Chapter Eight: The Vote

It was a meeting on the bridge of the Hyperion.

Serena, Raynor, and Matt Horner sat around a table, reading. Matt shifted through data. I've compiled a report on the present state of Mar Sara and the Dominion, as you requested. Things are going...

"Well.

"Refugee fleets across the sector are flocking to Mar Sara to establish themselves. Dominion foreign aid has been dispatched to assist them. Mar Saran hunting parties are busy rooting out the remaining zerg.

"The prospects of the resettlement of Mar Sara have drastically improved. Approval ratings for Arcturus Mengsk are thirty percent higher than they were a week ago.

Jim looked at Serena and then Matt. He looked like someone who did not know what to do with himself. "Wait, did we just win without a cruel twist making everything we worked for nothing? That's never happened before..."

"We're receiving an incoming interplanetary transmission from Arcturus Mengsk," said an ensign.

Serena laughed as Raynor sighed. "Here we go."

Mengsk appeared on the screen, and they went to stand before him. He was sitting in a chair, akin to a throne, and was in a very good mood. The image of him there riled Serena more than ever. Perhaps it was his smug smile or the way his appearance was like a master to a set of stupid servants. He hadn't even made the pretense of acknowledging them as potential wildcards.

Serena and Jim were mere extensions of his will at this point. They were compelled psychologically and militarily to serve him. Who else were they going to work against common enemies.

'If you want to know the true nature of a man, give him power.' Was it a Greek philosopher who said it?

"Commander, the zerg have been driven out of Dominion space, and the refugee fleets have a new home. Our position is secure for the moment. And events have provided us with a unique opportunity.

"Nova will explain."

Nova appeared onscreen now, and behind her was a blazing inferno. Sweat dripped over her skin, and her outfit was singed. "This is Nova. I've been observing the situation on Char for a couple of days now. Kerrigan has killed the Second Overmind and is now the dominant faction in the Swarm. That's the bad news. The good news is that she is having trouble controlling it.

"With most of the cerebrates dead, she isn't able to use the zerg to their full potential. We estimate that she is only able to exert control over one planet at a time. Even then, her control seems imprecise.

"Unfortunately, she's well on her way to fixing that problem. She's started experimenting with infested terrans, as Commander Calabas believed. I think she is planning to create a new strain of sentient zerg."

Mengsk returned to the forefront of the image. "The situation is critical, Commander. If Kerrigan succeeds in replacing the cerebrates, we'll be hard-pressed to hold her at bay. Fortunately, the UED was not obliterated. Admiral Dugalle is gathering his remaining forces for one final assault on Char.

"I've been in communication with him, and we've agreed to make a joint attack."

Raynor sighed. "Mengsk, I don't care how many speeches you make. We don't have the manpower to attack Kerrigan. We've got a fleet help together by duct tape and flowery speeches, and you want to pick a fight with Kerrigan now?"

Mengsk smiled. "You underestimate me, Jim. Admiral Dugalle believes that we are committing our full forces to a final assault. In reality, my force will consist of Kel'morian mercenaries. And the personal militias of people I don't trust.

"You'd be surprised at just how many people want Kerrigan dead."

Raynor seemed about to say something snarky, but he didn't. Mengsk was now the more powerful partner, and alienating him was not an option. So much for old times. "What do you want us to do, Mengsk?"

"You and Commander Calabas have the most important task," said Mengsk. "While Dugalle and my fleets are engaging the zerg in the space above Char, you will take a task force. Your mission is to destroy Kerrigan's experiments.

"Once you've dealt with the infestation, you'll link up with the main invasion force. Together we'll kill the bitch. That is if things go well. If things go badly, well, we'll have to leave in a hurry."

Raynor looked to Serena, then back. "...Give us some time to discuss it."

"Of course," said Arcturus. "Don't take too long."

The channel cut out.

Silence fell over the group. Everyone knew what Mengsk was suggesting was suicide. Even if the mission worked, he might use the victory as a means of getting rid of them. Serena looked to Matt, who went forward. "...We're all with you, Jim. But consider this.

"We have reclaimed Korhal and Moria from Kerrigan's broods and have the forces to do it on other worlds. We've recolonized Mar Sara and are in a position to continue this winning streak for months. Hope is coming back to the sector.

"We've beaten Kerrigan and majorly set back her plans in Moria and Korhal. Fenix is avenged tenfold, and we're in a position to build a better future."

"Kerrigan is still alive, Matt," said Raynor.

And that was the armor-piercing response. Everyone seemed to immediately accept it as gospel. Kerrigan had to die, and if she didn't, the war would continue. Therefore they had to play right into Mengsk's plans and replace her with him.

Overthrow one tyrant for a moderately less terrible one.

Was this really the extent of his visions?

Raynor had been right about Mengsk, and now that he'd had it all but confirmed, he was just playing along.

"So what?" asked Serena. "Let her rot. Why should we care?"

Matt looked up to Serena. "She's the one who did all this, Serena."

"No, she's one of the people who did all this," said Serena. "If you want to look for more people responsible, look in the mirror. You were the one who said Mengsk was just as evil as her, so why should we take his side over hers?"

"She could kill us all, Serena," said Raynor. "And she will."

"No, she can't," said Serena. "Kerrigan's infested terran program will take months, at best. Probably years. Even if it succeeds, it won't be anywhere near as good as the cerebrates. Until it is completed, she has no freedom to act.

"We can wear her forces down on a dozen less defended worlds.

"Why should we risk everything on an all-or-nothing knockout punch? We can get the same effect with a bit of patience."

"What about all the people she infested?" asked Raynor. "Are we going to leave them to rot?"

"Better them than me," said Serena with a shrug.

"Well, why would Arcturus suggest this?" asked Raynor.

"Because he can't lose, Raynor," said Serena. "Arcturus doesn't care if the entire sector is burnt to ashes as long as he comes out of it as God-Emperor. Think about what he is committing to this invasion;

"A lot of people he doesn't trust.

"And the UED remnants, the biggest threat to his supremacy.

"If Arcturus loses, he comes out of it with a more secure dominion. That and a terrified populace who will do anything he says. If he wins, then all of his casualties are people he wants dead, and he is the triumphant victor.

"Either way, he wins."

"So you just want to let Kerrigan get away with this?" asked Matt.

"Why not?!" said Serena. "What's she getting away to? Char? If hell ever existed, it would be Char. A broken and ash-strewn wasteland with the atmosphere to burn a man alive. And Kerrigan is going to have to spend the rest of her life there.

"That's the center of her power now, Raynor.

"She can't leave, or she'll risk losing control of her broods. She has no company other than Kaloth, whose loyalty is maintained by the threat of violence. So she has to be constantly watching him. And she can't even leave it all behind anymore.

"Everyone in the sector now hates her; Mengsk has seen to that. No one in the universe would now give any credit to anything she has to say.

"Her attempt to gain vengeance on Mengsk has failed miserably. He's bounced back as strong as ever with more popular support. The UED and protoss have been hurt by her, but they never did anything but defend themselves.

"Is this really victory?

"I can think of no worse fate we can deal with Kerrigan than to leave her to the bitter fruits of her triumph. Forget about her, close the book, quit the game, and leave. Having a final battle with her only gives her undeserved dignity."

"But what about the infested, Serena?" asked Raynor.

"I told you, the program is not going to yield results," began Serena.

"No, not the program, the infested Terrans." said Jim. "The people on Char being transformed into monsters by her. Like Lieutenant Idlen, that guy we had to put out of our misery on Mar Sara.

"Are we just gonna walk out on them?

"Dear God, Serena, this all happened because one person got infested. And all this time, you keep saying Kerrigan can't win. But every time, she does something even worse. Now maybe it's all just made it, so she's in a hell of her own creation.

"But we can't let her drag other people into that hell!

"We've got to at least try to save 'em! Hell, them being there is half our fault, to begin with!"

"Half your fault, you mean. I had nothing to do with that operation," said Serena.

Matt paused. "Sir, we did this before. It didn't end well for us."

"Maybe, but the zerg aren't nearly as strong as they were then, and they had a lot of cerebrates. Now they've just got Kerrigan and Kaloth," said Jim. "And we've got plenty of back-ups and knew what we are doing."

"You can't order the men to do this, Jim," said Matt. "Maybe ordering them to invade Char because Kerrigan needed to die. But this is... we did this exact same mission last time. You're talking about putting all our lives on the line just to mercy kill some people we don't even know."

Silence.

Raynor sighed. "I'm not gonna order em.

"I'm gonna ask them. Patch me through." Walking forward, he opened a channel. "Attention, Raynor's Raiders. We've got a decision to make right now. Arcturus Mengsk has approached us with an offer. He wants to go and take down Kerrigan and conquer Char.

"Now, I couldn't care less about Arcturus' plans for universal domination. And I'm not willing to put your lives on the line to settle a score. But, there is one objective worth seeking out down in hell.

"We've got intelligence that a lot of the people Kaloth seized from Moria are being infested. They're being tortured, brainwashed into her slaves. All so the bitch can make a bunch of new cerebrates.

"Well, I ain't got a mind to let them keep on suffering. The way I see it, we can give them a clean death. And maybe do our part to help the sector burn out the infestation. But I'm not gonna make that kind of call for you.

"So we're going to have a vote. Everyone will have the opportunity to choose whether or not we go to Char. We'll settle this democratically. If any of you don't want to accept the vote, you can resign. Nobody is gonna think less of you for it."

And so the voting began.

"I'm against it," said Serena flatly as soon as the transmission ended. "Going to Char was a mistake for the entire sector that has led to nothing but misery. If nobody had gone to Char, Alpha Squadron and Raynor's Raiders would have been stronger."

"Yes, but none of us would have met Tassadar or Zeratul," said Raynor. "They'd never have patched things up between their peoples."

"So what?" asked Serena. "Patching up things between the Dark Templar and the Khalai is the worst thing that ever happened to both. Between the Fall of Aiur and the destruction of Telamatros, we were better off with the old hatreds.

"This entire adventure has been a waste of time, lives, and resources. No one has gained anything, everyone has lost everything, and no one is a better person for it. The universe has degenerated with nary a silver lining. The only possible aesop I could draw from this story is;

'Cleanse, purge, kill.'

"Because if Tassadar had glassed the terran sector like he'd been ordered to, the protoss would be fine. If our response to First Contact had been to murder it instead of trying to use it for our own ends, we'd be a lot better off. Every instance of understanding and forgiveness has led to misery and horror."

"...I don't get it," said Matt. "Why aren't you voting yes, then? We're trying to do just that."

"Because I refuse to let this universe beat me," said Serena. "I resent the fact that it is trying to force me into a state of complacent nihilism. And I refuse to play Arcturus Mengsk's game anymore. We've finally built something worthwhile without it being knocked down. We could set an example of success and make a thriving community. A place that could help to knit back together this broken universe.

"So I'm not going to get huge numbers of my men killed so Arcturus can have his final showdown. Screw the Dominion; we've got ours."

Matt looked to Serena and seemed to agree with her. "...Sir, I can't in good conscience support this operation. Not after what happened last time."

Raynor nodded. "Well, I guess I'm voting for it, seeing as I suggested it."

The voting system was done by a machine that showed the number of votes. The tallies went out throughout the ships they set up. Serena extended them down to the militia on the planet below, seeing as they'd be defenseless. Then Matt came up with the idea that it ought to be spread to the planet below.

Votes came in at alarming rates over the next few hours. Higher and higher they raised, until Raynor's side won by a landslide.

Some wanted to bring Kerrigan to justice. Some wanted to save the infested. Others still supported Mengsk, but very few were in very of profit over principle.

So some people were better for it after all.

"Serena, are you coming?" asked Raynor.

"Of course I'm coming," said Serena. "The last time you did this, you ran my army into the ground. I'm not letting you do it again."

And so it was back into the saddle. They were probably all going to die, but it wasn't like their lives had been getting any better.