At dawn, as the first rays of starlight shone through the Starport's transparent dome, Edmund began his busy day.
He wore a neat uniform with the Imperium's Aquila badge pinned to his chest, a symbol of his pride as Starport director. He sat in the leather chair in his office, where his curvaceous secretary had already brewed him a pot of fine coffee.
The coffee beans were supposedly produced on an idyllic Agri World. An animal native to that world ate the coffee cherries and excreted the beans, giving them a distinctive aroma. Although he thought it tasted no different from the cheap stuff, the noble lords of the Upper Hive all sought it out, so it had to be good.
He took another sip of coffee and began his hectic workday. Pirate activity had been frequent in the sector lately, and he had heard that something major was happening near the Eye of Terror as well. The nearby naval fleets had all gone to provide support. These were truly troubled times, and his workload would be heavier than usual.
Some people said he did nothing but sit in his office all day. In truth, he did not even have time to argue. Daily Starport operations, security management, personnel coordination, resource allocation—countless tasks required his attention.
Edmund studied the screen of his personal Cogitator, which displayed the Starport's various areas, ship repair progress, and cargo loading and unloading. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, missing no detail. As director, he had to ensure that everything remained under his control.
Edmund soon had a grasp of the day's situation, and his coffee cup was empty. Just as he rose to begin his daily inspection, the communicator on the Servitor Skull hovering beside him in the office suddenly rang. It