Locust War

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Previous	Pendulum Wars
Concurrent	Lambent War Stranded Insurgency Lambent Invasion
Next	COG-Outsiders conflict
The Locust War
Beginning	Six weeks after the Pendulum Wars
End	A.E 17
Place	Sera
Outcome	Pyhrric Human victory Extinction of the Locust Horde Total devastation of most of Sera's habitable environment Near-total destruction of Human civilization 99% of the Human race killed
Major battles	E-Day Destruction of Halvo Bay Fall of Ostri Battle of Ephyra Lightmass Offensive Siege of Jacinto Assault on Landown Operation Hollow Storm Battle of the Deadlands Second Battle of Azura
Combatants
Coalition of Ordered Governments (Disbanded) Tyrus† Pelles† Ostri Republic† Sarfuth† Pesang† Maranday† Vasgar † South Islands† New Fortitude Territory Galangi Protectorate UIR holdouts (joined the COG 15 A.E.) Republic of Gorasnaya† Gorasnaya Protectorates Lesser Islands Stranded (from 1 A.E.)
The Locust Horde† Queen's Guard† (Late War) Savage Locust† (Late War)
Commanders
Coalition High Command Chairman Richard Prescott† Chief of Defense Col.Victor Hoffman Commander Alisder Fyne Chairman Tomas Dalyell† Premier Yori Deschenko† Chief of Defense General Jolyon Iver† General Bardry Salaman† Professor Adam Fenix †
Queen Myrrah† General RAAM † General Karn † High Priest Skorge †

"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, was a planet wide conflict between the Serans and Locust races raging between both the surface of Sera and the Hollows. The War began on Emergence Day when the Locust Horde emerged from the depths of Sera and eliminated one quarter of the human population. The months after E-Day, the Locust advanced across the surface and attacked Coalition controlled cities and the nations of the UIR holdouts. Nearly a year after E-Day, total Locust victory seemed inevitable when newly elected Chairman Richard Prescott used the Hammer of Dawn to eradicate all Locust controlled cities and the entrapped human population. The Hammer strikes only slowed the Locust advance across the surface and the survivors of the Hammer strikes formed independent clans known as the Stranded. Locust forces continued to make gains once again and by A.E 5 they had conquered Landown during the Winter of Sorrow. The Horde’s advance ended at the gates of Ephyra City where they could not pierce the granite under Jacinto. On A.E 9 after heavy COG losses and amid the Locust preparation for the Battle of Ephyra, Chairman Richard Prescott ordered the launch of Operation Lifeboat, an recruitment drive of Stranded men and women to fight for the COG in either combat roles or as engineers. Operation Lifeboat met stiff opposition from the Stranded, who hated the COG more than the Locust since it was under Chairman Prescott orders that the Hammer of Dawn was used, however some Stranded joined in order to save their families from disease and famine. Before the tenth year of the War, the Locust attacked the COG capital of Ephyra and achieved victory because a single Gear named Marcus Fenix abandoned his post and took the Hammer of Dawn targeting laser in an attempt to save his father, Adam Fenix. Marcus failed to save his father and the COG lost Ephyra city, forcing them to relocate to Jacinto City. Marcus Fenix was tried for cowardice and sentenced to 40 years in the Slab. Four years after Marcus Fenix's act of treason, his childhood friend Dominic Santiago freed him from prison and joined up with Delta-One on a mission from Colonel Hoffman. Delta-One, under command of Marcus Fenix, were able to deploy the Lightmass Bomb and destroy the Locust strongholds in the Hollows, giving the COG a decisive victory, but the Locust Horde were able to rebuild and counterattack with Rift Worms that destroyed several cities and COG military bases. In A.E 15 COG launched Operation: Hollow Storm which resulted in Marcus Fenix and Delta-One discovering that sinking Jacinto City would flood both the Hollow and wipe out the Lambent and Locust, who where in the midst of a civil war. Hollow Storm ended in an evacuation of all COG military forces and civilian population to Port Farrall, where the remnant of the Locust would continue to fight in small skirmishes until the COG abandoned the mainland of Sera for the island of Vectes, leaving the Locust to rebuild new homes in the Deadlands.

Locust-War

A.E.0-Emergence Day

Main article: Emergence Day

"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 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 speech to the people of Sera.

The first news report from E-Day.

Six weeks after the peace treaty between the COG and UIR was signed, the Locust emerged across Sera in a planned coordinated attack on the surface. One of the first reports of cities coming under attack came from Jannermont, were the death toll reached at least hundred thousand. News reports picked up the attack and many COG citizens believe that the UIR launched a surprise attack on the COG or that the Gorasni where behind the attacks, it was not until the news report that the it was not humans attacking but humanoid creatures from underground. Chairman Tomas Dalyell gave a speech to Sera on the Locust attacks and mobilized the COG armed forces to retake the cities that were under siege. Cities in COG controlled Pelles, Vasgar, and Ostri where attack along with the UIR holdout the Republic of Gorasnaya COG cities of Porta Ogari and Mattino Junction where attack while the COG Navy tried to help in the defenses of the city and COG troops moved into Mattino Junction. Soon after the attacks the COG Civil Protection Service and all but a few news networks and radio stations remained active. The Locust where unable to tunnel under Jacinto plateau or the South Islands because of the granite, while the Locust would expose a fissure around Jacinto, Jacinto City was safe. By the end of Emergence Day, over a quarter of the Seran population was dead.

E-Day plus

Halvo Bay in ruins.

After the wake of the destruction of E-Day, the COG shortens basic training for all soldiers and began drafting Gears to fight. Three days after E-Day, Nordesca was attacked. One month after E-Day the 4th Ephyra Light Infantry was send to help hold Kinnerlake from Locust Horde which. General Karn the mastermind of the E-Day assault personally lead the assault on the rogue-nation of Republic of Gorasnaya and destroyed it armed forces in a matter of days. While across Sera, the Locust would continue to randomly attack cities and stripped it of all military assets, leaving several cities like Halvo Bay demolished with the COG trying to retake the abandoned cities to recover bodies. The Destruction of Halvo Bay was one of the largest battles in the weeks after E-Day, that saw the elite Onyx Guard battle Locust troops led by E-Day mastermind General Karn. The COG's navy also lost a number of warships including two carriers Endeavor Naval Shipyard. A large number of COG military officers along with General Karn of the Locust Horde where killed in the battle and the city was eventually left in ruins. Leaving the COG to only recover the remains. On the far side of Sera the South Islands where left isolated from the war on the mainland since a trench prevented the Locust from digging to get them but global communication failed across the planet. Eight months after E-Day, the Locust were finally able to dig their way into the South Islands and attack Kaia city, where Corpsers easily defeated the 5th Kaian Grenadiers.

A.E. 1- The Hammer of Dawn

Main article: Hammer of Dawn Counterattack

Over 90% of Sera was razed in the Hammer 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. After a year and one month had passed since E-Day, Chairman Tomas Dalyell died in office from a heart attack, the Council of Sovereigns elected Deputy Chairman Richard Prescott to the office of Chairman. For the next few two months, Prescott tried to rally support for a massive offensive against Locust held territory which was manly 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 themselves. Prescott's last hope was Premier Yori the former head of state of the UIR for troops in the planned offensive, but Yori had lost over twenty brigades of Gears since E-Day. After realizing that the COG had broken and unity among the states was dead, Prescott ordered Colonel Victor Hoffman along with Professor Adam Fenix and Chief of the Defense Staff General Salaman to his office. Chairman Prescott planned on using the Hammer of Dawn to in an assist denial attack on the Locust, by using the Hammer in burning all Locust controlled territory. After a short debate on the ethics of using the Hammer in killing millions of COG citizens, it fell onto Adam Fenix to find another method, he recommend sinking coastal cities on Jacinto Plateau but it would take too long to organized leaving Prescott to use the Hammer of Dawn. The Hammer was used after a three-day warning in hopes that a few millions could be save by reaching the Jacinto area. The Hammer of Dawn soon hit all Locust occupied cities across Sera creating the Deadlands and leaving 90% of Sera a wasteland. The Locust caught on the surface along with any COG forces and civilians outside the safe zones was annihilated. The Locust was able to survive the Hammer Strikes by having a majority of their forces in Hollows, but did succeeded in turning a rapid campaign of conquest into a slow war of attrition. The days after the Hammer strikes COG forces would patrolled the newly created wasteland, discovering firestorms and bodies turned into ash statues. The environmental damage would last months to years. With the Hammer strikes completed, the COG would fortified around Jacinto Plateau and turn the cities located on them into fortresses. With the Fortification Act, Chairman Prescott used his new powers to make drastic measures to make sure the COG would survive the war. Soldiers and pregnant women would have be given the largest amount of rations while every citizen had to find a way to contribute to war effort. Chairman Prescott also enacted new measure to recruit new soldiers from the newly created social groups the Stranded, the survivors of the Hammer of Dawn strikes who are mostly former COG citizens that could not relocate to Jacinto in time of the strikes. These "Stranded" would form clans and close knit groups that were hostile to the COG

A.E. 5 the Winter of Sorrow

Landown years after it fell.

"I remember when the Locust took Landown, during the Winter of Sorrow. It was a bad omen."

—Tai Kaliso, during the Assault on Landown

In A.E. 5 the Locust launched an attack on the city of Landown near Jacinto City, where the Locust laid siege to the city, for months the Locust attack the outskirts of the city while Mayor Gerard Leland requested more Gears to be station in the Landown Barracks. The Locust would soon take the city where the survivors compared the attack to the E-Day attacks that the Seran people seen five years ago.

A.E. 9 Locust Mobilize

"And we know it’s comin,’ baby. Sooner or later. The big one."

—Cole inter thoughts on the

impending assault By 9 A.E., the Locust advance was gearing up for an offensive on the COG's capital of Ephyra but a keygroup of cities needed to fall first. One of these key battles was the Evacuation of Ilima, a city near Ephyra and Jacinto. The Locust Horde would "ink" the sky around the city and send the Kryll to consume any life below. The COG unknowing that the Kryll where under the control of the Locust, prepared a full evacuation of the city to save as many lives as possible. Four hours before the "Kryllstorm" arrived, General RAAM one of the Locust Horde's greatest generals, attacked the city personally, helping set up new positions for Seeders to help ink the sky and speed up the arrival of the Kryllstorm. Several Gear units where wiped out at the hands of General RAAM and his elite guard and even the arrival of an Onyx Guard unit was not able to stop RAAM. A single Gear squad, Zeta-Six, was left behind in the city and was able to save the last group of civilians. They also wounded General RAAM and killed many members of his Elite guard. However, the city eventually fell to the Kryllstorm and allowed the Locust to claim another victory. On the South Islands, the Locust were able to bypass several underwater trenches and dig to the island of Noroa and attack it, leaving the island depopulated and sacking anything of value. After a series of defeats and great loss of life, Chairman Richard Prescott ordered Operation Lifeboat into effect. Under jurisdiction of the COG Department of Conscription, the idea was to recruit Stranded men and women. 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, where some of the Gears noted that the newly conscripted Gears looked more like prisoners of war than fellow soldiers. With an impending assault on Ephyra city, 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 city. COG Command send out several squads on search and destroy missions into no man’s land outside of Jacinto. Foxtrot-Six took out a Locust built bridge next to an old power station near Jacinto. Even with the addition of the conscripted Gears, the Locust was ready to attack Ephyra in 10 A.E.

A.E. 10 The Battle of Ephyra

Main article: Battle of Ephyra

Ephyra's ruins.

"You dicked around and cost men's lives, Sergeant. You cost us Jacinto. Your father just snapped

his fingers, and bang, you leave your men and stroll off with the targeting laser. You think that doesn't make you an asshole, at the very least? You got a buddy like Dom, who'd shit his last drop of blood for you, who put you first even when his wife went missing, and you do that to men depending on you? "

—Colonel Hoffman to Sgt. Fenix, A.E. 14

In the tenth year of the war, the Locust Horde finally was able to attack Ephyra City. For several months the Locust would build military assets on the surface, bridges to railways included, and the COG would counter them, but eventually the Locust were able to exploit fissures in the granite and dig into the metro tunnels of Ephyra City. Over ten thousand Locust Drones with an unknown amount of Hollow breast emerged from the Ephyra metro tunnels, quickly overrunning several streets in the heart of the city.

With their full military might the Locust had advanced as far as East Barricade Academy, where Marcus Fenix and his squad were positioned. His unit was armed with the Hammer of Dawn targeting laser when Dom told him that his father Adam Fenix was sending out a SOS asking for his son to see him. Marcus then abandoned his position and men, against the orders of Colonel Hoffman. Marcus took the Hammer and returned home to try and find his father, however he was too late and his father was killed by the Locust. The Locust seized the advantage caused by Marcus' actions and were able to secure Ephyra City and gain a foothold in Jacinto Plateau, giving them a decisive victory. Marcus Fenix would later be put on trial for treason and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

A.E. 11-A.E. 12

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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 city without power along with the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison losing total power and causing a riot. On the outskirts of Halvo Bay, the COG held naval base Endeavor was facing increase incursions from the Locust Horde. COG military command would order the base to be abandoned and of anything of military value to be destroyed.

A.E. 13 West Barricade Offensive

"Shit, they'd waste all those toops deliberately to divert us from the road?"

—Artur Ospen, commenting on the Locust strategy

In early Rise of A.E. 13 COG command began detecting seismic activity around Andius Highway. Colonel Hoffman would deploy a large number of Gears along with three tanks and two APCs with a King Raven flying CAS to the highway. On the main highway, the Locust would open up a E-Hole in front of the COG forces amassed. The Gears would hold their ground from the advancing Locust till a second large E-Hole open up down the highway near a bridge that would cut off the Gears. Colonel Hoffman seeing his man would become entrap and slaughter would order a full retreat from the highway, surrendering it too the Locust and but saving his men lives. Not a single Gear was lost during the short battle for the highway but a large number of Drones where killed. Colonel Hoffman view the lost of the highway as little strategic value and later prepared a major campaign that would hopefully reverse the Locust gains on Jacinto Plateau.

Colonel Hoffman lay out a detail plan to recapture the district of West Barricade. He ordered an artillery unit the Prince Ozore's Artillery to focus on Reavers the Locust main aerial creatures. Sappers and Gears would move on sewer systems and began working on stopping the Locust from reusing the same strategy that took Ephyra city. With direct artillery strikes on Locust positions and the Prince Ozore unit taking out the Locust air support allowed 802nd Raven Squadron to take out the Locust Brumak around West Barricade. With several companies of Gears ready for the offensive to start in late Reap. Colonel Hoffman would join with his fellow Gears in the ground assault on the district. The COG would retake West Barricade along with 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 and Chairman Prescott view the offensive as good news. The campaign put the Locust on uneven ground and force them into hit and run tactics.

By Frost of the same year, the Locust would launched a major air raid on Jacinto city. Colonel 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 would lead the King Ravens in a dog fight over the city. After the Locust where beaten off, COG high command would relocate the CIC building into Jacinto.

A.E. 14

In A.E. 14, before the Timgad bombing, Operation: Midnight was launched to reopen Ferro Bridge so a COG convoy could 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 reach the bridge, Locust forces led by General RAAM already ambushed the rigs and sent Tickers on the remaining Gears. Several Gears would engaged Theron Guards the elite of the Locust army along with RAAM. The COG squad led by Lt.Draper was almost defeated by the Therons till four King Ravens showed up with Alpha squad manning the guns. The KRs was able to clear the bridge of all Locust but General RAAM was able to escape.

Lightmass Offensive

Main article: Lightmass Offensive

A Lightmass "torpedo" right before denoting.

"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.

After four years since the Locust attack, the COG's future looked dire with their major defeat at Ephyra city along with the loss of manpower in a war of attrition with the Locust. Colonel Hoffman was forced to pardon of all of the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison inmates; where the criminals were cannibals, murders, rapist, and pedophiles. The pardonees were forced become Gears, while many of them choose to go AWOL and Marcus Fenix was left to rot in the prison from orders Colonel Hoffman. While on the frontlines of Ephyra city, Colonel Hoffman would gather troops for a last ditch attack on the Locust's home territory the Hollows. The COG built a large weapon called the Lightmass bomb that used refined Imulsion as a weapon source. The operation called for a squad to get into the Hollows and deploy a Sonic Resonator that would map the tunnels and give the Lightmass bomb a pinpoint targeting location. Alpha squad was the COG squad that had the Sonic Resonator but went missing near the Tomb of the Unknowns in Ephyra city while Sgt.Kennel and his men made it into the Hollow. Meanwhile, at the Slab, after Hoffman left the prison it was overran and Dom Santiago took part in an operation to clear the sector. He was able to save Marcus before the Wretches could get into his cell. Both Dom and Marcus battled their way out of the prison and escape into one of the King Ravens caring Delta-One. Arriving at Embry Square, Colonel Hoffman personally gave Kim new orders on retrieving the Sonic device and if possible save Alpha squad. Delta-One battled their way from Embry square to the House of Sovereigns, where Alpha was last located. After losing Anthony Carmine and finding Augustus Cole and the remains of Jan Rojas, Delta was able to locate Alpha in the Tomb of the Unknowns and only to be ambushed by General RAAM and a Horde of Drones, knocking out their King Raven; Delta retreated into the Tomb and had to deal with a Berserker. After killing the Berserker with the Hammer of Dawn, Marcus received a battlefield promotion over Baird and given command over Delta squad and ordered relocate to the Lethia Imulsion Facility where they could deployed the Resonator in the Hollows, Delta had to make a deal with the Stranded in ordered to get a Junker and after defending their outpost from the Locust attack. After reaching Lethia, Delta had to battle the Lambent Wretches and Drones and made their way inside the Hollows. After fighting both a Corpser and Theron guards, Delta deployed the Sonic device but the Resonator could not map the whole Hollows. But Baird found a geobot with Adam Fenix’s data on the Hollows, leading command to send them to East Barricade. After a hard landing in the area and the loss of a Raven, Delta battled their way to the crash site and into deeper sections of the college. Until they found the Fenix estate and the data inside, while more Locust troops forced to retreat to the backdoor and a Brumak arriving, Delta treated to Timgad city where the Locust cut off the power to the bridge. Being chased by a Brumak across city and having to deal with Drones occupying Timgad Central Energy, Marcus and Dom was able to reach the power plant and killed the Brumak. Able to pass the bridge Delta-One was able to get to the train station but General RAAM boarded the train and killed all the Gears projecting the train. Marcus and Dom was able to jump on the moving train but Baird and Cole miss the train being forced to wait for a King Raven. The two Gears battled their way to the front train cart where RAAM was protecting the Lightmass bomb, with the help of Colonel Hoffman on a King Raven, Delta was able to kill General RAAM and insert the mapping data into the Lightmass bomb which launched into the Hollows and destroyed Locust hard points inside the Hollows.The Lightmass Offensive was viewed as the end of the War for the COG but the Locust Horde was not only able to survived but awaken something deep inside the Inner Hollows, the Riftworm.

A.E. 14-Locust Counterattack

The idle COG

"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

COG Propaganda leaflets proclaiming the War was over.

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. The COG dropped leaflets over Stranded camps claiming that the Lightmass Bomb had won the war and that the Stranded should rejoin Seran society. The Lightmass offensive gave the COG a great psychological boost and the COG decided that they could let their guard down. Locust incursions where at a low level 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 city and the Stranded were free to roam the city at night. However, a new epidemic on the surface was spreading from the Timgad area. Rust Lung, a disease with origins from the Gold Rush days of Imulsion mining, had resurfaced. The disease infected individuals living near the Timgad area including Gears soldiers. The COG would cover up the full effects of the disease.

Locust buildup

The rebuilt Locust Army.

While the COG on the surface were trying to rebuild, the Locust underground were simultaneously rebuilding, the Horde was repairing the damage from the Lightmass bombing and training a new army. High priest Skorge of the Kantus caste,was able to use the now awaken Rift worm to attack the COG from underground. COG outposts vanished before the full might of the Rift Worm was tested.

Surface Incursions

Locust forces returned to the surface soon after the Lightmass bombing. In Ephyra city over a dozen Boomers attacked Delta squad and Echo Squad in Sovereigns Boulevard. Delta with the help of an ex-Gear named Bernie, was able to defeat the Locust and reported back to Jacinto City. At the CIC, Locust incursions were pushing forward and bypassing Stranded camps and heading for [[North Gate Agricultural Depot]], an major farm that supplied much needed food for Jacinto City. Colonel Hoffman with few options decided that evacuating the farm was better than fighting for it and risk losing it. Hoffman led the evacuation of the farm with 50 trucks and APCs from Jacinto City to no man’s land in now Stranded control Ephyra city, where the Stranded told them that the Locust were gone. The convoy entered the compound where the Sappers were still loading trucks and cargo into Ravens. The sapper who had been working over night was able to get all the supplies loaded for the trucks, a Locust incursion was detected near the depot and Hoffman lead Delta-One to stop them from getting near the farm. In a short firefight, Hoffman was wounded and Bernie had a busted lip from Drone bone fragments. Hoffman then moved the convey out of the farm and needed to reach Timgad bridge. The Horde set up ambushes for the convoy and was able to take out at least three trucks while the Stranded looted the remains, Hoffman along with Delta dealt with the Locust and soon with Stranded and who stole from dead Gears. Hoffman along with Delta was able to reach Jacinto City to a hero’s welcome and only suffering minimal losses in terms of life and supplies. Soon after the North Gate battle, Tollen a city full of Stranded vanished after a S.O.S. , COG command send Delta to the city on a recon mission only to find a lake. The COG soon realized that the Horde had a secret weapon that could sink cities and Jacinto was not safe.

One of the many aftermath of COG recon missions.

In no man’s land around Jacinto, Delta-One recon missions always run into Locust forces where they easily defeated Locust Horde. Two months after the Lightmass bombing, COG squads in the Pirnah Badlands went missing and Command send Delta-One to find the missing Gears, three weeks in the field, Delta only found a single Gear named Michael Barrick of Echo-6. The Locust had killed the rest of Gears in the badlands. After returning to Jacinto City, Montevado had dictated tremors under the city and Command send Delta to Investigate. After battling their way from the Seeder infested Dorado Hills and defended the Stranded camp called Fucked, Delta finally entered Montedvado only to have the city to collapse after being ambushed by Wretches. Deep in the sinkhole, Beast Riders and their Bloodmounts attacked Delta-One along with a one Berserker inside the Hollows. Marcus and Delta expect for Barrick who sacrifices himself to save Delta was able to escape the sinkhole.

Jilane

The first battle of Jilane.

In Jilane city, a major “farm’’, the housed a birthing crèche for woman that their job was to give birth to future soldiers to help boost the human population. The city and woman and children were of a major military important but the attacking Locust forces overwhelmed the COG and the local commander ordered the gears to evacuate the city. Leaving the woman and children at the “farm” to fend for themselves from the Locust. Four months after the Jilane Massacre, a distress signal came from the city and Colonel Hoffman ordered Delta to recon the city and to bring back any survivors back. Sgt.Alex Brand a female soldier that is from Jilane was task to be a scout for the mission. Delta entered the city finding the remains of Drones all over the city and inside the “farm” found the GBL, the woman of the farm and the children they project. With strong hatred for the COG for allowing some Gears to rape the woman so they could be impregnated by the soldiers, they did not trust Delta. But Alex Brand was able to calmed them down and found the signal, a crazed woman trying to call the Locust. A large group of Drones lead by a scared Kantus attacked the city forcing Delta into a bunker. Cpl Baird was able to come up with a plan in Marcus absents since he was wounded to kill the Kantus that was leading the Locust and getting all the civilians out, the plan almost failed when Annalisa tried to stop Baird since he was willing to send the women back to farms since they are military assets and now civilians. But Alex Brand was able to save him in time and the plan worked when the civilians drove out of the bunker in vans while the city exploded from a placed bomb in the center of the city, leaving it in ruins and the Horde army destroyed.

A.E. 14 Frost

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!"

—Richard Prescott (before the Assault on Landown)

Jacinto under Siege and Operation Hollow Storm

COG solders on the march

Six months had pass since the Lightmass Offensive and the Locust threat was worse than E-Day, with a force that could sink cities and Jacinto now under siege. The COG began drawing up a plan to attack the Locust, they believed retaking Landown, the COG could drill their way into the inner Hollows and wipe out the Locust on their own turf. In preparation for the assault the COG began stockpiling medical supplies at the expense of civilian hospitals. While on the war front, the Locust had raided deep inside Jacinto city and moving deeper every time, their tactics that were considered suicidal, wounded several gears at Pomeroy Depot and attacked Jacinto Med in full force overrunning several barricades and destroying a King Raven. With the pressure of the Locust Horde inside Jacinto city and the fact they are raiding for supplies, they seem desperate. The COG army mustered all their forces for a do or die attack on Landown where they could use Grindlifts to dig their way into the Hollows. All Gears even soldiers with Rust Lung were sent in on the operation. After the Jacinto-Med Raid, the COG army left Jacinto City in moved to military bases near Landown, after leaving the assembly areas the COG army moved out and into a ravine where Locust forces bombarded them with Seeders and send in Reavers that took out most of the King Raven escorts and was able to knock out several Derricks. The Rig groups was able to bypass several Locust ambushed and made it into south Landown where a massive Locust army was awaiting and Gears front them in the tree lines while several Brumak attacked the Derricks. With a full ordered to attack the city the Derricks avoided the attacking Locust and entered the city. Once inside Delta-One was tasked with clearing the skies of Nemacyst. After battling their into the city center and facing another Locust counterattack but this time Skorge lead the attack and was able to take the dig zone but was unable to stop the COG from launching the Grindlifts into the Hollows. Thousands of Gears where now underground inside the Hollows, while some squads like Delta-One was able to regroup and battled their way out of their drop zone and rescued and help other squads other Gears squads like Echo-Nine where whip out and the rest were taken prisoners. COG causalities was massive and the only Delta-One was able to turn events around in the Hollow. For a time communication was cutoff but Alpha-One was able to take out a Seeder and communication was reestablished.Deeper in the Hollows, Delta-One was able to take out several Locust Horde points and was ordered to move into Ilima city where the Rift Worm just destroyed. Once inside the city sinkhole the Locust was overrunning the remaining Stranded population that was left while a King Raven was shot down over the sinkhole, Delta-One answering its distress call made it to the crash site and only find an ambush. Being saved by Cole, Delta regroups to find what remains of Sigma inside the Hollows and more evidences of the “Process”. Thousands of Gears where captured both on the surface and in Hollows by the Locust including Tai Kaliso, the Locust "process" the Gears by torturing them and some Gears like Harper where able to escape. Delta-One found Tai who later committed suicide from what the Locust did them. Deeper inside the Hollows, Delta moved into the Ilima sinkhole to get an evac from the city. The Locust Horde moved into the sunken city and began killing any remaining Stranded population. While KR Five-Four was shot down over the city the crew requested emitted aid from any squads, while Cole warned that the Locust where setting up a trap near the crash site. Delta-One was able to battle their way into the city squad and face Bloodmounts and Reavers but was able to hold them off. Now nearing the crash site, a Corpser emerged from the wall and allowing Drones to entered the city with aid of two Reavers. The three Gears of Delta-One was able to defeat the Locust and move into the crash site to secure it. Only to find the remains of Charlie-Nine and Hank Bissell and awaiting Drones in an ambush, with barely any cover and surrounded by Drones on the second floor pinning Delta down until Cole attacked the Drones and the second story and whipping them all out single handy and saving Delta. Now back with Cole, Delta set out to find Baird and Tanner, both members of Sigma-One. Battling their way back inside the Hollows, Delta found pods containing dead Gears including Tanner. Finally able to find Baird, Damon gave Marcus Intel that the Locust are breaking people and moved to capture a Torture Barge. Using the Barge they destroyed another Barge and rammed a second only to find Tai inside, both broken and suicidal, Tai took his life in moments of being handed a gun from Marcus. With the loss of Tai, Delta-One moved to the top floor of the Barge to find more Locusts waiting for them. Advancing their way back into Ilima city Delta move to find a good spot to find an evac point, finding a massive building that was still intact the Gears moved the top floor to pop a smoke so the Raven can find them. But the smoke attracted Drones and Kantus to their spot, being pinned down again and surrounded. Delta had to hold their ground from the Locust until the King Raven could pick them up. After several minutes, the Raven landed on the roof and Delta embarked on the Raven while Carmine lead unneeded covering fire and wasting valuable time. With both Marcus and Cole ordering him to get on the chopper, Ben was hit by a round to the shoulder but landed on the chopper. Now the Raven was taking off until the Riftworm returned and swallowed the King Raven containing Delta-One and Carmine fell off the Raven and fell into the Riftworm and followed by King Raven. Delta-One now trapped inside the Riftworm had to find a way out of the Riftworm and hopefully could find Carmine. Avoiding the Riftworm teeth and parasites inside its body, Marcus and his squad found Ben, dying from acid wounds, Marcus listen to his dying words and collected his COG tags and note to his brother Clay Carmine. Marcus decided they need to kill the Riftworm by cutting the veins in the heart. After finding the first heart, the Gears discovered that the Riftworm had more than one heart and moved on to find the remaining hearts. After cutting off the third heart Delta cut their way out of the body and requested command to send them a King Raven. Command gave Delta-One new orders from declassified Intel to find and locate Jameson Depot to find a way into Nexus the Locust capital and to find and locate the Locust Queen.

New Hope and the road to Mt.Kadar

Main article: Mission to New Hope Research Facility

Equipped now with a Centaur tank, Delta entered New Hope compound. Marcus ordered Baird and Cole to defend the centaur, while Marcus and Dome along with JACK scout the compound. Seeing Wretches in the distances, the two Gears entered the front door and found evidence that Stranded once occupied but found their remains and Wretches now live in the building. After going down a corridor, they found a vault guarded by an AI that demanded proper identification. Marcus deciding that they need to used a bomb to take out the vault door, but first they need the power on and tried to find the generators. Seeing more evidence of Wretches inside the compound, Delta found a flamethrower and Dom was memorizing how Carmine talked about fire and his death. In the next room from the flamethrower the Gears found the generator and turn on the power. Leaving the generator room, Marcus and Dom entered a warehouse section of the compound to be swarm by large groups of Wretches. Overcoming the wretches, Marcus and Dom was able to exit the warehouse and retrieve the bomb from Delta. Holding it one handed the two Gears had to move slowly back inside the compound only to be attack by even more wretches. After the handicap battle, Marcus setup the bomb in front of the vault and it detonating seconds later granting them the proper identification. Entering a room with computer monitors that overlooked the compound, New Hope looked more like a prisoner of war camp or internment camp. The AI which went by the name Niles went on cleanliness godliness. The compound was design to keep something inside and not out. With turrets set up across the facility. Marcus and Dom set out to recon the facility finding the remains of Stranded and Locust inside the building. Deeper inside the compound, Baird reported that the weather was getting worse and might turned into Razorhail. While inside the compound Marcus and Dom finds another vault containing pods and a video from Niles on how Chairman Monroe ordered New Hope closed down and the “children” was sent to Mount Kadar by foot against the wishes of Nile who wanted at least transport for them which later worried Niles that they was something already leaving in Kadar. With the new intel on the location of Mt Kadar Marcus and Dom discovered the Locust Horde is based under the mountain. Hoping to set out from the compound they accidentally awakened the “Sires” and many of them burst out of their contaminant tubes and attacking the two Gears. Barley escaping into a security room they finds Niles’ “core” and shut it before he leaves a final warning “"When we are fully cleansed and the truth comes forth, will we listen?!"-Niles. With the security systems shut down and the Sires behind them, Marcus and Dom with the intel on the Locust capital moved out from the compound, but the Locust Horde invaded the facility while Baird and Cole where trapped inside the Centaur tank because of the Razor Hail. With no aid from their fellow Gears, Marcus and Dom battled their way thought the hallways of New Hope and into the prisoner section of the camp finding more evidence of people held against their will. Having to hid in a train cart from Drones and Bombers keeping them pin down inside the cart while Razor hail tears apart the roofs of the buildings. Finally reaching the courtyard of New Hope the razorhail lighten up the Gears where reunited when Reavers attacked them. After an intense battle the Locust where fought off and the Gears moved out on the Centaur. Moving up the mountain the Gears discovered the locust Horde had set up several outposts in the old logging camps around. Using the main cannon of the Centaur the Gears blasted their way past several Locust hard points on the road to Kadar. After battling their way past the Locust Horde, the main road was out and forced the Gears move over a frozen lake where the Locust Horde had their Seeders bombardment lake and almost killing the Gears, with now Reavers attacking them, the Gears knew they were getting closer to the Locust capital. The Centaur was moving up the mountain range and going over a second frozen lake, the Centaur move onto a valley where two Seeders was attacked to the mountain side and was destroyed by the main cannon of the centaur tank. Getting closer to Kadar, the only bridge to the mountain was destroyed forcing Marcus to use a ramp to jump over the valley. Near the entrance of the mountain of Kadar, the Locust set up a fort their defended by several Drones and boomers with turrets and air support. But Marcus and his gears in the Centaur was able to defeat them move inside the mountain. Inside they found it pitch black and the roars of Brumaks could be heard and icicle dropping from the roof of the tunnel. Barley seeing inside the tunnel the tank went over a ledge and dropped several feet, on impact the tank lost power and Baird went to work to fix the power problem. Hearing Corsper moving near them and Brumaks roars, Baird was able to get the power back on before the Corspers can attack the disable tank. Before the Corspers could pounce on the tank the Gears where able to defeat all three of the corspers were killed. After killing the three Hollow creatures the Gears moved down deeper into the mountain, but a Brumak target them from afar but left the Gears alone. The Centaur eventually entered an open area where several Brumaks where waiting for them, now trapped, the Marcus and his squad used their Centaur to battle their way out of the ambush and was eventfully able to fight them off and move off deeper into the Hollow. Until they reach a Stranded settlement near a lake where Chaps was the leader of the group. Chaps gave Marcus valuable intel on the Locust Horde, that they have a “highway” that where they move all their military logistics which was situated near a damn and how the Locust stay away from the lake. With the new intel, Marcus ordered Baird and Cole to take the Stranded back to the surface while Dom ask Chaps if he seen his wife Maria. Chaps told him she was with a group led by Stu but they were captured and send to a work camp.

The Assault on Nexus and the Lambent

With the new intel, Command relayed that a second wave of Grindlifts would launched if Marcus have JACK set off the beacon inside the Locust capital. With Baird and Cole taking the Stranded back to the surface, the two Gears headed towards the lake finding Therons and Locust gunboats waiting for them. Finding a pier the two Gears battled their way past Locust gunboats and Therons. After the their victory over the Locust gunboats, Delta hijacked a gunboat and ventured into the underground lake only to find out why the Locust avoided the lake, a natural predator called the Leviathan lived in the lake and attack the two Gears. The Leviathan killed the mounts for the gunboat, leaving it dead in the water, the Leviathan used it massive tentacles to try to bring the boat under water but Marcus uses his chainsaw on his rifle to try cutting it in half. After several fail attempts to sink the boat, the Leviathan decided to try to eat the boat from the front. With this attempt, the Leviathan gave the Gears an opportunity to kill the lake monster. Marcus tossed his grenade into the month of the beast killing the creature, and allowing them to move on deeper into the Hollows. After killing Leviathan, Marcus and Dom entered the backdoor into Locust stronghold, there they find the highway and a massive Locust army marching on it. There Dom decides that he needs to find Maria his wife and hopes that Marcus would understand him since he once abandoned his mission to try to save his father once. Marcus joined his friend and took a detour from the mission to find Maria, there near the dam they found a labor camp and more process pods. In what seems a dungeon full of pods they searched the computers to find Maria. After going to several computers, they find Maria only a former shell of herself, being forced to euthanasia, Dom lost the only thing he was fighting for. Losing Maria Dom continued with Marcus moving deeper into the Hollows. Their mission is to use Jack to set off a beacon close enough to Nexus without the Grindlifts falling into the Imulsion lake. Delta fighting their way into Nexus and fighting though a rockworm butcher shop and into a courtyard where Jack could set off the beacon. In the courtyard Marcus and Dom where surrounded on all sides and Reavers overhead, Marcus and Dom took their stand and battled the Locust long enough for Jack was able to set off the beacon and the second wave of the COG army began arriving inside Nexus. Now thousands of Gears landed inside the Locust capital and Baird and Cole landed in a tower giving covering fire for Dom and Marcus who were advancing on a bridge. Now at full squad, Delta headed for the Locust palace to find the Queen. Trying to find the palace, Marcus assumed it was at the bottom of the tower in the center of Nexus. Carving their way to the heart of the city, Delta now faced the Palace Guards, the elite of the Locust Horde.

The Fall of Jacinto

Gears evacuating the Hollow before it was flooded.

While Marcus Fenix and his squad were still in the Hollow, a major emergence hole opened up in Cooper Street. Gears including Sergeant Devon Jackson took part in evacuation of families in the area all morning and hoped that they were enough King Ravens for the Gears. The Locust rapidly advanced from the street and headed for Wrightman Base while Reavers attack the King Ravens over the city. After escaping Skorge, Marcus and the rest of Delta squad entered Jacinto city airspace where the city was under siege. The COG base anti air turrets mistaken Delta squad as foes since they were riding Reavers and the Reaver that Cole and Marcus were riding was hit by a round, bringing them crashing on the helipad and the Reaver that Baird and Dom were riding went ballistic and flew away. Delta squad headed for the CIC room where Prescott had decided that Adam Fenix plan of sinking Jacinto was worth the risk and tasked Marcus Fenix with clearing the tunnels under Jacinto City where the Lightmass bomb would be deployed that would lead to the sinking of the city and flooding of the Hollows. With all King Ravens either evacuating civilians and Gears or being used to help prep the Lightmass bomb. By the time Anya finished debriefing Marcus on the plan the Locust had breached the courtyard of the COG command center and Marcus ordered Cole and Baird to help prep the Lightmass bomb while Fenix and Santiago along with Colonel Hoffman would fight off the invading Locust. Leaving the command center, several Reavers landed in the courtyard only to be whipped out by mounted machine guns around the walls of the base, but Grapplers had reached the helipads over the cliff sides and trying to make their way inside the Jacinto from there. Marcus along with his fellow Gears cleared one helipad after another from the Grapplers and their Reaver air support with the help of KR Three-Six. After clearing the helipads, KR-36 reported that Brumaks are near the garage and making their way to towards the CIC. Marcus along with Colonel Hoffman and Dom moved into a garage to defend it from Drones and Bombers that was pinning down several Gears in the area. The battle was turned with the help of KR Three-Two but it was shot down by Brumak that where advancing towards the command center. With the west entrance now safe, Delta and Colonel Hoffman moved to the comms center to protect it from Reavers. If the comms center fell all COG troops would lose communication and fall into disarray. Defending the building from Reavers, Delta was able to stop the Locust from destroying the communication relays and giving the COG more time to help in the evacuation. Unfortunately the Brumaks had reached the main gate of the COG command center and the Gears rushed to help defend it. Using any means necessary Delta squad was able to hold off the Brumaks and safely defended the command center. With the attack on the command center postponed, Marcus and Dom headed out for the Locust emergence hole so they could allow the King Ravens deployed the Lightmass bomb in the Hollows. Leaving COG controlled zones in Jacinto, Marcus and Dom battled their way into the Archives Building which became a Locust hard point on the road to cooper street. Splitting up the two Gears battled their way into the building fighting off snipers, Flamer Boomers and Drones lead by a Kantus. After clearing both stories of the archive building, the two Gears leave for the rear exit only to be stop after a Grinder. After killing the Locust that occupied the building the Gears entered the rear courtyard of the archive building to find a pack of Wretches and Maulers blocking their path. After overcoming the heavy armed Locust Marcus and Dom advance into Cooper Street and watched as the last few Gears defending the area whipped out by a Grinder. The two Gears split up allowing one to take the Garage and to give cover while the other Gear would move down the Street. By the end of the street, Marcus finds [[Jonathan Harper]] body and collects his last note and COG tags. Moving near the sinkhole, the Gears discovered how massive it was and can’t believe the Locust had finally breach Jacinto. Moving deeper into the sinkhole, the Gears had to battle everything from Reavers to Tickers. Until they reach a building near the top of the sinkhole a Brumak destroys the building and lands on top of that very same Brumak and untold numbers of Drones. Marcus and Dom barely surviving the fall deicide to use the elevator to escape the fire in the building. Finding the Brumak trapped the two Gears kill the pilot but decided if they should use the Brumak . Marcus bringing up that it would speed up the operation and Dom agree with him on the plan. Now in a hijacked Brumak, the two Gears eliminate the Locust in the Hollows, destroying fortifications and killing hundreds of Locust. Moving deeper in the Hollow, the hijacked Brumak defeated a Corpser in hand-to-hand combat and finally reached the weakest points of the Jacinto bedrock where the Locust Horde was preparing to sink the city from. Marcus using the Brumak to shoot down all the air spores and Reavers and Seeders, the Gears destroyed the base holding up the bedrock and allowed the King Ravens to land inside the Hollow. Marcus and Dom started noticing the Brumak was going Lambent and escaped the Brumak before it was too late. The Brumak went Lambent and destroyed the King Raven carrying the Lightmass bomb, but Baird reminded that the Lambent creature could explode just like the Dark Wretches. Using the Hammer of Dawn on the Lambent Brumak, it exploded with enough power to bring Jacinto down and flood the Hollows where thousands of Locust where still occupying.

Defending Farrall

"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. Their 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 crown under control, several King Ravens and a Centaur tank joined the fray, destroying every single Locust they could find. 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. 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 face and he ordered the engineering corps to began moving the supplies to the surface. 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 the personnel underground. The Locust would emerged across the port city in every major civilian location from the food centers too 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 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 decommission military base of Vectes located in the Lesser island chains. 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 till the COG would emerged victories but losing several of their own.

Fall of Azura

"Queen... Myrrah captured it days ago."

—Chairman Prescott last words.

The battle for Azura.

End of the War

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.

Main article: Battle of the Deadlands

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.

Main article: Battle of 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 Endeavor Naval Shipyard to find a submarine to reach Azura under the massive Maelstrom.

Main article: Second Battle of Azura

Using the submarine, Delta managed to bypass and the Maelstrom 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.

Aftermath

The Locust War and Lambent Pandemic had killed around 99.99% of the Pre E-Day Human population, leaving only hundreds of thousands of 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 Wind Flares 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 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 few hundred thousand 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 cities called 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, the mutated remnants of the Locust Horde.

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