Darkness of the Void
By: Dark-Elk
Death was not an easy concept for the Overmind to accept.
Yes, it had caused the death of millions, possibly billions in its lifespan. Yes, it had sent millions of members of the Swarm off to die for its cause.
But the Overmind had lived for millennia. There had only been one; only one Overmind that could possibly govern the myriad elements of the Swarm, only one Overmind that could watch things play out across a grand length of time. There was only one indispensable Overmind, and once it had been killed, the Swarm as the galaxy knew it would cease to exist.
Probing the Carrier streaking towards it was not a difficult task. The energy that was swirling around it cyclonically had a distinctive signature, a distinctive flavor, that the Overmind well remembered. He had met this being before, through the mind of his servant Kerrigan. Kerrigan, his greatest success. . .
Tassadar was piloting the Carrier, projecting the arcane mix of light and dark energies, doing what no other Templar had ever done before. Tassadar, diving recklessly towards the very core of the Swarm.
-_-_-_-
Tassadar strained under the intense mental pressure; powering the dual energies was draining his reserves heavily, and there was only so much energy he could draw from his nearby brethren. Throughout his channeling, he could feel the approval and support of his friend and mentor, Zeratul. Never had he met a nobler Templar, a greater friend, or more stalwart defender. It was Zeratul's support that kept Tassadar going now, pushing him long past heights that would have been unattainable before.
Then everything stopped, and time seemingly froze. Tassadar found himself standing in a limitless black void. Crying out in shock, he instinctively reached towards the presence of Zeratul that had been driving him before, but it was nowhere to be found, along with the other Protoss. There was only one presence in the void, something far more ancient than any Protoss.
"TASSADAR OF THE FIRST BORN, WE SHALL HOLD PALAVAR" an ancient voice rumbled from all around, ramming into his mind, causing him to cry out softly in pain.
"PERHAPS THIS FORM IS TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MIND TO COMPREHEND, FIRST BORN. I WILL CHANGE INTO SOMETHING A BIT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND"
Tassadar, still reeling in the shock and pain that this being was causing, didn't immediately notice the small creature that now shared the void with him.
"This is something more suitable, I believe, Tassadar. You may look upon me now, First Born," said the small Zergling that now stood opposite Tassadar.
Opening his eyes, Tassadar looked suspiciously at the Zergling, wondering how it had spoken, wondering where he was. Deciding to take a more direct approach, he ignited his Psi Blades and darted at the Zergling, ramming the blades through the Zergling's hide. He stumbled; the force of his attack hadn't met with any resistance. He stopped and turned back to look at the Zergling; its hide was completely intact. He reached a hand out to touch the Zergling, but his hand passed through it as though it were nothing more than smoke.
"This is only a representation created by my mind, Tassadar, something akin to the hallucinations the First Born create to confuse their enemies. You are all powerful, Tassadar, more powerful than even you can fully imagine."
"Who are you, specter? Where am I?"
The Zergling laughed, a sibilant hiss that sounded very nearly sadistic. "I am the Overmind, Tassadar, the full conscious mind of the Swarm, master of a thousand assimilated races, and nearly ten times the number of planets. As to our location, Tassadar, we are currently somewhere not in this galaxy, somewhere above what you know. We currently reside in a plane sustained only by the force of our wills, the combined power of our minds."
Tassadar shuddered slightly; the thought of the vile Overmind's presence mingling with his was disturbing. "Why have you brought me here, foul creature?"
The Zergling laughed again. "Such contempt, Tassadar; quite astonishing considering our joined heritage. You First Born have discovered that I am the product of the Xel'Naga, just as you are? Both of us experiments, meddling stabs into altering the fabric of the galaxy. Why?"
Tassadar stepped back in response to the gravity of the question, but retorted with the common belief among the Protoss. "The Xel'Naga were a benevolent race who wanted equals in the galaxy, and sought to create the perfect race to cohabitate with them."
Again the Zergling hissed its' humor. "Merely a half-truth, Tassadar. The Xel'Naga were a benevolent race who were seeking a race to mold to perfection, but it was not to cohabitate. No Tassadar, our races were meant for something much more. Even you must have wondered why the Xel'Naga would have made both of their so-called "perfect races" distinctly militaristic. The First Born are singularly the most powerful force in this sector of the galaxy, or rather were before the Swarm arrived, but that is an extraneous detail. We were created, Tassadar, to be the champions of the Xel'Naga. We were created to fight the Ancient Enemy."
"What do you mean? The Xel'Naga created the First Born, the Zerg, and the myriad other races to find a race that could stop this enemy? What enemy could possibly be so powerful?"
The Zergling shook its' head sadly. "I do not know, Tassadar; of this I speak honestly. Although I did assimilate the consciousness of many of the Xel'Naga when I broke the shackles that held me to Zeurus, the specific information was not made available to me. It is only in recent years I have been able to adequately sift through all that I absorbed that I have found vague memories of this enemy. The Xel'Naga viewed them with such fear that I have been unable to even find a name for this race."
"What does this mean? Why have you gone to such great lengths to tell this to me?"
"I want you to understand, Tassadar of the First Born. I want you to understand why we exist, our two races, and the purpose behind my invasion."
"You cannot possibly give enough reason to justify your invasion of the Koprulu sector, the slaughtering of millions of innocents, the desecration of Aiur. . . nothing can possibly make me believe that this is all necessary."
"Not merely necessary, Tassadar. Premeditated. I have played only the role given to me eons ago, as have you and your race."
Tassadar raised his chin. "I do not believe in fate, Overmind. I am not at ease with the belief that my life, my path, is in the hands of anyone or anything but myself."
The Zergling shook its head again. "You need to hear what I say now, Tassadar. This affects everything."
"As I have no apparent method of leaving this place, and because I have little else to do in this emptiness, I will listen."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
"In the beginning of the existence of the Zerg, we were independent creatures, little more than parasites. We infiltrated the bodies of creatures on Zeurus, tapping into their nervous systems, moving them like marionettes. The creatures we were weren't sentient, and probably never would have been. The movements of the Swarm across the galaxy have showed me that sentience is rare; seldom does evolution dictate the need. We had reached the pinnacle of our existence in a few scant thousand years before the Xel'Naga arrived."
"Although we weren't sentient, we had excellent memories. I can see the arrival of the Xel'Naga clearly in my mind. Their massive shining ships streaking through the sky, contrails of fire filling the horizon. They set foot upon the charred surface of Zeurus, and our evolution dictated our method of first contact. We attempted to infest one of the Xel'Naga, but thankfully we failed miserably. The Xel'Naga may have been benevolent, but such an action would have shown us to be too destructive and uncontrolled for their purposes. We failed, but the Xel'Naga now looked across Zeurus with new eyes, eyes that saw nothing existed on the planet that wasn't controlled by the primitive Zerg. Our evolution intrigued them, and our survival and dominance of Zeurus surprised them. It forced them to reevaluate their image of the perfect race. The Protoss had ben an experiment of purity of form; the Zerg would be the counterparts, testing purity of essence."
"The life forms of the world were gathered, examined, judged. We passed their examination such as it was, becoming the next great experiment of the Xel'Naga. They fashioned a creature similar in shape to the Zerg parasites, but giving it the gift of rudimentary sentience and telepathic communication. The telepathy was a gamble, but essential for their purposes. A virus was engineered and spread across Zeurus in moments, eradicating the feeble minds of the Zerg parasites after duplicating their memories into the new creation. Another virus followed on the heels of the first, altering the parasites enough to make them little more than telepathic receivers, able to respond to basic commands and orders."
"The first test was astonishing only in its abject failure. The creature they had fashioned wasn't intelligent enough to control the massive amount of bodies that had been infested. Many of them died immediately; entire races were extinguished in the span of one breath. The Xel'Naga knew immediately what had gone wrong, attributing the mistake to a flaw in planning. They created a new creature, endowed with the memories of the ancient Zerg parasites and flesh, but also with the greatest gift of their nearest success, the mind of a First Born. So it happened that I came into existence."
"The Xel'Naga were most pleased with my initial successes. I could control all the myriad Zerg parasites and thus their symbiotes, a massive host containing thousands of species. Then the Xel'Naga gave me the gift that has ensured the dominance of the Swarm since: the power to envelope creatures, extract their genetic makeup, and hyperevolve them to their highest potential, thus creating any creature I could possibly desire. The Drones were the firs species of Zerg that I created, and they have remained largely unchanged since."
"I began experimenting with the thousands of other species on Zeurus, combining some into more useful forms, eradicating others when they proved unworthy. I eventually discovered the ability to make extrusions of my flesh, the first of which became the Hatcheries. The bio-mass the Terrans call "creep" became the heart of my new race, both nourishment and healing at once."
"I discovered the Xel'Naga quite by accident, but once I did I quickly realized the truth of my existence. I knew of only one fitting future for such a powerful race, and even then I marked the Xel'Naga for infestation. I redoubled my efforts to create a warrior strain, eventually succeeding. The strain has never been seen since my assault on the Xel'Naga, and is far too dated to contend with my current strains. Nevertheless it was the best I could create; I deemed them useful, and they became the brunt of my race. I then lacked only one crucial ability of the Xel'Naga; they had the ability to travel through the void."
"By some obscure twist of fate, a space-faring race of semi-sentients happened to migrate nearby Zeurus. I called to them, and they came, ready to embrace our dual futures. It was mere hours after they had landed that I had created a strain that could travel through the darkness of space strong enough to stand against the power of the Xel'Naga. I knew the time to strike was then. Once the Xel'Naga learned of my plans, they would eliminate me without further thought, despite the fact I was merely carrying out the role they had created me for. I launched the assault; the Xel'Naga were caught off guard, and their ground bases were razed in a matter of moments. Their fleet took longer, but even then the Swarm had strength in numbers. Their fleet reluctantly gave ground; a loss of one of their craft was paid for by the lives of hundreds of my aerial strain. The Hatcheries could barely keep the production ahead of the losses, but eventually the last craft blossomed into fire, leaving the Swarm and the few captured Xel'Naga I assimilated."
"It was then that I leaned of your race, the First Born. I realized that although my Swarm had the power of adaptability, your technological advances and psionic powers would prove too great to assimilate. Defeating the Xel'Naga had been luck and surprise. Nevertheless, I knew then that assimilating your race would raise the Swarm to perfection. Already I had part of your spirit and intelligence from your portion of my heritage, but the more races I assimilated, the more I realized just how far from perfection I was. I was driven to defeat you."
"We left Zeurus barren of life; only a single Cerebrate and its' servant Brood was left behind to keep our home planet in our possession. It has been hundreds of years since I have bothered to think of Zeurus, but I have long since deemed it unworthy of my attention. We traveled between the stars, hopping from planet to planet, assimilating the species at the top of their food chains, annihilating the others. The Dune Runners from Zz'gash were the most important species I discovered, eventually evolved into the form you see before you. The space-dwelling beasts we had assimilated for their space flight became the lumbering Overlords, and the peaceful Brontolith became the Ultralisk strain. All were successes, but when compared to the First Born were all found lacking."
"Then I found the Terrans, a race with even more potential than the First Born. They were eons away from their pinnacle; their psionic talent was only in the beginning phases of its manifestation. They would be the catalyst, the linchpin that would allow us to finally combat your race on even terms."
"Our arrival into the Koprulu sector went unheralded. A few colony worlds were cautiously infiltrated to give us a number of bases. Our infestation of the Terrans would have continued unimpeded had you First Born not detected my probes. You were sent to eliminate the threat we posed; you burned a world to cinders to halt my invasion, but eventually your compassion for the Terrans cause your disobedience of the Conclave. Your compassion was what allowed my Swarm to dominate this sector, Tassadar, but your resolve is what brings us here now."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
"Your story has enlightened me about much, Overmind, but I do not understand. You said your invasion was premeditated, but nothing you have told me makes me believe this."
The Zergling shifted slightly. "Tassadar, I was designed by the Xel'Naga to assimilate all I could, despite the fact that they knew the Swarm would come someday in contact with the First Born and we would clash. This entire conflict has been controlled by someone more powerful than even the Xel'Naga."
"What would they have to gain? Who could possibly be more powerful than the Xel'Naga?"
"I know not Tassadar. I only know what little I have discovered and induced. As I have had millennia to contemplate this, and you have had a span of a few years, I believe my discoveries are at least as valid as yours. The only thing I believe could be gained would be control over whichever race wins our conflict, be it the Swarm or the First Born. The Terrans are mere pawns in this conflict."
Tassadar shook his head, trying to come to terms with all he had been told. "So the Swarm's invasion was necessary for this other race to find which of us was the greater? That means all of our races are little more than pawns."
"Indeed, Tassadar, but even among pawns some are more valuable than others."
Tassadar nodded. "What you have told me makes sense, but why have you told me this?"
"Because you are poised to initiate my destruction, and thus the severe weakening of the Swarm. This makes your race a clear victor, at least for now. I have no doubt that my agent Kerrigan can lead the Swarm well enough, but until she can pull together the pieces, your race is the one this outside force will perceive the greater."
"That makes sense as well, but still does not answer my question."
The Zergling seemed to scowl at Tassadar. "It more than answered your question. Your race is now the one that will be influenced by this outside force rather than the Swarm. This outside force has already shown callous disregard for either side of this conflict; should the First Born fall under the sway of such evils, the universe will be annihilated. I have told you of this is to preserve the life of my Swarm. I believe now that our races would make a powerful merge, but under the guidance of this outside power would be utterly worthless. I tell you this Tassadar, because I believe you alone have the power to stop this from happening."
"How can you possibly know this? What could I do anyway? The Ganthrithor is mere seconds away from the surface of Aiur."
"You could send a message to the First Born, informing them of their plight. Were such a message short enough, it could be sent before your death."
Tassadar nodded. "I will do so. Why was I given this task above all other Protoss?"
The Zergling looked solemnly at Tassadar. "Because only you had enough compassion to let the Swarm enter the Koprulu sector, setting all these events into motion. Only you of all Protoss had the courage to master both the powers of the Khalai and the powers of the void."
Tassadar nodded again. "I should leave now. The next few seconds of my life may yet be my most important."
"Indeed, Tassadar, more than either of us shall ever know. Good luck, First Born."
-_-_-_-_-
Tassadar opened his eyes on board the Gantrithor, and quickly composed his message to the only First Born he trusted with the future of their race. As he finished, he could feel the surge of energy his brethren were pouring forth. It elated him like little else had, knowing that he had the full support and faith of his brethren. Only one would know that his death was achieving two goals.
Tassadar hit a button on the console before him, finally content for the first time in many years. He had served his purpose.
-_-_-_-_-
Zeratul climbed into his Corsair, eager to begin the long search for scattered survivors across Aiur. Both his body and his heart were greatly wearied. A blinking light on his flight console drew his attention; most likely it would end up being a distress signal.
-Zeratul The first battle is over but the war is beginning. Do not allow our brethren to remain pawns.
Zeratul raised his face to the sky, allowing the wind to flow over him. The wind invigorated him like nothing else ever had. Though he did not fully understand the message, he knew he would serve his people to the best of his abilities. Someday perhaps he would know his purpose in life.
By: Dark-Elk
Death was not an easy concept for the Overmind to accept.
Yes, it had caused the death of millions, possibly billions in its lifespan. Yes, it had sent millions of members of the Swarm off to die for its cause.
But the Overmind had lived for millennia. There had only been one; only one Overmind that could possibly govern the myriad elements of the Swarm, only one Overmind that could watch things play out across a grand length of time. There was only one indispensable Overmind, and once it had been killed, the Swarm as the galaxy knew it would cease to exist.
Probing the Carrier streaking towards it was not a difficult task. The energy that was swirling around it cyclonically had a distinctive signature, a distinctive flavor, that the Overmind well remembered. He had met this being before, through the mind of his servant Kerrigan. Kerrigan, his greatest success. . .
Tassadar was piloting the Carrier, projecting the arcane mix of light and dark energies, doing what no other Templar had ever done before. Tassadar, diving recklessly towards the very core of the Swarm.
-_-_-_-
Tassadar strained under the intense mental pressure; powering the dual energies was draining his reserves heavily, and there was only so much energy he could draw from his nearby brethren. Throughout his channeling, he could feel the approval and support of his friend and mentor, Zeratul. Never had he met a nobler Templar, a greater friend, or more stalwart defender. It was Zeratul's support that kept Tassadar going now, pushing him long past heights that would have been unattainable before.
Then everything stopped, and time seemingly froze. Tassadar found himself standing in a limitless black void. Crying out in shock, he instinctively reached towards the presence of Zeratul that had been driving him before, but it was nowhere to be found, along with the other Protoss. There was only one presence in the void, something far more ancient than any Protoss.
"TASSADAR OF THE FIRST BORN, WE SHALL HOLD PALAVAR" an ancient voice rumbled from all around, ramming into his mind, causing him to cry out softly in pain.
"PERHAPS THIS FORM IS TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MIND TO COMPREHEND, FIRST BORN. I WILL CHANGE INTO SOMETHING A BIT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND"
Tassadar, still reeling in the shock and pain that this being was causing, didn't immediately notice the small creature that now shared the void with him.
"This is something more suitable, I believe, Tassadar. You may look upon me now, First Born," said the small Zergling that now stood opposite Tassadar.
Opening his eyes, Tassadar looked suspiciously at the Zergling, wondering how it had spoken, wondering where he was. Deciding to take a more direct approach, he ignited his Psi Blades and darted at the Zergling, ramming the blades through the Zergling's hide. He stumbled; the force of his attack hadn't met with any resistance. He stopped and turned back to look at the Zergling; its hide was completely intact. He reached a hand out to touch the Zergling, but his hand passed through it as though it were nothing more than smoke.
"This is only a representation created by my mind, Tassadar, something akin to the hallucinations the First Born create to confuse their enemies. You are all powerful, Tassadar, more powerful than even you can fully imagine."
"Who are you, specter? Where am I?"
The Zergling laughed, a sibilant hiss that sounded very nearly sadistic. "I am the Overmind, Tassadar, the full conscious mind of the Swarm, master of a thousand assimilated races, and nearly ten times the number of planets. As to our location, Tassadar, we are currently somewhere not in this galaxy, somewhere above what you know. We currently reside in a plane sustained only by the force of our wills, the combined power of our minds."
Tassadar shuddered slightly; the thought of the vile Overmind's presence mingling with his was disturbing. "Why have you brought me here, foul creature?"
The Zergling laughed again. "Such contempt, Tassadar; quite astonishing considering our joined heritage. You First Born have discovered that I am the product of the Xel'Naga, just as you are? Both of us experiments, meddling stabs into altering the fabric of the galaxy. Why?"
Tassadar stepped back in response to the gravity of the question, but retorted with the common belief among the Protoss. "The Xel'Naga were a benevolent race who wanted equals in the galaxy, and sought to create the perfect race to cohabitate with them."
Again the Zergling hissed its' humor. "Merely a half-truth, Tassadar. The Xel'Naga were a benevolent race who were seeking a race to mold to perfection, but it was not to cohabitate. No Tassadar, our races were meant for something much more. Even you must have wondered why the Xel'Naga would have made both of their so-called "perfect races" distinctly militaristic. The First Born are singularly the most powerful force in this sector of the galaxy, or rather were before the Swarm arrived, but that is an extraneous detail. We were created, Tassadar, to be the champions of the Xel'Naga. We were created to fight the Ancient Enemy."
"What do you mean? The Xel'Naga created the First Born, the Zerg, and the myriad other races to find a race that could stop this enemy? What enemy could possibly be so powerful?"
The Zergling shook its' head sadly. "I do not know, Tassadar; of this I speak honestly. Although I did assimilate the consciousness of many of the Xel'Naga when I broke the shackles that held me to Zeurus, the specific information was not made available to me. It is only in recent years I have been able to adequately sift through all that I absorbed that I have found vague memories of this enemy. The Xel'Naga viewed them with such fear that I have been unable to even find a name for this race."
"What does this mean? Why have you gone to such great lengths to tell this to me?"
"I want you to understand, Tassadar of the First Born. I want you to understand why we exist, our two races, and the purpose behind my invasion."
"You cannot possibly give enough reason to justify your invasion of the Koprulu sector, the slaughtering of millions of innocents, the desecration of Aiur. . . nothing can possibly make me believe that this is all necessary."
"Not merely necessary, Tassadar. Premeditated. I have played only the role given to me eons ago, as have you and your race."
Tassadar raised his chin. "I do not believe in fate, Overmind. I am not at ease with the belief that my life, my path, is in the hands of anyone or anything but myself."
The Zergling shook its head again. "You need to hear what I say now, Tassadar. This affects everything."
"As I have no apparent method of leaving this place, and because I have little else to do in this emptiness, I will listen."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
"In the beginning of the existence of the Zerg, we were independent creatures, little more than parasites. We infiltrated the bodies of creatures on Zeurus, tapping into their nervous systems, moving them like marionettes. The creatures we were weren't sentient, and probably never would have been. The movements of the Swarm across the galaxy have showed me that sentience is rare; seldom does evolution dictate the need. We had reached the pinnacle of our existence in a few scant thousand years before the Xel'Naga arrived."
"Although we weren't sentient, we had excellent memories. I can see the arrival of the Xel'Naga clearly in my mind. Their massive shining ships streaking through the sky, contrails of fire filling the horizon. They set foot upon the charred surface of Zeurus, and our evolution dictated our method of first contact. We attempted to infest one of the Xel'Naga, but thankfully we failed miserably. The Xel'Naga may have been benevolent, but such an action would have shown us to be too destructive and uncontrolled for their purposes. We failed, but the Xel'Naga now looked across Zeurus with new eyes, eyes that saw nothing existed on the planet that wasn't controlled by the primitive Zerg. Our evolution intrigued them, and our survival and dominance of Zeurus surprised them. It forced them to reevaluate their image of the perfect race. The Protoss had ben an experiment of purity of form; the Zerg would be the counterparts, testing purity of essence."
"The life forms of the world were gathered, examined, judged. We passed their examination such as it was, becoming the next great experiment of the Xel'Naga. They fashioned a creature similar in shape to the Zerg parasites, but giving it the gift of rudimentary sentience and telepathic communication. The telepathy was a gamble, but essential for their purposes. A virus was engineered and spread across Zeurus in moments, eradicating the feeble minds of the Zerg parasites after duplicating their memories into the new creation. Another virus followed on the heels of the first, altering the parasites enough to make them little more than telepathic receivers, able to respond to basic commands and orders."
"The first test was astonishing only in its abject failure. The creature they had fashioned wasn't intelligent enough to control the massive amount of bodies that had been infested. Many of them died immediately; entire races were extinguished in the span of one breath. The Xel'Naga knew immediately what had gone wrong, attributing the mistake to a flaw in planning. They created a new creature, endowed with the memories of the ancient Zerg parasites and flesh, but also with the greatest gift of their nearest success, the mind of a First Born. So it happened that I came into existence."
"The Xel'Naga were most pleased with my initial successes. I could control all the myriad Zerg parasites and thus their symbiotes, a massive host containing thousands of species. Then the Xel'Naga gave me the gift that has ensured the dominance of the Swarm since: the power to envelope creatures, extract their genetic makeup, and hyperevolve them to their highest potential, thus creating any creature I could possibly desire. The Drones were the firs species of Zerg that I created, and they have remained largely unchanged since."
"I began experimenting with the thousands of other species on Zeurus, combining some into more useful forms, eradicating others when they proved unworthy. I eventually discovered the ability to make extrusions of my flesh, the first of which became the Hatcheries. The bio-mass the Terrans call "creep" became the heart of my new race, both nourishment and healing at once."
"I discovered the Xel'Naga quite by accident, but once I did I quickly realized the truth of my existence. I knew of only one fitting future for such a powerful race, and even then I marked the Xel'Naga for infestation. I redoubled my efforts to create a warrior strain, eventually succeeding. The strain has never been seen since my assault on the Xel'Naga, and is far too dated to contend with my current strains. Nevertheless it was the best I could create; I deemed them useful, and they became the brunt of my race. I then lacked only one crucial ability of the Xel'Naga; they had the ability to travel through the void."
"By some obscure twist of fate, a space-faring race of semi-sentients happened to migrate nearby Zeurus. I called to them, and they came, ready to embrace our dual futures. It was mere hours after they had landed that I had created a strain that could travel through the darkness of space strong enough to stand against the power of the Xel'Naga. I knew the time to strike was then. Once the Xel'Naga learned of my plans, they would eliminate me without further thought, despite the fact I was merely carrying out the role they had created me for. I launched the assault; the Xel'Naga were caught off guard, and their ground bases were razed in a matter of moments. Their fleet took longer, but even then the Swarm had strength in numbers. Their fleet reluctantly gave ground; a loss of one of their craft was paid for by the lives of hundreds of my aerial strain. The Hatcheries could barely keep the production ahead of the losses, but eventually the last craft blossomed into fire, leaving the Swarm and the few captured Xel'Naga I assimilated."
"It was then that I leaned of your race, the First Born. I realized that although my Swarm had the power of adaptability, your technological advances and psionic powers would prove too great to assimilate. Defeating the Xel'Naga had been luck and surprise. Nevertheless, I knew then that assimilating your race would raise the Swarm to perfection. Already I had part of your spirit and intelligence from your portion of my heritage, but the more races I assimilated, the more I realized just how far from perfection I was. I was driven to defeat you."
"We left Zeurus barren of life; only a single Cerebrate and its' servant Brood was left behind to keep our home planet in our possession. It has been hundreds of years since I have bothered to think of Zeurus, but I have long since deemed it unworthy of my attention. We traveled between the stars, hopping from planet to planet, assimilating the species at the top of their food chains, annihilating the others. The Dune Runners from Zz'gash were the most important species I discovered, eventually evolved into the form you see before you. The space-dwelling beasts we had assimilated for their space flight became the lumbering Overlords, and the peaceful Brontolith became the Ultralisk strain. All were successes, but when compared to the First Born were all found lacking."
"Then I found the Terrans, a race with even more potential than the First Born. They were eons away from their pinnacle; their psionic talent was only in the beginning phases of its manifestation. They would be the catalyst, the linchpin that would allow us to finally combat your race on even terms."
"Our arrival into the Koprulu sector went unheralded. A few colony worlds were cautiously infiltrated to give us a number of bases. Our infestation of the Terrans would have continued unimpeded had you First Born not detected my probes. You were sent to eliminate the threat we posed; you burned a world to cinders to halt my invasion, but eventually your compassion for the Terrans cause your disobedience of the Conclave. Your compassion was what allowed my Swarm to dominate this sector, Tassadar, but your resolve is what brings us here now."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
"Your story has enlightened me about much, Overmind, but I do not understand. You said your invasion was premeditated, but nothing you have told me makes me believe this."
The Zergling shifted slightly. "Tassadar, I was designed by the Xel'Naga to assimilate all I could, despite the fact that they knew the Swarm would come someday in contact with the First Born and we would clash. This entire conflict has been controlled by someone more powerful than even the Xel'Naga."
"What would they have to gain? Who could possibly be more powerful than the Xel'Naga?"
"I know not Tassadar. I only know what little I have discovered and induced. As I have had millennia to contemplate this, and you have had a span of a few years, I believe my discoveries are at least as valid as yours. The only thing I believe could be gained would be control over whichever race wins our conflict, be it the Swarm or the First Born. The Terrans are mere pawns in this conflict."
Tassadar shook his head, trying to come to terms with all he had been told. "So the Swarm's invasion was necessary for this other race to find which of us was the greater? That means all of our races are little more than pawns."
"Indeed, Tassadar, but even among pawns some are more valuable than others."
Tassadar nodded. "What you have told me makes sense, but why have you told me this?"
"Because you are poised to initiate my destruction, and thus the severe weakening of the Swarm. This makes your race a clear victor, at least for now. I have no doubt that my agent Kerrigan can lead the Swarm well enough, but until she can pull together the pieces, your race is the one this outside force will perceive the greater."
"That makes sense as well, but still does not answer my question."
The Zergling seemed to scowl at Tassadar. "It more than answered your question. Your race is now the one that will be influenced by this outside force rather than the Swarm. This outside force has already shown callous disregard for either side of this conflict; should the First Born fall under the sway of such evils, the universe will be annihilated. I have told you of this is to preserve the life of my Swarm. I believe now that our races would make a powerful merge, but under the guidance of this outside power would be utterly worthless. I tell you this Tassadar, because I believe you alone have the power to stop this from happening."
"How can you possibly know this? What could I do anyway? The Ganthrithor is mere seconds away from the surface of Aiur."
"You could send a message to the First Born, informing them of their plight. Were such a message short enough, it could be sent before your death."
Tassadar nodded. "I will do so. Why was I given this task above all other Protoss?"
The Zergling looked solemnly at Tassadar. "Because only you had enough compassion to let the Swarm enter the Koprulu sector, setting all these events into motion. Only you of all Protoss had the courage to master both the powers of the Khalai and the powers of the void."
Tassadar nodded again. "I should leave now. The next few seconds of my life may yet be my most important."
"Indeed, Tassadar, more than either of us shall ever know. Good luck, First Born."
-_-_-_-_-
Tassadar opened his eyes on board the Gantrithor, and quickly composed his message to the only First Born he trusted with the future of their race. As he finished, he could feel the surge of energy his brethren were pouring forth. It elated him like little else had, knowing that he had the full support and faith of his brethren. Only one would know that his death was achieving two goals.
Tassadar hit a button on the console before him, finally content for the first time in many years. He had served his purpose.
-_-_-_-_-
Zeratul climbed into his Corsair, eager to begin the long search for scattered survivors across Aiur. Both his body and his heart were greatly wearied. A blinking light on his flight console drew his attention; most likely it would end up being a distress signal.
-Zeratul The first battle is over but the war is beginning. Do not allow our brethren to remain pawns.
Zeratul raised his face to the sky, allowing the wind to flow over him. The wind invigorated him like nothing else ever had. Though he did not fully understand the message, he knew he would serve his people to the best of his abilities. Someday perhaps he would know his purpose in life.