"Alright, brother. I'm ready."
Aaron rushed out of his room to the living space, eager to be on the road to Titan, the capital of the empire.
Donned in a well-tailored suit for the occasion, the young Gray was all smiles and excitement. This was the first time he would be going to the Capital, and he didn't want to miss it.
Moreover, he would be joining his big brother in the council meeting. That meant he would be meeting the big shots of the empire. Of course, there was no one like his brother, but that didn't count, not when he saw him almost every day.
"Aaron, you need to relax, alright?" Alex shook his head as he gently swayed his nephew, who was resting in his arms. "There isn't anything exciting about going to a boring meeting. Isn't that right, Axel?"
The baby boy cooed in response, staring at his uncle with wide, innocent eyes. He had no idea what was happening, but being in his uncle's arms felt incredibly warm.
Alexander was equally dressed for the occasion. And unlike his brother, he wasn't particularly excited. He would rather spend time with his nephew.
"Maybe you should take your nephew along with you," Olivia said from the couch. "That nephew of yours is a handful, even when we can understand what he wants."
"Reminds me of when someone was a baby." Sarah chipped in from the side, amused at her daughter's theatrics. "We all know you're not tired, if we ever do."
"Ugh…" Olivia grumbled. "You're going to hold it over my head, aren't you?"
"Then you better be quiet. Raising you three was not easy, deal with it." Sarah scoffed. "You're even lucky you have it on easy mode."
Aaron appeared by his brother's side, catching the baby's attention. "Do you want to come with your uncles?"
"Aren't you two going to be late for your meeting?" Sarah tilted her head. "I thought it would start in about an hour."
"Don't worry, Mom." Alex looked over and replied. "We can be there in the blink of an eye."
"Right…" Sarah was still not clear about how all that space stuff works. Some of the things her son says just fly over her head.
"Brother," Aaron suddenly looked at Alex and proposed, a slight grin emerging on his lips. "Won't arriving in a giant cruiser be more majestic? You're the most powerful being in the universe, going to a function like that without style is just a waste."
"A cruiser, huh…?" Alex began considering the suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea, but he didn't have a crew.
Naturally, it wasn't to pilot the ship, but for the grand entrance. 'I could make a few sophisticated bots to handle that.'
"I know. It's a great idea." Aaron nodded proudly. "You can't be all powerful and all humble all the time. Switch things up from time to time."
"Why not?"
Alex smiled, looking at his nephew once more. The boy had his eyes closed; his time for another nap was up. The baby boy was still too young to process many things and grew tired quickly.
Suddenly, Alex turned his head in the direction of the entrance. "Oh, Julia is here. It's time to leave." He walked over to Olivia and handed the sleeping Axel to her.
"Come on, Aaron. We're going in style." Alex flashed a slight grin in Aaron's direction.
"Hehe… Now we're talking."
***
"Remind me again why we're in this big thing?" Julia wore a confused expression, staring at the man beside her. "And what's with these people with the helmets? Where did they even come from?"
Julia had a lot of questions.
When she arrived at the Gray manor, Julia expected to see a portal opening directly to Titan. Unfortunately for her, Alex and Aaron had other plans.
The Knight princess watched as Alexander created a majestic space cruiser out of thin air. Unlike the spaceships available in the empire, even among the wealthy, what Alex created was something out of legend.
The vessel hovered silently, its obsidian-black hull reflecting the sun like liquid glass. Smooth and seamless, it bore no signs of construction—only purpose.
Towers of crystal and metal spiralled along its spine, pulsing with soft azure light, while beneath it, curved plasma thrusters shimmered like restrained lightning. It wasn't just a ship—it was a declaration.
"We're going in style," Alex replied smugly, his gaze focused ahead. "As for the crew… Let's say they're here to add to the flair."
The ship was currently blazing through the universe, shifting through space and covering light-years in seconds. It didn't require any jumps, as distance was but a simple feat for its master.
"You're really serious?" Julia couldn't believe her ears. However, a sudden realisation hit her. "It was your brother's idea, wasn't it?"
"..."
Alexander chose to remain silent, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. That brother of his was in the command seat of the flight deck, playing pretend.
"Hah… This is going to be troublesome." Julia could only shake her head. "Those leaders don't like it when someone outshines them."
"But I'm not just someone," Alex revealed, glancing at Julia. "Just because I don't interfere in the decision-making doesn't mean I can't. Besides, those who truly matter are on our team."
"Right…"
Julia left it at that. For now, she would enjoy her time with her beloved. The Knight princess moved in closer, wrapping her arms around Alexander's torso and burying her head in his chest.
"Let's remain like this till we arrive, okay?" She muttered gleefully.
"Anything for you, hun." Alex placed a soft kiss on Julia's forehead, wrapping a hand over her. "Once this is settled, I'll take you out on a date."
"I'd like that…" Julia smiled. "It's been forever since we went on a date."
The two lovers remained in place, calmly enjoying the serene view of the universe. Despite the ship's speed, Alex made it possible for them to enjoy the view.
Soon, they would be in the capital.
'I won't allow the universe to fall into another era of constant infighting.' Alexander thought silently. 'Not when we're not out of the woods yet.'