A great evil looms over the galaxy. The Dark God, Amon, has returned. Spurred on by Zeratul's prophecies, Kerrigan and her Swarm set out to destroy Amon's hybrid forces, hoping to stop the coming oblivion.
With the threat of the Zerg Queen absent, the Protoss Hierarch, Artanis, raised a massive invasion fleet, left the Dark Templar homeworld of Shakuras, and committed to restore his people's former glory by reclaiming their lost homeworld of Aiur. Now comes the the day for the battle, known as the Reclamation of Aiur, to begin.
The world below shined as radiant as ever, but as many eyes rested on it, they knew its value to them as their Hierarch spoke in rallying them to the cause, of librating Aiur and reclaiming their home. "Templar, at long last, we stand at the threshold of destiny. For today we will restore the glory of our legacy. Today we will retake what we have lost, and reclaim our homeworld!"
"For Aiur!" Artanis closed his eyes before opening them again to gaze upon the world.
"And may the Khala's light guide us." Selendis joined at Artanis' side with the leader from the Kaldir, Tenorai, also joining and Artanis had yet to learn what had happened on that world before he learned that Kerrigan departed and now left Aiur for the Templar to retake.
"The invasion fleet stands ready. We await only your command, Hierarch."
"You must halt this invasion at once!" A voice echoed as the Templar there with Artanis and himself turned to the mists of darkness formed in the center before clearing to reveal an old face. It was Zeratul, as the older Protoss had blinked onto the vessel. As he glanced up, Artanis spoke in stunned surprised.
"Zeratul..." He whispered, taken by surprise at the older Protoss' sudden appearance.
Selendis was quicker as she commanded, "Templar, arrest this traitor!" Those there ignited their blades and surrounded Zeratul, who stood up unafraid as Selendis too ignited her blades, just before Artanis bellowed.
"No!" He stepped past to confront Zeratul directly as he voiced. "We will hear him out." And so Zeratul spoke.
"The End War has come. Amon, the Dark One, has returned."
"This heretic cannot be trusted!" Selendis lashed out with her words as Tenorai glanced with a angered look to his features at her words as Zeratul pleaded for them to listen to him, with Artanis taking it in as best as he could.
"This invasion is a distraction from the true battle ahead," Zeratul continued, unfazed by Selendis' interruption. "Amon's fury will engulf the entire galaxy."
"Do not forget that it was his interference that brought ruin to Aiur." Tenorai took his piece in tow as he lightly gripped his weapon in readied stance to shift into a fight.
"And do not forget, Executor, that without him and his people, we would have died on Aiur to the Overmind." But Zeratul cut in to the feuding feelings there as Zeratul knew what he had done was, in essence, turned the Protoss into wanderers.
"And that burden weighs heavily upon me..." But the Dark Prelate was not dismayed as he pleaded with the Hierarch to listen. "Artanis, I have found a way to stand against the coming darkness. You must believe me." Artanis hesitated to answer, but his sense of race overwhelmed his sense of greater dangers as he spoke.
"We have been through much together, Zeratul, but far too many have sacrificed in the hopes that this moment would come to pass." With disappointment, Zeratul backed down as Artanis turned back to command the beginning of freeing Aiur. "Executor, commence the invasion!"
By the hundreds, warriors started to warp down to the planet to fight and free their home from the Zerg menace, even Tenorai joined in first closing his eyes for the battle ahead and what he will be leading them into before his Hierarch spoke. "Tenorai." He looked back as Artanis spoke with trust. "Fight well." He didn't grace that with anything before he was warped down to the surface below...
The way cleared with the aid of purifying ships before Warp Prisms arrived and opened their warp nexi for the Protoss to come in, Tenorai stepping forward with Zealots, Stalkers, and Immortals behind his back and at his command as Selendis spoke to the progress of Aiur clearing by their hand. "The reclamation of Aiur is under way. We are preparing to siege the warp network at Kherrisan now."
"Well done, Selendis. Once the warp conduits are free of infestation, our forces will strike as one across the surface of Aiur."
"The Templar await your command, Hierarch." Tenorai spoke as he readied for combat, whether he was sure of this action or not, this was their home and they were going to reclaim it in the name of Artanis and in the name of the Daelaam as Artanis spoke.
"Warriors, Aiur awaits you! March forth and take it!"
"Warriors. Forward!" Tenorai led the charge into the first of Zerg defenses with his shout and proved that his blade and skills were far more than what the creatures could handle as Zerg screamed and squealed loudly as psi-blades and plasma scorched their hides with blood soon coating parts of the ground like paint.
Despite this assault, the Zerg quickly began to fight back. Some of the Protoss fell, but they marched on as Colossi surged from the side to aid in cleansing. As the battle continued to rage, Selendis spoke. "I have diverted some colossi to join your forces. Use them well, Tenorai." That was a boon as the great titans blasted with rays of flames on the Zerg as they continued on their ground route while the skies were filled with the combat of the air as they soon crossed an active bridge
As they did Selendis warned Tenorai of an impending threat. "There is a Zerg hive cluster near your warriors. If possible, we should destroy it." Destroying the cluster would be a boon as, without the cluster, the reclaiming of Aiur will be that much smoother. Before they had cleared it out, with some forces falling as the battle raged on. Once the hive cluster had been destroyed, Artanis thanked them for doing such a valued task.
"Well fought, my warriors. Let us return our focus to reclaiming the warp conduit." They pressed on to the first conduit as a damaged Mothership soared overhead and soon crashed beyond them as the infestation was purged to the last Zero. Now that the battle here was over, Tenorai contacted Selendis, voicing his need of more forces to her.
"Selendis, the conduit is ours," he informed her. "Warp down reinforcements."
"As you command." As Selendis went to work, Artanis joined in as he wanted Tenorai to also bolster his forces with the Mothership.
"Tenorai, The Mothership that crashed has survivors, if possible, aid them." Tenorai did not refute Artanis' words as every Protoss saved was another to see the dawn of battle and life as the Hierarch continued. "Two warp conduits remain in the grip of the Zerg. Ready yourselves, brethren. We move for victory!" With more forces at the helm, the Protoss did march and fight for their home as Selendis located more Hives.
"Tenorai, there are more hives in the surrounding area. Destroying them would deal the Zerg a crippling blow."
"A hive... Warriors, annihilate it."
"We strike as one!" One of the Zealots shouted to Artanis' command. The battle that raged was bloody, as the Zerg fought to maintain their grip on the area. Soon, though, the Hive fell and more forces were delivered for the fight.
"This hive cluster has fallen. Continue on, brothers!" They pressed on to the survivors fighting off a small force of Zerg before the main body of Protoss arrived to help them as a Zealot spoke to Tenorai's arrival.
"Tenorai, we thank you for your aid. Allow us to join you in battle!"
"Then come. Let the Zerg feel our blades." The third Hive was found past a large swarm of Zergling protecting a pair of Spine Crawlers, but its great Ultralisks and lingering Queen were no match as a Zealot shouted.
"May the Khala guide our blades!" It fell all the same as more forces were deployed there to aid their battle.
"Another hive lies in ruins. Only one remains, Tenorai." He lightly nodded as he pushed on with more warriors to the second condiut, but the feral Zerg may not be so feral, if the emerging Nydus Worm was a portion of it. Still, the way was cleared as Artanis spoke.
"The second warp conduit is activating now."
"Psi-matrix signal confirmed. Reinforcements warping in at your location." The forces pressed on, but when a swarm of Zerglings, Hydralisks, and an Ultralisk suddenly unburrowed from the ground, Tenorai soon started to share his doubts of the Zerg's 'feral' nature as Zeratul, having joined the battle, spoke the same to the Hierarch.
"Artanis, this brood is coordinated. Their actions are intelligent, beyond feral Zerg..."
"You speak truly, Zeratul," Artanis agreed. "An unseen hand moves them. We must be on guard. Tenorai, be cautious." He nodded as they moved to destroy the final Hive, to keep any sudden attacks to a minimal. It wasn't long before the battle was over, as the Zerg had been weakened by the previous battles.
As the hive cluster was destroyed, Artanis cheered to its end. "The final hive has fallen. Let this be the first victory of many... Aiur will be restored!"
They returned to the path and moved to fight through the emerging Zerg and their Nydus Worms as Artanis spoke. "The final conduit lies before us! Show the Zerg no mercy!" But as the first defenses fell, something was teleported in and the Protoss bore witness to a trio of monsters, crafted to be Zerg, but having a hint of Protoss to them as the first spoke in combating them.
"Firstborn, your fate is sealed." Zeratul had a name to them as he exclaimed.
"Impossible. Hybrid on Aiur! It is they who have been leading the Zerg!"
"Then these hybrid will know my blade's power." But his blade shifted color to his confusion as its azure became a amber orange before reverting back, something warning him of something far worse, but he shelved it in his mind as the battle continued to slay the Hybrid and pressed on to the... active warp conduit as it was not tainted in infestation, but Tenorai didn't pay it mind as three more of the Hybrid teleported in as one spoke.
"This is the end of your race."
"Not today." While the others slayed the two on the sides, Tenorai fought the one in front of him and proved far stronger than some monster of Zerg and Protoss mixing as Selendis spoke to the warp conduits now in their hands.
"The warp conduits have been secured. Our starfighters are moving to take this fight across the surface." They went with the command of Selendis as Artanis spoke his piece.
"Take command of the invasion, Executor." With her now elsewhere in her Carrier, Artanis turned to his long-termed friend for answers. "Zeratul, you and I must discuss this most recent turn of events further..."
The sun set on the world of Aiur, but Artanis took it all in as, while his people have been winning, there were still some that fall as Mutalisks soared overhead to fight their ships and a damaged Carrier fell to the surface before he spoke. "It seems the end war you warned of has begun. Tell me, old friend, what is it you have learned?"
"I have witnessed the end of all things... Horrific legions of Hybrid razing world upon world." He stood up in turning to Artanis as he finished. "In the darkness, lording over them, shadowy form... Amon."
"Yet, you spoke of a way to stand against him."
"This vision was a benevolent one, as if an ancient voice called out from beyond. 'The Keystone shall usher you unto hope...'"
"Keystone?" Zeratul focused as an image formed before the two.
"I saw a burst of light, revealing the Xel'naga Artifact on the Terran world of Korhal." Its design and life was truly of Xel'naga life and work as Zeratul continued. "It is the Keystone of this vision. The Prophecies speak of Xel'naga standing against Amon in the end times. I believe this Keystone will guide us to them." The vision faded as Artanis hesitated once more before he spoke.
"I have always trusted you, Zeratul. But the burdens of leadership demanded much of me. There are times when I am uncertain whether I was truly ready for such weight."
"Your doubt is unfounded, young Artanis. You must embrace what you have become if you are to be the leader we now need. Tassadar would not want you to doubt right now." But he paused again before walked over to the Dark Prelate to voice the plan.
"You will go to James Raynor on Korhal and receive this Keystone. I will marshal our forces for the war ahead. When you return, the Templar will be ready. En Taro Tassadar, old friend." Zeratul walked over with resting a hand on Artanis' shoulder as he spoke differently.
"En Taro Artanis, brother." With that, Zeratul moved to collect those among the Dark Templar that could be spared for such a task, but a pit in his stomach settled in, something warning him that his task was not going to be simple, nor was the plan to rouse the Templar to action, Hybrid had been seen leading the 'feral' Zerg and, though those were Reaver Hybrid, mighty titans of war and carnage, Zeratul couldn't shake the feeling of something wrong, much like what happened on the archive world of Zhakul, but on a greater scale...