XCOM: The Advent Directive

by Xabiar

Australia has been annexed, the United Nations is in chaos, the world is under siege and the Ethereals have taken the field. Facing the full might of the Ethereal Collective, the Commander must rally XCOM, the newly formed ADVENT, and several other allies and rivals to unite the divided nations by any means necessary, for failure now will mean the fall of humanity once and for all.

9. Research and Engineering VII

Research and Engineering VII

---

The Praesidium, Situation Room

It was a victory, and that concerned him.

If there was one thing that he could say for certain about the Ethereals, it was that they weren't idiots. Yet from watching the various recordings and footage of the battle, he was surprised at the apparent lack of coordination and basic strategy. Were they really so overconfident to believe that if they simply threw enough soldiers at them they would win?

In all honesty, they probably could, but it would be an enormous and unnecessary investment for a war that he still didn't believe they were fully invested in. True, they had held the advantage here, the defenders always would, but the defense had gone far better than he had anticipated. ADVENT had proven to be able to stand against the aliens on footing that slightly favored ADVENT, and that was greatly reassuring.

That being said, the fact that they had won…he didn't want to say easily, but they had won without as much damage as he had anticipated, made him suspicious. Could this be a feint to lull them into a false sense of security? Or was it a genuine blunder? But if so, why would the Ethereals risk that to begin with?

At least there was an actual Ethereal on hand to discuss this with. Aegis, Zhang, and Jackson were all in attendance now to discuss the aftermath of the attack now that everything had calmed down. Patricia was getting some well-earned rest, and Vahlen and Shen were hard at work with their projects.

The Commander appreciated that Aegis was apparently…trying…to keep his aura under control, but he could see it visibly affecting Jackson and even Zhang to an extent. He was getting better at blocking it out, but every so often a cool confidence would overtake him, washing away all doubts and concerns.

Not what he wanted right now.

"Is this normally how ground campaigns are conducted?" The Commander asked Aegis as they stood around the holotable.

"No," Aegis stated. "The Collective has never had to conduct a 'ground campaign' as you said. There has only been one major conflict in their history, and that was when the Battlemaster conquered the Mutons. This," he gestured to the holotable. "Is unprecedented."

Zhang grunted. "After hearing from Yates, I would have expected more from your strategy."

"I agree," Aegis said, curiosity tinging his voice. "This implies that there was someone inexperienced put in charge, or someone arrogant enough to automatically expect a victory."

"And do you know who that would be?" The Commander asked.

Aegis breathed heavily. "I have some suspicions. It is possible that a Hive Commander or Andromedon was placed in charge, but even that is questionable."

"I doubt it was an Andromedon," Zhang muttered. "Those aliens were the only ones who actually knew what they were doing."

"Agreed," the Commander nodded. "After this battle, the Andromedons appear to be the most dangerous threat, outside of other Ethereals."

"Andromedons are a double-edged sword, provided you can utilize them correctly," Aegis dismissed. "They are powerful against almost every kind of infantry, but they are weak to psionics. The only reason they respect our authority in the Collective is because we have the means to control them anytime they wish."

"Still, we can't rely on that," Jackson said. "But if Patricia could take them over like she did on the beach…" She smiled at the thought.

"The problem is that Patricia is only one woman," the Commander pointed out. "Her display was impressive, but once the Collective puts a competent leader in charge, they will either spread Andromedons throughout their army evenly, or send something else to distract her."

"You will not have to wait long for a competent leader," Aegis warned ominously. "The Battlemaster will be taking command after this, you can be sure of it. The fact that he allowed this at all is surprising, and I can only assume he wanted to observe how ADVENT and XCOM operate. I am actually not dismissing the possibility of an Ethereal being in charge, albeit one without much experience."

Zhang raised a skeptical eyebrow. "That seems unlikely."

"Not as much as you might expect," Aegis corrected. "Most Ethereals still do not believe you pose a credible threat, and likely believe you can be overwhelmed with sheer numbers. Arrogance and pride is an insidious ailment within our species, one which they will struggle to break, if they can at all."

"Despite who was in charge, we can't assume that it will always be this easy," the Commander reflected, scratching his chin. "I expect the next time we will be faced with a much smarter enemy."

"The question is where they will strike next," Zhang said, looking down at the holotable. "They might try Japan again, or perhaps Africa."

"If they were smart, they'd focus their efforts fully on Oceania," Jackson pointed out. "But they seem to want to take that slowly and methodically. To their credit, the resistance forces there are making it hell for them."

"Beyond strategic value, we should also consider the symbolic impact," the Commander said after a few moments of thought. "The aliens will suffer a blow to morale, and they will want to make a statement. There is only one place where that would be possible: America."

Jackson snorted. "Not if they're smart. Sure, it would scare the people, but that would be the one thing that would destroy the brewing civil war over there. People aren't going to speak out against ADVENT once they are saved from the aliens."

"I agree," Zhang nodded. "They would be smart to let America weaken itself as it debates over ADVENT. An attack would solidify their position for good."

"Amusing," Aegis interjected, and the Commander could almost imagine the Ethereal smirking. "You have illustrated the difference between Quisilia and the Battlemaster. Quisilia would likely enjoy making America tear itself apart, no army required. The Battlemaster does not subscribe to that thought process. He will be looking to make a statement that solidifies the Collective as a dominant force. I agree with the Commander: America will come under attack next."

Jackson almost grew somber at that, but perked up quickly. "If that actually happens, we have a good idea where they will attack."

"The West Coast is the only realistic area," the Commander agreed. "I'll tell Saudia that she should reinforce that area. Maybe evacuate the larger cities."

"I would be very careful in where you send your forces," Aegis warned. "The Battlemaster will be leading the charge, and your soldiers as they are do not stand a chance against him. It is not an exaggeration to say that whatever city comes under direct attack by him is forfeit."

"Perhaps we send Patricia once we have confirmation," Jackson suggested. "She could certainly-"

"No." Aegis hissed. "That is the worst possible answer. The Battlemaster is immune to mind control, and all you accomplish is losing your most powerful psion. The fact is that you do not have powerful enough psions to stop him."

"Well, that's why you're here," the Commander said. "Getting our psions powerful enough. And if pressed, you could participate as well."

"Not yet," Aegis refused. "It is too soon, and the potential consequences are not enough for me to expose myself yet. I will assist you in preparing your psions, but I will not fight the Battlemaster yet."

"Why?" Jackson questioned. "Are you scared of him?"

"I am not," Aegis answered. "But you should be. The Battlemaster will not end this war quickly. He is obsessed with ultimate victory. Territory will be taken methodically, all opposition destroyed along the way and he will leave behind cities locked down by his forces. He is perfectly willing to wage war for years to bring your species under control, but fortunately, that gives you time to fight back."

"Then we probably shouldn't delay," the Commander nodded. "There is a lot we need to do. It's time to bring roll out our genetic modification program for all our soldiers and psions. If what Vahlen has told me is accurate, they should be close to invincible."

"A bold claim," Zhang grunted. "I'd prefer she finished the Manchurian Program."

The Commander shrugged. "I'm not concerned. Our science teams are large enough to run multiple projects at once. I have no doubt she's working on it…although she does have a tendency to get personally involved in everything."

"Just like you, apparently," Jackson smirked. "No wonder you two are together."

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "Very funny. So, anything else."

"Actually, yes," Jackson said, picking up her tablet. "I was forwarded this by ADVENT Intelligence. It's…interesting."

"Ah, right," Zhang recalled. "I didn't realize Elizabeth sent it to you as well."

"What is it?" The Commander asked.

"Well, uh," Jackson scowled. "It's…a Twitter feed."

"And this is interesting why?" The Commander wondered aloud.

"Well, take a look for yourself," Jackson said, handing him the tablet. The Commander wasn't exactly well-versed in much social media, but he knew how to operate it, and found himself quite surprised to see that the avatar of this particular user appeared to be a cartoon rendition of an Ethereal similar to Aegis, giving a thumbs up.

Well, he could already agree with Jackson's assessment of interesting. That, and the user called itself TheGreatQ. He looked up. "Is this real?"

"That was exactly what Elizabeth said when she sent this to me," Zhang said, the faintest smile on his face.

"It got the attention of ADVENT Intelligence when it started apparently live-tweeting the battle," Jackson continued, visibly trying to maintain some measure of professionalism. "That isn't completely odd, but what was suspicious was the high quality of the images and video he referenced. That and the content was fairly graphic. Just look through the feed and you'll see."

With a growing sense of curiosity, the Commander began scrolling through, and the collection was…quite something. One was a short clip of some alien shooting an ADVENT soldier directly in the head, with the accompanying commentary: Another soldier falls to the might of the Collective! #headshot #victory #winning

Then there was an image of a heated firefight between ADVENT and the aliens, with the caption: The fighting has begun! Good luck to our liberating forces! #invasion #encouragement

It became more amusing when whoever this was realized the battle was being lost, as one of the later tweets was an image of the Star Trek facepalm meme with a battle photoshopped image of an Ethereal helm on the head, with the accompanying caption: MFW our superior army gets beaten by a species that hasn't even mastered spaceflight. #incompetent #sigh #invasion

The Commander looked up at Aegis. "Is this who I think it is?"

Aegis reached out and took the tablet, while Jackson gave some more information. "So yeah, and that apparently isn't the only one like that. This account is linked to Facebook and Reddit account of similar names, and seems to be pretty active on them are well."

"I'm not sure if I want this to be real or not," the Commander said slowly. "That's…bizarre."

"You know him," Zhang said to Aegis. "Is this something Quisilia would do?"

A pause. "Unfortunately, yes," Aegis confirmed. "This is definitely something he would do for his own amusement."

"That…seems like a really bad security issue," the Commander said slowly. "He does know we can read this right?"

"Probably," Aegis sighed. "He is likely expecting it."

Zhang snorted. "The alien wants to get cute? Fine. At least human sites are easier to circumvent. He's definitely making a mistake."

"I wouldn't dwell on it," Aegis said. "This is likely a distraction from actual threats. I have an idea on how to take advantage of this, but I will need to think on it some more."

"We'll deal with Twitter-using Ethereals later," the Commander sighed, realizing how far off-topic they'd gone. "But we have more important work to do now. Dismissed."

---

The Praesidium, Barracks

To date, Jamali had never been in a situation even remotely close to the chaos that was in Japan. He'd been in several skirmishes of course, as was to be expected in Iraq, but usually just fighting criminals and terrorists. Front-line combat was significantly different from the brief intense shootouts in abandoned alleys.

After destroying the UFO, he'd gotten Iida some medical attention and rejoined Carmelita as they mopped up what remained of the alien forces, which by then were in full retreat. Jamali wondered exactly how many kills Carmelita had gotten, since it seemed like whenever he looked, she was getting kill after kill, or wounding the ones she couldn't.

It made him feel somewhat…mediocre in comparison. He was just a regular human, not enhanced like her or psionic like Matthew, who had wrecked a good portion of the alien forces all by himself. Although, he wasn't sure he'd also enhance himself if given the chance either. It was…well, unnatural, no matter how you felt about it. Humans weren't supposed to be able to jump entire stories or crush enemies with their minds.

He shook his head and pushed those thoughts out of his mind. Not the right time or place for such talk, especially in light of their victory. Although Sai-Kee had been killed and Inori presumably captured, the soldiers were in high spirits. He had been as well, before reality set back in and he realized that this would be the first of many such battles.

Still though, that would have been cause for celebration, and he might have even joined in had he not done the stupid thing and decided to check in on the state of the Middle East, which the majority of XCOM soldiers seemed to have forgotten about.

"You look oddly gloomy," Fakhr commented, walking up with a smile. "Doesn't suit you, especially since not many here can claim to have utterly executed an entire Muton team by themselves."

Jamali flushed slightly at that. He hadn't expected that particular feat to garner that much attention in comparison to Carmelita, or Patricia's utter dominance of the alien forces. But it had spread pretty fast and he'd received compliments from multiple soldiers, congratulating him on his kill count and rallying an attack on a UFO with limited forces.

It was nice to be recognized, but it wasn't as though it was an act of genius. Most people would have likely come up with something similar. Although they might not have been as good a shot as himself. "I guess you heard about it as well?" He told her.

"Better, I watched it," she amended. "Suffice to say I was pretty impressed."

She watched…oh, right. Jamali remembered that all footage from the armor cams was available to XCOM soldiers. Now that he remembered that, he was considering watching Carmelita's footage. It would be interesting, or maybe Patricia's. "Thanks," he told Fakhr. "Though I'm sure you killed your fair share."

"Oh yes," she smirked. "Nothing quite like using rockets to blow up Mechtoids. The damn things just like standing in one place and not moving. Makes them pitifully easy to deal with. But really though," she nodded down to the tablet in his hand. "What's going on?"

Wasn't she curious. "I'm checking on the situation in the Middle East," he said evenly. "Nothing more than that."

That turned her more serious, and she fortunately didn't question why he decided to look that up, even knowing the likely answer. He supposed if there was anyone who would respect his perspective it was her, which he found extremely ironic in light of where she was from. "What's changed?" She asked, taking a seat on the bunk opposite him.

"Israeli and American forces invaded Iraq," he revealed as nonchalantly as possible. "Guess it's all technically ADVENT now, but those are the primary contributors."

She pursed her lips. "I'm sorry that this is happening."

He noticed she didn't apologize, or say that what was happening wasn't justified. Probably as close to an apology as he could expect from her. He supposed what she was getting at was that she sympathized with him, and he supposed that if the roles were reversed, he might not object to invading Israel if they were behind an attempted assassination of Iraq's leaders.

But it didn't make it easier. "Thanks. I hope it ends quickly. They can't hold out against ADVENT. More people are just going to die unnecessarily."

Fakhr nodded grimly, brushing a lone curl out of her face. "I don't know what really to say. I want to give some reassurance that things will work out, but…" she sighed. "I can't promise that. Not all Israeli officers are particularly lenient, especially after spending decades surrounded by enemies."

"At least you're honest," Jamali said. "You don't really have any control over it."

"No," she muttered. "But I can make some educated guesses. Do you have family?"

"Yes, my parents and three sisters," he said, glad to somewhat change the subject. "All of them are living in Baghdad, so they will likely be safe from the worst of the fighting."

"Three sisters?" She asked incredulously. "How did you survive?"

Despite himself, Jamali chuckled. "I managed. The oldest one was living away when I was young, and the other two were younger than me, and mostly kept to themselves. Could have been worse, but my sisters never gave me any trouble. What about you?"

"Only child," she answered. "I could never decide if siblings were something I wanted or not. But it all worked out alright, I suppose. I enjoyed the solitude even if it was sometimes lonely. Is military service part of your family?"

"Not really," Jamali said. "One of my uncles was an officer, but nothing beyond that. Soldiers made my parents nervous, especially during the War on Terror. Needless to say they were surprised when I decided to join."

"Well, they'd probably be proud to see you made it to XCOM," Fakhr said with a small smile. "Only the very best get here, so I've heard."

Jamali pondered that. "I doubt they know. Even if they did, now they might consider me a traitor. XCOM supports ADVENT, right?"

Fakhr's lips twitched. "Yes we do. Officially, anyway. And I don't see the Commander stepping in to stop it."

"I doubt he could even if he wanted to," Jamali shrugged. "XCOM isn't supposed to meddle in these kind of affairs."

"Maybe, but I wouldn't count on 'rules' being something to stop the Commander," Fakhr said. "I have a feeling that if he wanted something done, he'd do it regardless of what was expected. But I think this situation will get better soon."

"I hope so," Jamali sighed. "I really do."

---

The Praesidium, Psionic Testing Chambers

The few days of rest was exactly what Patricia needed after the battle. She hadn't anticipated how much that would take out of her, but given how she presumably single-handedly turned the tide of the battle, it probably wasn't a surprise how easy it would be to tire herself out. Only thing to do was train to get better.

The Testing Chambers were perfect for this; open spaces she'd helped design with Shen to test out various powers on dummies, targets, and several prisoners Vahlen had loaned to hone telepathic abilities. She and Aegis were still working out the training program, but she believed it was good enough for now, and they needed psions.

Such as the woman in front of her, who was staring at her, apparently torn between confusion and disbelief. "You're kidding," Allison Monder said flatly. "I'm psionic?"

"According to Vahlen's reports, yes," Patricia said, glancing down at the tablet in her hand to double-check. "Fairly gifted as well, should you elect to undergo the awakening."

Allison raised an eyebrow. "I'm getting a choice?"

"Yes," Patricia affirmed. "More psions are needed, but is not something that everyone can, or should, wield. I believe you are capable of utilizing this gift responsibly, as does Haley here," Haley gave a slight nod in affirmation, and an encouraging smile to the unsure woman. "But you know yourself best. If you turn this down, we will find others."

"Wait," Allison interrupted, raising a hand and turning her ice-blue eyes on the smiling psychologist. "Was that the reason you were asking all those prying questions earlier?"

"One of the reasons," Haley admitted freely. "We can't have unstable people running loose with highly destructive powers now, can we?"

"Fair point," Allison muttered, but she still sounded mollified. "So, say I agree. What will happen to me? Will I be able to…" she waved a hand aimlessly. "Control people? Telepathy? Whatever you do?"

Patricia hesitated. "We don't know," she admitted. "Each psion has their own affinity. I'm a natural telepath, but that will not necessarily be the same thing for you. Matthew has a telekinetic affinity, and Iosif is primarily defensive. We once had a psion who also had more destructive abilities. But unfortunately we can't predict exactly what you will be talented in."

Allison bit her lip absentmindedly, and Patricia could sense she was conflicted. The temptation to peek into her mind was there, but Patricia knew that would be a dangerous road to go down. This was an important decision, and as such she was impressed Allison was treating it so seriously. However, she expected she would accept. Haley had correctly identified everyone so far, and only forwarded the ones who would likely be open to accepting, and so far she had been completely accurate.

"Do you want to think it over?" Patricia asked after a couple minutes of silence. "I would prefer the decision soon, but not necessarily right now."

"No…" Allison said slowly. "I'm just…getting used to the idea. I honestly didn't expect anything like this. I'll do it, like you said, we need as many psions as possible."

Patricia smiled. "Excellent. Haley, put her down for a time tomorrow."

"Happily," Haley confirmed, jotting it down immediately. "Miss Monder, I've forwarded everything you need for the appointment and some recommendations to your private mail."

"Thank you," Allison said, inclining her head. "I'll be here on time." With that, she saluted and marched off, leaving the two of them alone.

"You cut it close," Patricia told Haley, turning to her. "I sensed her hesitating. She could have easily turned it down."

"But she didn't," Haley said, almost smugly, but the woman hid it with her constant professional mannerisms. "Allison is conditioned to follow her superiors. She has been stuck in mediocrity her whole life, never excelling. Give her the opportunity for change, combined with a superior officer asking her, and I knew she would agree."

"Can't disagree with that." Patricia agreed, once more impressed by Haley's methodical assessment. She had been somewhat skeptical when the Commander suggested bringing her on, but after working with, and being examined by her, she knew why the Commander had insisted. She had an analytical mind that rivaled her own, and was a pure professional, as well as easy to talk to.

Privately, Patricia suspected that Haley wasn't comfortable with psions, and her in particular, but as long as that didn't interfere, she had no issues with it. "So in total we'll have six new psions," Patricia recalled. "Good enough, until you identify more."

"Which won't be for some time," Haley said, slightly adjusting her glasses. "I'll be closely monitoring this batch to ensure there are no negative mental side effects. Not everyone is as resilient as you. It will take time to get through the rest of the new batch of soldiers, and I've got my eye on several other ones."

"Oh, who?" Patricia asked. "You have concerns?"

She could sense Haley's cold concern, which fascinated her about the psychologist. Haley was highly focused on problems, not necessarily people, which was a far cry from what she expected, especially since their goal was to help people. And Haley did, but it came from a place of practicality, not concern for their well-being. A well-adjusted soldier was much better than an unstable one.

Although if she was truly a woman who cared about the well-being of everyone, she probably would have refused to work with XCOM out of pure principle, but she had been instrumental in helping identify weaknesses in potential political threats, aliens, and provided advice to help control Vahlen's test subjects, as well as being heavily involved in the Manchurian Program.

Not an ordinary psychologist, that was for certain.

"Yes," Haley looked up at Patricia. "You have heard about the situations in America and the Middle East?"

Patricia almost rolled her eyes. "Of course I have. Is that an issue?"

"Not yet, but it could be soon," Haley warned, crossing her arms. "One of the soldiers, Jamali Muhammad, is from Iraq, which is currently under attack from ADVENT. I might talk to him later, help him through any issues he's having. Ignore him and he might become an issue, especially since XCOM supports ADVENT."

"Fair enough," Patricia nodded. "Though he seems fine, from what I can tell."

Haley frowned. "No offense, Patricia, but you're not exactly qualified to answer that question. I'd rather be sure, all the same. The bigger issue is the Americans."

"I highly doubt that a few riots are going to cause issues," Patricia said flatly. "Or how the Peacekeepers responded. They did their jobs, big deal."

"Spoken like a true foreigner," Haley chided. "Most Americans are nationalists, if you haven't learned that by now, and most of their military is as well. Do remember that ADVENT is a foreign entity that has essentially taken over the United States. Naturally, that makes some people angry, and I highly doubt some of the Americans here are particularly happy knowing they're now part of a world government without any diplomatic say."

That was a good point. "And you think this is a big problem?"

"Not yet," was the not-quite-reassuring answer. "But I've been following the situation. In my estimation, it will get worse before it gets better. Once some news anchor gets arrested by Saudia's Peacekeepers, all hell is going to break loose there. The point here is that the American soldiers with us might become disillusioned or resentful, neither of which are conducive."

"Fair point," Patricia nodded, frowning. "However, I don't see much we can do. Unless you want me to psionically change their minds?"

It was a half-joke, but one Haley didn't find funny judging from her sudden emotional flare and furrowed forehead. "No. All we can do is monitor them now. The good news is that the Commander is American, and as long as the aliens dominate their minds, they won't think of other issues. Keep them focused on the real threat and we should be fine."

"I'll keep that in mind," Patricia said. "Anything else you want to discuss."

"The Commander mentioned beginning intensive genetic modification of volunteer soldiers," Haley recalled. "I suppose I should check in with Vahlen and see what kinds of mental issues might appear as a result. It's amazing that no one here has suffered a severe breakdown with what you've subjected people to." She shook her head. "I suppose the Commander picked his initial soldiers well. All of very high mental fortitude. Supposedly." She scowled as she recalled something. "I'm still not sure what he was thinking recruiting that Kidon agent."

"I'm pretty sure Mira was recruited before he showed up," Patricia noted, amused. "I'd say the blame falls to Bradford."

"A shame he died," Haley mused, tucking her tablet under her arm. "He seemed like a nice man. Smart and did his job well. But boring, which in this case would not be an issue."

"I'll let you do your job," Patricia said, walking away. "Now that we have the psions, I need to talk with Aegis about how to properly introduce him."

"Do that," Haley nodded. "But please, for the love of God, don't just bring them to Aegis. Break the news to them away from said Ethereal."

Patricia chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to do that."

---

The Praesidium, Barracks

Sierra was getting very distracted with the way Nati was idly tapping his finger on the table. It wasn't anything deliberately distracting, but for whatever reason it kept getting her attention, maybe because she was too caught up thinking about what he was saying. "So basically what you're saying is that it felt weird?"

Nati hesitated before answering. "I suppose so. Odd is a better word. Nothing was wrong, just…different. Clear."

"Because of Patricia," Sierra clarified, nodding. "And her mind tricks."

"Hey, you should look at my kill count," Nati said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not complaining. Whatever she did, she definitely made me a lot better. Everything was so much clearer."

"Alright," Sierra said, resting her arms on the table. "So how does that work exactly?"

"You should ask her," Nati shrugged. "I'm not a psion. But what also helped was that I somehow knew where most of the aliens were, even not seeing them myself. It's sort of what I imagine a hive mind would be like, although without the drawbacks."

"And that isn't a little bit concerning?" Sierra asked incredulously. "That is not the best example you could have chosen to illustrate it. She's reading your mind and you're ok with it?"

"I don't think it works like that," Nati said, leaning back in his chair. "Why don't you ask her, or maybe Creed? I don't know her, but I do know that I definitely don't have a problem with it. Thanks to her we did win pretty decisively."

"Right, because of course she is going to give me a straight answer," Sierra answered sarcastically. "'Noo, Sierra, I definitely don't occasionally read people's minds. You really have nothing to worry about.' Please."

"Why not ask Creed then?" Nati asked. "He says she doesn't."

"Because he is such an unbiased source," Sierra retorted with a snort. "C'mon, really?"

Nati chuckled. "Fair point. Why so confrontational? I'd think you'd be happy we won?"

Sierra sighed, and rubbed her head. "Yeah, yeah, I know. And I am, and I really do want to actually get out there and fight. But this place is…strange to me. It's weird. Things that should be bothering people are just overlooked, stuff that is questionable is just accepted. It's like a place where reality only revolves around the damn aliens."

Nati almost smirked at her. "You do realize you're in XCOM, right? A place where our job is literally fighting aliens?"

"Smartass," Sierra scowled. "Ignore the aliens for a minute and just think. If it was discovered that some humans had the ability to read thoughts and lift things into the air with their minds, what exactly do you think the reaction would be?"

"A lot of confusion and fear, probably," Nati shrugged.

"Exactly," Sierra nodded. "But I haven't seen anything like that here. Everyone is way too convinced that every single psion can be trusted and that the Commander has our best interests in mind."

"Have you considered that it might be true?" Nati asked slowly, looking at her seriously. "I'm as new as you, but from what I've seen the trust here in both Patricia and the Commander is well-placed. I'm not completely sure why you're so suspicious. Do you know something I don't?"

"Call it a gut feeling," she muttered unconvincingly. "Yeah, I know, but in my experience, people with that kind of power don't not use it. They might be doing it for reasons they can justify, but that doesn't mean it's not happening. I guess I don't like the idea of anyone reading my mind, good person or no."

"Fair enough," Nati nodded. "But like it or not, this is reality now. Psions are going to only get more common. Don't forget that they're still humans, not some alien hybrid."

"I know," she sighed. "But I'm not sure I trust the Commander to do the right thing with them."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Mainly because of the company he keeps," Sierra explained, wondering if he would even care or understand. "I don't suppose you've been keeping up with the rest of the world?"

"ADVENT invaded Iraq," Nati said. "The Russian branch is going deep into Iran, but other than that, not much. Brazil is still flaunting their power, but I'm pretty sure the Chancellor is going to come down on them soon."

"Not as big a story, but I don't exactly like how ADVENT just took over America," Sierra said. "And worse was that when some people protested it for obvious reasons, ADVENT just sent their so-called Peacekeepers and shut them down."

"They were rioting, right?" Nati asked.

"It wasn't a riot," Sierra interrupted. "It was several idiots who decided to pick a fight and ruined it for everyone. Naturally ADVENT took that as reason enough to practically silence any other message that gathering might have sent. Which I guess fits in with what they want."

"I sympathize, I do," Nati said, scratching his chin. "Israel is also under ADVENT now too, remember. I think we differ in if that's a bad thing or not. The world will need to come together eventually, and ultimately I think it's for the best. No one likes change, but considering the circumstances, I think it was necessary here."

"I might agree, if this Chancellor wasn't from the fucking Illuminati," Sierra clarified. "Seriously, just watch her anytime she speaks. She wants complete control over the world and she's getting it. Have you looked at the people she's put in charge of the various agencies?"

"I'm not familiar with the Chancellor's cabinet, no," Nati admitted. "But I doubt she's picking unqualified people."

"I guess that depends on what you view as unqualified," Sierra said. "She put a psychopath in charge of the Peacekeepers, so I'm not exactly convinced she's really concerned about the well-being of citizens."

"Stein, right?" Nati asked, frowning. "I've heard of her before. 'Psychopath' never came to mind. A little cold, but nothing like that."

"She did an interview a few days ago," Sierra said, shifting in her seat. "I'm not exactly sure why Saudia allowed her to do it, unless it was to scare the hell out of people. Anyone who is fine with killing a child is not someone I want in charge of law enforcement."

Nati snorted. "Come on, she didn't really say that."

"Oh, yes she did," Sierra said. "She definitely said something along the lines of 'if they commit murder, they deserve to die.'"

"Oh, that makes sense," Nati nodded. "That…honestly isn't an issue for me. Why shouldn't they be punished?"

"You're missing the point," Sierra scowled. "There should be punishment, but I don't think they should be killed for it. These are kids, remember, not adults."

Nati pursed his lips. "That is a debate I don't think we'll agree on, but we've gotten off-topic. Why does all of this make you distrust the Commander? If Saudia ever steps out of line, I'm sure he has plans to keep her on track."

"That's the point," Sierra stated. "He hasn't done anything. Which implies, at least to me, that he's perfectly ok with what's happening. And since what is happening makes me uncomfortable, it makes me not trust him as much as everyone else seems to. Just because he's good at fighting aliens doesn't mean he should be influencing the world, because it doesn't seem to be turning out that well."

"Well, we wouldn't have won that battle if not for ADVENT," Nati pointed out. "You might not like them, but the fact is that they are a necessity, and the world is changing. It'll take some getting used to, but it's not going to be stopped and agonizing over all the bad news in the world is, quite honestly, pointless. If things get unreasonable, I'm sure the Commander will step in, but in the meantime, none of that is going to stop the aliens."

"Right," Sierra muttered. "Because that is the only thing we should be concerned about."

"It is," Nati said, standing up. "I was serious when I said you should talk to Patricia, or hell, even the Commander. This kind of distrust isn't really healthy, and I do think they'd be willing to talk. If not that, maybe take some time for yourself. Beat up some people in the ring. Don't stress yourself out over things you can't control."

"Duly noted," Sierra said, half-sarcastically. "Thanks for talking anyway. Sorry to be such a downer."

"No problem," he smiled. "Tell you what, why not come with me to get some food. Otherwise I think you're just going to sit there and get more depressed."

"Probably," Sierra admitted, standing up. "Alright, deal. I'm hungry anyway."

Nati waved to the door. "After you, ma'am."

"Cute," Sierra mocked, rolling her eyes, but did take the lead as they left, and she did have to agree that some time focused on something else was probably for the best. For now, anyway.

---

The Praesidium, Barracks

It was much easier for Nuan to recount the actual events of the battle rather than enduring it herself. Common sense, but now that the adrenaline had long faded and she could objectively overview the situation, she had performed…adequately. Not exceptionally, to her shame, but good enough that the SSF would be satisfied.

While writing her report, she had debated trying to emphasize the chaotic nature of the combat, and had actually attempted it before realizing that she wasn't nearly a good enough writer to convey what being in the center of that battle really was like. So instead she focused on what she knew: Cold, hard facts and analysis.

Details of the initial attacks, descriptions of the opposing forces (with video evidence included), tactics noted and used, as well as additional notes, concerns and descriptions as she saw fit. If nothing else, even if participating in the battle had scared her, she couldn't deny that it gave her a perspective that she would never have known without being there.

No one had asked yet why she was sitting alone at a table with her laptop, typing away, but she didn't mind. Being Chinese, she wasn't surprised that a good portion of the soldiers avoided her, and at the moment that only helped her concentration. Although she had gotten a few curious looks, but didn't feel the need to socialize with the soldiers yet, if ever. It was unlikely that she would be able to find common ground with many here; the differences between herself and the majority were too vast to be overlooked.

She paused typing to take a quick sip from her glass of water, a short break before moving to the section she was unsure how to properly document without causing a panic in the PLA commanders. Psionics was something China had been aggressively trying to research as soon as they learned XCOM had psions, but to the best of her knowledge, they had been unsuccessful.

At least in the SSR, there was a clear suspicion of psionics, with quite a few not wanting anything to do with them. Too much power for one person was always the issue, and after the displays she'd seen, Nuan was convinced that attempting to control a psion would be difficult at best. That being said…one such psion had been the only reason they'd gotten out alright, and another had been a major reason why the battle had been won in the first place.

It was going to be exceptionally difficult to portray them as extremely dangerous, but not necessarily a threat to China. As much as she disliked how the Commander treated China in the past, she didn't believe he posed a threat, and neither did the psions under him. The problem was that every officer that read the description of one woman mind-controlling an entire army, or another making teams of soldiers invulnerable, or one lifting enemies into the air with a gesture was going to immediately jump to the worst-case scenario of "What if that is turned on us?"

Nuan sighed and pinched her forehead. That was the issue here: Keeping tensions between XCOM and China more or less even. She just needed to report on what was happening from the front, but the more she thought about it, the more the possibility of China overreacting was a possibility. It shouldn't be, but if they read this and did something rash out of fear…then the Commander, or worse, ADVENT, might be fully justified in responding, which was the last thing she wanted.

She was beginning to realize why the Commander had been fine with her entering XCOM, despite the bad blood between them and China. It was because he knew that China was essentially boxed in from doing anything to harm XCOM. Anything they did to try and curtail or respond, publically at least, would be a predictable response. He was planning for her to help drive China into a rash decision.

She scowled at that thought. Perhaps she was just tired and her mind was warped into thinking of conspiracies. The problem was that she wasn't sure it was one. What if she was somehow contributing to the Commander's grand plan regarding China? Because she definitely knew he had one. She looked at the bright screen with the document filled with black characters.

She seemed to have two options: Be as accurate as possible and describe what she'd seen and knew, while trying to emphasize the fact that XCOM wasn't a threat yet. Or she could do something unthinkable.

Lie.

A lie of omission, but a lie nonetheless. Instead of giving the full story about the role psionics played, she could downplay it, make it seem like it was a useful tool, not an ability that could change the tide of an entire battle. Could she even do that and not be challenged? The only source that would completely dispute that would be the archived footage from their armor, and she knew China wouldn't have that.

But…no, no. No possible way that would work. The battle was too public, she'd be either labeled as incompetent or a traitor, when neither were true. She quickly closed her laptop, taking short breaths as she realized what she had almost done. Never in her life had she considered lying or forging reports for her superiors. That was only something traitors considered, or the irredeemably desperate.

But she'd done it, if only for a minute, but not out of selfishness or as a way to damage China, but to potentially save it from doing something terrible. Did that make it…excusable? Or was it the rationale other traitors began considering before they defected? Maybe both. A voice said. It reminded her of a saying she'd heard from several Americans.

The path to hell is paved with good intentions.

And the path to treason was paved with lying to superiors. She shook her head, getting her breathing back under control. No. She had to do her job right, and hope that they were rational enough to consider carefully before doing anything rash.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," a voice commented, making her jump.

"Sorry," Iosif apologized, taking a seat opposite her. "Didn't realize you were that deep in thought."

"Accepted," she said, flushing a little. "I didn't see you."

"Hmm, true," he acknowledged, smiling. "So what's wrong?"

She blinked. "Nothing."

He gave a dramatic sigh. "I may not be Patricia," he told her. "But I can sense emotions. You were scared, briefly, but it was there. And you've been sitting at that table for four hours straight. Ignoring why, it doesn't seem like you're in the best frame of mind for anything."

Oh, she wanted to facepalm before opening her mouth like that. It was one thing she needed to emphasize about psions. You couldn't distinguish them for regular people normally. Iosif himself only appeared to be a well-built, tall, brown-haired Russian. She would never suspect him of being a psion, or for that matter, any of them.

As for her response now, she wasn't sure. Denying it would be pointless, but she didn't want to explain the exact circumstance since he did probably work directly with Patricia, and her with the Commander. "Nothing…major," she began. "But…have you ever considered doing a wrong thing for good reasons?"

"An interesting philosophical question," Iosif answered, resting his arms on the table. "But to give you an answer, yes, of course. But I feel it was inevitable in my line of work."

She searched her mind…what was Iosif before? Russian special forces probably. CT agent? Something else? Either way worked, but that kind of example wasn't exactly the problem she had now. "Not something simple," she clarified, struggling how best to articulate it. "Something…important. That your superiors might object to."

"Now that is different," Iosif paused, glancing up before answering. "I will admit that I've had ideas that my superiors definitely wouldn't have approved of, although I never considered them good enough to actually risk. I'd probably only consider it if the potential consequences were worse than getting caught."

All well and good, but the problem now was that there were too many factors to consider. Maybe she was being paranoid. Maybe she had too little faith in her superiors. Maybe she was just tired. How could she alone determine if the risk was appropriate? Not that it mattered, since she was going to purge that traitorous thought from her mind. "Makes sense. So what are you doing?"

"Talking to you," he answered knowingly. "In all seriousness, I am curious exactly what you are working on there." He nodded to her closed laptop.

Nuan supposed it wouldn't hurt. It wasn't as though it was a secret. "It's my report to the PLA Strategic Support Force. Detailing the Battle of Japan."

"Oh, you have to send report?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting."

"China wants to know the actual details of what is happening," Nuan shrugged. "And that's why I was sent here, to make sure any information isn't distorted."

"Alright, then question," Iosif said. "What's to stop you from sending XCOM secrets to the Chinese?"

"Impossible," Nuan stated flatly. "The Commander isn't an idiot. He has to approve each document before it gets sent. I'm not reporting any secrets of XCOM that aren't already public. It's a win-win for both parties. China stays informed, and XCOM gets a soldier."

"I'll admit, that's surprisingly reasonable," Iosif nodded, sounding impressed. "I was under the impression that China and XCOM don't get along."

"We don't," Nuan grunted. "But China knows XCOM is the most knowledgeable about the aliens, and for better or worse, will be instrumental in this war. It doesn't do any good to have a poor relationship with them. We both want the aliens gone, and some compromises have to be made."

"So you're a peace offering?" Iosif questioned.

"In a sense," Nuan agreed, albeit reluctantly. "Showing that both of us can work together."

"And that's it?" Iosif asked, with a slight smile. "Nothing to do with the last Chinese agent that got sent here."

Nuan stiffened at the mention of Shun. "No."

Iosif now had a full smile. "Remember, I can tell if someone is lying."

"My mission has nothing to do with former agent Shun Anwei," she said, keeping her voice cool and mechanical. "She is just a foreign agent."

"Strong choice of words," Iosif mused. "Although I'd think you'd prefer the term traitor."

"Would that be inaccurate?" She asked coldly. "What would you call abandoning your country for a rival organization?"

"I never said it was inaccurate," Iosif said, growing more serious as he leaned forward. "By your definition, she is most certainly a traitor to China, and were I in your position, I would likely be just as furious. But I have a question for you: Did you ever wonder why she switched her loyalty to XCOM?"

"No," Nuan stated flatly. "And I do not care. Her reasons don't change facts, and treason is something that can't be forgiven or forgotten."

Iosif nodded. "Perhaps not, but it can be understood."

"And I suppose you know why?" Nuan asked.

"I don't know the details, but I know she had good reasons," Iosif answered. "I suppose your view on her would be if you value China over humanity. She chose the latter and stuck with XCOM, and I can't disagree with her."

"Those two things are not mutually exclusive," Nuan pointed out. "I can be loyal to China and care about humanity at the same time. Please don't defend her for the sake of it. You will not convince me otherwise."

Iosif didn't seem perturbed; instead simply nodding. "As you wish."

There was a stretch of time that passes before Nuan sighed, not wanting it to end quite this way. "I wanted to say thank you. I doubt we would have survived without you."

"Appreciated," he said. "That is my job, after all. But you did your part; all of us did as best we could. No shame in retreating from unwinnable battles."

"Still," she insisted. "It wasn't nothing."

"Maybe not," he chuckled. "Was that your first taste of combat?"

"On that scale," she admitted, looking down at the polished table. "I'd been in some firefights, but I'm not a pure soldier like most here. I took the 'support' part of my job seriously. It was…well, almost overwhelming at first. But you probably felt that."

"I suspected as much," Iosif confirmed. "But you held up well. I was impressed. It only gets more natural from here and the calmer you are, the better you perform."

"I hope so," Nuan said, opening up her laptop again. "Thanks, Iosif. I should probably finish this soon. The Commander will need some time to review it, after all, and deadlines are taken seriously."

"I won't keep you then," he promised. "Although once you're finished, I wouldn't mind reading your take for myself."

Nuan hesitated. "I'm not sure I can do that."

"Ah well, worth a try," he said, getting up. "See you around."

He left her alone, and she returned to writing. Now that he had brought it up, she did wonder if she was allowed to show other soldiers her reports. Maybe she could include a short clarification when she sent this, maybe frame it as 'additional consultants' or something. Iosif might be useful, and maybe make her descriptions of psionics not as volatile as she probably was.

Something to think about for sure, but for later. Now she had to finish this report and hope she wasn't making things worse.

---

Northern Territory, Australia

Abby glanced at the man on the cot while she put away her tools to be sterilized, and threw out her disposable gloves and mask. The good news was that here, the injuries were not extreme in the least and could be treated pretty easily. It felt good, putting her surgical skills to actual use, and she was pleased how easily everything came back to her. It was soothing in a way, much less thinking required than her trying to puzzle out exactly what to do next.

Her mission here had now become a lot more complicated, now with the Chronicler intending to build an army of aliens under his control to fight back. He was a powerful psion, that much was clear, and she figured she might as well hear him out before telling anyone else about him. And she had quite a few questions for the elderly man, who had proven to be a lot more than he seemed.

The wounded man was coming out of his drug-induced sleep, blinking slowly as he focused on her. "Am I dead?" He asked.

"Nope," she answered, walking over and making some notes on her tablet. He'd come out of it pretty quickly and was speaking clearly. A good sign. "A nasty wound, but nothing I couldn't handle."

"Who are you?" He asked dizzily. "I didn't think we had any medics…"

"You don't," Abby clarified. "I'm just doing this to help out. Rest now, ok? You'll be fighting the aliens soon enough."

"Right…" his eyes rolled back into his head and it fell back on the pillow. Abby smirked. He needed the rest and would pull through fine. Good news for Harper. She left him in the tent and walked out into the now-dark camp. She rubbed her eyes, realizing that she needed rest of her own.

"Thank you," Harper said, coming up. "I didn't expect you to do this much for us."

"No need," Abby said, giving a weary smile. "I…needed that. It's feels good to actually help people again."

"Lucas's plan might not have worked, but you're definitely helping people outside of that," Harper encouraged. "But you deserve some rest now. I'll have a more…traditional assignment for you in the morning."

"I'll see you then," Abby promised, and walked off to her own tent, ready to just forget the past couple days for a few hours. But of course that wasn't to be, as the Chronicler was waiting for her in the tent, sitting on one of the chairs, an expectant smile on his face.

"Agent Gertrude, glad you finally took a break," he greeted. "I thought Harper might send you out before we had a chance to properly talk."

"I'd prefer to talk when it isn't close to midnight," Abby muttered, sitting onto the makeshift bed with a thump. "There isn't any better time?"

"Since Harper is planning to send you out early, unfortunately not," the Chronicler apologized, with a small incline of his head. "And I need to get to work as well. An army isn't going to grow itself."

Abby narrowed her eyes. "You want to talk? Fine. Who the hell are you?"

"Originally an advisor to the now-Chancellor," he said. "My job in EXALT was rather…mundane. As my title implies, I chronicled the history of the world, the true history, without the assumptions and manipulation of historians."

Abby eyed him skeptically. "Sure. What were you actually doing?"

"How suspicious," he tsked. "Well, I knew for decades that an alien force was real, and would be coming back someday. But I also knew that for humanity to effectively defend themselves, well, how do I put this? This world had to be…reorganized. It had to be united under one government and order. EXALT was the best chance to see that goal realized, and so I helped them achieve it."

"You used them." Abby said.

"Not in the way you were thinking," the Chronicler corrected. "I helped them. I was just the unassuming voice in the back of their minds, offering suggestions, guidance and direction that they acted on. I never directly took control of them, but I did plant seeds that had the desired effects. Luckily I never had to try hard, as EXALT was filled with highly intelligent people. Saudia in particular is one of the best leaders EXALT has produced."

"So is the only reason EXALT made peace was because you 'suggested' it?" Abby demanded incredulously.

"I would say it is a consequence, yes," the Chronicler nodded. "I did not expect the aliens to return so soon. I also did not anticipate XCOM or the Commander. Otherwise my plans would have been different, but at one point I did make a point of telling Saudia that her enemies might become allies, and that our true enemy was the aliens. Everything that happened after that was all her."

"And she doesn't know what you are," Abby finished.

"No, and it will remain that way," he said, his voice turning a bit hard. "As far as I am concerned, my mission with EXALT is accomplished. Saudia will bring order to this world, and I will begin working on my own plans. No one knows about me aside from you. Not ADVENT, not XCOM and not the aliens, and I intend to use that to strike when the time is right."

"Fine, let's go with that," Abby said. "But you don't need to do it alone. The Commander isn't an idiot. He would be a much better ally than enemy, and he will consider you an enemy if you don't let him know what you are."

"He isn't an idiot," the Chronicler said grimly. "But he would never allow a psion to be free that he doesn't control. He considers psions potential dangers and doesn't trust anyone else outside of XCOM to use their powers responsibly. At best I would be captured, at worst executed. The Commander doesn't negotiate about certain things, Abby, and I think you know this."

He fixed her with a hard stare. "It is why you need to keep this to yourself. I assure you that I will be a much better asset on my own than whatever the Commander plans for me."

Abby frowned. "And how do I know you're not lying to me?"

"Because we are having this conversation now," the Chronicler sighed. "I do not use my abilities on innocent people unless necessary. If I wanted to, I could simply force you to comply, but I would prefer not to do that."

"So you're considering it," Abby stated.

"I did," he admitted. "Although it's too late now. If I was to change your mind now, I would likely have to wipe the past day out of your mind, and I have a feeling that would raise questions, and with the right people, they would guess what would happen. The risk is too high, and now I must hope I made the right decision."

Abby sincerely wished Patricia was here, or someone who could tell if he was actually telling the truth. On the surface he seemed to be genuine, and Abby didn't especially think he posed a threat. Maybe the Commander would see differently, but she didn't know…"Let's say I agree to keep this to myself," she said, crossing her legs. "What exactly is your plan?"

"As I said, build an army," he repeated. "Many of the aliens are simple, and easy to manipulate. The town I now control will house them, and they will naturally go about their business, until one day I give the order. I will go to other camps, have them transfer over here and enslave them to me. It is difficult to explain how I can assure this without you being a psion, but rest assured I know what I am doing."

Abby thought back to what she knew about psionics. In theory it was possible, and after seeing what Patricia could do, it wasn't hard to buy that the Chronicler could accomplish this. The mind was a tricky thing, and if he could do as he promised…should she really mess with that?

If he is building an army, we need it.

That they did. But was is smart to not tell anyone in XCOM about this? It was an either-or situation, since she knew the Chronicler would learn either way. He might say he wouldn't read her mind, but at the very least he would be able to tell if she was lying or not.

Why not give him a chance? Make him prove he can do as promised before deciding to tell someone or not.

That idea seemed…fair. If he really was powerful enough to control an army of aliens, then he should be able to prove it. If he did, then great, he was an asset she would tolerate. If he couldn't, then she'd report him to XCOM. Seemed fair, and it was a compromise she didn't think he'd object to. "Here's what I'm thinking," she said, looking him straight in the eyes. "If you can really build your own private army, that's too much of an asset to just throw away. But I want to see if you can actually do it. Prove it, and I'll let you keep working. If you can't, then I'll report you to XCOM."

The Chronicler smiled. "I can work with that. How soon will you want results?"

"I don't know how long I'll be here," Abby said, frowning. "But at least a month, probably. You have three weeks to produce something. And no mind tricks either if you fail. Try that and I'll have contingencies."

"I'd expect nothing less," he confirmed, sounding rather eager. "Very well then, Agent. You'll see my army very soon. I think you'll be impressed with what I can do."

"Good luck," Abby said, laying down on the bed. "Now I'd like to sleep, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," he said, standing up in a smooth motion. "Rest easy, agent. I'll see you in three weeks."

Abby didn't hear him exit, but she wouldn't have heard anyway because she asleep seconds after her head hit the firm pillow.

---

The Praesidium, Genetic Modification Labs

The Praesidium was perhaps the most perfect base he could have asked for research purposes. The Commander might despise the Sectoids, but they definitely knew what they were doing, and it had taken Vahlen a short amount of time to set up her multiple stations of research, from weapons, alien artifacts and genetic modification.

The Commander paused outside the room, raised his hand over the sensor and drew on some of his psionic energy. The XCOM logo turned blue and the door unlocked before him soundlessly. The Commander stepped through and heard the door click behind him as he started walking down the short corridor to the entry to the Modification Labs themselves.

As they slid open before him, he once more was continually impressed with how Vahlen ran an organized project. The room was massive, but quartered off into different sections. Once was dedicated autopsy table with scientists performing detailed analysis to the creature's physiology, all connected to powerful computers that displayed HD screens and holographic representation.

The others were largely for scientific experimentation, with various pieces of unnamable equipment filling them up, all monitored by teams of scientists. One section was Vahlen's dedicated zoo, where she stored all the animals she'd imported for genetic analysis. It was a…curious bunch, to say the least.

He didn't see Vahlen yet, so walked over to where she was keeping her horde of test animals. Birds of prey, vultures, rats, dogs, jellyfish, he wasn't entirely sure what her plan was for each, but no doubt they had a part to play in her designs. There were cats somewhere around as well, but Vahlen seemed content to let them wander around the labs.

Along the wall behind the cages were vats where Sectoids had once been grown, which were now used for Chryssalid creation. Vahlen was keeping the grown ones in stasis, and since they didn't have an unlimited amount of space, she was refraining from growing more. The Commander wasn't sure when the best time to use the Chryssalids would be, but he imagined it would be soon. He supposed Saudia deserved a heads-up before he unleashed them onto the field.

However, now he did notice a small addition to her collection, but it surprisingly appeared to be insects. Specifically a large ant farm, but something was horribly wrong with it. He took a closer look, peering into the glass. To his surprise, all of the ants were dead, and there was…something, growing out of their corpses. A fungus? It was white and definitely resembled one, but he wasn't a biologist. Was this experimentation for a new weapon?

"A specialized weapon, yes," Vahlen said, coming up behind him and feeling very pleased with herself. "You caught on quick."

"Well, you don't like to waste things without reason," the Commander said, turning to her with a smile. "The options were limited. But since you are here now, perhaps you could explain?"

She returned his smile, and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I suppose I can start with that. I do have a lot to show you," she cleared her throat, and motioned to the ant farm. "Have you ever heard of the cordyceps?"

"No," the Commander shook his head. "I assume that is the fungus?"

"Correct," she affirmed with a nod. "A very deadly parasitic fungi that slowly kills the host, as well as taking over its mind."

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "A mind-controlling fungi?"

"Bad explanation," she apologized. "It is more accurate to say as it kills the host, it forces it to act irrationally and abnormally. I actually developed this to assist in the resistance groups holding out in the Oceanic nations. It's only a matter of time before they start using Chryssalids, and I believe I have developed a way to assist in negating that."

"You've weaponized it?" He asked, already impressed. "That was fast, especially since I remember you only mentioning something like this several weeks ago."

"I've created a strain that can affect chryssalids," she said, handing him a tablet. "Chryssalids are insects, so it required a minimal amount of work to successfully infect one." The picture she showed was of a dead Chryssalid, similar white growths protruding from its body, eyes and legs. "The problem, of course, is that there needs to be some way of infecting the Chryssalid itself."

"I assume you came up with a solution?" He asked. She nodded and beckoned him over to another table, this one with plants on them, and a fungi, as he saw.

"This is a cordyceps plant in its purest form," Vahlen explained. "Normally the Chryssalids wouldn't touch it, but I modified it to also excrete pheromones that make it irresistible to them. Once they eat, they become infected. I also sped up the rate of death to nearly a day instead of several. It will emit spores, but those will not affect large areas beyond the plant itself. And in addition to that, it will have an immediate impact."

"So the resistance groups there can plant these around the islands to trick the Chryssalids," the Commander nodded. "Smart."

"I can create dozens in a few days," Vahlen said, nodding towards the vats. "The cloning equipment the Sectoids have is exceptional, and far more versatile than I first assumed. Although there are several factors that I have not yet determined that should be taken into consideration."

He nodded, turning back to her. "Such as?"

"This species is a parasite," she reminded him, frowning. "Which means that it will affect native species as well. I've also designed it to spread to grow more after a certain amount of time. My point is that it could potentially disrupt the ecosystems there, perhaps permanently."

"But it would stop the Chryssalids," the Commander said, turning back to the fungi.

"It would," Vahlen confirmed. "And I have naturally made our own Chryssalids immune to the temptation of this plant."

The Commander considered that for a moment. But it wasn't a hard decision. If they didn't get rid of the aliens, there wouldn't exactly be an Earth left to fix. "Talk to Jackson to begin distribution," he ordered Vahlen, turning back to her. "If this will keep the resistance groups alive, then I want to use it. If it causes environmental damage…we'll fix it after the war."

"I assumed you'd say that," Vahlen said, a satisfied smile on her face. "I've already begun production of several dozen specimens. I wouldn't concern yourself over the impact quite yet either. Negative change will likely not take effect for years, a decade at least for any real change to be noticed."

"Well, one topic down," he said, looking towards the Subject Chambers. "Now, what else have you been working on?"

She grinned and motioned for him to follow as they made their way towards the chambers where Vahlen performed her Human experimentation. "I've begun finalizing a new batch of genetic enhancements for our soldiers," she explained as she unlocked the door psionically. "All that is really needed is your authorization, but I think you'll be very impressed with what I've managed."

"Do you still have enough subjects?" He asked as the door slid open and they walked through.

"I'll need a new batch after I order these current ones to be harvested for MELD," Vahlen mused, glancing down at her tablet. "But I've already made arrangements with Jackson."

"Good," the Commander nodded, taking stock of the brightly lit cells, all segmented by gray alien alloys and occupied by a Human subject of some kind. There was an aura of terror and pain that washed over him the second he stepped inside, and he could only imagine what it was like for Vahlen. He didn't fail to note that their terror increased every time she glanced in their direction.

He couldn't really blame them, though he also couldn't muster up much sympathy for their current situation. After all, this was simply a consequence of their own actions. "Aegis has been extremely helpful in development," Vahlen said, as they stopped in front of a cell with the occupant, a Caucasian man, laying on the ground. "He was helpful in applying what I learned from the Ravaged One's autopsy."

"What did you learn?" The Commander asked, looking down at the man whose skin was almost translucent, and screaming at every twitch of his muscles. "I know you mentioned the Ravaged One could be the key to one of your projects."

"Indeed," Vahlen nodded, also looking down at the man. "You noted how easily his skin was able to heal and wound itself at the same time? I wanted to apply that for our own soldiers. Make them heal wounds almost instantaneously, an idea I first got from the simple jellyfish. And thanks to the now deceased Ethereal, and our new ally, I have done it."

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't look that good."

"He was a failed experiment," Vahlen explained. "Sort of. His skin does do what I wanted to, but somehow his brain interpreted it as any kind of position other than his initial one is a wound. Thus, he is essentially trapped in place. Painful, but since his body does perform what we needed it to, it is useful for gathering data. This one, however, is the finished product."

They stepped over to the next cell, where another man was standing. His skin was also slightly translucent, or maybe it was just the light. In any case, it wasn't nearly as noticeable as the previous subject. Also in the room was a small portable table, and on it were several different weapons. A knife, a gun, and several vials of various colored liquids. The moment he saw Vahlen, he began backing up, saying something the Commander couldn't hear or read from his lips.

"I assume you'd like a demonstration?" Vahlen asked, turning to him.

The Commander smirked. "If you could. Though he doesn't exactly seem cooperative."

"Not an issue," Vahlen promised, and turned her gaze to the man while placing a palm on the glass. The Commander watched, fascinated as her iris turned purple as she drew upon her own power to take over the man in the cell. The test subject suddenly became still, his own eyes turning a faint purple as Vahlen took over his mind.

Without any words, the man walked forward, picked up the knife and slashed his wrist without hesitation. Blood sprayed everywhere initially, and started pouring out, although in seconds had already slowed to a faint drip. The Commander watched in amazement as the skin around the wrist healed at a visible rate, until the only sign of injury was the slowly drying blood on his hand.

Vahlen took her hand off the glass and the man stumbled back as she withdrew her mind. "That also runs through the entire body. All internal organs heal the same way, which in effect makes our soldiers immune to chemical weapons."

"Amazing," he said, shaking his head in wonder. "A soldier would be almost invincible."

"Almost, not quite," Vahlen agreed. "A headshot will still kill them, and severed limbs can't be regrown. Theoretically blood loss would also be a concern, and certain organs can't be repaired if severely damaged enough, such as eyes, but for the most part, they would be…difficult to kill."

The Commander nodded. "I'm curious. Why does the skin have that almost translucent effect?"

"A side effect of incorporating jellyfish genetics," Vahlen explained quickly. "Their skin is extremely thin, if you've noticed, and that is a reason I found they were able to repair so fast. The skin of those with this genetic modification is thinner than regular Human skin, and does occasionally give a translucent effect under the right lighting."

She then beckoned him to the next cell over. "However, I was curious about the opposite outcome. Instead of making the skin softer and easier to heal, I experimented with making it impenetrable. Aegis' own skin is essentially impossible to penetrate with even our gauss weapons, so I wanted to apply that to humans."

The Commander glanced over at her. "Aegis' skin is that resistant?"

"Yes, a surprise to be sure," Vahlen said, contemplating the female subject before her. "But a welcome one nonetheless. Apparently only a few Ethereals have it, combat-focused ones like the Battlemaster, him, and the Imperator. But I believe I was successful, and it only took one subject to bring about."

The Commander looked inside the cell. The woman looked exhausted and terrified, and her skin seemed to shimmer with some kind of faint marking…he focused on it. It was unmistakable, almost imperceptible hexagons lined every piece of skin on her body, almost like near-invisible scales or armor. Clearly an effect of the modification.

Like the last cell, this one had an array of weapons, but of a much higher caliber. A gauss rifle, pistol and alloy cannon were all lined up on the cell wall. Vahlen repeated the same mind-control as she had with the previous test subject, and the woman fell into a blank state, walked over to the table and picked up the pistol.

The Commander raised an eyebrow as she placed the pistol under her chin, but refrained from commenting. She pulled the trigger with a bang and she went stumbling back onto the ground. She didn't rise, but the Commander noted she was still breathing. "She survived a point-blank pistol shot," The Commander muttered. "Amazing."

"I would still advise not getting shot in the head," Vahlen suggested, releasing her control. "We have noted that there can be damage done to the brain and hearing, as you can see." She frowned, looking at the motionless woman. "A loss, but she can be replaced. What is important is that it does provide invulnerability to almost all projectile-based arms, and even plasma weapons have a limited effect on their skin."

Vahlen pursed her lips. "However, with this particular modification, there are a few downsides, the most obvious being that internal injuries would be difficult to heal in the field since it would be nearly impossible to penetrate their skin. That, and it is difficult to apply new modifications in addition to this one, so it a sense it would 'lock out', any new modifications for a specific individual."

Vahlen smiled again. "Which is why I needed to develop a separate modification to help address some of these issues." The Commander followed as she led him to yet another cell where a man was sitting on the ground, looking more bored than anything else. "Notice anything?" Vahlen asked.

The Commander looked over the man, but didn't see any sort of obvious modification, and unlike the other subjects, this man only seemed mildly annoyed with them both staring at him. "No," the Commander admitted. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Exactly," Vahlen smiled, clasping her hands behind her back proudly. "He is perfectly healthy. He has also been exposed to over thirty fatal diseases and induced cancers. All of which haven't affected him in the least."

"You made him immune to disease," the Commander said, turning to her. "How? Modifying the regeneration modification for internal organs only?"

"Partially," Vahlen clarified, smiling. "My main inspiration for this particular modification was the vulture. They are practically immune to disease, so I took what made that possible, and applied it to a Human. Before Aegis helped solve the regeneration modification, it was working, but not foolproof. There was always something that would get through and kill the subject. But once I applied the ability for the internal organs to heal themselves, as well as modifying the immune system itself, then I was able to create a disease-immune individual." Vahlen pause briefly. "A perfect addition to the Iron Skin modification, or any other one for that matter."

The Commander made a mental note to make her dinner the next time he got a chance, maybe attempt Rouladen again. She deserved something more than another raise for the work she was doing. "I don't suppose you have anything else?" He asked, thinking her showcase was done.

"One more," she said with a knowing smile, and motioned him over to one final cell. "This is an attempted offensive modification. You know armor is the greatest protection most of the aliens have, so I attempted to find a way to work around that. The best way I found was a means to strike the weak points of their armor and insert a toxin into their body."

She waved an arm to the cell. "And I do believe I have done it."

The subject in the cell seemed mostly normal, aside from a small bulge under his right wrist, that seemed to be holstering something vertical to his arm, inside a small opening that pointed outwards. The arm itself also appeared a big larger than the opposite one, but only slightly. Vahlen once more took control of the man, and a pale tentacle-like stand shot out from the opening until it was held up vertically, a translucent point at the end, dripping with something.

The appendage appeared at least as tall as the man himself, who was close to six feet, and it appeared to be held up under its own power. At what he presumed was Vahlen's suggestion, the stinger appendage immediately retracted into the arm. "That is…different," the Commander admitted. "How effective is it?"

"The toxin I created for it is derived from a variety of the most venomous creatures in the world," Vahlen explained. "Let's just say Aegis was hesitant to get near it. I've also made the stinger able to be fully manipulated by the individual for precise control, and it's strong enough to resist cuts and will heal from any wounds it suffers. I'm curious how it will work on the battlefield outside of simulations."

"Carmelita will probably like it," the Commander said. "It's certainly the most unique one I've seen from you. But exceptional job. I think it's time to put our genetic modification program into full swing, especially since we have a surplus of MELD, with more on the way."

"That we do," Vahlen said with a smile. "The only other update I have is for the Manchurian Project, which has made progress, but unfortunately nothing substantial." She motioned to the cells. "With the war becoming more intense, I believed this should be my priority before returning to it. But in short, the command system is down and specific instructions can be programmed into the individual."

She frowned. "There is still an issue of not overwriting the personality of the individual in question, but that will be the next issue I tackle. Still, this should be enough to last for the next few months while improvements are made."

"I couldn't agree more," the Commander nodded. "You've certainly done more than enough. Far more than I expected, truth be told. But I'm sure our soldiers will be thanking you for it. If it wasn't clear, I approve all these modifications for use in the field."

"Thank you, Commander," Vahlen said gratefully. "I couldn't have really done it without you."

"Hey, all of this was you," the Commander chided, giving in and finally pulling her into a tight hug. "I just let you do what you do best."

She instantly relaxed into him. "And I think that's one thing I like most about you. You trust me to make the right decisions."

"You've certainly proven you can," he said, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "If anything, I think you deserve a break."

"Mhmm, maybe," Vahlen murmured, her eyes closed. "Maybe I'll end work a few hours earlier. Although you would do well to do the same."

He chuckled, stroking her hair. "I'll see what I can do."

---

The Praesidium, Office of the Commander

Now was the time to have the conversation that he personally was not entirely looking forward to: The future of psionics under XCOM. It was a necessary step, but one he didn't exactly think would go over that well with the psions themselves. But it was necessary, and they needed to have a serious discussion on it, especially with Patricia and Aegis training a new batch.

Zhang and Aegis himself were going to be important here, and the Commander saw no reason to delay any longer. "I just spoke with Vahlen. The Manchurian Project is still underway, but I suspect it will be at least several months until it is in a position where I am comfortable utilizing it."

Zhang frowned, then glanced up at the towering Ethereal next to him. "If that is the case, I am not comfortable training new psions that we cannot ensure the loyalty of."

"Loyalty isn't a concern yet," the Commander dismissed. "Frankly, I don't think it will become one until the war ends."

"Do not make such assumptions," Aegis warned. "All species are subject to the traps of arrogance and power. Even your soldiers are no exception here."

"You've observed them," the Commander noted. "Do you sense anything malevolent or concerning?"

Aegis was silent for a few moments. "No. Not yet. But people change over time, Commander, and power reveals the true nature of people. It is impossible for all of them to withstand corruption of some sort. I will do my best to mitigate it, but it will not last forever. Director Zhang is correct to be concerned."

"Appreciated," Zhang said dryly, looking back at the Commander. "Psions are weapons of mass destruction, Commander. If even one goes rogue, then we have a problem. If one as powerful as Patricia ever does, we'll have a catastrophe. Can we really afford to take that chance?"

"You don't have to sell me on the necessity," the Commander sighed. "I was the one who started the project, remember? It's just taking longer than I'd like."

"But I am saying it needs to be our priority," Zhang insisted, his emotional state ice cold. "While Vahlen's genius is no doubt something the soldiers will appreciate, you need to push her to finish the Project. Or is she reluctant because she would be subjected to it as well?"

"It's not for personal reasons," the Commander said, leaning against the cool wall. "She didn't see it as the largest priority in comparison to the grand scheme of the war. That's it. Now that her modification projects are complete, she can focus on this one."

"This does raise a question I have yet to receive an answer to," Aegis interrupted, curiosity tinging his tone. "Do you plan on subjecting yourself to the Manchurian Program once it is complete?"

"Yes," the Commander answered. "There won't be exceptions, you included."

"We did not discuss this." Aegis stated flatly.

"Not initially, no," the Commander agreed, looking up at the silver helm of the Ethereal. "But of everyone here, you alone are the most dangerous. Sorry, but I'm not going to risk you betraying us, and I'm sure you can understand why."

"You don't even know if it can be applied to an Ethereal," Aegis pointed out. "I would prefer you at least learn that before I allow your scientists to tamper with my brain."

"Then I suppose we'll have to capture one," the Commander said, half-sarcastically. "I personally don't like it either. I'm not exactly keen on being at the mercy of a code word, but it would be hypocritical to exempt myself or you from this program, wouldn't it?"

"Not necessarily," Aegis stated. "By subjecting yourself to a code, anyone who has access to it would be able to control you. That is a risk you should also consider. It is also an inherent flaw with this entire program. With the right information, your entire army of psions could be turned against you."

"No, because we control the code words," the Commander reminded him. "If on the off chance someone did learn of a code word and attacked, we could simply shut them down. Vahlen has developed contingencies and backups if anyone is somehow compromised. It isn't as simple as a 'single code word controls everything.'"

"And who would have your code word?" Aegis asked. "Vahlen?"

"No," the Commander answered, shaking his head. "She is not exactly unbiased when it comes to me, nor I with her. Zhang or Jackson would have the code word for me, and I would likely not know it myself to prevent a psion from attempting to read my mind and learning it that way."

"Honorable," Aegis commented. "I see no reason to not exempt yourself, as you are one of the most important figures in this war. But if you insist, there is very little I can do on my own. The Battlemaster would likely approve."

"Good for him," the Commander shrugged. "But until the program is completed, train the psions as best you can. I have a feeling we'll need them."

"But watch Patricia," Zhang suggested, glancing up at Aegis. "Make sure she isn't compromised."

The Commander snorted. "Please."

"I would prefer we keep an eye on her," Zhang said, now looking to the Commander. "You read the dossier from Yates. I see no reason not to ensure she is on our side."

"If Patricia were not on our side, we would definitely know about it," the Commander sighed, shaking his head in amusement. "People don't just flip, Zhang. If, and I mean If, she ever decided to abandon XCOM, it's not going to be without warning or reasons, and as the dossier noted, all she needs to be shown is that the plan is sound and correct."

"Forgive me for not being so sure," Zhang muttered sarcastically. "I would prefer a woman who can cripple entire armies with her mind be securely under our control."

"Don't worry about that," the Commander promised. "Patricia doesn't do things irrationally, and besides, once the Manchurian Program is complete we won't have to ever worry about that."

Zhang pursed his lips. "Then I suggest you make Vahlen finish it as soon as possible."

"I'll remind her," the Commander promised. "But there are bigger things than the worse-case scenario here, Zhang. We still have a war to win, after all, and I suspect that the next battle will be upon us soon."

---

The Praesidium, Engineering Bay

The Engineering Bay here was far less quiet than the one at the Citadel. Alien tech in general was much less abrasive than what Humans typically developed. But it was certainly no less potent. The Sectoids had left behind quite a few interesting pieces of tech that the Commander knew Shen was attempting to figure out, but in the meantime, had made do with what had been transported from the Citadel to here.

And now it was time to discuss the larger plans for what was to be created. Aegis had brought a wealth of knowledge, which was likely why Shen had asked the Ethereal to be present when they met. The Commander was going to try and shield Shen's mind from the worst of Aegis' aura, but he wasn't nearly as skilled as Patricia or Vahlen.

Still though, his mind was rather distinct and the Commander weaved his way through the myriad of engineers and equipment until he stepped into the new Cybernetics Lab, which currently only housed Aegis and Shen, both of whom were already discussing schematics that were holographically displayed in front of them.

The MEC suits were also propped up along the walls, bent over and their chests exposed in a shutdown state. It put into perspective how tall they were when Aegis barely reached the shoulder of the Marauder-class MEC suit. The Commander focused on Shen's mind, and visualized something of a buffer, attempting to block out Aegis' influence which luckily wasn't even trying to affect his brain.

Shen stiffened as he did so, then looked behind him to see the Commander walking up. "Glad you came so quickly," Shen said, recovering quickly. "We have a lot to go over. Aegis and I were discussing where my teams should put their focus."

"The Gateways will be paramount to the defense of your world," Aegis said immediately, nodding towards the hologram. "The Collective can strike anywhere, and the response needs to be immediate."

The Commander looked at the hologram, which appeared to be a structure that resembled a U with the curves slightly inward, but not touching. On the arms were additional features that he assumed were either energy projectors or focusers of some kind. In the middle of the structure was what he assumed was a visual representation of the energy field, which in this case looked like a miniature whirlpool.

"So explain this Gateway," the Commander said, crossing his arms. "How exactly does it work?"

"The short version is that it acts like a portal," Shen began. "Theoretically, it can allow instant transportation from one Gateway to another, distance is no object. As to how it works…" Shen trailed off. "It's complicated enough that I'm still puzzling it out, and Aegis unfortunately has little idea either. From what I can decipher, it appears to act as a miniature controlled wormhole between two points. I'm considering bringing in a physicist specializing in these kind of theories to help sort this out. I can build it as-is, and it would probably work, but I do not like building pieces of equipment I do not understand."

The Commander could sympathize. That being said… "But you can do it."

Shen sighed. "I believe so, and Aegis knows how to set up configure the Gateways, so we could begin using them immediately."

"Yes," Aegis agreed. "And it might be advisable to send these to ADVENT as well. Gateways can be configured to each other, regardless of distance or time created. All that is needed is the Gateway number and coordinate numbers. The more Gateways established on Earth, the easier it will be for both ADVENT and XCOM to defend."

"Except that presents a problem," Shen pointed out with a sudden frown. "If any Gateway can be linked to each other, what's to stop the Collective from linking to a vulnerable one controlled by us?"

"An excellent question," Aegis said, radiating approval. "Nothing. However, I highly doubt they will utilize this tactic for two reasons. The first is that the knowledge of both the Gateway codes and coordinate numbers should only be known to a select few people. Without that, they cannot act. However, it works both ways. I have lists of Gateways established in the Collective. Unless they wish to provoke me, they will not attempt something so…underhanded."

The Commander appraised the Ethereal. "Interesting choice of words."

"I would also not expect the Battlemaster to utilize such a tactic either," Aegis added. "He would consider himself above it."

"Well, I don't have the same restriction," the Commander said. "If you have Gateways, it would be a good idea to use them."

"I agree," Aegis said after a moment of silence. "But not now. If you were to attack through a Gateway, you would trigger a much larger response from the Collective than you could hope to handle. It would be a death warrant for not only XCOM, but the entire planet, and it shouldn't be utilized until much later in the war. Preferably after Earth is secure."

Aegis did have a point there. Still, it was something to keep in mind for the future. "The Collective will establish their own Gateways here, correct?"

"Assuredly," Aegis confirmed. "I would be surprised if construction hasn't begun in Australia, and possibly their foothold in Japan. From there they have a nearly unlimited supply of reinforcements."

"Which is going to be a problem," the Commander muttered. "Can the Gateways be transported?"

"Technically, yes," Aegis said slowly. "However, Gateway Transports are rare due to the amount of power they consume. I do not foresee the Collective using them in the near future. Their cost would be unjustified, especially if the battle is lost. They are also distinct, so the ship could be easily targeted."

"I assume that Gateways are not just limited to Earth?" Shen interjected, curious. "This could be useful beyond just military application."

"Yes, it is the primary mode of long-distance travel in the Collective," Aegis confirmed. "Each established system has its own Gateway, which can then be configured for any system in the Collective. It is highly efficient, and allows near-instantaneous reinforcement. Your own Solar system likely has one now as well."

"Wonderful," the Commander sighed. "So they can replenish their forces within days."

"Precisely," Aegis confirmed grimly. "But I wouldn't overly concern yourself yet. The Battlemaster, for better or worse, with be methodical and slow. There will be plenty of time to react and plan."

"Speaking of plans," Shen interjected, changing the hologram. "I believe the design for the Firestorm is essentially complete. All that really remains is your authorization to begin construction."

"Granted," the Commander said without hesitation. "We need ships that can compete in the skies. The Ravens are good, but they won't be enough."

"In which case, it might be worthwhile to establish a dedicated Hangar," he suggested, killing the hologram and turning to him. "If we want to build our own fleet, the Praesidium is simply not large enough."

Shen raised a good point, and the Commander had also noted that particular issue, though didn't think it would become one for a while. "We'd need someplace isolated, and preferably not affiliated with ADVENT."

"I'll confer with Jackson," Shen said with a nod. "And concerning a fleet…there is something very interesting Aegis showed me."

"A prototype Andromedon craft," Aegis said, switching the hologram to display a new craft that was wholly unlike any before it. It appeared to be much blockier and angular than the regular alien crafts, and from the sides of the craft, at the front and back, were what he assumed were circular engines. "This was supposed to be a Strike-Battleship as they called it. Not the largest ship in their fleet, but one with enough firepower and maneuverability to destroy any modern flagship."

"We don't have the space or resources to construct it yet," Shen admitted, giving the ghost of a smile as he looked at the hologram. "But if we complete it, we would be able to rival the alien fleet on Earth. Hence why I designated it as the Avenger Project."

A bit melodramatic, but it was good to see Shen so eager to work. Maybe it was Aegis affecting him, but the elderly man looked more energetic than he had for a while. Or maybe it was all the information he was getting from Aegis that was beyond what he could have imagined.

"Is there anything else you want to show me?" The Commander asked.

"I've begun development on the Jaeger-class MEC," Shen said, handing him a detailing schematic. Just like he'd envisioned, a much smaller humanoid and sleek suit with a built-in sniper rifle and melee weapons. From the designs, it appeared to only be as tall as Aegis, but if estimations were correct, strong enough to break the neck of a Muton. Fascinating. "I've also ordered construction of more Marauder, Ballista and Goliath-class MECs," Shen finished. "I know it's only a matter of time before we lose one."

"Good thinking," the Commander approved with a nod. "How is progress on plasma weaponry going?"

"Still slow," Shen admitted. "Aegis gave us the schematics, but it requires small elerium cores, which he unfortunately doesn't know how to create. We don't know enough about elerium to create them, so until we do so, our weapons research is somewhat halted. There are just so many projects to work on."

That they were. The Manchurian Project and Elerium both seemed pressing, and he wasn't sure which he should have Vahlen focus on. But Zhang was right, the Manchurian program needed to be completed and their own weapons were dealing with the aliens fine. Until that changed…he'd keep her working on that.

"Thanks for keeping me up to date," he told Shen. "Good luck on the development. I'll also talk with Jackson about an external XCOM hangar."

"Sounds good," Shen nodded. "I'll send a report shortly." With that, the Commander left, more than happy with how things were progressing, though he had to be careful not to become too confident. Very little was more insidious than overconfidence, even that which was well-founded.

---

The Praesidium, Barracks

Oliver held the piece of paper in his hands, eyeing it with something resembling suspicion. "This is…different."

"Indeed," Anastaysia Shevchenko agreed, her fists propping up her cheeks. The young Ukrainian was almost petite, at least for a soldier. Or maybe he was just getting old. Either way, she'd been pleasant to talk to, and had provided an interesting perspective on the continuing war in the Middle East. That is, until several stacks of paper had been delivered and he'd picked one up.

He was expecting something to do with regulations, maybe arrangements to make things easier for the new batch of soldiers that was supposed to be coming soon. But no, it was something much stranger. "I don't suppose you know if this is normal around here?"

She sniffed. "I'm as new as you. So no, I don't. But considering some of the stuff I've seen around here, genetic modification seems perfectly possible to me."

"I actually do believe the Commander writes this stuff," Oliver commented. "It's way too straightforward to have come from some PR department. It doesn't have…hmm, finesse."

"I don't think I've ever heard that used to describe him," Anastaysia said, absentmindedly messing with the paper with a free hand. "I kinda like that."

"That being said, quite a bit of this stuff seems fake," Oliver admitted. "Skin that heals in minutes? A stinger appendage and some sort of immunity to disease? That seems way too good to be true."

"Well, they clearly did something to Carmelita," Anastaysia shrugged. "Unless you want to tell me that was just her natural ability to jump fifteen feet forward."

She did have a point. "Conceded. So are you thinking about it?"

"Hell yeah," she said incredulously. "I mean, who wouldn't? I don't think XCOM would put out this opportunity if they couldn't actually follow through."

No, they probably wouldn't. At least not publically. But in his experience, there was always a catch that came with stuff that was too good to be true, and he wanted to figure out what that was before potentially altering his body. A better idea might be to talk to Carmelita and find out exactly how legitimate this process was. Or maybe someone else who'd been here a while.

"What's that?" Shun asked, striding over.

"An offer from the Commander," Oliver answered, handing her the pamphlet. "Have you ever gotten tired of getting shot? Now with XCOM™ Genetic Modifications, you too don't have to worry about bullets piercing your head ever again!"

"Brilliant sales pitch," Anastaysia chuckled. "Apply to XCOM sales or something."

"No, but seriously it looks like the Commander is wanting to push genetic modification," Oliver said as Shun took a seat, looking over the paper intently. "You've been here a while. Do you think it's as good as it sounds?"

"I…think so," Shun said slowly. "Vahlen's team has come up with some insane stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if they figured this out as well. I'm thinking that if the Commander is making this public for all soldiers, it means that he's expecting the war to escalate."

"So how is all of this possible?" Anastaysia asked Shun. "Alien tech?"

"I think so," Shun answered carefully. "I've heard the scientists talk about MELD. A kind of miracle tech if it can do half the stuff it's apparently behind. Maybe not all true, but I do think it is responsible for a lot of the advances we've made. But I can say that whatever the Commander has approved, it is safe. He doesn't risk soldiers for even Vahlen's experiments."

"Wait," Oliver frowned. "How can he know it's safe unless they've done tests on Humans?"

"Don't know," Shun admitted. "But Carmelita seems fine. The MECs are all mostly fine, and I know the Commander himself has undergone genetic modification. Whatever process they use, it seems to be working."

"Right…" Oliver began, before trailing off. That set off all kinds of alarm bells in his head. On one hand, he believed Shun, and believed that the Commander wouldn't put out something that would risk the lives of his soldiers. To do so would be a net negative, and the Commander didn't seem like the type to take unnecessary risks.

But he didn't buy for a second that there was a secret 'process' that made these procedures safe. Reality didn't work like that. They were definitely performing tests on something or someone, but who or what that could be was a question he couldn't answer, and wasn't sure he wanted to. And if that was how the Commander was making these safe for everyone, he wasn't sure he wanted any part of it.

Maybe it was necessary, but Oliver had never been a large believe of 'ends justifying the means'. That being said, he understood the thought process behind such people even if it was morally questionable at best. It was one reason why NATO had been appealing to him. At least he could believe for the most part that they weren't performing heinous acts behind the scenes. For better or worse, they'd stuck to their principles even when it would be easier to break them for the greater good.

But he'd seen for a while which way the world was going. The War on Terror had been the biggest indicator of the changing opinions on what was worth doing. For everyone decrying the Commander's actions, there had been two more endorsing him for the simple fact that he was performing it on terrible people.

Empathy was a very selective feeling, with it arising in people depending on subjectivity, and the truth was that most people could not feel empathy for people who they considered evil. The Commander had known this, and exploited it to an incredible degree. And when the world leaders condemned him, they were content to let him work and only half-heartedly try to put a stop to it.

But they'd never really tried. Because the Commander had done what the darkest parts of them had dreamed of, turning the Caliphate's dream of a world under Islamic rule into a nightmare. And so the UN, NATO and everyone else was content to sit back and silently endorse his actions while providing little more than lip service.

It raised an interesting quandary: Was an evil action justifiable if it was performed on equally evil people? It was a question he still didn't have a satisfactory answer to, and still wasn't sure where he definitively stood on the issue. But if he had an option to do the right thing, he was going to do it, even if he was just left a regular Human.

But regular Human certainly wasn't all bad. His head jerked up as he realized he'd missed part of Shun and Anastaysia's conversation. "Ukraine?" Shun was saying. "I'm not sure we've had any soldiers from there."

"Not as far as I know," Anastaysia shrugged. "But I would have been involved regardless. If I wasn't in XCOM, I'd probably be helping the Russians in Turkmenistan."

"Turkmenistan?" Shun asked, frowning. "I thought it was Iran?"

"We were discussing that before the papers came," Anastaysia said, nodding to Oliver. "And they are still in Iran, but they're moving to the north and into Turkmenistan."

"From everything I've seen, Iran is about to fold," Oliver added. "It's somewhat difficult to get reliable information, but the word is that the Iranian government is terrified about ADVENT. Don't know what prompted that response."

"Oh, I can answer that," Anastaysia said knowingly. "I have a friend there now. Apparently, ADVENT isn't exactly…eh, nice to the captured cities. It's essentially a police state."

"I'm somehow not surprised," Oliver sighed. "ADVENT has not exactly put out the image of peace and tolerance. So what did they do? Round up all the men and segregate them?"

"Not just the men," Anastaysia corrected, shaking her head. "But the women and children too. Entire families were taken into custody to be vetted. ADVENT is very thorough if what he's told me is accurate. This was pretty early in their attacks. I'm guessing communications are forbidden now or something, since I haven't heard from him in weeks."

"Hopefully they'll just surrender," Shun sighed. "They have to know they can't win."

"It's a point of pride," Oliver explained. "Iran has seen the west as a rival at best, and enemy at worst for decades. To lose so decisively to them is humiliating, and they aren't just going to lose, I can guarantee ADVENT will completely try to erase their culture and government. This war has been referred to by a large number of people as a purge, and I fear they are right."

"Then maybe they should have thought before provoking Israel," Shun shrugged. "Sorry, but I don't have much sympathy for them. It's bad that things aren't good for the innocent people caught in the crossfire, but as far as I'm concerned, there are a lot more important things to worry about."

"Copy that," Anastaysia nodded firmly. "It's not like this is a question. The Middle East is going to fall and hopefully all that instability will die along with it. Good riddance, I say."

Oliver sighed, since it was a lot more complicated than that, but had the feeling that the two women wouldn't really be open to that particular viewpoint and he had no desire for a debate. Right now, he really needed some time alone to think, what with the new genetic modifications and questions raised.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Anastaysia," Oliver said, getting up. "But I think I'll try and track down some more information on this genetic program. It's certainly a lot to think about."

"Just Ana, please," she said with a smile. "The feeling is mutual, and good luck. Let me know if you learn anything important!"

"Will do," he promised, and walked off with a bunch of unanswered questions haunting him every step of the way.

---

The Praesidium, Psionic Testing Chambers

It was excellent timing that the Commander had gone forward with the publicly distributed genetic modification, since it overlapped perfectly with the awakening of new psions which would allow them to be enhanced as well, which would probably help their transition significantly. It was long past time for her to be upgraded as well, and the results were…nice.

Being able to literally jump a couple dozen feet in the air and land unharmed was a feeling that couldn't exactly be replicated, nor was being able to see absurd distances. Her eyes were essentially like small powerful cameras which she used at will to zoom in and retract as needed. It had taken a bit to get used to, but she'd learned quickly.

The secondary heart that now pumped in her chest had definitely given her a stamina boost, and she somehow felt more energized. Hopefully it would allow her to work harder before she collapsed, or even better, helped her ensure she didn't overexert herself to begin with. She looked down at her arm, once more looking at it with curiosity.

It looked the same as normal here, but she'd found that under the right lighting, there was definitely a translucent quality to it which she had been told was normal. A side-effect of the Biomuscular regeneration modification, but if that was the price she had to pay to be able to heal almost immediately, there wasn't a question.

Most of the other psions had chosen their modifications somewhat determined on their aptitude which Patricia and Aegis had been able to fairly easily determine. Not all of them had taken as many options as possible, but all of them at least had some, and at least one of the skin modifications Vahlen had developed.

To her mild surprise, there was an almost even split between the psions deciding between the Iron Skin and Biomuscular regeneration mods. Many of the Defense-aptitude psions had taken the Iron Skin modification, like Iosif, Allison and Said. On the flip side, most of the Attack-aptitude psions had, quite logically, taken the Biomuscular regeneration due to the damage that was otherwise inflicted on their bodies. Nataliya and Chan had both commented to her how much less pain they felt while training. Patricia had wished they had something like this when Annette was still alive. She'd known how much pain the young French woman had felt while using her considerable power.

The Telepaths and Telekinetics seemed pretty split, and beyond that people chose additional modifications as they saw fit. Most had taken the Secondary Heart, and all had the new Disease prevention mod. But there had been a few that had additionally taken the muscle-fiber density and the disconcerting Stinger modification as well. Several were still somewhat leery about genetic modification, but Patricia suspected they'd come around to it once they were able to put it into action.

Apparently there had been a decent number of applicants for the program, and the modification of them had severely drained the MELD stores which would have to be replenished soon. But Shen was already working on that, and Patricia was sure they'd recover more when the aliens attacked next. But when they did, well, the aliens were going to be in for a big surprise.

But now she needed to focus on helping the psions here get more powerful. The introduction of Aegis had actually gone pretty smoothly, all things considered. The telepaths had known right away something was off, and the rest had mostly just…accepted it, quite rightly assuming that they knew what they were doing.

Although Allison's reaction had been rather amusing, something along the lines of "What the fuck?" with several other choice words thrown in there. Apparently, she'd had an unexpected run-in with Aegis at some point and it had apparently scarred her for life, and she'd chalked it up to an extremely strange hallucination.

It was made especially ironic since Allison was a Defense-aptitude psion, and would be training directly under Aegis. She had been thrilled to hear about it. But despite all of that, excellent progress was being made. Aegis, Iosif and Said together had quite a lot of experience, and were quickly training Dael and Allison to use their powers effectively.

The Commander was here today as well, and helping Matthew to teach Karen the more delicate aspects of Telekinetics. Quite honestly, telekinetics was rather self-explanatory, at least from what Patricia understood. Out of all of the designated specializations, it definitely seemed like the easiest to learn. It was more about directing and manipulating power, which honestly didn't take much practice to get the hang of.

Since Karen was already lifting entire crates filled with metal in the air, she assumed it was going well. The Commander also seemed to be refining his powers, now more focused on more delicate control now that he knew he could lift the heavy stuff. Matthew still appeared to enjoy crushing things with his mind. Patricia wondered if he had some issues there. Oh well, as long as he took it out on the aliens, it was all good with her.

The lone Attack psions, Nataliya and Chan were unfortunately forced to experiment on their own, but Aegis had helped with some basics he knew, and already the psions were wreaking destruction on the helpless training dummies.

And she was assisting with the new Telepath, Jona, who had just grasped the basics of mind-control which she now planned to put it to the test. "Alright," Patricia said, walking over to the wall where a metal cage was setting. "You can get into my mind when it's undefended, now it's time to try it on something else."

"I did that once," Jona mildly protested, looking at the cage apprehensively. "What exactly do you want me to –oh."

Patricia snorted at the small oh at the end as Jona realized what was in the cage. The chittering Chryssalid was not exactly happy, but Patricia wasn't concerned. It was one of Vahlen's, so it wouldn't attack humans. But Patricia sensed that Jona wasn't exactly recalling that. "Animals are good for practice," Patricia continued. "I had to learn as I went, but you don't have to do that. Remember how you did it with me. Focus on the mind."

"That's a chryssalid," Jona said, as if she was blind. "Are you sure…"

"Don't worry," Fatima encouraged, walking up and wiping her face with a towel. "The chryssalid won't attack. They're Vahlen's and hers don't attack humans."

"Close your eyes if it helps," Patricia suggested, focusing on Jona's own mind to calm her slightly. "Sense the mind that you think is the chryssalid. It should be very distinct."

Jona bit her lip, but complied and Patricia sensed her becoming calmed once she closed her eyes and drew upon her power. The air around her shimmered slightly, and Patricia unlocked the cage and opened it silently. "Good. You sense it?"

"Yes," Jona said, her voice distracted. "It's…frantic. Basic."

"Focus on it and isolate it with your power," Patricia continued as the alien stumbled out, looking around frantically as it knew something was happening, but didn't for sure. "Visualize it however you want, but apply your power to it."

Patricia nodded in approval as she lifted her left arm, hand extended in the direction of the chryssalid. Good, she was already learning that physical motions were an excellent way to direct concentration. "I think I have it," Jona said slowly, her form rigid. "I can't make sense of it."

"Don't go too deep yet," Patricia said. "That's for later. Give it some commands. Impress your will onto it."

Jona nodded imperceptibly and a minute or so later, the chryssalid suddenly laid down on the ground and closed it's eyes. Patricia knelt down and nodded. Yep, it was definitely asleep. Not a difficult command, but it had worked. "It worked." Jona said, almost sounding surprised as she came out of the psionic trance. "I actually did it."

"And now you can neutralize a good portion of the alien army," Patricia congratulated, clapping her on the back. "Mutons, Andromedons and Vitakara aren't much different. You just need to isolate them and then give your commands. Though I'd suggest something a bit more potent than sleep."

"So...what could I do?" Jona asked, looking down at the chryssalid in wonder.

"The only limit is your imagination," Patricia said, tapping her own head. "Slave has a negative connotation for obvious reasons, but that is essentially anything under your control. Do you want to kill it? Incapacitate it? Turn it against its friends? You can do all of that will simple commands. Tell the mind it is burning and it will create the sensation. The mind is powerful, and it can be exploited."

"Right, I can do that for one though," Jona nodded. "But how were you able to do the same to a thousand at once?"

"Practice," Patricia chuckled. "Practice and experience. One mind may be difficult now, but once you master it, five will seem like no big deal. Before you know it, you'll be taking over entire armies."

"It also doesn't have to be used offensively," Fatima added with a smile. "I personally have found it better to help my fellow soldiers. Patricia knows what I am talking about."

"That's a little more difficult," Patricia warned lightly. "But she's right. You can affect allies in much the same way, only emphasizing their strengths instead of exploiting weaknesses. It's like a mind-merge of sorts, sort of like how Aegis affects people, except intentional instead of a side effect. It's more instinctual to me, but I don't see why you couldn't learn it as well."

"I could show you," Fatima offered. "I've gotten rather good at it myself. Although I had a lot of practice."

"Sure," Jona agreed, walking off with her. "I might as well find out what I'm best at."

Patricia took the opportunity to take a break and sipped from her water bottle, watching the other psions hone their abilities. "We're making good progress, I think," the Commander said, walking up and taking a seat next to her. "You've done good work here. All of these people seem like good fits."

"You can thank Haley for the choices," Patricia downplayed. "She's the one who put this roster together."

"Sure, but you've put this entire training regimen together as well," the Commander said, emanating approval. "Aegis believes that we can eventually get a Human to rival the power of an Ethereal, and I believe we'll get there."

"Well, we beat the Ravaged One," Patricia said as she watched Karen throw a massive crate a Matthew who also caught it telekinetically. "I'd say we're already there."

"Although it did take every psion we had, and we still almost lost," the Commander added ruefully. "But I'm pretty sure you'll hit that before anyone else."

"I think so as well," she agreed, looking towards where Aegis was instructing Allison and Said. "And I'm going to do everything to make that a reality."

---

The Praesidium, XCOM Intelligence Control

"I'm sending agents with Vahlen's cordyceps plant to Indonesia and the Philippines," Zhang informed the Commander, highlighting the area on the holomap. "The resistance groups should be able to distribute them quickly."

"Excellent," the Commander nodded. "Thanks to Aegis, I think we have a target to look for: The Gateways. I would expect them to be built in Australia, if not elsewhere."

"Agreed," Zhang nodded. "I'm going to send that to my contacts. I'll have my agents locate and sabotage them as quickly as we can. Although we might need dedicated strike teams to carry out missions like this, especially if they are deep within alien territory."

"A better idea is to phase out agents there with genetically modified ones," the Commander suggested. "Some already are, I know, but one genetically modified agents might actually be enough to run single-man ops against entire alien strongholds."

"Something to test," Zhang nodded. "There are plenty of weaker alien strongholds in Australia to attempt that theory. But I tend to agree. It might be advisable to share some of these modifications with ADVENT."

The Commander wasn't entirely sure about that, largely because he didn't entirely like the idea of ADVENT creating borderline-invincible soldiers that far outnumbered their own. With that being said, ADVENT wasn't exactly a concern yet, and there were admittedly contingencies he could fall back on. The aliens were the priority and he had to trust that ADVENT would hold up in the meantime. "The Biomuscular Regeneration and Disease Prevention modifications would be appropriate, I think."

Zhang gave a rare small smile. "I may not be psionic, Commander, but I know your hesitation. While ADVENT could benefit from our advances, I see no reason to let them be released without contingencies of our own. I trust Vahlen is smart enough to insert a fatal flaw into whatever we send, yes? Something that is otherwise impossible to exploit without previous knowledge."

The Commander smiled. "I certainly believe she is, good thinking."

"We'd have to keep Kim in the loop," Zhang added, shutting off the holomap. "His partner, Tygan, might notice something is off and he needs to know about it to redirect him away. I also suspect Saudia would not be pleased if she learned of this. But it's better than her getting it in her head that she's invincible."

"Which is why we have people like Kim keeping an eye on her," the Commander said. "He'll inform us if Saudia is developing anything major."

"I am impressed with her restraint," Zhang commented. "As was Kim. He expected her to be more interested in turning the MELD nanites into a weapon. Too dangerous, she said."

"I tend to agree," the Commander nodded. "But the idea is not without merit. But I intend to utilize that idea as a…sterilization weapon. On Earth it's too risky, but the aliens have more than one."

"The Muton homeworld," Zhang suggested. "If Aegis has described it correctly, it is the heart of their military production. The loss of that would be catastrophic. Or Helion-7 for that matter."

"Exactly," the Commander nodded, a grim smile on his face. "Aegis is warning against escalation on Collective controlled territory, and he is right. But when the time is right, we have the numbers of the Gateways and only need to send one or two doomsday bombs through them and watch the fallout."

"Of course, that would probably send out calls for an all-out assault on Earth." Zhang pointed out.

"Yes," the Commander nodded. "Which is why I don't intend for development on that to fully start until we can fight on somewhat even footing with them. On their turf, not just on Earth."

"Unless of course we need to enact the Apollo Contingency," Zhang noted, scratching his chin. "But I don't think the situation is dire enough yet."

"Or the Artemis Contingency," the Commander added. "But for that we need some kind of sample from the Ethereals. I somehow doubt that will be easy to acquire."

"No," Zhang agreed, looking at him. "What are you going to do if Aegis refuses to undergo the Manchurian Program?"

The Commander pursed his lips. "That is a good question. I'm not sure if I can do anything, not yet at least. Worst-case scenario, perhaps all of our psions could sedate him, but I feel that would only be a temporary solution. And should that fail, we are essentially screwed."

"I was afraid of that," Zhang sighed. "We need to discuss where we should be focusing most of our efforts after Vahlen completes the Manchurian Project. Improving our forces is all well and good, but both of us know that won't win the war. The Ethereals are the only ones that matter and they cannot be replaced like their regular soldiers. Vahlen needs to begin researching anti-psionic technology to counter them. There is little use for an invincible soldier if they can be turned on us because an Ethereal mind-controls them."

That was definitely going to be a major undertaking later in the war and Zhang was certainly correct there. "The Ethereals themselves seem to be holding back for now," the Commander said. "We needed to focus on weathering their army. But once they realize they'll need more…then yes, we'll need ways to counter them beyond our own."

"Beyond that, it's also only a matter of time before ADVENT tries to make their own psions," Zhang added. "When they figure out the crude methods involved, it won't take long for them to refine it."

"Hence why I added that to the Directive," the Commander nodded. "By law they have to turn psions over to us as only we can help them adjust to their new abilities."

Zhang snorted. "Do you really think they're going to comply?"

The Commander smirked. "Actually, I do. If for no other reason than Saudia is in charge and she doesn't want to risk me removing her. Aside from that, it's not like you can hide a psion. We've got enough of our own to be able to tell if a Human is one or not. Once that gets out, ADVENT would suffer a serious loss of face, and also per the Directive, the penalty for unauthorized psionic experimentation is rather high."

Zhang hmmed at that. "And with Stein in charge of the Peacekeepers, she would ensure they would be punished. Saudia may have done a little too well in choosing her. I suppose then that the risk is mitigated. Although later there may be questions raised about why ADVENT must turn them over to us."

"We'll deal with that when it arises," the Commander said. "In the meantime…well, we keep preparing. I'm surprised there hasn't been a retaliation yet."

"The delay concerns me," Zhang admitted, rubbing his forehead. "It means they're likely preparing for a deadly strike. One we won't be able to stop."

"Stopping isn't our goal for retaliation," the Commander reminded him. "But to mitigate the threat. Because this time, I think that will be all we can do."

---

The Praesidium, Practice Range

Sierra found herself liking the alloy cannon more and more the longer she used it. There was something very satisfying about completely shredding a dummy into pieces from metal shards. Considering her recent improvements, it might not be amiss to add it to her arsenal. After all, it wasn't as though she only had to carry a rifle and pistol.

She had been rather skeptical of the initial message the Commander had put out regarding the genetic modifications…but after seeing that they were in fact legitimate, she felt it would be highly questionable at best not to take advantage. She had to admit that the idea of apparent invulnerability was tempting, and there were enough people she could personally observe and talk to that made it a pretty easy choice.

And the results were…well, exactly what was advertised. Granted, she hadn't actually been shot at yet, but she felt physically harder. Her skin had a much tauter feeling, almost metallic, which made some sense. One of the apparent side-effects of the Iron Skin modification were these slightly translucent hexagons that ran over every part of her skin. It made her look a bit strange, especially when the light hit her at the right angle and gave the illusion of a body-length tattoo of small hexagons.

Apparently there was a scientific explanation for it, likely something to do with how that was how the skin was reinforced to stop actual projectiles. She'd done some…experimentation with the modification and it was a little disconcerting to realize how protected she actually was.

"I'm curious," a voice said, coming up beside her. "How does it feel?"

She turned to see one of the oldest soldiers she'd seen here. It was because of that she remembered his name: Oliver. She was sort of surprised XCOM had recruited someone as old as him, since his white hair and beard kinda gave away the fact that he wasn't exactly young. Then again, he probably had a lot of experience fighting.

"How what feels?" Sierra asked. "The modification?"

"Yes," he nodded, unslinging his rifle from his back. "If you don't mind me asking."

She shrugged. "Sure. It's honestly not that different. I feel stronger; definitely tougher than before."

"Have you tested it out?" He asked curiously.

"I haven't gotten shot if that's what you were wondering," she admitted with a laugh. "But I'm pretty sure it works. Here, watch this." She motioned him over to a small table used for weapon cleaning and pulled out one of her knives.

"You don't have to give a demonstration," he began uncomfortably, realizing what she was going to do. "Really."

"Don't worry," Sierra assured him, placing her hand on the table. "Trust me, I'm not going to hurt myself. Just showing you how it works." She took a reverse grip of her knife, raised it and stabbed down on her arm, slightly amused at the sharp intake of breath behind her. But just as she expected, the blade slid off her skin and buried the tip in the table.

"That is…impressive," Oliver admitted, looking slightly disturbed at her display. "Do you feel it?"

"I can feel something hit me there," Sierra explained. "But it doesn't hurt. Now, that might change if I get shot, but I'm actually feeling pretty confident about this. So what about you? Thinking about taking the Commander up on his offer?"

"Not at the moment," he said, slightly smiling. "But I'm a little too suspicious for my own good, I think. Let's just say I think there's a catch to all of this that the Commander isn't exactly being truthful about."

The thing was, Sierra had wondered the same thing, but hadn't been able to figure out what that possibly could be. The scientists had assured her that she wouldn't be dependent on any drugs and that the modification wouldn't fade over time. It performed as they said (Seemingly) and had also explained every possible side effect or consequence. Despite not exactly trusting the Commander, she did not expect him to lie to his soldiers, at least with this.

"I haven't seen or felt anything irregular," Sierra finally said with a shrug. "Maybe this is the one exception to the rule."

"Perhaps," Oliver admitted. "Although I'm also not entirely comfortable with how these genetic enhancements were probably discovered."

"In a lab," Sierra guessed. "Maybe they experimented on a Sectoid or two. Why does that matter?"

Oliver sighed. "Do you mind if I'm blunt?"

Sierra smirked and gestured him forward. "I welcome it."

"You might regret that," he warned. "But fine. What are the chances that XCOM could suddenly discover this miracle modification that makes soldiers immune to projectiles, and it's also safe enough that it works 100% of the time when applied to soldiers? Now multiply that times four. Which either means they're extremely lucky or are using human test subjects."

Sierra frowned, as admittedly that hadn't crossed her mind. "Does that still make it bad?" She asked. "I'm pretty sure there are laws around that."

Oliver just looked at her. "Under XCOM? Really? I can respect the Commander, but I absolutely know men like him. If something is illegal that hinders them, they will do everything they can to remedy that. Do you really believe he wouldn't use humans for testing?"

"Fair point," Sierra nodded. "That being said, the Commander isn't…unreasonable. Or a sadist, even if I don't entirely trust him. He probably used volunteers for testing. I do believe he does care about his soldiers."

"Maybe," Oliver didn't sound convinced. "But the thing is, I don't know, and as such I'm not sure I want to involve myself in it," he gave a slight smile. "I'm content just staying a normal human for now."

"I can respect that," Sierra nodded, now wondering the answer to the question he raised. "Ideological decisions are pretty rare, nowadays."

"Eh, maybe I'm just old," he chuckled, shaking his head. "The world is sadly not a place where ideals win. Not anymore, I think. Or at least not the ones I support."

"You were in NATO, right?" Sierra asked. "What happened to them?"

"As far as I know, they're being incorporated into the ADVENT military," he shrugged. "I'm not that surprised it was dissolved. There isn't a need for a NATO now that the UN fell and ADVENT is in charge. I do like that Saudia put Chairman Christiaens in charge of the military. At least that is one person I can trust in ADVENT."

"Oh?" Sierra asked. "You don't trust them?"

"I trust them to fight the aliens," Oliver amended. "Not necessarily to have the best interests of the people in mind."

"I agree with that," Sierra muttered. "Their military is probably why the Commander is turning a blind eye to them. Then again, I'm pretty sure he could force Saudia to do what he wants. The situation is probably even more complicated than I think."

"Probably," Oliver agreed. "I suppose all we can really do are our jobs. Whatever plans the Commander has, I'm pretty sure he won't be telling us."

"Unfortunately not," Sierra agreed, tossing her rifle over her shoulder. "But I would be really curious to know what goes on that controlling head of his."

---

The Praesidium, Mission Control

The Commander would normally be slightly irritated if he was woken out of bed in the middle of the night, especially since it was a night where Vahlen had gotten enough done that they could actually spend a night together, but considering the circumstances, he wished he was woken up for literally no reason.

"Status report!" He ordered Jackson, who was in front of the hologlobe, while analysts and workers rushed around, speaking frantically into headsets. Jackson herself was talking rapidly with someone, but cut them off and snapped into a salute as he approached.

"Hawaii was just hit an hour ago," she briefly updated. "They were completely cut off and overwhelmed. Networks and feed are dark over there. But we have to assume they're going to hit the West Coast."

"Why attack Hawaii?" Was the first thing he wondered aloud. There was no good reason they needed to attack that state unless…

Unless they wanted them to know an attack was coming. And if that was the goal, then they expected to win and more than that, wanted to make a decisive statement in the most powerful nation in the world.

"Unknown," Jackson admitted. "But they've given us a valuable warning. ADVENT is already sending reinforcements to the coastal cities. What are your orders?"

"Assemble several squads of soldiers and I'll fly with them to the Citadel to coordinate with ADVENT forces," he ordered. "Prepare our Ravens for launch."

"Understood," Jackson nodded. "Good luck, Commander."

He barely heard her as he left to go prepare. If he was correct about what they could expect, they would need all the luck they could get.

---

Supplementary Material

The Advent Directive

SECTION 5: ADVENT Agencies

Subsection 5.1: Overview

Purpose: ADVENT agencies exist to create, regulate and provide services to the citizens of ADVENT over the entirety of the organization itself. Agencies are instrumental in keeping ADVENT operating in a smooth manner that continually improves the lives of all people within it, and constantly looks to improve whenever the opportunity is presented.

Leadership Appointment: The leaders of the various agencies are proposed by the Chancellor of ADVENT, with several agencies also requiring the Chief of the Peacekeepers, the Commander of the ADVENT Military, and/or the Director of ADVENT Intelligence to also approve them before presenting the application to the ADVENT Congress of Nations.

Candidates can only be chosen from a pre-approved pool and must register beforehand before being considered for any agency position. Once a candidate is chosen, he or she is interrogated by the Congress of Nations for a time to be determined by them to determine if they are appropriate for the position. They will then vote on approving the candidate and should it pass, the candidate will assume the position.

If the Congress of Nations rejects the candidate, an explanation must be made with proof and evidence explaining the rejection. Said explanation will be given to the Judicial Courts for review, and if it is approved, then the candidate will be rejected from consideration. If the explanation is rejected by the court, then an additional hearing will be held and vote taken. A candidate can only be rejected by the Congress of Nations via refuted explanation up to three times, after that the Chancellor can install them directly in the position. If the Congress of Nations fails to provide an explanation within fourteen days, then the Chancellor can install them directly in the position.

Abuse of this system (such as intentionally and spuriously delaying the appointment of a candidate for partisan reasons) will result in legal action. If there is dissent, it is expected to be brought to the attention of the Chancellor and candidate as soon as possible without any intentional delay. Authors of multiple refuted explanations may find themselves barred from further dissents or removed from office altogether.

Agency Leadership Removal: Heads of ADVENT agencies may hold the position for a minimum period of ten years, barring events like criminal activity, injury or assassination. Heads of these agencies may not unexpectedly retire without reason or explanation. At the end of their appointment, the Chancellor may approve them for another term, or legally replace them with a different candidate.

A Chancellor cannot replace the head of an agency without an acceptable reason that has been approved by the Judicial Courts. This is in effect regardless of if a new Chancellor is appointed who didn't make any appointments to these agencies.

ADVENT Agency List and Brief Overview:

ADVENT Department of Energy and Renewable Sources: Responsible for the research and development for all energy matters related to ADVENT. They are also responsible for regulation and distribution of various resources and technology related to the field.

ADVENT Bureau of Education: Responsible for all facets of the ADVENT education system including structure, wages, and regulation over both State and private sector schools at all levels.

ADVENT Research and Development: Responsible for the concentrated research and development of multiple areas of ADVENT, including civilian and military advances in computing, science, biology and genetic enhancement.

ADVENT Engineering and Advanced Technology: Responsible for the research and creation of advanced technology including artificial intelligence, computing, manufacturing and development. They work in both a civilian and military capacity.

ADVENT Internal Affairs and Oversight: Responsible for ensuring that ADVENT is internally following the regulations set forth, and that all agencies are running as efficiently as possible. Internal disputes and legal issues within ADVENT are handled by this agency.

ADVENT Election Oversight: Responsible for the vetting, approval and integrity of all elections and candidates within ADVENT, and also has final control over regulations regarding specific elections.

ADVENT Diplomatic Service: Responsible for managing diplomatic relationships between foreign nations and alien governments.

ADVENT Public Relations and Media Integrity: Responsible for distributing accurate and direct information from the State and disseminating appropriate knowledge in a practical and efficient way. Also ensures that independent media is conforming to standards and not deliberately misleading the public.

ADVENT Agriculture and Food Oversight: Responsible for the regulation and inspection of all food distributors and farms throughout ADVENT, as well as responsible for researching, proposing and improving various agricultural or distribution equipment or technology to increase efficiency.

ADVENT Department of Infrastructure: Responsible for the upkeep, creation and removal of all infrastructure within ADVENT, and is responsible for building regulation and maintenance of essential systems.

ADVENT Adoption and Child Services: Responsible for managing adoptions within and outside of ADVENT and completing them in a timely, safe, and confidential manner. They are also responsible for dealing with instances of child abuse, trafficking and inspection. They are also responsible for ensuring that children are appropriately registered and vaccinated and possess authority to inform the Peacekeepers if parents do not comply.

ADVENT Drug and Substance Research: Responsible for the exclusive research of medical and recreational drugs, including those that are illegal. This agency has the authority to approve a drug for recreational or medical use, and also the authority to recall or make various substances illegal provided proof can be show to the Judicial courts justifying decisions in both cases.

ADVENT Department of Health and Medical Services: Responsible for the creation, regulation and enforcement of all ADVENT medical standards and serves to also inspect and oversee them as well. They are also responsible for all patient and medical professional data.

ADVENT Department of Commerce and Economy: Responsible for the regulation and oversight of the economy, as well as having authority over foreign and domestic trade, currencies and economical positions.