Eyes of a Tragedy

General Duke's tank rolled - no, thundered - across Augustgrad's street, full of pomp and arrogance. Much like the good general himself - especially at the times that Kerrigan had loathed him most. Now, though, she could almost picture a tremor of fear passing through all the nuts and bolts; not that the man would ever acknowledge it.

( A Story of Vengeance In Many Parts, the Second )

[[ two of two. Some dialogue taken from 'True Colors'. OOC-okay, woo ]]

They had been waiting long enough. She had been waiting long enough. Now, with Mengsk's troups moving in and setting up shop again back in Augustgrad, her plans were starting to bear fruit. Which meant it was time to engage in a little sweet, sweet action she'd been looking forward to...

She frowned at the viewscreen. It was thought, not complaint, that did it.

"River," she called. It wasn't necessary to differentiate between whether she was thinking or speaking the command. She expected it to be answered.

[[ for that girl ]]

"You have all performed superbly."

Hyperion was hardly neutral ground, but there were enough members of different factions here to make it... safe. Kerrigan's heels clicked against the metal plating, leaving an echo of something tinny and unnatural bouncing around the room.

( Especially you, Fenix. )

"My Queen?" Duran asked, respectfully, his arms crossed lightly behind his back in his ready position. "Mengsk has taken his forces down to reestablish a foothold in the city of Augustgrad. He appears to be taking back his reigns."

Kerrigan turned her head. Her mouth curled into a ready smirk, half-meant, half-edged with bitter loathing. "Hope he knows about the Booth tactic," she said, her voice flooding with irony, and paced past the infested Terran into her chambers.

[[ NFB, NFI, OOC-okay. most dialogue taken from StarCraft Zerg mission 4, 'The Liberation of Korhal' ]]

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."

( My heart's breaking for you, Kerrigan... )

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

Stukov had been disposed of with DuGalle's own help. Now, the Earthlings approached Char, and the fledgeling Overmind that had been brought to life there by the other Cerebrates. The new Overmind had been Kerrigan's target all along - even up here, she could feel its mental forces reaching out, trying to claim her.

( But Kerrigan was stronger than that. )

[ some dialogue taken from StarCraft: Brood War Terran Mission 8, 'To Chain The Beast'. and we're done with the terran missions! ooc-okaaay. ]

Far above the fray, someone sat watching. Her long fingers rubbed idly over a Hydralisk's back, like it was a particularly gruesome dog. The structure breathed with comfort, one steady familiar heartbeat at a time. Much like hers.

Much like all of theirs.

( 'Cerebrate,' said the Queen of Blades. )

"Will that be all, my Queen?"

"Pick up River on the way. I'd like to see her up here before she gets redeployed."

"As you wish."

[ NFB, NFI, OOC-okay, la! based on events from StarCraft: Brood War Terran mission 6, 'Emperor's Flight' ]

The tape is wrapped in brown paper - as is the package beside it.

When activated, it immediately begins to play Kerrigan's voice, warped in its current incarnation. "Lee Adama. I have to admit, your graduation almost passed by my mind. I've got a lot of self-righteous men left to kill; you can see where this might get me a little preoccupied. Still, I wasn't going to let this occasion pass by without a little tip of the hat.

"We didn't leave on very good terms. I hope you'll forgive the confusion of my departure. As it turns out, you're actually one of the less disappointing men I've had the privilege of meeting in my life. How's that for surprises? In fact, I think I might be the one lacking something on this one. Sorry I couldn't be there, Lee. Plotting the defeat of my enemies takes something out of me. You can't plan for everything...

"Congratulations on surviving this far, by the way, if you have. I'm happily surprised. If you haven't, it's not like you're getting this, so I couldn't give less of a shit. As for me, it turns out that the climb from pawn to queen is a long one, but damn, it's quite the view. Speaking of which, I hope you're giving your old man the finger - authority figures aren't quite what I'd imagined. Still...

"Don't think I've forgotten about you. I've still got your number, Adama. And trust me, one of these days, I'm coming to collect on it. Until then, live free... and give Harriet Jones and Roy Mustang my best regards. Try not to start any fights with River: she was out of your league then; there's no stopping her now, and it'd be a damn shame if you got yourself killed on graduation day.

"As for the gift, I would've gotten you some handcuffs for nostalgia's sake, but somehow I think your girlfriend might disapprove... Catch you soon, Adama."

Click.

The package contains a prototype C-7 pistol with a number of rounds. It has SK ♥ drawn on the paper in a mockery of teenage girl bubble letters.

Kerrigan had heard rumblings for quite some time now. Since before Char, actually, somewhere in transit from Braxis. Still, she was a little surprised to hear that the Protoss had broken up their fledgeling alliance quite this soon.

Sitting on the thick flesh floors of the overlord she'd commandeered for this mission, Kerrigan tilted her head at the communication eye. It might be vital that she act soon...

"...prejudices have driven them to perpetuate the Conclave's sins against us. Even now, Aldaris and his loyalist templar forces are preparing to attack our Citadel." The Matriarch, Raszagal, at work. Nice.

"I can scarcely believe this." That was Artanis's voice once more. The young Protoss had been doing well in the ranks. "As if the Zerg were not enough! Matriarch, are you certain of this?"

"All too certain, young templar." Raszagal's creaky old whisper. "Executor, as Matriarch of the Dark Templar and custodian of this world, I hereby order you to terminate Judicator Aldaris, and quell this untimely uprising without delay! There will be no dissent among us while the Zerg are poised--"

Kerrigan pulled the plug on the comms. She didn't need to hear anything else. Aldaris, the little self-righteous creep, had obviously gone snooping around where he shouldn't have. Oh well.

It was nice while it lasted.

With a single command, the tiny Zerg ship disentangled itself from the Protoss war fleet and drifted, invisibly, to the planet below.

"May Adun forgive us." In New Antioch, Artanis wept.

[ some dialogue taken from StarCraft: Brood War mission 7, 'The Insurgent' ]

One thing Zeratul hadn't expected to catch, sitting by the window, her wings furled behind her, was Sarah Kerrigan, the Zerg Queen of Blades.

Her mind seemed to be suffering some sort of turmoil. He felt no real interest in it, and so he backed away, leaving the monster to her own thoughts-- whatever they may have been.

Kerrigan's fingers tightened on the edge of the seat. She stared out at the stars. Every time she let her mind drift, something would skim past it, almost within reach, not her own, and yet-- she grasped for it. Caught it. And...

( London was a right old mess. )

Kerrigan sucked in one single, human breath of air, and then let it go. They were closing in on the second Protoss crystal, and she didn't need regrets clouding her judgement right now.

She'd give no place to the sinking feeling in her stomach.

[ establishy, for IAWL, ooc-okay, and co-written with a certain someone. sniffle ]

To say that those present were giving their-- guest-- a wide bearth would be... a massive understatement. Kerrigan's immediate personal space was so empty you could almost hear the crickets chirp. But she didn't seem bothered.

( Of course not. )

[ dialogue taken from StarCraft: Brood War mission 4, 'The Quest for Uraj'. OOC-ok, la ]