Chapter 340: The Third Party
In the war against the Rikens, Luo Wen had already achieved his basic strategic objectives.
If no third party interfered, events would continue to unfold predictably. Once the Swarm established infrastructure near the system’s star, the next step would be to destroy the Riken solar sail facilities.
These primitive Dyson sphere-like structures provided the Rikens with abundant clean energy. Without them, the high-energy weapons of the Riken homeworld’s defensive line could only sustain a few days of intense combat before over 60% would become useless scrap metal. The Twin Star Defensive Zone would also be significantly impacted.
Once the Rikens’ firepower was depleted, the Swarm would neither annihilate them outright nor engage in negotiations. Instead, routine patrols near the Riken homeworld would become the norm.
This sustained close proximity by an alien species would exacerbate the Rikens’ sense of helplessness and escalate their already mounting fear. They might attempt a desperate counterattack, but the overwhelming strength of the Swarm would crush their efforts, driving home their futility.
Given the earlier surrender overtures, the Rikens, finding themselves with no alternatives, would likely implore their council to negotiate with the Swarm. However, the Swarm’s unresponsive stance would leave the Rikens baffled and adrift.
The council’s inaction would transform the Rikens’ fear into anger, creating a need for an outlet. President Antonio, previously a symbol of centralized authority, would find his perceived power worthless, becoming a scapegoat for the people’s wrath.
A new Riken leader would be elected, one who would succeed in making contact with the Swarm. The Swarm’s relatively lenient terms for capitulation would elevate the new leader’s popularity to unprecedented heights.
Unbeknownst to the Rikens, this leadership transition would already mark a fundamental shift. Nearly half of the Riken leadership would be replaced with Swarm-controlled Intelligent Entities.