Chapter 33: Light and Dark
Aldaris trembled with crystal in hand as he processed the contents of the report. Disaster. That was the only word he could use to describe it.
Aiur was their home. Even when it was overrun by the zerg and the protoss were forced to escape, they knew it was only a question of when, not if they would return. They were working on reclaiming Aiur, bit by bit. More and more of their people were able to return and begin rebuilding. But now, their home seemed further away than ever.
All of the work accomplished over the past few months, wiped away. They no longer even had a functional warp gate linking to Aiur anymore. When Artanis led the survivors of the expedition back to Shakuras, it was clear that they would all have to remain on this dark, cold planet for the foreseeable future, forced to subsist on the charity of the dark ones to survive.
Aldaris' claws tightened around the crystal, until he let it slip. It clattered on the table.
How had it all come to this? Not only losing their home to the zerg, but now even the terrans as well. For the firstborn to be reduced to such a state, it was… unthinkable.
The Templar caste were laid low if they struggled so immensely to hold onto the homeworld... Artanis had truly disappointed him. Not merely through the blunders which were made throughout the battle, now laid clear, but also allowing the terrans to assail Aiur in the first place. The report had not explained the motives the terrans had for attacking Aiur, but the cause was clear to him.
He stood, clenching his fist as he turned to exit. The council would confer about this soon. Many had questions for Artanis, but Aldaris demanded restitution.
"Faced with this grave insult toward our people, we must at once prepare our counterstrike to repay them in kind," Artanis spoke toward the council. "The terrans from Earth are a threat to us all, they are an enemy we cannot allow to remain."
Silence fell for a brief moment as Artanis concluded the last words of his lengthy statement. But almost as soon as he was done, Aldaris ensured he was the first to speak up.
"From those words one might think you were a valorous templar," he said caustically. "Bold words from the one responsible for allowing them to escape in the first place. Do you perhaps believe that this would clear the stain on your honor?"
"My feelings are irrelevant," Artanis said calmly. "I merely seek what is best for our people."
"You have the audacity to claim that you act for what is best for our people?" Aldaris's presence flooded the room in suffocating ire. "We have suffered such a catastrophe because you placed the interests of others before us. You were tasked with reclaiming our home and protecting it. Yet instead I see our fleet gallivanting across the sector, fighting over terran colonies. You sought conflict with the terrans and provoked them into their attack on Aiur."
"Moreover," Aldaris's voice somehow became even icier. "You harbored the Queen of Blades and her zerg on Aiur itself. I need not even speak of how this is a provocation to the terrans she had fled from. But to allow her to shelter on Aiur and continue to breed her zerg and defile our home, it is sacrilege."
"She is no longer an enemy of our people," Artanis retorted. "And her aid in dealing with the remaining feral zerg still present on Aiur greatly sped up our progress."
"And look at where all of that progress brought us now," Aldaris seethed. "Whether or not she remains an enemy is irrelevant. You overstepped your bounds in harboring the zerg and involving yourself in the wars of the terrans. It was your reckless actions that led to the deaths of those seeking to rebuild our home, and our chance of reclaiming Aiur being squandered. You failed to prioritize our people, and spent our lives on pointless interventions with the younger races."
Artanis was preparing a retort, but hesitated as he sensed the swelling of agreement for Aldaris and confusion directed at Artanis. Why indeed were they fighting on behalf of the Terrans and the Queen of Blades?
"No." Fenix's interjection relieved Artanis from the growing murmurs. Aldaris turned in stunned silence as Fenix came to Artanis' defense.
"It was not his actions that led to this," Fenix continued. "We all agreed on this, Artanis, Zeratul, and I. We made the choice that honor demanded of us. When Raynor asked us to aid him to protect his people, how could we refuse when he had already done so much for us? There are many of our people today who would not be alive had it not been for his unflinching determination facing down the Overmind itself and protecting us during the evacuation."
Fenix paused and looked directly at Aldaris. "No, I do not regret giving our aid. If I were given those same choices again, I would make them all the same."
Aldaris clenched his eyes and mentally sighed to himself. "Bold of you to employ Tassadar's words against me. Honor is sacred to us all, but this decision does not solely rest in the Templar. All protoss must be accounted for when we lead for their welfare. Our current course jeopardizes our race as a whole."
Finally, Zeratul broke his silence. "We could not have stayed out of this war even if we wished. We had already seen firsthand what the UED seeks. They see no place in this galaxy for anyone but themselves. With the zerg they have gained control of, they already began subjugating their fellow terrans. They would have no reservations against turning their weapon on us once they feel secure in their position. From the very start, their ultimate goal included our destruction. Our only choice was whether we would fight them now, or wait until we are alone."
"These were not your decisions to make." Aldaris sounded wearily, "You should have consulted us before making such weighty decisions."
"War moves quickly," Zeratul said. "Decisions must be made with alacrity. With the broad authority granted to us, we were acting to fulfill our goals in the way we saw fit."
A flash of irritation crossed Aldaris's face as his voice was outnumbered. As he seemed poised to retort against Zeratul, he was interrupted by Raszagal.
"It does us no good to quarrel with one another now," she said. "The past cannot be changed, no matter how much we might wish to. We must instead focus on the path forward. The most dangerous hour has not yet passed, and it will take our best efforts to emerge from this intact."
At the moment, Aldaris appeared to have nothing further to say, or he was biding his time. He rested his hand on the table, "What further actions do you propose to continue our course?"
A mostly silent Artanis allowed his shoulders to sag with relief as he could finally get to the strategic language he knew best, "The UED will be no simple foe. They hold sway over the vast majority of the zerg as well as controlling most of the terran worlds. Their resources are substantial, but their expansiveness will also be their undoing. The UED's hold over their domain is tenuous, and should they face unrest, their resources would be spread thin."
Zeratul continued after Artanis, "Our ally Raynor is already planning on sowing dissent across the terran colonies. The surreptitious aid we can provide in the shadows would aid in those efforts. Furthermore, it seems that the self proclaimed emperor of the Terran Dominion also chafes under the UED's hegemony and he seeks to undermine their rule. Through these tactics, we shall undermine the UED's grip over the sector and deplete their resources."
"At the same time, we must marshall our own forces to take the fight to them," Fenix said. "We must prepare our fleet and equipment for the decisive battle. Our resource gathering and construction must continue without delay. We should also recall any remaining people we have on outlying colonies to consolidate our forces. Should we require additional resources, we also have a plan in place to bolster our reserves."
"While resource surveying and extraction are time consuming, there is a source of already processed minerals which we can acquire," Fenix continued. "The terran world of Moria is renowned for its resource deposits, and it also serves as a central trade hub among the terrans. They possess significant stockpiles of resources which we could raid to acquire for our own purposes."
"I would have thought you above sinking to such… base tactics, Fenix," Aldaris said. "Furthermore, the invasion of one of the main terran worlds would incur significant costs for our forces."
"We shall not be alone in the endeavor. Kerrigan and her zerg will launch a diversionary attack on Moria in order to draw away their defenders, while we raid their resource stockpiles. The bounty will be split between us. It is time to repay the terrans of the Kel-Morian Combine for what they have done, defiling our home, looting our temples to steal our artifacts and sacred relics, all for their own profit!" Fenix's voice boomed with fury. "We may have killed many of them on Aiur when they joined the UED in attacking us, but they have not finished paying for their crimes against us. Such an insult cannot be allowed to stand!"
"An interesting plan," Aldaris said, contemplating the situation. For once, the mention of the zerg didn't stir him into a rage. "Very well, we shall pray for your success then, because if we do not succeed, we will continue to burden the dark templar while our people languish as refugees."
Razsagal spoke up, "Aldaris. As I have reassured before, the Dark Templar are more than glad to host our kin until your people can return to Aiur."
"Kin-!" exclaimed Aldaris before briefly staying his words. "Matriarch, I am humbled and grateful that you had the compassion and mercy to give us asylum in our darkest hour, but I am not blind to the reality of the gaping scar that divides our people. More than just my people struggling to cope in the shadows, our presence discomforts your people and is a constant reminder of their tragic past."
"Then why do you invoke it again?" cut Zeratul.
"Do realize, it is because I mean to account for both of our peoples," said Aldaris. He turned back to Artanis, "If we falter again, our people will continue to be stranded here in the shadows."
"I do not intend for us to fail. Now, if there is nothing else then I believe our council meeting is concluded now," Artanis said. "Prepare the fleets and gather our armies. We shall assault the UED's main stronghold on Char, eliminate their control over the zerg by any means necessary, and destroy them. Then, we shall emerge victorious."
As Aldaris exited with others of the twilight council, Razsagal observed in silence as Artanis simply stared at the retreating council members before he marched off, his steps heavy and burdened.
The rows of obelisks cast long shadows on the rugged ground, the faces of the structures illuminated dimly in the perpetual twilight of Shakuras. They shone a dull steely gray, sturdy but unadorned. From a certain perspective, the buildings felt more similar to a terran construction than a protoss one. Ugly, lifeless, with no consideration for the soul of the builders or the ones to exist within them.
Artanis walked between the rows of structures, watching as yet more were being erected to house those who recently returned from Aiur. He passed by the inhabitants gathered outside, some crafting trinkets from rock and scraps of cloth, others pacing aimlessly, staring into the distance with a forlorn gaze to whatever stars could be seen and errant lights of the purple wastelands.
Some acknowledged his presence, bowing and greeting him with 'En Taro Adun' or the new 'En Taro Tassadar'. But even as Artanis paid heed to his people, his mind wandered.
Artanis had to be strong in the council, to hide the shame of losing Aiur yet again. It was in his grasp and yet it was lost yet again. Did he fail? Did he make an error in judgment helping the terrans? Was it because of him that the Khala carried the tumor of listlessness and shame in the hearts of his people?
The living spaces were… darker than he expected. He faintly recalled there was more light the last time he had inspected their conditions.
Artanis then noticed one of his kin levitating a small khaydarin crystal in her hand, it glowed a faint blue light, only bright enough to illuminate her face, chest, and hands. "What is your name?" asked Artanis as he approached her. He recognized her as a Khalai caste with her blue robes rendered dull in the dark, perhaps a temple worker or archivist.
The protoss blinked in surprise before bowing her head. "En Taro Tassadar, Praetor. My name is Khalis."
"En Taro Tassadar. Where are you taking that crystal?" Artanis saw a handful of others carrying the blue crystals in the same direction.
"Ah. I was taking this to a sermon being held in the commons. Would you like to join us?"
The prospect of attending a communal ceremony was tempting to Artanis, though it saddened him that he would not be able to stay for long. "I wish to inspect it, yes."
Khalis nodded and marched on with Artanis, their steps treading on dirt paths where there should be stone roads.
Artanis asked, "Is that not the khaydarin crystal given to your household?"
"Yes," answered Khalis softly.
Until they could acquire more crystals, each housing unit, normally a single family, was given only one khaydarin crystal to provide light and power whatever amenities they had. "What of your family at home?" asked Artanis.
Khalis' eyes flickered aimlessly. "They are dead," she answered.
Artanis cursed himself. It had slipped his mind that Aiur's fall was a recent memory that haunted them all. A part of him wanted to forget that his people died in numbers unquantifiable… how sordid that the lives lost could only be reduced to a statistic.
Artanis felt Khalis' grief. "I am sorry," offered the templar warrior.
Energy was already leaking from Khalis' eyes. "I want to release my pain," she admitted, "so I go to my people. We will grieve together."
Artanis gradually heard the soft ringing of chimes, and spilling into the streets was a combination of orange and blue light from the commons which he entered with Khalis.
Simple houses were built in a ring around a large, yet simple fountain. It was built as a public bath for the Khalai who could not imagine lacking one. Artanis heard, however, that no one ended up using it because it was icy to the touch.
The water appeared like black ink at night, yet its gentle ripples reflected oscillating waves of warm light from a large fire pit jutting from the center. It was not part of the pool, phase-smiths had built it and connected it to a source of vespene gas, which could burn for long periods despite the rationing.
Several priests were walking around the edges of the fountain, recounting the scriptures of their past and their culture to the crowd kneeling in ordered rings around the fountain. There were more fires illuminating homes bordering the commons that were also populated with attendees rather than their actual residents. Despite the modestly large fire at the center of the fountain, it was still cold outside.
The water also twinkled with the reflection of blue light. A canopy of khaydarin crystals in various sizes floated above the commons, further illuminating the area where the protoss gathered to meditate and listen to the speeches of their people. Some rustic instruments of chimes, organs, and strings that could only have been brought from Aiur soothed the atmosphere despite their imperfect intonation, as the Khala embraced everyone here.
As Artanis stood at the outer edges of the crowd, concealing himself from the crowd. Khalis offered her khaydarin crystal to a priest and watched as it rose up to join the rest of its kin.
Artanis took in the whole sight. He could see it now: The pit of fire at the center was the Golden Orb of Day bringing light and warmth to the protoss, the chosen stewards of a galaxy; the khaydarin crystals - a crown of stars for their civilization. Attached to some of the khaydarin crystals were flags carrying the symbols of all the tribes of Aiur. All of them together; here for a shared experience.
The upwelling of mournful melancholy nearly toppled Artanis, but he closed his eyes.
Yet he did not allow himself to be embraced by the Khala. His people are still here. They are alive and present. He had not failed all of them yet. However, it saddened Artanis to know he could not simply melt away in the crowd or the Khala as he once did not too long ago. He had to carry the burden of leadership.
And at the moment, he was not in the mood to confront his people. They would have many questions.
Nonetheless, Khalis still returned to Artanis and stood by him as she listened for the distant sermon. She spoke in a shaking, feeble voice. "Artanis… How is… Aiur?"
Artanis looked at her with soft eyes. He wondered if Khalis would have supported his decision if she was privy to their plan. He contemplated lying, but there were no lies he would tell to his people in the Khala. He chose his words carefully. "The enemy was resilient and we could not hold onto our home.. But we still have our warriors. As long as our people remain, our spirit shall never be vanquished. We will return home, this I promise."
He did not know if he could reassure her, because he couldn't put to ease the doubt and shame in his heart. It was difficult to keep his flame alight in the dark miasma infesting the Khala.
Khalis nodded her head briefly. "I pray for our warriors' safety and their success. I just… I miss the verdant jungles and the warm sun on my skin. Not like here. I do not understand how the dark templar could live in such a place, always shrouded in darkness. Though the khaydarin crystals may nourish us in the absence of light, it is just not the same."
"I understand, even our greatest warriors have felt similarly during long expeditions, having only the artificial light in the ships," Artanis replied gently.
Khalis turned to Artanis, curious. "Why do you not join us in the Khala, Artanis?"
Artanis felt weak, weak that he wished for one moment to be truly helpless without the shame and worries that plagued him. He chose to be honest for now, to unload his burden to just one protoss. "I do not know if I can comfort my people if they ask me questions as you did, I just am unable to meet them at the moment."
Khalis cast her eyes to the ground in thought. "All of us are familiar with despair. As are the younglings. I try to reassure them despite my pain."
"What words can you say?" asked Artanis.
"Even if I have my doubts, I tell them what I hope to believe in: That our suffering is temporary. I have to give them hope, just as all of us here try, to believe that we will see the light of Aiur's day again."
"I see," said Artanis. "The templar steady our minds by focusing on that same mission. Our duty continues to drive us forward."
"If only there was work I could dedicate myself to," she replied sadly. "The profession of my caste was to maintain the temple archives, our sacred sites that have been lost to us. That is all I have known for all my life, and without it there is nothing for me to do here in this forsaken land."
"Our people were not meant for this existence," agreed Artanis, rubbing his chilled forearms. "Perhaps we could construct new temples here. It shall commemorate a new age of resilience for our people," he said, "even if temporary."
"A place where we can celebrate our culture with full respect and dignity. A place of warmth and healing." She shook her head sadly. "There were plans to build some, but the supplies we requested for construction have never been delivered to us, we are still waiting."
"Perhaps there has been a bureaucratic mixup, or it could be technical issues?" Artanis said.
"Maybe…" Khalis didn't seem convinced. "We followed up with them several times but there has been no word. "Some among us believe it is being deliberately withheld. They have gone to Talematros to demand answers."
A flash of alarm jolted Artanis into alertness. "They are doing so right now?"
Khalis nodded. "Yes, they departed not long ago."
"I should go now," Artanis said. "Perhaps I can help to resolve the situation."
Artanis walked away briskly, a feeling of concern quickly filling his mind. He hoped he wasn't too late.
As soon as Artanis arrived at the logistic hub near the stargate, he heard the din of shouting voices and marched to the scene.
Talemetros was still illuminated with light, a beacon on this dark world. Even with the pitch black sky, there was still enough light in some parts that one could mistake it for daytime if not for the sky. Yet it was that black, lonely sky that made every shadow cast by the city light seem unnatural, artificial, and unwelcome in ways that bouncing sun rays would never permit.
Below him was a large crowd of Aiur protoss gathering in the shadow of a great arch, mostly the Khalai civilian caste given their lack of weapons and armor, shouting and arguing with the Nerazim guarding a floating platform full of minerals, energy-boxed vespene, and other materials mined from various locations - materials suited for the construction of non-military structures. Unlike the Khalai, every single Nerazim worker was garbed in cloak and inert warpblades gleaming in the light of the starport cast over them.
Artanis descended the steps and he could slowly make out the loudest voices over the commotion.
"We will not stand for this insult. You must correct this at once!" A Khalai voice.
"Who are you to make demands of us?!" shouted a Nerazim worker, pointing from his unarmed hand while his blade arm, while kept back, was still held poised if need to bare arms.
"You have no honor!"
"And you are bereft of gratitude!"
Hearing them verbally clash with each other tore into Artanis' heart, such that he flared his power and roared, "Enough!"
Artanis' command echoed throughout the large stargate complex, stunning most into silence. He snuffed his energy spike as soon as it appeared, letting everyone know he was here to talk.
"Inform me," said Artanis. "What is going on here?"
"Praetor!" shouted a Khalai heading his crowd, "I am Damakus. The dark ones insult us by withholding the materials we requested and were honorably promised!"
Artanis nodded to Damakus and faced the Nerazim at the forefront, who was aged but still spry. "En Taro Adun," greeted Artanis.
"En Taro Adun," gruffed the Nerazim. "I am Herak. It is good to see you, Praetor Artanis."
"Likewise," said Artanis, feeling reassured that diplomacy may yet remain cordial. "Is it true that your people are keeping resources promised to the Khalai refugees?"
Herak maintained a hard, stern expression. "Yes," he admitted, invoking another wave of jeers the Khalai.
Artanis did not expect the Nerazim to admit to it so easily. "Why?" asked Artanis.
"There are many much more pressing needs for our resources than to build such frivolities for them. They want to build temples for their Khala, yet already we must provide additional housing for the recently arrived refugees. They should be thankful for what we have already given them."
Artanis understood the rationale used by the dark templar, but he pressed his case. "I understand that resources are tight at the moment," Artanis said. "But I believe the costs are small and would not be burdensome. The people are distraught by the loss of their home and seek solace in any way they can. For the time being, it would be a worthwhile investment to improve the mental well being of the refugees."
"Why should we indulge their whims?" replied Herak, his voice icier as his boldness grew in the face of the Khalai crowd and their leader himself. "They are our guests. We graciously host them in their hour of need to live off of our generosity. A guest is in no position to make demands of their host."
"We are grateful for what your people have done for us," Artanis said, recognizing Herak's increasing boldness. "I merely fear that the dishonoring of the promise will exacerbate the distance between our peoples. Now is not the time to think of our divisions. We must work to prosper together."
"Prosperity?" asked Herak, voice now filled with scorn. "For centuries your people have sought to eradicate us, killing us wherever we were found, and yet we saved your people. Now we fight and die to retake your home."
Damakus shouted, "Aiur is your home too!" Artanis felt the indignation of his people pulsating in the Khala.
"You exiled us! Shakuras is our home, and now you take it from us. Your people led the zerg here and brought the war to our world. We fought in your war, saved your people, the ones who mere years earlier sought to kill us. Do you have no sense of shame?"
As Artanis subtly gestured to Damakus to stand down, he refrained from scowling with indignation against Herak.
"It is not the place of honorable protoss to exploit guilt in matters of honor," he said. His people were languishing in darkness, and the collective guilt of the past was used against them. To what end will the Nerazim exploit this?
"The war would come for us all eventually, there is no escaping it," Artanis said. "Just as we could not prevail without your people, neither could Shakuras have stood alone once the zerg inevitably found it. Please, do not continue to divide us between the Khalai and the Nerazim, we are all one people. We can only survive if we stand unified."
His eyes narrowed. "Do you truly believe your own words? You think your own people have accepted us?" He pointed to the Khalai crowd, a confrontational gesture. "They may not have the power to hunt us down as they did before, but that is not acceptance. They live apart, barely willing to acknowledge our existence. They cannot wait to leave and no longer have to be around us. How can you expect us to forgive the past sins of your people when you have hardly changed at all?"
Artanis seemed taken aback. In the Khala he felt grudging acknowledgement at the sordid accusation. No, the Khalai may have abandoned any notion of persecuting the Dark Templar, but there is no love between the two peoples. It was a cold truth. He tried to make an emotional plea to see what was necessary for both cultures. "Please, allow yourselves to offer a hand, and we too shall reach out for reconciliation. Tassadar completed Adun's work, after Adun gave his life to protect the Nerazim. They wish us to be one people"
Artanis mentally winced when Herak seemed affronted. "Such idealistic words," he said with a shake of his head. "You presume to invoke Tassadar and Adun's name here? They were noble templar, and their dreams to reunite our people are righteous and true. But the scars of the past are not so easily washed away. We had to endure all those centuries knowing the injustice paid unto us could never be recompensed, that we could only live because of Adun's mercy. We have done our duty to offer you refuge, do not keep asking for more. We may coexist now, but there is no love between us, because there is no true honor."
Artanis sunk into quiet contemplation. He could feel the cold, stoic acceptance of his people undermining his hope of a united people. It was never about the Khalai inadvertently luring the zerg to invade Shakuras, nor was it about the resources. It was about the ancestral grudge the Nerazim were forced to carry for all those long years of life. So long as the Nerazim remember their anger, they could not be convinced.
Artanis truly believed in honor, but…what is truly the honorable thing to do now? Was it honorable for the Khalai to make demands of the very people who they once persecuted? Could the Nerazim choosing to withhold resources count as a mere slight to the great tragedy inflicted on their people, the reason for their existence here on Shakuras?
The rest of the Khalai were tentatively watching the still form of Artanis. They were only able to sense the storm he kept hidden from them in the Khala.
It was Damakus who broke the silence, "Artanis? Perhaps we should bring this case to the Matriarch, so that we can finally conclude this silly affair with true honor." He glared at Herak, "Lest the Dark Templar reveal themselves as liars and deceivers."
"No," said Artanis.
Confusion rippled among the Khalai as they all stared at Artanis. "We just concede?" asked one of them.
Artanis spoke softly. He kept his head low and his face blanketed by shadow, but his azure gaze to the Khalai continued to shine. "This is not a concession, my brethren. The Nerazim were gracious enough to host us and have sacrificed much to defend us and themselves. We are guests on their planet, and so it is ultimately up to them to decide what to do with the resources."
Artanis stood firm against the dismay. His people were confused and felt betrayed by their leader, yet they failed to sense any anger or rage within him. It was Herak that spoke for them, "Artanis! Without our temple, we must continue to languish without the light of our culture on this dark world!"
Artanis allowed his face to soften as he explained outloud, "I know. I too feel the void. The cold nights. The dark world starved of color. And our people in the hovels, deprived of light and beauty and music. I know that the material conditions of the present are a sobering reminder of the recent past when we fell unto this world, after losing our home."
"You know our pain," said Herak, becoming emotional. "We are nothing here. We do not want charity, it is shameful. But we are nothing after losing so much." He no longer cared for his pride, he wanted to speak the feelings of all the Khalai here with him.
"We still have hope. I have seen our community preserve Aiur's light in dark places. Know that our suffering is temporary, and that every waking moment I dedicate myself to the hope that we will reclaim Aiur so that our final resting place is on a world of green and gold; with our ancestors. I promise you this, because I yearn just as strongly as all of my fellow kin. Until then, we must endure. We can endure, because even in this hour we can still preserve our honor, starting as grateful guests to the dark templar."
Even through the Khala, it took some time for Artanis' meaning to sink into the Khalai. They could sense his conviction borne from sorrow, and his magnanimity built upon honor. They wished to share in his example, and so they worked together to banish their anger together.
Outside the Khala, the Nerazim could still curiously perceive the shift in mood. Then it was Damakus who approached Herak.
The Dark Templar still stood obstinate and firm as he watched Damakus squirm with conflicted emotions. Damakus clenched his fists, blinked, not making eye contact until the last second. Herak's brows rose when Damakus bowed.
"I am sorry for causing you distress," uttered Damakus, "Your people have the right to decide what to do with the resources you acquired. The refugees shall not bother you directly with requests anymore." Raw emotion forced itself out of Damakus as he forced himself to concede to the Nerazim. "We will leave now."
Aldaris seethed as he watched the lead Khalai, then the rest of his people just walked away from the victorious Nerazim while Artanis just stood and watched. "This is… a shameful display! How could he let the dark ones get away with breaking their promises?!"
Aldaris could feel fury rising up within him. If he had arrived earlier, he would have stopped this farce from happening. He took several steps, ready to storm in to confront Artanis and the Nerazim on behalf of his people, but at that moment Artanis shot him a glare.
"Wait!" Artanis's voice, both desperate and resolute, echoed through his mind in that moment, and he paused.
Their eyes met and a tense moment passed between them. Then, Aldaris looked down again and saw the Nerazim in deep discussion among themselves.
"Wait!" called Herak.
The assembled Khalai paused to stare in bewilderment as Herak left the light from the resource containers to approach them in the dark.
Herak faced Damakus who's eyes only returned his defeated gaze. They stared at each other tensely until Herak's shoulders sagged and he closed his eyes. After a moment, he spoke, "We Nerazim have our own shrines and temples dedicated to the gods and Adun," he paused as if mustering his words, "Who are we to deny fellow protoss the dignity of worship at sacred places to preserve their bonds and community?"
Damakus' eyes widened, "So this means?"
Artanis looked to the other Nerazim, who tried their best to hide their guilt as they watched Herak. They all had not expected such a heartfelt apology from the Khalai.
Herak answered, "I must apologize for my clouded thoughts and cold heart. It was wrong of me to betray our promise to your people who require much in their dark hour. Please forgive me for my harshness. I will personally ensure the resources are delivered to build your temple."
All tension was lifted from Damakus as he gratefully bowed. "Thank you, honored one. We will not forget your generosity." He thought further. "If the zerg return, I will place down my life to defend your home as well."
Herak beamed. He gestured for the Nerazim to make way as Khalai probes carried the resources off the freight platform.
Artanis allowed himself a moment of relief and walked back to where Aldaris was waiting.
"How did you convince the dark templar to change their minds and give charity to us?" asked Aldaris. "I had thought the grudge impossible to overcome."
"That was the key," said Artanis. "We could never convince Khalai nor Nerazim to relinquish a past they both thought was right or wrong from their side of history. It is very difficult to ask them to just forgive and forget what they considered dishonorable. In that regard, they will fixate on that difference between them."
Aldaris reached out to the Khala, and a slow understanding came to him. "So you appealed to a sense of commonality?"
"I had to make them forget the ways they differ and appeal to the ways they are the same. We are both honorable and prideful, but I must confess I did have to manipulate things. If the Nerazim realized the Khalai could choose the magnanimous path first, they would be surprised and forget their anger; and so remember their compassion for their fellow protoss. At this point, the dark templar would want to show that they can be just as courteous."
Aldaris looked over the probes levitating the construction materials for their new temple. "Perhaps then, our peoples could still work together, for the time being."
As Artanis looked out at the shrouded horizon of Shakuras past Talematros' cold light of green, blue, and purple, he could feel part of the burden on himself lifting. Though the struggles that lay ahead still occupied his mind, they did not seem to weigh as heavily anymore.