The Battle of Char Aleph was perhaps the most important battle in the Brood War, where the outcome of the war was to be finally decided. It consisted of a conglomerate of the Dominion fleet, the UED remaining fleet and the protoss fleet confronting the Kerrigan's Zerg Swarm, occurring on the space platform Char Aleph, in high orbit over the planet Char.
History
Background
Shortly after the Infested Kerrigan's victory against the Protoss on Char, three separate fleets converged on Char Aleph,[1] the infested orbital platform used as a staging area for the Zerg. This came at a bad time for Kerrigan. She was aboard but Samir Duran had vanished and most of the broods were on the planet's surface. Only a single Cerebrate (Kerrigan's lieutenant Cerebrate) and its brood were positioned to defend the platform.
Arcturus Mengsk contacted Kerrigan to gloat. When asked how the Dominion has assembled a force so quickly after its recent defeat, Mengsk revealed he had "called in a few favors" and "made a few concessions" to other parties in the sector interested in seeing Kerrigan defeated. Kerrigan replied that Mengsk's three fleets did not frighten her, but he claimed to have no knowledge of the other two.
Artanis then contacted Kerrigan from his fleet. He was there to take revenge for the deaths of Fenix, Matriarch Raszagal, and all other Protoss who had been killed by her Zerg. Kerrigan replied using a human expression: "When it rains, it pours." Mengsk, tuning in to the conversation, laughed at Kerrigan, asking if she could guess which faction directed the third fleet.
Kerrigan guessed it was Admiral DuGalle and the United Earth Directorate fleet, and DuGalle replied that she was correct. He gave her one last chance to surrender to the UED, but Kerrigan said she would rather massacre his troops now and watch DuGalle die in agony. DuGalle said that she vastly underestimated him, but Kerrigan's reply was ... impolite.
The Battle
One Brood stood on the space platform surrounded by the three fleets. Mengsk's forces used mainly Siege Tanks and nuclear missiles, Artanis' forces used the typical Protoss psionic attacks, and DuGalle's forces used mainly Goliaths and spacecraft. However, all three forces had suffered heavy defeats in the past and were only shadows of their former selves. One by one, Kerrigan's Zerg defeated each of the three fleets.
When she defeated Mengsk, he "congratulated" her and then warned her that he would be waiting for her to slip up, but did not specify what he intended to do if and when that happened.
When she defeated Artanis, he told her the Protoss would never forget her treachery.
When she defeated DuGalle, who had caused her particularly grave trouble after arriving in the Koprulu Sector, DuGalle asked for surrender. Kerrigan said that she didn't take prisoners, and that he should flee towards Earth. She said that it would be interesting sport to see how far away they got before they died.[2]
Aftermath
- Infested Kerrigan, undisputed ruler of the Zerg Swarm, sole victor of the Brood War.(src)
As the UED fleet attempted to flee to Earth, DuGalle committed suicide in his quarters. Shortly afterwards, Kerrigan's forces caught up with the UED fleet and annihilated it. No UED vessel made it back to Earth, although small pockets of UED troops remained scattered across the sector.
Mengsk and his defeated fleet returned to Korhal, where Mengsk began planning the reconstruction of the Terran Dominion.
Artanis and the other Protoss returned to Shakuras to rebuild the Protoss civilization.
Kerrigan was now the dominant power in the sector. She resolved to eventually conquer the rest of her enemies and that none would ever oppose her rule again. Nevertheless, she felt a great threat looming over the horizon and could only wonder if she had merely achieved a hollow victory.
References
- ↑ 2008-6-17. Char. Official StarCraft II Website. Accessed 2008-6-17.
- ↑ StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Omega (in English). 1998.