Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Several hours later, everyone had gathered in the command room. The atmosphere was tense yet familiar, with the group seated around the massive circular table in the center of the room.

Carlos leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his cybernetic fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. A grin crept across his face as his eyes settled on his.

"Well, look who's finally awake; our pocket-sized grandma is back."

Ys, seated across from him with her legs crossed, didn't miss a beat. Her green eyes sparkled mischievously as a devilish grin spread across her lips

. "And I see you're still as insufferable and bald as ever,"

she shot back, her tone sugary sweet.

Her gaze flicked over Carlos's heavily cybernetic frame, and after a moment, she tilted her head, her grin widening

. "Wait a second... Every time I see you, you're missing more body parts. At this rate, you're more machine than man. You planning to leave anything human intact, Carlos?

"

Carlos chuckled, unbothered by her jab.

"Of course I'm losing body parts, pocket-sized immortal grandma. Unlike you, I'm just a normal human,"

he said, gesturing toward his heavily modified cybernetic limbs.

"We mortals actually take damage, you know. Not all of us get to hibernate in a cocoon for decades like some pint-sized relic of the past."

She raised an eyebrow, feigning offense, though the playful glint in her eye betrayed her amusement.

"Relic? I've forgotten more about warfare than you'll ever learn, and I'm still cute enough to get away with it. Meanwhile, you're one bad upgrade away from being mistaken for a toaster."

Before Carlos could fire back, Rex clapped his hands sharply, cutting through their banter.

"Alright, you two, enough. Save the arguing for later. Cleo has something important to discuss, so let's focus for now."

He gestured toward Cleo, who sat at the far end of the table, her expression as stoic and composed as ever.

"Thank you, Rex,"

Cleo said with a slight nod. She tapped a control on the table, and a large holo-screen materialized in the center, casting a pale blue glow over the room.

"Please direct your attention to the screen,"

Cleo began, her calm voice carrying just enough authority to silence any lingering chatter

. "This is the latest report following the skirmish we had yesterday. The situation is escalating, and I want you all to see the consequences of our actions."

The holo-screen flickered to life, displaying a recording from the Intergalactic News Network. The screen showed a polished news anchor standing outside the ruins of the mayor's mansion. The once-lavish estate was now a smoldering husk, surrounded by emergency response teams and heavily armed guards.

"As you can see,"

Cleo narrated as the footage played,

"the media has spun the events as a terrorist attack and a kidnapping. They're keeping the details intentionally vague, but the damage to our reputation and the increased bounty on our heads will be unavoidable."

The anchor's voice filled the room, accompanied by scrolling text at the bottom of the screen:

<<"Breaking News: Terrorist Attack Rocks Commercial City Mayor Kidnapped by Extremists.">>

"This is the aftermath of what officials are calling an unprecedented act of terrorism,"

the anchor reported, her tone somber.

"The mayor of the commercial city remains missing after a violent attack on his mansion. Witness accounts are scarce, as all known footage of the attack was mysteriously deleted, and signals from news drones in the area were jammed. However, we do know that the perpetrators acted with extreme ruthlessness."

Cleo paused the video, letting her team absorb the weight of the situation before continuing.

"The media is painting us as extremists, which works to their advantage. And while the footage was erased, they've managed to find witnesses who were near the area at the time of the assault."

The video resumed, showing the anchor approaching two individuals: a young maid in a uniform and a man dressed like an average civilian.

"Here we have two witnesses,"

the anchor said, turning toward the maid with a sympathetic smile. "

Hello there, miss. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us what you know about the terrorist attack that occurred yesterday?"

The maid hesitated, clutching her hands nervously before taking the microphone.

"Y-yes,"

she stammered.

"I'm a maid who works at the mayor's mansion. What happened yesterday was horrible... Just horrible!"

Her voice broke as she continued, her eyes welling with tears.

"A lady in white and her human slave attacked the mansion! They killed the guards and assaulted the mayor without warning. It was... so cruel! They were merciless!"

She choked on a sob, her shoulders trembling as the anchor offered her a comforting hand.

The room was silent as the video continued to play, the tension in the air thick. Carlos leaned back in his chair, shaking his head with a mix of frustration and disbelief.

"'Human slave'?"

Carlos muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm

. "I guess that's me. Great. They couldn't even give me a badass nickname or something."

"Focus, Carlos,"

Cleo said without looking at him, her gaze still fixed on the screen. She fast-forwarded the footage to show the anchor interviewing the second witness, a man who claimed to have heard explosions and screams but saw nothing concrete.

Cleo shut off the video and turned back to the group, her gaze sharp. "

This is the narrative they're building against us. No footage, no evidence, just hearsay and emotional testimony. But it's working. Public opinion is shifting, and we'll face more resistance moving forward. We need to be prepared for that."

Rex nodded thoughtfully, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table.

"So what's the plan? I'm guessing this isn't just about damage control."

Cleo tapped the table again, bringing up a new display.

"No, it's not. The mayor's disappearance wasn't the endgame; it was the opening move. What happens next will determine whether this operation succeeds or collapses. But before we get into specifics, I need everyone here fully committed and focused. There's no room for distractions."

Ys smirked, her green eyes gleaming with a playful glint as she glanced at Carlos.

"Hear that, Carlos? No distractions. Try not to lose any more body parts, okay?"

Carlos rolled his eyes but grinned.

"And you try not to fall asleep for another century, grandma."

Rex clapped his hands again, shaking his head with a sigh.

"You two are impossible."

"And?"

Rex asked, his tone steady as he skimmed through the data pad Cleo had handed him before the meeting. His golden eyes flicked up briefly to meet hers.

"Did we get anything useful out of our guest in the underground prison?"

Cleo shook her head, her calm demeanor unshaken.

"Negative. The mayor was either too cautious or too uninformed. The only useful piece of information we extracted was that whoever is targeting us communicated with the mayor exclusively through encrypted cards. No names, no aliases, no traceable identifiers."

Rex let out a low hum, his gaze dropping back to the data pad as he processed her words.

"Hmph. Figures,"

he muttered, flipping to the next page on the pad.

Carlos leaned forward in his chair, his curiosity piqued.

"Then what did we get?"

he asked, his tone more hopeful.

Cleo tapped the holo-console on the table, pulling up a large star map of the sector. A specific location on the asteroid belt flashed in red, drawing everyone's attention.

"We uncovered another lead from the mayor's personal records. There's a trading station on the asteroid belt in this sector. Four days ago, it came under attack by pirates. The station sent multiple distress calls to the mayor, requesting reinforcements."

"And?"

Carlos raised an eyebrow, leaning closer.

Cleo glanced at him. "

The mayor sent none."

Carlos frowned.

"Why would the mayor ignore that? Isn't it his job to protect places like this?"

This time, Rex answered, his tone thoughtful but cold.

"He didn't ignore it, Carlos. He probably sent the pirates himself."

The room fell silent for a moment. Carlos blinked in confusion.

"What? Why the hell would he—"

"Think about it,

" Rex continued, his voice firm as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes still scanning the data pad.

"A trading station on the asteroid belt is a perfect target. It's where miners go to sell their ore, and merchants come to buy it in bulk. To pirates, it's heaven."

He set the data pad down, resting one arm on the table as he explained further.

"If the mayor sent the pirates, it'd be to disrupt the trade flow. Pirates could hijack merchant ships before they buy the minerals, steal the credits, or destroy the ships outright to loot the cargo."

"Then, they'd sell the stolen minerals right back to the station, keeping the cycle going. And since the mayor has control over the station's operations, he'd take a cut of whatever profits the pirates make."

Carlos's mouth opened slightly, stunned by the detailed analysis. Even Ys, who had been lounging lazily in her chair with her usual devilish grin, raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Cleo crossed her arms, nodding once.

"It's exactly as Rex said,"

she confirmed, her neutral voice tinged with a faint hint of approval. "

The station is being used as a tool for profit and manipulation. That's why this information is critical to our next move."

She tapped the console again, bringing up a full schematic of the asteroid belt, highlighting the trading station and nearby mining routes.

"The underground city is compromised. The enemy knows where we're based. Relocating is no longer a question of 'if', it's a necessity. The trading station presents an ideal option."

Carlos furrowed his brow, leaning forward. "

Wait. You're saying we're just going to take over the station? How does that even work?"

Rex, still sitting back with his arms crossed, chuckled lightly.

"Simple, Carlos. We go in, save them from the pirate attacks, and offer them a deal they can't refuse."

He smirked, his golden eyes gleaming with confidence.

"We eliminate the pirates and protect the station in exchange for their cooperation. They'll give us resources and support while we build a base in the asteroid belt. It's a win-win.

"

Carlos blinked at Rex.

"You figured all that out already?"

Rex shrugged, resting his head on the back of his chair.

"Didn't seem that complicated. It's just common sense."

Ys let out a playful whistle, her sharp green eyes narrowing as she leaned on the table, resting her chin in her palm.

"My, my, darling～. Look at you, thinking three steps ahead. Maybe that sleep deprivation is finally working in your favor."

Rex rolled his eyes but smirked.

"What can I say? Crisis brings out the best in me."