"We will go through the mines," Frodo made his decision.
"So be it," Gandalf then spoke no more.
"I heard about that place before, now we get to see it," Jim muttered remembering Balin recalled a battle in Moria.
"Moria. You fear to go into those mines. The Dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum: shadow and flame," Saruman looked into a book knowing what was inside Moria.
The Fellowship of the Ring headed to a place where there was no snow. "Frodo, come and help an old man," said the wizard and Frodo was at his side. "How is your shoulder?"
"Better than it was."
"And the Ring? You feel its power growing, don't you? I've felt it too. You must be careful now. Evil will be drawn to you from outside the Fellowship. And, I fear, from within."
"Who then do I trust?"
"You must trust yourself. Trust your own strengths."
"What do you mean?"
"There are many powers in this world for good or for evil. Some are greater than I am. And against some I have not yet been tested."
"The walls of Moria," Gimli recognized the place. "Dwarf doors are invisible when closed."
"Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten," Gandalf agreed.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas asked.
"That's weird, if dwarf doors become invisible when closed, how can the dwarves find their way in?" Karax asked.
"That's stupid, those dwarves must have locked themselves either in or out with those strange doors," Swann was not impressed.
Jim remembered Gandalf giving Thorin a key to a secret door in the quest for Erebor, "I wish I could have seen Thorin and his companions succeeded unlocking that secret door." He did not regret staying behind in Laketown with Bofur, Oin, Fili and sick Kili. "If it weren't been me, who else could have shot down the dragon?" Jim had second thoughts recalling that he slew Smaug the dragon that put Laketown to the torch.
"Well, let's see," Gandalf examined a wall. "Ithildin. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight." True to Gandalf's words, the moonlight revealed the invisible door. "It reads, 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter,'" the wizard translated the symbols on the top of the frame.
"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.
"You have to enter a password for the doors to open, it's just simple," Stetmann replied.
"Yes, you're quite right … Stetmann," Gandalf agreed and began muttering incantations but it was useless.
"Nothing's happening," Pippin muttered.
Gandalf tried applying force from his body against the door and there was no effect, "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, and Orcs."
"What are you going to do, then?" Pippin asked.
"Knock you head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions. I will try to find the opening words," Gandalf spoke in an irritated tone and continued figuring out the password.
"Mines are no place for a pony. Even one so brave as Bill," Aragorn said to Sam who tended the pony that they acquired from Bree.
"Bye-bye, Bill," Sam spoke sadly letting the pony go.
"Go on, Bill. Go on," Aragorn then reassured Sam. "Don't worry, Sam, he knows the way home." Merry and Pippin threw rocks into the lake. "Do not disturb the water," Aragorn grabbed Pippin's arm before another projectile left his hand.
"Is there something in that lake?" Kerrigan asked.
"You'll see," Aragorn dodged the question.
"Oh, it's useless," Gandalf could not open the door with what he had in mind.
Frodo got off from his seat and had a look at the door, "It's a riddle. 'Speak, friend, and enter.' What's the Elvish word for 'friend'?"
"Mellon," Gandalf spoke the Elvish word causing the doors to open.
"Soon, Master Elf and Swann, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone! This, my friends, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!" said Gimli as the Fellowship entered.
Gandalf activated a container in his staff while the Terrans and Protoss turned on their lighting in their suits.
"This is no mine. It's a tomb," Boromir muttered.
"More like an old-fashioned abandoned mine," said Swann.
To the horror of Gimli and the hobbits, there were dead dwarves all over the place. "No, no!" the dwarf shouted in agony.
Legolas plucked an arrow from a corpse, "Goblins." He readied his bow while the men prepared their swords. The Terrans aimed their guns while the Protoss activated their psionic blades.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here," said Boromir.
"Now, get out of here. Get out!" Aragorn shouted.
"Frodo!" Pippin shouted as something grabbed Frodo.
"Help!"
"It's a tentacle," said Stetmann.
"Strider!" Sam shouted.
"Help!"
"Get off him!" Sam slashed the tentacle. "Aragorn!" However, more tentacles flailed the other hobbits and grabbed Frodo.
Legolas fired an arrow, but he missed. Aragorn and Boromir slashed the tentacles. Artanis, Alarak, and Vorazun sliced the tentacles with Twilight blades, Bane blades, and Shadow Scythe respectively causing the lake to be stained with blood.
"It's like a kraken," Stetmann muttered as the creature's face appeared and it attempted to eat Frodo. Boromir sliced off a tentacle causing the kraken to swing Frodo. Aragorn sliced the tentacle that held Frodo and Boromir caught the hobbit.
"Let him taste this," Stukov gave the kraken a Corrosive Blast and Kerrigan finished it off with a Kinetic Blast.
"Into the mines!" Gandalf shouted.
"Legolas!" Boromir shouted.
"Into the cave!" Aragorn shouted.
"Let's go!" said Kerrigan as she and Stukov ran to rejoin the others.
"Let's move!" Artanis ordered as he, Alarak, and Vorazun rejoined the others also.
"Stay frosty, everyone," said Jim.
"You're right; we now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world," said Gandalf readying the light of his staff and led the way. "Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."
"Guys, I can fix stuff for you. But I'm not the guy to crawl around caves," Swann muttered.
"I think you're scared like the time we were in tunnels of Char," Jim remembered that he, Tychus, Swann, and Stetmann went on an operation to shut down the Nydus network by planting Seismic Charges to flood the tunnels with lava.
"If you're a dwarf, you should have been in a mine," Gimli said to Swann.
"I was a miner once. But still; weapons, tools, they make sense to me. Caves and … goblins, just ain't my cup of tea," said the engineer.
"You thought the tunnels crawling with Zerg were bad enough, do you?" Zagara asked.
"I'm scarred too," said Stetmann.
"The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels but mithril," Gandalf examined a wall and the rest of the Fellowship looked at the mining spots. "Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings that Thorin gave him."
"Oh, that was a kingly gift," Gimli muttered.
"Yes, I never told him but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire."
They climbed the steep steps and Pippin nearly slipped. "Pippin," said Merry.
"I have no memory of this place," Gandalf muttered.
Everybody had a break and Pippin asked, "Are we lost?"
"No," Merry replied.
"I think we are."
"Gandalf's thinking."
"Merry?"
"What?"
"I'm hungry."
Frodo noticed something and ran to Gandalf, "There's something down there."
"It's Gollum."
"Gollum?"
"He's been following us for three days."
"He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dur?"
"Escaped or was set loose. Now the Ring has brought him here. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself. Smeagol's life is a sad story. Yes, Smeagol he was once called. Before the Ring found him. Before it drove him mad."
"It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance."
"Pity? It is pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many."
"I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened."
"So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought," Gandalf had something in mind. "It's that way."
"He's remembered," said Merry.
"No. But the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose," Gandalf continued leading way after the break. "Let me risk a little more light. Behold the great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf," the wizard showed the Fellowship a huge area.
"Looks more like a huge hallway," Kerrigan muttered.
"There's an eye opener, and no mistake," Sam muttered.
"Gimli!" Gandalf noticed the dwarf running to a room.
"No! Oh, no. No," Gimli was shocked as he came across a tomb and began to grief.
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," Gandalf read the markings. "He is dead, then. It's as I feared."
"Jim, what are you doing?" Kerrigan asked as Jim was kneeling.
"He's paying respects," Swann replied.
"You know him, friend Raynor?" Talandar asked.
"Balin and I were once traveling companions of Thorin Oakenshield," Jim got up. "If Balin's gone, Oin and Ori must have perished too. There aren't any survivors here."
Gandalf took a book from a corpse while Pippin was holding his staff and hat.
"We must move on. We cannot linger," said Legolas.
"They have taken the bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming," Gandalf read the book aloud.
"I'll take the book," said Jim and the wizard gave it to him.
Pippin twisted an arrow on another corpse causing it along with a chained bucket to fell into a well causing loud clattering sounds and looked at everyone with guilty. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity," Gandalf scolded while taking back his hat and staff.
"Whatever inhabits this place now, they'll be aware of our presence," Artanis readied his Twilight Blades as there were drumming.
"Frodo!" Sam muttered as he and Jim saw Frodo's short sword glowed blue.
"Did Bilbo give that to you?" Jim asked and Frodo nodded.
"Orcs," Legolas muttered.
Boromir went out to check and two arrows flew towards him. He dodged and the arrows embedded into the door.
"Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" Aragorn shouted.
Both men of Middle-Earth closed the door and Boromir said according to the roars he heard, "They have a cave troll." Legolas tossed halberds for the men to bar the door despite knowing that it would not hold for long.
"Let them come! There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath," Gimli was ready to fight as the other members of the Fellowship prepared their weapons.
Legolas readied his bow and Tosh prepared his AGR-28 Gauss Rifle.
"Motion Detector is off scale. Swann, get the turret of yours set up like you did on Char," Jim readied his C-14 Gauss Rifle while checking his heads-up display (HUD).
"No sooner than done. Stay behind, O'Betty, and let her take the heat," Swann deployed his Flaming Betty turret equipped with a ranged flamethrower.
"A cannon can help out too," Karax set up a Photon Cannon.
"How can we power it without a Pylon?" Jim asked.
"I do have the power source as a phase-smith," Karax replied as he had to stand near the Protoss cannon.
"It looks like we're fighting alongside again, Jim," said Legolas.
"I'm glad we're in the same side after a long time," said Jim.
The goblins punctured a hole and the elf released an arrow on one of them. Tosh fired one shot at another goblin when another hole was punctured. When the door fell, the goblins stormed in. The goblins occupying Moria were different from the ones Jim had fought in the tunnels of the Misty Mountains 60 years ago. The goblins' skin was green; they wore crude armor and wielding scimitars.
A single blast from the Photon Cannon could kill one goblin whereas the Flaming Betty caught a line of them on fire causing them to run around until they collapsed to the ground motionlessly.
"Amazing," Gimli muttered.
"I've never seen such powerful machines before," Aragorn muttered.
"Light them up," said Jim as he opened fire at the goblins while Legolas loosed another arrow braining another goblin. When the goblins got too close, Swann had to use his cybernetic arm to melee them. Tosh used Mind Blast blowing the heads of a group of goblins while picking them off with his rifle. Karax used his Servitude Drones to fight while lending aid to the cannon.
The hobbits, the wizard, the men of Middle-Earth, Gimli, and the other Protoss charged towards them with their blades. Vorazun used the Shadow Fury teleporting while slicing multiple goblins into shreds and Alarak casted a Destruction Wave killing multiple goblins. Artanis and Talandar charged at the goblins stunning those that were not damaged by the charge. Vorazun, Alarak, Artanis, and Talandar slashed the goblins into pieces. The Purifier leader had to use Whirlwind as he spun killing the goblins that converged upon him. Zagara stabbed two goblins with her talons, Dehaka slashed a goblin with his claws, and Stukov picked off the goblins with his Corrosive Bolts. The hobbits stabbed with their short swords while Aragorn and Boromir slashed the goblins with their swords; Gimli hacked every goblin in his path. Gandalf used the sword Foehammer to slash while using his staff to club the goblins. Kerrigan used Crushing Grip choking a group of goblins to their deaths and picked them off with Psionic Blasts. She also used her sharp wings to impale the goblins when they got too close.
Sam and Aragorn saw the other goblins pulled in a cave troll. "That is something we don't always fight," Alarak muttered when he saw the troll for the first time.
The beast first smashed the Betty with its mace so that goblin reinforcements could enter with ease.
"Don't worry, I have the materials to set up a replacement," said Swann as he continued to melee the goblins with his cybernetic arm. "How do you like that?" the chief engineer gave the troll a blast with his grenade launcher and it roared with pain as it dealt a great deal of damage.
Karax dodged the cave troll's swing and fought back with the drones. When the phase-smith did so, he left the cannon unpowered so that the troll could demolish it.
Gimli threw an axe on the troll and dodged the troll's lethal swing so that the nearby goblins could be killed instead.
After Legolas fired two arrows at the troll, he switched to knife the goblins. The troll used the chain as a whip and the elf dodged the swings. When the chain was tangled, the elf walked towards the troll using the chain like a bridge then released an arrow on the troll's head. Legolas got off at the time the troll broke its chains.
Sam clubbed the goblins with his skillet, "I think I'm getting the hang of this."
"Frodo!" Aragorn shouted as he saw the troll used its mace attempting to smash Merry, Pippin, and Frodo. The three hobbits dodged the attack and Frodo was separated. Frodo hid from the troll until it found him roaring at him.
Jim had to use his rifle to club the goblins when they get too close and threw a hand grenade at the goblin reinforcements at the door. The explosion sent the goblins flying into the air.
"Aragorn! Aragorn!" Frodo shouted as the troll grabbed him on his ankle. The young hobbit cut the troll's arm so that it could release him.
Aragorn attempted to spear the troll while Merry and Pippin hurled ball-size rocks at it. The troll gave the man a backhand swipe sending him crashing into a wall and Frodo tended to him. The beast pulled the spear out and attempted to sink it on the young hobbit. Despite Frodo slashed the troll on its arm, it speared the young hobbit. This caught the attention of Merry, Pippin, Sam, Gandalf, and Jim.
"Frodo," Jim muttered.
Merry and Pippin jumped at the troll sinking their blades at it mercilessly.
"Frodo!" said Sam as he angrily slashed and clubbed the goblins hurrying to reach his friend. However, Frodo fell to the ground motionlessly causing Stetmann to check on him.
The troll managed to grab Merry and Gimli hacked the troll at the butt. Gandalf slashed the troll, Tosh fired a round at it, and Stukov gave it a Corrosive Blast. The troll gave the dwarf a backhand swipe and Legolas prepared his bow. Pippin sank his blade onto the troll's head causing it open its mouth so that the elf could finish it off with an arrow released through its mouth. The troll collapsed into the floor motionlessly and Pippin fell off. At that time, the goblins in the room were all dead.
"Sir, Frodo is still alive and not injured. He's wearing something underneath his clothes," said Stetmann as he pulled the spear out and found something grey.
"How come? That spear would have skewered a wild boar," Aragorn spoke in disbelief as he and Stetmann helped the young hobbit up.
"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye," said Gandalf.
"What is he wearing, Stetmann?" Jim asked.
Frodo showed the rest of the Fellowship what he was wearing underneath his clothes. "Mithril," Gimli recognized it. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins."
"More goblins are coming, is there a way out?" Artanis asked as they heard more goblins.
"Yes, to the Bridge of Khazad-dum," Gandalf replied and led the Fellowship through the hall.
"They are swarming the place," said Jim as the goblins popping out of everywhere.
The Fellowship of the Ring found themselves surrounded by a massive horde of goblins that filled almost the whole hall.
"Don't make any move, or else they'll crush us," said Jim as the goblins leered at the Fellowship.
Suddenly, there was orange light and followed by growling causing the goblins to scurry. "What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked.
"A Balrog, a demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. It includes you, strangers from the Korprulu Sector," Gandalf spoke as if he were to face his fear. "Run!" They ran to a passageway, "Quickly!"
Boromir nearly fell off the stairs into the abyss and dropped the torch. Luckily, Legolas pulled him back.
"Gandalf," said Aragorn.
"Lead them on, Aragorn. The bridge is near. Do as I say! Swords are no more use here," Gandalf handed the leadership to the Strider.
The Fellowship went down on another set of stairs and there was a gap.
Legolas jumped first, "Gandalf!" The wizard jumped after and an arrow bounced on the stairs' edge.
"Goblin archers. Return fire," Jim ordered as he, Legolas, and Tosh fired at the goblin archers sending them off falling into the abyss.
"Merry! Pippin!" Boromir held the two hobbits tightly and jumped across the gap. During the process, the gap widened as part of the stairs crumbled and fell off.
"Sam!" Aragorn tossed the hobbit and Boromir caught him.
"Nobody tosses a Dwarf," Gimli held his hand up and jumped. "Not the beard!" Legolas pulled him up so that he would not fall.
"Frodo," Jim tossed the young hobbit so that Boromir could catch him. Another part of the stairs crumbled and fell off. "Aragorn, grab my hand," Jim held out his hand for Aragorn to grab so that he could climb back up.
Vorazun used Shadow Dash to teleport herself ahead of Legolas, Gandalf, Gimli, Boromir, and the hobbits.
"Hold on, everyone," Artanis ordered as the Balrog was smash through the wall.
Falling debris smashed the walkway causing the stairs to lose balance. "Lean forward!" Aragorn ordered as he, the Terrans, the Zerg, and the Protoss except Vorazun leaned forward so that the stairs could fall towards the rest of the Fellowship.
"Come on!" said Legolas.
"Make way!" Gandalf ordered after the elf caught Aragorn. They made room for the Jim, Swann, Stetmann, Kerrigan, Stukov, Zagara, Artanis, Alarak, Karax, and Talandar to rejoin the others before the broken stairs could fall into the abyss.
Finally, the Fellowship made it downstairs. "Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf ordered as they ran ahead. A winged horned humanoid emerged from the flames and roared at Gandalf.
"That is something we don't see every day," Stetmann muttered seeing the Balrog.
"Gandalf said it's beyond any of us. Don't try and fight it," said Artanis.
The Balrog chased the Fellowship and they crossed the bridge single file except Gandalf who bravely faced his fear. "You cannot pass!" the wizard shouted at the Balrog.
"Gandalf!" Frodo shouted.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!" the wizard used magic emitted from his staff to shield him from the Balrog's sword. During the process, the demon's sword shattered and it roared. "Go back to the Shadow," Gandalf said in a bold tone. The Balrog attempted to cross while preparing its whip. "You shall not pass!" the wizard pounded the bridge with his staff so that the bridge could crumble should the Balrog come any closer. As the demon fell, it managed to catch Gandalf with its whip dragging him into the edge. His sword and staff fell off from his hands.
Frodo ran towards Gandalf, but Kerrigan caught him. "Gandalf!" Frodo shouted.
The wizard struggled to climb up and eyed Frodo sadly, "Fly, you fools!"
"No!" Frodo shouted and Kerrigan carried him as if he was a kid.
"Only daylight can save us!" Jim shouted.
"Let's get the hell out of here!" Kerrigan agreed.
The goblin archers fired at the rest of the fleeing Fellowship and no one was hit by the arrows.
The Fellowship finally got out of Moria with Gandalf as a loss.
"I'm sorry about Gandalf, but this isn't the time and place to grief. We must find shelter," said Jim.
"Wait a minute. We've lost a friend here. How can you get over that so easily for pity's sake?" Boromir asked.
"You have no idea of what had happened in the Korprulu Sector and we were fighting our wars there before we came here. I spent my life killing, ordering good men to their deaths; and for what?" Jim argued.
"The Zerg had lost many minions in which none of them are ever remembered," said Zagara.
"We Protoss have lost many of our finest warriors too. It pains us to see our brothers die and what can we do about it? Nothing," said Artanis.
"Enough!" Kerrigan shouted. "Aragorn, where can we found shelter?"
"We must reach the woods of Lothlorien," the Strider knew where to go.
"Frodo!" Jim shouted as the grief-stricken young hobbit attempted to walk away while Stetmann, Vorazun, and Kerrigan got the other hobbits to their feet. "Whatever happens, we cannot let Gandalf's sacrifice be for nothing."