The chimes of a new year had already sounded. It was now January of 2489, and Korhal IV remained warm as ever. Much of the planet enjoyed a long spring season thanks to its latitude, and Styrling, in particular, was a veritable paradise—blessed with eternal spring, perfect for human habitation.
This month, the political climate within the Terran Confederacy had once again shifted. Most people on the core worlds were still basking in the glow of 'victory', while Terrans in the war zones and outer colonies continued to suffer hunger and cold.
Angus's revolutionary party had established outposts—large and small—on planets throughout the sector. In remote areas far from the Confederacy's control, their influence was even greater. These were the regions where it was clear the war had never truly ended—unless the Confederacy agreed to allocate funding for refugee relief and rebuilding efforts, the suffering would continue.
But the government remained silent, still fixated on finalizing a peace treaty with the Kel-Morian Combine and accelerating their exploitation of its territory and rich resources.
In contrast, the Revolutionary Army frequently appeared as a savior. This perception gave them far more influence in many outer worlds than any other faction. Both Angus and Augustus believed their strategic focus should remain on the frontier planets—those furthest from the Confederacy's heart—where they could win real support.
Augustus temporarily set aside his work overseeing the army's formation, handing those duties over to his newly appointed Colonel of the Revolutionary Army, Achton Feld—formerly the Mengsk family's chief of security—and a group of military advisors dispatched from Umoja. Together with Lisa and others, Augustus boarded a ship at the Styrling Skyport and returned to the Heaven's Devils' base on Meinhoff.
Logistics like receiving Umojan aid shipments and converting civilian ships into warships were delegated to the Mengsk Group. His father, Angus Mengsk, would now personally handle those responsibilities.
Angus, increasingly overwhelmed with work, had begun showing signs of hair loss—something that made Augustus quietly worry about his own future appearance.
It wasn't until three days later that Augustus finally reached Meinhoff. By the time he arrived, most of the fleet had already departed from the planet.
Only the Iron Justice, a Behemoth-class battlecruiser, and two Leviathan-class warships remained. Meinhoff was now under martial law. The brutal management of the Confederate troops had sparked unrest and uprisings across the region. However, there had been no such disturbances in New Apollon, the town where the Heaven's Devils were garrisoned.
Raynor, it turned out, was a real talent. He possessed natural leadership skills, and the Heaven's Devils willingly followed his orders. However, he wasn't particularly adept at managing business interests.
Crystal mines and factories were being run by Ryk Kydd and Tychus Findlay. The former had received a refined elite education, including training in industrial management. The latter had become sharp and efficient not through schooling—but because he was overseeing a literal goldmine.
Augustus returned to the base on January 7. The moment he stepped out of the starport, he contacted his former superior, Warfield, and learned that his resignation request had not yet been approved. However, Warfield assured him he was working on the matter.
After all, so long as it didn't cross the line, Warfield was still willing to open a back door for Augustus.
Augustus soon gathered all the Heaven's Devils, calling in everyone who was on patrol or loitering around the base. He made an announcement: he intended to retire from service and return to Korhal.
The news surprised everyone, but most of them had at least a vague idea of what Augustus was really planning.
Even with their trust, Augustus couldn't directly say that he was going back to start a revolution against the Terran Confederacy. Instead, he simply asked: who was willing to retire alongside him and head to Korhal—that increasingly chaotic place they'd all seen on the news.
First Squad responded immediately, without hesitation. Unlike some of the other squads that had joined Augustus later, everyone—except for Tychus Findlay—already knew the truth: Augustus was going back to rebel.
Zander, Ward, and Harnack had no other place to go, and no desire to remain in the military. As for Amy Brandon and Ilya Kulovsky, they had originally planned to return to their hometowns after retirement. But since Augustus still needed them, they would remain by his side.
Ryk Kydd had intended to continue his career in the military for a while longer, but he quickly realized that it was the Revolutionary Army—not the Confederacy—where he could truly fulfill his purpose.
Josephine hesitated. Not because he was a Korhal noble by birth and naturally stood on the opposite side of the revolutionaries, but because he had a few children on Korhal—and their mothers happened to be daughters of major noble families.
Had someone not bought off all the criminal networks in Styrling and put a price on Josephine's head, he wouldn't have fled in the first place.
After much thought, he decided he'd return—wearing a mask.
Lundstein, for his part, recognized the opportunity. Following Augustus now meant he wouldn't have to betray his family. On the contrary, the Lundstein family could become a core pillar of the new regime—aristocrats of the revolution. Of course, it was still a gamble. But in the end, he chose to take the risk.
Only Lee Dong-nyoung and Tychus Findlay declined. The former planned to go home and settle into a quiet engineering job. The latter had saved up enough money and intended to enjoy life for a year or so—until he ran out of cash and had to find work again.
Raynor hesitated at first. He didn't know how to explain it to his parents. But words like 'revolution', 'uprising', and 'justice' quickly did their work. He soon realized this was exactly what he wanted to fight for.
The remaining squads were more reluctant. Out of thirty-two people—including the second and third squad leaders—fewer than ten were willing to leave the military, to part ways with the institution that had given them purpose and honor.
Even so, Augustus was pleased.
Those who were ready to leave with him now—without guarantees, without promises—would undoubtedly become the first officers of his personal command.
...
January 10, 2489 – Aboard the battlecruiser Iron Justice, from the crew quarters to the central spine deck.
To Augustus, burdened with worry over the fate of Korhal IV, there was simply no way to communicate with the Revolutionary Army—light-years away—aboard a battlecruiser where every signal could be intercepted and monitored.
Fortunately, Augustus wouldn't have to stay in the military for much longer. Warfield had promised him that, within two weeks at most, he'd get to slap his ass and walk away for good—his words—and had even remarked that it was perfectly in line with Arcturus's style of retiring before the war was even won.
Augustus, Raynor, Harnack, and Heaven's Devils' top sniper, Ryk Kydd, were walking toward the ship's bar, all dressed in brown wool uniforms—visibly different in both fabric and color from the tight black bodysuits worn by the fleet soldiers they passed.
Neither side gave the other much courtesy. But thanks to stricter military codes on ships, they wouldn't break out into brawls after a few drinks like they used to.
Compared to the Marines and planetary ground forces, the fleet had a much higher proportion of 'resocialized' soldiers. Before their transformation, these individuals had been monsters—violent criminals. But after undergoing internal surgical modifications, they turned into docile sheep—law-abiding, disciplined, and almost unnaturally well-behaved.
To someone like the hot-blooded Harnack, it was nearly impossible to provoke them. Even if the resocialized soldiers still displayed human expressions—confusion, frustration, even anger—their self-control was uncanny.
Unlike fleet soldiers stationed long-term aboard ships, Marines rarely remained onboard for extended periods. More often, they simply caught rides on whichever transport vessels had space, heading out to complete mission after mission.
During the Kel-Morian conflict, there had been more than a few cases where battlecruisers, mid-emergency assignment, kicked their temporarily boarded Marines off the ship—leaving them stranded on some barren planet or asteroid to await the next ride. Some unfortunate squads were even 'forgotten' entirely.
After exchanging pleasantries with a few smiling resocialized soldiers, Augustus and the others stepped into the cramped and sparsely decorated bar aboard the Iron Justice. They ordered beers and fried chicken to help kill time on this long, uneventful day.
It was Augustus's third day back on Meinhoff, in the region of New Apollon. A government official from Tarsonis had already arrived with a group of civil servants to take over the New Apollon crystal mine. The Heaven's Devils had returned to their fleet in synchronous orbit, preparing for their next assignment.
This also marked the end of the Heaven's Devils' golden days of earning side income by selling off Ardeon crystals from the mine. Even so, when Augustus received his cut from Tychus—a month's worth of sales—even just a quarter of the total came out to nearly 80 million credits.
The rest of the Heaven's Devils split half of the earnings, while Tychus Findlay, thanks to his connections and tireless effort, claimed the remaining quarter. Still, Raynor and the others had become wealthy men. Money was no longer a concern—but they never forgot who had made it possible.
It was more than enough for Augustus to live like a tycoon. If he were just an ordinary man, he might've spent 3 to 5 million on a private interstellar yacht and flown to Tyrador IX.
There, he'd hire a construction crew to build a beautiful estate nestled in the warm and enchanting equatorial rainforest. He'd marry a gentle wife, raise a few children, and maybe even form a football team.
But Augustus knew better.
Even if he did all that, in a sector as volatile as Koprulu, that happiness wouldn't last. With the Confederacy, Zerg, Protoss, and the UED all in the mix—who could guarantee that the planet he settled on wouldn't one day be reduced to a charred husk of silicon shards, or worse, overrun with creep and breeding alien monstrosities?
If he wanted a peaceful life, Augustus would have to eliminate every threat to humanity—and build a unified regime to rule them all.
As far as his revolution was concerned, this fortune was just seed money. Barely enough to arm a small force. For a proper fleet, it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
Augustus didn't have much time left in the military.
There were still a few places on his itinerary—besides Tarsonis, he also planned to visit Raynor's hometown, Shiloh. While making arrangements for Raynor's family, Augustus also intended to check in on Omer's relatives, having heard that Omer had been an only child.
At this point in time, Raynor's parents were still alive. But by the time the events of StarCraft I begin in the year 2499, he was already alone in the world. Augustus didn't know what had happened to Raynor's parents. They were still relatively young, so the truth was likely something as simple and cruel as starvation or disease.
To Augustus, if he had the power to prevent such tragedy, then he didn't mind spending time and effort to help his friend, Raynor.
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