I Am The Swarm

As expected, the plan was approved. After all, for most civilizations, this plan was a win-win. Despite the fierce opposition from the Kler, Wuju, and Motexi races, their efforts were futile in the face of overwhelming votes.

In truth, many within the Rashudia Race also opposed the plan. They couldn’t understand why Conradus had suddenly proposed such a move.

The Rashudia had mobilized a massive fleet of over 200 million warships for this campaign. However, half of their personnel had already been transferred to the other half of the fleet.

This had already caused some overcrowding, and now Conradus wanted to move another half of the fleet. These ships couldn’t be controlled by the Ji Race’s artificial intelligence, so they required personnel to operate them.

But they couldn’t take extra personnel on such a dangerous mission, so the excess crew would have to be transferred to the remaining half of the fleet.

This meant that the remaining ships would be carrying three times their standard capacity, making them even more crowded. Moreover, these long-range warships were equipped with biopods for growing and replenishing food supplies.

However, even doubling the crew had already strained their resources. Now, with three times the number of people, even if the Rashudia implemented strict food rationing, they would inevitably face food shortages if the war dragged on.

And while food rationing was manageable for the main fleet, the ships sent on this mission would face even greater dangers. Half of the fleets from the Kler, Wuju, and Motexi races amounted to roughly 70 to 80 million warships, combined with the Rashudia’s 50 million, totaling just under 150 million ships.

While this number seemed substantial, they would be venturing deep into Swarm territory, where the unknown often meant danger.

If the Swarm did retreat, it would likely be in significant numbers—perhaps tens of millions, or even just a few million. But the Confederation’s interception force would be spread thin.

With over 100 million ships dispersed across a wide interception line, each unit might only have a few hundred thousand ships. Thus, while the Confederation’s interception force might have a numerical advantage overall, in practice, the Swarm would have the upper hand in localized engagements.

In such a scenario, the scattered Confederation interception units would arrive in waves, like moths to a flame, attempting to delay the Swarm’s retreat.

The casualties during this period would be unimaginable. Fortunately, time was on the Confederation’s side. As long as the interception force could delay the Swarm, the main fleet would eventually arrive.

Originally, the Rashudia had the Ji Race’s artificial intelligence holding the front lines, with their personnel safely stationed in the rear, observing the battlefield with ease. Though crowded, there was no immediate threat to their survival.

But now, for reasons unknown, Conradus had agreed to the other races’ proposal. Didn’t he realize that those races were just venting? If he had ignored their provocations, none of this would have happened.

As for the so-called gossip, hadn’t the Rashudia faced plenty of it before? Conradus, given his position, should have had ample experience dealing with such situations.

Was he really trying to earn more honor for the race? But the method he chose was far too dangerous. More importantly, while Conradus held a high position, the fleet also had many other high-ranking officials.

For something like this, Conradus should have at least consulted with them beforehand. But he had made the decision unilaterally. In today’s meeting, even if others wanted to oppose him, they had to consider Conradus’s reputation and the image of their race. Internal conflicts and disagreements couldn’t be aired in front of outsiders.

But now, without outsiders present, these officials naturally demanded an explanation.

“Conradus, what happened today? Why did you agree to such a foolish plan? Don’t you realize this puts our people in danger?” one Rashudia official asked sternly. He wasn’t targeting Conradus out of personal animosity; he simply wanted to understand why Conradus had made such a decision.

Conradus remained silent for a moment, then looked at the group before him—all prominent figures within the Rashudia Race. It seemed he had to provide an explanation.

“The battle is nearing its end, and I’m still worried about whether the Swarm might actually detonate the star. Earlier calculations showed that if the Swarm did trigger a stellar explosion, our current position, though further back, is still within the blast radius. Our ships are densely packed, and the limited escape routes would only allow less than half of our fleet to escape in time.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Exactly. Initially, I wanted to create an excuse—like having an outer-ring civilization ship flee, with our Overseer Force too far away to destroy it in time, causing a breach in our formation and significant losses. This would allow me to naturally disperse the Overseer Force, giving us more room to retreat and minimizing losses.”

“That makes sense…” the Rashudia official nodded.

Conradus continued, “But since the war began, the Confederation has been dominating. Arranging for an outer-ring civilization ship to flee at this stage would seem too staged. If I pushed the narrative too hard, it might backfire.”

“Not just might—it definitely would. Look at today. Even without our involvement, those outer-ring civilizations were already stirring up trouble. If we had orchestrated something, they would have gone ballistic.”

“True. Their noise isn’t the issue, but if they spread exaggerated rumors, it would damage our Rashudia’s reputation. We can’t just eliminate them, so it’s a tricky situation.”

“Exactly,” Conradus said with a chuckle. “I was trying to think of another way, but with the current situation, everyone can see victory on the horizon. Creating an opportunity to disperse the Overseer Force is too difficult. But then, those outer-ring civilizations handed us the perfect opportunity. I almost laughed out loud when it happened, but I managed to keep a straight face.”

“No wonder your expression looked so strange today—serious but twisted. I thought you were just upset by those outer-ring civilizations.”

“Haha, no way. They’re not worth my anger,” Conradus said calmly.