Intergalactic conquest with an AI
Chapter 403 - 403: Weapons free. {3}

An officer at one of the side stations quickly reviewed the sensor feed. "Sir," he said after a pause, "all wormhole readings are gone. The spatial rift has collapsed. Whatever was trying to come through… it's either destroyed or scattered somewhere else in the galaxy. We don't detect any new gravitational disturbances in the area."

Cetus nodded slowly. "Good. Send my orders to the entire fleet. Regain standard standby positions around the planet. Begin emergency maintenance on all damaged ships. I want a full report on casualties and fleet status within five hours. Prioritize medical evac and power core inspections."

The officers moved fast, relaying commands across the fleet. On-screen, small lights began blinking as ships received the admiral's orders and started to respond, some stabilizing engines, others deploying repair drones, and a few igniting slow thruster bursts to return to proper formation.

Cetus turned his back to the reinforced bridge window, ready to walk back to his command chair and plan the next move. But he had barely taken three steps when every alarm on the bridge suddenly lit up red.

A deep alert echoed through the halls.

[ALERT: MASSIVE ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED — FRONT SECTOR]

And then it appeared.

A colossal object emerged directly in front of the fleet... it was so massive, it dwarfed even the largest dreadnoughts. It hadn't come from a new wormhole.

It was as if it had been cloaked in plain sight, invisible until now. Its surface shimmered with shifting metal, lined with dark golden spires and glowing crimson runes. It looked more like a living fortress than a ship, and worse yet, it was fully armed.

In a single instant, a cold, emotionless voice echoed through every ship in the fleet, transmitted via hijacked communications systems.

[WEAPONS FREE.]

With that single, cold command, the colossal battle fortress unleashed the full fury of its countless turrets. Thousands of heavy cannons and energy weapons opened fire at once, tearing through space and raining destruction on the disorganized fleet below.

The sky lit up with bright flashes, glowing beams, and exploding ships... it looked like a scene straight out of a dramatic space movie, something no one would have believed if they weren't witnessing it with their own eyes.

No one had expected a massive fortress of such power and size to suddenly appear in front of them, especially at a time when the fleet was still trying to regroup after the earlier wormhole blast.

The Treasure Fleet, though mighty in numbers with over 2,000 warships, simply couldn't withstand the overwhelming firepower coming from Cleopatra. One by one, the smaller, lightly armored ships were wiped out, their shields torn apart and their hulls shattered like paper against a storm.

"Admiral! The fleet has erupted into complete chaos!" shouted a panicked officer as he stumbled, barely catching himself. "We were already out of formation, and right now, trying to mount a counterattack is impossible!"

Before the admiral could respond, a massive electromagnetic blast from the fortress broke through the energy shields of the Cetus dreadnought. The impact slammed into the hull, shaking the entire ship and scorching the area dangerously close to the bridge. Sparks flew, alarms blared, and lights flickered throughout the command center.

"Order an emergency warp jump right now! Set the destination to those fallback coordinates!" Cetus shouted out, his voice sharp with urgency. "We must put distance between us and that monster, or we're finished!"

"But, sir!" the officer replied, still shaken. "If we initiate a jump now, the frigates and lightly armored destroyers won't make it! they'll be left behind and destroyed!"

What the officer had failed to realize, however, was that Cetus wasn't making a suggestion. He was giving an absolute order. And Cetus was not a man who tolerated disobedience.

In the blink of an eye, without even a change in expression, Cetus activated his energy sword and drove it straight through the officer's chest. The weapon hummed as it pierced armor and flesh, and the officer dropped to the ground, dead before he could even understand what had happened.

"I said what I said," Cetus growled, his voice like cold steel. "Now carry out the command. And feed this useless corpse to the warbeast."

The guards standing nearby didn't flinch. Those who had served Cetus for years knew better than to react.

But the newer recruits, those not yet hardened by the admiral's brutal leadership, couldn't help but tremble as they watched two armored guards drag the officer's lifeless body away.

While a pair of silent, spider-like cleaning bots rolled out immediately, spraying a chemical mist as they began scrubbing the blood from the floor.

Outside the viewport, the battle still raged as Cleopatra continued to light up the void with death and flame.

Meanwhile, down on the planet's surface, three important figures stood together, gazing up at the sky with tense expressions.

The leader of the Shadow units stood tall and silent, while beside him, the head maid swiftly tapped on her holo-screen, her fingers moving with practiced urgency.

Next to them stood the tiny planet governor, a young girl who could barely keep her hands from trembling as she witnessed something both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

Just moments ago, a great fleet had hovered above them in the sky like a metallic storm. Now, that same fleet was breaking apart, burning, and crashing down through the atmosphere.

Gigantic fragments of destroyed ships were falling like fiery meteors, trailing smoke and fire as they hurtled toward the ground.

"Activating the Hive City barrier and the anti-air defense systems," the head maid announced in a calm but focused voice.

"Preparing to reduce the debris into smaller pieces before they hit the shield." As she spoke, glowing blue screens formed in the air around her, her fingers flying across the digital interface she had summoned from her wrist device.

Thanks to Cleo's earlier upgrades, the Hive City was no longer as vulnerable as it had once been. Now it was protected by a powerful energy shield powered by four enormous reactor batteries.

These generators were so strong that, even under constant attack, the shield could last for months without faltering. It had been built for war, for sieges, for invasion… but no one had planned for wreckage from space to come raining down like this.

And since the shield had never been tested under such extreme conditions, this moment marked its first true trial.

The barrier shimmered brightly, trembling slightly as massive chunks of starships slammed into it, breaking apart into smaller pieces thanks to the energy cannons and defense systems shooting from hidden towers.

The thunder of crashing metal filled the skies for what felt like forever. The entire ordeal lasted for about an hour, during which fear, awe, and disbelief spread across the planet like wildfire.

At last, the storm of debris slowed and then finally ended. Now, only countless Kaelzar fighter squadrons could be seen flying through the smoky skies of the capital city, Kator. Like hunting hawks, they moved in perfect formation, scanning the area from above for any signs of survivors or danger.

Meanwhile, on the surface, the elite 201st Kaelzar Legion, led personally by Rex, was already in motion. They emerged from the Hive City's portal gate, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of scout drones, each moving with cold efficiency.

Their mission was to locate every single escape pod scattered across the planet's surface.

The little planet governor watched all of this with wide eyes. She tried to stand tall and brave, but the sheer scale of what she was witnessing made her shiver. These were their allies, yes. But after seeing such power, such control, and such cold precision, fear crawled into her heart.

Even within the streets of Hive City, where civilians had taken refuge, the presence of the 201st Legion was impossible to ignore. Towering Aegis units covered in shining armor and glowing with quiet menace marched through the roads in perfect unison.

They did not speak, did not show emotion, and did not harm anyone. Yet their very presence sent chills through the spines of those who saw them. They were protectors, yes but they were also reminders of what true power looked like. And power like that, even when on your side, could still be terrifying.

Several long hours had passed since the skies fell silent and the fires in orbit died down.

The 201st Kaelzar Legion, ever relentless, continued to sweep across the planet, moving through ruined forests, shattered cities, and silent deserts while searching for any survivors who might have hidden away during the storm.

High above the quiet streets of Hive City, Rex stood alone on a high platform, his figure outlined by the soft glow of Kator's nightlights.

The once proud capital was still recovering from the aftermath, its skyline glowing faintly under the starlit sky. His cloak fluttered gently in the wind, and one of his sharp mechanical wings gave a small, involuntary twitch as if sensing something in the air.

Behind him, the heavy steps of a massive figure approached. It was one of the generals of the 201st Legion, a Tyrant Unit, towering and powerful, forged for war and clad in heavy armor engraved with the mark of the Kaelzar empire. As he reached Rex, the great war machine dropped to one knee in full respect.

"My Emperor," the Tyrant said in a deep, metallic voice that echoed softly through the wind. "We have located multiple survivor groups scattered across the planet. They are being escorted to the capital as we speak."

There was a heavy silence before Rex turned his head slightly, just enough for his golden eyes to catch the light. But there was no warmth in them... only a chilling glow that flickered with fury restrained behind a calm mask.

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