Over the next few days, the Pacifics helped the crew of the Spirit of Freedom patch up the damage the battleship had sustained. Prescott was aboard the Pacific Cruiser with Michigan, who was jamming out to the song, HP - Vietnam Wizard. Michigan was abuzz with a renewed sense of hope. However, Prescott looked over the Pacific's collected data. It became painfully obvious anyone who was in this empty region of space was cutoff from any way home.
"Hey... hey?... HEY!" Yelled Michigan over the music at Prescott. Prescott looked over to Michigan as the volume lowered to an acceptable level. "I told you it was grim. Anything that ends up here, has truly no easy way home. Even with your modern FTL driver, it would take you decades to cross enough space to even get a signal remotely close to Ear... Terra Prime." Michigan looked at Prescott, cleaning a wrench with a red rag. Prescott nodded as he lookover the data once more, then turned back to Michigan. "Then if we're trapped here, why not set up a base? A colony?" Michgan sighed, "You'd have to convince the others to agree to such a fucking brazen idea."
Prescott furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean, "others" Michigan?" With a quick push of several buttons on the information digital table, a map of the system appeared. "Now, everything you see here has been affectionately dubbed the Xephos System by your crew and mine. Within the system, there exactly five planets, four of which are able to sustain life. Xephos-1 or X-1, has been destroyed. It is literally a fractured planet. We are located on Xephos-2 or X-2. This is the most ideal location for your proposed base and colony. Now, there are two moons that orbit us, Ryelight and Ephos. On the moon known as Ryelight, there are natives who live there. We keep limited contact with them, trading resources on occasion." Prescott looked at Michigan, "They are space faring?" Asked Prescott with amazement. "Yes, while their FTL capabilites leave much to be desired, they could be useful."
With the first two planets out of the way, Michigan began moving onto Now, what I didn't mention, we aren't the only remnants out here. Xephos-3 and Xephos-4, are home to several remnant groups." Before Michigan could continue futher, Prescott interrupted him. "What about X-5?" Michigan shook his head. "We found ruins of some ancient civilization on that planet. However, upon translating several data files, the scientist died. No explanation of any kind, just dead. What we managed to recover was two words and only two... Xephos Prima." Prescott studied the Exo-Planet, then motioned for Michigan to continue.
"Like I was say, there are other remnant groups out here, and only one full group, yours now becoming the second. On X-3 resides the remnant groups known by their callsigns only. The first is Sardon-Atlas. They are not human from what can tell, and happen to be the most elusive group to find. They are the second full group like yours. They came here by colony ship from what we gathered, so no weapons, but many talented people if I had to guess. The second group", continued Michigan, "are known by their callsign, Avenging-Clarity. They are a group humanoid alien mercenaries, who absolutely will join this proposed idea of yours."
Prescott and Michigan discussed the last two groups, the first of which was callsign Rust-Meridian. "Rust-Meridian is a group aliens who claim to be from Mars, and all female. No idea if it's true, but hell, we'll need everyone, and I mean every...one." Emphasized Michigan. "Lastly, there is callsign Radium-Edison...", Michigan cringed a little bringing them up. "They are the most heavily targeted by the Snowesians. They lost over 99% of their group, and in an act they defied the odds stacked so far against them, the Emperor & Empress of the Snowesians declared X-4's Eastern Hemisphere a "non-target", and their military fucking follows the decree without question." Michigan sighed having told Prescott everything he knew. Then, after a long silence, Michigan groaned reluctantly. "If you so order me, the Pacifics and your crew can explore Xephos Prima."
Prescott nodded, "That'll be all, Michigan. I'll be in my quarters should you need anything." As Prescott left, Michigan leaned against table. "Damned fool has no idea how difficult talking to any of these remnants was going to be..."