//------------------------------// // UED: The Cost for Liberation // Story: Starcraft: Warriors of Purity // by Xarmar13 //------------------------------// Sweetie was aboard the Hyperion doing some research on the device that she recovered from the Kel-Morian Combine. She tried looking up the device on any of the public databases, but came up with nothing. She tried looking up any info on the device on any Kel-Morian database that she could find and couldn’t find anything. With no other leads, she sighs and puts the device on the table next to her. “Whacha got there?” Raynor asked. “I’d tell you if I knew what it was,” Sweetie responded. “I found this thing in the hands of the Kel-Morians but I can’t find any information about it in the known databases.” Raynor hummed, “In that case, there’s a chance you got some sorta experimental prototype. Any info on it would be on highly encrypted files that aren’t easily read by the public.” Raynor picks up and takes a look at the device, noticing that it could be fitted onto a weapon. “Well, nothin’ to it but see what it does for your weapon.” Sweetie shrugged then took the device from Raynor’s hand. Pulling out her C-10 MK VI, she examined both the device and her weapon until she found a slot that the device fit. Placing the device into the slot, a short holographic display appeared over her rifle: “T.N.O.D. Activated. No nearby targets found.” Sweetie raised an eyebrow and turned to Raynor, “What does TNOD stand for?” “I have no idea,” was all Raynor could say. The Hyperion and Kerrigan’s Swarm held high orbit over Korhal. Kerrigan, who was aboard the Hyperion with Lyra, Sweetie, Raynor and Fenix, was in attendance for the final strategy meeting before the attack on the UED-held city of Augustgrad began. “You have all performed superbly. Especially you, Sweetie. My hive clusters are brimming with energy and my Broods are stronger than ever,” Kerrigan said. Mengsk was clearly feeling impatient about the attack happening. Sweetie couldn’t blame him since he was surrounded by his enemies and wanted to get away from everyone as quickly as possible. Kerrigan, who was clearly taking pleasure from Mengsk’s discomfort, made the meeting last a little longer by stating what they would be up against. Everyone already knew that the UED had a substantial standing army reinforced by Zerg that the UED were controlling through their pet Overmind. “Raynor,” Kerrigan continued. “You, Fenix and Lyra will strike at the more outlying fortification, while my forces and Sweetie are busy assaulting the main UED base at Augustgrad.” “We’ve discussed this plan a hundred times! Commence the damn attack!” Mengsk shouted, clearly at the end of his patience. As Lyra, Fenix and Raynor attacked the outlying defenders of Augustgrad, Sweetie and Kerrigan began attacking the main base. A few Hatcheries were set up and Colonies to extend the Creep. The five Command Centers stolen from the Kel-Morians landed near the hive cluster. Some Infested Terrans emerged from the Command Centers to report for duty. It wasn’t long before a small Zerg attack group tried to attack them. Kerrigan noted that the small group was unusual for Zerg and considered that the UED was having trouble controlling the Overmind. “Sounds about right,” Sweetie commented. “They are playing with forces they couldn’t begin to understand.” “And you could?” Kerrigan remarked. Sweetie simply shrugged. She wasn’t about to reveal to the Queen of Blades her source of intel. Using her ability to control Zerg, Sweetie made use of the Infested Command Centers and had the Infested Terrans perform suicide bombings against groupings of Marines and Goliaths while also seeking Bunkers and Sunken Colonies to explode upon. With Sweetie defending the hive cluster with the infested, Kerrigan had more freedom to build up the hive cluster. Using a large force of Zerglings, Hydralisks and Ultralisks, Kerrigan went on the offensive and began to lay waste to the nearest UED base. Defilers accompanied the force and allowed the melee troops to attack defensive emplacements under a cover of insect clouds. Kerrigan also took advantage of freed up resources to expand towards the main UED base. With a large amount of resources to use, Kerrigan quickly built a large army that overwhelmed the remainder of the UED defenses at Augustgrad. The UED forces that survived were forced to retreat back to Char where their last stronghold was located. “The UED’s defenses are broken,” Kerrigan declared. She decided to be snide and tell Mengsk that he could have Korhal with her blessings. Fully aware of her mocking tone, Mengsk berated Kerrigan for her remark, saying that the liberation of Korhal was merely part of the deal he made with her. He also stated that he would send Duke to establish his base of operations. Sweetie slipped away from the area before Kerrigan considered turning her attention to her. A lone Arbiter pulled up to the Hyperion, carrying a certain Judicator. Upon arrival, he opened a channel with the Battlecruiser. “I am here, what do you need of me?” Aldaris asked, annoyed at having to be dragged away from his duties. <”I have need of your skills again. I need you to disguise one of our warriors as Fenix’s Dragoon. The warrior will be buying us time to make our escape from here. If we mess this up, Kerrigan will likely rush us before we can get away. This has to be done with the greatest of subtlety so minimize your psionic presence.”> “Very well, I shall meet you at the base camp then?” Sweetie nodded and the transmission cut right after that. That night… A Shuttle hovered over Fenix, unloading Aldaris and Sweetie. “What are you two doing here at this time?” Fenix asked. The brave Dragoon that volunteered to be bait approached the trio. Sweetie turned to Aldaris and motioned for him to proceed. Aldaris focused his psionic power to copy an image of Fenix into his mind, he then altered the visual form of the volunteer using the image. Sweetie then ordered Fenix and Aldaris aboard the Shuttle before boarding it and returning to the Hyperion. Aboard the Hyperion, Sweetie decided that as much as she hated Mengsk’s guts and Duke was no better in her book, she felt that they at least deserved a fighting chance. She opened a channel to Norad III. <”What’re ya doin’ callin’ us in the middle of the night?”> Duke demanded. “I wanted to inform you that Kerrigan is most likely planning on turning on you shortly. I’d wake your men up now if I were you.” <”And why would you of all people tell me this? Last ah checked, you were among those who wanted to see me dead.”> “Let me ask you this: If you were to die tomorrow morning, would you rather die with your pants down, or would you rather die fighting at your best.” <”You think little Kerrigan can take me down? Ha! She’d better be prepared to bring her full arsenal if she wants to bring me down.”> With that, the transmission ended and the Hyperion prepared to leave the Korhal system. Kerrigan was completely caught by surprise when she saw the Dominion troops scrambling while their movement suggested that they were making a move on her hive cluster. Not only that, but the Protoss were also alerted to the treachery that she was supposed to bring upon them. Kerrigan had barely managed to fend off the Terran and Protoss while trying to get her hive cluster ready to move against the two bases. Duran was clearly confused about what was going on. “I don’t understand, the Dominion and Protoss were supposed to be asleep after that battle. How did we lose our chance at a preemptive strike?” Kerrigan didn’t need to be a genius to know what happened. “Sweetie Drops…” she growled deeply. “She must have tipped them off. She is far too clever to be kept alive. No matter, press the attack! Let none survive.” Kerrigan decided to focus her forces against the Dominion first. Her reports indicated that Duke was maintaining his position near their main base. The Nuclear Strikes were a menace to Kerrigan’s forces but were not crippling. Kerrigan managed to put together a large force that tore through many Dominion structures and troops while defending against numerous Protoss assaults. The Zerg soon rushed into the main Dominion base with Norad III northwest of the base. Over a loudspeaker to the Zerg, Duke spoke, “Well, well, well. If it isn’t little Kerrigan. A little Pony told me we’d be meetin’ like this. You’ve got a lot to answer for, little girl.” Kerrigan telepathically responded to Duke, “I always wanted to have you killed. This is kind of exciting for me.” “Do your worst then, girl. You ain’t takin’ Edmund Duke without a fight!” Taking the challenge, Kerrigan had a large number of Hydralisks and Mutalisks converge on the Battlecruiser before a flock of Scourge blew themselves up against Norad III. The Battlecruiser was unable to maintain its altitude after that and crashed into the ground. Duke emerged from the wreckage and stared into the empty eyes of a pack of Hydralisks. A moment passed before he found himself stabbed by countless flying spines filled with poison. Duke couldn’t even utter a word before he collapsed on the ground and ceased all movement. Mengsk, enraged from the death of his second-in-command, screamed through one of the base’s loudspeakers, “Kerrigan, you murdering bitch! We had a deal!” “Oh, come on, Arcturus. Did you really think I’d allow you to come into power again? You practically fed me to the Zerg on Tarsonis! You’re directly responsible for the hell I’ve been through! Did you honestly think I’d let you get away with that? I think I’ll leave you here, Arcturus, among the ashes of your precious Dominion. I want you to live to see me rise to power. And I want you to remember in your most private moments, that it was you who turned me loose in the first place.” Kerrigan unleashed another wave from her main hive cluster that easily tore through the Protoss defenses before the wave that finished off the Dominion base regrouped and attacked the Protoss base with the second wave in a pincer move that wiped out the Protoss, leaving Fenix alone. “This is a betrayal most foul, Kerrigan! We were fools to have gone along with this charade!” Fenix said. “You’re right, Fenix. I used you to get the job done, and you played along just like I knew you would. You Protoss are all so headstrong and predictable, you are your own worst enemies.” Kerrigan responded. “I could say the same about you. I can see that Tassadar’s lesson never fully sunk in.” “What is that supposed to mean? Unless…” A nearby Queen struck down the Dragoon with a Broodling seed. Kerrigan, looking through the eyes of the Queen, noticed the ruined form of Fenix shimmer and fade away. What was left behind was an ordinary Dragoon. Realizing the deception, Kerrigan contacted Duran to find out where the Hyperion went. Duran responded by saying that the Hyperion was not in orbit and had likely fled long before the battle. Kerrigan gave a rage-fueled, blood-curdling scream when she realized that Sweetie Drops had tricked her yet again.