The skies were clear. Saudi planes patrolled cautiously around the mall. The aliens were left to their own devices after the local task force sustained many casualties. They instead formed a perimeter around the plaza to ensure nothing went in or out. They were set up in nearby buildings with snipers and their riflemen were hunkered down watching the entrances and exits. They could not secure the bodies of the fallen since the aliens had the mall and the outside parking lots on lockdown. The damaged cars would have provided excellent cover if it was not for the floating aliens that would fly out to take on whoever got too close.
The real problem was the countless civilians that were trapped inside. The aliens were not targeting them with their plasma rifles, but with another device that spewed the green abduction web; the same one from the pods. Camera footage showed the aliens inspecting all captured bodies. They were all neatly collected in the centre of the mall, where a giant glass dome allowed them to see the skies, likely where they would bust their ships through.
They examined the countless unfamiliar objects. The numerous shelves stocked with products looked alien to them. An array of unknown devices littered every corner of the shopping centre; none of them, weapons. The aliens were presumably looking for something more militaristic. One could argue that they were trashing the entire mall, but Vahlen phrased it more as "the aliens were studying us". It was a shame since the Saudis had a reputation of spending a lot on making buildings look nice, especially if they were named after royalty. The vibrant colours were disrupted by patches of char. The otherwise clean floors were covered with blood. Given all the victims, it left a gruesome carpet. The alien's plasma was hot enough to burn a hole through its unfortunate victims and cauterise the wound at the same time. It was useful since it limited bleeding, but there was still blood to be shed.
"Central, what's the situation on the ground?" Henry asked.
"Commander, my teams have identified a sizable alien presence. We've got around 50 just by surveying the cameras. No alien reinforcements seem to be en route. Don't see any extraction windows either. Saudi planes are patrolling the air so you'll be safe to land."
"Thank you, Central."
The Skyranger shook due to turbulence. The squad dug into their seats to avoid sliding off.
"That was quite the current!" Specialist Haidar Patterson commented.
"It's just a little turbulence," Natalia reassured. "Nothing we can't handle. Anyways, we're close to landing."
Henry grabbed a cluster of battery arrays from the Skyranger's storage compartment.
"All right. Everyone, grab and lock batteries," Henry ordered. "We should hit the deck soon. We won't have a lifeform scan to aid us so make use of your infrared. We will be in close quarters combat, but that seems to be usual with the aliens! Point being, watch yourselves once we breach the mall."
Alpha-1 grabbed the batteries off the Commander and locked it into their suits. More power-intensive functions were displayed available. After the team was ready, Henry tapped on his wrist device to talk to the pilot.
"Big Sky, how's the flight of birds going?"
A crackle came in Henry's helmet.
"Everything is okay, Commander. The other squads report being ready for combat. We're approaching the AO in a bit. I'll ask you to buckle up."
"You heard him, squad. Take seats and belts on," Henry ordered.
The XCOM transports arrived. The aircraft slowed down and looked for a suitable place to land. The Saudis had cleared nearby roads which made ideal landing zones. The Skyranger, the Nightglider and the Frostrike all deployed their landing gear. With a small change of cabin pressure, the ground could be felt with a small thud. The three squads got out of their transports.
The XCOM troops followed the Commander to the Saudis' position. M2A2 Bradleys guarded the outer perimeter to prevent civilians from coming close to the fighting. A few squads patrolled the outskirts of their zone of control. The Saudis displayed their relief after seeing XCOM's forces. The XCOM squads were let through the outer blockade. The Saudi force's leader came out of his makeshift command station to greet XCOM. Henry did not waste a single second. He took his helmet off as no alien was around to threaten him.
"Commander Henry Avant of the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit! How many aliens are there?"
The Saudi captain coiled, surprised at the sudden question.
"We don't know, but our intelligence is keeping eyes on the building using cameras. They say that there's a lot more than forty in there," he responded.
"About what our guys say too; fifty. And what are the aliens identified?"
"If you mean the species, we have Sectoids, the Fake Men, Seekers and what my soldiers call 'Floaters', from Arabic to English."
"Floaters, huh?", Henry muttered to himself.
He put his helmet back on.
Henry went closer to the front line to inspect the situation. Saudi forces were entrenched at the border of the parking lot. Nearby building and structures were used by the soldiers to remain behind cover. Snipers surveyed the entrance as the riflemen below did the same, but with less care.
The aliens were nowhere to be seen, but the Saudi captain confirmed that they were in a "staring contest" with the aliens. Both sides observed each other's moves. Nobody fired. The Saudis waited for XCOM and nearby military reinforcements while the aliens did for theirs.
The two entrenched sides formed a no man's land out of the parking lot. Bodies were already fresh on the ground. They were all human. By the looks of it, an unsuccessful assault or a crushing skirmish.
Henry looked at the mall's windows.
"Visor Command, Zoom," Henry said.
He observed the enemy's position.
"I can see them, Commander. Well entrenched," Arthur informed, looking through his sniper rifle's scope.
"Don't fire yet. We should not provoke them until we have a good approach," the Commander ordered.
Colonel Archer and Colonel Zuniga came to inspect with the Commander.
"What are you thinking, Commander?" Zuniga asked.
"I'm thinking about how we should proceed," Henry mumbled.
"Harlech Castle, this is," Colonel Archer reacted.
Henry's forces could not simply charge in; not with the lack of intel. The bodies in the parking lot was already a hint at the outcome. The aliens were never efficient at long-range combat which might have been why the Saudis had not been attacked yet. Close quarters was their speciality and the aliens always exploited it well; intentionally or not.
Henry did not have time since the aliens could be calling for reinforcements and extraction. The Saudi captain had deployed everything that was allocated to him so friendly reinforcements were out of the question in the current state of the conflict.
The mall was an excellent fortified position so engaging from afar would have little effect. Although, it was still possible to engage the enemy from the entrenchment; Henry could skirmish from afar in a siege. If he wanted to take down as many aliens in a siege, he needed heavy weapons. XCOM's light machine guns were not enough. He needed something of a higher calibre. Henry remembered the M2A2 Bradleys guarding the outer perimeter. He navigated his wrist device to contact XCOM HQ.
"Central, I have a very complex task for you and your officers!"
"What could it be, Commander?" Bradford asked, curious as to what Henry had in mind.
"I'm going to deploy our squads along the parking lot in front of us. We will be skirmishing with the enemy," the Commander informed. "I want you to assign certain officers to monitor the live camera footage of the aliens positioned behind the walls of the mall. I want them to triangulate their location using the security camera feed and pin it our helmet's virtual vision. Set a marker in our helmets so that we may target the enemy."
Bradford stood silent for a second, trying to comprehend what Henry was plotting.
"Oh, I see. That's one way to mimic a lifeform scan!" Central reacted. "Don't worry, Commander. I'll get right on it."
The officers immediately worked on the new task they were given. Now, Henry was only missing one item. Henry approached the captain in his makeshift station.
"Captain! I need your Infantry Fighting Vehicles on the frontline!"
The captain looked stunned at Henry's request.
"What is it for?" the captain asked.
Henry noticed a folded map of the mall and grabbed it to aid his explanation. He unfolded it and pinned it on the wooden table between him and the captain.
"Look, the aliens are well hidden inside the mall. They've been watching us this entire time and will fire immediately when we make an assault. Ever since the invasion began, the aliens always fought in close-quarters ground battles."
Henry pointed at the walls on the map that his troops and the Saudis were facing.
"I'm planning on using the heavy munitions of your Bradleys to suppress any hostiles stationed at the walls. The autocannon should be enough to punch through the walls and kill any aliens behind them. Then, they will be forced to either sustain casualties, pull back or sally out. I remind you they only fight in close quarters! If they keep absorbing our fire, good for us! If they pull back, we have an opportunity to gain ground and prepare for a breach on the mall. Without their 'defences' manned, we won't come under fire. If they sally out, get your men ready because it's about to rain hell. Things are about to get hotter than this desert."
The captain sighed. He looked at his troops fixating the enemy in the distance. He grabbed his radio.
"It's the only way we can resolve this situation. I will do as you ask, Commander of XCOM."
The captain called all of his troops to the frontline. He decreased patrols ensuring no aliens exited from any side of the mall. He ordered all of his forces to concentrate at the spearhead.
"One last thing, Captain. Keep your fighters patrolling the sky in case the aliens finally decide to wrap things up. I'd like your troops to be ready to receive my commands at all times. We must eliminate our foe before their help arrives."
The captain called out to a few of his radiomen.
"Commander, these men can help you communicate with all of my troops here. They will follow you and your team. Everyone here is under your command."
The captain and his immediate entourage grabbed their rifles and prepared for a fight. With some waiting, a convoy could be heard in the background. The perimeter guards let the vehicles through until they reached the encampment. Ten American M2A2 Bradleys stationed themselves throughout the encampment. Henry ordered his squads to form fireteams and operate the mounted machine guns. The Saudis got out of the vehicle turrets and gave their seats to the XCOM soldiers.
"Bradford, your officers got the aliens ready to be pinned?" Henry asked through his comms.
"Yes, Commander."
"We've got ten of our guys on the turrets. Get your officers to pick one and we'll begin the barrage."
The XCOM soldiers in the turrets picked a sector of the wall to fire upon. As small markers appeared in their interface, they aimed their weapons to sweep the wall clear of the aliens. The Commander ordered his teams to cover. He selected to communicate to all of his squads with his wrist device. The Saudi radiomen were hunkered at his sides, ready to relay any orders.
"Commence in 3," Henry said. ". . . 2 . . .1. Open fire!
The crackling of the autocannons overcame the soft howling wind. Small pieces of debris flung out of the walls. The aliens fell as the rounds burst out of their cover and struck them.
A faint object could be seen flying out of the shopping mall. A trail of smoke followed the group of objects. They were aimed at the entrenchment.
"Commander! Those are the Floaters! They're attacking!" the Saudi captain yelled through the barrage.
"All forces, we have a counterattack! Weapons free!" Henry alerted.
The engagement began as the Floaters flew towards the encampment. More Floaters emerged from the mall as they smashed through the windows of the upper floors. The Bradleys managed to eliminate some who were caught in the fire, but most and it through the barrage.
With the Floaters out in the open, Henry could get a clear look at his new enemy. They were all hideous beings and were not uniform in appearance, unlike the other aliens. They were a big blob of flesh with a head but no mouth or nose to don it. A mouthpiece covered most of its face. They had eyes but they were either hidden under their suit or were completely artificial. The mishmash of flesh and metal had a jetpack that was part of its body. It looked crude compared to the rest of the aliens' fabrications. With no legs and only robotic arms, the Floaters were left to hopping from arm to arm or flying with their jetpack. Henry only wondered how they functioned in their natural state; without all the augmentations. In contrast, Dr Shen's use of Meld was more elegant. If there was one thing Vahlen and Shen could learn from the Floaters right off that bat, it was not to abuse science.
Some Floaters had the decency to cover up all the mechanical components in them with a small hull. Others had suits that exposed the inner-working of their implants. Pipes were going from one part of the body to another. The common destination for all of them seemed to be the "mouth". The other pipes led to small canisters of green material. It was probably the abduction web that the aliens used to incapacitate their targets. It looked altered since it was in a liquid state.
The Saudi soldiers were prepared for the counterattack. As soon as the Floaters came out, their snipers and riflemen thinned the crowd. The flying abominations were not easy targets since they were surprisingly nimble while airborne and could dodge gunfire. The Floaters flew over the encampment and shot down at the soldiers below. More of them joined the fight after bursting through the mall. The camp soon became overrun with them. XCOM tried their best to combat the swarm of enemies above them. The built-in radars proved useful in keeping an eye on the enemies' positions.
The Floaters shot out their plasma at the soldiers below. Little could be done to defend. Pain filled screams could be distinguished from the roaring of the flying aliens. Henry ducked as a plasma bolt almost came near him. He turned to see one of his assigned radiomen drop as a small fire dwindled from his chest. A hole had been recently burnt in his bullet-resistant vest. Another bolt came, vaporised, and melted a chunk out of Henry's left pauldron.
Despite the mess on the battlefield, Henry rallied his troops together.
"Everyone, force activate Anti-flashbang Mode in your helmets!", Henry yelled holding another stun grenade. "Visor Command, Engage Anti-flashbang Mode," he ordered his suit.
The helmet's inner screen darkened, and hearing was limited to a muffled racket from the gunfire. The three squads dropped smoke grenades to hinder the aliens' sight and a few flashbangs to momentarily stun their foe. Henry threw the grenade only a meter away from his feet and rose his rifle to fire off whatever shots he could while waiting for the grenade to go off. A burst of light appeared from below his feet, accompanied by a small trail of grey smoke. After a few seconds, the helmets went to back to normal.
The flashbang proved effective against the Floaters. They caused them to scream in agony. Henry had to capitalise the moment. The Floaters were still difficult to hit, but they put less of a fight when they were feeling the aftereffects of a flashbang and could not shoot back due to the dense smoke. The built-in infrared scanners outlined all detected signatures. It was only a matter of distinguishing friend from foe.
The task was simple considering the aliens' distinct enough anatomy. The soaring monsters dropped down like flies. The troops disabled their jetpack or eliminated them, causing the Floaters to slam into the ground. They went down with a huge thud as they smashed into the concrete and bounced off of cars. The XCOM troops shot at the grounded aliens as they scrambled to get back on their "feet".
The XCOM soldiers formed a circle behind whatever cover they could get behind. Their arcs of fire surveyed every direction a Floater could come from. The infrared scanners picked up nothing. Still, the troops kept their guard up.
The wind picked back up, slowly blowing the smoke away. The Saudis recovered from XCOM's friendly fire incident, only to be gifted with an atrocious sight of Floater corpses. Human bodies were also at their sides. Some Saudis were stunned as the man they had been talking to a minute ago was revealed dead. They sustained many losses from the sally-out. XCOM was luckier thanks to Jackal Armour. Three XCOM soldiers were lost. The majority was hit at some point but were saved by the plasma-resistant armour. Some needed medical attention to deal with the burning sensations on their skin.
Henry ordered the Saudi Arabian troops to take back their seats in their IFVs. The barrage continued. This time, the aliens opted to pull back from the walls as confirmed by the officers in XCOM HQ. Now that the parking lot separating the army tents and the mall was unguarded, the assault could be prepared.
After the troops recovered, Henry ordered his allies to run across the half-empty cement field. Not a single plasma bolt was fired. They hugged the wall to ensure that no aliens could see them if they decided to man their barricades again. XCOM's squads got into their respective air transports to be lifted to the roof. The roof had stairs that led to staff restricted areas. XCOM's assault would begin from the top.
The aliens were concentrated on the bottom floors. The Saudis could not simply barge in since the moment they did, all of them would be gunned down. Instead, Henry would create a distraction by breaching in from the top. The aliens would be forced to reposition accordingly. Once things would get too heated, the Saudis would launch their assault on the ground floor. Together, they would attack the aliens from two levels. Henry asked his radiomen to inform their comrades. Using Bradford's help, Henry planned out the route to secure the mall.
The squads shotgunned the doors open and rushed down the stairs. The staff-restricted rooms and corridors were devoid of aliens since they were locked during the initial attack. That also meant that the staff were alive, hidden and waiting in those areas. XCOM marked all detected human infrared silhouettes in blue, signifying that they were civilians. The staff were guided to the roof before the breach on the 6th floor would begin.
Colonel Archer took Alpha-2 to take secure another section of the mall. Alpha-3 under Kristina Zuniga secured the doors leading to the public spaces of the mall, looking for the best breaching point. On the other side were aliens scattered around to patrol, oblivious to their enemy behind closed doors. After minutes of going from door to door, Alpha-1 and 2 reunited with Alpha-3 and were ready for the assault.
Before starting, Henry took a moment to ensure that the Saudi Captain could hear him once he gave the order for their attack. The radiomen would stay behind the XCOM troops since they were integral to the operation.
"All right, get ready. The onslaught begins," Henry said. "Shotguns in the front, break the doors. Take out the enemies and we move to the next floors. Archer, you take your squad to the left, Zuniga, you take the right. Once we clear the floor, find a path to the 5th floor. Zuniga, as soon s we're done, don't waste any time going down. Archer and I will distract the aliens by firing on the 5th floor. You breach, and we run down the stairs to aid. You will be alone with the whole alien force opposing you. Just last a minute! Rinse and repeat. Once it gets too hot, the Saudis will spring their trap."
"Everyone got that?" Colonel Archer asked his squad.
His squad responded with a " Yes, sir!".
Zuniga's squad got their orders too. Everyone was ready to breach.
"Shotguns! 3. . . 2. . . 1, breach!" Henry yelled.
The shotgunners fired their weapons on the door locks and kicked them open. The nearby Sectoids and Thin Men were startled by the sudden appearance. They could not react fast enough to avoid the bullets flying toward them. Alpha-2 and Alpha-3 separated from Alpha-1 to clear the rest of the 6th floor. The squads eliminated all hostiles with ease since the top floor was less guarded.
Alpha-1 positioned itself near the edges behind pillars to shoot down at the aliens below them. Alpha-2 went back into the staff areas to get to the 5th floor while Alpha-3 did the same but from another access point.
Vorobyova remained vigilant for any Seekers that flew up to attack them. The others were focused on shooting below and checking their flanks in case a Seeker appeared. Alpha-1 kept the pressure up since it was their job was to distract the aliens while the other two squads made their way downwards. At the corner of their eyes, their comrades broke down the doors to get behind the Sectoids. As soon as they heard the shotgun noises, Alpha-1 stopped shooting to avoid friendly fire and get to the 5th floor. As soon as the level was clear, Alpha-1 and Alpha-3 made their way down while it was Alpha-2's turn to provide cover fire.
Colonel Archer faced more and more resistance as more aliens gathered at fighting. Archer's squad took a few hits since the glass panel railing did not provide much protection. The Saudi Captain checked in, hearing the crackling of guns and the sizzling of plasma. Henry assured him that their plan was working. He still had to wait for the signal.
Alpha-1 and 3 were in position to breach their respective doors. Just like on the 6th and 5th floor, they shot the doors open with shotgun shells and took out the aliens nearby before spreading out to clear the level. More and more enemies gathered so the squad hastily got behind cover. A few XCOM soldiers coiled back as they were hit by a volley of plasma.
Thin Men hid inside stores and occasionally peeked out to spit poison or shoot. The poison did not do much, but some soldiers started to feel dizzy as they breathed in small doses of toxins. The medics injected doses of Vahlen's new antidote to aid their comrades and prevent further damage.
The plasma shots were more concerning since most soldiers took hits and their armour was weakening. Sgt Dante Moon of Alpha-1 was the first one to sustain a grave wound in his squad. Multiple accurate shots managed to chew through his armour until it reached his skin. The plasma burnt through layers of his skin and muscle. Fernando came and determined that was not life-threatening. His suit started injecting a small dose of morphine to counter the pain from the burning on his skin and muscle. Coagulants were deployed to the area thanks to the medicines. Fernando patched up whatever he could. The squad suppressed their enemies, allowing Fernando to escort the Sargeant out of battle and into the staff rooms.
Alpha-2 and Alpha-3 made it to the 3rd floor and shot down the doors. They caught the aliens by surprise and alleviated the tension on Alpha-1. Much of the aliens' numbers dwindled, but the remaining enemies were all concentrated near the firefight. The close-quarters combat intensified.
"Commander, there's too man of them! Our armour won't hold with more hits. Our breaches are almost empty too!" Natalia informed.
"Alpha-2 and 3, what's your situation?" Henry asked through the comms.
"We're in process of clearing our areas! There's a lot of them!" Archer responded.
Zuniga did not have it better. Casualties started to rise for XCOM.
The aliens left the opening that XCOM's allies were waiting for. Henry queued the Saudis to begin their assault. Henry waved at the radiomen providing whatever aid they could while hiding at the upper floors. He switched his helmet to Speaker Mode.
"Radiomen! Tell your guys to prepare!" Henry shouted.
The Saudi Arabian soldiers communicated with their comrades.
"Commander, the Captain will throw flashbangs!" the radio operator yelled.
All soldiers primed their suits to counter flashbangs.
"They've shifted! Breach now!" Henry yelled to the radiomen.
The Saudis rushed through the mall entrances and pushed into the halls. While the aliens had another front on their hands, XCOM continued clearing the higher levels. Vorobyova took her shotgun and shot the door lock off with a slug. She ran into the 2nd floor and immediately came under fire. She hid behind a pillar while her comrades provided covering fire. She reloaded and shot her shells at the foe. Her squadmates ran out off the door and into combat positions.
Alpha-2 and 3 breached through their doors and assisted against the aliens gathering around Alpha-1. After the level was clear, the squads proceeded to the first floor. A grenade went off in the background as Sectoids did their high-pitch coo and Seekers appeared from the shadows. XCOM breached the doors to the ground floor assisted by the Saudis.
The last alien dropped while trying to reposition against the Arabian soldiers. It ran directly into the hail of bullets that also eliminated its alien comrades. Everyone kept their guard up in case any hostiles were left. No contacts remained according to the infrared scanners. Despite all the trust in their technology, the XCOM soldiers remained vigilant.
The otherwise packed mall was full of dunes made of human flesh. The pile of green bodies overshadowed the exotic products of the many shops. The scenery was ruined by the countless bullet holes and charring.
"Commander. . .", Specialist Arthur Stone said as he stared at the countless green-wrapped bodies.
"Yeah. This is . . . a mess," Henry reacted.
"All these bodies, what for?" Natalia asked.
Nobody had an answer.
Haidar took a deep breath and was the first to look away from the hideous sight. Many of her comrades followed. Gail put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. Their usual smile was nowhere to be seen.
"Nothing we could have done. I doubt our Saudi friends could have done better," Gail commented. "But man, how many beers will it take to deal with this?"
Arthur took off his helmet and raised an eyebrow at his brother-in-arms' statement. Gail did not notice since he walked away from the scene.
Fernando was in the background treating the wounds of his brothers and sisters-in-arms. Yuri Kosta waited as Gabriel Vargas inspected the holes in his armour.
There were no UFOs incoming nor were there any aliens left according to the sweep of security cameras. Henry ordered his troops to sweep the entire mall again. A few civilians were recovered and the wounded that were left behind in safety were brought back to their comrades. The medics had done whatever they could to help the wounded, but the medical staff at HQ could provide more assistance. Henry asked Bradford to alert Erena so she could be ready.
The Saudi captain came to Henry's side. They both stared at the green wrapped bodies. The captain patted his ally on the shoulder.
"Commander, forgive me. Our military is weak. This would have never happened," he said ashamed.
"No. You did well this day," Henry reassured. "We're as responsible."
He looked back down at the bodies in vegetative states. The people who were once there could not come back. Their bodies were perfectly preserved and would be kept for years to come. Such technology could be useful in other fields, but aliens used them to commit such acts.
"Commander, what happens to the people who are wrapped?" the Saudi Arabian captain asked. "Once you recover them, what do you do?"
"We . . . give them . . . barbiturates," Henry replied.
"Barbiturates?" the Saudi captain inquired.
Henry did not reply. Better than a bullet to the head, he thought.
The transports came in. The wounded were the first to be seated for the uncomfortable ride. The others followed, securing the bodies of their fallen comrades before stowing their gear and buckling for the flight. As the sun fell, XCOM flew over the Mediterranean to get back to base. Everyone was ready for some rest. However, there was not much hope that a large pile of bodies would not haunt their dreams for the week.