I Am The Swarm

“Yes, according to the latest intelligence, the Swarm’s main forces are concentrated in the M579 Star System. However, it doesn’t appear to be their origin point. Interestingly, a highly unusual native species has been discovered there.”

“Oh?” Diallo’s curiosity was piqued.

“This species evolved from beasts to a civilized race in just a few hundred years.”

“Hah, a familiar pattern. Looks like this Swarm also enjoys conducting experiments,” Diallo said with a dry laugh, as if recalling a distant memory. “Annoying creatures! Didn’t they uncover anything useful from that native species?”

Aslit shook her head. “The Swarm’s defenses in that area are exceptionally tight. Coupled with their inherent mystery, even with the suzerain’s technological capabilities, infiltrating them undetected seems impossible. To avoid alarming them, all surveillance has been conducted at a distance.”

“Typical!” Diallo snorted disdainfully.

“Your Highness, yesterday I reviewed the collected information with the think tank and arrived at a new hypothesis,” Aslit ventured cautiously.

“Oh? What kind of hypothesis?”

“Based on the Swarm’s external characteristics, we suspect they might be a mutated biological species.”

“As in hive-mind organisms. A species where only a few individuals possess true intelligence. If such a biological entity developed intelligence through mutation, it might have evaded the suzerain’s monitoring, allowing them to grow to their current level.”

Diallo’s interest deepened. He nodded slowly. “That makes sense. A single genius individual could indeed transform the entire species without needing their cooperation—since the others would naturally obey without question. But even so, I still find it hard to believe. Could a species with such inherent conformity advance technology to this degree?”

“That’s precisely what perplexes us, Your Highness. These are just hypotheses. The Swarm remains shrouded in mystery.”

Diallo narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the massive image of Planet Izumo displayed on the screen.

In a low voice, he mused, “Fascinating, truly fascinating. Aslit, do you think if we were to uncover the Swarm’s secrets, it might free us from the suzerain’s grasp?”

“Your thoughts are dangerous, Your Highness. Please, tread carefully!” Aslit lowered her head and gently reminded him.

“Don’t be dull. I’m merely speculating. Still, their mystery intrigues me. It makes me want to tear them apart to see what they’re hiding.”

“Your Highness, I believe we should proceed with caution.”

“No more words. I prefer straightforward action over schemes.” Diallo waved dismissively, cutting off Aslit’s warnings. Yet his flickering gaze betrayed the complex thoughts churning behind his confident façade.

As the Daqi fleet advanced, its trajectory subtly shifted. Instead of heading toward the midpoint between Planet Izumo and the Twin Star Defensive Zone, their path veered slightly toward the Swarm’s position near Planet Izumo.

The overt hostility of the Daqi fleet’s maneuver immediately triggered alerts. More than 50% of the observation devices belonging to both the Swarm and the Rikens locked onto the fleet, analyzing every move. As soon as the fleet altered its course, the change was detected, and within moments, advanced computational systems recalculated their new trajectory.

When the results came in, the Rikens collectively exhaled in relief. The Daqi fleet’s target wasn’t them. All they had to do now was sit back and watch. Military base personnel quietly lamented the lack of civilian amenities; with a snack bar or vending machine, they could have made a fortune selling drinks and sunflower seeds.

The Swarm, however, remained unperturbed. This development had been anticipated.

“Your Highness, we’ve entered firing range!” an officer reported.

“Excellent. Authorize fleet-wide network integration, unlock AI permissions, and compute individual targets. Clear the path!” Prince Diallo’s demeanor turned serious as he issued his orders with a commanding air.

Nearly two centuries of overseeing frontier fleets had honed him into a capable military leader, far from a mere figurehead.

As the Daqi warships sped forward, the reverse thrusters at their prows flared to life. The fleet slowed abruptly, each ship shuddering momentarily from the sudden deceleration. This maneuver alone demonstrated the superiority of Daqi engineering; if Riken warships attempted such an operation, the structural strain would likely tear them apart instantly.

The decelerated warships trained their forward-facing main guns—eight per vessel—on calculated targets. Assisted by radar and advanced computer systems, the turrets swung into position. Moments later, a synchronized volley of firepower erupted, thousands of red energy beams lancing into the void.

At this moment, the Daqi fleet was nearly ten million kilometers away from Planet Izumo. At such a vast distance, even light would take over half a second to traverse. While the Swarm’s electromagnetic railguns were capable of firing over such distances, their projectiles would take hours to reach their targets, and anything but a stationary object would be virtually impossible to hit.

However, the Daqi clearly had faith in their weapons. Their main guns, similar in function to the energy weapons used by the Rikens, fired condensed red beams. Unlike the Riken weapons, however, the Daqi beams had significantly greater range, underscoring their technological superiority in energy weaponry.

Even so, the immense distance proved too much. Although the beams were highly focused, the energy dissipated during their journey. Most were extinguished mid-flight, and those that reached the Swarm’s vicinity carried insufficient force to inflict serious damage. The barrage, while spectacular, had limited practical effect—appearing more like a dazzling light show.

Neither the Swarm nor the Rikens mocked this apparent display of ineffectiveness. At this level of technological advancement, no faction would engage in such actions without purpose.

And indeed, there was purpose.

After three volleys, the Daqi fleet ceased fire.

“Your Highness, the pathway ahead has been cleared.”

“Well done. Let the Swarm witness the fiery passion of our crimson kiss,” Diallo quipped with a smirk.

“At once, Your Highness!”

The warships’ upper missile silos opened, revealing rows of massive warheads. One by one, they were ejected and launched. Guided by AI-assisted fire control systems, the missiles locked onto their targets, igniting their rear engines. With trails of white exhaust, the missiles arced toward Planet Izumo.

The Daqi missiles bore a resemblance to the Radiance of the Rikens. However, in terms of sophistication, the Daqi designs were at least two generations ahead.

While the Riken missiles weren’t exactly slow, their speed was insufficient in the context of modern space warfare. As a result, Rikens primarily used them to deliver high-yield nuclear warheads for indiscriminate attacks.

The Daqi missiles, on the other hand, told a different story. Benefiting from their advanced engine technology—capable of propelling their warships to over half the speed of light—the Daqi had miniaturized these engines for missile use. Although the reduced size curtailed their velocity somewhat, the missiles still reached an impressive one-third the speed of light.

This technological edge made the Daqi missiles a deadly addition to their arsenal, capable of striking with precision and ferocity. As they hurtled toward Planet Izumo, their trajectories promised the beginning of a calculated assault.

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