Augustus's Wish

Lieutenant Commander Warfield's flagship Steel Justice, on the ship's corridor from the crew quarters to the mid-ridge deck, January 10, 2489.

For Augustus, who was deeply worried about the fate of the Korhal IV, there was no way to contact the Korhal Revolutionary Army, which was light-years away, from aboard a battlecruiser where all signals could be intercepted and monitored.

Fortunately, Augustus wouldn't have to stay in the army for much longer. Warfield promised Augustus that he could leave within two weeks at the latest, and bluntly stated that this was exactly the same style as Arcturus's retirement before the war was won.

Augustus, Raynor, Harnack, and Rick Kydd, the best sniper from the Heaven's Devils, were walking toward the ship's bar in brown wool uniforms, their uniforms quite different in both material and color from the black bodysuits worn by the Fleets soldiers they encountered along the way.

Neither side gave the other a friendly look, but due to the stricter regulations for soldiers on board, they wouldn't resort to violence after a few drinks like before.

Compared to the Marines and planetary ground forces, the proportion of Resocialized Soldier in the Fleets is much higher. If these resocialized soldiers were devilish criminals before undergoing reformation, after internal surgery they become docile sheep, law-abiding, upright, and kind.

The belligerent Harnack found it difficult to provoke these Resocialized Soldier, even though they also displayed expressions of confusion and anger, their self-control was quite remarkable.

Unlike Fleets soldiers who are permanently stationed on warships, Marines do not spend much time inside warships. Instead, they travel on spare ships in the Fleets to carry out combat missions.

During the Guild Wars, there were more than a few instances where battlecruisers, while on emergency missions, kicked the Marines temporarily on board off the ships, leaving the fourth-class Marines stranded on desolate planets or asteroids to wait for the next flight. Some particularly unfortunate squads were even "forgotten" forever.

After Augustus greeted the smiling Resocialized Soldier, they went into the small, simply decorated bar on the Steel Justice and ordered a few beers and fried chicken to while away the boring and long day.

This was the third day since Augustus returned to New Apollowin in Meinhoff. A government official from Tarsonis, along with a group of civilians, took over the New Apollowin mines. The Heaven's Devils returned to its Fleets in planetary orbit, preparing for its next mission.

This means that the good days of the Heaven's Devils making extra income by reselling Ardien Crystal in the mines are over. Nevertheless, when Augustus receives the proceeds from the sale of crystals he has earned over the past month from Tychus, even a quarter of the total amount is nearly 80 million credits.

The rest of the Heaven's Devils received half, while Tychus Finley received a quarter thanks to his connections and tireless work. Even so, Raynor and the others became wealthy, no longer worrying about money, but remembering who gave them it all.

This sum of money was enough for Augustus to become a millionaire. If he were an ordinary person, he might have chosen to spend three to five million to buy a private interplanetary yacht and fly to Tyrador VIII.

Then, Augustus spend money to hire a construction team to build a beautiful manor in the warm and enchanting near-equatorial rainforest, marry a gentle wife, have several children, and form a football team.

But Augustus knew that even if he did, such a happy life wouldn't last long in the war-torn Koprulu Sector. The Confederacy, the Zerg, the Protoss, the UED—who could guarantee that Augustus's planet wouldn't one day suddenly become a scorched, silicon-rich mass or a breeding ground for Xenomorphs covered in fungal Creep?

To live a peaceful life, Augustus had to eliminate all threats to humanity and establish a unified government.

For Augustus's revolutionary cause, this was a small sum of money, enough to arm only a small force, and a drop in the ocean for the Fleets.

Augustus didn't have much time left in the army. He had a few places to visit on his itinerary, including Tarsonis and Raynor's hometown of Shiloh. After settling things with Raynor's family, Augustus also planned to visit Omo's family, as he had heard that Omo was an only child.

At this time, Raynor's parents were still alive, but by 2499, when the StarCraft I storyline begins, he was already all alone. Augustus didn't know what Raynor's parents had gone through; they were still relatively young, and the truth was probably closer to hunger and disease.

For Augustus at this point, since he had the ability to prevent all of this from happening, he didn't mind spending his time and energy to help his friend Raynor.

"It seems my parents didn't use the money I gave them." Raynor sighed as usual, looking quite dejected.

"The last time I video-chatted with my dad, I noticed he had become thinner than before. First the bonus, then the money from the arms sale we made last time, and then the money from selling crystals in New Apollowin —three times in total, they definitely didn't spend a single penny."

"They certainly didn't use that 'ill-gotten' money to buy at least some food," he said.

"Your father and mother are really strange, Jim. They're starving, who cares if the money came from dubious sources?" Harnack said.

"My parents taught me from a very young age that a person should support themselves with money earned through their own hard work, and that anything gained without effort is ill-gotten gains," Raynor said dejectedly. "I should have known that the excuse of finding money on the street is completely untenable."

"Damn it, how could you listen to that idiot Harnack?" Rick Kydd said angrily.

"Jim must have been drunk when he sent the money," Augustus shook his head. "Remember what I told you? Someone in Tarsonis was going to invite me to some old lady's birthday party. They must have received some kind of notification and just gave me two weeks of leave."

"I doubt they'll let me retire easily until I go to Tarsonis," Augustus. "I told Warfield I was going to take a squad of Heaven's Devils to Tarsonis, and he agreed."

"It takes half a sector to get from Meinhoff to Tarsonis, but we can spend a day in Shiloh," he said.

"Shiloh is not a good place. They can move to Korhal or Umojan. I'll have someone arrange a job for them."

"No, Korhal can't go." Raynor immediately shook his head in rejection.

"You know that place is about to become the epicenter of the war."