STARCRAFT LORE COLOSSUS A SHORT STORY BY VALERIE WATROUS There was no way out. The screams made him certain of that. He could sense the dark templar huddled together in panic, their structure surrounded on all sides, but he was powerless to intervene. Their fear burned into his mind until his consciousness was pierced with it, each sensation bright and distinct before bleeding away into the abyss. He already knew how it would end. The machines were coming.... "Commander, we are reaching the borders of the security zone." Aldrion's eyes snapped open, and after a moment's hesitation, the high templar collected his thoughts enough to return the pilot's message through the ship's communicator. "On my way, Zoraya." He wondered why the alarm he'd set earlier hadn't roused him, even though he could feel its pulse resonating against his skin. The visions had been troublesome even before he had left Shakuras, and his current mission only seemed to add to their weight. But Executor Selendis had entrusted this decision to him after conversing with the Hierarchy. He would not disappoint his people. Still deep in thought, he made his way from the small meditation chamber to the ship's bridge. The crew had already assembled—an unusual party consisting of two other Aiur warriors like him and a lone dark templar pilot. They were the only ones who could be spared, despite the fact that he scarcely knew them. Even the ship was unfamiliar; he merely recognized that it was of dark templar construction. He glanced up to survey the viewscreen. "This area has not been patrolled for some time. We may encounter resistance," Aldrion warned. For the sake of the dark templar, he was obliged to use words in his psionic communications instead of conveying his emotions through the Khala. His Aiur brethren had long defined themselves by the mental connection that allowed them to convey their thoughts and feelings to one another effortlessly. Those who opposed the Khala, seeking to retain their individuality, had become exiles: the dark templar. Their long estrangement had ended when Aiur had fallen to the zerg some years ago, but the peace was a tenuous one. Unlike many Aiur protoss of similar rank and experience, Aldrion did not mind accommodating the dark templar's foreign ways when the occasion called for it. With times like these, he no longer had the luxury of intolerance. Still, he could always sense the barriers within the minds of the dark templar, even as he reached out to touch their thoughts. They seemed cold. "Activate the cloaking field," he ordered. Zoraya gratified him with a short affirmative. The dark templar were not known for being verbose. There was a low hum, and the interior lights dimmed as the pilot skillfully manipulated the ship's energy resources to hide its presence. Any viewers outside the ship would have sworn it had melted into the starry expanse. "Do not be concerned, Commander." Telbrus, the second-in-command, turned to him from across the bridge. "The Aiur protoss do not need to hide in the shadows to fight!" "Surely, your Aurigan kin have honored us too graciously by sparing you, Telbrus," Aldrion replied dryly, surveying his hulking companion with a hint of mirth. In many ways Telbrus was emblematic of his relatives—strong, brave, and a bit too proud. "But we must not betray our mission with any unnecessary displays of combat." Zoraya turned from her control panel to address the pair of high templar farther back on the bridge. "I am reading life signatures ahead—dozens of them...." She paused to read the ship's scans. "Confirmed. They are zerg." Darsiris, the youngest member of the crew, glanced up anxiously from the data console on the rear wall of the bridge. Though he had completed the rigorous instruction required for a zealot, his inexperience still showed in his features and mannerisms. Now his first taste of battle was seconds away, and Darsiris's mind was thick with excitement and fear. "Prepare for combat," Aldrion ordered. "Defensive only," he added, noting how eagerly Telbrus had moved to the weapons station. Darsiris followed him nervously. "Brace yourselves," Zoraya warned before the ship plunged into a gut-pinching spiral, looping beneath a large group of writhing monsters. They were difficult to identify when they massed together, but from experience Aldrion guessed they were mutalisks. The creatures paused in their patrol, chittering suspiciously among themselves, and then resumed their course. The dark templar took advantage of the opening to surge upward, negotiating two more groups before reaching another safe point. Aldrion was becoming quite impressed with her skill when a hard stop brought his thoughts back to their predicament. Another group of mutalisks streamed before them in a flurry of wings and teeth. Zoraya waited intently, her eyes fixed on the viewscreen. Just when their route seemed clear, one of the grotesque creatures spun backward, making contact with the ship's shields. Its mouth gaped as if to emit a single great cry, and suddenly the ship was covered in zerg. "Fire!" Aldrion commanded, his urgency crackling through the crew members' minds like electricity. Zoraya reacted swiftly, sending the ship ducking and spinning away from the mutalisks' assault, but Telbrus and Darsiris still managed to strike their targets with surgical precision. Their weapons sent eyes, teeth, and delicate leathery wings dissolving into space as the vessel surged forward. It was then that Aldrion sensed Telbrus's growing agitation. This was the first combat that the Aurigan had seen since Aiur due to his extensive injuries, and he was relishing his chance at vengeance against the zerg. Aldrion reached out to him psionically and winced at the unexpected intensity of his subordinate's emotions. He had never felt such white-hot fury in a protoss's mind before. Aldrion fought against Telbrus's anger, sending thoughts of calm and focus to his crew member. But Telbrus only closed himself off in response, refusing to communicate. His shots rained down through a dozen more targets, leaving a shimmering curtain of blood in their wake. There was no time to revel in victory. Even as the pulverized remains drifted away, a fresh group of zerg surged toward them, encircling the vessel on all sides and pummeling the shields. They were trapped. "Zoraya, get us out of here!" Aldrion called. "Back to Shakuras?" "No... we have come this far. Identify the safest known coordinates near our destination." "There is not much time, Commander!" Darsiris interjected. "I have no data for that vicinity." Zoraya was still trying to steer defensively, but the growing number of enemies limited her options. "Searching the neighboring systems.... If we hold our fire, I can re-route power to the navigation matrix. It may be able to finish the search before the next wave arrives." "See it done," Aldrion answered, fixing his gaze on Telbrus. The massive high templar pulled himself away from the weapons station angrily enough to startle Darsiris. Zoraya set to work, dimming the lights to the lowest functional level and minimizing any other energy output. Without warning, the mutalisks altered their strategy and began expelling glave wurms in a concentrated area. The parasites rammed into the ship hard enough to penetrate the last of the shields. The dark templar vessel was well-crafted, but it could not withstand several blows from such a vast force. Another impact sent the ship shuddering as several of the crystal energy systems fell to half power. "The shields are down." Zoraya was hurrying, but they were taking heavy damage. Darsiris examined the viewscreen. He could see some of the smaller creatures assaulting the vessel's broken metal casing. It was impossible to shoot them now without damaging the ship as well. He caught movement from the corner of his eye and noticed a large dark shape shifting through the mutalisks, hardly visible against the beating wings. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to make out... an overlord? "How long?" Aldrion demanded. "Almost complete..." Darsiris shuddered as the creature advanced, its numerous crimson eyes seeming to center on him through the ship's viewscreen. With a massive groan, the hull began to crack, and all of the zerg rushed toward the opening. They were so close, he could count the teeth between their viciously curved fangs. He felt the ship shake as the damaged sector became depressurized for a few seconds before automatically sealing the breach. Zoraya concentrated on the progress monitor as she counted seconds, half-seconds.... "Now!" The ship winked into darkness. * * * * * Darsiris suppressed his initial disgust as he opened his eyes to see a dark templar's severed nerve cords immediately before him. The cranial appendages allowed the protoss to enter the Khala, but only when they were intact. He knew that the dark templar had chosen to truncate them, but it was still jarring to see the mutilation up close. He would rather lose his life than the link to his people. He realized that he and the rest of the crew must have fallen in the confusion. Zoraya had scarcely waited for the ship to seal itself before she had warped it away from the zerg. Relaxing, he began to examine her more leisurely. Aside from the cords, her dark features were symmetrical and marked with intelligence. Even beauty. Wincing, she regained consciousness. Her large opalescent eyes opened to meet his. "Are you alright?" he asked. Her brow furrowed, and she seemed confused by his consideration. "I am." Darsiris tilted his head gently in a protoss gesture of kindness. He saw that Aldrion and Telbrus were uninjured across the bridge. "What are the damages, Zoraya?" Aldrion inquired, rising to his feet gingerly. "Part of the hull has been destroyed.... Many of the ship's non-essential systems are not functioning or are working at reduced capacity.... I was able to isolate the compromised portion of the hull, but I do not know how effective it will be, given the damage to the surrounding areas...." She paused to read the ship's latest updates on the control panel in front of her. "The shattered crystals seem to be causing the scanners to fail." "Can we reach our objective?" Aldrion leaned against one of the banisters that divided the command center from Zoraya's seat at the navigation console below. "With a few adjustments. It may not be the smoothest ride, but I think it will suffice." "If only we had a proper ship from Aiur," Telbrus lamented before Aldrion silenced him with a warning look. "Let us proceed." Aldrion turned back to Zoraya. "Telbrus and I will check the damaged area to ensure that it is properly sealed. Darsiris, keep an eye out for any unusual activity along our course." He quit the room silently, his movement marked by the peculiar elegance native to the protoss. * * * * * "You did very well," Darsiris said to the dark templar pilot after Aldrion and Telbrus left. "Do not be concerned about Telbrus; his situation is complicated." Darsiris had seen the Aurigan before in one of the rehabilitation wards on Shakuras. They had not been formally introduced at that time, but Darsiris couldn't help but feel sympathetic toward another injured refugee of Aiur—especially a fellow warrior. "Indeed," she said stonily. "None of our ships could have done better in that situation... and certainly none of our pilots." Zoraya glanced up at him in surprise. The zealot was young, and she supposed that his time on Shakuras had altered some of the traditional prejudices. "Thank you. Sometimes I worry that reunification has only widened the gap between our two peoples." "But here we are—a mixed crew—on a vital mission. Maybe change is upon us." "Yet I am the only dark templar." Darsiris shifted uncomfortably. "The executor is not overly fond of your people. But she will learn in time." "Like Telbrus?" Zoraya remarked unhappily. "The executor appointed Aldrion to lead this mission. He has fought beside the dark templar with dignity and honor in many missions." "He is one of few." "Maybe that is why she wants him to decide whether or not we will reactivate the colossi, starting with this one," Darsiris said. "Though in his heart, I think Aldrion would rather leave them all at rest." "Perhaps his wish will be granted. Any number of disasters could have occurred since the Kalath Intercession." "That is true, of course," Darsiris replied, privately amused that his pilot companion would think of such technicalities. "The craftsmanship of our people was unequalled even then, but time favors the unexpected." "The colossi's destructive power was enough that they were sealed away for centuries, and yet they may not even be operational now." "You feel our mission is in vain?" "No. My people have always loved Aiur. We share the devastation of the refugees on Shakuras. A weapon that can help us fight the zerg must be investigated, no matter how dangerous or uncertain it is." She lowered her head gently and met Darsiris's gaze. Her strange appearance had made him uncomfortable at first, but conversing with her was proving to be deeply interesting. "Besides, there is a certain excitement in uncovering a weapon after hundreds of years." Darsiris was pleased with her answer. "Who knows what the Conclave would think if they saw us here, desperate enough to reactivate what they forbade?" He stared up into the ship's oval viewscreen, brilliant with the light of distant galaxies. It reminded him of an old childhood dream that the stars themselves were an ancient code, cut into the dark parchment of the sky by the creators and then gradually forgotten over time.... * * * * * "I do not think Executor Selendis could have found anyone who would worry about this more than you do," Telbrus said, staring at his commander. The ship's corridors were littered with debris, requiring the two warriors to walk single file. Aldrion was quick to take the lead. "I think that is precisely why she found me," Aldrion replied. The ship's ongoing journey seemed to be aggravating some of the damage on the vessel, and the ceiling rumbled in periodic despair. When he focused on the noise, he felt sure that it was getting louder.... "Wait, Telbrus—" "What?" As Telbrus glanced upward, an unexpected vibration caught him off guard. One of the ceiling panels worked itself loose, spilling luminescent coils beside the two protoss. "We are not alone here." Aldrion stared at the ceiling warily. Telbrus followed his commander's gaze. "I will head in." With easy grace, he grasped the sides of the empty frame where the panel had been and lifted himself into the narrow service passage. After a moment, Aldrion followed. "Search this side. I will take the other," Aldrion said, crouching to fit himself in the small space. He wasn't sure what he would encounter in the unfamiliar vessel, but the majority of the tunnel seemed to be undamaged, making the persistent rattling all the more bewildering. Telbrus gave an affirmative and crawled away from Aldrion. His wide-set shoulders pressed against the walls uncomfortably, but he was far too concerned to let that stall him. Then his hand slid against something wet and thick. He looked down at his palm slowly, watching the liquid slide between his fingers in horror. He could just make out a fanged mouth in the darkness ahead, its teeth gleaming as it rushed toward him. * * * * * "We have arrived," Zoraya stated, shifting the ship's engines into a neutral state. Darsiris moved toward the viewscreen to survey their location. A handful of planets was scattered amid a field of asteroids—scarred, rocky spheres devoid of life and atmosphere. The sun was in its death throes, lacking the energy to emit more than a thin red light from its depleted core. Within a few centuries, the entire system would be plunged into darkness. "This is the resting place of a colossus?" he exclaimed. "This is one of the recorded coordinates," Zoraya affirmed quietly. "They must have chosen this region for its remoteness.... There are so few warp gates, and it is particularly far from any of them. Searching these asteroids individually would take lifetimes." "The positioning has shifted in some areas, but the colossus should be easy enough to locate with the information from the preserver," Zoraya replied, referring to one of the rare, gifted Aiur protoss who were capable of carrying the memories of their people. Few preservers had survived the chaos of recent years, and their knowledge was more valuable than ever. Unexpectedly, Telbrus's voice cut into Darsiris's thoughts. "The ship's scanners—are they up yet?" Darsiris paused to examine the status updates. "Not in your location. The damage will take some time to repair. Is everything alright?" "There is something on the ship...." Telbrus's thoughts shifted abruptly as a sudden movement drew his attention. "Telbrus!" Darsiris cried, reaching out psionically to the high templar. Telbrus was too distracted to respond to him directly, but Darsiris felt the Aurigan's surge of might as he gathered his psionic energy and focused it on his enemy?then, a jolt of grim satisfaction. * * * * * "It is dead," Telbrus said, twisting backward to catch a glimpse of Aldrion in the narrow tunnel, but there was only darkness. "There are more of them on my side." Aldrion's thoughts streamed urgently to the entire crew. "We need to land the ship. Now!" Zoraya accelerated into the asteroid field, swerving expertly to avoid numerous meteors and planetoids. The proximity beacon began to flash enthusiastically on the viewscreen as the ship's destination—a hollowed tooth of an asteroid—spun closer into view. With a swift corkscrew spin, Zoraya drove the vessel toward the center of the rock and stopped just above the surface. She was readying the landing gear when a sudden observation made her pause. "Darsiris, there is a gravitational field on this part of the asteroid! The energy signature is faint—probably very old—but I believe it is protoss in origin." She began powering down the ship's thrusters, allowing the artificial gravity to pull the vessel to the ground. "It seems we have come to the right place, then," Darsiris replied, his eyes wide with excitement. He started to collect the equipment they would need for the expedition, not hesitating to get his own armor in case more zerg were found on the ship. He nearly had everything together when Aldrion and Telbrus returned to the bridge. Both were splattered with a noxious substance that made Darsiris wince as he handed them their battle armor. "Did you get all of them?" "There are too many passages to search them individually, but I believe so," Aldrion replied, cleaning himself off brusquely before donning his armor. He took special care in fitting the collar with a small crystalline device that functioned as a respirator in hostile environments, and briefly ensured that the others followed suit. When everything was in place, he lowered the exit ramp and stepped off the ship, the crew trailing behind him. "Most of the creatures were injured, but they were able to get deeper into the ship than I had expected...." "None of us could have known," Darsiris finished. Telbrus rounded on him with narrowed eyes. "Of course we could have, if this worthless dark templar vessel had been built properly." He slammed his fist into one of the asteroid's larger rocks emphatically. Zoraya stepped forward, but she stopped after catching a desperate glance from Darsiris. "There is no time for that nonsense now." Aldrion laid his hand firmly on Telbrus's shoulder. "We are on this mission to investigate whether the colossus can help us save protoss lives. It is not my intention to endanger any of yours." Telbrus shrugged dismissively and strode forward into a large tunnel, illuminating the darkness with one of his psi blades. The data had indicated that the colossus was hidden away here, just below the asteroid's surface. After a short distance, the psi blade's eerie blue light revealed a classic protoss structure, its smooth, polished metal contrasting strangely with the asteroid's corrugated surface. Each elegant golden archway was punctuated with metallic discs and azure accents. He moved closer, drawing the blade in an arc over the sealed doorway as he searched for the security panel. "Here!" he exclaimed, but his next step revealed only a twisted, damaged interface. Telbrus continued, tracing the length of the wall. The ceiling had begun caving in on the far side, ruining most of the framework around the panel. Aldrion paused, glancing warily at the ruins, then joined Telbrus and attempted to enter the pass code detailed in Executor Selendis's instructions. All eyes were on the panel. A red light flashed and then dimmed out. Aldrion began again, entering the code precisely and deliberately. Another pause. The red light flashed and dimmed out. Aldrion tried entering the code once more with the same result, and he turned to his crew with a mix of frustration and relief. "It seems the damage has been too great to allow us entry into the vault." Perhaps it was the levelness of Aldrion's thoughts, or his easy resignation, but Telbrus could not remain silent. "Maybe you are not entering the code properly. There must be some error!" "The preservers do not make errors." "But you do. Selendis sent you here to make a decision, not to abandon the mission at the first opportunity!" "No one is abandoning anything," Darsiris interrupted, his eyes flashing. "We can contact the executor and receive her counsel. Surely she will have a solution." "I already have a solution," Telbrus said, brandishing his psi blade fiercely. "We break down the door and get the colossus by force." He was ready to begin his assault when Aldrion dashed forward and laid a restraining hand on his arm. "Such an act would be immeasurably foolish! Do you not realize how closely guarded this structure is? Even with half of its defenses destroyed, we could all die in an instant from your recklessness!" "Better than dying from the zerg because of your indecision." "There are more consequences to my decision than you are willing to see," Aldrion returned darkly. "The colossus can kill more than just zerg. It is not a wise weapon to bring to a troubled people." "What are we to do then, when the zerg come? Rely on the weaponry of our allies?" Telbrus sneered, glaring at Zoraya, who returned his gaze with undisguised contempt. "The dark templar lost Aiur for us, Aldrion. They watched it burn and did nothing!" "Ignorant wretch! You would defile the sacrifices of Tassadar and Adun?" Aldrion demanded. "Nearly everyone I knew died on Aiur," Telbrus replied slowly, and fragments of his memories filtered through the mental link as he became too agitated to repress them. "They tore me from them.... My family..." The kindly elders of the Auriga, their heads tilted in amusement as they watched the young ones play... a companion's arms wrapped warmly around him in the replenishing afternoon sun... a hopeful novice who loved to hear legends of heroic templar... "... my friends..." A sparring partner whose favorite move was a swift overhand jab... a quiet classmate who studied late into the night... a stern teacher and his first recognition of Telbrus's skill in battle... "... lost...." The zerg covered their homes like a rushing tide. Longing, straining to save them, but someone held him back. A dark templar. Then more of the shadowy warriors came, pulling him away from the ones who needed him most. Empty words filled his head.... Evacuation.... You cannot save them.... Too late.... Retreat to the warp gate.... But the war was already over. He was already dead. Stunned, Darsiris turned to Zoraya, hoping to offer her some reassurance. But the pilot didn't notice him; all of her energy was focused on a wide crystalline band around her wrist that had illuminated with a warning violet glow. He recognized it as a communicator that was linked with the ship's sensors. "Commander," Zoraya said haltingly, "I have detected dozens of zerg signals in our proximity. It is not clear how they identified our position—" "Is there a colony near this system?" Darsiris asked. "We cannot be certain. There is no recent data for this area," Aldrion said. "And even when we do send out scouts, they are often killed before their intelligence can reach us...." His words hung in their thoughts like a grim prophecy. "They are heading for this asteroid; we must act swiftly." Zoraya met Aldrion's gaze, and he sensed a tentative trust in her words. Aldrion lowered his head. "Then my choice has been made for me." * * * * * Despite the lingering tension, the greatest chance of success rested on sending the two most experienced warriors to infiltrate the colossus's holding chamber while the other two covered them with the ship's weaponry. Unable to hide his lingering reluctance, Aldrion shuttered his thoughts and ordered his crew members back to the ship to make the final preparations. At his command, Zoraya gingerly guided the vessel down into the asteroid's narrow tunnel, parking it within optimal firing range of the crumbling facade. Darsiris stood before the ship's weapons station at nervous attention. "We are ready, then?" Aldrion inquired. He gazed at his crew thoughtfully for a moment, then headed down the exit ramp. Telbrus followed him closely. The interior of the tunnel was scarred from numerous collapses, but that suited their tactics. Aldrion chose one of the larger rock formations near the facade and motioned for Telbrus to join him behind it. When everyone was prepared, Darsiris took aim and fired the ship's weaponry at the massive metal door. Unexpectedly, a holographic image of a judicator appeared before the facade wall. Transparent and riddled with static, the protoss began to speak in an authoritative tone befitting his caste. "Warning, traveler! You have approached a forbidden area. Intruders will be severely punished." "Rather polite for a security alert, is it not? Maybe this will not be so difficult," Darsiris mused as he watched through the viewscreen. He was quietly pleased with having another chance to share the bridge with Zoraya, who had joined him at the weapons station. "We shall see." She opened fire on the door. The weakened metal panel was falling in readily when the iridescent discs above it fluttered like the wings of insects, revealing row after row of photon cannons. "Fire at the other rocks! They need some cover! Hurry!" Darsiris cried. Seconds later, the cannons began to aim at any moving object, nearly annihilating the entire area. Each shot bit deep into the ground, and even with the debris, it was a matter of seconds before Aldrion and Telbrus's cover had been reduced to dust. Darsiris and Zoraya fired at the door a few more times, creating a hole large enough for the others to enter. "Go!" Aldrion ordered. He and Telbrus leapt as one, narrowly avoiding dozens of bolts. When they reached the doorway, Aldrion shoved Telbrus through the opening as several cannons turned toward them. Darsiris reacted quickly, unleashing all of the ship's weapons in a full-out barrage that brought down half the ceiling. Aldrion had just enough time to pull himself through the door before the falling rocks blocked off the entire entryway. "I thought I was the reckless one!" Telbrus exclaimed, trying to suppress his concern as he helped Aldrion to his feet. "Recklessness is necessary at certain times." The two templar began running down the dark hall, both pairs of their psi blades illuminating the path. The structure's high ceilings were supported by rows of slim columns, none of which looked particularly sturdy after their long service. "We are nearly there!" A warning rumble vibrated through the hall, fracturing a column near them. Telbrus seized Aldrion's arm and dragged him to safety just as stone crumbled behind him. Gratitude, warm and earnest, flooded Telbrus's mind, but he was too distracted to register it. "The structure is self-destructing." Telbrus glanced around anxiously as he continued. "And the zerg will be here soon." "You are not doing this just to save the crew, are you?" Telbrus paused to examine his commander. "Keep going. We haven't much time. I know that the zerg are an enemy like no other. Their ruthlessness challenges every preconceived notion of warfare that we possess. But I cannot let my people lose themselves in battle—even a battle as important as this." The hall widened before them. They had entered the vault. In the distance, Telbrus could just make out the ominous silhouette of the colossus. "The protoss fight honorably," Aldrion continued. "A templar's blade is as pure as his heart. But the colossus is a war machine with no function except to destroy. I believe it can destroy the zerg utterly. And what then?" He turned to Telbrus. "What of the ongoing tension between the dark templar and the Aiur protoss? Will we survive as the Daelaam, one united people? Or will a thousand years of fear and hatred continue to separate us? How dangerous will this weapon be with those emotions running rampant?" "Protoss will not kill protoss," Telbrus said quietly. "Not now, no. But they have before. And your own words are proof that the bitterness lives on. Perhaps the only way for you to understand is to experience it directly." With a suddenness that burned through him, Aldrion revealed his vision to Telbrus through the Khala. Telbrus was momentarily overwhelmed as the vision overtook his consciousness. The darkened vault faded away, and he found himself within Aldrion's body, resting in the high templar's quarters on Shakuras. However, the familiar building was strangely deserted. His eyes strained to see, and, turning, he moved toward a window. Gazing into it, he saw that the courtyard was empty. Not a single being had emerged to enjoy the peaceful grounds, but he could sense the presence of others across the way—deep within a structure that housed many high-ranking dark templar and their kin. He felt their fear threading through him, a sharp sensation that bordered on pain. "Help!" a female voice called to him from the other side of the structure's walls. "Stop them before more die. Help us!" Telbrus was searching for a reply when the colossi appeared on the horizon, bearing down on a band of shadowy warriors. The dark templar scattered to increase their chances of survival against the machines, running for the shelter of the structure. The colossi followed. "Run!" Telbrus thought furiously. "Hurry!" With a soft mechanical hum, the colossi's twin thermal lances aimed at the dark templar residence and fired. The walls melted in seconds, and those who were not instantly vaporized were reduced to heaps of rubble. Telbrus felt a devastating shock as dozens of lives were lost—innocent lives who had only sought unity. Lives the protoss were not supposed to take. One of the colossi turned and fired, leveling a second building, and soon all of the colossi were shooting at once, beams crossing through the air in a frenzied pattern. The psionic cries from the dark templar's deaths battered Telbrus with increasing intensity. He had not felt such anguish since the fall of Aiur. Then stillness. The colossi retreated. Cautiously, he emerged from his untouched vantage point. Only smoldering ruins awaited him across the courtyard, but he kept walking. Already the wind was beginning to carry away the fragments of ash, and a single powerful gust swept the ground fully clear before him. Then he saw it: the shadow of a dark templar who had stood against the rain of ruin. The owner of the voice that had called to him for help. He knew her: it was Zoraya. The assault had pinned her corpse to the ground, incinerating every surrounding molecule until a silhouette, loving in its perfection and detail, had been etched into the earth. He fell to his knees as revulsion and guilt seized him. "Telbrus." Aldrion's hand was steady on his shoulder. "It is only a possibility... only one version of the future that may visit us. But I cannot be the architect of that future. Do you see?" "Our people," Telbrus began weakly, "... we are on the verge of another tragedy.... But I can change. I can show the others how to change...." Aldrion examined his companion's mind with bittersweet satisfaction. Telbrus's headstrong enthusiasm had been tempered into a sense of duty at the expense of great pain. Aldrion gazed up at the colossus, both magnificent and terrifying in its size and power. Four spiny legs towered before him, with a raindrop-shaped structure at its apex that held the machine's twin weapons. "Activate it," Aldrion urged as the sound of zerglings echoed down the hall. "I will shield you." Telbrus hesitated for a moment, confusion muddling his thoughts, and then pressed forward as the network of support beams began to crack overhead. Chunks of splintered metal fell around him, and the zerglings poured in through every opening. Cringing, Telbrus summoned his strength and ascended the giant machine. Aside from a thick coat of dust, it was in excellent condition. His studies had indicated that crystals situated between the lasers powered the colossi. Steadying his hands against the vault's increasingly disruptive tremors, he focused on initiating the activation process. Aldrion was too strained to offer any guidance. Brandishing his psi blades, he charged into the growing zergling assault. The center of the roof was riddled with holes, each crack spreading farther than the last. His eyes caught a flash of light—Zoraya's ship? Then a slow, sickening groan began to resonate through the entire vault. "It still works!" exclaimed Telbrus as the colossus began to hum, a gentle glow spreading through its crystalline panels. The giant's long legs, strangely elegant, began picking through the rubble toward the opening that had been cleaved through the ceiling. It was too high for a templar to reach, but the machine was tall enough to have a chance at clearing it. Aldrion moved to follow, but another group of zerglings, much larger than what he had faced before, rushed to intercept Telbrus's path. The commander leapt forward, drawing the zerglings' attention away from the retreating colossus. "Aldrion! We have to get out of here!" Telbrus twisted back to examine the other high templar as the colossus ascended the wreckage. The zerglings were close on his heels, but Aldrion led them in a wide arc away from the opening. He paused, summoning a psionic storm that decimated many of the zerglings. But there was still too much ground to cover in too little time. A massive pillar began to teeter above him as the last supports of the building started to crumble. "Do not worry, Telbrus," the commander said. "You will do well. Our people will be proud—all of our people." The pillar shattered, taking the rest of the structure with it. Fiery bursts of energy leapt up as the last of the entire vault's infrastructure collapsed, sending rock, metal, and zerg corpses flying haphazardly. Zoraya tried to guide the ship closer, but there was no way to intervene without damaging the vessel. Suddenly brilliant energy beams shot through the rubble, blasting away until they left a huge crater. In its center stood Telbrus and the colossus. "Aldrion...?" Darsiris asked, hoping blindly that the emptiness he felt was an accident. "He gave his life so that I could escape." "His remains?" Telbrus could only manage a simple gesture of hopelessness. He stood numbly as Zoraya landed the ship and began loading the colossus that Aldrion had entrusted to him. The machine was dented and scratched but ready for battle. Telbrus was unsure of himself. He did not move until Darsiris approached him. "It is time to return," the zealot said. Zoraya was watching them from the ship's exit ramp. Telbrus tried to communicate with her and found that her thoughts were closed to him, but he could not help but find relief in seeing her alive... strong... not the broken victim in his vision. "Please tell her that I am sorry," Telbrus said. "I am so sorry... for everything I have said and for everything her people have endured since they rescued us." Darsiris agreed to relay the message and hurried back, overcome by emotion. Telbrus boarded the ship, slowly removed his battle regalia, and decided to spend the lengthy voyage in deep meditation. He gazed at the asteroid one last time, noting how their encounter had left it more shattered than ever. But as the ship launched, a strange marking caught his eye. Thinking back, he tried to place it. He had only been a short distance away from the structure when the final cave-in had occurred. Telbrus realized that the colossus's blast must have cleared away the stones where Aldrion had passed his final moments in crushing agony. He knew then that the marking was Aldrion's shadow, etched into the ground by the burning fury of the colossus's lasers. And that shadow would always be at his back.