Intergalactic conquest with an AI

"F-fine... you go ask Master Cleo... I'll stay here... in the bathroom." Nyra's voice trembled, her words barely escaping her lips. She leaned heavily against the cold, metallic wall, her legs buckling beneath her.

"I don't think I can walk right now... and I feel like I'm going to—" Her sentence was cut short as a wave of dizziness crashed over her, forcing her to clutch the sink for support. Her vision blurred, the room spinning around her. Even through her concern, she knew Lyra had no choice but to leave her behind and search for Cleo alone.

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the command ship, Cleo stood amidst a sea of glowing holograms, her sharp eyes scanning the mist-shrouded planet below. The air was thick with tension as Lilla and Ys flanked her, their faces illuminated by the eerie blue light of the 4D hologram projecting the planet's surface.

The hologram revealed the chaotic movements of enemy forces scattered across the globe, their assault teams scrambling like ants in a storm.

Lilla crossed her arms, her voice cutting through the silence. "By the looks of it, they have no idea what they're searching for. Their assault parties are scattered everywhere with no coordination, no focus. I'd call that a small fortune for us, at least."

Ys, lounging casually in her seat, popped a piece of fruit into her mouth, courtesy of a hovering bot maid. "Even if they figure it out, they won't get close. Those golems and harvesters are a nightmare to deal with. And for the cybernetic troops? That mist is frying their systems. They're stumbling blind."

Lilla nodded, her expression turning grim. "The mist is affecting even my Paladins. I doubt we'll be able to operate at even half our usual strength down there. If it's hitting us this hard, the Kaelzar forces must be in complete disarray."

Cleo remained silent, her gaze fixed on the swirling holographic screens surrounding her. Her fingers danced in the air, manipulating streams of data as she delved deeper into her work. The glow of the screens reflected in her eyes, giving her an almost otherworldly appearance.

Lilla glanced at her, concern flickering across her face. "Miss Cleo... is something wrong?"

Cleo blinks, as if pulled from a trance, and offers a faint smile. "Oh? No, nothing's wrong. I was just hacking into the communications and databases of the other forces." With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a series of holographic screens, displaying two ominous logos that hovered in the air like specters.

Ys leaned forward, her playful demeanor replaced by a sharp focus. "Is this... what I think it is?"

Cleo's voice was calm but carried an edge of warning. "Yes. The Syndicate and the Free Colonies. They're here too. I'd recommend minimal contact with the Free Colonies... and absolutely none with the Syndicate."

Lilla frowned while closing the holographic screens with a wave of her hand. "Why the caution? Aren't they just like Nexum Dynamics? Rich, bored, and throwing their weight around?"

Cleo's expression darkened. "Nexum is a joke compared to these two. The Syndicate is... different. They were founded by six criminal warlords who decided to pool their resources. They have no morals, no limits. If it serves their interests, they'll do anything."

As she spoke, the holograms shifted to show brutal footage of gorilla-like humanoids clad in power armor, wielding massive laser axes. The images depicted them mercilessly slaughtering civilians, men, women, and children who had dared to borrow money and failed to repay.

"I see... and what about the Free Colonies?" Lilla asked while her eyes narrowed as she turned to Cleo.

Cleo hesitated, her expression tightening. "They're not as dangerous as the Syndicate, but... let's just say they're a headache to deal with. They see females as inferior to males, and as you can see, all our high-ranking officers are women right now. Rex is still recovering, and Carlos is busy taking care of Sharon on Ys' ship. It's better if we avoid crossing paths with them altogether." She let out a weary sigh, her shoulders sagging under the weight of the situation.

Just then, the metallic door hissed open, and Lyra stepped inside. Her face was pale, her usual composure replaced by a look of deep concern. The tension in the room spiked as all eyes turned to her.

"Master Cleo..." Lyra began talking, her voice trembling slightly. "Can we... talk in private for a moment?"

Cleo studied her for a moment, then nodded. She turned to Ys and Lilla, her tone firm but calm. "Let's take a short break. Feel free to head to the garden and rest. I'll call you all back when it's time to resume." The two women exchanged glances but said nothing, quietly exiting the command bridge and leaving Cleo and Lyra alone.

Once the door slid shut behind them, Cleo gestured to a nearby seat. "Sit down, Lyra. Now, tell me what's troubling you."

Lyra hesitated, her fingers fidgeting nervously. "It's... it's Nyra," she finally blurted out. "She hasn't been herself lately. Over the past few days, she's been getting weaker and is hardly eating, barely able to stand. We didn't know what to do, so... we decided to come to you for help."

Cleo listened intently, her fingers already flying across a holographic interface as she searched her database for the symptoms. Her brow furrowed as the pieces began to fall into place. Finally, she paused with her eyes widening slightly as the realization hit her.

"This... this can't be," Cleo murmured under her breath, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lyra's heart leapt into her throat. "Master!? What is it? Have you figured it out?" She shot up from her seat, her eyes wide with a mix of hope and fear.

Cleo nodded slowly, her expression grave. "I have a theory, but we need to act quickly. Go and bring Nyra to the medical bay. I'll meet you there." Without another word, Cleo stood and strode out of the command bridge with her mind racing.

Lyra didn't need to be told twice. She bolted from the room, her footsteps echoing down the corridor as she raced to Nyra's quarters. When she arrived, she found Nyra slumped against the wall, her breathing shallow and her face pale. Without hesitation, Lyra scooped her up into her arms, carrying her as gently as she could toward the medical bay.

Minutes later, Lyra burst into the medical bay with Nyra cradled in her arms. Cleo was already there, standing beside a sleek, robotic medical unit. "Put her here," Cleo instructed, pointing to the medical bed. Lyra carefully laid Nyra down, her hands trembling as she stepped back.

"Stay here, Lyra," Cleo said while pulling her to the side. "Let the medical bot do its work." The robotic unit whirred to life, its mechanical arms extending to hover over Nyra's body. A soft, blue light emanated from an ultrasound scanner as it began its examination.@@novelbin@@

At the same time, the bot administered a series of injections to stabilize Nyra, whose pallor and weak breathing were deeply concerning.

Lyra watched anxiously, her hands clenched into fists. "Master Cleo... what's wrong with her? Please tell me she's going to be okay."

Cleo's gaze remained fixed on the medical bot's readings, her expression unreadable. "We'll know soon enough," she said quietly.

[The scanning has been completed.]

The medical bot's mechanical voice broke the silence as it handed a data pad to Cleo. The room felt heavy with anticipation; the faint hum of the medical equipment was the only sound accompanying Lyra's nervous breathing.

"So? What is it, Master? Is she okay? Or... is there something wrong with her?" Lyra's voice trembled as she glanced between Cleo and Nyra, who lay still on the medical bed, her chest rising and falling faintly.

Cleo studied the data pad for a moment, her expression being unreadable. Then, with her usual calm composure, she looked up and said, "There's nothing wrong with her, Lyra. She's just... creating new life inside of her."

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Lyra blinked while her brow furrowed in confusion. "Creating new life? What do you mean by that, Master?" Her wide, innocent eyes searched Cleo's face for answers, leaving her momentarily at a loss for words.

Cleo sighed softly, a rare hint of exasperation flickering across her features. "I'll teach you about it later. For now, go and inform Rex that Nyra will be waiting for him in the medical bay. They have a lot to talk about. As for you, young lady," she added, fixing Lyra with a pointed look, "you'll be coming with me. We have much to discuss."

Without waiting for a response, Cleo turned and strode out of the medical bay, leaving Lyra standing there, utterly bewildered. The young girl glanced back at Nyra, her sister's peaceful form, a stark contrast to the storm of questions swirling in her mind. After a moment, she shook herself and hurried off to find Rex.

Some time later, Lyra returned to the medical bay while dragging a slightly irritated Rex behind her. "So... are you finally going to tell me why we're here, or am I just supposed to guess?" Rex asked while raising an eyebrow as he looked down at Lyra.

Lyra shrugged, her expression being a mix of frustration and confusion. "Even if I wanted to explain, I don't know what's going on! Master Cleo told me to bring you to Nyra and then leave the two of you alone. So, there you go. Take care of my sister. I have other things to do with Master!" With that, she practically shoved Rex into the medical bay before darting off, leaving him standing in the doorway.

Rex let out a long sigh while running a hand through his hair. "What am I going to do with that kid?" he muttered while shaking his head as the door slid shut behind him.

"Rex... is that you?" Nyra's soft voice called out from behind the curtain surrounding the medical bed.