I Am The Swarm

The sudden departure of the Ji brought a sense of calm to the region. A few years later, a fleet of more than 50 warships entered the Riken System.

Judging by their design, these ships bore no resemblance to the Ji fleet and didn’t even look like a formal navy. That’s not to say they were dilapidated or makeshift, but their appearance was unusually “flashy.”

Among the 50-plus warships, Luo Wen identified at least a dozen different design styles, giving the impression of a hodgepodge fleet. If not for their small numbers and lack of a real threat to the Riken, Luo Wen might have mistaken them for a band of interstellar pirates.

Notably, he spotted a familiar dark red pattern on some ships, sparking a vague suspicion about their origin.

The fleet didn’t attempt to hide their arrival and openly announced themselves. According to their transmission, they were members of the Interstellar Technological Confederation and could even be considered the Riken’s neighbors.

However, their tone, dripping with unrestrained arrogance, left little room for misinterpretation—they hadn’t come bearing friendly tidings for their new neighbors. The fleet identified themselves as belonging to an organization called the Koya Alliance.

Neither the Riken nor the Swarm, as newcomers to the Confederation, had any knowledge of this organization. Perhaps realizing this, the visitors promptly sent over an introductory dossier, apparently unwilling to “perform for an audience of blind men.”

According to their self-description, the Koya Alliance was a defensive coalition of more than 20 civilizations, spearheaded by a powerful civilization called Koriato. The alliance was ostensibly founded to unite neighboring civilizations, foster mutual support, and collectively resist oppression from stronger powers.

Of course, the dossier was undoubtedly polished to present them in the best light. To Luo Wen, the alliance’s true purpose was just as likely to involve bullying weaker civilizations under the guise of unity.

The fleet’s composition seemed to corroborate this. Each civilization contributed a few ships, resulting in a mishmash of styles and the ostentatious fleet of 50 warships. This wasn’t just a visit—it was a display of strength, a demonstration meant to intimidate.

Sure enough, the fleet bypassed the Swarm’s territory in the Riken System and parked directly in near-orbit of Riken’s homeworld. A diplomatic team then disembarked in a small shuttle, heading for the planet.

The Riken, adhering to the philosophy that courtesy never harms, gave them a grand and elaborate welcome. The visitors, however, showed no appreciation. In their eyes, this was merely the bare minimum of what was owed to them.

After only a few perfunctory pleasantries, the representatives of the Koya Alliance got straight to the point, laying out their two main objectives.

The first was to invite the Riken to join the Koya Alliance. With the alliance’s territory soon to border the Riken System, joining would supposedly unite their regions into a seamless whole. On the surface, this sounded like a beneficial proposition—if not for the second point.

The second was to demand compensation. Yes, compensation!

The Koya Alliance’s nearest member to the Riken was none other than the Daqi civilization—the same one that had sent the Third Prince, under the pretext of inviting the Riken, only to end up delivering the Swarm the “Crimson Kiss” instead.

It turned out that this visit was nothing more than an attempt to reclaim some dignity on behalf of the Daqi civilization.

By all logic, the conflict back then was between the Daqi and the Swarm. At most, the Riken could be considered innocent bystanders—spectators who happened to stand a little too close. Yet now, instead of confronting their real opponent, the Koya Alliance was demanding reparations from the onlookers. How absurd was that?

The Riken officials shared the same doubts and raised these concerns with the Koya Alliance representatives. However, being unclear about the alliance’s true strength and influence, they chose their words carefully, maintaining a tone of deference.

Unfortunately, the Koya Alliance was unimpressed by this courtesy. The Daqi representative, emboldened by the support of the alliance, acted particularly arrogant. However, as the Riken were technically a reserve member of the Interstellar Technological Confederation, the smaller alliance had to show some respect to the larger organization.

Thus, the Daqi representative confidently laid out his reasons, speaking with a sense of righteousness.

Apparently, the Daqi civilization acknowledged that during their conflict with the Swarm, the Riken were mere bystanders. However, when the Daqi forces retreated, they had directed a significant number of refugees to the Riken base for sanctuary.

But after the battle ended, the Riken—without so much as a token of resistance—handed over those noble Daqi refugees to the Swarm. This, the Daqi claimed, was wrong, unjustifiable, and unforgivable.

The Daqi argued that those citizens had been held captive by the Swarm for decades, surely enduring hunger, poor living conditions, and unimaginable suffering. They were far from their homeland and loved ones, consumed by homesickness. Moreover, their absence had caused frequent protests back in Daqi society, leading to instability, damaging the reputation of the royal family, and so on.

In essence, after an endless litany of grievances, the Daqi representative concluded that the Riken must take full responsibility.

Specifically, they demanded the return of all Daqi citizens held by the Swarm. They also required the Rikens to provide compensation to these individuals and their families for emotional distress. They needed to make amends for the losses incurred by Daqi civilization. Lastly, they also had to cover the Koya Alliance’s “appearance fee” for this matter.

As for the specifics of the compensation, the Daqi, in their supposed magnanimity, stated they would settle for 110,000 Confederation points—a sum equal to what the Riken had just earned for the combined efforts of their 100,000 scientists and technological resources.

For the Koya Alliance, they demanded several hundred tons of Longevity Plants and the associated technologies. They were confident this modest request would satisfy their “lords.”

The Riken were, naturally, outraged. They had barely warmed their hard-earned points, and now the Daqi were demanding the lion’s share under the guise of generosity.

As for the Longevity Plants, while they were relatively easy to cultivate with high yields, the Ji had just purchased all production capacity and intellectual rights for the next several decades for a hefty sum of 10,000 points. And now the Koya Alliance thought they could waltz in and seize them for free? Such audacity!

The Riken firmly denied all accusations, attempting to distance themselves from the matter. They argued that the Daqi refugees weren’t even their responsibility in the first place. They had merely offered hospitality—ensuring the Daqi were well-fed and treated with the utmost respect—until the Daqi fleet abandoned them.

When the Swarm came to claim these individuals, they were, by the rules of engagement, legitimate spoils of war.

Furthermore, if the mighty Daqi couldn’t stand against the Swarm, how could the weak and insignificant Riken hope to resist? Why would they risk their lives to defy the Swarm for a group of unrelated Daqi citizens? If the Daqi wanted their people back, they were welcome to negotiate with the Swarm themselves. The Riken, as they put it, were mere “ornaments” in the Confederation and had no authority to act.

As for the Longevity Plants and the accompanying technology, the Riken diplomatically pointed out that the Ji had already purchased the entire production capacity and intellectual rights for the next few decades.

While the Riken were willing to assist the Koya Alliance for the sake of neighborly relations, the fact was that those resources were no longer under their control.

“If the Koya Alliance truly desires them,” the Riken officials added, “you are welcome to discuss the matter with the esteemed Ji lords.”

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