Every week or so, a new headache rose. A small break would have worked wonders, but the Commander did not have that luxury. He sat in his seat around the large table with his neck limp. His eyes were shut. His head balanced on the backrest. His senses were filled with only the faint howl of the air conditioner. Henry's mind drifted from one thing to another, but never focused on a single thought. He would have exhausted himself more if he let his preoccupations get to him again. Though, it seemed that he had to give in as he heard a call from the other occupied chair.
"There isn't much to go by, Commander," Agent Graham informed.
He turned his laptop so that the Commander could see. Bradford went between the two men so he could observe as well. Henry brought his head upright as he messaged the back of his neck. The edge of the backrest did not make for the best pillow. He would have to endure the discomfort for a while. He fixated the screen.
"What were you able to find, Graham?" he asked.
"As far as I can tell, there are multiple versions of the same video," the agent explained. "The one we have is in English. The video was posted online and left to spread around. Whoever was the original uploader used a disposable account. This morning, American news networks were simultaneously hijacked and this video was played. Three hours prior, the same hijacking phenomenon occurred but in the British morning news. More videos appeared all around Europe but in other languages. If Exalt actually did do this, they must be even more capable than we thought."
"Have you forwarded these findings?"
"I've sent them to you, Bradford and the rest of Phoenix Squad."
Henry looked at the timetable describing the events chronologically made by Agent Graham. In the morning, the video had appeared online. Then, American news stations were hijacked. Canada was also targeted during the stunt. What worried Henry the most was that all of the events passed under XCOM's radar. Only hours later, before lunch, the officers had seen and reported the video to Bradford.
"Bradford, how did our officers not see this when it came out?" the Commander asked.
"It wasn't anyone's fault, Commander. The video entered our information stream but wasn't flagged quick enough," he explained. "We haven't updated our algorithms to detect Exalt activity. That's why we only came across it hours later."
"Did you report any of this to Omega Squad?"
"I did — only the video."
"Good. If they contact the CIA, let them. Let's see what they make of this."
"Will do, Commander!" Bradford confirmed.
Henry looked back at the laptop. The video was open in a minimised window. Perhaps, there were things worth noting inside. He could do some basic detective work.
"Play back the video!" the Commander ordered.
Agent Graham clicked to replay the file open on his laptop. The British exalt operative began to speak. Henry analysed it word by word.
Dear brothers and sisters, we have suffered. The world crumbles in the face of multiple scourges. We face hardships every day, but this is the hardest. Judgement Day has come. The people die in droves while those in power hide in their bunkers, accompanied by their cabal.
"Pause." the Commander ordered. "They mentioned Judgement Day. Do the videos in other languages reference it too?"
"Yes, Commander. Actually, the other versions say the exact same things — not accounting for inexactitudes in translation."
"Whoever wrote the script for the speech has some connection to Abrahamic religions, then. Not all religions feature a day of judgement," Henry concluded. "Also, the last sentence hints at some form of anti-authority sentiments. Let's see more. Keep playing."
Agent Graham wrote down the Commander's observations and clicked to continue the video.
We are divided. We are greedy. We are indecisive. Men and women, today is the day that we fight! Today is the day we unite. Today is the day that the evolution of man from its primitive stage begins. The invaders are only but a test. Rise up! We must fight the invaders with all our might! Take up arms, dear people, for today is the day that we now be exalted!
Bradford decided to comment, "It sounds to me they're trying to create some form of unity to resist the invaders. Perhaps, they oppose the current agreements we have?"
"Could be. Keep playing," Henry responded.
But first, we must end our divisions. We must strike the heads of the politicians who only wish to rule us like kings! We must fight to shatter our borders. We must bring the rich to their knees until they buy us the guns we need.
"Now, they're starting to sound like revolutionaries or anarchists," Bradford added.
"It does seem they desire some form of anarchy. The comment about the rich buying guns seems a bit off," Henry complimented.
They will be our allies. And when we have accomplished the first step to our evolution, we shall strike at the heart of the alien menace. We will defeat the illnesses ravaging our fragile yet powerful bodies. We will be an unstoppable force! We will be a kind who has transcended the barriers placed on us.
"They've talked a lot about 'evolution'," Graham pointed out. "What do you think they mean?"
"They could mean anything, to be honest," Bradford responded. "Maybe they want us to be a stronger version of ourselves. It seems consistent with the rest of their message. Maybe, getting their hands on alien tech is a way of achieving it?"
"Hold on. Play the last bit. That's where things get interesting," the Commander requested.
This message goes to the rulers of this world, to those fighting and failing to contain the alien menace and deny us the right to be at our maximal strength. We are Exalt! We are much stronger than any army. We are much stronger than that damn XCOM and Commander Henry Avant that you so hold dear. We are much more organised than the United Nations or its pathetic child the Council of Nations!
"Sound like they're fully aware of us, Commander," Bradford pointed out.
"They know about the Council of Nations too. They're well informed," Henry added.
"If I were to summarise this, Commander, Exalt seems to attempt at unifying humanity against the aliens while opposing our efforts," Agent Graham stated. "They want the people to rise up against the governments. They believe they can do a better job than us. How does any of this tie to alien technology?"
"As you mentioned, Graham, it could be a tool. The question is how do they intend to use them? The only way Exalt could make us of alien tech is by selling them to finance their movement or develop weaponry using them."
"I doubt Exalt would be able to do that, though," Bradford countered. "We're not talking about a nation, here."
"That's what bothers me," Henry replied. "Exalt is capable of hacking multiple news outlets in all major economies. Phoenix Squad found that Exalt has been attending auctions and scouring black markets to buy alien artefacts. Their weaponry, tactics and organisation allow them to rival us and the country they operate in. They can collect artefacts fresh from the source! Everything about Exalt suggests that they are more than just a fledgeling criminal organisation or some independent paramilitary force."
"More importantly, Commander," Agent Graham butted in, "Exalt is planning something."
He clicked to continue playing the video.
When the day dies and another is born, when the night reaches its apogee, we will strike. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. We will claim the tools that were bestowed on us. With them, we shall evolve into something much stronger. The clock is ticking. Our weapons are gleaming.
"What do you make of this?" Graham guided.
"When the day dies and another is born. When the night reaches its apogee," the Commander repeated.
"Midnight," Bradford concluded. "They're talking about midnight, no? It's a simple riddle — if it even is one."
"Makes sense," Henry reacted. "What will they do, though? What do they mean by claiming tools that were bestowed onto them?"
"Alien artefacts?" Graham proposed. "They might reclaim alien artefacts? But from who or where?"
"Whatever it is they're planning," Bradford interjected, "they don't want anyone to catch on. It must be so big they can't afford to fail. That's why they're throwing vague threats. Even so, they want to publicise they've got something ready."
"You're saying they're going after a big target, but there's a chance they might fail?" the Commander questioned.
"Why else would they not be direct? Sure, it's stupid to announce their plan like that, but they're clearly trying to intimidate us. Being vague won't get them anywhere."
The Commander scratched his chin in thought.
"Could this be a deception tactic? Maybe, they're trying to manufacture fear to hide something? They want us to divert our focus and catch us off guard. They'll attack a smaller target."
Agent Graham looked at his notes while his superiors were pondering. He read through his observations from when he had initially watched all the videos.
"Commander, there's something I'd noticed."
Henry dropped his queries and diverted his attention to the analyst.
"The people talking are British, American, Chinese, Russian and French. Even in the other versions in other languages, the speakers are the same. In fact, there are no signs of a voice-over. The same people repeated all the same lines in all the languages around the world."
"How did you pinpoint the origins of all the speakers?" Henry asked.
"I'm sure it wasn't a perfect bull's eye, but I studied all the videos and analysed the fluency of all the speakers. I had asked Bradford to supply me with some officers to aid in my analyses. I could tell that the British speaker spoke with a West Country accent but tried hiding it as much as possible by using Received Pronunciation. The American sounded somewhere from the south. The Chinese speaker spoke Mandarin and Cantonese fluently compared to Japanese or Korean. A few officers pointed out that the Russian woman sounded like she was from the East — around Vladivostok. As for the French woman, the officers noted she sounded like she was from Brittany."
The Commander pondered the agent's findings. British, American, Chinese, Russian and French. When he put the countries together, he could find a clear link.
"American, British, Chinese, Russian and French. The five countries are the permanent members of the Security Council," he revealed.
Bradford and Graham pondered the finding.
"Why are they focused on the P5?" Bradford mumbled.
"Maybe not focus but they're alluding to something," Henry responded. "This could be a deliberate choice. They're trying to send a hidden message.
The Commander took a deep breath and exhaled to focus his mind.
"Never mind all of this! We need to be on high alert, guys. Whether or not this threat is empty, we don't know."
Agent Graham and Bradford nodded in affirmation. The Commander and his team could theorise all they wanted, but the clock was ticking. If they were correct, at midnight, something was going to happen. Exalt was being secretive but wanted to sow fear in the public. Although, the public did not seem to be their enemy, rather their pool of allies. They were against the governments.
Bradford had to prepare his team to call out Exalt activity as soon as they saw it. The world was on high alert and XCOM needed to be too. Officially, it was no longer the Commander's job to deal with Exalt. Even so, Exalt directly challenged XCOM in its manifesto. It was in the Commander's interest to fight back, but with his hands tied. He had no choice but to sit at the bench, wait, and watch from afar. Despite his jurisdiction being limited to the aliens, the Commander would not just sit around while Exalt operated in the shadows. He had Phoenix Squad and Omega Squad. The United States showed some support, too. Though, Henry doubted the partnership was that simple.
"All right, listen up," the Commander said as he snapped out of thought. "Bradford, I want your officers to continue monitoring all findings involving Exalt. As soon as you got a lead, inform me and Phoenix Squad. Agent Dawson, I need you and your team to be ready for deployment at all times. If we are right, we've only got a few hours to prepare until midnight."
"Copy that, Commander," Agent Dawson replied.
Henry got up from his seat. Bradford and Graham followed the Commander. They had their orders — wait and react.
"I'll get my Night Teams ready, Commander," Bradford informed.
The Commander nodded as Bradford went to Mission Control to accomplish his task.
"Then, I'll give a debriefing to the others in Phoenix Squad," Agent Graham stated.
He saluted the Commander who returned in kind.
"You're dismissed."
Henry followed the agent out of Mission Control. He rode the elevator to the second floor where he split from his companion. His quarters were in another hallway.
There was nothing he could do. His mind was, yet again, plagued by a single thought. His chest ached. There was no pain. His body was simply tense. The world kept compressing him. It had grown stiff from all the cortisol. Balance rested on a waiting game. Exalt had the white pieces while Henry was given the blacks. Even worse, a large veil had been put on the other half on the board. His opponent was in the lead and had the luxury of being in the dark. Henry had to react to blows he could not see coming.
Part of him wanted to wait until midnight and rush back to Mission Control. As soon as his clock hit 23:58, he'd bolt out of his chamber. That was his irrational, reactive side taking control. His mind told him he needed to sleep through the night and trust his colleagues to wake him up. Or, he would wake up at dawn, having slept through an uneventful night. The whole ordeal could have entirely been manufactured, but he doubted it. Exalt was more than it tried to publicise, Henry knew that. Even if it lurked in the dark out of fear of being caught, he knew Exalt had the means to deal with it.
After all, Exalt was highly organised and well-armed. Not to mention, they had more than plentiful coffers. It took money to sustain its operations. Guns were and bullets were not cheap. Manpower was not cheap either. More importantly, buying alien artefacts from black markets and auctions was not cheap. If Exalt was a buyer and not a seller, they had money to go around. If there's one thing Henry had learned since the start of the invasion, money was like a magic wand. With just enough money, the world was able to create an organisation that outshined all in the war against the aliens. XCOM had not been cheap at all.
That made the Commander think. XCOM could not afford to head into auctions and black markets, and buy up all the stock. However, Exalt did. Was Exalt better funded than XCOM? The Commander had thought that impossible, but money was a complicated subject. If a small percentage of men were worth more combined than the rest of humanity, if countries could be economically booming whilst still swimming in debt, Exalt could receive more money than an organisation financially supported by all countries on Earth. The question became who spent their finances better. Hope bet that XCOM would be the winner.
The Commander stopped himself from delving further into his stresses. He put his index on the scanner and let the door to his hiding spot open itself. In his bedroom, he tossed his uniform's coat on a hangar. His shirt underneath had small dark spots. The heat had made him sweat. He browsed his drawers for another shirt and put the old one into a designated large sealable bag after roughly folding it. His mind was too preoccupied for simple dexterity and the laundry work came out shoddy. He would have to send the bag to the laundrymen in the morning. He wrapped the handle around his doorknob so he would not forget. He only wanted to reach Mission Control the next morning. Breakfast came second. Showers came second. Brushing his teeth came second. Sending his clothes to be washed came second.
As the Commander sat down on his bed, he took a breath to calm his senses. How was he going to fight the aliens in his current state? It dawned on him that he was not even stressing out about the aliens. Exalt was not alien yet they felt equally terrifying. They were not exactly capable of raining plasma bombs from the sky, but he would not be surprised if they could.
He got up from the edge of his mattress and headed to his bathroom. He let the tap spew water into his hands as he flicked it onto his face. He grabbed another handful of water and wettened his cheeks and forehead. He splashed himself again as his mind raced back to Exalt. It was useless. Taking his towel, he wiped the mess he had made at his sink and dried his head. Instead, he poured himself a glass of water and opened his nearby cabinet.
Erena had given him a little something to help. This was not the first time he could not sleep. Although, the physician had recommended he see someone to help him unload some weight off of his shoulders. The Commander simply had no time. He had to soldier on. The least she could do was ensure he could keep on going without deteriorating. Henry had taken her concerns seriously and focused as best as he could to stay on top of both his physical and mental health. Sadly, the world was not a utopia.
He removed the sheet of aluminium from the thin box and applied pressure on one of the protrusions. A small blue pill popped up and he tossed it into his mouth, accompanied by a gulp of water. He flung the remaining water into the sink and put the medication back in the cabinet. This was the third time he had to rely on them.
After switching all his lights off, he set the air conditioner to cool him and let the sleep aids take over. As expected, he could only think of work. Exalt. . . Exalt. . . More Exalt. He shifted to his other flank, hoping that would drive him asleep. He looked at his digital clock. Two hours left until midnight. His mind drifted to work once more, but the thought eventually faded. Suddenly, he no longer felt preoccupied with work. He let it be. The night had granted his wish and consumed him.
The alarm blared. Just as he did every day, he swung his hand out to shut it. Rising from his pillow, he saw that it was seven in the morning. He got up onto his feet and looked around. He remembered. Exalt.
The Commander washed his face quickly and went through his routine as fast as he could. Tucking his unbrushed hair into his cap, he swung his coat around and connected his arms to the sleeves. He went for the door to his bedroom. The bag on the handle made him pause until he remembered. He reluctantly grabbed it and went into his living room. The laundry room was only a hallway away from the main elevator anyways. Best to get it done than be forgotten.
Having dropped his clothes into the large basket, he walked as fast as he could to the elevator, then to Mission Control. The announcer declared his presence. The staff saluted. Henry almost looked relieved, but an officer rose from his seat to talk to him.
"Sir!" he called out as he saluted.
"What is it, officer?"
"It's Exalt, sir. They've struck."
Fuck. Henry accompanied the senior officer to his station.
"Spill the beans already. What happened?"
"We've received a direct communication from the CIA. Exalt has attacked a research facility."
"A research facility?"
"Yes, sir. Apparently, it was where recovered alien artefacts were being held for scientific purposes. It was a heavily guarded military base too. The base seemed to have lost connection to the outside due to sabotage. During the night, the base was raided and robbed of all artefacts and data. When an inspection team arrived, they reviewed all CCTV footage. A large body of combatants stormed the base wearing military gear, after midnight."
"How did you determine it was Exalt?" the Commander asked.
"Their gear was a mishmash of equipment and all operatives wore orange-and-red striped bandannas. Not to mention, they graffitied the Exalt insignia all over the military base."
"What the hell? Has the CIA shared anything else?"
"No, sir. They're trying to track down the culprits and their cargo."
"Are there any other attacks by Exalt?"
"No, sir. Just the one we know of."
That did not seem right. There had to be more. Exalt did not go through all the trouble of causing a global fuss just to attack an American military and research facility. Unfortunately, he could not know unless he inquired. He only knew about the one in the U.S. because the CIA was cooperating with him.
A buzz from his phone disrupted him. Henry reached for his pocket and checked the alert. The Spokesman wanted to talk.
"Commander Avant, we're receiving a transmission from the Council," an officer yelled out from his seat.
"Patch it through to the Situation Room!"
Henry looked at the senior officer next to him.
"All right. Keep up with anything that pops up. And, inform Bradford!"
The Commander dashed to the adjacent facility. He rushed to the display's panel and selected to receive the call. The Spokesman appeared on the large screen. The Commander positioned himself to where the camera on top of the screen could better see him.
"Spokesman, what seems to be the situation?"
"Commander, we have been watching the recent developments regarding a previously unknown rogue organisation that calls itself Exalt. We believe this group harbours some misguided agenda and is intent on acquiring alien technology and artefacts."
The Spokesman had his usual serious tone; the message was rehearsed. Whatever he was going to say, it was something that was discussed and made official.
"After the publication of multiple videos taunting the governments around the world, Exalt has launched an attack on multiple military bases around the world. France, the United Kingdom and the United States have independently reported an attack. The targets were all research facilities housing alien artefacts. With these new events, the Council has voted for the direct involvement of XCOM in stopping these operations."
The Spokesman took a breath, signifying the end of his rehearsed monologue. He softened his posture and opened his mouth to speak.
"If you need an incentive, Commander, there has been an agreement regarding the laws around XCOM's property. Since Exalt and their affiliates are under XCOM jurisdiction now, all artefacts recovered against them will be XCOM property instead of the nation on which they were present."
Henry raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was quite the incentive. He imagined that the nations were reluctant to make the change but gave in to the fear of having Exalt operate in the shadows.
"I see. So just like an unpacified alien threat, all artefacts in their possession are — under International Law — unclaimed?"
"Precisely. The laws apply as if nothing had been claimed. As long as you play an active role in an operation against Exalt or supposed affiliates, all artefacts will legally belong to you. You are also authorised to use all resources available to you in eliminating this threat."
"Have the nations shared any details on Exalt?" the Commander inquired.
"I'm afraid the nations have only started investigating this threat recently. The news hijackings and attacks in the United States, United Kingdom and France have just convinced the world to take Exalt seriously."
"That means that we possess the most intel on Exalt," Henry realised.
"It would seem that way, Commander," the Spokesman affirmed. "I will inform you of any developments. I hope that this secondary directive will not distract you from your previous one. XCOM has to maintain its efforts against the aliens and preserve human life. Never forget that, Commander."
Henry nodded.
"I can handle a second enemy."
"Very well. We will be watching," the Spokesman concluded as he slammed his index on the button to end the call.
The Commander stuck in front of the large screen in thought. He needed to end Exalt quickly if he was to focus on the aliens. One large headache was enough, but a second was bound to overwhelm him. The Commander only had one head to ache. He needed a lead. He had to examine everything about the attacks last night.
The Commander was surprised. Exalt proved to be more and more formidable by the second. They had sleeper cells all around the world. The first nation to be attacked at midnight was France. The council managed to get some intel from Paris. At exactly midnight, communications were cut — investigations could confirm the cause to be sabotage. It was just like what the CIA had reported. The French military base was overwhelmed by well-armed combatants. The Exalt operatives were armed with weapons manufactured locally in France but also from Germany, Italy and Belgium. They had everything from assault rifles, sniper rifles and even anti-tank missiles which they were not shy to show off. The Exalt operatives also seemed to have had military training. Though, looking back at the footage, about half of Exalt's forces were composed of rookies. Unsurprisingly, they were the main casualties.
After the garrison was gunned down, the operatives stormed the facility and rounded up all the staff. It seemed like they interrogated and executed them after getting what they wanted. Then, they burst into the vaults and packed the loot. They graffitied the walls with Exalt insignias during their extraction. What surprised Henry the most was that the operatives made an effort to dispose of their dead. They put them in a pile, doused with gasoline and lit it all up. They had gathered all the reusable gear before the mas cremation. Afterwards, the Exalt operatives hijacked all military aircraft, hauled their loot and flew out.
Just like that, they had raided a French military and research facility. No calls for help could be sent. Nobody lived to tell the tale. They intentionally left all security footage untouched. In fact, the operatives seemed to have rehearsed the entire raid, knowing that somebody would be watching and gauging their performance afterwards. Of course, a few operatives decided to flip off the cameras and some surviving rookies went further and got reprimanded.
Their extraction was like clockwork too. They had people amongst them who knew how to pilot helicopters and military airbuses. As soon as the loot was loaded in, the assault team strapped in and they were off. France had not yet been able to track down the hijacked vehicles.
An hour later, the same events occurred but in the U.K. — Scotland. The Exalt operatives were armed with British and German weaponry. Next, the United States became the target. When Eastern Daylight Time indicated midnight, all hell broke loose. Operatives equipped with American weaponry flooded the base. The American facility was more heavily guarded so Exalt planned accordingly. Not to mention, the attack did not happen at midnight since the base was in Nevada where the time zone was different; most of the garrison was awake.
The Commander finished reviewing the reports. He had saved all of it to the new dossiers on Exalt. Now that XCOM was in business, he had a reason to treat Exalt the same as the aliens. That meant heavily documenting everything. He would have his staff study them more than they already had. He could finally look away from his screen.
"Commander," Bradford called.
"What is it?"
"Their next targets are China and Russia," he declared.
"You think so?"
The confirmed targets were France, the U.K. and the U.S. They were three out of the five permanent members. Exalt's messages were focused on the P5. That was if the assumption behind the speakers were correct.
"Think about it," Bradford continued. "The Earth rotates counterclockwise. That means that nighttime travels west. Imagine a line on Earth that indicates the area is currently midnight. That line travels westward. If our starting point is Paris, London will be on the line, an hour later. A few hours later, it's Washington, DC. But, what about Madrid? What about Dublin or Lisbon? After Washington comes Ottawa, but that ship has sailed. The line has crossed those cities, but nothing happened.
"My point is that Exalt is attacking specific countries. Right now, we can only assume their goal is the P5. If that's true their next target is China. The clock hits midnight in Beijing at 12:00. Next, comes Russia. The clock hits midnight in Moscow at 5:00 pm."
Henry looked at the time. It was almost 9:30. He had less than three hours.
"Bradford, contact Beijing. I want China to cooperate with us until it's the next morning for them. While you're at it, get me Moscow on the line. Tell them that we strongly believe they'll be attacked next and that we're willing to aid them. I want you to alert our bases in Europe and northern Asia. Make sure they've got an interception team ready."
"Copy that, Commander. I'm on it!"
The Commander doubted it was that simple. Exalt was smart. He did wonder, though, if they were deliberately making a mistake — allowing their enemies to act. Exalt was directly challenging XCOM. An unusual organisation like them had to have some brilliant minds. Those brilliant minds would have realised that they left a huge margin for a response. If they had attacked China first, they would have attacked the United States last. The order would have been Beijing, Moscow, Paris, London and Washington. The time zone difference between Washinton and Beijing was twelve hours. Instead, they started in Paris and ended in Beijing. Beijing was six hours ahead of Paris — eastward. Westward, like the "movement of night, it was eighteen hours. That gave the world six more hours to react.
For now, he preferred focusing on what he knew. He had less than three hours until the next attack in China and less than eight for Russia. That gave XCOM and the Council enough time to organise a response. Once again, Henry was in a waiting game. He was tense; he did not like not choosing his own battles. Unfortunately, almost all battles fought by XCOM were initiated by the enemy. However, he had allies at his side. All those battles had made him feel like he was fighting alone with his troops. With the help of China and Russia, he was emboldened.
The Commander was at the cafeteria with a fork in his hand. The cooks had offered him a Greek power bowl. It looked appetising, but he could not focus on enjoying it. His hand reached for his pocket to pull out his phone every minute or so. He was waiting. His company noticed that he was on edge. His food was devoid of taste.
Soon, the alert came. It read "Exalt, distress call". Thankfully, the Commander had robotically bit away at his meal for the last few minutes and was done almost done eating. He grabbed his metal cup and washed down his last bite in one go. Grabbing his tray, he dashed towards the washing bin, dropped everything off and went for Mission Control.
"What's the situation?" the Commander yelled.
"Sir, China has notified us of a raid on one of its military facilities," an officer informed. "Command sent out a distress call stating that they were under attack by a large armed force and wanted reinforcements. Should we send help?"
"Is the PLA sending reinforcements?" the Commander asked.
"Yes, sir. A sizable one, too."
That doesn't seem right, Henry thought. Did Exalt mess up?
"Have the assailants sabotaged the base's comms?"
"Nothing of that sort was reported, Commander," the officer replied, confused.
Henry was not convinced. Exalt should have sabotaged all communications before launching the attack. That was how they avoided facing external forces.
"Any orders, Commander?" the officer asked.
"Yes. I want our officers to contact China. I want them to do a full sweep of all of their bases and inform us of any bases that are unresponsive! Tell Executive Officer Zhihao Duan to standby an interception team of at least four squads. We've got a limited window so get on it."
The Chinese government was hesitant but performed the sweep as requested. They were intent on defending their assets at their restricted research facility in the Yunnan province so all their manpower was focused on that endeavour. The sweep came back conclusive minutes later. Thankfully, the Chinese were on high alert and had prepared to mobilise. They found that one of their many research facilities had not heeded their calls. They sent a team to investigate. However, the Commander had not wasted a single second.
"Get me a focused satellite image of the area. I want to see every spec of that base!" he ordered.
The officers tapped and sent out their commands. An XCOM satellite over Asia was temporarily diverted from its usual tasks. One of the screens in Mission Control displayed the scene for everyone to see. The military base came into view as the advanced satellite focused on the image. The military base was surrounded by multiple objects that looked like transports. A section of the base was also clouded by smoke. The final nail in the coffin was a small flash of what looked like a combustible explosion. The Commander ordered his Executive Officer in Asia to deploy his forces. The XCOM base in northern Asia would broadcast the operation to XCOM HQ in North America.
Exalt had done an unexpected move. The Chinese confirmed that the assailants in Yunnan wore red-and-orange striped bandannas. The second attack was in the Xinjiang province. Nobody could confirm that the attack was conducted by Exalt, but the sabotaging of the comms was consistent with their strategy. Henry assumed that the attack in Yunnan was a distraction. The PLA seemed to have fallen for it since they were heavily focused on defending the research facility. They did not neglect the situation in Xinjiang, but they did not seem to respond with the same sense of urgency.
Chinese reinforcements would take a while to arrive. XCOM would arrive at the attack site first. Perhaps, that was Exalt's goal — to fight with XCOM. Of course, that meant that they somehow knew XCOM would arrive first. It was either a hunch or they knew about the base in Mongolia. Of course, if they knew XCOM would respond, they would know that it would not arrive alone. XCOM would notify the Chinese government of the attack. Naturally, that was what Henry did.
The Commander was right; Exalt had thought of everything. The Chinese convoy sent to the base in Xinjiang reported being locked in an ambush. That meant that XCOM would be the sole reinforcement until Chinese airborne reinforcements would arrive. Exalt was much more formidable than the Commander had expected. He was prepared to face a strong foe, but he did not expect them to organise three well-armed assault forces. The only way the situation could get worse was if Exalt somehow had anti-air. Just in case, Henry alerted his forces in Asia of the possibility.
An officer in Mission Overview called for him. It was time for a battle. XCOM's squads in Asia had arrived. Touchdown was in three minutes. Henry wanted to see just what Exalt was capable of. Since he was monitoring his own XCOM troops, he had one of the best views any party could provide him. Vitals, camera feed and audio feed broadcasted live. Despite the events unfolding on the other side of the globe, the connection was as strong as it would be locally. Shen had always worked wonders. The Commander ordered all audio to be broadcasted through speakers so he could listen in on his staff in Asia. A buzz erupted from the speakers, followed by the voices of unfamiliar men.
"Central, this is Tengri. Reporting descent into AO," a voice said.
"Copy that, Tengri. As soon as Alpha-17 is down, clear the skies. Make space for Orochi to land," Executive Officer Zhihao Duan replied.
"Copy that," Tengri, the pilot, replied.
Henry turned to address his officers.
"How many squads is Duan deploying?"
"Six squads, sir. The rest of the transports are airborne and on standby for landing," an officer responsible for relaying the events replied.
The Commander looked back at the feed.
"Central, this is Orochi. Landing zone is clear. Proceeding to drop Bravo-17."
"Copy that, Orochi. Clear the skies for Kudaai, after deployment," Duan replied.
The Commander was unfamiliar with the codenames used by his staff in northern Asia, but the system was the same as in North America. It made things easier to understand.
"Central, this is Kudaai. Orochi had cleared the skies. Proceeding to land Charlie-17."
"Copy that, Kudaai. Clear the field as soon as you're done."
A few seconds went by as the squad of foreign XCOM soldiers deployed and joined the rest of their comrades. The next squad was Foxtrot-17. The squads that should have come before it were recovering from a previous battle.
"Central, this is -"
The audio was suddenly interrupted by static noise. The live video feed and vital signs were suddenly cut.
"Musashi? Musashi, do you copy?" Duan called.
Henry ordered his officers to open a channel with Executive Officer Duan. As soon as the officer reported they were connected, the Commander began to talk.
"Duan? Do you hear me?"
"Commander! You heard what happened?"
"Yes, I did. What's the status on your Musashi?" Henry asked.
"We don't know. Our soldiers' vitals aren't responding properly. The cameras are displaying static and our audio is too noisy to make out an—"
Duan suddenly stopped talking.
"Duan?"
A few seconds of silence ensued before an answer came.
"Commander, my officers believe the attackers are increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. They're jamming our communications!"
"Is there any way around this?"
"No, Commander. They've produced the effect across multiple frequencies."
"Dammit! Try to get through to our troops!"
The Commander ordered his officers to focus the displays on anything the satellites above the area of operation could gather. The feed from the satellites showed small dots — the troops — steadily engaging the enemy. The air transports had all deployed during the panic. Thankfully, the soldiers and pilots were prepared to organise themselves in case a situation where contact was lost arose. Their training dictated they should gather as much intel as possible from the ground, assess the viability of their previous directives, and proceed with the mission or make new plans. The field commander at the Chinese research facility took a more cautious approach and skirmished with the enemy with all of his troops.
"Sir, we've got a lifeform scan active on the area. All unobstructed targets are being marked on the screen," an officer reported.
The lifeform scan was only useful for the onlookers. The jamming was directed towards XCOM's forces, so they could not receive any signals from the satellites above. It helped the Commander and his XO in north Asia get an idea of what his stranded troops were up against.
Henry noticed a lot of red dots suddenly converging in one area. More red dots appeared as enemies from inside buildings ran out in the open where the spectroscopes could pick them up. They went towards where the others were. He focused on identifying the rally point. An airfield? The contacts were extracting.
As more and more red dots appeared, they all went towards the airfield. The field commander had ordered the troops to converge on the enemies. She stopped skirmishing and decided to make a push. The fight raged on for minutes until the first stolen Chinese aircraft lifted off. The rest of the hijacked planes and helicopters followed. The satellite imagery showed a small explosion and the pixels composing one aircraft moved erratically. It went immobile, supposedly crashing into the ground. Another one was taken down. The rest of the blurry aircraft zipped out of view.
Half an hour later, communications were re-established. The squad secured the entire base of hostiles and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, they reported that all Exalt stragglers took their own lives after seeing their comrades extract. No prisoners could be taken. This time, there were a few survivors. Some of the Chinese researchers and soldiers managed to stay hidden from Exalt during the raid. Although ashamed of letting the enemy go, Colonel Mei Zheng assured them they were more useful alive. She interrogated the survivors.
The attack was as expected. All the communications dishes were sabotaged using explosives. Any other devices were jammed the same way XCOM was. Exalt fought fiercely to reach the vaults. Looking at the security cameras, they looked like they were in a race against time. That translated into heavier casualties than usual. The survivors were ordered to evacuate along with their escorts, but they were stopped when the fighting reached them and went into hiding. Colonel Zheng assured that their testimony was worth gold. She relayed the rest of the events as, by that point, XCOM forces had reached the area. Her forces had caught Exalt hauling the loot into their transports and those to be hijacked. Her skirmishing slowed down a number of Exalt operatives and goons. The rest reached the extraction point, but a few were shot down by XCOM guided rocket launchers. Colonel Zheng's troops did well, but in a sense, letting their opponents make it out alive was the best outcome.
Bradford came back after his lunch break. He asked as many questions as he could to catch up on what he missed.
"Bradford, I've got a task for you," the Commander informed.
"What is, Commander?"
Shen's satellites were the best of the best. He had strained himself a lot to come up with a satellite capable of tracking alien aircraft. If they could track dozens of alien aircraft, they could track a few Chinese aircraft. They were just not trained to identify them. Thankfully, Henry was quick to direct Executive Officer Duan to keep his satellites fixed on those transports. They may be the lead that Henry desperately sought to strike a painful blow on Exalt.