The officer of the Empire armored forces became famous in the battle for Velian. By the time of the battle for Teclius, he had scored 37 victories over walking tanks of the Protectorate and he was justly considered the most effective ace in the Empire. Taking into account his pilot talent and smell of powder, the Empire headquarters of armored forces appointed him the commander over the special unit, which tested new experimental machines and in particular – the prototype of the walking tank Super Locust equipped with new armament systems.

After the battle for Teclius, Hauptmann received the order for service in battle “For Rage in Fire” and became the commander of Lady Agatha’s personal division of walking tanks. He kept for himself his Super Locust-Prototype, which survived in the fire hell of two orbital bombing of Teclius. The famous military leader of the Protectorate declared Lester Harrington his personal enemy.

The Empire Directorate of Armament carried out field tests of a new 40-millimeter armor-piercing quick-firer. For this purpose, a standard Locust was re-armed: one of its heavy 76-millimeter cannons was replaced with the experimental cannon “Bamboo” and the machine was equipped with a new ballistic computer.

Lester Harrington, one of the most famous in the Empire pilots of walking tanks was the test-pilot. Harrington and the commission of the Empire Directorate of Armament gave the new automatic cannon the highest grade. The first models of new Super Locusts had already been prepared to continue the tests, but the works had to be stopped. Quite unexpectedly came the order – to raise a special shock detachment of the test-pilots, to arm them with the experimental machines and to deliver them urgently on Teclius.

The battle for Teclius was in full swing. The Empire units retreated in the mountains and to break the situation needed to capture several bases, which were situated in the cities controlled by the Protectorate forces. The Empire General Staff decided to send a detachment of the new experimental Super Locusts to Lady Agatha for help. The command over the special detachment was given to Hauptmann Lester Harrington.

The detachment boarded a speed troop-carrier. The Super Locust with “mixed weapons”, which Hauptmann had recently tested on the firing ground, was among other fighting machines too. The space jump and landing on Teclius went successfully – the captain of the carrier managed to avoid meeting with the Protectorate ships blockading the planet.

Their appearance on Tclius turned out an unpleasant surprise for the Protectorate troops. Harrington’s detachment was smashing the superior forces of the opponent bringing to Lady Agatha victories one after another. Hauptmann Harrington always was in the first ranks of the attackers. His detachment also took part in the assault of the largest supply base of the Protectorate troops. The units defending this base had just nothing to oppose to this party of elite pilots on the newest walking tanks. When the base was practically captured, Advisor Piriel being in charge of the defense called out for orbital fire support. The orbital bombing reduced to dust the captured buildings of the base and together with them the majority of the attackers. Only three machines, including the walking tank of Hauptmann Harrington, managed to get out of this absolute hell and retreat with Lady Agatha to the mountains.

In 12 days, while covering Lady Agatha’s retreat from the area got under the orbital blast of Ghost’s cruisers, Hauptmann Harrington engaged Advisor Piriel and knocked out her walking tank.

The armament of walking tank Super Locust-Prototype:

The coloration of Hauptmann Harrington’s fighting machine.

Hauptmann Harrington’s walking tank is distinguished by a vertical blue stripe, which symbolizes the ribbon of the order “For Rage in Fire”. On the blue stripe, there is the sign of Lady Agatha’s personal division of walking tanks – heart edged with a flash of explosion. On the casings of the leg gears, there are blue stripes with figures “1”.