I Am The Swarm

Seeing Hamis frowning in thought, seemingly asking himself questions, Novaul pondered for a moment before replying, “I would probably record it and report it back.”

“And then what happens next in the process?” Hamis pressed.

This time, Novaul also took a while to think. “I haven’t paid much attention to this before, but I suppose the issue would be sent to the Academy or a similar research department. They would analyze the flaws and make improvements. If there are results, the solutions would then be passed on to the space shipyards. These improvements would be reflected in the warships produced in the future.”

“And what about the warships produced before then?”

“That would depend on the severity of the issue. If it’s a minor problem, perhaps the engineers onboard could resolve it. But if it’s a structural flaw, those ships might have to be sent back to the shipyard in batches for upgrades and repairs.” Novaul shrugged, starting to grasp Hamis’s line of thinking.

“So, in their eyes, is the stealth coating flaw of the smart mines a major issue or a minor one?”

“That, I don’t know.” Novaul shook his head.

“Our intelligence indicates that the Swarm forces we’re about to face were sent out over 20 years ago. This means these forces have spent most of that time drifting through the void, where there are no Swarm shipyards,” Hamis said after some thought.

“But the previous Swarm units couldn’t detect the smart mines. Now, however, this new force seems to completely ignore their stealth coating. This suggests one of two possibilities: Either this issue was considered a minor flaw by the Swarm—which is unlikely, as radar upgrades are complex and not easily executed unnoticed—or…”

“Or the Swarm was acting all along,” Novaul interjected, continuing Hamis’s line of thought. “They’ve been able to detect the smart mines from the beginning. They only pretended not to notice to lower our guard, using our trap to enter Planet Raze. Their actions align with this theory. They probably didn’t expect us to detonate so many new nuclear warheads, though.”

Despite their differing personalities, all three Fleet Commanders, including the irritable Alcer, were sharp individuals. Their current positions were not attained through mere luck.

“That could very well be the case. But if the Swarm is this cunning, and nuclear weapons are relatively low-tech, they must have accounted for such variables. Would you, under these circumstances, recklessly sacrifice large numbers of troops?” Hamis asked, his brows furrowing deeply.

Novaul thought carefully for a moment before responding, “It would depend on what could be gained. If the reward was significant enough, I might take the risk. But is Planet Raze worth such a gamble? Even without us using nuclear weapons, Planet Raze is still our territory. How long could the Swarm hold out without support?”

As he spoke, doubts began to surface in Novaul’s mind as well.

“Exactly. That’s what puzzles me. The risks and rewards don’t align, yet the Swarm proceeded anyway. If we assume they’re not idiots, then this means their actions must have…” Hamis trailed off, his voice growing quieter as he sank into deep thought.

“Could it be that their true objective isn’t Planet Raze?” Novaul asked, growing increasingly uncertain as he mulled it over.

“I don’t know either, but there must be something we’re missing. Their forces waited for so long without moving, only to act now. I can’t shake this feeling of unease,” Hamis replied gravely.

“Perhaps they’ve already achieved their real objective. If that’s the case, and we don’t even know what it is, it bodes poorly for us,” Novaul said, his face dark with concern.

“Let’s hope we’re overthinking it. But we should pass these theories to Alcer and advise him to exercise extra caution on the front lines. Meanwhile, we must bolster our own vigilance, especially around Planet Raze, to guard against potential surprises.”

Novaul nodded in agreement. “I’ll notify him.”

The Third Fleet’s efforts to delay the Swarm forces’ advance proved almost entirely ineffective once the smart mines failed and they dared not venture too close.

Under such circumstances, continuing to linger there was pointless. It was more prudent to return to the defensive base on Planet Raze for maintenance, ensuring optimal combat readiness to face the Swarm forces’ arrival.

The trajectory of the Swarm forces had already been calculated.

Their target was clear and undisguised. While the Swarm forces could have bypassed the defenses around Planet Raze, they deliberately chose not to. Instead, they made a slight detour, arriving at the planet’s orbital path just as Planet Raze itself reached that point in its revolution. ṝΆꞐÓβЕš

“Their target remains Planet Raze. What exactly is drawing them here?”

“Perhaps they simply want to establish a forward base,” Novaul speculated, though he didn’t believe his own suggestion.

Planet Raze was only the ninth planet in the Riken Star System. Further out was the tenth planet, smaller but still suitable as a foothold. Moreover, the Riken had minimal defensive installations there, making it an easier target.

Yet the Swarm’s persistence toward Planet Raze suggested there was another purpose.

“I can’t shake this ominous feeling,” Hamis murmured.

Meanwhile, on the Swarm side, Sarah observed the well-prepared Riken defenses. Before them lay not only the three main fleets and Planet Raze’s ground-based defense systems, but also a newly constructed orbital defense ring.

The ring was armed with numerous orbital railguns, while smart mines littered several of the routes leading to Planet Raze.

“They’re pulling out all the stops. But this planet is ours. Drive them off!” Sarah commanded decisively.

With her order, over ten thousand Primordial bodies surged forward. Amidst flickering arcs of electricity, tens of thousands of electromagnetic railguns erupted in unison, initiating the attack with their superior range.

Electromagnetic projectiles, apart from emitting faint light and sound upon launch, traveled silently and invisibly during flight. However, with the Riken’s current technological capabilities, the moment the projectiles were fired, they were detected. Their trajectories were calculated in real-time using a variety of parameters.

In open areas where guerrilla tactics could be employed, these projectiles were relatively easy to evade.

But in this entrenched battlefield, the effectiveness of the electromagnetic railguns was magnified exponentially. Unlike warships, the orbital railguns and ground-based cannons defending Planet Raze were far less maneuverable and lacked the ability to dodge incoming fire effectively.

Fortunately for the Riken, they had anticipated such an eventuality. The orbital cannons had been strategically concealed on the far side of Planet Raze and its satellites, lying in wait to emerge and defend once the Swarm forces came within range.

Thus, during the first wave of attacks, it was the defensive installations at the rearmost positions of Planet Raze’s defensive line that bore the brunt of the Swarm’s assault.

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