2: Light of the Morning
Nod Forward Outpost: Northern New York, Yellow Zone E-4, 1700 hours
"Contact Shadow Captain Jeremiah Cristof, bring him to me," said Nod Outpost Commander Roberts to his wrist-comlink. Moments later the Shadow Captain decloaked himself in the Commander's meeting room.
"Commander? You sent for me?" asked Cristof.
"Yes Captain, I have a mission for you and your Shadow Team," Roberts answered, "I need your team to plant beacons in a Steel Talons base in Yellow Zone E-6 for our new Specter artillery units so they can bombard the power and defense grids there for an easy assault by our Black Hand allies inbound off the coast. I need the beacons planted and grids offline by 2300 hours this night. The Black Hand forces strike with the rising of the sun."
"Ugh…the Black Hand, I despise their arrogance and insolence. They may have been hand-picked by the Messiah himself, but they do not risk their lives like we do for our cause," said Cristof.
"Ah hah ha, I agree with you my brother," said a new voice. The Shadow and Commander faced the doorway where the voice was coming from. Walking to them was a male Nod trooper dressed in a strange manner who saluted the other men.
"Brother Cristof, I want to introduce you to Brother Sergeant Matthias Reynauld. He is the leader of Specter division S29," Roberts said.
"A pleasure to be working with you Brother Shadow Captain Cristof," said Reynauld holding out his hand. Cristof shook Reynauld's hand and nodding.
"Likewise Brother Reynauld, now what would you have my team do Commander?" he asked.
The Commander nodded and brought up a three dimensional hologram of the targeted base and surrounding area. He zoomed in on base and highlighted the buildings to be targeted and the areas to be marked with a beacon.
"I am uploading the data to both of your wrist-comlinks. Once that finishes you are to commence the operation immediately!" ordered the Commander. The other men saluted him and left the room once the data was uploaded.
"Here, I will upload my channel to your comlink, once you have completed your half of the mission get out of that base quickly, and then notify me so we may start our bombardment," said Reynauld. Cristof nodded and saluted the Specter commander and then sent a message to his three squad mates.
Shadow Captain Cristof and his team assembled at the gate of the outpost.
"Be ready my brothers! We have been given a grand mission that can only be accomplished with our skills!" He spoke with an invigorating manner, for his fellow Shadows burst into cheers.
"With the wind we move!" he shouted and the four Shadows lifted off into the air on their hidden glider backpacks propelled by the winds and the silent boosters in their boots activating their stealth armor. They headed towards their target in E-6.
Specter Sergeant Reynauld gave a similar speech to his battalion. Many of the soldiers cried chants of things such as 'Down with GDI!' and 'The oppressors must die!' Soon after that, the Specters were powered up, stealthed, and on the move towards their destination as well.
Temple Prime: Africa, Red Zone A-25 1900 hours
Deep inside Temple Prime's corridors, bathed in neon red lighting, two figures dressed in black leather cloaks were discussing the war. The taller one was completely shaved of his hair save for a well trimmed moustache-goatee. He spoke with passion, love, hate, intelligence, and fury all in one. This man is the Brotherhood of Nod's Messiah, their prophet, he is Kane the seemingly immortal being, for he has survived both of the previous Tiberium Wars and now has returned to wage the third war. His companion whom he speaks to was an android identifiable by the cybernetic eyes glowing red much like the lighting of the corridor. The android had jet-black synthetic fibers to give it some form of hair. The android was also covered completely in synthetic rubber representing skin, excluding the large laser cannon that was its right arm. The android was dressed in the same manner as Kane though it walked awkwardly in the tight, form fitting material.
"How goes the war my child? I trust that it goes well under your command?" said Kane happily.
"Master, all is going as planned, but I am only an extension of your will, my command is just your will," replied the android.
Kane chuckled. "No my child, you are the future of the Brotherhood. I am only to serve as guidance for our brothers and sisters to the path of salvation, but once we have reached that point…you must lead them on," he said.
"I do not understand Master, what do you mean by this?" asked the android.
"In due time my child, in due time it shall be revealed to you," he replied with a smirk.
"I have a new mission for you my son," Kane said, "As we speak I have sent a diversionary force to draw away any nearby GDI infidels in E-6, and there is a special task force that is going to neutralize the Steel Talons base in that zone. The base will then be secured by a large Black Hand assault force that shall be landing soon after by sea and air. I want you, my son, to enter that base and acquire as much intel as you can so that we may better prepare ourselves against those Steel Talons…relics from the past."
"As you wish Master, I go," the android said as he knelt before Kane. Kane reached down and placed his hand on the android's shoulder.
"Rise my son; you need not bow to me no longer for you are the future, you are the perfect embodiment of devotion, you are LEGION!" Kane shouted with utter passion.
The android known as Legion stared at his master with confusion as his programming forbade him from doing such an action, but he also believe the request was an order and he was created to follow orders without fail. Kane could tell that his command was not going over well with his commander, and yet he dearly wanted to see Legion rise. Legion was like a son to him though he lacked a heart or any other human body part, he was filled with circuits and synapse and processors and he was cold on touch due to the fact his entire body was literally comprised of a titanium alloy designed to resist even the most powerful shells and lasers that are known by either GDI or Nod. Still, Kane persisted in urging Legion to stand and look at him as his equal, for in a sense they are. Kane created Legion by himself over many years attempting create the perfect war machine and purely devoted being. Kane poured his heart, soul, and faith into him, some of which he physically did do. Thus he had created the greatest weapon the world has ever known, and Kane is a part of him physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Legion finally managed to gain control over his leg motors and proceeded to stand. He looked into his master's eyes which glowed bright with fiery passion and joy. Kane reached out hugging his 'son' with tears beginning to flow from his eyes.
"I am so proud of you my son; I have seen a great future for you. Upon your return, I will have a new mission ready for you that I think you will thoroughly enjoy," Kane whispered into Legion's 'ear'.
"By your command master, I exist to serve the Brotherhood, but I serve you above all," replied Legion.
"Peace through Power!" Kane cried.
"Long live Kane!" Legion cried.
Legion then turned to leave Temple Prime for the air tower where a Venom chopper was waiting to take him to Yellow Zone E-6. Kane watched his child go through the large doorway to his destiny with a smile and then left the room as well to prepare for the next part of his great plan with General Kilian Qatar. Kane knew that the alien device that he had derived Legion from, The Tacitus, had provided insight that there was a great alien civilization that thrived in, on, and through Tiberium, and as such he planned on calling down to Earth, and Kane already knew how……an enormous Tiberium explosion that would reach echo through space and call down the Visitors.
