Aldaris

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

- Aldaris introduces himself

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 Infested Kerrigan.

Advisor to Executors
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 the executor and praetor 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 the templar's continued refusal to return. The judicator also did not trust the former executor'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.

Amongst Heretics
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, the terran space platform orbiting Char. Aldaris warned the executor that he sensed a "lingering darkness" even though the zerg had supposedly abandoned Char for Aiur. A landing party located Tassadar's zerg-besieged base on the platform. Aldaris was surprised to find terrans, members of Raynor's Raiders and Jim Raynor himself, encamped with Tassadar; the Judicator's relationship with the terrans was impeded by the former's preconceived beliefs of terran inferiority. 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 the judicator's offer of clemency in return for compliance. The judicator 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. The judicator could do no more than hint at future consequences when they returned to Aiur. This happened soon enough with Zeratul and the Dark Templar in tow.

The Fall
Upon returning to Aiur with the 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 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. Aldaris had little choice but to cooperate with the rebels-turned-heroes to survive. He was reluctant to abandon the protoss homeworld and even opted to stay and make a final stand but Zeratul pursuaded him to go through the sole remaining functional Warp Gate to Shakuras. The Dark Templar Prelate rightly pointed out the futility of staying and assured the judicator that all would be welcome on the Dark Templar's adopted homeworld.

Stranger in a Strange Land

 * Main article: Khalai Revolt on Shakuras

On Shakuras the arrival of a "friendly" Infested Kerrigan instantly aroused Aldaris' suspicion and at the most, infuriated him. Unlike Matriarch Raszagal, the judicator 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. 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. The Judicator 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' revolt ended in failure. Although he used illusions to mask his location the Judicator 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 Infested 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.

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.