Chapter Twelve: Plans Gone Astray

Tassadar's defection has caused all kinds of hell.

It wasn't just Tassadar. Artanis leaving was a serious blow. That combined with the fact that Selendis' troops cooperated to destroy the zerg on Char has caused people to doubt the Conclave. No one is talking about working with the Dark Templar.

But many are talking about working with Tassadar.

-Liberty's Reports, volume IV

Judicator Aldaris was in his office. He sent his will into the crystals before him, recording troop numbers and the results of battles. When he'd gotten back to Aiur, he'd found the place in disarray. Khakar had not mishandled things. But he'd been facing impossible odds.

Now Aldaris was trying to catch up. The loss of Tassadar's forces was unfortunate. But if his other plans bore fruit things might be salvaged. They would be salvaged.

If only the common people believed it. Their faith in the Conclave had been tested again and again of late. Tassadar had been immensely popular, as had Artanis. Now they were confused. Many whispered that the Conclave had acted in error. That the lies of Tassadar were the truth.

They needed to win, and quickly.

A door opened, and one of the worker caste entered. His mind was turning over schematics and plans. He was worried about the recent introduction of what the terrans called a factory system. It had massively increased the rate at which they produced weapons. Yet many of the artisans disliked being reduced to doing one job over and over.

Times were desperate.

"Judicator Aldaris all has been established as you requested." said the worker. "We have begun creation of a purifier based on Praetor Fenix."

"Well done." said Aldaris. "Prepare a shuttle. As soon as it is complete, we will depart to take control of the purifiers."

The worker caste faltered. Aldaris sensed from him fear at what he was going to say next. He was reluctant to speak. "Judicator, there is a… complication."

Aldaris looked up and clasped his hands together. "What kind of complications?"

"Creating such an advanced mind takes time." said the worker. "While we can set in motion the creation, the process is quite lengthy. It will take some time before Fenix's mind is fully formed."

"How long?" asked Aldaris. He could work around this. He could.

"…Three years." said the worker.

Three years. Could Aiur hold out that long? Would the purifiers even make a difference "Three years?"

"I apologize, Judicator. The technology we are using has been forbidden for many centuries." said the worker.

"Is there no way to speed the process?" asked Aldaris.

The worker looked downward. "None that we know of. If this process were to be rushed, it could cause permanent damage to the purifier."

Aldaris rose from his seat. They would need to adjust their strategy at once. "…I must report to the Conclave at once."

This was going to be a far more terrible war than he'd ever imagined.

There were four figures within the Conclave's meeting room. The Voice of the Conclave stood surrounded by the elders. Serena Calabas was sitting cross-legged in the floor, typing on a datapad. Her thoughts were turning over the situation, and she was writing down notes in her pad. Last of all there was Aldaris and Khakar. Both were standing some ways away.

"The zerg have redoubled their defenses around Khor-shakal." said Khakar. "While they have been unable to pierce into the Spear of Adun, they are only growing stronger. With Tassadar's army having defected I fear we are in no position to wrest control from them." He felt responsible for the situation. And rightly so.

"Did I not leave instructions to press the assault and prevent this very thing from happening?" asked Aldaris.

"It was not practicable to launch an assault." said Khakar. "We were stretched thin as it was. To attack would put the worker castes communities at risk."

"…Commander Calabas, can we hope for any support from the Dominion?" asked Aldaris.

Serena looked up from her datapad. Aldaris detected from her mind that she had finished her calculations. However, her conclusion was hidden in her mind. She sighed. "Emperor Mengsk is having to put all of his resources into fending off the zerg. They've gotten smarter. They keep attacking us on multiple fronts. The Dominion is having trouble keeping them back.

"While we've received reinforcements to replace my losses, we're not going to get any new armies here. Not until things calm down."

There was silence. Their situation was grimmer by the moment.

"The Conclave has made contact with the outlying colonies." said the Voice of the Conclave. "They have been largely untouched. It seems that the swarm is focusing all its might on the Dominion and us.

"There is another matter. We sense the Overmind. His thoughts wash over us daily. We have observed individual protoss being affected by it. The Conclave has thus far been able to counteract the will of the Overmind with our combined power. However, it is tiring."

"So Tassadar's run off with our reinforcements." said Serena. "We're outnumbered. If we attack the Overmind wipes us out and wins. And if we take a defensive position Overmind will mind control us and wins. Are you sure that we can't make an alliance with the Dark Templar?"

Aldaris looked at her in shock. From a protoss, the very question would be heresy. But the terrans lacked context. Calabas did not see the Dark Templar as an enemy of all who lived, but rather as one more protoss faction. A dangerous assumption.

"It is absolutely out of the question. You know not what you ask." said Aldaris.

"Well then why don't you enlighten me?" asked Serena, standing up.

The Voice of the Conclave looked to Aldaris, and he was granted permission. He brought to mind all he had learned and voiced it. "Long ago, during the aeon of strife, the protoss were consumed in war. However, the Conclave arose and created the khala. We did so by combining the innate connection between protoss. Some, however, refused this blessing. These eventually became the nerazim. The Dark Templar."

"What did they do?" asked Serena.

"The Conclave attempted to convert them to the khala peacefully." said Aldaris. "We had no desire to kill those we called brethren. The Dark Templar feigned acceptance. But they did so only as a cloak. One to hide a psi-blade kept hidden.

"Pooling the powers of darkness, the Dark Templar attempted to destroy the khala. The resulting psionic backlash sent storms across the surface of Aiur. They scarred the land beyond recovery in many places. Thousands died. Entire cities were depopulated.

"The Conclave ordered them purged in retribution. Our greatest hero, Adun was sent to pursue them, however, he was killed. From that day onward we khalai have hunted the dark ones' wherever we find them. We will never allow them to corrupt us with the darkness again."

Serena paused. "…Right, so the Dark Templar are a bunch of terrorist psychos. Great." She stretched out. Aldaris sensed that she did not fully believe them. "Okay, that's it then."

"What do you mean by this?" asked Aldaris.

Serena shrugged. "Our situation is untenable. Time to pack everything up and go home."

"This is our home." said Khakar.

"One of many." said Serena. "We should evacuate the population of Aiur. Then we get the fleet together and glass the entire planet from orbit."

Khakar turned and stared, speechless. Aldaris considered the situation. They were in the midsts of a war of attrition. All attempts to ended it quickly had failed. They had no new sources of reinforcements coming in the near future. And the zerg were mustering in greater numbers.

It was the only possible move they could make with a chance of success.

"It's the only way to be sure." said Serena.

Khakar struggled to express his response. His thoughts went over time growing up in the fields of Aiur. Learning from his instructors and yearning to serve Aiur. "That is… that is unthinkable!" "Really?" asked Serena. "Didn't the Conclave order the complete annihilation of all infested terran worlds? Don't think we've forgotten. All of them were somebody's home. Why is Aiur special?"

"Chau Sara was one terran world of many." said Khakar. "A rich one. But not irreplaceable. Aiur is the heart of the khala. It is our homeworld. You ask us to destroy the bedrock of our entire civilization."

"And it will be again." said Serena. "Our capital, Korhal got nuked into ashes, and it's beginning to recover it. If the Dominion and the Khalai cooperate I'm sure we can fix the planet in a few decades. Maybe a century.

"Sure I won't be alive to see the finished product. But you protoss live for thousands of years.

I'm not making this suggestion lightly. I know this is your home. But a lot of terrans have lost their homes too. Sometimes you have to know when to fold em."

"…If we were to glass Aiur the Overmind and his greatest cerebrates would be caught in the area of effect." said Aldaris suddenly.

"Judicator!" said Khakar in horror. "Calabas is correct. Our situation is grave." said Aldaris. "We cannot kill the cerebrates without succumbing to the darkness. But if the Overmind were to be destroyed there would be no one to reincarnate them.

"We might use our ships to only scorch the surface of the planet. In time we could restore Aiur to its former glory. And we would rid the universe of the Overmind forever. Surely that is a small price to pay?"

"…What of the plants?" asked Khakar. "The animals? All the species unique to this world?" Khakar had always loved animals. Even now he was thinking of all those myriads of species. All consumed in a cataclysmic barrage of blue energy. The idea of it horrified him.

"We terrans have a story." said Serena, voice thoughtfuly. "In the beginning mankind strayed from gods will. They became so wicked and evil that God knew there was no saving them. So he told the only good man in the world and his family to build an ark. And into that ark, he put two of every kind of animal and plant.

"Then God sent a great flood. It drowned all of creation save for those on the ark. But when the ark landed the animals and people repopulated the world."

Khakar saw the point at once. "You would have us take samples of every native species on Aiur."

"Why not?" asked Serena. "We'll need a lot of time to evacuate everyone anyway."

"…Very well then." said the Conclave. "Judicator Khakar, you will begin gathering the species of Aiur. Find the healthiest specimens and evacuate enough for a sustainable population. You will also make arrangements for the evacuation of the population.

"Top priority is to be given to those with the greatest value from each caste. We may yet turn the tide against the zerg. But the wisdom of our ancestors teaches us to be ready for the worst."

Then the doors were flung open. A guard rushed in. His mind was panicking, and Aldaris sensed his thoughts in chaos. Visions of dark ships coming out of orbit hit his mind. Of golden vessels sailing alongside black. These were the thoughts, not just of him, but of those who had seen it.

"Judicator!" he cried.

"What is the meaning of this interruption?!" asked Khakar. "Explain yourself!" The guard calmed himself. He fell to one knee and bowed his head. Serenity returned to his mind. "A thousand apologies. But the traitor Tassadar is approaching Aiur! With him are the ships of the Dark Ones!" "Are there any terran ships with them?" asked Aldaris. If Raynor had accompanied him the situation could be grave indeed. Even now he sensed Serena wondering the same thing. She had no desire to fight a former friend.

Aldaris thought of Artanis and Tassadar. Both of them were lost to the khalai. Both had had such potential. Now they would have to be destroyed.

"No, none." said the guard.

Serena breathed in relief. "Thank god."

"This cannot be allowed." said the Voice of the Conclave. "The Dark Ones' must not taint Aiur. Send word to Praetor Fenix. Order him to take his forces an place Tassadar and his men under arrest."

"Are we sure we can even trust Fenix?" asked Serena. "He and Tassadar were close."

"The Conclave has absolute faith in Fenix's loyalty to our people." said the Voice. "He knows well the situation."

"With all due respect, I believe that Fenix's thoughts may be clouded by his friendship with Artanis." said Aldaris. Better to spare Fenix the pain of arresting his friend. And spare Aiur the risk of losing another champion. "I will go."

"Are you certain?" asked Khakar.

Aldaris closed his eyes. He focused upon the light and forced his mind to clarity. "It was I who brought Tassadar into this world. It is my responsibility to see him purged from it."

"…Wait, Tassadar is your son?" asked Serena.

Son. In the terran sense, it was true. His genetic material flowed through Tassadar alongside that of his mother's. Aldaris writhed himself in light and opened his eyes. "That word has no meaning to the khalai."

The time had come to end this. Once and for all.

Author's Note:

Here we hear the Conclave's version of events. I refuse to believe that the Conclave was pure evil and the Dark Templar were innocent victims. Civil wars don't work that way. The only account we hear of the schism is from a Dark Templar. And Zeratul was actively trying to subvert Tassadar's loyalties, so he probably gave him propaganda.

So I'm inclined to believe that the Conclave had perfectly good reasons for not liking the Dark Templar. They just took it too far.