STEEL, SOUL, AND SPIRIT
By
Gregory P. Wong
Chapter 17: Resolution
Szcraa found her lover slumped on the scorched ground, unconscious amid the rocky and churned soil. After decimating the Thres'nalop fleet, he had led one final, desperate charge against the Thres'nalop hordes. After the Thres'nalop on the plain were destroyed, he had fallen over, the strain of his heroic trials finally catching up to him.
Every last Thres'nalop on Waj Norhal was dead. The Terran artillery, in conjunction with she, Straas and the defending forces, had routed the Thres'nalop.
She kneeled down next to Straas prone form and noticed how he had changed. Yet again... She stroked his right arm delicately. The limb, from the forearm down, was a dull gold, with streaks and specks of silver running through them. Straas' closed eyes held a peaceful look, one that had not had since the beginning of the Thres'nalop encounter. She planted a soft kiss on his crest. Szcraa picked his sleeping form off the ground, and moved to a more comfortable spot. She noticed a soft-looking patch of soil not too far away. Gently, she lowered Straas to the soil. Then she sat down, exhausted. She wanted to go to sleep, but she somehow could not.
She looked up into the sky. The remaining carriers and Arbiters of the Gray Shadow Fleet were descending towards the surface in fiery entry trials. She hoped they had comfortable beds...
Straas opened his eyes. Dimly, he saw the form of Szcraa bending over him. Feeling groggy still, he sat up. His body felt drained of energy, and the act of raising his upper body fatigued him. He saw Szcraa kneeling down next to him. A tight hug greeted his body, supporting him. Her mouth met his, and they kissed.
She spoke, her voice sounding wonderful to his ears.
"Straas, you defeated the Thres'nalop. Ulreathan is no more."
"What... where..." he mumbled, still too exhausted to form words.
"Hush. It's over now," she whispered.
"How long... have I been out?" he asked.
"For nearly three days already, Straas. Sleep now, and let your body rest."
She kissed him again, this time on his crest. He drifted off into slumber again.
Szcraa let her mate sleep, then rose and left their room. The carrier Phantasm was on the ground, with Traenid/Esralath meeting with the Terran officials and leaders. She grabbed a large platter of meat from the eating room. She was still ravenous, even more than before. And she still did not know why... As suddenly as her hunger, she heard the murmur of some disembodied voices in her head. She shook her head, and the voices left.
As she exited the carrier, she gazed over the surface of Waj Norhal. The surface was ruined. There was simply no other way to describe it. Even the battered soil of Sawea was in better condition that this. The Terrans could not hope to survive here. With nothing to do, a thought came to her mind. She turned and headed south, towards the research facility that had been the birthplace of her and Straas.
He dreamed.
He saw a lush world spread before him. He began to walk, taking the beauty of the green world. Suddenly, a voice behind him made him stop.
"Straas!"
He whirled around, and saw the forms of two Dark Templar striding towards him. They preceded a group of Protoss, in various dress. He recognized the faces of the two leaders. Thralen and Xavan.
"Straas, we wanted to say goodbye. It is no longer right for us to stay on this astral plain," said the elder Dark Templar. "We hope our power may serve you well. Farewell."
One by one, the Protoss in the group dispersed into smoke, until only Xavan and his son stood before Straas. He looked into the two Protoss' eyes.
"We hope your lives may be full and healthy, Straas. We wish you and Szcraa well. Goodbye," Thralen said.
"Wait!" He said to the two. "There is one thing you must do before you leave."
He turned to Xavan. "I'm sure your daughter would like to see you one last time."
Esralath's father just looked into his eyes.
"She would want that. I too would like to see her one last time. Now, farewell, Straas." They disappeared in a puff of mist. Straas was alone in his dream world.
She came up to the compound of her birth, and gazed at it. There were no guards. Of course not. The marines had been too busy with the Thres'nalop to bother defending this research facility.
She vaulted over the barbed-wire fence and went past the disabled turrets. Empty bunkers loomed at the side of the blast doors leading to the entrance. She opened the door, using her lock picking software, and went into the darkened interior.
The place seemed deserted, and no power seemed to be running. Lack of light was no problem to her, though. She went up and down the corridors for a half hour, until she found something interesting. One section of the abandoned compound still had power running to it. Frowning, and scythes extended, she crept towards the room. Opening it, she discovered she discovered a powered room, run by two humming generators.
A large screen was placed at the wall opposite the door, with a computer underneath it. Unsure, she booted up the computer. It asked her for a password. A sentence popped into her mind, uncalled by her brain. Love will always. Frowning, she typed that into the console, and the computer whirred.
Cassandra Govalich's face projected onto the large screen.
"Hello Szcraa. I'm assuming you are here alone, since your section of the password was invoked. This here room is my little secret. I'm glad it was kept that way for you to get at.
"I knew one of the engineers of this place. He helped me keep this room secret." The face paused, then grew grave. Govalich's voice was softer now, more serious.
"This is an extremely overused phrase, but, if you are seeing this, then I am probably dead. And in a way, I am glad for that. I sinned too much against you and Straas to be allowed to live. You and Straas are unique, Szcraa, more unique than anything ever to exist in the galaxy."
She obviously has not seen the Thres'nalop, thought Szcraa.
"You are not only Zerg and machine, you two. You are much more. You are a mix of Protoss, Zerg, and yes, Terran."
Szcraa recoiled. What?
"That was not part of my orders from Thanian, but I disobeyed. I did not want you two to be mere slaves to a tyrannical, xenophobic emperor and his pet scientist. You are much more than anything ever encountered, Szcraa.
"You have the steel, the inherent might, of the Zerg. The spirit, the pure power, of the Protoss courses through you. And your soul, your mind, your you is that of a Terran."
Szcraa felt weak. She sat down on the concrete floor, and simply stared at Govalich's images. Protoss, Zerg, and Terran? What am I?
"You are not a mismatch of parts, Szcraa. Rather, you are something new and beautiful to the universe. I hope that your hidden powers have manifested themselves. Triggered correctly, you can become powerful beyond imagination. You are but one half of a powerful organism, Szcraa. You and Straas are meant for each other."
Her mind shifted to Straas, as they sparred, as they fought side by side, as they talked and held each other, as they lay in bed, entwined in each other's arms.
"But that does not matter now."
The image of Govalish smiled slowly.
"I have more things to say to you, but I think Straas should hear them too. You'll probably be very surprised."
Then the image faded from the screen. Numbly, Szcraa left the facility and headed back to the Phantasm.
Traenid stroked Esralath's arm, as they watched the ocean of Aiur swirl and crash on the beach. Her arm went around him. He held her tighter. Esralath's head nestled on his shoulder.
"The battles are over, finally." The Dark Templar whispered softly
"At the cost of thousands of our warriors. But the universe is safe, for now," he replied.
She was still deeply grieved; he could see that. He clutched her tighter.
"If one of my wishes could be granted in this cycle of life, I would like to see my father and brother one last time.. They died, because of..." She stopped. She broke the embrace and sat down on the sand. Traenid sat down next to her, and put an arm around her. They just held each other for a long time. Suddenly, his sharp sense of hearing caught sand grains being shifted by feet. He whirled around. And gasped.
"Some wishes do come true, sister," said Thralen, from behind them. Xavan was at his son's side.
Esralath as up before Traenid could look down at her. Xavan's daughter sprinted to the two Dark Templars, and embraced them in a tight hug. He caught up seconds later, keeping a distance. This is between them. Esralath's eyes misted with Protoss tears.
"Father... how?" she questioned.
"We paid a visit to Straas. He thought it would be wise to see you before we depart this astral plane," said Esralath's father, a small grin arching his eyes..
Esralath looked ready to protest, but resigned herself to silence.
"I am sorry father. I... I... Killed you," she sobbed.
"Perhaps it was for the better, daughter," whispered Xavan "If we had not died, Straas could not have gained his Nova powers, and all would have been lost.
"Mistakes and misjudgments occur in our lives, Esralath, but what distinguishes the good beings from the evil is how they use them. You used yours in the best way possible, daughter."
Xavan took her arm and led her to Traenid.
"You are now part of a Gray Archon, Esralath. You are much more than a married couple; much, much more. Be with each other, and be guardians of all life."
Esralath's father turned to him.
"And you, Traenid, you have helped my daughter through her ordeal. While you are not quite a son-in-law, you are as much a son as Thralen is. May the gods keep you and watch over you.
"Farewell."
In a burst of smoke and mist, the two Dark Templars disappeared.
At their departure, Esralath hugged him and wept. But her tears were not those of sorrow; they were tears of joy.
Straas followed his lover into the facility. Szcraa had told him everything that Govalich had said. He still could not quite get over his genetic heritage, though.
They entered the room with the computer, and were prompted for a password. He looked puzzled, at Szcraa.
"What's the first phrase that comes to your mind, love?" she asked.
"It's... 'Triumph over the dark'," he said, still feeling puzzled.
Szcraa typed that into the computer, along with the phrase Love will always. It whirred. Then Govalich's countenance appeared on the projector screen.
"Since this particular password was invoked, I'll gather you two are much more than friends now."
Straas smiled and draped an arm over Szcraa's shoulders. His golden, right arm grasped Szcraa's hand.
"Now to the important issue. Since this message is scripted to correspond to different passwords, I'll assume you two were a little... intimate."
He chuckled a little.
"And I'm also assuming Szcraa, that you have been feeling a little hungry lately, and have gained a bit weight. That thing is normal."
Straas chuckled this time, but to himself. Szcraa was a good 13.0012 kilos heavier than when they had first fled this compound. She still had a lithe aspect to her, though. Szcraa was slightly touchy on the subject.
"All mothers-to-be get hungry and heavy during pregnancy."
If a Thres'nalop darkblade had popped out of the wall and transformed into Ulreathan, it would scarcely have caused greater shock. Szcraa made a strange sound in the back of her throat, a combination of a choke and a gasp. He just dropped both his jaws. They turned and looked in each other's eyes, both their jaws hanging open. Under any other situation, they would have found it hilarious.
"Yes, I know it's a shock," said the image of Govalich, after a pause. "But it's true. That what makes you more than what you appear to be. I'm also sorry for your misleading programming and datafiles. I just thought that it would be better for you not to know, so you two wouldn't worry about it." Govalich's image smiled.
"Well, congratulations, you two."
Then the face on the screen grew serious.
"I have no way to determine what will be given life, Szcraa. It could be Zerg, or Terran, or Protoss. By God, it could even be a combination of the three. Whatever is born, I will leave it up to you. If it proves... too... too dangerous, I trust you will do the right thing. But I hope you two can raise your offspring, whatever he or she may be.
It's a dangerous world out there, Straas and Szcraa. I wish you two... three, well. I know you can overcome any danger that life throws at you.
You are the steel, soul, and spirit of three powerful races. You are new to the universe, and I wish you good luck. Goodbye."
The image froze. After several seconds, the computer shut down.
He and his mate stared at each other, speechless.
Szcraa could not believe what the image of Govalich had told her. Feeling weak, she sat down on the concrete floor of the room, staring at the blank screen. I'm... I'm PREGNANT? Now that she knew what it was, her weight gain had a plausible reason. Then questions seemed to flood her head all at once like a wave of noblades.
I... I don't have any idea what to do. What will it be like? Can me and Straas raise our... child... well? Will he—or she—be safe?
"Szcraa, we'll have to figure out those questions out when our... child... is born," said Straas, reading her mind. "We will have a child... who would have known?"
She laughed a little. "I guess we will just have to find out."
Traenid/Esralath felt relieved. Like the late hero, Commodore Seamus Farrel, Governor Blake Fasner had little love for the Dominion emperor. And he did not hate non-humans.
The world of Waj Norhal was a wasteland, slagged and radioactive from nuclear cannon shots, pocked by spark weapons, and corrupted by Ulreathan's dark spirit. And the wreckages of Thres'nalop sickles were too "hot", too radioactive, to be disposed of normally. The radioactivy would poison the area for years, if not decades.
"Uh... Executor. We have nowhere to go. Our world is a wasteland, and we cannot produce enough food to surive for another year. To add to that, the radioactivy of the surface is considered by my scientists to be immediately safe, but the long term effects may be deadly to us."
"What do you suggest, Governor?" he/she inquired.
The governor looked pained. Finally, he choked out, "I would like to request for the entire population of Waj Norhal be relocated to your colony world of Sawea. We have nothing left here anymore." Fasner gestured out over the ruined land. "Nothing."
"We will be happy to let you settle on Sawea. but, I am not sure if we can transport everyone, govenor. Our ships can only hold so many." He/she told Fasner. The govenor looked relieved, slightly.
"Transport shouldn't be a problem. We have scores of light freighters and small long-range scouts. And the battlecruisers Samuel Kolinski,Phoenix, Gargoyle and the destroyers Jade Lightning, Tashiba Meru, Fallen Angel, Resartus, and Champion survived, though with varying degrees of damage. And the Battlecruisers Valiant and the destroyers Green Witch, Midas, and Zeus were ordered not to attack the Thres'nalop fleet, and are nearly undamaged. We can easily transport 85 percent of the population. And I'm hoping your ships can accomodate the rest."
Traenid/Esralath thought for a moment.
"That is perfectly fine, govenor. We should begin loading them tommorow. With the number of people still alive on the world, it would take us a week to provision and accomodate the Terrans we will be taking."
"I hope our peoples can mesh together."
"I hope so too, govenor. I hope so too."
They wandered outside the compound, deep in their own thoughts. He turned to Szcraa.
"Who would have known?" he said to his lover.
"No one," Szcraa replied.
They walked back to the Protoss encampment in silence.
"We leave in two days, with a small fleet of Terrans with us." Szcraa said to her lover. They were wandering the Phantasm's corridors, hand in hand. The loading of the carrier was almost done, having started four days ago. They had passed the time by sightseeing the world.
"I wonder if they'll be able to deal with the Protoss?" she sighed.
"I'm sure they will."
They meandered down several more halls. Then Straas turned to her.
"You remember what Govalich said to us. The part about us having the 'souls of Terrans'?"
"Of course I do," she responded. She attempted to look into his mind, but Straas was shielding his thoughts from her probes."Why?"
"There's a Terran custom. As old as when Terrans still only existed on Earth. It's called... um..."
"What?" Somehow, this conversation sounded familiar.
"Well... It's called... marriage"
She let go and spun around to look him face to face.
"Are you serious?" she gasped out.
"No. I just wanted to see your face. Your spines raise up when you're surprised, you know," said Straas, his red eyes looking uncomfortable.
She ignored his comment. "Straas, were you trying to make a proposition to me?"
He faltered. "Um... no.
"But now that you mention it..." He paused. "Szcraa... will you marry me?"
As soon as Straas' words reached her brain, she began to giggle. She couldn't stop. She just laughed and laughed until her sides began to hurt. After that stopped, she threw her arms around Straas and embraced him with all her strength.
"Yes! Yes!"
Traenid sighed. Esralath put an arm over him and held him tight. They were in his old, physical quarters. And they were both naked.
"Now I cannot have regrets that we did this only in our own little world..." Esralath murmured.
She had changed since her brother and father had departed. She seemed to have less... grief, less guilt. He stroked her face.
He was contented. And tired. Some muscles of his were close to cramping up too. And this was to be all fun! I guess some things are just less tiring in our Archon world. But he liked the fatigue. It gave a sense of "realness" to him. And it gave an excuse for him to just lie there and hold Esralath.
A tap on the door made him sit up. He frowned. His officers on the bridge were instructed not too interrupt, and the warriors were told to direct any concerns to Deneras.
"It's Szcraa! We need to talk! Now! Please!" shouted the voice of Szcraa from behind the door.
Traenid shot a bemused look to Esralath. She just smiled thinly, and quickly put her obsidian clothes back on. Without comment, he put on his white garments, too.
He had never heard Szcraa so excited before. Never.
He opened the door, and Szcraa barreled into the room, her face full of excitement and joy. Straas, following his mate, showed less emotion, but it was evident he also excited about something.
"We... we want to get married!" Szcraa blurted out, a strange grin on her face.
They had told him—as Traenid/Esralath—about their findings at the laboratory, and of Szcraa's pregnancy. He was still surprised about their genetic origins.
"You... What?"
"We want to get married," said Straas, a grin growing on his face.
"That is joyous to hear," said Esralath from behind him. "I hope you two can have a happy life. When?"
"Er... That's the thing, though. We don't know how to... er, do a wedding," said Szcraa.
"Oh," he and Esralath said at the same time.
"Hmm. I do not know. If you want a Terran wedding, you see them for it. If you want to be joined according to Protoss customs, you need a Judicator, a Templar, and a Khalai to be present. Oh, Dark Templar are not official, but they're needed there too.
"Well, if we do the Protoss custom, we have a Dark and a Light Templar covered, don't we," said Straas
He smiled. And he know who the Khalai and the Judicator would be.
"I am sure Khalai Rethoj would agree to this, and Judicator Akrelian, commander of the Tassadar would have no objections either. He was an old friend of Tarthan/Jetok," said Esralath.
"If you want it, we had better wait until the ships are en route. That way you too can... rest... after the wedding"
"Thank you, you two. Will a week from now sound good?"
"You are welcome. And a week from now sounds fine."
Smiling, the two Cyberlisks departed his room, hand in hand.
He smiled. Turning around, he saw that Esralath also had a grin on her eyes. With a little laugh, he hugged Esralath. She hugged him back just as hard.
"Those two will be happy. I know it." He said.
"I am happy too... finally." Esralath laid her head on his shoulder.
"As am I. As am I."
The week leading up to their marriage passed in a flash. Straas had never felt happier, or more excited. Then, finally, it was their date for the marriage. The four of them had agreed to hold it in one of the out-of-the way cargo bays, to keep it secret. It would be formally announced later on.
Judicator Akrelian, Khalai Rethoj, Traenid, and Esralath were present. With them were three humans. One of them he recognized; it was lieutenant Tendra McCuester. The other was man that Szcraa identified as a Major Hendrickson. The last human, an iron-haired, paunchy man, was dressed up in an odd black robe, and was carrying a thick book with him.
"Who are they?" he asked Traenid, inquisitive.
"We took the liberty of questioning some Terrans on the Phantasm. We found these two knew you. And the third human is what the Terrans call a religious minister. Apparently, he is the one that couples consult to be married."
"Yes. My name is Reverend Robert Williard," said the minister, giving his hand.
He and Szcraa shook it awkwardly.
"So, we get... both?" asked Straas.
"I don't see why not." said the minister.
"Well, let's get started..." Szcraa said.
"First, we need to give you some things," said Esralath.
"In Terran and Protoss customs both, the two individuals to be married exchange symbolic gifts. We decided you might like these..." explained Traenid. He reached into his clothes and drew out an ornate golden headpiece; the former Assault Commander's, in fact. Esralath also pulled out something, but it was a black armband, studded with dark crystals, also her own. He frowned. They would be much too small.
"They won't fit. They're—"
"—Rethoj has assured me that they will fit. He fixed them specifically for you," interrupted Traenid.
"Oh. Our thanks, Rethoj," said Szcraa.
"It was something small for two who have done so much," said the Khalai, bowing slightly.
"Now that everything is in place, why not start?" Said Williard.
One hour later, with her placing the headpiece onto Straas' head, and he putting the armband onto her arm, followed by the kiss, the Protoss Judicator and the Terran minister said in unison "We now pronounce you married husband and wife!"
With a roaring laugh, Straas picked her up, and danced around the room. They giggled uncontrollably for several minutes, then settled down.
"A celebration banquet for you two begins in two hours, in this hold. It will be decorated and fixed up by then," said Traenid. After a moment of thought, he added "Congratulations."
With a smirk on her face, she glanced at Straas. He has a similar look. After giving a small bow to the seven people in the hold, they walked out and dashed to their room. She and Straas had quite a different celebration there.