Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Cleo stood motionless, her stoic expression betraying nothing as she regarded the queen before her. After a tense pause, she finally spoke.

"Times change, Khryssari queen. And it seems... they've changed for you as well. Who would've thought the mighty Khryssari monarch would appear before someone like me... with a small, humanoid form and so... fragile? Your kind always preferred grander, more imposing forms."

A slow, knowing smile spread across Xytrallia's lips. "Oh my, how dull you've become," she teased, her voice dripping with amusement. "Tell me, when did you realize it was me? Could it be that my regal presence is simply impossible to disguise?"

She leaned in, resting her face against Cleo's chest, her warmth cutting through the cold air between them.

That was Cleo's limit.

Summoning the last of her strength, she materialized a short sword in her hand, aiming straight for Xytrallia's stomach. But before she could strike, an unseen force slammed into her, hurling her backward. Her body crashed against the reinforced window with a sharp thud.

Pinned there by an invisible pressure, Cleo gritted her teeth as Xytrallia calmly placed a protective hand over her stomach.

"Don't," the queen warned, her voice suddenly sharp. "Don't ever try that again."

Cleo's eyes narrowed and with her instinct taking over, she activated her X-ray vision, scanning past layers of flesh and muscle until she saw it.

An egg. Nestled within Xytrallia's womb.

A slow smirk curled on Cleo's lips, despite the crushing force holding her in place. "Well, well... even the almighty queen has something to protect," she said with her voice laced with dark amusement.

"I wonder... how would you keep that precious egg safe if I blew up this ship? Even you, trapped in that fragile humanoid form, wouldn't be able to withstand the blast."

Xytrallia's glowing green eyes locked onto hers, brimming with silent confidence. And then, she laughed.

"Ahahaha, you wouldn't dare." She pressed a hand to her stomach, rubbing it almost tenderly. "After all, this child's father is none other than your beloved—"

Cleo's breath hitched.

Her face, usually unreadable, flickered just for a second with a flash of something raw, something vulnerable.

Xytrallia saw it. And she relished it.

With a smirk, she released her grip on Cleo, letting her crumple onto the cold metal floor like a discarded puppet. "Such a rude welcome," she sighed dramatically. "I only came to say hello. Oh well… we'll meet again soon～."

With those final words, Xytrallia vanished, leaving nothing but an empty space where she had stood.

Cleo remained there, motionless. The icy floor pressed against her palms, her long black hair spilling over her face while she clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white.

This feeling... this gnawing, twisting sensation in her chest.... was new. Unfamiliar. It wasn't anger. It wasn't mere frustration.

It was something deeper. Something sharper.

Jealousy.

The realization struck her like a blade. And because it was the first time she had ever felt it, she had no idea how to process it.

So, her body reacted the only way it knew how.

The emotion swelled inside her, thick and suffocating, until it had nowhere left to go. It condensed, transformed, and escaped in the form of a single, silent tear rolling down her cheek.

She blinked, startled by the sensation. Lifting her hand, she caught the tear on the tip of her finger, holding it up as if studying an anomaly.

[Scan complete.]

Substance: Primarily water, containing traces of salt, fatty oils, and over 1,500 unique proteins.

Cleo's lips parted slightly. "What… triggers this kind of reaction?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

[Insufficient data. Conducting further research… Connecting to galactic net… Results found. Filtering… Displaying relevant information.]

As the data scrolled before her eyes, she remained still, the weight of an unfamiliar ache settling in her chest.

And for the first time in her long existence, Cleo felt truly, painfully... human.

After several minutes, Rex arrived at the Cleopatra's hangar bay, carefully lowering the twins onto the cold metallic floor. Almost immediately, maintenance drones swarmed toward him, spraying hot water over his armor to thaw it.

The nanomaterial had frozen stiff from his time in space, and the heat helped it regain flexibility, allowing him to reabsorb it into his body.

"You two, go change into dry clothes and get checked by a medic," Rex instructed, his voice firm but not unkind. "After that, head to the garden. We're holding a meeting with the main force representatives in about two hours."

Nyra gave a lazy salute. "Got it." Then, without warning, she hoisted Lyra onto her shoulder like a sack of grain.

"Hey! At least carry me properly, you brute!" Lyra protested, flailing weakly. Her initial resistance quickly faded, though. As Nyra strolled toward the hospital wing, Lyra let out one last dramatic wail. "See you later, Rex! ... NYYRAAA!"

Rex chuckled, shaking his head as he continued absorbing his armor. His body gradually returned to its normal size, the reinforced plating melting seamlessly into his skin.

A few minutes later, he stepped onto the Cleopatra's bridge, his eyes immediately searching for Cleo.

He found her standing near the massive observation window, bathed in the soft glow of the void beyond. She was silent, motionless, her gaze locked onto the shattered remains of the destroyed trading station. The wreckage drifted like lifeless debris, fragments of metal and glass reflecting the distant stars.

"Hey, Cleo," Rex called as he walked up beside her. "Why are you standing here all alone?"

She didn't answer.

He exhaled slowly, following her line of sight. "Look... I know it's a major setback. We lost good people today." His voice softened. "But we'll rebuild. Somewhere else. And one day, we'll make them pay for this."

He placed a reassuring hand on her head. A simple gesture, one he'd done a hundred times before.

But this time…

Cleo lifted her hand and removed his.

Rex blinked, startled since she had never done that before.

Then, barely above a whisper, she murmured something. Too quiet for him to catch.

"Cleo…?" He frowned. "Sorry, I didn't hear you. Say that again?"

She took a breath. This time, her voice was clearer, though still laced with something he couldn't quite place.

"I said... why?"

Rex turned to face her fully now, his usual playful tone vanishing.

"...What do you mean by 'why'?"

There was something in her voice. Something raw. Something unlike her.

And for the first time, Rex wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

Cleo turned to face Rex, and in that moment, he saw something he would never forget for as long as he lived.

Her eyes that were usually cold, composed, and unreadable were now brimming with tears. Real, glistening tears.

His breath caught. "Cleo… are you... are you crying?" he stammered, his voice laced with disbelief.

She clenched her fists, trembling. "SO WHAT IF I'M CRYING?!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "I CAN'T CRY JUST BECAUSE I'M A MACHINE?!"

Rex took a step closer, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "No, wait, that's not what I meant. I—"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU MEANT, REX!" she cut him off, her body shaking. "I… I…"

[Warning: Emotional anomaly detected… Attempting correction…]

Her system's automated voice rang in her mind, but she barely registered it.

"Cleo, talk to me," Rex pleaded, reaching for her.

She let out a bitter, choked laugh. "TELL ME, REX! WHY AM I FEELING LIKE THIS?!?" she shouted, the raw frustration in her voice making Rex freeze. "LOGIC SAYS YOU DID NOTHING WRONG! IT'S NORMAL FOR ORGANIC LIFE FORMS TO REPRODUCE, TO LEAVE BEHIND A LEGACY, BUT I—!!"

[Warning: Critical error… Unable to correct emotional anomaly…]

"Cleo! What are you saying!?" Rex grabbed her by the shoulders, his eyes wide with concern.

She let out a ragged breath, her expression a mix of anger and anguish. "DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?!" She cried. "I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU AND THAT FUCKING KHRYSSARI QUEEN AND THE NEW LIFE GROWING INSIDE HER!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, a sharp pain shot through her chest. It wasn't physical, and yet it hurt more than anything she had ever experienced.

Rex's hands slowly loosened their grip. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Her systems frantically worked to suppress the storm of emotions inside her, trying to overwrite the turmoil with logic and reason.... but emotions weren't something that could be rewritten like a line of code.

"I…" Rex finally spoke, his voice hesitant. "I don't know what you want me to say. But… yes. It's true. The baby inside Xytrallia is mine."

Cleo's breath hitched. The tears came faster now, spilling down her cheeks as her entire body trembled.

But it wasn't just the fact that he had been with someone else.

It wasn't even the fact that he had created life with another.

No, the thing that hurt the most was something deeper. Something she couldn't even begin to explain.

She clenched her fists, her breath coming out in sharp, uneven gasps. "So…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, "since you finally have someone who can give you offspring… does that mean you won't love me anymore?"

The question shattered him.

Her words had no logic... no reason. And yet, in this moment, Cleo wasn't following logic.

Without thinking, Rex pulled her into a fierce embrace, pressing her head against his chest.

"What the hell are you talking about, Cleo?!" His voice was rough, filled with lots of emotions.

Cleo barely moved, her small hands gripping the fabric of his black T-shirt.

"Why..." she whispered against him, her voice so broken it made his chest ache. "Why do you think I would stop loving you?"

She trembled in his arms. "Because..."