What, a new chapter? Already? Well yes, here it is. I guess being close to the end of this story helps me muster all the motivation that I have left to finish this. That doesn't mean that I will be able to push out the remaining chapters just like that, so don't expect this on a regular basis. And I had some free time on my hand to work on this one. Anyway, the flashbacks are back, only this time not rooted in the distant past. Someone wrote me a PM that, while they enjoy the story, they think that I went overboard with the flashbacks, and they make this story harder to read than it has to be. I somewhat agree, but the truth is: Writing those flashbacks is simply fun.
Chapter 30
Trouble in Paradise
Part I
„Aw, come on! Why can we enter but not him? He's with us. He's with me!" Paula whined as she stared up at the huge Protoss in front of her. The warrior lowered her head in apology.
"My apologies, but he wears the colors of the Templar. He and his kind are not welcome here." the female Protoss, who wore the ancient colors of the Nerazim, explained. Paula looked over her shoulder and threw the huge Protoss behind her a desperate look.
"Don't you want to say something? This is about you after all!"
"It is what it is." Evalonis mused. "In hindsight: Perhaps you should have told me that we would travel to an ancient old enclave populated by members of the Nerazim-sect-"
"We are not a sect!" the Nerazim interrupted him. Behind her stood more Nerazim. All of them were a bit smaller than Evalonis. Not that it truly mattered, but yeah, Paula's boyfriend was a total beefcake when compared to them.
Not that it mattered.
Seriously.
"I am sorry, it was not my attention to insult you." Evalonis backed off. "For what it is worth: I have not come here to cause you any problems. If my presence is indeed an insult to you, then I shall return to the ship and wait there until-"
"Oh, nonononono!" Paule then interrupted the Nerazim in return. "I totally need him by my side for this one. Like, I can't get Artanis back up should he stumble and fall and break his bones and stuff!" Behind her, Evalonis sighed but didn't say anything. The Nerazim's eyes widened in surprise when she heard that name.
"Artanis?" she asked. "The great Artanis is...here?"
"Actually, up there." Paula corrected the warrior and pointed at the massive vessel hovering right above them. The Hyperion was perhaps not as huge as the old and ancient temple beneath it, but it was still one heck of a big ship and blocking out most of the sunlight. The alien nature surrounding them seemed to be confused by this too since some plants had already started to close their purple and gray petals.
When the Hyperion had exited hyperspace, they had done so in style. It was proof to Karax's ingenuity and Sarah's and her sisters' hard work that the ship that had crash-landed so ungracefully a few weeks ago on Sternenheim, partially because of its poor condition, partially because Paula "trying" to steer it, had arrived just above the main temple on Zhakul, right where the Grand Preserver was residing. The hull of the Hyperion, not too long ago a dark and rusty mess, looked brand-new. What would have taken a whole shipyard and thousands of highly-skilled workers millions of labor-hours, a phasesmith and few hundred mini-Izsha's had done in a fraction of that time.
The Hyperion was not back to factory-standard. She was not like she had been when they had first put her into duty, over one thousand years ago.
No.
This Hyperion was better.
Still, a battlecruiser arriving just above an enclave of Protoss without giving them a call was generally a bad idea, and a quick way to end up dead. Interceptors had scrambled almost immediately and things could have ended up badly if a certain someone hadn't broadcasted "Don't shot, we are pathetic!" over and over again on all channels.
Paula Kerrigan, pro-diplomat extraordinaire!
But since this place still held some important significance, so arriving inside an ancient human warship and just claiming that "Don't worry, we're harmless!" isn't really enough to calm everyone's nerves. And so, to avoid being blasted out of the sky, Paula had decided to travel down there and do just that: Calm everyone's nerve. With Evalonis having her back.
Which, in hindsight (as Evalonis had already stated), might have been a mistake.
Zhakul was not officially affiliated with Aiur or her colonies. And just because Artanis had fought to unify all of Protosskind with all of his heart and soul, not all of them had accepted this brave new world. Most of the Tal'darim hadn't. Their ways had been incompatible with the peaceful vision of Artanis and his successor, the great Talandar. Some Tal'darim had chosen to stay, but most had decided to leave. The relationship between them and Aiur was...difficult. But people are not a monolithic block. This is true for humans. And the same goes for Protoss. Zerg might be a bold exception, but that is the benefit of a swarm intelligence.
Not all Nerazim had accepted this new world order. Not all had wanted to become part of a new society. Some had wanted to remain who they were. And so they had continued to honor the old ways.
It made sense to Evalonis, and he wasn't bitter about the fact that they didn't want him to be here. He was a member of the Templar-order, true. But he had never felt awfully close to those who had told ancient stories about the old ways. He was the worst enemy of any true fanatic: He was a pragmatic. And if his presence meant that Paula's plan wouldn't work, then he would return to the ship immediately. But at the same time...
...it felt odd.
He looked at these Nerazim and wondered if they truly hated the Templar. Evalonis was no fool, he had studied history. The real history, facts that had been handed to society by the Purifiers, who had kept records of pretty much everything the Conclave had censored during their reign. So he knew how the Nerazim and their ancestors had been shunned and hunted simply for refusing to bow to the Khala. Evalonis knew, deep down in his heart, that he couldn't blame the Nerazim of old to hate the Conclave and the Templar who had been the tool to hunt them down.
So yeah, he could understand any Nerazim from that time who would have told him to "get lost".
But the ones right in front of him?
Evalonis knew better than to run his mouth...figuratively speaking. He hadn't come here to make people angry, but at the same time he thought it was ridiculous that they were so adamant about refusing to allow a Templar to enter the temple. Not a single one of them had fought in the Great War. Not a single one of them had suffered hardship through the hands of a Templar. Perhaps Evalonis was overthinking things, but in a way these people were just like the Templar they rejected so much. They weren't able to let go of the past and allowed it to control them.
It was sad, in a way. However, Evalonis knew better than to speak out his mind.
"I thought Artanis was dead." the warrior who barred them entrance mused and looked up at the battlecruiser floating high above their heads. It was clear that while these people still considered themselves Nerazim first and foremost, they still seemed to hold a certain level of respect to Artanis.
There weren't many figures in the history of the Protoss that were generally considered "good" by all of them. Well, minus the Tal'darim. They pretty much didn't like anyone but their own heroes.
Evalonis could only think of five people in the history of Protosskind that were revered by both the people of Aiur and the Nerazim, and that didn't mean that everyone felt that way.
The first one was Adun, the Executor who had defied the order of the Conclave to purge the refugees that would one day become the Nerazim, was a legend among the former followers of the Khala and was considered one of the few warriors serving the Conclave that had possessed a sense of honor. The next one in line was another former Executor, the teacher of the great Artanis himself: Tassadar. Not only had he sacrificed himself to slay the Overmind, but he too had approached the Nerazim without any ill intend before that. And you cannot tell the story of Tassadar without mentioning the one who had taught him about the ways of the Dark Templar: Zeratul. Though his story was more that of a tragic hero.
And then, last but not least, was the only legend that was (still) alive: Artanis.
Still, using that name was not enough to win the local guards over.
"Why has he journeyed here? What does the great Artanis hope to achieve in this place?" the guard asked, which seemed to be a good sign.
"He..." Paula started but then her voice failed her. Evalonis looked down at his, well, girlfriend.
"Shall I?" he offered and placed his huge hand on her shoulder. Paula's eyes met his and she smiled. But it was a sad smile.
"I got this." she whispered and Evalonis nodded. Paula took a deep breath and then she faced the gaze of the guardians once more. "We have come here..." Paula hesitated for a second before she straightened herself. "...sadly Artanis is dying. He hasn't much time left. But...there was something that he always wanted to do, something that he couldn't because of...circumstances." Paula moved forward until she was right in front of the much taller female warrior. She pulled something out of her pocket and opened her hand. The Nerazim looked down and when she saw a small crystal, her eyes widened in surprise.
"All he wanted to do ever since the end of the Great War was to thank an old friend for everything he has done." Paula explained. The Nerazim, still not fully convinced by any of that, touched the crystal with one of her fingers. A faint green electrical discharge appeared, and she closed her eyes to find out just what this crystal contained. For a moment there was nothing but silence, but then, suddenly, her eyes shot wide open and she made a few steps back.
"What? What is the matter?" one of her comrades barked. "Guards, seize them!"
"NO!" the warrior in charge barked and signaled her comrades to stand down. "Do not hurt them!" Evalonis didn't even move a muscle as he watched the scene unfold. He did notice the look of shock and disbelief on the warrior's face, and he could sense her confusion. The other guards were confused as well, but for different reasons. They were just wondering what the hell was going on.
"Selaria, perhaps we should-" one of the warriors began but the captain of the guard, whose name was obviously Selaria, interrupted him.
"Inform the Grand Preserver! Tell her that we have guests that would like to see her!" she ordered and one warrior bowed his head in respect before turning around and hurrying back towards the temple. The other Protoss were still confused but they knew better than to ask what was going on. Selaria returned her attention back towards Paula. She grabbed the small woman's hand with her own huge one and made Paula close it, as if to protect the crystal inside her fist.
"Hold on to him. Please." Selaria whispered and Paula just nodded.
"You may bring Artanis down." the Nerazim then explained.
"Thank you." Paula whispered before her normal goofy self reappeared. "Also, there are some other people who would like to stretch their tails. Could they...?"
"Of course." Selaria answered. "They may come down as well. Once everyone is here, I shall take you to the Grand Preserver myself." And then she looked at the other guards, who still seemed unsure what to make of this. What shocked them the most, however, were the glowing tears that were streaming down the Nerazim's cheeks. "Tell the others!" she gasped. "Tell everyone..."
"...Zeratul has returned!"
The temple that was home to the Grand Preserver was an eclectic mix of old, really old, and really old. The foundation was, in fact, so old that the Protoss hadn't even built it themselves. Using Xel'Naga-structures wasn't unusual for the Nerazim. The full history of Zhakul, what it once had been during the reign of the Xel'Naga, and what the first Protoss settlers had done to this place, all of this was shrouded in mysteries.
Paula looked up at the Hyperion while leaning against what looked like an ancient obelisk. The alien material immediately sprang into life and Paula jumped away.
"Agh! I hate it when it does that!" she growled.
"Does what?" Evalonis asked.
"Xel'Naga-stuff reacting to me." Paula replied. "Since, you know, I guess there's still some of that stuff inside of me. Courtesy of my Mum."
"Perhaps you should keep that little secret to yourself for the time being." the huge warrior mused and looked around. "These people seem friendly enough but I don't know how they will react if they see that you...what is the saying you use?"
"Light it up like a Christmas tree. Yeah, I think I get what you're trying to say." Paula agreed. "Though I'm more worried about what Karax will do if he sees these ruins. I'm more worried that he will commit some kind of sacrilege by accident and then the locals will hunt us with spears and try to cook us alive."
"Why would they cook us alive?" Evalonis wanted to know.
"So they can eat us, duh!"
"Protoss don't eat, you kno-"
"Yes, I know, it's an image, just roll with it." Paula growled as she made sure to not touch anything Xel'naga-related by accident. Which wasn't as simple as it sounded since that stuff was everywhere.
"Here they come." Evalonis then stated and Paula stopped jumping around and looked up into the air. Above them, where the Hyperion was hovering, something was indeed approaching them. It looked small at first but was rapidly growing in size. It was a hover-truck. Or at least it had been a hover-truck before Karax had decided to "improve" it. Hover-trucks were nothing unusual on board of a vessel of the size of the Hyperion. Sometimes there was no comfortable shipyard or modern base available for resupply. So you needed the ability to get tons of ammo and supplies to the vessel in a short amount of time. And so these hover-trucks or haulers were pretty much standard issue. They were just a huge loading platform that could move from a to b. They were rugged, reliable and humanity had probably produced more of these things than Zerglings existed.
As the loader descended from above, it was moving pretty fast. Faster than it should be. Paula hoped that it was because Karax had tinkered with it, and not because it was falling out of the sky like a stone.
"It would be pretty embarrassing for them to die in a crash right now, right?" Paula whispered to herself.
Luckily the loader eventually slowed down, which meant that its engines were still operational. And its landing was actually pretty smooth, which was good because its cargo was old, cranky and pretty brittle. Behind Paula and Evalonis a group of Nerazim approached. They were being led by Selaria, and their armor was so shiny!
"Seems like an honor guard." Evalonis guessed.
"That's a good sign, isn't it?"
"Better than coming at us with ill intent."
"How would you know?"
"Activated psi-blades usually are a good indicator." the huge warrior replied, which earned him a puzzled look from Paula. "That was a joke. What do you always say? "I don't see any pitchforks, so all's good?" I too want to be funny from time to time." Those words earned him a goofy smile from Paula.
When the heavy hover-truck finally landed, Paula's grin vanished in an instant.
"Greetings, we have arrived to...what are THOSE?!" Selaria gasped when she saw what was loaded on the machine. The other guardians, also quite taken aback by the sight, raised their weapons as a precaution. Paula jumped into action to avoid carnage.
"No! Nononono! Everything's fine! They are with us, they are cool, they are friendly...well, mostly, and they are absolutely harmless!" she told the Nerazim. Behind her, countless versions of Izsha embarked the loader and you could hear one of them yelling all across the place.
"PAULA! IF YOU SCREWED THIS UP, THEN I'M GONNA SKIN YOU ALIVE!"
Yep, Sarah was in a good mood alright.
"That does not sound harmless..." Selaria mused.
"Hehehe...she's just making fun. ISN'T THAT RIGHT, SARAH? YOU'RE JUST MAKING FUN BECAUSE WE ARE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS AND YOU WOULD NEVER HURT ME, RIGHT?!"
…
…
…
…
"SARAH?"
…
…
…
"MY FAVORITE CO-FIRST-BORN?!" Paula screamed with a desperate tone in her voice.
…
…
…
"WHATEVER!" was the only answer she would receive. It had to suffice.
"You brought...Zerg to this world?" Selaria asked.
"WE ARE NOT ZERG, DAMMIT!" all of Sarah's sisters yelled at once. All the eyes suddenly rested on Paula, who dropped her head and sighed.
"This might be a bit more complicated to explain..." she whispered to herself.
However, the next two figures that embarked from the loader helped to save the moment. If Sarah and her sisters were truly Zerg, why would they allow Protoss among them?
"Is that..." one of the Nerazim whispered.
"By Raszhagal..." another added. Paula and Evalonis exchanged surprised looks. She noticed his surprise too. It seemed that Artanis still had plenty of fans among the Nerazim.
"Let go of me, I can walk myself!" the old Protoss bickered as Karax, who was walking right next to him, made sure that Artanis wouldn't stumble and fall.
"I do not wish to be disrespectful, Hierarch, but you are somewhat...brittle." the phasesmith declared.
"We are roughly the same age, if I remember correctly, and do not call me Hierarch! No one has called me Hierarch in...in...in a very long time!" Well, someone was cranky. Artanis wore wide robes that covered most of his body, but even everyone noticed just how old and decrepit his body was. Artanis held on to his cane as he walked down the ramp, and Sarah's sisters left him plenty of room. In a rare moment of affection, it was Sarah who approached him and lowered her head in respect.
"It was an honor to finally meet you, Lord Artanis." she said with a surprisingly soft tone in her voice. "I do hope we made the journey bearable for you." Artanis looked up at her and blinked a few times.
"I must admit that it was a unique experience. I did not think that I could still be surprised." And then Artanis offered her a nod. "And it was a pleasant surprise." Sarah smiled, which was actually rather creepy, and moved aside so Artanis and Karax could move on. It took them quite some time to reach Paula and the others. No Nerazim dared to move, they all seemed baffled by what they were witnessing. After what felt like an eternity, Artanis and Karax finally reached the waiting Nerazim. And when they did...
"En Taro Artanis..." Selaria whispered and knelt down in front of the ancient Protoss. The other warriors followed suit and eventually only Paula, Karax and Evalonis remained on their feet. And, of course, Artanis himself. There was a good chance that he wouldn't be able to get back up should he try to kneel down.
"Please, no more kneeling. Do you know how much of a hassle it is to look down? My back is already killing me!" Artanis mumbled and the guardians got back up.
"Lord Artanis, it is truly you." Selaria said. "It is an honor to have the Great Unifier here, among us. We are at your service, my Lord."
"The Great Unifier, hahahaha..." Artanis chuckled when he heard that title. "...if that only would be the truth." But before Selaria could ask if she had insulted Artanis, he looked at Paula. "So, Paula Raynor, this would be a good chance to finally tell me why you dragged my old bones half across the sector."
"All in due time!" Paula replied. "First we need to meet the boss." She then looked at Selaria. "Uhm...the boss is there, right? And she will see us?"
"Yes." the Nerazim replied. "The Grand Preserver has agreed to meet you and Lord Artanis. She is waiting for you inside the meditation chamber."
"Awesome! Let's go, guys!" Paula beamed and reached out for Evalonis' big hand. However, that's when Selaria decided to pull the plug on Paula's plan.
"I am sorry, but she will only see you and Lord Artanis. The Templar and the phasesmith will have to remain here."
"But-" Paula whined.
"It is okay, Paula." Evalonis told her. "I do not want to cause any problems."
"Yes." Karax agreed. "I shall return to the Hyperion instead. There are still many things that need to be fixed." Paula looked at them with a heartbroken expression on her face.
"Guys, I-"
That's when suddenly a faint boom caught their attention. Everyone looked into the distance, where the sound had come from.
"An explosion?" one Nerazim mused.
"No. It sounded like a sonic boom." Karax explained. "From the sound alone I would judge that a small vehicle produced it."
"Intruders!" Selaria concluded. "Warriors, sent out a patrol, we need to-"
"Wait!" Paula gasped. She could feel the presence of people, way in the distance. She might not have the same amount of control over her powers as her mother, but Paula still recognized the people that had just arrived. A grin appeared on her face. "They're not hostiles. They're here with us."
"They are?" Evalonis asked. "Something that you forgot to mention?"
"Don't worry, they're harmless." Paula then took a deep breath and walked up to Artanis, who seemed to be exhausted just by standing around. "How about it? Want to see the one in charge?"
"And who would that be?" Artanis growled. The grin that Paula produced as a result was downright cocky.
"Why, Grand Preserver Rohana of course!"
It had been quite some time since the last time when Artanis had been surrounded by his very own honor guard. The six Nerazim that led him and Paula deeper into the temple seemed to be a proud bunch, even though they lacked a certain...sharpness. While they marched, their rhythm was completely in sync. Artanis chuckled on the inside when he compared them to the Templar, who had mastered the art of marching as one ages ago. The Nerazim, after all, were more spiritual than martial.
"Grand Preserver Rohana..." he mumbled. "...she is still alive."
"Uh huh." Paula replied.
"It is hard to believe. I thought I was the only one left."
"Karax is still there." the young woman replied.
"He does not count. He looks not a day older than when he was taken from us. I guess being a slave to your mother does come with certain benefits."
"Karax isn't Mum's slave." Paula whined. "He is-"
"I do not care, Paula Raynor." Artanis interrupted her. He sounded angrier than he intended to. "I am too old to worry about such things. He seems to be in fine spirit. That is all that matters." He did notice how Paula seemed unhappy but tried to keep her thoughts to herself. But, like always, she failed miserably. "Speak your mind, child."
"Mum isn't a bad person." she protested. "And Karax isn't a slave. He's my uncle and I love him very much."
"If I did not know who your father is, then I would think that you are lying." Artanis simply mused.
"But-"
"Leave it be, child." the old warrior sighed. "I do not have the strength for yet another argument. I do realize that she is your mother, and I do understand that children love their parents dearly. I might not have met my own parents, but I had children. I know how much they idolize you, no matter what. And I do know that Sarah Kerrigan played her part back in the day. But some things she did are simply unforgivable."
"I...eh..." Paula sighed when she finally relented. Besides, there were more important things to worry about.
As they walked through the temple, acolytes and guards stared at them from the shadows. Most of them recognized Artanis immediately, which did seem odd to him. An Aiur, he was still what people would call a "hero", even if he had always rejected it. But nowadays most people would simply say something like "Wait, he is still alive?" The people of Aiur either treated him like a legend that was no longer around or with indifference. But here the people seemed to exactly know who he was.
"Is that him?"
"He looks so old!"
"They say that he knew Raszhagal! And that Zeratul was his teacher!"
None of that mattered to him, but those names made him think about the past, and the old warrior felt how something that he truly hated began to stir inside his mind: Nostalgia.
"They act as if they never have seen an old Protoss..." Artanis growled. Selaria, who was walking next to them, bowed her head in respect.
"Forgive them, Lord Artanis. Most acolytes here are still very young, and their grandparents hadn't been born when you fought during the Great War. To them, you are a legend."
"It was not just me who fought back then." Artanis corrected her. "Many fine warriors stood by my side. And not only warriors. You should know since Rohana is your Grand Preserver. Besides, she is older than even I! So you should be used to the presence of living fossils." He chuckled at that thought but frowned when he realized that Selaria was averting her gaze.
"What?" Artanis wanted to know. "Is something the matter?"
"The Grand Preserver, she is no longer..." Selaria started before she shook her head. "...no, you will see for yourself."
"What is that supposed to mean?" the old warrior wanted to know. But he would not receive any answer from her. Instead, they approached what seemed like a huge gate. Next to it stood even more guards. All of this gave Artanis the impression that this place was important.
"What is this place?" he asked.
"The meditation chamber." Selaria explained with a reverent tone in her voice. "This is where the Grand Preserver resides and where she contemplates on the universe."
"I have not seen or heard of Rohana in ages." Artanis mused. "How is it that she is still alive? And why has she not reached out to Aiur? She held on to the Khala longer than most. And then, after our great triumph, she just disappeared." He shook his head. "If I had known that she was here, I would have come here much sooner." Even though he was old, Artanis still noticed the awkward silence. He stopped and looked at Selaria. "Something is not right." Next to him, Paula decided to make herself as unimportant as possible. The old warrior squinted his eyes and looked at the Nerazim. "How is it that Rohana is still alive?" he repeated his question. "Answer me." Selaria turned around and faced him.
"She is...not the person you once knew. Not anymore."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"You will see soon for yourself." Selaria replied. That's when Artanis looked to the side and noticed Paula, who tried her best to act as inconspicuously as possible.
"Paula Raynor, what is this about? Do you know anything about this? Why are they not able to answer a simple question?"
"Uhm...maybe?" Paula admitted without making eye contact. "Listen, you are about to see her for yourself. Everything will make more sense then. I promise."
"Is that Paula Raynor speaking?" the old warrior wanted to know. "Or Paula Kerrigan?"
"They are one and the same, quite frankly." Paula mumbled. "Come on, we are this close." Artanis didn't reply to that immediately. Instead he looked at the gate up ahead and frowned.
"There is this thing your father used to say, every time before things would turn out for the worse..." he then mused and Paula started to profoundly sweat.
"I, hehehe, have no idea what this could be..." she mumbled.
"I have a bad feeling about this." he quoted the legendary (and mostly forgotten) James Raynor before sighing. "Whatever. It is not that I have anything better to do. And I have come too far to just lay down and take a nap. Very well, let us see where this will go." And so the old warrior moved on, albeit at a very slow speed. When they finally reached the gate, another guard blocked their way. It was clear that he had no hostile intentions and that he was only doing his job.
"Who wishes to enter the meditation chamber?" he demanded to know. The way he spoke made it clear that it was not a serious but rather a ritualistic question.
"Wanderers, from far away, to seek answers. And closure." Artanis looked down in surprise when Paula spoke those words. Clearly, she had been here before and knew exactly what words she had to use.
"Speak their names, so they shall be recognized." the guard demanded.
And that's when things finally began to make sense. Artanis noticed how Paula took a deep breath and braced herself. She pulled something out of her pocket and presented it to the guard. Artanis noted the surprise and the anxiety of the guard as he lay gaze upon the shard. If the old warrior was brutally honest with himself, then it felt a bit pathetic. A warrior, even a Nerazim, should always have his emotions under control.
"I have returned that which remains of Zeratul, the Dark Prelate." Paula declared and all the Protoss surrounding them gasped in surprise and a bit of shock. The guard looked at Selaria, who offered him a soft nod.
"The Dark Prelate, his memories...precious indeed." the guard gasped before he bowed his head in respect. "Thank you for returning him to us. You may bring him inside." And then he looked at Artanis. "We recognize you, Artanis, the Great Unifier. Your arrival was foretold. The Grand Preserver, the part of her that hails from Rohana, has allowed you to enter as well." And with that, the guard made way for them. "You may pass."
"Finally." Artanis groaned as he stumbled forward. "My hip is killing me!" The only person that joined them was Selaria, everyone else remained outside. And as they stepped into the meditation chamber, they were engulfed by a bright light.
It was time to meet the Grand Preserver.
"Well, it has been fun and all, but I think we should get going now." Sarah declared after they watched how Paula and Artanis vanished inside the temple. "Sisters, let's get back to the ship and heat out. We are on a tight schedule after all." With that Sarah's sisters turned away and slithered towards the hover-truck.
"Hold on." Evalonis spoke up and looked at Sarah. "Are you not going to stay?"
"That wasn't part of the plan." Izsha's firstborn declared. "The deal was that Paula would get us a ride, and we would help her do this retarded road trip. Nothing more, nothing less."
"You wanted this ship?" Evalonis asked. "Why?"
"Because it's big enough for me and my sisters. And then some more. Dunno. Everything just to get off that damn rock they call home." Sarah sighed. She noticed Evalonis' questioning gaze, and while she didn't share Paula's Protoss-fetish, she knew enough about them to know what Evalonis was thinking. "We had a deal, Paula and us. We would cover her butt and make sure that her family wouldn't find out what she was doing, and in return she would help us get our hands on a vessel big enough to fit all of us on board. And then some more."
"A vessel? That is it?" Evalonis asked.
"You sound disappointed."
"No, it is just...knowing who is part of Paula's family, I assumed that this would be an easy feat to accomplish." Evalonis mused.
"First of all: Paula's mother does the impossible. And we are not related. Just because our mothers are best pals, doesn't mean that we are supposed to be best buddies either." Sarah growled. "And while Sarah, her mother, loves it to let her off the leash, the same can't be said about our mother. She doesn't want daughters, she wants minions. And we're so not gonna let that happen. We're done with that crap."
"Hmmm..." the huge warrior mused.
"What?" Sarah snarled with a more hostile tone in her voice than intended. "You got problems with that?"
"I do not think it is my place to judge the families of other people. I never had a family of my own. In fact, I am rather new to this and I still try to understand some of it. What I already learned is that, while everyone claims that family is something wonderful, sometimes it seems more like a burden than a blessing." When Sarah heard that, she smirked.
"You pretty perceptive for a war-mongering zealot-"
"Thank you..." Evalonis mumbled.
"...without any sense of humor. Really, makes us wonder how you and Paula ended up with each other."
"She left me no choice." the warrior admitted.
"Huh. Guess the prodigy has more common sense than we gave her credit for." Sarah whispered. "Anyway, I think we should get going. We still have to pick someone up, and the longer we wait, the bigger the chances that our mother is getting ideas." And with that Sarah turned around and slithered away. "Just do us a favor: Make sure that Paula doesn't end the known universe by accident or something like that."
"I will try my best." Evalonis replied dryly as he watched how Sarah's many sisters boarded the hover-truck. Who remained behind was Karax, who seemed a bit lost.
"Karax, you coming?" one of Sarah's sisters yelled. "You still wanted to show us how to overhaul the auxiliary reactor!" The phasesmith, who was studying a nearby pillar, looked over his shoulder.
"I was hoping that we could return to Sternenheim now. This journey has been interesting, granted. But I would like to resume my work on Ulnar. As soon as possible. So unless you happen to return to-"
"Well, as a matter of fact, we do!" one of Sarah's sisters chirped. Karax seemed surprised by that.
"You are?"
"Yes, we actually have to go to Sternenheim one more time. There's a package we have to pick up before we head out into the unknown. Or rather: Two packages." Sarah explained.
"W-wait...then why come all the way out here in the first place? Only to return to Ulnar anyway?" the phasesmith wanted to know.
"Because reasons." Izsha's firstborn replied. "First of all, we had to drop Paula off here. Secondly, we wanted to give this big bird a proper spin-drive. And thirdly..." And that's when a downright creepy grin appeared on her face, and that of all of her sisters at the same time. "...by now she should be properly mad."
"She?" Evalonis asked.
"She?" Karax asked as well, albeit with much more panic in his voice.
"She." Sarah confirmed.
Sternenheim
Shortly before the Hyperion's departure...
"Come on, say it." The grin on Paula's face wasn't just wide. It was unbearable wide. She looked at Sarah as if she was waiting for some praise.
Unfortunately, and that was what made Sarah furious on the inside, Paula had the right to use that smug grin of hers.
For weeks, no, for months they had tried to convince Karax to help them with their "little secret project", yet his answer had always been the same: "I am sorry, but working on Ulnar is more important. I believe that I am close to a breakthrough!" Sarah knew this tune ever since she had hatched. And quite frankly: She could no longer hear it.
Let's get one thing straight: She didn't hate Karax. None of her sisters did. He was friendly and a good listener...if you accepted that he was working on stuff while listening.
"Say what, dimwit?" Sarah growled.
"Say that "Thank you, Paula. You did a great job! I am impressed!" I know you do!"
"Big deal, he's your uncle, you got family-bonus." Izsha's firstborn growled. The two of them watched how Sarah's sisters were crawling all over the hull of the seriously damaged battlecruiser as they tried to fix the worst signs of damage. More of them were inside as they tried to get the primary systems operational again.
What helped them was a certain crystal that was still resting inside the former science lab of the Hyperion. Sarah didn't pretend to know what it was, but when Karax had started to talk to it, the crystal had, well, it had started to help them. The same couldn't be said about the other leftover from long ago, however.
"OFF YOU GO!" some of Sarah's sisters had yelled when they had thrown out the dead husk that looked awfully like something Zerg. All of them were incredibly busy. It seemed as if all of them were driven by one purpose, one desire. And that desire was...
...to get the hell off this damn rock!
"There are still plenty of ways for things to go wrong." Sarah explained. "This is just the beginning, mind you. We still have to get this thing spaceworthy again, then we have to make it to Aiur, then to Zanzibar-"
"Zhakul." Paula corrected her co-firstborn.
"Whatever. And then we have to make sure that everything plays out the way we hope it does. Which means that we have to make our mother reasonably mad at us."
"You know, I get that many of my plans aren't that great and that there is a certain element of chaos involved." Paula mused. "But I have to point out that making your mother angry is probably the one thing that I would never, ever, ever do on purpose." Sarah looked down at the other woman and sighed.
"I guess there's some truth in that." Sarah mumbled. "Anyway, you shouldn't worry too much about it. Whatever we do, our mother will probably never ever bring herself to hate you. Guess you were born under a lucky star."
"It is not my fault that Izsha has such an unhealthy obsession with my Mum and I..." Paula whispered.
"You're right, it's not your fault. But you're still annoying, so just sit back and touch nothing until we're done."
"What? You want me to just sit down on a rock and watch you do the work?"
"Would be better for all involved. Why don't you go home, huh? Empty the fridge or something like that. We got this. Now get lost." Sarah told her and Paula shrugged her shoulders.
"Oooookay, if you don't want my help-"
"We don't."
"...and you're absolutely certain that you can handle this-"
"We can."
"...and you believe that me not being here won't ruin your grand plan-"
"We got this."
…
…
…
"Well, then till later. Don't leave without me!" Paula declared, turned around and walked away.
Sternenheim was a special world. Perhaps every person would say that about their home-world. Every world indeed has its very own charm. Aiur being a mystical world full of wonders, Char being a flaming inferno filled with Zerg, and Korhal being an urban nightmare.
But what all these worlds had in common was that they were natural.
The same couldn't be said about Sternenheim.
This world didn't rotate around a star. Instead, it rested inside a stellar nebula. It was surrounded by deadly radiation, yet just where it resided the radiation was practically non-existent. By scientific standards, this world shouldn't exist. And the fact that it was covered by endless oceans that were full of freshwater didn't make it any better.
So yeah, Sternenheim was most likely not the product of nature.
Then who created it?
The Xel'Naga? Someone else? And for what reasons?
No one knew. It was one of those secrets everyone was aware of, but no one really cared to find out what the truth behind it was.
To Paula, this place was simply...
...home.
As she walked along the shoreline, she decided to just enjoy the moment. There was not much else she could do anyway. And she didn't want to make Sarah and her sisters even angrier.
For all her goofy behavior, Paula was not a dud. She knew why Sarah and her sisters acted the way they did, why they didn't like her. And you know what? She couldn't blame them. Once she reached a part of the beach where she couldn't even see the Hyperion, Paula sat down on the sand and stared at the horizon.
It was so beautiful...
Instead of a normal sky, the heaven above was like an abstract water-painting made out of bright red, yellow, orange and green. There was no night on Sternenheim. Not really. Paula had only learned what night means when her parents had taken her to another world. The brilliant sky shone down on the endless ocean in front of her, which was almost flat as a mirror. There were barely any waves out there, so it looked as if she could actually jump right into that stellar nebula above and swim through it.
This place...it was truly a paradise.
And that was the problem.
In a rare moment of focus, Paula Izsha Kerrigan wondered if she actually had any right to do what she was currently doing. Sure, it was all for the greater good. But the implications were...
"Dammit..." Paula whispered and pulled something out of her pocket. She opened her hand and looked at the small crystal. This was everything that was left. Paula had never met the real Zeratul. She had met the ghost of Zeratul though. And perhaps it was the ultimate proof that the universe did indeed have a sense of humor, that the ghost of Zeratul had saved Sarah Kerrigan during one of her darkest hours.
It also meant that Paula owed her existence to Zeratul.
Weird how that works, huh?
Her parents had always told her that she was the master, or rather mistress, of her own fate and that she didn't owe anything to anyone. But ever since young Paula had heard the heroic tale of the great Protoss heroes that had saved the day, she had known that she owed them. Her mother was still not happy that her father had told her those heroic tales about Tassadar, Fenix, Artanis and Zeratul. And while all of them had been heroes, Artanis and Zeratul held a special place in Paula's heart.
So yeah, she wanted to do this. She wanted to owe them.
And as Paula looked at the horizon again, she knew that she was so close to reaching her goal. All she needed now was to get to Aiur and pick up Artanis. And someone else. A certain someone...
Since there was nothing else to do, Paula decided to use the moment to take a breather. And so she lay back and stared at that magnificent sky above her. And as she drowsed away, a faint smile on her face and the shard with what was left of Zeratul's memories inside her hands that she pressed against her chest.
"Not much longer." she whispered to herself. "Not much longer."