August has grown accustomed to sudden attacks from autonomous incursor “mines”. Even though the war that commissioned these devices ended 35 years ago, they continue to attack, their automated factory evading detection and disarmament*.
Despite the real threat that these war machines pose, the Proxima Coast Guard stationed in the colony has grown adept at handling it with minimal casualties. When the factory creating the mines could not be found, Proxima first proposed a heavy naval presence to deal with the incursors. However, the colonists of August, traditionally pacifist and idealistic, felt this would make the war feel permanent and slow down the colony’s healing. Instead, the Coast Guard seemed a better candidate. A Coast Guard force had been stationed in the colony since its inception, tasked with a variety of law enforcement and military defense functions. The most common roles were trade stewardship (preventing piracy and smuggling), border enforcement, and preventing unauthorized settlements.
During the war, the Navy abandoned August for more strategically important worlds, but the Coast Guard never left. In fact, it was the Coast Guard’s modest fleet the prevented the colony from falling to the enemy during the siege.
Nowadays, the battle-tested Guard not only carries on its initial functions, but also employes a crew of highly mobile and adaptable special forces whose only function is to repel incursor mines. The First Picket Special Forces (commonly referred to as “The Picket”) is a small group of highly trained officers that are equipped with the finest technology available to the Proxima Alliance and trained to improvise against their ever-changing foe.
In the picture below are some of them.
Akrai (heron), Akilesh, Thoris (human, mod), Sarine, Coal, Damselfly (drover), Brin, Artemis, Apriva (minor kite), Hessness (major kite)
*The Aggregate surrendered but claims it does not have the means to find and disarm the factory
Free Drove 