Matt Horner was sure that he had never seen the Queen of Blades so... eager to find out where Jim is when Valerian spoke. "Kerrigan, we've found him."
"Where?" Valerian took over in explaining while Matt pulled up the data from Orlan's search, planning to send him back as soon as this mission was done and they made sure that he didn't alert the Dominion about their intentions.
"He's being held on the Moros, a mobile prison ship that jumps every hour to a randomized set of coordinates. There's no way to predict where it will jump next."
"They're got to resupply sometimes." Kerrigan got to the root and Valerian answered the same.
"Exactly. We know the ship will be at the Atlas station for thirty-two minutes tomorrow." Matt took back over as he explained the time frame and whether or not the Moros had to be hooked up to the station or not.
"Atlas will send a tanker out to Moros, but when the fuelling's done. It's gone." Matt moved to grab one of their allies to help free Jim. "Our associate Tosh volunteered to infiltrate-"
"No, you've done your part. I'll handle this myself." Matt was skeptical, but he didn't deny Kerrigan's interest as he spoke.
"Be careful, Kerrigan. This place makes New Folsom look like a nursery." Kerrigan cut the link as the vessel and creature made for warp jump to the Station and to catch the Moros unguarded. But it seemed that the Terran element was not yet done with being interested in helping as she got a telepathic message from Alexander.
"You need help in this one, Sarah. You may be a one-woman army, but even the mightiest of pillar require support, so no excuses, no nothing, we do this together as allies, if not partners." Kerrigan groaned at the idea, but she knew that things could turn sour and having a bit of Terran tactics on her side wouldn't hurt to have.
"Fine. But don't do anything too crazy."
"You forget, I helped Jim on Char, against the might of the Swarm, I think you have yet to show me impossible quite yet..."
They laid in wait before the contacts spotted the titan of the Prison ship and the forces moved in, Phobos and Hyperion flanking the Leviathan before it shot its great tentalces into the Moros, to keep it from escaping, but one slammed into one of the storage bays, its end a nydus canal and Kerrigan walked right through as Alexander joined her via a short-range breaching pod as Kerrigan spoke. "I'm in."
"Our sensors are tracking you. I'll relay any tactical information I can." Valerian answered as he pressed on. "Be careful, Kerrigan. My father will have made every precaution to ensure no one reaches Commander Raynor."
"He's not prepared for me."
"Nor is he ready for me." Alexander added and, while they could have trolled the Dominion with no action, they headed in to the attack as the Dominion became aware that something else was on the Moros now.
"What the hell was that?"
"That would be us." Alexander answer with a calm tone as he and Kerrigan took on the Firebats and Marines blocking their path with Kerrigan's forces joining the fight through another breaching nydus as the first band were destroyed, but the second made things bit harder.
"Hit the alarm!" Though they took out the Marauders and Marines guarding the path, the bridge behind them retracted, forcing them to take a detour.
"The platform retracted! We're going around!" Alexander narrowed his brow at how suspect this was making him feel before they started to go around, just as Mengsk's voice echoed throughout the Moros.
"Brave soldiers of the Dominion, this craft is under attack by the Queen of Blades. You know what to do, men."
"It seems like Mengsk knows that we are after Jim, Kerrigan, he may give up the lives of the troops on the ship." Kerrigan looked at Alexander with a raised brow as they busted through another security checkpoint.
"This is Mengsk, of course he is going to..." She paused before groaning. "...and you want to convert them to our side, are you mental?"
"Spectre and Tactician." Kerrigan raised a finger before she huffed.
"Only, ONLY if Mengsk does do it, you have my permission to recruit those WILLING to join your rebellion."
"Technically, it's Raynor's, but whose keeping track." Both Horner and Valerian blinked in mild surprise, did... did Alex just request that he save Dominion troops on account of the Queen of Blades, and she said yes? What has the universe been coming to? They pressed on to encounter a base emplacement and a Thor.
"They're bringing out the big guns."
"That just means we have to hit a lot harder." Kerrigan watched as Alex holstered his rifle and channeled psionic power through his body, eyes blazing with blue energy, before he blast a massive bolt of power at the Thor, ripping one of his arms to shreds, stumbling it as well before the Swarm descended as Alex panted with a shake of the head. "Man, that was a bit too much power, I'll just stick to my rifle now."
"I hope so, that blast was equal to that of a Protoss Archon, are you sure you are just Terran?"
"Terran born and raised." Alex straightened up as he spoke. "Don't worry about it, we need to save Raynor." Kerrigan watched him closely before she nodded and headed forward, Alex rolling his neck, that blast took a lot and he was sure that he barely prevent a blood vessel form bursting from that attack as Valerian called in.
"Kerrigan, they've sealed the primary bulkhead. You're going to have to break through." Kerrigan nodded as she started to channel her psionic power into boring through the bulkhead.
"My swarm, guard me while I take care of this." She glanced to Alex for any more aid. "Alex...?"
"Already on it." With that, Alex connected to Matt through the comm. "Hey, Matthew, some extra hands will make this easier on us."
"Reinforcements are inbound, should they worry about the Zerg turning around?"
"They will obey me, so you should be safe, unless it's Dehaka." Alexander raised a brow to Kerrigan as he inquired.
"Ally of yours?"
"Sure, let's go with that." Alex didn't push it as several drop pods breached the previous chamber as War Pigs, Hammer Securities, and mercenary medics by the title of Skidi's Angels were deployed to support the Terran half while the Zerg half breached the chamber and resupplied Kerrigan's force as Zagara spoke.
"The Swarm answers your call!" There were tensions, but Alex focused them on preventing the Dominion from interrupting Kerrigan, as they didn't have an sort of breaching tools available to punch through the bulkhead as the Dominion rallied.
"She's breaking into maximum security! Stop her, now!" The firefight was made easier as the Dominion tried hard, but their guns didn't compare to Alex's tactics and method as well as the Swarm closing the gap, even Bravo Company were sent packing when they requested backup as heavy armaments rolled in, only to get wasted under a tide of claws, spines, and fangs as one of the War Pig spoke to Alex.
"Are you sure we can trust her, Sir?"
"Kerrigan came to free Raynor, what happens AFTER is on them, it is not our place to judge, we are also here to make sure that Mengsk loses both his hostage and his prisoners, so put the notions of vengeance and bloodlust to the side, we have some Terrans to thwart." The War Pig and the others nodded as the bulkhead melted to pieces as the joint force pushed on, Matt calling for some additional documents.
"Kerrigan, It's Horner. The security station near you holds the ship's prisoner log. If you can, grab it. We'll figure out the rest after Jim's safe." They did so before they arrived to another guard position as Valerian spoke.
"Kerrigan, there's a large number of guards nearby..." Kerrigan made a plan as she spotted prison cells along the two paths with Zagara voicing the Zerg option.
"If you implant virophages in the key locations here, the infested will tear into those defenses for us."
"Or we could break the prisoners free, give them room to fight the Dominion for us." Alex pointed out as he turned to Kerrigan. "You want to be a better person, so much better than the old Queen, that is fine, but this is your pick."
"It's your call..." Kerrigan thought about it before she spoke.
"Sorry, Zagara, I think I am going to use some Terran ingenuity for this fight." And that is going to help a lot as there were an available stockpile of vehciles ready for operation as she commanded. "Alex, take your force and handle the Firebats, the Goliaths are mine."
"Understood." They moved out and took out both team blocking the path before Kerrigan shouted with authority.
"Anyone who hates the Dominion, and wants to help rescue Jim Raynor, come with us!" That rallied them at the notion of freedom as they loaded up and charged into the fray, the defenses being torn apart faster than sending mass bodies of infested to fight before Alex directed them to the rear where waiting transports were prepped to take them away, since the majority of the Dominion forces were guarding the prison deck.
The force continued on as the Dominion officer, realizing the futility of the defense, instead opted to just cut the problem loose. "This isn't happening...destroy the coupling! Jettison the prison deck!
"You heard the man, blast it! We're cutting the prisoners loose." The Thor there turned to start pounding the coupling with heavy fire as Kerrigan shouted.
"Take out that position, if we lose the deck, then this mission is a failure, stop them!" They charged in to destroy the position and clear it out for the troops to start heading into the deck for Raynor, but Mengsk made it clear he was not willing to give up.
"Kerrigan. I did not think you would be so foolish as to come here. And now, your actions will lead to the death of all these brave men."
"And I didn't think you be reckless enough to kill your own men just for one person." The ship shook with a rupture of explosions somewhere up above, Alexander glancing up and looking as Mengsk continued his speech while Kerrigan looking forward.
"They are all heroes, willing to sacrifice their lives to end your miserable existence. You, the traitor, and James Raynor can burn together." Alex commed Valerian.
"Valerian, what just happened!?"
"Kerrigan, Alex! We just watched the bridge explode! The Moros is tearing itself apart!" Alex hissed in anger and Kerrigan nodded as her permission was given freely this time. "You have to save Jim! We're running out of time!" The lift finished the and the force moved into to get to Jim before the Moros ripped itself to pieces in fire and explosions, Alex even getting acknowledge that the shuttles with the upper prisoners had made it back to the Phobos before the Moros started to rip itself apart.
Alex commed into the Dominion channel, trying to save them from dying as martyrs for a corrupt Emperor. "Any and all Dominion forces, this is Commander Alexander Wrench of Raynor's Raiders, I am offering you a chance to live! Right now, the Moros is tearing itself apart in self-destructing and the Zerg Swarm, led by Kerrigan, are here to obtain James Raynor, if none of you want to die for a emperor's delusions and grandeur, lower your weapons and raise your hands, you WILL be spared." Kerrigan nodded as they pushed in, a Thor shouting.
"Fire, you idiots!" The first guards fought to the end as the force pressed on to the next group as they all collectively dropped their weapons, even a Siege Tank pilot popped out in surrender.
"We surrender!"
"Good, now follow us further into the deck, we have a plan with getting all of us out of here!" They agreed as they pressed on with tearing through another bulkhead as they got through as more Dominion started to panick to the ship erupting around them.
"Get to the escape pods! Go! Go! Go!"
"This is the prison deck. There aren't any escape pods!"
"I ain't waiting to die! Waste these pigs!" The prisoners tried to revolt, but they were brought down for the others to roll in and take them out as Reapers joined in to take out the force.
"Death from Above!" Right before half of them turned their guns on their former allies in dropping them and the lead Reaper spoke.
"We may serve the Dominion, but I didn't sign up for a suicide, if you got a plan, we'll help get through this mess."
"Welcome aboard our ragtag force, let's move." They pressed on as Kerrigan questioned.
"How are you so capable of recruiting foes into allies?"
"Hearts and Minds, Kerrigan, I serve to make the Dominion a bit better with Mengsk looming and I guess that means I got some Terran magnetism." Kerrigan snorted as they kept got to the deck where Jim was being held.
"Move. Move! We got Zerg on our asses!" They took a short detour to grab the last document that Matt wanted of the Prison logs.
"Matt, we got your data, will hand it off when we get off this death trap."
"Roger that. Thanks, Alex." They headed down the main path as a force of Dominion tried to breach through.
"Let us in, you bastards!"
"Let me!" Alex shouted and the force quickly divided as Alex channeled the power again before he blasted, ripping the bulkhead to several flying pieces of debris for the Dominion at the back to get wrecked with as one loyalist exclaimed.
"This is it! If we going down, we're taking these ugly critters and the traitors with us!"
"You fail to realize that I am the Queen Bitch of the Universe." Kerrigan mused as she glowed violet. "And I don't take no for an answer." She roared as a shockwave ripped through the forces guarding the main prison hub before the remains faced a lot of gunfire as Alex marshalled everyone in as Kerrigan spoke. "Zagara, have the leviathan stabilize this section of the ship."
Tendrils ripped through and gripped around the prison deck, wrenching it free and disabling the self-destruct as the lights dimed and only those with lights and illuminant parts could be able to see into the shadows now as Zagara spoke. "It is done."
"Hold on Jim, we're almost there." With that, they headed into the main hub of maximum security, the Hyperion and Phobos delivering relief efforts for those inside the deck...
Jim sat in his cell, trapped in the walls of this wandering ship before his ears started to take in another sound, screaming and gunfire outside his cell before his eyes widened as the door started to bend in before erupting with an explosion, his hearing ringing as he coughed before his blurry vision took in Kerrigan from when she was with him on the facility. "Sarah?" But he blinked to clear away the blur and Kerrigan was different, veins aglow, her suit looking like a carapace and...
His heart dropped in horror as two bony wings spread themselves out behind her, no from her back as he moaned in dismay. "No." He looked upon the face of the Queen of Blades, the woman he swore would never come back as she spoke with sympathy.
"I had to get you out." Jim pulled himself up as he demanded.
"What have you done?"
"What I... had to..." Rage filled him as he shouted at her.
"Tell that to Fenix! Tell it to the millions you butchered!" She looked down before she stepped forward to him.
"You swore you'd kill the Queen of Blades." Jim looked down and found his hands being given a pistol and her hands guiding them up until the barrel rested on her forehead as she spoke. "You were the only one who ever believed in me. Do you still believe in me?" Raynor closed with a struggle before he lashed out with firing every round in the pistol, clicking it a few times empty, but Kerrigan remained the same as he had turned the gun away and hit the wall instead before he lowered it with a pant and Kerrigan spoke with sympathy.
"I love you, Jim. Never forget it." He cut the bond between them off as he couldn't be there anymore with the Queen of Blades, a woman he had tried so hard to prevent from coming back into his life.
"We're done." With that, he left her behind in the cell, feeling more than alone than before, she had saved him, but what they had... was fragmented, possibly even broken for good...
The Swarm were silent, more so than anything else, as their Queen had cut herself off from the hive mind, cutting herself out of the link as she was left to her own thoughts, she musing to herself on how bad things had changed for them while Izsha was confused of the withdraw, Zagara showed confusion for the leader, Dehaka also was at a loss to the silence and Stukov, after trying to get Kerrigan to talk, realized that she was dealing with the aftermath of Raynor's rejection, a problem far worse than any bullet or round.
She breathed as she instead contacted the Hyperion and Valerian, the one she was seeking answered. "Jim is doing well. He's in the medbay, but I don't think he wants to talk to any-"
"I'm here to talk to you, Valerian. You know I am going to Korhal now, correct?"
"I do. You plan to kill my father."
"He's had this coming for a long time. I need to know where you stand." Valerian stood his ground on where he should be, not where the interests demand.
"I stand for my people. I've accepted that my father is beyond redemption and must be removed from power."
"I am glad we understand each other." She blinked as a Spectre stepped into the picture, the two exchanging looks before the face piece shifted up to Alex's eyes as Kerrigan took on a sorrowful tone. "Alex... Tell Jim that I'm sorry."
"I will, Sarah. It is hard enough to deal with the Dominion, it's worse when everything you have done seems to be for not, I'll talk to him." She nodded as the link cut and she found a solitary spot on the Leviathan and then let herself cry, a Terran emotion, but one she hadn't lost yet as her Zergling and Alice found her, and without asking, the Zergling rested its head on her lap while Alice held the Queen of Blades close, giving her some support she needed after so much time had passed...
Alex entered the medbay as he asked. "How is he?"
"He is recovering from malnutrition and some physical trauma." The Medic spoke as she turned to the sitting Commander. "But I can't begin to fathom his mental strain, seeing that Kerrigan has returned to the Queen of Blades, someone he wanted gone, I don't think he is coming to terms with her actions quite yet." Alex nodded as he spoke.
"Give me some space..." She nodded as she left the room, Alex walking over before pulling up a chair and sitting on it reversed before he spoke. "Raynor..." He looked before he spoke with turning back.
"She's back... she's back to being the Queen of Blades, I failed..."
"Far from it..." Raynor didn't seem to hear him, but Alex continued. "Latest reports had Kerrigan all over the system through OUR sources, the Dominion can't cover up all of the mess she made for them, Char's back under her command, but the minority of Warfield's forces and the good general were relocated to Haven by my hand, there have been some reports that several unauthorized Dominion vessels have been destroyed and some have bore the marks of psi blades."
This caught Jim's attention as he spoke with confusion. "...What?"
"Unclear as they were, I made it a mission to keep track of Kerrigan, she has been causing chaos for the Dominion, been keeping civilian and colonial forces out of her war path, and has on several moments, engaged with Tal'darim forces, I even found out the her Leviathan was being escorted out of system by the Void Seeker."
"Zeratul..." Raynor looked back forward as Alex finished.
"You can think that you had failed, but considering what Mengsk had done, had made all of us believe, she was at a loss and let rage and sorrow envelope her." He rested a hand on Jim's arm. "Think on that for a bit, Jim..." He then got up and headed out, leaving Jim to think about it...
Kerrigan recovered a bit, but she had to take some time to rally the Swarm for the great siege and she turned to inquiring with Abathur as the gene-weaver spoke. "Queen of Blades silent, but Abathur has discovered viable strains for adaption to Swarm Host sequences. Permission to bring strains into Swarm."
"Granted..." Kerrigan breathed as she spoke with taking a seat. "Let's see what you have found, Abathur." This would also take her mind of things for a bit...