Far away in the Empire's western star regions, the Swarm Calamity had weakened because nanomachines were everywhere, leaving it with no food at all. Xi Yan's fleet easily broke through the insects' defenses and drove them back into the star system where they had first landed.
The Nanite Wreckage had long since finished reassembling. Energy arcs fired continuously from afar, eventually wiping out the Soryn Parasites where they stood.
Nanite ships surrounded the last small cluster of the Swarm. Precise bursts of energy arcs left only one grotesquely bloated insect alive.
A Soryn Parasite Prethoryn Queen.
The other insects had all protected their queen with their lives. Not long before, the fleet had observed the Prethoryn Queen laying a batch of eggs, which would hatch into new larvae in space.
The fleet immediately launched an all-out assault, finally destroying the last Insectoid fleet and capturing the wounded Soryn Parasite Prethoryn Queen.
Restrained by nanomachines, the Prethoryn Queen was rushed back to an Imperial research institute. The fleet remained behind to carry out post-infestation construction projects, rebuilding the mining stations and research stations destroyed by the Swarm.
During transport, the Prethoryn Queen grew restless and irritable, displaying intense fear.
The scientists dusted off their knowledge of genetic ascension from years ago. Using neurotransmitters, the Empire soothed the Prethoryn Queen so she would no longer angrily try to break free.
The Swarm clearly operated with a hive mentality and was likely controlled by one or several collective consciousnesses. The Empire's Psionics Legion immediately entered the chamber holding the Prethoryn Queen and deployed their psionic power to attempt communication.
The attempt succeeded. Psionics connected to the Prethoryn Queen's consciousness, allowing the Psionic Adepts to converse with her telepathically.
[Hello. We are humans.]
[Ha! Ha! Ha! Hello, humans! You truly disgust us. You aren't