Chapter 91: Succession Games

Once Cornelius was gone, a member of the Tygore family approached Augustus. As Augustus glanced in that direction, he happened to spot Nova Terra in her usual dead-fish-eye state—and beside her, her older sister, smiling shyly.

"Augustus Mengsk, the lady of the house would like to take a photo with you," the Tygore family member said unexpectedly. He offered no further comments, nor any of the usual veiled tests or subtle pressure.

At the moment, Andrea Tygore was taking group photos with several military officers, including those from the Duke family. Inviting Augustus seemed to be just part of the formalities.

Augustus walked over to the designated photo spot, where a cluster of flowers had been arranged. He stood next to the Tygore family's matriarch—both the oldest and most powerful woman in the family. They stood close together. Andrea did not appear the least bit afraid of being seen beside the son of a notorious nationalist agitator.

"You have a good father, child," Andrea said to Augustus before the photo was taken. "He taught you the Mengsk family's loyalty and courage. You do justice to your name. That Anderson from UNN once said that using every word of praise humanity has ever invented to describe you would still be appropriate."

"As a soldier of the Federation, you deserve every bit of praise."

"Thank you, Lady Tygore," Augustus replied.

"You're quite impressive, Augustus. I've heard people say Angus Mengsk is senile in his old age, and that Korhal is in chaos under his rule," Andrea sighed deeply. "Among the Old Families, we've always chosen our successors based on merit. But outside of Tarsonis, far too many planets have forgotten tradition."

"You're absolutely right—that's exactly how I see it too."

"Then what do you want me to do?" Augustus asked.

"Take his place," Andrea said.

"Take your father's place."

...

The banquet ended just before midnight. The Tygore family's servants would have to wait until all guests had departed before they could begin cleaning—replacing carpets, washing the silverware that had been polished again and again. It meant they'd be working late into the night.

"What did that old witch say to you just now?" Raynor asked in a low voice as Augustus returned to his side.

Guests had begun to trickle out. The leaders of the Old Families departed via private yachts, while the lesser nobles made do with luxury limousines.

"She wants me to take over my father's seat in the Senate and the rest of the Mengsk estate as soon as possible," Augustus said. "Then declare Angus mentally unfit, and have him shoot himself in a random back alley."

"What came next was fairly routine," Augustus said. "She wants me to purge the Senate of the revolutionaries, then declare martial law on Korhal. The Federation would deploy Marines to replace the Planetary Defense Force and take full control of the entire planet."

"What happens after that is just as predictable. Korhal IV will be completely absorbed into the Federation. All the local enterprise protection policies that Angus spent years pushing through the Senate using his political clout will be reduced to meaningless scraps of paper. Politicians always have ways to sever the backbone of a colony's economy and industry."

"I've never heard of a Senate seat being hereditary. And what, does she think you're an idiot?" Raynor said. "The moment those Marines are stationed on Korhal, you'll be nothing more than their puppet. They'll assign agents to watch you, and Korhal will never rise again."

"So what did you tell her?"

"I told her I'd present my father's head by next May," Augustus said, spreading his hands. "As long as it leads my people out of hardship and prevents a war, I would sacrifice even my own father for the greater good."

"I had to say it firmly, without hesitation."

"That's what I like about you," Raynor replied, then looked him over again. "You're not really planning to go through with it, are you?"

"Even if I did, as long as the Federation can produce evidence that I killed my own father, I'd be publicly ruined on Korhal. The Mengsk family's reputation would collapse completely. I don't want to leave the power of choice in someone else's hands. More often than not, I prefer to take the initiative," Augustus replied.

At that moment, Annabella Terra approached Augustus, flanked by her two daughters.

"Nova, this is Uncle Augustus."

"Hello, Uncle Augustus," Nova Terra said in a soft, sweet voice. She was a cute little girl—adorable and well-behaved. She had inherited her father's golden hair, beautiful light green eyes, and the finely sculpted features of the Terra family. She even showed the same dead-fish stare as her father when stunned or deep in thought.

"She's your youngest daughter?" Augustus briefly pictured a cold-hearted Dominion Ghost operative in his mind—but found it hard to connect that image with the little girl in front of him.

"Her full name is November," said Annabella, "but we all call her Nova."

"November, huh? And my name is August." Augustus knelt down and said to her.

"Oh," Nova replied, blinking wide-eyed at him.

"All right, it's about time we headed back," Raynor said after checking his watch. "It's almost morning."

"Lady Terra, I'll see you tomorrow," Augustus said, and reached out to pat little Nova's head—but she quickly dodged him.

"Goodbye, Uncle," Nova said.

"Dearest Augustus, you should come visit me at the Terra Sky Tower tomorrow," said Clara, wrapping one arm around Augustus's. "You know, you're unlike any other nobleman in Tarsonis."

Suddenly, Nova slapped her own forehead with her small hand. It had been the most mentally overwhelming day of her life. Due to her strong psionic aptitude, Nova could actually hear the thoughts of everyone in the Tygore Sky Tower—even the servants dozens of floors below. But at her age, she had no way to control this ability. She could only passively receive the mental noise, without being able to shut it out.

Reluctantly, Augustus agreed to Clara's request in order to escape the situation. Once they entered the elevator, he turned to Raynor and said, "We'll need to find a place to sleep for the night, then install a Umojan psi-shielding device in the room. Still, I doubt the Federation would dare send assassins after such a high-profile war hero so soon."

"I thought you were going to ditch us and go home with them," Raynor said, waving toward Clara Terra—who was beckoning Augustus—and Nova, who was waving stiffly like a robot.

"If necessary, sure," Augustus said as he waved to Annabella. "But I need to stay with you guys, just in case scum like Tychus or Harnack decide to start trouble."

"Sounds like someone's scared," Raynor said smugly, clearly amused for some unknown reason.

"I admit it," Augustus replied, leaving Raynor speechless. "That kind of overt, unfiltered enthusiasm really does frighten me."

"After all, I'm still just a kid," he added.

"I've already had Lundstein take the others to a hotel owned by the Mengsk family. We'll meet them there."

...

Half an hour later, Augustus and Raynor arrived at a Traveler Hotel in central Tarsonis, where they found Lisa and the rest of the group waiting in the lobby. They were all seated on couches, waiting for their commanding officer—except for Tychus Findlay.

"Where is he? Lundstein, I put you in charge of that watch."

"The tracker I planted on Tychus shows he's somewhere in the slums," Lundstein replied. "He broke out and got into a fight with Harnack."

"Leave him be," Augustus said after a brief pause. "He'll come back on his own eventually."

...

The next day, after resting for the night at the Traveler's Hotel, Augustus prepared to lead the Heaven's Devils to the Terra Family's Sky Tower, following Clara Terra's invitation. According to the schedule he had already mapped out, he was set to visit the Old Families who had not yet shown explicit hostility toward the Mengsk family within the week.

Tychus Findlay, who had been out of contact, finally reached out to Augustus the night before. After an awkward apology, Augustus found himself grimacing at the background noise of blaring strip club music and the shrieks of women—at least two of whom were clearly gasping for air. The indecent sounds were so mortifying that Augustus was blushing on Tychus's behalf.

"Augustus, I heard from Raynor that the lady of House Terra has some... untoward intentions toward you?" Lisa Cassidy asked as they stepped through the enormous bronze arch of the Sky Tower. Guards of the Terra Family stood at the entrance, armed with electromagnetic rifles and stun guns.

"Lady Annabella is a dignified and elegant noblewoman," Augustus explained to Lisa. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to explain himself to her—he hadn't even stopped to think about it. "There's no way she would do something so improper."

"But I never said what kind of 'intentions' I meant."

Lisa gave a knowing smile. She wore a flowing white Bohemian maxi dress paired with a form-fitting sleeveless silk top. The layered ruffles of her skirt danced like ocean waves with every graceful step. Today, Lisa looked stunning, and all the Heaven's Devils were convinced she had dressed this way with intention.

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