Intergalactic conquest with an AI

"But, sir," another officer ventured hesitantly, "if we comply with them now, what happens if they turn against us later?"

The commander's jaw tightened, and he looked out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. "Then we pray they don't," he said quietly.

The room remained silent after that, the officers exchanging uneasy glances as they returned to their stations. None of them dared to argue further, knowing full well that the commander's decision was the only thing keeping them alive.

As the commander stared into the night sky, he couldn't help but feel a deep unease settle over him. Whatever the twins had planned, it was only the beginning, and he had the sinking feeling that the planet's troubles were far from over.

"Sister, we already have the perfect spot to watch the show." Nyra grinned as she gazed out over the sprawling night city, perched casually on the edge of a skyscraper rooftop.

In the distance, the towering base of Nexum Dynamics loomed, its bright lights and sleek architecture standing in stark contrast to the chaotic storm brewing in the sky above.

"Good," Lyra replied calmly, her crimson eyes focused on the holographic screen floating in front of her. She was seated cross-legged nearby, inputting commands with precision and speed. "Let me contact Cleopatra's navigation AI to initiate the invasion."

As Nyra craned her neck to watch the sky, Lyra's fingers danced across her holographic interface.

"Everything is ready, sister," Lyra said after a moment, closing her screens. "Now we'll follow everything we learned from Master's classes. She specifically told me to record this little skirmish. So behave yourself."

With that, Lyra opened her backpack and retrieved several white, hand-sized metallic spheres. Without hesitation, she tossed them high into the air. The spheres shimmered as they ascended, transforming mid-flight into pristine white owl bots with glowing blue eyes and delicate metal feathers.

"Whoa! Birdies!" Nyra's eyes lit up, and she practically squealed with delight as she started snapping pictures of the robotic owls on her holo-watch. "Why didn't Master ever show us these beauties before?!"

Lyra couldn't help but smile faintly at her sister's antics as the owls spread their wings and gracefully soared toward Nexum Dynamics' facilities. "She probably thought you'd name them something stupid," she teased.

"Hmph!" Nyra pouted but quickly went back to marveling at the owls.

Lyra adjusted her focus to the live feeds from the owls cameras, each view popping up on a separate holographic screen in front of her. "Well," she began.

"I don't know all the details, but Master once told me that Lilla gave her data on birds from humanity's ancestral cradle world. After that, she spent days crafting different bird models. She looked so excited... I guess birds are just her thing."

Nyra shrugged, waving it off. "Who cares about why? They're awesome." She suddenly leaned forward, pointing at the sky with glee. "Oh! There they are! Look, Lyra! The drop pods! Let the storm of death begin! Hahaha!"

From the sky, black-and-red Cleopatra-class drop pods streaked downward like meteors, their fiery descent lighting up the dark sky. They were aimed directly at Nexum Dynamics main facilities, and their sheer speed and size created an ominous rumble across the city.

Nyra laughed like a maniac, her silver hair whipping in the wind. "The rain of doom falls upon our enemies, Nexum!"

But her gleeful watching didn't last long.

"Hmph!" Lyra frowned, turning to her sister with an annoyed expression. "Sister, close your eyes! You'll end up blind if you keep staring directly at the plasma entry trails! Why can't you ever follow safety measures?!"

Before Nyra could respond, Lyra reached out and covered her sister's eyes with both hands, making sure they were tightly shut.

"Whaaaaat?! Release me right now, Lyra!" Nyra shouted, struggling to free herself. "I want to see what happens next!" Your next journey awaits at empire

Lyra sighed, already expecting this reaction. "You'll thank me later," she muttered, extending her bloody tentacles from her back and using them to gently but firmly wrap around Nyra's body.

"Hey! You little pervert! My body and purity are reserved only for Rex!" Nyra shrieked dramatically, her struggles intensifying as she twisted and turned in the tentacles. "I'll tell Rex what you're doing! Just wait!"

Lyra rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop being so dramatic," she muttered, clearly used to Nyra's antics.

As the twins bickered on the rooftop, the Nexum Dynamics facility below went into full defense mode. The massive corporate headquarters was surrounded by powerful energy shields that flickered to life the moment the drop pods were detected.

Bright blue domes of energy enveloped the buildings, creating a protective barrier that glimmered ominously in the night.

"Let's see how long that lasts," Lyra murmured to herself as she glanced at her screens.

Almost as if in response, three massive plasma beams rained down from the heavens, their golden light illuminating the dark sky like miniature suns. The beams struck the energy shields with immense force, creating a deafening BOOM that echoed across the city.

The shields rippled violently as they absorbed the impact, but cracks immediately began to form, spreading like spiderwebs across their surface.

Inside the Nexum Dynamics control room, alarms blared, and frantic operators shouted over each other. "Shields at 65%! The plasma beams are too strong!"

"Divert all power to the shield generators! We can't let them breach the perimeter!"

But their efforts were in vain.

The plasma beams stopped abruptly, as if taunting the defenders, leaving the shields barely intact but visibly fractured. Then, with no further warning, the cracks spread wider and the shields shattered entirely in a cascade of light, leaving the facility exposed.

Lyra smirked as she released Nyra from the tentacles, patting her sister's head as she stood. "There, you're free now. And you're welcome. At least you won't need a new pair of eyes."

Nyra pouted but quickly perked up as she looked down at the now-exposed Nexum Dynamics facility. "Ooooh! Their shields are down! Time for the main event!"

"Yes, yes," Lyra said while brushing her hands off and returning to her screens. "Let's proceed. Master said to make this efficient. No playing around."

Nyra grinned mischievously, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Efficient doesn't mean boring! Let's give them a show they'll never forget!"

As the first wave of black-and-red Aegis soldiers began dropping from the pods into the heart of Nexum Dynamics' defenses, the chaos truly began. The twins, watching from their rooftop vantage point, knew this night was going to be spectacular.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

War is a cruel beast, and while some view it as a game of numbers and statistics, others see it as a chance to win honor, fame, and credits. Yet for many, war is nothing more than a cage, especially for those under the yoke of the megacorporations.

They weren't soldiers. They were ordinary citizens, everyday people you could find walking the streets, bound by contracts that left no room for escape.

And in the wars of interest fought by the powerful, it was always these poor devils who paid the bitter price.

<<Attention: All Rank 6 and Rank 5 personnel, report to the armories immediately. You are to arm yourselves and defend Nexum Dynamics assets. Any attempt to flee will be considered treason. Traitors will have their neural implants detonated. MOVE NOW.>>

The message repeated endlessly over the facility's loudspeakers, the cold, mechanical voice hammering the reality into the workers minds.

Among the turf of conscripted "defenders" was Gustav, a Rank 5 office worker. He was a humanoid beast, a lionfolk whose body was mostly human-like, save for the golden fur that covered his skin and the majestic mane that framed his leonine face.

Under ordinary circumstances, Gustav was a beacon of cheer and humor in the office, often cracking jokes to lighten the monotony of corporate life. But now, he stood in line with thousands of others, armed with a standard-issue laser rifle and dressed in combat armor that barely fit his frame.

"Gustav, are you sure you'll be okay without a helmet?" one of his office friends asked nervously as he adjusted his own ill-fitting helmet.

Gustav turned to him and gave a toothy grin, his sharp fangs glinting under the facility's cold lights. "Ha! Don't worry about me," he said with forced bravado.

"There's no helmet big enough to cover this beautiful mane of mine anyway." He struck an exaggerated pose, shaking his golden mane dramatically as if he were modeling for a holo-ad.

His friend chuckled weakly, trying to match Gustav's lightheartedness. "Hahaha! Sure, keep doing that, and maybe the enemy will spare you so they can mount your head on their walls as a trophy!"

The two shared a laugh, their voices strained with the weight of fear they didn't want to show. But their brief moment of levity shattered when the skies above them lit up like fire.

With a deafening roar, one of the drop pods crashed down from the heavens, slamming into the exact spot where Gustav's friend had been standing.

The impact was catastrophic. The ground shook violently, and the air was filled with the sound of twisting metal, crumbling concrete, and the wet crunch of bodies caught in the drop pod's descent.

Those unlucky enough to be directly under the pod were reduced to nothing more than red smears, while those within its shockwave were flung like ragdolls.

Gustav was among the latter. The force of the impact sent him hurtling through the air, his rifle ripped from his hands as he was thrown into a nearby wall. He hit the ground hard, the world around him spinning as his ears rang with a high-pitched whine.

For several moments, he could barely move. His vision swam, and the distant sounds of gunfire and screams felt like they were coming from underwater. The acrid stench of smoke and burning metal filled his nostrils, mixing with the coppery tang of blood.