Intergalactic conquest with an AI

"Hohoho! Oh, to see the day when brats like you think they can fight better than old wolves like me!" he teased, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. Then, he straightened, his face hardening once more.

"But jokes aside," this time his voice was deep and serious, "this enemy isn't like anything we've faced before. This isn't just pirates or smugglers. We're standing against a real army, backed by machines mightier than any enemy you've ever heard of."

The room grew quiet, the weight of his words sinking in.

"This time... we may not walk away," he said quietly. "But if spending these old bodies buys even one more year of peace for the young ones, for the farmers, the students, and the children, then I say it's a bargain well worth making."

The South General grinned fiercely.

"Hell yeah! Let's show these invaders what it means to mess with old monsters like us!"

The East General tapped his blade against the table and smiled coldly.

"I'll carve the first one who steps foot in my district."

The governor looked around at the faces of his oldest and dearest comrades, beaten, scarred, but unbroken, and gave a proud nod.

"Good. Then let's suit up, my friends," his voice was low and full of power. "Let's remind them that even in the twilight of our lives... we can still make the stars tremble."

With that, the old soldiers began moving, the weight of countless battles behind every step, ready to make one final, glorious stand.

The young Northern General stood silently atop the thick, reinforced walls of the fortress. From his elevated position, he was the first to lay eyes on the approaching Kaelzar legions.

The sight alone was enough to send a chill down his spine. His instincts screamed danger.... this wasn't like anything he had ever faced before.

He had served for many years under the old governor, fighting off waves of pirates and slavers who dared to raid their world.

Most of those enemies were chaotic, disorganized, and predictable. They were either stopped at the outer walls or, in the worst of times, pushed back at the inner gates. But this time… this time was different.

The Kaelzar legions were an entirely different kind of threat. Their march was like a synchronized machine, every step in perfect harmony, their glowing visors cutting through the twilight.

Their numbers stretched as far as the eye could see. It wasn't just their discipline that made the general break into a cold sweat; it was their overwhelming numbers, advanced technology, and heavy firepower that spoke of total domination.

"Soldiers of the North Fortress of Xylos!" the general shouted, his voice booming through the speakers installed across the wall. "All units to your stations! The enemy is in range! Prepare the artillery!"

Despite having suffered losses in earlier skirmishes, his army was still vast. They had held strong for years but deep down, the general knew this battle would be unlike any before.

At the same time, on a platform high above the battlefield, Cleo stood with her arms folded, watching the invasion unfold.

From her vantage point atop the Wrath Drone Carrier, she could see nearly a dozen Mauler Juggernauts begin their march, their enormous metallic forms stomping toward the North and South walls like living mountains of steel and fire.

Just then, a small, glowing figure materialized beside her. It was the young AI she had recently brought to life. Her digital form flickered for a moment before she spoke in a calm, robotic tone.

[Creator, the Second Royal Legion in the south is fully mobilized. We await your command.]

Cleo nodded slowly, her golden eyes narrowing as she turned to face the young AI. She raised a hand and gently touched the center of the AI's forehead, her fingers glowing with data transfer energy.

"You are now in command of the Second Royal Legion," she declared. "Your mission is to lead them into the fortress city from the southern front. Use any means necessary to succeed."

The young AI's eyes pulsed with fresh energy as Cleo continued speaking with her voice firm and measured.

"But remember," she added, "follow the rules of Rex. There will be no needless destruction. Offer surrender first. Spare the innocent."

[Understood, Creator.]

The young AI's voice echoed through Cleo's internal systems as the war machines advanced.

As soon as the Mauler Juggernauts reached optimal range, the northern and southern fortress defenses unleashed a storm of explosive artillery.

Dozens of shells soared through the air and crashed down on the advancing units but their efforts were in vain. The Juggernauts' shields shimmered under the bombardment, absorbing the impacts with ease.

"Fire."

That single command from Cleo was enough. The Maulers' visors glowed to life, and their towering forms paused for a heartbeat before their massive arm cannons aimed toward the shimmering planetary barrier.

But instead of their usual heavy plasma blasts, something different happened. Their first salvo launched strange metallic projectiles, solid rounds, not energy-based. They rocketed forward with a thunderous boom, and though one managed to pierce the barrier, it stopped halfway through, stuck and inert.

At first, silence. Then laughter and cheering erupted across the fortress walls.

"Bahahah! So much for terrifying machines! that's all they've got!?"

"The barrier held!"

"Bring it on, you rusted freaks!"

"We're Xylos soldiers! We're not afraid of you!"

The defenders morale surged like wildfire. Hope began to rise. After all, the worst had come and their defenses had held. Maybe, just maybe, they could win.

But far above the battlefield, watching it unfold from a golden sanctum surrounded by glowing projections, Lilla remained still. Her golden hair flowed gently in the artificial wind of the command bridge.

"Once the flame of hope is ignited in the hearts of those desperate for a miracle," she said softly, "it can either fuel their courage… or become the blade that shatters it."

One of the younger priestesses beside her blinked in confusion. "Saintess, what do you mean? Didn't Lady Cleo's attack fail? The barrier still stands."

Lilla chuckled, not mockingly but gently, almost sadly.

"You don't understand. Lady Cleo has lived for millennia. She is Kaelzar; their every move is the result of hundreds of calculated branches, each with its own backup plans. That shot wasn't meant to break the barrier."

She raised a delicate finger and pointed toward the screen. "It was a test. Watch closely. The real battle is just beginning."

The priestesses turned, and on the screen, the half-buried projectile stuck in the barrier began to glow faintly, pulsing with a rhythmic, ominous light.

"N-No good! Fire at those things! Destroy them quickly!" one of the defending officers shouted in panic while squeezing the trigger of his laser rifle as fast as he could.

He aimed at the strange metallic object stuck to the outer barrier wall, but his shots did nothing. The object was protected by a glowing honeycomb-like shield that shimmered with golden energy. Every shot just bounced off harmlessly.

A few seconds later, the metallic object began to change. Its surface twisted and shifted like liquid metal. It formed strange openings, holes right through the thick barrier wall.

"Advance!" The Aegis units activated their jet propellants. Flames burst from their backs as they launched forward with perfect coordination, heading straight for the newly formed holes in the barrier.

"Not good! Shoot at them! Don't let them get through! Focus your fire on the holes!" the young northern general yelled from his position on the wall. He raised his heavy laser minigun and began firing rapidly, joining the hail of energy beams that lit up the battlefield.

Despite each Aegis unit being shielded by personal energy barriers, the defenders response was overwhelming. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were now firing together.

The sheer force of their combined firepower shattered the Aegis units' shields in seconds. One after another, the elite attackers were torn apart mid-air before they could enter.

"Yes! Keep shooting!" the young general shouted again. "If you run out of ammo, switch with a teammate! Do not stop firing! Hold the line!"

But just as his words rang out across the wall, a massive explosion thundered from somewhere nearby, only a hundred meters from his position. The ground shook violently, and a bright flash lit up the sky.

Then came the screams. Loud. Terrifying. Full of pain.

The general grabbed his communicator and shouted into it, "Status report! What happened!?"

A soldier's panicked voice came through the channel.

"Sir! It's sector four of the wall! One of the enemy's giant machines somehow made it through! It smashed right into the defenses and broke through! We're trying to destroy it now, but its shield is incredibly strong! We need backup!"

"Damn it! Mechanized Squads Four and Five, move out now! Reinforce Sector Four immediately!" the young general shouted into his communicator, his voice sounding sharp and urgent.

The words rushed out of his mouth as fast as he could speak but not fast enough.

Before his order even reached half the squads, Cleo's command had already gone through her neural red network. Her voice, precise and emotionless, cut through the noise like a blade, reaching the units with perfect clarity.

The AI's speed was something no human could ever match.

Suddenly, the wall trembled again. Loud booms echoed through the air as more and more Mauler Juggernauts broke through the outer defenses. Each one walked with thunderous steps, crushing debris underfoot as they stormed through the gaps.

The defenders barely had time to react.

With every Mauler that entered, they created wider paths through the barrier, paths that the Aegis units began to flood through. Like a swarm of metal-winged wasps, they soared forward, forming waves of death from above.