Author's Note: So the Hierarchy cast here isn't exactly the same as the one in the Dark Templar saga. I cast it differently because the decision regarding Jake Ramsey would not be of similar importance to the decision they are making in this chapter, and I felt that the Protoss would have reformed their government in the wake of the war against Amon, which would probably have shown the detriment of slow government.
Hyperion, a day later (music - Mega Man X4: Staff Roll)
Sarah's self-sacrifice had stopped her infestation, but there was no way her body could recover from a bullet through the brain. She was dead.
At least, that's what Jim had thought. The shock of her suicide hadn't worn off before Ariel had walked into the cantina and asked him to come to the medbay.
Apparently, she'd shot herself and survived. Maybe the Void energy had been focused around her mind to keep it away from the Zerg influence for as long as possible, and by sheer luck the bullet had been stopped by their barrier. Maybe she'd decided to block the bullet at the last second; she knew her regeneration was fast even by Zerg standards. Jim didn't particularly care about how lucky she was; he was just glad she was still alive.
As for her infestation, the Void had held it at bay long enough for many of the individual viruses to die out, greatly weakening its pace. According to Ariel, Void energy apparently immobilized the functions of Zerg cells, and the virus had a short lifetime, which was why infestation proceeded like a tide across a victim's body: the viruses had to infect the nearest cells to ensure success before they died out. The rest had simply been attaching Sarah to an IV and hoping for the best. He'd been unsurprised that the cure took a while to take effect and was actually more bewildered that it still worked: Mohandar and Zeratul couldn't keep up their efforts forever so the drug had to stop both the virus's spread and reverse the infestation on the parts of her body where it had taken over.
The infestation wasn't as bad as Jim had thought either. The carapace hadn't completely formed around her body, and only her hand and face had assumed their Zerg forms, an irony not lost on him as those parts had been scoured by the xel'naga artifact. Apparently the virus had learned to go for her mind first, a painful reminder of Zerg adaptability. Still, it had its limits: the virus hadn't learned to combat Ariel's cure yet, and Jim was grateful beyond measure for it. The carapace and nerve cords would shed by themselves within a few hours, though her face and hands would likely take a week or more to be completely restored.
But the thing Jim was most grateful for was the help of Mohandar, Zeratul, and their escort templars. Jim refused to even contemplate what would have happened without them, but their aid showed that Sarah did have a chance at convincing the remainder of the Daleaam if two of their greatest heroes and a number of warriors sided with her willingly.
"Jim?" Ariel walked in.
"Yeah?"
"Sarah said she wants to see you."
He smiled and walked with the doctor to the medbay.
Sarah had awakened when she was brought into the medbay, and been in almost constant pain since then as Ariel's cure fought against the Zerg virus.
She wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but the pounding in her head and the empty pistol hoslter was a clue. She was just glad someone had blocked the bullet; she knew enough about infestation to know that critical injury would result in a slower infestation as her body tried to repair the injury. Next to committing suicide, that was her best shot at stopping the infestation as far as she could think of, at least when combined with Void energies and the cure.
As the pun formed in her mind a sudden stab of pain coursed through her head, causing her to grimance. A small noise of pain escaped her throat as she put her palms to her head and she wildly wished for Jim again.
Suddenly the medbay doors opened and her wish came true. Jim quickly ran over to her.
"We should name the ward after you," he joked with a smile, trying to put down his revulsion at seeing her half-Zerg.
She didn't smile back and continued to stare at him apologetically. "I should've been paying attention..."
He placed one of his hands on her mostly-human hair and gently stroked it. "Nobody blames you for what happened, darlin'." He planted a kiss on her forehead before gently turning her head to look at him. "Don't regret it: we can undo what happened."
"But what if Mohandar hadn't tried to save me? Then everyone would pay for me letting my emotions govern me again."
Jim sighed. This tack of conversation wasn't going to help her. They sat in silence for a few moments, though Sarah continued to allow Jim to play with her hair and hold her.
In truth, she desperately needed the contact. To remind her that things were different now, and that there was someone who would let no more harm come to her at any cost. Under other circumstances she might have already brought him down on the bed with her. But she felt so guilty at straining his promise so; how could you genuinely express yourself and expect someone to believe you after putting their vow to the ultimate test?
She was too wrapped up in her own remorse to immediately realize Jim didn't think of the incident that way at all. When she did, the knot in her chest was undone and she instinctively threw her arms around him.
Sarah suddenly froze as she accidentally scratched Jim in her haste to demonstrate her affection. She quickly withdrew her clawed hands and turned away from him, shocked at what she'd done.
"Don't apologize, darlin', it's just a scratch," Jim deadpanned, but it was already too late. Sarah pulled the blanket over her head and pulled out of his grip. No sooner had she covered herself than muffled sobs began issuing from within.
Jim felt his heart break as he watched Sarah cry and the outline of her body shake. She hadn't done anything wrong, but she also wasn't one to make others take responsibility for anything if she could help it. While that fed many of the things that Jim liked about her, it also made her conscience weight much more heavily on her, even before she'd become the Queen.
Jim sat on the side of the bed and put an arm around Sarah to let her know he was still there for her. She tried to throw it off without bringing out her hands but eventually she let him. All the while though, she never stopped crying.
Sarah had never felt so alone all of the 30 years of her life; not during those four long years of infestation and atrocity, nor her years of torment between being torn from what was left of her family and when Mengsk had freed her from the Ghost Academy's brainwashing. She'd adamantly believed that she wasn't a danger to those around her, that she knew to control herself. But here she'd just hurt the one she loved; it may not have been serious but the fact that it rose from an instinctive act roused those fears again, and god-knows-what would have happened because she didn't pay attention to a lab-bred Zerg if not for Mohandar...
She wanted Jim so desperately and he was right next to her, but she was also deeply afraid that doing so would put him and everyone else at risk, and so she couldn't have him now. They might be back together later, but right now was when she needed him the most, to hold tight to him and cry out her sorrow. Two different faces of her love, incompatible with each other, each claiming to be the only genuine manifestation.
She felt Jim's arm around her waist suddenly and instinctively thrashed around under the blanket, trying to shake it off. But as gentle as his grip was, he was firm in his determination not to let go, and eventually she stopped struggling and silently thanked him for being willing to trust her not to harm him so soon after she'd invalidated it.
Jim slowly rocked her body against his while slowly moving his other hand under the blanket to stroke her hair. To his relief, Sarah let him do it and snuggled closer to him under the blanket. She mumbled something through her tears, but Jim couldn't hear her and tried to lift the blanket off her face to hear better. She gently resisted, careful to keep her hands away from Jim, and talked to him telepathically instead.
"I was right all along...I'm just a danger to others."
"No you're not," he replied aloud. "Power and danger go hand-in-hand, but there's a lot more to you than that, Sarah. You aren't a weapon. You're a human like me, like everyone else on this ship. And we are who we chose to be. You don't want to be a danger, and so you aren't to anyone. I trust that, and you, with my life." His hand left her hair and began gently stroking her face. "You are not weak or evil, Sarah. You're the most selfless person I know, and you've endured tenfold what drove others to insanity while still retaining the good person inside you. If there's any definition of strength, it's you."
Sarah stopped crying soon afterwards. She still felt horrible for what had just happened, but hearing Jim's praise and forgiveness made her feel better. She curled up next to him and closed her eyes. Just before she fell asleep, a painful burning sensation erupted in her face and hands.
Annoyed, Sarah kept trying to fall asleep, which should have been easy given the fact that she'd slept for the whole of 30 minutes over the last two days, but the burning pain kept her awake.
"What's wrong, Sarah?"
"Nothing," she lied. "Just...having trouble sleeping."
Jim wasn't convinced. "Is it the cure?" he asked worriedly.
"...Yeah. Dr. Hanson said it would hurt a lot for the first few hours but it trails off after that."
"Alright then, just hold on darlin'. And thank you for doing this; even if you stayed half-Zerg, I'd still claim you as my beautiful girl." Sarah felt a warmth within her as he said that and poked her head out of the blanket, just enough so that Jim could see those eyes that he so loved. Jim noticed that the skin tone of her face had largely returned to normal. While they looked into each other's eyes, Jim slowly pulled the blanket off of her and moved closer.
"Jim! There's other people here!" Sarah blushed the same color as her hair and grabbed the blanket, covering herself back up to her breasts. Jim simply grinned.
"Sorry, darlin'. Couldn't resist," he admitted. Sarah playfully hit him on the shoulder and gasped in pain as the now-brittle claws on her hand snapped off at the root with the impact.
"Well..." she mused and made to do the same with her other hand, bracing herself for the pain. Jim held her by the waist gently and silently encouraged her while she did. Within a minute, her body had regenerated her normal fingernails in the place of her long black claws.
Jim sighed with relief as he watched the process. He cradled Sarah's head in his lap and caressed her cheek. Suddenly he felt her gently tugging on him to get under the blanket. "Are you sure there's room for one more under there?" he asked casually.
Sarah nodded with a smile and let him slide under the blanket with her. For a moment, they simply rested against each other in silent comfort.
"Are you still in pain?" Jim asked.
Sarah shook her head. "Not so much now. Goodnight, Jim," she murmured and was asleep in seconds. Jim planted a kiss on her lips and slowly removed himself from the bed. He didn't want to leave her, but he was needed elsewhere and it was probably best if she was left alone in case something happened. He knew she would want it that way.
Antioch, Aiur, the next day (music - your choice)
"En Taro Tassadar, my brethren. Let us return to our council." Artanis took his seat again after a ten-minute recess following hours of debate, and the other members of the Hierarchy made to do the same. Mohandar, what has become of Kerrigan?"
"She is stable," replied the Prelate. "The infestation has been successfully halted and is in the process of being reversed."
"How can you be sure, Mohandar?" inquired Tabrenus. "Even we do fully understand how this process works, yet the Terrans have not only figured out how but designed a cure?"
"Do not forget the Terrans are far more ingenious than the Conclave and our beliefs of old give them credit for," cautioned Urun. "And though they surprise us with their ingenuity, we cannot immediately assume that Kerrigan has been completely reverted to humanity."
Mohandar made to reply, but Nahaan spoke first. "Not immediately? We should not assume so at all! Trust is not a commodity we should dispense to her after the debacle of the Brood War!"
"And if that is the way we choose, we will be embroiled in perpetual war, and one that we will not have the upper hand in for long if ever," countered Mohandar. "The Terrans have already sought an alliance with the Swarm, and they have fewer causes to forgive than we do. We Protoss cannot be infested, nor did we leave our people to the mercy of the Zerg."
"Whether the Terrans trust the Swarm is a different matter than if they trust her! I need not remind you that she has tipped entire battles in the Swarm's favor..." Nahaan stopped short of broaching the subject of Kaldir. Though by no means willing to dismiss it, he had deferred to the Hierarchy's judgement on the matter rather than stall further, as the Protectorate was on the verge of mounting their campaign to retake Aiur.
"All the more reason to ally with her, Nahaan. Better to lessen our number of existing foes should a new one emerge. Remember that Tassadar's joining with the Dark Templar was what allowed him to vanquish the Overmind."
"This is an entirely different matter, Artanis! The Zerg are not wayward Protoss!"
Mohandar's eyes ignited. "Wayward - ?"
"Enough!" Artanis intervened before the Prelate finished his reply. "If nothing constructive remains to be said, we should decide on a course of action and adjourn."
Mohandar composed himself and stood. Though they all knew the purpose of the meeting, decisions such as these followed a rigid pattern of present, debate, summarize, and decide paraphrased from old Conclave processes. The system had been implemented at Nahaan's request, and though the Hierarchy was still not as swift as the Conclave, the process had streamlined decision-making without much detriment to the merit of the decisions.
"Sarah Kerrigan has demonstrated a desire to disband the Swarm and revert infested Terrans to their original state. On the former point, the scientists of the Furinax tribe have confirmed its feasibility; on the latter, she has, nearly at the cost of her life, provided us with a demonstration of the cure the Terran Hanson has provided. The only matter that remains to be decided is what stance we shall take on the matter." The Prelate paused. He had to be very careful with his words. "I will vouch for Kerrigan's integrity on the matter, and propose that we aid her efforts. While I do not demand a waiving of her trial, let us not be partial and try her by standard procedure."
The Prelate sat down as Tabrenus rose. "I share Mohandar's sentiment that we trust Kerrigan for the time being, however I do not propose active involvement of our brethren. Once she has served her purpose, I also request that she still be tried, though as a war criminal rather than a peacetime offender." Though simple, it was the moderate option and the one that the Hierarchy agreed the most with and thus didn't need to be elaborate.
The Furinax leader took his seat as Nahaan rose for the final opinion. "While we should by no means hamper Kerrigan in her efforts, I advise against trusting her and actively participating in cooperative efforts with the Swarm until we can have concrete proof of her honesty. I also do not recommend allowing Kerrigan a trial before execution: we cannot conclusively prove that Kerrigan is different than she was during the Brood War, even if she has done great service to us in the battles against the Fallen One. Should the Zerg truly be seeking what they proclaim, we should not stop them, and that shall be concession enough." It wasn't as though the Ara leader was the inflexible and conservative near-fanatic that the majority of outsiders to Protoss politics took him for; his spirited nature often resulted in extreme bluntness, something that, ironically, only Zerg didn't mind.
While Nahaan was aware of his rather unenviable standing in the Protectorate government, Artanis decided a conservative member of the Hierarchy was needed as a check; while it slowed down the Hierarchy greatly it also ensured that all choices were not made without consideration for every outcome. In the earlier days of the Hierarchy, when Artanis had needed to rely on the fragile Daleaam alliance's instinctive gravitation towards the Judicator Caste for governance, Nahaan's rash behavior had been easily dismissed and ignored and he retained his position with little effort. But as the Hierarchy grew more stable the Ara leader had found himself battling for the caste's dwindling representation in the Hierarchy high council. The contest had occasionally involved moderate violence, but Nahaan had nearly been executed when a rival Shelak templar under his command was abandoned to the Zerg.
There had never been conclusive proof that Nahaan was to blame, and the death had in fact been a combination of a Zerg ambush and negligence. What Nahaan had done was allow the executor to pay for his mistake by withdrawing rather than aiding him, a reasonable command under the circumstances. Nevertheless, the incident had severely damaged his reputation and trustworthiness. Mohandar, who had been the other senior commander, in particular had grown to greatly dislike Nahaan as a result, though in part because of Nerazim bias towards the Conclave. Regardless, Nahaan hadn't changed his stance or attitude one bit, and what he'd done today was proof.
"The Hierarchy has spoken," proclaimed Artanis. "Let our decision be made."
The members of the Hierarchy, along with a "jury" of six randomly chosen officials, cast their votes. The six were to eliminate bias since the three members presenting opinions were mandated to hold to them (and therefore cast out of the voting process), and an odd number of votes was always required for such sensitive issues to ensure that the council would not become deadlocked over critical matters. The unusually large pool had resulted from the nature of the issue: the system decreed that a larger representation was needed as the importance of the matter being decided increased.
At least, that was the theory. Nahaan had influenced the process for this meeting to ensure that the majority of the "randomly" chosen officials were templars of the Ara tribe. He'd also convinced Artanis to allow six rather than two so that the betrayal of one of his officials would not cause him to fail. And just to make sure he wasn't caught, he had influenced a templar from another tribe to vote on his side while beseeching one of his own to vote against him. Among the high council, Nahaan's psionic prowess was second only to Zekrath's, understandable given the latter had studied for centuries, but it was still far more than enough to corrupt the young Furniax templar he'd chosen as a target.
"It is decided then. 2-3-4 in favor of Nahaan. Let us be dismissed." Artanis did not announce who had voted for which decision, though it came as a surprise that Zekrath had sided with Mohandar and an even greater surprise that Nahaan had the majority vote.
The Hierarch stood and the council followed his example while the jury exited. Once the last member of the jury had left, Nahaan and Urun followed suit. Artanis sat down again once they had left and faced the three members whom he had silently invited to stay behind.
"James Raynor will not take lightly to this."
"Remind me to suggest a revision so that a council member's vote must be required for a majority to be upheld," seethed Mohandar. "This decision should be revoted upon; we all reviewed the backgrounds of the jury before this meeting."
"Let us not jump to conclusions, Mohandar. The majority vote consisted of three Ara templars and one from the Furinax tribe. One of the Ara members voted with Tabrenus," Artanis informed.
"And have you not considered that Nahaan may have manipulated this outcome behind the scenes, Artanis? He is no stranger to politics, and we are all aware of his attitudes towards achieving his objectives," Tabrenus spoke.
Artanis began a reply, but Mohandar was not interested. The Prelate was not known for being emotional, but what had transpired outraged him. Almost more than Raszagal's death. He was not angered at the outcome, but rather at having not forseen Nahaan's possible backstage ploys. Of all members of the Hierarchy, he trusted the Ara the least, and yet he had allowed the slippery politician to gain the upper hand again unjustly through complacency.
"...and can we trust that you too will not uphold this decision, Mohandar?" inquired Artanis. "Tabrenus and Zekrath have decided not to."
"I most certainly will not, Artanis. And do not expect me to be of further value to the Protectorate until this corruption is resolved, even on separate issues. I cannot and will not participate in partial government." With that, the Prelate stood and left the room.
"Could it be that Kerrigan is indeed influencing him?" mused Zekrath. "I have never seen him behave so."
"We must not forget that Mohandar holds a deep grudge against Nahaan, Zekarth. And if we are to keep our individual tribes aligned with the opinions we voted for, we cannot go about tossing allegations of influence around," Tabrenus reminded him.
Artanis sighed. "I fear this decision has divided the Protoss once more. I respect your will to hold to your opinions, as will I, but Nahaan is a very dangerous opponent. Do not think him above murder to have his way once word of this escapes. Tabrenus, find your templar who voted today and check his memories. Should there be corruption at play, report to me immediately. Zekrath, do not have your preservers record this event until the matter is permanently resolved. All of us should be accompanied by guards at all times. I will speak to Mohandar, Zeratul, and Raynor immediately about this matter."
With that, the remaining members departed for their various residences across Antioch.
Bridge, Hyperion, Aiur Orbit
"Incoming transmission. Contacter identified as Hierarch Artanis," intoned the adjutant. Seconds later, his face appeared on the viewscreen.
"En Taro Tassadar, Artanis. How goes the politics down there?"
"En Taro Tassadar, James Raynor," the Hierarch replied tiredly. "Not well. Is Kerrigan with you?"
"Not yet. She'll be up here soon."
"Have her stay away for the time being. This concerns her."
Raynor nodded to Kachinsky, who quickly left the bridge to deliver the message.
Artanis paused before going on. "The Hierarchy voted today on how we shall receive her. The outcome will not please you."
Jim mentally sighed. Just when he was starting to have a little faith in Protoss politics...
"As you know, for such important decisions, we have a side jury also weigh in on the voting process. I discovered that Nahaan altered the summon message so that six templars rather than two were summoned. We cannot prove anything beyond that, and Nahaan's opinion is now official; we are to provide no assistance of any sort and Kerrigan will be killed the moment she ventures into Protoss space after her job is done."
"What!? Are you fucking kidding me?!"
"Do not judge us so quickly, Raynor! You of all people should know the Protoss are a fractious race!" The Hierarch gave a moment for them both to calm down before proceeding. "Four of us have already decided not to obey Nahaan's decree, or at least do so minimally, until Tabrenus and Zekrath conclude their corruption probe."
That didn't help Raynor's mood one bit. "And what of 'aggressive negotiations?' Won't be too much of a stretch for Nahaan to start using those if the truth comes out, 'specially if he's already swayed the vote."
"We have all precautions possible in place. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but you requested an appraisal on the vote as soon as the session concluded."
Jim nodded and made to disconnect.
"One more thing," the Hierarch stated abruptly. "Do not let Kerrigan hear of this until the probe is complete. This opinion does not represent the majority of the Hierarchy, but she will not be so trusting of our kind. Should their indeed be corruption, we will re-cast the vote. En Taro Tassadar." The Hierarch cut the communication.
Jim knew Artanis would keep his word, but the chances that Nahaan would intervene to prevent that were far too high. And should that happen, the Protectorate would dissolve into civil war. And what would he do? He wouldn't stand by and let them kill Sarah, but they would be on the run for the rest of their lives and probably invite incineration of any system they stopped in. It was either that or kill Nahaan, and despite the Protectorate's general disdain for him that act would still be shedding Protoss blood.
"Jim, what's going on?" Sarah's soft voice broke his thoughts. He turned and couldn't help but embrace her fully human form.
He held her in his arms for a few seconds but soon let go and turned away as he remembered that the woman he was holding could be dead within a week.
"I'm sorry," she murmured guiltily as she saw his expression fall.
"You don't have to be sorry for anything. I should."
"What do you mean, Jim?" she asked, fearful of the answer. When he didn't answer she tried to look into his mind, desperate for a response.
Jim knew she was probing his mind and quickly diverted his attention somewhere else.
"Jim, please," she begged. "I just want to know."
"I love you, Sarah. I don't want to hurt you."
She took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "I'll be fine."
Jim gave in to her and told her what the Hierarchy had in store for her.
"It doesn't matter," she stated firmly when he finished. "We'll still be together. We might not be able to settle down, but I am not giving up on you. Ever. So don't give up on me, you hear?"
The words warmed Jim's heart and he decided it didn't matter whether Sarah would live or not. That would be decided tomorrow, and was all the more reason to enjoy her company today. Which reminded him...
"Come on, darlin'." She followed him without question back to their room.
When the door closed, Jim turned to look at her. "Do you know what day it is?"
She shook her head. She'd lost track past the day she'd been conscripted into the Ghost program. Then it hit her. "The...day you made your promise to kill me...the day Fenix died." As she said it she backed into a corner and began to hyperventilate.
Jim's expression didn't change, however, as he moved towards her, and he set his revolver on the desk to assure her. "Not what I was thinking of," he replied happily as he wrapped her in his embrace. He gave her a moment to calm down before answering the question. "It's your birthday," he whispered, leading her to the desk where he uncovered a cake. "Happy 27th, darlin'."
Sarah sat stunned for a moment before leaping up and hugging him tightly. "Oh Jim, this is wonderful...thank you."
The door behind them opened and Swann stepped in. "Hey, cowboy, they're waiting for you."
Jim smiled and gently tugged on Sarah's hand.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To celebrate with friends," he replied.
Author's Note: Guilty of employing a Deus ex Machina. I know. But it's just too anticlimatic to have Kerrigan die so quickly, plus there's a number of loose ends to wrap up.
And yes, Ragnarok, we will be seeing more from Nahaan's perspective later on...