The Crimson Dawn's launch was spectacular. The starship's secondary guns shattered the rock above, blowing open the ceiling of the lonely, desolate hill that had sealed it away for more than a thousand years. Then, against a backdrop of trembling earth, the crimson starship rose from its mountain hollow on antigravity thrusters.
The scene needed no embellishment to serve as the opening to a blockbuster science-fiction film.
But the starship had been stranded for a thousand years without taking flight. The Bloodmad Vampire crew had done everything they could to maintain it, but they hadn't been able to repair the damage to its outer armor while it was grounded. Now that it had taken off, they would need some time to fix the damaged hull plating and modules beneath the ship, which had been battered when it crashed.
The crew didn't need to go outside and make the repairs by hand. Like the other ships in the Eden District, this starship was equipped with autonomous machines, which would cut away the warped plating and complete the repairs.
The repairs were expected to take about twelve hours. Once they were finished, Murphy would pilot the ship, leading the Gray Expeditionary Army and the Bloodmad Vampires in a full-scale assault on Hive Zero. The players and the Chaser were already adjusting their routes to support the Crimson Dawn's arrival.
Meanwhile, Prince White and his vanguard, who had been invited aboard, were resting and taking the opportunity to look around the vampires' "sacred relic."
At that very moment, a message arrived on the Crimson Dawn's communicator.
Murphy raised an eyebrow as soon as he saw it. He handed the tour of the ship over to Triss and First Mate Solma, apologized, and headed to the lounge beneath the hull. There he found Lord