Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Carlos turned to look, his brow furrowing as the ground beneath them began to tremble. From the distance, he could make out the unmistakable forms of several Aegis units coming toward them. Their glowing energy cores pulsed with light as they sprinted toward the scene, their massive frames closing the distance with terrifying speed.

"They'll be here in a few minutes,"

Cleo continued, her tone unbothered.

"Let them handle it." Stay tuned for updates on empire

Carlos raised an eyebrow, watching as the Aegis units moved with deadly precision, their weapons systems already powering up.

"Well, that's great and all,"

he muttered,

"but maybe warn me next time when I'm carrying black-hole bombs inside my body."

Cleo didn't respond, simply folding her arms as she watched the approaching machines.

Carlos sighed again, shaking his head.

"I swear, working with you is going to give me gray hair."

"You don't have hair,"

Cleo replied flatly, her eyes still on the road.

Carlos paused, pointing a finger at her.

"Exactly."

"By the way, were you able to contact Rex?"

Carlos asked, pacing anxiously beside the regenerating corpse of the massive beast. His fingers twitched, itching to get behind the wheel and go after his comrade.

Cleo, kneeling beside the creature's mangled body, didn't even glance up as she continued collecting samples. Her tools worked with mechanical precision, slicing through layers of grotesque flesh and storing fragments into small vials.

"Yes,"

she replied in her usual neutral tone.

"He informed me that he's currently engaged with three creatures. Two are smaller, humanoid variants, while the third is identical to this one."

Carlos froze mid-step, his eyes widening.

"What?!

That means we should be heading to help him right now! Why are you so calm about this?"

He demanded, already moving toward his car, his voice rising with urgency.

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"There's no need for us to intervene, Carlos. Stay put."

Cleo's tone was as composed as ever, her focus still entirely on her work.

"I've already dispatched the most powerful reinforcements available."

Carlos stopped, his hand hovering near the car door, staring at her in disbelief.

"Most powerful reinforcements?"

He let out a frustrated groan, throwing his arms into the air.

"You can't just leave him alone with three of these things and expect reinforcements to solve it! What if—"

"Carlos."

Cleo finally looked up from her work, her cold gaze locking onto his.

"I said stay put."

Carlos frowned but didn't push further, muttering something under his breath as he leaned against the car, tapping his foot anxiously.

Meanwhile, Rex was barely holding on.

The battlefield had descended into chaos, the rain pouring heavier than ever. It drenched his golden and white armor, the once-pristine sheen dulled by scratches, dirt, and blood.

Each drop felt heavier, almost dragging him down, and the darkness of the stormy night was broken only by the occasional flash of lightning, illuminating his three attackers.

The two smaller creatures darted around him like predators, their movements erratic but feral. Every time he landed a solid hit with his claymore, they regenerated within seconds, their twisted bodies snapping back into form as if mocking his efforts.

But the real problem wasn't them.

It was the massive black bird, a grotesque, winged version of the regenerating beasts he'd already been fighting. The creature soared through the storm, its shrill, bone-rattling screech piercing the night.

It wasn't just fast; it was cunning, ambushing him whenever he tried to gain altitude to escape. Its dark, oily feathers blended with the shadows of the storm, making it almost impossible to see, even with Rex's enhanced bionic eyes.

"Damn bird,"

Rex muttered under his breath, narrowly dodging another dive-bomb attack. The creature's talons slashed through the air just inches from his head, sending a gust of wind that almost knocked him off balance.

Rex twisted in mid-air, trying to regain control, but the relentless rain made flying even harder. His wings were strong, but they weren't designed for extended combat in the sky. He'd never trained for aerial combat; his strength had always been on the ground.

He tried once more to retreat into the air, flapping hard to gain altitude, but just as he thought he might escape, a deafening roar cut through the storm.

Out of nowhere, another massive creature leapt into the fray, its hulking frame barely visible in the rain. Its powerful fist slammed into Rex with brutal force, hitting him square in the chest before he could react.

The impact was devastating, sending Rex hurtling downward like a comet. He crashed into the road with an earsplitting

boom

, shattering the pavement and sending chunks of debris flying in every direction.

"Cough, cough—cough!"

Rex groaned, spitting blood as he rolled onto his back. His claymore clattered uselessly to the ground beside him.

Deactivating his helmet with a shaky hand, he gasped for air, letting the freezing rain splash against his face. His long hair clung to his skin, drenched and heavy, the cold biting into him as he lay there for a moment.

"Another one? Really?"

He muttered, his voice raspy and strained. "

Were these things on discount or something? Buy one, get one free."

He chuckled bitterly, wincing as pain flared through his ribs.

Through the rain, he saw the three creatures closing in, the two humanoids and the new, hulking beast that had just sucker-punched him. Their glowing eyes burned with murderous intent, their movements primal and filled with bloodlust. They wanted to end him.

"Well, then,"

Rex growled, forcing himself to his feet, his armor sparking slightly as it struggled to keep up with the damage.

"If you bastards want me, you're going to have to earn it."

He gritted his teeth, crafting a second claymore into his left hand. The blades gleamed faintly in the darkness, their golden edges still sharp and deadly despite the rain. With a determined glare, Rex planted his feet firmly on the ground, ready to make his last stand.

But before he could even swing his blades, the ground behind him exploded.

The deafening crash shook the battlefield, sending a shockwave that threw Rex off his feet and hurled him forward. He tumbled across the shattered road, gritting his teeth as debris pelted him from all sides.

"What the hell now?!"

Rex roared, coughing as he struggled to get back on his feet. A massive cloud of dust and debris hung in the air, obscuring whatever had just landed behind him.

Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the scene. Rex turned, his glowing eyes narrowing as he tried to make out the shape through the dust. Whatever it was, it was

huge

.

The creatures that had been charging toward him stopped in their tracks, their primal growls replaced with a moment of hesitation. Even they seemed unsure of what had just arrived.

As the dust began to clear, Rex gripped his claymores tightly, his breathing ragged but steady.

"Alright,"

he muttered under his breath.

"Let's see what fresh hell this is."

And then he saw it.

Standing tall amidst the wreckage, its sleek metallic frame glinting in the rain, was one of the Mauler juggernauts Cleo had created.

The towering battle mech radiated power, its glowing blue energy core humming with barely contained energy. Its multi-barreled cannon rotated into place, and its glowing optics locked onto the regenerating creatures ahead.

Rex couldn't help but laugh, his voice dripping with relief and exhaustion.

"About damn time."

The Mauler unit took a single step forward, the ground trembling beneath its massive weight. Its weapon systems began to glow brighter, charging up for what could only be described as overkill.

The creatures roared in defiance, but the mech's cold, mechanical voice cut through the storm, issuing a single command:

["Hostiles detected. Neutralizing targets."]

And then, all hell broke loose.

From the swirling dust cloud, six golden plasma blasts erupted, cutting through the rain-soaked battlefield like burning comets.

Each shot struck with pinpoint precision, slamming into the two smaller humanoid creatures. The sheer heat and force of the plasma left nothing behind but a cloud of ashes, carried away by the storm's winds.

The remaining massive dark creature let out an earsplitting roar, its primal fury shaking the ground as it charged recklessly at the Mauler Unit. But the towering mech didn't flinch.

Instead, the Mauler Unit's engines roared to life as it charged forward to meet the creature head-on. Its massive, multi-barreled plasma cannon glowed brightly, rotating as it built up another shot.

The ground trembled beneath its heavy metal feet as it moved, its glowing optics locked on the oncoming beast.

As they closed the distance, the Mauler Unit fired its cannon at the creature to its left, the golden plasma beam slicing cleanly through its shoulder, leaving a molten wound that bubbled and smoked.

At the same time, it swung its other arm, a massive weaponized cannon straight into the second creature on the right. The impact sent the beast hurtling into a nearby building, the crash shaking the structure as chunks of concrete and glass rained down.

The Mauler didn't stop. Its cold, mechanical precision gave it the advantage, and it wasn't about to waste it.

The creature that had crashed into the building let out a low growl as it attempted to pull itself from the rubble, its twisted body already beginning to regenerate. But before it could get far, the Mauler Unit stepped forward, its massive metal foot slamming down onto the creature's head with a resounding

crunch

.

The beast thrashed wildly beneath the weight of the mech, but it was no match for the Mauler's overwhelming strength.

Without hesitation, the Mauler Unit aimed its plasma cannon downward and fired repeatedly into the creature's torso. Each shot sizzled and hissed as it burned through flesh and bone, the intense heat overwhelming the creature's regenerative abilities.

It let out one final guttural scream before its body fell limp, its regeneration permanently halted.

The second beast, now burning with rage, charged toward the Mauler Unit at full speed, its claws scraping against the pavement as it roared.

But the Mauler Unit was already prepared. With an almost effortless motion, its torso rotated to face the creature, and a barrage of missiles fired from its shoulder-mounted launchers.

The missiles detonated on impact, the shockwaves forcing the creature to halt its charge as it howled in pain, its body riddled with smoldering wounds.

The Mauler Unit didn't let up. With a heavy step forward, it unleashed a relentless flurry of blows, its cannon arms doubling as brutal melee weapons. Each punch landed with bone-shattering force, driving the creature back with every strike.

The sound of metal meeting flesh echoed through the storm, and the beast's cries grew weaker with each blow.

When the creature finally staggered, the Mauler Unit aimed both of its cannons at point-blank range and fired simultaneously. The twin plasma blasts tore through its body, reducing it to a lifeless heap.

The battlefield fell silent except for the soft hum of the Mauler Unit's systems and the steady patter of rain. The towering mech scanned the area for any remaining threats, its glowing optics sweeping through the haze of smoke and rain.

Then, in its cold, mechanical voice, the Mauler Unit announced.

["Objectives eliminated."]