u/General_Kenobi18752

For reference: Protocols mean general states: think radio silence, et cetera. Operational Orders mean specific actions you must undertake, such as taking cover immediately. Offensive Orders and Defensive Orders are specific to the offense and defense, respectively. That said:

Protocol Authority: You are being affected by an audio hazard produced by the enemy. You are hearing things that do not exist, but radio is not compromised. Only coordinate via radio; personal communications are no good.

Defensive Order Van Fleet: The Artillery Commands have been given the order to “Van Fleet Load”. Constant bombardment is being leveraged against the enemy advance; remain in your fortifications to avoid shrapnel, and preferably don’t even look at what’s happening. Named after American General James Van Fleet, commander of the largest artillery bombardment in history at the Battle of Seville.

Protocol Black Bat: Speaking verbally may put yourself or your Allies at risk due to a Cognitohazard, enemy infiltration, or any other number of factors. Do not do so. Named after Black Bat from an ancient Human entertainment series.

Operational Order 227: The enemy is throwing everything they have at you, but retreat is untenable, whether due to something behind you being too important or retreat simply being too dangerous. Named after an order issued by Soviet High Command during the Second World War following disastrous defeats at Warsaw, Litovsk, and Kyiv.

Offensive Order David’s Sling: While on the offensive, enemy forces have brought down an enemy you will have no effect against, such as a Behemoth or Psionic Avatar. Remain close to heavy units, such as Armored Cavalry, Mechanized Cavalry, or Warforms at all times. Named after the mythological David, who slew Goliath with his sling.

Protocol Teller: The position has become untenable to the point where en masse nuclear bombardment is necessary to maintain it. Reach a safe space in an interior room of a building or bunker; if time allows, ensure your radiation protection layer is properly secured. If it isn’t, may god have mercy, and may the combat medics get you quick. If impossible, lay close to the ground and cover your eyes and ears as best you can. Do not return from this state until told otherwise. Named after Hungarian-American Physicist, creator of the Hydrogen Bomb.

Operational Order Hammond: Remain in your bunker or fortified position at all times. Biological warfare has proven necessary to defeat the enemy. Ensure your biological shielding is secure; if any mutagenetic materials are coming towards your line, exterminate it with extreme prejudice. Otherwise, do not focus on the screams. Named after John Hammond from an old human novel.

Protocol 8: You and everyone around you has been compromised by a cognitohazard, prion bioweapon, or similar; at this point, humanity need not apply. Artificial Intelligences assigned at the brigade level will maintain operational effectiveness of your exoskeleton until such a time you can be healed or put out of your misery.

Operational Order Samar: There is no saving you. Some way, you or your position have become inexorably compromised with no hope of salvaging. You are expected to fight to the last man; it is likely kinetic, nuclear, or biological weapons will be used against your position by friendly forces as you are overrun. Make your stand; humanity will remember your name. Named after the Battle off Samar from the Second World War.

The Austrickan Species were finely tuned during their evolution to have an innately strong sense of sound - especially compared to humans. This was due to their world being very far from their star, meaning it was mostly dark, and scent and hearing became the most important ways of tracking both threats and prey. However, when they got to the point they were in the stars, this became mostly vestigial compared to instruments.

Unfortunately, it was still a vulnerability.

Cue constant playlists of extremely old pop songs. Like, imagine the Allies were tormenting the Nazi Germans with Beethoven, type of old. Some new, too, but they just really wanted to degrade Austrickan Morale.

Constant. Never ending. Noise. The humans are vibing. Everyone else is suffering. How do you manage to jive in a trench, one may ask? Well, when you’ve got some good music on, nothing is impossible.

It generally stopped once they realized they were literally sometimes killing particularly sensitive Austrickans via rupturing of the eardrum and subsequent infection or bleed out. They’re… not that cruel.

But for a while there, Space Fascist Bugs were getting Noriega’d.