"Worried look? Me?" The Markior grinned, looking at Multex. After the Agent disposed of the cyborg he referred to as "Nick", Markior leaned against the Protoss Pub with crossed arms, the light reflecting in his pupiless eyes and golden shouldershield. "You must be more drunk then I thought. I never worry." Markior turned his head to stare into the distance, knowing the battle was still going on. "However, your help is not needed as of yet, Multex. Just hang around from this point. We gotta stick together." Multex hiccuped in reponse. "Gah.. Then get shome shuperglue." Markior sweatdropped.. "Lich, Ark, Kerrigan... be okay, brave ones." He closed his eyes. "Multex, I know you're drunk, but try to understand the following. We need a plan. A good plan. Not the quick plans I made up when in time of need, but a real good one. You are the only one who really knows Havering, and.." He opened his eyes, seeing Multex examining the local plantlife. "TEX!" Multex moved up. "What?! You shaid something?" Markior facepalmed.

Tob was sweating bullets. The ground in his cell was opening up more and more.. He didn't dare to look behind him. The fire from the burnt chair was going out, but the bars were already glowing red. "Okay... double or nothing, here we go." He yelled. He leapt backwards, over the opening pit. Reaching the wall opposite of the bars, he placed his feet against it and pushed himself towards the red spots of the bars. Without loosing speed, he jetted towards them, moving his head and limbs into his shell. He rammed through the red-hot bars, sparks flying around. He hit the wall hard, bouncing through the hallway. His limbs and head moved out of his shell again, while groggily managing to stand up. "Ow.. damn.. .. At least it worked.." He started to run through the hallways, trying to find his way towards the Uraj and the Khalis.

The sight of the battlefield had changed. The Protoss were winning. Reavers killed 10 Zerglings with every shot they'd make, Corsairs had shot down most of the Overlords, so the cloaked Dark Templar could kill the Zerg in masses. When two Arbiters flew towards the battlefield, the scales were fully tipped in Markior's forces' favour. The rest of the Zerg were killed, their blood colouring the green grass and brown soil red. Only one thing left to do remained. At the northwest of the valley, Ark was looking at Aurora, the blue-haired Yoshian princess. "Well?" Ark murmured, keeping quiet for the most part. Aurora didn't respond; she looked at the blue rose with blank eyes. Aurora had been mindcontrolled by Lord Ulrezaj many times before, while Markior in turn brought her back to the side of good. If there was any female in the multiverse who had switched sides unwillingly many times, it was Aurora Yoshiva.

The Markior placed two fingers on his fronthead. "Aurora.. this is yours." Aurora looked up and around, gripping her blade firmly. She brushed away a few strands of hair from her eyes. "Who's there? Who said that?" As if in a trance, her eyes focussed back on the blue rose again. "Take the rose, Aurora.. trust me. Fight the darkness inside your mind.. take the rose.. it's yours." Markior repeated inside Aurora's mind. Aurora began to sweat on her fronthead, her eyes focussed on the rose infront of her. With a quivering hand, she moved towards the rare and delicate flower. With slight hesitation, she reached for it, slightly pulled back, but finally took it in her hand. Warmth from the flower flowed from it's petals into her arm. She closed her eyes and flumped down limply. Ark was surprised. "By Salamando.. she fainted." He looked around, spotting the retreating Protoss warriors, ships and vessels. "Guess the war is over.. better take her back to Markior's city." He picked the sleeping princess up and hung her over his shoulder. He looked to the far west, where Kerrigan motioned him over impatiently.. guess it was the Overlord ride again to get back.

Ulrezaj was enraged. Everything had gone wrong. He slammed a fist down on his desk, the heat of his body burning through the material. "DAMN you, Kerrigan! Of all the places for that witch to appear.. ARGH!" He turned around. "The crystals.. first to get my Golden Power back.. then I'll kill all of them." He fumed. He turned the corner and went into the main chamber of the Dark Castle. "Now I'll..." His red pupiless eyes widened at the sight of Tob running off with the crystals through the opposite hallway. The Dark Archon nearly exploded in rage. "BY THE DARKEST HELLS OF SHAKURAS!!" He roared, jetting after Tob. The Koopa turned the corner and ascended on a long, twirling hallway of one of the towers. His heart was racing in his throat. The heat of the Dark Archon's body was glowing behind him. He reached the top of the tower and looked around. He slid off of the roof and turned into his shell, bounced off of the nearest gargoyle and towards the main roof. Picking out a warning signal from his belt, he fired it into the air, a red flame appearing in the sky and slowly lowering. The Shuttle pilot pushed a button and soared towards Tob. Tob looked up and leapt into the air, into the shuttle which flew over low. Ulrezaj appeared from the tower, shooting Dark psiblasts at the shuttle. "No.. NO!!!!"

Markior stared at Multex, moving his fingers. "Restoration." He said. Small white stars encircled the agent. He still looked as drunk as ever. Markior tried again. "Restoration!" He looked at Tex. No effect again. "Resto.." He was cut off by Tex. "Heeey.. look there, shmokey. Litsh ish back." Markior turned to see Lich carrieng Dragon over his shoulder, followed by a group of Zealots. "Hmm.." Markior and Multex walked over to Lich. Markior lowered himself, as if kneeling, at Dragon's side. He placed a hand on her fronthead. "Get her inside.. I'll cure her from the mindcontrol." Multex leaned against the air, looking at Dragon and Lich. "Itsh not nice to make ladies faint.. unlesh with dazzling looksh." Markior murmurred something about alcohol before looking at Lich. "Good job.. But where're Ark and Aurora? And Kerrigan?" Lich looked up while walking into the Nexus, with the carried Dragon before them and Multex close behind. "I have no idea... I.." He looked at Dragon. "I was.. distracted. I think. But they'll be alright.. right?" Lich asked. Markior nodded.

The retreating Protoss forces arrived at the edges of the Protoss City. Glooming eyes stared at them from the bushes.. It's stomach was growling with hunger. One Zealot turned towards a High Templar. "We are victorious! This battle shall go into the Templar Archives for sure." The high templar nodded, leaning against a reaver. "Lord Ulrezaj failed to defeat us.. it is good to know that we make a difference on this strange, strange planet.." A dragoon mixed into the conversation with it's metalic voice. "I died once. I am glad my second life has been usefull thusfar." The zealot nodded towards the Dragoon. "Yes, H'rate. We all were valuable in this war." With a hungry roar, the Mutant lunged forwards and drew the Zealot into it's maw. The Templar floated backwards with a mental shriek. In a matter of seconds, the Zealot was devoured. The Mutant looked around at the stunned Protoss. With a unified battle cry, they all attacked simultaneously. Templar confused the Mutant with illusions, Zealots pierced the Mutant's flesh with Psi-blades. Regular Dark Archons froze the beast in time with Maelstrom, while regular Light Archons fried it with their Psionic Shockwaves. The Mutant grabbed around itself, eating like crazy though slowly it started to die. It spit out wires and cicuitry after devouring a Dragoon. 2 reavers shot scarabs at it, the beast falling onto it's back from the blasts with a loud shriek. Dark Templar moved around it, drilling their WarpBlades into the beast. It's hunger-crazed state didn't even realize it was dieing untill it was too late. The city's Photon Cannons fired at the Mutant like crazy. With a loud shriek, the Mutant was impaled through it's hearts. Though most of the Protoss had been eaten, the beast was reduced to a foul-stenching carcass... .... One Protoss Archon rumbled, "Rrrgh.. Are you sure we made a difference..?"

Ulrezaj casted recall and appeared ontop of the shuttle, roaring like a monster in his enraged state. The pilot screamed mentally and turned the fast-moving shuttle, trying to throw the Dark Archon off of the vessel. Tob looked at the Dark Archon and clinged onto the two crystals, which hummed when they touched each other. In the Overlord, Aurora woke up, the humming sound piercing through her ears even though it was far away. Ever since Markior used the Twin Crystals for the first time to rid her of Ulrezaj's mindcontrol, she had grown attached to the two crystals in a strange way. Ark jumped at the sight of the awakening princess, while the Princess's hand clinged around the rose, not feeling the pain from it's small stings. She looked at Kerrigan. "Steer this.. this THING to the left!! The crystals are in danger!" The Yoshian princess was blank with determination, not even recognising Kerrigan as who she is. It was clear however, that the rose had done it's job. Aurora was freed of the mindcontrol. Kerrigan quirked a brow, but did as Aurora asked. She steered the Overlord to the left.

The Overlord and Shuttle will cross paths.. will it be too late? And what if Kerrigan decides to get the crystals for herself after all? Will the enraged Ulrezaj destroy the shuttle before Aurora, Ark and Kerrigan reach it in mid-air? The Protoss Army killed the mutant, how will Havering react? And what about Dragon? Will Multex ever get sober again? To be continued.