No Home for Christmas

It would not be a peaceful Christmas for anyone. After analyzing the ethereal device, the eggheads came up with an idea about a chamber, much like the overseer UFO had. Someone, with strong enough will and specific psi powers would need to communicate through the ethereal device to the mothership if XCOM was to get even within hailing distance. That was the best - and only - plan we had while aliens kept on terrorizing India, shooting military research craft down in Russia and scouting Canada, again.

Hyperwave relay surely gave us the upper hand as we could plan the assaulting squad according to the opposition, but any of that did not help removing the mothership from the southern Atlantic coast of Brazil. Soldiers were tested in the psi labs in turns and to great disappointment no Harmony Lad, Snake Catcher or Branca had the gift of 44.

From the downed UFO in Canada, the squad even carried back a captured ethereal. To no avail. This robed, helmet-wearing mysterious entity gave us nothing new at all and frustrating was growing high. Gollop Chamber was ready to be used, but nobody dared to put 44 in there as long as even single projections to fry opponents' minds into meaningless pulp meant he would have bloodshot eyes and his nose bleeding for days afterwards.

Saw the Strongest Will Bending

Back at the base, while the device from the overseer ship's bridge was taken to the lab, the hyperwave relay went ballistic. Entire fourth level was shaking and small rocks were falling from the ceiling.

[HYPERWAVE RELAY ROOM TRANSCRIPTION]

Chief Engineer: Shut it down, now! The structure is not holding and we are going to bury ourselves here!

Dr. Vahlen: NO! This will not be shut down.

*gun safety click*

Hipster: I think it's best yo--

Dr. Vahlen: *glares at Hipster* ABSOLUTELY NO! This thing will be shut down over my de--look! It's settling!

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]


For the first time, Dr. Vahlen was adamant about her decisions and almost in a rage comparable to a lion mother protecting her cubs, she rejected all attempts to shut the relay down. Suddenly, the relay calmed down, readings went back to normal as if nothing had happened. Then came the earthquake. The earth was trembling somewhere deep inside, from no particular direction at all.

[MISSION CONTROL TRANSCRIPTION]

XCOM Central: I think it's best you get up here to come and see.

Dr. Vahlen: On our way.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

On the geosphere, something had appeared. An UFO almost the size of Europe was floating above the east coast of Brazil. It could not have always been there as it would have been impossible to miss. There it was, sending pulses on the hemisphere around it, and that had to be the source of the earthquake felt in the base. Ten thousand miles away.

[MISSION CONTROL TRANSCRIPTION]

Branca: What the hell is that?

Dr. Vahlen: It must be the mothership, it would not make any sense otherwise.

Chief Engineer: There is no way we can approach that with anything, not even a Firestorm. If anyone got any good ideas how to deal with that, now would be the time.

*long silence*

On-board PA System: Psi lab cycle complete.

Dr. Vahlen: Let's go!

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

At the psi lab, the pods had started their cooldown sequence. First soldiers to drop to the floor were Ironside and Helldorado. They were alive, but exhausted beyond point of staying conscious. Last, 44 fell on his knees and held steady. Harmony Lad felt like he did not know his sniper partner any more, 44 seemed so...alien. Then 44 lifted his head and stared at the spectating crew. His eyes were emanating slight bluish hue.

[PSI LAB TRANSCRIPTION]

44: I feel...like...different. I can see you all so clear...don't worry, Harmony Lad or others.

Harmony Lad: Holy shit!

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

Ethereal Business

Large abductor class UFO got shot down in USA. Firestorm shot it twice and it almost split in half. There was not much to see at the crash site. Harmony Lad got well deserved rest after a long year and Snake Catcher stood up for him. Hipster's new toy - some kind of a blaster cannon - was field tested. It seemed to turn mutons into pulp at will.

Abductor ship was cleared much in the style of standard house hoovering. Nobody even broke sweat and as the squad returned home, psi lab got ready. A cold, steel chamber housing a few human-sized, sealable pods was waiting for the first guinea pigs. What if the devices did not work as expected? Or if they deep-fried and cooked the brain of those who decide or are nominated to take the hits for humanity? First three was chosen: Ironside, 44 and Helldorado went in and hopes were that they would also come out - alive.

Hyperwave relay got ready as well. It started whirring and slowly rotating around, as it was skanning the skies for answers who the sectoid commanders talk to. First thing it found was an UFO that had roamed the skies apparently for a long time already, but no satellites had been able to detect it. Designated as overseer, Firestorm was sent again to shoot it down. It delivered, and this manifestation of air superiority found always new ways to surprise us. Overseer fell like a rock from the sky, and hyperwave relay also revealed both the UFO's objective being something related to "final preparations" and the saucer's resident crew. Muton elites, sectopod, drones, heavy floaters and something that was called "ethereal". Perhaps that meant the sectoid commanders' overseer?

Overseer UFO was not particularly big, nor were its standard defenders particularly dangerous. Harmony Lad's vacation was over and he went back to work shooting different kinds of aliens on the familiar pace, that was largely restricted by his weapon's cycle rate. Approaching the bridge, the squad fell silent and seemed to go again into the well-oiled-machine state. Broden opened the door, and beyond was two muton elites and something tall wearing a grey helmet and red robes, as if it had escaped from planet Nirn. There was an ominous, depressing feeling in the air and it was clear, that anything looking like that could not rely on physical force. Broden and Hipster took care of the muton elites while Megawatt shot plasma at the ethereal. As the plasma seared the ethereal - it was impossible to tell whether the hit had any effect on it or not - Megawatt felt a stinging and devastating headache cut her consciousness like a knife.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Megawatt: Aaaagh! It hurts!

Branca: We need to finish it, hide your arc throwers.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

Branca ran up to the ethereal and shot it twice, point-blank. The robes flushed and all substance seemed to disappear from the inside. A charred and mangled alien body remained and Branca kicked it to check it does not have any tricks up the sleeve. It did not. Now the squad could also concentrate on the big, glowing orb in the middle of the bridge. It had to have a meaning, so it was bagged in as well.

Communicating...With Whom?

Ironside was correct, the sectoid commander was just another pawn. The communication construct from its base was immediately put into research and it was just a matter of time, until XCOM could build something beneficial based on it.

Sectoid commander itself was first interrogated and then dissected. It turned out, that its mind controlling powers could be somewhat replicated and a specific facility could be built to try to find out if any of the soldiers carried the same talent.

[LABORATORY COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Ironside: That guy looks particularly angry.

Dr. Vahlen: It is largely containing its rage within while unable to project its mind control powers anywhere from that tank. It won't be long until it fries itself in this state.

Broden: Good. That thing gives me shivers. I now have a vague idea of how victims of unauthorized intimate co-operation must feel. Sorry, Megawatt.

Megawatt: It's ok, I trust you were not yourself. Good thing is that now I've got a permanent weather station in my right elbow.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

In the meantime, XCOM was kept busy. Aliens were abduction people in Japan and Firestorm shot down a large supply barge somewhere in the States. Both missions were intense, but on the easy side to the experienced squad, and therefore an excellent chance for the less experienced soldiers to amass valuable field miles, and promotions were in place for Branca, Goose and Snake Catcher before the November report arrived. Research laboratory and engineers' workshop produced many great improvements to the weapons by upgrading existing pistols and replacing the rocket launcher with a fusion blaster. Now it was just waiting game to get both the psionic lab and the hyperwave communication station ready for operation.

A Late Welcome, Part 2

Megawatt rushed to Harmony Lad. He was still breathing, brokenly and shallow, badly burned but alive. Megawatt reached for her medikit and injected everything she could figure out into Harmony Lad to kill out the pain, and to greater amazement, the human wreck recovered.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Harmony Lad: Whoa...I see colours. What did you stick into me?

Megawatt: Things that are considered illegal in many countries. I...I seriously thought...

Broden: I can't believe you are alive after that.

Harmony Lad: A part of me died, though. Let's go, it's payback time.

Ironside: I need that same shit he got.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

Broden advanced down the ramp and took cover behind a structure some ten meters ahead. More visitors, two chryssalids this time. The lightning-fast skitterers were all of a sudden all over him, but alloy gun and Megawatt took care of them. Hipster and Ironside were advancing down on the left ramp and climbing on the left rise, when the buzz of drones caught them. Drones would have been okay, but there was also a sectopod lurking in the far corner. It came alive and started immediately seeking for targets. 44 and Hipster shot down the drones and all three hit the deck on the slope between the hangar and left rise. An immense wave of heat went through Ironside, past him and towards Hipster, who felt like being cooked alive in a tin.

In the meantime, Harmony Lad and Megawatt had reached the top of the right rise. Broden was posting guard on the floor, behind a structure that looked like a rack for some kind of containers. He didn't want to think they would have been for human body parts, but he couldn't avoid that thought either. Harmony Lad was actually in a position to shoot at the robot, and he did. He hit it, but it did not seem to even notice the hit. Instead, it decided to blast towards Broden. Broden got hit by something and in obvious pain, he grimaced and kept his post.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Megawatt: Moving forward on the right rise to flank the machine...

Harmony Lad: Watching over you.

Megawatt: Oh crap FALL BACK FALL THE FUCK BACK

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

From the far end of the hangar, mutons rushed forward. A berserker made immediate turn to the rise Megawatt was on and it was followed by a muton. Four other mutons - two of which looked like elites - took covers at the center pedestal at the far end, similar to the one the squad came through and all of a sudden it looked like 5 vs. 2 on the right rise and sectopod vs. all on the open ground. Harmony Lad got one muton in his sights and whizzed a plasma bolt past the head of Megawatt, who was running for her life in trying to retreat from the group of mutons. The bolt hit bullseye and one muton fell to the ground. Still, three remaining and a mad berserker trailing Megawatt. Hawkeyed 44 was already getting the berserker in his sights from far, far back. Hipster got a narrow opening to take a shot at the sectopod and he did not release the trigger until the robot was reduced to a molten pile of scrap metal. At the same time, 44 slammed two shots in the face of the berserker, who left Megawatt alone and roared down the middle ramp towards 44, who was much too far to reach. That was too much for its blind rage to comprehend, and slave to its nature, it ran past Broden, who stopped the behemoth right on the spot. At the sudden turn of the events, after Harmony Lad had finished yet another muton, the remaining forces retreated for the short while they had left on the clock.

After the furious encounter, also Broden needed patching up. The squad appeared the exit door at the end of the central ledge and managed through. Two drones proved no resistance, but this hall was too high and vast to fully comprehend. Huge ramps rose to the heights on both sides, and the team split up, starting their careful advance towards the top platform. There was definitely an eerie feeling in the air. On top of the platform, Broden was the first to notice a shimmering object in the middle of the floor.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Broden: Looks like a futuristic film projector of a kind...wonder what their adult entertainment would be like?

Megawatt: How appropriate and not so surprising first thought...

Ironside: Don't get me started.

Broden: Approaching the far side cover...

Ironside: Careful!

Broden: It...feels...so safe in here...

Ironside: ...?

Broden: Must...resist.....kill them all!

*reloading sound for an alloy cannon*

Megawatt: RUN! DOWN FROM THE PLATFORM! GO!

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

Megawatt was closest to Broden and noticed that he got all of a sudden a strange glow in his eyes. He was grinning kind of in a way plastic dolls do while he reloaded his alloy cannon and turned on the other squad members. The squad was already scattering around like rats and Megawatt was quick to follow, anywhere out of sight for Broden. Snipers took the far reaches on the sides, behind platforms and stayed put and the others scattered between, in the far corners, behind covers, in the shadows. Ironside caught something from the corner of his eye. A figure was moving on an elevated platform further ahead, and he decided to drop down to the lowest platform, hoping to be able to hide against it, below line of sight for the main room. He waited.

Megawatt rushed to the near end of the same bottom platform Ironside was on and saw also the figure on the elevated platform ahead. She fired the figure once before ducking for cover and noticed that she'd hit it, but it did not die. For much more immediate situation, Broden was rushing after the squad with an alloy gun in his hands and instinctively, 44 took a shot at him as he trotted across the slope.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Ironside: Cease fire, cease fire, I got an idea!

44: He's under some kind of control, I'm not taking any of that alloy gun if I get to choose.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

44 glanced Broden in the shoulder, and it did not leave much of a mark on his titan armor. Broden dropped far down, next to Megawatt and stuck the alloy gun barrel on her face. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, and Megawatt was covered in alien metal. The platform became decorated by Megawatt and that's when Ironside decided to move.

Ironside had caught a glimpse of the figure and had thought to wait, but now waiting was no longer an option. He rushed up the slope onto the floor and almost bumped into a sectoid-like creature crouching by a wall, apparently being concentrated on something else. It looked also heavily wounded.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Ironside: This has to be the commander the eggheads talked about. I'm gonna stun him.

Hipster: Whatever it is, do it fast!

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

The arc thrower had been recently improved by the engineers, but contemplating whether it worked better for the squad was useless at this point. There was only one option, Ironside thought as he pulled the trigger. The familiar arc of electricity springed from the device and the sectoid - apparently some kind of a commander sectoid - fell down unconscious.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Broden: Huh...what...what has happened? Where am I?

44: You idiot shot Megawatt in the face. Miraculously enough, she seems to be still alive.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

Against all odds, the whole squad had made it alive through the alien base, with the base commander and its extremely intricate communication device in a gift wrap. On the way back, as the Skyranger took off to the sky to take the battered squad back to the XCOM base, Ironside got the feeling that this was not the end, but actually just a beginning.

A Late Welcome

Early morning sky in far-eastern reaches of Russian wilderness lit up by the glare of the Skyranger engines as XCOM finally decided to pay a visit to the alien base. Not really knowing what to expect, the only objectives were to wipe out the place and try to capture the headmaster of the locale. Both Ironside and Broden had been equipped with the arc throwers for a while now, so nothing was different for them. Assaulting in the front wave proved a solid opportunity for trying to capture aliens alive. Harmony Lad was accompanied by 44, heavy weapons were provided by Hipster and Megawatt acted as the scout and the medic.

[SKYRANGER CABIN TRANSCRIPTION]

XCOM Central: Now, gentlemen, I'm absolutely positive that you can carry out the first task and leave no stone atop another, but I can't stress enough the importance of capturing the base commander alive.

Ironside: The way we have our asses kicked around lately, I can't guarantee anything.

Dr. Vahlen: We need him...I mean, it, alive.

Hipster: More toys, huh?

Harmony Lad: Abacus-wielders must be out of their minds, but let's give it a shot. I mean, not shoot it at least right off the bat.

Ironside: Sure. We're approaching, rappels ready. It's going to be a hot drop.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

The squad rappeled down on what could be considered as some kind of a yard. An other-worldly construct, artificial yard made of alien alloys, decorated with abduction tanks that very visibly contained human specimen inside. Ironside decided to block any deeper thoughts about this facility to stop his head spinning. Things had been mindboggling enough already for a while.

The squad chose the right entrance and took positions. Broden opened the door silently, but that was the last silent moment of the arrival as beyond the doorway there was two heavy floaters waiting. Nobody could get a decent shot, so everyone simply ducked their heads under the incoming heavy plasma fire. The heavy floaters were as bright as their lighter brethen and popped their heads on the doorway. Broden and Ironside popped their heads off and the squad advanced inside. Broden took the point and approached the end of the entry corridor that was housing a bigger door. Far left - the entrance yard seemed to be symmetrical and lead also to symmetrical corridors - something stirred from the shadows. It was the familiar humming of cyberdisc and its drones and the squad responded instantly. Megawatt took position on the middle platform, Harmony Lad stayed back on the outside yard for picking up stray targets and 44 took off with Hipster back through the yard to the left entrance in an attempt to flank the cyberdisc before it could wreak all the havoc it is capable of. The other drone shot at Broden and his titan armor did its share of work. The bolt did not penetrate the armor, but it was still strong enough to send Broden reeling. Megawatt picked that drone up from her post and Harmony Lad waited until the other one strayed directly into his line of fire.

Counting to three, Hipster opened the left door and stay put with 44. The cyberdisc did exactly what he expected: gained altitude tofly across the gap and assault the group on the right corridor. Mistake. Hipster hit the cyberdisc square on and right after, 44 cut it in half with a shot even Harmony Lad could call art. The disk crashed on the floor and exploded, sending alien terminals, displays and other hardware flying around. Beyond, two lighter floaters were hovering in the far corner, but they were quickly destroyed.

The squad stayed split up and took both doors at once. Some crumbling noise could be heard from ahead, but beynd the doors there was only a wide ledge that seemed to merge into a central ledge, protruding some five meters above a huge hangar-like hall. To Ironside's disgust, it was filled with some kind of surgical vats, that were occupied by humans. Or in some cases, what was remaining of a human. Apparently aliens were making all kinds of experiments with the abductees, but these thoughts came to a sudden stop as roaring filled the hall. From the right rise, two muton elites appeared and started shooting at the team. Harmony Lad took cover behind railing, which became instantly pulverized by the mutons. 44 destroyed the other muton elite far from the left side. He was becoming really good at this.

The remaining muton elite rushed down the slope, into the slope leading to the central ledge. It could not see the team, and it waited. It has sawn a glimpse of a sniper on the right and it had learned that snipers are the most dangerous humans. It waited for a bit longer and as there was no movement, it made a decision. It rushed up the ledge, with the idea of a dead sniper burning on its mind like a beacon. It felt devastating blow on its right side, but it had no time to wonder what it was. It felt it was bleeding inside out, but the thought was brushed aside as he saw the sniper crouching where the cover had been a few secons ago. It fired, and the sniper was engulfed in green plasma, searing his armor completely and taking him down. It felt victory for one second before everything went black.

Broden waited behind a wall on the corner of the central ledge. He heard the muton rumble up the slope, rose up and blasted it with his alloy cannon. It had a devastating effect and any human would have been reduced to a pulp. Not this muton. The muton elite seemed completely oblivious to anything else but Harmony Lad it seemed locked on to.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Broden: Harmony Lad, look out!

*plasma firing point blank*

Harmony Lad: Ye--*static*

Megawatt: No!

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

Broden unloaded another volley of alien metal shreds into the muton elite and the impact threw it a couple of meters forward, where it fell down.

END OF PART 1

Bigger Things

Firestorm proved its worth once again. Solid funding from the Council allowed us to equip the already-powerful Firestorm with more and more crazy armament and proof of its worth came into realization as soon as it took off to chase what was the biggest UFO seen on the sky yet. The supply ship looked like a small dog's home comparing to it. Two or three shots from the fusion lance and the UFO went down in USA. Swift and hard, plowing acres and acres of forest in its wake, finally grinding to a halt. The alien craft was so big that Skyranger had to land on a platform on top of it to drop the squad in.

Inside, the squad operated swiftly and efficiently on the corridors. Not really knowing which way to go for the jackpot, they chose to start the sweep from the left side. Not too far in the first two groups of mutons appeared. The squad was so airtight that the mutons decided to fall back after getting almost completely decimated in a matter of few seconds. The falling back mutons were chased down, but this brought chryssalids and muton elites on the scene. 44 had accustomed himself to Harmony Lad's and squad's ways of working so amazingly well, that even this committee of hostility got dismantled as soon as it emerged. Working tandem from top of watchtowers did not leave the aliens any changes. Not even the dreaded sectopod, that rumbled on through a corridor, trailing a handful of chryssalids. Chryssalids ran directly into Broden's alloy gun as he kept on pumping alien metal in return mail as fast as he could and the sectopod met its end in the crossfire of Harmony Lad's plasma sniper rifle and Ironbay's alloy gun.

The ship was huge, but that actually worked on the benefit of the team as the snipers could see everywhere, picking off majority of the aliens that were trying to offer resistance. After September's disasters, this seemed like a whole different ballpark for what it came into the squad's effectiveness. All of a sudden, things started to look up, once again.

Not even aliens launching terror in Cordoba, Argentina, a berserker punching Hipster's gut in or the accompanying cyberdisc distracted the squad even in the slightest. Hipster surely needed a new titan armour, but survived with seven broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Midnight abduction shop in Tokyo was closed down with the aid of another new recruit - Tommi "Goose" Hourula - who quickly became a support stunt for Megawatt. Another mission saw also a reinforcement from to join the ranks from a mission in Mexico: support specialist Petri "Helldorado" Paananen.

October rolled on and the Council report was again favourable. Now it was definitely time to roll for the next big step - the alien base deep in Siberian ground in Russia.

Accumulated stats over eight and a half months of campaigning would look like following:

Col. Michael "Ironside" Ironbay (assault) - ORIGINAL 4 - 55 kills
Col. Artturi "Harmony Lad" Kyrömies (sniper) - 81 kills
Col. Pontus "Broden" Svensson (assault) - 41 kills
Col. Martin "Hipster" Bedard (heavy) - 32 kills
Col. Meghan "Megawatt" Watt (support) - 17 kills
Col. Jason "44" Black (sniper) - 15 kills
Cpt. Chris "Snake Catcher" Cockburn (sniper) - 11 kills
Cpt. Petri "Helldorado" Paananen (support) - 0 kills - no field action yet
Sgt. Ellen "Branca" Williams (assault) - 5 kills
Sgt. Tommi "Goose" Hourula (support) - 3 kills

Sq. Marlon "Mad Marl" Wihlborg (sniper) - 3 missions - 1 kill - ORIGINAL 4 - KIA on Mar 15, 2015
Maj. Sébastien "Proxy" Pacetti (heavy) - 15 missions - 25 kills - ORIGINAL LEADER - KIA on Jun 5
Col. Frédéric "Sureshot" St.Laurent (support) - 23 missions - 26 kills - ORIGINAL 4 - KIA on Aug 18
Cpt. Talia "El Fenrir" Poulos-Åström (heavy) - 9 missions - 9 kills - KIA on Sep 6
Cpl. Hilda "Hildifer" Lidén (assault) - 4 missions - 3 kills - KIA on Sep 22

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Or sooner. The whole September had been one constant bad dream. Soldiers had been lost again and missions seemed to roll on like a slow moving train, a neverending death scene in a horror movie. Russia reported about a surveillance outpost that had been infiltrated by the aliens. Not very close to their base in Siberia, but Harmony Lad knew this region fairly well. It was close to his home country Finland, after all.

The site itself was easily swept and dispatched of thin men and other infiltrators. A group of scientists offered their permanent help to XCOM as a token of gratitude for saving them and that also marked the end of September. Alien invasion had been ongoing now for 7 months and whereas the situation with the council countries had been stabilized, actions needed to be taken to drive the aliens off from our home. That would still have to wait for a while more. Perhaps a month.

Yet Another Light Dims

Soon it was time for more regular missions. Megawatt got back from the infirmary and Firestorm got another UFO downed in Canada. Squad was sent to mop up the scene and routinely they did exactly that. Firestorm is such a beautiful craft that it can keep up with the enemies much better and its armament is superior to anything we've seen on conventional aircrafts. Researching and reverse engineering alien technology certainly had its benefits on the sky. After Canada, people from Mumbai called. Aliens were abduction people nearby gas station and the team was sent to investigate. What started as a standard abduction mission ended up as something completely different.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Ironside: Approaching the gas station in the middle, watch the flanks.

Megawatt: I can see movement inside, it's three mutons and a berserker!

Ironside: Posting by a gas pump, hope they don't decide to shoot anywhere near...can you get a shot from the top 44?

44: Negative, I'm pinned down by suppressive fire and this whole structure is falling apart.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

The berserker raged on on the gas station yard like maddened bull. It tried to reach for everyone at once, but the squad's relentless crossfire tore into its thick armor and skin and shredded it into an unidentifiable hulk. Still, it rushed dangerously close to Ironside, only to meet the wonders of a new technology that the eggheads called "alloy gun". Technically, it was a shotgun, but it fired alien metal shrapnel at outrageous speeds, rending anything less than a tank. Including berserker - it fell down at Ironside's feet with a loud thump.

Then something else stirred in the back section of the gas station. A pair of heavier-looking floaters emerged and took position from the back alley. They proved also a lot better shooters than anything the squad had met this far as Hildifer was taking cover behind a car far in the front and still she fell in an instant to a direct hit. She did not even see where the shot came from and Megawatt, seeing all that from close range, was close to inspect the wounds.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Megawatt: Checking Hildifer, that did not certainly look good.

Hildifer: *groaning*

Ironside: Can anyone have a shot at that bastard?

44: Negative, it moves too fast. Megawatt, what's the status with Hildifer?

Megawatt: She seems to be reviving, I'm taking cover and checking the bogey.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

Hildifer came back to her senses, eyes blurry and everything was seen in various hues of red. Instinctively, she took cover behind the car, reloaded her weapon and everything went black again. The heavy floater had struck her again and this time there was not much to revive as half of her head simply disappeared. Megawatt caught the wounded heavy floater with a solid hit and that marked the end of the abductions in India for now, but still the aliens had managed to sow destruction among the XCOM ranks, much to Central's dismay. Technological advancements had still proved nothing on the survivability front.

Final Scepter?

USA was in deep trouble. They were in trouble before, but this was something way bigger than seen before; eyewitnesses described it as if a huge apartment block had landed from the sky. This called for A-Team.

[SKYRANGER CABIN TRANSCRIPTION]

Broden: I have a very bad feeling about this.

Hipster: Hey, who's the new guy?

Harmony Lad: They thought two snipers would make sense on this so Black is tagging along.

44: Does "tagging along" mean a vote of confidence?

El Fenrir: Does "they" mean a vote of confidence?

Ironside: Come on now, back to business. Intel says it's like an apartment block that fell from the sky so expect anything.

Hipster: Explosives are no-go, then, if it's not shot down? Council puppeteers want new toys...

Ironside: We'll see how it goes.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

Indeed. The landed UFO was big. Really big. Skyranger dropped the squad nearby what the pilot expected to be the loading bay. He was right; the loading ramp was down and from this close this looked like a huge cargo ship of a kind. A supply ship for what? Aliens seemed to be strengthening their invasion for real and nobody had any idea what to expect inside. All other doors and walls were sealed as the team touched down in the woods.

The team spread out quickly and it took whole three seconds for the first chryssalids to appear. They rushed through the doors high on the side, straight into the murderous crossfire and that encounter ended as soon as it started. Harmony Lad was suspecting more visitors straight off so he took off to the sky in his archangel suit and landed on top of the ship. From the rooftop he had perfect 180-degree view as Hipster took post on the mid corner and the rest of the team went in the ship. A group of floaters and mutons appeared as soon as Ironside approached the side door and it felt like the ship was swarming with extraterrestrial life. Mutons and floaters got dealt with equally fast and the team of four advanced inside.

Hipster had a terrible post by the mid corner. He was hugging the deep corner as tight as possible and trying to make himself as small as a human being in a titan armor can. He heard terrible grunting and stomping nearby, but he held his ground. The noise grew louder and got nearer, and then he heard the familiar sound of a plasma sniper rifle gaining momentum. Just as the silhouette emerged around the corner, it was met by a bright green flash and disintegrated in a blink of an eye and Hipster knew it's Harmony Lad who's gone to work from his rooftop post. The pair of mutons met their end practically on the same spot.

Inside the huge hangar, El Fenrir and 44 supported the assault duo of Ironside and Svensson. Methodically moving from corner to corner, wall to wall and section to section, the hangar side proved clear of any further resistance. There was a door leading to another part of the ship and stayed behind to have a bead at anything that moved beyond. Ironside and Broden manned the upper platform, while Harmony Lad made his way on the roof towards the same edge. All of a sudden three heavier-looking muton soldiers emerged from a corridor ahead and threw a few shots at the doorway. 44 took a direct hit from seemingly heavy plasma rifle, but his armor held. Assault duo hurried around corners to seek opportunity for crossfire. El Fenrir missed with her heavy plasma gun and 44 took another direct hit. This time his armor cracked and he fell to his knees behind the rail.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPT]

44: I'm taking heavy fire, cover me!

Harmony Lad: Can't get a shot from here, how's El Fenrir?

El Fenrir: Trying to flank them around.

[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]

44 managed to down one muton elite and other two decided to retreat to the same side El Fenrir was heading to. Suddenly, the muton elite decided to drop off the platform into the ground and it was El Fenrir who became flanked. The muton elite roared, brandished its heavy plasma rifle at El Fenrir and let go. El Fenrir's armor was reduced to a sticky fluid in an instant and she fell down in a smoking and bleeding heap. Hipster nailed the muton elite from his post, but the damage was already done.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPT]

El Fenrir: Hheeelllp mm--

Ironside: Medic, we need a medic!

44: I can't really move, I can't feel my legs or anything and I hear noises ahead. Try to cover me, I try to get up and going. Is she bad?

Ironside: I'd elaborate with something like well done...move it Black, double time!

[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]

44 tried to stand up, but immense bolt of pain sent him back to the floor. He was deemed to keep an eye on the corridor ahead of him while El Fenrir was bleeding to death. Ironside and Broden advanced along the rails on both sides of the apparent cargo section, that was constructed from six big compartments. Waving at each other at each end the last pair proved the source for the noise. Broden stumbled on the slope directly in the middle of something totally unexpected. Two flying drone-like robots were patrolling around the compartment and the corridor was guarded by the last of those muton elites, but majority of Broden's visibility was blocked by the biggest robot he had ever seen. It seemed to move on two legs, have missile launchers and Broden reacted in an instant. He unloaded at it with his scatter laser twice, but the result seemed to be far cry from the usual. Laser beam clusters cut into the metal, but it was too thick to break. Then it responded by shooting something from its chest. Ironside could see the red glare to the far side of the platform and Broden was engulfed in fire and death. His armor dissolved and should that still have been the old carapace model, that would have been the end of Broden. Titan armor is made of something else and it barely held together.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPT]

Broden: Jesus Christ I'm out of here! This hurts like hell and laser does nothing to it!

Hipster: Get out of there and bring it in the crossfire!

Harmony Lad: Got a bead on the corner if you just get it here, go go go!

El Fenrir: *unintelligible groaning*

Ironside: Can't you 44 reach?

44: Negative, can't move.

El Fenrir: Hhehhh--

[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]

Broden was out of the compartment back towards the mid section as soon as he had got there. His titan armor smoldering he rushed past dying El Fenrir and the robots started moving. The small ones flew out directly out into Hipster's and Harmony Lad's lines of fire, but the big one took a big step backward and rushed into the center corridor and turned to face the immobile 44. The muton elite jumped back straight at Ironside, who managed to down it with two well-placed shots, but the big robot was on the move towards terrified 44, who kept on firing at it and missing. By the corner of the first compartment - it was surprisingly fast for such a humongous construct - it turned towards Broden at the end of the compartment and fired its big cannon again. Broden felt the rushing heat scorching his face, but that's all the missed shot did. That was also everything 44 needed. He drew a deep breath and finally placed a perfect shot in the head of the robot. It stumbled for a while and then crumbled down on the corridor. It was over. At a cost, but still. Over.

New Blood

[SKYRANGER CABIN TRANSCRIPTION]

Hilda 'Hildifer' Lidén: Japan! Why can't we go to Japan?

Megawatt: Because we're going to South Africa.

Hildifer: But I want to go to Japan.

Ironside: Don't worry, you'll get there. Given that you don't die in South Africa.

Ellen 'Branca' Williams: I feel safer already going with you guys.

Harmony Lad: Branca? Which is that, the Fernet one or the chick in the Heinlein book?

Branca: You can actually read?

Harmony Lad: To the contrary, yes, and apart from the usual stuff also science fiction and sociology. I haven't had much need for sci-fi recently, though.

Broden: Yeah, the herbal sniper reads and the assault guy writes. I will be the next Pope after this gig is over.

Ironside: Haven't had much time for writing these days, although you should check my blog about this world saving affair. I was going for a vacation, but duty called. Check the blog anyway when you have time.

Branca: I'm sure I get good enough picture first-hand.

Pilot: All right, we're approaching. Make sure Hildifer does not die here.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

Blom...Blomef...that South African city was burning. Of course it was. The aliens had decided to detour us a bit, but this terror business had become a routine for XCOM. As a matter of fact, routine enough to collect sky miles for the fresh recruits. South Africa proved no different to standard mop-up of chryssalids and mutons. Harmony Lad carried the workload and with experience, he'd become more and more the key force in the sky, hovering around in that shiny archangel armour, calling shots and seeing everything. Branca noticed this immediately, that Harmony Lad sees literally everything, as one of the mutons was split-second from melting her face in. Not under Harmony Lad's watchful eye.

After South Africa, the detour tour took the same squad to Japan, to Hildifer's great delight. Abduction business involved only a handful of thin men and a few mutons, but all this strengthened the battle prowess of the newer members. Japan was actually so happy of this XCOM intervention, that they sent one of their more experienced snipers to fight for a better tomorrow.

[SKYRANGER CABIN TRANSCRIPTION]

Jason '44' Black: Konnichi-wa!

Harmony Lad: You look like a bad-ass. Have you ever been mistaken for one?

44: No. But it kinda goes with the profession.

Harmony Lad: ...that is?

44: Let's leave it at that. Glad to be on board with you folks.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

As said, the remote Nagoyan construction site was quickly stripped of any extraterrestrial threats and the squad escaped unscathed for the second time in a row. However, all recent developments burned in the back of Ironside's head. Everything could change in a heartbeat. One missed shot at a wrong place, one wrong turn from the building corner, one step too far into the darkness could mean the end for even the bravest of soldiers. Memorial plaques for Mad Marl, Proxy and Sureshot reminded of this every time the troops were having off time.

Late summer came and went. August report proved steady going, but the ever-strengthening alien armada kept the clock tight. Squad needed better equipment, but the threat in Siberia had to be also shut down, sooner or later. Who would know, what kind of horrors each of tomorrows brought along?

Boyscouts Do (and Get Done in) America

A trail of smoke soared down the mid-eastern evening sky. If you took a really close look, you could notice that it was from something bigger than a plane, but not much. A large scout had decided to scout the neighbourhood and XCOM Central was alerted. Skyranger took off immediately.

[SKYRANGER CABIN TRANSCRIPTION]

Sureshot: Hell yeah, another scout mission. Hey Hipster, better keep those rockets and frags in locker since we want this pile of hardware intact.

Hipster: At the end of the day, if it's me or some box of cables and shit, it isn't a choice after all. Ask El Fenrir.

El Fenrir: Right.

Ironside: So, how is it, Sureshot? Scotch time soon?

Sureshot: Not now. Not since Proxy died.

*a long silence*

Pilot: We're closing in, dropping you on the edge of a small clearing.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

The squad advanced according to practiced tactics like a well-oiled machine. Harmony Lad got everyone covered and the UFO was very close. Still no movement. All of a sudden, three floaters emerged from the woods on the left side of the saucer. Even though floaters can be terrific in flanking and causing general problems, they lack big time on the tactical side. All of them clumped, Hipster unloaded a rocket in the middle of them, sending pieces of flesh and machinery flying around in a macabre confetti. Still, no movement from within the saucer. Not until Ironside got too near. The front door popped open and three mutons emerged, alongside with a berserker and things were immediately out of hand. Sureshot and Broden got hit by an alien grenade, but their newly built titan armors held together. Still, the berserker was rampaging all over the place and the squad peppered it with everything they got. Sureshot advanced closer to the right side of the UFO to flank the mutons and two more appeared, accompanied with another berserker. Things looked grim as the aliens had obviously upped the ante in manpower. The squad and mutons exchanged shots and both Ironside and Broden got the short end by drawing extra attention from the mutons. Their titan armor was all but disintegrated in the fierce plasma fire.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Ironside: Come on DIE *scatter laser blast* DIE *another*

*roaring* *a loud thump*

Ironside: He's down. Sureshot watch the flanks, the mutons seem to group on you!

Sureshot: I got everything under contr-- *static*

Ironside: Sureshot? Talk to me!

El Fenrir: Oh my God, I saw him die, he's gone, they're everywhere, we're all dead! *plasma firing*

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

El Fenrir started shooting all over the place, now also mentally overwhelmed by the formidable opponents. Sureshot got squarely hit by two of the mutons from the flank and his carapace armor was dissolved in a blink of an eye. So was him and the stakes on each mission became high and clear. This heavy plasma rifle technology the aliens carried was vastly superior to the current XCOM equipment and experience played no role when facing raw laws of physics.

The other berserker was roaring towards Ironside. It steamrolled through the devastating crossfire and seemingly completely unable to feel any pain, it advanced next to Ironside in an apparent attempt to rip his head off.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPTION]

Ironside: Not today, fatso.

[TRANSCRIPTION ENDS]

The berserker fell and the rest of the mutons got caught in the crossfire. Still, the loss of yet another iron-hard veteran was scalding the squad morale. Ironside and Hipster were pretty badly banged up and new recruits were needed.

Master of Council Puppets

Here we go again. Another very important person to the Council - General Van Doorn - got lost somewhere in burning Baltimore, Maryland of the US of A. Since we had spare time from alien abductions, terror jobs and whatnot, it was an easy choice between yes and yes for an answer to this call. Aliens had bombarded a bridge halfway down and the general was pinned somewhere within. The team did not waste time and brought two snipers to go with. Snake Catcher needed field missions as well and this seemed the perfect job for that.

On the upper end things stayed relatively easy, and another military person knew as much as the general being in a tough spot somewhere within the collapsed middle part. Yet, he was easily located by Snake Catcher and quickly secured by Broden and Ironside.

[TACTICAL COMMS TRANSCRIPT]

Broden: Got him, securing the route back to the extraction point.

XCOM Central: Affirmative. Bring him in.

Broden: Sir! You have to reach that plateau, we will cover these thin men over here.

Van Doorn: Check that, on the move.

Broden: Sir! The high plateau, not the one in the open!

Van Doorn: What do you mea--

Sureshot: Popping smoke, cover him!

[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]

Sureshot covered the general with a smoke, but the thin man from far ahead and from higher ground did not miss. Van Doorn collapsed in the middle of the smoke and the mission changed from escort to extraction. A few thin men proved no resistance to the seasoned team, but getting back alive from Baltimore still meant answering to some of the Council's less attractive questions.

Council report for the month proved much more promising, however. European panic level had decreased , but the next hot area would inevitably be North America.