Matriarch

Augustus followed Zeratul and his Dark Templar along the long corridors and spiral staircases toward the core of the towering tower. Along the way, they saw Nerazim warriors standing on both sides, dressed in purple robes and armor, silent and with sharp eyes.

This place is vastly different from the dazzling and magnificent Star Shuttle that Augustus once visited. The wide corridors are adorned with exquisite ornaments and green crystal gems, yet they give off a sense of oppression, as if countless eyes are watching this place from the shadows.

Despite being separated from their brethren in Aiur for many years, the craftsmen of Nerazim remain as skilled as ever, creating works of unparalleled beauty.

The difference lies in the fact that the Protoss Shakuras, lacking sunlight, do not favor gold and blue; they prefer to remain hidden in the shadows. Therefore, the architecture of Nerazim is much more understated and restrained than that of Aiur Protoss. However, the architecture of the Protoss Shakuras still magnificent and dazzling, in no way inferior to that of their estranged Aiur kin.

Tassadar and Augustus walked side by side, both feeling a sense of wonder and awe. Tassadar had always thought that the Dark Templar were the unruly savage thugs who couldn't control their powers, as recorded in the Templar Archives, while Augustus was simply shocked.

They entered together into a large circular hall, instantly dispelling the oppressive atmosphere. It was a spacious and bright circular hall, large enough to accommodate two Tarsonis Confederacy Opera Houses.

Light from the outside world shines down through the translucent crystal of the dome, supporting the bright purple crystal clusters that grow on the entire dome, as if adorned with the sun, moon, and stars.

Seated on a massive chair inlaid with green gems and crystals was Raszagal, the matriarch of the Shakuras Protoss. She wore a magnificent reddish-brown robe and golden armor and ornaments, with a huge blue crystal adorning her exquisite headdress. Her attire was more suited to the Aiur Protoss than to the Dark Templar like Zeratul.

The female chieftain's eyes were very bright, as if a beam of light was piercing through them.

Augustus remembered that Raszagal, the Protoss matriarch of Shakuras, was one of the oldest Protoss, but he was surprised to find that the signs of aging on her face were not obvious. Raszagal looked very much like her daughter, Vorazun, but was undoubtedly much more mature and composed. She was peaceful and calm, and earned the respect of all the Protoss of Shakuras with the dignity and justice of a matriarch.

The signs of aging in Protoss are not as obvious as in humans, but the years still leave their mark, making them fragile and sluggish until their power declines significantly.

"I am Raszagal, chieftain of the Dark Templar. Welcome to our world." Raszagal's voice, as perceived by Augustus, was that of a mature and melodious woman. Protoss do not have vocal cords; their voices are determined by their psychological age.

Raszagal, the leader of the Dark Templar, was dignified and beautiful, the marks of time clearly visible in her sharp, eerie green eyes.

When Raszagal was young, she led the Nerazim banished from Aiur and forged them into a single entity. Chieftain Raszagal was once a majestic and powerful Dark Templar, but now her power has visibly diminished.

Augustus walked toward Raszagal under the watchful eyes of the Dark Templar, bowing in the manner of Korhal as he approached her. Faraday behind him followed suit, while Tychus merely paused for a moment, then, after a brief moment of awkwardness, also made a perfectly acceptable gesture of courtesy.

Tassadar seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the oppressive atmosphere around him, but he remained steadfastly by Augustus's side. Zeratul, Mohandar Vorazun, and other Dark Templar stood behind Chieftain Raszagal.

"It is an honor to meet you, matriarch of the Protoss Dark Templar. I am Augustus Mengsk, leader of the human Korhal Revolutionary Army." Augustus introduced himself first to the matriarch.

"Augustus Mengsk, I have heard from Zeratul about the terrible fate of your people and the bravery of you and your warriors." Raszagal stood up and walked to Augustus amidst the tinkling of the crystals in his headdress.

Raszagal Augustus, who wasn't wearing CMC Power Armor. Her green-glowing hand swept through the air, forming a gesture of prayer for peace.

As the leader of the Dark Templar and as a Protoss, Raszagal is far removed from the word "arrogant." She even naturally regards Augustus Protoss equal to herself, rather than as some uncivilized primitive animal.

"The Zerg, they appeared out of nowhere. Neither the Dark Templar nor the Xel'Naga scholars who have traveled the universe have ever found a trace of Zerg," Raszagal said.

"The Zerg are the enemies of the Protoss, and it is the responsibility of the Dark Templar to eradicate them. It is not only a war for the human race, but also for us."

Raszagal's assurances convinced Augustus that his trip to Shakuras had been worthwhile. If the discovery of the Xel'Naga Temple in Haj was a pleasant surprise, then Augustus's task was to seize this opportunity to seek help.

At this moment, Raszagal realized that she seemed to have left the Templar Knights Executor Tassadar aside, and turned to look at him.

"Hello, Executor Tassadar, please forgive my 'rudeness,' but your attire is exactly the same as that of the former Adun." Raszagal looked at Tassadar.

"Adun —my mentor, the Dark Templar still sing your name with reverence," she said in a remembrance.

Will I ever see you again?

"En Taro Adun." Tassadar stretched out his hands, palms facing upwards in front of him. It was a gesture that represented friendliness and had absolutely no offensive meaning. "Adun, his heroic legend is sung by poets and all Protoss to this day. My ideal is to become an Executor like him, leading the Protoss to a golden age of revival once again."

"En Aru'din Adun," Raszagal responded to Tassadar, and said gently, "Executor, you are just like Adun. Not only in your clothes, but also in your kind and benevolent souls. I have heard of what has happened to you."

"Adun was once held accountable by the Conclave for sheltering the Dark Templar; now you are guilty for sheltering humanity."

"Long ago, I was arrested and imprisoned by the Conclave for refusing to join the Khala. They tried me as a heretic and decided to execute me and my followers from other tribes," she said. "It was Adun who saved us."

"At that time, I swore to him: I will remember this kindness forever. We will follow your orders and use the void power you taught us to conceal ourselves and ensure that we are not discovered by the Conclave's pursuers."

"When the time comes, we will gladly reunite with our brothers and sisters who follow the Khala. We, the Dark Templar, have never opposed the will of our fellow Templar Knights; we simply wish to remain true to ourselves and pursue our own path."

"I praise your tolerance," Tassadar said, bowing.

"I heard that Aiur has also been invaded by the Zerg." Raszagal sighed again. "I am one of the few Dark Templar still remembers our ancient homeland. The lush green rainforests, the azure sky, and the jewel-like lakes and seas of Aiur are so enchanting; it all seems so vivid in my memory."

"Yes," Tassadar said regretfully, "the Zerg invasion of Aiur was a catastrophe."

"The bravest Templar Knights guard our sacred home, Aiur, but the Zerg are the most formidable enemy the Protoss Empire has ever faced. The Conclave's arrogance and underestimation of the enemy will surely lead to strategic failure," he said.

"The Templar Knights ' blades can easily shatter the Zerg's carapace, but they are endless. If we cannot draw upon the Void energy of the Dark Templar, the Cerebrate will continue to die and rise again, and the Swarm will constantly be reborn. But our Templar Knights are finite."

"I worry that if the Conclave doesn't summon those invincible Fleets scattered throughout the universe, Aiur ..."

"Unfortunately, even if the Dark Templar wanted to help you, the Conclave would never allow it," Raszagal said, looking at Tassadar. "However, the power of the Void is not something we alone can wield."

"Including the Templar Knights, all Protoss can wield it, because it is a power inherent in our very being." Her words astonished Tassadar: "Our ancestors already possessed Psionics before the Khala even existed."

"That primal power is Void Psionics, a raw energy unrestrained by the Khala and unrepressed by any cycle of suppression. With training, one can master the power of the Void through meditation and self-discipline, just like us." As Raszagal spoke, she raised her hand from beneath her brown-red sleeve, and without using the Psionics Blade Bracers, a gleaming green Psionic Blade suddenly formed in her hand.

The green Psionic Blade itself wasn't cold, but Augustus, standing beside it, still felt a bone-chilling cold.

"So, I can also become a Dark Templar?" Tassadar asked excitedly.

"The power of the Void is hidden within your body." Raszagal pointed to the location of Tassadar's three hearts.

"Don't you consider the power of the Dark Templar to be corrupt and sinful?"

"I don't think so. The Dark Templar are simply living their own way; they are just a minority who disagree with the majority," Tassadar said frankly. "Power has no inherent good or evil; it depends on who wields it."

"You are a powerful Khala Apostle, trained from birth on how to control your impulses and how to manage your mind so that your innate power does not go out of control." Raszagal readily accepted.

"You are exceptionally talented; you will soon learn how to master the energy of the void." A hint of a smile played on her lips.

"But if you wish to become a Dark Templar, you must pass our trial— the Shadow Walk. Dark Prelate Zeratul will teach you how to master Void Psionics; after all, you've known each other for some time now."

"We're willing to try anything to save my people," Tassadar replied immediately.

"Wow, can I learn magic too?" Only Tychus would chime in at this moment.

All the Protoss looked at Tychus, then stared at each other blankly.

"You haven't shown any talent in Psionics, human." Only Raszagal remained gentle and patient in explaining to Tychus, "Furthermore, we can only teach human Psionics the idea of coordinating their own Psionics and skillfully controlling and using them; we cannot teach you to master them from scratch."

"Damn it, Colonel Finley, your PSI talent is practically nonexistent," Faraday subtly reminded Tychus that he had no Psionics.

"So you're a Squib, no, you should be a Muggle." Augustus quoted Harry Potter, though Tychus wouldn't understand anyway.

However, this gave Augustus some inspiration.

The Protoss's Psionics development system has matured considerably over a long period of time. In comparison, the young human race's use of Psionics is still quite primitive. The Terran Confederacy's Ghost Academy has only been established for a few decades, and high-level Psionics frequently go out of control, something that would be impossible among the Protoss.

If the Protoss were to train human Psionics, they would undoubtedly become more stable, eliminating the possibility of them going out of control. After mastering their own Psionics, they would also become much more powerful than before.

Augustus decided that once he had a better relationship with Tassadar or Zeratul, he would ask them to teach the Revolutionary Army's Psionics a lesson.

"Ah—this is not the time to talk about these things." Raszagal walked past Augustus and Tassadar, heading towards a spherical control panel in the rotunda.

"Um, what's your boss up to?" Tychus asked Zeratul, who was walking by, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"The matriarch intends to summon our warriors through the Void Crystals scattered throughout Shakuras," Zeratul said after a moment of silence. "Originally, Shakuras was quite far from the Koprulu Sector, but the discovery of the new Xel'Naga Gateway allows us to quickly reinforce Koprulu, and even Aiur."

Augustus followed Raszagal. He had originally thought that the leader of the Dark Templar would at most summon one or two Dark Templar or Centurions, but it seemed that she was going to send more than that.

However, considering that the population and size of the Protoss of Shakuras are far smaller than their compatriots on Aiur, the number of this expeditionary force should not be too large, since they still need to reserve troops to guard their homeland.

"My people."

Augustus listened intently to Raszagal's words. Since the Dark Templar did not have Khala, their communication would primarily consist of face-to-face telepathic exchanges and Psionics projections.

"You all know of the Zerg's existence; you must eradicate these abominable creatures that are ravaging the universe," Raszagal said.

"From this moment forward, all Shadow Masters and Dark Templar will once again embark on the path of shadow, bringing death and fear to our enemies. Our blades will illuminate this dark age until the day of victory," she said.

"I will assemble an expeditionary force, composed of the bravest shadow hunters. Warriors, draw your swords in the name of the gods!"

"Anht Zagatir Nas." (Khalani Protoss, meaning "The gods are watching you.")