On the surface of Glacius, Nova’s rifle fell onto the ground as she saw the terran flagship explode.

Please don’t…

Nova touched the earpiece in her ears with shaky hands. “Jean. Jean!” She yelled and prayed for a response. Any response.

After what seemed like a decade, Jean finally answered.

“Yes?”

“Jean. Jean are you ok?” Nova pushed her earpiece like it was Jean’s life. “What happened?”

“I’m fine. The tal’darim boarded the Beetle. I savaged the ship and blew it up.” Jean spoke casually as her fighter docked into another Minotaur class battlecruiser. “The tal’darim are done. I am sending a squad down to the facility to pick you up.”

“Great.” Nova picked up her rifle again, slightly embarased of her dramatic reaction.” I look forward in returning to you.”

Closing the comm and exiting the wraith, Jean walked through the empty hall. The clicking sound of her shoes echoed through the ship. There wasn’t a single trace of human. Everyone onboard the ship was executed and melted. She was the only human being present, for now.

The metal doors snapped open, and Jean entered the bridge of her new flagship. The ship, B110, was a previously mercenary battlecruiser. Jean took it, along with the entire mercenary fleet, via a back door the Assistant installed and. The ship was controlled by a Warden AI.

“Report.” She demanded.

“Order received.” The Warden AI acknowledged before going through the information on the Warden net. “We have captured 2 motherships and 3 carriers. The rest of the tal'darim fleet is completely destroyed. We have lost one Gorgon class battlecruiser and four Minotaur class battlecruisers due to tal’darim boarding parties. Overall evaluation of this battle is positive.”

“Battlecruiser B230 has already retrieved special agent Nova and the device Megalith. It is returning to the fleet now.”

“Debrief over. Waiting for further command.” The AI silenced, leaving the bridge in utter quiet. Jean thought about it for a while.

“Open a communication to Assistant 01. Land all the captured tal’darim ships on the planet below. As soon as the Megalith is aboard the ship warp the entire fleet to plant Endion.” She paused for a second. “Tell Nova to come see me as soon as possible.”

The AI passed down the order. Support ships dragged the intact tal’darim ships down to the Glacius planet. Pieces of the destroyed battlecruisers were being savaged. Jean told a few orders to Assistant 01, the AI assisting Nyon.

When Nova reached her ship, she walked directly to the bridge. “Jean.” She stated.

“You have done well, Nova.” Jean walked closer to Nova. “I saw you in action. The EMP was on point.” During the assault Nova EMPed a crowd of clumped up protoss zealots and weakened them to a point the Warden ghosts sniped them with ease. It wasn’t something significant, but by mentioning that Jean showed Nova how much she cared about her.

Nova grinned sweetly. She was glad she could help the girl.“Now what?”

“We’re going to Endion. With the Megalith the Purifiers will be mine. But before that,” Jean wrapped her arms around the ghost. “it is a long period of free time from here to Endion.”

Nova looked into Jean’s blue eyes for a few seconds before kissing down.

“Ascendant Nyon. Why did you summon us? I was in the middle of a glorious battle! If you don’t have a real reason you will be punished for your desecration.”

In Nyon’s carrier, several ascendants solidified. They were the top ascendants in the tal’darim society, going from First Ascendant Nuroka to Sixth Ascendant Ji’nara. They were summoned by Fifth Ascendant Nyon. Such a decision by Nyon was absurb and usually considered as a transgression.

The one that spoke was Second Ascendant Guraj, the loyal follower of the now dead Ma’lash.

Nyon wasn’t offended. “Ma’lash is dead.” He stated casually.

His words surprised every single ascendant, but the response was very different. Nuroka had a smile on his face that he struggled to hide. Alarak had a meaningful smirk. Guraj just pulled her blades on Nyon.

“You dare spread lies about our Highlord?” She raged. Her bane blades steady, just like her faith in Ma’lash’s strength. “You shall pay!”

Nyon wasn’t moved. “A few cowards from Ma’lash’s fleet had returned. They told me an interesting story. They told me our Highlord had made contact with a powerful Daelaam fleet. After destroying the Daelaam fleet and suffering heavy losses in the process, Ma’lash’s fleet was surrounded by a mysterious terran fleet. Ma’lash lead an attack on the terran flagship, which exploded.”

“Cowards lie!” Guraj didn’t accept the idea that Ma’lash was dead. She couldn’t. The image of Ma’lash’s strength was carved into her soul and she wouldn’t dare questioning it.

“I have been trying to make contact with Ma’lash for the entire time. When there was no response, I sent a scout.” Nyon pressed a button that projected a hologram video.

In the video, dozens of terran battlecruisers were patrolling in space. Wreckages of tal’darim ships were all over the place. The scout even saw a destroyed mothership floating lifelessly. The throne of the Highlord was now torn apart like a pathetic pray. Suddenly, out of the corner of the recorder, a string of glaring objects approached. The video went dark. The ascendants knew the scout was destroyed.

“As far as you are willing to go to resist the truth, the fact remains that Ma’lash is lost. Our Highlord is dead, and that terran fleet is the cause. We need to respond.” His eyes flickered with a light called ambition. “We need a new Highlord.”

The ascendants immediately moved past the loss of their Highlord and started wondering if they could take the place that every tal’darim desired. Even the weakest of them all, Ji’nara fancied a chance to ascend. Going after the terran and avenging their Highlord was a thought the ascendants were more than happy to forget about. Even Guraj decided taking on the terran fleet was a waste of time and ships. She pulled back her weapons.

“As the First Ascendant I am the best choice to replace Ma’lash.” Nuroka was the first to speak up. He knew how Amon betrayed the tal’darim, and as the Highlord he could wage war against the xel’naga.

Guraj wasn’t afraid to compete. Her fists were held tightly as she spoke. “You are weak, Nuroka. I am a better choice.” Aside from Ma’lash, Nuroka and Guraj had the two strongest fleets, or at least that was what they thought.

Nyon grinned at the rising tension. Alarak saw that grin.

“What about you, ascendant Nyon? Do you desire the place of Highlord?” Alarak managed to turn the attention to Nyon. As a conspirator Alarak knew a conspiracy when he saw one, and he knew Nyon didn’t tell them about the news of Ma’lash’s demise because he was nice. The attention was immediately turned to Nyon.

Met with the threatening gaze of both Guraj and Nuroka, Nyon played weak. Having learned from the best actress, he had more than enough to fool the other ascendants.“I have nine carriers and no mothership.” He said unwillingly. “I don’t have the ships to challenge any of you.”

The two top ascendants nodded inside. If Nyon said he wasn’t interested in ascending then they would be suspicious. Every ascendant wanted to rise. But now that he told them he didn’t have the fleet the two believe him. It was true, and they turned back to their potential number one threatener. Each other.

“I am higher in the chain.” Nuroka demanded. “Swear your allegiance to me or you will die.”

“You are weaker than me,” Guraj didn’t yield. The chain was important, but having more forces was even better. “and I will prove it to the world. Return to Slayn, and I will challenge you in a fight to the death. The winner shall become the Highlord and the loser shall die in agony.”

“Deal.” Nuroka smirked and warped away in a light beam. Guraj and the other ascendants did the same. Negotiation had lost its usage, and now everything came down to one battle.

As the ascendants left, Nyon went to the window and watched as the tal’darim ships started to warp back to Slayn for the duel. He summoned an ascendant ultimately loyal to him. “When the others are gone, bring three carriers and five extra ascendants to that area.” He tapped at the coordinates of Glacius.

“The terran fleet will be there.” The ascendant trailed off.

“No they won’t. They have already left, but they have dropped something for us to pick up. You will find two motherships and three carriers there. Take them and come back to join me.”

“Master...” The ascendant started thoughtfully, but Nyon cut him off.

“If news get out about this, I will hunt down every single one of those involved, starting from you.” The Fifth ascendant threatened, and the lower ascendant knew it was time to keep his mouth(psi energy generated voice) quiet.

As he left the room, Nyon looked at the gradually decreasing Death Fleet with satisfaction. He would be the Highlord in no time. The only regret he had was that he couldn’t slay Ma’lash himself.