Haha no, if a love interest shows up for Raven, most likely it's gonna be another female.

Fair but still, I like to put that warning in case.

April 15th, 2504

Augustgrad Hospital, 1000 hours

You're just a freelancer... what makes YOU so special?! She heard someone's voice scream, followed by seeing two Cores clash against one another, sparks flying and parts breaking. Darkness enveloped her, and suddenly she was on her back, feeling the heat of sexual pleasure as something thrust its way into her. It built up until when she was about to burst, It evolved into a stabbing pain as screech was heard, and she could faintly see the shape of something grotesque standing over her. It gnashed and snapped a maw full of jagged teeth. A flash of red blinded her. Raven... please... save my family... let the coral release...

RAVEN!

Raven awoke with a gasp, clutching her chest as she took in her surroundings. With a sigh, she slumped her head back onto her pillow as she realized she was once again in the hospital. Her head felt like a horse had stamped it into the dirt, groaning as she turned more to her left. Christ, felt like a boat that was listing in the sea. A tv screen was on along the wall, and she heard the local news play its usual chime before a mustached man appeared.

"I'm Donny Vermillion, and this is UNN today. Emperor Mengsk held a victory banquet at the All-Fathers hall at seven last night," Raven turned to watch as the footage showed Mengsk smiling and waving his way past the cheering crowd, photos being taken, and even a woman undoing her shirt for him to sign. "With many of our nation more than eager to show their support. Several officials from top companys around the Dominion also made themselves known, declaring their support after the invigorating speech that our beloved Emperor gave towards the end of the night."

The television showed Lady Astrea, kissing at the camera as she and her cohort popped off bottles of champagne and announced their agreement to continue business with the Dominion. Kate laughed weakly, that woman was incredible and she'd hoped to enjoy life in her later years like that woman there.

"Unfortunately, some of our guests had too much to drink," As the camera rolled, showing some guests getting into face-to-face arguments, some downing entire bottles of wine or champagne, "While there was one incident involving Kel Morian Comine ambassador Charles Richford." Raven's eyes widened, remembering what happened. The footage showed the wide, bald man as he held his hand out to block his own face from view, his personal body guards pushing away phones and microphones of eager journalists as they guided him to his waiting car.

I met these four people, made friends, then I... She stared at the floor, it almost hurt to remember.

Thankfully, Donny was there to remind her. "Reports say he was found last night in the hall's restrooms, red handed in an act of sexual misconduct. He'd been reported by one Major Miranda Fleming, here's what she has to say. Go ahead Kate."

It showed the Major in a different uniform outside the palace as she was interviewed, nodding and keeping a serious expression, her service cap casting a shadow over her eyes. "I'd lost touch with one of my officers, and was headed to the restrooms. That's where I found that he was sexually assaulting that officer, who was found to have Rohypnol in her system. Thankfully I was able to take photo and video evidence, and I rendered him unconscious before anything else could happen."

The reporter nodded understandingly, a young woman by the name Kate Lockwell. "So you were able to acquire evidence of this assault, what do you plan to do next Major?" She asked, holding the mic back to Fleming.

"Oh I can assure you Miss Lockwell, the Dominion military has a zero tolerance for any kind of sexual misconduct. All of our men and women attend monthly seminars, we call them SHARP meetings, to ensure that everyone remain aware to keep their integrity in check. Mr. Richford is not military, nor is he Dominion, and he will be charged in court for accounts of pre-preditated rape, kidnapping, inappropriate mishandling of a military officer, and much more with evidence to support the claims. He will do hard hard time. Now if you'll excuse me."

Kate frowned and nodded, "Thank you Major Fleming," As Fleming saluted and headed into the palace, Lockwell turned back to the camera as she walked along the sidewalk, "It is a great reminder that no matter where you may come from, justice is universal, and that's no different for the KMC. Ladies, please remember to have a trusted friend with you whenever you go to any setting that involves alcohol. Moving to more wider news, frontline efforts against raiders and other opposing factions has yielded a significant increase in victory as of late, due to a new found faith in the Dominion's troops. Reports suggest that raider activity is under heavy scrutiny, with the infamous James Raynor still on the lamb since his escape from Mar Sara."

Raven sighed, rubbing her eyes. So she was drugged and raped. She couldn't decide if that or seeing all her friends get slaughtered was worse. She reached for the glass of water near her with a shaky hand, taking a sip as she continued to listen. It was a good thing she could kill things soon, she was itching to vent out her anger.

"This is can be due to Emperor Mengsk deploying more steel to reinforce the front lines," As the TV showed rows of goliath mechs marching on a planet in unison, "With a higher demand for pilots as military expenses climb to an all time high." The footage then cut to Mengsk, who was sitting in the public library, talking to an anchor.

"You can never have enough firepower of course. Over the years we've lost many men and women, however we've been left with more women than men as of late. The problem there lies in having enough people skilled to man that firepower. Thankfully I've plenty of people investing their all into supporting us, and we'll make back double what we've spent here in the past fiscal year." He chuckled, before cutting back to Lockwell once again.

"Significant improvements in research have led to the revitalization of science vessels, old brood war era machines that were once thought obsolete, have now been making it back onto the front lines with masterful results. More development on the war effort as the weeks go by, I'm Kate Lockwell, back to you Donny." The camera finally jumped back to that mustached man, who looked up slightly from the studio screen he'd been watching his co anchor's footage from.

"Thank you Kate, now the Emperor did bring up a good point. As you can see on this chart here, the local populace has seen a significant drop in male.." Raven tuned out the news at that point, pinching her nose.

She pressed the caller for the nurse, who came in and checked on her. After seeing that Raven was doing better, she left the room and permitted her guests to enter. The door opened, and in came the four from last night. Rubicon... She sighed.

Rusty sported a zip up sweater, white with a thick blue strip across the chest. "Hey, buddy. You alright?" He offered a smile, his eyes looking at hers for any uncertainty.

Sylvia was wearing a dark blue cardigan over a yellow vneck with blue leggings, her makeup lighter than last night. "Mornn, Ava sweetie. How are you feeling?" She smiled sadly, walking right over and taking Raven's hand in hers.

Yoko stood tall as ever, sporting a black jean jacket that had a red tiger printed on its sleeve. She nodded, "Heard what happened last night. Wish I coulda been there, I would have fucked him up for you."

Iguazu nodded, a sage green pullover hoodie with the logo from the most popular fashion brand, Tera Aboud from Tyrador IX. "Hey kid. Sucks what happened." Yoko bumped his arm with a look.

Raven laughed, "Hah, yeah. Pretty shitty. I think I'll be okay, it helps to have friends." She smiled at them, feeling better already. Maybe the support of those around her was all she needed to get through this. "I feel like crap, but hopefully once I get out there I can forget all about it. Still... thank you. Thank you for saving me from that creep. I'm glad he's getting what he deserves."

Sylvia squeezed Raven's hand slightly, "No, that wretch deserves a bullet for what he did. Sorry... I don't like men who prey on us like that. They're not even men in my eyes." The blonde woman said, seeming to recall something distant for a moment, before coming back.

Rusty spoke up, "Well, if anything at least the nurse said you're clear now to get dressed and get going, buddy. I think we should all get some air."

That brought a smile to her face. "Wait, really? Oh yes, please I'm sick of hospitals."

Yoko nodded, her hands in her jacket pockets. "If you're not doing anything, we could use a tour guide around here. Must be some fun places in the city." She looked between them all, a look that said 'beats the hell out of being here'.

Sylvia winked back at her, and turned to Raven. "Ja, I like that idea! I don't think you wanna walk about in uniform, so I brought you some clothes." She held up a bag that read Edmon Boutique.

"Haha, thanks. Um, oh where's my phone? I need to text my boss and let her know." Rusty grabbed a black phone from the end table where her uniform sat folded, and handed it to her. "Thanks." She took a moment to scroll through her notifications, her friends talking amongst themselves about where to go first and spend their paychecks.

She sighed, tapping on her messages. Of course, her only contacts were Dewitt and Fleming. There were a couple unread from the Major, so she tapped in to see.

Lieutenant, hope you're doing better. Lots of paperwork I have to file from last night. Take the day off, but report to base at 1900 hours. Contact me if there's an emergency.

P.S. your next check should have gone through so enjoy yourself, you've more than earned it. See you soon,

Maj. Fleming.

Allowing herself a small smile Raven checked her bank account, then her eyes widened. Holy shit. She'd been payed 4,500 credits, on top of what she'd already been saving. That was more than enough to enjoy herself, she mused. Locking her phone and setting it on the table, "Okay, I'm basically free 'till six, what should we do first?"

-o-

The quad of mercs and their new pilot friend took a cab around the city, seeing the sights together. They passed through the central market quarter, where they made their stop at the main plaza. Here, the citizens of Augustgrad immersed themselves in culture, food, fashion and entertainment. Several different shops lined both sides of the path, sporting different advertisements and themes.

Entering one, the gang made their way into a thrift store where they tried on different clothing. Iguazu however, refused but instead carried most of the things they bought together. Raven laughed as she put a silly looking hat on rusty, complete with a fuzzy pink scarf and hear shaped sunglasses. Iguazu snickered, before Yoko slipped a bunny eared headband over his head. The Japanese girl let herself loosen up, joining in the fun as they all gathered into a group selfie.

They stopped to appreciate street entertainers, dropping some credits as they made their way to a shop full of comics, board games, figurines and more. Suddenly, the boys seemed more energetic as they looked at each other and went straight for the figures. They compared some to each other, arguing which one was cooler, while the girls took a look at some board games. They bought some, Raven even snagging herself a model kit.

After hopping through some interesting spots, they decided to stop at a food place for lunch. It was called Hyaku Ramen, many in the Dominion enjoyed it for its unique recipes that had been upheld by the old Arisawa family for generations. Everyone took their seats, chatting amongst each other and placing their orders. "Oh before I forget, let me see your phone sweetie!" Sylvia reached out, and Raven placed it in her hand.

The blonde lady tapped away at the phone, took a selfie with a peace sign, then handed it back. "There, now you can talk to me whenever you want, once we go our own ways today."

Raven pouted, "Aww, you're not gonna stay longer?"

It was Rusty's turn to answer, as he set down his juice. "Fraid not buddy, we're gonna be heading back to our boss's company after today. Got some work to pick up and we're needed."

Yoko stirred her boba tea. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll get together like this again soon. I really enjoyed this." She looked pointedly at Iguazu, who looked between them, finally sighing with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah this.. it's been fun I guess. Stop making me say mushy shit. Jeez."

Raven laughed to herself, enjoying the dynamic between all of them. As she slurped up some noodles, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been around people who really let her feel like herself. It was a nice reprieve from all that she'd endured. The zerg, her old friends being killed, this whole new responsibility on her, that nasty old man trying to...

She giggled with Rusty and Sylvia, watching as Iguazu and Yoko fought over a piece of sushi using chopsticks. What was more impressive was how skilled they both seemed to be, the chopsticks making mini clacking noises like wooden swords.

Raven sipped her own boba tea, and sighed. "I wish this day wouldn't end."

Rusty heard her comment, his smile falling slightly. He agreed.

-o-

Later that day

The day was rolling into the evening, the skies of Augustgrad taking on an orange hue as the sun began to set. The cab stopped at the train station, a long winding track that went straight through the city. Raven and the others were chatting, when her phone pinged. She checked her messages, realizing the time. "Oh, damn it that's me guys. I gotta get going, got to check in with my boss for tomorrow."

With varying reactions of fading happiness, Sylvia went up and gave her a huge hug, her chest right in Raven's face. "Hate to see this end so soon, don't be a stranger and text me okay? Let's try to take some time off again soon."

Ava smiled, feeling a bit sad. "I will, you're the best."

Rusty held up a peace sign, some bags linked in his fingers. "Talk to you again sometime, buddy. It's been fun."

Iguazu sighed, rubbing his buzzcut. "Yeah, see you soon kid."

Yoko gave a slow punch to Raven's shoulder, "Yeah, sock the next one good for me. Catch you soon." She offered a smile.

As her friends waved goodbye and boarded the train along with other civilians, Raven sighed as she watched the train disembark. With one last wave, she walked towards the palace, texting Fleming. Ma'am, I'm on my way now.

The reply came a few minutes later. Great, meet me in the lobby.

It was only a ten minute walk out of the train station, to the grand walkway of the towering structure. Raven marvelled, looking up at how high it reached. She presumed at the very top levels was where the Emperor resided.

Entering the lobby and looking around. The palace interior was a place of polished grey marbles, furnished gold trim, and deep red cloths. It was a marvel of architecture in and out, and Mengsk made sure to present how proud he was of his domicile.

Fleming was seen talking to the receptionist, pointing at some things on a screen for a couple of officers. She turned around, looking her pilot up and down with a curious look. "Glad to see you made it Lieutenant. What are you wearing?"

Raven looked herself over, suddenly embarrassed as she carried a couple shopping bags and a cup of boba tea in her off hand. She still wore some of the new clothes she bought. "Oh, I uh went shopping with my friends."

Raising an eyebrow, Fleming picked up a tablet and began walking toward the elevator. "I see that. Come with me." They entered the ornate elevator, and it whirred to life as a button was pressed. The elevator whirred to life, rising up as the holopanel showed the floor number rising. 1...2...3... She looked over at her subordinate. "Are you doing okay?"

Raven, surprised by the question, stopped sipping from her drink. "No matter how much I shower... I can't get that gross feeling off of me. I think I'll be able to live, but if you or Sylvia hadn't been there..." Her blue eyes met Fleming's brown ones.

She shut that thought down. "All that matters is that we were there, because that bastard is gonna get what he deserves. You have my support, Raven." She offered a tiny smile.

Her eyes watering a tiny bit, Raven sniffled. "Thank you, ma'am.." She cleared the tightness out of her throat. "Ahem, so what's this about anyway?"

The elevator continued to hum as it carried them higher. "We believe it's time, and training data has cleared you for combat sorties. After today, you'll be off on your first mission."

That got Raven's attention, as she blinked a couple times. "Really? You think I'm ready? I mean, I can fly and fight now, I think I can.."

Fleming adjusted her glasses as the elevator slowed to a halt on floor eighty. "Honest answer? I think we could still stay longer for more practice, but the Emperor needs these missions carried out inconspicuously. Time is of the essence and our enemies aren't going to wait. We're here."

The elevator dinged as the maroon and gold doors slid open, showing an office full of cubicles where the sound of phones and voices were in abundance. The two women walked through, people nodding their greetings as they passed by. Eventually, they'd stopped at a pair of mahogany doors that stood taller than both of them, two golden wolves poised on both sides.

Fleming nodded to Raven and pushed the doors open, bringing them into a meeting room. Raven widened her eyes a little, suprised to see that the table was full of different men and women, sporting uniforms from all the branches. "Raven, meet your team. "

One man stood up and walked forward while extending a hand. He looked to be in his early fifties, by the way his hair greyed along the sides. "A pleasure, I'm Captain Roger Romero. I'll be heading the ship and carrying you from mission to mission. Looking forward to working with you."

Raven shook his hand, shaking her head a little. "Nice to meet you sir, I'm Lieutenant-" She looked over at Fleming, who nodded, "-Raven. I'll be piloting the AC for us."

Fleming spoke aloud to everyone. "As of now, operation ORPHANAGE is entering it's second stage. Once we leave here and embark on our campaign, we will no longer officially associate with the Dominion Empire while we're deployed. Everything will be done to obscure our identities to any other parties." A murmur of agreement sounded throughout.

A Captain who'd seen her fair share of combat and horrors of war had approached, her bernard service cap tucked in her left arm.

She spoke with a slavic accent, an old scar cutting past her top lip. "Captain Varushka Baranova, I'll be heading the Marines stationed on our ship. Looking forward to seeing what you'll do. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be getting everything squared away." Nodding, she brushed past the young pilot, the door closing behind her.

Captain Romero chuckled to himself, straightening his white naval uniform. "Yeah, that's Baranova for ya."

"She's rough, but she's the best we got for ground ops. Give her some time, she'll warm up eventually." Fleming adjusted her glasses. "Questions so far?"

Raven took in a breath, processing all of it. "So, when do we head to the ship?" She looked between the two senior officers.

Romero cracked a smile, liking her already. "I'm glad you asked."

-o-

Augustgrad palace, underground complex

Lights flickered on as the steel lift ground to a halt with an echoing clamor. It was large enough that it could fit several Siege Tanks if such an occasion were to occur, Raven mused. She along with the Major, Captain Romero and other officers stepped off and walked along a lit pathway. As they did, the young pilot gasped in awe at the view.

There, docked in the center of the grand underground cavern, was the sleekest battlecruiser she'd ever seen. It was jet black in color, with only the orange lights of sensors, missile pods, and other tech indicating its location. Further ahead, she could see crews of SCV's, men and women loading cargo onboard ranging from vehicles, to crates of supplies and equipment. There was even a battalion of black power-armored Marines marching their way up the ramp and into the massive hangar within.

"This, is the Paramour," Captain Romero pointed as they continued their walk, footsteps echoing along, "She's a state of the art Moirai class Battlecruiser, usually meant for special forces, but Emperor bless us, he was kind enough to lend me one. She's got ablative coating, Missile systems, laser batteries, point defense, drop pods and more. We've even refitted the main Yamato cannon with the Yamamoto Rail Cannon instead. Allows us to fire several kinds of payloads to lay down the hurt."

Raven shook her head. "Sir, wow. That body. That is absurd, you could practically occupy a city with her."

Fleming replied, tapping a few things on her pad, reading through the crew roster. "You're not far off there. Inside, she houses a crew of five-thousand. Crewmen, Pilots, Medics, Marines, Engineers, the whole nine yards. Got enough guns to supply a rebellion and then some. There's a reason Raynor stole one of these things. Your AC is already in the docking bay as well, undergoing some routine maintenance."

"My AC's already on there?" Raven asked, looking over at the pad in her hands.

She nodded as they neared the commotion. "Mhm, we also took the time to supply the Paramour with an assembly area for it, so you'll be able to exchange AC parts, as well as change up your loadout as we go. The more tech we can refine, the more we'll add to the shop."

Raven couldn't help but smile. She would be able to change up her own mech? The thought excited her. "I'd like to see it if that's alright, ma'am."

Romero chuckled, "Come on, I'll show you where we keep her. Need you to finalize some things with it, and then we'll be getting ready to set off."

Together they made their way onboard, entering the hangar. It was a massive chamber that spanned the length of the ship, a glossy black floor made of neosteel with walls of grey. Small alcoves lined the walls with aircraft of various purposes at rest while crews worked on them. SCV mechs rolled across the floor as they slowly escorted viking fighters into a loading elevator. "Insane." Raven muttered, she'd never gotten to spend much time in the hangar, but it looks like this would be her new home.

The Captain pointed ahead as they walked past working crews. "There she is, your AC."

It'd been a couple days since she'd seen it, but there it was. Her Armored Core. It'd become something of a familiar sight now, almost like a friend to her. All grey in color with orange system lightsit stood stock still as crews continued their maintenance. Its rounded chest area gleamed with fresh shine thanks to the overhead lights, that simple 621 printed for all to see along the side.

"Lass! There ya are. Was wondering when you'd make it." A familiar man called out as he approached. He wore grey coveralls, a black patch on his bicep that showed a white bird in flight. The center of his chest had a patch of a Senior Master Sergeant. "Ma'am, sir." Dewitt nodded to the officers.

Raven was glad to see him, feeling good knowing he'd be around. "Master Sergeant! What are you doing here?"

"Hah, I'm in charge of your robot there! I'll be manning the crews to fix her up or change things out if you need it."

Romero patted Raven's shoulder, "You got it from here Master Sergeant? I need to head to the bridge, Major with me?" He looked at his cohort, more a soft order than a question.

Fleming nodded as she followed him into the elevator. "We'll talk soon, Raven. Get some rest when you can." The doors hissed shut as it hummed to action.

Raven looked back at the chief engineer. "So, what do I gotta do?" She crossed her arms, the day having caught up and suddenly wanting to lay in her bunk.

"Mm, well first thing's first. We gave her a cleaning, checked all her weapons and everything seems in order. Last thing's last, we just need you to name here. Here." He handed her a data pad, and on the screen it showed a diagram of her AC with a text box for her to enter in.

She took it, biting her lip in thought. "Hmm.. wait, there's a name here already. 'LOADER 4?' Haha, the hell kind of name is that?"

Dewitt rumbled with a low chuckle. "Not the most creative name, but apparently that's what it came with when we downloaded the internal OS for tuning. Some viking pilots took to naming their craft, such as This side up, or Red Comet."

Raven thought hard about what to call it. Something she'd be able to remember on the drop of a dime, a name that meant something to her... She looked up at the Core, as it seemed to stare down with that flashlight looking head.

"How about... Golden Orius." She tapped the name in, and hit submit. "Here."

Nodding, Dewitt scratched his beard. "Interesting name you picked there."

"Yeah? Haha, I don't know, it just felt right." Raven shrugged. "Anything else?"

"Aye, there's something you'll like here. We've been able to work on the systems enough that now we've created a copy. Whever you want, you'll be able to sit up there and run some combat sims. No need to launch out there for training, you can do it just within that cockpit now."

Raven raised her brows at that. That sounded interesting, being able to practice in a simulator? Would come in handy. "Oh that's awesome, I'll definitely try it out soon. Could use the practice."

Dewitt pointed a thumb behind him. "Well, we only got data using our own toys, so anything you face in that simulator will be Terran. Just in case, I've also made it so you can practice against another AC that will use your specs. You can put on anything we have in the arsenal for it, so you can practice against different builds. Once we butt heads with new enemies out there, the ship will save the data scans for later use in the sim."

"That's gonna be so helpful, thanks Chief. As much as I want to train now, I think I'm gonna go find my quarters. I'm beat." She smiled as she made her way to the elevator, punching in for the crew deck.

"Aye, I'll see you soon then girl!" He said, getting back to work.

-o-

Even though the ship was massive, Raven thankfully was famliar with it as she had been on a few in her service as a Marine. It took a few minutes of walking past curious stares from passerby to get to her personal quarters, placing a hand on the sensor.

It beeped green, traces of her handprint fading from the pad as the doors slid open and entered. Her room was a clean area of sleek silver and dark greys, complete with a desk, empty shelving, a bed, closet, and terminal for personal use. Clean white light strips lined the ceiling as they flicked on, illuminating everything in sight. An open door showed a personal bathroom complete with a sink, mirror, and standing shower.

"Whew, home sweet home.. I guess." Making sure the door was locked, she pulled off her civilian clothes and slid the closet open. Thankully her things had been transferred, finding them neatly tucked at the bottom where she saw boots, formal shoes, and heels next to the shopping bags she came in.

Hanging above were a few sets of blues, PT clothes, and fatigues. She'd settle for a simple light grey top that had a black raven across the front, along with a pair of black shorts for sleepwear.

With a sigh, she flopped onto her bed as the lights shut off, save for a corner light that faded to a soft yellow. From there, she was able to hear the thrumming of the ship systems, a strip of window to her right that let her see out into the dark of the cavern.

Raven sat up suddenly, looking around her room. "Who's there?" She'd heard it, she know she did. Someone's voice, calling out to her. "What the fuck... Hello?"

Something warm trickled down her lips, and she touched in worry.

It was blood.

-o-

Planet Char

Zerg Hive, royal gastric chamber

In the deep bowels of the living fortress, through many crevices and orifices that remained closed off in privacy, a carapace laden body stirred. From the mucus-dripping ceiling, a body unfurled as what looked like bat wings without membrane flexed for balance as Kerrigan awoke.

A growl emanated from both her and the chamber around her as she elegantly reached down, landing on her scaled feet. Her eyes opened, revealing the hate filled pools of yellow that were her irises.

She'd felt it, through the currents of the universe, some of her zerg reacted to it too.

"So it begins."