I Am The Swarm

Internal strife exists within most intelligent species. However, when faced with external pressure, most species tend to set aside their conflicts and unite.

Within the coalition, the Troi race demonstrated remarkable unity. Even Viller, who had conflicts with the coalition commander, never publicly undermined his authority, despite being targeted.

Thus, the Troi military, appearing as a solid bloc to outsiders, provided the coalition commander with overwhelming support. Other races, whether out of fear or other reasons, did not openly show disobedience.

Of course, this excluded certain Anti-war factions who had already given up.

But now, the coalition commander’s supporters had been decimated. While this wouldn’t lead other members to attempt a power grab—after all, the Troi civilization still existed—it would significantly undermine the coalition commander’s credibility on the current battlefield if he didn’t take action. There might not be open opposition, but subtle dissent would surely emerge.

After all, if the coalition commander was so “ruthless” that he could lead his own elite forces into such a disastrous situation, who would dare to entrust their lives entirely to him?

The coalition commander understood this well, which was why he was now in a state of panic. He had to save face.

“Damn it, what are the flanks doing?! Push forward! And what about the wings? The Swarm has stopped firing electromagnetic cannons, yet you’re still crawling along with your repulsion fields active?”

The coalition commander erupted in fury, berating the communication channels in an attempt to regain some authority through sheer force of intimidation.

“Your Majesty, the coalition’s wings are accelerating.”

“Send our wings forward to intercept them! Let their central forces advance!”

“As you command!”

Under pressure from the coalition commander, the flanking forces of the vanguard moved up before the fifth round of fire exchange, drawing some of the Swarm’s fire.

The coalition’s multi-civilization wing forces deactivated their repulsion fields, redirecting energy to their engines, which noticeably increased their speed. Their weapon systems also began charging.

Facing them, the Swarm forces advanced to block their path. Both sides soon entered each other’s firing range, and without further ado, countless energy beams filled the void.

The entire front, spanning tens of millions of kilometers, was now fully engaged, significantly reducing the pressure on the coalition’s central forces, especially the vanguard. However, their situation remained critical.

The intense fighting temporarily locked both sides into their formations. The coalition’s formation was convex, while the Swarm’s was concave. The original plan was for the central forces to punch through the concave formation, allowing them to withdraw for repairs while the rear forces moved in to replace them, cooperating with the flanks to encircle and annihilate the Swarm forces.

But now, the tip of the central forces’ “blade” had been blunted at the very start of the battle. A dull blade could no longer quickly complete the task of penetration.

The coalition commander, along with the commanders of various races, had never experienced a battle of this scale. They wanted to make adjustments but had no idea where to start.

Without new orders, the coalition could only continue following the original plan. The follow-up forces of the central army moved forward to replace the decimated vanguard, with damaged ships either retreating on their own or being towed to the middle of the fleet for emergency repairs.

The elite central forces lived up to their reputation. Their ships were far larger than those of other coalition members, with more systematic and superior energy systems, as well as larger and more numerous weapons, giving them overwhelming firepower.

Under their barrage, the Swarm forces, with little room to maneuver, were momentarily pushed back. After several rounds of fire exchange, the front of the central forces cleared a path, and the surrounding Swarm forces hesitated, unwilling to fill the gap.

Seeing this, the vanguard commander was overjoyed. Their mission was to break through the Swarm’s formation.

“It seems the Swarm only has a few tricks at the start, using their terrain advantage to catch us off guard. But now, after just a short time, they’re already faltering.”

“You’re absolutely right, sir!”

“Pass the order: follow the original plan, full assault!”

The vanguard commander, immersed in the battlefield, couldn’t see the bigger picture. In his sector, he believed the coalition had gained the upper hand. With no new orders coming in, it was natural to proceed as planned. ʀ𝐀ŊȯβËʂ

The ion beams from the ships’ engines intensified as energy was redirected to increase speed. The entire vanguard accelerated to occupy the vacuum ahead, while continuing to suppress the surrounding Swarm forces with their firepower.

However, the vanguard commander’s assessment of the situation was somewhat flawed. Across the tens of millions of kilometers of the front line, not every sector had the advanced warships that the vanguard possessed.@@novelbin@@

The coalition’s best ships were mostly concentrated in the vanguard and rear forces. The vanguard was tasked with breaking through, while the rear forces were responsible for filling gaps. To maintain the concave formation and face pressure from both sides, they naturally needed stronger equipment.

The coalition’s wing forces, on the other hand, were a more complex mix of multi-civilization fleets. Composed of over a dozen civilizations, their technological levels varied, their fleet sizes differed, and their command systems were intricate, making coordination difficult.

In a favorable battle, this might not have been a significant issue. But once the battle turned into a stalemate, many weaknesses began to surface.

——

The Moto civilization, though similar to the Daqi Empire and having joined the Interstellar Technological Confederation less than ten thousand years ago, was considered weak even within the Locke Mutual Aid Society.

However, because their territory bordered the Swarm and they had received technological support from other members during the preparation phase, their warships made up about 50% of the multi-civilizational fleet on the left wing, numbering nearly ten million.

Due to their large numbers and significant presence, they had secured the position of wing commander.

“Push forward!” the Moto commander roared. Compared to the central forces, the wing forces were at a disadvantage in both numbers and firepower.

Facing the Swarm’s standardized forces, the coalition’s multi-civilization wing forces were being pushed back step by step. The Moto officer in charge of command frequently cursed in frustration.

“Commander, our fleet is taking heavy losses. If this continues, even if we win this battle, we’ll be crippled,” his adjutant whispered to him.

“Damn it! Those bastards! Tell them to hold their positions!” the Moto commander said helplessly. Their race was at the bottom of the hierarchy within the Mutual Aid Society.

In this wing force, any ally pulled at random outranked them. The Troi commander in the central forces could rely on his race’s prestige to enforce orders strictly.

But here, his commands only worked within his own race’s forces. Other allies seemed to listen but not obey. To avoid delaying the battle, many dangerous positions had to be filled by their own troops.