- "We finally have a tomorrow."
- —Lt. Anya Stroud to Sgt. Marcus Fenix following the human victory.
Victory Day, commonly known as V-Day, was the final COG Army operation to eradicate the Locust Horde and Lambent species using the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon created by Professor Adam Fenix, finally ending the Locust War and Lambent Pandemic. It was a three-day operation led by Sgt. Marcus Fenix in a successful attempt to reunite with his father and activate the Imulsion countermeasure; vaporizing Imulsion and Lambent lifeforms, as well as neutralizing the Locust Horde - ending a 17 year war that began on Emergence Day. The planet of Sera was cured of Lambency and humanity was able to rebuild after nearly being completely destroyed by both the Locust and Lambent. The Coalition of Ordered Governments was reorganized and Victory Day was later memorialized as a national holiday, honoring the men and women involved in humanity's victory, including Sgt. Fenix and the members of Delta Squad.
Prelude[]
Disbanding of the COG[]
After the Sinking of Jacinto City, believing the Locust War to be over, the Coalition of Ordered Governments relocated to the island of Vectes and settled in the town of Pelruan, a town untouched by Locust. The COG were soon met by former Union of Independent Republics holdouts and decided to live together on the island. However, shortly after the COG's arrival to Vectes, the Lambent began attacking ships off-shore and initiating the Lambent Pandemic. The island was then besieged by the Lambent and the humans discovered the the Lambent organism was capable of jumping the species barrier to other animals.
Chairman Richard Prescott held the secret from the rest of the population that there was a secret sanctuary known as Azura, where the greatest minds were tasked with finding a cure for Lambency, with one of those scientists being Professor Adam Fenix, who was believed to be killed during the Fall of Ephyra, but was kidnapped by Prescott because he learned of Fenix's knowledge of the Locust and Lambent years before Emergence Day. In order to assist Fenix in his research, Prescott ordered his soldiers to bring him samples of new mutations so that he could send the photos to the Professor. Col. Victor Hoffman became suspicious of Prescott's cagey nature and saw him lock a disc in his drawer during the First Battle of New Jacinto. Hoffman broke into the drawer and found it was an encoded data disc: A2897. He handed it to Cpl. Damon Baird to see if he could hack it, but he was unable to, discovering that it needed another component such as an encryption key, another disc, or a fingerprint.
After more mutations of the Lambent, Adam requested Prescott send physical samples. This meant Prescott had to leave the island and stay at Azura if Adam were to get his samples. Following the attacks on Vectes, Prescott urged the people to evacuate Vectes, but the majority, including Hoffman, voted to stay. Prescott used this as an excuse to abandon the COG and disappear with the Lambent samples to Azura. After three months of his abandonment, the remnants of the COG decided to disband the government and evacuate the island. Half of the COG voted to go back to the mainland in settlements such as Anvil Gate, led by Col. Hoffman and Sgt. Bernadette Mataki, while the other half would live off the remaining ships such as the CNV Sovereign led by Captain Quentin Michaelson.
Siege of Azura[]
Prescott finally managed to return to Azura and give Professor Fenix his samples. Professor Adam Fenix had become concerned at the fast progression of the mutations and theorized that Sera would maybe have one to three years left to survive. He then revealed to Prescott his solution, a targeted radiation device aimed at destroying living cells infected with Imulsion: the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon. All Fenix needed to do left was track the reproduction rate so that he could accurately set the radiation to kill all Imulsion cells by studying it via injecting himself with Imulsion.
Nearly two years after Prescott's departure, an Azura King Raven scout went looking at the Endeavor Naval Shipyard in Halvo Bay for supplies. However, he discovered that the Locust Horde had reorganized and amassed at the base. Aborting the mission, Queen Myrrah ordered Reaver squads to track the King Raven. The Locust were able to track it back to the Maelstrom Barrier that protected Azura. Realizing their defenses, Myrrah ordered Locust teams to dive under the hurricane, infiltrate the island and turn off the barrier - allowing all of Myrrah's forces to invade and occupy Azura.
While the Locust butchered civilians and the Onyx Guard, Myrrah overheard that Adam Fenix was still alive and on the island. She ordered the Locust to momentarily spare the scientists and to look for Adam as well to complete his work on saving the Locust. Adam Fenix realized that the Locust wouldn't kill him, but might destroy the countermeasure if he wasn't there to defend it, and so he created a message for his son, Marcus Fenix, to rescue him and help him end the Lambent Pandemic and vowed to stay behind. He then gave the message to Prescott so that he could escape, find Marcus, and bring reinforcements to save him and stop the Locust.
Order of Battle[]
Preparing for Battle[]
Locating the CNV Sovereign[]
Chairman Prescott located the CNV Sovereign a few days later. He was greeted by Sgt. Marcus Fenix, Cpl. Dominic Santiago, Cpl. Jayson Stratton, and Lt. Anya Stroud. Prescott demanded to see Hoffman, but Anya revealed that he has been stationed at Anvil Gate for the past two years while Captain Michaelson became the leader of the CNV Sovereign community. Prescott then went to see Michaelson and gave Marcus the message from his father. After Marcus learned his father was alive and needed his help, the Lambent staged an attack on the Sovereign.
During the battle, Michaelson was killed in action and Prescott was wounded. Prescott ordered Delta to clear the hangars below in order to take off and reach Hoffman. Meanwhile, Anya contacted Cpl. Damon Baird and Pvt. Augustus Cole, who were currently on a supply-run mission to Cole's former hometown, Hanover, along with Pvt. Samantha Byrne and Pvt. Clayton Carmine. During the battle, a Lambent Leviathan began to attack the Sovereign. With the coordinated efforts of Marcus and Baird, they were able to destroy the Leviathan, but at the price of destroying the Sovereign as well.
The survivors and wreckage of the Sovereign washed ashore on the Hanover Coast and were met by the Savage Locust, surviving Locust of the flood who weren't led by their Queen, for the first time in nearly three years. During the battle, Prescott was fatally wounded. Before he died, he revealed to Marcus that his father was indeed alive and has been working towards a cure for the Lambency on Azura, a research facility, and that it had been captured by Queen Myrrah and her remaining Locust forces. He then handed Marcus the encryption key for A2897 that would help them find Azura. Baird and Sam revealed that they must cross the Seran Deadlands to get to Anvil Gate where Hoffman has kept with him the data disc.
Crossing the Deadlands[]
Sgt. Marcus Fenix then led Cpl. Santiago, Pvt. Cole, and Cpl. Baird on a mission to cross the Deadlands. The squad soon spotted a Locust Gas Barge and determined that hijacking the barge would be the quickest way to Anvil Gate. While traversing the Deadlands, Delta discovered that the Savage Locust had rebuilt their home in the shallow underground of the Deadlands. Having to fight their way through the new Locust stronghold, they were soon met by Queen Myrrah who then alerted her fleet to warn every outpost between the Deadlands and Azura to be at full-readiness.
Delta then managed to locate the Locust airport and hijack a Gas Barge. During their flight over the Anvegad Plains, they discovered Anvil Gate resident and comrade, Pvt. Dizzy Wallin, taking on the Locust Horde at a supply depot during one of his supply runs. They managed to rescue him and take back off to Anvil Gate, but discovered a large battalion of Locust headed towards Anvil Gate. Delta was unable to contact Hoffman and anyone else at Anvegad, and Myrrah returned with her Tempest to destroy the barge. The Gas Barge then crash-landed near Anvil Gate, but all passengers survived were are picked up by Victor Hoffman, who was then alerted by Fenix that the Locust were on their way.
Finding Answers at Anvil Gate[]
On the drive back to Anvil Gate, Marcus revealed to Hoffman that Prescott returned to them in order to take back Azura and rescue Adam Fenix, and that Prescott had handed him the encryption key to the data disc in Hoffman's possession. Shortly after arriving to Anvil Gate, the fortress was under attack by the Locust. While holding off the Locust, Baird began working on the data disc using the encryption key. The Lambent then arrived on the battlefield, but both the Locust and Lambent were taken out by Delta and the Hammer of Dawn.
After the battle, Baird was finally able to crack the data-disc. A2897 revealed information on Azura and that it was being protected by the Maelstrom Barrier - an artificial hurricane around the island. Baird then discovered the only way into Azura was going under the Maelstrom. Hoffman suggested that they could use a sub from the Endeavor Naval Shipyard, but they would still need to fix, fuel, and drive it. Dizzy volunteered to fix and drive the sub, but they would still need fuel. Santiago then suggested detouring via Mercy, Maria's hometown, or Char, a city leveled by the Hammer of Dawn and occupied by Stranded, due to both of them being sites of Imulsion refinery.
Sgt. Fenix then led the mission to Mercy, Char, and the Endeavor Naval Base along with Cpl. Santiago, Lt. Stroud, Pvt. Byrne, Cpl. Stratton, and Pvt. Wallin. Col. Hoffman and Sgt. Mataki volunteered to stay behind and defend Anvil Gate. Fenix then ordered Cpl. Baird, Pvt. Cole, and Pvt. Carmine to find reinforcements for when they retake Azura. Cole suggested to Baird that they return to Halvo Bay, the city where they fought the Locust seventeen years prior.
Getting Transport from Mercy and Char[]
After driving through a skirmish in Concord with the Locust Horde, Delta arrived at Mercy, an Imulsion Township. However, they found it abandoned despite Dizzy's testament that it was heavily occupied. The fuel pumps were also revealed to be shut down and had to be turned back on. As Delta journeyed inside Mercy, they discovered a crazed man had planted explosives on the Imulsion pipeline through town, claiming he was trying to stop an epidemic. Delta then discovered that the Lambency had jumped the species barrier again and was capable of infecting humans. After fighting the infected, Delta managed to turn on the fuel pump and return to Dizzy and the trucks, but were then engaged in a three-way battle with the Locust and Lambent. Santiago then sacrificed his life by driving the truck into the fuel tank, exploding the gas station and killing all the Locust and Lambent.
In need of more fuel, Delta traveled to the city of Char, where the most ruthless Stranded gang lives, ruled by former CEO of Griffin Imulsion Corporation, Aaron Griffin. After assisting Griffin's people in a battle against the Lambent, Delta requested fuel for the rest of their journey. Griffin complied on the condition that Delta go across the crater and retrieve his cable car from the refinery with the latest shipment that his people failed to deliver. To guarantee their performance, Griffin had Dizzy kidnapped. Delta eventually reached the refinery, but discovered Lambent humans there as well. Delta was able to return the cable car, but Griffin Tower became under attack by Myrrah and the Locust. Delta managed to rescue Dizzy and repel the Locust forces, with Griffin now being the sole survivor of his settlement. Delta then refueled their transport and went on to Endeavor.
Mission to Halvo Bay and Endeavor[]
During this, Cpl. Baird led a mission to Halvo Bay for reinforcements. Upon arriving, Cpl. Baird and Pvt. Cole were met by Pvt. Garron Paduk, a former comrade in the early years of the Locust War. Baird requested help from Paduk for the ensuing battle. Paduk complied and led the squad to his group's outpost, a beached Imulsion rig brought in by a tidal wave following the sinking of Jacinto. After fighting through the Savage Locust in the streets of Halvo Bay, the squad arrived to Paduk's outpost, but seemed abandoned. Like Mercy and Char, the Imulsion rig infected Paduk's group and turned into Lambent humans. After fighting through the infected and Locust forces, Paduk successfully summoned his King Raven to pick them up from the Imulsion rig to Baird's reinforcements.
After escaping the Imulsion rig, Paduk then revealed his reinforcements to Baird, a Gosrani ship located on top of the Regency Hotel that was also brought in by the tidal wave caused by Jacinto's sinking. Paduk then took the squad through the police department for explosives, leading Baird to plant explosives on each corner of the hotel's interior. Meanwhile, Delta-One was also in Halvo Bay repelling the Locust forces stationed in the Endeavor Naval Shipyard. As Delta-One found and successfully prepared a submarine to take off into the Serano Ocean, Baird failed to bring down the hotel. Instead, he opted to release gas from the top floor kitchen and cause a gas explosion to collapse the hotel. He was successful in getting the ship back into the waters and took off to gather the remaining UIR forces as Pvt. Paduk remained behind at his camp in Seahorse Hills.
Victory Day[]
Arriving at Azura[]
Following the embarkment of the CNV Adamant, Detla-One took 26 hours in the Serano Ocean to reach Azura. Pvt. Wallin manned the sub while Sgt. Fenix, Lt. Stroud, Cpl. Stratton, and Pvt. Byrne manned the guns. The Adamant maneuvered an unknown city sunk by the Locust that were filled with COG mines. Afterwards, the Adamant was attacked by a pack Manglers. While overrun by the Manglers and taking on damage, Wallin drove the Adamant into the seaweed on the ocean floor.
Turning off the lights, Wallin believed they lost the Manglers. However, the Adamant was hunted by a Leviathan and escaped to the nearest cave. After reaching the cave, the Leviathan momentarily grabbed the sub until it was crushed by a cave collapse. Escaping the tunnel, the sub was then caught in the currents of the Maelstrom Barrier. Navigating Azura's underwater RPG turrets, the Adamant managed to take down the bulk doors and enter the island of Azura through the submarine port.
After arriving in the submarine port, Delta-One discovered that the Locust had executed the civilians of Azura. Sgt. Fenix ordered Pvt. Wallin to take the Adamant offshore in case of evacuation. The squad was then met by the Queen's Guard stationed in the port. After neutralizing the Locust forces, Lt. Stroud opened the comms and was reached Professor Adam Fenix, who managed to hack into the surveillance and certain security systems. Sgt. Fenix asked his father for advice on reaching the Maelstrom, and Professor Fenix advised they reach the facility through the beach and train station.
Upon reaching the facility, Professor Fenix advised Delta on shutting down the generators in the Maelstrom Facility in order to take down the barrier and allow COG forces outside to invade and take back Azura. After taking out the Locust forces and shutting down the generators, the facility was still active. Professor Fenix theorized that the Locust were supplying energy to the Maelstrom from another source. Instead of finding the source, Professor Fenix suggested Delta shut off the coolant, resulting in the Maelstrom to overheat and explode. Delta-One was successful in overheating and destroying the Maelstrom and taking down the barrier, allowing Cpl. Baird, Pvt. Cole, and the remaining COG and UIR forces to arrive on the island.
Battle of Azura[]
Before air support could assist in the battle, Delta-One was ordered by Commander Miran Trescu to take out the Locust Siegebeasts capable of taking down King Ravens. After neutralizing the Locust forces and anti-air artillery, the Lambent began to invade Azura. The COG and UIR were finally able to land and take on the Locust and Lambent, while Delta-One went to Pinnacle Tower to rescue Professor Fenix. Fighting through the Locust and Lambent, Delta-One was met by Queen Myrrah, who revealed that Adam Fenix promised her before years before Emergence Day that he would stop the Lambent and save the Locust. Delta-One then dropped a counterweight on her Tempest, seemingly killing her.
Delta then finally reached the top of Pinnacle Tower and rescued Adam Fenix. Sgt. Fenix and his father were reunited after seven years, and Adam revealed to Delta that he had known of the Locust and Lambent years before Emergence Day and failed to keep his promise to Myrrah to save the Locust, resulting in them invading the surface and commencing the Locust War. Adam then prepared his command keys and took himself and Delta to the rooftop of Pinnacle Tower to star the Imulsion Countermeasure.
Activating the Countermeasure[]
After taking out Locust and Lambent forces on the rooftop, Adam began to prepare the Imulsion Countermeasure. Myrrah then reappeared and threatened to destroy Sgt. Fenix and the Imulsion Countermeasure. Delta managed to take on the Queen's Guard and killed her Tempest Mount using the Hammer of Dawn. The Imulsion Countermeasure began to operate, just as Professor Fenix revealed to Delta that he injected himself with Imulsion to study its reproduction in order to target the radiation and kill the Imulsion cells.
The Imulsion Countermeasure then vaporized all Lambent organisms on Sera including Adam Fenix. Meanwhile, all Locust creatures collapsed and developed an impenetrable, crystalline shell around their bodies. Sgt. Fenix then personally killed Queen Myrrah with the late Cpl. Santiago's commando knife. The Locust and Lambent were defeated and the Locust War and Lambent Pandemic finally ended, giving humans the victory of both wars and managing to survive an era of apocalyptic proportions.
Battles of Victory Day[]
Day One[]
- Attack on the Sovereign
- Battle of Centennial Bridge
- Ambush on Hanover Coast
- Battle of the Deadlands
- Battle of the Anvegad Plains
- Battle of Anvil Gate
Day Two[]
Day Three[]
Aftermath[]
- "Today, we are humbled by the presence of two generations of men and women who braved every danger. Who fought the battles that made us what we are. Including the most pivotal encounter in the Pendulum Wars: Aspho Fields. When valiant COG forces captured the UIR’s plans for the Hammer of Dawn, we ensured our survival in the worst conflict our world had yet known. But only two years later, a new horror. A new enemy. A new war. By nightfall, hundreds of thousands were dead. “Emergence Day” had earned its name. Like many of you, I was only a child then. It was a dark, difficult time – and our victory was in no way assured. But against all odds, a brave group of soldiers, led by Marcus Fenix, finally ended our Locust nightmare. How dearly I wish Sergeant Fenix could be with us here today. Stop and think about the men and women whose sacrifices guaranteed our survival. Thanks to them, we fought through the long twilight. We built a new prosperity. The world the new COG has ensured knows no war, no suffering. It’s a world of safety. Of family. A world finally, at peace."
- —First Minister Jinn's speech commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Victory Day.
Within the 25 years after Victory Day, the COG was reformed, and Victory Day was seen by the COG as a national holiday. First Minister Mina Jinn commemorated Victor Hoffman, Augustus Cole, and Samantha Byrne and New Ephyra and gave a speech about the Pendulum and Locust Wars, and how humanity is finally at peace and able to prosper.
Not all Locust died from the Imulsion Countermeasure, some remained unaffected by the weapon. The 81st "Brash" Brigade was sent to hunt down the Locust survivors quietly while the COG government allowed everyone to believe that the Locust had been completely destroyed on Victory Day. The bodies of those who did fall victim to the Imulsion Countermeasure became cocooned in impenetrable crystal shells. Unable to destroy the bodies, the shells were dumped in Locust burial sites across the planet. There were dozens, possibly hundreds, of these Locust burial sites and their locations remained classified with only a select few knowing where each one was located.
Unknown to First Minister Mina Jinn and a majority of the surviving humans, the Locust had not died but evolved while cocooned in their impenetrable crystal shells. They emerged as Scions and created a Hivemind race known as the Swarm to rebuild their army and finish their work to eliminate all humans and conquer the surface. On the 25th Anniversary of Victory Day, the Swarm's presence became known.
Appearances[]
- Dirty Little Secrets
- Gears of War 3 (First appearance)
- Aftermath
- Gears of War 4 (Appears in flashback(s))