StarCraft 1. Return to Aiur

Rise of the Zerg Part 1

Immediately after Brood War..  
The Protoss Force have prepared an invasion force to take back their home planet of Aiur. Zeratul was among the first group to attack the heart of the infestation... the Protoss discovered that it wasn't going to be easy..

Flagship Ganrithor II  
High orbit over Aiur..

Artanis stood up slowly. It had been 3 days since he last heard from Zeratul and the others. "Zeratul, this is Artanis. Please respond.." Artanis tried to contact Zeratul for the 8th time. There was still no anwer. He turned on the viewscreen to take a look at the planet that was once the Protoss homeworld. " Artanis.."

Artanis realized that a scout from the fleet was contacting him. Artanis picked up the Protoss comnunication device.."Artanis here.." he responded. "Our scanners have picked up about 30 life form readings..they're heading this way. Could be Mutalisks.." the scout said. "An attack?" Artanis sat back in his chair..."All units..prepare for attack..".

The scout was right. 30 Mutalisks were heading towards the Protoss Fleet. The Corsairs and Scouts moved forward to engage the Mutalisks while the Carriers supported them with Interceptors from a safe distance. One by one the Mutalisks were destroyed, the Protoss Fleet suffered no casualties. 30 Mutalisks were no match for them..

When Artanis was just about to relax.. more disturbing news arrived. "Artanis! It appears that the Mutalisk attack was only a beginning! I'm detecting 70 Mutalisks and 40 Devourers heading this way!" a corsair pilot shouted. The young templar rose to his feet..." This doesn't look good!".

A more furious battle began.The Mutalisks had managed to get pass the Corsairs that were guarding the Carriers. The Ganrithor itself was damaged. All the Scouts had been destroyed and there were only 39 Corsairs left. Even some of the Carriers were destroyed.  
"I'm going down!" one of the Corsair pilots shouted through the comnlink. Artanis watched with despair knowing that he couldn't do a thing. " You all will die with honour..Entaro Adun.." Artanis whispered slowly. Suddenly one of the remaining Corsair pilots contacted Artanis.." Artanis! I'm picking up 30 Battlecruisers heading this way! There are about two-hundred other Terran vessels heading this way!".

"What?!" the young templar checked the Ganrithor's sensors. The Corsair pilot was not lying. Artanis scratched his head with his long fingers..it didn't make any sense. Why would the Terran's take part in a Protoss war? Artanis picked up his comlink when he realized that the Terran Flagship was hailing him.

"Artanis! Think you could use a hand?" the voice was unmistakebly the voice of Jim Raynor. "Raynor!..Alright..we could use the support from your Valkyries." Artanis said. He sighed with relief.. maybe they could get Aiur back with Raynor's help. Usually Artanis would avoid doing anything with the Terrans but Jim Raynor was an exception.

"Just call me Jim.." Raynor said slowly. The Protoss and Terran fleet began to combine. This was obviously too much for the Zerg to take.. .

Terran Flagship Hyperion  
High orbit over Aiur.

"Yeeeehaw!!" a Valkyrie pilot shouted through the comlink. Raynor watched as the Wraiths and Valkyries charged forward along with the remaining Corsairs of the Protoss Fleet. "Alright Dan, prepare to fire aYamato Gun at the Zerg Devourers!" Raynor said to his second-in-command who was in charge of the weapons control of the Hyperion. Dan was a young man aged 25 or so. Raynor had trained Dan himself. Dan was one of the few Terrans who had psychic abilities. A Ghost.. like Sarah Kerrigan. A female Ghost Raynor had met during the war. Raynor even had interest in Sarah when she was captured and infested by the Zerg. Sarah Keriggan ceased to be and became a murderess known as the Queen of Blades.

It was then that Raynor remembered his promise when Fenix died. " I will kill you Kerrigan.. that was my promise..and I intend to keep it," Raynor whispered to himself.  
"Sir! The Yamato Gun is prepared!" Dan shouted. Raynor nodded and stood up.."Fire..."

In a blazing flash, the last Devourer was destroyed. Victory...it felt quite good but Raynor realized that he didn't have time for celebrations. He had a planet to restore.  
"Sir. Artanis sends word that he has managed to open a small base on the planet surface. He wants to know wether we will require any space to build our own," Dan said. Raynor nodded slowly.." Tell him we'll be down on the planet surface in 0800 hours."

Dan stood up.."Artanis has gave the meeting coordinates... ." Raynor stood up from his chair. He walked towards the elevator," I want 18 SCV's and 30 marines waiting for me in 1 hour. Meanwhile I'm leaving you in charge." Dan saluted Raynor," Yes sir."  
Raynor nodded.. he knew he could trust Dan. And if anything would happen to him on Aiur, he knew Dan would make the right decision...

Zerg Hive..  
Unkown region of Aiur.

The Queen of Blades sat on her throne. The Protoss were here..Jim Raynor was too. This would be the beginning of her conquest of the universe. After the Protoss and Raynor are gone..nothing would stop her. " Now I can use the Protoss to my advantage.." Kerrigan smiled, watching the Protoss captives her Hydralisks had caught earlier. But she was more concerned about the most valuable prize the Hydralisks had brought back...Zeratul.

END OF CHAPTER ONE.


	2. Kerrigan Revealed

Rise of the Zerg part 2

Terran Base  
Northern Hemisphere of Aiur...  
This wasn't the first time Raynor had been to Aiur. But Raynor wasn't used to staying at a single place at once...he was used to space travelling. Raynor had been to many places..Korhal,Char to name a few. Raynor checked his Gauss Rifle...fully loaded.  
Raynor watched as the SCV's harvested minerals and Vespene Gas. The other Marines and Firebats were on patrol around the area heading towards the Protoss Base nearby. The Starport was almost finished. The Factory and Barracks had already been built. A few Siege Tanks lay in Siege Mode near the base entrance. The Goliaths stood near the tanks to take out any enemy that managed to get near the tanks.Raynor looked at a few SCV's that had completed building Missle Turrets all around the base to protect it from an air attack.  
"You can have the day off.." Raynor told them through his comnlink. The SCV's understood and made their way to the Supply Depots.Raynor walked up the high rising platform and took a look at the horizon.."The Marines are back.." Raynor said to himself. Then he realized something was wrong...

Protoss Base  
Northern Hemishere of Aiur...  
Artanis kept a close eye on the construction of the Observers at the Robotics Facility. The Observers were vital to keep an eye on the movement of the Zerg broods. What Artanis really wanted was to pinpoint the location of the Cerebrate that was controling the Zerg broods. Artanis turned around and moved towards the Gateway. 8 Dark Templars were warped in... . The Dark Templars moved towards the troop gathering point south of the base.  
A Zealot moved over to Artanis," Artanis, Raynor's base is under attack." Artanis thought for a while.." The Obsevers around the region aren't detecting any Zerg unit's.." he said. The zealot shook his head," Raynor says that the Terran base is under attack by Protoss Zealots." The word "Protoss Zealots" didn't make any sense.. all the zealot's he had warped in were at the rally point. There weren't any other Protoss fleets he knew of that could've attacked the Terran Base. But Raynor needed help and he couldn't waste any time..

Terran Base..  
"For the Queen!" a Zealot shouted as it landed it's Psi Blade into a Marine's chest. The marine shrieked with agony before falling lifelessly to the ground. Raynor fired a few more rounds from the bunker at the Protoss Zealots. "Dan! Where are those Science Vessels?!" Raynor shouted over the comnlink. "They're on their way! Just hold on!" Dan replied. Raynor noticed that the Zealots had strange growths on their heads.. " Dan! I want one of those zealots alive!" Raynor shouted. "Understood!" Dan answered.  
The Siege Tanks were put out of commision when they were caught in a stasis field. Raynor could only depend on the Firebats and Marines. "Let's burn!" a firebat shouted as he ran forward, engulfing everything around him in flames with his flamethrower. " Zerglings coming in!" a marine shouted as he reloaded his Gauss Rifle. The marine was right.. at that moment 30 Zerglings entered the base, fighting side-by-side with the Zealots. Raynor knew something was strange.. the Protoss seemed to be "helping" the Zerglings. " Sir! 20 Protoss Scouts coming in.. it's Artanis!" a marine shouted.  
Raynor clenched his teeth.. he hoped that Artanis was not going to open fire on his troops too. Artanis fired on the attacking zealots.. one by one the zealots were killed being unable to attack air units, the zealots and the zerglings were sitting ducks. Raynor sighed with relief as the Protoss Scouts landed. Artanis walked out of one of the scouts. "What happened here?" the young templar asked. Raynor shook his head.." I don't know.. but we're going to find out." Raynor said, looking at the captive zealot.

Zerg Hive  
Unknown Region of Aiur  
Kerrigan watched the helpless Zeratul who was unable to move because of the organic restraints that were holding him down. " Curse you Kerrigan.. what have you done to the other Protoss?" Zeratul asked. Kerrigan laughed and bent down towards the Dark Templar. " You will live to find out.." she whispered. " Slay me and be done with it.." Zeratul said. Kerrigan shook her head..." You are of use to me..". Zeratul didn't understand what Kerrigan was talking about but he didn't intend to find out.  
" When the time comes, you will call me ' my queen' " Kerrigan said slowly. At that a Zerg Queen entered the room and floated towards Zeratul. The Zerg Queen enveloped Zeratul.. cocooning him in a chrysalis similar to the one that turned Kerrigan into the Queen of Blades. Zeratul struggled to break free.." Damn you Kerrigan.. I can't let myself..." Zeratul wished he had his Warp Blade so he could kill himself.  
" Sleep..." Kerrigan's soft voice echoed through Zeratul's head. "No!" Zeratul thought.. he struggled even harder. " Embrace the glory of the Zerg..." once again Zeratul heard Kerrigan's voice. His struggle began to weaken.... then he stopped struggling.. . He knew that Kerrigan could hear his thoughts.. and.. he realized that he actually 'wanted' to serve Kerrigan. " Yes..my queen...I will obey..." Zeratul thought before he let himself rest in the comfort of the Zerg Chrysalis.  
Kerrigan touched the chrysalis softly.." Zeratul.. you are now ..mine," Kerrigan began to laugh. With Zeratul at her side nothing could stop her... not Artanis or Jim Raynor. Now with the knowledge of infesting the Protoss, she would make Zeratul reveal the location of the Uraj and Khalis crystals. With those crystals she would use the Xel'Naga Temple as a platform to turn every life form in the galaxy into her slave. Kerrigan laughed again.. victory was as good as hers.

Terran Base  
Raynor's Command Center  
" Sir, incoming transmission from Kerrigan," the marine said. "Kerrigan?! Put her on visual.." Artanis said. Raynor and Artanis looked at the viewscreen. "Kerrigan..." Raynor whispered with fury, remembering what she had done to Fenix. " Artanis, Raynor.. so good to see you again.." Kerrigan said mockingly. " State your business Kerrigan," Raynor said. Kerrigan laughed ," If you really want it that simple.. I have Zeratul. If you want your friend back meet me at this coordinates that I am uploading into your computer.. meet me in 3 days time. Oh, and that zealot you captured? I bet it has killed itself.." Kerrigan laughed again before terminating the transmission. " How did she know?" Raynor asked. Kerrigan was right, the Protoss zealot had killed itself when the scientists were about to take it to the Science Facilty. " Whatever it is, getting Zeratul back is important.. meanwhile let's upgrade our defence to prevent another attack," Artanis suggested. " Agreed," Raynor said.

Kerrigan's meeting point  
3 days later..  
Raynor sat uneasily in his Vulture. He was about 5 minutes away from the meeting point. He took a look above him..Artanis was flying his Scout. After clearing the forest, Raynor found himself on Zerg creep. Kerrigan was standing beside a Zerg structure that he had never seen before. Artanis landed his Scout beside Raynor's Vulture. " Alright Kerrigan, we're here. Where's Zeratul?" Raynor asked. Kerrigan laughed ," Gentlemen, feast your eyes on this..it's aMature Zerg Chrysalis. It made me the Zerg I am today.." Kerrigan said showing the Zerg structure. " We're not interested in that Kerrigan, where's Zeratul?" Artanis asked. Kerrigan took a step forward, " Just watch.." Kerrigan walked towards the chrysalis and stoked it gently as if it were her child or something. " Awaken my child, and embrace the glory of the Zerg that is your birthright.." Kerrigan whispered. The chrysalis began to move... slowly, it opened like a blooming flower, revealing Zeratul.  
The Dark Templar stood up slowly..he turned towards Kerrigan. " My queen.. thank you for nurturing me when I slept in the Chrysalis. Now I am ready to serve you.." Zeratul said as he knelt at Kerrigan's feet. "Kerrigan! What treachery is this?!" Artanis shouted. Raynor was equally surprised.. . Kerrigan stroked Zeratul's head softly.  
" Raszagal taught me about the Protoss.. I know all your weaknesses. Now I possess the knowledge to infest Terran and Protoss. With Zeratul at my side... I will have the Uraj and Khalis crystals.." Kerrigan said.  
" DAMN YOU!" Artanis shouted as he unleashed a few shots at Kerrigan. Zeratul leaped in front of Kerrigan and blocked the shots with his Warp Blade. "What?!" Raynor exclaimed, realizing that the Dark Templar never had the ability to do that before. Artanis stopped firing. " You see.. the Xel'Naga created the Protoss to serve the Zerg. By turning Zeratul into a Zerg, he is now...perfected," Kerrigan said. The Queen of Blades pointed at Raynor and Artanis, " Zeratul, I want them alive...". Zeratul nodded," Yes my queen..".

END OF CHAPTER TWO


	3. The Uraj and Khalis

  
Zeratul moved forward slowly.... he tore off the Protoss garment that he was wearing as if it were a sign that he was no longer a Protoss. Underneath the cloth were Zerg growths all over his body...he looked like he had a skin infection. Artanis watched with disbelief  
," Zeratul... don't do this! Kerrigan did this to you! You are a Protoss, a Dark Templar!." Zeratul shook his head," I am Zerg..I exist to serve my queen... ." There was pride in his voice..Artanis realized that he could do nothing... Zeratul was a Zerg now. " Damn you Kerrigan!" Raynor shouted. " Don't you see how perfect this universe would be if every living being were controlled by a single mind? There would be no wars.." Kerrigan said. Suddenly 10 silent figures moved past Raynor and Artanis and decloaked...Dark Templars. Kerrigan began to laugh.. 10 Zerg Queens floated towards them. Kerrigan towards Zeratul, " Zeratul, use your Maelstorm ability so they won't be able to run away."  
Zeratul nodded," Yes my queen.. ." Zeratul focused his psionic powers.. a large brownish red cloud engulfed the Dark Templars..the Zerg Queens moved forward and created cocoons around the Dark Templars with ease since the Dark Templars were frozen by Zeratul. Kerrigan laughed again.." Soon all of you will be mine! " Artanis realized that Kerrigan wasn't going to sit and watch them all day, he contacted the Protoss Base, " This is Artanis! Requesting recall now!" A blue light engulfed Artanis and Raynor, within seconds, the two vanished. Zeratul turned towards Kerrigan," My queen, now I am ready to serve by your side as long as I live... my transformation is now complete. I am Zerg ." Kerrigan smiled at Zeratul, " I know... but your transformation isn't complete..not yet. You will infiltrate a Templar Archive at the Protoss Base and take the information you need to reach the peak of your power. You will lead an army of Hydralisks. You can destroy the Terrans but I want the Protoss alive. Especially Artanis. Is that understood?" Kerrigan said. Zeratul nodded, " Yes, my queen. I will not fail.. ."  


Protoss Base  
Artanis stood up from his chair... how could they possibly get Aiur back without Zeratul? To make things worse, Zeratul was now on Kerrigan's side. What does Kerrigan want?, Artanis wondered. He let his mind drift back... a few years ago...

Artanis fell down on the cold floor..he picked himself up. Tassadar moved closer towards Artanis," How can you become a templar if you can't even defeat your own hallucination?" Artanis remained silent..ashamed. " But I thought that a hallucination can't effect a physical form," he said. Tassadar shook his head." That is what everyone thinks. The power of a hallucination rests here," the High Templar pointed at Artanis' head. Artanis nodded... he understood. " Okay..you may rest if you want," Tassadar said as he moved towards the exit.  
" Tassadar, why are we fighting the Zerg?" Artanis asked..he thought he knew once..but now he wasn't sure. Tassadar turned around," We aren't fighting...though it might seem like we are,but what I think we are really doing is protecting the Uraj and Khalis crystals."  
" The what?" Artanis asked again, not sure what his instructor just said.  
" The Uraj and the Khalis..that's what the Zerg want. With those crystals..the Xel'Naga prophecy says that the Zerg will be able to infest the entire universe from a single place," Tassadar explained. Artanis couldn't believe it..was it possible? " The Xel'Naga...their technology is way beyond our understanding.. do not forget that," Tassadar said. With that, he left the room.

"How could I forget..." Artanis whispered slowly. Kerrigan won't be able to find the crystals without a Protoss. That's why she wanted Zeratul... now that she had him.. it was only a matter of time before... . Artanis stood up," Contact Raynor! Tell him we're evacuating the planet. We're heading for the Dark Templar homeworld..

Zerg Primary Hive  
8 Hours Later..  
Zeratul walked towards Kerrigan..," My queen..the Protoss Base is abandoned..I managed to gain access to the information you asked for. I am at the peak of my powers." The Queen of Blades nodded slowly..." It's time for us to go to Shakuras... ." Kerrigan stood up and walked towards the exit of the Zerg Hive. Hundreds of Zerglings, Hydralisks, Ultralisks, Mutalisks, Guardians, Overlords...waited outside. Kerrigan walked towards one of the Overlords. The Overlord picked Kerrigan and Zeratul up in it's tentacles...the Overlords began to load the Zerg into their ventral sacs.. a war was about to begin..

Protoss Flagship Ganritor II  
Low Orbit over Shakuras

Artanis watched as the Terran buildings landed on the blue-purplish dunes of Shakuras. Raynor had followed him back here to help him and the other Protoss to prevent whatever Kerrigan was planning. Artanis took out the Uraj Chrystal from his pouch which was made out of a Bengalaas skin. The chrystal shined brightly. Artanis remembered that he was entrusted to hold the chrystal while the Khalis was entrusted to Zeratul. Which menat that Kerrigan had one of the chrystals..and that she would most probably be looking for him. Artanis had to wonder wether they would be able to stop Kerrigan. With Zeratul..there was no telling what Kerrigan would do with the powers of a Dark Templar at her disposal.  
" Artanis.." Artanis turned around to face the viewscreen. The image of a Protoss scout pilot appeared.." Artanis, long-range sensors are picking up an incredibly large amount of Zerg Overlords heading towards the planets atmosphere," the scout had a worried tone in his voice. Artanis nodded..," I want you and the other Corsair and Scout pilots to hold them off as long as you can." The scout nodded before he terminated the transmission. Artanis contacted Raynor, the Terran's face appeared on his viewscreen. " Artanis, I know what you are going to ask me to do, my sensors has picked them up as well," Raynor said even before Artanis had a chance to say anything. The young Templar nodded. " My Valkyries and Wraiths are on their way. We've set up defences around the Xel'Naga temple in case Kerrigan makes it through. So all we need now is..well...luck," Raynor said. " More luck than any of us can imagine. I won't want to be around when Kerrigan unleashes her broods... Entaro Adun," Artanis said before turning the viewscreen off.

High orbit over Shakuras

Dan Harbinger and 20 other Wraith pilots checked their weapon systems. Dan shrugged in his chair, he didn't have much room to breathe but he had enough oxygen in his air tanks to last 5 hours. The Wraiths were all armed with Gemini Missles, enough to do damage on the incoming Overlords, Mutalisks and Guardians. " Here they come!" a valkyrie pilot shouted. Dan took a deep breath..like a swarm of locusts, the Zerg were heading towards the fleet. "All units! Spread angle! 10 head 3' o clock ! 10 head 9'o clock!" Dan shouted over the comnlink. 10 wraiths flew to the right to attack from that angle another 10 attacked from the right. " Valkyries! Move in!" Dan shouted. The valkyries flew forward, attacking from the front. Missles and acid spores began flying around. Dan's Wraith zipped through 2 Mutalisks and blew away an Overlord. Suddenly he realized that Scourges were heading towards the fleet. " Pull back!" Dan shouted, he realized that they didn't have enough firepower to gun all of them down.  
" Sir! 80 Protoss ships coming form the planet surface!" a pilot shouted. Dan realized that 30 Scouts, 30 Corsairs and 20 Carriers were coming to back them up. But the scourges were still coming. " DAMN!!!" a Wraith pilot shouted before 3 Scourges exploded when they hit his wraith. Dan began to think.. " I have an idea! Lead the Scourges into ramming the Overlords!" Dan shouted. He brought his Wraith lower, barely missing a scourge. The scourge turned around and chased after Dan form behind. Dan accelarated his speed, he dove under an Overlord, zipping through many others the scourge tried to follow him but exploded when it ran into an Overlord. Before long, the entire brood was destroyed.. or so they thought. Dan was about to feel relived when he realized an entire brood...10 times larger than the one thy had just destroyed, were heading towards them..  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. 

Protoss Fall Part Four

Protoss Fall Part Four

"All units! Fall back!" Dan shouted through the comnlink. There was simply no chance of blocking the invasion off. The Terran and Protoss ships retreated back into the planet's atmosphere. The Zerg Overlords and Mutalisks were coming closer towards the planet. Dan began to wonder if this was a war that they could win.

" Incoming transmission from the Zerg Brood," the computer's voice announced. " On screeen," Raynor commanded. The officer at the computer nodded and patched through an image of Kerrigan on the Hyperion's veiwscreen. " Kerrigan..what exactly do you want?" Raynor asked. " Jim, I thought that you had already figured it out," Kerrigan said mockingly. " Artanis' explanation wasn't exactly understandable. I'd like to hear those words from your mouth,"  
Raynor answered, shifting uneasily in his chair. " With the Uraj and Khalis crystals, I am going to use the Xel'Naga Temple as a platform to infest the entire universe. If you live to see it.. you will belong to me. Just like Zeratul," Kerrigan said. "That's unless I kill you first," Raynor pointed out. Kerrigan shook her head slowly. " Jim..still living in that dream world of yours. Do you actually think that Zeratul would even let you touch me?" Kerrigan laughed.  
" We'll just wait and see.." Raynor said as he cut off the transmission. Raynor turned to the comn officer," Hail the Protoss Flagship."

Protoss Flagship Ganrithor II  
Low orbit over Shakuras

" Raynor.." Artanis said slowly as he turned on the comnlink. "Artanis, Kerrigan has us surrounded.." Raynor said. Artanis nodded. His Scouts had already noted him of the massive Zerg Brood which was heading towards them. " We have to defend the temple at all costs...," Raynor said. "Agreed.. but Kerrigan can't use the temple without this," Artanis took out the Uraj Chrystal. Raynor nodded slowly with a slight look of confidence. Raynor ended the transmission. "Sir! Sensors indicate that the Zerg have destroyed 6 Protoss bases in the Northern hemisphere..Kerrigan has opened up a large amount of hatcheries," a Scout said. Artanis was not surprised, Kerrigan's strength was almost unmatchable. "They're heading this way!" a zealot shouted through the comnlink. "What?!" Artanis stood up. He didn't expect Kerrigan to make her move THIS early. He checked his sensors..true enough 12 Zerg units were heading towards them. "12 only?" Artanis whispered to himself. However something was different..even if the life forms were unmistakebly Zerg... Artanis was detecting Dark Templar energies radiating from them.  
"DAMN! Kerrigan didn't just destroy the Protoss bases! She captured and infested the Protss there too!" Artanis realized. Right now he wasn't denying the possibility that Zeratul could be among the 12 Zerg that were incoming.

12 silent figures slipped slowly through the 2 Zealots that guarded the entrance to the Protoss Flagship. "Artanis won't expect us to be here this quickly..." Zeratul whispered to himself. The security devices on the carrier might be hard to pass...but not for Dark Templars. Especially if the sensors mistake them for Artanis' bodyguards. Artanis always had at least 4 Dark Templars travelling with him. Slowly, Zeratul and the other Dark Templars slipped towards the bridge..

Artanis watched the sensor screen curiously...the 12 Dark Templars weren't moving. Why would Kerrigan send 12 Dark Templars into their area if the Dark Templar weren't going to do anything? " Artanis," a voice said through the comn. At that moment a Dragoon appeared on the viewscreen. " Report," Artanis commanded. " We've sent Observers and Zealots to check the area out..but there wasn't anything there," the Dragoon said. "What?" Artanis realized that Kerrigan had probably learned how to trick their sensors. But that might mean.. Artanis stood up. 12 figures decloaked behind him. Artanis stepped back when he realized that one of them was..  
" Zeratul..." Artanis whispered slowly. " Hand over the chrystal if you know what's best for you..my queen hasn't asked me to kill you..yet," Zeratul said. Artanis took another step back. Suddenly 4 Dark Templar decloaked behind Zeratul and the others. They charged forward and engaged the infested ones. Zeratul and the others changed their attention towards the attackers. Zeratul was the first one to counter the attack from one of the 4 Dark Templars. He leaped back to avoid being hit by a forthcoming Warp Blade. Zeratul thrusted his own weapon into the Dark Templar's stomach. The Dark Templar stepped back and covered his wound, he wasn't done yet. The Dark Templar leaped forward in an effort to knock Zeratul down. With ease, Zeratul simply sliced of the Dark Templar's head with a single slice. Once Zeratul was done, the others were finished too. Zeratul looked back towards the place where Artanis WAS standing. "He's gone.." Zeratul whispered to himself. "Not quite!" a voice shouted from the doorway. The 12 Dark Templars ran towards the source of the voice.  
"Psionic Storm!" Artanis shouted. Realizing what Artanis was trying to do, Zeratul stepped back to avoid getting hit by the attack. The others weren't so lucky. Zeratul watched as the others were evaporated into nothingness... .  
" You're getting better...but you know that won't be enough.." Zeratul turned towards the doorway. Down the dimly lighted hall, there stood Artanis. Zeratul walked slowly towards Artanis to claim his prize. "Hand over the chrystal.." Zeratul demanded. Artanis turned around and made his way to the exit. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him. When he almost reached the exit, he suddenly froze in his tracks. He realized that he couldn't move. Furiously he struggled to break free of the Maelstorm spell that Zeratul used.  
Zeratul walked over towards Artanis and simply took the Uraj from him. " Damn..how did you?.." Artanis asked. " My queen has helped me reached the peak of my power. I can use the ability of a Dark Archon now. If you embrace the swarm..possibly she can help you enhance your powers too. But I wasn't ordered to bring you back or kill you. This will be enough for now.." at that the Dark Templar cloaked and made his exit.

Hyperion Meeting Room  
Low Orbit over Shakuras.

" Are you telling us that Kerrigan now has both the Uraj and the Khalis?!" Raynor shouted as he stood up from his chair. Artanis nodded slowly," They've learned how to trick our sensors. Zeratul has grown more powerful than before. There was nothing I could do." Raynor settled back in his chair. He sighed slowly. He realized that they had almost hadn't a chance of winning this war. Now all they could do was concentrate on defending the Xel'Naga Temple. He stood up and turned towards Dan," I want Siege Tanks, Turrets, Valkyries, Goliaths..focus all of our units on the temple. Prepare for a full-scale war." Artanis rose from his seat. " I'll support with our Photon Cannons and Reavers," Artanis said. Raynor pressed a button on the panel before him. A holographic image of the map around the temple appeared. " There are 4 bridges connecting the temple to the mainland. If we demolish the 3, leaving only 1 bridge for the ground units to pass, we'll have a better chance of successfully defending the temple," Raynor suggested. " But that doesn't help if they use Overlords and Guardians," Artanis pointed out. Raynor nodded," Which means we'll need all the air defence we can get. Valkyries, Goliaths and Turrets should do the trick." Artanis nodded," Then it's settled. Let's begin now."

Protoss Flagship Ganrithor II  
Low Orbit over Shakuras  


Artanis made sure that no one was in the bridge before he activated the comnlink. The image of Kerrigan appeared on the viewscreen. "Artanis..what would you want?" Kerrigan said. Artanis hesitated for a while.." I'm here to offer you a deal."

End Of Chapter Four.


	5. The Duel

Protoss Fall Chapter Five

Protoss Fall Chapter Five

" A deal? Interesting.." Kerriggan said with a slight smile. " What do you have in mind?" she asked. " I want a duel with Zeratul. One on one. No interruption," Artanis said. "And what do I have to gain from all this?" Kerrigan asked. " If I win, Zeratul dies.." Artanis said slowly. " You're still dreaming..how could YOU defeat Zeratul?" Kerrigan laughed. " That's your advantage. If I lose..I'll offer myself to you..freely," Artanis said. " What importance would you have? Sooner or later you all of your kind will bow to me once I use the Xel'Naga Temple. You don't have to give yourself to me," Kerrigan said. " I have information you need..the defensive strategy used to defend the temple," Artanis said slowly. Kerrigan kept silent for a while.." How would I know you won't cheat and bring reinforcements?" she asked. " The word of a Protoss is never broken. You should know that by now," Artanis said. Kerrigan laughed.." In that case Protoss..you have a deal. Just be prepared to acknowledge me as your queen." Artanis nodded.." I'm downloading the coordinates into your database. I'll be there in 3 days." "Agreed.." Kerrigan said before turning off her comnlink. Artanis sank back in his chair.  
" If I'm ever to beat Zeratul..I'll need all the knowledge I can get. It's time for Tassadar's secrets to be revealed," Artanis said as he drew out a smal blue thin disc. A Protoss Holodisc. Tassadar had passed down the disc to Artanis a few months before his death on Aiur. Artanis had not checked what was in the disc. The war he had been fighting had been keeping him busy. He didn't have time to study Tassadar's disc. But now..the disc could probably have the vital information he needed. Slowly..Artanis inserted the disc into the main computer.  
A 3D image of Tassadar appeared in front of him. The High Templar looked the same as the way he was before he died. " Artanis..by the time you read this then I would be dead at that time. I expect the Overmind's shell will be too hard to penetrate. My sacrifice will be required. In this disc, I will teach you the last of the knowledge that I will pass to you. The secret Archon transformation.." the image flickered a bit. " What? But I already know that. You need two High Templars to combine their powers to create an Archon.." Artanis felt that the disc wasn't going to provide any useful information. He was about to turn it off.. " You might think that you know this already. But what I'm about to teach you is how to become an Archon WITHOUT another Templar to combine with you.Using this method, you will also be able to transform back ," the image finished it's sentence. Artanis listened curiously..perhaps his answer was here....

Artanis' meeting area.  
Twilight Peak  
3 Days Later....  


Artanis walked out if the Protoss Shuttle. The ramp closed slowly and the shuttle flew away. Artanis walked forward. He waited for Zeratul's arrival. In the distance Artanis saw an Overlord heading towards him. Artanis watched as the Overlord's sacs opened and dropped Zeratul on the ground. The Dark Templar landed on his feet.  
He walked forward and prepared for the fight. " You know you can't win. The Zerg are eternal.." Zeratul said." Zeratul ..  
listen to what you're saying. You are NOT one of them. You are a Protoss. One of the greatest that ever lived," Artanis said. Zeratul shook his head," Wrong..I WAS a Protoss. My queen has shown me the right way. I now serve the glory of the swarm!" Zeratul shouted. Artanis looked down," What happened to the Zeratul I once knew? He would never trust a Zerg. He despised them and fought against them." " I didn't come here to talk. Let's begin," Zeratul said. Artanis nodded slowly..perhaps there wasn't any talking to Zeratul. He was infested to the core. Now he was just another puppet for Kerrigan's cause..like all the Zerg. Artanis blamed Kerrigan..and he blamed himself. He was the one that sent Zeratul down to Aiur in the first place. Artanis looked up..Zeratul was right..they weren't here to talk.  
Artanis powered up his Psi Blade. Zeratul charged forward and slashed his Warp Blade furiously. Artanis brought his own weapon up to block Zeratul's blow. Even if he wasn't hit, Artanis staggered back a few steps back. His Psi Blade was no match for Zeratul's Warp Blade. Even so, Artanis wasn't going to give up easily. He charged forward towards Zeratul. Zeratul drew his weapon back....Artanis was never good in fighting. That would be his downfall. To charge straight at a Dark Templar would be as futile as taking on an entire army. Zeratul slashed furiously..his attack landed a hit. But this wasn't what he expected. Artanis vaporized in front of his eyes. " A hallucination!" Zeratul exclaimed. Had he been tricked?  
Artanis wouldn't fool him this easily.. Zeratul turned around and brought his blade up just in time to clash with Artanis' Psi Blade. " Your cheap High Templar spells are useless.." Zeratul said. Artanis stepped back. " Maybe..but I still have one trick up my sleeve," Artanis said. " Give it up.. you know you can't defeat me," Zeratul said.  
Artanis shook his head..then he closed his eyes. All of a sudden there was a blinding flash..Zeratul had to cover his eyes.  
When he opened his eyes..Artanis was gone. In the High Templar's place..was an Archon. " You've been studying.." Zeratul said. The Archon nodded.."This one..I learned from Tassadar."  
Zeratul charged forward. The Dark Templar leaped up high. Artanis was prepared for this. Before Zeratul could land his blade on Artanis' head, a powerful force shot him back against a large boulder. The boulder shattered . Zeratul stood up slowly," A Psionic Shockwave.." . Artanis charged forward. Zeratul realized that this battle wasn't going to be as easy as he thought it would be. But that didn't mean he was giving up. Zeratul realized that an Archon's weakness was it's speed. Zeratul charged forward. Artanis shot forward another shockwave. This time however, Zeratul had anticipated the move and quickly rolled out of the way. Artanis didn't have time to turn around when Zeratul drove his weapon through Artanis' back. The blue aura around the Archon slowly faded away before Artanis fell to the ground.  
Zeratul walked slowly to the High Templar. "It's all over.." Zeratul said. Artanis was completely exhausted..as Tassadar had warned..a lot of his energy would be drained by the transformation. "Damn.." Artanis thought. This couldn't possibly be the end... . Everything went black.

" I have failed.."  
"Artanis.."  
Tassadar appeared in front of Artanis. " I'm not strong enough," Artanis said slowly. Tassadar shook his head. " That's because you have doubts in your mind. You shouldn't give up too easily," Tassadar said. " But the Archon transformation wasn't enough to defeat Zeratul. What else would be left?" Artanis asked. " Your Psi Blade is actually more than enough. All you need is confidence.. " Tassadar said.

Artanis regained conciousness. He leaped back onto his feet. " What? Where did that sudden rush of energy come from?" Zeratul exclaimed. Artanis charged forward. Zeratul prepared to attack.. . Artanis somersaulted over Zeratul. Zeratul turned around and raised his Warp Blade. This time however, there wasn't any weapon that clashed into his. "Damn..stop playing tricks.." Zeratul said angrily. Suddenly a wave of pain struck through his body. Zeratul realized that this time Artanis had outsmarted him. Artanis drew out his Psi Blade from Zeratul's back. The Dark Templar fell lifelessly to the ground. " This is Kerrigan's fault..we weren't meant to fight," Artanis said. He had to wonder wether Zeratul was still alive to listen to what he was saying. "The war isn't over.." Artanis realized. Now he had a temple to defend..


	6. Flight Squad Omega

Terran Flagship Hyperion

Terran Flagship Hyperion

Xel'Naga Temple

2 Hours after Praetor Artanis' dissapearence

"Sir, Artanis hasn't returned yet," Dan said. Raynor shook his head slowly. The defences were set up. But Artanis was missing. The last thing Artanis said to him was that he had 'unfinished business' somewhere. But now he was missing. Which meant that something must've went wrong. Raynor didn't even want to think of what Kerrigan would do to Artanis if he were captured. " Or killed," Raynor thought. Whatever it was, this wasn't the time to mourn. "Sir! Zerg forces from all sides!" Dan shouted suddenly. Raynor stood up. 

" How long till they enter attacking range?" Raynor asked. " About 30 minutes.." Dan answered. Raynor shook his head. Things weren't looking very good for them. " Open a channel to the Protoss fleet," Raynor ordered. Dan nodded and did as he was told. " The fleet's listening sir," Dan said. Raynor took a deep breath. " Protoss fleet, this is Jim Raynor. Artanis hsn't returned but the enemy is closing in. I hereby take command of the fleet. I know that some of you might not like to take orders from a Terran. But we don't have any choice. The Zerg don't care about species..it's either death or get infested. Now..our goal is purely to guard this temple. Do NOT pursue the Zerg forces if they fall back. I want the Protoss to guard the South side of the temple while the Terrans will guard the North..this doesn't actually look like a battle we can win. But there is hope. 5 of our best men will head to Kerrigan's Hive and nuke it. Our job is to provide cover for them while they fly past the attacking broods. Knock down anything that fires towards the team.. Good luck…all of you." 

Meanwhile..

Hyperion Hangar

3 Wraiths and 2 Valkyries were being prepared for the upcoming attack. Their pilots were nearby, sitting around a table playing cards. The team leader, Zeth Fost had red short hair and a tall body. Zeth went to the same training academy as Raynor. They weren't much of friends though. Zeth was well known for his piloting skills. People said that he could fly his Wraith into a battlefield and come out without a scratch. That was why Raynor chose him to be the leader of the group. Beside him was Greg Adams. With dark hair and an innocent face, people wouldn't think that he was much of a soldier -he was only 17 years old. But then, people wouldn't know a ghost when they see one. Greg was a ghost. He had a quiet nature and always seemed deep in thought. He didn't have many friends. Actually he didn't have any. Neither did he have a family. He saw his parent's brutal death at the claws of a Hydralisk. He was the only one at the table who wasn't playing cards which wasn't a surprise to everyone else there. Beside Greg was a female pilot named Jill Sidewing. Her friends called her "Ace" though. She was a Valkyrie pilot. She had been into many battles before and she proved to be skillful in a fight. Jill was a hot-tempered woman. She was Dan's childhood friend. There were even rumours of the two having a relationship. But no one was ever brave enough to try tofind out.

On the other side of the table was Steven Phoenix. His usual job was to scout enemy territory in his cloaked Wraith. His Wraith was modified, he could stay cloaked longer than anyone else in his Wraith. Steven was trained by Raynor after the UED was destroyed. He wasn't with the fleet that was destroyed. He was left behind on Char when his Wraith was hit in the wing. Miraculously he survived, Raynor found him and trained him to become something you might call a spy. The last pilot was Taylor Grien. He was a Valkyrie pilot. Taylor was also a survivor of the Mar Sara colony. He wasn't as good a pilot as Zeth but he was something you'd say second-best. He was always competing with Zeth. But they were the best of friends. You'd hardly ever see Zeth go anywhere without Taylor. 

" House of Aces," Zeth smiled as he slammed his cards onto the table. Suddenly the alarm rang. " Red Alert! The Zerg forces have entered firing range!" the computer's voice shouted. The 5 pilots stood up and turned towards their ships. Zeth's comnlink went online. " You know what to do.." Raynor's voice said. "Gotcha sir," Zeth said as he settled into his Wraith. " Flight Squad Omega, prepare for launch.." the announcer shouted. Zeth smiled to himself.."Flight Squad Omega..there was a nice ring to it. The hangar doors opened revealing the vast blue terrain. Of course it wasn't all blue. Brownish-red Zerg figures were heading towards the Temple below. Behind them was a large wave of Zerg Broods. Siege Tanks and Reavers began to open fire. Marines began firing from their bunkers..Zealots and Dark Templars charged forward. War. Zeth leaned back as his Wraith sped out of the Hyperion's hangar. The others followed behind. 

" All hands,report in!" Zeth shouted. 

" Ace here,all systems go," 

" Greg here, all systems functional"

" Phoenix here. Reportin in!" 

" Taylor here, let's kick some Zerg ass!"

The 5 ships flew into the battlefield, above the war below..past the Mutalisks and Corsiars. They had only one target..and they intended to knock it out.

Hyperion Main Bridge

Raynor stood up. " All hands battlestations!I want those guys safe past the broods!" Raynor shouted. He watched as the Zerg forces were destroyed by their defences…yet they kept on coming. " Sir! Mutas coming in!" Dan shouted. Raynor nodded slowly..the men(umm and one woman) would make it. They had to..

The Marine fired at the Hydralisk from the safety of the bunker. He turned to another marine beside him. "Geez..how many of these things are there?" he shouted over the roar of the battlefield. " Shut up and do your job! The STs(Siege Tanks) will cover us from behind. We have tocover them from those Hydras that come closer than their firing range!" his friend shouted. "Hey..are those Zealots?" a Firebat shouted. True enough, a number of Zealots were heading towards the bunker in attacking pose, alongside the Hydras and Zerglings. " They're infested! Blow the crap outta them!" the Marine shouted. 

The Protoss Carrier Ganrithor flew forward alongside the other carriers. Interceptors flew out of their docking bays, attacking the Mutalisks heading their way , covering the Corsairs and Scouts. Below Reavers were destroying Zerg Forces from behind Protoss Photon Cannons. Zealots and Dark Templars exchanged blows with Hydralisks and Zerglings. Slowly..very slowly..the Zerg forces were pushing them back...

" Taylor! Got one on your tail!" Jill shouted. She flew towards the Scourge which was trying to ram into the Valkyrie's starboard. The scourge turned and let out a shriek and changed it's course towards Jill. " I don't think so.."Jill pressed the button on her stick, 4 HALO missiles shot out and exploded when they hit the Scourge. " Thanks Jill..I owe you one," Taylor said. " More Mutas coming in! We've gotta move faster!" Zeth shouted. " Jill and Taylor flew in front of the group and missles started flying , mowing the way for the others to go through. One by one the Mutas fell to the floor. They were no match for Valkyries. The last Mutalisk was shot down by Zeth's Gemini missles. The Mutalisk fell down onto the raging battlefield like the others. " C'mon! Let's move!" Zeth shouted. The others acknowledged and flew deeper into the battlefield. Carrying with them the last hope of the galaxy…


	7. The End

"Eat this

"Eat this!" Zeth shouted as another one of his missiles landed a direct hit on a Mutalisk. The others were still behind him. " How long till we reach the target?" Greg asked. Zeth looked up… . " Sooner than we expected…" Zeth looked outside his viewscreen. There it was. A Zerg Hive. Around it were Spore Colonies and Sunken Colonies. The Zerg defences had already noticed the intruders and acid spores were flying. " Greg! Target the nuke! We'll take care of the Spores!" Phoenix shouted. Greg nodded as his Wraith landed on the Zerg creep below. He took out his C-10 Canister Rifle. A red light appeared and was pointed at the Zerg Hive. Greg stood still.. " Nuclear Launch Targetapproved…"

Greg hurried back into his Wraith and launched. " Let's blow this popsicle stand!" Zeth shouted .The 5 pilots flew into the horizon. 

Terran Flagship Hyperion

" Raynor! They have successfully targeted the nuke!" Dan shouted. Raynor nodded.

" Make sure they return here safely!" Raynor shouted. Dan nodded and shouted some orders over the comn. His eyes turned to the viewscreen. He watched the nuclear warhead shot into the air from the silo below. 

The Hydralisk turned towards the Hive. Had the humans done any damage to the queen's Hive? The Hydralisk moved forward.. it appeared that the human hadn't done anything. His queen was safe. The Hydralisk turned towards the battlefield..that was where his brothers were. They were dying for their queen.. so were the Protoss who had become part of the swarm. The Hydralisk would have been out there if it were not for his queen. He had to guard her.. The Hydralisk looked into the sky.. it was a Terran weapon. The Hydralisk roared with agony..there was nothing he could do now.The last thing the Hydralisk saw was a brilliant flash of white…

Raynor could see the explosion. Was Kerrigan dead? Raynor stood up. The crew was cheering. The Zerg Broods were scattering like animals. Was the war over? Something wasn't right… . Raynor quickly made his way to the hangar and took a Wraith. He flew down towards the Temple below.

Xel'Naga Temple

Raynor stepped onto the steel platform. The sound of cheers from the outside could be heard. Raynor looked around him. He stepped onto the elevator that Zeratul and Artanis had taken when they were using the chrystals a few months before.

Everything looked normal.. " Raynor..how good of you to join me at my moment of triumph," a voice that was all to familiar said. Raynor turned around. There.. in front of him stood the Queen of Blades. " Kerrigan.." Raynor raised his C-10. " Jim..aren't you going to call for backup?" Kerrigan laughed. Raynor shook his head. " I made a promise when you killed Fenix. Now..I will avenge every innocent live you have killed..and forced to submit to your will," Raynor said. Kerrigan shook her head, " Big talk for someoneso weak.." Before Raynor could pull the trigger, Kerrigan kicked the C-10 out of his hand. The weapon fell onto the metal floor, a few metres away from them. 

Kerrigan slashed one of her claws forward. Raynor quickly rolled out of the way. Kerrigan leaped towards Raynor and slashed again. The claw barely missed Raynor's head. The human quickly made a run for his weapon. Kerrigan wasn't about to allow that to happen… . Raynor fell onto the floor. The gun was just in front of him. He reached towards it… suddenly there was a sharp pain in his thigh. Raynor looked behind him.. Kerrigan had stabbed his left leg. Raynor moaned with pain. " Jim… looks like it's end of the line for you.." Kerrigan laughed. Raynor winced with pain as he reached for his gun..closer…closer….closer….

Kerrigan was swept off her feet by Raynor's right leg. She fell onto the hard floor. When she leaped back onto her feet, she found a C-10 pointed into her face. 

" So..Sarah.. it's the end of the line for you…." Raynor said. Kerrigan stepped back.. . 

" It may be..my life may be. But this war will never be over. There WILL be others who will take my place…" at that Raynor pulled the trigger. Kerrigan's head exploded into bloody chunks ..her lifeless carcass fell to the floor. Raynor turned around… " You're right.. there always will be someone left…"

After that event.. the Zergbroods retreated back to Char. The Protoss and the Terrans formed an alliance. If there were any threat left for them..it would surely not be the Zerg. The Zerg waited…for the leader that would lead to victory once more. Then….there would probably be no stopping them. Artanis was never found. It was assumed that he was killed on his way back from his duel with Zeratul… the universe was at peace…for how long no one knows.

Char

The Zerg Chrysalis opened slowly. The hands of a Protoss reached out of the chrysalis… " My queen.. you have promised me glory..yet you are not here at my rebirth…" the figure thought to itself. The Zerg gathered around their new leader…

Artanis… 

This is the end of my first fic. Firstly I'd like to thank everyone who have took the trouble to R&R . Being my first fic, I welcome feedback. Thanks for every review you've sent. It means a lot ot me. I will write a sequel to this story. But first I will be working on an Original-Fantasy fic titled Blades of Eternity. So, once again, thanks..

The author ,

Gyarados 


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StarCraft, Adventure