on_her_korhal | Kerrigan's Mobile Headquarters, In Orbit Above Braxis, Tuesday

Kerrigan had been so gracious as to leave her visitors a nice room to arrive in, rather than the beautiful, dark breathing chambers of her Overlord. She had little time to waste, especially after last month, and so she cut to the chase as soon as the doors slid shut behind her guests. "The Psi Disrupter is causing me some very serious problems. Although I've regained control of my forces here, it's taking more and more concentration just to keep them in line."

"Aww... My heart's breaking for you, Kerrigan." Jimmy sauntered into the room, all faked attitude overlaying his very real discomfort. Charming. He slammed his hand down on the table in the center of the room. "Now exactly why was it that you asked Fenix and I to bring Mengsk to you?"

"Are you still suspicious that I'll kill him for abandoning me to the Zerg?" she asked, glancing at the door behind him as it opened and shut to allow her other visitor in. "I've gotten over it, Jim. We can't afford to let petty hatreds jeopardize our plans for the UED." After all, the UED was a greater, more credible threat right now-- in comparison, Mengsk looked weak.

She couldn't quite surpress the roll of something darker within her, but this wasn't the time. Instead, she levelled her eyes on the man who'd betrayed her, in the flesh, for the first time since the Zerg took her back at New Gettysburg.

"That's reassuring," he said, striking one weasely figure next to Jimmy's now-quiet anger. Ironic. If it was another time, she'd laugh.

"Arcturus..." she said instead. All right, she couldn't help the slight, dark quirk of her mouth. "I presume you found your cold-sleep chamber... accommodating?"

Ah, and there were those furious eyes of his, fixed on hers.

It had been a long time.

"What is the meaning of this, Kerrigan?!"

So gracious of him, to be so angry and to strip her of any inclination towards sympathy.

"Straight to the point, huh?" Kerrigan asked, leaning her weight ever subtly onto one hip. This was bizarre, familiar, and for now, necessary. "I was hoping to chat. It's been a while."

To severely understate it.

"Not long enough." Oh, are you bitter, Arcturus? I wonder if Roy would have sounded like you do now, after Ishbal - or was his a more noble disgrace? Either way, I can see the tell-tale lines of wear in your eyes...

She smiled again.

"Why have I been brought here?" he demanded.

"I need your Psi Emitters, Arcturus."

Her own fingers trailed along the edge of the table. Take her time. Show her honesty, her caring. Should I leave you behind? I've seen what it does to Generals... but you were never really one of those.

"Why?"

"Remember the Confederate Psi Disruptor that you could never find?" she posited, flattening her palm against the table. Stopping, abruptly. So did her wandering train of thought. "Well, the UED found it. And it's preventing me from controlling my minions. With the help of your Psi Emitters, I can gather up enough Zerg to destroy the Disruptor and confront the UED."

"And what are you offering me in return?"

Jimmy glanced up at him, but didn't say anything. Her smile quirked worse. Of course.

And then she laughed.

"Ever the politician."

She resumed her stalk, quiet and predatory, with just enough humanity to keep them all distracted. Mengsk was a politician, and not a general, not a grunt, not some poor lowlife on the street: he would never get his hands that dirty. He wanted to be an Emperor.

And that was the perfect cage.

"All right, 'Emperor', if you help me destroy the Disruptor, I'll help you retake Korhal from the UED," she shot back, firmly.

Dangle his throne over his head.

"Hmm... a tempting offer." She could feel him wavering, and she knew she had him, even if he made for the cursory, "What assurances do I have of you fulfilling your end of the bargain?"

No, not quite a politician. Harriet had been one, but she had been true and good, and caring. Not about the power, but about the people - a commodity more than scarce these days.

By then, the humanity had faded from her looks, and only the smirk remained, sinister but upfront. I am the evil they know.

"The only thing I can assure you of, Arcturus, is that without my help, you'll be the Emperor of your own little eight by eight cell for the rest of your life."

Cage the bird.

She didn't even need to hear him say--

"I see that you're still a persuasive speaker."

[[ nfb, nfi, ooc-okay, dialogue taken from StarCraft: Brood War Zerg Mission 2, 'Reign of Fire' ]]