“What's wrong Jean?” Nova noticed something was wrong from her purifier flagship. She had a video communication with Jean, and she saw her lover’s change in expression.

“Hang on.” Jean tapped something on her screen and then grinned. “The Nerazim hit squads have left the Dominion ships, and judging from the dark pylon in my backyard they are coming for me.”

“I am sending reinforcements now.” Nova said quickly. There were several pylons in Jean’s flagship that allowed purifier units to warp in.

“That’ll be nice.” Jean agreed as on a security camera countless Nerazim units solidified. “All Warden units get into defensive positions. Treat our guests in kind.”

The doors to the crew members’ chambers opened, and newly activated Warden units walked out. These chambers, usually used as rooms for those aboard the battlecruisers, were transformed to hold Warden units when they weren’t active and needed. These Warden units reached the corners and got into combat position.

All across the ship hidden turrets and other defensive structures appeared. They added to the Warden forces in their defense. Purifier units were also warping into the ship, adding to the defenses of the ship.

Vorazun wasted no time upon arriving onto this ship. Every second she wasted would be more of her people dead. Immediately she ignited her weapon and charged down the hallway with her forces.

They were met with a well fortified position, made up of Warden forces and defensive structures.

The Warden marines and marauders were ready when the dark templars arrived. They were linked to the security cameras all over the ship, which warned them of the approaching foe a mile away.

A storm of metal was rained down upon the Nerazim as soon as they turned around the corner. Marine rifles. Marauder grenades. Auto turret rounds. Fire turrets unleashed a wave of flame upon the melee warriors.

The Nerazim were pinned down almost instantly. Their cloaking ability was of little use when the terran weren’t trying to aim. All the Warden forces had to do was aim at the general direction and pull the trigger, and chances were the dark templar, cloaked or not, would be hit. Once hit, the light plasma shields the dark templars carried were not even close to sufficient. A few random shots might be fine, but give it a few seconds and the dark templar would perish.

Vorazun grunted as she was pushed back by the impact of the Warden forces. The terran forces she was facing somehow managed to be positioned so that every inch of the hallway was covered by a gun barrel. Now the Nerazim forces were stuck in the same situation the Dominion forces were in. Only a few units could move forward, and they would be met with at least a dozen gun barrels. Not good.

Vorazun had no choice but to blink back around the corner and stay out of the sight of the guns. She had a specialized plasma shield, but it wasn’t enough. The hallway was also too far away to blink into position. That was just the first line of defense.

“Matriarch?” A shadow guard raised her weapon. Vorazun looked at her. The shadow guard had a look of determination in her eyes. Vorazun realized something and looked around her most loyal followers. All of them had the same look.

“Don’t let this be for nothing.” The shadow guard said calmly before turning around and blinking into the open.

The Warden units opened fire without any hesitation. Their ammos covered the entire hallway and, without doubt, smashed into the shadow guard. The shadow guard’s shield blinked, trying to protect its owner, but nonetheless failed three seconds later. The shadow guard’s body shook several times before collapsing and dying. Her body faded into the air, leaving just her weapon and her armor on the ground.

The shadow guard got one meter closer to the defensive position.

And then the second shadow guard moved forward…

Through the security camera, Jean frowned. The protoss had high-tech. The protoss had powerful psi energy. The protoss had an average life span of centuries.

But it was their loyalty that made the protoss powerful. It was the willingness to die for their cause that made the protoss, Daelaam, Nerazim, or Tal’darim, one of the strongest fractions in the sector.

Jean had to say she was impressed and even surprised by the strength the Nerazim had shown.

When the gunshots went silent, Vorazun walked out and found seven pieces of armors and seven warp blades lying on the ground. A distance away twelve Warden marines and two turrets laid destroyed.

Seeing their leader’s sadness, another shadow guard walked up. “Matriarch. Don’t let their sacrifice be in vain. We need to kill the enemy commander. That is the only way to save our people.”

Vorazun nodded. If she was a terran she would be in tears, but she was a strong capable protoss leader, and she knew better than to show weakness. The only thing she could do to honor the dead was to end this pointless war as soon as possible.

Rising with renewed belief, Vorazun rose and continued down the hall.

“Commander, I await your orders.” Reinforcing purifiers sentinels went to Jean as soon as they were warped in.

“Hold on for now.” Jean whispered. Instead of ordering the purifiers into battle, she ordered them to stand down. In fact, she actually stored the purifiers into her watch.

Jean’s every action had a purpose. She changed her plan to just wipe out the Nerazim simply because she saw what the dark templars did for Vorazun. They were willing to die to protect the female dark templar, which informed Jean of her identity.

Vorazun, matriarch of the dark templar.

As the leader of the Nerazim Vorazun’s skill in combat was quite impressive. Sure, she could be pinned down by a dozen Warden marines and be defeated by Alarak with ease, but Vorazun was a stealth assassin. If she somehow escaped this and decided to lurk around and wait for a chance to avenge her people Jean could be in some real trouble. To someone as skilled with void energy as Vorazun normal detection wasn’t enough. Jean had no idea when Vorazun would sneak past her detections, into her bedroom, and cut her in half. For the sake of herself Jean wanted Vorazun dead here and now.

If Jean attacked now with overwhelming purifier forces Vorazun would be able to warp away. But if she could get Vorazun fully engaged in combat and then strike with the purifier forces...warping required several seconds to get the target away, and Jean would never give Vorazun the chance.

So Jean stood back and watched as the Nerazim forces forced their way toward her, unaware of the trap.

Outside, the Nerazim fleet was at its last moments.