The feedback ca back quickly, indicating that the Ji race’s higher-ups were closely monitoring the war in real-ti. The ssage was simple—it didn’t confirm whether the captured Swarm Empress was genuine or fake. Instead, it ordered them to return to their lines as quickly as possible and transport the target through the star gate to a designated star system.
Though no specific explanation was provided, it seed they had gleaned so understanding.
The evacuation efforts accelerated significantly. Ji soldiers waiting for transport began wrapping up their tasks, ensuring all remaining equipnt, including weapon remnants, was destroyed.
“Move faster! We’re out of ti.” The underground battlefield had indeed been vast, even after contracting the combat zone. Post-battle, many personnel remained stranded in various locations. Even with the “Hercules” assisting in rescue operations, it was impossible to extract everyone within just a few hours.
“We can’t wait any longer. All personnel are to retreat imdiately. Those who haven’t been rescued will be classified as missing in action!” Upon the commander’s order, all teams still lingering on the surface began retreating rapidly.
Thanks to the Ji race’s unique organizational structure, soldiers had little camaraderie beyond their squadmates. Thus, even though the commander issued such an unsympathetic directive, dissenters were few.
The Swarm Empress was escorted by a gunship squadron to the near-orbit fleet without incident—a smoothness that felt almost unreal.
However, the Swarm Empress’s condition was concerning. She had been transferred to a more advanced dical bay, but the Ji ergency responders were unable to provide effective treatnt.
“How’s the target’s condition?” On the large screen connecting to the rear command room, the commanders inquired. The ergency responders shook their heads.
“Not good. Since she was discovered, the target hasn’t moved at all. Due to our limited understanding of the Swarm, we don’t even know what their vital organs are or where they are located. Consequently, we have no way to monitor her vital signs.”
“Is the target still alive?” The commanders’ expressions darkened.
Over ten hours had passed since the Swarm Empress’s capture. Among the Confederation’s two hundred-plus races, under such severe injuries and without effective treatnt, only a handful could survive.
“Most likely still alive. The target is still fully covered in her armor. While this prevents us from directly observing her body to assess her condition, it indirectly confirms she’s still alive.”
Upon hearing this explanation, those in the command room nodded silently. The Swarm’s bio-armor was a remarkable phenonon—it lived symbiotically with its host. If the host died, the armor would lose its vitality.
They believed that the Swarm Empress’s custom armor, though functionally different from the mass-produced versions, wouldn’t deviate from this principle.
But continuing like this wasn’t a solution. Even if everything went smoothly, it would take at least two years to reach the designated star system. Whether the Swarm Empress could endure until then was uncertain.
“Haven’t you thought of any other solutions?”
The ergency responders shook their heads. “We don’t even know the target’s basic anatomical structure, so we can’t provide effective treatnt.”
The commanders were at a loss. Different species had varying body structures and capabilities. For most races, the brain and circulatory core were critical—damage to either often ant death. But not for all. Take the Senqi race, for example; their people had two heads, and so mutated individuals even had three or more. Even if critically injured, as long as one head survived, they lived.
Then there was the Haixue race. Their heads weren’t vital organs. Only destroying their mobile circulatory core could kill them, giving them incredible survivability.
Thus, the criteria for assessing injury severity varied greatly between species. Without specific knowledge of their anatomy and data, it was difficult to intervene.
Especially for the Swarm—an expert in biotechnology—they had made countless modifications to their own bodies. Take the Swarm Empress, for instance. She could casually break the sound barrier, toss around K2N9s like toys, and even activate Negative Energy Shields.
While her bio-armor undoubtedly played a significant role, claiming she was physically frail was sothing no Ji soldier would believe.
Many ergency responders speculated that perhaps the Swarm Empress’s seemingly severe injuries weren’t as dire. According to battlefield records, when she was found, her wounds hadn’t bled much—a situation beyond many responders’ comprehension. Such speculation was understandable.
Perhaps beneath that cold visor, the Swarm Empress was watching their helplessness. But these were re guesses. They couldn’t gamble—if she truly succumbed to her injuries, who would they bla?
Amidst the silence, one responder suddenly brightened, proposing a novel idea: “Perhaps we should proactively contact the Swarm. I’m sure they wouldn’t want their Swarm Empress to die from untreated injuries.”
At first, the suggestion seed impractical—they had abducted the Swarm’s Empress and now sought their help for treatnt? That would be sheer audacity.
But upon reflection, the idea wasn’t entirely unreasonable. The Swarm Empress’s status within the Swarm was well-known. If she were dead, so be it. But if she were alive, would the Swarm dare watch her perish?
Ti was critical. The idea was quickly approved and formalized into a plan. Thus, amidst the Ji race’s frantic retreat and the Swarm’s relentless counterattack, a stern yet peculiar ssage was broadcast directionally.
This regional broadcast lacked confidentiality—so information might be intercepted by interested parties. However, the Ji race had no alternative ans of contacting the Swarm.
Still, this thod had its advantages. News of the Swarm Empress would spread among most of the Swarm, making covert sches harder to execute. Regardless of intentions, the Swarm’s leadership couldn’t be easily manipulated by overt actions. Of course, this was based on their speculations about their own internal dynamics—perhaps the Swarm wasn’t as riddled with intrigue.
Regardless, this approach significantly increased their chances of obtaining information.
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