Intergalactic conquest with an AI

"This is my town!" he shouted out. "You Clan rats want a fight? You bring tribute first."

The Blood Clan agent spat blood, his eyes burning with anger. "This doesn't concern you, filth!"

The mercenary captain laughed, showing his shotgun. "Wrong. Dead bodies scare off customers." He glanced at Rex. "You. The loud one. You're either stupid or valuable. Either way, you pay me, or I feed you to them."

Rex grinned. "How about a third option?" He tapped his wrist device and a hologram flickered to life with an star map, with a single coordinate pulsing. "You get us underground… and I'll give you the location of the Blood Clan's main vault in this zone."

the captain's grin turned feral with greed. "Well, well… Now we're talking."

"What are you even saying in front of me?! Are you all so stupid that you don't fear what the Clan will do once they find out what you just said here!?"

The vampire's voice was a razor-edged snarl, his crimson eyes burning with fury as he glared at the mercenaries.

His pale fingers twitched while showing his claws half-extended, as if restraining himself from tearing into them right then and there.

Yet, the mercenaries didn't even flinch; they kept murmuring among themselves, their laughter rough and mocking, as if he were nothing more than background noise.

The mercenary boss finally turned to face the vampire with a smirk that didn't reach his cold, calculating eyes.

"Oh? Why should I give a damn about what your Clan thinks?" He exhaled a plume of smoke from the cigar between his teeth, the acrid scent mixing with the damp air. "After all, they don't give a fuck about low-level nobodies like you."

Before the vampire could retort, the merc boss let out a sharp, piercing whistle.

The response was instantaneous.

A series of high-pitched hisses cut through the air in the form of laser shots that were precise and lethal, searing through the vampire's body and skull in perfect synchronization.

His expression barely had time to twist into shock before he collapsed like a smoldering husk. His companions met the same fate, their bodies jerking as invisible snipers picked them off with ruthless efficiency.

The merc boss nudged one of the corpses with his boot, then turned his attention to Rex, his gaze sweeping over him from head to toe like a predator sizing up prey.

"What?" He grinned, revealing a row of filed-down metal teeth. "It's always good to have some snipers here and there, no? Now, tell me... why do you want to get into the underground?"

Rex didn't blink. He crossed his arms; his stance was relaxed but his eyes were sharp and unyielding. "Well, I don't think that's any of your business. I'm hiring you and paying you to take us there. Nothing else, nothing more. So, where's the vehicle? Or should we jog the whole damn way?"

Behind him, Zynaria stood silent, her posture was deceptively calm. But beneath the folds of her cloak, her fingers twitched, releasing a swarm of spider drones that were tiny, nearly invisible machines that skittered into the shadows, their sensors scanning for heat signatures, movement, anything that might betray the positions of those hidden snipers.

The merc boss let out a booming laugh while slapping his thigh as if Rex had told the funniest joke in the world. "Hahah! Indeed, indeed! My mistake, dear customer."

He spread his arms in mock surrender. "Follow me! my transport's waiting on the outskirts. My ship's parked there, and we'll move out immediately."

Without another word, he turned and strode off, his heavy boots kicking up dust. Rex and Zytaria followed in silence, their senses alert, their muscles coiled tight.

The journey was anything but comfortable.

The vehicle was a hulking, mass-produced brute of rusted metal and reinforced plating, its wheels grinding against the uneven terrain with a bone-rattling growl.

Unlike the sleek grav-tech transports of the inner systems, this thing was built for function, not comfort; every jolt, every rock sent vibrations through the cabin, making teeth clatter and bones ache.

The landscape outside was a jagged wasteland of cracked earth and jagged rock formations, the sky a bruised purple streaked with smoke from distant industrial fires.

More than once, bestial howls echoed in the distance, and snarling creatures that were some mutated, some simply starving, lunged from the shadows, only to be gunned down by the mercenary guards before they could reach the convoy.

Their precision was practiced, effortless, a clear sign this was routine for them.

Days passed like this, an endless cycle of rough travel, sporadic attacks, and the oppressive weight of the unknown.

Then, finally, the merc boss brought the vehicle to a halt in the middle of nowhere. The engines died with a sputtering cough, and dust settled around them like a shroud.

"Well then, dear customers," the merc boss announced, his grin stretching wide. "We've arrived at the nearest entrance."

Rex's eyes narrowed. He activated his enhanced vision: thermal, ultraviolet, motion-tracking... they were like layers of perception peeling back the illusion before him.

And there it was.

Cloaked in stealth tech, nearly undetectable to the naked eye, stood the entrance, guarded by figures in sleek armor, their forms flickering in and out of visibility. The entire area was shielded with a massive, hidden complex disguised as a barren wasteland.

"Well, here we are, customer," the merc boss said, his voice thick with the promise of payment. He extended a calloused hand, the fingers scarred from years of trigger pulls and knife fights. "Now, about those coordinates..."

Rex didn't move. His gaze locked onto the merc boss, a slow, knowing smirk curling at the edge of his lips.

"Not yet, boss," he said, his voice smooth but edged with something unreadable. "There's still something I want you to do for me."

The merc boss's expression darkened, his cybernetic eye flickering with a dull red warning glow. "This wasn't part of the contract."

Rex shrugged, feigning nonchalance, but his stance was coiled and ready. "Don't worry, boss. I know it's extra. And for that..." He paused, letting the silence stretch just long enough to be uncomfortable. "I'll pay you 100k credits. As a bonus."

For a heartbeat, the merc boss didn't react, But then like a starving wolf catching the scent of blood, his pupils dilated. Rex could swear he saw the man's eyes gleam, the greed practically radiating off him.

"Deal!" the merc boss shouted, his earlier irritation vanishing like smoke. "So, what do you want me to do?"

Rex reached into his coat and produced a small, unassuming case. He flicked it open, revealing a dozen metallic spheres, each no larger than a thumbnail, their surfaces etched with faint, pulsating runes.

"Nothing too hard," Rex said while snapping the case shut again. "Send one of your men into the underground city. He'll carry these. All he has to do is toss them in different places... alleys, rooftops, sewer grates, wherever. Once they're placed, he can leave. Or stay and drink himself stupid for all I care."

He tilted his head. "Meanwhile, you will take us somewhere else. Middle of nowhere, far from here. Once we confirm the package is delivered, you get your credits."

He extended his hand, waiting.

The merc boss hesitated for only a second before gripping it, his grin revealing a row of sharpened metal teeth. "Mmm. You have a deal, dear customer."

Hours passed and the mercs had left, their transport roaring into the wasteland, kicking up dust in its wake. Rex and Zynaria stood in the silence of the barren landscape, the only sound the distant howl of wind over jagged rock.

Then Zynaria nodded at Rex.

Zynaria's spider drones had done their work. The metallic spheres were in position, scattered like hidden seeds across the undercity's underbelly.

Rex exhaled, pulling a bottle of water from his storage and taking a long swig. The mercenary's payment of 100k credits had already been transferred. No loose ends.

"Well," he said while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Can we get inside now?"

Zynaria didn't answer immediately. Her eyes glowed faintly as she processed the drone feeds, ensuring no anomalies. Finally, she spoke.

"Affirmative. I've located a derelict structure on the outskirts. Energy barrier is active, stellar signatures will be masked." She turned to him, extending a slender hand. "Shall we proceed?"

Rex took it without hesitation.

Zynaria's free hand moved in a precise, arcane gesture. The air before them ripped like a jagged tear in reality itself, swirling with unstable violet energy.

Without a word, they stepped through.

The world twisted, compressed, then they were inside.

The derelict building was exactly as Zynaria had described: crumbling walls, rusted support beams, and the scent of damp metal and old decay. But most importantly, hidden.

Rex smirked. "Perfect."

The derelict building groaned around them, its rusted beams protesting some long-forgotten weight.

Dust motes swirled in the dim light filtering through cracked ventilation shafts, painting the air in shades of sickly yellow. Somewhere in the distance, the rhythmic thrum of machinery vibrated through the walls.

Zynaria's fingers flickered with holographic readouts as she interfaced with her spider drones. "Scans complete. The spheres are active. No security breaches detected… yet."

Rex strode to a crumbling window, peering through the grime-streaked glass. Below, the undercity sprawled like a mechanical beast with neon-lit slums stacked atop each other, walkways buzzing with hover-traffic, and the occasional flash of armed patrols weaving through the shadows.

"Good," Rex muttered. "Now we wait for the—"

A sudden blare of alarms cut him off.