Scorched Earth

The train sped onward, and beyond the windows lay peaceful, tranquil scenery. Vast swathes of wild goji flowers bloomed lushly and charmingly in the grasslands outside New Richmond Station.

Ahead stretched broad, blocky fields. Ister could imagine the plump heads of wheat eventually turning golden in autumn, bending their stalks beneath their weight. The best time of year was always golden.

When harvest time came, New Richmond's enormous empty granaries would be filled to the brim. The Empire's agricultural subsidy policies had been implemented well and with remarkable results on planets like Heliok.

The prolonged famine near the end of the old Confederacy era was still fresh in people's memories. Memories of that time held nothing but endless war, hunger, and death.

Across so many planets, countless farmers and private farm owners had been driven to the brink of bankruptcy. Far more people starved to death than died in the war. Even today, vast tracts of land remained abandoned—enough to hold who knew how many Water Source oases.

Ister thought that the Zerg and the Protoss certainly could not understand why Emperor Augustus had called upon his people to plant more crops, nor could they understand their love for their homes.

New Richmond was cast behind them in the blink of an eye. When the maglev train reached an elevated stretch of track, the vast and beautiful Water Source oasis spread out before them in full view. This was the quiet, peaceful life they longed for.

Several highways crisscrossed below. Siege Tanks, armored personnel carriers, and Hellions stretched beyond sight, converging into an iron-gray dragon. Heavy trucks carrying Warhound walker mechs roared past one after another.

Highly mobile mechanized forces could make the most of their advantages on flat terrain. They could swiftly break through enemy lines, divide and encircle