Arcturus Mengsk

"I will not be stopped. Not by you, or the Confederates, or the Protoss or anyone! I will rule this sector or see it burnt to ashes around me."

- Arcturus Mengsk ranting at Jim Raynor.

Arcturus Mengsk, a Terran from Korhal IV, was the leader of the Sons of Korhal and is now Emperor of the Terran Dominion. During the original StarCraft, he was 38 years old. Mengsk is voiced by Jason Hayes.

Biography
Arcturus Mengsk is the son of Angus Mengsk, a Senator from the Terran Confederacy colony of Korhal. Young Arcturus had dreams of becoming a great leader during his childhood, but he dismissed them. He served time in the Terran Confederacy military as an officer until he reached the rank of Colonel, despite having no great desire for leadership. Then the climate changed and he realized that he was not fighting for what he believed in, so he left the military and became a successful Confederate fringe world prospector.

Political Action
Arcturus' estranged father, Angus Mengsk declared war upon the Terran Confederacy and caused the Confederates to withdraw from the planet. Alarmed and somewhat embarrassed by his father's actions, Arcturus still never suspected the lengths the Confederates would go. In a shocking triple murder, his father, his mother, and his sister were all decapitated. His father's head was never found. This stirred something in Arcturus Mengsk, which would eventually make him the most dangerous enemy the Confederacy faced.

Stirring Rebellion
Arcturus Mengsk returned to Korhal and became the leader of the Rebellion with the aid of Umojan ambassador Ailin Pasteur, who helped elect Arcturus Mengsk the leader and General of the revolt. Rallying the militant groups that followed his father, General Arcturus Mengsk fashioned an impressive, yet somewhat ragtag, army with which he struck boldly at various Confederate bases and installations. Mengsk had to move quickly to protect the life of his son, Valerian, as the Confederacy targetted him for execution.

The Rebellion acquired a Confederacy battlecruiser which had crash-landed in Umojan territory "well outside the range of Confederate hailing" signals. He renamed this vessel the Hyperion. It also amassed a "huge" army on Korhal.

When rumors spread of a secret alliance between Mengsk and the Umojan Protectorate the Confederacy decided upon a final solution; annihilate life on Korhal. One thousand nuclear missiles were launched at Korhal, killing over four million Korhalian people.

Sons of Korhal
Arcturus Mengsk, hiding out in a secret base within the Umojan Protectorate, heard the news. He and those gathered with him of pledged to bring down the Confederacy. Calling themselves the Sons of Korhal, they promised to overthrow the Confederacy and build a new system of government that would benefit all Terrans within the sector. The Sons of Korhal quickly became the most wanted fugitives in the Koprulu Sector as they struck silently and swiftly, winning countless victories over the Confederacy.

Some time later he performed a raid on a small Terran research installation called the Fujita Complex on Vyctor 5 when he discovered Sarah Kerrigan, a Terran Ghost. Rescuing her from the Confederate scientists that were performing experiments upon her involving Zerg, he eventually made her second in command of the Sons of Korhal. His purpose for visiting the facility was that he discovered that one of the three Ghosts who had murdered his family was present.

Shortly afterwards, Kerrigan killed one of these Ghosts after Mengsk lured him aboard the Hyperion.

Mengsk took Sarah Kerrigan to Tarsonis in order to attack the primary Ghost Academy (which would create much publicity for his fledgling organization). He also wanted Kerrigan to eliminate one of those Ghosts as well. The attack was a disaster as the very small Sons of Korhal was nearly wiped out. However, Sarah Kerrigan did manage to kill Major Rumm, her former instructor who had tormented her; she also capture the Ghost Mengsk sought and the Academy was destroyed. Mengsk promptly killed the captured and nearly helpless Ghost in cold blood. He told Kerrigan she was the third Ghost, and the most important one - the one who had cut off his father's head. Yet he found her useful and kept her as a loyal member of the Sons of Korhal. Kerrigan's loyalty to him increased.

The attack created publicity for the Sons of Korhal; the attack was subject to a report by Michael Liberty. Heralded by radicals as a visionary and a patriot, Mengsk was portrayed as a madman and a terrorist by the Confederate-controlled media.

Sara's Zerg
Mengsk's troops attacked Chau Sara in November 2499. However, Alpha Squadron drove his forces away.

In December 2499, shortly after the destruction of Chau Sara, Mengsk's Sons of Korhal showed up on Mar Sara; the Colonial Militia defeated one of their minor incursions.

The Confederacy avoided action against the Zerg and even arrested the Colonial Militia forces. Mengsk quickly found himself in demand as the only force there willing to face the Zerg. He endeared himself to the Colonial Magistrate of Mar Sara (the player's character) by assisting in the evacuation of the Mar Sara Colony, something the Confederates refused to do. Meanwhile, Mengsk and Kerrigan made contact with Universe News Network reporter Michael Liberty, whom Mengsk would later use as a propagandist.

Before leaving Mar Sara, Mengsk and Liberty rescued Colonial Marshal James Raynor from a Confederate prison ship and used him to lead a strike force against the Jacobs Installation. He believed secret Confederate military technology was concealed inside. Within Raynor discovered Zerg being imprisoned, but Mengsk had seen Confederate experiments with Zerg before. Raynor retrieved a data disk. The Mar Sara Colonial Militia became part of the Sons of Korhal under the command of Captain Jim Raynor and the former Colonial Magistrate, who is referred to as the Commander. Raynor's own band of troops were known unofficially as Raynor's Raiders.

A Gift of a General
Mengsk's next destination was Antiga Prime, where the colonists were ready to begin open revolt against the Confederacy. However, the Confederates, aware of this as well, stationed a large detachment of Alpha Squadron troops there to suppress the nascent revolt. To free the Antiga Prime colony, Mengsk sent a task force with Raynor and Kerrigan (the latter sneaking in and assassinating the Confederate officer in charge). Michael Liberty announced the defeat of the Confederates to the colonists. The Antigan rebels and Sons of Korhal then defeated the Alpha Squadron detachment.

Alpha Squadron's General Edmund Duke was unable to respond to this event because his flagship, the Norad II, was attacked by the Zerg in high orbit over Antiga Prime; it crash-landed in a position surrounded by the Zerg. Mengsk sent Raynor and his troops to save Duke, whom he convinced to join him by offering him a position in his cabinet. Perhaps even more important than the acquisition of Duke's tactical skill, and his Alpha Squadron, was the decoding of the Jacobs Installation data discs, which contained designs for a Transplanar Psionic Waveform Emitter, or psi-emitter.

The Confederates discovered Mengsk's position and send a large Delta Squadron strike force, which established a base camp within his defensive perimeter. Mengsk decided to test the new emitter technology and break the Confederate blockade. Sarah Kerrigan infiltrated the Delta Squadron base camp and activated the device. Soon, the Zerg homed in on the signal, breaking Delta Squadron's blockade and allowing the Sons of Korhal and allies to escape.

Sometime afterwards the Protoss arrived, wiping out all life on the surface of the planet.

Great Power... and Betrayal
In order to win the conflict against the Confederacy, Mengsk had to strike against Tarsonis. (He did manage to strike against various symbolic targets on Tarsonis, such as the Palombo Valley plant operated by Constantino Terra.) While Tarsonis had been invaded in the past, it had never fallen. Fortunately for Mengsk, General Duke had defended Tarsonis in over 30 major battles and so knew its defenses inside and out.

Duke's plan was to assault the central of the three primary orbital platforms, causing enough of a ruckus to allow a small force to break through the planetary defenses.

He would use the Psi Emitters to summon the Zerg. Of course, Mengsk did not inform Kerrigan or Raynor of this part of the plan. While successful, causing the destruction of the Confederacy, it alienated both Kerrigan and Raynor.

However, Kerrigan remained loyal and followed his next set of orders... to protect the primary Zerg Hive from the coming Protoss fleet, under the command of Executor Tassadar. Kerrigan knew that the Protoss are there to exterminate all life on Tarsonis, not just the Zerg, so she agreed to follow the orders. She and her strike force defeated the Protoss but, as a wave of Zerg advanced on her position, were abandoned as Mengsk ordered the immediate disengagement of the Korhal fleet from the Tarsonian system, despite Raynor's protest.

Following the loss of Kerrigan, Raynor and his men left the Sons of Korhal and formed their own rebel group known as Raynor's Raiders. They took Liberty with them, but not before a brawl with General Duke. Mengsk offered a media position to Liberty, but was rebuffed.

Before leaving with Mengsk, General Duke successfully activated the Ion Cannon, a powerful piece of technology, and Tarsonis' primary defensive weapon, which would shoot down Raynor's forces if they attempted to leave. Raynor was forced to destroy the Ion Cannon in order to escape.

Coronation
The Sons of Korhal became the Terran Dominion, Mengsk had himself crowned Emperor of the Terran Dominion and made Korhal his throne world. All of the Terran colonies within the Koprulu Sector were united under one sovereign rule for the first time. With Duke by his side, he was unopposed by any of the major Terran Militias within the Sector.

Strangely, he is referred to both as "Emperor Mengsk I" and as "Emperor Arcturus." Normal royal naming conventions would dictate that his name would be "Emperor Arcturus I" of the "House of Mengsk."

Coronation Speech of Arcturus I, Emperor of the Terran Dominion
Transcribed from Universe News Network (UNN) Broadcast:


 * Fellow Terrans, I come to you in the wake of recent events to issue a call to reason. Let no human deny the perils of our time. While we battle one another, divided by the petty strife of our common history, the tide of a greater conflict is turning against us, threatening to destroy all that we have accomplished. It is time for us as nations and as individuals to set aside our long-standing feuds and unite. The tides of an unwinnable war are upon us, and we must seek refuge on higher ground, lest we be swept away by the flood.


 * The Confederacy is no more. Whatever semblance of unity and protection it once provided is a phantom; a memory. With our enemies left unchecked, who will you turn to for protection? The devastation wrought by the alien invaders is self-evident. We have seen our homes and communities destroyed by the calculated blows of the Protoss. We have seen first-hand our friends and loved ones consumed by the nightmarish Zerg. Unprecedented and unimaginable though they may be, these are the signs of our time.


 * The time has come my fellow Terrans, to rally to a new banner. In unity lies strength; already many of the dissident factions have joined us. Out of the many, we shall forge an indivisible whole, capitulating only to a single throne. And from that throne, I shall watch over you!


 * From this day forward, let no human make war on any other human. Let no Terran agency conspire against this new beginning. And let no man consort with alien powers. And to all the enemies of humanity, seek not to bar our way, for we shall win through, no matter the cost!

The New Dominion
Mengsk received a psionic call from Sarah Kerrigan on Char. He sent General Duke there to reclaim her, but Alpha Squadron was defeated by the Zerg.

Having reinforced the armies of the Dominion by forcefully conscripting the remaining warriors of the defunct Terran Confederacy, Mengsk set out to fortify the various worlds under his care. He built Augustgrad, the capital city of Korhal which became the most heavily fortified city in all of Dominion space, employing multiple Battlecruisers for his planetary defense and establishing a large cluster of missile silos on the outskirts of Augustgrad.

Meanwhile Mengsk also tried to bring to justice a Terran criminal, Alan Schezar.

Mengsk still did not trust General Duke, despite his oaths, so he sent him and his Alpha Squadron on a seemingly unimportant mission to the world of Bhekar Ro, whose colonists sought his help. The mission ended in disaster for Duke.

After the death of the Overmind, Mengsk had declared a quarantine and blockade over Aiur.

As the final battle concluded on Aiur and the Zerg reeled in disarray throughout the Sector, Mengsk was left to wonder what ever became of his former Lieutenant, Sarah Kerrigan.

The United Earth Directorate
Mengsk had built a powerful defense of Korhal, but when the United Earth Directorate's (UED) Expeditionary Force arrived in the Koprulu Sector, it was able to destroy Augustgrad, including his palace. Mengsk tried to escape in the Norad III, but the UED cut off his escape. Admiral DuGalle threatened him with execution, along with the rest of his ranking officers, but Raynor suddenly appeared in the Hyperion and rescued his enemy.

Mengsk and Raynor fled to Aiur, where Raynor has continued his alliance with the Protoss Praetor Fenix, and hid in a Command Center near a Warp Gate. Making matters more complicated, there were multiple Zerg Broods surrounding the Protoss base, which remained quiet until the Warp Gate was activated. In their efforts to capture these men, the UED force attacked Raynor's Command Center. Raynor and Mengsk fled in a Dropship through the Warp Gate, which then exploded. The destination of the ship was unknown. Worse for the UED, the Zerg suddenly attacked and DuGalle had to face possible treachery from two of his subordinates.

Mengsk was put into cold storage, and when he awoke he found himself in the power of Infested Kerrigan, who had struck an alliance with Jim Raynor and Fenix. Kerrigan needed Mengsk for a favor - Mengsk would use his psi-emitters to gather up enough Zerg for her to destroy the UED's Psi Disrupter on Braxis and confront the UED. Mengsk agreed in exchange for Kerrigan's help in retaking Korhal from the UED. Kerrigan planned to use the psi emitters to lure uncontrolled Zerg on Braxis to her control, then used them to destroy the Psi Disrupter. The ploy worked. This becomes the death knell for the United Earth Directorate's Expeditionary Force in the Koprulu Sector. Mengsk still felt that Kerrigan was completely untrustworthy, but he would with her so long as she helped him retake Korhal.

Another Betrayal
Kerrigan, with the help of Fenix, Raynor, and an impatient Mengsk, destroyed the main UED base at Augustgrad. After the successful attack, Mengsk sent Duke to establish his base of operations in Augustgrad. However, Kerrigan and Samir Duran launched a devastating surprise attack while the Dominion troops were resting after the victory, destroying both General Duke's and Fenix's bases. In the attack, Duke and Fenix are both killed, leaving Mengsk very bitter.

Recent Actions
Mengsk, by calling in a few favors and making a few concessions, scraped up a new fleet of "special interest groups" interested in killing Kerrigan, and attacked her base of operations on the infested platform over Char, along with the UED and the Protoss. His ragtag fleet was beaten and crippled however, but Mengsk, before leaving, threatened Kerrigan. He then fled back to Korhal to lick his wounds and plan the reconstruction of his Terran Dominion.

Mengsk brought his son Valerian off of a remote backwater planet after the end of the Brood War. His son became an active part of the Terran Dominion government and was named his heir, although his status as Arcturus Mengsk's son is still secret.

Mengsk has taken part in the training of the Ghost Nova, overseen the use of terrazine to create Spectres and led a war against the Koprulu Liberation Front. As part of an "overhaul" of the Ghost program, he eliminated half of his government's Ghosts in a controlled environment.

Arcturus Mengsk's actions in StarCraft II are currently unknown, but he will almost certainly make an appearance in the game. Some fans claim to have seen Mengsk in a cinematic trailer for StarCraft II. Raynor will be leading his mercenary/freedom fighter group against Mengsk, saying "Mengsk is a vicious tyrant, and he needs to be taken down."

The developers feel that Arcturus Mengsk's story has already been told through StarCraft and Brood War, as he has gone through his revolutionary phase to a tyrant figure. In some ways he is being replaced by his son, Valerian.

Trivia
Arcturus is possibly named after the star Arcturus, the brightest start in the constellation of Boötes (it forms the left foot) and the third brightest star in the night sky. Arcturus means "bear guardian" because its position in the sky makes it appear to guard the Great and Little Bear constellations.