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SCL Chapter 15: The Road to the Frontlines
🕑 Added 2025-04-07 03:31:11 +0000 UTCThe holding cell where Augustus and his companions were held had been an armory, but now the weapons and armored vehicles had been removed. The space had been divided with metal panels into makeshift partitions, creating makeshift cells for undisciplined soldiers and criminals. Above them was the high vaulted ceiling of the armory.
The only light came from the sunlight streaming through the ventilation grates and windows. The emergency lights in the holding cell only flickered on in specific circumstances.
On both the south and north walls were fingerprint-activated doors, each three feet wide. The upper third of these doors was made of clear, tempered glass, meaning the interior was fully visible from the outside, and vice versa.
When Augustus glanced toward the fingerprint door on the south side, he suddenly saw a figure moving. It was a gendarme dressed in a black uniform.
“Is that Hank and Josephine?” Jim, who was beside Augustus, also noticed it, but he obviously didn't believe his own statement. “From what I know about those two, they’re probably drunk as hell. They won’t realize we took down the gendarmes until they return to the barracks tonight, then they’ll just sleep it off without a care.”
The fingerprint door opened, but instead of the gendarme, a Marine officer in uniform entered. The silver bars on his shoulders indicated that he was a lieutenant.
The lieutenant had a sharp, angular face, tanned from exposure to the wind and sun, with traces of hard living etched into his features. He wore a short mustache, and a buzz cut, his black hair neatly combed.
“Are you Augustus Mengsk?” The lieutenant’s broad lips pressed together as he stared into Augustus’s cool, gray eyes. This officer bore the cold, solemn air of someone who had survived war and death. Augustus was certain the officer couldn’t have been older than thirty, yet his youthful playfulness was long gone.
“That’s me,” Augustus responded, meeting the lieutenant’s gaze without backing down.
“I’m Horace Warfield, commanding officer of 1st Platoon, 5th Company, 14th Brigade, 33rd Ground Assault Division.” The lieutenant’s stern face briefly softened into a smile, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
The name reminded Augustus of the old general from the Terran Empire who had died in the Heart of the Swarm campaign in the game. He tried to link the image in his memory to this young officer but soon gave up.
“It's the one from Arcturus' division,” Augustus suddenly remembered.
“That's right, your brother,” Warfield nodded, continuing, “According to the reinforcement notice from the division command center, starting today, your new recruit platoon will be assigned to the 33rd Assault Division.”
“Sir, I believe this means the military police at the Turaxis main base can no longer keep us confined,” Augustus said.
“That's why I came here early to pick you up,” Warfield replied, giving Augustus a stern look. “Kid, this isn't something to be proud of.”
“At least I wrote four self-criticisms,” Augustus shrugged.
Then, Augustus woke up a few of the guys who were still fast asleep and followed Warfield out of the confinement room. Although they didn't know what was happening, the sleepy recruits were overjoyed at their unexpected release.
Facing the serious Lieutenant Warfield, the new recruits wisely refrained from asking if they could continue their vacation.
Warfield's 'command car' was parked in front of the armory. Though spacious, it was a bit cramped with ten people, including Warfield's adjutant. Thankfully, Hank wasn't around, so no one complained.
"You're driving. Head to the starship launch port," Warfield told Augustus. "I heard from the military police that your driving skills aren't bad."
"I’d love to try the command car, sir," Augustus said as he smoothly got into the vehicle, showing no hesitation. Driving this type of vehicle was a piece of cake for him, and the pre-set satellite navigation would tell him the destination.
"Unless you're afraid I'll drive it into a ditch."
"Heh—better not do that," Warfield said, laughing from the passenger seat. Perhaps because Warfield had once served under Augustus' brother, Arcturus Mengsk, as a rookie, and the initial impression was quite positive, Warfield was very easygoing around Augustus.
"I remember the last time Arcturus wrote to me, the address was still on the planet Urona Sigma," Augustus said as the car started.
“That was just last month,” Warfield replied. “The Kel-Morians have already pulled out of the Sigma system, and we've been ordered to come here for reinforcements.”
"That's a good sign. The Kel-Morians are done for," Augustus said as he drove.
“I hope the war will end by next year at the latest,” Warfield said.
"I think that's achievable," Augustus nodded.
The two of them fell silent, with Augustus driving the command car toward the boarding platform at the Turaxis main base. Along the way, he saw many troop transport trucks full of soldiers and entire platoons of Goliath battle robots. The unit numbers and insignia were all unfamiliar to Augustus.
Meanwhile, in the distance, visible to the farthest point of their sight, an enormous battlecruiser slowly emerged from the clouds, casting a huge, moving shadow over the horizon.
“Sir, my two soldiers are still in Braddock Town,” Augustus suddenly remembered those two guys he almost forgot.
“Where exactly?” Warfield frowned.
Augustus named a strip club.
...
The 33rd Ground Assault Division belongs to the Fourth Army of the Urona Sigma Legion, a force renowned for its blitzkrieg tactics and unstoppable assaults.
Its origins trace back to a ground assault unit in the Sigma System, which, after engaging in a two-year-long seesaw battle with the Kel-Morians forces, restructured and expanded over time, retaining its original designation. Now, it commands five army brigades, two armored regiments, and one engineering corps.
The commander of this Ground Assault Division is Arcturus Mengsk. Ten years ago, this eldest son of the Mengsk family was just an unknown private.
The force Arcturus initially commanded was named the Imperial Squad. This tradition continues today, and the 33rd Ground Assault Division is also known as the 'Imperial' Assault Division, with its emblem featuring a red Sigma Great Wolf.
Augustus’ brigade is stationed quite far from the Turaxis main base; even by transport aircraft, it takes four hours to reach. In truth, Warfield didn’t need to come here himself—it's clear whose orders these were.
At 14:45 standard time on the northern hemisphere of Turaxis II, Augustus and the new recruits from second platoon boarded an APOD four-engine, low-altitude heavy transport aircraft. This type of aircraft was more than enough to carry a platoon of soldiers not in powered armor, but still, they were squeezed into two crew cabins, with the rest of the space filled with supply boxes and ammunition.
As the transport aircraft slowly took off, the cabin walls were fully enclosed, without any windows. The recruits could only kill time with their personal devices and chatting.
Hank and Kurt sat dejectedly across from Augustus, a stark contrast to the smirks on the faces of Jim and the others.
Augustus could almost imagine their blank expressions when Warfield’s aide dragged them out of bed. Whether they were in the arms of soft jade or deep in a peaceful slumber, the sudden interruption of their vacation with the news it had been cut short must have been shocking.
That wasn’t even the worst part. The upstanding Warfield, upon hearing of their visits to such places, had an unpleasant look on his face and explicitly told them not to consider such matters during their service.
The good news, however, was that with the new war looming, the entire new recruit training camp’s vacation was canceled.
Fortunately, these two were indifferent to everything and, within five minutes, had completely forgotten about it. They then started enthusiastically boasting about their 'heroic deeds' from the previous night to Augustus and the others. Soon, Jim began talking about his exploits with the Vulture vehicle, which quickly turned into the whole platoon listening to First Platoon’s boasting.
During the flight, Augustus could only browse through the pre-downloaded official website of the Federal Marine Corps. It contained reports of the Terran Federation’s Marine Corps and Orbital Fleet clashing with the Kel-Morians, covering everything from skirmishes between reconnaissance units in border-world desert towns to large city and planetary battles.
Since this was a public-facing website, all the reports were about how the Federal troops were thoroughly beating the Kel-Morians, and some irresponsible holo-news networks and print outlets would often irresponsibly reprint these articles for clicks and sales.
In such cases, a 'bit of embellishment' was deemed acceptable. Even the so-called most authoritative and credible source, the UNN Global News Network, was no exception.
The Federal military was unstoppable, achieving resounding victories. The Kel-Morians were retreating in disarray, abandoning their armor. Most of the Terran Federation’s citizens believed the Federation’s victory in this war was a matter of time, the only question being how long it would take—because the increasingly heavy taxes would eventually crush the majority of hard-working people.
