StarCraft Chronicle Episode 7: The Night the Chrysalis of Char Opens

This is a newly written fan narrative based on the events of the original game. The characters' emotions, dialogue, and scene atmospheres have been reconstructed, and it contains major spoilers.

The Despair of Tarsonis and the Touch of the Overmind

Under the ash-gray skies of Tarsonis, at the very moment the Zerg swarms rushed in endlessly, the consciousness of the human Sarah Kerrigan was pushed to the edge of a precipice. Only the metallic click of her empty rifle's firing pin, futilely striking the air, bore witness to her final resistance.

Arcturus Mengsk's cold betrayal struck her mind through the communication network, and a despair that seeped into her very bones began to heavily consume her soul even before the fear of death could. Looking up at the empty sky where the dropship had departed, she tried to calmly accept her demise.

Just before the sharp claws of the Zerglings tightly surrounding her from all sides could tear her flesh, a massive and bizarre silence pressed down upon the battlefield. The roars of the hungry beasts ceased in an instant, and their bloodshot eyes locked simultaneously onto a single point in the air.

Instead of the peace of death, a massive, ancient will that seemed to originate from the abyss of the cosmos swallowed her gasping mind whole. It was the absolute ruler of the Swarm, the Overmind. Before its overwhelming psychic weight, Kerrigan's sense of self flickered precariously like a candle in the wind.

The unprecedented psionic potential that Kerrigan unleashed in her despair became the most powerful beacon drawing the Overmind's gaze. The Overmind instantly saw that the mental energy possessed by this Terran woman was the key that would allow the Swarm to transcend its limits.

Instead of tearing her unconscious, collapsed body to shreds, a swarm of massive Overlords and Mutalisks snatched her up gently and dragged her into the darkness of space. The Terran genes flowing in her blood were now destined to become the Swarm's greatest experimental material.

As her human identity and painful memories gradually faded, she was slowly integrated into the Swarm's vast psionic network. The majestic voice of the Overmind echoed endlessly within her subconscious, brainwashing her with a new purpose.

The Overmind harbored a grand evolutionary plan to mold this fragile Terran assassin into the most perfect and lethal weapon to lead the Swarm's future. Leaving the disastrous ruins of Tarsonis behind, the massive organic chrysalis cradling her made the leap toward the red-hot volcanic planet of Char.

The Guardians of Char

Deep within the volcanic ash-strewn underground caverns of Char, the Overmind bestowed upon a newly born Cerebrate the heavy responsibility of defending the organic chrysalis. It was an unprecedented moment where all eyes of the Swarm were focused on a single, pulsating, massive chrysalis.

The majestic will of the Overmind flowed directly into the Cerebrate's consciousness, declaring that the entity sleeping within the chrysalis would become the Swarm's greatest creation. The Cerebrate instinctively understood that its sole reason for existence lay in the successful hatching of this chrysalis.

Daggoth, the massive and powerful Cerebrate leading the Tiamat Brood, approached the young Cerebrate, generously offering his seasoned forces and tactical advice. Daggoth's imposing psionic wavelength resonated heavily into the deepest depths of Char's underground.

Daggoth warned of potential threats from the Terrans and Protoss, ordering the construction of a tight, impenetrable defensive perimeter around the primary Hive. Under his command, countless Drones burrowed through the barren volcanic rock, spreading the creep and erecting defensive structures.

The Cerebrate tasked with defense felt the unimaginable psionic energy radiating from the chrysalis with its entire being, experiencing both awe and fear. It was a wild yet sophisticated wave, unlike anything ever felt from any existing Zerg organism.

Thousands of Hydralisks and Zerglings formed a circular formation around the chrysalis, keeping watch day and night across the boiling lava fields. The tentacles of Sunken Colonies writhed beneath the red earth, thirsting for the blood of intruders.

The organic chrysalis constantly demanded vast amounts of nutrients and psionic shielding, and the Swarm willingly sacrificed their own energy to focus on gestating their new sister. The surface of the chrysalis throbbed irregularly, hinting at the violent transformations occurring within.

Amidst the suffocating heat and the smell of sulfur, a long period of patient waiting ensued as the entire Swarm held its breath for the birth of the new creation. The Cerebrate and Daggoth upheld the Overmind's will without a single error, guarding the darkness of Char.

The Throbbing, Ferocious Cradle

The surface of Char was truly the epitome of a living, breathing hell. Endless rivers of lava melted the blackened rocks, and the sky was shrouded by thick clouds of volcanic ash, leaving only the eerie red glow of an eternal twilight to illuminate the land.

Over that barren, sharp obsidian terrain, the Zerg creep spread stickily like cancer cells, horribly mutating the planet's soil into a cradle for the Swarm. Even the boiling heat could not suppress the Swarm's relentless vitality, mingling with the creep to emit a foul stench.

In the center of the largest primary Hive, a massive chrysalis pulsating with bizarre bioluminescence stood in hideous grandeur. Thick purple and green veins entwined the surface of the chrysalis, taking deep root into the earth to absorb nutrients.

Inside the chrysalis, a horrific and thorough genetic recombination was underway. The fragile DNA of the human Sarah Kerrigan was forcibly fused with the Zerg's hyper-evolutionary helical structure, repeating the extreme agony of every cell in her body being torn apart and reassembled.

This was by no means a return to the primal Zerg of Zerus or a natural evolution, as would be known later. It was a terribly artificial and violent process of infestation under the Overmind's precise calculations, aiming solely to maximize her human psionic abilities to forge her into a weapon for the Swarm.

As the psionic waves radiating from the chrysalis grew stronger, the surrounding Zerg organisms would often convulse simultaneously, crushed by the overwhelming power. Even the Overlords blanketing the sky lowered their altitude out of instinctive fear whenever they flew over the chrysalis.

Beyond the thick membrane of the chrysalis, silhouettes of bizarrely mutated skeletal structures and sharp claws occasionally flickered, hinting at the horrific metamorphosis occurring within. The warm body temperature and emotions of her human days were growing cold amidst the boiling Zerg mucus.

This chrysalis, combining Char's harsh environment and the Zerg's brutal vitality, was like a massive crucible. The Sarah Kerrigan of the past was being utterly consumed within it, leaving only the first infested Queen of Blades to be forged in devotion to the Swarm.

Jim Raynor Chasing Nightmares

Light-years away from Char in the deep cosmos, a ragged breath burst forth in a cramped cabin of the Hyperion, the ship of Jim Raynor, who had broken away from the Sons of Korhal. Drenched in cold sweat, Raynor bolted upright in his bed, waking from a nightmare.

What haunted his mind was Kerrigan's desperate voice, endlessly calling out to him from the pitch-black darkness. The horrific memory of that day, when he had to flee and leave her all alone in the ruins of Tarsonis, had turned into guilt, choking him every night.

Pacing the cold metal floor barefoot, Raynor dwelled on the lingering trace of the faint but distinct telepathic signal that had been ringing in his head just moments ago. It was no mere hallucination, but Kerrigan's psionic wavelength reaching out to him for rescue across time and space.

The subtle psionic anomaly captured by the ship's sensors pointed precisely to the volcanic planet of Char as the source of her signal. Heading to that hellish place, which was practically the heart of Zerg territory, was a blatant suicide mission in anyone's eyes.

Matt Horner and the crew tried to dissuade him, arguing that diving into the heart of the Zerg was reckless, especially with the chaos surrounding Mengsk's declaration of the Dominion, but nothing could break Raynor's stubborn resolve. For him, there was no other choice but to rescue Kerrigan or die trying alongside her.

Nervously checking the cylinder of his old revolver and inspecting the joints of his combat suit, Raynor coldly steeled his mind for the horrific battle ahead. Rather than fear, a sliver of hope that he might see her again made his blood boil.

As the Hyperion tore through warp space and emerged into real space, the terrifying, red-hot majesty of Char filled the main viewport of the bridge. The volcanic ash blanketing the atmosphere and the endless swarms of Zerg stood ready to welcome them.

With tightly set lips, Raynor issued the drop order and boarded the dropship. To rescue the suffering Ghost agent wandering through his dreams, he was fully prepared to throw everything he had into the very jaws of the Zerg.

The Reckless Charge of Alpha Squadron

Raynor was not the only one drawn by Kerrigan's powerful psionic signal. General Edmund Duke's Alpha Squadron, acting under the orders of Arcturus Mengsk, also appeared, casting an ominous shadow over Char's orbit with their massive Battlecruisers.

Duke was filled with the arrogance of wanting to investigate the unknown psionic energy that could become a thorn in Mengsk's side, and to elevate the Dominion's prestige by crushing the Zerg with his military might. Underestimating Char's defenses, he ordered an immediate orbital bombardment.

The massive Terran artillery fired, burning the creep on the surface and forcibly carving a path to breach the defensive lines. Drop pods rained down like a meteor shower, piercing through Char's volcanic ash clouds and rushing toward the primary Zerg Hive.

However, the Cerebrate guarding the chrysalis immediately detected their invasion and launched a swift counterattack. Hundreds of Scourges burst from their nests, slicing through the gray skies to execute suicide attacks against the Terran fighters, staining the air with blood.

Before the Alpha Squadron Marines landing on the ground could even form ranks, ambushing Hydralisks poured out, mercilessly raining armor-piercing spines upon them. Duke's forces were utterly helpless against the Zerg's overwhelming numbers and geographical advantages.

Daggoth's Tiamat Brood struck the flanks, cutting off the Terrans' retreat, while Zerglings hidden underground burst forth simultaneously to chew through the tracks of Siege Tanks and wreck their cannons. Duke's prized armored division was reduced to scrap metal in an instant.

The Zerg's frenzied defense to protect the chrysalis easily overwhelmed the Terran firepower. Facing the loss of more than half his troops and the imminent severance of communications, a red-faced General Duke had no choice but to order a humiliating full retreat.

Watching the ships of Alpha Squadron tuck tail and flee into orbit, the Cerebrate reported the Swarm's perfect victory to the Overmind. Duke's foolish interference had merely served as an unnecessary stimulant that accelerated the growth of the chrysalis.

The Birth of the Queen of Blades

The fierce battle with the Terrans outside accelerated the metamorphosis inside the organic chrysalis to its limit. The psionic waves radiating from the chrysalis turned into a massive, deafening resonance that violently shook the entire underground cavern of Char.

The Overmind issued a psychic command to all organisms of the Swarm, directing them to witness the wondrous moment of his greatest creation's birth. The defending Cerebrate and the vast Zerg swarms bowed their heads toward the chrysalis, holding their breath.

With a bizarre rupturing sound of boiling, sticky mucus, the thick, leathery surface of the chrysalis began to split open in a cross shape. Dark green amniotic fluid and blood-red byproducts poured like a waterfall onto the creep, spreading a terrible stench in all directions.

From the torn remains of the chrysalis, a bizarre and overwhelming entity that retained a human shape but could never be called human slowly rose. The first infested Queen of Blades had finally awakened from her long slumber, taking her first steps into the world.

From her back sprouted hideous wings, segmented like spider legs with protruding bone shards, with wet mucus still dripping from their sharp tips. It was the symbol of a biological weapon perfectly evolved for slaughter.

Her red hair from her human days had transformed into hard, segmented tentacles resembling an insect's carapace, draping over her pale, sickly green skin. Her body was the result of a chillingly perfect fusion of Zerg ferocity and Terran flexibility.

As she slowly opened her eyes, instead of the warm eyes of her past, the cold and chilling amber glow characteristic of the Zerg flashed in the darkness. In that gaze, there was no human compassion or sorrow, only the brutal instincts of the Swarm's predator.

"I am the Swarm." Even though her lips did not move, a telepathic message—a bizarre mixture of Kerrigan's familiar voice and the Overmind's majestic will—pressed down upon every being in the cavern. It was a horrific declaration announcing the birth of a new ruler.

Shattered Illusions and a Brutal Reunion

Taking advantage of Alpha Squadron's retreat, Raynor's strike team, which had been stealthily infiltrating the deep sections of the underground caverns, poured into the massive chamber just as the chrysalis ruptured with a thunderous roar. However, what welcomed them was not a fragile woman waiting to be rescued.

Raynor's footsteps froze like stone. The moment he faced the monstrous figure standing upon the torn remains of the chrysalis, the barrel of the Gauss rifle he had been gripping tightly dropped powerlessly. An overwhelming dread that choked his breath enveloped his entire body.

"Sarah...?" A cracked voice squeezed out with difficulty from between his lips. His reason utterly refused to accept the fact that the horrific monster before him was the very woman he had loved and sought to save so desperately. A pain as if his heart were shattering into pieces washed over him.

At the sound of her name being called, the Queen of Blades slowly turned her head to stare at Raynor. That movement was far from the grace she had shown in the past; it was the smooth, chilling, instinctive motion of a predator eyeing its prey.

When she spoke, the voice of Kerrigan, so familiar and deeply missed, flowed into Raynor's ears. However, layered over that voice was the bizarre resonance of an alien organism and a cold, metallic tone, creating a horrific dissonance that froze his very soul.

The Queen of Blades mocked Raynor's reckless rescue attempt, coldly snapping that her telepathic signals were not sent out of a desire for salvation, but were merely part of the confused dreamscapes she experienced during her metamorphosis. There was not a shred of emotion in her words.

Raynor's heart shattered. The cruel truth that the Sarah Kerrigan he knew had already died in the ruins of Tarsonis, and that the entity standing before him was merely a puppet of the Swarm wearing her shell, pierced his chest like a dagger.

Amidst a crosscurrent of grief, anger, and terrible emptiness, Raynor raised his rifle again with trembling hands. He hooked his finger around the trigger, but unable to bring himself to fire at her, Jim Raynor swallowed a silent scream at his own weakness.

In the Name of the Swarm

As Raynor lowered his rifle in despair, the Queen of Blades cast a cold gaze toward him. The Zerg swarms surrounding her bared their fangs as if ready to tear the Terrans apart at any second, but with a simple wave of her hand, she quieted the Swarm's hungry instincts. Though her voice was devoid of human emotion, a strange calmness resided within it.

As she slowly approached, the bone wings on her back made a menacing clicking sound. The suppressed murderous intent and overwhelming psionic energy radiating from her body were thick and heavy enough to choke the life out of the Terran Marines.

Approaching Raynor, she did not completely deny the feelings and bond they had shared in the past. Though she had become a part of the Swarm, her ego was still alive, and she clearly recognized the significance of Raynor's existence. While mocking his recklessness in coming to save her, she declared that in honor of their past, she would let him go unharmed just this once.

The Queen of Blades warned Raynor to leave Char immediately, coldly adding that he must never cross the Swarm's path again. Her threat that if they met next time, he would surely not survive, was both a final mercy shown to a former companion and a resolute declaration.

Coughing in a pain that felt as if every bone in his body were breaking, Raynor ordered his crew to retreat with a look of despair. Before boarding the escaping dropship, he turned back one last time, engraving the silhouette of the Queen of Blades vanishing into the darkness into his memory.

Watching the Terran forces flee beyond Char's atmosphere, Kerrigan turned her head once more to look up at the ash-gray sky. Her mind was now perfectly assimilated with the Overmind's grand will, leaving not a single shred of doubt.

The Cerebrate who had guarded the organic chrysalis, Daggoth, and the countless Zerg swarms filling the cavern all prostrated themselves flat on the ground, letting out roars of allegiance to their new ruler. She was no longer a Terran Ghost agent, nor was she Mengsk's pawn.

The first infested Queen of Blades looked down upon the Swarm groveling at her feet and smiled with satisfaction. Her mind was sharply honed, and only her new purpose—to lead the Swarm and dye the entire universe in blood—pulsed hotly within her heart.

Verified Sources

Official Blizzard StarCraft Chronicle

Official StarCraft and Brood War Game Introduction

Official Story Direction and Reference Images of the Remaster

Blizzard's Kerrigan Lore and Official Appearance Data

Official StarCraft and Brood War Download and Remaster Purchase