August National Security Committee

In mid-April, the new Governor-General's Office of Korhal IV declared a state of war and global martial law, implementing a wartime economic system. The new government also announced that during the war, industries such as metallurgy, transportation, and spacecraft manufacturing, which were used to fully support the war effort, would be brought under the control of the Dominion government.

Even so, the revolutionary fervor had not subsided. In August Square in the center of Sterling City, the Mengsk Family's golden wolf red flag and the white five-pointed star flag of the Korhal Dominion fluttered. The people of Sterling responded to Angus's call for popular participation in politics and took to the square and streets to vote for the newly elected Korhal Dominion Parliament.

Since the great revolutionary leader Angus Mengsk became the new Senate President and concurrently the Governor of the Korhal system, wielding supreme power over government, constitutional amendments, and legislation, the traces of the Confederacy's rule in Korhal have been swept away like dust after rain.

In this square named after Augustus's great-great-great-grandfather, in a geometric right-angled building with Roman-style domed columns and wine-red stained-glass windows, a new department was established— the August National Security Committee.

This is an intelligence agency that recruits only members of the Pan-Terran Revolutionary Party, bypasses the parliament, and is directly responsible to the Governor's Office of Korhal. It oversees several agencies, including the First and Second Intelligence Bureaus of the Korhal Dominion, the Police Bureau, and the newly established Psionics and Alien Investigation Bureau.

On April 17, Augustus, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, appointed Connor Ward, the former Chief of Staff of the Korhal Revolutionary Army and a member of the Heaven's Devils, as chairman of the committee and presided over the first plenary meeting.

This unnamed building was originally planned to replace the Palatine Assembly Hall as the new State House. Construction on the new State House began sixteen years ago, but it was not completed until last year, nearly ten years behind schedule. The cost exceeded six billion Confederacy credits, a hundred times the original budget.

The new council chamber was a product of Senator Korhal's pursuit of power and luxury, as well as his corrupt rule. Its construction was entirely funded by Korhal's taxes and corporate donations. Its interior was extremely luxurious, adorned with countless beautiful rubies, and the floors were made of expensive Chau Sara Sunwood. Some of the building materials came from galaxies a thousand light-years away.

However, on the issue of abandoning the Palatine Assembly Hall in favor of a new one, more than a decade later, the majority of traditionalists in Parliament insisted that meetings must continue to be held in the original Parliament House, adhering to a century-old tradition. As a result, this magnificent, palace-like building was abandoned after its completion and fell into disrepair due to the lack of funds to pay for its high maintenance costs.

After the new government was established, the new council hall finally fulfilled its proper role. Today, it is the headquarters of the largest intelligence agency in the Korhal IV.

"The purpose of establishing the August National Security Committee is to eliminate our internal enemies, spies from the Terran Confederacy, and counter-revolutionaries who are deliberately undermining the peace of Korhal. At the same time, the council is also responsible for supervising and reviewing government officials."

In the new council chamber, with its large, arched hall filled with stained glass, Augustus addressed a dozen or so department heads, deputy heads, and committee members who had been personally appointed by Angus and vetted by Ghost operative Sarah Kerrigan.

"Externally, we will send specialists to infiltrate places like Tarsonis and Antiga Prime, to gather intelligence and steal military and cutting-edge technologies. Our ultimate goal is to control or influence the leaders of the Old Families and members of the Confederate Congress."

"In this regard, the Umojan union working in Tarsonis has assisted us—"

"Marshal Mengsk, I fear that internal censorship will degenerate into a brutal oppression of the people, who will live in constant tension and suspicion. Mutual denunciation will ultimately turn into a catastrophe that tests humanity, a lesson learned from history," said a middle-aged man in a suit.

"You don't need to worry about this. We have our own methods to judge whether someone has truly betrayed the revolution. Moreover, our internal oversight is currently limited to government officials and the military." Augustus then began to introduce the Ghost operative Sarah Kerrigan behind him to the attendees seated below the stage.

"Natural Psionics are a precious asset to humanity, yet the Confederacy's rulers clearly see them only as a threat," Augustus, his voice gentle yet firm. "And I believe that Psionics should never be treated this way. Aside from killing, their telepathic abilities—that is, mind reading—can effectively help us eliminate corrupt officials in the government and traitors within the revolutionaries and the army."

"In the Earth era, Psionics were considered heretics, and the Earth government, which adhered to pure human supremacy, began purging Psionics. Some of our ancestors came from those arrested Psionics," he said.

"If we believe that Psionics are monsters and outcasts, that is a denial of our ancestral lineage. In the future, in the course of civilization measured on a geological scale, the number of human Psionics will only increase. I support the theory of human evolution; this is my stance in the field of Psionics research."

"Please believe that Psionics are still one of us and work peacefully with them. On the public front, we must also cultivate a positive image of Psionics and conduct positive and beneficial propaganda."

"We were also vetted?" the head of the First Intelligence Bureau asked in surprise after Augustus finished speaking. "But we were unaware of it."

"That's only natural; the intelligence agency can't afford to have traitors." The head of the Second Intelligence Agency immediately said, "The fact that we're sitting here proves our absolute loyalty to Korhal."

"Psionics?" Connor Ward, chairman of the Korhal National Security Committee and former Heaven's Devils Demons, looked at Augustus: "I only recently learned about these superpowered individuals living among us."

"I'll be frank: if Psionics are used to scrutinize ordinary people, then who should scrutinize and supervise the Psionics themselves?"

"The answer is a more powerful Psionics." Augustus pointed to the girl with long, fiery red hair beside him. "This is Sarah Kerrigan, the director of the Psionics and Alien Investigation Bureau."

It's unclear when it started, but this Ghost operative, a former Confederacy assassin who had attempted to assassinate Augustus's Angus, Speaker Angus, had been following him closely, acting as his adjutant.

Kerrigan's usual appearance is that of a dark gray military uniform and a boat-shaped cap with a Revolutionary Army insignia. She always has a sharp dagger and a shotgun tucked into her hip.

Connor Ward stood up with a serious expression and walked to the podium, as if to confirm that Kerrigan was a Psionics. Then, Ward walked over to Augustus and spoke in a very low voice.

"Is she the reason you transferred Lisa to the newly established national hospital as its director? That's what they asked me to ask—I'm not curious at all."

This left Kerrigan looking puzzled.

"What does this have to do with the meeting?" Augustus glared at Ward. "Besides, Lisa wanted to go herself, you knew that."

"Be serious," he emphasized. "You are the person I trust most, Connor. I have complete confidence in entrusting this organization to you."

"I simply set up this organization according to my father's ideas. As for making it operate as we originally hoped, striking fear into the hearts of our enemies, that is your task."

"We must show no mercy to our enemies," Augustus said solemnly.

I believe in your abilities.

"She is indeed very beautiful." Connor nodded.

"Shut up!" Augustus snapped.