StarCraft: I, Mengsk

StarCraft: I, Mengsk is a StarCraft II novel which was written by Graham McNeill.

The novel is a look at three generations of the Mengsk family, including Arcturus' early life and the relationship between his father and his son. It explores whether a man's destiny is his own and how it's shaped by earlier generations. Valerian will come of age and meet his father for the first time in I, Mengsk.

The timeframe of I, Mengsk covers Arcturus' youth on Korhal to the years following the end of the Brood War. The novel is divided into a section for Angus, Arcturus, and Valerian although there is a degree of overlap.

Back of Book Description
Sixty-thousand light-years from Earth, the corrupt Terran Confederacy holds the Koprulu Sector tightly in its tyrannical grip, controlling every aspect of its citizens' lives. One man dares to stand up to this faceless empire and vows to bring it to its knees: Arcturus Mengsk -- genius propagandist, tactician, and freedom fighter.

A monstrous act of bloody violence sows the seeds of rebellion in Arcturus, but he is not the first Mengsk to rail against such oppression. Before Arcturus grew to manhood, his father, Angus Mengsk, also defied the Confederacy and sought to end its brutal reign.

The destiny of the Mengsk family has long been tied to that of the Confederacy and the Koprulu Sector, but as a new empire rises from the ashes of the past and alien invaders threaten the very existence of humanity, what will the future hold for the next generation...?

Prologue
Arcturus Mengsk and his son, Valerian, discussed Arcturus' life story at the funeral of Valerian's mother.

Angus
A black-cloaked figure broke into the Mengsk Dynasty's summer home, south of Styrling, Korhal. He was caught by the head of security, Achton Feld, who asked the figure why he was breaking into his own house. Feld expressed disappointment that the interloper – seventeen-year old Arcturus Mengsk – wasn't aware of the visit of the Umojan ambassador, Ailin Pasteur and his teenage daughter, Juliana. His interrogation of Arcturus Mengsk was interrupted by a "corporate death squad" which had broken into the house as well, carrying out an assassination mission. During the gunfight, Feld was injured. One of the attackers targeted Arcturus, who was rescued by his mother, Katherine. She had taken Feld's gun.

The attackers turned out to be disguised neurally resocialized marines. Angus Mengsk, a senator of Korhal, was angered by this attack on his family, as was Pasteur, who offered to support Angus' political initiative – a freedom fighter movement against the Terran Confederacy. Arcturus overhead part of the conversation and was upset that what his father planned would kill people, but swore not to tell anyone about it. Angus Mengsk and his son didn't get along or understand each other well; Angus believed that Arcturus wasn't yet ready to become a man, and should eventually follow in his father's footsteps. Arcturus was more interested in becoming a prospector, an occupation Angus felt was beneath their family's dignity.

Arcturus Mengsk went back to school at the Styrling Academy, which didn't challenge him academically. He continued his feud with the principal, Isaac Steegman. While there, the Confederate Marine Corps sent a team of recruiters led by Captain Angelina Emillian of the 33rd Ground Assault Division to enlist students. Emillian had read Arcturus' personal file (an illegal act by her own admission) and tried to persuade him to join. She told him only about half of marine recruits ever see combat, and he could learn much about prospecting there.

At Arcturus' graduation party, class of 2478, he exposed Steegman's various frauds, leading to the principal's arrest. After the party, he reconnected with Juliana Pasteur.

Meanwhile, Angus Mengsk continued his political attacks on the Confederacy. He gave an anti-Confederate speech at the senate's Close of Session event. Arcturus Mengsk, meanwhile, signed up with the Confederate Marine Corps that very morning, a gesture unappreciated by his family. He left without saying goodbye.

Mengsk Dynasty

 * Angus Mengsk
 * Arcturus Mengsk
 * Valerian Mengsk
 * Dorothy Mengsk
 * Katherine Mengsk

Other Characters

 * Angelina Emillian
 * Ailin Pasteur
 * Juliana Pasteur

Trivia
The insignia of the Mengsk Dynasty will feature prominently.

The title of the novel may be based on I, Claudius, a novel starring Claudius, Emperor of Rome. (Arcturus Mengsk named himself Emperor of the Dominion.)