The people of the Augustgrad colony were boarding shuttles and transport ships deployed to Bel'Shir's surface by the Revolutionary Army, under the protection of soldiers clad in deep-red powered armor and armed to the teeth. Among the colonists, workers and members of the Revolutionary Army's engineering corps were dismantling modular construction panels of the colony under the leadership of Rory Swann, recovering every usable material.
Although the Revolutionary Army had gained the upper hand in its campaign against the Tal'darim on Bel'Shir, the planet was no longer suitable for Terran colonization.
The Tal'darim Protoss fleet and their ground forces possessed advanced cloaking technology—so long as they did not reveal themselves, the Revolutionary Army could never completely purge Bel'Shir of the Tal'darim Protoss.
At the same time, a planet with ambiguous territorial boundaries was bound to become the cause and spark of countless wars. Augustus would rather leave than let his people once again be plunged into slaughter and conflict.
At this very moment, Augustus was standing in the central plaza of the Augustgrad colony, watching the busy workers.
On the wide plaza stood Augustus and several of his guards. The workers were using laser cutters, pliers, and screwdrivers to retrieve everything they could take back. Fortunately, the colony's structures had been designed from the start for rapid assembly and disassembly.
It was at this moment that Augustus received news of Alpha Squadron's victory, followed soon by more good reports.
"A fleet has detected signs of hyperspace warp and spatial folding at the edge of the Bel'Shir system. Judging by the scale of the warp signal, it should be a Tal'darim Protoss fleet," Kerrigan reported.
"So they've abandoned Bel'Shir?" Augustus said in surprise. "That's not typical of the Tal'darim Protoss."
"I thought they would at least spew out some threats before fleeing."
"They did," Kerrigan paused. "Before retreating, the Tal'darim on Bel'Shir sent a message to our command center."
"They said the Tal'darim would surely return, that humanity would face the wrath of the Highlord, and that the Tal'darim's Blood Hunters would pursue Augustus Mengsk to the ends of the universe."
From a captured Tal'darim Dragoon pilot, the Revolutionary Army had obtained a wealth of intelligence. Linguists were gradually deciphering Protoss script. Meanwhile, Augustus had also learned that these Tal'darim were merely an exile fleet cast out from the Tal'darim mainstream. They had seized many lost worlds of ancient civilizations such as Monlyth and Typhon—worlds that likely contained fragments of Xel'Naga artifacts.
"Good to hear," Augustus said. "Record their words—I intend to return them verbatim to their Highlord."
"Since we don't know when the Tal'darim's revenge will come, Bel'Shir is no longer a place we can stay."
He said, "We need to find a new colony. There may be more Tal'darim worlds in this direction, so we must change the fleet's course."
"There are no habitable planets in the nearby systems around Bel'Shir," Kerrigan said.
"Then relocate Bel'Shir's people first to remote colonies within the Koprulu Sector," Augustus asked again. "What are the nearest habitable planets right now?"
"Kalis, Marek V, and the remote Confederate colony Agria," Kerrigan replied.
"Kalis and Marek V are both undeveloped, yet-to-be-colonized worlds, inhabited only by several tens of thousands of pioneers and soldiers—according to the official report from the Tarsonis Immigration Bureau, they are expected to be fully developed within 5 to 10 years."
"But as usual, and given the efficiency of Confederate officials, unless a colony offers profitable returns, they will show little enthusiasm for its development. Only those unwilling to remain stagnant, who seek progress and exploration, will devote themselves to the endless expanse of the stars—and such people are usually those persecuted by religion, retired soldiers, or even pirates."
"Include these two planets among the candidate colonies," Augustus said. "Dispatch to each a colonization team of no fewer than 500,000 people, and station at least one army division there. Construct orbital space stations and interstellar ports in their synchronous orbits."
"As for the remaining people—" Augustus pondered.
"From what I understand, a colonial world like Agria, which has only been developed for over a decade, is nearly semi-independent due to its great distance from the Confederate government on Tarsonis. Even the fastest communication takes 3 standard solar months to reach Tarsonis. That's also why the Agrians are called barbarians—they've long since been forgotten by the civilized world."
"Yes," Kerrigan said. "Agria was founded by Dr. Hanson from Tarsonis University. He and his followers established the first colonial town and the first biological research laboratory on that fertile planet."
"Since it was established by settlers rather than by the Terran Confederacy, the Confederate government has not yet set up permanent institutions there, nor appointed a colonial governor."
"At present, Agria has fewer than 600,000 inhabitants, but that pristine land is fast becoming the top choice for settlers across the Koprulu Sector. The local administration also encourages new immigrants to move in, having introduced numerous incentive policies for that purpose."
Augustus nodded but said nothing further. He was weighing the feasibility of relocating to Agria—or perhaps of bringing that planet under his own control.
"Anything else to report? These days, all I've been hearing is bad news."
"Duke had some machines discovered in the Tal'darim base sent here overnight," Sarah Kerrigan said with a faint hum. "They found large quantities of neatly cut Ardeon crystals and containers of high-energy gas shaped through some kind of energy molding within the Tal'darim Protoss structures. This shows that the resources immensely valuable to us are equally important to them."
"The Tal'darim Protoss use intelligent machinery to harvest Ardeon crystals and Terrazine and other resources. Their high-energy gas extraction facilities are extremely advanced—it seems they can transmit the gas directly into their storage units. This is very useful for Swann's research. Even a crude imitation of the Tal'darim Protoss gas extraction facilities could bring technological innovation that would greatly improve the efficiency of our gas refineries."
"Although we still cannot comprehend how the Tal'darim Protoss deploy their armies instantaneously on the battlefield, their spatial technology could help Swann finalize the designs for orbital drop pods and drop bunkers."
"Rory Swann is a treasure of humanity," Augustus nodded and said. "Recruiting him may have been the wisest decision of my life."
"That's only one among your many wise decisions," Kerrigan disagreed with Augustus's remark.
"You too," Augustus said.
"Where are my generals now?" As Kerrigan paused slightly, Augustus asked again.
"Duke's Alpha Squadron is still sweeping the other side of the planet. Raynor and Hank discovered an underground prison where the Tal'darim Protoss were holding Terran captives—nearly 50,000 abducted colonists. The Tal'darim Protoss confined them in sealed chambers filled with Terrazine gas, observing what effects the substance would have on humans."
"You already told me about this—Terrazine," Augustus sighed, as though mourning for his people.
"They've had their minds ruined by Terrazine, enslaved by the gods in their hallucinations, and can no longer live without it," he said.
"A new cult has been born on Bel'Shir. They regard Bel'Shir as the mother and savior of all humanity." Kerrigan shook her head repeatedly. "Our doctors are powerless. They can't save a person's mind—unless they cut open the patient's skull."
"These people refuse to leave with us, don't they?" Augustus asked regretfully.
"But they still remain loyal—to you, and to the Revolutionary Army," Kerrigan said.
"Roughly how many wish to stay?" Augustus asked.
"About 120,000 people, including a considerable number of soldiers and even some Pan-Terran Party members," Kerrigan replied.
"Let them stay," Augustus said.
"Provide them with everything they need to survive and develop, and with communication equipment capable of maintaining contact with us. Later, I will personally appoint the government that will administer the Bel'Shir colony."
...
Countless square-shaped spacecraft and shuttles were soaring into Bel'Shir's azure sky, trailing long plumes of exhaust from their thrusters as they ascended. The massive vessels gradually turned into faint dots in the heavens.
In the central square of the Augustgrad colony, tens of thousands had gathered, and the vast plaza was filled with the roar of voices.
Those who still remained on the surface at this time were the ones who had volunteered to stay behind—those who, with unwavering conviction, intended to build a new colony here. What drove them to make such a mad decision was the indescribable influence that Bel'Shir's Terrazine exerted upon them.
Humans who consumed excessive amounts of Terrazine sometimes experienced strange phenomena: hearing inexplicable whispers, furious roars, or muttered words of resentment. Yet, when it came down to it, all of that was nothing more than noise. The most horrifying aspect of Bel'Shir lay in the fact that nearly every person who heard those murmurs believed that it was Bel'Shir herself speaking to them—that the voices they heard shared an uncanny similarity. It was as if hundreds of thousands of people were trapped within the same nightmare.
The Tal'darim of Bel'Shir, however, seemed unaffected. They were completely immune to such symptoms.
The word "Bel'Shir" came to embody the planet's natural consciousness—an omniscient, omnipotent being capable of foretelling the next moment's danger or salvation. Bel'Shir, like a mother, nurtured her loyal believers without ever asking for anything in return. Even the most reclusive, socially inept individuals could find spiritual comfort in her embrace.
A new religion could arise within the Koprulu Sector in a remarkably short time. Though humanity's origin—Terra—had long since eradicated all forms of religious belief, an astonishing diversity of faiths and cults had blossomed in this corner of the galaxy.
In the face of the harsh—and often precarious—conditions of colonial life, many people naturally sought spiritual solace in religion.
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