Second Great War

Note: The title of this article is based on conjecture "Make no mistake, war is coming. With all its glory. And all its horror..."

- Arcturus Mengsk

The Second Great War was a conflict that broke out in 2504, four years after the first Great War.

The Brood War
The Brood War ended with the zerg ruled by Infested Kerrigan and the dominant force in the Koprulu Sector. She allowed her foes a reprieve, sensing a greater threat looming on the horizon.

Although beaten and battered in the conflict, the Terran Dominion, under the leadership of Arcturus Mengsk, was able to rebuild itself after the war to become the most powerful terran nation in the Koprulu Sector, though was no longer allied with the Kel-Morian Combine or Umojan Protectorate. His former ally, Jim Raynor, came to lead a resistance movement against the Dominion, though had little success. The protoss meanwhile tried to rebuild their civilization, though the Khalai and Nerazim at times found it difficult to bridge the cultural divide. As time drew on, the protoss found themselves sliding back into tribalism.

What no party knew was that another force existed to be reckoned with. In the last days of the Brood War, the Dark Templar Zeratul stumbled upon a dark moon, where, under the direction of Samir Duran, a protoss/zerg hybrid project was underway. Duran gave Zeratul a cryptic warning, that the hybrid was the harbinger of the future and the completion of a cycle. Disturbed by the encounter and plagued with the guilt of Raszagal's death in the conflict, Zeratul set off alone to search for clues as to the truth behind Duran's words.

Four Years of Peace
Over the next four years, the zerg were relatively silent. They remained on worlds they had already infested and sent out forces to explore and exploit various worlds and assimilate new species, but refrained from engaging in overt hostile actions against the terrans and protoss. only taking part in occasional skirmishes. No expeditions to zerg-controlled worlds ever returned.

The Terran Dominion didn't rest on its laurels either during this time. Taking lessons from the Brood War, new war machines such as the thor, Banshee and Viking were pressed into service. However, Arcturus Mengsk spent a disproportionate ammount on hunting down rebels such as Jim Raynor, leaving the Dominion Fleet neglected.

The Swarm Stirs
"I know that it has been years since we've seen any zerg activity in terran space. But I hope you're prepared for the next encounter. The zerg are coming. The zerg are nature in all her fury."

- Maren Ayers warns her Dominion interrogator

As time went on, there were noticeable signs of the zerg's belligerent intentions. On Sorona, the zerg lay siege to Cask for months, testing the species's adaptability while the Dominion stood by and gathered data at the cost of its citizens' lives. More telling was an open attack on the world of Dead Man's Rock, one that, as Arcturus Mengsk pointed out, had to be directed. By 2504 the Dominion was well aware that the zerg was active and sent Zeta Squad to Roxara's moon to act as guinea pigs in observation of the changeling strain. The Dominion Armed Forces undertook a trio of emergency drills to assess response times and defensive capabilities.

During this period of time, alien artifacts began unearthing themselves, such as xel'naga temples. Mengsk expressed interest in these discoveries and placed a ban on the trade of alien goods.

Long Shadows
"The Zerg Swarm came as was foretold. And the protoss, firstborn of the gods, rose to fight them. Now, the xel'naga that forged us all are returning. But do they come to save... or to destroy?"

- Zeratul

Although more easily observed and comprehended by its denizens, the tension in the Koprulu Sector were merely a canvas for the work of greater forces. The ancient Dark Voice, and its hybrids, began taking a more direct role in galactic affairs in preparation for a total and apocalyptic restructuring of Creation.

Few knew of the existence of these shadowy players; fewer realized the threat they posed. One of the cognizant few was Zeratul, a prelate of the Dark Templar. Zeratul's interest in the hybrids stretched back to the end of the when he discovered a dormant, but complete, specimen created under the direction of Samir Duran. More ominous was the specimen was merely one of many scattered throughout the galaxy. During the interbellum, the prelate sought more information on the hybrids, their creators, and their ultimate purpose. Eventually he learned of a prophecy he believed heralded the xel'naga's return, and tracked down its fragments to Ulaan. There he encountered Kerrigan, who was searching for the prophecy as well, but the prelate escaped the zerg with the fragments. He took them to Zhakul where preservers could interpret the fragments. On Zhakul he encountered and defeated his fully motile and conscious hybrid, Maar. From the preservers' findings, Zeratul journeyed with even greater urgency to Aiur to extract memories from the dead Overmind. There prelate learned of the Dark Voice's intentions. His greatest fears were realized, but nonetheless resolved to fight on. Of particular interest was Kerrigan's survival was required to defeat the Dark Voice. Zeratul made to disseminate the information.

The effects of the Dark Voice's work also did not fail to escape Kerrigan's notice. An unsettling hunch at the end of the Brood War only grew to be even more foreboding and oppressive during the interbellum. Though Zeratul escaped Ulaan with the prophecy, the Queen of Blades knew enough to conclude that there was no hope in the future.

At the very least, elements of the Terran Dominion were aware of the hybrids' existence. In characteristic fashion, research on the creatures was done covertly.

Artifact Hunters
In the Terran Dominion, two groups worked nearly independently to acquire artifacts, and for different ends. The first was driven by official policy banning the trading of artifacts. The Dominion annexed Mar Sara from the Kel-Morian Combine shortly before the war and in the final months of peace concentrated on excavating an artifact there.

The second nominally Dominion group was secretly sponsored by Prince Valerian Mengsk, in contravention to the decree by his father, Emperor Arcturus Mengsk. Valerian used the as a front to locate and acquire artifacts. The artifacts would be assembled into a xel'naga device that Valerian believed would be able to deinfest Kerrigan.

It was Kerrigan, more aware of the greater conflict than the terrans, who ultimately precipitated a sector-wide conflagration. She ordered the Swarm to invade the Koprulu Sector and scour it for the artifacts. Preparations for such a mammoth undertaking were detected by the Dominion's Satellite 1 in the Char System. The Dominion Fleet was put on alert.

Mar Sara
Not long before the war's outbreak, convict Tychus Findlay was released by Arcturus Mengsk, on the condition that his freedom would be granted if he assassinated Kerrigan. Findlay was also employed by the Moebius Foundation as a contact between them and Jim Raynor in an effort to retrieve the xel'naga device's components.

Jim Raynor was on Mar Sara at this point in time, in the final stages of initiating a rebellion. Through a succesful attack on Backwater Station, the planet entered open rebellion against the Dominion. Afterwards, Tychus Findlay succeeded in tracking down Raynor and made the proposition of hunting down the artifacts the Moebius Foundation sought. Raynor agreed and the Raiders succesfully retrieved an artifact from a Dominion dig site. UNN put a negative spin on these actions, trying to distract its viewers from the fact that Mar Sarans truely desired independence.

In an instant however, things changed. Zerg forces landed near the abandoned dig site and subsequently assaulted Backwater Station. The Raiders managed to fend them off long enough for the Hyperion to arrive and evacuate them. However, Mar Sara was no isolated case, and many other terran worlds had been assaulted. The war had begun.

The Dominion Front
"You don't get it, convict&mdash;this isn't gonna just 'blow over'! The zerg won't stop until we're all dead!"

- Matt Horner to Tychus Findlay

The opening zerg invasion caused billions of terran casualties. The Dominion Fleet withdrew to fortify the Core Worlds, although the zerg quickly pressed in on those defenses, which were fortified.

Further from the seat of Dominion power, the Fringe Worlds were left to fend for themselves and food shortages became an issue. The Outer Colonies were forced to seek aid from mercenaries and outlaws, but this was insufficient and the colonists began evacuating their homes in the millions for the safety of the Core Worlds. The Dominion, having abandoned the colonies, also failed to provide aid to the ill-provisioned refugees. Refugee camps on Meinhoff were crowded, low on supplies, and a concern for medical authorities. As the crisis deepened, the Dominion Fleet was ordered to turn away refugee ships fleeing to the Core Worlds. In time the flow stopped, as many refugees, angry that the Dominion hadn't done more for them, began founding their own independent colonies.

The Dominion however, was not entirely idle in regards to the zerg threat. Emperor Arcturus Mengsk recalled General Horace Warfield from retirement to lead the Dominion Armed Forces. One of the general's first tasks was to lead a counter-offensive into the Sara System. Munitions production and penal recruitment increased. Penal troops were supplemented by Core World conscription, not to mention a reduced minimum age of conscription. Nonetheless, the Dominion remained on the defensive. Some worlds fell while others such as Lakius held. The First and Second Fleets were merged to protect the Core Worlds and the Dylar System was the site of one such space battle. The zerg made advances across all fronts and the Dominion military suffered heavy casualties but the Swarm's advance was slowed, largely thanks to Warfield, who led five seperate counter-attacks against the Swarm in the conflict's early stages. However, over time, it became clear that the zerg's goal was not conquest, but something else...

On the home front, survivors underwent viral testing and new austerity measures were introduced. Interplanetary shipping was brought to a standstill, authorities impounded all privatly owned vessels and Mengsk declared a morotorium on interplanetary travel. During the conflict, the Dominion's populace experienced some knee-jerk reactions to the threat of the Swarm. A reported zerg sighting on Korhal turned out to be a hoax and a rumor developed that zerglings were allergic to lemon juice.

The Dominion suffered a blow to public morale via Raynor's Raiders, who had uncovered evidence of Mengsk's war crimes against Tarsonis during the Great War. The Raiders infiltrated UNN Studios on Korhal using a Dominion experimental heavy siege walker stolen from Valhalla. The rebels transmitted the information across the Dominion using UNN's own broadcast towers. The result was as hoped. Dominion citizens expressed outrage against Emperor Mengsk in riots and demonstrations. Mengsk's approval rating dropped to a record low of 14%. Heavy handed censorship and arrests followed as the Dominion attempted to stem the damage. Numerous Fringe Worlds began open revolt, while Bountiful declared its independence.

The Kel-Morian Front
The Kel-Morian Combine was charged with perpetuating refugee massacres; a charge which it refused. The Combine attempted to hold on to its outlying worlds, but was forced to follow the Dominion's example and abandon them when losses mounted, such as on Redstone III. The Kel-Morian military's performance was criticized by General Martin and market confidence slumped. A zerg sighting was reported on Moria but this turned out to be false.

The Umojan Front
The Umojan Protectorate closed its borders and mobilized.

Mercenaries and Rebels
The war worked to the advantage of independent groups. Mercenaries were in great demand and the chaos only encouraged rebels and revolutionaries. Even as it fought the zerg the Dominion continued to fight sedition through covert means and propaganda.

Gabriel Tosh, a former Dominion ghost turned anti-Dominion spectre, hoped to use the fighting to mask the acquisition of jorium, terrazine, and suitable candidates needed to augment Project Shadow Blade.

Raiding the Ancients
While the Raiders resumed their anti-Dominion activities just before the outbreak of war, it was the contract with the to collect the xel'naga device's components that directed them during this phase. This was first for money, and then as a way to strike against the zerg. Jim Raynor was additionally motivated by the prospect of deinfesting Sarah Kerrigan.

The Raiders' main obstacle were the Tal'darim. These protoss recognized the Raiders' interest, but specific preparations to stop the terrans failed.

As the Raiders collected the components, Zeratul appeared aboard Hyperion and spoke privately with Raynor. The Nerazim was injured and seemingly being pursued; the prelate just stayed long enough to give the terran an ihan crystal recounting his discoveries since Ulaan, and a warning that Kerrigan's survival was necessary.

The Swarm struggled to keep up with the terran recovery effort. Eventually, the Queen of Blades struck directly at the 's base on Tyrador VIII, the defenses of which had been criticized for lack of readiness. However, the Raiders intervened and insured the zerg failed to gain access to the Foundation's data cores and research. Shortly afterwards the zerg judged the race to the components as lost, and the impetus went out of the Sector-wide invasion.

Terran Alliances
"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now." "Because I can offer you what you've always wanted. A chance to rescue Sarah Kerrigan..."

- Raynor confronts Valerian

With component recovery continuing apace, Prince Valerian Mengsk decided it was time to reveal his involvement with the to the Raiders. He went in place of Foundation representatives to a rendezvous with the rebel flagship, Hyperion, aboard the Dominion flagship Bucephalus. The rebels were taken aback by the appearance of Bucephalus and its battlecruiser escort and immediately attacked. Raynor boarded Bucephalus expecting to find and kill Emperor Arcturus Mengsk. Instead, he was doubly surprised to be met not only by the prince, but also the prince's offer of further cooperation.

Valerian discussed the goal of deinfesting Kerrigan with the xel'naga device. This meant fighting the zerg on Char, and the prince wanted Raynor's assistance to do so; while Valerian could muster the Dominion's military for the assault, only the rebel had knowledge of the Queen of Blade's methods and tactics.

Raynor agreed to cooperate over the objections of his crew. Matt Horner and Tychus Findlay warned against allowing personal feelings for Kerrigan to draw the rebels into a Dominion trap. The final component was retrieved from Ulnar, a derelict xel'naga worldship.

The Raiders were hardly reciprocal to this alliance&mdash;to those less acquainted with the rebel leader, he had simply abandoned the revolution. Raynor argued the Queen of Blades was a dire threat to terran freedom and the temporary alliance with the Dominion was the best opportunity to deal with it. The crew was only convinced after Raynor beat a drunken Findlay in a bar fight. The Raiders were impressed by Raynor's resurgent conviction and doubts about his leadership were dispelled.

Battle of Char
"This ain't about the Dominion. Our war's always been about savin' lives. If the zerg wipe everyone out, it's all been for nothing. So I'm going back to Char. If you’re with me, it's your choice. Just like it's always been."

- Raynor addresses his crew

With the xel'naga device now completed, it had to be brought within range of the Queen of Blades on Char. Valerian requisitioned half of the Dominion Fleet without immediately informing the emperor for the assault. General Horace Warfield was placed in command; the general was not keen on working with the Raiders. Warfield planned a frontal assault against Raynor's advice.

The initial landing was a disaster and the terrans suffered heavy casualties. Only Raynor's initiative allowed a foothold to be secured. General Warfield's ship, , was shot down. Warfield was rescued by the Raiders, and marking the beginning of a much improved relationship between the general and Raynor. Operational command was transferred from a wounded Warfield to Raynor.

The invaders were in a precarious position. A quick push to the primary hive was essential before they were overwhelmed by the zerg. There was time to launch one secondary attack to weaken the hive's defenses. Tychus Findlay recommended disabling the nydus network near the hive, while General Warfield was more concerned with striking enemy air power.

Raynor chose the target and the secondary attack was a success. The terrans struck quickly at the primary hive's weakened defenses and emplaced the xel'naga device at the base of the hive. The remaining terran troops dug in and held off the Swarm's attempt to take the device. The device's fully-charged energy burst crippled the Swarm in the area and deinfested Kerrigan.

Arcturus Mengsk made one final attempt to finish Kerrigan off. As she lay helpless, he ordered Tychus Findlay to kill her. Raynor, seeing this, used his own armor to intercept the bullet, then shot Findlay. The former convict did not survive.

Aftermath
Although Kerrigan was defeated, victory had come at a heavy cost and Arcturus Mengsk remained secure on his throne. Kerrigan would go on to create a new zerg empire. and protoss civilization would fracture, separating the Firstborn into splinter factions.

Armageddon awaited...