The Space Empress He Craved

Chapter 16

POV: Lyra

I took a deep breath, watching his pathways pulse with anticipation. "You're doing better than your father."

His eyes widened slightly—he hadn't expected that. I gauged his reaction before continuing.

"Emperor Lucas, he... he never thought about us when it came to legislation. Hunters could kill Kaelari without consequence. Stations weren't allowed to apply for relief after Rogue attacks. We never had medical support beyond our allied stations during his reign."

Those were the dark years. When being Kaelari meant being expendable.

I looked nervously at Orion, but his purple eyes showed I had his complete attention. His pathways had stilled to that focused indigo that meant he was absorbing every word.

"It almost felt like we didn't exist," I continued. "There was a time I wondered why we even called him our Emperor. Of course, I later learned it was pure fear of Lyrokans that forced Kaelari to obey without question. But when you ascended the throne eighteen cycles ago, things started changing."

I met his eyes, letting him see my genuine gratitude. "When we first received word that Kaelari stations were entitled to seek relief after attacks, we thought it was a hoax or a scam. It took multiple discussions among Station Commanders before one was appointed to verify the relief offer's validity."

I couldn't help but laugh at the memory. "We just didn't think it was possible for a Lyrokan to care about Kaelari welfare, let alone the Emperor. For as long as my species can remember, we were just happy not to get terminated."

The bar was literally on the floor, and somehow previous emperors still managed to go lower.

"Then the laws started changing, bit by bit. A few cycles later, Station Commanders were invited to submit concerns at conferences for the first time in history. Then three cycles ago, these summits started including Combat Specialists. Specialists are even given the chance to share the platform with Lyrokans this year, which has never happened before."

Without thinking, I reached for his face, tracing his eyebrows with my fingertips. His pathways immediately warmed to that purple-gold that meant contentment. He actually purred—a low, rumbling sound unique to Lyrokans—and leaned into my touch.

"You don't know how grateful we are to have an opportunity to be included, a chance to speak, a way to seek help. The systems aren't perfect yet, but at least it's better than what we had during Emperor Lucas's reign."

He caught my hand, pressing his lips to my palm. The neural sparks were getting stronger—each touch more intense than the last. He moved closer, kissing my forehead before murmuring, "That did make me feel better. Thank you."

He was leaning toward my neck, his breath warm against my skin, but I caught his face. "We should go in. We've been in here long enough."

He pouted—the Emperor of the known galaxy actually pouted. "This won't take very long."

I smirked. "Well then, I guess I'll meet you inside." I released my safety harness, and he groaned dramatically.

Such a drama queen for a terrifying emperor.

I ignored him and exited the transport. He followed immediately, his arm sliding around my waist as soon as he caught up.

"Decided to come down so soon?" I teased.

"Don't even start," he complained, and I couldn't help but giggle. Through our bond, I felt his happiness spike at the sound.

We entered the dining hall, and everyone present bowed. I froze, my skin shifting to uncomfortable green. This was wrong. People bowing because I was with him, not because of anything I'd earned.

This is what it would be like. Every day. People bowing to the mining colony girl who got lucky with a bond.

Orion's voice rang through the hall. "Good evening, everyone. I hope this day has gone well for all of you. If you have any suggestions for improvement, whether about this morning's ceremony or the food being served, please let me know. Enjoy the rest of the day."

When everyone stopped staring, my discomfort eased slightly. As we walked to the serving station, Orion asked casually, "Think you can get some Station Commanders to open up to me about their problems? I've spoken to a few, but they seem reluctant to share the full extent of their needs."

I couldn't resist. "That's because you're the big, scary Lyrokan Emperor."

He smirked and squeezed my waist playfully. I giggled—actually giggled like some lovesick academy cadet. "So, who do you want to meet first? Those who need help with finances, station infrastructure, defense training, or something else?"

He stopped walking. His pathways flickered with surprise, then concern. He hadn't realized the problems were so widespread they could be categorized.

Of course he didn't. When you rule from the Core Worlds, you don't see the Outer Rim bleeding.

Sensing his dilemma, I smiled. "Which do you prioritize more, Orion? Safety, or expansion and development?"

He smiled back, appreciating that I understood. "Safety."

"Alright."

After getting our food and finding a table, I said, "I'll be back in a bit. Don't wait for me to start." I gestured at his tray.

Like he would. The bond makes them protective about the weirdest things.

As predicted, he didn't touch his food. I returned quickly with three people following nervously behind. Orion stood immediately to greet them.

"Orion, let me introduce you to Commander Wainwright, his partner Willa, and Specialist Sylvia of Crimson Station."

They bowed in perfect unison. "Your Eminence."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Crimson Station personnel. Please sit. I'd love to hear from you." His tone was warm, approachable—so different from the cold Emperor of last cycle.

They all sat closer to me than to him. The empty seats beside Orion spoke volumes about how much work remained before Kaelari would trust him.

Baby steps. At least they're at the same table.

I looked at Commander Wainwright. "Commander, please tell our Emperor about the Rogue attack last month, the way you told me at tea earlier."

He was hesitating, so I nodded encouragingly. He cleared his throat and addressed Orion. "Your Eminence, it's an honor to speak with you. As Specialist Lyra mentioned, Crimson Station was attacked last month. Although we eliminated the threat, our defensive barriers were destroyed when the Rogues used plasma cutters to breach them. Our credits are depleted from rebuilding a quarter of our habitat ring after a reactor leak three months ago."

He glanced at me. I smiled and nodded—keep going.

"The problem, Your Eminence, is we wanted to submit a claim for relief after the reactor incident, but there wasn't a designated category for it, so we couldn't proceed. We submitted an inquiry to the Defense and Internal Affairs Ministry but haven't heard back. After the Rogue attack last month, we applied to Minister Cummings, but our application hasn't been reviewed yet."

Willa spoke carefully. "We were hoping, Your Eminence, for a small loan to expedite barrier reconstruction. Our specialists are exhausted from continuous patrols instead of rotating shifts. Perhaps we could discuss repayment terms. If possible, we hope you'll give us time to find the credits."

I watched Orion—his hand hadn't left mine the entire time. His expression hardened as he processed their situation. "What's the cost of rebuilding the barriers without compromising quality?"

Wainwright looked at me again. I nodded—another encouragement. "My contractor quoted 100,000 credits, Your Eminence. But we'd appreciate even a loan covering 10%. We've already borrowed 70,000 from all our allied stations combined, so we'd be grateful if—"

"Return the borrowed funds to your allies," Orion interrupted. "I'll have the Finance Minister transfer 100,000 credits to your station account by week's end. This isn't a loan. No repayment necessary."

The three of them gasped. Willa recovered first. "Your Eminence, that's incredibly generous, but we can't just accept that. It's substantial. We insist on repaying with interest."

Orion smiled. "No, Commander Willa. As the governing body, ensuring our people's welfare is our duty, not generosity. Please accept it."

They were stunned speechless. I prompted, "Commander Wainwright?"

He snapped back to reality, bowing his head. "Thank you, Your Eminence. On behalf of my station, thank you. This will help us recover quickly."

They're going to tell everyone about this. The Emperor who actually helped. The Emperor who didn't demand impossible interest rates or political favors.

Orion asked, "What caused the reactor leak?"

Wainwright sighed. "Faulty containment seal in one of the older reactors. After that, we had engineers check all remaining reactors. Thank the cosmos we did—three more were at risk of failing."

I saw Juan and Hale approaching with their trays, and my mood lifted immediately. Orion noticed and waved them over.

"Your Eminence, good to see you again," Juan said before they bowed.

"A handshake will do, Commander Juan, Commander Hale. Please join us." Orion patted Juan's shoulder like they were old friends.

The Crimson Station personnel looked shell-shocked at how the Emperor treated my sub-commanders.

This is what he could be. This is the Emperor the galaxy needs. But will he stay this way when I'm gone?

Through our bond, I felt Orion's determination. He was mentally calculating how many stations he could help, how to restructure the relief system, how to bypass ministers like Cummings who blocked aid.

He was changing. Because of me.