//------------------------------//
// Interbellum: Separate Ways 
// Story: Starcraft: Warriors of Purity 
// by Xarmar13 
//------------------------------//

After the purification of Braxis and the death of the Cerebrate Kaloth, Raynor, Sweetie, Lyra, Fenix and Stukov retreated to the Hyperion for debriefing. Afterward, while Sweetie and Lyra were enjoying each other’s company, Raynor had given Stukov to some reputable research organization called the Moebius Foundation and its leader, Emil Narud.

The Hyperion returned to Shakuras to enjoy the fleeting time of rest between missions.

Their time of rest was short lived, however. The day after their return, Sweetie noticed Vorazun was displaying a skin color that Lyra told her was sadness. When Sweetie asked the Matriarch what was wrong, she barely responded, showing that she was emotionally distant.

Lyra asked around and noticed that many of the Nerazim were as sad as Vorazun. Finally, she saw Fenix who was still emotionally stable. She approached the Dragoon to ask why the Nerazim were sad.

“You haven’t heard? The former Matriarch, Raszagal, is showing signs of failing health. There is nothing that can be done.”

Lyra’s eyes widened at the realization that she was losing one of her friends among the Protoss. Tears started to well up in her eyes.

“It is quite rare for a Protoss to live out their entire lifespan. The average lifespan of a Protoss is a thousand years, she is to be commended for living for as long as she has.”

After a few moments of silence, Fenix walked away. Lyra collected Sweetie and the two of them walked to the building that housed the ailing former Matriarch.

Inside, they found Zeratul and Vorazun along with another Protoss that they had never seen before. Once the three of them noticed their entry, the unknown Protoss introduced himself as Prelate Mohandar.

The five of them stood around the dying Raszagal as she spoke, “Thank you for being with me in my final hour. It fills me with joy to know that the future of my people are safe in your hands. Lyra Heartstrings, the greatest joy you could give me is proof that a sister can come from anywhere, even beyond our species. Sweetie Drops, it is because of your insight and cunning that our future looks brighter than it would otherwise.” She turned back to the Protoss. “It is my wish that our two tribes, both Khalai and Nerazim be truly reunited.”

At that moment, Tassadar, Artanis, and Aldaris entered the room and took their place around Raszagal. She continued, “I thank you for coming here. My time draws near so I will be brief. As former Matriarch of the Dark Templar and one who remembered our people for who they once were, my last wish is for the Khalai and the Nerazim to once more unite. If not for the future of our people, then for the threats left unvanquished that neither can defeat alone.” Raszagal’s body began to glow. White flames began dancing along her body. The flames intensified and engulfed her body. Then suddenly, the flames disappeared with the body of Raszagal.

Sweetie and Lyra held each other for a few minutes, tears flowing from both of them.

After an hour of grieving, everyone left to spread word of Raszagal’s passing. The next few days were uneventful as everyone grieved in their own way.

Soon enough, the time had come for Raynor’s Raiders to leave Shakuras to continue their activities.

As Sweetie and Raynor began boarding the Hyperion, everyone suddenly froze in place, except for Sweetie and Lyra. Sweetie continued observing her friend holding an unnatural pose, even waving a hand in his face. Lyra started poking everyone to get a reaction out of them.

Sweetie then sighed, there was only one being that she knew that could cause everyone around them to freeze in time while actually being capable of coming to the Koprulu sector. “Alright Discord, you’ve had your fun, now what do you want?”

Discord appeared in front of Sweetie with a half eaten bowl of popcorn. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to figure it out. It was quite entertaining watching Lyra poke everyone. By the way, they are going to feel those when I unfreeze them.” Lyra started grinning nervously.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure it’ll be funny soon,” Sweetie said noncommittally with an eye roll for dramatic effect. “Now can you tell me why you’re here? You’re not here to recall us back to Equestria are you?”

“Oh my, no!” Discord quickly said. “I have been watching your journey the whole time.” He leaned his head close to Sweetie, “Like what you did with the Ion Cannon, by the way. And the times you humiliated the misguided Queen of Blades, I simply had to record those.” Clearing his throat he continued speaking to both Ponies, “Your journey, at this point, is hitting a slow, boring point, far too much routine. I am here to jazz things up.” Snapping his talons, jazz music played in the background.

“How are you going to do that?” Lyra asked. “Our time here has been all about killing Zerg, some Terrans and the occasional Protoss.”

“Well, my dear, since the next war isn’t supposed to happen for another four years, about the time when those freaky lab experiments wake up, why not take the time to explore the sector a little; make some new friends, earn a few new enemies, maybe make some money or hone your skills, take over a planet. Just don’t fall into a routine or you may find yourself woefully unprepared for the battles yet to come.”

Sweetie considered what the draconequus said and she knew that he was right, they couldn’t afford to stop moving forward and simply wait for the next war. But the next question that came out of her mouth would determine the course of the next four years for them. “Can we get a little guidance? Where do we need to go next to prepare?”

“What fun would it be to tell you where to go? Just enjoy the time you have with your friends, but I suppose I can give you a vague clue. Consider these my rewards for you for surviving the Great War and the Brood War.” Discord gave Sweetie a simple playing card, the Queen of Spades. Next he filled Lyra’s pocket dimension with a huge number of a strange, glowing substance that was crystalline in form.

“The playing card is your hint, Sweetie Drops. The crystals are useful for powering up ancient ships.”

“Mysterious as ever, huh Discord?” Sweetie said rhetorically.

With a snap of his fingers, Discord disappeared. Everything returned to normal immediately. The Protoss looked around for the source of whoever poked them, only to find nothing. Shrugging, the Protoss went about their business.

Sweetie boarded the Hyperion with Raynor. Once aboard, Matt Horner began the sequence for takeoff. The Hyperion lifts off and escapes the gravitational field of Shakuras.

Raynor’s Raiders continued their activities as usual. The organization developed a reputation for saving lives, which played against Mengsk’s propaganda a little.

Eventually, the Raiders were invited to Deadman’s Port to get in touch with the local mercenary network. Since the Raiders needed Credits to function as an organization, they would, at times, take on contracts to earn their money.

Matt took some of their earned credits and brought Sweetie along to play a game of Poker with some of the mercenaries. Unfortunately for the mercs, they weren’t expecting Matt to bring a Ghost.

Among the mercenaries that Matt and Sweetie were playing against was one with pink hair, one green eye and the other was an ocular implant. The mercenary introduced herself as Mira Han, leader of a growing mercenary group called Mira’s Marauders.

Thinking about the card that Discord gave her, Sweetie figured that she might gain something important from the mercenaries. Borrowing some Credits from Matt, Sweetie joined in.

Matt won most of the hands. Knowing this, Mira, who thought Matt was kinda cute, offered herself as a wager. Matt ended up winning the hand and ended up in a marriage contract with Mira.

Sweetie decided that since she needed to investigate Discord’s hint and because the Raiders needed the money, made a deal with Mira.

“Mira, the Raiders are a bit short on funds. To earn them some more Credits, I’m willing to work with you for a time. But first, how about a wager: I win the next hand and I decide the terms, you win and you get to decide the terms.”

“Hmm...an interesting proposition. You wish to work as one of my mercenaries, It is not often that a Ghost chooses to work for me. *sigh* You have no idea how difficult it is for me to keep any Ghosts on my payroll. Very well, the wagers are made. Let’s deal the cards.”

Each were given five cards. Sweetie discarded two and Mira discarded three. After drawing until each had five cards again, both had revealed their hands. Both had a full house, except Mira had three tens and two jacks while Sweetie had three queens and two jacks, Sweetie won the hand and the chance to name the terms of the contract.

Sweetie made sure the contract was on a three year term and added a provision that in the event a mission that involved the Protoss, Sweetie was not to be involved since she didn’t want to fight Lyra or her friends.

Once signed, Sweetie told Matt to tell Raynor that she would be gone for a while as she did some mercenary work by herself to fund the Raider’s future operations.







Lyra had been given her first mission to complete without her friends helping her, while she was nervous as she had never led a mission before, she swore not to let down those who had given her this mission.

Her mission was to investigate the activities of a renegade Protoss tribe called the Tal’darim. They had been going around spreading the influence of Terrazine to other worlds and causing some of the victims to show psychotic behavior.

Lyra had encountered the Tal’darim before, though the only encounter was when she was high on Terrazine and the meeting was the exact opposite of civil.

With the fleet underway, Lyra sped off to her first personal mission.