Raynor remembered all too well the dreams he had had when Kerrigan called to him from the chrysalis. Her pleads for him to arrive. When Kerrigan grew close to 'hatching' from her cocoon, the dreams had begun to change though. Instead of seeing the old Sarah, he began to see her half formed. This is when the pleas grew stronger, while she begged him to prevent her from falling further into mutation. It was the last dream he remembered best though, and the one that his sleep brought up tonight.
Kerrigan stood before him in her fully transformed figure, but still with her own voice.
"Jim," she began, with such a forlorn and sad tone that it made tears begin to flow down Raynor's checks, "I want you to know that you no longer need to come. It's too late for me now. I want you to know that I will no longer be under my own control."
She seemed to drift on those words, as if refusing to accept what she herself had just said, "It will be impossible to redeem me. The zerg are altering my mind, and I will never be the Kerrigan you know again."
Those were the words the dream should have ended on, they always had before. Jim wanted the dream to end then too. It was such a painful memory. He had a second chance to save Sarah, but had taken too long to get there! If he had gone faster, then he could have perhaps even saved her from the first mutations. Well, no, not those. She may have developed claws or carapace skin but it still would have been her. Sarah, not the Queen of Blades.
This time the painful dream, the torture went on. Kerrigan disappeared, and was replaced by the void of space. In the space drifted a behemoth mass. A ship of some sort, one that had taken considerable damage. The view zoomed in to the ship’s side, and revealed the name, "DSS Aleksander." The UED command ship. A new thought came to Raynor's mind. If the Aleksander could be repaired…
A voice interrupted Jim's thoughts. "Jim, I knew that might come to your mind. But I have a much better reason for doing this then getting you a new ship."
It was her, Kerrigan.
"Good, you remember me," She gave a half laugh," Here's wha…"
Jim interrupted in a tone of anger, "Hard to forget someone like you."
She frowned, "Jim, Jim, Jim. Will you just let bygones be bygones, I am virtually powerless, I so I am of no threat to you."
"I'm not so sure," He replied coldly.
She waved her arms in annoyance, "What do you think I'm going to do, take on the your entire battlecruiser single handed? You'll need to work out what to do with infested Terrans anyhow."
"What do you mean?"
"Jim, you're the best hope of revitalizing those the zerg infested. Mengsk sure as hell won't."
"Are you suggesting a little psycho-therapy is all you need? How dense do you think I am?"
"At any rate Jim if you want this battlecruiser you'll have to come and get me off it." She gave a dry laugh, "It’s in sector 124 along with me."
Raynor awoke in a feeling of never having been asleep. The conversation was real, he knew it. He would have to change course to capture Kerrigan. Jim climbed out of bed, and walked slowly through the hall to the control room. There were only two men on watch that night, and they immediately jumped when Jim entered the room.
"A little jumpy tonight boys?" Raynor gave a laugh.
"Sorry sir," one replied, "It's just we weren't expecting anyone at this hour."
"Boys, I need a course change."
"Sir! A course change! Are you sure?"
"Yes boys, to sector 124. We have a bit of business to attend to there."
"Yes sir."
"How long should it take to get there boys?"
"Less then a day sir."
"Good," Raynor smiled, "I'll be back to bed then. Long day ahead of us."
The marines all stood at attention in the Hyperion's docking bay. Some were smoking cigarettes, while others simply stood and waited. Raynor walked into the room, and there was a gruff shout of "Attention!" from one of the officers. The men all stamped there feet once in unison, and then turned to there side as Raynor and a few ghosts walked past.
Raynor stopped at the end of the long line of marines, and turned to face them. "Men," he began, "We are about to capture a new ship, as well as bring one of the most dangerous creature in the galaxy to justice. Sarah Kerrigan will be put under court marshal as a lieutenant in the Militia. We only need to catch her. Now boys, I need at least twelve volunteers. Who's with me?"
There was a great amount of cheering, and twelve marines steeped forward in unison.
"Thank you men! Now into the dropship. It's time to rock and roll!" Raynor himself was going to oversee this operation. He waited until everyone else had filed into the dropship, then got in. There was a lurch as the engine started, then the vessel covered the short distance between the Hyperion and Aleksander. There was a hollow metal clank as the airlocks connected, and Jim loaded the canister rifle he had brought with him He motioned the marines and ghosts to do the same. They were set to kill.
Jim motioned for the ghost to open the airlock door, and it was done in silence. The mood on board the dropship was tense as the airlock slowly pulled open. Raynor walked up to the front, and motioned the marines to follow him inside. They went in quietly, not knowing what to expect next. There was no sign of Kerrigan.
Raynor turned to the ghosts, "Cloak, and search the ship. I was hopeful she would come quietly, but."
"Looking for me Jimmy?" a voice interjected, "I assure you I do not want to stay here living off hydralisk meat, so do whatever it is you want with me."
"Kerrigan, you are under arrest for the murder of Praetor Fenix, and open Rebellion against all forms of the law. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say or do will be used against you in the court of law." A ghost put handcuffs on Kerrigan, which she tolerated. Barely.
She was lead into the dropship, and the marine squad followed. Raynor just looked at her and smiled. Revenge would be his at last.
