Well, here we go – the long-awaited conclusion to the story of sapient life's battles against the fallen Xel'Naga known as Amon, and his army of monstrous Hybrids. And I will not be following the Protoss for the entirety of the fic; I'm going to try to show DDF activity every other chapter or so, and they're going to have a more active role alongside Artanis' Protoss for the "Return to Aiur" and "Into the Void" arcs. And yes, the ending will be different.

Also, I will be changing Amon's motivations around some for this story (partially because in Books 14 and 21 I already jumped the gun and established his personality before LOTV fleshed him out canonically).

THE FOLLOWING THINGS ARE THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS; I DO NOT OWN THEM AND MAKE NO MONEY OFF OF THIS STORY

Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha (Teana, various other characters) – 7Arcs

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Shion and friends/family) – 07th Expansion and Studio Deen

Shuffle! (Kaede Fuyō and associated characters) – Navel and Asread

Erika's New Perfume (Marie, Sarah, Erika, Timmy, Veronica) – DeviantArtist 'Lance the Young'

Mai-chan's Daily Life (Mai, Kizuna) – Waita Uziga

Star Wars (Ahsoka, Cody, Rex, Force Unleashed cast) – George Lucas, Lucasfilm

Halo (Forerunners, UNSC, Sangheili Alliance) – Bungie, 343 Industries

StarCraft(multiple characters, events, and devices) – Blizzard Entertainment

Naruto (characters, techniques, abilities) – Masashi Kishimoto

Mahō Sensei Negima (characters, spells, abilities) – Ken Akamatsu

Kingdom Hearts (characters, weapons, enemies, concepts) – Square-Enix

Neon Genesis Evangelion (characters, concepts, tech) – Studio Gainax

Elfen Lied (Kaede K., others) – Lynn Okamoto, Arms

Red vs. Blue (The Blood-Gulch Crew, the ex-Freelancers) – Rooster Teeth

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – Hasbro, Lauren Faust

Transformers Film Series – Hasbro, Michael Bay

Transformers: Beast Wars – Hasbro, Mainframe Entertainment

Yu-Gi-Oh! – Kazuki Takahashi, Viz Media

Sonic the Hedgehog – SEGA

Gears of War – Epic Games

Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles – Columbia Tristar (I think)

Mass Effect – Bioware

Metroid – Nintendo

Puella Magi Madoka Magica – Gen Urobuchi, SHAFT

The Legend of Zelda – Nintendo

Tōhō – ZUN

RWBY – Rooster Teeth

Pretty Cure / PreCure – Toei Animation

Kill La Kill - Trigger

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

-BOOK 31 START-

Realm SC-29 – Canonically-Unnamed Star System – High Orbit over Planet Aiur

Khala-class Supercarrier Purity's Blade

Hierarch Artanis, 'young' leader of the united Protoss people, stared out through the massive viewscreen overlooking a fleet of gold- and blue-colored warships orbiting the planet of greens, browns, and blues, seeing it for the first time in nearly five years. So much had happened that led to this moment – both here in this Realm, and as part of the Protoss' membership of the 'Dimensional Defense Force'. Artanis and the other members of the Twilight Council had worked hard to foster unity amongst their people, and had brought many previously-neutral 'tribes' back into the fold. There were only two big exceptions – the Tal'darim, and another splinter group who'd refused peace with the Dark Templar. Supposedly, that tribe had run afoul of Kerrigan when she was consumed with vengeance against Arcturus Mengsk, and when they'd picked a fight with her they had not survived her wrath.

Speaking of which, Kerrigan had earned some goodwill with the 'Daelaam' – the name for the primary united body of Protoss – thanks to her Swarm coming to the aid of Shakuras during the Reaper War, and the fact that once Shakuras was confirmed Reaper-free, she'd ordered her Zerg to peacefully leave the planet. The Protoss had then lent their Golden Armada to the fight against the ancient metal abominations, helping see that war to its end, when the Crucible's energy fired, slaying the C'tan known as Harbinger and all his minions. After that war ended, Kerrigan had made her exit, taking her Swarm to hunt for Amon and his Hybrids. She hadn't been heard from again yet. The Terrans, meanwhile, had returned to Korhal, to finish cleaning up the mess Arcturus' deposing had made, and prepare themselves for whatever was to come.

Now, returning his focus to the moment, Artanis looked out over the Templar warriors under his command – aboard 'his' ship (actually Selendis', but she allowed him to use it as his command ship for this campaign) and the others –, and projected his 'voice' to them all.

"Templar! At long last, we stand at the threshold of destiny! For today, we will restore the glory of our legacy! Today, we will retake what we have lost, and reclaim! Our! Homeworld!-!"

A rising cry of "For Aiur!-!" rang out in response.

"And may the Khala's light guide us…" Artanis spoke softly to himself.

"The invasion fleet stands ready" Selendis reported as she strode up beside him. "We await only your command, Hierarch."

"You must halt this invasion at once!"

The sudden voice startled those on the 'bridge'. They turned to see a whorl of black Void-'smoke', and from it emerged a familiar Dark Templar Prelate.

"Zeratul…" Artanis whispered in surprise.

"Templar!" Selendis cried out angrily, igniting her psi-blade. "Arrest this traitor!"

"No!" Artanis stopped them. "We will hear him out…"

"The end war has come" Zeratul said. "Amon, the Dark One, has returned! His Hybrids have begun to awaken!"

"This heretic cannot be trusted!" Selendis snapped. "Amon was slain by our allies!"

"You only destroyed his physical form, the mutated and empowered body of a Protoss he took as a host millennia ago; his spirit, his true essence, returned to the Void, and the 'essence' and power torn from the Queen of Blades on Char was used to restore to him his power. This invasion is a distraction from the war ahead. Amon's fury will engulf the entire galaxy! Artanis… I have found a way to stand against the coming darkness. You must believe me!"

"…We have been through much together, Zeratul" Artanis finally spoke. "But, far too many have sacrificed in the hopes that this moment has come to pass. And it has built up too much 'momentum' for me to stop this late in. …Executor, commence the invasion!"

As Zeratul looked away grimly, Protoss warriors began warping down to the surface of Aiur en masse.

-Break-

On the surface of Aiur, a Feral Zerg hive-cluster got a nasty surprise as a Protoss Mothership's ventral beam incinerated the entire base and its population. With the area cleared, a small fleet of Warp Prisms flew in, and flashes of blue light accompanied the warping in of a massive force of Protoss – Zealots, Stalkers, and Immortals.

"The reclamation of Aiur is underway" Selendis reported. "We are preparing to siege the warp network at Karasahn now." [AN: Unsure-because-no-subtitles word #1…]

"Well done, Selendis" Artanis replied. "Once the warp conduits are free of infestation, our forces will strike as one across the surface of Aiur."

"The Templar await your command, Hierarch…"

The Protoss army advanced, marching feet stirring the dust of Aiur's soil. Soon, the first Zerg defensive line became visible ahead: a sizable pack of Zerglings, a handful of Spine Crawlers, and a mighty Ultralisk. As they approached, a precision shot from the earlier Mothership as it fell back roasted the Ultralisk and a handful of Zerglings that had been too close to the beast. The remaining Zerglings, spotting the advancing Protoss, charged as one. The Immortals took position, firing their mounted heavy cannons, cutting down Zerglings at an impressive rate. As the remaining beasts closed, the Stalkers opened fire as well, and finally the Zealots moved in, using their psi-blades to begin slashing and stabbing the creatures as they got close. With their shields and support fire, no Protoss were lost to the Zergling rush. Next, the Immortals systematically bombarded the Spine Crawlers from a safe distance. Once the path was finally clear, the attack force advanced.

"Warriors," Artanis called out, "Aiur awaits you! March forth and take it!"

As they moved on, another large pack of Zerglings rushed in from up ahead. However, a quartet of mighty Colossi walkers emerged from the lake nearby, turning their heavy plasma lances onto the rushing horde, burning the lot of them to a crisp well before they could close into melee range.

"I have diverted some Colossi to join your forces. Use them well, Artanis."

Up ahead, another nest of Spine Crawlers was defended by a Hydralisk pack. Again, the heavy units – Immortals and Colossi – stood back, first picking off the Hydralisks and then clearing out the Crawlers. Shadows passed by as, overhead, a squadron of Phoenixes chased down a flock of Mutalisks. As the attack force advanced further northwest, approaching another Crawler field, an Ultralisk emerged from beneath the earth and Creep, roaring out as it began to charge. Immediately every soldier focused fire on the behemoth, but it still managed to close and use its massive blades to kill a trio of Zealots with one swing before it finally took too many hits to its head and collapsed.

After the Spine Crawlers were burnt away from range, the attack force moved southwest across a hardlight bridge, the Colossi using their thermal lances to incinerate a Hydralisk and a small Zergling pack trying to bar the path. Up ahead, a pack of Hydralisks ambushed the attack force, managing to slay a few Zealots before the rest hacked them apart. Beyond them, a Zerg Hive stood, its Creep polluting the landscape while its Drones harvested the nearby mineral field. The Colossi and Immortals worked to destroy/kill the living structure, while the Zealots and Stalkers moved in and mercilessly hunted down the Drones. A pair of Warp Prisms flew in, depositing another half-dozen Zealots.

As the attack force advanced, a Colossus barely avoided being hit by a fatally-damaged Phoenix as it plunged to the earth. As the Mutalisks responsible flew overhead, the Stalkers opened fire, killing a few of them and forcing the wounded survivors to fly away. The next field of Spine Crawlers had another pack of Hydralisks guarding/supplementing it, and concentrated fire from them managed to down a Stalker and a few Zealots before the rest took them out. The Spine Crawlers were cleared from range once more, and the attack force moved north.

Finally, they reached the first warp conduit, 'clogged' by Creep and Zerg biomatter that kept it offline. A sizable pack of Zerglings charged, and the four Colossi put their thermal lances to work, culling most of the little beasts' numbers. The remainder slammed into the 'wall' of Zealots, killing a handful of the Protoss warriors before being taken down. After the long-range attackers took out the few Spine Crawlers, they focused fire on the Zerg structure that engulfed the warp conduit, destroying it and allowing the massive structure to come to life, thrumming with power. Flashes of light accompanied a sizable force of Zealots and Stalkers warping in.

One notable thing about the newcomers was what a few of them were riding. Since becoming part of the DDF, the Protoss had forged ties of varying strengths with the other member-states. They were particularly close, however, with the Sangheili, the two races getting along quite well. They had started to share technology, and a few Sangheili weapons and vehicles had become somewhat popular amongst the Protoss – the Needler, Fuel-Rod Gun, Carbine (the projectiles' toxic/radioactive properties made them quite effective against Zerg, due to their unique genetic & cellular structure rendering them rather vulnerable to radiation poisoning), and Plasma Grenade were not-too-uncommonly seen wielded by Protoss foot-soldiers. In addition, the Protoss (both Khalai and Nerazim) had become quite taken with the 'Ghost' Rapid-Attack Vehicle and 'Wraith' Assault Gun Carriage, to the point of constructing their own. This current force of warped-in reinforcements included five Zealots piloting Ghosts, the vehicles decorated in gold and blue, with Protoss energy-shield generators installed.

"Two warp conduits remain in the grip of the Zerg" Artanis addressed his soldiers. "Ready yourselves, brethren! We move for victory!"

The attack force moved northeast across another hardlight bridge, encountering another nest of Spine Crawlers with Banelings and a Guardian. The Guardian began lobbing explosive concussive bile blasts at one of the Colossi, but the Stalkers shot it down before it could breach the walker's shields. Meanwhile, the Immortals and the Ghost-riding Zealots opened fire on the Banelings, taking them out before they could close in. The ranged attackers then cleared out the Spine Crawlers and Creep Tumors, and then moved on the Hive not too far away to the northwest, quickly eradicating it and its Drone attendants. Some blood rained down on some of the warriors as a small flock of Mutalisks was shredded overhead by a Phoenix squadron. A few Warp Prisms added a quartet of Stalkers to the attack force, which then moved east.

Up ahead, a crashed Archon-class cruiser was being besieged by Zerg forces, with Zealots and a few Immortals fighting to defend it; one Zealot was overcome by Zerglings, though mercifully one of them tore his skull open, killing him instantly and thus sparing him the horror of being disemboweled as the other beasts tore him asunder. The attack force blitzed in from the west, precision thermal-lance shots from the Colossi deep-frying most of the Zerglings, allowing the Immortals to kill the rest. The cruiser's surviving warriors promptly joined the attack force, accompanying them southward.

The next Spine Crawler / Creep field had Raptor-strain Zerglings guarding it, the high-speed beasts leaping through the air to close in on the Zealots. As the Protoss melee warriors handled their Zerg counterparts, the Colossi, Stalkers, and Immortals focused fire on the Hydralisks supporting the Zerglings from the rear. Around 8-10 Zealots fell to the onslaught before the way was finally clear.

The next warp conduit, to the southwest, was heavily defended – a Queen, a pair of Guardians, a pack of Zerglings & Hydralisks, and as the Protoss force opened fire a Nydus Worm emerged from the earth nearby. The Ghost-riding Zealots focused fire on the Nydus Worm, killing it before it could disgorge more than a dozen Zerglings, and the Stalkers dealt with the Guardians and Queen, losing two of their number in the process. The Immortals and Colossi, meanwhile, made short work of the Zerg ground forces, and then joined their fellows in annihilating the Zerg infestation that kept the warp conduit offline. With the conduit online, another sizable force of Zealots and Stalkers was warped in, along with a pair of Protoss-enhanced Wraith mortar-tanks.

The third Hive, just northeast of the conduit, was guarded by a pair of Ultralisks. The Colossi focused fire on one, while the Immortals and the Wraith tank started lobbing concussive heavy psi-blasts and plasma mortars at the other. The twin beasts roared and charged, managing to trample a few Zealots before being brought down. Now unguarded, the Hive was quickly slain by bombardment from the heavy units, allowing Warp Prisms to fly in and deposit Zealots to replace the fallen.

Moving back to the second warp conduit, the attack force moved southeast across another hardlight bridge. A nearby Creep field was guarded only by a pack of Zerglings… but as the attack force moved in, the Colossi beginning to burn them, the ground burst open as a sizable Hydralisk pack emerged surrounding the Protoss and began to open fire, while an Ultralisk emerged right beside a Colossus and tackled it, knocking it over and quickly cutting it apart before the others killed it. The Protoss rallied, killing the ambushers, but losing a handful of Zealots and a few Stalkers and a Ghost speeder, as well as an Immortal taking damage.

"Artanis," Zeratul said, "this brood is coordinated. Their actions are intelligent, beyond feral Zerg."

"You speak truly, Zeratul" the Hierarch replied. "An unseen hand moves them. We must be on guard."

Moving south, they encountered one more Hive, guarded by Spine Crawlers, Mutalisks, and a Guardian. The Stalkers shot down the air units, losing two in the process, while the Colossi and Immortals cleared out the Spine Crawlers, allowing the Zealots, Ghosts, and Wraith to move in and wipe out the Hive. Another Warp Prism dropped off three more Immortals and a second Wraith, and the attack force moved northeast.

"The final conduit lies before us! Show the Zerg no mercy!"

As the force made their approach, two Nydus Worms emerged from the earth, while Zerglings and Mutalisks attacked as well. The Wraiths began bombarding the Worms with plasma mortars, and the Stalkers cleared the sky, while the Colossi and Immortals took out a fourth of the Zerglings before they closed in to melee range to engage the Zealots. A Hydralisk pack emerged in ambush as the Zealots advanced, killing a couple of them before the Immortals took them out. The Nydus Worms keeled over dead, their hides blackened by plasma impacts.

Suddenly, flashes of light descended upon the battlefield. From them emerged three creatures, 20-30 feet in size, their black hides bearing dark-blue glowing markings. Mouths lined with huge fangs roared out, and glowing eyes looked out at the attack force, who gazed in shock.

"Firstborn," one of the Hybrid Reavers 'spoke', "your fate is sealed."

Immediately the Immortals, Ghosts, Wraiths, and Colossi focused fire on the Hybrids as they charged, the monsters closing in and beginning to tear Zealots apart.

"Impossible…" Zeratul breathed out. "Hybrids on Aiur! It is they who have been leading the Zerg!"

Though they were mighty foes, and scored a few kills, the Hybrid trio could not stand against the sheer amount of firepower they were faced with – focused fire from the Immortals and Wraiths killed two, while the third was slain by a fuel-rod shot to the face from one of the Zealots. As the attack force advanced on the final warp conduit, though, three more Hybrids emerged, along with a swarm of Zerglings.

"This is the end of your race!"

As the Zerglings kept the Zealots occupied, the Hybrids coordinated and destroyed a Colossus. The Zealot-piloted Ghosts moved in, their rapid-fire heavy plasma cannons burning away at the monsters' hides, soon joined by the Immortals while the Stalkers and Wraiths aided the Zealots against the Zerglings. One Immortal was destroyed, a Hybrid Reaver tearing it open and actually eating the Protoss inside, before it was then killed by the other Immortals. The other two Hybrids fought on, destroying a few Stalkers and one of the Ghosts, but soon they were surrounded and overwhelmed. Meanwhile, at the cost of nearly a fourth of their number, the Zealots had slain the Zerglings. With the way clear, the surviving attackers quickly cleansed the nearby warp conduit.

"The warp conduits have been secured" Selendis reported, as Scouts and Phoenixes began flying into and through the conduits, along with a few capital ships. "Our starfighters are moving in to take this fight across the surface."

"Take command of the invasion, Executor" Artanis ordered. "Zeratul, you and I must discuss this most recent turn of events further."

-Break-

The Purity's Blade slowly flew by overhead, moving through the thick clouds that presently obscured most of Aiur's sunset sky. Artanis stood watching as the ship flew overhead, and he listened as footsteps came behind him.

"It seems the 'End War' you warned of has begun…" he remarked. "Tell me, old friend, what is it you have learned?"

"I have witnessed the end of all things…" Zeratul replied. "Horrific legions of Hybrids razing world upon world. In the darkness, lording over them, a shadowy form – Amon."

"Yet you spoke of a way to stand against him."

"This vision was a benevolent one, as if an ancient voice called out from beyond: 'The Keystone shall usher you unto hope'."

"Keystone?"

"I saw a burst of light revealing the Xel'Naga artifact presently on the Terran world of Korhal. It is the 'Keystone' of this vision. The prophecies speak of Xel'Naga standing against Amon in the end times. I believe this Keystone will guide us to them."

Artanis stood as Zeratul psychically projected an image of the familiar Artifact. "…I have always trusted you, Zeratul. But the burdens of leadership demanded much of me. There are times I am uncertain whether I was truly ready for such weight."

"Your doubt is unfounded, young Artanis. You must embrace what you have become if you are to be the leader we now need."

After a few seconds, Artanis spoke with confidence. "You will go to James Raynor on Korhal and receive this Keystone. I will marshal our forces for the war ahead. When you return, the Templar will be ready. En taro Tassadar, old friend."

"…En taro Artanis, brother."

-Break-

As Zeratul and his three Stalker comrades approached the landing pad, they were met by a horrible sight: a familiar prong-shaped stealth ship, reduced to a pile of broken, burning debris.

"The Void Seeker lies in ruins! What has transpired here?"

He received his answer as a Zergling pack emerged from the ground nearby. Immediately the Stalkers opened fire, their particle-disruptor blasters slaying the beasts before they could claw through the walkers' shields.

"The Zerg in this area should have been eradicated…" Zeratul mused. "Stalkers, hurry to the Nexus point nearby and warn our brethren. I must investigate this further."

As Zeratul left, the Stalker trio headed east, gunning down Zerglings as they tried to ambush them. They 'Blinked' across a broken bridge, and shot down a pair of Mutalisks that blocked their way across the next still-intact bridge. Crossing to the northeast, they arrived at a Nexus point. However, they found it eerily still and silent.

"Zeratul…" Selendis contacted, sounding worried. "The Templar stationed here… I can no longer sense them within the Khala."

"Is that not impossible?" the Prelate replied. "Protoss cannot 'disappear' from the Khala unless their nerve-cords are severed."

"Then the impossible has happened. I can no longer sense Artanis; there is only a void in the Khala where he should be."

"The shadow moves against us, Executor. Artanis is in grave peril."

"Then you must ready an army and find him. My phase-smith, Karax, will help you reestablish this Nexus point. Zeratul… please, save Artanis…"

"Greetings, Dark Prelate Zeratul" a male Protoss' voice was heard as the Nexus came online, dispatching Probes to gather resources and warp in an Assimilator atop the nearby Vespene geyser. "I am Karax of the Khalai caste."

"Friend Karax, we must establish this Nexus as quickly as possible."

A few power-pylons were warped in, allowing a squad of Zealots to emerge from one of the Gateways. Two of them moved out northwest a little ways, finding a Void Pylon and enabling three more Stalkers to be warped in, following them back to base. For the next several minutes, Probes warped in a few more pylons, and the Gateways disgorged several more Zealots and a couple more Stalkers, building up a solid expeditionary/attack force.

Finally, with about 15 Zealots and 8 Stalkers, they moved northwest, and almost immediately ran into a Zergling pack supported by a pair of Mutalisks. As the Stalkers shot down the two flyers, the Zealots expertly dispatched the charging ground creatures, their psi-blades carving the Zerglings apart. After waiting for a few more Zealots and another Stalker from the main base, they moved west, encountering a Roach pack; dodging the creatures' ranged bile blasts, the Stalkers returned fire and slew the beasts, while some Zealots foiled a small Zergling pack's attempt to flank the Nerazim walkers.

Moving west, they encountered a small Zerg base centered around a Lair, defended by Mutalisks and Spine Crawlers. The Stalkers worked to clear the air, while the Zealots rushed in, doing their best to dodge the lunging spikes of the Spine Crawlers and close in to tear the living defensive structures apart. Two Zealots were killed, but the remainder destroyed the Crawlers in a wave of glowing blue blades, and they & the Stalkers promptly killed the Lair and its attending Drones. Just north of the base, another Void Pylon, once activated, warped in four more Stalkers.

As the attack force started northeast, they got a nasty surprise as an Ultralisk approached. The Stalkers focused fire, aiming for the head, and managed to deal enough damage to kill it right before it could get into range to start smashing Zealots. However, in the monster's wake came something even more distressing: a squad of Protoss Zealots, their eyes glowing red.

"Nerazim, deniers of the Khala!" one of them shouted. "Die!"

They charged the attack force, their gazes focused on the Stalkers especially, but the non-hostile Zealots stood in their path, barring their fallen fellows' way and engaging them in battle. Outnumbering the fallen ones, the Zealots managed to dispatch them at the cost of four of their own.

"These Zealots have been corrupted" Zeratul mused. "The Hybrids must be behind this. Let us move with purpose!"

The next Hive Cluster was more heavily defended, with Zerglings, Mutalisks, Roaches, and another Ultralisk. The blade-wielding Zealots threw plasma grenades at the charging Zerglings that wiped out a quarter of them and then met the rest with their blades, keeping them off of the Stalkers and a trio of FRG-wielding Zealots fresh from the base as they focused on the Mutalisks and Ultralisk. One Stalker was crushed by the beast before it fell, while five more Zealots fell to the Zerglings and Roaches, before the base was cleared of defenders and promptly razed. Fortunately, more Zealots came in from behind from the main base.

Moving west, destroying/killing a couple more Zerg structures, the attack force reached a Protoss base… and every single Protoss there turned their guns or blades on the force, charging them in a mad rage.

"Executor Selendis," Zeratul reported, "I have encountered your missing Templar. But, they have been corrupted, as if possessed."

The Stalkers opened fire on a pair of corrupted Scout fighters, blowing them out of the sky, while the FRG-Zealots fired explosive green blasts that quickly destroyed the base's lone corrupted Immortal. Although a few more Zealots fell, they managed to help wipe out the remainder of their corrupted brethren.

"…Selendis?"

"Zeratul…" Artanis' voice was heard, struggling as if in pain. "I… I can sense your presence. The Khala is filled… with rage; my mind is being… consumed!"

"Artanis! You must hold on; we are coming for you!"

As Zeratul prepared to leave the base, however, an unholy voice rang out:

"YOUR LIVES ARE MEANINGLESS; PURPOSELESS. THROUGH DEATH, I BRING SALVATION…"

In a pulse of baleful red light, the entire force of Zealots fell to their knees, and then straightened with glowing red eyes, and turned their might upon Zeratul and the Stalkers, destroying three of the latter. The remainder and Zeratul immediately teleported out, appearing on the far side of a nearby broken bridge. Through his communication channel, Zeratul heard panicked reports from his Nerazim brethren all over the planet, as their Khalai allies fell under an evil spell and turned upon them.

"Amon… The Dark God is here, on Aiur! He has wrested control of the Khala! …The Templar have fallen! With our nerve-cords severed, only we Nerazim remain unaffected. It falls to us to halt this madness, brothers. We must reach Artanis; I pray we are not too late…"

Zeratul and his Stalkers moved northeast, watching as a few non-corrupted Zealots were surrounded and hacked apart by their fallen former-brothers. Zeratul then warped in, his superior skill and agility allowing him to move about the fallen Zealots, slaying them with ease. Ahead, more corrupted Zealots rushed toward them, only to fall to the Stalkers' guns.

Moving southeast, they watched as more corrupted and non-corrupted Protoss battled one another, with more and more of the latter suddenly becoming the former by the second. Once all had fallen, they charged at Zeratul's force, psi-blades now a tainted red color. The corrupted Zealots managed to destroy two Stalkers before the others and Zeratul struck them down. Now, they approached the ruins of an old temple.

"I sense Artanis within… Brothers, hold here. I feel this is something I must do alone…"

-Break-

As thunder and lightning cracked through the storm clouds overhead, Artanis knelt, his body and armor crackling with crimson energy.

"I… I can hear his whispers…"

"Fight, Artanis!" Zeratul cried out. "Do not let Amon consume you!"

"Unending… hatred…"

"He has corrupted the Khala! Your nerve-cords chain you to his will." The old Prelate stepped forward, igniting his emerald Void Blade. "They must be removed…"

He charged in with lightning speed, swinging his blade… and being stopped by the crimson psi-blade projected from Artanis' left wrist. As Artanis turned to face him, the Protoss leader's blue eyes turned red.

"NO…"

'Artanis' then released a pulse of psychic energy, and Zeratul Void-Jumped away, barely avoiding the brunt of it. The instant he reappeared, the possessed Templar leapt at him, and the Dark Templar leapt back to avoid a ground-shattering punch. As Zeratul made another chain of Jumps, carrying him outside, 'Artanis' activated twin crimson energy blades. He reappeared behind Zeratul, who back-flipped to dodge a stab; in midair, over Artanis, he swung his blade at the corrupted Protoss' nerve-cords, but missed. The instant he landed, a hand grabbed him by the throat.

"THIS BODY… ALL PROTOSS… ARE MINE."

Amon-Artanis then threw Zeratul into a wall, and blasted him with red psionic lightning.

"I WILL SHATTER THIS CORRUPT CYCLE, AND LAY CLAIM TO ALL THAT IS. YOU WILL NOT STAND AGAINST ME."

As Amon-Artanis floated off the ground, gathering power, Zeratul slowly got to his feet, grim conviction in his eyes as he ignited his Void Blade.

"My life… for Aiur!"

Amon-Artanis charged, crimson psi-blades readied. As he reached, there were twin flashes of light, green and red, as the two Protoss ended up on opposite sides, backs to each other. After a second, Zeratul's blade fizzled out, and he fell to his knees. Amon-Artanis turned to face him… and his nerve-cords, severed just behind his head, fell away. Amon's voice cried out in anger as his power and his consciousness were kicked out of Artanis, returning the Protoss control of himself. As Artanis fell to his hands & knees, his blue eyes looked up… just in time to see Zeratul begin to fall.

"The Keystone…" Zeratul's psychic voice was weakened and distorted "will guide you… to the Xel'Naga…"

And with that, the emerald light of the old warrior's eyes went out, as his body collapsed to the ground. Artanis staggered over to him, despondent.

"Zeratul…" he murmured in a mourning tone, cradling his old friend's body even as it began to disintegrate into dust in the wind. "Forgive me…"

As the last of the Dark Prelate faded into nothingness, Artanis knelt and picked up his Void Blade. Standing tall, he looked to the green crystal set into the bronze-colored device, and then up at the thunderclouds overhead as Zeratul's face-mask drifted away in the wind.

-BREAK-

Midchilda

The six human girls of Gamma Team were interrupted from their relaxed chatting by their Togrutan comrade entering the room, looking frazzled and upset, one hand to her head.

"Ahsoka?" Teana stood up, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I… I sensed it…" she said, sounding shaken. "I was meditating just now, connecting with the Force, and I sensed it from Realms away. Millions of Protoss minds, all being engulfed and consumed by red darkness and hate… Darkness possessing them, wrenching control away from their minds… And… I… I sensed Prelate Zeratul's spirit… passing on to the Beyond…"

Looks of shock were on the girls' faces, with some horror on Shion's. Just then, Cross Mirage chimed. Pulling the card-form Device out, Teana projected a holographic screen, showing fresh new reports pouring in from Realm SC-29 – Khalai Protoss falling into a crazed rage with their blue eyes turned red, Tal'darim Protoss striking with surgical precision and cruel ruthlessness at outlying systems, crimson-eyed Zerg emerging from hiding and beginning to ransack and butcher everyone in their paths, red-&-blackarmored human soldiers with dead eyes full of mad hatred assaulting and gunning down Dominion soldiers and civilians alike… and reports of huge, monstrous creatures leading and commanding these forces. Seeing an image of one such creature, Teana paled as she recognized it immediately.

"Hybrid…" she breathed out. She looked to her team. "It's finally happening… Amon's finally making his move – Tal'darim, Mobius Corps, whatever Zerg that Kerrigan hasn't gotten control over… and from the sounds of it, he's even used the Khala – the Protoss' racial psionic gestalt-link – to take control of them all; only those with no connection to it, like the Dark Templar, would be immune."

"Prelate Zeratul… could've found a way to stop this…" Shion murmured. "Amon knew that, so he… he…"

The leader of Gamma Team hardened her expression. "This is it, girls. According to the latest reports, the higher-ups are already mobilizing all over DDF space. Spread the word. And get ready for another war."

-BREAK-

Aiur - after nightfall

A mortally wounded Dark Templar warrior, crawling along the ground, succumbed to his wounds, his body dissolving into particles of energy as a crimson-eyed Zergling calmly walked past. The beast and its fellows approached another Dark Templar, who stood exhausted between them and a Khalai Protoss in engineer's garb. The Nerazom warrior readied his Void Blades, preparing himself.

Suddenly, another Zergling leapt in from the right, catching the Dark Templar off-guard and slamming him to the ground. He quickly sliced the beast's head off, but it had given its packmates time to close in, and they rapidly tore the warrior to shreds as the defenseless Khalai Protoss backed away. A Hydralisk emerged from the bushes, its eyes glowing a baleful red in the night as it hissed and moved toward the lone Protoss, backing him against a wall.

The Hydralisk roared, preparing to strike… and a sapphire-hued psi-blade tore through its chest from behind. The monster fell, revealing Artanis supported by a trio of Zealots. The four rescuers charged in, meeting the Zergling pack's attack. The Hierarch channeled his rage over recent events, slicing the Zerglings apart with skill and focused ferocity, ending by slicing the final one in half lengthwise. He then turned to the now-rescued Protoss engineer.

"Phase-Smith Karax," he said, "I have been looking for you."

"Artanis! Praise the gods!"

"Your never-cords… they must be removed." He began to advance on the engineer.

"It was done by the Dark Templar" Karax replied, showing the cauterized ends of his severed nerve-cords behind his head. "I am free of the Khala's corruption. Are there others?"

"I have saved all that I could…" Artanis glanced at his de-nerve-corded Zealots, and he & they disengaged their energy blades. "Come; we must escape this world before time runs out."

"Escape? How?"

"The Spear of Adun still rests beneath the ruins of Kar-shakal. Its generators are ancient, but a phase-smith of your ability will know how to bring them online."

"The Spear of Adun… I… I am honored to have the opportunity. This is fortune we cannot ignore."

"Indeed. Come; we must go at once."

-Break-

The area that was once the city of Kar-shakal, home of the now-long-deceased Conclave, was again populated as Artanis' forces got a base up & running, with Stalkers and de-corded Zealots as defense. In the middle of this region, a very large golden tower was visible emerging from beneath the old stone walkways and structures.

"The Spear of Adun lies dormant beneath the heart of the Conclave" Artanis said. "I had hoped to raise it to secure our victory against the Zerg, but now… it is our last hope for survival.

"ARTANIS…" the Dark God's impossibly deep voice spoke through his current puppet, a familiar female Protoss. "WHY DO YOU FLEE FROM YOUR SALVATION?"

"Selendis… She has fallen under Amon's control. Karax, we have to bring the Spear of Adun online!"

"The first power cell is activating," the phase-smith reported as a pyramidal structure near the base opened up, revealing complex machinery, "but the remaining four have been disabled by Creep."

"I see…" Artanis consulted the tactical display, which showed four similar structures half-covered by the grayish-purple Zerg biomatter, and defended by Amon's Zerg. "We have no choice but to clear them. What of our defenses?"

"Unfortunately, they are without power. However, the Spear of Adun's support systems can aid us. They will allow us to deploy pylons anywhere on the battlefield."

Artanis tapped into the command link to the ancient arkship, and soon a power-pylon was rapidly warped in near the photon cannons and shield-generator stationed near the base's eastern entrance, bringing them online. A Probe hovered over and warped in a third cannon between the already-present two, while more Probes worked to gather vital resources from the mineral fields and Assimilators near the Nexus. Zealots and Stalkers began to emerge through the Gateway, which transformed into Warp Gate form. Soon, another Probe called in a shield-battery and a few photon cannons to protect the other, southwest entrance to the base.

A pair of Hydralisks leading a dozen Zerglings approached from the northeast, charging up the access ramp. The photon cannons promptly opened fire, firing at the charging Zerglings, with one of the Zealots using a Sangheili Carbine to join in. The Stalkers, meanwhile, moved at the Hydralisks, particle-disruptor shots blasting away at the scythe-armed monsters. One of the photon cannons joined them in this, and the Hydralisks were soon slain, while the Zealots and cannons quickly finished off the Zerglings.

Karax highlighted on the tactical map a few unpowered Warp Gates in the area, with one of them just to the west of the base. Soon, an attack force of Stalkers and Zealots moved east, toward the nearby Creep-covered power cell defended by a Hydralisk pack. Noticing the Protoss' approach, the pack-leader roused its four packmates, and they all made ready, opening fire with high-velocity armor-piercing venom-tipped spines. The Protoss made evasive movements as they closed in, their shields taking what couldn't be dodged, as the Stalkers and the Carbine-wielding Zealot returned fire, downing one of the Hydralisks. Two of the remaining beasts rushed to meet the charging blade-wielding Zealots, only for the experienced Protoss warriors to evade the monsters' attacks and strike them down. The Stalkers focused fire on the pack leader, killing it, and the Zealots then handled the remaining two. With the defenders cleared out, they turned their guns and blades on the Zerg matter clogging the power cell, destroying it and freeing the structure which then came online.

"The second power cell is active" Karax replied. "The Spear's sensor array is reacting…"

"DO NOT DENY YOUR DESTINY, ARTANIS… YOUR PEOPLE HAVE FINALLY FOUND TRUE 'UNITY'…"

"Sensors online. Wait… What is this? Warp Prisms approaching our Nexus point?"

The attack force hurried back to base, just as the red-tinted Warp Prisms deployed a squad of corrupted Zealots. The Stalkers and photon cannons worked to quickly shoot down the Prisms, while the de-corded Zealots engaged their possessed brethren in battle, bolstered by the cannons and by more Zealots emerging from the Warp Gate. Though one of Artanis' soldiers fell, the rest withstood the assault, slaying Amon's thralls… except for one. One of Artanis' Zealots got lucky, and managed to sever the nerve-cords of one of the possessed Zealots. The soldier roared out as crimson energy was ejected from his body. After a few seconds, he regained himself, his now-blue eyes looking up from his kneeling posture as his savior extended a hand to help him to his feet. Looking around at the others, he nodded; he would join Artanis' forces, and do what had to be done.

Some Zealots moved west, to the nearest unpowered Warp Gate. Artanis called in a power-pylon from the Spear of Adun, restoring energy to the structure which then warped in a trio of Stalkers. A Probe hurried over, warping in a photon cannon and shield-battery to defend the structure. Radar detected a Zergling pack approaching the Nexus from the south; as they closed in on the base's southern entrance, the Stalkers and Zealots near the new Warp-Gate hit them from the side, catching them off-guard and slaying a good number of them well before they could get into melee range. With further support from the now-online photon cannon, the little Zerg were soon wiped out.

A now-sizable attack force moved south, soon hitting a small corrupted-Protoss expansion site with Zealots and a photon cannon. The Stalkers opened fire on the cannon, wrecking it before it could cause too much damage, while the Zealots engaged their fallen counterparts, outnumbering and overwhelming them. A short distance west, they found a second unpowered Warp Gate, calling in another pylon from the Spear, and the Gate promptly deposited several more Zealots and another few Stalkers, along with a crate of Sangheili-made weapons acquired via the two races' good ties – some Needlers, plasma grenades, and a Fuel-Rod Gun - and three Protoss-modified Ghost attack-craft which were mounted by a trio of Zealots, adding to the attack force's long-range firepower.

"ALL LIFE IS BROKEN – FLAWED. IT MUST BE REFORGED."

Moving further south, they encountered another power cell, guarded by a small flock of Mutalisks, a pack of Hydralisks, and a few corrupted photon cannons. The FRG-wielding Zealot and the Ghost pilots used their heavy weapons to bombard the photon cannons, wrecking them while the Stalkers quickly shot the Mutalisks out of the sky. Two Hydralisks died in pretty pink explosions as multiple Needler rounds triggered proximal resonance instability and went off with the force of high-yield grenades. Speaking of which, a plasma grenade blew the head off another Hydralisk, while the melee Zealots rushed in and dealt with the rest, losing one of their number; a second Zealot lost his shields in the fight, but managed to survive with a small bleeding cut from a narrowly-dodged grazing strike; he ignored the minor wound. Soon, the power cell was cleared of Creep and other biomatter.

"EVERY HAND TURNS AGAINST YOU. EVEN THE GROUND BENEATH YOUR FEET CARRIES THE SEEDS OF YOUR DESTRUCTION."

That was all the warning they got before a sextet of Nydus Worms erupted from the earth at points surrounding the Nexus point. The attack force quickly hurried back toward base, encountering one Worm and quickly killing it and its few guards. Closer to the base's south entrance, the photon cannons (now a half-dozen at each entry point of the base, with two shield-barriers at each point as well) cut down the charging Zerglings, while the Ghosts sped ahead and gunned down the Nydus Worm just outside the base's south accessway. The attack force then made a circuit around the base, hunting down and killing the four remaining Worms and the paltry guard forces defending them, while the base's photon cannons made short work of the attacking Zerglings and Hydralisks that went for the base.

The attack force now gathered at the courtyard southeast of the Nexus point, and then moved southeast and then northeast, encountering a Spine Crawler and Hydralisk pack. Two Zealots were killed by the Crawler before Stalker fire killed it, while the Ghost-riders made use of their hovercrafts' agility and heavy plasma cannons to make short work of the Hydralisks. Soon, though, an Ultralisk with a pair of Mutalisks supporting came rushing in. The Zealots scrambled to get out of the way, with two of them not being fast enough, crushed beneath the titan's foot and torn in half by one of its massive blades. Plasma grenades, Ghost plasma-cannon bolts, and fuel-rod shots impacted the beast, whittling away at it, while the Stalkers kept the Mutalisks out of the picture. Finally, at the cost of four more Zealots, the mighty beast was slain.

Moving on, they ended up east of the base, finding another inactive Warp Gate. Another pylon was warped down, bringing power to the structure and allowing it to warp in Zealots and a few Stalkers to replace the fallen. A Probe – having just finished stealthing its way to the southwest Warp Gate and warping in defensive structures there – came in and did the same here, adding a pair of photon cannons and a shield-battery. And just in time, too, as a Hydralisk pack guided by an Overlord came in from the south. With how much firepower was waiting for them, though, they didn't last long, and the sizable Protoss force took no casualties.

They moved southeast, soon reaching the next power cell, guarded by Zerglings, Spine Crawlers, and a pair of Guardians. The cumbersome flying Zerg's long-range attacks killed a Zealot, but didn't survive the Stalkers' return fire. The Ghosts and FRG-wielding Zealot dealt with the Spine Cralwers, while the rest of the Zealots used their blades to slay the charging Zerglings with no losses. The power cell was then quickly cleansed, coming online. Suddenly, an Ultralisk burst from the earth when the Protoss' guards were down, destroying three Stalkers and killing two Zealots before the others rallied and brought it down.

"We're nearly finished, Hierarch" Karax reported. "The Spear of Adun is nearly online; only one cell remains!"

"ALL SHALL BE ONE. ALL CONFLICT SHALL END."

The attack force, supplemented with more Zealots (including two more Ghost-riders) and Stalkers, met up northwest of the final power cell's area. As one, they marched on the enemy lines. A defensive screen of photon cannons and a pair of Immortals barred their path, the heavy guns killing a handful of Zealots but being overwhelmed by the rest. Advancing forward, with the power cell now in sight, they found it guarded by Hydralisks, Spine Crawlers, and a Hybrid Reaver & Hybrid Destroyer. Deciding to thin out the Hybrids' support first, the Zealots and Ghosts turned their guns on the Hydralisks, plasma-cannon bolts and Needler shards putting the creatures down.

The Hybrid Destroyer fired a psionic blast that took out a Stalker's shields and heavily damaged the walker. Immediately the others moved to protect it, as they all opened fire on the Hybrid Reaver, while the Zealots turned their focus to the Destroyer – ranged warriors against the melee-oriented Hybrid, and vice-versa. The agile Reaver made a high-speed soaring leap at the Stalkers, but they managed to 'Blink' out of the way, and their massed particle-disruptor fire wounded the creature. Before it could try again, a fuel-rod shot hit it in the back of the head, killing it. Meanwhile, the Hybrid Destroyer let out a death cry; strong as it was, it couldn't stand against nearly 20 Zealots all hacking at it at once. With the way clear, the final power cell was cleansed and brought online.

As power flowed into ancient structures and circuitry, the ground around the area's central tower began to crumble, some of it sliding away. The 'tower' was revealed to be the mere tip of an enormous construct buried beneath the surface – the last surviving Salvation-class arkship, the Spear of Adun.

"Power transfer completed!" Karax reported. "The Spear of Adun is ready to depart."

"Warp all Firstborn freed from Amon aboard, phase-smith" Artanis ordered. "We must flee this world if we are to survive."

All across the battlefield, across Aiur, those few Protoss not bound to Amon's will were teleported away, aboard the awakened super-vessel. Karax had as many of the area's structures warped aboard as he could, even as Nydus Worms began emerging en masse and tearing some of them apart. The earth rumbled for miles around as the ship's gigantic engines came online, power flowing in enormous quantities. The ship's entire structure began to glow a brilliant blue, and then it vanished upward – pulling a microjump out to high orbit.

By a significant degree, it was the largest starship any DDF member had ever seen and may ever see – nearly 75 kilometers end to end, utterly dwarfing the 14-kilometer Olivie or the 37-kilometer Mantle's Approach. It was a thing of sculpted beauty – blue, gold, and silver, with flowing curves and sharp points. It was the mightiest warship ever constructed by Protoss hands, and now it was to be their salvation. As it fled Aiur, many Protoss aboard felt sorrow as, once again, they were forced to flee their homeworld… and then tranquil rage as they swore to make things right, to make suffer the malevolent being who had violated the most sacred aspect of their species.

-CHAPTER END-

And with that, after a somewhat lengthy hiatus, Teana's Travels is back. Will the various heroes and races of the Dimensional Defense Force manage to stop Amon and his armies of Hybrid monsters and mind-enslaved thralls? Stay tuned.