When he saw them, the first thing that caught his attention was their color. They were mostly white with golden accessories. The humanoid robots stood at 1.85 meters tall, with heavily plated armor and energy shields that projected in front of them. They were also equipped with energy shield projectors, heavy plasma rifles, and integrated drone swarms for area defense.
"So, Cleo, why is the color... well, so bright? Don't they need to be, I don't know, more discreet?" Rex asked, pointing at the Aegis Sentinels.
"It's the color normally used for the royal family of my race. Also, it doesn't really matter. Planetary wars are always on a large scale. There's no point in hiding when artillery will just blow you to pieces or when smaller ships bombard you from the atmosphere."
"But still, wouldn't it be better if we, I don't know, hid them somehow, so the artillery and smaller ships wouldn't target them?" Rex asked, frowning slightly.
Cleo summoned multiple screens, each displaying video footage. "I understand what you're trying to say, but here are some records of conquest battles I was part of ages ago."
Rex watched as entire legions of Kaelzar troops of different colors fought against an unknown alien race. The might of the Kaelzar was overwhelming. Hundreds of thousands of Aegis Sentinels, in a variety of colors, moved with such agility and speed that it seemed like a nightmare to face them.
However, even the Aegis Sentinels were dwarfed by the other colossal units in their army. The firepower displayed in the footage was on a scale that Rex had never seen, and he'd seen plenty of battles thanks to the intergalactic news.
Just as Rex thought the Kaelzar forces would win easily, a rain of artillery fire began raining down on them. Thousands of the smaller Kaelzar units were destroyed, but the larger ones sustained almost no damage. Soon after, small space fighters attempted to take down the massive Kaelzar units, only to be effortlessly destroyed.
The video ended, and Cleo turned to Rex. "As you can see, planetary wars are pure chaos. Even if you wanted to camouflage your troops, it wouldn't help unless they were covert ops units. There are other units, led by another princess, for that kind of work."
Rex put his hand on his chin, thinking. "Then what's the point of using ground units to take over a planet? Won't it be better to destroy everything from space with the bigger ship weapons?"
"That would be better if your goal is to destroy a world, not conquer it. Planetary wars are fought to take control of a planet for later use. They're the most common type of conflict because once you conquer the planet, all of its resources and local inhabitants become yours."
"Mmm, I see. So the color is mainly to identify which force is attacking," Rex said, nodding to himself.
Cleo nodded back. "Exactly, it's mostly for identification."
"Wait, we got off track," Rex said, shaking his head. "Let's get back to the original task. How can we use the Aegis Sentinels to collect our credits?"
Cleo smiled. "Well, while the Aegis Sentinels are primarily used for war, they're still a form of AI with limited intelligence. They can handle various tasks without any issues. Go ahead, try giving them a command."
"Order them? I can do that." Rex asked, surprised.
"Affirmative. You have the same authority to command them as I do."
"Oh, sweet. Let me think... mmm."
"You three over there, I want you all to head to the Thunderblades HQ and tell their leader, Talon, to pay up the credits he owes us. If he doesn't, you're free to take down their headquarters," Rex said, standing firmly in front of the Aegis Sentinels.
[Understood. We will proceed to resupply and depart as soon as we are ready], replied the Aegis Sentinel at the front. With that, the robots moved toward some cargo drones waiting just outside the ship. Rex watched in amazement as they recharged their weapons and swapped out their energy batteries, all by themselves.
Once they were ready, the Sentinels took off at an incredible speed, heading toward the city, leaving Rex standing there, wide-eyed. He then turned to Cleo, still processing what just happened.
"Uh, Cleo? Is this really going to be okay? And now that I think about it, how are they going to get past the guard checkpoints?" Rex asked, shifting nervously from foot to foot.
"There's no need to worry, Rex. I already added the signal of the Aegis Sentinels to the system so they'll be identified as rank 4 individuals. As you know, those are usually troops under the nobles, so the guards won't even bother stopping them, let alone questioning them."
"Well, I didn't actually know that, but now I do. Thanks, Cleo." With that, Rex went back to take his seat at the table where he had been eating with Ys, only to find she wasn't there anymore.
"Cleo, have you seen where Ys went?"
"Negative. My sensors don't detect anything within two kilometers."
Something clicked in Rex's mind. "Wait... don't tell me she...!"
Meanwhile, after three hours of nonstop running, the Aegis Sentinels had already reached the city gates. They were immediately stopped by the city guards, who quickly raised their weapons at the heavily armed robots.
"Stop! Identify yourselves!" the leader of the guards shouted.
"Lower your weapons, right now!" another guard ordered.
The Aegis Sentinels analyzed the situation, recognizing the guards' weapons as potential threats. They were about to raise their own guns in response when suddenly another guard came sprinting out from inside the city.
"Sir! Hold on, stop!" the new arrival yelled, completely out of breath. Once he reached the group, he bent over, panting heavily, trying to catch his breath.
"Sir, they're... rank 4!" he managed to say between gasps.
At those words, all the guards' eyes widened in shock. They quickly lowered their weapons, their expressions shifting from suspicion to fear. The leader of the guards, who had been barking orders just moments before, now looked pale.
"Let them pass! Clear the way!" he ordered, his voice trembling slightly. The guards quickly made way, allowing the Aegis Sentinels to continue without further incident.
The Sentinels entered the city and headed straight for the Thunderblades Headquarters, maintaining their relentless pace. As they disappeared from view, one of the younger guards approached the leader, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Sir, what exactly is a rank 4? I've never seen one before."
"It's normal that you don't know about them," the leader replied, his voice low. "You're new here. But let me give you some advice: never cross them. They're veteran troops under the orders of the nobles. If we mess with them, we're as good as dead."
Inside the Thunderblades HQ, it was just another day. The mercenaries were drinking in the tavern inside the building, while a screen near the secretary displayed a variety of jobs available for them to take on. None of them had any idea what was about to happen.
Just outside the main door, the three Aegis Sentinels were deploying small signal-jamming drones to cover the entire building. Once the building was fully covered, the Sentinels stepped inside. The moment they entered, the eyes of the mercenaries in the tavern locked onto them.
"We solicit the presence of the individual known as Talos," said the Aegis Sentinel in the middle, its voice calm and mechanical. Just as they had with Rex, the mercenaries jumped to their feet, quickly pointing all kinds of weapons at the Sentinels.
["The neutral situation has escalated to preventive aggression. Initiating defensive protocol,"] the Aegis announced. Their hands transformed into weapons, guns now aimed directly at the mercenaries. The plasma shots were already charged, primed, and ready to fire at a moment's notice.
As the tension in the room grew unbearable, a small giggle echoed from above the Aegis Sentinels. Instantly, they shifted their guns toward the ceiling, scanning for the source of the sound but seeing nothing.
"I suggest you all lower your weapons, or I'll have to deal with you myself. And I'd rather not break my husband's toys," said a voice that was cute and childlike yet somehow authoritative.
From the direction the Aegis were pointing, a glowing green light began to form. A figure emerged, slowly materializing into a breathtakingly beautiful woman. She floated gently down, and the mercenaries could only stare in awe. The Aegis were the first to respond.
["Identity confirmed. Changing target status to neutral,"] one of the Sentinels stated. However, the words seemed to annoy the woman, who was now pouting at them.
"What do you mean neutral? I'm the wife of your leader! I should be marked as an ally, not neutral!" she protested.
The Aegis Sentinels began processing the information, scanning through their databases for any records.
["Negative. There is no information verifying your status as the wife of the Kaelzar Emperor. The only registered spouse is Empress Cleo."]
"W-what!?" Ys stammered, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief.