Korhal

"Remember Korhal!"

- Propaganda slogan.

Korhal IV (often simply refered to as Korhal) is the fourth planet in the Korhal system.

During the four years since the establishment of the Terran Dominion, a large portion of the planet has developed into an ecumenopolis.

Planetology
Korhal had a dense atmosphere and used to be a lush, temperate and warm world before its destruction, possessing distinct seasons such as autumn, balmy summers and mild winters. The planet orbits a single star.

A massive nuclear bombardment left the formerly verdant surface a radioactive wasteland of black glass with craters visible from space. By 2500 radiation levels were low enough to allow terrans to survive. After the war, the Dominion invested significant effort to further decontaminate the planet.

History
Korhal was colonized by settlers from Tarsonis in the early expansion years and soon became one of the thirteen core worlds of the Terran Confederacy. It gained recognition for its advanced science and research facilities and contributed to many key military and technological advances. By 2478 it was considered an old colony. Styrling Academy itself had buildings almost a hundred years old by that point. By this stage, there was a degree of idealism and nostalgia as to Korhal's past, namely that of a pastoral world. However, there was little historical substance to this idealistic view. Despite a steady growth of industry, Korhal remained a verdant world, courtesy of investment in renewable energy sources and the enforcement of stringent air quality laws. As a result, Korhal was one of the few Confederate planets that managed to be both a hub of trade and industry and a pleasant place to live.

Over the course of settlement, Korhal's people came to establish many dynastic traditions with inheritance of great wealth.

Despite the planet's near-Eden status, the relationship between Korhal and the Confederacy was not mutually beneficial. The planet's wealth fueled Confederate puppet corporations while local industries withered. Korhal remained a vassal to the Confederacy and the corrupt Old Families. Tensions rose over time, and agitators called for outright secession from the Confederacy.

The Rebellion of Korhal
"When you live here on Korhal, you think it's the center of the world and you believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave and don't come back for a few years. And when you come back, everything's changed. The connection's broken. What you come to find isn't there and what was yours is gone."

- Achton Feld


 * Main article: Rebellion of Korhal

Senator Angus Mengsk was a well-known anti-Confederate political figure. In 2478 he created a secret revolutionary movement against the Confederacy with the assistance of Umoja when the Confederacy tried to murder him. Months after establishing the alliance with Umoja, Mengsk gave an anti-Confederate Close of Session speech at the Senate's Palatine Forum, causing the Confederacy to keep him under surveillance.

The Confederacy was especially worried about a potential loss of Korhal because it was their "crown jewel", used to explain the benefits to their rivals, the Kel-Morian Combine and the Umojans, why they should join the Confederacy. The rebellion would destroy that public image. In addition, the Confederacy made a lot of money from the Korhalian colonists, and many groups tied to both Korhal and the Confederacy stood to lose a great deal of money if Korhal succeeded in declaring independence.

Umoja offered material assistance, eventually including tanks. The underground rebellion would eventually kill hundreds of marines in ambushes and explosions.

At the close of the Guild Wars in 2489 Mengsk publicly declared the independence of Korhal, and the Confederates retaliated by declaring martial law. It only agitated the populace even more, and the already rampant civil chaos was escalated. Mengsk whipped the Korhalians into a volatile, patriotic frenzy and captured all of the Confederate outposts on Korhal. Confederate forces were pulled from Korhal and the fleet withdrew from its skies. Believing that they had won their independence, Mengsk and the other leaders of the revolt celebrated their victory.

Sarah Kerrigan and two other ghosts infiltrated Mengsk's towering, fortress-like headquarters and assassinated him along with his wife and young daughter, taking his head with them. Arcturus Mengsk returned to Korhal to succeed his father. The junior Mengsk led the Rebellion of Korhal against the Confederacy, amassing a huge army on Korhal.

Two years later, Korhal was bombarded with a salvo of one thousand Apocalypse-class nuclear missiles in response to rumors that Mengsk had formed an alliance with the Umojan Protectorate. Most life on Korhal was annihilated.

The Dominion
"Korhal will be great again, I have no doubt, but it will never be what it once was."

- Arcturus Mengsk

In 2500, one of Mengsk's first decrees after overthrowing the Confederacy was to begin reconstruction of Korhal, electing to make it the executive seat of the Terran Dominion.

The Brood War

 * Main article: Brood War

Not long after Korhal was terraformed, the United Earth Directorate laid siege to Augustgrad, forcing Mengsk to contact the UED fleet from the Norad III requesting a parlay with Admiral Gerard DuGalle. He was rescued by Commander Jim Raynor aboard the Hyperion, accompanied by a small protoss fleet. They escaped via dimensional recall.

It was during this period that the Dark Templar terrorist, Ulrezaj, hid warped khaydarin crystals on the planet, protected by Schezar's Scavengers and his enslaved zerg. The Scavengers left the world when they were defeated by protoss forces led by Praetor Mojo.

The UED sent enslaved zerg to reinforce their troops on Korhal. However, because their control of the Overmind was tenuous, not many were sent. Raynor's Raiders and protoss troops under Fenix struck at the more outlying fortification while the UED forces occupying Augustgrad were overwhelmed by Kerrigan's zerg. A jubilant Mengsk sent General Edmund Duke to establish his base of operations in Augustgrad.

The next morning, Kerrigan sent multitudes of zerg against Duke's and Fenix's bases without warning, leaving only Mengsk alive. The zerg then departed.

Mengsk retreated to Korhal after being defeated at Char Aleph to lick his wounds and rebuild the Dominion.

Reconstruction
Vast fortunes were lavished on the cleanup and rebuilding of Korhal, although portions of the irradiated desert were left untouched in honor of those who died. The planetary defenses were massively increased, and Mengsk turned Korhal into the most heavily fortified planet in the Koprulu sector.

In 2503, Project Shadowblade spectres launched an assault on Augustgrad. During the attack, they used an AI, Lio Travski, to shut down almost all communications, severely hampering military operations. The assault was a failure, however.

In 2504, Korhal experienced a property boom. Analysts said it would be short lived.

Media Blitz
The Dominion unveiled the Odin at the UNN Studios in Korhal City, not knowing that it was being piloted by Tychus Findlay. They were thus confused when it fired on the studio guards. During the confusion, Raynor's Raiders established a forward base. General Horace Warfield sent strike teams Alpha, Bravo and Charlie after Raynor's Raiders, but they were unable to prevent them from broadcasting proof that Mengsk authorized the use of psi emitters on Tarsonis. This caused rioting in the streets. Citizens set fire to government buildings to express their shock and anger at the revelations.

The Zerg Invasion
"Korhal will endure, as will I." "Nice quote. I'll engrave it on your tombstone."

- Arcturus Mengsk and Sarah Kerrigan


 * Main article: Battle of Korhal

Crown Prince Valerian Mengsk and Captain Matt Horner evacuated civilians as Kerrigan brought her Swarm down outside Augustgrad. The Dominion's Drakken defense network destroyed most bile launchers in orbit, so Kerrigan defended the ones that got through. Mengsk sent the Sons of Korhal and the Night Wolves to eliminate Kerrigan, but they were unsuccessful. The Dominion forces were also unsuccessful in defending the city gates from the zerg, allowing the swarm to flood into the city. Once Korhal's defense cannons were destroyed, the Swarm gathered on the surface. They destroyed the Dominion's bases and drove them into Augustgrad.

The Dominion deployed a Psi Destroyer and launched a diversionary assault. Broodmother Zagara held the middle while Alexei Stukov took a force and screened her flanks. Primal pack leader Dehaka destroyed the power links, then teamed up with Kerrigan to destroy the central hub. Meanwhile, Zagara's troops pushed the Dominion into the Imperial sector.

Raynor's Raiders intervened to help the zerg take on the Dominion's elite. Mengsk sent out Sky Fury Squadron, Alpha Squadron and the Odin (as the Raiders abandoned it during their media assault on Korhal City months prior) to destroy the Hyperion, but Kerrigan and the Swarm defeated them. They destroyed the gates to Mengsk's palace and Kerrigan went inside. Mengsk caught Kerrigan off guard with the xel'naga artifact. Raynor intervened and saved Kerrigan just in time, allowing her to kill Mengsk. With her revenge complete, Kerrigan took the Swarm and left Korhal.

A New War
Conflict quickly returned to Korhal, as it was raided by a large Moebius Corps fleet. Commander Jim Raynor and Admiral Matt Horner of the newly reformed Dominion organized an orbital defense, but the battle was swiftly going into Moebius's favor. Hierarch Artanis of the Daelaam arrived seeking the Keystone, and offered his assistance in the defense of Korhal.

Moebius Corps destroyed the atmospheric stabilizers on the Sky Shield orbital platform, sending it plummeting towards Augustgrad. Raynor and Artanis's forces took back the platform from the Moebius Corps forces defending it, and stabilized it before it could impact the city.

Moebius Corps took this opportunity to steal the Keystone from Korhal Palace, and moved it to Bennet Port with the intent of shipping it off world. A combined force of Jim Raynor's, Emperor Valerian's, and Hierarch Artanis's forces pushed through the Moebius lines, even as their hybrid masters took the field and channeled Void energy into the Keystone to stun all terran forces. Eventually, Moebius Corps and the hybrid were beaten back and forced out of the city and the Keystone was retrieved, but as a massive cost of life. Augustgrad was in ruins, as not even the zerg had managed to devastate it to the level of Amon's forces.

During the war, Amon's forces attempted to place void shards in front of Korhal Palace, with the intention of activating them and destroying the city. Corporal Faraday tasked allied commanders with destroying these shards. During the battle, Kimeran Pirates began to loot the city using two Pirate capital ships. Faraday requested these be destroyed as well. The shards were destroyed before Augustgrad could be devastated.

Reconstruction
After Amon's defeat and the close of the End War, Korhal enjoyed a massive reconstruction effort and an era of peace. In 2508, Emperor Valerian Mengsk and Admiral Matt Horner spoke on Korhal at the third anniversary of the fall of Arcturus Mengsk's regime, celebrating the new regime and asserting the continued support of the Dominion military.

During the Defenders of Man Insurgency, protests occurred outside of the Korhal Palace in response to the feral zerg attack on Tyrador IX, with protestors calling for Valerian to step down as Emperor.

Establishments

 * Golden Library
 * Mengsk Summer Villa

Installations

 * Dominion Internal Security Division
 * Dominion Mental Health Center
 * Korhal Academy
 * Korhal Compound
 * Korhal Incarceration Facility
 * Korhal IV Primary Resocialization Center
 * Korhal Zoo
 * Refinery XJ-17
 * Simonson Munitions Factory

Landforms

 * Martial Field
 * Scorpion Ravine

Regions

 * Broken Mesa
 * Keresh Province
 * Korhal Wastes
 * Old Country
 * Radiated Wastes
 * Wolfrec Province

Settlements

 * Augustgrad (capital)
 * Bennet Port
 * District 10
 * Fairstens
 * Metalopolis
 * Newkirk District
 * Styrling (former capital, also served as a military base)

Space Platforms

 * Aurora (formerly)
 * Sky Shield
 * Numerous others