Intergalactic conquest with an AI

"The Cleopatra just detected two warp signatures entering the system,"

Cleo said, her voice returning to its usual calm, measured tone.

"One of them is the Liberator. The other…"

She paused, narrowing her eyes slightly. "

The other one doesn't match any ships in our database."

Rex raised an eyebrow.

"Unknown ship? That doesn't sound good. Could it be hostile?"

"Unlikely,"

Cleo replied, her fingers dancing through the air as she pulled up additional data on the distortions.

"There's an 80% probability it's Ys's vessel. The warp signature has some biological components, which aligns with the Khryssari tech. I'll need to confirm once they fully exit the jump."

The screen expanded, showing the area of space near the trading station. The first warp distortion stabilized into the familiar outline of the

Liberator,

its battered hull limping into view. Discover exclusive content at empire

Even from the hologram, it was clear the ship had seen better days; its exterior was pockmarked with scorch marks and fractured plating, and one of its rear engines flickered weakly.

"Looks like Carlos really took a beating,"

Rex muttered, studying the hologram.

"I swear, that guy could find trouble in the middle of an empty galaxy."

Cleo's lips curled into the faintest smirk.

"That's what makes him Carlos, isn't it?"

"Fair point,"

Rex admitted with a shrug.

"And the other ship?"

The second warp signature stabilized moments later, revealing a massive, beetle-like vessel. It was unmistakably organic in design, its surface pulsating faintly with an eerie green light.

The ship's exoskeletal frame was sleek yet intimidating, its front bristling with bioplasma cannons that glowed faintly as if charging. Even through the hologram, the ship radiated an aura of raw, predatory power.

"Ys,"

Rex said with a knowing grin. "

She really knows how to make an entrance, doesn't she?"

Cleo nodded, her tone neutral but with a hint of amusement.

"That would be the Carapace-Class Destroyer, Ys's personal flagship. It seems to have taken minimal damage. Typical Khryssari engineering; it's more alive than mechanical."

Rex let out a low whistle, tilting his head as he studied the ship's organic curves.

"You know, for something that looks like it crawled out of a nightmare, it's actually kind of... beautiful. In a creepy, flesh-eating beetle kind of way."

"That's one way to describe it," Cleo replied dryly, though her eyes lingered on the holo screen as if analyzing every detail of the ship.

"They've just sent a docking request to the trading station. Both the Liberator and Ys's vessel will arrive within the next ten minutes."

Rex stood up straighter, cracking his knuckles.

"Alright. It looks like our vacation planning's on hold. Let's go greet them. Knowing Ys, she's probably already got something weird lined up."

Mini Cleo floated in front of him, wagging her tiny finger. "A

nd Carlos probably has an entire monologue ready about how heroically he limped back to safety. Should I prepare an applause track?"

Rex chuckled.

"Save it. I'd rather see the look on his face when I tell him I've been browsing luxury cruises while he's been out getting shot at."

"If Carlos and Ys are coming back, it means whatever trouble they ran into out there isn't over yet. Be ready for anything, Rex."

Rex's grin faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. He nodded. "

Im always ready... mostly... mornings dont count, anyways, lets go."

As the

Liberator

and Ys's flagship approached the station, the holo screen showed them side by side, one a bruised and battered survivor, the other a terrifying display of Khryssari might. Rex grabbed his coat, his golden eyes glowing faintly as he headed for the door, Cleo following close behind.

When Rex and Cleo arrived at the docking bay, the scene was already a mess. Carlos and Ys were in the middle of yet another argument, their voices echoing through the vast hangar. Several engineers and maintenance drones stood frozen nearby, unsure whether to intervene or just watch the chaos unfold.

Ys, visibly furious, was kicking at Carlos with surprising force. Her delicate frame betrayed none of the raw power behind her strikes, but Carlos, safely encased in his battle suit, barely flinched. The energy shields absorbed every kick, glowing faintly with each impact as if mocking her efforts.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

Ys shouted, her voice like a dagger cutting through the air.

Carlos, leaning casually against a cargo crate, smirked.

"What? Pocket-sized grandma? You mean it's not accurate?"

He pointed at her with exaggerated indifference. "I mean, look at you. You barely come up to my chest, and that's without the battle suit."

Ys's delicate hand morphed instantly into a massive, grotesque fist, black and green with glowing veins, the signature of Khryssari bioengineering. Without warning, she swung it at Carlos, the force of her punch slamming into his energy shield.

The shield held, but the sheer impact sent Carlos flying across the hangar like a ragdoll. He crashed into a stack of cargo containers with a deafening

clang

, scattering cargo and supplies everywhere.

From across the docking bay, Rex burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as he waved at the two.

"Hey guys! Glad to see you're both alive and already causing a scene!"

Carlos groaned, pulling himself out of the rubble.

"Alive? Sure. But only I came back in one piece! This pocket-sized grandma isn't even half a size!"

He pointed at Ys, his face contorting into a mock scowl.

Ys emerald eyes flashed with rage. "

Say that again, you overgrown tin can!"

she growled, cracking her now-returned-to-normal knuckles. Her voice was quiet, almost calm, but her aura radiated murder.

Carlos, never one to back down, stood up straight, brushing dust off his suit.

"Oh? You want another go, huh, dwarf grandma? Bring it on!"

He put on his best thug face, one eyebrow raised, and his mouth curled into a taunting grin.

Without skipping a beat, Ys stomped toward him, her hand twitching as it threatened to transform again. But before she could get close enough, Cleo's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

"Both of you, that's ENOUGH!"

Cleo appeared in the middle of them, her tone slicing through the tension like a blade. The hangar fell silent as even the nearby engineers stopped what they were doing, clearly relieved someone had stepped in.

"I swear, you two are worse than children! You're lucky we're on a civilized station."

Rex, still chuckling, leaned casually against a railing.

"Aw, come on, Cleo. Let them have a little fun. Builds character, right? Fight! Fight!"

Cleo spun toward Rex, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"And YOU, Rex! Instead of encouraging them, maybe try stopping them for once."

Rex cleared his throat, standing up straighter.

"Ahem! Yes, of course. Absolutely. Guys! She's right. You need to stop fighting. There's a time and place for everything!"

He glanced at Cleo, trying to keep a straight face, though his lips twitched dangerously close to another grin.

Carlos dusted himself off again, glaring at Ys but refraining from making another comment. Ys crossed her arms, looking away with a huff, clearly still fuming but unwilling to push Cleo's patience any further.

Rex walked up to Carlos, clapping hands on his armored shoulder

. "Alright, big guy, let's change the subject before you end up embedded in another wall."

He gestured toward the

Liberator

, its scorched and battered hull now fully visible in the dock.

The damage was even worse up close: deep gashes along the hull, burnt plating, and an engine that was barely holding on.

"Seriously, though. What the hell did you fight out there? The Liberator isn't some transport ship; it's a damn dreadnought. What could do that to you?"

Carlos sighed, the bravado in his expression fading into something closer to exhaustion. He leaned back against a crate, crossing his arms as he glanced at the

Liberator

.

"Trust me, I've been asking myself the same thing,"

he muttered. "

We got ambushed on our way back. First, it was just pirates, nothing we couldn't handle. But then... something else showed up."

"Something else?

" Rex repeated, his golden eyes narrowing.

"Yeah."

Carlos's voice grew more serious, the usual humor absent now. "

A ship. I've never seen anything like it before. No markings, no identification, nothing. It didn't move like a normal ship, it hunted us. Every time we thought we'd shaken it, it would show up again, tearing through our defenses like they were nothing."

Rex exchanged a glance with Cleo, who was already pulling up schematics and reports on a holo screen. Her brows furrowed as data streamed in.

"No known configuration matches that description,"

Cleo said, her tone clipped.

"What about its weapons? Did you get any scans?"

Carlos shook his head.

"We tried, but whatever tech it's using... it's beyond anything we've seen. It hit us with some kind of energy weapon that fried half our systems before we even knew what was happening. If Ys hadn't shown up when she did, we'd be scrap metal by now."

Ys, who had been silently fuming nearby, finally spoke up, her voice icy.

"You should be thanking me, you ungrateful tin can. If I hadn't intercepted that last volley, your shields would've collapsed, and you'd be space dust."

Carlos shot her a side glance.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, grandma. I owe you one."

His voice was sarcastic, but there was a flicker of sincerity in his eyes.

"But next time, try not to punch me into a pile of crates, okay?"

Ys smirked, clearly satisfied.

"No promises."

Rex rubbed his chin, staring at the

Liberator

with a more serious expression now.

"Unknown tech, no ID... and it hunted you. Sounds like more than just a random attack.

" He glanced back at Cleo.

"What do you think?"

"I think,"

she said slowly,

"that this ship, whatever it is, wasn't just after the Liberator. It's testing something. And if it's capable of doing this to a dreadnought, we need to be prepared for the next encounter."

The tension in the docking bay grew palpable as Rex, Cleo, Carlos, and Ys all fell into a rare moment of silence, the weight of the unknown pressing down on them. Outside, the

Cleopatra

and Ys's flagship stood docked, their presence a silent reminder that the galaxy had far bigger threats waiting just beyond the next jump.

"Alright,"

Rex said finally, breaking the silence.

"Let's get to work. Cleo, I want a full analysis of the Liberator's damage and whatever data Carlos managed to scrape together. Carlos, Ys, try not to kill each other in the meantime."

Ys crossed her arms and rolled her eyes while Carlos smirked.

"No promises,"

they said in unison.