Tempest

The tempest is an immense protoss capital ship developed after the first phase of the Second Great War to maximize the protoss war machine against its enemies, and specifically to answer the long-range weaponry of the zerg and the terrans. It ranks among the most powerful warships in the protoss arsenal, a slow-moving fortress whose kinetic matrix builds and launches a charged projectile over distances so great that they exceed the ship's own sensor range. Tempests are typically held behind protoss shock troops, softening enemy forces and reducing defensive emplacements before the main armies engage.

A warship built for reach#

The tempest was developed by the protoss after the first phase of the Second Great War, conceived to maximize the effectiveness of their war machine against enemies who had begun to outreach them. The zerg and the terrans both fielded long-range weaponry, and the tempest was the protoss answer: an immense capital ship that ranks among the most powerful warships in their arsenal. Its great mass is displaced by large thrusters that generate enough drive to move the vessel while drawing on the immense power output of its kinetic matrix. Phase-smiths fitted the ship with sophisticated stabilization technology to prevent energy fluctuations that might otherwise jeopardize the integrity of the hull when the primary weapon fires. For all its power, the tempest is not invulnerable, and focused fire can bring one down if an enemy closes the distance to engage it.

The kinetic matrix and its dangers#

The tempest's armament is housed around a kinetic matrix, and its cockpit is specially shielded and positioned to overlook the primary weapon. To fire, the pilot builds up volatile energies within the matrix, then propels that energy through the ship's hull, routing it through the multiple resonators, coils, and amplifiers housed in the claw-like fore of the vessel. Fused with a contained sphere of highly charged particles, the result is launched at distant targets. The projectile is unstable and slow moving, but it can travel over great distances to soften enemy forces or destroy defensive emplacements before protoss armies advance. For this reason tempests are usually situated behind protoss shock troops. The matrix's range is so large that it actually exceeds the radius of the tempest's own sensors, so the ships sometimes require spotters to reveal faraway targets.

Operating such a weapon demands fanatical discipline from the crew. Pilots must make constant adjustments to ensure each blast remains cohesive enough to reach its target, and they regulate the flow of energy from the kinetic matrix to prevent catastrophic overloads that could compromise or destroy the ship. The power coursing through the hull is so monumental that the pilots must wear bulky dampening armor simply to withstand it.

Coveted and remade across the factions#

The tempest impressed even those who rarely admired the Daelaam. Upon first seeing the ship in combat, the Tal'darim, in a rare case of being impressed by the Daelaam, vowed to seize them for the Death Fleet, and by 2506 tempests had been incorporated into their arsenal. The Ihan-rii built their tempests with a stone surface that enhanced their ability to focus the incredible output of their kinetic matrices. At the close of the End War, Phase-smith Karax developed tempests integrated into the Purifier data web, allowing them to be flown remotely and outfitted with advanced disintegration weaponry at no risk to protoss pilots. Their heavy armored plating made them the pride of the Purifier fleets. After the war, experimental phase-smiths inspired by the Golden Age of Expansion produced customized tempests clad in high-sheen ornamental plating that could withstand the destructive energies of the vessel's own weapon.