The planet's law against instant movement flickered through his thoughts, a trivial thing, a mere suggestion etched into the air by those who feared the power they could not control.

A faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched his lips. He didn't give a damn about their ordinances. Let them write their decrees and post their warnings. Who, in all this spinning world, truly possessed the strength to stop him?

A soft sigh escaped Cleo's lips as she observed the empty space where Rex had stood. A familiar sense of hopeless fondness washed over her, and she gave a slow, resigned shake of her head.

He was utterly incorrigible. Then, with a thought that bent the same impossible laws, the air around her twisted, and she, too, vanished from the spot.

In the vast, echoing cavern of Docking Bay One, the war machine of the Planetary Champion was assembling. The scale of it was immense, a symphony of controlled might.

Soldiers in polished armor marched in perfect, rhythmic lockstep. Hulking main battle tanks, their engines a low, respectful rumble, rolled up ramps into transport bellies.

Sleek combat droids moved in silent, coordinated units, while leashed war beasts, all muscle and simmering instinct, were guided into specialized containment units. Despite the sheer volume of men and machinery, there was no chaos, only the disciplined, orderly hum of a formidable force preparing for battle.

At the heart of this orchestrated storm, however, a different kind of conflict was brewing. The Planetary Champion stood face-to-face with one of his esteemed guests, his features a tight mask of strained diplomacy.

The other man was another Champion, but from a Tier 1 world, a member of the inner circle of Nexum Dynamics itself. His bearing dripped with a born-and-bred nobility that the local Champion could never claim.

"How do you expect me to lend my full support if you refuse to cede command?" the noble champion argued, his voice a silken blade.

"Consider the facts. I am at the very peak of Tier 5, far stronger than a newly stabilized Tier 5 like yourself. My noble ranking is superior. Even my personal guards outclass yours." He gestured idly with one of his sleek tentacles, a smug smirk playing on his features as he watched the frustration tighten the other man's jaw.

"So, you see, asking for control of your fleet is not a crazy request. It is simple logic."

Just as the noble champion was savoring his perceived victory, the air directly behind the Planetary Champion shivered and parted. Rex materialized as if stepping through an unseen curtain, his arrival as abrupt as it was silent.

"Oh? What's this?" Rex's voice cut through the tension, laced with amused curiosity. "You told me we were in a desperate hurry, and here I find you having a leisurely argument." The moment Rex appeared, the noble champion's smirk vanished, replaced by a flicker of startled indignation.

But the disruption was not over.

"Rex," Cleo's voice chimed in from beside him as she appeared in the same impossible manner. "How many times must I remind you that using instant movement here is against planetary law?"

Rex turned, raising a single eyebrow as he looked at her. "That's funny," he mused, reaching out to poke her cheek. "Then how did you get here?"

Cleo swiftly captured his large, offending hand with both of her smaller ones, her gaze darting away from his. "That is irrelevant," she stated, her tone being defensive. "I had no other option if I wished to catch up with you."

"And they claim you are the logical one between us," Rex mocked, a grin tugging at his lips. Before she could fire back a retort, he ruffled her hair and gently pushed her head down, holding her in a playful, unshakable headlock.

His attention then returned to the noble champion, who was watching the entire exchange, utterly lost for words.

"And who might this be?" Rex asked, his gaze sweeping over the tentacled aristocrat with a deliberate, dismissive air. "Is this the other 'help' you mentioned?" He looked down at the man, his posture the very picture of arrogant condescension.

It was a talent Rex had been perfecting of late... the fine art of igniting fury with nothing more than a glance and a tone that stripped a person of all their perceived importance.

A strange, warm feeling of satisfaction bloomed in the Planetary Champion's chest. There was a time, not long ago, when Rex's disruptive presence had been the bane of his existence, a problem he saw as his greatest enemy.

But now, watching that same chaotic energy turned against the insufferably smug noble, he felt an undeniable thrill. It was deeply, profoundly gratifying.

"He is the other helper I mentioned," the Planetary Champion explained to Rex, his voice carefully neutral. "He is also Tier 5, like you and me. With three Tier 5 powerhouses, our chances of securing the loot and extracting successfully increase dramatically."

The words, however, seemed to irritate the noble champion more than Rex's blatant disrespect had. To claim there were only three Tier 5s present while blatantly ignoring the woman who had just teleported in was an insult to his intelligence.

"Please, do not joke with me, my friend," the noble said, his voice dripping with condescension. "I can clearly perceive we are four Tier 5s here. Do not play these petty mind games. I am ready to depart when you are." With that final, cutting remark, he vanished in a ripple of displaced air, leaving behind a simmering silence.

"Hmph, what nonsense!" the Planetary Champion sputtered, turning to Rex. "Four Tier 5s? He is clearly trying to cause trouble even as he leaves. Do not listen to him; I did not invite anyone else!" It was then, as he completed his turn, that his brain finally processed the scene; there were indeed two figures standing before him, not one.

Rex looked at the man's bewildered expression, then pointed a thumb at Cleo. "He's right, you know," he said casually. "Even though she looks this petite, beautiful, and utterly harmless, like she couldn't swat a fly, she also happens to be a Tier 5 Planetary Champion."

The blood drained from the Planetary Champion's face so quickly he felt lightheaded. A silent prayer of thanks to his ancestors whispered through his mind. He had been confident he could, at least, survive a confrontation with Rex. But facing two Tier 5s at once? That would have been a death sentence.

With that startling revelation behind them, the final preparations proceeded with surprising smoothness. In just four hours, the entire fleet was ready, lifting off from the planet in a majestic, thunderous ascent towards the stars.

Aboard the flagship, the Tier 5 powerhouses gathered around a glowing holo-projector.

"As you can see," the Planetary Champion began, indicating the rotating image, "the Void Mothership resembles a massive, pockmarked meteorite with numerous entrances. Upon arrival, we will select an entry point with minimal or no activity."

"Once we approach, as the archives record, the Mothership's defense systems will activate and attack nonstop. While I lack concrete data on the nature of these defenses, assume they will be exceptionally dangerous."

He shifted the projection to display the ship's interior, focusing on a strange, shimmering barrier. "Once we breach this membrane-like door, we will begin deploying troops. But from this point onward, we will be charting unknown territory. Extreme caution is advised. Any questions?"

"I have one," Rex said, raising his hand with an exaggerated, childlike earnestness that felt deeply unnerving. "What kind of authority will I have over the troops?"

All eyes shifted to the Planetary Champion. "Ahem. All of you will hold the authority of a fleet general," he stated, his voice striving for command but betraying a hint of underlying fear.

"I will be the supreme commander overseeing all operations. Is there a problem with that?" He dreaded the answer, his mind racing through the terrifying possibility of a mutiny at this crucial juncture.

His fear only intensified as he watched a slow, creepy smile spread across Rex's face. "Fine by me," Rex replied, his tone deceptively light. "I just hope you pay us what you promised. Now then, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

With that, he unceremoniously scooped Cleo into his arms and strode from the command center, finally allowing the Planetary Champion a moment of ragged relief.

The noble champion, for his part, simply turned and left without a single word, his silence somehow more threatening than any protest could have been.

The hum of the starship was a constant, low thrum in the walls of their private quarters, a sound that had become the backdrop of their lives for the last two weeks.

Within the room, a study in contrasts unfolded. Cleo sat perfectly poised before a flickering console, her fingers dancing across the interface as she meticulously worked on a single, critical objective... weaving her digital presence through the entire fleet's network.

It was a silent, invisible hack, a necessary insurance policy she would not travel without. Meanwhile, Rex was sprawled across the large bed, the picture of casual repose. His focus, however, was millions of miles away.

[Rex: And? How is the baby? Any changes?]

A brief pause, then a reply.

[Nyra: Rex… you just asked the same question.... 2 minutes ago....]

A second text, laced with playful impatience, chimed in.

[Lyra: Rex can be a real worrywart when he wants to....]

A grin touched his lips as his fingers flew in response.

[Rex: And whose fault do you think it is that I'm like this? Weren't you the one that always ended up injured when you were alone?]

The reply was instantaneous, a dramatic appeal to a higher authority.

[Lyra: SIS! Your husband is bullying me again!]