417th Confederate Marine Platoon

The 417th Confederate Marine Platoon (as evidenced by their CONCOM designation) was a mechanized infantry platoon of the Confederate Marine Corps. Many of its members hardly had any combat experience; Mar Sara being their first (and last) action.

History

In December 2499, the 417th was deployed to Oasis Station on Mar Sara to secure a psi-emitter. They were flown into the area by the Valkyrie Vixen which would provide support and evacuate them. Intelligence believed that only a minimal zerg presence remained at Oasis but upon the 417th's arrival it became apparent that this was not the case. Despite ferocious resistance the platoon retrieved the device and Merdith Jernic. They withdrew to the designated evacuation point after heavy losses. At the last moment Vixen failed to appear and the platoon was forced to flee from oncoming zerg. This preserved them from an unexpected nuclear strike intended to destroy the device and kill the marines and zerg drawn to the emitter.

The survivors fell back to Bunker Complex 3847 for support but found the base deserted save for a lone SCV operator. The platoon had been abandoned in the midst of a full-scale Confederate withdrawal from the planet. An attempt to summon Vixen failed when the dropship was destroyed. Jernic revealed herself as a member of the Sons of Korhal. She had activated the device and brought the zerg to the planet en-masse. The rebels' were unlikely to wish to evacuate the 417th, as they were witnesses to the rebels' role in the disaster.

Jernic also revealed that the rebels' were committed to evacuating as many civilians from the cities as possible. Although it was part of a propaganda coup it was still more humanitarian than the callous abandonment of the population by the Confederacy. However, the zerg were likely to overrun the cities before evacuation ships arrived. To prevent this the platoon decided to activate the psi-emitter, drawing the zerg away from the city and onto the base.

The 417th was subsequently wiped out but in the process helped to save hundreds if not thousands of lives.

Known Members

Command

• Lieutenant L. Z. Breanne (commanding officer)

First Squad

• Corporal Smith-punn (leader of First Squad)
• Private Bowers
• Private Fu
• Private William Peaches
• Private Amy Windom

First Squad was the platoon's main mobile force. Usually it would be given Siege Tanks or Goliaths, though in the events on Mar Sara, its members had to make do with Vultures that had been "liberated" from the Mar Sara Colonial Militia; in other words, stolen since the militias were all arrested around this point. Only Peaches and Windom survived Oasis, and subsequently went missing during the escape from the Zerg, but are presumed dead due to the eventual fate of Mar Sara.

Second Squad

• Sergeant Jon Littlefield (leader of Second Squad)
• PFC Fetu Koura-Abi ("Cutter")
• PFC Ardo Melnikov
• Private Alley
• Private Bernelli
• Private Ekart
• Private Xiang

Second Squad was the "heaviest" squad and was assigned to provide support to Third Squad in the initial stages. Alley was killed in the fight in Oasis against the Zerg while Ekart was MIA in the aftermath of the battle, either killed by Zerg, killed in the nuclear blast or fell to his death in the Basin.

Third Squad

• Sergeant Jensen (leader of Third Squad)
• Private Collins
• Private Esson
• Private Mellish
• Private M'butu
• Private Wabowski
• Private Sejak

Third Squad filled a niche between First and Second Squad and was assigned to spearhead the recon of Oasis. The squad was virtually wiped out during the battle with Mellish as the only survivor.

Associated Individuals

A number of individuals were also attached/interacted with the platoon. These individuals include;

• Captain Tegis Marz (pilot of the Dropship Valkyrie Vixen
• Sergeant Marcus Jans (technician and SCV operator)
• Private Bounous
• Merdith Jernic (non-combatant)

References

Hickman, Tracy. StarCraft: Speed of Darkness. Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books, May 21, 2002. ISBN 0-671-04150-9