BONG—BONG—BONG—BONG!
The deep, resonant midnight chimes of the Ancestral Hall Bell echoed through the [Galactic Courtyard Express Door Network] across all 10,000 Star Systems at the exact same instant!
Down in the outer guard barracks of the Central Capital Star—and across a few dozen remote border outposts on the edge of the Inner Spiral Galaxy.
The very last tiny pocket of skeptical holdouts, about a hundred and fifty billion former Main-Clan palace guards, retired tax-bureau clerks. Cynical old border mercenaries who had spent their whole lives believing that “kindness is just a trick Before the purge”, were sitting quietly by their barrack windows watching the lantern-lit banquet tables outside.
Even though nobody had punished them or taken away their pensions, centuries of living under the Three Grand Elders’ dog-eat-dog rule had left their hearts locked behind thick iron doors of suspicion. Keeping their personal Warmth / Trust Meters hovering hesitantly at 58 / 100. Just two points shy of the system’s 60+ threshold!
Just as the fifth stroke of midnight rang out—
CREAK.
The wooden doors of those outer barracks and border outposts swung open!
