Intergalactic conquest with an AI

The champion took the datapad, his tentacles curled in thought as his eyes scanned the glowing display. Line after line of data scrolled by; it showed the power, wealth, and military of his connections. These were not just attendees but possible tools, pieces to be moved on the board of influence.

"Mmm…" he mused, his voice sounding low, almost to himself. "Only twenty... Do you think it will be enough?"

The guard exchanged a glance with his fellow elite before answering carefully, "Enough for what purpose, my lord?"

The champion's gaze lingered on the datapad as a thin smile tugged at his lips. He did not answer right away, but finally, he spoke, his words quiet but heavy.

"To clean the ship."

The datapad dimmed in his hand as he lowered it. His eyes wandered again to the ballroom, to the glittering nobles and laughing merchants who believed they had come here merely for an evening of trade and opportunity. But in his mind, their fates were already being weighed against something far greater.

The elite guard paused, his face tightening as he considered his lord's words. At last, he lowered his head in a respectful bow before answering.

"My lord, we are ten Tier Four warriors in your personal guard. With the addition of the guests, that gives us only thirty in total. It is still not enough to attempt cleansing that ship."

"Even if you yourself joined us, the task would be nearly impossible. After all, what you desire is not its destruction, but its capture. That… is far more difficult."

The planetary champion's tentacles shifted, curling in thought as his eyes narrowed. "Mmm, that is true…" he murmured. He was about to continue when his words halted mid-breath.

A ripple passed through his senses, sharp and undeniable. His gaze turned, scanning the ballroom below, though his focus was not on the guests. It was something else. Something or someone that just arrived.

"Perhaps," he said softly, his voice colored by a faint smile, "the reinforcements we need will present themselves at this very ball." He patted the guard's armored arm and began walking down the wide staircase, his presence commanding silence as he descended.

Outside the mansion, in the sprawling parking area, a line of sleek luxury cars gleamed under the artificial lights. Nobles and merchants stepped out in glittering attire, their garments jeweled, their laughter sharp with vanity. Every vehicle there was an object of status, polished to perfection and humming with subtle energy fields.

Which is why the arrival of a heavy armored vehicle stood out like a scar across silk. Its hull was reinforced, its design purposeful and martial, the kind of transport reserved for high-ranking nobles from other systems or dignitaries who lived behind battalions of guards. Its arrival silenced the murmurs of the nearby crowd.

"Do you see that?" one noble whispered, his jeweled hand tightening around his glass of pale wine as he pointed toward the vehicle.

"I see it," another replied, his tone curious and faintly worried. "But do you know who it belongs to?"

"Not in the slightest," the first admitted. "I wasn't informed of any visiting noble of such rank." His eyes darted about nervously. Then he snapped his fingers at a nearby guard. "You there! Go and find out whose vehicle that is."

The guard bowed and hurried off, vanishing into the moving crowd. The nobles continued whispering, their curiosity piqued and their imaginations running wild.

Inside the armored vehicle, Rex sat stiffly, his hands clasped so tightly that the armored plating along his knuckles groaned under the pressure. His silver eyes darted to the polished windows, where he could already see the shimmer of the mansion's glow.

"Rex?" Cleo's voice broke the silence. She sat across from him, one of her eyes glowing faintly blue as it read his vitals through her systems. "Your blood pressure is rising. You appear… nervous."

"Of course I'm nervous!" Rex blurted out, running a hand through his hair as his wings twitched restlessly against the back of the seat. "Going to war, fighting disgusting monsters, dealing with mercenaries... I can handle that. That's normal. That's life. But this?"

He jabbed a thumb toward the glowing mansion. "These luxury gatherings, with nobles and rich merchants, with everyone watching your every move? That's not something I'll ever get used to! I've only been to, what, one or two of these ridiculous things?"

Cleo tilted her head, analyzing his expression with quiet curiosity.

Rex didn't even notice that his feet had started tapping the metallic floor of the vehicle, restless and nervous. Each tap released a faint pulse of silver energy from his aura, sending shockwaves through the vehicle's reinforced hull. The air inside vibrated faintly with each thrum, like a heartbeat growing louder and louder.

Cleo's sensors detected the output instantly, though her expression remained calm. "Rex. You are leaking aura again," she said in a patient voice. "If you do not stop, the guests outside may believe you are attempting to announce your presence… rather violently."

Rex froze, blinking, then lifted both feet off the floor in alarm. "Damn it!" He forced an awkward laugh, scratching his cheek. "Yeah… probably not the best way to make an entrance."

A few minutes after Cleo calmed Rex, the guard sent by one of the nobles returned in haste, his footsteps echoing across the polished stones of the courtyard. He approached his master, bowed deeply, and spoke with a respectful but uncertain tone.

"My lord, the owner of the armored vehicle appears to be a wealthy merchant. He arrived today and was personally invited by the planetary champion. That is most likely why he was granted such a dignitary's transport."

The noble's jeweled fingers tightened around his goblet, his expression twisting in outrage. "What!?" His voice rang sharp, catching the attention of nearby guests.

"That armored vehicle belongs to nothing more than a rich peasant? And he dares... he dares... to arrive in front of us as though he were royalty?" His eyes burned with arrogance. "Guards! Pull him out of that vehicle at once. I want to see what sort of insolent fool hides inside."

The guards exchanged hesitant glances. They knew such orders were reckless, but fear of their master outweighed caution. With reluctant steps, they advanced toward the armored vehicle, their hands resting on their weapons.

But they never made it.

Just a meter from the vehicle, a thunderous shockwave erupted outward, invisible yet merciless. The guards were hurled back through the air like dolls, crashing onto the pavement several meters away with cries of pain. Dust scattered across the courtyard, and silence gripped the guests.

But the storm had only begun.

From within the vehicle, wave after wave of silvery aura spilled outward, each pulse heavier than the last. The ground shuddered as though a heartbeat larger than the planet itself was rising from beneath their feet.

Those nearest to the armored transport fell to their knees, gasping as their chests tightened under the sheer weight of the energy. Some clutched their throats; others pressed trembling hands to the ground, unable to rise.

The silvery light of the aura shimmered faintly in the air, bending the glow of the mansion's lamps as if reality itself was being warped. The guests whispered frantically, fear tangled with awe, their once-proud voices reduced to trembling gasps.

Inside the mansion, the planetary champion froze in mid-step. His senses flared, and his gaze snapped toward the source. His tentacles stiffened, and for the first time that night, the easy arrogance in his expression vanished. That aura was not the clumsy display of a rich peasant. It was raw, overwhelming power.

Without hesitation, the planetary champion released his own aura, a storm of force surging across the ballroom like a hurricane breaking against stone.

The chandeliers above rattled, the walls groaned, and the nobles inside cried out as the air grew dense. His power rose in an attempt to counter the intruder's presence, to contain what felt like an uncontrolled beast awakening outside his home.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the storm ended.

The silvery aura receded in an instant, swallowed back into the armored vehicle as if it had never been. Silence returned, broken only by the ragged breathing of guests still kneeling on the ground.

Inside the vehicle, Cleo's glowing eye dimmed as she spoke with calm precision. "Rex. Stop leaking aura. You are alarming everyone outside."

Rex blinked, startled out of his thoughts, then froze. His wings curled inward as he realized what he had done. "Oh… crap." He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish laugh. "Guess I got a little carried away."

Of course, for the nobles and the planetary champion, it was no laughing matter. To them, it was not the slip of a nervous soldier. It was the deliberate show of a predator announcing its arrival.

A silence hung heavy in the air outside, every eye fixed on the armored vehicle. The nobles whispered, their voices trembling with both dread and fascination, and in their minds, only one question lingered, "Who was inside that carriage?"

"My friend, can you give me some face and come out?" the planetary champion called out; his voice sounded measured and careful. He remained hovering at a safe distance, his aura restrained but ready, like a coiled serpent.

Inside the armored vehicle, Rex arched a brow. "Mmm? Why is this guy here? Is this that legendary thing they call "oppressing the newcomer"? His tone was casual, but his wings flexed faintly, betraying the restless energy in his body.