The dust filling the air after the intense battle finally settled down enough to look around in the corridor. The darkness was still present, of course, but the genetically upgraded eyes of Lily were able to see pretty well in the otherwise suffocating darkness. 

Lily tried to stand up from the floor, and she couldn't help but release a long painful groan as she only managed to sit up partly and push her back against the nearby wall to support her sitting position. 

-Urrgh... this hurts... I hate this... why am I always pulled into these sorts of situations... 

She began a series of self loathing while trying to not open her wounds any further. The still disembodied voice hiding somewhere in the darkness couldn't help but comment on her words. 

-... What the? You seriously have the face to act like a victim right now?  Am I supposed to pity you for coming here trying to invade my home and getting hurt in the process...? Fuck you!

-Ugh... get off my back already... it's not that I wanted to come to this planet... I was dragged here against my will! 

Following Lily's angry statement a weird silence seemed to fill up the place.

-... Like.... like I am supposed to believe that! You are just trying to confuse me. 

Lily rolled her eyes in the darkness as it was the only reaction she could afford after she heard such absurdity and it didn't cause her unnecessary pain. Then she said after taking in another long breath of air.

-Sure... don't believe me... After all, you know so many zergs that are actually capable of speech and all of them are known to be huge liers... 

There was another awkward silence engulfing the cold corridor. 

-... I... uhh... stop mocking me! I must have turned completely crazy... to start an argument with one of your kind! I hope you suffer as much as possible for what you did with my friends... 

Lily seemed to become completely speechless hearing that, wasn't the protoss supposed to be... I don't know more calculated, more clear minded, logical? It seemed to her that this creature that was most likely also a protoss, didn't even care about logic at all. Was she delirious? That could be the case...

-I already told you, that they are alive, well for now at least... 

-Was that a threat? You... 

-NO! Okay... Fine...

-So it was, I knew it!

-Sigh... it wasn't... I, stop interrupting me already! I don't know how my poison will take effect on them... I created it to fight against zergs, not protoss after all... 

-WHAT?! Why the hell would you do that? 

-Let me finish it already... you are annoying... 

-Oh, so now I am annoying you? Sorry for that, I guess you are too occupied by laying there, bleeding out and doing who knows what with my friends then simply answering my questions... 

Lily blinked as she couldn't process the sudden rage and emotions radiating off of this unknown creature. She couldn't entirely understand why she was so angry with her.

She didn't like to see her race butchered or injured in front of her eyes, but she has long since accepted that everything that is alive is therefore can die. It is nothing more but a matter of time and method of happening. Even the Overmind wasn't excluded from this rule, although it couldn't die from a natural cause, it still could be killed without a doubt. 

Of course, she had stronger attachments to some of her brood, like her daughters and the alpha zergling here, there was also another regular zergling she quite liked. She cares about them, but she also accepts their mortality, and the possibility of their death. She would likely be frustrated or even sad if that happened, but she wouldn't be this emotional... Maybe, she wasn't able to be this emotional in the first place. 

Emotions were a hard thing to describe for her, except maybe fear... However, she never felt this deep connection, even towards certain beings. Maybe, it is because she was always connected to so many zergs at the same time, it might have dampened her sense of individual bonds. That and the fact, that they had very weak individuality. Even her daughters were created from the same genome, they were therefore similar in many ways. They had some sort of personality range that was unique but still remaining so far behind the levels of terrans or protoss. 

The reason is likely because they are still young, and they are also born with the same predetermind knowledge already installed in their brains. This makes them similar to each other of course, and that also makes them good at teamwork.

Lily couldn't determine if it was a good thing, or a bad thing in the end. However it made it even clearer for herself that it was the base reason why she felt this unexplainable connection towards both protoss and terran. It was their unique individuality which she was sharing with them.

Kerrigan was also the same in this regard, but she would never try to get closer to her, on her own, the reasons are pretty obvious. That being is beyond any reasoning, she enjoys making her suffer in any possible way. Such an unreasonable being was extremely ugly and obnoxious in her eyes. 

Lily looked at her injured belly and decided to sit up a bit further as the injury seemed to heal naturally. 

Now as she finally sat up against the wall completely, she took a break as she looked around the place from this new height. This was the first time, she could calmly look around here and the first thing that drew her interest was a huge shadow placed on the floor about seven to nine meters from her. The reason why she turned towards it so quickly was that, that the thing continuously blinked with small red lights periodically igniting and turning off themselves.  

Lily was quite surprised that she didn't noticed the thing before. Then she shook her head forcefully, as she realized that the thing might not have been so obvious when a zealot was charging at you with ignited psionic blades attached to its wrists. 

Her thoughts were interrupted as the voice spoke up again, this time in a less irritating way. 

-It's not that I believe you, but on the chance of humoring myself tell me, how could you as a zerg be forced into war against this planet? 

Lily was a bit surprised that the voice spoke up again... she thought that it would not speak to her anymore, since she said that she didn't deem her worthy to speak with. This spontaneous and illogical behavior was the one that always annoyed her. 

Being too logical was also awkward, but this chaotic behavior was even worse it was impossible to tell what things would be taken seriously or what would be treated without any accountability. Lily always took everything seriously and that often led her astray, because terran and protoss loved to state one thing while meaning something completely different, at times even the opposite thing. 

Lily sighed, as she realized that the supposed protoss, was expecting an answer from her. 

-... I was kidnapped by a cerebrate, my brood was taken from my control they had been assimilated into the swarm. Then... I was sleeping for a while, until the Queen of Blades found me, she tortured me, forcing me to accept her will, and  I did... Now I am just another member of her swarm. Or at least, I thought so... until I remembered something... from my life before I was changed... I came here on a sudden whim, on a flicker of hope to get away from that monster. I just know, that even if I do everything she asks of me, that will never be good enough... she will always find a way to make me suffer. I... don't want that... She terrifies me... Even so, it might be already too late for me to escape... 

As Lily finished her speech the room was left in heavy silence. Which silence continued for several minutes until it was finally broken. 

-... What... what the... did you just project those pictures to my mind?! You... you-you are seriously speaking the truth...? I don't know what to say... You had it rough too, I guess... 

Lily looked up, as a light of understanding ignited in her eyes. Has she finally believed her? Could it be because of the pictures? She was able to send out memory fragments of her own, if she concentrated on the psionic link. It was harder to do with protoss, than with zergs as the latter happened naturally. Maybe, her intense feelings towards those exact memories, were powerful enough to slip through accidentally. This was a thing she needed to make a note for, after all, it would be bad if she lets her thoughts slip away in such a way at random times. 

The voice continued it's monologue after a short pause.

-But... what do you mean by too late? You seem to be mostly free and doing whatever you want out here? 

-Yes... I can move around to a degree, because she is currently occupied with something else, also... she knows my psionic presence, she can find me anywhere on this planet and even beyond it in mere hearthbeats. It might seem as if I am free, but in truth, I am simply tied to a longer leash than most. She knows that I can't escape so easily, I can only use zergs to leave the planet, and all zergs are under her control, or the cerebrates which is the same. She can force her will on me, and since she is much more powerful in psionical abilities, if she wants so I cannot disobey her orders. However she never did that until now, but that doesn't mean that she won't.

-Then what was the reason you came here, I mean won't she become mad at you if she realizes it? 

-I... It was on a whim... I think I remembered a possible way to escape. One that even she wouldn't take into consideration. I wanted to use your warp gates to teleport myself out of the galaxy, or just as far as possible. That is... what I wanted to ask you guys... our encounter was based on chance, but I hoped to ask for your help to activate this gate, if it is all possible. 

-What... seriously? Even if that's true, how would we know that ya fool! We are in a war zone if you didn't notice! If a pair of zergs sneak up on us in the darkness, we won't expect to get into a friendly chatter! What were you thinking... by the Khala... 

Lily hearing the angry scolding suddenly felt ridiculously stupid as she lowered her head in shame. Then she felt a sudden need to explain herself since she thought that such accusations even if partly true were too harsh to bear. 

-I-I... I didn't know that you would be there.... and... and you already noticed me before I could back off... there was nothing else... I could think of at that short spam of time... I... 

She panicked and began spluttering a series of half baked reasons piled on top of one another until she ran out of excuses.

-Okay-okay... calm down... I might have been a bit too harsh, I see now. 

Said the voice with a bit of frustration, which was followed by silence again. This time it stretched out for quite a while too. Then the same voice if a bit hesitant spoke up once more. 

-Look... I might have a suggestion that could help both of us, but... I can already tell, that you wouldn't like it. 

The voice waited for any interruption, but since there was none, it continued. 

-I-... we might be able to help you get out of here, getting the gate up and running I mean, but you need to heal my friends in exchange... in a sense you need to trust us, which is an unreasonable thing to ask after such a violent battle... and all... 

There was, but a moment of silence, as the answer came from the zerg. 

-Your friends are going to kill me the very moment they wake... I can't do that... not while I am this weak... you can't seriously expect me to trust you, I don't even know where you are in the first place. Isn't it time to show yourself, especially if you ask such things... 

-Well... okay look, I am right in front of you, laying on the ground... You should see a circular thing, with glowing red lights. That's me, well, I am inside of that thing so it's not technically me... but still you get it probably. 

-Why are you inside that thing?

-Because I can't get out of it? I mean my body was wrecked in a battle a long time ago, I volunteered on a procedure that can make me go back to the battlefields, using extreme cybernetic enchantment. At the beginning I could have gone back to living a normal sort of life, with the help of some implants. Well, that might have been futile, since your relatives arrival to my home would make that kind of impossible you know... Anyway... truth be told, I didn't leave this armored shell for years now, my body long since grown used to be floated in dense liquid. If I left it now, I would likely die in minutes from the force of gravity alone. Therefore, I can't help you... not as I am. I need the others to stay alive you see... For that you need to undo the poison... 

There was a sound of movement in one of the corners of the room. A fickle and panicking psionic presence came alive and the form of the other female protoss slowly raised herself up from the floor looking around with a shocked expression. She was clearly confused, not exactly knowing how she ended up in that state. Even so, this panicked confusion cleared the moment her gaze fell on the form of the injured zerg her presence and expression changed to intense hatred. Seeing Lily's form triggered her memories, as she spat out the word distorted with vile emotions. 

-You!

Lily felt the intense hatred directed towards her and she shook with fear as she saw the woman trying to stand up and walk towards her to finish the job. Lily swallowed drily as the injured but extremely angry form of the protoss woman began to walk towards her in small steps, she even picked up some sort of broken off metal pipe on the way. Is she going to be beaten to death with that?... If that is the case, she would prefer the psionic blades, in that way it will end reasonably fast. 

However the limping form of the woman stopped half way suddenly, when a voice called out to her.

-Uz, stop! It was a misunderstanding, she doesn't want to hurt us and she is the only one who can help the others. They are poisoned, remember? She can heal them... 

The expression on the face of the adept turned sour and ugly as she heard those words. Her eyes found the forms of the zealots laying on the ground and she hesitated, there was an internal battle inside the adept, but in the end she nodded weakly accepting the reality with clear distaste. 

Lily saw and sensed the hostility lower by a large margin, and she sighed, as her body relaxed her tense limbs turning completely limp as she lay down on the floor, her body was covered with dirt, dried blood and perspiration. 

-Now heal them and I promise to not beat you to death, also send out that creepy zergling, I don't like the way it looks at me. 

Said the newly awoken woman, with hardly suppressed rage. 

 -I won't send away my only guard... don't even ask that. I need some assurance that you will not kill me, if I heal them. 

-Tsc, we are not the zerg... you little... 

-Sis! 

-What? I meant that we don't violate our own agreements. However unlikely they might be, our honor is bound to it. 

-Does your honor extend to zergs? 

The woman blinked in confusion. 

-It extends to everything. 

Said the woman with a straight face. 

-You can trust our words. 

Said the other one, with honesty. 

Lily didn't know what to think at that... She was forced into a corner. If she doesn't heal the zealots, she will be beaten to death as things stand right now, but if she heals them, she might be instead sliced up. She looked at the zergling, it's body was still covered in charred injuries. It can't fight, he is too injured for that. She has no other chance... let's see if she can trust in the words of this protoss. If she fails she will at least die faster. 

With that thought in her mind, Lily nodded with determination, and ordered some of her bugs to go and inject antidote into the fallen warriors bodies. Not long after she gave the command the warriors began to stir, but they did not awoke, instead fell into a relaxed sleep like state. 

The woman called Uz, checked over their bodies, and nodded with confirmation. They were only unconscious, resting, but the effects of the poison were waning off. 

The woman walked to the side of Lily and crouched down next to her. The woman grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her up leaning her body against the wall once more. Then she grabbed onto her limp hands and began to tie her wrists together with a wire tightly in front of her. Lily watched this in complete disbelief. 

-But, you said... 

-I only said that I won't beat you to death... I never said that I will not tie your hands. 

At that moment, Lily felt extremely betrayed as she said with anger. 

-You! You are the same as all of them. You are the worst! 

-Now, now. I didn't lie to you, in fact, I actually planned on fulfilling our part of the contract whatever that it was, I only woke up and don't know what you decided in the meantime, but since you didn't listened to me, when I asked to get rid of that growling thing over there. I will have to take preconscious steps to deal with any unforeseen actions. Your pet tried to defend you under the entire battle, so I think it won't do anything foolish, if I have you tied up in an opposite corner. We will wait for the boys to wake up, and you will have the time to tell me what you decided while I was out cold. 

With that the woman picked up the limp body of Lily, and took it to a corner on the opposite side of the growling zergling. 

Lily was put down next to the strange cybernetic container of the other woman. While the one called Uz continued to complain.

-I can't believe that I am doing this, it seems that your crazyness is getting on me Ulli, but you will be the one to describe this whole mess to the boys... I won't take responsibility over this. 

-Yeah... well, I guess I will have to do that...

-Oh, by the way, your new playmate can unleash templar lightning energies from her fingers, luckily she doesn't seem to know how to control it yet she missed me and hit my weapon that blew up as a result. So it must have been pretty powerful, also, from the electrical burns on her arm, she dealt more damage to herself than to me. Well, that is only thanks to my shield but still.

-So that's why you tied her hands so quickly... 

-Yep. 

Lily listened to this exchange between the two protoss while hoping that they would actually hold to their words as they promised. She just want's to get away from Kerrigan, if she has to beg for the help of these protoss, she will do it without a second thought. She simply can't imagine a worse fate than being around that crazy woman for a second longer.