Much of this midsection spread out in orbit around the planet, forming a ring around the equator. Below them scout units sent many thousands of years ago had already done their best to terraform the surface, selecting and genetically modifying flora and fauna so that it would thrive here. Dense greenery covered much of the landmass, a series of shallow seas dotted amongst the forests.
A siren call rang our throughout the only flat plain along the equator. It's raucous call was followed by a swarm of identification and capture drones. Once all significant life had escaped or been collected the fire fell from the earth. A cascade of burning light scouring the landscape, leaving nothing but ash and rock. It took days to cool, at which point the cable was released. The first descending elevator was in place. A ring from the colony fleet hung from that cable. Slowly it was lowered, metre by metre, to the surface of the planet. As it made contact bolts hammered into the rock, anchors digging deep into the surface. The cable held tight, binding the orbital station the it's planet. This was the first city, port, station, and contact site with the planet. There would be other great cities and states to rise in this new colony, but this was the first. Lyon, it was to be called.
Thus was the Lyon colony fleet's initial mission objectives completed, claiming this star as its own, calling it Lyon, founding Coald and Venergy stations, and making planetfall on a Habito planet, founding a station and a city, both called Lyon.
And this was where Alxi, alongside the Tutors, was going.
The flight from the Coald region took a few days. The craft ran along the solar-stationary cord running from the centre of the system to the edges. Steadily the star Lyon grey closer, and the Habito planet came into view.
Eventually they caught a transfer ship to the external ring that surrounded the planet. There was no fanfare for the deligation, no great news articles to be written, no announcement to the population of their arrival. That would come as the ships from the Scholar Fleet arrived. This was a soft opening only, a few words before the big show.
The external ring was where many of the Habito population lived. The structure steadily spun giving a sense of gravity, allowing a life no unlike that of those on the planet below. Except that the stars where below and the green forests filled the sky.
From here the troop bounced across to the far older interior ring, the original geostationary ring. They floated down the hallways, each pulled along by their small spherical personal drones, until they reached the elevator of Lyon City.
"So, it's going to take us an hour to descend to the surface using a normal cart, then we'll be processed and checked by bio-security again, so we should be at the palace by early evening, as arranged.", the Profess read out from the hologram generator between her hands.
"Must we go through bio-sec again, ma'am", one of the auxiliary Scholars complained, "we've been through four scans already!"
"It's merely a formality", the Profess allowed, "but the check point is at the base. We will be asked questions if we don't simply go through."
Alxi showed his cheery smile.
"So we could just jump?", he ventured.
"Can you... what?"
Still smiling Alxi grabbed handles on the wall pushing off to an area a few metres down where the corridor widened. He opened the storage locker in the wall, pulling out the small hover board as Derrick, his drone, attached to the collection of chains and shield generators above the locker. Chains were spun out by Derrick, attaching onto the board, four points on Alxi's belt and his shoulders.
"I'm not too sure...", was all the Profess could get out as a door slid open. Only the force field kept the atmosphere stabilised as Alxi and Derrick stared out into the void of space and the world below them.
He pushed off into the void.
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