Alaruaq's Approval

The enemy stormed into the Xel'Naga Temple. Swarms of Zerglings, Roaches, Banelings, and Hydralisks skittered through the winding passages and colonnades, their impatient shrieks brimming with naked lust for destruction. They toppled every grand statue they encountered, shattered the multicolored lighting crystals, and surged onward in an endless procession.

The intricate, labyrinthine passages and corridors here suited the swarm's style of warfare no less than any underground tunnel. Just as Augustus's officers had reported, the swarm poured in like water flooding an anthill.

The swarm was a tide of fangs, claws, and carapaces, a plague of locusts sweeping over summer fields, advancing with a rumbling, droning roar. Like insects, they lunged toward sources of light and heat, only to let out terrible cries when the flames consumed them.

Augustus's Royal Guard and their Protoss allies had retreated all the way into the depths of the Xel'Naga Temple. They were few in number, perhaps only several hundred men across two companies, but they were equipped with elite Marauder armor, armored vehicles, and heavy mechs. Their formidable firepower rivaled that of several heavy artillery battalions.

The Protoss were no more numerous than the human forces, but those who had remained were all their strongest warriors. Some of them had even served longer than their executors.

The main force had already withdrawn entirely into high orbit over Shakuras. The final moment was drawing near.

Berry, commander of the Royal Guard, ordered all passages leading deeper into the temple destroyed, but that only delayed the swarm's advance for a time. As vast numbers of Nydus Worms riddled the ground beneath the temple with holes, more and more large and massive Zerg units poured through collapsing walls.

Among them, Hybrids accounted for an unprecedented proportion. These horrifying abominations, servants of the dark god, were heralds