StarCraft: Ghost: Spectres

StarCraft: Ghost: Spectres is the title of a StarCraft: Ghost novel. It will be published 27 September, 2011.

Description
Dominion ghosts epitomize the height of terran evolution and physical conditioning. Augmented by technologies that harness their innate psionic potential, these lethal operatives use telepathy and other superhuman powers to isolate and destroy the enemies of the Dominion. But when the hunters become the hunted and ghosts start disappearing without a trace, even the most dangerous human soldiers in the Koprulu sector have something to fear...

Enter Nova Terra, a ghost of unparalleled ability. On orders from Emperor Arcturus Mengsk, Nova embarks on a secret mission to find her missing comrades. As her investigation leads down a maze of dark corridors, painful memories of her pre-ghost years begin to surface. Soon, Nova learns that there might be a connection between the missing agents and her past, a discovery that will pit her against both the shadows of her youth and a terrifying new breed of psionic warrior: spectres.

'This is the story that StarCraft fans have been waiting for—a pulse-pounding adventure based on the never-released StarCraft: Ghost'' tactical-action console game. StarCraft: Ghost—Spectres unveils a tumultuous chapter in Nova's life and the insidious origins of the spectres featured in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the record-breaking sequel to Blizzard Entertainment's highly praised real-time strategy games StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War.'''

Plot
The novel will novelize many elements of StarCraft: Ghost’s plot, such as the backstory of the spectre and the nature of terrazine and its usage. Spectres is a novelization of what the game would have been. Spectres will also tie into the prequel, StarCraft: Ghost: Nova, the graphic novel series StarCraft: Ghost Academy and the game StarCraft II.

The first chapter of the Keith R. A. DeCandido-written version involved Nova in a large battle against the zerg, a scene that DeCandido carried out "detailed research" for.

Nate Kenyon, a horror writer, intends for this novel to be particularly "dark", and believes this is one reason Pocket Books chose him to write it.

Gabriel Tosh's story will be told within the novel, how he ceased to be a Mengsk idealist to a rebel against the man he once admired.

Development
Keith R. A. DeCandido finished a manuscript as of July 2009. However he was later removed from the project.

Nate Kenyon was instead selected to write the novel as a Pocket Books editor was impressed with his sci-fi novella, Prime. Kenyon mentioned that he had "just started" writing it in May 2010. With the cancellation of the Ghost Academy series, Kenyon was given the plot details of the missing three volumes so that Spectres could remain consistent with canon.

The novel's release date has been delayed numerous times, the first summary coming out as early as 2009. However, the general plot has always remained the same in regards to plot summaries.

Characters

 * Godard
 * Malcolm Kelerchian
 * Arcturus Mengsk
 * Nova Terra
 * Kath Toom
 * Gabriel Tosh
 * Ward

Excerpts

 * StarCraft: Ghost: Spectres (Starcraft (Unnumbered)) (Mass Market Paperback). Amazon. Accessed 2011-09-25. (Parts of prologue and chapter 1 available)
 * 2011-09-20. Starcraft: Ghost -- Spectres Teaser #1. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2011-09-24.
 * 2011-09-22. Starcraft: Ghost -- Spectres Teaser #2. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2011-09-24.