[Commodore Benjamin Maxwell]

Three days later...

Harlech Interplanetary DropPort
Harlaech, Romulus
Outreach
[Soundtrack ]
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A gentle, warm breeze wrapped its arms around me, tracing its soothing fingers across my face and through my hair as I strode across the clean, slate-colored tarmac of the Harlech Interplanetary DropPort, which lay nestled in the Inland South area of the metropolis whose name it bore. Ahead of me lay the boarding station of the city's maglev transit system, and as I approached it, the Outreach sun smiled down on me, its radiant energy casting rays of golden light across the landscape, infusing the brilliant blue heavens with an undertone of pure white. A flock of birds soared across the glass-and-EndoSteel building, their midday song still audible as a train whooshed quietly into the terminal, disembarking a large group of passengers. In due time, the crystalline sound of a chime rang through the boarding area, and a soft, pre-recorded voice instructed the queued riders to come aboard. I transitioned from the polished granite deck of the train station into the carpeted, comfortable interior of the shuttle, easing into the first seat that availed itself to me, and turned toward the window, taking in the landscape as my thoughts transitioned into a trance-like state, carried away on the breeze to another place and another time, light-years away and far removed from the present. The world of the present fell silent, its sounds muted, its sights playing out in slow-motion as thoughts of the past overtook it, unfolding before my eyes in a hazy, dreamlike manner.

In what felt like seconds, a second chime sounded, followed by a similar recorded voice, this time instructing the diverse group of travellers to disembark, and as conscious thought overtook me once more, I realized that the train was now standing before its destination. I rose to my feet, and followed the tide of humanity out into the golden sun once more. Before me stood a colossal, ornate building, its hulking form hewn from a superstructure of black marble, the exterior surfaces of which had been transformed into masterful carvings depicting scenes from Roman mythology, an obvious tribute to the name heritage of the continent of Romulus. A latticework of bronze and titanium accents glistened across the Hall's flanks, while the faceted crystal surfaces of its sweeping, Corinthian-style entrance cast forth shimmering rays of refracted sunlight. Twin rows of flags, each banner representing an organization sponsored by the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission, stretched far into the distance, their colors waving proudly in the inviting breeze. A large, rectangular reflecting pool, which ran from the building's front staircase to mere meters from the train platform, captured their reflections, distorting and blending them in a vivid, artistic display.

This truly is legendary ground...

Although I'd travelled to the Hall many times in the past, that singular had thought made its presence known time and again - perhaps that was the intention behind the extravagant design of the building - or perhaps it had developed out of reverence and respect for the rich history of unforgettable events, both triumphant and tragic, which had found their roots here. But I had little time to psychoanalyze myself. A living legend, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Allard, was expecting me.

[ - E N D: Continued on Outreach - ]