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Koprulu Sector: where three races met

The Terran Sector of the Galactic Fringe

A fringe region sixty thousand light years from Earth, settled by exiled humans. The Great War and the Brood War were both fought across its worlds.

By Bron

The Koprulu sector, nicknamed the Terran Sector, was a region of space on the galactic fringe of the Milky Way, sixty thousand light years from Earth. It was colonized by terrans, lay in the shadow of protoss space, and later saw incursions by the zerg. It served as the central stage for the conflicts of the StarCraft era. (StarCraft)

Early history#

With the arrival of humanity, settlers noted that the sector had been inhabited or at least graced by alien species, given the prevalence of lifeforms that appeared to have been formed artificially, but by the time of terran settlement no sapient species inhabited it, though the sector featured an extensive range of flora and fauna. (StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade)

When the colony ships Nagglfar, Argo, Sarengo, and Reagan ventured into the sector, they crash-landed on Tarsonis, Moria, and Umoja. Sixty years later, second-generation subwarp engines developed on Tarsonis allowed the colonies to make contact with one another. Tarsonian fleets continued to explore the sector, founding prosperous colonies on Korhal, Tyrador VIII, Tyrador IX, Brontes, Dylar IV, Chau Sara, and Mar Sara, and these colonies founded the Terran Confederacy. (StarCraft)

The Morians, who held the largest resource mining operations in the sector, merged the Morian Mining Coalition and the Kelanis Shipping Guild into the Kel-Morian Combine, wanting to maximize their ability to drain resources and fearing Confederate regulation. Rising tensions led to the Guild Wars in 2485, fought on worlds including Char and Turaxis II. The conflict ended with the Confederacy negotiating peace with the Combine in 2489, assuring Confederate supremacy in the sector for the next decade. (StarCraft; StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils)

The Great War and Brood War#

In 2499 the zerg infested Chau Sara, Mar Sara, Brontes, and Dylar IV. On December 8 the Koprulu Expeditionary Force incinerated Chau Sara from orbit, and the protoss did likewise with Mar Sara and Antiga Prime. The fall of Tarsonis collapsed the Confederacy in 2500, and Arcturus Mengsk formed the Terran Dominion, uniting the sector under one sovereign rule for the first time. (StarCraft; StarCraft: Brood War)

During the Brood War, the United Earth Directorate took control of the sector by sending an expeditionary fleet that occupied Korhal and enslaved the new Overmind. Their domination was brief. Under the command of the Queen of Blades, the zerg expelled the UED from Korhal and used the Nerazim Zeratul to kill the new Overmind, and the UED fleet was destroyed en route to Earth. (StarCraft: Brood War)

Interbellum and the wars that followed#

For the next four years Sarah Kerrigan's Swarm was the dominant force in the sector, refraining from overt hostilities against the terrans and protoss. The Khalai struggled to recover from the loss of Aiur while attempting to reunify their society with the Dark Templar, and their power bloc became known as the Daelaam. (StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty; StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters; StarCraft: Frontline Volume 1)

In 2504 Kerrigan launched an invasion of terran space to obtain the scattered pieces of the Keystone, which were eventually collected by Raynor's Raiders. The invasion ended in a Dominion attack on Char, where the artifact made Kerrigan human again and scattered her broods. After returning to the zerg and becoming the primal Queen of Blades, Kerrigan invaded Korhal, killed Mengsk, and ended the conflict before departing to confront the resurrected Xel'Naga Amon. Valerian Mengsk succeeded his father as monarch of the Terran Dominion. (StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty; StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm; StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void)

During the End War, the Koprulu sector became a battlefield as Amon unleashed the Golden Armada in a bid to eradicate all life, a war that ended with his defeat. By 2508 scientists reported a regrowth of life on previously barren worlds. (StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void)

Frequently asked questions

What is the Koprulu sector?
The Koprulu sector, nicknamed the Terran Sector, was a remote region of space on the galactic fringe of the Milky Way, sixty thousand light years from Earth. It was colonized by terrans, lay in the shadow of protoss space, saw later incursions by the zerg, and served as the central stage for the conflicts of the StarCraft era.
How was the Koprulu sector first settled by humans?
The colony ships Nagglfar, Argo, Sarengo, and Reagan ventured into the sector and crash-landed on Tarsonis, Moria, and Umoja. Sixty years later, second-generation subwarp engines developed on Tarsonis allowed the colonies to make contact with one another, and Tarsonian fleets went on to found prosperous colonies across the sector.
What were the Guild Wars in the Koprulu sector?
The Guild Wars were a conflict that began in 2485 after the Morians merged the Morian Mining Coalition and the Kelanis Shipping Guild into the Kel-Morian Combine, fearing Confederate regulation. Fought on worlds including Char and Turaxis II, the war ended when the Confederacy negotiated peace with the Combine in 2489.
What happened to the Terran Confederacy in the Koprulu sector?
In 2499 the zerg infested several worlds and the protoss began glassing infested planets. The fall of Tarsonis collapsed the Confederacy in 2500, after which Arcturus Mengsk formed the Terran Dominion and united the sector under one sovereign rule for the first time.
Did the United Earth Directorate ever control the Koprulu sector?
During the Brood War the United Earth Directorate took control of the sector by sending an expeditionary fleet that occupied Korhal and enslaved the new Overmind. Their domination was brief, as Sarah Kerrigan's zerg expelled them from Korhal and the UED fleet was destroyed en route to Earth.

Gallery

Koprulu sector

Images via StarCraft Wiki

Sources

  • GameStarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment, 1998 (including the manual)
  • GameStarCraft: Brood War, Blizzard Entertainment, 1998
  • BookStarCraft: Liberty's Crusade, Jeff Grubb, 2001
  • BookStarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters, Christie Golden, 2007
  • ComicStarCraft: Frontline Volume 1, Tokyopop, 2008
  • BookStarCraft II: Heaven's Devils, William C. Dietz, 2010
  • GameStarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Blizzard Entertainment, 2010
  • GameStarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard Entertainment, 2013
  • GameStarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, Blizzard Entertainment, 2015

Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.

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