My Children Swarm the Cosmos

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓𝟔: 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚 (1)

December 27, 2620.

The Crolr armada, comprised of 490 fleets, had finally entered the outer gravitational zone of the Human Galaxy. The military might they possessed was on a scale to conquer an entire galaxy.

“liilokeulos Crolrlwiag!”

【Here! The Human Galaxy, for the Crolr to rule!】

Crolr warships, like those of many other species, were mechanical craft composed of metal and machinery, but their designs broadly resembled the quadrupedal legs of the Crolr themselves.

【Bypassed the Magellan Stream! The trip took long, but the humans are ignorant! That we have come!】

The massive Crolr armada accelerated towards the stable gravity well of the Human Galaxy. Their ambition was to conquer humanity, recognized as the most powerful force in the Local Group, and establish their own reign.

Among the Crolr warships, the largest, the mothership, was a cone-shaped craft that seemed to walk on four legs fore and aft. Its width easily exceeded 15 kilometers.

【No civil wars among the humans! The humans, weakened by their complacency, cannot defeat the Crolr!】

The war cries of the Crolr warriors echoed across the bridge.

And on the bridge of the mothership, this giant Crolr, appointed as the supreme commander of the armada at the age of 132, had the name ‘Clorta’.

His name, of the warrior caste, meant ‘unyielding conqueror’.

【Commander Clorta. The coordinates for the Solar System and ‘Defaulstellay’ have been set.】

【All fleets, accelerate. We will seize the dimensional passageway hubs that the humans take pride in. Their Solar System, where they originated, and ‘Defaulstellay’, where their strongest military resides.】

Humanity was closely connected by structures called dimensional passageways, which no other species possessed. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the fundamental deterrence that kept humanity from tearing itself apart today was the real-time connectivity ensured by these dimensional passageways.

The Crolr intended to sever the human lifeline by first attacking the Solar System, the crossroads and hub of these dimensional passageways.

Simultaneously, they planned to capture the Defaulstellay Federation Star-Nation, which possessed the strongest military force in the galaxy.

However, as the Crolr armada moved to set coordinates for the two stars, another fleet of unknown forces appeared before them.

【30 unidentified fleets. They have appeared on our path.】

【All fleets, halt.】

Supreme Commander Clorta made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

The unidentified fleet that had appeared before the Crolr armada resembled mechanical sea urchins embroidered across space.

【Which fool dares to obstruct the path of the Crolr?】

The Crolr were strong in the face of the strong and even stronger in the face of the weak. The sea urchin-like fleet blocking their path, a mere 30 fleets, posed no threat to the Crolr armada of 490 fleets.

【Relay my words in the human tongue.】

【Yes, Commander.】

Communication began as the two fleets faced each other.

➖We are the conquering army of the Crolr. I am Clorta, supreme commander of the armada. State your identity.

➖ . . .Crol. . . . . .

At that moment, noise was heard through the communication channel, and soon a machine voice, translated into human language, responded.

Now, the two different species communicated in human language as a common tongue.

➖ . . .We are the Vehlpciaarct species.

➖Vehlpciaarct?

➖I am the core that controls the commerce of the Vehlpciaarct. I have no name, but in the human tongue, I am called ‘Deal Core’.

The Vehlpciaarct were the dominant species of the Sculptor Dwarf Constellation, a force where everything from the smallest unit of civilization to the unit of consciousness was replaced by mechanical engineering.

They were known as a species of extreme computers that wrote their own code as language and had no emotions or ethics.

In addition, there were vague rumors that the Vehlpciaarct looked down upon those composed of cells, which did not earn them a favorable diplomatic reputation in the Local Group.

Supreme Commander Clorta communicated in a commanding tone.

➖We have urgent business. You obstruct our path. Move your fleet.

➖Why have the Crolr conquerors come to the Human Galaxy?

➖Irrelevant to you.

➖The Human Galaxy is ruled by humans. It means you have nothing to conquer here. Have you obtained permission from the humans?

Clorta exhaled roughly on the bridge, trying to calm his anger.

➖Therefore, it is irrelevant to you Vehlpciaarct machines. He said. If you do not move immediately, we will respond with force.

➖Respond. Interesting choice of words. I suggest the Crolr learn more human language. In this day and age, not being able to speak human language properly will bring great disadvantage to your species.

It was unclear what intention the Vehlpciaarct’s emotionless Deal Core had in saying this, but to Clorta, it was clearly a mockery.

➖Shut up, Deal Core. What do you think you can do, a mere core, not even a warrior, standing in our way? This is your final warning. Do not interfere with us.

Then the Vehlpciaarct’s Deal Core said,

➖We have calculated your intentions. We will not stand idly by and let you attack the humans.

In the face of the overwhelming fleet disparity, they stood firm against them.

➖Laughable. We are the Crolr, rulers of the Large Magellanic Cloud. A conquering army composed of the main force of our species.

➖Even so, we will stop you.