Intergalactic conquest with an AI

[Of course not, General. We are merely the distraction. The real offensive force is coming from above.]

Nyra's head snapped toward X-7, the newly deployed unit standing unfazed amid the battlefield. She lifted a metallic hand, pointing skyward.

Instinctively, Nyra followed her gaze... that was when she heard it.

A deep, distant roar, growing louder by the second, a sound unmistakable in its sheer intensity.

Something was falling.

And it was falling fast.

Nyra's eyes widened as realization struck her.

"Wait… You—! Don't tell me—!!"

Nyra's heart hammered against her ribs, each beat echoing the thunderous roar of incoming ordnance. The air itself seemed to scream as the piercing whistle of incendiary bombs sliced through the chaos, growing louder, closer... inescapable.

Her gaze shot upward, and her breath hitched. The sky was alive with fire, a rain of destruction hurtling straight toward them.

"Oh, hell no!" she shouted out, her instincts screaming at her to run, to dive, to do anything to escape the impending inferno. But before her muscles could react, a shimmering barrier of light erupted around her, trapping her in place.

"Hey! What the—?!" She shouted with her voice sharp with frustration.

Just beyond the translucent plasma shield, X-7 stood with infuriating calm, her posture immaculate, hands folded neatly in front of her. Her voice was as smooth and unflappable as ever.

[There is no need to panic, General. Aegis units are resistant to heat. The enemy is not.]

Nyra's glare could have melted steel. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm also not fireproof!"

X-7 tilted her head slightly, her expression unchanging. [Fear not, General. While this humble maid has limited combat capabilities, I am quite adept at field protection. You will be safe within this barrier. My calculations indicate that I can sustain it until the flames subside to a tolerable level.

Then, as if to add insult to injury, X-7 performed a flawless bow, the edges of her maid dress delicately pinched between his fingers. It was as though they were at a royal gala, not standing in the middle of a battlefield about to be consumed by fire.

Nyra's eye twitched. "You should've told me that before I tried to run!"

[Understood, General. I will take that into consideration.]

Before she could retort, the first wave of incendiary bombs struck.

A wall of fire erupted across the battlefield, devouring everything in its path. The harvesters shrieks of agony were drowned out by the roar of the flames, their grotesque forms disintegrating into ash within seconds.

Those that tried to flee were cut down mercilessly by the Aegis units, their plasma fire carving through the chaos with surgical precision.

Meanwhile, the Maulers unleashed their full might, their massive plasma cannons turning entire swaths of the battlefield into molten hellscapes. Each thunderous blast vaporized hundreds of harvesters, their ranks thinning rapidly under the relentless assault.

From the command bridge, Cleo watched the carnage unfold through her scout drones. Her golden eyes narrowed as she noticed a sudden shift in the enemy's movements.@@novelbin@@

"Harvesters are pulling back," she observed, her voice cool but edged with tension.

Rex, standing beside her at the holo-table, crossed his arms, his gaze locked on the retreating forces. "Mmm… That's bad."

Cleo glanced at him. "How so?"

Rex exhaled slowly with his eyes narrowing. "It means one of two things. Either they're an intelligent species capable of strategic retreat..." He paused, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Or something stronger is controlling them."

A heavy silence fell between them as they watched the mist swallow the retreating creatures, its swirling tendrils hiding whatever horrors lay beyond.

Rex's stance shifted, his tone commanding. "X-7, tell Nyra to send scouts further ahead. I want eyes beyond that mist. At the same time, have her reinforce the defensive perimeter."

[Understood, my Lord,] X-7 responded instantly.

"Lyra," Rex continued, his voice sharp, "take 300 additional Aegis units and your personal Royal Guard. Reinforce Nyra's position. I'll be taking command of the remaining forces here."

Lyra's voice crackled through the comms, steady and resolute. "Got it, Master!"

Rex turned on his heel, striding toward the elevator that would take him to the hangar bay. As the doors began to close, Cleo's voice called out to him, softer now, laced with unspoken concern.

"Rex… Be careful down there."

He glanced back at her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he raised a hand in a casual thumbs-up. Then the doors slid shut, leaving Cleo alone on the command bridge.

She turned her attention back to the battlefield, her golden eyes hardening with resolve. "Frigates and bombers, maintain pressure. Push them back at least three to four kilometers into the mist. We need to carve out as much territory as possible."

"Nyra! I'm so glad you're okay!"

Before Nyra could even brace herself, Lyra came barreling toward her like a human missile, tackling her with enough force to send them both sprawling onto the rocky ground. The impact knocked the wind out of Nyra, and she groaned as her back hit the dirt, her twin's arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Oof—!" Nyra wheezed, her voice strained. "Damn it, Lyra, that hurt!" Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

But despite her protest, a small, reluctant smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She couldn't stay mad at her sister, not when Lyra's face was lit up with such genuine relief.

Lyra giggled while her forehead rested against Nyra's. "You have no idea how worried I was," she said with her voice softening.

Nyra sighed, half-annoyed, half-amused, and playfully punched Lyra's cheek. "Oh, please, I knew you'd show up eventually. But yeah… I guess I kinda missed you too."

Lyra's grin widened, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh? You missed me? Now that's rare to hear."

Nyra smirked while crossing her arms. "Well, there aren't any mirrors down here. You're the only way I get to see my own gorgeous face, since, you know... we're twins."

Lyra's eyes narrowed, and she lunged, trying to pinch Nyra's cheeks. But Nyra dodged effortlessly, laughing as she rolled out of reach. The two of them tussled for a moment, their laughter echoing across the rocky terrain, a brief respite from the chaos of the battlefield.

Finally, Nyra flopped onto the ground, letting Lyra settle onto her legs. She exhaled deeply, her tone shifting to something more serious. "So," she began, "did you come down here alone with just 300 Aegis units?"

Lyra shook her head, her expression brightening. "Of course not! There are also cargo drones on the way; they're bringing supplies, ammo, defensive turrets, and materials for plasma walls. Oh! And snacks!" She squeezed Nyra in a tight hug, her voice teasing. "You better be grateful."

Nyra chuckled while her smile widened. "I knew I could count on you."

Deep Within the Mist…

Several kilometers from the Kaelzar frontline, the advance scout squad moved cautiously through the dense, shifting fog. The ten Aegis units had split into two teams of five, circling a vast, eerie lake whose surface shimmered faintly through the swirling mist.

The air was thick with tension, the only sounds the soft hum of their scanners and the occasional drip of unseen water.

Then, a faint click echoed in the silence.

The leftmost squad halted immediately, their weapons snapping into high alert formation.

Then, without warning, blinding white light erupted from the mist.

It was instantaneous, overwhelming... as if dozens of high-intensity flashbangs had detonated at once. The Aegis units staggered, their sensors overloaded, their vision flickering, and their targeting systems scrambled.

And in that single, disorienting second, the Harvesters struck.

The nightmarish creatures lunged from the fog, their razor limbs slashing, their acid spitting in lethal arcs. Blinded and defenseless, the Aegis units fell, one by one. Once they were defeated, they were dragged into the mist, their forms vanishing without a trace.

The remaining five Aegis scouts, watching through their HUDs, saw only one thing: their squadmates signals vanishing from the map.

Without hesitation, the leader of the remaining team sent out a command.

[Retreat.]

The squad turned, moving quickly but carefully, heading back toward the Kaelzar frontlines. Their weapons were raised, scanning every shadow, the mist pressing in around them like a living thing.

They had barely made it half a kilometer when the ground trembled.

From the mist, towering crystalline figures emerged.

The Aegis units opened fire immediately, their plasma bolts streaking through the fog, striking the gleaming golems, only for the shots to do nothing, or worse, to be absorbed.

The golems pulsed, their crystal forms glowing brighter, as if they were feeding on the energy.

[Weapons ineffective]

one of the Aegis reported.

[Keep moving]

another commanded.

But it was too late.

The golems advanced, faster than anticipated, cutting down the Aegis scouts in a matter of minutes. Their energy shields fizzled uselessly against the raw strength of the crystalline monsters.

And soon, they, too, were gone, but not all was lost.

Far above the battlefield, several small drones detached from the backs of the fallen Aegis scouts.

Silent. Unnoticed.

They shot into the sky, rising high above the mist, escaping the deadly EMP interference. Their mission: to deliver a warning to the front lines that something far worse than the Harvesters lurked in the mist.

Deep beneath the lake, something stirred.

Six glowing, bluish eyes flickered open, their eerie light cutting through the inky darkness of the abyss. The eyes burned with an ancient, otherworldly intelligence, their gaze piercing through the murky depths as if they could see beyond the water, beyond the mist.

For a moment, the creature remained still, its massive form shrouded in shadow. It seemed to sense something, a ripple in the void, a disturbance in the fragile balance of its slumber.

Then, slowly, the deep waters came to life.