Hey I'm reposting this with few minor edits, nothing major just grammer and spelling. Thank you to fieryfoxpaws for letting me know about the chapter duplication. apparently when i was doing my editing i reposted the wrong document here.
Chapter 3
Where Credit is Due
It was several days before She saw Xarozel again, almost a week even, at which point he came to personally give Her a status update on their progress, accompanied by Abathur to insure he made it there without getting lost. Though that was unlikely to happen anyway, give the circumstances.
He was now a fully infested terran, and looked much like She did, barring the presence of the obvious primary female organs and wings. He did a little three-sixty to show the result of his and Abathur's work.
"As you can see, I am now a completely infested terran, much as you are. As of now I am officially a part of the Swarm, though I advise not sending me into combat just yet, as we have yet to build a model with sufficient weapons." He chuckled at his quip and brandished a hand. "In my current state I have naught but claws, which while totally awsome in my book, is absolutely pitiful by zerg standards." He nodded to the Hunter-Killer next to her, the same one he stabbed himself with come to think about it. He seemed to realize it too, for he saluted the zerg in greeting. Unused to this friendly behavior from one he so recently maimed, the beast could do little but flex it scythe a little and hiss back. Xarozel just smiled back at it, then turned back to Her.
"So, are you telling me," She was more than a little confused and disappointed at the result before Her. She had expected so much more, really. "That you just spent a week making yourself a drone? That can't even become a structure?!"
Xarozel took Her icy tone like it was made of balmy winds. "Not at all M'Lady." He paused and considered a moment, and shrugged. "Well, actually yeah, I suppose I am." He laughed. Laughed! "But," he continued as fluently as if he had said nothing dangerous at all. "As I said before, we have yet to build a better model. That phrasing was only half a joke. You see, M'Lady, this," he gestured to himself, "is only Phase One of the project. Get Me Infested, to give it a label if you will. Now," That devilish grin again, "Comes the fun part!"
The Queen was by now thoroughly exasperated and begining to think it was a bad idea let him in with no strings. "And what, exactly, is 'the fun part'?"
"Why, make me a fully adaptable killing machine of course!" He cackled.
"Boy, you are insane aren't you?"
"Oh of course M'Lady!" He swept Her a courtly bow. "Why, where would the fun be other wise?" He started laughing, deeply and without restraint. It wasn't a bad laugh, all things considered, She decided. In fact, She thought She might rather like it. She smiled down at him. Taking that as his cue for dismissal, he turned to leave, gesturing to a rather shell-shocked Abathur to follow.
Just before they left the chamber, Xarozel turned and said, "We'll be back in another week or so for another update. if i can't make it, then Abathur will give it to you in my stead. Until then, M'Lady." He bowed his head in farewell, then turned and shriek-hissed to the Hunter-Killer next to Her in a farewell to it. It, oddly cheered by this strange new friendliness, returned the gesture verbatim.
After the two left, She summoned the creature over to Her. It hissed in pleasure as She scratched and petted its carapace covered head. "So, you like our new addition?" She felt a wave of happiness come from the creature at the mention of its new 'friend'. "I'll take that as a yes, then." She smiled down at the contented Hunter-Killer. "Mabey I'll give him to you then, as your charge. Hmm?" She continued to stroke Her pet guard as She thought on the future, and what Xarozel might make of it for Her.
vTv
Another week passed, and Abathur came to give their weekly progress report. Unfortunately She was in no mood to hear it. Jim had just beaten Her to a Xel'Naga artifact She'd been after and She was not best pleased. She dismissed Abathur without even hearing what he had to say on their progress. He had left quickly, fearing to anger Her furthur in any way.
'Now, that wasn't very nice, now was it?' The sudden voice in Her head made Her jump involuntarily.
'What are you doing in My head, Xarozel?' The Queen's anger was unfeighned. She did not like people poking around in Her head.
'Just, testing my limits, M'Lady. I'm currently physically incapacitated at the moment, so i thought i'd test for psionics. I'm pleased to note that I have some. Nowhere near your level of course, but mabey enough for a small brood, say.'
'Really? That's interesting. I detected none when I went exploring earlier.' This was new. if She could do this to others...
'Where I come from hardly anyone has more than a smidgen of control. So while we may possess psionics, we generally don't know it, so it's no surprise.' Mabey not then.
'However, going back to Abathur, don't you think handled that a bit poorly? You practically bit the poor fellow's head off! I'll admit I'm no expert, but it doesn't seem very wise to leave your Head Geneticist beside himself with worry that he's displeased you with something not his doing. A distracted scientist of any race or vein is apt to make mistakes.'
'Tell Me. How is it that you are able to so blithely tell Me, Your Queen, what to do?' It was a serious question. If he was under no control at all, he could become a liability.
'Call it a relic of my past, if you will. I've never had much problem talking back to those above me when I believe them to be in the wrong.' There was amusement in his tone, though She perceived it was directed towards himself and not Her.
'So long as it does not become a problem. You do seem to have quite the golden tongue, don't you?'
A chuckle 'A recent acquisition actually. Before I was more known for my habit of being more or less an irritating little git. Though some people tolerated me, for which I am still quite grateful.' This last held an air of minor regret. For the loss of such friends, perhaps? 'But enough about that!' He seemed to jump from topic to topic like a rabid zergling. 'You were upset before, correct? Might that have something to do with Jim perhaps?' his tone was inviting, but he spoke as if he already knew the answer.
'And what makes you think that,Xarozel?' She was curious about just how much this boy knew.
'Well for one thing I happen to have heard it at the same time as you. purely by accident actually. I was wondering the Mind when i stumbled across it. And then I wanted to see how your meeting dear Abby went-'
'Abby?'
'Abathur. You remember him? You just sent him cowering off from your tirade not more than three minutes ago.' She was impressed by his tongue, both golden and sharp. Not always an easy thing to accomplish.
'Why the nickname?'
'You should know from that jaunt through my head that that's what I do. I give others names that I feel suite them better. I've even given one to you, though you may not have realized it yet, M'Lady.' He was grinning, She knew it.
'You were saying, Xarozel?'
'In regards to Jim? Nothing much just that I think you shouldn't push too hard on him right now.'
'And why is that?'
'Let's just say that I believe what he's doing is a good thing. When I'm complete, I'll tell you more when it comes up, but for now, just give him the token resistance that he expects. Trust me on this one' His tone was at once confident, and uncertain. Most likely of his words and Her reaction, respectively. Still, he was giving Her orders, and that would not do.
'Once again, you presume to tell me what to do, Boy. That, is not, how it works.' There was venom in Her voice and he knew it, yet still he forged on.
'I came here with certain degree of foreknowledge of events to come. Which I fully intend to give you at the appropriate times. Please M'Lady, allow me to advise you on the the things that I know. My main goal is to serve You M'Lady. Please, do not discard me for a silly matter of pride.'
Once again his golden tongue saves him. but how long will it last him? only time will tell. 'I expect a full and well supported reason for this action when i see you next Xarozel. Understood?' Obvious, if well suppressed relief shone in his response.
'Of course M'Lady. Nothing less would be exceptable. I'll see you in a weeks time, mabey.' She could feel him staring to break the connection, but just before he did, he put in one last bit, 'Oh and do please be sure to apologize to Dear Old Abby. The sooner we get done here with me, the sooner I can tell you what i said earlier. TTFN!' and with that the link broke, leaving an echo of laughter in the silence.
She pinched the bridge of Her nose. She still couldn't decide if She regretted letting him in or not. The boy was just, too odd. She sighed, realizing the various points he had made were likely correct, and summoned 'Dear Old Abby' back to hear his report. And She had to give him credit. it may not have been his explicit aim, but She certainly wasn't mad anymore.
