The Star Alliance's second formal letter arrived at the territory's core at the beginning of the fourth month after the warning was issued.
This time, there was one more courier craft than before. Three dark gray vessels stood side by side on the docking platform. The one in the middle bore the emblem of the Council Foreign Affairs Department on its side and was slightly larger than the escort craft on either side. The person who emerged when the hatch opened held a rank above that of the previous liaison officer—three silver stripes marked his epaulets. His steps were steady, and after landing, his gaze swiftly swept across the docking platform and the corridor entrance. He looked less like an official making his first visit and more like a special commissioner who had already familiarized himself with the territory's layout from a map.
When he stopped before Xu Wuyi, he did not hand over a sealed data case with both hands as the previous liaison officer had. He stood before the control console without sitting and spoke directly. "Lord Xu, the Council Foreign Affairs Department has authorized me to convey a supplementary statement. Your reply submitted two months ago has been reviewed. The Council believes that it did not include specific commitments regarding the three requirements raised in the warning document and therefore cannot be considered a valid response. The Council requires you to submit a written answer containing a clear implementation plan within one standard month of receiving this verbal notice."
Xu Wuyi sat before the control console with both hands resting on the armrests. He studied the three silver stripes on the man's epaulets and sensed the steady energy fluctuations emanating from him. "What specific content does the Council want included in my implementation plan?"
"There are three