Chapter 788: Selendis
Raynor rushed out of the command tent and looked up at the sky.
Nothing could be seen with the naked eye, but he could feel the oppressive weight—like the low pressure before a storm, pressing heavily on everyone's chest.
"Matt, establish a comms link," Raynor's voice was unusually steady. "Do not show any weapon energy readings; maintain a completely defensive posture."
"Already trying, but..." Matt's voice paused. "They contacted us first."
The next second, the air in the entire camp seemed to freeze.
A pale blue holographic projection unfolded in the clearing in the center of the camp. It required no receiving equipment; the image was projected directly into everyone's visual cortex via psionics.
The projection displayed a female Protoss clad in ornate golden armor.
Her physique was more elegant than that of an ordinary Templar. The psionic energy lines flowing across her armor were complex and intricate, and wing-like structures extended from both sides of her helmet.
Even though it was just a holographic projection, the psionic light flashing in her eyes instilled a primal sense of awe in every human who looked directly at her.
"I am Selendis, High Executor of the Protoss, Commander of the Purifier Fleet." Her voice did not travel through the air, but echoed directly within the deepest consciousness of every listener, using a psionically translated, precise, and cold version of the human common tongue. "The planet Haven has been confirmed as a Zerg infestation zone."
"In accordance with Article Three of the Dae'Uhl: Any world corrupted by the Swarm must be thoroughly purified to prevent the corruption from spreading."
The holographic image switched, displaying a view of Haven from orbit.
The formation of the Protoss fleet was clearly visible, and the massive Mothership in the center of the fleet was gathering blinding energy at its prow.
That light, even viewed through a holographic projection, was dazzling.
"My fleet has completed preparations for the Purification Protocol. The Arbiter's main gun will finish charging in twenty-seven standard minutes."
Suppressed gasps rang out across the camp. Dr. Hanson pushed through the crowd, her lab coat still stained from the laboratory. "No! That's impossible! We conducted a comprehensive quarantine! Haven is clean!"
Raynor raised a hand to stop Hanson from protesting further.
He took three steps forward, standing directly in front of the holographic projection, looking straight into Selendis's eyes, which glowed with psionic radiance.
"Executor Selendis," Raynor's voice was exceptionally clear in the silent camp. "I am Jim Raynor, Commander of the Raiders. I have fought side-by-side with Artanis, Tassadar, and Fenix."
The Selendis in the holographic projection seemed to tilt her head slightly.
This subtle movement gave rise to a sliver of hope in Raynor's heart—the Khala, the Protoss memory network, could transmit information instantaneously. If she was querying relevant records, it meant there was still a possibility for the conversation to continue.
"Jim Raynor," Selendis repeated the name. "Your combat records do indeed exist within our memory corridors. You fought alongside the late, great warrior Tassadar against the Swarm."
She paused for a moment. Those brief few seconds felt like an eternity to the humans in the camp.
"But this cannot change the current reality. Our probes have already confirmed the psionic signatures of Zerg infestation in at least three human settlements. The corruption is growing underground, and you are completely unaware of it."
Dr. Hanson wanted to argue, but Tychus's thick arm stopped her.
The veteran remained uncharacteristically silent, merely gesturing with his eyes: Let Jim handle it.
Raynor took a deep breath, his mind racing. Going head-to-head was suicide, begging for mercy was ineffective against the Protoss; he had to find a third path.
"I understand the necessity of the Dae'Uhl," Raynor chose an opening that surprised everyone. "I've seen with my own eyes how the Swarm consumes a world. If I were in your position, I might make the exact same judgment."
A subtle change occurred in Selendis's psionic fluctuations—a nearly imperceptible curiosity.
"But I have also seen the resilience of life," Raynor continued, his gaze sweeping over the terrified faces in the camp, the ordinary people who had just barely escaped the Swarm's clutches. "I've seen people create miracles in desperate situations. Dr. Hanson..."
He turned sideways to indicate the female scientist. "She is the top epidemiologist in the Koprulu Sector. She is already developing a cure for this infection."
"The Protoss Empire has witnessed countless civilizations attempt to 'cure' a Swarm infection." There was no mockery in Selendis's reply, only the cold statement of fact. "The result is always the same: temporary alleviation, followed by a much more violent outbreak."
"Infection is irreversible. This is one of the fundamental laws of the universe."
"Then give me a chance to prove the law wrong." Raynor took a step forward, his voice infused with a rare earnestness. "Not for us, but for Tassadar."
That name caused a noticeable ripple in Selendis's psionic projection. Tassadar, the Protoss hero who sacrificed himself to destroy the Overmind, held a near-divine status in Protoss society.
"Tassadar believed that different races could understand each other," Raynor continued, recalling his brief interactions with the High Templar during the Mar Sara campaign. "He believed that sometimes, protecting life is more important than adhering to dogma. He taught me that, even though our races are so different."
Silence fell over the camp. Even the wind seemed to stop blowing.
"You are using the name of a fallen hero." For the first time, a recognizable emotion appeared in Selendis's voice—not anger, but a profound sorrow.
"No." Raynor shook his head. "I am fulfilling the responsibility I learned from him. Give me time. Let us discuss this internally."
"If the infection is truly uncontrollable as you say, if it truly threatens the safety of the entire planet..."
He paused. The weight of this promise made everyone who heard it hold their breath.
"Then we won't need you to act. We will handle it ourselves. But if there is a possibility of a cure, even just one percent..." Raynor's voice hardened, "then I will not allow anyone to slaughter my people. Not the Zerg, not the Protoss, not any entity."
The Selendis in the holographic projection fell silent. This silence was different from the previous pause; it was deeper, longer.
Raynor knew she was communicating with other Protoss through the Khala, perhaps with other commanders in the fleet, or perhaps with the Protoss leadership further away.
Time ticked by, minute by minute. In orbit, the energy of the Mothership's main gun was still gathering. That light had become visible to the naked eye—from the surface, it looked as if a small blue sun had been added to the sky.