Battle of Bhekar Ro

The Battle of Bhekar Ro took place on Bhekar Ro after the fall Aiur and before the Brood War. The Zerg Kulkulkan Brood and a Protoss expeditionary force led by Executor Koronis converged on the world shortly after the discovery of a Xel'Naga Temple by the local Terran colony of Free Haven. The colonists summoned aid from the Terran Dominion in the form of Alpha Squadron. The battle gave birth to an energy creature within the temple which subsequently absorbed the Zerg and Protoss while crippling Alpha Squadron before leaving the planet.

Opening Moves
Free Haven contacted the Dominion after discovering the temple and when the Observer Koronis had despatched ahead of his force to scout the world was shot down by the town's Missile Turret it seemed the colonists' caution had been well founded. The Zerg arrived ahead of the main Protoss fleet and set about infesting the outskirts around the town. Early victims included the prospector Rastin, his dog Old Blue, and vespene geysers claimed by the prospector.

The Protoss Arrive in Force
At the same time, Koronis and his fleet engaged in a massive battle in orbit with the Zerg, causing devastating losses on the brood. Just then, the Kukulkan Brood then began a offensive upon the town of Free Haven against the hard-pressed colonists who set up defenses of their own. The mayor, Nikolai, sent a distress call to the Terran Dominion, which responded by sending General Duke and his Alpha Squadron troops, who thought that the mission would be a pushover. The Alpha Squadron force, consisting of 15 Battlecrusiers, including the flagship Norad III as well arrived some time later, seeing that the Protoss and the Zerg were still fighting in orbit. Nonetheless, the battle soon became a three-way conflict as Alpha Squadron made its way in to the ensuring conflict. Things did not go very well for Duke's fleet. While the fleet managed to shoot down numerous Zerg and Protoss with their Yamato Cannons, their Wraith squadrons were easily decimated by either opponent as well as suffering two of their Battlecruisers under Statis Field from a Arbiter.

As the fields dissolved, the Protoss unleashed mass Interceptor attack on the Battlecrusiers Napoleon and the Bismark, the latter being destroyed and the former having suffered heavy damaged and forced to fall back. Meanwhile, the colonists of Free Haven were only moments away from being completely killed until Alpha Squadron troops just made it on time deploying ground forces to the town and succeeding in wiping out the Zerg forces in the town and sending the survivors out of the town for good. Koronis and his fleet at the time, located the artifact and set up a defensive position around it. Duke on the other hand, took control of the entire town, much to the population's surprise and turned Free Haven into a HQ and fortress for his troops to use against further operations.

The Kukulkan Brood then launched a new offensive, this time at the Protoss defenders in order to capture the artifact. While the battle was going on, a majority of Alpha Squadron's ground forces were deployed along with a small troop led by Lieutenant Scott to capture the artifact as well. The battle was total chaos. First, the Alpha Squadron infantry were cut off from Siege Tanks and Goliath support and were slaughtered by Protoss Reavers and although Wraith squadrons were sent to help, they were turned back by psionic storms cast by High Templar. The rest of the Alpha Squadron troops were slaughtered and forced to fall back. Meanwhile, the small detachment led by Scott managed to make it to the Temple albeit with heavy casualties and fight their way trhough numerous Zerg and Protoss. They were however, sucked in by the artifact.

Having run out of choices, Duke ordered a nuclear strike on the Temple to settle the battle once and for all but this resulted in the Temple being activated and a massive phoenix'like creature bursting out. While much of the Protoss and Zerg were destroyed by the nuclear strike, the remaining survivors were absorbed by the creature which made its way to space, encountering Duke's fleet. The Battlecruisers tried destroying it with Yamato Cannon fire but this made no effect and the ships were all absorbed by the creature.