Intergalactic conquest with an AI
Chapter 50: The calm before the storm.

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 replace the tracker on some ships by sheer luck and maybe a little help from his bionics eyes scanner.

Once Rex was back on his ship, he settled into the pilot seat. Around him, the Aegis Sentinels took their places, slipping into their recharge stations, where they would silently draw power as they rested.

Cleo had thought of everything; this ship was custom-built in her rented shipyard, designed with the Kaelzar units in mind. The recharge bays were like a massive hive, humming softly as they slowly restored the Sentinels' energy reserves.

Rex had placed Ys in the reclined co-pilot seat, adjusting it to give her a makeshift bed. She looked peaceful there, still deep in sleep. With a last glance at his resting companion, he fired up the engines, and they rose above the ruins of the camp that had once been home to so many.

As they took off, he noticed some of the older humans looking back at the destroyed settlement through the transport windows. They'd spent years in that place, for better or worse, and leaving it now, even in ruins... wasn't easy. Some of them had tears streaking silently down their faces as they gazed at the remains of their former lives.

It was a long flight to their destination, six hours over the vast, rugged terrain of a planet classified as "massive" by human standards, dwarfing the smaller worlds most of them knew. Finally, their ships hovered over the underground city coordinates, a seemingly empty stretch of barren rock and dust. Then, a robotic voice crackled through the ship's communicator.

[Visitors, please standby till the ID of the ship has been verified.]

After a pause, [ID confirmed, welcome back, Sir, and visitors.]

As soon as the voice finished, a shimmering energy shield flickered into view, and suddenly, the landscape changed. A massive hole appeared below, wide enough to swallow all their transport ships several times over. Around it, heavy turrets could be seen, each surrounded by its own energy field, ready to ward off any unwelcome guests.

From within the hole, smaller ships buzzed out like insects from a nest, flying in neat formations or darting off on individual missions. The humans on board gasped, leaning forward to get a better look. Rex's voice came through the communicator, calm but with a hint of pride.

"Amazing, huh?" he said.

"Lord Rex, what is this?" asked Oscar, his voice filled with awe.

"This," Rex replied, "will be your new home. This is the underground city. Now come, let's descend."

His ship led the way, easing down into the massive cavity, and the transports followed in formation. As they passed through the entrance, the humans were stunned by what they saw: an entire city, hidden beneath the earth, bursting with life.

Cargo drones zipped through the air in every direction, some carrying crates of weapons, others hauling food supplies, or even machinery. Neon lights and colorful advertisements covered every building, illuminating the cavern like a festival at dusk.

The humans stared, wide-eyed. In recent years, they'd grown used to corporate-controlled cities, where ads were strictly regulated and reserved only for the megacorps and intergalactic news stations, all of them cold and sterile.

Here, though, the lights were wild, the ads vibrant and full of personality. It was like stepping into a forgotten world, a place untouched by corporate hands.

Rex guided them down to the docking bay, where one large platform was kept open exclusively for him and his crew. A story floated through the camp about a rich smuggler who'd once tried to claim this spot, ignoring the warnings from maintenance workers. Let's just say he hadn't lasted long.

As Rex's ship settled down, he glanced around at the stunned faces of his passengers. He couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction. They'd been through hell, but now... now, they had a chance at something new.

While Rex was telling them what they could do from now on, Emilia came to the docking bay accompanied by twenty or so robot maids.

"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 replace 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."