Lucas could remember over five years ago, when the worst they had to worry from the Militia were guerrilla strikes and raids, striking at newly established outposts or cargo vessels while attempting to capture titans. Ever since Demeter, the Militia had grown bold, confident in their ability and supremacy of the Frontier, now targeting well defended manufacturing facilities like this one. Now they all had to be hardened, with the majority of facilities installed underground, like a bunker, and with numerous defensive measures throughout.

The alarm had been called not even an hour ago, and already Lucas was suited up and inside of his titan. The facility was easily capable of producing titans on the fly, and containing more than enough spare parts for repairs, meaning so long as the pilots played it safe, they could retreat to come back with a new titan later. In a battle of attrition, the IMC held the advantage here, but Lucas knew the militia would not strike if they didn't feel confident in their ability to overwhelm them. That meant the opening parts of this battle would be crucial, as every extra minute they held out would allow for the momentum to swing evermore in the IMC's favor. Soldiers and spectres both were already deploying to man defensive lines, and he could hear the sound of anti-aircraft fire overlapping each other to fill the air with fire and steel as they attempted to intercept the incoming Titanfalls.

Lucas was the lead of his own small squadron of titans, moving forward along with several other squadrons to attempt a counteroffensive to blunt the Militia's advance, only just a little ways away from the defensive lines behind them, already engaged with skirmishing forces. Their advance had yet to meet any Militia resistance, which left the team on edge, more so than if they'd already traded fire. This tension was broken when someone called out in warning over the radio, [color=82ca9d]"Titanfall, incoming! Mumford, watch out!"[/color] All eyes turned upwards as titans burned through the atmosphere, somehow unmolested by the anti-air fire trailing after them, and slammed into the ground like meteors all around before them. One, a red painted Legion, clipping the back of a Tone who had taken point, and taking him out in an instant. The Legion unfolds, seeming to take only the briefest of moments to survey its surroundings before booking it towards a rocky outcropping as it sought out cover. [color=82ca9d]"All units, return fire! Push them back!"[/color] Barked the voice again, and immediately rounds were being traded between IMC and Militia forces.

Lucas cursed, raising his Monarch's rifle to fire at the Legion that had been making a run for it, rounds scoring a few glancing hits, but he was forced to duck aside as several other Militia titans quickly sighted in on his chassis, rounds rattling off of his shield until he recharges it by firing off a beam that sapped the energy from an opposing Ion. As good of a titan the Monarch was, it certainly painted one hell of a target of Lucas' back. 

Another Titanfall in the distance caught his attention, a little further away from the fighting. Lucas blinked as he watched the titan in question rise to its feet, and he quickly magnified in on it. At first it seemed like a heavily modified Stryder, but as the dust settled, Lucas could only be taken aback by the sight of it. [color=6ecff6]"Is that... a Madrys?"[/color] The Madrys was designed decades ago, and had never entered production phase. There was only one person known to pilot one... He twisted the corner of his mouth up into a snarl underneath his helmet. [color=6ecff6]"Fucking simulacrum, don't know when to just die..."[/color] he muttered. If that man had stayed in the ground the first time he'd been put down, he wouldn't be such a thorn in the IMC's side. Pilots were almost were universally acclaimed as the best of the best, but even among pilots, there were those that excelled and exceeded their peers. Aces among aces, and among them was a dead man named Fredrick Alms. He needed to go down, now.

[color=6ecff6]"Cover me!"[/color] He called out to his men, before pointing a finger towards the Madrys in the distance. [color=6ecff6]"I'm going after that one!"[/color] Without waiting for confirmation, he quickly breaks away from the fighting, looping around the skirmish as he makes a dash from cover to cover and heading as fast as he's able towards his target.