Chapter 1 (Protoss)

"Executor, one of our thrusters just failed. The computer estimates that we will land intact with probability 35%," said the Engineer.

"Make it 90%," ordered the Executor, his image displayed from far away on a liquid screen covering one of the ship's walls.

With a thunderclap, another thruster broke, leaving just one out of three. "Executor! That is not how these things work!", shouted the Engineer at his superior.

"You have your orders. Adjust success probability to 90% and steer back into orbit."

The Engineer started screaming, then pulled himself together. "Switching to auxiliary sanity!"

He took a deep breath. "You can't just say...", he started explaining for the twentieth time; but upon looking out the window and realizing these words would be his last, he decided to turn this into a resolute, "you can't just say."

"Land ho," yelled the Pilot, smashing head-first into it.

Two crew members survived; they were Uratas, the Zealot, and Assidun, the Diplomat. But Zagalin, the Captain, and Kelaam, the Pilot, and McZessanis, the Engineer, all died.

All of the ship was in pieces, most of it was on fire, and some of it was lodged in nearby elm trees. Knowing that Protoss technology was not designed to interact with fire, and fire was even less designed to interact with Protoss technology, Uratas and Assidun edged away, watching the wreckage for signs of further danger. Both were safely out of range when the flashes started.