Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Ys sharp senses were the first to pick up on the intruder. She turned her head slightly, her vibrant green eyes narrowing as she focused on the figure approaching through the dense greenery.

For a moment, her body tensed, ready to shield Lilla if necessary, but as the figure stepped into view, a glimmer of relief flickered across her face.

She exhaled softly and loosened her hold on Lilla, though she did not entirely let go. Instead, she chose to remain still, her gaze fixed on the new arrival as they drew closer.

Ys had already decided to let them approach without interference. Whoever this was, she had deemed their presence neither hostile nor unwelcome, at least for now.

Lilla, still nestled against Ys's chest, had yet to notice the intruder. Her shoulders quivered slightly as she tried to control her uneven breathing, her tear-streaked face hidden from view.

The footsteps grew louder, each one echoing faintly in the vast space. The atmosphere of the greenhouse shifted slightly, the stillness giving way to a faint tension as the figure moved closer to the two women.

Ys's expression remained neutral, but her piercing gaze tracked every step. She waited, silently curious as to what the newcomer intended.

"Who…" Lilla finally whispered, her voice hoarse and weak, as she sensed Ys's attention shift away from her. Slowly, she lifted her head, her swollen, tear-streaked eyes blinking as she turned to see who had entered.

"It's just me. No need to be scared," Rex said as he stepped into view, his deep voice cutting through the quiet hum of the greenhouse. He stopped a few feet from the girls, his broad back turned to them as he looked toward the artificial waterfall cascading gently into the lake.

His tone was calm, though it carried a weight that was hard to ignore. "I didn't come here to continue the argument from earlier, and I won't pretend to be sorry for the actions I was ready to take against those who dare betray us. But..."

He paused for a moment, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "I do want to say I'm sorry to you."

Ys tilted her head, her sharp green eyes watching Rex closely, but she remained silent. Lilla stirred slightly, wiping at her swollen eyes, her face still buried in the comfort of Ys's embrace as she processed his words.

"I should have listened to what you had to say until the end," Rex continued, his voice softer now. "But I let my rage get the better of me. I failed you in that moment, and for that, I apologize."

He reached down and picked up a handful of small crystals from the neatly manicured ground, tossing one absently into the artificial lake. The splash was faint, barely audible above the sounds of the birds and the waterfall.

His golden eyes flickered with something uncharacteristically vulnerable as he gazed at the rippling water. "While we're here, in this calm and quiet place, I don't want to talk to the Holy Maiden of the human race. I want to talk to Lilla, the little girl I saved all those years ago."

The words hung in the air, heavy with sincerity. Rex tossed another crystal into the water, watching as it skipped twice before sinking to the bottom.

Several moments passed in silence, broken only by the sound of the waterfall and the faint chirping of the exotic birds. Finally, Lilla began to calm herself, her shaky breaths becoming steadier. Though her voice was still strained and hoarse, she managed to speak.

"I... I never wanted things to turn out this way," she said softly, her hands clenching the fabric of her dress as she spoke. "But as Cleo showed earlier... I didn't know. I didn't know how rotten humanity had become or how far they've strayed from what we were supposed to be."

Her voice wavered, and she bit her lip, struggling to keep her composure. "Tell me, Rex... was I wrong all this time?"

Rex tossed another crystal into the lake, watching the ripples spread outward before turning back to face her. His golden eyes met her swollen, tear-filled ones, and for a moment, his expression softened into something almost human. Then, in typical Rex fashion, he grinned.

"Like hell, I'd know!" he said with a laugh, his voice echoing through the greenhouse. "I know nothing about leading an empire. Hell, the only reason things work under me is because the people around me are too damn good at what they do. And, well,"

He gestured toward a few Aegis sentinels standing guard by the lake, their metallic forms gleaming in the artificial sunlight. "Most of them aren't even people... they're machines!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Lilla blinked, caught off guard by his casual, almost playful response.

Rex's grin widened as he stretched his arms above his head, then let himself fall backward onto the soft, trimmed grass. He lay there with his arms behind his head, staring up at the glass ceiling of the greenhouse, where faint stars from the ship's projection system twinkled overhead.

"But I do know one thing," he continued, his tone softer now, though his smile remained.

"None of this, none of what I've achieved would have been possible if I tried to do it all on my own. I always had people around me who believed in me and who helped me every step of the way. And you know what, Lilla? I'm actually impressed."

Lilla tilted her head slightly, her gray eyes wide and questioning.

"I'm impressed that the little girl I pulled out of the gutter all those years ago managed to build what she has now," Rex said with his voice filled with genuine admiration. "In this kind of galaxy, that's no small feat. You've come a long way, Lilla, even if it doesn't feel like it right now."

His words, so unexpectedly heartfelt, struck a chord in Lilla. She bit her lip again, this time to stop herself from tearing up once more. Ys, still seated beside her, watched the exchange silently, her lips curving into the faintest of smiles.

Rex closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh as he relaxed into the grass. The artificial sunlight bathed him in a soft glow, and for a moment, the tension in the air seemed to lift. "You just need to remember, kid," he added, his voice almost a whisper now. "You don't have to carry it all on your own."

"So, after saying all of that," Rex spoke once again, but this time his voice was calm and steady. "I really hope you understand that I'm offering my help with whatever it is you want to do now. So tell me... "

He shifted slightly, still lying on the grass, his golden eyes glancing at Lilla. "What is it you want to do?"

Lilla hesitated for a moment, staring down at the trembling hands resting in her lap. But then she clenched her fists, her resolve hardening as she looked up at Rex, her gray eyes blazing with renewed determination.

"I... I want to fix the human empire!" she shouted, her voice ringing out through the greenhouse. "I want to make things right... how they should have been from the very start!"

Continue your adventure at empire

For a brief moment, Rex blinked at her in silence before letting out an awkward, almost exasperated laugh. "Well, that's impossible, you know?" he said while scratching the back of his head and grinning at her like she'd just declared she wanted to move a mountain with her bare hands.

"I know it'll be hard!" Lilla shot back, raising her voice even more. "But I don't think it's impossible!" Her words carried a fiery defiance, and her determination filled the space around her like a tangible force.

Rex's grin faded slightly as he sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. His expression grew more serious, though his tone remained light. "The thing is, Cleo already predicted you'd say something like that," he said bluntly, his gaze meeting hers.

"She said the organization you've built is already doomed to fail... but that you can at least save some of it."

Lilla froze, her breath catching in her throat. Her mind raced, the weight of his words settling heavily on her shoulders. Her fingers gripped the fabric of her dress tightly as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"What... what did Cleo say?" she asked hesitantly, her voice trembling. "How... how can I save some of them?"

Rex leaned back slightly, his golden eyes glinting with an odd mixture of sympathy and honesty. He had no intention of softening the truth for her. "Well," he said, his voice casual but carrying a weight of finality.

"She said you should use the popularity you've got as the Holy Maiden of the human race. Use it to rise above the others and create a faction of your own. Start a new organization, one where you hold all the authority."

Lilla stared at him, her gray eyes wide with surprise. She had expected a harsher answer, something cruel or cutting. Instead, what he had said made a strange kind of sense; it was terrifying, yes, but logical.

"You need to cut out the rot before it spreads," Rex continued, watching her reaction closely. "You won't be able to save everyone, and you sure as hell won't be able to fix the mess the human empire's already become. But if you can take the right people with you and build something stronger... you'll have a chance to start fresh."

Lilla remained quiet, her hands still clutching her dress as her thoughts swirled. The idea of abandoning the very empire she had dedicated herself to building felt like betrayal.

But at the same time, if she stayed, if she kept trying to fix what was already falling apart, would it truly make any difference?