Lens of the Void by JJ Wolficus (read full novel txt) 📗

energies and instead would teach

others to handle them safely."

There was silence as Sharas digested Theromos's

story.

It was Sharas who spoke first."I do not believe you failed her, teacher. I think she

failed you."

"It does not matter. She died and I could not save

her. But I can teach you to avoid

her fol y."

Again, the room was quiet. The flickering reflections

of the prismatic core swam

across the walls in slow waves.

"Teacher, what—"Aconvulsion that shook the whole ship interrupted Sharas's

question. The battle alarm sounded, and Theromos

and Sharas hurried toward their

stations.

* * *

The bridge was in chaos when the two dark templar

arrived.

"Zerg invading from al sides. Ground forces are

holding, but the enemy just keeps

coming. Pylons 3, 4, and 5 are down," called out a

crew member.

Sharas ran to the focusing couch, andTheromos

helped her with the interface.

Noting Theromos and Sharas, Feranon fired a rapid

staccato of orders. "Bring up the

prismatic beam, one flux field projector for now.

Identify al targets. Priority to those zerg

attacking pylons, then to those harassing ground

forces. Be alert for any mutalisks."

The bridge crew moved quickly to carry out his

commands. The familiar tone of the

prismatic beam swelled to a deep hum. On his

screens, Feranon could see the energies tear

into the zerg below, carving through their flesh in an

attempt to staunch the seemingly

endless flowof tooth and claw. The beam destroyed

zerg with great effect, but it could only

slow the attack, not defeat it. When the void ray's

weapon found a target, the zerg would

survive just long enough so that when itfinally fel ,

two were ready to take its place.

The protoss forces held their positions valiantly, but

they were being overwhelmed.

Feranon appealed to the dark templar.16

"There are too many of them. We must bring a

second projector online."

Feranon braced for another argument, but Theromos

only nodded. Sharas remained

calm and relaxed, nodding her agreement as wel .

The commander turned back to the battle. "Bring the second flux field projector

online. Continue to prioritize targets."

The hum of the weapon changed, and the newly

empowered beam lashed out. This

time, the zerg armor could not stop the powerful

energies, and lines of the attackers were

burned even as they emerged from the ground. The

protoss troops began to make

headway.

"Commander, there is a wave of brood lords

incoming."

Feranon brought up the relevant screen and studied

the attacking force. Itfil ed the

sky. The behemoths floated serenely toward their

targets. They spat mucus-covered

symbiotes down onto the photon cannons, which

had been placed to protect the far edge of

the protoss base. The cannons were destroyed

before they could do more than damage a

few attackers.

"Brood lords have no air defenses. Move to engage.

Fire as soon as we are within

range."

The Purity of Form's engines thrummed as the ship

headed toward the line of

manta-like creatures.

Once again the prismatic beam lashed out, carving

through armor, tooth, and claw

with ease. Feranon inspected the data. Although the

brood lords couldn't defend

themselves against the void ray's weapon, the Purity

of Formwouldn't be able to eliminate

them before they reached the nexus, the heart of the

protoss base. There were simply too

many of the beasts. Feranon turned to the focusing

couch.

"We need to bring the third flux field projector online.

I understand the danger, but

it is the only way we can save the base. Without the

extra power,we wil not stop the zerg

from consuming the nexus. Al of our gains during

the last offensive will be for nothing."

Theromos didn't answer; he merely looked at

Sharas. Sharas, brow furrowed in

concentration, nodded tersely.

Feranon shouted out his command. "Bring up the

third flux field projector!"17

Everyone immediately felt the results. The tone that

filled the ship changed to an

even higher note, one that vibrated throughout the

crew's bodies. The beam tore forth,

devouring brood lords whole. What armor they had

didn't slow their deaths as the void

ray's weapon converted beast after beast into

flaming debris.

Suddenly the beam began to stutter. A plaintive

whine accompanied the ship's

vibration. A shriek from behind him caused Feranon

to swivel his chair.

Sharas no longer relaxed on her couch but writhed

in pain. Dark purple tendrils of

energy arced between the cables and her head,

racing over the length of her body.

Theromos leaned over Sharas and shouted, "Hold

the power; guide it with your will!

You must control it, or it will consume you."

Feranon saw her attempt to relax, but a new torrent

of what looked like

concentrated shadows flowed around her, fil ed with

bright flashes of lightning, and she

screamed once more.

"I cannot hold it!It evades my grasp. Please, teacher, help me."

Theromos turned to Feranon, but the commander

shook his head. "We need the

beam until the attacking force is destroyed. Hold on."

Theromos returned his attention to his student and

decisively placed his hands on

her head. Immediately the writhing energy engulfed

him as wel . But where it touched

Theromos, it followed a statelier pattern. The tendrils

cascaded around and between the

two dark templar, pulsing in measured swells, all in

rhythm. The thundering tone of the

prismatic beam steadied.

Feranon heard a crew member report, "Al targets

destroyed, Commander."

He swiveled forward at the announcement. "Quickly,

shut off the projectors."

The lack of noise from the beam was a relief. But the

bridge wasn't silent. A strange

tone came from the focusing couch, and when the

commander looked, he saw why.

Sharas had reached up to grasp Theromos's

shoulder,their gazes locked together.

The tendrils of shadow still played over teacher and

student, but now the Void energies

began to brighten. The Nerazim's eyes glowed more

strongly, and wisps of red fire raced

across their limbs.18

Theromos yelled, "Resist!I know the power is upon

us. I know the draw of the Void

and the oblivion it promises, but you must resist."

Sharas shouted back, her psionic voice tinged with a

deep new note. "The Void calls

to me!It cal s to us. We could become so much

more. Together we could become one with

the vast energies of the Void."

Theromos shook his head, trying to break the

connection that was forming between

the two dark templar. "And we would be lost. You

would be lost. Let it go. Return to your

merely physical form and be content."

His words must have had some effect upon Sharas,

because slowly the tendrils

dissipated and the shadows faded.

Soon only two exhausted Nerazim remained.

* * *

Sharas found her teacher seated in meditation as

usual, his stil ness fil ing the room.

She knelt beside him and waited for him to speak.

"You did very wel , student. Few dark templar with

your experience could

accomplish as much."

Sharas bent her head.