Chapter 123: A united Sector Gamma!
The bridge of the Odyssey was calm. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was no immediate crisis, no monster to fight, no puzzle to solve.
There was only the quiet hum of the ship and the vast, peaceful sea of stars outside the main viewport. Ryan stood with Scarlett, Emma, and Zara, their newfound unity a warm, steady presence in the room.
The weight of their mission to save all of reality was still there, but now, it felt less like a crushing burden and more like a shared responsibility. It was heavy, but they were carrying it together.
"First things first," Ryan said, breaking the silence. He held up his hand, and a flat, glowing disc made of cool, solid light appeared in his palm. It was the Regent’s Mandate, the symbol of his new authority. "It’s time to make this official."
He touched the surface of the disc. It shimmered, and the ship’s main viewscreen flickered to life, splitting into three sections. In the first, the face of Tom Kane from Outpost #3 appeared.
He looked tired but resolute, his uniform crisp. In the second was Ilsa Varkov of the Iron Wolves from Outpost #12, her face a stern mask, her steel-gray eyes missing nothing.
The third showed a tough-looking woman with graying hair pulled back in a tight bun, her face smudged with grease. This was Misha, the chief engineer and de facto leader of the mining settlement at Outpost #21.
"Lord Stone!" Tom Kane said, his face breaking into a relieved smile. "We heard you won the Games! The whole outpost was watching! We’re proud to serve you!"
"It is done," Ilsa Varkov said, her voice a low rumble. It was her version of a warm congratulations.
Misha from Outpost #21 just nodded. "Good work, Lord. Now, about that extra shipment of plasma converters we requested..."
Ryan smiled. It felt good to be back among his own people. "Thank you, all of you," he said, his voice carrying the calm authority he had grown into.
"I’m contacting you because things have changed. As of today, our separate outposts are no more. Using the authority granted to me by the god Regent, I am formally absorbing Outposts #3, #12, and #21.