Intergalactic conquest with an AI

The figure’s mouth twisted into a slight smirk. "Captain Rex, I assume?" The voice was smooth, but there was a sharpness to it, like a blade hidden under silk.

Rex crossed his arms, his earlier theatrics forgotten, replaced by a hard, unflinching gaze. "Depends on who’s asking."

The officer, still pale and furious, struggled in the grip of the Sentinels, sputtering. "This man... this man assaulted me in the medical bay! I demand justice!"

The figure in black armor raised a gloved hand, silencing the officer with a mere flick of the wrist. "Enough." Her gaze shifted back to Rex, appraising him. "I’ve heard... interesting things about you, Captain. It seems you have a way of attracting attention."

Rex shrugged, a half-smile playing on his lips. "What can I say? People just love a good underdog."

From behind, Carlos couldn’t resist. "Underdog? You’re about as subtle as a tank, Rex."

Ys elbowed him, hissing under her breath, "Quiet you, don’t interrupt my darling."

The figure in black armor looked at the ragtag group behind Rex, the crowd of wounded, battle-worn soldiers who had followed him here, standing resolutely despite the threat of guns and tanks. A flicker of something unreadable passed over her face, and she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Captain Rex," she said, her voice carrying a strange mix of amusement and approval, "you and your entourage... are invited inside." She gestured toward the tent, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "We wouldn’t want to keep HQ waiting."

With a casual nod, Rex walked forward, his confidence unshaken, Carlos and Ys flanking him like loyal shadows. The crowd of soldiers behind them moved as one, a silent wall of support. The guards lowered their weapons, exchanging uneasy glances as they watched the unconventional procession enter the HQ.

As they passed the red-helmeted guard, Rex threw him a wink. "See? I told you I was a big deal."

Carlos stifled a snort, Ys just shook her head, and the officer was still in the iron grip of the Aegis Sentinels since he could do nothing but stare, his face a mask of humiliation and barely contained rage.

Inside the tent, the lights cast long shadows, and the air was thick with tension. But Rex strode forward without a trace of hesitation, his team close behind, ready to face whatever came next.

The woman in pitch-black armor folded her arms, her eyes narrowing as she addressed Rex. "Now then, before we proceed, would you be so kind as to release the officer?" She gestured gracefully toward the disgraced man still in the firm grip of the Aegis units.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot about the dog who wouldn’t stop barking," Rex said with a dismissive wave of his hand, not even sparing the officer a glance. His words made the woman’s eye twitch; her irritation barely contained behind a practiced, steely expression.

The Aegis units took his command with a bit too much enthusiasm, letting go of the officer as if he were a sack of garbage. He landed face-first on the ground with a dull thud, groaning as he scrambled to get up, looking utterly humiliated in front of everyone.

Rex kept his poker face, turning back to the woman with a slight smirk. "Alright, I’ve done you a favor. Now that we’re all getting along so well, mind telling me who you are?"

The woman’s jaw tightened, her gloved hands clenching slightly before she forced a calm expression back onto her face. "I am General Leena Valrix," she replied, her voice icy enough to send a chill through the air. "Commanding officer of Nexum Dynamics’ Elite Forces."

Behind him, Carlos raised an eyebrow, muttering just loud enough for Ys to hear. "General, huh? Rex really knows how to make friends in high places."

Ys smirked, whispering back, "Or enemies. After all, it is hard to tell what my darling will do next～."

whle Ignoring the whispers, General Valrix stepped forward, fixing Rex with a steely gaze. "You have quite the reputation, Captain Rex. And not all of it is good. HQ has been... concerned about the way you conduct yourself in the field."

Rex raised his hands in mock innocence, with a grin spreading across his face. "Hey, I’m just a humble captain, doing my duty. Sometimes things get... dramatic." He shrugged, as if leading an army of injured soldiers to her doorstep was an everyday occurrence.

The general’s eyes narrowed further, clearly unimpressed. "Dramatic? You stormed a secure area with a mob of injured soldiers behind you and caused a scene in front of half the base."

Carlos chuckled under his breath. "To be fair, it was pretty entertaining."

Rex turned, giving him a quick wink. "Glad to have a fan."

The officer who had been thrown to the ground finally managed to pull himself up, brushing the dirt off his uniform with shaking hands. He looked at General Valrix with desperate eyes. "General, these... these hooligans assaulted me! I demand justice!"

General Valeri didn’t even look at him. Instead, her gaze remained locked on Rex, sizing him up. "Assaulted, you say?" She tapped her chin, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "From what I heard, it was more of a... disciplinary adjustment."

Rex smirked, his voice dropping to a low, mocking tone. "See, even the General understands. Just a friendly little lesson on manners."

The officer spluttered, his face turning red with indignation. "B-but—General, they—"

She cut him off with a sharp look. "Enough, Lieutenant. Go report to medbay if you’re so injured. We’ll discuss your... conduct later."

The officer’s face went pale as he glanced between the General and Rex, realizing that this was about as far from a rescue mission as he could get. With one final, humiliated glare, he stumbled off, limping toward the medical tent.

As he disappeared, the general turned her attention back to Rex, her eyes steely and unyielding. "Now, Captain, let’s get one thing clear. You may have a talent for theatrics, but out here, in my domain, you play by my rules. Understood?"

Rex’s smirk was unmistakable, and Carlos, watching from the side, knew that look all too well. He sighed, bracing himself. Every time Rex grinned like that, trouble wasn’t far behind. That mouth of his had a way of turning every situation sideways.

"Excuse me? Your domain?" Rex’s voice dripped with mock innocence. "If I remember correctly, this land is ours since this is the land I and my squad fought tooth and nail to secure after taking down that oversized worm. Now you show up after the dust settles and claim it as yours?"

Leena’s composure was visibly cracking, her frustration heating up to a near boiling point. "That worm was only taken down because my troops supported the operation!" Her voice held a barely contained edge of irritation.

"Ha!?" Rex raised an eyebrow, making a face that could only be described as classic hooligan intimidation. "Your reinforcements? What reinforcements? By the time you guys arrived, we’d already done the job. I was the one who killed it."

Leena let out a disdainful chuckle, folding her arms with a smug smile. "Oh really? Do you have any proof that you took down the worm? Taking credit for something someone else did is a serious crime, Captain. Or maybe you didn’t know?"

"Oh, I have proof, alright," Rex replied, still wearing that annoying calm smile.

Leena scoffed, her smile widening. "What are you going to show me? A scrap of worm hide you scavenged after my ships bombarded it to pieces."

Rex chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, that would be dumb, wouldn’t it? After all, anyone who fought alongside me could pull a scrap of worm skin. No, General, I’ve got something a bit more... conclusive." He extended his hand toward Ys, who was standing calmly beside him.

With a practiced motion, Ys reached into the backpack she’d been carrying and pulled out a gemstone, a deep, emerald green orb about the size of a bowling ball. The moment Leena’s eyes landed on it, her smug expression vanished completely, replaced by a look of pure shock.

Rex took his time, circling around behind her, lowering his voice to a whisper as he leaned in close to her ear. "You know, General, someone told me that stealing another person’s achievements is a serious offense." He smirked, enjoying every second of her discomfort.

"What do you suppose would happen to someone who committed such a... horrendous act?" Leena’s jaw tightened, but her words were nowhere to be found. Enjoy more content from NovelBin.Côm

Rex straightened up, his grin widening as he addressed her loud enough for everyone around them to hear. "So, General Leena, should we continue our discussion about the penalties for, let’s say, falsely claiming someone else’s victory?"

The soldiers and guards nearby were all staring now, some with open admiration, others with barely concealed amusement. The once-imposing general was visibly shaken, her face drained of all its arrogance.

Just then, as Rex was savoring the moment, a soft voice came from behind him. The blue screen on the command console lit up, and an authoritative voice echoed through the space.

"Captain Rex, I think that’s enough teasing."

Rex turned, a bit surprised, to see a high-ranking official on the display, watching him with a raised eyebrow. The room fell silent, tension thick in the air as the screen flickered slightly, casting an eerie glow across the gathered crowd.

Rex chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, just making sure everyone knows the full story, sir."

The official gave a small, knowing smile. "Trust me, Captain, your unique way of handling things has already made an impression." He glanced briefly at General Leena, whose face was still frozen in a mix of anger and humiliation, before his gaze returned to Rex.

"Now, if we’re done with the theatrics, perhaps we can proceed with the debrief."

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