Raynor's Raiders

Raynor's Raiders are a fictional unit of Terran troops in the StarCraft universe, led by Jim Raynor. The group frequently includes Protoss among its number, especially when Fenix was a part of the group.

Template:Spoiler Raynor's Raiders is an independent pirate group that makes its home in the Koprulu Sector, possessing no one headquarters of operation; rather, the group operates from its flagship, the Hyperion, a Behemoth-class battlecruiser captured and refitted by the Sons of Korhal before StarCraft and then hijacked by Jim Raynor at the end of StarCraft Episode I.

Rebellion against the Sons of Korhal

After the debacle over Tarsonis, Sons of Korhal Captain James Raynor left the terrorist organisation after feeling betrayed and used by its dissembling leader Arcturus Mengsk. Many others felt the same way, and some of the deserters were former Mar Sara militia members under the command of Raynor.

Arcturus Mengsk and Alpha Squadron General Edmund Duke returned to the orbital platforms over Tarsonis to punish the Raynor's Raiders. The Raiders were heavily outnumbered. In order to escape from Tarsonis's space platforms, Raynor's Raiders had to destroy the powerful Ion Cannon which had been activated by General Duke. The Cannon would destroy Raynor's forces as they fled. With a daring thrust against the Sons of Korhal, Raynor was able to destroy the Cannon, and then make good his escape.

Conflict with the Zerg

Following their escape from Tarsonis, the small armada found its way to Char after its leader, Raynor, was psychically called to the burnt-out world. Alpha Squadron General Edmund Duke was also in the area, acting as a Terran Dominion enforcer.

Both had been lured there by psychic emissions produced by Sarah Kerrigan, who had been encased in a cocoon by a new Zerg Brood, where she was undergoing a metamorphosis into a special Infested Terran. Duke attacked the new Zerg Brood but was defeated. He was pursued by the Tiamat Brood.

Raynor's forces arrived, avoiding Duke's forces. They also came into conflict with the Zerg. During the battle, Infested Kerrigan emerged from the cocoon and defeated his forces. Kerrigan allowed Jim Raynor to leave Char alive.

The remnants of Raynor's Raiders fled to an orbital station over Char. It would be here that the renegade group would meet up with and join the Protoss fleet under the command of former Protoss Executor Tassadar. Raynor said that Tassadar "laid it on the line for me and my crew on Char".

Alliance with the Protoss

Raynor provided some assistance to Tassadar when Aldaris travelled to Char seeking Tassadar's arrest. Raynor witnessed the beginning of the Templar Caste rebellion against the Judicators and also assisted Tassadar in rescuing Zeratul.

This alliance would lead Raynor to Aiur where he would befriend the Protoss people and gain their respect, as well as the friendship of Praetor Fenix, a respected Templar hero.

During the battle to rescue Tassadar from the Judicator Caste, Raynor provided assistance from the Hyperion, although the rest of his forces did not assist. This was the first time Raynor fought alongside Fenix.

Raynor provided major assistance in the final battle against the first Zerg Overmind. His forces maintained a base on the northwest flank of the Zerg forces, while Tassadar, Fenix and Zeratul attacked from the southeast. Together their pincer attack drove the Zerg into disarray. Unfortunately, the Dark Templar could not approach the Overmind so they could assassinate it, and Tassadar's Carrier, the Ganthrithor, was heavily damaged. Tassadar drew upon his Dark Templar training to destroy the Overmind in a suicidal attack.

Raynor's Raiders in the Brood War

From Aiur the group would continue to serve alongside Protoss warriors under the direction of Captain Raynor, and helped defend the flank of refugee Khalai as they abandoned their homeworld. After the evacuation of the Protoss, Fenix refused to leave Aiur, and Raynor remained with him.

The Raiders had come to an agreement with Infested Kerrigan. She offered assistance in combating the United Earth Directorate, which had entered the Koprulu Sector and was conquering the Terran Dominion. Arcturus Mengsk, Emperor of the Dominion, had been deposed by the United Earth Directorate on the Throne World of Korhal IV. The Raiders, with the assistance of Protoss forces and flying the Hyperion, rescued Mengsk. He was placed in stasis. The Raiders then fled to Aiur, where the Protoss maintained a small outpost near the planet's Warp Gate.

The United Earth Directorate arrived on Aiur, seeking Mengsk for execution. They discovered the Warp Gate, which was protected by a small Protoss outpost. It appeared to be all the Protoss had left on Aiur. Raynor's outpost was a short distance away - the majority of his forces weren't there, and the Hyperion was nowhere to be seen. The Gate was surrounded by several Zerg Hive Clusters, which were dormant. When the Gate was activated, these Zerg started attacking the Protoss and the UED. Despite these odds, the UED destroyed the Protoss outposts, along with Raynor's Command Center.

Kerrigan provided direct aid to the Raiders - using her secret agent, Infested Duran, supposedly a special advisor to the United Earth Directorate, she created a hole in the UED's defenses. Her Zerg drove the UED away from the Warp Gate, allowing Raynor and Mengsk to escape again.

The Psi Disruptor and Kerrigan's Weakness

Despite Infested Duran's best efforts, the United Earth Directorate activated the powerful anti-Zerg weapon, the Psi Disruptor, revealing Duran as an Infested Terran. They also captured the second Zerg Overmind, putting themselves in control of most Zerg in the Koprulu Sector. Many other Zerg were left uncontrolled. Infested Kerrigan herself could barely keep her own Zerg in line on Tarsonis, where she was hiding out.

In return for destroying the Psi Disruptor, she promised Jim Raynor and Fenix that she would topple the United Earth Directorate fleet in the Koprulu Sector. To do this she needed the help of Arcturus Mengsk. Mengsk was "defrosted" and offered a choice - work with Kerrigan, or perpetual imprisonment in stasis.

Fenix and Raynor agreed to work with Kerrigan (and Mengsk had no real choice in the matter), but they believed Kerrigan would betray them. Jim Raynor felt the United Earth Directorate was a greater threat than Kerrigan - he knew someting of Earth's history.

Kerrigan's plan called for an attack on Braxis, where the Psi Disruptor had been relocated by Vice Admiral Stukov of the UED. Raynor's Raiders would destroy the Disruptor's fusion reactors, which were poorly guarded, while one of Mengsk's SCVs would carry a psi-emitter to lure the uncontrolled Zerg in the area. These Zerg would fall under the control of Infested Kerrigan, enabling her to rebuild her forces once the Psi Disruptor was destroyed.

The Raiders' attack shut down the Disruptor, and with her tiny reinforcements, Kerrigan's Zerg Swarm quickly grew large enough to destroy the UED forces guarding the Disruptor. Finally, she destroyed the Disruptor itself. The UED Expeditionary Force was doomed, even if it did not know it yet.

True Colors

The Raiders, Terran Dominion and Infested Kerrigan's Zerg Swarm cooperated in an attack against Korhal. The United Earth Directorate only had a small number of Zerg forces on the planet to assist them. The coalition defeated the UED, driving them from the planet.

This was when Kerrigan turned on her former allies - while they were resting from their attack on the UED. Her forces fell upon the Protoss contingent of Raynor's Raiders, defeating them and killing Fenix. The Raiders lost most if not all of their Protoss support. (Kerrigan also attacked and killed Mengsk's ally General Edmund Duke and destroyed Alpha Squadron).

Despite Kerrigan's wretched betrayal, Raynor swore revenge for the killing of his friend Fenix, and left the region destitute of any speculation of his whereabouts.

Aftermath

Raynor's Raiders did make a reappearance in Resurrection IV. The Raiders worked with the Protoss, Artanis and Taldarin, to right a terrible wrong on Braxis.

During the evolution of the war the renegade Raynor's Raiders would continue to refine their skills, moving from a small group employing conventional military tactics to a more subversive, special-operations commando unit.

References

• StarCraft homepage at Blizzard Entertainment
• Battle.net StarCraft Compendium