Outer Rim: Groundbreakers on Dros V

Dros V was supposed to be safe. Its wide inland seas and red-gold cliffs were far from the frontier skirmishes, the perfect site for the last phase of atmospheric conversion. But when the sky turned black and began to spin, every worker on the shoreline knew the Mawborn had found them. It came in fire. The first was a brute — pale green armor, thrusters blazing pink flame as it tore down from orbit, smashing into the beach with a force that sent tidal waves rolling toward the city. Its massive legs bent, locking into the ground like a siege engine. Fists the size of shuttles pounded the sand, sending tremors through the foundations of the air processors. Behind it, the horizon swarmed with shadows — some circling high above, others leaping from the waves, claws digging into the rocky coast. Governor Silas Krenn stood frozen on the cliff road, his blue suit snapping in the wind. Below, a surveyor in a black vac-suit raised his scanner, recording the monster’s every movement for Earth Command. The Mawborn were changing their tactics. No longer just swooping down to smash the towers — now they hit from above and below at once, forcing defenders to split their fire. In orbit, Dros V’s defense satellites flickered online, tracking targets in the chaos. But for every lock-on, another Mawborn broke the surface somewhere else. Earth Command’s war map was now almost solid red. Every planet in the Outer Rim was lit. And now, the battle wasn’t just for the skies. It had come to the ground.

(Hand drawn in Procreate) 2024