Mar Sara

"Mar Sara: Shake and Bake Colony"

- A welcoming billboard on Mar Sara.

Mar Sara is a planet located in the Sara System.

Early History
In antiquity, the xel'naga set foot on Mar Sara. Some of their relics still remain.

In the 25th century, the Sara System was cataloged by terran prospectors and, several years later, colonized by an expedition from Tarsonis along with its sister planet Chau Sara. Mar Sara became the eighth Confederate core colony world. The colony was smaller than that of Chau Sara as well as less prosperous.

Mar Sara's populace consisted of a mix of former prospectors and soldiers, along with a couple of religious types who didn't agree with the Confederacy's tolerance for other faiths.

The Beginning of the End
"The Confederacy has quarantined this entire planet, and we'll proceed with the lock-down within 48 hours. You're to relocate your core colonists to the outlying wastelands."

- Alpha Squadron commander Edmund Duke to the Colonial Magistrate

After the protoss destruction of the Chau Sara colony, the protoss fleet approached Mar Sara. The Confederacy launched a clumsy counter attack as its executor, the high templar Tassadar, commanded his ships to pull away and withdraw, for he couldn't bring himself to destroy Mar Sara or the fleet that had come to protect it. At the same time, the Confederacy sent a new Colonial Magistrate to safeguard the colonists and keep their state of panic from escalating any further.

Sons of Korhal leader Arcturus Mengsk claimed that the Confederacy used psi emitter technology to lure the zerg to isolated containment areas such as Mar Sara. This would mean the inhabitants were subjects of a Confederate weapons test in an effort to put an end to their rivals, the Mar Sara Colonial Militia, or to improve the Confederates' standing with the populace (by showing them "valiantly" fighting off a pocket plague). However, Sons of Korhal agent Merdith Jernic claimed that she stole and activated a psi emitter in order to attack or denigrate the Confederacy.

The Confederacy quarantined the entire planet and sent Edmund Duke to proceed with a lock-down within 48 hours. The core colonists were relocated to the outlying wastelands, escorted by the local marshal, James Raynor. Soon, Backwater Station was attacked by unknown alien organisms. Instead of waiting for Confederate reinforcements, Raynor headed out with the militia and saved the station. Duke arrived with his Alpha Squadron and arrested Raynor and his men for destroying an infested Confederate command center.

Confederate/Sons of Korhal Conflict
Soon, sixteen outland stations reported sightings of the alien invaders identified as zerg. The Confederates arrested all standing militia forces and continued to avoid action against the zerg. Three stations fell to the zerg before Mengsk offered to send down a number of transports to the Mar Sara Colony and evacuate any survivors. The Magistrate accepted his help, fending off the zerg attack on the Evacuation Zone. In truth, the Sons didn't believe they could evacuate the city in time, and made the offer for the propaganda value. However, the 417th Confederate Marine Platoon was involved in a mission which would unexpectedly buy the Sons the time they needed. The platoon was seeking the psi-emitter which Sons of Korhal-affiliated engineer (and minor psychic) Merdith Jernic had activated. They arrested her, but the Confederacy attempted to destroy them with a nuke. Upon discovering the truth, the remnants of the platoon used the emitter to lure the zerg to their position, keeping the majority of the airborne zerg away from Mar Sara City by sacrificing themselves. The Mar Sara Colonial Militia was thus able to defend the city long enough for the Sons of Korhal transports to arrive.

At the same time, the Sons of Korhal sprung the Mar Sara Colonial Militia, including Raynor, from the Confederate prison ship. Edmund Duke refused to fire on the fleeing civilians. Raynor and the former Magistrate became commanders in the Sons of Korhal (with Raynor receiving the rank of captain).

The End
Three hours after colonial evacuation, Mar Sara was almost completely overrun by the zerg. Both the Confederates and the Sons of Korhal were abandoning the planet. Before leaving, Raynor and a group of his men raided the Jacobs Installation, accessed the Confederate network, and retrieved data discs.

In the wake of the chaos resulting from the zerg invasion, the Sons of Korhal escaped with the stolen data discs. Thirteen hours after the evacuation of Mar Sara, protoss warships took up orbit around the colony and unleashed a massive planetary bombardment. All life upon the surface was extinguished.

The Return
After Mar Sara's incineration by the protoss, the Sara system seemed to have little left to offer the terran race. The subsequent collapse of the Confederacy left the system entirely abandoned. Nevertheless, prospectors from the Kel-Morian Combine found that minerals on Mar Sara had acquired unique properties due to the protoss bombardment. Shortly thereafter, the Kel-Morian Combine staked a claim to mining and salvage rights over the Sara system in 2502. Independent and indentured contractors soon began strip-mining both planets of their resources. Due to the influx of miners with too much spare time on their hands, numerous shanty towns have sprung up with little enforcement of law.

Many of the original colonists returned in order to terraform the planet. Burrowed dens of zerg continued to be found years after the purification, allowing for the Annual Hydralisk Derby to occur. The zerg may have reinfested the desolate world some time after the protoss bombardment.

Dominion Activity
The Terran Dominion also showed a renewed interest in the Sara system and established several outposts there. According to the Kel-Morian Combine, these outposts were established at the Combine's invitation due to security issues with piracy and mining camp revolts. The Dominion restricted access to these sites, sometimes turning them into dead spots and putting information on them under level Black censoring. One of these sites was raided by renegade Thor pilot Sandin Forst.

Terrazine Conflict
The Terran Dominion established a secret terrazine refinery on Mar Sara. To disguise its true function, it was designated "Vespene" Refinery 1138.

In 2503, the refinery came under zerg attack. A Dominion Marine Corps force accompanied by a black ops team (including a ghost named Nova) was sent to investigate, engaging in battle with the zerg.

During the conflict, two opposing terran factions waged an important battle in the barrens of Mar Sara. The resources of both sides were all but depleted, and a single unclaimed mobile factory stood to turn the tide.

Dominion Takeover
In 2504, the Terran Dominion annexed Mar Sara, and its Repopulation Commission began a public relations campaign to boost local support. However, its heavy-handed military tactics upset the locals, creating a fear of an uprising.

The Dominion discovered a buried alien artifact at White Rock. Engineers, supplemented by local labor from Backwater Station, spent many months prior to the outbreak of the Second Great War excavating it. As Raynor's Raiders incited a planet wide revolt by destroying the Logistics headquarters at Backwater Station, the Dominion was preparing to ship the artifact out.

Tychus Findlay informed Raynor of the artifact, and offered to help sell it and any others the Raiders could find to an |anonymous buyer. Raynor's marines stole the artifact straight from the dig site. In the meantime, news of the unrest on Mar Sara began tricking through to the Dominion public.

A large zerg landed at the abandoned dig site and began attacking civilians and Raynor's Raiders as well. They held out long enough to be extracted by Matt Horner on Raynor's ship, the Hyperion. The attack coincided with zerg attacks on other fringe worlds, personally led by the Queen of Blades.

Geography
Although Mar Sara was mainly covered by hard-baked mud and scrub, irrigation techniques such as waterfarms enabled agriculture to develop and there was significant potential for mineral exploitation. The planet's sky is a dusty orange and it has two moons. At night, sandstorms often sweep across the planet's surface. Canyons can be viewed on the planet's landscape.

In ancient times, it is likely that a significant portion, if not all of Mar Sara's surface was covered in iron-rich oceans. By the time of terran settlement however, these oceans had mostly receded, leaving behind a rust ingrained surface, courtesy of oxidation (similar in principle to the ancient oceans of Earth and Mars). A significant portion of the planet was still covered in water however, the planet possessing oceans and a main continent in distinction. Due to the spread of zerg creep and the protoss bombardment, these oceans appear to have been vaporized.

Establishments

 * Grand Hotel
 * Joeyray's Bar

Installations

 * Dominion Shipment Center
 * Mar Sara Marshal's Office
 * Mar Sara Starport
 * Vespene Refinery 1138 (actually a terrazine refinery)
 * Vespene Refinery 1138 (actually a terrazine refinery)

Landforms

 * Basin
 * Dust Bowl
 * Mount Jacobs
 * Stonewall Peaks
 * Molly's Nipple
 * Turtle Island

Military Bases

 * Backwater Station
 * Blue Base
 * Bunker Complex 3847
 * Camp McIntyre
 * Fire Base Chimera
 * Jacobs Installation
 * Mar Sara Base
 * Red Base
 * White Rock Base

Regions

 * Blistering Sands
 * Diamondback Wastelands
 * Hinterland
 * Out Country
 * Quicksand
 * Salvage Survey 3R-122V
 * Salvage Survey 11-4A
 * Salvage Survey 11-4C
 * Wasteland

Settlements

 * Anthem Base
 * Mar Sara City
 * Oasis Station
 * Riksville