StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils

''This article describes the novel. See also Heaven's Devils for other uses of the term.''

StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils is a StarCraft novel written by William C. Dietz. The hardcover version was published April 2010; a softcover will be published December 2010.

Description
For the poor, hardworking citizens of the Confederacy's fringe worlds, the Guild Wars have exacted a huge toll. Swayed by the promise of financial rewards, a new batch of recruits joins the fight alongside a slew of mysteriously docile criminals &mdash; and a few dubious military leaders. Eighteen-year-old Jim Raynor, full of testosterone and eager to make things right at home, ships off to boot camp and finds his footing on the battlefield, but he soon discovers that the official mission is not what he's really fighting for.

For the first time ever, StarCraft enthusiasts will learn the origins of the enduring friendship between the young upstart Jim Raynor and the streetwise soldier Tychus Findlay. Watch as they battle on the front lines of a fierce interplanetary war and bear witness to the Confederacy's rank corruption &mdash; corruption so reprehensible that it rains immeasurable death and destruction upon the government's own people.

Summary
By 2488 the economic effects of the Guild Wars had reached Terran Confederacy citizens. For this reason, demolition drivers Jim Raynor and local bully Hank Harnack were lined up for fuel, now in short supply on their home colony of Shiloh. A fight broke out between them, with Raynor coming out the winner. Meanwhile, Raynor discussed joining the military with friend Tom Omer, who intended on enlisting.

At home, Raynor met a recruiting sergeant, who aggressively tried to recruit him... and it succeeded. Raynor joined the Confederate Marine Corps along with Omer and Harnack. Raynor and Harnack continued their rivalry, exchanging the occasional beating.

The recruits were taken to the warzone planet of Turaxis II for training. On the troopship, hundreds of convicts (also intended to become marines) broke out, and Harnack couldn't resist provoking them. Raynor rescued him, earning his grudging respect and friendship. Descending to the surface via dropship, they were shot down by Kel-Morian ships, killing their pilot and serious wounding another recruit. Raynor swiftly took a leadership role, taking care of their wounded comrade and arranging for the recruits to hide from the Kel-Morians until they could be rescued by Confederate marines.

As a result, Raynor became a "sergeant" amongst the recruits. Harnack fell under his "command", along with a sniper recruit named Ryk Kydd (actually Ark Bennet, a shanghaied scion of the Old Families). On the day before graduation the trio of recruits went to a bar to hang out and get drunk. Spotting the ex-convicts they had fought with before, they were surprised by their polite behavior. The trio got caught in a bar brawl and tried to make their escape by stealing a vulture. They were pursued by the military police. Raynor had no experience driving it and had drank quite a lot, leading him to crash the vulture into a police station. They had to spend the night in a drunk tank.

The trio were taken to Fort Howe by truck, and met Max Zander along the way. However, they were stopped at Firebase Zulu by Kel-Morian air strikes. The Kel-Morians had pushed their way out of the contested zone, and the new marines couldn't make it to Zulu due to the combat, plus the military police cutting off traffic. Raynor noted the danger and took charge again. He told Harnack, Kydd and Zander to find a safe path to Zulu. While Kydd and Zander set up a sniper post, Raynor led the other new marines in taking on Kel-Morian APCs. The assault was successful, but Tom Omer was badly wounded.

For his heroic actions, Raynor was promptly promoted to lance corporal.

The Fall of Findlay
Staff Sergeant Tychus Findlay was a marine based at Prosser's Well, Raydin III. He used his position to make money, such as arranging a deal to steal recently-captured Kel-Morian treasure before the Confederate military could probably account for it.

Findlay was the second-in-command of Captain Jack Larimer's Tactical Response Squad, which the captain frequently volunteered for dangerous missions, such as dressing up as Kel-Morian outriders and attacking dissidents. Before he could collect his criminal earnings, Findlay's team was caught in a very poor position by the dissidents. Larimer refused to call off the attack, prompting Findlay to beat him unconscious.

For this crime, Findlay was demoted to private and thrown into a military prison for three months. While there, he drew the ire of a prison guard named Sergeant Bellamy. Findlay arranged not only for his death, but for another prisoner to take the blame.

The Truck Job
Newly-released inmate Tychus Findlay reported to Fort Howe, seeking equipment. An overly-polite clerk directed him to Supply Depot 7. However, there he was told to come back later. When Private Findlay threatened the supply soldier, one Lance Corporal Jim Raynor, the latter refused to be intimidated. Findlay tried to beat Raynor, only to be ambushed by a shotgun-wielding Hank Harnack. Findlay plotted revenge.

Lieutenant Colonel Vanderspool summoned Findlay to his office. He promoted him to sergeant (due to recent losses), but also threatened Findlay with unusual punishment if he stepped out of line. The newly-promoted sergeant was put in charge of Raynor. Findlay intended to take advantage of his good fortune immediately. While he threw around threats at Raynor, Kydd, Harnack, Zander and Connor Ward, the base came under attack by Kel-Morian Combine forces. Raynor suggested defending the armory and Findlay agreed.

The armory was being looted by Confederate marines and its contents were taken to a pair of trucks being driven by civilians. Findlay's squad took control of the trucks and drove them away. Only then did Raynor realized that Findlay was stealing the truck. The squad decided to return one truck and claim to have "lost" the other one, giving Findlay time to sell the proceeds.

Vanderspool was promoted to full colonel. However, working with a Kel-Morian overseer, he had intended to sell the trucks' contents and was upset that the attack had been so large.

In his new position, Vanderspool created a Special Tactics and Mission Platoon, reliant on experimental CMC-230 "Thunderstrike" armor, designed by Hiram Feek, capable of acting like a parachute. Lt. Marcus Quigby and Sergeant Findlay were put in charge of the platoon. Worrying that Findlay may have stolen the other truck, Vanderspool recruited a spy&mdash;crab-addicted medic Petty Officer Lisa Cassidy. Findlay and the others managed to sell the loot without Vanderspool or Cassidy's knowledge. Meanwhile, Cassidy struck a romantic relation with Findlay and embarrassed Quigby into leaving the platoon, while Raynor learned that Tom Omer had finally succumbed to his injuries.

The squad's sudden influx of money didn't go entirely unnoticed. Max Zander used his share to buy food, which he gave away to refugees. He took Ward and Feek with him as security. Bandits led by Silas Trask captured Zander and Ward, but Feek escaped to warn the rest of the squad. As they discussed the matter, Cassidy realized where they had gotten the money from. Meanwhile the squad rescued their imprisoned teammates and wiped out Trask's gang. Cassidy told Vanderspool about the loot, but Vanderspool couldn't immediately retaliate, as he still needed the STM platoon. Cassidy would continue to betray the squad over the course of the war in exchange for drugs.

A Legend is Born
Colonel Vanderspool plotted an attack against Kel-Morian Internment Camp-36, which held hundreds of Confederate prisoners of war. He relied on Captain Claire Hobarth, a dropship pilot who had been held prisoner there for months for intelligence. Hobarth commented on the camp's commander, Hanz Brucker "the Butcher", as well as the base's security.

Vanderspool intended to drop STM platoon members on the base's defenses, free the prisoners, and take them to safety. The platoon was trained at "Camp Crash" in order to hone their skills. While there, Findlay captured a "spy" who turned out to be UNN reporter Mas Speer. The embedded reporter would continue to follow the platoon's exploits and draw Findlay's ire.

Raynor proposed a plan to Findlay to take to Vanderspool. The P.O.W.s would be slow and ill, and would need warning about the impending rescue. He would pose as an escaped Kel-Morian prisoner and deliver the message. Vanderspool approved of the plan, and gave Petty Officer Cassidy secret orders. Raynor jumped a day early and was taken into the camp. He quickly drew Brucker's suspicion but was able to warn the prisoners before he was arrested. Brucker had him tortured and asked him questions about the impending rescue as well as neural resocialization, which Raynor knew little about. Raynor made friends with another prisoner, Cole Hickson, who taught him how to resist the torture. The two were publicly displayed to the other prisoners in order to intimidate them.

Raynor and Hickson were in that position when Tychus Findlay led the platoon to the rescue. During the battle, Brucker was captured but Cassidy, following Vanderspool's orders, injected him with a drug which mimicked a heart attack, as well as telling him he shouldn't have sent extra troops to steal Vanderspool's trucks.

The plan went awry. The dropships intended to rescue the prisoners were driven off by Kel-Morian attacks. Raynor proposed stealing Kel-Morian vehicles and using them to transport the former prisoners into the disputed zone, then wait for Confederate reinforcements. Raynor would lead the way in a vulture. However, even this plan had problems, namely an attack by Kel-Morian vehicle troops. A pitched battle was fought until Confederate reinforcements had arrived. Unfortunately, half the STM platoon had been wiped out. Nonetheless, Mas Speer and Claire Hobarth portrayed the rescue of the prisoners as a great victory. From this mission, the platoon earned the nickname Heaven's Devils. Findlay's squad got tattoos to commemorate the victory. Meanwhile, Ryk Kydd came to terms with his new identity, avoiding efforts from his father to rejoin his family... and the Thunderstrike armor was canceled due to performance issues.

The Legend Continues
Colonel Vanderspool intended on assaulting Polk's Pride, a canal city divided between the Kel-Morian Combine and Terran Confederacy. The northern half was controlled by the Combine and was home to a strategic resources repository used by Kel-Morian factories. It was separated from the south by the Paddick River.

Two previous attempts to take the repository had failed, with Confederate troops being unable to even cross the river. Vanderspool had a plan, however. He would use neurally resocialized troops under the command of Master Sergeant Rockwell as well as the Heaven's Devils platoon, now led by Lieutenant Samantha Sanchez.

Confederate goliaths set up a narrow pontoon bridge, which the Heaven's Devils and neurally resocialized troops used to cross into the north of the city. A ferocious battle erupted, in which the resocialized troops frequently distracted the Kel-Morians (by getting themselves killed) while the Heaven's Devils used more clever strategies. During a flank attempt against a barricade guarded by Kel-Morian armored sloths, a sniper killed Sanchez. An angry Kydd, who had fallen in love with her, took his revenge.

The Heaven's Devils came closer to their objective when they encountered Master Sergeant Rockwell. He threw away a platoon of marines and then insulted them, prompting Raynor to punch him. Rockwell threatened him with charges. Meanwhile the Confederates defeated the final Kel-Morian defenses. Vanderspool arrived to claim credit for the victory, while Mas Speer began recording the victory for posterity. He even took a famous picture of Findlay's squad.

Outlaws: Vanderspool's Revenge
Jim Raynor served a month for striking Rockwell, and was demoted to private. While there, Hiram Feek visited him with ominous news&mdash;Colonel Vanderspool had sabotaged their armor to shut down at his command, although Feek reversed this.

Meanwhile Ryk Kydd took Max Zander to an expensive restaurant. While there, they observed Colonel Vanderspool, a man they didn't recognize and Errol Bennet... Kydd's father. The trio discussed a plot to steal ardeon crystals from a train at the Kel-Morian-controlled town of Korsy, then split the proceeds. The Heaven's Devils would be wiped out in order to cover up the crime. Vanderspool tried to offer Bennet his son back, in return for half of his share, but Bennet disowned him.

Zander and Kydd informed Tychus Findlay of their predicament. Findlay decided to get revenge by stealing the loot for themselves. Unfortunately, Lisa Cassidy was there, and took the information to Vanderspool.

Vanderspool's forces consisted of a platoon of neurally resocialized marines led by Lieutenant Fitz as well as the STM platoon. They landed at the starport, where Vanderspool killed the Kel-Morian overseer and took his security officer hostage, using him as a guide.

Findlay, having informed the rest of the platoon of the plans, was ordered to sweep the town before reuniting with Vanderspool's forces at the train station. Findlay took the opportunity to take control of the dropship which had taken them there, so they had an escape route.

At the station, the STM platoon was ordered in front (where the resocialized troops could easily execute them). The train arrived, but the Kel-Morian conspirator, Overseer Aaron Pax, double-crossed Vanderspool (not believing the story of the stolen trucks). His rippers engaged the Confederates, gaining an initial advantage. Private Hank Harnack used his flamethrower to great effect, driving the rippers away. However, the train escaped, driving Vanderspool into a rage.

Vanderspool tried to shut down the Heaven's Devils' suits, but this failed due to Feek's efforts. However, due to Cassidy's warning, he had another plan; taking Cassidy hostage and ordering Fitz's troops to kill them. However, Harnack's flamethrower skills enabled the Devils to escape, even temporarily sealing the other Confederate troops inside the station with help from Kel-Morian vehicles which the platoon had stolen. The STM platoon fled to the starport. However, they were stopped by Kel-Morian sloths and unarmored troops. During the battle, Connor Ward destroyed a sloth but was himself killed. Max Zander tried to rescue a Confederate civilian, but Vanderspool's troops had arrived at the scene. Vanderspool personally killed Zander with his sidearm.

At the starport, Kel-Morian artillery caused a fuel leak. As sloths attacked the dropships, Hank Harnack attacked one, causing a tremendous conflagration, destroying the sloth but also killing himself.

Vanderspool and Cassidy arrived at the starport in a truck... but they had been captured by Overseer Pax. Ryk Kydd used his sniping skills to kill Pax and wound Vanderspool. During the battle against the rippers, Cassidy was killed in the crossfire, but the Kel-Morians were defeated. Jim Raynor took his revenge on Vanderspool by shooting him to death. Findlay and Raynor fled the scene in the dropship, leaving the Confederate military for good.

Main Characters

 * Tychus Findlay
 * Jim Raynor

Supporting Characters

 * Lisa Cassidy
 * Hiram Feek
 * Hank Harnack
 * Ryk Kydd
 * Javier Vanderspool
 * Connor Ward
 * Max Zander

Minor Characters

 * Main article: Minor characters

Collector's Edition
This title also had a limited number (5000) of signed and numbered copies released by PremiereCollectibles. Each copy of the book is autographed by William C. Dietz, and comes in a Limited Edition Leather Gift Box. The special edition became available the week of April 6th, 2010.

Features
In addition to the story itself, Heaven's Devils features a thirteen page StarCraft timeline covering events from 1500 to 2504 and references to other products in the series. Full-colored artwork is also featured in the front pages.

Discrepancies
The timeline featured in the novel contains the following possible discrepancies with older, generally less clear sources:


 * According to the novel's timeline, Tychus Findlay was born in 2464. However, his StarCraft II statue page lists his D.O.B. as being four years later.


 * According to the novel's timeline, the Kel-Morian Combine was formed in 2485. However, other sources depict its formation long before, including that of 2376.


 * According to the novel's timeline, Arcturus Mengsk carried out an "overhaul" of the Ghost Program in 2500. According to StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters however, this occurred much later (c. 2502).


 * According to the novel's timeline, the events of The Dark Templar Saga and StarCraft: Ghost/StarCraft: Spectres occur three years after the Brood War (2503 by its reckoning). However, according to statements by Chris Metzen and Blizzard Entertainment, both the Dark Templar Saga and Ghost occur four years after the Brood War.

Excerpts

 * Heaven's Devils: Chapter One Excerpt. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2010-04-13.
 * Heaven's Devils: Chapter Two Excerpt. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2010-04-18.
 * Heaven's Devils: Chapter Three Excerpt. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2010-04-23.
 * Heaven's Devils: Chapter Six Excerpt. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2010-05-02.
 * Heaven's Devils Free Download. Simon & Schuster. Accessed 2009-08-29. (Requires registration.) Gives access to part of chapter 12.