Psi disrupter

==History==
===The Great War===
[[File:PsiDisrupter SC1 Game1.jpg|thumb|The original psi disrupter]]
The first psi disrupter was developed by the [[Terran Confederacy]] to interfere with the [[zerg]] psionic link, fragmenting the Swarm's gestalt and rendering it less effective on the battlefield. It was constructed on [[Tarsonis]] but it was not activated during the [[Fall of Tarsonis|zerg invasion]]. The nascent [[Terran Dominion]] attempted to locate the disrupter but could not find it; it was thought lost.<ref name = "SC:BW_E5_M3">[[Blizzard Entertainment]]. ''[[StarCraft: Brood War]]''. Vivendi Games. Mission: [[Ruins of Tarsonis]] (in [[English]]). 1998.</ref>

===The Brood War===
The disrupter nonetheless survived the invasion of Tarsonis and was finally recovered by the [[United Earth Directorate]] [[UED Expeditionary Fleet|Expeditionary Force]] in the [[Brood War (conflict)|Brood War]], only to be slated for destruction by order of Admiral [[Gerard DuGalle]]. Lieutenant [[Samir Duran]] had convinced DuGalle, above the objections of Vice Admiral [[Alexei Stukov]],<ref>'''[[Samir Duran]]:''' "I must humbly suggest to you, Admiral, that the Disrupter be destroyed as quickly as possible. If it should fall into the hands of the [[Terran Dominion|Dominion]] we could face some very serious problems."<br>'''[[Gerard DuGalle]]:''' "Hmm. A prudent call, Lieutenant. I am inclined to agree."<br>'''[[Alexei Stukov]]:''' "But Admiral, this device could insure our victory over the [[Zerg]]! It is foolhardy to discard such an advantage!"<br>'''Duran:''' "Surely, Vice Admiral, you don't doubt the tenacity of your own [[UED Expeditionary Fleet|fleet]]? Your [[United Earth Directorate|Directorate]] forces will devastate the Zerg without the need for such a device."<br>'''Stukov:''' "Listen here, Lieutenant, I've had just about enough of your-"<br>'''DuGalle:''' "This conversation is over, Alexei. Given the true nature of our mission to enslave the [[Second Overmind|Overmind]], we could hardly stand to have [[Arcturus Mengsk|Mengsk]] control a device of this magnitude. This Psi Disrupter must be destroyed in order to safeguard our mission. Ensign, set your course for [[Tarsonis]]." ''[[StarCraft: Brood War]]''. Vivendi Games. Level/area: [[Ruins of Tarsonis]] (in English). 1998.</ref> that the disrupter would undermine the UED's plan to enslave the [[second Overmind|Overmind]]. To prevent this Stukov dispatched [[Stukov's Elite Guard|his own troops]] to take over the "demolition" of the disrupter,<ref name="SC:BW_E5_M3" /> who secretly dismantled and shipped it to [[Braxis]] for reassembly.

[[File:PatriotsBlood SC1 Map1.jpg|thumb|The disrupter's interior]]
Stukov's duplicity was soon discovered and a UED strike force led by Duran landed on Braxis with orders from DuGalle to not only destroy the disrupter but execute the Vice Admiral as well.<ref>'''[[Adjutant]]:''' "Admiral, our sensors have detected a fully functional Psi Disrupter on the planet's surface directly below our position. It would appear that the Vice Admiral did not destroy the Psi Disrupter on Tarsonis as was ordered."<br>'''DuGalle:''' "What? Impossible!"<br>'''Duran:''' "I warned you Admiral! Stukov has betrayed you! He's reconstructed the Psi Disrupter in order to sabotage your mission in [[Koprulu sector|this sector]]!"<br>'''DuGalle:''' "I can't believe it. Yet the evidence is incontrovertible. Alexei, what have you done? Perhaps you've been right all along, Lieutenant. On my authority, enter the Psi Disrupter... and... deal with the Vice Admiral appropriately..."<br>'''Duran:''' "Of course, Admiral." ''[[StarCraft: Brood War]]''. Vivendi Games. Level/area: [[Patriot's Blood]] (in English). 1998.</ref> The strike force succeeded in mortally wounding Stukov but before dying he revealed Duran's treacherous nature and successfully appealed to DuGalle to spare and use the disrupter.<ref>'''Duran:''' "Vice Admiral Stukov, I am here under orders to terminate your command."<br>'''Stukov:''' "Lieutenant Duran. I'm not surprised. We both know exactly what it is that you're here to terminate. Get on with it."<br>'''Duran:''' "Say goodnight, Stukov."<br>'''Stukov:''' "To hell with y- !"<br>'''DuGalle:''' "Lieutenant Duran, report your situation immediately!"<br>'''Stukov:''' "Gerard... old friend. You do indeed have a traitor in your midst... but it's not me. Duran. He has been playing us both from the start... He convinced you to destroy the Psi Disrupter... even though it was our best chance at defeating the Zerg. And then, on [[Aiur]], ...he allowed the Zerg to overrun us even as we had the fugitives in our grasp. I came here... to activate the one hope we have of defeating them... And you killed me for it. Heh, heh... Duran is your enemy Gerard. I suspect... that he may even be infested as well... Use the Disrupter, Gerard... Finish our operation... Let my death have at least some meaning."<br>'''DuGalle:''' "Alexei! No! What have I done? What have I done? Computer, where the hell is Lieutenant Duran?"<br>'''Adjutant:''' "The Lieutenant no longer registers on my sensors, Admiral. He appears to have vanished."<br>'''DuGalle:''' "No." ''[[StarCraft: Brood War]]''. Vivendi Games. Level/area: [[Patriot's Blood]] (in English). 1998.</ref> Duran then attempted to destroy the device by activating the self-destruct, but UED troops were able to foil this attempt in time despite the sudden appearance of zerg forces. A UED garrison was deployed to safeguard the now-active disrupter.<ref name = "SC:BW_E5_M7">Blizzard Entertainment. ''[[StarCraft: Brood War]]''. Vivendi Games. Mission: [[Patriot's Blood]] (in English). 1998.</ref>

The disrupter proved its worth in the ensuing UED assault and victory on [[Char]]. The [[second Overmind]] was captured and the UED began taking control of the Swarm in the sector, creating [[UED Slave Broods|Slave Broods]].<ref>Blizzard Entertainment. ''[[StarCraft: Brood War]]''. Vivendi Games. Mission: [[To Chain the Beast]] (in English). 1998.</ref> The effects of the disrupter were widespread and severely weakened [[Sarah Kerrigan|Kerrigan]]'s control over her own broods.<ref>Blizzard Entertainment. ''[[StarCraft: Brood War]]''. Vivendi Games. Mission: [[Vile Disruption]] (in English). 1998.</ref>

Kerrigan rallied the sector's factions suspicious or hostile to the UED to her and, as a first step to ousting the invaders, led them on a strike against the disrupter on Braxis. A [[Raynor's Raiders|small team]] led by Commander [[Jim Raynor]] first destroyed a number of large external [[power generator]]s feeding the disrupter. With the disrupter offline, Kerrigan used a [[psi emitter]] provided by Emperor [[Arcturus Mengsk]] to reassert control over local zerg creatures, including a number of special zerg warriors, creating an army which was used to finally destroy the disrupter.<ref name = "SC:BW_E6_M2">Blizzard Entertainment. ''[[StarCraft: Brood War]]''. Vivendi Games. Mission: [[Reign of Fire]] (in English). 1998.</ref>

{{AmbigCanon|Heroes of the Storm}}
After the disrupter's destruction, [[Omega Swarm|one of the UED's slave broods]] turned on their former masters. A group of soldiers were forced to fight their way to an extraction point.<ref name = "HeroesoftheStorm">Blizzard Entertainment. ''[[Heroes of the Storm]]'' (Blizzard Entertainment) (in English). June 2, 2015</ref>

===Post-Brood War===
Despite the destruction of the disrupter and the UED force, the legacy of both endured. UED studies had discovered that concentrated doses of [[sigma radiation]] could slow zerg movement and reaction speeds by as much as 50%. Subsequent Dominion research confirmed this effect on zerg tissue, and smaller psi disrupters were developed to leverage the effect on the battlefield.<ref name = "SC:FManual">Barba, Rick. ''[[StarCraft Field Manual]]'' (hardcover). Insight Editions, November 17, 2015.</ref>

===The Second Great War===
[[File:PsiDisrupter SC2 Rend1.jpg|thumb|Current psi disrupter design]]
During the [[Second Great War]], Doctor [[Egon Stetmann]] conducted research into the zerg, and came to the same conclusions as to the effect of sigma radiation on zerg tissue. It would take a lot of work and effort to safely deploy sigma radiation on the battlefield to the extent where zerg would be slowed, but he concluded that it might be worth it.<ref name = "SC2-WoL_StoryLabZerg">Blizzard Entertainment. ''[[StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty]]''. ([[Activision Blizzard]]). PC. [[Stetmann's research log#Zerg Entires|Zerg research]] (in English). 2010.</ref> Dominion research later confirmed the findings of Stetmann and the UED researchers, and the [[Terran Dominion]] deployed smaller psi disrupters onto the battlefield.<ref name = "SC:FManual">Barba, Rick. ''[[StarCraft Field Manual]]'' (hardcover). Insight Editions, November 17, 2015.</ref>

===Legacy===
Psi disrupter technology was later implemented into the [[psi block]], which served as a personal sigma radiation emitter. These were deployed in [[2511]] during the [[One-Day War]].<ref name ="SC:Evolution">Zahn, Timothy (November 8, 2016). ''[[StarCraft: Evolution]].'' Del Rey Books. ISBN 0425284735.</ref>
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