Author's Note: With the new year, I thought it'd be best to kick it off by giving you guys the chapter you've all been waiting for. Without doubt this has been the most difficult chapter for me to write so far, as I had to make every attempt to keep things from getting completely out of control, it certainly wasn't easy.

Anyways, for writing this chapter, I had to read parts of "The Dark Templar Saga Part 3: Twilight" very carefully in order to make the chapter work. For those of you who had read the book, you'll notice a lot of references to it right here in this chapter.

Well that's enough out of me. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please read and review!

Chapter 40

Hierarchy Citadel, Scion Province, Aiur

Upon entering the main chamber of the citadel, Jim could see that the building's interior had also suffered from the Zerg infestation. Standard Protoss architecture in almost all buildings comprise of golden towers and arches, along with resting Khaydarin Crystals. Here, although the arches and towers remain, their golden radiance had disappeared. They look dilapidated, and although there was no Zerg creep present, the commander could clearly see the scars of infestation they had left behind. The Khaydarin Crystals in the chamber were a clear sign that the citadel still had power, but they no longer rejuvenated anyone passing by with a blue glow.

Sarah kept her eyes on the ground, knowing that the scars of the very citadel they were in had been had been caused by her hand when she was the Queen of Blades. Nova put a comforting hand on her shoulder, softly encouraging her, but it didn't seem to have any success.

Jim walked forward, towards the circular room. Above it was a dome, forged from faceted Khaydarin Crystals, but while they were meant to let in as much light as possible, the ones here were barely doing that, another sign of the Zerg infestation.

Alcoves ran along the entirety of the circular hall, although more than half of them had sustained severe damage and were somewhat caved in. The ones that remained looked like they had undergone some degree of restoration, and a Protoss was sitting in a chair in each of the remaining ones. Jim was quickly able to spot out Artanis in one, although he was unable to determine the identities of the other five. Beside Artanis stood Selendis, and the commander hoped she would be able to forgive him for what he had done on Haven, having rescued Dr. Hanson and her colonists.

Around the giant circular room, Protoss Zealots stood by, and Jim understood such a precaution. None of the Protoss were convinced yet that Sarah was a different person now, and the warriors were in position in the event the former Queen of Blades reared her head.

Naturally, Jim hoped to avoid fighting at all while in this chamber, but such factors were not completely within his control.

"En Taro Tassadar, James Raynor," Artanis greeted. "The Protoss Hierarchy is honored by your presence among us once more. Years ago, we stood together against the Zerg swarm, and now we find ourselves in a similar situation, facing an even greater foe."

"En Taro Tassadar, Artanis," Jim greeted back. "I thought you said most of you guys are still skeptical on this Xel'Naga prophecy. Zeratul showed me what he had uncovered on Ulaan, and even he said the prophecy was uncertain in nature."

"It still is, my friend," Zeratul replied, stepping out from the shadows. "This meeting is not to discuss about the prophecy in itself as we have yet to fully comprehend it. However a consensus has been reached that it cannot be ruled out, especially after they had seen the apocalyptic vision of the future from the Zerg Overmind."

"This meeting is about Kerrigan, then." It was more of a statement than a question.

"You are correct, young Raynor," one of the Dark Templars sitting from above stated. Although he looked in a calm state, Jim knew he didn't need to be a telepath to see the Nerazim was struggling to contain his rage against Sarah.

Zeratul's voice suddenly spoke into his mind. Do not be too surprised, my friend. Mohandar is among the strongest warriors of all Dark Templar, but like myself, he too is still struggling to prevent his emotion from blinding him from his reason in the presence of the former Queen of Blades, especially after what had happened to Raszagal.

Jim cringed at the thought. He knew this would be among the topics brought up, and no matter how much he believed he could handle it, the doubts remained in his mind. Sarah's pessimism on that topic did nothing to help him in the matter.

"We are pleased that your actions on Char have given us the opportunity to retake our homeworld, James Raynor," another Protoss spoke out. "It had been something we had waited what seemed like an eternity for."

Urun had wanted to retake Aiur ever since the Khalai Protoss had found refuge on Shakuras, Zeratul spoke out privately to him.

Jim gave a slight nod in acknowledgement, before speaking up himself, "It seems you boys have done quite a job here already. There're more Zerg corpses on Aiur than I could count by the time I arrived."

"You are correct," Urun replied. "However as the Zerg can replenish their forces so quickly, a victory here will mean little unless there is evidence to suggest that their leadership has truly been crippled. For if not, I fear we could just as easily face yet another Zerg invasion of Aiur."

"You bring with you the greatest threat the Protoss has ever known," another Protoss said, this time in a very accusing tone. "You were foolish in your actions to spare the Queen of Blades. Do you think she would hesitate for even a moment had the situation been reversed?"

At that point, Nova's eyes darkened in anger. "You don't know a damn thing about her before she was taken by the Zerg—"

Before she could get another word out, the Protoss suddenly unleashed a blast of inertia from his hand, blasting her and sending the blond ghost staggering backwards. "You will speak when spoken to, foolish terran!"

"Nahaan, enough!" Artanis shouted, before turning to Raynor and speaking in a much calmer tone. "Forgive him, friend Raynor. As the leader of the Ara Tribe, he had strong ties to the Conclave, the Protoss ruling body that came before the Hierarchy. This was the very group of judicators you had encountered on Aiur during the Zerg invasion."

"I remember," Jim said, keeping his temper in check. "They were the ones who opposed Tassadar for bringing the Dark Templar on Aiur, saying that because they didn't embrace the Khala as you did, they weren't worthy to be considered Protoss at all."

"If it weren't for the energies of the Dark Templar, the Overmind would never have been slain," Mohandar said proudly.

"Even to this day, Nahaan finds it difficult to believe the Conclave had been mistaken," Artanis explained. "He sees the Hierarchy as too slow and inefficient to be capable of action."

"As the Conclave we were capable of making swift decisions!" Nahaan shouted. "Don't forget, Kerrigan murdered Aldaris, our judicator! He had warned you not to trust her when she arrived on Shakuras and you foolishly refused to listen! He had determined that the Queen of Blades has manipulated Raszagal and you still chose to ignore the threat! When are you ever going to learn that female terrans are all untrustworthy?"

Jim shot Artanis a stern look. "Seriously, Artanis, why do you keep such a hot head like that on the Hierarchy?"

"He is difficult to accept," the Hierarch admitted. "But all voices must be heard, and he was the best candidate when selected to represent the Ara Tribe."

"Understand, young Raynor," Nahaan continued. "Your services may have aided us in the destruction of the Overmind, but the fact remains that our homeworld is still in ruins due to the trusting of terrans, and Shakuras came close to sharing a similar fate. Many Protoss believe you are certainly trustworthy, but there are just as many who are fully aware of your personal feelings for Kerrigan. It was exactly why during the Brood War she did not have to warp your mind at all for you to fall under her influence."

As much as Jim hated to admit it, the Ara leader had a point. After the Overmind's death on Aiur, despite the fact of the infestation, he wanted to believe so badly that Sarah had finally changed that it had blinded him to the greater picture. Yet nevertheless, if the Xel'Naga prophecy was true, then perhaps in the long run, such an ascension could have been beneficial.

Before he could speak, however, another Protoss spoke out. "Such a situation is similar to when you had been told about the prophecy, Nahaan. Tassadar is an honored hero of the Protoss, yet even now, you continue to dismiss the possibility that he could be telling the truth about the Overmind."

As the leader the Shelak Tribe, Zekrath constantly tries to seek more knowledge, Zeratul spoke into his mind again. The Xel'Naga prophecy is no exception to this, regardless of its true interpretation.

Jim gave a nod of acknowledgement, before turning to the Shelak leader. "I have to agree with the guy there. This is the fate of not only the Protoss race, but of the entire universe we're talking here. Are you really willing to gamble it all simply due to your pride?"

Nahaan looked furious at such an outburst from the male terran, and was about to reply when a voice cut him off. "James Raynor is correct on this. Despite our loathing of the Zerg, we have little comprehension of their origins. History is of vital importance to the Protoss, and there are times where this includes the history of our enemies. Only by understanding the Zerg is it possible to learn how to defeat them."

Tabrenus is the leader of the Furinax Tribe, my friend. It is my hope that of the Protoss Hierarchy members who are seeing you for the first time, he will be the most sympathetic in regards to Kerrigan. You will see very shortly.

Jim took a deep breath, before speaking himself. "I have heard the opinions of the Hierarchy, and I can see you have conflicting viewpoints. But this isn't about the prophecy we're talking about here. None of us are going to know anything more about that until we pull the knowledge out of the Overmind's head. Zeratul called this meeting to discuss the matter about Kerrigan, and I'm sure by now all of you are aware that I'm the only one here who knows what she's like before she became the Queen of Blades."

"It is the reason for the large numbers of Protoss warriors in this room, James Raynor," Selendis said, speaking up for the first time. "Your actions on Haven may have been vindicated with the terran Hanson in curing her people of the Zerg infestation virus, but Kerrigan is a completely different story altogether."

"Would you have given them the chance had I not been able to defeat your Purifier?" Jim asked.

"Not then," the female executor stated. "But after my Observers had recorded that the infestation had been contained, I saw that terran technology must not be underestimated."

Jim smiled slightly at that when Selendis continued, "Nevertheless, the Protoss on Haven have confirmed that the terran Hanson was unable to extract the remaining Zerg blood still present in the former Queen of Blades. The might of the Xel'Naga may have removed much of it, but as long as there is still the tainted blood within her, the possibility that she will remain a threat to all creation cannot be ruled out. Given her strong psionic abilities, you will understand why such precautions are necessary."

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, they suddenly felt a strange feeling pass by them. A psionic feeling indeed, but it wasn't one of attack or anything like that. Rather, it felt like a mental barrier had been removed or something.

Immediately, Jim turned around to Sarah. "Sarah, what did you just do?"

Kerrigan raised her head up, speaking for the first time in a soft voice, "I released my mental fortifications. Every telepath in the room is now free to probe my mind as much as they like, for as long as they like. I won't resist that."

Before Jim could object, Sarah shook her head sadly. "You know this has to be done, Jim. After what I did to Raszagal, turning her into my slave and using her to betray the Dark Templar people, I have no right for them not to do the same to me. If they're going to go into my head and kill me that way, then so be it."

Jim looked up, alarmed, before turning to Artanis. "You had better be right that none of your council members will let their emotions blind them, Artanis," he said in a warning tone. "I made it clear to you on Haven, I'm not going to stand by and let you kill Sarah."

"And that is why none of us will read into her mind," the Hierarch replied. "As Zeratul was the one who had discovered the Xel'Naga prophecy on Ulaan, and that Raszagal's death had affected him more deeply than anyone else, I propose for him to do so."

None of the other Protoss in the room seemed to object to this, and Jim sighed. "I know it's painful for you to see Raszagal's death again, Zeratul. But you also want to know what Sarah is like now, so the real question is if you're willing to endure seeing it again."

"I will endure what is necessary," the Dark Templar said calmly. "I had once told Aldaris that the Conclave had allowed their pride to blind them from their reason, and that to live to avenge them, we must learn from our mistakes. I shall do the same here, and set aside what was done in the past."

Without another word Zeratul raised his hand, as the Khaydarin Crystal Amulet on his neck began to glow brightly.

Sarah made no attempt to resist. Despite her fear of what Zeratul may do to her, she stood her ground and allowed the process to continue.

"Jim, I don't think this is a good idea," Nova warned. "I'm not sure anyone is strong enough not to let their emotions get in the way of this. I was in the room with you as well when you spoke to the Protoss Hierarch, remember? Sarah said it herself that no Protoss alive today wouldn't demand her death after all that's happened."

"I've known Zeratul longer than you, Nova," Jim assured. "He discovered the prophecy, so he's not going to kill the one person who holds the key to saving the universe."

Zeratul paid no attention to this. Instead, he focused his psionic energies and scanned through Kerrigan's mind. The images he was seeing verified what Raynor had told him about her. She was indeed very powerful, but she also possessed a willpower that the Nerazim could not comprehend in terrans. He still remembered back on Char when he killed the Zerg Cerebrate Zasz, and how the Zerg essence tried to enter his mind. Although it was only for a moment, it had left him deeply shaken. On the other hand, Kerrigan had the Zerg essence infesting her mind for the last 4 years, yet she was able to retain her free will and sanity.

He felt her guilt and anguish at everything she had done as the Queen of Blades. He felt her resentment towards the Xel'Naga prophecy. Even now, she still wished someone could prove the prophecy false, so the Protoss would kill her and get it over with. Zeratul saw that she never wanted the role of savior at all. In fact, she never even wanted her psionic abilities to begin with, never wanted to be the special person.

But Zeratul also saw Kerrigan prior to her infestation, when she had first met Jim Raynor. Clearly her feelings for him grew the longer they had known each other, and the Dark Templar couldn't help but wonder if her feelings for him were every bit as strong as his for her.

He then witnessed her assimilation into the Zerg swarm, where she was imprisoned in the chrysalis. Zeratul saw her psychically screaming for Raynor as she was being infested, the very sight of it shook him to the core. And then he saw her back on Char, finally de-infested and free from the Zerg after so long. He saw Raynor look down at her, amazed to see her human again, and the joy in his eyes. He saw the joy in Kerrigan's eyes, the relief she felt of finally being rescued by the only person she knew who could have saved her.

Zeratul had seen enough. His psionic energies waned and he left Kerrigan's mind, and turned his attention to the Protoss Hierarchy.

"James Raynor was telling the truth when he said that Kerrigan is different now. I have gazed into her mind, and I can tell you that she regretted everything she did to us when she was the Queen of Blades. She carries a great burden of guilt, and feels she deserves to suffer for what she had done."

"Of course she deserves to suffer!" Nahaan shouted. "The only reason she is even alive right now is because of the prophecy!"

"I had seen her feelings on that as well," Zeratul replied. "Even at this very moment, she wishes that the prophecy would be false. She does not see herself as a savior to anyone, let alone everyone. She longs for her release, to be sent to the afterlife."

"That is not an option if the prophecy is true though," Artanis pointed out. "If Kerrigan dies, all of creation will die with her."

"Then prove the prophecy wrong," Sarah said softly. "I…I don't deserve to live after what I did to your kind."

Nova put a hand on her shoulder, before tilting her head up and speaking out. "According to what I've heard from Jim, you Protoss are supposed to be mostly rational. If that's true, then you have no right to kill Sarah."

"You dare tell us what is our right and what isn't?" Urun fumed. "You are in no position say such things!"

"And you are in no position to judge Sarah because you don't know what she was like before her infestation!" Nova countered.

"Neither are you, young terran!" Nahaan shouted. "Do not forget, we Protoss are the masters of telepathy! We know you have no knowledge of the Queen of Blades in such a matter either!"

Nova clenched her fist tightly, furious that her mind had been read without her consent. "Stop calling her that! Her time with the Zerg wasn't by her own free will! She didn't choose to become infested in the first place! She's traumatized enough over these things as it is and you're just making it worse! Sarah was once like myself, assigned to protect lives!"

"Protect lives? You once served a master that committed similar atrocities against the Protoss!" the Ara leader accused. "The Dominion as you call it had taken innocent Protoss and twisted and manipulated them into weapons that would obey their will! The gestalts, as they like to be called, defile the sacredness of all Protoss!"

At this point Jim spoke up. "The three of us had encountered those perversions before coming to Aiur. Nova and Sarah had destroyed them all. Besides, you're only telling the rest of the Protoss part of the picture. If you can read her mind so easily, then you'd also know that Nova is no longer part of the Dominion she once served. She is part of my Raiders now, and all of us fight for freedom to the Koprulu sector."

"He is correct, Nahaan," Tabrenus said. "Do not forget, the Protoss taken for the gestalt project came from the Furinax Tribe, and my tribe has conducted unethical experiments of our own."

Jim looked confused. "What experiments? What are you talking about?"

The Furinax leader paused for a moment, before speaking, "Our tribe had forged an advanced experimental facility some time ago on a distant world. About two and a half years ago, we conducted an experiment on Zerg creep, the very organism that Zerg buildings and larvae feed upon. Although it had cost the lives of many Protoss warriors, we had learned that the creep could be infected with a virus, causing it to mutate and destroy itself. If the theory could be proven, then we would produce this virus on a mass scale to be scattered across the Zerg infested worlds and eliminate the Zerg species once and for all."

"What happened?"

"The results were…catastrophic," Tabrenus admitted. "Instead of mutating and killing itself, the mutated creep became even stronger, capable of infesting Protoss. Afterwards, the facility was abandoned, and the entire experiment put to rest."

Sarah suddenly spoke up. "I know the feeling of what that's like," she said softly. "I had been subjected to it even before I was taken by the Zerg." Off the Protoss's confused look, she continued, "I used to be a soldier in the Terran Confederacy, and they had experimented on me with Zerg substances. The creep was among them, and they had learned through me that it could be psionically controlled. They didn't care what happened to me, as long as it got them the results they wanted."

"Do you expect that to be a reason for us to show you sympathy for all that you had done to us?" Mohandar scoffed.

Jim's eyes narrowed in anger. "If you're truly as wise and rational as you say you are, you'll put your anger aside. Sarah didn't choose to warp your Matriarch Raszagal of her own free will. That was the Zerg working through her. She too had been enslaved by it, and you should know that by now."

"I do not know enough of female terrans to fully understand what they are like, young Raynor. Kerrigan may mean much to you, but she is still the sworn enemy of the Protoss to me."

At this point, a Protoss Dark Templar on the ground level where Zeratul stood stepped forward. "You must understand, James Raynor. The Zerg swarm under Kerrigan's command had attacked the Alys'aril Nexus on Ehlna. That was the most sacred place of the Dark Templar, the very first sanctuary we had built since our exile from Aiur. It arose from our experiences, to serve our needs, and the Zerg swarm threatened to tear the place apart unless we gave them what they wanted, and even then I believe they would have destroyed our sanctuary anyway. It was only with the help of Khalai and Nerazim Protoss alike, along with a female terran by the name of Rosemary Dahl, that we had prevented the Zerg from achieving this."

Sarah shuddered at the mention of Dahl's name. As the Queen of Blades, she had been responsible for infesting her lover Ethan Stewart, and turning him into her consort. When he had served his purpose, she had discarded him like a pawn, leaving him to the mercy of the Protoss without another thought.

She looked on at the Dark Templar, suddenly remembering him as she has seen the Protoss through the eyes of her Zerg minions.

Before she had a chance to speak however, Nova piped up. "You just said it yourself that a female terran helped you defend this temple of yours. Since you didn't say anything about betrayal, I think it's safe to assume she was loyal to the Protoss cause until the end." Off the Dark Templar's nod, she continued, "If that's true, then don't you think this is a sign that not all females are murderous and treacherous?"

"Rosemary Dahl's actions did indeed give us pause for thought," the Dark Templar agreed. "However, it is still uncertain if this is true for all female terrans, or if they are treacherous by nature and she was merely the exception."

"You have every right to kill me right now, Ataldis," Sarah said quietly. "And you were right about my intentions back then given my previous treachery. If you had handed Zamara over to me, I would have ordered the Zerg to turn your Alys'aril into nothing but infested ruins."

"Then we were right to have deceived you," Selendis said coldly, before turning to Raynor. "This is why the former Queen of Blades cannot be trusted. Your actions on Char have only changed her appearance. At this point, nothing more is certain."

Jim, however, turned his eyes to the Dark Templar. "Ataldis, because of what you said about this Rosemary Dahl, you just openly admitted that there's not enough information to know just what the nature of human females is really like. If that's true, will you not give Sarah a chance to prove herself?"

"Aiur is in ruins due to trusting terrans. Shakuras nearly shared a similar fate, and the same was true for our Alys'aril Nexus on Ehlna. Everything Kerrigan has said to us has turned out to be lies. Why should any of us believe her now? It has been confirmed that some of the tainted blood is still within her, so you do not even know if the Zerg influence is truly gone or not, assuming she is even the noble person you claim she is to begin with."

Jim was just about to respond when Ataldis continued, "While we acknowledge the fact that at times our pride blind us from our reason, the fact remains that we have seen cases in terrans where you let your emotions blind you to the greater picture. For that reason, your feelings for the former Queen of Blades could be used to manipulate you."

"Were you even listening to Zeratul? He had seen into Sarah's mind," Jim countered. "You're free to look yourself if you don't believe it, but Sarah has regretted everything she's done to you. She told me she'll do everything she can to make it up, and even then she'd still accept whatever sentence you pass on her. If you're not going to trust my words, at least trust Zeratul's."

Ataldis paused for a moment, in thought. Zeratul was the most respected Protoss in the room, and the rightful leader of the Nerazim. The only reason why he's not was because he chose the path of exile after what had happened to Raszagal, yet it would appear that he seemed willing to forgive Kerrigan for her actions. To the Alysaar Templar, his immediate suspicion is that the former Queen of Blades is trying to manipulate Zeratul to her own benefit, but he then sensed that her mental fortifications were still down, and as he briefly touched her mind, Ataldis could see she made no attempt of anything he was suspecting.

The blond terran called Nova Terra must have picked up on his thoughts, because right at that moment, she spoke up again. "Sarah isn't hiding anything from you, you're free to look all you want if you think she's trying to manipulate you and all that. When you don't find anything, will you then finally accept that she's a different person now?"

"There are those who need not to touch her mind for that, young Terra," Tabrenus said. "One of my own had experienced similarly to that of the former Queen of Blades. Though not on the same scale, he would have the best understanding of what it feels like to be controlled and manipulated."

At this point, a Protoss Zealot stepped forward. "James Raynor, your victory on Char came at the usage of an ancient Xel'Naga relic, one that had been protected by other Protoss."

Jim nodded. "They called themselves the Tal'darim, were a bunch of really fanatical people too. They tried everything in their power to keep me from the fragments."

"I would know," the Zealot said. "I used to be one of the Tal'darim myself." Seeing Raynor's eyes widen at the revelation, he continued, "I am Vartanil, a member of the Furinax Tribe. The Tal'darim you had encountered shared a similar trait I once had: corruption by Sundrop. It is a Protoss drug that is meant to cut us off from the link to the Khala, thus making us confused and violent."

"That would explain your hostility towards everyone," Jim said.

"Indeed," Vartanil then turned his head to Kerrigan. "Before the Tal'darim was formed, I had been part of the Protoss group known as the Shel'na Kryhas, among the Protoss survivors stranded on Aiur. The Dark Archon Ulrezaj had used this substance to corrupt and enslave us. I am sure you have heard of him."

"I remember," Sarah said softly. "I had used the Zerg to track him as well as Zamara."

"It is why I can understand your situation, Kerrigan," Vartanil replied. "If James Raynor is telling the truth about you, then the Zerg infestation you had undergone had enslaved you in a similar way the Sundrop had done to me. The terran Rosemary Dahl had been subjected to the drug as well, and she had been cured of it just as I have. It was why I had supported her proposal to the Hierarchy of rescuing her friend Jake Ramsey and to locate Zamara."

"Young Vartanil, if you think you are going to convince the Hierarchy to accept the former Queen of Blades, forget about it!" Nahaan seethed. "She will never be anything more than a creature of rage and treachery!"

At that, the Protoss warrior suddenly tilted his head up to face the Ara leader. "With all due respect, great Nahaan, I am the only Protoss in this chamber who understands how it feels to be manipulated, corrupted, and deceived. Do not forget, no Protoss had ever been infested by the Zerg and lived to tell the tale, so the closest similarity we have to compare would come from the corruption from the Sundrop substance."

He then turned back to Kerrigan. "I may have been in control of my own actions, but as I had been cut off from the Khala, such were actions that I did not understand. If your free will had been retained all those years, then your actions too had been manipulated. You were a tool of the Zerg just as I had been a tool of Ulrezaj."

"Come forward, Kerrigan," Artanis said, and Sarah did as he asked. "When I had spoken to you on Haven, you had promised me that you would never hurt another Protoss again." Off Sarah's nod, he continued, "I want you to take back that promise."

Sarah was aghast. "I have caused enough pain to the Protoss to last more lifetimes than I can count!" she exclaimed. "How can you even think of asking me that?"

"If you can truly see from the eyes of your Zerg minions when you were the Queen of Blades, then you had to have seen that Ulrezaj had been imprisoned in the Khaydarin Crystal that Zamara had transferred her essence into." Off Kerrigan's nod, Artanis continued, "We now have confirmation that he had escaped his confines. Zeratul had discovered Protoss-Zerg hybrids in the Xel'Naga Caverns beneath Aiur, all of them forged by Ulrezaj."

"Jim showed me the Overmind's apocalyptic vision of the future that showed hybrids too," Sarah said softly. "Are you saying Ulrezaj's master is this Fallen One?"

"It is very probable," Artanis replied. "If that is indeed the case, then Ulrezaj is a traitor to all creation, not just the Protoss. All of the Tal'darim he had corrupted would still be under his control, and that is why I ask you to take back your promise."

Before Sarah could respond, Jim cut her off. "Artanis, if Sarah does this, how would the other Protoss know she's actually fighting for your side? All they'd see is her still being every bit as ruthless as the Queen of Blades."

"I have already announced to my people that any Tal'darim Protoss will be considered an enemy due to their Sundrop corruption. We will of course still make every possible attempt to restore their connection to the Khala, but there will be times where open confrontation is inevitable."

Sarah sighed. Artanis had a point about Ulrezaj and for her to take her promise back. But deep down, she didn't know if she could take fighting the Protoss anymore, no matter whose side they're on. Far too much blood had already been shed when she was the Queen of Blades. It was because of her that Aiur was a wasteland, and their survivors as refugees on Shakuras. Too many Protoss lives had already been lost, she didn't know if she had it in her to take any more.

Nova patted her back gently. "Sarah, I know it's hard for you, but if what they're saying is true, this Ulrezaj could end up killing us all. No one here is saying you must be the person to kill him, but it's certainly a possibility, and we're right now simply asking you to accept that."

Kerrigan looked up at the Protoss Hierarch. "Just Ulrezaj, and maybe his Tal'darim followers, no one more. I've caused too many Protoss deaths already, I won't hurt any more than I have to."

"You had best not," Urun said in a threatening tone. "We shall be watching you carefully, Kerrigan. After our experiences with Rosemary Dahl, the Protoss Hierarchy is convinced enough to give pause to our thoughts on female terrans, but the tainted Zerg blood in you means you are not like them in that sense. As Zeratul had discovered that you are indeed remorseful about what you had done to our people and wish to correct the mistakes, I will give you that much in the benefit of the doubt. The terran mind is unique in its unpredictability, and we have seen great variations from it. There are those that have shown kindness, and there are those corrupted by greed and lust for power."

He then turned his head to Nova. "Even if what James Raynor has said about you is true and you no longer serve the faction you once did, they have proven themselves to be hostile to our kind and we anticipate conflict with them in the future."

Ataldis turned his head to Raynor. "The Zerg were not the only invaders to our Alys'aril Nexus on Ehlna. There was a terran faction that had invaded as well. They had intended to claim it in the name of the Terran Dominion."

Jim gritted his teeth in anger. "I should have known. Mengsk's greed simply knows no bounds."

The Dark Templar paused for a moment, before speaking, "It is not the Mengsk you seem to despise, James Raynor. The head of the invading force was one Valerian Mengsk. It would appear that is the son of the enemy you have known to despise for so long."

"Arcturus Mengsk is your enemy," Jim said calmly. "He is the real reason why so much suffering had been done to your people. He had deliberately abandoned Kerrigan to the Zerg on Tarsonis. Had he not done that, she never would have been the Queen of Blades to begin with."

"James Raynor is telling the truth," Zeratul said in the deep voice. "When I had touched Kerrigan's mind, I had also sensed her loathing of Mengsk. Despite the overwhelming guilt and anguish she felt for her actions against us, I felt her anger and rage at the terran Mengsk for betraying her and leaving her fate to the Zerg."

"Jim, don't do this," Sarah said softly. "Don't try to convince them it was never my fault. They'll never accept that. Remember what I told you: there were more than enough times I had reveled in the power the Zerg had given me."

Fortunately for her, the Protoss Hierarchy pressed forward with what Ataldis had addressed. "Did this Valerian Mengsk steal from the sacred site?" Zekrath asked.

"Not in the sense that you perceive," the Dark Templar answered, before turning to Raynor once more. "The Protoss had returned in force to Ehlna, but instead of fighting, he chose to take his Dominion fleet and withdraw from the area. A small number of our sacred Khaydarin Crystals were lost, but thanks to the efforts Rosemary Dahl and Vartanil, most had been saved from destruction."

"So Valerian is just like his father?" Jim asked.

Ataldis shook his head. "When he had arrived, I had briefly touched his mind. It had been his hope that the knowledge he learned from here would eventually be shared with all terrans, but I sense there was a fear in him of his father."

"Don't tell me, let me guess," Nova said. "Mengsk wanted all the knowledge and power for himself, and if he couldn't have it, then no one would?"

"You are correct, young Terra. From what I had seen in James Raynor's mind about Mengsk, it would appear he is the greedy terran who wants domination of all that live, while his son only wishes for the knowledge to benefit humanity as a whole."

Jim suddenly thought back to Char, when Valerian had asked him to hold on to the Xel'Naga artifact because he didn't want Mengsk to obtain it for himself. Clearly, he was nothing like his father.

"The day will eventually come when I ask for your help to take the fight to the Dominion," he said. "Once it's toppled, freedom will return to the Koprulu Sector."

"And we will be honored to fight at your side in such an endeavor," Artanis said. "For now, however, the last of the Zerg must be cleared from Aiur so that we may begin further investigation regarding the Xel'Naga prophecy."

"Then adjourn the meeting already, Artanis. You got what you needed out of Sarah," Jim looked up at the other members of the Hierarchy, and other than Nahaan, they all expressed agreement. "Zeratul has confirmed she's not like the Queen of Blades anymore, and will do everything she can to make up for her past actions."

Mohandar spoke up. "After what you had done to Raszagal, it would seem unthinkable that you would wish to make amends to our people, Kerrigan. However, Zeratul's opinion is to be respected, and I sense nothing in his mind that you have manipulated him to your own purposes. As with Urun, I too shall give you the benefit of the doubt for the time being. However, Nahaan is correct in that nothing can be ruled out about your intentions. Everything said and done here have only allowed us to reach the conclusion that you will be allowed to proceed with your actions on Aiur so we may yet determine where your loyalties truly lie. Your past deceptions have earned you no credit at all in terms of loyalty, and if we discover any sign of betrayal, you will die by our hand without the slightest hesitation, prophecy or not."

Sarah bowed her head. "I won't ask for your forgiveness, I know I don't deserve it. I know I don't deserve your trust, or even to live after all the pain I caused. But I promised I will find a way to make it all up to you, and I won't go back on that, no matter what you think of me now."

Jim breathed a sigh of relief when the Nerazim gave her a nod of approval, and backed down from any further accusations.

"Understand, young Kerrigan," Tabrenus explained. "One of my own may be sympathetic to you, but do not misjudge that leniency. The only history of Zerg infestation towards individual Protoss comes from the experimental facility, long since abandoned. As the experiment was carried out in secrecy, no one knows the specific details of the infestation and therefore no Protoss can understand what you had undergone during yours. Nevertheless, despite having their link to the Khala restored, all of the Tal'darim Protoss that we have helped are still being watched over as a precaution in the event their minds are still corrupted by Sundrop. You should expect similar suspicions for yourself."

"You guys can see it for yourselves once she helps you free Aiur," Jim said impatiently. "The longer we spend here, the more time the Zerg will have in strengthening themselves."

"You are correct my friend," Artanis said, before turning to the rest of the Hierarchy. "This meeting is hereby adjourned, my fellow brethren. We will now turn our task to clearing the Overmind's corpse, where the last concentration of Zerg is located."

As the Protoss Hierarchy left the meeting room, along with the other Protoss warriors, Jim turned around, ready to leave the citadel with Sarah and Nova. However, a voice called out to him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Once we have cleared the Zerg from the rotting mass of the Overmind, the rest of my brethren will likely turn their attention to securing the rest of the Aiur System," Zeratul explained. "They would want to ensure that Aiur shall never be threatened by the Zerg again."

"I know," Jim said. "But if what you found out about the Xel'Naga prophecy is true, the Zerg aren't our true enemy. They're just puppets, and someone else is pulling the strings."

"It is why I will return to the Overmind's husk once all of the Zerg defenders there had been slain. I would like you and Kerrigan to join me here when the time comes."

"I don't see the reason why. I already got the gist of the prophecy: Sarah is needed to stop Armageddon from this Fallen One, or he'll destroy the universe."

"The details of it remain uncertain, my friend. The full extent of the Overmind's intentions remain unclear to us. Some of its intentions may not be something I can comprehend."

"And you think Sarah and I can?"

"I have seen traits in the terran species that are difficult to decipher by even the most talented Protoss. It is entirely possible that some of the Overmind's intentions were not meant for a Protoss to understand."

Raynor nodded in understanding. "This is against my better judgment, but I'll agree to it. Once all the Zerg are dead, I'll meet up with you there."

Deep down, however, he prayed Zeratul knew what he was doing. Despite all these years with the Zerg, even Sarah didn't understand the full capabilities of the Overmind itself. The last thing he wanted was to go to the creature, only to have itself suddenly revive from its corpse and infest Sarah again. She had gone through enough hell with the Zerg already, and he refused to lose her a second time.