speech by Elyan Drost, founder and first speaker of the Return

My friends,

We stand here today not as scattered voices of dissent, but as the vanguard of an idea whose time has come. The Return is not merely a movement—it is a declaration. A declaration that we, as free peoples of the spheres, will no longer submit to the suffocating grip of centralized power. We reject the monolith that calls itself the Koalitio, that masks its hunger for control behind promises of unity and order.

They say they act for the good of all, but we see the truth: a machine of bureaucracy that grinds away at the essence of individuality, stripping away autonomy, culture, and spirit. The Koalitio claims to protect us, yet it smothers innovation, enforces conformity, and silences those who dare to question its motives. It turns vibrant worlds into cogs in its great engine, worlds that were once free to chart their own destinies.

But we are here to say, “No more.”

The Return is a vision of what could be. A vision of a galaxy where the stars shine freely, unbound by the shackles of imposed governance. Where each world—each people—is sovereign. Where cooperation arises naturally, not through mandates, but through mutual respect and shared purpose.

We believe that strength lies not in the concentration of power, but in its dispersal. The Koalitio fears this truth, for it threatens their carefully constructed dominion. They call us anarchists, rebels, and outlaws. They tell you we seek chaos. But let me ask you this: Is it chaos to wish for the freedom to govern our own lives? Is it rebellion to dream of a galaxy where no world is forced to bow to another?

Our name, The Return, is no accident. It is a call to remember. To remember the days when we were not bound by the chains of imposed unity. To remember the strength that comes from diversity, from the harmony of voices that choose to sing together rather than being forced into the same tune.

We do not seek war. We do not seek the destruction of the Koalitio. But we do demand its reform. We demand a galaxy where worlds are free to govern themselves, to flourish as they see fit. And if the Koalitio refuses to hear us, then we will find other ways to be heard. Our strength is not in weapons or fleets, but in our resolve. In the truth of our cause. And in the countless voices rising up across the spheres, joining together to say: We will not be ruled.

The road ahead will not be easy. We will face resistance. We will be branded as enemies, as heretics, as disruptors of the “peace.” But history has shown us time and again that the greatest movements began with whispers, and ended with the roar of a people united by a common dream.

We are The Return. We are the keepers of that dream. And we will not falter.

Let the stars bear witness to our cause, and may the light of freedom guide us all.

— Elyan Drost, Founder and First Speaker of The Return