Narud's Plan to Offer Tarsonis

"Who are you?"

Augustus blinked, put his hands behind his back, and muttered to himself, "Narud, what trick are you up to now?"

His thick eyebrows were furrowed, as if he couldn't remember who the person in front of him was.

"Oh, I am Dr. Emil Narud. I had the privilege of observing your communications with Gerard DuGalle when the UED invaders were still in Braxis."

Dr. Narud wore a spotless white work uniform with a badge on his right breast that emitted bright green swirling patterns. He was an elegant old man with graying sideburns and beard, but his skin was well-maintained and showed no signs of aging.

Augustus tell that Dr. Narud seemed very flustered and uneasy, occasionally turning to his assistant and the control panel as if a group of UED warriors might suddenly rush out from there.

"So it's Dr. Narud." Augustus realized:

What are you doing?

"Listen to me, Alexei Stukov is plotting a huge conspiracy." Dr. Narud's face was covered in sweat, and the next moment he dropped a bombshell that made Augustus and the others take notice:

"Alexei Stukov dispatched two Fleets: one to deploy Psi Emitter to lure the Zerg, and the other to attack the Protoss to provoke a war between humanity and them." His face was filled with a resolute and righteous determination.

"If we cannot conquer the Koprulu Sector, from the perspective of the United Earth Directorate, they would certainly prefer it to be as chaotic as possible so that Earth can enjoy long-term peace and stability. But as a Terrans, I will never allow my homeland to be devastated."

"Is he really going to do that?" Augustus felt a sense of urgency upon hearing the news, but quickly calmed down.

Augustus remained skeptical and extremely cautious about everything Narud said. However, Narud's cleverness lay in his ability to always present a real bait and a host of convincing fakes when deceiving others, so the information he provided could not be ignored.

On the bridge, Arcturus and Kerrigan changed, and even Tychus realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Yes, Alexei Stukov trusts me." Narud breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Augustus believed him, wiped the sweat from his brow, and continued, "Because I helped Alexei Stukov improve the Confederacy's research on Psionics weapons and Hybrid, and I also know where they plan to take these weapons."

"He's telling the truth; Psi Emitter has indeed been discovered on Brontes Prime." Arcturus said with a serious expression.

"How many Psi Emitter did the people from Alexei Stukov take away?" Kerrigan crossed her arms, her high, fiery red ponytail cascading down her alabaster neck with her movements.

"Many." Narud's hesitant answer weighed heavily on everyone's minds.

"Augustus, I overcame countless difficulties to make contact with you." Amidst the surrounding commotion, Dr. Narud nearly choked on his breath.

"If we don't stop that madman Alexei Stukov, he'll drag the Koprulu Sector down with him, and then the Protoss and Zerg won't be able to threaten Earth again anytime soon," he said.

"When the UED first arrived in Braxis, I was working for them to overthrow the tyranny of the Terran Confederacy. What a pity!"

Dr. Narud threw a heavy punch into the air, nearly collapsing to the ground, his expression revealing his regret and pain. "When I learned of Alexei Stukov's plan, I no longer had any expectations of him."

"Oh, I didn't realize." Tychus snorted coldly. "But aren't you just waiting to switch sides? Now's the time. Everyone can see the UED is doomed, Doctor. We don't need to risk our lives for Earthlings."

"I cannot watch Tarsonis be destroyed." Dr. Narud revealed a firm resolve, and then made a startling statement:

"Marshal, I can help you capture Tarsonis at minimal cost. I'm doing this for the sake of the four billion Tarsonis people; they are innocent."

"What are you going to do?" Augustus looked into Narud's deep brown eyes.

This guy knows what I want.

"Help us capture Dr. Tarsannis Narud, and I hope you're not just saying that." Arcturus glanced at Augustus beside him. "When the UED attacked Tarsannis, they relied on electromagnetic pulse weapons and the intrusion and destruction of the Federation security network. That's a classic battle that's hard to replicate."

"Even though you say you have Alexei Stukov's deep trust, you are still just a researcher."

"Yes, I'm just a frail old man, managing only a few science stations and laboratories, but even someone like me, with one foot in the grave, still harbors a burning passion to defend our land and ensure its safety." Narud still had plenty of time to express his patriotic aspirations:

"Alexei Stukov's rule in Tarsonis was not stable; although he purged a large number of nobles and entrepreneurs, he was still not loved by the Tarsonis." He continued:

"As far as I know, there are probably fewer than 200,000 UED soldiers on Tarsonis; the rest are Confederacy troops incorporated into Alexei Stukov's forces. Not only that, their Fleets is now almost entirely wiped out."

At this moment, Narud had completely transformed from a traitor who defected to Earth into a patriot. If he were to truly help Augustus liberate Tarsonis with minimal losses, as he himself had promised, it would not only be a great achievement but would also make him a true hero.

Since Narud is a Terrans scientist with a conscience, he would not continue to aid and abet evil at this time. Therefore, Narud's actions cannot be considered a shameful betrayal by the Revolutionary Army.

"With such a small force, it's impossible to ensure the defense of Tarsonis is completely secure, which means we can send infiltration troops to invade," Arcturus said. "Only someone like Alexei Stukov could control Tarsonis under these circumstances, but even the best generals can't fight a battle without troops."

"Apart from the UED troops led by Alexei Stukov, the Tarsonis were extremely resistant to orders to hold their ground," Narud said.

"Furthermore, Alexei Stukov is almost entirely headstrong, and there is considerable internal opposition. If he falls, Tarsonis's army will crumble instantly."

"Assassination?" Kerrigan nodded. "That's a good idea, but we don't know where Alexei Stukov is."

"I know." Dr. Narud's expression shifted rapidly, then quickly shifted to a resolute look as if he were about to face execution. "He's in his command post, monitoring Tarsonis's defense network through the command and control system."

"Alexei Stukov is waiting for good news from the Fleets he dispatched, believing that everything will be fine as long as the Protoss and Zerg launch another attack." He left for a few seconds, then reappeared with an electronic terminal displaying the location coordinates and deployment map of the UED command center, "I have the advanced security key to Alexei Stukov's command center; infiltrating it won't be a problem."

"So, should I believe you?" Augustus from the heart, but to Narud, it carried a different meaning.

"Who knows if this is another of Alexei Stukov's schemes? Unfortunately, Doctor, I cannot launch an attack based solely on your few words."

"I understand your concerns." In Narud's view, this was precisely proof that Augustus about to make a decision.

Narud had long studied Augustus and knew that this man would always consider the lives of ordinary people. Given the current situation in Koprulu, surrounded by powerful enemies and with the old party of the Terran Confederacy eyeing him covetously, Augustus could not possibly refuse Narud's surrender.

"Sending just a few powerful Ghost operative could avert a horrific battle with millions of casualties; I'm sure you wouldn't ignore that," he said.

"Tarsonis's orbital defense network is not foolproof. Exploiting its obvious vulnerabilities, it's easy to send a few small ships to the planet's surface undetected."

"If we can take down Alexei Stukov, the troops can take down Tarsonis immediately." Arcturus had always been concerned about the existence of Ghost operative, but that didn't mean he couldn't see their value as super soldiers and humanoid weapons.

Augustus had many powerful Psionics under his command, and many of these people were willing to sacrifice themselves for Augustus and the revolution.

"Alexei Stukov doesn't trust the Terrans Ghost operative —that's to be expected. He only appoints Earth military commanders, but these Earthlings have rather limited resistance to Psionics," Dr. Narud said.

"I believe you already have some understanding of Hybrid. The origin of these creatures remains unknown, but their Psionics power is like that of gods before humans. I have control over quite a few UED Hybrid, and they will play a crucial role when the Revolutionary Army warriors take action."

Through the UED, the Hybrid, as an unprecedented biological weapon, has demonstrated its value and terrifying war potential to Tarsonis and Char in the face of the Terrans.

If this were a bidding process for a new weapon, the Hybrid would undoubtedly have delivered a near-perfect performance after multiple appearances.

Given humanity's short lifespan and limited understanding of the universe, they could not possibly be aware of the apocalyptic truth hidden behind the Hybrid. Narud firmly believed this. -- Even an outstanding human leader like Augustus Mengsk was no exception; due to the limitations of his own race, his vision, however far-reaching, was ultimately finite.

"Let Jack Haller's Nova Squadron carry out this mission; they are experts in special operations and decapitation strikes." After a few seconds of silence that made Narud gasp, Augustus nodded.

"In that case, I hope this assassination mission will commence immediately."

"I am sending you the coordinates for the rendezvous," Dr. Narud said. "We are just waiting for the detailed plan—I will always be your staunchest supporter."

"After this, you can contact me through the following channels. The UED is closely monitoring the lab, and I must terminate this communication."

The video abruptly cut off as soon as Dr. Narud finished speaking.

"Should we trust him?" Tychus asked. "This guy looks shifty and suspicious; he's definitely not a good person."

"Augustus must trust him." Kerrigan knew Augustus's thoughts perfectly. "Compared to the peaceful liberation of Tarsonis, the risks are negligible."

"This Dr. Narud"

"We can't afford another Pyrrhic victory." As Augustus turned to leave the bridge, Kerrigan thoughtfully draped her gold-red cloak over him, like a devoted wife.

"Pass down the order: the entire Fleets is on high alert. We may launch an attack on Tarsonis at any moment."

"What about the two Fleets that Alexei Stukov sent out? If they really piss off the bugs and pointyheads, those aliens won't care what skin you humans are wearing." Tychus rarely showed concern for the Revolutionary Army's military operations.

This wasn't just because of Tychus's sense of justice, but because he saw the wonderful life that awaited him after taking Tarsonis.

Just imagining himself freely roaming Tarsonis, a land teeming with beautiful women, as a Liberator and revolutionary hero, made old Tychus practically clap his hands and dance like a butterfly.

"Do you really think this will do any good?" Arcturus scoffed. "The Protoss Empire is now our staunch ally, and the Zerg force is no longer in the Koprulu Sector. Alexei Stukov is just wasting his time."

"We can't let our guard down. The Protoss and the Zerg are not just the Protoss Empire and the Char Swarm." Augustus's exhaustion wasn't entirely due to making faces at Narud; he simply hadn't slept enough and had been working too long.

In any case, Narud truly came to our aid in our time of need.

Augustus already guessed Narud's purpose—the UED had lost its value to Narud, and he urgently needed to find a new buyer for his Hybrid.

Without a doubt, Augustus's Revolutionary Army will unify the territory of the old Terran Confederacy. Narud will need the funds and manpower of the New Terran Empire to help him complete his next series of plans.

Narud must have thought that Augustus unaware of his plan to destroy the world.

"We must increase our vigilance on the frontier planets," Augustus said as he walked up the bridge ladder of the Hyperion.

"Take down Tarsonis before Alexei Stukov turns the entire Koprulu Sector upside down."

"Let me lead the team." Kerrigan how much Augustus valued this matter. "That should give us a better chance."

"You," Augustus moment.

No, I can't leave you.

An hour later, three special operations teams, each consisting of eight Revolutionary Army Ghost operative, boarded Wraith equipped with stealth modules and headed towards the heavily guarded Tarsonis.

Most of these Ghost operative came from Nova Squadron. In addition, the squadron's commander, Jack Haller, decided to personally lead the assassination mission. He was a powerful Level 8 Psionics agent and was also an expert in commanding special operations missions.

Before the special forces set off, Augustus personally met with the soldiers who had volunteered for the mission and praised their noble character.