I Am The Swarm

After confirming that the Swarm could track warp travel information in real time, the Swarm’s image in the eyes of the confederation races rose several notches. This made their subsequent actions even more cautious.

Learning that the support forces couldn’t arrive within the expected timeframe weighed heavily on the commanders of the Yuntu and Sangqie fleets. Fortunately, the Swarm didn’t seem eager to act rashly, merely forming a semicircular encirclement around them.

“What’s the Swarm’s plan?” The Swarm’s actions puzzled the confederation races. The Yuntu and Sangqie fleets were now isolated, with the nearest reinforcements, even using sub-light engines, taking about a year to arrive.

“Could there be another trap nearby? Are they trying to encircle us and attack the reinforcements?”

This was a perfect opportunity for an offensive, but the Swarm didn’t seem interested in exploiting it. This made the confederation races smell a conspiracy, though they couldn’t pinpoint the issue immediately. They could only respond with even greater caution and conservatism.

In truth, the Swarm wanted to take advantage of the situation, but the forces on the scene were insufficient. The combined fleets of the Yuntu and Sangqie races numbered less than a hundred million, and the Swarm’s forces weren’t much larger.

Although the Swarm had mobilized a total of two billion units for this interception, the main forces were still on the way. Some units hadn’t even set off yet due to the lack of available warp paths.

At present, only a little over two hundred million Swarm units had reached the battlefield and were ready for combat. While this seemed like a lot, the Yuntu and Sangqie races were no pushovers like the Troi or Moto races. If the Swarm tried to force an engagement with only three times the enemy’s numbers, the outcome would be uncertain.

The situation had reached a stalemate. The Swarm’s reinforcements were continuously arriving, but the Yuntu and Sangqie fleets had no immediate reinforcements. If the balance of forces tilted further in the Swarm’s favor, they would certainly seize the opportunity to strike.

However, in the vastness of space, this distance was merely a small step, and the battlefield’s position hadn’t changed much.

During these three months, the coalition had frantically deployed reconnaissance equipment, almost diverting all scout ships within a two-light-year radius to this area.

Through observation, they began to see the Swarm’s strategy. The Swarm had been bluffing earlier; there were no other traps. All their forces were concentrated here. If the Yuntu and Sangqie fleets had turned and fled, the Swarm might not have pursued.

But this opportunity was wasted. Over the past three months, the Swarm’s forces had nearly doubled, reaching close to four hundred million units.

The encirclement, initially semicircular, had gradually closed, leaving only a small gap. This experience taught the coalition commanders the meaning of “boiling a frog slowly.”

Time continued to pass, and another month went by. The thickness of the encirclement increased, but the Swarm left the small gap unsealed.

“This isn’t hope; it’s a trap!” one foreign commander exclaimed sharply.

“No need to say it; we all see it.”

“Easy to say now. Why didn’t you speak up earlier?”

“It’s too late now. The Swarm left that gap to pressure us into retreating.”

“But such a small gap would cause chaos if we tried to retreat.”

“Exactly, now’s not the time to retreat.”

“The Yuntu and Sangqie fleets are maintaining defensive formations, which is why the Swarm hasn’t attacked. They’re probably waiting for us to panic and make a mistake.”

“That’s certain. Otherwise, why would they leave such a gap?”

“But staying put isn’t a good option either. In three months, the Swarm’s forces have nearly doubled. And according to intelligence, this isn’t even their full strength. If we delay further, their numbers will only grow.”

“The Yuntu and Sangqie are the strongest among us. We need to find a way to rescue them.”

“The problem is, we can’t think of a way. Unless some race is willing to risk sending their forces into warp travel, they’ll have to hold out on their own for the next eight months.”

Hearing this, the foreign representatives fell silent. Without knowing how the Swarm tracked their forces, no one was willing to take the risk.

The atmosphere grew awkward. The previously noisy meeting room fell silent. The Yuntu and Sangqie representatives, aware of their predicament, turned their gaze to Elder Humes, hoping the Ji elder would use his authority to order other races to send reinforcements.

As the focal point of the room, their gaze quickly drew the attention of the other representatives. Following their line of sight, the representatives noticed Elder Humes, who appeared to be “idling.” Several representatives from powerful mid-rim civilizations grew uneasy. They didn’t know how to respond if Elder Humes ordered them to provide support.

If they refused, what would their reason be? Could they withstand the pressure from the Ji race? If they agreed and were ambushed, could they bear the blame?

Feeling the weight of everyone’s gaze, Elder Humes, who had seemed drowsy, suddenly became alert.

After careful consideration, he said, “The Interstellar Technological Confederation is a mutual aid organization. There’s no absolute hierarchy, and I have no authority to demand that other races must do anything. The Yuntu and Sangqie must decide for themselves how to proceed.”

Hearing this, the representatives inwardly cursed. If things were truly as Elder Humes said, at least half of the civilizations present wouldn’t have gotten involved in this matter.

When they had initially rallied to strike the Swarm, it was to maintain the existing order in this region and protect the Confederation, which in turn protected themselves. Now that problems had arisen, they were being told to solve it themselves.

Not to mention the other races, even the mid-rim civilizations, while relieved, couldn’t help but mutter that the Ji race wasn’t being fair.

With Elder Humes’ statement, the ball was back in the Yuntu and Sangqie’s court. After consulting with their respective races and expanding the group of people who would share the blame, diluting the risk, they passed the decision to the frontline commanders.

Their reasoning was that those in the rear couldn’t fully grasp the ever-changing battlefield conditions, so the frontline commanders should decide whether to stay or leave based on the actual situation. They added a bunch of encouraging words and mentioned that reinforcements would arrive in eight months.

When the frontline commanders of the Yuntu and Sangqie received this message, they cursed loudly.

After all that deliberation, this was the best they could come up with? Not only had they missed the opportunity, but they’d also passed the buck. It was utterly infuriating.