Valerian
"This is madness," said Valerian, looking up at the newly patched ship he was to fly into Port Hanshan. He rounded on Liara, who stood behind him, arms and back appendages folded. "And this is hypocrisy. Can't you see it? How does this differ from your account of Eden Prime?"
"You will be freed at its conclusion," replied Liara, eyes narrowing. Faint orange light shone from them, and the air began to smell of heated metal. "And I told you once already … never compare me to him. You will descend. You will spin fabrications. You will explore. And then, once this mystery is solved, you will be freed. I promise this to you."
"Foolish." Abathur emerged from a far wall with a horrid squelch, his appendages scrabbling against the flesh as he pulled himself through. "Heart humming with fear." Abathur slid across the scaly floor, a thin trail of mucus in his wake. "Mind racing with plots." He grew closer, making Valerian step back as their eyes met. "Treachery flowing in blood. Good only for experiments. Fodder. Should dissect. Uncover secrets of psi emitter technology." Abathur towered over Valerian, appendages pressed together as if they were palms. "Queen need only step aside."
"I am not Sovereign … and I do not aim to be worse than Sovereign." Liara stepped between the two of them. "You test my patience, Abathur. You said yourself that the emissions below reminded you of Daggoth. Reminded you of the Overmind. This could be the breakthrough we need to recreate the Swarm as it was … to make us capable of challenging the Reapers."
"Taking planet below would allow for Reaper challenge." Abathur remained still, but his voice only grew deeper as he bowed his head in Liara's direction, bringing his face closer and closer to hers. "Taking galaxy, Overmind's intent. Correct intent. If serious, take planet below. Revisit Thessia. Seek hunter killer and torrasque strains. Without superior strains, without many worlds, Swarm doomed to extinction at hands of Reapers. If unwilling, allying with Reapers only prudent alternative."
"That is not an option." Liara brought her nose less than an inch away from Abathur's face while Valerian looked on, desperately happy at Liara's refusal even as he lamented every moment he spent aboard the leviathan. "This is the last time I will tell you. If you insist on betraying everything I've ever stood for, both before and after my … transfiguration … I will put you separate. Apart from the Swarm. How would you like that?"
Abathur recoiled, pulling away from Liara at a speed Valerian did not think him capable of, a thick film of viscous fluid left in his wake. "Hate. Left worse than beast. Unthinking."
"That is what you would experience under the Reapers as well." Liara shook her head. "Trust me, Abathur. I know what we stand against. They will not tolerate the Swarm, and I will tolerate no further protests from you. Get out."
"Respect Queen's wishes … but still question judgment." Abathur paused for a moment. A hole opened up beneath him and he sank into it, his eyes the last thing to disappear. When he had disappeared entirely, Valerian heaved a heavy sigh and scratched the back of his neck. It's been itching like crazy lately.
"You have a hard task ahead of you, Valerian Mengsk," said Liara, still staring at the swiftly mending patch of floor through which Abathur had vanished. "We have patched up your clothes as best we can … and this shuttle should take you there and back easily enough." She turned to look at the craft, so freshly acquired from Tarsonis. "Your father's work … a civilian ship. Some of the skeletons we found inside it … they were quite small."
"And yet the zerg were the ones to destroy the planet." Valerian stood his ground this time as Liara turned. "Listen … Liara … you're in a bad position. There's no one else like you in the galaxy, I'm willing to bet. But what you're doing … to me … it's not right. I had nothing to do with Benezia, with any of my father's actions. Holding me here-"
"It's all I can do." Liara looked past the shuttle, at the wall. It slid open with a sound like a raw piece of meat falling on to the floor, revealing the space beyond it. Despite knowing better, Valerian expected to see Noveria, shining cold and white below … but that was ridiculous. The planet was light years away. Liara would be a fool to bring the leviathan any closer to that world. It tasted the zerg once already, during the Great War. Never again. Liara stared blankly at the stars for a few more moments.
"I am sorry, Valerian." She returned her gaze to Valerian, who slumped. "We both have our obligations. If freed, you must warn your father and your people of the zerg. And I … I must protect my own people, such as they are. Get to Peak 15. You are the son of an emperor – they will let you through one way or another." She stepped forward, bringing herself close to Valerian. She planted a surprisingly heavy hand on his shoulder and pulled her own face close, making Valerian gasp and twitch. Like … staring into the sun. Her eyes burned, and Valerian knew it was nothing intentional on her part. Just … power bleeding off of her. Like the protoss. Like the Reaper she described. Heat blazing from a massive star…
"When freed, you may speak freely about whatever you wish. But while on Noveria, I guarantee swift and painful death if you blow your cover." She relinquished her grasp, and Valerian staggered backward, instinctively shielding his eyes, which ached as if he had just woken to find himself in a room filled with blinding light. "Go forth. If all goes well, we may never meet face to face again."
Wouldn't that be something? Valerian scratched the back of his neck, a small flake of dried flesh coming away with it. Damn. Scab's open again.
Doing his best to mop up the blood with the back of his hand, he ascended the ramp into the small ship and tried not to imagine the means by which the zerg had affected their repairs. The metal of the hull looked shiny and smooth, and the interior appeared a little dusty, but otherwise normal. He had taken the time to place his belongings in what he hoped were natural looking positions throughout the shuttle. He had pointedly left the ghost radio behind, however.
"It looks fine, Valerian." Liara's voice echoed through Valerian's head as if she stood beside him. This was a new trick of hers, and a trick that Valerian found both profoundly irritating and intrusive. "How thoroughly will they question you, truly? Your father is not one to reward curiosity where he is concerned…"
This is true enough. Valerian sat himself at the helm. The coordinates were already set. Now it's just a matter of making sure the docking authority doesn't blow me out of the sky on the approach. He activated the engines and turned on the autopilot before sitting back in the chair. The back of his neck itched.
"It'll be nice to actually get out of the leviathan." Valerian did not truly recognize the sound of his own voice as he said that. It sounded harsh and raspy, likely a product of the cough he had suffered from the past few days. Still, an ember of hope burned within. Because it's true. While I may be bound to Liara for the time being, at least I won't be living inside of a massive zerg organism.
Now there's something no terran has ever thought before…
The engines roared and the ship stirred. Slowly, ever so slowly, it climbed into the air while the VI plotted a course. A massive sphincter now opened before the shuttle, thankfully visible to Valerian only as a small blip on the projected flight path. Leaves me wondering just what hole I am exiting the leviathan from.
Valerian took little relief in his liberation, such as it was. To him, the only indication of the sudden freedom was a faint shaking of the craft, the hum of the engines, and the slow progression along the flight path. Looking around, it was hard to believe that this craft had just days ago been rusting on the surface of Tarsonis, filled with the skeletons of … well. Perhaps one day I should pay the planet a proper visit. I know the Umojans want my father's crime exposed … a public apology would do much to bind us together. And that apology might have to come sooner than later.
With little to do but scratch the damnable itch on the back of his neck and wait for Noveria to inevitably hail him, Valerian forced himself to go through the lists of casualties inflicted by this so-called "UED."
Tyrador, Braxis, Char, Agria, Demon's Fair … the extranet was the only outlet left to me in that leviathan. Liara is not one for conversation, and I have a duty as a prince.
The most disturbing thing he had seen by far, however, were the accusations leveled at his father by the damned Earthers. I had hoped the galaxy would take notice of my absence … but not like this. Never like this. My father has done much to prove himself capable of occasional depravity, but family has always to him been paramount. Whatever comes, I will at least delight in disproving this particular accusation.
The hail came suddenly, making Valerian's heart leap into his throat. He smashed buttons wildly, almost forgetting for a moment how to reply to the dock authority.
"Unidentified vessel, you are locked for an unauthorized approach vector to Port Hanshan. State your identity and business immediately or we will fire upon you."
"This is Crown Prince Valerian Mengsk of the Terran Dominion," said Valerian breathlessly, forgetting his composure for a moment. He coughed, and then tried to continue with as much dignity and imperiousness as he could muster. "I am here to visit Peak 15 on the orders of Emperor Arcturus Mengsk, first of his name, as well as to provide the facility with additional research specimens. We apologize for the short notice, but trust you will accommodate the Terran Dominion with all promptness."
Whoever it was on the other end, Valerian guessed by their stunned silence that they had no idea about what to do in this kind of eventuality. Valerian's hand hovered over the shuttle controls, prepping to cancel the flight path and kill the shuttle's speed if they elected to fire on him anyway, damn the consequences. Or if they dally. He could easily be arguing with his superior over this. But really, sooner or later they will have to ask: who would be dumb enough to attempt impersonating the Crown Prince?
"You are cleared for landing, Prince Valerian," said a new voice at the other end of the line. "A security team will be meeting you upon arrival. Your identity must be confirmed before you are permitted into the Port proper."
"Understood, I will see you shortly." The radio went dead with a hiss of static while Valerian took a deep breath. Alright, Liara. I've made it to the docks. Let us pray that my status can indeed carry me as far as you think it can.
After triple-checking the auto pilot and confirming the lock for the docking bay, Valerian took the time to leave the cockpit and seek out the solitary viewport located in the small cargo bay. The crates stacked within stirred and chittered in his presence, and Valerian did his best to ignore them. Liara, if you want this to work, you will need to keep them quiet.
The viewport was sadly facing away from Noveria itself, so Valerian contented himself by staring at the stars all above and around. They vanished quickly as the shuttle made its swift descent, replaced instead by the screaming white skies of Noveria. A planet established in the name of corporate science. It is a pity that I come to this place as the agent for the zerg queen, rather than of my own accord. There would be much for me to learn, I am sure of it.
And … well. This will be the first planet outside the Koprulu Sector that I have set my feet upon. I must try to focus on the positives of this endeavor, if I am to maintain any semblance of regal composure. Valerian wiped the sweat from his brow, heaved another great breath, and turned on his heels. The airlock. Try to act like their actions are a burdensome if necessary inconvenience.
Valerian stood before the airlock, head held high, arms folded behind his back. He had no mirror, but he hoped he presented an image of a crown prince, and not of a desperate youth who had spent the better part of the last two months either battling the mud and rain of a far-flung planet … or cowering in the belly of a space whale. The vessel thudded into place, a grinding mechanical clank and a muffled whirring indicating that the ship was locked into place. Valerian waited patiently.
Someone rapped sharply three times on the door of the airlock. Valerian strode to the panel and instructed the doorway to allow entry. With a worrying groan, the doors parted, and Valerian returned to his position with a spine as unbent as he could manage, staring down the barrels of the opposite team of Elanus Risk Control Operators. Valerian felt a stab of fear when he realized that not one of them was terran; the eyes that stared back at him were a mix of turian, volus, and asari.
The volus stepped forward, clad in blood red armor. He waved a small hand, stubby gloved fingers brought together as he fanned the air, ordering his men forward.
"Search the craft. Open nothing, but check for bugs or irregularities."
The turians and asari filed past Valerian, sparing him not a glance as they began their investigation of "his" ship. Valerian looked down at the volus as he stepped toward Valerian without fear.
"Assuming you are who you say you are, allow me to welcome you to Port Hanshan, Crown Prince. You certainly look the part, at the very least. That bodes well for your continued freedom." This was the first time Valerian had ever spoken to or even seen a volus, and to be blunt, he felt the galactic ridicule of the beings was entirely unwarranted. Despite the alien's diminutive stature, Valerian could not help but note the complete lack of fear or anxiety in his tone, as well as an array of pistols clipped to its belt. And … I think I spy a biotic amp as well. Marvelous.
"No explosives!" called an ERCS operative from further in the shuttle. "Bunch of sealed crates … do you want them open?"
"Negative." The volus looked around Valerian as he replied to his people. "Peak 15 has been very insistent. The terran Spectre brought crates as well, if I recall correctly, and merely dropping one of them on accident was grounds for immediate dismissal. Any weapons?"
"Negative." Valerian turned behind him just in time to see an asari strolling around the corner. "Place smells weird, though. Can you catch it through the suit filters?"
"No. Not that it matters." The volus returned his gaze to Valerian. "Continue searching the ship. Valerian, please come with me."
"Of course." Valerian tried not to outpace the volus as it proceeded on its short legs, instead opting to maintain a polite distance behind him. Liara … I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm pretty sure I'm about to have to lie. A lot. Any assistance would be appreciated.
"Of course." It was all Valerian could do to keep himself from jumping. It sounded as if Liara were standing behind him. Yet, when he looked to his rear, all he saw was his ship, such as it was. Of course it smells weird. It's been sitting in zerg guts for the past week while the drones did their best patch job. And before that … well, given that it was on Tarsonis, I imagine it was sitting on zerg guts there, too.
Valerian did not like their destination, a dark and inconspicuous side room that lay well before the brightly lit entrance of the actual port. The lights that activated upon the entry of himself and the volus emitted only dingy and anemic light. When the door slid shut behind him, Valerian could not help but feel trapped. A small metal table took up the center of the room, flanked by a chair on either side of it. Valerian, suspecting how this would proceed, moved to take a seat.
"I did not give you permission to seat yourself." Valerian froze in his tracks as the volus sidled up to him, his right hand resting on the butt of one of his many pistols. "We will conduct this conversation standing, like so. While my men search, you will answer my questions."
"Do not slip up in front of this volus," whispered Liara into Valerian's ear and mind, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "No one is made a security chief on Noveria without being thorough. The fact that he is a volus … he had to fight through existing stigma as well."
I gathered as much. I feel absolutely no inclination to laugh at him.
"You have vanished from the public eye … without warning, some might say." The volus stared up at Valerian, expression inscrutable under the mask. "Accusations have been levied at your father regarding your disappearance. He has yet to make a statement beyond denying that he had you killed. I find the behavior exhibited by the both of you curious. Why are you here?"
"I am here for Peak 15," said Valerian without pausing. His mind flashed through any and all conversations he had ever had with his father, trying to concoct some bullshit yet plausible motivation behind his sending him here without notifying the media to some degree. "Noveria has always preferred its secrecy, and my father also did not care to let enemy intelligence agencies become aware of my location."
"The terran Spectre," urged Liara in the back of his mind. "Not Kerrigan, she remains on the Citadel and burns like a beacon … the other one, Nova, was here. The Emperor has vested interest here. Use it!"
"My father also thought I might benefit from witnessing the fruit of certain lines of research," continued Valerian, trying not to tear his gaze away from the volus. "He wanted to show me how scientific advancement can influence political agendas, as well as the reverse. He does not expect to die anytime soon, but nevertheless feels that neglecting my education as heir could prove disastrous in the face of an unexpected demise. Given the recent UED incursion, his actions appear gifted with foresight."
"I would have thought he would have had you stashed away somewhere, given the incursion." Emotion crept into the volus's tone: curiosity. Blessed, genuine curiosity. Not suspicion. Good.
"I left Korhal just as we received the first reports of Braxis being hit." Valerian's lip twitched as he realized his story was now patched together on a mixture of half-truths, full-truths, and outright lies, and was now sounding more and more plausible than the actual truth by the minute. In the back of his mind, Liara expressed her own approval. "By the time my father was fully aware of the invasion, I was no longer in a position to be easily contacted. By the time he did get ahold of me, he insisted that I continue on my journey and remain outside the Koprulu Sector; he fears for my safety."
"As a father should for his son." The volus's small fingers flexed and unflexed. He turned away and felt for his own head. "Sergeant? Anything?" Valerian did not hear the response, but the volus did nod in response to whatever the asari sergeant said. "Understood. Instruct the dock workers to begin loading the crates for Peak 15. Carefully." Valerian shut his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief, opening them quickly when he realized what he was doing.
"Administrator Anoleis would like to speak with you before you go on your way," said the volus, turning back to Valerian and offering a gloved hand. "My apologies for the inconvenience. If there were not a considerable amount of … questionability, regarding your arrival, I would have waved you through automatically. When Nova Terra came through, we skipped nearly all of the standard procedure. Peak 15 tends to have that effect." Valerian took the hand and shook it firmly. "Chief Boro. My most sincere apologies once again over the inconvenience. Do you require an escort to his office?"
"Accept it," urged Liara. "It will look less suspicious."
"It would be appreciated, thank you," replied Valerian, who had in all honesty planned on accepting anyway. "Please … lead the way."
The volus bowed slightly and motioned for Valerian to follow. Warm relief flowed through Valerian's nerves as he followed the alien. Hard part should be over … right?
"What does the Administrator wish to speak to me about?" asked Valerian as they approached the much better lit main entrance and Boro waved off the security. A pair of fancy looking glass doors slid open, and Boro bid Valerian follow.
"Standard greetings, a favorable mention to other famous people and the Board of Directors, an assurance that you will not cause trouble for anyone else staying here." The volus shrugged in apparent disinterest. "In short, just a personal guarantee from you that your visit here will only prove beneficial to the Administrator personally, one way or another. Noveria tends to instill that kind of attitude in people." The doors slid open, and the pair of them proceeded.
"This is the lobby," said Boro as Valerian stopped short, staring. "It was designed to look rich and austere, while also offering security staff any number of helpful defensive positions in event of an emergency. When the zerg came, this proved to be quite fortuitous."
After the cramped spaces of the leviathan, hangar, and interrogation closet, Valerian had not realized just how much he missed truly open spaces and properly bright lighting. The interior of the lobby glowed an iridescent blue from the metals, stones, and ceramics of the walls and floor, all of them consisting of hues of blues both light and dark. Great windows at the far side of the room revealed the raging blizzard outside, great drifts of snow being blown against and across the glass. Immediately, and somewhat despite himself, Valerian found himself reminded of the palace in Augustgrad, in how it differed from this lobby. There it was all about presentation of imperial power, the money that sprang from such a position. This is … this is different. Opposite, perhaps. Power born of money. The moment of contemplation passed quickly, however, and Valerian followed Boro down the steps, nodding to both the turian guards that occupied the bottom of them.
Valerian was about to ask the volus if there were many terrans on Noveria when he actually spotted some gathered before a large television screen, from which blared the familiar face of Emily Wong.
"…mounting casualties at Halcyon, one of the last lines of defense before the United Earth Directorate has a clear shot at Korhal, and by extension Emperor Mengsk himself." A plume of fire went up behind Ms. Wong, who was apparently reporting close to a warzone. She turned in apparent surprise, and when she spoke again, it was far more quickly. "At present, the capital city of Camro is holding against the onslaught of Earth troops, and orbital superiority has been regained thanks to the interdiction of General Duke. Nevertheless, the fighting shows no signs of stopping…" Wong's face cut out, instead showing a mix of shaky footage of infantry combat, as well as still photos of fallen marines from both sides, their bodies stacked together haphazardly in a torn up street.
"My people," murmured Valerian. Wong continued to speak, but the words were muted to Valerian's ears. A woman was crying into a turian's shoulder at the outskirts of the crowd while others pointed and whispered at each new image that flashed across the screen. Their words reached Valerian easily enough. Words such as "family," "home," "sons," "daughters," "friends," … "death." "Downfall." "Betrayal."
Knowing what happened to Tarsonis … I can understand why no one wants to help. Why they want to watch Mengsk burn. But have they seen these reports? The cost of this "justice?"
"…disturbing reports of asari citizens being abducted and detained in UED held planets has aroused questions of UED intentions regarding non-terrans in the Koprulu Sector," continued Wong, making Valerian's head snap up. "Fresh footage taken by a daring citizen on occupied Agria has finally verified these claims."
This time, the footage cut to a screaming asari being dragged across the street, her hands raking the concrete as a pair of soldiers clad in white armor pulled on her legs. As the camera zoomed in, one of them released a leg only to step forward, slapping the asari across the face with a powered glove. The asari fell still, and the two of them loaded her quickly on to a waiting truck. It drove off with barely a sound and the footage abruptly cut out.
"Prince Valerian?" Boro's voice made Valerian snap his head to his left. The volus waited at the foot of the next set of stairs. "My apologies, but the Administrator is not known for his patience."
"Right." Valerian cast one last look at the vidscreen. My people … if they turned and saw me, their Crown Prince, what would they say? That Father and I have failed them?
"These Directorate people," hissed Liara as Valerian descended the stairs. "Who are they? Why do they do this? What do you know of them?"
Humans have always been prone to creating empires when it is least healthy for them. Valerian scratched the back of his neck. The tradition does not appear to have died out on Earth. As for what they want with asari … no idea. They did not appear to be taking that woman away for her health. Why? Are you afraid?
"I would be a fool not to be cautious to some degree," snapped Liara, making Valerian cringe as the anger seemed to flare and burn within his mind. "They will probably end up as yet another foe for the Swarm to contend with. And while I may want your father dead … it may come to pass that I loathe these UED to the same degree. My people have suffered enough at the hands of the terrans."
I find it distressing how many other races could make the same claim. We have not been the greatest of neighbors in our short time among the other races. I think even the protoss have done a better job. These thoughts, laced as they were with slight contrition, drew approval from Liara. Not that I care. We have done a genuinely poor job at relations with others, and sooner or later I hope we will make amends. He was uncertain where the zerg fell into that scheme. There is a race I do not feel badly for exterminating…
The Administrator's office was off to the side of the lobby, enclosed in a tighter yet still spacious room. The asari secretary took one look at the pair of them, beamed at Valerian (making him feel strangely ill,) and buzzed Anoleis.
"Yes, yes, let them through." The Administrator did not sound happy. More worryingly, he sounded like a salarian. Because lying to salarians is both fun and easy.
"Tell him what he wants to hear and be on your way," urged Liara as Valerian crossed the threshold, leaving Boro behind at the entrance. "They are not as devious and all-knowing as they like to appear."
The door closed behind Valerian, leaving him alone in a large, mostly empty room. To his right, the snowstorm raged on from beyond the windows. Before him, about fifteen feet away, stood a small desk from which Anoleis peered over his computer. He waved Valerian over as he paused.
"Administrator Anoleis," he said, standing when Valerian drew close. "Shaking hands is traditional, correct? A gesture of respect or some such?"
Valerian nodded, and Anoleis took his hand weakly and shook it only once.
"Good. Sit." Valerian obeyed, enjoying the slight cold of the air, the freshness of it. Never again going in the leviathan … I was suffocating, so slowly suffocating. He scratched the back of his neck again, grimacing.
"You are bound for Peak 15, correct?" Valerian nodded while Anoleis tapped away at his haptic keyboard. "They claim not to have expected you, but they were not expecting Nova either, and you have much higher clearance, so that has been taken care of." He looked over his monitor, his large eyes blinking quickly. "I must say, it's slightly reassuring to know that those people on that UEN channel are, in fact, full of lies. Some of the things they have said…" A small blue tongue darted over his lips, gone in an instant. "…distressing, to say the least. It is good to see you are unharmed, although it is surprising that you would end up here of all places."
"My destination was determined before the UED invasion." This is true. "Course correction was deemed unnecessary once the scale of the threat was ascertained. I'm headed for the Citadel following my visit here." Probably true. The more I do this, the more I am forced to conclude that only an idiot would tell bald-faced lies at every opportunity … so difficult to keep track of. Stick close to the narrative and twist things into looking a certain way when in fact it could not be farther from the truth … huh. I wonder if this is how Father thinks?
"Given the presence of the protoss and the recent conflict there, it may not be as safe a location now as it was when you left Korhal." The salarian pressed his fingers together. "But of course, given recent conflicts everywhere, I cannot in all honesty recommend anywhere a Crown Prince would be fully safe. Perhaps a remote corporate world would be the best place for you. We have all manner of accommodations in our galaxy famous hotel…"
"I will consider it," said Valerian, smiling. "And I will remember your offer, Mr. Anoleis. I, and by extension my father and the Dominion, appreciate the offer."
"Of course." Anoleis did not smile, instead narrowing his eyes and staring at Valerian. "Peak 15 … I did not have to issue this warning to the Spectre, but that is mostly because Spectres were born to die unexpectedly sooner or later, regardless of species. But a crown prince … hmm." Anoleis looked at the blizzard outside, apparently thinking.
"A warning?" Valerian prompted, but Anoleis remained silent a few moments longer.
"I am hardly one to speak on the nature of the research done in Peak 15, but I have seen the liability waivers they hand their employees," said Anoleis slowly. "I have also been privy to some of the guests Peak 15 has housed in the last few years. Primarch Fedorian. Councilor Udina. High Matriarch Aethyta. I do not know the extent of your knowledge of the place, but I would suggest keeping everything you discover over there very quiet, and to make your stay as brief as possible. Only a suggestion."
"You mean a warning." Valerian raised an eyebrow, but Anoleis only made a dismissive gesture.
"Overdramatic, forgive me. Peak 15 does not have the best reputation, yet I am sure you will have a … simply grand time." He rose, extending his hand again. This time he gave a much harder handshake. "The transport should be ready by the time you reach the garage. The goods should also be loaded … have a safe trip. And please remember our hotel, should you deem the Citadel unsafe."
"Thank you." Valerian inclined his head in the salarian's direction before retreating, wiping a small amount of sweat from his forehead.
"What is there to worry about?" asked Liara, sounding almost teasing. "Nobody here has the time to feel suspicious about the crown prince … much more advantageous to kiss his ass instead."
Fine, yes, this is going better than expected, but that does not change the fact that I will soon be guilty of transporting live zerg into a secure facility, one that it sounds like my father does, in fact, have a vested interest in. Valerian's left eye twitched. Even if you free me, how do I explain all this to father?
"Frame it however you want," replied Liara, uncaring. "Make it clear that you had little choice and did what you had to do for your survival. For the good of your Dominion. Isn't that how Mengsk frames his own questionable actions?"
The ruler of the zerg, the Queen of Ruins, again tries to take the moral high ground … how are you justifying my capture and enslavement again? Isn't it for the good of the zerg?
There was no response. I thought as much.
"Take me to the garage please, Mr. Boro," said Valerian, feeling slightly pleased with himself, even as the anxiety coiled tightly in his stomach. "I am eager to complete this journey."
"Of course." The volus inclined his masked head and again took the lead. As they left the Administrator's office, Valerian could not help but notice that the crowd around the vidscreen had only grown thicker during his brief visit with the Administrator. Ms. Wong's indistinct voice broke the still air, even as Valerian failed to decipher what she was saying. "The Dominion seems to be struggling as of late. What do you know of Earth? Should the Council be worried?"
"We are your allies," snapped Valerian, making the volus turn his head slightly in apparent surprise as they advanced up the steps. "They are slaughtering us. Yes, you should all be worried. You should all be over there."
Terrans before the vidscreen turned at his words, but they did not react to his presence beyond a dull stare. The reality they live in and my presence does not gel. They see me and think, "That cannot be the Crown Prince. He's missing, and he's not the type I, a lowly Dominion businessman, scientist, or dock worker would ever meet in person … and if he was, what would I say?
Liara did not see fit to interject this time. Boro muttered a wheezing apology and continued onward, Valerian following sullenly behind him. I should not be here. I should be with my people, doing my duty.
"He's expected," said Boro to the ERCS guard before the garage door. The glinting lobby had given way to the industrial dinge once more, and Valerian could not help but feel slightly claustrophobic as he crossed the threshold and entered the relative darkness of the garage.
"Prince Valerian," said a feminine voice from his left as he entered. An asari sitting on a crate in flight gear nodded at him. "Chief. No trouble out of this one, I take it?"
"He's quite polite." The chief looked up at Valerian, and Valerian could not help but suspect he smiled underneath the mask. A far cry from how I have been treated on the leviathan … if only they knew that I danced on hidden strings. "I live you here, Prince Valerian. Again, I am sorry for the trouble at the dock. I wish you and your Dominion luck in the face of the coming troubles. I hope to see you again on your way back."
"Thank you." The volus left, and Valerian felt, strangely enough, less secure in his absence. The asari offered him a quick smile and leapt to her feet.
"Seryna Shamtis, I took the Spectre over a few days back," she said, shaking his hand briefly before pointing to a large six-wheeled vehicle resting next to a series of crates. "Easy enough journey, but the roads are a bit worse now. I'm gonna have to ask you not to rock the vehicle, there are some steep drops. All your crates are loaded so … you ready to go?"
"Please." The asari flashed him a grin and tapped her omnitool. The back of the six-wheeler opened up. The two of them approached it together, Seryna headed to the front while Valerian entered the back. He tried to ignore the fact that within this vehicle, a number of zerg slumbered within crates, only their queen's driving will restraining them from going absolutely berserk. Pray we do not need them. Pray she does not lose control.
The massive car started with a grinding shudder, but its engine barely made any sound once active. Seryna flashed Valerian a thumbs up from the front as the vehicle heaved to life and the rear doors closed with a faint thunk. Almost there. This hasn't been nearly as difficult as it should have been. Father has certainly been … thorough … in making his reputation known. It is miraculous the chief managed to even work up the nerve to question me at all, once he saw my face and uniform, even slightly damaged as it is.
"You're a long way from the Koprulu Sector, Crown Prince," said Seryna cheerfully. "Your dad keeping you busy, I imagine? Are you still in school?"
"I completed my primary education on Umoja," replied Valerian, gripping the sides of his own chair slightly as the car rocked and bounced. "No time for a doctorate just yet, but I intend to get one in xeno-archaeology when I get a chance. Hopefully before my ascension to emperor."
"I … could give you tips on that," whispered Liara on the back of his mind. "Have you ever read my book? Any of my works? It seems so long ago…"
Yeah. It's hard to remember what you were before you become a queen … or a prince. Valerian gritted his teeth and shut his eyes.
"Not sure why we're not hauling some damn fleets out there to help you guys out," continued Seryna, sounding slightly angry. "I mean, yeah sure, the turians don't want to suffer another Tarsonis and lose a fleet while the salarians are all defensive, and the salarians are cowards, but where are the Umojans? Why can't the asari get involved? The protoss? Plenty of people could be helping, and aren't." She shrugged. "I dunno. Guess politicians got their reasoning, right? Why would a driver have better judgment than the lot of them, right?"
"In some ways you would have a better perspective," said Valerian. "A ground-level perspective. Politicians should keep their hearts to the ears of the public, to the drivers of the world. Let's them know just what the common view is." I think Father said something to that effect once. He did follow it up with "ignoring the common view if it is necessary and/or convenient," however.
"They don't have time for that," said Seryna, sounding quite amused. The car rocked slightly as she made a turn. "Burying them in letters from a bunch of idiots that don't know what they're talking about … what does that accomplish? I would just like some explanation." She shrugged, turned her head slightly towards Valerian and winking. "Something to think about, transparency. I sure would like to know what the Dominion is doing to the KMC, for instance. Didn't you guys nuke a planet or something a while back?"
"Things will change," muttered Valerian, thinking back to the xel'naga temple, the way the two marines had given their lives for him without hesitation. Resocialization … does the Council know about that? "When the time comes … I'll let the truth out. All of it." Tarsonis. The Queen of Ruins. All crimes committed by all parties that I know of. Bring it all out into the open, and let the people decide who to blame.
Although, from what I've seen of the extranet lately, seems like everyone will just blame the protoss for "letting it happen."
They did not speak for the rest of the ride. Valerian shut his eyes and rested his head against the back of his seat, trying to relax in what almost felt like a safe environment for the first time since he had left Korhal. At some point Seryna turned on weird asari chanting music, but he did not notice. When the vehicle juddered to an unsteady halt, Valerian raised his head and barely managed to open his bleary eyes. A thick, foul tasting substance now filled his mouth and he had to resist the urge to spit.
"Out the back, Prince Valerian," said Seryna, opening the hatch doors. "This is it; garage and central station. Dr. Ibris will be taking you to Rift Station. Where are we moving the crates?"
"Rift is where the research takes place?" Seryna nodded. Liara. Is that where we want them?
"Send them to Rift Station," commanded Liara. "You are close."
"Take them to Rift Station," said Valerian. "Handle them carefully. Under no circumstances are they to be opened."
"I'll relay the order." Seryna touched her forehead. "Have fun!"
Valerian unstrapped himself and crawled out of the vehicle while garage workers scurried towards it, shouting instructions. Seryna shouted instructions of her own, and they began removing crates. Carefully … handle them carefully.
Another asari, her skin a far deeper tinge of blue than Seryna's, waved at Valerian from the far end of the garage. Dressed in a white lab coat and sporting surprisingly gaudy facial markings, she stopped before Valerian, appraised him briefly, and then nodded.
"Wondered if they maybe sent out an imposter. Not sure where you've been, but you're welcome at Peak 15. This way, please."
"Dr. Ibris, I presume?" asked Valerian, caught slightly off-guard. Ibris grunted.
"Not happy to be pulled away to grab you, but at least it's always entertaining to talk about what we do here. Your Spectre behaves like a right bitch, by the way."
"Nova Terra has always been somewhat abrasive," said Valerian while Liara chuckled in the back of his mind. "Forgive me, but what exactly do you do here?"
Ibris turned and pressed a finger to her lips. They went up some stairs, out through a door, and then through a glass tunnel, the outside of which neatly showcased the frozen wasteland that was Noveria.
"Not privy to talk about it in the garage," said Ibris. "Your driver doesn't have clearance, and this place has a bad enough reputation already. Daddy didn't brief you on this?"
"It's something I was supposed to see for myself," said Valerian.
Ibris shrugged. "Whatever. Reading the literature has always been enough for me, but yeah, I guess it makes a certain difference. You terrans haven't been part of the galactic scene long … what do you know about rachni?" Valerian's heart began to slam against his chest.
"It's what the zerg always get compared to," said Valerian slowly, all too aware of how quiet the back of his head had become, of how intently Liara now listened. "They were a race of bugs … or buglike beings, what have you … that threatened the Citadel in times past. Destroyed by the krogan, I was told. Fully extinct."
"Yeah." Dr. Ibris sniffed. "Well, when we're through here, a lot of encyclopedias are gonna need updating. We sort of brought them back. We hatched a rachni queen egg, and she's been pretty obliging about supplying the rest."
Oh no … In any other situation, Valerian might have simply shrugged his shoulders and made some remark about this being … a good thing? Or just, perhaps, an interesting development. But a zerg queen watched his every movement, heard everything he heard. And what he heard, just then, was that a group of scientists had brought Liara a fresh toy to play with. She needs some way to expand control of the Swarm, to replace Cerebrates. And a rachni queen … would it…?
"What purpose does this serve?" asked Valerian carefully as their feet rapped loudly against the metal of the facility, as they rounded a corner and made their way inexorably towards the tram … toward another queen that Valerian would somehow have to deal with. "The rachni threatened everyone, from what I heard. Next … next you'll be trying to bring back the Overmind, I presume?"
Ibris stopped and scowled in his direction. Right … Thessia.
"My apologies, that was thoughtless," muttered Valerian. The doctor spun on her heel again, and when she spoke her voice had lost any trace of patience.
"There are ethical obligations, first and foremost," she snapped, violently pressing her palm against a door lock. It turned green with a click. "The rachni extinction was tragic and probably avoidable; it is unclear why they tried to eliminate us, but we thought it came down to some kind of territorial misunderstanding. The new queen has not proven hostile in any manner, so this has held up so far."
"She sings," muttered Liara in his mind. "She sings a song of psionics to her children … to me. She has been calling for her mother, calling into the emptiness … and now, I am here."
Is this wise? Valerian bit his lip. For all we know, she has been receiving excellent treatment at the hands of these doctors.
"But, if we ignore the admittedly valid ethical bullshit for a minute, what we really wanted was an equalizer against the protoss," continued Ibris. Whatever hope Valerian might have felt for escaping the facility without the zerg in the crates being unleashed evaporated in a puff of despair. "It's become quite the project, really. Only place I can think of where terran, turian, asari, and salarian interests all collide; they all provide funding, after all. The zerg were the only race to have ever threatened the protoss, but utilizing them to any degree past your father's small slave broods is madness. The rachni are a much saner alternative."
"You brought them back to weaponize them?" Valerian asked dully, heartbeat quickening as Liara's mix of anger and triumph coalesced within his skull. He scratched the back of his neck.
"That wasn't the initial intention, but yes." They emerged together into a large tram area, within which a sizeable tram waited for them. Ibris stepped aboard smartly and activated the ride as soon as Valerian was aboard. "We brought over a few Umojan Shadowguards with the scientists they sent; the rachni seem to utilize psionics in a manner reminiscent of the zerg but less … direct. "Less jagged," as one of them put it. Soft and gentle, like a mother's hand or some bullshit." Ibris shrugged. "Each of them is a full individual, unlike the zerg. Matriarchal instead of patriarchal. Their development is quick but not absurd. You won't see them putting up hatcheries in four hours, but give them a planet with some resources and room, and they've got the ancestral know-how to colonize it pretty damn fast."
This is a fucking nightmare. Valerian's fists clenched and unclenched while Liara issued a stern warning. If I say a word … everyone here dies. There is still some chance that we can extract the queen with minimal casualties. Maybe. I have to believe that.
"If nothing else, believe you will suffer if you break your silence," said Liara. "What you are thinking … it's admirable, to want to protect your people from me. But there is no need. And frankly, you are too late. I'm coming for the rachni, one way or another."
The tram came to a halt. The door slid open, and Ibris bid Valerian follow.
"Initially we separated the children from the queen, and that proved to be a nightmare," said Ibris, stopping before a security door and tapping her omnitool. The door opened with a surprising slam. Heavy blast doors, I guess. "Massive containment breach as the children went mad. Fortunately most of our security are Great War vets and we maintain a sizable biotic and heavy armor complement; losses were extensive but manageable. From then on, we made sure to have the terran ghosts ask the queen questions about what would be best for her and her own people."
"Any luck convincing them on being living weapons just yet?" asked Valerian with perhaps more viciousness than he intended. Ibris only chuckled.
"It's a hostile galaxy out there; standing up to the protoss for the Council would be a surefire way to insure their survival." Ibris stood before another blast door, this one even stronger looking than the last. "She's waiting for you on the other side."
"The queen?" Ibris did not respond, only opened the door and waited, arms folded. Something's not right … but could it honestly be worse than the zerg slaughtering everybody? Liara only urged him to proceed. Take a deep breath…
The door screamed shut behind him. Valerian's heart pounded with frantic ferocity as he looked around. There, in a great tank in the center of the room, something massive stirred. To his left, the raging Noveria storm, visible through a window. Finally, a nearby small flight of stairs led up to a series of consoles before him, and before the consoles-
"So – where the hell have you been?" Nova sat in a chair with one foot pulled back and planted close to her, another spinning her back and forth gently as she turned it. She smiled with little humor at Valerian, her powered suit seeming to pulse with his heartbeat. She stood suddenly and vaulted down the side of the steps, standing before Valerian who could only gape. "What? You didn't think people wouldn't send out word that you'd been sighted again? Have you any idea what your absence has done?"
No … no, this isn't good.
Nova scowled at him. "You're normally an easy read … how're you pushing me back?" She stepped closer, fists balling. "Say something, damn it!"
Liara … what do I do? There was no response. All she can do is hold her back … it would take physical intervention to do anything more. Liara – please…
"The crates." Nova was now speaking into her headset. "Have you scanned them? What are in the crates?" By the way her jaw tightened, Valerian guessed she received a prompt and accurate answer.
"Gas them, burn them, whatever, just kill them quickly before they become a problem." Nova shot up a look full of confusion and anger at Valerian. "What in the hell is going on? Valerian? Why are you here, how did you get here, where is Starke, and why are you trying to sneak zerg inside Peak 15?"
"Because the rapidly approaching alternative," said Valerian, knowing his words would probably doom them both, "is that the zerg make a more public entrance. They have a new leader." The back of his neck began to burn, and Valerian uttered a low moan.
Nova's eyes narrowed. "Something's wrong. I can feel it. Explain, quickly. Then we get you out, either back home or somewhere safe. Valerian!" Nova stiffened, looking up. "Oh … shit."
"The Overmind infested an asari," said Valerian dully, not caring any longer if he lived or died, only that Nova gave the best fight of her life, that Liara at least be slowed. "She's here for the rachni. She's capable of controlling zerg, and she's on her way right now. She's got psionics, biotics, and a whole brood of zerg with her, complete with leviathan."
"There's acid tanks linked to the queen's chamber," said Nova, wincing as she did. "Shit … tell her I'm sorry and then empty the tanks. We've got maybe ten s-"
Nova's remaining words became silenced as a deafening bang tore through the relative quiet of the room. The windows all shattered as one as something landed just outside them. Valerian was catapulted backwards with a muffled scream by the impact, and cold so intense it burned filled the room. The dim blue of the room turned stark white.
A purple light shone from the blinding incandescence. Liara strode from the ruin she had made, eyes burning with anger, hands twitching with violent intent. A hydralisk flanked her at either side. Valerian, rapidly becoming numb with the cold, scooted himself backward with his steadily unfeeling legs, trying to put some measure of distance between himself and the Queen of Ruins.
Just as the Queen raised her hand and opened her mouth, she fell backwards, spurts of green blood flecked with red pulsing from fresh wounds. Her wings spread to either side of her and Liara turned to face the defiant Nova, who vanished from sight.
The tanks. Just barely audible over the howling wind were the sound of klaxons, making Valerian certain that help, however hopeless, might be on its way. And one way or another, Liara, the galaxy will know that the Swarm has returned. Valerian pushed himself to his feet, nearly fell immediately as his right leg gave way, and then finally began limping his way around the other way, where the fighting was not taking place.
Liara flicked her winglike appendages desperately, sending what looked like small serrated spines with dizzying speed wherever she thought Nova would be. One landed quivering at Valerian's feet, fully embedded in the metal of the floor. Calm. Stay calm. He continued his desperate struggle around the other way. He was now about ten feet from the stairs leading to the console.
Nova reappeared atop a hanging light above, the reports of her rifle completely silent amidst the chaos around her. A hydralisk screeched and fell, its brains spilling from its skull as it hit the floor. The other one took a round through the arm, its scythe falling to the floor in an oddly pitiable fashion. Liara paid no mind, instead tearing the light down with biotics, making Nova fade out again.
Stairs … Valerian struggled up one step, pulling his bad leg with his hand, steadying himself against the railing. His entire body rattled as the cold penetrated every fiber of his being, as the fear gave way to grim resolve. Not going to walk out of this, I think. May as well die … as an emperor's son. Doing his duty. Two more steps.
Nova shrieked in pain, and Valerian could only grit his teeth. A sudden blast of heat met his back as the consoles before him lit up with orange, making him turn. A small team of ERCS guards fired wildly into the room. This time, Liara simply screamed.
The rest of the steps flew by madly as Valerian again found himself forced forward by an incredible unseen blast. He collided with the thick window overlooking the rachni queen, his bones crunching and vision blurring with the impact. He slid down, across a computer, and finally hit the floor bereft of strength or dignity. Muzzle flashes lit the now torn up and broken room, but nothing registered really, anymore. As his vision and brain slowly began to link up, he could only still feel dull surprise at what he saw; Nova and Liara locked in a deadly melee.
Nova span and cut with a blade Valerian had never seen her use before, her hair whipping with the wind and every movement. Liara dodged and tore at her with violent biotics, the blue light from her palms blazing through Valerian's eyelids as he shut them. All the while, every bit of debris that either of them could lock on with their minds would suddenly hover and be propelled at one of them with great force. Twice Nova managed to nick Liara, who bled momentarily and snarled, only to recover equally quickly. The door from which the blast emanated now only held stiff dead.
The tanks. It was a sensation Valerian had not felt since the most extreme of his conditioning training back when he fenced regularly. Have to do it. One last mile. It's 20% body, 80% will. People have already died for your failure. Starke. Helen. How many archeologists now? I can't even keep track.
Slowly, dragging himself up his elbows locked against the console, Valerian ascended. His fingers, stiff with the cold and likely doomed to frostbite, danced against the simple screen.
Acid tanks. Activate or cancel?
"Valerian!"
Valerian could not ignore that cry. His head turned stiffly to the fight he hoped still raged behind him. It did not.
Nova, head bleeding but eyes still defiant, was locked by the Queen's arms, held in place. The Queen's appendages rested at her neck, their serrated edges shining in the snow and ruin.
"Touch those tanks and you both die," said Liara, sounding more out of control and desperate than Valerian had ever heard so far. "Touch those tanks and you doom both rachni and zerg to extinction, and by proxy the rest of the galaxy. Sovereign feared the zerg, Valerian. Feared what they might do. These people saw fit to ally or weaponized the rachni … it's what I am offering, of a sort. Please."
"I'm holding her back," grunted Nova, teeth gritted. "She's trying to pull you over. She's going to kill both of us anyway, Valerian. Hit the button. For the Dominion. For your father."
"Valerian looked back at the computer screen, then through the window and to the being below. For some reason, he had expected that it would somehow remain oblivious to the proceedings … but it only stared back with sad eyes, its appendages reaching for Valerian. What say does it get? It seemed a silly question, but somehow appropriate. No one here really seems willing to ask the rachni queen its opinion … just use her. As a weapon. Valerian looked to the two staring women with dead eyes. But … what would my father do?
"The zerg will twist the rachni into something horrible," spat Nova. "They'll overrun the galaxy. Both of them have almost done it before. Valerian – I can't hold much longer. Do it!"
Valerian's finger held over the acid tanks, eyes watering from the cold. Doom two species to extinction … the zerg unable to expand, the rachni forever gone. For the Dominion … but the Dominion is dying. He giggled. And they won't even leave ruins behind for archaeologists. Such a funny thing … it's almost like no one know they even survived past their respective wars. His finger reached for the button. Father would press the button. Father…
He looked down at the rachni. Her appendages, previously reaching for the glass, retracted. Her massive body, glowing lights shining along the spine and on the face, seated itself quietly at the bottom of her cage. Waiting for death.
Father would easily and perhaps eagerly condemn two races to death if he thought they threatened him. Liara could have killed me, and did not. And this queen … if the rachni are truly individuals, then perhaps the zerg can adapt that individuality. I am not my father. God help me.
His finger drifted down towards the command to open the cage. He pressed it.
"She's free," yelled back Valerian, voice garbled, tongue sticking against whatever part of his mouth it happened to glance across. The queen now ascended an elevator. "Let her go."
The Queen stared back at him, expression inscrutable. She did not relinquish her grip.
"You have seen far too much and bear far too much hate for me," said Liara simply. "I'm sorry. Please-"
A scream echoed from within the chamber. The rachni queen faced them from the inside of the chamber, her tentacles pointing accusingly at Liara. She pointedly dangled one of her front claws over the edge of the elevator. She … what?
"We sing," cried Nova, voice halting and harsh. "We sing of forgiveness, of redemption. To banish the black, we must cling to the gold. Liara, you must not fade."
Liara looked down at Nova, whose head now jerked unsteadily.
"She is a willing vessel," murmured the rachni through Nova. "A meeting of monarchs. We do not march against the blackness to serve a queen so yellow and sour. She must cling to better times, to memories of mother. We would gladly serve such a queen."
"That is not what the galaxy demands!" Liara's voice cracked. "You don't understand … how long we've been running. There is no redeeming our peoples in the eyes of others. All they remember is the carnage. We are monsters."
"Sing a new song," choked Nova, twitching in Liara's grip. "Low notes of forgiveness, of love, of motherhood. Dispel these old screaming songs of the inevitable march to eternity. A great eye quivers in memory, oily black pouring from Its pupil. A great silence preceded it, a great silence followed it. Do not embrace that silence. Cling to the gold."
Valerian slid slowly to the ground, vision fading fast. A brilliant warmth now surged through his body, and the last rational part of him knew that meant he would soon freeze to death. And … it's not the worst feeling.
"Save them! So that we may rule as mothers, not tyrants!"
Brilliant blue light shone from behind Valerian's eyelids. Something lifted him up, and the warmth began to fade, replaced by blistering, merciless sensation.
He fell then, into the black, the cold coursing through him as people screamed his name. Buildings burned and smoked on the horizon, a tattered red banner swaying in the unseen breeze. A statue of his father loomed above him, a stone finger pointed threateningly in his direction. Slowly, a chip fell from the finger and landed at Valerian's feet. Then the fingertip. Then the whole finger. Slowly, his father collapsed before his eyes, a massive head eventually rolling at Valerian's feet. Then even that collapsed into dust.
"He's going to lose the ring finger!"
Valerian coughed, the back of his neck burning, his ribs aching from the sudden movement. Patches of heat crept through the numb and the pain.
"The Emperor is diverting course … he'll be here within the day."
That's right … he was at the Citadel.
The thoughts dissolved then into meaningless images of his father and mother, of Liara and Nova, all intermingling and melting. His right ring finger burned momentarily, and then he fell again, his mind consumed by the exhaustion.
Next Chapter: Wrex