IX. True Colors
Melinda was sitting next to Illiawile again watching the ancient contraption infront of them, each half absorbed in themselves and half at the broadcast in front. "You know what...", Melinda broke the serene silence. "??", Illiawile just looked puzzled..
"We need to get you some new things to wear", Melinda looked at his blood stained armor and clothing.
"But this is all I have with me...", Illiawile protested
"It's my job as a medic to make sure everyone is sanitary", Melinda said adamantly
Against his will Illiawile went into his quarter and took off all his armor and clothing, and hid under his covers as Melinda collected the moldy items off the floor. Melinda seemed quite content with her conquest over his clothing as she threw them into their portable washer. Zel'xol walked by and looked at the various human contraptions scatter all about the halls... and then we happened to glance by the half naken Illiawile and then Melinda who was carrying his clothing away. Luckily protoss never thought anything of this... he just sighed over how messy his carrier had become ever since it became a virtual terran dormitory. Elissa walked by as well and the scene gave her a different impression, as she gave a dirty smile to Illiawile and Melinda. Illiawile had turned his pale face red while Melinda was just innocently smiling.
Zel'xol was half-dazed when suddenly he received a psionic message from a nearby protoss carrier fleet. They were in an intense battle and needed help. Zel'xol quickly announced to everyone and the fleet that they were going to enter battle. Everyone then got up and rushed to the bridge. Elissa looked at Illiawile and handed him a standard issue space suit that she had, since all his clothing was dripping wet at the moment. Illiawile felt rather naked in the suit... not having all his armor... save for his amulets and rings.
Zel'xol continued his psionic communication with the protoss carrier fleet. They were almost within visual range, but Zel'xol's face turned to one of shock as the psionic communication completed. He turned to his 3 comrades and spoke, "My bretheren, they are being attacked, by the terran army..." Everyone's face grew tense as they felt for the first time how alien they were to Zel'xol and his kind.
"From now on this fleet is officially disbanded, head home, wherever that maybe..", Zel'xol announced over comm to the mixed terran-protoss fleet he had been commanding. He knew that this war wasn't one they should be fighting. He then looked at his three friends and asked them the inevitable. He said, "I believe this war is not for you either..."
Elissa yelled back, "What do you mean! It's not like we can go back to the terran army, we'll be shot and killed for what we've done..."
Illiawile chimed in, "I believe this is where we are all destined to be... I don't really have anywhere else to run to either way."
Zel'xol was touched by his friends' convictions, yet he still wondered how well it would be received by his bretheren. To have Terrans fighting alongside them against Terrans. He knew there was great hatred against Terrans among his bretheren. Yet he couldn't move himself to push these three away, and somehow he believed if they proved themselves, they too would be taken in by his bretheren.
"ok, but you will only engage in battle from this ship, and you are not to let any harm come to this carrier"....
The battle was appearing on the screen... All eyes were focused upon it. Their stare only broken as a fleet of 3 scouts and 2 corsairs appeared in front of them, escorting them to the battle ground. "Take care... you can reach me through this.." Zel'xol handed them a communicator. He then proceeded to board his custom interceptor and boarded one of the scout fighter classes.
Zel'xol psionically communicated with Illiawile... "I'll guide you through my psionic connection with you, you'll learn how to pilot the ship."
Illiawile pondered for a moment why Zel'xol decided him over Elissa the telepath who was standing beside him looking totally perplexed by the situation. He figures it was just the way the Protoss viewed the female species. His ponderings quickly shaken as he felt the psionic connection again. He then swiftly grabbed the controls of the ship, connected with it, and steered it hard left. A beam of a Yamato blast surged right next to them barely missing the ship. Another blast came, and one of the protoss ships jumped infront of them to absorb the blast. The scout disintegrated into space, while the beam continued on its path and struck the side of the carrier. The damage was minimal as the scout had absorbed most of the damage. The interceptors were busy targetting between the two battlecruisers. The rest of the fleet also commenced firing on the two offenders.
The battle raged on furiously, but Zel'xol did wonders w/ the protoss fleet given to him. Not only was he a good warrior but also a good general. He lured all the battlecruisers away from their main backup and sent the corsairs to take care of them. At the same time arbitrers cloacked their main fleet that was used to take out the backup terran squadrons. Eventually the terran fleet retreated, Zel'xol had single handedly turned the tide of the battle.
Elissa, Melinda, and Illiawile sat down next to each other on the battle cruiser not certain what their fate would be, surrounded by an entire protoss fleet that had just been fighting furiously against terrans. Zel'xol seemed rather oblivious of their predicament as he ordered the carrier to set a course for a protoss homeworld.
After they had landed on the protoss world, Zel'xol met them outside saying how grateful his bretheren would be for their help in the battle. Zel'xol was happy greeting his terran friends until he was pulled back by a pack of zealots and warp blades were held up to Illiawile. Melinda fell back in shock, while Elissa stood back and cloacked herself and ran back into the carrier. "Quickly, get an observer here..", one of the Zealots order to the others. "You dare betray those that have just aided us to victory?", Zel'xol screamed. It fell on deaf ears.. They were merely following orders. The situation was far worse than they had realized. Being confined together in a ship had made them blind to the hatred that had grown between terrans and protoss.
Elissa was running and saw herself becoming visible again... "What?" she thought to herself. She heard footsteps chasing in behind her as she looked as one of the custom interceptors. If only she knew how to start one of those. She got in nonetheless... and opened the hatch of the carrier. As soon as she got the interceptor started she jumped out as it launched. She quickly hid behind a wall and watched as the interceptor blindly flew down and immediately met destruction by dragoons that were waiting. The zealots that were chasing after her stood by the open hatch speaking in a language she couldn't understand. She dared not venture into their minds lest revealing herself. But the mockery and laughter in their voices assured her that they had left her for dead.
Illiawile watched the scenes before him progress as if it were in slow motion. The crashing flames of the interceptor reflected his inner most feelings as it reminded him of something dark within him. He held back his rage as the situation called for restraint. He told himself that Elissa wouldn't have perished so easily.
They were taken hostage in a psionic cage while they awaited their judgement. Zel'xol gave a smirk to Illiawile as he knew that he wouldn't be held back by such a prison. He saw how Illiawile could've easy gotten out of one when he had cast it before, although this cage was held by templars who were stronger than Zel'xol. It was a contemplative moment as Zel'xol face showed the guilt he felt for what has become of his friends, and anger for the betrayal as the hands of his own bretheren. Melinda sense this however, and tried to comfort him, telling him that it was not his fault. Zel'xol wouldn't let the medic heal the wounds of his pride and emotion. He stood silent.... A silence which was finally broken by a pylon blowing up in the nearby perimeter.
Elissa rejoiced as she was able to take out the central pylon powering the photon cannons. She then ran at a blazing speed towards the psionic cage. Illiawile sensed her comming and took aim at the templars who were powering the cage. The spirits escaped the prison since they were not of this dimension. They struck down the unsuspecting templars as quickly as Elissa sniped down the Zealots who were standing guard. It pained Zel'xol to see his fellow protoss to fall, but what could he do in the situation.
"I know a place where we can get to some ships..." Zel'xol led them to a nearby Warp Gate. He walked in weary that he may have to take down his own kind. He walked up and to his suprise, the person powering the structure was no other than Milz'el. The situation was so ironic that he froze in his footsteps not uttering a single word. "Wha..", Milz'el was going utter until Elissa decloaked and aimed her rifle at Milz'el, firing immediately. Zel'xol not even thinking, ran infront and took the bullet to save her. Milz'el was about to sound the alarms when Zel'xol grabbed her and begged her not to. Milz'el was terrified as three terrans appeared behind Zel'xol. "These are my friends", Zel'xol muttered as he was severly wounded. "What are you doing!!!", Elissa frantically asked. "oh my God", Melinda ran towards Zel. She pulled out her med kit. "Don't touch him!!!", Milz'el screached. Illiawile didn't know what to do, he almost just wanted to whack them all over the head, if only he had his wand right now.
Zel'xol stood straight up, "I can explain everything to everyone... just please calm d..." He fell down again as even his concentration skills and training were betrayed by his physical state. "Please let me help you...", Melinda begged. "I don't need help..." Even Zel'xol carried the prejudice of being cured by a terran. "These are my friends please help them...", he pleaded once again to the still horrified Milz'el. "Don't you remember, the time back..." "Doesn't it remind you."
Milz'el became calmer as she knelt down now, somehow becoming totally oblivious of the situation at hand. She smiled, and knelt down to be close to Zel'xol. "You saved me then... just like now." Milz'el reminisced.
"Yes... and those years after that."
"We pledged on that crystal that we'd always remember..."
Zel'xol was becoming more and more distant. This made Melinda severely worried. "Don't be so selfish!!!!!!", Melinda scolded Zel'xol as if he were an eight year old child. Zel'xol was taken aback by the sudden outburst from this often soft spoken terran. At this point Melinda had disregarded everything else, and began treating Zel'xol. "It won't work...", Zel'xol pleaded. Milz'el was about to interfere.. until Elissa stopped her.
"Don't even think about it...", Elissa spouted the cliche line while the true weight of the words lied in the rifle she had in her arm.
The two faced each other like two women that should never be left alone in a room would. However, the tension broke a little as Zel'xol was getting unconscious and mumbling. "So it did mean something..." Milz'el looked at Zel'xol and gave him a look that told him that indeed it did.
Zel'xol went unconscious and many things spilled in his head.. his memories, his friends, and Milz'el. But he was slowly being slapped back to harsh reality as he felt warmth enter his body, and a comforting touch. It was strange how comforting it was, the way Melinda was tending to him. Zel'xol realized then that no matter how different another living organism can be, it doesn't take away from the bond you can share with them.
At this he got up, strong once again, "We've wasted valuable time"
Milz'el looked at Melinda and whispered a gentle "thank you". Milz'el now knew why Zel'xol had always wanted her to learn the terran language with him, and why he was so focused on their culture.
But it was time to go now... "Can you get us some ships?" Zel'xol inquired of Milz'el
I have 4 corsairs, it will be less suspicious since they're sent out to patrol all the time.
"I'm glad we get to say goodbye the right way", Zel'xol emotional one last time.
"Yes", a simple yes, that revealed all the truths of that complex emotion.
Melinda was sitting next to Illiawile again watching the ancient contraption infront of them, each half absorbed in themselves and half at the broadcast in front. "You know what...", Melinda broke the serene silence. "??", Illiawile just looked puzzled..
"We need to get you some new things to wear", Melinda looked at his blood stained armor and clothing.
"But this is all I have with me...", Illiawile protested
"It's my job as a medic to make sure everyone is sanitary", Melinda said adamantly
Against his will Illiawile went into his quarter and took off all his armor and clothing, and hid under his covers as Melinda collected the moldy items off the floor. Melinda seemed quite content with her conquest over his clothing as she threw them into their portable washer. Zel'xol walked by and looked at the various human contraptions scatter all about the halls... and then we happened to glance by the half naken Illiawile and then Melinda who was carrying his clothing away. Luckily protoss never thought anything of this... he just sighed over how messy his carrier had become ever since it became a virtual terran dormitory. Elissa walked by as well and the scene gave her a different impression, as she gave a dirty smile to Illiawile and Melinda. Illiawile had turned his pale face red while Melinda was just innocently smiling.
Zel'xol was half-dazed when suddenly he received a psionic message from a nearby protoss carrier fleet. They were in an intense battle and needed help. Zel'xol quickly announced to everyone and the fleet that they were going to enter battle. Everyone then got up and rushed to the bridge. Elissa looked at Illiawile and handed him a standard issue space suit that she had, since all his clothing was dripping wet at the moment. Illiawile felt rather naked in the suit... not having all his armor... save for his amulets and rings.
Zel'xol continued his psionic communication with the protoss carrier fleet. They were almost within visual range, but Zel'xol's face turned to one of shock as the psionic communication completed. He turned to his 3 comrades and spoke, "My bretheren, they are being attacked, by the terran army..." Everyone's face grew tense as they felt for the first time how alien they were to Zel'xol and his kind.
"From now on this fleet is officially disbanded, head home, wherever that maybe..", Zel'xol announced over comm to the mixed terran-protoss fleet he had been commanding. He knew that this war wasn't one they should be fighting. He then looked at his three friends and asked them the inevitable. He said, "I believe this war is not for you either..."
Elissa yelled back, "What do you mean! It's not like we can go back to the terran army, we'll be shot and killed for what we've done..."
Illiawile chimed in, "I believe this is where we are all destined to be... I don't really have anywhere else to run to either way."
Zel'xol was touched by his friends' convictions, yet he still wondered how well it would be received by his bretheren. To have Terrans fighting alongside them against Terrans. He knew there was great hatred against Terrans among his bretheren. Yet he couldn't move himself to push these three away, and somehow he believed if they proved themselves, they too would be taken in by his bretheren.
"ok, but you will only engage in battle from this ship, and you are not to let any harm come to this carrier"....
The battle was appearing on the screen... All eyes were focused upon it. Their stare only broken as a fleet of 3 scouts and 2 corsairs appeared in front of them, escorting them to the battle ground. "Take care... you can reach me through this.." Zel'xol handed them a communicator. He then proceeded to board his custom interceptor and boarded one of the scout fighter classes.
Zel'xol psionically communicated with Illiawile... "I'll guide you through my psionic connection with you, you'll learn how to pilot the ship."
Illiawile pondered for a moment why Zel'xol decided him over Elissa the telepath who was standing beside him looking totally perplexed by the situation. He figures it was just the way the Protoss viewed the female species. His ponderings quickly shaken as he felt the psionic connection again. He then swiftly grabbed the controls of the ship, connected with it, and steered it hard left. A beam of a Yamato blast surged right next to them barely missing the ship. Another blast came, and one of the protoss ships jumped infront of them to absorb the blast. The scout disintegrated into space, while the beam continued on its path and struck the side of the carrier. The damage was minimal as the scout had absorbed most of the damage. The interceptors were busy targetting between the two battlecruisers. The rest of the fleet also commenced firing on the two offenders.
The battle raged on furiously, but Zel'xol did wonders w/ the protoss fleet given to him. Not only was he a good warrior but also a good general. He lured all the battlecruisers away from their main backup and sent the corsairs to take care of them. At the same time arbitrers cloacked their main fleet that was used to take out the backup terran squadrons. Eventually the terran fleet retreated, Zel'xol had single handedly turned the tide of the battle.
Elissa, Melinda, and Illiawile sat down next to each other on the battle cruiser not certain what their fate would be, surrounded by an entire protoss fleet that had just been fighting furiously against terrans. Zel'xol seemed rather oblivious of their predicament as he ordered the carrier to set a course for a protoss homeworld.
After they had landed on the protoss world, Zel'xol met them outside saying how grateful his bretheren would be for their help in the battle. Zel'xol was happy greeting his terran friends until he was pulled back by a pack of zealots and warp blades were held up to Illiawile. Melinda fell back in shock, while Elissa stood back and cloacked herself and ran back into the carrier. "Quickly, get an observer here..", one of the Zealots order to the others. "You dare betray those that have just aided us to victory?", Zel'xol screamed. It fell on deaf ears.. They were merely following orders. The situation was far worse than they had realized. Being confined together in a ship had made them blind to the hatred that had grown between terrans and protoss.
Elissa was running and saw herself becoming visible again... "What?" she thought to herself. She heard footsteps chasing in behind her as she looked as one of the custom interceptors. If only she knew how to start one of those. She got in nonetheless... and opened the hatch of the carrier. As soon as she got the interceptor started she jumped out as it launched. She quickly hid behind a wall and watched as the interceptor blindly flew down and immediately met destruction by dragoons that were waiting. The zealots that were chasing after her stood by the open hatch speaking in a language she couldn't understand. She dared not venture into their minds lest revealing herself. But the mockery and laughter in their voices assured her that they had left her for dead.
Illiawile watched the scenes before him progress as if it were in slow motion. The crashing flames of the interceptor reflected his inner most feelings as it reminded him of something dark within him. He held back his rage as the situation called for restraint. He told himself that Elissa wouldn't have perished so easily.
They were taken hostage in a psionic cage while they awaited their judgement. Zel'xol gave a smirk to Illiawile as he knew that he wouldn't be held back by such a prison. He saw how Illiawile could've easy gotten out of one when he had cast it before, although this cage was held by templars who were stronger than Zel'xol. It was a contemplative moment as Zel'xol face showed the guilt he felt for what has become of his friends, and anger for the betrayal as the hands of his own bretheren. Melinda sense this however, and tried to comfort him, telling him that it was not his fault. Zel'xol wouldn't let the medic heal the wounds of his pride and emotion. He stood silent.... A silence which was finally broken by a pylon blowing up in the nearby perimeter.
Elissa rejoiced as she was able to take out the central pylon powering the photon cannons. She then ran at a blazing speed towards the psionic cage. Illiawile sensed her comming and took aim at the templars who were powering the cage. The spirits escaped the prison since they were not of this dimension. They struck down the unsuspecting templars as quickly as Elissa sniped down the Zealots who were standing guard. It pained Zel'xol to see his fellow protoss to fall, but what could he do in the situation.
"I know a place where we can get to some ships..." Zel'xol led them to a nearby Warp Gate. He walked in weary that he may have to take down his own kind. He walked up and to his suprise, the person powering the structure was no other than Milz'el. The situation was so ironic that he froze in his footsteps not uttering a single word. "Wha..", Milz'el was going utter until Elissa decloaked and aimed her rifle at Milz'el, firing immediately. Zel'xol not even thinking, ran infront and took the bullet to save her. Milz'el was about to sound the alarms when Zel'xol grabbed her and begged her not to. Milz'el was terrified as three terrans appeared behind Zel'xol. "These are my friends", Zel'xol muttered as he was severly wounded. "What are you doing!!!", Elissa frantically asked. "oh my God", Melinda ran towards Zel. She pulled out her med kit. "Don't touch him!!!", Milz'el screached. Illiawile didn't know what to do, he almost just wanted to whack them all over the head, if only he had his wand right now.
Zel'xol stood straight up, "I can explain everything to everyone... just please calm d..." He fell down again as even his concentration skills and training were betrayed by his physical state. "Please let me help you...", Melinda begged. "I don't need help..." Even Zel'xol carried the prejudice of being cured by a terran. "These are my friends please help them...", he pleaded once again to the still horrified Milz'el. "Don't you remember, the time back..." "Doesn't it remind you."
Milz'el became calmer as she knelt down now, somehow becoming totally oblivious of the situation at hand. She smiled, and knelt down to be close to Zel'xol. "You saved me then... just like now." Milz'el reminisced.
"Yes... and those years after that."
"We pledged on that crystal that we'd always remember..."
Zel'xol was becoming more and more distant. This made Melinda severely worried. "Don't be so selfish!!!!!!", Melinda scolded Zel'xol as if he were an eight year old child. Zel'xol was taken aback by the sudden outburst from this often soft spoken terran. At this point Melinda had disregarded everything else, and began treating Zel'xol. "It won't work...", Zel'xol pleaded. Milz'el was about to interfere.. until Elissa stopped her.
"Don't even think about it...", Elissa spouted the cliche line while the true weight of the words lied in the rifle she had in her arm.
The two faced each other like two women that should never be left alone in a room would. However, the tension broke a little as Zel'xol was getting unconscious and mumbling. "So it did mean something..." Milz'el looked at Zel'xol and gave him a look that told him that indeed it did.
Zel'xol went unconscious and many things spilled in his head.. his memories, his friends, and Milz'el. But he was slowly being slapped back to harsh reality as he felt warmth enter his body, and a comforting touch. It was strange how comforting it was, the way Melinda was tending to him. Zel'xol realized then that no matter how different another living organism can be, it doesn't take away from the bond you can share with them.
At this he got up, strong once again, "We've wasted valuable time"
Milz'el looked at Melinda and whispered a gentle "thank you". Milz'el now knew why Zel'xol had always wanted her to learn the terran language with him, and why he was so focused on their culture.
But it was time to go now... "Can you get us some ships?" Zel'xol inquired of Milz'el
I have 4 corsairs, it will be less suspicious since they're sent out to patrol all the time.
"I'm glad we get to say goodbye the right way", Zel'xol emotional one last time.
"Yes", a simple yes, that revealed all the truths of that complex emotion.