I made up a new character for my story for Tiberian Sun.
Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun
Chapter 1: Resurrection
Anton Slavik was strapped onto the execution table and the tubes were connected to him. Oxanna watched from outside as a news reporter. Unknown to Hassan, only the three guards inside the execution chamber and one outside were loyal to him. The rest were followers of General Richard Conner, a powerful Nod general that supported Slavik. The venom was injected into Slavik. Oxanna shot the loyalist guard and moved in with several other Nod soldiers. They quickly killed the other three soldiers and cut Slavik free.
Conner was inside the Montauk reading over tactical reports when Slavik entered. He stood up and saluted.
"General Slavik. It's good to see you again."
"It is good to see a loyal face," Slavik replied, "Who betrayed me?"
"Your tactical officer."
Slavik nodded. "Will you join me up front?"
"I see no reason not to. However, I do have to warn you that Hassan's elite guard are pursuing us."
"That can be taken care of. Come."
Conner followed Slavik and Oxanna up to the command cockpit. The man sitting in the right seat turned and got up.
"Sir it's an honor to-"
The man didn't get to finish. Slavik fired his pistol and killed him.
"Traitor. Take his position."
Two soldiers dragged the man's body away and Oxanna took his place.
"Cabal, situation."
"A division of Hassan's elite guards are approaching from the north. The probability of a favorable outcome can be increased if we engage the enemy as we return to the base."
"Define favorable outcome Cabal."
"They all die."
"That'll do. Conner. Leave no man or structure standing."
"Yes general."
Major James William Langley was at Southern Cross. He was Colonel Michael McNeil's second in command and therefore had to do a lot of the paperwork. Of course, it did come with some advantages. McNeil usually never knew if something major had happened unless someone informed him. That was an advantage. The Kodiak was parked on the primary landing pad. It was very large and equipped with few weapons, instead relying on its armor to get it through any fights. Langley wasn't exactly sure that was a good idea.
"Major! Here's another report."
Langley took the disk from the private and inserted it into his computer. It was an update of all the hotspots around the world. Nod forces had been fighting within rather viciously in Egypt and around it. GDI forces there had stayed out of the infighting but that was going to end sooner or later. Nod hadn't beaten itself up this badly ever since a General Hassain took command of Nod forces in most of Europe and Africa. In most of Latin American General Vega was the big dog of Nod. GDI forces had been chasing him for a while now but still they could not find him.
Langley punched up the main screen. Large parts of Eastern Europe and parts of Russia were in Nod hands, as was most of Africa. GDI forces controlled most of Western Europe and was fighting back to retake lost territory. China was currently in complete civil war, pro-GDI and pro-Nod forces fighting for control of Beijing and the other major cities. Chaos was basically the rule of the day. He looked at the tactical briefing. Here was another report regarding a GDI raid on a Nod bio-research facility. Might make interesting reading.
General Paul Cortez of GDI Eighth Army attacked and took a Nod Tiberium research facility located in Mexico. Inside his troops found humans that had been exposed to Tiberium and being turned into mutants. GDI forces also seized large amounts of information regarding Nod's inhuman experiments with humans, mutants, and Tiberium. The humans and mutants that were freed from the facility have been transferred to GDI hospitals for treatment. Currently, there is still no known cure for Tiberium exposure and poisoning.
Nod had many Tiberium facilities and the lose of one wouldn't hurt them that much. They would most likely set up another one right away or already had one ready.
Hassan's forces were massacred by Conner's troops. They tried to retreat but ran into an ambush and completely wiped out. Slavik and his two top commanders, Conner and Oxanna, were celebrating.
"So when the infidel Hassan is killed, what kind of reward do the two of you wish?" Slavik asked them.
"Nod currently does not have any real guard divisions," Conner said, "I think that it would be a good idea to create some."
"With you in charge," said Slavik.
"Well, since I would be the one building them up, that would seem logical."
"I agree with that point," said Slavik, "Nod does not have many guard divisions. The Black Hand is loyal to me, but they are the terror units of Nod."
"With an army of storm troopers," said Conner, "We would be able to defeat anyone. The Black Hand requires people that are cunning and physically fit. So will the Elite Cadre. Are you sure you won't mind the competition?"
"Already came up with a name huh?" said Slavik, "No, I wouldn't mind it too much. You've always stood by me Conner. We've fought GDI, infidels, and mutants. I'm sure that you'll mold the Elite Cadre into a powerful force. What about you Oxanna? What do you want?"
"I need nothing," she said, "I am a commander and if you give me the troops I'll give you results."
Slavik nodded. He then raised his cup of red wine.
"To the Brotherhood."
"To the Brotherhood," Conner agreed.
"To the Brotherhood."
"General Slavik."
"What is it Cabal?"
"We are approaching the location."
"Very well. We'll be up shortly."
The three finished their drinks and walked up to the command deck. Conner took his post next to Slavik.
"Hassan communicates to the Brotherhood from this television station."
"If you can get me into the station," said Oxanna, "I'd be able to disrupt their transmissions and change the views of the people by using their own station."
"The power of the media is great," said Cabal, "Hassan also maintains a larger base on an island south of the station."
"Well what are we waiting for? Conner. Capture the station intact and get Oxanna inside. Then take the other base."
"Yes sir."
Three buggies raced across the dirt path and came to a halt. A MCV deployed behind them and several Nod soldiers came up. A power plant and refinery were built quickly, as was a Hand of Nod. Soldiers poured out and joined the ones already present.
"Buggies 1 and 2. Move north and scout the terrain," Conner ordered.
The two drivers acknowledged the order and moved out. Another power plant was built and a radar installation was erected. Two laser turrets followed. Suddenly several of Hassain's soldiers appeared. They opened fire on the turrets but were incinerated by the laser fire. Five rocket soldiers joined the already assembled soldiers and Conner ordered them up northeast. The two buggies had encountered an enemy patrol and eliminated them. A subterranean APC arrived at Conner's base filled with engineers. He ordered it to follow his troops. They quickly found Hassain's base and attacked. The rocket soldiers fired their missiles and blew apart the two laser turrets. His infantry got into a firefight with Hassain's troops but quickly overcame them. The rocket soldiers punched holes in the sandbag walls and his troops rushed in. They faced heavy resistance from several enemy troops but they fell quickly. The APC drove over the walls and unloaded the troops. The soldiers moved north and killed several other enemy guards. The engineers captured several structures and one waited by the refinery. The harvester docked in and the engineer captured it. Another engineer came out of the Hand of Nod and ran up to the TV station. The other soldiers returned to the base and secured the area. The engineer captured the station and another APC with Oxanna appeared on the surface. She entered the station and a message started broadcasting.
Conner watched as several subterranean APCs surfaced. To his relief the soldiers onboard asked for his orders. It seemed that Oxanna's message had worked. The troops all went south and crossed the bridge with two engineers following them. They overcame the guards with no problems and soon the entire base fell under Conner's control.
"This is Conner," he said over the radio, "Area secured. General Slavik, we've taken both bases intact."
"Good job," said Slavik, "Return to the Montauk."
Slavik was in the Montauk's briefing room looking at the map. Large parts of it was covered in red but other parts were also colored in gold. Conner walked in and sat across from him.
"Am I late?"
"No, you're right on time for our game of blackjack," said Slavik. He took out a deck of cards with the Nod emblem on the back and shuffled. "It's occurred to me that now our forces rival Hassain's."
"If you are suggesting that we attack him now," said Conner, "It's an interesting idea. But it could be very dangerous."
"I am well aware of that." Slavik dealt the two cards each. "Conner, I need an honest answer here. Are we ready to oust Hassan?"
Conner took a deep breath. "Honestly? I don't know. We have a good chance of success if we play our cards right. No pun intended. But what is important now is that we rally support for our cause. Hassain has been branded as a traitor and infidel but still many people follow him. We need to create an image. Something like this. Hassan murders his own followers, but we accept all. If Hassain's troops surrender to us, we give them the chance to fight for us."
"That's an interesting idea," said Slavik, "How do we do it?"
"Hassan executes anyone who doesn't agree with his opinions," Conner continued, "I'm sure he's imprisoned many of his commanders who have disobeyed him for good reasons. If we can rescue them, then we're in business. We show ourselves as compassionate and him as evil as GDI."
"A good idea. I'll have Cabal look into it."
"Blackjack, General."
Slavik looked at Conner's cards. Indeed, he had a blackjack.
"One of these days you'll have to tell me why you're so lucky."
"Perhaps."
"I win." McNeil showed his hand. It was a straight flush.
"Son of a bitch," said Chandra, "Mac, how do you do it?"
"He's not going to tell us," said Langley, "Hell, he's won the last five games. Either his luck is incredible tonight or he's cheating."
"Hey, I love to win but I don't cheat."
"Says you."
"Now, now, no need for that boys," said Kathy.
General Kathryn Jackson was the head of the GDI Special Warfare Division. Considering that she was only 27 that was pretty impressive. She blew a long strand of her blond hair out of her blue eyes. Also considered one of the hottest women in GDI, none of the other soldiers had the guts to ever ask her out.
"We're going to get you back for this," said Langley, "What time is it?"
"1930."
"I gotta go. There's supposed to be this meeting on board the Philadelphia. Colonel, General, aren't the two of you supposed to come too?"
"Oh shit! The meeting's today?" said Kathy, "Fuck! I need to get ready! Don't take off without me."
She ran out to her room. The general also had a rather foul mouth.
"What's the meeting about?" McNeil asked.
"There seems to be a power shift within Nod," Langley answered, "General Hassan is losing his power within the Brotherhood to someone named Anton Slavik."
"Read our file on that bastard once," said McNeil, "Tough son of a bitch. Well, let's get going. I want the Kodiak prepped. We'll wait for the good general."
When Jackson came on board the Kodiak's bridge all the other officers were stunned. She was wearing a very clean uniform and even had makeup on.
"Anyone who tries to make one joke about my appearance is going to get a court martial," she warned. That pretty much shut nearly everyone up. Almost.
"Uh, you look nice," McNeil said.
"Why thank you Mac," Kathy replied, surprising the other officers again.
"She's got the hots for you," Langley whispered to McNeil while Jackson was looking the other way.
McNeil answered him with a bop on the head.
The Kodiak landed inside the Philadelphia's docking bay. There were other transports in the bay and when the doors behind the Kodiak closed the passengers disembarked. Twenty of the highest ranking and most respected GDI officers were gathered in the massive conference room.
"Gentlemen. I have some bad news," Solomon started, "Some of you don't know this but for the past two years General Hassan has been under our control."
That little statement caught most of the officers off guard and they showed it.
"We wanted him to stay in power so that we could control Nod and know what they were up to. Several weeks ago we instructed Hassan to frame Anton Slavik, the heir to Nod, as a GDI spy. He was to be executed."
"But something obviously went wrong," said Kathy.
"Yes. Slavik had more support than we thought."
Solomon pushed a button and an image of a young man appeared. He looked like he was in his mid twenties. He had jet black hair and oddly enough green eyes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, meet General Richard Conner. Intelligence believes that he's a powerful Nod general that up until now has worked mostly behind the scenes. His forces rescued Slavik and now he's gone on the offense and gained more and more support from other Nod factions. They're rallying behind him and Slavik. Currently Hassan is in very deep trouble and he can't hold of Slavik's forces."
"What else do we know about this General Conner?" Langley asked.
"Very little. We have one unconfirmed fact regarding him however. It seems that his family was killed during a GDI bombing raid on what we thought was a Nod camp. It turned out to be a refugee camp of people bombed out during our battle with Nod in Germany."
"So he's German," said McNeil.
"No. He's an American. Besides that, we know very little. Conner has been running the Black Hand but he's also built up his own private army within Nod. The soldiers under his command are tougher than most other Nod troops."
"The Elite Cadre. He's the one who founded them?" Kathy exclaimed, "That son of a bitch commands one of the toughest factions of Nod!"
"Quite," said Solomon, "That's why we need to find him and kill him."
"Where do we think he is?" asked Cortez.
"If we even had an idea we would have already struck," Solomon said tiredly, "The primary problem is that because he's so powerful no one that we can manipulate in Nod is willing to help us on this one. Slavik and Conner could very well bring back the old Brotherhood of Nod, powerful and unstoppable."
"So what exactly are we supposed to do?" General Wyner, the commander of the Eighth Air Force asked.
"That we'll discuss later," said Solomon, "We are also here to review the tactical and strategic situation we have with Nod. EVA."
"The Brotherhood of Nod currently controls most of Africa as well as Eastern Europe. Nod forces have advanced into Russia and stand poised to take Moscow. Nod forces in China are being defeated by a GDI force comprised of Chinese, American, Korean, and Japanese soldiers. In the Western Hemisphere Nod and GDI forces are fighting for control of Mexico presently. Nod forces have secured most of the area and are driving into the United States. GDI forces in Brazil and Argentina are holding out and counterattacking Nod forces."
"As you can see, we're in a tight situation," said Solomon, "The United Nations is demanding we do something. I've already informed them that without more troops in Russia we will lose it to Nod. Of course our forces in Brazil and Argentina can hold out for a very long time. It is the situation in North America that has me worried."
"We have to find Vega," said Kathy, "He controls the bulk of the Nod troops in South America. If we take him out, most likely Nod forces there will crumble."
"The situation in Europe is far more dangerous," McNeil said, "What we seem to be forgetting is that once Nod takes Russia, they can then concentrate their forces against the remaining free European nations. It's such a mess over there that it'll be nearly impossible to clean it up."
"There is a large base that follows Hassan in this region," said Cabal, "They are holding several commanders of another powerful faction. If we were to free them, they would most likely be sympathetic to our cause."
"I'll take care of this," said Conner, "By the way, should I destroy the base or capture it?"
"We can't afford to send in a large force," said Slavik, "I can only supply you with a small team."
"All right. Capturing the base it is."
Slavik allowed a grin to show on his face. He wouldn't be providing Conner with any engineers but even then he would probably be able to capture the base intact. Conner was a brilliant strategist and loyal to the Brotherhood. Slavik knew that if he himself betrayed the Brotherhood Conner would kill him without a second thought. That was dependability that you could count on.
Conner's troops had seized control of a small outpost southeast of the main prison. From here he built up his troops and moved quickly across the river. Hassain's troops were completely off guard. His troops stormed the base and killed most of the guards before they could respond. His rocket infantry attacked the laser cannons, destroying them. Engineers moved in and took the construction yard, Hand of Nod, and war factory. His other troops struggled to deal with the Tick Tanks that were now pounding them. More rocket infantry came out of the Hand of Nod and joined the battle. Reinforcements from across the bridge came and opened fire on several other infantry units still trying to defeat Conner's attack. However, with the laser turrets destroyed they were quickly defeated. More engineers were brought in and they took the remaining structures. Conner's troops freed the commanders and escorted them to a waiting Harpy. They got on and the Harpy took them to Slavik.
"You did rather well," Slavik commended Conner, "We currently outnumber Hassan's forces and now is the time to strike."
"All I need is a small strike team and some tanks to secure an area for our forward base," said Conner, "From there I'll be able to attack Hassain at his headquarters."
"Do not destroy the Nod Pyramid," said Slavik, "We'll be able to use it once the infidel is dead."
"Yes General Slavik. I'll be on my way shortly."
"You can have some time to rest," said Slavik, "You've performed brilliantly. Once Hassan is dead, you will be placed on the Nod Inner Circle."
"With you as leader."
"Perhaps," Slavik muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Have a drink my friend. We'll soon be celebrating our victory over both Hassain and GDI. We have time. For now, you'll need to start building your Elite Cadre. I have a feeling they'll be needed very soon."
"Major."
Langley looked up and saw Chandra in front of him.
"What is it?"
"Nod forces seem to be on the move," he said, "We detected at least two battalions of Nod troops headed towards Cairo."
"What's in Cairo?"
"Hassan's headquarters."
That got Langley's attention.
"I assume Slavik and Conner are making their move."
"Indeed. Unfortunately, we have no troops in the vicinity and therefore can't intercept them."
"Do you think we should tell McNeil about this?"
"I'll leave that up to you," said Chandra.
"I assume we can't do anything about this."
"No. GDI Command Africa doesn't really exist anymore. It was destroyed by Nod forces under Conner and currently the few forces we do have in Africa are being commanded by GDI Command Europe. Hopefully that will stay in existence for a lot longer."
Langley rubbed his eyes. He was having a long day and this really didn't help.
"I'll tell McNeil later. I need to go over this other stuff."
"Right. See you later Major."
Chandra exited the room and left Langley at the desk. He brought up more reports regarding Tiberium and read through them again. Unfortunately, there still wasn't enough information regarding Tiberium to find any way to efficiently treat Tiberium poisoning and exposure to the radiation it produces.
Two of Hassan's guards were patrolling the entrance to the bridge. Two towers and a gate closed off the bridge for anyone who wasn't a member of Hassain's army. They suddenly saw eight other Nod soldiers approaching them. One of the guards walked up.
"Halt, and identify yourselves in the name of Kane."
The other soldiers immediately opened fire and killed the first guard.
"Sound the alarm! Slavik's forces are here!" the other one shouted.
An alarm went off from the light towers as the other guard was shot and killed. Two bikes fired their missiles and blasted the gate apart. The infantry ran across the bridge and killed several other guards running to meet them. Then three Nod Tick Tanks came up and headed across the bridge behind the soldiers. They quickly got out of the way and let the tanks go ahead of them. The tanks fired their machineguns at the few remaining infantry and killed them all. An engineer got onto a buggy and raced across the bridge leading to one of Hassain's two bases. He set a charge on the other side and blew the bridge.
Conner was conducting the battle from the Montauk through a satellite relay. So far his troops had performed well and they had seized the outpost on the other side of the bridge. Two more Tick Tanks rolled across the bridge with three engineers riding on them. The MCV was right behind them. The other tanks had already blasted apart the sandbag walls and the engineers seized the Hand of Nod and the two power plants. The MCV deployed and a refinery was constructed. Two attack buggies joined the troops. Conner positioned them and his infantry at the slope on the western side of the base and then moved his tanks and the attack cycles west towards Hassain's other base. He easily destroyed the laser turret but then saw an engineer going around to the buildings. Each time the engineer got close to one it would be sold. Conner didn't really care. All it meant was that he would have less things to destroy. He then ordered his buggies to join his attack force and they started firing on the enemy infantry. His tanks concentrated on the two Tick Tanks at the base and easily destroyed them. The remaining enemy forces were completely destroyed in a matter of minutes.
"All units proceed north."
The tanks and buggies raced up north and ran across several pyramids. Two subterranean APCs surfaced and unloaded two squadrons of enemy troops. Unfortunately for them they ran into an armored force and were flattened in seconds. The two APCs tried to run but were also blasted to pieces. They continued north and crossed a bridge. There two laser turrets were destroyed just as they turned to face the threat. By this time a team of engineers had arrived from Conner's base and were waiting behind the tanks and buggies. The tanks blasted holes in the gate and drove through it. Two enemy Tick Tanks tried to stop them but were overwhelmed, as were the infantry. An engineer entered the war factory and captured it. Conner immediately started producing more Tick Tanks on location. He then scoured what was left of the base. There were some infantry but most of the armor had been destroyed. Conner captured the Hand of Nod and proceeded to take the rest of the base. It was soon all over for Hassan.
Conner's tanks destroyed the two laser turrets protecting the Nod Pyramid and his engineer moved in and seized the building. A Harpy suddenly took flight and headed across the river. However, Slavik sent in reinforcements and they damaged the Harpy. Hassan was forced to land and Nod troops moved up to apprehend him.
Conner was standing by Slavik as he addressed the loyal soldiers of the Elite Cadre and Black Hand.
"Brotherhood! We are whole again!"
Hassan was brought out and Slavik took out his knife.
"The sickness, has been, cut out!"
"Kane's vision lives! Kane lives in death!"
The soldiers started chanting.
"Kane lives in death!"
"The technology of peace shall not be deterred! Peace through power!"
"Peace through power!"
Suddenly the main screen above Slavik activated.
"Kane lives!"
Conner looked up and was shocked. Indeed it was Kane. Kane looked down at Hassan.
"You can't kill the Messiah."
Slavik cut Hassan's neck and the two Elite Cadre troops let him drop.
"My brothers, I have returned, never to leave you again. GDI sought to destroy me, but they have only made me stronger. Together, we will unite the world in brotherhood, under the rule of the technology of peace. Peace through power!"
The soldiers started chanting again. Slavik and Conner joined them. It was a glorious day for the Brotherhood of Nod, the resurrection of Kane.
End of Chapter 1
I know there are some discrepancies but that's because I don't actually remember exactly how the dialogue goes. But at least I do know what the missions are like.
Z98
Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun
Chapter 1: Resurrection
Anton Slavik was strapped onto the execution table and the tubes were connected to him. Oxanna watched from outside as a news reporter. Unknown to Hassan, only the three guards inside the execution chamber and one outside were loyal to him. The rest were followers of General Richard Conner, a powerful Nod general that supported Slavik. The venom was injected into Slavik. Oxanna shot the loyalist guard and moved in with several other Nod soldiers. They quickly killed the other three soldiers and cut Slavik free.
Conner was inside the Montauk reading over tactical reports when Slavik entered. He stood up and saluted.
"General Slavik. It's good to see you again."
"It is good to see a loyal face," Slavik replied, "Who betrayed me?"
"Your tactical officer."
Slavik nodded. "Will you join me up front?"
"I see no reason not to. However, I do have to warn you that Hassan's elite guard are pursuing us."
"That can be taken care of. Come."
Conner followed Slavik and Oxanna up to the command cockpit. The man sitting in the right seat turned and got up.
"Sir it's an honor to-"
The man didn't get to finish. Slavik fired his pistol and killed him.
"Traitor. Take his position."
Two soldiers dragged the man's body away and Oxanna took his place.
"Cabal, situation."
"A division of Hassan's elite guards are approaching from the north. The probability of a favorable outcome can be increased if we engage the enemy as we return to the base."
"Define favorable outcome Cabal."
"They all die."
"That'll do. Conner. Leave no man or structure standing."
"Yes general."
Major James William Langley was at Southern Cross. He was Colonel Michael McNeil's second in command and therefore had to do a lot of the paperwork. Of course, it did come with some advantages. McNeil usually never knew if something major had happened unless someone informed him. That was an advantage. The Kodiak was parked on the primary landing pad. It was very large and equipped with few weapons, instead relying on its armor to get it through any fights. Langley wasn't exactly sure that was a good idea.
"Major! Here's another report."
Langley took the disk from the private and inserted it into his computer. It was an update of all the hotspots around the world. Nod forces had been fighting within rather viciously in Egypt and around it. GDI forces there had stayed out of the infighting but that was going to end sooner or later. Nod hadn't beaten itself up this badly ever since a General Hassain took command of Nod forces in most of Europe and Africa. In most of Latin American General Vega was the big dog of Nod. GDI forces had been chasing him for a while now but still they could not find him.
Langley punched up the main screen. Large parts of Eastern Europe and parts of Russia were in Nod hands, as was most of Africa. GDI forces controlled most of Western Europe and was fighting back to retake lost territory. China was currently in complete civil war, pro-GDI and pro-Nod forces fighting for control of Beijing and the other major cities. Chaos was basically the rule of the day. He looked at the tactical briefing. Here was another report regarding a GDI raid on a Nod bio-research facility. Might make interesting reading.
General Paul Cortez of GDI Eighth Army attacked and took a Nod Tiberium research facility located in Mexico. Inside his troops found humans that had been exposed to Tiberium and being turned into mutants. GDI forces also seized large amounts of information regarding Nod's inhuman experiments with humans, mutants, and Tiberium. The humans and mutants that were freed from the facility have been transferred to GDI hospitals for treatment. Currently, there is still no known cure for Tiberium exposure and poisoning.
Nod had many Tiberium facilities and the lose of one wouldn't hurt them that much. They would most likely set up another one right away or already had one ready.
Hassan's forces were massacred by Conner's troops. They tried to retreat but ran into an ambush and completely wiped out. Slavik and his two top commanders, Conner and Oxanna, were celebrating.
"So when the infidel Hassan is killed, what kind of reward do the two of you wish?" Slavik asked them.
"Nod currently does not have any real guard divisions," Conner said, "I think that it would be a good idea to create some."
"With you in charge," said Slavik.
"Well, since I would be the one building them up, that would seem logical."
"I agree with that point," said Slavik, "Nod does not have many guard divisions. The Black Hand is loyal to me, but they are the terror units of Nod."
"With an army of storm troopers," said Conner, "We would be able to defeat anyone. The Black Hand requires people that are cunning and physically fit. So will the Elite Cadre. Are you sure you won't mind the competition?"
"Already came up with a name huh?" said Slavik, "No, I wouldn't mind it too much. You've always stood by me Conner. We've fought GDI, infidels, and mutants. I'm sure that you'll mold the Elite Cadre into a powerful force. What about you Oxanna? What do you want?"
"I need nothing," she said, "I am a commander and if you give me the troops I'll give you results."
Slavik nodded. He then raised his cup of red wine.
"To the Brotherhood."
"To the Brotherhood," Conner agreed.
"To the Brotherhood."
"General Slavik."
"What is it Cabal?"
"We are approaching the location."
"Very well. We'll be up shortly."
The three finished their drinks and walked up to the command deck. Conner took his post next to Slavik.
"Hassan communicates to the Brotherhood from this television station."
"If you can get me into the station," said Oxanna, "I'd be able to disrupt their transmissions and change the views of the people by using their own station."
"The power of the media is great," said Cabal, "Hassan also maintains a larger base on an island south of the station."
"Well what are we waiting for? Conner. Capture the station intact and get Oxanna inside. Then take the other base."
"Yes sir."
Three buggies raced across the dirt path and came to a halt. A MCV deployed behind them and several Nod soldiers came up. A power plant and refinery were built quickly, as was a Hand of Nod. Soldiers poured out and joined the ones already present.
"Buggies 1 and 2. Move north and scout the terrain," Conner ordered.
The two drivers acknowledged the order and moved out. Another power plant was built and a radar installation was erected. Two laser turrets followed. Suddenly several of Hassain's soldiers appeared. They opened fire on the turrets but were incinerated by the laser fire. Five rocket soldiers joined the already assembled soldiers and Conner ordered them up northeast. The two buggies had encountered an enemy patrol and eliminated them. A subterranean APC arrived at Conner's base filled with engineers. He ordered it to follow his troops. They quickly found Hassain's base and attacked. The rocket soldiers fired their missiles and blew apart the two laser turrets. His infantry got into a firefight with Hassain's troops but quickly overcame them. The rocket soldiers punched holes in the sandbag walls and his troops rushed in. They faced heavy resistance from several enemy troops but they fell quickly. The APC drove over the walls and unloaded the troops. The soldiers moved north and killed several other enemy guards. The engineers captured several structures and one waited by the refinery. The harvester docked in and the engineer captured it. Another engineer came out of the Hand of Nod and ran up to the TV station. The other soldiers returned to the base and secured the area. The engineer captured the station and another APC with Oxanna appeared on the surface. She entered the station and a message started broadcasting.
Conner watched as several subterranean APCs surfaced. To his relief the soldiers onboard asked for his orders. It seemed that Oxanna's message had worked. The troops all went south and crossed the bridge with two engineers following them. They overcame the guards with no problems and soon the entire base fell under Conner's control.
"This is Conner," he said over the radio, "Area secured. General Slavik, we've taken both bases intact."
"Good job," said Slavik, "Return to the Montauk."
Slavik was in the Montauk's briefing room looking at the map. Large parts of it was covered in red but other parts were also colored in gold. Conner walked in and sat across from him.
"Am I late?"
"No, you're right on time for our game of blackjack," said Slavik. He took out a deck of cards with the Nod emblem on the back and shuffled. "It's occurred to me that now our forces rival Hassain's."
"If you are suggesting that we attack him now," said Conner, "It's an interesting idea. But it could be very dangerous."
"I am well aware of that." Slavik dealt the two cards each. "Conner, I need an honest answer here. Are we ready to oust Hassan?"
Conner took a deep breath. "Honestly? I don't know. We have a good chance of success if we play our cards right. No pun intended. But what is important now is that we rally support for our cause. Hassain has been branded as a traitor and infidel but still many people follow him. We need to create an image. Something like this. Hassan murders his own followers, but we accept all. If Hassain's troops surrender to us, we give them the chance to fight for us."
"That's an interesting idea," said Slavik, "How do we do it?"
"Hassan executes anyone who doesn't agree with his opinions," Conner continued, "I'm sure he's imprisoned many of his commanders who have disobeyed him for good reasons. If we can rescue them, then we're in business. We show ourselves as compassionate and him as evil as GDI."
"A good idea. I'll have Cabal look into it."
"Blackjack, General."
Slavik looked at Conner's cards. Indeed, he had a blackjack.
"One of these days you'll have to tell me why you're so lucky."
"Perhaps."
"I win." McNeil showed his hand. It was a straight flush.
"Son of a bitch," said Chandra, "Mac, how do you do it?"
"He's not going to tell us," said Langley, "Hell, he's won the last five games. Either his luck is incredible tonight or he's cheating."
"Hey, I love to win but I don't cheat."
"Says you."
"Now, now, no need for that boys," said Kathy.
General Kathryn Jackson was the head of the GDI Special Warfare Division. Considering that she was only 27 that was pretty impressive. She blew a long strand of her blond hair out of her blue eyes. Also considered one of the hottest women in GDI, none of the other soldiers had the guts to ever ask her out.
"We're going to get you back for this," said Langley, "What time is it?"
"1930."
"I gotta go. There's supposed to be this meeting on board the Philadelphia. Colonel, General, aren't the two of you supposed to come too?"
"Oh shit! The meeting's today?" said Kathy, "Fuck! I need to get ready! Don't take off without me."
She ran out to her room. The general also had a rather foul mouth.
"What's the meeting about?" McNeil asked.
"There seems to be a power shift within Nod," Langley answered, "General Hassan is losing his power within the Brotherhood to someone named Anton Slavik."
"Read our file on that bastard once," said McNeil, "Tough son of a bitch. Well, let's get going. I want the Kodiak prepped. We'll wait for the good general."
When Jackson came on board the Kodiak's bridge all the other officers were stunned. She was wearing a very clean uniform and even had makeup on.
"Anyone who tries to make one joke about my appearance is going to get a court martial," she warned. That pretty much shut nearly everyone up. Almost.
"Uh, you look nice," McNeil said.
"Why thank you Mac," Kathy replied, surprising the other officers again.
"She's got the hots for you," Langley whispered to McNeil while Jackson was looking the other way.
McNeil answered him with a bop on the head.
The Kodiak landed inside the Philadelphia's docking bay. There were other transports in the bay and when the doors behind the Kodiak closed the passengers disembarked. Twenty of the highest ranking and most respected GDI officers were gathered in the massive conference room.
"Gentlemen. I have some bad news," Solomon started, "Some of you don't know this but for the past two years General Hassan has been under our control."
That little statement caught most of the officers off guard and they showed it.
"We wanted him to stay in power so that we could control Nod and know what they were up to. Several weeks ago we instructed Hassan to frame Anton Slavik, the heir to Nod, as a GDI spy. He was to be executed."
"But something obviously went wrong," said Kathy.
"Yes. Slavik had more support than we thought."
Solomon pushed a button and an image of a young man appeared. He looked like he was in his mid twenties. He had jet black hair and oddly enough green eyes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, meet General Richard Conner. Intelligence believes that he's a powerful Nod general that up until now has worked mostly behind the scenes. His forces rescued Slavik and now he's gone on the offense and gained more and more support from other Nod factions. They're rallying behind him and Slavik. Currently Hassan is in very deep trouble and he can't hold of Slavik's forces."
"What else do we know about this General Conner?" Langley asked.
"Very little. We have one unconfirmed fact regarding him however. It seems that his family was killed during a GDI bombing raid on what we thought was a Nod camp. It turned out to be a refugee camp of people bombed out during our battle with Nod in Germany."
"So he's German," said McNeil.
"No. He's an American. Besides that, we know very little. Conner has been running the Black Hand but he's also built up his own private army within Nod. The soldiers under his command are tougher than most other Nod troops."
"The Elite Cadre. He's the one who founded them?" Kathy exclaimed, "That son of a bitch commands one of the toughest factions of Nod!"
"Quite," said Solomon, "That's why we need to find him and kill him."
"Where do we think he is?" asked Cortez.
"If we even had an idea we would have already struck," Solomon said tiredly, "The primary problem is that because he's so powerful no one that we can manipulate in Nod is willing to help us on this one. Slavik and Conner could very well bring back the old Brotherhood of Nod, powerful and unstoppable."
"So what exactly are we supposed to do?" General Wyner, the commander of the Eighth Air Force asked.
"That we'll discuss later," said Solomon, "We are also here to review the tactical and strategic situation we have with Nod. EVA."
"The Brotherhood of Nod currently controls most of Africa as well as Eastern Europe. Nod forces have advanced into Russia and stand poised to take Moscow. Nod forces in China are being defeated by a GDI force comprised of Chinese, American, Korean, and Japanese soldiers. In the Western Hemisphere Nod and GDI forces are fighting for control of Mexico presently. Nod forces have secured most of the area and are driving into the United States. GDI forces in Brazil and Argentina are holding out and counterattacking Nod forces."
"As you can see, we're in a tight situation," said Solomon, "The United Nations is demanding we do something. I've already informed them that without more troops in Russia we will lose it to Nod. Of course our forces in Brazil and Argentina can hold out for a very long time. It is the situation in North America that has me worried."
"We have to find Vega," said Kathy, "He controls the bulk of the Nod troops in South America. If we take him out, most likely Nod forces there will crumble."
"The situation in Europe is far more dangerous," McNeil said, "What we seem to be forgetting is that once Nod takes Russia, they can then concentrate their forces against the remaining free European nations. It's such a mess over there that it'll be nearly impossible to clean it up."
"There is a large base that follows Hassan in this region," said Cabal, "They are holding several commanders of another powerful faction. If we were to free them, they would most likely be sympathetic to our cause."
"I'll take care of this," said Conner, "By the way, should I destroy the base or capture it?"
"We can't afford to send in a large force," said Slavik, "I can only supply you with a small team."
"All right. Capturing the base it is."
Slavik allowed a grin to show on his face. He wouldn't be providing Conner with any engineers but even then he would probably be able to capture the base intact. Conner was a brilliant strategist and loyal to the Brotherhood. Slavik knew that if he himself betrayed the Brotherhood Conner would kill him without a second thought. That was dependability that you could count on.
Conner's troops had seized control of a small outpost southeast of the main prison. From here he built up his troops and moved quickly across the river. Hassain's troops were completely off guard. His troops stormed the base and killed most of the guards before they could respond. His rocket infantry attacked the laser cannons, destroying them. Engineers moved in and took the construction yard, Hand of Nod, and war factory. His other troops struggled to deal with the Tick Tanks that were now pounding them. More rocket infantry came out of the Hand of Nod and joined the battle. Reinforcements from across the bridge came and opened fire on several other infantry units still trying to defeat Conner's attack. However, with the laser turrets destroyed they were quickly defeated. More engineers were brought in and they took the remaining structures. Conner's troops freed the commanders and escorted them to a waiting Harpy. They got on and the Harpy took them to Slavik.
"You did rather well," Slavik commended Conner, "We currently outnumber Hassan's forces and now is the time to strike."
"All I need is a small strike team and some tanks to secure an area for our forward base," said Conner, "From there I'll be able to attack Hassain at his headquarters."
"Do not destroy the Nod Pyramid," said Slavik, "We'll be able to use it once the infidel is dead."
"Yes General Slavik. I'll be on my way shortly."
"You can have some time to rest," said Slavik, "You've performed brilliantly. Once Hassan is dead, you will be placed on the Nod Inner Circle."
"With you as leader."
"Perhaps," Slavik muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Have a drink my friend. We'll soon be celebrating our victory over both Hassain and GDI. We have time. For now, you'll need to start building your Elite Cadre. I have a feeling they'll be needed very soon."
"Major."
Langley looked up and saw Chandra in front of him.
"What is it?"
"Nod forces seem to be on the move," he said, "We detected at least two battalions of Nod troops headed towards Cairo."
"What's in Cairo?"
"Hassan's headquarters."
That got Langley's attention.
"I assume Slavik and Conner are making their move."
"Indeed. Unfortunately, we have no troops in the vicinity and therefore can't intercept them."
"Do you think we should tell McNeil about this?"
"I'll leave that up to you," said Chandra.
"I assume we can't do anything about this."
"No. GDI Command Africa doesn't really exist anymore. It was destroyed by Nod forces under Conner and currently the few forces we do have in Africa are being commanded by GDI Command Europe. Hopefully that will stay in existence for a lot longer."
Langley rubbed his eyes. He was having a long day and this really didn't help.
"I'll tell McNeil later. I need to go over this other stuff."
"Right. See you later Major."
Chandra exited the room and left Langley at the desk. He brought up more reports regarding Tiberium and read through them again. Unfortunately, there still wasn't enough information regarding Tiberium to find any way to efficiently treat Tiberium poisoning and exposure to the radiation it produces.
Two of Hassan's guards were patrolling the entrance to the bridge. Two towers and a gate closed off the bridge for anyone who wasn't a member of Hassain's army. They suddenly saw eight other Nod soldiers approaching them. One of the guards walked up.
"Halt, and identify yourselves in the name of Kane."
The other soldiers immediately opened fire and killed the first guard.
"Sound the alarm! Slavik's forces are here!" the other one shouted.
An alarm went off from the light towers as the other guard was shot and killed. Two bikes fired their missiles and blasted the gate apart. The infantry ran across the bridge and killed several other guards running to meet them. Then three Nod Tick Tanks came up and headed across the bridge behind the soldiers. They quickly got out of the way and let the tanks go ahead of them. The tanks fired their machineguns at the few remaining infantry and killed them all. An engineer got onto a buggy and raced across the bridge leading to one of Hassain's two bases. He set a charge on the other side and blew the bridge.
Conner was conducting the battle from the Montauk through a satellite relay. So far his troops had performed well and they had seized the outpost on the other side of the bridge. Two more Tick Tanks rolled across the bridge with three engineers riding on them. The MCV was right behind them. The other tanks had already blasted apart the sandbag walls and the engineers seized the Hand of Nod and the two power plants. The MCV deployed and a refinery was constructed. Two attack buggies joined the troops. Conner positioned them and his infantry at the slope on the western side of the base and then moved his tanks and the attack cycles west towards Hassain's other base. He easily destroyed the laser turret but then saw an engineer going around to the buildings. Each time the engineer got close to one it would be sold. Conner didn't really care. All it meant was that he would have less things to destroy. He then ordered his buggies to join his attack force and they started firing on the enemy infantry. His tanks concentrated on the two Tick Tanks at the base and easily destroyed them. The remaining enemy forces were completely destroyed in a matter of minutes.
"All units proceed north."
The tanks and buggies raced up north and ran across several pyramids. Two subterranean APCs surfaced and unloaded two squadrons of enemy troops. Unfortunately for them they ran into an armored force and were flattened in seconds. The two APCs tried to run but were also blasted to pieces. They continued north and crossed a bridge. There two laser turrets were destroyed just as they turned to face the threat. By this time a team of engineers had arrived from Conner's base and were waiting behind the tanks and buggies. The tanks blasted holes in the gate and drove through it. Two enemy Tick Tanks tried to stop them but were overwhelmed, as were the infantry. An engineer entered the war factory and captured it. Conner immediately started producing more Tick Tanks on location. He then scoured what was left of the base. There were some infantry but most of the armor had been destroyed. Conner captured the Hand of Nod and proceeded to take the rest of the base. It was soon all over for Hassan.
Conner's tanks destroyed the two laser turrets protecting the Nod Pyramid and his engineer moved in and seized the building. A Harpy suddenly took flight and headed across the river. However, Slavik sent in reinforcements and they damaged the Harpy. Hassan was forced to land and Nod troops moved up to apprehend him.
Conner was standing by Slavik as he addressed the loyal soldiers of the Elite Cadre and Black Hand.
"Brotherhood! We are whole again!"
Hassan was brought out and Slavik took out his knife.
"The sickness, has been, cut out!"
"Kane's vision lives! Kane lives in death!"
The soldiers started chanting.
"Kane lives in death!"
"The technology of peace shall not be deterred! Peace through power!"
"Peace through power!"
Suddenly the main screen above Slavik activated.
"Kane lives!"
Conner looked up and was shocked. Indeed it was Kane. Kane looked down at Hassan.
"You can't kill the Messiah."
Slavik cut Hassan's neck and the two Elite Cadre troops let him drop.
"My brothers, I have returned, never to leave you again. GDI sought to destroy me, but they have only made me stronger. Together, we will unite the world in brotherhood, under the rule of the technology of peace. Peace through power!"
The soldiers started chanting again. Slavik and Conner joined them. It was a glorious day for the Brotherhood of Nod, the resurrection of Kane.
End of Chapter 1
I know there are some discrepancies but that's because I don't actually remember exactly how the dialogue goes. But at least I do know what the missions are like.
Z98