Joint Statement
Earth Standard Time: February 13, 4909.
The Terran Sphere Government joined forces with Antonios Consortium and NOMA Shipping Group to announce that their top officials will hold a summit in the City of Dawn. Antonios Consortium and NOMA Shipping Group are sending special delegations for the summit.
They also invited every faction in the galaxy, big or small, to cease hostilities and come to the City of Dawn to sort things out.
As soon as the statement dropped, it instantly set the human galaxy abuzz.
"The statement feels genuine," someone anonymously noted. "Still, I wonder what went down in the X Star System. To make the big three working together."
"Sounds fishy to me," said another unnamed source bluntly. "After the fall of the Sacrum Chu Imperium, the big three pretty much ruled the galaxy. Apparently, that's not enough for them. If I were a faction that had wronged them, I'd be cautious about this so-called invitation."
"It appears the big three aim to reorganize the galaxy," Professor Tuan De Ori of Hermann University's Space Politics Department commented in Galactic Express. "Personally, I'm optimistic; maybe it's the dawn of a new era."
"According to top-secret info from insiders," said someone in the know who goes by "Galactic Guru," "Antonios Consortium's fleets and the Expeditionary Fleet of the Terran Sphere clashed head-on in the Wasteland Star System over the Stargate. As the battle heated up, NOMA Shipping Group's fleet suddenly appeared to join the fray. That's right—the galaxy's big three are fighting each other! As things got intense, a fleet from the Empire appeared out of the X Star System—the fabled missing 13th Fleet of the Sacrum Chu Imperium! It showed up and immediately smashed the fleets of the big three! That's why the big three sealed off all information about the X Star System and hurried into talks—they realized the Empire had returned! The glorious Sacrum Chu Imperium is back! People who long for the Empire, it's time to rise! Arm yourselves and greet His Majesty's triumphant comeback! The galaxy belongs to the Sacrum Chu Imperium! Hail the Empire!"
Reportedly, the Terran Sphere Government's Third Special Ops tracked down and arrested this "Galactic Guru," who turned out to be a bartender at the Sky Ladder No.7. The bar owner officially declared that these statements were solely his own and had nothing to do with the bar. They've since terminated his employment.
"It's clear this is related to the X Star System," someone else said, with many agreeing on the galactic network. "There's an ancient Earth saying: 'After long division comes unity; after long unity comes division.' Over two centuries have passed since St. Triumph City collapsed. The galaxy's been ablaze ever since. Have we listened to the cries from countless lone island star systems lost in darkness? Nope, we didn't. The City of Dawn is still parties on, the City of Antontas is still dazzled with fireworks, and the Tethys City remains bustling. We've forgotten how our ancestors built those magnificent Lagrange Stargates. No one looks at the broken gate ruins in the abyss. No one cares about humanity's future. The war continues, and most people are numb—especially those politicians holding great power! Should the big three unite, they could reshape the whole galaxy, yet they continue with suspicion and endless conflicts. I don't believe in the return of the Empire's fleet, but I kinda hope it's true. Maybe only a force strong enough to threaten the big three can make them unite once again."
"The Empire's long gone," someone said, speaking for many. "Regardless of our feelings, Sacrum Chu Imperium is no more. We need to move forward for the sake of human civilization."
Following the joint statement, hardly anyone replied. All factions remained silent, watching. Factions such as the Freedom Volunteer Army and Wandering Brotherhood openly mocked, "Don't fall for it. It's a trap. Don't forget! There's an old Earth saying, 'lure the snake out'! The big three want to split the galaxy!"
Yet, some well-known figures urged, "This is an opportunity to stop the turmoil. Ditch your hatred; it's time to drop them. Let's all return home."
Shortly after, the Terran Sphere Government announced the opening of the L001B Stargate at Proxima, granting access to all factions. That way, any star system left on the Lagrange Network can, after some hopping, get to Proxima via the L001B Stargate. From there, passing through L001B Stargate gets them to the Solar System.
However, while ships are allowed into Proxima, they must stay near the Stargate. If they wander off, Pangaea Heavy Industries' security fleet has every right to shoot without warning.
This is the first time in hundreds of years that the Terran Sphere Government has granted everyone access to Proxima. L001A and L001B, known as the Twin Stargates, are the first two-way Stargates constructed by humans, playing an unforgettable role in our galactic expansion. Once the Twin Stargates were up and running, the Terran Sphere Government said that after lots of study and testing, the L001A Stargate in the Solar System could only connect to one Lagrange point—the L001B Stargate. Fortunately, L001B had the potential to link to other Lagrange points. Still, some skeptics thought otherwise, suspecting that L001A could reach other star systems, but the Terran Sphere Government hid it in the past to protect Earth.
So, all Explorers leaving the Solar System would first pass through L001A Stargate to reach the Proxima, then hop through L001B Stargate into the starry expanse. In other words, the L001B Stargate in Proxima was the Solar System's front door. When war broke out, to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, the Terran Sphere Government decisively shut down access through L001B and stationed many patrol fleets nearby. Only ships approved by the government could come into Proxima from elsewhere.
Even with the collapse of the Sacrum Chu Imperium, the Terran Sphere eased up on visitor permits and reopened for tourists and students, but the Stargate remained mostly shut.
This time, the Terran Sphere Government said they would grant special access to any faction that wanted to join the summit in the City of Dawn. People saw this as a sign of the Terran Sphere's sincerity and goodwill for the upcoming summit. Remember, the Terran Sphere's been shut tight for centuries since the Galactic War erupted.
Soon after, Andre Francesco Gustav, the CEO of Antonios Consortium, announced he'd personally set off for the City of Dawn in a month to attend the summit.
At the end of his statement, Andre added, "History has never been the work of one person; it's the collective tale of humanity. Our past is penned in blood on a dark canvas, but few get to make history. Today, that chance lies before us. Our choices will decide the future of human civilization."
