Echo

Kennoch's letter was answered, not long after he had sent it, by Remalia Brabazon. She expressed thanks for his letter, but declined a meeting in polite but firm terms. She never left the confines of her Navigator's tower, she explained, and would not be comfortable having another visit her space. She did, however, display interest in exchanging correspondance regarding warp routes or other professional items of interest. It seemed Remalia was something of a recluse, and hardly ever spoke to anyone.

Spoiler: Echo Only
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Aboard the Terminus, he opened his senses, reaching out for the warp. His eye skittered over the hull, turned away by the ancient runes of warding woven into the very fabric of the ship, but still he saw much. This ship was old. Age hung from every rivet, every coupling, like a thin cloak over a crone's shoulders. She had sailed the Galaxy before he was born, before his distant ancestors were born, and she had a long, long memory. Even without power, he could feel her thirst for exploration, the desire to ply the void once more, yet underneath... something else. Not necessarily a darkness, though he could feel the remains of one, recently excised. But perhaps the ship was a little too eager, a little too steeped in ancient knowledge. She had no eyes, yet if she did Kennoch was almost certain he would be able to find the steely glint of near madness deep within them.

He felt no malice, though. The ship wanted to be sailed, and wanted a competent Captain to sail her, like the old days. If he looked, carefully, he thought he could see ghosts of her past, standing to attention at their posts. One was a tall, bearded man in an ancient Admiral's uniform, standing next to the command throne. He seemed to see Echo, smiling and raising a hand in salute to the Navigator.


Macharius

"No doubt," Jonell laughed. "The compass suits me fine, so I'm happy to take it. As for operations, I completely agree. I've a small task to that effect, and I hope you'll take it up. I need to do the rounds of my own colonies before the party, but if we divide and conquer, there should be plenty of time for both."

As they left the room, heading for the shuttle bays once more, the ship pulled in to dock at the station. Outside, the Fury was distantly visible, slowly towing the Terminus in to dock as well. They were taking it slow and steady, being careful not to accidentally crash the larger ship into the Station. A handful of miniscule station tugs had deployed to assist, their engines flaring like tiny stars in the void. Jonell stopped for a moment to watch, then resumed walking. As they went, he briefed Macharius on the details of the task he had mentioned.

"We didn't know about the metals when I prepared for the colony, excepting the ones in the asteroids. I figured we'd exhaust the surface deposits first, and that would give us time to get a mining ship put together to start exploiting the asteroid belt. So I didn't bring more than basic mining equipment, enough to feed the manufactorums until the surface deposits ran out, but no more. Now that we know the extent of the wealth here, we need more equipment, and people to run it. Sooner the better. And I know a place we should be able to get some cheaply. Place called Viatrames. Heard of it?"

Planetside

Macharius' Aquila swept down over the planet, passing through the thin cloud layer and coming in over a broad mountain range. The land spread out beneath them, the tips of trees tinged yellow by the setting sun. It would be hours yet before it was truly dark, still lots of time for sightseeing. Two huge mountains loomed above the little cluster of buildings that marked the fledgling colony, a vast roiling storm suspended between the two peaks. The shapes of enormous birds could be seen swooping in and out of the storms, wings extended, riding the heavy winds for extra speed. A river tumbled down out of the mountains, passing near to the colony before continuing on its winding course out to the sea. Jonell had picked a good spot, near to a small forest for wood, and close enough to the mountains for mining, but dominated by wide, undulating plains that would be perfect for farming. Waste from the colony could be pumped downriver, and water from upriver treated and used for consumption and irrigation.

A herd of bright blue, scaly quadrupeds, some of which bore large silver-white antlers, roamed the plains nearby. They raised their heads at the passage of the Aquila, but seemed otherwise unconcerned by the intrusion of the colony. The lander set down on the edge of the colony, in an area that had been clearly marked as a temporary landing pad. Currently, the colony was a bunched-up group of prefab shelters, with the single exhaust stack of a modular manufactorum station rising above them like a finger pointing at the sky. Red-robed adepts of the machine god clustered around the sturdy structure, working on installing a series of exterior power relays. The other colonists hurried about on their own tasks, making the most of the available daylight. Getting things fully running would take a lot of work, and all of the colonists knew their work. It was somewhat fortunate, really, that Jonell was an old hand at this.

Macharius' colleague was in his element, here, striding out of the Aquila and breathing deep the air of the new colony. All of them noticed the increased gravity from shipboard standard, the sheer size of this new world pulling them down. Jonell paid it no mind, assuring them it'd be no major concern in the long run. "What would you like to see first?" He asked, gesturing broadly to the colony, the plains beyond, and perhaps the planet as a whole. "Lots to explore, and plenty the surveyors likely haven't got a look at yet, eh?"