The Protoss
In the process of documenting these enigmatic beings, I was forced to recall an old parable told to me during my earliest days in the UPL's Officer Academy in Orleans, that of an elephant being described by three blind men. One felt the trunk and declared the elephant akin to a snake, another found the knee and described it as a pillar, and a third found the tusk and announced the elephant as resembling a pipe. It is both telling and irritating that the ineffectual flailing of various colonial and alien intelligence agencies in regards to information surrounding the protoss is so reminiscent of these blind old fools.
This document will be brief and subject to additional editing once our invasion is underway. The protoss have remained determined to remain a mystery to those they have so rudely (if accurately) dismissed as "lesser races," and as a result much of this documentation must remain potentially badly inaccurate conjecture. Before we proceed, I would like to take the time to thank several UED analysts for their support and assistance in generating this conglomeration of their research.
Captain Patrick Harris for his continued research into both colonial and alien media, which has produced a fairly clear political image for the protoss species, even if it was short on hard evidence.
Major Danica Espinoza for the careful recovery and examination of two Umojan Protectorate reports that document the discovery of several downed protoss vessels on Halfax. Were it not for her past association with the SAC, I would have gladly handed this project to her in full.
Captain Rebecca Yang for running several combat simulations between known protoss vessels and ground forces against the Terran Dominion and Turian Hierarchy. While the results of these simulations were disheartening, to say the least, it reinforces the danger of tangling with this creatures.
The Protoss: What We Know
Again, it must be stated that what the United Earth Directorate knows about the protoss stems from incomplete evidence procured from far distant alien and colonial governments. The picture we have put together will be, from the outset, far inferior to theirs. Nevertheless we must persevere, and if there is a silver lining on this cloud, our access to KMC, Dominion, and Protectorate networks has allowed us to put together a broader picture thanks to the combined perspectives.
What is known for complete certain: the protoss are a bipedal race standing between seven and ten feet tall, featuring thick frames and long limbs. They are capable of tremendous psionic feats, and are easily the most technologically and biologically advanced sapient beings within the known galaxy. Their ships are individually more than a match for any other known ship, and the power of their ground forces helped force Council species to quickly adapt to the prospect of extensive surface warfare.
Known military feats of the protoss include destroying an entire planet in the space of a few minutes, killing the zerg intelligence known as the Overmind (which had beforehand withstood no less than half an hour of continuous dreadnought fire courtesy of General Victus) with an act that created an energy spike felt even on Earth, and merging with each other to form beings of pure psionic energy. Each protoss has demonstrated usage of personal plasma shielding (which in addition to holding up just as well as the finest asari kinetic barriers, can also repel DEWs) and the ability to weaponized their psionics, suggesting a score of 9 or above, possibly breaking the scale as we know it.
Their technology has demonstrated instantaneous Warp travel, even when trapped within a planetary body, destructive DEWs such as plasma or photon weapons with unparalleled efficiency, and armor plating that can blunt gauss rifle fire even when the plasma shields are spent. It is baffling to me, then, that the protoss favor close quarters combat with their basic infantry, utilizing energy blades powered by their own psionics. It is terrifying to me, then, that the protoss have continually emerged victorious even with this fixation on an archaic method of warfare.
The protoss' backward nature in regards to societal versus technological development can be witnessed through recordings of their speech patterns. The protoss use antiquated terms of phrase, speak about matters of "honor" and "religion" far more frequently and fervently than any other known species, and are prone to becoming enraged at the barest of slights, perceived or imagined. This has greatly contributed to the galactic perception of the protoss being chaotic beings prone to violent behavior for frequently questionable reasons. As can be easily imagined, this has left them with fairly poor relations with a variety of species.
There also seem to be at least two subsets of protoss, divided both by religion and biology. The first, known as the "High Templar" are the archetypical protoss known and feared by the galaxy at large. The High Templar possess intact nerve cords, speak frequently of the Khala (speculated to be some kind of hive mind,) and are prone to loud and rash actions. From eyewitness reports, they seem to favor weaponry and technology dedicated to eliminating large groups of foes at once in shock and awe style attacks, and their temper is only matched by their raw destructive power.
The latter group, the "Dark Templar" are very poorly documented, but are known to exist. They possess severed nerve cords, are typically soft-spoken, and utilize their psionic energy primarily to render themselves invisible. The original battle plan for Thessia involved sending them in to make short work of the Overmind using nebulous "void energies." While we are still investigating just what the Void might be and whether it relates to Warp travel, it is clear that the Dark Templar's abilities are unquestionably powerful … as well as sinister. Reports indicate that the Dark Templar "Warp blades" are capable of cutting through any material and slaying any creature. While normally I would be inclined to disregard this as blatant hyperbole, no other weapons have been found capable of slaying zerg Cerebrates when they are linked to the Overmind. The Dark Templar specialize in assassination, destroying an enemy's ability to fight through possibly literal decapitation of their command structure.
Fortunately for the galaxy at large, there is evidence of long-lasting conflict between these two groups, possibly religious in nature. I say this is fortunate, because if united, the two halves of the race will become an unstoppable whole: the ferocious destructive capability of the High Templar mixed with the subtle antics of the Dark Templar would create a military engine potentially capable of taking on the known galaxy and winning. We can only hope that the protoss conflict will go on for some time … and that if it does not, that they will have crippled each other by the time of the civil war's end.
The Protoss: Technology
Most of this section will be dedicated to the reports retrieved by Major Espinoza from the Protectorate; while she was unable to secure the majority of the report, what we did receive was extremely enlightening. The rest will be derived from known battlefield data acquired from turian, salarian, and colonial witnesses.
From what we (and the Umojans) can tell, the basis of most protoss engineering is their own psionics. As such, the core of protoss technological development has been related to finding better and more efficient means of channeling their own innate abilities, rather than slowly shoring up shortcomings like a normal sapient's development. The protoss ships (described below) all featured numerous "khaydarin" crystals, of which Umojan Shadowguards quickly determined were heavily reactive to psionic energy. They also found remnants of what appeared to be code comprising incredibly complex AIs imprinted on some of the crystals, suggesting that the feared colossi and reaver machines are indeed operated by fully fledged artificial intelligences.
Of the ships discovered on Halfax, two appeared to be the familiar and well-documented Carrier design (albeit belonging to two separate factions judging by the symbols,) several were of an undocumented design, and the rest appeared to be protoss "scout" ships. I find it unsurprising that the protoss find it necessary to equip their scouting vessels with the means of destroying small moons if they feel the need.
Carriers are large ships that almost seem to resemble zeppelins, dedicated to carrying the much feared interceptors into battle. The carriers themselves do not lack for armament, possessing both dedicated orbit-to-surface plasma cannons (witnessed in action through recon satellites on Char) as well as the means to produce an energy beam used for their much vaunted Purification. In ship to ship combat, however, carriers send out their interceptors, dedicated autonomous fighter craft that use short range plasma batteries and their inherent incredible maneuverability to shred enemy ships within seconds. If Mar Sara and Thessia were any indication, this would appear to be the protoss's capital ship.
While capable of melting any turian ship to slag in a matter of minutes, these carriers have two weaknesses. The first is that the autonomous interceptors are linked to the carrier central AI; destroy the ship, and the interceptors spin out of control and self-destruct, greatly lessening the firepower of the protoss fleet. The second is that despite the advanced nature of the protoss, each carrier only seems capable of engaging a single target at any given time. While this target will be left swarmed with interceptors and will likely quickly die, this does mean that if the protoss are critically outnumbered against smaller targets (as was so often the case against the zerg) the carriers will be slowly overwhelmed. They also have difficulty punching through the heavier armor of colonial battlecruisers (and, we must assume, Silaris armor,) although protoss scouts alleviate that shortcoming quite neatly.
Scouts resemble fixed wing terrestrial craft, although streamlined and rounded where our own planes would be angular. Scouts are used either as lone long range recon vessels or escorts for the carriers. Disturbingly, their armament is incredibly heavy, featuring antimatter missiles and some kind of under mounted repeating cannon for ground targets. Scouts have been recorded taking immense amounts of punishment, and their missiles have catastrophic effects on both colonial and Council ships. Umojan reports also indicate that protoss scouts feature only a single cockpit, indicated the need for but a single pilot. Wonderful.
For all their heavy firepower, protoss scouts are rather slow, particularly in comparison to agile eezo based Council ships. Outmaneuvering or outranging these ships is not a difficult affair for non-colonial vessels, although protoss scouts will still require a significant amount of firepower to bring down.
Several previously unknown protoss ships have been designated Corsairs by Umojan experts due to their armament resembling known preferences for batarian pirates. Corsairs feature streamlined engines and heavier armor than the protoss scouts, suggesting a craft that is both light and tough. Their weaponry, however, seems dedicated to neutralizing targets through nonlethal methods; Umojan analysis found these ships equipped with "disruption webs" capable of neutralizing both electronic systems and psionic abilities. The basic armament of the ship, however, appears relatively light, a kind of twin-linked neutron pulse gun that, while devastating against lightly armored targets such as zerg fliers or Council frigates and capable of damaging tight clusters of enemies within atmospheric environments, would have immense difficulty with anything beyond that.
One vital find of the Protectorate was a ship that matches the description of several unconfirmed reports of protoss activity since the end of the Great War. The Void Ray is a very large craft, roughly two thirds the size of the protoss carrier, and the design and color scheme suggests it is a Dark Templar craft. The ship's wreckage reportedly gave the Umojan Shadowguards a series of headaches, suggesting a vast amount of energy lingering even in the ruins.
This ship appears to be somewhat similar to Council dreadnoughts, in that it is principally a gun with a ship built around it. While no video record of this craft exists, the Umojans postulate with no small amount of certainty that the Void Ray is capable of generating a sustained beam of raw energy that only grows stronger over time through some kind of focused and self-sustaining psionic reaction. From what we can see, this reaction would produce immense strain on the crew from the neural feedback, but would also quickly end up producing more energy than the nukes that destroyed Korhal, focused on a single target. The Dark Templar's philosophy of eliminating critical targets instead of wide swarms of them is manifested in this ship.
The protoss mothership is not understood and no wreckage remains of any known craft. All we do know is that they can destroy planets on their own, and are capable of teleporting large numbers of craft to their position at any given time. It is my firm recommendation that should the Expeditionary Armada encounter a protoss mothership, we retreat immediately.
Protoss Relations
The protoss announced themselves to the galaxy by first massacring a turian flotilla, then destroying a planet. They followed this up by vanishing for a length of time, and then saving all sapient life from being assimilated by the Overmind. Unsurprisingly, this means that how the protoss are perceived very much depends on whom you ask.
The colonials, naturally, are as divided on relations with the protoss as they are with every other issue. The KMCs want to be left alone, the Dominion wants a clear idea of where the border lies (and also to be left alone), the Protectorate wants to make official contact, and the ITSA refers to the protoss as "nice enough weirdos," suggesting some degree of friendliness. The protoss, for their part, seem willing enough to ignore the colonials so long as they do not interfere with their nebulous objectives. When the colonials do run afoul of the protoss, however, they are terminated with extreme prejudice.
The Council species are also divided on the protoss. The asari feel they owe a great deal to the species and believe, with a good degree of reason, that the protoss could help them understand their own latent psionics and some of the galaxy's ancient history. The salarians regard the protoss with much suspicion, and have scoured much of the galaxy for any surviving wreckage from protoss ships or ancient settlements. The turians rather understandably want an official apology from the protoss for what is still seen as an unprovoked attack on Adrien Victus, and also fear what the elder race will do about their own plans for expanding the Hierarchy.
The protoss reaction to these species is unclear. No formal contact has been established, nor do they appear interested in contact. They have proven happy enough to blow salarian and turian ships out of the sky when threatened, but allied with them just as readily against the zerg. If I had to guess, I would guess that the protoss are also rather suspicious of the Council races, and remain wary of potential exploitation.
The protoss praised the batarians' prowess during the Battle of Thessia, where the SIU's CQC training and overall ruggedness proved a formidable asset against the zerg. As a result, the normally xenophobic race maintains a curiously positive outlook for future relations with the protoss, even if their dream of allying with the protoss and taking down the Citadel remains over-optimistic at best, a childish fantasy at worst.
The quarians and geth represent the only case outside the zerg where the protoss saw fit to intervene. While we can only speculate as to the extent of their relationships, it seems the protoss have found something admire in the nomads and machines. Given the alien nature of the geth and the generally lackluster nature of the quarians, however, I can only guess at what precisely that something is.
The other races lack the appropriate degree of contact with the protoss to have formed an opinion. Races suffering from great calamities such as the elcor and krogan have, at the very least, expressed a desire that the protoss lend them aid. In the case of the elcor, at the very least, I feel that this desire is entirely justified.
Threat Level: Black
The protoss present an unprecedented level of threat, earning a so-far unmatched threat level of black: there is no engagement against this force in which the UED can avoid taking unacceptable casualties, and furthermore, risk the safety of Earth itself in angering these beings. If sufficiently aggravated, the protoss have destroyed planets. They can teleport, from what we can tell, anywhere. Instantaneously. Considering giving battle against these bastards is the height of folly, and the UED should only do so if literally no alternative presents itself.
-Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov, Head of Special Projects Division
-Logged In-
2/14/06
Welcome back, Vice Admiral! Would you like to continue where you left off?
The protoss have staged a reappearance on the galactic scene, setting up an embassy alongside the geth on the Citadel. They are urging allegiance against this shadowy "Reaper" threat, something I am only now beginning to fully appreciate thanks to this Illusive Man's documentation. Regardless, I cannot agree to unite with these beings while the colonials remain outside the grip of the UED. Once Korhal falls, the Waygates are done, and Umoja is pacified, then we can reconsider. I personally doubt Gerard would agree to any kind of alliance, however, and so I must set a course that results in the protoss's ties with the Citadel being severed.
Right now the greatest weakness of the protoss is their public image. Their arrival was heralded by a terrorist attack from both sides; Dark Templar, so called "Nerazim" assaulted civilians and politicians alike while turians shot up the Citadel Tower. Now I am receiving further reports of unrest from the Citadel, and fingers are being pointed on both sides. If we can find a way of exploiting this mutual distrust, of furthering the divide between the Council as well as possibly between these two sub-species, then we may be able to secure long-term human dominance over the otherwise unassailable protoss.
Of course, all of this must be fully deniable, and none of it will be military in nature. The turians are the finest soldiers in the galaxy, and they could not withstand the protoss. We stand an even lesser chance. It becomes a matter of taking advantage of recent events, framing them in such a fashion that points towards protoss involvement. Of corrupt protoss intentions.
I think I know just where to start.
Also - finally confirmed that protoss do eat ... light. They're tree people. Because mouths are for lesser races.