Infested Kerrigan

] While on Tarsonis, the Zerg Overmind sensed Sarah Kerrigan's power, and ordered the swarms to capture her. Over the course of the first few Zerg missions Kerrigan is contained within a chrysalis and taken to Char, where she uses her telepathic power to reach out and contact Jim Raynor and Arcturus Mengsk. In each case the Terrans sent out a force to recover Kerrigan, and in each case they failed. Sarah Kerrigan is reborn into the Zerg Swarms, and adopts the name "Queen of Blades" as Jim Raynor prowled Char - she let him live.

In-game, she is represented by a unique unit with similarities to an Infested Terran. However, instead of exploding, she is equipped with eight "tentacles" sprouting off her back, giving her powerful melee attacks. She can also ensnare opponents (like a Zerg Queen), can cloak and can even consume other Zerg to use their biological energy to increase her energy bar.

She has telomeric additions to her DNA, suggesting she is potentially immortal - she will never die of old age. This is revealed in one of the loading screens of StarCraft: Brood War.

The Overmind said of her: "The greatness of her spirit has been left to her; that the Swarms might benefit from her fierce example. Fear not her designs, for she is bound to me as intimately as any Cerebrate."

Kerrigan quickly developed her psionic abilities after discovering the secrets of Ghost conditioning on a Terran Science Vessel, the Amerigo. She develops numerous abilities, including the psionic storm, probably an evolution of her previous abilities. From here, she begins a campaign of terror against the Protoss, namely Tassadar and Zeratul.

Kerrigan's abilities seemed to have made her overconfident. She was able to sense the presence of the Protoss Tassadar on Char, and ignored Zasz's warning that something was strange about this Templar. She challenged him to a duel, defeating his forces in order to get to him. It turned out to be a distraction of a "weapons test" - Tassadar's ally Zeratul believed that his Dark Templar energies would enable him to permanently slay a Zerg Cerebrate such as Zasz, and he was correct. Kerrigan showed no remorse upon the death of Zasz.

Kerrigan was later ordered to take revenge on the Dark Templar. She destroyed their base and drove Tassadar and Zeratul into hiding. As she searched for them, the Zerg Overmind took the majority of its forces to Aiur as part of its campaign to assimilate the Protoss. Kerrigan was unexpectedly ordered to remain on Char and keep hunting down the Dark Templar rather than assist in the conquest of Aiur. She later captured Zeratul and a number of Dark Templar in a Terran installation, which she had stolen from Alpha Squadron. However, Tassadar eventually emerged from hiding, striking an alliance with the Terrans trapped in the installation and rescuing the Dark Templar.

Ascension
The final battle on Aiur ended when the Zerg Overmind was destroyed by Tassadar which left the Zerg Swarms extremely vulnerable. During this time, many Zerg Cerebrates desperately tried to create a new Overmind for the Swarms. However, Kerrigan began a campaign aimed at eliminating these Cerebrates in order to rule over the Swarms by herself.

As part of her plan, Kerrigan traveled to Shakuras, the secret homeworld of the Dark Templar and took control of their Matriarch, Raszagal. The Dark Templar did not suspect that there was anything different about their leader and they didn't find Kerrigan, who was in hiding.

Shortly afterwards Zeratul, Artanis and the Protoss survivors of Aiur travelled through the Warp Gate which connected Aiur to Shakuras. They were closely followed by Zerg which included two Cerebrates allied with Daggoth's new Overmind. These Cerebrates nestled around the Xel'Naga Temple, a powerful artifact capable of wiping the Zerg off of Shakuras.

Raszagal informed the newly-arrived Protoss of the Temple's powers which required the use of the two lost crystals: the Uraj and Khalis, but she ordered the Protoss to first slay the two Cerebrates around the Temple, which was done. Kerrigan made an appearance right after this event, asking to speak to the Matriarch. She claimed that with the Overmind dead, she was no longer being controlled. However, a new Overmind was growing on Char and when it reached maturity it would take control of her. The Protoss didn't trust her, but Raszagal (under her influence) welcomed her. Aldaris, a Judicator and former member of the Protoss Conclave didn't trust her at all, but because he had been at war with the other major Protoss players they didn't take his attitude very seriously.

Kerrigan was unsuccessful in convincing Zeratul in slaying the new Overmind but she did garner goodwill with the Protoss by helping them acquire the Khalis and Uraj.

Upon their return to Shakuras, Aldaris was in the midsts of launching a rebellion against Raszagal. He had discovered Kerrigan's influence on her, but he did not inform Artanis and Zeratul of this until he had been defeated. Kerrigan quickly slew him. Zeratul allowed her to leave because of the help she had delivered to the Protoss, but he warned her never to return. Kerrigan bragged that she had forced the Protoss to slay her enemies, the two Cerebrates on Shakuras, before fleeing the planet.

Raszagal was not very skilled at hiding the influence Kerrigan still had on her, but she did convince the trusting Zeratul that she was no longer under control, now that Kerrigan had left. Zeratul and Artanis activated the Xel'Naga Temple and destroyed the Zerg on Shakuras.

Against the Overmind
During StarCraft Episode V the United Earth Directorate acquired the Psi Disruptor, a powerful anti-Zerg weapon, but the leader of the UED force, Admiral DuGalle, squandered its use due to the influence and advice of Samir Duran. Vice Admiral Stukov disassembled the device and hid it from DuGalle, which would spark charges of treason.

Exploiting the fear of the United Earth Directorate, Kerrigan put together a coalition with Fenix and Jim Raynor. She had previously been involved in a relationship with Jim Raynor, the exact nature of which is unknown, when both were members of the Sons of Korhal. This made it easy for her to manipulate them. Fenix didn't trust her at all, but Raynor's fear of the UED was strong enough for him to persuade Fenix to fight alongside him and Kerrigan.

The UED conquered Korhal IV, center of the Terran Dominion and chased its former emperor, Arcturus Mengsk, to Aiur. Mengsk had been rescued by Jim Raynor and Fenix. On Aiur, Kerrigan's Zerg, with help from Samir Duran (an Infested Terran working for Kerrigan) again rescued Mengsk and Raynor from the UED. Meanwhile, Duran betrayed the UED again. In the end, the Psi Disruptor was activated, Admiral DuGalle had Duran kill Vice Admiral Stukov, and Duran's betrayals were discovered. However, the Psi Disruptor had been reassembled on Braxis, forcing the UED to defend another critical planet besides Korhal. Activating the Disruptor had severe consequences for Kerrigan's control of her Zerg, but leaving it on Braxis with only a planetary garrison to defend it would sound the death knell of the UED's efforts in the Koprulu Sector.

Finally, the UED descended on Char, home of the new Zerg Overmind and captured it.

Kerrigan began actively fighting beside Arcturus Mengsk, Fenix and Raynor to defeat the UED. Mengsk was her prisoner, and she told him he could remain prisoner of his own eight-by-eight cell if he didn't agree to her proposal. The allies destroyed the poorly-defended Psi Disruptor for her and even stood aside as she infested the populace of Moria. She led the attack on the UED forces on Korhal, defeating them. She quickly turned against her allies when they were in a weak position, resting from the battle, killing Fenix and Mengsk's general, Edmund Duke. Raynor and Mengsk were left very bitter about this betrayal, especially Raynor, who swore he would see her dead for this.

Kerirgan managed to repel UED revenge assaults as she schemed for the destruction of the new Zerg Overmind. She travelled to Shakuras and retrieved the Matriarch, Raszagal. The Dark Templar had not activated the Xel'Naga Temple, perhaps because Raszagal had ordered them not to. Kerrigan wanted Raszagal to look like she was an unwilling prisoner, so she couldn't just order Raszagal to come with her.

Kerrigan brought Raszagal to Char, followed by a vengeful Zeratul and Artanis. Zeratul demanded that Kerrigan turn over Raszagal. Kerrigan proposed a deal - she would allow Raszagal to return if Zeratul agreed to slay the Overmind. Raszagal convinced him to go, saying the Overmind was a threat to both Kerrigan and the Protoss.

Zeratul had no choice, though he knew killing the Overmind would only make the treacherous Kerrigan stronger. He consented. His Dark Templar participated in the battle, destroying renegade Zerg and UED troops alike. Then he again demanded the return of the Matriarch. Kerrigan agreed ... but Raszagal did not. Under Kerrigan's control, Raszagal said she wanted to stay. This did not fool Zeratul, who spirited her away and fled.

Kerrigan ordered her minion, Samir Duran, to assist in capturing the Matriarch. They were almost successful, but Zeratul slew Raszagal rather than allow her to live as a slave to Kerrigan. The surprised Kerrigan let Zeratul escape to live with his guilt. Meanwhile, Samir Duran disappeared.

All the Zerg in the sector fell under Kerrigan's control by this point, and after defending her world from a combined attack by the United Earth Directorate, Terran Dominion and forces led by Artanis, she became the ruler of the most powerful force in the Universe. Nonetheless, there are limits to this power that she is well aware of.

As Kerrigan says it herself in the mission briefing of Omega, the final level of StarCraft: Brood War: "At this point: I'm pretty much the Queen Bitch of the Universe."

There is evidence to suggest that she is unhappy with this acquisition and longs to be human once more.

Kerrigan's latest projects include devising more intelligent Infested Terrans.

External Links/References

 * Kerrigan's Biography @ Blizzard Entertainment - official site.
 * StarCraft homepage at Blizzard Entertainment
 * Battle.net StarCraft Compendium
 * Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.
 * Underwood, Peter, Chris Metzen and Bill Roper. StarCraft: Brood War (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.
 * Neilson, Micky. “StarCraft: Hybrid.” Amazing Stories 601 (Spring 2000): 70-75.
 * Neilson, Micky. StarCraft: Uprising. New York and Toronto, Ontario: Pocket Books, 2000. ISBN B00005AS12 (eBook only)
 * At MemoryAlpha: The Borg Queen (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Borg_Queen), a possible inspiration for Kerrigan in line with the Borg-like characteristics of the Zerg