Arbitrator Duran

"Who does he think he is? Some old geezer who stumbles three times with every step, or some rectal bird that defecates wherever it pleases? Quite the airs, huh?" Jim Raynor muttered to Augustus, tilting his head and glancing sideways at the imposing golden-robed arbitrator.

"To begin a peace negotiation with a bloody trial—if you really dare to execute Zeratul's people in front of him, he can't possibly remain silent." Augustus looked at Zeratul, about to stop him, but the latter had already spoken up in rebuttal:

"As sinners whose hands are stained with the blood of their own kind, they deserve to be imprisoned, guarded, and punished. Those Protoss who murdered their people should be abandoned by Adun and banished to the wastelands and the desolate void. But I arrested these traitors not to hand them over to the Conclave for trial under the laws of the Protoss Empire!"

Before Augustus grab him, Zeratul stood up and loudly addressed the arbitrators opposite the massive circular court. "Executing traitors is utterly useless; bloodshed only breeds revenge, making hatred as insurmountable as a mountain of debt. The most important thing is to capture the mastermind behind the Fist of Ulrezaj."

Zeratul held the Templar order in high regard because Adun, who was said to have saved the Nerazim from Sargeras, was a Templar, which is why he was willing to set aside his past and engage in dialogue and cooperation with Tassadar.

However, the Conclave, led by the Arbitrators, was despised by the Dark Templar, for it was they who ordered the expulsion of their ancestors and indirectly caused Adun's death. The first half of the Nerazim' thousand-year history was spent in exile in the cold universe, their wandering stories filled with sorrow.

The Arbitrators deeply loathed the Dark Templar, fearing that these heretics, who would even mutilate themselves to sever their ties with the Khala, would bring terrible disaster and destruction to the Protoss Empire.

Unfortunately, the Dark Templar also looked down on the self-important Arbitrators, and even the matriarch Raszagal, who always united her people with tolerance and authority, bluntly stated that she would not allow any member of the Conclave to set foot in Shakuras.

"Zeratul, Dark Templar, your weak words cannot defend your vile and wicked people. Should they not be put to this trial, or should their cruel attack on the wounded Templar within the stasis pod go unpunished?"

The arbitrator, draped in a long golden robe, stood beside his seat. He lifted his long hood, revealing a gaunt face and yellow eyes that seemed shrouded in gloom.

"Since the age of conflict, the act of staining one's own kind with blood has been the greatest sin, even worse than betrayal. The lessons of history have enlightened and warned all arbitrators that if such acts are not punished most severely, disaster is not far away," he said.

"The endless war of fratricide continues to torment the Protoss to this day, and the nightmares of the Aeon of Strife still lurk in the deepest recesses of the Khala. We must be vigilant and prepared, and make judgments according to established laws to avert the calamity of the floating ice."

The arbitrator's words, spoken in the Protoss Khalani, were comprehensible to Augustus, yet still difficult to understand, like untouchable trees and stubborn rocks.

"If you are determined to protect these brutal thugs, then I have nothing more to say." The arbitrator's tone grew increasingly agitated. "Think of the Templar Knights who died because of them, think of your family and friends. How can you protect murderers and inhuman thugs? Or are they actually acting on your orders?"

"This guy doesn't seem to be speechless at all. Thanks to him, we've almost forgotten why we're even in the middle of this meeting," Raynor said. "It's about agreeing to a peace treaty: if we reach an agreement, we'll jointly arrest the Dark Templar of the Fist of Ulrezaj and then withdraw our troops. There's an old saying, 'Divide the river and govern it, and keep to ourselves!'"

At first glance, the conflict between Tassadar and the Conclave does not seem irreconcilable. The main point of contention lies in their views and attitudes toward the Dark Templar. However, unless threatened by an external enemy, they will find it difficult to unite again.

The Conclave viewed the existence of the Dark Templar as a threat to the Khala system, believing that if they turned their backs on the Khala, the tragedy of fratricide during the Age of Aeon of Strife would be repeated. Tassadar, on the other hand, insisted that the Templar Knights and Dark Templar could coexist and was determined to establish a system in which both could live in harmony.

Due to his past experience as a wanted man and the persuasion of his friends, Tassadar is unwilling to accept the leadership of the Conclave again. After seeing the Protoss - Zerg Hybrid in Luria, Tassadar is convinced that there is a threat in the universe that is even more terrifying than the Zerg. Therefore, it is urgent to unite the Dark Templar and other Protoss factions to strengthen the Protoss ' power.

The Conclave is also watching with horror as the Aiur Protoss who follow Tassadar coexist peacefully with the Dark Templar in a way that chills them to the bone.

For the arbitrators, it was like sleeping with a viral bomb, spending their days with the source of evil and corruption. They could not tolerate the Dark Templar had betrayed the Khala corrupting their own people.

Due to their ideological differences, Tassadar and the Conclave are unlikely to come to blows, but there is absolutely no possibility of peaceful coexistence.

The current situation on Aiur is extremely complex. The Conclave and Tassadar's followers each account for half of the Aiur Protoss population, and both sides possess a large number of war weapons and warships.

Although the Protoss military is far weaker than before, and too many of Aiur's technologies and military production lines were lost in the war and forgotten forever, their remaining military strength is enough to start a fierce war on Aiur, which would be enough to make the already severely damaged Protoss Empire decline even further.

"It seems they're just blaming and arguing with each other." As a Ghost operative has undergone rigorous training and has extensive experience assassinating politicians, Kerrigan and ambitious individuals.

"That arbitrator was just deflecting the issue, using this to steer the meeting toward condemning the Dark Templar, represented by Zeratul. He doesn't care about peace; he just wants to attack the Dark Templar, whom he despises," she said.

"Unfortunately, Zeratul is an extremely intelligent warrior, but he doesn't understand the tricks of politicians. Once you're dragged into their territory, you can forget about getting even a nod of approval from a bunch of sophists and liars."

"Absurd! If I ordered them to commit such a heinous act against the Templar Knights, why arrest them?" Zeratul usually had a good temper, but that didn't mean he would never show anger, especially when facing the Conclave.

"If that weren't the case, you should have approved the decision to execute them," the arbitrator said.

"You're talking nonsense!" Zeratul expression vanished as quickly as a bubble frozen in the sunlight, but his body still trembled at the arbitrator's words.

"Do you think the Dark Templar are as ruthless as the Conclave, easily issuing death sentences for heretics? Orega is the real culprit, and through interrogation and coercion, these Templar Knights were eventually forced to reveal the whereabouts of their pathetic leader."

"You're the one trying to erase the evidence, aren't you? The elder despised by all in the Conclave, the master of intrigue and execution."

Augustus was certain that Zeratul did not know the arbitrator at all, and those descriptions stemmed from the long-standing hatred of the Dark Templar for the Conclave. He was also surprised to find that Zeratul, who was known for his calm and wisdom, was so angry that he had exchanged insults with the other party. It was probably because this highly respected Dark Prelate could not tolerate slander.

"The Dark Templar have betrayed the Khala, therefore you are no longer connected with the Khala's followers, no longer of one heart and mind, no longer sharing their feelings."

The arbitrator said, "I only see lies and deception, and therefore I will not listen to the words of the Dark Templar, including yours."

"You are a Dark Templar, so no suspicion based on sin is too much. Ruthless people will sacrifice even a few pawns to achieve their goals. If no one can prove this wasn't a carefully orchestrated conspiracy, I will always remain suspicious of you. Zeratul, I will listen attentively to your explanations for protecting those murderers, but I will not endorse a single noble word in the Khalani."

In the eyes of the arbitrators of the Conclave, the Dark Templar were synonymous with depravity, primitiveness, and evil, and Orega's assassination of the Templar Knights actually fit this view.

"I feel like this guy is just stirring up trouble," Raynor said after watching for a while. "Besides him, no one thinks that executing a few Dark Templar will solve the problem. Even Tychus can see that it will only exacerbate the conflict between the Templar Knights and the Dark Templar."

"Once Zeratul appears, as the only leader of the Nerazim present, he will inevitably face criticism and accusations against the Dark Templar. This guy has calculated things perfectly; Zeratul and Tassadar are outstanding warriors, not ugly, ruthless, and calculating politicians," Augustus.

"Then, if Tassadar insists on speaking up for Zeratul, he will be suspected of exonerating the criminals who attacked the Templar Knights."

"Zeratul, there's no need for you to argue with him."

He reminded his old friend, "Those present will not arbitrarily execute those Dark Templar because of his words, nor will they change their opinion of your race because of your words."

"My dad always said that any disagreement can be resolved through reasoning. But if the other party is unreasonable, then give them a punch." Raynor thought to himself, marveling at the wisdom his older generation had gained from working the fields their whole lives.

Don't bother arguing with a fool.

"Enough, Arbitrator Duran," Tassadar stepped forward, clearly fed up with the argument between the two.

"We come for peace, not to fight to the death with a few errant Dark Templar."

"I hope so." The Conclave member named Duran slowly sat back down, behaving like a withered zombie about to be buried. "I came for peace, but the Dark Prelate Zeratul does not think so."

"The Protoss Empire was founded on the recognition of the Khala and the perfect harmony of society. Since ancient times, I have been dedicated to the well-being of the people of the Empire, offering advice and suggestions for harmony and unity. No one cherishes this prosperity and peace, built upon the struggles of countless generations of the Firstborn, more than I do."

"So it was you." Upon hearing Duran's name, all the impassioned words took on a sarcastic tone in Augustus's ears.

As the most trusted servant of the fallen Xel'Naga Amon, Duran is currently the only Xel'Naga who still retains an avatar in the physical universe where Augustus resides.

Throughout the long years, Duran has been plotting his master's rebirth in the physical universe, welcoming Amon's return, building a massive Hybrid army for Amon's plan to destroy the entire universe, and conspiring to eliminate potential enemies who might threaten his plan to resurrect Amon.

It can be said that Duran is the greatest mastermind in the universe besides his master Amon and an extremely evil being. He has manipulated everyone to achieve his own goals and used his knowledge, insights and wisdom as Xel'Naga to despise all living beings.

Unsurprisingly, Duran was also an enemy of Augustus, because the former's existence threatened the survival of this universe, and Augustus could not possibly escape this world.

Based on the existence of the Xel'Naga avatars and the godlike technology of this race, Duran can transform into any creature in the universe, which is why he was considered a terrifying shapeshifting monster in the original storyline.

In Augustus's memory, Duran first appeared before the world as a human, a former officer of the Alpha Squadron and a member of the Organization to Restore the Terran Confederacy, acting as a guide for the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet from Earth, humanity's ancient home. In the StarCraft II arc, Duran adopted the alias Dr. Narud.

However, if this arbitrator named Duran is not just someone with the same name, then he must have intervened in the Protoss conflict prematurely because Augustus changed the storyline.

After all, Duran is even older than the history of this universe. He has mingled in the universe under countless identities, watching everything with his cold gaze. After the Overmind invaded Aiur as planned, certain developments clearly exceeded his expectations.

The fact that the Aiur Protoss, led by Tassadar, have aligned themselves with the Dark Templar means that many Protoss might follow their distant relatives and sever their ties with the Khala, becoming an uncontrollable and unstable factor, and a stumbling block to Duran's grand plans.

However, despite Duran's belief that he was perfectly hidden, no matter how hard the Protoss and humans racked their brains, they would never realize that he had been lurking among them in various guises long before the time of their ancestors.

But Duran could never have imagined that Augustus would be able to see through his true identity with just a name—a name he had casually made up—a name that had existed for thousands of years.

I need a vote.