I Am The Swarm

For the Yuntu fleet’s commander, the 15 million ships of Group A were now his foundation. These forces had escaped danger, and he couldn’t afford to let them risk falling back into peril. No matter what, he had to preserve these troops.

Therefore, in his mind, Group B had already been abandoned. However, for various reasons, he couldn’t simply turn and leave.

Moreover, in just over ten days, reinforcements would arrive. By then, combining forces, they might have a chance to break through the Swarm’s encirclement.

But the condition was that the newcomers would have to take the lead.

Time passed slowly. On the third day, General Sario lost contact. In his final moments, he sent a heartfelt and intimate message to the commander and his eighteen generations of ancestors, but the commander didn’t seem pleased.

From then on, hundreds of distress signals from Group B2 arrived daily, but the Yuntu main fleet, under pressure from the Swarm, only moved further away from Group B2.

This continued for over ten days. During this time, the Yuntu main fleet avoided several opportunities for engagement with the Swarm. By now, they were hundreds of millions of kilometers away from their original position.

After more than ten days of fierce fighting, Group B2, despite their desperate resistance, had lost nearly 3 million ships, reducing their numbers to 5 million.

At the same time, their spare parts for worn-out equipment were nearly exhausted, and their unmanned fighter drones had long been depleted. Almost every ship was damaged, and they were nearing the point of running out of ammunition and supplies.

But the bait’s effectiveness was clearly limited. Despite the dire situation of their fellow Yuntu, the main fleet showed no intention of rescuing them, rendering the bait almost worthless. It wouldn’t be long before it lost its value as bait.

Fortunately, the Swarm wasn’t a race that taunted its enemies. As the Yuntu continued to retreat, the Swarm silently advanced, never resorting to verbal attacks. This made the Yuntu feel somewhat better about their actions. A few even developed a twisted sense of gratitude toward the Swarm.

Regardless, the Yuntu commander had achieved his initial goal. Over these days, he had skillfully kept his forces at a distance from the Swarm, maintaining almost zero losses for Group A until the reinforcements arrived.

The reinforcements came from a mid-tier civilization called Ketuo, which was about 20,000 years younger than the Yuntu Race. This meant their technological level was slightly lower, though not by much, and there was no significant generational gap.

They had sent a force of 60 million ships, 10 million more than the Yuntu fleet at its peak. However, the Swarm’s current forces numbered at least 300 million, and thanks to their unique biotechnology, their units could remain at peak condition as long as they weren’t completely destroyed.

In contrast, the alliance’s 15 million ships were in a much worse state. After prolonged combat without effective resupply, at least 20% of their weapons were no longer functional. Every ship was damaged, and the integrity of their reactive armor averaged only around 50%, even after emergency repairs. In this condition, their combat effectiveness was highly questionable.

The Ketuo reinforcements, on the other hand, were in pristine condition, with all 60 million ships fully operational. Though their technology was slightly inferior, it wasn’t by much. Based on raw numbers alone, their 60 million ships were at least as powerful as the Yuntu’s 55 million.

But when the Yuntu’s 50 million ships had faced 200 million Swarm units, the result had been disastrous. Now, with Ketuo’s 60 million ships and the Yuntu’s battered remnants facing 300 million Swarm units, the outcome…

And that wasn’t even considering the Swarm’s continuous reinforcements. The Swarm’s reinforcements hadn’t stopped, and if they started fighting now, the Swarm’s numbers could easily grow to 500 million within a year, similar to what the Yuntu had faced.

There was some good news, though. If they engaged now, the alliance’s reinforcements would join the battle more quickly. According to the latest reports, two more mid-tier civilizations would arrive within eight months, bringing an additional 110 million ships. If they were included, this protracted war could still be fought.

But by then, it was unclear whether the Swarm would still be willing to engage. For now, however, the Swarm seemed eager for a fight. Otherwise, the 5 million remnants of Group B2 would have been wiped out long ago.

In truth, the Yuntu commander also wanted to engage the Swarm again, if only to attempt to rescue Group B2. After all, the reason bait worked was that there was a chance it could be consumed.

But the decision wasn’t his to make. The main offensive would be led by the Ketuo civilization, and their willingness to commit fully was uncertain. The Ketuo had only come because of orders from the Interstellar Technological Confederation. How much effort they would put in remained to be seen.

The Yuntu civilization and the Ketuo were separated by over a hundred light-years, with seven or eight civilizations in between. This meant they had no history of conflict, but also no friendship.

In such a situation, expecting the Ketuo to go all out and take significant risks was unlikely. Putting himself in their shoes, the Yuntu commander doubted they would commit heavily.

The Yuntu’s influence in this matter was minimal. Even if he invoked the Yuntu’s name, the mere nod of acquaintance between their civilizations wouldn’t be enough to persuade the Ketuo to take such risks.

And indeed, that was the case.

“General Mid, it’s an honor to cooperate with you,” came the greeting as soon as the communication link was established. Without interference from the Swarm, the Yuntu fleet had smoothly connected with the Ketuo reinforcements.

“The honor is mine, Elder El,” replied the Yuntu commander. The Ketuo civilization, like the Ji Race, was governed by a council of elders, with the elders holding the highest authority. Deploying 60 million ships was an extraordinary military action even for the Ketuo, so having an elder in command was expected.

General Mid of the Yuntu fleet and Elder El of the Ketuo had previously attended an online seminar on the offensive against the Swarm before their departure, but this was their first one-on-one conversation.

After some pleasantries, General Mid quickly got to the point. After all, it was the Yuntu fleet trapped in the Swarm’s encirclement, so the Ketuo had no reason to rush.

“General Mid, I must regretfully decline your request. Our orders are simply to reach the designated location and join forces with you. Rescuing your trapped units is not within our mission parameters. Moreover, as you know, rescuing your forces would be extremely difficult. Engaging the Swarm would result in significant losses for us, and such a decision is not mine to make alone.”