Overview
The Defendrons are a faction of robots that disguise themselves as other pieces of technology (usually also mimicking the functions of that technology) as a form of stealth.
History
In the aftermath of the Takarran Great War, the red takarrans undertook a project to create superior robotics and artificial intelligence in order to defend their people in the face of the continued threat of the purple takarrans. Many types of battle and infiltration robots were prototyped, but the shape-shifting ability of the early Defendrons led to their deployment by the red takarran government.
The primary mission of the Defendrons was to be smuggled into purple takarran territory to operate behind enemy lines, and to slow or stop the enemy war machine in the event of another war. When the Takarran Apocalypse happened, however, the Defendrons could do little to defend their own people, as the purple takarrans had pursued the same strategy, deploying an overwhelming force of similarly camouflaged robots known as Cryptobots in red takarran territory. The red takarrans were decimated. The Defendron counter-attack was swift and devastating, but while the purple takarrans were crippled and brought low, they were not nearly as bad off as the reds.
For many years after the Takarran Apocalypse the Defendrons stayed in hiding in purple takarran territory, fighting the occasional skirmish, desperately trying to avoid detection as they were stuck in enemy territory without hope of reinforcement. A number of Defendrons escaped into the wilderness, meeting up with and protecting surviving bands of red takarrans.
Things changed with the first encounter between the Planetary League and the Takarrans (see: Exodus). The Cryptobots in formerly red takarran territory captured and reverse engineered a Planetary League scout ship, by which they learned for the first time in takarran history, how to create air- and space-craft. Because of this, the Cryptobots now had an immeasurable advantage. The remaining Defendrons were thus forced to flee and join forces with the Planetary League, when they showed up in force to aid and evacuate red takarran populations.
After the rescue mission for the red takarrans, many of the remaining Defendrons relocated with the bulk of the surviving red takarrans to the planet Paradise, where they acted as a security force. Another large contingent of Defendrons joined various agencies of the Planetary League as a form of gratitude. Many Defendrons joined the PLAS, the PLIN the PLAAA, and the DAJ. A few even joined the Tardigrades. A contingent of these went along, (accompanied by a bitter sense of irony), with the Planetary League forces later, on a rescue mission for purple takarran civilians after the Cryptobots turned on their creators.
Many Defendrons also fought on the side of the Planetary League during the Second Robot War, which resulted from General Zarlok allying with the Cryptobots.
The Accelerons
The Accelerons are a faction of Defendrons dedicated to speed. They take the forms of the fastest vehicles, and many spend considerable effort and resources trying to get the most powerful engines and most aerodynamic forms possible. They are the first to respond in the event of an emergency, and are often employed as messengers and couriers when time is of the essence.
The Gaurdian’s Cadre
The Guardian’s Cadre is an elite unit of Defendrons who defend the Guardian, the leader of the Ki’Tak armed forces, and by extention, the Defendrons. At the time of first contact with the Planetary League, the only remaining Defendrons were seven members of the Guardian’s Cadre.
The Sacred Anvil
The sacred anvil are a subset of Defendrons dedicated to science and engineering.
The primary emblem of the Defendrons is a simple six-sided shield. It is the symbol they are marked with on construction. Various subgroups ornament this design in a number of ways. Those who don’t specialize and alter their initial markings tend to be the toughest, most stalwart, and most heavily armored of the Defendrons.
