[Facade][Chapter II]

Written by ZeusLegion. Edited by Auspex Turmalis.

Table of Contents

Chapter II

Nannoth/Taeradun, satisfied that some true measure of progress was finally being made, watched as a contingent of Zealots lowered the first of the tanks into place.

The Eye hovered next to him, reminding him that it too was watching. "There is a fleet approaching at the edge of this system. Fleshlings like these," it said. "We detect another smaller fleet of unknown origin following them."

Turmalis? Impossible! the Archon thought. Whoever it was, the Eye had identified them as a Protoss war fleet, which was unnerving by itself. If Turmalis was returning, and worse yet, had been successful... No. There was no need to fear. That possibility had been taken into account and prepared for.

"We must redouble our efforts here then and prepare to hide our work from prying eyes," the Archon said. "Where are the twins?"

The Eye's iris circled shut and then opened again as if blinking. "We sense them not far from here and moving closer. They are being hunted, however."

Nannoth/Taeradun was not prepared to hear such a response. As little as he cared for their survival, the deaths of the twins would have consequences he could not afford. "Hunted? By whom?" he demanded.

Khorun and Nurohk had made their way to a clearing just outside the city. From here they could see some ruins littered with fallen statues sinking into the mud. Off to the horizon beyond the stone pillars and archways, the city itself loomed in the distance.

As they made their way past the rows of dismembered likenesses of long-dead warriors and the stone platforms upon which they had once stood, they heard crumbling rock from a sculpture clattering down and striking a platform ahead. Soon the sound began to appear from on all sides followed by a strange gutteral chittering that echoed across the ruins.

The twins paused and surveyed the area, looking for the cause of the sounds.

"What is it?" Nurohk questioned.

In response, Khorun ignited his psi-blades. "Danger."

To the left the sounds suddenly seemed to gather louder and the twins turned to see a statue of Balzara as its head flew off and an ominous form began to congeal before their very eyes.

Standing before them, Thuras stood laughing.

"Impossible," Khorun muttered in disbelief.

The figure casually circled around the beheaded statue. "Once upon a time I served under Tassadar," Thuras said. "I watched my friends and compatriots fall prey to the Zerg." He turned to face them, his flesh rippling as his eyes brightened to a blood-red luminescence. "Now Tassadar is dead. Aiur is dead. And you shall soon be dead as well," he continued. "But I shall live forever."

Khorun moved into a fighting stance. "My blades disagree!" he shouted.

His flesh still rippling like water, Thuras stood erect and arched his back as an additional pair of arms burst forth from his sides and his legs extended in length by several feet until he towered above the two warriors. All four blades ignited simultaneously as the dumbstruck twins looked on in fear and awe. A guttural echo that sounded like a nest of Gryllid bugs trying to form words with their buzzing erupted forth from the monstrosity before them: "Then I shall be pleased to show them the strength of my argument."

The giant lumbered toward them with terrifying speed, batting Nurohk away with its left arms and grabbing hold of Khorun with one of its right arms. With the final free arm, it placed a blade to the struggling Zealot's neck.

The evil is already here, and we have failed, Khorun thought as he braced for decapitation.

He was saved by a photon blast from his twin that blindsided Thuras from behind, knocking the giant to the ground and tossing Khorun free. Khorun was already on his feet and running back toward Thuras as the hulking four-armed Zealot struggled to rise. Khorun crossed his blades as he dug them into the monster's lower back. Ripping forward and and uncrossing the blades at the end of the cut, it was a move that would carve out a rectangular hole and remove that section of an opponent's spine.

While that was exactly what the cut had just done, the giant still rose to its feet, hurling Khorun back into the air.

It turned to face the stunned twins and looked down at the hole in its chest. It looked back at them and laughed.

Khorun watched as the space began to knit itself together with a fibrous substance that reminded him of crushed glass and wet white ceramic clay. The damage caused by Nurohk's photon blast had left a smearing melted-glass stain on the giant's back like silicone sweat. It too was slowly vanishing.

"Your Dark Templar companion deserved to die for being so ignorant," Thuras said. "You cannot stop what is to come. It is already too late. Accept this and join us."

He moved toward them and offered a hand to Khorun, who had not yet risen. "Name your price, Khorun. Anything you desire can be yours," Thuras continued. "We can even restore Nurohk to his former glory. He could walk on his own two legs again. Desire it... and it is yours."

Khorun was torn. Could this creature be telling the truth? He had witnessed the stuff of myths and legends with his own two eyes only moments ago. Indeed, the abomination that now offered its hand to him was spectacularly real... more real than the insubtantial ghosts of the Khala that offered him only useless warnings. His shame could be wiped clean as if it had never been and his brother would once more be whole...

Nurohk slammed into the giant at full speed and they both tumbled over. Landing upside-down, Nurohk was now helpless and immobile. Thuras rose again and grabbed two of the Dragoon's mechanical legs. With a hard yank he tore them free and carelessly tossed them away as the stumps began violently spurting lubricants and hydraulic fluids. Khorun was up now and running, his decision having been made by his brother. Leaping into the air, he landed on the giant's chest and plunged home both blades, twisting as they dug into the monster.

Thuras grabbed him with all four appendages and slammed him hard into the ground. He then proceeded to kick the unconscious Zealot repeatedly in the side. Nurohk began inching behind him using his functioning two legs to push the Dragoon shell forward. When close enough, he powered up the photon charge and fired.

Thuras upper body turned to face the blast while his lower half continued to kick Khorun. His left hands spasmed and reshaped themselves into a large mirrored receptacle that caught the photon blast and bounced it back at Nurohk, charring the Dragoon's shell and knocking him on his side.

Tired of kicking the Zealot, Thuras turned and picked up a statue. With wild abandon he began smacking the stone monument onto the Dragoon like a hammer until the shell began to crack under the strain.

Khorun rolled over, trying to get to his feet and finding he lacked the strength to move let alone stand. He watched helplessly as Thuras bashed his brother repeatedly. Suddenly there was a bright blinding white light and he heard a guttural alien scream cut through the air. Then there was silence and the world faded from existence.

"What will they remember?" Nannoth/Taeradun asked, as he stared through the transluscent clean-room window.

"Very little. We have implanted the memory of being attacked by the Zerg into their minds. That should be sufficient," the Eye replied.

"And they can be restored to full health in a few days?" the Archon questioned.

"That is within our power, yes. We could do more if they submitted, however," the Eye said, turning to face him.

"That will not be necessary," the Archon said with a dismissing wave of his hand.

"As you wish," the Eye said.

The Archon stalked off down a hall toward the communications room, where he sat down for a moment, thinking about this turn of events. In the back of his mind, he was certain he heard a whisper, small and insubstantial, but nevertheless quite plain:

I win again, Taeradun.

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