"So... this is for real?"
Upon her resignation to the Lord Commander, the Infinity Guard staff that escorted her in promptly exited the bay room, to give the pair some time alone to speak. Lord Commander posed his question calmly, but still hesitantly. "You left the rebels? They're not following you here?"
"No, not at all. That's behind me now." The Hytrexian who had been seized by guards stood a few feet apart from someone she once knew so closely. "I understand why you're hesitant. Why would I lie to you Ja-"
"PLEASE," Lord Commander cut her off sharply, grimacing. "Not that name anymore. Sorry." He turned to face out of the towering window into the far reaches of space outside. "I've moved on from that person, now that I've been chosen. However don't think I don't remember everything about you, about... us." He stiffened, looking back at her. "I never thought I'd see you again. With new purpose I didn't think I cared anymore, either. But..." he trailed off quietly.
"J- Lord Commander?"
"It's just not easy, y'know? I didn't ASK to be like this."
"Like what?"
"The most powerful being in the Universe. I didn't ask for this power, and it's now my responsibility."
A shred of Jess' mood-lightening cocky humour bled through as she snickered to him, "Most powerful being in the Universe eh? A big headed statement there - oh, wait," she made a circular hand gesture, symbolising his large egg shaped head, with a small grin on her face.
He raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the sudden sass, with a sharp-toothed smirk in return. "You haven't changed a bit, have you? Cheeky bitch."
Lord Commander laughed deeply and quietly, taking a few strides towards her and meeting her gaze with the warmest look she'd seen in his repurposed cold demenour since their reunion. His face returned to a stoic expression as he continued. "Jess. I just... I can't trust anyone, nobody has seen what I saw. Nobody knows how important this is as much as I do! Loyalty is SO important." His tone shifted quickly during his tangent. "I didn't realise what I missed until it was back. You and... John," his voice cracked, but he continued. "You were the only people I could trust! With John gone, and you, you had no idea, I had no idea, I..."
In a quick movement, Jess dropped to her knees and grasped Lord Commander's faintly shaking gloved hands. "This new purpose was all I had left. I no longer feel remorse, mercy, anything. I do what I have to to advance." The calm light of space backdropped the pair. Lord Commander fell silent, lowering his gaze.
"I came here for a reason. Life had no purpose without you anymore." Jess turned his head to look her in the eyes. "I only joined the rebellion to try and give myself a new life, because the only life I wanted to live was with you. I thought you were dead!" Jess' own voice shook at the memory. "I attended your funeral, I stopped going to work or leaving my flat, everything was gone. If you were worried about loyalty-"
"No, but that's just it," he cut her off again, gripping her paws tightly. "I realise how much I miss you because I don't here! Everyone else I have to second guess. Every staff member, every guard, every second in command, the lengths I go to to ensure that EVERYONE," he snarled through clenched teeth, "is on board... My very life depends on it." he sighed deeply, his grip weakening. "With you however, there is no second guessing. You've always been here, always was. I didn't realise how much I needed you until now." She could sense the nerves in his steely expression, despite his fond words.
"I won't let you die again. Not again." Jess gently pulled Lord Commander closer to her. The soft light of the universe enveloped their left as she leaned her forehead tenderly against his, envoking warm nostalgic smiles from the pair. She cupped his cheek with a gloved paw, and he placed his atop. "I will never leave your side again. Whatever it takes to get you to Final Space, I will be there. No loyalty tests needed, no questions asked, because I need you alive too." She raised his head to meet her gaze once more. "I love you. Always have. Never stopped doing."
Lord Commander smiled widely, feeling the softest he'd felt in all of his time since his new fate was determined. "I love you too, so much."
Jess gently lifted him onto her lap, Lord Commander holding her shoulders, and they leaned into comforting embrace for the first time in years. The stars backdropping the scene glittered as they locked together, concealing their reborn companionship and their new quest together, to locate E-35-1, and unlock Final Space as soon as they could. Together they felt truly unstoppable.