Chapter 135 New plans. (2)

Words : 1111 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

"The Cleopatra just detected two warp signatures entering the system," Cleo said, her voice returning to its usual calm, measured tone. "One of them is the Liberator. The other..." She paused, narrowing her eyes slightly. " The other one doesn't match any ships in our database." Rex raised an eyebrow. "Unknown ship? That doesn't sound good. Could it be hostile?" "Unlikely," Cleo replied, her fingers dancing through the air as she pulled up additional data on the distortions. "There's an 80% probability it's Ys's vessel. The warp signature has some biological components, which aligns with the Khryssari tech. I'll need to confirm once they fully exit the jump." The screen expanded, showing the area of space near the trading station. The first warp distortion stabilized into the familiar outline of the Liberator, its battered hull limping into view. Discover exclusive content at empire Even from the hologram, it was clear the ship had seen better days; its exterior was pockmarked with scorch marks and fractured plating, and one of its rear engines flickered weakly. "Looks like Carlos really took a beating," Rex muttered, studying the hologram. "I swear, that guy could find trouble in the middle of an empty galaxy." Cleo's lips curled into the faintest smirk. "That's what makes him Carlos, isn't it?" "Fair point," Rex admitted with a shrug. "And the other ship?" The second warp signature stabilized moments later, revealing a massive, beetle-like vessel. It was unmistakably organic in design, its surface pulsating faintly with an eerie green light. The ship's exoskeletal frame was sleek yet intimidating, its front bristling with bioplasma cannons that glowed faintly as if charging. Even through the hologram, the ship radiated an aura of raw, predatory power. "Ys," Rex said with a knowing grin. " She really knows how to make an entrance, doesn't she?" Cleo nodded, her tone neutral but with a hint of amusement. "That would be the Carapace-Class Destroyer, Ys's personal flagship. It seems to have taken minimal damage. Typical Khryssari engineering; it's more alive than mechanical." Rex let out a low whistle, tilting his head as he studied the ship's organic curves. "You know, for something that looks like it crawled out of a nightmare, it's actually kind of... beautiful. In a creepy, flesh-eating beetle kind of way." "That's one way to describe it," Cleo replied dryly, though her eyes lingered on the holo screen as if analyzing every detail of the ship. "They've just sent a docking request to the trading station. Both the Liberator and Ys's vessel will arrive within the next ten minutes." Rex stood up straighter, cracking his knuckles. "Alright. It looks like our vacation planning's on hold. Let's go greet them. Knowing Ys, she's probably already got something weird lined up." Mini Cleo floated in front of him, wagging her tiny finger. "A nd Carlos probably has an entire monologue ready about how heroically he limped back to safety. Should I prepare an applause track?" Rex chuckled. "Save it. I'd rather see the look on his face when I tell him I've been browsing luxury cruises while he's been out getting shot at." "If Carlos and Ys are coming back, it means whatever trouble they ran into out there isn't over yet. Be ready for anything, Rex." Rex's grin faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. He nodded. " Im always ready... mostly... mornings dont count, anyways, lets go." As the Carlos sighed, the bravado in his expression fading into something closer to exhaustion. He leaned back against a crate, crossing his arms as he glanced at the Liberator . "Trust me, I've been asking myself the same thing," he muttered. " We got ambushed on our way back. First, it was just pirates, nothing we couldn't handle. But then... something else showed up." "Something else? " Rex repeated, his golden eyes narrowing. "Yeah." Carlos's voice grew more serious, the usual humor absent now. " A ship. I've never seen anything like it before. No markings, no identification, nothing. It didn't move like a normal ship, it hunted us. Every time we thought we'd shaken it, it would show up again, tearing through our defenses like they were nothing." Rex exchanged a glance with Cleo, who was already pulling up schematics and reports on a holo screen. Her brows furrowed as data streamed in. "No known configuration matches that description," Cleo said, her tone clipped. "What about its weapons? Did you get any scans?" Carlos shook his head. "We tried, but whatever tech it's using... it's beyond anything we've seen. It hit us with some kind of energy weapon that fried half our systems before we even knew what was happening. If Ys hadn't shown up when she did, we'd be scrap metal by now." Ys, who had been silently fuming nearby, finally spoke up, her voice icy. "You should be thanking me, you ungrateful tin can. If I hadn't intercepted that last volley, your shields would've collapsed, and you'd be space dust." Carlos shot her a side glance. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks, grandma. I owe you one." His voice was sarcastic, but there was a flicker of sincerity in his eyes. "But next time, try not to punch me into a pile of crates, okay?" Ys smirked, clearly satisfied. "No promises." Rex rubbed his chin, staring at the Liberator with a more serious expression now. "Unknown tech, no ID... and it hunted you. Sounds like more than just a random attack. " He glanced back at Cleo. "What do you think?" "I think," she said slowly, "that this ship, whatever it is, wasn't just after the Liberator. It's testing something. And if it's capable of doing this to a dreadnought, we need to be prepared for the next encounter." The tension in the docking bay grew palpable as Rex, Cleo, Carlos, and Ys all fell into a rare moment of silence, the weight of the unknown pressing down on them. Outside, the Cleopatra and Ys's flagship stood docked, their presence a silent reminder that the galaxy had far bigger threats waiting just beyond the next jump. "Alright," Rex said finally, breaking the silence. "Let's get to work. Cleo, I want a full analysis of the Liberator's damage and whatever data Carlos managed to scrape together. Carlos, Ys, try not to kill each other in the meantime." Ys crossed her arms and rolled her eyes while Carlos smirked. "No promises," they said in unison.

Chapter 135 New plans. (2)

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