Author's Note: This is it! The final chapter of The Hearts of Space. Thanks to all readers and reviewers, especially Smurfkiller and Cairdian-Shadow. Enjoy guys, and thanks for reading along.
Chapter Eleven: Liberation
"Anyone can escape into sleep, we are all geniuses there."
-E.M. Cioran
Renaud looked at Grady. His nemesis was trying to hold back from shaking with fear. It wasn't Renaud that frightened him. It was the awesome power of an unstable monster that made him wish there were no shadows. Grady shook his head as he watched Snider's response to Silas' corpse. He paced backwards and leaned against the wall, hitting his head and looking upwards.
"Where's Blake?" asked Renaud.
Grady shrugged and went back to shaking his head. Renaud didn't bother asking him again; he knew that at this point Grady wouldn't bother lying. He looked at his soldiers; Snider was still recovering from shock; Van Camp was tending to him; Stratham guarding the hallway.
He couldn't fail this team like he had in his dream. He wouldn't let anyone else be destroyed. Even though he knew that Phaira-kur must be saved, he would willingly sacrifice himself for the men that had stood at his side throughout the entire ordeal.
But his thoughts were interrupted by a strange scream, followed by an echo of gunfire. The dining hall was not far, and that is where the scream had originated. Renaud searched his mind trying to figure who would bother going into galley after it had been rampaged…
Greck.
The group didn't spare a second thought. They dashed towards the dining hall in hopes of finding Phaira-kur alive and well.
Renaud was the first one in, and he stopped when he saw the situation. In the middle of the kitchen, Phaira-kur was standing tall, looking at Greck. Greck was holding his set of knives, throwing each by the blade one at a time. The knives couldn't even hit Phaira-kur; they flew off as if a barrier had formed around him.
Temple was behind Phaira-kur, leaning against the ovens and stoves. He was firing his machine gun, but nothing was happening. The bullets, like the knives, trickled off the surface of the barrier. Renaud grasped his tranquilizer gun tightly. He would have to inject it into Phaira-kur manually.
Renaud took out the darts and held a few in each hand. He charged forward, running at the Protoss. He dove at him, the darts outstretched. But a single hand movement caused Renaud to fly off course and into Temple. Van Camp and Snider opened fire, trying to distract the monster from Greck, who was obviously panicking.
Greck threw yet another knife at Phaira-kur. The warrior lifted both his hands and closed his black eyes. A sudden force pushed Greck into the freezer, and another force closed the door.
Temple pushed Renaud away and dropped his machine gun.
"I've had enough of your shit, Renaud!" Temple shouted. Renaud started to stand, but Temple kicked him in the ribcage. The soldier then pulled out his hunting knife and prepared to stab the brave leader. He stopped and looked at Phaira-kur, then his blade. "I'll use it on him first!" he said to Renaud.
Renaud opened his mouth to stop him, but Temple leapt onto Phaira-kur's back attempting to plunge the dagger into his neck. The Protoss wasted no time. His bony grey fingers, so thin and wiry, flew back and sunk into Temple's eyes. The fingers dug deeper and deeper as Temple screamed.
Grady, Stratham, Van Camp, and Snider stopped firing, too afraid to hit the wounded soldier. But Grady quickly realized that his own life was in danger and decided not to worry about Temple's misfortune. He snatched away Van Camp's rifle and fired at Phaira-kur's feet, but with no outcome.
The fingers nestled deep in the caverns of Temple's skull. Temple's screaming stopped as he dropped the knife and went into a total state of shock. Renaud took one dart and lunged at Phaira-kur. Somehow he had become distracted with Grady's firing, as well as his own breed of torture, and Renaud was able to hit him in the lower back.
But Phaira-kur wouldn't let him escape easily. The fingers inside Temple's brain hooked upward. Temple's body jolted uncontrollably in response, and Phaira-kur swung the paralyzed body at Renaud and struck him square in the gut. Renaud slammed into the oven with Temple's corpse on top of him.
Van Camp picked up Renaud's gun, which he had left with them, and removed two final darts. He handed one to Snider, and both ran at Phaira-kur.
Phaira-kur pushed them both to one side. Renaud shook his head as he smelled gas rising out of the damaged stove top. He got Temple's body off of him and quickly gathered the two, rushing back to Stratham and Grady.
The Protoss leaned his head back and lifted his hands. A large ball of energy began to form… he had learned this from Durhkhan.
Renaud felt his coat and searched his pockets as the other soldiers started down the hall, attempting to avoid the death that Phaira-kur was about to cause. Though his movements were a bit slower, the Protoss warrior was still a force to be reckoned with. Renaud finally found his matches and grabbed his kerchief. He picked a bottle from Greck's fine wine collection, and soaked the rag with it. He stuffed the kerchief into the top of the bottle and lit it with the match.
He readied his hand and aimed for the oven. The bottle was released, and Renaud then ran after his comrades.
The oven exploded in a brilliant fireball, and Phaira-kur flew through the doorway and into the dining hall. The energy that he had collected was released upwards into the ceiling, causing another explosion. But his got up and stared back at where he was standing. He could still get them with his psionic forces. All of them; Renaud, Grady, Van Camp, Greck, Stratham, Snider… all of them.
----
Greck was still in the freezer. He had hit his head hard against a metal shelf, and he took his time getting himself ready to get up and out. He picked up his knives and pounded on the door, trying to open it. The cook started to panic again. He backed up, ran forward and smacked his shoulder on the door, hoping the force would swing it open.
"Let me out! Oh, God! Please let me out!" he screamed as tears started to run down his face. The temperature was unbearable. He sniffed and whimpered as he continually rushed at the steel door. Greck finally collected himself, leaned forward, and jumped at the door with all his might. He bounced off and slipped on a small patch of frost beneath his feet.
Greck's legs swung out and he fell on his back, releasing his knives in the air. He immediately covered his face and curled up, but nothing hit him.
Not only that, but he didn't even hear the knives land. Slowly he opened his eyes, looking at the ground around him. Nothing. Not a single blade. Greck sniffed and wiped his nose with his sleeve. He sluggishly ran his fingers around his eyes, pulling away tears of fright.
It was silent outside. He couldn't hear the men screaming at each other or bullets flying. That scared him more than anything. He had heard the explosion, but felt nothing. Oh, Jesus, that thing killed them all! his panicked mind thought.
He slid his way to the door and knocked on it. No answer from the other side. He whimpered again and put his back to it, smacking his head on it repeatedly.
Greck stopped after he knew he would be in the freezer until help arrived, which might be hours. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, afraid of the cold and the monster that had left him here. His eyes lazily opened, then blinked.
Then he blinked again.
Above him were his knives, leisurely flying in a circle near the ceiling. A blue energy surrounded them, and they continued to spiral. Greck's jaw slid open as he realized the absolute horror that engulfed him. Cautiously his left hand felt its way up the door to try and grasp the handle.
"Please… please, no," he whispered. One of the knives stopped in its place as the others went on their path. It floated for a moment. Greck looked at the sharp blade.
It flew at him with the speed of lightning, going straight into his gaping mouth and tearing his throat. Immediately his arms jolted out as his legs kicked forward, straightening like boards of wood.
The pain couldn't be described. Greck could feel the blood running into his lungs, filling every corner. The knife continued to sink in, and eventually cut through the back of his neck. Greck attempted to keep his head still, but lost control when he saw the other knives stop in place.
----
As Connant and Ames were now celebrating about yet another revelation, de Roos alerted them to movement outside. The entire crew rushed to the windows to see. A large figure was standing over Durhkhan's body. The snow was flying too hard to see anything clearly, but it was too big to be a human. It had to be Phaira-kur for sure. The only confusing thing was that the figure looked as if it was wearing a cloak…
They continued to watch as the figure looked outward into the snow, went back to gazing at Durhkhan, and then cocked its head in their direction. The group took a step back as if a ghost had looked them in the eye. The figure then turned and walked out into the spiraling abyss.
Newell stepped forward again, trying to find the creature in the darkness. He shook his head furiously and looked to the men behind him.
"He's gone! We'll have to go out and get him back!" Newell announced. Straatman jerked his head back in amazement.
"There's no way I'm going out there!" Straatman claimed, nearly laughing as if Newell had made some sort of joke. MacFerran grabbed his collar.
"Aw, come on already," MacFerran said, dragging him out the door. The rest of the group followed with Newell bringing up the rear. He took one last look out the window before he turned to leave.
Little did he or anyone know that Wald had been hiding in the closet near the entrance of the lab. When Newell passed, Wald quickly sprang out and slashed his throat with a broken beaker. Connant was in front of Newell, and turned around when he heard the commotion.
Newell fell to the ground, clutching his neck as blood seeped through his fingers. His eyes bulged as his tongue hung out of his mouth. Newell's face turned red, and he stared at Connant before falling over.
The young scientist fell backwards in fright, and Wald, now crazed with a deranged grin on his face, grabbed Connant's neck and held the broken beaker in the air. Wald put his face next to Connant's and whispered evilly.
"I'm the top scientist around here, Connant. I'm the one who's reporting this! It's my work! It's all mine!" Wald said as his voice grew louder. Ames and de Roos turned around and saw the deadly situation.
"Jesus Christ, Wald! What are you doing!" exclaimed Ames.
Wald's grin disappeared as surprise covered his complexion. He quickly dragged Connant into the lab. Wald pulled him to his feet and faced him towards the doorway as Ames and de Roos came through. The blood-covered glass was right next to Connant's young flesh.
MacFerran, Garrett, and Straatman came to the door and saw the madness unfold. Ames slowly crept forward as de Roos kept a steady aim on Wald.
"Wald… what are you doing? He's just a kid. Come on, you know you don't want to do this," Ames said in a soothing voice.
"No… no, this is my work! It's mine, I tell you!" Wald's voice was shaking. Ames nodded and had a reassuring smile on his face.
"You're right. You thought of all of this. It was all yours," Ames concurred. "Connant and I didn't think of any of it."
Wald looked a bit confused, but then quickly agreed. "Yeah… uh, yeah. Yeah, it was all my idea!"
"Your idea, Wald."
"All my idea! My theories! Everything! It was all mine!" Wald kept his voice nice and loud. Ames crept ever closer, offering his hand.
"It's all your, Wald. But just let Connant go. I've known you for a long time, and I know that this isn't you. You don't want to do this, Wald," Ames concluded. Wald shook his head and re-gripped Connant and the glass. He looked down and nearly convulsed. "Wald, come on. You don't want to do this."
Wald's head shot up. He was smiling, as if he had been lying the whole time. He was still willing to kill Connant no matter what. Ames' face drained its pleasantness and turned to dread. Wald bit his bottom lip and quickly lifted the glass outward and then went in for the kill.
But he stopped short. Ames was frightened, but Wald's face had gone completely blank. Connant's too. Wald let go of him, and Connant scooted away, still staring behind Ames. The old scientist turned around and saw and awesome blue specter towering over him. The ghost of Durhkhan. Ames backed away and to the side as he stared in awe. The soldiers had lowered their weapons in sight of the spirit, but snapped back into consciousness and signaled for Ames and Connant to join them.
Wald stood in the center of the room, the broken beaker in his hand. It slipped out and glass scattered across the floor. The ghost tilted its head and then took a step towards Wald. The old man's hands shook, and he cautiously paced backwards.
"Isn't there anything you can do?" asked Ames. "Can't you help him?
"The hell do you want us to do?" asked Straatman. "It's a God-damned ghost!"
Ames wasn't satisfied. Wald had been his friend all his life, and whether he had changed for the worse or not, he wasn't about to let him die. He could not allow his best friend scare himself to death from harmless likeness.
"Wald, come on, we have to leave!" he said as he approached him. But Wald wouldn't listen. He backed himself to the window, his upper leg hitting the seal. "Wald…"
Ames stepped forward, in front of the apparition. For a second, Wald became calm, and he suddenly realized what he had done. He had killed Newell, and he was going to kill Connant, an innocent kid. Wald nearly broke into tears. He outstretched his arms and smiled at his old friend.
"Ames… I'm so sorry. I'm-"
But the specter gave no chance. It lunged through Ames and charged at Wald. Wald screamed and pushed himself away, accidentally forcing himself out the window. The old man fell and fell and fell until he hit the frozen mound of snow with a huge crack!
Wald lay at the base of the building with his hands now still. The ghost disappeared, and Ames went to the window. He shrunk down and began to sob. All the years they had been friends, and Ames couldn't save him when he needed it the most.
Connant pulled Ames off the ground and comforted him while the others looked out the window. de Roos went to Newell's body and desperately checked for a pulse, but he knew he was dead. At the window, Garrett watched as the figure - who had returned - once again drifted away into the snow.
----
Renaud sprinted through the hallways, constantly looking over his shoulder. Every now and then when he was turning a corner, he saw Phaira-kur gliding towards him. The look in the beast's eye was deadly, and his rage deadlier.
With a part of the camp burning, it wouldn't take long before everyone would realize what was happening, and get out. Renaud turned his head once more, but Phaira-kur was absent from his menacing state. When he turned back around, Renaud hit into his entire crew. Connant, Ames, and the others had met Grady in the hallway.
"What the hell is going on?" asked MacFerran.
"No time for that," said Renaud, shaking his hands. "Did you get Durhkhan outside?" MacFerran nodded. "Good. Phaira-kur isn't far off. He's coming after me. Now we have to get him outside."
"The Protoss won't be here for a long while, Renaud," said MacFerran. Renaud rubbed his face as he tried to think of a plan.
"He's after you, right?" asked Van Camp. Renaud nodded. "Well, if you're willing to be bait, you could stay in the complex for however long you have to." Renaud thought about that. If it ensured the lives of everyone there, he would do it.
"I'll do it. Everyone get outside. If the Protoss show up… tell them he's inside." Renaud took Straatman's gun, twisted and started to head off. Van Camp stopped him.
"I'm coming with you," he said. Renaud looked at him, perplexed.
"Me, too," said Snider.
"And me," announced Grady. Everyone stared at him. "It's not because I like you, Renaud. I want to find that asshole Blake. He left me for dead."
"All right," Renaud said, smiling. "Everyone go. You three follow me."
"Where are we going?" asked Snider.
"The roof."
"What the hell for?" Grady retorted, almost snarling.
Renaud turned to him and released a cool smile. "We'll be able to see when the Protoss fleet comes riding in."
He moved cautiously to the stairwell, and Van Camp, Snider, and Grady followed him. Renaud knocked the door open and moved in. He let his rifle lead him through the stairwell. The lights at the top on the ceiling had come loose from the explosion in the kitchen and were hanging by the wires. A few emergency lights were on, but even those flickered from the damage the building had sustained.
The blast and the fire that ensued had taken a small portion of the building down, and the fire was starting to creep throughout the entire complex. The stairwell wasn't an exception; it wasn't far from the dining hall in the first place.
Renaud started to head up the stairs, ignoring the various torn bodies of scientists that had unluckily come in contact with Phaira-kur. Blood was splattered on the concrete walls, and one scientist even took the time to write "monster" with his blood before he died. Van Camp stopped and stared at the message. He wondered why he was saving this beast. Snider tapped his shoulder and flicked his head away, motioning that it was time to move on.
The group came to the third level. Renaud had stopped, and so had Grady. When Van Camp and Snider caught up with them, they saw that the stairs leading to the roof were gone. Renaud looked down towards his feet and noticed that the metal stairs had been cut away. He shook his head; those blades were capable of destroying just about anything.
"We'll have to go through the storage room," Renaud said. "I don't see any other way around it. And shit, it's right near the dining hall. It's probably on fire." There was a door to their left that was the storage room, and that had a ladder that led up to the roof. But there could be stored explosives that no one put in the armory in there, and with that fire beneath them… He tried to look at the distance between where he was standing and where the stairs used to lead. Renaud then went to the side and grabbed the railing that was attached to the wall. "Hey, Snider… you got strong arms, right?"
Snider rolled his eyes and gripped the railing. He nodded and put the strap of his rifle over his neck. He took the railing again and dropped down, seeing if he could hold himself up. He scaled along the wall, moving up the railing like the side of the monkey bars. He reached the other side and switched one hand to the top of the stairwell, then the other. He pulled himself up and wiped his hands.
"Piece of cake," Snider said. He turned around and blew on his hands and cursed under his breath. Van Camp was next. He, too, successfully made his way to the top level by moving up the railing.
Grady was getting ready to go, but the door from the hallway on the floor beneath them swung open, and a figure ran up the stairs. Before Renaud could even react, the figure held out a handgun and fired three rounds. Renaud flew back against the wall and ducked his head as the figure ran into the storage room.
"Was that Blake?" asked Grady. Renaud got up and moved to the door, pressing himself against the wall to the side and peering in, his handgun held upright. He looked up at Van Camp and Snider.
"Go outside and wait for us. We're going through the storage room. Van Camp, give your gun to Grady." Van Camp tossed the rifle down to Grady, and then exited to the roof. Grady cocked the gun and got ready. He signaled to Renaud that he was all good to go, and Renaud turned and kicked the door open. The room was unrealistically dark. There were emergency lights up above, but they were so dim that someone could hide in front of you without you having any idea.
Renaud and Grady moved cautiously. A shot rang out in the dark, and Renaud hit the floor. Grady reeled back and grasped his arm. Renaud caught a glimpse of the figure ducking behind a group of boxes. Renaud let three shots rip through the boxes, and again the figure came out.
It was Blake, and he outstretched his arm and fired again. Renaud rolled to the right and shot once, hitting Blake's thumb, causing his arm to fly back in pain. He released his handgun into a pile of boxes and it disappeared. Before Renaud could shoot again, Blake vanished in the maze of crates.
Slowly Renaud stood, wiping the sweat from his brow. He quickly glanced at Grady. He appeared to be okay. Grady got up, cursing and mumbling. He readied his rifle and moved towards the ladder.
"Where the hell is this bastard?" Grady inferred. "Hey Blake! I got something for ya'!" Grady reached into his pocket with his good arm and pulled out a pair of dog tags. "These belonged to Ambrose, you son of a bitch!" Grady waved them around in the air before putting them back in his pocket. "Let's do this, Renaud."
They both moved towards Blake's last position. He wasn't there. Renaud moved to the left and Grady to the right. As they searched for their ex-leader, they were separated by a column of boxes. Renaud quickly turned around, noticing that Grady had gotten lost in the dark. He whipped back to his front and barely had time to move before Blake launched a pole at him. The pole pierced Renaud's right arm, and he dropped his gun into a crate. Blake then followed through with a punch to the face. Renaud flew up against the wall and fell onto a group of boxes.
Renaud jumped up and onto Blake and wrestled him to the ground. He tried to get a purchase on Blake's neck, but Blake hurled his head backwards and smashed Renaud in the face. Renaud almost immediately let go, and Blake got up and wound his leg for a kick.
Renaud rolled to the left and Blake kicked a mile-high stack of boxes. He upset the base and it teetered towards him. Finally, the column started to collapse, and both Renaud and Blake dove out of the way. Before either could do anything, the boxes exploded into an amazing fire.
The fire from below had burned through the floor and was now spreading into the storage room. Grady was all the way at the end, looking back as he saw Blake and Renaud started to fight again.
But another stack of crates burst into flame, and this time it wasn't caused by the already raging fire. It was a blast from Phaira-kur. Blake quickly stopped quarrelling with Renaud and searched for the gun. Renaud tackled him and grabbed his neck, choking Blake to death.
"I never should have listened to you!" Renaud shouted. "I never wanted to go find that Protoss! And when I did, I knew you sons of bitches would study him like he was a dog!"
Blake forced his knee upward, hitting Renaud in the groin. Renaud fell over, wincing in pain.
"You never knew what was good for you, Renaud! You'll never be a leader! You're a fucking peasant! My peasant!" Blake pressed his boot on Renaud's neck and slowly squeezed the life out of him. A bullet rang out and struck Blake in the shin. Blake screamed in agony and fell over, clutching his leg. Renaud got up and watched as Grady ran towards him.
"Come on! We have to get out of here! This whole place is gonna go!" Grady grabbed Renaud's arm and led him towards the ladder, but Phaira-kur cut them off. He lifted them both by the neck and threw them towards the flames. But the drugs had been slowly creeping on him, and his throw was not forceful enough to send them into the pit.
It took Phaira-kur much energy to cause that blast and throw the two humans. He was getting tired, too tired. He stumbled and nearly fell to his knees. Blake chuckled as he limped towards the ladder and climbed up. Once he reached the top, he looked back at Renaud and Grady, made a crying face, laughed hysterically.
In his hand was the handgun. Somehow he had found it in the box. He saluted the two soldiers, and then aimed at Phaira-kur's head from atop the ladder. Renaud jumped up and ran at Phaira-kur. Just as Blake pulled the trigger, Renaud seized Phaira-kur and pulled him out of the way. Blake fired again, but nothing came out; his clip was empty. Frustrated, he opened the latch on the roof, thrust the door open, and crawled out.
Phaira-kur was nearly passed out. He was still moving, but he couldn't see straight or coordinate properly. Renaud pushed Grady up the ladder and then followed.
"Are we just leaving him!" Grady yelled. "After all this? We're just leaving the son of a bitch!" Renaud shook his head.
"We have to hope the Protoss have arrived! We have to tell them that he's in here! He's too heavy for us two to carry him up the ladder!"
Grady crawled out the exit first, then turned around to help Renaud. They both had made it to the roof just in time. The fire reached a barrel of explosives, and it ripped half the roof off, and nearly caused them to fall. Renaud looked around; Van Camp and Snider were gone.
It was possible that they were engulfed in the flames that spiraled from the storage room. Not only that, Blake was gone, too.
But not for long. Blake came from nowhere to hit Renaud in the face and elbow Grady in the stomach. Blake tackled Renaud, but he was kicked off and rolled along the unstable rooftop. Renaud followed him. He kicked Blake in the face and went in for a punch, but Blake tripped him and caused Renaud to fall backwards, hitting his head against a plank of wood.
A new flame burst through another section of the roof. Blake and Renaud were nearly surrounded by flames. Grady recovered and took aim with his rifle, but felt something around his foot. He looked down as the sapphire blade cut through his foot. Grady screamed and fell down on his back.
Renaud looked to him, and Blake took the opportunity to put his arm around Renaud's neck. Grady screamed and screamed, and the blades returned, one on each side of him. Renaud reached out, trying to help his companion who was too far away.
"Christ, Blake! Let me help him! This is between you and me!" pleaded Renaud. "Let Grady go!" But Blake only tightened his grip as Renaud struggled for air, painfully watching as the blades met at the center and then fell onto Grady's stomach, splitting him in two. Grady gurgled as the small section of the roof he lay on collapsed and fell into the trench of flames.
Renaud finally found the strength and beat his way free of Blake's grip. He dashed to where Grady had been, but there was nothing left. Suddenly, Phaira-kur leapt out of the flames and onto the roof. Blake nearly fell over when the Protoss warrior landed. Phaira-kur stalked towards Renaud, who crept around him and went to Blake.
Blake was no longer interested in fighting, only living. He tried to find a safe patch of the roof and a place to get down, but there was nothing left. The entire complex was burning to the ground. Renaud saw a long plank of wood that stretched to the edge of the building. Most likely he would have to jump if he reached the edge, but it was better than being eaten alive by the fire.
Renaud stepped carefully onto the plank of wood and started to make his way across. Blake saw this and got right behind him, trying to catch up so that he could push Renaud in. But right behind Blake was Phaira-kur, who had both blades extended, regardless of how tired he was, and was chasing both of them.
Blake stepped a bit quicker and kicked Renaud from behind. Renaud tripped and fell square on the plank, keeping himself absolutely still. Blake stepped on Renaud to pass over him, laughing while he did it. When Blake got over him, he bent over and looked his lieutenant in the face.
"I'm the one who runs this facility," Blake said. "I'm not taking orders from a shit head like you, Renaud!"
Renaud only smiled. Blake looked at him in disgust. "What?" Blake asked. "What the fuck are you smiling about?"
"This." Renaud peeled away a piece of the charred wood from the underside of the plank and stabbed Blake in the eye. Quickly Renaud got up as Blake teetered from one side to the other nearly falling in as he screamed from the pain. Renaud turned around and saw Phaira-kur's blade come slashing at him. He ducked as the razor hit Blake in the gut, spilling his intestines into the fire. Blake tried to stop it and grabbed his intestines with his hands, swaggering, somehow managing to stand.
The fire crept up the slick body organ and burned Blake's hands. The flame shot up the rest of his intestine and crawled into his stomach. Phaira-kur then levitated in the air, closing his eyes and focusing what was left of his brilliant psionic forces. Renaud slipped back the way he had come and stood on the last patch of roof that hadn't fallen through. He watched in horror as Phaira-kur took control of a sharp pole and threw it through Blake's chest. Blake fell backwards, and the pole went through the wood, pinning him to the plank.
Phaira-kur simply took his blue sword and cut the plank in half. Blake's side swung towards the wall it was connected to and sat as the flames ate it away. His head seemed to spin as the fire melted his eyes and burned the flesh away from his face. Phaira-kur turned and landed near Renaud. He raised his blade, ready to strike, and Renaud didn't move. There was no escape. No way for him to run or hide. He was ready to accept his fate.
But Phaira-kur stopped and began to levitate again. Renaud watched as he was overwhelmed by a white light, and soon he, too, was levitating. Renaud's eyes started to close as he saw that he was heading towards more Protoss who were beckoning for him to come with them.
----
When Renaud awoke, he was on the snow. He was lying down, a jacket folded underneath his head. Connant was above him, looking at him. The young scientist smiled.
"Hey, gorgeous," Connant said. He laughed and stepped away as Van Camp and Garrett helped him stand up. Renaud brushed himself off and looked around, trying to analyze his current situation. In the end, he just threw up his hands.
"I give up. Am I dead or not?" he asked. Van Camp smiled as he chewed a piece of gum. Snider rolled his eyes and laughed. "Seriously."
"No, Renaud. You're alive. You're still recovering from when they picked you up," Ames explained. Renaud turned around and looked at the old scientist.
"What?"
"Look," Ames said, pointing out in the distance. Renaud slowly turned. He saw that the complex was completely on fire, and that there was no way it could be saved. He stepped forward when he saw the strange white lights that were blinking in the sky. They blinked every few seconds and circled the complex.
"What the hell…"
"Carriers, Renaud," Connant said. "It's the Protoss fleet that MacFerran told us about! They're here! And they got Phaira-kur back!"
Renaud looked down before facing his team again. "And where are they now?" he asked. Ames and Connant looked at each other, smiling.
"Actually," Ames said. "Their leader would like to talk to you." The two scientists stepped to the side as a tall Protoss wearing a cloak stepped forward, followed by several others. He removed his hood and looked at Renaud. The beaten soldier could only think of one thing;
He needed a cigarette.
Renaud fished through his pockets and pulled out the pack and put one in his mouth. He found what was left of his matches and lit the cigarette despite the howling wind.
"Who the hell are you?" Renaud asked as he took the first puff. The tall Protoss moved his head and blinked. Renaud was unmoved by this.
Entaro Adun, Renaud, the being said. His cloak was a magnificent blue color, as if it had been bathed in a pool of Shakuras. That is when Renaud realized that this Protoss was not a simple zealot, or even a templar… this legend was a dark templar. The high being continued. I am Zeratul, commander of this Protoss fleet.
Renaud actually cracked a smile. Zeratul bowed his head and looked at Renaud, who was near laughing.
"You've come to help us get out of here?" Renaud asked. Zeratul nodded.
That is correct. It is the least my brethren and I can do for heroes such as you. Renaud slowly began to nod and looked around at the men who had come with him all this way. Van Camp, one of his best friends since he had arrived at Scientific Outpost #68; Snider and de Roos, two of the men who had gone with him to retrieve what they did not know as Durhkhan; Stratham, the soldier who had alerted Renaud to Durhkhan's escape; MacFerran, the radio operator who got excited awfully quick; Garrett, the near-silent radar operator; Straatman, a loyal guard; and Connant and Ames, a goofy young scientist and an older, wiser one.
Zeratul and the dark templar that stood behind him stepped to the side, and Zeratul held his hand towards a great carrier that had landed on Braxis' surface.
Please come with us, he beckoned, we will bring you to Boralis, or any destination to which you desire.
Renaud patted Van Camp on the back and laughed, and the last group of humans who survived boarded the great flagship, and soon the entire Protoss fleet lifted off into low orbit.
A dark templar named Urs'khai seated the band of heroes, and they were joined by Zeratul and another Protoss, although he looked more like a regular templar.
Entaro Adun, Renaud, the being said. I am commander of the entire Protoss fleet on Aiur. I am here to thank you for the return of our lost brother, Phaira-kur. Renaud sat as he handed a cigarette to Snider, as well as pulling out a new one for himself.
"What's the deal with him?" asked Renaud. "I mean, I know he's disabled and everything, but why is it such a big ordeal to get this guy back? I understand you're firm believers in 'never leave a man behind,' but come on."
Tassadar and Zeratul chuckled at this. Zeratul stood and went to the end of the ship, looking out as they flew away from the raging inferno that was Scientific Outpost #68. He turned back and looked at Renaud, his bony hands behind his back.
Phaira-kur is unlike any Protoss we have ever seen. His abilities with psionic forces are unbelievable. And it is thought by many Protoss and men such as yourselves that there are three of these beings. Three that have an ultimate power with psionic forces. One is a Protoss, one a human, and one a Zerg.
Ames and Connant leaned forward as Renaud puffed away. The other soldiers seemed interested, even though they had a small idea of what was being said.
We already have both the human and the Zerg on Aiur, and they are teaching us the ways of psionic abilities.
"Even the Zerg?" asked Snider as he coughed from the smoke. Tassadar nodded.
Even the Zerg, he completed.
"So," started Renaud, "what's going to happen now? You have all three…"
It is hard to say, Zeratul began. Your scientists Connant and Ames have told us of their discoveries, that all things come towards Aiur. And if we add Phaira-kur to our planet, it is difficult to fathom the outcome. He paused and sat back down next to Tassadar. They have control of certain things in the universe. The alignment of planets, their rotations. It is amazing what they can do. They are the core of the universe.
We believe that they will understand if we separate them by sending them to three ends of the universe. But we will do nothing until we discover more.
"And that's where Connant and I come in!" blurted Ames. Zeratul chuckled.
MacFerran, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up.
"What about that Terran fleet?" he asked. "The Former Colonial Militia?" Zeratul nodded.
Yes. We will be meeting with their leader, Raynor, later.
Straatman rubbed his shoulder and looked at each member of the group.
"I suppose we'll all be going to Boralis?" he asked Zeratul. But Zeratul shook his head, telling Straatman that they would take him wherever he pleased. "Honestly?" he said. "I'd like to go back to Aiur with you Protoss guys."
"Yeah, me too," said MacFerran. And so did all of the group. The only one not to respond was Renaud, who was sitting quietly.
Renaud sat and thought of what the days ahead of him held. He was going to quit his job and resign from whatever army he was loyal to. He decided that he wanted to go back home to where he was born. Renaud had several fond memories of his home planet, as well as his home town.
He remembered that when he was a child, there was a grassy hill on the edge of town that he used to go to every day while walking home from school. It was a beautiful hill, and when the spring came, flowers would bloom in patches all along the plain on the other side. One day never escaped Renaud's head. He was walking home from school, and he hadn't visited the hill in a week or so. It was the beginning of spring, and the wild flowers should have been blossoming.
Renaud climbed the hill and looked at the plain on the other side. All the flowers had blossomed into beautiful colors. Blue, red, purple, yellow, white… it was breathtaking. It seemed like the patch went on forever and ever…
"Hey, Renaud," Van Camp said. Renaud's eyes opened. "Are you coming to Aiur with us? Supposed to be nice there."
Renaud smiled. "Of course. It'll be real nice there." He rested his head on his seat and closed his eyes. Yes, he thought, that will be wonderful when we're back home. When we're at the top of the hill…
When the wild flowers are scattered over the plain.