Intergalactic conquest with an AI

As they plummeted through the building, the creature lashed out with its claws, aiming to tear Carlos apart. But to its surprise, Carlos’s energy shield flared to life, forming a protective sphere that deflected the beast’s attacks.

Undeterred, Carlos kept hammering away, his relentless strikes shaking the very foundation of the building. Floor after floor collapsed under the force of the battle until they finally crashed into the last floor with a deafening impact.

"Ha... I hope... ha... that you’re dead, you damn beast," Carlos gasped, his chest heaving with exhaustion. Even though his cybernetic arms could swing the hammer without issue, his stamina was wearing thin. He panted heavily, standing over the creature’s lifeless body.

His communicator crackled to life. "Hey man, are you still with us?"

Carlos wiped sweat from his brow and grinned. "Yeah, I’m alive. But the beast? Not so much." He stomped on the creature’s body for good measure, but it remained motionless.

"Damn, you need backup down there?"

"Nah, just call the client. Tell him his pet’s done for, and he better send someone to clean up this mess." Carlos jumped down from the wreckage and contacted Cleo to report the mission’s completion and ask for another job.

Meanwhile, on a different mission, Rex and Ys were hidden high in the trees, their eyes scanning the horizon.

"Cleo, remind me what we’re doing here again." Rex asked, speaking quietly into his communicator.

"The client is Black Horizon Corporation. They’ve tasked us with rescuing a researcher along with his artifact, which is rumored to be a powerful EMP weapon. It’s located at the Iron Teeth’s base; they are a criminal gang with enough firepower to be considered a rebel militia."

Rex squinted at the ruined city in the distance. "So all that city belongs to the Iron Teeth?"

"Affirmative. According to our scout drones, their numbers and firepower are significant," Cleo responded.

Rex sighed deeply. "Why is it that every mission I take has bad intel? Am I cursed? Never mind." He shook his head and turned to Ys, who was perched on a branch, swinging her legs playfully.

"Do we know anything more about this EMP weapon?" Rex asked, his voice laced with frustration.

"Negative. The client didn’t provide enough details."

"Typical... merchants never give the full story!" Rex threw a handful of sticks to the ground in annoyance.

"We’ll go with infiltration," he decided, shifting his gaze to Ys, who was watching him with a playful smile.

She tilted her head and giggled softly. "Hmm? Something on my face, darling?"

"Well, apart from your beauty? I don’t think so," Rex said with a smirk. "Anyway, it’s your turn to take the lead on this mission. I need you to infiltrate that ruined city and find the EMP weapon." He tossed a holographic screen toward Ys so she could see the target.

"Since you can turn invisible, it should be easy for you. Once you locate it, disable its energy source. We don’t know how powerful it is, and it could be a real problem if they use it against us and the Aegis units we brought." Rex pointed down toward the fifty Aegis Sentinels stationed below, standing silently in perfect formation, awaiting activation.

"No problem, darling," Ys replied with a playful wink before leaping gracefully from the six-meter-high tree. She landed on the ground with feline precision.

"And remember, if you need a distraction, just let me know. I can make it a big one," Rex said through the communicator. But he received no response since Ys was already focused.

The moment Ys activated her organic invisibility, she launched herself toward the ruined city with blinding speed. In minutes, she crossed the vast distance to the city’s entrance. She slowed to a walk as she entered, confident and unseen, moving as though nothing could stop her.

Inside the city, she took in the sight of the Iron Teeth’s defenses: fortified zones, scattered sentries, and an array of weaponry. She let out a quiet snort. To her, it was laughable since it was a low-quality weapon. Her Khryssari warriors could sweep through this place in minutes without breaking a sweat.

Still, Ys stayed on mission. For hours, she silently scouted every corner of the city, until she finally found the most heavily fortified area. It was swarming with Iron Teeth guards and bristling with weapons. She knew instinctively this was where they kept the EMP weapon.

She then searched for alternate entrances, but there were none. The only way in was through a creaky, rusted metal door that screeched like something out of a horror movie. Deciding she needed help, she slipped into a nearby destroyed building and contacted Rex.

"Darling, I’ve found the place where the EMP is most likely stored. I can’t get in alone. I’ll need a distraction," she said quietly through the communicator.

"Understood," Rex replied. "Give me a few minutes, and I’ll throw them a party they won’t forget."

"Okay, darling. Have fun," Ys responded with a soft laugh.

Rex jumped down from the tree with practiced ease. Once on the ground, he turned to face the Aegis Sentinels, standing silently in formation.

"Alright, time to get this party started," he said with a grin. Rex summoned a holographic interface, pressing a glowing button. Instantly, points of light flickered to life across the dormant Sentinels.

"Imperial Legion! Prepare for war!" Rex commanded, his voice echoing through the clearing. The golden markings on the Aegis units ignited with a fiery glow, and the Sentinels began to rise. In mere moments, they were all standing, their towering forms lined up, ready for battle.

Rex always relished this moment, the sensation of commanding an unstoppable force, even if his army was small for now. That detail didn’t matter to him. He turned, eyes locked on the ruined city in the distance. Lifting his hand, pointing toward the horizon, he spoke with calm authority.

"Advance."

The Aegis Sentinels began their march forward, a tide of power and precision, ready to bring war to the Iron Teeth.

After several minutes of sprinting at top speed, the Imperial Legion finally reached the outskirts of the ruined city, its crumbling walls looming in the distance.

"Fifteen of you, flank to the left! The other fifteen, take the right! Scale the walls and prepare to attack when the signal drops. The rest of you, front line, full assault! Advance!" Rex commanded, his voice brimming with authority.

Immediately, the twenty Aegis units charged toward the main city entrance. The guards, taken by surprise, barely had time to react before plasma shots from the advancing Sentinels tore through their defenses. The Aegis units stormed into the city, relentlessly firing at anything that moved.

"We’re under attack!" a panicked shout rang out.

"Sound the alarm!" another voice bellowed.

"Bring out the heavy machine guns! Don’t let them push any farther!" ordered one of the Iron Teeth leaders in charge of defending the zone.

Within moments, alarms wailed throughout the city. The ground shook as gunfire erupted, echoing through the ruined streets. Screams of agony filled the air as plasma bolts hit their marks, scorching armor and flesh alike.

The Iron Teeth’s stationary machine guns unleashed their deadly barrage, hammering the Aegis units’ energy shields with a hailstorm of bullets and crimson laser fire.

[Squad under heavy fire of hostile forces.]. [Releasing combat drones.]

One of the Aegis units spoke with a cold, mechanical tone. In the next instant, a swarm of combat drones launched from its back, their laser spherical guns spinning to life. They darted through the air, targeting enemies with ruthless precision, cutting them down as they tried to regroup.

Meanwhile, the Aegis units that had escalade the walls had positioned themselves at the top, gaining the high ground. From their elevated vantage points, they opened fire, raining plasma down upon the entrenched Iron Teeth machine gunners, silencing their deadly barrage one by one.

Back at the safe house where the EMP weapon was hidden, the heavy metal door creaked open, and a towering quadrupedal figure emerged, clad in a crude, bulky version of power armor. Behind him followed twelve others, all clad in equally cheap suits of armor, each varying in size and shape.

"Report! What’s going on out there?" the quadruped barked, his voice laced with irritation.

"Sir! Unidentified enemies have breached the city! They’re heavily armed, and our weapons are barely scratching them!" a soldier replied, his voice shaky through the communicator.

"Sir! They—they seem to be robots!" another voice chimed in.

"Robots, huh?" The leader’s voice darkened. "Fine. Tell the new guy to prep his weapon, just in case. I’ll deal with these invaders myself together with my twelve teeth." The quadruped snarled, his four-legged frame clanking as he moved.

He gave a few more orders to the remaining guards before heading out toward the warzone, taking a large contingent of soldiers with him to reinforce the front lines.

From her vantage point on a nearby rooftop, Ys watched the scene unfold, her lips curling into a sly smile. "Mmm, is he an idiot? Well, that makes my job easier," she whispered to herself.

As the guards thinned out and what looked like the strongest force in the area had left to engage Rex’s assault, she was ready to strike. Still invisible, Ys silently flew to the warehouse roof. Once there, she observed the guards, studying their patrol patterns and routes. Every move, every breath they took, she memorized. Then, with a predator’s calm, she began her hunt.

Her strategy was simple and lethal. From the shadows, she would strike from behind, her sharp claws piercing clean through her target’s skull, silencing them instantly. She ripped the life from them so swiftly that not a sound escaped. Her living armor consumed whatever remained, making sure no trace of the kill was left behind.

After dispatching the last guard, Ys looked down at her claw, still slick with black blood and remnants of organic matter. "Hmm, not as fun as I expected," she mused, her voice carrying a playful, almost disappointed tone. "Oh well, let’s see what this EMP thing my darling wanted looks like."

With a series of small, joyful hops, she made her way toward the warehouse’s heavy metal door, humming to herself as if she hadn’t just orchestrated a quiet massacre.