Antiga Independence Day

After ending his communication with Swann, Augustus hurried to the UNN broadcasting building in Ansadar City to announce to all of Antiga the arrival of the Revolutionary Army.

He passed through a dilapidated garden and several overturned hovercars, with cranes clearing collapsed buildings and tank wreckage and busy T-280 SCV everywhere.

Squads of the Revolutionary Army soldiers were traveling on public hoverbuses in Ansadar City to the city's four defensive lines, as the Garm Brood outside the city had begun probing attacks from all directions in an attempt to find weaknesses in the human defenses.

Even residents in the city center began venturing out of their homes, either cleaning up trash in front of their doors or cautiously exchanging information about the incident with their neighbors. People were abuzz with speculation, wondering whether this was a sign of the collapse of the Terran Confederacy or just a fleeting phenomenon.

When Augustus arrived in front of the UNN building, the Revolutionary Army's Sentinel had already been replaced at the entrance of the building, whose walls bore bullet marks.

Compared to the Sky Tower in Tarsonis, which is hundreds of meters high, Antiga's branch broadcasting building is just a low, ordinary skyscraper with an irregular pointed arch.

This is a reinforced concrete and glass curtain wall building built according to pragmatism, which is very different from the Sky Tower style that the Old Families pursued for its gorgeous decoration, grand scale and unconventional style, because the shareholders and investors behind UNN do not want them to spend money on extravagance and showcasing art.

Augustus led dozens of the Revolutionary Army dressed in crimson Power Armor through the guarded first-floor entrance into the empty hall. Only a few UNN staff members wearing work badges occasionally emerged from the elevator entrance in the lobby, carrying stacks of paper files.

These files are all from the original press releases printed by Antiga reporters, and are the parts that have not been added or deleted by headquarters. The articles describe in detail how the army of the Terran Confederacy dealt with those mobs who dared to rebel, executing the leaders and sending the rest to Cha Sara or New Folsom Prison.

Nevertheless, the authors of these manuscripts could not possibly describe the bloody massacres in words. On Antiga Prime rebellions broke out almost every year, such events were commonplace.

Just as Augustus looked up and scanned the expensive Garr leopard sofa in the hall, Kerrigan walked up to him.

"Marshal's command has received the latest report: the Nova Squadron and Delta Squadron ground forces have landed and established a base on a hill sixty miles outside Ansadar," Kerrigan said. "... They are working to clear the Zerg near the landing site. However, the Confederacy forces are clearly coming for us; I suspect they want to retake the city of Ansadar."

"I don't think they just want to retake Ansadar, a city that will fall sooner or later. Without us, probably not many people here would survive." Tychus, who was with Augustus, frowned upon hearing this.

"The Swarm is pressing in, and the Confederacy is still thinking of dealing with us first," Raynor said.

"Several Swarm of Nydus Worm bugs have also appeared Ansadar City. I think the Garm Brood will soon launch an attack on us," Kerrigan continued to report.

"We're attacked from both sides," Raynor shook his head. "Two groups are eager to kill us at the same time."

"They're courting death," Tychus scoffed.

"Dealing with Zerg and the Confederacy at the same time is no easy task. It's best to deal with one of them first, and then concentrate on the other," he said.

"Sarah, is it possible to contact the Confederacy's naval squadron?" Augustus asked.

"We can try. The Nova Squadron of the Terran Confederacy has contacted us before." Kerrigan said, taking a portable projector out of her backpack and attempting to connect to the Nova Squadron's landing force communications channel.

One minute later, the Nova Squadron ground forces commander approved the connection request, and the other side's screen quickly switched to Fleets Commander Colonel Jack Haller.

"I am Colonel Haller." The other man had a typical military-style buzz cut and a serious expression. "Have you made up your mind to surrender?"

"No, I will never surrender to tyrants," Augustus.

"I'm just making a suggestion: perhaps we should cooperate to eliminate the Zerg in Antiga first, and then resolve our conflict. What do you think of this proposal?" he said.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have the authority to cooperate with the rebels. Even if I risked a court-martial to fight the Zerg with you, Delta Squadron wouldn't agree," Colonel Haller said.

"My orders are to annihilate the rebels on Antiga Prime and bring back Augustus Mengsk and his followers... or their heads."

"Not including the rescue of Antiga?" Augustus laughed off Haller's words. All the marshals and generals in the entire Terran Confederacy were eager to have Augustus's head, which was both the greatest achievement and the symbol of the highest honor.

"The Confederacy will not abandon Antiga Prime, but that is not my mission," the colonel said.

"Clever rhetoric, the usual way the Confederacy shirk responsibility," Augustus.

"Since you're not here to surrender, there's no need for us to continue negotiating." Hearing Augustus's words, Haller maintained his serious expression, but the communication abruptly ended. "Your resistance is pointless; it's just wasting our time rescuing other planets."

"."

"Where is the broadcasting room?" Augustus asked Sarah Kerrigan beside him, determined to abandon the idea of temporarily cooperating with the Terran Confederacy to fight the Zerg.

"It's in the basement; the first two floors are the lobby and staff mall," Kerrigan replied.

"How many people are willing to stay and work for us?" Augustus nodded and walked toward the opening elevator doors.

A UNN reporter walked out of the door without changing his expression as he emerged from among dozens of the Revolutionary Army soldiers wearing tall Power Armor, seemingly accustomed to such scenes.

"Most of the people working here are from Tarsonis, with the exception of some Antiga, but they don't seem to hate us much," Kerrigan said.

"After all, the high-level managers who could have escaped have already fled. The remaining people, if they want to leave Antiga, have no choice but to work for us. That's the thinking of most people here. Only a very small minority believe that we will bring change to Antiga."

"I originally thought they were moved by our revolutionary spirit, didn't I?" Tychus scoffed.

"Not everyone craves freedom as much as you do, Tychus," Raynor said.

When Augustus, clad in heavy power armor, stepped into the elevator, Kerrigan and Tychus Raynor followed closely behind. However, the elevator could not accommodate any more armored soldiers at once, so Tychus and Hanak quickly began arguing about who should go in first.

They managed to squeeze into the elevator, embracing each other face-to-face, before the alarm went off.

"Could you take off that damn Firebat armor before you go in? Or are you just reluctant to part with this rotten turtle shell?" Tychus said with dissatisfaction.

"That phrase couldn't be more fitting for you; that rotten piece of fat on your stomach takes up at least half of this area," Harnack retorted.

"What's wrong with my beautiful, chubby abs?" Tychus's eyebrows almost furrowed. "Even the girls of Tarsonis and Korhal love them!"

"Go to hell, Tychus, they just like your money," Harnack said with a sharp tongue.

"You're talking nonsense!" Tychus roared in fury.

Although the trials of war had made Harnack more composed, he was still a troublemaker at heart. After all, there were still amusing stories circulating among the Revolutionary Army about Harnack getting into a fight over Augustus's backside when he first entered the recruit training camp. Tychus, on the other hand, was another ruthless character; his unconventional values made him a thoroughly wicked bastard.

As Tychus and Harnack argued, Augustus couldn't help but recall how Harnack and Josephine had argued back in boot camp, which made him feel a pang of sadness.

When the elevator doors reopened, all the lights in the underground broadcasting room were on, and dozens of broadcasting room staff members simultaneously stopped what they were doing and looked at Augustus.

"Keep working, gentlemen," Augustus said to them. "Perhaps you still have doubts about what you are doing now, but many years from now someone will tell you that you were doing something great."

"This guy just loves to spout these fancy words. Guess who he learned them from?" Tychus whispered to Raynor beside him, standing behind Augustus.

"Be careful Augustus overhear you. He's always held a grudge. Last time Hank mentioned him wearing a skirt, we punished him by making him memorize the Book of Fortitude (a book supposedly written by an ancient king from Earth's time, about war, diplomacy, and art, and required reading for all Mengsk Family descendants)." Raynor said, "I've read that book. The author must have been a wise king."

"My assessment is that it's not as good as fashion magazines featuring nude women," Tychus said. "This must be a nightmare for Harnack, since he gets a headache just looking at words."

"Do you have a photo of our marshal when he was a child?" he asked.

"That's top secret, Tychus," Raynor said. "Augustus certainly doesn't want this to be common knowledge; he's going to be the Prime Minister of the Republic."

"Come on, what kind of prime minister is that? He read books like 'The Prince' when he was young, he won't grow up to be one." Tychus quickly shut up because he noticed Kerrigan was staring at him. This meant that his nonsense might very well reach Augustus's ears one night when everyone was asleep.

Given Augustus's personality, he wouldn't make things difficult for Tychus, but Tychus would always pay some price, such as being forbidden from going to bars to drink heavily or flirt with women. This was because Augustus himself wasn't as magnanimous as he appeared, but no one had ever really suffered for offending him.

"That damned little girl won Augustus's favor solely because of her beauty—she's nothing but a servile maid," Tychus said to Raynor after Kerrigan turned away.

"You're actually jealous of a woman? Damn it, who told you to be a guy, and your ass isn't even as perky as that girl's," Raynor said, nudging Harnack, who was staring at a screen deep in thought.

"Shut up, Tychus, and say no more."

"Hank, what are you spacing out for?"

I'm hungry.

"What are you all chattering about?" Augustus finally snapped. "Shut up!"

Tychus shrugged, exchanged a glance with Raynor, and the three of them immediately fell silent.

"We're talking," Raynor said, but his voice noticeably grew softer and softer until it was barely audible and disappeared.

Kerrigan clapped her hands, and the staff went back to work.

After Augustus nodded to Kerrigan, Kerrigan took a disk from her backpack to store files and plugged it into the interface of the main control computer in the broadcast room.

Immediately afterwards, multiple images appeared on the control screens in the broadcasting room. As several staff members set up cameras around Augustus, his resolute face beneath the matte visor of Augustus Power Armor immediately appeared on the studio screens.

"The signal towers in Ansadar are still functioning normally. If the signal towers in other cities haven't been destroyed, then even if the communication satellites have been destroyed by the Zerg, we can still broadcast globally," Kerrigan said.

"You can begin." She entered the password on the console. "If all goes well, all the industrial cities and towns in Antiga, large and small, will be able to hear what you say."

"Can it be transmitted to other planets?" Augustus asked.

"Yes, but the Confederacy obviously won't allow those planets to broadcast those images. However, there's a possibility that the signals could be received by caravans and private organizations," Kerrigan said.

"Very good." He had made ample preparations long before the camera was Augustus.

"People of Antiga, I am Augustus Mengsk, leader of the Korhal Revolutionary Army." Augustus's image appeared on the largest screen.

"We already know that the Sara System has been destroyed by the Zerg, precisely because the Terran Confederacy's alien experiments there attracted those monsters, and we possess absolute evidence to prove this."

As Augustus spoke, numerous files and data regarding the Terran Confederacy's alien experiments in the Sara System appeared on multiple screens, including records of their secret executions of revolutionaries and political prisoners in the Cha Sara prison.

"Now, the threat of aliens is looming, aimed at destroying all of humanity. We must unite to defend our home," Augustus. "And the Revolutionary Army will always stand with the people of Antiga."

"Tracing the history of Antiga's resistance against the tyranny of the Confederacy, I learned a truth: when all people who are not afraid of power unite under the same banner, those rulers who only take and oppress can no longer exploit their people with greed as they have in the past."

"When a government fails to keep the promises it made at the beginning of its establishment and becomes corrupt and decadent, then we should overthrow it and rebuild law and order," he said.

"Today, I declare to the world that Antiga Prime has broken free from the control of the Terran Confederacy and become a free nation. One day, the name of Antiga will shine throughout the world."

After Augustus finished speaking, prolonged applause immediately erupted in the broadcasting room, but this time it wasn't just Kerrigan. However, it was hard to say how many of those applauding were truly convinced and how many were simply flattering him.

"We believe we will soon receive good news. Having the support of the Antiga will make our work on this planet much more efficient. But before that, we need to deal with the Zerg and Confederacy forces in Antiga."

"That's awesome—today, Antiga is in your hands," Tychus said.

"Right now, only we want this wretched place Antiga. The Confederacy would love to kick it out of the ground immediately."

Requesting votes at the end of the month!