Ghost Academy

"Your old flame in Tarsonis?"

Sarah Kerrigan emerged from behind Augustus, her hands resting on her slender waist.

"I don't know her." Augustus's voice was so soft that only Kerrigan could hear it.

"That's just a frivolous woman who flirts openly, shamelessly and rudely." Kerrigan and Augustus's faces were almost touching, and the earrings carved from Khaydarin Psi Crystal seemed to sway with the cold wind blowing from her mouth.

"Hmm," Augustus thought to himself, "What the lady said makes sense."

"This is my sister, Clara Annabella Terra," Zebediah said helplessly to Augustus. "That's November Annabella Terra, we all call her Nova."

"I remember her," Augustus, referring to Nova.

"Get out of my way!" Clara struggled to push her way through the heavily Power Armor military soldiers. "I'm from the Terra Family!"

It's likely that no one dared to stop Clara when she frequented clubs, banquets, dance halls, and opera houses. Considering Constantine Terra's influence in the political and business circles of Tarsonis, even the Confederacy military had to give him some face.

But Augustus's guards didn't care about Clara's identity. They were all five-year veterans who had fought against the Protoss and Zerg, and they only obeyed the orders of their captain Faraday, and the Revolutionary Army Marshal himself.

"Let her come in; Mr. Constantine is an old friend of mine." Augustus didn't want things to get too tense. "There's no reason to turn away a friend's daughter."

"Hmph, I'm sorry, Miss Clara Annabella Terra, you can't come over right now," Kerrigan said, raising her chin.

The two guards were bewildered, but after thinking for a moment, they decided to obey Augustus's orders.

"Let me see you, young Marshal Augustus Mengsk, you are becoming more and more heroic." Clara happily lifted her skirt and walked towards Augustus.

Clara was indeed a stunning beauty, exuding elegance as if she were a figure from a court painting. Her face was truly a masterpiece sculpted by laser minimally invasive cosmetic surgery; even the most discerning person could not find a single flaw in her angelic countenance.

"It's such a joy to see you again." Clara gently covered her mouth with her hands, which were covered in white lace gloves, and then reached out to Augustus's hard cheeks with trembling hands.

Kerrigan's eyes narrowed, and she flicked her red ponytail, using a knife-like motion to sever Clara's outstretched hands. Then, with some kind of precognitive ability, she pushed Clara away just as she was about to throw herself into Augustus's arms.

During her time at the Ghost Academy, Kerrigan consistently achieved perfect scores in telepathy, but her instructors never imagined that this exceptional student would use such extraordinary abilities for something like this.

"Who are you?" Clara initially intended to approach Augustus casually, but after Kerrigan's repeated thwarting, she ended up playing Game of tag with him.

"I am Sarah Kerrigan, Marshal Augustus's adjutant." Kerrigan remained unmoved.

"Kerrigan? I've heard of that name. A nobleman from Korhal?" Clara stopped, panting, and patted her dress as if trying to appear calm.

"I am just an ordinary citizen of Tarkossia," Kerrigan said calmly.

"Oh--" At this moment, Clara thought she had seized an opportunity to break through Kerrigan. She dodged Kerrigan to the left and pounced on Augustus like a tiger.

"What do you want?" Kerrigan easily grabbed Clara from behind, her strong hands squeezing under the arms of the eldest daughter of the Terra Family, pulling her close until her back was pressed tightly against her chest.

"Let me go!" Clara struggled for a while, only to find that she was no match for Kerrigan. At first glance, it looked as if Kerrigan was hugging Clara from behind.

"Not now. I am also Marshal Augustus's bodyguard. I cannot allow a woman of unknown origin to get close to him." Kerrigan held Clara tightly with ease, while the latter was exhausted and her face turned red.

"I'm not someone of unknown origin." Clara coughed and gasped for breath due to the exertion.

"But you are a woman." As Kerrigan spoke, her left hand moved down to tighten around Clara's slender waist, while her right hand pinched Clara's chin, making her turn her head to look at her.

For some reason, Clara's face suddenly turned even redder.

Sarah Kerrigan was undoubtedly a dashing woman, dressed in a crisp military uniform, her red hair neatly tied back in a ponytail. In the end, Kerrigan almost single-handedly embraced Clara.

"You... you let me go!" Clara's voice grew weaker and weaker.

"Where do you think you're going, little girl?" Kerrigan dragged Clara into the corner.

"This is so embarrassing," Zebediah lamented, covering his face.

"Let the ladies fend for themselves," Augustus, patting Zebediah on the shoulder, thinking to himself, "What's the point of this?"

Zebediah's Hover Car was parked on the road between the New Babylon City and the park, guarded by several servants dressed in black. The Crusader III did not prohibit firearms, so they were allowed to carry handguns.

Before Zebediah was put into the car, Nova Terra, who was leaning against a tree nearby, came over and bowed to Augustus: "Good day, Mr. Augustus Mengsk."

This is a very polite little girl, dressed beautifully and neatly, and her manners are impeccable.

"You must be Nova." As Augustus approached Nova with a smile, she gracefully took a step back.

"Nova is a little shy; she's not allowed to speak to anyone other than the family servants," Zebediah told Augustus.

"I remember seeing you at Andrea Tagore's birthday party a few years ago; you were just a little child then." Augustus stopped in front of Nova. "Now you've grown into a proper young lady."

"Your memory is truly excellent," Nova said with a smile. "I don't remember much about that time."

What happened back then was something Nova found difficult to talk about and didn't want to recall.

After saying this, Nova lowered her head and stepped behind her Zebediah. Nova was wearing a black pleated skirt and her hair was tied with a matching black ribbon.

"Haha." Augustus laughed, but the smile quickly faded.

"Marshal, Nova witnessed that Hybrid monster devour our father," Zebediah sighed to Augustus. "That brought us terrible memories and indelible pain, especially for Nova."

"Now I realize that she almost lost control of her Psionics power at that moment, and was on the verge of going out of control."

"This is not something a child this young can face alone." Augustus could imagine the scene, the sight of Angus Mengsk's head rolling in front of him, and he could somewhat understand Nova's current silence.

In contrast, her sister Clara seemed unaffected by their father's tragic death; Augustus didn't know whether to call her exceptionally strong or heartless.

"Is Nova a Psionics?" Augustus asked, knowing the answer but glancing at Nova who remained silent with her head down.

"Yes, she is a Psionics." Zebediah already knew Augustus's attitude towards Psionics and believed that he would not kidnap his sister and erase her memories like the Confederacy would, and train her to be a cold-blooded killer.

"The Terra Family has kept this a secret from the outside world, and we all believe it's for Nova's protection."

"Have you tested her Psionics level?" Augustus asked, looking at Zebediah.

"No," Zebediah said. "My parents don't want to talk about anything related to Psionics in front of Nova."

"Would you mind if I had someone test Nova's Psionics level?" Augustus explained to Zebediah, "I've learned that if an untrained Psionics possesses excessively powerful Psionics abilities, she could unknowingly harm those around her."

"Yes, I also think it's quite necessary to know Nova's Psionics level." If Zebediah hadn't witnessed Nova nearly going berserk, he would have rejected Augustus's suggestion without hesitation.

He was indeed almost crushed to death by Nova, and Nova felt extremely guilty about it afterward.

If Zebediah's understanding of the extent of Psionics power is still very vague, then it is clear that Nova has taught him an important lesson.

"I want to learn more about the power of Psionics." Nova had overheard their conversation, and she walked up to Augustus.

"I don't want to hurt the people around me anymore."

"Sako." Augustus snapped his fingers.

A man dressed in a blue and white ghost-like combat suit jumped down from a nearby tree, and as he landed, he triumphantly tossed his light blond curly hair, presumably thinking that his entrance was quite cool.

"Miss from Tarsonis, you possess a volcanic eruption-like power within you." Angelini stopped beside Augustus.

"About how many levels?" Augustus asked him.

"A conservative estimate is level 8, and it certainly won't be lower than that," Angelini said, looking at Nova. "We'll need specialized testing equipment to determine the exact level."

"Very strong?" Zebediah didn't know much about Psionics.

"Not inferior to me." Angelini said solemnly.

"However, this child has not received any training on controlling her Psionics power and ultimately mastering it." He looked at Zebediah and said, "This is a potential problem, because the Psionics power within her is already too strong compared to her spirit."

"I used to think that the training methods used by the Confederacy Ghost Academy for children were not advisable, but I later learned that Protoss children can skillfully use their innate powers at a very young age." Angelini put her hands behind her back.

"I believe that human Psionics must also receive the same education—not teaching 3- to 5-year-old children to kill, but imparting knowledge on how to better control their Psionics powers so that these children do not harm themselves or others."

"It has been proven that children who grow up alongside those with similar talents are less likely to experience exclusion and discrimination."

Sako Angelini is a rare Level 10 Psionics, and Augustus found him to have exceptional talent in education and imparting knowledge. He was better suited to stay in the rear and educate the next generation of Psionics than to fight on the front lines.

"I'm also thinking about what should become of the Psionics in the Terran Confederacy in the future. Even though they were once considered a destabilizing factor, taking young children away from their parents is not something a government elected by the people should do," Augustus said.

"So I built a Ghost Academy on Antiga Prime to provide a safe campus for Psionics under the revolutionary government."

"You want to train Psionics to become Revolutionary Army soldiers?" Zebediah asked.

"The Ghost Academy is divided into primary and advanced levels. Only children who volunteer for military service will receive military training at the age of sixteen; the rest will graduate at that time and go on to university," Augustus. "I will assign appropriate positions to these Psionics to ensure that their talents are not wasted."

"Places like oversight posts, police stations, education departments, and political censorship agencies need people who can read minds the most."

"I think I can understand," Zebediah said thoughtfully, "But I would prefer to hire a governess rather than send Nova to a school far from home."

"If all goes well, we'll convert the Confederacy's Tarsonis Ghost Academy into our own." Angelini scratched his head.

"It's as if we're absolutely certain we'll take down Tarsonis."

"But..." Zebediah was still worried.

"Brother, I want to take courses on Psionics," Nova said. "I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"Nova is such a good girl." Augustus bent down and brushed aside the golden hair on Nova's forehead. "People are always afraid of the power of Psionics, which stems from their pathetic ignorance. What matters is always the person who wields the power, not the power itself. Nova, you are kinder and braver than anyone I have ever met."

"Do not fear that power; one day you will use it to benefit the world and protect the world of the Terrans."

Nova looked up into Augustus's deep gray eyes and memorized the scene before her.

"Alright, if Mother has no objections." Zebediah looked at Angelini: "Do you see me still possessing Psionics talent?"

"You," Angelini said to Zebediah with a hint of regret, stroking his clean-shaven chin.

"I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

"Bad," Zebediah said.

"Your Psionics level is probably around 3, which is a little higher than the average person, but it's not very useful," Angelini said.

"Good news?" Zebediah wasn't too disappointed.

"He's a bit better than the guy who's trying to seduce your sister," Angelini said.

Zebediah fell silent.

"Darling!" Clara Terra had finally returned to Augustus's side, but was still being held intimately by Kerrigan.

Kerrigan glanced at Nova, who was talking to Augustus, and thought that although the girl was also a powerful Psionics and a noblewoman, she was more than ten years younger than Augustus and shouldn't be a threat.

"If you want to learn how to use Psionics, then I can teach you—if I have the time," Kerrigan said to Nova.