Chapter 22: Operation Name-Drop

"Right, now I have called this meeting of the XCOM Public Relations Department because we have a problem" Operations Officer Mike McCall sat at the head of the briefing table, addressing the rest of his assembled team. "The reality we have to face is that despite significant gains in the intelligence gathering and opposition to ADVENTs operations the reality is that some aspects of our recruiting and our counter-propaganda have been underperforming recently. I am of course referring to the naming conventions used for our operations"

There was a hushed mumbling from the assembled team.

"The directive from Central Officer Bradford is that future operations need to take into account more public friendly monikers in order to resonate with the average citizen" McCall explained. "It's felt that our current naming conventions have been lacking in this regard"

"Like what?" Operations Technical Gary Armstrong asked.

"Well, for example, what about when we were tasked to eliminate that senior administrator at the ADVENT security bureau?"

"What, 'Operation Early Retirement'?" Operator Kelly Abrams asked.

"Yes" McCall affirmed. "It doesn't exactly speak to us being the protectors of humanity. Or the time we attempted to meet a resistance contact in a nightclub and ended up burning the place down in a firefight with ADVENT responders"

"You mean, 'Operation Disco Inferno'?" Armstrong asked.

"Yes" McCall agreed. "And let's not even start on the thinking that went into the operation to destroy the ADVENT naval base in Vladivostok"

"Oh yes" Abrams interjected. "We had quite a lot of fun coming up with 'Operation Asleep with the Fishes'"

"What was that one we came up with last month?" Armstrong asked. "When we were searching for all those Faceless infiltrators"

"Operation Whack a Mole" Abrams answered.

"Which is why we need to rethink our philosophy regarding how we identify our operations" McCall steered the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"What are you suggesting?" Armstrong asked.

"You do realise one wants to learn that someone they knew gave their life for success of 'Operation Cuddle Bunny'" Abrams challenged.

"Which is not what we're saying" McCall replied. "The directive is simply to avoid any further PR disasters. Moving on" McCall retrieved another digital tablet from the table beside him. "A planned raid on an ADVENT supply convoy travelling from New London to the ADVENT winter resort on the Faroe Islands. Any suggestions?"

"Operation Smash and Grab?" Armstrong offered.

"If we're intercepting it over south east England, maybe Operation One Foot in the Gravesend?" Abrams offered.

"You said the convoy was heading for the ADVENT resort on a deserted island?" Armstrong asked. "Perhaps 'Operation Lord of the Undone Flies'"

"Operation Norfolk in Chance" Abrams interjected.

McCall shook his head and resigned himself to yet more of this nonsense.

XCOM Rule 534: All designations for XCOM operations are to be approved by the XCOM command staff prior to use in official documentation.

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Other considered ideas for Operation names:

Attack on an ADVENT financial centre

Operation Shower of Gold

Attack on ADVENT Geological and Genetic Research Centre

Operation Rock and Roar

Evacuation of an XCOM safehouse in an Indian curry restaurant

Operation Fire in the Hole

Operation Tribute to Johnny Cash

Narrowly beating Operation Ring of Fire