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.

11. Tenuous Diplomacy

Tenuous Diplomacy

---

The Citadel, Situation Room

Saudia fixed the Commander of the ADVENT Military with the most neutral expression she could muster, a feat that was more difficult for her than she liked. Perhaps she should have been here, but Ethan, Laura and the Commander himself had dissuaded her, seeing no reason to potentially risk herself if the aliens attacked the Citadel. They did know the location, after all.

However, after it had mostly gone to hell, Saudia figured a personal assessment was needed, since some of the initial reports were borderline ludicrous. None more so than the story concerning San Francisco.

"One Ethereal," she stated flatly, looking Laura straight in the eyes. "One Ethereal forced a retreat of an entire garrison."

To her credit, Laura faced her and gave a firm nod, her lips set in a thin line. "Yes, Chancellor."

"With a sword."

"…Yes, Chancellor."

A short pause.

"It appeared to be a rather sharp sword."

"Spare me," Saudia muttered with a dismissive wave, wishing she could ignore it just based on how ludicrous it sounded. "I suppose you didn't try and bomb it?"

"Chancellor, we tried almost every tactic short of dropping a nuke on the city," Laura interrupted, exasperation leaking out of her voice. "It didn't work. Nothing we did could hurt it!"

"Stop berating her for something she couldn't control," the Commander interrupted, pushing himself up from the wall and walking over to the holotable. He'd held back at the beginning, apparently content to let them talk, until now it seemed. But unlike Laura, he didn't seem to have an issue speaking his mind as bluntly as possible. "I told you that the Ethereals were more powerful than you were anticipating."

"Strong enough to beat an entire garrison?" Saudia demanded, whirling on him.

"If I had purely relied on what I'd heard, yes," the Commander answered, his own lips pressed in a hard line. That was when she noticed that despite him trying to compose himself, he actually seemed worried. "I personally thought some of it was exaggerated. I knew the Battlemaster in particular was tough, but I didn't not expect him to match, let alone exceed, what I'd heard. I messed up. Laura messed up. We all underestimated their power. Would you have anticipated that would happen?"

Saudia took a breath before answering. "No."

"Since everyone here can be at fault, I propose we move on," the Commander continued, resting his hands on the holotable and looking between each of them. "There is no point to bickering about who made the worse decision."

"With respect, I agree, Chancellor," Laura nodded in agreement. "If nothing else…we have a better idea of just what we can expect."

"We made mistakes," the Commander sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Now we need to learn from them before the next attack."

She had to admit that the Commander had the useful talent of focusing on what needed to be done and cutting out the superfluous details. While Saudia had expected better from both of them, they were also right in that in their place, she probably would have done just as well, or much worse. "Then we continue. San Francisco is lost, that can be definitively stated."

"Yes," Laura said with a firm nod, glancing down and activating the holotable. A map of the West Coast appeared, and zoomed in on San Francisco. "Shortly after the retreat, alien transports arrived for what I presume to be an occupation force. No idea about numbers or units, but we can likely assume the civilians lost."

Her face expressionless, Saudia asked. "How many?"

A twitch of her lips was Laura's only visible reaction. "At minimum? At least two hundred thousand."

That was not going to be easily downplayed. The capture of two of the most prominent cities in America was enough of a blow, before people began asking what exactly was happening to the people left in the cities. If word got out that one alien was responsible for the capture of one city, it could spread panic. The good news was that the only people who knew about that were the soldiers, ADVENT analysts in the Citadel, and the media that insisted on following the armies.

Or maybe not so good news. Those media personnel needed to be silenced somehow, albeit carefully. The Commander apparently had the same thought. "It would be best if San Francisco was downplayed. They don't need to know how it fell."

"And how exactly are we going to keep it quiet?" Laura sighed. "The soldiers aren't going to talk about it, at least not outside the military. We can issue orders to refrain from discussing it with civilians, but the non-ADVENT personnel there are going to pose an issue to this plan."

"I doubt it is a large problem," the Commander shrugged. "Explain to them that this needs to be kept secret for now to avoid causing a panic. Have them sign a piece of paper swearing them to silence, and if they break it, they go to jail. Simple."

Laura raised an eyebrow. "Commander, you haven't dealt much with the media, have you?"

Saudia almost cracked a smile at that, and the Commander gave a sad one of his own. "I'm unfortunately familiar with them, and my general stance on them is to not give them an inch. If their work risks ADVENT stability, then stop it."

"It's one thing with XCOM," Laura said slowly. "You're not exactly beholden to any nation, nor are your operations large enough to warrant major attention. You must know how seriously journalists take censorship. This is how leaks happen, and then that muddies the waters even further."

The Commander's face turned as hard as stone. He straightened and looked directly at Saudia. "I will not tell you what decisions to make, but you have provisions in the Advent Directive to put a stop to illegal and destabilizing media. I suggest you use it."

All of them had gotten tenser; Laura's own tone was wary. "That would perhaps instigate more backlash."

The Commander gave a cold smile. "And why, exactly, should you fear backlash, or are even sure it will last? Are you worried about riots? Civil war? This is what the Peacekeepers are for, Commander Christiaens, and why Saudia appointed Stein."

"Fair point," Laura muttered. "That decision is outside my jurisdiction anyway. Chancellor, we can discuss that later. Perhaps we should move on."

"Portland," Saudia immediately said, clasping her hands behind her back. "Our lone victory."

"We can thank XCOM and the city structure for that," Laura said, inclining her head to the Commander. "The choke points prevented our forces from being overwhelmed and I don't know what you did to your soldiers…" she shook her head. "But they secured our victory."

"I'll pass that along," the Commander affirmed. "We suffered losses of our own, but your soldiers performed well against the Vitakara. It would be foolish to say we alone saved Portland."

"But you certainly helped," Laura said, clearing her throat. "From observing footage of the battle itself, I'm not entirely sure why this battle went much better than the others."

"Because the aliens didn't do anything surprising," the Commander answered immediately. "They sent in their army, and we defended. Much like Japan, we had the advantage here. They didn't do anything creative, nor had any counter to my psions and MEC."

"So what you're saying is that we have a good chance of victory if the aliens don't do anything unexpected?" Saudia asked, raising an eyebrow. "A bold assertion."

"A better chance than usual," the Commander amended, scratching his chin. "The thing is…here the aliens didn't deploy anything but Vitakara and several of the Sectoid Leaders. No mechanical units of any kind. Would the battle have gone differently if that had changed? I'm not sure, but I believe we would have won Portland regardless because the aliens intentionally baited me specifically."

The Commander admitting he'd messed up? That was…unexpected. "Explain?" Saudia asked, genuinely curious.

"It's obvious in retrospect," the Commander admitted. "Portland was the second-last city to be hit, with San Francisco being the last. He didn't want or anticipate XCOM soldiers being sent there for whatever reason. Laura, remember the initial reports from Seattle and LA?"

"Andromedons in Seattle, Mutons in LA," she recalled, a finger tapping on the holotable. "The units we considered the most and least dangerous, respectively."

"They expected me to deploy my strongest soldiers to Seattle," the Commander continued. "Which included Patricia. And I sent my less experienced squad to LA because I didn't anticipate any surprises from the Mutons, who aren't much for subtlety or strategy."

"But you were wrong," Saudia finished, seeing how it had happened. "They were prepared for both. And Portland was left with the middle squad. Standard, if you will."

"Agreed," the Commander nodded. "It's that simple. However, the good news is that they won't be able to do that again so easily."

"How was Patricia negated?" Saudia asked. "After Japan, I didn't think she could be stopped."

"Vahlen is performing autopsies now on some or the corpses we recovered," the Commander explained, looking down at the holotable. "Initial impressions are that these Mutons had their brains cybernetically modified. Whatever they did, it prevented full mind control. And the leader was also somehow immune to mind control, but not the Andromedon soldiers for some reason. The only issue was that the leader overrode the suits and let the system take over as if the owner had died. Clever, really."

"Do we have any information on the leader then?" Saudia asked.

"We have images," the Commander began hesitantly. "Based on the information I've gathered and…sources. It appears to be an Andromedon called J'Loran. Highly placed in the Battlemaster's circle of trust; expert tactician; excellent soldier and dislikes psionics. Probably why he was chosen to develop a plan specifically to counter Patricia."

That was…a lot of specific information. However, she wasn't exactly concerned with where he got his information from as long as it was accurate. "What is to stop them from cybernetically modifying every Muton to make them immune?"

"Cost, probably," Laura answered, glancing at the Commander. "It's worth the investment if you want to negate a certain psion. However, it's not exactly worth it if you don't kill the psion in question. Besides, Mutons elsewhere are unmodified, and the mind-control immunity has some side effects. Namely, that they become much worse when mentally affected, and can be driven insane."

"So it's not perfect." Saudia noted.

"Not yet," the Commander said slowly, furrowing his eyebrows. "But after this, I think they'll devote some time to investigating it. But the issue they'll have is that this can be easily countered by simply sending additional or differently specialized psions. This will do absolutely nothing to stop a telekinetic or attack psion."

Saudia felt a measure of relief at that. "That is good. What is the current status of Seattle?"

"Holding," Laura said. "We've not gained, nor lost ground. However, much of that is due to my ordering airstrikes on territory they control. I'm trying to deny them as much ground as possible before they build AA defenses."

"Realistically, do you think you can hold it?" The Commander asked.

"That depends on how badly we want to keep it," Laura answered slowly. "Give me steady reinforcements, XCOM support, and reliable supply lines, and I can make sure it's held, barring an increase in alien activity. But without those…They can keep throwing disposable Mutons at us, and Andromedons like to run before we hurt them too badly. Humans are smarter, but can't be replaced as easily."

"You'll have what you need for now," Saudia assured her. "We can't lose Seattle right now. Otherwise they can simply come down to Portland and surround it. Now…LA. What happened?"

"Simply put, we underestimated them," the Commander said bluntly, the corners of his lips twitching. "The Mutons were organized, directed and employed actual tactics and attempted unconventional attacks. A lot of Mutons died, but the majority were soldiers, and since they managed to kill several of my own, including a MEC, they probably consider that a fair trade."

"They hit from a lot more angles than we were expecting," Laura added. "They employed Gateway transports as well, but delayed attacking until they had a sizable force and hit us from the flanks. They slowly drained the reinforcements from the inner city until there were almost none left. We could have stayed and died, or tried fighting our way out. Both of us agreed the latter was preferable."

"Then it must not have been a Muton leading them," Saudia guessed, frowning. "That seems far too sophisticated for them, not to mention the precision you allege."

"Not necessarily," the Commander said. "There is one Muton type that is capable of such. They call it a Sargon. Very rare, normally used for overseeing territory. Using them in battle though, is almost unheard of. After this display, I'm wondering why."

"If it is a Sargon." Laura pointed out.

"One of my soldiers saw a Muton accompanied by Elites, and matched the description I've been provided on them," the Commander shrugged. "I may be wrong, but Muton Elites flanking any Muton is unheard of. What else but a Sargon, or equally valuable Muton, would warrant a personal escort?"

Laura frowned. "Good point."

Saudia pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking. "The fighting has stabilized…more or less. Treduant is making an address to try and reassure the population, and I'll be giving one as well. It might be good to have you say something as well, Commander."

"No," he refused bluntly. "I need to return to the Praesidium and figure out how we're going to kill this Battlemaster. That is the priority now for us and I won't interfere in pacifying the population. That is your job now. Mine is to kill the aliens."

"Be sure and keep us appraised of the developments," Laura told him. "A lot more than the lives of just your soldiers is at stake."

"I know," the Commander assured her. "And we'll be ready when the next attack hits. They won't be able to pull this off so easy next time."

"Let's hope so," Saudia warned as he straightened up. "Because we can't take more defeats like this."

"No, we can't," the Commander said, looking over to her. "However, the aliens have also presented you with an opportunity here. For whatever reason, they have ignored Canada. Perhaps the Prime Minister might be willing to help us here."

"That's a good note," Laura nodded. "Why they ignored Canada is…interesting."

That it was, and Saudia wasn't exactly comfortable with that. "I'll look into it," she promised.

"Good luck then," the Commander said, turning to leave. "We will be watching."

Saudia didn't know if the Commander had intended that to be reassuring or unnerving, but if it was the latter, she could safely say that it was successful. The Commander chose his words rather carefully, and she figured that the deliberate usage of what had been the former Council's catchphrase was not accidental.

She'd puzzle it out later. There was much more important matters to attend to.

---

Washington DC, United States of America

"We all knew this war would come to our land, and now that it has we will utilize every resource at our disposal to fight back against the alien scourge and avenge our fallen brothers and sisters. America will not bend to alien pressure, and backed by ADVENT and XCOM, we will ultimately succeed!"

"Mute," Nicole Treduant addressed the television as applause broke out at the end of her respective speech, and the commentators began discussing it once more. Saudia admired how the woman didn't seem overly perturbed by any of the recent events. Although she'd been president for years, it likely came with the territory.

"Not a bad speech," Elizabeth complimented from the couch she was seated on, an open laptop by her side and some scattered pieces of paper on the opposite side. Saudia was almost amused how much Elizabeth was uncomfortable just sitting quietly for an extended period of time. She always had to be doing something; walking, fiddling with laptops and rubix cubes or making notes on paper.

Even in the White House.

But no one seemed to mind. Disrupting the Director of ADVENT Intelligence was probably ill-advised, and Elizabeth was able to multitask to an extraordinary degree. Anything of substance that was discussed, she would recall it.

"Appreciated, Director," Treduant sighed, leaning back into the couch and closing her eyes. "For what good it will do."

"It will bring some amount of calm to the public," the harsh voice of Amalda Stein stated, from the opposite couch of Elizabeth. "America is suitably paralyzed from the attack. I do not expect them to pose an organized threat."

"Depends how the media treats this," Elizabeth muttered, not looking up from her laptop. "In times like these, people are going to want to be informed. And ADVENT state media is not always their first choice."

Treduant gave a loud exhale. "That's what I'm afraid of. Congress is still trying to undermine me, and half the nation hates me. No offense, Saudia, but the media isn't a fan of ADVENT. They might not try to frighten the population, but they will lay the blame for anything they can on me."

Stein snorted, an odd sound coming from the armored woman. Stein had apparently taken up the Commander's habit of showing up in full armor to benign meetings. The black plating of her riot control officer armor contrasted sharply with the lightly-colored room and made the cold German woman even more intimidating than she already was. "I would not expect them to go that far. If they continue making false claims, there are laws to prevent that."

"While efficiency may be the most prudent response, allow me to interject my own humble opinion," Firdaus Hassan interrupted smoothly, seated comfortably on the same couch as Elizabeth. "You will not like this, Madam President, but the best solution right now is to ignore anything the media might say about you. Other nations are watching how we react to this. Chancellor, we must decide the image we want to portray to the world: One united in our resolve to defeat the aliens, or one looking suppress harmful dissent?"

Stein fixed him with a raised eyebrow. "In the words of a dumb taco commercial, 'Why not both?'"

"Because we can't do both effectively," Saudia said, her palms pressed together as she thought this situation through. "Taking a hard stance against the media would be impossible to ignore, and might give the populace the impression we are more concerned about our image than the aliens. It might be more beneficial in the long run, but I do not believe that is the optimal path right now."

"Well said," Hassan nodded. "Ultimately, the media cannot harm anything but your ego. The aliens pose a much larger threat we should focus on solving."

"Then what should be our next moves?" Treduant asked, clasping her hands together. "If I want to keep the focus on our response, information will be vital. The people will be calmer if we present an active strategy."

"ADVENT will be sending in reinforcements," Saudia began. "Including some of ADVENT Engineering's prototype MDUs. Mercado doesn't feel like they are perfected yet, but I've instructed him to finish them up. And they will be highly effective against any new alien offensives. Laura has also assured me she can hold Seattle and Portland, provided she is given everything she needs."

Treduant faced her with a look torn between skepticism and hope. "Be honest with me, Chancellor: How much good will that do if that…thing that took San Francisco shows up?"

Saudia set her lips in a hard line. "At this point? Nothing, Madam President. I cannot reliably say we would stand any better chance. However, XCOM has made the neutralization of this "Battlemaster" their top priority."

"A fitting name," Elizabeth chimed in. "And as for what ADVENT Intelligence will be doing, I've begun organizing agents to begin attempted infiltration of alien-occupied cities. Given the size, we should be receiving accurate details within days. I'm coordinating with several local militia groups and landowners about how to deal with the aliens."

"You're arming them," Stein stated, frowning. "I'm not sure that is responsible. Especially when a great many of the people you describe could be described as 'patriots.'"

"Easy, Stein," Elizabeth chided, giving her a cold smile. "I'm well aware of what I'm doing. These people may despise Treduant at the moment, but if there's one thing they hate more than 'tyranny,'" she added the appropriate air quotes to that word. "It's literal illegal aliens invading their land. They are not hard to use, and arming them with weapons that might actually hurt the aliens is a sound strategic move. Right-wing fanatics some of them may be, but they know their firearms and how to use them."

"I'll take your word for it," Stein said, shifting in her seat, a free hand resting lightly on her stun baton. "But if they prove unreliable, the Peacekeepers will arrest them."

"Not a problem with me," Elizabeth shrugged, biting her lip as she added some notes to a document. "But they aren't that hard to use. If nothing else, they'll slow down the aliens without risking any of our actual soldiers."

"That's enough for me to put something together," Treduant nodded at both women in thanks. "The image of Americans taking the fight to the aliens will be especially effective."

"I'll be sure to get some footage," Elizabeth promised, before looking to Hassan. "Now, internationally, we need to make some decisions."

"What has been the general response to the attack?" Saudia asked Hassan.

"Let's see…" he looked up as if in thought. "Cautionary if anything. The fact that America is breached at all has clearly shaken their confidence, but they all knew it was inevitable, and that the majority of the damage has been limited to a few cities on the West Coast is seen as almost acceptable."

His voice suddenly became much more serious and he fixed Saudia with an uncharacteristically firm stare. "If you didn't come to the same conclusion, keep everything about this Battlemaster suppressed. The knowledge that they have one alien who can rout our forces will be a devastating blow to international relations." He raised a hand. "Yes, I am aware that these Ethereals are not completely representative of their forces, but that won't really make a difference to them."

"Don't worry," Saudia promised, exchanging a glance with Elizabeth. "Precautions are being taken."

Satisfied, he continued. "With that out of the way, most of the EU still isn't willing to join. From interactions with their diplomats, I'm getting the impression that they want to see how long America lasts before making a decision. Hold out for half a year or more, and then we can press them to join with a lot more confidence."

Stein scowled at that. "Cowards. How fast do you think they'll change their minds once they come under attack?"

"Quickly, I'd expect," Hassan nodded with a slight smile. "Especially when ADVENT comes in to save the day. However, we are not at the point that they are needed. Strategically, North and South America have become essential in the way. Africa and China are non-issues at this point, and the latter hasn't commented whatsoever."

"Mexico and Canada," Saudia nodded. "Both of them joining ADVENT would greatly boost our own defense of the United States. They have to know the war will reach them eventually."

"I believe I can reach an agreement with Mexico," Hassan agreed. "They recognize that the war is eventually going to spill into their territory if the aliens aren't stopped. I believe if I emphasize the benefits of an alliance, along with a prominent declaration of our alliance, something along the lines of 'fighting on the front lines' or something like that, I believe they will join. In fact…"

He smiled and looked at Stein. "The President himself has heard a great deal about you, Chief Stein, and I do know that he has a rather strong feud with the many drug cartels that still operate in the cities. I do believe some assurances from you would actually help convince them of the benefits of ADVENT."

Stein gave a smile devoid of emotion. "I would be happy to assure the President that my Peacekeepers would stamp out those criminals like the vermin they are."

"Excellent!" Hassan nodded, making a note on his tablet. "I'll arrange a meeting in the next few days, assuming you are free?"

"I'm heading down to Brazil immediately after we finish up here," Stein told him, her smile never fading. "Apparently Marshal Luana is having some issues subduing the population. I'm going to straighten that out now, and remind the good Marshal that she is not above the law."

"Gee, I wonder why she's having trouble," Treduant muttered, shooting Stein a dark look. "And I'm rather surprised to hear that. Given that Luana started this out of her hatred from criminals, I'd think you'd be best friends."

"Cute, Madam President," Stein chuckled. "Luana's initial retaliation was justified, and her stances concerning crime are worthy of praise. But in her quest for vengeance, she has begun wars with countries unaffiliated with the initial revelations. They were started before I took my position and laws were adequately established, so I am allowing them to continue. However, should she expand her crusade, she will be removed. I am going to remind her of that."

"Anyway," Hassan interjected, clearing his throat. "Before we get too off-topic, there is the other matter to discuss: Canada."

"I assume negotiations are going as well as before?" Elizabeth asked wearily, now fiddling with a rubix cube as she looked over at him.

"They are taking the alien's refusal to attack as a sign they should continue to do nothing," Hassan said with a grimace. "That was what their ambassador more or less implied."

"Gutless cowards," Stein swore. "What do they think the aliens are going to do it they win? Continue ignoring them?"

"That isn't for me to say," Hassan said, turning his head to Saudia. "However, Chancellor, I do believe that even if Canada is unwilling to join us, they would be instrumental in moving our military through them to perhaps attack a vulnerable alien position."

"The question," Saudia said thoughtfully. "Is if they'll even agree to that."

"They're open to talking at least," Hassan confirmed. "The Prime Minister has indicated that he will be willing discuss it with you in person."

Well, that was some good news. "Then set up the meeting if you can," Saudia ordered with a nod. "Perhaps he will be able to clear up why Canada is so against joining us."

"Didn't they make it pretty clear?" Elizabeth snorted. "Something about how we were too 'authoritarian?'"

"To be fair, they aren't wrong," Hassan chuckled. "But they seem to view it as a completely bad thing."

"I'm sure I'll get some clearer answers from the Prime Minister," Saudia interjected, before a discussion began on the pros and cons of that topic. She had learned a while ago that everyone in the room had rather strong opinions on the subject and were willing to discuss them. While interesting, they didn't have time. "We have our plan. Let's carry it out."

---

Tehran, Iran

To Roman's complete lack of surprise, the Iranians had not surrendered.

Oh, he was quite certain they would, but not before ADVENT stormed their capital and arrested or killed the leadership. Idiots. They had to know by now that resistance was pointless, and all they were accomplishing was getting their soldiers killed…and for what? A few more hours of freedom? A few more hours of lies they could tell their people? A few more hours clinging to their power and religion?

Roman smiled coldly under his helmet as he stood with the assembled ADVENT military several miles from the Iranian capital. Whatever happened now to the Iranians…they would have brought it completely down on themselves. Offers of surrender had been sent multiple times, and all had either been rejected or ignored.

Ivan had stated privately to all ranking officers under his command that they would not accept surrenders offered from any hostile soldiers or officers. A message needed to be sent loud and clear to the surrounding regions, and if the bombardment of a city wouldn't elicit their compliance, then there was little point in trying to save them.

"[Anything?]" Roman asked Maksim, who was looking through his sniper rifle.

"[No,]" he answered. "[At least, nothing we're not expecting.]" A snort. "[These people learned nothing.]"

"[I doubt that,]" Galina interrupted, once more recalibrating the gauss cannon that had been issued to her. "[They just have nothing that can stop us.]"

"[On that we agree,]" Roman nodded, looking around at the assembled forces, and raising an eyebrow as a dozen shiny trucks pulled up and several Officers began going over and unlatching the backs. "[Looks like we've got some more backup.]"

"[What more do we need, actually?]" Konstantin asked sarcastically. "[An XCOM unit?]"

Roman watched the trucks curiously and sucked in his breath as he saw what stepped out. "[Hey, do you remember that rumor about the Americans building some kind of robotic war machine…?]" He jerked a thumb over to the trucks. "[Because it looks like ADVENT took it over.]"

The robots stood at least ten feet high, maybe more. They were a sandblasted tan, but shiny as if just off a production line. Their entire structure was streamlined and practical from the legs to the torso to the three-fingered hands that held a weapon that was almost as big as him, with a glowing red power source. The robot had no eyes on its head, which appeared to be an angular chunk of metal with a black strip down the middle. To top it off, there appeared to be some kind of missile system attached to the back.

"[Wow,]" Elena whistled. "[Those look really good.]"

Roman did a quick count of the war machines as they stomped over to the front lines and the soldiers quickly made room. Thirty? Forty? It was enough to cause some serious trouble at a minimum with them alone. "[Squads load into your designated transports,]" Ivan's voice suddenly transmitted. "[Suppressive bombardment will begin commencement now.]"

Roman nodded. "[Load up!]" He ordered his squad and they joined the dozens of others who made their way to the transports as the missile trucks artillery began firing at the city. "Suppressive bombardment" largely meant bombing the city until the ground forces arrived. It would only target the outskirts and clear defensive encampments. They wanted the city largely intact, and at this point had figured out that Iranian weapons simply couldn't stop them.

"[To all forces,]" Ivan continued as they got situated. Maksim took the open position so he could shoot as they rode up. "[ADVENT has been kind enough to provide us with their newest weapon, mechanized defense units, or MDUs. They are using this as a field test, and simulations seem to indicate they will be a large asset. Do not attempt to hinder them in any way, as ADVENT Engineering made it very clear their programming was not to be tampered with. Good luck, and let's end the war here.]"

"[So stay away from the machines of death,]" Anton muttered, checking his rifle. "[Got it.]"

"[It's actually a smart field test,]" Elena chimed in as the transport jolted as it sped towards the city. "[These conditions are terrible for machines like that. If it can work well here, it would probably work well anywhere.]"

Stanislav grunted. "[We'll see. I don't want that thing to shoot me because of some bad programming. Don't trust machines like that, especially ones with rocket launchers.]"

"[We're coming up,]" Maksim informed after a few minutes. "[Initial bombardment seems to have worked well. The MDUs are pretty fast too. No defender response so far.]"

"[I would have thought they would have had some artillery or defenses,]" Elena said as the transport slowed down. "[Seems odd to have nothing.]"

"[Oh, they did,]" Roman shrugged. "[They did this in the night, so I guess you wouldn't have heard. They baited all the defenses they had by launching dummy missiles into the city. They just repeated until there was nothing. Their supply is cut off, so they couldn't restock at all, let alone in time.]"

The transport slammed to a stop. "[Deploy!]" Roman ordered and they charged out into the defensive lines of Iranian soldiers. An entire row of buildings had been reduced to nothing and the Iranians were shouting and screaming at each other in a panic. Roman raised his rifle to fire-and never got a chance to fire as six red beams screamed past him within seconds, each hitting a soldier in the head.

He looked over to see one of the MDUs continue charging forward, continuing to fire beams of light that only lasted milliseconds, but were direct hits each and every time. Nothing was spared from the machines as they shot anything that moved. Roman winced as it shot two civilians who were trying to flee from the machine of death.

Konstantin swallowed. "[Shit.]"

"[Follow me,]" Roman ordered, ignoring the words but echoing the sentiment. Those machines seemed to be even more deadly than even he had anticipated. He was wondering if there would even be anything left for them to kill, so he decided to take the path that the MDU had not gone down. "[Right.]" He ordered and they marched down the street, past the sand-blasted buildings and empty shops.

"[Incoming,]" Maksim stated calmly as they spotted an encampment of a dozen Iranian soldiers who were taking cover behind improvised cover and crates. They shouted in Persian, and opened fire with their conventional rifles.

"[Cover,]" Roman almost sighed as they fell into their own cover behind buildings, inside houses and behind crates of their own. He activated his shields and firmly entrenched himself before he rose and took aim. A few bullets were redirected away and he responded by firing at two behind a crate and both fell back, their bodies riddled with bullets.

He swung to aim at one who was hiding behind the corner of a building and fired at it relentlessly, eventually piercing the corner and subsequently the soldier himself who fell to the ground with a scream. Maksim shot one in the head who was hiding behind a car; Konstantin and Galina had reduced another crate to splinters with their gauss cannons, and the body behind it was a bloody pulp.

With only three left, Roman motioned his gunners to suppress them while he moved up in the open. Truthfully, he was tired of this and wanted this pointless war over with. Stanislav and Elena were close behind him as he charged the remaining soldiers who were too afraid to point their heads out. "[Cease!]" Roman called as the line was reached.

One soldier opened his mouth in terror before Stanislav blew it into chunks; Elena executed another one behind a car, filling the torso with bloody holes while Roman finished off yet one more with a shot to the knee, and then head in quick succession. "[Clear,]" he grunted as he noticed one of the soldiers was still breathing, but leaned up against a building, blood staining the wall and sand around him. He was breathing heavily, a hand over his fatal wounds. His eyes met the faceless mask of Roman, pleading for help, or simply mercy.

Roman only shot him in the head.

He ignored the sigh from Elena as he turned to survey the area. He walked through the corpses, making sure all of them were dead. "[Woah!]" Galina called out as she was hit in the head with a frying pan from a hysterical woman who was screaming incoherently, and had apparently come out of nowhere.

Great. Exactly what he didn't want to do. But orders were very clear. "[Take her out,]" he growled distastefully as he looked at the minimap in his HUD. "[We need to keep moving.]"

"[One second,]" Galina answered and swung her gauss cannon sharply up, hitting the woman in the chin with a sharp crack and sending her sprawling to the ground. Blood trickling out of her mouth, Galina lowered her weapon and fired a short burst of gauss rounds, killing her instantly. "[Ready to go, Shieldbearer.]"

"[Sorry that happened,]" he said as they kept moving. As irritating as civilians were, he disliked killing them.

"[Not your fault,]" Galina shrugged, taking the position beside him. "[Only an idiot decides attacking heavily armed soldiers is a good idea.]"

"[Or a hysterical wife whose husband was killed,]" Elena muttered. "[But hey, what do I know?]"

"[We have our orders,]" Roman reminded her, shooting a glance at Elena. "[Like them or not, we have to follow them.]" He returned his attention to the city streets, screams and the sounds of laser weapon discharge in the distance. "[And in the end, these people brought this upon themselves. Now they must bear the consequences.]"

No one said anything else as they made their way through the streets, killing the soldiers they came across, and the civilians soon fled into their homes at the sight of his team coming down the street. They were now learning their fear of ADVENT was well founded, and the stories of the faceless men in armor were true.

Fear was not necessarily a bad thing, Roman contemplated as he shot a terrified soldier in the back as he struggled to get into a house that had locked their doors.

It certainly made his job easier.

---

ADVENT Intelligence Control, United States of America

True to herself, Elizabeth liked to have multiple locations for her headquarters. While in EXALT, she'd restricted herself to only one for obvious reasons, but now that she was now in charge of multiple intelligence agencies, she was now coopting various ones to stage her operations. They largely coincided with where the operations were taking place themselves, and since America was where quite a few important events were taking place, Elizabeth had taken the former CIA headquarters in Langley as her current base of operations.

And now they stood in a small board room, with an oak table, empty chairs and bare walls. Nondescript, and that was how both of them liked it. "So what do you want to discuss first?" Elizabeth asked, consulting her tablet while pacing absentmindedly.

Saudia smiled, deciding to sit down in one of the chairs. "The Canadian Prime Minister."

Elizabeth nodded and placed the tablet on the table and slid it over to her. "Jace Murphy, Prime Minister of Canada, New Democratic Party affiliation." Saudia looked down at the tablet which showed a middle-aged man who looked inscrutable, but even from looking at the image his ice-blue eyes conveyed weariness. He didn't appear that old either, and his neatly styled black hair had no touches of gray. She glanced down at the information accompanying the picture. Thirty-eight, yes, very young. Idealistic too, if his party affiliation was anything to go by.

"I know who he is," Saudia said, looking back up at Elizabeth. "I need to know anything of importance. Like how he thinks."

"How he thinks," Elizabeth mused, continuing to pace as she thought. "As his party affiliation says, he is one of the New Democratic Party, who gained a lot more influence after the War on Terror, and he pretty much took full advantage of the situation. He was the one who set up the system allowing Canada to take thousands of Muslim refugees from the war. He won the election with very little contest."

"An idealist and a civilian," Saudia sighed. "Such a wonderful combination."

"Essentially," Elizabeth continued. "Though he has personal reasons for being, ah, anti-war, for lack of a better word. His sister died in the War on Terror. Nothing related to the Commander, thankfully, but pretty much made him work to abolish militarism throughout the government. Most of which was accepted, mind you, Canadians in general are a rather peaceful people."

"I'm aware of the stereotype," Saudia nodded. "And that means very little right now. What exactly did he do?"

"Well, military spending was drastically reduced," Elizabeth began, ticking things off on her fingers. "Canada officially took a non-aggressive position in international politics, he filled his cabinet with people of similar ideologies-which means no former military or police, including the people who work with said branches. Let's see…what else? Oh, that also includes slashed funding for CSIS, which has led to, I've found out, dangerous infiltration of United States, English, North Korean, and Chinese intelligence agents. At this point it's really not fair to call the CSIS a Canadian intelligence organization."

She shook her head, chuckling. "I never bothered to really infiltrate Canada, since its usefulness was limited, but now I wish I'd taken an interest. In truth, Canada's irrelevance is the only reason no one has acted, since it could be turned into a puppet state within a few decades with how shockingly bad their security is."

She trailed off. "Getting off topic. Ah, did I mention that this also includes law enforcement as well? Yes, law enforcement was also deemed 'too militarized' and drastically reformed. Crime isn't exactly bad, but it's certainly reduced their effectiveness."

"He's got a lot done, I can respect that," Saudia grudgingly admitted. "So then, I suppose the question is where all this money was put into?"

"About what you'd expect," Elizabeth shrugged. "Military spending was put into government programs, largely those focused on education, welfare, anti-discrimination initiatives largely focused on Muslims, and police spending was put into rehabilitation centers and programs."

"Well, they've got a head start there," Saudia admitted. "The rehabilitation centers will be useful once Canada joins ADVENT. Saves us the trouble of building them."

"Yeah, but we'll have to do pretty much everything else," Elizabeth chuckled. "You should have seen Stein's face when I told her about it. I really bet she's hoping you'll enact Section 9.8."

"She's going to be disappointed," Saudia answered, lacing her fingers together. "Annexation is not the correct solution now."

"Anyway," Elizabeth continued, pausing to face her. "That's who you're dealing with. He more or less holds the exact opposite values we have, or at the very minimum opposes the ones that matter. He doesn't seem the type to be intimidated, and my information on him suggests that he is suspicious of you personally. He does not trust you, he does not like ADVENT, and he especially dislikes XCOM."

"Of course he does," Saudia muttered. "He would know the Commander is in charge of XCOM. That's only going to make things harder. Do we have anything we can use on him?"

"Not anything useful," Elizabeth scowled. "The problem is that he's one of the rare politicians that actually believes the stuff he says. He's not taken bribes or favors from anyone, his inner circle is completely behind him, and his private life is clean. Single, actually. Currently dating some nice lady in Quebec who's just as clean as he is."

"I never thought that would make me disappointed," Saudia said, shaking her head. "But no matter. I don't need Canada to join ADVENT right now, and trust or no, this man doesn't strike me as an idiot. He has to know the aliens are dangerous, and well worth bending his precious ethics to allow some foreign soldiers through his country."

"Well, I want you to press him on both the aliens and ADVENT," Elizabeth stated, looking her in the eyes. "I'm having my agents bug the places where your meeting is likely to take place, and the CSIS is too compromised to find them in time. If his views are…problematic, I want audio."

Saudia curled her lips up. "Rest assured I plan to press him as hard as I can. Now," she motioned to the tablet, "Oceania."

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded quickly, picking up the tablet. "I believe we should be sending more support down there. At the very least we need to keep the resistance groups there well-supplied. They're actually doing quite well, and deserve our support. The longer we can tie the aliens up there, the more we have to prepare for when they hit next."

"Granted," Saudia nodded. She really didn't see any reason to refuse to supply the ones fighting down there. "How goes Japan?"

"The aliens have set up laser-based AA weapons, denying airstrikes," Elizabeth updated. "However, we're keeping them pinned in their city. They're under constant bombardment day and night, but my agents have reported that it looks like they're building gateways. At least three, possibly as many as six. But I don't think they're planning to attack anytime soon."

"Or maybe that's what they want us to think," Saudia said, rubbing her forehead. "The last thing we would expect or want is another attack in Japan."

"Maybe," Elizabeth admitted. "But I've got some failsafes in place. They won't be able to suddenly spew out soldiers through the gateways without us noticing, or fly across the ocean without being detected. Just in case though, I've got my agents setting up small tactical nukes in the city itself. Enough to wipe it off the map if they try something."

Saudia winced. "The Japanese will love that."

"Too bad," Elizabeth shrugged. "Better a small irradiated patch of land than an alien army."

"In agreement there," Saudia nodded. "Thanks for the update, Director. Now," she stood, "I believe Hassan wants to discuss the good Prime Minister with me himself before I go off to see him. Perhaps he'll have a good way to handle him."

"If you want my advice, Saudia," Elizabeth said as she left, "Be your charming self. That is, make sure he knows just who really is in charge."

Saudia gave her an emotionless smile. "I'll keep that in mind, Director Falka. Thank you." Then she left Elizabeth to continue her work, while she prepared for the first major diplomatic meeting between ADVENT and a foreign nation.

---

Outskirts of Cochabamba, Bolivia

Jaylin wasn't sure what to expect when she'd arrived in Brazil and was immediately transferred to some city in Bolivia. But she hadn't expected a military camp.

Because that was essentially what this was. A repurposed military camp from the former Bolivian army most likely, now converted for not only ADVENT Military activity, but specifically for the Peacekeepers. She swallowed. Oh boy, when the public found out that the Peacekeepers had legitimate military bases, they were going to flip out.

She adjusted her gauntlet as she walked through the base towards where the barracks supposedly were. She had to admire how smoothly everything seemed to be running. Everything was organized, black armored transports were lined up neatly. In the distance Peacekeepers were shooting their weapons at targets and there was also a training ring for Riot Control to practice with their batons.

She pulled her own out and looked down at it. Might be a good idea to become a little more familiar with it, since she figured she might need to use it in a couple of days. Or hours, depending on how things went. Everyone had been tight-lipped about what was actually going on beyond that Brazil had invaded Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru last she'd heard, supposedly in retaliation for supporting criminal activity in the country.

Jaylin shrugged and slid her baton back into the holster on her leg. From what she'd read, Marshal Luana was something of a warmongering tyrant obsessed by power. A fanatic of sorts too, given how liberal she'd been in utilizing her military to both keep the population in check and hunt down anyone who broke the law.

She smirked. And all accounts were saying that was probably going to change since the Chief of Peacekeeper Operations herself had also come down to Brazil, likely to put the Marshal in her place. And now the Peacekeepers were left with three countries who were no doubt angry at Brazil and likely to cause…issues.

The door slid open as she walked inside the barracks and to her own bed. It was plain, but didn't look too bad with a footlocker at the end and a cabinet at the head which she presumed was specifically for putting her armor in. She placed her helmet inside and began removing the various pieces of her armor.

"Officer Tanika, correct?" A voice asked.

She glanced up to see a man walk up, also decked out in riot control armor, helmet tucked under his arm. She kept herself seated as he raised a hand, indicating her to remain sitting. Informal then, she could do that. He had what she would call a 'weathered' face that also bore some pale scars on his forehead and his shaved head gave the appearance of a hardened veteran. Possibly military then. Based on this place, she wouldn't be surprised.

"Yes, sir," she answered with a nod, not sure who he was.

The left corner of his lip curled up in not-quite a smile. "I'm Charlie Vasir, Chief of this division of Riot Control," he took a seat on the opposite cot. "Now that you're here, you should be appraised of the current situation."

Jaylin nodded, giving him her full attention. "I'm listening."

"Good," he began, lacing his fingers together. "The good news is that Bolivia is completely under ADVENT control militarily. The population, however, is not. Over the next couple of days we are expecting massive riots to break out in the capital. It will be under the guise of 'protest', but they will devolve into riots nonetheless."

She frowned. "Can they not be stopped ahead of time?"

Vasir gave her a cold smile. "Of course we are, but the law is very clear: We can only investigate if they clearly show an intention towards violence. Very few have done that on social media and elsewhere. The majority are likely not intending for things to deteriorate so fast, but many are angry, and will see an opportunity to join in any chaos that follows."

Jaylin gave one nod. "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."

"A good outlook to take," he chuckled, the sound odd coming from him. "But essentially. If all they truly want is to protest, than we will allow that, as it is permitted by law. However, if it deteriorates they need to be put down quickly."

"And how many are you expecting?" Jaylin asked slowly.

"A minimum of a hundred thousand," he answered. "Probably more. I would practice with all your weapons, because if something goes bad, people are going to need to be stopped by the hundreds." He eyed her coldly. "I trust that won't be a problem."

It wasn't a question. "No sir," she confirmed. "They break the law, they feel the consequences."

"Exactly," he nodded approvingly. "We're letting it leak that Chief Stein is going to be there as well. Her reputation may make some of them think twice."

Jaylin started. "Chief Stein is going to be there?"

"She said she would join after she finished up something in Brazil," he answered. "I imagine she wants to 'set the tone' as it were."

She almost shivered. From some additional research on the new Chief, she figured that was probably a good idea. That woman made the Commander almost look tolerant in comparison and there was no way Stein would be quite as understanding about the situation these people were in. "Let's hope it doesn't get ugly."

"That's what we're hoping for," he agreed, standing back up. "But not what we're expecting." He gave her a slight smile. "Glad to finally welcome you to the Peacekeepers properly, Officer Tanika. I think you'll fit in well here."

And he left her there, wondering just what she was now caught up in. She had a bad feeling about the coming days, and what concerned her was that from the sounds of things, Stein already had a plan for putting down any riots, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

---

Tehran, Iran

It was less of a battle and more of a massacre, judging from the piles of corpses that littered the city. Most of it largely came from the MDUs which had supposedly surpassed all expectations. Roman was half-convinced that they alone could have taken the city, but in really didn't matter any longer. Tehran was captured, the Iranian army finally broken, and they could move on to the next country.

The Peacekeepers had arrived after the hostile leadership had been subdued, and he'd personally witnessed them being led, sometimes dragged, away in cuffs. Roman didn't know what would happen to them, and personally didn't care. Given how they'd repeatedly refused surrender and as enemies of the state, he was fairly certain they would be executed.

Sitting on his cot, cleaning off his armor, he couldn't really muster up much pity for them, or anyone else here for that matter. He was just glad this battle was done, yet the war wasn't nearly over yet. There were still quite a few more countries to deal with, but now that Iran had fallen in such a public fashion, perhaps it would make it easier.

He pursed his lips as he set his gauntlet into his locker. Unfortunately that likely wouldn't be the case. These people were too prideful to willingly surrender. They would fight to the bitter end, and they would die believing that they would be rewarded in the afterlife; justified in their stupidity. He snorted. Fools, anyone who believed in a god with the state the world was in now was deluded. Unless said god had a sick sense of humor, which given what he knew about some of them, wouldn't actually be that far-fetched.

"[Not celebrating our victory?]" Elena asked him, walking up. Like him she was dressed in plain black military fatigues and boots. She didn't seem to have completely cleaned up yet either judging from the pale blonde hair plastered to her forehead, and the smudges of dirt on her pale skin. He imagined he looked similar, truth be told.

"[No,]" Roman told her, setting the armor piece he was cleaning to the side. "[Don't feel like getting drunk tonight.]"

She snorted. "[Some Russian you are. But yeah, I get it,]" she grabbed a cheap plastic chair and set it opposite him, a foot or so away. "[Doesn't seem very appropriate, which is why I'm hanging back as well.]"

Roman looked at her for a minute. She looked very tired, both tired and concerned, and given her overall attitude ever since Zanjan had been taken, he was wondering if today was going to be the day they'd have the talk. "[Do you want to punch me?]"

She started, eyes widening in surprise. "[What? No! Why?]"

He let a mirthless chuckle. "[I wouldn't completely blame you if you said yes. But I'm not blind, Elena, I know you've had…issues…with some of the things we've done, that I've ordered. Figured it was only a matter of time before you wanted to let it out,]" he shrugged. "[So shoot.]"

She bit her lip, thinking carefully. "[I don't blame you, if you were wondering. We have orders. We follow them. I just would like you to answer a question…]" she paused, then took a breath. "[Do you enjoy it?]"

He raised an eyebrow. "[Enjoy what? Killing? Not especially, I don't see a reason to take pleasure from killing defenseless people…]" he trailed off, sighing as she no doubt wanted to know how he could so easily carry out orders which killed supposed innocent people. "[The truth is, Elena, I don't care.]"

She frowned. "[About what?]"

"[Any of this, really,]" he admitted. "[This entire war is meaningless, pointless for both sides and started by idiots. I hate this place, and I'm tired of killing people fanatical enough to die for an idiotic government. I'm tired of always being on my guard for some suicide bomber or assassin with a death wish. I'm tired of walking through these people wondering which one wants to kill me. So I don't care anymore.]"

He waved a hand absentmindedly. "[These people don't matter to me. I don't see a reason to care if five hundred die or five thousand. It doesn't matter. At the end of the day nothing will change. ADVENT will take the city and the world will go on. Is the world going to stop if I execute a wounded soldiers or shoot a grieving woman trying to attack me? No, because the world has changed. There isn't a reason to hold back, there isn't a reason to give them any consideration they don't deserve.]"

His voice was growing bitter, but he didn't stop. "[I want this over, Elena. The aliens are something I care about, but right now we're stuck here. So I focus on ending this war quickly and permanently. More efficient to kill people instead of capture them, saves time and manpower that could be spent elsewhere. I don't really enjoy it, Elena, but I don't care enough to do anything more for anyone here. They could have fled, they didn't. They could have stayed out of our way, they didn't. It's selfish and heartless, yeah, but I can't bring myself to care enough to change it.]" He looked up at her. "[That answer your question?]"

He couldn't read the expression on her face, but she gave a small nod. "[I…think so. I get it, sort of…]" she sighed and looked away. "[But I guess we have different outlooks. I was taught life was to be valued and protected. I joined to protect our citizens from danger, and that's why this is…troubling to me. Would an enemy be justified if they did this to Russian civilians?]"

"[I suppose it's a matter of perspective,]" Roman sighed. "[You probably had a happy upbringing, parents that loved you, friends and so on,]" he paused. "[Not me, sadly, my parents were leaders in a rather nasty criminal organization. Harsh, cultured and violent. From the day I was born I was being groomed to be their successor. I killed my first man at fourteen. Don't regret it, man was a serial rapist who had the misfortune to owe a debt to my family, but I did. Became very acquainted with death over the years.]"

He gave a slight smile at her surprised face. "[It's not something I tell people often. But the result is I don't have the same sanctity of life you hold. If there is one thing I learned from my parents, it's that life is disposable and replaceable. If half the population was to suddenly die, in the end it would mean nothing because more would just take their place. Very few are worth caring about to actually actively protect. I might not like it, but in the grand scheme of things, the lives of those opposed to us, in any position, are worthless.]"

"[I didn't know,]" she said in a small voice. "[How did you…]"

"[Join up?]" He finished. "[Well, to be honest, because I didn't see the purpose in running a criminal organization. I didn't care about wealth, power or anything like that. I needed a purpose beyond simply extorting people for money. Criminals don't help people. They don't make things better. So one night, my eighteenth birthday I believe, I killed the leadership, including my parents. They'd never shown any affection towards me, and so I returned the favor. I had been in contact with the police and brought them down upon the organization, killing it for good. Afterwards I joined the Russian military. Protecting my homeland was something I could care about, and it turned out they had use for me. Some years later, here I am.]"

"[Oh,]" she said, leaning forward. "[I…see. Thank you for telling me, Roman. I think I understand you a little better now.]"

"[That's all I ask,]" he said. "[This won't cause problems?]"

She cocked her head and stood, an unreadable expression on her face. "[No, it won't. And I've changed my mind, I think I do need some kind of drink now. You know where Galina went?]"

His lips curled into a grin. "[One of the bars close to the city square. Don't know which one, sorry.]"

"[Thanks anyway,]" she shrugged, offering a small smile to him. "[I'll see you later then.]"

She walked away and left him alone once again. He grunted and returned to cleaning his gear, sighing when a familiar voice interrupted him once again. "[She took that story rather well. Couldn't really tell what she was thinking.]"

"[Eavesdropping jerk,]" Roman muttered as Maksim walked up from behind him, a smile on his face. "[Should have expected as much. Besides, I told you that before.]"

"[Yeah, true, but the context was a little different,]" he answered, smirking as he leaned against the bunk. "[If I recall, I was asking how you could kill people so easily. It was a compliment. Not whatever that was.]"

"[Fair enough,]" Roman said as he finished another piece. "[But I agree, she didn't really react as strongly as I expected.]"

"[Hm, yeah, I wonder why that could be,]" Maksim said, with a tinge of sarcasm. "[Come on. I'll give you a prize for the top three guesses-]"

"[No,]" Roman interrupted with a sigh. "[I'm very sure it's not anything like that. Besides, I'm not exactly an enticing person.]"

"[Oh, don't see yourself short,]" Maksim commented. "[But for now, I agree. Not yet, anyway, but any woman who hears that story and doesn't run off in terror is someone who's at least interested enough to find out more. Besides, there's some women who like taking on broken people like you. They like to 'fix' them.]"

Roman sniffed. "['Broken' is not exactly how I would describe myself.]"

"[I agree, but really, think about it,]" Maksim continued humorously. "[Former criminal prodigy turns good, kills his family, joins the military and doesn't care about much because of his messed up childhood. You, my friend, are a cheap romance novel waiting to happen.]"

Roman groaned, wishing he would shut up. "[Perhaps I do need a drink. And you need one as well from saying all that crap.]"

"[Hey, I'm heading there anyway,]" Maksim shrugged. "[And you've been cleaning that damn suit for too long. Take a break and have some fun.]"

"[Appreciated, but I'll pass,]" Roman said, returning to work. "[I think I've had enough social interaction for the night.]"

"[Suit yourself,]" Maksim said with a wave. "[I'll tell Elena you said hi if I see her.]"

Roman narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything. Knowing Maksim, he was tempted to follow to stop him from saying something stupid. But no, with any luck Elena would punch him in the face if he made any suggestions. With that amusing thought in his mind, he decided to finish this up and go to bed. Tomorrow would probably be another busy day.

---

The Praesidium, Situation Room

Aegis was not exactly gloating, but the impression that the Commander got from him that he practically emanated was I told you so. Luckily he hadn't made any comments, but this warranted a full meeting of the Internal Council. All of them were standing around the holotable, he was flanked by Patricia and Vahlen; opposite him were Aegis and Shen, and on corresponding sides were Zhang and Jackson, respectively.

"We're already up to date with how the offensive went," the Commander began, sweeping his gaze over each of them. "So let's not waste time and focus on fixing our issues. Vahlen, what did you find?"

She stepped forward, and plugged her tablet into the holotable and the holographic corpse of one of the Mutons appeared. "Your initial impression was correct, Patricia," she began. "These Mutons were modified significantly. They were cybernetically modified to an invasive degree I did not expect. From what we were able to extract, it seems very possible that the Muton could be forced to obey very specific commands."

"The technology itself appears to be a prototype," Shen added, his face wrinkling in disgust. "It could certainly be improved and its sole function appears to be the negation of psionic abilities, but doesn't make them more effective, if what you described is accurate, Patricia."

"No, the psionic commands do disrupt their concentration," Patricia confirmed, narrowing her eyes at the hologram. "With enough concentration, they can be driven insane. But it's a disruption to my effectiveness either way."

"Do you have a comment, Aegis?" Zhang asked, folding his arms.

"The implications are…concerning," Aegis finally said. "The technology appears to be derived from the Andromedon Special Operators."

"Did they use something similar?" The Commander asked.

"If the conversations I've had with them were accurate, they perfected this," Aegis explained. "There was a reason Special Operators were banned, even by them. Even they have some lines they won't cross, and cybernetic enslavement akin to your Manchurian Program was something they universally agreed was not to be supported."

"But it's apparently fine to apply to Mutons," Jackson noted. "So a question: Could these Special Operators kill someone like Patricia?"

"Yes," Aegis answered, with a tilt of his helm. "Without question. They would be completely immune to her attacks and Special Operators were some of the greatest threats during the Andromedon Union Wars."

The Commander pursed his lips. "Then it's only a matter of time before they start creating them again."

"Not with the Battlemaster in charge," Aegis said. "He won't stoop to using assassins. However, if another Ethereal division joins, I cannot say the same. But I think even the Andromedons would be hesitant to authorize the creation of more Special Operators, even if allowed by the Imperator."

"Special Operators or not, that doesn't solve the biggest problem," the Commander said, switching the hologram to an image of the Battlemaster. "This is now our priority."

"And like I said in my report," Aegis said, with a sigh. "You lack the weaponry to kill him. Your best chances are psions."

"That is what Vahlen and Shen are for," the Commander answered evenly. "The Battlemaster isn't invincible, just difficult to kill."

"Is the Battlemaster's skin modifications the same as your own?" Vahlen asked.

"Slightly tougher," Aegis answered. "But moderately so."

Vahlen gave a single nod. "I'll have to begin work to try and crack the Iron Skin mod, and subsequently fix any vulnerabilities in our own soldiers."

"The problem I see is that almost all of our soldiers will be killed in seconds if they face him," Jackson noted. "Even the Aegis armor won't last long against his sword, or his telekinetics will end the battle just as fast. Maybe the Iron Skin soldiers could stand against him, but very few others."

"Correct," the Commander agreed. "Only genetically modified soldiers should be allowed to engage the Battlemaster. But it's still the equivalent to a death sentence unless the goal is to hold him off."

Shen raised a hand. "Actually, Commander, I might have a solution to this. One which may help us beyond handling the Battlemaster." He turned to Aegis. "A question: can you create solid weapons out of pure psionic energy?"

The Commander raised an eyebrow at that request, and Aegis seemed similarly confused. "To an extent, Dr. Shen." He extended a hand and a sword materialized in his hand, wisps of psionic energy floating off from the holographic blade. "If this is your idea, I do not see merit in it. It requires a degree of concentration your psions do not have, and it is not sharp."

"That's actually a good thing," Shen nodded, picking up his own tablet. "And if I recall, you said the Battlemaster has his own form of honor."

Aegis nodded. "Yes."

"So if a soldier was to issue a…challenge, for lack of a better word, he would take it?" Shen continued.

"Likely," Aegis nodded. "But at best it would delay him, especially since your soldiers are not equipped to deal with a Battlemaster, let alone him."

"I'm not finished," Shen continued. "If I also recall, Ethereals disliked using ranged weapons outside of psionics, yet it appears that the majority of the Ethereal Collective uses ranged weapons."

"Yes, but only because most are incapable of wielding psionics," Aegis confirmed, a confused note still in his voice. "Non-psions have few ways to negate ranged weapons, especially those who wish to utilize melee combat."

"That's all I needed," Shen said, a satisfied smile on his face. "Now, ever since Aegis told me both about the Battlemaster and their history, I knew that we might need to develop countermeasures and started work on some preliminary projects to specifically deal with the Battlemaster." He plugged in his tablet and a very preliminary MEC design appeared, with much less detail than the previous ones.

What stood out about it was that it was much slimmer than the previous iterations, there were no additional weapon systems on it, but every part of it was securely armored. In the right hand it held a blade of some kind, and in the other it held a shield half as tall as itself. Specs displayed underneath showed it as just above twelve feet. "I present the Shinobi-class MEC," Shen said, inclining his head. "A MEC specifically designed to counter the Battlemaster."

"I'm impressed," Zhang said. "You had the foresight to come up with this."

"It will have to be worked on," Shen amended. "But the concept is one that is solid."

Jackson frowned. "The concept is good, yes, but in reality? That sword the Battlemaster has cuts through armor like butter. I'm not sure alien alloys will be much better."

"I know," Shen nodded. "Which is why the entire suit will have a MELD overlay which can be controlled by the pilot itself to either harden or repair. MELD is exceptionally tough, and if the suit can heal itself…"

"It won't be able to be killed," the Commander finished approvingly. "And without extra weight to slow it down, it might be fast enough to keep up with him."

"Unless he does one of those charges," Patricia noted. "Not even a MEC can keep track of something that fast."

"I'm working on that," Shen promised, looking to the Commander. "With your permission, I can begin devoting resources to this project."

"Granted," the Commander nodded. "You'll have what you need."

"Until that point, there was another idea I had," Shen continued, replacing the MEC hologram with a sword. "Patricia, remember that discussion we had a few weeks ago?"

She blinked. "Yes, I do…" She smiled. "That would be perfect."

The Commander turned to her. "Explain."

"An idea Shen had," Patricia explained. "Because the Battlemaster uses both melee combat and psionics, he was curious if our own soldiers could do the same. I told him in theory it was possible, but it would probably be a bad idea because they didn't have the same protection Battlemasters had."

The Commander got it. "But now with the Iron Skin modification…"

"Exactly," Shen finished with a smile as he put the image of a streamlined sword on the holotable. "The swords I've conceptualized would work much the same way as the armor, strengthened with MELD nanites and would repair the blade it needed. Combined with a soldier with the Iron Skin, psionics…not many aliens would be able to stop them."

"Ah, I see now," Aegis nodded in revelation. "You want to assist in training your psions in swordsmanship in a way that won't kill them. They would not hurt me with their weapons, nor I with mine. An intelligent plan, Dr. Shen."

"That it is," Zhang said with a rare, but cold smile. "Clever. To stop one Battlemaster, we make Battlemasters of our own."

"I suppose I should get to work," Patricia stated, a cold fire in her eyes. "The next time the Battlemaster shows up, I want to have a surprise for him."

"I assume you already have some candidates for training?" Vahlen asked.

"Yes, I do," Patricia said, shooting Aegis a look. "And today they'll find out they've been selected for the Templar Program."

"We've got work to do," the Commander finished, clasping his hands behind his back. "Let's get to it. We don't know how much time we'll have until the next attack. Dismissed."

---

Sucre, Bolivia

Jaylin had never seen a crowd even remotely this big. Perhaps it was perspective, being in the city center in front of the capital building, but there were people as far as the eye could see, shouting in incomprehensible roars and waving signs with Spanish writing on them, which was pretty much useless against the mostly foreign Peacekeepers.

She did admit to feeling some slight intimidation at the sheer vitriol that was in the air, and it was almost enough to make her break her wide stance and bring up her riot shield. But she kept her hands clasped behind her back, tense as all hell as the people stood mere feet from her. She was rather glad she didn't understand Spanish, because she was fairly certain that they were shouting some rather nasty things at her.

"How long is this supposed to last?" Leon asked through their private channels, another American like her. "At some point they have to go home, right?"

"Chief said he expected they would clear out within six hours," Jaylin answered. "Provided nothing was started. How long has it been?"

A groan. "Thirty minutes."

Jaylin smirked under her helmet. "Well, at least we can pass the time easier. You been here long?"

"Nah, just transferred from Seattle. Good thing too, I guess."

Jaylin's mood deteriorated at that. "I'm sorry. It's…strange that America is under attack."

She heard him exhale. "Could have been worse, I guess. Seattle is still being fought for."

"At least you still have your country," a new voice interrupted. "Think ADVENT's pretty much written Australia off for now."

"True," Jaylin grimaced. "What's your name?"

"Samantha Venator, a pleasure." Huh, not that much of an accent. Jaylin was glad she'd clarified. The voice was surprisingly articulate and cultured. Not what she would have expected. "How long do you think they'll last?"

"Before all hell breaks loose?" Jaylin asked, looking into the crowd. "Don't see any obvious troublemakers yet. Maybe they haven't shown up yet."

Leon snorted. "For their sake, I hope they don't cause trouble. Stein will put them all down without a second thought."

Jaylin looked around the crowd, scanning it yet again. "Any of you seen where she went?"

"No," Samantha said. "Figured she's in the capital building. Probably coordinating the various RC groups. If I've heard right, she had enough Peacekeepers to completely surround the protestors."

"What I expec-hold on, we might have trouble," Jaylin scowled as a particularly angry group of people were heading her way. "Stay calm." As she said that, she resisted the urge to pull out her ARC rifle with how close these people were, waving their arms dangerously close to her face. She switched her helmet modulator on. "I don't speak Spanish," she told them fruitlessly. "Se no habla espanol."

She thought that was mostly correct. One of the men sneered, and suddenly Jaylin found herself on the receiving end of a pistol. The Peacekeepers reacted instantly and within seconds their ARC rifles were drawn and pointed in the crowd. Jaylin also saw a few other armed civilians also pointing weapons directly at Peacekeepers, and looked entirely unworried by the response.

"We've got a situation," Leon was saying. "Armed and threatening protesters. Respond. I think they're trying to start a riot."

"I see. I am on my way." Jaylin felt cold at the sheer lack of emotion from the voice of Stein.

"Stand down!" Jaylin shouted at them, and wondered how long she could hold them off. There were several people deep within the crowd, also armed and shouting stuff which was getting a rise out of them and it only became more heightened as the minutes ticked by. She switched again to her short range private link. "We need orders now. Fire now!"

"Do not worry, Officer Tanika," Amalda Stein, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations, said as she walked up beside her. The woman was as chilling in person as her voice suggested. Her face was angular and hard as stone, and her green eyes held contempt for the people in front of her. Her graying hair was pulled back perfectly, not a strand out of place. The woman was clad in the armor of a Riot Control Officer, which essentially meant the addition of white shoulder cap on her right shoulder, and a gray variant of the Officer helm, which she was not wearing now.

At her side was a State Officer, who Jaylin assumed was a translator of sorts. At the nod of Stein, he adjusted something in his helmet and nodded to her. "Silence!" Stein roared, raising a fist at a ninety-degree angle. Her translator repeated what she had said, louder, but with nowhere the same intensity.

Something must have caught the attention of the man pointing the gun at her, and he called back and eventually everything was much quieter; the roar dimming to a constant murmur. Stein looked at the man with absolute contempt. "Tell him who I am, and ask what he is doing."

The translator nodded and repeated what she asked. The man answered quickly. "He says he wants ADVENT to leave Bolivia or there will be 'trouble' as he puts it. He seems to think the mob can overwhelm us."

Stein sniffed. "I will not entertain his delusions. Tell him to order the crowd to disperse and his armed thugs to surrender their weapons or we will deal with them."

Jaylin hoped they actually would, but the man simply shook his head, and directed a string of Spanish toward Stein specifically. "He said no," the translator said diplomatically.

"I gathered that," Stein said with a dangerous and humorless smile, her eyes not leaving the man. "Address the crowd. Disperse or be arrested. Their right to peacefully protest has been temporarily revoked in light of armed interference. Let the record reflect this. Continued refusal will result in lethal and non-lethal responses."

The translator nodded and shouted the orders to the crowd that was now getting riled up again. The agitators in the back were yelling again, and the situation appeared to be worsening. "I don't think they're listening," the translator said. "Orders, Chief?"

Stein turned a knob on her helmet. "All local Peacekeeping forces, you are authorized to remove armed protestors by lethal force if necessary. Subdue all other participants with non-lethal measures. On my signal."

Stein turned back to the man holding the pistol at Jaylin, and with no ceremony pulled out her pistol and blew his head into red chunks, splattering the people around him with blood. Within seconds the other armed protesters were either subdued or killed, and Stein put on her helmet and withdrew her baton. "On the ground!" She roared. "I will pursue the ones in the back, Christian! Rosaline! With me!"

Now all hell broke loose as Stein stormed into the crowd, flanked by her two officers and the people that didn't immediately get the hell out of her way she smacked with baton. In lethal mode. The rest of the crowd immediately broke into two groups. Stein's translator had apparently shouted out the command to get on the ground, and a good portion of them did so, while the rest screamed and pushed against the line of Peacekeepers.

And they fell in droves as the bolts of electricity hit their defenseless bodies. Jaylin put down two people charging at her, and hit three more rushing Samantha. One had gotten close to Leon and he'd responded by smacking the butt of his ARC rifle in his face and following it up with a shock with his baton.

Even still, the now-rioting people knew better than to get in Stein's way as there were a trail of bodies of the people who had been foolish enough to stop her. Stein finally caught up with one of the armed protester who decided to frantically, and stupidly, fire at her. Stein responded by slamming the baton into leg and pulled, ripping the flesh easily, and with blood now on the spikes, she slung the lethal baton into his neck and pulled, ripping out part of his neck and he fell to the ground, dead from the lethal voltage.

"Press forward," Stein ordered calmly as she continued her hunt into the crowd who now fled or fell on the ground before her. "Reinforcements are coming to arrest the offending citizens. Conscious people on the ground are not to be arrested."

With that the line of Riot Control advanced, still shooting blue bolts of electricity at those foolish enough to attack, and some were beginning to flee. Behind her, Jaylin noted a large amount of State Officers who were pulling the unconscious bodies from the crowd behind them and handcuffing them. Jaylin shook her head at that, returning her focus to subduing this riot.

They were going to need a lot more handcuffs by the time this was done.

---

Ottawa, Canada

"Right this way."

Saudia followed the instructions of the guards and was soon escorted into a well-furnished, but isolated room in Parliament Hill. Nowhere public thankfully, and it appeared that the Prime Minister wanted to keep the meeting as low-key as she did. However, by now the Canadian media would know it was taking place and she wasn't looking forward to having to deal with them when she left, as they would likely be impossible to ignore.

Bookshelves lined the walls, and there were several portraits of various people on the ends; an ornamented rug laid in the middle of the room, a short coffee table on top of it and there were two opposing couches, one of which held the Prime Minister of Canada himself. There were several files on the table, arranged in an orderly fashion, and Prime Minister Murphy was sipping some drink from a mug.

Upon hearing the door open, he rose and walked over to greet her. "Chancellor Vyandar," he said, extending a hand. "A pleasure to finally meet you."

Saudia nodded, taking the hand and giving a firm shake. "The feeling is mutual, Prime Minister, though I wish the circumstances were better."

His lips turned up in what appeared to be a sad smile. "I agree, while our administrations have disagreements, what is happening in America and around the world is a tragedy." Saudia raised an eyebrow as that last addition, as she was fairly certain he wasn't just talking about the aliens.

"I'm glad you agree," she finally said. "And with that in mind, I hope that we can work something out to the benefit of both of our administrations, and the human race as a whole."

"I hope the same," he nodded, motioning her to take a seat on the couch opposite her. "Now, before we begin, do you want anything? Tea? Coffee?"

"Unnecessary," Saudia dismissed with a wave. "I would prefer we get straight to business. Time is a luxury we can't afford, and predicting where the aliens will strike next is…difficult."

"I'd imagine so," Murphy nodded, facing her seriously. "But it seems you do indeed prefer bluntness, so I will oblige and make this clear from the start: Canada will not join ADVENT."

She nodded. It wasn't unexpected. "Given your administration's words towards my own, I am not surprised. With that said, I did not come to convince you to join us, but to request your assistance in pushing back the alien threat."

He laced his fingers together. "Then what is this request?"

"The aliens have ignored your country," Saudia began. "We're not sure why, but they seem content to ignore you and press forward in America. This may change, it may not. But what is for certain is that they have left themselves vulnerable to attacks from the north, specifically, Canada."

He gave a short nod in agreement. "I was told the same. Attacks via the Canadian border would be far more effective than simple head-on attacks."

Well, there was hope. "Exactly," she confirmed. "Ultimately, what ADVENT and I request is simple: Permission to construct military bases near or on the border of Canada to facilitate quick surprise flanks on alien forces. With these in place, we will be able to both stall the alien advance, and damage them militarily. An additional bonus is should Canada come under attack, there would be forces on-site to immediately respond."

He was silent for a few moments. "Why are bases necessary? Could you not just move through the border to your locations?"

Clearly not familiar with military or logistics. Saudia suppressed a sigh. "That is not recommended for several reasons, Prime Minister. We're not talking about a small force of special forces, we're talking thousands of soldiers, minimum. Simply marching an army across would be both a drain on resources, and certainly attract the attention of the aliens who may try and sabotage us beforehand. In addition, bases would allow us to gradually establish points so that no matter how deep the aliens penetrate, we will always be able to strike quickly. I do not plan to make this a simple gamble on one force alone. This is a war of both tactics and attrition, and since attrition is something I doubt we can match, our tactics must be smart, and superior."

He pursed his lips into a thin line. "Let us say I agree. If you end up victorious in this war, what will happen afterwards? Will you leave?"

"Not immediately," Saudia answered. "I suspect that by that time, Canada will have come under attack and more bases will need to be established to defend it. As Canada is still not a part of ADVENT at that time, bases will be decommissioned eventually, but not until we are sure that the last remnants of the aliens are destroyed."

"I see," Murphy leaned forward. "Then I'm afraid we have an issue. How do I know first, that ADVENT would actually leave, and second, that allowing you to do this won't bring down the aliens upon my country?"

Saudia kept her tone even. "For your first question, because I'm telling you it will happen. The Advent Directive is very clear on respecting the territory of foreign nations, and failure to comply with that would likely lead to me being discharged at best." She paused. "And I can offer no guarantees on the second. The aliens may take this as a provocation, but the truth, Prime Minister, is that you will not be able to ignore this war forever. Canada will come under attack eventually, and it is better to be prepared than caught unawares."

"Then why, tell me, have we not been attacked?" He demanded.

"Again, we're not sure," Saudia sighed, keeping her exasperation to a minimum. "The most likely reason is because they don't consider you a threat."

He suddenly smiled. "And there I think you've hit a crucial point, Chancellor. We are not a threat and that is by design. The aliens behind this aren't brainless creatures. If they don't see us as a threat, why would they choose to attack us? All it would do is rally more to attack them."

"Prime Minister," Saudia said calmly. "With all due respect, this is not a simple territorial dispute. An attack by these aliens on one country is one on all of humanity. Do you really think they will ignore Canada forever?"

"No, I do not," he answered. "And there are only two ways this war can end: Your victory, or theirs. And I suspect they would be more merciful to a country that has not harmed them than one who was an active participant."

Saudia blinked. "You would surrender without even putting up a fight? Prime-"

"If that fight would needlessly get my people killed, yes," he answered, a note of steel in his voice as he looked at her intently. "You may believe you can win this war. I am not so sure, and until I am I do not want to throw my people away just to die."

"I don't think there is much of a choice in this matter," Saudia answered, some frustration creeping into her voice. "Let us entertain the possibility of a surrender to the aliens. Do you know what that would actually mean for your people?" She paused to let that sink in. "Humanity would become a subject species to the Ethereals, your people would be taken away, experimented on, killed. The rights your people enjoy would be curtailed beyond all measure. You would only work in service to the Ethereals. Free will means nothing to them. It is slavery in all but name, Prime Minister. That is what you are choosing by refusing to take a side."

He opened his mouth to speak, but Saudia cut him off as she realized another point. "And I can safely say that the reason the aliens are ignoring you is not just because you are a threat. Remember Germany? Remember China? Remember Australia? The United Nations? What direct threat did they pose?"

"They supported XCOM," he shrugged, although sounding uncertain. "They helped the Commander wage war. The UN enabled him and perhaps they viewed that as a military target."

"Canada supported XCOM if I recall," Saudia retorted coolly. "So that point can be dismissed. No. The actions of the aliens seem to be unpredictable, and relying on their mercy is as foolish as believing they don't have plans for Canada."

Murphy inhaled sharply. "Perhaps. Perhaps not, but truthfully, Chancellor, I am not sure you would be any better."

Saudia stiffened. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard correctly," he stated with a humorless smile. "And don't act too surprised. I am not blind to what ADVENT is doing in the world. I know you are bombing cities in the Middle East, executing civilians just for getting in their way. I know you kidnap people in the middle of the night on terrorism and criminal charges and convict with no jury or trial. You execute military leaders with no due process. Your "Peacekeepers" fire on crowds of civilians for daring to protest having their country taken from them without any semblance of democratic process."

He shook his head. "Your administration is little better than that of North Korea, Chancellor, although since they are a member of ADVENT, perhaps that isn't surprising. Your administration is set up to trample anyone who dares question them, I've read your directive and it is terrifying. No one can enter a position of power without approval from the state, military leaders can order the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians, and entire businesses can, and have been, taken over by your administration without any say in the matter."

Saudia listened as he kept going on. "And this is not including the abhorrent people you have placed in positions of influence. Amalda Stein shouldn't even be in charge of a unit, let alone the entire Law enforcement, and that isn't counting the war hawk Treduant, dictator Iseul Gwan and a list of people who I've never heard of before. And of course, the Commander of XCOM." The last words he practically spat out.

"You are a question mark, Chancellor," he continued, eyeing her with open disdain. "I have no idea who you are or were and I am shocked that this isn't terrifying anyone. I've attempted to come up with explanations as to where you come from, and each one is more worrying than the last. At best you are who you say you are, and someone in intelligence work as scrubbed as you should not be in such a position where millions of lives are at stake."

He paused. "Or you lied and then the question is how you could have possible become the de facto leader of what is now more or less the new United Nations. Either you are a puppet or…something else. Your Intelligence Director, your engineering and science heads, your own husband. These people have no pasts and appeared as though from thin air. I do not want to imagine the implications of that, but I have and I can't stop thinking about them."

He sipped from his mug. "I've met people like you, Chancellor, and all of them were all the same. They have a fundamental lack of empathy. They think people can be forced or molded into whatever they wish. They think they can place everyone into neat little boxes, and rely on fear and subjugation of force the rest in line. People, Chancellor, are not like that. They are unique, they are not set in stone, they can change. A woman like Stein believes that a personality is immutable, a person like you is arrogant enough to believe that you know what people need better than themselves."

He set his mug down. "On paper you have the semblance of a democracy, Chancellor, but in practice this is an elegant dictatorship. Authoritarianism with a delicacy I can't help but admire in spite of how much it repels me. Your administration is the exact opposite of what is acceptable. It lacks empathy, it lacks freedom, it lacks humanity. It is potentially just as much of a threat to our species as the aliens themselves."

His humorless smile vanished. "I was entertaining allowing your soldiers to pass through my country, but after this conversation I have decided against even that. Canada will not assist you in your fight against the aliens. We do not want, nor need your help. The aliens will be dealt with and without your interference."

Saudia was as still as a stone, and then took a breath. "I think, Prime Minister, that we have a fundamental difference regarding our views on humanity. You have faith in the common person, but I lost that faith long ago. People do not know what is best for them. Some people even believe capitulating to an alien force is preferable to standing up for their ideals. Most people lack the will to make difficult decisions, and then demonize the ones who make the world safe for everyone. Most people, Prime Minister, are easily manipulated and influenced by what they see around them. Media, celebrities, news, and even their own leaders."

Her tone hardened. "I do not apologize for doing what must be done, Prime Minister. I do not apologize for putting the survival of humanity above the so-called freedoms that have divided us for generations. I do not apologize for subduing a region that has been awash in death for decades. I do not apologize for distributing justice to people who break the law. You can call ADVENT harsh, heartless or without humanity, as you so eloquently put it. But…" she suddenly smiled. "I do not particularly care. Because it. Is. Working. We have an army capable of withstanding an extraterrestrial force. We have peace between large portions of the world. We have leaders who, while you might despise, are professionals. We know what we are doing, Prime Minister, and I would be very careful openly declaring your intentions towards this war."

"And why is that?" He demanded.

"Because, Prime Minister," she answered smoothly. "ADVENT may not take action, but XCOM certainly would. You know what the Commander is capable of, and I believe if he heard what you just said to me, he would recommend your termination from your position. There are people who want me to authorize Section 9.8 of the Directive, Prime Minister."

He stiffened at that. "I don't want that, Prime Minister," she continued coldly. "And I don't believe that would be an appropriate course of action. But I would strongly reconsider your intentions towards the aliens, or at least keep them private. I will keep your words to myself out of respect for your position, but openly believing that capitulation to the aliens is possibly preferable will make enemies. And you do not want to make an enemy of ADVENT, and especially not XCOM."

"Is this a threat?" He asked icily.

"No, it is not," she shook her head. "It is a warning of what might happen. But understand that there are consequences to your actions, Prime Minister, and completely refusing to help will not endear you to those in my administration. I do want to come to some agreement, but perhaps next time it should be you that takes the initiative." She stood. "I would strongly reconsider your position here, Prime Minister, but ultimately, you must decide. Good day, and remember that there is more at stake than just your country."

Without waiting for a response she spun on a heel and marched to the door. Perhaps it was rude, but she didn't see any reason to give any more consideration to someone who was arguably worse than a traitor. Ethan was waiting for her outside and immediately fell into step beside her as she marched past the Canadian guards.

"That bad?" Ethan muttered as they walked.

"An understatement," Saudia muttered in return, keeping the fury in her voice controlled. "Let's just say that the good Prime Minister just made a lot of new enemies."

---

Supplementary Material

The Advent Directive

SECTION 9: Relations with Foreign Nations

Subsection 9.1: Introduction

Purpose: ADVENT seeks to have efficient and mutually beneficial relationships with various foreign nations that do not seek to join ADVENT, assimilate those that do, and firmly and decisively deal with foreign nations that pose a danger to ADVENT itself and its citizens. This section will detail the exact requirements for a nation to be permitted into ADVENT, and responses to hostile economic, espionage, and military action from foreign nations.

It will also detail the requirements for an alliance or pact (Of any kind) between a foreign nation and ADVENT itself. ADVENT holds itself to a high standard, and expects the same out of those it works with the help ensure both parties are mutually prosperous. Not every country will meet these qualifications, either for an alliance or assimilation, but it will demonstrate which ones truly desire such and which ones do not.

ADVENT will also take appropriate action against foreign nations that take hostile actions of either an economic, espionage or military nature, and the response will vary depending on the size, scope and current damages of such an actions. Response may include sanctions, engineered collapse, or annexation. ADVENT will not tolerate a threat to its citizens or personnel.

Table of contents:

Section 9.1: Introduction

Section 9.2: Requirements for Non-Assimilating Alliance

Section 9.3: Qualifications for ADVENT Assimilation

Section 9.4: Procedure for the addition of New ADVENT Member Nation

Section 9.5: Response to Hostile Economic Action

Section 9.6: Response to Hostile Military Activity

Section 9.7: Response to Hostile Espionage Activity

Section 9.8: Requirements for Annexation

Section 9.9: Treatment of Hostile Nation Prisoners