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."

- Duran discusses Zeratul's discoveries on a dark moon.

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
Samir Duran claimed to be thirty-three years old during the Brood War. Duran 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.

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

Admiral DuGalle used the information gained from Braxis to gain valuable tactical insights into Dominion resources and defenses. His next target was the Dylarian Shipyards in orbit over Dylar IV. He planned on stealing a large number of battlecruisers in dry-dock; Duran warned him that the Dominion could reinforce its outlying bases (such as Dylar IV) within sixteen hours.

Dominion General Edmund Duke led the Terran Dominion counterattack against the UED forces, but was defeated.

Admiral DuGalle took 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 Zerg communications, suggested 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 believed its anti-Zerg abilities would greatly assist the UED in defeating the Zerg. DuGalle agreed with Duran. Since Duran showed such concern for the device's inherit danger, DuGalle ordered him to personally descend to the surface of Tarsonis to reach and destroy the Psi Disrupter with a small task force while the main UED fleet traveled to Korhal. Duran believed that destroying the Hives would render the Zerg dormant; using this strategy, he was able to defeated the Zerg which had clustered around the Disrupter. He approached the Disrupter, intending to destroy it with explosives, but he ran into resistance from Stukov's Ghosts. They said they would facilitate the Disruptor's disassembly. Duran did not challenge them.

Upon arriving at Korhal, the Dominion throne world, Duran took part in the war council. He suggested destroying a 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
The UED fleet defeated Mengsk, but Jim Raynor (an old enemy of Mengsk's) suddenly appeared and rescued him. Raynor and Mengsk traveled to Aiur, where they were defended by a large Protoss base which included a Warp Gate. Making matters worse for the UED fleet, which had pursued them, were the large numbers of Zerg present. The Zerg appeared to be dormant, but no one knew how long that behavior would last.

A Captain of the UED fleet was ordered by DuGalle to attack the Protoss encampment while Stukov and Duran provided cover for his forces and ensured that no external threats would interfere with his mission. Before the Captain attacked, the Warp Gate was activated, inciting the Zerg to attack. The Captain's forces forced Raynor and Mengsk to flee. They fled in a Dropship directly towards the Warp Gate.

Stukov detected a wave of Zerg coming in from the northeast, but Duran had moved his forces out of place, allowing a wave if Zerg free access to the battlefield. 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 interfered with the UED operation, allowing Mengsk and Raynor to escape. The Warp Gate then self-destructed. Stukov told the Captain that he must leave, as he has personal business. He didn't explain his actions to the Captain, DuGalle, or Duran.

Tracking Stukov to Braxis, DuGalle and Duran became aware of a new development ... the Psi Disrupter had been reconstructed. Duran told DuGalle that Stukov has betrayed him, and that he had reconstructed the Disrupter in order to sabotage DuGalle's mission in the Koprulu Sector. DuGalle said he couldn't believe it, but "the evidence is incontrovertible". He ordered Duran to enter the Disrupter and deal with the "traitor".

Duran led a number of Marines into the Disrupter, defeating Stukov's Elite Guard. Finally he found Vice Admiral Stukov himself. Duran told Stukov "I am here under orders to terminate your command". "I'm not surprised," Stukov replied, "we both know exactly what it is that you're here to terminate. Get on with it." Duran then shot Stukov, using a different weapon from his C-10 Canister Rifle, and vanished. The dying Stukov tells DuGalle that Duran is the traitor, and that he suspects that Duran, seemingly intent on sabotaging the entire operation, 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 set the Psi Disrupter's power core to overload, and Zerg breached the outer installation walls. "This proves that Duran's working with the Zerg!" DuGalle said 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 defeated the Zerg and saved the Psi Disrupter.

Infestation
The UED used the Psi Disrupter to severely weaken the Zerg, enabling them to claim the Overmind on the planet Char. Duran showed up and introduced DuGalle to Infested Kerrigan. He made no effort to hide his infested status.

Kerrigan and Duran traveled to the abandoned world of Tarsonis in order to hide from the UED. Duran's presence was known to Jim Raynor and Fenix, two of Kerrigan's unlikely allies. Duran interrupted their conversation to inform Kerrigan that the Psi Disrupter's signal has reached them on Tarsonis and shattered the unity of her Broods.

Infested Kerrigan planned a fuel raid on Moria in order to strengthen her Swarm. Duran and Kerrigan discussed whether Raynor and Fenix suspected them of anything. Kerrigan said they must suspect something, but preferred working with Kerrigan rather than the UED.

The Swarm traveled to Korhal, along with their newest (forced) ally Arcturus Mengsk, and assaulted the UED forces there along with Fenix's Protoss, Raynor's Raiders and Mengsk's Dominion forces. After the main UED base was destroyed, Kerrigan decided to eradicate her allies. Duran suggested the strategy of attacking while her allies were resting, allowing them to whittle down their defenses with relative ease. The ploy was successful. After the destruction of Duke's and Fenix's bases, they returned to Tarsonis to rest.

Two days later, the UED, intent on forcing Kerrigan's hand, tested out their control of their pet Overmind by sending hundreds of Zerg to Tarsonis. As they began attacking their outposts, Duran informed her of the situation and rallied her forces. Kerrigan's forces secured their perimeter when Duran noticed a small UED encampment which protected a number of scientists. Kerrigan said the "scientists" were helping the UED command these Renegade Zerg at such a great distance from the Overmind; they had to be elminated. The Zerg took the fight to the UED Slave Brood Hive clusters and the scientists, destroying them.

Duran then accompanied Kerrigan to Shakuras to retrieve the Dark Templar Matriarch, Raszagal. Kerrigan did not reveal her interest in Raszagal to Duran, however. Duran informed her that the Pylon clusters are generating some sort of electromagnetic field that prevented their flyers from maneuvering. He suggested attacking the Protoss outpost of Talematros, which was fueled and supported by a number of adjacent pylon clusters, so as to cause a surge within the pylon clusters, causing Talematros' power grids to overload. The resulting explosion would be the perfect cover for retrieving Raszagal. Kerrigan agreed, calling Durans plan "Clean, simple, devious." The Cerebrate provided cover for Duran as he infiltrated the pylon clusters and ignited the charges.

Duran soon discovered that Raszagal was taken so as to get the Dark Templar Prelate, Zeratul, and his brethren kill the Overmind. After this was done, Duran informed 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), and 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 had 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 lost all her psionic links with Duran for no explained reason. Later, Zeratul discovered 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.

Zeratul has gone through the stars in his spaceship, looking for clues to try to confirm the "cosmic event" that Duran told him about. He does find these clues and gets a vision of what's coming, suggesting Duran was telling the truth. Zeratul warned Jim Raynor that the Xel'Naga will return and that the artifacts Raynor has acquired hold the key to the end of the cycle and the end of all things.

Duran's true nature is still unknown, but his knowledge of the Xel'Naga cycle and his connection to their artifacts suggests that the "greater power" that he serves are truly the Xel'Naga.

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.

During the Zerg campaign, 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

 * (Zeratul discusses the Hybrid with Duran)
 * Duran: "Magnificent isn't it?"
 * Zeratul: "What? Who are you?"
 * Duran: "I've had many names throughout the millennia, young prodigal. You would know me best as Samir Duran."
 * Zeratul: "Kerrigan's consort! Is this part of her twisted schemes?"
 * Duran: "No. Young Kerrigan could not have engineered this grand experiment. Although her rebirth into the Zerg Swarm has sped up my progress, I can assure you that this endeavor is quite beyond her narrow understanding."
 * Zeratul: "If you are not her pawn, then what are you?"
 * 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."
 * Zeratul: "Have you any conception of what you've created here? Do you have any idea what this... this Hybrid is capable of?"
 * Duran: "Of course I do. This creature is the completion of a cycle. It's role in the cosmic order was preordained when the stars were young. Behold the culmination of your history."
 * Zeratul: "All I behold is an abomination."
 * Duran: "Your violence, young prodigal, is typical. As is your inability to comprehend the greater scheme of things. You can destroy all of the specimens here. It will do you no good. For I have seeded the Hybrid on many, many worlds. You will never find them all before they awaken... And when they do... your universe will be changed... forever."

"How can I be of service?"

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

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 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 (the former 2nd in command of the Sons of Korhal) ruled the Zerg Swarm as a Queen with Duran by her side.