Last Kiss on Mar Sara Story by John O'Donnell Note: Some possibly offensive language included. Sometimes, it's just not reasonable to say "Shucks". If you're bothered by that, don't read. But I hope all that do enjoy ! This story takes place during the Zerg invasion of Mar Sara, after the recent destruction of Chau Sara. The Terran Mission where Jim Raynor takes all the residents of Mar Sara off planet is going on in the meantime. Hope you all enjoy!!! Last Kiss on Mar Sara: The loud explosions slowly gave way to a rarely punctuated silence. The bright flashes were swallowed back into the night. Helena Presuto stared out from the splintering holes in the prefabricated laminate that had played the part of her window for the last few days. “Buster, I think they’re leaving. Buster, did you hear me?†Helena whispered angrily to a still form sprawled out on a mattress on the floor. “Buster, goddammit, they’re leaving us. Get up, you ass. Get up. Get up and look. They’re in the Helinski District already!†“I don’t care.†the form said as it rolled away from the boarded up window and the tiny figure scratching at the laminate for a better view. “Their traitors, Lena. They deserve to die.†“Their leaving us here, Buster. We need to get too them. We need to get off this rock before it’s too late!†“They’ve contacted the Sons of Korhal. They’re rebels, traitors, and they’ll all be dead soon. The confederacy is coming for us, so just sit down, shut up, and wait.†Helena leapt from the window. Midair, Buster clapped two hands around her and threw her down onto the mattress. Helena squirmed under 300 muscular pounds and 10 thick digits. “Let go of me, Buster! We’ll both be dead! You’ve killed us both you as-“ 5 digits and a palm swept across her face. 5 digits and a palm bruised the white flesh of her cheek and immediately flushed with red blood which turned black and blue as the blood cells died. 5 digits and a palm pressed her lips to her teeth. 5 digits and a palm pushed a scream back down Helena throat and aborted her protest. Buster whispered, “what the hell do you think you’re screaming about? You’re the one that’s going to get us killed. Do you think they’ve gone? Those bloody insects are everywhere. Everywhere. If they figure out we’re in here, that’s the end for us, girly. So shut up before I break your neck.†While it hadn’t intended to be rude and interrupt the domestic abuse occurring on the mattress, a confederate issued MK10 anti-tank rocket lost control of its stabilizers and punched a hole through the wall of the apartment two doors down from Buster and Helena. Once through the laminate and concrete its sensor incorrectly indicated it had punctured the shell of a tank and detonated the warhead. This unfortunately had the effect of throwing all 300 muscular pounds of Buster off Helena while simultaneously imbedding 218 tiny shards of laminate into his back. Buster, dazed, quickly regained his feet, then toppled back over. Helena stared at the ceiling. “Are you alright?†A slight grunt was her only answer. She sat up. Leadenly, she moved to standing. “Didn’t I tell you to keep your voice down?†whispered Buster on the floor. “Honey I don’t think that was the xenomorphs. They don’t make those kind of things.†“No, they don’t, do they? They just eat you. What a simple people.†“Buster, they’re not people. They look like scaly dogs. They can’t think!†“No, but if you get any louder, Lena, they’ll hear you. They’ve got some damn good hearing.†But ringing was most of what Helena could hear. Helena walked over to Buster and traced the bloodstains spreading across his back. “How bad is it?†He asked stoically. “Not so bad. It’s fixable. You’re a very fixable person, aren’t you?†“You said it, not me. They’ll fix me right when they get here. When they send General Duke out to help us out. Alpha Squadron never leaves their own. The Confed-“ “They never gonna come. And even if they do, they won’t be here in time to save us. That Raynor boy was the last chance we had and you blew it. You blew it. We’re gonna die here. Right here. We’re gonna die in this apartment and we’re 3 weeks back on rent. They’re NEVER gonna come for us.†Helena stood up and left Buster on the floor. The next several rooms waited for her to occupy their scorched black wallpaper and concrete hollows. She stumbled through the mess of concrete and laminate pieces blackened into uniformity and strewn about the ground. A blast of light pressed against the wall through the large hole created by the MK 10 anti-tank missile. She inched her way along the wall and peered out onto the city that had been mostly hidden from her by broken sheets of laminate. “My God,†Helena managed as the cracked and crumbling apartment complexes teetered before her eyes. Strange grey cables pulsated on the streets below intertwined with a purple mass. Jutting out from the purple mass, a green pool sloshed not even 4 blocks away. A body slammed into the wall beside her and caused another section of wall to collapse and tumble onto the street and purple mass below. The concrete cut deep and red liquid rushed to the surface. “I... I think it’s alive†Helena blurted out at Buster face. “You got it babe. It’s alive. I think it must’ve taken the guys down in the badlands 4 or 5 weeks to figure that one out.†“You know what this is? How? When? You bastard! This was going on outside and you didn’t tell me? You didn’t take me back to Tarsonis? What is wrong with you?!†Before Helena could manage to contract the tendons she was going to use to slap Buster’s pockmarked face, he had punched her square in the chest, right above the sternum. Helena flew backwards into a smoldering remains of a chair. “I told you to keep your mouth shut. They’ve got too good of hearing for you to start screaming at me. They’d be here in a second and now we’ve got a big ol’ balcony for them to come straight in.†“Who†was all Helena could stammer out. “Duke. He warned me. He’s coming. Eventually. I didn’t serve for 25 years on the bridge of the Norad for him to let me down now. He owes me. He’ll be here and the whole Confederacy will be right on his tail. But right now, everything around us is Zerg. And Zerg is the enemy. And Zerg will eat you. Yum.†Helena crouched forward. “They’re too late. Too late for me and too late for you. And certainly too late for anyone else living on Mar Sara. You trusted him, didn’t you? You sucker. You believed what they said? You believed in a glorious progression for all humankind? Did you believe that’s what they wanted? You fool. You stupid, stupid fool. They don’t give a shit about you and they certainly don’t give a shit about me.†“They will, they –“ “Oh will you just hurry up and die already? Please? I am so sick and tired of your face. Your face and your stupid lies.†Three more explosions rocked the complex. White lights filled the room and flooded through the cracks in the concrete. Ship after ship ascended up and up into the clouded city skyline. “No! They can’t leave without us!†Helena stood up and begged. “They’re dead men. I bet you they haven’t got a month to live before Duke finds ‘em.†“No, Buster. You’re wrong. In a month, those guys will be the ones running this sector. They’re the only ones who care. We should’ve been on that ship.†“Better dead than red, Lena. Better dead than red.†“Yellow then, Buster. We’re gonna die yellow. Too scared to leave this stupid apartment and save our own lives. This is YOUR FAULT!†“If you don’t shut up, I will shut you up, missy.†They were interrupted once again by a rumbling. Buster jumped to the ground, Helena just fell over. The whole building shook violently. “Buster, what is going on out there?†Buster crawled over too the edge on the floor. The city lay out in front of him. Buster jerked his head back and rolled quickly away. Six spines shot right where he had been laying, missed him, and embedded themselves in the concrete ceiling. “Buster!†Helena cried. Buster waved her down. He crawled over to her. “They look like they’re leaving too. A whole bunch of them. Lena, I think all of them are leaving.†“What do you mean, they’re leaving?†“That whole street is filled with those mean little buggers. I don’t know where they all came from so quick.†“Maybe they just popped out of the ground.†“Lena, something’s got them moving. I’m sure those things don’t move unless they’ve got a purpose.†She touched his face. “Buster, you’re hiding something from me and I know it. You knew about these things. What’s happening.†“It’s... It’s Chau Sara all over again.†“What do you mean it’s Chau Sara all over again?! They said it was just a satellite malfunction! What happened to the colony on Chau Sara?!†Buster closed his eyes and licked his lips, “These little meanies aren’t the only meanies that’ve been popping up, Lena. There are some big meanies, real big meanies, that seem not to be so happy with these little meanies either.†“What kind of meanies, Buster?†“Alien kind of meanies. And well, they sorta... well they kinda did to Chau Sara what we did to Korhal 20 years ago. Only worse. There ain’t nothing left of Chau Sara. Not even anything dead. It’s all gone. Ain’t nothing left but rock and ghosts.†“Buster... you knew about this? They told you about this?†Buster’s eyes remained firmly shut. “They did, Lena.†“When did they tell you this?†“A week ago, Lena. I’m sorry.†Helena’s voice cracked and died on “My sisterâ€. The air rushed back in and came out “You lying bastard, I hate you.†“I know.†Another explosion ripped through the apartment complex across the street. It tumbled onto the ground, into the sloshing green pool. The pool turned red. Blue-Green lights lit up the ground. “I don’t suppose that’s them.†“I suspect that would be the cavalry. Let me introduce you to the Protoss, Helena.†“You killed us, Buster. You killed us both. I should’ve been on that transport off this rock. I should’ve been there! You killed me!†“I know, Lena. I know.†Helena stood up and walked out to the crumpling wall that barely fenced the room in the building. Golden ships rained down through the clouds. Bright pulses rain along the ground ripping up the grey cables and purple sludge, knocking down the running zerglings Helena thought looked like scaly dogs. Swiftly, more tiny forms rained down like arrows, flitting back up to the sky. The golden bow of a Protoss carrier emerged overtop the city, clouds still clinging to its golden frame. “My God, they’re beautiful.†Buster braced himself against the opposite wall. “Y’know, they’re a lot prettier than I thought they’d be. But maybe... maybe there’s just some beauty in death.†“Buster, it’s better they do it than those monsters they’re chasing off. These guys at least won’t eat me. At least not the same way those little meanies would.†Buster leaned in beside Helena and put an arm on her shoulder for support. “You’re right, Lena. This is my fault. I couldn’t go with them. They’re traitors. They’re scum. I’ve lived and I’ve served. And now I can die in peace.†“It isn’t fair to take me with you. I wanted to go.†“I’m sorry. I’m selfish.†“Buster, how’s it gonna happen?†“I don’t really know. It’s something we don’t understand. Something powerful. I think we’re gonna find out how in a moment, sweetheart.†At that moment a blue spot light hummed into life from the bottom of the carrier hovering above the downtown. “You interested in what’s gonna come out, Buster?†“Not really. I know what’s in there.†The blue light on the carrier slowly brightened. A ball of white light slid down from the ship, hanging in midair above the ruined city. Helena slipped her hand down Buster’s back. He looked down at her intently. “I’m sorry, Lena. I really am.†“It doesn’t matter now, does it, baby? Just tell me those monsters are gonna die. Tell me all the meanies are gonna get it too. I’m a monster Buster, and you’ve been a monster to me. I can handle it if you tell me we’re all gonna die right here together. All the monsters on this world.†“We’re all gonna die, Lena. And every last one of those buggers too.†The white ball began to spin and pulsate. Lines of energy spun from the center out into the blue light pinning it in. Lightning streaked across the surface and down to the ground below. “Tell me it won’t hurt Buster. Even if it does.†“It’ll only take a second. You won’t feel a thing.†“Thank you†The white ball violently collapsed into a molten blue core. Streams of blue energy filled the shaft of light containing it. Ribbons of blue energy pulverized the steel-grey city hall into atoms. Cracks appeared in the photon wall holding it in. The light flared into the apartment. Buster slowly, “It’s a star. They’ve got star in that thing.†Streams of blue energy seethed through the containing light and whirled around the shaft. It rippled back onto itself but more and more loops formed. The ground shook. Another apartment building crumbled into dust. The scout fighters and interceptors flew jerked back heavenwards. “It’s over baby.†Loops of light and energy got tangled. Magnetic fields twisted up and up and up. Blue fire bent the bars that kept it in. Electrostatic pressure lifted up the ends of Helena’s hair. A bead of sweat dripped down Buster’s chin. Helena kissed it away as a tear rolled down her cheek. Buster cradled her head softly a magnetic chain broke loose. He kissed her for a moment. The beast was roaring and not waiting to be released. A dwarfed blue giant had been awakened by the intricate secrets of the Protoss race. The flames were new and old and restless. The ancient star had been rekindled for just one purpose. “Buster, I love y-“ Everything went blue. Then it went white. Then black.
