Returning Home.

Strategos Delun stood, staring into the empty space where the ship had vanished just seconds ago. His fingers were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. The anger boiling inside him was palpable. The item the CEO had ordered them to retrieve had been stolen, right from under their noses.

He didn't even want to think about what the CEO would do when he found out. They had to act fast and recover the item immediately or risk losing not just their positions but their lives.

"You prepare the intergalactic communicator. I need to make a call."

"Understood, Strategos Delun."

While things escalated on Delun's end, the Rex team was traveling through a wormhole, enjoying the ride like kids on a rollercoaster.

"Hahaha, did you see their faces!?"

"I didn't see any faces since they didn't have any! Ahaha!"

"True, but you could tell they were furious when I gave them my answer."

As Rex and Carlos laughed over the chaos they'd just left behind, Cleo was focused elsewhere. She was scrolling through the data she'd hacked from the enemy ship. During the brief video call, Cleo had managed to breach their systems undetected and download a treasure trove of information.

She now had details on all the megacorp operations below rank 3 and, more importantly, the true reason they were on that planet in the first place.

"Rex, you're going to want to see this." With a flick of her wrist, Cleo sent one of her screens floating toward Rex.

"Hmm? What's this... Wait—hold on! Isn't that the egg we have in the cargo hold?"

"Affirmative, that's the one. It looks like they knew it was there and were waiting for someone to retrieve it. I don't know how they tracked it, but there's no question; that was their target."

"You're telling us those bastards knew what was on that planet and still sent us all to die?!" Carlos couldn't hold it in any longer. The thought of being used as a disposable pawn was too much, especially knowing that if he died, his kid would be left with no one.

"Calm down, Carlos. Yelling at Cleo isn't going to help. She's not involved with them. Come with me; I'll show you what's in the cargo."

Rex led the way, with Carlos and Cleo following closely behind. Once in the cargo bay, Rex unlocked the car's storage, revealing the egg, the very thing that had sealed the fate of everyone back on the colony. Rex began explaining what he knew about the egg and how dangerous it truly was.

"So, you're telling me if this egg gets even slightly damaged, we're all screwed?" Carlos asked, his voice tense.

"Exactly. The only reason that huge ship didn't blast us out of the sky is because they can't risk the Khryssari coming after them. They probably know what happened to other civilizations that messed with them."

Carlos ran a hand through his bald head. "So, what now?"

"Nothing changes. The plan stays the same: we make it to Nakor, become bounty hunters, and get your kid back, simple as that. As for the egg, we keep it hidden until we figure out what to do with it."

Meanwhile, Cleo, who had been busy scanning the egg with her small drone spheres, decided to chime in.

"If I may, I suggest we hold onto the egg for now. I'll need some materials to build an incubator and gather more data on it."

Carlos whipped around, eyes wide. "An incubator? You want to hatch this thing?!"

"Affirmative. Based on the data I pulled from the Nexums, there's a way to make the Khryssari princess submit to our control."

"And what would that option be?" Rex asked.

"More data is needed to determine that," Cleo replied. "The Nexum rank 3 files didn't include that information."

"Figures. Well, it doesn't matter for now. I'm going to recharge and take a nap. Cleo, make sure to shut off the recharge machine once I'm fully charged. I don't want to wake up until we're out of the wormhole."

"Understood."

Before leaving, Rex gave Carlos a glance. "What about you? What are you going to do?"

"Not much. I just want to watch the lights of the wormhole for a bit. It's not like I get to see them often."

"Suit yourself. And don't worry, it won't be the last time you see it. Our legend's just getting started, my friend."

With that, Rex left the pilot cabin and headed to the recharge bay, Cleo following silently behind. Now alone, a small smile crept across Carlos's face.

"Our legend, huh... not bad, brother."

In the recharge bay, Rex began undressing, aware of Cleo's gaze, her expression unreadable as usual. Catching her stare, Rex couldn't resist teasing her.

"Enjoying the strip show again, Cleo?"

"I have no idea what you're referring to," she said flatly. "I'm simply waiting for you to get into the chamber so I can start the recharge process."

"Hah, sure. Let's go with that."

The trip through the wormhole lasted six Imperial hours. Before the ship exited, Cleo woke everyone up and gathered them in the pilot cabin.

[Destination reached. Exiting wormhole.]

As the ship emerged from the wormhole, the planet came into view; it was a distant sphere, lush green even under the faint light of a nearby white dwarf. The planet was perpetually in twilight, bathed in dim, silvery light that never fully brightened into day. Despite the eerie darkness, the skies around the planet were bustling with activity. Merchant ships of all sizes, flanked by armed escorts, zipped back and forth in steady streams.

This was a major trading hub, but that also meant one thing: where there was wealth, there were dangers. Mercenary groups thrived here as did various underground syndicates. As the saying went, "Where there's gold, there's always a dragon," and in this case, the dragons were the criminals lurking in the shadows.

Ironically, the planet where they'd spent much of their lives was also the safest place to hide from the megacorp hunting them. After another hour at cruising speed, they finally began their descent.

"By the way, Cleo, where exactly are we landing? It's not like we have the money to rent a spot at the spaceport," Rex asked, eyeing the navigation panel.

"Don't worry, Rex," Cleo replied coolly. "I've already set coordinates for a clandestine landing zone. No one asks questions there, but security isn't exactly guaranteed. It's a common spot for smugglers."

Rex raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying we'll get robbed the moment we touch down?"

"Affirmative. That's what I'm counting on. From what I've gathered, the strongest force rules here. While our ship's turrets aren't a threat to major vessels, they can easily handle low-level criminals."

Rex chuckled, starting to catch on. "Ah, I get it now. You want to take over the place. Use the ship's turrets to scare them off, and have me handle whoever's in charge. Am I right?"

"Affirmative, Rex. Once we take down the local boss, we can claim the bounty on his head after we officially become mercenaries. Plus, we get a free landing zone out of it. You may now praise me."

Carlos, who'd been listening quietly, shook his head with a smirk. "Rex, your girl is terrifying."

"I know, right? That's what makes her even sexier. I told you, my wife is the best!"

"WHO IS YOUR WIFE?!" Cleo snapped, activating Rex's punishment device.

"AHHH! It itches!" Rex yelled, scratching frantically at the sudden irritation all over his body.

Carlos could only stand there, wide-eyed, watching his friend writhe on the floor in a fit of scratching. The look of horror on his face grew as he realized just how scary Cleo really was.

After a few tense minutes, the ship finally touched down at the smugglers' landing zone. The moment it landed, a swarm of lowlifes began creeping out from nearby shadows, eyes gleaming with greed as they sized up the new arrival. The ship's gleaming white and blue hull, adorned with golden accents, stood out like a sore thumb; it was anything but subtle.

Its eye-catching appearance was like a beacon, drawing every criminal and smuggler in the area. Some were already armed, practically salivating at the thought of looting the passengers and tearing the ship apart for parts. But their anticipation quickly turned to horror.

Instead of the cargo bay door opening, the turret hatches slid open with lightning speed.

What followed could only be described as a massacre. The ship's turrets unleashed a deadly hail of bullets, cutting down the would-be attackers before they had a chance to react. A few managed to fire back, but the ship's armor was too tough to scratch. Even the criminals' desperate missile strikes were useless, leaving nothing more than charred marks on the hull.

In a matter of moments, the area fell silent. Bodies littered the ground, and there was no sign of life left in the landing zone. Then, a small door on the side of the ship opened, and a swarm of floating drones that looked small, spherical, and methodical emerged. They spread out, scanning the area for any survivors or hidden threats.

After a few minutes of confirming the zone was clear, the ship's cargo bay doors finally opened. Rex and Carlos stepped out, both clad in guard armor and carrying electric rifles.

Rex cracked a grin, looking at the devastation around them. "Well, it looks like it's time for the hunt. You ready, my friend?"

Carlos nodded, a calm but eager look in his eyes. "Anytime, brother."