Hey there. I do hope you are all doing okay right now, especially considering the crazy times we are living in right now. A fair warning; it might be possible that I won't be able to post anything in the next 2-3 months. There's a lot of work approaching, and I simply don't know how much time I will have left to work on this story. Which doesn't mean that, even though you won't get any new chapters for a while, I have decided to abandon this thing or anything. There's also a slim chance that I won't be drowning in work. We'll see.

Chapter 24

Traveling alone is only half the fun

A few weeks after the events on Flemmington...

There were few worlds in the 4th millennium that were as important as Korhal. Korhal, the Imperial Capital, the center of the Empire's power and arguably the cultural hotspot inside the Koprulu Sector. There were other worlds like Tyrador, which had become the playing ground of the rich and famous, or Ramelow, which had earned its riches thanks to its fertile grounds. Even now scientists couldn't really say why plants grew so well on that world. But pretty much everyone in the Koprulu Sector knew how apples from Ramelow taste. They were everywhere. Like kriechers.

But even then Korhal had never lost its importance. It was the center of government, including the Imperial Palace and the senate, home to the imperial administration, the fleet, it housed the biggest stock market in the sector (and beyond) and, on a side-note, had the fourth-largest population of Protoss outside of Aiur. It was a pulsing hub of culture and money, while also being a bureaucratic mess and riddled with poverty in some places.

It was, in short, the heart of the Empire.

And, as such, it was one of the best-protected places in the whole galaxy. Only Char, the crown-world of the Zerg, was probably better protected. But that was only an educated guess because no human or Protoss had ventured there ever since the end of the Great War. Few had tried, like an ill-fated Tal'darim-incursion almost 800 years ago, yet no one even knew what had happened to them. Nothing good, most likely.

So yes, Korhal was one of the safest and most well-guarded places in general. Which meant that any ship that would enter the system would be noticed.

And when the small ship entered the system, it appeared on the sensor-grid immediately.

Now, in the 4th-millennium technology had become an integral part of human society, more so than ever before. Artificial intelligence had found its way into everyday life, and when the sensors picked up the signal of the vessel, they immediately forwarded the information to the AI responsible for keeping track of every vessel inside the system. And when the AI looked at the shape and form of that vessel...

...it had no idea what it was looking at.

This vessel was in no database that space traffic control used. It was unlikely that this ship was a threat, but still...

The AI searched other databases and found a match. One that made this whole situation even more confusing. The ship's sensor profile matched a type of dropship that had been used by humans over one thousand years ago. How did the AI find out about that? Well, it asked other AIs if they had seen anything like this ship before, and the AI working at the imperial museum had pointed out that this thing looked exactly like one of the many exhibits of the Great War. Which didn't answer the question of how this thing was still fly-worthy.

In the end, the AI decided that, even though this was an interesting anomaly, it had more important things to do. And so the AI decided to do what most people would probably do in this situation: It told its superior that he should deal with this.

"Unknown vessel at vector 620 to 374, this space traffic control, please respond." When no answer was given, the controller repeated his inquiry. And when the unknown vessel failed to respond again...

"Unknown vessel, you have failed to identify. You will do so immediately or we will launch interceptors that will accompany you to a nearby military installation. Fail to comply and we-" That's when the controller finally got an answer.

"-'s that button." a man with a strange accent growled.

"How do you know?" another man shot back.

"I flew these things long before your grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-"

"I get it."

"-father was born. That's the button to open a channel. Press it and they can hear us."

"I can already hear you." the controller replied. "Unknown vessel, since we can now hear each other: Identify yourself immediately."

…

…

…

"Unknown vessel, respond!" the controller growled. However, the answer he got was less than satisfying.

"Are you sure it is that button? I can't hear anything." the first man, who seemed to be the pilot, wondered. Was this guy for real?

"Unkown vessel, can you hear me? I can hear you, please respond!" the controller barked again. Next to him some of his colleagues threw weird glances at him, wondering why he was about to yell at someone on the other end of the line.

"Huh, these instruments do look a bit strange." the second man with the accent mused. "I think Kerrigan once told me that this was Raynor's private dropship. Heavily modified. Used it for all sorts of spec-ops-operations, like approaching a target under the radar." When the controller heard that, he couldn't believe his ears.

"Say WHAT?!" he screamed and entered a new command into his console.

"I seriously doubt that the guy we met on Flemmington does even know how to spell spec-ops. Let alone run such an operation. Judging from all the illegal alcohol in here, I'd say he used it for smuggling. It would certainly explain all that ammunition we found earlier." the pilot sighed. All if this was recorded by the controller, who had already sent out the request for a patrol to check that vessel out.

"Don't judge him too harshly." the man with the accent continued. "Raynor was a capable man back in the day. Some called him a freedom fighter, others hailed him as a terrorist. As far as I know, Mengsk even put out a juicy bounty on his head." Mengsk? As in: Emperor Mengsk? The controller had no idea who this Raynor-guy was, and he didn't really know if there was such a thing as a most-wanted-list for criminals or terrorists. But if this man with the accent claimed that there was a guy called Raynor the current Emperor Matthew Mengsk the Sixteenth wanted to see dead, then the controller couldn't just ignore this!

"Strange that no one has contacted us yet." the pilot mumbled. "Korhal's air-space controllers are supposed to be the biggest assholes known to man-" When the controller heard that, his eyelid started to twitch. Whoever those two jerks were, he would make sure that they would go down! "...but maybe this ship is actually meant for spec-ops-stuff."

"Perhaps you should let me fly." the man with the accent chuckled. "I have done many insertions during my time with the military. They never saw me or my men coming. Not until it was too late." Well, that was just peachy. The controller was already busy sending information regarding the dropship to the closest fighter-patrol. And he made sure to add "dangerous" and "potential threat". Mere seconds later the fighter-pilot in charge confirmed the controller's message and he saw how two more blips appeared on his sensors. Fighters, on their way to intercept the newcomer.

"You know, maybe this wouldn't be such a bad idea." the pilot mused. "Fly in under the radar, grab our target, and be on our way before anyone notices."

Wait, was this guy saying that he wanted to abduct someone?!

That's when they finally seemed to notice that something was wrong...

"Uhm...are those two blips on an intercept-course?" the pilot asked.

"Sure seems that way." his co-pilot replied. "And... they're fast. Real fast."

"Oh boy, OH BOY! THOSE ARE FIGHTERS!" the pilot yelled in panic. And when the controller heard that, a smile appeared on his face. He leaned back and changed the channel, focusing on more important things. Now that the fighters had arrived, the members of the space defense force would take over. The military could sort that stuff out. But the controller knew that he had done a good job, and who knew? Maybe this was the perfect moment to ask for a raise!

When Dan Bowski walked down the ramp of the dropship, he was greeted by a squad of grumpy soldiers. They all seemed as if they wished to be anywhere but here right now. Which seemed odd.

"That's far enough!" one of the soldiers barked when Dan reached the end of the ramp and was about to set foot on Korhal's soil. After the two fighters had almost shot them down, Dan had managed to find the right button on the radio to scream "DON'T SHOOT, WE ARE PATHETIC!" As a result, the fighters had escorted the dropship towards the nearest military installation, just a couple of kilometers from the outskirts of the City of Augustgrad. You could even see the mighty skyscrapers in the distance.

"Sorry if we caused any trouble, we were just-" Dan tried to say but was cut short by another soldier.

"Yeah, well, we don't really care, pal. Just hold your breath until the captain arrives, you can bullshit her. Also; keep your hands where we can see them."

Man, what a bunch of jolly fellows.

"They sure seem to like us. Oh, how I have not missed this place." the man with the accent chuckled behind him. Dan looked over his shoulder and frowned.

"You wanna get down here? Or do you want me to deal with this mess all by myself?" the Marshal asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"They got plenty of guns, and I react allergically to being shot. So you can take point on that." his "partner" chuckled.

"Thanks. Suddenly I'm so glad that I allowed you to tag along." Dan mumbled before he returned his attention to the soldiers. "Listen, fellas, I'm sure we can sort this out. My name is Marsh-"

"I said we don't care, dipshit!" the soldier who had told him that before groaned again. "Just stay where you are, hands where we can see 'em. Oh, and tell your friend inside to come out as well. Slowly. And preferably unarmed. You got any weapons with you?"

"Only my service pistol. It's back inside and-"

"Yeah, I didn't ask for your life's story, pal." Dan was interrupted again before the soldier yelled so loud that his co-pilot could hear him. "YO! You back inside. Time to come out. No guns or stupid tricks, or this will end in tragedy. For you guys!" Dan could hear a sigh behind him and then heavy footsteps as someone was walking down the ramp. And when the other man stopped right next to the Marshal...

"Well, this brings back memories." Alexei Stukov mumbled and looked at the skyscrapers in the distance. "Last time I've been here things were a bit more hectic though."

"Now's not the time for your stupid and retarded war-stories." Dan growled.

"They are not stupid." Alexei replied, sniffing as if that comment caused him serious mental pain. "But I met my fair share of retards. Hey, did I ever tell you the story of that one marshal from that backwater planet? What was the name of the world again? Flemboy? Flemming? Fallaffel? Fa-"

"For the love of God!" Dan groaned. "Will you just shut up?"

"How about you both shut up!" the soldier barked. "If you don't, then you can wait for the captain in one of the holding cells!" When Dan and Alexei heard that, they pointed their fingers at each other at the exact same time.

"He started first!" both of them complained. That's when...

"Seems like we got a bunch of jokers here." the voice of a woman suddenly reached them. Both Dan and Alexei looked to the left where they could see someone approaching. The soldiers straightened themselves and shouldered their weapons.

"Captain!" the man who had talked to Dan and Alexei said.

"At ease, men." the Captain just said and stopped right in front of Dan and Alexei. Bowski's eyebrows wandered up when he looked at the "Captain", while Alexei was barely able to keep himself from drooling.

"Well, hello beautiful!" Dan's companion cooed. "When there had been such beauties in the military when I was still active!" The Captain looked at Alexei in an almost bored fashion.

"Seriously?" both she and Dan said at the same time, which caused them to look at each other both surprised and a bit amused.

Dan would have never said something like that, but he had to admit that Alexei had a point. This woman was indeed beautiful. She stood out among those soldiers like a rose surrounded by weed. Her dark brown, almost black skin stood in stark contrast to her gray, well, uniform. Though it reminded Dan more of a bodysuit. Still, he knew what a stealth-suit looked like, and that this Captain, therefore, wasn't your everyday grunt. What was probably her most intriguing feature was her eyes. While it was not unheard of, this woman's eyes were crystal-blue. It was the kind of blue that seemed to give her the ability to stare right through someone and pierce their soul.

Her hairstyle was kinda odd though. Wearing a rather stylish sidebob that obscured the right half of her face, except for her right eye, Dan wondered if she tried to hide a scar of something like that, like in of those cheap holo-novels.

"So, these are the fellows that caused such a ruckus." the Captain mused as she mustered both Dan and Alexei, who took of his cap and brushed over his hair, probably trying to make himself as presentable as possible.

"Milady! Let me introduce me and my friend-" Alexei started with a sweet voice.

"I'm not his friend." Dan growled.

"Me and my travel-companion." Stukov corrected himself. "We are just two humble travelers, looking for a place to rest our weary souls and-"

"Just what the hell are you talking about?!" Dan interrupted Alexei. "And why are you talking like this is an ancient poem?"

"It's called "being friendly and civilized" from where I am. You should try it too, my young friend!" Bowski's "companion" replied.

"Well, it's called "kissing someone's ass" where I'm from." the Marshal said.

"You two are adorable." the Captain finally interrupted them. "But speaking of which: Where are you from?" she wanted to know and looked first at Dan and then at Alexei.

"Flemmington." Dan told her. "Marshal Dan Bowski. Colonial Administration." When the Captain heard that, she smirked.

"You are far away from home, Marshal. And you do know that the CA doesn't have any authority here, right?"

"I'm not here on business if that's what you think." Dan told.

"Oh? Is that so? In that case I can't wait for you to tell me why you are here. But first-" And then she looked straight at Alexei. "Are you from Flemmington too? You don't look like a marshal. More like a... uhm..."

"Dashing and good-looking adventurer?" Alexei offered.

"Washed-up pirate." the Captain replied. When Dan heard that, he snickered as Alexei's poor attempt at flirting ended in disaster. "So, where are you from?"

"Earth, as a matter of fact." Alexei replied. "But I haven't been home in ages. Feels like centuries since I last visited my home." And that wasn't even a lie.

"Earth?" the Captain asked both amused and with a hint of disbelief in her voice. "You are far away from home then, Mister."

"Stukov. But you may call me Alexei."

"I think I will call you trespasser." the Captain replied before she focused her attention on Dan once more. "As for you, Marshal, if you are a marshal that is, then I guess you have a good explanation for coming here inside the replica of a vessel that was used a thousand years ago."

"Fun-fact:" Dan explained. "This thing ain't a replica."

"Sure." the Captain snarled. "And I'm next in line in the succession of the Empire."

"Really?" Alexei wondered. "Well, you certainly do look like royalty. May I ask if there is already a prince charming in your life? Or do you need-"

"I don't care if you will shoot us." Dan suddenly interrupted his companion. "But if you do...can you kill me first so I don't have to listen to that anymore?" For a moment a coy grin appeared on the Captain's face before she regained her composure.

"No one's going to shoot anyone. At least not while I'm in charge. You haven't answered my questions though. Marshal Bowski, is it?"

"Yeah."

"Why have you come here?" the Captain wanted to know.

"Is this an interrogation?" Bowski asked back.

"It sure as hell will be if you don't tell me what I want to know." the Captain cooed and looked at the marines next to her. "The choice is yours. The easy way? Or the hard way?" When Dan heard that, he sighed and dropped his head in defeat.

"The easy way please." he mumbled.

"Ah, a man of reason! Maybe I do like you. How about we have this conversation inside." the Captain offered, to which Dan just shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure." the Marshal sighed in defeat. "Lead the way."

"You know..." Alexei declared as he and Dan were led inside the nearby building. "...I can be very reasonable as well. Perhaps I can tell you about that during dinner, Captain...?" he tried to fish for her name.

"Please shoot me..." Dan whispered. Just why the hell had he allowed this guy to tag along?

"So, let me get this straight." Captain Shani Okoi mused as she looked at Dan both bored and amused at the same time. "You came here because you want to see a few people that you met during a research trip on Flemmington. Why?"

"Because they had to leave early." Dan told her with a straight face. "Everything was quite hectic back then. And, well, working with them was a lot of fun." he lied. "I just want to see if they are all doing well."

"Rrrrrright." Captain Okoi replied. "And that's why you came all the way from Flemmington to Korhal. You could have called them."

"What can I say?" Dan mused. "I like to see people in person. Some of them invited me here. You know, show the hillbilly the big city and all that." They were sitting inside a small interrogation-room, Okoi, Dan and...

"If I remember correctly, then there are many good restaurants in Augustgrad." Alexei mused. "Maybe I could invite you to-" But he didn't even get the chance to finish his sentence.

"Who do you want to see?" Okoi asked.

"What?" the Marshal asked back.

"The people you want to see. Names. They do have names, right?" the Captain wanted to know.

"Uh...yeah. Of course. Professor Allagan. Jerome Allagan. And Sirella." Dan mentioned before his expression turned sour. "And Kerrigan. Paula Kerrigan." he griped.

"That doesn't sound as if you like that person very much." Okoi mused.

"You probably have misheard me."

"If you say so..." the Captain mumbled and looked at the datapad in her hand. "Marshal Dan Franklin Bowski-"

"Franklin?!" Alexei asked in surprise but only received a stern look from Dan.

"...your personal information checks out. You took some days off a couple of weeks ago, isn't that right? Didn't mention where you would go."

"You called my folks back home." Dan muttered. That wasn't even a question, it was a statement.

"Well, at least we know who you are." Okoi continued before she looked at Alexei. "You however..."

"Are much better looking?" Dan's companion suggested.

"Have no ID. There is no Alexei Stukov in our database. If that's your name." the Captain explained.

"Oh, let me assure you: I am who I claim to be." Alexei replied. "As I said: I'm from Earth."

"Yes, so you said." Okoi sighed. "I have already put forward a request for identification through my superiors. If you are truly from Earth, then I'm sure that they can confirm that. It shouldn't take long, though. Maybe two or three weeks, depending on how fast they are."

"Two or three WEEKS?!" Alexei gasped in shock. That's when Dan suddenly stood up and straightened himself.

"Well, good to know. Since my identity is not in question, I think I can go now. I leave this man in your care and-" Dan started.

"Hey. Hey! HEY!" Alexei protested. "Don't you dare to leave me here!"

"I agree." Captain Okoi announced, which earned her surprised looks by both Dan and Alexei.

"You do?!" both men asked at the same time before she sighed and stood up, placing her hands on the desk in front of her before staring at the two guys.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Until we figure out how you-" she said and pointed her finger at Alexei. "...truly are, and when you-" And then she turned her attention towards Dan. "...tell me the real reason why you are here and where you got this dropship from." The Captain then turned around and left the two men for themselves. She closed the door to the interrogation-room behind her and no one said anything for quite some time. Until...

"She totally digs me." Alexei chuckled.

"Please kill me..." was Dan's only reply.

Uncharted territories, somewhere near Protoss space...

The moment the ancient battlecruiser emerged from hyperspace, Evalonis managed to finish what he had started.

"-LA!" he finished Paula's name, who blinked a few times and shook herself to get the shock from the hyperjump out of her body.

"I would appreciate if people would stop yelling my name." the young woman mumbled. "A: It's getting really old. And B: I think my hearing is getting worse." The unlikely couple was surrounded by several Izsha-lookalikes, and they all seemed to think the same thing at the same time.

"That would mean that you could hear in the first place." the tallest version of Izsha declared. "Somehow we have our doubts about that." When Paula heard that, she stretched out her arms to include the entire bridge.

"Hey, I got us this far! And so far, I delivered on the goods, did I not?" the young woman defended herself.

"Whatever..." the tallest Izsha growled. "You did your part, now we do ours. Now get off my bridge!"

"Wait, Sarah, don't you want-" Paula started.

"GET OUT NOW!" the cranky Sarah yelled, and all of her sisters squinted their eyes, and for a moment it seemed as if they were ready to throw themselves at Paula and Evalonis. The tall warrior had no idea what was going on, so he just decided to follow Paula's example when she started to hum a melody and walk towards the exit. Only without the humming. When they were about to leave the bridge, Evalonis turned around and looked at the closest, well, Izsha.

"Forgive me for being curious..." the huge warrior wondered. "...but are you Zerg?"

That's when suddenly all heads snapped into his direction, and the Protoss could see how their eyes started to glow yellow.

"WE ARE NOT ZEEEEEE-!" they all screamed at the same time. That's when Paula smashed her hand on the door button and closed the entrance to the bridge, shutting the two of them out. And then...

"Phew. That was close." Paula mumbled. As Evalonis looked at his, well, girlfriend, he noticed the truly worried look on her face.

"What was that all about?" he asked, which earned him a pained glare from Paula.

"Let's just say that Sarah and her sisters don't like to be compared to Zerg. It's a, uhm, touchy subject."

"Oooookay." the Protoss replied, not really understanding what this was all about. "They didn't seem to like you as well. Or did I just imagine that?"

"Nope!" Paula sighed. "They really don't like me."

"And the reason for that is...?" Evalonis wanted to know.

"A long and boring story that you will hear soon enough." Paula sighed. "Come on, let's check out on Artanis and Karax." And so Evalonis simply decided to give it a rest, at least for the time being. As they walked down the corridor, they encountered some more versions of Izsha. And not a single one of them seemed to like Paula.

"Hey, Elena."

"Go to hell."

"How's it going, Brigitte?"

"Shut it, idiot."

"Oh, hi Marlene! Say, can you-"

"Don't talk to me. Don't you ever talk to me."

All those different versions of Izsha were busy working on the battlecruiser. Cables were replaced, steel beams reinforced, hydraulic systems fixed. As the two walked past an open hatch, Evalonis peeked through it and could see at least a dozen Izsha's working inside a hangar, doing their best to restore it to its former glory.

"I just have to ask...who are they? For not-Zerg, they sure look, well, zergish." Evalonis mused.

"Uncle Joe's and Aunt Izsha's kids." Paula explained. "Don't try to memorize all their names, it took me ages to get where I am now, and I still screw up from time to time." As if to prove her point, Paula greeted another smaller version of Izsha as she slithered past them.

"Hello Valeria, how's-"

"It's Janice, you petty excuse for a prodigy." the not-zerg snarled as she moved past the (almost-) human and the Protoss.

"They really don't seem to like you." Evalonis muttered.

"Ah, it's not that bad. Sarah is grumpy and angry at me because things turned out the way they did. They form their very own swarm-intelligence. So, if one of 'em is mad at me, all of them are. Especially Sarah. She's the oldest. Basically, whatever she says, goes. You'll get used to it. Besides, if Sarah is happy, then your hand will hurt from all the high-fives they'll be giving you."

"I take your word for it."

"Do I hear a hint of doubt in your voice?" Paula wanted to know.

"From me? No, never!" Evalonis chirped. "Why should I do that? I tell everyone that I meet that my girlfriend comes up with the best plans. At least until she puts them into motion." When Paula heard that, she grinned.

"Heh, he called me his girlfriend." she snickered before looking over her shoulder. "Come on, let's check on Artanis and Karax."

"Lead the way, I'll follow." Evalonis replied, and so the two of them moved on. They did encounter a few more Izshas, but thankfully they were all too busy working on fixing this huge ship.

"So, Artanis said that this was a Terran battlecruiser." the warrior mused after a while. "Is this the one you told me about. Your father's old ship?"

"The Hyperion. Yep. Found her at the ass-end of the Koprulu Sector. It wasn't easy to find her, trust me. The colonists that live on the world where she was buried didn't even know she was there. The hardest thing was to get there without anyone noticing it. Even though it fell apart in the end." Paula explained.

"I suppose hiding all these...uhm...what are Sarah and her sisters called anyway?" Evalonis asked.

"I tell you what they don't want to be called, and that's-"

"Zerg, yes. I get it. But they are...?" the Protoss wanted to know. When Paula heard that she stopped, looked up, and frowned.

"You know, I actually have no idea. To me they were always just family." the young woman mused. That's when another mini-Izsha slithered around the corner.

"Don't you dare to call us family, you stupid git!" she spat out.

"Oh, hi Elena. How's your tail doing?" Paula mumbled.

"How about you shove it up your butt? Then you tell me!" was the only answer she received. As Elena was gone, Paula sighed in defeat.

"Okay, maybe Sarah's really mad at me. Though, in all honesty, I think she has no reason for that." the young woman defended herself. "Come on, I can sense Karax and Artanis. Seems like they are in one of the secondary hangars. This way." And so, they moved along until they reached another crossing. And even from the distance, they could already hear the voices of the other two Protoss.

"...believe that you decided to stay with her!" they could hear Artanis, who almost sounded...enraged.

"It was the most prudent course of action, Hierarch." Karax replied.

"It sounds as if Lord Artanis is angry." Evalonus mumbled.

"Indeed." Paula replied, only to snicker when she realized that a certain someone had used this phrase as well many times. "I wonder what they are talking about."

"But she's a vile beast! She betrayed us, and even her own kind, many times! She never knew the meaning of honor in the first place!" the old Protoss spat out, which caused Paula to sigh when she realized who he was talking about.

"Sounds like Mum." she muttered before she and Evalonis entered the hangar. By now a lot of the ship had been restored. Not just by Sarah and her sisters, but Karax worked hard as well. And someone else had helped them as well. The hangar looked almost brand-new. Behind a blue-glowing field of electrons, the vacuum of space greeted them. You could even see a spectacular nebula in the distance, many lightyears away. Artanis was sitting on a big crate, his hands resting on his cane as he was looking up to Karax, who busy working on a miniature-drone while listening to the former Hierarch at the same time.

"I understand that things...were hectic that day." Artanis continued. "Even after all this time I still remember that glorious battle. But that happened over a thousand years ago! Surely you could have joined your brothers and sisters in time. I never stopped thinking about you. Where you went. What happened to you. But never would I have imagined that you...would join the great defiler-"

"It would be nice if you would stop calling my mum "the great defiler". That sounds like she's some kind of infested vacuum-cleaner." Paula explained when she joined them. Artanis and Karax looked at her, and for a moment it seemed as if the ailing Protoss didn't even understand her. Until-

"Paula Raynor." he greeted her. "You told me that you knew Karax when we first met. You never told me that he taught you many things and that you share a deep bond of kinship."

"I like to think of him as my uncle. Isn't that right, Uncle Karax?" Paula giggled, to which Karax only shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose that watching you grow up, Paula, makes you special to me. At the very least you show more respect to my work than the others. Except for Lady Kerrigan." Karax explained, which earned him an "Aaawww" from Paula.

"Stop calling her "Lady Kerrigan"." Artanis growled. "She is not your master, she does not command you! You have to break free from her control, Karax! Please, you have to-"

"I did so long time ago, Hierarch." Karax interrupted him, which caused Artanis to blink in surprise and Paula to snicker.

"What?" the ancient warrior mumbled.

"Uhm...I hate to interrupt this conversation, but can someone explain to me what this is all about?" Evalonis intervened. "Who's controlling who?" It was Paula who told him what he needed to get up to speed.

"Back in the day, my mum accidentally-"

"There was nothing accidental about it!" Artanis barked in anger.

"...she kinda caused some damage to Uncle Karax's mind. It wasn't her intention, but in the end, it didn't really matter."

"She tore Karax from our midst! She made me doubt my brother, fear that he had been turned into a pupped like Raszagal!" the former Hierarch ranted. "And worse-" That's when Karax sighed and looked at Evalonis.

"It is true. For a long time, I felt compelled to follow her orders because...I cannot really explain it. It felt like some sort of psionic conditioning." the phase-smith said.

"And... not anymore?" Evalonis wanted to know.

"Over the centuries that feeling started to fade until it completely vanished." Karax told him. "I am my own master now. I have been for many years."

"Then...why didn't you return to us?" Artanis wanted to know. "You were my friend, my brother!" You could actually see how Karax struggled to find the right words. And how uncomfortable this whole situation was for him.

"I..." he started. "...was happy where I was."

"Happy?" Artanis asked with a disbelieving tone in his voice.

"Yes. I was able to study the technology of the Xel'Naga. Technology that you forbade we should study. I understand that this sounds as if I chose to betray you, but I am a scientist. I could not allow such a chance to just pass by without grabbing it! Besides, Lad...Paula's mother..." Karax corrected himself just in time. "...has been good to me. She helped me wherever she could. I do understand that you do not share my sentiment, that to you she is the murderer of many comrades and friends. But to me...she is a friend." For a long time, no one said a word. Until...

"Pah!" Artanis snorted and turned away. "It is clear that you are still under her control. The Karax I knew would never say something like that!" That's when Karax was about to reply something when suddenly Paula intervened. She placed her hand on her uncle's arm and signaled him to give it a rest. And Karax understood immediately.

"I... see." the phase-smith mumbled. "Well, perhaps we can continue this conversation at a later date. I still have work to do. I shall oversee the repairs performed by Lady Izsha's daughters. While they are extremely competent in what they are doing, they still lack experience. If there is nothing else..." And when no one did ask for something else, Karax bowed his head in respect and left quietly. Paula threw a questioning gaze at Evalonis, who only shook his head, indicating her to not pursue this any further.

"Uhm...maybe we should call it a day for today." she then suggested. "You must be tired, Artanis. Perhaps-"

"I am not senile, Paula Raynor." Artanis interrupted her. "And I do not need someone who is still wet from birth-"

"That's disgusting." the young woman interrupted him.

"...to tell me that I should get to sleep."

"Is there anything we can do? Anything you wish us to do?" Evalonis interjected.

"You can leave me alone!" an angry Artanis declared. "My head hurts. And my bones. I just wish to be left alone. Is that too much to ask? Or am I your prisoner? Is this where you show your true colors, that you are indeed your mother's daughter?"

"What? No, I... well, yes, I am my mother's daughter. But I don't want to-" Paula tried to defend herself. That's when Evalonis placed his huge hand on her shoulder and signaled her to be quiet.

"We understand, Lord Artanis. We will leave you alone. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask." the huge warrior replied. The only answer they received was a wave of the former Hierarch's hand, gesturing them to finally leave them alone. Paula hesitated for a moment until Evalonis practically dragged her out of hangar. They vanished around the corner and when she was certain that they were no longer in earshot of Artanis-

"Just what the hell was that all about?!" she whispered, a disbelieving expression on her face. A deep sigh escaped Evalonis' mind when he heard that question.

"I wanted to tell you, but the way you rode in unto us made that impossible."

"Do I hear a hint of criticism in your voice?" Paula wanted to know.

"I just state facts, Paula." her boyfriend replied. "As for Lord Artanis, well..." He sighed again. "He has started deteriorating at an even faster rate. The last couple of weeks have been especially bad. It seems that he is losing his grip on reality, starts to think he is in the past. It pains to even say it out loud, but I think...he is close to becoming fully senile." And judging from the sound of Evalonis' voice, he wasn't making a joke.

"But...when I left, he was still fine...ish." Paula replied.

"The healers that took a look at him told me that they do not know anything about Protoss that are this old. They did, however, suggest that his behavior might become far more erratic soon. Moments of clarity will be replaced by confusion within mere seconds. So... we might tell your companions about that. The last thing that we need is for Artanis to think that he's surrounded by Zerg. It might lead to...problems."

"Oh, come on!" Paula protested. "It can't be that bad!" But the answer was not what she wanted to hear.

"Trust me, it's even worse." Evalonis sighed. "So, whatever you have planned, you better step it up. I don't know how much more time is left. Speaking of which; what is it you have planned exactly?" Instead of supplying the tall warrior with a satisfying answer, all Paula did was to pull her shoulders up.

"Eh', we are currently in the I make it up as I go-phase of the operation." she said, which earned her an exhausted look from her partner.

"And how is that any different from your usual approach to things?"

"Oh, harr harr. Look who has finally found his sense of sarcasm again, Mister Snarky-Pants."

"I do not know what you are talking about." Evalonis chirped way too friendly. "Sarcasm is beneath a warrior serving the templar order! Also; I do now wear pants. Like, ever."

"I know, it is one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you." Paula giggled.

"Which one? The sarcasm-part or the no-pants-part?" the confused Evalonis asked back. Instead of giving him a straight answer, as usual, Paula reached up and grabbed a part of Evalonis' chest-piece, pulling him down until their faces were roughly on the same level.

"I let you pick. I'm feeling generous." she told him before planting her lips on the lower part of his face, right where a human would have a mouth. Evalonis did nothing, just decided to enjoy the moment. The fact that a human...well, human-like being, was kissing a Protoss would probably only confuse folks back home. And that included both Evalonis' people and Paula's family. Speaking of which...

"Hmm, yeah, definitely missed that." Paula sighed when she broke the unusual kiss, proving to the world that you only need one mouth to make it work.

"So, while that was a nice way to stall the conversation and not tell me what you will have planned next...what's next?" Evalonis asked once more.

"Ugh, you're just like my mom. There's no way to stall her either. I'm gonna save myself the embarrassment of trying to run away because I already know how that will end."

"Are you implying that I might use force to stop you?" Evalonis gasped in disbelief.

"What? No. I would just be reminded of how horrible my own stamina is. I was outrun by a woman who's 900 years older than I am. Artanis could probably outrun me, and his bones are made out of straw and glass." Paula muttered. "Any attempt to run away would only end in bitter defeat for me." And that's when she yawned.

"Tired?"

"Eh', a bit. The last couple of days have been hectic. Ever since I managed to grab this baby and run, that is. Hadn't had a break since then." Another yawn escaped her. "Gosh, now that I started, it seems that I can't stop. Bugger."

"Speaking of which...how did you get your hands on this thing anyway?" Evalonis asked and looked around. "It does not look like something that you just find under a nearby rock."

"Believe it or not..." Paula yawned once more. "...I did find it under a pile of rocks. That's quite the story. You won't...eeeeeeeehhhh..." She produced another long-stretched yawn. "...believe half of it."

"Try me."

"Fair enough." the young woman chuckled. At the same time, you could actually see how she was getting sleepier by the second. "It all started when I arrived on Flemmin-eeeeeeeeehhhh!"

"Never mind that." Evalonis interrupted her. "How about you take a break and get some sleep?"

"What...what about Ar...ehhhhhh...Artanis?"

"I keep an eye on him. And once you're back on your feet, you can tell me how you managed to get your hands in this thing." the Protoss explained.

"Dunno, right now I'm more concerned that Sarah or one of her sisters will brutally murder me in my sleep." Paula replied. "That's why I haven't been sleeping for the last two...weeks."

"I was under the impression that humans cannot go without sleep for that long." a baffled Evalonis mused.

"I'm not human, remember?" Paula reminded him.

"But most of you is." her boyfriend replied. "And if memory serves right, then you need some sleep. Or weird stuff is going to happen." That's when he leaned down and swept Paula off her feet, who yelped in surprise but otherwise didn't do anything to stop him. She actually blushed when she realized that he was carrying her in his arms.

"Uhm...Evan?"

"Just tell me where to take you. You have any quarters here?" he asked.

"Y-yeah. Captain's quarters actually."

"Captain's quarters." Evalonis chuckled. "Of course, where else?" He looked around and realized that he had no idea where he would find those. "Directions might be in order. How about it, Paula? Where to...Paula?" As he looked down, he realized that the young woman in his arms...

...had already fallen asleep.

"Must have been quite the trip." Evalonis whispered. "Wish I could have been there with you." Instead of waking her up, the huge warrior tried his luck and walked away from the hangar. Leaving Artanis behind wasn't a good idea, but Evalonis would try to hurry. It didn't take him long to find someone to ask for direction.

"Excuse me? Young, uhm...lady?" he asked one of the many versions of Izsha, who was currently replacing some pieces of tech behind a wall. She looked over her shoulder and frowned when she noticed Paula in his arms.

"The name's Tanja." she told him. "Is she dead?"

"N-no. She is just sleeping and-"

"Bummer." the mini-Izsha growled before returning to her work. "Get lost."

"I will." Evalonis replied. "I am just asking for directions. Do you know how I find the Captain's quarters?" That's when "Tanja" looked at him once more, a devilish grin on her face.

"Captain's quarters, eh? Oh, sure. I know where you can find them." she cooed. "Deck 8. You can't miss it. Just follow the smell." Evalonis, not sure what that meant, bowed his head in respect before turning away.

"Thank you. I will no longer keep you from your duties. If I can somehow help, then please do not hesitate to ask." And with that Evalonis turned away and looked for a way to get to deck 8, not knowing what he would find there. When he was almost gone, "Tanja" looked at him once more.

"Tsk. He's much too good for her. Guess it must be nice to be Little Miss Perfect." she growled before returning to her work.