You Know Too Much

The Revolutionary Army's attack on Noris VI was as resolute and swift as in every battle they had fought before.

Augustus stood before the massive bridge porthole of the Hyperion, his resolute face illuminated by the continuous barrage of gunfire outside. Thousands of miles away, a Behemoth-class Battlecruiser belonging to the Terran Confederacy Navy was under intense fire from multiple Revolutionary Army warships.

After a blinding flash, multiple fireballs erupted from the Confederacy warship, and the resulting horrifying breach immediately rendered it powerless, turning it into a gradually cooling iron coffin floating in space. Countless crew members and soldiers perished, wiped out in the blink of an eye.

Augustus closed his eyes, and immediately before him appeared images of soldiers howling and struggling in the raging flames of the wrecked ships—both those of the Confederacy and the Revolutionary Army.

I am already deeply sinful.

A Confederacy Wraith with its engine on fire entered Augustus's field of vision. A dense barrage of bullets followed closely behind, guided by the sensor array. The jet was then melted in the laser like an insect flying into flames, leaving only fleeting sparks.

Several more Confederacy fighters, pursued by an even larger group of the Revolutionary Army, attempted to approach the famous Revolutionary Army flagship, the Hyperion. The Confederacy pilots of these fighters no longer held any hope of safely returning to the hangar.

"Bomb them all to dust, burn them to ashes." Arcturus tried to give orders to the Hyperion's intelligent fire control system, but he did not actually have such authority.

"Crush his bones to ashes! Reduce him to nothingness!"

Then, before being individually fired upon by the Hyperion's twin laser cannons, the swarming Confederacy Wraith launched multiple air-to-air Gemini Missiles, but they only caused ripples on the pale gold-colored Defensive Matrix shield.

"Another war," Augustus. "I always hope it's the last."

"Where do your destructive desires come from?" Augustus's gaze passed through Arcturus's Power Armor and landed on the sword at his waist. Arcturus was proficient in using most of the firearms in the army, but he also preferred melee weapons, which he said he only used when firearms were not useful.

"From the moment I most wanted to end the enemy," Arcturus Augustus. "War has never been the ultimate goal of the revolution, but rather a means for us to accomplish this great cause."

"That's war. While you're enjoying a symphony and sipping hot coffee on the bridge, the soldiers have already brought victory," he said.

"Isn't that exactly what you've been doing? And all you've started a thousand wars for is to prevent the war that could very well destroy everyone in the end."

"This cannot be summarized so simply," Augustus suddenly said. "Arcturus, perhaps you are the one truly suited to lead the Revolutionary Army."

"I am not the one everyone expects. They only recognize you now, the Revolutionary Army, the Umojan Council, and those who have suffered oppression from the Terran Confederacy —there are millions of them." Arcturus patted Augustus's shoulder with his armored iron gauntlet, sensing the burden and pressure on the other.

"If you want to step down from your responsibilities, now is not the time. So many people are waiting for you to fulfill your past promises, to overthrow the Confederacy, and to create a truly good world where labor is rewarded, the honest and just are not wronged, and the kind and selfless are not harmed," he said.

"As you know, that's an ideal world," Augustus sighed.

"The ideal home is where the garden is built," Arcturus said with a smile.

"It's too late to run away now."

"It's all Angus's fault." Augustus put his hands on his hips. "I should have put aside my own family and killed Angus, then told the Confederacy that my father had just lost his mind and that Korhal had no intention of rebelling."

"I agree," Arcturus said. "I'd like to ask you why you didn't do it."

"Augustus, you are destined not to be ordinary. The Mengsk Family are born to build great achievements."

"You think too highly of me," Augustus said. "I wonder what would happen if one day they found out I wasn't as good as they imagined?"

"I'm sure you can do better. If it were me, I wouldn't have thought of allying with those mind-stealing Protoss monsters," Arcturus Augustus. "Imagine you've done enough; all that's left is to keep it up."

"You are about to succeed, Augustus. Those who slander us only make us stronger," he said, recalling something he had said to Augustus in the past.

"Since you were born into the Mengsk family, living a mundane and uneventful life would be far too boring."

"We've always supported you, no matter what. Angus never says it, but he's always worried about you. Mom's afraid to hear bad news about you, so she's stopped watching the news. Dorothy is still reading the stories you write, but isn't that a bit too childish?"

"That's a fairy tale." Augustus felt a sense of relief.

"That's wonderful." Harnack stood behind Augustus, his head bowed. "Nothing is better than knowing your family is waiting for you to return after a war."

"I must say, Dorothy Mengsk is really beautiful. She looks a lot like you, and you know I admire people who look similar to you the most. Sometimes I wonder why you look so alike, it's unbelievable. Are you actually twins?"

"You know too much, Hank." Augustus knew that Harnack coveted his sister; of course, the red-haired boy had a thing for all pretty women and would accept any offer.

"Dorothy has grown up," Arcturus pointed out with heartache. "She's twenty now, a young woman. Umojan of suitors has formed in front of Dorothy, but those scoundrels have no chance."

"What have you done?" Augustus guessed some of it. "You did well, Arcturus. They should have waited until she was twenty-two to see her. Then Dorothy wouldn't have made the wrong judgment."

"I hired a few Psionics to read those rubbish thoughts, and I can hardly believe it. Ah, even greyhounds are good at running and hunting, and pigs are agile and loyal, but they are truly worse than pigs and dogs," Arcturus said.

"Perhaps, love is all about being ambiguous and unpredictable; it's better to put all your thoughts out in the open," Kerrigan, who had been listening attentively.

"Dorothy is probably much smarter than all of you."

"Of course, but who can guarantee she won't fall for a treacherous person?" Augustus loved his sister the most.

"There are too many people skilled at winning hearts," Arcturus said, referring to himself, who years ago had shamelessly deceived Valerian, Juliana's mother. "Women in love are oblivious, while clever thieves take advantage of that."

"But if that's the case, how will Dorothy have a chance to grow up?" Harnack said.

"Mind your own business first, gentlemen," Kerrigan couldn't help but reveal her sharp tongue.

"This is Warfield, the Confederacy Fleets is retreating." Warfield's report came at that moment.

"They are warping away. Should we order the Fleets to continue the pursuit?"

"Stop the pursuit; it might be a trap," Augustus quickly assessed.

Not all of the naval generals of the Terran Confederacy were incompetent and incompetent. Even someone like Edmond Duke knew the tactic of feigning a retreat to lure the enemy into an encirclement.

"This is Duke. Alpha Squadron is requesting backup. We have encountered enemy forces at our landing site in the Metis Mountains of Noris. They outnumber the landing force several times over. Repeat." Duke's voice came from the side of the bridge at that moment.

"Provide a detailed account of the landing site." Augustus knew that something must have gone wrong with the battle plan, after all, the battlefield is ever-changing. He immediately walked with Arcturus toward the star chart platform, shooing Tychus Finley, who was standing next to him browsing a brothel review website, aside.

Generally speaking, Edmond Duke, who was ambitious and concerned with his image, always refused to ask his allies for help unless he was certain that he would be doomed on his own.

During the Noris landings, Edmond Duke's Alpha Squadron was the first to break through the alien's orbital defenses, and victory should have been within their grasp.

"Those damn Confederacy bastards have been waiting for us all along. The fortifications are buried deep underground, and those machines and cannons are practically springing up from the ground." Duke leaned against the edge of a huge bomb crater, his white beard trembling, roaring as he ordered the Alpha Squadron to hold their ground, while soldiers in white Power Armor leaped past them.

"There are Confederacy soldiers everywhere. If you remember the scene of us fighting bugs in Aiur, that's it now— Confederacy soldiers carrying flags and rifles everywhere."

"Oh, I have to call it: I am the crowd, that's what that Cerebrate in the lab always says," Tychus quipped.

Augustus's pet, the domesticated Cerebrate, is indeed housed in the Hyperion's laboratory, being cared for by Egon Stetmann. This Cerebrate can control the feral Zerg that arises after Overmind Overmind's death, making it extremely valuable to Augustus.

Arcturus also placed high hopes on the Cerebrate, as he preferred to manipulate the Swarm to fight for him instead of human soldiers.

Nevertheless, controlling a proud Cerebrate is no easy task; they can never be controlled by any creature other than the Overmind. But ultimately, Cerebrate are also highly intelligent beings with thoughts and even personalities, and their character is often closely related to the combat methods and functions of their exclusive group.

As long as it has thought, Arcturus is confident that he can command a Cerebrate to fight for him. If all else fails, he also has the Cerberus Project, which allows him to control the Zerg through neural modification and mechanical means.

"Noris is the Confederacy's largest resocialization factory and a central hub for supplying soldiers throughout the Confederacy. They likely sent all the newly manufactured soldiers from the factory to the front lines," Arcturus said.

"After so many years, re-socialized surgery no longer requires doctors to personally perform brain surgeries one by one."

"Reinforcements will be here soon." Augustus looked at Tychus, who was looking around.

"General Haller." He immediately connected with the Nova Squadron commander. "I need you to immediately lead your troops to provide fire support to Duke's ground forces. Don't worry about ammunition."

"I don't want prisoners, I only want Noris."

"Pulaier Prier, immediately lead your assault division to that location. Londerstein, prepare your 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions for battle," Augustus.

"Mira Han, I know you're on the largest space station in Noris," Augustus.

"What? You want me to smash it into Noris's atmosphere right now? Oh, you're a genius—you almost stole my heart, though that heart will forever belong to the handsome, dashing, and debonair pony."

"Enough with the nonsense. I need you to use the space station's uplink communication code to cut off Noris's connection with the Confederacy, now." Augustus turned to Tychus.

"Tychus, I have a task for you."

"There are Confederacy soldiers everywhere down there, why do I always have to go and help that bastard Duke?" Tychus's expression immediately changed.

"Think about it, being saved by the villain he hates most is what Duke is most ashamed of," Arcturus said. "What he can't let go of is that insignificant bit of pride."

"You're right," Tychus thought for a moment.

"I'm going to give you an elite force to land from here, at another originally planned landing point." Augustus opened the satellite scan map of Noris VI and placed his finger on a marked shadow.

"That place is a hundred miles away from where Duke's Viper is." Tychus also had some military knowledge.

"But what about in the other direction of the Confederacy Resocialization Plant, in the ocean?"

"That's right, that's where you're going to land," Augustus. "I'm assigning you command of about a company of Reaper, all equipped with state-of-the-art jetpacks and oxygen masks, capable of storming the factory directly."

"The Confederacy commanders in Noris must have focused most of their attention on the Alpha Squadron in the front lines, and you guys are like gods sent from the sky."

"No wonder you insisted on having me try out those new equipment that can go anywhere, but that's exactly what this class of soldier is supposed to do—cross treacherous terrain that is difficult for ordinary people to overcome, and launch an attack from an unexpected position!" Tychus said thoughtfully.

"The Reaper company is assembled on deck," Kerrigan said. "The transport ship should be able to take you to your designated landing position in fifteen minutes."

"You are very clever, Finley." Arcturus also thought Tychus Finley was a true warrior—the kind of man who was extremely difficult to tame, as hard to approach and trust as a wild beast, but Arcturus was convinced that the reins binding Tychus were in Augustus's hands.

"I like guys like you the most, Mengsk – honest, reliable, and devoted to your soldiers, never betraying your comrades. I'll be right back," Tychus said. "We'll talk later."

As Augustus's brother, Arcturus was a remarkable figure in Tychus's eyes—he was wealthy.

"He's mocking you," Augustus.

"Finley rarely praises people," Arcturus frowned. "As the saying goes, even a wicked person can have kind words."