Iron Empire

Prologue: Righteousness' Sake

The Russians denied all responsibility for the attack, but it was all for naught. On March fifteenth, 2042, the United States declared war on Russia once more.

As the era of peace drew to a close, combat robotics quickly became a global commodity. Nobody had ever seen anything as advanced as the walking machine in Washington, and every country wanted one.

Trial after trial was unsuccessful. Despite having access to its broken remains, even the Americans were unable to recreate the walking machine. For a period of time there was an unsteady peace-the calm before the storm.

Enter Axion Industries. Full of bright smiles and declarations of patriotism, Axion announced allegiance to the American cause. The company partnered with the U.S Army, becoming a massive joint enterprise that manufactured robotics for the American cause.

It was only months later that Axion announced its breakthrough-the IRON chip. It was at that moment that the Washington walking machine became a thing of the past.

The Inter-neural Response Optimization Network was to combat robotics what the jet engine was to aviation. Tapping into the human cerebellum, the IRON chip did what no software could-flawlessly balance a bipedal robot. With Axion's IRON chip being sold exclusively to the United States, the first mechs were born.

Using Axion's technology to its advantage, the United States made good on their threats and seized the eastern border of Russia.

The first mechs-the tiny Regiment and the heavy Goliath-were each worth one hundred men in combat, faster than a tank and more powerful than an aircraft. Then came the Legion-a massive, hulking mech used as a mobile artillery platform.

As a war between America and Russia threatened the world once more, other countries had to make a choice. Seek justice on the side of the attackers, or intervene on behalf of the defenders? Who were the heroes of this conflict? Who was right?

That was when the design for the IRON chip was leaked to the rest of the world.

All at once, every country with the means had access to the same technology as the United States. The playing field was level, and the world began to choose sides.

The Russians began mass-producing mechs of their own-the daunting Monstro and Veles mechs were worthy foes to their Axion attackers.

At this point, many nations, such as Canada or Japan, secluded themselves off from the rest of the world, announcing their neutrality from the growing conflict. While the Japanese Self Defence Force mass-produced their own mech, the Sentinel, purely for border defence, Canada refused to build any weapons.

Many peoples of Southern Europe united with Germany to help defend their Russian allies. With aid from its neighbours, Germany began churning out mechs of its own-the speedy Lynx, bulky Grendel and the mighty Valkyrie.

Though traditional army, airforce and naval personnel were employed in many early skirmishes, they were phased out over time as mechs became cheaper and less dangerous to use in battle. When mechs were the only weapons left, the conflict that would come to be known as the Great Iron War truly began.

My father was Axion's head scientist. He designed countless weapons for the enemy, furthering the conflict. He died years ago, in Russia, during the first bloody battle of the war he helped start.

I don't hate him, because he didn't believe he was doing something wrong. He believed that what he was doing was righteous. In war, everyone believes they fight for righteousness' sake.

Ten years after the Washington Massacre, the battlefield has become a radically different place.

The Iron War has simmered on for as long as I can remember, flaring up every so often for a few weeks of brutal fighting before settling down to months, even years, of empty threats and espionage.

Thanks to a ludicrous defence contract, Axion Industries is now the dominant military force in America. Their control extends across most of the Americas, as well as half of Europe and one-fifth of Russia.

Britain and Korea both entered the war about a year ago, developing unique mechs and choosing their allegiances.

Like the knights of old, Britain's Crusader and Excalibur mechs carry shields and pack a massive punch. The British forces fight tentatively for the American cause, but defectors are common so it's usual to see a German or Russian-owned Excalibur fighting against the invasion.

Korea's Xiezhi mechs are world-class, feared on the battlefield for both their offensive prowess and defensive capabilities. Korea's forces appear rarely in battle unless the fight is getting too close to their soil.

Then there's the Exodus, a one-of-a-kind mech that fights on both sides of the war. Its first documented appearance was five years ago and its infamy is known worldwide. Some pilots believe the Exodus is a mercenary. Others say its pilot has gone mad. Nobody ever wants to encounter it in battle.

Lastly, both Canada and China have entered the war, pooling our knowledge in a secret partnership. China has been a powerful Canadian ally since its turn away from communism around 2023.

We've had a few successes in powerful mechs such as the shielded Barricade, while our Chinese allies have begun mass-producing the powerful Predator. None have been deployed in a battle, but their time will soon come.

I'm part of the Chinese-Canadian Alliance's infiltration unit, stealing old mechs to infiltrate enemy lines and destabilize the war effort. Every delayed weapons shipment, every failed enemy attack, all of it will be key in what the Alliance wishes to accomplish.

You see, as I mentioned before, where there is war there is profit, and nobody has profited more from the Iron War than Axion Industries.

Despite no longer being the sole manufacturer of the IRON chip, Axion still has near-absolute control over the military might of the United States. It is a small wonder that they continue to incite violence, manufacturing mech after mech to fuel the fires of war.

Without Axion and their IRON chip, the Iron War would never have gone on this long. As brutal as it sounds, our only hope for peace is their extinction.

So, there you have it. It's a lot to take in, but that's my mission. Destroy Axion Industries. Fix my father's mistakes. End the war once and for all.

My name is Jackson Quinn.

Welcome to the Iron War.