After about 12 hours of repairs, the primary landing craft of the Soft Rains is once again operational. As the first civilian families are assigned their numbers to be loaded, The Victor's engineers, sent over to repair the craft, are ferried over to their home ship and sent off with much gratitude. Cobalt has chosen a river valley, nearby to the Enlightenment's choice of land, as where they will begin to build. The Soft Rains, however, is too large to enter the atmosphere so most troops and researches must be sent to the smaller escort and battleships. Others are to be sent to the planet itself along with civilians.