Killer
Instincts IV: The Battle for the Planet
AUIR
NEXUS, 7:00 A.M.
Tassadar`s muscles tightened around the wrench, so hard it broke in two. A cold sweat poured down his face. So many thoughts were rushing through his head at once. He would have to fight the Conclave head on, but he knew they were capable of even defeating Fenix. He knew he had to construct another Gantrithor for the battle, but he couldn`t when thinking so much. He had spoken to Zeratul, and he knew his worries as well. They would have to do some training to upgrade themselves. The Zealots would have to be faster, the High Templars would have to know how to do the Legendary Mirage attack. They would have to get the probes and SCVs to build faster, increase Dragoon attack range, all in who knew how much time they had. Tassadar, who looked highly to Zeratul, called upon him when he needed guidance. "Zeratul, have you been worried as I have?" "Indeed I have," Zeratul replied, " I can also sense a growing force on Shakuras. I had thought that planet was abandoned." " We should abandon Auir, and place our forces outside the orbital field of it." Suggested Tassadar, without even thinking. "Hmm…It could work. How are you doing on Gantrithor?" "Hardly doing well, sir." "I`ve been thinking so hard I`ve been breaking all our supplies." "Heh. I knew you would. I`ve been doing the same, building all these probes!" Then it struck Tassadar: the probes are made by Zeratul! That`s why they only listen to one of us! "Listen, Tassadar, we cannot let this go to our heads. We must do our best to remain on a basis of training, resting, and working. If we do that, we`ll succeed. You have my word on that." And with that, Zeratul`s picture went blank. Wow, thought Tassadar, he seems so calm about it all. I wonder if he has some sort of secret weapon…….
* * *
STARGATE ON EARTH, 8:00 A.M.
"I still don`t see what`s to worry about," Artanis said to Duke. "The only reason that Aldaris killed Fenix was because he used a Psionic Storm." He said, his anger raging through his veins. "But he has some sort of upgrade to it. Fenix couldn`t move when he was in it." "So you`re telling me that attack was some sort of cheat?" cried Duke, standing up and banging his fists on the table. "I don`t tolerate that!" He screamed. "Well, I do!" a transmission of Aldaris was coming in, misty, though, so they couldn`t track his position. "What do you want, Aldaris?" cried Artanis, his anger making him feel like he was going to explode. 'If I ever get my hands on him…..' Duke thought bitterly. "I`m asking you surrender yourselves to the Conclave. If you do not, we shall be forced to destroy you ALL!!" "Look, stupid, do you really think we`re gonna surrender?" Duke asked, a bit of his voice made him sound as though he were having fun taunting Aldais. "Yes, I do." "WELL,WE`RE NOT!!!" cried Jim Raynor, at the top of his lungs. "Yeah, I`m with.." Duke and Artanis`s eyes went wide. Jim Raynor, the man who died three and a half years ago, was standing right behind them.
* * *
TERRAN COMAND CENTER, CHAR, 9:00
A.M.
"JIM RAYNOR?!?!" cried Mengsk, Kerrigan, and Duran in unison. "In the flesh." He responded. "I can`t believe you left me on Shakuras for the past three and a half years. I had fun running from and fighting the Conclave BY MY SELF!!" He cried, breaking the glass on his own suit. " But we saw your dead body, lying on the ground, so we left for the sake of OUR lives." Said Mengsk. 'Jeese,' Raynor thought, with some spasm to his voice, 'Don`t they know a person who`s out cold when they see one?' "Look guys," Raynor began, "I didn`t Die, I just got knocked out cold by a Zerg Mutilisk! He hit the back of my head with one of those things, and I was out. You guys can be so stupid." "I have a question," came a voice in the back, obviously Artanis`s, "how did you get back to Earth?" "Let`s just say I hitched a ride with a Conclave Scout. Heh." Replied Jim, obviously having fun being the mystery man for the day.
* * *
CONCLAVE HEADQUATERS, 11:00 A.M.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LET A TERRAN ON BY ACCINDENT??????" cried Aldaris to the scout pilot. " MAYBE THIS WILL TEACH EVERYONE ELSE NOT TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE!!!" Aldaris then made a pile of dust out of the scout pilot. "Back to work, all of you! Now you know what happens when you do it wrong!"
* * *
WASTELANDS, 1 YEAR LATER, 9:00
P.M.
Exactly one year after Raynor`s return, everyone went back to work. Tassadar and Zeratul secretly planned the whole attack out, and met each other in the new Gantrithor, (with some upgrades,) and the special scout, Mojo. They gathered up all their warriors, and met the Conclave in the Wastelands for a battle. 'Well,' Tassadar thought, sweat dripping slowly down his face. 'looks like it`s time for the battle for Auir, the battle for the planet!' "It` looks like you`ve improved some what," said Aldaris, a bit of his voice in the 'I think I`ll toy with you for a little' tone. "We`re not in the mood for games!!" cried Fenix. And with that, both protoss fleets went charging at each other, Zeratul`s group with the Terran fleet behind them. The impact was devastating. Tassadar and Aldaris`s Psionic Storms hit at the exact same time, causing many on each side to die.
A long and terrible fight raged on for hours, when the Conclave pulled a highly unexpected move…..
Aldaris turned around, clearly hiding something. A blue light shown at the way he was facing, and then it happened. Tassadar realized he was charging an extremely large Psionic Storm, but not before he could get the word out. Aldaris shot the blast into the air, killing many Terran and Protoss units, but no important people were lost. Aldaris went back and began charging up for another. "Everyone! Get away!" cried Tassadar, trying to get his voice farther than the inner walls of Gantrithor. "Get out of the way!!!" Suddenly, Aldaris`s voice could be heard all throughout Gantrithor. "You should listen to your own advice!!!!" he cried. Tassadar looked out the front. 'Oh no….' he thought. Aldaris had shot the Psionic Storm at him, aiming right for the tip of Gantrthor. "We need you more din us, Tassadar!" cried General Duke, along with 5 other battle cruisers. 'Well,' Duke thought bitterly, ' At least I`m not gonna get killed by one of those stupid Conclave guys….' The BCs pushed Tassadar out of the way, only to Engulfed by the blast themselves. "What did those idiots do????" cried Mengsk. "They did a noble thing, Mengsk." Replied Zeratul. " I would have done the same if I were in that situation."
* * *
INSIDE GANTRITHOR, 12:00 A.M.
" I never imagined a Terran sacrificing himself to save a Protoss. And what did he mean, 'We need you more than us?' I can`t understand…." Tassadar`s head was once again filled with questions. " He did it for the good of the colonies, I guess. As I shall……."
Zeratul and Aldaris engaged in a brutal battle that lasted days. Aldaris had knocked Zeratul off a high cliff after surprising him with an energy blast, then kicking him off. He had thought Zeratul to be dead, but Tassadar caught him on Gantrithor and secretly lifted him to safety. He situated Gantrithor right above Aldaris`s back, and jumped out. " Say goodbye, Aldaris!!!!" He cried, as he charged up a full flare Psionic Storm in the hand he didn`t have outstretched. He grabbed Aldaris, and aimed his attack for his heart. "You`ll kill us both!!! You don`t want to die, do you?" Aldaris said, in a panic stricken whisper. "If it is for the good of the colonies, then I DO!!!!!" Tassadar cried at the top of his lungs, as he fired the blast into Aldaris`s heart.