Bernard remained silent for over ten seconds before finally nodding.
"In order to attract new settlers, I have promised that whether they are Terrans, Kel-Morians, or Umojans—so long as they are willing to build a new home together with us—Agria will welcome them," he said, taking a deep breath.
"Let me meet the representatives of those people. Arranging housing for so many will not be an easy matter," Bernard said.
"I'll also need to discuss this with the other representatives of the settler families. And it would be best if the Korhalans refrain from mentioning their past. Once the Confederate government remembers Agria, the Parliament will likely send officials to establish a new administration."
"I'll contact them," Augustus said.
"These Korhalans come from all walks of life on Korhal," Augustus continued. "Among them are scientists, engineers, doctors, construction workers, and architects—people whose presence will bring new opportunities for Agria's development."
"You don't need to worry about their resettlement issues after landing. They have their own tents and food supplies, as well as their own engineering crews and agricultural technology."
"Hm—" Bernard mused, then suddenly stood up and said to Augustus, "I'll make the arrangements as soon as possible. If all goes well…"
As he spoke, Bernard picked up his personal terminal, offered a brief apology, and began making calls—informing the most respected settler family leaders and the town authorities to convene a meeting.
As the first pioneer to set foot on Agria and lead the people in establishing the colony, Bernard had always been the unquestioned authority on this planet. Yet, faced with such a major matter, he could not avoid consulting the other settlers to prepare the Agrians for the arrival of new immigrants.
If mishandled, the Korhalan immigration could easily turn into a refugee crisis—collapsing Agria's economy and destabilizing both its social order and established leadership.
"You've truly given me quite a gift," Bernard said after dialing number after number, then sat back down in his seat.
An awkward smile appeared on Bernard's face.
"All right—then I'd like to see the armed strength of this mercenary corps, to estimate how much pay they'll require." By now, Bernard no longer had much faith in the supposed might of this so-called mercenary army; even if these battle-worn Korhalan exiles were strong-willed fighters, their equipment would hardly be any better than that of the Agrians.
"Very well. I'll notify them immediately." Augustus said a few words to Raynor beside him, and the latter promptly left the Hanson family's living room. As Raynor turned to go, everyone watching could not help but notice the revolver holstered at his waist.
It was a gift from Augustus, and Raynor treasured it deeply, greatly fond of the weapon. Compared to the ornate melee arms Augustus had given to other officers, this finely crafted revolver possessed astonishing power—capable even of piercing the visor of a CMC power suit.
It was a legendary weapon, one with which Raynor had ended the lives of many villains and corrupt officials.
Augustus continued conversing with Bernard for a while longer, until Raynor returned to the living room and informed him that a battalion of Revolutionary Marines, their power armor newly repainted, had landed on Agria and was awaiting his inspection. Augustus immediately invited Bernard and his people to visit the unit's landing site, and Bernard gladly accepted.
However, just as Augustus stepped out through the door of the Hanson residence, Kerrigan said beside him, "Did you notice?"
"What?" Seeing Kerrigan's serious expression, Augustus immediately asked, "Are there Confederate spies here?"
"No. That Ariel Hanson—the daughter of Bernard—she's been watching you the entire time. She's infatuated with your type of man: mature, composed, possessing the charisma and reliability of a true leader."
"When she grows up, she'll realize that this kind of admiration for older men is laughable and will feel ashamed recalling it." Augustus's tone carried reproach. "Of course, that's not the point. I thought you were using your telepathy to probe Bernard Hanson's attitude—not wasting your focus on a young girl."
"You're too sensitive," Augustus said.
"She harbors ulterior motives," Kerrigan replied. "My sixth sense and psionic intuition tell me that this woman is dangerous."
"Oh, come on. I think Ariel's a good girl," Raynor said.
Sarah Kerrigan's psionic intuition had always been remarkably reliable.
As the Ghost operative personally trusted by Augustus, Kerrigan constantly stood guard by the Marshal of the Korhal Revolutionary Army, scrutinizing every person who attempted to approach him.
Through her psionic perception—far beyond that of any ordinary human—Kerrigan could keenly detect dangerous individuals who might pose a threat to Augustus and eliminate them. Yet, Kerrigan was unwilling to admit that Ariel Hanson was, in fact, a greater threat to her.
Kerrigan valued the position she held in Augustus's heart and longed to dedicate her strength to his cause.
Since the age of 5, this Ghost operative had lived a life utterly different from that of ordinary Terrans within the Confederacy. She could only learn the art of human interaction from her instructors and other psionics being trained to become Ghost operatives.
Because of such an upbringing, Kerrigan was not the kind of gentle or mild-mannered girl who spoke with tact. She never minced words, always pointing out others' faults with cutting precision. Kerrigan was like a sharp butcher's knife slicing through the hide of an ox, letting the fresh blood pour out under the sunlight.
Every Revolutionary Army soldier who had spoken with Kerrigan agreed that she was not truly difficult to get along with—so long as they could adapt to her icy way of speaking. When Kerrigan conversed with anyone other than Augustus, she always spoke quickly and directly, never beating around the bush, cutting straight to the point like a single-edged blade.
Likewise, the instructors at the Confederate Ghost Academy had never taught their trainees how to share with others, and Kerrigan was now drowning in her possessiveness toward Augustus. She feared losing him—just as she had once lost her family and everything she had.
"Of course, all of this depends on your judgment. If you believe Ariel Hanson harbors ill intentions toward me, then you should keep her outside the door," Augustus said, glancing back at Kerrigan.
"You've always done an excellent job protecting me. I trust you completely—and that trust will never change," he added.
As he spoke, Augustus quickened his pace to catch up with Bernard ahead, who was preparing to discuss further matters regarding the Korhal settlers.
"Kerrigan, I know you're a psionic—you can read other people's thoughts," Raynor said quietly once Augustus had left. "I'd bet anything that if you'd come with us to that Old Families banquet on Tarsonis last time, you'd have gone mad."
"Because that place was full of elegant noble ladies and madams who all wanted to 'devour' Augustus—it was like being surrounded by a horde of demons," Raynor said, still shaken. "And Ariel Hanson? She's just a little girl. How scary could she be? She's just a girl from some remote colony, not some man-eating monster."
"You think Ariel's that simple?" Kerrigan replied. "My psionic sense tells me she's a biological prodigy who's inherited the gifts of her parents."
From an early age, Ariel Hanson had been considered a genius beyond question. At 6, she could spend hours absorbed in her father's old digital chemistry manuals. At 11, she published her first research paper—on the effects of mutagenic genes on the rare flora of Agria. By 13, Ariel had already completed all university-level coursework and received her admission letter from Tarsonis University, the premier institution on the capital world of Tarsonis.
"Ariel is a genius in bio-genetic engineering. She's only 13 now, yet her knowledge surpasses that of many researchers at the Agria Hanson Research Institute," Kerrigan said. "Most importantly, I've sensed that Augustus holds this Ariel Hanson in very high regard. He seems to know her well, even shows a certain fondness for her—as if he's met her before. It's too strange."
"So that's why you're getting anxious." At that moment, Harnack, who had been following behind Raynor and listening in, poked his head out.
"Shut up, Hank," Kerrigan said coldly.
"You should know Augustus's charm—many people have a taste for him. Young, handsome, wealthy, and above all, a true Korhal gentleman descended from noble blood. Tychus is so jealous of that it drives him insane," Raynor said with a laugh.
"Maybe I'm overthinking it." Kerrigan rubbed her hair, making her fiery red locks even more tousled.
"You know, there are plenty in the Revolutionary Army who admire Augustus—men and women alike. Ariel isn't special in that sense. But my psionic intuition tells me she might become another Lisa Cassidy. After all, Augustus has taken a liking to her," she said.
"I didn't know Augustus swung both ways," Raynor mused, his expression thoughtful. Then, with an awkward laugh to ease the tension, he added, "Lisa? You mean that time she called you the mistress?"
"Oh, give me a break—" Kerrigan rolled her eyes.
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---