Starcraft: Warriors of Purity

by Xarmar13

Liberty: Power of the Sun

Sweetie and Lyra returned to the bridge after enjoying a salad from the ship’s cafeteria. When they arrived, Matt notified Sweetie that he received an encrypted transmission from an unknown source. It detailed some of Tosh’s past as a member of Project Shadowblade, who use Jorium and Terrazine to enhance Ghost powers.

Tosh didn’t deny the accusation, further detailing that he was referred to as a Spectre.

“Well, not really any news there. Sweetie already told me that much back on Mar Sara,” Raynor said. “Any idea where the transmission came from?” he asked Matt.

“No sir. But it does end with ‘I’ll be in touch soon,’” Matt responded.

“It’s Mengsk - trying to turn us against each other. Don’t let him,” Tosh warned.

“Anyone you know that would use this method to communicate with us?” Sweetie asked.

“Could be any Ghost. But if there’s one that might personally have it out for me, it would be one of his top assassins, Nova Terra.”

“Got any info on her?”

“We used to be close once. We trained together at the same academy. Participated in a number of mission together, even shared a passionate moment every now and then. Unfortunately, that was not meant to last. She subjected herself to numerous memory wipes while I became immune to them. She is nothing more than a tool for Mengsk to use and discard as he wishes, now.”

“I’ll keep that in mind when we meet.”

Lyra went to the cantina to fuel her addiction to the game, at least until she beats the top score. Crew members were starting to place bets on when she will do so. A few suggested that she won’t. More believed that she might within a week.

As this was going on, the news gave a special report of a Dominion weapons plant exploding and taking out several housing complexes with it, killing thousands. Dominion Security wanted to blame Raynor, but the modus operandi didn’t fit the rebel leader, suggesting that someone or some people with sophisticated stealth technologies were responsible.

Meanwhile, Sweetie talked to Swann at the armory. Since he had mentioned Siege Tanks last time, she was eager to learn if there was anything he had done to improve the destructive power of the vehicle.

“So, you’re here to find out what improvements I made for the Siege Tanks?” Swann asked.

“What do you have for me?” Sweetie asked.

“Well I got some improved shells for the shock cannons for their siege mode. Not only are the shells reshaped by a disposable AI in each shell to reduce friendly fire, but the shells are equipped with an armor-piercing tip that devastates the primary target.”

“Well, I’m glad that I won’t have to worry as much should I wind up in the field with one of our Siege tanks firing at my position,” Sweetie said before thinking, “Not that I’d be stupid enough to engage enemies from a position like that.”

“So, tell me about yourself. I’ve seen you around long enough but I don’t know much about you. Only know what I do from the commander.”

With nothing better to do, Sweetie and Swann went to the cantina to have a drink and talk about themselves. Swann talked about the more interesting parts of his early life, his time as a slave worker on Meinhoff, and the time he lost his left arm. Sweetie talked about her days as an agent for S.M.I.L.E. and some of the events that led her to the Koprulu sector, leaving out as much of the magical details as possible.

As time passed, Swann was looking a little drunk while Sweetie was able to hold her drinks better than he could. Sweetie decided that she had enough and went back to her room and waited for Lyra so they could spend some alone time together. She didn’t have to wait long.

The next day, relative to onboard time, Sweetie and Lyra went to the bridge to discuss their next operation.

Tychus had received word from Moebius that another artifact fragment had been located and they were being sent to acquire it. The fragment was located on a dead world called Xil. Apparently, whatever life had existed on the planet went extinct eons ago. The ruins likely held useful relics but the large structure that was targeted by Moebius was where the artifact fragment was stored.

Moebius sent a specialist team two days ago but lost contact with them. The equipment was left behind though, which struck Sweetie as odd. There was also a giant laser drill that the team intended to use to open the decrepit structure.

Scans were unable to locate the specialist team, nor the mysterious cause of their disappearance. Sweetie and Lyra, however, had a hunch about what happened. The possibility of his involvement was too great to dismiss.

---

Not even a minute into their arrival on the dead planet and they ran into a Tal’darim patrol.

<“You again? As if desecrating our altars was bad enough, now you seek to plunder the treasures of this world?”> Nyon said.

“You wouldn’t have to complain about it so much if you would learn to respect my rank,” Lyra countered.

<”I am above even the Highlord. My purpose has been given to me directly from the Xel’naga.”>

“He must be really high on Terrazine to say something like that,” Lyra whispered to Sweetie.

Sweetie locked down the Stalkers while Lyra outmatched the Zealots and dispatched them quickly. Sweetie mercilessly blasted the helpless Stalkers.

As they advanced, Raynor warned of a threat of multiple Photon Cannons around the corner. Swann had a pair of Siege Tanks deployed to deal with them from outside the Cannons’ range.

Further ahead, another patrol was hunting them from the lower ground. The Siege Tanks positioned themselves on the high ground to give them enough freedom to attack without retaliation.

With the second patrol eliminated, the Raiders were free to inspect the Moebius base. What surprised Sweetie the most was the fact that the Tal’darim left the equipment intact, this told Sweetie that Nyon was either a genius for potentially sabotaging a base or an idiot for simply leaving the equipment alone. After inspecting the base, Sweetie concluded the latter.

With the base functions taken over by the Raiders, it was time to resume the operation that the Moebius team left behind.

“Fire it up! One hundred and seventy four gigawatts - ‘the power of the sun at your fingertips.’ Now get it aimed at that door and let’s get cuttin’!” Tychus stated as the laser drill was activating.

Once the laser drill began burning its way into the structure, Nyon alerted his nearby troops to attack them. Thankfully, there were only two easily defendable positions into the base. Bunkers filled with Marines and Marauders with Siege Tanks adding to the defense would make the base difficult to infiltrate.

Sweetie didn’t want to take chances so she had a number of Missile Turrets installed near the drill in case the Tal’darim wanted to deploy their ships.

The Tal’darim began sending waves of attackers against the Raiders. Siege Tanks played a crucial role in the defense with Marauders and their concussion grenades dazing them long enough to be taken out at range.

Soon, the Tal’darim began sending tougher enemies to deal with. Archons gathered outside their bases along with another mechanical enemy that Lyra had learned about during her stay with the Slayn Tal’darim. She told Sweetie that they were called Immortals and their shields were especially difficult to penetrate. With few options available to them, the Raiders decided to stop drilling for a moment and fire it at the Immortals and Archons.

Knowing that this would take a while if Nyon kept sending tough enemies their way, Sweetie decided that they needed to go on the offensive. Gathering a team of Marines, Marauders, Medics and Siege Tanks, Sweetie led an assault on the northern Tal’darim base.

While the group managed to do some damage, they were ultimately wiped out, but not before allowing Sweetie a means of sneaking into their base without issue. Nyon made another foolish mistake, Sweetie noticed. He didn’t bring Observers.

Capitalizing on that, Sweetie directed the drill at the Tal’darim structures and blasted them one by one, prioritizing the Photon Cannons to prevent Sweetie from being discovered. Sweetie dealt with any Probes that wandered too far from their Nexus while the drill continued to slowly level the Tal’darim base. Soon, the northern base was wiped out, leaving the defenders with less to deal with.

Nyon stepped up his game by sending Scouts, Void Rays and what Lyra called Warp Prisms directly at their base. They were all shot down by the numerous Missile Turrets defending the drill.

Lyra was curious about the smaller ancient structures nearby so she checked them out herself, bringing a pair of Siege Tanks as escort. The tanks destroyed any Photon Cannons near the ruins and Lyra slashed apart the Protoss in the area. After, she directed the drill to open up the structures in the ruins so she could check out what was inside. She found a number of Protoss relics which left her wondering if the race that once lived there were related to the Protoss or if the Tal’darim stored their relics in the ruined structures. She was almost certain it was the latter.

Sweetie decided to finish the job against Nyon’s forces and use another group to attack the base to the east. Sweetie managed to sneak inside again and directed the drill against the structures. A garrison was left in the previous base to make sure any sneaky Probes don’t get the bright idea to rebuild in the area.

Once the last of the Tal’darim in the area were eliminated or forced to retreat, the Raiders had all the time in the world to open the ancient temple and escape with the artifact. Nyon sent one last transmission before he fled, displaying pure anger at being bested again.

With the third fragment of the ancient relic collected, the Raiders abandoned the dead world and returned to the Hyperion.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

How many chapters long will this story be?

[Xarmar13]

9748430
I'm not really sure. I still have to get through this campaign as well as Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void.

[Black--Soul]

With nothing better to do, Sweetie and Swann went to the cantina to have a drink and talk about themselves. Swann talked about the more interesting parts of his early life, his time as a slave worker on Meinhoff, and the time he lost his left arm. Sweetie talked about her days as an agent for S.M.I.L.E. and some of the events that led her to the Koprulu sector, leaving out as much of the magical details as possible.

I want details

As time passed, Swann was looking a little drunk while Sweetie was able to hold her drinks better than he could. Sweetie decided that she had enough and went back to her room and waited for Lyra so they could spend some alone time together. She didn’t have to wait long.

Yay for snu-snu ♡

<“You again? As if desecrating our altars was bad enough, now you seek to plunder the treasures of this world?”> Nyon said.

That guys death will be a blessing...

With the second patrol eliminated, the Raiders were free to inspect the Moebius base. What surprised Sweetie the most was the fact that the Tal’darim left the equipment intact, this told Sweetie that Nyon was either a genius for potentially sabotaging a base or an idiot for simply leaving the equipment alone. After inspecting the base, Sweetie concluded the latter.

Game logic

Soon, the Tal’darim began sending tougher enemies to deal with. Archons gathered outside their bases along with another mechanical enemy that Lyra had learned about during her stay with the Slayn Tal’darim. She told Sweetie that they were called Immortals and their shields were especially difficult to penetrate. With few options available to them, the Raiders decided to stop drilling for a moment and fire it at the Immortals and Archons.

Taldarim use void energy... Always wondered why they become Dark Archons...

Once the last of the Tal’darim in the area were eliminated or forced to retreat, the Raiders had all the time in the world to open the ancient temple and escape with the artifact. Nyon sent one last transmission before he fled, displaying pure anger at being bested again.

Jim Raynor should swim in money. Always staying and mining the battlemaps crystals should make him rich or not?

[Black--Soul]

9748430
Never enough in the end
9748552
Yesssss

[Black--Soul]

Cloaking is half there strength. One reason by Ghost get unlocked so late in the campaign

[Black--Soul]

I guess all the mental defective are following this absolutely mad Taldarim? Why follow him otherwise. Unless he is rather peaceful outside his mania?

[Black--Soul]

Rather confused why none kill this mad Protoss and takes his followers for himself.
Unless Amon actually uses him...

[Black--Soul]

In game it makes sense to not mine every ressource for they don't carry over, in real life I rather would say that Raynor is paying off old debts, paying backlog payments of loyal followers, maintnance cost and probably way overdo general overhauling everything.
The Hyperion is seeing a lot of action, now that they actually have the money, replacing old cables etc probably is way overdo.

Also mercenaries are not cheap, it took years of solowork of Sweetydrops to get where she get millions for the campaign, makes sense that Raynor stays when possible to mine the local battlefield dry before leaving behind the buildings to sell of later.

[Xarmar13]

11884911
It does make me wonder if minerals are the main currency in the Koprulu Sector where instead of the Gold Standard like on Earth before the Great Depression, they have the Mineral Standard. Credits could be defined in terms of minerals.