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.

52. After the Terror

A/N: No, you aren't misremembering things. This was originally a different chapter title, but as I was outlining and writing this, I realized it was going to be absurdly long and it was better to split it into two different chapters. The difference between a few weeks for a chapter and probably at least a month. So next chapter will be the end of Act III. I can promise that.

- Xabiar

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After the Terror

---

The Praesidium, Office of the Commander – Classified Location

3/13/2017 – 10:02 A.M.

There should have been celebration, and he should have felt elated. Isomnum was dead, Sana'Ligna had left the Collective, and ADVENT had purged a psionic plague from their planet. And throughout most of ADVENT – barring the areas still under attack – there was much celebration. XCOM had also thrown their own celebration, tempered as it was by those who had died in the conflict. Especially good news was the fact that Iosif and Nuan had returned safely – with a Zararch 'defector' in tow, who was being debriefed by XCOM Intelligence now.

He had been tempted himself to stay at the party later, but all he'd done was give a short speech and then retired to bed, knowing tomorrow would bring new challenges. The most important of which he assumed would be handling Sana who right now was under watch and contained, and whose assumed defection was definitely not as straightforward as he was hoping.

He'd at least gotten a good night's sleep though.

And it had been going well so far until the Chronicler had told him to summon the Internal Council. His face was grave and he looked oddly haggard like he hadn't slept at all the night previous. The Commander knew that he wouldn't make a request if it wasn't urgent, and complied with it, shortly after everyone was gathered, the Chronicler began speaking.

It turned out that before killing him, the Agents had managed to force a connection between Isomnum and T'Leth who had subsequently been able to extract every piece of information out of his mind. T'Leth was still parsing through the exact details according to the Chronicler, and a large portion of the information wasn't relevant – but what they had learned had devastating consequences.

"Patricia has joined the Imperator. Willingly."

"Impossible." The Commander shook his head without hesitation. "Coercion I would believe. But she would not join willingly."

"Isomnum did not think so," the Chronicler insisted without emotion, as if expecting the response. "He was internally furious that a non-Ethereal was being given such preferential treatment. He would not go against the Imperator, but not once did T'Leth get the impression that he believed she was only a mere puppet – as he disliked the Imperator's treatment of aliens – Humans especially – as equals."

"I…am inclined to agree with this assertion," Aegis said, his voice slower than usual, as he was still recovering from the previous battle. "I had warned of the Imperator's persuasiveness. Yet I suspect that Patricia has not fully joined of her own free will, but she thinks that she has joined willingly. The Imperator's presence distorts proper thinking-"

"Don't make excuses for her, Aegis!" The Chronicler unexpectedly snarled. "Patricia isn't some hapless telepath who can't block out a simple aura, nor is the Imperator someone who resorts to such blatant measures. She joined willingly, end of story."

"Isomnum was not the most stable of Ethereals…" Jackson proposed quietly, though her face was grim. "Perhaps…"

"Isomnum was not insane," the Chronicler stated firmly. "He merely had a highly warped and distorted view of the galaxy and those who inhabited it. Pose these questions to Sana if you do not believe them. She most certainly knows."

"But…how?" Shen's voice was a mixture of pain and confusion. "After everything that's happened, after seeing the truth from the beginning…what could make her turn like this?"

The ghost of a smile devoid of emotion and joy appeared on the Chronicler's face. "The Imperator apparently has a twisted view of the Sovereign Ones. He learned of the cycles, and has now determined that the greatest threat is not the Synthesized, but the Sovereign Ones themselves who he believes perpetuate the cycles over and over."

"Which isn't exactly wrong," Vahlen pointed out with a directed glare.

"The issue is that he is convinced that every single Sovereign One is the same based on what little he knows," the Chronicler continued. "He believes they are all malicious manipulators only concerned with complete domination over all life. He intends to purge the Sovereigns from the galaxy and 'break the cycle'."

The Commander shook his head. "That won't work. Not on his own."

"No, but he determined this after he forged an alliance with Mosrimor," the Chronicler clarified, resting against the wall. "And has never trusted his supposed Sovereign 'ally' which is why his involvement in the war has been limited. But the Imperator is aware on his own he stands little chance, which is where the Bringer comes in. He is determined to allow it to cross into a body which he would control through a kind of mental conditioning – and use it against the other Sovereigns."

As much as he hated to admit it, the Commander could see the thought process behind this. The picture of what the Imperator actually seemed to be planning suddenly made certain actions much clearer. "Out of curiosity…what would the Bringer be like should he cross into a physical body?"

A pause. "We don't know." The Chronicler finally admitted. "But…there is no entity like it, and theoretically it is possible that psionics as we understand it would exist only at the whim of the Bringer. The Psionosphere itself would be whatever he could will it, and I imagine that you can fill in the implications of that yourself. In short, it would pose a significant threat to the other Sovereigns."

"Are you saying that he could succeed?" Iosif demanded incredulously.

The Chronicler snorted. "No. There is little that would unite the Sovereigns, but the emergence of the Bringer would ensure that the Imperator – and very likely all species associated with him – will be eradicated from the face of the galaxy. He does not know this, of course, but his plan is convincing and foolproof for those ignorant as to the true nature of the Sovereigns and the galaxy."

"All of this makes it clear," Creed said in a low, tempered voice. "I see how he did it. Patricia responds to logical arguments and plans. She had no idea of the Sovereigns before she was taken, no idea of what the galaxy was like beyond Earth. The Imperator knew that T'Leth was on Earth, or at least that there was a Sovereign there."

Like a bolt of lightning, the revelation hit the Commander as well. "Damn," he exhaled slowly. "It explains the invasion; the slow and quiet incursion. Why they didn't invade with an army. Or approach us diplomatically. The Imperator believed that we were under the control of a Sovereign One."

"Something he eventually ruled out, if the later invasion is anything to go by," Zhang muttered. "Too little, too late."

"That appears to be true," the Chronicler nodded solemnly. "The goal of this entire operation is not to conquer a planet or even a species – those are just fronts for the real reason – to kill the Sovereign residing on Earth. Assimilating humanity into the Collective is the easiest justification to present to the Collective, regardless of how little sense it makes in the context of the Collective thus far."

"And the Imperator believes he is right," Creed said slowly, carefully. "Patricia would sense that. He would be more than happy to show and explain why he does so. You don't know how powerful that would be to convince her. I think she genuinely would believe he is right."

"She does," the Chronicler said. "There is no ambiguity about it."

"Context is important," the Commander said slowly, an undercurrent of hardness in his voice. "And explains a good deal. But it is no excuse. She knows better, or knew better. His reasons do not change the fact that they invaded a world on false pretenses. It does not change the hundreds of thousands of innocent Humans abducted. It does not change the fact that they continue to invade our territories and kill our soldiers."

Anger was a rare emotion to feel so strongly, but it grew in him now. "The Imperator lies, or perhaps is deluded enough to believe he is on the right side. He was not interested only in the Sovereign, else he would have approached peacefully – or quietly to determine if it existed. Once he determined our species was not under its influence, he should have pulled back and established peaceful relations if that was truly his intention."

A long pause hung in the air. "And he didn't. He wishes control over our species, the reasons are merely window dressing. He is no different than the Sovereigns, using his people as proxies against a foe they have no idea exists. Patricia has no excuse for this, and if she has abandoned our species because of it, she will be executed as the traitor she is."

There were nods from those around the holotable, Creed included, though the pain was clear on his face. "Perhaps she can be reasoned with," he said slowly, though without much hope. "She has only heard what the Imperator has told her. If she heard from you or-"

"Unlikely," the Chronicler interrupted with a shake of his head. "She's more than joined him, she has become his Harbinger. Aegis, have you heard of the Avatar Project?"

"Yes, it was a theoretical experiment conceptualized by Revelean," Aegis answered. "A means for Ethereals to use other species as proxies without risking us in direct conflict. The experiment went nowhere and was eventually discontinued."

"Well, the Imperator ordered it started again," the Chronicler answered. "And succeeded. She is the Avatar of the Imperator, and has a direct connection to him, and if Isomnum's memories are to be believed, is now capable of merging with his mind and drawing anything from it, in addition to a degree of power."

"The equivalent of a Sovereign Avatar," Vahlen noted. "But for Ethereals."

"Only more invasive," the Chronicler clarified. "What I have with T'Leth is a mental connection, but little beyond that. When he…" he waved a hand. "Assumes control, it is only T'Leth who exists; who controls my body. I am merely an observer, and it is largely a haze. Here…it appears to be a mixture, where both minds become closer to something singular, with neither having full control. It is more dangerous to fight, though also will likely have ramifications for both who are linked. Not to mention the procedure for this is…also invasive, though Isomnum lacked the details."

"This is extremely troubling," Aegis stated. "Patricia is far more dangerous than we believe if this is true. If she has direct access to the mind of the Imperator…her limited Trask level by comparison will mean nothing next to the mastery the Imperator can call upon."

"Would she be able to be handled?" The Commander asked the Chronicler. "We can clearly not afford to take chances here."

"Of course she can be handled," he answered. "Little doubt of that."

Aegis did not seem convinced. "We would do best not to underestimate her capabilities now."

"And we will not," the Commander said firmly. "But this will be…we will need to think of the fallout when it is revealed. It will not be taken well."

"I'll work on something to address this," Zhang nodded. "I suspect Sana may have more to add."

"Let us hope," the Commander agreed. "And see if she is going to be on our side or not."

---

Barracks, the Praesidium – Classified Location

3/14/2017 – 7:15 A.M.

The screen was bright in the dimly lit room, and Nuan didn't feel like getting up to increase the overall brightness. She was more than content to just…sit. Relax. For the first time in what felt like days. So much had happened that she'd largely missed, and catching up on everything that had happened was a painful, though necessary task she felt she needed to do.

The only thing she had wished was that she could have been there when Isomnum was beaten to death by Kane. She didn't know the man well, but made a point to go and thank him the night of the celebration. He hadn't really responded to her outside to a short nod, but at least he knew. He'd probably been getting similar comments. Not a man of the spotlight, but she couldn't blame him.

XCOM Intelligence had taken away their alien friend, and he was presumably being questioned. She'd been skeptical, but it appeared that he was an actually genuine defector and hoped that XCOM wouldn't treat him too harshly. The civilians were currently staying in a refugee camp in Vietnam and being cared for, and if things recovered relatively quickly, they might be returning to China in a few months.

Although personally…Nuan doubted that they would want to go back. She wouldn't. Too many bad memories, not to mention if China was ever attacked again, Hainan would again be on the front lines. Hopefully ADVENT would just…turn it into a defense point. It wasn't safe for civilians to be living in it right now.

The celebration had been…fun…but she needed to get informed as to what was happening. There was so much that was just…an open question mark. She didn't even know if there was a Chinese government anymore or if the Bringer had killed them all. For all she knew, the ISS had been completely purged.

Google wasn't being helpful, and she was hesitant to ask the Commander or even Iosif at this moment as they had a lot to focus on. But she had a sinking feeling that it too had been similarly destroyed, which made her feel…empty. She had only been there a few years, but when she'd been accepted it had been one of the proudest moments of her life. The knowledge that she was one of the elite few to have achieved such an important position…well, she had loved it.

All in service to a country which was now devastated.

No one would mourn the ISS. Perhaps they would feel some respect for the Chinese soldiers who had died in defense of their country, but that was where the sympathies would end. Right or wrong, justified or not, the Chinese government – and especially Chinese intelligence – had been looked upon with disgust, hate, and fear by the western world – who was now for all intents and purposes ruling humanity.

Not that she resented ADVENT for achieving what many had tried – east and west – and failed to do. But it didn't exactly thrill her to know that there were many, many people in ADVENT – citizens and officials alike – who were secretly pleased with this outcome. The Chinese state was effectively destroyed, the Chinese military and intelligence forces were heavily reduced and wholly dependent on ADVENT, and they would unquestionably be integrated into ADVENT at this point, as she knew they would not take 'no' for an answer.

She wondered if she was being unfair. Obviously, no one wanted this particular outcome, but ever since the Chinese had made an alliance, she'd known that ADVENT would eventually bring them into the fold, and the way they would do this was by allowing the Chinese to become weaker and weaker until they asked to join. The Bringer, Isomnum…they had just accelerated this timetable.

But again, she was probably among the few in the world who would privately mourn the loss of the men and women of the ISS. There had been good people there, and most were likely dead. The only comfort for them was that they had been avenged.

A short knock on the wall drew her attention. She turned to see Iosif in the doorway, looking questioningly in. "Thought you would be busy," she said, keeping her voice low and spinning her chair around nonetheless. "I can't imagine how much work you're dealing with."

"It's a lot, but a break is in order," he said, pulling up a chair opposite her. "But you don't have to worry about that. So why are you up so early, and don't lie, because I can tell you're not alright."

It was going to be interesting having a partner who could sense her true emotional state without even trying. She could keep herself outwardly composed fine, but clearly that wasn't going to be a thing now. Perhaps it was for the best. Honesty and all that. "Trying to figure out what's going to happen to my country next," she shrugged, nodding back to the screen. "The government is gone. The military is barely holding together. The ISS appears to just be…erased. No one knows what's going to happen now except that whatever comes will be under ADVENT control."

He gave a nod. "Talks are going to happen today. Not sure you'll like what will probably happen."

She shrugged. "I can guess. Don't worry, I've accepted it. It's probably for the best whatever happens. We couldn't protect ourselves without ADVENT, so maybe the next time it will go better." She paused. "Although I don't know what I'll consider myself after the talks go through. Taiwan is going to take over the mainland, yes? That's where it's headed?"

Iosif pursed his lips. "Very likely. They have a mostly intact government barring the recent assassination of the President. They suspect a reunification will be a good thing; a new dawn for the country. Tibet is likely to gain independence, and Hong Kong is considering demanding sovereignty."

"And the collapse of the Chinese state will be complete," she mused quietly, without bitterness. "I wondered years ago how it might happen. Many contingencies and warnings. But never thought it would be so…complete. Everything I spent my life enforcing and protecting is now gone. I don't know what to feel. I don't even know if I can call myself a Chinese citizen if the country I lived in changes so radically."

"I wouldn't go that far," Iosif disputed. "You were born in China, you lived there your whole life. No matter what happens, that won't change."

She knew he wouldn't really understand, but didn't completely fault him. "Whatever is made after today is not the country I will have been from. I'm not Taiwanese or Tibetan. The China that will be built will only resemble the country in name."

He leaned back in his chair and considered her seriously. "Nuan, do you think that is a bad thing?"

"I don't know," she answered quietly after a minute. "We weren't perfect, but neither was America and they still exist without foreigners and dissidents taking them over. Perhaps China needed reform…but it should be on our terms. Where it was Chinese who made the changes so it would be us who were still at the core of our country…not Chinese pretenders and traitors."

She sighed. "I suppose it doesn't matter. Maybe it is more palpable to me because I've gotten used to XCOM. It's become something of a home. Now the only one I really have left, if my nationality is gone as well."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "And ultimately…nationality itself is becoming a thing of the past, or at least compared to what it used to be. We're Humans, and that is a more important label than where you happened to be born in the world. One day I think you'll find a new place to call home, be it China or somewhere else."

"Or maybe I'll just end up staying here," she said, then allowed a wan smile. "If things work out, wherever you are too."

"I think I'd be fine with that," he said lightly after pretending to consider, before growing more serious. "But I won't pretend to completely understand you here. Nationalism isn't something I subscribed to as much as you."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "You're Russian."

"And?" He smirked. "Contrary to popular belief, that does not always indicate a strong nationalist desire nor do all who join the military do so because of a fervent belief in the leadership. Perhaps they simply want to protect their home or help those who live inside it."

"Point taken," she relented.

"But don't hold back if you want to talk about it," he continued. "And I'll see what I can do to find out if there are any survivors of the ISS."

She blinked. "I…thank you."

"Of course," he nodded. "You may be right that no one cared about them, but they should know that at least someone does. Give me a few days though, we have a lot of other things to deal with."

"That's fine," she said, some of the void inside her filling. Perhaps false hope, but there was at least something to look to in the future. "I'll wait."

---

ADVENT Secure Checkpoint, Beijing – China

3/14/2017 – 3:00 P.M.

Humans and Ethereals stood together in a room under a nameless skyscraper which had been first converted into a field hospital, and then later into a secured room where what could potentially be among the most important meetings of the war would take place. The Commander, Zhang, the Chronicler, and Aegis had arrived from XCOM. Saudia, Laura, and Elizabeth had joined from ADVENT.

And Sana'Ligna herself was merely standing quietly as the Humans and lone Ethereal gathered around a simple wooden table, some pulling out files and binders, or in the case of Elizabeth, a tablet. This was to be the first 'real' talk with Sana, and the Commander decided to start things off. There had been some brief discussion with Saudia beforehand, and she had said she would let XCOM take the lead due to Aegis.

"Your cooperation against Isomnum is appreciated, Sana'Ligna," he began, hands clasped behind his back. "As has been your work in healing the wounded."

"It is the least I can do, Commander," she said, her voice melodious and oddly soothing. "Though I feel in some cases there was resentment. The soldiers do not trust me, I have sensed that much."

"You are an Ethereal and an alien," Laura said bluntly. "Most of them have not had good experiences with either."

A sigh. "I understand that. I hope my assistance may ease their prejudices."

"It likely will have a positive effect," the Commander said, wanting to move the conversation back on track before it focused on the wrong thing. "However, that is irrelevant at the moment. Now while we are grateful for your assistance, the question remains why you did so in the first place. You did not come at the behest of the Battlemaster of Imperator, correct? But you have yet to indicate if you will follow Aegis in joining us."

"I assisted because Isomnum was an evil that needed to be stopped," she stated. "While I…did not wish his death…I do not feel remorse that it happened. Even though so few of us remain, he did not deserve to be among them. I assisted because I could no longer stand by and do nothing; I could not remain bound to a side which not only harbors and enables those like Isomnum, but refuses to correct their mistakes."

"I'm pleased," Aegis said approvingly. "Perhaps your departure will open the eyes of others to realize the failures of the Imperator and his methods."

"You misunderstand, Aegis," Sana shook her head slowly. "I do not intend to join you, ADVENT, or XCOM, nor subject myself to them. I assisted because it was the right thing to do…but I made my decision to not perpetuate this war through my own actions."

That answered that question, which the Commander could not say he was pleased by. His features hardened. "Respectfully, Sana'Ligna, what do you intend to do then? Go back to the Collective? If you are not a reliable ally, you cannot stay here."

"I intend to bring this war to an end," she said firmly. "For the sake of your species and our own. Nothing will be achieved here but more Ethereals dying and your species will eventually succumb to the Imperator. He has, and continues to take actions I disagree with…but few go against his power. Even I can see that he is not to be trifled with."

Saudia pursed her lips, though her expression was contained. Zhang followed suit. The Commander simply shook his head, though the Chronicler looked amused. "Your confidence in the Imperator may be misplaced," he said neutrally, resting his hands on the table and looking the Ethereal in the eyes. "Isomnum was no pushover. He died to us. The Imperator has not faced a Sovereign One, and not even he can match their might. Do not count out our species."

"So you believe," Sana answered. "I sincerely hope you see the error of your ways. The Imperator is sending his Harbinger to take this planet. I wish to avoid your species being conquered, but you must understand that this entire war…it is pointless. You are accomplishing nothing but killing hundreds of thousands of your own species, not to mention soldiers of the Collective. Your lands, infrastructure, and monuments are slowly destroyed and ruined. Continued war will only bring ruin to your species, not freedom."

The Commander was silent for a moment, then let out a chuckle. "Assume for a moment that we entertain such an idea. That we give up out of fear. That we accept that we are doomed to fail because the Imperator is sending Patricia Trask to break us." At this Saudia and Laura shot alarmed glances his way. "What guarantee of any sort do we have that the Imperator is even remotely interested in peace?"

His lips curled into a thin, furious smile. "The Imperator, Sana'Ligna, is not and never has been interested in peace between our species. So long as T'Leth lives on our world, he will never cease trying to undermine, eradicate, or conquer us."

"That is an understandable point," Sana said. "Which is why T'Leth must leave Earth."

The Chronicler raised an eyebrow. "And just why would T'Leth do this – and why do you assume that he could even do this."

"If your Sovereign is as powerful as you claim, leaving Earth for another planet should pose no difficult task," Sana answered the Chronicler back. "If your Sovereign is as benevolent as you claim, would he not willingly accept the risk if it meant that the war against an innocent species would end? Or is he a coward who will continue to hide behind a proxy or merely because he selfishly does not want to leave?" Her voice softened. "I understand it is not fair, but for the good of Humanity – and to end a war – it is the clearest solution to resolve this dispute. The Imperator is focused on the Sovereign Ones. When he learns T'Leth is gone, he will pull back and focus on the perceived greater threat."

"A completely foolproof plan," Saudia said, her weary tone biting. "You only suggest that we force our one trump card that could ensure our protection off of Earth on the slight chance that the Imperator would end the war."

"You also assume that T'Leth being here is a negative," the Commander said slowly. "From what I've seen, it is the one thing which has held the Imperator back. He fears the Sovereign Ones, and T'Leth in particular. And after everything my species has endured under his orders, you dare insist that we remove our own ally to end this war?"

"And your continued loyalty to this Sovereign will ensure your species dies!" Sana insisted. "He will only use this to continue to justify the war! Unfair or not, that you are aware of the Sovereigns and actively protecting one gives the illusion that you are proxies to it."

"A perception that would disappear if T'Leth left?" Zhang demanded incredulously. "You are a fool, even more so than I anticipated. The Imperator would consider it a trick – and he would continue the war – and this time there would be no Sovereign on our planet. Instead of 'saving' us, your idiotic plan will ensure that we lose."

"As for our loyalty," the Commander stated, crossing his arms and glaring at the Ethereal. "T'Leth is our ally. A powerful ally, yes, with questionable power dynamics, but nonetheless he approached us and offered his help. The Imperator may consider us proxies, but frankly, what he believes does not concern me. T'Leth has proven to be a reliable ally, and neither I, nor XCOM, will abandon our allies on the false promise of peace."

He pointed a finger at her. "And let me be clear, Sana'Ligna, the time for peace has long since passed. There will be no peace while the Imperator lives. His actions have marked him as an eternal threat to our species, and unless he is deposed and replaced by more intelligent leadership, we cannot in good conscience end the war which is the only action which gives him pause."

"So you intend to continue the war, even if peace was an option?" Sana demanded. "Based on your own fear of the Imperator and nothing else?"

"Enough, Sana, think!" Aegis interrupted, as forcefully as the Commander had ever heard him. "You know – as well as I do – that the Imperator will never cease the subversion of Humanity. He does not operate like this. Every species in the Collective is ultimately under his control, and Humanity will be no different. Perhaps there will be a false peace, and he will wait. A century or two may pass, and the war will eventually become a memory."

Aegis looked around the room. "Humans have short lifespans, and are adaptable. Trade will begin between the Collective and Humanity. Relations will normalize. XCOM will be disbanded or reduced, and public sentiment will be manipulated to support integration into the Collective. And then the Imperator will win."

"While I don't disagree with your sentiment," Saudia interjected. "ADVENT would not be so easily fooled as to forget what the Imperator has done even after we are long dead. But your point is unassailable – the Imperator will never be someone we can consider safe. And unlike other enemies, we cannot wait for him to die. He will live forever, while we will not. He can be patient, but I cannot predict the future. Loathe as I am to admit it, time will have an effect."

"And centuries of peace and normalization are things you consider bad?" She demanded. "Millions of dead and years of war are preferable? And again, based on your fear of what the Imperator could do?"

"Will do, Sana," Aegis clarified. "There is no ambiguity, even if you cannot see it."

"And the Imperator would never agree to peace so long as T'Leth is a factor," the Chronicler interjected. "And do you demand he turn himself in? That he be forced to leave for peace knowing that he will be hunted?"

"T'Leth is a Sovereign One who has survived such cycles for millions of years," Sana stated, her own voice turning hard. "You clearly consider him to be an ally, but the truth is that he ultimately does not need you, and you need him. If he is so powerful, then he should be able to survive far from Earth."

"And again, you use the same justification without saying why T'Leth is somehow bound to this?" The Chronicler smirked. "Why must T'Leth – who I will note has resided on Earth for centuries and never once interfered – leave? Instead, might I suggest the Imperator himself leave? The Imperator does not need the Collective, though it needs him. And if he is so powerful, then he should be able to survive far from Earth. Why is the Imperator special, Ethereal?"

For the first time, Sana had no answer for him. "Your pursuit of a peaceful solution is admirable, Sana," Aegis finally said. "But the truth is that there is no solution that does not involve the deaths or otherwise negations of the Imperator or T'Leth."

"Ignoring this," Laura interrupted. "There is also the fact that the Imperator allowed individuals like Isomnum and the Creator free reign in his Collective - including Revelean - who are no doubt continuing experiments on Humans well out of the public eye. Not to mention the continued existence of Paradise station which is actively running. I for one will ensure that there is no peace so long as the station exists, and if the Imperator has not shut it down due to this, he never will."

"He will not," the Commander said pointedly to Sana. "And you know why. Because it is important to his ultimate plan. The Imperator is only concerned about controlling power strong enough to defeat a Sovereign, and he will never give that up. But you know this. You know peace for us is a foolish and idiotic option. So why are you really trying to force this peace?"

"I gave you my reasons, and it is disappointing you do not consider them valid or believe I must have some angle," she said, voice bitter. "Though I suppose in this galaxy, such is expected. You do not see the direction the Collective is headed. The longer this war drags on, the more will die. And I do not mean your species. The Collective will fracture; tensions between the Battlemaster and Imperator are growing to a breaking point. Millions will die, my species will be destroyed beyond hope of recovery, and your species will be assimilated or eradicated. The Sectoids or Andromedons will be purged, and it is only a matter of time before the radical Miridian inspires a rebellion which will force the Zararch to purge swaths of the species. Is it this hard to believe I do not want this to happen?!"

"Peace doesn't prevent any of this from happening!" The Commander retorted. "At best it delays it. It is only going to ensure that the next conflict is bloodier and longer – and this one with absolutely no hope of peace. As for the Collective…" he shook his head. "Let it burn. Let the Andromedons and Sectoids eradicate each other. Let the Battlemaster and Imperator at each other's throats. I have no sympathy for your species, Ethereal, or your Collective. You started this war, so I am content to let your kind destroy themselves. Then we will come later and finish the job to ensure that your kind never do this again."

"And you instead propose genocide?" Sana demanded. "You see why I will not bind to these people, Aegis. They are little better than the Imperator."

The Commander's lips twitched. "Better. You certainly have an interesting perception, Sana, though perhaps not surprising for a species that innately considers themselves superior." He walked around the table slowly. "Let me ask you a question – have we invaded a planet without justifiable cause and subjected a technologically inferior people to a war they should not win? Have we kidnapped thousands of civilians and used them for test subjects in labs? Have we created anything remotely resembling Paradise? Do we allow creatures like Isomnum to exist and espouse their beliefs? Do we have a certain class of Humans who have unlimited power and consider themselves superior over all others? Do we have client states which we keep in line with the threat of violence and replacement?"

He stopped before Sana, his voice low. "No. No, I do not believe we do. Do not dare suggest we are remotely comparable to what the Imperator has allowed to flourish under his watch. And let me be clear – I do not wish to completely eradicate your species. Only the ones who refuse to surrender. Those we will kill. The rest we will control with the Manchurian Restraints to ensure they cannot abuse their power again."

"And do you support this, Aegis?" Sana asked, looking to the opposite Ethereal.

"There are a limited number of outcomes for this war," Aegis said. "What the Imperator plans will ensure the eradication of our species. Thus he must be restrained or killed. There is no other way. I have given it much thought, and there is simply no easy solution."

"I see." Sana was silent for a moment. "I fear that you may wish to reconsider later. You will soon see that you underestimate the Imperator, and the legions the Battlemaster commands. I am sorry, but this cannot be denied. But I will remain, and be willing to see a peaceful resolution to this war."

The Commander shook his head, an incredulous laugh threatened to break loose. "You still don't get it. It doesn't matter what the Imperator does or does not do – we will not surrender or insist on a false peace. And where do you intend to go? Back to the Collective?"

"No, I will not support them either until they similarly insist on a peaceful solution," she answered. "I will turn my efforts towards providing healing and protection for those caught between your side and that of the Collective."

"On Earth?" Saudia asked.

"The conflict takes place here, so yes." She answered.

"I don't think so," Laura stepped forward. "The last thing we need is a rogue Ethereal roaming on our planet, and you have clearly shown yourself to not be a reliable ally here. We don't want or need your 'help' or 'aid', Ethereal. Come back when you're ready to take a real stand. You do not want peace, Ethereal, you want a return to the status quo."

She motioned absently. "I've read your file, and for once it appears to reflect reality pretty well. This war hasn't revealed anything you didn't already know existed about the Collective, it's only forcing you to confront the reality that your kind enjoy playing god and unleashing whatever they please upon the galaxy. Paradise station existed long before this war, yet you continued your own work in pretend ignorance because it was out of sight, and out of mind."

"You knew the Vitakara are controlled by a brutal police state but it was fine because there was peace," she continued. "You claim to be empathetic and care about life but you know the experiments conducted on Paradise, by your fellow Ethereals, and what each and every Muton is subjected to on Desolan, but you didn't care because you didn't see it. Because there was peace."

She shook her head, glaring daggers into the Ethereal. "You don't want peace, Ethereal, you want quiet. You want things to go back to the way they were. You don't want to be confronted with uncomfortable truths. You don't want to be challenged. You don't want to admit that you or your kind are wrong. You want to pretend that everything is fine, that your conscience is clear, but you know deep down that it isn't and never will be."

Laura pulled out her pistol and set it on the table, hand over it. "You are a coward, Sana'Ligna, and the only thing I hate more than an enemy is someone who tries to insist that both sides are equal and valid when they are very clearly not. Centrism has a place, but not when the fates of billions hang in the balance. You've spoken enough to make your position clear. So I will do the same – help us, or get off our planet, or the next time we see you, we will kill you just as we did Isomnum."

There was silence after that. The Commander was rather impressed with the speech, and doubted he could have said it better. But Sana was not done, it seemed, though Aegis spoke before she even could. "That is an unfair assessment. Very few are ignorant as to the less than desirable elements of the Collective, but there is little one can do without being ostracized and continuously watched. I experienced this myself."

"And left when you saw it could not be changed," Laura nodded. "Exactly."

"And what is it you think I have done here?" Sana demanded to Laura. "I have done everything short of defecting. I was one of those who participated in killing an Ethereal. I assisted an army backed by a Sovereign One, as well as one the Imperator is at war with. I cannot go back to the way things were, even if I wanted to."

"Then commit to it," Laura shook her head. "You did the right thing here, but I'm not going to give you extra recognition for acting like a decent sentient being. Isomnum is a product of the Ethereal Collective, not an abnormality. Even if you cannot go back to the way things were – something I doubt as Isomnum was hated even in the Collective – that is what you ultimately desire for everyone else. But we cannot go back to the way things were – nor do we want to."

"Peace is not a concept we do not strive towards, Sana'Ligna," the Commander interjected, wanting to speak before Laura drove Sana away, and while he wouldn't necessarily be displeased, he would prefer that she not decide to go back to the Collective. "But peace is only desirable when our species is in a position of safety and no threats are posed to us. This will never be met so long as the Imperator lives – or at least exists in his current form."

"By that logic, Commander, T'Leth should be subject to the same restrictions," Sana countered. "He poses a direct threat to the Imperator and by extension, the Collective."

"Of course he does!" The Chronicler laughed. "The Imperator attacked him. He wants him dead. How exactly should he respond? Do not paint the Imperator as the threatened and damaged party in this scenario, Ethereal. Everything is the result of his actions, and I am tired of you attempting to rationalize them to promote a faux peace that will never work."

"Then be clear about what your goals are," Sana said, straining. "You do not want peace, you want supremacy for your species. You desire to be the ultimate power in the galaxy capable of crushing any threats under you. Until such a point is reached, you will never strive for peace even if it leads to endless conflict and war."

"We were attacked unjustly when we had not even developed proper space travel," Saudia said coldly – stone cold eyes focused on the Ethereal. "By an alien power that far outweighs us in numbers, technology, and might. Had events proceeded any other way, we would now be a pawn of the Ethereal Collective. But now we have the capability to ensure that no alien force can conquer our species again – and if that involves utterly destroying the alien powers that threaten our existence, then I will personally ensure it is done. You will not be the only ones who will try to subjugate us, so we must be prepared for the next."

"I suppose it was unlikely you would have been willing," Sana shook her head. "You've seen and done too much, justified or not. The only peace that will be achieved is through war which leaves billions dead. You, the Imperator, the Battlemaster, the only thing that matters is growing or maintaining your power, and it is clear this will never change."

Laura looked like she wanted to punch the Ethereal. "If you think this has anything to do with power, Ethereal, then perhaps you need to reexamine facts. We did not start this war. We are being invaded by an alien power. We have been on the receiving end of attacks against our world for nearly two years. We are actively resisting a forced assimilation of our species. Tell me why we should even consider peace with the Imperator?"

"Because if you do not, you will die!" Sana answered fiercely. "I cannot make that any clearer! You believe you can stand against the Imperator, but you cannot. Do not give yourselves false hope merely because your Sovereign ally believes he can protect you. The Sovereigns do not protect their allies when they are threatened – they leave. They flee. How else have they survived so long? Everything is expendable to them – and for T'Leth, your species is included."

"Beware the propaganda of your Imperator, fool," the Chronicler smiled. "He knows very little of the Sovereigns. He has an inbuilt perception based on his own paranoia and delusions. T'Leth may not be a conventional Sovereign in his own philosophies, but even he understands that even the worst of the Sovereigns do not abandon their pawns and tools until such have already been destroyed. Sovereigns with the mindset you describe are the most likely to die a quick and painful death."

"As for the threat the Imperator poses to us…" Saudia paused briefly. "We'll take our chances. Such…concern…for our species is admirable, but I assure you, Sana'Ligna, we do not intend to lose. Every single time we were supposed to fall, we have overcome your Collective, and the Imperator will be no different."

"Then there is nothing more I can say," Sana said sadly. "I hope you consider the blood on your hands worth it before you see what you have built destroyed. You will soon see that the Imperator is not like any threat you have faced before. When that happens…I hope that you reconsider. For the sake of your species."

"We'll keep that in mind," the Commander said non-commitally. "But if you would excuse us, we have a war to win. I would advise you stay away from your former allies unless you want to be designated as an enemy again."

"Do not worry, Commander," she said as she departed. "I will not be returning to the Collective. There are those on Earth who I will help, though I will not discriminate based on labels. They deserve protection and healing, as they are mere pawns being thrown into conflict by yourselves and the Imperator. You may not care about their fate, but I do and will act."

"Be safe, Sana'Ligna," Aegis bowed his head. "But do not take unnecessary chances."

She did not answer, but departed quietly until they were left alone.

Saudia looked at Laura, rather surprised. "Perhaps I should have you look at my speeches. I didn't know you had that talent."

"I don't, Chancellor, but I've disliked this Ethereal ever since I read her file," Laura answered calmly, picking her pistol back up and holstering it. "Self-righteous aliens who consider themselves morally better than mere mortal aliens are something I rather hate, and after she started talking, I knew exactly how it was going to go."

"Unfortunately, I expected similar," Aegis said, sounding deflated. "I cannot fault your reaction, nor can I fully condemn her. She simply will not accept certain realities of the galaxy and that she will no longer be assisting the Collective directly is a positive development. I will keep in contact with her to ensure she does not act…rashly. My concern is not her, but what Mortis will do."

"Considering the first thing Mortis did when he was awakened was immediately decide to eradicate Paradise, I think he may actually make the right decision," the Commander said. "He appears to have a conviction his sister lacks."

"Perhaps," Aegis mused. "We will soon see. With your permission, I would suggest that Caelior be allowed to see her. Perhaps to show that your intentions for Ethereals are not necessarily ill-intended."

"I'll consider it," was all the Commander said.

"In any case," the Chronicler coughed. "I would like to say that I did not quite expect the amount of support for our Sovereign ally. T'Leth will be heartened to learn of it. He is…used to abandonment when it is convenient. Expected of Sovereigns, but having a reliable ally is not something he is used to yet. I'm glad."

"Convey to T'Leth that we value his support as an ally," the Commander nodded. "So long as he proves reliable, he has nothing to expect from us but reciprocation."

"Now there is another matter," Saudia said, her voice demanding attention. "You mentioned that Patricia Trask was coming to Earth. Would you care to clarify this development?"

Right, time to explain this. "We learned a good deal of information from Isomnum's mind before he was killed. Which included the fact that Patricia has joined him, and is going to be coming to Earth to secure the planet for the Imperator."

Just from their faces, the Commander knew that this was going to be a long and largely unpleasant conversation. But better to hash out the contingencies now than later, and so as he explained what they learned, he was keeping a growing list of solutions ever in his mind. There was a lot to consider, and not a lot of time to implement it.

Better to not waste any more time.

---

Sanctum of the Overmind – Classified Location

3/14/2017 – 10:11 A.M.

The first time he had been brought here had been nothing short of awe-inspiring. It was a jungle world, one largely overrun with a moon shining above. It was a green, healthy, and nearly untouched ecosystem which had life thriving on it. All except for a massive stone structure that rose above the trees which covered the planet.

Ivan suspected that the Overmind had found the structure in far worse condition, but had now restored it to its former glory. Although what had actually lived in this place? The Overmind had not said, but there were clues still left around. Murals on walls depicting aliens fighting in wars, alien script engraved into plaques and pictures, old archaic weapons and unseen technology whose power had long since been drained.

The Overmind kept one of the rooms in this tower solely for storing odd and unique artifacts he had found. Sometimes Ivan saw certain ones disappear, then reappear, or new ones take their place. There were a healthy number of Vitakara and Sectoids who entered and exited, perhaps archeologists or specialists.

As it turned out, this tower was only one of many which existed throughout the planet – all of which connected to massive underground labyrinths and tunnels. Excavation was ongoing as underground it had fallen into disrepair and collapse. But the Overmind was interested in this world for a particular reason, and as it turned out, it was not even on the planet.

Look to the far planets, look at what hovers in empty space.

He had, and he'd seen something which was in pieces. Large pieces, but pieces nonetheless. The structure had been large, he could tell that much, but it didn't appear to be a space station or something that had held life. From the shape of the wreckage and compaction of materials, he had believed it was a defense platform of some kind – or a weapon. Then he had spotted the remains of two rings floating, and made the connection. He'd seen one of the replicas of the device in Cogitian's library.

It then made sense why the Overmind was curious about this planet – and these aliens.

From what he had read, such advanced technology should not be able to be destroyed easily, if at all. Yet here one lay in ruins.

Today though, he was merely reviewing the events on Earth.

At the top of the tower, which had been converted into a modern communications hub, he was playing old Human news stations in the background while reading Zararch, Andromedon, and even intercepted ADVENT reports detailing the events which had taken place. He could not say he was pleased or surprised by the outcome.

Isomnum had been a fool, and he was certainly not upset the Dread Lord was dead. However, the ramifications for said actions and subsequent death were clearly becoming apparent – and something that no one would see on the daily news.

Assessment.

The command appeared in his mind. A rasping voice which he knew now was designed to be as unsettling as possible. The Overmind had no mouth, and so communicated solely through telepathy. Ivan had soon figured out that his 'voice' was something unique to each listener – but the one thing in common was that everyone found it disturbing.

He was used to it by now. The Overmind was not even in the same room, but a few floors down, but was constantly aware of everything happening in the Tower – and the planet for that matter. He would occasionally ask for Ivan's own opinion, and through the link forged by the Avatar Project, he knew that it was because the Overmind was both curious as to his own perspective – and to make a larger point.

Ivan set the tablet down and tuned out the sounds around him. "Whatever Isomnum knew, T'Leth knows now too. The Sovereign orb would not have been used otherwise. We should assume that ADVENT and XCOM are aware of the Avatar Project as well as that Patricia Trask is coming to end the war. This will pose problems."

Why?

"They are allowed time to prepare," Ivan answered, not completely sure where this point was going. The downsides seemed obvious to him. "The moment Patricia appears they will have stories ready. Propaganda to distribute. Not to mention know the others who have undergone the Avatar Project. It gives them information, and they will exploit it. Not to mention they will likely abandon any plan to 'redeem' Patricia if they know for sure she is on our side. That would have been useful."

They underestimate what she can do.

"She was the Psionic Overseer of XCOM," Ivan said, thinking. "Respectfully, I doubt it."

Patricia Trask of XCOM could be easily defeated. XCOM does not fear her adequately. They will only prepare for her telepathic capabilities – capabilities they can mitigate with their own equally powerful psions as well as the Agents of T'Leth. They are arrogant. Their defeat of the Dread Lord leads them to believe they can kill the Imperator's Harbinger.

"Obviously," Ivan grunted. "Though Sonoda didn't exactly give them reason to fear the results of the Avatar…" He trailed off, his brow furrowing as he grabbed his tablet and pulled up several of the diagnostics recorded from the battle which Isomnum had been so kind as to keep operational. He now had a very good idea of what the Overmind was getting at.

Sure enough, he found the diagnostics for Avatar Sonoda, and much to his surprise, saw that she had not once activated the Avatar link. He looked at the readings in disbelief. "What the hell were either of them thinking?"

Isomnum was arrogant. He did not believe he needed an Avatar, and only acquired one for symbolic purposes. Allowing an alien deep into his mind is unthinkable, thus he did not allow one. Sonoda could have activated the link, of course, and had she not died, she would have. It does not matter now.

"And now XCOM does not know the actual capabilities of the Avatar Project," Ivan finished slowly, nodding to himself. "Since they killed one…they will not treat another one as a significant danger – Even the Harbinger of the Imperator himself…" a smile spread across his face. "Isomnum has certainly been more useful in death than he ever was in life."

Isomnum was useful in life against the Synthesized, but his time had come. We must move forward, and not be stuck in the ways of the past.

"Still…" he considered. "Patricia is not invincible. I am curious if her plan can be executed as well as she claims."

She learned well from the Commander. She knows XCOM, ADVENT, and how they will react. The Imperator is confident in her capabilities, as am I. You will soon assist her and liberate Humanity from the grasp of the Sovereign One.

Fighting alongside Patricia Trask. Certainly not something he ever thought he would remotely consider as possible. But times were strange, and he wouldn't have placed himself as the Harbinger of the second most powerful Ethereal alive. Although there was one outstanding issue he was curious about.

"The Bringer. Does the Imperator intend to act?"

Amusement rippled from the Overmind, strong enough that Ivan could feel it easily. That was rare, and it gave him a good feeling.

The Bringer will learn his place. The Imperator has grown tired of his arrogance. There will be retribution for his subterfuge, but it will come after his Harbinger has acted on Earth. A message needs to be sent to all, and later…later the Bringer will be punished.

---

Research Labs, the Praesidium – Classified Location

3/15/2017 – 2:11 P.M.

The Chronicler, Aegis, Vahlen, Shen, the Commander, and V'Thrask stood around a monitor as they watched the footage taken from multiple armor cams from both ADVENT and XCOM soldiers. "You likely know better than we do," the Commander said, looking to the Andromedon beside him. "Is that a Special Operator?"

The Andromedon looked at the footage quietly, clearly considering his words before answering. "I do not think it can be anything else. I am afraid that I likely know as much about the Special Operators as you do. The Unions do not command them. They answer solely to Federation leadership and the Chief Overseer. I have never seen one in combat before."

"The design appears streamlined," Shen commented, brow furrowing. "More form-fitting. Faster. Potentially advanced weaponry and defenses inbuilt. It appears beyond the current iterations of Andromedon armor."

"Too little data to be sure," V'Thrask answered. "Special Operators are known to be observers and assassins. They only act if their own safety is in danger, or they have received orders to eliminate a direct threat to the Federation. I suspect their equipment is not as extensive as a standard soldier, but their capabilities supplement this void."

"The next important question is why there was a Special Operator there at all," Vahlen said, pacing while she looked down at her tablet. "The Battlemaster would have learned the Hunter was involved, assuming he wasn't aware the entire time. Could this have been additional backup?"

"It is not surprising there was a Special Operator there," V'Thrask corrected, tone somber. "I suspect there are dozens of Special Operators observing throughout Earth. What is exceptionally surprising and concerning is that it acted."

A pause. "This was either done at the orders of the Imperator or another high-ranking Ethereal – or it was a warning from the Chief Overseer to the Imperator. What I can say for sure is that the Federation will universally consider the Bringer a threat to the Andromedon species and if the Chief Overseer wanted to make this point abundantly clear to the Imperator – this is how it would be achieved."

"More cracks appear in the foundation," the Commander mused thoughtfully as he looked at the stilled image. "Paradise might become more trouble than it is worth for him. If nothing else, it will distract him for a time, assuming your interpretation is correct."

"V'Zarrah will update me shortly on the situation in the Federation," V'Thrask said. "Although I doubt we will have confirmation on why a Special Operator was utilized at all. The Unions will be unaware of this fact even if Federation leadership will not. J'Loran is also likely aware."

"Questions about the appearance and motivations aside, there is a much more pressing matter regarding the appearance of this unit," Vahlen interrupted. "In short – what it actually did. Aegis, have you ever seen psionics utilized in this way?"

"No," he answered slowly. "I have not. I speculate that it is a form of advanced telekinesis and the initial charge appears to be similar to the Battlemaster-"

"It isn't psionics," the Chronicler interrupted, shaking his head. "I thought it was, and consulted T'Leth for an explanation. But it's not, and that the Special Operators are using it is a notable threat."

"Would you explain what it is then?" Vahlen asked.

"In short, it is poison," the Chronicler explained. "There are literally hundreds of names for it by each species who has encountered it, but it is poison, pure and simple. Psionics is the greatest power in this galaxy, and one Sovereign who was weak in the arts decided to find a way to even the odds. She developed the Element, which affects the galaxy in a tangible way by manipulating mass – granting those who used the Element powers similar to psions. But that was a side effect."

"Its purpose was to prevent psionic development," Aegis finished. "I was…unaware it had such properties. We had found it in the Empire, and because our species reacted poorly, we assumed its use was limited to transportation. But if it was artificially created…"

"Exactly," the Chronicler nodded firmly. "It is extremely useful, to the point where it has propagated across the galaxy and entire civilizations – those created by Sovereigns themselves – have based the technology of their entire species on it. This merely comes at the price of ensuring that psions cannot develop – as it is absolutely lethal to psions – and places those who rely on it at the mercy of its creator."

"Fascinating," the Commander commented. "A rather ingenious way of subverting psionics. Though this element clearly has uses, even if they are limited. Vahlen, you performed autopsies on Bringer soldiers who died from odd wounds?"

"Yes," she quickly walked forward and pulled up the reports. "My conclusion was some type of poisoning, which was confusing as I did not believe that they could truly succumb to something as simple as poison, but if they were shot by projectiles which were infused with this element…"

"And who would have had access to such weaponry?" The Commander wondered rhetorically. "Well then, it appears the Hunter has provided some unknown assistance again."

"Commander, I believe we have not considered the implications of this yet," Shen interjected, eyes lighting up. "This is the solution to the Ethereals. A silver bullet that we didn't know existed until now. We know there is a poison which can kill and inhibit any psion it encounters. If we were to acquire some and even manage to get a little on the Battlemaster or Imperator…we have our method of victory."

"Aegis, was this element capable of being synthesized?" Vahlen demanded.

"No," Aegis and the Chronicler answered at the same time, the latter shaking his head. "The only one who can even comprehend how it functions is the creator, and I guarantee that she will be less than willing to help."

"However, deposits were fairly common throughout the galaxy," Aegis clarified. "It needed to be refined before usage, but I suspect that the raw state will work perfectly fine as a chemical or bioweapon."

"As good as it is to learn this, we should not forget what this implies," the Commander said, deciding to curb the celebration as several unfortunate thoughts entered his mind. "The Collective has stores of this element ready and waiting to be deployed. Yes, it was used to help us this time, but how long will it be until it's going to be used on ADVENT Priests and our own psions?"

"They have to be careful," Shen pointed out. "They don't want to risk us getting our hands on any of it. Too much usage and it will only be a matter of time before we recover some and use it against a singular target. The death of an Ethereal will hurt far more than human psions they kill."

"The Battlemaster will not be careless with its usage," Aegis warned. "He has learned better than to allow technology to fall into your hands. We should proceed carefully, and make it a priority to acquire this element as soon as possible."

"Do you know where it would be kept in the Collective?" Vahlen asked.

"Desolan," Aegis answered immediately. "Perhaps other places, but Desolan for certain. Likely well-protected."

"The Federation as access as well," V'Thrask stated. "If the Special Operators have it, that means it is being harvested and stored. I have never heard of such an element being sold or traded, which means that anything to do with it has been suppressed by the Federation. I will have V'Zarrah investigate this matter for himself. There have been many questions on the Special Operators. Bringing certain details to light could force a response."

"Or force the Ethereals to become suspicious," the Commander noted.

"A reality to consider," V'Thrask agreed. "However, we will open our own investigation. If we cannot find stockpiles, perhaps we can locate a place in the galaxy where it can be harvested. We will need readings and chemical information. Chronicler, if T'Leth has access to these or has the knowledge it would be appreciated."

"I will do what I can." The Chronicler confirmed. "But the Commander is right. The Collective has brought this into play – and I am afraid that they are going to use it before we do."

---

Busan Military Outpost, Busan – South Korea

3/13/2017 – 8:12 P.M.

Today…well, it had been a largely good day. Duri felt better than he had in a while. The Collective had been pushed back, the nightmare in China was over, and he and his squad was alive. He couldn't ask for more. He wasn't exactly the party type, but he was willing to allow himself to enjoy the celebration.

It was the first real celebration he'd seen, and he was mildly surprised that ADVENT Command was letting it happen to this extent. It wasn't just the military base itself, but the city in general. A mixture of military and civilians joining together to celebrate the defeat of the Collective. Still, smart move. Morale would be high after this.

Even the XCOM squad had decided to stay for a while as they'd mopped up the remaining Collective soldiers, which Duri was pleased by because he could talk to Mona, who now sat across from him at one of the tables. Both of them had some food, were out of their armor and wearing more normal clothes as some music played in the background.

Cara and Beatriz were sitting with with him, Aleksandra was drinking over with some other soldiers and one of the XCOM operatives. Nobuatsu was unfortunately not joining them, as he needed to be on hand to treat all of the wounded, of which there were still many. Miguel was actually keeping up a conversation with the MEC pilot, which Duri had never seen before.

The pilot seemed to be almost completely mechanical with joints and limbs which seemed rather basic compared to the prosthetics he knew both ADVENT and XCOM were capable of producing. Mona had explained that they were intentionally designed that way to be able to interface directly with the suits, and Duri found that thinking about what that meant was…well, he couldn't quite wrap his head around it, nor did he really want to.

Mona was joined by two of her own soldiers, Said and Fatima Tariq who were also psions. Cara had been rather surprised to hear they were a couple, and there had been a long tangent on relationships in XCOM. Their explanation that they'd been civilians who'd eventually been caught up in XCOM was one that made sense, although Duri noted that they were very light on details as to how that happened.

"Johan mentioned you," Mona was saying. "Not that we…talked a lot during the beginning of the war. Too busy. But he said you were a good officer."

"I do my best," Duri answered. "All I can do now. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Mona snorted. "Look, I don't blame you at all for his death. He was fighting against the goddamn Warlock. It's frankly a miracle that anyone in your squad lived. Trust me when I say that from what I know about that alien, that's a pretty good outcome."

"He did drag me out after I got shot," Beatriz added. "Things were almost worse."

"That was fun," Cara said with a smirk. "Running back and firing a ton of lead and praying we were out of range of snipers. Can't say I want to do that again."

"Did Johan know you were in XCOM?" Duri asked. "He never mentioned it to me."

"He didn't know," Mona denied with a shake of her head. "He still thought I was with ADVENT in Sweden. I might have told him I'd been transferred, but he never knew I was in XCOM. Or that I was a psion." She lifted a hand, as a slightly purple ripple appeared around it. "My psionic aptitude was what got me into XCOM in the first place."

"ADVENT didn't find it?" Beatriz inquired, sipping on her drink.

"This was before the PRIEST Division," Mona explained. "All psions were being shipped to XCOM for training. If I had been examined a few months later, I would probably be a Priest."

"ADVENT and XCOM really like their overdramatic and fantasy-esque names," Cara chuckled. "Imagine just a year ago talking about Priests, Templars, Purifiers, and so on in an actually serious conversation."

"Wait until you look at what the ranks are in the Priest Division," Beatriz said. "I'm convinced they just made some of them up."

"No, they're real," Mona said as she resumed eating. "Mostly. I looked them up once. You have to admit though, it's more creative than standard boring designations."

"Do you think they asked the Catholics if they could take all their old titles?" Cara asked.

"Given how closely the Catholic Church and ADVENT are working together, maybe," Mona said with a shrug. "But probably not. ADVENT doesn't ask permission for something like that." She sipped on her water. "Although it might make things a bit awkward if certain Priests go to a church."

"Wonder how many of them are silently shaking at the heresy they see," Cara said, amused, and they all laughed.

"So how long has Caelior been with you?" Duri asked, turning the conversation away from laughing at titles and names.

"Since we beat him in Japan," Mona said. "It's a more complex situation that you think, which I don't know how much I can say. But he's on our side now, and will remain on our side."

"I don't suppose you can say if XCOM has anything else they're hiding?" Cara asked.

"Afraid not," Mona said with a smile.

"Even a little bit?"

"Ease up, Cara," Duri said lightly. "XCOM has security protocols too."

"Worth a shot."

"Do you think our chances are real?" Beatriz finally asked after a few minutes of eating in silence. "Beating the aliens, I mean."

"Very real," Mona nodded, though more seriously. "One Ethereal has defected. Another has left. Caelior is with us now. Isomnum is dead. It won't be easy –" she shrugged. "There is a high chance that I won't be alive to see the end of it. But can we win? Absolutely. The aliens only have so many tricks they can rely on, and we're emerging on top each time. They'll run out soon."

"Reassuring," Duri said, taking a drink of water. "As much as it can be knowing the chances are better that I'll die before it ends."

"Welcome to war," Mona said. "Where we all think we'll be the ones to live through it all but in reality are just as capable of dying as anyone."

"I'm more aware of that than I want to be," Beatriz shuddered. "If that alien had aimed just a bit higher, I'd be dead."

"Or I'd be shot," Cara added. "We never know how things will play out."

"Exactly," Mona agreed. "We can only do the best we can to keep ourselves and those around us alive. Johan would be happy you're all alive even if he couldn't see it happen himself."

"We'll avenge him," Duri said, lips pursing. "I suspect that Warlock won't be able to keep himself from the fight forever. Maybe it won't be me, but he will die sometime. I have a good feeling."

"I know someone who very much agrees with you," Mona said with a small smile. "It isn't just the Warlock whose days are numbered."

"Their time will come," Cara said, lifting her half-filled glass. "We're doing at least one toast before things go back to normal right? To Johan and Kang. Anyone you want to add, Mona?"

Mona looked like she wanted to say something, but then shook her head and raised her glass. "To those in your squad who gave their lives for our victory."

Their glasses clinked, and they drank as the celebration continued long into the night.

---

The Praesidium – Classified Location

3/15/2017 – 10:11 A.M.

It took him a bit, but Oliver finally found Kane. Which he was doing more out of curiosity than necessity, as he suspected that Kane would have showed up on time anyway. Still though, he wanted to make sure Kane would actually follow through with his almost tentative agreement at the party last night.

Oliver wasn't a party person, though he could have a good time when he wanted to, but Kane looked so out of his element that it was almost funny. Even more so was that he was the closest equivalent to the celebrity in XCOM as one of the few who had personally killed an Ethereal. Of course, realistically, Oliver knew that the Chronicler and the Agents needed the majority of the credit, but Kane had been the one to strike the killing blow.

Which put him in a crowd with…Oliver thought. The Commander, Vahlen, Franklin, and Patricia had killed the Ravaged One. Interestingly everyone there was still alive…well, Patricia might not be now, but almost everyone else was. As it turned out, Kane was in the Tactical Review and Strategy wing of the Praesidium, which housed an incredible amount of information on known alien units, Ethereals, and figures. If one wanted to know anything about who they were fighting, it was here, along with plenty of raw footage to go along with it.

Luckily, he'd remembered Kane mentioning how he'd watched battle footage, so thought he might be here. Sure enough, he was, sitting in the sparsely populated room watching something that Oliver couldn't see. "This where you hang out?" He asked, walking up.

"Yes," Kane answered without looking up, though paused the video. "Always something new to review; to learn."

Oliver looked to the screen. "This one?"

"Recovered from Brazil," he said tightly. "Of the Battlemaster's pet Human psion. She is clearly a valuable asset to him."

Oliver vaguely remembered the fact that the Battlemaster had his own Human psion like Isomnum, though not details. He really should look into that if they would be fighting her in the future – which was very likely if ADVENT kept failing to properly defend the continent. "Alright, what do you know of her?"

"Yang Shuren, Chinese national prior to her family making enemies of the Communist Party," he said from memory. "Lived in Australia, and were presumably abducted during the Collective invasion. Skilled telekine, heavily durable armor, uses twin swords. Extremely dangerous in melee combat and close range."

"Know anything about why she's with him?" Oliver wondered.

"Her reasons are irrelevant," Kane dismissed flatly. "She is a traitor and will die as one."

"Unfortunate we couldn't have captured Isomnum's Human," Oliver mused as he looked at the still, if somewhat blurry image of the red-armored woman. "Perhaps she is under conditioning or being controlled."

"It would not change anything," Kane said, reaching over to close the video. "She is a valuable asset of the Battlemaster, and killing her will hurt his own operations."

"She your next target?" Oliver asked, now aware that Kane had some kind of list he placed enemies on. Now that the main one – Isomnum – was dead, he wondered who would be the next to earn the death mark of Kane. For whatever that was worth.

"Only if I encounter her next," Kane said, standing. "The Warlock, Battlemaster, Yang, it does not matter the order they are killed, only that they die." He frowned. "You're here to make sure I come, right?"

"Would disappoint some people if you didn't show," Oliver said. "Besides, this is something you'll be good at."

Sparring matches were a thing which had gone on quite a bit in XCOM, and it had more recently evolved into something of a ranked tournament. Said tournaments took quite a bit longer than general sparring, especially the past few weeks when everyone was busy, but it had recently concluded and there was no time being wasted in starting it again to anyone who wanted to participate.

And after some encouragement, Oliver and a few of the other soldiers had convinced Kane to try his hand at sparring. Kane had agreed, although he'd only promised he'd 'try it' and see if it was worth his time. Kane valued his time quite a bit, as Oliver was seeing, although he always seemed to spend it training, at the range, or informing himself on the conflict.

Granted, everyone else did that as well, but not quite on the level of what Kane took it to. He was an example that Oliver admittedly felt he should follow a bit closer. But it didn't hurt to have some more relaxing hobbies and interests, so maybe sparring could be Kane's. For whatever reason, he didn't seem to be as thrilled with the outcome of the battle as Oliver had expected, but maybe he just hid it well.

In any case, as they walked towards the Training Rooms, Oliver felt that this would be an interesting event.

---

Dreadnought of the Harbinger – Patricia's Quarters

3/17/2017 – 12:00 P.M.

In the small quarters where the Harbinger slept, Patricia was kneeling on the floor in a meditative posture as she had found it was the easiest way to concentrate when she needed to think; prepare. Surrounding her body were holodisplays which outlined schematics and layouts. CODEX speakers had relayed dossiers of every individual of note, although for many she already knew a lot.

Thus, they had been updated.

She had been doing much of that while she had been on the Dreadnought. There was a significant amount of knowledge, context, and nuance that the Collective as a whole lacked on ADVENT, XCOM, and Humanity. There were a very few people who could accurately explain and predict what ADVENT would do or how they would respond. Even among Humans, the mindset that ADVENT was cultivating was not one that came naturally.

But it did to her.

It was…saddening to her that the Commander would not react well to this. Ultimately, she owed much of who she was now to him. If it hadn't been for him, she would likely be a different person. One who lacked the vision and will to do what was necessary for Humanity, no matter what it cost, or no matter how much it hurt herself and others.

Ironically, their similar mindsets would play off each other in the months to come. She knew how he thought, while he would do the same to her. Going into a mental conflict against the Commander – a risky move, but she had the ability to make mistakes and improve, and ultimately there would be no one else in the Collective who would be best able to understand him and prevent what he would do.

Even now she knew how he would react; what steps he would take; what ramifications there would be to her coming actions. But the Commander was not the only one to plan ahead, to have contingencies and foresight. She could not under any circumstances underestimate him. That would get her killed and she did not intend to die now.

ADVENT, XCOM, she knew how they operated and what they were most likely to do. As someone who had been one of the consultants on the original Advent Directive, as well as the pioneer for all modern psionic theory, she knew the strengths, weaknesses, and ultimate vulnerabilities of them.

T'Leth and his Agents she knew less of, but that information she would acquire soon enough. Their own Sovereign 'ally' was going to prove beneficial in this regard.

In fact, he was going to prove his usefulness very soon.

Fortunately, T'Leth appeared to have a desire to show his hand. Beijing had done more than expose the Bringer for the manipulative entity he was, but also showed the capabilities of T'Leth and his people. Such…command over the Psionosphere…well, that would certainly pose an issue were she to ever fight.

Or perhaps it would be an issue, had she been one to go into fights without knowing as much as she could about an enemy; how they acted, what they were capable of.

When she deployed, XCOM needed to be shown that they had no more hope. Yet doing this would require some skill. She was not so foolish enough as to believe she could strike at the heart of XCOM by herself and face the soldiers, psions, and agents waiting for her. But XCOM needed to he hurt when she acted.

And a dead XCOM squad simply was not going to be sufficient.

ADVENT she would handle as well here, though in a more political way. While she knew it would go nowhere, it did not hurt to dirty the reputations of those who led it. Saudia might have escaped the shadow of EXALT, but perhaps it would linger for a time in the public consciousness. If nothing else it would cause some confusion in ADVENT.

Ideally, she could be in multiple places at once to cause the maximum amount of chaos and confusion. But physically, that sadly wasn't possible. But there were other options; opportunities that she would take advantage of. She was confident she would succeed, of that she had little doubt. With the Imperator, there was very little that she felt she could not do.

Nothing could compare to the feeling of power and unity she experienced when joined.

Where it had once been overwhelming, it now felt right.

Everything she had done and experienced, every decision made, it led to who and what she was today.

There was a presence outside her room, which she immediately recognized as Marian. The analyst had been very helpful over the past few days, particularly in ensuring that the information she was providing was being relayed back to the Zararch itself. While in her meditative position, she was quietly observing the mental states of those on the Dreadnought. Nothing invasive, but she could sense emotional states, and the flicker of a memory or word.

It was useful to also know where everyone was on the ship. Discontent, disagreements, and distraction could be easily detected and resolved. She knew very well that subordinates would keep truth to themselves, even if they disagreed. A sentiment that both she and the Commander agreed was useless and damaging. Even if he would be her enemy now, there were good lessons she needed to take.

With a telekinetic command the door opened and she faintly heard Marian enter. "Harbinger Trask-" he began, then abruptly trailed off when he saw her kneeling on the ground, the air distorted around her and tinged with power.

She opened her eyes, which bore the glowing purple reminiscent of his own blue ones, normally she would cease the passive telepathic presence on the Dreadnought, but this time she made a concerted effort to maintain it. Practice. Marian stepped back instinctively when she looked at him, his heartrate rising as fear tinged his mind, afraid he had interrupted her.

"Calm," she ordered, her layered voice penetrating his mind. No reason for him to be concerned, and in a few seconds, he'd returned to his normal self. "You have an update?"

"Yes, Harbinger Trask," he said, handing her a datapad. "New developments on Earth, in addition to the daily intelligence report. Upon your request, suggestions for the dissemination of the information you possess have been proposed by senior Zararch agents and leadership."

"Thank you," she said, taking the datapad and walking over to set it on the table. "Your own assessment? You have been appraised of the plan. I want your opinion."

Before he opened his mouth, she knew he was preparing to lie – or at least downplay his concerns. She turned back to him just as he was about to speak. "I am not an Ethereal, Marian, you may speak your mind. Remember that I know if you are about to lie or not."

The alien felt a mixture of surprise, fear, and embarrassment in a short amount of time, though composed himself and rephrased what he was going to say. "With respect, Harbinger Trask…I am concerned that you will need more support than what has been provided for optimal mission success."

She nodded. "You do not believe I can do it." It was a statement.

Marian hesitated, but continued on. "In this particular case, Harbinger Trask, not completely. My job revolves around finding weaknesses and making connections between them. Your plan has vulnerabilities, especially if the reactions are outside your established parameters. It relies on outside reactions far too much for my own personal comfort."

A pause. "I've read what you've done when you were with XCOM. It was…impressive. It caused many sleepless nights for myself and others in the Zararch as we feared the implications of a Human with such power. But XCOM has others like you, as does ADVENT now. There is a limit to what you can realistically do."

He waited anxiously as he finished, clearly unsure what her response would be. Truthfully it pleased her to know that she had apparently been feared in the Zararch, and she knew the Commander and Zhang would have loved that little detail. It was flattering. But the analysis was more or less what she anticipated. Practical, realistic, and assumed the worst.

The issue was that it lacked…context.

Marian was thinking like an intelligence agent; not like a Human, not like a psion, not like a Harbinger. Hopefully he would be able to expand this way of thinking in the future. No reason not to start now. She walked over to the water dispenser and telekinetically brought the cup to her hand. Her prolonged silence was making her Zararch advisor nervous.

"Your concerns are well-founded," she told him, taking a sip and turning around. "What I expected. My proposal is absurd from your own perspective. But consider mine." She walked to her bed and sat cross-legged on it, while motioning for him to sit opposite her by pulling up a nearby chair. "Who am I?"

He answered hesitantly, but clearly. "The Harbinger of the Imperator; his voice and will; his Avatar."

"Yes, I am that," she nodded. "But that isn't everything I am. I am a psion. I am a Human. I was a soldier of XCOM. These give me perspective and insight that one who was just the Harbinger wouldn't have." She swirled the water in her cup around. "You dislike how much I rely on reactions. You see many ways they can go wrong. From an objective standpoint, you are in the right. But the reality is I know how they will react. I know what they will instinctively think and plan to do."

She smiled at him. "And I suspect your beliefs on my own capabilities will change when I execute my plan. I am…more…than I was when I was with XCOM. I will be able to protect myself just fine."

"I'm relieved that this has been taken into consideration, Harbinger Trask," Marian said slowly. "Though I suspect I will not be completely at ease until this operation is concluded."

"A fair stance," she agreed. "If you don't mind, I would like to ask another question of you."

"Of course," he said, though was growing more apprehensive. She hoped he would get past the stage of being so high-strung around her. It definitely wasn't good for his health. "About what."

Patricia felt that she could let the psionic observation fade away now, as her little experiment had confirmed what she'd wanted to test. Besides, it might make Marian less nervous if the woman he was speaking to didn't have fiery purple eyes. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

He blinked rapidly. "Do you mean…because of who you are?"

She waved a hand. "Something like that. I suspect there are aliens here who…are not comfortable with my decision. Much less me taking command."

He paused. "Truthfully, Harbinger, I am not uncomfortable with you, even as you take command. You come at the express will of the Imperator himself, and I do not doubt his will for a moment. If he trusts you, I do as well." He let out a breath. "If I may speak more personally, I feel relief. I would much prefer you to be fighting for us, then against us. I cannot help but respect someone who has recognized the necessity of the Collective and joined it, even though your actions will be seen as a betrayal by the majority of your species."

She pursed her lips. "Indeed. But a necessary decision."

"One you will be properly recognized for in the future," Marian said. "I am sure of it."

If they won, he would be correct. Patricia though was not going to count on that, not until Earth was claimed by her hand.

---

Project DH0022 Holding Station, Zararch Oversight – Classified Location

3/15/2017 – Unknown Time

There was a certain comfort to being back here. Familiarity. Clarity.

Away from being surrounded by aliens and their plots and plans. Schemes and shadow wars. It was…an enlightening experience to have observed the incident which was Isomnum. So much to be learned and understood.

Yet there was a job that needed to be done, though Nemo did not see why two things could not be accomplished at once.

The next target was one which had been chosen in response to the arrival of Caelior. Such a revelation would spur more defections; plant subversive thoughts in the minds of the common soldier. The death of an Ethereal would not help with this. If they could not be incentivized to remain loyal through what they already had…

Then the fear of defection would need to be put into them.

Nemo needed a new face while the hologram of his target was before it. Runi'sirasis'vitianis, the Vitakara Representative of the AEGIS Division. The current face of the Vitakara defectors. A mere soldier and puppet of ADVENT, she nonetheless was being effectively utilized and was ultimately not intelligent enough to see the ways she was being used.

It ultimately did not matter.

She was a traitor, and traitors were to be punished.

The Zararch report on her was comprehensive, as it was simple to acquire information prior to her defection. Her psychological profile in particular was of interest. An easily swayed and frightened woman who was prone to groupthink and propaganda; one who acted in the moment and then could successfully rationalize and justify their decisions after the fact; one who had little-self-reflection, especially when being told she was a hero and doing the right thing.

Killing her would not be enough. It would only galvanize the others. The defectors and traitors needed to fall into despair. They needed to understand that eventually they would realize they had made mistakes – and that there would be punishment for them. There was an art to destroying a public figure, and…well.

It was something it had some experience in.

This operation would be slightly different, as he had decided not to abandon the Nemo persona, as the face worn would be primarily for the operation itself, and it made it simpler for Volk and his people to follow. Although the Human was likely to have difficulty wrapping his staunch mind around the polymorphism Nemo displayed.

Several hours had already been spent on the face. It helped that there were detailed medical scans of Sirasis, which could be easily replicated, if done delicately. A more rounded face, closer eyes, wider nostrils. Details which few would notice, but would be essential to fully sell her untimely demise. Red blood stained the floor as it had emptied his veins in preparation for Vitakara blood to be inserted.

Satisfied with the current progress of the face, it turned to face the captive it had strapped to a chair also in the room. By far the most curious aspect of Isomnum's operation had been the insertion to the entities of Paradise Station. These agents of the Bringer…they were certainly a concern, if not a threat to him, and there was only one way to truly understand a threat.

The source had to be approached.

It had been a simple matter to have one of the Caretakers brought to him. The species and gender had not been important, and so he had received a Human female Caretaker. Immediately upon taking her to the station, he had stripped her of her bulky clothing to see what was underneath. As expected, she was…degrading.

Skin was turning gray and cracked. Blood openly flowed from breaks in the skin, if only from minor cuts. Her hair was falling out in patches, and a thorough medical scan revealed that her bone structure was remarkably weak and there were multiple hairline fractures, especially in the legs and feet. Already the pain tolerance of the Caretaker was exceptional.

But that…that was not what it was interested in.

Pain tolerance was not special.

It was the thing in her head which caught its interest.

"It is time to talk," Nemo said, moving towards the bound Caretaker. The voice he was modifying to accurately replicate the tone of Sirasis, and now sounded an approximation of a female. His hands were along his neck as he was continuously adjusting the vocal cords. The memory of the voice of the real Sirasis played in his mind, and he knew just when it would be pitch perfect.

In the meantime, it would talk to the Caretaker.

She was silent. Unsurprising. She had not uttered a word since her arrival, nor resisted.

He lifted a datapad from the floor. "I know who you are. Or who you were before you were taken to Paradise Station. I'm curious if you still retain yourself or if the Bringer has fully puppeted you."

"You misunderstand, as do all who lack His vision," she said, voice cracked and raspy. "I am myself as I have always been, and now have been blessed to receive His presence and power."

Nemo looked to her degrading body. "The Bringer demands a heavy price."

"A price I pay willingly," she said. "My mortal body will serve as he wishes until it can no longer function. You cannot understand, sightless as you are. If you only understood who He was; what he has done for a simple Human like me-"

"Ah, I understand your god more than you think," Nemo smiled and held up an ornate and bound tome. "Do you recognize this?"

Her eyes widened for the first time. "The Chronicles…you…you have read them?"

"Indeed," he answered neutrally. "What few chapters exist at the moment. Inspirars is a talented speaker, writer, and rationalizer. I cannot say that I did not learn from the words he wrote. It is certainly enlightening; and convinces me further that the Imperator underestimates the entity that he is foolish enough to think he can control. The Imperator relies on his influence and power to overcome his obstacles, while I prefer to know them. And what better source that the Bringer's own designated prophet."

It smiled at the indignant look on the face of the Caretaker. "There is only one Prophet, which you should know, and do not negate her role."

"I'm very well aware," Nemo said. "The point being that I read your Chronicles to understand the mindset of your cult. It is most certainly a fascinating study in how a mad entity can warp the minds of so many so completely. Warp them to the point where wrong equals right, where the unnatural is commonplace, and where lies are truth. It is not surprising that Beijing happened as it did when viewed in the context of creatures who have lost all rationality."

"How can you say this?" She demanded. "You should understand who He is! How can you not?"

"I understand who your god is perfectly well," Nemo said, reaching down and picking up a small glass jar. "Your god is a manipulative coward. I found a rather interesting creature in the chapters of the Chronicles which were provided to me," he shook the jar where the dead creature was. "I confirmed with Nebulan that the creature exuded a weak telepathy. Certainly not enough to affect a psion, but would certainly…enhance the Chronicles to an unfortunate curious individual who happened to stumble upon it."

Nemo set the jar down. "Now, why would the Bringer have put such a creature inside? If he was so convinced that his truth was convincing and legitimate, why would he resort to such deception? Perhaps he fears that he would be utterly rejected; his Chronicles burned in fires, and people rising up to purge the galaxy of his sickness."

"They do not understand the necessity or truth on their own!" The Caretaker spat. "They must be shown it. They cannot be saved if they remain blind."

"Such a strong god, whose will must be forced upon the unwilling, and later brainwashed to believe it is what they wish all along," Nemo commented. "It merely confirms that the Bringer knows well the unnatural state he exists in and knows how his wishes are revolting to the sapient individual. Thus, domination is the only way to ensure his success. The Imperator is…arrogant…but the Bringer is just as fallible. Which is why you will recognize that your god cannot save you."

A pause. "I am curious. Why did you not fight back? You knew your fate."

She sneered through chapped lips. "I am not afraid to die, creature. If this is to be my fate, I accept it willingly. Death is not the end for us, while you…you will die with no hope of salvation one day while I will be in Paradise."

"So your Chronicles imply," Nemo nodded, standing. "And what if Paradise is denied?"

"Paradise cannot be denied," she said. "Not now. The Bringer watches over me, and will welcome me when I die by your hand."

Nemo stood. "We shall see about that." It walked over to a console and began turning on the scanners. Fectorian and Revelean had requested data on what was learned, and it would certainly comply. Nemo then walked to a sealed container which was in the far corner and unlocked it. Inside was a black orb which rippled and swirled with nanites.

Nemo picked the orb up and walked back and set the orb down before the woman and only gave a simple phrase. "Deny the woman Paradise." The orb rose suddenly and the nanites which had been around it expanded to form a larger globe where Nemo could see the center orb was a pale blue and green color.

Then it began glowing brighter.

The woman stiffened and her eyes widened in terror. "What did you do to me!"

"Denied you what you wanted most," Nemo answered, walking over to a table and picking up a pistol. "Your god is not all-powerful. He will not come to save you. He is mortal and fallible like everything else. I want you to think about that as you die." Nemo fired a single shot into her chest which clipped the heart.

Sitting down opposite her again, he tuned out her begging and screaming to let her die in Paradise. A useful experiment, and one that would need to be conducted on other pawns of the Bringer. She would die…but not for several hours. The wound inflicted would make sure of that, which would be more than enough to time see how quickly the mental state of a Caretaker would degenerate.

In the meantime, Nemo returned to modifying his face and body for the role it would soon be playing.

---

Mess Hall, the Praesidium – Classified Location

3/15/2017 – 12:02 P.M.

Until this moment, Sierra felt like the day was going pretty well. Or at least not to the point where she could complain about it. Daily Archangel practice runs were always good to get the blood flowing and flying always put her in a good mood. The victories they'd enjoyed were certainly a confidence boost, and this had been the first day where Ted had been well enough to join her and Anna.

A full squad again. Another good thing.

So they'd done their exercises and then naturally decided it was time to eat. Dressed in fatigues after taking short showers, they made their way to the Mess Hall and upon entering it Sierra felt the mood immediately change. Conversation was common, especially at this time with all the soldiers and staff here, but everyone was talking in subdued tones, as well as many looking furious at…something.

Anna looked around, then to Sierra. "I think we missed something."

"Perceptive as always," Ted grunted. "But yeah, this is odd. Another alien attack?"

"Doubt it," Sierra dismissed after a moment. "Base would be on alert if that was the case."

"Want to place bets?" Anna asked. "Mine is that the SAS did something. Probably got a country to join them. Maybe more."

"Or Brazil lost more ground," Ted added. "Or more Human traitors have been found like the Battlemaster's puppet."

"Wonder how they would learn that," Sierra said as they went to get trays. "Unless a new one showed up."

"You want my serious guess?" Ted asked rhetorically. "The Chronicler's people did something to Isomnum's mind before he died. I bet they learned something and it's only now that they're sharing it. Or maybe they just learned it and are sharing it. Considering what Isomnum knows, I doubt it's good news."

Sierra raised an eyebrow and looked around. "Doesn't appear to be good news anyway, from Isomnum or not. Hey," she called to a woman in engineering attire who was walking past. "Excuse me, did something happen?"

The woman pursed her lips. "Memo was sent out an hour ago. Check your inboxes. Read it for yourself. Better that way."

Sierra had a bad feeling about this.

They got their food in silence and Sierra pulled out her phone and accessed the XCOM email. She had a bad habit of not clearing notifications, so it made sense that she hadn't seen the message. Nothing like saying PRIORITY MEMO – READ IMMEDIATELY to get her attention, as well as the standard 'flagged' feature which automatically screamed at her to read important messages if she did so much as check other unread ones first.

It was a .pdf document of course, like all memos. XCOM dispersed their information that way. Apparently in the beginning the Commander had just laid out stacks of documents here and let people read them that way. She almost wished he still did that, but XCOM was likely too big now for that to feasibly work. Made more sense to just send mass emails instead.

"You'll have to share with me," Ted said as he began eating. "Didn't bring my phone."

"Sure thing," Sierra said as she opened the document up.

She read the first few lines, blinked, and brought the screen closer to her face convinced she had missed something. She reread it again in disbelief. "What the actual fuck?" She read the rest of the memo in short order, it was only a few pages and it really, really needed to be much longer. Ted had stopped eating and looked at her, concerned.

"That bad? What is it?"

She almost threw the phone out of anger to him, but restrained herself. "Much fucking worse that we thought. Read it." Instead she practically shoved it in his face.

He went through a similar range of emotions, first confusion, then stunned disbelief, and then shocked anger. "Patricia…she joined the Imperator?"

"Is this a joke?" Anna asked, setting the phone down with a stunned look on her face. "We're not close enough to April for this to be funny."

"No one on the Internal Council would do this, even for a joke." Sierra shook her head, trying to rationalize what the hell Patricia had been thinking. "There is no way they would send this out unless they were certain." She glanced to Ted. "Good call on the Isomnum thing though. Sounds like they learned it from him."

"Maybe Isomnum was lying or misunderstanding something?" Anna wondered faintly. "I just…why?"

"Yeah, that might be a good detail to conclude in the memo," Sierra scowled. "I doubt they know either, only that she has. I bet it's simple though. The Imperator is controlling her. Aegis is intimidated by him. No way Patricia could refuse him."

"I…don't know," Ted's voice was strained as he looked blankly at his food. "I've talked with Aegis. I've read the file on the Imperator. That…isn't how he works by all indications. He apparently stays away from things like direct control like that. I think he may have actually convinced her."

"I might believe that if Patricia hadn't literally been fighting this war from the beginning," Sierra shook her head. "You don't just switch sides at this point without blackmail or mind control. What could the Imperator say that magically made everything that's happened go away? 'This was all a misunderstanding'?" She mimed. "Patricia is smarter than that. And even if he did say that, she wouldn't fucking join him."

"I think the main point of this is that the next time we see her…we will have to fight her," Anna said quietly. "Her reasons aren't known, and probably aren't important now. She's on their side, willingly or not. I'm certain the Commander wants us to know what's coming. Isomnum's death has probably made the Imperator angry. So he'll send one of the heroes of the conflict as his pawn in retaliation."

"Well, the good news is that if he's stupid enough to send her alone, we can beat her," Sierra said firmly. "Even if he sends an army, we have enough psions and an Ethereal to capture her and bring her back and break whatever hold the Imperator has on her. The Collective won't be able to hold her forever."

"Agreed there," Anna breathed heavily. "But it isn't going to be pleasant. Not to mention it'll be worse if she manages to kill one of us. Or if we have to kill her."

"It won't come to that, not unless she's with another actual Ethereal," Ted said confidently. "Patricia is a telepath. A powerful one, but still a telepath. Geist and Aegis can occupy her…and the rest of us can subdue her. Remember we captured Caelior alive. We can do that for her. She deserves that much."

"Yeah," Sierra nodded. "She does. I bet the Imperator thought this was going to be a demoralizing event for us. If he wants to throw Patricia at us and thinks it'll break us, well…"

"He's going to be very disappointed," Anna finished with a wry smile. "I'm not going to blame Patricia for what happened. Not until we know for sure. Odds are she's a pawn of the Imperator regardless of what you think, Ted. And if she's a legitimate traitor, we'll put her in the ground where she belongs. But until then, she's a victim of the Imperator and we're going to treat her like one."

"Within reason," Ted said slowly. "No holding back until she's secured though. Because I guarantee she will be trying to kill us."

"We've fought Ethereals, Hive Commanders, and massive siege machines and won," Sierra reminded them. "One probably-controlled XCOM soldier?" She took a gulp of her water. "I think we can handle that."

---

Central Government Complex – Hong Kong

3/15/2017 – 1:02 P.M.

If there was ever a moment where the course of history would change, it was now. Mere months ago it was close to impossible to imagine the gathering which existed today, yet now they stood around a round table with their respective flags and officials in the background, ready to speak and negotiate on the future of China.

Unfortunate that it had involved the destruction of so much of the country, but they could only move forward now. Rebuild and act together as one united force. Today was to begin the process of helping China come together – or safely split apart. Saudia sat with Hassan at her side, while the representatives of what remained of the Chinese government, the Taiwanese government, the Hong Kong Council, and the Central Tibetan Administration held seats across from each other.

The Acting President of China, Jian Huang was one of the few survivors, having left Beijing to help organize evacuations and preparations for the northern parts of the country. As such he'd been spared the worst of the fighting, though quite clearly did not want the responsibility of leading the country. Unfortunately, there was no one else left of importance, and of the remaining members of the CPP, he was the one Hassan had said was the most qualified.

Hanying Yao was also the acting President of Taiwan, although as opposed to China, the majority of their government was still intact and there was a clear line of succession. He was prepared and he, along with his advisors, looked confident as to how the talks were going to go. Saudia suspected that the Taiwanese were thrilled at how for once, they had the upper hand over the Communist Party – or what was left of it.

Zexian Tang spoke for the Hong Kong government as Chief Executive, and while Saudia had been mildly surprised when the Hong Kong government had demanded a seat at the talks, she was not caught off guard. Hassan had warned her that since the Chinese had been slowly and deliberately stripping away their 'independence' by installing their own media, immigrating mainland Chinese, and becoming far more politically active in Hong Kong affairs, they wanted to air their own grievances. Hassan didn't necessarily believe that Hong Kong wanted to be completely independent, but that it wanted concerns addressed.

Finally, Speaker Rebten Tashi spoke for the Central Tibetan Administration, who had previously been known as the Tibetan government-in-exile. ADVENT had recognized them, and they had gratefully accepted their place in the talks. They would want independence, Hassan had assured her, although the CTA would then dissolve when an actual government was in place, one elected by Tibetans.

A nice sentiment, though Tibet would still have to follow ADVENT law like everyone else. But ADVENT would certainly be willing to facilitate elections.

"Thank you for responding quickly to our requests," Saudia began as the meeting officially came to order. "The future of China, which we know will take months to fully recover from the attacks, is something that must be determined now rather than later so we can adequately prepare. Regardless of the outcome, ADVENT stands to provide support for a smooth and stable integration."

They were all long past the point of even asking if they would be ADVENT members. That ship had sailed when Beijing had been taken by ADVENT. No one would demand complete independence now. Hassan nodded to Acting President Yao of Taiwan. "President, you have requested to give the opening statements, which has been granted."

"Thank you, Chief Diplomat, and you as well, Chancellor," he began, standing up. "I am certain everyone in this room is aware to the extent the country of China has been damaged, from the cities to the outskirts. There is no land which is untouched by the conflict. Regardless of past political stances and agendas, we are all inhabitants of this land we call home and should strive to do what is best for her inhabitants."

Not the best opening he could have chosen, as the CTA representatives – Tashi in particular – narrowed their eyes. She supposed it was difficult for them to call the land 'home' when they had been in exile for decades with no say over who they believed were their citizens.

"The people of this land need stability and leadership, especially now," Yao said, looking around the room. "ADVENT will provide them with physical needs, but they also need faith and hope – faith that their leaders can provide for them and represent their interests, and hope that they will rise from this event stronger than ever. That cannot happen with a country which is divided."

He nodded his head to ADVENT. "Ultimately, we are all one people, one species. As the founders of ADVENT put aside their bloody and rival pasts, we too should strive to move beyond what has divided us for so long. Our own people know well the feeling of being ostracized from our country, but even we agree that it will be far more compelling and unifying if we do not emerge from this with the Chinese nation broken into separate states, but one united people, under one united – and fair – government."

"Led by your people," Acting President Huang interrupted. "A Taiwanese controlled government."

"We have the infrastructure and manpower to lead from the start," Yao nodded. "We would not think of assuming permanent control, but we would maintain positions long enough for elections to be held and would voluntarily step down. This interim government would be composed of qualifying surviving officials of the Communist party, as well as members of the CTA," he nodded to the Tibetans. "We do not want an exclusive hold over the government, as that would hinder the unification of our nation."

"But you would be in charge of selecting them," Chief Executive Tang noted, who had clearly not missed being snubbed by Yao. "You also neglect the contributions and leadership of Hong Kong in favor of a government which had held no real power for decades while we have been faced with harsh pressure from the Chinese government to become more integrated."

"We could not return because of the Chinese," Tashi defended. "Had we seen a way, we would have done so. But we both know that neither of us could protect ourselves, and the West would not support us despite their platitudes."

"Your proposal is well and good, Acting President," Tang said slowly, turning his attention to Yao. "However, I put forward a different proposal. The best way for us to move forward is not through a unification, but by forging our own paths independent of each other. We do not have the same beliefs, values, and customs as you do, as the Tibetans do, and others. And Hong Kong will not once more be in a position where our voice is silenced due to the threat of the grander Chinese authority."

He shot a glance to Huang. "I do not care if you assimilate the mainland Communist party, but this time we will claim our true independence. The "one country, two systems" policy is over. We have no intention of returning to the fold of the Chinese government."

An interesting development, Saudia stayed quiet as Yao raised an eyebrow. "I understand your grievances, but we do not intend to remake the Communist party. I will also note that you wish to create an independent state of an island? Is your pride worth more than presenting a united front to the world?"

"I will ask you what gives you the right to play kingmaker?" Tang demanded. "Why do you have more of a right than Speaker Tashi and the CTA? They were exiled by China as well. You are not special."

"We are Chinese," Yao said. "Exiled perhaps many years ago. If anyone is entitled to manage her fate, it is us if the mainland government is no longer a factor."

"We are not Chinese," Tashi said firmly. "And we will no longer pretend to be such. The Tibetan people have lived under the yoke of a Chinese power for far too long. The forceful conversion of our people to see themselves as Chinese is over, the suppression of our religion is ended. We are not your people, Acting President. We never have been and staunchly refuse any attempt at reunification."

"As far as our size is concerned, Acting President," Tang said, looking to the Chancellor. "I believe we need to consider a rewriting of the borders of this land in the context of this war and what has been contributed. Hong Kong has sustained heavy losses and damage during the conflict, as well as many of her soldiers killed in action across the country."

He motioned to his aide who handed him a sheet. "To the Chancellor of ADVENT, the Government of Hong Kong requests that the regions of Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian be ceded to Hong Kong and placed under our jurisdiction in light of our contributions to the war effort and previous limitations which were imposed on us by the previous Communist Party of China."

The room burst into murmurs and subdued comments as Saudia leaned forward. "I disagree with this proposal," Yao said, frowning. "With respect, Chancellor, giving them land for the sole purpose of contributing is shaky ground. I will remind you that Taiwan has been allied to ADVENT from the beginning and have contributed many resources, soldiers, and manpower to the war effort."

"And you are getting the majority of the mainland," Tang said smugly. "So I would not complain about your share."

Yao pursed his lips and Saudia decided to speak. "Chief Executive, are you and your advisors certain you wish to gain independence?"

"We are certain, Chancellor," Tang nodded. "Even in the event we do not receive more territory. We came to this decision unanimously and will not back down for the sake of a false unification."

"And what of your citizens," Yao cautioned. "This should not be a decision you rush into just to gain independence."

"Considering you wish to take over millions of people who are not aware of your own existence, do not lecture us about not respecting the will of the people," Tang snapped back. "I'm certain that the general population of China would prefer the Communist party, not those who they've been conditioned to consider traitors leading them."

"Be that as it may, Chief Executive, the Taiwanese can be considered the legitimate government of China," Hassan pointed out. "What you request is for the territories you wish for yourself to simply be given to you without considering what the citizens themselves wish. On those grounds your request is questionable."

"And there is a solution I believe we can agree on," Tang said. "Let the people themselves decide. Allow myself and Acting President Yao present a case to them, and they vote to remain a part of China, or a state under the Hong Kong Administration."

"I see that as a plausible solution," Saudia nodded. "And I agree that Hong Kong is entitled to territory should they desire, though you are placed in a difficult situation due to your limited size. Until such elections can be held, I presume you wish to establish Hong Kong as an independent state."

"Yes, Chancellor," Tang confirmed. "We do. We will not be convinced otherwise."

"Make a note of that, Hassan," Saudia said. "Considering the unique situation and background of your state and people, I'm inclined to grant this. Hong Kong will be granted member status within ADVENT, and be entitled to a representative on the Congress of Nations."

"Thank you, Chancellor," Tang bowed his head. "We will not forget this."

"It is prudent that we state our own demands," Tashi said. "We request that the sovereign territory of the Tibetan people be returned. No more or less than what we originally possessed and an immediate expulsion of immigrant Chinese and former government officials from our lands."

"Former government officials of the Communist Party will be recalled," Hassan said. "However, forcibly removing immigrant Chinese who have lived their lives in Tibet will not be permitted. However, we will allow the option of immigration to China if they wish to remain under a government they identify with. Is this acceptable."

Tashi nodded once. "It will be."

Huang coughed. "While it may be obvious, I will put forth my own decision and that of the surviving members of the Communist party to support Acting President Yao in his management of the country of China. We do not have the people and structure to manage our nation, even if we wanted to. We have little choice but to leave it to your hands."

"Accepted, Acting President," Yao said respectfully. "We will do our best to help the citizens of this country and will certainly take your own suggestions into account."

There were a few more minutes of deliberation, and finally Hassan lifted a hand. "We have already reached important steps in deciding the future of China. There will be a short recess before we return to discuss more specifics."

They all went into their own separate groups and the sound of conversation filled the air. Sitting back, Hassan looked to Saudia. "I didn't expect Hong Kong to be so aggressive. An interesting development."

"But not an unwelcome one," Saudia said, scratching her metal hands absentmindedly. "I think something like this was what was needed. Let them forge their own paths. Perhaps in the future they will decide to unify as Yao wants. But not yet." She looked to the Tibetan delegation who were laughing and almost celebrating over the decisions. "Let this nation and people heal. They can always make a different choice later."

---

Office of the Commander, the Praesidium – Classified Location

3/18/2017 – 10:12 A.M.

"Support needs to still be provided in Brazil and Florida," Creed said as they looked over the holomap. Zhang, Iosif, and Jackson were also in attendance. "ADVENT is holding well in Florida, though they've taken most of the non-urban centers. Miami and Tampa are holding out well."

"I'd be surprised if they weren't," the Commander said. "ADVENT SFCOM is there. Any Collective advance is going to hit a steep wall. Caelior is likely responsible for Miami being retained."

"He stopped the orbital bombardment and then pulled the ships out of the sky," Jackson reminded him. "That seems to have changed up the Battlemaster's strategy."

"We should be sending him elsewhere," Zhang said with a frown. "Keeping him in one location lessens his usefulness elsewhere, especially with the Guardians and the Battlemaster's Avatar carving through Brazil."

"And the moment he is moved the Battlemaster levels Miami," the Commander reminded him. "I agree he should be moved further – but not until the Battlemaster ceases all assault of Miami. ADVENT reports place him moving heavy artillery down to the region. Along with Vanguard support."

"Telepathic overwhelming?" Jackson wondered, considering. "Couldn't be with just Vanguards."

"We should use this chance to deal another blow to the Collective," Iosif said as he paced. "We have multiple targets in play now. The Guardians in Brazil, the Battlemaster's Avatar, the Battlemaster himself, and whoever is puppeting Betos in the SAS. An overwhelming attack with our strike teams with ADVENT assistance could work, especially in conjunction with Aegis or Caelior."

"The issue is that the Battlemaster has to know that," the Commander said, pursing his lips as he leaned on the holotable, looking into the blue light. "Realistically, the Battlemaster knows we've reached a critical mass of psions. But he still takes to the battlefield openly. Why?"

"He's skilled and dangerous," Creed answered with a shrug. "Not difficult to see. Why would he stop now, it's not in his style or personality. If he dies, he dies fighting."

"But he isn't a self-sacrifice type," the Commander pointed out. "Limited in his skills or not, he's waiting for us to make the first move. He has something up his sleeve and that open question mark makes me hesitant to commit too heavily. Isomnum was isolated and we could rely on his own arrogance and limited range of abilities. The Battlemaster is smarter than him."

"Then we take his Avatar," Jackson said. "She's clearly dangerous, but she can be killed."

"I agree there," he nodded. "Creed, do you have a squad in mind?"

"I can put one together easily enough," Creed confirmed. "No shortage of those willing. She's a telekine, so she's going to be a difficult target. Especially since she knows offensive and defensive usages. Makes sniper eliminations unlikely and this is not taking into account the fact that she is heavily augmented."

"Dynamo psions are the best choice then," Iosif said. "Telekines can't block them. Include snipers too. If nothing else it'll force her to concentrate on maintaining a telekinetic field."

"Noted," Creed tapped on his tablet. "Next time she appears, she'll have a more difficult time than just going against ADVENT."

"We should rotate our squads already in operation," the Commander said, swapping the holomap to display active XCOM squads. "Give them a break for a few days. The West Coast is becoming more active. Jackson, you received the list of candidates?"

"Yes, Commander," she confirmed. "I've narrowed the list down, but it will expand our numbers significantly. I've passed it to Creed and Iosif for final review."

"Good," the Commander said. "We've entered a critical stage of the war. It will eventually spread beyond it. Are the preparations for the Summit proceeding on schedule?"

"So far, yes," Jackson confirmed, briefly glancing at her tablet. "Coordinating on this scale in secret is difficult though. The Andromedons are willing, and ADVENT has cleared themselves. We still need confirmations from the Sar'Manda and Nulorian. Although I expect an answer within days…" She trailed off, reaching up and tapping her earpiece. It must have been urgent, as she would never do that in a meeting otherwise.

"We have a problem," Jackson said somberly, looking back to them. "Patricia has appeared."

The reaction in the room was immediate the moment they heard it, as the Commander focused intently on Jackson. "Appeared where and how?"

"Don't know how, but she's in front of ADVENT HQ in Switzerland," Jackson said.

"Attacking?" Zhang demanded.

"Not yet," Jackson answered. "But she's beginning to attract attention. She wants to make this a public event."

The Commander exhaled. "We knew this was coming. Creed, put the squad together. One way or another, Patricia will be handled today."

Creed nodded somberly. "Yes, Commander. It will be done."

---

To be continued in Chapter 51

Enter the Harbinger

---

A/N: Two authors notes in one chapter, probably not something that's going to happen often. In any case, this is sort of an announcement to let people know this is something that's coming. Right now I'm working on putting a Discord server together for readers of the series with other authors I've worked with over time. Some of you are already aware of this, but since I've confirmed there is enough interest, that is a thing that is happening. If interested, let me know so I can sent you a link when it launches which will be sometime shortly before the next chapter. Otherwise the next chapter as well as my profile and the forums will have the link.

Thanks as always for reading!

- Xabiar