Intergalactic conquest with an AI
Chapter 97: Worth it.

The twins, now sitting side by side, watched with wide eyes, their earlier energy forgotten as their attention zeroed in on the two warriors squaring off in the center of the gym. Lyra leaned toward Nyra, whispering softly.

"Who do you think will win?"

Nyra frowned, still a little annoyed about being benched.

"I don't know... but if Rex loses, I'm going back in."

Lyra giggled softly.

"Of course you are."

In the center of the room, Cleo moved like lightning, her twin swords flashing as she closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. Rex's Claymore swung to meet her strike with a resounding

clang

, the sound echoing through the gym as their sparring match began in earnest.

Cleo skillfully dodged Rex's wide Claymore swings, her movements sharp and calculated. She darted in close, looking for an opening to counterattack, but Rex didn't give her the chance. As she closed in, he suddenly shifted his weight and used his leg to deliver a swift kick, sending her skidding back a few feet.

"Hahaha! What was that supposed to be? Were you trying to tickle me, Princess?"

Rex said with a loud laugh, resting the claymore on his shoulder as he gave her a teasing grin.

Cleo stood her ground, brushing herself off and eyeing him coldly.

"Hmph. Your taunting words don't work on me anymore. I've long since grown immune to your nonsense."

Her voice was calm, but her golden eyes were already calculating her next move.

"Oh?"

Rex smirked, a devilish gleam flashing across his face. "

So you're saying... even if I bring up that time?"

Cleo froze mid-step, her calm exterior breaking for just a moment.

"What time?"

she asked warily, narrowing her eyes at his smug expression.

Rex's smirk widened.

"You know... that time,"

he said, his tone dripping with mischief.

Cleo's eyes widened slightly as the realization hit her. A bright red blush spread across her cheeks, completely shattering her neutral poker face.

"Y-you wouldn't dare!"

she shouted, her voice betraying her usual composed tone with a hint of panic.

"Oh, wouldn't I?"

Rex teased, his grin growing even more insufferable. He raised his voice just enough to make sure the twins could hear him.

"I mean, I wouldn't mind sharing with everyone here how you..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Cleo

exploded

forward with breathtaking speed, closing the distance between them in a blink.

"You'll do no such thing!"

she yelled, throwing a vicious kick aimed straight at his face.

Rex barely dodged, leaning back just enough for the attack to graze the tip of his nose.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, my dear wife!"

he said, stumbling slightly as Cleo unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.

She didn't let up for even a second, her twin short swords whirling like extensions of her body as she spun in the air, using her long legs to chain powerful kicks into her assault. Rex grunted as he blocked one strike with his claymore, only to be forced to duck under another spinning kick aimed for his head.

"Are you trying to kill your husband?!"

Rex shouted, wincing as one of her kicks connected with his ribs, sending him sliding back a few steps.

"What husband?"

Cleo snapped, her flushed face still betraying her embarrassment despite the anger in her voice.

"I don't have a husband!"

Rex chuckled through the pain, clearly enjoying her reaction.

"Oh, so that's how it is? Well, I can see I won't win fighting honorably against you. Guess it's time to use... dirty tricks!"

Cleo narrowed her eyes, her body tense as she prepared for his next move.

"What tricks?"

she demanded, her voice sharp with suspicion.

Before she could react, Rex suddenly dropped his claymore and lunged forward, catching her leg mid-kick. Cleo's eyes widened in surprise as she felt his grip tighten around her ankle.

"Let go of me!

" she shouted, trying to pull free.

"Not this time!"

Rex said with a triumphant grin. He raised his free hand, palm open, and with lightning speed, brought it down hard on Cleo's butt with a loud

SMACK

.

"HYAA!"

Cleo let out an involuntary sound that was far too embarrassing for her liking. Her face turned an even brighter shade of red as she quickly wrenched her leg free, stumbling backward and jumping several feet away. She landed with a hand over her butt, glaring at Rex with wide, furious eyes.

Rex doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach.

"What? Is that it? Are you going to admit defeat after just one little attack?"

He taunted, holding up the offending hand for her to see.

Cleo's hands trembled as she pointed one of her short swords at him, her entire face burning with humiliation.

"Rex, you… you insufferable… IDIOT!"

she shouted, her voice trembling with a mixture of rage and embarrassment.

From the sidelines, Nyra and Lyra were frozen in place, their mouths hanging open as they watched the chaotic exchange. Nyra finally broke the silence, nudging her sister with her elbow.

"D-did he just... spank her?"

Lyra blinked, her crimson eyes wide with disbelief

. "I think so... but I'm not sure if this is part of their training or if Uncle Rex just has a death wish.

"

Nyra nodded slowly.

"Definitely a death wish."

Back on the mat, Cleo was already storming toward Rex, her twin swords gleaming as she closed the distance with terrifying speed

. "Come here, you stupid human! I'll show you what happens when you disrespect a Kaelzar."

Rex's smirk wavered as he saw the murderous look in her eyes.

"Wait, wait, hold on! It was just a joke! Cleo, be reasonable!"

He shouted, backpedaling as fast as he could.

"Reasonable? Oh, I'll show you reasonable!"

Cleo roared, launching herself at him with a spinning slash that made Rex yell as he scrambled to avoid her wrath.

The twins watched in stunned silence as the chaos unfolded, their earlier training session now completely forgotten.

Several minutes later, Cleo exited the gym with a twin clinging to each of her hands. Her normally composed face was still flushed a bright red, and her steps were noticeably stiff. Despite having decisively "won" the sparring match against Rex, he had somehow managed to sneak in a final, well-placed spank every time she let her guard down.

Her backside throbbed with a dull, stinging ache, and she could practically

feel

the imprint of his massive hand still lingering on her skin. Each swat had been obnoxiously loud, reverberating throughout the gym, and her pride took an even greater hit knowing that the twins had witnessed the entire fiasco.

As they walked toward the ship's bathhouse, Nyra peeked up at Cleo's glowing face, her crimson eyes sparkling with barely contained amusement.

"Cleo, are you okay? You're walking, kind of funny."

"I'm fine,"

Cleo said sharply, her voice unusually high-pitched.

Lyra, ever the quieter twin, tilted her head curiously.

"But your face is all red, and you keep rubbing your..."

"Not. Another. Word."

Cleo cut her off, her tone carrying the finality of a queen issuing a royal decree.

The twins exchanged a mischievous glance but decided not to push their luck. Still, Nyra couldn't help but mutter under her breath,

"Guess Rex won after all."

Cleo's eye twitched violently at the comment, but she forced herself to focus on leading the twins to the bathhouse. It would take more than Rex's juvenile antics to ruin her composure. Or so she told herself.

Meanwhile, back in the gym, Rex lay sprawled out on the floor, groaning softly as he tried to catch his breath. Bruises and welts covered his arms and torso from Cleo's relentless attacks, and one of his ribs was probably cracked from that last spinning kick.

Still, a satisfied smirk stretched across his face as he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

"Haaa… worth it,"

he said with a chuckle, raising his hand and admiring it like a trophy.

"Totally worth it."

That night, Rex was banished to the medical bay, where he had to sleep on a cot surrounded by beeping machines and disapproving medical devices. Cleo, of course, refused to let him back into their shared bedroom, locking the door and ignoring his half-hearted apologies through the intercom.

After several days of traveling through the wormhole, the ship finally exited into the Nakor system. The moment they emerged, a squadron of patrolling ships from the allied fleet intercepted them.

"This is the Allied Fleet Patrol,"

came a calm but commanding voice over the comms.

"Identify yourself and state your business in this system."

Rex stood on the bridge, watching the patrol ships through the reinforced viewing window. He activated the communications and responded with practiced ease. "

This is a Thunderblades mercenary group vessel. We fought alongside the allied fleet during the first wave. Sending our credentials now."

A brief silence followed as the patrol captain verified their identification.

"Credentials confirmed. You're cleared to proceed,"

the captain replied, his tone lighter now.

"Welcome back, and thank you for your service, citizen."

With the patrol ships peeling off, Rex turned his attention to the breathtaking view outside the ship. The planet Nakor hung in the distance, a glowing beacon of industry and commerce, surrounded by a glittering ring of orbital platforms.

But what caught Rex's eye wasn't the bustling trade routes or the steady stream of civilian ships; it was the Allied Fleet itself.

Looming above Nakor were four supercapital ships, massive vessels that dwarfed everything around them. Two of the behemoths were severely damaged, their hulls riddled with scars and breaches from recent battles.

Swarms of engineer ships buzzed around them like bees tending to a wounded hive, their tools sparking as they worked tirelessly to patch up the devastation.

One of the ships in particular caught Rex's attention. Its once-pristine hull was now marred by an enormous black and green horn, embedded deep into its side. The horn was grotesque, almost organic in appearance, and it oozed faintly with a sickly green substance that seemed to pulse faintly even in death.

Rex stared at the sight, his jaw tightening.

"Damn, they really took a beating, didn't they?"