The days that followed were uneventful. Xi Yan dealt with his work every day, and time slipped by without him noticing.
In early 2201, the new science ship and construction ship were completed and put into service. Construction of the Starport in the Amat Eiro System was finished, and its two shipyards and one resource silo began operating.
With the shipyards working at full capacity, Xi Yan's Imperial Navy finally expanded to six corvettes, all equipped with flak cannons and Blue Lasers.
Meanwhile, Science Ship Three, a transport ship, and the entire Imperial Navy arrived in the Issam System, recovered the wreckage of Science Ship One, and engaged the small Red Crystal Shards there in battle.
They used the same familiar tactics, circling the Crystalline Entities and attacking with their advantages in range and speed. Even so, they took damage and only won after a difficult fight. The ships suffered varying degrees of damage, but fortunately, none were destroyed.
That counted as avenging the loss of Science Ship One.
The bodies of the scientists who had died were brought back to the Ring World and given honorable burials. The wreckage of Science Ship One was recovered and converted into the Forerunner Museum on the Ring World, commemorating the imperial citizens who had sacrificed their lives in exploration and pioneering endeavors.
On January 1, 2201, the entire nation celebrated New Year's Day. Busy preparing for the first major holiday since taking office, Xi Yan worked all day without ever stepping outside, so naturally, he did not attend the celebrations.
On January 14, 2201, the lost science ship and its crew were welcomed home, and Ancestors' Memorial Day was established to commemorate the first people to die in the empire's exploration of the universe. (Great sorrow. The author is an incurable homo.)