Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Cleo held his hand against her face, her expression softening as her fingers intertwined with his.

"So you're telling me... that was really you?"

She asked, her voice steady now, her concern giving way to curiosity.

Rex nodded, a faint smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"Well, yeah. If it wasn't me, then who else would it be?"

He teased her, though his tone carried a hint of self-awareness.

Cleo sighed, rolling her eyes but keeping her hand on his.

"You don't make it easy to understand you sometimes, you know that?"

Rex chuckled, the sound low and warm

. "Let's not dwell on it right now, alright? I'll make it up to you later. But first..."

His tone shifted slightly, becoming more serious as he gazed into her eyes.

"Why didn't you step in to help the twins earlier?

You could've stopped all of this before it started."

Cleo arched an eyebrow at the sudden shift in topic.

"Because they weren't in any real danger,"

she explained simply. "

The Phantom units were with them the entire time, cloaked and ready to intervene if anything went wrong. I wanted them to gain some combat experience, but I didn't expect you to show up the way you did."

Rex tilted his head, processing her answer.

"Oh, I see. So you were letting them have a little trial by fire."

He smirked, shaking his head.

"I guess that's fair. But next time, maybe give me a heads-up so I don't storm in thinking the world's ending."

"I'll keep that in mind,"

Cleo replied, her lips curving into a faint smile. She was starting to relax, the oppressive tension from earlier now feeling like a distant memory.

Rex leaned back slightly, running a hand through his wet hair as a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

"You know, it's funny... I had a weird dream before all of this. There was this woman in white. She looked so real, but I knew something was off."

Cleo's smile faltered, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"What woman?"

she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.

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"Well...

" Rex trailed off, scratching the back of his head.

"The thing is..."

He hesitated, unsure of how to explain it. Cleo, however, wasn't about to let it slide. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly as she waited for him to elaborate, her fingers tightening around his hand.

"Don't you dare leave me hanging, Rex,"

she said firmly, her curiosity and concern blending into one.

"Alright, alright,"

Rex said, raising his hands defensively with a sheepish grin. "

I'll tell you. But first, can we just enjoy this moment? You don't often jump into the water with me, you know."

Cleo sighed but allowed herself to relax, leaning against him as the water lapped gently around them. "

Fine. But don't think for a second; I'll forget about this."

Rex chuckled, holding her close. "

I'd be worried if you did."

The two of them stayed there for a while, letting the tension of the night slowly fade away. For the first time in hours, there was peace.

Rex couldn't help but let his thoughts drift as he leaned back in the cool water of the pool. (

If the twins were never in danger, then what the hell was the lady in white warning me about?

)

The dream still bothered him, even though he kept telling himself it was probably a scam or some twisted figment of his imagination. But the timing was too perfect. The twins

had

been attacked, after all.

Still, trying to make sense of it felt like chasing shadows. What logic was there in dreaming about a beautiful woman who appeared out of nowhere to warn him about danger? Rex shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside.

No point in overthinking this now. She's probably gone as fast as she appeared.

Several days passed since the attack on the mansion. The chaos had settled, and the twins were recovering, but other issues lingered. Rex now sat in the control room with the rest of his team, the atmosphere tense and businesslike.

The twins weren't present; they were still resting after the ordeal, and Ys, their mysterious companion, remained cocooned in her highly secure chamber. Cleo had ensured nothing short of a full-blown siege could disturb her there.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly,"

Cleo began, standing at the head of the table with her usual commanding presence. Her holographic projections flickered on various displays across the room, her tone crisp and professional.

"As you're already aware, last week we were attacked by assassins from the Blood Clan."

The room was silent as Cleo continued, her voice steady Discover hidden tales at empire

. "I've compiled all the information we've gathered on the Blood Clan so far. It's in the datapads at your stations."

She gestured at the sleek devices resting near each person's seat.

"It took me several days to extract and comb through the memories of their leader, but I've finally found something useful."

With a flick of her hand, a massive holo-screen appeared in the center of the table, its glowing surface displaying the image of a middle-aged man dressed in regal attire. His face bore the smug expression of someone accustomed to wielding power.

"This,"

Cleo said, her tone icy,

"is the mayor of this planet. He was the one who contracted the Blood Clan assassins, acting as a middleman."

Rex frowned, leaning forward slightly

. "A middleman? So he's not the one pulling the strings?"

"Correct,"

Cleo confirmed.

"The mayor is merely a pawn. He's working under a noble from Nexum Dynamics. The noble's name is still unknown, but the mayor knows who it is, and we're going to make him talk."

Carlos, seated across the table, rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"So, what's the plan here? Are we just going to roll up to this guy's office and ask him for the name of his boss? Or are we doing something a little more... persuasive?"

Rex smirked at the remark, leaning back in his chair.

"I take it you've got something cooking already, my dear wife?"

He asked, his golden eyes gleaming as he turned his gaze toward Cleo.

"Affirmative,"

Cleo said without missing a beat.

"The mayor is hosting a masquerade party in two days. With some help from my contacts in the black market, I was able to acquire two invitations to the event."

As Cleo finished speaking, the sound of fluttering wings filled the room. Three white-bellied birds swooped in, gliding gracefully toward the table. They landed in unison, dropping two ornate invitations in the center before flying off as silently as they had come.

Carlos let out a low whistle, picking up one of the invitations and inspecting it.

"Fancy. So, we're crashing a party to get what we need, huh? I like it."

Rex, however, crossed his arms with a skeptical look.

"Yeah, it's a decent plan and all, but there's just one little problem."

He gestured toward himself.

"Have you seen me? I'm a damn giant. If I walk into that party, and everyone's going to notice me instantly. Hell, I'll probably scare half the guests before we even make it to the mayor."

Cleo's expression didn't change.

"You're not the one attending, Rex,"

she said simply.

"Carlos will be accompanying me instead. Your size alone would compromise the mission."

Rex froze, his eyes narrowing as he turned to look at Carlos. "

Oh, is that so?"

His voice was low and laced with mock menace.

Carlos shrugged, grinning as he leaned back in his chair.

"Don't get your boxers in a twist, pretty guy. It's just a party."

Rex jabbed two fingers at his eyes, then pointed them directly at Carlos, repeating the motion several times. "D

on't you even think about touching her. No dances. No sneaky moves. Nothing. I'll be watching, Carlos."

Carlos burst out laughing, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

"Relax, man! I have codes. You think I'd lay a finger on your girl? Come on, Rex. I wouldn't touch her if my life depended on it."

His grin widened mischievously. "

Well, unless she touched me first."

Rex's glare darkened, his golden eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Alright, alright! I'm joking!"

Carlos said quickly, still laughing. "

You know I'd never do that; calm your pretty face."

Cleo sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Enough, you two. We don't have time for this nonsense. Focus on the mission."

She turned her gaze to Carlos.

"I'll brief you on the details later. For now, just be prepared to play your role. The success of this operation depends on subtlety, which means no unnecessary theatrics."

"Got it, boss, "

Carlos said, giving her a playful salute.

Rex muttered something under his breath, clearly not thrilled with the arrangement, but he let it go for now. The team had a mission to focus on, and as much as he hated the thought of Carlos attending the party with Cleo, he knew she was more than capable of handling herself.

Still, as he leaned back in his chair, Rex couldn't help but let his mind wander. The memory of the lady in white lingered in the back of his thoughts, her words faint but persistent.

If this was all a scam, then why does it still feel like a warning?

On the night of the grand masquerade, Cleo and Carlos stood at the gates of the mayor's huge mansion, a behemoth of luxury and arrogance. The building loomed against the moonlight, its towering spires trying too hard to intimidate but failing miserably.

Cleo smirked, thinking how even the underground palace she had built from scraps had more soul than this bloated monstrosity. The defenses here? Laughable. It was almost insulting.

The duo walked toward the main entrance, their steps slow and deliberate, the kind that turned heads even in a crowd of masked strangers. At the door, several guards checked invitations, each one looking bored out of their minds as they waved guests through.

It wasn't just security that was sloppy; it was lifeless.

Carlos, ever the professional, had his earpiece buzzing with updates from their inside man, but something cracked through the line that wasn't part of the plan.

"Pffff," someone snorted, barely containing laughter.