Spear and Shield
"The mighty Hierarch, watching the galaxy burn from the Spear of Adun. I should have figured the Shield was too small for your ego."
"I command from the Spear because the situation demands it. The Shield is a fine vessel, but it is not an arkship."
"No. Of course it isn't."
Artanis reached for his nerve appendages, drawing his hand away from the severed chords just before he touched them. Even now, he wasn't used to it. Both the physical feeling of there being something missing (like ghost pain really), not to mention the psychological isolation being cut off from the Khala brought. But even if that wasn't the case, it would have made little difference. Vorazun's thoughts would have been known only to herself regardless. And the tone in her voice, along with her words, did not make any secret of her feelings.
"The Spear is a large ship," he said, gazing out into space from its bridge. "Tassadar willing, we will not have to see each other much while on it."
"I don't need dead martyrs to hide myself from your sight," the Nerazim said. "I can exit and enter the shadows at will."
Of course you can. Artanis looked at her as she stood beside him.
"And again," she said. "One must also remember how blind you truly are."
"What do you mean?"
"Does it hurt?" she sneered, her green eyes meeting his blue ones. "To be so alone? To feel the Void clawing away at your mind? Is your vaunted Path of Ascension really such a crutch for your kind?"
'Your kind.' The words cut deep. Not "your people," or "the Khalai." "Your kind." As if Khalai and Nerazim were too different species entirely. But it wasn't just the words themselves, it was the truth behind them. When Amon had corrupted the Khala, Artanis had felt many things – rage, contempt, hatred, desire…but with that gone, he still felt something else. Something dark, cold, foreboding, always at the edge of his mind, of his thoughts.
"Or maybe the Void has not embraced you. Maybe the Void does indeed choose who it offers it powers towards."
"Ah yes, the Void." Artanis folded his arms, keeping his gaze icy as he looked out into a different void, that of space itself. "Is it only you who anthropomorphises it? Or have you spent so long in the dark that all of your senses are crippled?"
Artanis heard nothing from Vorazun, nor could he sense her thoughts. But he did feel something. Annoyance. Contempt. His eyes flickered in amusement. But he nonetheless turned to her.
"Perhaps I was wrong," he said. "Perhaps it is best to be open, and not lurk in the shadows."
"How conciliatory of you."
"Shakuras is saved, but the galaxy burns. Amon wants our kind gone. He has terrans and zerg under his command and…" He trailed off, thinking of the abominations he had seen on both Korhal and Shakuras. Things even more horrifying than the zerg themselves. "Other, monsters. If we are to survive, we must work together."
"Very good platitude Hierarch. Isn't it the same one you've been using for the past five years?"
"So in order to work together, we should be honest." Artanis paused. "You do understand honesty, don't you? None can like in the Khala, but I assume that the Nerazim-"
"Honesty," Vorazun scoffed. "Alright, honesty. I shall be honest."
She paused. And Artanis waited. He supposed deep down, he'd waited five years for honesty. Because he'd dealt with the Hierarchy for the same amount of time, and had found anything but honesty. Not even unity.
"I think your kind should have died on Aiur," she said. "I think you should have never come to Shakuras. I think that if you hadn't, my mother would still be alive."
"I did not kill Raszagal, Vorazun."
"You let her die, coming to Char only when precious honour for your precious praetor demanded it." Vorazun's eyes flashed again. "I think that you're not even half the leader she was, and that it's a travesty for you to claim leadership over my people at all. I think your attempt at reclaiming Aiur was a disaster waiting to happen. I think that your decision to retrieve the Keystone from Korhal rather than coming to our aid first shows where your true priorities are, when you put primitives before your own species."
"Ah, so you acknowledge that we are still the same species."
"In biology only," Vorazun said. "And to conclude, I think you will lead us into disaster."
"Do you have a better candidate for leadership?"
"Perhaps," she said softly.
And there it was, Artanis reflected. Ambition for his eyes to see. For a moment, he almost admired her.
Almost.
"Honesty," the Khalai said. "I value it. I welcome it. So I shall be honest for a moment as well."
"Only a moment?"
"About what you said earlier," Artanis said. "I would indeed rather be on the Shield of Aiur than Spear of Adun. I know it better. I know its crew more intimately. Even if the Shield itself was destroyed, the protoss would survive. Should the Spear meet the same fate, I cannot say the same."
"Does it scare you?" Vorazun asked. "To lead?"
"Yes," Artanis said. "I was scared when I was called to replace Tassadar five years ago. I stopped being scared during the Brood War, and many paid the price for it." He paused. "Even your mother."
Vorazun glared at him.
"I would rather Raszagal be here," Artanis said. "And Tassadar. And Fenix. Khas willing, even Aldaris. But fate, if such a thing exists, has forced my hand. And Amon, well, he seems intent on letting fate run its course. To continue forcing me to lead until I die. And every other Firstborn as well."
Vorazun remained silent for a moment. And Artanis turned his gaze to the celestial array. A war was waiting to be fought. And for better or worse, he was the one who had to wage it.
You're afraid.
He glanced at Vorazun, the Nerazim already making her way off the bridge. Her thoughts directed only towards him.
Then you are at least not a fool.
A compliment. A small one, but a compliment nonetheless.
Artanis supposed he should take what victories he could.
A/N
Well, based on what I know of the story of Legacy of the Void, it's enough to make me want to slap the writers over the head for numerous reasons. Still, it's not entirely without promise. Enough to get me to drabble this up I guess.