The Skrull Empire was not just another spacefaring civilization.
It was one of the oldest and most powerful empires in known space.
Over countless centuries, the Skrulls had conquered and absorbed entire star systems, building a civilization that ranked among the galaxy's dominant powers.
The Kree Empire itself owed part of its rise to stolen Skrull technology and scientific achievements.
That theft had created a hatred that never faded.
Since then, the two civilizations had been locked in an endless cycle of war.
Neither side was willing to forgive.
Neither side was willing to surrender.
Another important fact about the Skrulls was their tendency to hold grudges.
Extreme grudges.
An attack against one Skrull was treated as an attack against the entire species.
Under normal circumstances, if one of their own were threatened, the Skrulls would have responded with overwhelming force.
Earth would already be facing a fleet large enough to reduce the planet to ash.
The situation was made even more sensitive by the presence of Skrull royalty among the captured infiltrators.
One of the prisoners was the nephew of Emperor VII himself.
Fortunately for Earth, the Skrulls were already deeply entangled in their war against the Kree.
Opening a second front against a potentially terrifying civilization like humanity was not an attractive option.
Inside the imperial council chamber, the elders discussed possible solutions.
"We should dispatch several Super Skrulls," one elder suggested.
"They can infiltrate Earth and extract our people."
At least for now, avoiding direct conflict seemed to be the wisest choice.
Abandoning their captured countrymen was not an option.
Emperor VII considered the proposal.
After a moment, he nodded.
"Very well. We'll proceed with that plan."
It wasn't ideal.
But it was the best option available.
Meanwhile, on Earth, every known Skrull infiltrator had been captured.
Once Drex Valen's Skrull detection technology became operational, locating them had become remarkably easy.
Working alongside S.W.O.R.D. and the world's superheroes, authorities rounded up every last one.
Not a single infiltrator escaped.
To ensure they stayed contained, Drex even designed a prison constructed from vibranium.
The possibility of war with an interstellar empire had placed the entire world on edge.
Governments began preparing for the worst.
Massive underground shelters were expanded.
Emergency infrastructure projects accelerated.
S.W.O.R.D. and the United Nations commissioned Umbrella Corporation to mass-produce Decepticons and Zaku mobile suits.
The preparations were extensive.
But they all shared the same weakness.
None of them solved Earth's biggest problem.
Space fleets.
Against a civilization capable of deploying vast interstellar armadas, Earth had no meaningful answer.
It was the curse of possessing tremendous individual power without possessing strategic superiority.
Even Thanos had to respect large-scale fleet engagements.
Without the Infinity Stones, a concentrated bombardment from enough warships could seriously injure him.
Perhaps not kill him.
But certainly wound him.
Only weapons on the level of the Shi'ar Empire's gravitational collapse bomb possessed enough destructive power to reliably eliminate beings in the Skyfather tier and beyond.
"So why don't we build our own warships?" a S.W.O.R.D. official asked.
He turned toward Drex.
"Didn't you already construct an interstellar vessel before?"
Tony Stark immediately shook his head.
"I think you're misunderstanding the scale of what you're asking."
His tone was unusually serious.
"We're not talking about building one ship. We're talking about creating an entire interstellar military infrastructure from scratch."
He paused.
"The technological gap is comparable to asking a Stone Age tribe to invent a nuclear submarine."
The room fell silent.
Tony continued.
"Sure, Drex and I could probably do it."
He wasn't lacking confidence.
Neither was Drex.
"But how long would it take?"
Tony had already designed the Ark spacecraft.
That experience gave him a rough understanding of the challenges involved.
An actual military fleet was another matter entirely.
Concept development.
Engineering.
Prototype construction.
Testing.
Failures.
Redesigns.
More testing.
More failures.
Even with the brightest minds on Earth working together, creating a mature interstellar fleet doctrine could easily take five, ten, or even more years.
And that only covered the warships themselves.
A real fleet was far more complicated.
It required fighters.
Interceptors.
Reconnaissance craft.
Medical transports.
Electronic warfare and early warning vessels.
And, most importantly, the largest and most expensive assets of all.
Battlecruisers.
Ships capable of deciding the outcome of entire wars.
Tony leaned forward.
"There's another issue."
Everyone listened.
"What happens after we build it?"
The room grew uncomfortable.
Tony's eyes swept across the representatives from S.W.O.R.D., the United Nations, and the Security Council.
"Who controls it?"
Nobody answered.
"Because unless the Skrulls invade tomorrow, the strongest military force in human history won't be fighting aliens."
His meaning was obvious.
"It'll be used to unify Earth."
The silence became even heavier.
A fleet capable of dominating space would be unstoppable against modern nations.
The temptation alone was enough to start wars.
Tony glanced toward Drex.
"One person can be intelligent."
He tapped the conference table.
"A crowd usually isn't."
Then he continued.
"Drex, remember the panic caused by the 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds?"
Drex nodded.
Tony's expression hardened.
"People don't trust politicians."
"Because history keeps proving that important problems become opportunities for someone to enrich themselves."
"Corruption. Power struggles. Self-interest."
"We've seen it happen over and over again."
The Security Council members immediately bristled.
"What exactly are you implying, Stark?"
One of them slammed a hand on the table.
Even if it was true, hearing it stated so bluntly was another matter entirely.
Tony ignored them.
His eyes remained fixed on Drex.
"Drex."
A restless intensity had crept into his voice.
"Forget these idiots."
"Let's do it ourselves."
The room exploded into protests.
But Tony didn't care.
Over the years, repeated alien invasions had changed him.
His anxiety wasn't about monsters anymore.
It was about humanity.
About bureaucracy.
About political paralysis.
About watching leaders waste time while existential threats loomed overhead.
Earth was staring down potential extinction, yet governments still fought over influence, funding, and jurisdiction.
The inefficiency infuriated him.
Drex studied him for a moment.
Then he frowned.
"Calm down, Stark."
His voice was measured.
"Something's wrong with your mental state."
Tony shook his head immediately.
"I'm fine."
The answer came too quickly.
Still, he didn't continue the argument.
Drex took over.
"Assembling an interstellar fleet isn't nearly as simple as most of you imagine."
Everyone refocused on him.
"First, we need enormous financial and industrial support."
He looked toward the North American council representative.
"Councilor, the United States currently spends roughly eight hundred billion dollars annually on defense."
The representative nodded cautiously.
"I would require one-quarter of that budget as funding."
The room froze.
"For ten years."
Nobody spoke.
Then Drex clarified.
"Two hundred billion dollars per year."
The North American representative nearly jumped out of his seat.
"Two hundred billion annually?"
"From the United States alone?"
His voice cracked.
"That's absurd!"
Drex's expression didn't change.
"Absurd?"
He looked around the room.
"Do you think we're discussing aircraft carriers?"
"Nuclear submarines?"
His tone sharpened.
"A single interstellar warship costs more than entire categories of modern military hardware combined."
"This is a starship."
"Not a toy."
The room became deathly quiet.
Then came the real shock.
Drex intended to collect a quarter of every nation's military budget.
The funding would form the foundation of Earth's orbital defense fleet.
Even the world's most powerful leaders were stunned by the scale of the proposal.
No one in the room possessed the authority to approve something so enormous.
The Security Council representatives would need to return to their respective regions.
Defense summits would have to be convened.
National leaders consulted.
Military contractors brought into negotiations.
Only after global discussions and United Nations deliberations could a final decision be reached.
The future of Earth's first true interstellar fleet was no longer a technical question.
It had become a political one.