//------------------------------// // Grab and Smash // Story: The collapse of the universe // by KRissCHu573 //------------------------------// The collapse of the universe Chapter 11: Grab and Smash The Hyperion was gliding through the empty void. Jim was standing on the bridge, along with Matt, several crewmembers and the champions. As he watched through the window, Ezreal stepped next to him, and snorted loudly. “How much longer must we wait? This standing still is driving me stir crazy.” “You know, it’s not a problem keeping you down.” Pantheon said, as he stepped behind the mage, and crunched his knuckles. The Prodigal explorer gulped. “Matt, have you locked on the coordinates of the planet?” Raynor turned to his captain. “Locked and ready sir. We are prepared for warp jump on your mark.” Horner replied. The commander put his hands behind his back, and smirked. Pantheon hugged Leona with his right arm, and grabbed a handle attached to a wall. Blitzcrank activated his magnetic feet. Caitlyn and Hemierdinger had leaned closely to the walls next to the exit of the bridge. “What the heck’s a warp jump?” Ezreal asked, scratching the back of his head with his non-canonised hand. “Mark.” Jim said. The pilots pressed a series of buttons on their control panels. The entire ship, followed by the Raiders’ fleet, sped forward so fast, it blurred , before disappearing through the empty space. The Prodigal explorer was tossed by the sudden speed change, his back rammed into the closed metal door, between Piltover’s sheriff and genius, and was flattened to it by the pressure. Somehow he managed to utter a statement in self pity. “I should have known. Even the ships hates me, and wants to bring me pain.” In a few seconds they emerged in front of a redishly-orange planet, with small green spots of vegetation, found around large rivers, which seemed like blue arteries on its surface. A few hundred miles, left of the Hyperion’s board, a large light opened into the shape of a hole. Protoss ships started to pour out of it. It was a small fleet of sixty phoenixes and scouts, followed by four void rays and a giant gold covered carrier. It surely, in terms of numbers, wasn’t as intimidating as Raynor’s twenty battle cruisers, several squadrons of about fifteen vikings, wraiths, banshees, along with thirty ravens, but knowing their makers, the light fleet still brought chills down the spines of a lot of the crewmembers in the terran ships. “Matt, open coms to Urun. I want to know how much time we have.” Jim ordered. The captain nodded, and started to establish the connection. The golden energy helmet wearing protoss appeared on a large holo-screen. “Admiral, when will Prelate Mohandar’s fleet be here?” Raynor asked. “The Prelate will arrive in three hours James Raynor. I’ll lead my phoenix squadron, along with the scouts, in engagement, providing cover for our troops’ landing.” Urun replied. “Understood Admiral. Our capital ships, Vikings and wraiths will back you up in the engagement. In the mean time the banshees and ravens will help us secure and establish a landing zone for a temporary HQ.” The commander stated. “With that task completed we will push out way towards the survivors, and by the time Prelate Mohanddr arrives we should have gotten them off world.” The Admiral finished. The protoss and terran leaders exchanged approving nods, before the screen blacked out. “Alright, all of you get ready for planet touchdown.” Jim turned to the champions, but his voice also addressed Swann, Stetman, Tosh, his specters and the rest of the ground troops, as it echoed through all of their communicators. Everyone listening nodded, even if some of them were not in the commander’s presence, and rushed for the drop pods. -- “Sir, we’ve got zerg flyers and multiple projectiles incoming!” Matt exclaimed. “Shields up!” Raynor yelled, as they felt the ship shake a few times. “All squadrons assume formation, and break us a path through the zerg, then mix in with the protoss, provide cover for the ground troops, and follow Admiral Urun’s orders! Capital ships, provide support fire for the squadrons, and push towards the planet’s surface!” The commander barked put orders, before continuing. “I’m going to suit up, and head down myself.” Tons of mutalisks, corruptors, brood lords and vipers charged from the planet, followed by blasts of purple energy. Urun was at the front of an omega formation of phoenixes and scouts. When the first wave of bogies was about to stab into them, the admiral barked out orders. “Disperse and dive!” Then he pulled upwards. The ships broke formation, and followed him up in an arc shape. The zerg thrusted themselves like a blade underneath the protoss, who in turn changed their flight path, and dove, falling like a wave on top of the xenomorphs. They opened fire, blue lasers and photon missiles rained on top of the zerg. Several mutalisks and corruptors were destroyed. The rest flew upwards to collide head on with the protoss. As the two squadrons passed through each other, ten more bio flyers and three scouts fell. An unlucky phoenix found himself on an inevitable collision with a corruptor. Realising he would not make it, the protoss opened fire in attempt to deal as much damage to the giant creature, while shouting. “EN TARO TASSADAR!” Sadly, the phoenix’s light weapons merely did several small wounds to the corruptor’s heavy armor, before the protoss ship was smashed in the beast’s large jaws, leaving blue liquid to drip from them. After the short moment of its victory, the corruptor’s head exploded from a set of photon missiles, fired by a scout. In the mean time the terran ships had been given hell. A banshee was maneuvering its way in order to evade three mutalisks, which were relentlessly following her. For some reason her cloaking field had jammed, and refused to activate. “Mayday, mayday! I’ve got three light bogies on my tail, and my cloaking is out of order!” She yelled in her mic. A nearby Viking flew over to help. He positioned himself between the banshee and her chasers, white transforming to his assault walker form. He then turned the mutalisks to shreads with his dual machineguns. Seven cloaked wraiths were picking off brood lords and corruptors, before two of them were decimated in one of the purple energy blasts coming from the planet. Using their beam cannons, the carrier and the four void rays were vaporizing heavy targets from a distance, while several scouts and the carrier’s interceptors provided the large ships with cover. Slowly but certainly, giving as few losses as possible, they pushed to the planet’s surface. Vipers split smaller ships in two, piercing them with their tongues. Ten of them hooked a battle cruiser, and abducted it, close to the atmosphere. Mutalisks and corruptors bombarded it, while the brood lords rained broodlings on it. The miniature monsters dented the surface of the ship on impact, after which tore open the metal thin layer, by thin layer, before dying. The captain of the ship called Raynor. “Sir, were taking heavy damage! We aren’t gonna make it!” The commander rubbed his chin for a moment, before speaking. “Ignore the zerg. Transfer 60% of the full power to the shields, and the rest to the engine. Dive straight for the planet. Several minutes before the impact with the ground, shoot out the entire crew out in pods. Let the ship crash, and clear us a landing zone. One you’re on the surface, try to hold your ground for a minute or two for the rest of our and the protoss’ troops to touch down, and back you up.” “Roger that sir!” The captain replied, before starting to bark out orders. The golden squadrons shot their way forward, keeping the loaded warp prisms and medivacs protected. -- Several hybrids, in the company of a dozen zerg ground units and several corrupted zealots, looked up, seeing the falling battle cruiser. The units capable of projectile attacks bombarded it. The vessel caught fire from the heavy damage, but that did not halt its intended collision with the ground. “Ron, did you set up the timer?” The suited in his armor captain loudly asked the ship’s engineer, who in turn replied. “Aye sir! The pods be shootin’ out’a ship in exactly two minutes.” His superior nodded, then turned to Raynor, using he communicator in his armor. “Commander, ya reading all of this?” “Loud and clear Starson. The rest of the capital ships will drop down their cargo in a minute to synch with you. Tosh and his boys will touch down first. Co-op with them, and wait for Swann and Stetman to land with the heavy infantry and hardware. Next I’ll be touching down with the new recruits and the rest of the infantry.” Jim instructed. “Roger that sir. Alright boys…Let’s give ‘em hell!” Starson shouted, raising his mechanical arm in the air. What followed were the loud cheers of the loaded in pods, medivacs, Vikings and heavy assault walkers crew. The creatures below continued their bombardment. In a minute multiple objects ejected from the B.C., before it smashed into the ground. Everything beneath it was crushed, and the explosion obliterated everything in a mile radius. Afterwards pods, ships and large mechs rained on top of the few survivors. The marines, marauders and specters shot off incoming hostiles from behind the wrecks of the pods and the battle cruiser, supported by the heavy fire of four siege tanks and three thors. A large mass of zerglings and corrupted zealots, led by several dozens of banelings, whose target were terrans’ cover walls. About a hundred meters away from the rabble, three warp prisms flew over the small base. Each unloaded a single colossus. The towering robots annihilated the acid bombs from a distance, after which joined the humans in dealing with the rest of the biological army. Then two more warp prisms flew over. The five vessels stationed themselves in their phasing mode, and units began to warp in underneath them. By the time Swann, Stetman, fifteen marauders, sixteen siege tanks and seven thors landed, the protoss had warped forty zealots, fifteen sentries, twenty stalkers and thirteen immortals, led by three high templars. The small army fortified its position, while waiting for the rest of the reinforcements. Heavier units began to assault them. Roaches and hydras pushed along side an ultralisk. They were followed by two giant dark purple, almost black, hybrid reavers and a slightly smaller, colored in pale gray and blue, hybrid destroyer. It launched a giant blast of purple energy, which obliterated the “wall” of rubble, along with two marines. The invaders were pushed back when the ultralisk tore through the rest of their defenses, and rammed into a colossus, breaking its legs. The golden giant fell from its own height and exploded. The rampaging behemoth opened the way for the lighter units. However, the creature did not have much time to bask in its glory, as the immortals, tanks and thors turned it into a bloody mass of swiss. In the time being, zerglings, corrupted zealots, roaches and hydras lunged at the infantry. The zealots chopped them down, with the help of the terrans. A marine was toppled by one of the roaches, which was about to liquefy his upper body with its acid spew, when a blast of blue energy left a hole in its head. The marine pushed the husk off himself, and looked up in the sky, before yelling out. “It’s the commander!” A black drop ship , with skulls painted on its sides flew down, along with several other ships. They dropped off twenty more marines, Raynor and the five champions. Ezreal was bearing a proud grin, satisfied with his roach kill. “Nice of you to drop by cowboy.” Swann chuckled. “Couldn’t let ya have all the fun now, could I?” Jim replied. “Um, question.” The Prodigal explorer raised his left hand. “Where’s Heimer?” As if to answer his question, a giant mech dropped from the sky, crushing a reaver. It was a thor, who was quite redesigned. Its right arm was converted into a giant machinegun, and its left arm was merged with a siege tank. The mech turned to face the incoming hostiles. Each of his legs shot out four spheres, which turned into turrets, just when they hit the ground. After that, the voice of the Revered inventor was heard through a microphone. “Come at me you underdeveloped single celled organisms!” Then the machinegun rattled, leaving a trail of dead roaches and zerglings. The hybrid destroyer launched an energy blast at him. The mech shook, its chest steamed, but the metal armor held. Next, the tank arm fired in a group of banelings, several of which were tossed into the air by the shock wave. Five splashed on the destroyer, melting its head. The sight left the invaders deadpanned. Swann raised his claw, pointing at the bizarre contraption, and asked. “He put a tank…on a thor?” His voice was the mix of surprise and confusion. “Yeah, he does that.” Caitlyn said casually, as she shot down a corrupted zealot. “That’s pretty slick. Swann you should start mass producing these.” Raynor turned to the engineer in the marauder suit. “James Raynor.” One of the high templars got the commander’s attention. “We should advance on the position of the survivors.” He said. Jim nodded, and then started to give orders to his crew. “Alright guys, it’s a nice picnic spot we’ve got here, but we have to get a move on! Tanks watch our six, the stalkers and sentries will lead the avangard. Thors mix in with the immortals, and split to keep our flanks clean. Infantry, provide support fire with the colossi from within the ball.” “I will call down the rays of the sun to evaporate and slow incoming enemies.” Leona spoke up. “Good. I would like you guys to help the lady fry everything around us.” Jim turned to the three high templars. “We shall summon storms so grand, they would rival those of the elders.” The templar, who appeared to be in charge said. “I didn’t catch your names.” Raynor spoke. “High templars Saranim, Lah’rock and Kajorn.” The leader – Saranim, replied. “And what about us?” Pantheon and a zealot eagerly asked in union. “And who the hell are you, Mr. fancy pants?” The Artisan of war snorted. “Lieutenant Anomandaris. Trainer and military supervisor for the zealot barrack for the past century. One of the few surviving defenders of Aiur, and veteran from the front of the protoss-zerg war on Shakuras.” The proud soldier replied, with a hint of irritation in his voice, before asking haughtily. “And what sorry excuse for a warrior might you be?” “Oh, he did not just go there!” Ezreal exclaimed as he fired an energy blast at a hydra, trying to break in from the left flank. The metal covered spearman bumped his hidden face into that of the protoss, and as the two started to push each other, head only, the shield bearer answered. “Pantheon – the Artisan of war. Finest fighter from Rakkor – a village, whose soul purpose is to breed the finest warriors to ever step on Runeterra for over a thousand years.” The two pushed in opposite directions, while exchanged angry growls. “Shut it you two!” Raynor got their attention, before continuing. “The last thing we need right now is a freaking power struggle! Lieutenant, you, your squad and Pantheon will stay inside of the ball. If something breaches the perimeter, it will be your job to mop the floor with it, but until we get to the survivors, don’t leave the circle." “With all due respect commander, but we are supposed to be at the front, fighting for our people!” The protoss protested. “Sorry to disappoint you Lieutenant, but you’ll be more useful to your people alive!” Jim replied. “Why you…” The zealot muttered, and was about to reach for the commander, but he suddenly stopped, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Anomandaris, that’s enough.” The deep voice of High templar Kajorn was heard. “Control your temper. The terran’s words be true, you’d do wisely to heed them.” “But sir, this tactic undermines all of the training me and my men have undertaken through our entire lives…” Anomandaris protested, before being cut off by Lah’rock. “You dare question a High Templar, Lieutenant?” “Anomandaris, Prelate Zeratul, High Arc Artanis and Admiral Urun trusted James Raynor. That’s more than good enough of a reason for us to do so as well. If we are willing to give the terran a chance, at the very least it will be disgraceful for you to not.” Saranim stepped in. The protoss sighted, and turned to the commander. “I will follow your leadership James Raynor…for now at least.” “I appreciate that.” Jim replied. -- All of a sudden the ground beneath them started to rumble. In a moment ten roaches unburrowed underneath them. The beasts killed two zealots and several marines, before being shot down. “Matt send us down some ravens ASAP!” Raynor yelled in his communicator. “I don’t think the buried ones are out biggest problem brotha.” Tosh said, turning everyone’s attention to the front. The sentries activated their guardian shields, stopping the projectiles, consisting of poisonous spikes, acid spews and several large purple energy blasts. Two of those however, broke through the shields, taking down a colossus, and obliterating two siege tanks. Before them were three hybrid destroyers, two reavers, ten roaches, twenty hydras, forty zerglings and fifteen corrupted zealots. “Damn, it’s gonna be hard breaking through that.” Jim sighted. “Commander, I have a question for you.” Heimer said as he moved his maniacal contraption to the front. “Why are helium, curium and barium called the medical elements?” Raynor gave a confused look to the rest of the champions. “Just go with it.” All of them sighted. Taking the advice he asked. “Why?” “Because if you can’t helium or curium,…you BARIUM!” The Revered inventor yelled the last words as he smashed a button. His mech squatted a bit, its back opened, and four cannons came out, bombarding one of the destroyers and the surrounding it units. The other thors did the same. The tanks continued to guard the rear, blasting away incoming hostiles. A mass of lings and roaches charged from the right flank. A ray of light came down in the middle of them, and after a moment it exploded, evaporating, stunning and slowing the creatures march, long enough for two thors and the last colossus to obliterate them. The front was still under assault. Heimer’s mech started to give in under all the damage it was taking. Blue energy started to reap from the high templars’ eyes, as they raised their arms and heads up. The moment they brought them down, three enormous clouds of pure energy annihilated almost everything in front of them united army. The only survivors were the very heavy armored creatures, but their exoskeletons were almost melted. “Good thing Ryze doesn’t know that trick.” Ezreal exclaimed. All of a sudden two ultralisks and a brutalisk unburrowed, tossing four tanks in the air. The pilots ejected before their machines smashed two immortals. The brutalisk and one ultralisk started to cut down he thors, taking out half of them, after they smashed the last colossus. Soon after though, their armor gave in, and the remaining immortals and thors shot them down. In that time, the other ultralisk stepped over the tanks, smashing about seven. The pilots of both the mechs and the vehicles managed to escape their rides, before their destruction. In the end, the invaders were left with seven tanks, five thors, not counting Heimer’s, and eleven immortals, in terms of heavy hard ware. From the holes in the ground, left by the giants, zerglings started to pour out, giving Pantheon and the zealots some fun. “Sir, there’s something you’ve got to hear.” Matt called through the communicator. “Matt I hope you’ve got some good news for me.” Jim said. “The silo where the survivors are is right in front of you, but you’ve got less than twenty minutes, before Mohandar’s fleet arrives.” The captain replied. “Perfect. There’s always a catch, ain’t it?” The commander sighted. Mopping up the few storm survivors, the group faced their last obstacle. Right in front of the elevator leading down to the silo, stood six hybrid destroyers, which put the invaders to a halt. One of the central ones stepped forward, and spoke with a screeching ecoing voice. “You shall nor proceed, any further!” The floating tentacles from its back stabbed the heads of the other hybrids, and started to drain them from their power, until they were fully sucked in, increasing the size of the absorber to that of a thor. It launched two giant dark violet energy blasts, destroying the remaining tanks and three thors. The pilots managed to escape. The other two mech drivers and Heimer ejected as well, when the charged hybrid raised their machines into the air, disassembled them into pieces, and dropped the scraps on top of the immortals, crushing four of them. Everyone still up started to shower the abomination with their projectiles, but none had any effect but making their target laugh. “How in the hell do we stop this thing?!” Raynor exclaimed. “You don’t…we do.” Saranim stated as he and the two templars stepped forward. “Sir…you’re not going to…” Anomandaris spoke up worriedly. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do.” Kajorn replied. “Um…I don’t follow. I admit the lightning stuff was awesome and all, but what are they gonna do to that thing?” Ezreal asked confusedly. “The templars are going to merge.” The Lieutenant quietly replied. “Do not let out sacrifice be in vain, and save the survivors.” Lah’rock turned to both Anomandaris and Raynor. Then the three templars gathered together, and in a moment their bodies disappeared in a ball of blue energy. -- The giant monstrosity before the leftovers of the army, gave out another laugh, before thrusting its arms at them, shooting out two large blasts of energy. The six champions were the only ones to duck for cover, everyone else didn’t even flinch. Cait, Ez and Blitz merely peeked. The blasts were flying without even a hint of slowing down, when suddenly they exploded. When the six fully opened their eyes, they noticed that nothing was damaged. Next their gaze shifted to the front. On top of the energy ball the templars had formed a large protoss upper body. The whole thing was slightly shorter than the hybrid, but still quite large. The energy being stunk of raw power. It was slightly turned to the side, its left arm stretched at the hybrid’s direction, and the hand was in a halt gesture, with the palm steaming. With a very deep and ecoy voice, even for a protoss, it spoke. “Annihilate!” Then it thrusted its right arm forward, shooting out lightning like energy from it, right in the hybrid, pushing it back a step. Both beings pushed their arms, shooting their energy blasts in the ones of their opponent. The lightning and beam flows hit eachother, and refused to back down as the two energy giants started to walk at one another, until they grabbed each other’s hands, entering a power struggle, pushing in opposite directions, not breaking eye contact. After another thrust from both sides, a small energy burst happened. A shock wave came out from the tussling beings, which made both the protoss and the terrans behind them shake. After several hand commands, the two parties followed Raynor past the energy beings, to the large structure. The elevator took them down to the base level of the silo. They walked down the spacious hallway, leading into the structure. Rabble was scattered all around. The group was put to a halt, when several shots were fired at their feet. Three protoss, holding gaus rifles, from behind a large piece of metal, raised the guns, and their leader spoke to the terrans in the front, not noticing his kinsmen in the back. “Stop terran scum! You are not taking any of us, so you can make more of those abominations!” “Whoa there buddy, we’re here to get you off world, not capture you.” Raynor said. These protoss wore the typical gold armor, but it seemed kind of powered down. “We want to help you.” The commander continued. “Don’t lie to me filth!” The leader stated with anger in his voice. Just when Jim was about to protest, he was cut off by the Lieutenant. “Lower the weapons.” The three toss’ eyes widened as they saw the new speaker step forward. “Lieutenant Anomandaris?” One of them barely uttered. “We’ve come to rescue you and the other survivors. Now take us to them.” The zealot ordered. “But sir, how can we trust these terrans?” The leader of the three protested. What seemed like the mix of rage and annoyance filled Anomandaris’s eyes, forming a scowl on his face. He stepped forward, almost bumping his head in the one of the other protoss, and spoke with a hint of irritation in his tone. “How can we trust them? Admiral Urun and his squadrons are fighting the zerg monstrosities along with the terrans, awaiting Prelate Mohandar and his fleet to arrive, and destroy this parasite planet. These terrans helped us reach you. Both sides suffered casualties, in order to save you. In fact, if it wasn’t for these terrans’ initiative,” He pointed at Raynor. “…we wouldn’t even know you were even here!” The zealots were taught to never know fear, but the target of the Lieutenant’s scolding seemed a little shaken from Anomandaris’s small outburst of anger. After a few moments of unbreakable eye contact, the lieutenant continued. “Now I’d suggest that you start walking, because Mohandar will arrive shortly. Not to mention all of you survivors should be honored beyond imagining. Three fine High Templars sacrificed themselves for you.” “You don’t mean…that they merged?” The third unnamed protoss asked with a shocked tone. “Yes. As we speak, the Archon, who shall be known as Sarlah’jor, is fighting a hybrid, which drained the power of five of its kind, so that we might have a chance in getting you out.” Anomandaris stated. The three exchanged a look or two, before their leader turned around, and motioned for their rescuers to follow. As they were walking, Ezreal walked next to Jim, together with Heimerdinger, and asked the commander. “Say, what’s the deal with these ‘archons’?” “Yes it’s quite peculiar indeed. Would you be so kind as to enlighten us about them?” The yordle added. “I don’t know if now is the right time.” The armored man said. “Do it.” Anomandaris spoke, not turning to face them and continued walking as he instructed. “Every creature must know of one of the most glorious ways our strongest die.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s this talk of dying, and sacrifice? The dudes were fine. A little rugged looking, but fine.” The Prodigal explorer exclaimed. “Okay, let me clear that out for you.” Raynor sighted. All of the champions and most of the terrans hushed, and awaited their commander to start. “The protoss’s power comes from two different energy “wells”, found inside their very being – the Khala and the Void.” “Wait, they are connected to the Void?” Leona interrupted. “No, not all of them. Just the Dark Templars. Before the foundation of the Khala, the Void was the protoss’ power. “The old way”, as it’s called. What do you know of it that made you so jumpy?” Jim wondered. “Where we come from, there is something also known as the Void.” Caitlyn said with a neutral tone, still bearing her usual stoic expression. Raynor raised an eyebrow. “It is a dark place in between worlds, home to nightmarish creatures, who I must say, look very similar to your zerg, but are far more different. More intelligent, and capable of speech. They destroy worlds not to assimilate the life forms on them, but to feed on the magical energies left after a planet’s doom.” Heimerdinger explained. “Your false “Void” has nothing to do with that of the templars.” Anomandaris spoke up. “The Void known to us is as James Raynor said, a “well” of energy, found in every Dark Templar. It is not a place, and it does not seek power to feast on, but is a sourse of immeasurable power, born in every shadow walker. (D.T.)” The Lieutenant finished. “Said in a simpler way, the Dark Templars are the Void itself.” The commander said, before continuing. “Some protoss can tap deeper in these “wells of power” more than others. The High Templars are so skilled in using the power of the Khala, that they don’t use weapons like the energy blades of the protoss warriors. The reason dark ones use blades is because their psyonic abilities are different in a way. But templars, both high and dark are not equal. Some are more powerful than others.” “Different how?” The Revered inventor asked. Raynor began to explain. “The Khala teaches how to bring psyonic energy from your mind to the physical world. For example, the storms Saranim, Lah’rock and Kajorn made. They didn’t summon thunder clouds, and make them roar out lightning, they took out the energy from their minds, and materialized it in the form of a storm. Another example, they can infuse their psyonic energy inside of other living being. Combining with the energy already in that body, it creates an overloading “feedback” effect, which fries everything inside of the body, mainly the brain area. This also works on mechanical things as well. As for the Void, it’s more mystical. Instead of physical damage, it deals more with illusion, targeting not the body, but the being. It also has this “feedback” effect, but instead of frying your insides, it burns your very consciousness, or for you magic related folk – your soul. The other abilities it gives the Dark Templars are that of cloaking themselves, and that to teleport between short distances. The similarities between the two are the making of energy blades, reading, communicating with and manipulating minds.” “Okay but what does that have to do with archons?” Blitzcrank asked. “I was getting to that.” Jim replied, before continuing. “Both kinds of templars can merge into archons. Their bodies fully transform into pure energy, which combines with that of the other participants in the merging. Removing the physical limits, the protoss who fuse together unlock their own psyonic potential to a full 100%, and combine it.” “I still don’t see the problem.” Ezreal snorted. “Even if their bodies are from energy, housing so much power makes them unstable, not to mention that the two or more consciousnesses inside also tear it apart. The whole thing is kept together by the power of the templars and a single strong thought, which the mergers shared, which sustains the archon for twenty minutes tops. In short, the stronger the merging templars are, and the more each of them has concentrated on a single task, the longer an archon can live. But because this fusion means certain eventual death for the templars, they do it only as a last resort, and it is a great honor for any living being to know that sometemplars had made this sacrifice for them.” Raynor finished. The next few minutes were silent. After them they reached a large room filled with protoss, some armed with terran weaponry, other with their own. Anomandaris stepped forward, and addressed them all. “Brothers, sisters, your imprisonment on this accursed rock of a world is over!” Mumbling was heard amongst the crowd, before the Lieutenant continued. “Both terran and protoss lives were lost in order to save yours. Prelate Mohander’s fleet is arriving to rid the universe of this disease planet, and as I speak to you, the Archon Sarlah’jor is battling an empowered hybrid abomination.” The mumbling renewed, but this time, the most repeated question was easily heard. – “An Archon?” “You will have plenty of time to pay your respects to the High Templars, who sacrificed themselves, but first you have to survive.” Anomandaris spoke again. “Sir, we’ve got five minutes before Mohandar arrives!” Stetman exclaimed worriedly. In a few minutes all of the protoss got up. Then Jim spoke in his communicator. “Matt send down the drop ships for pick up.” -- Upon the surface Sarlah’jor was battling the empowered hybrid. Both giants exchanged purple beams and psyonic lightning bolts, sometimes chucking an object using telekinesis. The place where they had had their power struggle was now a smoldering crater. The archon dodged the torn off leg of a thor, before saying. “Eradicate!” Then he thrusted both his arms, shooting psyonic lightning, which hit the hybrid slightly above the knee, tearing off its left leg. The tentacly pale gray and blue mass dropped on the ground. Then Sarlah’jorn stretched his arms to the sides, slowly raising them in the air. Small stones and machine parts all around them started to levitate, when two giant boulders were torn off from the ground. Then the archon clapped his hands, the two boulders squishing the hybrid between them. The usual mob of roaches, zerglings and hydras charged at him. He fired another set of bolts from his arms, obliterating lots of them. Then the combined army started to come out of the elevator silo, together with the survivors. The zerglings lunged on top of them. One toppled Anomandaris, who held its jaws from delivering a fatal bite. Then a spear punctured the ling’s head, and tossed it away. Pantheon reached down, and pulled the Lieutenant up. Medivacks and warp prisms started to pick up the survivors as the Archon and the armed troops shot off any hostiles. -- Matt was giving orders, when he saw a giant white hole open in the empty space to the right of the Hyperion. Twenty phoenixes, twenty three void rays and three carriers leaked out of it. Leading them was a slightly larger, black and orange void ray, with spikes on the rotating boosters around the orange prismatic core. A black helmeted protoss appeared on the screens of Matt and Urun, and spoke. “En Taro Tassadar! Have the united forces gotten the survivors off world yet?” “They are just being picked up, Prelate Mohandar.” Captain Horner replied. “We need just a few more minutes.” “Mohander, position your fleet around the planet, and I will send for the carrier and void rays from mine to add themselves as well.” Urun instructed. “Orlin allakal alash. It will be done.” The Prelate said before speaking to his fleet. “We press forth!” -- In the mean time all of the survivors had been picked up by either prisms or medivacks. Next were their rescuers. Several warp prisms loaded the protoss, and the five drop ships sent for Raynor and his crew were being currently boarded. No hostiles were in sight for the past minute. Right before she got on the ship, Leona turned around, and looked at the standing still archon. “Aren’t you going to leave?!” She yelled so he could hear her over the ship engines. Sarlah’jor turned around and spoke calmly. “My task is complete. The people are safe. There is no reason for my existence anymore." The Radiant dawn’s face formed into a scowl. “You know, I’ve come to respect your people, but this the biggest load of shit one of you has ever said!” She yelled back at him. “Bitch what are you doing?! That’s a bloody ARCHON! He’ll kill us now!” A marine exclaimed, before being knocked out by Pantheon. “Just because you have completed one task doesn’t mean that you have to end your life!” The champion of the sun continued. The energy giant thought for a second, before speaking. “But what am I to do?” Then all of a sudden a warp prism stopped over him, and a voice was heard from it. “I never thought I’d say this about a terran, but she speaks true!” Anomandaris stated. “You are not dying on this accursed planet! Saranim, Lah’rock, Kajorn, you hear me?! Not on my watch!” “But what am I to do?” Sarlah’jor repeated his question. “You can attend the Archon preservation program. Until we find a way to keep you alive you will be in stasis, and revived when your people have need of you again. Besides, as the terrans say.” He chuckled. “There is no way in hell that I am leaving a friend behind!” After a moment of thought, the Archon simply nodded in acceptance, and the prism loaded him. With that done, Leona boarded as well, and they were off the dreaded world. -- “Fire!” Mohandar shouted. Twenty four void rays and four carriers surrounding the planet, fired their main weapons at it. The beams hit the surface, and began to dig down to the very core. The planet cracked and magma began to spill on top of it. In a minute, the whole space body exploded into medium chucks of rock. “Never thought I’d see another one of those since Char Sara.” Raynor almost whispered, as he and the champions joined Matt on the bridge of the Hyperion. Urun, Mohandar and Anomandaris were in a split screen. “Thank you James Raynor, and your people, for once again aiding the protoss.” The Admiral said. “The pleasure is all mine Admiral. Point us to a safe space, where we can transfer to you the survivors aboard our ships. But before that…” The commander got the three high ranked protoss’ attention. “I believe these six,” He stepped to the side, revealing the champions. “…have a request for you.” “And what might that be. Speak terrans.” The Lieutenant said, with what seemed like…a cheerful tone. “Yes, hello, well--” Heimer began to speak, when a certain mage interrupted him. “Yeah, hey almighty…aliens. So you see we’re kinda stuck ‘round here and we apparently need your help to get home. So can you give us some of that psystuff you have?” Ezreal blabbed out. Everyone, the protoss on the screen included, gave him a confused glare. Then Mohandar spoke. “Some humans have redeeming qualities…you’re not one of them.” The grinning mage’s face dropped in an instant. Then Heimer picked up, where he was cut off. “Forgive us for that. He is slightly…underdeveloped in the brain area.” “HEY!” The Prodigal explorer exclaimed. “Anywho, we are from far away. Our way back is this rune.” He showed them the enchanted stone. “But it has been cut off from the mana flow, due to its very slim presence in this part of the cosmos. In order for us to return, we have to reconnect it. And for that we need to use some of your psyonic energy. Could it be possible for you to borrow us some?” The three protoss though it out, while discussing the matter telepathicly. Then Urun spoke. “Meet us at these coordinates.” A beeping noise on another holoboard informed them, that they had received a message. “There we will transfer the survivors, and we will send you a crystal shard charged with psyonic energy.” Pleased with the terms the champions nodded, as a single thought passed through their minds. ‘Home.’