HK Model 58 WARBOT

The Legion Sketchbook

Hailing from the Middle era of the Savage Wars, the HK-Model-58 is a seven foot tall, humanoid warbot designed for infantry operations against savage marines. Built to withstand the heavy augmented slug throwers of the time, the hyper-forged ceramics and nano-graphene outer shell belied the bot’s ability to maneuver to target and bring the heat. Arm mounted medium blasters, electronic warfare engagement suites and a host of add on weaponry filled out the attack compliment for each war machine.

While extremely useful against the savage incursions, the warbots suffered from a type of “coding psychosis,” the legionnaires of the time referred to as “berserking”. In situations of extreme close combat, the bots would lose their tracking algorithm on hostile targets and designate all targets within a free-fire zone as hostile. Warbots attacking legionnaires and enemy forces alike didn’t sit well with legion command, and entire lots of HK-58s were recalled for re-code.

Much later in the legion history, the HK-58s were recalled to active duty as co-pilots to fill the ever-growing void in the ranks of trained aviators. The number of trained pilots dwindled dangerously low during the Psydon Conflict, where feather heads working dust-off had a life expectancy of four flights.

To learn more about the HK-58, read the story Galaxy’s Edge Tin Man, in audio, and now in hard copy!