StarCraft: Speed of Darkness
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Starcraft: Speed of Darkness is the third StarCraft novel, written by author Tracy Hickman. The action revolves around a small group of Terran Marines on Mar Sara during StarCraft Episode I. They must battle the Zerg and come to terms with the Sons of Korhal ... and even their masters, the Confederacy of Man.
The novel's protagonist, Ardo Melnikov, a new recruit in the Confederacy's marine forces, is devastated over his memories of the destruction of his homeworld, Bountiful, and the loss of his childhood sweetheart Melani. As part of a platoon under Lieutenant Breanne and platoon sergeant Littlefield, Private Melnikov is assigned to the Terran border colony of Mar Sara. The platoon, consisting of Marines, Firebats and four to five Vulture hover cycles, is sent on a "reconnaissance-in-force" into an abandoned backwater town, where they encounter the Zerg. They shortly recover a mysterious "box" and an unconscous woman. The remnants of the platoon retreat towards their base, but before they get far, a tactical nuke drops behind them, obliterating the town. When they reach their base, it too is found deserted save for an SCV operator.
The woman from the town awakens and Melnikov mistakes her for Melani. Ardo soon discovers she has psionic powers. She tries to help him come to terms with his loss, but Ardo soon finds that his memories may be fake, created by the neural resocialization tanks of the Confederacy. In fact, he may have actually been abducted by Marines as a form of conscription. Soon, the platoon, trapped in their base, realize that the Confederate forces are abandoning Mar Sara and that civilians will shortly be under attack by the Zerg. It is revealed that the mysterious woman is a member of the Sons of Korhal and was sent to plant the box; which is, in reality, a Psi Emitter designed to lure the Zerg to Mar Sara. The platoon was sent to find the emitter and was supposed to have died in the nuclear strike, an example of the Confederacy's callous disregard for Terran lives.
An effort to evacuate the platoon from the base ends disastrously: a flight of Mutalisks notices the base and attacks, and Sergeant Littlefield is killed defending the Command Center. Lieutenant Breanne decides to reactivate the Psi Emitter to distract the Zerg from the civilians attempting to flee Mar Sara in transports. The platoon sets about fortifying the base in preparation for the impending attack. The platoon is eventually reduced to Melnikov, Breanne, Cutter (a Firebat), Jans (the SCV operator), Bernelli (another Marine) and the psionic woman in a single Bunker. Eventually, they are overwhelmed and killed, but not before the civilian transports escape to orbit.
| StarCraft by Blizzard Entertainment | |
|---|---|
| StarCraft Universe | Gameplay of StarCraft • StarCraft storyline • Psionic technology |
| Factions and Organizations | Judicator Caste • Kel-Morian Combine • Khalai Caste • Protoss • Protoss Conclave • Pirate Militias • Raynor's Raiders • Sons of Korhal • Templar Caste • Terran • Terran Confederacy • Umojan Protectorate • United Earth Directorate • Xel'Naga • Zerg • Zerg Brood |
| Locations | Aiur • Antiga Prime • Braxis • Char • Chau Sara • Korhal • Mar Sara • Moria • Shakuras • Talematros • Tarsonis • Umoja • Zerus |
| Characters | Aldaris • Artanis • Gerard DuGalle • Edmund Duke • Samir Duran • Fenix • Sarah Kerrigan • Arcturus Mengsk • Nova • Raszagal • Jim Raynor • Alexei Stukov • Tassadar • Zeratul • Zerg Overmind • Minor Characters |
