Intergalactic conquest with an AI-Chapter 316: Memories. {2}

For a moment, Cleo couldn’t move. Her synthetic heart, though not biological, seemed to pound in her chest as emotions she hadn’t felt in centuries surged through her. Joy, relief, sorrow, and a deep, aching longing all collided at once, overwhelming her systems. Her golden eyes flickered while her usual composure shattered.

"Zynaria..." Cleo whispered with her trembling voice. She turned to face her sister with her shaking hands as she reached out to touch Zynaria’s face. "You’re... awake."

Zynaria’s glowing red eyes blinked slowly, her metallic features softening as she looked at Cleo. Her voice was weak, but there was a playful edge to it, a hint of the sister Cleo remembered. "Of course I’m awake. How could I sleep through all this...? You’ve been busy, little sis."

Cleo’s lips twitched, a faint smile breaking through her shock. "You... you’re impossible," she said with her voice cracking slightly. "Even after all these years, you’re still teasing me."

Zynaria chuckled softly, the sound faint but warm. "Someone has to do it after all. But seriously... a human? And a bionic warrior at that? I never thought I’d see the day."

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Cleo’s blush deepened, her golden eyes flickering as she looked away. "He’s... different. Strong, kind, and... he saved you. He didn’t have to, but he did."

Zynaria’s expression softened, her glowing eyes studying Cleo’s face. "He sounds like a good man. And if he’s earned your trust, then he’s earned mine too." She paused, her voice growing quieter. "But... I’m sorry, Cleo. For everything. For leaving you alone. For not being there when the empire fell."

Cleo shook her head, her hands tightening around Zynaria’s. "You have nothing to apologize for. You were fighting to protect us, just like I was. We both did what we had to do."

Zynaria’s glowing red eyes locked onto Cleo’s golden ones; her voice was soft but filled with a weight that made the air in the medical bay feel heavier. "But... Cleo... tell me... how is it that our empire fell? What about our brothers and sisters? And our parents... what happened to them...?"

Cleo let out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping as she shook her head. The memories of that day... the day the Kaelzar Empire fell were still vivid, etched into her core like a scar. She hesitated for a moment, her fingers fidgeting nervously before she finally spoke.

"It was a massive invasion," Cleo began, her voice quiet but steady. "The Khryssari hive minds.... the Queens... launched a full-scale assault on our homeworld. Father called everyone back to defend it, but... while I was escorting a supply convoy to the frontline, we were ambushed by one of the Queens. The attack was relentless. We were completely overwhelmed."

She paused, her golden eyes flickering as she relived the memory. "To save my life and the fortress module, I entered hibernation. I slept for a thousand years, drifting through space until my core ended up in Rex’s hands. And well... the rest is another story."

Zynaria’s expression softened, her fiery wings flickering faintly as she absorbed Cleo’s words. "And... our mother? What happened to her?"

Cleo’s gaze dropped to the floor, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t know. The last message I received from her was that she was heading to a planet to defend it from a Khryssari hive fleet. After that... there was nothing. No word, no signal. She just... vanished."

The room fell silent, the weight of their shared loss hanging heavily in the air. Zynaria’s glowing eyes dimmed slightly as she processed the information. She turned her head, staring out the medical bay window at the distant stars, their light reflecting in her metallic features.

"And what about you, big sis?" Cleo asked, her voice being gentle but filled with curiosity. "What happened to you?"

Zynaria’s expression grew distant, her mind struggling to piece together the fragmented memories. "I... don’t know. My memory is confused. For me, it hasn’t been hundreds of years. For me, it was only four months ago..."

She paused, her voice trembling slightly as she continued. "The planet I was in charge of protecting along with some other Tier 6 Kaelzars was invaded by one of the Queens. The same one that attacked me a few hours ago."

"We fought... but after that, everything is a blur. I remember waking up suddenly, seeing an unidentified dreadnought outside the fortress, and then... you know the rest."

Cleo reached out, placing a hand on Zynaria’s arm. Her touch was gentle, a silent reassurance. "You’re safe now, Zynaria. And you’re not alone anymore. We’ll figure this out together. We’ll find out what happened to our family and honor their legacy."

Zynaria turned to look at Cleo, her glowing red eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and determination. "Thank you, little sis.."

Cleo smiled, her golden eyes shining with unshed tears. "We’re Kaelzars. We don’t give up. And now that we’re together again, we’ll make sure our empire’s legacy lives on."

The two sisters sat in silence for a moment, the bond between them stronger than ever.

Rex’s transport ship docked smoothly at the human carrier, its engines humming softly as it settled into place. He stepped out, his wings folded neatly behind him, though their glow was dimmer than usual since his energy reserves were running low. Still, he had to talk to Carlos before he could rest and recharge.

A group of soldiers stood at attention, saluting him as he exited the ship. "Welcome, leader of the Kaelzar forces!" they greeted in unison.

Rex gave them a small nod; his voice was calm but tired. "Mmm, good work, soldiers." He didn’t linger there too long; instead, he headed straight for the elevator. His destination was the residential section of the carrier, where Carlos was likely holed up in his room.

Carlos, meanwhile, was in the middle of dinner when he heard a knock at his door. "Who is it?" he called out, his mouth full of food.

"The tax collector," came the reply, the voice dripping with mock seriousness. "You bought a department in our world and haven’t paid the taxes in years!"

Carlos rolled his eyes while a smirk tugged at his lips. "Tsk, fuck you, Rex. I know it’s you. Come in already," he said while tossing a shoe at the door for good measure.

Rex pushed the door open, dodging the shoe with ease. "Come on, old man, you’re not funny anymore," he said while plopping down on Carlos’s bed. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Carlos took a big gulp of water from his jar, his expression turning serious. "I finally found a way to save Sharon and the baby," he said with his eyes locking onto Rex’s.

Rex’s eyes widened, and he shot up from the bed, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "Seriously!? That’s amazing news, baldy! What are you still doing here, then? Go and take them wherever they need to be for treatment!"

Carlos held up a hand, trying to calm Rex down. "Wow, calm down, dude. If someone sees you, they’ll think Sharon is your girl and not mine," he said while pushing Rex back onto the bed.

Rex chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck. "Ehem, sorry. I was just happy for you. So, what’s the treatment?"

Carlos sighed, his fingers fidgeting nervously. "To be honest, I don’t know the details. Ys just told me to leave them to her. She said she has a way to save both of them, but she’ll need to keep Sharon on her ship until the baby is ready to be born."

Rex leaned back, his expression being thoughtful. "Well, if it’s something Ys came up with, I wouldn’t worry too much. If she says she can do it, then she can do it. You can trust her, Carlos. She’d never do anything to harm us, and you know it. So cheer up!"

Carlos nodded, though his nervousness was still evident. "Yeah... I guess you’re right."

Rex reached over while snagging a piece of fruit from Carlos’s plate. "Now that we’ve settled that, can you finally tell me how you and Sharon ended up almost dead when you were just supposed to be visiting her father? And if possible, pick up where you left off."

Carlos groaned, running a hand over his bald head. "You’re not going to let that go, are you?"

Rex grinned, lying back on the bed and staring up at the metallic ceiling. "Nope. Spill it, old man."

Carlos sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Alright, alright. So, where did I leave off...?"

Carlos began by summarizing the events that had unfolded since they arrived on the world controlled by Sharon’s father.

He recounted the tense meetings, the subtle threats, and the constant feeling that Sharon’s father might decide to kill him at any moment. Rex listened intently, his golden wings flickering faintly as he absorbed every detail.

"So, it was then that he awakened that big-ass monster the megacorps are so desperate to hunt?" Rex asked, leaning forward as the story reached its climax.

Carlos nodded, his expression grim. "Yes. I don’t know why he did it, but if we use logic, it seems he was out of options. The situation was dire, and he must have thought it was the only way to turn the tide."

Rex whistled, his golden eyes wide with disbelief. "That’s... insane. But I guess desperate times call for desperate measures."

Carlos sighed, running a hand over his bald head. "Yeah. After that, things got even crazier. About an hour later, I found Sharon and her maid in a crashed transport ship. Sharon was in critical condition, so I had to act fast. I put her inside my battle suit to stabilize her, and then we made our way to the airport I’d been searching for..."

His voice trailed off, the weight of the memory pressing down on him. The room fell silent, the air heavy with the unspoken emotions of that bittersweet moment.

Rex watched Carlos carefully, his usual playful demeanor replaced by a rare seriousness. "What happened next?" he asked, his voice being gentle.

Carlos took a deep breath, his fingers tightening around the edge of the table. "We made it to the airport, but... it wasn’t easy. Sharon’s father’s enemies were everywhere, and the monster he’d awakened was tearing through everything in its path. I had to fight my way through while protecting Sharon and her maid. It was... hell."

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He paused, his eyes distant as he relived the memory. "When we finally reached the airport, I thought we were safe. But then...