I Am The Swarm

“The current situation indeed presents us with a tough problem posed by the Swarm.”

“I believe we must go on the offensive; otherwise, splitting our forces would be completely meaningless,” a commander suggested as the meeting finally got on track.

“I agree with taking the initiative. We must disrupt the Swarm before they fully assemble!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. The position where the Swarm is stationed leaves us with very few viable options.”

“Exactly. While our fleets are currently in a state of combat readiness and can head to the target area at any time, how are we supposed to approach them?”

“Of course, using warp travel! Speed is of the essence!” The commander who proposed this paused mid-sentence, realizing something and lapsing into contemplation.

“Hmph. Our warp technology is no more advanced than the Swarm’s. The Swarm has to split their forces and advance sequentially to avoid interfering with each other. Do you think we don’t face the same issue?”

“True. With warp travel, our warships will also arrive sequentially. Although the distance we need to travel is shorter, there will still be a time gap. If the Swarm exploits that gap, who will encircle whom could very well be reversed.”

“We could first warp to a location 0.8 light-years from the target, wait for all our forces to arrive and assemble, and then proceed to annihilate the Swarm.”

“This plan is feasible, but it comes with significant risks. The Swarm has already reached the target area and has the upper hand as defenders, while we’ve become the attackers. Gathering our forces at a point 0.2 light-years from their position—aside from the time required for assembly—what if the Swarm harasses us during that period? After all, at 0.2 light-years, even sub-light-speed travel wouldn’t take much time.”

“Indeed. Even if the Swarm doesn’t harass us, by the time we’ve gathered our forces, how many additional troops will they have assembled? At that point, will we still hold a numerical advantage?”

“Hmph. If offensive action isn’t feasible, are you suggesting we defend?”

“Defense is a dead end! The Swarm can simply wait until they’ve gathered an overwhelming number of troops to crush us.”

“So, attacking won’t work, and defending won’t work. What, then, will?”

“Hah. If you ask me, running away is still the most reliable option!” After a long silence, Babuta seized the opportunity to interject. This time, no one rebuked him, as the entire room had fallen into a heavy silence.

—

“Your Majesty, the Locke Mutual Aid Society has deployed their forces. It seems they want to test whether they can destroy our assembly point and prevent our troops from forming at scale,” Tella reported.

“A commendable idea, but have they calculated their odds of success?”

“Of course, they must have. But to them, a proactive offense holds a slim chance of victory compared to passive defense.”

“Why not retreat then?”

“Perhaps they can’t swallow their pride. After all, they raised themselves too high before.”

“Such foolishness.”

—

At the end of the 30th year of the New Era, an alien warship exited its warp bubble 0.2 light-years outside the Swarm’s assembly point, revealing its form. Soon, more and more warships began to appear in the vicinity.

“What’s the situation?”

“Just a moment, sir.” Having just emerged from the warp bubble, the communications system was still somewhat disorganized. However, it wasn’t long before the ship’s onboard instruments interfaced with nearby reconnaissance vessels, completing the intelligence update.

“Sir, the Swarm remains at their target location, completely motionless.”

“Excellent. Deploy the disruptors!”

“At once!”

The initial wave of arriving warships quickly dispersed, following pre-assigned tasks to deploy disruption devices around the area. These devices distorted and scattered various wavelengths of light and particle waves while masking the energy signatures generated by warp drives, effectively creating a cloak of invisibility.

Before this, reconnaissance ships had already placed a limited number of disruptors in the region, but their small capacity restricted coverage. However, the newly arrived warships, with their emptied ammunition bays and cargo holds filled with disruptors, would expand the coverage significantly, blanketing a vast area to prepare for the main fleet’s arrival.

More and more warships arrived, each approximately 3,000 meters long, elongated in shape, and uniformly styled, clearly the product of a single civilization.

Suddenly, a massive vessel appeared. At 5,000 meters in length, its disc-shaped structure stood out conspicuously among the 3,000-meter-long ships, unique and unmistakable.

If Luo Wen and his allies were present, they would instantly recognize this distinctive warship. It was an old “friend” of the Swarm, once leading a vast fleet to invite the Swarm to join the Interstellar Technological Confederation.

Although most of that fleet had remained on the fringes of Swarm territory, its sheer size had warranted close observation and vigilance from the Swarm, making this flagship particularly familiar.

The arriving warships all belonged to the Troi race. Known for their advanced technology and superior speed, their role was naturally to establish and defend the forward positions. Furthermore, their firepower was unmatched, making them the logical choice for this crucial task.

“Get moving, everyone! If you’re here, stop gawking and clear the lanes already!” roared General Viller from the flagship’s bridge. His booming voice, tinged with irritation, betrayed his foul mood.

Since leading the effort to successfully invite the Swarm to join the Confederation, Viller hadn’t gained much tangible benefit. However, he had managed to secure a non-aggression pact, claim three star systems, and infuriate the Koya Alliance—a feat that, by any measure, was considered a major accomplishment.

Due to cautious considerations and intel gathered through clandestine channels, the Troi negotiation fleet had never returned to their homeworld, instead remaining stationed at the border. Viller had also stayed behind, assuming he’d be returning to enjoy his spoils soon after.

Yet, instead of a hero’s welcome, he found himself stuck as a frontier garrison commander in a foreign region with unfamiliar languages, culture, and aesthetics—and not a single decent place for leisure.

With nothing to do, Viller eventually chose cryosleep to avoid wasting his life away. But when he was reawakened, it was to the news that the Swarm—the very race they had signed the treaty with—had launched an invasion.

Now, it was war—a prospect that meant death. And like most, Viller had no appetite for battle. Still, he resigned himself to the task, thinking his high status would keep him away from danger.

To his dismay, the plan called for an offensive against the Swarm, with him leading the charge. Among the entire Locke Mutual Aid Society fleet, no one else’s forces were better suited for the job. But why, he wondered bitterly, did his flagship have to be stationed in such a precarious position?

Gazing around at the barely 1,000 warships accompanying him, Viller felt an overwhelming sense of insecurity.

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