Samir Duran

Samir Duran &mdash;better known as Duran or Lieutenant Duran&mdash; was introduced as a Terran Lieutenant who was later apparently infested by the Zerg and turned into a Zerg/Terran hybrid. Duran is voiced by Paul Ainsley.

Biography
Little is known about Duran, except what he has said about himself. By his own account, Duran, allegedly aged 33, served in the Alpha Squadron of the Terran Confederacy before Arcturus Mengsk brought it down. Duran then assumed command of a small commando squad called the Confederate Resistance Forces that was dedicated to striking at Mengsk and his new Terran Dominion. Though most of his comrades regard Duran as a sly and cunning leader, few believed the truth about his mysterious nature.

Special Advisor to the UED
When the United Earth Directorate launches its first attack against the Terran Dominion on the planet Braxis, Duran offeres his services to the UED Vice Admiral Alexi Stukov. Stukov accepts, because both men have the same enemy, and because Duran can prove to be a valuable asset, but he is suspicious. This is not a deal that Admiral DuGalle approves at first glance, because in his eyes Duran was merely a "turncoat" to the Dominion.

Due to the information gained from Boralis, DuGalle sets his sights on more important targets - such as the shipyards of Dylar IV. Dylar IV had been an important Terran Confederacy world, but was laid waste to by the Zerg. However, the Terran Dominion had reclaimed the planet, constructing the Dylarian Shipyards in orbit.

Duran warns DuGalle that the Terran Dominion can typically reinforce its outlying bases within 16 standard hours. DuGalle accepts the information, but scorns Duran's treachery, while Stukov is happy to accept the warning. The Dominion General Edmund Duke leads the Terran Dominion Armada against the UED, which had captured a number of Battlecruisers held in dry-dock over Dylar IV. The UED is victorious, and impressed most of the remaining Dylarian defense forces into the fleet.

Admiral DuGalle takes the UED fleet to Tarsonis, where his research team uncovered a hidden weapons relay called the Psi Disrupter. Duran, after explaining that it can disrupt the Zerg's communications, suggests the Psi Disrupter was such a powerful and dangerous piece of technology that it should be destroyed before Arcturus Mengsk could get his hands on it, but Vice Admiral Stukov believes its anti-Zerg abilities will greatly assist the UED in defeating the Zerg. DuGalle, perhaps surprisingly, agrees with Duran. Since Duran shows such concern for the device's inherit danger, DuGalle orders him to personally descend to the surface of Tarsonis to reach and destroy the Psi Disrupter. Duran defeats the Zerg which had clustered around the Disrupter by destroying their Hives, only to run into resistance from Stukov's Ghosts. They say they will facilitate the Disruptor's disassembly. Duran does not challenge them.

Upon arriving at Korhal, the Dominion throne world, Duran suggests destroying large cluster of missile silos on the outskirts of Augustgrad, the capital city of Korhal, so that Mengsk would lose his core nuclear capabilities.

Treason
Admiral DuGalle defeats Arcturus Mengsk at Korhal, but Mengsk escapes with the assistance of Jim Raynor. The two are protected by Praetor Fenix's Protoss forces on the devestated Protoss homeworld of Aiur. DuGalle does not understand why the Protoss are harboring them, but he follows them to the world. He finds them in a Terran Command Center, near a fully functional Warp Gate. Multiple Zerg Broods surround the Protoss base, but they are passive.

The Captain of the UED fleet (the player's character) is ordered by DuGalle to attack the Command Center in the middle of the Protoss encampment while Stukov and Duran provide cover for his forces and ensure that no external threats interfere with his mission. Before the Captain attacks, the Warp Gate is activated, inciting the Zerg to attack. The Captain's forces destroy the Command Center.

Stukov detects a wave of Zerg coming in from the northeast, but Duran had moved his forces out of place. Duran claimed his equipment wasn't detecting the Zerg, and perhaps there was a problem with Stukov's equipment. Then he claimed his communications equipment isn't working, and cut off the transmission. The Zerg interfere with the UED operation, allowing Mengsk and Raynor to escape. The Warp Gate then self-destructs. Stukov tells the Captain that he must leave, as he has personal business. He doesn't explain his actions to the Captain, DuGalle, or Duran.

Tracking him to Braxis, DuGalle and Duran become aware of a new development ... the Psi Disrupter has been reconstructed. Duran tells DuGalle that Stukov has betrayed him, and that he reconstructed the Disrupter in order to sabotage DuGalle's mission in the Koprulu Sector. DuGalle says he can't believe it, but the evidence is incontrovertible. He orders Duran to enter the Disrupter and deal with the traitor.

Duran leads a number of Marines into the Disrupter, defeating Stukov's Elite Guard. Finally he finds Vice Admiral Stukov himself. Duran tell's Stukov "I am here under orders to terminate your command." "I'm not surprised," Stukov replies, "we both know exactly what it is that you're here to terminate. Get on with it." Duran then shoots Stukov, using a different weapon from his C-10 Canister Rifle, and vanishes. The dying Stukov tells DuGalle that Duran is the traitor, and that he suspects that Duran may even be infested as well. Duran convinced DuGalle to destroy the Psi Disrupter, and allowed Mengsk and Raynor to escape. After Stukov dies, Duran sets the Psi Disrupter's power core to overload, and Zerg breach the outer installation walls. "This proves that Duran's working with the Zerg!" DuGalle says before ordering the Captain to reach the manual override terminal and shut the reactor core down, so as to prevent meltdown. The Captain's forces, allying again with Stukov's Elite Guard, successfully defeat the Zerg and save the Psi Disrupter.

Infestation
After the UED claims the Overmind on the planet Char, he shows up and introduces DuGalle to Kerrigan.

After they go to Tarsonis, Duran interrupts her during a talk with her Cerebrate (the player's character) to inform her of the arrival of Raynor and Fenix. He interrupts their conversation to inform Kerrigan that the Psi Disrupter's signal has reached them on Tarsonis and shattered the unity of her Broods.

Duran accompanies Kerrigan to Moria and Korhal. After the main UED base is destroyed at Augustrad, Kerrigan decides to eradicate her allies. Duran suggests the strategy of attacking while her allies are asleep and unaware, allowing them to whittle down their defenses with relative ease. The ploy is successful. After the destruction of Duke's and Fenix's bases, they return to Tarsonis to rest.

Two days later, the UED, intent on forcing Kerrigan's hand, tests out their control of their pet Overmind by sending hundreds of Zerg to Tarsonis. As they begin attacking their outposts, Duran informs her of the situation and rallies her forces. Kerrigan's forces secure their perimeter and take the fight to their Hive clusters.

Duran then accompanies Kerrigan to Shakuras to retrieve the Dark Templar Matriarch, Raszagal. Duran informs her that the Pylon clusters are generating some sort of electromagnetic field that is preventing their flyers from maneuvering. He suggests attacking the Protoss outpost of Telematros, which is fueled and supported by a number of adjacent pylon clusters, so as to cause a surge within the pylon clusters, causing Telematros' power grids to overload. The resulting explosion would be the perfect cover for retrieving Raszagal. Kerrigan agrees, calling Durans plan "Clean, simple, devious." Cerebrate provides cover for Duran as he infiltrates the pylon clusters and ignites the charges.

Duran soon discovers that Raszagal was taken so as to get the Dark Templar Prelate, Zeratul, and his brethren kill the Overmind. After this is done, Duran informs Kerrigan that with the Overmind and its Cerebrates destroyed, all of the Zerg in the sector have reverted to her direct control, the remnants of the UED fleet have fled the planet (but he has no idea how many functional ships they still possess), they have finished relocating her primary hive clusters to the orbital platform over Char. However, Zeratul and his brethren were able to bypass their defenses and steal Raszagal away from them. They had regrouped with a number of Protoss survivors on the surface of Char and would be capable of dimensional recall to Shakuras within thirty minutes. Kerrigan has all of her Broods mobilized and sent to the surface of Char. During this time, Duran disappears.

The Mystery Deepens

 * Main article: Dark Origin

At one of the final stages of Episode VI, Kerrigan loses all her psionic links with Duran for no explained reason. Later, Zeratul discovers that Duran was secretly (and under unknown orders) breeding a Protoss/Zerg Hybrid. From the manner in which Duran replied to Zeratul, claiming to be many millenia old (and having had many names over these millenia) and serving "a far greater power", Duran's background became even more enigmatic.

Was Duran really a Terran, a Xel'Naga, a servant thereof, or some other, unknown species? Did Duran use Kerrigan? Had he somehow infiltrated the Swarm? Is he a shapeshifter, a mutant, or a possessing spirit? The questions remain unanswered, though further inspection of the secret mission and the mission prior to it provides evidence as to who/what he is.

Game Unit
Duran, represented by a Terran Ghost unit, generally wears a white muscle shirt, blue pants, and a Beret. He also carries his powerful C-10 Canister Rifle. As a hero, Duran's weapon is imbued with power 3 times that of a normal Ghost and he is not at all representative of the Ghost as a unit.

Duran becomes represented in-game by a new unit, called Infested Duran. He has more hit points and a carapace (although it's not very obvious). He still uses a canister rifle, however, and the method by which his consume ability functions is obviously a technological device, as it makes a "high-tech sound" when he consumes a Zerg, somehow feeding its biological energy into the device. His voice changes to that of an Infested Terran. He is also shown in the unit window as a color-coded Wireframe identical to his previous form, making him the only Zerg unit represented as such. Curiously, Infested Duran is the only unit to be upgraded with weapon and armor upgrades from separate factions: Zerg Carapace upgrades will improve Duran's armor, but it is Terran Infantry Weapons upgrades that improve the power of his weaponry. This makes him one of the few unique units in the game. Duran also has a unique death sound that is in the game data, but not implemented. It's entirely possible that Duran was intended to be even more unique.

Quotes
"I've had many names throughout the millennia, young prodigal. You would know me best as Samir Duran."

"I am a servant of a far greater power. A power that has slept for countless ages. And is reflected in the creature within that cell."

"I already told you my name, it's Duran! Duran!"

"What? Is something funny?"

"Please, tell me now"

Trivia
Duran's beret is the same color, and has the same insignia, as the ones worn by soldiers in the ARVN Airborne (South Vietnamese paratroopers) during the Vietnam War, according to IMDb.

Click Duran (either version) many times and he will mention the 80's band Duran Duran, and one of its hits: "Is There Something I Should Know?". This is one of Blizzard's many humorous additions to the game.

Duran's name contains the letters that make up "I am Adun", along with the letters s, r and r. His name is also similar to that of Doran Routhe.

Duran seems to be the Zerg equivalent to General Edmund Duke. He was from Alpha Squadron (or so he claimed to be), which was commanded by General Duke. While Arcturus Mengsk (the former leader of the Sons of Korhal) ruled the Terran Dominion as an Emperor with Duke by his side, Sarah Kerrigan (another former leader of the Sons of Korhal) ruled the Zerg Swarm as a Queen with Duran by her side.