Chapter 50: The calm before the storm.

Words : 1098 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Rex smiled faintly, looking down at the young man with a hint of amusement in his tired eyes. "Me? I’m..." He paused dramatically, letting the suspense build as the guards waited, wide-eyed and anxious. "Just a very tired husband here to pick up his wife." The guard blinked, clearly confused, but before he could respond, the town hall doors swung open, and the elder emerged with a bemused smile. "Ah, you must be the infamous Rex," the elder chuckled, taking in the sight of the formidable Aegis Units flanking him. "It seems your wife has kept us all quite entertained." Rex gave a weary nod, glancing over at Ys, who was now snoring softly and slumped over her coffee cup. He sighed, a hint of affection breaking through his exhaustion. "Yes, she has a way of leaving an impression." The elder chuckled again. "Well, come in, come in. She’s been most persuasive. We’ve decided to join you, provided, of course, that there’s more coffee where we’re headed." Rex chuckled softly, finally relaxing a bit. "Plenty of coffee. Though I’d be careful giving any more to Ys here... apparently it has interesting effects on her." With that, he guided the group back inside, his Aegis units standing guard as the newly formed alliance prepared for the journey to their unusual new home. Rex took his time explaining the basics of piloting to the human engineers, gesturing toward various controls with Ys still snoozing in the crook of his arm. The engineers hung on his every word, though some of the girls kept casting him glances. Maybe it was the effortless way he held the sleeping Ys, or maybe it was the sheer absurdity of him being this cool while giving a tutorial on a stolen ship. He didn’t notice, though. Ever since Cleo and Ys came into his life, his standards for beauty had skyrocketed. Other admirers just... didn’t register anymore. A blessing, or maybe a curse. "And that’s it. Any questions?" he asked, looking over the group. One of the younger engineers raised a hand hesitantly. "Uh, yeah, sir. How will we know where to go?" "Easy," Rex replied with a grin. "Just follow my ship. I’ll go slow enough for you all to keep up. Anything else?" They shook their heads in unison. "No, sir!" "Good. Then let’s move!" With that, Rex stepped off the transport, watching as the humans clambered aboard, eyes wide with excitement and a hint of fear. Rows of Black Horizon transport ships sat in the distance, gleaming in the dim light like sleeping beasts. He could have taken more of them, sure, but it would have been a headache dealing with all the trackers embedded in each one. Besides, when the Black Horizon folks finally noticed something missing, they’d chalk it up to bandits. Cleo could probably disable those trackers if she had a body, but she didn’t, and Rex wasn’t about to go poke around blindly. Lucky for him, he’d managed to find the tracker on some ships by sheer luck and maybe a little help from his bionics eyes scanner. "Welcome back, Lord Rex," Emilia said while giving a small bow. The other robot maids did the same. "Oh Emilia, nice timing. Can you please show them where they will stay?" "Of course my Lord, Lady Cleo sended me here with that motive" "Ohh, okay then, she always knows what I want; that’s why she’s my wife," Rex said all proudly. He then turned around to gaze at the humans. "Well then guys, this is where we take different roads since I have a lot of stuff to do, but dont worry, I will be coming from time to time to the underground city, and who knows, maybe we can even end in the same bar, ah, but dont tell my wife." Rex said while looking around and whispering. "hohoho, go without worries"my lord", we will soon find works to do around here and we will also pay the taxes." "Mmm? Don’t worry about the taxes for now; I already talked about it with my wife. The first 3 months will be without taxes, so take it calmly. If you guys need some kind of help, go ask the nearby Aegis Sentinel that is patrolling the area; my wife will take care of it." "Well then..." Rex turned around and started to walk off toward the big building in front of the docking bay that was heavily guarded. Lilla could only see with a sad expression how Rex left, but just as their paths separated today, they will be able to meet each other in the future. And so like this, the months passed and the tension of the war againts the Hive minds was in it climax. *World of Nakor Year 5601 of the imperial galactic system* In the bustling heart of Nakor, the world’s principal commercial hub, the Megacorps recruitment agents were out in full force, weaving through crowded streets and markets like predators hunting fresh prey. They flashed promises of riches to anyone willing to enlist in the war against the Hive Mind: thousands of credits per day, they claimed, for those brave or desperate enough to sign up. For the poor, rank 6 citizens of Nakor, the offer was irresistible. The pay was more money than most of them would see in a lifetime. Within hours, the lines to enlist stretched down entire city blocks; young men and women packed shoulder-to-shoulder, buzzing with excitement and hope. By day’s end, the agents had recruited thousands of fresh bodies, all eager to carve out a better future. But not everyone shared their enthusiasm. Veterans of past battles watched the new recruits with a mix of pity and grim amusement. They knew the truth. Those eager young faces wouldn’t last long on the front lines, especially not in the first wave. That first brutal wave was little more than cannon fodder, and surviving it was almost a fantasy. Meanwhile, Rex was holed up in the sleek, industrial-style building of the Thunderblades, the mercenary group that now operated as his public front. He leaned back in his chair, eyes on the clock, wondering when the Megacorps recruiters would show up. They were supposed to have arrived by now, and he wasn’t exactly known for his patience. Just as he was beginning to consider tracking them down himself, a soft chime sounded from the console on his desk. The robot receptionist’s voice crackled to life, its tone as neutral and emotionless as ever. "Sir, the representatives have arrived."

Chapter 50: The calm before the storm.

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