Judges

The Citadel, Detention Cells

Both women stared at each other across the table, one calm, the other nervous. Both had sensors attached to their heads, as well as their chests and other monitored organs. Patricia rapped her fingers on the table as she looked at the woman who was trying her best to compose herself. The longer the silenced stretched, the more the woman's terror became more apparent.

"You're afraid," Patricia finally said, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in the presence of the quiet beeping of the monitoring machine. "You can admit that, since you can't really hide it from me."

"And give you the satisfaction?" The woman hissed, a spike of anger breaking the growing terror. "Never!"

Patricia smiled. She was getting more satisfaction than she'd anticipated from this. "You can't hide what you're feeling. Not from me." She closed her eyes, focusing on the mind in front of her. A quick peek into the source of her terror was very illuminating. It was flashes, a word or two, but it was all she needed.

"What is it you're afraid of," she mused rhetorically as she focused. "Let's see…pain, makes sense, if a bit generic. Betraying EXALT, yes, that seems to be the one growing the fastest…the longer you wait here, the more your fear just giving in. But the biggest reason is…"

Patricia paused and opened her eyes, knowing the woman would see her eyes glowing with psionic energy. "…the unknown," she finished. "You don't know just what we do, what we are. You've heard the stories, no doubt, but you didn't think that XCOM was like this. And that terrifies you. That we care as little for you as it seemed when we were prepared to execute your people."

"How….?" The woman whispered, visibly moving back in abject terror, not able to finish the sentence.

"Did I know that?" Patricia finished, resting her arms on the table. "Long story. But the short version is that we don't need to torture you. We don't even need to speak to you," Patricia tapped the side of her head with a finger. "All I need is to read your mind."

"This isn't possible…" the woman whispered. "You're lying!"

Patricia chuckled at that, more out of annoyance than anything. Almost all of them had responded exactly the same way. It was amazing just how much in denial they really were, even if she'd demonstrated so obviously. Luckily after the first three she'd figured out a foolproof method of proving her abilities, and thanks to the practice, could do it while keeping her eyes open.

She first focused on the woman before her, then her vision became unfocused as she found the mind belonging to her. It wasn't hard, not here, since she felt different and the Citadel had a rather low population. All she wanted here was basic details, names, family, small things.

Patricia found herself visualized in a massive filing room, made sense since this woman was a manager. She picked up and opened one of the files and found it blank. She focused on the sheet of paper in front of her. She waved her hand over it focusing on what she wanted. Name, date of birth, immediate family.

The page immediately filled with words, all organized and formatted just how she liked it. "Airi Mercado," she said out loud, the image of the filing room superimposed over the real world. "Born April 21st, 1970. Husband Hideo, killed defending from our attack. Children Daizo and –"

"Get out of my head!" The shrill voice shook the fictional walls of the filing room and echoed even louder inside her own mind, causing Patricia to wince. She withdrew and refocused on the woman visibly swearing and staring at her, eyes wide with fear.

Patricia clasped her hands together and rested them on the table. "Believe me now, Airi?"

A few frantic nods was her response. "Good," Patricia answered, pulling out a pad of paper from the bag she'd brought in. "Now, unless you want me to do that again, much more thoroughly, I suggest you answer our questions."

"Why even bother?" She spat. "You can just read my mind anyway. Why give me a choice?"

"A courtesy," Patricia answered. "I'm well aware the mind is not something that should be intentionally violated, but I will do so if necessary. I'd prefer not too, as it's exhausting and time-consuming for me, not to mention dangerous for you, but several of your friends forced my hand."

"Then you…" Airi began.

"I did," Patricia confirmed. "And all their stories lined up, the information exact from each one of them. The threat of seeing just what was in their mind was enough for most of them, though there were several holdouts." Patricia tapped the table absentmindedly. "But in the end it wasn't difficult."

That last part was stretching the truth a bit. She'd been exhausted after each mental examination, and had barely managed to find enough to confirm what she needed to know. She'd needed several hours to recover from each one, but had also gotten better at it each time.

"Wait," Airi said, leaning forward. "Ok, I'll tell you. But what's going to happen to us?"

That was a good question, and she wasn't exactly sure what the Commander had meant when he'd given his answer. "The Commander will ultimately decide that," she answered. "If you cooperate, you'll make it much easier on yourself."

She sensed some hesitation. "You are going to tell me one way or another," Patricia warned. "Any hesitation you feel will not matter. Your only choice here is your willingness, or lack thereof."

"Got it," Airi muttered. "Let's get this over with."

Patricia nodded. "Is EXALT working with the aliens?"

Airi hesitated, then wrote down the answer on a piece of paper. "Say it," Patricia ordered. "Do not lie. I'll know if you do."

She scowled. "Yes. But it's only temporary."

She was telling the truth, but Patricia didn't really even need to confirm it that way. Her answer was more or less the same as the others. Whether this alliance was temporary or permanent was the source of some diversion, but the answer was always yes.

"Good," Patricia nodded. "What is the extent of your knowledge on EXALT activities?"

"Within Japan," Airi answered quickly. "I only know a few outgoing locations to China. If you want names of operatives, I can't help you."

Patricia nodded. She was telling the truth, though it wasn't overly helpful. One of Zhang's agents would likely press her for the details after, but all she needed was confirmations at this point. "Do you know who the leader of EXALT is?"

"Yes," Airi sighed. "Saudia Vyandar."

Yep, matched up with everyone else. Patricia had no clue who she was, but knowing who was actually running things would probably help the Commander and Zhang. "Two more questions," Patricia finished. "Then I'll leave. Someone will come later and ask you for more details and you will answer them. Understood?"

She nodded, and Patricia felt her resignation, but ultimate acceptance at that. Good enough. "First, do you know the location of the Mercado estate?"

Airi was silent for a few minutes, then bowed her head. "Yes. But I don't know the address. It only know that it's in Beijing somewhere. We keep our main bases secret except for those that absolutely need to know. The best I can do is provide you the location where I shipped supplies if it was needed."

"That will do," Patricia nodded. "Second, is Matthew Solaris, and Solaris Industries part of, or controlled by EXALT."

"Yes."

The answers had ranged from yes to probably, so she was fairly certain that was enough confirmation, at least in this case. It had been somewhat surprising to learn that Solaris Industries was implicated with EXALT, but since she'd only heard of it in passing, wasn't overly saddened or feeling emotional about it. It did fit with how EXALT operated. Influencing leading people and companies, or in this case, controlling them.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Patricia said, standing and removing the sensors. By now Vahlen should have more than enough data for whatever tests she was running. "It will not go unnoticed."

Airi didn't bother to respond as she opened the door and stepped out into the cell.

"Well done," Zhang complimented without looking at her as he looking into the room through the one-way mirror. "We've learned much today thanks to you."

"Yeah, thanks," Patricia let out tiredly, allowing herself to feel the exhaustion of the entire day. "Are we finished?"

Zhang gave a curt nod. "Yes, Specialist. We will call if you are needed."

Zhang was similar to the Commander emotionally, but he struck her as controlled rather than cold. He didn't seem to get overly emotional, regardless of the situation, yet here she did detect some faint stirrings of satisfaction rising up.

She did wonder what the Commander would do with them once they were thoroughly debriefed. She'd have to ask later, but for now all she wanted was to sleep and try to avoid the voices and images flashing through her mind now. She didn't know if they were aftereffects of seeing so many minds, or a consequence of it. But she hoped it would stop after sleep.

She smiled as she felt a familiar mind close and saw Creed with her own eyes. He'd come down with her during the interrogations, and even though he hadn't been allowed to participate, she was glad he'd been in the general area, for unofficial moral and mental support if nothing else.

He pushed himself off the wall and walked over to her. "All done?"

She weakly punched him in the chest. "What do you think?" She growled, somewhat annoyed he'd asked such an obvious question. He winced and she felt a spike of embarrassment from him.

"Point taken," he noted. "What I meant to say was how are you?"

She sighed and they both began walking back toward the barracks. "Exhausted. I need sleep, preferably for a day. But I'll survive."

"You deserve it," he agreed. "You get what you needed from them? All of them?"

"Every last one," Patricia confirmed, blinking and shaking her head to clear it. "They can't exactly defend against it. They were all pretty freaked out."

Creed chuckled. "I'd imagine they were. Most people probably would be knowing you could read their mind."

She winced. "XCOM not excluded, of course." The response to learning that she was psionic was…mixed, and from the conflicting emotions she'd felt whenever a glance was directed at her, she didn't know if they were fine with that or not. To be fair, it seemed to be the newer soldiers, the ones who hadn't served with her before, but it was still disheartening.

"They'll accept it eventually," Creed assured her as they turned a corner. "I'm not the only one who is supporting you here. You shouldn't worry too much about it; it wasn't even your choice to begin with."

"Mm-hmm," Patricia muttered as they entered the barracks. "I hope you're right." She found her bed and sat on the edge and quickly took her boots off, then laid back. Creed handed her another pillow.

"Here you go," he told her which she took and placed behind her head.

"Thanks," she answered gratefully and he moved away, presumably to let her get some rest. "Wait." She called slowly.

He cocked his head. "Yes?"

"Can you…" she waved her hand in a circle. "Stay in this general area? Please? I'm having some kind of aftereffects, it'll help me focus a bit more if you're around since…well, I know yours pretty well."

"Yeah, of course," he agreed, sitting down on the opposite bunk. "I'll stay until I think you're asleep."

She smiled at him. "Thank you." She closed her eyes and tried to relax as best she could, using his mind as an anchor to dismiss everything else she was seeing. She lost track of time soon after, but fell asleep eventually, happy to finally get some rest from her trying day.

The Citadel, Office of the Commander

"This is fascinating," Van Doorn commented as he looked over the summaries that had been compiled by Zhang. "I didn't exactly expect a secret society to actually be one."

The Commander had to agree with that. He'd thought of EXALT as an influential organization, and he didn't think he was wrong on that, but it wasn't just that. There was an entire culture within this organization. A lot more complex than simply a group wanting to control the world. "I admit, I wouldn't have guessed that."

"No kidding," Van Doorn shook his head. "They were smart not to have all their leaders be public figures. Aside from Solaris, I've never heard of anyone important called Saudia or Diguon."

"A shame about Matthew," the Commander mused. "I suppose he was just too good to be true."

Van Doorn looked up. "Be that as it may, Matthew has done some good, even if it was just a cover."

"Well, unfortunately for him we can now bring his little empire crashing around him," the Commander pointed out as he set down his tablet. "Five confessions can't be overlooked by anyone. Zhang will have a field day putting this together."

"Though we'll still need concrete proof," Van Doorn sighed. "Witnesses are good, but for some reason I'm not sure 'Coercion by mind reading" is going to fly with either the courts or public."

"Unimportant at the moment," the Commander said, resting his hand on his chin as he thought. "What matters is that we now have a case against Solaris Industries, should we choose to expose them legally."

"As opposed to illegally?" Van Doorn asked wryly.

"Unless we gain solid evidence, leaking anything we have isn't going to work," the Commander said. "Solaris Industries would likely shut this down as fast as we did with their attempt to defame us. Especially if it's anonymous."

"Good point," Van Doorn grunted. "It looks like you were right about their alliance too, they're trying to use the aliens."

"Idiots," the Commander shook his head. "I suppose when you've successfully hidden for who knows how many years, assuming you can exploit an alien species for tech probably seems like a good plan. A shame too. They might have been useful."

"The good news is that they'll likely turn on the aliens in the future," Van Doorn noted. "Which means they won't be focusing on us."

The Commander frowned. "I highly doubt that. Assuming EXALT's ultimate goal is the control of the world, their greatest opponent to that is the UN. Since we're part of the UN, technically, we're a threat. They try to use the aliens to get tech to beat us, then turn on the aliens, and reveal themselves as saviors of humanity."

He snorted. "An impossible scenario, but one they might actually be arrogant enough to believe. No, this will likely end for them with the aliens using them as a puppet or proxy. The human face of their invasion, showing everyone that they aren't the menace XCOM paints them to be. A brilliant play, if they succeed."

"Can EXALT really not see that?" Van Doorn wondered aloud, looking up at the ceiling. "A society that can survive without detection this long can't be completely stupid."

"Arrogant, not stupid," the Commander corrected. "Though I do wonder if we're giving them pause."

"In any event, we probably know what to expect when we attack this Mercado estate," Van Doorn redirected, looking back towards his tablet. "Though Beijing is a lot of ground to cover."

"We'll manage," the Commander said. "Once we hit them at their Asia base, we'll move to Solaris Industries. Combine that with Zhang's propaganda campaign and EXALT won't know what hit them. I don't imagine their alien "allies" will be overjoyed at that either."

Van Doorn smiled. "True. The aliens are surprisingly invested now, they have a stake in this war. It makes sense they wouldn't want it to go to waste."

The door suddenly hissed open and Bradford stormed in, flanked by Jackson who looked uncharacteristically nervous. "We have a situation," Bradford announced without ceremony. His composure seemingly close to breaking.

The Commander immediately turned to him. "What is it?" He demanded.

Jackson walked over the TV and turned it on while Bradford handed his tablet to the Commander. "A major leak just happened in Brazil. Thousands of documents were released by dozens of journalists exposing the corruption within the government."

The Commander froze and heard Van Doorn's sharp intake of breath. "How bad is it?" He demanded.

"Look for yourself," Jackson answered as she turned on the TV. The news station switched to CNN.

"Breaking news coming out of Brazil," the commentator spoke in an infuriatingly calm voice. "The repercussions of one of the most coordinated and damaging leaks in recent history are becoming dangerously apparent. Throughout the country riots are breaking out and there are unconfirmed reports of certain parts of the military staging a coup."

The images showed hundreds of citizens shouting and storming the streets, throwing rocks, shoes, bricks, whatever they could find at the first government building they saw. To the Commander's dismay, he saw that the police weren't even trying to stop them.

"Is it like that all over?" The Commander asked quietly.

"I'm afraid so," Bradford confirmed grimly. "And it's only going to get worse. Much worse."

"I'm not opposed to exposing the corruption," the Commander muttered as he looked at the screen. "But not now. We can't afford to have Brazil collapse now."

"What possessed them to release this?" Van Doorn demanded.

"EXALT," the Commander spat. "Given how coordinated and effective this was. I'm guessing this was in the works long before we entered the picture. But they want to hurt us now and this is a way to do it. Brazil will pull out of the XCOM project."

"They have to," Bradford agreed. "Just based on the last few hours, their country is falling apart."

"Clever," Van Doorn muttered. "But this is not good for us."

"No," the Commander agreed, thinking furiously. "But we can afford it. We've gathered enough allies to offset the loss of funding. But this pushes back our goal of supplementing China severely."

"Can we do anything to offset this?" Van Doorn asked Bradford.

"And say what?" Jackson demanded, motioning to the screen. "'Yes, citizens, your entire government is corrupt, but please don't revolt until the alien threat is gone, please?' You really think that would work?"

"It's out of our hands," Bradford agreed. "EXALT learned quickly. Hurting our funding is more effective than going after us directly."

"Unfortunately for them, we know where they are," the Commander stated grimly as he watched the footage. "Get Zhang up here now. We're going to hit EXALT back hard. They might have taken down a country, but we'll bring their empire down around them."

"On it now," Bradford nodded. "Jackson, get back to Mission Control and regain order. I want to know the full extent of the damage."

"Yes, Central," Jackson nodded and dashed out of the room.

The Commander watched the footage of looting and cheering Brazilians, wondering just what the best way to handle this really was. It was going to cause financial issues, but at least the Council couldn't pin this on him. But he could pin it on EXALT, and this might be what it took to make the Council understand what they were up against.

Perhaps. But the funds lost here would have to be made up somehow, and he had very limited options. But one crisis at a time.

The Citadel, Situation Room

"Incoming call now," Bradford informed as he walked up beside him. Van Doorn stood to the Commander's left as they waited for the Speaker to appear. The screen flashed and the familiar blue silhouette greeted them. The Commander was surprised that he'd somewhat missed the Speaker. Despite the disagreements with the Council, he did respect the Speaker, and the overly dramatic blue lighting was rather endearing now.

"Hello, Commander," the Speaker greeted, inclining his shadowed head. "It is…good…to see you. It has been…too long."

"Appreciated, Speaker," the Commander returned, also inclining his head. "Convey my thanks to the Council for allowing me to handle the attempt to defame this organization. I appreciate it."

"Your quick response was the reason," the Speaker answered. "Had you not acted swiftly, the Council would have been forced to take…action…Fortunately, that was not needed. Yet now, I fear that it there will be repercussions as a result of…recent events."

"Yes," the Commander agreed. "I would encourage Brazil not to withdraw from the XCOM project, but in this case, I would understand the circumstances."

"The situation in Brazil is deteriorating rapidly," the Speaker updated. "Though what concerns us is how XCOM is connected to it."

The Commander frowned. "Excuse me?"

The Speaker clasped his hands together. "In addition to the multiple incriminating documents released, it was also revealed that the journalists responsible for releasing them received payment from German and Israeli contacts. Some on the Council find it…suspicious and coincidental."

Were they really that desperate? "Speaker," the Commander began, not bothering to hide his confusion and incredulity. "If certain members of the Council are insinuating that XCOM was somehow responsible for this, I can assure them that is untrue. We were just as surprised as you."

"You had no knowledge of this possibility?" The Speaker demanded, leaning forward.

"Not like this," the Commander shook his head. "I knew there was a massive surge of journalists investigating Brazil, but nothing more."

"Speaker, this is quite frankly, ridiculous," Van Doorn interrupted, stepping forward. "Let's assume that we did know about this. Why would we do this to a nation that isn't our enemy, as well as weakening humanity and XCOM in the process? It makes no logical or tactical sense."

The Speaker focused on the Commander. "The concern is not of XCOM, but of your allies. Regardless of your stances on them, they are linked to this disaster, and that should not be ignored."

Of course, no one bothered to mention that this would have never happened if the entire government wasn't corrupt. But no, it was easier to ignore the context and just blame the ones who toppled the house of cards. If Israel and Germany actually had funded this partially, he wasn't even particularly mad. But if so, they had terrible timing. "Debatable, Speaker," the Commander finally said, fixing his eyes on the shadowed face on the screen. "I do not control these countries, and any attempt to link me to this situation is tenuous at best and desperate at worst. XCOM had no knowledge of this, period."

"Your answer will be conveyed," the Speaker nodded. "Though the question of what prompted this still remains."

"A question that can be answered easily," Bradford said, stepping forward. "EXALT was likely responsible for the first attempt to defame us; this is likely another attempt to sabotage us."

"A fabricated video is one thing," the Speaker answered skeptically. "But this has thrown a nation into chaos. The level of influence that would have to be exerted would be staggering, and likely impossible. The Council is skeptical of outside sources in this case. Too many reputable journalists have converged together, unless you suspect they are also part of this shadow organization?"

"Think of the timing," the Commander pressed. "They wouldn't need to have the journalists be part of EXALT to use them. They could simply pass the information to them and once the first one publishes, it's all over."

"But you have no proof," the Speaker stated.

"No," the Commander admitted. "But we do have proof that EXALT is far larger than we anticipated and we suspect that they've infiltrated major Asian countries including China and Japan from recent encounters and gathered data."

"The Council will require more proof," the Speaker warned. "Speculation will not be enough."

He'd discussed this with Bradford and Van Doorn. Until they had an air-tight case with irrefutable proof against Solaris Industries or the actual location of the Mercado estate, the Council didn't need to know the results of the interrogation. He didn't think the Council needed to know they had a soldier who was psionic yet. He'd prefer to keep that card to himself until Vahlen either found a way to replicate it or suppress it.

"The point that should be taken from this is that EXALT is likely responsible for this," the Commander continued. "They want Brazil to leave the Council. They want to connect XCOM to this somehow. Leaving would accomplish exactly what they wanted."

"Unfortunately, it makes little difference," the Speaker said, straightening up. "Brazil officially withdrew from the Council one hour ago, citing the need to regain control of the country. The economic damage is extensive, and they cannot afford to invest any additional funding at this time."

Well, not unexpected, but he still wasn't happy. But road bumps happened, and they'd just have to move forward. "Give the Brazilian councilor my regards, and good luck," the Commander said. "I hope in the future we can work with them to combat the alien threat."

And he meant that, with one catch.

Should he work with them again, it would not be through the Council.

Every crisis housed an opportunity of some kind, and this opportunity would only come far into the future, but was an opportunity nonetheless. Once Brazil recovered enough, the Commander fully intended to offer it a place in his growing list of allies, further weakening the Council's control over him. But at best, it would be at least half a year, and that was with a full military crackdown which was looking unlikely.

But he'd deal with that when it came.

"It will be done," the Speaker inclined his head. "We look forward to seeing your next steps in countering the alien threat, Commander. We will be watching."

The screen flashed and went black.

"What we expected," Bradford sighed as he turned to the holotable. "Unfortunate."

"Nothing we can do at the moment," the Commander shrugged. "We have to move forward."

"The aliens have been quiet," Van Doorn muttered as he went over and turned on the holotable. "They're probably planning something."

"We'll see," the Commander muttered. "But when they do move, we'll be ready. Bradford, we'll need to make up the loss here somehow. Have Jackson put a list of possible countries together."

Bradford nodded. "Copy that. On the bright side, at least there shouldn't be any more surprises today."

"Don't jinx it," Van Doorn groaned. "Great job."

"Fine," Bradford smirked. "There will be a surprise. A big one."

"Much better," the Commander nodded in approval. "But we have work to do. Van Doorn, I've narrowed down the list of possible soldiers, can you take a look?"

"Gladly," Van Doorn agreed and took the tablet and began looking it over.

The Citadel, Office of the Commander

The Commander rubbed his forehead and closed the tab of the document he'd been writing. Anything major that impacted his work he always had written himself, and he did consider himself fairly good at it now. But this was going to have a much larger impact than anything before it. It was needed, but the amount of scenarios, variations and political and economic repercussions was massive. It might be time to recruit some experts who specialized in international law.

That might not be a bad idea regardless, since XCOM was going to become a more "public" organization. The more their influence grew, the likelier chance that some countries might ask for their support on various measures. XCOM would not become involved, of course, not officially, but it might not be a bad idea to know the ramifications of various proposals.

Van Doorn might have to be brought on his. He would balk initially, but the Commander was confident he could be persuaded to see the need for this. But now he just needed a break from writing it. Now…China. He wondered if the whole thing with Shun should be confronted directly or just ignored for the moment.

They had tried this once, and they would likely do it again provided he wasn't careful. But he suspected that they were too busy going through the remains of the Dreadnought now that the UN case was over. As he'd suspected, the UN had delayed it by a few months, but little more. The good news was that everything of value had been taken, power sources, weapons, elerium, MELD. Only the metal remained, though it was a significant amount.

Although, this might not necessarily be a problem, depending on how China decided to use it. Once the aliens truly invaded, the militaries of the world would have to act, and an enhanced Chinese army would be essential in holding Asia. But the problem was of course what they might do before then. Well, hopefully Russia would serve as a counter in case Chinese aggression became too overt.

A few more countries. That's what was needed before XCOM would leave the Council. Brazil had pushed this back several months at least, but the goal was in sight now. Once they withdrew, full alliances could be established with the United States, Argentina, Japan and perhaps the UK and India. Australia and Canada would probably reject him for sure, and the rest were up in the air. Working directly with XCOM, the Commander suspected that they would increase their funding especially now that they were getting tech in return.

It was a delicate game, especially if some of the Councilors decided to go public on his identity, though that seemed unlikely at this point. That threat that had been hanging over his head from the beginning was growing less and less important the more he thought about it. The Council in general he'd been thinking less and less on as well, as he was focused on actual issues, namely EXALT and the aliens.

Perhaps it was time to come clean. Preempt it and remove that threat once and for all. They'd worked with him long enough, they could form their own conclusions based on what they actually knew, not what the propaganda told them. At this point, he didn't think that any of them would refuse to work with him anymore, even Shen. Like it or not, they were part of something much larger now and that was more important than the past.

But he still wasn't completely sure, and if he was wrong, would likely ensure XCOM split or fell apart completely. He wasn't sure that was a risk that should be taken yet. His intercom started flashing green and beeping. The Commander sighed and hit the answer button, hoping another crisis hadn't come up. "Central, anything new?"

"Uh, you could say that, Commander," Bradford actually sounded stunned, which prompted the Commander to sit up straighter and looked down at the intercom, frowning. This couldn't be good.

"What happened?" He demanded.

"Supreme Leader Iseul Gwan has just asked to speak with you," Central explained. "Should I put him through?"

The Commander blinked. The hell? "Are you sure?"

"Positive,"

Damn Bradford and his ironic comments. No more surprises today. Figured that the esteemed leader of North Korea would want to talk. Which was major, since the Supreme Leader hadn't opened any official diplomatic channels with any country in years. "Put him through," the Commander ordered. "Let's see what he wants."

He shut the intercom off and rose from his chair, grabbed the remote and turned on the screen in front of him. It was blank for a few seconds, before flashing to reveal Iseul Gwan standing before him, hands clasped behind his back.

He wore the darker gray uniform of the North Korean officers, with several badges attached to the upper left chest per military tradition. He had also forgone the overly ceremonial and ridiculous hat that officers generally worn. Iseul was clearly cut from pure military cloth, and his face reflected that. Sharp, angular and hard, he was a man who took his position seriously and commanded respect. His short black hair was expertly styled, as was expected with a regime as strict as his, but there was a reason people had disliked dealing with the man himself, and upon seeing him now, the Commander could agree that he posed an intimidating figure, despite being older than fifty.

If nothing else, this would be interesting. "Supreme Leader Gwan," he said cordially. "This is a surprise."

"I'd imagine so," Iseul's voice had a noticeable accent, but not incomprehensible. "But your actions, and those of the alien menace, have warranted my attention."

"I'm glad you recognize the threat," the Commander said. "But that would not warrant a personal call from the leader of a country that has isolated itself for decades."

"Because it doesn't," Iseul stated, his tone barely changing. "Both of us recognize that the fate of our species is at stake. You have not stood by and watched and neither would I. I believe it is time for my country to take a greater role in the defense of Earth."

Was he actually suggesting working together? North Korea? "And what role do you envision?" The Commander asked slowly.

"That of an ally, preferably," Iseul answered. "I was skeptical initially when your organization appeared. But your actions and presence have confirmed that you are no United Nations puppet. And in that case, I see no reason to work separately when we will be stronger when our strength is combined."

"And just why should I accept you as an ally?" The Commander demanded incredulously. "Many, myself included, have…issues with your country for good reason."

"Understandable," Iseul allowed a dangerous smile. "But you should know better than anyone that propaganda can be deceiving, Commander. But I would not expect to accept my word alone. Come to my capital, your questions will be answered and we can discuss this more thoroughly and honestly than through a screen."

It wasn't as though there was much of a choice here, not only did he want to see exactly what Iseul would say to convince him, but he'd be the first influential foreigner to enter the country in years. The knowledge he would gain, even a little, might be useful to the UN should he ever need it.

There was one thing that had to be cleared thought. "I see," the Commander said. "When would you prefer I visit?"

"As soon as possible," Iseul stated. "I believe that will be better for all of us. I would also suggest you come alone. Your advisors will not be needed."

The Commander gave him a humorless smile. "An interesting restriction. How do I know you won't attempt to capture me or worse? Going alone into North Korea is generally not wise."

Iseul shook his head, almost in exasperation. "And bring down not only XCOM, but the rest of the world in retaliation? No, Commander, you will have my assurance and protection within my country. I honor my promises, and you will be free to leave whenever you choose, regardless of our discussion."

The Commander was inclined to believe him at the moment. Trying to kill or capture him would be a monumentally stupid plan, and would ensure that North Korea was destroyed. Besides, if he knew anything about dictators, it's that they wouldn't do something that threatened their power this much. Perhaps if XCOM was smaller, but too many world leaders knew about him to avoid repercussions should anything happen to him.

"Very well," the Commander finally said. "I'll come discuss the possibility of an alliance. Though I'll warn you that it will be…difficult…to convince me of the necessity."

For the first time, Iseul's lips stretched into a smile. "I look forward to convincing you, Commander. Until we meet."

The video shut off and the Commander stood in place for a few seconds as he processed what had happened. It now occurred to him that whenever he'd reflected on his plan for defending Earth, he'd rarely ever taken North Korea into account. He'd noted its existence, of course, but actually working with them was something he'd never thought about, let alone them coming to him in the first place.

This move might seem like desperation to some, a last ditch move to preserve a country before it was lost in the inevitable attack, but the Commander had not gotten that impression from Iseul at all. He had no doubt that North Korea would benefit from an alliance with them, but it was going to take a lot for Iseul to convince him that it was worth supporting his authoritarian regime.

Very little was actually known about the Supreme Leader, but he'd been remarkably restrained during his rule, and wasn't seen as unintelligent. Dangerous, yes, but dangerous and smart, which was a worrying combination for many in the world, and especially South Korea.

So following the assumption that he was dealing with a supposedly rational person, at least as rational as a dictator could be, it seemed that Iseul genuinely seemed to believe he could convince him to not only support, or at least work with, a totalitarian regime, but also risk the political fallout that would inevitably follow.

The door hissed open behind him and Van Doorn, Zhang and Bradford walked in. "What did he want?" Bradford demanded.

"To 'discuss the possibility of an alliance against the aliens,'" The Commander quoted. "Admittedly, not what I expected."

"This is unprecedented," Van Doorn said slowly. "It doesn't make sense. Unless North Korea is really scared about the aliens."

"I didn't get that impression from Iseul," the Commander noted. "It sounded like a genuine offer. Zhang, do you know much about him?"

"No," Zhang stated firmly, shaking his head for emphasis. "I have not been conducting operations is North Korea, and the Triad never conducted any business either. Too restrictive."

"Gwan is dangerous and manipulative," Van Doorn warned. "I assume he invited you to visit?"

"He did," the Commander confirmed. "But alone."

Van Doorn frowned. "I assume you've wondered if it's a trap."

"Unlikely," the Commander said. "He'd be signing his death warrant if he tried anything. No, I think he only wants to talk. Though I'll be prepared if he does try something."

"I'm very curious what he could possibly offer," Bradford muttered. "We shouldn't work with dictatorships like them."

"On principle, yes," the Commander nodded. "But I do want to hear what he has to say, and depending on how much he wants this alliance…we might be able to impose some rules on him."

"I'll schedule the meeting as soon as possible," Bradford promised, looking down at his tablet. "Regardless of how this goes, it should be interesting."

The Commander smirked. "That it will be for sure."

North Korea, Pyongyang

The Commander unstrapped and stood the moment the skyranger landed. Time to see what was in store for him. The ramp hissed open and lowered with a slight squeal. The Commander blinked as his eyes adjusted to the fading sunlight, then stepped out onto the airstrip. The first thing that stood out to him was that it wasn't empty.

It was smaller than a United States air base, but there was no question this was being heavily used. Planes, fighters and jets were parked, and soldiers and engineers were going about their duties with a mechanical speed and efficiency. Most were seemingly ignoring him altogether, except for the small detachment standing outside waiting for him.

Four rows, four soldiers in each, stood as still as statues as he walked up. These seemed to be regular soldiers, wearing the standard green and gray camo uniforms. But what was different were the trio of soldiers standing in front of the block of soldiers.

The leading one wore the armor he'd seem from the recent video, with the ornate red helmet, armor, and shoulder cape. Upon closer inspection it was clear that some inspiration had been drawn from XCOM gear, just based on how it was put together. That soldier was flanked by two more, and these soldiers appeared to be wearing the same kind of armor, expect it was all black. The helmet was also much less grandiose, resembling something closer to a pilot's helm than anything else. The North Korean emblem was emblazoned on their shoulder pads, and what he presumed was their rank on their upper left chest.

Once he walked closer the red armor-clad soldier raised a hand, and he obliged by stopping. "You are the Commander of XCOM, correct?"

The Commander looked into the soldier's darkened visor. "Correct. I presume you are here to take me to Supreme Leader Gwan?"

She gave a curt nod. "That is correct. I am to escort you to your ride into our capital." She swung her head to the right, likely speaking to the black armor-clad soldiers flanking her. "다시 단계!"

The two soldiers immediately stepped back in unison, which the Commander took as an invitation to step forward. She looked at the soldiers behind her and shouted again. "행진! 내 리드를 따라 !"

The Commander went to her side as they began marching across the air base. The soldiers all walked in step, but fortunately didn't feel the need to perform that overly exaggerated leg-swinging march that North Korea often displayed in their parades. They walked at a brisk pace, though he had no trouble keeping up.

"I have been instructed to answer any questions you might have before your visit with the Supreme Leader," she said while they marched. "Information on military movements or directives will not be shared."

The Commander nodded. Fair enough. "I'm as familiar as I can be with your military, but I have not seen soldiers like you before. I assume this was a recent development?"

"The Supreme Leader can better answer your question," she stated. "But yes, this division is new. We are the vanguard that will lead the charge against the aliens and protect our country."

Commendable. Provided that was actually the plan. He had no doubt that these soldiers fully believed they were doing what was best for their country, but he also wondered if, in the interest of ensuring the future of North Korea, they might decide to end the shadow war with the South once and for all. He'd dismissed those concerns long ago, assuming that North Korea would never want to antagonize China, or the world at large.

Yet somehow North Korea seemed to be much more advanced that he, and probably everyone else, anticipated. Seeing the armor up close, and getting a closer look at some of the equipment and planes that they were passing, he had an idea of what had actually happened. Which was concerning.

He saw a limo up ahead, and it seemed like that was going to be his ride. Thanks to his enhanced eyesight, he could see the main city just beyond, and from here it admittedly looked as impressive as quite a few American cities he'd visited. But looks could be deceiving and he was certain that they would avoid driving through any parts that showed nothing less than happy, loyal, North Korean citizens.

Though he wondered if Iseul would bother. Both of them used propaganda and knew its effect. Because of that, both of them could see through it much easier. It would be interesting to see how he portrayed the city. "Where will I be taken?" He asked.

"To the Government building," she answered automatically. "In the interest of time, we will avoid taking the scenic route, so to speak, unless of course you wish too."

The Commander gave her a wry smile. "Oh, I'm sure I'd be very impressed. But I don't have time for your propaganda. Business takes precedence."

To her credit, the woman didn't acknowledge his jab. "As you wish."

Once they reached the limo, one of the black-armored soldiers opened the door and he stepped inside. A few seconds later the female officer also stepped in and sat opposite him. The door was shut behind her and they both appraised each other as the limo started driving. "You are quiet," she noted. 'I would have expected more questions."

"Trust me, I have many," the Commander assured her. "But the ones I have you wouldn't be able to answer, or you'd give a carefully crafted response. I'm aware of how your country operates."

"Propaganda is not exclusive to us, Commander," she noted without malice. "You are not here for that and the Supreme Leader believes it would be pointless for you anyway. You will see for yourself soon enough that we are not the oppressive nation the world paints us as."

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "Is that right? Then I do have a question for you, is the civilian population even aware of the extent of the alien invasion? How much do they really know is happening in the world?"

There was a pause. "They are appraised of the alien incursion," she finally answered. "Though the scope and danger is unknown to most. They trust us to be able to defend them, and have faith in the Supreme Leader to lead us through this issue."

The Commander sighed. "Lying is only a short-term solution."

"The suppression of information is a necessity," she stated. "We cannot have mass panic in the streets. We saw the results of unchecked information with Germany, you did as well. Our civilians are only told what they were needed, and as a result of it, are more productive in the event that 'the situation gets worse.'"

The Commander pursed his lips. "The situation in Germany was a result of government suppression, not because of the aliens."

"Because they failed," she said. "Had they kept the populace calm, we might have a different Germany today."

"Keeping people ignorant is a mistake," the Commander said. "One I'm afraid your country will find out one day."

"That is unlikely," she said, lacing her gauntleted fingers together. "But the Supreme Leader would be able to explain these truths better than I."

They were both silent for a few moments. "What is your name?" The Commander finally asked.

"Iida Keyoko," she answered, inclining her head. "I would ask yours, but from what I know, you don't have one."

The Commander's lips curled up at that. "I do have one, but very few know it. It's unimportant, my title is all that matters now."

"A fair point, Commander," Iida answered. "Now that we are close, I must tell you that we are not going to the Government building. That was for the benefit of my soldiers. You are being taken to the military installation spearheading the defense of our country against the aliens."

The Commander wasn't exactly sure he should be surprised at that or not, or even if it was a bad thing. It implied that Iseul had quite a bit to show off, which again reinforced his suspicion about where these advanced North Korean soldiers were coming from. If nothing else, it was more interesting than a standard meeting room where he'd met so many world leaders before.

North Korea, Undisclosed Location

They finally arrived and once both of them exited the limo, found themselves in an enclosed garage-like area, empty, except for guards at each exit, all of whom wore the black armor. They saluted as Iida approached, which she acknowledged with a nod as they walked through the door. The hallways were gray, bare, and sterile, and they didn't encounter any more soldiers as they moved through the maze.

Left, right, right and left, the Commander was trying to keep up with all the turns, but soon after became convinced that Iida was purposefully leading him in circles to disorient him from memorizing the path, much like how Israel had done when he'd visited Tel Aviv. They finally arrived in front of a glass door which slid open.

"Step inside," Iida ordered, extending her hand to the entrance. The Commander obliged, not having much of a choice, and she joined him and punched in a code on the other side. An elevator, that's what this was. After she finished, they started rising and within half a minute, slowed to a stop and the door opened to reveal a well-lit room with ceramic tile and North Korean paraphernalia lining the walls.

Flags, posters and statues were all present, arranged in such a way as to be as impressive as possible. Quite honestly, he was impressed, but it was nothing he hadn't seen from America or Russia. North Korea had always utilized props and symbols masterfully into their propaganda, and even if he knew the effect it had, it was an art he could understand and respect.

They both stepped out and began walking, their boots clacking on the tile. The Commander noted with some curiosity that there were no portraits of previous leaders or figures. He'd have expected something, especially from the Supreme Leader, but saw nothing on the walls aside from flags and posters.

When the previous Supreme Leader had died almost thirty years ago, the Commander had read some speculations from various figures about the cause of death, the leading theories revolving around assassination. It was difficult to know for certain, since North Korean internal disputes were extraordinary hard to confirm, but the Gwan's father hadn't been in poor health and only seventy.

Of course, North Korea propaganda could have hidden any ills from the western world and it would be hard to know one way or another. But given that Gwan's brother, who would have been first in the line of succession, had been found guilty of treason and executed a few years before made it plausible to think that maybe, Iseul Gwan had caused the apparent abrupt death of the Supreme Leader as a masterful power play.

The Commander wouldn't have been surprised one way or another. No one knew the facts here, but given how North Korean leaders had been ruthless and cutthroat in the past, he had no reason to think that anything had changed in that regard. Regicide and patricide would likely not be seen as an issue when the prize was control over one of the most secretive countries in the world.

The room suddenly opened up into a wider rectangle, where the far wall was nothing but a floor-to-ceiling window. A large oak table was in the middle of the room, and on both sides were two screens displaying maps and rapidly scrolling information that the Commander wasn't able to catch, not that it would have mattered since he didn't know Korean.

In the middle of the room, in front of the window was Supreme Leader Iseul Gwan, overlooking whatever was outside with his hands clasped behind his back and wearing the same uniform he had in his initial greeting.

Iida raised her hand into a salute. "우박, 최고 지도자!" She shouted, her voice amplified in the silent room.

"마음 편하게, 사령관 이이다," he answered in a neutral tone, not looking back at her. "작업로 돌아 기각."

Without a word of farewell, Iida turned on her heel and walked back to the elevator. The Commander took that as a sign to walk forward and did until he reached the window. What awaited him was both expected, and not at the same time. "Magnificent, isn't it?" Iseul commented as they looked over the working area.

A large UFO was below them, almost half-disassembled. The alloy plating that normally covered it had been stripped off, but the shell containing the computers, power sources and additional components were still being taken out, very slowly and carefully if the amount of workers and sealed environment suits was anything to go by.

"You took a UFO," the Commander congratulated. "Impressive. Even more so that I had no idea."

"You had no idea because I decided not to tell you," Iseul stated without looking over at him, though the Commander detected trace amounts of humor in his voice. "I could have, of course. The gracious United Nations provided each world government with a way to contact their anti-alien division in the event of an attack. Even us. But I knew they would hoard what they gained from themselves when it rightfully belongs to us."

He looked over at the Commander, his eyes hard. "I sent my soldiers to storm the craft. Many died. But we won, and in the process, gained the keys to ultimate victory. But you already know this."

"Your new soldiers," the Commander remembered. "If I may guess, a derivative of analyzing the alien alloys?"

"Correct," Iseul nodded. "It provides far greater protection than perhaps any military gear in the world, XCOM excluded of course. Yet armoring an army like you do yours is impractical, so some sacrifices had to be made."

"Your limited supply," the Commander supposed. "You don't have enough for your army."

"My entire army?" Iseul looked him in the eye. "No. But we've meticulously planned out the best use of our limited supply, and by mixing alien alloys with metal on Earth, we are able to equip most of it. It will not provide the level of protection your soldiers enjoy, but it will allow us to wage an effective ground war with the aliens when the time comes."

"And have you tested it?" The Commander asked. "The plasma weapons the aliens use are far more powerful than human ballistics."

"Not with plasma, no," Iseul admitted. "But we've done what we can. Jet cannons, rockets, AA guns. What we've developed will hold at least once to most of those, barring shrapnel from the rockets into unprotected parts. We lack your weapons to test, but I am confident in my scientists and engineers."

"How long has this been going on?" The Commander asked, using his enhanced vision to look closer at the workers who were disassembling an alien computer.

"Nearly four months," Iseul answered. "The very best and brightest working nonstop all hours of the day, knowing our days were numbers," he pursed his lips. "I've also been following XCOM, Commander, as best I can. My initial assumptions about your organization, and you, were wrong. You are not a fool, you know these aliens will soon truly invade and wipe out or enslave us."

The Commander looked at him grimly. "Yes, I realized that some time ago. Unfortunately, there is little I can do except prepare for the possibility."

"As do I," Iseul agreed, looking over the UFO. "I have not ignored your growing number of countries working directly with you either. Israel, Germany, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkey and more. No one else has either, and your rapid expansion, regardless of its use, will soon be seen as a threat if it isn't already."

"An unnecessary worry," the Commander shook his head. "This is not even a proper alliance, and especially not a coalition. It's an agreement. They provide us the means to defend Earth and we provide means for them to protect their countries."

"You may view it that way, but other do not," Iseul said. "Your influence has grown, like it or not. Some view it as a threat, but for others, XCOM represents the last hope before the world falls."

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "I highly doubt 'hope' had anything to do with it. Practicality and necessity are the driving forces of these alliances. Not concepts like hope."

"On some level, that is true," Iseul conceded. "But you and I both know most humans are not like us, they are driven by emotion, not reason. Do you honestly not see why so many countries are willing to risk sanctions or worse by the UN, opposition from their own government, or will of the people to work with XCOM?"

"Because XCOM is the best chance for survival," the Commander said, pursing his lips as he saw where the Supreme Leader was going with this.

"Or, in a word, hope," Iseul amended, with a small smile. "The rest of the world is beginning to see the United Nations for what it is: inept, corrupt, and broken. They saw what happened in Germany, in China, and it was not a nebulous collection of politicians that saved the day, it was not NATO, not diplomacy or any other useless ideal or power of the United Nations. It was XCOM."

He…didn't completely disagree, though he felt some correction was needed. "You do know XCOM is technically part of the United Nations?"

"It was the reason I took matters into my own hands initially," Iseul nodded. "But regardless of the technicality of it, I don't believe that XCOM is part of the United Nations any more than I believe Mexico is part of the United States simply because they share the same continent. It might have started that way originally, but times have changed. The United Nations, nor XCOM have acknowledged an official relationship," Iseul gave a small smile. "And besides, do you honestly consider yourself part of them anymore?"

The Commander gave him a wry smile; the man was clever. "No, I do not."

"As expected," Iseul said with a nod. "But my point is that the nations are rallying around the only force in the world that is openly doing something. The only force that seems to have a chance. The United Nations will fall, and I think you've figured this out as well. Why else begin to secure as much additional funding as possible if not to prepare for that eventuality?"

The Commander maintained a neutral expression. "Several factors beyond that."

"Ah, yes," Iseul agreed knowingly. "I'd imagine working for the very people who betrayed you would be a sufficient motive to break away from them, if not instigate their fall yourself."

The Commander's head snapped over to him and Iseul raised a hand preemptively. "Yes, I know who you are, Commander. I was surprised to learn you were alive, but I will attribute that as one of the only things the United Nations have ever done right."

"How did you know?" The Commander demanded.

"Unimportant," Iseul shrugged. "But simply because I've kept my country isolated does not mean I've been idle. And you have nothing to fear from me using this information, it would serve no purpose other than to divide an already tense humanity. I have no desire to start a war now, especially not with XCOM."

"Uncommonly reasonable," the Commander commented slowly. "So tell me, what do you want? Knowledge? More resources? Why show me all of this?"

"To prove to you that I have no other agenda than the defense of humanity and my country," Iseul stated. "And you know an army will be needed to win the coming invasion. XCOM is proficient, but it will not be enough to stop legions of aliens that will arrive to overrun us."

The Commander snorted. "Would that I could actually believe that," he looked at Iseul skeptically. "Everyone has their own agenda, and most are prone to lie about it to get what they want. You may want to 'defend humanity,' as you put it, but don't pretend that's your only goal. Do you even understand why I am hesitant to even consider working with your country?"

"Perhaps I misspoke," Iseul corrected. "My primary agenda is the defense of humanity and my country, as is yours I imagine, but don't act like your secondary agendas are nobler than mine. And yes, believe it or not, I'm well aware of the propaganda that is used against us."

"I know what propaganda is," the Commander stated, his voice lowering. "Yet based on everything I know, propaganda about North Korea is rarely wrong. You are a dictator, to put it bluntly. You suppress information and jail or kill those who question you. Your military holds an iron grip over the country, its people poor and kept reliant on you. Tell me, Supreme Leader, what of what I just said is incorrect."

Iseul inexplicably smiled. "Very little," he admitted. "But we both have distasteful titles attached to us, Commander. You are a war criminal who hung children on crosses. You assassinated heads of state at your own discretion. You killed civilians with no remorse or concern, even those just caught in the crossfire. You tortured, disfigured and executed any who refused to conform to your view of the world. You desecrated the graves of men and women who did nothing wrong except follow a certain religion. You wiped out every symbol, village and city important to Islam and accomplished something not seen since the Romans. You killed a religion, made its people persecuted and forced them into hiding. Yet I doubt Islam will survive like Christianity, and it will be because of you."

Iseul cocked his head at him. "Context is important, Commander. I doubt you view yourself in quite that light. But just as you had your reasons, your justifications, I have mine."

"The War on Terror was necessary," the Commander stated, preparing for yet another debate on the subject. "Islam deserved to be reduced to nothing, its fanatics deserved to be put down like rabid dogs because they were. There was only one method that the Caliphate would understand, and that was terror and if terror was what was required to win, than I would, by whatever means necessary."

The Commander paused. "Do I wish I hadn't been needed? Yes. But do I regret it? No. No, I do not. I accepted that the world would condemn me, but I do not regret it for even a day."

"No need to convince me, Commander," Iseul interrupted, holding up a hand. "I agree with you. While harsh, your methods were acceptable, and that is why you are the first person I'm willing to work with, because your understand necessity."

He waved his hand over the area. "You called me a dictator. That is not incorrect, but unlike you and most of the world, I do not view that as a thing to be feared or rejected. Under my leadership North Korea is one of the most prosperous nations in the world."

"Surprising how I've never heard of that." The Commander muttered.

"You really think your media would report that even if they knew?" Iseul demanded, managing some incredulity before continuing. "But that is ultimately unimportant. The reason for that is because I had a vision for my country. A vision that was threatened by squabbling, infighting, politics. Adults shouting at each other and holding the people hostage in order to achieve political points. We were not unified, we were divided and there were several factions within this very government four decades ago."

Iseul pursed his lips. "The people feared the military and government for very good reason, it wasn't uncommon for a military general to send a detachment to a section of Pyongyang and arrest and execute a few "criminals." Of course, this wasn't to crack down on crime, but to strike at a rival. To lower his production or profits."

"Let me guess," the Commander said. "You planned to take over and remove that?"

"A good guess," Iseul agreed. "As the second son of the Supreme Leader, I fortunately had resources and advantages that made it possible. The culling soon began when I came of age, and the troublesome elements of the lower ranks in the government were arrested or executed. I kept advancing, moving up. But as I rose, the corruption only became more evident." His face wrinkled in disgust.

"My father reveled in the power this position offers, he cared nothing for the people, only himself. He held lavish feasts while people starved in the cities and field. He had no qualms of executing servants for bringing a meal cold. He ruled through fear. My brother was no better, he had no vision, no direction. He would have been a puppet to my father's advisors and friends who openly tolerated the skirmishing officers below them, as long as it didn't affect their lifestyle."

His tone turned cold and the Commander noted his right hand clenched into a fist. "It should come as no surprise that I purged the leadership when I took the mantle of Supreme Leader. I don't simply execute dissidents, Commander. I don't jail those who simply question me. I only do that to those who pose a threat to my country. I will not apologize for that."

In that context, it did sound justified, and even something he would have supported. But there was one major issue he had with a simple dismissal of that criticism. "You were justified in the past, I'll grant you that," the Commander admitted. "But times have changed. Those people are gone. But there are recorded instances of you jailing journalists and in rare cases, executing them."

"What do you expect me to do?" Iseul demanded turning to face him. "Let them stir up the people into rioting? Lie to them about me? I know in a democracy that you value free speech more than life itself, but I take slander very seriously because I realized something decades ago."

The Commander crossed his arms. "Which is?"

"That people do not know what is best for them," Iseul answered, his voice lowering as he continued. "They are not like you or me. They are swayed not by logic, reason and necessity, but by emotion, by lies. Hope. They want to be good, they want to be happy when the reality is that life is not black and white, and good and evil are relative."

He looked the Commander in the eyes unflinchingly. "You've witnessed this truth many times. How quick were you demonized after your first strike against the Caliphate? How long did it take before people spoke your name in fear when they didn't need to? Instead of being treated as a hero, you were betrayed and your soldiers and allies tried and executed while they kept you because they knew one day you would be needed, not as a hero, no, but as a scapegoat who would perform what was needed while keeping their hands clean."

It was, admittedly, a good speech. Very good, and he was uncomfortable by how much he actually followed, and even agreed with. But there was still one very clear difference that he could see between them. "I agree," the Commander shrugged. "In my experience, especially when it comes to war, civilians don't know the reality of it, and won't accept what is needed even if their lives will be saved by it."

He paused. "However, the difference between us is that I don't believe I'm completely in the right. My methods are extreme and unethical, I've never disputed that. Justified, yes, but I don't force my opinion on the civilian population. I fixed a problem no one else would, you simply force your will on a people who know nothing else. You take advantage of their ignorance because maybe you fear they wouldn't like you as much should they know their life could be more than the menial jobs they work every day."

"My people are satisfied with their life," Iseul hissed. "Unlike your governments I actually provide for each and every one of my people. They work for something much greater than themselves. They don't need to be happy, they don't need to dream of a 'better life.' They just need to be satisfied. They are content. Every man, woman and child knows that they are one part in this country and there are few honors greater than that."

He turned around and marched towards the table. "We are a united country. America, England, Canada, the people only care about themselves. The so-called "American Dream" is based on greed and selfishness. Yes, they have the freedom to try and achieve their unachievable dreams, and admittedly a few of them do."

He sniffed. "But the majority? They then recognize another truth. Freedom is a lie. They are only a free as the system allows them to be, and only when they lose everything does the reality that their country doesn't care about them come crashing down. They are abandoned by your governments, and instead they focus on people who can further their interests."

He turned back towards the Commander. "You say I lie to my people. I lie by omission only, debate the ethics of that if you wish, but I don't offer my citizens false hope. Your democracies are based on lies. Your politicians will say anything to reach the coveted offices of power and once reached, either forget or refuse to implement what they promise. Yet you think that I am somehow as bad as all these nations imply because North Korea is not a precious democracy!"

"If given the choice between the freedom to choose or a competent dictator, I'll take a democracy every time," the Commander stated firmly.

Iseul raised an eyebrow. "Do you really believe that? You would leave the fate of a country to chance just to preserve your freedom?"

"Were democracy a complete failure the United States, Europe, Canada, none of those would be as strong as they are," the Commander defended. "But the thing is that even if the people elect someone who ultimately is terrible, they are only there for a few years at most, then the people learn and fix their mistakes. A dictator is set for life, good or bad."

"And which do you think is more effective?" Iseul demanded. "How can you entrust important positions to the judgement of people who even you agree don't know what's best for them."

"Because, Supreme Leader, I don't know everything," the Commander responded evenly. "Believing I'm always right is dangerous, even if it's hard to dispute sometimes. Regardless of their qualifications, I think people are entitled to express their opinions, right or wrong."

"Right," Iseul mused. "You can dispute it all you want, Commander, but the truth is that both of us are driven by something more than necessity. That will take you far, but there is one extra thing needed to achieve what both of us have."

He raised a finger, his lips twitching as he seemed to suppress a smile. "Consider the story of a younger man in the CIA, a brilliant operative, one who can do missions and perform feats others are not only unable to, but unwilling to. Now a new threat is emerging, one that is expanding rapidly and uses tactics so brutal the world is shocked. Right now everyone is hoping it will go away, but the United States would rather get a handle on it early."

Iseul began pacing. "So this man is given whatever he needs to stop them, complete autonomy. So he watches, learns and see what will be needed to defeat this enemy. He knows what he must do and so begins a campaign every bit as brutal as the terrorists he's fighting against. In time his own government orders him to stop, yet he breaks away and convinces his soldiers to continue the fight because it was not finished."

He pointed a finger at the Commander. "The Children of Allah, the Battle of Syria, the Desecration of Muhammad, the Destruction of Mecca. You did all these things, not simply because they were necessary, no," he paused. "You had the resolve to carry them because you knew you were right. The world was too weak to do what was needed and so you appointed yourself judge, jury and executioner not for a selfish or simple reason such as power. But because no one else would. Because no one else could."

Iseul let that sink in for a few seconds. "You may dislike it all you want, Commander, but we are more similar than you want to admit. We both saw a problem and what was needed to fix it. We both succeeded and the world hates us for it, and we are at a crossroads again, and like last time, you will be the determining factor who will ensure our victory or defeat."

He stepped back and there was silence for a few minutes. "You give a good speech," the Commander said, inclining his head. "And…while I still do not support your current leadership of the country, I can see why you feel that way."

"Progress, I suppose," Iseul conceded. "Yet this does not answer the question I proposed to you at the very beginning."

The Commander hesitated. Earlier, he would never have believed he'd say this, but he saw an opportunity here to actually enact some real change. If Iseul was as genuine as he appeared right now, he stood a chance. "I am open to discussing an alliance between XCOM and North Korea," he said, quickly raising a hand. "But there will have to be a compromise between us. I need to know if that is something you would be open to."

"That depends on how extensive this compromise is," Iseul said with a frown.

"You say your people are content and treated well," the Commander remembered. "I want that confirmed. Not by you, but someone I trust."

Iseul grimaced. "Who?"

"Are you aware of Peter Van Doorn?" The Commander asked.

"Yes," Iseul confirmed. "I see he is working for you. Interesting."

"He would be allowed unrestricted access," the Commander continued. "Everywhere non-military. Not just where you allow him to go. If your people are as truly as well off as you claim, then you should have nothing to worry about."

"And would that be it?" Iseul demanded. "One investigation that will take up valuable time?"

"If you want this alliance, which may very well not happen, absolutely," the Commander stated. "You are risking nothing here, whereas XCOM is likely going to be condemned by the international community at large. And that will be the absolute minimum. I'll have to discuss this with my Council more, but there may be more requests. I am glad you're open to them, though."

"Within reason," Iseul amended firmly. "Do not ask use to become a democracy."

"No," the Commander shook his head. "Not yet. But you will have to involve showing the world that you aren't the evil they claim you are. And that will require proof."

"We shall see," Iseul muttered, clearly focusing on the words 'not yet'. "But you were raised in a western country, so your concern is understandable."

This might actually work. "Then I am satisfied with that," the Commander nodded. "You will receive an answer from us, one way or another."

He extended a hand which Iseul took in a firm grip. "That is good to hear, Commander. I hope to work with you shortly and defend our planet openly."

The Commander inclined his head in thanks and then stepped away and began walking back towards the elevator. That had not gone as he'd expected, but he wasn't quite sure it was a bad thing. It was uncomfortable just how good a speaker Iseul was, and he was definitely a dangerous man, but also seemed to be…genuine, for lack of a better word.

The Commander couldn't read minds like Patricia, but he could read people, and Iseul really did seem to believe he was doing the right thing for his citizens. It was bizarre, but…that's what it seemed to be, and as much as he disliked it, things did change with that revelation. Because it told him that Iseul could be reasoned with, and should the cards be played right, he might be able to do what no one else had been able to, change North Korea.

Maybe. Regardless of how his meeting with the Internal Council went, he was going to have to take very great care when dealing with them in the future.

A/N: First, happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone. Hope it was enjoyable. Second, a reader has begun undertaking the task of translating the Hades Contingency to Spanish, so if that's something you'd be interested in, here is the link: s/12242935/1/XCOM-The-Hades-Contingency-Traduccion-Espa%C3%B1ol-Oficial