Invitation

The ship docked smoothly at Kernel Tower's hangar bay, and the engines shut down with a hiss. Ashton let out a sigh of relief as he unbuckled his seat belt and stood up, stretching his arms and legs. It felt good to be back home, even if it was just for a short while.

As the doors slid open, the victorious team led by Ashton walked out. They stepped out one by one, their presence commanding attention amidst the hustle and bustle of the docking bay.

He walked over to the loading ramp and found Leon already there, waiting for them. 

"Welcome back, boss," Leon said, saluting Ashton.

"You're not going to stop doing that anytime soon, are you?" Ashton asked. Clearly, he had had enough of Leon's shenanigans. "Either way, how's everything been here?"

"Pretty good, all things considered. We've been busy with the usual stuff, but nothing too crazy," Leon replied, shrugging. "Vimur and Viper have been diligently training the newbies."