Chapter 123: 5 years later. (2)

Words : 1182 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Cleo turned toward him, her expression composed as she brought up a series of charts and data feeds on the main bridge holodisplay. "According to your suspicions," she began, her tone crisp and professiona l, "pirate activity has noticeably increased over the past month. However, the moment they attempt to attack any trading vessel within our patrol routes, our fighters do a warp jump in response to the distress signals. Once the pirates see our ships arrive, they immediately disengage and retreat." Rex rested his elbow on the armrest of his throne, his hand moving to his chin as he pondered her report. His sharp golden eyes focused on the holo display as his mind raced. The pattern was clear, the pirates weren’t committing to their attacks. They were testing boundaries, probing defenses. But why? "Interesting," Rex murmured, summoning a detailed sector map onto a holo-screen with a quick motion of his hand. The glowing projection materialized in front of him, showing the vast stretch of space under his fleet’s protection. Trade routes, patrol paths, and star systems were marked in intricate detail. "Cleo," Rex said, his voice steady as his eyes scanned the map, "show me the locations where the pirates have been appearing most frequently." "Understood," Cleo replied, tapping a few commands into her console. Red markers began to appear on the sector map, highlighting the points where pirate ships had been detected or intercepted. Rex leaned forward slightly, studying the screen with a focused intensity. The markers were scattered across several key trade routes, but there was something off about the pattern. The pirate appearances weren’t random, they formed a loose arc around a central area of the map, avoiding direct confrontation with the main fleet. "Hmm..." Rex’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest of his throne. "They’re not just attacking aimlessly. They’re testing us. But they’re also avoiding something." Cleo’s analytical mind worked in tandem with Rex’s. She spoke up, her tone thoughtful. "The data suggests they’re staying just outside the effective range of our fleet’s main patrol routes. It’s possible they’re attempting to map our response times and warp jump capabilities." "Or," Rex said, his golden eyes narrowing, "they’re deliberately avoiding something in this region. Look here." He pointed to the central area of the map, which was conspicuously free of any pirate activity. "No incursions. No sightings. It’s like they’re steering clear of whatever’s in this area." Cleo nodded, her hands moving quickly to bring up additional data. "I’ll run a deeper scan of that region. If they’re avoiding it, there’s a reason. It could be a natural phenomenon, a trap set by another faction, or something entirely different." Rex leaned back again, a slight smirk forming on his face. "Good. Do it. If these pirates think they can outmaneuver us, they’ve got another thing coming. I want to know what they’re running from or what they’re hiding." The bridge fell into a focused silence as Cleo worked, her fingers gliding over the controls. Data streams and sensor reports filled the holo-displays, the ship’s advanced systems combing through every trace of information in the sector. " Anything unusual yet?" Rex asked after a moment. Cleo’s eyes flicked to a new screen that appeared in front of her. Her brows furrowed slightly. " Preliminary scans show no obvious anomalies in the region, no black holes, no spatial distortions, no signs of enemy fleets. However..." "However?" Rex prompted, his smirk fading as he noticed the shift in Cleo’s expression. "There’s an unusual energy reading," Cleo said carefully, her tone carrying a note of caution. "It’s faint, almost undetectable, but it’s there. Something is emitting a consistent energy signature deep within the region the pirates are avoiding." Rex’s eyes gleamed with interest. "Show me." Cleo zoomed in on the map, highlighting the source of the energy signature. It was faint, barely registering on the ship’s sensors, but it was unmistakably there, a pulsating blip of unknown origin. Cleo said simply, not even looking up from her reports. "Hold on," Rex said, sitting up fully now, his voice tinged with concern. "You do realize that a hive mind ship would paint a giant target on our backs if anyone sees us working with it, right? People see those things and immediately think invasion! We’d have the whole sector breathing down our necks!" Cleo remained unbothered, adjusting the holo screen with a flick of her finger. Enjoy more content from empire "There’s no problem with that, " she replied in her usual calm tone. "While it’s true that hive minds are considered a common threat across the galaxy, there are several races and organizations that engage in peaceful trade with them. Some even rely on hive minds for sector defense, mineral trading, planetary protection, and other services. It’s not as uncommon as you think." Rex blinked again, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and irritation. "Wait, what? You’re telling me there are business deals with hive minds? Since when?" Cleo turned toward him with her ever-present poker face. "Since forever. It’s all documented in the trade reports we receive from the merchants in exchange for protecting their convoys in this sector." She swiped her fingers, summoning several holo screens that displayed a list of recent trade agreements, intergalactic policies, and reports of hive mind interactions. The data hovered next to Rex, glowing faintly as he scanned it with wide eyes. "Hold on, " Rex said, pointing to one of the reports. " Why didn’t you ever tell me something this important?" Cleo’s lips twitched, though she didn’t quite smile . "You never asked," she said plainly. Rex froze, his finger still in midair as he stared at her. "...I... guess that’s true," he muttered, slumping back in his throne with a sigh. "Fine. I’ll let it slide this time." He waved a hand at the holo screens, dismissing them from view. "Anyway, do we have any updates from our scouts? " Cleo tapped at her console again, her sharp eyes flicking between data streams. "The scouts have reported back with preliminary findings on the energy signature in the region the pirates have been avoiding, " she said. "The readings remain faint, but consistent. Whatever is there, it’s still active." "And no visuals?" Rex asked, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "None," Cleo replied . "It’s possible the source is cloaked or exists on a dimensional level that standard sensors can’t penetrate." Rex sighed again, rubbing his temples as he leaned back in the throne. "Great. Just what we need, another mystery to deal with." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as a thought crossed his min d. "You think Ys going to the asteroid belt might be connected to this somehow?" "It’s possible," Cleo admitted, though her tone suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced. "Ys didn’t mention anything about the energy signature, but she’s not one to share information unless she deems it necessary. It wouldn’t be the first time she acted on her own agenda." Rex groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose . "That woman’s going to be the death of me one day, I swear."

Chapter 123: 5 years later. (2)

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