Soyerlan Galaxy, Molbrey Starfield, Gamma AE-87.
A massive spaceport had been built atop the planet's ring. Nearly a hundred warships of various sizes were docked there, the largest stretching almost three hundred kilometers from bow to stern.
"TA-70 transport ship Aaron has finished loading. Pre-departure checks are up to standard. Requesting permission to leave port."
"Message received. A Molbrey-class IV warship has requested port entry. Estimated arrival: three hours."
"Preparing spacetime wormhole docking..."
More than a dozen figures bustled about the port's control room, coordinating the ships within.
"Wait!"
A man seated at the control console abruptly looked up and halted the wormhole's activation.
"The system just detected a fluctuation from an external spacetime wormhole. It was very faint."
"Smugglers?"
A middle-aged man walked over to the console, brow furrowed and a hint of tension in his expression. After a moment, his face relaxed.
"The fluctuation was too weak. Even the smallest interstellar craft produces a stronger signature than that. It was probably a false alarm."
Planet Gamma AE-87 in the Soyerlan Galaxy belonged to the Sarovina Interstellar Federation.
This living planet was twenty thousand kilometers in diameter, with land covering fifty-two percent of its surface. It was rich in a mineral called red silver, a primary material used to manufacture mechs and the inner walls of warship cabins.
The Sarovina Interstellar Federation ruled over a vast territory spanning several star systems. It was an undisputed hegemon of the surrounding universe, with countless planets like Gamma AE-87 scattered across the cosmos, as numerous as grains of sand in the sea.
Rich in minerals, the planet had been claimed by the federation's corporate magnates. Most of the natives had already left, and mining bases dotted the surface, lending it a desolate air.
High above a mountain range, a faint