A few days went by as the situation in space became more tense.
The citizens of the Bright Republic did not hear the announcement they expected. Everyone expected to hear that the defense fleet defeated the invading sandman fleet a few days after they sortied.
Instead, no news came at all. The government and all of the media outlets kept mum, leaving every local in the dark.
No news wasn't necessarily good news. Many Brighters began to grow worried that something might have gotten wrong.
If the government hadn't stated that the defense force was fully intact, the locals would have panicked and thought the end was near!
As it was, the locals became a little split. Their daily lives continued without any interruption, prompting most people to push the matter in the back of their minds.