The Purge

While the first battle of Reflex Point had been a crushing victory for the Invid, it had also been something of a rude shock to them. The attack had revealed the existence of a large and well organised resistance force in North America, one that had been not only able to mount a large-scale attack, but that had also been aided by forces based on the moon. In the aftermath of the battle, the Invid took steps to rectify this mistake, leading to a bloody purge of not only resistance groups but other targets across the world.

In the year after the battle, the Invid massively stepped up activity in a number of ways. Patrols became far more common and aggressive as their numbers seemed to explode. While it is possible that this was simply a case of observer bias (more patrols mean that there had to be more Invid) it needs to be said that by this point the Invid had years of harvesting the Flowers of Life that had taken hold on Earth that had greatly increased their Protoculture reserve. This could have allowed them to activate more dormant Mecha to bolster their forces. Among those assets deployed was the rarely seen Abductor Mecha, which was apparently used to capture subjects for interrogation.

During this time, the Invid became more active in sparsely populated areas, including those with few Flowers of Life or even wastelands that were considered to be uninhabitable. Sightings of Invid over the Sahara desert, the Middle Eastern wastes, the artic and the like increased dramatically as they continued to search those places where resistance fighters might hide. In many cases, any human activity in the area was considered to be suspect and destroyed.

Furthermore, Invid interaction with their collaborator forces also increased. Collaborator governments at all levels from nations to towns were driven to greater effort at ferreting out resistance fighters, with the Invid usually taking a 'carrot and stick' approach to their allies. In many cases, communities that had been more lax in their approach became a lot harsher and more determined due to the fear of what might happen otherwise. It also needs to be said that many communities took this as an opportunity to rid themselves of 'undesirables' by turning them over to the Invid as resistance fighters.

The first major casualty of the purge was the remnants of the GMP. Having lost much of their strength at Reflex Point, the organisation had fallen back to their headquarters in the Rocky Mountains. However, the Invid had located that as well (likely through interrogation of prisoners) and destroyed it, killing those present. Within months, the organisation had been reduced to a handful of Mecha and a single Mobile HQ vehicle doing their best to evade capture.

At the same time, the Invid chose to deal with the remaining Tirolian and Zentraedi forces in North America that had survived their previous efforts. While most of those who were left were isolated and scattered, and few represented any real threat (most being reduced to isolated communities), the Invid hatred for them was strength enough to motivate them. To this end, the Invid deployed a mobile Hive known as the Red Moon, and used it to sweep the continent. With its Protoculture Sensors allowing it to detect the trace elements in Zentraedi and Tirolian clone blood, the Red Moon could survey a wide area and then deploy its forces to eliminate whatever targets it found. This allowed the Invid to not only destroy those Zentraedi and Tirolians it found, but also to locate and eliminate resistance groups. While the full numbers may never be known, it is believed that the Red Moon was responsible for the deaths of over eighty percent of the surviving Zentraedi in North America, and the destruction of at least half a dozen resistance groups alone.

Inevitably the Red Moon discovered the Splinters' base under the ruins of New Portland and targeted it for destruction. The Splinters launched a counter-attack that managed to fight its way through the Invid forces and into the heart of the Red Moon itself. A lone Alpha Veritech destroyed the hive's core, setting off a chain reaction that destroyed the entire hive. Following the destruction, the Splitners were able to mop up the remaining Invid forces. However, their victory had not only cost them men and equipment, but also meant that the Invid were well aware of their presence.

Invid activity ramped down by the end of 2039, but by that point they had apparently accomplished most of their goals. By all reports, outside of the Splinters and Valhalla, large-scale organised resistance had ceased worldwide. Major groups had either been destroyed, or fragmented and gone to ground, severely limiting their ability to act. The only exception was Point K; while it had sent much of its mecha force to Reflex Point, it had still remained active and even become a rallying point for survivors of the First Recapture Force. However, it also was isolated, with little ability to act against the Invid without drawing down their wrath. For the forces at Point K, the situation became a perpetual stand-off.

Even with the losses they had suffered, both in terms of raw numbers and the destruction of the Red Moon, the Invid had well and truly solidified their hold in the planet. Their numbers would only continue to increase as they continued to harvest Protoculture from the effectively limitless supplies of the Flower of Life that Earth offered them. The more frequent patrols that had become the norm during the purge would stay that way until the arrival of the Second Recapture Force in 2042.

Likewise, many of the collaborator communities across the planet grew in power. Those that succeeded were given more leeway to act by the Invid, allowing them to do what they wanted as long as they did not interfere in their business. Norristown in northern Brazil was one example of this process in action. Its success saw it become the effective capitol of the region, extending its power over other collaborator communities. By the early 2040s, the town boasted the highest standard of living in South America. Similarly, the Ethiopian Freeholds used their collaborator status to invade surrounding territories in the name of 'pacifying' them for the Invid.

Despite the losses they had suffered, the Splinters did survive the purge. Abandoning their now exposed base of operations, they headed inland and chose the ruins of Pinnacle Base as their new headquarters. Shortly afterwards, they absorbed what little was left of the GMP into their ranks, leaving them as the only large resistance group in North America. However, their efforts would largely be focused on relief, as well as the operation of the Lunar Railroad, and they would take little active part in the battles to come. However, Satori and Carpenter disagreed over the course the new group should take, with her publicly splitting from the Splinters. Instead, she would go underground and operate on her own for much of the rest of the occupation. While unconfirmed, there are claims that Satori was responsible for the deaths of several high-ranking collaborators such as Anton Kosmas.

The one exception to the purge was Valhalla (also known as Soldiertown) in Amazonas. Effectively ruled by Johnathan Wolfe, the town had become a magnet for resistance fighters across South America. The Invid made no overt moves against it, instead seemingly content to let it be while containing its influence with several hives and Protoculture Farms in the nearby area. However, the true reasons why it remained unharmed would not be known for many years to come.