Soon enough, Alex touched down on the surface of Mars for the first ti in what felt like forever.
He and Mira alighted his ship, and he returned it to his spatial storage not long after.
Now, it was just the two of them left alone on the huge landing pad.
As the light faded, Alex surveyed the area, expecting a welcoming party or at least a small team to et him and Mira.
Yet, to his surprise, only one figure stood by the entrance to the station's main corridor, hands clasped behind his back, his face etched with a solemn expression.
Principal Farnes.
Alex blinked, caught off guard by the familiar figure.
He'd known the principal as a fiery, spirited man — a figure who exuded a commanding presence and whose energy filled every room he entered.
But now, Farnes' usually keen eyes seed tired, weighed down by sothing invisible but unmistakable.
"Principal Farnes!"
Alex called, a grin spreading across his face as he made his way over, Mira at his side.
"Not exactly the grand welco I was half-expecting, but it's great to see you."
Farnes didn't imdiately respond.
He studied Alex for a mont, as if searching for sothing hidden beneath his calm deanour.
Then he nodded, a small, almost wistful smile touching his lips.
"It's good to see you both safe, Alex. Mira."
He added, acknowledging her with a respectful nod.
There was sothing in his voice — sothing that didn't match the man Alex had known.
It held a softness, a cautiousness that gave Alex pause.
"Principal, everything okay?"
Alex asked, his jovial deanour faltering just slightly.
He couldn't help but feel a strange tension simring beneath the surface, a feeling that Mars — despite its calm, peaceful exterior — was concealing sothing significant.
"Walk with ."
Farnes said, gesturing toward the corridor leading into the base.
Alex and Mira exchanged a quick glance, both sensing that this was more than just a casual reunion.
As they walked through the sleek tal halls of the university streets, Farnes led them in silence, the echo of their footsteps the only sound filling the otherwise empty space.
Eventually, he stopped in a secluded eting room, its walls lined with viewports overlooking the Martian landscape.
Farnes motioned for them to sit, taking a seat across from them with a sigh that felt almost resigned.
"There's a lot you both need to know."
He began, his eyes sombre.
"Much has changed since you left. The war you knew… it's only grown worse. And now, it threatens to reach even here."
Alex and Mira listened, attentive, as Farnes laid out the gravity of the situation.
The galaxy had beco embroiled in conflict on a scale even larger than before.
Skirmishes had broken out in systems that were once safe, and factions of people who were fed up with the Federation's efforts had started to pop up in the most outer reaches at highest risk of being invaded by the Red Demons.
For the first ti since the old days of different factions in the form of 'countries', when Humanity was still bound only to their ho planet, that the Human race was not united.
"Until recently, the Solar System was relatively untouched. But there are forces now probing our borders, testing our strength."
Farnes said, his gaze steady.
"The Solar System may not remain safe much longer."
"Is that why this place looks so empty?"
Mira asked, her voice cautious, sensing the tension just below Farnes' words.
Farnes held Mira's gaze a mont longer, then glanced at Alex, his expression shifting to one of guarded sympathy.
"The lack of any fanfare for your return… wasn't really because of both of you."
Farnes said slowly, trying to avoid the awkward tension that was quickly building.
"It was because of one of you."
Alex felt a cold pang in his chest as Farnes' gaze settled on him, filled with a sadness that Alex hadn't seen before.
Mira's brow furrowed, but she said nothing, her eyes shifting between Farnes and Alex as she tried to make sense of the principal's words.
"What… do you an?"
Mira asked carefully.
Farnes sighed, folding his hands on the table before him.
"Alex, ever since word got out that you refused the Overseers' offer, things have changed. Dramatically. People feel… betrayed. The public, the military, even the politicians who once praised you — they see you as the reason for the war's escalation."
Alex's eyes widened, and a heavy, silent tension settled in the room.
He opened his mouth to respond but found he didn't know what to say.
The Overseers — the enigmatic group whose power and influence stretched across the galaxy—had indeed offered him a chance to end the conflict by joining their ranks.
But accepting it would have ant surrendering his own freedom and becoming little more than a puppet in their hands.
"I…"
Alex began, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I did what I thought was right. If I had accepted their offer, I would have given up everything — my autonomy, my principles, my very soul. They didn't want peace; they wanted control!"
Farnes nodded slowly, as if he understood.
"I know, Alex. And there are those who agree with you — who admire you for standing by your beliefs. But the majority… they don't see it that way."
Mira's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, her tone sharp.
"So, because Alex didn't bow down to the Overseers, he's suddenly public enemy number one? People think he's the reason the war isn't over?"
Farnes grimaced.
"In a word, yes. After the Council's decision beca public, word spread fast — especially among those who have lost loved ones in the conflict, which happens to be the majority of people. The idea that the war could have ended if Alex had accepted… it's given people a scapegoat."
He looked at Alex, his gaze filled with regret.
"People have started to riot whenever your na is ntioned. There's a growing sentint that your refusal was selfish, that you turned down an opportunity to save trillions of lives. To so, you're no longer the hero who fought valiantly for freedom. You're the reason they believe peace slipped through their fingers."
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