Samir Duran

Samir Duran —better known as Duran or Lieutenant Duran— is a character in the StarCraft universe. Duran was introduced as a Terran Lieutenant who was later infested by the Zerg and turned into a Zerg/Terran hybrid. In StarCraft: Brood War, Duran is voiced by Paul Ainsley.

Biography

Template:Spoiler Little is known about Duran, except what he has said about himself. By his own account, Duran, 33, served in the Alpha Squadron of the Terran Confederacy before Arcturus Mengsk brought it down. Duran then led a small commando squad called the Confederate Resistance Forces that was dedicated to striking at Mengsk and his new Terran Dominion. Though most of his comrades regard Duran as a sly and cunning leader, few believed the truth about his mysterious nature.

Special Advisor

When the United Earth Directorate launched its first attack against the Terran Dominion on the world Braxis, Duran offered his services to the UED Vice Admiral Alexi Stukov. Stukov accepted, because both men had the same enemy, and because Duran could prove to be a valuable asset, but he was suspicious. This was not a deal that Admiral DuGalle approved at first glance, because in his eyes Duran was merely a "turncoat" to the Dominion.

Due to the information gained from Boralis, DuGalle set his sights on more important targets - such as the shipyards of Dylar IV. Dylar had been an important Terran Confederacy world, but was overwhelmed by the Zerg. However, the Terran Dominion had reclaimed the planet, constructing a huge shipyard in orbit over it.

Duran warned DuGalle that the Terran Dominion could respond to any attack made on the outlaying Dominion border worlds within 16 standard hours. DuGalle accepted the information, but scorned Duran's treachery, while Stukov was happy to accept the warning. The Dominion General Edmund Duke led a force against the UED task force, which had captured a number of battlecruisers held in drydock over Dylar IV. The UED was victorious, and forced the military forces that could not escape Dylar IV into their service.

Admiral DuGalle took the UED fleet to Tarsonis, where he believed a hidden weapons relay called the Psi Disruptor was located. Duran suggested the Psi Disruptor was such a powerful and dangerous piece of technology that it should be destroyed before Arcturus Mengsk could get his hands on it, but Vice Admiral Stukov believed its anti-Zerg abilities would greatly assist the UED in defeating the Zerg. DuGalle, perhaps surprisingly, agreed with Duran. He ordered Duran to personally descend to the surface of Tarsonis to reach and destroy the Psi Disruptor. Duran defeated the Zerg which had clustered around the Disruptor, only to run into resistance from Stukov's Ghosts. They said they would take care of the matter themselves. Duran did not challenge them.

Treason

Admiral DuGalle had defeated Arcturus Mengsk at his throne world of Korhal, but Mengsk escaped with the assistance of Jim Raynor. The two were protected by Fenix's Protoss forces on the Protoss homeworld of Aiur. DuGalle did not know why the Protoss were harboring them, but he followed them to the world. He found them in a small command center, near a Warp Gate, which could take them anywhere. The Gate was closed, however.

Stukov, Duran, DuGalle and his captain were all assigned positions around the Protoss, with the captain's forces to enter the area and attack the Protoss. Shortly thereafter, the Warp Gate was activated. Nonetheless, the captain's forces defeated the Protoss, but Mengsk and Raynor made a desperate dash towards the Warp Gate to freedom.

Stukov detects a wave of Zerg attacking from the northeast, but Duran had moved his forces out of place. Duran claimed his equipment wasn't detecting the Zerg, and perhaps there was a problem with Stukov's equipment. Then he claimed his communications equipment isn't working, and cut off the transmission.

The Zerg interfere with the UED operation, allowing Mengsk and Raynor to escape. The Warp Gate then self-destructs.

Stukov tells the captain that he must leave, as he has personal business. He doesn't explain his actions to the captain, DuGalle or Duran.

Tracking him to Braxis, DuGalle and Duran became aware of a new development ... the Psi Disruptor had been reconstructed and had been activated.

Duran told DuGalle that Stukov had betrayed him, and that he reconstructed the Disruptor in order to sabotage DuGalle's mission in the Koprulu Sector.

DuGalle said he couldn't believe it, but believed the evidence is incontrovertible. He ordered Duran to enter the Disruptor and deal with the traitor.

Duran led a number of UED marines into the base, defeating Stukov's personal guard. Finally he found Vice Admiral Stukov himself. Duran says he's here to terminate Stukov's command, and Stukov says they both know what he's here to terminate. Duran then shoots Stukov, using a different weapon from his canister rifle, and vanishes. The dying Stukov tells DuGalle that he believes Duran is infested, and is a traitor to the UED. Duran convinced DuGalle not to activate the Psi Disruptor, and allowed Mengsk and Raynor to escape. As Stukov lays dying, the Psi Disruptor's self-destruct activates, and Zerg pour into the structure. Stukov says this is proof of Duran's treachery, and then expires. A vengeful DuGalle orders the computer to find Duran, but it cannot. DuGalle's forces, allying again with Stukov's personal guard, successfully defeated the Zerg and saved the Psi Disruptor.

Infestation

Duran is revealed to have been infested by the Zerg, possibly in the final stages of Episode V, turning him into an Zerg/Terran Hybrid. This transformation was expected to make Duran a servant of the infested Sarah Kerrigan in the same manner that all the Zerg Swarm becomes. Stukov believed that Duran may have been infested even before he met the United Earth Directorate expedition, in part because he tried to get DuGalle to destroy the Psi Disruptor.

Duran becomes represented in-game by a new unit, called Infested Duran, which is slightly more powerful, and has a slightly different sounding voice.

Advisor to the Queen

Admiral DuGalle, having successfully defended the Psi Disruptor, launches an attack against the Zerg on Char with the aim of capturing the second Zerg Overmind. The Disruptor weakens Zerg communications, throwing them into disarray. After a hard-fought battle, DuGalle defeats the three Zerg Cerebrates guarding the new Overmind and captures it, using specialized chemicals to keep the Overmind pacified.

Samir Duran makes an appearance at this point. Speaking in an infested voice, he introduces DuGalle to Infested Kerrigan. Kerrigan says the Zerg and Duran belong to her, and that the Psi Disruptor won't protect DuGalle for long. Then she and Duran flee.

Duran acts as Kerrigan's right-hand man during Episode VI. His infested status is known to Kerrigan's new allies, Fenix and Jim Raynor. The alliance, which grows to include exiled Terran Dominion emperor Arcturus Mengsk, launches a daring plan to defeat the United Earth Directorate forces on Korhal. They are successful. However, Kerrigan and Duran hatched a plot to attack their recent allies - Duran's tactical knowledge proves critical in Kerrigan's success, as he knew how long it would take Mengsk and Fenix's forces to rest and recover from their very recent battle against the UED.

Duran and Kerrigan fled to the relative safety of Tarsonis, but the planet did not remain safe for long. Admiral DuGalle sent his forces there in a revenge attack. During this battle, Duran "rallied the troops" and issued direct orders to a Zerg Cerebrate.

Duran's insidious plans enabled Kerrigan to capture the Dark Templar Matriarch Raszagal from her citadel on Shakuras. His knowledge of Protoss technology was extremely useful as well, enabling him to use the Protoss' defenses against them, explosively. However, Kerrigan had not seen fit to tell him the reasons for this assault, which particularly dangerous because Shakuras was still defended by the Xel'Naga Temple. She and Duran travelled to Char, intending to face the enslaved Zerg Overmind and the UED troops guarding it. Duran pointed out that only Dark Templar could slay the new Overmind, but Kerrigan enjoyed seeing him unable to figure out her plans - that was when Zeratul appeared.

When Zeratul rescued the Matriarch, after slaying the second Overmind for Kerrigan, Duran's knowledge of Protoss technology was useful once again - he knew how long it would take for the Protoss to escape from Kerrigan's forces.

The Mystery Deepens

At one of the final stages of Episode VI, Kerrigan loses all her psionic links with Duran for no explained reason. Fleeing from Kerrigan's forces on Char, Zeratul discovers that Duran was secretly (and under orders from an unknown authority) breeding a Zerg/Protoss Hybrid on a dark moon. This seems to be a completion of the now dead Overmind's goal of merging the Protoss and Zerg, who stated that this would make the swarm truly perfect. From the manner in which Duran replied to Zeratul (with a completely inhuman voice), claiming to be many millennia old and has been through many names, Duran's background became even more enigmatic. He claims further that he is serving a "higher power." Fan speculation is abound, but the Xel'Naga appears the most popular. Other theories include that Duran is either working for the Overmind, or is the Overmind himself in some way, or that Duran is in some way the same man as Doran Routhe.

Game Unit

Duran, represented by a Terran Ghost unit, generally wears a white muscle shirt, blue pants, and a Beret. He also carries his powerful C-10 Canister Rifle*. As a hero, Duran's weapon is imbued with power 3 times that of a normal Ghost and is not at all representative of the Ghost as a unit.

Duran becomes represented in-game by a new unit, called Infested Duran. He has more hit points and a carapace (although it's not very obvious). He still uses a canister rifle, however, and his cloaking device is obviously a technological device, as it makes a "high-tech sound" when he consumes a Zerg, somehow feeding its biological energy into the device. His voice changes to that of an Infested Terran. Curiously, Infested Duran is the only unit to be upgraded with weapon and armor upgrades from separate factions: Zerg Carapace upgrades will improve Duran's armor, but it is Terran Infantry Weapon upgrades that improve the power of his weaponry.

Click Duran (either version) many times and he will mention the 80's band, Duran Duran, and one of its hits: "Is There Something I should Know?"

References

• StarCraft homepage at Blizzard Entertainment
• Battle.net StarCraft Compendium
• Duran's Biography @ Blizzard Entertainment - official site.
• Underwood, Peter, Chris Metzen and Bill Roper. StarCraft: Brood War (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.