Intergalactic conquest with an AI

"Damn it," she muttered while her calm composure slipped slightly. Her HUD flared with multiple alerts as the distortions continued to expand, threatening to engulf the entire sector.

Through the chaos, Cleo's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "All units, retreat to safe zones immediately! Engage emergency protocols and focus on containing the spatial anomalies. Do not engage further!"

As she issued orders, Cleo's mind worked at full speed. The trading station was in danger, the spatial distortions threatened to consume everything nearby, and the Great Rock's final act of defiance had thrown the entire battle into disarray.

A few minutes before the explosions inside the trading station, Lyra had finished clearing out the remaining golems that threatened their defensive area.

Her white glow had dimmed considerably, the radiant energy that once enveloped her now flickering faintly like the last embers of a dying flame. Her silver eyes, once brilliant and otherworldly, were slowly reverting to their usual crimson hue. She looked utterly drained.

"Sis… I've already taken care of the enemies... but I'm feeling really sleepy right now," Lyra said groggily, staggering slightly as she appeared next to Nyra, who was busy directing the troops.

Nyra glanced at her twin and immediately noticed her state of exhaustion. "Oh! Good work out there, sis! I expected no less from my little sister!" She said while patting her head, her tone light and teasing.

"You can go rest over there, find a corner, and collapse or something. But before you do, can you show me that crystal again?"

There was a mischievous glint in Nyra's crimson eyes. She had been waiting for this moment, planning to tease her sister mercilessly once Lyra saw how many of the same crystals she herself had collected from the defeated golems.

"Mmm? Oh, you mean this one?" Lyra mumbled sleepily, reaching into a small backpack she had found earlier. She pulled out the blue crystal she had been carrying, holding it up for Nyra to see.

But the moment the crystal was exposed to open air, it began to vibrate violently in Lyra's hand. Before either twin could react, the crystal suddenly detonated, releasing a massive electric wave that surged through the room.

The shockwave sent Nyra flying backward, her body slamming against the ground a few meters away. Lyra, who had been holding the crystal, bore the full brunt of the electric discharge. Her body convulsed uncontrollably as arcs of electricity danced across her skin, the sheer force of the energy overwhelming her.

"LYRA!" Nyra screamed, her voice cutting through the chaos, and without hesitation, she sprang to her feet and dashed toward her sister, tackling her just as another surge of energy crackled through the air.

Nyra used her own body to shield Lyra, crashing into a nearby wall with enough force to leave a dent in the reinforced metal. She winced from the impact but ignored the pain, immediately checking on Lyra's condition.

"Lyra! Lyra! Say something!" Nyra called her out while lightly slapping her sister's cheeks in an attempt to wake her up. But there was no response. Lyra's body lay limp in her arms, her breathing shallow.

Panic surged through Nyra as she quickly checked her sister's pulse. To her relief, she found it; it was weak but steady.

"Thank the stars... you're okay," Nyra whispered while letting out a shaky breath as she hugged Lyra tightly. Her twin had avoided the worst of it, though just barely. Lyra's bloodline and awakened form had saved her life. If she'd been an ordinary human, the electric wave would have undoubtedly killed her on the spot.

Nyra cradled Lyra protectively, glaring at anyone who dared come too close. No one was allowed near her sister, not when she was in such a vulnerable state.

But her relief was short-lived.

All around them, the crystals embedded in the corpses of the defeated golems began to glow ominously. One by one, the crystals emitted high-pitched whines, their surfaces cracking and splintering as unstable energy built up inside them.

The ground beneath Nyra's feet began to tremble.

"What the heck is going on now?!" Nyra shouted while her crimson eyes darted around in alarm.

Her gaze fell on the large container where she had stored several of the crystals she had personally collected from the golems she defeated. The realization hit her like a lightning bolt.

"Wait… don't tell me!"

Her heart sank as she saw the crystals inside the container glowing brighter and brighter, their surfaces now spiderwebbed with cracks.

Nyra's voice rang out with the force of a commander who knew time was running out. "EVERYONE! ABANDON THE AREA IMMEDIATELY! RUN LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT—BECAUSE IT DOES!"

Her shout carried through the chaos, momentarily stunning the militia and guards who had been holding the choke point. For a split second, no one moved, disbelief plastered across their faces.

But the Aegis units didn't need to be told twice. They immediately began evacuating the area, their mechanical precision cutting through the confusion. Seeing the Aegis units retreat, the militia and guard forces snapped out of their daze and followed suit, scrambling to escape the danger zone.

Nyra didn't waste a second. With Lyra still unconscious in her arms, she hoisted her onto her back, securing her with her tentacles to ensure she wouldn't fall. Gritting her teeth, Nyra sprinted toward safety, her legs burning with effort as the tremors grew more violent.

Just as she crossed into the outer hallway, the container of crystals finally detonated.

The explosion was massive. All the stored crystals ignited simultaneously, their combined energies amplifying the blast to catastrophic levels. The resulting shockwave tore through the choke point, obliterating everything in its path.

The walls and ceiling buckled and cracked under the force, and a gaping hole was blown into the station's structure.

The entire trading station trembled violently; the alarms were blaring as emergency protocols were triggered.

Nyra barely managed to keep her footing as the floor shook beneath her. She glanced over her shoulder, her heart pounding as she saw the massive hole where the choke point had been just moments ago.

"Damn it!" she hissed while adjusting her grip on Lyra as she picked up her pace. "What kind of ticking time bomb were those crystals?!"

Her mind raced as she tried to process what had just happened. The crystals weren't just remnants of the golems; they were weapons, deliberately designed to detonate after a delay. The implications were chilling.

Still, there was no time to dwell on it. The station was at risk of collapse, and she had to get Lyra to safety.

As she ran, she activated her communicator, her voice sharp and urgent. "Master! We have a situation. The golem crystals are rigged to explode. The trading station's structural integrity is compromised. I'm getting Lyra out, but we need reinforcements for evacuation now!"

She didn't wait for a response, focusing all her energy on moving forward. Behind her, the station continued to tremble, the destruction spreading as more crystals detonated in a chain reaction.

The situation inside the trading station was deteriorating at an alarming rate. The explosions caused by the golem crystals had not only torn massive holes in the hull, but they were also creating deadly vacuums that dragged anyone too close toward the void of open space.

Those unlucky enough to be caught near the breaches suffered terrible fates; screams were abruptly silenced as militia members were pulled into the void, their bodies twisting and contorting painfully before succumbing to the freezing, suffocating emptiness.

The station guards, clad in their standard-issue uniforms with reinforced helmets, fared slightly better. Their suits offered limited protection against the extreme cold of space, buying them a few precious minutes of survival. But even then, their odds of making it out alive were slim.

"FUCK!" Nyra shouted, her voice filled with equal parts rage and desperation as she sprinted through the trembling corridors with Lyra strapped to her back.

Ahead of her, the massive explosion from earlier had left a gaping hole in the station's hull, and the structural damage was only getting worse. The trading station was slowly tearing itself apart, the tremors growing stronger with each passing second.

The only thing keeping the station from splitting in half entirely was the honeycomb plasma shield, which flickered and strained under the pressure. It was the last line of defense preventing the station's complete destruction, but Nyra knew it wouldn't hold for long.

She adjusted her grip on Lyra, tightening the tentacles that secured her unconscious sister to her back and pressed on. Her crimson eyes darted around, scanning for a path to safety.

A sharp beep echoed in her ear, followed by Cleo's calm, unshaken voice through her communicator. "Nyra, listen closely. I'm unable to send help right now. You'll have to get out of there on your own."

"What?!" Nyra shouted while nearly stumbling over a loose panel on the floor. "What the hell do you mean you can't send help?!"

Cleo's voice remained steady, though there was an urgency beneath her usual calm demeanor. "I'll send the coordinates for the nearest hangar to your position. Take a transport ship and evacuate immediately. Good luck."

"Wait! Master! What do you—" Nyra's words were cut off as the line went dead.

"Master! MASTER!" Nyra screamed into the communicator, but there was no response.

Gritting her teeth, Nyra cursed under her breath while her mind worked overtime. Cleo's calm demeanor was unnerving; she never sounded like that unless something big was happening. Whatever had Cleo's attention must have been catastrophic enough to prevent her from sending aid.

"What the hell is going on up there?" Nyra muttered to herself as she picked up her pace, her boots pounding against the trembling floor.