"This is a dwarf planet. Though it lies rather far from our system's star, owing to certain natural features of the planet's interior it counts as a marginally habitable world. It can be lived on — but growing edible crops and raising edible livestock here is very difficult. So apart from the first pioneers, who settled a while and then left, no one ever came again, and it gradually became an abandoned world. After Wan'er's screening, in the end she chose this place as the best fit for settling the dwarf race. At the same time, the inter-system fringe space isn't far off — one side of it is fringe space, the other side an asteroid belt. The Owl Dragon Star System is little-traveled to begin with, and no one at all would choose this route. That way, the fringe space on the far side is well suited to building a star gate too," Zhao Chen explained.
This was the site he'd settled on after discussing it with Zhao Wan'er beforehand — one place to settle the dwarf race, and one to build the star gate. It suited Zhao Chen's requirements perfectly.
"Have a T2 Iron Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship carry out repairs on the T3 Blizzard here, then proceed to the star gate build-site and prepare to begin the first phase of the gate's construction." Zhao Chen instructed a succubus beside him.
"Yes, Commander." The succubus nodded obediently and went off to see to it. This succubus was very young, only about a meter 40 tall; Zhao Chen had a rather deep impression of her. Her name was Bessie — of those dozen-odd succubi back then, she'd been the first to say she wished to stay, unwilling to leave the Owl Dragon Fleet. Perhaps because she knew clearly what she wanted, the succubus Bessie was very diligent; her talent might not be as fine as Lilith's or Aili's, but she worked with great care, proving her worth. With Lilith and Aili both unable to get away, Bessie had been assigned to Zhao Chen's side, becoming, for the time being, his secretary.
Having given his instructions, Zhao Chen took Annie down by shuttle to this dwarf planet. The first and second batches of dwarves — 100,000 in all — had already been settled on this world; relying on their own formidable handiness, they'd built a "city" here. In matters of housing, at least, there was no problem whatsoever; as for the matter of food, Zhao Chen had provided them a batch of nutrient rations, so there'd be no trouble on that front for a few months. And here, too, a group of beast-folk crewwomen were charged with "keeping watch" over these dwarves.
"Big bro!" Zhao Wan'er, leading a squad of beast-folk soldiers, came forward to greet Zhao Chen the moment he stepped off the shuttle.
"How are things here?" Zhao Chen looked at the "city" before him — dwellings all built of broken stone, crude perhaps, but the dwarves lived quite well within them. And on the ground in the distance, an industrial base was already rising, under construction, along with the foundation of a space elevator. All of this was preparation for making this place, in future, into an industrial base. Completed components and modules could be sent up to low orbit by the space elevator — far more convenient and swift. In future, some industrial bases could be built in low orbit too, since certain large components and modules were better built in a space environment.
Zhao Wan'er answered, "The dwarves are very obedient to management; so long as food is plentiful, there's basically no problem at all."
"Take us in for a look around," Zhao Chen said.
"Come with me." Zhao Wan'er led the way, taking Zhao Chen and the others through this dwarf city. All the while, Annie looked this way and that, as if searching for something.
Zhao Chen shot a glance at Zhao Wan'er beside him, and she caught her big brother's meaning at once. "Annie, your family's been settled in one of the better dwellings up ahead." Zhao Wan'er pointed at a dwelling before them.
Annie was startled. She looked at the Commander. Zhao Chen nodded at her with a smile. Annie at once ran off toward it at a quick trot.
Dwelling though it was called, it was in fact a house built of stone. Pushing open the door, Annie saw her younger brothers and sister.
"Big sister Annie!" The youngest brother, seeing Annie, at once flung his arms wide in delight.
Annie looked at her two youngest brothers, and one sister. "Where's Mother, and your sister Nana?" Annie looked round the house but couldn't find her mother or her second sister, Nana.
"Sister Nana went with Mother to work over at the factory. The beast-folk sisters said we could get free nutrient rations for our first month here — but Mother and Sister Nana still went off of their own accord to help at the factory." said the third-born sister, sensible and obedient.
Hearing this, Annie was set at ease. At least she knew her mother and her brothers and sisters were living well enough here.
Zhao Chen, at this moment, looked at the dwarf city around him, at the near hundred thousand dwarves — and in his mind a whole train of ideas had already taken shape. He'd found a way to put these dwarves to full use.
Having toured this city where the dwarves lived, Zhao Chen gave Annie a day's leave, and returned to the T3 Blizzard. On the bridge, he worked out a certain document together with the succubus Bessie. This document meant that the Owl Dragon Fleet was about to step into another new era.
In the Dwarf City
Annie's mother and her second sister, Nana, came home from work to find Annie playing with the younger children — and the whole family, reunited, was moved and joyful beyond words. Annie took out the natural food she'd traded her meal allowance for and shared it with her brothers and sisters. Aboard the transport before, the younger ones had already tasted such food; once they'd known that deliciousness, they'd pined for it this whole while.
"Annie, bringing us food like this — won't it affect your work in your fleet…?" Annie's mother looked at her daughter with some worry.
Annie shook her head. "Our Commander is such a good person, and the treatment he gives us is very fine. I may bring this food quietly, but the truth is the Commander knows, and he's turned a blind eye to it. Otherwise — did you really think I could carry this food off the ship?"
"That's good, then, that's good. Now that you're living well there with your commander, seeing it makes us happy too. An opportunity this good comes hard — you must hold fast to it," Annie's mother said with feeling.
"Mom, set your mind at ease. Not only will I live well myself — I'll see the whole family living well. And once that old mule of a father of mine comes too, we can all live happily here together. Mom, try this beef, it's ever so good!" Annie brought a piece of beef to her mother's lips. Of this whole table of natural food, had Annie not taken it upon herself to serve her, her mother would have eaten only the white rice before her.
"Mm… you eat, you children eat, that's enough for me." Annie's mother demurred, but under Annie's firm insistence she ate a piece after all.
Just then, the street outside suddenly grew lively. The sound of many people talking could be heard.
"What's going on?" Annie and her family walked out, curious, and saw that, at several of the city squares, projected figures of light had appeared, with crowds of dwarves gathered around them.
"Friend, what's happened?" Annie's mother caught hold of the dwarf who lived next door and asked.
"Good news! Wonderful news! I hear the lord of this system we're in means to formally begin recruiting workers and crew. Just work — and not only do you get nutrient rations, there are wages to be had besides! The treatment's ever so good!" the dwarf said in excitement.