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Towards the Present We Go, Langobards AAR (The Steppe Wolf MOD)

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The Apocalypse Campaign (5)

Chapter 2048

The alien capital ships were returning fire and their beams were felt by those inside the Apocalypse. While the ship shook violently from the direct hits, Joan could see from her screen that the ship wasn't taking significant damage, if any. Something must have happened which boosted the defenses of the Apocalypse since, not long ago, the ship was taking serious damage from an ambush which saw her grounded for awhile.

If Joan had to guess, she would assume that the upgrade took place with the repair drones unlocking the new rooms in the ship. They probably worked at revealing more defensive devices throughout the ship during their excavation deeper into the ship. The leader of the Langobards also noted that they hadn't picked up the locations of anymore artifacts for awhile. It seemed like they were just too busy with the continuous alien attacks.

Regardless of the situation, Joan was glad they picked up the TF-I and the ship Havoc was piloting at the moment. These were significant boosts to their firepower as well, though the TF-I was stuck in the ship due to its limited effectiveness in the air. There were also the four containers whose contents were still a mystery for them. Joan had a feeling that they would find out the contents in due time.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (5)

Chapter 2049

The battle raged on but Joan ordered the Apocalypse to continue moving forward to leave this region. They still needed to destroy the alien ships in this battle but she hoped to eventually dupe them allowing the Langobards to get some breathing room. These constant battles were taking a toll on her crew who had been constantly fighting. They had rest now and then but it was becoming obvious that she needed to make changes.

In the past, there were little to no battles so the Langobards could afford having a smaller crew in the cockpit. With these larger scale battles happening almost every few days or weeks, Joan realized that she needed to train more crew members for the cockpit so they could have proper rotation ensuring that those active were somewhat fresh. There were those who served as soldiers which Joan considered turning into operators.

As the scale of the battles enlarged over time, the need for human soldiers became greatly diminished. As the GSCs proved to be invaluable in combat, Joan decided to use them as the backbone of the Langobards fighting force. Of course, there were also the K9Ps which had been very helpful. She turned to look at her guardian K9P who merely stood beside her protecting her from any harm that might come her way.
 
Michaelangelo said:
I'm surprised at this point the ship can't just fly and fight on its own without human instruction. :p
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When that day comes, I don't see why we need humans at all. :p

The Apocalypse Campaign (5)

Chapter 2050

Several days later, Joan and the Langobards had covered much ground since the engagement with the alien fleet. They were victorious with minimal losses but they were once again fleeing as they reorganized themselves. At this point, there were no marked locations on the sensors of the Apocalypse so they knew not where they were headed or what they should do next on this planet which was very much conquered by the aliens.

During these brief moments where the Langobards didn't have to face dangerous aliens, they could use the moment to see what was at their disposal. Langobards engineers busied themselves in the study of the GSCs, TF-I and the new ship which remained to be named. Joan was expecting the ship name to be in the Apocalypse database when it landed in the hanger but they had yet to get any sort of notification.

Therefore, Joan chose the democratic route where a few names could be nominated and all the Langobards could vote on the one they liked. This vote would last a few more days before she announced the winner. Given that barren landscape below them, the Langobards really had little to do other than archiving the stories of the humans who were almost driven to extinction on this planet. This at least helped them pass the time until possibly the next attack.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2051

The voting for the name came to an end and the ship would be known as the Hornet. Havoc especially liked the name considering that he saw himself as the captain of the ship. Joan didn't bother changing things when Havoc and his crew performed admirably on the Hornet. She was also surprised that they hadn't been attacked during the voting session which was a miracle in itself.

When she returned to her seat in the cockpit, Joan noticed that something was showing on her screen. She tapped the screen to zoom in and found a location indicated on the map. With no other choice, she ordered her operators to change the course of the Apocalypse to investigate this new location. They just might find something interesting which could be brought aboard the ship later.

While the ship changed course, Joan called Havoc into the cockpit to ask him about their new destination. She hoped the man would know something that could give them a slight edge. She wasn't too happy about going blind while the alien fleets were hunting them down. They could fight back but she would prefer to avoid another ambush. Joan had already began construction for more GSCs in preparation of the upcoming battle.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2052

Havoc's face turned to horror when he saw where they were headed. After recovering from his initial shock, he turned to Joan and explained that their destination was actually the capital of the alien invaders. It was once the largest metropolis for the humans on the planet but, following the invasion, he and the resistance fighters got the impression that the aliens were using the metropolis for themselves.

He emphasized that the alien capital would no doubt be very heavily guarded considering what secrets it might hold. They had been lucky to be fighting the enemy piecemeal since a coordinated attack by the aliens would end catastrophically for the Langobards. Therefore, he opposed the idea of heading for their doom when they had fought so hard to survive thus far. Havoc suggested them going in the opposite direction.

Joan respected Havoc's opinion knowing that their destination could spell doom for them all but she was tired of wandering on this planet. With their ship, they could potentially wander aimlessly until they all died of old age but that wasn't the point. She wanted to find answers so she could head home and, with this new destination laid up before them, she realized that the answer might be hidden in the alien capital. In this situation, Joan chose to ignore Havoc's suggestion.
 
Clearly the people on the Apocalypse are more mature than actual humans today. If you gave people the option to name a spaceship right now, it'd end up being called either Boaty McBoatface or Harambe. :p
 
Michaelangelo said:
Clearly the people on the Apocalypse are more mature than actual humans today. If you gave people the option to name a spaceship right now, it'd end up being called either Boaty McBoatface or Harambe. :p
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The Langobards had been facing so many life-threatening situations. We are just too complacent and secured. :p

The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2053

Havoc wasn't exactly happy with the decision but he knew that, had the Langobards not come along, he and the resistance fighters would have all died in the alien carpet bombing. He could also see that aimless wandering in the air would do little to help them and some guidance would certainly help. The trackers of the Apocalypse had yet to fail them in the past so he chose to trust it again until proven otherwise.

The Apocalypse steadily changed course towards the alien capital on the planet and the atmosphere within the cockpit was quite tense. Joan ordered to have skeleton crew in the cockpit while the others rested while they could. Once they were within a certain distance of the alien capital, they were unlikely to get any rest until all the fighting concluded. They needed to first find out what the Apocalypse was trying to lead them towards.

While the Apocalypse made steady progress towards her new destination, Joan dozed off in her seat as fatigue finally caught up to her. She was dreaming about symbols very similar to those on the containers they brought aboard the ship recently. She saw herself walking towards the symbol and performing some sort of ritual when the trembling of the ship woke her up. Next thing she heard was that they were under attack from one of the operators in the cockpit.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2054

An alien ground army had intercepted them but the alien robots were barely scratching the surface of Apocalypse's lower hull. The GSCs were firing downwards at the alien robots which were destroyed en mass leaving behind nothing but destruction. Joan had to assume that, at this point, their presence was known to the aliens so they should be expecting a lot more attacks in the next few hours.

Once this small one-sided skirmish ended, Joan relaxed and recalled her dream earlier about the symbols. She checked her touch screen to see if there was anything different and, to her pleasant surprise, there was an option to open one of the new containers. When she pressed the open option, a progress bar showed itself and the number slowly moved towards a hundred starting the countdown to the revealing of what was inside.

The container was set to open in roughly half an hour so Joan couldn't leave the cockpit as more attacks were expected. However, she kept the container being opened a secret from the other Langobards. She didn't want to get them excited only to be disappointed by what might be revealed. She planned on seeing the content of the container first before sharing her discovery with the other Langobards.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2055

Joan left the command of the Apocalypse to Sean so she could head for the room holding the containers. The battles have been very short as the aliens put up only minimal resistance thus far. The Langobards could only assume the aliens were gathering their forces at the capital so a very difficult battle was expected the closer they get to the alien capital. Joan needed to know that they possessed the tools to win the upcoming battle.

With the K9P following behind her, Joan proceeded to the room which was guarded by a dozen or so K9Ps. The K9Ps guarding the entrance didn't stop her from entering so Joan soon found herself standing before the containers. When she entered, Joan noticed one of the containers was already open but, lacking proper illumination, she couldn't see what was inside. Before she could take a step to investigate, she felt the ship shaking very violently.

At this point, the aliens were sending out their forces to halt the advances of the Apocalypse. So far, the Apocalypse hull was holding well against the incoming fire and the violent trembling was caused by the explosions. Joan had to steady herself for several minutes hoping things could calm down a bit. She wasn't surprised to see her guardian K9P merely standing there as though nothing was happening.
 
At this point it might be better to return to space and bombard the planet from orbit, assuming the Apocalypse can manage that.
 
Michaelangelo said:
At this point it might be better to return to space and bombard the planet from orbit, assuming the Apocalypse can manage that.
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I don't think a bombardment would be advisable given what's going to happen soonish. :p

The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2056

The battle only lasted a few minutes before it abruptly ended. Joan never bothered letting go of the metal beam until she was certain the violent trembles were indeed done. Once she was certain there was a brief opening, she dashed to the container to look inside. What greeted her was a very futuristic machine that was unlike any of the other robots the Langobards had at their disposal.

The robot was still secured to the inside of the container but there was not a hint of dust inside. Joan could only assume that the container was sealed tight allowing nothing in or out. As she walked up to it, Joan heard a noise and turned to the K9P which made it. She watched as the K9P walked up to the robot and firing a small beam at it tracing out the symbol on both of its shoulders which she still had no clue about.

Once the tracing was completed, Joan saw the eyes of the robot come on as though it had awaken from its slumber. The robot stared down at the K9P which was already making its way out of the container. With ease, the robot broke through the securing beams that held it in place and followed after the K9P. Joan was somewhat frustrated that the new robot paid her no attention but even she couldn't deny that it was a cool looking robot.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2057

The robot itself looked like an angel with its wings making up much of its proportion. It even hovered in the air which gave the impression that the wings were more than just show. They were clearly carrying the robot around as it lacked any forms of legs. Joan could only assume that this design gave it more mobility in the air making it a valuable asset to the Langobards once the battles really heated up.

There was only one obvious weapon which the robot possessed. It looked like a three barrel weapon but, having seen these robots in action, Joan was unsure what projectiles were fired from those barrels. On the other side was some device but Joan couldn't make out what it did. She had a feeling she would find out once the robot headed into battle. For the time being, it was just ignoring her and followed the K9P.

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The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2058

The new robot followed the K9P to the far end of the room where an assembly line was located. Joan hadn't noticed the assembly line earlier but, considering that she was very much focused on discovering what was inside the container, it was only natural that she missed it entirely even if it was there. The robot went to the screen where it lowered its head to a scanner resulting in a short scanning process.

Joan felt that the robot was probably entering its data into the system so that she could begin mass production. Her gut feeling was that the angelic robot was far superior than any robots they had onboard. While she waited for the scanning process to finish, the K9P accompanying her walked over by her side and stared up at her. Joan offered a smile but she couldn't tell if the K9P responded or not.

Once the scanning process ended, the angelic robot approached Joan as though acknowledging her for the first time. To her surprise, the robot was actually capable of speaking her language and communicated with her. First, it introduced its model as APZ-1 and was given the sole order of defending the Apocalypse with its life. The APZ-1 explained that production of its kind was now readily available to Joan.
 
Michaelangelo said:
More nifty robots. Now to send them to die in the never-ending struggle for survival for the Langobards. :D
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We must remember that the Langobards didn't ask to come to this planet filled with hostile alien robots. :p

The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2059

The APZ-1 offered to come with Joan to the cockpit stating that the K9P, while loyal, wasn't the strongest bodyguard she could have with her. Joan stared down at her K9P wondering if its feelings were hurt by the comment but, like always, the small robot didn't have any emotions to show how it felt. She then nodded and made her way to the cockpit with the K9P and the APZ-1 in tow.

When she entered the cockpit with her two bodyguards in tow, Joan noticed that the others were too preoccupied with the steadily escalating situation to notice and comment. A new group of alien ships were approaching them to halt their advance. As Joan sat down, she quickly scanned her screen noticing that no real damage was dealt to the Apocalypse. She then proceeded to open the production tab where she put a number of APZ-1 in the production queue.

The GSCs on the Apocalypse were holding the enemy ships at bay but Joan had a feeling that they had yet to face the major alien fleets yet. She suspected that her enemies would never have anticipated a daring attack on their capital so their forces needed to be regrouped to prepare a strong counterattack. When the first APZ-1 was completed, Joan eagerly waited for its performance of its capabilities.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2060

The APZ-1's main difference compared to the GSC series was its ability to hover or fly. Joan had yet to confirm whether they just hovered above a solid surface or they could actually take to the air like the Hornet. As of this moment, she had yet to deploy the Hornet since she feared that, the closer they approached the alien capital, the more firepower they would encounter and the risk of the Hornet being destroyed rose dramatically.

At this point, Joan got the impression that the Hornet was more of a scouting ship that could defend itself if necessary. They had no need to scout ahead since they already made themselves known to the aliens. The alien forces were already gathering to intercept them but, so far, their efforts were in vain. The Apocalypse had yet to change its course from the alien capital and her hull remained relatively untouched.

The first APZ-1 finally took to the air and its appearance got the attention of every in the cockpit. Sean sneaked a look and smiled when Joan gave him the look to stay quiet. Joan got her confirmation that the APZ-1, despite its fancy looking wings, could only hover. However, it possessed more mobility than all the other robots and its range seemed far superior with it shooting down multiple enemy ships before they even got in range of the GSC_IIs.
 
The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2061

With the addition of APZ-1s to the defensive team atop the Apocalypse, the Langobards felt they got extra insurance against the aliens. However, Joan still got the nagging feeling that this couldn't possibly be the military strength of the aliens. They should be far stronger according to what Havoc told her. Joan spoke to Havoc in the cockpit sharing her concern with the man who was the expert of the aliens.

Havoc had been rather restless since he and his team weren't allowed to take the Hornet out into battle. They didn't argue with Joan knowing she was right but they still weren't happy with this development. They were basically stuck in the cockpit with nothing to do except watching the battle happen outside the ship. Havoc was relieved to have the distraction when Joan shared her concern.

After some thought, Havoc admitted that the aliens should be putting up more of a fight. He asked one of the operators to bring up a map and showed that, given their distance from the capital, they should be encountering fierce resistance as the aliens tried to halt their advances. The robot aliens weren't known to hold back and often chose to give it everything they had to lower their overall losses. Thus far, the battle had contradicted all of that.
 
Michaelangelo said:
Maybe they're preparing their ultimate weapon: an even larger spider robot! :p
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Why not a tarantula robot instead? :p

The Apocalypse Campaign (6)

Chapter 2062

The alien capital was soon within sights but the enormous alien fleet still hadn't materialized. As a precaution, Joan sent Havoc and his team in the TF-1 earlier to search underground. The vehicle had proven to be very capable underground and she had confidence it could outrun whatever the robots might send at them. With nothing in the skies, she suspected that the robot aliens might have set their ambush up underground.

The Apocalypse was soon flying above the outer edges of the alien capital and Havoc reported that, except for abandoned underground sections built by humans, his team spotted nothing else. Joan was very puzzled but they had gone too far to withdraw. They were closing in on the location indicated by their screen. Few minutes later, they were able to pinpoint the location to be the large structure in the center of the metropolis.

There was no welcoming party outside the large structure allowing the Apocalypse to land nearby in the open square. The GSCs and APZs headed outwards from the Apocalypse as they searched for any dangers that might be lurking in the area. When nothing came up, they returned to the Apocalypse with one of the APZs sharing their findings with the Langobards. The area was deserted and they had a clear path into the large structure.
 
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