Intergalactic conquest with an AI

While gritting her teeth, Nyra cursed under her breath, her mind racing. 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.

Once Cleo cut the communication line with Nyra, her attention returned to the massive space crack that loomed ominously in front of the Cleopatra. Her mind raced as she analyzed the situation, the faint hum of the ship's systems serving as the only background noise in the tense command room.

From the void of the crack emerged an object of terrifying scale, a colossal asteroid, several kilometers in size, slowly pulling itself into the physical plane. Cleo's golden eyes narrowed as she initiated a scan of the object, her fingers flying across the holographic interface.

"Its trajectory is clear... the trading station," Cleo muttered to herself. The asteroid's path was locked onto the already battered station, and its sheer size guaranteed total annihilation if it made contact.

Her initial decision was swift and calculated. "Order: All fleet units under my command are to focus fire on the asteroid. We'll blow it up before it fully emerges from the crack."

The fleet began to mobilize, their long-range weapons locking onto the asteroid. However, just as the first orders were about to be executed, Cleo's HUD lit up with new data. The asteroid wasn't just a massive rock; it was glowing faintly, radiating a familiar, unsettling purplish energy.

Cleo's eyes widened slightly, her sharp instincts flaring. "Cancel all firing orders immediately. Stand by for further instructions."

Her mind churned as she analyzed the data, trying to piece together what was happening. "Deploy recon drones. Priority: Full scan of the asteroid."

Hundreds of drones launched from the frigates surrounding the Cleopatra, their sleek forms racing toward the asteroid like a swarm of fireflies. Each drone began feeding real-time data back to the flagship, and within seconds, a 4D hologram of the asteroid began constructing itself in front of Cleo.

Layer by layer, the asteroid was digitally dissected, revealing its internal structure. Cleo's gaze sharpened as the hologram reached the core and her suspicions were finally confirmed.

Embedded in the center of the asteroid was a massive purplish crystal, pulsating with energy that matched the readings from the Great Rock's crystals. But this crystal was far larger, with its power exponentially increasing.

"Tsk," Cleo muttered with a hint of frustration slipping into her otherwise calm demeanor. "So in the end, my instincts were right. Something is wrong."

The asteroid wasn't just a weapon; it was a trap. If destroyed recklessly, the energy within the crystal could trigger catastrophic consequences. Cleo's mind raced as she closed her eyes, running simulations through her neural interface.

"Running simulation: Detonate the asteroid."

The results were displayed almost instantly:

Result: Total destruction of the sector due to a massive space-time crack.

Cleo frowned. "....."

"Running simulation: Intercept the asteroid with obelisks."

The simulation ran again, and the results appeared:

Result: partial success. Unable to fully stop the asteroid, but secondary objective, delaying impact, was achieved. Evacuation time increased by 87%.

Cleo's golden eyes opened, her decision made. Her fleet couldn't destroy the asteroid outright without risking complete disaster. The only option was to slow it down and buy time for an evacuation.

She turned her gaze toward the six obelisks coming out of the Cleopatra. These were her newest creations, weapons of unmatched versatility and power.

The obelisks were designed to serve both offensive and defensive purposes, capable of deploying massive energy arrays or transforming into lethal weapons.

Each obelisk contained nanomaterials capable of adapting to any scenario, and they could draw power directly from the reactors of nearby ships through inorganic energy transfer systems.

"Prepare the obelisks for deployment," Cleo commanded. The obelisks were loaded into launch bays, ready to be fired into position.

A small AI avatar materialized on the holographic console before Cleo. It was Mini Cleo, the cheerful and mischievous AI companion who had been a frequent presence at Rex's side. She snapped to attention, giving a playful salute.

"Roger that, main body! Initiating obelisk deployment!" Mini Cleo chirped, her holographic form glowing with energy. "Using nanomaterials to enhance effective range... formation complete! Starting electromagnetic shield!"

The six obelisks launched from the Cleopatra with their sleek, metallic forms streaking through space. They moved into a circular formation around the asteroid, their positions calculated with pinpoint precision.

Once in place, the obelisks activated, beams of white energy connecting them and forming a massive electromagnetic barrier that surrounded the asteroid.

The barrier resembled a glowing fishing net, its energy strands pulsating as they struggled to contain the asteroid. Cleo extended her hand, controlling the obelisks with precision as she guided the barrier to make contact with the massive rock.

The moment the shield touched the asteroid, the purplish energy from the crystal began reacting violently. Sparks flew as the two incompatible forces clashed, sending shockwaves rippling through space. The electromagnetic barrier flared, creating a storm of lightning-like arcs that illuminated the void.

"Electromagnetic storm detected. Shield integrity holding at 67%." Mini Cleo's voice chimed in, her tone unusually serious despite her usual cheerful demeanor.

Cleo frowned but remained calm. She guided the obelisks to tighten their formation, forcing the barrier to compress further against the asteroid. The electromagnetic shield groaned under the strain, the nanomaterials struggling to adapt to the raw energy being unleashed by the asteroid's core.

Shockwaves rippled outward, shaking nearby ships and disrupting their systems. The Cleopatra's hull vibrated as the electromagnetic storm intensified, but Cleo didn't flinch.

"Mini Cleo, divert additional energy from the fleet's reactors into the obelisks. Prioritize stability over output."

"Roger that, main body! Redirecting energy now!" Mini Cleo responded, her tiny form darting between holographic controls.

As the obelisks drew power from the fleet, the electromagnetic barrier stabilized slightly, its glow intensifying. Cleo's golden eyes remained fixed on the asteroid, her mind calculating every variable.

The clash of energies was a spectacle of raw power, but Cleo knew this was only a temporary solution. The shield wouldn't hold forever. The asteroid's momentum was still pushing it forward, albeit at a slower pace.

"Time bought is time spent wisely," Cleo murmured to herself. She opened a channel to her fleet.

"All ships, prepare for immediate evacuation procedures. Prioritize transporting civilians and personnel from the trading station. Fighters, focus on suppressing any remaining threats."

While Cleo was stopping the asteroid with meticulous precision and monumental effort, Nyra was sprinting for her life through the chaos-ridden trading station. Her breath came in sharp, ragged bursts, and her crimson eyes darted around for threats.

Her personal shield flickered weakly around her, on the verge of breaking after enduring too many close calls.

"FUCK! What now?! Are they insane or something? DAMN ROCK BRAINS!" Nyra screamed as yet another golem came barreling toward her down the corridor.

Before she could react, the golem detonated, the blast sending her skidding across the floor, her body coated in a fine layer of dust and debris. She coughed and spat, shaking her head clear as her shield blinked dangerously, flickering like a dying lightbulb.

"Mmmm? Sis... where are we right now?" a weak, groggy voice mumbled from behind her.

Nyra's eyes widened slightly as she felt Lyra stirring on her back.

"Lyra! You're awake! Thank the stars!" Nyra exclaimed, relief flooding her voice. But the relief was short-lived as she remembered the hellish situation she was still in.

"And as for where we are... I HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE! I've been trying to reach the hangar, but these crazy golems keep charging at me and exploding! I had to keep changing directions to avoid getting turned into a pile of ash! And to make things worse, Master hasn't updated the coordinates she sent me before!"

Nyra tapped furiously at the device on her arm, glaring at the glitching GPS. The screen flickered and changed directions randomly, utterly useless in helping her navigate the labyrinth of collapsing corridors.

"So... you're saying my life depends on you," Lyra said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "And you got us lost, so I'll probably die in terrible suffering because of some kamikaze golems?"

Lyra's hand weakly reached up to grab a fistful of Nyra's hair, pulling it as hard as she could in her weakened state.

"Yep, that's more or less accurate," Nyra deadpanned, letting out a frustrated sigh. "And could you NOT pull my hair? What are you, a toddler?"

Lyra grumbled something unintelligible and continued to weakly gnaw on a strand of Nyra's silver hair.

Nyra suddenly stopped in her tracks, breathing heavily as she leaned against the wall for a moment. "...Hey, Lyra... Say, do you think the little cat is dead by now or something?"

Lyra's tired crimson eyes blinked open with confusion written on her face. "Wait... Did you leave him there after the explosions!?"

"Of course I did! You were my priority!" Nyra shot back without hesitation, resuming her frantic pace through the dimly lit corridor. The only light came from flickering emergency panels and the faint glow of exposed wires hanging loosely from the ceiling.

Lyra sighed dramatically. "Well... cats have multiple lives, don't they? So I guess he'll be alive somehow... I hope."

"Yeah, let's hope," Nyra muttered, rolling her eyes as she turned a corner. Her steps faltered when her gaze landed on yet another golem standing ominously in the distance, its jagged body radiating faint energy.

"Oh great, another walking bomb," she groaned.