Druhalith (The Season of Resilience)

Day 275

38 days since my arrival.

In the cold silence of the tunnels, I unleashed my first wave, their chitinous shells shifting colour to match the barren, metallic landscape. As they surged forward, the enemy’s automated targeting systems registered the movement, and turrets swivelled, unleashing waves of explosive rounds.

Shots struck the lead drones, obliterating them in bursts of light and fragments, their organic bodies breaking into frozen shards that drifted into the void.

But persistence was their defining trait. For every few drones obliterated, more pressed forward, navigating around their fallen brethren to close the distance. In the vacuum, their approach was marked only by the shifting shapes as they spiralled toward the armoured vehicles.

Each drone latched onto any surface available, instinctively prying for weak points in the metal before detonating. Seven of the thirteen vehicles erupted in cascading explosions, their hulls shattered, debris scattering. Another three were severely compromised, their fractured hulls barely holding as systems short-circuited and flickered out.

Twenty seconds passed as the dust settled, and then I deployed my next wave. This time, the advance was slower. Heavy drones led the charge. Behind them, nimble scouts spread out along the flanks, organic sensors attuned to detect vulnerabilities or hidden threats.

The enemy responded quickly. Explosive rounds hammered into the heavy drones, shaking them, cracking their dense exoskeletons a few fell laying dead, yet they pressed on, unwavering in their advance.

Scouts, lighter and faster but less protected, were less fortunate. High-velocity rounds tore through their unarmoured sections, striking vital organs and neural clusters. Bodies floated in the vacuum, dark blood trailing across the barren terrain.

Just behind the heavies, my assault drones moved forward, firing in and out of cover as the heavies reached the first section of destroyed vehicles. The enemies' fire answered back killing several and wounding a few as the assault neared the first line of wreckage.

Their movements were steady, deliberate, as they advanced between the smoking wreckage of the vehicles, using each hulking ruin as makeshift cover. Heavies launched their projectiles at any enemy soldier, and their bodies were torn apart as the projectiles shattered into micro fragments killing and wounding soldiers who had managed to take cover.

From above, my snipers took position on elevated outcroppings. Each shot was a calculated, precise release, puncturing enemy soldiers with pinpoint accuracy. The silent vacuum amplified the lethality of each strike soldiers fell in silence, their bodies left floating as the snipers continued their lethal task.

Yet, the enemy tracked their movement and returned fire, suppressive bursts peppering the snipers’ positions. Seven of them fell their forms drifted away, joining the debris of battle.

Despite the losses, the enemy line faltered. Soldiers scattered, some scrambling for new cover, while others attempted to regroup. My drones advanced in lockstep, moving as a singular force. While cracks showed in the heavy drones and with heavies and scout casualties mounting, they pressed forward, absorbing impacts and returning fire with tireless resolve. Their slow but steady advance battered through any remaining defences.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

In the chaos, I launched the second wave after seeing the heavies losses. Another swarm of fifty suicide drones emerged, They raced from every angle, closing in on the surviving vehicles like silent missiles.

The enemy attempted a desperate defence, firing in all directions, but the drones’ numbers overwhelmed them. Each drone struck with lethal precision, detonating in bursts. One by one, vehicles shuddered, then fell silent, lifeless and drifting in the void.

With their vehicles destroyed, and their positions compromised, the enemy soldiers found themselves exposed. My snipers picked off stragglers as they attempted to regroup, while assault and heavy drones pressed forward, what remained of the scouts moved to flank the enemy from both sides, systematically isolating and finishing off those who resisted. Eleven soldiers remained, their weapons discarded as they held up their hands, defeated.

I ordered the last of the scouts to guard the prisoners while assault drones searched the battlefield for any survivors playing dead. Taking a few out who hid deeper in the wreckage.

With the battlefield secure, I issued a new directive. My second and third combat groups emerged from the tunnels, each given a task to study and collect anything valuable. Scouts and assaults moved swiftly among the fallen soldiers and ruined vehicles, gathering rifles, explosive ammunition, and fragments of armour plating from the vehicles.

These pieces of technology would be analysed, and if possible, integrated into future adaptations. Each component was meticulously collected sorted and stored for study later.

The heavy drones shifted their focus to our fallen, collecting disabled drones that could be repaired or repurposed. Fractured limbs, and damaged shells, all were harvested. Snipers and scouts flew around collecting fragments of our fallen no sense leaving the enemy to study anything.

I refocused my scouts observing enemy positions and watching a hive of activity as every vehicle now started to rush towards the battlefield.

I ordered every drone to move faster as time was not on my side today, my last batch of suicide drones began their final task. Fifty of them positioned themselves within the battlefield debris, embedding into the lifeless vehicles and among scattered armour fragments.

With their unique camouflaging adaptations, they merged with the landscape, becoming part of the wreckage itself. If incoming reinforcements attempted rescue or retaliation, these silent guardians would remain hidden until it was time to strike.

I ordered an architect to go out and bind the prisoners, A few attempted to struggle but were held down binding them with sinewy, pulsing restraints that clung to them holding them firmly as they struggled in futility.

As I watched the battlefield settle into quiet, a rare satisfaction bloomed within me. The moon’s barren, metallic plains were littered with the remnants of our victory. I observed the prisoners as they struggled against their bindings.

I ordered a few hundred burrowers to reinforce one of the deepest tunnels where I could secure them for now. With the amount of losses I suffered the first combat group had lost thirty-seven assault drones, twenty-eight scouts, nine snipers and thirty-six heavies.

The bio-fabricators would start to reinforce the first after production of an additional surplus of suicide drones was created.

My mind was already focused on creating a new variant to tackle their vehicles if it came to a head-on battle on the surface.

I knew I had captured more than just bodies. They were minds, a precious resource holding knowledge each offering a glimpse into the tactics and psyche of the enemy I faced.

For now, they would be taken into the heart of my sanctum, to be observed, tested, and studied. Their equipment and knowledge would be integrated, and their responses analysed. I had learned much from this battle, but it was only the beginning. As the captured soldiers were escorted deeper into sanctuary.