Chapter 11: Operation Love Across the Stars

XCOM Chief Scientist Lionela Marsh placed her open hand against the clear plexiglass, feeling the cold touch wash across her skin. She fought to hold back a weeping cry as a single tear rolled across her cheek. "Why did it have to be this way?" she asked, her voice quivering with emotion. "Why did fate have to place us here, against eachother?"

A long hand rose to meet hers from the other side, only a few centimetres of reinforced glass separating them. "But it was fate that brought us together in the end" the tall, gaunt Thin Man peered down at her from inside the containment cell. "And for that I am eternally grateful"

He was different from the others. Casting aside his dark glasses revealed his piercing yellow eyes that had the faintest tint of softness deep within them. Accompanying his exceptional eyes his body was rather more muscled than any of the others she had ever encountered before. Truly it seemed in all things that he was unique.

"But I don't know if I could go on like this, how can I bring myself to keep going without you by my side?" Lionela pleaded as the tears began to flow freely across her cheeks.

"You must, my love" he replied, his voice soft as silk. "For in the end, is it not our love that carries on forever more?"

"Oh James" she sighed blissfully.

"Oh Lionela" he cooed softly.

"Oh god, are you serious?"

Lieutenant Felicity Chambers glanced up from her tablet, the electronic slate continuing to illuminate her face in a deep blue glow. "What, you don't like that bit?"

"It's not a matter of like, it's about basic realism" Sergeant Claire Wright replied. "I mean, why would she ever fall in love with a Thin Man?"

"You're telling me you've never heard the phrase 'Love conquers all'" Chambers retorted.

"Oh please" Wright chided. "I had to brush my teeth after reading the bit where they were playing 'Doctors and Aliens' on the dissection table"

"I'm sorry" Chambers said. "But who was it that came up with the line 'He had no word for this feeling from where he came from, but he had one now. And its name was Lionela'"

"That was meant to be a joke" Wright clarified. "She talks about how much shes 'taken' by him and then down comes the containment shield, classic dark comedy moment"

"Well if we're going to talk critique, there's still quite a few points I want to bring up" Chambers responded.

"Like what?" Wright replied.

"How about Dr Shen being replaced by a woman" Chambers said.

"Exactly, who's ever going to see that coming?" Wright defended.

"Bradford as the stoic, jilted lover of Dr Marsh" Chambers continued. "The S.H.I.V. piloted by an advanced AI program with the memories of Bradford's best friend who died in the first XCOM operation and if he ever learns of his true fate he'll malfunction with grief"

"Alright, I've been saving this one until now" Wright scrolled down the tablet in search of the offending passage.

"You have to live, Lionela" James words poured from his lips like warm honey. "Live, if not for me, then for our baby you carry"

"I will" Lionela held back a muted cry as she buried her face in his broad chest. Wrapped so tightly in his embrace she knew she felt so safe in his arms. Placing a comforting hand on her belly she raised herself to meet his gaze. "This baby will be a symbol for both our peoples. With this one simple act, we can finally bring about peace"

Chambers considered her response for a moment. "I think it's pretty clear from this we both have different ideas about where this story is supposed to be heading"

XCOM Rule 697: Stop writing sappy stories based on the XCOM command staff

XCOM Rule 697a: This ban has been extended to include any XCOM personnel

XCOM Rule 697b: No matter how well received the draft was from the publishers or how lucrative the movie deal, it's still banned

XCOM Rule 697c: Even if they've got Johnny Depp to play the Thin Man

XCOM Rule 697d: Even if Dr Vahlen has offered to play the scientist as long as the kiss with Depp is contractually obliged