The Chancellor sat down, speech complete. He had been trying to convince the Senate to appropriate funding for a series of new colonial expeditions. The ships were there, but many were idling. The equipment was just gathering dust. The corporations weren't going to do colonies, really, all they wanted to do was mine, and maybe once they're done build some robotic plantations or factories. Lots of Oog wanted to head out and colonize a new world, but they needed government backing to do so. The Official Counterperson spoke. "All in favor?"
Senators silently pressed small buttons in their hoverbooths. "All against?"
The Chancellor pressed his lips together, worried. He was asking for a lot of money, would it get through, would Lkzblf try to- "Then I declare this motion passes unanimously."
The Imperial government was out within days, chartering terraformer ships and colony ships, buying equipment, pouring in incredible amounts of money. Volunteers were recruited, and there were millions. The government began building some new ships to carry them all, manufacturing some terraformation machinery. It would be perhaps a year before the new ships were ready, but that was of no consequence. Hundreds of colony and terraformer ships headed out from the Oogium in every direction, escorted by naval cruisers, destroyers and corvettes. The speed with which it happened was rather shocking. One day it was in a Senate vote, a few days later and the first few ships were heading out for one or two of the thousands of planets COLMIN had identified as being suitable for colonization. The Empire, when all was said and done, would have expanded about 20 light-years in every direction.
On board the colony ship Married To A Far Horizon, little Sdra Mznksriank was just getting into her cabin with her parents. She was very young, and would likely not remember her time on Oogworld, but was delighted with this new place. Her favorite color was purple, and this ship's hull was made of hardtomakium, which is usually purple or dark blue. I.e., she'd just seen and gone inside a multi-kilometer ship that was an embodiment of her favorite color. Her parents, seeing how excited she was, decided she needed a nap. As she fell asleep, the immense colony ship, flanked by two terraformer ships and four cruisers, lifted off and slipped into space. There was a flash, and the ship smoothly transitioned into slipspace.
