Intergalactic conquest with an AI

"Welcome… welcome to planet X23M, under Nexum Dynamics administration." When saying that, her voice was steady at first, then faltering slightly as Rex's gaze settled on her.

His eyes were cold yet oddly curious and seemed to strip away every layer of formality she wrapped herself in. "May I ask… What is the motive of your visit, my lord?" For an instant, the silence that followed was heavy enough to crush her.

The hum of the docking bay's machinery and the distant hiss of venting steam only made it worse. She knew what nobles were like... temperamental, arrogant, and quick to anger at the slightest perceived disrespect. A wrong word could mean punishment, or worse.

Rex did not answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer, his long stride carrying him until his shadow fell over her. She fought the urge to step back. Up close, his height was even more overwhelming, and the faint shimmer of the implants beneath his skin gave him an otherworldly presence.

When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, almost warm, but laced with a subtle threat that left no doubt of his authority.

"My visit is simple," Rex said while clasping his hands behind his back. "I seek rest. A place of quiet, away from the constant noise of trade and war. Nothing more."

His words were polite, even courteous, but something in the way he spoke them made her wonder if there was far more beneath the surface.

The guide lowered her head quickly, hiding the nervous flicker in her eyes. "Of course, my lord. Your wish will be accommodated. Allow me to escort you to the city, where proper lodgings have been prepared for guests of your standing."

Behind Rex, Cleo tilted her head ever so slightly, watching the guide with her golden eyes that remained cold and analytical beneath the gleaming curve of her helmet. Little Red stood silent and still like a statue of armored steel; her presence alone was enough to unnerve the enforcers.

The guide swallowed hard, realizing with sudden clarity that this assignment, which was meant to be a routine courtesy for a wealthy noble, was nothing of the sort.

"Little Red, remain with the twins, just in case."

Rex did not move his lips as he spoke. The order flowed directly from his mind, carried along the bridge that Cleo maintained between them. She tilted her head slightly in acknowledgment, her golden eyes flickering, and passed the message without a word.

"Very well," Rex said aloud while turning to the guide with a calm authority. "Lead the way."

The young woman bowed her head quickly and gestured forward. Moments later, Rex and Cleo were escorted to a waiting armored land vehicle. It was no ordinary transport; it was sleek and reinforced, its polished black plating gleaming faintly beneath the dockyard lights.

The craft had been designed for nobles and high-ranking officials, its balance between protection and comfort a statement of Nexum's power and resources.

The city's skies were heavily restricted; any vessel not registered to the local militia or enforcer command was shot down without warning. For that reason, these land convoys served as the only official means of travel for honored guests within the capital.

Inside the vehicle, the seats were wide and luxuriously cushioned, with soft glow-strips running along the cabin walls. Cleo sat with her eyes half-closed, but Rex knew her consciousness was stretching far beyond the confines of the armored hull.

In silence, she reached through data streams like a phantom, seizing control of cameras, overwriting defense nodes, and weaving herself into the city's digital veins without raising a single alarm.

Rex, meanwhile, kept his gaze fixed on the window. At first, he saw only the endless stretch of steel roads and the shadows of patrolling drones. But soon, the skyline emerged with a colossal sprawl that spread as far as the eye could see.

This was a rare sight for Rex, since most cities he had passed through in his life were hive-structured fortresses, packed into towering layers of metal and glass. This one, though, spread outward like an ocean of light and steel, vast and glittering under the night sky.

"So, guide," Rex said at last, his voice deep and steady. "Tell me. What are the main attractions your city can offer me?"

The guide had been sitting tensely across from him, her datapad pressed tightly against her knees. The moment his gaze settled on her, she stiffened. It was not just because he was a noble. There was something about his presence that was heavy, commanding, and unshakable that pressed down on her chest like invisible weight.

Even though Cleo was doing her best to contain it, drawing on Rex's planetary energy to fuel her new body, his energy was too vast, too wild. Even at rest, he radiated the unmistakable presence of a Tier Five warrior at his peak.

"R-reporting to my lord," the guide forced her voice to sound steady. "The city offers any kind of pleasure one could desire. There are casinos, nightclubs, and arenas of every class. Every month, auctions are also held, some featuring rare goods gathered from across the sector."

She activated her datapad and projected a series of glowing maps, each point highlighting one of the attractions she described. Her voice grew more confident as she spoke of things she knew well, her pride in the city slipping through her tone.

Rex nodded slowly, but his posture relaxed against the cushioned seat. "And what about the academies?" he asked.

The guide's eyes brightened, and she straightened in her seat. "While we lack a mother academy on this planet, we do host a branch of Nexum Dynamics' most prestigious institution. It serves as one of our planet's greatest points of pride. If you look to your left, in less than two imperial minutes you will see it for yourself."

Her prediction proved true. When the armored vehicle passed beyond the massive wall that marked the city's outer defense, a structure unlike any other rose into view.

Floating above the city like a jewel set in the heavens, the academy stretched across the sky, supported by colossal gravitic engines. Its spires gleamed white and silver, casting long shadows upon the districts below. Dozens of transport ships moved to and from its landing bays in constant flow.

Rex's eyes narrowed slightly. "I thought your airspace was restricted," his voice carried more curiosity than accusation.

The guide smiled carefully, relieved to know the answer. "It is, my lord. However, those transports belong to the military. The academy is dedicated to training future warriors for Nexum Dynamics."

"Their curriculum demands field experience, so they are deployed beyond the walls to hunt and defeat war beasts. It is the final test of their worth." Rex studied the moving lights in the sky for a long moment while lost in thought.

The armored convoy rumbled through the city gates; the massive steel doors groaned as they parted. Searchlights swept over the vehicle before it passed inside, and only then did the guide gather enough courage to speak again.

"My lord," she asked cautiously, her voice betraying a hint of nerves, "do you have a destination in mind? Where would you like us to take you?"

Rex's gaze shifted from the endless sprawl of neon towers outside the window back to her. His presence alone made her straighten as though the weight of his eyes demanded it.

"I do," Rex said at last. His tone was calm but firm enough that the guards nearest the transport stiffened unconsciously. "Since this is my first time setting foot on this world, I have no residence here. Take us somewhere I can purchase a villa, something private and secure."

The guide bowed her head quickly, relief and anxiety swirling together in her eyes. "At once, my lord."

She tapped her datapad with quick, precise movements, transmitting new orders to the convoy. The armored vehicle responded with a low hum, adjusting its course deeper into the heart of the city.

The journey was long. Tower after tower slid by, neon lights glowing like rivers of fire in the darkness. The city stretched endlessly like a web of steel and glass that seemed to breathe with its millions of inhabitants.

Rex sat quietly, watching it all pass, while Cleo continued her silent conquest of the city's networks, her golden eyes half-lidded in concentration.

Three full hours passed before the convoy finally slowed. The guide straightened, smoothing her uniform as though she were about to present the world itself.

"My lord," she said, her voice more composed now, "we have arrived."

Outside the window stretched a district of wide avenues and lush gardens, starkly different from the cramped urban sprawl they had left behind. Villas of polished stone and crystal lined the streets, each one surrounded by walls of shimmering light and guarded by automated sentinels.

The air itself seemed cleaner here, as though even the atmosphere bent to serve wealth. The convoy came to a halt before one such estate. The guide stepped out first, bowing deeply as Rex and Cleo descended. The enforcers kept their distance while their eyes were carefully lowered.

"Well then, my lord," the guide said with all the respect she could muster, "it has been an honor to escort you to the city. I hope your stay here proves most enjoyable."

Her bow was deep and deliberate, her voice carrying the weight of someone who knew how fragile her position was. With that, she straightened, gave a last respectful nod, and withdrew with the convoy, leaving Rex and Cleo standing before the gates of their new domain.