ADVENT: Dossier
Chancellor Saudia Vyandar
"Who the hell is Saudia Vyandar?"
- Ian Powell, Director of the CIA
XCOM Profile 8290
Authorization Level: Internal Council
Subject: Saudia Vyandar
Current Occupation: Chancellor of ADVENT, Former Director of EXALT
Threat Level: Minimal (Subject to change)
Assessment Author: Haley Yates, XCOM Psychologist
Approved by: Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence; the Commander of XCOM
SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics
Hair color: Black (Shoulder-length, appears to put some amount of care into it)
Eye color: Brown
Skin color: Black
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 172 lbs.
Scars or markings: Severe scar tissue around the neck, though from examination it does not appear to conform to that of fire, acid or blunt instruments. Surprisingly, the scar tissue bears more resemblance to that of the deceased Psion Annette Durand which was caused by her usage of psionics. Possibly happened as a result of an encounter with the "Ravaged One".
Physical Condition: Excellent, as she appears to maintain her above-average strength and reflexes despite not being an active soldier. Usually unable to gauge strength level due to her attire often covering her entire body. (Possibly as a way for people around to lower their guard?).
Nation of Birth: Nigeria
SECTION 2: Psychological Assessment
When it comes down to it, Saudia appears to be a rather straightforward case. After speaking with her extensively, I can make some fairly solid analysis of her actions. Most immediately notable is her complete and utter devotion to the completion of the goals set out by EXALT, and she now seems to consider her position at ADVENT as an extension of those goals.
While not possessing a fanatical mindset, she will use every single means at her disposal to make her plans a reality (As evidenced by her attempt to utilize the aliens against us). It should be noted that often times she will seek additional counsel before making major decisions, though she is a master at articulating her position in a way that makes it difficult to contradict, so there is often very little resistance to her plans.
Tied in closely with her devotion to EXALT's goals is her loyalty to EXALT itself, which appears to have been transferred to ADVENT. From what I can gather, much of this came from her upbringing, and her father in particular instilled a drive in her that hasn't dimmed to this day. As a result she has little tolerance for those who she sees as vulnerabilities, and she takes a harsh view on treason of any sort if not in the direct interests of EXALT.
Saudia takes a very analytical mindset when solving problems, all framed in the context of what will benefit EXALT/ADVENT more. It is an interesting display of selflessness that appears to be entirely natural and goes far beyond what I would normally expect, even in those with military profiles. Her position and personality have become intertwined to a disturbing degree. It would explain why she's so driven to protect EXALT/ADVENT as well, because her position is part of her personality.
She also doesn't tend to form many personal friendships, instead regulating most to professional acquaintances. This again appears to come back to her position taking priority over all else and as a result, she sees most people as more useful tools than as living humans. There are exceptions of course, as she is married, has a son, and is close friends with several of her former EXALT family heads. In light of this I did want to address her known relationships briefly:
Ethan Vyandar: Her husband and assumed confidant. Saudia refused to answer questions about him and was notably defensive when pressed, which does indicate that she feels he is worth protecting, though for what I can only guess at. What I do know is that they've been married for nine years, have a child, and by all accounts have not had many issues. I cannot offer insight as to why he could have attracted her interest, though an interview with him might fill in some blanks. (Addendum: As Ethan worked with the Commander at one time, perhaps he could offer insight into this?)
Martel Vyandar: The son of Ethan and Saudia Vyandar. I unfortunately know very little about him other than that Saudia appears just as defensive, if not more so of him than of Ethan, even refusing to tell me if he was even on the continent.
Hasina Vyandar: I include this here not because of any strong sisterly bond, but rather the opposite, which I find curious. From what I was able to get out of her, it seems like there were major disagreements between them, which from inferred tone and insinuation, appears to revolve around her marriage to Ethan, as well as the direction of both the Vyandar Family and how EXALT should be run (Disagreements that appeared to persist in the family, with the exception of her father). By her own admission, she 'loves' her sister, but it seems to be an obligation for her, not a love she actually feels.
Matthew Solaris: One of the few friends that Saudia openly admits to. They've known each other for many years, and appear to work extremely well together, as well as sharing very similar outlooks and goals. From my brief encounters with him, I don't think it would be inaccurate to say that his loyalty to EXALT is nearly as much as her own.
Zara Venator: An interesting matchup, I must say, as the two could likely not be more different. Zara is brash and blunt while Saudia is eloquent and far more reserved. Oddly enough that appears to put Saudia at ease more, and appears to endear her as Saudia takes her bluntness as a sign of trust, and has a surprising amount of confidence in her because she does say what is on her mind, regardless of public opinion.
SECTION 3: Threat Assessment
I have stated above that I consider her to be a minimal threat to both XCOM and ADVENT operations largely due to her past actions and deep loyalty which I explained above. I firmly believe that she will do whatever is necessary to protect and preserve ADVENT. The only possible way she could convince herself to turn is if XCOM was suddenly working against the interests of ADVENT (Something I foresee is very unlikely).
Even then, she is aware that we have damaging information on her, and would utilize it if she moved against us. She is also aware of our Psions, and as such will not risk ADVENT even if the opportunity to turn on us arises as she knows that it will lead to our contingency plans going into effect.
Nevertheless, there are some possible concerns to be aware of:
1. I noted that Saudia and Zara have a friendly relationship, and with Zara apparently coming to XCOM (We need to discuss that), there is the small risk that she will pass along information to Saudia about our operations. Then again, with what knowledge of Zara I have, I believe she lacks the subtlety to accomplish that. I still recommend psionic screening regardless.
2. Her people are still in ADVENT and many are loyal right now to her, not ADVENT. While I doubt many would raise issues, if Saudia for some reason decides to move against us, she will have support and with the appointment of Elizabeth Falka to ADVENT Intelligence Director, it could potentially be damaging.
3. There is the possibility that a third party could learn of Saudia's past with EXALT and use that to blackmail her. The number of players that would even have that information I can only speculate at, but there is cause for concern beyond potential Chinese interference. I can unfortunately gauge that several ADVENT Representatives would take advantage of such information, namely Iseul Gwan and Dan Nowinski. Just something to be aware of.
Threat Mitigation:
In the event that Saudia does become a concern, there are ways she could be brought into line without being killed:
1. Threats to Ethan and/or Martel would be highly effective, provided they could be secured in a way that she can't free them. While she will likely attempt to impede the kidnapping party as much as possible, she will ultimately do whatever is needed to ensure they are safe. (Note: This tactic would be more effective with Martel, as Ethan would likely either kill himself or harden her resolve instead of watching her submit to demands). However, it could easily be confirmed that this will make a lifelong enemy of Saudia.
2. Threats to EXALT/ADVENT would have the same effect, given how much of herself is tied with the organizations she serves. If it could be definitively shown that one had the power to collapse them, she could likely be forced to meet any demands provided the threat is genuine. This is risky as she will be able to tell plausible threats from bluffs due to her extensive knowledge of the organizations she runs.
3. In the end, I unfortunately must suggest that should Saudia Vyandar become a threat, it is best she is eliminated for good, otherwise she will simply attempt to seek revenge later on and can no longer be relied upon as a trustworthy ally; something that is desperately needed now.
Additional contingency plans are with Director Zhang.
Subject: Jonas Culbert
Occupation: Online conspiracy theorist
Video Title: Our New Masters
"I am not sure if it is appalling or insulting how they really expect no one to ask any questions at all. Pure propaganda, all of that stuff that's spewed from their mouths. As if they actually believe that we will just blindly follow them. Then again, sadly, people are scared right now and these cowards are taking full advantage of that to solidify their new world order."
Pause. "So let's talk about the big elephant in the room right now: The so-called Chancellor. Please, whoever is actually in charge of ADVENT, it is definitely not this Saudia Vyandar. Keep in mind who was in attendance at this event. Savvin. Nowinski. Gwan. Treduant. You really think they're just going to let someone else run the show?"
Subject becomes agitated (Again). "No! This is all just a front! Miss Vyandar is nothing more than a smokescreen to keep people who actually care about the truth to start asking questions! And how convenient it is that whatever she was before this 'happened' to be in intelligence. Where, by the way, it was so secret that literally everything about her is classified. You could not come up with a better front if you tried!"
"And it's not like anyone can actually prove she was even there in the first place! Why? Because any 'proof' is going to have to come from ADVENT, and do you really trust them to not lie? I'm going to be honest, folks, this is discouraging. I've been warning that Treduant is too scared to go against her global masters, but it seems she's thrown in with them all the way. So we're going to have to work harder to preserve our great nation before it's too late."
Subject reaches for some papers on the desk. "Now, I do like to be informed, so I decided to learn as much as I could about the puppet, and what I've found is very interesting. One of my sources said that Saudia is actually related to some reclusive Egyptian billionaires, quiet oil barons who sell their share to the world and quietly bank it up. That definitely implies that money might have something to do with her appointment, or she was a bargaining chip for one or both parties. I'd feel sorry for her if she wasn't intentionally suppressing the truth."
Subject shifts papers. "Guess what else? Apparently, that 'global intelligence service' doesn't appear to actually exist! At all! No evidence at all shows she was actually part of such a thing to begin with, much less lead it. All this is yet more evidence that Saudia isn't actually leading ADVENT, but merely parroting out what she's been given."
Subject sighs. "All signs point to Treduant forcing America into ADVENT, so even if we have no say about the leader of the world order, we must resist our great nation being forced into the servitude of others. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but we just might have a chance. Word is that Washington is nervous, so now is the time for action. Pressure your senators, storm their offices if needed and spread the truth to our blinded brothers and sisters across the country."
"Saudia was right about one thing in that speech: There isn't any turning back. We decide the future of America now, and I know we won't be defeated."
End video
Analysis: More of the same drivel as the rest of his videos. Scant evidence, over-reliance on emotion, and it circling back to some global conspiracy. It at least affirms that he appears to know what he's doing. Despite clearly not knowing how intelligence organizations work, he apparently feels no hesitation in stating his knowledge as fact, which in this case is dangerous since most of the public is unaware how top secret intelligence is conducted.
There definitely appears to be an increase in revolutionary rhetoric, with the call to "storm their offices" which has been archived in the event we move forward with prosecution. As it stands we have enough to charge him on several counts of incitement and misinformation, but I understand the need to build a strong case.
Nevertheless, it is concerning that he has become far more mainstream in the past few days, with a surge in traffic to all his holdings. Again, I advise he be interviewed at the very least and removed off the air as soon as possible. We honestly don't have time to deal with this crap right now.
First time I've gotten to write in a while, been a serious whirlwind from the UN collapsing, to our branch being reorganized and now the UN 2.0 being put on display. Got some nice armor though, honestly better than any I've had before. Apparently I was good enough to be stationed here, part of the not-honor guard or whatever.
Press wasn't happy with all us soldiers around, but I really didn't care and neither did anyone else. They had a problem we showed them the door. Not going to lie, it felt good kicking the trespassing bastard out. Probably the feeling of actually doing something for a change instead of passively waiting. It seems like they have someone who's actually been a soldier running this thing.
Someone who actually wants to get results and doesn't have patience for when the rules are broken. Hell yes, about time. The Chancellor does seem to be calling the shots, so I guess I'll credit her, even if she isn't a soldier, she seems to be listening to someone who is. Or she's just naturally smart, can't decide.
Her supposedly being part of some secret intelligence group is extremely shady, but not really surprising. Bit surprised they went with an intelligence type rather than some American general. In any case I definitely believe that whatever she was involved in, she was definitely in charge. There's something she has, not really an aura, but it definitely grabbed my attention when she walked past, and not because she's now technically my boss.
Probably her height. It's weird having to literally look up to her. Didn't recognize the accent either, so…somewhere from Africa? Maybe? Guess it doesn't matter, but it's still interesting. Honestly, take off the uniform and guard and she wouldn't look out of place as a regular mom. Really, the more I think about it, the more I'm wondering who she is. It's not like…well, anyone, to pick a young, African(?) intelligence type that no one's ever heard of over the dozens of admirals and generals?
Did she win them over? Give them some version of the speech I heard today?
Hmm. Maybe. In any case, I hope that wasn't all an act because if she actually believes that stuff she said about us needing to unite, she'll definitely have a supporter in me.
- Journal of Rob Easter, ADVENT Soldier
Analysis Record: Saudia Vyandar
Current Role: Director of EXALT (Note: See information compiled on EXALT for more details)
Current Interference Level: Neutral
Threat Level: Low
Usage Level: Moderate
Brief Assessment: If you wish to proceed with the plan to utilize EXALT on Earth, you should be aware of the current leader of the organization. She holds the title of Director, and by what we've managed to learn, is extensively involved in all EXALT operations. Expected of course, although the fact that EXALT has attempted to contact us likely means it is approved on her prerogative.
I shouldn't have to suggest the worst-case scenario, but some Humans are unpredictable and intelligent, and I do believe Saudia Vyandar fills those categories. It is highly likely that she intends to take advantage of our superior technology for the purposes of increasing the strength of EXALT. The question is of course, if that will be enough to keep her loyal or if she will turn when she perceives weakness.
While personal interaction is severely limited, I am unfortunately forced to write much of this as speculation, but I would advise extreme caution. At this time we can reasonably assume that she has led EXALT for several years, and as they have seemingly infiltrated all aspects of the Human countries, she almost certainly possesses a degree of subtlety and intelligence to avoid detection, as well as maintaining internal control within EXALT itself.
In light of that, it might be wise to consider exactly what EXALT could want from us beyond our technology, and I believe that I have an answer to that. Simply put, they want control of the world and right now the major obstacles in their way are the United Nations and XCOM. Depending on how badly they want to achieve that goal, we might be able to control Saudia that way.
However, it should not be forgotten that she is a Human and likely has issues with how we have gone about the initial stages of assimilation. Again, I would not dismiss the possibility of betrayal at some point when she perceives there is no point continuing an alliance further.
To ensure that EXALT functions as we want, I would suggest the aid of Quisilia to ensure that Saudia performs as we expect her to, should she truly want an alliance. While a large investment, it would be worth it because if we can control EXALT through Saudia, we have a way to infiltrate Human culture undetected.
Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary
Your request to utilize Quisilia is denied. This is no longer a matter for the Zararch. – Sicarius