Slayn.

A fleet of corrupted Daelaam ships exited warp space.

They were immediately noticed by Tal’darim scouts.

After declaring war on Amon, Nyon mobilized the entire Tal'darim engine of war. Under his iron fist, a system of manufacturing industry was quickly established, and for the first time in perhaps forever, Tal’darim started forging their own vessels from scratch. Nyon had help from Delta’s Purifiers. Despite coming from different factions, most protoss technologies were closely related.

Some complained, claiming the art of crafting was for the weak. Nyon ignored those objections.

Nyon knew the Golden Armada was en route across the sector. It has been a week since the fall of Umoja, and it has been days since the entire Umojan Protectorate was purged. Jean established a doctrine against the Golden Armada, but it was mainly focused on stabbing it in the back to weaken it before truly confronting it. If the Golden Armada, still powerful, struck Slayn, there would be severe consequences.

That was why Slayn was immediately put on maximum alert when the Daelaam ships were spotted. Countless ships, from the most advanced motherships to the most basic phoenixes, lifted off into the air. Millions of Tal’darim readied their blades and armors, ready for war. The Daelaam were menacing, but the Tal’darim would gladly show them who’s boss.

With the Death Fleet in place and ready for war, Nyon, Alarak, and Ji’nara waited in their command ships for a few minutes before realizing there weren’t any additional Daelaam vessels. The fleet of twelve ships was their only guest.

Even the Highlord was confused. He expected that fleet to be a vanguard to the main Armada. He was seconds away from calling for aid and bringing the entire Dominion Fleet, Zerg Swarm, and Warden Fleet over here when a zealot broke the silence.

“Highlord, the Daelaam ships have attempted to establish contact with us.”

That is odd. Through the thousands of planets the Golden Armada laid waste to, they have never tried to talk to anyone. All they knew was warp in, destroy the defenses, purify the planet, and warp away. “Patch them through.”

Seconds later, the face of a hybrid appeared on the mothership’s main interface.

“Highlord of the Tal’darm. My name is Akshaar. We serve the common master.” The hybrid spoke in a deep, dark voice. He addressed Nyon by his title rather than his name, not out of respect, but because the only thing Nyon meant to him was the Highlord of the Tal’darim.

Nyon was taken back by shock for a second. He thought Amon’s side knew about his betrayal already. Judging from the hybrid’s words and tone, he was wrong.

In reality, the Tal’darim world was completely severed from Amon’s side. All the hybrids that fought side by side with the Tal’darim have been slaughtered in the Rak’Shir duel. There were Amon’s loyalists in the Tal’darim even after Nyon declared Amon’s betrayal, but Nyon has been persecuting those risk factors at the commanding structure of the Tal’darim for a while. At this point, almost all high level ascendants were loyal to Nyon, not Amon. There were still plenty of Amon’s followers overall, but they had no way of contacting Amon. Even someone as mighty as Amon couldn’t connect to every single one of the millions of Tal’darim through terrazine.

The news of what happened was never passed out. Even if some whispers did go out, neither Narud nor Amon paid attention for those rumors, not when they were at risk of being united against by the entire sector.

All of those factors caused this somewhat hilarious scene. Nyon was ready for the most brutal war in the Tal’darim history, but moments later he was talking to one of his enemies as an ally.

But if Nyon’s experience with Jean taught him anything, it was trickery could be much more efficient than sheer brutality. Instead of just opening fire on the hybrid and risk letting him flee, Nyon tried a much smarter approach.

“Glory to Amon, Akshaar. What is our god’s decree?”

“It is time for the Tal’darim to serve, Highlord. Amon’s most loyal servant, Narud, has called for the aid of the entire Death Fleet. You are to lead every single Tal’darim ship and warrior to a provided location. I will be your guide.”

Nyon nodded. He did his best to make himself look like one of Amon’s zealous followers. It wasn’t hard. All he had to do was mimic one of the dozens of ascendant fanatics he slaughtered several weeks ago when he took the throne. “We will do so at once. Meanwhile, might I have the luxury of hosting you on my ship? The presence of one of god’s finest will make our warriors lust for the blood of their foe even more.”

During Ma’lash’s era, the basic Tal’darim foot soldiers were told that if they served Amon, they would eventually become hybrids. All the Tal’darim saw was the power of the hybrids to rip through an ultralisk and ravage through a vanguard single-handedly, and not their loss of identity. This was just another one of Ma’lash’s lies that Nyon cleansed. Thankfully, the hybrid didn't know that.

Akshaar nodded. “If my presence on your ship will inspire your warriors to fight, then I shall do so gladly.” He was one of the more intelligent hybrids. This was precisely why Narud chose him to complete this task.

The call ended.

Nyon turned to Alarak and Ji’nara.

“Prepare your supplicants. As soon as that hybrid’s ship brings the hybrid here, destroy the hybrid and his fleet. This far away, even the Khala can’t connect these Daelaam to the Golden Armada. Take him out quietly and destroy the evidence. Remember. No one saw him.”

All Nyon had to do was stall. The longer they waited before the fight began, the more likely their side was going to win. If the messenger mysteriously disappeared, if the bulk of the Golden Armada arrives, Nyon could still buy some time by saying he never saw the hybrid and that he was still on Amon’s side, and he didn't move the Death Fleet because he never got the order. It was the safest way to delay the inevitable battle.

Five shuttles unloaded hybrid Akshaar and fifty Daelaam zealots onto the Tal’darim mothership.

Nyon, Alarak, and Ji’nara walked up to meet him along with their supplicants.

“How long it will be until full mobilization? Narud needs the Death Fleet now.” Akshaar didn't bother to waste time with politeness. Rather, he went straight to the point. After all, it the eyes of the Xel’naga, the Tal’darim were just cheap tools that would be discarded after the final victory. Only the hybrids were the desirable soldiers.

“I assure you, it will be soon.” Nyon kept his head low and gestured for inside the ship. “I have assembled some of Amon’s most loyal warriors. They await your presence.”

“Very well.” Akshaar felt a shade of annoyance going across his heart, but he quickly tamed it. All for Amon.

As Akshaar headed into the bridge, Nyon allowed a small grin to appear on his face.

He was really starting to enjoy backstabbing others...

The hybrid messenger walked into a giant dome that was at the center of the bridge. The dome was transparent. It was in fact formed by energy. It was several times more durable than the toughest terran glass. This made this dome one of the safest places on the ship.

Thousands of Tal’darim gave their lives to seize this dome centuries ago from the Aiur protoss.

The inside of the dome was giant. Even Akshaar felt tiny. Standing on a platform, he looked down and found legions and legions of Tal’darim standing on countless round plates. Those plates allowed the Tal’darim on top to float in the air, therefore using the space more efficiently.

Nyon, Alarak, and Ji’nara stood behind the hybrid. Just before Akshaar could say some word of encouragement, Nyon cut in.

“If I may, Akshaar, what is the Golden Armada planning at the moment. Our people need to know who and what they will be facing.”

Ji’nara glanced at Nyon. Even she was feeling the strangeness of the situation. Nyon was literally asking his enemy military secrets.

Akshaar glanced at Nyon. This time the mocking in his eyes couldn’t even be remotely hidden.

“Your people need to know nothing. All you need to do is comply.”

Nyon could no longer hold the obedient look. Even Jean wouldn’t talk to him like this. Compare Jean’s considerate tone with the arrogant words of the hybrid, he was glad for his choice of allies.

Plus, there was no need to put up an act now.

As Akshaar turned back to face the Tal’darim legions, Nyon silently ignited his blade.

“What?” The sound of the bane blade igniting was loud in the nearly silent room. Akshaar suddenly sensed a fatal danger from behind. He turned around once again, only to find himself staring at Nyon’s blade.

Nyon’s action completely took Akshaar by surprise. The hybrid tried to fall back and buy some time for himself, but it was too late. Nyon blade landed on his chest plating and left a deep, burning mark. The blade contained the full strength of the Highlord. It would take much more than a hybrid’s plating to deflect the attack.

Almost as if a signal was given, both Alarak and Ji’nara drew their blades and charged toward Akshaar. Meanwhile, all their supplicants turned their attention to the Daelaam escort.

Red blades clashed with red blades in the background. Nyon leaped forward and pushed Akshaar off the platform with an energy blast. The hybrid screeched as he fell and crashed into the ground. Almost as soon as he hit the ground, all the Tal’darim on all the plates leaped toward the hybrid. The ‘most loyal warriors of Amon’ cornered the hybrid and struck down on him in a wave of frenzy.

Akshaar resisted, but he was already wounded by both Nyon and the fall. His claws occasionally snatched out and crushed a Tal’darim zealot into a gust of red mist, but the dead was quickly replaced. His injuries grew exponentially in number. Individual bane blades were nothing, but dozens of them constantly striking down was a whole different story.

He used three seconds to form a giant energy wave, but as soon as the first dozen zealots were knocked off their feets, just as he was about to get back up, twenty more zealots charged forward in beams of energies and landed on top of him. Their blades hit even stronger than those of the first wave of zealots. It was only a matter of time before Akshaar was in pieces.

Nyon stood on the platform and looked down on the dying hybrid. Beside him, all the Daelaam warriors were dealt with.

Outside the mothership, as soon as Nyon drew his blade on Akshaar, the Death Fleet opened fire on the Daelaam Fleet. Thousands of phoenixes and scouts, previously positioned around the unsuspecting Daelaam ships, opened fire at once. All the warp drives were destroyed before the plasma shields could even be raised. By the time the Daelaam escort was gone, so was the fleet.

The plan worked well...seemingly.

Behind Nyon, Alarak suddenly ignited his blade and pushed it into Nyon’s back. His supplicants turned on Nyon's and Ji’nara’s supplicants and forced them back with the element of surprise. Three plates, previously floating in the air, landed on the ground. The Tal’darim on those plates moved forward, but instead of joining the fight against Akshaar, they turned against their fellow Tal’darim.

All Akshaar knew was the endless wave of Tal’darim was halted. He crushed the skull of the last two Tal’darim and got back up, only to find the Tal’darim have seemingly divided into two parties. He couldn’t really tell the difference, but judging from the brutalness these Tal’darim fought, they did.

A figure landed beside him. Akshaar turned in alertness and found himself facing one of the Tal’darim that stood by Nyon when the Highlord suddenly decided to turn on him for what seemed like no reason at all.

“How dare you attack a servant of god?” He threatened, still struggling to understand the situation.

Alarak smirked. A wound was on his side, thanks to Ji’nara. He glanced at the platform above and saw his supplicants were still standing their ground against the Second Ascendant and all her supplicants, but they wouldn’t be hold on for too long.

He turned to Akshaar.

“I am First Ascendant Alarak. Highlord Nyon and Second Ascendant Ji’nara have teamed together to rebel against Amon. They set this trap to silence you. I was forced to go along with them, but as soon as I could, I returned to the side of the true god.”

“Why should I believe you?” Akshaar demanded.

Alarak groaned. Suddenly, a pair of zealots moved to beside him and attacked him. Alarak dodged the attack of the first zealot, beheaded the second, and then turned around and pushed his blade into the first, impaling him.

“Why would I lie? If I serve Nyon, then you would be dead by now. Why should I sacrifice my own forces and my own life if my loyalty is not truely with Amon?”

Akshaar nodded hesitantly. All around him, Tal’darim were falling like flies. He couldn’t tell the difference between Alarak’s forces and Nyon’s, but he knew the situation wasn’t going in his favor.

“Follow me.” Alarak declared as he turned around. Akshaar paused for another second before deciding to follow. Trust Alarak and he might die. Stay here and he certainly will. A group of Tal’darim assembled around them and helped them fend off surrounding enemies forces. They quickly made their way out the door.

On the platform, Nyon and Ji’nara watched as Alarak and Akshaar boarded a Tal’darim ship. That ship, along with dozens of other ships, quickly jumped away.

Ji’nara turned to Nyon. Her armor was in pieces and her psionic energy was exhausted, but her spirit was high.

“Do you think that hybrid bought it?”

The Highlord shrugged.

“It’s not the hybrid I worry about.”

“It’s Narud.“