He stayed quiet, staring at the frost clinging to the cryo-chamber walls.
He didn't know what would happen next.
But at least, for the first time in decades, the silence had finally been broken.
Far above, back in the observatory chamber on Nexera, Xu Qianghua stood with his arms crossed behind his back.
His eyes were fixed on the projection screen in front of him, the outline of the derelict ship faint but steady.
For a long time, he hadn't said a word. He hadn't even moved and just watched.
The transmission feed shimmered slightly as the signal from the elders' side stabilized again.
Their voices came through, calm and direct.
"…we've made contact," Elder Xin said first. "He identified himself as Acting Commander Juren. We believe that to be his true position."
Xu Qianghua narrowed his eyes slightly. "How?"
"He didn't try to lie," Wuying's voice followed. "Didn't offer excuses. He spoke like someone who's accepted the end and is trying to make sense of what's left.
