Starcraft: Rise Of The Empire 12 Military Tension – 1

Energy swirls around me as I concentrate psionic power on the vat in front of me, the special room filled to the brim with psionic energy gathered by me on the course of the last three hours, creating a blue, electric haze on the whole room.

Aside from me, it's unsafe to walk in right now, since the psionic energy will unmake anything biological instantly when in contact. I look up to the doctors through the window of the room near the roof. With that, I hear the voice of doctor Lyssa sounding on the loudspeakers:

(Lyssa): "Commander, we're ready. Whenever you want, we can start."

I simply nod back, concentrating. Inside this vat that could easily have a human inside, is a solution made with mana crystals. What we discovered in this last month that the hostages… recruits, from Wolf's city joined us, is that the mana crystals have some reaction with my psionic energy.

My psionics aren't magic, we made enough a.n.a.lysis to know that. However, they are both energy, and therefore, able to interact to some manner. And what I'm more interested are the crystal formations.

You see, to advance technologically, we need a mean to store psionic energy, and we had no good candidates among the known materials that we have at hand. However, I had the idea of studying the mana crystals. It ends up that even if you use the mana inside the crystals, the crystal remains.

Unfortunately, I cannot just charge the crystal, it's fundamentally able to store psionic energy, only mana. Because of that, we're doing this experiment. We crushed the crystals and dissolved them in water with some chemicals and created essentially a magical solution.

What I am going to do now is overcharge the solution with psionic solution, and essentially mutate the crystal. According to our predictions, this crystal is also close to a living being, akin to a plant, but more basic and at the same time, more complex.

We expect that when overcharged with psionic energy, the crystal will mutate to store the new type of energy, and since mana and psionic energy don't mix, the mana will be expelled, collected by our devices underneath the vat. With the crystals mutated, they will naturally reform in crystal form.

I feel my mind amplified right now, being in the middle of so much psionic energy… it's feels both empowering and refres.h.i.+ng. I should make a meditation room like this later. I extend my hands to the vat, feeling the mana inside clas.h.i.+ng with my psionic energy constantly, refusing it.

Alright, time to start. With this new sensation of amplified mind, I connect with the minds of the doctors monitoring this experiment, and through this connection, I send a telepathic message:

- It's time. Get ready.

My arms crackle with energy, and suddenly, blue streaks of psionic lightning explode from my whole arms, hitting the vat. Instead of bursting, it penetrates the gla.s.s, making the solution inside cackle with energy.

I bet the dials in the control room are going wild, after all, I can feel the conflict of energies. My psionic power forcing the way in, and the mana trying desperately to resist. But it's going well on my side, I'll just keep this up and hopefully, it'll be done.

(Lyssa's POV)

- The energy levels are crazy… - one of the doctors said as she manages and monitors the equipment that is measuring the… well, energy levels of our experiment.

I look down though the reinforced gla.s.s, to where our glorious lord is overcharging the vat with the solution. I smile. As expected, our lord is incredibly powerful… and so handsome as well… I got the s.h.i.+vers when his voice sounded inside my head.

- Wow… our Lord is truly powerful… - Said one of the ghosts, sanding behind us in guard to protect us in any case of psionic energy overflow. I turn to her, curious.

- What do you mean? – She looks at me as I ask, her rifle in hands, resting on her shoulder.

- Psychic power aren't simple or abundant. Even if we, the Ghosts, have psychic powers, we can't communicate telepathically. It takes someone truly powerful for mental communication like our Lord. – She says, staring lovingly at our leader. – This event is certainly being felt by all ghosts in the base. He is truly a gift.

I smile, feeling proud for being his lover.

- Of course he is. After all, he is our Commander.

(Vladmir's POV)

After who knows how much time, I can finally feel the mana being completely drained, and the solution being warped by my psionic energy. And I can tell, it's successful. I concentrate all the psionic energy of the room one last time inside the vat.

The blue energy around me swirls, gathering inside the solution. The solution glows in a gentle blue, and at the base of the vat, still inside the liquid, as the light fades, a blue, luminescent crystal formation grows rapidly, growing as if in fast forward until it reaches a considerable size, enough for two basketb.a.l.l.s, I think, even though they are formed like quartz crystals.

The docs applaud our success, and I smile. I'm looking forward to whatever we can produce with this. This will be a great advancement for the ghosts and the specters.

[You have made an amazing advance in your psychic abilities! The creation of psionic crystals is a large step towards Protoss Technology. You are in the right direction.]

Excellent. Alright, time to check on the kids. I look up to the doctors in the control room, feeling my mind still open and clear.

- I will go and check on the recruits. – I told the doctors through telepathy, now a permanent ability of mine. – Do the planned research on the crystals, I'll return shortly.

I could feel the confirmation from them, so I just left the room silently. Good time to get a ride on my vulture. I go to my room to a quick change of clothes, a simple sleeveless white s.h.i.+rt, black pants and black boots, followed closely by my pair of female Ghost bodyguards. We then go to the garage of my command center, where my mechanics are working on a new model of vulture.

When I get there, among the several people walking around working in experimental vehicles, I immediately spot the men working on three vultures. As I approach, I ask at loud:

- Gentleman! Is it ready?! – The surprised four mechanics turn to me and smile, the chief mechanic responding as he gets up, cleaning his hands with a rug from the oil.

- Yes, Commander! – He beckoned for me to follow him to the hoverbikes. There, he presented me to three vultures. – As you ordered, we have completed the modifications for the vultures! We have successfully installed the cloak module as requested, as well added a silent mode.

I nod to them, reaching the black vulture with golden patters designed for me. Since I'm a bit small at the moment, my vulture was modified to support my size. Sitting on it, I turn it on. The motor and turbines hum softly, the vulture starts floating. I nod to myself. I'm really excited to ride this thing.

I had a bike in my previous life, but even if I liked it a lot, I didn't use it a lot since my job was playing games. So, I'm looking forward to running with this baby. The chief mechanic approaches, pointing the controls to me.

- Ok Boss, the basics. This is the speed dial, the fuel and energy for the cloaking. – He then pointed to the other b.u.t.tons. – These are the mines and the cloak activation. This screen is for communication, so if you want you can send and receive information from your vulture.

- Alright, let's see this cloaking working. – They nod and take a step back. I press the b.u.t.ton, and for a brief moment, blue electricity covers both me and the vulture, and shortly, we turn completely invisible.

They applaud, and I turn off the cloaking as the chief mechanic explains a bit too.

- The vultures enter on the silent mode as soon as the cloaking is activated.

- Perfect. – I look at him. – Start ma.s.s producing, I want a Stealth Vulture for each ghost and specter of the army. Can I count on your team for that?

He made a military salute.

- Of course Commander! – He smiled widely. – It will be an honor to work with the ghosts and specters!

- Excellent. You two, get on and we'll be off. – The ghosts nod, climbing on the other bikes and we ride off the base. Now that I think about it, it's about time the kingdom scout the town that was just destroyed.

(meanwhile, 3° person POV)

His prediction was correct. As he tests his new vulture bike, a group arrives at the ruins of the border city, former ruled by a margrave. This first group, ten carriages with supplies and workers, surrounded by soldiers, arrived at the ruins of the city.

Their objective, stablish a base on the ruins, and then sent their students to enter the forest. As for their soldiers, they were to search for the beastman runaways, without knowing the dragon that they were poking with a short stick.

(My thoughts were too long for author's thoughts, so here it is:)

So yeah, college is taking my soul away, that's why I'm taking so long to post. Also, I'm gonna make a warcraft 3 fic soon, like the fic that inspired this one. You know, that warcraft 3 fic that had a lot of potential but eventually fell flat on it's face, twisted it's ankle and broke it's nose?

Yeah, something like that, but better. Also, for the psionic crystals, I have only one word; Lightsaber.

And be prepared, I'll start to modify the troops of the game soon. You'll see what I mean.

And finally, i wasn't feeling inspired for this chapter, so the quality may be below average. I just wasn't feeling like it today, so forgive me.

The new fic's name will be Warcraft: Empires of Blood

Also, new writing style and dialogues. Feels better to write and more organic, let me know what you guys think.