Wrath of the Robo-Killers

It is a sound few want to hear: the creaking groan of joints and rusted cogs, combined with the devilish hiss of venting steam and the thunder of ground-juddering footfalls; not to mention the rumbling bark of an internal gearbox that, when churning up to speed, has the distinct ring of a menacing peal of mechanical laughter emanating from deep within a mullanium carapace.

    These are the heralds of an oncoming killer robot, and for those who hear these unearthly sounds, doom is sure to follow.

    The killer robots utilised as wrought-iron guardsmen on Crown dependencies of the British Empire are intrinsically linked to the innovation of the Industrial Revolution. However, the technology precedes England's efforts by some time; the so-called Heron Engine, or Devil of the Wind, was an ancient, powered steam engine used as a brazen fighting machine by the Horde of Damocles, and was later appropriated by the early Royal Navy as a Boiler Technician.

    In later years, the Mandurai Robotonists took time out from seeding bio-synthetic woodland on V'kanderplon IX to construct towering Revolutionary Kinetic Pummellers and Environmental Kinetic Walking Excavators for deforestation efforts. RK and EK units became a common sight on numerous agricultural worlds, and seemed to impact the number of environmentalists willing to chain themselves to any trees in the path of the robots' huge, grasping claws.

    Such designs have been co-opted by other parties; Yanglan the Mighty, also known as the Tiny Terror, corralled a killer robot to serve as her steed, and rode into the Battle of the Marjan Marshes atop her garishly-painted death machine. A theft from the storage facility on V'kanderplon IX led to the formation of Battle Machines fielded by the Vorgak Empire during their invasion of Vorgak 3. One of these lumbering war machines, referred to as the deadly Robo-Killer, gave the brave soldiers of the 51st Colonial a decisive pummelling, and even attempted to excavate a few unfortunate souls during the struggle.

    Not all killer robots live up to their names, however. Other units have their destructive capabilities capped, and serve as oversized, mechanical guard dogs on a variety of planets. The ranks of Yeomen Warders have even been bolstered by several killer robots, which guard British realms ranging from far colonies to the Palace of Westminster itself. Should any trespasser make their way into the shadowy undercroft, they might be faced with the blazing red eyes and gnashing teeth of a loyal killer robot, ready to dole out a solid whack on the head in the name of Queen Victoria.