The entirety of the structure was biomass - healthy... and living. The floor-like-structure was slippery and was covered in creep. Like a carpet of arteries and veins, the pulsating creep distributes essential nutrition for the Prime Hive, the so-called name of this building, ensuring its survival and the survival of those inside it. The wall linings were all in similar conditions, corridors stretch here and there like networks of tunnels with biological valves as doors, separating chambers from chambers. The air here is damp and moist, not to mention warm, especially when the atmosphere of the planet its on is hot for the planet is volcanic. Thankfully the Prime Hives filters the atmosphere surround it, making it more... hospitable inside.
He walks the halls in the Prime Hive on two legs. His oral and respiratory orifices concentrated on his face, along with his hearing appendages. His psionic chords or as he likes to call them, "psi-dreads" are short, segmented, and semi-stiff, forming a combed-cut with bangs, grew from his scalp and his head skin. These extended his control over lesser Zerg and serve as a communication means to other psionic beings, like an antennae sort of. He is humanoid in body shape, as well as facial structure. He has two muscular arms and a toned body by Terran standard, as well as other Zerg features ,such as a pair of bony skeletal bat wings, shoulder carapace or plates, and visible muscle fibers, glowing with purple aura. Both his eyes oriented forward, with enhanced light absorption, additional color detectors, and lense flexibility, improving his spectrum of vision. He stops in front of a door that would not yet open.
"Soon, little prince, you will be officially announced to the entire Swarm, your people." The smooth and accented voice called out from the shadows. He turned and saw the humanoid figure behind him. He was an infested Terran from Earth, a Vice Admiral to be precise. Although infested, his Zerg features mostly consumes his left arm, shoulder, and cheek. His eyes glow yellow, giving his somewhat handsome, rugged face an intimidating, yet welcoming look. He has thick moustache and beard, mostly on his right side of his face due to the infestation of the left. He has claw like appendage protruding from his back. He wore a military coat and an admiral hat that are infested as well.
"Stukov !" Said the startled prince. "What are you doing in here ? Shouldn't you be out there ? With the rest of the high ranking senior broodmothers ?" The little prince asked.
Stukov just shrugged. "Meh, I didn't feel like going out there, besides I already attended the last summit."
"Well you may have a point, but Mother always oblige all broodmothers, that includes you, to join her summit every four months." Said the little prince."All the senior broodmothers are there." he continued.
"And why do you think you're here, Little prince ?" Stukov asked with a sarcastic chuckle.
With an obvious sigh, the Little prince answered "I was summoned Alexei... and stop calling me Little prince, its Damian" as if it is the most obvious answer to everything.
"Yes Damian, but why has she summoned you ?"
Suddenly, Damian was dumbstruck. Why did he come to this summit ? Was it to announce his presence ? To follow and please the leader of the Zerg ? Or parhaps it was to intimidate the other broodmothers not to cross him. Not knowing the answer, he looks downward and slip out of his composure. "Probably to test me, Mom does enjoy doing that..." but there was doubt in his voice.
Stukov suddenly became interested in his claw-like left arm."There is always the option of killing her, Zagara I mean" Said Stukov blankly."Zerg are sort of big in the natural selection department."
Damian laughed a bit at his statement, its funny because its true. "Ha ! Try saying that to the Overqueen." After his laughter was over, he reapply the stoic, yet care-free face and aura that he previously had. "I like the way you think Stukov, always out of the box."Damian continued. "I think I like it when I pass her test, it makes me feel... purposed and I really don't like disappointing her. I like it when she is satisfied and tell me that I have been good. To me, she is a fair but tough mother, and I only have one so I will make her as proud as possible."
"Hehe, that's definitely a human trait, you have quiet a bit of Terran, and well I guess your too young for matricide huh ? Even by Zerg standard you are still too young for command." Stukov pointed out jokingly.
"Stukov, did my mother use Terran essence, knowing that it is inferior and deffective as some sort of test itself ?" asked a nervous Damian. "I consulted this with Abathur and he said that I was a 'contaminated biological imperfection' and that really made me think of why I am made..."
Interesting, Stukov thought, this Little one may be more mature than he realize. "Don't listen to that overgrown mutated slug, he is a glorified research computer, your Terran is what makes you... you and that may give you an advantage against our opponents, seeing perspectives no Zerg can see, with the exception of me of course. As in Zagara's experimentation, well.. it just may be." Its been a while since Stukov saw young people sort out their own problems.
He scratched his neck with his human hand and said "In time my boy, all in good times." He then tensed and jerked his head toward the door. "I believe your presence is requested, I wish you the best of luck."
The door opened and reveal the Overqueen herself, Zagara. Standing on a terrace like platform, She stood watch over billions of zerg below, ranging from Broodmothers, to Queens, to lesser minions.
"Behold the prince of the Swarm, my son and my creation, Damian" Overqueen Zagara announced to her entire audience.
Damian took in the view, the open sky of Char, bright yellow and red from the sun as well as the lava flowing everywhere, and the hundreds of intelligent Zerg gathering. He can hear their psionic voices, murmurs and whispers, expressing curiosity, surprise, and some confusion.
Zagara continued "From this day onward, Damian will be one of you, serving the Swarm as equals and all of you will compete for the position of my heir as Supreme OverLord. He will compete with you as you compete with one another."
One of Zagara's broodmother spoke "Will the Overqueen show favoritism to this one ? Does she consider this one her heir ? Will he have her favor against the rest of us ?" The other minds of Broodmothers and Swarm Queens murmur and whispers psionically in agreement. Many suspected that Damian was already favored to win this life time battle of broods and will most likely be the next leader, as a 'Supreme Hivemind' they say.
"I owe you no explanations over my actions" Zagara said sternly and all the other voices quite down to all that was left was the grunts and growls of lesser-minded zerg minions. All Zerg intelligent enough to understand the circumstances will shut their heads and stay quite unless they want a death sentence. "However uneasy this is for all of you, putting Damian as an equal contender to all of you is my will, and my will as the Swarm's will. Damian will fight among, beside, and against you if he must, this is not a ratification, this is a declaration." Zagara eyed her subjects intimidatingly, daring them to challenge her authority. "The twelfth summit of Char is now concluded, return at once to your Hive Clusters,you are dismissed" Zagara finally stated and all the Queens and Broodmothers regrouo with their broods and was lifted to the Leviathans by their overlords.
This is it, another test from mother, Damian thought. Mother must want him to be stronger, she puts so much on him so that he will succeed as the Swarm's next leader.
"It is alright Damian, you may speak" said Zagara to her son psionically. Zagara instinctively looked to her son's eyes. She can sense his fear, yet there is something underlying it, excitement and pride of some sort.
"What is it you will have me do mother ?" Asked Damian readily.
"In the coming weeks, you will be sent to a remote planet near Dominion space, It is called Bellarona II." Zagara said. "There, you will tame the renegade brood, who will become the foundation of your brood. This is your coming of age Damian, if you pass this, you will not only have your own brood to command, but you will be accepted as peer by the other Broodmothers."
They entered another hallway with the head of a Nydus worm there, Zagara entered it and Damian soon follows. The inside was damp and the muscular walls started to churn and move about to transport them forward to the other end of the worm.
"So..." Damian trailed dreamily. "I get to have my own brood and planet ?"Damian asked with a huge grin.
"Indeed you do" Zagara replied blankly.
"You already know that I'm not great with controlling numbers, especially on my own, you know... psionically" Damian said with a bit of worry in his tone.
"Everyone and everything has their limits Damian, you do too, even I have some. Create more overlords and queens to extend your psionic range over your brood, this will increase your supply li-" Zagara was cut off by Damian with a frustrated sigh. "Yeah, yeah, I know all about the basics mother, its just that, you know that all those war games with the broodmothers that you set me up with won't be anything like real life combat. I mean, you gave both of us very limited supply cap, giving me an edge, and my brood was borrowed from you, you helped me in maintaining my authority and even that, I struggled with more than thirty or so zerg."
"Well, the broodmothers you play with seemed to give you cradit as a very clever and unpredictable tactician." Zagara said with amusement. "Instead of accepting the duel offer by the leader, you chose to stay safe and let your minions seal their fates, an interesting decision indeed."
They reached the end of the worm and they were spilled out inside another Prime Hive. They continued their walk.
"Yeah, clever, with my grand army of twenty or so zerg combatants." Damian replied sarcrastically.
"Like I said Damian, numbers are not always what determines victory, everyone has limits." Zagara said before being stopped when Damian abruptly walked ahead of her, blocking her in her tracks. "You threw me in front of all the senior Broodmothers of the Swarm outside of Char !" Damian said.
"What of it ?"
He inhaled in annoyance, clenching her teeth and thumbs, another human trait. "Wha- What were you planning on doing ? What did you think was gonna happen ?"
Patiently, and with stoic and motherly calmness, she replied her son's question. "You are my heir Damian, at least, that is what I hope you will become, my successor. Any ruler will announce their heir, their chosen candidate, to their peers, rulers must not have ambiguity."
Damian relaxed with that statement. "That is what you wanted isn't it, it was not to degrade me..." Damian felt like a zergling right now, an idiot to be precise.
"What I want is of little consequence" Zagara walked ahead, placing a claw on Damian's back as to signal him to follow. " You will become what you choose to become. And weather successful or not, I look forward on seeing the outcome." Zagara said gently.
Damian smiled happily at this. He took it as a statement that He should live his life as he see fit, not as his mother expectations demand. He can shape his own destiny, he was starting to feel grateful for his Terran freedom trait.
At the next corridor, the path forked with three valves, and Zagara chose the left one, Damian soon followed her. Zagara is next to speak. "The renegade brood was discovered by the Terran Dominion scouting party, they wanted to colonize Bellaron II for its ecological traits. Their colonist leader, Dr. Ariel Hanson, asked for my clearance of the brood on the planet's surface. I spoke truthful and informed her that the brood is not under the Swarm's control, merely leaderless renegades."
"The Terran Dominion,..." The name of a dominant human faction in the Koprulu Sector. A Human Interstellar Empire which borders with the Zerg swarm's territory. And the faction with whom they had a non-aggression agreement. "The Broodmothers and their Queens on Char would mock me, say that I'm a Terran, they view it as an insult to them."
"You were born Zerg, my child. However, most of your essence come from Terran" Zagara comforted him.
"Why ?" Damian asked. He looked into the ceiling," Why don't we destroy them mother ? We are stronger than they are, are we not ?"
"What will we gain from a war with the dominion ?"
"Resources, territory, essence - spoils of war..."
Zagara's eyes widen, her face joyous. "You... lack vision my sweet boy" There was joy in her aura and her expression. She putted her claw on Damian's shoulder. remembering when she was a prodigy to the Queen of Blades herself. The Queen of Blades gave her the lesson of vision. "You must learn this Damian, if you are to rule the Swarm."
"Elaborate mother. What do you see that I do not ?" Asked Damian.
"Blindly making war to everything, for essence, resources, and territory, is narrow-minded and this universe is full of ambitious certainty that causes one to overlook alternate paths, such as alliances and trade agreements. Such was the ways of Amon, and of Amon's deceased puppet, the Overmind..."
"Alexei told me about Amon, He is a god is he not ? He was the one who evolved us and the protoss, right mother ?" Damian asked.
"Indeed my child, He used to enslave us Zerg, but my predecessor, The Queen of Blades, freed us all and cast Amon low. She ascended into godhood and gave us a destiny that we will follow for she is now our Matron, our Goddess. "
They emerged from the hallways in broad terrace like platform on the Prime Hive's outer wall. They could see the Zerg Hive stretched out towards the horizon, creep covering the soil, carpeting it like a network of blood vessels, connecting every Zerg structures with one another. The Prime Hive overlooked a magma lake and its rivers, Char's landscape was rocky and jagged.
"Simply destroying your opposition is not enough. If you cannot take what makes them strong, learn from your mistakes and their mistakes, and take value of your battle, then it is just a waste of energy and resources. A purposeless and fruitless dispute"
"Survival is a purpose" Damian argued, " And you have to kill to survive, thus the fruit."
"You also need to grow to survive. And growth, True Growth, is never naturaland never comfotable. And it is not meant to be such, it is meant to push us out of our comfort zone, to challenge our nature and comforts."
Damian thought about what his mother said for a moment, he then said "So you're saying that... forming a relationship with the Terrans will push us out of our comfort zone, something that the Swarm must overcome ?" Damian said this more as an implementation, rather than a question.
"Precisely"
"Well that's stupid and wasteful !" Damian said, a bit frustrated. "Let us at least rule them, ensuring minimum threat from them. Then we can see about assimilating their strengths." Damian was confused, he honestly didn't understand what his mother was implying.
The Overqueen sighs and shook her head. So this must be what the Queen of Blades felt when she was teaching her vision. "Damian, one of the Terran's most outstanding traits, aside from their persistence and compassion, is the ability to form cordial relationships with other beings, races. The Dominion is allied with the United Protoss Daelaam." The Overqueen elaborated. "To declare war on them would mean a warwith two of the sector's most powerful species, if we invade them, surely the Protoss will come to their aid. It is costly and foolish to fight two of them at the same time."
Damian let what his mother said sink in. He gave every single word his mother said a thought. He sighed in surrender at this point. "You were there were you ? At the End War... Alexei told me about it..."
"That one enjoys telling stories doesn't he ?"
Damian smiled coyly at this. "He told me that at the End War, the three warring races united to fight of the coming darkness... He said that, in the Void, where everything was laid on the line, I killed Narud -that bastard- and then saw the forces of Terran, Protoss, and Zerg alike, coming together and giving that son of a bitch Amon his comeuppance. "
"That... definitely sounds like Stukov"
Zagara remembered the moments she defended the Queen of Blades' ascension alongside Artanis and Jim raynor. "We fought alongside the Terrans, as well as the Protoss, we all had something in common that day."
"And that's why you don't want to fight the Terrans." this was it Damian thought. She nailed the conclusion of the argument, why her mother was so disinclined towards invading the Terran Colony. Perhaps also... why she was created with abundant similarities with them.
Zagara gripped the slippery tooth like railing of the terrace. "Tell me Damian, what do you think makes the Zerg strong? "
Damian knew what the answer is, after all, he has been a victim of discrimination since he hatched out of his chrysalis. he was always degraded by his fellow queens and broodmothers. "Extreme efficiency. All reproductive duties are delegated to certain individual strains, specialized to fill in a specific gap in our Swarm. We don't waste energy, time, and resources by giving reproduction to lesser Zerg, cultivating them to focus as combatants and servants. " Zagara nodded and Damian continued. "We also have specialized organisms for specific roles other than reproduction, such as : siege artillery, assimilating planetary resources and culminating new mutations. We also have a strict hierarchy, underlined by the base of power. Commanders are specified to command certain broods and lesser combatants are made equally as efficient, requiring no independence nor tactical mind, we limit our energy expense." Damian thought again, remembering other things that the queens and broodmothers usually scold him with. "We also reproduce quickly and in large numbers, loses are acceptable and our numbers are replenished quickly. We also have the ability to assimilate other beings' essence and encode their genetics into our own... making us stronger."
Zagara nodded in agreement, however, to her, these are stereotypical answers from her minions. No, she wanted to teach Damian more. "What I was getting to..." Zagara mused. "Some of our greatest and most powerful strains were found upon accidental mutation, made by the Zerg in a no-survival situation. life is capable of incredible feats when alternate routes are taken away..."
"What does that have to do with Terrans ?"
"The Terrans, from what I've learned, are as a race of a single Zerg in a no-survival situation. They are not as adaptable as we are Zerg, nor as wise neither advanced as the Protoss. This led them to develop unique mutations."
Damian was confused and somewhat... surprised by his mother statement. "Humans are builders and toolmakers... They are reliant on their machines and technologies. How possibly can they mutate like we do"
"Every member of their species and hierarchy, no matter how low, has a higher functioning cerebrum..." Zagara continued. "Our kind would regard this as a wasteful expenditure of energy, surely there is no need for lesser humans to have the mind of a ruler or planner ? They are the ones who require such large brain mass for tactics and problem-solvings, giving it to their inferior would only cause rebellion and make unification difficult. " Zagara explained to the knowledge-thirsty Damian.
"Well, that's probably the only trait of my Terran genes that I am fond of... well, that and my thumb..." Damian opened his palm lightly and examined his fingers.
"Every Terran are as if a single stem cell. they all have the potential to become something else, something greater. Every one of these cells have the ability to evolve unique traits, not found on any of the rests. Their strength lies not in the realm of genetics, but in the realm of technologies and knowledge."
"I'm sure that there are a handful of Terrans that are exceptional." Damian said begrudgingly. "Like Alexei and the Queen of Blades. But their potential is only unlocked after they become Zerg. And this doesn't give the original form the power we lack."
Zagara turned her view from her son's eyes to the remnants of the Terran, General Warfield's fortress. Across it, a new terran fortress was already being built. Sgt. Hammer's fortress would become the Terran embassy in the planet Char. "You must learn history my son. the Terrans have came up with brilliant and ingenious ways to counter our invasion countless times before. They have created numerous countermeasure for our tactics in the past. They developed weapons which can make our Swarm's leader and her lieutenants to pause and threw our race to a massive civil war. " Zagara remembered the times she fought with Nafash, the second oldest broodmother and was The Queen of Blades' right hand. They fought vie control of the swarm and nafash was eventually killed by the Protoss. She remembered her battles against renegade queens and other broodmothers in the absence of The Queen. "This clever mind, and the need to overcome biological limitations is what gives the Terrans their strength. These are the traits that I was expecting from you... A trait which I hope will grow on your mission on Bellaron II."
"Yeah..." Damian thought about that little problem. His little rite of passage. "I won't be seeing you for a while after I leave..." Damian said out loud involuntarily.
"It is a distant planet, far from our territory. That is why this planet is still full of life and why the Dominion wants this planet tothemselves after we clean up the renegade. However, it is out of range of my psionic connection, I will not be able to guide you there, nor will the other zerg on Char. "
"Elaborate mother..."
"You will go with a couple of overlords and a small escort. Travel to this planet, take command or kill every last Zerg there. You will also be given the opportunity to start your own brood and in the end, you will use the planet's resources to cultivate your Leviathan. Take no more than a few Mutalisks and a pair of Zerglings. The Dominion's scouting party will view this as a Zerg scouting party. Assimilate any rogue brood essence and return to Char... triumphant." Zagara said proudly to her son.
"Why can't I occupy the planet as my brood's primary Hive ?" Damian asked a little confused. Wasn't this planet meant for him ?
"The Dominion colonist that I spoke of wishes to establish her colony of refugees there. they say that it would make an excellent farming world with its fertile soil. Additionally, the Dominion also found it first and i merely offered the Swarm's services." Zagara continued. "It occurred to me that this is a golden opportunity for you to grow."
"So in other words... The Terrans are the fishes and we are the bottom feeders, the cleanning crew..." Damian gripped one of the tooth on the railing so hard, that it shattered to pieces. "How... sweet of them." He was furious of these lesser beings.
"They view us, high ranking members of the Swarm, to be accountable to all Zerg. Even the leaderless renegades. " Zagara reminded him.
"Well isn't that racist... We're not accountable and if we clean up the mess, we should have the planet."
"We will be showing them something important to be shown : We are permeable to reason. That there is a chance of negotiation and alliances with us, that we can be mutually beneficial to them : A symbiosis. "
"And what do we gin from this symbiosis ?"
"I would think- hope, perhaps that it gives our future Supreme Overlord a diplomatic experience as well as her first flagship, when she uses the planet's resources to cultivate her Leviathan"
"Hmph " Damian looked up to the flying flock of Corruptors overhead. "I think its giving our future Supreme Overlord a grudge against the Terrans. "
Zagara's psionic laugh could be heard. " I would not have asked for a better heir. I want you to be able to lead the Swarm to a brighter path. This means I want you to earn it."
"... I'll do it. I'll do as you wish. I'll kill every last renegade Zerg and return to Char with my new Brood and Leviathan... triumphant." Damian said with gleaming pride in his eyes.
"Am pleased to her this."
As Zagara was about to return to her chamber to rest, Damian suddenly stopped her. "Can I ask you something mother ? It's sort of emotional and maybe you might dismiss it as a... quirk." Damian gulped. "But am I... Am I just an experiment to you ? "
Zagara was confused. She could not think of an appropriate answer. She sighs. "I must concede that you, Damian, are created to be different fro me, from any Zerg. Yes, you are an experiment, a trial I created to see an alternate route for the Swarm. "
Damian fought back his tears. He must be strong, Zerg don't show weakness to anyone. Anyone. " Do you... care of my fate ? of me ?"
Zagara was still and emotionless as Damian buried his head on his mother's plated and armored chest. " I apologize my child. But I am far too different to you, your emotions. I cannot understand this situation and I do not have a suitable answer . I am unable to reciprocate the emotions you express. I want to pretend to, and free you from this distraction... But it would be a lie. "
"I... I see. " Damian said with his psionic voice. "I will depart at dawn mother... farewell." And with that, Damian exited the terrace and entered a Nydus worm opening to rest in his chamber.
Zagara could hear her son's distraught thoughts. Questioning his purpose of life. She could do nothing to help her son, she is far to different minded to him to understand his perplexing emotions.
"You are one cold mother Zagara..." A calm and detached voice came from the shadows.
Zagara turned to face Alexei Stukov, revealing slightly around his bend. He was leaning against the wall, arm crossed.
"Stukov, I have a task for you... an important one" Zagara thought as she stared at the sky of Char.
" Oh ? " Stukov cocked his ear slightly. "What is it ? "
"If I tell you what it is, will you actually do it ? " Asked Zagara, clearly annoyed by his delinquent.
Stukov just chuckled. "Depends... if it is a challenge. Gladly. If it is not. I'll find a challenge elsewhere. "
Stukov was the only part of the Swarm who showed insubordination towards the Overqueen and got away with it. He was a being of immense power. He was Zerg and Zagara is Zerg. They are both responsive to power and Zagara is Kerrigan's second while Stukov is powerful and totally independant of Kerrigan. Though it annoyed her, Zagara put up with it. Viwing him as an asset with no leash rather than a broken chess piece. " I want you to take your army and watch over Damian. Do not interfere unless necessary and do not reveal yourself, but ensure his safety. "
"But wouldn't this interfere with your little experiment ?" Stukov was intrigued and smiled cockily. "Why would you want to contaminate your variables ?"
Zagara was annoyed. "If you will not do it, I will find someone else to do it. "
"Hehe, fine, i'll do it." Stukov turn to leave.
Zagara's psionic voice echoed through his mind. "Do what you must..."
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