{One year Later, Voran Star System}
After a gruelling year of relentless travel, the Genesis Ark finally emerged from hyperspace, its metallic hull shimmering with residual energy as it drifted into the Voran star system.
To reach here this fast there had been no rest—only brief stops to recharge the Aether cell and recalibrate their course before plunging back into hyperspace.
The sight that greeted them was nothing short of staggering.
The star at the star system's centre was entering a phase where a star begins to age, changing from the brilliant blue-white radiance of a new star to a warmer, orange glow.
Sylas stood at the command deck, his gaze fixed on the largest of these planets—the true prize.
"Status?" he asked.
[Energy levels stable. The Aether cells are at 22%. Minimal ship degradation from continuous travel. No hostile signatures detected] Sera responded.
The five planets in this star system were each unique.
Sylas's gaze shifted to the first planet, a molten world. It resembled a cursed hellscape—a small continent surrounded by endless oceans of lava. Massive volcanic eruptions could be seen from his command centre, releasing clouds of black ash that covered the surface like a suffocating shroud.
The second planet was a desert. Unlike most desert worlds that contained scattered oases, this one was utterly lifeless. Its surface was dried hard and filled with cracks.
The third planet was a world of storms. The atmosphere was in constant turbulence, thick clouds of blue and grey swirling chaotically as lightning arced through the skies. Winds powerful enough to tear apart most ships raged endlessly.
Sylas could already tell that atmospheric entry would be nearly impossible without technology specialized for such environment.
The fourth planet was entirely covered in water. Not an island or continent could be seen—just vast, undisturbed oceans stretching as far as the eye could see.
And finally, the fifth planet—the coldest and most inhospitable of them all. Entirely covered in thick glacial ice, the temperature reached unfathomable lows. So cold, in fact, that not even traditional life forms or biological structures could survive here.
The ice was thick enough to crush most ships attempting a landing without advanced heat shielding.
But the true prize—the reason Sylas had journeyed here—lay within the largest of these planets, the desert to be more specific.
With a size similar to Jupiter, it could contain over 1321 Earths within its mass.
In his father's word, "This planet has two core, the molten core and the Aether Crystal core."
His father told him that beneath its dense layers of crust lay an Aether crystal mine equivalent to the mass of 200 Earths, acting like a secondary core beside the planet's molten one. It was a wealth of energy that could power his capitals for centuries if not millennials.
(A.N: I just using earth to explain the size to you guys, that not really what his father said.)
Sylas's lips curled into a soft smile, "What do you think about the Void-tide Aether Storm?"
Sera hesitated for a microsecond. [It is very violent. The asteroid field surrounding it remains in complete disarray, with gravitational anomalies making navigation impossible. However, the storm remains highly stable, which is… unusual. Almost as if it were artificially contained.]
Sylas smirked, "Yes it is."
[...]
"I will tell you, in fact I will show you, for now let make a detailed plan for the construction."
*******
{The Desert Planet}
The colony ship shuddered as it landed, its heavy-duty struts pressing into the solid desert ground on the North-pole of the planet.
Inside the command centre, holographic screens blinked on, displaying terrain scans, schematics, and status updates from the thousands of droids already moving into position outside.
A massive viewport stretched across the room, revealing an endless landscape of orange rock under a violet sky.
Contrary to what you would expect the planet was not very hot in stead it had a rather normal temperature that you would find at the first week of summer not only that the planet was also very stable and with breathable atmosphere.
Sylas stood at the centre his hands resting on the command console, his expression sharp and calculating. Next to him, a life-sized hologram of Sera flickered to life, arms crossed as she observed the rapid deployment of construction and security units.
"Alright, we're here," she said, her voice cool and professional. "You've got four thousand humans, twenty thousand droids, and a ton of equipment. What's the plan?"
Sylas frowned as he looked at her however Sera didn't break eye contact with him and stared him down.
Sylas sighed before turning his face to study data displayed before him with the shifting holographic projections. "First, we secure our position. No point building anything if we can't defend it."
He gestured at a live drone feed showing the barren landscape. "Deploy half of the Light Combat Droids and Gladius Units to establish a perimeter as for the rest they would be on stand by and swap out every 7 days to recharge. Meanwhile, engineers and Fixer-Bots will start assembling the defence grid."
Sera added. "Good call. The full defence system will take time, but we can use the Genesis Ark's surveillance system for now. Once we have a clear view of the area, we can position anti-air turrets and fortress cannons."
Sylas tapped the console on his chair, highlighting key locations on the planetary map. "We also need to start excavation hear. There's a massive Aether Crystal mine underground. Get the Earth-Breaker Rigs and Builder units ready for when the perimeter is completely set and they can begin drilling."
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sera asked as she pointed at hologram listing the available devices.
Sylas frowned as he scanned first and second time, he was going to give up when he soon realized what she meant, "Oh yes build the cloaking generator, we would definitely need it, people would come snooping around once they know people are here, me can't exactly keep all of them away."
Sera chuckled as she said, "That would be bad for business."
A rare smirk appeared on Sylas' face. "Exactly, in fact when we can try to invite them for a business discussion. But first, we need a strong foundation."
*******
{One day later, On the planet}
Sylas looked around as the desert stretched in all directions, interrupted only by the fleet of construction mechs, builder droids, and human workers moving through the heat.
Prefabricated walls were being positioned, and locations for turrets and energy barriers were marked for installation.
Sera's voice crackled through Sylas' earpiece. "Perimeter defences should be mapped out in ten days. After that, we reinforce with . The second we start digging into that power source, we're going to draw attention."
Sylas nodded, scanning the progress reports. "That's why we need the fleet operational as soon as possible."
"I'm deploying repair drones and Titan Smiths to the space station to convert it to a shipyard," Sera confirmed. "Then we can start with assembling the frigates, destroyers and mining ships while the larger warships wait for now."
Sylas continued. "Humans will focus on construction: first the HQ, then ship assembly facilities, then resource processing plants."
*******
{Two days Later}
At the North Pole, engineers and droids were marking drilling sites. Scanners showed crystalline formations underground, which could slow progress.
Sera's hologram stood next to Sylas, arms folded as she reviewed the latest scan results. "Those crystal deposits might be a problem. They'll slow down drilling, but it's nothing we can't handle besides we don't have have to dig that deep."
Sylas studied the projected dig site. "How long until the droids need recharging?"
"Four days before the next recharge cycle," Sera replied. "I've activated power conservation protocols."
"Good, everything is going according to plan now, should be safe enough to leave for a week or two?"
"Where are we going?" Sera asked confused.
"We are going to the Void-Tide storm. Call that Ally girl here and get someone to prepare a MiG-31 Foxhound for me."
(A.N: Sorry for the switch from UK to USA spellings, I use AI to check my grammars and spelling and it changes most of them to USA spelling, I try to edit them but some might slip through)