Three days. Three days since the colossal Krill 54th and 55th Battlefleet, once a harbinger of doom, had limped away from Earth, leaving behind a trail of plasma and shattered alien pride.
Three days since the Krillian Dreadnought 'Harvester-9', that monstrous prison, had descended peacefully, a testament to humanity's audacious, impossible victory. The skies were clear, a fragile, almost unbelievable blue, and across the globe, a collective, visceral sigh of relief permeated the very air.
News channels, once grim harbingers of invasion, now blared triumphant headlines: "Humanity's First Victory!"
"Krill Repelled!"
"Earth Fights Back!"
The United Earth Defense Pact (UEDP) and the mysterious Terran Retribution Command (TRC) were jointly credited, their names now whispered with awe and gratitude in equal measure.
