I Am The Swarm

If they were in the Swarm commander’s position, facing such a situation, what would they do?

The various races of the Confederation pondered this question.

After a hard-fought battle, retreating when outmatched would likely be the choice of most commanders. They would have done their best, but sacrificing their lives in the process seemed too much.

If conditions allowed, running away would be the better option. As long as they survived, there would always be a chance to rebuild.

So, did the Swarm have such conditions?

The Confederation commanders thought about it again.

Then they realized that yes, the Swarm absolutely did.

As the attacking side, the Confederation only occupied a small area in front of the Swarm’s territory. Behind the Swarm was their home base, with a vast network of routes and passages.

Moreover, to guard against the Swarm’s potential stellar bomb plan, the Confederation had maintained a safe distance, just within firing range. At this distance, even if the Swarm commander fled right in front of them, they probably couldn’t catch up.

“Besides, the Swarm’s forces are all biological weapons, not true Swarm members. That commander could flee without any guilt.” This statement was blunt. In the Confederation, even if commanders wanted to flee, they wouldn’t dare.

Abandoning their people and running away was a reputation no one could bear, especially in a war involving the entire Confederation. Doing so would likely earn them a place in the Confederation’s history—but not the kind anyone wanted.

“If the Swarm commander escapes, all we gain is winning this war.” Not long ago, this outcome would have been the best. But now that the Confederation had glimpsed the possibility of greater rewards, settling for just a victory felt unsatisfying.

“Do we have a way to stop the Swarm commander from escaping?” one representative asked.

“We don’t even know where he is. Across a battlefield spanning tens of millions of kilometers, with hundreds of millions of combat units, pinpointing the Swarm commander’s location is nearly impossible.”

“True. If we don’t know where he is, we can’t make targeted plans.”

“The Swarm is a cunning race. Unlike our commanders, who each have distinctive flagships with unique designs, appearances, and sizes, the Swarm commander’s vessel is likely indistinguishable.”

“Maybe that’s part of their strategy, and it’s working well—we’re the ones struggling with it.”

“Actually, it’s not as complicated as you think. The reason we have flagships is to ensure the commander’s safety. The Swarm must follow the same logic. If I were the Swarm commander, I’d stay in one of the larger combat units—at least they’re sturdier than those 500-meter-long Space Octopuses.” One representative’s perspective made sense to many.

“If that’s the case, the number of potential targets drops from hundreds of millions to tens of thousands.” The drastic reduction surprised some.

“It seems like a big drop, but in practice, it’s not much different,” another countered.

“True. Those larger units, though fewer in number, are positioned at the rear of the Swarm’s forces due to their size and the long-range energy cannons they carry. We can’t get close to them without first dealing with the enemy in front.”

“Actually, the number of targets isn’t that high. If it were me, I’d choose the largest one. That narrows it down to just two.”

“Only two? That doesn’t seem much different.”

“Right. They’re stationed in close stellar orbit, the farthest point from us. And with the Swarm Megastructure spanning thousands of kilometers, how would we even search it?”

“Exactly. Look at those 500-meter Space Octopuses—they can hide so many smaller units inside. Even if the Swarm commander doesn’t flee, just hiding inside the Megastructure would make finding him nearly impossible.”

“Difficulties can be overcome. If we can trap the Swarm commander, with so many warships here, we could drag the Megastructure away.”

“Haha, that’s a great idea. Once we drag it back to our territory, even if it expands ten or a hundred times, we’ll still find that brain-dead Swarm commander.”

“But this is just speculation. Why would the Swarm commander hide in the Megastructure? Wouldn’t it be easier for him to just leave?”

“True. Unless we can intercept him before he escapes.”

“That’s hard to achieve. We can’t wipe out the Swarm forces in one go, and boarding a ship doesn’t take much time.”

“This is a paradox. There’s no point discussing it.”

“Can we send some forces to cut off their retreat in advance?”

“What are you thinking? Behind them are Swarm-controlled planets. Plus, the Swarm’s stealth technology is well-known. Who knows what’s floating in their territory? If we split our forces, we might just be sending troops to their deaths—just like the Swarm’s earlier tactics.”

One representative spoke at length, but in doing so, he inadvertently offended many. They had just labeled the Swarm commander as having a brain-dead style, largely due to his troop deployment strategy.

Now, by comparing their actions to the Swarm’s, he was indirectly insulting them.

“Then what are we even discussing? Why not stick to our original goal and secure our first victory? Anything beyond that isn’t our main benefit, so why go all out?”

The group fell silent. This was indeed a valid point. Even if they captured the Swarm commander, what would they gain? At best, some exclusive intelligence, a glimpse of the so-called treasure, and a bit more honor and Ji Race points. Beyond that, there wasn’t much.

Was it worth risking everything for that? The Swarm’s forces had been drastically reduced, while the Confederation’s high-end forces remained largely intact. There was still a chance to encircle the Swarm.

But who would cut off the Swarm’s retreat? If the Swarm realized their escape route was blocked, they might turn around and charge straight through the encirclement.

And that area was Swarm territory. What if they had hidden forces waiting? The Confederation forces could walk right into a trap and be surrounded.

If that happened, the losses would be devastating. Thus, most outer-ring civilizations and some mid-ring civilizations agreed that securing a victory was enough.

Losing equipment was one thing, but casualties were a serious issue no matter where you were. Risking court-martial for uncertain gains wasn’t worth it.