Under circumstances no one had anticipated, the battle-scarred starship returned to the planet's command center once again.
The massive starship's landing immediately drew the attention of nearly everyone on the planet.
The people who arrived upon hearing the news felt an overwhelming sense of astonishment. "Why did it return so soon?"
According to the plan, even if they found nothing at the destination, the round-trip timeframe would likely require two years.
Yet now, it seems only a year has passed, and this familiar starship has already returned, bearing scars all over its body.
What exactly happened on their journey?
...
During the year-plus they were gone, the planet itself hadn't undergone any major changes.
For the sake of this starship, the entire planet had been living through difficult times, tightening belts to conserve resources.
After the starship departed, the planet experienced no apparent crises; what they needed most was to recuperate and rebuild.
