Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Rex watched the live feed from the scout drones, his jaw tightening as the battlefield unfolded before him. The plateau was a chaotic storm of plasma fire, screeching mist creatures, and the relentless advance of the fog itself.

The creatures were endless, a writhing, churning tide of biomechanical nightmares that seemed to surge forward with a mindless, unyielding ferocity. But what worried him more than their numbers was the mist.

It wasn't just a passive veil; it was alive, expanding and thickening as the creatures pushed forward, swallowing the terrain like a predator closing in on its prey.

His gaze flickered to another feed of Aegis units, their black-and-red armor gleaming under the flickering light of gunfire, who were falling one by one, overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the horde. The plateau's edge was a slaughterhouse, and the Blood Legion was barely holding the line.

"Nyra." Rex's voice cut through the comms, firm and unwavering. "Take 500 Aegis units and push down the mountain from the west."

"Okay, but let me just say... this sounds like a terrible idea."

On-screen, Nyra stood atop one of the operational defense turrets with her arms crossed as she scanned the battlefield. Her usual bravado was tinged with a rare hint of unease. "If I head down alone, I'll be surrounded. And let me tell you, getting eaten by those ugly things is not on my to-do list today."

Rex smirked while leaning forward in his command chair, his fingers steepled. "Don't worry. You'll have air support. The frigates are standing by for orbital bombardment, and Cleo is deploying bombers to clear out the densest mist pockets. You'll have plenty of firepower to work with."

Nyra exhaled while cracking her knuckles. "Alright then… guess I'm going."

She took a deep breath before activating her comms.

"Squad One, with me! Lyra, you're in charge of the remaining squads!"

Without another word, she leapt off the turret, her boots hitting the ground with a sharp thud. She sprinted toward the plateau's edge, her twin swords flashing as she cut down anything that got in her way.

Her movements were like a deadly dance, weaving between lunging creatures with fluid precision. Every step forward was marked by a severed limb, a flash of crimson, or a dying shriek. Behind her, the Aegis units moved in perfect synchronization, firing calculated bursts into the advancing horde.

But the real test was still ahead. Nyra skidded to a stop at the plateau's edge, staring down into the abyss below.

{Nine kilometers.....}

She swallowed hard.@@novelbin@@

{I was never a fan of jumping from high places…}

Her helmet snapped into place, the visor dimming as it locked onto her trajectory. She took a breath and then jumped.

The wind rushed past her, howling against her armor as she plunged through the thick layers of mist. The world blurred around her, the ground rushing up at an alarming speed.

{IT'S SO DAMN TALL—!!}

Behind her, 500 Aegis units followed, their dark forms slicing through the air like falling daggers. The remaining 1,500 stayed behind under Lyra's command, holding the plateau at all costs.

As Nyra descended, squadrons of fighters roared past her, missiles streaking downward and detonating in bright bursts across the mist-covered terrain. The sheer scale of the battle hit her like a shockwave; this wasn't a small skirmish. This was war.

And for the first time, it overwhelmed her. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

{Okay… okay… deep breaths.}

Her fingers curled into fists.

{You can do this. You're strong. Rex said so, so it has to be true. You can do this.}

The nerves clawing at her chest refused to fade, but there was no room for hesitation in battle.

[Altitude: 1 kilometer. Activating deceleration.]

Her armor's automated landing system engaged. Thrusters burst to life, repositioning her mid-air. Her body twisted, feet now aimed at the ground.

Then, in a final roaring ignition, the main propulsion system fired, slowing her descent just enough to land safely within the limits of her Tier 2 body.

She hit the ground hard, dust and mist swirling around her as she straightened with her twin swords in hand; seconds later, the 500 elite soldiers landed behind her.

The mist creatures were already closing in, their metallic forms glinting faintly in the dim light. Nyra's grip tightened on her swords, her heart pounding in her chest. This was it. No turning back.

"Alright, boys and girls," she muttered, her voice low and steady. "Let's show these things what happens when they mess with us."

The Aegis units fanned out behind her, their plasma rifles humming as they took aim. Nyra raised her swords, her eyes narrowing as the first wave of creatures lunged forward.

The battlefield erupted into chaos once more, but this time, Nyra was at the heart of it. Her swords moved like lightning, cutting through the mist creatures with brutal efficiency. The Aegis units followed her lead, their disciplined fire cutting down the horde with precision.

Above, the frigates unleashed their orbital barrage, the sky lighting up with explosions that tore through the mist and the creatures alike. Bombers streaked overhead, their payloads reducing entire swathes of the battlefield to ash.

Nyra fought like a demon, her every movement a testament to her strength and skill. But even as she cut down wave after wave of enemies, she couldn't shake the feeling that their number wasn't really reducing at all.

While Nyra led the charge below, Lyra remained on the plateau, tirelessly coordinating the 1,500 Aegis units under her command.

The creatures showed no signs of stopping; they climbed, swarmed, and tore their way up the northern and southern slopes of the plateau. Their endless screeches echoed through the mist-covered battlefield, but Lyra held firm.

"Keep formation! Prioritize the ones reaching the top!" she commanded, her voice being calm but unwavering over the comms.

Thanks to Nyra drawing the creatures westward, a portion of the swarm peeled away from the north and south, turning their attention toward easier prey, Nyra's forces at the base of the plateau.

That small shift in enemy movement gave Lyra the opening she needed.

She adjusted the scope of her sniper rifle, her perch elevated by two Tyrant-Class units, who held her steady on their reinforced shoulders. From this vantage point, she was an unshakable force, each precise shot a guaranteed kill.

A crimson beam lanced through the mist, piercing straight through a creature's skull. Its body convulsed before tumbling backward into the writhing masses below.

And she didn't stop; she shot again... another shot. Another kill.

Her breathing stayed measured. Her mind was clear.

"Master! The situation up here is under control. You can send in the construction teams!" Lyra reported between shots, her voice composed yet urgent.

Back on the Cleopatra, Cleo was already in motion.

"Understood. Deploying cargo and construction drones now."

With a flick of her wrist, thousands of drones emerged from their carriers, descending toward the plateau. Their task: to build the factories, the beating heart of their war effort.

One facility would produce weapons and ammunition, ensuring their forces never ran dry. The other would manufacture Aegis units, replenishing their numbers in real-time.

But with such immense value came immense vulnerability.

If either factory fell, their entire operation would be crippled.

Rex's jaw tightened as he stared at the blackened holo-screen, the words "NO SIGNAL" pulsing like a grim reminder of their vulnerability.

The mist wasn't just a physical barrier; it was a weapon, a living, breathing entity that seemed to actively work against them. His mind raced, calculating the risks, the unknowns, and the potential fallout of their current strategy.

"How long can the drones last down there?" he asked, his voice low but edged with urgency.

Cleo's fingers danced across her holo-screens, her golden eyes flickering as she processed the data. "At full shielding capacity? Ten minutes, maximum. After that, the EMP will fry their systems. We'll lose communication, and they'll be sitting ducks."

Rex's frown deepened. "And Nyra?"

Cleo hesitated, a rare crack in her otherwise unshakable composure. "Without visual confirmation, it's impossible to say. But if the mist is disrupting our drones, it's likely affecting her armor's systems as well. She's strong, but…"

She didn't need to finish the sentence. Rex knew what she meant. Nyra was a force of nature on the battlefield, but even she had limits. And the Mist Planet seemed determined to push them all to the brink.

Rex leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the tactical displays. The plateau was holding for now. Lyra's precise sniper fire and the Aegis units' disciplined formations were keeping the creatures at bay.

But the factories were still under construction, and the longer they took, the more vulnerable they became.

"Cleo," Rex said, his voice steady but firm. "We need eyes on Nyra. Now."

Cleo nodded, her expression hardening as she input a series of commands. "I'll deploy a high-altitude reconnaissance drone. It won't last long, but it should give us a brief window to assess her situation."

The drone launched from the Cleopatra, its sleek form cutting through the atmosphere as it descended toward the mist-covered battlefield. The feed flickered to life on the bridge's main holo-screen, revealing a chaotic scene below.

Nyra was a blur of motion, her twin swords flashing as she carved through the mist creatures with brutal efficiency. The Aegis units around her fought valiantly, but their numbers were dwindling, their formations buckling under the relentless assault. The mist swirled around them, thick and suffocating, as if it were alive and actively working to isolate them.

Rex's grip tightened on the armrest of his chair. "She's holding, but she's cut off. We need to reinforce her position."