Valkyria chronicles is the property of sega
Star-craft is the property of blizzard
"Talk"
"Telepathy"
~Radio~
Chapter 29 Uneasy allies
Gallia
February 26th Tuesday
Randgriz castle 9:02 PM
It had been a few days since the destruction of the main zerg hive in China and like what Nakool had said before leaving there was indeed a high level meeting between representatives of both the global allied powers and the zerg swarm in Gallia at castle Randgriz. The people chosen for the meeting included the Gallian royal family who were hosting the meeting as well as some people representing the United Nations and by extension the whole of the allied nations. General Lions along with the leaders of Delta company and Valkyria squad were also coming to the meeting as they were requested to attend by the zerg.
A black stretched limo pulled out from the Randgriz airport and drove through the streets and then down the central road going through the city. The somewhat long car made its way through the city and stopped at the main gate separating the new and old district's for a short security check and then proceeded to enter the old district and make its way to Castle Randgriz. Upon parking at the guarded front entrance way the limos passengers exited the car.
Inside the Castle's throne room which was also the meeting room, were all three members of the gallian royal family. Archduke Archduke William Gi Randgriz sat upon his throne with his wife the Archduchess Maria Randgriz standing at his side with their only daughter Princess Lily Randgriz who had a worrisome look on her face as she stared long and hard at her feet as though she was thinking about something.
"Our first guests have arrived," Kurt Irving said as he and Nathan walked across the long room and to the three royals and saw the expression on Lily's face. "Are you ok princess?" he asked.
Lily looked up to Kurt and Nathan. "I'm fine. I just can't get what that Zerg told us out of my mind."
Archduke William Randgriz turned his head to his child, also with a look of concern on his face. "I know how you feel Lily. With how things are we have no choice but for our three groups to work together and deal with the Tal'darim as well as Rescue Aliasse and Alicia."
Maria turned to her husband and also spoke. "True but... we must first see how this meeting goes first."
William gave a sigh and sat straighter turning his head to his wife."Yes dear your right. I just hope we can all come to an understanding," the archduke said as the door to the throne room opened a little and a member of the castle staff announced the arrival of the allied nations representative's.
Everyone in the throne room then watched as General Lions and the UN representative, Cerise Christine (both chosen to represent the whole of the allied nations for this meeting.) along with a few members of both Delta company and Valkyria squad. Colonel Randolph, Sarah Ava, Jacob william, Mason hawk, Dean Lynwood and from Valkyria squad Riela Marcellis who had just woke up a day ago from her battle with Nakool, all entered and walk up to the waiting Gallian royal family.
"Well the first group is here. Now I wonder when the other two representatives will arrive."Nathan wondered.
Outside behind Randgriz Castle, three royal guards, Lucas benson, Rick ashton and Hector disa waited on the dock for the Zerg and Protoss representatives to arrive when the sky high above the moonlit lake twisted and opened creating a pure white opening surrounded by a twisting blackness that was contrasted against the moon in the sky. From the warp gate came a gray blue manta ray shaped zerg as the three humans on the dock finally noticed the black twistedness staining the image of the moon in the sky and they stared up in surprise and awe at the sight. The warp gate quickly closed behind the manta ray like zerg as it drifted down almost like paper from the sky to the water below and with a small flap of its wings and tail it stopped its own descent and hovered over the lake's surface creating a small ripple that expanded across the lake. The Zerg then started undulated its tail and silently and slowly glided over the waters surface over to the docks creating a wake by its gravity warping field without touching the water itself.
As the three royal guards watched the zerg approach they could barley make out its features in the moon light. The giant zerg had two flat horn like spikes covered by the blue gray skin extending forwards from both sides of its head in the middle of the wing shaped body which looked like it span about 422 feet wide with teardrop shaped pods at the wingtips, both of which had short and somewhat thick tringler fins on their top and bottom. Along the back ran a rounded triangular ridgeline, wide at the base thin at the top that reminded of a submarine conning tower which was thicker in the front where two horizontal fins extended from and got smaller and ended at the base of the wide flat tail.
The zerg was named the Abyss ray and was a new type of all environment stealth attack and scouting zerg that has a even more evolved form of the stealth skin first developed in the zergling verient the hunter which was just one of its stealth features as the whole of its body was designed for stealth by Abastein and the other evolutions masters to be as stealthy as possible and capable of propelling itself through the ocean, sky and outer space thanks to an array of many small gravity warping organ's evolved from the same ones the other flying zerg have. These organ's placed throughout the Abyss rays wings and tail allows it to be far faster and have greater acceleration and maneuverability than any other flying zerg and can also make warp jumps like a Behemoth and is the first attempt by the swarm to create a smaller scale zerg with that ability. The Abyss ray is meant to be a middle ground between the Mutalisk and the Behemoth.
Lucas benson, Rick ashton and Hector disa all continued to watch as the floating zerg beast got closer until stopping at the docks as they stood with their mouths open watching as the skin atop the Abyss rays back ridge split open revealing a second skin underneath that also opened up but like a airtight hatch and from the hole came two lizard like figures the men recognized as the same type of zerg as from before.
After a short time two more figures came out of the mantaray like Zerg, one a zerg women with gray with black plating over her body and tentacle like hair and two large folded tentacles coming off her back. The other person was a Protoss with a black robe and hood covering his golden armor underneath with a pair of Hydralisk skull's on both his shoulders.
Both Izsha and Zerion walked off the Abyss ray and onto the stone docks with the two Zerg Phantoms following behind, and they approached the three humans which only then closed their gaping mouths.
"Umm are you the Zerg and protoss representatives?" Lucas benson asked as Izsha stared down at him.
"Yes we are, Im Izsha this is Zerion."Izsha replied gesturing to her uneasy protoss ally beside her," Will you three be escorting us to the meeting."
The three men seemed intimidated by the four powerful and much taller aliens standing before them but still they had a job to do so they did it.
"Ma'am um they... your escorts have to stay here." Rick ashton said nervously trying to maintain his composure.
"Very well" Izsha replied ordering the two Phantoms to stay with the Abyss ray.
The three humans of the gallian royal guard with the Zerg and Protoss representatives walked from the docks to Randgriz castle and through its halls, to the throne room where the others were already waiting for them.
Elsewhere along Gallias southern coast along the Baltic sea lay the harbor city of Anthold. At the harbor city's northernmost point lay the naval base from where the Marmota and its successor ships were built and deployed from. Within the naval base lay a steel reinforced concrete building which covered a drydock like a cave was left over from WW2. The large concrete building protected ships from bombers and spy plans. But in more recent times the decades old structure has been repurposed and expanded for the construction of the Marmota and later its mass produced versions. Within the dock many engineer's went about their work welding steel, moving materials and parts or repairing them when suddenly one after another the dock workers started falling dead each with a steaming burn mark on or even through their bodies like something had burned its way through them. Some who witnessed the deaths were stunned at the occurrence while others ran over to see what had happened only for them to also be slayed by the invisible blades, and within a mere seven minutes the large ship dock lay quiet with the bodys of almost 48 dead workers scattered about as a Tal'darim shuttle decloaked hovering over the large hollow drydock cavity in the ground where a ship would be constructed in or docked for repairs. The shuttle turned around and slowly lowered down far enough for its rear ramp to drop onto the drydocks concrete floor. From out of the shuttle walked Zyrex as a group of twenty blood hunters decloaked around him.
"Have you secured the fabrication matrices," Zyrex asked in deep commanding tone.
"Yes ascendant Zyrex. We have found them in the rear most part of this chamber," one of the blood hunters replied.
"Good."Zyrex started." It is time we retake what we have given before we leave this world for good. So that we may continue our mission and release our gods from the accursed seal placed upon their dimension by the wretched Ecumene," Zyrex finished in a hateful tone.
After a short time the shuttle was loaded up with a few of the fabrication matrices and the shuttle left only to be replaced by a second and then a third shuttle all of which were loaded with the last of the fabrication matrices and left with Zyrex all before anyone outside of the concrete covered drydock knew what had happened.
Back at Randgriz castle the doors to the throne room opened as Lucas benson, Rick ashton and Hector disa entered with the Zerg and Protoss representative behind them. Everyone in the throne room watched with great interest as the two aliens Izsha and Zerion walked through the grand room stopping just a mere twenty feet from everyone else by the throne. Kurt and Zerion both noticed each other and nodded despite not having seen each other for two over years. Izsha also glanced over at the members of Delta company and recognized Sarah, Jacob, and Mason and recognized them from Ellen's memory's.
"Greetings Izsha of the Zerg, and Zerion of the Protoss. I am the archduke William gi Randgriz who as per your request will oversee this discussion of peace negotiations between the allied nations and the Zerg swarm," the royal leader proclaimed.
Izsha smiled at the grand greeting and catching the underlying emotions of apprehension in the archdukes voice before replying. "Archduke of house Randgriz." Izsha began. "I would like to start this discussion by firstly giving my thanks to you for allowing this event to take place in your nation. Secondly I would like to clarify that even if we all come to an agreement here today the hostility between humans and Zerg will not completely end forever."
At those words every human felt a tad curious at what Izsha means exactly if they' weren't here to make peace between the humans and Zerg.
"My name is Cerise Christine Im the UN representative. What do you mean by that exactly?" the woman asked as Izsha turned to the middle aged women.
"I men't no deception." Izsha began as Zerion crossed his arms, he already knowing what she was going to say." I fully intend to end the current conflict between our two species with this meeting. However in the long term the zerg swarm and humanity will resume their... hostilities as pur my empresses plan.
"And what plan would that be?" Cerise asked curious.
"The overall plan of my empress is to have a regulated but on and off again conflict between the zerg and other advanced civilizations. We zerg consider it our duty as the ultimate predators to... keep other races like yours on your feet and to regulate you. If we don't then your civilization will become arrogant and complacent, stagnant and self destructive just like it already has. Not to mention you will overpopulate and destroy your own environment which will lead to the extinction of other species, and again just like what you humans have already done to the Earth," Izsha explained as the humans all felt a bit of shame for what humanity has done to its self and the planet.
While everyone else was trying to wrap their heads around what Izsha said, Sarah finally understood the full plan of the Zerg empress and the words she had said to Sarah two years ago. "The threat of death pushes people to change and better themselves because if they don't change, they die."
"What do you mean miss Ava," Cerise asked turning to face her.
Sarah turned to the Cerise to and replied. "In nature conflict between two species pushes both to evolve and change and helps to prevent stagnation in both predator and pray species. It may be a... different kind of relationship then what were used to, but I guess in a way it helps to ensure the mutual survival of both our species in the long term. In a weird sort of way."
General Lions thought a moment on the matter and then turned to Izsha "I understand the meaning behind your intentions even though I don't like them, but tell me this. How far in the future exactly will this new conflict start."
"Oh it really depends on you humans." Izsha replied.
"And what does that mean?" Jacob asked.
Izsha grinned crossing her arms "It depends on how much of a effort humanity puts into reforming itself. Both as a species and as a civilization, and how fast you expand beyond Earth and the solar system. If you humans just stand around Earth and do nothing like you have over the past few decades even though you have the tech to go to outer space, then us zerg... will just have to start poking at you again to make sure your alive. But to answer your question General Lions around... two hundred to three hundreds years."
At those words everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"Im beginning to understand you a little better now Izsha,"Cerise said as everyone eyed the tentacle headed zerg woman." But what will you zerg do after the war ends?"
"Unlike you humans we zerg seek to evolve and change. We understand that to remain the same is to stagnate. To stagnate is no different than being dead, that is why we will attack other advanced races like we have humanity as conflict is the best catalyst for change. We do not seek perfection for perfection in a... idea a opinion not a state of being. Survival through evolution is what we truly seek for ourselves and other races. So after the war is over the swarm will leave the earth... after a few years of preparation."
"You'll leave... just like that," Mason said in a disbelieving tone as he and the others were more than a little skeptical.
"Where will you go when you leave," princess Lily asked joining in on the conversation much to her parents surprise.
Izsha turned to the Gallian Princess standing beside her parents. "Well we'll keep a few hive clusters in the solar system. But once we find a suitable planet every zerg on the Earth will be relocated to the new world."
That got a few people present interested and a little more believing in the zerg women's words.
"You zerg can travel to other star systems then," Sarah asked wanting conformation.
"Yes. The zerg have the ability to travel to other star systems. However we have only explored Alpha Centauri so far," Izsha said nonchalantly like its no big deal.
"Wait what? you've already bent to alpha centauri," asked Riela in a surprised tone as she remembered watching a tv documentary about space that talked about the Alpha centauri star system as it was the closest to the solar system.
"Yes but as I said before we have not placed any hive clusters on any of the planets there," Izsha replied letting it slip that she knew that there were more than one planet at the Alpha centauri star system.
"I believe we've gotten of topic," Zerion stated stoically in his psionic voice turning the conversation back to the matter at hand.
"Yes we should get get back to the peace talks," Izsha said as everyone got back on topic.
After a half hour of more talking the peace talks were finished. Zerion then explained to everyone about the Tal'darim and that they are holding his people's hostage and have for the past two years been forcing them to fix the Tal'darim ship and that it is now near completion. Izsha also explained that it was the Tal'darim who took Aliasse and Ellen two years ago but for what purpose is still unknown other then to harvest psionic power from them. Zerion also explained about Kainok's past and that he was somehow turned to serve as a Tal'darim agent and that Richard and his corporation also served Azrumath leader of the Tal'darim. Archduke William, his wife Maria, Lily and Riela, were all quite shocked at that bit of information.
As the talks continued the topic changed to how the united forces of the allied nations, Zerg swarm and Protoss would fight against the Tal'darim. The conversation went on for another half hour as Izsha explained the strategy and Zerion stepped aside to met with Kurt and Nathan.
"Hello Zerion It has been a long time. This is my friend Nathan" Kurt introduced as he and Zerion shook hands and his hand being comically small compared to Zerions.
"En taro adun my friends Kurt, Nathan. It is good to see you again," Zerion replied.
"Zerion if I may ask. If you could get into the Tal'darim ship undetected why didn't you just release Ellen, Aliasse and Alicia from their prison" Nathan asked.
Zerions eyes narrowed in what looked like a annoyed expression." When I first returned to the Tal'darim ship to find Ellen and Aliasse after they were captured Ellen asked me how long it would take until the repairs to the Tal'darim ship were completed. The four of us then talked for a bit and we decided to let things be as my people still on Mars, Phobos and the Tal'darim ship are all hostages and if we were to act in haste we would not be fully prepared to fight the Tal'darim and would more than likely suffer great casualties. Zerion explained.
"But the time to act in now however," said Nathan.
"Yes indeed. We must..." Kurt started but just then general Radi Jaeger came in quit abruptly catching everyone's attention and walked with haste to the archduke and bowed.
"Your highness, I'm sorry to intrude in the talks here but i've gotten a report from our naval base in Anthold that a few dozen dock workers in the Marmota's drydock have been killed and the fabrication matrix units have been taken," Radi reported.
The news caught everyone's ear and they all stared at Izsha.
"It wasn't me or any other zerg," Izsha said in a stoic tone in her own defense as Zerion spoke up.
"It was the Tal'darim. They must be ready to leave this world and they are taking back what they have given," Zerion said.
Izsha turned to the protoss and replied. "In that case I believe it's time to begin our own plans," she said as Zerion gave a her a nod in confirmation. Izsha then sent a psionic signal to Solus and his fleet at saturn's moon Titan.
Within moments of receiving the signal from Izsha. Solus and his fleet warped to the space between Mars and Phobos and began a zerg rush attack aimed at eliminating the Tal'darim at both locations and freeing Zerions people.
Mars
Protoss settlement
Over Mars a dozen points of space twisted into a oily blackness that gave way to a pure white void within from which Solus and his fleet appeared. As soon the warp gates closed Solus split his small fleet into two groups, one flying to Phobos and Solus himself lead the other to Mars. Within a few short minutes Solus and four other Behemoths entered Mars thin atmosphere flying to a point a few kilometers over the protoss settlement. The Behemoths opened dozens of armored plates along their belly's and started launching hundred's of bio drop pods down to the red planets surface. The bio drop pods looked something like a wide bulbous teardrop with a half dozen tendrils coming out their back end which undulated as they fell to the ground below. The tendrils generated a counter gravity force that slowed the drop pods down just before they hit the ground reducing the force of the impact as the swarm of falling pods hit the red soil of Mars with almost no sound dew to the lack of air.
Shortly after all the pods hit the ground their side membrane's dissolved and from each dropod came Zerglings, their Hunters variants, or Hydralisk and their Predator variants. The red soil of Mars shook from the rhythmic vibrations of the zerg foot falls as they stampeded their way to the Protoss settlement. Upon reaching the cliff edge the Zerg force burrowed down, down and down.
Within a hallway of the settlement a pair of Tal'darim warriors were on their normal patrol as civilians protoss passed them by.
"The ship is finished I hear. It will not be long before we will finally be able to return to our mission and release our masters from the Immaterium," said the left Tal'darim.
"Yes and once we do we can finally get our revenge for the humiliating defeat so long ago," the right Tal'darim replied as they rounded a corner passing a protoss mother in a blue, green dress and her and her eight year old daughter both of which gave the Tal'darim a wide berth and a respectful bow.
"Heh, heh, heh, and lets us not forget that the whole of the galaxy will bow to us Tal'darim and our gods like the rest of these weaklings once did when we destroy the array which seals the Empyrean from this realm," the left Tal'darim said as they continued to go about their patrol.
"I have also heard that our lord Azrumath has finally completed the first psionic nova bomb using the power of those three Valkyrur," said the right Tal'darim.
"Good then we will have all that we need to destroy the halo array..." the left Tal'darim trailed off as he heard a scratching noise coming from behind him and both Tal'darim turned around to see a Zergling drop from the ceiling and quickly spotted them.
"A Zerg here?" the right Tal'darim said and he and his partner sparked their bane blades. The lone Zergling charged them and the left Tal'darim swung his baneblade down in a fraction of a second and split the Zerglings head in half.
"Where did it come from," wondered the Tal'darim on the left as more Zerglings dropped from the hole that the first had came from, however one was bigger than the rest and quickly turned invisible and fired its spines causing the two Tal'darim zealots shields to flare up in dark semi-transparent sphere with red hexagons for an instant as the other Zerglings charged. The two Tal'darim killed the Zerglings one after the other as the Hunter continued to slowly drain their shields with a constant barrage and after they killed the fifth Zergling the Tal'darim zealots charged the spot they sensed the hunter was firing from and randomly swung their bandblades but only hit empty air leaving them at a loss from the invisible enemy and frustrated as they were pelted with more spines from different angles one after the next as they continued to chase the Hunter. Then when the two Tal'darim were under the hole in the ceiling a Predator reached down striking with its large bladed scythe arms and impaling the two Tal'darim Zealots through the skulls killing then instantly.
The Predator dropped down from the hole followed by dozens of other zerg and they spread throughout the the settlement. A group of a few dozen Zerglings eventually caught up with the protoss mother and child. The mother heard the noise of claws clattering against the metal floor behind her and turned around seeing the horde of Zerglings charging towards her. The mother surprised, scared and not knowing what else to do pulled her daughter closer and placed her between herself and the wall. The mother using her own body as a shield and holding her child tightly in her arms. The noise of clattering of claws on metal got louder and louder until it sounded like the Zerg were on top of them and then past them. The mother opened her eyes looking to see the horde of monsters running past her and her daughter down the hall as other protoss also encountered the zerg and quickly got out of the Zergs way as the zerglings passed them. The Zerg being so sensitive to and able of perceiving psionic energy could easily tell the difference between the psionic natures of the Tal'darim and the Khali protoss who share the Khala communal psionic link.
The Zerg continued to run through the halls of the settlement scaring the civilian protoss as they hunted down any and all Tal'darim in the Settlement. The slaughter of all the Tal'darim was fast taking just 11 minutes to hunt them all down. Afterward Kaliadis, Rolana and Roken along with the rest of the Templar boarded their remaining shuttles and traveled to Phobos. Upon their arrival on the Xel'naga station they came upon the dead bodys of hundreds of Zerg and Tal'darim scattered about the hanger. They then split up making their way through the station as the fighting between the Zerg and Tal'darim continued. Thanks to Zerion mapping the station out before hand Kaldalis and his templar knew exactly where to go and made a beeline for both the chambers housing their people and the manufacturing chamber which they work in.
The templar gathered the protoss civilians on the station and escorted them to the hanger bay while also helping the Zerg forces eliminate the remaining Tal'darim on the Xel'naga station. Once the station was clear of Tal'darim the Templar and Phase-smiths that have for the past two years been forced to manufacture the replacement parts for the Tal'darim ship left and returned to the settlement.
The settlements hanger was filled with people as half families waited for their loved ones to finally come back to them after being separated for so long. The hanger doors opened and the shuttles landed one after the other as the family's that have been separated for the past few years were reunited. Kaldalis, Roken and Rolana watched as the separated families and friends embraced each other after so long as a Predator controlled by Solus slithered up to them.
"Your attack was fast and focused Solus. I thank you for not causing any of my people harm," Kaldalis said.
The Predator turned its head towards Kaldalis as Solus projected his psionic voice through it into a psionic frequency the protoss could understand."We are allies for the time being. I was simply minimizing casualties."
"Still I thank you Solus and your Empress for giving her aide to my people. Thanks to that we can finally reclaim our people from the Tal'darim."
Roken sighed with a concerned expression as he spoke up. "True we have liberated our settlement and those of our people which were on the Xel'naga station but Lasarra and the rest of our people are still held captive on the Tal'darim ship along with your empress."
"Have the Taldarim done anything yet?" Rolana asked.
"My scouts have reported that the Tal'darim ship has begun to move. Rising up from the bottom of the ocean. Zerion has also deployed with the Abyss rays and should be meeting the ship as it leaves the oceans surface."
Kaldalis crossed his arms and lowered his head in thought. "I see then Azrumath knowes of our actions then. I hope everything goes as planned."
In the sky over the Marianas trench in the western Pacific, the Ocean waves bulged up across a large ten mile long by four miles wide area as the Wrath of the stars rose up from the bottom of the ocean and slowly broke through the surface of the ocean causing hundreds of thousands of tons of water to drain off from the ships hull as the massive ships form became visible. The Wrath of the stars was shaped like a Protoss carrier (Starcraft 2) only far larger and jet black with thick gray and black armor plates covering its hull with red lines separating the gray and black armor plates. It also had two pairs of hull loops that extended from two large pods on both rear sides of the ship and curve up and down extending forwards reconnecting with the sides of the forward hull. The ship also had two twin barreled super heavy guns on its rear top and front nose with many other weapons hidden under small hull plating that can open. The ship pushed its way up through the ocean waves and into the sky as a Zerg warp portal opened above it.
From the warp portal a Abyss ray the same one that had brought Izsha and Zerion to Gallia rocketed out at high speed quickly diving down and straightening out its flight path so it doesn't collide with the Tal'darim ship. The warp portal closed as quickly as it opened as the Abyss ray glided over the Tal'darim ships hull and then landed for a scant few minutes as it dropped off its cargo before taking off again, but as it did numerous plates on the hull opened up and long triangular guns with red glowing crystals at their base extended out from the hull and aimed at the Abyss ray as it zig-zagged erratically. The Tal'darim guns fired consecutively at the evading Abyss rays thin profile, the crimson beams lancing through the air at the speed of light. Some missing the swift Abyss ray by scant inches while glancing hits burned through the thin skin until one beam burned through the right wing and another struck near its head but the Abyss ray despite its wounds was able to open a warp portal and get away.
Within a hallway in the Wrath of the stars Zerion blinked from the shadows along with a zerg phantom that quickly cloaked itself. Zerion blinked away again and quickly returned with a second Phantom that also quickly cloaked itself. The three cloaked infiltrator's made their way through the ship passing Tal'darim Zealots who appeared to be more numerous than the last time he was in the ship and they made a small detour to a stasis room making sure the plan was still viable. Zerion narrowed his eyes in contentment at seeing that many Tal'darim were still in stasis and returned to the task at hand.
Wrath of the stars bridge
From his throne Azrumath watched as his ship rose-up from the ocean and then fired its secondary weapon's at a new type of zerg before the beast warped away as quickly as it had arrived.
"So it seems the Zerg witch's plans are proceeding as anticipated," Zyrex stated in a calculating tone as he turned from the holoscreen to his master who was leaning to his right side with his head resting on his right hand looking bored.
"So it seems Zyrex. I think its time we capture that little pest. Don't you think so Kainok," Azrumath said as Kainok stepped closer from the corner of the room.
"I will capture the dark templar and... question him about why and how he is here My master," replied Kainok as he turned around and left the bridge.
The Wrath of the stars continued to ascend higher until it exited the Earths atmosphere and then activated its warp engines and slipped from the current dimensional plane and into another dimension that allowed travel at far faster velocity's than in normal space.
Around over a half hour later. After Zerion had found Lasarra and given her the message the plan is in motion he arrived at the entrance to the chamber which held the three captive Valkyrur and blinked inside, shortly after Kainok walked out from the shadows of a nearby corridor. Zerion blinked inside the chamber as the three Valkyrur turned their heads to the door sensing the arrival of the cloaked protoss. For the past two years Alicia, Aliasse and Ellen have all been bored out of their minds and had to suffer through being drained of their psionic power for the past two years just waiting for the day to come that the Zerg swarm would be ready to take on the Tal'darim and for their ship to be repaired so it could be used by Zerions people to return to the protoss empire across the galaxy. Ellen also wanted to wait so her swarm could finish their reducing of the human population and removal of any and all forms of human civilization in designated parts of the Earth, there by giving large swaths of land back to nature. Zerion, Alicia and Aliasse were loathed to follow that part Ellen's plans but without the aide of the Zerg any rebellion against the Tal'darim would not far very well or may not even succeed at all. So they were forced to follow Ellen's strategy.
"Is it time," Aliasse asked as she closed the door of her refrigerator which the Tal'darim had at least provided them with and restocked for them just like the other amenity's like the bed and toilet which had a attached fabrication matrix outside the cell bars which converted their waste into energy and then into food. All of which made living as prisoners tolerable.
"Yes. Solus has deployed his forces and is liberating my people from the Tal'darim. They have also launched this ship and we have been in warp for some time now," Zerion replied.
"I guess that means were no longer in our one solar system then," Alicia stated as the three of them looked to Ellen as she continued her push ups. Ellen had kept her self occupied for the last two years by exercising and training in control of her psionic power, or at least as much of her psionic power that she could gather given all three Valkyrur have been drained of their psionic energy every day none stop for two years. The only reason they haven't died was because the rate of the draining was just enough to render them powerless to escape but still able to live.
Ellen stood up and grabbed a towel on her bed and wiped the sweat off as she turned to Zerion.
"Huh... Is it, still viable," Ellen asked in a coded reference in cause the Tal'darim were listening in on them. Zerion replied with three taps to the floor with his metal plated boots." Good. Now we can get out of here." Ellen said as the one and only door of the chamber opened suddenly.
"I would think not," Kainok proclaimed as he stepped inside followed by four blood hunters." I know that your here dark templar. We have known of your presence since we found the Xel'naga sentinel's you destroyed on Phobos."Zerion then remembered destroying a room full of Xel'naga drone constructs because he did not want them being used by the Tal'darim, which he now regrets a little." Now reveal yourself or I will kill the young one, Kainok commanded as he lifted his right arm and pressed on a small remote control.
Aliasse screamed in pain grabbing her head and dropped to the floor as the psionic inhibitor's on her cell activated causing her great pain as her body felt like it was being scrambled and burned.
Zerion clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes in anger but still with some regret at his for more ally. "Stop," Zerion shouted as he decloaked showing him selfe to the Tal'darim.
"Zerion?. Your alive!," Kainok said in a surprised tone seeing the zealot that he had supposedly killed two years ago was still alive.
"Yes now stop torturing her," Zerion pleaded.
Kainok stood there for a few moments before turning off the inhibitor. "How are you still alive?" he said as he took a few steps closer up to Zerion.
"I survived thanks to you Kainok," Zerion said trying to snap his old ally back to his senses.
"Me!." Kainok said in a questioning tone as he stepped closer to Zerion looking him in the eye. "What makes you think that? he asked.
"Because if you were a true traitor and truly wanted to kill me back then you would have cut my head off instead of only my nerve cords. Your were a proud templar once before Kainok, you can be again. You have not fallen so far as to be unredeemable," Zerion said in a strong tone as he stares back into Kainoks red eyes.
Kainok stood there thinking about those words and found himself remembering the past. He remembered that they had first met in the templar academy on A'rule and were very competitive with each other from the start. They were never really close friends but they were templar and both respected each other. However Zerion was always the more skilled fighter and almost always won against other initiates at the academy which included Kainok. But in truth that had always been why Kainok respected Zerion because of his skill in combat and because of that Kainok wanted to surepass Zerion not because he hated him but he wanted to be as skilled as he was so they could be as equals and comrades one day.
"I..." Kainok said in a low voice as his mind started to fight the manipulations of Azrumath."I...," Kainok repeated as he remembered why he served Azrumath, not because he respected or even liked Azrumath but because he was forced to serve. "Ahhh... I..." Kainok grabbed his head and screamed as his mind and soul fought back against the psionic bindings that Azrumath placed in his head and Kainok realized that his respect and envy for Zerion had been twisted into hatred and malice. "Aaah aaah..." Kainok shouted as his mind burned with pain as he struggled against the psionic brainwashing of Azrumath.
Back on the ships bridge Azrumath and Zyrex watched a holo screen showing them the Valkyrur containment room as Kainok dropped to his knees and grabbed his head and started screaming from the pain.
"Well... that's disappointing," Azrumath said with a amused expression." Zyrex tell your blood hunters to kill both of them will you," Azrumath commanded
Zyrex turned to Azrumath. "Yes my lord..."
But before Zyrex could give the orders the ship forcibly warped back into normal space.
"What! why have we exited warp space" Azrumath demanded.
About a half hour earlier
Lasarras quarters
Lasarra sat in the middle of her room meditating and absorbing the artificial light being emitted from the flat sphere shaped light crystal plate on the ceiling above her. For the past two years Lasarra and her teams of other scientist and phase smiths have been hard at work repairing the Tal'darim ship, Wrath of the stars. The severity of the damage was extensive to the point of nearly being pointless, however the ships main power core, central control system and other primary systems like life support and gravity were all still intact... mostly, despite the three big gaping holes in the ships hull. The time Lasarra and her work crews took cleaning out the ships lower decks of dirt and debris took up three hole months alone. Not to mention the time spent installing the new internal component's, replacing burned out systems and patching the hull. And now Azrumath just launch the ship just when it was nearly all complete, well it's ready to launch but it still has a few kinks to work out...
Just then there was a near silent whoosh of noise and the muffled sound of foot falls on the floor of the room shaking Lasarra out of her thoughts as she then felt a hand on her shoulder. "It is time, there are two with me, they will guard you" Zerion said in a low voice as Lasarra remained still and soon after heard the whooshing noise again. Lasarra then put her arms together and felt under her sleeves retrieving a small object. Lasarra then activated the small device and it sent out a emp pulse that shorted out the internal sensor of her room which the tal'darim used to keep tabs on her and the other workers. Over the two years working on the Tal'darim technology Lasarra has learned its strength's and vulnerabilities. Soon after a Tal'darim zealot came and opened Lasarra's door seeing her still sitting on the floor meditating.
"What is it ?" Lasarra asked like she was surprised and didn't know anything.
"Don't play dumb,"The zealot said in a threatening tone as he stepped inside and the door closed behind him. "I know that you did something to... aah" The Tal'darim zealot stopped speaking as he felt a pair of clawed hands pierced into his neck and with great strength twisted and rip his head off causing a small fountain of blood to spurt up coating the cloaked form of a Zerg Phantom hanging on the ceiling with its Geko like feet which like its hands have many microscopic hair like filaments that increase a molecular adhering force between its body and the surface called Van der Waals force, allowing the Phantom to stick to nearly any surface just like a Gecko.
Lasarra watched as the zealots body fell to the floor and then she stood up. "Come we have a job to do," Lasarra said to the two Phantoms she knew were there as she left the workers quarters and quickly made their way to the nearest stasis chamber and Lasarra then bypassed the security door. Upon entering Lasarra and the two Phantoms ran to the rear of the stasis chamber to a control panel and Lasarra then hacked into the system and locked the room while also turning off the security alarm making sure no warning signal would be sent when the stasis pods are opened or when the Tal'darim inside them die. Lasarra also sent a virus to the other stasis chambers throughout the ship and did the same to them except the doors to the others would remain unlocked. she then turned around to the Zerg Phantoms as they decloaked revealing themselves.
"Ok everything is set. Now get this thing out of me," Lasarra said as the Phantom kneeled in front of her.
"This will hurt," one Phantom spoke in a smooth female but reptilian voice.
The phantom then used its clawed hand to make a small slit on Lasarra gut and pushed its hand into her midsection gently feeling around a little much to Lasarra discomfort until grabbing onto a small Zerg larva and pulled it out. The larva was a special queen larva called Niadra that Abastein had made just for this moment and was placed inside Lasarra months ago when it was much smaller, by Zerion as a contingency plan by Ellen to use the Tal'darim own stasis chambers and numbers against them while also making a distraction so that Lasarra could get to the ships engine room. If Zerion couldn't bring the Phantom's with him or even come himself then Lasarra would have to remove the Larva herself and the using the parasite in her head would have to command the larva herself.
"Aaah ugh," Lasarra wrenched grabbing the lightly bleeding slit on her belly and again using the nearby control panel to release a few Tal'darim in nearby stasis pods.
As the stasis pods opened the two Phantoms quickly killed the Tal'darim and then placed the queen larva into one of the corpse's and commanded it to eat and grow before piling the bodies up onto each other. Over the course of the next few minutes Lasarra released more Tal'darim in small groups and the zerg Phantoms killed them and gathered them into more mounds of bodies. In that span of time the queen larva had gorged it'self on the Tal'darim bodies and morphed into a near full sized queen within seven full minutes it was full grown and stood up from the pool of blood and now hollow armor parts.
"I... I am Niadra queen of my... brood. My mission is to... free my empress from her prison," Niadra said repeating her psionically imprinted orders. Niadra looked at the protoss female and the Phantom. "You are allies?" she asked.
"Yes Niadra we are allies." One of the phantoms answered. "We have our own mission to aide you in freeing our empress but first you must feed on the biomass here. Become stronger and create your brood. Quickly,"
Niadra thought a moment and then started producing larva and gorging herself again the bodies of the dead Tal'darim while Lasarra and the Phantoms continued to release and kill hundreds more of them. In a short amount of time there were dozens of Zerglings and a few Alpha Zerglings. Shortly after a small force was assembled Lasarra and the Phantoms left the stasis room with a escort of a dozen of Niadra,s Zerglings while the rest and the few Alpha Zerglings stayed behind to protect Niadra as she continued to spawn more Zerg. Niadra was made by Abastein to be able to grow quickly and spawn Zerglings quickly, these Zerglings like their queen had the ability to rapidly grow into adults with only minimal reduction to their durability.
After moving through a few passageways Lasarra the Phantoms and Zerglings reached a transport platform that formed a teleportation network throughout the Tal'darim ship allowing for quick movement around the massive vessel.
Upon teleporting to the engine room Lasarra and her zerg allies found themselves at the top level of a large triple leveled room with a half circle shape which was guarded and potroled by a dozen or so Tal'darim zealots, a few on each level and all of them moving around on patrol. Lasarra and the zerglings stayed hidden while the Phantoms took point using their camouflaging and climbing abilities to move around the chamber silently killing the Tal'darim zealots one after the other and hiding their bodies. When the Zealots numbers were reduced enough the Zerglings rushed the remaining Tal'darim and Lasarra was able to get to the warp drive controls on the lowest floor.
Lasarra worked the controls and was able to force the ship out of warp space. A few moments later back on the bridge Azrumath tapped a finger on his thrones armrest as he watched his bridge officers work their controls consoles searching for the cause of why the ship dropped out of warp space.
"Well!"Azrumath demanded getting impatient.
"Sir we have multiply intruders in the main engine room," one bridge officer said as he brought up multiply holoscreen's showing the engine room and Lasarra with five Zerglings in the main engine room.
"Lasarra! with Zerg aaahh!. Change of planes Zyrex send your blood hunters to kill them, but leave Lasarra alive... mostly. I want to question her as to how those zerg got on board," Azrumath ordered but before Zyrex could respond or move another holoscreen snapped on showing a Tal'darim Ascendant one of Azrumaths ranking officers.
"My lord Azrumath. Forgive me for my intrusion but we have been boarded by Zerg," the Ascendent reported.
"Yes yes, I already know about the zerg braking into the main engine room," Azrumath replied in a annoyed tone.
"My Lord Azrumath I am not talking about the main engine room. The force of Zerg I and my zealots are fighting against now with are on deck 25, near stasis room 11. The creatures have already spread through the level and I believe they are moving for the chamber holding the Valkyrur!," the ascendent replied in haste as he quickly dropped off screen looked as through he dodged a leaping zergling.
"What!" Azrumath shouted as he stood up now visibly angry.
Back on Earth
Hawthorne California
Days inn hotel
Inside her Hotel room clone Ellen number 1 could not sleep because of the flashbacks and nightmares of that time she was nearly raped. It didn't interfere with her work, at least she didn't let it. She got out of bed and walked in her nightgown over to the balcony and sat in a chair and just looked up at the night sky but because of the light pollution that brightened up the night sky, caused by street lights and other man-made sources, she couldn't see any of stars. She then remembered back when she was still just a few hours old and the original Ellen had brought her out of the hive cluster to the forest above. They watched the star filled sky together as the original Ellen explained to her clone everything she would need to know to pass as a double.
"Back then everything was so simple" Ellen said with a sigh and continued to look up into the blackness above.
Ellen still had been having a tough time getting the event of her near rape out of her mind manly because she hated that she didn't have any power like the real Ellen or Izsha the second clone had. In some ways Clone Ellen number one was resentful to the original Ellen for growing her to quickly and ruining any psionic powers she may have had which indirectly led to her being at the mercy of those bastards who almost violated her, even though she was rescued by that Phantom who is no doubt still hanging around keeping close watch of clone Ellen number one.
"I hope they rescue Ellen... the real Ellen."She said reaching her arm up to the night sky." I have... no I need to ask her... if she really thinks that things for humanity will become better because of her and the swarms actions... and if she intended for me to be powerless or if it was really just a accident that left me without any psionic abilities." Ellen said feeling a little melancholic.
Ok everyone im almost done with the first arch of my story, just the final battle against Azrumath and his tal'darim and then the epilogue. Then we move on to the future and the koprulu sector and the events of the first starcraft game well my version anyway. It will have a lot more space battles and the conflict between the Overminds swarm and the Protoss Empire will be... more epic. But that will be in a separate story since Earth and Gallia will no longer be the main setting so i'm going to haft to start a second story with the crossover title Starcraft X Halo...Yeah lets just say the United Earth Directorate aren't going to be the ones invading the Koprulu sector during brood war.
And also that small bit about someone or something manipulating things in the back round will be explained in the epilogue... no spoilers.
Chapter End
