Terran (StarCraft)

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The Marines of the Terran Confederacy.

In the StarCraft universe, the Terrans are a group of fictional Human like beings that are supposed to be of a slightly different genetic strand that was used to put "Humans" into space. This fictional game race, are descendants of Humans originally sent from Earth in stasis with the intention of being part of a plan to colonize new planets. The Terrans are basically the same as Humans of the 21st century, but they are slowly evolving into a psionically potent race, a small number possessing psionic abilities, although they are still generations away from reaching their full potential (such as that of the Protoss). The Terrans are much more technologically advanced, but are still partly within the same "style" as their modern counterparts, using projectile firearms and relying more on fossil fuels and nuclear energy than more futuristic forms of energy as plasma. After colonizing various worlds lightyears from Earth, the Terrans found themselves caught in the middle of a war between the Protoss and the Zerg. The central government of the Terrans, the Terran Confederacy, was brought down during the events of StarCraft, and a force was dispatched from Earth, attempting to take control of the sector (including the newly-established government, the Dominion) during the events of StarCraft: Brood War. Amid continued civil wars, some Terrans have struck up allegiances with the Protoss, who have done all in their power to protect them from the Zerg. Despite their best efforts and the might of a united Terran front, they suffered many casualties during the events of Brood War.

Fictional race history

Background

Before the events in the game StarCraft, humanity, now in the twenty-third century, is plagued by corruption, injustice, and overpopulation, among other things. In order to solve these problems, most of the world's governments band together to form the United Power League, a tyrannical world government that controls almost all activity on Earth. The government launches a worldwide genocide to purge Earth of criminals, hackers, and others.^[1] The scientist Doran Routhe gathers forty thousand such prisoners, and launches them into space on four super carriers, with the first controlled by a computer called ATLAS. Over the course of the trip, ATLAS malfunctions and sends the ships into warp-space, causing each ship to crash land on a different planet thousands of light-years from Earth, in what becomes known as the Koprulu Sector. Each group of survivors emerge from their ships, unaware of the survivors on the neighboring planets.^[1] Sixty years pass before technological advancements enable the neighboring worlds to re-unite. This creates a period of prosperity, which leads to the colonization of other uninhabited worlds. During this period, the Terrans on the planet Tarsonis unify and form the Terran Confederacy. The Confederate exploration and colonization of the Koprulu Sector alarm the neighboring Terran Kel-Morian Combine, who begin to aid the enemies of the Confederacy. The growing tensions between the Confederacy and the Kel-Morian Combine eventually sparks a war between the two. By the end of the war, the Confederacy gain control over the other's assets, but soon become antagonized by the other Terran worlds.^[1] The Confederacy face the strongest opposition within their original colonies. Korhal, a world of affluence and one of the first Confederate colonies, is politically destabilized by an anti-Confederate senator Angus Mengsk, who convinces his followers to rise against their Confederate leaders. The ensuing uprising originally forces the Confederacy to abandon their posts on Korhal, and retreat to Tarsonis. The Confederacy then brutally responds in order to suppress the opposition. They deploy three psychic agents called Ghosts to assassinate Mengsk and his family.^[1] Angus' son, Arcturus, succeeds his father as the leader of the opposition. He forms alliances with neighboring worlds and leads an offensive against the Confederacy. This incites the Confederacy to launch a series of nuclear strikes on Korhal, which wipes out the entire population, killing millions and covers the planet in a desert.^[1] Arcturus, off-planet with other revolutionaries at the time of the attack, swears vengeance.

Events in StarCraft

Mengsk and the Sons of Korhal struck many Confederate bases, but each attack was responded to by a media that portrayed him as a "terrorist". The group was outlawed, and many colonies refused to associate with anyone who was connected with the group. During this time, Mengsk made a personal goal of killing all the Ghosts who had killed his father. Although he killed two of them, one of them, Sarah Kerrigan, he instead made his second-in-command. During this time, the sister worlds of Chau Sara and Mar Sara were under attack by mysterious organisms that had manifested on Chau Sara, then referred to as "xenomorphs" by the Terran Confederacy. However, an alien fleet appeared from warp-space and bombed the planet, destroying all life. The Confederacy raced to meet the aliens, having never encountered them before. The fleet took up orbit over Mar Sara when the Confederacy attacked. The fleet identified itself as the Protoss, and agreed to spare the colony. Shortly afterwards, insect-like aliens very different from the Protoss appeared on the planet.

• Note: the following takes place in the StarCraft storyline.

As Mar Sara was consumed by the aliens, identified as the Zerg, the colonists, including Jim Raynor, were herded into containment grounds while the Confederacy avoided action against the Zerg. Fearing the colony would be abandoned, the Magistrate (the player's character) contacted the Sons of Korhal. The bulk of the colonists escaped, although in doing so they were branded as traitors for associating with the Sons of Korhal. Mar Sara was subsequently destroyed by the Protoss. Mengsk made the former Magistrate a Commander in the Sons of Korhal. The Commander, Raynor, Mengsk and his lieutenant, Kerrigan, then assisted in the revolt of Antiga Prime, a Confederate world. During the revolt, the Confederate flagship, battlecruiser Norad II crashlanded after being attacked by the Zerg en route, and its commander, General Duke, was rescued, along with Duke's Alpha Squadron ranking officers by the Sons of Korhal. Mengsk then convinced Duke to join forces with him. Also, with Confederate blueprints stolen during the evacuation of Mar Sara, Mengsk built a "Psi Emitter" that could lure Zerg to their signals. In a control experiment, the Emitters were used to lure Zerg to the Confederate bases on Antiga Prime and destroy them. As the Sons of Korhal left the planet, the Protoss again unleashed an attack to exterminate all life. Moving his fleet into orbit over Tarsonis, Mengsk began the attack that would consolidate his power in the sector. Sending Duke with a repaired Norad II to the orbital platform New Gettysburg, Duke destroyed the Confederate forces there and activated Psi Emitters. Mengsk admitted to authorizing this, shocking Raynor and Kerrigan. In the subsequent wave of Zerg, most of the citizens were killed, shattering the Confederacy's heart and establishing Mengsk as the new power. As the Terran Dominion began to form, the Protoss took up orbit once again, but the Executor Tassadar attempted to destroy the Zerg directly to spare the survivors. Mengsk sent Kerrigan to combat the Protoss, but spare the Zerg, despite Raynor's objection. The Zerg took this opportunity to overwhelm both forces. Kerrigan was abandoned as Mengsk fled the system. Raynor and the Commander, having had their fill with Mengsk's recent actions, took command of a small force and left on their own. With the Dominion capitol established on Korhal, now a desert wasteland, Mengsk annexed several colonies and planets, and conscripted most of the remnants of the Confederate army. Mengsk proclaimed himself the Emperor of the Dominion and called for the remaining Terran factions to unite under his leadership against the alien invaders. He then set to work ensuring the safety of his rule and building up his power. Duke accompanied a small force to Char, where the Zerg had recently nested, but was forced to pull back. The Dominion continued to grow in power during the war on Aiur.

Events in StarCraft: Brood War

Following the discovery of extraterrestrial life in the universe, the United Powers League began to grow in power and influence following wide-spread panic that was incited by thoughts of a possible alien invasion.^[2] As many nations began to ally themselves with the United Powers League, the government was reborn as the United Earth Directorate. Upon its formation, the government began diverting a great sum of its resources to examining, analyzing, and eventually defeating the Zerg and Protoss forces in an attempt to protect Earth.^[2] During the events of StarCraft: Brood War, the United Earth Directorate deploys an expeditionary fleet to establish control in the Koprulu sector.

A Marine appears during the Directorate's victory report.

Led by Admiral Gerard DuGalle, a famed and experienced military leader, and his longtime friend, Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov, the fleet enters the Koprulu sector in hopes of subduing the Zerg, Protoss, and Dominion.^[2][3] The fleet achieves initial success by capturing a vital Dominion shipyard, and destroying the Dominion forces attempting to recapture it. The Terran Dominion's capitol on Korhal is the UED next target. Mengsk possesed a large stockpile of nuclear weapons and a fleet of battlecrusers defending Korhal. A strategic UED asault on nuclear silos and science facilities crippled the Dominions defence. The final asault on Korhal had forcing Mengsk into exile. With the assistance of Lieutenant Samir Duran, the United Earth Directorate is able to activate the Psi Disrupter, which inhibits Zerg activity. The Directorate launches a ground offensive on the Zerg home world of Char, and ultimately captures the Overmind. However, Duran, who attempts to hinder the Directorate's progress throughout the campaign, deceives DuGalle and kills Stukov. Nevertheless, the news of the victory on Char galvanizes Directorate forces and followers in the form of a sensationalized news report. The Directorate's offense is halted towards the latter portion of Brood War. Kerrigan manages to rally the forces of Fenix and Raynor, with Mengsk to launch a united counter attack on the Directorate. The alliance manages to cripple the expeditionary fleet by destroying the Psi Disrupter and the new Overmind, allowing Kerrigan to gain complete control over most of the Zerg forces. Realizing that they had been pawns in Kerrigan's master plan, the Dominion and Protoss side with the Directorate for a final confrontation with the Zerg. Kerrigan's forces defeat the alliance above Char, and afterward hunt for the remnants of Directorate's expeditionary fleet. During the game's final sequence, the Zerg proceed to destroy the remainder of the Directorate fleet, including DuGalle's flagship, the Aleksander. Blizzard Entertainment has hinted that the Directorate may make a return in the upcoming Starcraft II.^[4]

Future

In StarCraft II, the Dominion has become the dominant Terran power again, although there is still resistance. The Confederacy still has a few scattered forces, but at the time of Brood War were not a threat. The UED still maintains their control of Earth, and are hinted to have a few soldiers stranded in the Koprulu sector. The Kel-Morian Combine still exists and is still a large, wealthy mining guild. The status of various other independent militias have just yet been divulged in detail; however, the Umojan Protectorate is apparently an independent rebel entity again.

Notes

General references

External links

• Battle.Net: Terran