Intergalactic conquest with an AI-Chapter 388: Ending a war to start another war. {6}

The display shifted, showing colored markers where each system was mounted. The fortress, seen now in all its glory, looked more like a floating city of war than a space station.

Rex gave a low whistle, clearly impressed. "…Now that sounds like a proper fortress."

He then shifted his gaze to the left side of the throne room, where a special guest sat guarded by two Aegis Units standing silently at his sides. This was no ordinary visitor. It was Lazien the Musician General, once a powerful fleet commander, now a war prisoner after his dramatic surrender to Cleo.

The man exhaled deeply while swirling the drink in his glass.

"Ha… to think I lost to a fake fortress. If I'd known it didn't even have weapons at the time, maybe I could've dragged the fight out longer... No.... never mind." He shook his head with a half-smile.

"Even unarmed, I was already defeated… by my own weapons. Maybe it's time I start thinking about retirement?"

Rex smirked while rubbing his temple. "Well, I haven't finished reading the wall of text my wife calls a report... three hundred thousand words and counting... so I don't know every detail yet..." He sighed.

"But I do know one thing: you're officially our war prisoner now. That much I got, right?"

Lazien took another sip from his glass, nodding.

"That's correct. So... what's going to happen to me now, Your Highness?"

Rex leaned back while tapping his fingers against the throne's armrest.

"Hmm... what should we do with you?" He made a gesture with his fingers, mimicking counting money. "Say, how much do you think Nexum Dynamics would pay to get you back?"

Lazien let out a hearty laugh, nearly choking on his drink.

The Aegis Units didn't share the humor. Reacting instantly, they raised their plasma rifles, aiming them squarely at his head.

The general quickly raised both hands. "Hey, hey—hold on! I'm not laughing at you, Your Highness." He cleared his throat. "It's just... it seems you're not too familiar with how the megacorps work."

His grin returned, more amused than smug. "If you fought me in the Outer Rim, that means only one thing: I've already been discarded by the Noble Council."

Rex raised an eyebrow. "So, what, are you a criminal or something?" Lazien made a nonchalant gesture with his hands.

"Criminal? That's such a harsh word. Let's just say… I have a bad habit of enjoying my freedom a little too much." He smirked. "Drinking when I want, fighting how I want, and sleeping with whoever I want. That last one is what really got me into trouble."

Rex's face contorted slightly. "Let me guess, you slept with someone's wife?"

The general laughed again, but this time more like a charming rogue than a disgraced officer. "Wives. Daughters. Sisters. I never discriminated." He shrugged, as if it were all just part of life.

"Not my fault those uptight nobles can't keep their ladies satisfied. And as a man of culture, I simply couldn't leave such lovely flowers to wither in loneliness." His tone sounded more like a playboy from a high-end nightclub than a hardened fleet commander.

Rex shook his head, partly amused, partly annoyed. "You made that many enemies with your... lower head, and they didn't kill you? Why send you to the Outer Rim instead of stripping your rank or ending you quietly?"

Lazien leaned back with a grin.

"Because I was too useful. Simple as that. I've commanded more successful raids and won more fleet battles than most of the clowns on the Council.

"Killing me would've been bad for morale. But sending me out to the edge of the galaxy with half a fleet? That's punishment and exile without the messy politics." He tilted his glass again.

"Plus, they figured I'd either die out there... or be someone else's problem. Looks like I became yours."

Rex smirked slightly.

"You're not wrong. But whether you're a problem... or an asset, that's still up in the air."

Rex stood from his throne and began walking toward the massive doors of the chamber. "Come. Let's talk while we stretch our legs a bit. I heard there's a fantastic green area in this fortress I've been dying to see."

Lazien simply smiled and rose to his feet, following the silver-armored man as the two Aegis Units flanked him once more. Behind them, Cleo and the other girls quietly fell in line.

As they exited the grand hall and entered the corridors of Cleopatra Fortress, Lazien's eyes widened. The interior was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

Patrolling squads moved past them every five minutes with flawless mechanical precision. Each patrol was led by a Tyrant Unit, towering and plated in dark alloy armor, followed by two lines of five Aegis Units, marching in synchronized steps like a clockwork phalanx. All were heavily armed and bore advanced loadouts.

But that was only the beginning.

As the group moved out of the narrower halls and into the wide arterial sectors of the fortress, the scale expanded dramatically. The patrols weren't just infantry anymore.

Armored tanks rumbled past, drones perched on their backs like hawks, scanning the surroundings. Massive bipedal walkers, machines Lazien had never seen before, strode between the roads, each step shaking the floor with weight and power.

Above them, the ceiling arched high like a metal sky, and fighter patrols zipped through dedicated aerial corridors. Hangars opened and closed with humming energy shields, allowing starcraft to pass seamlessly into space and back.

The entire structure felt alive, like a city, a bastion, and a machine of war all in one.

Rex glanced sideways with a small smirk playing at his lips. "Amazing, right?"

Lazien nodded slowly, still trying to take it all in. "Indeed… I've never seen anything like this before."

Rex chuckled. "I had the same reaction when I saw it for the first time. Anyway, our transport's here. Let's talk somewhere more comfortable before we get stepped on by one of your 'former' friends."

A sleek, armored transport glided to a halt beside them. It gleamed silver and black; its design was sleek but clearly well-protected. Its doors opened with a hiss of steam and shifting panels.

This wasn't just any vehicle.

Rex's personal transport, built by Cleo herself, was the only one of its kind. Inside, it had spacious leather seating, tinted windows, an advanced holographic interface, and an atmosphere control system.

More importantly, the AI pilot had full clearance to traverse every part of Cleopatra Fortress, even the restricted zones guarded by automatic defense systems. It could go anywhere, safely and without delay.

Rex stepped inside, gesturing lazily for Lazien to follow.

"Come on, General. Let's see if the gardens live up to their reputation... and maybe talk about whether your talents still have a place in this new war."

Once they were seated inside the luxurious transport, a sleek and spacious vehicle that hummed quietly as it moved through the fortress, Rex finally broke the silence.

"So, tell me, General," Rex said with genuine curiosity in his voice, his silver eyes glinting slightly under the warm cabin lights. "From your perspective, how difficult would it be to launch a siege against this fortress?"

He wasn't just making conversation; he was truly looking for insight from someone who had spent decades commanding fleets in countless battles.

Lazien leaned back into the plush seat, his expression turning thoughtful. He tapped a finger against his knee as he considered the question carefully. After a few minutes of silent thinking, he finally gave his answer.

"Honestly," Lazien began, his tone serious, "until I see the full extent of your firepower in action, I can't give a perfect answer. But..."

He paused, recalling the patrols of armored soldiers, the tanks, the mechs, and the drone squadrons he had seen on their way to the transport. "Let's assume the enemy managed to heavily damage the fortress's engines and began a full-scale boarding operation using siege ships and drop pods."

He nodded slowly, still processing. "Based on what little I've seen so far, I'd say it would take several million common foot soldiers, mmm, possibly even more. They'd also need at least a million heavy units, like siege tanks and walkers."

"And to tip the scales in their favor, the enemy would require a few top-tier powerhouses, maybe Tier 5 or even Tier 6, to punch through key defenses and gain an upper hand in the siege."

Rex nodded at the answer, quietly impressed. Meanwhile, Cleo, who sat gracefully behind him, remained silent. Part of her was pleased that Lazien acknowledged the fortress's strength, but another part of her knew he hadn't seen everything. Not even close.

In her calculations, the Cleopatra Fortress had far more up its sleeve. She knew, without a doubt, that it could severely injure even a Tier 7 powerhouse under the right conditions.

And if things ever got truly desperate, there was always the final option: self-destruction. But this wasn't a simple explosion like other ships.

The Cleopatra's core would collapse in on itself, becoming a black hole that would devour everything nearby, including enemy ships and even space-time itself. This was the Kaelzars way of making sure no one ever stole their technology, no matter the cost.

The conversation continued for a while longer. They exchanged a few more thoughts about hypothetical attacks and how they would counter them. As they spoke, the vehicle glided effortlessly through the vast corridors of the fortress.

Eventually, the transport came to a slow stop in front of a towering structure, a giant dome, easily several kilometers wide, nestled in the heart of the fortress's fourth level.

The group exited the vehicle and approached a teleport platform. With a soft flash of light, they were instantly transported inside the dome.

What they saw next left almost everyone stunned.