The main thing I'm trying to do with this rewrite is make the action a little more focused on the perspective of individuals or small groups rather than a continuous 'overhead view' of the mission. Considering as the first Zeratul mission is already written in that style in the original, I was able to pretty much copy-paste it with little changes. The other three Zeratul Missions, though, I've had to work harder on.
Got Pokémon Y, so expect bigger delays between chapters for a while.
PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
Hyperion laboratory
Jim Raynor stood staring at the crystal, Teana and Shion standing on either side of him.
"I've heard of these Ihan crystals before…" Jim said. "Supposedly, they allow ya to relive another person's memories. Whatever Zeratul uncovered… he was desperate for me to see it, too. Well, ready girls?"
"I see we have a new acquisition…" Dr. Hanson said as she walked up. "Is it a Protoss device?"
"That's right," he replied, "but I wouldn't mess with it if I were you. It's a Khaydarin 'Ihan' crystal. It's a memory storage device – lets you experience what other people have seen or done. They can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doin'."
"Yet you don't fear it at all. You're a fascinating man, Jim Raynor. You know more about the Protoss and the Zerg than any of the experts I've read about."
Jim smiled, and then turned his attention to the three black objects floating in the containment field. "Holdin' these artifacts is makin' me nervous. Can you tell me any more about them?"
"It's interesting. The one from Xil is different from the others. However, I think all of them once constituted a single device."
"You mean they're not separate artifacts, but different pieces of the same artifact?"
"It would seem so. It's just a theory, but there's an attraction between the artifacts we've collected – a kind of harmonic resonance. Given the points of contiguous trans-linear alignment, I think they'd be drawn together like magnets under the right field adjustment."
"Okay… Well, don't adjust anything just yet, doc. I like them aligned just the way they are. …Girls, watch the crystal; I'm gonna check in with a couple of the others."
Jim then swung by the cantina, finding Tychus finishing up a meal.
"So now we've got three of these artifacts on my ship" Jim said as he sat down with his old friend. "When are we supposed to hand these damn things over?"
"They got their hands full right now" Tychus replied. "The Zerg are about to invade Tyrador, where Moebius' main research center is. I don't reckon we'll hear anythin' from them until they relocate somewhere else."
"Wonderful"
He got up and walked across the room, passing by Tosh.
"Had any… visitors lately?" Tosh asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Tosh."
"Oh, I think you do, 'James Raynor'. Something was on this ship just now. …I still smell it on you… Protoss… interestin'."
"Whatever you think you know, you just keep it to yourself. If I hear you yappin' about this, I'll toss you out the airlock!"
"This is Donny Vermillion, live from UNN. Tonight, the Zerg invasion: the Battle So Far. The Terran Dominion is holding firm under Zerg aggression. Our industrial complex has stepped up production on all fronts, enlistment rates have risen within the penal system, and the Marine Corps is ready to get in the fight. The Zerg won't know what hit them!"
"Donny, has there been any word on when we start pushing the aliens back?"
"Kate, if I revealed that I'd be giving away vital Dominion secrets."
"You… think the Zerg watch our broadcast?" Kate responded in a deadpan tone.
"I know they do, Kate. I know they do…"
"…Well, you heard it here first, folks. This is Kate Lockwell for UNN."
Jim headed to the bridge, finding Matt and pulling him aside.
"You ain't gonna believe this, but I just saw Zeratul on the ship."
"Ah… how much did you have to drink tonight, sir?"
"He was here, Matt. And he was hurt, on the run from somethin'."
"Where is he now, sir?"
"I don't know. But he ain't on the ship anymore. He gave me an Ihan memory crystal, and he was desperate for me to study it. I guess he wants me to see what he's seen."
Jim made it back to the lab, finding Teana & Shion still on guard. He started into the crystal up close, and heard Zeratul's voice in his head.
"Raynor… the hounds of the void are closing in… I impart my memory – my very essence – into this crystal, so that you will see what I have seen… and that the future… may yet have hope."
"Zeratul… what the hell have you gotten yourself into?"
On signal, Raynor, Teana, and Shion each placed a hand on one of the three pieces that made up the crystal projector's base, and felt as the sights, sounds, and sensations stored in the crystal came into their minds.
"Friend Raynor… long has it been since we stood together against the Swarm. Since then, I have wandered the Void in solitude, seeking an ancient prophecy rumored to foretell the return of the Xel'Naga. My sojourn led me to a remote world known as Ulaan, where I discovered fragments of the prophecy. Yet I was not the first to find them. It falls to you now, old friend, to relive my memories… and believe."
-SCENE BREAK-
Ulaan
Subterranean Complex
Three weeks ago
"The Zerg Swarm came, as was foretold… and the Protoss, first-born of the gods, rose to fight them. Now, the Xel'Naga, who forged us all… are returning. But do they come to save… or to destroy?"
As Zeratul mused, he suddenly heard a familiar hissing in the caves behind him. He turned away from the stone tablet, keeping the energy blade he'd been using as a light source handy, as he cautiously walked through the rocks, investigating the disturbance. Suddenly, a Hydralisk came from behind the stalagmite behind and to the left of him. Zeratul struck first, slicing the creature in half just below the arms. He ran, spotting three more Hydralisks ahead. He beheaded one and then leapt on top of another, using it as a springboard to launch himself at the fourth, stabbing it through the upper jaw with his blade. As the last Hydralisk behind him struck, he dodged the blow and swung upward, slicing off the creature's right claw, and then grabbing hold of the dismembered weapon and hammering it down through the creature's braincase. He heard subdued, evil laughter, and looked left, as a figure equal parts Zerg and Terran stepped out from the shadows, her eyes' golden glow a counterpart to Zeratul's green.
"I knew you'd find your way here… eventually."
"Your very presence defiles this sacred place, Kerrigan."
"Do you hear them, Zeratul? Whispering from the stars? The galaxy shall burn upon their arrival."
"Perhaps…"
Zeratul vanished, disappearing into the Void of nonspace, the human eye choosing to perceive this as a whorl of black smoke. He reappeared amongst the stalactites above Kerrigan.
"…But you won't live to see it!"
He dropped down, igniting his blade as he dove for Kerrigan, who blasted him with a 'ball' of energy that held him in place in the air, 'wind' rushing past him.
"Please…" she said. "This conflict of ours is but a petty skirmish in the face of what's on the way. A storm is coming that cannot be stopped! Fitting that, after all you and I have been through with each other, we would face the end… together."
"Never!-!"
Through force of will, he activated his blade and broke through the telekinetic grip, striking and then using Kerrigan's body to launch himself up and back, back-flipping through the air and landing with a ground-cracking thud as his blade deactivated. After a few seconds, Kerrigan's left spine-wing fell to the ground, severed near the base. She looked at it in surprise. Zeratul teleported up onto a rock ledge above and behind him, grasping his upper right arm. Kerrigan raised her hand to pet a Hydralisk on the head as it came up to her side.
"Fate… cannot be changed" she said. "Oblivion is coming. And when it finds me…" she concentrated, and her spine-wing was completely re-grown within seconds, "I shall embrace it, at last." She turned to leave.
"The prophecy is uncertain" Zeratul said, turning toward a rocky wall. "No matter the darkness, there is always a spark of hope."
He scaled his way up the wall, heading up and out through a hole in the cave ceiling. He looked around, taking in the dimly-lit rocky area of the northwest canyons and mesas of Ulaan's largest continent. He 'activated' his cloaking ability and headed west, moving up a small slope to the north and killing a Zerg Spine Crawler.
'The prophecy was divided into fragments,' he thought to himself, 'each kept at separate shrines. I must gather them and depart this world quickly.'
He moved north, teleporting across a chasm and taking out another spine crawler and the Zergling guarding it. Ahead, a natural rock bridge crumbled, leaving him again to teleport across the gap and then move south, cutting through a pile of debris in his path. To the south, a spore crawler – a detector – lay in wait. He used his "Void Prison" technique to stun it, and then rushed in and killed it before the void prison wore off, then killing the two Zerglings stationed there. He moved north, and spotted a Hydralisk and an Ultralisk near another spore crawler. He stunned and killed the crawler, and then killed the two Zerg, beheading the Hydralisk and then scampering up atop the Ultralisk, where he rammed his blade down through its skull.
He continued north, casting Void Prison on a spore crawler across the next chasm, and then warping across and killing it and the three attending Zerglings and the Roach. He moved a bit to the northeast, casting Void Prison on a Zerg Overseer across the next chasm and then warping across, killing the three Hydralisks there. He moved northeast, finding a piece of the prophecy etched into a large, triangular stone tablet. He gathered the knowledge contained within it, and a wall to the northwest spontaneously collapsed, clearing the path for him.
"Why not surrender yourself to oblivion, Zeratul?" Kerrigan asked him telepathically. "Wouldn't it be better to end your struggle now rather than witness the final agonizing moments of your species?"
He headed on, rounding a corner that led him southwest. A flock of Scourges flew overhead, not noticing the cloaked Dark Templar below them. He teleported across a chasm onto a butte, and an Overseer suddenly flew in, accompanied by a pack of Scourges and a few Mutalisks. Suddenly, four Stalkers teleported in, shooting down the Mutalisks and Overseer, along with most of the Scourges, the few survivors retreating from the armored reinforcements.
"Greetings, Exalted One" one of the pilots said. "We are here in the service of High Templar Karass. He is nearby."
"Your presence is most welcome" Zeratul replied. "Let us keep moving."
They teleported across a chasm and headed northwest, Zeratul stunning an Overseer and then warping down and killing three Hydralisks, while the Stalkers then moved up and shot down the massive Zerg flyer. They moved southwest, encountering a larger Zerg force. Zeratul quickly warped in and stunned & destroyed the spore crawler, then killing the Ultralisk and the spine crawler. The Stalkers moved in, shooting down the three Mutalisks. They continued southeast, Zeratul stunning an Overseer and freeing the Stalkers to kill it. The Stalkers then moved east a bit and killed another Overseer, unfortunately catching the attention of a Brood Lord. Zeratul quickly stunned the beast, and the Stalkers took advantage, killing it. Zeratul warped east, stunning and killing a spore crawler and then a spine crawler, while the Stalkers shot down a passing flock of Scourges.
They moved south and then west, and a force of Mutalisks and Overseers suddenly attacked. The Zerg flyers were dealt with, but one of the Stalkers fell. The group moved south, and another Stalker teleported in to join them. They came across a Zerg Hatchery, and Zeratul stunned the guarding Brood Lord, allowing the Stalkers to kill it; this process was repeated with the two Overseers. The Stalkers then dealt with the two Mutalisks patrolling, while Zeratul warped down and took out the three spine crawlers guarding the hatchery. The Stalkers then teleported down, and they & Zeratul destroyed the hatchery. They headed west, finding another fragment of the prophecy, which Zeratul promptly gathered while a fifth Stalker joined the group.
"Your hope is an illusion, old fool."
"If you can so easily read my mind, Kerrigan, you'll see that I will never give up, so long as hope remains!"
The barrier to the north came down, and the group followed the revealed path to the west. Zeratul cast Void Prison on a Brood Lord which the Stalkers promptly killed, and then repeated the task on an Overseer. Now undetectable, Zeratul moved on, killing two spine crawlers, and the Stalkers moved up and shot down the Mutalisks overhead. An Ultralisk suddenly surfaced from underground, but Zeratul was quick enough to Void Prison it, leaving it easy pickings for the Stalkers. They went west and then north, using a bridge as a killzone against a pack of Banelings.
They moved south, then west and north, encountering another guarded hatchery. After a short battle that didn't go quite as planned, the hatchery and its guards were dead, as was a Stalker, with two of the survivors heavily damaged. They returned to the main path and headed north. Zeratul stunned an Overseer and killed a pack of Zerglings and two Hydralisks, and the Stalkers then moved up and killed the flyer. Ahead north, the Stalkers used a ledge to fire down on a spore crawler, killing it, while Zeratul then used Void Prison on a patrolling Overseer and quickly killed a quartet of spine crawlers, clearing the way for the Stalkers to move up and kill the Overseer.
"High Templar Karass is nearby" said the lead Stalker's pilot.
They moved north, destroying a debris pile blocking their way west and then moving forward, where they encountered a High Templar, two Void Prisms, and 13 Zealots.
"En Taro Tassadar, Prelate Zeratul" the Templar said, as the void prisms warped in eight more Zealots. "I am Karass. My force tracked the Queen of Blades to this world, yet we know not what she seeks."
"Kerrigan and I were both drawn here to uncover an ancient prophecy" Zeratul replied. "With your aid, I pray we can discover it before her."
"It is an honor, great one. Lead on."
The force moved out to the west, Zeratul casting Void Prison on an Ultralisk, rendering it helpless against the Stalkers' guns as the Zealots carved their way through the lesser threats. They continued on, fighting through a wall of spine crawlers while Zeratul and the Stalkers dealt with a pair of Brood Lords. Ahead, four Nydus Worms surfaced and were cut down, along with the final three spine crawlers guarding the next tablet, and Zeratul & the Stalkers brought down another Ultralisk. Only 12 Zealots out of 21 survived the battle. Zeratul walked up to the final stone tablet, gathering its knowledge.
"The final piece of the prophecy" Zeratul informed Karass. "It speaks of one who shall… 'break the cycle of the gods'…"
"Most ominous" Karass replied. "But if the Queen of Blades seeks this prophecy, we must keep it from her."
"The rest is obscured…"
Suddenly, they noticed Kerrigan standing atop a short butte a few hundred meters away.
"You might peel away the prophecy's layers, Zeratul," she said, "but you cannot outrun the doom that awaits us all."
She turned around, and called forth a horde of Zerglings backed up by an Ultralisk pair.
"We cannot prevail against so many!"
"I will stand against the Queen of Blades while you escape with the fragments, Prelate."
"I will not abandon you!"
"The prophecy is more important than either of us! Reveal its secrets, Zeratul! The future rests on it!"
"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, brother…"
With that, Karass and his soldiers charged to meet the enemy, while Zeratul and the Stalkers retreated east. They ran as fast as they could, blasting foes that got in their way and teleporting past barriers, intent on reaching the Void Seeker before the Zerg did. At the cost of two Stalkers, they successfully reached and boarded the ship, which flew away from Ulaan as fast as it could.
'I cannot decipher the fragments on my own' Zeratul mused. 'Yet I know who might interpret them: the Preservers of Zhakul. If they cannot... I fear this entire Universe will burn.'
-PRESENT TIME-
"I'm okay, doc" Raynor said, "before you start askin'."
"You were staring at that Protoss device for a very long time" Dr. Hanson said. "Are you sure?"
"Well, now that you mention it I could use a drink… or two. Maybe what I saw would make more sense if I was drunk."
"What was it, Jim?"
"An old friend of mine, lookin' for the end of the world."
Teana and Shion looked to each other, thinking over what they'd saw. Something was coming. Something big.
"Are the Xel'Naga really coming back?" Teana whispered to her Protoss-savvy friend. "I thought you said they were all dead."
"Could be" Shion replied. "It was really vague, though. We'll have to see more before I can be sure of anything."
Jim looked up at the artifacts. ""So these things are still a big mystery, huh?"
"Actually," Dr. Hanson replied, "I have found something interesting. Whenever you use that Protoss device over there, the artifacts respond by drawing together and expanding their molecular matrices."
"A little slower and with shorter words, please."
"Well… if you think of them as dry sponges, they draw ambient energy like water. These things try to absorb as much energy as they can."
"Are they dangerous?"
"Not if you're human or any of the Sangheili Alliance species. If my theories were correct – and you were a Protoss, for instance – they could drain the life right out of you. We… might want to warn Ahsoka not to come within about eight meters of them."
-Mini-Break-
"How long was I down in the lab, Matt?"
"You've been gone for hours, sir" Horner replied. "You've been in the lab all that time?"
"Lanstar, Shion, and I used the Ihan crystal Zeratul gave me. I'd swear it only lasted a few minutes… So vivid… Zeratul's been searching for a Xel'Naga prophecy about the end of the Universe. There's more; we just haven't got to it yet."
He then headed down to the cantina, checking in on Tychus.
"How did you become such good buddies with those freaky Protoss?" the big man asked. "All I hear is they kill humans like you and me on sight."
"Some of 'em would. But some others would fight to the death protectin' people like us. I helped 'em defend their homeworld from the Zerg during the first war. When Kerrigan came back leading the Swarm, I helped 'em out again. They're real big on loyalty."
"Damn, Jimmy. Almost sounds like you respect 'em."
"I wouldn't expect you to understand, Tychus."
As Tychus walked away, Tosh walked up.
"Good to see ya, brotha. I been… wait. I can see it in your eyes. You've seen into the spirit world. …The Protoss. He gave you… a crystal! And now you've been seein' what he's seen."
"That ain't nothin' to do with you! Stay outta my head, Tosh!"
"Have it your way. But you want to tread careful when you go lookin' into the beyond. If you need me, you know where I be."
The TV overhead switched to a news broadcast, showing Kate Lockwell.
"We have a very special guest today: crown prince Valerian! Thank you so much for joining us, Your Highness!"
"Thank you, Kate. It's wonderful to be here."
"Let me get right to the question on everyone's mind. Is there anyone special in your life right now?"
"Truth be told, Kate, I have had a crush on you for several years. But in all seriousness, with the Zerg invasion there's little time for such things. I've been studying military tactics under General Warfield, and whatever spare time I have is devoted to statecraft. It's my goal to be the best emperor our people could ask for. When the time comes, of course."
"Wonderful…" Jim said. "Now I've got two of 'em to worry about."
-Mini-Break-
"Alright Zeratul, old buddy," Jim said, "you got your mysterious prophecy. Now let's see what your Preservers made of it."
The trio touched the crystal, and entered its world.
"My quest to decipher the prophecy led me to the archive world of Zhakul. Here, three immortal Preservers guarded ancient knowledge. Only they could transcribe the prophetic fragments. I needed to seek them out quickly."
-SCENE BREAK-
Protoss archive world Zhakul
Two weeks ago
The Void Seeker flew in, setting down within an abandoned Protoss base consisting of a cybernetics core, a forge, a gateway, and two photon cannons – all without power.
'It's strangely silent here,' Zeratul wondered, 'yet these structures are intact, so pylons should restore them to operation.'
The Void Seeker dispatched six probe droids and engaged the warp-in of a Nexus, and then set down on a bluff to the immediate north, Zeratul remaining inside to direct things. The probes got to work harvesting minerals, with one of them breaking off to summon two pylons, restoring power to the base, and then calling forth an Assimilator atop the western vespene geyser.
'The mighty spirits of the Preservers are imprisoned close by. I must find them.'
More probes were created and set to resource-gathering over the next few minutes, and two Zealots emerged from the gateway.
"The Preservers you seek serve a higher power now, Dark One."
This sudden proclamation made by a dark-plated Stalker that came into the base caught Zeratul off-guard, and the craft opened fire on the base, but was quickly taken out by the nearby photon cannon and the Zealots.
"Higher power? What could have corrupted these Protoss so? Truly, something foul has taken hold of this sacred place."
Two more Zealots emerged from the gateway, and a probe droid called forth another pylon to bolster potential numbers. Suddenly, a horrid energy was detected to the southeast, and a terrifying sight came into view.
"INTRUDERS!"
"A… Protoss/Zerg hybrid… Gods, an abomination! Who created this atrocity?-!"
"COME, MY SLAVES. THE TIME HAS COME TO GIVE ME YOUR STRENGTH."
The Hybrid stepped onto a platform in the center of three huge crystals which contained the captive Preservers, and tendrils of energy flowed from them into it.
The four Zealots moved west, spotting an unpowered Robotics Facility guarded by a Fallen Stalker. They rushed it, letting their shields deflect its hard-light blasts as they closed in and cut it and its pilot apart with their psi-blades. A probe moved in their wake, summoning a pylon to the building's side.
"THIS KNOWLEDGE IS FORBIDDEN."
"Prelate!" the Templar manning the Void Seeker's scanners shouted. "The abomination is making its way toward our base!"
The Zealots fell back to the base, joined by a fifth Zealot from the gateway and an Immortal from the robotics facility. The Hybrid soon arrived, and the six warriors rose to the challenge. The defenders, however, had a stroke of luck: the Hybrid attempted to divide its attention between all of them instead of focusing on any particular target for too long. As a result, their regenerating shields were just enough to protect them from the sporadic energy blasts it hit them with. Psi-blade strikes and a continuous barrage from the Immortal's four heavy blaster cannons chipped away at the Hybrid's psionic shield, and soon began damaging its actual body. It teleported out, retreating back to its followers' base.
"I SHALL RETURN."
As a sixth Zealot and two Stalkers emerged from the gateway, the Hybrid stepped between the imprisoned Preservers and again began to draw energy from them.
"The Hybrid is draining the Preservers to survive!" Zeratul said. "We must free them before it is too late!"
The six Zealots, along with a Stalker, escorted a Probe droid east, toward an abandoned Dark Shrine. On the way, they were attacked by two Fallen Zealots and a Fallen Stalker; the six good-guy Zealots dog-piled their two Fallen counterparts, slaying them quickly, while the Fallen Stalker exchanged fire with the normal one, being taken down when two of the Zealots and even the Probe droid jumped in to help their ally. The probe zoomed ahead, summoning a power pylon next to the dark shrine. After a minute, the pylon warped in, and two Dark Templars emerged from the shrine.
"Zeratul!" one of them said, joy evident in his voice as he and his partner emerged. "Truly, fate has sent you here."
"Join me, brothers," the Nerazim Prelate replied, "and we shall cleanse this place of evil."
"YOUR LIVES ARE FORFEIT. SURRENDER TO DESPAIR."
Everyone quickly rushed back to the base and hunkered down, waiting. Within five minutes, the Hybrid arrived, launching a psionic bolt at the Immortal, whose advanced energy shields easily protected it. It and the two Stalkers opened fire with their blasters, while the Zealots and Dark Templars rushed in with psi-blades at the ready. The unnatural entity hissed as blades and blaster-bolts began to rapidly eat away at its shields, and it lashed out with a kick that snapped a Zealot's neck. The remaining Zealots and two Dark Templars became more careful, dashing in to attack and then moving back to stay out of range as much as possible. The Hybrid fired another psionic blast at one of the Stalkers, near-totally draining its shields, but the concentrated fire and blade-strikes finally brought the Hybrid's shields down. The Immortal's cannon shots started landing hits, and the Hybrid snarled as it teleported out, returning to its base.
"MERELY A TEMPORARY SETBACK."
A few more Zealots and Stalkers emerged from the gateway, while a Probe headed west to warp in a trio of Photon Cannons to protect the robotics facility, and another went east to do the same for the dark shrine. A second assimilator was set up on the base's eastern Vespene geyser. More warriors emerged from the gateway as fast as they could, while each of the base's flanking photon-cannon trios got a second line of three cannons right behind the first ones. A second Immortal, meanwhile, emerged from and parked itself in front of the robotics facility to bolster its defense, while a third moved to join up with the assault force at the main base.
"SOME SECRETS MUST REMAIN HIDDEN."
A force of four Stalkers, two Immortals, two Dark Templars, and 10 Zealots went southeast, to attack a Fallen Protoss base that stood between them and another abandoned structure. The enemy base was guarded by multiple Fallen Zealots, a handful of Fallen Stalkers, a Fallen Immortal, and a Fallen Void Ray. The good-guy Stalkers immediately opened fire on the Fallen Void Ray (their blasters were calibrated for anti-air duty), while the Dark Templars cloaked and rushed amongst the Fallen Zealots, beginning to cut them down with the aid of some of the good-guy Zealots, the others of which rushed the Fallen Immortal, their blades letting them bypass its advanced energy shields better than the other units could; lastly, the two Immortals opened fire on the Fallen Stalkers. The Fallen Void Ray only managed to destroy one Stalker before it went down, and the Fallen Zealots managed to kill two good-guy Zealots, while the remaining eight and the two Dark Templars helped the Immortals destroy the Fallen Stalkers and Fallen Immortal. With the hostiles cleared out, the attack force proceeded to de-power the enemy base, destroying pylons and Probe droids before demolishing the Nexus.
Meanwhile, the Hybrid reached and attacked the western mini-base, being engaged by the three Photon Cannons, the Immortal, and two more Zealots and Stalkers from the main base. One Stalker was destroyed and a Photon Cannon was moderately damaged before the concentrated firepower (mostly the Photon Cannon's rapid-fire heavy blasts) forced the Hybrid to retreat again.
"YOU CANNOT DESTROY ME."
As a few more Zealots emerged from the main base's warp-gate and headed down to join the field group, the field group's Probe droid moved up, summoning a pylon near the abandoned Templar Archives. It then called in a Nexus where the Fallen Protoss' used to be, while two Immortals and a Stalker emerged from the main base's gateway (as a second one was being warped in) and moved to join up with the attack group.
"CEASE YOUR FOOLISH STRUGGLE. THERE IS NO HOPE."
"Our liberation is at hand!" cried the High Templar who emerged from the archives.
The strike force headed west, aiming to cut the Hybrid's advance off. As the abomination approached, the High Templar's eyes glowed as he unleashed a Psionic Storm, bolts of psychic lightning falling from the thick clouds overhead and draining the monster's powerful shields by at least 70 percent. Stunned, the Hybrid only managed to regain itself by the time the other Protoss' attacks had worn away its shields. It let out a frustrated roar and teleported out.
The attack force went southwest, killing the main base's outer guards and fighting their way across the light-bridge, losing three Zealots in the process. They used a hit-and-run strategy, luring a few of the zealous Fallen Protoss at a time to their doom. As they worked at this, however, the Hybrid attacked again, not happy to see them so close to its base/lair. The High Templar amongst the group, though, showed no fear. He channeled his power, but this time not into a psionic storm. Focusing on the massive energies flowing through the Hybrid, he cast what against this particular foe was his most devastating attack: 'Feedback'.
The Hybrid let out a hissing roar of pain as its own power was turned against it, draining it of the stamina needed to use its stronger techniques while also downing its shields. It prepared to teleport out, when suddenly a Void Prison engulfed it, anchoring it in place. Zeratul emerged from a Void Jump, leaping up onto the monster's chest and cutting deep with his Void Blade. He then leapt higher still, and just as the Void Prison wore off Zeratul let gravity carry him down, so that his emerald-colored energy blade was driven into the Hybrid's skull, up to the hilt. Then, just to be sure, the old warrior unleashed a surge of raw Void energy into the beast's body, probably enough to kill it even if it hadn't just gotten impaled through the brain. Zeratul backflip-leapt off of the beast, landing in style in front of his allies as the Hybrid's corpse toppled over backward, falling down into the trench that the light-bridge spanned.
Over the next several minutes, the attack force and Zeratul waited as more Zealots, Stalkers, and Immortals arrived from the main base, along with another High Templar and two more Dark Templars. Then, they launched their all-out attack. The High Templars opened up with a double Psionic Storm that killed some of the defenders and de-shielded & disoriented the rest, with Zeratul tossing out Void Prisons to hold the Fallen Void Rays and Fallen Archons so the attackers could quickly dispose of them. The mainstream Protoss force bulldozed through the Fallen base, though losing six Zealots and four Stalkers in the process. Finally, they reached the trio of crystals.
"The spirits of the Preservers are entombed within! We must break them open immediately!"
They focused their fire on the crystals, soon shattering them and freeing the Preserver trio. Seeing the way was clear, Zeratul headed down to meet the mystics.
"We have seen the prophetic fragments in your mind, Zeratul" the lead Preserver said. "We will make of them what we can."
A FEW MINUTES LATER
"The cycle shall draw to its end" the Preserver prophesized. "The Xel'Naga, who forged the stars, will transcend their creation… Yet, the Fallen One shall remain, destined to cover the Void in shadow. It begins with the Great Hungerer. It ends… in utter darkness."
"A Great Hungerer…" Zeratul mused. "Could it refer to the Zerg Overmind? It has a part to play in this prophecy? I must seek out the Overmind's final resting place…"
-SCENE BREAK-
Present Time
Hyperion cantina
"Level 800 Elite Tauren Chieftain is back with a new album! Pulse-pounding rock that will shake the galaxy! Rock out with such hits as: Rogues Do It From Behind! Terran Up the Night! Another Hydralisk Bites the Dust! Saturday Night's Alright for Nuking! Lucy in the Sky with Mutas! Every Rose Has Its Thor! Touring in your galaxy now!"
"You look spooked" Tosh said to Raynor. "You've been seein' what the Protoss has to show ya. The memories shine through ya as clear as day."
"I saw… a hybrid. Somethin' unnatural. It was tryin' to corrupt the Protoss Preservers. Who would've sent it there? Who controls somethin' like that?"
"De one that made them, for sure. Dat was just de first of many. Dark harbingers, mon. Soon they'll be beyond numberin', and the stars will weep at what comes after."
"How could you know all this?"
"I don't. I just feel it be true. The cosmos – the Force, lil' Ahsoka calls it – tells me it's comin'."
Jim headed to the bridge, finding Matt and Kaede there.
"Welcome back, sir" Matt said. "What did you discover from the crystal this time?"
"It's that obvious I used it, huh? Zeratul took the prophecy fragments he found to a… temple? Library? Kinda both, I guess. But this weird Protoss/Zerg hybrid had taken over the place."
"You mean some sort of Infested Protoss?"
"No. This wasn't like infestation at all. It was like someone took the strengths of both races and used genetic engineering to twist 'em together into a single creature. I gotta tell ya – if these things are real, we're in a lot of trouble."
Jim headed to the armory, and Rory Swann immediately noticed something was off.
"What's up, cowboy? Y'know, you're lookin' kinda rough lately… rougher than usual, I mean."
"I've, ah… got a lot goin' on right now, Swann. You know how it is."
"Yeah. Y'know, ya might wanna try layin' off the sauce, and gettin' some shuteye once in a while."
"Thanks, mom. I'll get right on that."
He returned to the laboratory right as the girls showed up from their snack break, and he & they returned to the crystal.
"I returned to our ruined homeworld of Aiur" Zeratul's recorded message said. "The Zerg infestation still covered much of our beloved world. The desiccated remains of the Overmind were still there – a grim reminder of battles lost… and battles won."
"I remember the fall of Aiur" Jim said. "Don't much like the idea of havin' to see it again. Guess there's nothin' to it, though."
They touched the crystal.
"At the very apex of its victory against us, the Zerg Overmind grew… overconfident. Now, all that was left of the mighty Overmind was a twisted, withered husk. I needed to understand whatever memories lingered within the creature's rotting mass. Only by making contact with the gargantuan tendrils connected directly to its cortex could I learn its secrets. Yet its countless minions, which seemed to be feeding from its dead husk, would prove somewhat… problematic."
-SCENE BREAK-
Abandoned Protoss homeworld Aiur
Site of the Overmind
One week ago
The Void Seeker set down Zeratul and flew off on autopilot to safety.
'I must find a way to establish a foothold,' Zeratul thought to himself, 'and summon reinforcements to keep the Zerg at bay.'
He headed north while cloaked, slicing through a few unwary Zerglings, and soon came upon a cloaked, hovering droid.
'Ah, this faithful Observer has kept watch since the evacuation. Its abilities will certainly prove useful now.'
Zeratul and the Observer moved east, soon reaching an abandoned yet practically undamaged Protoss base, including a Nexus with a beacon crystal.
"This ancient beacon still thrums with power. I wonder…"
From a nearby lake, two Protoss Colossus droids emerged, massive quadrupedal walkers with gleaming gold-colored armor. They took position on a large rock ledge to the base's immediate north, and used their lasers to burn away a pack of Zerglings gathering below near the northern entrance to the base. Several probe droids emerged from the Nexus, and Zeratul set them to gathering resources, one of them breaking off briefly to summon a trio of pylons and return power to the base. As soon as the gateway had power, it was immediately set to work bringing in a trio of Zealots, while two Probes freshly emerged from the Nexus were designated as building-warpers, waiting in a well-protected part of the base until called upon.
A large pack of Zerglings attacked from the north. The two Colossi's heavy lasers burned about half of them to a crisp, while the northern Photon Cannons cut down another fourth; the remaining few were easy pickings for Zeratul and the Zealots. More pylons and another gateway were called in, while a few more Zealots emerged from the already-in-place gateway. During all this, Zeratul cloaked and headed east by himself, and stumbled upon a group of unsuspecting Infested Terrans. Working silently and methodically, the Dark Templar quickly wiped the corrupted humans out before they even knew what was happening. When he returned to base, some resources in hand, more Photon Cannons had been called in to shore up the northern and eastern defenses, and seven Zealots stood guard in the base with more on the way through the gateways.
Suddenly, the ground shook as a Nydus Worm surfaced to the north, and moments later a second one appeared to the east. Zerglings came rushing out from both transport creatures. The Colossi and Photon Cannons had the north entrance covered with no need for additional support, while Zeratul led the Zealots in helping the eastern Photon Cannons defend the east side. Two Stalkers emerged from the gateway just in time to help kill the last of the attackers.
With the enemy repulsed, Zeratul cautiously headed northeast, to the area around the nearest Overmind tendril. By a stroke of fortune, however, the Zerg base present there had no units capable of detecting a cloaked Dark Templar, and Zeratul was able to rush in and slaughter the enemy at his leisure. Once all offense-capable Zerg were dead, some of the Zealots and Stalkers moved up to help him kill/demolish the 'buildings' of the base and chase off the few Overlords in the area. Zeratul walked up to the tendril, reaching out with his mind as his helpers returned to the main base.
"I sense… pain. Surprise. Death."
The tendril broke free and fell into the massive pit that once held the Overmind. A Probe droid ventured over to the tendril's location, calling forth a pylon near the unpowered Warp Gate there. Zealots continued to come through the base's gateways, which then transformed into more warp gates. Once the pylon near the warp gate to the east formed and returned power to the structure, a High Templar and three Stalkers emerged.
"Adun Toridas, Zeratul" the Templar greeted. "We were trapped within the gate's energy matrix when it was deactivated. You have our thanks."
The four returned to the base, just in time for two more Nydus Worms to appear, signaling the start of another attack. The Colossi and numerous Photon Cannons halved the attacking force's numbers before they even got in range of the defenders. The Stalkers and Photon Cannons focused fire on Roaches and Hydralisks, while Zeratul and the Zealots carved through the Zerglings; at one point, Zeratul ducked under a leaping Zergling and brought his blade up, using the beast's own momentum to bisect it length-ways. More Zealots emerged from the Warp Gates to help push the attack back, and once everything settled down a Robotics Facility was warped in near the central Nexus. A Probe droid moved to the mineral fields near the first tendril's former location, and called in a secondary Nexus there. At the main base, an attack force was steadily built up, more and more Stalkers and Zealots emerging from the Warp Gates.
Finally, Zeratul led a force of nearly three-dozen Zealots and Stalkers to the east, to the main Infested Terran base southeast of Overmind Crater. It was a slaughter; the entire Infested base was wiped clean, with the Protoss only suffering one Zealot killed, another moderately wounded, and one Stalker taking some damage to a leg that wouldn't impede its ability to keep up with the rest of the group. They stayed amongst the ruins for a little while, waiting for a few more Stalkers and a half-dozen more Zealots to catch up from the main base. Meanwhile, the secondary base was already up & running, Probe droids harvesting resources and setting up Photon Cannons.
Once the attack force was sufficiently built up, they moved north, heading for the second tendril. First, Zeratul used Void Prison to stun the Overseers and Spore Crawlers, and the Stalkers 'Blinked' in and quickly cut them down, falling back before the other Zerg could rally a defense; the few who pursued were cut down when they ran into the waiting Zealots. The lone Ultralisk came charging in at the attack force, but Zeratul cast Void Prison on it as well, enabling him and the Zealots and Stalkers to systematically cut it apart. Then, Zeratul moved in and cut down the Spine Crawlers. Finally, the attack force rushed in all at once, bulldozing the Zerglings and Hydralisks with cloaked Zeratul's help. A Stalker and four Zealots died in the assault, but the way was cleared for Zeratul to 'meld' with the second tendril.
"I sense… death… and joy?"
The tendril broke off and tumbled into the pit. Back at the main base, a robotics support bay was warped in next to the robotics facility, and Probes called in a second assimilator on the base's eastern Vespene geyser, while at the east base, a third was called in on the vents there. The attack force returned south to where the Infested Terran base had been, just in time for another Probe to arrive and call in a third Nexus. They stayed as guards for the next 10 minutes as the southeast base got up & running, the Stalkers taking down a Brood Lord that attacked from the north. As the attack force made ready to move again, they were joined by a few more Zealots, two Immortals, three Stalkers, and a Colossus fresh from Base 1's robotics facility. Most of the Probes at Base 1, having exhausted all mineral fields there, headed over to Bases 2 and 3 to continue harvesting.
Zeratul led the sizable attack force north, past the second tendril's former spot, headed for the third's location. The defenses here were heavier than at the previous tendril, with a sizable number of Banelings, but a hit-and-run strategy still looked like the way to go. To start with, a pair of Stalkers ran up and blasted a few of the explosive green Zerg; in response, the rest of them came rolling after them when they fell back… and were lured into a deadly crossfire from the rest of the Stalkers, the Immortal, and the Colossus, while the Zealots kept back to avoid the blasts. Once the Banelings were all dead, Zeratul and the Stalkers moved up again, disposing of Overseers, Brood Lords, and Spore & Spine Crawlers, at the cost of two Stalkers. Finally, the Zealots, Immortal, and Colossus were called in. Four Zealots and another Stalker fell before the area was clear, and Zeratul made contact with the third Overmind tendril.
"I sense… satisfaction in a plan set in motion long ago… and… fear of the future?"
Base 3's defenses were beefed up, just in time for a sizable flock of Mutalisks to attack it. A few Photon Cannons and Stalkers were lost, but the majority survived to send the flyers packing. More Zealots and Immortals, along with another Colossus, moved to reinforce Zeratul's attack force, which then moved west to attack the Zerg guarding the final tendril. Once more, Zeratul used hit-and-run tactics and Void Prison to dispose of first the Overseers (with the Stalkers' help), then the cloak-detecting Spore Crawlers, and finally the Spine Crawlers and Ultralisks. With the biggest threats out of the way, the massive attack force moved in full, their overwhelming firepower cleansing the area of Zerg with only around half a dozen losses. Zeratul walked up to the final tendril.
"I sense… an end. I must go to the Overmind cortex to understand."
Zeratul made his way closer to the Overmind's corpse. As he reached it, a glowing figure of blue energy emerged from it: a ghost… a familiar one.
"Greetings, brother. I speak to you from the Beyond."
"Tassadar! But… you died! Slaying this cursed Overmind!"
"I have never tasted death, Zeratul. Nor shall I. But that is a tale for another time. I have come to tell you of this creature's… courage."
"Courage? It was an abomination!"
"Not always. The Zerg were… altered. A single overriding purpose was forced upon them: the destruction of our people. The Overmind was formed with thought and reason, but not free will. It screamed and raged within the prison of its own mind."
"…Who did this? Why?"
"I know not. But the Overmind found a way to resist its all-consuming directive. It created a chance… a hope of salvation: The Queen of Blades."
"Madness!"
"Only she can free the Zerg from slavery… and in so doing, save all that is… from the flame."
"I do not understand, Brother."
"Forget what you know, Zeratul. The Overmind saw a vision… the end of all things. And now, you must see it too."
And Tassader's ethereal body began to glow.
"No! This vision! I cannot bear it! Stop!-!"
-SCENE BREAK-
Present Time
Hyperion cantina
"You look haunted' Tosh said to Raynor. "You've been seein' into the spirit world, and you learned sometin' you don't like. It's… Kerrigan?"
"It seems the Overmind made Kerrigan to… free the Zerg… from somethin'. Put 'em on a collision course with the Protoss. It's all gone wrong. Everything's… twisted, and there's somethin' out there that's set to destroy us all."
"Zerg… Protoss… these are strong races. How powerful – how terrible – is something that plays with their fates?"
"Nuke Noodles!" the advertisement on the TV said, ruining the solemn mood. "Call down the flavor!"
Jim headed to the armory, checking in on Swann, spotting Teana & Shion on their way to inform the rest of Gamma on the new info.
"Y'know," Swann said, "I been watchin' the logs. Those damn Protoss are still way ahead of us. I can't believe some of the stunts they can pull off."
"Tell me about it! They've learned some new tricks since the last time we met."
"I mean c'mon; since when could they warp in guys just anywhere? I thought they needed some kinda gateway, at least!"
"Not just anywhere. They need a pylon or another power source close by. Still, they've been workin' to improve their tech, just like us."
He then headed to the bridge, intent on filling Matt in on new developments.
"Damn, Matt. I don't even know what to make of this last vision from the crystal. Zeratul was lookin' for more clues about the end of the universe, but this time he was an Aiur."
"Aiur? What was he looking for?"
"He was trying to find out why the Overmind made the Queen of Blades in the first place."
"She's the one that's going to destroy the universe?"
"No… that's just it… I think she's the only one that can save it."
Finally, Jim returned to the laboratory. The girls walked in, and he & they readied themselves for the final vision.
"Now, friend Raynor, you must see the Overmind's vision of the future. The end of my people… and of all things. This is our fate, should Kerrigan die."
"I don't think I wanna see any vision of the Overmind's. But if Kerrigan's involved… I need to know."
They touched the crystal.
"ON A DISTANT, SHADOWED WORLD, THE PROTOSS WILL MAKE THEIR FINAL STAND. THEIR HEROES WILL GATHER, THEIR FORCES WILL BE MARSHALLED, AND THEY WILL DIE BRAVELY. BUT STILL, THEY WILL DIE. AND MY ZERG… WILL BE SLAVES… TO THE HYBRIDS. ALL WILL BOW BEFORE THE POWER… OF THE FALLEN ONE."
-SCENE BREAK-
Ulnar
Potential Future - +108 years
"Protoss brethren!" Zeratul announced. "Heed me! The last twilight has fallen. The galaxy burns around us! The Terrans of this realm…" Jim Raynor's marshal badge clutched in a skeletal hand. "the United Nations Space Command…" a green Spartan helmet, visor shattered, half-buried in dust, "the Dimensional Administration Bureau…" Raising Heart, bloodstained and shattered, its crystal broken, lying on the charred ground of Midchilda, "all humans across the realms have been consumed." A Sanghelios-class battlecruiser lying in a twisted heap atop the capital of Vadam Province "Even the mighty Sangheili have fallen" he said, gazing wistfully at his left shoulder pauldron, taken from Arbiter Thel Vadam's bloodied body 15 years ago. Shakuras in flames, hundreds of millions of Protoss skeletons littering the ground "We are all that remains of our species… all that stands against the shadow. But if we are to meet our end this day, then we shall do so…" Zeratul ignited the battered forms of Cross Mirage Longsword, built into his arm-blade, and Bardiche, and held them aloft, "AS ONE!-! En Taro Tassadar!-!"
"EN TARO TASSADAR!-!-!" Psi-blades and Sangheili-made plasma blades were lifted high, as the Protoss warriors readied themselves for a glorious final stand.
Probes were hard at work gathering minerals, warp gates set to work bringing in reinforcements, and the forges rang with weapon-crafting.
"Great One," a High Templar reported, "the vault is prepared. Guard us while we preserve our knowledge for those that may follow. They must not make the mistakes we did."
Over the next few minutes, 'walls' of Photon Cannons were warped in at the three entrances to the courtyard and base. Two Colossi took position at the western and eastern entrances, and two more flanked the wider northern entrance, while most of the ground troops massed in the middle section of the courtyard. At the center of the base, the massive Xel'Naga Warp Gate came online, and a customized fighter craft came through, accompanied by a large squadron of Phoenix fighters.
"I have rallied the last of our great fleet" reported the pilot of the lead fighter.
"Your timing is impeccable, Admiral Urun" Zeratul replied. "When the enemy takes to the air, we will need your support."
"The Zerg performed their function as I planned" an unholy voice spoke. "My Hybrids are proof of this. Now, the last of the Protoss will fulfill their function… in death!"
As soldiers, Stalkers, and Immortals continued to emerge from the base, a horde of Zerglings attacked from the north. The two Colossi and the wall of Photon Cannons killed the majority of them with little difficulty, with Zealots and Dark Templars dealing with the few that got through. However, Observers detected a mass of hostiles building up to the west.
"The Zerg are swarming at our flanks!" Urun reported. "We have to react quickly, or our perimeter defenses will fall!"
The horde attacked at the west, being engaged by the Photon Cannons and Colossus there, and the Protoss army rushed to fight them. Zeratul warped in amongst the Zerglings, catching them off-guard and gracefully carving through them, using the gold-bladed magical device handed to him by the dying Fate (slain by a force of three-dozen Hybrids supercharged by the Dark Voice's power, though she managed to kill all but six of them) 58 years earlier, and the orange energy sword left behind by Teana after her death at the hands of the Dark Voice (whose massive power had enabled him to smash through her "Susanō" defensive construct and drive a foot-thick energy blade through her chest) 49 years ago. The attack was soon pushed back at the cost of three Zealots. The Zerg then attacked from the east, but the High Templars unleashed a devastating psionic lightning storm that ripped most of them apart, the rest falling to the Photon Cannons and Colossus there.
"All shall be remade in my name! Behold my greatest creation!"
The Protoss got a rather unpleasant surprise as a dozen Hybrids attacked from the north. Everyone rushed in to help as the Photon Cannons and Colossi exchanged fire with the demons; several of them were hoisted into the air, helpless, by the Phoenixes' tractor beams, leaving them easy prey for the cannons and Stalkers. Zeratul's Void Prison was put to use as well. Even with all the firepower and countermeasures, though, the Hybrids still managed to kill several Zealots before being wiped out.
"I'm detecting a large amount of Zerg activity in their hive clusters" Urun reported. "Prepare for an assault!"
Within a few minutes, a force of Zerglings attacked from the west, but came in small waves rather than all at once, rendering them easy prey for the defenders. All the same, a few Zealots fell, while a pack of Mutalisks attacked the northwest cannons, being pushed back by the Phoenix squadron. Before the western attack was even finished, the Zerg attacked the east again, and the Colossi and Immortals rushed to fend off the attack. And then they attacked from the north, backed by a few Hybrids. Just as things started looking troublesome, several Protoss ships built around huge power crystals emerged from the Warp Gate.
"Our Void Rays are ready to do their part" said the lead ship's pilot. "Disengage prism inhibitors and concentrate all batteries on the Hybrids."
"Well met, great Mohandar! For Aiur!"
The Void Rays swept their burning, slicing beams across the enemy lines, felling many of them. Phoenix tractor beams and Dark Templar Void Prisons helped keep the Hybrids at bay for the other forces to bring them down, while the Colossi and Immortals took out the attacking Zerg. Once the attack had ceased, Probes rushed in to repair or replace the Photon Cannon defenses at the north and east.
Zerglings, Roaches, and two Hybrids attacked from the west, but the Protoss air units and Colossi quickly dealt with the assault with no losses. A force of Zerglings and Hydralisks, backed by an Ultralisk, attacked from the north; Three Phoenixes combined tractor beams to hoist the massive Ultralisk up for the Stalkers and other Phoenixes to take apart, while the Immortals and Colossi slaughtered the Zerglings and the Zealots and Photon Cannons handled the Hydralisks (at the cost of two more Zealots). Next from the north was a flock of Mutalisks; they managed to destroy three Stalkers before the rest and the Cannons shot them out of the sky.
"Every hand is turned against you. Even the ground beneath your feet carries the seeds of your destruction."
Several Nydus Worms popped up in the middle of the base… and were near-instantly slaughtered by the overwhelming firepower surrounding them. Less than a minute later, several ships came through the Xel'Naga Warp Gate, led by six carriers and Executor Selendis' supercarrier, recently renamed Vengeance for the Lost.
PROTOSS KHAYDAR-CLASS FRIGATE – 395 METERS
PROTOSS TWILIGHT-CLASS DESTROYER – 475 METERS
PROTOSS ARCHON-CLASS CRUISER – 935 METERS
PROTOSS TEMPLAR-CLASS CARRIER – 2,620 METERS
PROTOSS KHALA-CLASS SUPERCARRIER – 3,350 METERS
"This is the hour of truth, noble templars!" Selendis announced. "Let the enemy know the wrath of Aiur's champions!"
"Executor Selendis! Unleash the full power of your forces! There may be no tomorrow!"
"En Taro Tassadar, Zeratul"
Zerg and Hybrids attacked from the west, but this time the swarm of Interceptor droids from the carriers, coupled with the multiple Photon Cannons' fire, made short work of them. A pack of Brood Lords attacking from the north met a similar fate. Two Hybrids and a flock of Mutalisks were next, and managed to take down two of the Phoenixes before being killed.
"As I was your beginning, so shall I be your end."
[AN: And at this point, I A) run out of ideas to expand the original scenes, and B) get so tired of this, that I end up mostly copy-pasting from the original version of Book 2. If anyone can make the whole "In Utter Darkness" section look better, you can, I dunno, e-mail it to me and I can edit this chapter with it, or something]
Waves of Zerglings and Hydralisks backed by Hybrids attacked from the north, west, and east, while Mutalisks struck from the northeast and northwest, dealing significant damage. At noticeable cost, the enemy was pushed back.
"You have no place to hide and nowhere to run."
Seconds after the High Templars managed to complete the sealing of their records, several Nydus Worms emerged and let loose their Zerg cargo, while a force of Hybrids attacked from the north. The carriers' interceptors quickly handed the problem, though one of the Protoss' light frigates was lost, its helmsman managing to crash the 395-meter vessel into a gathering swarm out to the northwest. Another massive attack force struck from the west and east, and was pushed back at moderate cost. They attacked from the north, a force of Hybrids and a titanic Omegalisk. Zeratul stepped up, holding out his right hand and pointing it at them.
"Gather, light of the stars…"
Motes of vibrant energy, tinted green by Zeratul's life force, began to gather and coalesce into a large sphere hovering in front of his palm, as he used a technique he'd learned from a powerful ally… one who'd fallen against the Fallen One in defense of her homeworld 42 years earlier. Just as the Omegalisk neared, he spoke:
"Starlight Breaker"
A massive beam of raw energy shot forth from Zeratul's palm, obliterating the Omegalisk and all but two of the Hybrids, which were quickly dispatched by the Colossi. Several carriers came through the Warp Gate, along with a titanic ship.
PROTOSS MOTHERSHIP – 8,000 METERS
"This is Hierarch Artanis commanding the Shield of Aiur! Our matrix fields are within range! Engaging mass recall! My brethren, hear me, for there is little time left. All that remains of our race, our civilization, are those that stand beside you now. Trust in each other. Strike as one will! Let our last stand burn a memory so bright we will be remembered forever! En Taro Tassadar!"
"Foolish, prideful children. There was one among you who could have jeopardized my great plan… but in your recklessness, you mistook her for the true threat."
"…The Queen of Blades!" Zeratul realized. "How could we have known?!"
For several minutes, the Motership and its escort wrought havoc amongst the enemy. But then, a titanic, never-ending horde of Zerg and Hybrids, hundreds of millions (perhaps even billions), emerged and launched an unfathomably large assault on the base. And all who saw it knew that hope was lost.
The tidal wave of flesh and claws and fangs broke upon the Protoss; within seconds, hundreds of heroic warriors were dead. Thousands of airborne Zerg flew in, engaging the Protoss aircraft in hellish dogfights.
"There's just… too many of them!" Admiral Urun's fighter spiraled out of control, smashing into the ground in a fiery explosion; his squadron, demoralized, soon followed.
Hundreds of Zerg fell, but the attack was never-ending.
"Your efforts are futile! My harbingers will usher in a new age!"
The Void Rays fell, Mohandar being the last to die.
"I return… to the Void…"
As millions of Protoss soldiers perished, the carriers began to fall from the sky.
"Forgive me, Great Tassadar" Selendis muttered as her ship began to explode around her. "I wasn't… strong enough…"
A brilliant flash signaled the destruction of the Vengeance for the Lost. The Shield of Aiur was ganged up on, nearly 100,000 Mutalisks and Devourers, backed by a pair of Leviathans, working to systematically take it apart.
"Kerrigan…" Artanis lamented as he died. "How could we have known?"
Zeratul and the surviving soldiers retreated into the heart of the base, many falling as they ran. The Zerg began to tear the base apart, sparing not even a single probe droid. The last warriors fought in a way as to bring highest honor to their spirits, but fell one by one. Zeratul struck with his Devices until they glowed from heat, and poured every last ounce of Void power through his body and into the enemy, slaughtering millions. But then he saw the Fallen One himself walking across the battlefield toward him, charging a black and white energy bolt in his hand. He pointed the massive sphere at Zeratul, laughed evilly, and let it fly. Zeratul, too exhausted to move, lowered his arms.
"If only we'd acted sooner…" he said, and a second later the last Protoss was dead.
Across the dimensional planes, Hybrids let loose storms of energy that obliterated every Zerg they hit.
"As I was your beginning, so shall I be your end."
And the galaxies went dark.
"I love it when a plan comes together."
-Break-
Present Time
Hyperion laboratory
"Friend Raynor, you now bear witness… to the truth. There is a malevolent presence within the Void that seeks to destroy everything we hold dear. Could this… Fallen One be a Xel'Naga? After so long… could the gods themselves seek our destruction? And Kerrigan… I can hardly believe – the wretched Queen of Blades will prevent the destruction of all we know… Raynor, you may soon hold Kerrigan's fate in your hands. I only know that she must live. Be wary, old friend. The hounds of the Void… are on the hunt."
The crystal folded in on itself, deactivating. Teana, pale-faced, shaking, and horror-struck, turned silently to her green-haired Second, who wore a look of equal terror. Jim was quiet as a tomb and still as a stone, haunted by what he'd just seen.
Hyperion cantina – 40 minutes later
"Damn, brotha" Tosh said. "You look like you could use a drink."
"I saw the last vision Zeratul put into the crystal" Jim replied. "It was a look into the future – a final battle against the hybrids. Armageddon. Somehow… Kerrigan's the key to preventing it."
"Who knows how de wheel turns? Cycles upon cycles. This much I know: those that see the future best take heed. It's both a gift… and a curse."
"But is it cast in stone? That's what I need to know."
"Who knows? I've heard ya say 'we are who we choose to be'. If that be true, de future cannot be fixed."
Bridge – 10 minutes later
"You look shaken, sir" Matt said. "What's wrong?"
"Zeratul called it a vision of the future" Jim replied. "It was the end times, Matt. Armageddon. More Protoss than we ever knew existed, but there still weren't enough to stop the Hybrids."
"But what about Kerrigan? Wasn't she supposed to stop them?"
"In this timeline, she was dead. Killed by… us. That's what Zeratul's been tryin' to tell us all along. She has to live, or we're all doomed."
"So what, our greatest enemy is also our only hope? Jeez, along with everything else… Oh, by the way sir, I've got a lead on happenings on Tarsonis. You see, there's this Dominion salvage op going on, with minimal security…"
-SCENE BREAK-
Next Time: Exposing Mengsk