on_her_korhal | 29 Chimera Court, Wednesday Afternoon

Entry tags:

29 Chimera Court, Wednesday Afternoon

After her class was over, Kerrigan hurried home. She had put out a call for River to show her face this week, and her lieutenant's Overlord should have arrived at the corner of town a short while ago. Not that telepathic communication didn't generally suit their purposes fine, but sometimes it was just n-- useful to do these things face-to-face.

Maybe it was just a human affectation she had never quite managed to scrub away completely.

There were things to discuss, though; things about xel'naga artifacts, and terran troop movements, and Arcturus's amusingly fast new build-up for his shattered little empire. Most of them were convinced now that the zerg had run off and left them alone, and that impression suited Kerrigan just fine...

[[ for River, though the roomie can butt in before River gets here if she wants ]]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, they both had some human weaknesses still. River felt that tinge of happiness in her chest as she knocked on the door.

The door opened immediately, of course - Kerrigan had sensed her coming. "River," she said, some inflection of happiness in her own voice, near-irritating as it was. "Upstairs."

She stepped out of the way.

River responded with a wide smile. "Brought cookies." She held up a paper bag. They were not homemade, luckily. Another little human weakness.

She entered, heading towards the stairs.

"Cookies," Kerrigan repeated, then shook her head. The little hybrid could still surprise her, sometimes.

She shut the door and followed after River. I trust you didn't run into anything inconvenient on the way.

I didn't. "What are you teaching this term?"

Should anyone listen, it might sound like they were just catching up on things.

"The Science of Psionics," she answered. The students are... interesting. I'm considering trying to take some tissue samples.

Kerrigan strode up the stairs to her room. "I thought I'd stick with something familiar."

River looked around the room.

"I hope they appreciate your knowledge. Can I have coffee?" She hadn't had coffee in a long time, ok?

Anyone in particular?

I've currently been approached by a human called Charlie. She has diverse psionic abilities, as well as pyrokinesis, Kerrigan mused, Then there is Ino, with her ability to possess... though she has already led me to think of attempting something with a power like hers. I believe the borbu species we encountered a year ago possessed a neural symbiont that did roughly the same. I think we should return to that world and infest several of their matriarchs.

"Yes," she said out loud, "Get us both a cup, actually. The coffee maker's in the kitchen downstairs."

"I'll find it!" River replied, then turned and danced down the stairs. I can catch some test subjects!"

Indeed. Also, at least one of my students seems to have a biology that actively supports magic, which is... interesting.

Really, Karla. She'd love a lock of your hair.

Kerrigan sank back in the chair she had up there, and waited for River to return.

River had danced with Karla. On air. Had she'd been only human still she would have asked for a lock of her hair even without ulterior motives.

Coffee brewed - it was nostalgic actually - River returned upstairs with two cups. "I didn't add salt." Who?

"Probably a good idea," Kerrigan said, reaching for her cup. Karla di Glacia, she answered. And then there is Blackagar Boltagon, who is apparently capable of doing great amounts of damage simply by speaking. It might be worthwhile to backtrack and see if we've found any species that work with sound...

River held on to her own cup and snagged a cookie from the bag. Then she sat down on the nearest chair. "I did add chilli though." She was joking.

I've met her. We danced on air. She knew me from another reality. The other one I don't know.

He is relatively new, but interesting. A brief mental snort. I think he's infatuated with me.

She took a sip of her coffee. "Well, that was a lie," she announced. "So what have you been up to?" There were always squirrels listening; better to make this believable.

Oh? There was amusement there.

"The usual, dancing my way across the universe. My pets are not as restless as I am."

"I think it might be time for you to move house," Kerrigan said, with a wry little smile. "I don't think there's much left for you there."

Apparently the stranger your genetics, the more attractive you are in his society, she answered. It doesn't matter. And I need you to leave the xel'naga artifacts for now, and focus on collecting new species.

"I'm beginning to think the same." She sipped her coffee.

Good. I was getting bored.

Besides the borbu, I will need you to travel to Garrxax. Terran troops encountered a species of slug there years ago that might be interesting for our purposes.

She smiled briefly at River. "Make any new friends in your current neighbourhood?"

"They're not very talkative." River gave her an amused look back.

Do they dance? Yes, that was a joke.

You're welcome to give it a try, her mental voice drawled, just keep enough of them in one piece for infestation.

"Well, protoss aren't amiable as a rule," Kerrigan said out loud. "If only they'd remove the sticks from their asses."

"Not likely that they ever will," River replied dryly.

I'll do my best.

"Mhm." Kerrigan lifted the cup to her mouth, and took a long sip.

That's all. For now, she returned. My visions are getting more troubling.

How? River's response was immediate now, and she leaned forward, hand stopping in the air as she was about to dunk the biscuit.

Stronger, she said. I am... starting to see the details. They had unsettled her. Somewhat. How we march to our deaths...

What details?

River looked down into her coffee and let the cookie sink into it, but her mental attention was all on Kerrigan.

Hybrids. Zerg-protoss hybrids. They will let us clean up the galaxy, and then the Voice will order them to wipe us out, she said. There was a finality to her mental voice.

The galaxy would burn. She had known that for a long time. But to see her own death played out before her...

But who creates them?

But visions were tricky things.

I don't know, she said, I don't know. It feels inevitable. But the protoss who was here... he said there was always hope...

It had stuck with her, despite it all.

River was silent for a while. If there is no hope, there is no actual hope. If there is hope there is the possibility of actual hope.

She tilted her head.

Kerrigan turned her head away, and stared at the window. We have to prepare, she said, We might have to invade Koprulu in earnest again. If there are any xel'naga artifacts that can help us understad this, I want them found, and we can't do that at the rate we've been going.

A risk though. But worth it if it succeeds.

Kerrigan's emotions made her uneasy.

Maybe. But we'll have to take our time. We've still got years...

Time passes.

Then suddenly she smiled.

"Will you tell me about the newcomers?" This time she didn't ask for their usefulness.

"There's not much to tell," Kerrigan said, making the shift fluidly. "It's a new batch, in a new semester, lost in all the old ways. No old friends."

"And no new ones." It wasn't really a question.

"No," she said, simply. That's not why I'm here.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

29 Chimera Court, Wednesday Afternoon

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject