Zeratul collected a few Stalkers to aid him, but before they could get off Aiur, they discovered the Void Seeker had been reduced to a smoldering wreck as Zeratul exclaimed. "The Void Seeker lies in ruins! What has transpired here? Where's Val'Lorna?" Before they could piece it out, Zerg unburrowed from the ground in Zerglings and a pair of Roaches as a Stalker exclaimed.
"Zerg! Protect the Dark Prelate." The Stalker blinked close to protect Zeratul in killing the Zerglings, but the Roaches almost had lobbed with acid before a shadow pulled one into the air for the Stalkers to barrage with the other was diced in a fury as Zeratul took a moment to realize what has transpired.
"Hm, the Zerg in this area should have been eradicated, and that shadow..." He then gave a command to uncover more to the matter. "Stalkers, hurry to the nexus point nearby and warn our brethren. I must investigate this further." Zeratul voiced as he took off, leaving the Stalkers to proceed forward toward the nearby Nexus, the Protoss having set them up to get forces on the ground without the air being threatened of falling on them as the self-same Stalker spoke to his brothers.
"The enemy surrounds us. Proceed with caution." But so far, only Zerglings had emerged to fight as they blinked across a charm torn in the land and pressed on before a pair of Mutalisks tried their luck with slaying the Stalkers. "Mutalisks! Focus particle disrupters upon them!" Focusing on one before the other was wise, even wiser being their ability to blink out of the danger before resuming their march to the nexus, but it was quiet, none of the structures even powered with only the Nexus still alive with power as Selendis spoke with troubling news.
"Zeratul, the templar stationed here... I can no longer sense them within the Khala." Zeratul was a little toke back of what Selendis had said as a Warp Prism arrived and Tenorai warped down with a pair of Zealots at his side to find the same.
"Is that not impossible? Your kind cannot disappear from the Khala unless your nerve cords are severed." Zeratul said not knowing any other possiblity.
"Then the impossible has happened. I can no longer sense Artanis. There is only a void in the Khala where he should be..." Tenorai agreed on that as he lightly gripped his blade by the handle as he spoke again, "I sense something dark... We must find Artanis."
"The shadow moves against us, Executor. Artanis is in grave peril." Selendis didn't deny it as she spoke.
"You must raise an army and find him. My phase smith, Karax, will help you reestablish this nexus point. Zeratul and Tenorai, save Artanis." They nodded as the Phase smith made himself able to the both of them as he spoke.
"Dark Prelate Zeratul, I am Karax of the Khalai caste."
"Friend Karax, we must establish this nexus as quickly as possible." Zeratul explained, which they did so through the use of the robotic Probes, warping in a number of Pylons as Tenorai's Warp Prism departed for other parts, the Protoss did benefit as the warp rifts allowed their structures to be warped in on the spot while the Probe could return to their tasks, an Assimilator going up for a supply of Vespene as more Zealots and Stalkers were mobilized as Karax confirmed the operation of all of the structures.
"The nexus point has been reestablished. Once your warriors are ready, you should proceed with your mission, Dark Prelate."
"Zeratul, I will take charge with this one." Tenorai voiced in leading the troops as Zeratul nodded as they pushed out to find one of the Void Pylons, a Nerazim tool for them to move through the shadows easily in place to place.
"A Void Pylon. It should be able to summon my Nerazim brothers..." Zeratul said as the Pylon hummed with life as Stalkers were warped in as one spoke to the call.
"Dark Prelate, we answer your call." Karax warned of a Zerg attack, but the forces handled it rather well as they pushed on through a Hive and found another Void Pylon, hidden, but that was also a problem as Tenorai voiced to Zeratul.
"Strange, there should be forces guarding these Void Pylons..."
"Agreed. Something is wrong..." Zeratul agreed as more Stalkers were warped in.
"We are at your service, Zeratul." They headed on to fight the Zerg, but they were accosted by Protoss, eyes glowing red with red psi blades ignited as the lead shouted.
"Zeratul... denier of the Khala. Die!" The corrupted Protoss charged, but against a wall of their own and Stalkers barraging, they were slaughtered as Zeratul grimaced.
"These zealots have been corrupted. The hybrid must be behind this. Let us move with purpose!"
"If these hybrid corrupted these warriors, then let them meet my blade." Tenorai said darkly as they pressed on to more of a Zerg presence and finding the final Void Pylon across a Chasm as Zeratul spoke.
"This appears to be the last Void Pylon in the area."
"From the shadows we come!" They pushed onward to the base, but what they found was corrupted Protoss of Zealots, Immortals, and Scouts among the abandoned life of the base as Zeratul reported to Selendis of what has transpired.
"Executor Selendis, I have encountered your missing templar, but they have been corrupted... as if possessed." But Selendis didn't reply as the forces were forced to kill the corrupted. "Selendis?" Tenorai reached out and felt... nothing.
"...What has happened? Where are they?" Tenorai asked in shocked. Where once those thoughts of others could be felt, now there was nothing, just oblivion as Artanis made himself known, but he was in pain, suffering as he spoke.
"Zeratul... I...I can sense your presence. The Khala is filled... with rage. My mind is being... consumed!"
"The Khala... Its...!" Tenorai's heart fell as he now realized what was happening, the Khala was being consumed in whatever was now in it, meaning those Protoss were...! He didn't pause long enough to find out as he lashed out his blade and sliced through his nerve cords, the few there with him quickly following suit, the pain immerse, but Tenorai paced his breathing to venting it out as Zeratul blinked into the base as several were confused as to why Tenorai would sever his nerve cords like that as Zeratul rested a hand on his kneeling brother's shoulder.
"Are you alright?" Tenorai breathed before he composed his words.
"I am fine, I can't feel it any longer, but Artanis is in trouble!"
"Artanis! He must hold on... We are going for him!" Zeratul vowed But the ground rumbled and trembled as a bellowing voice echoed across the lands.
"Your lives are meaningless, purposeless. I grant you salvation!" Those that didn't soon turned, their blue turning to red as the structures too fell under Amon's sway, Tenorai's brothers-in-arms igniting their psi blades as Zeratul exclaimed with the few Stalkers lingering with them once Tenorai made his action clear.
"Amon... the Dark God is here, on Aiur!" The able Zealots took charge in fending off the possessed while Zeratul grabbed Tenorai and blinked to a path that lead to Artanis with the Stalkers. "He has wrested control of the Khala! The Templar have fallen!" They blinked past some rubble that barred the way as the possessed were killed and the loyalists moved to sever more nerve cords and free more of their brethren if they could. "With our nerve cords severed, only we Nerazim remain unaffected. It falls to us to halt this madness, brothers." He turned to Tenorai for aid. "Tenorai, can you fight?"
"I can fight and I will if it means saving our people." The Protoss Samurai answered as he stabilized himself, he weakened, that was certain, but if this was what the Nerazim had faced, then he too and all of those who believed and followed him would too. "Right now, our Hierarch must be saved!" Zeratul nodded as they pushed on with Zeratul's words.
"We must reach young Artanis. I only pray that we are not too late." They reached feuding Daelaam forces against their corrupted kin, but it was only time as some fell to the sway of Amon and joined the ranks of corruption or were slain, to never fight again without going through Amon's power, Tenorai being swift in dicing through them as he shouted.
"Warriors, quickly! Sever your nerve cords so that you are not consumed in the Khala's corruption!"
"As you command, Tenorai!" A Zealot shouted in doing so, some hesitated, but they did so as well as, if Tenorai says that the Khala is corrupted and they needed to sever their nerve cords, it was a life of tradition, but that tradition was not a way of life, the Nerazim proved that as they did and suddenly, they were librated from the touch trying to grip them as Artanis struggled.
"The voices... whisper of oblivion... of salvation." A Dragoon soon fell, but it fell swiftly as the party made their way through as Artanis continued to hold out as best as he could to the whispers of Amon. "The Khala... fury... and rage!" Immortals joined in fighting the party, but they prevailed as both Tenorai and Zeratul reached Artanis while the bulk of their forces, both freed and liberated in time, retreated to find others, save them from the Khala and the rampaging Zerg...
Red energy blitzed across Artanis' body in the ruins of a Carrier as he dropped to his knees as he groaned in suffering. "I... I can hear his whispers..." A storm brewed as lightning lashed and Zeratul arrived with Tenorai beside him as he shouted.
"Fight, Artanis... Do not let Amon consume you." Tenorai moved to the right side of Artanis as he breathed.
"Unending hatred..." Zeratul knew what to do as he strode to the left, getting a perfect angle on his target.
"He has corrupted the Khala! Your nerve cords chain you to his will. They must be removed." His warp blade ignited and he charged, but Artanis lashed out a red psi blade to block as he turned, his eyes blazing red in a shift as the Dark One spoke through him and as him.
"No." He forced Zeratul off as the Dark Prelate exclaimed.
"Amon!" Energy blasted from Artanis' body as Amon spoke.
"You will fall before my power..." With that, Zeratul had to get distance, distract the possessed Artanis in a chase before landing and leaping overhead of a swipe to swing at the nerve cords, missing by inches before Artanis' body moved to grip Zeratul by the throat as Amon spoke with certainty.
"This body, all Protoss, are mine."
"Not all of us!" Tenorai shouted in dashing in, distracting the Hierarch's body in dropping Zeratul to defend against the swift and able Protoss warrior before Amon bursted, throwing Tenorai off before unleashing a storm of energy on the both of them when Zeratul tried to get up in time to help as Amon spoke, both struggling to block the dark psi attack.
"I will shatter this corrupt cycle... You shall not stand against me." But their were not alone as a chain sped from the shadows and Zeratul mentally thanked the return of Val'Lorna as she roared with a dark vengeance.
"COME TO ME!" She pulled hard and Artanis' body soared toward her before she snatched the nerve cords and moved to slice before she too was blasted back as the possessed Artanis growled at the enraged Dark Templar.
"You think... With that power, you will avenge your lost loved one? If so, you will die more painfully than Talis did." Val'Lorna roared in rage as she clashed with the possessed Hierarch as Tenorai recovered to fight once more when his blade blazed amber once more, like it blazed with solar fire itself, and almost dropped it when a voice echoed in his mind, a voice of his past.
"The blade's power grows, my student... Guide its path." With that, Tenorai breathed and brought the blade up before he charged, joining Val'Lorna in stalling Amon Artanis as Zeratul recovered as well and started to form a plan, a sole fighter having little chance, but Amon in one body can not withstand three at once as he shifted to the right position to strike and he found his chance in both warriors bringing the fight to a standstill before he moved, his warp blade ignite and he dashed in before leapt once more with a slash, landing behind the possessed Artanis as he forced both off and turned to deal with the Dark Prelate when the nerve cords finally detached in being severed and released Artanis from his prison, expelling Amon violently in a torrent of red and a howl before it faded out and he fell to the ground, shaken, but otherwise unharmed as he glanced up to Zeratul turning around to speak to his friend.
"Artanis… Are you well?" Artanis looked to his former nerve cords in despair, about to answer before his mind recalled a voice, giving a lesson so long ago and he closed his eyes in remembering it.
"Hope before despair." He reopened his eyes and composed himself as he took Zeratul's hand in lifting him up.
"I am well, old friend." He answered knowing the pain of losing the Khala is a severe one, but one they must bare with to keep living and refuse Amon's call, turning to Tenorai he asked "Tenorai, are there any survivors?"
"Only a few, Hierarch, some were able to sever their nerve cords in time." Tenorai answered with partly regret of what had happen. Zeratul spoke as well as he confirmed.
"Any Dark Templar who were able to survive the attack are in hiding." With that, Artanis had a plan, using the original plan as a base, but with the purpose of surviving and freeing those that they could before leaving the failed invasion behind.
"Gather as many as we can find and give the orders to cut any nerve cords off any possessed Protoss they can find and head to the Spear of Adun. We must leave while we can."
"Yes, Hierarch!" All three answered as they all, Artanis as well, moved in separate directions to collect who they can and get to the Spear before Amon had taken full control of the Protoss race and slaughtered those that would not accept the Khala's light any more.
To them, it was the answer of safety and knowledge, now it had became the tool to control them all, Artanis even daring to relate it to the control the Overmind had over the Zerg, years ago... But that was then, now was when they collected the survivors and saved others from the same fate...