Intergalactic conquest with an AI

The bombardment continued until the last of the four golems had been obliterated, their shattered remains littering the battlefield in jagged, glowing fragments.

"It's still so weird," Nyra mused aloud, finishing her snack as she gazed at the destruction through the tactical display on her HUD. "Those golems have such terrifying energy readings, but they're so... dumb. Do they even have brains, or are they just shiny rocks with legs?"

The communications guard nearby coughed awkwardly, unsure if that was a rhetorical question.

Nyra didn't wait for an answer. Her eyes scanned the debris, and her gaze landed on one of the crystals scattered among the wreckage. It glimmered faintly, similar to the one Lyra had shown her earlier, though this one was a slightly different color.

"Mmm?" Nyra squinted at the crystal, tilting her head as realization began to dawn on her. "AH! So that's where I've seen it before!"

The memory clicked into place. The crystal Lyra had brought her was nearly identical to the ones embedded in the slender golems. The only real difference was the color; Lyra's was blue, while these were a dimmer shade of teal.

Nyra smirked, placing a hand on her hip as she glanced at the tactical display again. "Well, that explains a lot. If this new golem was the one that nearly stripped Lyra naked and forced her to use the golden blood, then that just means my order was the right call!"

She laughed lightly to herself, feeling a swell of pride in her own tactical genius. "Good thing I had those light artillery machines set up in advance. Otherwise, things might've ended badly. Hehe!"

The communications guard glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Ma'am… didn't you approve the artillery deployment because you said you wanted to make a 'big, flashy show' for the militia to boost morale?"

Nyra turned to him, her crimson eyes narrowing dangerously. "Do you want a promotion, or do you want me to toss you out of the nearest airlock?"

The guard immediately straightened. "Uh, no, ma'am! Your tactical decision was brilliant, ma'am! Absolutely genius!"

"That's what I thought," Nyra said with a satisfied grin, turning her attention back to the monitors. Her smirk lingered as she glanced once more at the crystal fragments on the screen.

"Well, Lyra… looks like your shiny souvenir has more to it than meets the eye," she muttered to herself.

As the station's defenses held strong and the artillery fire ceased, Nyra made a mental note to investigate the crystals further once the battle was over. Something about them didn't sit right with her, and if there was one thing she'd learned from Rex, it was to never ignore her gut feeling.

"Greetings, Lady Cleo," Lilla's holo screen form appeared next to Cleo's own holographic projection. Her expression was composed but carried a faint trace of tension, and her head was slightly bowed as a sign of respect. "As agreed, I have brought all the forces I could muster to aid you in this battle."

Cleo glanced at Lilla's fleet through her HUD; it was a formation of disciplined ships composed of a carrier and destroyers under the banner of Lilla's Zealot faction within the human empire. A faint smile played on Cleo's lips, though her golden eyes glinted with something colder.

"Mmm… if I'm not wrong, the human empire's actual fleet size is twice this number," Cleo said, her voice carrying an edge of deliberate skepticism. "Where are the rest of them?"

Though Cleo already knew the answer, the question wasn't for her. It was for everyone near Lilla, from the priestesses standing around her concealed throne to the officers and loyalists serving her growing cause. This was all part of their plan.

Lilla's shoulders rose and fell in a controlled sigh, though her holographic image carried an air of weariness. "As you've already imagined, Lady Cleo, the human council rejected my call for help," she admitted.

Her voice was calm, but there was a subtle sharpness to her words. "They stated that they are under no obligation to cooperate every time assistance is requested. According to them, this is not their problem.'"

Lilla delivered the explanation with brutal honesty, and while her face remained neutral, there was an undeniable undercurrent of frustration in her tone. The priestesses standing near her hidden throne gasped softly at the revelation.

For them, the council's refusal wasn't just an insult; it was an affront to their holy maiden, a betrayal of their faith.

Cleo leaned back in her virtual seat, a faint, knowing smirk tugging at her lips. "So, what I feared has come to pass," she said coolly, her voice cutting through the air like a blade. "I won't say I'm surprised, but this will inevitably lead to civil war within the human empire. And if things continue down this path, even we may find ourselves hostile toward the humans."

Even as Cleo spoke, her holographic form flickered briefly as she continued to control the Cleopatra's turrets manually. Her focus never wavered as she shot down several Revenant fighters attempting to break away from their transport ships.

Across the battlefield, the Kaelzar carrier unleashed its remaining fighter squadrons to intercept the escaping enemies. The final Revenant heavy transport ships were being dismantled piece by piece, and the Cleopatra's main cannons were nearly fully charged for the final blow.

Lilla's voice broke through the tension, calm but deliberately strong, loud enough for her nearby priestesses to hear. "Then... when this civil war begins, Lady Cleo, would you stand with us? Would you support us?"

The priestesses held their breath. To them, this question was monumental. It wasn't just about tactics or alliances; it was about faith, loyalty, and the very future of their holy cause.

Cleo paused, letting the silence hang just long enough to emphasize the weight of her response. "While it's true that I no longer trust the new human empire," she said, her voice measured, "you have proven yourself to be a true ally, human holy maiden. Should you call for support in the future, we will answer."

The priestesses gasped audibly, their eyes widening with awe and reverence. Their holy maiden had secured the alliance of a powerful force who commanded fleets and armies. This revelation solidified Lilla's position as not only their spiritual leader but also a masterful diplomat and protector.

Lilla allowed a small, humble smile to touch her lips, bowing her head slightly. "Your support means more to us than words can express, Lady Cleo. Together, we will overcome any challenge that lies ahead."

But just as Cleo was about to respond, an alert flared across her HUD; the sound was sharp and urgent. Her expression shifted instantly, her holographic form snapping to attention.

"Well then, we'll have to pause this conversation for now," Cleo said, her tone becoming cold and focused once more. "It's time to attack with all our strength and destroy these enemies once and for all."

Before Lilla could respond, Cleo's hologram flickered and vanished as she cut the connection on her end.

Back aboard Lilla's flagship, the priestesses standing near her hidden throne were left stunned by what they had just heard. The conversation had been both a revelation and a warning. Not only did it confirm the looming threat of civil war within the human empire, but it also revealed the precarious nature of their alliances.

The council's refusal to send reinforcements had exposed a deep fracture within their ranks, and the Kaelzar's willingness to turn hostile against humanity only underscored the fragility of the situation. But at the same time, the priestesses were filled with awe and admiration for their holy maiden.

"She truly is blessed by the divine," one of the priestesses murmured while her voice trembled.

Another nodded, her hands clasped together in prayer. "To have the ear of Lady Cleo... and to secure her loyalty... the holy maiden is greater than we ever imagined."

Their whispered praises filled the room, the blue flames of the ceremonial torches casting an ethereal glow over their faces.

Lilla sat silently within her hidden throne, concealed behind layers of alien silk. Her expression was unreadable, but a faint smirk tugged at the corners of her lips.

She had played her part perfectly, planting the seeds of loyalty and awe in the minds of her followers while simultaneously solidifying her alliance with Cleo.

"Order: Execute the following commands... full assault is authorized. Main cannons, prepare to fire on my signal."

Cleo's voice echoed through the command bridge of the Cleopatra. It was calm, precise, and unwavering, the kind of tone that inspired both awe and discipline in all who heard it. Around her, the Kaelzar officers carried out her orders with mechanical efficiency, the ship's systems humming as they powered up for the final strike.

The Cleopatra and the Liberator turned their massive main cannons toward the Revenant's flagship, their long barrels glowing faintly as they charged up energy. Meanwhile, the Leviathan-Class carriers flanking her deployed their long-range missile systems, their racks swiveling into position and locking onto their targets.

On the holographic display before Cleo, the Revenant's main ship loomed like a monolith of destruction, its jagged crystalline structure pulsating with ominous energy. This was the heart of the enemy fleet, the command vessel from which the Revenant coordinated their forces.

If it fell, the rest of their fleet would crumble like the fragile constructs they were.

Cleo raised her right hand, her slender index finger extended like the barrel of a gun. She pointed directly at the Revenant flagship, her glowing golden eyes locked onto the target.

As her finger remained aimed, several tech circles materialized around her arm, spinning into existence one by one. Each circle was inscribed with intricate Kaelzar symbols and numbers, their meaning understood only by her and the systems she controlled.

The circles glowed red at first, spinning rapidly as they calculated firing trajectories, weapon synchronization, and power output.

"Status: Cannons aligning. Calculations in progress."