StarCraft: Tyranid Empire

As night fell, Augustus' command arrived at the location of the great altar in the province of Antioch.

It was a Xel'Naga temple that existed a long time ago and has been preserved to this day. The long stairs lead directly to the solemn pyramid-shaped tip. The mysterious and extremely beautiful swirling aura on the walls dotted with green moss seems to be alive. Rainwater accumulates in the depressions of the trapezoidal platform between a section of stone steps, and every small puddle reflects the red sunset glow of Ayr, like gems on fire.

The temple has a very important meaning in the eyes of the protoss. Its simple and elegant steps connect a miles-long path of remembrance. According to the unbreakable tradition, every great figure of the Protoss Empire who was full of glory during his lifetime will be carried by respectful senders on the road of memorial, and sent into the Kedarin crystal force field of the Xel'Naga Temple. sleep.

But now, this section of the road that is regarded as a sacred road has been destroyed by the war. The crystal tower with damaged matrix circuits is lying crookedly on the muddy and charred road. The broken crystals are shining orange-red under the afterglow of the sunset. of rays of light.

The picture in front of him also had a unique beauty, but Augustus, who did not inherit much artistic talent from his parents, just saw it as a rickety telephone pole. Not surprisingly, those magnificent buildings that lost the power of the crystal tower stopped functioning and became dim and lifeless, like gold and stone that had lost its color.

In a sense, Al was unplugged again.

Everything before us is like a city swept by a storm, but only a hurricane carrying zerg can bring down these crystal towers that have stood firm for more than ten centuries. In the ruined ancient cities that Augustus had seen along the way, the tragic scenes were many times more cruel than this.

Every city in Antioch has a long history. The layout and architectural artistic beauty of those cities are unmatched by any human city. Each towering dome tower can be called the most beautiful in the world. One of the elegant designs. The splendid and ancient ancient buildings of the Protoss Empire sparkled in the Aiur daylight, as if coated with a layer of gold. The city is brightly lit again at night, and the illuminated crystal light reaching into the sky seems to come from mirages and crystal palaces in the sky.

But now, the cities that the Protoss Empire has stood for countless centuries have been reduced to burnt-black and dilapidated ruins. The floating palaces like hanging gardens have fallen from the sky, and only the majestic golden towers between the gardens and the azure river are left. The pillars and the base were completely blackened by the fire. And those precious relics of the Xel'Naga gods, temples and Protoss Empire buildings, as well as unique and unreplicable crystallizations in the history of art were also destroyed.

The zerg are like thugs who only want to destroy, and the treasures of civilization are not worth mentioning in front of them.

The war began on Aiur, the center of the protoss' vast empire, and the damage it caused was irreparable.

The Protoss Empire's losses in this catastrophe are immeasurable. They lost an unimaginable population, cities, and technology in a short period of time. Their civilization declined significantly, and the golden age in the history of the empire's survival and development also became a mere The glorious past remains in records and longings.

From Augustus's perspective as a human leader, he did not want the Protoss Empire to become overly powerful unless their leaders were people he knew well. He also didn't want the protoss to perish under the blow of this catastrophe, because without the protoss, it was impossible for humans to face the wrath of the worms and even the fallen Xel'Naga Amon who would end the entire universe in the future.

"Your executive officer Artanis is in this temple." Augustus was standing at the end of the memorial road. In front of him was the stairs to the Xel'Naga Temple. It was a long, winding road. The outlines are intricately arranged with exquisite patterns.

The spiers of the Xel'Naga Temple overlook the lush forests and poetic rivers. Every otherworldly sculpture and extremely harmonious corner can be seen as the tip of the iceberg at the pinnacle of the ancient race's art. Of course it is a priceless treasure, but that does not prevent the Revolutionary Army soldiers from building firepower high points and anti-aircraft turrets on the main body of the building.

"Praise be to you for your mercy, Commander-in-Chief Augustus Mengsk."

Augustus was followed by several armored transport vehicles full of civilians from the Protoss Empire. At this moment, these ragged refugees were jumping out of the armored vehicles nimbly without even having to step on the lowered pedals. They looked light and elegant like a group of cheerful people. The cat stepped out of the cattery.

The leader of the protoss made no secret of his gratitude. The templar of the Burnatir tribe was filled with emotions of joy and rejoicing that impacted Augustus' brain, making him feel dizzy for a while. When an El Protoss truly expresses its gratitude to you, it means it.

"I am just doing some good deeds based on my own conscience." Augustus answered him: "Lieutenant Olga, send them to the camp of the stars. Tell Agra Fort to give these unfortunate stars Bring some blankets and water, they must be exhausted."

Looking in the direction Augustus pointed, the Fennathir Templar known as Larsnath saw a protoss surrounded by a golden photon turret and a shield matrix. Camp. All the buildings are made of golden metal and crystal clear blue Kedarin crystal. Surrounding the domed towers, the static elegance with great visual impact is as serious as a majestic symphony.

A dark blue vortex formed by the distortion of the star gate's space-time force field hovered over the camp, and from time to time protoss or human fighter planes flew out of it.

In fact, Augustus didn't need to say anything. Templar Larsnas could also hear the call of his tribe in that direction from the psychic network kara. Every protoss celebrated the return of their tribe from the bottom of their hearts.

"Go." Larsnath said to the Templars and other Kalai civilians who followed him: "May the souls of those tribesmen who have not been able to escape the hunting of the Zerg like us be able to rest in peace. Reunite in front of Arden.”

"But what about you?" A templar with a scar on his face looked at him and asked. There are only the most authentic emotional expressions in Kara, without meaningless lies and suspicions.

"I will go to the temple, face the Executor, and ask him to punish me - the punishment of losing the Burnatir territory." Larsnath replied.

"But that's not your fault. The zerg came too fast and too many. They are the flood that drowns everything, and we are just dangerous eggs drifting with the tide." Another templar said in a poetic expression.

"Go, my friend, and bring the safety of the people we are supposed to protect, and I am guilty of the crime." said Larsnas. "I should have died in the battle when the territory fell. .”

"The new executive officer will definitely forgive you. He has never punished anyone, and no templar has ever committed a crime that deserves punishment." After saying that, the templar left with the exhausted tribesmen. , he knew that he could not convince his brother who was already trapped too deep in hatred and guilt-even though they had been fighting side by side for hundreds of years.

The fall of Aiur and the unprecedented catastrophe of the Protoss Empire left irreparable damage in the hearts of the Protoss. They were originally a calm, rational, highly civilized and developed race, but now they are almost torn apart.

"Follow me, Templar, and we will go see Artanis together." Augustus was troubled by the unique uprightness of the protoss, and in his heart he hoped that Tychus Finley could match these. A glimpse of the noble character of the protoss warrior.

At this time, the roar that shook the earth sounded again. It was the sound of the Yamato cannon fired by a revolutionary battlecruiser in low-Earth orbit. This modified Behemoth-class battlecruiser was ordered to destroy A Zerg main hive complex located in the Ralath Plateau.

At the same time, in another direction north of the Xel'Naga Temple, the revolutionary army and Tassadar's coalition's attack on the Executive Fortress also entered the final stage. The deafening sound of artillery fire subsided at a certain moment. Coming down, it was obvious that the troops of the Supreme Council and the coalition forces were in close combat.

As long as the barrier city is captured, the coalition forces and the Supreme Council will definitely arrive as scheduled, because the members of the Arbitrators in the Council will never sit back and watch the traitor Tassadar march in.

It has to be said that the morale of both Tassadar and his templars and the protoss who were ordered to arrest him dropped significantly when they were forced to fight against their own kind. The protoss who are accustomed to communicating with each other may never get out of their past. In the sorrow of having killed a kinsman.

"Your integrity and kindness are close to those of the great Arden." After hearing what Augustus said, the guilty Templar Larsnas immediately said with praise.

El Protoss speaks the truth, and they are better at praising others rather than using bad context to belittle them. Every protoss will be tolerated and comforted by their tribesmen in Kara, which is part of the reason why they will fall into the urge to commit suicide once they lose Kara.

"I am just a noble son from Korhar, and I have nothing to do with greatness." Augustus remained humble in front of the protoss. He spoke elegantly in diplomatic situations, but this could not conceal his prestige in the military. On the style.

With the help of power armor, Augustus climbed up the stone steps of the Xel'Naga temple made of some kind of blue-gray material. A group of marshal's guard soldiers in power armor followed him, heavy boots plated with new alloys. The armor made a rattling sound.

At this moment, the sun has set, and Al has fallen into the silent night. The magical and tenacious nature has revived after this. The chirping of insects and the croaking of frogs are heard again, and everything seems to have returned to the scene of the peaceful age. .

No Xel'Naga temple is exactly the same. Each of them seems to be naturally generated, with the originality and naturalness of nature. The wide stairs and the abstract stone sculptures standing on both sides are surprising. The void crystal that emits green fluorescence in the dark night brings a refreshing coolness, dispelling the heat of Al. The crystal was condensed with light-reflecting water vapor, a dreamlike scene that reminded Augustus of the giant fountain beneath Korhal's silver spire.

"I saw the once beautiful star Korhal IV through your eyes. But it has been destroyed by the war." Larsnas felt a moment of sadness from Augustus's heart.

"Yes, it turned into a piece of scorched earth, and everything was burned to ashes." Augustus' eyelids twitched: "I have been fighting so far just to control my own destiny and prevent other planets from suffering things like Kehal. Same fate."

"We all fight for our homeland," Larsnas said with a sigh.

As he climbed the stone steps, Augustus saw the Templars guarding the temple. They were as silent as statues. Among these Templars, in addition to the Karai phase technicians and unmanned machines at work, the voices of Revolutionary Army engineers can often be heard. They are strengthening the temple's defense in human ways.

Although the brutal way these human engineers operated spot welding guns and screwdrivers made the protoss engineers tremble with fear, they had no choice but to accept this human blasphemy that could be temporarily tolerated. At such a critical juncture, only the most pedantic protoss Still clinging to the dogmas of the past.

Thanks to the joint efforts of humans and protoss, this Xel'Naga temple was equipped with the astonishingly powerful Drakken railgun and Mark electromagnetic gun. These terrifying weapons are enough to threaten Behemoth and Levi in ​​high-altitude orbit. Tan. The protoss installed particle light cannons and energy shields on the temple to ensure that the temple could withstand the firepower of their compatriots.

When necessary, the protoss fleet can directly jump this temple to the nearest battleship.

Below the temple, the human and protoss military camps are located in the primeval rainforest. The Revolutionary Army soldiers in the camp are enjoying their first hot meal since they landed on Aiur twenty hours ago. After that, they will check own weapons and prepare to join the next battle.

None of the Revolutionary Army soldiers who came to Ayr were new recruits. Even the youngest ones had participated in the Battle of Vadona. They all knew what kind of enemies they would face and were prepared to fight and die.

The soldiers in the revolutionary army are all mortals, and they are also afraid and frightened. Some are deeply involved in this and are forced to be repatriated to Antiga, and some are deserters in Luria, but as long as they set foot on El land, he will be regarded as a true hero.

Participating in the Battle of Aiur is not only a qualification that recruits can brag about, but also proof that they have followed Marshal Augustus Mengsk to the most remote and dangerous areas in the galaxy. The loyalty of these soldiers is immeasurable. , they will also be known in the future as the generation of ancestors who died generously for mankind.

Augustus finally found the Executor Artanis at a prototype altar in the temple, and the latter had already received news of their arrival.

"Executor, I want to confess to you. I could have saved more people, but I failed to do it. I." Larsnas immediately asked Artanis for punishment.

"You have done your best, Templar. You are the son of Adon and the warrior among us. You have no need to apologize." When Artanis said this, Augustus noticed the people who were busy around him. Multiple protoss Khalai phase technicians.

"You finally decided to restart it." Augustus said with a smile: "My grandfather said that when the enemy is right in front of you, the best weapon cannot be hidden."

"A mothership!" Larsnas read the meaning of Augustus's words from Artanis.

"A mothership sleeping under the Xel'Naga Temple. It was originally used as a cemetery for ancient heroes."

"I hope the souls of the sages and heroes will forgive us for disturbing us."