Gate: Thus the Dominion Fought there

Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft, Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There, or the characters associated with them. Starcraft is the property of Blizzard while Gate is the property Takumi Yanai

"Talking"

Thoughts

Gate 25

"Oh, what a pity" Alarak thought to himself. The humans of this fortress had completely surrendered. Thus, he could not kill the rest of them as they were nothing more than frightened children before them. Not that his deal with Artanis was holding him back as there were a few loop holes he could exploit.

However, he did not care to be listening to Artanis nagging him about it later if all the humans here ended up dead.

For that reasoning he had let some of them go as to avoid the annoyance later.

But how to do so while deriving amusement from it he wondered.

"If only they can kill themselves" he sighed. "It would solve all my problems". But alas, he had to go with the next best thing.

Gathering all the humans into one area, he announced his intention. "You will kill each other for my amusement. The winner may leave here alive". The highlord had kept his demands rather simple and let these simple animals figure out the rest for themselves.

With that statement alone Alarak and his Tal'darim felt a rush of their fear and desperation.

The lord, the nobles, their generals, commanders, soldiers, and even simple slaves felt the pit of their stomach drop at how merciless these demi-humans were. Say what you will about them. They were the very representation of Emroy in terms of their appearance, malice, and savagery.

Yet this act was completely against noble convention. Everyone in Falmart knew this simple common law.

Unlike those plebian soldiers, commoners, and slaves, the lives of nobles had more worth. Hence if captured it was proper etiquette that they would be treated correctly to their station till a time they could be ransomed back.

Granted some of them were too afraid to argue with these vile demi-humans. But alas some of their egos were worth more than their lives.

One of them spoke out as he was supported by the yells of other nobles. "Do you know who we are?! It is why you demi-humans are considered so barbaric!"

"Kill each other?! What is this non-sense you speak of?!"

"Do you know who you speak too?!"

After hearing all their rants, Alarak found himself rather annoyed of their pompous attitude. Even the Terrans he is usually accustomed too were not this foolish to be spouting off non-sense like this when they were clearly at a disadvantage. Not caring to hear any more of their words, the Protoss highlord flexed his psionic presence silencing them all as the complaining nobles felt the cold chill of death sweep pass them.

"I care very little of your beliefs or your ways as they interest me very little as my word is law" as Alarak had not let up one moment of his intimidation as he will make these ignorant humans listen. "If you . . . . 'Nobles' think so highly of yourselves then there should be no issue with my judgment". Eyeing a random soldier among the crowd, "and you shall be my example" as one Tal'darim dragged him forward.

"My . . . . My lord, please spare me" the soldier stuttered.

Ignoring his pleas, "choose your weapon. Then choose your opponent. The winner may leave here with their lives. That is my promise".

With no further room to argue, the soldier scanned the room choosing someone he knew he could beat and more or less didn't like. Upon his selection, the two fought with him barely managing to win.

"You may go" Alarak waved off. Just like that he was allowed to leave. "Now, who is next?"

Soldier after soldier were taken as they fought for the Tal'darim's amusement. It was made clearly known that if none of them volunteered they would be picking for them.

Understanding how dire the situation was, the nobles needed to get on this too less they get challenged by someone they knew they couldn't beat or someone having a bone to pick with them.

One of the first to realize this, "Please! Let me be the next to fight!" as Dulles pushed several soldiers out of his way. "You are of your word that if I win that I may live?"

"Of course" as Alarak narrowed his gaze upon this man.

But regardless of his enthusiasm, the Tal'darim were very aware of who he was and thusly had no intention of letting him leave this place alive. That was the price he will pay for insulting the Protoss race.

Of course, the other Protoss had different reactions to it.

The Khalai viewed it more as the talk of children.

The Nerazim saw it as over-bloated ego and concluded that there was no need to pursue the matter.

The Purifiers were outright annoyed. But would not act so long as they were just words.

However, the Tal'darim viewed such a comment on the level of heresy. And thus, they would make sure he would die as an example to everyone in this room to mind their tongues when speaking to or about them.

Unbeknownst to him, Dulles looked around eagerly for someone he knew he could defeat. There were some among the nobles he knew he could beat. But he needed to think about his future. Thus, a bad idea if surviving relatives wanted compensation for it later.

There were many unskilled soldiers he knew he could definitely fight. After all, a good deal of them were only recently conscripted and were nothing more than common villagers. But seeing the blood lust in some of their eyes, he could not guarantee that he would walk away unscathed. As he was the one who ordered the rain of arrows that killed many of their men. If not for his position and hiding behind someone all this time someone definitely would have fought to kill him if they had nothing to lose.

What he needed to do was pick someone here he knew he could beat with absolute certainty while also coming out of it unscathed. Eying everyone in the room, Dulles sneered. "Them" as he pointed to one of the slave girls as they were huddled together. "I will fight them". The arrogant oprichnina felt so smug over his intelligence. Why should he risk his life? It was better to fight someone he knew couldn't fight back and guarantee his safety. It was the most obvious move they should've made. Regardless of what everyone would think of him it was better to live smart then die foolishly. Besides, after watching what these filthy demi-humans liked he will give them a show to insure his safe passage.

Forced up, the slave girl was crying hysterically at her impending death. But as all of the girls were shackled together, they too were forced to go with her.

"Wh . . . . What is this?" as Dulles was startled as his increase in opponents.

"This will not be a problem will it?" questioned Alarak.

"N . . . . No, of course not" he partly stuttered. Taking a breath, there was no change to his plans. These slaves were nothing more than frightened sheep as he was the wolf among them. Once he had killed one of them the rest would be paralyzed into inaction to do anything. With them chained like that, all the easier. Kill the oldest first, the rest will fall naturally.

As the two sides picked up their weapons to fight, "wait! This battle is clearly unfair" said Ji'nara, first ascendant of the Tal'darim.

"Oh? How so?" as Alarak played along.

"One side is clearly at a disadvantage. I believe we should make this fight more honorable".

"Hmm" as the Protoss highlord looked between the two sides. "I agree. This battle does look unfavorable. Adjust this accordingly".

As Dulles was brimming at how the gods favor seemed to have been smiling at him, it would not be so as Ji'nara ignited her psi blade severing off his right arm. Immediately cold sweat permeated his face as he looked to his lifeless sword arm on the ground before looking back to the burnt stub that was left. The violent act was so sudden that his body didn't have time to register the pain as he was in complete shock. But Ji'nara was far from done as she swept his leg causing him to fall. As his back hit the ground, one of his legs flung up as the dark zealot grabbed him by the ankle. In one firm squeeze, his foot was bent out of shape as ligaments, tendons, muscle tissue, and bone were torn and fragmented beyond repair. Not that it would matter very soon.

"Wait! Wait! You said that this would be an honorable fight!" Dulles screamed out in panic.

"You think yourself so mightily do you not?" Ji'nara questioned smugly. "This is fair enough" as she stepped back allowing the fight to continue.

Seeing the slave girls approach him, "stay back! I said stay back!" as the arrogant oprichnina desperately tried to pry his sword out of his dismembered hand.

Under normal circumstances the slave girls would have abided as their time in the dungeon had broken their mind and spirits.

But the more interesting question is why did no one try to fight them earlier.

The answer was that the Tal'darim had concealed their presence so that no one would notice them. After all, what fun was there in such a lop-sided fight if they couldn't derive any emotion of fear or desperation out of them.

But when Dulles had announced his interest to fight, they were already tailoring his death as they anticipated and engineered everything up to this moment.

For the slave girls, they were given to what one could consider as telepathic therapy. No matter how badly the mind and spirit were bludgeoned into submission, the will to live was something not so easily to smoother out. Turning their feelings of hopelessness and despair into unbridled rage at what they did to them, they just now needed to let the dog off its leash. But by no reasoning was this out of good will to them. Just a means to an end.

Giving them blunt weapons, they wanted his death to be as violent as possible.

And thus, the slave girls repeatedly struck.

"Stop!" Dulles screamed. "Do you know who I am?! I will kill you all for this!"

More bludgeoning later . . . .

"Stop . . . . I said stop . . . ."

A few minutes later . . . .

"Please stop . . . ."

Coughing out blood and teeth as bones and organs were torn to pieces, Dulles was reduced to a bloody mulch on the ground and soon died.

"Delectable" Alarak hummed as he still quite enjoyed the sweet after taste of his final moments of desperation. Looking to the slave girls, "you may go" as they were waved off as they quickly left.

At seeing what had happened to Dulles, it was clear to the other nobles that their status would not protect them at all.

Seeing first hand at what these demi-humans were capable of, Zorzal was overwhelmed. But as expected of him, the arrogant prince did what he always does. Somehow make the situation worse.

"You cowardly filthy demi-humans!" Zorzal screamed out much to the chagrin of his close associates as they desperately tried keep him from saying something he was going to regret. "You are nothing more than lowly animals! Dumb creatures who were meant to serve humans! In a true test of strength and steel I could slaughter all of you! But you cowardly use magic because you know you cannot win in an honorable fight between men!"

Upon listening to that little outburst, Alarak stood up as he approached the arrogant prince as he couldn't help but back away. "Is that so?" to which Zorzal barely nodded not wanting to look like a fool for what he said.

This being the absolute first in his life, the Protoss highlord was both intrigued and livid. There were only two kinds of people in the universe who had that kind of courage to talk to him like that. A warrior or a fool. This little human before him was clearly the latter with the way he reeked of false bravado. But if he wished to prove himself, who was he turn him down?

"Very well prince" said Alarak. "Then I shall humor you". Two dark zealots assisted in removing his gauntlets as two swords were placed before them. Grasping the primitive weapon in his hand testing its weight, "I shall make this more interesting then. If you are able to defeat me my forces will withdraw ending in your victory".

"Sounds good to me" Zorzal grinned in an attempt to psych himself up. This was why demi-humans were dumb. Without his magic sword, he had to be in a disadvantage. In a contest of strength and swordsmanship, there was no one who was better than him. Although killing this demi-human would not settle his anger or wounded pride, he needed to regroup his forces.

"But if you lose, I will claim all your lives" which alarmed all those present.

"Mu . . . . My lord will not lose to the likes of you!" shouted Herm.

"Lord Zorzal is one of the best!" said Mudra.

"You over-estimate yourself" then said Calasta. "You will fall!"

Zorzal's chances of victory were not ideal. But they had no choice but to believe in him as he had chained their fates to his.

"Come" said Alarak, "I do not care to wait".

Gripping his sword with both his hands, Zorzal would settle this in one strike with all his might. Swinging in war cry his swing was then deflected as his opponent had not bothered to take a proper stance as he held his blade one handed. He then felt his hands ache trembling at the sudden strain.

"Is that all you have?" as Alarak looked to him smugly.

This was one of Zorzal's greatest follies. So much as scratch his ego in something he takes absolute pride in he will become blinded by rage like a child throwing a tantrum. Not that he had much impulse control or discipline to start with. Swinging wildly at his opponent, none of his attacks seemed to have been connecting.

Just to add insult to injury Alarak didn't need to do much as all he did was just stand there moving his sword into place to defend himself. Aside the difference in physical strength and senses, this barely evolved monkey was easy to read through telepathy. Not that there was much to read as his thoughts were incredibly lacking any hint of strategy. His entire train of thought was swing as hard as he can and eventually his enemy will fall. "And this is supposed to be the greatest swordsmen around? I'm appalled at how lacking it is". However, he wasn't expecting a challenge as this was purely amusement.

After swinging his sword erratically for five minutes straight, Zorzal had pretty much tired himself out as he felt his body becoming numb and weak from strain. "Why? Why does he not fall?!" he screamed between heavy breaths.

"Maybe because you are weak?" Alarak questioned which enraged Zorzal again as he continued to swing his sword some more.

Continuing to swing his sword for a few more minutes, the duel was pretty much over as the first prince could barely lift his sword as his hands shook.

"Are you done now?" Alarak then questioned. Not waiting for a response, he swung his blade knocking his opponent's weapon out of his hand. "Because it's about time I now finish this" as he held the tip of his blade to Zorzal's neck. As easy as it would be for him to kill him, he wanted his suffering to wash over him. "Hold him down" as two zealots each grabbed an arm and forced Zorzal onto his knees.

"What is this?! You coward! You knew you couldn't beat me and you had to resort to this!"

The Protoss highlord could only roll his eyes as he actually managed to find someone with an ego bigger than his. But the difference was, he had the power and skills to afford it. Thinking of the many ways he could kill this little human; he had the one way he wanted to do it. Scanning everyone in the room, he ordered his Tal'darim to strip them of their jewelry such as their necklaces, bracelets, and rings which were made of gold. Retrieving one of there cooking pots, all the jewelry was dumped into it as one of the zealots fired off red psionic lightning as it began super heating the pot.

"Wha . . . . What are you doing?" as Zorzal tried to resist only managing to turn his head to see the pot that was beginning to glow red.

"Compared to the Terrans I'm more accustomed too, you primitives amaze me at how full hardy you are believing in your own self-worth. Barely developed a language and simple tools and already thinking themselves invincible. Pathetic" as Alarak retrieved his gauntlets and walked toward the pot seeing the gold melt into a molten liquid form. "Fighting over this small ball of dirt and water. Killing over such ridiculous things. But I digress" as the highlord turned his attention back to Zorzal. "You think yourself an emperor, yes? Someone who will eventually rule this world? But it seems you are lacking something . . . . Ah yes". Taking the pot, "Something you humans seem to enjoy wearing. Now, what was that saying? Right" as Alarak glared murderous rage. "A crown for a king".

"Wait! Stop! I command you!"

"Let this serve as a lesson for the rest of you" said Alarak to the shock of his human audience. "Mind your tongue when speaking of the Protoss or have them cut out".

Unable to fight or move, all Zorzal could do was twitch violently as every pore on his body was pouring out cold sweat. All he could do now was gape as incoherent words escaped his lips. But deep in his mind, "this is not where I'm supposed to die! There was so much I was destined to do!". The lands he would conquer. The mountains of riches he would plunder. The women he would enslave for pleasure. History and tales that would sing of his greatness for generations. But all of that was coming to an end as the burning pot of molten gold loomed closer to him. Now at deaths door as Hardy was about to receive him, it finally occurred to him. He was going to die and there was nothing he or anyone else can do about it.

But what came next surprised everyone.

"Hmm?" as Alarak noticed a pungent scent in the air. Pinpointing where it was coming from, the soon to be dead prince's tunic and armor became stained with yellow and brown. Then a small puddle began to form beneath him as it got all over his legs. Understanding what had just happened, ". . . ." as Alarak was honestly at a loss for words.

But fully comprehending it, he soon dropped the pot as molten gold splattered all over the ground. What started as a small chuckle exploded into roaring laughter shared by all the Tal'darim. It was just too funny to them at how this prideful little human had defecated himself right then and there much to the shock of everyone else.

Still trying to catch his breath from all the laughing, Alarak managed to speak. "You amuse me little monkey. I shall spare your life today. Continue to amuse me from now on" as the Protoss highlord and his followers continued to laugh afterwards.

But before leaving Rekkin, the Tal'darim did perform their duty of expecting the base for Karax. But like the other two, the phasesmith was not there.

Telepathically interrogating the prison guards, Karax was there to what they remembered. However, they couldn't explain why he was missing. But for one of the guards, he noticed a strange blue light that shined from his cell. It didn't take long for the Protoss to understand that Karax had managed to warp out of there. But if that was the case, then where was he now?

~ Unknown place ~

"Hmm, this is all really interesting" said Karax as he was in the middle of examining a tool that was described as a magical artifact.

He did have a map as he more or less had an idea where he was. But he was no where near Alnus hill as it would takes weeks to months to get there by foot.

He did try to catch a ride with passing travelers. But those encounters were less then ideal as some acted fearfully while others were outright hostile.

Additionally, he didn't have the materials to build a communication device. Considering the time it would take to start from nothing it was pretty much better to just walk back.

But then he had another possible plan. It wasn't ideal, but he could randomly warp and hopefully get closer.

As Karax jumped around he started losing focus on his objective as he kept encountering something that caught his interest and wanted to study.

However due to his random warps it only made the search for him that more difficult as rumors sprung up about his sudden appearance.

With how slow communication was on this continent, the Protoss had no choice but to chase down every rumor in search for him.

Thus, they were now stuck with a new question. Where was Karax now?

To be continued . . . .

Author's notes: I actually planned to post this chapter on January 1st as what better way to start the year then with Zorzal sh*tting himself to the Tal'darim's amusement. Well hopefully this chapter was OK. So now onto some commentary.

Surprisingly I had a hard time capturing Alarak's character. Of all the cutscenes I watched, I hopefully am within the ball park of what he would do given the situation. Also he still has not broken his promise to Artanis as neither he nor his Tal'darim have killed those that surrendered. Granted they could have resisted by refusing to fight. But it wasn't like they knew that as Alarak has been scaring the hell out of them since the battle started.

Zorzal is also the same in this case as I'm completely working off script as events in canon no longer apply now. But knowing the things I know about him I'd imagine that is what he would do. Especially when cornered the way he way and no way out it was just the inevitable conclusion. But ironically, he saved his own men by doing so lol. As the Tal'darim derive amusement/pleasure from negative emotions, it was just too enjoyable for them. Hence why they were more or less spared.

Also props to the reviewer with the Game of Thrones line. I liked the idea so much that I just had to add it.

Thus the next few chapters will be the Protoss searching Falmart interacting with its natives as they look for Karax.

However, some have already guessed where Karax will be.

As an end note, Zorzal and his followers will not have learned their lesson and continue to pursue the Protoss ending in crippling losses. Mad props to MadClawDragon with the bard song that will be passed around that will drive Zorzal absolutely crazy.

If there are any questions or concerns feel free to ask as I'll try to answer them.

So thank you for reading and I further extend my gratitude if you can review as well.