Prince Arcturus

Terran Confederacy Territory, Onuru Sigma.

The barren cobalt blue night sky is dotted with stars, their brilliant light cascading down to the towering glaciers and vast tundra, while frozen lakes and pristine snow reflect the starlight.

Due to blackout regulations, the city of Onuru Sigma was shrouded in darkness, with only the faint lights of private cars visible. A handful of pedestrians braved the biting wind and pulled their collars up to ward off the swirling snowflakes.

The series of wars that broke out between the Kel-Morian Combine and the Terran Confederacy on Onuru Sigma was the spark that ignited the Guild Wars. Before that, this cold and desolate world was unknown to most.

Like other planets whose main industry is resource export, Onuru Sigma is also a mineral-rich planet, with a huge amount of high-energy gas stored beneath its glaciers.

In the beginning, the Kel-Morian people built several high-energy gas extraction facilities made of alloy steel on Onuru Sigma, but after the end of the Guild Wars, these buildings, along with the entire star system, came under the ownership of the Terran Confederacy Kel-Morian Combine compensation for the damage caused by the war.

Most of the people on the planet Onuru Sigma lived through that terrible war, and nowadays they are unwilling to recall the painful memories of the past.

When the air raid siren sounded again, most of the planet's inhabitants were still asleep. As soon as they opened their eyes, they could hear the Confederacy Sheriff's voice on the radio, ordering everyone to take up arms and defend their home.

Although Sigma was once the focus of contention between the warring parties during the Guild Wars, after the end of the war, the Terran Confederacy incorporated most of the Kel-Morian Combine Worlds into its territory, and its borders expanded significantly. Onuru Sigma was no longer a strategically important and dangerous place.

The Confederacy Navy maintains only a small Fleets of dilapidated ships symbolically stationed on Sigma to deal with the pirate threat along trade routes. A total of about one and a half Confederacy Army divisions, less than 20,000 men, guard the planet Sigma, a decision that is understandable given the desolate planet's inability to support more professional soldiers.

During the First Total War, since Onuru Sigma was not on the Zerg's path of advance, the Confederacy Armed Command did not increase the planet's defenses, but instead withdrew its last remaining elite forces.

Now is the time when the Earth United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet is launching a full-scale invasion, and the Confederacy, already overwhelmed with problems, has even less time to deal with this unremarkable planet. After all, it is said that at least two UED Fleets have already appeared near Tarsonis.

However, the war that broke out today ended unexpectedly quickly, taking only three hours from its outbreak to the capture of the Sigma Governor's Palace by a rebel force.

As soon as the air raid sirens sounded, sporadic gunfire and explosions from small-scale skirmishes were heard in several cities. In the calm of the night, some city residents saw soldiers in Power Armor carrying red flags marching through the fast streets, followed by a large number of Vulture hoverbikes and Arclite Siege Tank heading towards the city center one after another.

The lax Confederacy garrison surrendered almost all of its military bases and key government locations with little resistance. The rebels chose the perfect time to attack, as the hemisphere with the most cities and the largest military camps was in the dead of night, and the darkness of Onuru Sigma was biting cold.

When dawn broke, the inhabitants of Planet Sigma were informed by heavily armed soldiers and members of the Revolutionary Party's propaganda department that everything would proceed as normal that day. All public places, schools, mines, and office buildings would remain open, and people were free to sit in bars and chat about what had happened the previous night.

The only difference was that all the Confederacy flags had been replaced with black and red and gold and red Revolutionary Army flags, and almost every street sign was plastered with notices of the new government and propaganda posters with its governing philosophy.

A heroic and extraordinary man dominated the entire screen.

"I am Augustus Mengsk, inhabitants of Onuru Sigma, and I announce to you that this planet has been liberated by the Korhal Revolutionary Army. From this day forward, on this great land that once nurtured a great people, people will live their lives freely and happily, according to their own will."

"In the name of all Secular and divine authority, in the name of Augustus Mengsk, Onuru Sigma is hereby Korhal Dominion, the Antiga Dominion, and the united territories of the aforementioned six planets, becoming part of the Terran Republic, inviolable and unalterable, forever."

Augustus recited his oath, which he knew by heart, in the control room of a somewhat old but still durable broadcasting tower. Arcturus Mengsk stood with his hands behind his back, waiting until Augustus finished before speaking:

"This is just the beginning. There are so many planets waiting for us to conquer and rule. One day, we will build a peaceful and stable nation with our own hands."

"Yes," Augustus said, removing the device he was wearing on his head. "But I call this liberation, the liberation of a people's freedom, so that they and their children no longer live the lives of humiliation and oppression they once endured, not conquest and domination."

"There is no contradiction," Arcturus Augustus.

"If you have any concerns, then let me do the things you can't do."

Augustus sighed, the blue and white lights illuminating his pale face. This was a communications tower located in Confederacy military base— Hastings Camp, a corner facing the Noranda Glacier.

This Confederacy military camp was once destroyed by the Kel-Morian Combine during the Guild Wars, but it was rebuilt and expanded many times until it became the largest Confederacy military camp on the planet.

After a while, Augustus turned and called out, "Lieutenant Sarah Angelini, go tell General Duke that I will be reviewing all the surrendered Sigmar Legion soldiers of the Terran Federation at Camp Hastings in fifteen minutes."

"I understand, Marshal." Angelini left as soon as he appeared.

Angelini is a powerful level 10 Psionics with superhuman strength, but he is completely devoted to Augustus.

Telepaths understand people's hearts, and the more they do so, the more they abhor the ugliness of human nature, and the more they understand that someone like Augustus is worthy of their lifelong devotion.

"Onuru Sigma is rich in resources, and most importantly, although the Kel-Morian mining facilities are crude, they are easy to repair and their output is quite astonishing. If the Kel-Morian people still rule this planet, they will be able to mine all the resources here in less than ten years." Arcturus walked through the porch of the broadcast tower control room, wearing a long black winter coat, and stepped out into the cold wind and snow of Sigma.

"What a swarm of locusts!"

The broadcast had ended, so Augustus and Arcturus saw no need to stay any longer. They walked together through the military buildings and grid-like supply depots of the Hastings Camp.

The ground in the center of the open camp was illuminated by the lights, and nearly six thousand Confederacy soldiers stood in the heavy snow, shivering in the cold wind wearing only thin shirts.

The Revolutionary Army soldiers stood on the outermost edge, holding Gauss Rifle, and waved and saluted Augustus and Arcturus when they saw them.

"Get them running, Lieutenant Colonel Foss. They won't be cold if they run!" Augustus shouted to a young Revolutionary Army sergeant.

At Augustus's command, the dense crowd quickly sprang into action, running around the playground with considerable momentum.

The temperature at Hastings Camp was consistently around minus ten degrees Celsius, making the soldiers sweat in such conditions a deadly affair, as the sweat clinging to their skin when their clothes were soaked could cause terrible frostbite.

But none of that mattered; they would soon be transported to the Xel'Naga transport ship Eldritch. The interior of that magical spaceship was always warm and comfortable, the reason for which Rory Swann still couldn't understand.

"Tell them that in five minutes they will have hot milk soup, hot coffee, and canned beef from Umojan," Augustus said again.

"So let me see if the Sigma Legion, which once defeated the cunning Kel-Morian, has become lax and neglected its training during this time." In the shadow of the snowstorm, Kerrigan, dressed in an environmental mimicry combat suit and in stealth mode, dutifully placed her headset next to Augustus so that his voice could be transmitted through the broadcasting facilities of the Blacksmith camp.

"Soldiers, you probably don't know what just happened, but I'll tell you now. In less than twenty minutes, a single battalion of the Revolutionary Army 7th Division captured this camp, and many of you didn't even know the enemy was there until you were dragged out of your tents."

"What's going on? You've been serving in the Confederacy Army for at least six years, while my soldiers were students, workers, farmers, or even pianists just two or three years ago," Augustus shouted.

"Run!"

"Nearly a third of the Sigma Legion comes from the former 33rd Ground Assault Division; they were all my subordinates in the past," Arcturus said with deep emotion.

"I led them to many victories, and the honors we achieved are unparalleled," he said.

"Even after I retired, the 33rd Ground Assault Division remained an elite force among elites. They belonged to the Sigma Legion, fought on multiple planets, and were forged in the frigid polar regions, barren deserts, endless grasslands, and dangerous primeval forests."

"When my old superior, General Fowler, was still alive, the 33rd Ground Assault Division still maintained a strong fighting capacity, but then he died, just as the war was about to end."

"After that, the man who took over the Sigma Legion was clearly a fool, no, a ridiculous animal trainer and a pathetic beast, who turned my lion into a plump, fat orange cat."

"Or rather, they didn't train much at all after the war ended," Augustus lamented.

"I received reports that after you left the Confederacy army, just before the end of the Guild Wars, most of the officers in the Sigma Legion who had made outstanding contributions were transferred away, and replaced by some members of the Old Families and other 'connections' who had intruded," he said.

"Based on their military achievements, these people quickly rose to the rank of general, which was originally rightfully theirs and that of their subordinates. Later, a group of officers who only cared about promotion and wealth took over this place. They spent their days reselling supplies and weapons, finding scapegoats, and bribing officials at all levels, turning the military camp into a chaotic mess."

"No one expects to win a battle anymore."

"What is that man doing?" Augustus suddenly asked, pointing to a Confederacy soldier lying on the ground, panting heavily.

"Make him stand up, don't let him stop."

As soon as he finished speaking, several Revolutionary Army soldiers walked over on the orders of a sergeant, but the Confederacy soldier refused to get up again, saying things like "I'm not good at running" as he was being led away.

"How shameful." Arcturus shook his head.

"Give me the Sigma Legion, and in less than three months, I can turn them back into a mighty lion."

"You're going to paint an orange cat with black stripes?" Augustus chuckled. "So you've finally decided to command an army?"

For the past four years, Arcturus has been mining resources in the Edge World. Now, he is clearly tired of things in the mines.

As a child, Arcturus Mengsk was determined to become the greatest explorer and a mine owner who amassed immense wealth through his own efforts rather than by "inheriting from his father," which is why he preferred Augustus to inherit the Mengsk Family business.

Arcturus preferred to work hard on his own rather than fight his brother for the inheritance. Perhaps Arcturus was a cold and ruthless person, but there was absolutely no doubt that he deeply loved his mother and siblings.

Just as Arcturus had always been determined to do well, he had achieved his initial dream. Now, driven by an ambition called drive, Arcturus began to miss the days when he commanded armies.

Arcturus has already opened up enough mines; even if it takes more than thirty years, he still won't be able to mine them all. The current Revolutionary Army can function normally even without Arcturus opening new mines.

At this point, Augustus Arcturus over and asked him to help him command his ever-growing army.

"Besides that, I have nothing else to do," Arcturus said. "Let me command an army of the Terran Empire. With me here, neither the Zerg nor the Protoss can threaten the great Empire."

"Another empire? Angus wants to establish a republic." Augustus shrugged.

"Angus is too naive." Arcturus laughed, his gray beard trembling.

"Do you dare say this in front of your father?" Augustus asked.

"Who told him to say that about me?" Arcturus said.

"You really hold a grudge," Augustus.

"It is hatred that sustains me," Arcturus said. "But I don't hate Angus; on the contrary... I think what he said in the past wasn't entirely without merit."

"But the Terrans need a strong government, while the Earthlings do a much better job," he told Augustus.

"Do you remember the Game we played when we were kids? You were the emperor of the empire, and I was a prince."

"Who remembers that?" Augustus. "Were there emperors who wore skirts...?"