Intergalactic conquest with an AI

When the door of the civilian transport opened, what stepped out was not what anyone had expected. Instead of some frail aristocrat or grizzled old commander, a massive figure emerged; it was a white giant, towering at 2.5 meters.

His battered armor hung in pieces, barely clinging to his frame, and a deep wound cut across his torso, gleaming faintly with strange, golden tech markings that pulsed with a faint, otherworldly light.

The medics and nurses on the landing pad blinked, momentarily stunned. Rex had long black hair that flowed past his shoulders and a chiseled, almost impossibly handsome face.

One of the nurses flushed bright red as his eyes met hers, and a few of the others exchanged glances, clearly caught off-guard by the sight of this rugged giant who looked like he'd walked straight out of some ancient legend. And right behind him, a group of Aegis units followed, their sleek, armored forms well-known around the underground city for their lethal efficiency.

Just a few days prior, a gang of thugs had tried to stir up trouble here in the city. Within two hours, the entire gang had been wiped out, no survivors, not a single Aegis unit lost. After that little "incident," the other gangs had quickly decided to fall in line and respect the city's rules.

Rex took in the crowd of medical staff watching him and flashed a roguish grin.

"Well, hello there, gentlemen,"

he said, his voice calm and deep. He shot a wink at the nearest nurse.

"And ladies. I hear I'm supposed to get some special treatment, courtesy of the lady in charge of the maids."

He gestured toward Emilia and her team of maid bots, who stood just behind him, looking as formal and poised as ever.

The lead doctor cleared his throat, clearly trying to gather his composure.

"Welcome to the Golden Hospital, sir,"

he said, nodding politely.

"We've prepared the private zone exclusively for your use. If you'll follow me?"

Rex raised an eyebrow, looking amused.

"Private zone? Now that's my kind of service. Alright, lead the way before the maid commander here yells at me for stalling."

He gave Emilia a playful salute, and she only rolled her eyes, though he could swear he saw a hint of a smile.

As they escorted him through the hospital halls, Rex couldn't help but notice the high ceilings, designed, it seemed, to accommodate even giants like him. Medical staff and patients alike stared as he passed, some whispering, others just gawking at the sight of this handsome, wounded colossus being escorted like royalty.

When they finally arrived at the private treatment zone, Rex's eyes widened a little in surprise. The room was decked out in the latest tech, recharge bays, medical pods, high-tech displays, and equipment that looked like it belonged on a spaceship rather than in a hospital.

He scratched his head, genuinely impressed.

"Wow. Fancy setup. Half of this stuff, I don't even know what it does."

One of the nurses, her cheeks still a bit pink, stepped forward hesitantly.

"Um, sir, would you, uh, mind letting us help you remove your armor?"

She fidgeted, glancing nervously at his battered chest plate.

Rex chuckled

. "No need, I got it."

With a thought, he cut the power to the nanobots woven into the armor, and in an instant the battered pieces seemed to melt away, retracting into his body and leaving his bare torso exposed.

Contrary to what they'd expected, Rex wasn't built like a bulky, muscle-bound warrior. His frame was lean but well-toned, like a model carved from stone, with just the right amount of muscle, strong but not overly bulky. His skin was marred by a scattering of cuts and bruises, adding a rugged charm that only seemed to make the nurses blush deeper.

"So... what's next, doc?"

Rex asked, glancing around as he noticed the room had gone strangely silent.

The lead doctor coughed, visibly collecting himself. "

Ahem. If you'll lie down on one of the recharge bays, sir. Lady Cleo has already provided us with specific instructions on how to treat you."

"Is that so?"

Rex raised his eyebrows, grinning.

"Well, alright then. You're the professionals. Lead the way."

He eased himself onto the recharge bay, which adjusted automatically to support his weight. As he lay back, the bay's transparent lid slid down, sealing him in while the doctors worked around the controls, attaching several tubes to the chamber.

Rex's eyes followed one of the tubes, and he frowned.

"Uh, what's that thing for?"

he asked, pointing.

One of the doctors looked up. "

That's a delivery tube for nanomaterials, sir. It'll help accelerate your healing. Now, if you could just close your eyes and relax, we'll start the process.

"

Rex shrugged. "

Well, if it means I get to be out of here sooner.

" He closed his eyes, chuckling to himself as he tried to get comfortable. Just another day in the life of a spacefaring giant, he thought with a grin.

As the treatment began, Rex felt a heavy wave of drowsiness wash over him. The adrenaline and tension that had been keeping him going finally drained from his body, and he sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Hours later, he woke slowly, blinking against the soft lights of the recharge bay. As his vision cleared, he saw someone standing over him, someone he hadn't seen in a while.

"Hey there, beautiful,"

Rex said with a slow, lopsided grin.

"I missed you."

Cleo, standing beside him in her elegant, composed way, raised a delicate eyebrow. "

I find that doubtful. The data indicate you were constantly accompanied by Y'Ssera, and from the looks of it, she took very good care of you."

Her voice was as calm and neutral as ever, but there was a glint of something in those golden eyes that made him smirk.

"Ehem, sure, Ys kept me company,"

Rex replied, clearing his throat with a guilty chuckle.

"But I still missed you. Or are you telling me you didn't miss me even a little?"

Cleo paused, her expression unreadable. After a moment, she replied,

"Negative. I did not."

Rex laughed, shaking his head

. "Cold as ice, Cleo. Cold as ice. But alright, if you say so. Just know that I did miss you."

He leaned back, glancing up at the ceiling with a sigh.

"So... what now? What's next on the mission roster?"

Cleo's gaze softened slightly as she looked over his battered form, her golden eyes studying every scar and bruise. "

There won't be a mission for a while, Rex. We need time to rebuild our forces and produce a new combat unit. I've already begun the preliminary work."

With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a holographic screen beside the recharge tank, displaying the schematics of a towering mech-like figure with sleek armor plating and enough weaponry to take on a small army.

Rex's eyes widened as he took in the design.

"Damn, now that looks like it could do some damage."

Cleo nodded.

"It's intended to. And yes, we have sufficient credits for production. I secured funds from the allied fleet, and with the underground city's tax revenue, our financials are stable enough to begin the project."

Rex chuckled, looking impressed.

"Allied fleet, taxes, secret project, you really don't do anything halfway, do you?"

"Efficiency is preferable to excess,"

Cleo replied, her tone matter of fact.

"But it is necessary to ensure we're prepared for whatever comes next. And Rex…"

She looked at him seriously.

"This new unit may make all the difference in the battles to come. Rest up. You'll need your strength when it's ready."

Rex gave her a mock salute.

"Aye, aye, Captain. But, you know, don't take too long rebuilding things. I'm not the type to sit around forever."

Cleo's lips quirked ever so slightly, almost a smile.

"I'll keep that in mind."

And with that, she turned and strode out of the room, her silhouette framed by the soft glow of the holographic screen, leaving Rex to wonder just what kind of weapon she had in mind and what exactly the future had in store for them both.

After a few more days of recovery, Rex finally left the hospital and found himself in the massive mansion Cleo had built. It was a strange mix of opulence and high-tech security that somehow fit her perfectly.

The place looked like a classic mansion at first glance, but everywhere he looked, there were high-tech flourishes: sleek holo-displays, automated doors, and Aegis sentinels patrolling silently.

Small recon drones disguised as various birds flitted around the grounds, their metallic wings gleaming as they swooped in perfect formations.

Rex glanced at a particularly colorful "bird" that chirped at him as it flew by, and he muttered to himself, "

Wonder what'll happen first, me getting bored of these robo-birds, or Cleo finally explaining why she's so obsessed with them. She's an odd one, that's for sure."

From behind him, a familiar voice responded, calm and precise.

"Interesting words coming from the man who insisted I build a room just to store rocks."

"Oh! Hello, Cleo,"

Rex said, feigning surprise. "

Didn't see you there."

Cleo raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"We are always together, Rex. Did you experience central memory degradation? I should run a diagnostic."

Rex's eyes widened, and he quickly held up his hands.

"W-what? No! My brain is just fine; thank you very much. Nobody's running diagnostics on my head. Cleo, you really need to learn when I'm joking and when I'm not. I swear, one of these days, I'll wake up on a dissection table without even knowing how I got there."

Cleo tilted her head slightly, studying him with a look that was half amusement, half analytic precision.

"Noted. I'll endeavor to improve my understanding of your 'jokes.'"

Rex sighed, shaking his head with a grin.

"So, you said you had a surprise for me. What's the big reveal?"

"It's nothing extravagant,"

Cleo said with her usual deadpan delivery.

"Just… follow me."

With his curiosity piqued, Rex followed her as she led him up a grand spiral staircase, all the way to the sixth floor of the mansion.

The halls up here were pristine and quiet, with soft lights casting a warm glow on the polished floors. At the end of the hallway, Cleo stopped before an elegant set of double doors, gesturing for him to go in.

Rex opened the doors and stepped inside just to froze in place, completely speechless.