Establishing Dominion

"Daelaam has already repelled the billions of Zerg that invaded Shakuras, which is why I was able to get here. This is indeed good news for us."

Zeratul was quite frank this time. Whenever he spoke three sentences, he would only say the first two, leaving the listener to guess the third. This was Zeratul's speaking habit, and he himself didn't seem to think anything of it.

Fortunately, Zeratul wouldn't ask, "Which do you want to hear first, the good news or the bad news?" Although Augustus doubted whether Zeratul possessed that kind of humor.

"An alien? A gray-skinned, green-eyed, upright lizard." Mai, the child held under Tychus's arm, looked at Zeratul in surprise. Mai possessed some Psionics talent, but it wasn't particularly keen.

"That seems to be the case," Tychus commented ambiguously.

"Zeratul, if you don't mind, why don't you change into some new clothes?"

"Thank you for your kindness." Zeratul's bright eyes looked at Tychus, sensing deep down that the playful joke wasn't entirely malicious.

The Dark Prelate Zeratul seemed to be constantly on the move, fighting to the death against the Protoss's enemies, so much so that he had no time to mend his tattered robes and battered armor. Time and hardship had left indelible marks on this respected Protoss elder.

This highly respected Protoss Dark Templar is a friend of humanity; he is both a knowledgeable explorer and a valiant warrior.

Then, Zeratul's gaze fell once more on the trembling Dr. Narud, his sharp eyes making the latter even more ashen-faced. Narud tried his best to remain calm, but he was still blushing with embarrassment at his utter helplessness, as if he had lost all face in front of the Emperor.

To be honest, even though the shrewd Dr. Narud was a highly skilled actor who was extremely immersed in his role, he still overdid it by trying too hard. Narud had not only met the Protoss, but had also dissected them on the operating table, and was even more familiar with their genes than the Protoss themselves.

Zeratul couldn't see through Narud's thoughts, which likely aroused his suspicion. If he hadn't used some kind of tool, his mind shouldn't have been a complete blank.

"I am delighted to hear that you have repelled the Zerg. This is yet another victory for the Justice League." Augustus dismissed the guards and agents around him, signaling to the warriors not to panic.

While Augustus busy building his empire, the Daelaam of Shakuras were also busy fighting the Zerg who were invading their homeworld through the Xel'Naga Gateway. Although Augustus unable to send reinforcements, he still provided them with material support.

Augustus was not worried that the Protoss would be defeated by the invading Zerg, and their eventual victory was ultimately a good thing.

"Zeratul, to be honest, I can't think of any reason for your sudden visit unless it's something extremely urgent." Augustus breathed a sigh of relief, "Where is that rebellious Dark Archon Orega?"

"It's not always like this," Zeratul argued in his usual way, but it lacked the undeniable persuasiveness of any of his previous statements.

"The warriors of Daelaam drove Orega out of Shakuras, but he vowed that one day he would return." Zeratul then said regretfully:

"Orega simply returned to the Void in full view of everyone. He was so powerful that the Void still echoes with the Dark Archon's most vicious curse. Now, I am no longer his match."

"Even you can't handle him?" Augustus knew that there were few opponents in this world that Zeratul couldn't defeat.

(The red ball has a voice line in the Game: "Orega is still alive, and we can feel his rage.")

Even the Protoss fear Orega.

Orega is the most powerful Dark Archon in history, formed from the fusion of Dark Templar, not two. Orega mastery of forbidden dark knowledge also grants him a kind of immortality, making him impervious to any physical force and endowing him with godlike power.

Overmind, Queen of Blades, and Orega are among the most powerful individual beings in the real universe, and Orega has a record of fighting an entire Fleets alone.

In the original interstellar history, Orega was not Amon's lackey. But now, Augustus not so sure.

At present, Augustus's Terran Empire has no conflict with Orega, but it is definitely a formidable enemy.

"I have never seen such power in a Protoss Orega; even among the Dark Archon, his power is unmatched," Zeratul said sadly.

"The evil power of the Orega is a scourge in itself, and the Protoss have seen the terrible effects of hatred on our people." He warned Augustus, "I have learned that humans are serving him, and you must be wary of this."

"If one remains vigilant and cautious even at night, there will be no blame."

"I know there are some pirates and mercenaries working for the Orega. They're even willing to make money off the Reaper. They're playing with fire." Augustus nodded, indicating he had taken note of the matter.

"This is not the place to talk. The Formica people may not have seen the Protoss, but that doesn't mean they haven't heard of your bad reputation."

He turned to Faraday and said, "Find a flying car; we'll talk on the way back to headquarters."

This is in a densely populated settlement. Although it's not a bustling commercial street, the appearance of a Protoss is bound to cause quite a stir. To humans, Protoss remains a synonym for mystery and terror, and they will not feel comfortable accepting such aliens swaggering around their doorstep.

At this point, no one had noticed Zeratul, but it was only a matter of time.

"I will be leaving soon," Zeratul said. "Augustus, I have come to see you for another matter."

"Not even tea? See, I really thought you came because you missed me." Augustus chuckled, complaining that the old man wouldn't stay a little longer.

"Let's renew our friendship after we finish what we're doing," Zeratul said, promising to do so next time.

Zeratul seemed to never have a moment of rest. He felt a heavy burden on his shoulders and therefore was strict with himself and dared not slack off, even though no one ever truly understood him.

"I knew you'd come all this way for more than just good news," Augustus shrugged. "But as long as I have the time, I won't refuse you."

It's not nice to talk about my old friend Zeratul like that, but he's always been synonymous with trouble. Augustus initially thought Zeratul was going to bring a prophecy related to the Dark Voice, but it seems that he's too busy with the war to have much time to follow the Xel'Naga prophecy and go to Aiur to find the Overmind's corpse.

Nevertheless, Augustus still pleased with Zeratul's arrival.

"Is it for the matriarch Raszagal?" Augustus roughly guessed Zeratul's purpose.

Augustus only learned a week ago from William Wozowski's report that Prince Tosh of the Blades, who had appeared in the Taradorn System, had also kidnapped the Dark Templar Chieftain and the current Daelaam Archbishop Raszagal of Darram.

They probably wanted to use the power of the Dark Templar to fight the Cerebrate, but they came up empty-handed when they reached Char.

No one knows how Tosh Shakuras the Protoss capital of Tamateros and abducted the matriarch, even though all the Dark Templar were out there eliminating the Zerg invading their homeworld.

"Yes," Zeratul said, "Tosh is in the territory of the Human Empire, and your Fleets has been tracking it for some time."

"I will order Lieutenant General Wozowski to lend you a hand." Augustus nodded and said, "However, Zeratul, even you alone cannot defeat Tosh and his Swarm."

Most of the time, Zeratul is a lone wolf rather than a commander of the Protoss army.

"Provisional High Archbishop Tassadar dispatched a large Fleets, and I merely went ahead of him," Zeratul said. "Many Dark Templar who had never left Shakuras also joined the Fleets, and the shared hatred between the two races has united the Daelaam never before."

Raszagal is the eldest Dark Templar, and she has led the Nerazim tribe since they first broke away from Aiur. The Dark Templar consider themselves Raszagal's children, so they cannot ignore this fact.

"I think I can offer some technical assistance. If we could capture Prince Blade alive, it would be of great help to my research." Dr. Narud remained cautious throughout, but he still made sure to please his emperor.

"Very good." Augustus, "Narud is so lucky to have you."

"My gratitude is beyond words," Zeratul said.

In the short time it took to speak, a red flying car appeared above the block. Although its decoration was simple and unadorned, the light sound of its engine still indicated that it was a rare and good car.

Before attracting more attention, Augustus got into the carriage with Zeratul. Of course, Zeratul didn't actually ride in the carriage; he simply disappeared before anyone else could notice him.

The people accompanying him also squeezed up, Tychus's posture as he packed up the mic and carried it away looked just like a habitual human trafficker.

"Where are you taking me?" Mai Zao knew these people were no ordinary people, which was why they were trying to make some money, but he was still just a child, and now he was almost crying in desperation.

"Don't be nervous, you can read minds, can't you?" Tychus said calmly. "You should know that the gray-haired boy is the current leader of the Terran Empire. I've heard that in some places he's called the First Citizen, how ironic."

"We plan to take you to the Ghost Academy, where you'll find peers with the same talents as you."

As the flying car took off, the red and gray spire-covered buildings of Dennis City came into view. This war-torn city was regaining its former prosperity and vitality, with new building plans expanding many times over.

As a colony with unique resources and a strategically advantageous location, Formica has always profited from its stable specialty products and its status as a shipping stop. While many planets invaded by the Zerg inevitably declined, Formica was different.

With Emperor Augustus's decree establishing the 32nd Imperial Star Province, Agria Province, Formica instantly became the gateway and port world between the province and the core world of the Empire.

A newly discovered Xel'Naga Gateway exists in a neighboring star system of Formica, and the Terran Empire has obtained the technology to activate it from the Protoss. Through this Gateway, ships can instantly travel to the Haji Province, another Imperial world with Gateway, located thousands of parsecs away.

This also means that Formica will become a crucial part of the Imperial world, allowing reinforcements to arrive swiftly should the enemy invade again. However, its greatest advantage remains its value in shipping, communication, and further unifying the vast empire's territory.

"How do I know if this emperor is a good person?" Mai was tempted, but he still didn't believe Tychus's words.

Psionics are anomalies among humans; their Psionics and other talents are products of genetic mutation. Their ordinary fellow Psionics are more or less envious or fearful of this talent, and only true kindred spirits truly appreciate each other.

"You're right, he certainly couldn't be someone like me." Tychus chuckled.

"Augustus bother to play tricks on a child like you. He's busy every day dealing with the important affairs of the vast empire and countless trivial matters, all just to make life better for citizens of the empire like you," Kerrigan said.

"But I heard from my parents that none of the children who went to the Ghost Academy ever came back." Thinking of this, Mai became even more sorrowful.

"I only wish I had parents like yours," Kerrigan repeated. "This isn't the past; this is the Age of Empire, the Age of Augustus Mengsk."

The flying car quickly landed at the heavily guarded Imperial Marine Corps headquarters, where a group of Imperial officers were on high alert.

Augustus usually handled imperial affairs here, not at the governor's residence in Formica. As an emperor who seized power through a rebellion, Augustus far more time in military uniform than in fine clothes. This was not to emphasize his status as the supreme commander of the imperial armed forces; he was simply accustomed to it.

"Draft a new local ordinance for Formica. I will dictate it to you, and you will write it down," Augustus said to Kerrigan as they walked toward headquarters.

"All Formica who have lost their homes and other fixed assets during the Zerg invasion should receive appropriate financial subsidies, the specifics of which should be allocated by the Imperial treasury."

In general, this was the job of the governor of the Formica Empire, but he did it in ways that did not always satisfy the emperor. If it weren't for his abilities and the prestige he had built up in the region, Augustus would have appointed someone else.

However, the Imperial Governor was not more powerful than the Confederacy Governor, nor did he necessarily have to be of noble birth or have a hereditary position; Augustus could replace him at any time. The Emperor of the Terran Empire only valued ability, and this was a golden age for those talented individuals who had previously been denied promotion because they were not of noble blood.

When Augustus returned to headquarters, Zeratul had been waiting for him for some time. Zeratul politely refrained from moving any of the owner's belongings, and naturally did not pry into military secrets.

The headquarters had several tables covered with printed documents, all urgent dispatches from Korhal that required the Emperor's review. Ultimately, most of the Empire's current affairs were handled by Augustus's brother, Prince Arcturus, and only those he deemed unauthorized would be sent over.

"Leading an empire is no easy task, even for you, my friend," Zeratul said.

"Since I ascended the throne, I have lost a full 12 pounds. Some people say I am a tyrant, but I must say that being a tyrant is exhausting." Back here, Augustus appeared much more relaxed.

Originally, Augustus also planned to visit every planet in the Agria Province, participate in the inauguration ceremony of the Xel'Naga Gateway (officially called the Xel'Naga Gate by the Empire), wait for a colony in the Empire, Haven, to oversee the landing of immigrants, and so on.

"Let's discuss the plan to rescue the chieftain in detail. Tosh has been causing trouble in my empire for far too long; it's time he learned his lesson."

Thank you for your concern. I've managed to get back to normal. It turns out my insomnia was so severe that I couldn't fall asleep until after 10 a. m.