Korhal, Augustgrad – Mengsk Palace
Arcturus greeted the day with vigor, helping himself to a particularly fine brandy to celebrate his good spirits and more importantly, complete and utter victory. The Emperor was soon assimilating information his lessers, and they were very much lesser, had gathered for him overnight. It had initially severely galled him that so many of his so-called loyal Dominion soldiers had outright run from the hybrid, forsaking him without a second glance, but he reasoned that it would serve him well in the end.
There was no room in his great empire for those who were not completely and wholly loyal, although Mengsk wasn't going to kid himself and assume perfection could be captured on that front. The way the hybrid and their squads had been routing the traitors and deserters completely out of Augustgrad since introducing them did give him a small spark of hope, however.
Eager to participate in viewing the route and destruction of said traitors, Arcturus Mengsk made his way to his favorite and very private comm room. The familiar V shape room, its two walls open for full view of the empire that lay beneath him, would normally give him a sense of power that he could almost drink in, were it not for a familiar man standing at one of them and admiring the view himself.
Dr. Narud had his hands clasped behind his back and his cheeks were raised in a smile that Arcturus couldn't see, not that he cared. Arcturus Mengsk was immediately angry at his sanctuary's defilement.
"Narud! Just what the hell do you think you're doing here? There had better be a damned good reason, else you'll be spending the rest of your days in a box. Genius or not." He had, as always, carefully regulated his expression, but his anger bled into his words like poison.
"Oh, Arcturus," the snowy white older man replied chidingly. The nerve. "There is, indeed, a very good reason why I am here." He continued to stare out, admiring the destruction of his creations from a nice safe distance. "Do the hybrid please you?"
"I don't give a rats ass about your mad scientist tinker toys. How did you get in here? I'm contacting security." Mengsk had immediately become guarded. How did Narud get in here? There were guards and security checks and any number of measures in place to keep the most important person in the sector, himself, secure. Security had also not burst through the door behind him, ready to take Narud into custody, as they were expected to.
"That is a shame. You really did help a lot in their creation, you know." Condescending on his best day, Narud's tone was the kind you use on a naughty toddler who didn't understand the gravity of what he had done. Mengsk bristled. "How did I get in here? Why, Emperor Mengsk." Narud chuckled. Something strange was happening and Mengsk took a half step back, a trickle of apprehension running down his spine. As Narud spoke, the pitch of his voice lowered and everything that made it Narud became something else. Intimately familiar.
"I got in here, because I am you." Slowly turning to face the now shocked Emperor, it looked as though Narud's entire form rippled through water and changed completely. He had become Emperor Arcturus Mengsk.
"As they say: your people are now my people, Arcturus." As the doppelganger smiled, its eyes gleamed a dull red. "I hope you enjoy the tender ministrations you usually save for those who displease you, they are all yours to appreciate now." In shock, the real Arcturus barely registered the doors behind him opening and the heavy gate of men in power armor approaching. "You were one of my best pawns, and that is a real compliment." His doppelganger was smiling that victory smile he had worn when he woke up that morning. "Take this impostor away."
All at once, as the heavy armored hand of a hardskin clasped around his shoulder, the real Arcturus seemed to spring to life. "No! That man is the real impostor! Get your hand off of me, I am your Emperor! Take him away for interrogation immediately!" He was barking out orders in his most official tone, the tone that nobody ignored under pain of death or worse, and he was being utterly ignored. Howling in animal rage, he struggled every step of the way against the marines in pure black armor, a futile gesture, and caught one last glimpse of himself grinning before the doors shut.
Hyperion – Deep Space
Lasarra stood beside Raynor, watching her vessel glide smoothly into space without her in it. The AI, more like a living being than a simple machine, had its directions and message to deliver: A warning to any protoss of the hybrid and their location.
"Really appreciate you staying on with us, Lasarra. If we're not all dead by the end of this, I promise I'll help you get back to your people." Raynor was enjoying the calming effect she had, allowing him to focus on planning for the challenges ahead. The warp prism, Lasarra having told him the name of the transport vessel, seemed like a delicate insect as it slipped beyond his sight- but he knew better. Protoss could mix efficiency and beauty better than anyone.
My path is laid before me, and I shall not falter. Although I am not of our fearless warrior caste or a mighty leader, when fate had our paths collide on Kaldir I chose to bend and not break. I will continue to bend as necessary, James Raynor. Thoughtfully, Lasarra caressed the gem embedded in the center of her suit. The gem, a deep blue, gleamed but was otherwise without power. Her suit simply allowed for survival in the environment of Kaldir, and without the killer cold grasping for her life it lay dormant.
"Yeah. Well, thanks." Raynor sighed quietly, lifting up his datapad and observing the various reports sent to him hourly. Fate, if it was a real force, was a bitch. "Got a message from Swann here, looks like he'll be ready to give us a full report soon. Don't think he'll have anything good to say, though."
All will be well. This Prince Valerian, his people think well of him. I believe he will be a strong ally to you, although his personal thoughts are closed to me. They had begun walking together, if only for the sake of it. There was nowhere either being needed to be physically at the moment.
"Been keeping an ear out, have you? That's good, I've been leery of having so many of Valerian's people on my ship. No one giving you any trouble?"
Ducking her head carefully as they passed through a doorway, Lasarra gave her head the slightest shake- any physical gestures at all were odd for protoss, and Raynor made note of it. Your thoughts, as with the other infested, are like a deep ocean- I can only see its glimmering surface. But the other terrans, their thoughts are often so loud as to overwhelm when they are in groups. I have taken to being with Jayce and helping as I can, this brings me close to the other terrans and also, I suspect, protects the both of us from any physical ill will. A trickle of amusement laced her soft-spoken mental communication.
"You got that right, after Tychus almost sheared that one morons head off." Raynor chuckled in mirth at the thought as he lit up a cigarette, having caught wind of the situation from Valerian. The prince had, oddly enough, been on Jayce and Tychus' side right away, and they sorted the situation out quietly. The after effect, no doubt due to that one fools mouth, was that Jayce was treated quite a bit nicer when any forced encounters happened.
It is as you say, Tychus' actions have sewn a strange peace. A ripple of discontent flowed around Tychus' name, disappearing as quick as it had been hinted. Without guidance, their feet had lead them to a small walkway that overlooked a rather busy work bay. Having been ready to question her feelings towards Tychus, Raynor completely forgot the question when the subject of their thoughts was seen below lifting a large part on to a hover dolly for one of Valerian's men.
"Well I'll be." Furrowing his brows, it was an effortless mental motion to give Tychus the equivalent of a friendly shove. The big man visibly jerked and looked sharply up at Raynor and Lasarra, a couple people near him scattering like ants at the snap movement, making a big shrugging gesture at them. Several others followed his gaze and both Lasarra and Raynor were the subject of some friendly, if a bit nervous, waves.
What, Jimmy?
Mingling with the locals all the sudden, Tychus?
Gettin' mighty tired of sitting out here in space doing nothing, why don't you get off your ass and help too?
Closed from their mental communication, Lasarra came to an odd realization- this is what it felt like to be a terran, in a way. Resting a hand on the railing, she leaned forwards and perused the thoughts of the terrans around Tychus, curious. There was a palpable buzzing of nervousness, but without a doubt Tychus had sewn a seed of respect among a few with his effort to help. Coming back to the present, it seemed the two men had finished their silent exchange- at least that is what she gathered when Tychus held up a middle finger to Raynor and resumed his heavy lifting without a look back.
That gesture is rude, is it not? Jim was chuckling and shaking his head, but seemed pleased from what she could tell.
"Yeah, but it was a friendly kind of rude."
I shall simply take your word for it. Jayce has been teaching me terran mannerisms and they are very strange.
"We're all different, it makes for some interesting exchanges." About to ask after Lasarra's discontent regarding Tychus, Raynor's thoughts were once again interrupted. A priority transmission was being fed through his datapad and he accepted it quickly, holding the small tool aloft so Lasarra could watch as well. Might as well introduce her to Valerian, since he was calling.
"Jim!" Valerian's eyebrows raised in surprised as he pointedly looked at Lasarra. "I am glad to see you, and this is the protoss I've heard much about."
"Hello Junior, her name is Lasarra." Thumbing in Lasarra's direction, she inclined her head in quiet greetings. "What's this about? I know you didn't call just to get a look at her."
"No." Valerian's handsome features sobered into a frown. "I have here the current results of the testing we've been able to do with regards to your infestation, is everyone patched through?"
Swann's voice crackled through the small comm. "Yeah spanky, got all the kids hooked up and we're listening. Only us three can talk though, no need to turn this call into a circus."
"Heh, good thinking." Raynor smirked, he could feel the displeasure rippling through the unfortunate link he had with each infested man.
"Right, anyways." Valerian, looking bemused, read through the report one more time and picked out the choice parts. "The zerg hyper-evolutionary virus is extremely resistant to treatments, mutating faster than any conventional cure can break it down- yours is proving no different. Not only that but full body scans reveal that very little about you remains human, despite looking otherwise. It is unclear if, should we find a way to reverse the infestation, that your organs or body parts would be restored at all." By this time Valerian was grimacing, feeling as though he was delivering a death sentence. "That would, of course, prove extremely fatal."
Raynor felt like he had been punched in the gut, and the five other infested men were feeling similar. Still, he tried his best to cover it up and remain strong for them. "I remember Doc Hansen saying something similar, at least about the rate of mutation anyway. What's the odds your boys can come up with somethin' better than maybes if we can get to one of your Moebius labs?"
Valerian seemed to light up, and the tone of his voice sounded hopeful. Or maybe it was just Raynor's imagination, he couldn't be sure at this point. "Oh Jim. If we could get to one of my labs, the possibilities are endless. I did not think you'd be so willing to go to one, however."
Shrugging and frowning, Raynor grumbled. "Remain infested and face eventual loss of self and insanity or be poked at in some lab, neither are appealing. But I do know which option has no chance of seeing us get fixed up, too."
"Very true. The current state of your ship and the matter of the hybrid on Korhal, however, means that we cannot go to one of my facilities until these issues are addressed, Jim."
"Valerian, I just don't see what we can do down there. I don't think you understand how hard it is to be around even a few normal people right now, either." The sensory overload would be terrible, and there was no doubt in his mind that there would be repercussions. Bad ones.
"You are possessed of strength and abilities that no terran could ever dream of right now, Jim. My father has brought his ultimate weapons to bear, and I believe wholeheartedly that we need that strength to defeat him. If we can at all." Valerian's gray eyes gleamed, his hands tightened behind his back in anticipation- he'd made the pitch and the ball was in Jim's court now.
I can help you not be overwhelmed, Jim. Lasarra, speaking to both men, reasoned. Raynor would have given anything for her to take it back just then, but kept his expression neutral. Too late now, Valerian grabbed the opportunity.
"With Lasarra's aid, you can rest assured you'll be in full control of yourselves. We may be able to use technology to help on that end, as well." That was as far as Valerian was willing to press, and he held his breath quietly.
"Give us a sec, Junior." At Valerian's nod, Raynor fell back on the mental link, which had been ominously silent, and waited for feedback. He vaguely registered Lasarra's quiet sorry that was just for him to hear.
If we're gonna be stuck like this forever, Jimmy, then maybe it's time to dig in and do some damage. Tychus, spoiling for a fight, spoke first. But there was that deeper side of Tychus, spinning plans upon plans and looking from a different angle, that let Jim know a fight wasn't all he was thinking about.
I'll do what Prince Valerian asks, but it don't mean I gotta like it. Warfield. Touching with his mind was like being water crashing into stone, the man's loyalty was a touch on the insane side- especially given how he'd been burned by daddy Mengsk. I just want to be me again.
Valerian holds all the cards right now, Jim. We don't have a crew anymore and he's got more than enough firepower to take us out if he doesn't like how this conversation goes. Horner, reliable and always looking at the facts. Raynor always felt a twinge of guilt when he touched Matt's mind, knowing how he loathed what had become of himself and how he struggled with his strong morals now.
I'd very much like to see Valerian's lab! I am sure we can make this work Jim, like we always do. Stetmann... Well, his mind was like being hit with a strong shot of coffee, maybe something a bit stronger. Kid was brilliant, and being connected with him only confirmed it, but his rapid thought process would give Jim a killer headache if he focused on him for too long.
He's actin' like we got a choice, Jim. We don't. Swann, as surly in his mind as he was in person, all but growled his displeasure. It wasn't on purpose, but Raynor felt an alarming undercurrent of anguish from his old friend whenever they spoke like this, and he did his best to stay out of that private place in his mind. He had his own pain, and knew full well he wouldn't appreciate his friends observing it.
Nodding thoughtfully, Jim refocused on the green holographic display of Valerian's face. It had only been a few moments time. "Don't got much of a choice now do we, Valerian?" Before the handsome prince could respond, Jim waved him off sharply. "Doesn't matter. You are right about one thing: those hybrid are hell on wheels and you're gonna need all the firepower you can get to take them out. We're with you."
Nodding, if a bit stiffly, Valerian smoothly reassured his audience. "Once the situation on Korhal has been brought under control, you will have immediate access to the best care this sector has to offer. Now, on to more immediate concerns. I believe you have a report on the status of the Hyperion, Swann?"
The comm crackled with static as Swann shuffled something around and muttered to himself before becoming clear again. "Yeah, yeah I do. We need parts that we don't got and this thing is one step shy of needing a real shipyard to repair it." There was a scraping noise that left Jim quirking a brow, and he inadvertently felt Swanns affection for the ship, as though it was a real person, and realized he was giving it a fond pat. "You got two choices: we limp straight to Korhal and probably get blown to pieces once they realize how damaged we are, or we find a quiet place to hunker down and make our own replacements with local minerals and vespene."
"That is very unfortunate. Our scanners have shown that there are no inhabitable planets in this particular corner of space, never mind ones with resources we can freely gather. I fear Korhal might be our only option." Valerian looked concerned, and he had every right to be. Losing the Hyperion in an attempt to land on Korhal would be devastating, and though the planet was in a state of disarray there was doubtless planetary defenses still online.
Deadman's Port. Horner, his mental connection all but writhing in displeasure at the thought of the place, suggested quietly.
"Matt thinks we can hide out in Deadman's Port. That ain't so far away, and he's in good with Mira Han." The idea wasn't appealing, but Raynor was quickly growing to appreciate it by the second. Hell of a lot better than being blown up for sure.
"Ah. I suppose it is an option, yes... I've had some dealings with miss Han since the battle of Char. Quite the character." Now that was a surprise! Jim smirked at the thought of the prince trying to deal with that crazy pink sprite of a merc.
"We have the tools to hide our infestation to scanners. Yeah, I'm likin' it more by the second. Lets see if we can get Mira on the horn, shall we?"
Fifty credits says I can find a few ladies there willing to experiment on me.
You are terrible, Tychus. Jim cringed, trying very hard to not get any mental imagery that his roguish friend might be conjuring up.
Unaware of their unique conversation, Valerian nodded and kept his skepticism to himself. Their options were limited and being picky was not going to get them anywhere. Mira did good business and if he had to throw some credits down to make this work, then he'd do it. "Very well. Lets get some coordinates laid out and begin limping the Hyperion to Deadman's Port, and I'll see about contacting Mira Han."
As the comm closed, Jim hooked it back to his belt tiredly. He almost forgot Lasarra was standing right there. "You get all that, Lasarra?"
Yes, Jim. As before, Valerian Mengsk's thoughts are well guarded. I do not believe I can discern any deeper plans or motives from him without force, which is not recommended.
"No, we'll just have to do this the old terran way."
What way is that?
"With a bit of blind luck and uncertainty." Jim smirked.
I am not certain that I will ever grow to appreciate this way. Privately, Lasarra was relieved that Jim forgot to question her momentary slip regarding Tychus. She would not tell him of course, but she would not lie either and the man would seek out answers for himself. Lasarra would respect Jayces privacy and keep her own feelings about Tychus and his appetite for destruction to herself.
The occupants of the two battlecruisers practically vibrated with excitement and nerves when the final reparations had been made. More than a few prayers were uttered over on the Hyperion, too. The Bucephalus was a very grand vessel and the Hyperion, while legendary, had seen better days- its temporary crew were altogether unsure of themselves in the new environment.
Swann and Jayce, at their respective stations, were both muttering encouragement to the ship and patting it fondly; the latter having learned from the former. Horner's calm voice counted down over the intercom, and the core of the ship roared to life- launching them into warp. After the initial fear wore off, work recommenced- though at a slower pace, as the human body did not appreciate the rigors of warp travel.
Jayce was getting more annoyed by the hour. It seemed Tychus would pop up everywhere now, helping move this or hold that, all while pointedly ignoring her- not that she tried to make contact, mind you. It all started to feel like he was engineering it that way, and the immaturity of it was grating on her nerves, though she had no real proof that was the case. It did not help at all that everyone thought the two were thick as thieves.
As soon as Tychus had left her room the other night, Jayce forced herself to take a long step back from their strange relationship and examine it critically. Was it just two people brought together by a shared trauma, or more? Under control of the broodmother he had almost killed her, certainly. But Tychus also kept her from shooting herself, that was him. The whole group of infested men had charged into that damned station to save her, despite threat of death or worse for themselves, not to mention the way Tychus killed the sniveling Markus and then- Jayce turned a little green at the thought.
A sharp stab of realization struck then, at the vivid recalling of Tychus running his tongue across the organic blade and tasting blood. Unable to concentrate on greasing the gears she had been working on, Jayce froze. Blood. Tychus in the claustrophobic walkway, transfixed, and the kiss that followed- just for a taste. The spray can that had been firmly in her grip a moment before slipped through dead fingertips and clattered to the floor. How close to death have I been, how many times have I not even noticed? Were it not for the draining pull of warp travel, Jayce surely would have launched into a full-blown panic attack.
Lasarra, already walking towards Jayce, became keenly aware of the woman's sharp spike of terror and paused. The cause was quickly discerned and Lasarra felt a stirring of sadness for the terran woman, that it took her so long to see. Carefully, she eased Jayces fears and calmed her a small amount- this was an important realization, and Lasarra wanted to make sure that Jayce did not feel intruded upon, so she did not make her presence known. Content with what she had done, Lasarra changed course and went to busy herself elsewhere.
Panic dulled into a hazy glow of fear, leaving Jayce shaking her head slowly. Kneeling down, she clasped her trembling hand around the canister and resolved to continue working while thinking. Yes, death was her companion throughout this entire affair, but as reason took root and tamped down the animal fear that all humans felt at the thought of their own mortality, she resumed her thoughtful critique.
"Get a damn grip." Muttering, Jayce straightened up and leaned into the open panel until her feet left the floor and she was back to greasing joints and poking at parts to make sure nothing was loose while she was in the area. When her heart spoke, insistent, she listened to it as well. Their personalities meshed well, you couldn't fake that, and if the pull to kill was really as strong as she was realizing- Tychus was doing damn well for himself in keeping it under control. He'd stuck up for her and their partnership felt as real as anything, rivaled only by her relationship with Swann- which was altogether different.
He'd also offered to take her away with him, misguided as the idea was. This was perhaps the biggest tell that there was something real, she figured. But what do I really know about him? The thought tickled at her mind, and she decided to take a look at his record- as told by the Dominion. It was no doubt a glowing recount of his life exploits before prison, she chuckled to herself, but maybe some grains of truth could be discerned from it. Yes, that was the plan. Hopping out of the panel and using her sonic wrench to seal it in place firmly, the clattering of the machine louder than usual due to the ship vibrating, she had to clench her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.
Tychus watched Jayce retreat through a door and quirked a brow, that was an interesting show. When she unconsciously touched her fingertips to her lips, he thought he had an inkling of what was going on in that odd head of hers. A warning vibration alerted him of the low battery on his suits cloaking unit, and he turned it off. Sneaking wouldn't be necessary for the next part of this, he was certain.
"Captain," The adjutant droned at Horner, who took immediate interest in what the AI had to say. "Restricted database access by unauthorized personnel detected."
"Oh yeah?" Scowling, Horner dropped his spoon into the unappealing goo of his rations and straightened immediately. If Valerian was betraying them, things were about to get real messy. "Who and where?"
"Junior Mechanical Engineer, Burrough, Jayce. Location: Storage sector B, worker access terminal."
Access to the database shouldn't even be possible from that low level a terminal, but this was Jayce and Horner bit back the verbal objection he had. "What is she attempting to access?"
"Subject Jayce has circumvented access restrictions already and is looking through personnel records." Frowning, Matt kept his seat and considered. It was unlikely Jayce had thrown in her lot with Valerian as some kind of mole, and there was certainly more sensitive files on the Hyperion than what she was accessing right now. "Who is she looking at?"
"Subject: Findlay, Tychus. His criminal record is open."
"Hah," Matt grinned broadly and grabbed his spoon back up, shaking his head. "Leave Jayce be, but alert me if she accesses anything else in the database, adjutant." If Jayce wanted to educate herself about Tychus, then he wasn't about to stop her. Maybe pulling the wool from her own eyes would be a wake up call, and all the infested men wouldn't have to be subjected to her and Tychus macking on each other in every damn nook and cranny of the ship.
"Yes, Captain."
Wow, this list could be a book. Jayce thought to herself with some alarm. Accessing Tychus' criminal record was a restricted action, but if you wanted to hide files from Jayce you best not do it on her ship. Smirking, she patted the console fondly, having dug into the physical guts of the terminal and routed it to higher access levels- adjutant couldn't do anything about that. Storage sector B was a quiet place, full of parts and machinery dedicated to setting up bases- nobody would be here.
She didn't even bother turning the lights on, which were connected to a heavy switch- like the armory, instead of automated to turn on at movement like the majority of smaller spaces on the ship. Letting out a slow breath, Jayce absorbed the information. The only part she didn't read was his record during his imprisonment before cryo, that didn't matter much.
Tychus looked at the storage sector door and decided he'd waited long enough, time to see what she was up to. One thing was for sure, she better not try to lie. Heavy steel doors parted with a hiss and a clank as he walked into the dark room.
The definitive shunk of doors opening and closing, along with a line of light, startled Jayce. Looking up from the console, fingers poised to close everything down quickly, she thought better of herself and took a half step away from the console instead. The figure that filled the doorway, albeit briefly, was pretty much unmistakable for any other person than the subject of her reading. Tychus' eyes gleamed from the dark when the weak light of the console touched them.
"Reading in the dark like that is gonna strain your eyes, sugar." His tone was amused, and his eyes shifted from the side of the console to the woman. She had gone rigid and her hands were clenched into fists, all puffed up and ready for a confrontation. Taking another long step forwards, he glanced at the screen and smirked at what he saw. "Who's that handsome individual?"
"Maybe a little hard to recognize now, but it is you." Jayce almost stepped backwards but decided to keep still instead, and so she was left looking up at him. "You have been following me around, haven't you?"
Snorting, Tychus rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not, I'm just makin' sure nobody else gets any bright ideas about takin' liberties with you." Jayce wasn't so sure she believed that, and gave him a small shrug. Curious, having not looked at his own criminal record in quite some time, Tychus looked away from her and casually scrolled through the list, chuckling as some brought back memories.
"You've already read mine, I'm sure."
"Yours doesn't even have a picture. Makes me wonder how you got into this whole outfit to begin with." All the Dominion had on Jayce was that she was an associate of Raynor's Raiders, Tychus had been looking forward to an exciting read and came out sadly disappointed.
Relaxing slightly, Jayce smiled and shook her head. "Maybe I'm better at hiding my crimes?"
"You were one step shy of shooting your foot off the other night, girl. Why, I'm willing to bet you haven't even killed anyone." He had been angry that night, of course, but putting the safety back on before she shot herself by accident was the least he could do.
"I wouldn't really consider that an accomplishment, Tychus." Jayce frowned, demeanor darkening considerably as memories were dredged up. "That's a bet you'd lose, though."
Genuinely surprised, Tychus looked her over again. Usually he was great at reading people, even took pride in that keen observational skill, and reassessing Jayce physically came back with what he had initially thought: pure civvy. "Well, do tell. We've got plenty of time before we get to the charming vacation spot of Deadman's Rock." In a sweeping gesture, he indicated for Jayce to sit on a nearby box.
Looking towards the box in the low light she paused briefly before following through without complaint, settling down on it and letting out a tired sigh. What she wouldn't give for a nap right now. "Fine. Not much to tell, though."
Tychus settled down beside her and rested his hands on his knees. "Tell me how you, a civvy, are a murderer." He seemed genuinely curious, and he certainly was.
Adjusting her position and shuffling until she was more comfortable, Jayce frowned to herself. No one had ever been told exactly what happened before they found her in that escape pod, and she was already having misgivings. It did not help that a little voice at the back of her mind was mocking, how she so willingly bent to Tychus and spilled her guts for him. A more reasonable force inside her simply allowed that it was a confirmation of their relationship. Dragging a boot up on to the box, she curled her arms around her knee and rested her chin atop it, then the story began.
"First, you gotta know that my home planet, Summerset, was originally a Confederacy colony."
"Lots of colonies were Confed colonies." Tychus butted in and caught a sharp glare.
"You want the damn story, you're listening to all of it, now shut up." Raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, Tychus crossed his arms and settled in for what was no doubt going to be a boring tale.
Letting out an annoyed huff, Jayce continued. "This was just a small fringe colony, nothing really special about it. Had good resources but not enough to attract any big industry, just enough to live happily and comfortably."
Smiling, Jayce closed her eyes and remembered the bright pink sky of the evening and the vast cluster of space dust between the planet and its sun that gave it a beautiful, colorful sky. "But every year, Confederacy shuttles would arrive and collect of-age women and men, never to be seen again. There wasn't anything the colony could do, of course, they didn't have weapons and any petitions or attempts to contact officials over this were quite ignored."
"This went on for years, from the very start of the colony, until Mengsk and his Sons of Korhal toppled the Confederacy and founded the Dominion." Tychus was tilting his head left to right, wishing for a fast forward. Jayce continued stoically.
"The yearly harvesting of people stopped all the sudden, and it seemed that the colonists were free to recover and move past this dark history of abduction. We had no idea about the Dominion, the aliens, anything like that. Completely earthbound."
"One year of peace while the Dominion was forming up, that was all we were allowed. I was of age and my parents had spoken to me already of probably being taken next, but my year came and went and I was safe at home and that was all that mattered. The next year, however, the exact same men arrived- now flying Dominion colors." Tychus had started to refocus, sensing the culmination of the story approaching.
"The colonists wouldn't have it any more, they had shed their fear and were attempting to move past what had happened to them. That day, I was abducted with my mother. I know my father died, he was shot in the chest after he jumped one man with a kitchen knife and cut his throat. I saw the colony burning as I was loaded on a shuttle with a group of other women. When we were in space, flying away from home, we found out what really happened to all those people who were taken." Jayce clenched her jaw, remembering the cruel voices, sobs and fear. Remembering mother, being strong for her and the other girls.
Shaking her head and taking a deep breath she continued, ready to set the secret free. "Slavers. They murdered Confederacy and Dominion people for their outfits, and painted up their shitty shuttles to complete the ruse. Fear of the government was a good cover, I guess. I heard all this from an ugly son of a bitch named Dago, their leader. We were all bound to be whored out for cash and fed drugs to be kept docile."
"Bunch of sheep." Tychus muttered, his pessimism towards the masses shining through.
"Yeah, they were. But I can't speak for them or their reasoning, all I know is my parents fought to keep me at least." Jayce shrugged, she'd gone through the gamut of emotions over the entire situation many times over, and had settled for apathy.
"Anyway. Shortly after being informed of our future, Dago and his crew decided to give us a preview. Guess if you're the boss you don't get a pay cut for soiling the goods, eh?" Smirking, Jayce shook her head and stared into the glow of the monitor, remembering vividly. "I bit off a guys ear when he tried to get me, and thankfully I was just beaten senseless instead." Arms curling tight around her knee, she closed her eyes. "When I woke up, I guess they all had their fill and were tired out." Snort. "Auto pilot was taking us to Deadman's Port."
"I slipped my bonds," raising a hand and waggling it, she smirked. "Double jointed, and I guess they don't really expect a bunch of little girls to put up much of a fight. I loved machinery, tools, ships and so on when I was young too. That particular ship, the simple shuttle, was my favorite!"
Laughing darkly, she shook her head. "I knew more about that ship than they did, I bet you. So I snuck around and figured out a plan, but those assholes, they only had one escape pod. Room for one." Tychus had begun to see where this was going, and quirked a brow.
"I ripped out all but one piece for life support, hid the parts in the escape pod and went to my mother. I told her: Mom. I can escape, but there's only room for one. What do I do?" Sighing, Jayce thought about her mother and smiled. She was a good woman, couldn't ask for a better mother. "She said, you get out of here Jayce." She also said I love you, but Jayce omitted it- Tychus probably didn't care for the sappy stuff.
"Damn good thing I pulled all those parts out first, too. One girl who was awake and wasn't completely vacant after her trauma, realized that I was going to escape and leave them. She became hysterical. They were waking up and I made a run for it, grabbed the last part for life support- which turned the alarms on and really woke everyone up. I made it into the escape pod and had to kick Dago in the face before he piled in there with me." Smirking and chuckling, her tone reflected a savage pleasure. No tears were shed over that man, that's for sure. "He shot the outside of the pod, but that did nothing of course. I escaped and there was no way in hell they were making it to their destination before the oxygen ran out."
Kicking her legs out quickly, Jayce dared to look over and up at Tychus, face dead serious. "That is how I murdered an entire vessel full of pirates, innocent kids and my mother. Raynor's Raiders found my escape pod." His face was a mask, and each extra pupil in his eye reflected the light from the monitor strangely.
"Quite the tale." He almost felt guilty bringing it up. Almost. Everyone had their shitty story to tell, Jayce was no exception. Rolling his shoulders, suit leather creaking, he stared thoughtfully at the monitor, quiet.
"Indeed." Eyes narrowing, Jayce focused on him then. "And your story is rather interesting too."
Amused that she'd come to assume so much just by reading a list of ill deeds, Tychus chuckled. "Oh yeah? Tell me what you know about my story."
"You were in the Confederate military with the commander during the Guild Wars," Jayce watched his face carefully, but she wasn't good at reading expressions and Tychus wasn't volunteering anything either. "Saw you in that picture of the Heaven's Devils that's kicking around. You're a bit easy to spot."
"Uhuh. Tell me somethin' I don't know."
Smirking, she gestured towards the monitor. "Went AWOL- and I'm betting that is where the commander's less-than-legit stretch of time began. It sure was yours!" Chuckling, Jayce tucked her knee back up to her chest and continued watching his blank expression. "From there, you become some infamous train robber for a few years. During this time you never actually murder anyone, considering your apparent love of it."
"But then you suddenly show up on the famous Baccus Moon, botch a bank robbery, have a building full of bodies and get caught- killing quite a few police officers in the process- incarcerated by Marshal Wilkes Butler. Doesn't exactly fit the profile you made for yourself." There. The muscles of his jaw clenched.
"So, Tychus, here's what I think: You have no love of authority, it has screwed you over plenty, and a love of credits. You are a loyal man, and although your moral compass probably points towards wealth more than healthy choices, you are not some unhinged murderer." Nodding, more to herself than him, Jayce was content with her summary. That did sound like Tychus.
"Heh. Butler." Tychus shook his head and sighed, reaching over and wrapping his arm around Jayce and dragging her up against his side, ignoring her surprised jump. "Well that's all very astute of you, Jayce. Since you shared with me, I'll give you a little something nobody else knows too." Craning her neck to look up at him while trying to ignore the rather absurd weight of his arm draped over her shoulder, Jayce quirked a brow and waited.
"Yeah, Jimmy and I were partners through all that, but one man was responsible for us going AWOL and later, my unfortunate incarceration. Colonel Vanderspool." Tychus almost spat, the name tasted like poison and sounded like a curse when he spoke it. "He was gonna have the Heaven's Devils turned into drooling resocs when we wasn't useful anymore, and tried to install kill switches in our suits later. Jimmy shot that asshole in the chest and we thought he was dead."
Jayce made a pained sound and he realized he was on the verge of squeezing her too hard, relaxing his arm immediately. "Years later, during our train robbing fun, we ended up being hunted by this bounty hunter. You're right- I ain't some unhinged murderer. That guy, Ezekiel Daun, was exactly that. Sick son of a bitch." Tychus wasn't ashamed to admit he was deathly afraid of the man back then, but he'd omit that detail in this retelling.
"He caught and tortured all the other members of the Heaven's Devils, then came for us. We tried to get protection from the guy who ran Deadman's Port at the time, one named Scutter O'Banon, and that is how we came to be on that gambling moon. Big bank heist during the Marshal Convention, what were the odds that the Marshal who'd chased us around all those years, Butler, would be there and spot me purely by chance?"
"You stick out like a sore thumb-" Jayce quieted, treated to a similar glare she had given him for interrupting.
"We got away, but Butler was on our trail at that point. Then, when we were doing a dry run through the bank, this little weasel of a guy who tried to keep us from the creds we were stealing on a train once before spotted us, name was Woodcock or somethin'." Shaking his head, it was silly to think of the kind of bad luck they had in just those few days. "Why, we had to rob the bank then and there. Was going smooth as could be, but Jimmy- that damned bleeding heart- realized the creds we was liberating were from Farm Aid and refused to steal 'em."
His voice had lowered into a growl, remembering the entire affair leading to his long imprisonment with detail. "Damn fool who we were doing the heist with activated the spider bots and killed everyone in the bank, trying to force Jimmy to stay and finish the job. Stubborn as Jim is, he still refused, and then the guy shot him." Giving her arm a pat, he smirked, recalling the hot rage he had been filled with then- it made him wonder the kind of damage he could do now. He might find out soon. "I killed all three of em, filled up a sack of creds and made for the escape point with Jimmy. Had to carry him up the damn ladder and leave my creds behind."
Jayce shifted under his arm, listening in rapt attention. Either she was a much more attentive listener or Tychus was a better storyteller. He was certainly a better storyteller, in his opinion. "Got up to the apartment and, wouldn't you know it, that sonuvabitch Ezekiel Daun is there. Whole place was full of recordings of him torturing the Heaven's Devils, and he's having fun toying with us." Jayce felt her lip curl in disgust, recordings of his murders? She had to agree with Tychus, the man was clearly sick. "Well Jimmy found him and, before he shot him, managed to find out who hired him. Vanderspool. The good Colonel lived somehow, and had been paying Daun to kill our friends all those years... That's when we found out there was only one suit to escape in, and I shoved Jimmy in the damn thing and made my last stand while he escaped."
"Wow. Hell of a story." Jayce allowed herself a moment to wonder what would have happened to the sector if Jim Raynor had been the one to take the fall that day. Given that Tychus was not an altruistic sort, nothing good came from the thought.
"Heh, yeah." Tychus looked down at her, thoughtful. He had never spoken of the whole ordeal to anyone, it was simply a part of his life, but it wasn't so bad getting it off his chest- even if Jim knew it all.
"Only problem is," Jayce smirked, patting his leg. "Jim knows that story too, so that isn't actually something nobody else knows, is it? What I really wanna know is, how you got outta cryo prison and ended up here with us."
"Hah. Jimmy knows the story because he was part of it, nice try though." Tychus wasn't about to let that story go, not yet anyway. Unfurling his arm from around Jayce, he stood up and offered her a hand like a gentleman. Chuckling softly she took his hand and followed along.
"Alright, fair enough. Maybe another time."
"Maybe." With a flick, he switched the monitor off and hunted down her smiling lips in the dark. Elsewhere, Matt Horner swore.