Funny story! With a new expansion, came a ton of canon information I just had to reconsider for this work. I am rewriting the Protoss and Zerg sections to accommodate for the new canon, but I've had this baby prepared for a while. I hope you enjoy!

*reminder* this story is intimately related with Whispers of Darkness, which I would suggest you check out!

The Terran Race

Total Population: Approximately 22 billion individuals (conservative estimates)

Primary Governing Body: Terran Coalition, formed from the Dominion of Man, Umojan Protectorate and Kel-Morian Combine

Capital(s): Augustgrad City, Korhal IV (Korhal System)

Leader(s): Valerian Mengsk, Second Emperor of the Dominion of Man; Elena Kurnikova, President of the Umojan Protectorate; Adam Warsaw, Chairman of the Kel-Morian Combine.

Figures of Note:

James Raynor: Commander-in-chief of Raynor's Raiders, a rebel leader that toppled the previous Emperor of the Dominion, a tyrannical man by the name of Arcturus Mengsk. Currently held as the go-to advisor in diplomatic affairs by the current head of the Dominion, as well as several other governors and miscellaneous political leaders. Revered as a popular hero by the vast majority of Terran and Protoss population due to his hand in making peace with the Zerg Swarm and the Daelaam.

Matthew Horner: Admiral and commander-in-chief of the Terran Naval Forces, a calm, methodical man with a strong sense of justice and a brilliant tactical mind.

Moira Warfield: General and commander-in-chief of the Terran Armed Forces, daughter to the legendary Horace Warfield, and inheritor of her father's tactical expertise.

November Annabelle Terra: Head of the Terran Intelligence Section, and the deadliest Terran assassin to ever live.

Miranda Han-Horner: Governess of Dead Man's Rock, and Commander of Mira's Marauders, Koprulu's premier mercenary company.

"The universe never gave us a chance, but we're still alive and kicking. We got tossed to the far end of the galaxy, dropped smack dab between two ugly alien armies, and we're not all dead yet? Tell me that don't say something about us. We're too dumb to die. A smart species would've given up ages ago."

- Reddell "Red" Quinton, Chief Engineer for Project Blackstone.

We're done with the history lesson. At least, for the Terrans.

There is no better way to understand the Terran race than to sit at Joeyray's Bar in the backwater colony world of Mar Sara, drinking a couple of local beers and sitting at the counter, watching the shot TV and glancing every so often at the Hydralisk skull decorated with Christmas lights. The relaxed atmosphere and the great tunes are betrayed by the sense of foreboding that has never quite left the colonies of the Sara system - the feeling the locals describe as "waiting to be the unwilling protagonists of the next big event in history". It is an unsurprising way of thinking, given that events such as First Contact took place there, not just once, but twice.

Few Mar Sarans remember what it was like back then - mostly because few Terrans survived the affair - Joeyray being one of them. I got to meet him and share a few drinks, in which he described what being a Terran is all about.

Conflict. Death everywhere. Scraping a livelihood out of just about anything you can think of. Waiting to see which "pompous core-worlder" thinks is gonna order you around next.

It's better now, he admits. After the Second Great War, ended barely 18 years before the time of writing this, Terrans have a lot less to fear. While peace and cooperation can most likely never fully be attained with their alien neighbors, and the Terran Coalition relies entirely on the goodwill of its member organizations, a fairly solid neutrality ensures that conflict is stemmed. He jokes that most people resorted to sighing resignedly at the announcement of First Contact with the Citadel, "grabbing their rifles and dusting off the CMC for the umpteenth time" before the peaceful nature of the event was clarified, but I could see the weariness and resignation in his eyes.

Still, Terran nature, molded by the harshness of the sector, demands that they prepare for the next inevitable conflict. And really, who could blame them? Less than four centuries after their establishment, they were caught in the crossfire between Protoss and Zerg. The Terran military is perhaps one of the most flexible of any species to date - quite the achievement, given it shares its place in the galaxy with the Zerg.

Armed Forces

The Terran military, much like the Citadel races', is separated into two main branches: the Navy, and the Army. Other divisions such as Covert Ops and Research and Development knit the two together, forming a well oiled war machine that has been known to rival even the enigmatic Protoss and vicious Zerg in martial prowess.

Admiral Matthew Horner is a very busy man. For a man not a day older than 50, his hair has too much gray, and the bags under his eyes are too heavy. While married, he hasn't sired any children, nor does he intend to. His commitment is to the preservation of a free Terran race, a state which he helped construct as James Raynor's second in command in the once rogue organization known as Raynor's Raiders, which now operates as a sort of independent police force, mediating disputes and quarrels between the three major factions in the Koprulu Sector.

The interview I got with him was fairly short and clipped, but quite explanatory. It is understandable why Emperor Mengsk decided to appoint him as commander-in-chief of the entirety of the Terran Navy. Matt Horner, while a highly accomplished and genius tactician, is very humble. Even when describing the powerful warships under his command, and the brutally effective tactics employed by Terran battle groups, he simply stated facts, avoiding any and all boasting.

The Terran Navy is deceptively simple, when compared to others. Consisting of fleets centered around the warship class designated as Battlecruiser (a wholly different affair to the usual Council classification), Terran fleets are designed to outlast their enemies, with thick and regenerative neosteel armor known to resist even the most powerful of Protoss directed energy weapons. This attrition style is supported by the main armaments - continuously firing pulse laser batteries, plasma burst weaponry, and more conventional missile pods and Gauss cannons. Terran warships are highly modular, and can be retrofitted accordingly for almost any combat situation in a matter of hours. Battlecruisers themselves are mainly divided in three categories:

-The Minotaur-class is a 640 meter long warship, relatively fast and able to dish out sufficient punishment before being forced to pull back. This light cruiser/frigate hybrid is armed with 20 pulse laser batteries, 6 plasma torpedo launchers, 40 missile pods, and 60 anti-fighter Gauss cannons. Its hull is 1.75 meters thick and composed of Neosteel, a compound 20 times stronger and denser than regular steel, with regenerative properties provided by nanites, complemented by a technology called defensive matrix, which activates a strong particle shield at the expense of movement speed.

-The Gorgon-class is a 1200 meter hybrid between a destroyer and a heavy cruiser. Its armor is 2.5 meters thick, and is armed with double the weapon emplacements than the Minotaur is, plus the most iconic naval weapon the Terrans possess: the Yamato Cannon - a concentrated burst of plasma that can destroy almost any ship in a single hit, at the cost of leaving the Gorgon nearly defenseless for minutes. As an added defense, aside from the defensive matrix, the Gorgon is usually escorted by Valkyrie-class missile cruisers, a science vessel and dozens of fighter wings. As Terran warships are usually quite versatile, Gorgon-class Battlecruisers can also be retrofitted to a carrier and troop transport role and indeed usually bring in the Terran ground forces.

-Loki-class Battlecruisers are a dreadnought analogue with a unique main weapon: two ridiculously oversized gatling guns that shoot explosive shells containing plasma at 80 rounds per minute each. It may not sound like much, but each shell has enough destructive power to obliterate a Normandy-class Systems Alliance Stealth Vessel. The drawback of this rather overkill weapon is its low accuracy at long range, and its high ammunition consumption. At 1600 meters, Loki-class Battlecruisers are usually utilized as flagships, and surrounded by entire fleets to ensure the protection of this magnificent asset.

-Behemoth-class are older, more expensive models, measuring 1500 meters and boasting not just a primary Yamato Cannon, but also two secondaries at either side of the main battery. Once a symbol of Confederate power, and nigh-indestructible, less than a dozen Behemoth-class warships remain, one of them being the Hyperion, James Raynor's flagship.

Other vessels in the Terran Navy include:

-Valkyrie-class missile cruisers: a small, speedy vessel with strong anti-bomber capabilities due to its missile systems.

-Eureka-class research and development support vessels: an unorthodox ship design meant for exploration and research, but also outfitted for war in a support role, coordinating and accelerating the "healing" effect of Neosteel armor's nanites. As of the End War, the popularly named science vessels also carry a battle group's supply of tactical nuclear missiles, and boast a much heavier armor and point defense systems as a result.

-Liberator-class mobile artillery vessel: The Dominion's latest design, and a marvel of engineering, this 400 meter long warship can actually transform into a static turret to bolster blockades and other such orbital defenses.

-Hercules-class troop transports: enormous dropships with thick armor, quick-drop capabilities and oversized engines. They are usually deployed from Gorgon, Behemoth, and Loki-class warships.

-Hermes-class shuttles: large dropships capable of carrying up to two tanks, two full trooper squads, or a Thor walker.

-Revenant-class starfighter: a revamped space superiority fighter based on the venerable Wraith, armed with concussion missiles, a light pulse laser cannon, and a full-spectrum cloaking device.

-Viking-class fighter/bomber/walker: another marvel of Terran engineering, designed as an all-environment fighter, capable of carrying heavy payloads for bombing purposes, and having the unique ability to transform into a capable combat walker.

-Raven-class support corvette: a lightly armed, lightly armored warship designed to support ground forces by deploying static defenses and providing sensor data.

-Banshee-class gunship: a rotor based gunship meant for quick assaults and heavy air support. Capable of full-spectrum cloaking and sound dampening, making it ideal for unexpected raids.

As you can probably tell, there is a heavy emphasis on support. Terran warriors are at their best when in a tightly controlled formation, slowly taking enemy positions while taking as few losses as possible. The Terran war machine is tough and built to outlast its opponents.

This attrition style translates well to their ground forces; I met with General Moira Warfield, daughter of the late and legendary General Horace Warfield, to discuss the Terran ground forces. Moira is a grim woman, utterly distrustful of the other races in the sector due to her father's death at the claws of the Swarm, and the many soldiers and friends she's lost over the years to the two Great Wars. She is also, however, extremely loyal to Emperor Mengsk II, and intelligent enough not to question the benefits of a peaceful (or at least, neutral) coexistence with the Zerg and Protoss.

Terran ground forces are large, bulky, durable, and generally multi-purpose. Commanders usually focus in one of two styles of combat: Biological, or Mechanical. Ideally, a mix between the two is required, but most Terran strategists favor one over the other.

-The Marine is the basic Terran soldier unit. Standing as tall as the average Protoss when in their CMC-350 Powered Armor, Marines are usually (though as of late, not always) males, genetically and bio-mechanically enhanced to be strong and hardy enough to pilot their armor. They wield enormous C15 Gauss Rifles, commonly nicknamed "spike throwers" due to the unique projectiled they use, meant for maximum damage to flesh and/or internal systems. Aside from their already heavy and thick armor, Marines are equipped with combat shields made of Neosteel (basically, military grade riot shields) that can shrug off small arms fire. The Marine is the backbone of the Terran Army, used in everything from garrisons to rapid insertions into hostile territory - the infamous Terran drops.

-Marauders are heavy infantry units, bearing twin grenade launchers for suppression and armor elimination. Usually deployed in pairs alongside a squad of eight Marines and two medics. Marauders are highly dangerous, as their armors are equipped with nanofabricators that can provide a near endless supply of concussion grenades.

-Firebats are highly specialized units armed with dual flamethrowers, usually deployed in situations where lightly armored targets are encountered in close quarters conditions. These soldiers have a clear pyromaniacal tendency the longer they stay (and survive) in service.

-The Medic ranks are filled entirely with females, even to this day. Using precise nanobot and laser technology, they can treat and operate on site, saving a great deal of lives, even if the treatment is reportedly extremely uncomfortable. They are well armored, but lightly armed with a mounted arm cannon and stun grenades.

-Reapers are light troops armed with jump packs and small arms, designed for quick hit and run tactics and recon. They also carry explosives, usually used for sabotaging enemy defensive lines. According to James Raynor, you have to be "crazier than a senile Protoss" to enlist as one. For personal safety concerns, they are currently being phased out of the Armed Forces.

-Ghosts are covert operatives, routinely used to take out high priority targets via sabotage or assassination. Terran commanders also rely on them to pinpoint the location where tactical nuclear weapons may be of most use. Ghosts honor their namesakes by cloaking themselves in a psionically powered stealth suit, being fully invisible to everything but the most advanced of sensors.

As for the cavalry, the Terrans have a great deal available:

-Siege Tanks are the signature mechanized weapon in their arsenal; whether in regular, threaded mode, or static artillery (siege) mode, no Terran commander would ever scoff at the sheer utility of a Siege Tank column at their disposal.

-Hellions are quick response units armed with a powerful flamethrower, that can transform into 'battle' mode, losing range but gaining durability and utility as a light frontline walker.

-Goliaths are very well balanced combat walkers armed with powerful autocannons for dealing with ground forces, and homing anti-air missiles.

-Thor walkers are the cream and crop of ground based mechanical weapons. Making the earth under their feet thunder with every step they take, they are the embodiment of 'shock and awe' as a concept. A single driver pilots this massive mech, which is in turn armed with a 350mm mounted artillery unit, anti-aircraft missile systems, and their main weapon, the Mjolnir explosive siege cannons. Not even a Krogan Tomkah armored transport can shrug off a round from the Mjolnir, aptly named for the powerful weapon of a god of thunder rightly wields. Thor walkers do have a few weaknesses: they're slow, huge targets, and vulnerable to swarming attacks, so they must rely on heavy ground and air support.

Terran offensives are generally cautious, with a heavy emphasis on air cover, regardless of which units a Commanding Officer chooses to employ. There are other, seldom used, high casualty strategies which rely on the sheer staying power of Terran ground forces to push through an opponent's' line, before delivering a massive, synchronized attack. Terran forces are also adept at harassing enemy bases and supply lines, either with fast strikes by Banshee aircraft or Hellion buggies, or via the drop, in which one or more (usually up to three) dropships will deposit a team of marines and medics each behind enemy lines, to disrupt defenses, eliminate resource caches, and provide an opening for a ground push or a tactical nuclear/orbital laser strike.

The Terran defense, however, is where they truly shine. Known jokingly as "turtling", their defensive strategy consists of abundant static defense, provided by bunkers, turrets, burrowed flamethrowers, siege tanks lines, command center-mounted Ibiks cannons...the list goes on. Terran COs seem uncannily gifted at the art of defense, which makes sense considering they were surrounded by hostile alien races (and their own species, for a very long time), and forced to adapt.

At the end of the day, when Turians compliment your strategy, Salarians want to steal your technology, and Asari admire your resolve, you know you belong to a winning race. Yet, if the Terrans are winners, our next species are champions.

This story takes place approximately 17 years after Whispers of Darkness. I'm sorry to say General Warfield (whose life I 'saved' for Whispers of Darkness) is dead by now. I won't tell you how. Moira Warfield is his daughter, and obviously, an OC.

Next chapter, we go back and know about post-LotV Protoss society. Please be patient, however; school is dominating my life, and without a laptop I'm mostly forced to write on my phone, which SUCKS, by the way. Spelling is a nightmare. Anyway, until next time!