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Wohoo, Alien counter-offensive.
Now I think it kinda spoils to predict whats going to happen, therefore just one last time im going to predict :rolleyes:
____
The drones will unleash whatever is inside the ship, and make "human" superiority work again, or the ship crashes and the ground crew finds a new ship.

Thats it, no more predicitions

Let's see what actually happens. :)

Sounds like an EMT to me if it can knock out a ship like that.

I think you mean EMP. :p

The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2005

The Apocalypse was taking heavy fire from the alien bombers and cloaked ship but the ship hull was holding solidly. It would require far more firepower to breach the hull giving the Langobards the impression that their ship had been improved since their last ambush. Whatever the repair drones were doing, they were performing splendidly allowing those aboard to have some chance against the aliens.

One of the operators did notice that the repair drones inside the ship were still operating. The other hull must have provided some protection or even the Langobards might have felt the weapon fired by the enemy that shut down the Apocalypse. Despite their best effort, the engineers still lacked knowledge to even know where to start to fix the problem at hand. Instead, they were pulled towards the desert below.

The sand definitely cushioned the blow of the ship but this wasn't a time to celebrate. The ship was still under heavy fire which meant that, given enough time, even the hull would be breached. In addition, there was possibility that the aliens were sending in reinforcements to speed up the demise of the great ship. Joan wished she had a solution to the mess they were in.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2006

The operators in the cockpit soon had control over the ship again and the repair drones that were operating outside were returning to their tasks at hand. However, the ship had sustained massive damage during that time which, despite the lack of a breach, meant they were grounded for the time being. The Langobards only assumed that the cloaked ship with the disabling beam must be charging to fire a second time.

Soon, Joan got the news she feared when alien reinforcements were spotted. These were ground forces and the incoming robots were no different from those that first ambushed the Apocalypse resulting in the Langobards eventually meeting the last bit of human resistance on the planet. Their presence brought back some bad memories and Joan only hoped they were better prepared this time.

The bombers in the sky kept well out of their weapon range so they could only take the hits from them. Luckily, the repair drones were fixing the hull faster than they could damage so there was some good news. Once the alien ground forces joined in, who knew how long they could withstand the bombardment. The robots could hit them while they were in the air so there was no chance of them missing when the Apocalypse was grounded.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2007

The alien ground army marched closer towards the Apocalypse which had been repaired steadily over the last few minutes. Once their bombardments were added to the the existing ones, the ship, despite being formidable, was unlikely to withstand for too long. Suddenly, an explosion in the ranks of the enemy robots got the attention of the Langobards who were watching their enemies like hawks.

Even the alien robots were trying to make sense of what was happening but, before long, a second explosion further thinned their ranks. Initially, the Langobards assumed the explosions were the results of mines that might be planted by the human resistance to fight against the aliens during the invasion but, according to Havoc, the resistance lacked the technology to make such devastating mines operable in the desert.

More explosions followed and, if it was possible, the robot army was in disarray. Getting in range of a grounded ship was their initial objective but the explosions were greatly hindering their progress. With the ship once again operational, the Apocalypse was once again taking to the sky where she was somewhat harder to hit, though the ship had an enormous silhouette that made dodging practically impossible and only idiots could miss a ship that large.
 
I have a hard time imagining a robot army in disarray. They wouldn't get confused like humans. I'd expect to pursue their goal with one-minded purpose, like Terminator. :p

Seems like the Langobards were lucky once again. Nothing will stop them.
 
I have a hard time imagining a robot army in disarray. They wouldn't get confused like humans. I'd expect to pursue their goal with one-minded purpose, like Terminator. :p

Seems like the Langobards were lucky once again. Nothing will stop them.

My definition of disarray is the robots trying to get back into formation while their fellow robots were getting blown apart.

The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2008

The robot land army continued to be hit by explosions that were decimating their ranks. It wasn't helping that they, like the Langobards on the Apocalypse, couldn't locate the source of the explosions which weren't really random. If anything, the explosions seemed to occur where the robots were most concentrated to maximize their impact on the robot army to thin their ranks quicker.

The Apocalypse was almost within range of the alien bombers when the alien robot army was destroyed with only their scraps littered across the desert. Then, the source of the explosions finally revealed itself to be something of a tank with thrusters that allowed it to move through and under the desert with ease. Then, a transmission from the unknown ship reached the Apocalypse.

CUPI8Nk.png
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2009

Joan answered the transmission and was shocked the hear the voice of Havok who seemed to be having too much fun with his new toy. Havok just offered a summary about how he and his team located the ship underground during their exploration of the hidden resistance base underneath the desert. They could talk later when the aliens were properly dispatched with their pieces scattered across the desert.

As soon as the bombers were in range, the weapons operators on the Apocalypse opened fire shooting the bombers down with ease. The bombers might possess relatively strong firepower but they were very slow and difficult to miss. The two cloaked ships were definitely gone from the battlefield since, following the destruction of the robot land army, their beams were never seen again, though no one could confirm until later.

With the conclusion of the small engagement, the Apocalypse was landed near the new ship Havoc had been heading. Before they fully landed, the operators on the Apocalypse reported that a section of the Apocalypse was opening without them giving authorization. Given the size of the compartment that was opening, they could only assume the new ship actually belonged to the Apocalypse and was just returning to its proper home.

Red signifies compartment used to house the new ship.
36H5trI.png
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2010

Novak and his team progressed down the passageway with some hope of finding the remaining human resistance survivors. After all, the signal he received couldn't be an accident since someone must had sent it. They moved steadily at a downward incline as though they were heading towards the center of the planet. The team soon arrived at a large cavern with metallic housing squeezed together to make the best use of the limited space.

Havoc shouted out but he got no response. His machine showed that the signal source was deeper into the cavern so they advanced forward. A few of the metal houses were searched but there was no sign of humans inside. Their possessions were neatly place in the rooms which puzzled the small team. As they neared the end of the cavern, one of them spotted something that seemed to contrast their surrounding.

Once they moved closer and shone a light on it, they recognized the object to be a human skull. The sign of the skull wasn't a good one but they didn't have time to ponder when they heard a noise originating from the tunnel connected to the cavern. They watched as two glowing eyes appeared from the other end of the tunnel and moved towards them. Whatever it was, everyone felt terrified and raised their weapons at it ready to fire.
 
A tank that can tunnel through the ground? That sounds awesome and incredibly handy.

Yup, we'll see if it'll get some time to shine later into the AAR. :p

The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2011

When their light shone on the unidentified object, they found themselves staring at what seemed like a sphere on four legs. The robot also had two ears which might serve as antenna and it seemed harmless were it not for the dried blood on its claws which appeared to be capable of ripping through steel. When the robot charged forward, the team opened fire and destroyed it with relative ease.

Upon hearing noise around them, the team was certain that there was more than one of these robots around. They raised their weapons in search of the incoming robots and was dismayed to spot more than hundreds of these robots on the walls, in the nearby buildings and coming from the other side of the tunnel. They opened fire without anymore hesitation hoping to kill the robots before the robots completely overwhelmed their location.

4odQREC.png
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2012

If any of the Langobards had seen horror movies where spider like creatures charged en mass towards them to kill them, then they would suddenly found themselves in one. The robotic spiders were everywhere so they couldn't possibly miss one without aiming. The only problem was these things could take more than one hit which saw their encirclement growing smaller and smaller with each passing second.

It soon became clear that they needn't worry about running out of ammunition since the robotic spiders were likely to bring about their demise before then. Despite the hopelessness of the situation, they continued fighting hoping for a miracle to happen. None of them carried explosives on them which would be very useful at the time, though it was questionable if explosives were enough to turn the tide.

A small explosion happened near them blowing the robotic spiders to bits followed by several more explosions. The Langobards were too focused to notice as they kept fire into the midst of the endless hordes of spiders. The battle lasted up to an hour before the Langobards saw no more robotic spiders. They were so fatigued many of them collapsed where they stood which saw them vulnerable when a small group of robots showed onto the scene.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2013

When the Langobards shone their light on the small group of robots, they felt relief and nearly all of them fell asleep right away now that their adrenaline had run through their system. Havoc was the only one to remain awake since he doubted he could fall asleep after the near death experience in a cavern which almost became their final resting place while those in the Apocalypse wouldn't be any wiser of their fate.

Havoc reached out to pet one of the K9Ps to show his gratitude for their assistance against the robotic spiders. The petted K9P just faced him but, without a face other than a red eye, Havoc was unable to tell if the robot was annoyed with him or enjoyed the attention. The other K9Ps just formed a perimeter around the group of Langobards as though they were standing guard against any threats that might show themselves.

He assumed that this group of K9Ps managed to sneak out of the Apocalypse shortly after them and kept some distance between themselves and the Langobards. They arrived in time to rescue them without them suffering any casualties. With his light revealing more of the cavern, Havoc could see that numerous other humans who once lived underground and weren't so fortunate as them.
 
Those robot spiders look too awesome to want to kill.

I have my suspicions that none of the Langobards have seen any horror movies, let alone ones with spiders in them. Do they even have time to film full length features while running for their lives from an endless stream of hostile aliens and robots? They must have so little entertainment between each near death encounter. :p
 
Those robot spiders look too awesome to want to kill.

I have my suspicions that none of the Langobards have seen any horror movies, let alone ones with spiders in them. Do they even have time to film full length features while running for their lives from an endless stream of hostile aliens and robots? They must have so little entertainment between each near death encounter. :p

You won't think that if they're trying to kill you. :p

The films came from the good old days when the Langobards ruled over much of Earth. :p

The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2014

Havoc eventually fell asleep and woke up several hours later with the others. The K9Ps remained on the lookout like the good watchdogs they were while the cavern seemed very bare without the robotic spiders crawling around. Well rested and recovered from the scare earlier, the Langobards proceeded to exploring deeper into the cavern to see what was hidden deeper inside and possibly the source of these robotic spiders.

The Langobards were more aware of the human bones who met their untimely end down in the caverns. Havoc returned to using the machine he carried with him and eventually determined the source of the signal they received. The transmitter was a similar machine as his but it was covered in blood, likely from those who tried to call for help before the robotic spiders got to them. At least this solved one of the mysteries.

While better judgement told Havoc and his team to withdraw back to the surface, they were too curious as to what the humans found down here that released the robotic spiders. The K9Ps seemed content following them and forming a defensive perimeter around them. Otherwise, they would withdraw since they had no more ammunition for their weapons which would be a problem if they encountered more of the robotic spiders.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2015

The deeper they traveled into the tunnel, the Langobards saw fewer skeletons along the way with all of them facing towards the large cavern. They got the impression that the humans might have discovered something they shouldn't have and tried to flee to the safety of the cavern. From how the underground settlement go, it was clear that they weren't successful in escaping the horror of the robotic spiders with the extermination of all the underground humans.

Just because the robotic spiders were set free, that didn't mean there wasn't anything else uncovered by the humans. Havoc just wondered what drove the humans to explore this deep underground when they could be perfectly content about their life. Some said that curiosity could kill and, in this case, it killed far more than those who were curious. The entire settlement was wiped out which saddened him greatly.

The Langobards party soon arrived at the end of the tunnel where they came across what was left of a gate. The humans must have used explosives to blow through the gate after failing to open it the proper way. Something told the Langobards that the humans never learned what was behind the gate because the robotic spiders likely just rushed out of the opening after being locked inside for who knew how long.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2016

Two of the K9Ps offered to go through the opening first with the others followed closely behind them. The cavern on the other side of the opening was certainly smaller than what the Langobards had expected but the interior was far more high tech than anything they had seen on this planet. The walls were heavily reinforced making the gate likely the only vulnerability of the room. The technology was even on par with the alien invaders, if not more advanced.

There were several dozen cubical containers that no doubt once held the robotic spiders. The gates to the containers weren't forced open which meant that their opening mechanism must have been activated by the destruction of the gate or the explosion itself. What was especially worrying was how one container remained to be opened. The Langobards could only hope there wasn't a large robotic spider inside this last container.

The K9Ps seemed to approach the last container without hesitation as though they knew no fear. The Langobards still kept a wide berth because they had no intention on dying deep underground. They would rather not learn what was hidden and not throw away their lives when every single person was vital to the last resistance of the humans on the planet. Then, they heard a number of clicks as the gate to the final container opened.
 
This is how the Langobard adventure ends: eaten by robotic spiders. :p

You mean eaten by a giant robotic spider. :p

The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2017

If Havoc and the Langobards expected a giant robotic spider to jump out and tear them to pieces, they were pleasantly wrong when they found themselves staring at a vehicle of some sort. The vehicle looked like a tank without any apparent weapons. Two thrusters were found at the side but nothing else of interest was found. The vehicle also didn't start transforming into a giant spider so that was also good.

One of the K9Ps walked up to the vehicle seeing an door open revealing a ramp into the vehicle. The K9P took the lead with Havoc and the Langobards cautiously followed behind it. They soon found themselves in a spacious space with many seats and monitors. As everyone explored the interior, one of the Langobards accidentally pressed a button seeing one of the monitors show the battle above ground.

Unaware that their fellow Langobards were under attack and in a precarious situation, Havoc instinctively sat on the commander's seat while the others sat down in the nearest seat. It took them a few tries to get the vehicle to turn on and, by then, the door leading inside had closed and the K9Ps were comfortably staying near the back not serving as distraction to the Langobards who were determined to come to the aid of their fellow comrades.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (4)

Chapter 2018

Slowly but surely, the vehicle began moving forward to the delight of the Langobards until they realized that they were heading straight for the reinforced walls. Unable to find the brakes, Havoc hastily tried a series of buttons until he and his crew heard some machinery that came on. At the front of the vehicle, they could see a strip of light right in the middle that enveloped the entire vehicle in a dim glow.

As the collision with the walls seemed inevitable, the Langobards braced themselves for impact while the K9Ps watched with puzzlement at the response of the humans. The horrific impact the Langobards expected never materialized, though they did feel resistance as they neared the wall. Havoc was the first to open his eyes only to see darkness ahead of the vehicle with only the dim glow illuminating a short distance ahead of them.

They would later learn that the dim glow was a force field designed to get the vehicle through rocks and other underground obstacles making it ideal to travel underground. Later tests also revealed that, as useful as the force field was to get through rocks, projectiles could easily pass through it. Therefore, the vehicle was clearly designed to sneak behind enemy lines while not really capable of receiving a number of hits from enemy weapons.