Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Her voice trailed off, but Carlos could see the unease in her eyes. "Why what?" he asked, his tone firm but patient.

Sharon took a deep breath, steadying herself before speaking again. "That's probably why he sent me on that cruise in the first place. It wasn't just to keep me out of his sight; it was to get rid of me permanently."

Carlos's eyes widened slightly; his expression darkened as her words sank in. "Are you saying..."

Sharon nodded slowly, her voice trembling. "Yes. I think he orchestrated the attack. The explosion, the destruction of the cruiser... it wasn't an accident. It wasn't just bad luck. I think it was him. He wanted me dead, Carlos."

The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the faint hum of the ship's systems. Carlos leaned back slightly, his mind racing as he processed what she had just told him.

"And you're only telling me this now?" He asked after a moment, his tone calm but carrying an edge of frustration.

Sharon winced, her ears drooping further. "I didn't know for sure until recently," she admitted. "I only started piecing it together after everything that happened. And..." She hesitated, her green eyes meeting his again.

"I was scared. Scared of what it would mean if I was right. And scared of how you'd react."

Carlos let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his bald head as he tried to calm himself. "Damn it, Sharon," he muttered. "This isn't just a family squabble or a corporate spat. If the CEO of Nexum Dynamics is willing to kill his own wife, that's... That's not something we can ignore."

"I know," Sharon said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "But what can I do, Carlos? I can't go back to him. He'll kill me if I do. And if I stay here... I'll just put you in danger too."

Carlos frowned, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her. "Sharon," he said firmly, his voice steady. "I'm already in danger just being who I am. Rex and I have been fighting against Nexum Dynamics for years. This isn't anything new for me. But if what you're saying is true... then we have a chance to do something about it."

Sharon blinked, her eyes widening slightly. "What do you mean?"

Carlos smirked faintly, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes. "Think about it. You're not just some random person to the CEO; you're his wife. You've got information, connections, and leverage that no one else has. If we play this right, we can hit him where it really hurts."

Sharon stared at him, her mind racing as his words sank in. For the first time, she felt a flicker of hope... hope that she could do something about her situation instead of just running away.

"You really think we can?" she asked hesitantly, her voice laced with both doubt and curiosity.

Carlos grinned, his confidence contagious. "Oh, I know we can. But we'll have to be smart about it. And more importantly..." He reached out, cupping her cheek gently. "You'll have to trust me."

Sharon felt her heart skip a beat at his touch, her cheeks flushing slightly. She placed her hand over his, leaning into his warmth. "I do," she said softly, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling within her. "I trust you, Carlos."

"Good," he said, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Then we've got work to do."

Onboard the Cleopatra, the command bridge hummed with quiet activity, though it lacked its usual commanding presence. With Cleo and Rex in their sleeping phase, the responsibility for managing the ship fell entirely to the twins.

While the crew carried out their duties with military precision, the atmosphere on the bridge was far from formal.

Nyra was sprawled out on the commanding seat, lying upside down with her head hanging off the edge and her legs propped up in the air. She twirled a strand of her silver hair idly, looking as though she hadn't a care in the world.

"Say, sis... what are we supposed to do while we wait for them to wake up?" She asked lazily, her crimson eyes staring at the ceiling.

Lyra stood nearby, diligently monitoring the ship's systems on a holographic display. She let out a long, defeated sigh, glancing at her carefree sister. "Sis... you didn't read the notification again, did you?"

Nyra grinned, flipping herself halfway around to dangle her hands off the sides of the seat. "It's not like I don't want to read them," she said with exaggerated sweetness.

"I just love hearing my little, adorable twin read to me with her beautiful voice." She made a show of extending her hands toward Lyra and blowing dramatic kisses in her direction.

Lyra rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "If you love my 'cute voice' so much, maybe you should try reading for yourself, since we're twins!" She shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "The only difference between us is that I'm smarter."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

With a huff, Lyra tossed a holographic display toward Nyra's face. It floated in front of her, showing the detailed orders Cleo had left them.

"Bu bu bu! You're such a killjoy!" Nyra whined, waving her hands dramatically before reluctantly pulling the screen closer to read it. Her crimson eyes scanned the orders, her pout slowly fading into mild curiosity.

After a moment, she closed the holographic screen and stretched her arms over her head. "Hmm, so Master wants us to attack Nexum Dynamics' defensive base on Nakor and grab the son of Carlos while we're at it... Then deliver him to the New Human Empire?"

Read exclusive chapters at empire

"Yup," Lyra replied casually, sipping from a blood pack with a satisfied look on her face. "Those are the orders. Oh, and she mentioned leaving us a 'gift' in the Cleopatra's armory."

Nyra's gaze shifted to her sister, her nose crinkling slightly. "Sis, if you keep drinking that low-quality blood, your mouth is going to stink later, you know?"

"Hmph! What would you know?" Lyra shot back, holding up the blood pack as if to defend her choice. "I drink these because Rex's blood is too precious! I save it for when I can savor it properly, unlike you, who gulps it down the moment you get a new supply."

Nyra let out a melodic laugh, stepping off the command chair in one fluid motion and vanishing in a blur. She reappeared behind Lyra in the blink of an eye, her crimson eyes glinting mischievously.

"Well, well," Nyra said playfully, wrapping her arms around Lyra's waist from behind. "That's what my little sister says, but do you think I haven't noticed what you do when you're drinking his blood?"

Lyra froze, her face turning a brilliant shade of red. "W-w-what are you talking about!? I don't do anything!" She stammered, clearly flustered.

Nyra's grin widened, and she began lightly running her fingers over Lyra's abdomen, teasing her mercilessly. "Ohhh, nothing, huh? Should I remind you of those little sighs, slight moans and dreamy looks you get when—"

"Stop it!" Lyra yelled, grabbing Nyra's arms in a panic. In a sudden burst of strength, she tossed Nyra toward the air with all her might, her silver hair flying wildly around her.

Nyra, however, was just as quick. She twisted in mid-air, freeing one of her hands and managing to land a swift, playful spank on Lyra's butt before being flung across the bridge.

"Kya!" Lyra squeaked, her voice high and girlish as she jumped slightly, clutching her butt with an embarrassed and teary-eyed expression. She turned toward Nyra, glaring daggers at her mischievous twin. "Y-you... you little—!"

Nyra burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she floated mid-air, supported by her vampiric agility. "Hahaha! Oh, come on, Lyra, you're so cute when you're flustered!"

Lyra stomped her foot, her cheeks still flushed. "You're impossible, Nyra!"

"And yet, you love me," Nyra teased, winking as she landed gracefully back on the floor. "Now, let's go check out that 'gift' Master left us in the armory. If it's as good as I think it is, we're going to have some fun on Nakor."

Lyra huffed, crossing her arms but reluctantly following Nyra toward the exit. "Fine," she muttered, her butt irritably behind her. "But don't think I'm letting you off the hook for that stunt!"

Nyra giggled, throwing an arm around Lyra's shoulders. "Aww, don't be mad, sis! Think of it this way, at least one of us knows how to have fun."

As the twins bickered and teased each other, the rest of the crew on the bridge wisely kept their heads down, pretending not to notice the chaos. After all, the twins were not just their commanders; they were forces of nature, and no one dared to get between them.

After several minutes of walking through the Cleopatra's sleek corridors, the twins finally arrived at the armory, a place that was, unsurprisingly, heavily guarded.

The entrance was flanked by hulking automated sentry guns, their turrets scanning the area methodically. Inside the armory, the atmosphere was tense and silent, save for the faint hum of security systems.

Among the more intimidating security measures was a Mauler Juggernaut. Its massive frame stood motionless in standby mode, but the sheer presence of the machine radiated a sense of danger. On the ceiling, small white drone-like birds floated through the air, acting as mobile security cameras.

The security system was advanced and lethal yet elegant. If even one of those seemingly harmless birds spotted an unregistered intruder, a silent alarm would immediately activate the Mauler Juggernaut. The result? Absolute chaos.