Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Cleo turned toward him, her expression composed as she brought up a series of charts and data feeds on the main bridge holodisplay.

"According to your suspicions,"

she began, her tone crisp and professiona

l, "pirate activity has noticeably increased over the past month. However, the moment they attempt to attack any trading vessel within our patrol routes, our fighters do a warp jump in response to the distress signals. Once the pirates see our ships arrive, they immediately disengage and retreat."

Rex rested his elbow on the armrest of his throne, his hand moving to his chin as he pondered her report. His sharp golden eyes focused on the holo display as his mind raced.

The pattern was clear, the pirates weren’t committing to their attacks. They were testing boundaries, probing defenses. But

why?

"Interesting,"

Rex murmured, summoning a detailed sector map onto a holo-screen with a quick motion of his hand. The glowing projection materialized in front of him, showing the vast stretch of space under his fleet’s protection.

Trade routes, patrol paths, and star systems were marked in intricate detail.

"Cleo,"

Rex said, his voice steady as his eyes scanned the map,

"show me the locations where the pirates have been appearing most frequently."

"Understood,"

Cleo replied, tapping a few commands into her console. Red markers began to appear on the sector map, highlighting the points where pirate ships had been detected or intercepted.

Rex leaned forward slightly, studying the screen with a focused intensity. The markers were scattered across several key trade routes, but there was something off about the pattern.

The pirate appearances weren’t random, they formed a loose arc around a central area of the map, avoiding direct confrontation with the main fleet.

"Hmm..."

Rex’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest of his throne.

"They’re not just attacking aimlessly. They’re testing us. But they’re also avoiding something."

Cleo’s analytical mind worked in tandem with Rex’s. She spoke up, her tone thoughtful.

"The data suggests they’re staying just outside the effective range of our fleet’s main patrol routes. It’s possible they’re attempting to map our response times and warp jump capabilities."

"Or,"

Rex said, his golden eyes narrowing,

"they’re deliberately avoiding something in this region. Look here."

He pointed to the central area of the map, which was conspicuously free of any pirate activity.

"No incursions. No sightings. It’s like they’re steering clear of whatever’s in this area."

Cleo nodded, her hands moving quickly to bring up additional data.

"I’ll run a deeper scan of that region. If they’re avoiding it, there’s a reason. It could be a natural phenomenon, a trap set by another faction, or something entirely different."

Rex leaned back again, a slight smirk forming on his face.

"Good. Do it. If these pirates think they can outmaneuver us, they’ve got another thing coming. I want to know what they’re running from or what they’re hiding."

The bridge fell into a focused silence as Cleo worked, her fingers gliding over the controls. Data streams and sensor reports filled the holo-displays, the ship’s advanced systems combing through every trace of information in the sector.

"

Anything unusual yet?"

Rex asked after a moment.

Cleo’s eyes flicked to a new screen that appeared in front of her. Her brows furrowed slightly. "

Preliminary scans show no obvious anomalies in the region, no black holes, no spatial distortions, no signs of enemy fleets. However..."

"However?"

Rex prompted, his smirk fading as he noticed the shift in Cleo’s expression.

"There’s an unusual energy reading,"

Cleo said carefully, her tone carrying a note of caution.

"It’s faint, almost undetectable, but it’s there. Something is emitting a consistent energy signature deep within the region the pirates are avoiding."

Rex’s eyes gleamed with interest.

"Show me."

Cleo zoomed in on the map, highlighting the source of the energy signature. It was faint, barely registering on the ship’s sensors, but it was unmistakably there, a pulsating blip of unknown origin.

"It doesn’t match any known ship or station type,"

Cleo explained.

"The signature is... unusual. It doesn’t conform to standard energy outputs. It could be a cloaked ship, a hidden station, or something entirely else."

Rex studied the display in silence for a moment before speaking.

"Whatever it is, it’s enough to spook the pirates. And if it’s scaring them, I want to know why. Cleo, prepare a reconnaissance mission. I want a stealth unit to investigate that location and report back."

"Understood,"

Cleo replied, already relaying orders to the fleet’s recon division.

Rex leaned back in his throne, his fingers steepled as he stared at the glowing blip on the map. His mind was already working through the possibilities, calculating risks and strategies.

If there was something out there powerful enough to influence pirate activity, it wasn’t something he could ignore.

"Let’s see what you’re hiding,"

Rex murmured, his voice low but filled with determination.

"And let’s see if you’re worth my time."

The bridge buzzed with activity as the crew prepared for the mission, the hum of the upgraded ship filling the air. Outside the reinforced windows, the vast expanse of space stretched endlessly, the sector waiting to reveal its secrets.

"So, how was I? Did I do good, Teacher Cleo?"

Rex asked, grinning confidently as he sprawled across the massive white throne that dominated the ship’s command center.

His golden eyes gleamed with pride, though a faint hint of nervousness lingered in his voice. Over the past five years, Cleo had been drilling him relentlessly in the art of strategy and fleet command.

And while the pirates in their sector had provided plenty of opportunities for real-world practice, Rex still had a long way to go.

Cleo stood a few feet away, her posture as poised as ever, arms crossed and her golden gaze fixed on him. Despite her usual poker face, there was a slight twitch at the corner of her lips that betrayed her thoughts.

"Mmm,"

she began, tilting her head slightly as if evaluating a student.

"I’d give you a 7 out of 10. You’ve improved, but you’re still too tense when giving orders, and you take far too many gambles when fighting the pirates."

"

Gambles?"

Rex said, sitting up straighter in mock indignation.

"That’s not gambling! That’s called high-risk strategy!"

Cleo raised an eyebrow, her expression remaining flat.

"And what about that time you almost blew up an entire trading convoy with one of those so-called ’high-risk strategies’?"

Rex opened his mouth to respond but stopped short, leaning back in his throne with a sheepish grin.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about,"

he muttered, waving a dismissive hand.

"Anyway, where’s Carlos and Ys? What are they up to?

" He leaned forward slightly, clearly hoping to steer the conversation in a safer direction.

Cleo’s wings twitched slightly, her fingers swiping through a holo screen as she answered.

"Carlos is currently escorting a VIP convoy transporting energy cells and ammunition for the station’s new defense system."

"Ah, that makes sense,"

Rex said, nodding.

"What about Ys? She doesn’t usually miss the chance to rejoice after one of our fights."

"Ys took one of the smaller ships and went further into the asteroid belt,"

Cleo said, her tone neutral as she brought up another holo report.

Rex frowned slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

"What’s she doing out there?"

Cleo hesitated for a moment before replying.

"I don’t have all the details. Ys rarely gives full explanations, as you know. But she mentioned something about picking up a ship her mother is giving to her."

Rex blinked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"Wait. Her mom? You mean one of those hive mind ships?"

"Correct,"

Cleo said simply, not even looking up from her reports.

"Hold on,"

Rex said, sitting up fully now, his voice tinged with concern.

"You do realize that a hive mind ship would paint a giant target on our backs if anyone sees us working with it, right? People see those things and immediately think invasion! We’d have the whole sector breathing down our necks!"

Cleo remained unbothered, adjusting the holo screen with a flick of her finger.

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"There’s no problem with that,

" she replied in her usual calm tone.

"While it’s true that hive minds are considered a common threat across the galaxy, there are several races and organizations that engage in peaceful trade with them. Some even rely on hive minds for sector defense, mineral trading, planetary protection, and other services. It’s not as uncommon as you think."

Rex blinked again, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and irritation.

"Wait, what? You’re telling me there are business deals with hive minds? Since when?"

Cleo turned toward him with her ever-present poker face.

"Since forever. It’s all documented in the trade reports we receive from the merchants in exchange for protecting their convoys in this sector."

She swiped her fingers, summoning several holo screens that displayed a list of recent trade agreements, intergalactic policies, and reports of hive mind interactions. The data hovered next to Rex, glowing faintly as he scanned it with wide eyes.

"Hold on,

" Rex said, pointing to one of the reports. "

Why didn’t you ever tell me something this important?"

Cleo’s lips twitched, though she didn’t quite smile

. "You never asked,"

she said plainly.

Rex froze, his finger still in midair as he stared at her.

"...I... guess that’s true,"

he muttered, slumping back in his throne with a sigh.

"Fine. I’ll let it slide this time."

He waved a hand at the holo screens, dismissing them from view.

"Anyway, do we have any updates from our scouts?

"

Cleo tapped at her console again, her sharp eyes flicking between data streams.

"The scouts have reported back with preliminary findings on the energy signature in the region the pirates have been avoiding,

" she said. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"The readings remain faint, but consistent. Whatever is there, it’s still active."

"And no visuals?"

Rex asked, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

"None,"

Cleo replied

. "It’s possible the source is cloaked or exists on a dimensional level that standard sensors can’t penetrate."

Rex sighed again, rubbing his temples as he leaned back in the throne.

"Great. Just what we need, another mystery to deal with."

He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as a thought crossed his min

d. "You think Ys going to the asteroid belt might be connected to this somehow?"

"It’s possible,"

Cleo admitted, though her tone suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced.

"Ys didn’t mention anything about the energy signature, but she’s not one to share information unless she deems it necessary. It wouldn’t be the first time she acted on her own agenda."

Rex groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose

.

"That woman’s going to be the death of me one day, I swear."