The God-Made Star Ulnar

To the Protoss, the Aotearian Rift was a fissure between the Void and reality. Now, the massive fleet passing through it was undoubtedly drawing close to the Void.

"Get General Edmund Duke on the channel." Augustus watched the vast Protoss fleet beyond the bridge windows and waited for the connection to come through.

Only a few seconds later, Duke's distinctive diamond-shaped, pointed head, like that of a viper, appeared before Augustus. The wrinkles on his forehead had clearly multiplied, and his face was deeply tanned.

Over the past two years, Duke's Alpha Squadron had been transferred to the Imperial world of Scoria to fight the invading Zerg and purge Zerg infestations that had appeared in its mines. It was a volcanic world with an exceedingly harsh environment, where steep ash mountains were crawling with a hunter-killer variant of venomous Banelings capable of springing about like fleas.

In the words of the Imperial garrison troops on Scoria, whenever they pulled back their blankets at night, there would be "Mr. Purple-Skinned Big Butt" underneath.

Those Baneling strains could even climb cliffs. It was downright unfair.

Yet although Scoria was arguably the most inhospitable and arduous world in Imperial territory, Duke still threw himself into his work with tremendous enthusiasm. He was not afraid of how dangerous the Emperor's assignments might be; he only feared being kept too far from the center of the military's upper ranks.

As long as the Emperor gave Duke a large enough fleet and sufficient authority, it did not matter whether his enemies were rebels, Zerg, Protoss, or Xel'Naga. They were all just opportunities to rack up merits.

"Emperor Augustus Mengsk." Duke saluted Augustus before asking, "What are your orders?"

"Duke, I will take Haller's Nova Squadron into the Aotearian Rift." Augustus looked at Duke. "After that, I