I Am The Swarm

Once the Rikens’ plan was approved and set into motion, they targeted three of Planet Izumo’s moons—satellites 2, 3, and 5. These small celestial bodies, each less than 1,000 kilometers in diameter, became focal points for their operation.

Through meticulous calculations, the Rikens installed the Radiance of the Rikens—super-nuclear bombs—at critical nodes on these moons. This endeavor depleted nearly all of their stockpile of these powerful weapons.

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“Boom!”

The nuclear devices detonated in succession as the moons reached their designated positions. The calculated detonation points not only unleashed the massive power of the bombs themselves but also triggered additional effects due to the unique properties of these locations.

The moons trembled under the explosions. Cracks split their surfaces as enormous energy surged through, yet the fissures were insufficient to release the pressure. The cracks widened under the force, hurling fragments of the moons into the void. The once-smooth moons began to deform as their structures broke apart.

The chain reactions intensified, and under the immense gravitational pull of Planet Izumo, the fractured moons ultimately shattered. Though fragmented, the resulting debris was still enormous, and the explosions had knocked the remnants out of their original orbits. With their gravitational balance disrupted, some fragments were pulled toward Planet Izumo, while others struggled against its gravity. The resulting debris fields spiraled toward the planet.

An awe-inspiring astronomical phenomenon unfolded, resembling a massive tornado. The swirling debris from the shattered moons mixed with Planet Izumo’s atmosphere, creating a spectacular and destructive display.

Finally, fragments containing concentrated oxygen crashed into Planet Izumo. As the oxygen-rich debris interacted with the hydrogen-laden atmosphere, an enormous fireball erupted, akin to a massive firework igniting in the sky. The flames raced upward through the atmospheric vortex, setting off a chain of explosions as the broken moon fragments ignited and scattered debris in every direction.

Billions of rock fragments shot outward, striking everything in their path. Other moons in Planet Izumo’s orbit were the first to suffer. Meteor fragments pummeled their surfaces, kicking up dust and leaving countless craters.

The fungal carpets spread by the Swarm across these moons were devastated. At such close range, the overwhelming saturation of impacts obliterated the purple expanses of Swarm colonies, wiping out days of their progress.

The destruction extended to the 500 Primordial bodies stationed nearby. Against such overwhelming natural forces, they had little chance to resist. Some of their remains likely clung to the fragments that shot into the far reaches of space.

The larger Swarm clusters stationed farther away detected the energy surge from the nuclear detonations immediately and began to retreat.

As the satellites shattered, Riken cannons targeted the largest debris, firing relentlessly to break them down further. Despite these efforts, the Swarm suffered severe losses. Though relatively few Primordial bodies were completely destroyed, nearly half were rendered combat-incapable, requiring time to regenerate. Moreover, the number of Mature and Larval bodies lost was significantly higher, necessitating a long recovery period.

The Rikens had bought themselves precious time, but at a significant cost. The future would reveal whether this bold strategy could tip the balance in their favor.

“What a spectacular sight. It’s a pity that this wasn’t enough to annihilate that Swarm fleet,” Hamis lamented as he watched the scene unfold on the monitors.

“This was the best we could do. If those moons had been larger, we might not have had any effective options against them,” another officer replied.

“That’s true. If we had the capability to destroy larger moons or even planets outright, the Swarm wouldn’t be a threat to us at all.”

“Blowing up three moons only released enough oxygen to sustain the conflagration on Planet Izumo for a few dozen minutes. It will be entirely consumed shortly, and Planet Izumo itself remains completely unaffected.”

“What’s this? Are you thinking about blowing up Planet Izumo itself? You’d better think that through. If we did that, our homeworld wouldn’t survive either.”

“Hah, don’t be ridiculous. I’m just saying—it would be harder to blow up Planet Izumo than to destroy our homeworld directly. It’s beyond our current capabilities.”

“Do we pursue the advantage?” The odd tangent of the conversation finally shifted back on track when a Riken major general posed the question.

“No, we lack precise detonation control. The scattered debris from the satellites doesn’t discriminate between us and the Swarm. In a few days, a meteor shower will reach us. We must focus all efforts on intercepting it to minimize damage; otherwise, this operation will have been pointless.”

As predicted, some fragments from the shattered satellites escaped Planet Izumo’s gravity under the force of the explosions and scattered into space. Days later, a portion of these fragments reached the defensive perimeter of the Twin Star Defensive Zone.

The Rikens were well-versed in dealing with solid kinetic threats akin to electromagnetic slugs. Moreover, perhaps to demonstrate their might and intimidate the Swarm, the Rikens spared no effort in their response.

Missile silos hidden on Satellite 2 of Planet Riwu opened, launching missiles over 30 meters long. Although not as potent as Radiance of the Rikens, these missiles packed significant explosive power. Trailing long plumes of fire, the missiles targeted the largest debris pieces—those over ten kilometers in diameter.

The goal was not to destroy these fragments entirely but to break them into smaller, more manageable pieces.

Several of the “behemoths” were neutralized with pinpoint precision. Following this, beams of energy laced across space, creating an impenetrable web of firepower. Nearly all meteor fragments disintegrated within this web, and even those that managed to slip through were ground into minuscule pieces, rendering them harmless.

Given the Rikens’ intent to showcase their firepower, they went to great lengths. When smaller fragments approached a specific defensive range, streaks of red light cut across the void, utterly annihilating the remaining debris.

“The Rikens’ weaponry certainly has its merits. The Swarm could benefit from diversifying its attack methods to create better synergies.” The Riken display of might was duly noted by the Swarm’s Overlord, but it seemed to have little effect in deterring the Swarm’s resolve.

With the Rikens’ countermeasure expended, Planet Izumo fell fully under the Swarm’s control. The losses of surface-level fungal carpets on the moons were insignificant to the Swarm. Even the 500 Primordial bodies and numerous Mature and Larval bodies lost in the battle were trivial in the grand scheme.

The Rikens were entirely unaware of what Planet Izumo—a massive cosmic battery—represented for the Swarm. Had they understood, they would never have so easily abandoned the fight for the gas giant.

The fallen Primordial bodies were moved into Planet Izumo’s near orbit, where they could recover more quickly. Meanwhile, the remaining Mature and Larval bodies carried by the Primordial bodies were dispersed across Planet Izumo’s orbital pathways.

On the moons, the purple fungal carpets regrew rapidly. Mutating into Brood Queen eggs, the fungal carpets gave rise to numerous Swarm bases. Within weeks, new Larval bodies emerged endlessly from these bases, each seeking its place in Planet Izumo’s orbital swarm.

As Planet Izumo became shrouded by a growing mass of Space Octopuses, the faces of the Riken commanders turned grim. The tide of the battle was shifting ominously in favor of the Swarm.

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