Mar Sara

Mar Sara is a planet located in the Sara System. The colony was smaller than the nearby colony of Chau Sara. Formerly one of the Terran Confederacy's core colony worlds, it was purified by the Protoss and later became a Kel-Morian Combine salvage planet.

Mar Sara is the setting for the beginning of the game's first campaign; the player's identity was that of the Colonial Magistrate. It is set to appear in StarCraft II.

Geography
Although Mar Sara was mainly covered by hard-baked mud and scrub, irrigation techniques such as waterfarms enabled agriculture to develop and there was significant potential for mineral exploitation. The planet's sky is a dusty orange and it has at least two moons. At night, sandstorms often sweep across the planet's surface.

In ancient times, it is likely that a significant portion, if not all of Mar Sara's surface was covered in iron-rich oceans. By the time of Terran settlement however, these oceans had mostly receded, leaving behind a rust ingrained surface, courtesy of oxidation (similar in principle to the ancient oceans of Earth and Mars). A significant portion of the planet was still covered in water however, the planet possessing oceans and a main continent in distinction. Due to the spread of Zerg Creep and the Protoss bombardment, these oceans appear to have been vaporized.

Early History
Mar Sara was founded by a prospector before the start of the Guild Wars along with its sister planet Chau Sara. Mar Sara's populace consisted of a mix of former prospectors and soldiers, along with a couple of religious types who didn't agree with the Confederacy's tolerance for other faiths. Mar Sara formed the eighth of the thirteen core colonies of the Terran Confederacy.

Mar Sara served as a battleground during the Guild Wars. A Confederate military unit, the 321st Colonial Rangers Battalion "Heaven's Devils" operated there, fighting against the Kel-Morian Combine. At the conclusion of the war Mar Sara became part of the Confederacy.

The Beginning of the End
"The Confederacy has quarantined this entire planet, and we'll proceed with the lock-down within 48 hours. You're to relocate your core colonists to the outlying wastelands."

- Alpha Squadron commander Edmund Duke to the Colonial Magistrate

After the Protoss destruction of the Chau Sara colony, the Protoss fleet approached Mar Sara. The Confederacy launched a clumsy counter attack as it's Executor, the High Templar Tassadar, commanded his ships to pull away and withdraw, for he couldn't bring himself to destroy Mar Sara or the fleet that had come to protect it. At the same time, the Confederacy sent the a new Colonial Magistrate to safeguard the colonists and keep their state of panic from escalating any further.

Sons of Korhal leader Arcturus Mengsk claimed that the Confederacy used psi emitter technology to lure the Zerg to isolated containment areas such as Mar Sara. This would mean the inhabitants were subjects of a Confederate weapons test in an effort to put an end to their rivals, the Mar Sara Colonial Militia. However, Sons of Korhal agent Merdith Jernic claimed that she stole and activated a psi emitter in order to attack or denigrate the Confederacy.

The Confederacy sent Alpha Squadron to quarantine the entire planet proceed with the lock-down within 48 hours. The core colonists were relocated to the outlying wastelands, escorted by the local marshal, James Raynor. Soon, Backwater Station was attacked by unknown alien organisms. Instead of waiting for Confederate reinforcements, Raynor headed out with the militia and saved the station. Edmund Duke arrives with his Alpha Squadron and arrested Raynor and his men for destroying an infested Confederate Command Center.

Soon, sixteen outland stations reported sightings of the alien invaders identified as Zerg. The Confederates arrested all standing militia forces and continued to avoid action against the Zerg. Three stations fell to the Zerg before Sons of Korhal leader Arcturus Mengsk offered to send down a number of transports to the Mar Sara Colony and evacuating any survivors. The Magistrate accepted his help, fending off the Zerg attack on the Evacuation Zone, and gets his tenure suspended. At the same time, the Sons of Korhal sprung the Mar Sara Colonial Militia, including Raynor, from the Confederate prison ship. Raynor and the former Magistrate become commanders in the Sons of Korhal (with Raynor receiving the rank of Captain) in charge of the Mar Sara troops.

Three hours after colonial evacuation, Mar Sara was almost completely overrun by the Zerg. Both the Confederates and the Sons of Korhal were abandoning the planet. Before leaving, Raynor and a group of his men raided the Jacobs Installation, accessed the Confederate network, and retrieve data discs.

In the wake of the chaos resulting from the Zerg invasion, The Sons of Korhal escaped with the stolen data discs. Thirteen hours after the evacuation of Mar Sara, Protoss warships took up orbit around the colony and unleash a massive planetary bombardment. All life upon the surface is extinguished.

The Return
After Mar Sara's incineration by the Protoss, the Sara system seemed to have little left to offer the Terran race. The subsequent collapse of the Confederacy left the system entirely abandoned. Nevertheless, prospectors from the Kel-Morian Combine found that minerals on Mar Sara had acquired unique properties due to the Protoss bombardment. Shortly thereafter, the Kel-Morian Combine staked a claim to mining and salvage rights over the Sara system. Independent and indentured contractors soon began strip-mining both planets of their resources.

Approximately four years after the Brood War, the Terran Dominion established a secret terrazine refinery on Mar Sara. To disguise its true function, it was designated "Vespene" Refinery 1138.

The refinery came under Zerg attack. A Dominion Marine Corps force was sent to investigate, engaging in battle with the Zerg.

"They come at night...mostly."

- An anonymous comment on the Zerg on Mar Sara



The Terran Dominion has recently shown a renewed interest in the Sara system and established several outposts there. The Kel-Morian Combine claims that these outposts have been established at the Combine's invitation due to security issues with piracy and mining camp revolts. There have also been reports of Zerg sightings on the planet. It is believed that these organisms reinfested the desolate world some time after the Protoss bombardment.

Installations

 * Grand Hotel
 * Mar Sara Starport
 * Office of the Colonial Magistrate
 * Vespene Refinery 1138

Landforms

 * Basin
 * Stonewall Peaks
 * Molly's Nipple
 * Turtle Island

Military Bases

 * Backwater Station
 * Bunker Complex 3847
 * Camp McIntyre
 * Fire Base Chimera
 * Jacobs Installation
 * Mar Sara Base

Regions

 * Hinterland
 * Out Country
 * Wasteland

Settlements

 * Anthem Base
 * Mar Sara City (capital)
 * Oasis

Trivia

 * The Blue Terran faction is identified as the Mar Sara Colonial Militia in StarCraft. This remains the case into Brood War (even when the forces are clearly not from Mar Sara).
 * "Mar Sara" is Spanish for "Sarah Sea" or, in the context of onomastics, "Sarah's Sea".
 * The orbital view of Mar Sara is identical to the orbital view of Moria.
 * The quote "They come at night... mostly" is a reference to the film Aliens.
 * Maps that take place on Mar Sara often have signs planted near Terran installations that say "Mar Sara: Shake and Bake Colony". This is another reference to Aliens.