Intergalactic conquest with an AI

She pointed to a diagram of the carrier's inside.

"Each one has many floors dedicated to fighter bays, which can hold up to 500 fighters."

"The hull is coated in energy-absorbing material, making it difficult to detect, and it is outfitted with massive energy shields, graviton beam projectors for controlling opposing ships, and repair drones for in-combat maintenance."

Rex nodded attentively. "Not bad," he said. "We're building a pretty solid navy under our command."

Cleo crossed her arms, her voice becoming somewhat angry. "We could have had additional carriers, but someone insisted on building a prohibitively expensive dreadnought for Carlos."

Rex couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, Cleo. Come on. It was your fault. You told me the dreadnought had the finest defensive capabilities, and Carlos is, well, frail in comparison to us, so I felt he needed it."

Cleo pouted little as her golden eyes narrowed. "Fragile or not, that ship ate up a significant portion of our budget! We could have had at least three additional carriers by now."

While still smiling, Rex leaned forward and poked her cheek. "You do realize you're adorable when you're mad?"

Cleo pushed his hand away, but the tiny pink on her cheeks betrayed her. "Hmph. Don't think I'll let you off the hook so easily," she whispered, her tone softening.

Rex leaned back with his arms still wrapped around her. "Alright, alright. I'll take responsibility for the disaster. But admit it, it's a damn fine ship."

Cleo rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "Of course it's a fine ship! I made it after all!" she shouted.

The mood in the conference room was tense, with the weight of the meeting bearing down on everyone there.

Sitting at the head of the table, Rex sat back in his chair, his golden eyes half-lidded with boredom. Cleo stood straight behind him, her typical cold demeanor giving her the air of an untouchable queen.

To their left, Ys was casually lying in her chair, twirling one of her braids carelessly; her cheeky grin contrasted sharply with the serious tone of the meeting. The twins sat close to Ys, fidgeting and whispering, seemingly uninterested in formal politics.

On the other side of the table stood Lilla, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders as she wore her usual serene appearance. Behind her stood her personal guards, their white and crimson power armor shining in the lights, and her maids, who waited silently with their gazes lowered.

Cleo's piercing voice cut through the silence like a razor. "Lilla, Holy Maiden of the Human Empire, you have requested a meeting with the actual ruler of the Kaelzars, and the request has been granted. So, I must question, Why are you silent?"

Her golden eyes stared at Lilla, unblinking and chilly.

Lilla pondered for a little while, attempting to recall the sentences she had carefully practiced. But as she opened her mouth, her thoughts betrayed her, flashing back to the moment she accidentally stumbled upon Cleo and Rex in their private moment.

Her demeanor wavered, her cheeks flushing slightly as she pushed the memories away and forced herself to concentrate.

She took a long breath and steadied herself. "I am here," she started, her voice clear and decisive, "to represent the Human Empire and propose a change to the alliance pact we have with the Kaelzars."

Rex's demeanor remained unchanged as he leaned forward slightly and rested his chin on his hand. "Mmm?" he hummed, his tone neutral. "Do you want to stop being allies?"

Lilla shook her head rapidly. "Oh no, nothing like that!" she exclaimed, her tone sincere. "We want to renegotiate certain alliance arrangements. Specifically, we would like to make the following changes..."

Lilla summoned a holo screen with a flick of her palm, and it drifted across the table toward Rex. He caught it casually, his golden eyes studying the new contract.

But the more he read, the deeper his frown got. His brow furrowed, his jaw tightened, and at the end, his fingers were firmly holding the holo screen's edges. He handed it to Cleo without saying anything, his eyes narrowing in displeasure.

Cleo took the holographic screen and read it quietly, her sharp golden eyes narrowing as she processed the text.

When she was finished reading it, she did not speak right away. Instead, she clenched her fist, and the holo screen shattered into a thousand flickering shards of light before evaporating into nothing.

When Cleo turned to face Lilla, her face was colder than ice. Her voice was frosty, her remarks sharp and unforgiving.

"If I understand correctly," she started out, "your Human Empire intends to continue its relationship with us while eliminating the 20% tax we levy on all of your businesses; you want to preserve our protection while providing yourselves with the moral right to reject any demands for military assistance."

Cleo's golden eyes drilled into Lilla, as if she were stripping her soul naked. "Is that accurate?"

Lilla, to her credit, did not flinch from Cleo's probing gaze. Her expression was calm as she nodded. "It's as you stated."

The room sank into an oppressive silence. The twins stopped fidgeting and focused their attention on Rex and Cleo. Even Ys, who normally saw such gatherings as little more than amusement, sat up in her chair, her grin dimming slightly.

Rex let out a deep sigh, reclining back in his chair and rubbing his temple with one hand. "And here I thought you were the smart one, Lilla," he stated, his voice soft and exhausted. "I told Cleo that you were smart. That you would be the only person who understood how this worked."

"But now..."

He sat forward abruptly, his golden eyes resting on Lilla's with such ferocity that the air felt heavy. "Now I realize I was wrong."

Rex's voice began to rise, each phrase more powerful than the last. "You want us to look after your empire, which we basically rebuilt from scratch, but you refuse to provide anything valuable in exchange?"

Lilla opened her mouth to answer, but Rex's thunderous voice silenced her like a thunderclap.

"AFTER ALL WE HAVE DONE FOR YOU?"

The force of his voice shook the room, causing even Lilla's armored guards to take a step forward. Cleo maintained her composure, but her eyes showed her discontent.

Rex got up, his huge form towering over the table, as he slammed his hand down on its surface. The impact caused the holographic screens around them to flicker briefly.

"Let me make one thing clear, Lilla," he murmured, his voice dangerously calm. "We aren't your mercenaries or servants."

"We are your allies, and alliances are formed out of respect or mutually beneficial advantages. What you've brought here today is more than just an insult; it's a claim that you believe we're fools."

Lilla's cool demeanor finally began to shatter. "That was not my purpose," she clarified hastily, her voice becoming softer.

Rex scoffed and leaned closer. "Intentions do not matter. Actions matter. And your "empire's" actions? They reeks of disrespect."

Cleo took a step forward, resting her hand on Rex's arm to calm him down slightly. Her voice was chilly, clear, and sharp.

"You may be the Holy Maiden of your people, Lilla," she added, "but you must understand that alliances are not one-sided. If you believe that we will sacrifice our resources, ships, and lives for your convenience, you are greatly mistaken."

Rex stood up, his eyes still burning with rage, but his tone softened slightly as he spoke again. "I'll explain what we're going to do, Lilla," he continued.
Experience more on empire

"We're going to show your empire some respect, the kind of respect that only comes when you remember what it means to be weak and defenseless."

The threat hung in the air like a storm cloud, and the weight of his words sent a shiver through the room.

"Hold on a second, sir! I think your actions are going too far." Lilla stood up and shouted, her voice trembling with defiance.

"Ha? I'm the one going too far? After you had the nerve to spit in my face?!" Rex shouted back, his voice shaking the room like a violent storm. "Go run to your masters or whatever the hell they are and tell them we're going to war!"

His words echoed off the walls, leaving a suffocating silence in their wake. Rex's glare burned into Lilla as he jabbed a finger toward the door. "I won't attack you right now, but you and your pack of ungrateful bastards better get off my ship!"

The air in the room was thick with tension. Lilla's mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came. Her hands curled into trembling fists, her frustration palpable. Everyone waited for her next move, but what happened instead caught them all by surprise. Someone else stood up.

"Darling, it's not polite to speak to a young and beautiful girl like that," Ys said, her voice soft yet firm as she walked toward Lilla. She wrapped her arms around her from behind, pulling her close in a comforting gesture.

"Why don't we all take a moment to sit down and calm ourselves? Maybe then we can ask the right questions before we do something we'll regret," Ys continued, her tone soothing but carrying an undeniable authority.

She guided Lilla back to her chair, her hands firm but gentle as she urged her to sit.

Rex's eyes followed Ys's every move, his expression dark and unreadable. His gaze shifted toward Cleo, who gave him a subtle nod of approval. With a heavy sigh, Rex returned to his seat, the tension in the room beginning to ease as he leaned back, though his eyes never left Lilla.

"Now then, little Lilla," Ys said, her voice dipping into something almost playful as her hands rested lightly on the girl's shoulders.

"Why don't you tell us what your true intentions are with all of this?" Her fingers traced calming circles on Lilla's tense shoulders, her eyes narrowing as she waited for a response.