...
Act I
The Path to Redemption starts with the First Step
Chapter 3
Going new Places, meeting new Faces
Dominion Battlecruiser Rebel Heart
In high orbit around Moria, Kel Morian Combine
When Valerian looked out of the window and lay gaze upon the world of Moria, he could no longer fight that uneasy feeling gnawing at his guts. Just the sight of the Combine's central world was so very different from what he was used to. Valerian had grown up inside the Umojan Protectorate, as far away from the old Confederacy as possible. Spending most of his early years in hiding and constantly living under the threat of Confederate assassins going after him and his mother had ruined any chance of a normal childhood. Though "normal childhood" was a pretty uncommon term for the son of Arcturus Mengsk. In the end, he had been a tool for his father's ambitions, like so many others. The fact that the blood of Arcturus Mengsk flowed through his veins meant surprisingly little to him. At least nowadays. It had been different in the past.
Yes, it was true; Valerian had loved his father. Maybe he still did.
Well, love was a strong word. Maybe "acceptance" was the better way to describe it. Yes, he had wanted his father to accept him. As an heir, son, and man. Not anymore, though. He had changed. Of course, Valerian had always known that his father had possessed a dark side, but reading Machiavelli had taught him that a ruler sometimes had to rely on force and intimidation in order to ensure the safety of everyone else. And like everyone else, Valerian had accepted his father's lies as the one, final truth.
It still shamed the young Emperor to admit that, when he had approached the former Marshal James Raynor to help him with his little endeavor, he had done so in order to prove his worth to his father and the rest of the Dominion solely for selfish reasons. Nowadays Valerian was aware of the fact that Arcturus Mengsk had never had any intention of allowing Valerian to rise to power. Like said; everything and everyone had just been a tool to Mengsk. In a way, the new Emperor had been just like Sarah Kerrigan; a tool for the Emperor's ambition. Guess Valerian could consider himself lucky that he hadn't ended up on Tarsonis on that fateful day...
Growing up in the Protectorate had been nice actually. The people there were rather civilized and were proud of their achievements, even when compared to the Core Worlds of the Dominion. However, the Combine? Truth to be told, he had never dealt with people from the Combine directly. Well, except for some crew-members from the Hyperion. But if Swann was an indication of what was waiting for him, then this shouldn't be so bad. Swann was rough around the edges, that much was true. But he had a heart made out of pure gold. And a liver made out of titanium.
"Just remember Junior..." Jim mumbled next to him. "...don't take Swann as an indicator for what's waiting for you down there. He's way more approachable than most other folks from here." he said and destroyed Valerian's hopes in an instant. The Emperor of the Dominion looked at the world below them and just shook his head.
"It's all so gritty and dark." he said. The huge orbital factories that cluttered the planet's orbit were a testimony to its history. Jim hadn't lied, mining and heavy industry truly were part of the Combine's culture. It looked as if it was ingrained into their DNA. Of course he had looked at the pictures and photographs before coming here in order to prepare himself for this mission, but actually seeing something with your own two eyes is a whole different story.
"Yeah, that's something you shouldn't tell them. They could take it the wrong way." Jim scratched his chin and then he yawned. The Rebel Heart was heading for the main orbital defense platform, where she would dock and he and Junior would travel to the planet's surface. That was the plan. Only the devil knew if it would go down like this. There were thousands of things that could go sideways, and many of people were not happy to see the Emperor of the Dominion over the skies of Moria in the first place. But that's why Jim was here. He and his Raiders had helped the people of the Combine a few times. Some even considered them heroes. So if the great James Raynor was traveling with the newly appointed Emperor of the Dominion, that guy couldn't be so bad, right?
Unfortunately, it was never that easy.
Old man Mengsk had inflicted a lot of pain on the people of the Combine. Among the more horrible things he had done had been a total blockade of certain kinds of food. Especially milk.
Now, no milk doesn't sound so bad, right? You can go without milk just fine. However, the worlds of the Combine were all about mining and heavy industry, not farming. So there had been no way to get the milk from somewhere else. Maybe the strong, tough miners had no problems with no milk. A whiskey-embargo would have been so much worse.
And what about the mothers and their new born babies?
"If you want to truly crush someones resolve, hit them where they are the most vulnerable." Arcturus Mengsk hadn't said those words. No, the one who had said that had been Edmund Duke, another fine human being who had worked for Valerian's father. His death at Kerrigan's hands was actually one of the few good things the Queen of Blades had done during her cruel reign.
The blockade had hit the Combine hard. Mengsk had tried to bring them back into the fold, to make the Combine bow down to his Dominion. Yet, in the end, the people of the Combine hadn't given up. However, they had paid a horrible price.
"Remember..." Jim had told him earlier. "...their freedom was paid with the blood of their babies. So if they throw rotten vegetables at you, you should be glad that it's only that stuff."
How the hell was Valerian supposed to reach out to these people? Deliver a speech full of honor, grandeur, and patriotism, and they would cheer at him? It was like the Queen of Blades would travel to Aiur, asking for forgiveness! No one would be that stupid. Seeing this world below him, he suddenly felt very, very small and insecure.
"It's all...factories." he said partly amazed, partly in disbelief. The whole damn planet was covered with industrial facilities and the orbit was full of space-factories and dry-docks. Even from up here, several thousand miles above the planet's surface, he could tell that those dark dots on the planet were, in fact, industrial facilities and not normal cities. Industrial areas had a distinguished look from above. Long superhighways, connecting one area to the next, and those geometric lines. And of course the smoke. Oh God, there was so much smoke!
Compared to this place, the City of Augstgrad was the cleanest place in existence.
"You look like you've never seen anything like it, Junior." Jim mumbled. Valerian shook his head.
"I haven't. Not like this. I mean, uhm, of course I've seen factories and dry-docks and stuff like that before. But this whole planet is just one big factory!" There was literally no better way to describe what he was seeing right now. He had visited the primary industrial areas of the Dominion many times. And he had christened more than one battle cruiser inside a dry-dock. You could even say that he had become a real professional when it came to throwing over-sized bottles of champagne against steel-hulls. The difference between Moria and the places back home was that the installations in the Dominion usually were far away from any settlements. Even on Korhal, the heavy industry was located at the poles, where they wouldn't bother anyone, and the heavy shipyards were located at the outer edge of the system. You couldn't find everything concentrated in one damn place, and up till now Valerian had thought that this was common sense. Because who wants to live right next to a factory or a mining-outpost?
Well, apperantly the Kel-Morians didn't mind.
While Valerian was looking at the scenery below them marveling like a child, Jim looked at it with a more professional attitude. The huge space-defense platform they were heading for reminded him of the Sky Shield-installation in orbit around Korhal, only a lot smaller and not quite as heavily armed. However, it was still able to blow even the Rebel Heart out of the stars. And he noticed an interesting detail; its turrets were active. They weren't pointed at the Rebel Heart, but it still sent a clear message.
Don't try anything stupid. We're watching you.
Not exactly what you would consider a "good omen" for this whole endeavor, but he couldn't blame the Kel-Morians for being careful. Still, as Jim looked over to Valerian, he wondered if the Emperor had noticed that dozens of missile-turrets were ready to destroy their ship with the press of a single button. It didn't look like he had and Jim felt no urge to inform him about that. Junior was already nervous, he didn't want to cause any more stress to the young man.
The Captain of the Rebel Heart was probably aware of this, but he too didn't seem to think that he should make a ship-wide announcement. Jim didn't know the Captain of this vessel very well. The man had served both the old Confederacy and the Dominion, something that was pretty common these days. And he didn't like any smokers on his ship. Aside from that? Jim had only spoken twice to the man, first when he had boarded the Rebel Heart, and later when the captain had told him that this was a non-smoking flight. He could also feel some sort of reservation coming from that man. Jim's reputation wasn't the best among the Core Worlds, and many still believed the propaganda of old man Mengsk, especially on said Core Worlds. Korhal was actually one of the few exceptions where he could walk around freely without needing a permanent Ghost-detachment looking after him.
It wasn't without irony that it was Korhal of all places, the home of his deceased arch-enemy. But the name Mengsk was still held in high regards by many, and the fact that a Mengsk was now sitting on the throne helped the people to move on. And many hadn't forgotten about the heroic actions of Jim's Raiders during the two sieges of Augustgrad either.
The Captain of the Rebel Heart hadn't been around during that time. But Matt had chosen him for this job and that was good enough for Jim. Still, standing on the observation deck of the Rebel Heart, looking down on the world below them...it felt strange. Jim even wore a suit. A real suit. Nothing too fancy, no uniform with countless medals or anything like that. But it was black, clean and totally not what he usually wore. Right now he looked more like the Emperor's bodyguard than an honorary guest. Seemed like the time of worn-out pants and sweaty t-shirts was finally over. He tugged at his own, black sleeves and snorted. He probably looked totally ridiculous, even though everyone else said something like "Oh my God! Is that truly James Raynor, the run-down rebel-leader? That can't be, that guy looks so cool!"
Okay, maybe he was a bit delusional about that...
His hand brushed over his freshly shaved face. He missed his beard, but he had to be representable for this trip. Maybe he would let it regrow afterward.
"Attention to all crew-members; we have received docking clearance at the main defense-platform. 10 minutes until docking." the voice of the Captain spoke to them through the loudspeakers. Jim continued to look down on the world beneath them for a few more moments before he put his hand on Valerian's shoulder.
"Come on, Junior. Let's not make our hosts wait." With that, he turned around and left the observation room. Valerian sighed and then he followed Jim.
When the airlock opened, Jim could already smell the difference. The air on board of the Rebel Heart was so clean and artificial that it caused Jim physical discomfort. The atmosphere on board of the Combine's installation was not nearly as clean. The smell of hydraulic-fluids, oil, and grease were practically everywhere. It reminded Jim that this was still a heavy-duty-station. The Kel-Morian's didn't keep things because they were shiny or pretty. Everything they had was either in use or was about to be stripped for parts. As Jim and Valerian moved through the airlock and entered the corridor ahead of them, he realized how dark everything was. Compared to the clean Rebel Heart, this place was pretty run down. Even more so than the Hyperion, and that's says something! However, appearances can be deceiving. Even though this place looked pretty banged up, everything was working perfectly fine.
Hmm, maybe the Kel-Mo's do take the whole "It doesn't have to be pretty, it has to work"-thing too seriously after all. Jim thought.
His new suit wouldn't last long in this Environment, though. Thankfully, their stay on the station wouldn't be for very long. They were just supposed to meet the envoy of Mah Sakai, General and de-facto ruler of the Kel-Morian Combine. Truth to be told, Jim had never met the man in person. Even though his Raiders had received a lot of support from the people of the Combine over the years, its politicians had always tried to keep their distance. They hadn't wanted to give the Dominion any reason for war. Another war.
Some people had called Valerian an idiot and a gullible fool for venturing here without a large battle-group in his back. Yes, they had the Combine's promise that no harm would come to the Emperor while being on Moria. But even then the whole idea was utterly insane. As Valerian and Jim walked through the corridor, the four uncloaked Ghost-operatives followed them closely. These four Ghosts were the best of the best the Dominion had to offer. With only one exception. Well, two if you count Tosh as a Ghost and not a weird Specter-thingie. The other one was, of course, Nova, who was currently doing God-knows-what.
Sarah didn't count because she had been in her very own league and she had never worked for the Dominion and...
"Damn." Jim mumbled. Another day, another thought about her...
"Are you okay, Commander?" Valerian asked. "You seem...worried." Jim could hear the anxiety in the young Emperor's voice. Heck, he couldn't blame him. Where they were going, four Ghosts wouldn't make much of a difference.
"Yeah, it's all okay. Just had to think about something, that's all. How about you?" the older man wanted to know.
"In all honesty? I think I have to vomit." Valerian said and started to rub his sweaty palms. "We're not even close to the surface and the speech will be tomorrow, but I feel the urge to turn around, leave this place and hide under a big rock." The Emperor's honesty caused Jim to chuckle.
"Should you ever look for a rock to hide under, I know a little place on Mar Sara. Trust me, no one will bother you there." Man, he really wished that he could sit inside JoeyRay's right now.
"I take it that place isn't filled with a large variety of alcoholics, is it? Because I promised the Admiral that I would return you to him the same way he handed you over to me."
What am I, chopped liver?
"Well, maybe I can ask my old buddies on Aiur if they take you in." Jim mumbled again before they finally reached the end of the corridor. There were several figures already waiting for them. The official envoy had to be among them, but neither Jim nor Valerian knew who the right guy was. There were six men in total. Well, five men and one woman. The men were all faceless bureaucrats, wearing gray business-suits. The woman, however...
"Commander James Raynor!" she said with a respectful tone in her voice. "I am Senior Advisor Lelia Curtland, General Sakai's personal envoy responsible for your safety and well being during your stay here on Moria. May I tell you that it is an honor to meet you in person." Lelia Curtland, hmm? She reached out to him and Jim grabbed her hand before shaking it. She wore black pants and a black sweatshirt, there was literally nothing that showed her position as General Sakai's personal envoy.
"Nice meeting you, Mrs. Curtland. We haven't met before, now have we?" he asked. He had to ask because he literally had no idea if he had met her before. Curtland laughed, showing her perfect white teeth.
"Oh, I wish it was so, Commander Raynor. Really, meeting you was always something I wanted to do. And don't worry, not because I have sinister intention."
"Well, that makes you a rare breed indeed, Mrs. Curtland." He immediately liked this woman. Jim looked to the side and pointed his finger at Valerian.
"But we're not here for me. That's the guest of honor." Jim said, smiling. Valerian smiled as well as he offered Mrs. Curtland his hand. She was different. The young Emperor had never seen a woman quite like this. What had Jim told him about the women from the Combine? Like Swann, only less mustache? Well, she certainly had not nearly as much facial hair as the Hyperion's chief engineer. She had soft features, yes. Truth to be told, she wasn't exactly pretty. Well, at least not for Augustgrad upper-class-standards. But the women that belonged to those circles usually weren't 100% organic anyway.
She had blonde hair, though it was more of a dirty blonde. It was curled, and even though she had pulled it back into a tight ponytail, it was obvious that it was impossible to tame. Her eyes were icy-blue and when she looked at Valerian, he felt shivers running down his spine. Aside from her face, her most obvious feature were her shoulders. He had never seen such broad shoulders on a woman's frame. She looked nearly as bulky as Raynor, this was the body of someone who was used to hard work. The hardest kind of work. Valerian had to admit that she was unlike any woman he had ever met.
Abd when their eyes met, she looked at him in cold murder.
"Yes, of course." she said coldly. "Pri...oh, excuse me. Emperor Mengsk." She basically spat his name out like it was the worst kind of curse. "Welcome to Moria. Even though your Highness is used to something cleaner, you simply have to live with it while being here. We don't get much visits from Emperors these days, and many people hope that it will stay this way."
Well, that's pretty direct. Jim decided not to interfere. This was something Valerian had to figure out for himself. His hand still reached out, waiting for her to grab it. You could basically smell her disdain, yet after some more seconds of waiting, she finally grabbed his hand. Jim could see how Valerian's eyes widened in both shock and surprise. Her grip was like that of a hydraulic press!
Now Valerian finally understood what Jim had meant. If all the Kel-Morian-women were like Mrs. Curtland, then he was in for one hell of a ride. When Curtland finally let go of his hand, he gave off a small whimper before looking at his appendage. Ouch! Jim bumped his elbow into the Emperor's side, giving him a sign that he should suck it up. Now wasn't the time to show any weakness. Still, Jim couldn't just leave Junior to fend all for himself. He knew that Matt would cut him some slack, but returning with a banged up Emperor would probably test his old friend's patience to the extreme.
"So, I'll take it we will meet the General after arriving on the surface?" Jim asked. Curtland looked over to him and her features softened up immediately. This was interesting. Good cop, bad cop? Good freedom fighter, bad Emperor? Jim chuckled at his own thoughts, yet Curtland only took a deep breath.
"How about we talk about that on the way down to the surface, with fewer eyes and ears around us." Jim's brows wandered up when he heard this.
Well, that's an interesting development, isn't it? Of course he had told Valerian that things could go sideways at least twenty different ways. Meeting with General Sakai was one of the most important reasons for this journey, but as experience had taught Jim; no plan survives initial contact. So they had to work on this thing on the go.
Still, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's see what she has to offer.
There had to be some sort of offer. General Sakai wouldn't allow the Emperor to travel all the way to Moria just so he could return empty-handed. Because even though that man held the rank of a general, he was also a political leader. And as a political leader, he knew that it was madness to publicly embarrass the leader of the mightiest Terran faction in the entire Koprulu Sector. Yes, he would probably earn the cheers of his people, but an angry or unstable Empire was the last thing the General could want. Because shit in the neighbor's backyard usually didn't stay there for very long.
"Please, follow me." As Curtland turned around and headed to another docking ring, the five bureaucrats followed her, positioning around them. Only then Jim realized that these men weren't bureaucrats and the Ghosts finally realized it too. The Ghosts immediately moved closer to Valerian, shielding him from those Kel-Morian-spec-ops. They, in return, moved in and protected Curtland from those psionic killers. When Jim stood between both sides, he sighed.
"Looks like this will be a loooooong day..."
Korhal, City of Augustgrad
Ministry of Defense
The pressroom within the Ministry of Defense was actually pretty pathetic. It looked like it hadn't been used in years, which was probably true. Emperor Mengsk, the old Emperor Mengsk, had used his personal pressroom inside the Imperial Palace for such occasions. It was probably the only place Matt knew better than the bridge of the Hyperion, even though he had never set foot in that room. When he had studied Mengsk's speeches, his press-conferences, and all his announcements while looking for some weakness in the Emperor's argumentation, Matt had also studied the room itself. Its thick, red curtains with golden seam on it, the Imperial Insignia, the heavy, mahogany lectern he had used to deliver his speeches...Matt had absorbed every detail.
Funny thing, though; when he had walked through the Imperial Palace after Mengsk's death, he hadn't entered the pressroom. Even to this day, he hadn't set foot in that room. He didn't know why, but it just felt wrong. It was as if Arcturus Mengsk's presence was still lingering inside that room, including all his lies and all his treachery. Matt wasn't a psionic, but he couldn't stop feeling some strange vibes coming from that room.
Thankfully, the Ministry had its own pressroom. Well, it was more of an over-glorified janitorial room. But someone had put some fresh paint on the walls, so it would be sufficient. When Matt entered the room, the members of all big media-houses were already present. Not just UNN or some local journalists. No, he recognized those faces and the logos on those cameras. They were from all over the sector. He could even see people from Umoja and Kel-Moria.
Well, I can't really blame them. Matt thought. Military decisions of the Dominion affects them as well in the end. I bet they only hope that I won't announce a military campaign to take over some worlds.
Walking past the waiting crowd, he nodded and shook some hands while saying things like "How are you?" or "I watched your report the other day, it was really interesting." Winning hearts and minds, that's what it was all about. Easier said than done, though. As he approached the lectern, Captain Brent came down from the stage. He moved in closer so he could whisper something in the Admiral's ear.
"All is set, Sir. We actually had a lot more requests than open slots. I decided to ditch some people from Korhal in favor of some folks from the Protectorate and the Combine. I'm pretty sure those who aren't here right now won't write anything nice about you, but I thought that the people outside the Dominion should get this too." A tired smile appeared on Matt's face as he heard those voice.
Now I remember why he's my adjutant.
"Anything else?" Matt wanted to know.
"Well, I just spoke with a few of 'em." Brent pointed his chin towards the waiting journalists. "Some already expect that you will address the current budget and stuff like that. They expect cuts, but I don't think any of them knows what exactly you're going to tell them. You shouldn't get any trouble from UNN, though. Their guy told me that their boss will bitch-slap you personally next week on her show, so he won't bother you." Matt sighed. Right, the exclusive interview with Kate Lockwell. Great, he was so not looking forward to that.
"And the Umojans and Kel-Morians?" the Admiral wanted to know. But Brent just shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't know. I've never dealt with anyone outside the Dominion. The Kel-Morians seem pretty calm and controlled, the Umojans, on the other hand, are more nervous than a Zergling on stim-packs. Maybe they're afraid that you announce a new incursion into Umojan territory."
And they have all the reasons for being suspicious. Matt thought before sighing.
"Very well, let's get this over with. Anything else?" The Admiral immediately regretted those words when he saw how an evil grin appeared on Brent's face, the kind of grin he only showed when he had done something incredibly stupid. Coincidentally, it was the same kind of grin Jim used when announcing that "he has a plan" and that Matt should just "trust him with that". Hmm, he wondered how Jim and Valerian were doing right now. They should have arrived Moria a few hours ago. Well, he hadn't received any message that the Rebel Heart had been destroyed, so he should probably relax.
Too bad that Matt Horner had forgotten how to relax.
"I've made some preparations, in case, well, if things get out of hand." Brent said.
"Captain, what did you do?" But the Captain simply turned around and headed for the exit.
Dammit!
Groaning in frustration, Matt moved towards the lectern. As he stood behind the wooden object, he saw three big buttons, only visible to those who actually stood behind the lectern. Each one had a different label. The first one said "Kill everyone". The second one said "Kill myself." The third one said "Zergling-Rush."
I really have to talk with Brent about professionalism after this. Matt growled on the inside. Enough of that, though. Things would become very unpleasant anyway, so there was no point in prolonging the inevitable.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please take a seat. I would like to inform you now on some important things regarding-"
"Mister Horner, Mister Horner!" a blonde woman said, raising her Hand high up in the air. She didn't even wait for Matt to allow her to speak. "Is it true that the journey of Crown Prince Valerian to the Kel-Morian-Combine was cut short due to anti-Dominion-riots on Moria? And if so, will the fleet stand by to stage a rescue-mission if necessary?" Matt blinked a few times at the bluntness of that woman. He realized how the people from the Protectorate and the Combine looked like as if he was about to declared war on them.
Haven't even started yet and already close to crashing. Great...
"I'm sorry, I am not familiar with your face, Mrs...?" he asked with a friendly smile.
"Trevelin, Jessica Trevelin. Central World News Network, I want to know if-" she continued before Matt simply interrupted her.
"Mrs. Trevelin..." he started. She was young, probably in her mid-twenties. And he could see that she hadn't seen anything truly horrible in her life so far. He would not allow this girl to lecture him. Not inside his press-room. "...I understand that there are many questions regarding the journey of Emperor Valerian Mengsk to the Combine..." He made sure that everyone heard the correct title. "...but only the Imperial Palace has the right to announce anything regarding His Imperial Majesty. And as long as we hear nothing, let us just assume that everything is just fine. And no, currently the Dominion Fleet is not preparing to stage any form of armed rescue-mission into the territory of an allied nation." While saying that, he looked at the Umojans and Kel-Morians and offered them a warm smile. At least the Umojans seemed to be relieved to hear that. The Kel-Morians, on the other hand, seemed like they were thinking; too bad, we'd love to kick your ass!
"Mr. Horner-" Trevelin tried to ask him something again.
"That is still Admiral Horner, Mrs. Trevelin." he interrupted her. It seemed that he had to put her into her place right at the beginning of this whole show. He looked straight into her eyes. "I understand that this is all new to you. And being in the big city for the first time can be pretty intimidating, but please; let me help to enlighten you. Should there be any questions afterward, I'm more than willing to explain everything to you. How does that sound?" All eyes lay on Trevelin and you could see how she started to blush. It was clear that she hadn't expected this kind of treatment.
Then again, she will probably never have to face Zerg or Protoss on the battlefield. Hopefully.
Without saying anything else, the young woman simply decided to sit down and looked at him with cold anger in her eyes. Clearly, she wasn't used to this kind of treatment. Ah, to be that young again! Matt was pretty certain that he had just found an enemy for life.
"Now, let's return to the real reason for this press-conference, shall we? Today I want to announce the new military budget and talk with you about the major reforms of the whole military we're about to implement within the next two years. Now, let us talk about the numbers first..."
5 hours later...
"...without sacrificing the overall ability to project our military power into the theaters of operations in accordance with our allies." Matt finished before finally looking up. Red eyes stared up to him. Brent had brought some coffee, but apparently these journalists didn't appreciate the fact that he tried to be as accurate as possible.
Everyone's a critic these days.
Not all reactions were "If he's gonna talk about maintenance-quotas on FTL-drives again, stone him!". As a matter of fact, a lot of journalists looked up to him with a very serious expression. Only later some would tell him that they had never gotten so much insight into the Dominion's military from any official representative. It was simply a mind-blowing experience to many of them. Except for Trevelin, she would probably hate him and his guts for the rest of her life. Meh, some folks will never change.
"Now, are there any questions left?"
When Arcturus Mengsk had asked this question, most journalists had been too scared because he wouldn't answer their question, but only smile and say "Let's talk about that some other time." The journalist who had asked that question usually was never heard from again. Now the people were scared again. They were scared that Matt would actually repeat all that stuff.
As he saw the tired faces, he knew that this was the right moment. He didn't like to rely on such cheap tricks, but even he couldn't face twenty journalists who were still fully aware of what he was actually saying.
"Good. Well, I thank you for your time and hope that you enjoyed this little piece of information..." Many journalists groaned at his cheap joke.
Time to get this over with. Oh well, shouldn't be so bad now that they're all worn out.
"...and before you all leave, I like to announce one more thing: As of this moment, I declare the Dominion's Ghost-program and all associated Ghost-units to be disbanded." The moment the last word left his lips, the whole room exploded into yelling and shouting.
"Admiral Horner, does that..." "...what has his Imperial Majesty to say..." "...what about the Dominion's security..." "...have you lost your mind?" "...does that include the Ghost-programs of both the Protectorate and the Combine?" "...Matt, this is Mira: I'm pregnant..." "...is the rest of the military willing to accept this?" "...what will happen with the Ghosts currently in service?"
Well, crap.
Brent, who stood right next to the Admiral, leaned over to Matt with a goody grin on the face.
"I think your plan didn't really work, Admiral." And Matt? He could feel how his eyelid started to twitch.
"How very perceptive of you, Captain. Thank you for pointing that out."
Well, hopefully Jim and Valerian were doing better than he was. He certainly could use some good news right now.
It was too early to call the journey to the Combine a total fiasco. It sure felt that way, though. Ever since Valerian and Jim had boarded the shuttle that took them down to the planet's surface, the Emperor of the Dominion couldn't help but feel like this whole endeavor would end in disaster. Not the "Haha, you're all gonna die!"-kind of disaster, but the "It'll be impossible to explain that to the people back home."-kind of disaster. Even though he was the Emperor, that didn't mean that he was like the Queen of Blades had been; an absolute ruler. Even his father had been dependent on different groups and factions within the Dominion to ensure his rule. Looking over to Jim offered him no joy or relief, the older man simply snored while sleeping in his seat. The Marshal was sleeping a lot lately. Maybe it was just because he hadn't had access to any alcoholics for quite some time now and he needed to deal with the symptoms of his withdrawal.
Valerian always felt uneasy when thinking about that. By now it was brutally obvious to pretty much everyone that the Marshal had serious alcohol problems. During the war and all those fights, no one had cared about that...
...no, that's not true. A lot of people had been bothered about that. And many people had been both ashamed and afraid at the same time. Ashamed that there had been nothing they had done abotu it, and afraid that they would find the Marshal, the Commander, in a puddle of his own puke one day and without any heartbeat. Not the typical end you wish to your friend and leader. However, now that the war was over, things were different. Matt had told Valerian that in a very direct way.
"Listen..." Matt had told him. "...I know that this is probably the last thing an Emperor should have to worry about, but you and your people need to keep an eye on the Commander. I'm afraid he might not longer be the person he used to be."
"Don't you think you're a bit overreacting, Admiral?" Valerian had asked him shortly before boarding the Rebel Heart.
"Your Majesty, Valerian. Please..." Matt had replied. "...I know the Commander better than anyone else. This isn't just about his alcohol problems. Ever since she, well, let's just say that something is broken inside him. And I have no idea if there's anything that will fix that."
"It has been almost 13 months, Matt. We would have heard about her if she would be still alive." Valerian had tried to reason with him. "Besides, shouldn't this be enough time to move on?" The look on Matt's face had scared him.
"You might be the Emperor now, Valerian, but you're still young. Jim loved her. He loved her more than his own life. Especially after the death of his wife and his son...Sarah was the first, the only woman to pull him out of his isolation. Trust me, the Commander is a lot more vulnerable right now that you might think. And that's why I ask you, no, why I demand of you: Look after him."
Look after him. While being on the most delicate political mission of my young career. One career that could be over if this whole thing turns into a disaster. So no pressure, Matt...
The whole journey down to Moria was one big nightmare. It had started with that tiny shuttle that had taken them to the surface. It was way too small for twelve people. And if that wasn't enough, Valerian, Jim, Mrs. Curtland, and nine heavily armed bodyguards had no other choice but stare at each other in bloody murderer. If Matt would ever find out of this, he would either laugh or drink himself to death. Probably both.
It was especially hard for Valerian. The entire trip Curtland looked into his eyes. The entire trip! And it hadn't been a nice look on her face. Seriously, she hadn't even tried to hide her anger and contempt. Valerian tried to say something, tell her that he was not his father. But every time he opened his mouth, Curtland's eyes widened and she gritted her teeth. Definitely not a good sign. After a while Jim leaned over to Valerian and whispered something in his ear.
"Junior, I know you wish to win hearts and minds, but I think she's not interested. So stop staring at her tits." That statement caused Valerian to blush and he looked over to Jim in shock.
"I haven't looked at her-" Thankfully, the turbulence killed all conversations as the four Ghosts and five bodyguards flew through the entire inside of the shuttle. This would be fun.
Traveling through space inside a shuttle with not enough space to breath was one thing. Traveling through an atmosphere with serious turbulence everywhere was a whole different thing. Finally landing at the spaceport was the first good thing that happened to Valerian. It should be the only good thing happening to him for the rest of the trip.
When they got out of the dropship, the Ghosts immediately surrounded the Emperor, keeping him safe. The landing field was a huge, open area and the perfect place for a sniper to take his shot. Jim merely yawned when he left the shuttle.
"I think I drooled on my suit." he mumbled before scratching his belly. By now Valerian assumed that the Marshal acting like a cavemen was just that; an act. He knew that James Raynor knew far more of politics and history than most other people. Sometimes Valerian could see how all that "tough-guy"-act started to annoy Jim. Perhaps because he was no longer a young man who had to impress others so they would follow him. But then again, those were just Valerian's own thoughts. And he tended to overthink things. Still, he wondered what Jim was thinking just about now...
Did I change my underwear? If so, then why is it all itchy? was the correct answer. It was probably a good thing that Valerian had no psionic abilities. Unlike his Ghost-bodyguards, who shuddered in revulsion.
"You know, the last time I came here with my boys, we got a pretty nice welcome. It was a lot nicer than this show right now." Jim said while looking around. Curtland turned around and their eyes met.
"I am very sorry, Commander Raynor. However, the whole situation here on Moria is rather, well, fluid." By now both Jim and Valerian knew that they wouldn't meet the General in person. Which turned the whole trip from a fiasco into a nightmare. There was literally no one waiting for them. Valerian wasn't his father, he didn't care that these people hated him. No, that was incorrect. He did care about that fact. But he didn't want to "teach them the proper respect". He wanted to make them understand that he wasn't their enemy. Yet, there were rules on how to do that. Diplomatic rules. The Emperor did not expect thundering masses applauding to his every step. He was not delusional, he knew that the people on this world probably wished for him to die a horrible death. And he couldn't blame them for that.
As politician, he also knew that diplomatic rules were important. Even the Protoss had declared that they would consider opening an embassy on Korhal. Valerian didn't actually think that they would do it, but the very fact that they were considering such a step was already one into the right direction. Because the one thing that makes diplomacy so important: Talking with each other is better than shooting at each other.
Valerian truly believed that. And he knew that there were many people out there who believed that he was a fool. So he had to be both a diplomatic negotiator and a strong leader people would respect. Arriving here on Moria without anyone taking notice did not help to improve his position as either one of those things.
"You know..." Jim mumbled. "...I expected a bit more. Like, a welcoming beer. Especially a welcoming beer." Before Valerian could reply something, Curtland turned around and looked at a small object in the distance that came closer. The Ghosts immediately tried to shield the Emperor. Jim's eyebrows wandered up as the APC stopped right in front of them.
"Not your typical limousine." he said. The APC was pretty banged up and in a poor shape. It looked like pretty much every single part had bumped into something hard. This wasn't right. Something was wrong, he just knew it. There was a difference between "being unfriendly" and being especially careful. This APC...Jim turned towards Curtland.
"Okay, enough fun and games." he said. "What's going on here?" he wanted to know. Curtland's eyes widened in surprise, but only for a moment. The look on her face showed...shame?
"I see that your reputation is well earned, Commander." she replied. "Not here. First, we have to get to the safehouse. There the General will explain everything to you."
"Personally?" Jim wanted to know.
"From a certain point of view, yes." Well, that sounded promising. Valerian watched the short conversation with wide open eyes. He had no idea what was going on, but he realized that Jim knew something he didn't. Jim shook his head before looking at the APC.
"This trip is getting better and better by the minute. Come on, Junior, let's find out what the great General has to tell us." When they boarded the APC, there was even less room for all of them than in the dropship. Whatever the Morian's had cooked up in their little bird-brains, Jim did not appreciate it. The time of running around like a rat from one hideout to the other was finally over. Sleeping in a real, fresh bed for the last few months had been good for him. Maybe too good. It was the daily routine that started to wear him out. Normal days, getting up at 7 a.m., a hot shower, a real breakfast with hot coffee and hot buns. For the last ten months or so he had experienced a level of normality he had already forgotten. It didn't mean that he liked it though.
Waking up in a bed that was made for two, it reminded him of what he had lost. Who he had lost. Jim knew that he couldn't fool Matt. Valerian, maybe, but not Matt. That's why those four Ghosts constantly kept track of his every move. Their job was to protect the Emperor, that much was true. However they also had another order; to prevent the Commander from doing something stupid. Like killing himself.
Sounds too rough? It was the truth.
Valerian thought that Jim had spent so much time inside the airlock on the Rebel Heart because he had wanted to enjoy a smoke alone. Truth was that he had stared on the open-button of the airlock for hours and hours.
Just hit the button, man. It'll be over quickly. The inner door will shut immediately, so you won't harm anybody else. Just you and the big black. It'll be a quick end. A clean end. And they will probably never find your body, so you will simply vanish.
What else was there to do? He felt more and more useless with each passing day. Matt had made sure that he wouldn't drink himself to death. And he had made sure that Jim had no access to any firearms. Ha, pathetic. His old friend was so worried about him that he was now practically neutered. What a glorious end for the infamous James Raynor.
From the inside of the APC, it was impossible to guess where they were heading. Sitting next to Valerian, Jim had to muster all his remaining discipline so he wouldn't fall asleep. Not now, Junior needed him. But even then he felt like an over-glorified babysitter. Though the question remained who was babysitting whom.
When they arrived at their destination and got out of the APC, Jim had no idea where they were. He didn't know Moria that well, everything looked pretty much all the same to him anyway. So this was their hideout? Oh man, this had to be a joke.
"You know..." Jim said while standing in front of the warehouse. "...when you said safehouse, I didn't expect a damn, well, safehouse!" the Commander yelled before turning around to Curtland. The blonde woman looked very uncomfortable right now.
"I am very sorry, Commander. Unfortunately, the situation on Moria has changed within the last few weeks. I...I can't tell you everything, but you just have to trust us on that. Please, the General will answer all your questions once we're inside." She then added a "Hopefully." Jim wasn't very happy with that statement. Lurking around in the shadows was not the problem. Lurking around in the shadows with the goddamn Emperor of the Terran Dominion by your side was one hell of a problem! Jim was not a politician, but even he knew that this would cause so serious bad blood between the Dominion and the Combine. Just what the hell was the General thinking?
"Jim?" Valerian asked, still unsure on what do to. Ha, good one. What could they do anyway? They could turn around and just leave. Board the shuttle, get back to the Rebel Heart and get the hell away from this travesty. Even though Jim was no politician, he knew that the crowd back on Korhal would be interested to hear why the Emperor himself had run home with his tail between his legs.
Jim had spent many years on the battlefield. He had left many years on the battlefield too. But even he had to admit that the public opinion inside the Dominion was the second most bloodthirsty thing he had ever witnessed, right after rabid Hydralisks.
"What do you say, Junior?" he asked Valerian without hiding his feelings. Everyone should see how he felt about this whole ordeal. "Wanna hit the breaks and scramble back home?" Everyone froze. And Curtland's face lost all color. Hmm, interesting. For quite some time no one said a word. All eyes were directed at Valerian who had the last word. He was the Emperor after all.
"No." he finally said. "No, we're staying. I want to hear what the General has to say. Maybe he has a good reason for all of this. I don't want to cause any tensions between the Dominion and the Combine just because there's some cold wind blowing in my face. The life of the people is more important than my popularity ratings, Jim. And should this all be just a way to screw us over..." he shrugged his shoulders. "...to hell with 'em, right Commander? At least we gave it our best shot. And like you said: There's still a bar where I can hide should I decide to quit." Those words caused Jim to chuckle. Damn, Junior certainly knew when it was time to show some leadership-qualities. And to think that he was old man Mengsk's son. Arcturus had always shown others his teeth when things had gone south. But Valerian? He showed people his spine. Figurative, not literally.
A quick glance over to Curtland made Jim realize that Valerian had hit a nerve. She still looked at Valerian with anger in her eyes, but the expression of contempt on her face was gone.
"Like I said..." Curtland interrupted both men. "...the General will answer your questions inside." She turned around and went through the open door. Jim and Valerian looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders.
"50 credits that this is a trap." Valerian said.
"Pfff, that's not how you play this game, Junior." Jim replied. "The trap-thing is kinda obvious. You have to bet on who's gonna blow out your candles. I say 100 credits and it will be Tosh's spectre-buddies."
"But...weren't they your allies a few years back?"
"A few years back many things were different, Junior." Jim said, sadness in his voice.
"I see." Valerian declared. "Well then, 100.000.000 credits. And it will be a group of former Dominion-officers that Matt threw out after my father's death."
"Never bet against an Emperor..." Jim groaned.
The outside of the safehouse did not say anything about the inside. Seriously, this place was not a dump. Okay, it was not nearly as impressive as the Imperial Palace back on Augustgrad, but it was pretty much on par with the Rebel Heart. Which meant that it was clean, had a lot of room and there was no booze whatsoever. Figures.
"This...is where we are supposed to stay?" Valerian asked both confused and disappointed. Why the hell did the Emperor need to hide in a safehouse? He then looked over to Curtland, this time there was no anxiety or hesitance in his whole body-language.
"Mrs. Curtland..." he said with a stern tone in his voice. "...I admit that my patience is starting to run thin. And I'm also very much aware that I'm not in a position to make any daring demands." He made a step closer to the General's personal envoy. "But I have to insist to talk with the General. Now!" Both Jim's and Curtland's eyes widened when they heard the seriousness in Valerian's voice..
Good Lord, when did I miss Junior growing up into a full-blown man?
Curtland seemed to be impressed as well, if only for a moment. She turned around and pointed towards a door.
"You can hear what he has to say to you in the conference room. Please follow me." They entered the room and Curtland closed the door behind them. Jim, Valerian, Curtland and one Ghost, just to be certain that nothing would happen to the Emperor. Of course the General wasn't here either.
"Please sit down." Curtland said and they did so. She then pressed a button on the big, circular conference table. A holographic image suddenly appeared right in front of them. It showed a man in full parade uniform with the insignia of the Combine on it. And a lot of medals. Since the image was completely green, you couldn't see the gray hair, yet you could see a lot of wrinkles on his face. Most of which were a result of intense frowning.
"Emperor Valerian Mengsk, I bid you greetings in the name of the Kel-Morian-Combine and its inhabitants." Even though it was just a holographic image, Jim could hear the inner strength in that voice. Valerian stood up and bowed his head in response to that.
"General Sakai, in the name of the people of the Terran Dominion I thank for your-" But then hologram simply continued to talk like he didn't even listen to Valerian.
"Unfortunately, due to some inner politic problems, I am not able to meet you in person. Please believe me that this is just as inconvenient for me as it is-"
"The HELL?!" Jim yelled and smashed his fist on the table. "We traveled all the way out here and now we only get Mr. Hologram McPlayback? What is that?" he wanted to know. Curtland lowered her gaze, it seemed like she felt ashamed. No one listened to the hologram anymore.
"I humbly apologize, Commander. But the General has been facing stiff resistance from some members of his own cabinet within the last few weeks. We-"
"Please, I would like to hear it from the General himself, if you don't mind!" Valerian interrupted both of them and looked at Curtland. "Could you rewind so I can see the whole message again, Mrs. Curtland?" He showed no visible emotions when he asked that. Curtland frowned, but then she pressed the rewind-button, restarting the whole message.
"Emperor Valerian Mengsk, I bid you greetings in the name of the Kel-Morian-Combine and its inhabitants. Unfortunately, due to some inner politic problems, I am not able to meet you in person. Please believe me that this is just as inconvenient for me as it is for you." General Sakai said. "I don't think I have to tell you anything about the beauty of political warfare. The war of words can sometimes be much more horrible than the fight with guns and rifles. I had to learn that when I was already an old man. And I'm sure that you know more about this whole thing than I do, given your history." Valerian squinted his eyes a bit when he heard that.
"There were always strong anti-Dominion-elements within the Combine. I'm certain I don't have to tell you about the short but bloody history between our two nations. To many people, the Dominion is just the Confederacy with a new paint-job. But recently even people inside my own cabinet have started to question my decision to reopen diplomatic relations with the Dominion, especially since there's still a Mengsk on the throne." Valerian had to swallow hard when he heard those words.
"Still, I believe that you're not the same kind of man your father had been. Commander James Raynor's word on this is enough for me."
Funny, because I've never met the General in person. Jim thought.
"And I do believe that the chances of working together far outweigh the risks we are facing right now. Besides, some day the old ways simply have to end. Or we will never make any progress." The holographic image straightened itself.
"But sometimes you have to take a mighty leap, and sometimes little steps. Right now we need to take it slowly. Maybe you think that this whole trip is for naught. I won't blame you if you think that way. However, I too have to ensure the stability of my leadership. That's why I have a proposition for you."
He's gonna make him an offer Junior can't refuse? Jim thought dryly.
"Right now I cannot afford to be seen with the Emperor of the Dominion in person. It is the sad truth and should tell you all you have to know. But there is still something to gain from this trip. Well, for me anyway." Valerian frowned at those words.
"You see, what I could use would be a strong sign that shows the people of the Combine that their leader and the Emperor of the Dominion are on equal grounds."
Clever bastard, using us for his own agenda. We should get the hell out of here. Jim crossed his arms in front of his chest at those thoughts.
"So if the Emperor of the mighty Dominion would hold just a small speech and leave afterward without a big fuss, it would help to strengthen my position, especially within my own cabinet."
Or it would make Valerian look like his little bitch. I don't like it.
"The choice is of course yours. And I will not blame you for simply leaving after everything you have heard right now. But believe me: The benefits should outweigh the drawbacks by far."
For the General at least.
"I will leave the rest to my personal envoy, Mrs. Curtland. You will certainly find her to be very competent."
Sarah was very competent with a knife and a sniper-rifle too, so that doesn't mean much. Jim thought with a sour expression on his face. Still, as he looked over to Junior, his brows wandered up in surprise. He had expected to see anger or frustration on the young Emperor's face. Instead, he was just looking at the fading image with keen eyes. It appeared to Jim as if the young man was thinking very hard about his next steps.
"So, what's next, Ju...your Majesty." Jim corrected himself just in time. Calling Valerian "Junior" was not a sign of disrespect, at least not for Jim. But he knew that he was pretty much the only one who thought so. And right now he didn't want to give the Kel-Mo's any more ammunition they could use against Valerian. "Want to return to the Rebel Heart?"
"The shuttle that brought you here can take you back to your flag-ship any time." Curtland told the Emperor with a cold voice. It was clear that she hoped he would turn around and never come back again. But it seemed that Valerian had no intentions of turning Curtland's horrible day into a moment of victory.
"We'll stay." he simply said. Jim frowned at those words.
"You sure?" he just wanted to know.
"Yes, Commander...Jim." Valerian took a long, deep breath before he stood up and turned towards Curtland.
"Please tell the General that I accept his request. And I will be honored to speak in front of the Combine's citizens tomorrow." Curtland looked at him both surprised and angry. She certainly had big problems of hiding her true feelings. Jim could see how she still despised the Emperor, but at the same time she had no other choice but to respect his demeanor.
"I'm sure the General will be delighted to hear that." she spat out.
Aiur
"I'm sure the Hierarch will be delighted to hear that!" Karax said with an excited tone in his voice while walking next to Executor Selendis. Selendis only rolled her eyes from one side to the other, but otherwise didn't say a word. Unfortunately, Protoss weren't as proficient when it came to body-language as Terrans were, so Karax didn't realize that she couldn't care less about what he had told her.
"What do you think, Executor? Would you not agree that this could be a true breakthrough in our research?"
Would Karax even accept any answer that isn't a YES? Selendis wondered. Probably not. She mentally sighed. Even though she would never question the Hierarch's authority, there were some things that she still hadn't been able to accept. The Nerazim rejoining their kind on Aiur was actually not so much of a problem, much to her own surprise. Many survivors from Shakuras were fierce and honorable warriors and a true Templar like Selendis could respect that. It was certainly easier than accepting those bloodthirsty Tal'darim, even though they mostly kept to themselves. Still, the few that moved through the Central Nexus always made Selendis feel uneasy. She always assumed that they were trying to stage a coup or blow themselves up or something like that.
And lets not even start about those damn Purifiers. She understood the Hierarch's decision from a tactical point of view. At least during war-times. But the war was finally over, yet he still allowed those damn machines to run around freely, letting them do as they please. And this Talandar, this Fenix-mockery! She had never met the great Fenix, but it caused her physical discomfort to think about this...this..thing to possess his memories! And to think that this machine believed that it had his sense of honor! Preposterous!
The humans possessed the unique ability to dispose of harmful body fluids through their upper orifices.
Right now Selendis wished that she could puke too. Maybe if she would puke on Artanis's desk, he would notice that she had big problems with this entire situation. Since the Khala was no longer there and Protoss sucked at body language, she saw no other reason than to grow herself a mouth. And a throat. And a stomach. Selendis knew that she wasn't the only one who thought so. Many Templars, well, former Templars thought the same. Yet most of them had fallen to Amon's corruption and they still felt a great deal of shame for what had happened. Selendis had felt the same kind of shame after the final battle against the corrupt Xel'Naga. She had even decided to step down from her position as Executor. But Artanis had urged her to stay. He had called her the "unwavering sword and embodiment of the Templars' resolve". Strangely enough, he hadn't accepted a single one of her suggestions for separating the different Protoss-tribes.
And now she had to listen to that Phasesmith, who considered himself a true Templar as well, thanks to Artanis' inspiring speech she had missed.
Like said: She wanted to puke her guts out.
It was not because she hated Karax. Or she thought that he was unworthy of praise. It was more like...everyone was gaining something while she and her warriors lost something in return. So Karax thought of himself as some sort of Templar now? But he had never learned anything about the art of war. He was no expert in combat and he hadn't spent decades meditating and contemplating on the very essence of what it meant to be a Templar.
Karax was a phasesmith, the best she had ever met. He deserved that the people of Aiur would remember his name for all of eternity. But as a fellow Templar?
Selendis knew that those thoughts were beneath her. But without the Khala she had no one who could help her with this issue. Artanis knew that she felt uneasy, but he didn't know why she felt uneasy. He had offered her a solution the Terrans usually used: Talking to someone. Selendis had tried that. She had tried to talk to Rohana, who possessed so much knowledge and wisdom. But talking to the Grand Preserver had just been embarrassing for Selendis. So she had decided to swallow her anger down and ignore it for now.
"Executor, wouldn't you agree that these new research findings will help us to understand the way how the feral Zerg have integrated themselves into Aiur's eco-system?" Karax wanted to know.
"Not really." Selendis replied. "I could not care less how they "integrated" themselves into Aiur's eco-system, I'm more interested in how we remove them from Aiur. Permanently!" she snarled in anger. Yet Karax simply didn't realize that Selendis just wanted to be left alone.
"Yes, yes, you are correct. But we are still at the very beginning of this research. Still, it is highly fascinating what we have learned in the last few weeks thanks to my new assistant. Oh, you should meet her by the way, I have never met such a bright mind!" Karax told her.
Great, not just one overly eager scientist, but two. Just what I needed. Selendis thought. They were moving towards the Hierarch's office. She actually wanted to talk with him about the Golden Armada, but right now she only wanted Karax to shut up. Or to annoy someone else. When they finally reached Artanis's office, she could already hear the voice of the Hierarch. And of someone else...
"Now don't act so surprised, Artanis." Alarak said. His voice sent shivers down her spine. She didn't like that Tal'darim. "We all knew that this day would come. You should be glad that it is now, and not when you're on your knees and on your last breath. Or do you prefer if I would ram a dagger into your back? I could do that if you like. I even have a dagger in my chambers, I just need to get it." Selendis stopped when she heard those words.
"Executor, is everything-" Karax wanted to know, but Selendis just lifted her hand and made a gesture to shut him up. Thank the Ancestors that he understood that in time.
"I don't share your sense of humor, Alarak. And I don't understand how you can make jokes about such a serious topic!" Artanis shot back. Hearing his voice, even if it was filled with anger was a good sign. Like said, she always expected those damn Tal'darim to try something stupid one day. Assassinating the Hierarch and trying to usurp his position? Why not?
"We need to talk about this, Alarak. I cannot accept this." Artanis stated. This caused Alarak to chuckle.
"Mighty Hierarch Artanis, always used to emerge victorious from every battle, no matter how bad the odds are. Still, this is nothing you can change or influence. My decision stands and I will not change it."
What is he talking about? Selendis wondered.
"Your decision? And what about your subordinates? Do they want the same thing as you do?" Artanis tried to reason with the Tal'darim.
"The wishes and dreams of my subordinates are of no concern to me, Artanis. By now you should know that we Tal'darim handle things differently from you or the Nerazim. Staying here will only result in us losing our identity. Or it will lead to new conflicts. Is that what you want?" Alarak replied with a cold tone in his voice.
"What I want is for our species to be whole again! That was the whole point of this entire war! Of retaking Aiur, so we could live here as a united species!" Artanis barked in frustration.
"No, Artanis. I know that you like to believe that. But the real target was to retake Aiur only to give our people a chance to live. This was what this whole alliance was about. We have reached that goal. Aiur is now back in the hands of the Protoss. And I have no doubts that you will lead them into a bright future. But that is not the path of the Tal'darim. So we will take our leave. And that is my final answer. But don't worry, we will need some time to prepare before we can leave this place."
"Alarak, this is a grave mistake." Artanis tried to reason with the Tal'darim. "I cannot allow this, Aralak!" Before he could continue, Selendis heard how the leader of the Tal'darim turned around and moved out of the Hierarch's office. When he came out, he immediately saw both Selendis and Karax. His eyes flashed brightly in amusement.
"He is all yours." Aralak said before walking past them.
"What was that all about?" Karax asked confused. But as they both entered Artanis's office, Selendis could see the frustration in his eyes.
"Hierarch?" the Executor asked carefully. "Is everything alright?" she wanted to know. The Hierarch's answer was not what she had expected...
"No. no, Selendis. Nothing is alright..."
