When Gods Fight, Mortals Suffer

"The workers here are under strict control; there won't be any problems." The Confederacy officer removed his helmet and looked around.

"Furthermore, no one would betray Calabas, just as a child would not betray his biological father."

"What if the people overseeing us also have problems? The underground party and spies of the Confederacy-era Revolutionary Party are everywhere." Morgan wasn't a suspicious person, but his current situation and experiences left him no choice but to be suspicious. They had narrowly escaped death many times, but the enemy was always close behind and never far away.

"And now, Augustus Mengsk possesses an empire."

"This empire is still young," the officer said.

"But he is still an empire," Morgan said. "Recognizing this means we have countless enemies, but fewer and fewer friends. If Mengsk were a true emperor, he would have eliminated them completely."

"And if he happens to be the tyrant we imagine, then it's even worse." Kee shrugged. "Frankly, I don't care. Things never get better just because we're hesitant and fearful."

"Mengsk has faced all of this too," Roderick reminded the leader of the group of exiles. "And he always managed to escape danger and win every war."

"And I've heard that apart from his victory over Edmond Duke in the Battle of Mar- Sara, Augustus Mengsk has been routed by the brave and fearless Confederacy warriors, and even his eventual victory over the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet is considered a fluke." Dhupal had been listening without uttering a word.

"This is completely different from what I know," Roderick said.

"It wasn't until the Earthlings and rebels successively occupied Tarsonis and drove us all out of our homes that I realized the Confederacy's army had suffered a complete defeat." Dhupal had reddish-brown curly hair and a tall, strong build.

"Madmen believe illusions," he said. "I wish I had strangled Augustus Mengsk myself at that ball four years ago instead of waiting until now."

The noble Dhupal Family had all perished on the day Tarsonis City fell. It was the UED Expeditionary Fleet that conquered Tarsonis, and the ones who killed his parents and siblings were not Earthlings, but assassins from a Confederacy Resistance Army organization.

His father was beheaded at the Sky Tower of Dhupal, and his head, along with his wife's, was thrown from a height of 740 feet. His younger brother also died a violent death, and his two sisters were raped and killed by a mob.

Dhupal believed that all of this was done by the Sons of Korhal.

Like all the descendants of the Old Families here, when the Confederate Congress's decision to use a thousand Apocalypse-class Nuclear Missile to destroy Korhal IV was revealed, he was as shocked as all the Confederacy citizens and thought it was incomprehensible.

The current head of the Dhupal family also attended the meeting, but refused to sign the death sentence against Korhal when the nobles and politicians were signing the decree, remaining silent throughout.

However, in the eyes of these rebels, silence is tacit approval, indifference is aiding and abetting evil, or perhaps they simply don't care. The rebels hate all the Old Families and believe that all suffering should be attributed to them.

"Augustus Mengsk will definitely seek revenge on us because we didn't speak up for him at that meeting that decided Korhal's fate," Roderick said. "Think of Terra and Holt Family; they're still powerful and are involved in Korhal's rebuilding."

"We simply remain silent, and in their eyes, that makes us supporters."

"I'm not good at putting myself in other people's shoes," Dhupal said, looking at Roderick. "The Dhupal family neither cares about politics nor expresses any opinions."

"The outcome was already decided before that meeting even took place, and it couldn't be changed by the opposition of one or two people," he said bitterly.

"Now we've paid the price, losing all our property, status, and reputation; our families are ruined and we're dead! Isn't that enough?"

"No, in Mengsk's view, that's far from enough. He just wants to wipe out the descendants of the Elder Family, because as long as the remnants of the Confederacy exist, they could threaten his rule."

"Don't overestimate yourself, my friend, or rather, don't overestimate 'us'." Roderick and Dhupal were actually childhood friends, but he could only watch Dhupal sank deeper and deeper into the pain and self-blame of losing his loved ones. Once upon a time, the Mengsk Family of Korhal had a similar experience, but all of this was just a matter of fortunes changing.

Admittedly, the descendants of the Old Families who had not yet come into contact with the decision-making level of the Old Families should not be held responsible for the destruction of Korhal, and the same is true for most members of the Old Families. Many of them were even kind-hearted, brave, and upright people, but no one could remain uninvolved in the destruction of the Old Families.

"It's too late to say all this now." Morgan shook his head. "Since Mengsk has already been crowned emperor, residing in a palace guarded by soldiers, and ruling the empire in the name of a monarch, then he is the emperor."

"He's just self-proclaimed," Dhupal retorted.

"Almost every Core World has Old Families, and the Mengsk Family of Korhal is a relative Old Families among them. When our ancestors established the Confederacy, the Mengsk Family was nothing more than commoners."

"Kings do not honor bloodlines, but bloodlines are honored by kings." Roderick said, "And I believe that humans are born with only one thing: congenital dementia."

"After eliminating all enemies, the only Old Families in the Terran Empire is the Mengsk Family. You really think Angus Mengsk is a pure revolutionary? I think he just doesn't have enough power yet," he said.

"And those people in the Confederate Congress are not nobles, but merely hypocritical and despicable political and interest-based allies, forming alliances, implementing strategies, cutting costs, and increasing profits. War is making people's lives worse and worse, while companies producing military supplies are making a fortune."

"Don't forget you're one of them too," Morgan reminded him. "Roderick Group is the one that's made a fortune."

"Many Edge World are littered with corpses of the starving. The population of that garbage dump, Deadman's Port, has increased more than tenfold in just a few years, all because of the continuous influx of refugees. The Confederate Congress should have realized long ago that when the lower classes can no longer survive, they will inevitably rise up in rebellion."

"Didn't the Calabas family profit from this? As far as I know, military supplies such as uniforms, rations, and bullets are all produced by the Calabas Group," Roderick retorted.

"Don't forget whose charity you've relied on to survive until now," Morgan said coldly.

"Oh, really? Then how shall I thank you, my benefactor, Lord Morgan Calabas, who flaunts his power like a king while keeping company with rats in the gutter?" Roderick

"Now is not the time for infighting." Kee remained leaning against the cold metal wall. "Gentlemen, before you're busy arguing about who's to blame and unilaterally trying to set the record straight for your own families, don't forget that the Imperial Fleets may be right above our heads."

"Even if I wanted to kneel before Mengsk and repent, now is not the time. Besides, I don't think we've actually committed any crime." He was clearly extremely annoyed by the argument.

"I have not killed a single person, and among the millions of souls lost at the hands of Augustus Mengsk, there were certainly innocent victims."

"No need to worry, Marshal Gathe Duke's Fleets should be arriving soon. Judging by the time, it should be quick." Morgan glanced at the time on the control panel, displaying a confident demeanor.

"What? You knew about this all along, yet you made us rack our brains trying to offer advice?" Roderick frowned. "Ever since you left Aaron, you haven't shared any news with us. Do you really trust no one else? For the past few days, you've either been constantly doubting yourself or staring aimlessly at the star map."

"If that's the case, Gaser must have already assembled a huge Fleets, otherwise, given his cautious and indecisive nature, he wouldn't dare to fight the Empire."

Although a small portion of the remaining Confederacy Fleets has turned to piracy, wreaking havoc in the Edge World far from the influence of the Terran Empire, the Terran Confederacy still retains a sizable military force. While the number of warships cannot compare with the current Empire, it is enough to deter any troublemakers from the surrounding areas.

The period when the Imperial Fleets was fully deployed to the border was the best opportunity for the Confederacy to reclaim its lost territories, and the arrogant and cowardly Gath Duke certainly wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.

Defeating the Imperial Fleets was pursuing Morgan and his men was the first victory that the great Marshal Gathe brought to the New Confederacy. He did not seem to have considered the possibility of launching a direct surprise attack on Korhal or Tarsonis without the Empire knowing the strength of its Fleets. Of course, it is also possible that he did not dare to.

The Confederacy's most incompetent senior generals and the truly capable commanders who could turn the tide all died at the hands of the UED Expeditionary Fleet when Tarsonis fell. Most of the remaining generals were loyal to Augustus, the new emperor of the Terran Empire.

The Imperial Army, based on the Revolutionary Army, was able to expand to its current size in a very short time thanks in no small part to the surrendered Confederacy Army. In fact, the majority of the current Imperial Army consists of Confederacy soldiers.

They were either forcibly conscripted by the Confederacy or were utterly disillusioned with the Confederacy's military leaders.

Otherwise, Gathe Duke wouldn't be wielding such power in the current Confederacy army, especially since his nephew Edmond Duke, is already a general under the Emperor of the Terran Empire. If it weren't for the fact that Gathe's hatred for Augustus was genuine, one might suspect that he had already prepared to defect to the Empire.

"That's why I'm so anxious about the communication disruption. If the Empire has even intercepted this, then we're doomed." Morgan's voice suddenly rose. "If the Zerg and Protoss weren't fighting the main Imperial Fleets on the Edge World, I bet Augustus have sent a Fleets of more than ten battlecruisers to hunt us down."

"Why can't you understand? I've said it before, we're being followed, there's a traitor among us, possibly more than one. They might be among us, or they might not." He was in a state of agitation.

"Think about who we're facing: the ones who crushed the Confederacy Fleets, brought down the UED, and dealt a heavy blow to the Zerg and Protoss. These little tricks Reagan them; they could have caught us long ago. And perhaps our repeated lucky escapes are also part of their plan."

"They want to capture him alive," Kee said.

"No, they want us to die here in obscurity; that's the right thing to do," Dhupal said.

"I don't think you need to worry so much. The main force of the rebels is on the border planets." The Confederacy officer spoke up at this point.

"I know better than anyone the dire state the empire was in the past. They were nothing more than a band of vagrants, thugs, hooligans, political prisoners, and deserters, who held them together only because of their leader. Faith is the most powerful weapon, and the Confederacy has none."

"Even if they do come, they won't be a match for Marshal Duke. All loyal worlds and autonomous territories still loyal to the Confederacy should provide support. When Augustus Mengsk returns to Korhal, he will understand that the Confederacy's foundation remains strong."

Just then, a Confederacy soldier pushed open the door and said, "Three transport ships have just landed south of the mining site, and they claim to be under the command of Marshal Duke."

"At this time?" Roderick showed no delight. "If the Empire intercepted Morgan and Gathe's communications, then it's possible that the Imperial army was faking it."

"We can't let them in."

"If they really came to rescue us, the time they've wasted would be enough for the real Confederacy army to surround Mine No. 3," Kee said.

"The Confederacy officer specifically asked to see Morgan Calabas, and said his name was Slade Carter," the Confederacy soldier said.

"It's Carter, I know him!" Morgan said immediately. "Where is he?"

Slade Carter is a Confederacy officer guarding New Gettysburg. He comes from a branch of the Calabas Family and is Morgan's cousin.

"Just outside the mine, with only two privates," the soldier replied.

A few minutes later, a blond, blue-eyed Confederacy officer walked into the control center. He immediately shouted to Morgan, "Calabas, get out of here right now! It'll be too late if you don't leave now. Marshal Gathe's Fleets must also retreat immediately, quickly!"

"The Imperial Army used electromagnetic interference equipment they obtained from Earthlings to disrupt our communications here, so I had to personally lead people to pick you up."

"Major Carter, you said the Fleets is going to retreat?" Morgan asked with some delight. "The Marshal has already defeated the Imperial Fleets that was pursuing us."

Marshal Gaser mobilized his troops and gathered a large force to severely damage the Empire's morale and regain the face of the Confederacy, which had been humiliated and crushed.

"I really hope that's the case." The major looked at him with his blue eyes. "You probably don't know, but this tiny star system is already crammed with Zerg, Imperial, and Protoss Fleets!"

"Protoss?!" Morgan, Roderick, and the others stared in disbelief, utterly astonished.

Protoss! The only thing humanity currently knows about this race is that when they arrive, they will burn an entire planet, and that is certain.

"There are over a hundred Protoss warships, each one capable of burning Marshal Gathe's new flagship Pride of the Confederacy, to ashes." The major waved his hand.

"We can still run now while we can," he said with a hint of schadenfreude.

"Let Mengsk deal with this massive Protoss Fleets; he'll be in for a rough time."

Thanks for voting in favor; returning to the old times can actually be seen as a form of stability.