Intergalactic conquest with an AI-Chapter 359: Fortress. {7}

The AI gave a nod and quickly relayed Cleo's command to the entire fleet. Within moments, the ships moved into position, surrounding the planet like predators circling prey. Then, with a synchronized flash of light, the bombardment began.

Massive cannons and turrets glowed with raw energy before releasing their payloads. Beams of plasma, ion missiles, kinetic rounds, and laser fire rained down onto the surface of the planet, slamming into the shield with relentless force. The dark space around them lit up with fire and fury, shaking the very skies of Xylos.

"Planetary Governor, sir! The shield integrity is dropping quickly; we're already down to 30% power!" a stressed officer shouted inside the underground command bunker on the planet. Red lights flashed along the walls, alarms echoed throughout the base, and every screen displayed critical warnings.

"It won't be long now. If they keep this up, they'll break through, and their troops will start landing," said one of the generals, his face pale but composed. He turned toward the elderly man sitting behind a large metal desk.

The governor of Xylos, a Tier 4 powerhouse and the man responsible for the defense of the entire world, didn't even look up at first. He continued filling out documents calmly, as if the world around him wasn't crumbling.

"Activate the fortress city barrier," the governor finally said after a long silence. His voice was calm but heavy with burden.

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"Send five hundred thousand soldiers to each of the secondary fortresses. Keep one million soldiers stationed in the main city-fortress, ready to respond. We'll reserve the last one million as backup. Reinforcements will be sent wherever they're needed."

"Understood, sir," the general responded with a salute. He turned to leave but hesitated near the doorway. After a moment of silence, he turned back, his face more serious now.

"...Governor, are we truly going to sacrifice everything for the Nexum bastards?" he asked, bitterness in his voice. "They never helped us when pirates raided our trade lanes, and now we're supposed to throw our lives away for them?"

The governor finally looked up. His old eyes, tired and wise, met the general's.

He didn't answer right away.

But from the silence, it was clear his loyalty to the megacorp was fading. And even on Xylos, the seeds of rebellion had already been planted.

"What are you saying, General?" the old governor asked with a tired but warm smile on his wrinkled face.

His voice was calm, yet carried the weight of many years. "They did send someone to help us this time, didn't they? Sure, it's a shame he was defeated so quickly, but at least they tried to support us. Hohoho, better than nothing, I suppose."

The general's face turned red with frustration. His voice exploded through the room like thunder.

"Help!? You call that help!? That arrogant fool only lasted a few hours! He wasn't even defeated honorably! we all saw him running away like a scared dog! Tail between his legs! Pathetic!"

In a sudden burst of rage, he slammed his fist into the nearby wall. The force was so strong that his armored hand punched right through it, leaving a deep, cracked hole.

The old governor turned his head slowly to look at the general, then shifted his eyes toward the new damage in the wall.

"That's coming out of your paycheck, General," he said with a smirk, one eyebrow raised. "You keep breaking things in my house, and I'll keep adding ten times the cost to your debt."

The general clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tsk... fine! I'll pay you after we repel this damn invasion!" he shouted, yanking his fist out of the wall... only to accidentally break off a bigger chunk and make the hole even larger.

The governor laughed softly. "And what if you die while defending the planet, hmm? Then who will pay me? Ahh, but no worries, your debt just grew even more with what you did right now. Hohoho."

The general clenched his fists tighter and stormed out of the office, his face red with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

"Dammit! Fine! If I die, you can take everything I own! I don't even have family, so screw it!" he shouted over his shoulder, slamming the door as he left.

The governor chuckled quietly to himself as he watched the door rattle."Hohoho... these young ones today... they really don't know how to control their emotions," he said while slowly standing up from his chair. He reached under his desk and pressed a small, hidden button.

With a quiet click, a section of the wall behind him began to shift. A hidden panel turned slowly, revealing an old but battle-hardened set of power armor.

The armor was covered in scratches, dents, and burn marks, evidence of many fierce battles. Laser scorches ran across the chest and limbs, and some of the armor's edges looked partially melted.

"Hello again, old friend," the governor said while stepping closer to the suit. "Looks like this time, we'll need to give it everything we've got... if we want to protect our people and survive. I'll be counting on you once more, hohoho."

He began to undress, unbuttoning his clothes with careful movements. Beneath them was his aged body, muscular but worn from decades of war.

Scars crisscrossed his skin, each one telling a story of survival. Parts of his body were reinforced with cybernetic metal plates, wires, and mechanical joints, keeping him alive after so many injuries. Though his body was old, it still held the strength of a warrior.

The governor placed a hand gently on the armor, his eyes full of both sorrow and determination.

Meanwhile, after another long and tense hour, the planetary barrier once thought to be unbreakable was finally destroyed.

With a sound like a thousand shattering windows, it broke apart into glowing fragments, scattering into the sky like sparkling fairy dust. The pieces vanished into the air, beautiful yet ominous, marking the beginning of the true battle.

As soon as the barrier was gone, the massive fortress city responded immediately. Hidden systems roared to life as the entire structure, along with its four surrounding fortresses, activated a powerful energy shield of its own.

A glowing dome of light enveloped them all, humming with energy, protecting the heart of the city like a shell around a pearl.

Inside the command room of the Cleopatra Fortress, Cleo stood silently near a reinforced window. Her gaze was sharp, focused, and calm as she watched the world below.

The fortress, shaped like a floating mountain made of steel, slowly lowered itself into position just a few kilometers away from the city. It was so massive that it blocked out the sun for miles, casting a shadow over the land and turning day into night.

To the enemy, this sudden darkness might have felt like the end had arrived.

"Lilla, you take the east. Ys, you handle the west," Cleo said firmly, her voice filled with calm authority.

"I'll take care of the north and south. Based on what my spies uncovered, the four fortresses need to be destroyed first. It's the key to weakening their barrier."

"If we don't take them out quickly, we'll lose too much time, and we won't be able to prepare for the arrival of the Nexum conquest fleet."

The command room was quiet for a moment as her words sank in. Then, the crew and commanders nodded in silent agreement. There was no hesitation. Everyone knew what was at stake.

From the surface, many might have expected panic. After all, the sight of the Cleopatra Fortress descending from the sky would have been enough to crush the morale of any normal army. Its sheer size, its weapons... it could have terrified anyone.

But not these soldiers.