The Confederacy Fleets Stand Aside

"The Hyperion has arrived. Are there any survivors below?"

The huge observation windows in front of the Hyperion's bridge face the city of Los Andares below, and to Augustus, the city's magnificent skyscrapers are nothing more than slightly larger monuments on the ground.

Outside the observation window, a dark cloud of Swarm blotted out the sky, and countless Zerg flying creatures were screaming as they spewed acid and corrosive spores at the Hyperion. Their numbers were so vast that the biosignal detection instruments on the Hyperion's bridge could only display a frantically fluctuating number.

By this time, the Hyperion's relatively primitive shields had begun to weaken. Every now and then, Mutalisk with multiple pairs of scarlet eyes would fold its wings and pounce on the thick outer armor plates. The sound of its claws digging into the steel plates rose and fell, and the teeth-grinding metallic twisting sound could instill fear in even the most well-trained human soldiers.

The laser cannons, electromagnetic cannons, and machine guns on the outer deck of the battlecruiser continuously unleashed firepower at the attacking Zerg, forming a dense barrage that stretched forward in front of the bridge observation window.

The young Revolutionary Army marshal was wearing a finely crafted officer's uniform, with a deep red cloak draped over his shoulders. This uniform was a gift from the Umojan Council to Augustus a few months ago. It was made of all-natural materials and designed to be equivalent to the uniform of a general in the Umojan Protectorate. The button design at the collar ensured that it always remained crisp and straight.

Augustus was never an unkempt man. Since he was in a position of leadership, with millions of people watching him and observing his every move, he had to be mindful of his image and ensure that it was glorious, majestic, and worthy of emulation.

The bridge was flashing red and green warning lights. The computer mainframe control console was surrounded by technicians in the dark gray uniforms of the Revolutionary Army. Every now and then, fully armed Revolutionary Army soldiers would run quickly past the open bridge hatch, their power boots clicking on the alloy deck.

From the moment it entered low orbit in the Sara System, the previously calm Hyperion communication channel was suddenly bombarded with messages. Hundreds and thousands of people were shouting in the channel, some verifying the Hyperion's identity, others requesting confirmation of the current situation in the Sara System.

The Hyperion's call was immediately answered by a radio station called the Confederacy Department of Justice, Cha Sara, and a local judge Collins identified himself to Augustus.

"This is Local Attorney General Collins. Thank you for responding to our request for assistance." A Confederacy official with a distinctive black mustache appeared on the Hyperion's wide main screen.

Attorney Collins ' uniform hadn't been changed for two weeks; the green synthetic fiber uniform was covered in dried blood and burn marks, and he clearly had no time to groom himself. Standing before the impeccably dressed and upright Augustus Mengsk, it seemed as if the latter was the powerful Confederacy official and Collins the rebel who had infiltrated the area.

"I know your name. Augustus Mengsk. Just over four months ago, you and your men turned Mar Sara upside down. I was always worried you would come to Cha Sara." Judge Koslin stared at Augustus as if he were a thorn in his side.

"I want to reiterate my position: I am an official within the legitimate government system of the Terran Confederacy, which is composed of all Terrans, and I vow to uphold the unity of the Confederacy and fight to the end any enemy that attempts to undermine it," he said.

"I am pleading with you, as a human being and not Confederacy judge, to save the people of Los Andares. The Andares Security Forces and other militia will fully cooperate with you and surrender to you once it is all over."

"If, if you really are as Mike Liberty says—that the body of that Heaven's Devils still retains humanity, virtue, and love."

In recent years, UNN's star host Mike Liberty has always managed to subtly reveal some little-known truths on his show. For example, the Revolutionary Army never carried out a brutal massacre or massacre in Mar- Sara, and the locations where civilian casualties occurred were all along the marching routes of the Alpha Squadron.

Dissenting voices always attract the attention of the Confederacy public, especially since Liberty's reporting is clearly closer to the truth. Those who are concerned about the political situation and have independent thinking abilities are often loyal fans of Liberty.

Many people were worried that Liberty might be in trouble, after all, even journalists who only reported on corruption and money-for-power deals within the Confederacy were warned by the Confederate Investigation Bureau, or fired from their television stations, or disappeared without a trace.

In reality, Liberty, who had secretly joined the Pan-Terran Revolutionary Party, was under the protection of several allied families within the Tarsonis Old Families and was specializing in reporting scandals of these family rivals.

"Even if you didn't say it, I would still do it." Augustus had an expression of self-righteousness, and behind his broad shoulders and back, the bright white light from the ceiling lights of the Hyperion's bridge shone down, making him appear radiant.

Terrorist, rebel leader, Korhal warlord, and interstellar hero—he was adorned with both praise and slander. Among those with a rebellious spirit, such as those on Mar- Sara and Antiga Prime, Augustus was also known as a freedom fighter, a revolutionary leader, and a commander of a wandering galaxy of rebels.

Over the course of two years, Augustus not only led the Revolutionary Army Fleets to break through the Confederacy Fleets's encirclement and suppression on several occasions, but also defeated more than one naval squadron. Whether Augustus righteous or evil, he was a truly legendary figure.

"My Fleets has been sailing through space for months, braving the encirclement of Confederacy Fleets and Zerg creatures, all to come here and save the people of Cha Sara," Augustus.

"My men will soon lower the transport ship from the high-altitude orbit to the ground. Get your people ready."

"The people of Cha Sara will never forget what the Revolutionary Army did to us." Judge Collins ' tone was no longer as harsh as before; clearly, the nightmarish experience of the past month had worn away all his arrogance and drive.

"I still want to confirm one thing with you, Marshal Augustus: is it really true that there isn't even a single Confederacy Fleets in the Sara System?"

"According to my intelligence, there is still a naval Fleets anchored on the edge of the Sara System," Augustus replied. "It's the Omega Squadron, which arrived in the Sara System three months ago. I think you should know that."

"I understand." Judge Collins trembled as if he had been hit by a bullet, shaking his head as if he were asking himself.

Why would they do that?

"We share the same questions as you," Augustus.

"My senior military advisors and I will immediately begin arranging for the first group to board the ship, Andares Security Forces will be among the last to leave Cha Sara."

The communication abruptly ended, followed by a report from Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan, Augustus's adjutant.

"Radar reports indicate that the Omega Squadron, which had been stationary at the edge of the Sara System, is moving towards the. Sara System," she said.

"Is their target the Zerg or us?"

"Any response from the Omega Squadron?" Augustus asked.

"No, the Omega Squadron's Fleets didn't respond to our calls. If they weren't still sending signals, we would have suspected they were a bunch of unmanned ghost ships," Kerrigan said, shaking her head.

"Then the answer is obvious." Augustus gave a barely perceptible look of disdain as he glanced sideways at the city of Los Andares below the bridge observation window, one hand on his hip.

"The Omega Squadron has been anchored at the edge of the Sara System for months, merely sealing off the system and ignoring any attempts to rescue Cha Sara," he said sarcastically. "In this century, it's absolutely unbelievable that a human society that follows compassion and reason would allow a government to stand by and watch millions of people on a planet die."

"If the Omega Squadron came to deal with the Zerg, they wouldn't have waited until we arrived before making their move." Augustus his hands behind his back.

This wasn't the first time the Revolutionary Army had encountered the Omega Squadron. This naval squadron, known as the Skeletons of the Dead, was a unit primarily composed of Resocialized Soldier were thoughtless and absolutely loyal, making it almost a perfect army for the Confederacy.

If it were a human army that had not undergone resocialization, they would at least have doubts about the meaning of their fight after witnessing the destruction of Sara. Any army that doubts the meaning of the battle is an army that is likely to waver.

A resocialized military would not have such concerns; even if the Confederate High Command ordered them to slaughter their own compatriots, the order would be carried out immediately and decisively.

"So we not only have to deal with those buzzing alien bugs on the surface and in orbit of Cha Sara, but also with our own people?" Jim Raynor stood beside Augustus, ready to receive orders from the Revolutionary Army Marshal.

Meanwhile, Warfield and the Heaven's Devils led by Londerstein were reassigned by Augustus serve as captains or executive commanders on various battlecruisers, while the remaining Revolutionary Army warships remained in outer space orbit around Cha Sara, fighting against the Zerg air force.

Fortunately, although the Jormungand Brood that invaded the Sara System was large in number, it was still a hive mainly composed of ground forces, so the human Fleets was not completely overwhelmed when facing the Zerg Fleets.

"The Zerg are about to wipe out everyone on Sara, and the Confederacy is still thinking of dealing with us first?" Raynor said. "Are they crazy? Is Sara their Confederacy or our Revolutionary Army's planet?"

"There's an old saying," Augustus, looking at his old friend, "To fight external threats, one must first pacify internal strife."

"I've never heard of such a thing." Raynor racked his brains but couldn't recall where the phrase came from, but being naturally easygoing, he quickly dismissed the matter. "You're the one who's read more books, so you get to decide."

"What should we do?" he said. "If the Omega Squadron is here to deal with us, then we're likely to be caught between the Confederacy and the Zerg."

"That's what I was most worried about, but thankfully our goal is just to rescue Cha Sara's people," Augustus.

"The plan is to act swiftly and decisively," he said.

"Where are Sarah, Tychus, and Harnack's troops?"

"The Sterling Wolf Hunters Brigade, four Red Devil Firebat Regiment, and two armored divisions composed of Goliath Combat Robot and Arclite Siege Tank have landed in the Los Andares region of Sara," Kerrigan said, tossing her fiery red ponytail as she spoke in her crisp military uniform.

"The transport fleet has also set sail," she said. "Matt Horner Matt Horner, the boy we brought back from Tyrador IX, also landed in Cha Sara with Captain Cormorant."

"He is brave and upright; this is a good test—hundreds of thousands of people can abandon everything but themselves in a short time," Augustus. "Tychus knows how to cram everyone into the ship!"

"Save the child first!"

Augustus's words were transmitted to all the warships in the Revolutionary Army Fleets via the Hyperion's command channel, and more than 100,000 people were simultaneously carrying out his orders, forming a well-ordered whole.

"Connect the Steel Justice from Warfield." Augustus issued the next order without hesitation.

"This is Warfield. The Steel Justice is engaged in combat with the Zerg. My port side is damaged, and the Gothic's main engine is damaged." Warfield's dark, serious face appeared on the Hyperion's main screen.

"General, I need you to hold on for a while longer. Activate the warp drive ahead of time and be ready to jump at any moment on my command," Augustus said to Warfield.

"No problem," Warfield said. "I have plenty of ways to deal with these alien monsters."

At this moment, the scene outside the bridge of the Steel Justice is completely different.

In the dark depths of space, humanity's steel Fleets is engaged in battle with a vast number of Zerg flying creatures.

Even from Warfield's location, an unparalleled Zerg behemoth could be seen hovering in outer space orbit around Cha Sara. It was a creature that resembled a manta ray and a whale, its size far exceeding any creature humans had ever encountered in the Milky Way Galaxy. Stretching for miles, it was more than ten times the size of a human battlecruiser, resembling an organic island floating in space.

It occupied almost the entire observation window of the Steel Justice behind Warfield, resembling a black moon, making even human battlecruisers appear tiny in comparison.

The images displayed on the detector screen next to Warfield showed thousands of Zerg continuously leaping out of the ugly folds and vesicles on the surface of this huge organic warship.

"What is that?" Despite having already seen this enormous creature before, Raynor still couldn't take his eyes off it.

"Behemoth," Augustus, "Let it be named after this mythical beast, and record its distinction from its kind."

"Behemoth the Swarm"

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