Ethereals: Dossier
The Second Guardian of the Ethereal Collective
"Never underestimate the dedication of a Guardian to one who gives their lives meaning."
- Aegis
CODEX LOG 9921
PRISM PROFILE 03
PROFILE = THE SECOND GUARDIAN
PRISM SIMULATIONS ACTIVATED: 722
VICTORIES ACHIEVED: 401
DEFEATS ACHIEVED: 299
PREMATURE DEACTIVATIONS: 22
ENEMIES DESTROYED: 10346
MOST DESTROYED ENEMY: SYNTHESIZED GROUND SOLDIER (3088 UNITS DEFEATED)
LEAST DESTROYED ENEMY: THE BATTLEMASTER (0 UNITS DEFEATED)
NEMESIS: THE BATTLEMASTER (102 DEFEATS TO THIS UNIT)
MOST USED SIMULATION: TEMPLE SHIP (322 USES)
LEAST USED SIMULATION: HIVESHIP SPACE COMBAT SCENARIO (1 USE – NOTE: SIMULATION ENDED BEFORE THIRTY SECONDS HAD ELAPSED – CAUSE: DEFEAT BY HIVESHIP DEFENSES)
UNITS WITH ZERO DEATHS ON THIS PROFILE:
- THE BATTLEMASTER
- CAELIOR
- AEGIS
- SPECTRE
- ADVENT MISSILE STRIKE
- NUCLEAR STRIKE
- ADVENT PURIFIER
- DOMESTIC CAT
NOTES ON COMBAT
STRENGTHS:
- EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE AGAINST STANDARD AND ADVANCED SOLDIERS
- EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE IN DUELS OF THREE OR FEWER ENEMIES
- EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE TEMPLE SHIP
- GOOD PERFORMANCE AGAINST ENEMY PSIONS
- ABOVE-AVERAGE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
- ABOVE-AVERAGE SITUATIONAL ADAPTABILITY
WEAKNESSES:
- POOR PERFORMANCE AGAINST SPECIALIZED UNITS
- POOR PERFORMANCE AGAINST EXTENSIVE NUMBERS
- POOR PERFORMANCE AGAINST BATTLEMASTER-LEVEL DUELISTS
- CANNOT OUTRUN MISSILES AND AIRSTRIKES
- INCAPABLE OF EFFECTIVE SPACE COMBAT
MOST RECENT SIMULATION: EARTH SNOWY CITY 12
MOST RECENT VICTORY: EARTH SNOWY CITY 12
LAST KILLED ENEMY: XCOM GUNNER
MOST RECENT DEFEAT: SOUTH KOREA CITY 2
DEFEATED BY UNIT: ADVENT GUNNER (NOTE: WAS ON OPEN BATTLEFIELD AND EXPOSED TO HEAVY FIRE)
THREAT ANALYSIS: 111100001011
TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 08 (THE SECOND GUARDIAN (REAL NAME UNKNOWN))
KNOWN ALIASES: "THE SECOND GUARDIAN"; "GUARDIAN"
CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN (SUSPECTED MILITARY COMMANDER)
SPECIES: ETHEREAL
INFORMATION OF NOTE: FEMALE ETHEREAL
INFORMATION OF NOTE: POSSESSES UNKNOWN WEAPON TYPE
INFORMATION OF NOTE: OF SIMILAR SIZE AS THE BATTLEMASTER
INFORMATION OF NOTE: AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL GUARDIAN
PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEKINESIS; TELEPATHY
THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ALLIED): UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED LOW TO MEDIUM
THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ENEMY): OMEGA
ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: After extensive speculation as to what the nature of the Ethereal "Guardian's" were, it appears that we have at last seen what the Guardians themselves are, and they appear to be even more dangerous than we had anticipated. It appears that despite their name, they are not restricted from performing in an offensive capacity.
The self-identified Second Guardian of the Ethereal Collective appeared during the skirmish in Fairbanks, Alaska, and has since been assisting in the battles for northern North America. During this time she has proven to be an exceptionally dangerous duelist, leader, and a moderate tactician, although her targets thus far have not been especially entrenched, she does not seem to devote significant effort to more complex military operations.
However, that does not necessarily seem to be needed in her case.
I should note that this is the second appearance of a female Ethereal, and confirms suspicions that there is little imparity between the two genders as the Second Guardian appears equivalent in size and strength to the Battlemaster, indicating the female Ethereals have a distinct role in combat operations. Unsurprising given their mastery over genetics, but it is useful to have confirmed.
She has been observed using a combination of telekinesis and telepathy in combat, elevating her beyond the Battlemaster in terms of versatility, although she lacks the brute approach of the Battlemaster, opting for destroying and killing enemies with more finesse than the Battlemaster himself. This has been observed to hinder her in combat with a large amount of enemies, as while she is not in immediate danger, she does suffer more damage than normal, and has been seen to be visibly slowed down.
With this noted, she recovers quickly and her armor, while not appearing to be as durable as the Battlemaster's, is nonetheless capable of handling significant damage output. There has yet to be a recorded example of how it sustains direct hits from explosives.
Her primary weapon is also a curiosity, as there has been nothing like it ever recorded before. It resembles an orange-yellow beam of light and is activated from a handheld cylinder. This functions as a melee weapon of sorts, one where the blade can be manipulated to be longer, shorter, or in a few cases, function similar to a whip.
Initial observations considered it an energy weapon, but this does not appear to be the case as the damage caused by the weapon is not cauterized and messier than even standard metal weapons. It is possible this incorporates some kind of nanotech, or is yet another Ethereal technology unseen before. The Second Guardian is undoubtedly dangerous, as without knowing enough about her, it is difficult to determine what threat she could actually pose to us.
As the Guardians presumably answer to the Imperator, I suspect that answer will depend entirely on him.
RECOMMENDATION: DETERMINE BACKGROUND OF THE SECOND GUARDIAN; DETERMINE CONSTRUCTION OF USED WEAPON; ANALYSE FIGHTING STYLE AND MEANS OF COUNTERING IT; BEGIN DEVELOPMENT OF FAST-TRACKING MISSILES FOR LONG-RANGED TARGETING
REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 092; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]
END REPORT
CONTINUE OBSERVATION
Log IM33 – CODEX Archive System
Category: Recruitment Log
Type: Audio Log
Participants: The Overmind of the Ethereal Collective; the Imperator of the Ethereal Collective
Begin Playback:
"The preservation of the Guardians is necessary. The order will play a part in the future to come."
"They provide a balance to the Battlemaster. His loyalty is to our species and the Empire. Loyalty to you will be necessary to keep the peace once we awaken."
"Unlikely to be needed. The Battlemaster will follow my orders, but your point is made. Their training, weapons, and combat abilities will be needed once we awaken. The galaxy will not be the same, and we cannot rely solely on a Battlemaster or Reaper to handle all threats."
"Then the ones chosen must be powerful and loyal."
"Indeed. I have multiple candidates, one of which I personally ensured the survival of. The Twelfth Guardian of the Imperial Sanctum is one such Guardian who shows promise, dedication, and willingness to adapt."
"She is not mentally sound, not after the loss of her mate."
"That is not a concern. I will remove her memories of such an event should it become necessary."
"That is dangerous."
"Only if it becomes a problem. However, with him dead and the Sanctum lost, she has little left to lose. She is a Guardian without purpose. That is what I can provide; her grief and failure can be turned into strength and loyalty. The Empire is collapsing, and she can be convinced of the need for contingency plans."
"If that is what you decree, Imperator. I would refrain from selecting too many Guardians. Too many of our kind housed in one place may attract attention."
"There will only be two. An enforcer and an ambassador when the time comes. Their purpose is primarily ceremonial, and will distract any enemies from the hidden watchers I have at my disposal."
"Sicarius is not invincible. Do not become reliant on her."
"I am confident in her abilities. As I also will be in the Guardians I command. Go, Overmind. Determine if she will be suitable. Allow Aegis to participate in this. He is more diplomatic than you are."
"As you wish, Imperator."
XCOM Profile 133
Authorization Level: Internal Council
Subject: The Second Guardian of the Ethereal Collective
Threat Level: High
Assessment Author: Aegis
Approved by: The Commander of XCOM
SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics
Hair color: None (Ethereal)
Eye color: Solid Orange
Skin color: Purple
Height: 12'2"
Weight: 297 lbs. (Estimated)
Distinguishing Features: We will discount the standard Guardian armor, as it is not all that different from Battlemaster armor. She wears a deep purple cape and hood. She is also identified by the single Guardian Saber she wields.
Physical Condition: Her strength and speed is equivalent to a Battlemaster. However, from personal experience she does not have the stamina for sustained combat and will tire far quicker than you might expect.
SECTION 2: Assessment
I am able to provide some deeper insight into both of the Guardians, as I was involved in speaking to them on behalf of the Imperator to convince them to join him in his contingency plan, and thus I had significant access to their histories and profiles built. I did not interact with them particularly much later, but very few did as both Guardians took their duty to the Imperator seriously, and rarely left his side.
I will first begin with the Twelfth Guardian of the Imperial Sanctum, or as she is known now, the Second Guardian of the Ethereal Collective. Her history prior to the war is not particularly of interest, aside from that she was designed as a candidate for the Division of the Battlemasters, and she demonstrated enough skill and strength to eventually be chosen as a candidate.
However, the Guardians intervened and offered her a chance to be one of them, which she ultimately accepted. She spent several decades with the Overminds later, learning the finer rules of telepathy and she spent several additional decades training and incorporating them into her fighting style.
Once she became a full Guardian, she took a position on the Imperial Sanctum, the capital of the Empire, as one of its Guardians. Her reasoning for this was that such an important position in the empire needed to be protected, and she found the entire place fascinating. Over time she eventually mated with the First Battlemaster of the Imperial Sanctum, and they spent nearly a half century together before the Synthesized attacked.
The Second Guardian herself did not participate much during the war proper; however, she extensively researched, followed, and kept up to date with the war itself. She was one of the Guardians who attempted to extend the roles of Guardians to act in more direct methods than purely defensive. She was unsuccessful, but I imagine that this was what initially got the attention of the Imperator.
The fall of the Imperial Sanctum was what could be considered the tipping point. It was a disaster when it came under the direct attack of six Director Flagships, and all prominent and powerful Ethereals were gone, aside from the two Battlemasters of the Imperial Sanctum. Most Ethereals on the station died that day, and only a few, the Second Guardian included, escaped.
She spent the rest of the war in combat, in what I would describe as a near-suicidal state where she, for a time, didn't follow orders from the Guardians and simply joined campaigns against the Synthesized until she was eventually convinced to pull back upon the deployment of the Imperators. Afterwards, the Imperator approached her and offered her a choice to assist in the preservation of the Ethereal species and to serve as one of his Guardians. With little left, it is unsurprising that she joined him based on the promise of eventually avenging their species.
SECTION 3: Psychological Profile
The Second Guardian has undergone what I would consider several distinctive shifts in her mental state. Her initial recruitment was questioned by the Overmind, as she seemed more driven by emotion and vengeance than the level-minded beings the Imperator tends to recruit. This was addressed by her, and she had promised to regain control of herself should she join.
From my observations of her, she has kept her word, now one would likely not assume anything about her difficult past. With that said, she is without a doubt still driven by loss and vengeance, only retains tighter control over herself, and frequently vents it in training and combat. I suspect the Imperator has also spoken to her at length, and that has likely also helped to an extent.
While the Second Guardian has never made a public appearance, she does have something of a fascination with alien species on a purely military level. She studies their military history, combat units, and fighting styles, especially of the Oyariah Titans and various blademasters of the Dath'Haram. Even from the Sectoids she learns what she can about them.
I fear that the war with the Synthesized has made her xenophobic, more so than the average Ethereal already was. At minimum she sees aliens as suspicious, and at worst, an enemy to be destroyed. She is utterly convinced that other species can't govern without Ethereal oversight, which in this case is that of the Imperator.
However, she is very well-spoken, and generally the one the Imperator sends to other Ethereals to summon or speak to them. She is polite and calm, provided no one is foolish enough to mention her mate. I am hesitant to suggest such tactics, but the Second Guardian is one who could likely be goaded into a blind rage, should the right words be said.
Within herself, she feels angry at herself and guilty for first abandoning her mate on the Sanctum, and once more abandoning the Empire even if it was for the good of our species. She is stable for now, but it would likely not take much for the mask she puts around herself to be broken. She is not the Battlemaster, she is vulnerable to words.
SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities
The Second Guardian is an extremely dangerous opponent, one who could potentially pose as great a threat as the Battlemaster. She carries her Guardian Saber, which can have the beam lengthened, reduced, or can be changed to function as a nano-whip of sorts. No single soldier can stand against her and survive.
She incorporates telepathy into her attacks, and does not hesitate to use it liberally. Luckily her range is limited, even if it is extremely effective and difficult to stop. Her telekinesis is not on the level of a Battlemaster, but it is more than enough to destroy squads of soldiers. Her Guardian Saber also makes armor meaningless, as well as most protection in general.
The Second Guardian is an expert duelist, in that she is most effective in small confrontations and one-on-one combat. She will excel against Templars and small XCOM squads. With that said, she becomes much less effective if she is substantially outnumbered. She simply does not have the multi-tasking capabilities of the Battlemaster, and cannot keep track of everything on a hectic battlefield.
She also is not experienced with heavy munitions and rockets. It is likely those would also be effective against her, or at least force her to devote energy towards blocking them. As I have stated earlier, goading her into making mistakes would also provide an effective means of destabilizing her mentally, although this could potentially backfire.
The Second Guardian, ultimately, is what I would consider manageable. With the correct tactics she could be defeated, and she is not the Guardian I would be more concerned about. Do not underestimate her, but at the same time do not assume she is anywhere near the level of the Battlemaster.