Log: Defense of Nairobi
Date: 19990610
My name is Colonel Tatyana Korkia.
I am a member of the elite XCOM unit Central Defense. I've seen some of the best men and women I'll know in my life live and die near me. I've seen twenty encounters with these aliens.
Saving Nairobi...should have been no different.
As the Skyranger flew towards our target from the base in Central America, I looked over my squad.
Besides me, there were nine soldiers and a tank. There wasn't a suit of armor for the lot of us, aside from standard issue equipment. Apparently, the Eastern Guard was transferring Power Armor to us...but not soon enough for Nairobi's sake.
Evelyn Strong, the Sergeant who had been with me in this squad since I was a rookie, was looking nervous. She checked her weapon one more time.
There was also Sergeant Yuri Gorlokovich. I had been doing performance reviews when he was just one of the regular grunts. How he holds himself under fire is one of the key reasons why he holds that rank now.
One of the rookies I was familiar with was Andrea Crosset. She had, apparently, dropped her weapon on the way out of the Skyranger, charged one of those gray stubby looking guys, and jabbed him with her stun-stick. If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't hit someone with her weapon if she pressed it up against their head first, she might hold a rank higher than a new recruit just for her bravery. She was a dark skinned woman, probably one of the only ones I've seen in XCOM. She was also the craziest and most enthusiastic, to be sure.
There were a few more rookies I didn't recognize, all men. I knew Andrea would get herself killed here, but, I tried to delay it by putting her at near the back of the Skyranger so she won't charge down the ramp as soon as it touches down. I didn't trust this group, to be honest, aside from the Sergeants.
But...we had to save all of those people. The second we gave up on protecting people would be the second the aliens won. Even if that meant going in with technologically inferior armor and people under my command who I couldn't trust.
At least we got new plasma rifles from the guys down in the science department. Word is they can tear through a bulkhead of an alien vessel, but, I'll believe it when I see it.
"Attention, landing in ten seconds!" Comes a call through the comms.
I took the time to give everyone a reminder, "Spread out once you hit the deck out there, watch your corners. Remember your squad numbers. One goes with Sergeant Strong and me. Two goes with Sergeant Gorlokovich. Lock and load."
"Hell yeah!" One of the rookies cried out. The other rookies echoed him, though Andrea remained silent.
I hoped taking her into my squad wasn't a mistake. I hoped she wasn't going to snap and stun some of us before we even got off the Skyranger.
Most of all, just for a moment, I wished I didn't feel so damn alone as that ramp dropped.
"Go go go!" Sgt. Gorlokovich cried, leading the way out to the left. About half of the rookies followed him. I went right and crouched as soon as my troops had formed up in front of me. We waited for a few seconds.
"Clear!" Was hissed into the comm twice, once by each of the Sergeants.
I took stock of the situation, "Squad two, secure that store and use it for cover. Secure any civilians. Squad one, we're crossing the road and securing that warehouse. Any questions?"
Some of the rookies loudly replied, "No ma'am!"
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but, I went on as if they had did it properly, "Move it!"
Andrea was on point for our squad as we walked across the street. Her stun-stick in her left hand and her laser pistol in her left hand. She had been one of the ones who I didn't trust with a plasma rifle. For all our luck, she'd forget to load it.
Only distant sounds of fire rang out as we secured the buildings. No aliens resisted us or opened fire as we confirmed that there were no aliens in either building or around their perimeters. It was going well.
Too well.
In the distance, I heard a few more shots.
"Contact!" That was all I heard through the comms from Sergeant Gorlokovich.
My first instinct was to drop to the deck as plasma burst through the wall in front of me. Instead, I raised my plasma rifle to return the favor. I squeezed the trigger and was rewarded with a click.
Not the hum of it charging up to shoot, but a click.
No matter how many times I squeezed, it just happened again and again.
My weapon was loaded, why wasn't it firing?
"What the hell?!? Wh-aaagh!" One of my rookies went down, screaming in agony.
"What's going on?!?"
"HELP ME!"
"THOSE NERDS FUCKED US!"
Before I thought to do anything but stand there like a rookie, I had fallen to the deck and something was on top of me, shaking like a leaf in the wind.
I blushed when I noticed it was a certain redheaded Sergeant.
Evelyn had panicked under fire. She was crying hysterically.
I was losing my resolve as well, as I heard the sounds of people dying around me. There weren't that many to lose...and we had already lost so many.
Eventually, something came through the comms, "Captain..." I didn't recognize the cough as Yuri at first, "...the...the weapons aren't working. I, I'm down. I...retreat! Retreat...re-" He cut off into static.
I realized that he was dead a few moments later, "Fall back to the Skyranger! RUN!"
Evelyn was still pinning me to the ground. I shoved her to get her off, but my arms were half asleep.
I started out at a shout, but reduced my volume when I realized what I was doing, "Sergeant Strong! Calm down, we need to get out of here."
I managed to get my forearm up under her chest and push her up. We would both die if I tried to play easy with her.
Just when I was about to finally throw her off, she kneed me in the stomach. As I cringed in pain, my eyes met hers. If I didn't know it from the way she assaulted me, I knew it then. The empty eyed stare and the fake smile plastered on her face were two symptoms of alien mind control. Evelyn was strong-willed, but the only thing she could do in there was cry because of what they were doing to her. She couldn't control herself anymore.
Regretfully, that made her the enemy.
Even with the immense pain in my gut, I fought back. Pressing my forearm up into her neck, I drew my laser pistol with my spare hand. I didn't hesitate.
She managed to clasp her midsection and collapse. I threw her off of me unceremoniously and got to my feet. A few of my rookies were still holding up, though I didn't think they'd be able to hold out for long.
Their stupidity and audacity amazed me, "Didn't you hear me?!? Fall back! FALL BACK!" I was screaming at them, flailing my arms and jumping up and down like a child having a tantrum.
When they did begin falling back, I, too, began running for the Skyranger. It wasn't fifty yards off, but it felt like I had already run three miles. I couldn't think. I couldn't think. I just had to run. I was flailing still, my eyes watered, and I hurt all over. But I just had to run.
I reached the ramp and tripped, screaming in pain as the hard metal greeted my face. I couldn't stop. I felt hands dragging me, but I couldn't stop screaming and shaking.
I closed my eyes, and I saw that plastic smile and those crying eyes, "EVELYN! !"
Suddenly, so much pain!
I..I was going to die! I...I couldn't...couldn't...
Wait, what?
Is this the med-bay?
"Hey there, sleepyhead." That was the last voice I expected to hear.
"Evelyn?!?" I shot up, looking around for her wildly. She was standing over me...just fine.
"Colonel, please, don't stress yourself. I'm just fine." She eased over to the side of the bed next to me, smiling.
I lost my voice for a few minutes, "I thought, I thought I killed you!" My eyes were watering again. I was too damn weak for military professionalism right now.
"I..." The guilt on her face didn't make me feel any better, "I thought I was dead meat after I got control back, but one of the guys with medic training must have gotten to me.,.."
I put on my tough face, again, but the tears betrayed my true nature, "I...I'm sorry, Sergeant."
Evelyn leaned in, grinning, "All is forgiven, Colonel." Her lips brushing against mine were the last thing I remembered before I woke up this morning.