The Great Augustus

"Breaking news! The Tyrador VIII and Tyrador IX have discovered Zerg and are under attack in multiple locations. Evacuation operations have begun, and the situation remains dire. Grand Master Paul of the Tyrador Knights has immediately issued a public appeal for military assistance from anywhere in the world that can hear their cries for help."

"Major casualties!"

"Welcome back to Doni Mili's live stream. Breaking news: Since the Protoss Fleets attacked the frontier planet Braxis from Korhal IV at 4 PM Augustgrad time on October 17th, our frontline correspondent Harold on Braxis has received heartbreaking news: the search and rescue teams dispatched by the Korhal Revolutionary Army's Second Fleet and the Angel Shipping Group have not found a single survivor on the surface of Braxis."

"This sensational news has sparked widespread and heated discussion among the Terrans communities in both the core and the Edge World."

"This is early morning, October 24th, Eastern Time Zone, Korhal time. The Augustgrad capital press office announces that Revolutionary Army Marshal Augustus Mengsk will deliver an important speech two standard hours later."

"UNN Urgent Bulletin: A terrible plague is rapidly spreading across multiple planets including Agria, Meinhoff, Altheon, Bountiful, and Pike's Pike's Peak. Hospitals are overcrowded, and the healthcare system is on the verge of collapse."

This triggered a serious humanitarian crisis.

"The people there are fighting for survival; they need help."

"The Umojan Protectorate dispatched a military medical ship to aid Bountiful, a world steeped in history suffering from disease."

"The Kel-Morian Combine regretfully stated that they were powerless to help in the tragedy unfolding in Meinhoff, which triggered a sharp drop in the share prices of several listed professional guilds in Moria."

"This is UNN Today in Koprulu, I am Mike Liberty. At 7:00 AM Augustgrad time on the 24th, Major General Arcturus Mengsk of the Korhal Revolutionary Army, as the official spokesperson for the army, answered questions from reporters and made commitments regarding the most pressing issues. The following will be broadcast live by CCTV:"

"Oh— the Revolutionary Army will not withdraw from Tarsonis, abandoning its people. Anyone who has such an absurd idea is creating unnecessary panic and chaos. I tell you, they are acting like thugs in a grand hall."

"The Terran Confederacy is history. The facts have proven that neither the Confederacy's government nor its military could protect its people from alien enemies. The Confederacy was routed by the Zerg and Protoss offensives; it was the Revolutionary Army that bravely fought back against the alien invaders. The Confederacy has already fled with its tail between its legs from Earth. Do you still expect their hopeless government to return?"

"Yes, Augustus is about to establish a new Terrans government, and all the lands of the Terrans will be united under a new banner and monarchy. I assure you, that will be the beginning of a golden age for this nation, a time of continuity and progress."

Unity is strength.

"The rule of law is our lifeline."

"Is there any doubt about this? All the lands of the Terrans will be placed under the protection of Augustus's new government and the Revolutionary Army. We will do everything in our power to defend the dignity, property, and everything they love."

"You ask me whose protection the Terrans should seek? Ten thousand years from now, I will say the same thing: I promise you, we will restore the glory of the Terrans and will never bow to any alien power!"

"Faced with alien forces, whether it be the greedy Zerg, the enigmatic Protoss, or the massacrers of the Earth Federation, the Terrans army will never back down a single step or surrender an inch of their motherland's land!"

"There are only Terrans die in battle, not Terrans kneel!"

"Yes, this is not an exaggeration. The Zerg and Protoss have never left, and the shadows of the past still hang over humanity. Although Earthlings have been defeated, I am certain that the United Earth Directorate is still planning a comeback. In the face of national annihilation and destruction, no one can remain uninvolved."

"One leg cannot walk, and one hand cannot clap; everyone knows this simple truth. Faced with the threat of invasion from a powerful external enemy, the various member worlds of the old Terran Confederacy must reunite. Only a strong and powerful central government of Terrans can achieve the revival of the race and allow the people to stand tall once again in the Sea of Stars."

"The new government will dedicate itself to developing people's livelihoods and the economy, encouraging industry and trade, ensuring that the rights and interests of the people of the core world are not violated, helping those poor and backward planets emerge from the shadow of economic recession, ensuring that everyone on the land of the Terrans has enough to eat, and defending every child's right to education."

"A reshuffling of the cabinet and parliament is certain, but I cannot disclose more details."

"I certainly can't tell you who will be appointed as the first prime minister of the new government, but he will certainly be the right person."

"Self-discipline and dedication to public service, integrity and incorruptibility. I serve the people, and the people serve me."

"To devote oneself wholeheartedly to the cause until death."

"."

"Welcome to UNN's Evening Program Focusing on Korhal. Former Confederate Congress member Westyn McMaster reveals to our reporters the deals and sordid secrets between the former Confederate Congress of the Terran Confederacy and the Old Families."

"Lawyer McMaster stated that the Confederate Congress decided to abandon the Edge World because, according to calculations, and considering factors such as cost and per capita factors, protecting the densely populated core world is clearly less costly."

"In addition, he revealed that he will participate in the new government's Senate election."

"This is Mark Piel bringing you the breaking news."

"Toom, a renowned philanthropist and entrepreneur, and General Manager of the Kal- Ryan Mining Group on the Pridewater Ao, has issued a warning to the public: If anarchy continues, the territory will be further fragmented, order will be lost, and morality will decline. For the Terrans people of the Koprulu Sector, that would mean annihilation."

The central habitable area of Koprulu Sector, the former Confederacy territory of New Trinidad.

New Trinidad is a cold, ashen world that, in its earliest history, served as a prison planet for the Terran Confederacy, used to exile criminals. Legend has it that children here are born knowing how to hold a gun, or are thrown into the icy depths by their parents.

Trinidad City is the largest industrial city in New Trinidad. At this moment, in a bar in this city, local residents, mercenaries, pirates and other people from all walks of life, carrying rifles and bullets, are sitting around smoking and drinking while staring intently at a 3D projection screen in the center of the bar.

Amidst the flashing lights of the lectern and the red backdrop, a gray-haired man in a gold-red cloak and adorned with medals stepped onto the stage.

"I dare say, something big is going to happen today."

New Sydney, on the Edge World. Red Plateau, Confederacy Police Station.

Sheriff Wilkes Butler sat at his desk, his dozens of sweaty men crammed into the small, run-down office, their eyes glued to the old LED screen in front of them.

The imposing gray-haired man simply stood there, and everyone's eyes were drawn to him involuntarily.

"I don't care what kind of person Augustus Mengsk was before, whether he was brutal or kind. As long as he can save New Sydney, the people here will listen to him," said Inspector Butt.

Nephor II, Confederacy Armaments Factory.

One magnificent heavy factory connects to another, stretching to the limit of the workers' sight without end.

Here, countless steel platforms and giant chimneys stretch straight into the overcast sky, and huge cranes are throwing tons of crystal minerals into furnaces. Workers must wear industrial earmuffs to avoid hearing damage from the roar of lathes, the sound of rivet guns, and the clatter of conveyor belts.

In the area where the massive Nephor II factory is located, it drizzles almost constantly, without stopping all year round, making it impossible to dry clothes in the sun. The pollution from the industrial zone has also poisoned the atmosphere around Nafu II, and acid rain has turned the once lush forests into barren wastelands.

"Work hard, no idle chatter, any publications related to the rebels will be destroyed immediately upon discovery, and a system of collective responsibility must be implemented in each workshop."

The announcements over the loudspeaker and the harsh punishments couldn't stop the workers from gathering to pay homage to the hero who might have saved them.

"We can hear his voice!"

Asteria

As the saffron-colored sunset cast its light down from one side of the Asteria Gorge, the mayor of Dante Town gathered all the townspeople together and told them he had something important to announce.

A name that was once unknown is about to spread throughout the entire planet.

Agria.

The plague has claimed the lives of millions of Agria; almost everyone has lost loved ones and friends in this terrible catastrophe. The air is thick with the stench of burning corpses. In many areas, the number of bodies being cremated cannot keep up with the number of bodies being received. The dead far outnumber the living, and the living no longer have the strength to cremate the dead.

At Lark's Crossing, people fleeing to Hudderstown Colony unanimously turned their radios up to the maximum volume and listened intently, so his voice carried in all directions.

Attica.

This planet was unremarkable within the territory of the Terran Confederacy; its barren soil and dangerous primeval swamps could barely support a million people, and even the Zerg had never attacked Ares.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Artika Heim were in a frenzy, as a Tal'darim Fleets had arrived over their city. Only a small number of them were clinging to their personal terminals, desperately trying to listen to the speech and grasping at this last straw.

Tyrador VIII.

The Zerg are converging in orbit around this planet, Taradorn Defense Force is doing everything in its power to protect its home from the Zerg invasion. Railguns and anti-aircraft guns can be seen everywhere.

Meanwhile, in the capital Gramercy City, hundreds of thousands of people are gathered to listen to Augustus Mengsk's speech.

Only he and his Revolutionary Army can save the people of the Taradorn System.

The Pridewater, the Northern Ocean.

This offshore liquid high-energy gas collection platform is like an immovable steel fortress. Amidst the roar of super drilling rigs, a brand-new golden-red flag is being raised.

The workers on the platform all heard a majestic voice broadcast. "Today, the various Terrans colonies once again unite under the same banner, forming a powerful and invincible force. And she rightfully and must possess all the lands, people, and rightful sovereignty over this sector of the Terran Confederacy."

"Everyone should be told her name: the Terran Empire."

"She is the Empire."

"Let the world hear our voice."

Bhekar, Steppes of Steppes of War, Tal'darim.

"Be careful, that's the last battery. If it fails, we'll never be able to contact people in other worlds again."

Beneath the magnificent alien temple, thousands of people are gathered around a holographic screen. They are Korhal immigrants who voluntarily stayed under the influence of Bhekar's will, obsessed with Terrazine and its effects.

Today, the Psionics potential of the Bhekar immigrants is generally higher than the average level of the Koprulu people.

Three years had passed since they arrived in Bhekar, and the Korhal Revolutionary Army and their compatriots seemed to have completely forgotten the people there. Even so, the Bhekar immigrants maintained their loyalty to the Korhal Revolutionary Army:

"For the Terran Empire!"

Tarsonis, city center.

A huge Holographic Projection screen was projected onto a screen 300 feet wide and 100 feet wide, and the image on it could be clearly seen and the solemn voice heard even from a distance.

The people had initially remained calm, at least at the very beginning of their cheers. But upon hearing Augustus's last words, they were swept up in a surge of emotion, and the cheers instantly transformed into a deafening roar:

"In the name of the Empire!"

Shiloh.

Antiga Prime.

Ma Sara.

Altera...

Hundreds and thousands of human worlds were thrown into an uproar.

"Emperor Augustus, First Emperor of the Terran Empire, Emperor of all Terrans, Liberator of the Confederacy, Defender of all Koprulu, Lord of Korhal, Conqueror of Tarsonis, Governor of Antiga, Governor of Char, Governor of Mar Sara, Governor of Chau Sara, Governor of Vilityia, Governor of Braxis, Governor of Brontes, Governor of Taradorn, Governor of Altera, Governor of Shiloh..."

Augustus stood before the podium in the Augustus Palace, facing countless cameras and flashing lights, only he knew what he was thinking.

This is probably what is meant by a man's great achievements, establishing merit and gaining widespread support.

"I declare to all the people of the Terran Empire that my life—whether long or short—will be dedicated to serving you and to the great Empire to which we all belong," he said.

"I am Augustus Mengsk, the creator of this Terran Dominion, the master of Tarsonis, Korhal, Antiga, and hundreds of other prime worlds and colonies."

"Now, without laurels or scepters, I am the rightful and undisputed king."

"From this day forward, I am the Emperor of the Terran Empire."

"Wherever I am, there is the empire."