My Children Swarm the Cosmos – Chapter 71

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟏: 𝐈𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 (2)

January 2, 2621.

The Drake Star System is a binary star system with 11 celestial bodies orbiting a type-A main sequence star, Drake Alpha, and a type-B main sequence star, Drake Beta.

The Drake Federation, with a relatively small population of 2.5 billion, is a powerful nation on par with Mars and Defostellaris. It is widely recognized as the nation with the most advanced technology among humans.

Inside the Euryale.

Yiel, who is of human origin and is currently acting as Nazar, gazes into space.

Her mercury-like eyes are currently connected to the Mind Repeaters scattered across the outskirts of the Drake Star System.

➖Do you have anything special to report?

“There is no response from the dimensional passageway.”

At that moment, Kreion, who is inside the largest Euryale, expressed his doubts.

The dimensional passageways, which usually boast a large amount of traffic, are like gateways for various human ships to pass through. It is highly unusual that not a single ship is seen using the dimensional passageway.

“Dimensional passageways are structures that do not have the concept of being shut down, even if they need to be inspected.”

It is definitely not a normal situation for a structure that ensures real-time communication and interaction among humans to be stopped even for a moment.

“Something serious must have happened in the dimensional passageway.”

Gnox, who is in the same space as Kreion, has been concentrating with his eyes closed since earlier.

“Gnox.”

“I. . . found the cause.”

Gnox intercepted the radio waves spreading through Drake’s territory and interpreted them. And the source of the information he interpreted was that of a broadcasting station or various media outlets.

“It’s the invasion of the Crolr.”

“The warlike species from the Large Magellanic Cloud?”

“Yes. Their conquest army invaded the Solar System and Drake on a large scale 3 days ago. It seems that the dimensional passageway to the Solar System was neutralized at the start of the invasion.”

“The Solar System, which serves as the hub of the dimensional passageways, fell so easily?”

“It was because of the large gap in the UNF fleet. The Solar System was a major UNF garrison, so the dimensional passageways were always protected by the UNF. However. . . recently, many fleets were mobilized for the extermination operation of the Hecartra colony.”

“So the connections all over the world were cut off.”

“From a human perspective, the timing was really bad. It just so happened that the Crolr entered when the UNF fleet attacked us.”

“It can’t be a coincidence. It’s clear that the Crolr entered at that timing because they were aiming for the gap in the UNF fleet’s forces.”

“I think so too.”

In any case, that is the situation for humans.

“Great. This increases our chances of achieving our goals in Drake.”

Ludwig, who is always by Kreion’s side, expresses his intense hatred with his single red eye.

“The UNF has been weakened by the defeat at Hecartra. . . In the meantime, the Crolr invaded mankind, and even the dimensional passageways all over the world have been paralyzed. . . We will be able to deal with Drake alone here, not mankind. . . The situation is very good. . .”

As Ludwig said, this situation is much better than expected. Even without this, they were worried about what kind of enemies might be lurking in Drake, which boasts the most advanced technology among humans. However, thanks to the dimensional passageways being paralyzed and mankind’s entire forces dealing with the Crolr, one less worry has been lifted.

“Jiannettera.”

➖Yes. Master.

A strange female voice responded in a wave.

“Summarize the celestial information collected with Yiel and report it.”

Immediately after, information poured into Kreion’s mind.

It was specific information about the 11 planets in the Drake Star System. It contained information about where each planet is located, what kind of environment it is, and what kind of facilities are primarily found there.

Kreion first focused on Drake’s capital planet.

The place where Lopez, who is behind all the grudges and is presumed to have the key to the truth, is located.

He has never met him face-to-face or exchanged words with him, but he followed him all the way here.

‘Obsidia Drake.’

It is a planet of moderate size orbiting the 5th orbit. It has been completely terraformed into an environment beneficial to humans, and various facilities boasting a vast area of metropolises and advanced technology are distributed.

The geostationary orbit is filled with colonies, defense satellites, orbital shipyards, orbital assembly facilities, deep space telescopes, orbital military bases, and parked ships. The Drake regular army’s large-scale fleet is also showing its might.

‘Are they gathering the army because of the Crolr invasion?’

It seems that they have gathered the army with the aim of helping other countries, not to protect their own country. If it was for the purpose of protecting their own country, they would have dispersed the army evenly on each planet.

“Gnox. Can you find out when the fleet gathered in Obsidia Drake will leave?”

“I can’t even try to figure it out unless I get closer and infiltrate their system directly.”

They will be caught if they approach in a ring formation.

If they send only one Lemegeton with Gnox on board, it is dangerous and will take too long.

Even if Gnox safely approaches and finds a way to infiltrate their system, it is unknown whether he will be able to access their military intelligence network.

‘I can’t just wait without knowing when the fleet gathered there will leave.’

Right here, there are 440 fleets under the control of Kreion and the leaders.

There are 53 Euryales alone and 561 Lemegetons. Although they were scattered as much as possible, the other side could notice this amount of fleet mass at any time.

“Ludwig.”

“Yes. . .”

“Since the fleet is concentrated on the capital planet, let’s take this opportunity. Find a place suitable as a strategic stronghold among the celestial bodies with relatively weak defenses.”

“I’ll spread the eyes of the children more. . .”

After a while, Ludwig pointed out three planets in turn.

“Altblubber in the 9th orbit, Fayda in the 10th orbit, and Bluesteel in the 11th orbit. . .”

“Do you mean to target all three planets at the same time?”

“The enemy fleet is concentrated on the capital planet of Obsidia Drake. . . Among the targets with relatively weak forces. . . If you aim for only one celestial body when you start the invasion, it may end up being an over-investment of forces. . .”

The argument was that the legion they are currently carrying would be enough to penetrate even if divided into three.

Kreion checked the number of fleets in Altblubber, Fayda, and Bluesteel, and accepted Ludwig’s opinion.

“Good.”

He simultaneously used his voice and waves to inform the leaders.

“Altblubber is a gas planet with three developed satellites and three fleets, so the difficulty level will be the highest. Therefore, I will personally command the attack on Altblubber.”

“How are we going to take Fayda and Bluesteel. . .?”

“Gnox, Vatory, Yiel, Addmoon, Phlegeth, and Gats will come with me to target Altblubber. Jiannettera, aim for Fayda. Equillocke, aim for Bluesteel.”

To that, Jiannettera and Equillocke responded in turn.

➖I will follow you. I will soon show you the sight of Fayda’s surface being covered in black with Xenotera.

➖Bluesteel, made of dry ice, is not a good element for a satellite colony. So I’ll destroy it thoroughly.

In the meantime, Ludwig looked at him with eyes asking why only he had no role.

“If we invade simultaneously, the fleet gathered in Obsidia Drake will move. At that time, Ludwig, who has the highest legion dominance, will be with me to take charge of that fleet battle.”

“Ah. . . It’s a very important role. . . I’ll do my best. . .”

🔷🔷🔷

There is no need to communicate with the humans here before the invasion. The UNF entered Hecartra with the momentum to annihilate the Chimeraz, and in the first place, humans and the Chimeraz are in an official state of war.

Therefore, Kreion maximized the advantage of a surprise attack without prior communication with Drake.

The Chimeraz’s 440 fleets entered from the outer void of the Drake Star System.

The 330 fleets led by Kreion and Ludwig, the 60 fleets led by Jiannettera, and the 50 fleets led by Equillocke each spread out in a band formation, dividing into three lines.

And they continued to spread Mind Repeaters and Mind Advocates behind the movement path of the fleet so that the three Chimeraz fleets could communicate with each other even if they were far apart.

Eventually, Drake’s humans also detected the Chimeraz’s approach.

Some of the fleets gathered on Drake’s capital planet, Obsidia Drake, moved in three lines to match the movement of the Chimeraz fleet.

However, the Chimeraz fleet, which had been accelerating in a ring formation long before, was able to reach the target celestial body much earlier.

That was the advantage of the current fleet deployment and surprise attack.

‘This day has finally come!’

The leader who started the battle first is Equillocke.

Equillocke is a large, round-headed leader who walks on all fours with thick legs and shows sharp teeth without lips.

Equillocke, designed with reference to Tritula’s genes, has an organ that unfolds like a peacock on its back, which contains Equillocke’s huge brain and three pairs of bright eyes.

‘Bluesteel. It is an unmanned planet that mines carbon dioxide resources.’

Tiny Bluesteel has a mass of 96% dry ice. If a colony is established on such a planet, the mass of the planet will vaporize due to the heat of the Chimeraz lifeforms’ activities. Therefore, Bluesteel is not suitable for a satellite colony.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to destroy the automated mining facilities and the experimental unmanned orbital shipyard in Bluesteel, and it was also the easiest target at the moment.

‘I have to hurry up and process this planet and join Jiannettera-nim.’

‘Attack.’

The unmanned fleet in Bluesteel and the Equillocke group started to clash.

The Lemegeton battleships and Euryale with Organic Accelerator Cannons fired plasma. Then, the unmanned fleet in Bluesteel, despite its small size, defended itself by deploying a wide-range collective shield like a wall.

‘It’s a fleet with strong shield output compared to its size.’

It became difficult to overwhelm it all at once from a long distance.

Therefore, the Chimeraz aircraft that were inside the Euryale and Lemegeton poured out into space and rushed in to surround the unmanned fleet. Then, the unmanned fleet responded with precise cannon fire and sorties of carrier-based aircraft.

The fastest Crepitus caused a series of long explosions, and at the same time, the Fleetcupper group stepped up to the forefront, breaking through the explosions.

Coo-goo-goong. . . !

The tungsten lifeforms fired by the Fleetcupper group and the armor-piercing shells fired by the unmanned fleet collided and crossed each other. The armor-piercing shells with extremely sharp projectile tips burst the Fleetcupper group in the front line.

Soon after, the tungsten lifeforms, which were relatively slower than the armor-piercing shells, reached the front of the unmanned fleet.

At that time, the unmanned fleet showed precise cannon fire, just like when it intercepted the Crepitus group earlier. It intercepted all the tungsten lifeforms that were fired as projectiles without missing a single one.

Equillocke watched the ability of such an unmanned fleet and decided to use another method that he had been saving.

‘Send out the Shockphonia group.’

The Organic Accelerator Cannons of the Euryale and Lemegeton battleships, the biomagnetic accelerators of the Fleetcupper, and the plasma mass of the Cresecter were difficult to hit from most distances. That’s why it’s Shockphonia.

Soon, the Shockphonia group waiting around the Euryale extended their tentacles behind the direction of travel. They rushed in at a fast speed without any long-range attack means.

At that time, the unmanned fleet was investing a lot of cannon resources to intercept the Fleetcupper and Cresecter, which were constantly pouring firepower from the front.

Thanks to this, more than half of the Shockphonia group succeeded in approaching right in front of the unmanned fleet.

Next, the Legion-class individual’s abilities were revealed without filtering.

‘Infect them! It will be advantageous for the future fleet battle if we analyze their ships!’

The Shockphonia, who succeeded in approaching, stuck their snouts into the ship or stabbed them with strangely elongated tentacles. Immediately, the Chimeraz substance penetrated into the ships hit by Shockphonia and quickly took control from the inside.

The unmanned ships that had their interiors captured were controlled in their actions due to the electrical manipulation of the Chimeraz substance.

The infected ships put up shields for the Fleetcupper group in the front line, attacked other unmanned ships, self-destructed, or dispatched carrier-based aircraft covered in Chimeraz organic tissue.

Immediately, the unmanned fleet destroyed the ships hit by Shockphonia without any hesitation, considering them as enemy ships. If it had been a fleet with humans, with normal ships boarded by humans, they would never have dealt with it this way.

Equillocke was inwardly anxious about their quick and efficient judgment.

‘Only 30 fleets are able to withstand my 50 fleets like this. . . .’

After that, the Equillocke group was able to annihilate the unmanned fleet of Bluesteel only after about 4 hours of fleet battle.

‘Jiannettera-nim. Bluesteel has been cleaned up.’

➖Hurry up and join me. The firepower of their fleet and ground forces is not simple.

‘I think it will take some time.’

➖Can’t you deploy a colony there?

Bluesteel’s automated mining facilities and experimental unmanned orbital shipyard were originally intended to be destroyed, but Equillocke changed his mind along the way.

‘If there is something superior among their components, we must take it away.’

➖ Time won’t be enough.

‘Don’t you feel it, Jiannettera-nim?’

➖My intuition?

‘Yes.’

Jiannettera is a wise and thorough leader.

➖ . . .The forces here in Drake all show a strength that is too strong compared to their numbers. Even though our numbers are overwhelming, they don’t seem to be an easy opponent.

➖ Like MDD at Hecartra, there is a high possibility that they have a strategy that we did not expect.

➖ So my intuition now is to feel a sense of ‘crisis’.

‘The unmanned fleet in Bluesteel was small. Thanks to that, I was able to completely infect quite a few ships and their facilities.’

➖But it’s not easy on this side either. I think I need your group’s support as soon as possible.

Judging from the fact that Jiannettera is urging him like this, it seems that the current battle in Fayda is not going well.

‘As I said before, if there is something superior among their components, we must take them away one by one from now on. So please give me just a little time.’

➖ . . .I can’t help it. If a leader of your level is so convinced. . . .

To Equillocke’s clear claim, Jiannettera reluctantly permitted.

➖I will report to Ludwig-nim that the attack on the planet Fayda, which I am in charge of, will be slightly delayed, so bring back something meaningful.

‘Thank you.’

Excellent leaders were able to gauge the whole by experiencing only ‘some’ of the opponent.

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