A chilling silence enveloped The Nest. The crew could only clamp their mouths shut, their faces growing even paler. Their bodies trembled—whether from anger, disappointment, or the fear gripping their pounding hearts, no one could tell. Or perhaps it was the relentless pounding of the Swarm Fleet against The Nest that sent shockwaves through them.
“C-Captain, what should we do?” Kilua’s voice was hoarse, nearly breaking. His teeth clenched as he struggled to contain the fury at Kristo’s betrayal. The crew had always respected that man—not for his status as the head of the Kata family, but because of his blood connection to Lyna, their captain. Yet they never imagined Kristo’s betrayal could be this cruel.
It wasn’t just that he had conspired with their enemies, the Arachnoax, but also that he had fed them false information. If Vamrah had truly been here, they might have willingly sacrificed themselves in a suicide attack to take down that terrifying Broodmother. But in reality, this place was merely a Swarm Fleet hive, with no sign of Vamrah or any other Broodmother. They were now trapped in a deadly ambush designed to annihilate them all.
Frustration was etched on every face. They weren’t afraid to die—as soldiers, they had long accepted death as a possibility. But dying in vain? That was an insult. They wanted to drag their enemies to hell with them, not perish without a fight.
What hurt them more than the enemy’s assault was the betrayal of the Human Federation’s leaders, who were supposed to protect them. Leaders who had conspired with the Arachnoax for personal gain, blind to the destruction threatening humanity.
The Nest and the Queen Bee had been symbols of terror for the Arachnoax. Even the Broodmothers, with all their cunning, couldn’t match Lyna’s unpredictable combat strategies. But now, with Lyna ensnared in this treacherous trap, humanity’s strongest pillar of defense was crumbling. They weren’t losing to the Swarm Fleet but to betrayal from within.
Oddly, though, that frustration and disappointment didn’t show on Lyna’s face. She merely stared at the now-dark communication screen, her brow furrowed as if searching for something hidden in the darkness.
“CAPTAIN!” Kilua repeated louder, realizing his question had gone unanswered.
Slowly, Lyna turned toward him. A faint smile appeared on her calm face, her soft voice breaking the tension. “It’s okay, my First Officer. We’re exactly where we need to be.”
Kilua froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. “What do you mean, Captain?” he asked, his voice thick with confusion.
Lyna turned her gaze out the ship's window, staring at the swarm of the Swarm Fleet that had surrounded them from all sides. Her blue eyes glowed like an ocean illuminated by the midday sun, piercing through the mass of creatures and their deadly attacks. That gaze was unwavering, focused on something that even their radars couldn’t detect.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Those seemingly calm blue eyes hid a storm—like the receding tide before a colossal wave crashes onto the shore. There was something wild and dangerous lurking within, a force that had been suppressed and locked away until this very moment. Her thoughts drifted to the face of her husband, a face that had never left her mind. It appeared again, as if waving to her, calling her to come swiftly. The longing burning within her felt like magma breaking through the earth’s crust.
"Wait for me… just a little longer," she whispered softly.
Suddenly, her commanding voice shattered the silence on the control room.
“Launch the Suicide Bees! All of them!”
The order jolted the crew out of their shock and emotional turmoil. Years of rigorous training kicked in, their bodies moving instinctively at the sound of their captain’s voice.
“LAUNCH THE SUICIDE BEES! ALL PILOTS TO YOUR CONTROL STATIONS!”
The control room transformed into a hive of activity, like a beehive responding to an imminent threat. They are buzzing. The crew abandoned their doubts and focused entirely on the captain’s command. The true power of The Nest lay not just in Lyna’s brilliant strategies but also in her crew’s unwavering speed and efficiency in executing her orders. If Lyna lifted a finger, they would follow without hesitation.
“ALL PILOTS IN POSITION!”
The pilots of the Suicide Bees jumped into their control cabins. With remote controls in hand, they focused their minds entirely on the suicide ships they were about to command. In an instant, their consciousness seemed to merge with the Suicide Bees, making the unmanned ships move as though they were extensions of their own bodies.
“OPEN ALL DECKS!”
The decks of The Nest swung open wide, creating paths for the Arachnoax who had been furiously burrowing through the ship’s protective walls. The creatures immediately swarmed in, believing they had found a breach to destroy their enemies. But not a single crew member panicked—they knew this was part of the plan.
“LAUNCH THE SUICIDE BEES!”
Explosions filled the air. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The fleet of Suicide Bees surged out, ramming into the Arachnoax that had eagerly swarmed through the openings. The Arachnoax’s tough exoskeletons were no match for the impact of the Suicide Bees, their bodies crushed under the unstoppable force of the suicide ships. Every movement was deliberate, every action purposeful—to bring devastation to the enemies that had surrounded them.
Amidst the chaos, Lyna remained calm, standing tall like a queen bee orchestrating everything from her throne.
Though the Suicide Bees successfully exited The Nest, they were immediately met with a barrage of fire from the Swarm Fleet. One by one, the Suicide Bees were destroyed in explosions, shattering into countless pieces. Yet the losses meant nothing. Thousands more waited in the wings, ready to take their place and carry out the mission.
“Scatter them! Disrupt the enemy formation! Don’t hesitate to self-detonate! The primary mission of the Suicide Bees is to clear a path for The Nest!” Lyna’s commanding voice echoed firmly, and the experienced pilots obeyed without hesitation.
“Captain, are we retreating?” Kilua asked. As the vice-captain, he alone had the right to ask questions in the midst of battle.
“No!” Lyna answered decisively. “The Nest never retreats. The path backward has long been sealed. Our goal is singular: forward, forward, and FORWARD!” she declared, pointing ahead, toward a direction only she seemed to understand.