May 31, 11,958 CE
Outpost Theta 512, Lukov IV, Lukov System, Arcturus Sector, Arcturus Stream...
10H rushed over to tend to a damaged Android, which stumbled inside with the help of another Android, and began tending to the Android's damaged arm and leg. "Sabrina, what happened?"
Sabrina groaned as 10H temporarily deactivated the nocireceptors in her right side. "Damned Locusts… I was careless and stepped on one of their mines. Then one of those Crawlers started firing at me."
"You were lucky Ustinov and Prachanda took it down," The Android who'd helped Sabrina in, YoRHa Unit S21, commented.
"Yeah, Sabrina grunted. "But the wind and dust hasn't helped at all, it's clogged up all my exposed parts."
10H nodded sympathetically- Lukov IV was a barren, cold, and windswept world, very different from its temperate sister, Lukov III, and had only been home to a few mining and research outposts.
So it was a surprise when Locust forces invaded the planet a month ago, all manner of Locust constructs landing on its surface.
Initially, Governor Neferure of the Lukov System even proposed abandoning the planet entirely, and simply bombarding the Locust landing sites from orbit, similar to what the Union forces had done successfully at the Independist outpost world of Krypton VI months earlier.
However, the concurrent Locust invasion of the Westeros System in the Midgard Sector meant that major fleet assets weren't available for a week, by which time the Locust swarm had found its way into the planet's extensive underground caverns, out of reach of orbital bombardment.
Union Intelligence had proceeded to send commando recon teams into the planet's caverns- and confirmed their worst fears. The Locusts were erecting Locust Replicators throughout the cavern system, mining the planet's mineral wealth for mass production of Locust machines. The presence of Locust factories so close to a major Union colony was deemed unacceptable, and a ground campaign was declared.
Of course, the Navy continued to provide fire support, bombarding Locust forces that emerged from the underground caves from orbit.
But the Navy's vessels could hardly stay in any position safely for long- Locust ships and drone swarms frequently emerged from hiding in the Lukov Central Asteroid Field and the rings of the gas giant Lukov V to ambush and harass Union warships.
The Locusts also lay space mines in the path of Lukov IV's orbit, which endangered Union ships orbiting the planet. Then the Locusts destroyed the point-defense cruiser UEASN Grim Reaper with a nuclear weapon, and sowing a destructive EMP blast that disrupted the electronics of ships in orbit. The Navy finally had enough, and declared they would be limiting anti-surface operations, putting more pressure on the surface forces.
Then, about a week ago, inexplicably, the Locust forces suddenly retreated from the Lukov System, the ships pulling out of their scattered hiding places around the system. The Navy pursued and destroyed as many as they could, but many managed to escape. However, except some limited defensive action as they retreated, most of the Locust ships did not put up even a fraction of the resistance they were potentially capable of.
Without their capital ships to relay central commands, the Locust machines planetside became disorganized and erratic. They still fought fiercely and mindlessly, but now did so pell-mell and without strategy, akin to a chaotic horde or feral creatures. Of course, Intelligence noted they still continued to maintain their Replicators, mine and scavenge resources, as well as repairing damaged units- no doubt programs well ingrained into them. Which also meant the Locust infestation wasn't going to fade away by itself.
"You have got to be more careful," 10H finished meticulously cleaning, replacing, and repairing damaged parts over the course of thirty minutes.
"Heh, you sound like my brother," Sabrina grunted wryly. "Abdelaziz is always telling me how I should quit my job as a soldier and do something less… thrilling, I guess. A safe, cushy job."
"Then why don't you?" 10H asked curiously.
Sabrina got up, shrugging. "Fighting's what I'm good at. It's what I was made to do."
"What if we achieve peace one day?" 10H asked.
"If you ask me, peace is temporary," Sabrina scoffed, standing up. "A calm between storms. After the Machine Wars ended, I spent some years running guard duty, but there were often small skirmishes that happened. And then the Western Pacific War erupted. And now we have the Locusts. It's a big galaxy out there, 10H- I doubt we'll ever find lasting peace. But if we do somehow, someday… well, I'll figure it out from there." She began to walk back out of the field hospital.
"Wait, Sabrina, you're not going back out there, are you?"
"I have to, 10H. We have a battle to win."
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Several kilometers away, underground…
Artemisian Marine Lieutenant Sigismund Wilson gestured to his troops to follow as he made a dash for cover behind some rock outcroppings near the crater's edge. Most of them were Artemisian Marines, but he'd also been joined by a few Resistance stragglers who'd been separated from their units in the fighting.
"Lieutenant, I think I just saw a Walker," One of the soldiers, Private Mars Farwynd whispered to his superior.
"Got it, Private. Everyone, the Replicator is just ahead, so we'll be facing a lot of resistance. YoRHa forces were here just a few days ago, they softened up the enemy defenses for us. But there's a lot of debris- it's cover for us, but it's also cover for the Locusts, so stay sharp! Now, cover me!"
With that, he charged out of hiding and fired, shooting down a pair of Locust Drones before diving down into a trench.
This drew the attention of a pair of Locust Crawlers, the four-legged machines stalking out of hiding, looking like twisted mechanical canines preparing to pounce. As they stalked closer to where Lieutenant Wilson was in hiding, it exposed their flanks to the other waiting marines.
"Fire! Cover the lieutenant!" Sergeant Karstark ordered, and the Marines unleashed a fusillade of fire, instantly tearing into one of the Crawlers. The other wheeled around, but only got off a couple wild potshots before it met the same fate.
"Nice work," Lieutenant Wilson scrambled out of the trench. "Now, go, go, go!"
The Android soldiers poured out of hiding, and opened fire, cutting through the Locust Drones patrolling around and servicing the Replicator. Some of the sturdier Armored Drones survived long enough to return fire, but not for long.
They were about a hundred meters from the Replicator when the rumbling began. "Sergeant Karstark, take Fireteam B and set the charges. Resistance, go with Karstark- except you, Didymus! Fireteam A, Didymus, come with me! We have a Walker to kill."
Lieutenant Wilson and his team ran away from the replicator, deliberately running in front of the towering Locust Walker to draw its attention away from the Replicator.
The lumbering machine took the bait and pursued, shooting out deadly bolts of deadly plasma and bursts of machine gun fire.
"AUGGHHH!" One of the Marines, Corporal Martins, managed to scream in a rather undignified manner just before he was blown apart by a series of plasma bolts.
"Damn it, that thing's built like a tank!" Private Postly shouted as she scrambled into a trench created by the Locusts' own mining efforts, still firing her rifle at the Walker.
"Is it my turn yet?" Didymus whispered to Wilson, as the two shared a rock formation for cover.
"Not yet, we need to draw it closer," Wilson leaned out of cover to fire a few shots at the enemy war machine. "Almost…"
Another Marine was cut down by the Walker's machine gun fire, falling backward into the trench.
"Now!" Wilson shouted, and Didymus emerged from cover, now close to the Walker's right flank.
He fired his portable rocket launcher twice, unloading all the ammo he had left. The blasts tore the Walker's chassis open, debris raining down on the cave floor, and the now uncontrolled legs buckled, falling over, just short of a trench where most of the Marines were hiding.
"Ughh- oww-" Didymus complained. "I got some shrapnel in me." He pointed down to his injuries, which were beginning to leak oil. "It hurts."
"Don't worry, we'll get you back to the field hospital," Wilson reassured.
A second later, a huge explosion rocked the cavern from several hundred meters away.
"Looks like Karstark pulled it off," Wilson smirked, as he pressed his transmitter. "Sergeant, what's your status?"
"Mission success. The charges destroyed the Replicator completely. No casualties on my end; we're pulling out."
"Two losses here, and several minor injuries here. Meet us at these coordinates. Wilson out." He paused as he transmitted a written message to command. "Right, looks like we're ready to-"
His communicator began ringing, and so he answered it. "This is Lieutenant Sigi- Colonel Suleiman! To what do I owe the honor?"
"Congrats on destroying Replicator 6," The Colonel began, before sighing. "But what I'm about to say isn't welcome news."
"What is it, sir?"
"Theta Squad was wiped out trying to reach Replicator 8 near Cavern 37. Their last reports said they encountered a new type of Locust unit. Deliver your wounded to the field hospital first, and then we need you to go check it out."
"Right, of course sir."
"Excellent. Suleiman out."
"It never does end, does it?" Didymus offered a wry smile, despite his injuries.
Lieutenant Wilson shook his head. "Form up, troops! We've got a new job to do!"
