Nico moved up beside Max as they led the team out of the cargo hold and onto the vibrant grasslands of the heavily war-scarred alien planet.

There were craters everywhere, and the landscape showed signs of many years of conflict, with layers and layers of battle damage stacked on top of each other, turning the ground into a mogul course of damage, with some areas nearly grown over by long grass during the years since they were last hit with ordinance.

"Isn't this a lovely place? It almost looks like they designated the world for battles, but the scans showed inhabited cities when we were on the way down, so they've just been putting up an incredible defensive fight." Nico asked as they marched toward the ongoing battle.

"This is what happens when you don't have humans around to completely obliterate society from orbit. Battles drag out, land is secured with hard work, and the whole surface of the planet looks like it has been mulched." Khan replied.

"Yeah, there is a certain quaint charm to this method, but I still like a good orbital strike to get my point across," Nico replied, shrugging the shoulders of her Mecha as she was controlling it with her mind.

"The real question is if these are the two primary combatants or if there is a Myceloid force here that we missed." The Away Team Leader asked.

"They could have also been wiped out already. Most species who have met them before would completely burn all traces of their existence from the surface." Max suggested.

It was what he would do, and it was the only way to actually deal with a species that could fully reproduce from spores in a matter of days. Maybe they might have some sort of fungicide that could prevent the resurgence, but their own forces hadn't had any sort of luck with that so far.

That sort of technology would certainly make their lives easier around the Anomaly. They could just spray for Myceloids and clear the area around their camp like they were eliminating any other nuisance pest.historical

It probably wasn't that easy, though. A species like that would have developed all sorts of evolutionary measures to survive toxic chemicals and attempts to sterilize their spores. Anything less would make their most essential strategy worthless, and they wouldn't have become such an interplanetary threat.

[Huntress Khan, we have confirmation of an enemy force headed our way from the back lines of the cathedral force.] One of the Hunters announced.

[First off, we need a better name for them. Once we verify what the species looks like, or even better, manage to ask them what they call themselves, we are updating that callsign. Second, adjust our course. We will meet them well away from the main battlefield so they don't misunderstand our arrival as an attempt to ambush them.]

Max could sense Nico's disappointment, but when the cathedral force came into sight, they had energy field encased weapons raised above their heads while they screamed battle cries and ran directly toward the group of Mecha.

[Oh, they're adorable. Who would have thought that they were so in tune with human culture that they would have greeted Nico in exactly the way that she wanted them to?] The away team leader laughed.

[Fine, let's get to it then. Nico, translate for us, would you? I believe that these people are up for a small taste of your unique cultural exchange program.] Max sighed.I think you should take a look at

Nico lifted her shield in front of her and raised her blade above her head, then charged at the incoming force, accompanied by the blaring notes of the war horn on her PA speakers.

The rest of the force was right behind her, but the Androids were thoroughly confused by the situation, as their standard protocol would have them stop and engage from a distance to minimize casualties.

[Androids, withhold your ranged attacks until the enemy uses one of their own. We will engage in melee combat if that is their preference.] Nico informed them as she ran toward the heavily armoured humanoids.

The armour design was wrong, but the scene reminded Max of their early combats with the Narsians. These opponents were roughly the same size, preferred melee combat, and carried advanced weaponry that suggested that they weren't a primitive species.

All of the factors fit, and Max just needed to see one of their faces to tell if he was right.

With a mighty overhand cleave, the closest of the enemies tried his best to cut down Nico the moment that they were in range.

The blade skimmed harmlessly across her shield, and the warrior threw himself backward as Nico's blade skimmed across the faceplate of his armour. Neither side suffered any real damage except a small scrape to the opponent's visor, but the exchange seemed to get the enemy worked up, and their armour joints began leaking a deep red fluid that looked very much like human blood.

[Oh, that is a good gimmick. Not only is it an intimidation factor, but it also makes it nearly impossible to grapple them.] Khan noted as she exchanged blows for the first time and realized that the fluid was oily and prevented her from grabbing the enemy's arm to toss them away.

Max stepped between two of the blood-covered warriors before smashing one in the face with his shield, making Nico laugh at the obvious attack, while Max parried the blade of the other.

"I swear, they fall for it every time. How did we end up in a Galaxy where nobody knows that a shield is both an offensive and defensive piece of equipment?" She laughed.

"They will learn their lesson the second time. Nobody falls for that one twice in a row." Khan joked right before a second opponent fell to Max's shield slam.

"You've got to be kidding me? Are they drunk or something? That guy literally just ran into the shield. He didn't even try to stop." Khan sighed.

"Third time's a charm. Let's see who else wants some shield."