- Kern(src)
Kern was a Terran Dominion reaper who served under rogue reaper colonel Nero. Possessing a sense of morality, he disliked his superior's callous methods and often sought non-lethal solutions. This led to tension between the two of them.[1]
Biography
Kern and the other two reapers in Nero's squad (Rock and Pfaff) conducted an illegal operation against a Dominion science facility. They intended to steal high-technology items and sell them to the Kimeran Pirates. Kern tried to convince Nero that his "cowboy" style of killing everyone wasn't needed, but Nero said that eliminated witnesses, and if Kern complained about orders again, Nero would kill him.
Kern killed the marine guards and he ended up blowing up the facility. When Kern objected to the slaughter, Nero shot his left knee. Rock and Pfaff convinced him not to kill him, and Nero contacted the Dominion and claimed that "pirates" destroyed the facility and injured Kern, who lost his leg.
Kern would lose the knee and the rest of the leg below it. While healing in the Dominion hospital on New Sydney, Kern became a patient to a nurse named Cindy and would receive a prosthetic leg. At the same time, he also convinced Rock and Pfaff to turn on Nero, as they realized that the Dominion would eventually find out the truth, and they would be implicated for Nero's actions. They would claim they didn't know the orders were illegal until it was too late. Nero was arrested and the reapers testified against him at the trial. As a result, Nero was sentenced to death.[1]
A New Man
Kern and Cindy would fall in love. By 2503,[2] he was on Roxara, a small frontier colony, where he lived with Cindy and their daughter, Tiffy. His prosthetic leg was now starting to wear out, which bothered his daughter, as it meant he couldn't play with her as much as she would like.
Kern worried about his daughter, and the couple wouldn't allow her to go beyond the fence of their land by herself. However, when she saw a dark templar ship land she left anyway, discovering a dark templar named Lassatar. She thought he was an angel who would fix Kern's leg. After she volunteered and helped him find what he was looking for, Lassatar escorted her safely toward her family's property.
Nero escaped from prison and eventually discovered Kern's location. As Lassatar watched while cloaked, when Nero arrived, Kern begged him not to harm his family. A surprised Nero turned his guns on Cindy and Tiffy, only for Lassatar to uncloak and attack him in order to protect Tiffy. Nero ended up crippled during the fighting. When Kern told him to not ask for mercy, he reviled Kern. Nero yelled at Kern to shut up and kill him, and that he never could just do his job. Kern cut him off by shooting him in the head with his own gun.
Kern didn't understand Lassatar's presence. Thinking him a possible danger to his family, he nearly attacked the dark protoss. As Lassatar knelt to check on Tiffy, Kern pointed his gun and begged the protoss to spare his family. Lassatar, who had been biased against terrans (having met only military personnel before this), carefully approached and slowly reached out to Kern's head. When Kern allowed him to touch his forehead, Lassatar read his mind and, realizing that Kern had "remade" himself mentally, left the family in peace.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gerrold, David (w), Ruben de Vela (p), Dan Borgonos (i). "Fear the Reaper." In StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 4 (paperback binding), pp. 28-71. Tokyopop, October 1, 2009. ISBN 978-1427-81698-6.
- ↑ April 6, 2010. "Timeline". StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). pp. 311 - 323. ISBN 978-1416-55084-6.