When he turned around, he suddenly felt someone hug him. Looking down, he was caught off guard.

    "Ys!? Since when...?"

    "Hehe, I was right behind you the whole time after you left the ship!" she said, smiling cutely as she hugged Rex tighter.

    "What? But I didn’t see you at all."

    "Oh, that? I can turn invisible! It’s not perfect, but it’s enough to hide from the naked eye, and even some sensors!" She said with a proud little smirk.

    "Ha, that’s seriously impressive. But, why were you following me?" Rex asked, playfully ruffling Ys’s hair.

    "Hehe, because I’m your partner! Where else would I be?"

    "Ahem—" Carlos cleared his throat loudly, making them both look up. "Rex, who’s this little girl hanging onto you?"

    Before Rex could answer, Ys jumped in front of Carlos’s healing tank.

    "Little girl!? You’re the little girl! Your whole family’s little girls! How dare you!" she said, pointing an accusing finger at him.

    "Whoa, whoa! Calm down, little one. You should show some respect to your elders! How old are you anyway?"

    "I’m 345 imperial years old!" she declared, proudly putting her hands on her hips.

    Carlos blinked, speechless for a moment. "Rex, were you seriously walking around with this... old grandma?" he said, shaking his head.

    That was it. A vein practically popped on Ys’s forehead. She was ready to punch the glass of Carlos’s healing tank.

    Rex panicked and quickly scooped her up like a kitten. "Hey, hey! Easy there, Ys! Don’t break the tank! Those things cost a fortune! And besides, we don’t fight with bald guys; it’s bad for our reputation," he joked, trying to calm her down.

    Ys froze in surprise, her face blank. She had never been picked up like that before, and it left her momentarily stunned. Rex turned to Carlos.

    "Carlos, maybe it’s not the best idea to insult the princess of the Khryssari, especially when she’s the one who saved your life," he said, nodding toward the little girl in his arms.

    Carlos looked from Rex to Ys and back to Rex. Rex just gave him a knowing look.

    "Damn, those things look like they could pack a punch. Were they the elite soldiers of your race?" he asked, studying the data.

    Cleo shook her head. "Negative. They’re the basic infantry unit. With the equipment I have right now, that’s all I can manage. But if you get enough credits, you can build a larger assembly factory, and we can produce more advanced units."

    "Got it. Noted," Rex said. "So where are these Sentinels now?"

    "I sent them out to hunt some local wildlife to test their combat capabilities. Everything’s performing well so far. I called them back a few minutes ago, so they should be here soon."

    "Alright then," Rex nodded. "Guess I’ll wait. In the meantime, I need to grab something to eat." He paused, suddenly realizing how quiet Ys had been. He looked at her, still perched on his arm. "That reminds me, Ys, what do you eat?"

    Ys tilted her head and tapped her lips with her finger, thinking for a moment. "Mmm, I can eat anything! From minerals to metals to organic materia. I’m not picky at all," she said with a playful grin.

    Rex smirked. "Perfect. Then I’m going to treat you to the best chips you’ve ever had."

    He headed over to the food containers and set Ys down gently on top of one. She sat there, swinging her legs, while Rex rummaged through the containers until he found what he was looking for. Triumphantly, he pulled out a bag of chips.

    "Found them!" he said with a grin, holding up the bag. "Get ready to be amazed!"

    The bag of chips he pulled out had "Extra Spicy" written in bold across the front. He tore it open, grabbed one, and handed the bag to Ys with a playful grin. He was waiting, eager to see how she’d react.

    "So, how was it?" Rex asked, already picturing her face scrunching up from the heat. But, to his surprise, nothing. No reaction.

    "They’re not bad," Ys said casually, like it was no big deal. "I once drank some highly poisonous water on another planet that made my tongue feel kind of tingly, sort of like these chips. Are they toxic too?" She looked at him with an innocent expression.

    Rex sighed, shaking his head. "No, no. They’re not dangerous; they’re just spicy. I was really hoping for some kind of reaction, but you’re way tougher than I thought."

    Ys tilted her head slightly, her eyes curious. "Do you want me to make faces? I can, if that’s what you’re looking for."

    Rex laughed and waved it off. "Nah, that’s not the point. Forget it. Just enjoy the chips while I heat up some food." He rummaged through the supplies and pulled out two instant meal boxes. "Ready-to-eat lunches," he muttered. "All you gotta do is pull this cord, and they heat up on their own."

    The boxes were a common staple on long journeys, able to stay good for five years thanks to some high-tech packaging. They were popular in new colonies and used in military rations, all thanks to one of those massive megacorporations that seemed to control everything related to it.

    As they were eating, Rex’s communicator buzzed. It was Cleo. "Rex, they’ve arrived. They’re just outside the ship."

    Rex glanced down at the half-finished meal in his hand. It was his fifth one; ever since his body size increased, so had his appetite. With a sigh, he stood up, stepping out of the ship to finally face the Aegis Sentinels. And there they were...