Non-Aggression Pact
Redstone, No. 6267 Asteroid Mining Station.
This settlement, seemingly converted entirely from a wrecked ship, possesses a certain rugged, chaotic beauty. It is constructed from hundreds of tons of old metal, with dozens of domed metal huts deeply embedded inside the rocky asteroid via welded steel scaffolds and numerous pipes as thick as a person.
Each of the Kel-Morian huts, with its dome and rough walls painted in a dark gray or blue-green hue, and adorned with the Mining Guild's slogans and prominent family crests, looks at first glance like poisonous mushrooms growing on moldy rocks.
The section that once belonged to the keel of the mining ship became the largest road in the mining station. Sewage pipes and twisted electrical wires extending from both sides resembled intersecting ribs. Rows of Plasteel plates and walls crudely welded from refined steel formed countless dark alleys and impenetrable dead ends.
When Augustus arrived inside the brightly lit mining station, he was slightly surprised to find that it was small but fully equipped.
The most numerous type of mining station is the high-energy gas extraction station, so a hazy, silvery exhaust gas always hangs in the air above it. Under the influence of planetary gravity, this gas is slowly escaping into the dark depths of space.
Because of the need to process minerals mined from Redstone, the rest of the asteroid was used as a refining plant and a dock for cargo ships. In addition to mining facilities and residential houses, there was also a bakery selling cheap bread, a bustling mini-supermarket, a hardware store, an arms shop, a capsule hotel, and a private clinic with only one doctor.
Of course, in the land of the Kel-Morian, there are bound to be plenty of bars frequented by gold prospectors, mercenaries, and pirates.
That was the busiest building in mining station 6267, offering every imaginable cigarette and alcohol, including all sorts of Stimpack, tonics, and other "goodies" that could make people feel high.
This is also a frequent haunt of smugglers and illegal merchants who make huge profits by reselling goods between the two sides. Due to the working environment, the average lifespan of miners on Redstone is not long, but they are all very rich and eager to spend all their money in their limited lifetime.
Judging from the flashing logo on the bar's classic nude female advertisement, this place belongs to the Green Guild —most people here come from this guild, and not only that, their descendants will also belong to the Green Guild.
Closed-off, warlike planets are more common in the most remote and treacherous regions, and this is especially true on the territory of the Kel-Morian people, who not only have to contend with the harsh environment but also have to be wary of the sneaky and greedy Terrans and even their own brethren with ulterior motives.
Therefore, many Kel-Morian mining teams were both miners and pirates, and they would take up any weapon they could find to defend their property.
The infamous Kel-Morian Pirates were more or less connected to the Kel-Morian Combine guilds that spanned Koprulu. They would sometimes protect the Kel-Morian Combine's mining guilds for a fee, or secretly strike at merchants' requests to eliminate their competitors in the industry.
Augustus just stepped onto the main road of the mining station when a drunkard with ill intentions set his sights on him.
The man was a burly fellow wearing a gray vest and a turban, reeking of mildew and body odor. He had clearly been drinking more than just alcohol; even a glance from Augustus revealed multiple needle marks on his wrists.
"I'm not afraid of trouble, but I have important business to attend to right now." Augustus stopped Corporal Faraday, who was about to draw his gun, and turned to Kerrigan behind him, saying:
"Let him suffer a bit."
Kerrigan turned her head to look at the drunk man who was staggering forward, and the man immediately tripped over his own foot and fell to the ground.
"I've got something in my eye," Kerrigan said sarcastically. "This man's mind is like a sponge full of holes, utterly useless."
The Kel-Morian people at the mining station were completely unaware of the peace negotiations between the Korhal Revolutionary Army and the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet, but the tense atmosphere here was indeed due to the bloody conflicts that had occurred in the Koprulu Sector recently.
"Let's go, the Earthlings' diplomats are waiting for us. It's not the style of a gentleman like Korhal to keep our distinguished guests waiting." Arcturus was also a burly man, and he appeared even more robust standing next to Augustus.
Arcturus was a man who had weathered many storms; he had seen far more dangerous and chaotic scenes than this, so naturally he wouldn't be intimidated by a drug-addicted madman.
"Faraday, I hope your ability to protect the Marshal is as excellent as your eloquence." He then turned to Faraday, Augustus's captain of the guard:
"Earthling agents are everywhere; we absolutely cannot allow any mishap to befall the Revolutionary Army's Marshal!"
"There are many of our men here; there won't be any mishaps." Faraday's serious face immediately turned a deep shade of purplish-red.
As Augustus's captain of guard, Faraday was extremely conscientious and ruthless.
In the beginning, even Marshal's brother, Arcturus Mengsk, had to obtain Faraday's permission to meet with him. In addition, Faraday was indeed a capable man, and there was no one in the entire Revolutionary Army he dared not confront.
In his disputes with Arcturus, Faraday was, of course, prone to sharp verbal sparring.
Arcturus Mengsk was also a remarkable man; instead of using his status and position to coerce Faraday, he calmly presented the facts and reasoned with him, while simultaneously drawing upon the Revolutionary Army's regulations and Augustus's own promises.
Whenever and wherever my generals and headquarters staff want to see me, they can have their wish fulfilled.
Military situations are extremely urgent, and speed is of the essence. I have seen many generals who are slow to react and act rashly, and they are all losers in war.
My people want to see me; there's no need to stop them.
--Arcturus spoke eloquently, citing numerous sources, and his clear logic left Faraday speechless.
Finally, Arcturus swaggered past Faraday to play chess with Augustus. It's worth noting that Augustus and Arcturus were skilled in chess, but they had recently been playing a different kind of chess.
And so, with the Augustus walked through the main road of the mining station toward the only bar in the area.
While Kel-Morian technology has long been considered a prime example of shoddy workmanship, it would be a grave mistake to dismiss them as barbarians of the Koprulu Sector. This small asteroid possesses a complete artificial atmosphere and gravitational field, sufficient to support normal human life.
The planets in this star system are located either too far or too close to that volatile star; their surfaces are either covered in lava, barren and cold, or have dense, toxic atmospheres, or are almost nonexistent.
Despite the fact that every corner of this place is uninhabitable for humans, the Kel-Morian mining teams found refuge in the shadows of the far side of Redstone, far from the star's raging and deadly radiation.
Occasionally, enormous shadows would sweep across Augustus's head, mostly from cargo ships laden with crystalline minerals. Some of them also carried shards of icy comets to supply water to the numerous water-scarce mining sites.
Walking along the main road, Augustus only occasionally saw a few miners hurrying by.
The miners here are always busy; their lives are inextricably linked to that red planet where lava churns. The inhabitants of the mining stations are either workers at the gas plant or dockworkers.
In contrast, working on the surface of Redstone means higher income and greater risks. Although Redstone workers constantly risk their lives, the high-quality crystal deposits represent equally high profits.
The workers on the road didn't notice Augustus; they just assumed he was a rich young man seeking thrills. A beautiful and sexy redhead like Kerrigan was a rare sight, but a closer look would reveal her to be nothing more than a femme fatale.
As Augustus drew closer to the Green Bar, a group of heavily armed Kel-Morian men appeared in the distance. They were all dressed in blue-green camouflage or matching leather jackets and pants, and their weapons were a motley collection, ranging from semi-automatic Black Powder Weapons to railguns.
"This reminds me of the Kel-Morian people during the Guild Wars. They were much more courageous back then. My troops once besieged a group of Kalaris Guild Guards, but they just welded steel plates to their bulldozers and charged out." Arcturus placed his hand on his rifle.
Those who underestimated them all remained on the battlefield; only I survived.
"These Kel-Morian men are from the Green Guild; questioning unidentified visitors is their duty," Faraday said. "But don't worry, the Ogrub agents have already taken care of everything."
"We can't let our guard down; quite a few Earthlings have infiltrated this area." Augustus toward the group of Kel-Morian people.
Augustus had no concerns about his safety, not to mention that the main streets were lined with sniper rifles from Ogrub agents, and the Ghost operative who accompanied him were already fulfilling their duties.
Artanis, the Protoss's executive officer, also took this matter very seriously. He believed that the negotiations might persuade the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet to relinquish or hand over the Hybrid. Fearing that the UED might use the Hybrid to assassinate Augustus, Artanis dispatched a hundred-strong Dark Templar to accompany Augustus.
These Dark Templar Masters are the most resolute and powerful among Archbishop Raszagal's children; any words or actions detrimental to the Archbishop could invite the Dark Templar's blade.
As Augustus approached the heavily armed Kel-Morian warriors, they instinctively made way for him. Some of them might recognize Augustus, but none dared to lay a hand on him for the 2 billion bounty.
As he walked among the Kel-Morian warriors, Augustus noticed a young woman with blonde hair wearing a headscarf, who appeared to be the leader of these guild warriors.
It was this woman who stopped her restless subordinates.
"I never imagined I'd meet Marshal Augustus Mengsk of the Korhal Revolutionary Army in a place like this. Are you here for the revolution too?" she asked as Augustus was about to step over her, her words laced with sarcasm and obvious hostility, which immediately made Kerrigan beside her furrow her brow.
"The renowned Augustus, what are you doing in the land of the Kel-Morian? There are no Terrans here waiting for you to save them."
A troublemaker.
People from Kel-Morian are mostly hot-tempered; tact is not their style.
"She really doesn't know her place!" Kerrigan's eyes could indeed kill; she had already planned how this woman would die.
"Don't be nervous, Kerrigan. Control your Psionics. I don't want to see anyone splattered with blood and get my clothes dirty." Arcturus showed no sign of anger. He was never the type to show his emotions easily, but anyone who angered him would definitely regret it.
"Salvation, you shouldn't be spouting that word." Augustus stepped closer and looked directly into the woman's face, who stared back at him without flinching.
"If you've seen battlefields strewn with corpses and severed limbs, if you've seen the pitiful people infected by the Zerg, you'll understand why I fight." His words made the woman take a small step back.
"Even if you're a Kel-Morian, that doesn't matter. Even if you're an arrogant idiot, a hopeless fool, that's no big deal."
"Even if your hideous body bears a human face, as long as you call my name, even someone like you will be saved."
After saying this, Augustus strode away, and Arcturus and Faraday quickly followed him, leaving Kerrigan behind, gesturing threateningly at the group.
"She is the Heir to the Green Guild, Debra Grimm," Faraday Augustus. "I've heard that woman has never been very popular."
"I can see that," Augustus replied.
A few people stood sparsely at the entrance of the bar, presumably from the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet. They were all equipped with Electromagnetic Rifle and AGR magazines, and their expressions were cold and stern.
Loud music could still be heard inside, which surprised Augustus. According to the UED, their representative, Lieutenant General Alexei Stukov, should have arrived half an hour earlier. Augustus believe that Alexei Stukov would allow the bar's entertainment to continue before the serious peace talks were about to take place.
"Hey~hey~this is Finley's private bar now, and all expenses are on the table by the great Augustus Mengsk! Long live Augustus! Long live Mengsk!"
Augustus and Arcturus exchanged a glance and immediately quickened their pace toward the bar.
When Augustus entered the bar, he was immediately struck by the sight of Tychus, who was almost completely naked except for a loincloth, dancing provocatively on a makeshift stage in the center of the bar.
Judging from the clothes worn by the audience, Tychus must have performed a very sexy striptease in front of the Earthlings.
Tychus was tasked with clearing out dangerous elements from the bar to facilitate peace talks, but it seems he has already adapted to local customs.
"What are you doing now, Tychus?" Augustus scolded as he walked toward Alexei Stukov, who was sitting in a corner drinking silently.
"Hey! That's Augustus! The people's hero!" Upon seeing Augustus, Tychus jumped even more energetically.
"..." Augustus sighed and sat down in the seat opposite Alexei Stukov, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"I am Alexei Stukov, don't you recognize me?" Alexei Stukov smiled, clearly unaffected by Tychus.
"Captain." He turned to the officer beside him, who was wearing a white naval uniform and whose face was almost expressionless, hidden under the brim of his hat.
"Bring out our non-aggression pact and let Marshal Augustus see it."
The new group has been created. If you're reading on Qidian, you can click the link at the bottom of the introduction. If you're not reading on Qidian, you can search for the group number.
I need to regroup my troops!