A few days ago, Slayn.

First Ascendant Alarak sat in his seat. A look of anxiety on his face.

The Death Fleet had just returned to Slayn and had purged the small fractions of feral zerg forces that attacked the planet. As soon as the threat was gone, Nyon ordered another march to meet up with Jean again. This time they would bring every last tal’darim in the race. This time there would be no weakness Amon could use. The fleet would march in two days.

Alarak was worried.

He wasn’t worried about losing the war against Amon, no. He was worried about the tal’darim winning the war. If the tal’darim, under Nyon, won the war, then the power of the current Highlord would be unquestionable. Nyon’s allies in the war would support his power. Jean alone would not allow her ally to be overthrown by those below him. Even within the tal’darim ranks Nyon would establish absolute power. His shady methods of overthrowing Ma’lash and his transgression against Amon would be covered by the glory of his victory. As Nyon stood at the peak of the tal’darim power pyramid, he, First Ascendant Alarak, would be stuck with that title for quite a while.

Alarak didn’t want that. If he was satisfied with his position then he would still be a normal zealot. He wanted to ascend. He wanted to become the Highlord.

But how? Nyon has the majority of the Death Fleet. Nyon has powerful allies. Nyon has the name: He is the Highlord. Striking him down in a fair duel would be impossible, and striking him outside a duel would make Alarak the public enemy.

Frustrated, Alarak grabbed another dose of terrazine. The breath of god had became so important to the tal’darim people that even after going against Amon they still used the substance to enhance their strength.

As the purple gas covered his surrounding, Alarak suddenly had an innovation.

The enemy of his enemy was his friend. His enemy was Nyon. Nyon’s enemy was Amon…If he could contact Amon and strike a deal…

“Guard!” A zealot walked in. “Summon Ji’nara.”

Second Ascendant Ji’nara walked in a few minutes later. Alarak waited until the guard left the room before speaking.

“I know you are helping Amon.”

Ji’nara hided her surprise and her fear. She silently felt the psi blade generator around her arms. “I don’t know what you are talking about. Our Highlord had saw through Amon’s betrayal. Amon is the enemy of all of us.”

“I saw you putting the transmitter in the terran female’s bridge.” Alarak’s words destroyed any hope Ji’nara had left, but just before Ji’nara made a desperate attempt to silence Alarak the First Ascendant spoke. “I want you to contact Amon for me.”

“Why would I do that?” Ji’nara realized Alarak needed her, so she bargained.

“First, because we have the same idea. Nyon’s presence is disturbing the Rak’Shir. Second, because if you don’t help me I will kill you and tell the world you were a traitor. Nyon will only reward me.”

Ji’nara thought about it for a while. “Fine. Of course you can always just take twenty dozes of terrazine and be with Amon right now.” Alarak wasn’t amused at the joke. One dose of terrazine was an enhancement. Twenty dozes was suicide.

Ji’nara took out a small device that radiated crimson void energy. She activated it, and the entire room was filled with the scent of Amon.

“Guards! Secure the room. Execute any trespassers!” The guards outside Alarak’s chamber were absolutely loyal to Alarak. They were even willing to raise their blades against Nyon for the ascendant. At the order they locked the entire area down and drew their blades while scanning the surrounding for any possible foe.

In the chamber, void energy formed a voice. The voice of Amon.

“Ji’nara. This better be important? Do you know how much energy it takes to speak with you?” Amon spoke impolitely. Unless he was planning on some conspiracy, the dark god never bothered with politeness.

“That’s not my concern.” Ji’nara showed no respect to her god. The tal’darim followed the strongest. They could kneel and beg and even pray to the strongest, but when that strongest was defeated, the tal’darim would be the first to feast on the remains of the defeated. For thousands of years Amon was undefeated, but now that Jean had pulled Amon down from the throne, the tal’darim had realized Amon was capable of being defeated. When the faith disappeared, the only thing that connected Ji’nara and Amon was their common enemy. There was an alliance, but there was no respect. “May I introduce you to Alarak, First Ascendant of the tal’darim.” She paused for a second for the dramatic effect. “He wants to join alliance with you as well.”

“Ahh. The First and the Second Ascendant, both so eager to betray their master. Nyon must be really despised.” Amon provoked.

“This is not your concern. I offer you a deal. We merge forces and take down Nyon together. After that I will turn the tal’darim to your side as your ally. Your enemy loses an army and you gain one. Deal?”

“Not enough.” Amon bargined further. Just turning the Death Fleet over wasn’t enough. The Golden Armada was approaching Char. If everything went well they would begin their attack with the element of surprise. Kerrigan shouldn’t be able to deal with that, but just having the swarm might not be enough.

Amon wasn’t worried about Jean’s fleet. Her allies were unstable, and the fleets directly under her command were few. Just looking at the numbers Amon knew he had an advantage, but war was much more than just numbers.

Jean gave him a dangerous feeling. After his threats that turned Jean’s combined fleet temperiory apart he had sent a squad of hybrid behemoths to Jean’s coordinates, but she was nowhere to be seen when the hybrids arrived just seconds after the Death Fleet and the Dominion fleet left. It was as if Jean knew what he was doing. A spy was impossible, which meant Jean guessed what he was doing with little or no information. Someone capable of doing that was not to be undermined.

This was why he wasn’t satisfied by the Death Fleet. A few hundred ships less for his enemy and more for him was great, but the more he could gain from this the safer he felt against Jean.

“What else do you want?”

“I want you to bring me Jean. This terran might be a threat to me.” Amon realized he seemed a bit weak. “She’s not even a threat, just some trouble, but you need to prove to me your worth.”

“I don’t need to prove anything to you.” Alarak replied with his standard salt. “How do you suggest me to bring you Jean? Even if I can lure her into a trap, she will not be an easy prey. She’s hiding it, but I can sense the amount of strength within her.”

“Might I remind you that we have a fleet?” Ji’nara cut in. “Defeating Jean is not the problem. One can never stand against an army. It is taking command of the Death Fleet and luring Jean here that’s the problem.”

“That’s what I thought.” Alarak glanced at Ji’nara. “I can lure Jean here with a few lies, but we can’t let her get any suspicion. The takeover must be quick and quiet. We need to hit Nyon before he can rally his fleet. If Nyon gets to his fleet, we will be crushed.”

“I have a plan...” Amon finally spoke. As he spoke, the other two ascendants nodded in agreement. This plan could work. This plan must work.