The StarCraft Prequel is part of the StarCraft storyline. The Great War started in early December, 2499. The StarCraft Prequel covers events just before that time.
Background of the Great War[]
Enter the Zerg[]
Approximately five years before the establishment of the Sons of Korhal, a marshal on a Fringe World planet reported the presence of a strange xenomorph to the Terran Confederacy. Agents of the Confederacy determined the infestation to be widespread, as several nearby worlds were also infested. The population of the worlds were wiped out using a genetically engineered plague, which the Confederacy disguised as a form of cholera.[1]
The Rebellion of Korhal and the Sons of Korhal[]
The Confederate colony of Korhal IV was one of the most prosperous colonies, but Senator Angus Mengsk, seeing injustices committed by the Confederacy, fomented dissent. In addition to these open views, he and the Umojan government began a secret rebellion against the Confederacy in 2478, killing hundreds of Confederate troops. By the end of the Guild Wars in 2489, Mengsk declared Korhal independent.[2]
Rioting ensued that quickly devolved into skirmishes with Confederate militia. Martial law was imposed but did little to stem the revolt. Only the assassination of Senator Mengsk and his family by ghosts brought the situation back under control.[3] The Umojan Protectorate was formed, in part because of this attack.[2]
The reprieve was to prove temporary. At the time Arcturus Mengsk, the senator's son, was a Confederate prospector and embarrassed by his father's actions. However, he was sufficiently outraged by the murder of his father and family to continue the rebellion in his father's stead.[3]
Two years later, while Arcturus Mengsk was visiting Umoja, the Confederacy unleashed a devastating nuclear missile barrage against Korhal, exterminating the population. Mengsk and his surviving supporters pledged to bring down the Confederacy. The Sons of Korhal was formed.[3]
- Main article: Sons of Korhal, StarCraft: Uprising
Early efforts by the Sons met with a disappointing lack of success and public recognition. The media, under Confederate censorship, downplayed the group's efforts, if they happened to be mentioned at all. Nonetheless, the Sons persisted in their determination to strike a huge blow against the Confederacy.[1]
Eventually the Sons resolved to assault the secret Fujita Facility on Vyctor 5. The installation was located within a complex weather system known as the Fujita Pinnacle. The combination of hazardous meteorology and active defenses had thus far prevented illicit access to the facility. With the battlecruiser Hyperion and a small strike force, Mengsk succeeded in infiltrating the installation. Inside Fujita they stumbled upon elements of the Confederacy's top secret xenomorph research program and a ghost, Sarah Kerrigan, who was participating in the research. Kerrigan was a poignant find for Mengsk, as he had been searching for her for reasons unknown even to his allies. Not knowing what to make of it, the Sons killed the xenomorph specimens and took the scientists and Kerrigan with them.[1]
Shortly afterward, Mengsk, Kerrigan, and a Sons assault group attacked the primary Ghost Academy on Tarsonis. The operation was a disaster and most of the Sons were killed, though Mengsk and Kerrigan escaped.[1]
Infestation[]
Orbital view of Chau Sara before infestation
The zerg secretly infested Chau Sara, first using subtle hive spores to infest the topsoil.[3] The Terran Confederacy response initially defeated the xenomorphs, but the planet was put under a class 7 seal, preventing any information transfer.[4] The zerg eventually overran the planet.[3]
Within two months, open and public first contact with the two alien species, protoss and zerg, would be made. By this time, the xenomorphs had spread to Mar Sara, Brontes and Dylar IV.[3]
Enter the Protoss[]
Tassadar, protoss executor of his famed Expeditionary Fleet, encountered a deep space probe by chance. The strange creature was brought and examined by scientists. However, the protoss were mystified by what they had discovered. Eventually Tassadar ordered the creature be examined with a khaydarin crystal. He was horrified by what he discovered - not only did they naturally react to the crystals (revealing their xel'naga origin) but he could read their vague thoughts - Find Humanity ... Assimilate ... Learn ... Evolve.
This was reported to the Protoss Conclave on Aiur, who ordered him to remove the xenomorphic threat immediately.[3]
The Purification of Chau Sara[]
Opening Cinematic Enhanced Starcraft Remastered 4K
The protoss arrive in terran space.
Tassadar approached Chau Sara, a terran colony planet, on December 8th, 2499. The zerg had completely covered the planet in creep, an organic carpet, killing or infesting all of its inhabitants. He reluctantly brought his lumbering vessels into low orbit and attacked, killing virtually all life on the surface.[3]
The Terran Confederacy feared that the nearby colony, Mar Sara, was next and scrambled their defenses. At the same time, the zerg slowly began to spread across the surface of Mar Sara.[3]
| The next article in this series is StarCraft Episode I. |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Neilson, Micky (December 18, 2000). StarCraft: Uprising. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-1898-0 (eBook).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 McNeill, Graham (December 30, 2008). StarCraft: I, Mengsk. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 1416-55083-6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.
- ↑ StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Loomings bonus campaign, mission 5: "Extermination" (in English). 1998-09-03. Map Archives: Precursor Campaign.