(Planet Juxta, Charles's POV)
Charles stood on the high deck of the command tower, his gaze fixed on the dozens of massive cargo ships rising steadily into the dark sky. Their hulls glimmered faintly under the flood lights of the hangar bay, engines roaring as they pushed against the pull of Juxta's gravity.
*Vrrrmmmmm*
The planetary barrier above flickered for only a few seconds, peeling apart just wide enough to let the fleet slip through. Then, as soon as the last vessel cleared the breach, the shimmering shield closed again, sealing the planet in its dome of light.
"Go on… don't look back," Charles muttered under his breath, watching until the ships became distant specks.
Those vessels carried more than just wealth. They carried relics, blueprints, medicines, archives— treasures Juxta couldn't afford to lose if the worst came to pass. And among them, a small frog with a couple blades on his back and a letter in his pouch.
Dumpy would do his part. Charles knew it.
