StarCraft: Revelations

StarCraft: Revelations is a short story which takes place in the StarCraft universe and is authorized by Blizzard Entertainment in Amazing Stories Magazine, issue 596.

The story, involving the destruction of Chau Sara, takes place before and during StarCraft Episode I.

Synopsis
Confederate Gunnery Sergeant Andre Madrid and his troops witnessed the destruction of Chau Sara. They hid in a paristeel shelter, watching satellite images of two huge Protoss ships raining azure fire bolts on their world. The bolts created a fireball which spread over the desert.

A medevac team found Madrid and his men; three weeks later Madrid was serving at Fire Base Chimera on Mar Sara.

The base came under attack by xenomorph fliers. Madrid quickly suited up and, taking shelter in a Bunker, fought back while xenomorph ground-based creatures attacked. The Bunker was wrecked during the battle, and as Madrid and his team retreated, a huge, raylike creature flew overhead and struck him from behind with … something.

Madrid awoke in an infirmary underneath the Command Center, where a medic told him he had been injected with some kind of poison he wasn’t familiar with. Madrid couldn't seem to control his thoughts: ''Those things out there are coming to kill me. Where's my rifle? What happened to my squad. I need to kill them all. Kill! Kill who? The Protoss?''

He realized they weren't his thoughts, as he heard more of them: ''You are growing. You are mine.''

Madrid screamed until he ran out of breath. He felt yet another presence: What are you? He saw, in his mind, a mass of living tissue pulsing with alien intelligence.

The xenomorphs broke into the infirmary, killing the Marines and wounded men, but didn’t kill him. Later they returned and just stared at him when two Protoss barged in. Madrid felt hatred towards them, as they had destroyed his world. During the battle one of the Protoss was killed, but so were the xenomorphs. Madrid felt saddened by the creature’s death, and his blood surged and quickened as if a presence in him could feel the creature’s pain.

Another Protoss walked in – Executor Tassadar. Madrid was able to understand their mental communication after Tassadar touched his forehead. Thuras, the surviving Protoss warrior, wished to leave this world and find new battles to fight, but Tassadar said he wouldn’t abandon the world until they could no longer fight. Thuras disagreed, but was reminded that the Protoss came to Mar Sara to protect the Terrans.

Madrid didn’t believe it. He ranted at Tassadar for destroying his world, which Tassadar admitted; the Conclave had ordered the destruction of Chau Sara, having little concern for the lives of “lesser beings”. The Terrans of Chau Sara were doomed, and their world burned to prevent the spread of the Zerg to more Terran worlds. Tassadar grieved over the dead Terrans, and Madrid could feel his genuine sorrow.

Madrid learned that the voices in his head were coming from the Zerg Overmind, which controlled all of its minions ... including Madrid.

Madrid said "I'm a man, not some mindless animal!" but Tassadar replied that the distinction would not last. The infestation of Madrid had gone too far, and could not be reversed. He offered Madrid a peaceful death.

Tassadar placed his hand on Madrid's forehead again. Blue arcs of psychic fire shot out from his hand and engulfed Madrid's body. For a moment, Madrid was able to sense thousands of Protoss spirits.

"En Taro Adun, brave Terran: Unto the grace of Adun may your spirit soar", intoned Tassadar, over the body of Madrid. Tassadar carried the body outside into the sunset.

Canon and Errors
StarCraft: Revelations is frequently seen as canon, as it was authored by Chris Metzen, an employee of Blizzard Entertainment.

It closely follows the StarCraft storyline for the most part, but the details of the timing of the Protoss attack on Chau Sara does not match the information in the manual. According to the manual, the Zerg had already consumed life on the planet when the Protoss attacked, but according to StarCraft: Revelations the humans were not aware of their danger when the Protoss arrived.

Characters in StarCraft: Revelations

 * Gunnery Sergeant Andre Madrid – Terran Confederacy soldier
 * Executor Tassadar – Protoss High Templar and leader of an Expeditionary Force
 * Thuras – Protoss Zealot