Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Xytrallia floated closer to Rex, her glowing eyes filled with a mix of amusement and affection. She leaned in while planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Well then, since I can't get what I wanted here, I'll take my leave. It's almost time to feed my son, after all," she said, her voice being playful. When she mentioned "my son," she winked at Rex, her tone carrying a hint of mischief.

Before Rex could respond, she vanished, reappearing several kilometers away in the blink of an eye. With a wave of her hand, she opened a spatial crack leading to her fleet's location.

"Well then, let's meet again soon," Xytrallia called out, her voice echoing through the void as she stepped into the crack. The spatial rift sealed behind her, leaving no trace of her presence.

Rex let out a long, relieved sigh as he watched her disappear. He then looked down at Zynaria, who was cradled in his arms, her fiery wings flickering weakly. "You're safe now," he murmured, his voice gentle.

With a determined nod, he flew toward the Cleopatra, his wings cutting through the void at top speed.

After several tense minutes, Rex finally reached Cleopatra's hangar. The moment he landed, he shouted out orders to the Aegis units standing guard. "Quickly, bring the decontamination drones and the medic bots! Take her to the medical bay and inform Cleo immediately!"

The Aegis units sprang into action, their movements precise and efficient. Zynaria was carefully transported to the medical bay, while Rex remained in the hangar for decontamination.

The radiation from the dragon's breath had seeped into his nanomaterial armor, and while he could usually withstand the natural radiation of space, the stellar energy from the dragon's attacks was far more toxic.

As the decontamination drones worked on him, Mini Cleo appeared, her tiny form holding a holographic radiation thermometer larger than herself.

{Decontamination at 80%, Boss! We're in the safe margin now!} she chirped, her voice filled with relief.

Rex nodded, his expression weary. "Thanks, Mini Cleo. What's Cleo doing right now?"

{She's in the medical bay with the red girl. She hasn't left her side since they brought her in. It looks like she's taken command of her maintenance and is doing her best to fix her... but there seem to be some problems, Boss.}

Rex frowned, his concern growing. "What kind of problems?"

{Don't have enough data yet, so the best thing is to go and talk with the Original. Meanwhile, I'm going to sleep... Make sure to recharge yourself, Boss!}

Mini Cleo said while yawning dramatically before curling up in a tiny sleeping bag and disappearing.

Rex sighed while looking down at his hands and clenching his fists. {If she's gone to sleep, it means I'm already at 10% of my energy reserves.}

The realization hit him hard. {I'm still too weak. I can't do anything when a real powerhouse shows up. I need to ask Cleo how I can become a Tier 5...}

As the decontamination drones finished their work, Rex deactivated his nanomaterial armor and made his way to the medical bay. The elevator ride felt longer than usual, his mind racing with thoughts of what he'd find when he arrived.

When the doors slid open, Rex stepped into the medical bay. The room was filled with the soft hum of machinery, and in the center, Zynaria lay inside a recharge station.

Cleo was bent over her, her hands moving with precision as she used nanomaterial to patch Zynaria's wounds. The living metal in Zynaria's body was severely depleted, and Cleo was doing her best to stabilize her with temporary measures.
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Rex approached quietly, standing next to Cleo. "So, how is she?" he asked, his voice unusually low.

Cleo didn't look up immediately, her focus entirely on Zynaria. "Not good," she said finally, her tone heavy. "She's suffering from the same condition as the shadows; her memory is corrupted. I don't know what happened to her, but whatever it was, it left her in this state."

Rex's eyes softened as he looked at Zynaria. This was the first time he'd seen her face clearly. Unlike Cleo, whose features were almost indistinguishable from a human's, Zynaria's face was unmistakably synthetic.

Her long red hair shimmered like strands of silk, but her skin had a metallic sheen, giving her the appearance of a beautiful, lifelike doll.

"She's... incredible," Rex murmured, his voice filled with awe. "But she's also... broken."

Cleo finally turned to him, her golden eyes reflecting a mix of sadness and determination. "She's my sister, Rex. And I'll do whatever it takes to fix her. But it's not going to be easy. Her systems are unlike anything I've seen before. It's like she's... incomplete."

Rex placed a hand on Cleo's shoulder gently.

Cleo's expression softened while a faint smile tugged at her lips. "Thank you, Rex. For everything."

"So, did you find the device you needed?" Rex asked while sinking into a small chair in the medical bay. His white wings folded neatly behind him as he watched Cleo work on her sister's repairs.

"Not yet," Cleo replied while her fingers danced across a holographic interface. "But it won't be long. The other fleets fled thanks to the beast mobile suit. We'll have the fortress to ourselves soon enough." She summoned several holo-screens, displaying footage of the chaotic retreat of the enemy fleets.

Rex's eyes widened as he watched the dragon, now revealed to be a mobile suit, tearing through the battlefield with terrifying efficiency. "Hold on... are you telling me that huge dragon was a mobile suit?" his voice was filled with disbelief.

Cleo glanced at him, her golden eyes glowing faintly. "Mmm? Of course it was. While I'm the best at creating AIs and updating them, my sister's specialty is building mobile suits. As you can see from the dragon, her creations are... impressive. That also explains why the fortress was so massive; it was designed to house her creations."

Rex leaned back in his chair, a look of awe on his face. "That's... actually amazing. If we can get her to join us, our power would increase dramatically." He paused, his expression turning serious. "That reminds me, Cleo... how can I reach Tier 5?"

Cleo stopped what she was doing and turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "That would be hard. Or impossible."

Rex's shoulders slumped, his earlier excitement deflating. "What? Why would it be impossible?"

Cleo sighed, her golden eyes softening. "Because, while anyone with enough resources can reach Tier 4 through cybernetic or bionic implants, not everyone can withstand the stellar energy required to reach Tier 5. As you saw during the battle with my sister, your body becomes heavily contaminated by radiation when exposed to such power."

She paused, her gaze drifting to Zynaria's sleeping form. "But... I remember detecting a Tier 5 energy signature near your position a few days ago. Was that... you?"

Rex frowned while trying to recall the battle against the Tier 4 leviathan on the mist planet. "I'm... not sure. I do remember feeling an incredible surge of power during that fight, but I haven't been able to replicate it since. It's like my body rejected it or something."

Cleo's eyes narrowed as she processed his words. "If that's the case, then it's possible your body can handle stellar energy, but only under specific conditions. For us Kaelzars, reaching higher tiers is a matter of upgrading our armaments and body parts to handle the energy. But for you... it's different. I'll need to investigate further."

Rex nodded, his expression turning thoughtful. "So, it's a dead end for now, huh? Well, I'll leave that to you. In the meantime, I'll go visit Carlos on the human ship. If anything happens, be sure to contact me."

He stood up, stretching his wings before walking over to Cleo. Gently, he pulled her head toward him and planted a kiss on her cheek. Cleo's eyes widened slightly, a faint blush appearing on her synthetic skin.

"Mmm, I will," she said softly, her voice carrying a rare hint of shyness. "And Rex..."

Rex paused at the door, turning to look back at her. "Yes?"

"Thank you... for saving my sister," Cleo said, her voice tender and filled with gratitude.

Rex smiled, his white wings glowing faintly. "There's no need to thank me for that. After all, I just saved my sister-in-law. She's family after all."

With that, he left the medical bay, leaving a slightly flustered Cleo behind. She watched him go, her golden eyes lingering on the door for a moment before she turned back to Zynaria. A small smile tugged at her lips as she resumed her work, her hands moving with renewed determination.

Meanwhile, Rex made his way to the human ship, his mind buzzing with thoughts of the battles ahead and the challenges they faced.

The Kaelzar legacy was alive, and with Zynaria's expertise and Cleo's brilliance, they had a chance to rebuild what was lost. But first, they needed to survive the trials ahead.

As he stepped onto the transport ship, Rex couldn't help but feel a sense that he had forgotten something really important.

The moment Rex left the medical bay, the room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the soft hum of the machinery keeping Zynaria stable.

Cleo's hands hovered over her sister's body, her golden eyes focused on the intricate repairs she was making. But then, a voice broke the stillness... a voice she hadn't heard in centuries.

"Sister-in-law, huh?... So that's your type, little sis?"

Cleo froze. Her hands stopped mid-motion, and her entire body began to tremble. The voice.... her sister's voice... was weak but unmistakable.

It was a voice she thought she'd never hear again, a voice that carried memories of a time long past, of a family and a legacy that had been torn apart.