I Am The Swarm

“It’s too late to leave now. That gap is too small. The Swarm can close it at any moment, trapping half of us while chasing the other half. If that happens, we’re truly finished.”

The frontline commander, feeling the weight of the responsibility, decided it was too heavy to bear alone. He gathered key officers to discuss strategies and, in the process, share the burden.

“Exactly, we can’t retreat. And we shouldn’t keep falling back either. We need to conserve our energy reserves and prepare for a major battle.”

“Our advantage lies in our intact formation. We must not undermine our own strength.”

“But headquarters said the Swarm’s reinforcements haven’t stopped coming. If we keep stalling like this, it’s just a slow death.”

“Right. At this rate, we might not last eight months.”

“Wait!” A Yuntu staff officer suddenly shook his head and said, “We’re not calculating time correctly! The Swarm doesn’t have unlimited time to besiege us. They must retreat before our reinforcements arrive. Unless they’re confident they can completely destroy us before then, they’ll need to leave time to disengage and enter warp travel. Given our strength, the Swarm has no chance of wiping us out in eight months.”

“That makes sense. To disengage from the battle and leave enough time to enter warp travel, they’d need at least three months. So, we only need to hold them off for five months, and they’ll retreat on their own?”

“Not necessarily. All your calculations are based on the assumption that the Swarm will retreat. What if they plan to destroy both us and our reinforcements?”

The Yuntu staff officer who had spoken earlier shook his head. “Although the Swarm cleared the surveillance equipment in this area, the coalition has since replenished it. Even if the Swarm has hidden forces, they can’t be that numerous.”

“That’s true. Given the current numbers on both sides, it’s unlikely the Swarm has a decisive hidden force. So, the Swarm’s available troops are probably just what we see. But with their current numbers, it’s hard for them to defeat us, let alone take on our reinforcements as well.”

“Exactly. The Swarm’s current forces are insufficient for a pincer attack. But don’t forget, their reinforcements are endless!” The staff officer’s expression turned grave.

“Their current numbers might not be enough, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be sufficient in eight months. Take our situation, for example. Four months ago, the Swarm had about a hundred million troops here. Now, according to the latest intelligence, they have at least two hundred million. In four months, they added a hundred million troops. At this rate, in eight months, they’ll add another two hundred million, totaling four hundred million troops. How many reinforcements do we have?”

The staff officer paused before continuing, “Before the meeting, I did some research. There are seven reinforcement forces in total—three on our side and four on the Sangqie side. How many troops do our three reinforcements have? Combined, just over a hundred million. And that’s the total. Remember, they’re not arriving together but in three waves over a year. So, do you think a Swarm force of four hundred million could destroy us and then take on these reinforcements?”

The commanders and staff officers quickly ran the numbers in their heads and reached the same conclusion. The staff officer was right. If they were the Swarm, they’d probably choose the same strategy.

“So, what do we do now? Retreating is out of the question, and holding our ground isn’t working either.”

“Simple. Since neither option works, we have to choose to attack!” The fleet commander, who had been silent since the meeting began, suddenly interjected. He had already considered what the staff officer said, and when the responsibility fell on him, he had made his decision.

Before this, if he had suggested attacking the Swarm, he would have faced strong opposition. Although he was the fleet commander, he couldn’t ignore the opinions of his subordinates. But now, after the discussion had ruled out retreat and holding the line, it was the perfect time to present his decision.

“This isn’t appropriate…” Several Yuntu officers began to protest but quickly realized they had no grounds to object. Retreating and holding the line were both dead ends, while attacking, though seemingly reckless, offered a glimmer of hope.

The Swarm currently had two hundred million troops, while the Yuntu had over fifty million ships. The ratio was about 1:4. Although the disparity was significant, considering the Yuntu’s superior individual ship size, firepower, and technological advantages, the odds weren’t insurmountable.

While waiting eight months would mean fifty million Yuntu ships plus fifty million less advanced reinforcements facing four hundred million Swarm troops, the coordination and command issues between different races, as well as questions about whether non-Yuntu forces would fight wholeheartedly, made attacking now a better option.

After some thought, everyone realized this was indeed the best choice available.

“Then, let’s vote.” Seeing the expressions on everyone’s faces, the fleet commander spoke solemnly.

The Swarm had few intelligent entities within the Yuntu fleet, and unfortunately, none were present at this high-level meeting. Thus, it wasn’t until the orders reached the lower command levels that the Swarm learned of the Yuntu’s decision to launch an offensive.

“Your Majesty, it seems the Yuntu have found the key to breaking the stalemate.”

“No matter. We anticipated this. It’s just surprising they waited this long to take the gamble. They deserve a poor rating for their indecisiveness.”

“Your Majesty, how should we respond?”

“Since they want to fight, we’ll oblige. However, while the Yuntu’s decision-making has been hesitant, we must respect their strength. Order all Blades and Knights, and mobilize all Hive Queens within our authority to join this battle. We must eliminate the enemy while minimizing our losses.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

Watching the Blades depart, Sarah narrowed her eyes as she gazed into the void. The Overlord had delegated command of this war to her, and she couldn’t afford to disappoint him.

Fortunately, everything was proceeding according to the Swarm’s plan, even more smoothly than expected. The coalition’s strongest forces were encircled, while other units had either turned back or were crawling forward at sub-light speeds.

The strategy of buying time had largely succeeded. Now, the goal was to weaken the coalition’s strength as much as possible before they reached Swarm territory.

The upcoming battle with the Yuntu presented an excellent opportunity.