War was easy, peace is hard.
StarCraft: Evolution is a StarCraft novel written by Timothy Zahn. It takes place after StarCraft II and deals with the relationship between the three major powers of the Koprulu sector after the conflict: the Daelaam, the main Zerg Swarm, and the Terran Dominion.
The Overqueen of the Zerg, Zagara, invites Emperor Valerian Mengsk and Protoss leader Artanis to visit her on the dead world of Gystt. Once there, they find the planet rejuvenated and Zagara promising the Zerg have turned over a new leaf. However, attacks soon follow on the survey team carrying a ex-Ghost named Tanya Caulfield and a Protoss named Ulavu. Secrets, lies, and treachery accompany the appearance of a new race of Zerg that threaten to destroy the hard won peace newly established across the Sector.
- And Then What?: Combined with Did Not Think This Through. Tanya Caulfield has resigned from the Ghost program, only to realize that she's got no life skills other than being an assassin and barely comprehends how money works. She rejoins at the end.
- Because I'm Good At It: Tanya rejoins the Ghost program because she realizes her talents lie in this area and she enjoys combat, much to her surprise.
- Big Bad: Abathur is the mastermind behind the plot to start a new war.
- Big Good: All of the ones in the Starcraft universe: Valerian, Artanis, and Zagara gather together to try to hash out a peace agreement. It isn't helped by the fact Zagara is viewed as the Token Evil Teammate.
- Change the Uncomfortable Subject: Zagara doesn't exactly shy from the the nastier bits of Zerg history but she still tries to railroad the conversation away from it into her peace talks several times. Valerian notices it right away and Artanis is having none of it.
- Elite Mooks: The Psyolisks are claimed to be this but prove to be less spectacular than Abathur hoped.
- Fantastic Racism: Everyone still hates everyone else despite teaming up against Amon with only their leaders keeping the peace between each faction. Ironically enough Zagara is the one most interested in peace and reconciliation.
- Ensemble Cast: The book features a fairly large cast of characters. The main three faction leaders, Valerian, Artanis and Zagara all get a very large amount of screentime. In the Dominion military Matt Horner returns still holding his position of admiral. Soldiers, Tanya, Cray, Dizz also get a fair bit of the spotlight alongside the field scientist Erin and protoss reseacher Ulavu, especially in the action sequences. Finally Abathur, not seen since Heart, makes a major comeback as Zagara's main consultant and scientific officer, as well as the Big Bad.
- Good Powers, Bad People: Zagara attempts to defy this trope with her new creations, the adostra, that heal the worlds the recent wars have ravaged. Everyone else believe it's being played straight by assuming the psyolisks are the end product. It's not, the adostra are incapable of violence.
- False Flag Operation: Abathur engineers one of these with the intent of making war break out again. Zagara pulls all the stops to prevent this from happening, but it's not until Abathur's machinations are dealt with that peace is upheld.
- The Famine: The Dominion is on the brink of one, which is one of the reasons Valerian is so desperate to improve the Dominion's relations with anyone, be it other Terran factions or the Protoss. As a matter of fact, the main reason he agrees to Zagara's invitation is only because he's informed that Artanis is present and thus he will have a chance to chat with him. When Zagara explicitely comments on the famine as well as offering a potential solution, Valerian is privately dismayed that even the Zerg have gotten wind of it, while in turn being even more cautious as he feels that Zagara is trying to bait him with something she knows he needs.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Well more like half alien half god alien, but the Psyolisks, like the Adostra, are made with xel'naga DNA combined with the zerg's.
- Happy Ending Override: Not quite. Everyone is expecting one of these and kind of weirded out peace has lasted as long as it has. Albeit there a very brief war breaks out, the peace does last and the book actually ends on a very happy and hopeful note.
- Heel–Face Brainwashing: Part of the package of being a hive mind culture, the Zerg are seemingly tamed by the fact Zagara wills them to play nice with the Terrans and protoss.
- Heel–Face Turn: Zagara claims the Zerg have made this as a whole. Everyone else is skeptical.
- Humorless Aliens: The Protoss as usual, but some of Zagara's comments make Valerian ask himself if she's developed a sense of humour.
- Karma Houdini: Abathur is subdued by Zagara and sent back to doing his old job. No one is happy with this but it is one of the biggest signs the Zerg have changed.
- Mystery Meat: Believe it or not Zagara offers some mysterious refreshments and cake to Valerian and Artanis when they arrive for the conference. Nevermind the fact that Protoss don't eat that way and Valerian for obvious reasons wasn't about to accept food offered by the Zerg. Note that Abathur was the one serving too. It makes for a rather hilarious moment, not to mention that it's quite amusing to picture the Zerg cooking.
- The Messiah: Zagara wants the Zerg to become this. It's met with the incredulity you'd expect.
- The Mole: Ulavu is a Dark Templar inserted into the Ghost program in order to find a human telekinetic to help develop a new Protoss attack technique.
- New Meat: Despite being a Ghost, Tanya has never been on a mission before in her life.
- Playing with Fire: Tanya's special secret ability is that she's the only known one of these in the Ghost program.
- Protocol Peril: When Valerian is boarding the Protoss shuttle at Artanis invitation it's mentioned that Protoss protocol is a bit complex, but Valerian manages to get through without stumbling.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Every one of the leaders proves to be one of these, though Artanis' case is a Downplayed Trope example as he's itching for a reason to wipe out the Zerg for most of the book. Justified given what they did to Aiur.
- Reformed, but Rejected: What everyone wants to do to the Zerg. The Terrans aren't particularly friendly to the Protoss either. Averting it is the goal of Zagara.
- Reformed, but Not Tamed: The Zerg are actually trying to avert this perception with the idea they are now capable of being used as terraformers for dead worlds. No one buys it and evidence stacks up against them. It turns out Abathur is the Sixth Ranger Traitor, while Zagara and the rest of the Zerg leadership do genuinely want peace
- Terrified of Germs: For a large portion of the book Artanis is quite psychotic regarding any presence of zerg/biological material anywhere he is or about to be.
- Social Darwinist: Abathur says the Zerg were meant to be this and to turn away from the path is folly during his Motive Rant.
- We Come in Peace — Shoot to Kill: Zagara is trying to pull off a meeting between the faction leaders as smoothly as possible but Artanis is really itching to glass her for most of the book.
- Xanatos Gambit: Abathur has a fairly complicated one to frame the humans and Protoss for murdering peaceful new lifeforms of the Zerg. It will also convince them the Zerg have had a Redemption Rejection.
