Intergalactic conquest with an AI

"Cleo," Rex growled into his comm, dodging another incoming Skydancer as he ran, "what kind of reinforcements? Ground troops? Air support?"

"Everything," she replied, her tone grim. "They brought the heavy artillery and aerial squads. They’re mobilizing now and will likely engage any second."

Rex clenched his jaw, sparing a glance at Carlos, who had also heard the news. Carlos gave a grim nod. There was no time to waste; if they hesitated now, Ys’s mission would be compromised, and all their sacrifices would mean nothing.

"Listen up, everyone!" Rex shouted over the squad comms, his voice ringing with authority. "Reinforcements or not, our objective hasn’t changed. We have to keep the Khryssari focused on us. So dig in, give it everything you’ve got, and keep those damn bugs busy."

Carlos turned to his troops, his face set in determination. "You heard the captain! Push forward! Let’s make sure they remember who Squad 201 is!"

With renewed vigor, the soldiers rallied, pushing back against the relentless waves of Skydancers and K. Warriors. Plasma bolts streaked across the sands, explosions lighting up the storm as the tanks barreled forward, smashing through the enemy lines.

In the distance, Rex could see the faint shapes of the incoming reinforcements, massive dropships lowering to the surface, flanked by swift fighter jets that tore through the skies, their engines roaring over the battlefield. The cavalry had arrived. but whether they’d be allies or a complication was anyone’s guess.

All he could do now was trust that Ys was fast enough, that Cleo could buy them more time with her drones, and that the soldiers of Squad 201 would hold out long enough to see the mission through.

He lifted his claymore, blood-streaked and gleaming, and let out a fierce battle cry that echoed across the sands. "Squad 201! Charge! Let’s give ’em hell!"

With that, Rex surged forward, his troops following close behind, each of them knowing they were fighting on borrowed time, so they were fighting with everything they had.

Rex could see the truth as clear as day; even with his troops giving everything they had, it was impossible to break through any faster. Every inch they gained came at a price, and time was slipping through his fingers. Finally, he made a desperate call.

"Carlos!" he shouted, voice thick with urgency. "Take over here! I’m going in alone!"

"W-wait, what do you mean!?" Carlos yelled back, but before he could get an answer, a blinding flash of white light burst around Rex, and in the next instant, he was gone, shooting into the sky like a comet, his powerful wings slicing through the storm.

"Sigh… seriously?" Cleo’s voice came through his communicator, a mix of exasperation and fondness. "What do you think you’re doing, Rex?"

"Ys is in danger, Cleo," he replied, his tone deadly serious. "I can’t just stand here waiting for her to finish the mission before the reinforcements bomb that worm to oblivion." As he soared upward, Skydancers swarmed him from all sides, but he dispatched them with ruthless efficiency, his wings carving through them as he climbed higher.

"Be grateful I hacked the spy drones," Cleo said, her voice maintaining its calm, professional edge. "They won’t be able to see you... but remember, I can’t hack the eyes of organic life forms."

Rex laughed, even as he struck down another Skydancer. "I’m always grateful, Cleo!"

There was a pause, a rare, fragile silence. Then, Cleo’s voice came back, quieter than he’d ever heard it. "Is... she really that important to you? That you’d risk your life like this?"

Without hesitation, Rex answered, "Of course she is." His voice was blunt, matter-of-fact. And on the gunboat, where Cleo’s consciousness was housed, she felt something clench in her core, a rush of emotions she barely understood. Her hands went to her chest, as if to quiet the strange ache.

But Rex’s voice came back over the comms before she could make sense of it. "You’re important to me too, you know. I think I’ve made that pretty clear. And all this effort I’m putting in to get you a body... that’s because I want you here with me." He paused, his tone softening.

"I know I’m probably a scumbag for saying this, but... I love you both. You’re both amazing, in different ways. If I have to give my life to save either of you, I’d do it without a second thought. Well… maybe a tiny bit of regret, since I haven’t kissed either of you yet!"

Cleo couldn’t hold back a laugh, a warm, soft sound that seemed to surprise even her. "You really are the worst scumbag," she said, a hint of tenderness breaking through her usual calm tone. "But that honesty... it’s what I like about you."

"Ah! There’s that beautiful laugh," Rex teased. "Now I really don’t want to die." Read exclusive content at мѵʟ

But then Cleo’s voice shifted, back to her focused, almost mischievous self. "Well, lucky for you, I’ve got a little trick that might keep you alive a bit longer... though, I warn you, the side effects will be terrible."

Rex felt a chill. "What… what do you mean by side effects?" He looked down as six small robotic arms extended from his back, each holding a vial of an ominous black substance. And attached to one of them was a needle the size of a small dagger.

"Cleo, wait, is that... is that what I think it is?! And why is that needle so big?!"

"Brace yourself, Rex," she said, a wicked chuckle slipping into her voice.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! YOU MANIAC!" Rex howled as the needles plunged into his back, injecting the black substance directly into his bloodstream. He could feel the fire spreading through him, burning like molten metal, even as he kept fighting off Skydancers in mid-air.

"Is this... nanomaterial?" he gasped between breaths. "And since when did you sneak this into me?!"

"As you love to say, those are ’small details.’ Don’t worry about it." Cleo’s voice was laced with amusement. "Now, this isn’t just any nanomaterial. I’ve been refining this for months.and thanks to it we can fuse completely for a few minutes. Ten, at most."

"Wait… fuse? What do you mean ’fuse’?! You better not turn me into a girl or something!"

Cleo actually laughed, light and musical. "Oh, as much as I’d love to see you in a skirt, that’s not how this works. Just relax and focus. You’re about to feel a power surge like nothing you’ve ever experienced. But stay in control, Rex; you only have a few minutes, and if you lose focus, it could tear you apart."

"Fine! Bring it on!" Rex growled, clenching his fists, feeling the searing energy course through his body.

Then he heard something strange, a soft melody humming through his earpiece. "Wait… Cleo? Are you… are you singing?"

Her voice came through, sweet and rich, the melody something haunting and otherworldly. Her song resonated with the energy in his chest, amplifying it and making it burn hotter, brighter.

He could feel his body transforming, growing larger and stronger. His muscles swelled, his armor thickening as the nanomaterial wove over him like a second skin, crafting a sleek, powerful exosuit.

He looked down at himself as his height surged. three meters, four, five, until he stood a colossal six meters tall, encased in shimmering white and golden mecha armor.

His wings transformed too, taking on a mechanical form, each feather replaced with razor-sharp metal that shimmered with an ethereal white aura. He raised his hands, marveling at the sheer strength coursing through them; they looked like the arms of a battlesuit, reinforced and ready to tear through anything in his path.

And all the while, Cleo’s voice continued to sing, the melody feeding his power and filling him with an unstoppable energy. His HUD blinked, displaying a single line of text:

[What are you waiting for? 9 minutes left.]

"Oh… right!" Rex snapped back to reality, his eyes locking onto the worm in the distance. Now, even the massive creature didn’t seem quite so intimidating.

Below him, the Khryssari warriors froze, momentarily paralyzed by the sight of this newly transformed behemoth, their primitive minds struggling to process the towering, glowing figure hovering above them.

"Well then, if you’re not coming to me..." Rex grinned, feeling the power surging through him, "then I’ll just come to you!"

With a single, mighty flap of his wings, he launched forward, cutting through the air like a missile. Plasma blasts from the Khryssari barely fazed him now, ricocheting harmlessly off his new armor.

His vision was sharper, his senses heightened; every Skydancer in his path was sliced down with effortless precision as he barreled toward the worm, a force of nature, unstoppable.

Cleo’s voice whispered in his ear, softer now. "Rex, be careful."

He smirked. "With you watching my back, Cleo? I’m invincible."

The worm loomed closer, its massive, writhing form finally within striking distance. Rex grinned, raising his fist as he prepared to plunge straight into the beast, no longer just a soldier but a living weapon.

And with Cleo’s voice guiding him, he felt ready to face whatever came next.