Aldaris

"En Taro Adun, Executor. I am Judicator Aldaris, and I have been sent by the Conclave to serve and counsel you."

- Judicator Aldaris

Aldaris was a Khalai protoss of the Judicator Caste. He was a firm believer in the Khala and did not hesitate to judge others through a strict interpretation of its tenets. Later he would ally with the Dark Templar out of necessity but the lack of trust would ultimately play into the hands of Sarah Kerrigan.

Early Service
Aldaris was a judicator of renown prior to the outbreak of the Great War. According to the Daelaam archives, mercenaries captured Praetor Fenix with the purpose of using him to assassinate Aldaris. However, the plan backfired, and Fenix slew them all one by one.

Advisor to Executors
"The former Executor, Tassadar, was commanded to halt the Zerg progress in the Terran sector by burning the infested human worlds. Unfortunately, he disregarded his orders and attempted to destroy the Zerg while sparing the Terrans from the flame. Clearly, Tassadar has failed us. You must not."

- Aldaris to Executor Artanis

By 2499, Aldaris was the Judicator advisor to Executor Tassadar of the Koprulu Expeditionary Force, which he did via holographic communication. Aldaris judged Tassadar's effort to stem the spread of the zerg amongst the terran worlds to have failed. When Tassadar refused the call to return to Aiur and disappeared, Aldaris was reassigned to advise Artanis, the newly appointed replacement executor in the wake of the zerg invasion of the protoss homeworld.

Aldaris directed Artanis to Antioch. Linking up with the defenders led by Praetor Fenix they secured the province from the immediate zerg threat. As Aldaris was conferring with Artanis and Fenix in the aftermath of the successful defense, Tassadar unexpectedly interrupted remotely from Char to reveal some of his travails. Aldaris was furious that Tassadar was consorting with the Dark Templar and his continued refusal to return. Aldaris also did not trust Tassadar's advice to attack the cerebrates and only assented reluctantly. Consequently the subsequent failed strike on the cerebrate destroyed Aldaris' faith in Tassadar. The Conclave agreed with Aldaris' assessment that Tassadar was no longer trustworthy and very possibly a heretic as well. Resuming his advisory role Aldaris directed Artanis to Scion. While the zerg hive cluster at Scion was destroyed the Fenix-led garrison left at Antioch was attacked by overwhelming force in their absence. Aldaris could only counsel a desperate Fenix to "hold [his] position for as long as possible." Antioch was subsequently overrun by the zerg.

According to Talandar's memories, some time prior to Fenix´s defeat during the Second Battle of Antioch, Aldaris sent Fenix to Glacius, where a secret Khalai Caste facility was researching the Purifiers. The Conclave created a purifier prototype and began to study it to see is the ancient Purifier program could be revived or not.

Amongst Heretics
"Ah, Tassadar, have you fallen so far? To think that you were our brightest hope; our most beloved son. Now you are everything that we are not. You are lost to us. Not only have you damned yourself, but you have damned those who have followed you." "Such is the price for our race's salvation, Judicator!"

- Aldaris and Tassadar

The Conclave believed the war with the zerg was in hand and dispatched Artanis and Aldaris to arrest Tassadar for treason. They tracked Tassadar to Char Aleph. Aldaris warned the executor that he sensed a "lingering darkness" even though the zerg had supposedly abandoned Char for Aiur. Artanis voiced his disbelief that Tassadar had betrayed the Khalai, but Aldaris assured him that the Tassadar that Artanis had once known was gone. Both protoss descended to the surface of Char with an entourage of warriors, finding Tassadar and his followers, along with the terran Jim Raynor. While Tassadar was willing to face the Conclave's judgement he insisted that first the Dark Templar be located. Aldaris would have none of it. To consort with the Dark Templar was heresy and madness. However, Artanis sided with Tassadar on the matter.

With events quickly receding from his control, Aldaris made a final appeal to Artanis. However, the executor refused Aldaris' offer of clemency in return for compliance. Aldaris admonished Tassadar for not only damning himself but all of his followers, but the former executor was not to be swayed. Tassadar would not place dogma above the well being of Aiur. Tassadar's explanation that only the Dark Templar could permanently slay cerebrates did not placate Aldaris, who could do no more than hint at future consequences when they returned to Aiur. The protoss prepared to return to Aiur, and Aldaris made one last demand that Artanis cease his actions, and that the Conclave would destroy him for his disobedience. Artanis refused, and ordered a course be set for Aiur. He had no doubt that the Conclave would see reason.

The Fall
"Are you truly so blinded by your vaunted religion, that you can't see the fall ahead of you? Your Conclave believes that they are winning this war, but all they've succeeded in doing is helping the Overmind to win." "What could you possibly know about our designs, blasphemer?" "You speak of knowledge, Judicator? You speak of experience? I have journeyed through the darkness between the most distant stars. I have beheld the births of negative-suns and borne witness to the entropy of entire realities... Unto my experience, Aldaris, all that you've built here on Aiur is but a fleeting dream. A dream from which your precious Conclave shall awaken, finding themselves drowned in a greater nightmare."

- Aldaris and Dark Prelate Zeratul

Upon returning to Aiur, Conclave continued to speak to the rebels through Aldaris. Aldaris accepted Tassadar's surrender after the aborted rebel attack on the Conclave and later bantered with Dark Prelate Zeratul when the Dark Templar forced the release of Tassadar.

The subsequent success of the rebels efforts against the zerg, vindicating Tassadar's beliefs, caused the Conclave to send Aldaris with an apology. The Overmind was destroyed thanks to Tassadar's sacrifice, but the battle for Aiur was lost and the Conclave destroyed.

Abandoning Aiur
"With all due respect, Zeratul, the Protoss do not run from their enemies. Aiur is our homeworld. It is here that we shall make our stand!" "Just as your Conclave did? They are dead now, Aldaris, dead because they allowed their pride to blind their reason. Only if we learn from their mistakes can we live to avenge them."

- Aldaris and Zeratul

Aldaris had little choice but to cooperate with the rebels-turned-heroes to survive. He was reluctant to abandon Aiur and opted for the protoss to stand their ground. However, Zeratul persuaded him to go through the sole remaining functional Warp Gate to Shakuras. Zeratul rightly pointed out the futility of staying and assured Aldaris that the Dark Templar were merciful unlike the judicator and all would be welcome on the Dark Templar's adopted homeworld.

On Shakuras the arrival of Sarah Kerrigan instantly aroused Aldaris' suspicion and at the most, infuriated him. Unlike Matriarch Raszagal, Aldaris would not consider anything the Queen of Blades had to say or offer. In disgust he removed himself from the initial strategy planning to retrieve the Khalis and Uraj.

The Insurgent

 * Main article: Khalai Revolt on Shakuras

"I would sooner die, dark one, than tarnish the memory of Aiur by joining with you. Your fate was sealed the moment your Matriarch allied herself with the Queen of Blades! Those of us still loyal to Aiur will never be slaves to Kerrigan and her Broods."

- Aldaris to Zeratul

As it transpired Aldaris' suspicions proved prescient. While Artanis, Kerrigan, and Zeratul were away searching for the crystals, Aldaris discovered that somehow Kerrigan had corrupted Raszagal's mind. Aldaris quickly rallied a legion of Templar in open revolt. Before he could succeed in excising the threat the Fleet of the Matriarch returned with the crystals. The corrupted Matriarch told Artanis and Zeratul that Aldaris was acting in bad faith and had to be killed.

Aldaris's revolt ended in failure. Although he used illusions to mask his location he was eventually captured. In lieu of execution, Artanis and Zeratul offered to accept his surrender and a renewed pledge of cooperation. However Aldaris refused to cooperate with those he believed were being manipulated by Kerrigan. Aldaris began to explain that the Matriarch's "alliance" with Kerrigan was something far more sinister but before he could finish he was interrupted and killed by the Queen of Blades and her minions. For this interference the temporary alliance between Kerrigan and the protoss was broken but the damage was done; Aldaris took his knowledge to the grave.

Legacy
"Aldaris...Betrayer, betrayed."

- A dark archon

Six years after his death, Aldaris was remembered by some Nerazim as both a betrayer, and one who was betrayed.

Game Unit
Aldaris was represented by the modified high templar unit used for Tassadar in the level The Insurgent. An alternative version exists in StarEdit, effectively an unused unit.