I Am The Swarm

“Your Majesty, regarding the Koya Alliance, their strategy remains the same as before. According to intelligence, the Qi 103 Star System has long been deserted. Several adjacent star systems are also initiating evacuation procedures,” reported Tella, briefing Sarah Kerrigan on the situation.

As Sarah’s former Chief Guard and now a Blade, Tella held independent command authority. However, she often found herself juggling both roles.

On the Swarm’s side, apart from overseeing the overarching strategic direction, Luo Wen had delegated all other authority to the Blades, allowing them to act independently. After all, with the inevitable expansion of the battlefront, it was impossible for him to manage every single encounter.

Additionally, Luo Wen’s focus had shifted due to new discoveries on Planet Botian, further diverting his attention.

Under such circumstances, the Swarm’s Virtual Court was beginning to take on a semblance of genuine functionality.

“Hmph, they’re quite self-aware. What about the other side?”

“Regarding the Locke Mutual Aid Society, based on their troop movements and intelligence reports, they’ve chosen to engage us,” Tella continued her briefing.

“Good. Their retreat during the first round of attacks was a bit dull. Now that we’ve finally encountered an opponent willing to face us head-on, this should serve as an enjoyable warm-up before the real battle. Tella, what are their plans?”

“They’ve discerned our intention to advance on four fronts. They plan to split their limited forces into two groups, focusing on defending the LKDW262 and LKDW263 Star Systems.”

“A reasonable strategy. But in that case, what do they plan to do about the LKDW265 and LKDW267 Star Systems?”

“The Locke Mutual Aid Society has begun evacuating the civilian population in those systems. At the same time, they are deploying large numbers of mines around the star systems and mobilizing fast warships for guerrilla warfare, attempting to delay our forces as much as possible.”

“Doesn’t that contradict their initial intentions?”

“Indeed. Reportedly, this has caused escalating internal conflicts, and the Koya Alliance has taken the opportunity to mock them relentlessly.”

“Ha! No matter how chaotic the Locke Mutual Aid Society becomes, they’re still a hundred times better than the cowards in the Koya Alliance. But do these outsiders take us for fools? If they can adapt, do they think we can’t?”

“What are your instructions, Your Majesty?” Tella asked.

Sarah deliberated for a moment before responding. “Stick to the general plan. However, for the LKDW262 and LKDW263 Star Systems, pull back the assembly points by one light-year. Let’s see if they dare to come out.”

“As you command, Your Majesty!”

—

In the 30th year of the New Era, one light-year outside the LKDW262 and LKDW263 Star Systems, spatial distortions suddenly stabilized. A Primordial body emerged from the warp bubble, followed by a second, and then a third… ȑΑꞐꝋＢĚş

Before long, a monitoring radar in the void detected activity in the area.

“Report! Enemy presence detected!” Amid the blaring alarms, an operator rose to deliver the report.

“What’s going on?” the alliance commander asked in surprise. According to projections, the Swarm’s vanguard forces weren’t expected to emerge from their warp bubbles for another two months.

“Swarm forces detected one light-year outside the LKDW262 and LKDW263 Star Systems.”

“What? Convene all commanders for an emergency meeting immediately!”

—

“What? It’s just a reconnaissance force?”

“Based on reports from the frontlines, their numbers are rapidly increasing. It’s highly likely to be the main force.”

“Damn it!”

“Although this is somewhat unexpected, the Swarm is, after all, an intelligent race. Adjusting their tactics based on our arrangements is perfectly reasonable. However, their previous strategies lulled us into a false sense of security.”

“We can still retreat. Our warships should be able to escape!” Internal conflicts within the Locke Mutual Aid Society had escalated, with the division between the pro-war and anti-war factions spreading to the alliance forces.

“Bullshit! The warships might escape, but what about the civilians?” a commander roared in anger.

“Hah, we can barely protect ourselves, let alone others. If we had followed the Koya Alliance’s approach from the beginning, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Babuta! If you make another comment like that, I’ll propose a vote to revoke your command!”

“Babuta, hold your tongue. We can’t stoop to the level of the Koya Alliance,” another commander advised.

“Oh, bring it on! Who’s afraid of whom? Go ahead and remove me! If we lose, at least I won’t be blamed. And what about LKDW265 and LKDW267? Aren’t they copying the Koya Alliance? Or are those relocated civilians on a collective sightseeing trip?” Babuta, undeterred by his peers’ criticism, fired back at both of them.

“You!”

“Enough! From now on, anyone who brings up irrelevant nonsense can see themselves out!” A voice boomed across the room, commanding authority. Its owner was a figure over two meters tall, with dark bronze skin and sharply defined muscles that stood out even beneath his combat suit. He slammed a broad, calloused palm onto the table, silencing the room.

“Hmph.”

“Hmph.”

“…”

Even Babuta, who had just stood his ground in a two-on-one argument, could only grunt in discontent. It was clear that the speaker held considerable status, even among this assembly of commanders.

No one was surprised by Babuta’s subdued reaction. The imposing figure belonged to a Troi, a member of the most powerful race within the Locke Mutual Aid Society and one of its founders. His words carried immense weight.

With the disruptive voices silenced, Musa sighed in relief. These anti-war agitators were a constant headache, but everyone in this room represented a faction with vested interests and influence. Otherwise, Musa would have already had them dragged out and executed.

Fortunately, the Troi race still commanded enough respect to prevent others from overstepping.

After observing the room and ensuring everyone was seated with proper decorum, Musa cleared his throat. “I don’t care what little schemes you may harbor, but we must unite and fight this battle. Do well, and your futures will be bright. Fail, and you’ll be the ones to take the blame. We’re all in this together, so don’t drag anyone down.”

Seeing that no one dared to voice opposition, Musa nodded in satisfaction and continued. “The Swarm’s assembly point is now located one light-year outside LKDW262 and LKDW263. This deviation from our expectations has presented us with a significant challenge. How should we proceed? I hope everyone will contribute their thoughts.”

After Musa finished, the room fell into an awkward silence. Irritated, he shot a sharp look around.

The signal from the towering figure was hard to miss, and someone quickly caught on.

“Ahem, I’ll start. I believe the key issue is whether we choose to strike proactively or remain on the defensive.”

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