Arachnid

## Arachnid (Warrior Bug)

The **Warrior Bug** is the basic grunt of the Arachnid species. They were used on every front by the Arachnid species in all conflicts as the Warrior is able to be reproduced in much larger numbers than other Arachnids and as it is the only Arachnid to be the standard, general-purpose infantry, whilst the other types are more specialised.

One appeared in Lovethra: Queen of the Dimensions/Lovethra: Queen of the Dimensions: The Flower's Cut as an minor creature that obeys Hatemate and later on, Lovethra as Queen.

## Design

### Appearance

Warrior Bugs are quadrupedal Arachnids approximately two to three meters long and are colored to camouflage with their specific terrain, such as desert warriors which are tan with black and yellow stripes. The rearmost pairs of legs are much longer than the two front forelegs, and serve as the primary locomotion, the forelegs being 1/3 shorter. Warrior Bugs are quite agile and fast. They can both climb and burrow through many surfaces.

These bugs utilize a powerful pincer-like mandible that is capable of crushing rock, metal and severing limbs as a means of attack. The two upper forelegs or "side mandibles" are utilized in the manner of swords for attack as well as defense. It was thought to use these as 'hands' for grasping objects in the manner of a praying mantis. This is in fact not the case as a warrior has no dexterity with them and as such they are merely stabbing, slashing or eviscerating implements. They are devastating in this role as they reach out to well over a meter, 2 feet further than their forelegs or 3 feet further than its actual mandibles. It is said that they can "lose a limb and still fight with 86% efficiency", with the main method of killing them being to "aim for the nerve stem".[1] Also, it would seem that Warrior Bugs have very tough exo-skeletons, being able to take inordinate amounts of firepower before they finally succumb to their wounds. This plays a very tactical advantage since arachnids attack in very large numbers and, like in Whiskey Outpost, they can climb over the dead below. Losing arachnids is considered a minor problem since mobile infantry troops are HEAVILY outnumbered and the arachnids are, unlike humans, not afraid to attack the enemy even if they have powerful weapons, since their lack of pain and fear, as well as their huge quantity in numbers, plays an advantage in overrunning enemy positions.

Warriors are capable of surviving harsh environments, and even temporarily in the vacuum of space. This is used to the Arachnid's advantage where Warriors would use the vacuum of space to outflank unsuspecting Federation forces such as as during the Battle of Fort Casey. It is unclear if Warriors breath air and can hold their breaths for long periods, or if they survive through some other method.

## History

### Starship Trooper Film Universe

During the Battle of Klendathu, Warrior Bugs tended to charge enemy troops, utilising superior speed as well as sheer weight of numbers. This tactic proved effective in the First Bug War where the Federal Military had not fought a species such as the Arachnids before and employed terrible tactics on ground combat resulting in severe casualties to the Mobile Infantry. In Whiskey Outpost, the Warrior Bugs used other dead Warrior Bugs to form a ladder.

Eleven years on from the Klendathu System Campaign after the First Bug War had ended and the Second Bug War was in progress, United Citizen Federation equipment and tactics used against the Arachnids' Warrior Bugs had proven to be vastly more effective. This led the Warriors to develop battlefield tactics other than just mindlessly swarming towards the enemy in a large group. The Warrior Bugs around this time began picking off Federal soldiers and withdrawing out of the enemy line of fire to kill their victims. Another tactic used was for a sole Warrior when confronted with the enemy to let out a large roar to alert allies to the enemies presence and to bring in reinforcements to assault them. The Warrior can be used to clear minefields by using themselves to trigger the mines. The Warrior can also be sent out to play as a decoy to lure troopers to an ambush or to any form of pit fall traps and to areas of attack. They can even be used as scouts or patrols. Many variants of the Warrior Bug were used by the Queen during the Battle of Fort Casey, including a large red one, the "Super Tank" Bug, that spits a purple corrosive liquid against the troopers. Some shot plasma during the battle.

### Lovethra: Queen of the Dimensions/Lovethra: Queen of the Dimensions: The Flower's Cut

After Hatemate became Queen and summon different monsters all the globe, a Warrior Bug was summon in Sedona, Arizona, and hunts with its new pack. After Joe used the device to call the monsters to Boston, the Warrior Bug does not make it in time to see Lovethra kill Hatemate. It was the third to arrive and bow to Lovethra as Queen of the Dimensions. It later on return to its dimension.

## Abilities

### Raptorial Forelimbs

The Warrior Bugs has raptorial forelimbs and can rip humans apart with ease.