Rebuilding Mar Sara

"Your fate is not to be like this, Ma Sara."

Jim Raynor knelt on one knee on the hardened black earth, letting the relentless wind whip his dark brown cowboy hat around his neck. This was a land melted and cooled by scorching Psionics and plasma Hurricane, its entire surface gleaming with the metallic sheen of silicide steel gray and the shimmer of glass.

A huge circular crater is located a dozen miles away, where the Deadwater Base once stood.

About a year ago, the Protoss Fleets literally burned Mar- Sara to the ground, focusing its attacks primarily on human settlements and the Zerg's main hive. Most of the refugees in Mar- Sara were evacuated in time before the Protoss Fleets's bombardment, thanks to the help of the Revolutionary Army, but their homes were destroyed.

The destruction of Mar- Sara was even more devastating than that of Korhal IV, which was hit by a nuclear attack. If the latter was reduced to scorched earth, the former was utterly reduced to a cold and desolate planet.

Cities were reduced to ashes, mountains were completely flattened, vast oceans and rivers dried up in extreme heat, and the earth was scorched into glass. The planet's natural landscape underwent a cataclysmic transformation, and all species became extinct, leaving only primitive life forms such as lichens and mosses.

Half of Mara Sara's atmosphere has been stripped away, making the thin air and barren surface even more unsuitable for human habitation. In the past, the colonists of Mara Sara could at least use irrigation systems to cultivate farmland on the planet's barren land, but now it is extremely difficult.

"Mar- Sara was one of the first planets to be invaded by the Zerg, and it was also one of the few planets destroyed by the Protoss." Augustus, wearing a windproof military overcoat, stood beside Raynor, the raging sandstorm leaving sharp scratches on the weathered coat.

"Everyone thought it was completely finished, but I learned that there was still a glimmer of hope for this planet."

Raynor stood up and looked in the direction Augustus was pointing. A camp consisting of hundreds of alloy steel and concrete buildings and gray living tents came into view. That area once had a familiar name: the Purgatory Corridor.

The Purgatory Corridor is no longer the winding, enormous canyon it once was; it has been leveled, its surface repeatedly shattered and reshaped, leaving it unrecognizable.

Today, the mountains and massive cliffs have turned into plains, and the riddled caves and pits have formed lakes and streams filled with water. However, under the intense stellar radiation of the Sara System, these lakes have very short lifespans.

Mar- Sara has become even more desolate, its surface covered with ugly black scars, while even on the lunar surface of Haj, lush oases can be found. This planet is no different from the many lifeless rocky planets in the Milky Way Galaxy, and it has been marked as a tombstone on human navigation maps.

Even in the scorching sun, the ashes of Ma Sara were surprisingly beautiful; the silicified layer covering the ground shimmered with a metallic and crystalline luster, making the entire plain appear as if it were part of a giant crystal.

Near the camp that Raynor was looking at, countless crystal veins were exposed on the surface, and numerous clusters of crystals shimmering with blue light gleamed in the sunlight. These were crystal veins that had once been buried beneath the Purgatory Corridor, but had now been completely unearthed by the Protoss Fleets's bombing.

Clusters of crystals are scattered everywhere, seemingly within easy reach. Collecting such crystals is relatively simple; they can be cut using a laser melting gun, and building a processing plant on-site can save on the cost of transporting raw materials.

While Augustus was talking to Raynor, construction was still in full swing at the camp. Towers, scaffolding, cranes, and bulldozers were already in place, and the machine workshops of the airport, supply depot, and heavy factory were also rising from the ground.

Every now and then, a batch of transport ships would descend from the high-altitude orbit and land in the camp's airport, bringing the workers and soldiers there essential supplies and construction materials.

"When I left Mar-a- Sara, I thought Elizabeth, John, and I would never return to this place of sorrow for the rest of our lives," Raynor said.

"Fate is truly wondrous; it's hard to predict when reality will slap you hard in the face and then offer you a few treats. Mar- Sara may not be the best choice for a habitable planet, but its abundant resources make one overlook its harsh natural conditions."

"For the original Ma Sara people, their lives probably wouldn't have been much better than they are now."

"Mar- Sara can no longer support such a large population as it used to, and it has to import food and water from other planets, but its mineral production is enough to make up for this disadvantage," Augustus nodded and said.

"Antiga Prime alone is not enough; we need another planet to provide raw materials and military factories," he said. "And the agricultural settlement of Agria provides food and medical supplies to both planets."

Augustus's Revolutionary Army controlled not only Antiga and Agria, but also seven other colonies established by Korhal IV immigrants, including Haj, Altera, and Bhekar. However, the Revolutionary Army's rule in Haj was not yet stable, while Altera was sparsely populated.

The other Korhal IV sub-colonies have a combined population of about ten million, but they are scattered far apart on the edge of the Koprulu Sector and cannot provide much help to the Revolutionary Army.

"Mar- Sara is far from the core world of Tarsonis, and almost everyone believes it has been completely destroyed, with no hope in sight, and no one cares about the Sara System," Raynor said with a smile. "We can take advantage of that to develop Mar- Sara's resources."

"The Confederacy never expected we'd be back here," Augustus replied with a smile to Raynor.

"We fought hard and bled our way to where we are today."

As they spoke, Augustus and Raynor walked together toward the camp, measuring the scorched earth with their footsteps, occasionally picking up a crystal shard from the ground. These glittering crystal shards were very conspicuous in the ashes, and with patience, they could quickly collect a large bag of crystal shards, just like picking up coal that had fallen onto the train tracks.

Despite the lack of even large wild animals and insects in this desolate world, Kerrigan and Faraday's Marshal Guard kept a close watch on Augustus and Raynor. Each of them was fully armed to deal with any potential enemies.

Before long, Augustus was getting closer and closer to the camp, and his pockets were stuffed with blue crystals.

This would have been impossible in the past in Sara, where humans would have had to use explosives and mining equipment to extract crystals. Now, these precious, large-scale crystal veins are being blasted into smaller, more easily mined pieces.

Humans, like birds searching for insects in plowed fields and children picking up gold on the beach, are collecting minerals with a sense of wonder on a completely destroyed planet.

After being bombarded by the Protoss Fleets's main cannons, these crystals underwent some other change. The additional energy they contained increased the mining value of the crystal ore many times over. Crystals of the same load capacity could be used after slight refining, which made the minerals of Mar- Sara generally more valuable than ordinary crystals.

The most obvious change is that production at the Ma Sara mine has become much higher than before.

"We are walking on a treasure trove scattered on the ground, which no one has ever discovered before," said Augustus, holding a broken piece of blue crystal in his hand.

By this time, they were very close to the camp, right below the watchtower where the Revolutionary Army flag was raised.

These buildings, erected just two weeks ago, are still quite close together, with crisscrossing roads in between.

The gates of warehouses, engineering stations, armories, and military camps were all open, and many engineers and workers wearing safety helmets were moving around inside. A factory production workshop was still cutting freshly mined crystal ore.

Most of the workers were engineers who had accompanied the Revolutionary Army Fleets on the expedition, and some were also from Ma Sara. They all showed great fighting spirit. Although they had only received orders to come to Ma Sara to collect minerals, the workers regarded it as their noble mission.

The engineers in the Revolutionary Army were well aware of the immense contribution each crystal and cubic meter of high-energy gas they collected would make to the entire revolutionary cause.

The camp is fully equipped with facilities, including emergency medical facilities as well as recreational and exercise facilities, since the desolate Ma Sara is as lonely as a warship in deep space.

There are dozens of such mining camps in Mar- Sara, each with hundreds to thousands of people. Each mining site under construction will become an important collection point and industrial base in the future. In the future, once Augustus the ability to conduct targeted large-scale migration to Mar- Sara, the city will surely rise.

"Joey has opened a new bar near the old site of the Deadwater Base. It won't be long before everything is alright," Raynor Augustus.

As they spoke, construction was still underway outside the camp, with hundreds of Type 280 SCV building the foundations for defensive facilities in preparation for the construction of a sturdy high wall.

Augustus planned to build a formidable fortress on the original site of the White Stone Base in the Purgatory Corridor, and the fortress would also be named White Stone.

"The mining of minerals in the Purgatory Corridor will be completed within one to two years, at which time a new city will rise here," Kerrigan's voice rang out.

"The Confederacy would never have dreamed that Mara Sara would once again become their biggest threat," Augustus nodded.

As Augustus spoke, he looked up and focused his gaze on a silver, conical structure that soared into the sky in the center of the camp. At that moment, engineers were still climbing up it, working on cables and circuits.

Mar- Sara was one of the first planets invaded by the Zerg, making it a no-go zone for human ships during the First Total War, as it was extremely close to the Swarm's advance.

However, the Psi Disrupter in the hands of the Revolutionary Army can effectively solve this problem.

After numerous modifications by Psionics experts from Swann and Kaczynski's Nova Squadron, the Revolutionary Army's Psi Disrupter has become nearly perfect after several upgrades.

When the silver spire, which constantly emitted powerful interfering Psionics signals throughout the star system, was erected in the Revolutionary Army -controlled area, even the most ferocious Leviathan Swarm avoided it.

The silver spire is over a thousand feet tall (over three hundred meters), soaring into the clouds like a sharp sword piercing the sky. The powerful Psi Disrupter equipment on it can cover the entire galaxy and also serve as a communication base station.

The spire's design is inspired by the Sterling Silver Tower Korhal IV in Augustus's memory. As a landmark of the city, the towering silver spire, along with the Mengsk Family 'Family Sky Tower reaching into the clouds, constitutes the consistent perception of Korhal IV among people from other planets in the Terran Confederacy.

The Revolutionary Army's engineering corps' architectural style bears many resemblances to the mercury-like steel frames and glass buildings of Korhal IV, but it also incorporates elements from other planets.

"Of those workers who signed up to work in Sara, the majority were from Sara – and of course, they were the only ones who could do it," Raynor said.

"Those who fled to Antiga have just escaped the swarm of Zerg and dare not return to Mar- Sara, which is now inextricably linked with the word Zerg."

Antiga Prime has now become the core world within the Revolutionary Army's sphere of influence, and it continues to absorb refugees from various Edge World on a large scale, with its population rapidly expanding to 25 million.

Antiga Prime, was a planet that had begun rebelling against the rule of the Terran Confederacy as early as twenty years ago. At this time, it was receiving great attention in places like the Confederacy's Edge World and the Umojan Republic. Even in distant places like Moria, the name Antiga had been heard many times.

Besides refugees, the Korhal people of the Umojan Republic also flocked to Antiga Prime, always considering themselves strangers in Umojan territory. Some Umojan people with ideals or simply wanting to participate in a war also went to Antiga; whatever their purpose, they were at least contributing manpower and resources.

Augustus merely smiled at Raynor's words, "We've arrested tens of thousands of Confederacy officials in places like Vardona and Halsen; it's time to put them through labor reform."

"That's how it should be," Raynor said.

"Marshal, the reconnaissance team has discovered a Kel-Morian camp in Blitz Canyon, seventeen miles away." Suddenly, a guard on duty wearing a red armband approached Augustus: "Lieutenant Roland is asking you how to deal with these Kel-Morian."

"It seems Mar- Sara's mines have attracted others as well. That's the Kel-Morian for you; wherever there are crystal mines, there they are, even if they know it will cost them their lives." Raynor's prejudice against the Kel-Morian remained unchanged. "Money over life."

"What are they doing?" Augustus asked the guard.

"It looks like just an ordinary mining guild," the guard said.

"Capture them?" Kerrigan's emerald eyes met Augustus's. "Or get them out of here."

"That's not a good idea," Raynor said. "They're just a bunch of miners."

"Reveal your identities," Augustus.

"Bring the leaders of these miners to me—there's no need to expel the Kel-Morian people of Mar Sara, provided they follow our rules."