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"Lady Anna."
Rockefeller stood on the bridge of the Herald of the Holy Word, a Gloriana-class Battleship, his voice echoing through the vast command hall.
The immense warship was one of the Word Bearers' flagships. It now hung silently at the edge of the Colchis Star System, like a lurking beast waiting for its prey to appear.
The bridge lights had been dimmed. Only the holographic star chart and the indicator lights on the various instrument panels flickered in the darkness, making the entire space resemble a deep cavern.
Anna had changed into a White Uniform and stood before the observation window at the very front of the bridge.
Her long gray hair fell down her back, stirring gently in the airflow from the bridge's ventilation system.
With her hands clasped behind her back, she gazed calmly at the dark field of Stars beyond the window, her eyes a clear blue.
"Send messages to the surrounding systems. Tell them to watch for any fleets approaching the Colchis Star System other than those of the Word Bearers." Anna's voice was calm and decisive, without a trace of unnecessary emotion.
She did not turn around. Her gaze remained fixed on the sea of stars.
"Understood, Lady Anna." Rockefeller acknowledged her orders and swiftly turned to carry them out.
He approached the communications console and issued a series of instructions to the Communications Officers. Their fingers began darting across their Control Panels, transmitting encrypted signals through the Astropath to every planet in the surrounding systems.
But a moment later.
The Astropath on the bridge suddenly began trembling all over.
He was an old man clad in