Author's Note: This is a spoiler, though maybe not of what you think...

(music - StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Soundtrack: Better Tomorrow)

Sarah trudged through the enraged crowds lining the streets of Antioch, trying to shut out both their hateful thoughts and words. The fact that they had dressed her up as her infested form didn't help, though they hadn't done it perfectly as her red hair still flew freely in the gentle breeze.

She slowed for a second and a Zealot shoved her forward, almost causing her to fall. Her escorts never dropped their pace and Sarah could barely keep up while trying to regain her balance.

The procession reached a temporary dais erected in one of the city's squares. Sarah climbed onto it, bracing herself for whatever death the Protoss had in mind. A Sentry began zapping her with its disruption beam, causing her to squirm in discomfort. It wasn't on a lethal setting, but the robotic drone was slowly increasing its power. Of course her death would not come quickly: Public humiliation would precede it, but the sheer ridiculousness of the situation would have made her laugh at any other time.

"So not only do I have to sit through this, but I have to die from a tickle beam. Wonderful."

The beam suddenly stopped and a Zealot began removing the fake wings and carapace they had put on her. Sarah was thankful that they had left her hostile environment suit underneath it, but as they removed the fake Zerg pieces one of them deliberately pressed the quick release.

"Oh, this just keeps getting better..." Sarah fought to keep the blood from rushing to her face as her naked body was exposed and squeezed her eyes shut as spectators shouted mocking catcalls and other insults.

Suddenly, the crowd fell silent as Nahaan began a speech.

"Get on with it already. You guys were so eager to see me die anyway." Eventually the Praetor's drivel ceased and the Zealot stepped forward, holding a ceremonial psi-blade. Just as he was about to slice it, the warrior changed his mind and viciously kicked Sarah. So did the other Zealot on the dais. Bound, gagged, and with no protection, she could do nothing more than try to stomach the beating. It stopped after a while, but Sarah had no sooner lowered her guard than recieved another kick straight between her legs.

"You can't even execute her in a dignified manner?!" Sarah looked up and saw Jim in his combat armor trying to make his way to the dais.

She began vehemently shaking her head, trying to get him to back down. But of course Jim wouldn't drop the knight-in-shining-armor routine. He'd reached the security perimeter and was pointing his penetrator rifle at the Zealots, trying to force his way through. One of the Zealots made to push him away and recieved a penetrator bullet to the head. The square was silent for a few seconds before Nahaan spoke.

"You dare exploit our genorosity, James Raynor? All the Conclave and Hierarchy needlessly conceeded to your kind, and you demand more by interfering with our justice? Very well! You shall have more: taste the might of the Ara!"

He had no chance, and everyone knew it. A plasma gun round destroyed a Dragoon, a grenade sent a group of Zealots reeling, and dozens of Protoss fell with wounds from Jim's rifle, but within the span of a minute the numbers overwhelmed him and he was subdued. The Zealots took care in removing his combat armor, but they displayed no such thing in handling their formerly greatest ally.

Sarah watched as the Zealots roughly tossed Jim next to her.

"Jim...you shouldn't have."

"I might as well die with you. Without you I have nothing left to stay here for."

Sarah blinked and a tear ran down her cheek. They had meant the universe to each other and they both knew it, but now, when they were about to lose it all...

She lifted his eyes to his as he did the same. The Zealots roughly hoisted him to his feet, but he never broke eye contact.

"I love you, Jim. Never forget it."

"Never, Sarah. I wo - " Jim's final words were cut short and a psi-blade sprouted from his chest while another slid across his throat.

Before she could comprehend what had happened Sarah felt herself being roughly hoisted to her feet as the Protoss led her back to her cell. She saw out of the corner of her eye one of them dragging Jim's corpse.

When they reached her cell, both were thrown in unceremoniously. In the background, a doleful speech about the future of the Protoss began.

As the lock engaged, Sarah finally managed to comprehend what had happened. "Jim, please don't be dead," she repeated as she cradled his lifeless head in her hands. "I need you...Jim..." she kissed him and immediately regretted it. There was no denying his death now; for the first time, he didn't kiss back.

Her hands trembling, Sarah lowered the corpse's head to the ground and slowly backed away. "No, no," she whispered, her voice growing louder in denial each time. "No, no, no!" She began to cry uncontrollably, though all the tears she had, every breath in her lungs, and every ounce of her strength could not vent in the slightest the terrible feelings within her.

Within seconds they had built up to unbearable levels. The psionic scream she let loose now easily surpassed even the one after her escape from Umoja. The cell shook and the nearest guards collapsed dead where they stood, while many more clutched their heads and rolled in agony, their minds overwhelmed by the bitter psychic overload and their eyes blinded by a brilliant glow. Across Antioch, thousands of Protoss clutched their heads as they felt the devastated emotions of their worst enemy forcibly shared with them and countless pieces of technology were simply fried by the waves of energy. But for all her rage and grief, the cell walls didn't break.

Sarah collapsed to the floor, tears still streaming down her face and sobs still rocking her body. She instinctively scrambled over to Jim's corpse and wrapped it in an embrace as passionate as any they had shared while he was alive, hoping for some brief solace from her pain.

The cold touch that greeted her was anything but comforting, and Sarah felt her emotions welling up within her again. But this time when she screamed, it was his name, called one last time from within the increasing depths of her mind as she desperately tried anything and everything she could to bury the memories of him that had once been her most precious.

"JIM!"

Author's Note: So I decided to put this one up much earlier than I originally planned to see what you guys make of it. Feel free to debate amongst yourselves about it, but I'm not revealing anything about where this goes in the story. Sorry.

And I chickened out of characterizing Nahaan properly because...why not admit it, I hate him.