Creature:Hermicee/Assimilant

"If the information needed to manufacture these... monsters gets out to the rest of the Grox Empire, we're in for some trouble."

- Centapedus Empire

"What fools! Forcing evolution upon these idiots! The audacity that these pitiful creatures have to do this is infuriating!"

- Gigapedus Dominion

"Vastly improved intelligence and combat adaptability. This will surely be a powerful weapon on the field."

- The Grox Empire

Overview
Assimilant Hermicee are a faction of genetically cloned Hermicee infused with A-DNA. They are controlled by and are fanatically loyal to the Grox Empire, but were thus far only discovered to be used in a single subdivision of the Grox military, under the command of Superintendent Charr.

History
Assimilant Hermicee were only recorded to have been used during the events of Operation:MIDDLEMAN and have not seen use since. However, it is unknown if the data to recreate the biological weapons survived the operation or if they could be salvaged by the Grox.

Operation:MIDDLEMAN
Coming soon...

Biology
Assimilant Hermicee greatly resemble regular Hermicee and operate in a similar way. Physically, their main difference is a significantly darkened purple-textured exoskeleton, also covered in several light pink and teal bio-luminescent veins. They also completely lack the wings found in some Hermicee populations. These differences, however, are only found in the younger Drones, as more advanced and mature Assimilant Hermicee are far more sporadic in their mutations.

As a result of being cloned by the Grox and infused with A-DNA, Assimilant Drones appear to have significantly heightened intelligence, which appears to improve vastly as they mature. Physically, they also develop much thicker exo-skeletons and larger spines as they mature. Assimilant Hermicee have been observed to be using advanced weaponry beyond simple melee tools, something that is not as common amongst regular Hermicee. They have also been seen working as cohesive units, rather than overwhelming enemies with their extreme numbers.

Castes
Due to a combination of the unpolished and experimental nature of A-DNA, and the lack of significant samples from other castes of Hermicee, only basic Drones and their mature forms are commonly seen. However, a few others have been created, either through forced evolution caused by A-DNA, or by more accidental causes.

The most basic and common of the Assimilant Hermicee is the regular Drone. Physically, they don't seem to be much different, but they also have a slightly heightened intelligence, meaning they are more prone to using battlefield tactics rather than swarming enemies. They are also almost always carrying hand-held variants of standard-issue Plasma Pulsers into battle, unlike regular Hermicee which are more fond of melee weapons.

Much like their natural counterparts, Drones begin to grow and evolve into larger versions of themselves. Recreants, the Assimilant equivalent of Big Drones are far more dangerous than standard Hermicee. Physically, they have shed most of their original exo-skeletons and replaced them with a much harder, boney carapace. Recreant Hermicee also develop several small compound eyes, rather than the singular, large eyes of smaller Drones. This enhanced vision is also paired with a significant increase in intelligence, far beyond that of their younger selves. However, as an apparent flaw, Recreants move much slower and more deliberate than other Hermicee, even sometimes seen to be suffering from involuntary spastic movements. This drives Recreants in combat to often make use weapons and cover, rather than the brute strength that Big Drones normally prefer. If forced to, however, Recreants can make use of their larger musculature and bony exo-skeleton to fight hand-to-hand. Added to their already impressive combat prowess is their tendency to spontaneously mutate in a way similar to the The Darkspore. Some Recreants have been shown to use their own bodies to conduct electricity or produce liquid-nitrogen from mutated extremities. Only four types of mutations appear to have been recorded, with some overlapping with others. Recreants exo-skeletal arms can fall off, with large, muscular arms arms growing in place of these. These larger arms end in long tendrils that produce electricity, which can be used to send electrical discharges and groups of enemies, with devastating effect. Others sprout four very long, spider-like from their backs and use these to climb over any rough terrain as well as traverse land at a much faster speed than before. Some have been shown to grow scorpion-like tails from their abdomens, which are capable of shooting their stingers with surprising velocity at enemies, only to regenerate a new one within seconds. Among the most bizarre mutation is one that completely replaces it's head. A Recreant's head may simply "pop" and from it's neck grows a long, slender head that ends in a four mandibles and a freezing cold orifice that is capable of vomiting liquid nitrogen a certain distance, which can be destructive to anything it touches. These Recreants, however, lose their sense of sight and cannot speak, however. Meaning that they must rely on sound or the commands of others around them to fight, a significant disadvantage.

The last, and by far least refined, is the Assimilant Lazy. Assimilant Lazies are completely experimental, and very few have ever been witnessed. Unlike other Assimilant, Lazies still retain their rudimentary intelligence and trademark slowness. However, unlike regular Lazies, these lumbering brutes are several times larger, about the size of Strawberry Giant in most cases. From their back, they seem to have sprouted extra limbs, two large flower-like protrusions that fire bolts of volatile purple liquid. While it's right arm is relatively unchanged, it's left has been grotesquely mutated, becoming covered in very thick armoring, extremely long, and extensively muscular. This long arm is often used to smash any would-be attackers up-close, or jab at them with the large blade it often carries. Much like their Hermicee Legion equivelants, the Grox arm these monsters with large rocket launchers for maximum destruction. However, as a result of their unstable and unpredictable nature, Assimilant Lazies, when killed, often go out in a large, multi-phase explosion that can obliterate careless soldiers that may have killed it.