Alexander simply stood before this verdant planet of Zerus, it's filled with life and specimens that even the Adeptus Biologos would rush over and dissect every single one of them.
Unknown DNA and idea of decent mechanical augmentation of certain Zergling movement can make the Mechanicum Skitarii more.. agile.
But now he have to babysit Raynor that was fixing his Dropship, while Kerrigan is out awakening one of the ancient in this land.
He could sense a familiar friend...
"Trazyn?" He mused as his Archivist is doing the same thing... Only more extravagant.
The roars and screeches of the native is telling to him how... Effective his friend can be when something interest him.
It was only when he saw a bulge from the land itself that a giant looking specimen burst from the ground. It was akin to a Zergling that been gouging for many centuries..
"Who awaken Zurvan!" A groan echoed in the jungles.
Alexander watched as Kerrigan approached him.
He could not hear the conversation as the Zurvan chuckles and nodded.
"If you want power, head to the primordial spawning pool, see if your so called love is enough to withstand the power of Zerus!" The giant beast roared.
The jungle stood silent from the sheer roar in the presence.
Alexander watched as several roars came back in return.
"Seemed that there are others waiting for your ascension as a challenge, fallen zerg... Now go..." Zurvan spoke.
Alexander smiled softly as he became aware that he is containing something in him...
As he looked at the corner of his sights, there was a HUD of his body that is trying to fight something...
[//: Diagnostic_Check_Completed]
[//: Shard_Holder_Corruption_At: 32.9%]
[//: Administered Painkillers: Recommended]
[//: Recommend Solution: Retreat to Home Galaxy, Find substitute warp to increase prolonged stay]
[//: Body is weakening at 2.3% Incremental]
[//: Perk effects is halved]
[//: Subspace Inventory intact]
[//: Estimation of Recovery: Unknown]
[//: Persona Core: Theseus_Status: Unavailable]
Alexander chuckle as he drank his flask to numb the pain.
Behind his shadow, dark hands materializing in his shadow as he drank as if wanting to take back what is theirs...
Raynor kept his thoughts while he tended to the Dropship. He knew... Even if she doesn't want to become the queen, Acturus would never let them go, even if they are under the Wings of the Imperium.... Their former Ally and comrade would do any in his power to kill his mistake.
He... Saw the visions. What zerathul gave him. What he tried to ignored it.
He saw what would happen if Kerrigan would become...
He just... Can't believe it... He slam into the wall of his Dropship.
"Damnit..." He muttered in the darkness.
But he knew there was already path that these beings paved for him, even his former boss is no exceptions.
His memories is being befuddled as if he lived two lives... One was without Alexander and Tychus and the one that he is now.
He knew the fate of the galaxy if he refused to let Kerrigan go... His pride wouldn't allow it.
But even Alexander seemed to be helpless to fight against it.. fate.
As he heard the roars from the surface below.
He knew that she would take a more thorny path than he wanted for her.
In his mind, he had the chance to elope with her, perhaps hide out in the fringes of space with his buddy.... Leave this prophecy business all behind and screw the galaxy and their unkind expectations... But... What then?
The man mutter in conundrum. As he turn to look at the communication panels that contacted his flagship.
He have a path, immediately contact Valerian and try to find another way to bring down Mengsk and head to the Hyperion or...
Just be by Kerrigan side as she needed him the most.
He heard from Alexander.
He was the link to Kerrigan humanity.
If he dies, the memory of a distant reality would be real.
The Kerrigan that burn worlds in her revenge, the innocent and the guiltless blood flowed in her hand.
And from Alexander way of speaking, he truly had no way to contain a more powerful queen of blades.
"Damnit..."
Kerrigan arrived to the peripheral of her leviathan as she met Zerathul.
"Ah... So you have chosen a more bloody path than Vengeance" Zerathul spoke.
"What is it that you want?" Kerrigan spoke.
"A future for all of us." Zerathul spoke
"Dark days are ahead, I seen that there's a enemy that not even the Protoss could bear the weigh of the truth."
"Was it that serious that even you want me to be the queen of blades?" Kerrigan spoke.
Zerathul gaze upon the skies of Zerus.
"A entity that is beyond our comprehension gaze before us, The Imperium, Dominion, and the Zerg would fall... If they are not united. And you... Are a key to connect them all."
"If shedding blood is what make them hate me... So be it."
"You... Are mistaken." Zerathul chided.
"Before, I had harbour such hatred towards the old you that attempted to kill our matriarch. Now... I must ensure that you must lead the swarm to it's rightful path... Or Darkness consumed us all".
"Where are you going after this?"
"Back to my people and have them prepare for the upcoming storm...what I seen here is enough for me to assured our fate is on the right path." Zerathul dissipate into smoke and Kerrigan watched as his Void Seeker flew beyond the planet atmosphere.
"I wish you good fortune Zerathul..."
As she prepared to be take place of the hierarchy of Zerus.
Korhal was a different matter.
It was raining.
The streets was filled with vibrancy but filled with strained hushed tones. Many of the citizens held rumors that proliferating in the shadows.
People disappeared and screams was heard in the middle of the night. And a major headache as they approach Acturus tower.
Acturus Mengsk, now attended his affairs in his office, mumbled as he wrote several paperwork.
He was unable to kill the queen of blades.
And Alexander for that extra bonus.
He glance at the person before him.
Dr. Narud simply handed the dataslate for him to ponder.
"Is... The project done?" Acturus spoke.
"Yes... We have 200 units of the hybrids that you requested, though we lack the genetic material to create more, the excess stock is...
Unstable. Mass production is still viable as long as we got Zerg and Protoss genetic material." Narud spoke as he stated the obvious.
He used Alexander blood to create the abomination and he stretched it as long as he could before it was exhausted, he was surprised of the amount of power that dwell within the blood of the man. But as much as he could search, the Mobius foundation was unable to gather any blood as if the target knew his mistake and burn any genetic sample to prevent his master rise.
Narud grumbled as he used the remaining leftovers to combine the Zerg/Protoss hybrids to mass produced the abomination.
"Are they controllable?" Acturus spoke, ignoring the man face as he was engrossed in the dataslate.
Narud gave a sly smile.
"Of course, They would obey you and you alone." Narud stated.
He looked at the fool before him and inwardly cursed Acturus in his mind.
The man think he could control his master gifts.
He and Acturus is on a parasitical relationship that they used each other to benefit their partnership.
Narud used the Dominion resources to create the abomination, hide the organization that will create the spawn of the creature before him and raised the army for his master return.
And he played Acturus fears for his plans.
And by the time he is ready...
He chuckled.
He would have no use of the Dominion.
He did want to join the Imperium as that insignificant Terran have more vast resources to control but he could sense that the man was wary of the infiltration.
The Imperium was decentralized when he is away and any Spies that followed the dark god, was sent and went silent and made him wary of the Imperium.
The Protoss and the Zerg was a problem for him... But the plans is going apace.
The Protoss in their arrogance ignore the galactic affairs as they readied for their retaking of Aiur, the Zerg is still fractured.
But the Imperium... He ponder.
That was a major problem.
As many of the Hidden bases he set up in their controlled space mysteriously eradicated. Making him force to face head on.
And their armies is recuperating and replenishing their ranks.
But for now... The High lord is missing and the Imperium is still akin like a fortress.
He watched as Acturus gave back the dataslate and ponder the next course of action.
"Alright, you have permission to raid the Protoss and Zerg borders and don't let alert the Imperium aware of the incursion, now.. prepare."
"As your will, I will prepare for be next batch in the next week." Narud saluted and left.
As Narud left the office, Acturus didn't know the head scientist eyes glowed as he watched the city that he raised.
Acturus was too busy to even care what Narud thinks as his supposed hidden hand would soon be ready and waiting.
Kerrigan now walked through the jungle, she met one of the natives that was interesting.
It bowed before her as it chattered.
"Who might you be?" Kerrigan Spoke.
She saw this figure every time she fought to awaken Zurvan. But before her Zerg could find him, he disappeared.
"I am Dehaka, and I sense change. You are potential." The being spoke.
"Seemed like you ally with me?
"Yes, you pave new essence, you bring change, The old pack, rigid like the rock. And Dehaka does not like it."
"Follow me and you get all the essence you need. And watch my ascension." Kerrigan smiled.
"Of course, My pack would obey you. Bring us essence, our fangs and claws are yours."
"So basically he's a mercenary..." Kerrigan inwardly thought to herself.
She travel to the depth of the jungle.
And there, She saw it.
On top of a plateau, a Giant lake was spread across the surface.
It held some forms of life.
There is a psychic message from Zurvan.
"Welcome, Queen of blades... To the primordial Spawning Pool. From here, the first life of Zerus was born, from here... You will gain power, but.... Can your love ascend the pain of the transformation?" The voice chuckle.
"I will." Kerrigan spoke.
Zerg drop pods rained around the premises.
And a Terran Dropship arrived nearby.
Alexander and Raynor walked down the ramp and began setting up rudimentary defenses.
"My Queen, the swarm would protect you as you ascend to be what you are meant to be." Izsha spoke.
"Thank you Izsha, Raynor..."
"I know... I have to be here... To see if you truly be what my fears is not." Raynor spoke.
"After this, Raynor would head back to the Hyperion, and I made plans to go back to my imperium to let my forces at char know about your return to prevent panic and your massacre, I don't want my people to be butchered, I just here and want to see if you... Would not be the butcher people would perceived you to be." Alexander spoke.
Kerrigan was grateful for the support.
She entered the spawning pool.
The microbes and bateria that was ancient from time, flow towards her.
Speaking the primordial truth embedded in the DNA of the ancients.
Kerrigan felt the power flooding to her.
Clovers of flesh now engulf Kerrigan into a chrysalis as they began their work to make her what the overmind couldn't.
A primordial Zerg Queen of Blade.
But what is a ascension without the dissidents.
The jungle of Zerus roared in anger, a outsider is using the spawning pool to become something worse.
They flood from every crevice, every pathway and canyons flooded with the Primal Zerg.
Kerrigan swarm roared back as they soon flood into the ramps that lead up to the plateau.
Unmovable object fighting a unstoppable force.
The Zerg fought against their ancient counterpart.
Zerglings rushed down akin to Calvary charges of fang and claw.
Hydralisk spat acid darts and mutalisk clash in the sky.
Alexander and Raynor helped as much as they could.
"Damm, I never get to see this amount of Zerg in my life!" Raynor groaned. He fired at the stranglers that managed to bypass the carnage below.
"Then enjoy it, you never get to see this in your lifetime!" Alexander laughed as he swung his power bat and struck several Zerus Zerglings into fine mist.
Above the cliffs that oversee the battle below. Dehaka sat as he watched the battle ongoing, he sense the power flowing into the Spawning pool. And he was right to join her early.
But...
Dehaka found someone metallic was sitting beside him that overlooked the spawning pool.
He ignored it as it pose no essence and not a threat as he found the eyes of the metallic man was fascinated with the progress.
"Interesting... Seemed like this event would make a fine addiction to my historical archives." The metal figure chuckle.
"Brakk is dead but his pack lives on, your essence is mine!" A voice roared in the jungle.
Another flood of Primal Zerg flooded and slowly chipped the Swarm slowly.
"Should I use the spawning pool to aid you?" Kerrigan psychically spoke to Alexander.
"No sweat, Kerrigan. Just hold on."
The Izsha dropped more Zerg Pods and creep flooded the surroundings slowly tipping the tide of war as the Zerglings glide across the creep and began chewing their enemies apart.
As Kerrigan dream as she was in a fetal position... Her body is molded slowly, her chrysalis is slowly glowing, closer to be a demigod.
She remembers the reason why she take this path... She saw the man that she wanted to be with... That rugged face and his smile waiting for her in the distance...
"Jim..." She whispered.
"I'm here darlin! Don't give up! I never gave up on you!" She heard her beloved voice amidst the roars of carnage.
Those words etched in her heart.
Her eyes glowed.
From the chrysalis it opened in a beam of light that pierced the skies.
Psychic wave swept across the battlefield that was like a akin to a stormy ocean filled with power and oppression.
Alexander and Raynor watched as the center of it all, Kerrigan appeared before them.
She looked like the queen of blades... But there was a silver crown on her head.
"Damm...she must have taken a bit of my blood." Alexander watched..
Her eyes glowed purple as the Zerg of Zerus fled before her.
Kerrigan watched her Zerg Knelt down to witness the new queen rebirth, and the mixed feeling of Raynor that stood before her.
"Jim... Thank you." She smiled. She hugged Raynor as she grasp the power in her hands.
She emitted a burst of psychic force that flooded Zerus. She shielded Raynor mind but Alexander felt the burst of power.
"What was that for?"
"A challenge, time to take down Zerus leaders and use this Zerg to bring down Acturus... And the enemy ahead." She spoke.
The pack leaders of Zerus felt it. A powerful force that they sent their minions to hunt down failed in their hunt.
Now they face the true Swarm.
The critters hide and fled.
But the swarm is unending.