UGT: 31th Ascent 280 a.G.A. / 06:52 p.m.

  Location: New Hamton, Au'Shalis Prime, Clinton's Beak system (red dwarf), Republic of Nox, Second Human Federation, Milky Way

  The shuttle's descent into New Hamton was surprisingly smooth, the city’s lights sprawling out beneath us like a web of fireflies in the growing twilight. From my seat, I caught glimpses of towering spires and bustling avenues, a stark contrast to the chaos I’d left behind. When the shuttle finally docked, the passengers were herded out with brisk efficiency. The soldiers disembarked first, their weapons held casually but ready, while the rest of us were ushered toward a small, cordoned-off area within the military sector. I kept my head down, following the flow of the crowd. The officer from earlier barked orders to a group of clerks standing behind portable terminals, preparing for the screening process. It was clear they intended to check every person leaving the shuttle.

  [ Stick to the edges, May. Look for an opening. ]

  Fen’s advice was unnecessary. I was already scanning the perimeter, noting the guards’ movements and the gaps in their attention. The chaos worked in my favor. Too many people, too few personnel to handle them efficiently. And I wasn't the only one that couldn't care less about the orders of the SHF soldiers. Most of them just wanted to be let off without a long and questionalbe background check. I slipped toward the edge of the crowd, keeping my pace unhurried but deliberate. The clerks were overwhelmed, their attention split between the lines of evacuees and the officers issuing rapid-fire commands and the civilians trying to steer away from the screening or even discussed with the soldiers about their rights. No one noticed when I veered away from the group, stepping behind a stack of cargo crates. And I wasn't the only one. Maybe a handful of civilians got away the same way I did. Probably the ones woho really had something they didn't want the SHF to know. Anyways, it wasn't my problem and I carefully walked through the nearly deserted military area. Most of the soldiers had probably been shipped off to the Aurolin Ruins.

  [ Nicely done . Now keep moving. Head south and let's get back to the civilian shuttle space of the city. There we wanted to meet Admiral Thorrison anyways. ]

  The narrow alleyways between the military structures offered some cover and I stuck to the shadows as I made my way toward the civilian district. The transition was almost seamless. One moment, I was navigating the stark utilitarian buildings of the military zone, the next I was surrounded by the lively hum of New Hamton’s outer districts. The streets here were crowded, but the atmosphere was more relaxed, the tension of the shuttle station giving way to the city’s usual rhythm. Obviously the chaos from the Aurolin Ruins hadn't reached the city yet. Someone seemed to still try and keep a lid on everything. I exhaled slowly, letting myself blend into the flow of pedestrians.

  [ You’re definitly clear now. We would have noticed anyone still being after you. Just a few more blocks to the landing pads. ]

  “Good. I’d rather not keep the Admiral waiting. We're already running a few minutes late, I reckon,” I muttered.

  [ Hate to break it to you, but Admiral Thorrison is probably still tied up with the mess you left at the Aurolin Ruins. It's highly likely you'll beat him, even if we are running a few minutes late. ]

  Oh. That was a pretty good point actually. And even if he was there already, I should probably not meet him with my closes all torn and bloodied.

  [ You should find somewhere to clean up. There’s bound to be a public washroom or a supply shop nearby. ]

  I nodded, acknowledging his idea, while scanning the area. The outer districts of New Hamton were a patchwork of old and new structures, with neon signs flickering above storefronts and street vendors hawking their wares from colorful stalls. It didn’t take long to spot a modest supply shop tucked into the corner of a block, its glowing sign promising "Travel Essentials.” I slipped inside, the bell above the door jingling softly. The interior was cramped but well-stocked, shelves packed with everything from pre-packaged meals to basic clothing. A bored-looking clerk glanced up from behind the counter but didn’t say anything. I headed straight for the clothing section, grabbing a plain black jacket and a pair of durable trousers. They weren’t much, but they’d at least make me look presentable. On my way to the counter, I snagged a small packet of cleansing wipes and some real bandages. They weren't much, but better than nothing for my wounds and the grime on my face and hands. The clerk barely acknowledged me as I paid, his attention already back on the book he was reading. Fine by me. I ducked into a narrow alley beside the shop and quickly swapped out my ruined clothes for the new ones. The cleansing wipes stung as I scrubbed at the cuts on my face and arms, but compared what I had been through today, it was nothing. Afterwards I quickly used the bandages to swap the once out I'd gotten from the truck driver. Finally I could walk around again without looking like I’d been mauled.

  [ Much better. You almost look respectable now. ]

  “Almost?” I grumbled, stuffing my torn clothes into a disposal chute nearby.

  [ Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Now, let’s get moving. You’re only a few blocks away from the civilian shuttle spaces. ]

  The civilian shuttle area indeed came into view as I rounded a corner. This area had a more functional aesthetic, with shuttles of various makes and sizes parked in neat rows. A few ground crew members moved between them, performing routine maintenance or guiding arriving passengers. I found a quiet spot near the edge of the landing area, leaning against a low wall. From here, I had a clear view of the entrance and the shuttles coming and going. It wasn’t the most secure place to wait, but it was public enough to avoid suspicion. And I shouldn't be followed anymore after all, so it should be safe.

  [ Now we wait. ]

  “Yeah. Let’s hope the Admiral won't let us wait all that long,” I said. The minutes stretched, the city’s sounds blending into a dull hum around me. I tried to relax, but my mind kept drifting back to the ruins, to the chaos I’d left behind and the questions that still lingered. What had I truly activated there? And how far would the repercussions reach? The words of the frozen Aetherian, someone of my kind that I was unable to help, still lingered as well. They could be interpreted in so many ways... But one thing was sure. Like for every other Aetherian, I would be back and free him once I gained the ability to do so.

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  Half an hour later, a low whistle drew my attention, and I turned to see a shuttle descending nearly right in front of me. Its sleek angular design marked it as SHF-issued, but it lacked the ostentatious insignias of high-ranking officers’ transports. A practical choice of the Admiral. After all, we did not plan to get slowed down on the problems of Au'Shalis Prime. We had a space war to fight after all.

  As the ramp lowered, Admiral Thorrison emerged, his stride brisk and purposeful despite the slight tension in his posture. He scanned the area as he descended the shuttle’s ramp, his sharp eyes taking in the landing pad and its surroundings. Even in the civilian district, his presence carried an air of authority that made people instinctively step out of his way. I pushed off the wall and approached him, keeping my movements casual. From a distance, he looked every bit the composed leader, but as I got closer, I noticed the subtle signs of strain. I wasn't surprised. He'd clearly gotten involved with my antics in some way. “Admiral,” I greeted him, keeping my voice low.

  He turned to me, his expression unreadable. "Captain Lunaris. It seems like it was once more you who was on time. You also look rather dishelved and what happened to your clothes?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral. If he suspected me of being part of the reason for the events at the Aurolin Ruins, he didn't show it yet.

  “Barely. I got slowed down as well,” I replied, falling into step beside him as he led me toward a quieter corner of the pad. “I ran into a bit of trouble with some brigands that thought I would make a fine target. I dealt with the situation and informed law enforcement, but my attire wasn't in the best straits aftwerwards. So I got something new. But that doesn't matter right now. There are more important things I think we need to speak about. I take it things at the Aurolin Ruins haven’t exactly settled down?”

  Admiral Thorrison exhaled sharply, his shoulders tensing. “So you do have an involvement with what happened there? The situation definitly didn't settle down. The Aetherian drones are still active and the SHF forces in the region are stretched thin trying to contain them.The entire thing is a mess. And that’s just the surface of the problem. Seemingly other Aetherian sites across Au'Shalis Prime activated as well. We're currently enhancing our defensive positions on them and funnel more troops their way. We cannot risk another one spreading out and breaking through our containment like the one at the Aurolin Ruins. Anyways, care to explain your involvement and if I have to throw you into jail right now, damn the consequences?" he asked, clearly still on edge.

  "Please. I had no involvement with the Aetherian sites. I wouldn't even have the ability to. Even the First Federation failed to have any affect on them, how would you expect me, a measly Captain of said Federation, to be able to change a status quo that has existed for centuries? No, one of my operatives noticed the sudden movement of troops across the ringworld fragment and decided to check it out," I flawlessly lied. Than I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to ask the question burning in my mind. “How bad is it truly?”

  The Admiral glanced at me, his gaze piercing. “Bad enough that the local authorities of the Republic of Nox are already calling for a full investigation into what happened. They’re trying to mobilize the other ringworld fragments as well, as the local forces of Au‘Shalis Prime might not be enough. There‘s even talk of deploying advanced AI countermeasures, or at least as modern as a borderworld of the Federation, while at war for over a decade, can deliver. Whatever got triggered out there, it’s not going away quietly.”

  My stomach churned. I hadn’t intended to spark a system-wide crisis, but here we were. This had been supposed to be little more than me checking out the Aurolin Ruins and getting some free technology. "I hope the situation doesn‘t affect our plans? Winning this damn war for the SHF is more important than saving a single system, I‘d say.“

  “I know,” Admiral Thorrison said, his tone firm and exhausted. “The fallout from all that might be a big problem in the future, based on how the local authorities handle the situation, but the SHF currently has bigger fish to fry. I honestly believe that you had nothing to do with the situation at hand. But your arrival is suspiciously timed and it’ll be quite convenient for some local authorities to blame everything on you.“

  “They’ll make me a scapegoat,” I finished grimly.

  “Exactly,” the Admiral said. “Which is why we’re leaving New Hamton as soon as possible. Hop into the shuttle, we‘ll take the most direct way back to the Au‘Shalis spaceport we came from. We‘ll be running an hour late already anyways, no need to stretch that even further.“

  I nodded, appreciating his pragmatism and did as be said. As we settled in, I leaned against one of the walls instead of sitting, my thoughts racing. The ruins, the drones, the SHF’s response. It all felt like the prelude to something much bigger, that I probably didn‘t want to be involved in. Especially the words with the Aetherian. They could definitly be interpreted as a declaration of war. “Admiral, do you think the Aetherians planned for this? That they wanted their ruins to activate now? I don‘t think we should see this as enirely random,” I said, breaking the silence.

  Admiral Thorrison didn’t answer immediately. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy. “If they did, then we’re dealing with something far more dangerous than we ever anticipated. The threat of an Aetherian war machinery going fully online… The ringworld fragment, if not the entire system, would be lost.”

  His words lingered in the air, weighty and foreboding. The hum of the engines filled the silence, a stark contrast to the chaos we had just escaped. “Admiral, if the Aetherians really are as deliberate as we think, then what do you think they wanted to protect? Why build systems that can reawaken after centuries?”

  He didn’t respond right away, his eyes narrowing in thought. “It’s not about protection,” he said finally. “The Aetherians weren’t defensive. They were strategic. Everything they built was a tool, a weapon, or a contingency. The ruins aren’t shields. They‘re mechanisms, designed to serve a purpose long after their creators were gone.”

  “Mechanisms for what?” I pressed.

  The Admiral leaned back, his gaze distant. “Obviously they are the reason for the defensive weaponry of the ringworld fragments. The ringworld was an Aetherian megastructure after all. But more than that, we simply don‘t know about them. Personally, I think the Aetherians weren’t the kind of civilization that left things to chance. If the ruins activated, it’s because we stumbled into something they meant for us to find, or something we weren’t supposed to.”

  I frowned, letting his words sink in. That probably confirmed it. Not my intrusion was the problem. That I'd dared to steal Aetherian technology, even if I was a High-Aetherian myself and had the Inheritor-Protocols, was the true problem. Admiral Thorrison, my thoughts unbeknowst to him, continued to speak. “Maybe we’re not the intended recipients. Or maybe we’ve misinterpreted what we’re dealing with. To the Aetherians, our presence might be no different than an infection to be purged, after we got to deep into the body for their liking. Their systems could be designed to filter out anything they don’t recognize as part of their design.”

  He gave a short humorless laugh. “It‘s not our problem anyways, Captain. We both know that you don‘t give a shit about the planet and its civilians, as long as it doesn‘t go against your own ambitions and plans. Even if the entire system falls into the hands of the Aetherian robots, others will have to clean that up. As you stated correctly, we have a war to win. If we don‘t manage that, nothing else matters.”

  The weight of the Admiral‘s words pressed down on me. Because I knew he was right. I couldn‘t care less about the human civilization in a single system in a vast human Federation. My loyalty lay with the Aetherian Empire and my own people. Honestly, the Aetherian robots taking over the system would probably even be good for me. They were more or less on my side, after all. Therefore I stayed silent, knowing my answer wouldn‘t please Admiral Thorrison in the least. And just like that, the entire shuttle lapsed into uncomfortable silence.