Chapter 128 Rocks.

"Remember everyone!" Nyra shouted, her voice ringing out above the chaotic hum of descending engines. "Hold your fire! Do not shoot the transport ships! Let them land; otherwise, Teacher will lose her mind about us wrecking the hangar bay!" Her crimson eyes scanned the Bloody Legion, her command ensuring that discipline remained tight even as the massive transport ships loomed overhead. Cleo had made it clear in her instructions that the hangar bay wasn't just a battlefield; it was a vital operational hub. Damaging it would jeopardize more than just this fight; it could cost lives. The transport ships were unlike anything Nyra had seen from pirates before. Their reinforced hulls glinted under the artificial lights, clearly military-grade, not slapped-together scrap heaps. As the first vessel landed with a metallic groan, its side doors hissed open, revealing rows of heavily armored soldiers, their forms obscured by black, angular plates that glowed faintly with ominous red energy lines. These weren't pirates. Their weapons looked terrifyingly advanced, sleek, and menacing. Not a single crude blaster among them. The moment the soldiers disembarked, chaos erupted. The air filled with the deafening roar of gunfire and the shrill whine of lasers. Even the manual turrets mounted on top of the transport ships came alive, spraying relentless fire at anything that moved. "Return fire!!" Nyra shouted, her voice cutting through the noise. She darted out of cover, dodging a hail of metallic bullets while blocking several laser blasts with her shimmering red energy shield. Lyra, meanwhile, wasn't faring as well. "SIS! " she yelled, clumsily ducking behind a nearby container as bullets and lasers rained around her. Her personal energy shield flared under the constant barrage, flickering dangerously. "I don't think those are pirates!" Nyra, even while dodging fire, found time to roll her eyes. "I think that's pretty obvious at this point!" she snapped. Then, noticing Lyra's exposed position, her tone shifted to one of annoyance. " And stop talking and find cover! You're getting shot too much!" Without waiting for her sister to comply, Nyra crafted a pair of crimson chains from her blood, their metallic sheen glinting under the harsh lights. The chains shot out with incredible speed, wrapping around Lyra's waist and yanking her backward toward Nyra's position. Lyra let out a surprised yelp as she was dragged behind the same cargo container Nyra was using for cover. "Ouch!" Lyra whined, rubbing her butt with an indignant expression. "What was that for?!" Nyra gave her a pointed look, smirking. "What? You were about to get shot! Besides, you should thank me. You owe your big sister for saving your big butt!" Lyra glared, her cheeks flushing. "We're twins! Stop acting like you're older! And my butt isn't even that big!" Nyra grinned but didn't respond, her attention already back on the battlefield. Above them, the Aegis units stationed on the second floor were proving to be a serious problem for the invaders. Their plasma rifles tore through enemy ranks, with each shot hitting with pinpoint precision. The enemy soldiers, despite their advanced equipment, found it difficult to deal with the relentless barrage. For every move they made, another plasma bolt would cut through their lines. The leader of the enemy boarding party, standing just outside one of the transport ships, growled in frustration. "Tell the gunners to focus fire on the second floor! Suppress those units, now!" One of his subordinates nodded, immediately relaying the order through a communication device. Moments later, the transport ships' mounted turrets swiveled upward, unleashing a rain of bullets and lasers at the Aegis units on the second floor. The once-dominant plasma fire began to falter as the gunners forced the Aegis units to take cover. "Got it, Teacher," Nyra replied, grinning despite the chaos. "See, Lyra? Told you it wasn't just about swinging blades around like a maniac." Lyra rolled her eyes, spinning her tentacles defensively as she prepared for the next wave. "Just focus, sis. We've got a lot of 'rocks' to crush before Rex gets here." "Rocks or not," Nyra said, her grin widening, "they're still going to regret landing here." [Warning, energy shield at 2%], On the Cleopatra's command bridge, a red holo-screen suddenly flared into existence, glowing ominously beside Cleo's holographic form. The message was simple yet foreboding. [Activating Armored Mode.] Cleo's calm, serene voice echoed across the ship's systems as she confirmed the order. "Initiating transformation to armored mode. All personnel, brace for structural reconfiguration." From the outside, the Cleopatra began to undergo a dramatic transformation. Its once sleek and elegant design, a ship of pristine beauty and engineering, was replaced by something far more menacing. Thick layers of reinforced armor panels emerged from concealed compartments, sliding into place with mechanical precision. The glowing golden trims and artistic curves were swallowed by angular, utilitarian plating. Turrets repositioned themselves behind additional protective covers, and missile bays were fortified. The Cleopatra no longer resembled a marvel of craftsmanship, it was now a fortress in space, a vessel designed to endure and retaliate against overwhelming force. But the transformation was not instantaneous. As the Cleopatra shifted into its armored configuration, its energy shields began to flicker and finally collapsed under the relentless barrage from the remaining enemy capital ship. "Shields are down," Cleo noted , her golden eyes narrowing as her sensors detected the enemy ship's main cannons turning toward her vessel's most vulnerable area, the command bridge. The glowing tips of the enemy ship's massive cannons unleashed their fury, and in an instant, two titanic energy blasts surged toward the Cleopatra's bridge. They landed with devastating precision, the sheer force of the impact shrouding the entire bridge tower in a thick cloud of smoke and debris. The impact sent tremors rippling through the ship. For a moment, the battlefield went silent, both friend and foe watching to see if the command center had been obliterated. Through the smoke, Cleo's voice cut through, calm and confident as always. "It seems I'm not the only one who thinks targeting the bridge is the most useful strategy." A faint smile graced her lips, even in the face of what seemed like disaster. As the smoke cleared, the Cleopatra's bridge tower was revealed, still standing tall. Its surface was unmarred, glowing faintly with golden energy coursing through intricate patterns etched into the armor. Upon closer inspection, a honeycomb-shaped energy shield shimmered around the structure, reinforcing it further. "But I'm not foolish enough to ignore a countermeasure for something I would do myself," Cleo said, her voice carrying a sharp edge of amusement. The energy shield surrounding the bridge was one of Cleo's most advanced defenses, an independent adaptive barrier matrix that only activated when the ship's shields were down. Unlike standard shields, this system was designed specifically to protect critical sections of the ship from concentrated fire, ensuring that even a direct hit from a capital-class cannon wouldn't breach the command center. The enemy ship hesitated, its bridge crew likely stunned by the failed strike. Cleo took advantage of the pause. Her holographic form raised a hand, pointing a single finger toward the now-vulnerable capital ship. "Nice try," she said coolly, her expression unchanging. "B ut now, it's my turn to return the gift." With her command, the Cleopatra's main cannons rotated with mechanical precision, their glowing barrels locking onto the enemy ship. The air on the bridge was tense, the silence before the storm, as Cleo prepared to fire.