Evacuation of Mar Sara

February 25, 2490, Ma Sara, Hilo region, Echo Town.

The weather remained scorching. The rust-colored desert and the small border town of immigrant settlement on its edge were distorted by the rolling heat. The few farmlands surrounding the town and the small patch of transplanted Joshua trees formed a patch of green, which were some of the few bright spots in this desolate world. The scorching sun, the orange-gray sky, and the circling Koprulu gliders constituted the unchanging gray color and desert scenery of Ma Sara for billions of years.

Looking down from the sky, a highway built by the Revolutionary Army 1st Engineer Regiment, traversing the desert and plains, connects Echo Town with Deadwater Base, dozens of miles away, like a black straight line. The highway is paved with asphalt and is wide enough for tanks and large trucks to pass through.

On this day, many transport ships and shuttles with reddish-brown camouflage paint were parked on the road at the entrance to Echo Town. About a battalion of the Revolutionary Army soldiers, dressed in dark red Power Armor and carrying C-14 Gauss Rifle on their chests, lined up in front of the vehicles, ready to depart. Not far from the soldiers' ranks, several privates, under the command of an officer, were taking down the red flag from the flagpole by the roadside.

In just a few months, this gold and red flag, and the many meanings it represents related to freedom, have become deeply ingrained in people's minds.

The scene was being watched not only by the Revolutionary Army soldiers standing there, but also by many local residents. In the past, in marginal immigrant areas like Mar- Sara, the locals had little contact with the Confederacy troops, and they would only think of the Marines who spent so much time gambling and having fun when it came to conscription.

In contrast, the Revolutionary Army had a closer relationship with the local residents. Under the leadership of Marshal Augustus Mengsk, the great leader of the Revolutionary Army whose image had gradually become that of freedom fighters, this disciplined army was often associated with fighting crime and caring for the elderly, women, and children.

Since the Revolutionary Army arrived in Mar- Sara, the government of the Terran Confederacy, which had been used to strengthen its control over the outlying immigrant worlds and to promote tyranny, was immediately overthrown. The people here no longer needed to pay exorbitant taxes to support the Confederacy army and the prosperous Tarsonis world, and the bottleneck to Mar- Sara's stagnant development began to loosen.

According to Augustus's vision, he planned to build Mar- Sara into a heavily industrialized planet with a well-developed industrial system, a core world that primarily produces war machines, and also have fortresses and spaceports capable of housing legions and Fleets.

In the future, Sara will become the front line for the Terrans in their fight against the Swarm invasion.

Augustus and his generals stood among the crowd, with the tall and imposing Raynor and Tychus on either side of him, while General Warfield gave orders to the Revolutionary Army soldiers lined up to board the ships. People were calling out the names of Augustus and his family; many were even eager to join the Revolutionary Army.

Most of the people of Ma Sara did not want the Revolutionary Army to leave. Only after regaining their freedom did they realize how precious it was. They carried wooden signs with the image of Augustus and inspiring slogans, waving the flags of the Revolutionary Army and the Pan-Terran Revolutionary Party, their faces covered in sweat.

Facing the crowd of local residents who came to greet him, Augustus always smiled. On the sun-baked road, he repeatedly emphasized, "This is just a strategic retreat. The Revolutionary Army will soon return to Mar- Sara."

"Put down your flags and signs, and beware of Confederacy police agents who might break into your homes at any moment. Justice and freedom will never be too late."

Augustus wasn't wearing Power Armor, nor was he dressed in his shiny Mar-a- Sara cowboy outfit. He made his first public appearance in Mar-a- Sara wearing a dark gray military uniform with a military overcoat—which, to be fair, was rather hot.

This image is already well-known to citizens of the Terran Confederacy in many worlds except for Mar- Sara. The only difference is that the Terran news media, led by the UNN, would add a space pirate-style peaked cap to Augustus's head, add many wrinkles and shadows to his coat and cloak, and finally add wailing children and several corpses at Augustus's feet.

"I assure you, the Revolutionary Army will return to Mar- Sara," Augustus said to the local residents surrounding him before his departure.

"When we return, no matter what kind of enemy we face, the Revolutionary Army will save you."

As he spoke, Augustus shook hands with the residents' representatives, always smiling and embracing them. Compared to his father, who was involved in politics, Augustus emphasized that he came from his people and was one of their brothers.

Augustus dared to dismiss his guards and stand among the people. The image of him holding a local girl in his arms and laughing together was forever captured on Faraday Faraday's optical camera.

After saying this, Augustus boarded his private transport ship, leaving the people of Mara Sara who came to see him off with a broad silhouette.

"It was a memorable farewell," Raynor whispered to Augustus as he bent down to enter the cargo ship's cabin.

Raynor's pregnant girlfriend Elizabeth and her family arrived at the Hyperion two days ago aboard a transport ship prepared for the families of the Revolutionary Army soldiers, so he now has nothing to worry about.

"Perhaps many years from now, the people here will still proudly tell outsiders who come here about their story of standing shoulder to shoulder with the great Revolutionary Army leader Augustus Mengsk."

"And the stories of me, you, and all the Revolutionary Army."

"I can hardly believe I was a sheriff here for a while— Mengsk, you never said I couldn't use that badge to cheat people." Tychus followed Augustus and Raynor onto the ship, his massive frame blocking most of the exit door.

Where do we go next?

"The homeworld of the Moria -Kel-Morian Combine," Augustus replied. "We have a business deal to discuss with the Kel-Morian."

"They have always been dissatisfied with the unequal agreement signed after the Guild Wars ended, and want to take back the mineral-rich planet that originally belonged to them."

"I never imagined we'd be doing business with the Kel-Morian people," Raynor said, shaking his head. "We both have a lot of their blood on our hands."

As Augustus's transport ship took off, hundreds of other transport ships were launching from various locations, heading towards the battlecruisers that were anchored in near-Earth orbit.

All the mines that Augustus established in Mara Sara were refilled after being marked. The criminals who had worked there for nearly half a year were finally released after a long period of ideological education and reform, while those who had committed numerous crimes were all executed, regardless of whether they deserved to die.

The Revolutionary Army must retreat now. Four Confederacy naval Fleets, led by the Omega Squadron, are about to arrive. Leaving Mar- Sara now and letting the Confederacy Fleets find nothing is the wise move.

But this does not mean that Augustus has completely abandoned Mar- Sara. The Revolutionary Army still maintains eight military bases hidden in mountains, deserts, and even polar regions on this planet, with a total of more than 12,000 people.

Thousands of Pan-Terran Revolutionary Party went underground, hiding in various cities and towns of Ma Sara, continuing their propaganda work.

After laying a solid foundation, Ma Sara's revolution will enter into guerrilla warfare with multiple small groups of troops.

Though late, it has arrived.