After walking for a little over ten minutes, they reached the center of the city.
The pillar of light from the spatial node stood ahead of them. This close, calling it a "pillar" no longer did it justice.
It was a golden waterfall that reached the heavens, surging upward into the void.
Runes churned within it, tumbling up and down, striking the walls of light and bouncing back like countless imprisoned golden fish.
Song Chen looked up. The top of the pillar had vanished into the darkness beyond the shield, its end nowhere in sight.
Virian stopped before a squat metal building beside the pillar. "Here we are. The garrison commander is waiting inside."
Song Chen pushed the door open and entered.
The hall was furnished with the bare minimum: a metal desk, a few chairs, and several floating star-map displays. Nothing else.
A man sat behind the desk, looking down at a tactical tablet. At the sound of footsteps, he raised his head.
Zephar Colon looked about fifty, with a square face, prominent brow ridges, and a little gray at his temples.
The aura of an Eighth Rank Star Corona Realm warrior slowly seeped from him. Song Chen could feel the star core inside him turning a little more slowly than usual, as though something had pressed down on it.
Zephar looked at him and said, "You're Song Chen."
"Greetings, Commander."
"Sit."
Song Chen pulled over a chair and sat down.
Zephar got straight to the point. "Lord Lar spoke to me about you. He said you're used to fighting alone and don't like commanding troops. I originally planned to make you an adjutant, or let you pick a squad, but he said neither would suit you."
"I really am unsuited to commanding troops. I've never studied interstellar command.