I Am The Swarm-Chapter 678: Communication

The main representative from the Rashudia race was a high-ranking royal, and his mood was far from pleasant. In this campaign, the Rashudia had gone from being the biggest winners to the biggest joke in the blink of an eye.

Before the meeting, he had known that this incident would inevitably be brought up as a cautionary tale. However, even with that mental preparation, having it mentioned to his face still left him extremely displeased.

But this meeting included elders from the Ji race and representatives from the inner-circle civilizations. Given the Rashudia’s standing, he couldn’t act as arrogantly as Conradus, who had once dominated the frontline forces. For the sake of the bigger picture, he could only silently note the offending race in his little black book. There would be time to settle scores later.

Within the Interstellar Technological Confederation, two opposing viewpoints clashed. Everyone knew that rescuing the hostages was a necessity. The opposing side simply wanted to contribute less to the effort.

“Gentlemen, the Confederation is a united and mutually supportive organization. Even if only one member’s forces were captured by the Swarm, we would still make every effort to rescue them. We cannot let our heroes shed blood and tears.”

The Mukarchi, one of the rare inner-circle civilizations and one of the most powerful races in this galaxy, spoke up. Although the Confederation always touted equality among its members, the weight of Mukarchi’s words far surpassed those of the outer and mid-ring civilizations.

“Exactly. None of you would want the Confederation to abandon you if you were in a similar situation. As for the cost, the frontline races have suffered significant losses. Those who haven’t should lend a hand to rescue our people first.” The intervention of a major figure quickly elevated the quality of the discussion. Another representative from an inner-circle civilization called the Dokemim joined the conversation.

After Dokemim’s statement, several other inner-circle leaders voiced their support.

“I also support rescuing the hostages first. But what if the Swarm’s demands are unacceptable or beyond our capabilities?” The question came from the Yasufit, another inner-circle civilization. At this point, the outer and mid-ring civilizations no longer had the standing to raise such questions, even though it was their forces that had been captured.

“Then we’ll have to resort to special measures. Our capabilities are limited, but no matter what, we must rescue our people first,” said the Mukarchi representative.

Hearing this, the representatives from the mid and outer-ring civilizations, whose forces were trapped, looked grim. Special measures? With so many hostages, a covert rescue was impossible. That left only a full-scale assault as the remaining option.

If it came to that, it would essentially be a war under the guise of a rescue mission. How many of the captured forces would survive such an operation was anyone’s guess.

But even if only one person were rescued, the inner-circle civilizations and the Ji race would likely spin it as a great victory.

The outer and mid-ring civilizations dared not speak up, while the remaining inner-circle leaders remained silent but did not openly oppose the idea.

Finally, the attending Ji elder also expressed support for this approach. With that, the Confederation’s stance was effectively decided.

“Then let’s not keep our friends waiting any longer. Alicia, please connect us to Lady Marlene’s communication channel. Let’s hear what the Swarm’s conditions are.” Ambros, one of the three Ji elders present, issued the order to the artificial intelligence Alicia to establish a connection with the Yuntu flagship on the frontline.

There had always been rumors within the Confederation that the Ji’s artificial intelligences were subroutines of Lumina. Whether or not this rumor was true, the performance of the Ji’s AIs was indeed superior to those of other races.

Upon receiving the command, Alicia quickly linked to the Yuntu flagship’s systems. After obtaining authorization from the Yuntu, the Confederation’s video communication signal was transmitted to the frontline.

On the Yuntu flagship, the atmosphere in the meeting room was slightly awkward. After finishing her statement, Marlene closed her eyes and fell silent. Without her speaking, the captured commanders from various races also didn’t know what to say. In the end, everyone followed suit, closing their eyes and waiting.

Their emotions were complex. The situation had now escalated into a contest between the Swarm and the Confederation, leaving them, the captives, largely irrelevant. This brought them some relief but also a sense of unease.

“Don’t worry, the Confederation will definitely rescue us.”

“Even though we don’t have any inner-circle leaders here, our numbers are significant. If the Confederation wants to continue growing, they won’t abandon us.”

“I’m also quite optimistic…”

“What’s most concerning is if the two sides can’t agree on the ransom. If that happens, we’ll be in danger.”

“Exactly. This war can’t end now. The Confederation has lost too much face and will want to reclaim it. That complicates negotiations. If the Swarm’s demands are unacceptable to the Confederation, they’ll likely launch a rescue mission under the guise of an assault. Who knows how many of us will make it back.”

“That’s true, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. Even our own races are probably powerless…”

“Sigh, to be at the mercy of others… I never thought I’d see the day…”

So far, the Swarm had not blocked the ship’s communication networks. However, the frontline force’s high-ranking officers here couldn’t access the virtual meeting room. Fortunately, they still had their personal terminals and could use a popular social program within the Confederation. Though they couldn’t speak, they could communicate via text.

The group of Confederation commanders chatted away, lamenting the ups and downs of life.

“Lady Marlene, apologies for the wait.” Suddenly, the communication screen in the meeting room lit up, and a greeting preceded the image.

“Haha, quite the gathering. Ji elders, Mukarchi, Dokemim, Yasufit… the high powers of the Confederation have all assembled. It seems you’re determined to deal with the Swarm.”

“After all, your actions this time have caused quite a stir. But before we get into the specifics of negotiations, I’m curious—how did you recognize us?” asked the Ji elder, his tone gentle, as if chatting with an old friend.

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“Of course, that’s no secret,” Marlene replied generously, nodding. “When the Swarm was still a member of the Confederation, certain things were open to us. For example, a small catalog containing the physical characteristics of various races. I’ve memorized its contents. While I don’t know who you are individually, your features are easily matched to that catalog.”