Starcraft: Warriors of Purity

by Xarmar13

Legacy: Return to Slayn

Lyra returned to the Spear of Adun after receiving a shocking reminder about how dangerous Protoss technology can be. The display of Purifier might showed that they could be dangerous enemies or powerful allies.

She could only hope that Tassadar and Talandar could work out the details of the new alliance.

Lyra arrived on the bridge in time to watch Tassadar and Talandar speaking to Executor Clolarion who spoke for the Purifiers. After a brief diplomatic meeting with the machine leader, Clolarion agreed to join forces with the Daelaam as long as they were treated as equals and had Talandar speak for them.

Alarak was growing impatient with Tassadar, believing that the ‘errand’ they had been on had been a waste of time. Lyra began growing impatient herself with Alarak’s antagonism of her friends.

Karax’s research on the Purifiers led him to believe that the machines worked together using an artificial Khala that was devoid of emotion and would not be something that Amon would be able to infiltrate, much to the Protoss’ relief. Though Lyra had a feeling that the connection was similar to a Terran network.

Zeratul had recently returned with the tracking party to inform them that they had discovered where Moebius was hiding their headquarters. Their primary base of operations was in an asteroid field collectively known as Revanscar.

Lyra had a feeling that Revanscar Station was not going to be an easy place to take out.

First things first, it was time to bring the Tal’darim into the fold. The Spear of Adun set course for Slayn.

---

Lyra always knew that she would return to the dismal planet, Slayn. She had spent at least half of her time in the Koprulu Sector on the planet, as Alarak’s gladiator. She had finally returned to finish what was begun a year ago: the erosion of Ma’lash’s rule.

Tassadar stared in awe at the numerous Tal’darim ships ready for battle. “It’s an armada!” he said.

“Behold, the Death Fleet under Amon’s command, poised on laying waste to all life in the sector,” Alarak declared.

“Then we had best act swiftly.”

“Rak’Shir, usurping by ritual combat, cannot be rushed. Its rites demand careful preparations if they are to be accepted.”

“We are in orbit above a hostile world with an imposing fleet, and you speak of preparation?”

“I intend to depose Ma’lash, the ruler of an entire people, and bring them under my thrall. You will aid me. And in return, I will remove the Tal’darim from this conflict. That was our bargain. To do this, the ritual must be carried out as tradition demands.”

Tassadar turns and walks away. “This bargain grows less appealing by the moment.”

Lyra decides to step into the conversation, “Really? I don’t recall having to do much preparation for my duels.”

“Your opponents didn’t have a number of powerful guardians that would greatly decrease your chances of success if you dueled them immediately. Slaying his guardians will increase my chances of making a successful bid for leadership.”

Lyra nodded in understanding before sending a telepathic message to the Hierarch telling him about her own plans. While Tassadar was concerned about her safety, he also knew that her plan would be preferable to Alarak’s.

When the Spear of Adun approached the planet, Alarak waived off the fleet. Lyra released a breath she didn’t know she was holding because she was worried that Ma’lash might have ordered the fleet to drive away any ships coming into the system.

---

The Daelaam arrived near where the guardians of Ma’lash were gathering their power. While Alarak did not expect too much resistance from the guardians, the Tal’darim would give their lives to protect them along with the Hybrid in the area.

A bigger problem arose, however, when the Daelaam noticed that they were near a Terrazine geyser. While Lyra had gained a strong resistance to the gas the real problem was that Amon was active since her last visit to the dark planet. Using the Terrazine, Amon was able to open small rifts from the Void and unleash his infinite shadow army. While the shadows were pale representations of what they imitate, their numbers made up for the lack of power.

Since the geyser erupted frequently, Artanis had to work fast to get proper defenses set up for his Nexus Point before Amon’s army and Void Shadows moved against them.

Karax programmed the Stargates to warp in assault ships for the operation, namely Void Rays. Lyra was glad to see assault ships on her side again since they should be effective against the Hybrid.

It wasn’t long before the Terrazine geyser erupted, lifting the veil between the material plane and the Void.

Lyra saw a menagerie of Void Shadows that were shaped as every type of soldier and ship from the Terrans, Zerg and Protoss. The amusing thing about facing the creatures was that they still couldn’t see her and they vanished in a puff of smoke from one slash.

For the time being, the Void Shadows only attacked from the north of the Nexus Point, making the position easy to defend.

Soon, her fun came to an end when the Terrazine lifted from the area and the Void Shadows returned from whence they came.

Alarak informed everyone that the guardians were watching over a few shrines in the area and he wanted them killed slowly and painfully.

Artanis spent the time between eruptions building up defenses before the Void Shadows came again.

Lyra took a group of Dark Templar with her to scout the area north of the Nexus point and to see how well defended the first guardian was.

She found a small base around the shrine. First, she destroyed the Photon Cannons using long range blasts from her horn. Once the detectors were destroyed, the Dark Templar moved in and used their warp blades to tear apart the structures and Tal’darim. Lyra used her psionic powers to either take control of ships or to confuse the pilots to make them fight each other.

The guardian sensed the Dark Templar and began firing powerful void bolts at them, killing a few before the rest retreated.

Lyra walked into the guardian’s detection range and cheerfully greeted the guardian.

“Lyra Heartst--” was all he managed to say before she teleported to the top of the shrine and kicked him off. While the guardian was tumbling after his fall, Lyra teleported in front of his path and unleashed a psionic shockwave that sent him flying back into the shrine. Before he could regain his bearings, Lyra teleported in front of him and stabbed him in the chest with both blades. The guardian faded away in seconds.

After surviving another wave from the Void, Artanis sent a small fleet of Void Rays against the Tal’darim base southwest of the Nexus Point.

While Artanis was unleashing the might of the powerful assault ships, Lyra moved toward the second shrine. Karax warped in a Pylon so Artanis could warp in more Dark Templar to Lyra’s position.

Once ready, she and her shadowy hunters engaged a small outpost. After putting the Photon Cannons in the area in Void Stasis, the Dark Templar tore into the outpost, leaving a few inactive Photon Cannons when the stasis wore off.

Once Lyra and her Dark Templar entered the base protecting the second shrine, it was the same procedure when dealing with Protoss bases: disable the Photon Cannons, target the Pylons, wipe out the ground troops and force the ships to fight one another.

The second Guardian of Ma’lash knew that the offender of his Highlord was coming so he erected a barrier around himself to avoid the same beatdown the previous guardian received.

Noticing his strategy, Lyra grabbed a Destroyer, an assault ship of the Tal’darim, in her magic and smashed it into the shrine. The guardian was flown off the shrine and accidentally deactivated his barrier in his panic. Lyra teleported to his estimated landing point and held her palms ahead of her before deploying her blades. The guardian landed in Lyra’s hands and was impaled as a result.

<”Not as slow and painful as I would have preferred but still brutal,”> Alarak commented.

By the time Lyra finished off the second Guardian of Ma’lash, Artanis’ Void Ray fleet had blasted through the third base and finished off the third guardian. Both groups began heading north and west respectively to deal with the last guardian and intended to meet Lyra on the way.

Lyra and the fleet each burned down an outpost on their way to the last base. Once they met, they pushed their way into the last base.

While the last Guardian of Ma’lash expected to be attacked by Void Rays, a different outcome awaited him as a pair of hands unexpectedly touched his back and he felt his life force quickly draining away. Before he could react, he was kicked off the shrine and faceplanted into the ground. As he turned around, he saw, to his horror, an aquamarine Pony wielding a huge crimson blade that was about as long as she was. This was a mere split second before he felt himself split in half from a vertical slash.

With one last force of will, the guardian said, “The Dark God shall be your end…”

He faded away immediately after.

“Well done, Lyra. I didn’t even have to get my hands dirty,” Alarak said as if he were proud of sitting back and letting her do all the dirty work.

Alarak approached the site for him to challenge Ma’lash. “Now the time has come. Highlord! Hear me I invoke the rite of--,” was all he managed to say before an amber-colored light flashed before him before an aquamarine-colored hoof impacted against his chestplate, sending him flying into a wall.

Lyra lowered her hoof and stood at the site for her to invoke the rite before she shouted, “Ma’lash! I, First Ascendant Lyra Heartstrings invoke the rite of Rak’Shir! Fight me according to the laws of the Tal’darim, or die a coward.”

Ma’lash appeared before the face of the one he held a deep grudge against. “I was hoping you would challenge me. I will take great pleasure in tearing you apart, Lyra Heartstrings. We meet in combat at daybreak.”

Ma’lash teleported away, leaving Lyra a little nervous about what she just did and hoped that Alarak wouldn’t be too sore for stealing his thunder and planting him in a wall.

Author's Note:

I wonder how many readers who have been paying attention to the story knew this was coming since before WoL.

Comments

[Blood_Vale]

I had a feeling that this would happen ever since lyra either got her bane blades or became first ascendant

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Now alarms response will be interesting

[Icy Creation]

Lyra nodded in understanding before sending a telepathic message to the Hierarch telling him about her own plans. While Tassadar was concerned about her safety, he also knew that her plan would be preferable to Alarak’s.

Please tell me this means what I think it means.

Edit: It does!

[Black--Soul]

A bigger problem arose, however, when the Daelaam noticed that they were near a Terrazine geyser. While Lyra had gained a strong resistance to the gas the real problem was that Amon was active since her last visit to the dark planet. Using the Terrazine, Amon was able to open small rifts from the Void and unleash his infinite shadow army. While the shadows were pale representations of what they imitate, their numbers made up for the lack of power.

Funny... Always the 'Infinity army' line but ones you kill a few billion they suddenly run out of troops...
Like the Zerg... Or Amon ones Shakuras was blown up.

“Lyra Heartst--” was all he managed to say before she teleported to the top of the shrine and kicked him off. While the guardian was tumbling after his fall, Lyra teleported in front of his path and unleashed a psionic shockwave that sent him flying back into the shrine. Before he could regain his bearings, Lyra teleported in front of him and stabbed him in the chest with both blades. The guardian faded away in seconds.

PRICELESS

For the time being, the Void Shadows only attacked from the north of the Nexus Point, making the position easy to defend.

Fun fact: in the game of one bunkers in and build a void raid up they can fly close to the edge of the map to skip resistance and snipe the tempels.

By the way... This campaign reminds me of this:

Alarak approached the site for him to challenge Ma’lash. “Now the time has come. Highlord! Hear me I invoke the rite of--,” was all he managed to say before an amber-colored light flashed before him before an aquamarine-colored hoof impacted against his chestplate, sending him flying into a wall.

Lyra lowered her hoof and stood at the site for her to invoke the rite before she shouted, “Ma’lash! I, First Ascendant Lyra Heartstrings invoke the rite of Rak’Shir! Fight me according to the laws of the Tal’darim, or die a coward.”
Ma’lash teleported away, leaving Lyra a little nervous about what she just did and hoped that Alarak wouldn’t be too sore for stealing his thunder and planting him in a wall.

My first reaction to both. First class entertainment.

MAGNIFICENT CHAPTER

[Black--Soul]

The mental image i have when Lyra kicks Alarak is priceless 👏

[Black--Soul]

Got to love Ponys kicking ass verbal or literally

[Black--Soul]

Damn... Alarak really deserves that kick. I wonder if he got a shiner from it 👍

[Black--Soul]

Lyra deserved the dibs other leadership position, unlike Alarak who just sit back and did nothing of importance on the battlefield.