United Earth Directorate
Political
Type	Earth government
Race(s)	Human
Leader	UED Council
Societal
Capital/Base	Earth
Official language	English (official) Other minor languages
Historical
Formed from	United Powers League
Date established	2499/2500
Status	Active (some remnants of the expeditionary force remain in the Koprulu Sector)

The United Earth Directorate (UED) is a human government based on Earth. The UED succeeded the United Powers League (UPL) after the undeniable confirmation of the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life.^[1]

HistoryEdit

Main article: United Powers League

Following the decline of Western civilization the United Powers League took control of Earth. The UPL banned religions in favor of an ideology based around the "divinity of mankind" and opposed physical "impurities" within the human species. To this end, it pursued an aggressive policy of cultural rationalization through the destruction of religions and languages. "Project Purification", a campaign to ensure mankind's purity as a species was instituted: it was a campaign of mass genocide in which over 400 million people, mainly mutants, cyborgs, and declared criminals, were eradicated. Doran Routhe, a brilliant scientist, used many of these prisoners in a colonization experiment. The prison ships were lost, eventually disgorging their passengers in a habitable star system in the Koprulu Sector.^[2]

The End of the United Powers LeagueEdit

Although the terran settlers of the Koprulu Sector were unaware of it, they were monitored by those who had exiled them. At first the UPL were disinterested observers. They had little interest or incentive in involving themselves with the backwater colonials.

This state of affairs changed when the Koprulu Sector was invaded by the protoss and the zerg. The UPL had never encountered intelligent extraterrestrial life before. When the existence of the aliens was revealed it caused widespread panic.^[1] The UED's had a monitoring system there to discover this information.^[3]

Formation of the United Earth Directorate Edit

While what was going on between terrans of the Koprulu Sector was an issue United Powers League showed little interest in, the UPL could not afford the possibility of an alien invasion of Earth. This occasion brought the nations that had stayed out of UPL's domain into it, expanding its power. As a result of these changes the United Powers League was reformed and named as the United Earth Directorate.^[1]

The Galactic War for DominationEdit

Adopting a more proactive, militaristic policy in regards of alien affairs, the UED used considerable resources in studying the protoss and zerg. The UED, after having conducted research on the alien races for months, believed that they were capable of countering the aliens and decided to end the conflict in Koprulu Sector by any means necessary.^[1]

Main article: Brood War (conflict)

An expeditionary force was placed under the command of Admiral Gerard DuGalle, a brilliant and talented commander. Admiral DuGalle was given three main objectives when he would arrive in Koprulu Sector:

1. Conquer all of the "rogue" terran colonies, and capture Arcturus Mengsk, the Emperor of the newly formed Terran Dominion.
2. Take control of the entire Zerg Swarm by capturing the new Overmind with psychics and powerful drugs.
3. Use the captured Zerg Swarm to pacify all protoss activity within the sector.

The UED justified this act as a means of assuring the survival and prosperity of humanity throughout the galaxy.^[1]

Main article: StarCraft Episode V

The fleet journeyed to the Koprulu Sector with its cargo of troops in cold sleep,^[4] and arrived without incident. Early on a colony was sacrificed to the zerg so that the UED could observe live zerg in action.^[5] The invaders met with early successes with the routing of the Terran Dominion^[6] and augmented themselves by conscripting local forces.^[7] The forces of the second Overmind too were enslaved,^[8] but only after the Psi Disrupter was secured through the sacrifice of Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov.^[9] This left the majority of the zerg under the control of the UED.^[10]

Main article: StarCraft Episode VI

The UED occupation provoked resentment and mistrust from the sector's traditional occupants, and it was only a matter of time before the initial shock wore off and the displaced banded together to resist the newcomers. Under Infested Kerrigan's direction (along with her "allies" Fenix, Jim Raynor and Arcturus Mengsk), the UED's hold on the sector was critically weakened by the destruction of the Psi Disrupter,^[11] which enabled Kerrigan to control her Swarms, followed by the destruction of the UED forces on Korhal.^[12] Striking another "alliance" with the Dark Templar, Kerrigan destroyed the second Overmind at Char, severely weakening the UED fleet.^[13] A final attempt by DuGalle to retrieve the situation at Char failed^[14] and the remnants of the UED fleet were forced to flee the sector. None of the fleeing fleet managed to elude their zerg pursuers and return to the UED^[15].

Remnants of the fleet remained hidden in the sector.^[10][16]

The UED attempted to discover what had happened in the Koprulu Sector^[17], but their spy network returned only incomplete information.^[3]

After the warEdit

In the following years, the UED turned its attention to internal affairs.^[18]

Interest in the Koprulu Sector waned but it was not forgotten.^[19] The defeat was a temporary setback; the loss of the expeditionary fleet had only a minor impact on UED strength.^[20] The UED needed time to plan and assemble political support for a future invasion.^[17] The UED's return was expected within the Sector.^[21][22]

Military WingsEdit

• UED Armored Corps
• UED Expeditionary Fleet
  • Atlas Wing (ground forces)
  • Cronus Wing (space forces)

Technology Edit

The UED Expeditionary Fleet used nearly identical technology and munitions as the Koprulu Sector terrans. Notable exceptions included infantry small arms.^[23][24]

The terrans of the Koprulu Sector developed technology based on ATLAS' databanks after the Long Sleep. As the computer originated on Earth, the two cultures would have a common technological base with similar characteristics. However, it would be more likely for the UED to be more advanced. Chris Metzen speculates that another reason the UED and the Colonials used similar equipment is because the UED left their "big guns" behind and relied heavily on local production and technology, such as the Dylarian Shipyards, the Confederate Resistance Forces of Samir Duran, and the Psi Disrupter. That would also allow the initial UED invasion force to be smaller.^[20]

Known MembersEdit

Main article: UED personnel.

• Admiral Gerard DuGalle
• Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov
• Major Kilbourne
• "The Captain"
• Commandant Miloshek
• Lieutenant Thomas Dufay
• Ed Smith
• Cole
• Harry
• Johnny
• Johnson
• Malmsteen
• Marine 384DTA47631

Known TerritoriesEdit

Star Systems/RegionsEdit

• Centauri Colonies
• Solar System
• Tau Ceti System

WorldsEdit

• Abaddon (remnants, shared with other factions)
• Earth (capital world)
  • Luna
• Exgelia IV (formerly?)
• Reynif II (formerly?)

Notes Edit

• It appears that the UED may use a different calendar than its terran counterparts, as the year 2500 has been displayed as being in the year 872, making Year 0 1629 AD.^[25] However, with the lack of any reference to the nature of this date having been made and that '99 has also been used to depict dates (coinciding with the year 2499),^[26] this may be a cinematic error.

• Chris Metzen speculated about the nature and level of UED weapons, making an aside about "uber tachyon lasers" and other "big guns" remaining behind in UED territory proper during the Brood War.^[20]

• The United Earth Directorate appears to be loosely based on the United Citizen Federation of the movie Starship Troopers. Similarities can be seen at the end of Episode V, during the UED Victory movie.^[25]

• The UED appears as an optional faction in StarCraft: The Board Game: Brood War. Players must remove one of the previously existing terran factions (Terran Dominion or Raynor's Raiders) in order to accommodate the UED.^[27]

ReferencesEdit