StarCraft: Enslavers II

Enslavers: Dark Vengeance is a series of StarCraft Maps of the Month from Blizzard Entertainment.

The missions are a sequel to StarCraft: Enslavers and continue the story of the Protoss and Alan Schezar's mercenaries, Schezar's Scavengers. In addition, a new threat to the Protoss of Shakuras is introduced.

The missons take place after the activation of the Xel'Naga Temple on Shakuras, which took place only because the Khalai and Dark Templar were able to unite their forces and combine High Templar and Dark Templar energy. It is widely rumored that a few wounded heroes may still live upon the ravaged Protoss homeworld of Aiur. If they were to be rescued and transplanted into Dragoon walkers, the fallen heroes would still be able to fight alongside their brethren.

The Rescue
Zeratul is tasked with bringing a force of Protoss to Aiur to recover them. Traveling with him is the Master of the Tribunal, a High Templar who assists him. The Master of the Tribunal says that the task before them is difficult; the wounded warriors are stored in three Protoss Stasis Cells, but a number of renegade Zerg Broods have taken root on Aiur, and are surrounding the Stasis Cells. The Protoss forces must be transported to Aiur because the Warp Gate has been destroyed. Zeratul and the Master of the Tribunal did not personally take part in this mission.

The Protoss force moved in on a Zerg Hive cluster, when they were attacked by Zerglings. However, the Protoss were victorious, killing the Zerglings and destroying their Hive Cluster. A new colony was established on the grounds of the now-ruined Zerg colony, and troops were recruited through Gateways from Shakuras. The Protoss confronted the Zerg nestled around the three Stasis Cells, defeating them in a pitched battle.

A Protoss shuttle arrived to carry the wounded Protoss away, when four Dark Templar appeared, attacking two of the Cells.

"Your fallen brethren shall embrace the void!" exclaimed one of the Dark Templar as they slew the two helpless Protoss.

The Dark Templar were surrounded and ordered to surrender before they could destroy the third Stasis Cell. The Dark Templar said they would surrender "for now".

The third Protoss was rescued and placed in a Dragoon exoskeleton. His name was Eredas, a member of the Templar Caste, who pledged his service for Aiur.

Trivia
When the Zerglings attack near the beginning of the mission, this is due to a trigger titled: "Zerglings coming for you."

Hung Jury
At the same time the United Earth Directorate was launching its attack on Augustgrad, the capital of Korhal, the Protoss were rescuing Eredas. Now they had returned to Shakuras, bearing the Dark Templar prisoners; they were scheduled for trial for crimes against the Protoss.

Eredas and Zeratul discussed the situation. Eredas was saddened about the fall of Aiur and the alliance of the Protoss of Aiur with the Dark Templar, but Zeratul was more concerned with these Dark Templar renegades.

Zeratul told Ulrejaz, the leader of the Dark Templar renegades, that he and his three cohorts desecrated the holy Stasis Cells and murdered two other Protoss. He named Ulrejaz a traitor.

Ulrejaz countered that killing Templars was righteous justice. They wanted the rulers of Aiur to feel what it's like to be hunted and driven from their homes. Ulrejaz claimed Zeratul was the traitor, for coddling the Protoss of Aiur on Shakuras and sitting in judgement of "righteous" Dark Templar.

Zeratul said that he wasn't the only person passing judgement on Ulrejaz and his minions, however. The Master of the Tribunal said that these renegades were guilty of murder and treason against the Protoss.

Zeratul planned an ancient punishment, but was interrupted by a Protoss Zealot. The Zealot said that an unidentified Terran force has been observed in the canyons. This was a disaster, as the location of Shakuras was a secret from the Terrans. Indeed, the Terrans shouldn't even have known that it existed.

Zeratul ordered the Executor to dispatch his forces to the canyons. Justice against Ulrejaz would have to wait. Ulrejaz and his three cohorts were imprisoned in two Protoss Stasis Cells in the Executor's base.

Eredas asked for permission to attack the "pitiful" Terran forces to the north. However, the Terrans moved first, attacking Ulrejaz's Stasis Cells. Ulrejaz and his minions were able to escape.

After a fierce battle, the Protoss were victorious. However, Ulrejaz and his cohorts had escaped.

Trivia
If you use the official cheat codes to render your forces (and thus the Stasis Cells) invincible, a trigger causes them to explode (allowing the mission to progress).

Nemesis
During the chaos of the Terran attack, Ulrejaz stole a sacred Khaydarin Crystal. While Zeratul did not know why Ulrejaz had stolen the crystal, they still had to recover it.

Praetor Mojo was able to track the stolen crystal's powerful psionic emanations to a small Terran base on Korhal. Mojo wasn't sure if the Terran Dominion was still on the planet, but his observers, sent ahead to find a good site for a base, discovered a complication. There was a Zerg Brood guarding the Terran encampment.

Zeratul was surprised. Mojo believed these Terrans may be Schezar's Scavengers. Their leader, Alan Schezar had previously used Khaydarin Crystals to control a Zerg Cerebrate. Perhaps he had replicated this feat with a stolen Khaydarin Crystal.

Zeratul decided that the alliance between Schezar's Scavengers and the Zerg was too dangerous to continue. The Executor was ordered to retrieve the Khaydarin Crystals or destroy Schezar's base.

The following mission offers the player one of two choices, leading to two different endings. Both endings will be covered by this article. The "preferred" ending will be covered first.

The Old Enemy
Mojo leads the Protoss forces against Schezar's fortress to the east. The commander, a Terran Ghost, emerges from his command center and surrenders, saying Alan Schezar doesn't pay his troops enough for this. He reveals Schezar's current location - Braxis.

Turnabout
The Protoss travel to Braxis in order to attack Schezar. The Protoss say there is an old score they must settle with Schezar ... in blood. Zeratul tells the Executor that he knows High Templar finds no honor in the prospect of assassination, but the combined Terran and Zerg forces on Braxis are too strong for a frontal assault. The Executor will take a small covert force, including Dark Templar, to the surface, where they will make their way to Schezar's main compound and terminate him.

Once the Protoss force makes it to the surface, Zeratul informs the Executor that he has activated the frequency scanner, causing Schezar's location to appear on the Protoss scanners.

The Protoss carefully make their way to Schezar’s main base, evading and defeating the Terrans and Zerg that try to stop them. Upon entering, they attack Schezar in his Goliath.

Schezar is defeated, and climbs out of his ruined machine. He pleads for his life, saying that he knows he has done many terrible things, even working with Ulrejaz, but lately Ulrejaz has been going nuts. Schezar will tell the Protoss everything he knows ... but they must prevent him from being silenced by the Zerg, whose Hive Clusters now surround his base, which includes an unfinished powerful electromagnetic pulse device. Perhaps Schezar doesn't control these Zerg...

Schezar lets the Protoss command his forces, as he believes it will improve his chances. He was right, and the Protoss/Terran forces achieve victory.

Dark Vengeance
Despite not having Schezar for backup, Ulrejaz and his Fist do not falter from their plan.

Zeratul accuses Alan Schezar of being a terrible criminal, and Schezar agrees, but won't apologize for it. Indeed, he says worked with Ulrejaz because Ulrejaz paid him well. He then explains what is going on:

While Ulrejaz was fanatical before, after he and his three cohorts merged together to become a Dark Archon, Ulrezaj's fanaticism became madness. In addition to keeping the Zerg around Schezar, he rigged his Goliath to explode if Schezar betrayed him. However, the Protoss disabled the self-destruct mechanism during their attack.

Schezar was supposed to bring the captured electromagnetic pulse device to the stations that are orbiting Shakuras. The device would disrupt Protoss communications and shields, and then he would use the chaos to drop genetically enhanced Zerg upon Shakuras. Ulrejaz hoped the Dark Templar would hide in their secret places, while the Templar from Aiur would be left out in the open.

His new Zerg will be brought onto his space station via a Warp Gate that's connected to a base on Char. Once the Zerg reach his space station, he will move them to his genetic stations where his warped Khaydarin Crystals will transform them into more powerful strains. This much Dark Templar energy will enhance them so much that they could resist the effects of the Xel'Naga Temple.

Zeratul reluctantly agrees to an alliance with Alan Schezar and his Scavengers in order to stop Ulrejaz. In return, Schezar will only be banished, instead of executed.

Schezar says he will leave this blasted sector for good, as he's not feeling safe around here anymore.

Zeratul orders the Executor to retrieve the warped Khaydarin Crystals to his base to destroy them, then move on to destroy the Warp Gate itself.

Ulrejaz, now a Dark Archon, contacts Alan Schezar. He sends Dark Templar into Schezar's base, where they kill him. His troops swear revenge.

Zeratul's Observors located five warped Khaydarin Crystals, and sent the Protoss after them.

As the Protoss fought the Fist of Ulrejaz, a small number of Zerg came through the Warp Gate, reached the genetic stations, and were transformed into superior Zerg strains. These powerful Zerg then attacked the Protoss/Terran bases.

However, Zeratul's forces, with Terran assistance, retrieved the crystals, destroyed them, then destroyed the Warp Gate. Ulrejaz's plans were foiled, but Ulrejaz himself was not there.

A Disturbing Discovery
Mojo reports that his Observers can detect the Khaydarin Crystal. The Protoss move to retrieve it, as Zeratul believes they can use it to track Ulrejaz. While Schezar's Scavengers and the Zerg put up a hard fight, the Protoss are able to retrieve the crystal and escape from Korhal.

Desperate Measures
Zeratul reports the findings of Judicator scholars, who have examined the Khaydarin Crystal.

The crystal was not the one stolen from Shakuras. Somehow Ulrejaz has replicated the Khaydarin Crystals using a strange fusion of both Zerg and Dark Templar energies. These crystals can somehow be used to control Zerg Broods on Char.

The crystal emanates strong psionic emissions, and thus the Protoss can use it to track the other crystals with it.

As there are not enough Protoss to launch a full-scale assault to recover or destroy the warped crystals, which have been tracked to Char, Zeratul sends a Dark Archon with an escort of seasoned warriors to achieve his aims. Only the psychic fury of the Dark Archon can destroy the crystals.

Zeratul's warriors will feint an attack nearby to draw the enemy's defenses away from the area. His Observers were able to triangulate the location of the warped Khaydarin Crystals.

After advising the Executor to use the Dark Archon's Mind Control ability to create reinforcements, Zeratul pulls out, as the decoy attack was beginning to cost the lives of too many Protoss warriors. The strike force has about one hour before the Zerg defenders return.

Most of the defenses consist of Zerg, but some members of the Fist of Ulrejaz are also present.

Every time a warped crystal is destroyed, the associated Zerg fall into a dormant state. Eventually the Dark Archon destroys all five crystals, pacifying all the Zerg and enabling the strike force's escape.

Showdown
Zeratul and the Protoss have returned to Shakuras. Once there, they discover that Ulrejaz and Alan Schezar have come up with another plot. They have positioned an orbital space station over Shakuras that is creating powerful electromagnetic pulse waves. They are disrupting Protoss communications and are draining the planet's energy shields.

Ulrejaz, now a Dark Archon, contacts Zeratul. He says he only wants to drive the Protoss of Aiur from Shakuras.

Zeratul is unable to convince Ulrejaz to stand down and forgive the Protoss from Aiur. Instead, Ulrejaz orders Schezar to commence the attack.

Schezar refers to his employer as "Lord Ulrejaz" and has set the EMP device to full power.

Zeratul notes that the generator sends out a pulse every ten minutes, but has almost no effect on the shields of the Fist of Ulrejaz.

Zeratul orders the Executor to destroy the EMP generator and kill Alan Schezar for his crimes, including murdering many Protoss.

When Schezar first encounters Protoss warriors, he gets into a Dropship and flees. The second time, he fights to the bitter end, and is slain. Schezar's Scavengers surrender on the death of their leader.

When the Protoss have destroyed the EMP device and Schezar, they declare victory.

However, Ulrejaz was nowhere to be found.

Epilogue
Despite the Protoss victory over the Fist of Ulrejaz, the mad Archon is still out there, seeking revenge against the Templar Caste. It is said his hatred burns with more fury than any of the stars above...