Ethereals: Dossier
Mortis'Ligna, Revenant of the Empire
"The greatest failing of our species is our belief that we were infallible."
- Mortis'Ligna
THREAT ANALYSIS: 111000100001
TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 14 (NAME UNKNOWN)
KNOWN ALIASES: "THE DEAD ETHEREAL" "REVENANT"
CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN – SUSPECTED REMOTE BLACKSITE OR THE TEMPLE SHIP
INFORMATION OF NOTE: LIKELY RELATED TO ETHEREAL SANA'LIGNA
INFORMATION OF NOTE: LIKELY IN STASIS OR SIMILAR RESTRAINTS
INFORMATION OF NOTE: NO PUBLIC APPEARENCES
INFORMATION OF NOTE: LIKELY PSIONIC
PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: UNKNOWN – IF RELATION TO SANA'LIGA IS ACCURATE, POSSIBLY ADVANCED OR UNKNOWN PSIONIC ABILITIES OR SKILLS
THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ALLIED): UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED LOW TO MEDIUM
THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ENEMY): UNKNOWN
ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Had it not been for the interception of several Ethereal correspondences, we quite likely would not have known this Ethereal actually existed. All references to this Ethereal are either indirect, or use titles or words which are not typically ascribed to any being, let alone an Ethereal. It is worth taking some time and analyzing these as they are our strongest indication as to who and what this Ethereal is.
The first was a simple referral to the "Dead Ethereal", which caught our attention, as the wording implied that this individual was very much alive – or at least an active asset. I suspect that this is little more than a nickname or shorthand for how Ethereals refer to him. The Imperator would not waste time on anything dead, and I fail to see why this Ethereal would be referenced in this particular event.
The second identifying name, "Revenant" is a far better one. The word, translated, equates to something that was once dead, or appears dead, but is nonetheless alive. There are several possible meanings to this, the first being that this is an Ethereal who has survived many dangerous situations that would have killed others of their own kind. This would imply a highly skilled and dangerous Ethereal, one talented enough to be christened with such a unique title – something most Ethereals don't have to begin with.
However, this particular interpretation has one flaw – namely that this Ethereal has never been seen in public, and we have not intercepted more messages that imply he is active in the Collective. If this Ethereal is alive, wouldn't he be heavily involved, even if he restricts public appearances?
Another interpretation is that the name refers to his psionic abilities – possibly telepathy – which have some kind of lethal effect but he would still manage to retain some measure of control – the source of the 'Revenants' if an illustration is required. While we have never seen any kind of indication that this kind of psionic ability is possible, in theory such an effect could be produced. But again, this raises a question as to where this Ethereal has been – something that remains a problem for any proposed answer.
The final, and arguably the most far-fetched, is that this Ethereal was actually killed, and has subsequently been reanimated. How this would be possible is unknown, but it would fit with the "Dead Ethereal" identifier in addition to this, and might explain both why he is not involved in the Empire, or mentioned often elsewhere.
At the moment the evidence fits the third proposal best – but this is under the assumption that there is not a plausible reason for this Ethereal not being involved. He could very well be acting outside the Collective, we could have simply not acquired more intercepted messages, or this silence is a deliberate misdirection. There are simply too many unknown factors to definitively state the status of this Ethereal.
However, there is a point of further interest. It does appear that, based on the intercepted messages, this Ethereal is related in some way to Sana'Ligna. If this can be confirmed, it is possible that she would know more about him and thus is our best lead. The penetration of her Blacksite may yield potential answers, and could likely be pulled off without significant difficulty.
However, if there is some relation, his potential threat level should be raised, as we have identified Sana'Ligna's unknown psionic abilities, and those could be similarly shared by a relative. We should not take chances until we know more about what we are investigating.
RECOMMENDATION: BEGIN PENETRATION OF ETHEREAL BLACKSITE MANAGED BY SANA'LIGNA FOR INFORMATION ON ETHEREAL CORRESPONDENCES; REVIEW ALL INTERCEPTED CORRESPONDENCES TO ALL BLACKSITES FOR REFERENCES TO THIS ETHEREAL
REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 133; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]
END REPORT
SUBMIT REPORT
Transcript of Mortis'Ligna's presentation to Imperial Institute of Telepathy Research and Experimentation
Greetings and introductions are omitted.
When I was growing up, there was, as you would imagine, a high amount of scrutiny on myself and my sister. Prodigies, gifts, every complimentary word possible was thrown to us, and expectations were at a level neither of us comprehended until far later. I didn't especially care, of course; in retrospect I was certainly not the model child.
Traditional subjects failed to interest me, not because I didn't have the capability, but I simply hadn't the time or motivation for the sciences and writing as a child. That was not where I spent my time. There were two things which fascinated me – the unknown and the gift we call psionics. I was not interested in what everyone else had already done, the tired formulas and incremental experiments.
As I grew, I of course developed into somewhat less of a troublemaker, much to the relief of my parents and instructors, I suspect. But those two interests never left, but further refined themselves. The unknown developed into an interest in alien life, something we in the Empire shun for reasons I have yet to satisfactorily determine, but that is a subject for another time.
Psionics was something I had a natural talent for. If there was something I could claim to excel at, it is this. Telepathy was identified as a strength, and like many of you at that age, I was given a series of experiments and exercises to perform and begin developing this talent. I did them of course, but I was not…satisfied with them. I had been exploring this on my own, and what the teachers had given as a supposed challenge was something I had figured out days ago.
So instead, I began expanding outside the scope of traditional telepathy. I read every book and watched every video on sub-sentient telepathy, but there was surprisingly little to go through. This was a field which everyone had either given up on, or simply didn't know how to proceed.
But I did, and I went smaller and smaller, until I was able to manipulate the gift on a cellular level, something I'm sure many of you cannot comprehend. Impossible, some might say; and indeed many told me my theories and ideas were impractical and born of an unsound mind. Now of course I am hailed as a visionary, along with my sister, but you may be surprised to know this is not due to raw skill or anything such as this.
In my own studies on alien cultures, there was one particular legend I had always found interesting. In the developing days of the Dash-Rakka, they were highly religious, and the story of their own creation by the hand of the God Rakka described, and I quote "Cell by cell he created them from the cauldron of the land and inhabitants; reforging and remaking them into his own people".
Fanciful and likely something that never happened. But what is interesting were his highest Prophets, those who claimed to have the Gift of Rakka, the ability to heal the flesh with magic powers, and kill similarly. A legend, some may say, but I suspect that these individuals were the first ones to develop the skills I have now.
Shocking as it may be to think that an alien species could have accomplished something we are only learning now, it highlights what I believe allowed me to learn this before anyone else aside from my sister. To wield this power demands a certain mindset, as well as a desire to break norms and conventions. This desire is something stamped out in the rigid schooling we all participated in; certain subjects are censored or forbidden because there is supposedly nothing the rest of the galaxy can offer us.
That is a false assumption.
The Empire is the greatest power in this galaxy, but we must also realize that we don't understand everything about it. I suspect there are more developments that we have not even thought of, masters of psionics for fields we do not know yet. But we do not develop these in isolation, but through collaboration and exploration.
I am well aware that there are those, perhaps some here right now, who consider what myself and sister can do as 'unnatural'. To which I contest that something is only unnatural if there is no explanation for it. I mastered Biopathy through years of practice and experimentation until it is just as solid a school of Psionics as every other one.
'Unnatural' is a word of fear. Of the unknown and inexplicable. It is tempting to close yourself off to new possibilities; to stay within the comfortable confines of the Empire and the laboratories; indeed, even this institution we are in now. Every single being comes to a place of higher learning with dreams of the greatest breakthrough; with dreams of becoming the next figure of history.
Some do, but I will say why they became such. It was not because they came here, it is because they were not constrained. They did not follow convention. They broke the rules and pushed boundaries; they faced opposition and questioning, yet nonetheless persisted. Being a figure of history requires pain and hardship.
You may be wondering right now, if it is possible to learn this power I have. I will answer this by asking this question: How willing are you to change and expand your mindsets and worldviews? One needs to have a certain mindset to use Biopathy. Attempting to master it conventionally will lead to limited results at best, as many scientists here can attest. A rigid mind cannot be a Biopath. One that is flexible is the first step down this road.
Yes, you can learn this power. But not from an Ethereal, not even just from the Dash-Rakka or other aliens. It requires you to change how you view this galaxy. It requires understanding that things you have understood your entire life may be wrong.
That decision of if you want to take that step is up to you.
Following this address, Mortis'Ligna was never again able to speak at educational institutions due to many scheduling conflicts and requests from Imperial Civil Command.
The first time Mortis'Ligna died, he did not go down without a fight. In conjunction with an assault by the Division of the Battlemasters, Mortis and the soldiers accompanying him launched an attack deep within Synthesized territory, an unnamed planet covered in snow in frost. The defending hordes melted before the hand of Mortis, and the world was taken.
The intention was to take the world, and recover as much information as they could regarding other Synthesized command bases and factories, for the Empire had determined the Synthesized had developed them some time ago, and then left before retaliation struck. The first mission was successful, as was the second, and there was hope that perhaps the offensive would be slowed.
The third time, it was a disaster.
Machines the Empire had never seen were present, including many which were completely synthetic, negating the greatest strength the armies had through Mortis. But these Synthesized forces that Mortis also encountered possessed something none previously had – the gift of psionics. It was only one, but the recounting by the two survivors speaks of a being which summoned rifts and storms equivalent to those of the greatest of the Maelstrom.
Nonetheless the soldiers fought, as well as killed many of the defenders, but in the process one of the Director Flagships appeared, and with a blast from the sky annihilated the majority of the strike force. It was only through the quick thinking of several brave soldiers in the Division that the dying form of Mortis was dragged away, and teleported to a safe world.
His sister was already waiting, as through her bond she knew her brother was dying. But even her command of the rare talent of Biopathy was not enough to ultimately save him. Yet she persisted, and healed every injury and ailment, while maintaining a constant telepathic connection to him. She does not know what happened those long and dark days, but Mortis'Ligna's mind perished that day.
His body, however, persisted.
His organs functioned, his heart pumped blood, his lungs breathed air in and out. But his mind was silent, even if his brain was active. He was labeled as brain dead soon afterward, but a remarkable discovery was made soon afterwards – the bond Sana and forged through Mortis allowed her to command him.
No Ethereal was able to reproduce this, leaving Sana the sole Ethereal who could bring the power of Mortis to bear against the Synthesized once more. An act she initially rejected, but as the Empire began crumbing further she swallowed her reservations and the Revenant of the Empire was born.
Rumors began circling that Mortis'Ligna was actually not dead, but had survived the mission which had been said to have been his death. Morale was immediately boosted, and the first time Mortis reappeared, Sana by his side, there was clear hope once more in the Empire as the hordes melted before his outstretched hand.
Yet everyone knew that something was wrong. The Revenant no longer spoke to anyone, or even acknowledged the presence of anyone other than Sana'Ligna. Others noticed that he never went anywhere without his sister close by, and indeed seemed only to act as she directed. No one truly knew what had happened to Mortis, but they did know that he was not the same Ethereal that had fought with and for them thus far.
But his power was unabated, and the combined abilities of Sana'Ligna, and the Dead Ethereal were the downfalls of many a Synthesized invading army. By the end the two siblings were believed to be so coordinated as to be a singular entity. Yet through the end of the war, Mortis never once uttered one word or sound as he melted the enemies of the Empire.
I wonder if he would have made the decision, had he been able. I personally suspect he would have. No matter what issues he had with the Empire, he would have done anything to save his species from annihilation.
His legacy will be the sacrifice he made to rise as the undying wrath of a fallen empire.
- Mortis'Ligna, Revenant of the Empire by Archivist Cogitian
XCOM Profile 194
Authorization Level: Internal Council
Subject: Mortis'Ligna
Threat Level: Artemis
Assessment Author: Aegis
Approved by: The Commander of XCOM
SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics
Hair color: None (Ethereal)
Eye color: Solid Orange
Skin color: Dark Purple
Height: 9'1"
Weight: 210 lbs. (Estimated)
Distinguishing Features: At the moment I suspect Mortis, should he be utilized, will have more than repurposed Overmind robes. Physically there is very little that makes him stand out. The black aesthetic he had during the war might be preserved by the Imperator and Sana.
Physical Condition: As Mortis will likely be always supported by Sana should he take the field, you are facing an Ethereal in prime condition, and potentially inexhaustible. The body of Mortis does not require sleep, food and drink can be injected, and environmental conditions will not be an issue. The body of Mortis is stronger than the average Human, but not exceptionally strong by Ethereal standards.
SECTION 2: Assessment
Before we begin, I would like to clarify that the majority of this document will be…historical, as for all intents and purposes the Ethereal who was Mortis'Ligna is dead, even if his body is preserved and kept as a weapon by the Imperator. You should assume that nothing of Mortis exists should he be deployed against us.
But here I will begin.
Mortis'Ligna was the closest thing to an Ethereal rebel that existed. I have already explained the value and rarity of twins, so I will not repeat it again here, suffice to say that this is what I believe had a large part to do in some way with the atypical mindset of Mortis. Even as a child he was one of the few who would not dutifully follow the instructions of his teachers in parents in favor of his own activities.
While I understand that this is not uncommon for Human children, it is highly atypical for Ethereals. Even when young we are serious and follow the instructions of those above us. Rebellion or disobedience is a rarity, one which implies a failing of parenting or a serious transgression even a child can know is wrong.
Mortis simply disobeyed and questioned authority because he could. If something did not interest him, he would either refuse, or do it begrudgingly. In contrast, he immediately developed a talent for psionics, and within a few years was at the level of one twice his age. As he grew older, his vices became less prevalent, and he took a serious interest in aliens, obscure and fringe theories of psionics, and the art of debate.
Mortis had a desire to prove himself and his ideas right, and he was a natural debater. Debate, serious debate of a difference of opinion, was rare in the Empire. It was highly unlikely that there would be dissent in the higher levels of the Empire, and such disagreements would be minor. There was simply no reason to challenge those when there were no obvious problems with the Empire or how it was run. Every part of the Empire was tailored to ensure that there wouldn't be a need to challenge this.
As Mortis began developing his skills in Biopathy, along with his sister, both of them took different routes of doing this. Sana developed hers 'conventionally', as in she performed experiments and worked with scientists in pursuit of this goal. Mortis eschewed all of this and was one of the few Ethereals to venture beyond the Empire and speak directly with other alien civilizations.
While the Empire would of course not mention this, Mortis came back with a solid understanding of how Biopathy could work, far more than his sister could develop, and both of them together forged a path to establishing it as a discipline of psionics. Mortis insisted that he would not have learned how best to do this without his journey beyond the Empire, but this was not given much exposure.
It was during this time that Mortis and Sana both began campaigning for revisiting the Imperial stance on aliens and communication, and of course as I explained in Sana's document, each of them were immediately distracted by Civil Command through assignments, research, and more that was designed not to simply help them achieve their academic goals, but to prevent them from questioning the Empire too publicly.
For better or worse, it succeeded, or would have for a little while. When the Synthesized arrived, as I said, both Mortis and Sana immediately lent their services to Military Command, and were utilized together in many operations, assaults, and defenses. Their battles are no longer important in this particular retelling, until the day when Mortis was assisting a strike on a Synthesized base which was trapped. I do not know the exact details of it, but all but two were killed, and Mortis was dying.
Sana, as you know, saved him, or at least his body. You know of her own struggle here, so I will not repeat it. But Mortis'Ligna died that day, and what exists today is an empty shell which was a weapon to use against the Synthesized. And used it was; and in the hands of Sana, Mortis's own legend grew beyond what it had been in the days before his death.
Of course it was not Mortis then, but Sana who used him so skillfully, but from what Sana has told me she simply used what Mortis already possessed in his head. I do wonder if everything Sana has done is being registered, in the sadly unlikely event he miraculously recovers.
When Sana joined the Imperator, Mortis was similarly brought along in a stasis pod to reduce his own dangerous aura. I suspect the Imperator means to use Mortis as a weapon against the Synthesized again, as I cannot see him justifying his deployment on anything other than a catastrophic threat. I do not like the idea that he would be deployed against us, but as the war progresses, this looks more and more likely.
SECTION 3: Psychological Profile
When alive, Mortis was, as I said…difficult.
Mortis never liked complacency and, for better or worse, always had opinions. Some opinions I agreed with, others I did not. The point was that he had them, and more importantly, was not quiet with them. This led to some unfortunate incidents, and in childhood it was assumed he would grow out of them, but as an adult he instead became very skilled at arguing his point.
Ethereals were not debaters, something Mortis exploited, and as a result, very few Ethereals of importance actually listened to his ideas. Mortis did not especially care that much, but he did quite enjoy proving others wrong. He enjoys the conflict, from what I see, though I even wonder if it is as simple as that.
I feel Mortis was frustrated by the Empire. He wasn't like everyone else, and didn't understand why they did not see the galaxy from his perspective. He did not consider that he was the one who was atypical, and that there were reasons for the mindset of the Empire. If he had been slightly more diplomatic, I suspect Civil Command may have listened to him.
But he is not subtle, or even especially polite. You would call him sarcastic, something most Ethereals did not know how to handle. But they knew insults, and they knew when they were being made fun of. If Mortis did not like a particular idea or individual, he would ensure both they, and everyone else, knew that they were of questionable intelligence or their idea was bad.
He was always unwavering in his own beliefs, and shared them where he could. The Empire may have tried to keep him quiet, but they didn't come close to damaging his actual opinions or making him rethink his own positions. He has very strict opinions on aliens, Ethereals, the galaxy, and even military tactics and strategy.
He also had, interestingly, something of a moral compass. He had clear definitions of right and wrong, more so than what was established by the Empire. More importantly he was as unwavering in those beliefs as his political ones. A fact that caused the Creators some grief, as well as certain Ethereals pushing the boundaries of experimentation.
He would not have approved what the Imperator has done to your species, I know that much. Indeed, I suspect that were Mortis himself, he would get along well with your species. Certainly more than he ever got along with his own.
SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities
This is perhaps the most relevant section of this document.
Engaging Mortis in any kind of close range combat is suicide. His aura was developed to specifically kill anything that enters the radius. Any unshielded minds will simply cease to function. Even non-sentient life or simple organisms will slowly cease functioning if they are within his aura for too long.
It also does not improve the odds that Mortis was, and through Sana, is, an exceptionally skilled and powerful telepath, certainly a match for even the best of XCOM and ADVENT psions. However, I do not believe you need to fear this ability as much, as through Sana he will usually use Biopathy.
Biopathy is the greatest threat, and his power is great enough that if he is ever deployed you need to pull back any soldiers you have immediately. You cannot protect your armies against Biopathy. He will reduce them to an organic slurry in minutes if you allow him. This is not negotiable. Engaging him with any kind of organic force is suicide.
Because he is protected by Sana, he is almost impossible to kill. I suspect that your only options would be to use airstrikes or nanotech to try and destroy the body - both of which I know the Collective will be prepared for. If he must be engaged, it must be with completely synthetic forces. The ADVENT MDUs and SHIVs are ideal for this.
The other option, though I am loathe to suggest it, is to instead target Sana. I theorize that if she is killed, Mortis will cease to become a threat. I do not know if he will remain active, or if he will simply shut off like an organic machine, but the threat he poses will be ended. Multiple Ethereals tried to utilize Mortis, and only Sana could do it.
If Sana is removed, Mortis will not be a threat.
For what it is worth, I do not believe Sana would allow Mortis to be deployed on Earth. At least, I would like to think in this way. If the Imperator forced her…she might feel like there is no choice.
Let us hope we never have to find out. Mortis would be furious if he knew his legacy was being used as a weapon of terror on a species fighting an unjust war. But if he is…then we will need to ensure this war will be his last. His memory deserves better, but we do not choose where and when we die, nor how we will be remembered.