Talise Cogan is one of the leading xenobiologists of the Terran Dominion.
Biography[]
Early Work[]
Cogan worked at a distinguished research facility on Tarsonis. She met her husband, Bernard Hanson at Tarsonis University,[1] at which she was a lecturer.[2] They had a daughter, Ariel Hanson, but Bernard eventually decided to leave to found a colony world, Agria. They divorced, and he took Ariel with him whilst Cogan remained on Tarsonis.
Ariel grew to be a genius on Agria, and insisted upon accepting a full scholarship to Tarsonis University despite Bernard’s objections. However, over the course of her studies there, Ariel became disenfranchised by Cogan (who prioritized work over their relationship) and the other crass, ruthless, and arrogant intellectuals on Tarsonis. When Ariel decided to return to Agria after getting her doctorate, Cogan told her she was running from the "real" world, but the sentiment only reinforced Ariel’s decision to leave.[1]
Project Blackstone[]
- Adjutant 33-27 'welcomes' Cogan(src)
During the Second Great War, Cogan was kidnapped and taken to the secret Terran Dominion science facility, Project Blackstone, where she was forced to work as a beta-level xenobiologist.[2]
Lab Buddies[]
She proposed a larval cell adaptation project, and wanted to work on zerglings with Dr. Talen Ayers, but the zergling delivery was delayed. She disagreed with Ayers's thesis of zerg cells 'singing' to each other as part of genetic recognition on the cellular level. She was more inclined to link directed evolution to "Alpha Zerg" (e.g. queens and cerebrates).
Dr. Ayers tried to invite Dr. Cogan to a Valentine's Day meal, but she wasn't interested in "prehistoric" holidays.
The two discussed the notes of the late Dr. Sandra Loew, the creator of Project Tamed. Cogan commended her work with prions, but commented that the woman seemed a bit obsessed with her work. They discussed the upcoming mutalisk specimen delivery, along with a new researcher—Professor Jake Ramsey.
Cogan delivered her results to Dr. Helek Branamoor. He commented that she was starting to sound like Ayers in her use of language. Indeed, by this time, Ayers and Cogan had begun sneaking into each other's quarters for "post-laboratory analysis." They were able to bond over their shared concern for their daughters, neither of whom they'd heard from recently. The pair came to discuss overlord genetics later. Cogan agreed with Ayers's theories that the overlord's genetic code was largely unchanged from the Gargantis proximae due to the Swarm's desire to retain its psionic potential.[2]
Daughter Issues[]
- Talise Cogan(src)
Cogan contacted Dr. Daniel Rothfuss (another Blackstone researcher), wanting information on her daughter. He told her that Ariel had been caught up in the recent conflict, and contact had been lost with her at Meinhoff. Cogan came to the conclusion that her daughter was dead, and lashed out at Ayers for his supposed insensitivity. Cogan was later supposedly transferred off base, but in reality, was taken for protoss research in the depths of the Blackstone facility.
The Blackstone facility was overrun by zerglings released by Dr. Warren Held. Cogan reunited with Ayers and the other survivors in the base's depths, and had set one of the specimens free, which killed Held. The survivors ran low on oxygen, but were rescued by a Dominion force led by Valerian Mengsk, now emperor of the Dominion. He offered them a place on the Brin, a science vessel on which the project would continue.[2]
Evolution[]
In 2511, Cogan was assigned to accompany Emperor Valerian Mengsk as leading xenobiologist to the planet of Gystt for a diplomatic negotiation and to investigate how the planet had been able to recover from purification. While she stated she would not take part in the field work, she volunteered Doctor Erin Wyland, her colleague, for the survey team. In the lab of the Hyperion, Cogan investigated the samples brought aboard the ship. When a devourer brought a chitha body aboard the ship, Cogan did an autopsy of the body, discovering the breed's psionic power, xel'naga essence, and their well-developed speech centers traditionally seen in breeds higher in the zerg hierarchy.[3]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Blizzard Entertainment staff. 2010-07-24. Cast of Characters: Ariel Hanson. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2010-07-24.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Dayton, Cameron et al (July 21, 2014). StarCraft II: War Stories. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ASIN B00IWTWTBY.
- ↑ Zahn, Timothy (November 8, 2016). StarCraft: Evolution. Del Rey Books. ISBN 0425284735.