Intergalactic conquest with an AI

While Rex and Cleo enjoyed their brief moment of romance in the tranquil confines of the Cleopatra's pool, a completely different scenario was happening far across the galaxy, one rife with violence, destruction, and conquest of a pre-FTL world.

The world below was a graveyard, littered with the bodies of its native inhabitants. The small gray-skinned aliens, who stood just 1.5 meters tall, had fought valiantly with their crude, gunpowder-based weapons, but their technology was fatally outmatched.

They were a race stuck in the industrial period, with machinery that ran on fossil fuels and weaponry that was little more than toys against the monstrous invaders that had descended on them.

A vast armada of alien ships hovered over the planet's atmosphere. These spacecraft were unlike anything else the galaxy's other civilizations had ever built; they were made from rock and crystal, with jagged, unnatural patterns that testified to their makers' savage efficiency.

Corvettes and frigates showered down bombardments on the surface, their crystalline weapons reducing the final pockets of resistance to ash. Carriers, meanwhile, sent forth waves of smaller vessels that swarmed like angry hornets, scouting and transferring reinforcement in order to destroy any remaining defenders.

It was no battle. It was a slaughter.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Amidst the carnage stood a massive figure, six meters tall. He stood atop a mountain of corpses, his crystalline armor shining against the blood-red sky.

The light bounced off the jagged edges of his huge form, giving him an almost ethereal look, as if he were more than just a conqueror, something beyond the mortal realm.

This was the Revenant, a name spoken with fear throughout many imprisoned worlds. His body, made of living crystal and thick alloys, emitted a faint, strange glow. His hollow, blazing eyes examined the battlefield with disinterest, as if the thousands of souls lost before him were mere particles of dust.

Another figure approached with heavy footsteps, breaking the Revenant's silence.

A four-meter-tall crystalline golem approached, its huge body blazing faintly and bearing two different crystals lodged in its shoulders. The golem kneeled before the Revenant, its massive bulk forcing the ground to shake.

"Great Revenant," the golem said, its deep, gravelly voice echoing over the battlefield. "The world is ours. The rebel forces have nearly been decimated. The conquest has been a complete success."

The Revenant tilted slightly and stepped down from the pile of bodies with slow, deliberate steps. Each step crushed the unfortunate victims beneath his feet, the sound of cracked bones and twisted flesh reverberating across the barren battlefield.

"Good," the Revenant said with his voice sounding cold and mechanical, devoid of any emotion. "Take all of these carbon-based lifeforms. Enslave them. Once the slaves are secured, begin depleting the planet's resources." Find more adventures on empire

"I want this planet to become dry, desolate, and lifeless. Its sole worth right now is to feed our forges and produce more fighters."

The golem nodded. "It shall be done, Great Revenant."

As the Revenant resumed his slow descent, his soulless eyes looked at the blazing wreckage of the alien capital. Fires blazed in the distance, sending plumes of smoke up to choke the scarlet sky.

The air was thick with ash and the metallic tang of blood, but the Revenant paid no attention. This was a situation he'd conducted numerous times before.

"Is there any news about the so-called Angel Conqueror?" The Revenant inquired abruptly, his tone calm but with an air of menace.

The golem paused, its giant crystalline head lowered slightly. "There has been no news, Great Revenant," it announced. "He vanished after fighting one of our slave fleets; no sightings, no reports."

The Revenant stopped, his flaming eyes narrowing slightly. "It is unwise," he replied slowly, his voice low and gloomy, "to let a possible conqueror roam freely near our borders."

"Two conquerors cannot share the same space..... Such competitiveness is unacceptable."

The Revenant turned, his attention set on the horizon, as a gigantic transport ship fell from the skies. Its crystalline shell shimmered as it approached the planet's surface, and a subtle hum filled the air as the engines slowed.

The vessel's sheer size overwhelmed even the Revenant, demonstrating the alien empire's immense power.

"Send one of our regular fleets," the Revenant ordered, his voice breaking over the sounds of battle. "Hunt him down.... kill him.... and ensure that no traces of his presence remain in the cosmos."

"Yes, Great Revenant," the kneeling golem responded, lowering its head even farther.

The Revenant climbed onto the cargo ship's waiting ramp, its luminous interior throwing an unsettling light on his towering figure.

As the ship's engines roared to life, he took one last look at the devastated battlefield, where his golems were still rounding up the survivors like cattle.

This was the fate of all who stood in his path, a fate he intended to ensure would reach the angel conqueror soon enough.

The chamber was quiet, illuminated by the soft ambient glow of the holographic displays Cleo summoned to project fleet statistics. She rested comfortably on Rex's knee, her beautiful black hair falling down her back while he carefully dried it with a towel.

Normally, the bot maids performed such jobs with precision drones, but this time, Rex insisted on doing it himself. It was a rare, private moment between the two, away from the chaos of war and politics.

Cleo closed her golden eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Rex's powerful yet delicate hands stroking the towel over her hair. His warmth was comforting, in sharp contrast to his usual cool and crazy manner.

"Cleo," Rex said, breaking the silence, "I've been wondering something for a while now."

Her eyes flickered open slightly with her expression being curious. "What is it?"

"How is it possible," Rex asked, his voice full of inquiry and nervousness, "that after all the times we've, you know... after all that and, hm, me releasing so much... how come you never got pregnant?" Are you taking something, or is our union simply... incompatible?

Cleo's eyes widened slightly before she gave out a quiet chuckle, her golden irises shining softly in the dim light. "Mmm, that's a reasonable question," she said, closing her eyes again as he continued to dry her hair.

"As you well know, my race stopped reproducing naturally hundreds of years before our demise. By the time I was created, there was no information on natural reproduction available for me to learn from."

She hesitated, her fingers twitching nervously as she played with a loose thread on her sleeve. "Also, Rex..." She paused before continuing, her voice becoming softer. "I can't become pregnant. Even if I wanted to, my body is not suitable for reproduction. It was not built for that."

Rex paused for a moment with his hands still in her hair. "You can't?" he asked gently.

Cleo nodded, her face incomprehensible. "To have a child, I'd need to recreate my true body, the one I was destined to have before everything broke apart. However, I require living metal, which is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. I've been looking for it nonstop, but...

Her words drifted off, filled with resentment and regret.

Rex leaned forward, brushing her hair aside to kiss the nape of her neck. "It's all right, Cleo," he replied quietly, his deep voice comforting her. "I told you already, didn't I? I will help you look for it. We will find it together, regardless of how long it takes; we have all the time in the cosmos, after all."

Cleo smiled faintly as he spoke, bending her head slightly so his lips might linger on her skin. "You are too patient with me," she muttered.

Rex placed his arms around her waist, bringing her closer. "And you are worth it," he said without hesitation.

Cleo shifted slightly in his lap and raised her head to gaze at him. "But if you really want a child, we could always use the artificial procreation chambers that my people used to produce more of us."

Her tone seemed controlled, but Rex detected reluctance in her voice. She didn't want that; she preferred something genuine, natural.

Rex rested his chin on top of her head, his arms still holding her securely. "That's not necessary," he said firmly. "I want this to be our journey. I can wait, Cleo. We're practically immortal, remember? There's no rush."

Cleo closed her eyes again, a rare relief softening her features.

As the quiet time stretched on, Rex changed the subject, his voice more casual now. "How is our fleet strength coming along? What is the status of our forces?"

When he asked, Cleo produced multiple holo screens with a flick of her fingers. The displays illuminated the area, displaying comprehensive schematics and statistics for their expanding fleet.

She pointed to the first hologram, which displayed Cleopatra in all her magnificence. "We currently have the flagship Cleopatra," she explained, her voice taking on its typical critical tone.

"We recently completed repairs on the Dreadnought-class warship Liberator. In addition, we've introduced two Leviathan-class carriers and various smaller ships, such as corvettes for anti-fighter operations and support frigates for supplies and maintenance."

Rex leaned forward slightly, zooming in on the hologram of the Leviathan-class carriers. The ships were shaped like crescent moons, their sleek designs reminiscent of Cleo's people's advanced engineering.

"Mmm, impressive," Rex remarked. "And what can you tell me about these Leviathan carriers? What are their specs?"

Cleo swiped at the holo screen, pulling up additional data. "The Leviathan-class carriers were one of the earlier cruiser designs my people used," she explained. "While they aren't as specialized as some of the more advanced models, they're highly cost-effective and versatile."

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