Norad III

Norad III
Historical
Comissioned	March/April 2500
Destroyed	October 2500, Korhal IV
Physical
Race	Terran
Type	Behemoth-class battlecruiser (Norad-series)
Political
Affiliation	Terran Dominion Alpha Squadron Dominion Fleet
Role	Alpha Squadron flagship Terran Dominion flagship
Personnel
Commander(s)	General Edmund Duke Emperor Arcturus Mengsk
Crew	Lieutenant Scott (formerly)

Norad III
Unit
Race	Terran
Base unit	Battlecruiser
Properties
Size	Large
Sight	11
Protection
Hit points	1500
Armor	5
Combat
Ground attack	ATS Laser Batteries: 50 Yamato Cannon: 260
Air attack	ATA Laser Batteries: 50 Yamato Cannon: 260
Cooldown	30
Attack range	6

The Norad III was the Dominion flagship before and during the Brood War. A top of the line battlecruiser, it could carry over a thousand soldiers and two dozen starfighters.

History

The Great War

During the middle stages of the Great War, Alpha Squadron under Duke's command was deployed to Char to retrieve Sarah Kerrigan, who had been abducted by the zerg. The Norad III was Duke's flagship during the battle. However, the zerg attacked and defeated the terran fleet, and things weren't made easier when the Protoss Expeditionary Fleet arrived and destroyed most of the terran ships.

Though Duke's fleet suffered great losses during its attacks on Char, the Norad III managed to escape.

Bhekar Ro

After the Great War, Norad III led Alpha Squadron to Bhekar Ro, a backwater colony world which had then discovered a xel'naga temple. The Squadron's fleet was destroyed or disabled fighting the protoss and zerg attempting to secure the temple, and temporarily stranding the survivors. Norad III was subsequently repaired and returned to service.

The Brood War

Dylar IV

Months later, with the onset of the Brood War, the Norad III led the Dominion Armada to the Dylarian Shipyards in a reprisal against the UED Expeditionary Fleet which had commandeered a number of battlecruisers in dry-dock. The Dominion force was repelled.

Siege of Augustgrad

With the fall of Augustgrad to the UED, Arcturus Mengsk attempted to escape aboard the Norad III but was headed off by the UED flagship Aleksander. The ship was rescued by Jim Raynor and transported to Aiur via dimensional recall along with Raynor's flagship, the Hyperion, and a small protoss fleet.

The Last Battle

The Norad III returned to Augustgrad after the liberation of Korhal, but was ambushed by Infested Kerrigan's forces shortly after the zerg launched a sneak attack on Mengsk's base of operations. After a long battle the ship was destroyed with Duke aboard.

Notes

In Shadow of the Xel'Naga, Norad III was an extensively refitted and renamed Norad II. All of Alpha Squadron's battlecruisers were destroyed during the Battle of Bhekar Ro; if taken to mean the ships were unsalvageable this would preclude Norad III's appearance in StarCraft: Brood War.

Firstborn stated that merely most of Alpha Squadron's ships were destroyed at Bhekar Ro. This allows Norad III to survive either by reflecting subsequent salvage or by retconning Shadow of the Xel'Naga's battlecruiser statement.

North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a joint Canadian/United States military organization.

References

Ship Status
Status	Duration
Dominion battlecruiser and flagship	2500
Alpha Squadron battlecruiser and flagship	2500

Alpha Squadron Flagship
Preceded By	Duration	Succeeded By
Norad II	March/April 2500—?	Unknown

Terran Dominion Flagship
Preceded By	Duration	Succeeded By
Hyperion (Sons of Korhal flagship)	March/April—October 2500	Bucephalus?

Terran Dominion Base of Operations
Preceded By	Duration	Succeeded By
Korhal IV	September—October 2500	Korhal IV