"The Empress has awakened!"

"The Empress has awakened!"

"The Empress has awakened!"

"The Empress has awakened!"

I groan slightly in annoyance to all the extremely loud and annoying shouts about some Empress. With a huff I think, 'Did I leave on my T.V. again while falling asleep on my couch? I really need to stop staying up so late...'

The loud chanting kept going on and on, and I was seriously starting to get annoyed at it all. I was about to shout at my T.V., knowing full well it would do nothing, when all of a sudden everything when quiet.

Sighing in relief I opened my eyes, and immediately froze. Unlike what I was expecting on seeing, which is to say my tiny living room and T.V., all I saw was... green. It was then I noticed I use submerged IN this green stuff! Panic started to flood me and I started to thrash around, trying to find the direction up the surface.

In my panic, I had failed to notice my hands were now very much clawed as they tore against some soft fleshly like wall in front of me. The next moment I knew, I was slipping out of something and down onto some more fleshy like substance. The air was thankfully not chilly, but warm and welcoming. It had managed to clam my nerves enough that I was able to enjoy a second oncoming panic attack.

It took no time at all to see the beasts in front of me. Monsters all. And even in my panicked state, my terrified addled mind understood what I was seeing. Before me was a world full of Zerg. Millions, no, trillions! Every kind as for as my eyes could see, and my mind could feel. And then I froze in realization. I could FEEL THEM ALL. And not just on this planet either! A truly uncountable number, across the stars. And I could feel them all.

"My Empress? Are you okay?"

My head snapped to the source of the voice. A Zerg Queen had slowly approached me, and I was able to naturally tell she was indeed worried. Her concern for my wellbeing wafting off her in waves.

Slowly pushing myself away from the monster that could end me with a flick of her scythe like appendages I asked, "What is going on? Where am I?"

The queen bowed and answered, "I am afraid I can not tell you where we are, My Empress. The Swarm had awoken suddenly on this planet one solar cycle ago. You were still in the middle of Evolution and Hatching, so the Swarm spread while we waited for you to emerge. Through you, the Swarm was able to stay connected no matter how much distance we traveled. So we conquered this solar system, and grew."

Nodding slowly I then hesitantly asked, "So... you were not responsible for my... change?"

I had tried to ignore it, but I simply couldn't. I was no longer human, at best I was humanoid. It wasn't quite a 1:1 to the Queen of Blades, but it was close enough. And the worst part of it all? I felt great. While I was panicking at my situation, it was quickly starting to subside. And my body wasn't triggering anything at all. It felt natural, good.

The queen shook her head and answered, "No, My Empress. We are of your brood. While I said the Swarm appeared, it started as just you and your Primeval Evolution spawning pool. Then you created a larva which promptly carried out your order to create the first hatchery. And then the Swarm did what it does best."

Nodding my head, I turned my attention from the queen back to the Swarm in general. There were millions alone around me, below me, and above me. What ever this planet was before, it was now a Zerg Hatchery world. I closed my eyes, and focused outward. Everything coming to me as naturally as one would breathe. Trillions upon trillions of minds, with me at the centre. This world had been totally consumed, with very little resources being left. But the Swarm was not worried; I was not worried. There were other worlds we could consume and harvest.

My thoughts came to a screeching halt. I had just thought of wiping out all life on another planet as if I was talking about the need to fill a car with gas. And I was fine with that. Now that I was paying attention to myself I could feel my mind, my personality, changing. Adapting to my new body, my new role. And I couldn't stop it, even if I wanted too. Which I didn't. My old personality was dying, being utterly crushed by a new one. And I was welcoming it with open arms.

My smile grew as my fear of the situation changed to excitement. I stood up and and took a deep breath; and then I let myself go. My power I felt bubbling below the surface rushed out, as if it too was excited. Purple lightning bolts erupted all around me as my power was unleashed. But none of the Zerg struck, MY ZERG, were hurt. Quite the opposite, every single one that was hit bristled in bliss as my power washed over them. The queen next to me was hit several times, and had ended up bowing low and releasing bliss filled sigh with every strike.

Finally feeling like myself, like the Empress of the Zerg I now was, I let out a pleased sigh as I reigned in my power once again. I closed my eyes and focused once again on the Swarm, the ones out in deep space. My power was so great, that I some how instinctively knew that even if I had sent some units to another galaxy, I could still have complete control. No matter how far the Swarm traveled, they were connected to me. Were me. For I was the Swarm, and the Swarm was I.

While I was zeroing in on the furthest members of the Swarm I asked the queen, "Have we encountered any resistance to our spread?"

I could feel the queen quickly gather herself, and straighten up as she answered, "Only recently, My Empress. The last planet we consumed at some Terrans on it, as well as several other species we have not encountered before. The Terrans also fought... oddly. Almost like the Protoss."

Raising an eyebrow I asked, "Oddly how?"

And instead of talking, I was suddenly showed a memory of the event. The Swarm had arrived on the new planet via several Leviathan's. The world itself was mostly a jungle world, and only had one starport that was close to a temple of sorts. My Swarm was quick to destroy their only means of escaping, but the Terrans and other aliens managed to hold off the Swarm for almost an entire hour. And I was quick to understand why the Swarm thought these Terrans fought like Protoss. Unknown psionic powers, and laser swords. But not unknown to me. These were Jedi!

I smiled wide when I saw the Jedi. I was in the Starwars universe! Looking at my queen I said, "This is perfect. I know what those Terrans are."

And as easily as one pushed play on a video, I shared all the information I knew about Starwars to the Swarm. It was not a lot, but the Swarm was no longer completely in the dark.

'My Empress. A word.'

As I focused on the request, the voice continued, 'I would like some more of these "jedi". The Swarm will benefit from their DNA and understanding how they function. Ashamedly, the Swarm dismissed them as normal psionic Terrans and used them as basic bio fuel."

I nodded my head as I answered, 'I agree Evolutionist. Do not worry, there will be more for my Swarm to take in."

The voice thanked me before it retreated and joined the others as background noise. I was about to decide my next move when I suddenly felt warnings from the Swarm on the planet that was formally a jedi world of sorts. Focusing on them, I looked through the eyes of a Leviathan. It did not take me long to see a small one person space craft floating in space.

With a cruel smile on my face I gave my first command to the Swarm, "Capture that craft. I want to talk to the entity piloting it."

My smile grew as I felt an entire planet worth of Zerg move to obey. For I am their Empress. And they were my Swarm.