I Am The Swarm

Two minutes later, the Swarm’s energy cannons began charging. Primordial bodies equipped with Atomic Furnaces were among the fastest to reach full power, despite requiring greater energy for their larger-caliber weapons.

Following them, the lower-tier units charged at varying speeds due to differences in weapon size, proximity to energy sources, and other factors.

“Fire!” Sarah Kerrigan commanded decisively as soon as over 80% of the units had completed their charge. While the lack of standardized equipment was both a strength and a weakness, there was no time to wait for the remaining units.

Thanks to the data gathered from the first volley, the second strike, though slightly smaller in number, was far more precise and devastating.

More than sixty Daqi warships were destroyed outright, and nearly a hundred others were disabled.

“What the hell?!” Diallo roared in disbelief upon receiving the latest damage report.

He had assumed the lackluster performance of the Swarm’s first volley was due to outdated energy weapon technology, resulting in weak firepower and poor accuracy. Confident in this misjudgment, he had ordered his fleet to rely on the reactive armor on their right-front side to tank the second attack.

In reality, the first volley’s shortcomings were due to the Swarm’s inexperience in coordinating such a large-scale, long-range assault. Their improved accuracy in the second strike shattered Diallo’s assumptions.

His decision to expose the fleet’s right flank, where the reactive armor was thinner, inadvertently revealed vulnerable engine compartments. While the exposure angle was small, the concentrated barrage magnified this weakness, leading to catastrophic losses.

“Full power! Increase distance immediately!” Diallo shouted, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

“What about the personnel on the disabled ships, Your Highness?” Aslit asked cautiously.

“Mark a coordinate along our inbound route and send it to them. They’ll have to evacuate on their own! We can’t afford to stay here any longer, or the losses will only grow!” Diallo barked.

“Understood, Your Highness.” Aslit sighed inwardly.

She knew the grim reality. In the current battlefield conditions, attempting to escape in lifeboats or escape pods was nearly suicidal. Sending those left behind to retreat on their own was tantamount to abandoning them to their deaths.

Yet she also understood the harsh truth behind Diallo’s order. Rescuing the personnel from over a hundred disabled ships would take hours—time the Swarm could use to launch hundreds more volleys. Staying would only compound their losses and risk the annihilation of the entire fleet.

“No, wait—Aslit, I’ve reconsidered. Order them to abandon their ships and head toward the Riken defensive line!” Diallo suddenly amended his instructions.

Aslit pondered this shift for a moment before understanding his reasoning. Though this was not the Daqi’s home turf, and the Swarm was a formidable opponent, the Rikens were a far easier target to manipulate.

By sending the stranded personnel toward the Riken lines, the Swarm would face a dilemma. If they pursued, it would divert their forces toward the Rikens, potentially drawing them into the conflict and alleviating pressure on the main Daqi fleet.

If the Swarm chose not to pursue, the Rikens—after witnessing the Daqi fleet’s technological prowess—would likely not dare to obstruct the fleeing personnel. They might even feel compelled to provide aid.

In either scenario, the Daqi stood to gain more than they lost.

Red energy beams streaked across the void as the Daqi fleet fired a third salvo before accelerating and retreating in a curved trajectory, keeping their ship bows angled toward the Swarm forces. Their maneuver gradually took them farther from the battlefield.

Because of Diallo’s misplaced confidence, the fleet had advanced dangerously close, a distance that in space combat terms was akin to melee range. At this proximity, it was nearly impossible for the slower side to disengage. However, the Daqi fleet, with its speed advantage, still had a chance to escape.

Directly turning their ships around and retreating head-on was out of the question. Such a move would expose their vulnerable rear propulsion systems to the Swarm’s firepower, which at this range would amount to suicide.

Instead, the Daqi ships relied on the reactive armor at their bows to absorb incoming fire. They retreated diagonally, using both forward and side propulsion shields to move away more quickly than a straight backward withdrawal.

At the Izumo battlefield, the number of Swarm units capable of operating energy cannons was relatively limited. Even under optimal conditions, there were about 10,000 combatants equipped for this purpose, each outfitted with two main cannons, for a total of approximately 20,000 energy weapons.

By contrast, the Daqi fleet, while numbering just over 2,000 warships, had far more firepower. Each warship boasted at least eight main cannons, and Diallo’s flagship alone was armed with 16. The Daqi’s total weapon count easily rivaled, if not exceeded, the Swarm’s.

Moreover, the Daqi had a slight technological edge in energy weapon design, supplemented by superior systems integration, operational experience, and faster recharge and firing rates. While the Swarm’s two salvos had inflicted significant damage, destroying over 10% of the Daqi fleet, the Daqi’s three volleys had achieved even greater results.

If the battle continued as a direct slugfest, the Swarm’s Izumo base was likely to be wiped out.

Yet Diallo didn’t dare to pursue such an outcome. Even if he could annihilate the Swarm’s Izumo forces, his fleet would suffer devastating losses.

With no reinforcements available more than 10 light-years away from his home territory, and with Swarm reinforcements from the near-stellar base arriving in just five hours, any prolonged engagement would leave his fleet stranded and eventually overwhelmed by the growing Swarm tide.

No matter the cost, Diallo was determined to create distance. Distance was the key to leveraging their technological advantage. Only by pulling away could he regain the upper hand and a chance to turn the tide.

—

“Your Majesty, they’re attempting to retreat,” a Blade reported.

“Hmm, I see. Their commander seems to be a decisive one,” Sarah remarked, nodding slightly. Her expression remained unreadable as she narrowed her eyes in thought.

“Your Majesty, the personnel from the disabled ships appear to be heading toward the Riken defensive line. How should we respond?”

“Leave them be for now. Let the Rikens take care of them and glean information about their origins. Whatever the Rikens uncover will be more than what we know now.”

“What’s our current battle damage?”

“972 Primordial bodies have exited the combat sequence, and 2,243 have sustained severe injuries but can continue fighting after emergency repairs.”

“Not bad. Prioritize data collection. At this stage, casualties don’t matter. Divert energy to weapon systems and capitalize on their disengagement to maximize our gains.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

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