The trip back to the Avenger was a somber one. Nathan Harris was always larger than life, boisterous when he could be, and professional when needed. Kaizer had been hit especially hard by the loss of their gunner. The two became fast friends after the native Russian cracked a joke about Kaizer's German heritage. George Kaizer joined up with a German Resistance cell early on, becoming an expert with explosives and gaining a fierce reputation among his cell. He knew more than most of the Alien's threat, but the loss of a close friend still hit him hard. Greene almost pitied Kaizer's guilty expression but knew the best solution was to let him be. War did not care about the pain or harm it caused. War was cruel, merciless, and unforgiving.
He learned that lesson well during the invasion. His platoon was ambushed while on patrol in the Middle East. One instant, the sky was quiet and calm, the next, neon green lasers were tearing the Marines apart where they stood. Sectoids ran amok between them as mutons roared and fired each laser with terrifying accuracy. Greene was grazed along his cheek with the laser burning through the strap keeping his helmet on his head. The next thing he remembered was the mutons killing off the survivors with great enthusiasm. He reluctantly brought a hand up to his scar, feeling the burned skin. He was lucky it never became infected after he got hit. Looking around the blood tray, Greene found himself remembering his team's individual histories.
Miles Turner was almost unique amongst the crew, he had the odd habit of standing as straight as an arrow when he wasn't on a mission. That trait led to the unfortunate callsign of 'Stiff'. He often spoke about how he never wanted to be a killer. He was more interested in books and learning from past mistakes than fighting a war. His life took a massive turn when Advent discovered his camp. The entire camp of over seventy innocent civilians had been rampaged for three hours. The loss of life was immense, and Bradford doubted he'd find anyone left alive. Still, he searched the bombed-out remains for survivors. He eventually found a wounded Turner standing over half a dozen alien corpses. four traumatized survivors were sheltering behind him as he clutched an old-world pump-action shotgun in his shaking hands. Turner immediately joined XCOM when Bradford offered, choosing to take the fight to Advent and avenge his fallen friends.
Joseph Clayman was the new addition to Jade squad. Having been born in an Advent city center after the occupation, he made the early choice of aiding a small Resistance cell just outside of the city. For years he provided intelligence on defensive emplacements and any vulnerabilities he could find before they finally caught him. The Resistance escorted him out and gave him a rifle. As a medically trained individual, Clayman naturally became a skilled field medic. Kelly recently recruited him into XCOM after she promised him the chance to liberate his birthplace from Advent. There was little mistrust from the others anymore, Clayman had more than earned his place in XCOM.
Robert Fox was one of the more contradictory members of XCOM, being motivated enough to drive a vehicle straight into an Advent checkpoint, yet also being an incredibly patient man with exceptional aim. XCOM found him onboard a train after his capture and brought him back. Bradford offered him a place in Jade squad, to which Fox readily accepted. Fox wanted revenge for his family's executions after Advent discovered them sharing medical supplies with wounded Resistance members. He and Turner were the only two members still left from Jade squad before Greene's leadership, with the others either dead or captured throughout the occupation.
The skyranger began to slow as Brown's voice came over the intercom.
"We're on the final approach now. Get ready to dismount, as soon as I'm refueled, I need to pick up Wraith." Greene tapped Turner beside him to wake him up.
"Affirm, Firebrand, thanks for the lift." The pilot's voice lowered in volume.
"Anytime, lead... sorry about Warden..." Greene didn't respond as the skyranger hit the Avenger's deck. The hatch lowered and the team stepped out into the bright sunlight, shielding their eyes as a team of medics rushed up to assess the wounded, Turner waved them off and asked for a simple bandaid as Kaizer stormed off towards the stairs. Clayman followed with the VIP as Greene immediately moved for the armory.
"Hey, Greene." Jade leader stopped unloading his excess ammunition as he turned to meet the voice. He wasn't surprised to see Cormier walking up to him. She came to a stop beside him and crossed her arms with an anxious look.
"What happened out there? Where's Harris?" Greene shook his head with a frown. She put her hand to her mouth.
"No." She said meekly. "He can't be..." Greene opened his mouth to speak before Kaizer entered the room.
"I'm sorry. Harris... he didn't make it." Cormier looked like she was in shock. Kaizer reached for her shoulder before she threw his hand away.
"I need some time to think." She rushed out of the room as Kaizer stood there, defeated.
"Let her go, Jade two. Harris knew what he got into. It could have been any of us." Kaizer didn't respond as Greene walked out of the armory. He climbed up the ladder and arrived in the crew's quarters. Taking a seat on his rack, he finished his report and set it on the pillow beside him. He took stock of the situation as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Fox would be alright, only one round managed to break through his improvised body armor. Turner would likely have a small scar on his cheek, but he was otherwise unharmed. Harris was gone. The next time Bradford brought them to a Resistance cell's location, they'd have to find a new member for Jade squad.
"Thought I might find you here." Greene opened his eyes to see Jane Kelly standing in front of him. He sat up and waited for what she had to say.
"Kaizer is a mess, and Cormier is... well, she's inconsolable. I was in the command center when I heard the radio traffic. How are you holding up?" Kelly sat down on the edge of the couch and leaned towards him. Greene didn't respond at first, looking down at the floor and wondering how many had been lost in the fighting. After a few moments of thinking, he looked Kelly in the eyes.
"Harris is dead. We need a new gunner." Kelly shook her head.
"I know you better than that, Mr. Lonewolf." Greene sighed at her persistence.
"Look. We lost someone on a risky op, but we need to keep going. We will not have a chance of winning this war if we keep focusing on those we lost." It was Kelly's turn to sigh.
"Greene. I know what happened to you, but you can't be that cold-hearted." She gestured to the other XCOM personnel in the quarters. "I know you care about these men and women. It eats you up when someone falls under your command. Just let me be there for you." Greene shrugged at his superior.
"Wars aren't won with feelings, Quiet." He stated her callsign harshly, almost too harshly. It was so bold that some of the other operatives glanced over at them curiously. It wasn't uncommon to see Kelly and Greene at odds with one another. She always tried to act like the big sister for XCOM, much in the same way that Clayman was the adorable younger brother figure. Greene starkly contrasted with her strict, but ultimately kind leadership. This led to many arguments and even a few broken bottles at one, especially heated moment. Kelly's nostrils flared as her eyes burned with frustration. The fiery look in her eyes was enough to make almost everyone quietly excuse themselves from their proximity. Greene didn't flinch, returning her look with his own jaded expression.
"Fine then. Have it your way." She turned on her heel and walked to the door, but stopped right before passing through and looked back. "Make sure your team's reports get to Bradford in half an hour. Lonewolf." Greene grunted with that last remark and picked up his report from the pillow. He found Clayman, Fox, and Turner in the bar, taking a drink to honor the deceased Harris. His picture had been placed alongside all of the other XCOM members to fall in combat against Advent. The memorial across from the bar counter was made early on. XCOM's war against the aliens and their puppet government was costly from the start. Numerous civilians and XCOM warriors have given their lives already. Greene knew that more would join them as the war continued, but he wouldn't stop the crew from gaining closure for their allies. It did boost morale after all, and the fallen have become martyrs for their living brethren.
"Jade squad, listen up." The three men turned towards him. "Do any of you have your reports finished?" The three members glanced at each other and then at the table behind them, where three papers were filed neatly on top of each other.
"We're missing one from Kaizer, I last saw him in the shooting range," Turner said as their squad leader took the reports from them. Greene nodded as he made for the engineering deck. Engineering consisted of little more than a large storage bay. The Avenger was originally designed to haul large amounts of cargo across vast distances, but for XCOM, it served a much different purpose. The Avenger was their home, base of operations, and transport all in one massive package. The storage bay was relegated to holding the Avenger's excess ordnance, food, water, spare parts, and other equipment. Shen had claimed the room for herself, often taking random materials or technology from the vast assortment of crates and tinkering with them. The storage bay also contained a massive door that led to the outside. The door itself was supposed to be protected by four automated defensive turrets, but due to the state of the Avenger when XCOM discovered it, all four guns were offline. The engines were also offline, hence the need for Menace squad to steal the power converter from the Advent convoy. Greene wondered if XCOM would ever actually get the chance to finish the Avenger. There was also the possibility that they wouldn't even live long enough to make full use of the massive transport.
"Oh, Greene. I wanted to talk to you." An-Yi Shen's energetic voice carried over the sizeable room. Greene stopped and gave his attention to XCOM's Chief Engineer. "I manufactured a new toy for our operatives in the field. I was hoping you could help me field-test it?" Greene raised a brow in curiosity.
"What is it?" Shen's eyes lit up in excitement. She wordlessly gestured for him to follow her to her improvised workbench, which consisted of several crates placed beside each other in a line. She dug around and picked up the strange device that she had been working on for weeks. The machine's shell was rust-colored with a grey center, two wing-like protrusions were on each side. Two above the robot's core and two below.
"As you may remember, I believe that drones linked to the datapads our soldiers carry can be a boon on the battlefield." She activated it and the automated device immediately took flight. The wings produced a blue glow as they provided the necessary thrust to keep the drone in flight. The 'eyes' in what seemed like the front of the device had a soft yellow light. Greene could see camera lenses inside the eyes, focusing in on him as he took a step back.
"How could a drone provide adequate support for our fighters when it practically gives away our location?" Shen answered quickly.
"This gremlin, with the right modifications, can carry spare medkits, ordnance, and concentrated EMP generators. They can also provide a birds-eye view of the AO for reconnaissance purposes." Greene nodded approvingly.
"Try to dim those thrusters. I can't have my squad's position compromised by glowing blue lights floating around in the sky." Greene turned to leave before the Chief Engineer stopped him one last time.
"There is a way to get around that for now." Greene crossed his arms.
"How?" Shen grinned.
"Well, the next model is light enough to be carried in a small pack like yours. You can keep it deactivated until you need it." She then pulled out a second slightly more compact 'gremlin' drone. "ROV-R is only a prototype however, this next one is the model you'd be employing in the field. Greene took the offered drone and examined it as if it was his rifle.
"Is it serviceable?" The woman shook her head.
"Not yet, but if I put in more hours at the cost of some sleep, I should have it done before your next op." Greene handed the device back to her. "I call this the gremlin mark 1. It has more range, a smaller size, and less weight than ROV-R. It also has all of the same capabilities as well. I guarantee that once this thing is ready, you will appreciate its assistance." Greene had one more question before he left.
"I'm guessing it follows the datapad that it's linked to?" Shen nodded.
"It does. Or it should at any rate." Shen picked up her datapad and typed in a few keys. "You'd be able to give it specific orders as well. I'll keep working on it for you." Greene nodded, picking up the reports as he continued down to the indoor firing range. The range was nothing special. It consisted of a fifty-meter hallway, a table from which to fire at the targets, and a small crate containing spare clips of ammunition for testing small-arms weaponry. Greene saw Kaizer unload the rest of his ten-round magazine at the targets on the far side of the hallway. He hit them with decent precision before he cursed and placed the rifle on the table.
"Do you have your report ready?" Greene asked as he stood beside his second.
"Yeah. Yeah, I do." Kaizer handed the report over to Greene as he went back to loading another magazine. Greene added the report to his pile and turned to leave before Kaizer placed the magazine beside his weapon.
"How do you manage to stay calm when you see the deaths of your allies? Doesn't it set a fire in your heart and make you want payback?" Greene shook his head.
"That's irrelevant. All that matters is completing the mission with everyone who's still breathing. Finish up your shooting and get some rest. You know how often we're sent out." With that statement, Greene left the range and checked the time. It had been twenty-five minutes since Kelly ordered him to the bridge. He was still on schedule. Quickly making his way to the bridge, Greene entered the room and noticed that the Commander was now absent. He saw Bradford conferring with one of the crewmembers by a small monitor. Deciding to wait, Greene looked over his team's report to check for any inconsistencies. He found that all of the reports were accurate, and consistent with each other until the extraction.
"Ah, Staff Sergeant, I've been expecting you." Greene handed the reports over to his commanding officer.
"These are all of Jade squad's reports. I've checked them for inconsistencies and they all check out." Greene waited to be dismissed before leaving, but the order never came. Bradford instead left the reports on the flight controls and turned to face Jade leader.
"I'll look over them as soon as I get the chance. In the meantime, I've got another task for you." Greene leaned forward. "The Reapers and the Skirmishers want to meet up in a week. Menace squad is going to oversee the meeting. I need Jade squad to run interference against Advent patrols in that region." Greene was surprised. The reclusive Reapers were almost as dedicated as XCOM when it came to defeating the enemy, although they were much more brutal in their execution of that goal. They were led by Konstantin Volkilov, an elusive and deadly hunter who has likely killed more aliens and Advent soldiers than anyone else in the Resistance. The Skirmishers were human/alien hybrids that rebelled against Advent. They utilize their superior genetics against their creators in effective ways. Their leader was the intimidating Betos, the first hybrid to break free of Advent's control and live to tell the tale. Both factions hated each other immensely and they both fought the other in unprovoked attacks.
"Anything else, Central?" Bradford nodded.
"Cobalt squad is currently en route to a supply convoy for some much-needed resources. Menace squad is already making preparations to escort both envoys to a neutral rendezvous point. Meanwhile, Wraith squad has uncovered some intel that I need you to act on once you get your sixth member." Greene crossed his arms.
"What do you need my team to do?"
Author's Note:
This will be the last chapter for at least a month. I have some IRL commitments to take care of. Rest assured however, that long breaks like this will likely happen regularly, but that I have no intentions of letting this story die.
As always, leave criticisms in the comments or PM's. Nobody is perfect, least of all me.