Augustus shrugged, having no choice but to let his brother challenge the Protoss.
"Arcturus isn't someone who yields easily. He likes to prove his strength this way. Back on Korhal IV, few were his match," he said.
"In the end, Arcturus had already become capable of easily defeating the teacher who had instructed him in swordsmanship—until he came to believe that no human could possibly be his equal."
"Isn't that because, aside from you and that bunch of nobles, no one uses swords anymore?" Raynor raised a soul-piercing question. "On Shiloh, people only use axes, hammers, and scythes. At most, a longsword is just an artistic collectible. You can't exactly have Marines wield swords and shields."
"I'm also a renowned swordsman in Styrling. Whether it's practical in combat or not, it's the practice of swordsmanship that has tempered our bodies." Augustus coughed lightly, signaling for Raynor to focus his attention on this duel between human and Protoss.
"When facing an enemy capable of reading your mind, it means every strike and retreat you make is already within his expectations."
Arcturus was a man even stronger and more robust than Augustus—strong like a bull. When he gripped that elegant sword, over four centuries old, his stance was as steady as a mountain. The Tal'darim Protoss, meanwhile, simply executed a ceremonial flourish with his blade before stepping closer, dragging his mechanical prosthetic leg.
Without any warning or signal, Arcturus's sword moved with the speed of a loosed arrow—precise and swift, the blade's movement slicing through the air with a sharp whistle. Yet the Tal'darim Protoss, Okan, blocked it effortlessly with a single arm, his remaining hand deflecting Arcturus's double-handed strike with sheer power.
The Tal'darim Protoss's strength, speed, and grasp of timing were far beyond what any human could reach. He swept aside Arcturus's blade, and with a single lightning-fast heavy blow, drove him back repeatedly.
The Protoss were a race that drew energy directly from starlight through their skin. Their bodies contained no fat; every muscle existed solely to unleash greater power.
Okan's heavy strike far surpassed the strength of any grown man's swing, nearly knocking the sword clean out of Arcturus's hands.
There was no excess technique to speak of—the Tal'darim Protoss defeated Arcturus with just one lift and one strike, forcing him back step after step until the blade rested at his throat. If given a psionic blade, this Tal'darim Protoss could have easily slain everyone here.
"Competing with a Protoss in brute strength is pure madness. The only way to deal with them is with firepower." Staring at the blade poised to pierce his throat at any moment, Arcturus sheathed his sword and left behind those words.
"If we could have a few Protoss come to the military academy and bases to train our soldiers, that would be ideal." Augustus had once imagined such a scenario—humans learning from the Aiur Protoss the techniques of suppressing and coordinating their psionic power, while the Dark Templar could train for him the most lethal assassins humanity had ever known.
"Not a bad idea, but beware of their betrayal. Even humanity itself is not to be trusted." Arcturus sheathed his sword, walked up to the Tal'darim Protoss Okan, and handed him the longsword that had accompanied him for many years.
"You deserve it."
"No, I have no need for a human sword." Okan refused Arcturus. The Tal'darim never accepted gifts from others; those who did such things usually harbored hidden motives.
Losing interest, the Tal'darim Protoss turned and returned to his dark and frigid room. The Protoss lived for over a thousand years—they might spend decades or even centuries perfecting their combat skills, something humanity could never compare to.
Arcturus silently took back his sword, feeling his own interest fade as well. Most Protoss had no sense of humor, nor did they acknowledge or respect human etiquette; attempting to converse with them was an especially troublesome affair.
"Let's go. I've already gotten the answer I came for," he said to Augustus.
Augustus nodded. After giving renewed instructions for the work at the research station, he and Arcturus led the others toward a hangar inside the facility.
"If you or I ever encounter a Tal'darim assassin, that'll be a problem," Arcturus said to Augustus as they walked through the corridors of the research station. "Not to mention they've got psionic powers."
"Don't worry about me—I have Kerrigan's protection." Augustus pointed to the red-haired Ghost behind him. "I sent a Ghost operative to protect you. Why did you refuse?"
"I don't like those psionics," Arcturus said.
"Because they can read minds?" Augustus asked him.
"You don't like others knowing what you're thinking."
"Right. I don't like it," Arcturus replied. "More importantly, I don't like those who can't be completely controlled."
"I agree with you," Augustus said.
"Next, are you planning to return to your prospecting fleet?" he asked his brother.
"I'm planning to stay on Umoja for a while," Arcturus said. "The prospecting team is temporarily being led by several of my old subordinates from the 33rd Ground Assault Division. Our mining zone has already expanded enough; any more, and we wouldn't have enough men or machinery to extract it."
"I'm going to build a new army on Korhal—the Sons of Korhal," he said.
"Without an army, my prospecting fleet would be helpless against enemies like the Protoss and the Zerg." In the end, the issue once again returned to mining. Unknowingly, after Augustus had taken up the responsibility of leading the revolutionary army, Arcturus had gradually gone farther and farther down his own path.
During his exploration for new mineral veins, Arcturus had also inadvertently discovered many ruins of unknown civilizations and even found a planet barely suitable for colonization.
"In that case, there won't be much time left for us to meet again," Augustus said. "Next, my army will head for the Tyrador IX you mentioned. It's one of the Terran Confederacy's core worlds—they would never expect that to be the next target of the Revolutionary Army."
Augustus remembered that the legendary captain of the Hyperion, Matt Horner, and the chief scientist Egon Stetmann were both in the Tyrador system. In that case, his team would finally be complete. Before the arrival of the Zerg and the Protoss, he needed to gather as much strength in his hands as possible.
...
SCT 2491.2.14.
North of Salenger, the Pasteur Family Estate.
The Revolutionary Army fleet had rested for about half a month at the interstellar ports within the Umojan Protectorate before preparing to depart once again. The soldiers of the Revolutionary Army were enjoying their final holiday on Umoja's scenic beaches or spending time with their families.
Up to the present day, the massive transport corporations and suppliers contracted with the Umojan Protectorate Defense Forces were still continuously delivering supplies and replaceable components capable of supporting long-distance interstellar voyages to the Revolutionary Army warships in orbit.
During the waiting period as preparations were being completed, Augustus rarely found the time to relax and enjoy fine cuisine with his family in the bird-chirping, flower-filled gardens of the Pasteur family manor. Unlike before, the ones preparing the tea and refreshments were no longer Katherine, the mistress of House Mengsk, but Juliana and Kerrigan.
At this season, the nearshore Salenger Bay was at its sunniest and most temperate. Flowers were blooming in the Pasteur courtyard, filling the air with fragrance.
It was a family gathering at the Pasteur estate, with the Mengsk, Raynor, and Liddy families all invited. Many of Augustus's generals and even several colonels were also invited to attend the gathering alongside the Marshal—except for Tychus and Duke.
The former claimed that he had received the invitation but was too busy to attend; the latter refused to take part in a "gentlemen's" banquet.
All the guests attending the family gathering followed local customs, wearing casual attire instead of the formal dress customary in Tarsonis's "court." Everyone was treated with great hospitality and made to feel at home.
Ailin Pasteur and Angus Mengsk both attended this gathering. Every officer of the Revolutionary Army present clearly understood that those who had earned such an honor were all people highly valued by the Marshal—only those generals who had fought most bravely and were most loyal to the ideals of the Revolution possessed such qualification.
House Mengsk had not built another Sky Tower or family estate in New Styrling or any of the other Korhalan cities; instead, they resided in a small courtyard outside the Korhal Parliament Hall, as Angus was unwilling and unable to use scarce resources on his own family. Therefore, House Mengsk had to borrow the Pasteur family's estate to host their guests.
At Augustus's table sat both his family members and Revolutionary Army generals. Among them were Trace and Karol Raynor, Jim Raynor's parents, who had been brought from Shiloh to Umoja by agents of the Augustgrad National Security Committee two months earlier.
Raynor's parents, as well as his wife and son, would remain in Umoja when the Revolutionary Army fleet set sail, and he would no longer need to worry about the safety of his family.
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