Starcraft: Reigns of War

Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft, Warcraft, or any characters associated with them as they are the property of Blizzard entertainment.

"talking"

Thoughts


To Distant Lands


Work was swift as the Protoss mental link quickly coordinated their efforts to what needed to be done.

Wanting to be prepared for whatever situation was to arrive, they dismantled all unnecessary parts and components to be reused or repurposed for whatever they needed. Some of the starships were still usable and decisively left untouched to repair as they may prove useful later on. However due to lacking a shipyard, repairs would take a while to do by hand. Of course manufacturing of more starships was not feasible as they simply lacked the facilities to do such a thing.

Other buildings such as there stargate proved pointless to keep around. However their warp gate proved invaluable with its ability to send units anywhere they needed so long as there was power there. In needing to improvise a bit, there might have been cases to which their forward mining operations would come under attack by aerial assault. So to rectify this problem they needed to make a few modifications. Essentially the warp gates were not able to send units bigger then a stalker due to power requirements and instability of the warp matrix. So using the crystal circuitry they were able to gather, a new macro-program was written to compensate for the irregularities as it now had the ability to warp their ships. But at best it could only send one at a time as it would overwhelm the systems internal compensators. As for the power problem, a large conduit was constructed to be directly connected to the Shield of Auir power core.

As for construction of additional units or equipment, new building schematics needed to be uploaded into the robotics facility for their construction. Aside from scrapping some of their ships, they were lucky some of the resources from their planet came with them as they had an abundant yet finite amount of minerals and vespene gas to work with.

But wanting to get this done as soon as possible it was decided that Zeratul and his dark templars along with a few other units would lead the expedition across the ocean to get what they needed there while Artanis and his group would remain to attain the other resources.

After a few hours, the robotics bay had finished constructing the first few warp prisms, observers, and probes to be used on their journey. As the giant advanced floating crystal computer began digitizing both workers and combatants into its memory banks, Zeratul was the last to board.

"Be careful Zeratul, according to our observer's reports there's been a lot of activity in those distant lands" said a high templar. "It would seem a battle is being waged by several factions. Some of them being identical to the Terrans in physiology and anatomy, two groups resembling the Terrans but with a vastly different appearance, and the other being those creatures we have encountered earlier".

Zeratul narrowed his eyes at this. "This might prove to be troubling".

"Indeed, we do not want to get involved in the conflicts occurring on this primitive world. It would be best to finish our business as quickly as possible".

Zeratul gave a nod to this. "Then let us hope we can avoid fighting if possible" to which with that he too was digitized as three warp prisms then flew off as they were escorted by two observers, two void rays, and five phoenix to accompany them on their journey.


~ Shield of Auir ~

"What is our status?" asked Artanis as he was at the moment doing one more systems check of his vessel.

"All systems are stable with no irregularities in the power fluctuation".

"Psionic power matrix is holding steady heirarch. All our facilities are operating at their maximum capacity".

"Repairs are only thirty percent complete. It'll take some more time till secondary systems are back online. Until then most of the primary systems will be unusable".

"I see" said Artanis grimly as he then began to leave the bridge.

"Heirarch, you can't be serious in attending the mining mission yourself".

"It cannot be helped" Artanis simply replied. "If we do encounter the natives of these lands, I would preferably want to avoid conflict as much as possible. If these primitives can be reasoned with then it would be best that I go if we were to make first contact. It was also the reason why Zeratul took the other mining operation in the events diplomacy was needed".

"Then should you not take more of our forces with you?"

"No, our brethren shall stay here with the ships and do what repairs are needed. Once we gather the necessary resources we can take them to the forge to synthesize the parts we need. Aside from that, it would be best to keep our numbers small as not to startle or arouse attention of the natives". Artanis then went to a monitor as he typed in a few sequences. "If trouble were to occur, we shall summon for assistance via the warp gate".

"Understood hierarch. En Taro Tassdar".

With that Artanis boarded the waiting warp prism along with its probes and warriors as they were soon off with their own armed air units to escort them there.


~ Distant Continent to the West ~

After a short flight only lasting less than two hours it was now night time on this planet. It was at this time that Zeratul's group had arrived on the distant lands as the warp prisms released their contents one by one recreating their bodies from the energy they were saved as upon it's crystal core. First on the sandy beaches, the warrior units were the first to be rematerialized as several zealots, dark templars, two high templars, two immortals, six stalkers, and Zeratul emerged to make certain no hostiles were around. After making a parameter, the probes were then sent down to make camp in their current area. Of course they were some distance away from the resource they needed. However sending in their flying units would only entice the locals. So they had no choice but to land some distance away and walk the rest.

As structures slowly began to materialize, Zeratul decided it would be best to do some minor recon of the current vicinity and see what was around. So taking four of his dark brethren with him and an observer, they began moving out.

As the Nerazim traveled, they had little worry of being discovered. Since the time of their creation, their founder Adun taught them in the ways of being one with the shadows. One of the first things a dark templar is taught is to psychically bend all forms light radiation to themselves making them invisible to the naked eye. Like the observer, it too had the same capabilities of cloaking. But traveling through this forest was similar to their jungle home world of Auir. So aside from being invisible to the eyes, they too also knew how to be quiet and leave no trace like the shadows that they were when it came to terrain like this.

After a few more meters, the observer stopped as data began pouring in from its powerful sensor array giving detailed information to one of the control crystals one of the dark templars held. But not even needing to look at it, the group of Nerazim already knew they had company. Up in the trees, stood a cloaked patrol group as they now stood right under them unnoticed.

Through light filtering by psychic perception, the patrol unit might as well have been standing out there as clear as day. As it would appear to them, there were five females with bow and arrows standing in the tree top. Analyzing the data their previous observers had attained beforehand, this specie was known as the kaldorei or to some of the other natives, the night elves.

With a detailed analysis, they received a preliminary report of their anatomy and relative physiology. For the most part they had the workings of a Terran like body but with some obvious differences being a taller and slender physique, pointy ears, and dark bluish skin. Interestingly like themselves, they were a lot older then they appeared from the indebt analysis of their cellular biology. It seemed a good deal of these night elves were as old as some of the oldest Protoss alive. Why that was? That still needed more research.

But aside from their old age their minds were unguarded to them which made it easy to pick up on their presence. But to be fair, their kind never had to deal with a race like their own.

"Exalted one, how should we proceed with them?" asked a female dark templar.

Zeratul silently watched them for a moment before answering. "We will observe for now. If they are to get too close to our camp then we might need to act".

So at that order they quietly stalked the night elves from a safe distance.

A ghost like owl came flying back as one of the night elves stretched out her arm allowing it to land on her forearm as it began relaying information back to her. Ever since those green and pink skinned invaders came, they have done nothing but incur their wrath as they chopped down their forest left and right. After a few skirmishes with them, they came to know these vile blasphemers as the orcs and humans respectively. But in not wanting anymore company, their patrol group was sent out to watch the shores of Kalimdor to make certain no more of these unwelcomed strangers came. If they did, there group would immediately report back in order to organize an ambush for them.

"Sister, what is the matter?" asked one the night elves.

Looking to her owl, she could only give a scrutinizing look as she couldn't understand the things it saw. So looking out to where it came from, "With me sisters, this is a matter we must look into ourselves".

"Will we be alright?"

"The darkness of night will keep us hidden from sight. But we must hurry as daybreak is upon us. So let us make haste my sisters".

So jumping from tree top to tree top, they were at their destination in no time only to find themselves speechless to what they saw.

"What manner of creatures are these?"

Looking to the camp site, there were many assorted creatures amongst them. But for those that looked organic in appearance, they stood about three meters tall, two glowing eyes, digitigrade legs, semi-permeable skin covered in scales, four digits on their hands and toes, broad chests and shoulders, narrow waists with slim midsections, and extending back from the crown of their head was a bony like crest with several tendril protruding out. Looking at what they wore, they have never seen such extravagant armor in such shape or form.

Further scanning the camp, their eyes fell upon many enormous metal creatures unlike anything they have seen goblins or dwarves come close to building.

But what got most of their attention were the metal like dragons they had hovering over their camp.

If these strangers really had the ability to tame dragons such as these, they were clearly a threat to the night elves which was a conflict they did not need at the moment considering their current problems. So seeing they were still setting up, it was best to crush a budding threat before they could come close to fruition.

"The enemy is still setting up camp. We will return at once and warn our other sisters to which then crush this threat effortlessly" to which the patrol group nodded too.

"I'm afraid we can't allow you to do that . . . ."

The head night elf could jump at this at what had just happened. "Voices? In my head?" to which she looked to her other sisters as they too were flustered to the sudden event, but if that surprised them what happened next completely stunned them silent. With them amongst the tree tops were those same creatures from below. But instead, these creatures wore black robes with little armor. However that didn't make them any less intimidating.

"How could they have been cloaked like us?" But leaving questions aside they needed to defend themselves. So using their centuries long experience of fighting and training, they quickly armed their bows as they took aim with their arrows.

However they underestimated their adversaries as they were fast as not only did they avoid their arrows but they closed the distance between them in a fraction of a second.

As one of the night elves attempted to strike one of them with her bow, it was cut in half by a blade of energy they had never seen before. "What kind of black magic is this?"

But after a few quick exchanges with the enemy, it was rather apparent they were outmatched in more ways than one.

"Quickly! Escape now! We will hold them off for you to get to safety and seek help!" called one of the night elves to her superior. So at that beckon, the head night elf used one of her newest spells as she teleported from the battle some distance away.

"Your death won't be in vain my sisters. I shall avenge you". But as she turned to run, she found that she ran into something only to rebound off it falling back. At looking to what it was, her eyes stretched open in shock. "But how . . . ."

"Rest now" said Zeratul as he casted his psychic influence over her to which in the next moment she was out. As she fainted, the dark prelate could only look to the moon above and give a bit of a sigh. For this was not the most ideal way to make first contact. But grabbing the elf's arm and blinking back to camp, "Let us hope we can resolve this peacefully".

To be continued . . . .


Author's notes: Yeah, not the best form of first contact when you take prisoners. Anyways sorry for the late update to which I hope everyone like it.

Anyways thank you for taking the time in reading this fic to which I further extend my gratitude if you can review it as well.