New Neighbors

Captain Willem Jensen’s ship was his life—until the colony dismantled it piece by piece to build their new world on Epsilon Erindi. Struggling to find his purpose, Willem accepts command of an exploratory shuttle, setting out to chart the unknown terrain. But what begins as a mission to secure resources and identify threats turns into an extraordinary encounter when Willem and his crew discover visitors not unlike themselves—aliens who come to this planet not to conquer, but to reconnect with nature. As cultures collide, bonds are forged, culminating in a celebration of life, unity, and the colony’s first child born on their new home.