Hyperion

"One helluva ship y'got here, Jimmy. How'd you get a hold of a floating palace like this?" "The Hyperion was Mengsk's flagship back in the day. Me and Matt decided to 'borrow' her when we parted company with him. This old baby's seen us through some tight spots."

- Tychus Findlay and Jim Raynor after the escape from Mar Sara

The Hyperion is a Behemoth-class battlecruiser, currently commanded by Matt Horner under the leadership of Jim Raynor. It has a long and checkered history.

Early Service
"The Hyperion. I'll call her the Hyperion."

- Arcturus Mengsk

The Hyperion was originally a Terran Confederacy battlecruiser which crash-landed on a fiery planet near Umojan Protectorate territory, courtesy of a navigation error, well out of range of Confederate hailing frequencies. It was originally commanded by Pollock Rimes. However, Umojan forces secured the crash site, removed its tracking beacon and pronounced the crew dead, though in reality giving them better pay and shorter hours in exchange for their silence. The Confederacy was angered at the loss of one of its ships, but without proof of the Protectorate's subversion, was unwilling to start another war so soon after the end of the Guild Wars. Over the next year, the battlecruiser was upgraded and modified slowly and methodically.

In 2491 it became part of Arcturus Mengsk's Rebellion of Korhal – Mengsk had allied with the Umojan Protectorate and was currently located at Umoja. When the Confederacy destroyed Korhal IV with nuclear missiles, Mengsk renamed his organization the Sons of Korhal and Mengsk renamed the vessel the Hyperion and made it the flagship of his very small fleet.

The Sons of Korhal
The Hyperion became the mobile headquarters of the Sons of Korhal. It took part in several missions against the Confederacy, including one which resulted in the capture of ghost Sarah Kerrigan.

During one mission, an officer was assaulted by a mole and a communication was broadcast to the nearby battlecruiser the Norad II, commanded by Edmund Duke. The Norad II blocked the Hyperion’s path, preventing it from escaping into warp space, then sent a boarding party. They were interested in arresting Mengsk as a terrorist and recapturing Kerrigan. The Hyperion could not fight back effectively due to the lack of weapons on its sides, but the Norad II was similarly hampered. Mengsk used that to his advantage, using a surprising attack form against the Norad II’s flank, while Kerrigan and other soldiers dealt with the boarders. The Norad II was too heavily damaged to continue the assault, enabling the Hyperion to escape.

The Hyperion maintained its status as the mobile headquarters of the Sons of Korhal during the war against the Confederacy. Despite its mobile nature, the ship genuinely felt like home for Mengsk.

Second Transfer of Command
During the Sons of Korhal attack on Tarsonis, Mengsk betrayed his second-in-command Sarah Kerrigan, abandoning her to the zerg. Captain Jim Raynor defected with approximately 400 soldiers as a result. The new force called itself the Raynor's Raiders. Desperately needing transport, the group headed to the Dylarian Shipyards of Dylar IV.

Mengsk dispatched General Edmund Duke in the Hyperion to stop Raynor, but Duke's forces were lured into the confined spaces of the shipyards, where the Hyperion was captured by a crane. Raynor's forces swarmed aboard, hijacking the Hyperion and several other ships. Raynor appointed Lieutenant Matt Horner as pilot of the Hyperion. Horner would eventually become the captain.

Alliance with the Protoss
Several weeks later, Raynor led the Hyperion and the small fleet to the world of Char, following the psychic screams of Sarah Kerrigan, who had been transported there by the zerg. Using shuttles, a number of troops, personally led by Raynor, descended to the surface, leaving Horner in charge of the Hyperion. The forces battled their way to Kerrigan, only to find she had already been infested, transformed into the Queen of Blades. She let the Raiders go, but initiated a covert assault on it and other ships in orbit over Char. Protoss forces commanded by Executor Tassadar arrived, and seeing terran vessels being taken over by the Zerg, began destroying them. Horner was forced to execute a blind jump into warp space.

While the Hyperion was away, Raynor's Raiders struck an alliance with Tassadar and the Dark Templar leader, Zeratul. The Raiders believed they were stranded on Char, however more Protoss ships eventually arrived, and evacuated the surviving Protoss. Meanwhile the Hyperion returned to Char, late due to errors caused by the rapid jump. The Hyperion made its way to Aiur. Raynor commanded the battlecruiser, helping to rescue Tassadar from the Conclave in return for the earlier assistance, and participating in the final battle against the Overmind.

During the, the Hyperion, accompanied by a protoss fleet, rescued Arcturus Mengsk from the United Earth Directorate invasion.

Later, the Hyperion spent some time on Shakuras, where Raynor was again contacted by Kerrigan.

The Second Great War
At the end of the Brood War, Hyperion, still under the command of Jim Raynor, was the command ship and home base of Raynor's Raiders.

The Hyperion saved Raynor and Tychus Findlay from zerg mutalisks on Mar Sara and made a safe jump to warp from the surface.

The Hyperion assaulted Mira Han's space operations after she refused to hand over Colonel Orlan.

The Hyperion later landed on Korhal to assist the Zerg Swarm in the assault on Augustgrad.

Interior
The interior of the Hyperion is well-decorated with paintings and soft lighting, with wide corridors. However, the ship's interior is not as defensible as many other battlecruiser designs, featuring numerous wide open stairways and hallways with no doors, allowing any boarded enemy free reign over a good portion of the ship.

Known locations include the following:

Armory:
During the interbellum, Bay 12 was converted into an armory. It was overseen by former Kel-Morian engineer Rory Swann. During the Second Great War, Swann presented new munitions to Jim Raynor there.

Bridge

 * Main article: 

The bridge of the Hyperion is where mission briefings take place. At the bridge, it is possible to review previous or alternate missions and play them to unlock achievements or to beat previous times, although it will not affect the story currently taking place. Matt Horner is usually stationed here, along with (temporarily) any new additions to the Hyperion crew.

Despite the formalities, the bridge is regarded as "cozy", especially when compared to the more sparse bridges of other battlecruisers such as the Norad II.

Cantina

 * Main article: 

The ship houses an on-board cantina, where Jim Raynor has been known to drink. Graven Hill, Tychus Findlay and Gabriel Tosh can also be found here. The Raiders may purchase mercenary contracts here. Its miscellaneous features include a TV, and a jukebox salvaged from Joeyray's Bar. The game Lost Viking can be played here as well.

Tosh and the Screamers play here on Saturday nights.

Crew Compartments
A series of crew compartments exist on the ship, seemingly one compartment per member. They are listed by number.

Cargo Bay
The cargo bay had a wide area and was used by the Sons of Korhal prior to the Great War for mission briefings.

Commander's Quarters
The commander's quarters are reserved for the Hyperion's captain, as with any other capital ship. To suit Arcturus Mengsk's tastes, the Hyperion's commander's quarters were installed with marble sinktops, porcelain tiles, faucets and fixtures, not to mention access to proper water as opposed to relying on a sonic cleanser.

When Jim Raynor became the ship's captain, the Raiders insisted that he take the quarters for himself, despite his objections. He considered having the room made more spartan, but knowing that it would take too long, resolved to put up with the comforts and try to concentrate on other things.

Laboratory:
The laboratory was active by the Second Great War and staffed by Doctor Egon Stetmann. During the war, Stetmann conducted research into protoss and zerg technology to develop new munitions for Raynor's Raiders.

Mess Hall
The mess hall is where the ship's crew takes its meals.

Research Lab One
Doctor Helek Branamoor of the Sons of Korhal studied dead zerg larva in the lab prior to the Great War. It also had an incubator.

Sick Ward
The sick ward is where sick and injured crew members are treated. A climate controlled containment cell that can be supplied with oxygen when necessary is featured for patients suffering from contagious viral infections. It has transparent walls.

StarCraft
Hyperion has higher health and slightly more powerful attack than a normal battlecruiser. According to DatEdit, Hyperion has a higher rate of fire as well. Compared to Norad II, it has higher hit health but a weaker attack.

The unit voice is Jim Raynor's with a higher radio-pitched voice.

Changing the unit's name in StarEdit changes the rank to "Admiral".

StarCraft II
Hyperion appears in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty as a special armed with the Yamato Cannon, and lasers that fire on the move. The Yamato Cannon ability deals 400 damage and requires no energy to be used.

Hyperion only appears in one mission, "Zero Hour", as a NPC unit. It uses the same model as the normal battlecruiser.

The, , , and may be visited in story mode.

Heart of the Swarm
In StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, the Hyperion appears as an NPC unit with a unique model.

The Hyperion is controllable in the mission "With Friends Like These...". Its starting abilities are the Yamato Cannon, short ranged warp jump (which works like the stalker's blink ability), and summoning fighters. An EMP ability that stuns may be acquired. The ship may level up by collecting minerals; this improves all attributes and abilities.