Conquering Planets: Rise of the Cosmic Tyrant-Chapter 11: A Risky Plan

By dusk, the first enemy scouts appeared.

Three riders, cloaked in black and silver—Cedric’s colors. They moved carefully, eyes scanning the hills.

Aldric watched from a ridge above.

He gave the signal.

Arrows hissed through the air.

The first scout fell instantly—a shaft buried in his throat.

The second tried to wheel his horse around—too slow. An arrow punched through his chest, sending him tumbling.

The third spurred his horse, racing back to warn the others.

Aldric had expected that.

From the shadows, a rebel lunged with a spear, catching the rider in the ribs.

Three scouts dead.

Cedric’s men would know now.

And they’d be coming.

Nightfall

The horns began at sundown.

Low, deep, and foreboding.

Cedric’s army had arrived.

From the treeline, dozens of torches flickered like fireflies. The glow reflected off steel armor, off drawn blades.

Aldric stood atop a rocky outcrop, eyes scanning the mass of soldiers.

Too many.

A direct fight was suicide.

They had to break them before they could strike.

He turned to Valerian. "Ready?"

Valerian grinned, hefting his sword. "Always."

Aldric nodded.

"Light it."

The Trap

High above the valley, hidden among the cliffs, rebels set the fire.

Dry brush, soaked in oil, ignited in an instant.

Flames roared to life, racing down the slopes. Smoke billowed, thick and choking.

Cedric’s men panicked. Horses reared. Soldiers shouted.

Then—

Rocks began to fall.

Boulders, loosened by the fire, came crashing down.

Men screamed. Bones snapped.

Chaos erupted.

Aldric watched as Cedric’s vanguard collapsed, buried under rubble.

It wasn’t enough to stop them.

But it was enough to slow them down.

And that was all the rebels needed.

The Clash

The first wave charged.

Aldric met them head-on.

Steel clashed against steel.

He sidestepped a wild swing, driving his sword into a man’s gut. Spun. Parried. Countered.

To his right, Valerian was a whirlwind of death—greatsword carving through armor like parchment.

Elya danced between enemies, daggers flashing, cutting throats before they could react.

For a moment—just a moment—it felt winnable.

Then the second wave came.

The Turning Point

Cedric’s elite troops entered the fray—heavily armored, disciplined, ruthless.

The rebels began to fall back.

One by one, Aldric’s fighters collapsed under the sheer force of the assault.

Aldric barely dodged a sword meant to take his head. He countered, but his arms were heavy. His body aching.

Then—

A horn blast.

But this time, it wasn’t Cedric’s.

A new force emerged from the trees.

Riders. Cloaked in deep green.

Aldric’s eyes widened.

Reinforcements.

The Tide Turns

The cavalry smashed into Cedric’s flank.

Lances pierced through armor. Hooves trampled over fallen soldiers.

Cedric’s men staggered, caught between two forces.

Valerian let out a roar. "Push forward!"

The rebels rallied.

Aldric drove forward, sword flashing. He could see Cedric’s banner in the distance, retreating.

The battle had turned.

But it wasn’t over.

Not yet.

Cedric’s Escape

Cedric knew when to cut his losses.

He barked orders, his remaining troops forming a defensive line as they fell back. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Aldric pursued, cutting down stragglers.

But Cedric himself?

He was gone.

Slipped away like a snake in the dark.

Aldric swore under his breath.

The battle was theirs.

But Cedric was still out there.

And he would return.

Aftermath

The battlefield was silent.

Bodies littered the ground. Blood soaked the earth.

The rebels had won.

But at a cost.

Aldric surveyed his remaining fighters. Fewer than before.

Too few.

He exhaled, sheathing his sword.

There would be no rest.

Not yet.

Because as long as Cedric lived—

----

The morning after the battle smelled of smoke and death. The sun had barely begun to rise, and already, the survivors were moving. Some were tending to the wounded. Others were dragging the dead into makeshift graves.

Aldric stood on a ridge overlooking the battlefield. They had won. But victory had come at a cost.

He could hear the distant murmurs of his people—whispers of relief mixed with exhaustion. They had fought harder than ever before, but it was far from over. Cedric had escaped. That bastard always slipped away when things turned against him.

Valerian approached, his greatsword slung across his back. He looked like he hadn’t slept.

"We should move," Valerian said. "Before Cedric regroups."

Aldric nodded. "How many did we lose?"

Valerian exhaled sharply. "Too many."

That was the truth of it.

Too many good men and women had fallen.

And yet, the war wasn’t over.

By noon, they had finished gathering the bodies. There was no time for proper burials. The best they could do was burn the dead before disease set in.

Elya supervised the process. Her face was hard, her movements mechanical.

She had lost people too.

Aldric didn’t say anything—there was nothing to say. He simply stood beside her as the flames roared, consuming the fallen.

Then, finally, he turned to what came next.

The Council

The remaining leaders of the rebellion gathered in what was left of the camp. A large map was stretched out before them, marked with ink and bloodstains.

"We broke Cedric’s forces," Valerian said. "But not his will. He’ll be back."

Aldric stared at the map. "Where is he now?"

Elya traced a path. "If I had to guess? He’ll regroup at Black Hollow Keep. It’s close, fortified, and still under his control."

Black Hollow. A fortress built into the cliffs. Easy to defend. Hard to attack.

Aldric clenched his jaw.

If Cedric made it there, the war could drag on for months—maybe even years.

"We have to strike before he reaches it," he said.

Silence.

Then Valerian laughed—a dry, humorless sound. "You want to march on him? With what army?"

Aldric looked up. "With whatever we have left."

A Risky Plan

There was hesitation in the air. The rebels were wounded, exhausted. They had just survived one battle—throwing themselves into another so soon seemed insane.

But they all knew the truth.

If Cedric reached Black Hollow, they might never get another chance.

Aldric took a deep breath. "I won’t force anyone to fight," he said. "But this is our best shot. If we wait, we’ll be fighting a stronger army on his terms."

Elya looked around at the others. "We don’t need to fight his whole army," she said. "If we can get inside, if we can take Cedric’s head—his men will break."

It was a gamble.

A dangerous, reckless plan.

But it was their only chance.

Valerian sighed. "Fine. Let’s kill that bastard."

The Pursuit

They left that night.

Moving under the cover of darkness, they hunted Cedric down before he could reach Black Hollow.

His army was weakened, but still larger than theirs.

They had to be smart.

The rebels split into smaller groups, shadowing Cedric’s retreating forces. They moved through forests, across rivers, keeping just out of sight.

And when the time was right—

They struck.