I Am The Swarm-Chapter 561: The March

The Interstellar Confederation’s official self-definition is that of an open, free, and loosely organized alliance. Members are free to join, leave, and act as they please, with no coercion whatsoever.

Moreover, because it is a loose organization, there are no strict requirements for its members. For example, the exchange of Ji Race points for technology is entirely optional—take it or leave it.

In normal times, the Interstellar Confederation indeed operates this way. However, in reality, the fact that the confederation’s territory has only one enemy—the Swarm—shows that the so-called freedom to come and go is a complete farce. Those who refused to join have long since vanished into the annals of history.

As for the loose organization with no hard requirements, that’s nothing but a joke. If it were truly so, the frontline forces against the Swarm wouldn’t include any factions other than the Ji Race and the inner-ring civilizations.

Of the mid- and outer-ring civilizations currently stationed at the frontline, aside from the Rashudia Race—whose thought processes are, to put it mildly, unconventional—none are truly here of their own volition. The rest have been “volunteered” against their will.

Out of over a hundred civilizations, only one is genuinely willing. It’s a bit heartbreaking to think about, but it also highlights just how rare and precious this willingness is.

As a result, the Rashudia Race has received unimaginable support from the shadowy powers behind the scenes.

All protests and reports from the frontline regarding the Rashudia Race’s abuse of authority and coercion of allies have been suppressed by a terrifying, unknown force.

The outer-ring races made a fuss about this for a long time, but in the end, there was no response. It was as if the quantum entanglement in their communication devices had suddenly stopped working, and information was confined to the small area around the frontline base. Everyone seemed cut off from the outside world.

Everything appeared eerily calm, much like the current state of the Swarm. No individuals or organizations inquired about the specifics, and the Rashudia Race faced no questioning or punishment. Even within their own race, these matters were treated as taboo.

Thus, everyone understood.

The outer-ring races aren’t fools. Everything indicated that, at certain levels, a unified will had already been established. After all, unlike these cannon fodder and enforcers, what the higher-ups wanted to see and achieve was entirely different.

The atmosphere at the frontline base suddenly grew tense. The fleets of various races began their final preparations for battle. Personnel, ammunition, energy, daily supplies, and all other necessities underwent final checks and tests.

All protests on the surface died down, and no one attempted mutiny or rebellion. Firstly, they couldn’t defeat the Rashudia Race, who acted as overseers. Secondly, even if they wanted to flee, there was nowhere to go. Ahead lay the Swarm, and behind them was the Interstellar Technological Confederation. The Swarm had no tradition of taking prisoners, and the confederation wouldn’t tolerate traitors.

Unless over 80% of the outer-ring races at the frontline united, they might be able to stir up some trouble. But even then, it would only be a minor disturbance. Moreover, each fleet had its own agenda, making true unity impossible.

However, the Swarm’s potential super bomb left everyone terrified. The instinct for self-preservation, hardwired into their genes, drove some of the outer-ring races to make one last effort to avoid certain death.

Thus, beneath the calm surface, undercurrents of tension flowed. Secret meetings and alliances formed. The Rashudia Race, though aware of these activities, paid little attention. To them, these petty rebellions were inconsequential. Once the battle began, the Swarm would help extinguish any unwelcome ideas within the Confederation forces.

Finally, at the end of the 79th year of the New Era, the Confederation forces completed all pre-battle preparations. Under the command of the Rashudia Race, they set out toward the Swarm’s First Star System.

This operation was specific to the First Star System. The forces stationed at the Swarm’s Ninth Star System, due to their numbers and strength, would not launch a simultaneous attack as they had before.

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However, this was exactly what the Rashudia Race wanted. By focusing solely on this battle, they could secure their first victory without worrying about competing for speed or other factors.

The sight of over 3.5 billion ships from dozens of races, each with its own design and paint scheme, setting out in a grand procession was unprecedented in the history of the Interstellar Confederation.

In the confederation’s history, no civilization had ever faced a united force of dozens or even hundreds of races. Rebellious factions were always eliminated in their infancy. Only a bizarre entity like the Swarm, which had grown into a behemoth seemingly overnight, could warrant such a response.

Coordinating the fleets of so many races, each with different performance parameters, for a unified operation was an extremely difficult task. Add in the complexities of racial temperaments and relationships, and the challenge became nearly insurmountable.

Moreover, the Rashudia Race had already made many enemies. Their forceful conscription of everyone into what felt like a suicide mission only deepened the resentment. Even if no one openly rebelled, subtle acts of sabotage would be enough to cause the Rashudia Race significant headaches.

The Rashudia Race, however, had anticipated this. Their eccentric nature meant they had no intention of smoothing over relations with the various races.

As the initiators and commanders of the mission, it was only fitting that the Rashudia Race lead the charge. Thus, 100 million of their ships took the vanguard position. They would be the first to engage the Swarm if encountered.

Despite comprising only half of the total forces, the sheer number of 100 million ships was enough to overwhelm the fleets of other races, most of which numbered in the tens of millions.

The remaining half of the Rashudia fleet, as the mission’s initiators and commanders, naturally assumed the role of overseers. These ships ensured that the Rashudia Race’s orders were carried out. Any deviations would first receive a warning, followed by direct attacks if the issue persisted.

When the Rashudia Race first announced these policies, nearly all the outer-ring races were horrified. Protests and objections erupted immediately. However, with the Rashudia Race ignoring them and the usual channels for escalation closed, the outer-ring races had no choice but to swallow their grievances.

The Rashudia Race’s actions successfully turned previously friendly or neutral relationships into cold indifference or outright hostility. In the eyes of the outer-ring races, the Rashudia Race had become akin to demons. By comparison, the Swarm seemed almost amiable.

Almost.

But no matter how much they privately criticized or slandered the Rashudia Race, the outer-ring fleets, unable to unite or coordinate, had no choice but to grit their teeth and march forward under the watchful eyes of over 100 million overseers.