Augustus, Savior of the People

Halsen, Dorian Administrative District.

This place was once the undisputed benchmark for the modernization of Halsen, with its harmonious and comfortable buildings, beautiful and wide roads, orderly streets, neatly trimmed lawns, large green forests, and mist Fountain to absorb dust.

The Dorian Administrative District is world-renowned for its numerous recreational facilities, including amusement parks, football fields, Gaal courses, the Koprulu Squash Sports Center, and Wild Racing Club, among others. It is also a must-stop for superstars on their world tours.

Prosperous, advanced, well-equipped, and with a comfortable life.

When Augustus saw Dorian Administrative District looked like in the past, he almost thought it was another Sterling —layers of steel and glass buildings supporting a sky-blue dome in the city center, and a complex network of elevated highways and suspended train lines dividing the city into countless different sections and small areas.

The city sits on vast fields, like an island in a green ocean. In the crisp autumn season, the whole world is bathed in a delightful golden hue.

This place is somewhat similar to Korhal, a planet where modern metropolises and agriculture coexist harmoniously.

This was indeed the case before the Garm Brood and Surtur Brood invaded this area.

Augustus riding in Armored Vehicle belonging to the Command of the Londerstein Division, entering the city along the rural and urban roads of the Dorian Administrative District. Along the way, there was also a Revolutionary Army airborne paratrooper unit that was marching. They belonged to the Antiga Airborne Division and were commanded by a colonel who had served in the Heaven's Devils Platoon.

On both sides of the road are fields of thriving wheat. These sturdy, low-growing varieties were specially bred to cope with the strong winds of the Dorian region, and can withstand wind, sun, and pests. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this year will be another bumper harvest.

As Augustus looked out the car window at the fields, he could clearly see huge gaps in the green wheat fields, an unnatural and jarring sight, with the bright purple shimmer of the Creep in the sunlight clearly visible.

Now that the nearby Zerg nests and Creep clusters have been completely cleared, these creeping Creep will slowly disappear over time. Of course, the quickest way is to burn them off with fire.

Continuing onward, Augustus could see a cluster of inhabited colonial huts, most of which were smooth, semi-circular structures, shaped like a peeled eggshell. The roofs were fitted with solar panels that could be opened when the weather was fine.

But in Augustus's eyes, these buildings were clearly severely damaged, most of them collapsed or reduced to bare frames. Those that still stood were entwined with dark purple tendons and pulsating veins and ligaments, looking like rotten apples infested with wriggling maggots.

Two days ago, this place was a bloody slaughterhouse where alien creatures broke into human homes and disemboweled people. Human skin and spines hung upside down from the eaves, a scene straight out of a nightmare.

"Are there any survivors?" Augustus asked Kerrigan, who was sitting next to him.

"A little girl escaped by hiding in the basement, and our soldiers eventually rescued her from the Zerg's jaws," Kerrigan said. "The remains of the dead were indistinguishable, or even nonexistent; the scene was more horrific than the worst traffic accident."

"People were cut up and eaten while still alive, while others were dragged underground and forced to watch helplessly as the queen of the insect nest implanted Brood Queen into their bodies that would burst forth once mature."

"What a human tragedy," Augustus.

Just then, a group of people trudging along the roadside came into view. Some of them were wearing overalls, sunglasses, and frilly sun hats, and carrying tower-shaped buckets that only local farmers would use.

The people's attire and weary expressions told Augustus that they were refugees forced to flee their homes due to the Swarm invasion. After the Revolutionary Army recaptured the lost territory, the natives were gradually returning to their hometowns.

They all knew very well that their homeland was still in danger; any single Zerg that escaped the purge could kill a large group of people, but they had no other choice.

The invasion of the Zerg came suddenly. Most people fled their homes without taking anything with them, and in the end, they had to risk returning home to retrieve valuables and necessities. Even so, many people's efforts were in vain, because when they returned home, everything was gone.

The small settlement that Augustus spoke of with Kerrigan has been completely abandoned, because its inhabitants will never return.

"Stop the car, Faraday," Augustus said to Faraday, who was driving.

"What happened?" Faraday, wearing a Revolutionary Army cap with a gold star, turned to look at Augustus.

"You have already seen those who suffer so much," Augustus, looking at him. "Do I need any reason to go down and speak a few words with those I swore to protect?"

"But we don't know where these people came from, or whether their political leanings are towards us or the Confederacy," Faraday explained to Augustus. "Most importantly, we don't know if they are carrying the Zerg virus."

"Don't worry," Kerrigan told Faraday. "They're not malicious villains. Even if they were, I can guarantee the Marshal's safety. I would still say the same thing even if the enemy were an entire Swarm."

"You are so kind and compassionate towards the people. Only by being mindful of potential dangers in times of peace can we prevent future problems." Even so, Faraday reluctantly stopped the carriage. This was because Augustus was not seeking his opinion on the matter; it was an order that had to be obeyed.

The first to open the car door was Kerrigan, dressed in her Ghost operative suit. She gracefully and nimbly slipped out, slinging her long C-10 shotgun over her shoulder. Over the past few months, Kerrigan had learned from Tassadar and Zeratul how the Protoss honed their combat skills, albeit only superficially, but she was clearly much more astute than before.

Even the Protoss High Templar who had lived for centuries marveled at Kerrigan's talent, comparing her to a large cat from the Aiur rainforest with Kerrigan agility, an elegant animal that could turn in mid-air and land gracefully.

Leaving aside how moved they were, the locals walking along the roadside were clearly terrified. Walking alongside a large army was hardly an easy or pleasant experience, but this was the only road leading home.

"Madam, what crime have we committed?" a middle-aged man carrying a large woven bag asked Kerrigan after he stopped.

This is a family of five; the father is walking home with his wife and three children. They may have driven out, but gas stations are currently sold out, and all fuel storage facilities and high-energy gas wells are prime targets for the Zerg.

Just as crystal ore and high-energy gas are extremely precious natural resources for humanity in this era, they are equally important to the Zerg and Protoss. Therefore, when they fight each other, the most strategically astute commanders will prioritize attacking and destroying the enemy's resource gathering facilities and transportation chains.

"I'm not here to interrogate you," Kerrigan explained to them.

Before the middle-aged man could say anything more, Augustus had already stepped out of the car and stood in front of him.

Upon seeing Augustus, the man immediately became less nervous and afraid. He was almost overjoyed as he took a crumpled promotional poster from his pocket and carefully compared the Augustus in front of him with the person in the poster.

Augustus glanced at the promotional poster and noticed that the character didn't quite resemble him. The Augustus in the poster had a beard and looked older than he did now, which actually matched the image he used when Mar Sara impersonated the Confederacy sheriff.

Only those cold gray eyes, always gazing firmly ahead, were exactly like Augustus's, yet his image on the promotional posters was not fixed.

This propaganda effort was primarily carried out by the Sons of Korhal and Ogrub agents who had infiltrated the Terran Confederacy. They did their utmost to cultivate a positive image of Augustus among the people of the Terran Confederacy. Augustus's brother, Arcturus Mengsk, understood the importance of political propaganda and public opinion campaigns, and he spared no effort in supporting Augustus.

"It's him, no doubt about it. Augustus Mengsk, the savior of the people!" The man pointed at Augustus, "I know you, my God, my eldest son is in the Revolutionary Army."

"I am Augustus." Augustus to the man's words with a gentle smile. He was startled when he heard the second half of the man's sentence, but he simply looked at Kerrigan without showing any emotion, hoping that the other woman would use her mind-reading ability to remind him.

Prior to this, the Revolutionary Army had never arrived in Halsen, nor had it recruited soldiers in this world, but that does not mean that there were no Halsen people in the Revolutionary Army.

"You may not know him, ah, that's perfectly normal. Even a marshal can't remember the names of millions of people, let alone Jones, who is just an engineer," the man explained to Augustus before Kerrigan could speak.

"He served as the chief engineer on the Haigonefa," he said. "In a letter last month, the boy also mentioned that he had joined the Pan-Terra Revolutionary Party, and although we don't know what that is, we are all genuinely happy for every achievement he has made."

"Wherever he is, he will always be our pride."

"The Hegnefa was one of only three surviving Leviathan battlecruisers." Augustus recalled the name: "The ship's engineering corps belonged to the Alpha Squadron, and it was this heroic engineering corps that repaired damage and activated emergency escape mechanisms several times when the ship was on the verge of destruction, saving that battleship that had served for many years."

"He never talked to us about these things." The man and his wife exchanged a glance, both feeling a chill of fear.

"When we heard that Alpha Squadron was defeated by the rebel Revolutionary Army in Ma Sara, we all thought we were completely finished," the man said.

"But thank God when Jones got back in touch with us, we were all truly grateful for your kindness," he said. "He said you are a great man, a really good man."

"Jones Lars Lin was originally an engineer from Alpha Squadron. After Edmond Duke announced his joining the Revolutionary Army, the engineers from Alpha Squadron were also incorporated into the new Fleets," Kerrigan whispered to Augustus at this moment.

"At the time, we were short of engineers—not the kind who build planetary fortresses or Bunker, but Fleets engineers who had the ability to maintain and modify battlecruisers. They also needed to have a long service life in the military, because a battlecruiser must be operated by specialized personnel to ensure its combat capability," she said.

"Jones must have joined the Revolutionary Army around that time."

"The Haigonefa is also in the Halsen System. As Fleets engineer, Jones is not among the combat units deployed to the surface of Halsen, but I think I can help you see your son." Augustus nodded after hearing Kerrigan's words, and after a moment of contemplation, turned to his father, who was looking at him eagerly, hoping to get more information about his eldest son.

"Thank you for your kindness, great Augustus. You saved Jones, and you saved Halsen," the man said gratefully.

"Without the Revolutionary Army, Halsen would have been finished long ago. The Zerg are about to destroy the entire world, but we haven't even seen a shadow of the Confederacy Fleets," the man said gratefully.

"They're always a step too late. You're residents of the Dorian Administrative District?" Augustus asked the man. "How many people are planning to return here now?"

"There are quite a few people. Probably several thousand," the man replied to Augustus. "We all know it's still dangerous here, but we have no other choice."

"It took the people here two generations to build Dorian, while the Zerg destroyed our home in just two days," he said. "But no matter what, this is still our home, our shelter from the wind and rain."

"Well, don't worry, Dorian's Revolutionary Army will help you rebuild your homes." Augustus looked at the man's wife and children and noticed that they all seemed uneasy.

The man's wife was a typical Halsen peasant woman; she was tall with a high forehead. The children were around seven or eight years old and, under their parents' care, had strong bodies.

Even in Halsen, raising so many children is no easy task.

"Rebuild the home. Yes, we will rebuild it," the man said.

"Get in my carriage and go to Dorian," Augustus said to him at that moment. "That will be faster."

"This"

"It has nothing to do with your son Jones, whom I hold in high esteem; I was prepared to do the same before I got off the train." Augustus looked at Faraday, who seemed hesitant to speak.

"I'm driving myself. Faraday, I hope my Vulture has a full tank of gas."

"God, have mercy on me!" Faraday cried, tears welling in his eyes.

"If it weren't for my ability to read minds," Kerrigan said after a pause.

"I almost thought you just wanted a chance to race through the endless fields of Halsen."

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