Chapter Twenty-Six: A Directorate Unveiled
Nobody has really ever pinpointed exactly when the Great War ended and the Brood War began. Some say it was the moment the Overmind died. Others argue it should be when the protoss left Aiur. Still, others argue that it was when the UED showed up outside Braxis.
For my part, I don't see a difference.
As far as I'm concerned the Brood War was merely an extension of the Great War. An expansion of the existing conflict. Yes, new factions came into play. Yes, the objectives had changed. But a hundred years from now no one is going to see any reason to differentiate the two.
Memoirs of Serena Calabas, volume I.
Things began to get well and truly heated. The new terran vessels were half a dozen in number with heavy fighter escort. Several of the fighters were of a sort she'd never seen. Selendis tried to keep her distance.
It was during this time that Artanis, Zeratul, and Kerrigan returned to the bridge. Selendis looked up from her command and saluted. "Zeratul, we are detecting numerous terran vessels invading the planet of Braxis. What has occurred here?"
"Selendis, our mission was completed." said Zeratul. "But our Dominion allies are being invaded by an unknown force. They bear the emblem of the Kel'morian Combine, a terran faction.
"What is the status of the fleet?"
"We're currently taking evasive maneuvers and avoiding the main fleet." said Selendis. "Our arbiters have allowed us to remain hidden so far."
"If it came to battle, do you believe you could emerge victoriously?" asked Artanis.
Selendis considered the question. She'd been considering it for some time. "It is unlikely. However, we would destroy many of them before we were through. And with proper tactics, we might manage a narrow victory."
"It is a risk we cannot take." said Zeratul. "Our task is too important, and we have not yet achieved the Khalis."
"That was my assessment as well." said Selendis. "What are your orders, Prelate?"
"The enemy fleet is thus far unaware of our presence." said Zeratul. "They will only be accounting for our Dominion allies. So they may leave themselves exposed.
"Analyze the enemy fleet. Attempt to find any weakness in their landing plans."
Selendis nodded. "...One moment.
"There are very few, Prelate. They move with a coordination and skill I have rarely seen outside of even the zerg. It is as though something is driving them, turning them into a greater entity."
"I sense something." said Kerrigan, suddenly.
They looked to the abomination. Selendis narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"
"A presence in this fleet." said Kerrigan. "It's like what I feel when I'm with Kaloth. The individual zerg have wills of their own. They can act without orders. But when a cerebrate takes control of them, they become part of that cerebrate. Although they remain themselves. It's complicated.
"This is similar. But different."
"How so?" asked Selendis.
"When a cerebrate enters the mind of a zerg, they know it is happening and willingly give themselves to it." said Kerrigan. "It's expected. If they didn't they'd be destroyed.
"This though, it's more behind the scenes."
"It is a mystery we must solve later." said Zeratul. "For now, the enemy awaits."
Selendis received a transmission. She looked to Zeratul. "We are receiving a communication from the Dominion Headquarters."
"Patch it through." said Zeratul.
The Terran Emperor appeared before them in an image. Was this the inspiring figure so many terrans would die for? Selendis supposed appearances could be deceiving.
"This is Emperor Mengsk of the Terran Dominion, I'd like to request your help in the name our alliance." said Mengsk.
"You have it, of course." said Zeratul. "How may we be of assistance?"
"My scans indicate that the enemy is landing forces on a plateau north of our main fortifications." said Mengsk. "It is highly defensible, and we lack the airpower to circumvent it. A ground assault would be costly.
"With your assistance things will go more smoothly. I'll send my forces directly to the south and draw off most of their defenders. At that point, you will launch an attack from behind at their undefended rear."
"It is a sound plan." said Zeratul. "We will enact it at once. Selendis, I entrust this task to you. Artanis, you will remain in reserve."
"But should I not-" began Artanis.
"Peace, Artanis." said Zeratul. "It is never wise to commit your full force to a battle unless absolutely necessary. Unforeseen factors are always a possibility."
"As you say, Zeratul." said Artanis.
Selendis nodded and sent forth her will. "Prepare the reavers and dragoons. We go to war!"
"I'll go with you." said Kerrigan. "I won't be much use in a space battle. And I want to get a clearer look on this... human cerebrate."
Braxis was a cold and bitter world. The freezing temperatures were made worse by having to stand them in the presence of this animal. To say Selendis did not trust Kerrigan would be an understatement. Had she had her way the beast would have been killed as soon as she set foot on Shakuras.
But it was not her decision to make. So she would tolerate her. "The Dominion has done as it said. The forces of the Kel'morians are focused near the southern slopes of the highlands. They've left themselves exposed.
"However, there are several missile turrets still in place." She explained. "We will keep the arbiters in place until the last possible moment. Once we have neared them have them break off. We'll rush the missile turrets and dispatch the reavers."
"This is a risky move, Executor." noted Kerrigan. "We could take serious losses if things go badly."
"My warriors choose to risk their lives." said Selendis. "And risks must often be made in war."
She closed her eyes and focused. She saw it now, brown-clad Kel'morian troops lining cliffs. The Dominion was assembling below. Gauss rifle fire was loosed, and tanks fired their payloads. A portable bunker was blasted to pieces as a cluster of marines was obliterated.
Both sides believed equally in the righteousness of their cause. But there was something strange about the Kel'morian minds.
However, Selendis had no further time to think about it.
They shot over the missile turrets, dodging and weaving as the payloads were loosed. One of the shuttles took a missile to the side, but the shield absorbed most of the power. Then they were over the plateau.
Selendis drew her blade and opened the hatch. A blast of cold air shot into the room as she ran forward. "Descend! Do not let the enemy regroup! Wipe them out!"
"All I needed to hear." said Kerrigan.
Both leaped out of the shuttle and into the open air. Dozens of zealots jumped with them. For a moment they were in free fall, and then they landed. Reavers crashed into the snows, sending waves of white flying. They fired spheres of blue energy to consume the turrets in an instant.
And yet the enemy responded very quickly.
Teams of marines rushed back and took formation with rigid discipline. They opened fire en masse. Selendis rushed forward. "En Taro Adun! En Taro Tassadar!"
"En Taro Tassadar!" cried her men.
Then they fell upon them.
Selendis tore through three marines, cutting in half a gun and throwing down another. Kerrigan unleashed a storm on the marines by the front defenses. They screamed and many were consumed. More came to fire at them as the battle continued.
The command center was obliterated.
Selendis hacked down two more marines, before slicing a gun in half. Slashing through them, she drove the enemy before them. It was a rout.
"Surrender!" proclaimed Selendis. "Lay down your arms and you will not be harmed."
"Death to the alien! Long live humanity!" came the shout. Followed by gunfire.
The terrans fought on, long after any sane force would have fled. Terran workers came out with civilian weapons and fired on them. When those were destroyed they attacked with their bare hands. There was no fear in these ones.
They acted as if by design.
It was eerily reminiscent of the zerg.
Who were these Kel'morians? And how did they possess such drive?
At last, the enemy were destroyed. Not one had surrendered or been spared. The Dominion forces did not stay to thank them. Instead, they were immediately reassigned to other fronts.
Selendis did not blame them. She turned to Kerrigan, who looked outright disturbed. "It is done."
Kerrigan shifted. "What does En Taro mean anyway?"
Selendis considered how best to explain. "Roughly, translated it means 'in honor of.'"
"Okay but you don't have a language." said Kerrigan. "You psionically communicate your will, and it translates itself into something we understand.
"So shouldn't I be hearing it as 'in honor of Adun.'"
"'In honor of Adun' does not encompass the meaning of the words." said Selendis. "Adun brought order from the chaos, ended the strife. He recreated the Khalai Empire of Old. And, as I have learned, he also arranged for the Nerazim's escape from the Conclave.
"He is thus held in high honor as our founder by both Nerazim and Khalai."
"And Tassadar?" asked Kerrigan.
"I believe his actions speak for themselves." said Selendis.
"No, they really don't." said Kerrigan. "Kaloth beat him handily in Char. The only thing he accomplished there was bringing Zeratul into the fold. I guess that was pretty important and he did go on a suicide run against the Overmind. But he doesn't really seem like messiah material."
"You weren't there." said Selendis. "The Overmind deflected an orbital bombardment from the Great Fleet. It then defeated an endless barrage by the assembled armies of terran and protoss. And yet Tassadar destroyed it.
"Tassadar gave his life to slay the beast."
Kerrigan scoffed. "Sure he did.
"Assuming the Overmind is actually dead. None of the cerebrates buy it. Neither do I."
"What?" said Selendis.
"Did you ever meet the Overmind, Selendis?" asked Kerrigan.
"No. Fortunately." said Selendis.
"Well if you had, you'd be less keen to say he was dead." said Kerrigan. "The Overmind wasn't a hive mind. It was a god. And his plan was nothing less than the assimilation of the protoss race.
"Kaloth told me that the Overmind said that he would be out of communication in the future.
"For all we know the Overmind outright survived, and all this is part of his plan."
"No, he did not." said Selendis flatly.
"What makes you so sure?" asked Kerrigan.
"Because Tassadar was confident that he could destroy it." said Selendis. "I saw him, we all did, in his final moments. A single moment of glory as all the power of our race, and indeed the uttermost source of that power, was unleashed."
"Right." said Kerrigan. "You know, I went head to head with Tassadar in single combat. Twice."
Selendis felt a twinge of amusement at her posturing. "And pray tell, how did both times work out for you?"
Kerrigan shifted. "...Shut up."
"On a separate note, our outpost on Char Aleph has been working to renovate the old platform." said Selendis. "We're confident we can keep it in orbit."
"You've made your point." said Kerrigan.
"We expect we'll be able to maintain an observation garrison there for many ages." said Selendis. "It should be a valuable asset when we seek the Khalis."
"We're done." said Kerrigan, turning to walk away. Then she halted. "...It just got stronger."
"What is it?" said Selendis.
"The human cerebrate." said Kerrigan. "I feel them. They are here."
Mark arrived on the bridge of the Aleksander to find Stukov and Nelson speaking with one another. Nelson looked up and smiled, before walking forward to offer him a hand. "Mark, I'm glad you're here. I've heard you vanquished the protoss of Khalroth almost singlehanded."
Mark took it. "It is called Haven now. And tested my blade against some of them. They are a formidable race. But I do not think they are the same threat as the zerg."
"Are all the preparations made?" asked Stukov.
"Yes." said Mark. "Admiral Dugalle has coordinated with the newly arrived Black Flags. They are bringing the Damocles here now. I choose to come here ahead of it. Captain Stakel did not appreciate my presence."
"That would be my fault, Captain." said Stukov. "Stakel and I were old rivals in the Black Flags before I transferred to Dugalle's service. He likely resents you purely because you have a mission that involves helping me.
"In any case, we need the Damocles. I need not tell you how important it is we maintain control on the flow of information on Braxis."
"How goes the invasion?" asked Mark.
"It is ongoing as we speak." said Stukov, turning back to Braxis. "We have a complete map of all the Confederate Resistance forces in the region. We are deploying our troops to ensure the Dominion is encircled.
"Once we make contact a coordinated assault should allow us to crush all resistance.
"Still, the Dominion is responding faster than we anticipated. The capital city of Boralis has gone up in arms. Several areas are more heavily guarded than we anticipated. Also, one of our strikes teams was annihilated.
"Something hit them. We're still filtering through reports."
"My forces stand ready to serve in whatever way you deem fit." said Mark.
"For now you are in the reserves and maintain the cohesion of the troops." said Stukov.
"I already am." said Mark.
"...You just came out of warp space five minutes ago." said Stukov.
"I have imparted the will of humanity into all the soldiers within the fleet." said Mark. "Through me, it is able to exert limited control over them and ensure all do their part."
Stukov eyed him. "Well, keep up the good work."
Then Mark looked up. There was a feeling in the air. A powerful presence. Akin to a human. But if it was human, it was a twisted thing. Something that had fallen away from the true path. It reminded him of what he'd felt over Torus.
"What is it, Mark?" asked Nelson.
"I sense something. A presence." said Mark. "It is like a human. And yet also akin to a zerg.
"I request permission to descend to the planet, at once." It would need to be destroyed. Such a thing was an abomination.
"Permission denied, Captain." said Stukov. "We have other business to attend to. For one thing, we just received an image of one of the attackers that destroyed our strike force. Look familiar?"
He raised a picture on the screen. It showed a protoss, rushing at the one taking the camera with a drawn psi-blade.
"More than I would like." said Mark.
The news from the planet was good. Selendis had won a rapid victory and freed up a large part of the Dominion forces in that region. Zeratul suspected that it would go a long way to turning the tide.
"Emperor Mengsk, our task is complete." Zeratul stated. "The Kel'morian assault force is destroyed, and you will be able to move your troops to other fronts?"
"Much appreciated, gentlemen." said Mengsk. "I've consulted with my advisors, and we've concluded that Braxis is unlikely to hold out. If you were to assist us, victory might be won, but I expect you can't afford to engage them."
"I fear you are correct." said Zeratul.
"As I thought." said Mengsk. "I've ordered the troops of Braxis to take defensive positions and await reinforcements. I am beginning a withdrawal of all essential personnel.
"If they hold out long enough, I'll be able to return later with the Dominion Fleet to relieve the siege."
Artanis bristled. "You would abandon your forces to fight alone?"
"If the situation is untenable, yes." said Mengsk. "Braxis is by no means an essential world. And my death would send the Dominion into chaos. The best help I can be is to get out and send a fleet to help them."
"You-" began Artanis.
Zeratul set a hand on the Praetor's shoulder before he could call the Emperor of the Dominion a coward. "Enough, Artanis.
"There is no shame in withdrawal so long as it is for the betterment of a cause. We will be leaving soon as well."
"Fair enough." said Mengsk. "We'll-"
And then the connection was broken. Zeratul looked up as the instruments went haywire around them. "What is happening here?"
"Zeratul, something is coming out of warpsace." said Artanis. "It is larger than any ship we have on record."
The space behind the terran fleet began to distort and then into view came a huge platform of metal. It bristled with turrets and scans coursed through the air.
Sensors whirred as the Kel'morian Fleet reacted to their presence.
"An orbital space platform?" asked Zeratul.
"What? That's impossible." said Mengsk, back online. "They would have had to have been sending the platform for weeks, and we've had detected it in that time!
"What kind of technology...
"Nevermind. This complicates matters." He cut the channel.
"I am detecting numerous missile turrets on that station. And powerful sensors." said Artanis. "Our cloaking devices are now useless." He opened a channel to the planet below. "Selendis! Our sensors have just made contact with a new terran vessel. However, their configuration profile is unlike any Terran group yet encountered. We are receiving a transmission from the fleet's command ship, identifying itself as the Aleksander."
And then a man appeared. He wore a fine uniform, had tanned skin and hard eyes. One hand was fitted into his breast pocket. "Protoss Commander, I am Admiral Alexei Stukov of the United Earth Directorate. We are here to take control of the Terran Dominion and all of its outlying colonies. You are in direct violation of Terran space and have openly attacked Terran troops. Lower your shields and power down your weapon systems. The UED will be taking custody of your ships and whatever spoils you have garnered from this planet.
"You have three minutes to comply."
Artanis cut the channel. Zeratul looked at him. "United Earth Directorate? Raynor spoke of the distant Terran homeworld called Earth. These humans have come a long way to make war on us."
"Have faith, Zeratul!" said Artanis. "You almost sound as if you fear these humans. What are they to such as we? Was it not we who defeated the dreaded Overmind?"
"Yes, Artanis. We did vanquish the Overmind." said Zeratul. "But we did so with the help of humans. Do not be so quick to underestimate them."0
"Of course." said Artanis. He opened a channel. "Selendis, I shall test the mettle of these humans by scouting ahead of your ships, and finding a way through this blockade! Continue your battle in the meantime!
"En Taro Tassadar!"
Zeratul was beginning to think Artanis had something to prove. But the matter could wait for later.
Author's Note:
This chapter would have been done yesterday. But I accidentally deleted it and had to start all over. It was probably for the best. This version is much higher quality.