- "We could have cooperated with the groundwalkers for our mutual salvation, but they are humans and they only understand dominance and ownership. All that we have left is a war to the death. For all their so-called intelligence, humans are blind to the threat right before their eyes. We never stood a chance of enlisting their aid, so now we fight alone. And we will stand on their corpses to do so."
- —Queen Myrrah's justification of the genocide of the human race.
The Locust War[1] was a planet-wide conflict between the humans of Sera and the subterranean race known as the Locust Horde. The war began on Emergence Day, when the Locust emerged from the underground caverns of the Hollow and eliminated one quarter of the human population. In the months after E-Day, the Locust advanced across the surface of Sera and overran most of the planet. Nearly a year after E-Day, total Locust victory seemed inevitable until the newly elected COG Chairman Richard Prescott used the Hammer of Dawn to eradicate all Locust-controlled areas.[2] The Hammer strikes only slowed the Locust advance across the surface, and the human survivors of the Hammer strikes formed independent clans called the Stranded. Locust forces continued to occupy the surface of Sera. By 5 A.E., they began to conquer cities on the Jacinto Plateau, starting with the assault on Landown during the Winter of Sorrow. In preparation for the assault on the capital city of Ephyra, Chairman Prescott initiated Operation Lifeboat, a recruitment drive of Stranded men and women to fight for the COG in either combat roles or as engineers.[3] Lifeboat met stiff opposition from the Stranded who resented the COG since it was under the orders of Chairman Prescott that the Hammer of Dawn was deployed. However, many Stranded joined in order to save their families from disease, famine and Locust attacks.
By 10 A.E., the Locust were eventually able to emerge in Ephyra and achieved victory in their assault and occupation, forcing the COG to relocate their capital to Jacinto City. Within four years after the fall of Ephyra, the COG launched a counterattack known as the Lightmass Offensive. The COG was successful in destroying the Outer Hollow with the Lightmass Bomb, but not the Inner Hollow where the Locust resided. Following the Lightmass bombing, cities on the Jacinto Plateau were sunk underground by the Locust using a gargantuan Riftworm. Fearing Jacinto would be sunk, the COG launched a massive assault known as Operation: Hollow Storm, in which Gears invaded the Locust capital of Nexus to kill their leader, Queen Myrrah, and end the war. During this conflict, the COG learned that the motives of the Locust War were to colonize the surface and escape the Lambent epidemic in the Hollow, an Imulsion-based infection. The COG also learned that the Locust were attempting to sink Jacinto to use the surrounding seawater to flood the Inner Hollow and drown the Lambent, while also denying the humans one of their last bastions against the Locust. The COG used this information to sink Jacinto themselves to drown the Lambent and Locust before they could evacuate.
Without the last stronghold on Sera, the COG relocated to the island of Vectes. The surviving Locust that managed to escape the Hollow balkanized into two groups. Those that remained with Queen Myrrah formed the Queen's Guard, while those that were without the guidance of their Queen reverted into feral, nomadic tribes known as the Savage Locust. Due to the seawater in the Hollow, the Imulsion polluted the surface and began the Lambent Pandemic. Chairman Prescott abandoned the COG and evacuated to the island of Azura, a hidden COG research facility, causing the COG to disband. By 17 A.E., Professor Adam Fenix developed the Imulsion countermeasure, a targeted-radiation device capable of destroying all Lambent cells on Sera. Queen Myrrah, fearing it would harm the Locust, captured Professor Fenix to retune the device. The COG reformed following Prescott's return and death, liberated Professor Fenix, and activated the Imulsion countermeasure. All Lambent organisms were eradicated, and nearly all Locust members were encased in an Imulsion crystalline shell. The Locust War ended with the near extinction of the human race, but the defeat of the Locust and Lambent promised humanity's survival and were able to rebuild Sera.
Background[]
Locust Horde (Circa 52 B.E. - 7 B.E.)[]
During the Pendulum Wars, many Imulsion miners and their families within the nations of the Coalition of Ordered Governments began to experience a fatal condition known as Rustlung, which occurred when one was overexposed to Imulsion fumes and vapors. Fearing political and economic ramifications of producing and selling a toxic fuel source, the Department of Health under the Monroe Administration opened the New Hope Research Facility to house and treat the children of Imulsion miners ill with Rustlung. The project was placed under the direction of renowned COG geneticist, Dr. Niles Samson.
The research began with injecting concentrated doses of Imulsion in the children, which caused immediate and intense cell stress. While many of the children continue to progress and perish from Rustlung, some underwent point mutations as Imulsion has mutagenic properties. Dr. Torres, a fellow geneticist, discovered a female child named Myrrah who exhibited genetic immunity to Imulsion. Upon further study, Myrrah benefited from Imulsion exposure as it perfected her immune system and decelerated the aging process by 50%. Dr. Niles Samson attempted to replicate these results in the other children, but failed as Myrrah was simply a genetic anomaly.
After his initial failure, Dr. Niles Samson then began to experiment in cross-species genetics, as he believed he could transfer other species' genetic immunity to Imulsion into the children. He then mutated the children by splicing them with the DNA of indigenous creatures from the Hollow. This resulted in aggressive, deformed hybrids Dr. Niles Samson called Sires. Many of the employees at New Hope were victim to attacks by the Sires. The attacks and disillusionment of their unethical experimentation led to many of the employees resigning and leaking information to the public.
Eventually, Chairman Monroe discovered the crimes of New Hope and ordered the facility shut-down, with all members involved to be indicted. Unknown to Chairman Monroe, however, a fringe political party hidden within his administration believed in Dr. Niles Samson's work, as they thought it could not only cure Rustlung but also end the Pendulum Wars. The party then relocated Dr. Niles Samson, his research, the remaining loyal employees, and many of his subjects to a hidden facility inside Mount Kadar where he could continue his work unimpeded.
At the Mount Kadar Laboratory, Dr. Niles Samson discovered that the Sires were distempered, genetically unstable, and sterile. Dr. Niles Samson then tried to perfect his project by combining the embryonic stem-cells of Myrrah with the DNA of the Sires. He was successful in creating the first female hybrid, called the Matriarch, and was then able to reproduce the first male Drones of the Locust Horde. As they created and studied the Locust, they learned that a pyschomagnetic link called the Hivemind connected all members of the Locust mentally, including Myrrah. When near the Matriarch, Myrrah's powers were amplified as she was able to not only communicate with the Locust, but control them as well.
Later, Myrrah developed a relationship with Dr. Torres and concieved a human daughter together, named Reyna. It was discovered that Reyna had inherited Myrrah's immune system, decelerate aging, and mental connection with the Locust Horde. However, Dr. Torres feared his own daughter would be experimented on like the other children and fled the facility with her. Dr. Niles Samson was unable to recapture Reyna, and to placate Myrrah he lied that Reyna had died during the escape attempt. Myrrah's grief turned into anger as she made herself Queen of the Locust Horde and commanded the Locust to slaughter the scientists. Queen Myrrah then led her people out of the laboratory and deeper into the caverns of Mount Kadar where they built their own civilization: Nexus.
Lambent War (7 B.E. - 0 B.E.)[]
- Main article: Lambent War
In the years before the Locust War, creatures in the Hollow began to mutate and become infected with Lambency, as Imulsion acted as a fungal parasite capable of colonizing its host. The mutations were studied by biologist Dr. Elain Fenix, but was reported missing in 9 B.E having in fact been killed by the Locust. In 5 B.E., her husband and weapons physicist for the Coalition, Professor Adam Fenix, discovered his wife's research revealing how she discovered the Locust Horde and had been studying them, preparing to make contact. Professor Adam Fenix traveled into the Inner Hollow in an attempt to find his wife, but instead was met by the Locust.
Professor Fenix was personally brought before Queen Myrrah, as she saw promise in his abilities as a scientist. She revealed to Professor Fenix that since 7 B.E., the Locust had been battling the Lambent epidemic in the Hollow and how they were progressively losing the war. Queen Myrrah then gave Professor Fenix an ultimatum to discover a cure for Lambency or she would command her armies to emerge from the Hollow, slaughter all of humanity, and colonize the surface in order to evade the Lambent in the Hollow. Fearing her extreme measures, Professor Fenix agreed to help resolve the Lambency epidemic. Queen Myrrah, in return, admitted that his wife did in fact make contact, and was executed to avoid being discovered by the public.
As Professor Fenix researched Lambency and attempted to find a cure, he realized he was unable to do so. Using biological countermeasures would fail against the evolving Imulsion life-cycle, and physical countermeasures would also harm the Locust Horde as their genetic code contained Imulsion from their ancestors and experiments done by Dr. Niles Samson. Also, Professor Fenix was pressured by the Coalition to complete his work on the Hammer of Dawn in order to end the Pendulum Wars. Ultimately, Professor Fenix was unable to assit Queen Myrrah. The Hammer of Dawn was completed in the 79th year of the Pendulum Wars and used to win against the Union of Independent Republics, but by this point, Queen Myrrah set her plans in motion for her armies to emerge on the surface and kill the humans of Sera.
Locust War[]
Emergence Day (0 A.E.)[]
- Main article: Emergence Day
Mind of Marcus Fenix]]: Sera</ref>}}
- "Citizens, we don't know what these creatures are, other than the fact that they're not human. We don't know where they come from. We don't know what they want. But they're tunneling under our cities and emerging to slaughter our people. Our combined forces throughout Sera have been mobilized to deal with them. I ask you all to remain calm, as you have done through so many years of war. Stay in your homes unless ordered to evacuate, and listen for emergency information on all broadcast stations. That, my fellow citizens, is all I can tell you until the situation becomes clearer."
- —Chairman Tomas Dalyell to the people of Sera during Emergence Day.
Six weeks after the UIR-COG Armistice, the Locust Horde emerged across Sera into every major city in a planned, coordinated attack on the surface. The first city reported to be attacked was Jannermont, Tyrus. Initial speculation was the Republic of Gorasnaya, which was the only UIR nation to not surrender to the COG, had started their own war against the COG. However, later reports of attacks in UIR nations as well as witness statements of non-human attackers confirmed that an alien race of creatures were emerging from the underground and slaughtering every man, woman, and child. The attacks by the Locust Horde were led by the newly appointed High General, Uzil RAAM. Meanwhile, the Republic of Gorasnaya was annihilated by armies led by Locust General, Zamil Karn, aboard genetically modified creature called the Shibboleth.
An hour after the initial attacks, Chairman Tomas Dalyell delivered an emergency response to the people of Sera and ordered that everyone stay in their homes or any type of shelter as the Coalition mobilized armed forces to defend Sera from the Locust Horde. As the attacks progressed, hospitals became overrun with the dead and wounded, emergency response services were completely overwhelmed, and the Global Communications Network collapsed. However, not all major cities on Sera attacked, as some were naturally protected. Islands such as the Lesser Islands Chain, the South Islands, and Azura were protected by abyssal, oceanic trenches. It became apparent that the safest place on Sera were cities located on the Jacinto Plateau within the nation of Tyrus, as the natural granite bedrock was too impenetrable for the Locust to dig through - however, natural fissures, sewer lines, and train tunnels allowed for some attacks.
The Locust continued to attack after the initial twenty-six hours after the first emergence. Those first twenty-six hours would later became known as Emergence Day. Census around the world calculated that billions, roughly 25% of the world population, died on the first day of the attacks. Millions more were unaccounted for as missing. Among one of the reasons for missing persons were the Locust Horde taking prisoners to torture, enslave, and experiment on. The religious saw the Locust Horde were from Hell and were brought to the surface to rid the world of all the sinners, and that only the pure would survive the purge. Many survivors of Emergence Day began to suffer from depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Due the days and years followed because of Emergence Day, the survivors felt that those who died in the first attacks were lucky to have been spared to see the world collapse, developing the phrase: "The lucky died on E-Day."[4]
Occupation of Sera (0 A.E. - 1 A.E.)[]
In the wake of the destruction from Emergence Day, the Coalition of Ordered Governments Army shortened basic training for all soldiers and began drafting Gears to fight in the Locust War. As the months progressed, more cities were attacked by emerging Locust. Those cities that were defeated were then occupied by the Locust, and thus earned the spoils of war from resources available. The common strategy for occupying human cities were by the Locust summoning Seeders to launch Nemacysts into the city's skyline, releasing a toxic, thick, ink cloud. Not only were communications cut-off by Nemacyst infestation, but also allowed for the Kryll to prematurely swarm the city before nightfall, known as a Kryllstorm. The Kryll were able to devour the surviving humans in the city and allow the Locust Horde victory and occupation of the city.
Among the major city losses during the occupation of Sera was the destruction of Halvo Bay. The city was one of the few that had a strong military influence and presence - being the home of the Onyx Guard. The invasion was led by Zamil Karn, who had previously and successfully destroyed the Republic of Gorasnaya, killing millions of Gorasni. Zamil Karn, aboard his Shibboleth mount, led his Blight onto the Museum of Military Glory to be used as a base in Halvo Bay. Zamil Karn then was able to occupy the nearby island base Onyx Point, the Halvo Bay Military Academy, and destroyed the Halvo Bay Airport, preventing civilians to be able to evacuate. An illegal operation led by Lt. Damon Baird managed to destroy the Museum base using the Lightmass Missile from Onyx Point, killing thousands of Locust. During the court martial of Kilo Squad, they were also able to defeat Zamil Karn, who was personally executed by Col. Ezra Pound Loomis. Kilo Squad was acquitted of all charges, but Halvo Bay remained mostly destroyed and lost to the Locust Horde. Colonel Loomis later lost his life in a last stand against the Locust in the city near the Regency Hotel.
Towards the end of the first year of the Locust War, the Locust began to push for the last refuges on Sera. While unable to attack the rest of the South Islands, the Locust Horde were finally successful in digging into and emerging on the the island of Kaia. The main target of the Locust Horde however was Ephyra, the capital of the COG. While they were able to emerge in Ephyra on E-Day through various fissures in the Jacinto Plateau, the city was still mostly defended by the plateau, and the large military presence began to defend the areas capable of being exploited by the Locust with toxic gas or explosives. Realizing they wouldn't be able to dig under Ephyra, the Locust settled on taking each city outside the Jacinto Plateau as stepping stones to reach Ephyra on the surface. The Coalition of Ordered Governments began to monitor the Locust's advancements towards Ephyra. In Rise, 1 A.E., Chairman Tomas Dalyell died in office of cardiac arrest. His Deputy Chairman, Richard Prescott, was then elected by the Council of Sovereigns as Chairman of the Coalition.
Hammer of Dawn Strikes (1 A.E.)[]
- Main article: Hammer of Dawn Strikes
- "As all of Sera has learned, peace is fragile. This new, ruthless enemy has rendered most of Sera's leaders either helpless or dead. This enemy believes Sera is finished. Some in the Coalition of Ordered Governments also seem to believe Sera is finished - a sick, feeble animal waiting for slaughter. But today, citizens of Sera, we - Tyrus, the heart of the Coalition - will take back our planet. To ensure your safety and cooperation, we are reinstating the Fortification Act. All of Sera will be under martial law. No one is exempt. Survivors should immediately start evacuating to Ephyra. These unclean creatures, these Locusts, are unable to penetrate Jacinto's granite base. Therefore, in Jacinto, we are safe - for now. We won't let this rampage go further or surrender power. The Coalition will employ Sera's entire arsenal of orbital beam weapons to scorch all Locust-infested areas. For those citizens who cannot make it to Jacinto, the Coalition appreciates your sacrifice. Please forgive us. This is the only way."
- — Chairman Richard Prescott, 30th day of Bloom, 1 A.E.
For the next few two months, Chairman Prescott tried to rally support for a massive offensive against Locust held territory, which was mainly in southern Tyrus. Only the South Islands were willing to send soldiers for the offensive since no other COG nation was willing to contribute. The COG had splintered and every country was only focusing on their own nation. Chairman Prescott's last hope was Premier Yori Deschenko, the former head of state of the UIR, for troops in the planned offensive, but Premier Deschenko had lost over twenty brigades of Gears since E-Day. After realizing that the COG had broken and unity among the states was dead, Chairman Prescott ordered Colonel Victor Hoffman, Professor Adam Fenix, and Chief of the Defense Staff General Salaman to reveal his plan on using the Hammer of Dawn to deny an attack on Ephyra by the Locust and burn all Locust controlled territory.[5] Professor Fenix rejected the counterattack on ethics, and instead recommended that the COG sink coastal cities on the Jacinto Plateau, allowing the seawater to flood the Hollow and drown the Locust. However, the plan would take too long to organize and execute as Ephyra had weeks left before the Locust would invade.
On the 30th of Bloom, 1 A.E., Chairman Prescott delivered the announcement that on the 33rd of Bloom, the Coalition would use Hammer of Dawn to incinerate the majority of Sera's surface outside of the Jacinto Plateau, and urged citizens to evacuate to the secured cities before the Strikes, and if they managed to survive after. Chairman Prescott also declared global martial law under the Fortification Act, and that all male citizens living in COG jurisdiction would be conscripted to the war effort, and all female citizens would be conscripted to the Birthing Creche in order to repopulate the planet. Mass chaos erupted on Sera as millions across the planet attempted in vain to reach safety on the Jacinto Plateau. The cities on the Jacinto Plateau, mainly Ephyra and Jacinto City, were overpopulated by refugees and saw an increase in homelessness as there was not enough housing for the citizens of Sera. On the 33rd of Bloom, Chairman Prescott then ordered the strikes as 90% of Sera's surface was incinerated, with millions killed.
The Hammer of Dawn was successful in denying the Locust advancement and occupation of Sera, as it displaced their efforts for several years, but it did not eliminate the Locust Horde as the majority of them originate from the Hollow. The Hammer strikes then created a multitude of environmental issues, as large ash clouds caused an artificial winter. Many areas on Sera became uninhabitable, known as the Deadlands. In some cities, those killed during the Hammer strikers were frozen in ash statues - portraying their last moments before the immediate heat wave killed those exposed. However, millions of humans also survived the Hammer strikes, but became hateful and distrustful of the COG - as the Coalition was willing to sacrifice their own citizens. With many people outside of the Jacinto Plateau rejecting the COG jurisdiction, they came to be known as the Stranded. These "Stranded" would form clans and gangs that were hostile to the COG. The remaining cities on the Jacinto Plateau were then fortified, and all citizens were put to the war effort in order to keep humanity alive.
Locust Mobilization (1 A.E. - 9 A.E.)[]
After the Hammer strikes, the Coalition of Ordered Governments and the Locust Horde both regrouped. As the Coalition defended the last remaining cities on the Jacinto Plateau, the Locust began their mobilization to take each city on the Jacinto Plateau until they could reach Ephyra. In the beginning of their mobilization, the head scientist of the Locust Horde, Ukkon, began to genetically engineer creatures of the Hollow into weapons the Locust Horde could use. Leading an army of his own creations, Ukkon led attacks on the remaining human cities, destroying them with the massive, weaponized creatures that he engineered. Sgt. Gabriel Diaz was then tasked to lead an assassination mission on Ukkon to stop his destructive armies and to prevent the Locust from reaching Ephyra. Sgt. Diaz, his squad and the Stranded were successful in assassinating Ukkon with the help of Reyna Torres, the daughter of Queen Myrrah. However, as they discovered the truth of the Locust Horde's origins in the process, Prescott attempted to kill them, keeping them from returning to the COG. Instead, Diaz and his force dedicated themselves to destroying Ukkon's remaining creations.
The death of Ukkon further set back the Locust for several years, until it restarted its campaign to occupy cities on the Jacinto Plateau. In the winter of 5 A.E., the Locust Horde launched an attack on the city of Landown. The Locust laid siege to the city for months, first by raiding cargo trucks - denying resources to Landown before using Nemacysts as mortars and defensive mines. While the Locust attacked the outskirts of the city, Mayor Gerard Leland requested more Gears to be stationed in the Landown Barracks. For reasons unknown, the Coalition evacuated the citizens of Landown rather than defending it. The Locust were successful in occupying the area, allowing them a base very near Ephyra and Jacinto. While many of the civilians were successfully evacuated, the attack was still devastating, and the return of the Locust in such a manner was comparable to Emergence Day. This attack and occupation of Landown was then referred to as the Winter of Sorrow.[6]
By 9 A.E., the Locust continued to push for occupation of more cities on the Jacinto Plateau to reach Ephyra. After a series of defeats and great losses of life, Chairman Prescott ordered Operation Lifeboat into effect. Under jurisdiction of the COG Department of Conscription, the idea was to recruit Stranded men and women.[7][8] Most Stranded refused the offer, while some chose the offer to save their families. Many of the Conscripts where stationed at the temporary barracks at the Wrightman Hospital in Jacinto City. Despite the addition of conscripted Gears, the Locust continued to occupy cities. With an impending assault on Ephyra, the COG began relocating military assets inside Jacinto City, where the Department of Defense took over several civilian buildings including a bank while eyeing the Treasury building. The Locust had been building bridges and railways for their troops in preparation for the attack on Ephyra. COG Command send out several squads on search and destroy missions into no man’s land outside of Jacinto.[9] Meanwhile at the South Islands, the Locust were able to bypass several underwater trenches and dig to the island of Noroa and attack, leaving the island depopulated and sacking anything of value.[10]
In 9 A.E., the Locust attacked the city of Ilima, using a Kryllstorm to darken the skies and use the Kryll themselves as a weapon during the day against the humans. Aware of the coming attack, the COG led an evacuation of the city, but Uzil RAAM advanced the attack by leading Locust into the city to set up Seeders to speed up the inking up of the skies and the Kryllstorm. Zeta-Six managed to kill a few of the Seeders with the Hammer of Dawn, but were too late to stop the Kryllstorm. Zeta-Six escaped at the last minute with survivors from Dr. Gregory Wisen's orphanage while RAAM was left wounded, but alive.[11]
Fall of Ephyra (10 A.E.)[]
- Main article: Fall of Ephyra
In Frost of 10 A.E., the Locust were finally able to lead a full assault on the city of Ephyra. The Locust invaded by exploiting fissures in the granite and dug into the metro and sewer tunnels of Ephyra. Over ten thousand Locust Drones invaded the city. The battle had reached as far into Ephyra as East Barricade Academy. To prevent the Locust Horde from reaching the other half of Ephyra, Sgt. Marcus Fenix was ordered by Colonel Hoffman to use the Hammer of Dawn to destroy Chancery Bridge. However, Lt. Anya Stroud relayed a distress call to Sgt. Fenix from his father, Professor Adam Fenix. The Locust had managed to reach his home of Haldane Hall and were preparing to capture him in order to continue his work in destroying the Lambent. Sgt. Fenix abandoned his position against Col. Hoffman's orders and went to Haldane Hall in an attempt to rescue his father, taking part of the targeting laser with him, along with Pvt. Dominic Santiago, Cpl. Tai Kaliso, and Pvt. Jace Stratton. Upon arriving at Haldane Hall, Sgt. Fenix reunited with Professor Adam Fenix and arranged for his father's evacuation via King Raven. However, a Boomer shot down the King Raven, which then crashed into Haldane Hall. The debris then collapsed on Professor Fenix and was apparently killed. Sgt. Fenix and his squad were taken from the scene while Col. Hoffman was able to destroy Chancery Bridge without the missing piece of the targeting laser, but at that point Ephyra had been overrun.
In the aftermath, the city of Ephyra was evacuated to the neighboring city of Jacinto. Sgt. Marcus Fenix was court-martialed for treason at the House of Sovereigns. Sgt. Marcus Fenix was initially to receive the death penalty, but was argued by Cpl. Dominic Santiago to instead receive a life sentence of 40 years at the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison.[12] Unknown to most, Professor Adam Fenix did not die during the battle. Before the fall of Ephyra, Professor Fenix's assistant, Nevil Estrom, discovered Professor Fenix's knowledge and intel on the Locust Horde and Lambent prior to Emergence Day and reported it to Chairman Prescott. After Professor Fenix was buried under the rubble, he was rescued by a team of Onyx Guards and taken by Chairman Prescott's orders to Azura, a secret island bunker that sheltered the greatest minds of science, military, and industry since the Pendulum Wars. Chairman Prescott then kept Professor Fenix on Azura in order to find a proper countermeasure to the Lambent, which would soon become a threat to humanity. In order to test the life-cycle of Imulsion, Professor Fenix needed a live, human subject. Chairman Prescott offered him to test on pardoned pedophile William Alva, but Professor Fenix decided to inject himself with concentrated doses of Imulsion to study its effects and life-cycle.
Preparing the Offensive (11 A.E. - 14 A.E.)[]
While the Locust were successful invading and occupying Ephyra, they were unable to capture Professor Adam Fenix and force him to continue his work on curing Lambency. Queen Myrrah realized that in order to both destroy humanity and the Lambent, the Locust would have to destroy Jacinto City, as it was the last human the Locust could not possibly dig through. Queen Myrrah's plans were based on the original advice of Professor Adam Fenix, that sinking Jacinto City would collapse the Jacinto Plateau and allow the surrounding seawater to flood the entire Hollow network, drowning everything below ground. Once they would reach Jacinto City, Queen Myrrah would evacuate her entire people to the surface and destroy Jacinto, drowning the Lambent below and dispersing the humans with no safe refuge on Sera.
Around 12 A.E. the Locust Horde would attack Ginnet Drive. The successful attack on the COG held power station left several areas of Jacinto without power along with the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison losing total power and causing a riot.[13] On the outskirts of Halvo Bay, the COG's naval base, Endeavor, was facing increased incursions from the Locust Horde. COG military command ordered the base to be abandoned and of anything of military value to be destroyed.[14] In 13 A.E., COG command began detecting seismic activity around Andius Highway. Col. Hoffman deployed a large front to the highway. On the main highway, the Locust emerged in front of the amassed Gears. The Gears held their ground from the advancing Locust until a second large E-Hole open up down the highway near a bridge that cut off the Gears. Col. Hoffman ordered a full retreat from the highway, surrendering it to the Locust. Not a single Gear was lost during the short battle for the highway, but a large number of Drones where killed. Col. Hoffman viewed the loss of the highway as little strategic value and later prepared a major campaign that would reverse the Locust gains on the Jacinto Plateau.
Col. Hoffman laid out a detailed plan to recapture the district of West Barricade. He ordered an artillery unit, the Prince Ozore's Artillery, to focus on Reavers, the main Locust aerial creatures. Sappers and Gears moved onto sewer systems and began working on stopping the Locust from reusing the same strategy that took Ephyra. With direct artillery strikes on Locust positions, and the Prince Ozore unit taking out the Locust air support, the 802nd Raven Squadron was able to take out the Brumak around West Barricade. With several companies of Gears ready for the offensive to start, Col. Hoffman joined his fellow Gears in the ground assault on the district. The COG managed to retake West Barricade along with the Andius Highway, reopening the route to the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison. The campaign in West Barricade was one of the few great victories the COG had in recent years. The campaign put the Locust on uneven ground and forced them into hit-and-run tactics. By Frost of the same year, the Locust launched a major air raid on Jacinto City. Col. Hoffman tried to direct the anti-air guns from the CIC, but a Reaver was able to score a direct hit on the COG's command center. Major Gill Gettner led King Ravens in a fight over the city.[15] After the Locust were defeated, COG High Command relocated the CIC building to Wrightman Base on the edge of Jacinto City.
Gaining the upperhand on the Locust Horde, the Coalition began to organize for an offensive strike that could potentially destroy the Locust Horde. Since 10 A.E., the Defense Research Agency had been working towards this particular offensive. The Coalition realized it needed to locate the Locust stronghold in order to destroy them. The DRA thus completed the Sonic Resonator, a sonar device that was capable of using pulse-sonar waves to map the Locust tunnels. After requiring the Locust tunnel data, the DRA also constructed the Lightmass Bomb, similar in theory to the Lightmass Missile, in which it used refined Imulsion as a weapon source. With the mapping data, the Lightmass Bomb could launch straight into the heart of the Hollow and detonate, destroying the Locust Horde. With the Sonic Resonator and Lightmass Bomb completed, the Col. Hoffman began the plan for the Lightmass Offensive. By sending in Gears into the nearest Hollow entry point: the Lethia Imulsion Facility, the Gears would then plant the Resonator and retrieve the mapping data. With the mapping data installed into the Lightmass Bomb, it would then be boarded on the Tyro Pillar and launched in an Imulsion sinkhole in Timgad Valley.
To prepare for this offensive, Col. Hoffman ordered Operation: Midnight to reopen Ferro Bridge in Stromson Forest outside of Jacinto City to allow a COG convoys to pass. Midnight Squad was ordered to clear the Ferro Bridge and keep it open for COG forces to cross. The single squad was sent with Derrick support. When Midnight reached the bridge, Locust forces personally led by Uzil RAAM ambushed the rigs and sent Tickers on the remaining Gears. Midnight Squad was almost defeated by the Theron Guards until four King Ravens arrived with Alpha Squad manning the guns. The King Ravens were able to clear the bridge of all Locust, but Uzil RAAM was able to escape.[16] Afterwards, Col. Hoffman was also in need of Gears since millions had died since E-Day and was forced to pardon of all of the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison inmates and conscript them as Gears. However, the Slab came under siege and Marcus Fenix was separated from the rest of the prisoners. Hoffman had the prison evacuated, but reluctantly abandoned Marcus to die as he felt it was too dangerous to try to save him. Despite this, Hoffman allowed Dominic Santiago to try, purposefully not stopping him and instructing Dom to take JACK with him.
Lightmass Offensive (14 A.E.)[]
- Main article: Lightmass Offensive
- "Earlier today, you Gears successfully deployed the Lightmass bomb. We have destroyed the enemy stronghold. This war has exacted a heavy price from all us, it has torn our world apart. But you have my word: we will rise up again."
- —Col. Hoffman's victory speech.
On 10th of Gale, 14 A.E., Col. Hoffman initiated the Lightmass Offensive. Col. Hoffman ordered Alpha Squad, led by Cpl. Damon Baird, to transport the Sonic Resonator into the mines of the Lethia Imulsion Facility. However, once Alpha Squad reached Embry Square in Ephyra, they were ambushed by Locust forces and split up. Meanwhile, Pvt. Dominic Santiago learned that Col. Hoffman had pardoned everyone from the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison before the siege except for Marcus Fenix. Convincing Delta-One leader, Lt. Minh Young Kim, they led a rescue mission to retrieve Marcus Fenix from the Slab. Pvt. Santiago was successful in locating Marcus Fenix within the prison, and reinstated him back into the army as Private. Pvt. Santiago and Pvt. Fenix were able to escape the prison before it was destroyed by a Corpser. Lt. Kim was then ordered by Col. Hoffman to report to Embry Square, and arrived with Pvt. Fenix, Pvt. Santiago, and Pvt. Anthony Carmine. Col. Hoffman briefed Lt. Kim and Delta on the Lightmass Offensive and ordered them to find Alpha Squad and secure the Resonator.
Lt. Kim led the rescue mission in the ruins of Ephyra. Delta was unable to find Alpha in Embry Square and continued to the House of Sovereigns. While Pvt. Carmine was killed during the mission, Delta was able to find one member of Alpha Squad, Pvt. Augustus Cole, who was also in possession of the Sonic Resonator. Pvt. Cole revealed that the rest of Alpha Squad were trapped in the Tomb of the Unknowns, but Seeder and Nemacyst infestation was blocking their communication as well as evac. Delta was then able to find and eliminate all three Seeders within the House of Sovereigns and reestablished communications with Control and Alpha Squad. Upon clearing the area, Delta found and rescued the remainder of Alpha Squad from the Tomb of the Unknowns. However, while requesting for evac, Nemacysts attacked the King Raven as Locust forces ambushed Delta and Alpha. Uzil RAAM personally led the attack and assassinated Lt. Kim. Private Marcus Fenix then led Alpha and Delta to safety in the Tomb. After escaping the area, Pvt. Fenix was then promoted to Sergeant and charge of Delta Squad.
While air evac was not an option due to the area being too dangerous, and the Kryll soon appearing, Pvt. Santiago led a mission into the Old Ephyra District where a Stranded outpost, led by Franklin Tsoko, was in possession of a "Junker" - an APC fitted with a Ultra-Violet Turret to combat the UV-sensitive Kryll while they drove in the night to the Lethia Imulsion Facility. Delta was successful in retrieving the Junker and drove in safety to the Lethia Imulsion Facility. Arriving at the facility, Delta found it mostly overrun with Lambent Wretches. Upon reaching the Imulsion mines below the facility, Cpl. Baird discovered a Geobot that contained a three-dimensional map of Locust tunnels, similar to the Sonic Resonator. After fighting through guarding Locust troops, Delta was successful in planting and deploying the Sonic Resonator, but were informed that the Hollow network was too large and advanced for one machine to completely map. Cpl. Baird then offered the Geobot he found and theorized that the other ones planted formed a complete map. Lt. Stroud then discovered the programmer was Professor Adam Fenix and the source was at Haldane Hall.
Sgt. Fenix was then ordered to retrieve his father's data from Haldane Hall. After fighting through the Locust occupied East Barricade Academy, Delta was able to enter Fenix Estate and retrieve the complete tunnel data created by Professor Fenix by transferring it onto a hard drive. Delta was then ordered to travel to Timgad City where at Timgad Station the Tyro Pillar holding the Lightmass Bomb was to make a scheduled stop. However, Locust forces drew up the Timgad Bridge and turned off the power at Timgad Central Energy. The Locust also deployed Seeders to disrupt communications and a Brumak to hunt for Delta Squad. Meanwhile, Uzil RAAM led an attack on the Tyro Pillar, killed all the Gears, and hijacked the train at full speed. After eliminating the Seeders, repairing the electrical lines, and using a Brumak to connect the transformers - Delta was able to restore power and lower Timgad Bridge. However, Sgt. Fenix and Pvt. Santiago had to jump aboard the moving Tyro Pillar. The two battled their way to the front train where Uzil RAAM was guarding the Lightmass Bomb. With the air support of Col. Hoffman and Delta-Two on a King Raven, they were able to kill Uzil RAAM and insert the mapping data into the Lightmass Bomb. The train then derailed into an Imulsion lake sinkhole where the Lightmass Bomb launched into the Hollow and destroyed the Locust citadel.
Locust Counterattack (14 A.E.)[]
- "They do not understand. They do not know why we wage this war. Why we cannot stop. Will not stop. Why we will fight and fight and fight. Until we win... Or we die. And we are not dead yet."
- —Queen Myrrah
With the Locust defeat at Timgad, the COG proclaimed premature victory over the Locust Horde, while the Kryll breeding grounds were destroyed leading to a 99.9% extinction rate.[17] The COG dropped leaflets over Stranded camps claiming that the Lightmass Bomb had won the war and that the Stranded should rejoin Seran society.[18] The Lightmass Offensive gave the COG a great psychological boost. Locust incursions where at an all-time low and no Hollow creatures were seen on the surface, while the King Raven fleet was put on standby for much needed repairs. COG forces were able to recapture Ephyra, as well as Timgad, Ilima, Fort Reveal, and Speyer.[19] However, the Lightmass Bomb caused severe health effects on the surface, as the Imulsion evaporated from the bombings and polluted Timgad City, causing a new epidemic of Rustlung among the Stranded and Gears stationed there. A disease with origins from the Gold Rush had resurfaced.[20] The infected individuals living near in the Timgad area were brought to the Jacinto Medical Center, but the COG covered up the full effects of the disease.[21]
While humanity was trying to rebuild, so were the Locust underground. The true Locust stronghold: Nexus - resided within the Inner Hollow, while the Lightmass Bomb only destroyed the Outer Hollow. While this meant the Locust survived, many were still killed, along with the Kryll and their commander, Uzil RAAM. Ketor Skorge, the High Priest of the Locust Horde, was promoted to Uzil but still kept his religious title - as it was Uzil RAAM's last will that Ketor Skorge replace him in the event of his death. The evaporated Imulsion from the Lightmass bombing also continued the Lambent epidemic. However, the Lightmass Bomb provided the Locust with a new, devastating weapon. The intensity of the Lightmass Bomb awoke the long-dormant, prehistoric, gargantuan creature known as the Riftworm, who was seen by the Locust as their god. This not only reaffirmed the Locust Horde's beliefs, but also gave the Locust their final opportunity to destroy Jacinto City. While still unable to dig through the Jacinto Plateau beneath Jacinto City, Queen Myrrah and Ketor Skorge believed they could use the Riftworm to destroy other cities on the Jacinto Plateau in order to weaken the base and allow for them to tunnel.
Shortly after the Lightmass Bomb, the Locust made their return by using the Riftworm to sink the city of Tollen. In order to cut off the humans and isolate them back into Jacinto City, the Locust occupied the Tollen Dam and turned off power in Fort Reval and Speyer, causing mass evacuations to Jacinto City and Ilima. The Locust then continued to isolate Jacinto by attacking the North Gate Agricultural Depot and destroying the Birthing Creche of Jilane. The Coalition managed to evacuate North Gate and rescue the survivors of the Jilane Massacre, but came to the realization that the Locust had returned and were stronger than ever. Two months after the Lightmass Offensive, tremors were detected under the city of Montevado. The Coalition's fears were realized during the Mission to Montevado when the city, like Tollen, was completely sunk underground. The Locust then continued to push for Jacinto City on the surface as well, and were successful in a massive siege on Jacinto City - attacking Pomeroy Depot and Jacinto Medical Center. After the sinking of neighboring cities and desperate raids, the Coalition feared that the power the Locust brought with them would be enough to eventually destroy Jacinto. Chairman Prescott, left with little options, finally ordered an all-out assault on the Locust stronghold: Operation: Hollow Storm.
Operation: Hollow Storm (14 A.E.)[]
- Main article: Operation: Hollow Storm
- "Humans are no strangers to war. After all, we’ve been fighting for as long as we can remember. War is all we know. In the past, we fought for Imulsion. We fought for country. We fought for freedom. But all that changed after E-Day. For nearly 15 years, we’ve been fighting for our very survival against inhuman, genocidal monsters. But it is a fight we cannot continue. Humanity faces extinction, unless we end this war, now. We had hoped the Lightmass bombing would decimate the Locust Horde, but they survived… and have returned stronger than ever. They’ve brought with them a force that can sink entire cities. Even Jacinto, our last beacon of hope through all these dark days, is now at risk. Soon we’ll have nothing left to defend, and that means we have only one option… attack. Gears, what I ask of you now is not an easy thing, but it is necessary. If we are to survive… if we are to live long enough to see the seasons pass, our children grow, and experience a time of peace that we have never known… we must now take this fight to the Locust. We will go to where they live and where they breed… and we will destroy them! This is the day we take the battle to the heart of the enemy! This is the day that we correct the course of human history! This is the day we ensure our survival as a species! Soldiers of the COG, my fellow Gears, go forth and bring back the hope of humanity!"
- —Chairman Richard Prescott's speech before Hollow Storm.
Chairman Prescott devised Operation: Hollow Storm to be a complete assault by sending Gears into the Inner Hollow to destroy the Locust Horde and their stronghold where they lived and bred. To transport the Gears into the Inner Hollow, Assault Derricks were designed to carry Grindlifts, small transporters with a laser-guided drill to send the Gears straight into the Inner Hollow. The nearest place to drill the Gears down through the soil within the Jacinto Plateau was the city of Landown. On the 1st of Frost, 14 A.E., Chairman Prescott delivered a final speech to thousands of Gears before a mass of Assault Derricks, King Ravens, APCs, and Centaur Tanks transported them from Jacinto City to Landown. During their transport, a massive Locust army met with them and attacked in Stromson Forest. Despite many casualties, the majority of the army arrived to Landown and began their assault. Upon launching the Grindlifts in Landown, a large attack on the Assault Derricks was led by Ketor Skorge, and was able to capture many Gears as POWs.
The majority of Gears were then able to drill down into the Inner Hollow and begin their assault on the Locust Horde. After various firefights, the Coalition realized that due to the lack of bases and forts, it was unlikely they had found the true Locust stronghold despite finding one of their tunnel cities. However, seismic activity was detected beneath Ilima. Delta-One, led by Sgt. Marcus Fenix personally witnessed Ketor Skorge, aboard his Hydra mount, summon the gargantuan Riftworm to sink Ilima City, confirming the Locust's new powerful weapon. Gears in the Inner Hollow then converged into the Ilima sinkhole for battle. Meanwhile, it was discovered during the assault in the Inner Hollow that the Locust had been taking prisoners for labor and torture, known as processing. The Riftworm then reappeared and began to devour the debris in the Ilima sinkhole and happened to swallow Delta-One, but survived the event and were able to kill the Riftworm from the inside.
Despite the destruction of the Riftworm, the initial wave of Hollow Storm was seen as a failure as the Locust stronghold was not accurately located. Reluctantly, Chairman Prescott declassified the intel file on the New Hope Research Facility. Col. Hoffman then ordered Delta-One to investigate the decommissioned COG outpost to find intel on the Locust stronghold and Locust Queen. Delta-One arrived to what was branded as "Jameson Shipping Depot," but upon forced entry, discovered it to be the New Hope Research Facility and was protected by the semi-sentient security system left behind and based on the likeness of Dr. Niles Samson, the director of the facility. Delta-One then discovered that New Hope imprisoned and experimented on children of Imulsion miners sick with Rustlung, and were genetically experimented to find cure, mutating into what Delta-One found as what Dr. Niles Samson called the Sires - with none of it found in any COG files. Upon finding the personal log of Dr. Niles Samson, he revealed that the COG was shutting down the facility and that he would be taking the Sires to Mount Kadar - signalling Delta-One the location of the Locust stronghold. The Locust then attacked the facility and guarded Mount Kadar as Delta traversed Mount Kadar.
Delta-One was able to find the caverns under Mount Kadar, with their orders to locate the Locust stronghold, activate their beacon, and to kill the Locust Queen. Delta-One managed to locat the Locust Highway that led to their true stronghold: Nexus. Delta-One then arrived at Nexus and activated JACK's beacon - revealing Nexus and allowing for Gears to drill down and assault the true Locust stronghold. During the battle, the Coalition noticed the Locust were also fighting the Lambent Locust. While originally thought to be their allies, the Coalition discovered that the Lambent were some kind of epidemic that have been attacking the Locust and occupying the Hollow - thus discovering the Locust's motives for the Locust War to escape the Lambent. Delta-One then invaded the Royal Palace. Upon finding their command center, Sgt. Fenix discovered a file of Professor Fenix advising the Locust to sink Jacinto City in order to flood the Hollow and drown the Lambent. Sgt. Fenix then sent the file to Command with an alternative plan to sink Jacinto City before the Locust evacuated. Delta-One then located Queen Myrrah, but she managed to escape and ordered her army to attack Jacinto City and sink it before the humans could.
The Coalition was then ordered to evacuate Nexus and return to the surface at Jacinto. The sinking of Ilima was enough for the Locust as it weakened Jacinto's base enough for them to tunnel, and were successful in sinking a portion of Jacinto City and emerging from within. The Coalition then ordered an evacuation of its civilians to Port Farrall while they defended Jacinto from the Locust assault and prepared to sink the city. Chairman Prescott and Lt. Stroud then designed the plan to clear the tunnels beneath Jacinto of any Locust threat, plant a Lightmass Bomb, and detonate it to sink Jacinto City. Sgt. Fenix and Pvt. Santiago were sent to clear the target area. The two were able to hijack a Brumak to clear the tunnels below Jacinto and prepared it for the Lightmass Bomb. However, the Brumak started to become Lambent and aggressive, destroying the King Raven carrying the Lightmass Bomb. The Brumak continued to mutate into a giant, Lambent creature, which also meant it was extremely volatile. Sgt. Fenix, Cpl. Baird, and Pvt. Santiago then used the Hammer of Dawn to destroy the Lambent Brumak, in which its death caused a massive explosion to cause Jacinto City to sink underground. The Jacinto Plateau was then destroyed and the surrounding seawater flooded the entire Hollow network - drowning a majority of the Locust forces.
Lambent Pandemic (14 A.E. - 17 A.E.)[]
- Main article: Lambent Pandemic
- "If you want to flood the city, we can handle it. The evacuation's already under way by road, we've got ships on standby, and this is a population that's used to emergency drills. They move when we say move. But that's the easy part. It's winter, and somehow we've got to carry enough equipment and supplies to create a giant refugee camp from scratch in the middle of nowhere, then sustain it for maybe a year. We're going to lose a lot of people, whatever happens. So let's start by accepting that."
- —Royston Sharle, head of Emergency Management.
Hours after the sinking of Jacinto, Chairman Prescott ordered all COG forces along with the civilian population to relocate to the abandoned city of Port Farrall. There at the city, the COG found it intact but rundown from years of neglect. The Engineering corps would have to build a new refugee camp in the city to sustained the millions of people that were fleeing Jacinto, what made matters worse it was the beginning of winter and several COG high-ranking officials would had to accept the burden of losing an untold number of people from exposure. Few hours after the fall of Jacinto, group of over fifty Locust Drones was spotted near the city. The Locust stragglers were heading towards the main road to from Jacinto too Port Farrall that the COG was using as the evacuation route. Sgt. Fenix and Several other Gears elected to "meet" the Locust Halfway. While Anya tried to kept the civilian crowd under control, several King Ravens and a Centaur tank joined the fray, destroying every single Locust they could find.[22]
During the Skirmish south of Port Farrall, the COG sent a group of marines to Merrenat Naval Base in hopes that facility still held supplies in it including Imulsion. The marines found that half the Imulsion tanks still contain the valuable fuel source.[23] A few days later, the COG would send Delta-One into Merrenant for a deeper recon of the bases underground sections. After finding no signs of a Locust treat but instead packs of feral dog, the Gears made quick work of them and found a large stockpile of Pendulum Wars era ammunition and medical supplies. The news of discovery put a smile on Chairman Prescott's face and he ordered the engineering corps to began moving the supplies to the surface.[24]
The greatest test for the COG would come six weeks after the sinking of Jacinto, when a large Locust force emerged from the catacombs of Merreannt Naval base, killing all of the personnel underground. The Locust would emerge across the port city in every major civilian location from the food centers to the latrines. Over forty drones along with a Berserker attack the food center at least. Killing untold number of citizens. Delta-One would be able to retake the food center and killing the Berserker. The Locust attack delta the COG's civilian population a huge blow that destroyed their morale and belief that the COG could protect them. A mass exodus of citizens would leave Port Farrall hoping to join the Stranded camps outside pf the wire. That event forced Chairman Prescott to find a new location for the remaining citizen population and his Gears so they can not only survive the winter but the Locust. Chairman Prescott chose the decommissioned military base of Vectes located in the Lesser Islands Chain. Before the COG would relocate to a military base an ocean away, COG forces would continue to protect the port. During a routine patrol in the woods around the city, several Gears squad would be ambushed by a Horde of over forty Boomers. The Locust would ambush three Gears squad across the woods of Port Farrall until the COG would emerged victories but losing several of their own.[25]
Following the COG's relocation to Vectes, the war was effectively put on hold as the island was on the far side of an abyssal trench too deep for the Locust to dig under. As a result, the surviving Locust never reached Vectes which instead faced threats from the Stranded and the Lambent. However, the spread of the Lambent Pandemic eventually forced the COG to disband and return to the mainland where the survivors faced renewed danger from the Locust, particularly the Savage Locust, as well as the Lambent.
Victory Day (17 A.E.)[]
- Main article: Victory Day
In 17 A.E. the COG island of Azura was eventually captured by Queen Myrrah and her Queen's Guard. Chairman Richard Prescott managed to escape the destruction and traveled to the CNV Sovereign to get the help of Colonel Victor Hoffman and Delta Squad in retaking Azura. However, Hoffman had moved to Anvil Gate following the abandonment of Vectes and the Sovereign soon after came under attack by the Lambent. The ship was destroyed and Prescott mortally wounded. Shortly before dying, Prescott passed on a message from Adam Fenix to his son along with the decryption disk for the disk Hoffman had stolen from him on Vectes.
Having learned that Adam had a solution to the Lambent Pandemic, Delta split up with Lieutenant Anya Stroud, Corporal Jace Stratton and Private Clayton Carmine staying behind to help evacuate the survivors of the Sovereign to Anvil Gate while Marcus and Privates Dominic Santiago, Damon Baird and Augustus Cole pressed on to Anvil Gate. Marcus and his team battled through a Savage Locust stronghold in the Deadlands and hijacked a Locust Gas Barge to reach Anvil Gate.
Shortly after Delta arrived at Anvil Gate, the fortress came under attack from a massive Savage Locust force backed up by the Queen's Guard. Delta aided the COG forces at Anvil Gate in repelling the attack, saving the fortress from destruction. Shortly afterwards, a Lambent force also attacked, but was destroyed. In the aftermath, Hoffman's disk was decrypted, revealing information on Azura. Baird, Cole and Carmine went on a mission to get much needed reinforcements while the rest of Delta, accompanied by Dizzy Wallin, traveled to the cities of Mercy and Char in order to find fuel they could use to power the submarine docked at the Endeavor Naval Shipyard and use it to reach Azura.
Using the submarine, Delta managed to bypass and the Maelstrom barrier and shut it down, allowing the rest of Delta to arrive with Gorasni reinforcements led by Commander Miran Trescu. Together, the COG and the Gorasni lay siege to Azura with Delta battling their way into and through the Pinnacle Tower where Adam Fenix was being held. There, Delta rescued Adam who revealed that he knew of the Locust threat since before Emergence Day and had said nothing. He also revealed that the true threat, what had forced the Locust to the surface and triggered the war, was the Lambent or more precisely, Imulsion. Imulsion was a living organism that was mutating everything on Sera and had to be stopped. Its spread forced the Locust to the surface when Adam was unable to come up with a solution in time.
Protected by Delta, Adam made his way to his Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon on the roof of Pinnacle Tower, a weapon that would destroy the Lambent, Imulsion and every organism heavily infected with it. As it was believed to include the Locust, Queen Myrrah became desperate to stop this and attacked Pinnacle Tower personally with her Tempest. In the battle that followed, the Tempest was killed by Delta with the Hammer of Dawn.
Following the death of Adam Fenix by the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon, Queen Myrrah emerged from the remains of her Tempest and was killed by Marcus Fenix with Dominic Santiago's commando knife in revenge for the billions of lives she had been responsible for killing. The Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon spread across the planet, killing all of the Lambent and the Locust and ending the war.[26]
At the same time as Delta battled the Locust on Azura, they launched a second massive attack on Anvil Gate. Facing tremendous odds, the defenders of Anvil Gate were nearly overrun before the detonation of the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon killed all of the Locust and saved the fortress.[27]
Aftermath[]
Hunting the Locust Survivors (18 A.E.)[]
As far as most of the human race knew, the war ended on Victory Day. However, some of the Locust actually survived the detonation of the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon, although they were no longer an army. The 81st "Brash" Brigade was sent to hunt down the Locust survivors and quietly eliminate them. Some of these survivors attacked teams at Locust burial sites, but were eliminated as well. Eventually, all of the surviving Locust were wiped out.[28][29]
Rebuilding Humanity (18 A.E. - 42 A.E.)[]
The Locust War and Lambent Pandemic had killed around 99.9% of the Pre E-Day Human population, leaving only a few million human survivors. In the absence of a unified enemy, the remaining soldiers and civilians began to regroup and would eventually reestablish the Coalition of Ordered Governments. Due to the effects of the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon all reserves of raw Imulsion on Sera had been neutralized. And while the ecosystem of Sera was still nearly demolished sixteen years from the Hammer of Dawn Counterattack, violent Windflares began to emerge across Sera, demonstrating environmental challenges for the post-war society. After expending the remaining refined Lightmass Imulsion, the COG was forced to turn to other sources of energy to sustain the process of rebuilding civilization. Without the means to properly dispose of the vast numbers of Locust and Lambent corpses, the COG simply dumped them into mass graves across Sera. The COG established various walled cities, known as Settlements and a network of advanced infrastructure around the world so as to protect, develop, as well as control, the next generation of Serans. Out of the need to prioritize and protect human lives, the new COG would also invest heavily in robotics technology, using automated construction systems to build entire settlements without human aid.
However, some humans who had been Stranded or had grown disillusioned wanted nothing to do with the COG's vision for the future. They settled into tribal-like groups known as Outsiders, content with living in a technological dark-age. Outsiders would conduct raids on COG outposts so as to gather critical resources, creating a new animosity between different factions of the human race.
Legacy[]
The Locust War had utterly destroyed the advanced civilization mankind had become so used to. Billions of people had been killed across two decades, leaving Seran society shaken and militarized. Some of the survivors viewed rebuilding as a nearly impossible task considering what they had lost. Yet hope prevailed among those who had bravely fought to save the world.
At some point during the Post-Lambent Pandemic era, the Coalition of Ordered Governments reformed, doing away with at least the position of Chairman and instituting a new leader called First Minister. The new COG seemed to be slightly more benevolent than its predecessor, putting a large amount of effort into technological advancement for the purposes of rebuilding civilization across the war torn planet. Technology like the Fabricator and DeeBees were created, as well as the creation of new, planned Settlements that were built by the DeeBees in a matter of weeks.
Stranded communities eventually became Outsiders, independent groups that seemed to enjoy a mostly peaceful relationship with the COG.
Twenty-five years after the end of the Locust War, however, a new threat emerged - the Swarm, evolved remnants of the Locust Horde, initiating another global war against the human race. Queen Myrrah was eventually revealed to have survived inside of the Locust/Swarm Hivemind and reemerged to lead the Swarm by possessing her transformed daughter Reyna.
Quotes[]
- "Don't worry. Once this war is over, we can go back to trying to kill each other. Like normal people."
- —Paduk assuring Baird that he's not offended by the remains of a Pendulum Wars victory parade.
- "It's as if they waited seventy-nine years for us to finish the Pendulum Wars and drain ourselves dry. Then they made their move."
- —General Salaman on the sudden appearance of the Locust Horde.
References[]
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