Chapter 2:

Dum spiramus tuebimur

The return to the citadel was uneventful for Fenix and his squad.

"It was only an advance squad. There will be more," said Fenix to Asriel once they were back in the citadel.

"Sir," said Asriel. "The men are discouraged. They know the force that approaches us. They know it's impossible. Look at them! Their courage hangs by a thread!"

Fenix whirled on Asriel. "Lieutenant! I thought you were a worthy protoss warrior! Why else would I choose you to be my one of my officers! You disgust me…" Fenix turned and stalked down the hall, barking orders as he went.

Asriel looked at his plasma blades, as if looking for an answer in the ancient protoss weapon. Did he deserve it? What Fenix said had hit Asriel hard, but it was true. He thought of the oncoming zerg horde, and how hopeless it seemed. He also thought of his son and wife. He thought about how he had sworn to never let the swarm get to his family. Then an alarm went off.

"Zerg incoming! All available warriors report to the Assembly Room!" said the mechanical voice of the alarm system.

Asriel straightened his back, and checked his plasma blades. They were still charged, and his pistols and rifle were loaded. He ran towards the assembly room, a determined look in his eye.

"My friends." Said Fenix, starting the briefing. "We all know the zerg are coming. Most of you know the size of the horde that is getting closer as we speak. I would like you to remember one thing when you go fight: Dum spiramus tuebimur. While we live, we shall defend. Fight for your family, or your friends. Keep your friends close to you out there. No one is left behind. Let's go!"

There was no talking from the protoss after the briefing. Only loyal fighters rushing to their posts, their sense of duty overriding their sense of fear. Fenix was going to lead the zealots out to fight the frontline of the zerg, all the time being backed up by the dragoons and scouts with suppressive fire. Then the archons would charge out and cover the retreat of the zealots, when the zealots would then arm themselves with rifles and the archons would come back inside, then the zealots would stay out for as long as it wasn't too risky or the zerg brought reinforcements, when the photon cannons would open up. This was Fenix's plan. He had used it many times, and hoped that it would still not fail him, for it never had.

The archons were about to open up the doors (they were so big that only archons were strong enough to hold them), and Fenix turned on his blades. He and the zealots were going to have to cross about a hundred yards of barren field, and the only things supporting them were the dragoons, but that was still not going to have too much effect if the zerg's numbers were as big as they thought.

Nonetheless, when the gate was opened, Fenix leapt out first, sprinting as fast as he could towards the line of zerg approaching them. Ten seconds and they were upon them. Fenix's world turned into an eruption of sound and the purple and red bodies of the zerg.

Fenix was a large protoss. He picked up a zergling and batted it into an onrushing hydralisk. It hesitated; just long enough for Fenix to slice it half. He stomped on the zergling he had used as a temporary weapon and charged forward, slicing and hacking at whatever wasn't wearing the armor of a protoss.

A zealot was mutilated by a hydralisk right in front of Fenix, and he tripped on it in his rampage. Zerglings were instantly all over him, and he started slashing at them.

Asriel saw Fenix fall. The lieutenant forgot every scrap of common sense he had ever been taught, and ran into the fray, focusing only on the fact that the bravest person he'd ever known was going to die unless he did something.

Three Zerglings were clawing at Asriel, and he ripped them off. He was dully aware that he was hurt and bleeding, but he put it in the back of his brain and kept fighting towards Fenix.

Fenix saw Asriel coming and the glazed look in his eyes. This warrior was never going to stop, and he was most likely going to die. Fenix got up and started fighting again. Asriel got clawed by a hydralisk, yelled at it, and the protoss head-butted it, then shoved his blades so deep into the stomach of the creature, until his fist bumped against the scales.

Then Asriel was surrounded by zerg. Fenix was too far away to get to him in time. Or so Fenix thought. Asriel was so desperate his mind was shutting out all pain and noise. His only thought right then was to kill all these zerg before they killed Fenix, or him. He took a deep breath, and went all out on the zerg, like a true zealot. Fenix was almost to him, when a shadow fell over the battling zerg and protoss.

An ultralisk had come from the back lines and was bearing down on the fighters. Asriel saw it coming, swung his blades to make a path, and then made a suicide run at the ultralisk, knocking Fenix out of the way as he did so.

The ultralisk swung back his head, preparing to gore Asriel with his tusks, but Asriel side-stepped and sliced at one of its legs, making it topple over. As the creature collapsed on top of Asriel, the lieutenant stuck his blades up above his head.

A late dragoon blast hit the ultralisk, and it was knocked off of Asriel. Fenix slew the zerg that had gathered around the bodies and ran over to Asriel. A zealot saw him and covered his back.

"Asriel…

"Don't worry Praetor." Fenix paused as he coughed up some blood. "The Tribunal will look over me when I go on to the next life."

"You didn't have to do that, Lieutenant," said Fenix.

"You didn't have to stay and fight. But you did. Against all odds, General, when you could've run away and come back with reinforcements. I'm proud…no, glad, that I died defending a brave warrior like you. Goodbye, brother."

A tear ran down Fenix's cheek, but he wasn't crying. He had forgotten how to a long time ago. But he hadn't forgotten the zerg around him, and they would remember the pain he was about to put on them.

If any of you have ever seen Fenix in Action, it was nothing like what he did after Asriel died. If you saw it, you'd take pity on the zerg, and yourself for having to see it, and maybe even for some Goths who wish they could die by being brutally slaughtered. And remember: you can't spell slaughter without laughter. Back to the story.

Fenix looked at the path he'd made through the swarm, and stayed behind to guard the zealots who were running through it, like the Israelites through the parted red sea, (I can totally imagine Fenix with a staff and Moses robes) , and made it back to the citadel. They ran to arm themselves with their rifles, but there was a problem: the zerg were in the citadel.

CLIFFHANGER!