Hello everyone! First, welcome to Barely Preserved, this has been a project long in the making and I feel if I don't post this now, I'll just keep finding reasons to delay. Speaking of, was planning to upload this earlier this week, but a few issues came up with week – specifically with my car. Speaking of, my friendly piece of advice, if you have a friend who claims to know cars and tries to fix your car battery with triple A batteries, just call Triple A. Then I realized it Chinese New Year was coming up and I decided to wait until that got closer. So to anyone who celebrates that, happy Chinese New Year!
Second, if you remember a different chapter here, but same story? I promise you're not crazy. At least, not from remembering something else. If you like my work, you're probably a little crazy. I was going through something and just wanted to publish the story then, even though it wasn't up to the standard I wanted it to be at and been working on this since.
So…what else? Ah! Special thanks go: Fangtom, who convinced me to write this, my friend who doesn't have an account that I wall call J, who despite having little knowledge in Starcraft lore, has been open to a few conversations and a rough draft, TheStygianRose, who agreed to help me with fight scenes, and to just about everyone who was willing to talk to me about this story and offer feedback. You're all great!
And extra special thanks to a few people who are no longer with us, their memories are a blessing and without them, this would have been a lot harder.
To fellow fans of the Dark Templar books, enjoy your unofficial sequel!
In this time of chaos and war, refugees banded together to create a new life on Haven. They found sanctuary on a remote planet near protoss territory, away from the constant threat of zerg attacks and the mighty but oppressive Dominion that had rejected them. In short time, Haven grew into a thriving community for those seeking survival without becoming a hotbed of criminal activity.
Jacob Jefferson Ramsey and Rosemary Dahl, a xenoarchaeologist and an assassin who have worked together for years, are two such people who came here fleeing from the Swarm, along with their young daughter, Teresa Zamara Starke Dahl-Ramsey.
Breathing in the crisp, mountain air, Jake's smile widened as he took in the bustling city of Fjellhavn. Despite being only a few weeks old, it was already clear that this would be the thriving hub of trade on the planet, with its economic and political influence radiating out to the rest of Haven. In the distance, remnants of the original colonist shuttles could still be seen in some of the smaller towns, serving as efficient transport shuttles, ferrying vital supplies to help build the towns more quickly. But here in Fjellhavn, they had been scrapped for parts.
As he stood in the midst of the young but bustling city, he couldn't help but think about the countless people who had sought refuge here from the ruthless zerg. But this place was more than just a sanctuary for those fleeing danger - it had also gained a reputation as a haven for anyone brave enough to defy the oppressive Dominion. The buzzing energy and constant movement of people gave off an air of defiance and resilience, making it clear that this was not a place to be trifled with.
"Are we going to see mom soon?" An innocent voice asked.
Jake looked down at his four-year-old daughter holding his hand; the sight of her always made him feel better, and combined with his already good mood, he felt lighter than air. "Sorry Teresa, but she's talking to the new recruits. Wants to make sure they're good enough to keep us safe."
Jake couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as he looked down at his daughter's innocent face. He knew that she deserved a better life, one without constant worry and the need for safety. But she was so young and had already been driven from two worlds by the Swarm
Teresa's face twisted into a pout as she let out a long sigh. Jake chuckled and playfully ruffled her hair, trying to lighten the mood.
"Come on, Teresa, let's take a look around our new home," he said with enthusiasm as he gestured towards the bustling city.
She forced a smile and looked around at the tall buildings and busy streets. But her mind couldn't help but drift to a darker thought. "Dad?" she spoke up, her voice trembling slightly.
He bent down to meet her eyes, concern etched in his features. "What is it?"
Teresa hesitated before finally asking the question that had been weighing on her mind. "Are...are the zerg going to come here too?"
Jake's heart sank at the innocent fear in her voice. It was a heavy topic for such a young girl to grapple with. The reality of alien invaders and their destructive capabilities was something that no child should have to bear. But in this world, it was just another harsh truth they had to face. A truth that robbed children like Teresa of their innocence and filled them with fear instead.
His free hand clenched so hard his nails would leave an imprint on his palm for a few minutes, while the hand she was holding tightened reassuringly.
"Teresa," he kept his voice steady, careful not to become too emotional for her sake. "Whatever happens, I promise I will take care of you. I will keep you safe from the zerg or anything else that would hurt you."
She nodded without hesitation, smiling like the sun, "I know! You're the best dad in the sector!"
He bent down so they could hug each other, "Want to know a secret? You're the best kid in the sector," he whispered to her.
"I know things are scary, and well…you saw the zerg already." She shivered at the mention of the predator race. "But we're going to be safe here."
She clung onto him as if he were the one who placed the stars in the sky during their journey to this new world. "And if you ever feel afraid of the zerg, just think of your mom. She's a lot scarier than them anyway."
They couldn't help but laugh together at the joke.
R.M. squinted behind her reinforced visor as she observed her opponent's movements. The A.R.E.S. warbot lumbered toward her, its metal frame taking a beating from her onslaught of bullets. Despite the force pushing it back, it continued to advance until finally succumbing to the damage and falling to the ground in a heap of sparks.
Without wasting a moment, R.M. shifted her aim towards another warbot approaching from the side. She quickly took cover behind some debris and unleashed a rapid stream of bullets, hitting her target with precision and causing it to malfunction. The air was filled with the smell of burnt metal and the sound of clanking gears as the second warbot fell to the ground, defeated by R.M.'s hail of bullets.
She turned to face her audience, "You see what I did?" She held up her gun, "Six enemies and I still have most of my magazine left. All of you," she gestured with her gauntleted arm, "need to work on your aim. Most of you managed to hit your targets, but you took a lot more shots than you needed to."
She pointed at the damaged training bots. "Aiming. You have guns, great weapons. Hit the enemy before they get too close, because if a protoss goes hand to hand with you? You've already lost. Might as well take your last few thoughts to say goodbye to your limbs."
The recruits looked at each other nervously.
"As for the zerg? If they get close to you, then you can probably forget about aiming. Zerglings and banelings like to come in groups, if they get close enough, you won't have much of a chance, so just shoot." She gave them a pointed look, daring them to question such a simple instruction. "Understood?"
Her ears were met with the resounding cries of "Ma'am, yes Ma'am!"
She appraised them, pointing at one of them seemingly at random, "You. What's your name and preferred weapon?"
His eyes widened, but his expression returned to a neutral one a moment later; taking a step forward, he answered, "My name is Jesse Holton, Ma'am. I want to become a firebat. Best way to kill them how I see it, ma'am."
She already knew that, she had combed through the dossiers of each recruit standing before her, R.M. had committed their names and faces to memory. Knowledge was power, and she wanted to have as much power over her recruits as possible, especially if they were to become decent fighters under her tutelage. The stories of firebats wreaking havoc on the zerg in Agria had piqued her interest, and she hoped to recruit some who had firsthand experience in that type of combat. However, she also understood the dangers of relying too heavily on one type of soldier, and would not allow any of her recruits to make that mistake.
She raised an eyebrow at the man, "Why are you here?"
His gaze hardened as he spoke, "The zerg destroyed my home. The Dominion threatened to blow up our ships if we got too close, and pirates blocked any other escape routes." He added a belated "Ma'am," remembering her superior status.
Nodding in understanding, R.M. continued, "Good. Now, all of you need to understand that this is our new world - for better or worse." She gestured towards the surrounding forest and barracks, ending with the distant cityscape. "We might be pretty far from the Swarm, but we don't have the same level of defenses as the Dominion's important planets." There were murmurs among the recruits as they remembered how quickly Dominion soldiers had abandoned their posts when the Zerg arrived. "And let me be clear - just because we're far away doesn't mean we're safe. The zerg move fast, and it's almost certainly a matter of time before we have to deal with them."
The recruits looked uncomfortable and did a poor job of hiding their fear thinking about her words, their recent experience with the zerg still fresh in their minds.
"But this world proves that we don't need the Dominion to survive," Dahl's voice rang out with determination, her eyes ablaze with determination. "We've all faced the Zerg before, alone and terrified. And now, we have a government behind us. One we're building from nothing. Weapons, armor, money - we have everything we need to fight back."
Her tone marginally softened, but the power in her words remained strong. "We have a chance. Just one chance. And if you're not willing to give everything you've got to learn how to fight, then leave now. Don't waste your time here. But if you are ready to stand up and defend this world, these people..." She grinned fiercely. "Then congratulations, you're in the right place. You're ready to learn what it means to truly live for others."
The recruits applauded, their morale lifted by Dahl's speech. But R.M., standing next to her hoisting her gun, only smirked. She was about to speak when another instructor, Tony Alodia, stepped forward to stand next to her.
"Well said, Dahl," he nodded approvingly.
Dahl turned to face him, a slight smile on her face.
"Now, are you all ready to try again?" Tony asked the recruits.
"Sir, yes sir!" they responded in unison.
Dahl watched as they marched back to the barracks, determined to get back into their armor and rifles and continue their training. She took a deep breath and muttered, "God, I really hate giving speeches."
But Tony just smiled at her and said, "Well, I thought it was a damn good one."
– A few hours later
Teresa lay on her bed, gazing out of her window at the ever-expanding city beyond, mesmerized by its connection to the dense forest that surrounded it. As she exhaled, her breath left a faint fog on the glass, which she absentmindedly traced little symbols in.
The sudden knock on her bedroom door snapped her out of her trance and she turned to see Jake opening it with a grin.
"Hi, dad," she greeted him with a smile.
"Hey, kiddo. Ready for bed?" he asked.
She nodded eagerly, but then hesitated. "Can't I stay up until mom gets back?"
"I'm not sure when she'll be back and we have a big day tomorrow. You want to explore the forest, right?" Jake reminded her.
Teresa nodded in agreement. "Well, if we're going to do that, we'll have to go out early. Which means you need to go to sleep soon. How about a bedtime story for now? Your mom might be back when we finish."
The child shrugged and crawled under her blanket as Jake took a seat on the bed. He smirked, "Hmm, what story should I tell you?"
Teresa's small blue eyes widened in anticipation as they locked onto his face. "What about Zamara? Can you tell me about her?"
Jake chuckled at his daughter's request, "Alright then. "Well, one day Teresa Zamara Starke Dahl-Ramsey-"
"Dad!" she interrupted with a playful shoving from Teresa.
Chuckling from that, Jake took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "Okay, okay. How about a story about the protoss Preserver, Zamara?"
Teresa's grin widened and she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!"
Ruffling her hair, he spoke, "Sounds like a plan. So, the story, a few years ago, before you were born, before I met your mom, I was digging on Gelgaris with some friends, looking for ancient artifacts. Some people were so impressed with our work there, they wanted me to look at a really important temple. To uncover ancient mysteries and discover new history. And do you know who came to get me?"
"Mom. And that's how you met her, right?" Teresa knew the answer to this, but it became part of how the story went; to ask these questions.
Jake smiled, gently running a hand over his forehead, "That's right, you're so smart." Teresa preened at his compliment, something Jake smiled at before he continued, "Your mom came and told me about this temple that every other person who looked at it, the best and the brightest, couldn't figure out."
"So, they had to do better." Teresa yawned, fighting off sleep to keep listening.
Jake chuckled, "Heh, that's right. They needed the best and they came to me. So I looked around the temple, saw beautiful things there. Things that I want to show you one day."
Teresa's eyes closed briefly, picturing the temple in her head.
"And I found a riddle."
The small girl giggled at how he emphasized the last word, making Jake smile wider, "No one could figure it out, not even your mom. The riddle was made by a protoss, and after I figured it out, your mom and I went deeper into the temple."
He leaned closer and quietly asked, "And do you know what we found?"
"Zamara! You found Zamara!" Teresa exclaimed excitedly, happy to be at this part.
Tousling her hair, he began, "Sounds like a plan. So, here's the story. A few years back, before you were even born, before I met your mom, I was on Gelgaris with some friends. We were searching for ancient relics. Our work caught the attention of some people who wanted me to investigate a mysterious temple. To uncover mysteries and discover new history. And do you know who happened to come get me?"
"Mom. And that's when you two met, right?" Teresa already knew the answer, but she loved hearing the story again. It was something they did since she learned to speak and insisted on hearing that story over and over each night, somehow never tiring of it to Jake's amazement and R.M.'s amusement.
Jake smiled warmly, brushing his hand over his forehead as he replied, "That's right, kiddo. You're so sharp." Teresa beamed with pride at his compliment, causing Jake to chuckle before continuing, "Your mom came and told me about this temple that had stumped every expert who looked at it."
"So, they needed your help," Teresa yawned slightly, trying to stay awake to hear the rest.
Jake chuckled, "Yep. They needed the best, and that's where I came in. So, I explored the temple and found amazing artifacts there. Things I can't wait to show you one day."
Teresa closed her eyes briefly, imagining the beauty of the temple.
"And then I discovered a riddle."
The little girl giggled at how he emphasized the last word, making Jake smile even more. "No one could solve it - not even your mom. The riddle was crafted by a protoss, and once I cracked it, your mom and I ventured deeper into the temple."
Leaning closer, he asked quietly, "And guess what we found?"
"Zamara! You found Zamara!" Teresa exclaimed excitedly, thrilled to reach this part of the story.
Jake was grinning, "That's right!" He ruffled her hair, "We didn't know each other at the time, I had never seen a protoss before, and she'd never seen a terran up-close before. She looked into our minds, saw that we were good people, and asked us for help. Protoss are a psionic species, they can do so much with their minds, and she took her thoughts, her mind, everything that she was, and put it in me."
Teresa's eyes were practically sparkling, "Protoss are so cool! So she found a way to keep living through you, right?"
"That's right, and she told me some important stuff about a bad protoss named Ulrezaj."
Gripping her blanket tightly, Teresa held it close and whispered, "The vampire protoss."
Jake smirked, once a deadly threat, a cacophony of destructive power unto the world around him, now nothing more than the bad guy in a child's bedtime story.
"That's right, the vampire protoss. And Zamara was the only one who knew what he was going to do next, and because of that, he wanted her dead, so your mom and I took a ship and flew away. While searching for the protoss, we met something really dangerous."
"The zerg," she whispered. "Dad, how did…how did you and mom stop them from infesting you?"
Jake's good mood began to dim as he saw fear take its place on her face. "Teresa, all zerg are dangerous, yes. But not all zerg can infest people. I don't know exactly what will happen in the future, but I know this," he leaned over and hugged her, "as long as I'm here, I will do everything to keep you safe from the zerg. They will never get you, I promise."
Teresa hugged him back, "Thanks, dad. I love you."
"So, then we found it: Aiur. As terrible as they are, the zerg couldn't ruin that beautiful world. Not all of it. Most of the protoss left the world, but two groups stayed behind."
"The Tal'darim and Shel'na Kryhas," Teresa spoke with a smug look, proud to remember this, becoming even smugger as Jake looked at her with pride for the correct pronunciation, something most adults had failed at. A benefit to hearing this story so many times, he supposed.
"That's right. The Shel'na Kryhas found us, gave us food and water, and we helped them expose Ulrezaj as a protoss vampire to the Tal'darim. He promised the Tal'darim that he would save them if they served him, but they weren't too happy when they found out their savior would eat them."
Teresa nodded in understanding, sticking her tongue out at the thought.
"Then the zerg started to act weird, and out came a man commanding them. The strangest infested I've ever seen. He somehow kept his mind, but fell in love with the zerg."
"You sure he wasn't crazy?" The thought of feeling anything positive for those predators confused her, no matter how often she heard this story.
Jake nodded, "I'm sure. He liked power and the zerg made him feel powerful."
"That's dumb," Teresa frowned.
"Some people are dumb," Jake shrugged, "But not you. You're already so smart."
Teresa hugged him, "Thanks dad."
He patted her head, looking down at her with pride until she was released, and looked up at him, silently asking him to continue the story.
"With Ulrezaj exposed and the zerg coming for us, we all ran towards the warp gate. Just imagine how scared we were when we saw the controls were damaged. If it wasn't for Zamara and your mom, that would have been it. They worked together to fix it and we all escaped while Ulrezaj and the zerg were fighting. And that's when things got weird. You see, Zamara took a wrong turn in the warp gate, so while the rest made it to Shakuras, we got stuck on some nameless planet."
Teresa giggled, sure that somehow her dad was the one who got them stuck there.
R.M. walked in, "Hey kid. Jake."
Teresa sat up, moving to get out of bed to greet her mom, but was held down by Jake with a single hand. She glared at her dad for a moment, to which he responded with a lazy but amused smirk, after a few moments of this, in which R.M. walked over, Teresa lied back down against her headboard, "Hi mom. What's going on?"
R.M. smiled, "Finished my meeting with the last of today's recruits. We worked on some basic training exercises and I went over some files." She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "What's happening here?"
Teresa blinked a few times, trying to stay awake. "Dad's telling me about Zamara."
R.M. looked at them both fondly and chuckled, "Again? You really like that story, huh?"
While Teresa nodded happily, Jake blushed in embarrassment. "Well, yeah. It's a good story, right?"
He glanced at Teresa for support and she kept nodding, much to his relief.
"See?" He turned to R.M., "She still loves this story."
R.M. shook her head in amusement, "Of course she does. She doesn't want to hurt your feelings."
Giggling, Teresa shook her head, "Nope! Dad's just a really great storyteller."
Pushing Jake lightly aside, ignoring his slightly affronted grunt, R.M. leaned down and asked, "Really?"
"Not really," Teresa admitted with a smile, "but he does know some amazing stories."
"HEY!" Jake only partially faked his offended expression.
The girls laughed at his reaction.
"Sorry to interrupt," R.M. said, "but I'm about to send a report to the boss. Do you want to review it, you grammar perfectionist?"
Jake caught her hidden message, "Of course, right away." He stood up and headed towards the door. "I'll finish the story tomorrow, okay?"
Teresa wasn't ready for bed yet and she spoke up, "Mom, tell me about your day."
R.M. chuckled and replied, "You're curious about my day, huh?" Teresa nodded eagerly. "Well, let's see...I met with some new cadets today. They're wimps, so I have a lot of work ahead of me to get them ready for the fighting."
Teresa nodded sadly, "Okay."
"Night, kiddo." R.M. gave her a one-armed hug.
As Jake started to walk away, he noticed Teresa's downcast expression. But before he could say anything, R.M. rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, leading him out of the room and turning off the lights on their way out.
Teresa yawned as she lay in bed, already drifting off to sleep. She couldn't help but imagine what it must have been like to actually be on that adventure, somehow knowing that there were details her dad was leaving out.
And as she slept, images of Aiur before the Swarm descended upon it in her dreams.
–
"She is such a good kid," Jake smiled contently.
"Uh huh," R.M. nodded as she hit enter, sending the encrypted and coded message to their contact on Tyrador VIII that would later be sent to Valerian.
R.M. stretched her arms, "Valerian should get that info soon enough, until we hear back from him, we can relax a bit more. Just go about our lives."
Jake rubbed his arm nervously, smile now gone, "No matter how often we've done this already, always makes me nervous."
In a mix of exasperation and amusement R.M. answered, "Pretty sure our cover hasn't been blown yet if you're worried about that."
Working for Valerian has taken them across the Dominion, gathering information from intellectuals, the criminal underground, and various companies all to find those more likely to support Valerian should he need to expand his intelligence network or find a potential ally and those that would not be likely to work with his plans or would easily turn against him. He had sent them to Haven to start building a spy network here and to keep an eye out for potential political allies.
"So, how was your day? She doing all right?" R.M. frowned in concern.
"She seems to be doing fine. And we have a lot of space between us and the Swarm, so Haven will probably have time to build some defenses before the zerg come around, and since we won't be bothering the Daelaam, the protoss shouldn't do anything. They've got more important matters to deal with."
"Oh, Jake," she looked at him, "Do you really think human luck is that good?"
- The next day - 0600
Only two air traffic controllers were on duty, a stark contrast to the usually full room.
With no scheduled ships for several hours, they were operating with the bare minimum staff for the graveyard shift.
Controller Lawson, a blonde woman in her thirties, furrowed her brow as she saw a notification pop up. "Damn. Hey, Bailey, are you seeing this?"
Her coworker, a brunette man in his thirties, nodded in response. "The ship that's not responding to hails? Yeah, I see it. Looks like it took some damage and there's some zerg residue on board. But it doesn't seem to be infested."
Lawson rubbed her chin in thought. "Yes, but it's heading towards us at high speed."
Bailey shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not going fast enough to completely destroy the ship. Plus, look here," he pulled up a map on his screen with a small area highlighted.
"It seems like it'll crash here, away from any populated areas. At least we don't have to worry about civilian casualties."
"Let's report this and let the higher-ups know where it'll land. They'll probably send some of our new recruits to handle it. It'll give them an easy victory," Lawson suggested with a wry smile.
- 0900
Rage...so much hatred. A seething, unbridled and an all consuming rage. Directed at her…at the Daelaam…at those he left behind, and to everyone else. Contempt to all who wouldn't -couldn't- understand his goals and to those that did and were still against him. And as the essence of her being was surrounded by this -by him- she couldn't help but wish there was another way.
"Teresa, time to wake up." The small girl was ripped from her dreams by her dad shaking her shoulder.
"No," she whined. "Can I have five more minutes?"
She groaned when Jake scooped her up, "Please?"
Jake placed her feet first on the floor, and let her go to make her stand, "We've got a fun day planned, we're going to go hiking today, remember?"
"Yeah," she rubbed her eye, "But can't that wait a little longer?"
She had a wonderful and exciting dream; a golden city filled with tall people whose faces she couldn't make out, then everything changed. She was scared; she had something important to do and was so close to doing it.
"Nope," Jake shot her request down, "Sorry, but the group's not going to wait on us. The hike's starting in an hour, so hurry up now."
Teresa nodded before letting out another yawn, "Okay…"
She walked off to her closet to get ready as Jake walked out of her room, her dream already fading from her mind.
Quickly getting ready, she walked out for breakfast with her parents. Twenty minutes later, Jake and Teresa were well-fed and prepared to leave.
"Bye mom, have fun teaching those crybabies," Teresa smiled at R.M.
Jake ruffled her hair, "Hey, that's not very nice."
R.M. set down her coffee, "He's right. Don't call them that." She smirked, "They're wimps."
Jake groaned while his daughter laughed. Looking at R.M., he spoke in a tired voice, "Please don't teach her any bad habits."
Laughing, R.M. kissed him, "Never."
Sighing overdramatically, Jake looked at Teresa, "Stay how you are, cute and innocent."
Teresa giggled, smiled innocently, and shook her head, enjoying the sound of Jake's exaggerated sigh and R.M.'s laugh.
- Barracks - 0930
"Good morning, Dahl," Tony waved at her, beckoning her closer with coffee.
"Tony," she nodded, grabbing the offered drink. "Anything happen yet?"
"Yep," he nodded. "Some ship crashed around an hour ago, our rookies and some medics were sent out to test how they'll hold up taking orders."
R.M. nodded, "Good. I'll set up a training course for them later. Wait, we have any warbots left for training?"
Tony frowned in thought, "Think we have a few left we can use."
R.M. smiled, "Good, I can have something set up for later after they've debriefed."
"Oh!" Tony snapped his fingers, "Almost forgot, going to be some big celebration today. The big veggies the docs were working on are all good, the farmers are real happy about that."
R.M. gave him a wry smile, "'Come to Haven, get the galaxy's best tomatoes,'" she snorted, "Let's see how long it takes for that to catch on."
- 1030
Jesse looked around the silent vehicle, out of the twenty people here, none were talking.
He shuffled about uncomfortably in place, trying to think of something to break the silence and tension.
'Urg, I'm not a social person, how do I start a conversation?' He thought to himself.
"So…" he began, slightly tensing up as all eyes went to him, "Think we'll find anyone alive there?"
Immediately after speaking, he mentally kicked himself, 'Out of everything I could have said, I said that?!'
"Well," someone else spoke up in a thick Southern drawl, "I sure hope so. 'therwise we came out here for nothin'."
Before anyone else could speak, or an awkward silence could descend over them, the A.P.C. shook, as if the driver decided to twist the wheel to mess with the rookies.
"Hey!" Jesse yelled into the radio, "What's going on up there?"
A moment later, he realized he probably shouldn't have spoken like that to the drivers, the people in charge of watching their progress, but before he could think of what to do, he got a response.
"We're here," the driver spoke in a raspy, hoarse tone. "Get out. Now."
The doors opened up and the ramp extended.
"Friendly, ain't he?" The guy who responded to Jesse earlier grunted.
Jesse nodded, making a mental note to get that guy's name later, and walked out with everyone else.
The recruits in marine armor and the veteran medics looked around in confusion and started talking amongst each other.
"Isn't there supposed to be some downed ship here?" Jesse muttered, frowning in confusion.
Jesse's heart dropped to his stomach in horror as a slimy glob of green...stuff flew out of the woods and splattered onto the ground, splattering onto a group of unsuspecting marines. The putrid substance immediately began to sizzle and melt into their armor and flesh, causing excruciating pain and rendering them immobile.
"Can't…move…" One grunted out.
"Hurts…so much…Arg!" Another yelled.
Jesse took a step back when tentacles burst out of one of them.
Then another.
And another. Their bodies contorted and convulsed as tentacles burst from their skin, armor and flesh fused together, their guns twisting into their bones until they were indistinguishable until they the infestation was complete with their minds lost to the hive and turned their guns on the rest of them.
Some fired back, some froze up, but once the APC they came in started shooting at them, what little organization they had was broken.
A creature moved into view from the front of the APC. A bulbous creature, carried on sturdy-looking legs with writhing tentacles coming from out of the creature's jaw.
It looked like something out of that ancient earth writer's horror books, Jesse thought to himself in that brief moment when his mind somehow went calm from a moment of overwhelming panic before reality sank in.
He raised his gun, his shaking arms evident even with the power armor coating them.
The screams of his fellow cadets filled the comms, and before he managed to pull the trigger, a green blob was shot out of the creature towards him.
After that, searing pain as metal and flesh merged into one and new flesh burst from him.
The pain was the last thing his conscious mind processed before he stopped thinking. Yet his body, on the other hand, kept moving, shambling alongside the other infested marines towards a nearby town.
- 1345 - hiking trail
'Shit, shit, shit!' Jake thought to himself over and over. Teresa was in his arms, clinging to him as he held her tightly.
The other members of their group were panicking, some were screaming as they ran towards the nearest town, all panicked and rushing without care of how loud they were since the zerg alert went off.
Jake thought about just ditching the group. They were making so much noise that any nearby zerg would surely be drawn to them, and smaller zerg could easily sneak up on them hidden by the sound of the group's screaming.
'Shit!' He screamed in his head, clutching the small child more, more determined than anything else to keep her safe.
His heart stopped for a moment, he heard something. It sounded like someone talking, but it was gargled, as if something was stuck in the speaker's throat.
Someone, Jake didn't know who, nor did he particularly care at that moment, shrieked as several infested terrans shambled out, the others scrambled to hide behind each other or flee, Not that it would matter much against these creatures. Their sharp claws could easily pierce through flesh and strike those hiding behind others, and they were faster and a lot more endurance than their uninfested counterparts.
Jake turned around, ready to try to run, to hide, to do anything to survive, and that saved him.
An explosion erupted behind him, knocking him forward. A piece of his mind thought he could hear screaming, then he felt the ground meet him as he smashed into it, and a ringing sound filled his ears.
It took him a few seconds to regain his sense of hearing. Teresa's crying was the first thing his mind recognized, the second was the sound of something burning and something mechanical in the air.
He forced himself to turn around and look up, seeing a protoss scout ship moving away from them and the hole left behind from its ordinance that obliterated the infested.
He gulped as he saw a Mothership descending from above in the distance and took off towards the nearest town with Teresa crying in his arms, leaving the rest of the group behind.
Jake's heart raced as he heard the familiar sound of zerglings screeching behind him. He knew he had to act fast. Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted through the forest towards the sound of alarms, towards the nearest town.
But even more terrifying was the sight of a Mothership descending from above, its massive size and ominous aura sending chills down Jake's spine. He knew they had to get out of there quickly.
With Teresa still sobbing in his arms, Jake ran towards the nearest town, not wasting another thought on the group here.
- 1350
R.M., clad in her CMC armor, grips her gun tightly as the A.P.C. jolts and bumps against obstacles, possibly dead marines. Her heart races but she remains composed, knowing that their mission to confront the zerg was inevitable.
Tony, in identical armor, looks over at her with a grim expression. "Remember yesterday when you mentioned us running into the zerg? Looks like it's come true. You really jinxed us."
R.M. let out a wry laugh, "Yep, that's exactly how it works."
Tony smirks, trying to mask his nerves. "Well then, after we survive this mess, you owe me a drink for your jinxing abilities. And that means you better not die here."
Smiling back at him, R.M. chuckled. " Guess that means you're not allowed to die either."
The A.P.C. screeches to a halt and the doors slide open, soldiers pouring out and taking up positions in the nearby bunkers to defend the town. They are ordered to hold until Haven's powerful goliaths can arrive for reinforcements.
There was little left to say as they kept their eyes focused and waited for the zerg to show up, and thankfully for their nerves, they did not wait long. Within minutes, a monstrous horde of zerglings and infested terrans comes charging towards them with deafening roars.
The sound of the Gauss rifles spitting out metal finding purchase in the charging zerglings and the infested. But for each one they killed, several were ready to take their place.
Just when it seemed like they would be completely overwhelmed, a strike fighter swooped in and dropped a napalm bomb directly in the path of the charging zerglings. The fierce flames engulfed the creatures, roasting their carapaces and causing those nearby to writhe in agony as their skin sizzled and melted.
The force of the explosion shook the surrounding trees violently, some bursting into flames while others were torn apart by shrapnel. The earth trembled underfoot, sending shockwaves through their bodies.
Several goliaths marched forward, unleashing a relentless barrage of bullets that tore through the zerg forces with ease. Chunks of chitin, flesh, and metal flew through the air as the infested marines fell one by one.
Tony's laughter echoed over the chaos, "Now this is what I call fun!"
But R.M.'s voice held a sense of foreboding, "Don't get too comfortable. Our luck as terrans never lasts for long."
As if on cue, explosions lit up the sky, followed by a blinding light slamming down into zerg-held territory.
Tony laughed, "Damn! Looks like the 'toss are joining the fight!"
He looked at her, his face and expression obscured by the visor, "You know them better than anyone here. They here to help us or burn us?"
Another explosion erupted, it looked like it was close to where they knew a town was located, if not directly at the spot.
"Burn us. Definitely burn us." She gripped her gun harder.
Teresa's grip on Jake tightened as she trembled in fear, her voice shaking as she asked, "Are we going to die?"
Her eyes were squeezed shut and tears streamed down her face. With her other hand, she clutched at her head as if trying to hold herself together.
Jake tried to remain calm, but his own heart was racing. "No, no. We'll be fine," he reassured her.
They were safe for now, but the constant presence of firebat and marine escorts passing by made Jake uneasy. He had a suspicion that they were taking research subjects back to Fjellhavn.
But in that moment, none of it mattered. His only focus was on the terrified girl in his arms.
"How are you holding up? How are you feeling?" he asked softly.
"It hurts," Teresa responded with a pained expression. "My head really hurts."
A knot formed in Jake's stomach at her words. Was she psionic? Were the nearby protoss overwhelming her just by being here? If they survived – when – what would they do? Psionics were scarcely welcomed in most societies except as weapons, and Haven, for all that's good about it, would doubtless seek any additional weapons.
He wouldn't let that happen, no matter what.
"Focus on me, okay?" he said gently. "Can you open your eyes for me?"
She slowly complied, revealing an expression of agony that tore at Jake's heart.
"Can you tell me when your head started to hurt?"
"When...when the bright lights and the protoss came," she answered.
Jake tightened his hold on her, determined to protect her at all costs. But then the sirens went off again, blaring from every device in town with the same urgent message: "A protoss terror fleet is heading towards Eski. Head towards the colony shuttle."
People began rushing towards the shuttle, pushing and shoving in their panic. Jake desperately tried to make his way through with Teresa in his arms.
"Please! I have a child here!" he pleaded as others jostled past him.
Just when it seemed like chaos would prevail, a group of Marines stepped in and managed to restore some order.
But then someone screamed, "Zerg!"
Jake's heart sank as he saw the infested creatures swarming towards them. He knew there was no way they would all make it on the shuttle.
"Save her!" he yelled frantically. "Please, I don't care if you leave me behind, just save her!"
Teresa looked up at him with terror in her eyes, pleading silently for him not to leave her. But the Marine guard nodded and ushered them onto the shuttle.
As they took their seats along with injured civilians, a few other parents, and a number of other children, Teresa turned to Jake with tears in her eyes. "You...you were going to send me away," she said, hurt and pain evident in her voice.
Jake felt a like he was choking on in his chest.
"I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe," he promised, trying to hold back his own tears.
"Don't!" Teresa's voice rose in desperation as tears threatened to pour from her eyes. She looked at him with pleading eyes. "Don't die for me...please."
He blinked, surprised she would yell at him.
With tears threatening to pour from her eyes, she looked at him, "Don't die for me…please."
"I…"
Jake wasn't sure how to respond, was this normal from a kid? Christ, someone in this sector should write a book about how to handle kids in the middle of an alien attack.
"I…"
Before he could answer, something hit the shuttle, making it jerk in place, Zamara gasped and pointed at the window, "Ships!"
She grabbed her head again, this time, Jake didn't pay her much mind, staring out the window in horror as protoss ships moved towards them. They barely slowed down to destroy the few flying zerg that remained after their initial assaults and bombardments.
He kept staring as the vikings met them in battle, barely taking it in as the protoss ships started to fall and the ship he was in filled up. When it took off, he calmed down enough and squeezed Teresa's shoulders as he kept staring out the window, waiting with dread for more protoss ships or zerg to show up.
But Teresa did not notice him staring out the window, nor did she even notice his hand on her shoulder.
For her mind was too far gone.
The sight of zealots charging into the town, cleaving through civilians who were shoving and trampling each other for safety, marines and marauders doing a mix of shoving people aside and shooting at the protoss warriors. Firebats spraying a fiery death at the lightly armored zealots, only to be struck down by stalkers that would blink away when the marines turned their guns on them.
Temlaa…Khas…no…Savassan…Adun…
The battle she witnessed for but a few seconds melted away from her mind
The lives of so many protoss flashed before her eyes, she cried out in pain from the overwhelming information forcing itself into her mind.
The ship stopped shaking, she forced her eyes open to see some flying terran mech getting closer, shooting off missiles and damaging the protoss fighters.
She was also able to notice that the ship was nearly full now, and a small piece of her mind wondered how long she was experiencing…that.
As if the tangent thought was enough, she was forced back into that, everything happening too fast to take anything in, yet seeing it all the same.
Zamara.
The memories of the Preserver Zamara were stronger than the rest, more vibrant in comparison to the others, more real.
And she felt what she felt, her irritation towards Jake - her dad - and how it turned into respect and friendship over time, and sacrificing herself to save him at the end. Prepared to die.
'But I didn't die, did I?'
With a cry of pain, her skull feeling like it was about to explode, she fell into unconsciousness, the last thing she heard was Jacob calling out, "Teresa!"
- 1700 - Bedroom
Zamara's hand twitched as consciousness started to return to her, and the first thing she noticed was the all-encompassing migraine.
With a small groan, she raised her hand to her hand, and upon feeling the five fingers upon her crest, she jumped a little, opening her eyes before immediately closing them again from the pain.
'That's right, I'm sharing a body with a terran now…and it's causing headaches…killing him. Wait, no…I saved him. He should be fine now.'
She forced her eyes open, pushing through the pain it caused, and got out of her bed, trying to remember how she got here.
'What a strange dream. I dreamt I was Jacob Jefferson Ramsey and Rosemary Dahl's child. How strange. It felt so real.'
Zamara noticed some similarities between this room and her room from her dream and swallowed her growing anxiety and confusion.
"Jacob," her eyes widened. That wasn't his voice, it was the voice she had in her dream as his child.
Avoiding where she somehow knew the mirrors were, not willing to face her reflection just yet, as she thought back to her dream and the memories of the dream felt as real as the memories of her life, as the more she thought on it, the more real it felt.
She opened her mouth, a familiar sensation, yet incredibly alien and strange to her at the same time. "What is going on?" She whispered to herself, heart pounding in her chest, and her migraine getting worse from thinking about what she was experiencing, still unable to will herself to make a conclusion from the pain.
"Arg," she grasped her head, soft fingers - too soft! - caressing soft skin as she walked towards the door.
Her hand, a small five-fingered hand, grasped the doorknob and pulled it open to see three people sitting at the kitchen table from her dream.
'It wasn't a dream, was it?' The thought forced itself into her head and she was too overwhelmed to dismiss it.
Jacob, Rosemary, and someone else were here in front of her.
"Hey, Teresa," Jacob smiled awkwardly at her.
"Hey, kid," R.M.'s smile seemed more natural, but Zamara noticed the nervousness behind it.
The unknown man waved at her, "Nice to meet you."
Words failed Zamara yet her mouth opened and closed a few times.
And then the floor came up to meet her as she returned to an empty void.
Jake ran to pick her up as soon as Teresa fell down, "Teresa!"
He checked her pulse, and it seemed normal, "I…I think she's all right. Must have just been overwhelmed and still in shock."
R.M. knelt down next to him, giving Teresa a worried look.
In truth, he didn't know, but he wasn't about to take her to the hospital. If she was psionic, then Haven may try and take her for their first Ghost, and he would rather die than let her live as a weapon.
For now, he'd take care of her here, and if she was still fainting tomorrow, then they'd go to the hospital.
But for now, she'd stay here. Safe from the zerg, the protoss, and even her fellow terrans if need be.
"Is she all right?" Tony slowly walked closer to them.
"I think so," Jake answered, scooping her up. "I'm just going to bring her back to her bed and put a cup of water by her bed. She'll probably need it."
"Anything I can do?" Tony asked.
Jake sent R.M. a look that she immediately understood, "You think you can try to find some new super food for us? Was excited to see how big they could get and didn't have a chance to get one today."
Tony raised an eyebrow, recognizing that they wanted him to leave, "I get it, they've been advertising those things since they had the idea. I'll go see if any place is selling them already."
With that, he waved goodbye and walked out.
Jake put Teresa back in her bed before R.M. asked, "So, what's the problem? You're the kind of person who'd want to take her to the hospital if she had a paper cut. What changed?"
Jake sighed, "Her reaction to when the protoss showed up…she really reacted to them."
"You have been telling her stories of heroic protoss her whole life," R.M. pointed out, "When they show up killing people makes sense she'd be shocked."
Jake shook his head, "No, I mean she grabbed her head. She was in pain. I couldn't do anything, and…" He shook his head, "She said some things…she might be psionic." He choked the words out, R.M.'s eyes widened in understanding as she felt the same thing he felt. "If she is psionic, I won't let her be a weapon. Not for Haven, not for the Dominion, not even for Valerian."
R.M. nodded in approval. "If she is, we won't let her be anyone's weapon," she echoed, just as resolute.
- 1840
Zamara woke up again, her headache thankfully greatly diminished, but unfortunately not gone.
Her throat felt dry and, on her dresser, she saw a cup of water, she wasted no time in getting up and grabbing it. This time she looked into the mirror on top of it. It just showed her face.
Her human face.
She stared at the reflection, too many thoughts to keep track of crossing her mind a second. Unconsciously, she reached out and touched her reflection. The moment her fingers touched the reflection, slightly chilled to the touch, she jumped in surprise.
"What?" Her eyes widened, as did the reflections. She swallowed, a familiar yet completely alien sensation.
Her door opened up, and she heard Jacob (dad?) speak. "Oh, you're up."
"Hello," she hesitated, not sure how to address him. "Hi," she said quietly.
Jacob walked over to her bed and sat down, "Look, I know you must have a lot of questions."
A piece of her wanted to scream every question, make demands for answers, another pushed for her to hyperventilate, panicked and confused as she was. It was only the centuries of controlling herself that prevented her from doing so and instead just nodded slowly.
He looked away, "This isn't something easy to say, but…"
Her first thought was that he would demand to know what she had down with his child, with Teresa. Asking, demanding to know, how she could take this body, put his child's life at risk like this like she unintentionally did to him all those years ago, after all he had done for her, all he had lost because of her.
"Look, the stuff about the protoss, every good thing? It was true, just…just not the whole story." He looked ashamed. "It's a complicated topic. A lot of people hate the protoss…they have reason to, but they're not all bad. I wanted you to know my experience with them, good, and when you got older, I'd share everything."
He kept rambling, but Zamara couldn't hear him, her thoughts moving a lightyear a second.
What had happened? The last thing she remembered was sacrificing herself to stop Ulrezaj. No…the last thing she remembered was her head hurting as her…dad(?), no Jacob carrying her into that shuttle. The protoss attacking, how scared she was, the infested terrans, that last thought made her shudder.
"-sa? Teresa, are you listening?" Jacob sounded concerned.
"Huh? Oh, yes." Zamara nodded, still collecting herself.
Jacob swallowed, "Look, I need to know. When the protoss showed up…did you feel anything? I mean, in your head? Any…pressure? Or did you hear something?"
Zamara shook her head, "No. Nothing."
It was only after she answered did she realize that the sense of psionics was missing from her memories as a human, that even now, the familiar sense of psionics was lost to her.
"Look," he looked and sounded conflicted. "If…if you feel anything strange soon, just let me know. Me or your mom, please."
He bent down so they were looking at each other in the eyes, "I just want to keep you safe and happy, and this won't be easy, but please don't hesitate. If…if you want to talk about anything, just tell us, ok?"
Zamara stared into his eyes, feeling lost and worse than ever, like every second was another lie to a man she knew was good and did not deserve the pain and the coercion she put him through, "I…I promise."
She wouldn't let this continue. She would be honest with him, if that meant saving his child by accepting her own death, she would do so.
She had already died twice now.
Ulrezaj was contained and she had no great mission to accomplish now. She would not be so selfish as to steal someone's life to extend her own, especially the child of a close friend.
She would not lie and hurt those she cared for.
"Great," he smiled. "So…you want some dinner? After today, you-"
"No. No thank you." She shook her head, "I…I just want to rest now."
He hesitated, "You've been asleep for awhile now."
"I…I think I need to…take everything in right now." She looked down, closing her eyes. "Please."
He nodded, "All right…but just for tonight. Can't skip any meals tomorrow, deal?"
She nodded, saying nothing.
He asked slowly, "You want a bed time story before you go to sleep?"
She shook her head, "No."
She knew he would tell her the same story he loved to tell her - Teresa - the same story she - Teresa - loved to hear. But tonight, she didn't think she could handle tales of how great she – Zamara - was, not when she felt like this for sure.
He looked worried, "Well…I love you, Teresa." And with a final hug, one she instinctively returned, somewhat surprising herself with how she returned his hug with her own without even thinking about it, before he walked out.
"Sleep well," a whisper, but easily heard all the same, before he turned off the lights and closed the door.
With conflicting emotions swirling inside her, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep once again.
So here we are! End of the chapter.
Hope you enjoyed, and if you didn't? Well, no one's holding you here or making you read all this. My robot army broke down when I tried to order them to make you do that.
You have any thoughts, would love to hear them, and thanks for reading!