to believe that the Kerrigan you knew has returned, but you know as well as I that you cannot assume this is so without further proof. The Zerg taint all they touch, and I fear that it will consume her in time, even if the Makers' artifact slew the Queen of Blades as you think it did. However, I have been visited by Zeratul a short while ago, who said many of the same things you are saying now. The discovery of those…hybrids seems to confirm his tale, at least partially. If they are as powerful as they appear, then there is a strong pragmatic reason to allow Kerrigan and her broods to exist."
This went better than expected, Raynor thought. "So you'll talk to your people, then? Get your fleets to back off?"
The Hierarch lowered his head. "I fear I cannot do that…"
"Whadaya mean you can't do that?! You're the Hierarch, aren't you?"
"You overestimate my position, James Raynor. I am merely a referee, not an emperor. My power is far more limited than my title would lead one to believe. The Hierarchy is fragile as it is. Many of my people will not be able to leave Kerrigan be, regardless of my orders or the validity of my reasons. Someone will come after her, regardless of my wishes. I can, however, give them another purpose. Redirect their wrath towards another target. Will Kerrigan visit Aiur on her travels away from here?"
"I told her to stay away from your homeworld. I think she understands that going anywhere near it wouldn't be a good idea, even if her only purpose is to recover the broods there and tell them to leave. I could change her mind, if you want to…"
"No. Your offer is appreciated, but retaking Aiur is our responsibility. I will order my people to prepare to reclaim it. Many of the tribal leaders have been lobbying for the forces required and without the Queen of Blades, the swarms will be rudderless. An easy prey for the Golden Armada. While I fear it is inevitable that some splinter groups will attempt hunt Kerrigan down, I believe I can keep the majority of my people away from her. The reclamation of our homeworld will help hold the protectorate together, especially if the hybrid threat turns out to be real."
"If? If?! Zeratul's testimony and the contents of the lab should be more than enough. What else could you possibly need? Are you gonna wait till they knock down your door?" This level of inaction seemed eerily familiar to Raynor.
"I am afraid that some members of the Hierarchy will remain in denial, regardless of what I tell them. Zeratul has already departed, whereto I cannot say. It is our nature, I fear, to close our eyes and pretend outsiders are no threat to us. That manner of arrogance was not limited to the Conclave, unfortunately. By slowly mobilizing our forces, I hope that we will be ready if the threat is as dire and acute as you think. I will attempt to keep the knowledge of Kerrigan and her vulnerability from the others. In return, I would like a few of the hybrids you recovered for study, so that we may know our enemy before they strikes us."
"Sure, no problem. We have more than enough for our own research anyway. Just one more favor: Please make sure humanity doesn't end up being blamed for creating these things. We don't have the technology to make them on our own. Someone else is helping the Dominion, but I don't know whom. Mengsk has done enough to his people, I'd hate to see them suffer even more because of him."
"You have my word, Commander Raynor. I will send a ship to rendezvous with yours. If you would excuse me, I must prepare to bring this matter to the Hierarchy."
The monitor faded back into static before powering down. Captain Horner, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, finally spoke up. "Do you really think it was a good idea to tell them about Kerrigan, sir? For all we know, we could have just pointed them into her direction. I mean, Artanis is one of the good guys, but I don't think the others will be as understanding."
"I agree, Matt, but they would have found out about it sooner or later anyway. Better they hear it from us."
"Still, if they turn on her in force…"
"Then she'll have to fight them alone. The few battlecruisers we managed to recover aren't going to hold up against a full scale assault. But she's smart. I'm not worried about her being killed by the Protoss, I am more worried about the Protoss being slaughtered by her. Anyway, have you traced those messages yet?"
"Why, I'd thought you'd never ask…"
Aurigan Enclave, Shakuras
Admiral Urun was at a loss. He just returned from an meeting called by Hierarch Artanis himself. Judging by the recent news of the Queen of Blades' escape, the admiral thought they were going to discuss how to hunt her down. After all, she was, without question, the greatest threat to the Protoss Protectorate in existence. If she would be allowed to regain her strength, the damage could be enormous. However, instead of ordering the hunt, Artanis ordered them to start preparing for the reclamation of Aiur.
Under most circumstances, the admiral would have been overjoyed. He had been trying to get the other members of the Hierarchy to lend him the forces needed for such an undertaking, but they have always labeled it as too dangerous. With the Queen of Blades apparently weakened, now was the perfect opportunity to take the planet back. After all, the Zerg there were essentially leaderless. Without a central intelligence to guide them, individual hives would not be able to coordinate an effective defense. In such a state, they'd have no chance against the might and discipline of the Protoss military. Of course, the homeworld also contained invaluable technology and cultural artifacts. For the weapon-smiths of the Furinax tribe and the scholars of the Shelak tribe, the invasion could not begin soon enough.
However, Urun had other concerns. The Queen of Blades wasn't dead, she was still out there. Reclaiming Aiur would be pointless if the Zerg would swoop in from another direction and devour them all. The admiral knew full well that the loss of the broods on Aiur would only be a delay. So he spoke out, asking if the Hierarch had forgotten the fact that a victory on the homeworld would change little in the long run. He wanted to know what their leader would do when Kerrigan showed her face again. Artanis' response was probably the most insane thing he had ever heard. According to him, Kerrigan and the being known as Queen of Blades were two separate individuals. The Queen of Blades perished on Char, and with her, any threat an united Zerg Swarm would face. When asked what proof he had of this, he claimed to have the word of James Raynor. The Terran had met the 'new' Kerrigan and, according to Artanis, was certain that she was her old, noble self again. The Hierarch even showed a small part of their conversation, where the commander lashed out against him for claiming Kerrigan and the Queen of Blades were the same. It was, undeniably, a powerful piece of evidence. For many of the tribal leaders, it might have been enough, given the incredible amount of weight that Raynor's word had to them. However, the Hierarchy was, as ever, divided on which path to take. Some, including Urun, believed that justice would never be served until the Queen's head was lashed to the sanctum's walls. Others wanted to take a more cautious approach. The sanctum quickly filled with the telepathic voices of arguing Protoss until the Hierarch finally silenced the crowd. He ordered that everyone would retreat to their enclaves to study the new evidence and that they would vote on the matter a few moonrises from now. Until the matter was decided, the fleet would not leave Protoss territory.
Urun was a warrior, impetuous and impatient. The Hierarch tarried too long for his liking. Someone needed to act, and act soon, or their window of opportunity would close on them. However, he didn't know what to do.
"Admiral, you seem troubled?" His second-in-command, a wise high templar of near legendary psionic might, approached him. He was an excellent soldier, as well as a marvelous speaker, and had risen through the ranks of the Auriga Tribe rapidly in the past year. Many wondered if he would not be a better tribal leader than Urun would, but the templar always turned down the offer, claiming that something personal in his past made him unworthy of such an honor.
"The Hierarchy is as it always has been: fractious and inefficient. I am beginning to see the wisdom in leaving Shakuras like Nahaan of the Ara tribe. This politicking is taking a greater toll on me than any foe ever has."
"Indeed. Perhaps the time has come to take matters into our own hands, as mighty Tassadar once did."
"You ask me to hunt the Queen of Blades without the Hierarchy's consent. Such would be treason! The political ramifications would be extreme. If we decide to act on our own accord, how can we prevent others from doing the same thing?" Urun may not like the current political system, but if there was one thing he understood as a soldier is that you never disobey an order. In spite of its faults, the Protectorate was infinitely better than anarchy would be. Tassadar only turned on the Conclave because he was certain that his cause was just. The admiral was not so sure.
"Perhaps, but your success could also unite them. Even if it cannot, I am confident that the Protoss will outlive a state of anarchy, as we outlived the Aeon of Strife. I do not think we can outlive a resurgent Swarm. The Queen of Blades must be dealt with, once and for all, regardless of the color of her hide."
The admiral remained quiet, contemplating his next action. While following his majordomo's advice could cost him his honor, his status, and possibly his people's unity, the Zerg were indeed a greater threat. "I fear I have little choice. Adun preserve us… Assemble our fleet. We will find and destroy their wretched kind or die trying!"
"I have already sent our forces to the borders, admiral, as well as tracked down the locations of several major hives. The Fleet awaits your orders."
"Well done, templar. It appears you knew my decision before I did."
"To be one step ahead of you is my duty, admiral." The templar calmly replied.
"Indeed it is. Order the fleet to split up and hunt down the known Zerg hives. I want you to go ahead and direct our warriors. I shall remain here and bear the inevitable political fallout."
"As you wish, admiral. I will not fail."
"I am confident that you will not, High Templar Karass. En Taro Tassadar!"
A/N Two things: Yes, I know what happened at the end of the 'Whispers of Doom' mission (I've played through the game about 4 times already) and yes, you're reading that right.