Chapter 22

"'GDI science teams have been gathering every possible bit of transmitted data and physical evidence about the aliens since the moment of invasion. Data analysis of alien transmissions has indicated some connection between the Tacitus recovered from Kane and the invaders.

The transmissions recorded from the invasion force seem to be patterned in a similar way to the data structure in the Tacitus. This leads us to believe that the invaders are the Scrin, or perhaps some faction thereof. It is clear upon closer examination that this invasion force demonstrates acute differences from the source of the Tacitus in dialect and physical form. Perhaps they shared some distant connection, or there was some ancient contact between their cultures?

One transmission we decoded using our most advanced decryption computers indicated alien chatter regarding another alien race they had previously encountered. We were unable to translate the word for the other alien race, but the encryption computer returned the terms brother, ascended, enemy and Scrin. This casts some confusion on the nature of the invaders, as they share a multitude of attributes with what we have come to know as the Scrin. It seems unlikely that this is the very same alien race that brought the Tacitus to Earth, but the connection is undeniable.

If this is true, we should consider the Tacitus our most valuable military asset. We must somehow find a way to unlock its secrets.'

GDI InOps FLASH Report - Dr. A. Bass, PHD, Director of Extraterrestrial Research"

-Intelligence Database: Alien Origins, Connection to the Tacitus.

Ground Zero, R-1

September 10th, 2047

1200

John stood on the bridge of the Arcus, staring out the vast window at the landscape below. Fifty years ago, this was once a verdant region, dominated by the Tiber River. It was here that the Tiberium asteroid crashed landed, and spawned the horrible nightmare that was the next five decades. Now, the Tiber River was no more, dried up and xenoformed into the hellish landscape that was Ground Zero. It was here, upon this cursed ground, that the aliens had built their Control Node. While the nature of the Threshold towers was still unknown, InOps had managed to determine that the Control Node was the most important alien object on Earth. It was from here the entire invasion was being controlled, and it was from here that it could be ended.

While the aliens could control their forces via their Motherships, it was discovered that the Control Node was vital as it distributed a type of Tiberium radiation across the planet. It acted as a signal to command all alien forces, and as a pipeline to deliver the essential Tiberium the aliens relied on. Destroying it had become GDI's top priority, and John Lancaster had been charged with its destruction.

Arrayed below the Arcus was the largest strike force the Global Defense Initiative had ever amassed. Four full infantry and mechanized divisions, a full ZOCOM regiment, and a battalion of surviving Steel Talons were at John's command, along with roughly a battalion's worth of Forgotten forces. And approaching from the rear of the alien's fortifications was General Krause and another two full divisions of ZOCOM troops. It was going to be the largest battle of the Tiberium Age.

But the aliens would meet the GDI assault with equal force. With the destruction of all the Thresholds, save the one in Southern Italy, the aliens had rallied all of their forces here. The ground practically writhed with the amount of alien forces arrayed against GDI. John could already see three Eradicator Hexapods at the lead of the alien army moving to meet him. What was left of the invader armada was also being deployed against them, with nearly fifty PACs and twice as many Devastators blotting out the already darkened sky. All John had to challenge this threat was the Arcus, a dozen Kodiaks, and several squadrons worth of GD-22s, Firehawks, and Raptors.

General Granger had been apt in stating that this battle would be the deciding factor for the future of mankind. Either John would win and the invasion would be stopped, or he would lose, and humanity would be doomed to extinction. This battle would be for all humanity.

"What is the position of General Krause's forces?" John asked, breaking the silence on the bridge.

"He is still being delayed by that Nod force. He estimates it will be roughly forty minutes before he can commence his assault." Athena reported.

John scoffed. Of course Nod would play a part in this final battle, and of course it would be against GDI.

"We will have to begin without him. We can't delay any longer. EVA? Begin the assault."

"Affirmative, Commander."

The Battle for Ground Zero began as the darkened Red Zone was lit up by three beams of energy fired from three Ion Cannons as they simultaneously struck the ground. The earth simply disappeared from the sheer biblical amount of energy unleashed, and all that was left behind was a blackened crater. Thousands of alien forces had been obliterated, but the invaders merely swarmed into the blast crater like a tidal wave, with portals opening to bring more Hexapods and Tripods to the forefront. John had secretly hoped the Ion Cannon strike would have done more, but he ultimately knew it would only inconvenience the enemy.

"Alright, its time. All forces: attack!"

The GDI host moved to engage the charging alien horde. And leading this force was the largest ground based weapon GDI had created: the Mammoth Armoured Reclamation Vehicle, or MARV. The MARV was a mobile refinery and gun platform. Armed with a tri-barreled, ship grade sonic cannon, the MARV was a perfect answer to the aliens more powerful units.

The thunderous blast of the MARV's main gun instantly destroyed a Tripod, and the fusillade of railguns and sabot rounds fired by the Mammoths, Predators, and Titans cut a bloody swath through the alien front lines. As the tanks began to engage, Juggernaut SPGs and M300 Hover MLRS started to rain death upon the aliens. In response, plasma discs, energy lances, and Tiberium projectiles ripped into the GDI forces.

The battle had just begun, and already it was a chaotic and bloody affair. John knew the battle would drag on for hours, as the aliens would fight to defend every inch of ground leading to the Control Node. The blasted fields of Ground Zero would be drowned with blood, both alien and human. But John would have to turn away from the ground battle for now, because if he could not gain control of the skies, then this whole endeavor would be lost.

"Colonel Miles, coordinate with our ground commanders. We need to push through the enemy quickly."

"Yes, sir."

"Lieutenant-Colonel Ryder, you and I will coordinate with all of our air assets. Let's show these aliens that humanity rules the skies."

As Athena began controlling the ground battle, John and Ryder left the bridge and made their way up to the air control tower. The Arcus was far larger than the Huron, having command and control functions from the bridge, a separate CIC, and the air control tower. While John could command the air battle from anywhere, he decided it would be best to do so from the tower, giving him full view as well as allowing Athena to operate without distraction.

Once in the tower, John immediately noticed the twelve Kodiaks that had taken up positions around the Arcus. The GDI air fleet was grossly outnumbered and outmatched, but John felt confident that with the Arcus' firepower and the skill of GDI's pilots, they would prevail.

"Commander, I recommend we focus our railguns on the Planetary Assault Carriers. We know that if the Carriers are destroyed, the drone fighters they control lose power." Lieutenant-Colonel Ryder suggested.

"Agreed. Our fighters will screen the enemy Stormriders and Drone fighters, while the Kodiaks and the Arcus' main guns deal with the Devastators. The railguns can pick those PACs out one by one." John explained.

The alien air armada looked menacing with their overwhelming numbers. But John remained steadfast, even as the aliens entered firing range.

"Enemy bandits spotted! Stormriders and Drones, and lots of them!" An officer shouted.

"PACs are staying in the rear, Devastators are moving up. They're firing!"

"Vampire! Vampire! Vampire!"

"All air wings are engaging!"

John tuned out the controlled chaos unfolding behind him. He watched as hundreds of human and alien fighter craft clashed with each other, sending rockets and plasma dancing across the tortured sky. Meanwhile, plasma discs were beginning to rain down on the Arcus and the Kodiaks. Some missed, while others found their mark, causing fires to erupt across the air ships. The Kodiaks responded with the thunder of their guns, which chewed through the alien's energy shields and the hulls behind them. The Arcus followed up the salvo with a volley from it's own railguns, eviscerating two PACs and causing their squadrons of drones to self destruct.

"Sir, more enemy ships are closing in. We're being encircled!" Ryder warned.

"EVA, initiate orbital strike." John ordered calmly.

Using the same trick he developed during the skirmish at the Threshold, he had EVA predict the flight paths of the alien warships.While the three Ion Cannons John had been granted would be useless now they were recharging, he also had access to fifteen Rods from God satellites. The alien ships maneuvered closer to the GDI airfleet, unaware of their impending doom. The tungsten slugs punched through the thick cloud layer and began to pummel the aliens ships. Rods that missed simply landed amongst the alien's ground troops, causing massive amounts of damage. Devastators began to explode by the droves, raining flaming debris onto the battle below. The number of enemy ships began to drop rapidly, but not nearly enough to even the battlefield. Unfortunately, after several minutes of non-stop destruction, EVA warned that the weapons satellites were out of ammunition.

"Get me numbers on the enemy fleet!" John barked.

"Sir! The enemy air fleet was one hundred and forty-eight. After the orbital bombardment and opening salvos, the fleet is now ninety-four." An officer reported.

Ninety-four ships to John's thirteen. They had dealt a devastating blow to the invaders, but it still was not enough. The Devastators launched another barrage of plasma discs, causing even more damage to the Kodiaks. The Arcus also shuddered from multiple impacts, and damage control teams began shouting out damage reports. The GDI ships retaliated, and scored several more kills, but it still wasn't enough.

"The Moss Shen is going down! Life pods are launching." Ryder warned.

"Send a flash message to Colonel Miles: tell her to get a unit over to those pods to rescue them." John ordered instantly.

"The Michael Dugan reports extensive damage and is requesting permission to pull out."

"Denied! We need every gun available!"

John and several others officers were suddenly knocked off their feet as the Arcus was raked by plasma fire. A squadron of Stormriders flew past the tower's window, deftly avoiding the ship's CIWS.

"CAG, get those fighters off us!" John growled angrily as he got back up.

"Commander! I have new contacts! Its…what the hell?"

John rushed over to the radar operator's station, and leaned over their shoulder. John spotted the new contacts, and had a similar reaction to the operator's. Numerous Tiberian Floaters, some of the largest John had ever seen, began latching onto the hulls of alien Devastators. The Floaters began to constrict their tentacles, and discharged electrical blasts that started peeling off armour plates. The crew stood flabbergasted as the mutant creatures helped destroy the alien warships.

"Lieutenant-Colonel, send our thanks to Remus and his Forgotten. I don't know he got those things to attack, but it may have saved our asses." John remarked, still stunned.

The aliens seemed likewise confused by the Floaters' intervention. Devastators attempted to avoid being grabbed by the creatures, while flights of alien fighters broke off to shoot them down. John in turn shook himself from the bizarre scene, and got back to work.

"We need to press the advantage! The enemy still outnumbers us, so let's get some of our fighters targeting those Devastators."

Another Kodiak began to plummet to the earth as it took the brunt of a plasma disc barrage. John was now down to only seven ships, but with the aid of the Forgotten's War Floaters, he was able to redirect several squadrons of Firehawks. The fighters launched their missiles and tore through the enemy warships. Alien drone fighters tried desperately to stop them, but they were shot down by GD-22s supporting the Firehawks. The air battle was beginning to turn to GDI's favour, as more and more alien ships were destroyed. Two Floaters latched onto a PAC, ripping the carrier in two, and causing more drones to self destruct. That seemed to be the final straw for the aliens, as the sky lit up with the opening of a portal.

"Massive energy burst detected!"

"Sweet Christ! Mothership!"

"Stay calm, people!" John shouted.

The Mothership appeared behind the crumbling air fleet and began to slowly move towards John and the Arcus. A squadron of Firehawks attempted to fire their missiles at the Mothership, but they were all shot down by the ship's point defences. A few Floaters also attempted to latch onto the outer ring, only to be sliced in half by energy lances. The central weapon began rotating, moving to face the Arcus. John knew exactly what would happen if that weapon fired.

"Focus all fire on that ship! Give it everything we've got!" John roared.

The sky thundered as dozens of heavy cannons and railguns fired simultaneously. The Mothership's shield lit up as it took the barrage, the rounds exploding harmlessly against it. More Firehawks and GD-22s fired their entire payloads, but they too could not penetrate the shields. Rounds continued to explode against the energy shield but the Mothership slowly rotated its weapon, not even phased by the attacks. As soon as the central tower stopped rotating, the primary catalyst weapon immediately fired, lighting up the entire area, and would have destroyed the Arcus in a single blast had the pilots not dropped altitude at the last possible moment. Nevertheless, the energy beam sliced across the upper deck, destroying several layers and vaporizing dozens of point defence weapons. The temperature inside the ship also rose to nearly lethal levels before instantly dropping back to normal. The Arcus and her crew survived, but they would not be so lucky a second time.

"Weapons status!" John demanded.

"Uh…weapons are fully operational, sir. But we lost several crew when-" Ryder began before John cut her off.

"Fire again! We need to break those shields!"

The battered air fleet fired another salvo against the Mothership. The shield lit up as more rounds exploded against the energy barrier. The amount of firepower being unleashed was enough to level entire city blocks, but the shield held strong. Energy began coalescing into the central weapon again, charging up for the Mothership's final strike.

"Command, this is Captain Gates of the Alexander Romanov. Our weapons are nearly depleted, and we arelosing power. I have ordered my crew to abandon ship, but I will pilot the Romanov into the Mothership. Hopefully that should bring the shields down. Good luck, Commander. Captain Gates, out."

John looked out the window to see the Kodiak Alexander Romanov charging towards the Mothership. John could see a look on Ryder's face that told him she wanted John to order Captain Gates to stop. But John didn't budge, because he knew the Captain was right. The Kodiak's mass might be enough to break the shield. If not, it didn't matter, because they would all be dead anyways.

The Romanov crashed into the Mothership at full speed. The explosion was blinding, as the Kodiak's Tiberium fusion reactor ignited. When the glare from the detonation dimmed, John could see the energy shield was still up, but only for a brief moment before it finally failed.

"He did it! All ships, fire! Fire! Fire!"

A final salvo was launched, and the cannon shells and railgun slugs ripped through the Mothership. Segments of the outer ring began to break off and fall to the ground, while a lucky shot pierced the main weapon and destroyed it in a glorious explosion. The Mothership was destroyed, and the remaining alien ships began to retreat. GDI had just won the air battle of Ground Zero, though John could see it came at a heavy cost. Only four Kodiaks had survived, and all were heavily damaged. The Arcus itself was struggling to stay afloat, and its ammo reserves were nearly depleted.

"Are any Kodiaks still operational?" John asked more somberly.

"The J. C. Carter reports they are 57% operational." Ryder responded, emotion raw in her voice.

"Alright. Order the Carter to start providing support for the ground troops. Order all other Kodiaks to pull back. Inform all fighter wings to return to resupply and then provide support to ground forces. And have the Arcus take up a holding pattern. I will be returning to the Bridge. Lieutenant-Colonel?"

"Sir?"

"Keep an eye on the enemy. Make sure we maintain our hold on the skies."

"Aye, sir."

John nodded, then left the air control tower. Making his way back to the bridge, he was able to see the full extent of the damage taken. Exposed wires were sparking, metal plates had fallen and were littering the halls, and men and women ran past to carry out a myriad tasks. John even spotted several wounded simply laying in the hallways, clutching hastily applied bandages. Most looked at John as though he had personally caused their pain, and in some ways, he figured they had a point. He forced himself to ignore their glares though and stepped back onto the bridge, where Athena immediately shouted,

"Commander on deck!"

"What's the situation on the ground?" John asked as he stepped over to the holographic table.

"Things were stalemated for a moment there, sir. Our forces were having difficulty breaking through the sheer number of alien troops. However, when you blew up that Mothership, it caused the enemy to glitch for a moment, which gave our guys the advantage they needed. We are now pushing to the outer edge of the alien's primary base." Athena reported hastily.

"Are we in range to start hitting the Control Node?"

"Unfortunately, no. There are still a lot of defences and alien troops in the way. But we are starting to grind them down."

"What's the status of General Krause and his force?"

"Last communication from the General stated that they had just driven off that Nod force. They were sorting out the casualties and should be here in twenty to thirty minutes."

John took in all the information as he watched the battle play out over the holographic display. His forces had found themselves in a shallow ravine that had once been the Tiber River. This put his force at a disadvantage, as the aliens now held the high ground, able to fire freely down on the GDI troops. But what had truly caused the GDI advance to halt was the row of Storm Columns, strange, coral-like structures which could create and direct miniaturized Ion Storms. In a way, the structures acted similar to the Brotherhood's infamous Obelisk of Light. As John watched, bolts of ionized lightning ripped through the GDI armoured vehicles, causing them to explode and turn into billowing pyres. The MARV fired its main gun in retaliation, obliterating a Storm Column and most of the hillside along with it. Meanwhile, Mammoth tanks and Titan walkers were trading fire with Annihilator Tripods, while smaller vehicles on both sides attempted to flank to the other. It was a gruesome duel.

The Arcus shuddered as the railguns fired, likely having been called in by a ground unit. The sole remaining Kodiak also began firing on the alien defences below. With GDI now in control of the skies, John felt confident that victory was at hand. Glancing over the enemy base, John highlighted a large ridge that seemed unguarded. The MARV would have a clear line of sight to use its massive gun to destroy the Control Node. John issued the order to clear a path for the massive vehicle, and his forces complied. The aliens crumbled under the intense fire of so many tanks and walkers, while their infantry fell to the fury of GDI's soldiers. The invaders could not hope to stand against the assault, but they were sure to make John's forces bleed for every inch.

"Move Remus' forces to support the right flank. That way we can pull back some of those Mammoths to cover the MARV." John ordered.

"Sir! I'm getting some strange energy readings emanating from that object in the base's center." An officer suddenly warned.

John looked to the object in question; a tall structure with four prongs. No one had ever seen this device before, and InOps had no intel on it. Before the battle had started, EVA had determined the device to be unpowered and therefore not a threat. That assessment appeared to be wrong.

"Woah! The energy readings are going off the charts!"

"What the hell is happening?" Athena barked.

"I… I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before… I-"

"What is that?" John asked, cutting through the growing commotion.

Everyone stopped and followed his gaze out through the bridge window. Outside, hanging above the battlefield, was a black sphere. Large enough to be seen by the naked eye, but otherwise, appearing no larger than an Orca attack craft. Then, the sphere began to grow larger. Warning klaxons began screaming as the Arcus inexplicably began being pulled towards the expanding sphere. The pilots struggled to fight the odd force, and regain control of the floating fortress.

Meanwhile, John found himself transfixed as the sphere – a black hole, his mind rationalized – grew ever larger. As the sphere began to grow, so to did the gravitational forces, quickly reaching the point where John's forces began being sucked into the gaping maw. At first, only men and light vehicles were being pulled in like motes of dust, but eventually, even heavy tanks were picked up like children's toys. The black hole seemed to grow with every thing it sucked up, and John watched in anger and fear as even the enormous MARV could no longer resist, and it too was sucked up. Human and alien alike were consumed by the black hole, and even the ground itself began to break and crumble before being flung into oblivion.

Then, without warning, the black hole vanished, as if it had never been there at all. John moved closer to the window as the staff behind him struggled to get things back under control. All that remained of John's forces was a great gouge in the earth, like God himself had taken his hand and ripped it all away. Entire units, thousands of lives, gone. The aliens were already taking advantage of the loss, pushing out from their base, not even phased by the losses they suffered. What troops had been beyond the range of the black hole weapon were already being surrounded.

Even the losses sustained in Croatia and Sarajevo paled in comparison to what had just transpired. Entire full divisions were gone, with their scattered remnants now being hunted down by merciless aliens.

"John!"

John turned at Athena's frantic calling. Guessing by her use of his first name, he figured she must have been calling him for some time. The rest of John's staff and the bridge crew were looking to him, desperate for guidance.

"What should we do, sir?" Athena asked, fear evident in her voice.

"What…um…what units do we have left?" John tried to figure out as he struggled to come to grips with the super weapon strike.

"Sir, we… we have suffered 90% casualties. We can not maintain this offensive. We must pull back." Athena asserted.

"No. We must have some units to break through. We need to destroy the Control Node. We can still win this."

"John. We need to pull back. General Krause's forces are only a few minutes out. They can complete the mission." Athena said pleadingly.

Anger shot through John; he would not retreat. He had listened to Athena at Sarajevo and retreated. It was only by the determination and skill of Rubicon Company that victory had been pulled from defeat. He would not falter again: he would win this battle and end the alien's invasion.

"Rally all surviving forces here. Have the Arcus and the Carter cover our ground troops as they regroup. And someone find me a spot to target the Control Node. We can use our surviving Mammoths in place of the MARV."

"Commander, this is suicide. We need to fall back and allow General Krause to-"

"That is enough, Colonel. I have given my orders."

"Sir-"

The ship lurched violently to its side, causing everyone to fall to the floor. Klaxons again started blaring as explosions began to rack the ship. The ship's heavy guns retorted, firing at the unseen attackers. John managed to climb to his feet and noticed on the holographic display that dozens of Seekers were targeting the Arcus. With no ground forces to oppose them, the aliens were moving their anti-air weapons to try and take down the Arcus.

"Move us out of range! Increase altitude!" John roared.

"Aye, sir." The pilots responded.

"That will take the ship out of weapons range, sir. We won't be able to assist our ground troops." An officer hastily added.

"Order the retreat, sir." Athena said with steel in her tone.

"You do not tell me what to do, Colonel Miles."

"You will get our men killed."

"EVA! Get me Generals Granger and Krause on comms. Now!" John barked, turning away from Athena.

He walked over to the communications terminal, and to his annoyance, Athena joined him. Before she could continue her protests, two screens lit up with General Granger and General Krause respectively.

"John, what the hell is going on? I'm getting all kinds of conflicting reports. Something about a super weapon?" Granger inquired.

"Commander, my forces are meeting fierce resistance from the aliens. Why hasn't the Node been destroyed yet?" Krause asked with barely contained anger.

"Yes, General, the enemy has deployed a super weapon against my forces. No, we have not destroyed the Node because my forces were just wiped out!" John didn't bother trying to hide his anger. "What's left of my strike force will be annihilated if I can't get reinforcements immediately! Have General Krause send more troops here so they can reinforce my assault."

"Negative, Commander. It would take far too much time. Pull your forces back, Krause's forces can take out the Control Node."

"General, I can do this. I just need more forces."

"Incoming transmission." EVA stated, cutting through the increasingly heated conversation.

Before anyone could ask who would be calling now, Director-General Boyle appeared on a third screen, and judging by the shocked and angered looks from Granger and Krause, had cut into their comms as well.

"Commander, do not listen to Granger. He has been withholding vital information from you." Boyle stated rapidly.

"Commander, now is not the time to listen to this madman's politicking."

"John, Granger is trying to commit you to an unwinnable battle. Why? Because he knows I seek to replace him with you. He sees me as a political threat! You know its true. Granger wants you gone. Why else would he not tell you about our Liquid Tiberium bomb? John, listen to me. I've had R&D create a new weapon, one that can destroy the aliens!"

"Are you insane! You saw what happened after that damned blast in Sarajevo. Another explosion like that in a Red Zone would be catastrophic. It would kill millions."

"It would end the war! It would save billions!"

"Commander, Boyle has gone insane. The reason I didn't tell you about the Liquid T-bomb is because it is untested, and the results could be ten times worse than what happened in Sarajevo. You can not use that weapon."

John stood there, numb to the world around him. Granger and Boyle continued to scream at each other, while officers behind him yelled for his commands. Soldiers were dying every second John remained inactive. He could retreat, let Krause and his force destroy the Control Node. But then John Lancaster would not be known as the man who ended the invasion: he would be remembered as the man who had run away.

"Commander." Granger's voice cut through John's clouded mind. "Ask yourself what your father would do."

"No. Ask yourself what would John Lancaster do?" Boyle interjected.

Granger's poor choice of words had finalized the decision in John's mind. His whole life, he had lived in his father's shadow. The hero of the First War, the Great Commander. Today, with the simple push of a button, John could forever inscribe his own place in history. However, it seemed Athena had also recognized Granger's error, as the sound of multiple weapons being snapped up caused John to turn around, and he found himself coming face to face with the barrel of Athena's pistol.

"I will not let you do it. I won't let you kill millions, not again." Athena said.

"Put the gun down, Colonel." Lieutenant Fullerton demanded, his rifle pointed at Athena.

"I know you, John. I know you want to do what is best, but this is not it. Boyle has poisoned your mind, I can't let him manipulate you into using that weapon."

"You will drop the gun now!" Fullerton roared.

"Ever since Croatia, I've seen you grow more obsessed with the idea of your own legacy. Of making sure everyone knows you aren't your father. But is that worth it? Is that worth the blood of millions?"

"You truly think me so vain that I would base my decision on that alone? This weapon can not only save us, but save the whole damn world! The aliens will be defeated, and the Brotherhood could never challenge us again. This is our chance at true peace."

"Our mission has been to destroy Tiberium, not use it as a tool for genocide!"

"My mind is made up. Order our forces to pull back to the maximum safe distance. Have the Arcus pull up to the stratosphere and ready to receive the launch codes from Reykjavik." John ordered his staff, ignoring the gun still pointed at his face.

"Damn it, Lancaster! Don't do this!" Krause pleaded.

"John, I am ordering you to stop!" Granger growled.

"This is the right path, son. You will be a hero!" Boyle beamed.

"I won't let you do this. You're right, John. You're nothing like you're father: you are far too much like Kane."

The bridge grew deathly silent as a single bullet rang out, and a body hit the floor. John sucked in a deep breath as Athena lay at his feet, clutching the stump of where her right hand used to be. Everyone looked to the commando and his smoking rifle, before he slowly lowered it.

"Get Colonel Miles to the infirmary at once!" John roared.

Two officers rushed to grab Athena and help her to her feet, while one yelled into his radio. The three left the bridge, a trail of Athena's blood being left in their wake. John walked away from the communications station, his back turned as the three monitors blinked off one by one. John clutched the command table with white knuckles, struggling to keep the tears at bay. So much had happened in such a short time, he still struggled to process it. But his mind had been made up, his decision final. John Lancaster would end the war and bring about a thousand year peace. He would inscribe his name is human history forever.

John Lancaster pushed the button.

… … …

Burke slammed a new magazine into her rifle and stood to fire at a Ravager that had her squad pinned down. The creature died in a satisfying shower of green blood, but it was replaced by two Disintegrators. Burke let out a string of curses as she ducked back into cover. A Predator rolled up to assist the embattled infantry, but before it could get a single shot off, a lance of energy sliced right through the tank causing it to explode. Burke followed the energy lance back to its source and cursed as she spotted a Devourer tank. Glancing back to friendly lines, she spotted two soldiers readying their missile launchers.

"Suppressing fire!" Burke called out.

She and her squad stood and fired on a line of Disintegrators and Ravagers that threatened the rocket troopers. Several of the aliens died in the opening salvo, while in a surprising display of self preservation, the others darted for cover. The aliens seemed unconcerned with the lives of their forces, but the closer GDI got to the Control Node, the more the aliens seemed to display human tactics.

The two rocket troopers fired, their missiles impacting the Devourer at the same time. Blood spewed from the tank as it collapsed, its barrel snapping as it hit the ground. Before anyone could capitalize on the tank's destruction, two Gun Walkers skittered into view and fired a hail of plasma towards the GDI infantry. Burke and her squad were forced back into cover, as plasma impacted all around them.

The sudden thundering of a 30mm cannon caused an abrupt end to the plasma fire. A Forgotten Diablo tank rolled into view, leading a group of Forgotten warriors. Without warning, several dark shapes leapt out from behind the mutants, and charged at the aliens. Disintegrators and Ravagers were cut down by razor teeth and spikes of Tiberium, as a pack of Tiberian Fiends tore into the alien infantry. Burke was honestly stunned to see the mutant beasts ripping off alien limbs, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Push up with the Forgotten! Get behind the enemy lines!" Major Ri shouted.

GDI and Forgotten troops surged forward, pushing back the faltering alien lines. More Fiends rushed ahead, joined by mutant light armour, with GDI heavy tanks bringing up the rear. The enormous roar of the MARV's main gun in the distance seemed to spur the human forces even harder, as they entered the alien's base. Portal structures and Gravity Stabilizers were everywhere, disgorging more alien forces. But Major Ri directed the charge towards a cluster of structures that InOps had identified as alien power reactors. If they could take those out, then the enemy defences would be powered down.

The aliens seemed to have clued in on the humans' plan, as a wall of plasma and Tiberium weapons were thrown at the attackers. Burke led her squad into cover behind an alien structure known as a growth accelerator. Dozens of human and mutant soldiers were cut down, and several light vehicles erupted into flames.

"Shit! Sergeant, enemy Mastermind!" Ramirez called out.

Burke glanced around the corner and spotted the alien creature. It had already taken control of several mutants, as the Forgotten soldiers were now firing on their allies. Any attempts made at killing the Mastermind were thwarted as it was well guarded by a cadre of Shock Troopers.

"Ramirez, can you get a shot on it?" Burke asked.

"This isn't the best position, but I can kill it from here."

"Good, do it. Haley, West, let's take out those bugs!"

Burke, Haley, and West opened fire on the Shock Trooper bodyguards. The aliens immediately returned fire with plasma bolts and discs. But Burke and the others kept them occupied as Ramirez opened up with rapid shots. Blood erupted from the Mastermind as it stumbled on spindly legs. The creature died with an agonizing scream, one that was quickly overwhelmed by the angered roars of the mutants who had been freed from the mind control.

"Nice shooting, Ramirez!" Burke complimented.

"Cover the engineers as they disable these reactors. Start digging in people." Major Ri barked.

Burke led her squad out of cover and made to move towards a Titan MK. III nearby. But everyone stopped dead in their tracks as the air was suddenly ripped away. An intense force caused everyone to grab hold of something, as it felt like they would be swept up into the sky. Burke grabbed hold of West with one hand, and an exposed piece of alien metal with another. She looked up to the sky, and stared, horrified, at a black hole that was sucking up thousands of people and vehicles. Even the MARV was consumed, flying through the air like a leaf in a hurricane. Burke felt as though her arms would rip off, but she knew if she let go, she and West would be drawn closer to the epicenter, and possibly consumed like the others.

It felt like hours that she clung on for dear life, but in reality, it was probably only for a minute. The black hole disappeared, and with it, any hope of victory. The GDI and Forgotten soldiers stood there, dumbstruck, by what had just happened. That is, until a surge of aliens brought them back to their senses. Rifles barked and cannons roared as plasma rained down around them.

"Get to cover! Hold the line!" Burke shouted to anyone who could hear.

She and her squad took cover behind a ruined APC, and fired back at the aliens. Frantic screams and calls for help could be heard over the cacophony of battle. Burke had no idea how badly GDI had suffered from the black hole attack, but it seemed like the entire alien invasion force was suddenly descending upon them.

Burke gritted her teeth as she fired at the swarm of aliens. It was clear that they were going to get overrun. After surviving all the hell she had been through, it only made sense her luck would run out eventually.

"All forces, fall back! Get to the transports. I say again: all forces, fall back! Tactical missile strike is inbound! All forces…"

Burke noticed the holographic navpoint pop up in her HUD. She felt intense relief wash over her at the news transports were on the way. Relief that was immediately replaced by fear of having aliens shooting at her and a missile strike mere moments away.

"Let's hustle people! Go! Go! Go!"

Burke emptied her magazine as her squad ran for it. She quickly reloaded and ran after them, just as all the other GDI forces began to retreat. Plasma scorched the ground behind them, or arced over their heads as the aliens fired on the retreating humans. Guardian APCs and Forgotten Diablos attempted to provide cover for the foot troops, but more than a few times a friendly vehicle was destroyed by a lance of energy fired by pursuing Tripods.

Burke tried not to focus on the plasma exploding around her, or the shards of Tiberium being whipped around. She kept her head low as she ran for the promised Ox transports that were supposed to be landing soon. However, even though she was running faster than she had ever before in her life, a swarm of Buzzers somehow managed to appear directly in front of her.

Tripping on her own feet in her haste to avoid running into the blade, swarm, Burke landed flat on her face. She struggled back to her knees in time to see the Buzzer swarm approach her, ready to cut her into bloody ribbons. Before anything could happen though, a railgun slug blew through the swarm, liquefying most of the blades and causing the rest to fall to the ground dead. Burke turned around to see a hulking mutant hold the powerful railgun in one hand, while using the other to haul her to her feet.

"Run! Keep going!"

Burke didn't hesitate and bolted to catch up with her squad. The large mutant kept pace with her, and Burke finally realized it was the mutant leader, Remus, who had just saved her life. The two fell in with the rest of the gathered GDI soldiers. They all turned to fire on the aliens still pursuing them, desperate to hold this patch of dirt for the promise of salvation. GDI vehicles began to arrive, their crews quickly abandoning them, though a few remained in their vehicles to provide cover. Those crews would likely be left behind, if they chose to remain in their tanks, and Burke silently thanked them for their sacrifice.

The aliens attacked the humans, eager to annihilate them despite the losses they were suffering. Soldiers, human and mutant both, went down screaming in pain. Tanks and APCs exploded, showering the huddled mass of soldiers with debris. Burke kept firing her rifle, with no need to pick targets as the enemy simply charged forward.

Then, all of a sudden, the alien lines abruptly exploded in a series of blinding eruptions. The sound of heavy autocannons firing proceeded the arrival of several Orcas, as they strafed the enemy. Directly behind them came the Ox transports, barely having time to land before soldiers began clambering onboard. The Oxen had machine guns bolted to the troop bay floors, and the crew chiefs began laying down suppressive fire as soldiers rushed to get to safety. Burke stopped at the bottom of the ramp to make sure everyone got on safely. She added her fire to the machine gunners and the Orcas still providing support from above.

Some of the tank crews that had tried to cover everyone attempted to get out and run for the transports, but they were all slaughtered by Buzzers that swarmed over their vehicles. Other GDI and Forgotten soldiers were also being shot dead as they tried to get onboard the Oxen, as the aliens moved in for the kill. Oxen began lifting off, so Burke decided it was time to find a seat. She ran up the ramp and collapsed into a seat by the ramp. The Ox began to lift into the air, the gunner still firing on the aliens below. Before the Ox had lifted more than a few feet, Burke heard a voice call out frantically.

"No! Wait! Don't leave me behind!"

Burke got up and peered out the ramp. She spotted Remus below, waving desperately at her and the gunner. She noticed one of his legs was gone and he was bleeding everywhere.

"We have to go back!" Burke shouted.

"Are you crazy!? There are aliens swarming us, and the Commander is going to drop a damn nuke on us. We have to go!" The gunner barked back.

"We can't just leave him!"

"He's already dead. Now sit down!"

The gunner shoved Burke back into her seat, but not before she saw Remus be torn apart by Buzzers. Burke closed her eyes as she could hear his screams, even over the growing sound of the Ox's engines. The ramp closed, casting the troop bay in a red light. To everyone's surprise, the Ox began to fly straight up. Burke had no idea why they would be climbing for the stratosphere, but her questions died when the transport began to shake violently. It felt as though the whole transport would shake itself apart, and a few people began to scream. A Zone Raider who was sitting directly across from Burke wasn't properly strapped in, and she lost her balance. The last thing Burke saw was the bulky frame of the Raider crashing into her. Then, darkness.

… … …

Southern Italy, R-1

Threshold-19

"Peace through power!"

"PEACE THROUGH POWER!"

"PEACE THROUGH POWER!"

The chanting was ecstatic, bordering on the hysterical. Thousands of soldiers, faithful warriors of Nod, stood at the base of the alien tower - now Kane's tower. Around them was the burning wrecks of GDI tanks, and the deceased forms of alien vehicles. Grand Confessor Marcion had led the last of the Brotherhood's army here, on a final great mission to claim the final Threshold. Against both GDI and the visitors, Nod had prevailed, and Marcion could not have been more proud, or stunned, of their victory.

Marcion stood on a great stage erected at the tower's base, still insignificant in comparison to the mega structure. He held his arms wide as the warriors below continued to chant and cheer at their enormous victory. Kane's Tower was secured, the gateway to Ascension lay before them. Now they simply awaited their Messiah and the key, then fifty years of war and hardship would at last be rewarded.

"Still can't believe we pulled it off." Ajay said from beside Marcion.

Marcion simply gripped Kane's spymaster by his shoulder. A speech about faith died on Marcion's lips, as the entire Nod army, and all of Red Zone 1, was swept away in a blinding light.

… … …

Manchester, England, B-3

Matthew Lancaster kept his head down as he walk through the ruined streets of the city. Dozens of people were out and about, trying to gather vital supplies before scurrying off back to their homes. The city had nearly been wiped out by the aliens, but GDI had managed to push off their attack. Matt and his family, which included his wife and young daughter, had survived the terrifying battle, only to now have to live in the ruins. Matt had just gotten their daily ration of food from the GDI relief unit, and was now hurrying back to the remains of his house. He kept a hand on his pistol, eyeing anyone he passed by. While Matt may have not joined the family business of soldiering, he was still taught how to handle a gun.

As he rounded a corner that would put him on the straight path home, the ground began to shake. People nearby screamed and ran for the cover of doorways or the sides of buildings. Matt found himself stuck in the middle of the road, staring at the sky and the dark clouds that now blotted what was a clear day. Storm sirens abruptly began blaring, causing everyone to reflexively run towards the nearest Ion storm shelter. Matt was swept up with a sudden tide of humanity as people ran for the safety of the shelter. His food bags were dropped as people pushed and shoved, but Matt wasn't even mad that the life saving food was gone: they were all dead anyways. No one else seemed to notice, but all Matt could do was stared at the green flecks that rained down. The Ion shelter couldn't save them; not now, now that they were all infected with Tiberium.

Matthew Lancaster was dead, his family was dead, all of B-3 was dead. It was just a matter of time now.

… … …

Istanbul, Turkey, Border of R-1

Kane had always loved this city, especially when it was known as Constantinople. Back then, he had whispered in the hears of Byzantine emperors, and set into motion the rise and fall of nations. Now the city was an empty husk, long since abandoned. It always amused Kane when monuments mankind thought would last for all time collapsed in mere centuries. It spoke to the fallacy of the entire species. But that wouldn't matter for long. Soon Kane would be rid of the miserable planet and the primitive apes that thought themselves its rulers. The Threshold had been secured, and soon so would the Tacitus. Millennia of planning and waiting would finally pay off.

Then the ground shook with the force of angered gods. Ancient buildings crumbled to Tiberium crusted streets, and Kane indignantly fell to the ground. The already gloomy sky was rendered black, as an Ion storm suddenly raged to life. Kane got to his feet and clutched the chair he had been sitting on. Before he could utter a word, CABAL appeared.

"What the hell just happened?" Kane demanded.

"Something…unpredicted. GDI has destroyed the Scrin Control Node by utilizing a liquid Tiberium missile."

Kane was genuinely stunned. He knew Boyle and Lancaster were brash, ready to win by any means, but to use such a destructive weapon… and a weapon of Kane's design no less.

"So, the Scrin have finally fallen? Wait. What of Marcion and the Threshold?"

"Marcion and his entire force are dead, obliterated by the shockwave. The Threshold, however, is unscathed." CABAL reported without emotion.

Kane breathed a sigh of relief. For whatever faults the Scrin had, their engineering was not one of them.

"Send a message to Malich. Tell him to meet me here at once. And CABAL? It is time to activate the Marked of Kane."