Battleground: Florida

Canadian Wilderness – Canada

3/21/2017 – 6:42 P.M.

"You're getting recalled now?" Neil crossed his arms; his voice unhappy. "Not really the best time."

"I can't contest it," Cycelea sighed as she continued putting what few belongings she had into a pack. "This came directly from the Grand Inquisitor. It wasn't just me getting recalled; it seems like everyone is."

"But why?" Neil wondered aloud, scowling. "While this hasn't gone the best, it's certainly been more of a success than a failure."

Objectively at least, that was true. Though there had been a few times where it had come far too close for comfort. As it turned out Sargons were actually intelligent – something which was now more confirmed than discovered since the first operation. Of the half-dozen well-planned and methodical assassination attempts, only two had actually killed more Sargons.

However, they had been able to continue liberating an equal number of towns and cities, and by this point were quite adept at killing aliens – Mutons specifically. Borelians had posed the largest threat militarily, but they didn't know the terrain and how to use it. By the end getting the Sargon to leave was as much of a victory, even if they usually didn't end up killing them.

"I'm going to guess it's something political," Cycelea pursed her lips, pausing to look up thoughtfully. "Falka is on leave and Powell is Acting Director."

"Powell?" Neil asked incredulously. "Damn it."

"You don't like him?"

"He's…what's the word?" Neil thought for a moment. "Ruthless. Even for someone in the CIA. I had no clue who Falka was before she appeared, but she was a puppy compared to what Powell will use ADVENT Intelligence for. Remember that mess with the Commander in the Middle East? That was a Powell op that got out of control."

"Really?" She answered. "Actually, that doesn't surprise me that much if it was a CIA op. Sounds like something they'd do."

"Point being that Powell is not someone you want to cross, and afterwards he kept his job and was commended for his efforts," Neil shook his head. "Not that anyone could prove anything, but it's not out of the question he kept himself in power through his agency spying on the government. I bet Treduant used his blackmail when she brought down their Congress to move into ADVENT."

"Honestly, I can't blame him for that," Cycelea admitted. "I wouldn't trust that government either."

"Well, now he's in charge and I guarantee he's going to make some big changes," Neil shrugged. "So I suppose you should be careful. The man doesn't think small. I don't feel especially comforted knowing he'll be given control over the largest intelligence apparatus in the history of our species."

"Not too much choice, sadly," Cycelea sighed. "I do think they'll be sending someone to replace me. A telepath hopefully."

"I wouldn't be surprised if we were recalled too," Neil admitted, walking over and grabbing a water bottle. "Winter is ending, and it's not going to be as easy moving forward, especially with the Sargons continuing to adapt. Plus, the fact that Canada isn't really a battleground. I can see Christiaens thinking we've accomplished enough and shuffling us elsewhere."

"Hopefully not," Cycelea said. "We still had a lot to do."

"Yeah, we'll have to wait and see," Neil agreed. "But…I'm glad you were able to help with it. It would have definitely gone much worse without you."

"Thank you, Neil," she smiled. "And I appreciate you not being too suspicious of me and the others."

"Guess I got used to it," he smirked. "Never gave me a reason to break out the code words."

She gave a light chuckle. "Glad to hear it. Good luck on…whatever happens next."

"Thanks," Neil looked out to the setting Canadian sun as the chill of the night began settling over them. "I think I'm going to need it."

XCOM Intelligence Control, the Praesidium – Classified Location

3/20/2017 – 8:13 P.M.

Things were something of a whirlwind after Nartha arrived back at the Praesidium. There was a majority of people he didn't recognize, and construction was continuing rapidly everywhere else. However, the Commander had wanted to speak to him about a few very specific topics which Nartha had general ideas of.

Cairu was here, so one of them was obvious.

"Our operations are going to be focused on Earth for the immediate future," the Commander was saying as they stood around the holotable showing the United States. "The Battlemaster is going to march on Miami within days, or hours if he puts his mind to it." His brow furrowed. "Conflicts are continuing on the West Coast and South America. The SAS is holding their own."

His eyes looked up to meet Nartha's. "With that said, we do not intend to stand idly by after what Patricia did. It's time we devise a strategy beyond Earth. We have Andromedon Unions, the Nulorian, Sar'Manda, and T'Leth. However, these alliances are tangible and conditional. We need a unified plan or vision. We need reach beyond Earth, and we cannot be away from Earth for too long without arousing suspicion. That will fall to you."

Nartha bowed his head. "I will do my best, Commander."

The Commander motioned to Zhang. "Director?"

"I suspect you've come to the same conclusion I have," Zhang told him as he switched the hologram off. "It is only a matter of time before the Zararch begin using your family against you. We have days at best before they're arrested or detained permanently."

"They can't just do that," Cairu shook her head. "Father is a member of the Aui'Vitakar. You can't just make someone like that disappear without asking questions, especially since he isn't involved with anything."

Nartha was less enthused. "I believe that is the only reason they haven't acted yet. Our parents are wholly innocent. Maybe they've been told we've betrayed them. Either way, it won't last forever. Cairu…the Zararch are more than capable of removing anyone and no one will comment on it."

Cairu glanced at Zhang, lips in a thin line. "You have a plan then?"

"Yes, but we're going to need the help of the Nulorian," Zhang said firmly. "All of them."

Nartha was surprised. "We only need a small team. Me, Cairu, Sorras, and a couple of the soldiers can easily take any Zararch operatives."

"I agree," the Commander said, pacing before the holotable. "However, this is an opportunity I don't think we should allow to go to waste. You're one of our most important defectors, Nartha, but you're far from the only one. Hundreds of others have defected and their families are arguably in just as much danger."

Zhang handed him a tablet. "Collected data from the AEGIS Division on families of defectors when applicable."

Nartha blinked several times rapidly. "Are you suggesting that we proactively rescue all of them? There are thousands all across the planet and in the colonies!"

"Do you disagree?" The Commander raised an eyebrow. "If we just stick to your family, the Zararch will not waste any time. They'll conduct their interrogations or abductions immediately regardless of support or affiliation of the families. There isn't anything we can do for the colonies or those in the military or Zararch, but on Vitakar where there are established networks? We're not going to get a better opportunity."

"And they'll know for sure you're supporting the Nulorian," Nartha added. "And have some kind of communication network or method. It could draw more attention to Vitakar."

"Which is going to happen when the Nulorian start their attacks," the Commander noted grimly. "The fact is that the Ethereals already suspect what is happening, and eventually they're going to learn. I'd prefer we make our impact as significant as possible. This will send a strong message to the defectors – help us and we'll ensure your family is safe."

"And we work with the Nulorian," Cairu added, shooting a doubting look to the Commander. "I know you have a different perspective, but I don't think you realize how badly the Nulorian are perceived. These aren't heroes."

"And we're not doing this out of altruism," Zhang disagreed. "This is purely strategic. Denying the Zararch easy pressure is crucial, as is showing the weakness of the Collective. They will demonize whatever actions we take, and frankly the perception of the civilian population is not important. This is a message directly to the Zararch. They will either be forced to crack down harder – or be passive and allow the possibility of this happening again. Either way benefits us."

"Miridian is going to need time to put this together," Nartha read the list again. "A couple days at least. I do think he'll agree with the logic, but where will all of these people be kept?"

"I think that depends," the Commander mused. "I'd say any who are willing to defect and volunteer stay with the Sar'Manda for the time being. The individuals who are brainwashed loyalists should be brought to Earth for holding."

"Just sticking them somewhere isn't a good idea," Cairu warned. "Why not just let them live on their own?"

"Because they would remain as leverage," the Commander clarified. "And this operation is about denying them that. Besides, it will be useful for testing on the most effective way to deprogram the Vitakara populace."

Nartha wasn't pleased with that idea, and neither was Cairu. "Using them for a science experiment also won't go over well, especially with those who are fighting for you." Cairu said again, crossing her arms. "I agree they need to be protected…but I'm not sure this is the best way."

"They aren't being mistreated," Zhang dismissed flatly. "The fact is that unless you want to eventually let the Nulorian deal with the loyalists as they see fit, we need a way to reliably break the conditioning they've been subjected to."

"You're XCOM," Cairu countered. "Why are you letting the Nulorian dictate actions like that?"

"Because we're not the Ethereals," the Commander answered simply. "The Nulorian are the only ones who are willing to fight the Collective; the remainder of your species is not aligned with our goals. We could dictate what happens, but the Nulorian have been fighting this long before we became involved. I will curb their idiotic genocidal plans, but it will not be further than that."

"They're terrorists," Cairu insisted. "They're not like idealistic rebels from your fiction."

"Trust me, Cairu, I'm aware," the Commander lifted a hand. "And right now, they are the most useful ally on Vitakar we have. If they go too far, I'll deal with them. Until that point, they will be treated as an ally."

"We've strayed from the topic," Zhang refocused on the holotable. "Nartha, we've outlined a general strategy. Take this to Miridian, and tell him the window is limited. The best time will be when the Battlemaster begins his assault on Miami. We'll also be willing to provide support if he needs it, and will loan defectors here to participate."

Nartha took the small data drive and placed it into a pocket. "Will do, Director."

"Excellent," Zhang gave a single nod. "I hope this operation will be a complete success."

"There is one more thing," the Commander walked over to the corner and picked up a briefcase. "Give this to Miridian as well."

Nartha grabbed the surprisingly heavy briefcase, looking down on it curiously. "What is this?"

"A chemical agent," the Commander answered. "One which I believe will be useful in the event of an assault on the Dath'Haram. This isn't enough to cause a significant amount of damage, but I'm curious if it is compatible at all with the planet."

He gave a single nod. "I'll turn it over. Thank you, Commander. And good luck with the Battlemaster."

The Commander's lips twitched. "Thank you. I'm afraid that we're going to need it."

Miami Strategic Command, Miami International Airport, Florida – United States of America

3/25/2017 – 4:17 P.M.

"Naples has fallen and latest Collective movements are heading towards West Palm Beach," Helion Weekes stated to all the attended military and intelligence officials within the airport which had been converted into the base of operations for ADVENT. All of Miami Joint Company Command, as well as major officials from the USA Southeast Regional High Command were in attendance, with Saudia and the Commander also participating.

The news was looking increasingly grim.

"How much time does that buy us?" Christiaens demanded, appraising the massive holotable critically. "Confirmation on the Battlemaster participating?"

"Last seen in Naples before everything was lost," Vernon Cooper, the General of the Regional high Command answered immediately. "We believe that he's heading here next."

"We knew this was coming," Saudia stated, looking around at the assembled officials. "You were all given your directives. Tell me if they've been executed." She looked to Vernon. "General, proceed."

"I will actually turn this over to Colonel Hyde and Corporal Weber," Vernon said to the respective individuals. "They have been responsible for enacting the preparations and devising strategies for the coming battle."

"General," Kathleen Hyde gave a quick salute, ebony skin shining from the harsh light above. "I want to emphasize the most important objective in this conflict, because it served as the foundation for our defense. Chancellor, your orders were to prioritize the death of the Battlemaster through luring him into the city and catching him in a nuclear explosion. We extrapolated this to turning this conflict into a significant grind for the Collective."

She clasped her hands behind her back. "With respect, Chancellor, we are assuming the Battlemaster isn't going to walk into a trap like this. If we make it too easy, he will suspect something. Personally, I dislike playing with the intention to lose, but considering what is bearing down upon us, I realize victory is near-impossible. As a result, we are going to take as many aliens with us as possible through a heavily staggered defense."

Different colored lines appeared on the map of Miami, along with some statistics. "First the good news," Hyde stated, pacing before the holotable. "Evacuation of civilians has nearly been completed both through Gateway utilization and our own Naval evacuations. Collateral damage has been reduced to zero."

She held up two fingers. "Second, currently the forces at our disposal are fifty thousand soldiers, with a reserve of thirty thousand through Gateway support, which is assuming the Collective prevents naval assistance." A more detailed breakdown of the soldiers was displayed, though Hyde didn't elaborate on it. "I'm not going to waste a significant number of valuable soldiers on a suicide mission," she said. "However, we are going to utilize the ones we have as best we can."

"The PRIEST numbers are especially low," the Commander noted. "Intentional?"

"As I said, I don't intend to waste them here," she confirmed with a nod. "The Collective similarly has a low number of psions. I am of the belief that our soldiers are more than capable of matching them without significant PRIEST support. Besides, we have a number of tricks ready to make the Collective fight on our terms. Corporal, please explain."

"Yes sir," an older man cleared his throat and took her place, pointing to the holotable. "I want you all to direct your attention to the map. As you can see, the Miami area is fairly large, and there is an obvious choke point. The Collective is not going to want to go through the Everglades, and so the obvious path is through the coast in a straight line down. This-" he tapped a finger on the holotable. "Must be denied."

He nodded to Hyde, who pressed several buttons on the tablet which resulted in a significant portion of Fort Lauderdale turning orange and red. "The Collective is going to want to take the easy path," he said. "We will deny them this. We've placed the largest explosives of chlorine-trifluoride throughout the city, and the moment the Collective begins approaching them, we detonate them and have the Purifiers plug any holes. This will halt their army completely."

"It will likely also spread downwards," Saudia noted.

"Yes, but not quickly, and if it dies down, the Purifiers restart it," Weber nodded. "Stopping the majority of their army is worth the devastation, especially considering Miami will be a crater when this is done. Essentially, this means the Collective will have to move their army through the Everglades – specifically this road if they want a clear path."

On the map the singular road through the Everglades directly to Miami was highlighted. "A perfect choke point, and it will stop them from easily moving their siege units through there," Weber said with a thin smile. "Not forever, but we just need them to be delayed. And that is where they will hit the first line of defense."

A bright green line appeared along the outskirts. "This is defense point GREEN," Weber said. "It's designed to solely be a kill zone. Few soldiers here, mostly remotely-operated SHIVs and MDUs, with a healthy supply of Rocketeers, mines, and Snipers in the background to provide support. The objective is simple – hold the line as long as possible. When approximately half of positions have been compromised or half of the units destroyed, the retreat to the second line will be sounded and we spring our first trap."

The green line turned to red. "Chlorine trifluoride explosives have been placed along this line," Weber confirmed. "We sound the retreat, detonate them, and the Collective has to walk through a wall of flame. Slowing them down more. The majority of soldiers will retreat to defense point BLUE, while the rest will support defense point ORANGE."

The respective defense lines were highlighted, with BLUE being smaller, but positioned directly before the likely oncoming attack, while ORANGE curved around the city further from the BLUE point. ORANGE also held the first lines of AA defenses and Flak Towers, Saudia noted. However, the areas where there was housing were highlighted in an orange radius.

"Colonel Hyde forgot to mention that the only reason we are able to pull off this defense at all is because of our Militia and civilian volunteers," Weber said. "Nearly seventy thousand are still here and prepared to help. Because of them we have rigged almost all housing residences and buildings in the city in minor, yet lethal ways."

He motioned to Weekes. "Chief, this is where your people begin to come in."

"Weber, with the advice of a local, put together a cheap but effective trap," Weekes said, nodding to the holotable. "In short, we want to draw the Collective soldiers into the residences. Once inside, they trigger simple traps which dispense large amounts of flour throughout the residence or area. This, as it turns out, is highly explosive. Lancers and Special Forces will be responsible for luring Collective forces into these buildings, and subsequently detonating them."

There were murmurs of approval around that. Saudia was impressed at the plan. "We harass them until they get to the defense line proper, and then retreat to provide support," Weekes finished. "Corporal, you may continue."

"Thank you, Chief Weekes," Weber stepped forward again. "Defense point BLUE will be our first manned defense line. Support from Snipers, Rocketeers, and other mobile and long-range units will be important for holding out as long as possible. When we reach fifty percent compromise rate, we will retreat and detonate the chlorine trifluoride explosives along defense point BLUE."

He indicated the orange line. "Defense point ORANGE is where the more intensive defense will take place. We will have Flak Tower and significant AA support. Artillery units have been positioned throughout the city, and ADVENT special forces will repeat their attacks as the Collective soldiers advance to defense point ORANGE."

"How long do you think our forces will be able to last?" Saudia wondered.

"At least a week to get through GREEN and BLUE," Weber said. "ORANGE and RED are where the defenses truly stiffen. It ultimately depends on several factors – how much the Collective is willing to commit to this attack, and what kind of air support they will get. It's not out of the question they will use Cleanser Ships to bombard Miami Beach and the Virgin Key – where we've established a number of artillery positions."

"Aegis can provide protection if they pose a significant threat," the Commander said. "Though that kind of precision targeting will require the Cleanser Ships to fly low – low enough that the Flak Towers may shoot them down."

"Where our air force is ready to go," Hyde added, flicking her eyes to the ceiling, indicating the makeshift base itself. "Going to be difficult for the Collective to get this far."

"Returning to the battle plan," Weber motioned to the holotable. "If ORANGE falls, the same trap will be sprung, and the true final line will be defense point RED. There are additional defenses past this point, but if they pierce this, further defense points are diminishing returns. Once we get to this point, we signal a full Gateway retreat, and several hundred reserve MDUs will be activated to begin holding the line for soldiers to evacuate. The flame wall will slow them down, and give us time to fully evacuate."

"Then we bring in the bomb," Hyde finished. "We'll wait for confirmation of the Battlemaster entering the blast radius, and then send it through on a time of only a minute. I doubt that will be enough time for him to flee, even if he knew what was coming."

"Excellent work, both of you," Saudia commended as both of them finished. "This will be more than sufficient to make the Collective pay for their attacks."

"If I may, I would like to make an addendum," the Commander stepped forward. "The vast majority of these forces will be Mutons; the numbers of which number in the billions. Unfortunately, attritional war against them is a losing battle since no matter how many die here, they will be replaced. The same with Sectoids to an extent."

He lifted a finger. "The Vitakara and Andromedons are different. They can be affected by attritional warfare, and keep in mind that the Vitakara in particular have friends and family awaiting them on their planet. Kill them, and it will shake morale at home. No one will care if a thousand Mutons die. They will care if their mother, brother, daughter, or lover perishes. Focus on any Vitakara and Andromedons you see. Make the aliens feel the cost of fighting us."

There were nods of agreement at that. "Targeting more valuable units is also advised," Weekes added. "Elites, Heralds, Executors; anything that's not a Muton is a priority target. This is not to say if you see a Muton, you shouldn't kill it, but focus on getting rid of something the Collective can't easily replace."

"All of you have been appropriately briefed on the overall plan," Christiaens said, looking around the room. "If you have questions, now is the time. You will be responsible for appropriately distributing orders to your subordinates." She paused. "I want to be clear – we may be preparing to lose, but we're going to fight as if we're going to win."

She indicated Weber. "I suspect that the Collective won't be expecting such a thorough defense, and I would not be surprised if they give up. We have a very clear opportunity to hold Miami and by extension Florida. Right now, the Battlemaster thinks he can march down and claim this state without issue."

She gave a firm salute. "Show him otherwise. Good luck, and I expect when I see you next we will have held the city – or the Battlemaster will be dead. Understood?"

A series of salutes. "Yes, Commander!"

"To your positions then," Saudia stated. "They will be coming soon. Be prepared for anything."

Florida Collective Command, Florida – United States of America

3/27/2017 – 1:17 P.M.

Ravarian disliked the entire part of Earth. It was far too hot and humid for his liking. Why people voluntarily lived here he could not understand, especially since they were not adapted to this type of climate. Humans had an extremely odd tendency to settle in climates which were clearly not for them, and somehow cling to life like some persistent parasite.

Much like how this war was, now that he thought about it. They knew they could not win in the end, yet they still persisted. Admirable in a way, but it certainly made all of their lives much more difficult.

At least there was climate control here, and within days Miami would be under their control – if everything went well. The Battlemaster stared before a holotable which showcased the latest report from the Fort Lauderdale line. The battle had been progressing adequately, with some resistance, but not nearly enough.

Then the city had exploded.

For the first couple hours they'd not know what was happening, anything from a surprise bomb to an invisible airstrike, but once they'd tried putting out the fires and realized that water only made it worse, it became clear that ADVENT had established dozens of bombs of chlorine-trifluoride and ignited them.

A line of fire which for now completely cut off their line of attack towards Miami, and showed no signs of abating as ADVENT was actively keeping the fire active. A development Ravarian was unhappy they hadn't learned about. It was very clear what ADVENT was doing now, and he sincerely hoped the Battlemaster could see it.

His hopes were well-founded as the Battlemaster finally spoke. "This is a trap."

Yang Shuren, clad in her red armor snorted. "Clearly, but for what? Miami is already cut off, holding it doesn't gain them anything."

"It slows us down and could turn into a drawn-out conflict," the Battlemaster answered slowly, moving the hologram closer to the next-best point of entry. "Neither of which we need to tolerate. So this is either a trap, or they are protecting something."

"We've received no intelligence indicating ADVENT is hiding something," Aoura said, looking to Ravarian. "Zar'Chon, can you confirm?"

"Yes," he said. "Let's look at what we know – ADVENT is clearly preparing for a siege. They are aware you are participating in the conflict directly. Two possibilities I can see – they are attempting to draw us into a quagmire, or they are attempting to trap and kill you specifically."

"The defenses observed do not indicate specific targeting," Disciple-7 noted blandly. "If the intent was to draw the Battlemaster to a specific point, there should be a clear path. As it stands, this appears to be a standard ADVENT defense. Direct assassination of the Battlemaster is a secondary objective at most."

"Recommendation," J'Loran boomed, tapping a haptic screen projected by his gauntlet. "Miami is a distraction. Eradicate it with the Cleanser ships."

"Direct targeting could expose Cleanser ships to enemy aircraft," Disciple-7 corrected. "This does not take into account intervention by ADVENT psions or Aegis. Direct bombardment is not recommended without complete knowledge of ADVENT objective."

"ADVENT is expecting to cripple us in this attack," Ravarian said, moving the holomap to focus on the urban Miami outskirts. "Infiltration by REPLICA units has provided us with a significant amount of information. Normally this would be more difficult, but ADVENT has employed a staggering number of civilian volunteers – most of which were not told anything, but we have enough information to know some of what they were doing."

Houses and buildings lit up. "They are rigging all residences and buildings with something," Ravarian said. "We don't think it's an explosive, not completely. They've brought in tons of a white substance we were unable to immediately identify closely. We believe it could be a poison agent of some kind, potentially created by ADVENT. It appears a strategy will be to lure incoming forces into residences and trigger the traps."

"Avoid the houses then?" Yang cocked her head. "Not going to be that simple, I can guarantee that."

"No, but we can determine what the trigger is," the Battlemaster added thoughtfully. "Remotely springing these traps is advisable. Grenades should be utilized. If necessary, only send in drones and Muton soldiers one at a time to minimize losses. Yang, Ravager, remember this." The Battlemaster's Harbinger and the Ravager of the Hegemony both indicated their understanding.

"A sound plan," Ravarian agreed. "Due to the limited entry points, our deployment of the Executors is going to be difficult. The Everglades will slow our units down and potentially destabilize them. The ground is simply not ideal. We'll have to claim a significant amount of ground before it will be safe to move Executors forward. Hover units will not be impeded."

"If we will not raze the city, I would advise an alternative target," J'Loran highlighted the islands and along the coast. "Zararch operatives have reported these have been heavily fortified by ADVENT. Taking them out through a brief, coordinated strike would reduce their defenses deeper within the city. We can later insert Battlefield Engineers to claim them and establish our own artillery."

"That can be done," the Battlemaster agreed. "There will need to be sufficient cover to withstand the air defenses. The true lines of defense are deeper within." A blue line was highlighted, along with accompanying structures. "The Flak Towers are the primary defenses of ADVENT cities. There are not as many here as Busan or others, but there are enough to reliably defend the city. They must be captured."

"Not destroyed?" The Ravager asked.

"No, I'd prefer we utilize them," the Battlemaster said. "Turning them against ADVENT will be more useful for us, and allow us to establish offensive lines of our own."

"That won't be easy," Lurainian Commander Galitai rumbled, shaking her head. "I've read on the history of these structures. We can only expect ADVENT has improved them. They are death traps for any attacker."

"Perhaps, but I expect your forces to be able to accomplish this all the same," the Battlemaster answered neutrally. "We don't need to throw away soldiers, but simply leave this task to those who are capable. Which includes myself, Yang, the Ravager, and the Lurainian. Speaking of which, I intend to learn what ADVENT's true objective is with this defense."

He looked to Galitai. "The Lurainian will be sent within the city behind their lines. Your objective will be to learn what they are planning. Zar'Chon, you will assist them in this task."

Ravarian bowed his head. "Yes, Battlemaster. In addition, thanks to the REPLICAs we also have a list of individuals to target for removal," the holotable switched to showcase a series of figures and faces. "Officers, Lieutenants, Corporals, and more," Ravarian said. "Targets of opportunity we should eliminate to increase our chances of victory. I believe this would be a good opportunity to utilize the Banshee Seeker."

"Granted," the Battlemaster said immediately. "Allocate as many agents as you believe are necessary. I suspect we will need to exploit every advantage to secure this city in a fashionable timeframe."

"A prelude to Tampa," Yang grumbled. "This is a playground in comparison."

"Consider this practice then," the Battlemaster finished. "We begin our march to Miami. Continue watching the firewall ADVENT has erected. The moment it dissipates fully, send down reinforcements."

"Yes, Battlemaster," Disciple-7 confirmed. "It shall be done. Our forces are moving out as we speak."

Dreadnought of the Harbinger – Central Command

3/28/2017 – 10:00 A.M.

Patricia stood with her own small council as she prepared for the upcoming attack. She wore her white dress uniform for now; the armor unnecessary. It wasn't as though she blended in with the rest of the crew who consisted of entirely aliens. The lone Human certainly made an impression, though it seemed like all of them had gotten used to it even in the few short weeks since she'd taken over.

Marian retained his place as her Zararch advisor – and by extension her intelligence advisor who had done an excellent job at keeping her up do date on Zararch operations on Earth – much of which had helped inform her next plans. Stepping into the role of a strategist was not completely new, as even the Commander had only operated on a small scale, but she knew it was something she would eventually master.

The Imperator had given her free reign to select others she felt would be useful, and while she had consulted with him before making final decisions, there had been none he'd considered problematic. I'Sari served as her Andromedon advisor, even though he was part of the Andromedon Military and technically not affiliated with a Union, Irriaran was one of the most loyal to the Collective, and who specialized in genetic engineering.

She preferred an Andromedon as an advisor than a Hive Commander any day. Though as one of the Unions with the best relationships to the Hive Commanders, he worked well as an intermediary. Someone who had already proved to be useful in the upcoming campaign, and despite her dislike of the species, the Sectoids were likely to prove their worth soon.

The hulking Sargon she had also recruited was not a typical strategy master like the Battlemaster's Disciple-7. She had plenty of commanders to manage that; what she needed was someone to handle the civilian populations once they were captured. Assimilator-2 was one of the Sargons who oversaw the training on Desolan, and had developed an interest in alien psychology and behavior.

An interest which had attracted the attention of Sana'Ligna, and he had assisted on some of the more humane tests on Human captives, not to mention countless ones on Vitakara. Patricia had never realized just how utterly intelligent the Sargons were; nothing at all like the brutes that fought. In short, he would be instrumental in ultimately forging Humanity into a species loyal not to ADVENT, but to the Collective.

Or at least breaking the conditioning.

The first few runs were going to be tests, but necessary to determine what was going to work, and what wasn't.

The final two were ones she had included so she would remain in the loop regarding technological developments, as well as additional insights that could be provided. Miriam was another Human woman from Earth who had joined Fectorian's army, and served as something of liaison to the Ethereal, as well as a somewhat adept engineer.

The woman was ambivalent to her at best, and her full loyalty was to Fectorian. Not an issue for Patricia, so long as Miriam complied. The other was a Vitakarian named Sci'casas'forge, one which was supposedly completely grown by Revelean. An apex specimen, supposedly. To Patricia, he appeared like a normal Vitakarian until she looked at some of the projects he assisted the Elder with.

In his spare time he was working on a project regarding deconstructing Sovereign technology in contact with Revelean. He didn't speak much, but of all of them, he was probably the smartest in the room, Sargon included.

"Within hours the Battlemaster will begin his attack on Miami," Patricia said. "ADVENT will continue to be distracted with his assault and that of the First Guardian. My own will add to this confusion. However, these are largely going to be distractions from a greater plan," she nodded to Assimilator-2. "Which was devised by our respective Sargon. ADVENT maintains control through information. Disrupt the information, disrupt control." She directed a hand to Marian. "Proceed with your planned operation."

"Yes, Harbinger," he nodded, and brought up the holomap studded with red indicators. "What you are all seeing here are data centers for the largest search engines in Asia. Baidu, Yandex, Bing, and several others. Users rely on these for information. We are going to take them out." Blue indicators flew down from the presumed atmosphere. "I've put together multiple teams of Zararch and Lurainian operatives who will have varying objectives. These are subversion, capture, or destruction. Operatives will attempt to link a server to a CODEX which may be able to subvert the network. Barring that, removing as much hardware as possible is recommended. If neither are possible, destruction is ordered."

He looked up and around the room. "The result will be a heavy disruption of information distribution for several weeks, minimum. ADVENT will be forced to respond and allocate resources, and in the meantime, civilians will be left without crucial lines of communication, which could affect military forces."

"How many?" Miriam asked.

"Fifteen targets in total," Marian checked briefly. "I should note that these are not all of them, but the major ones we could find. We are not expecting a complete success rate, especially when ADVENT figures out what is happening. This paves the way for our second objective." On the map yellow icons appeared around Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. "While Patricia is active, sabotage teams will be sabotaging and removing all power stations, cell towers, and other lines of communication."

"Isolation," Casas said in a dry voice. "Military and civilian alike. Devastating. Will significantly reduce time of conflict."

"Indeed," Patricia nodded. "I expect that ADVENT will be focused on me during this period. I suspect they will not be expecting an attack in this area, especially so close to China. They will not be prepared."

"Taking the city will not be an issue," Miriam said as she started pacing, her cybernetic eyes white as she appraised the holotable. "You're aware of the history. Our forces will be harassed when we move beyond the cities. If the Vietcong could manage it when facing a militarily superior America, then I'm certain ADVENT can as well." She pursed her lips. "In fact, we should look to Canada to see this in action."

"Fortunately, I've taken that into consideration," Patricia said with a smile. "It will be difficult to ambush us from forests and jungles if those don't exist, won't it?"

Miriam cocked her head. "Elaborate."

"When I capture ground, I intend we hold it until the end of this war," Patricia said, pressing a button on the holotable. Around the region the area was highlighted in red. "If the environment is going to be used against us, we remove this advantage. This will serve two purposes – to deny ADVENT an easy means of response, and to reshape Earth into something immediately usable."

She gestured to I'Sari. "I don't intend to destroy land wholesale without a plan. The Andromedons are expert terraformers and engineers in their own right. If you would elaborate, I'Sari?"

"Of course," I'Sari lumbered forward. "It is important to reduce our reliance on supply lines from off-world. Land reshaped by Harbinger Trask will be instrumental in being converted into fertile land which will be supplemented by food, plants, and other bioengineered vegetation which has been developed by the Greater Hive Commanders over the past half-year. Originally it was intended to damage the Earth, and it has recently been adapted to thrive in it."

The map vanished and was replaced by some plants and chemical and biological information of each. "Simulated environments have shown complete compatibility. The focus has been on improving already-existing Earth plants, fruits, and vegetables to be enhanced compared to their natural brethren. Other Vitakarian and alien foods have also been successfully supplemented to a degree. These will feed civilian cities and our own soldiers."

New plants appeared. "In addition, the placement of controlled clusters will be capable of holding trapped vegetation, including acid and poison secreting vegetation, altered Chryssalid hives, and violent plant life which will be cybernetically and genetically programmed to not react to alien life. ADVENT will find no refuge in the new Vietnam jungles."

"To hazard a guess, Harbinger, how will the current landscape be destroyed?" Miriam asked, with a hand raised.

"Two methods," Patricia answered. "I'Sari will manage industrial equipment designed for terraforming, and alternatively, I will handle it myself. Psionics is quick and effective."

"In addition, we will begin reconstructing appropriate communications networks," Marian added, returning to the map with green nodes springing up. "A tight CODEX-controlled network which will emulate what civilians are used to, only we can ensure ADVENT propaganda is reduced to a minimum."

"Finally, we will begin the process of removing and replacing ADVENT satellites," Patricia finished. "Thanks to Fectorian, we will have better communication, coordination, and capabilities on Earth."

"Will ADVENT be able to access them?" I'Sari asked.

"Not initially, but it won't take them long to piggyback," Patricia said. "But now it will be under the control of the Collective, and they'll be forced to rely on our satellites. If they decide to send their own up, we just shoot them down."

All of them nodded and glanced around in approval. Patricia placed her hands behind her back. "If there are no more questions or additions, then this is the plan. I will consult with the Imperator before the operation launches, which will be within the day. Prepare yourselves. Dismissed."

Near Defense Point GREEN, Miami, Florida – United States of America

3/29/2017 – 9:16 A.M.

Far above the ground, Sierra and her squad hovered as the Collective began marching towards the defenses. Lines of SHIVs and MDUs manned the defensive points along the first defense point; a point Sierra knew was going to eventually fall, but until then they would be able to take down a good number of aliens.

The bottleneck of the lone road was useful for concentrating fire, but the aliens were also marching alongside it as well; the Heralds and Mutons were primarily the ones braving the swamps of the Everglades, even though they stuck to the shallow parts. Sierra wondered how many of them had succumbed to any wildlife attacks, or if the noise had scared everything off.

What made her furious was that the Collective wasn't sticking just to the roads. If there was something in their way, they destroyed it. A swath of devastation was left in the wake of the Collective's march to Miami, and Sierra looked forward to them burning for it.

They would not attack her home without paying a heavy price.

"Artemis A1, do you copy?" Carmelita asked via radio as her squad was presumably moving into position. Two teams of soldiers were prepared for this defense, Artemis and Apollo; the latter dedicated to defending Miami as long as possible. The other was to cause as much damage behind enemy lines as possible.

"Copy," Sierra answered, checking her WHEEE. "Collective forces are starting to engage defense point GREEN. Ready to engage at your signal."

"Moving into position; be ready," Carmelita warned. "Begin your approach."

"You heard her," Sierra kicked her jets towards the marching army. "On me!"

"Acknowledged," Ted confirmed.

"Right behind you," Anna added. "Let's make them hurt."

Mobile artillery encampments from the second defense point established by ADVENT boomed as they flew over the first line, already catching the attention of the aliens; many of whom aimed their weapons upward and fired green bolts into their position, though far too inaccurate to do any real damage.

"Strike now!" Carmelita roared. "Kill every alien you see!"

"Diving!" Sierra called out and angled her body downwards as they were now far behind the battle lines, where groups of Mutons and Runianarch soldiers marched, with Heralds also in the mix. Beyond them she also saw the towering Executors and older Sectopods; most of which were marching on the road, but a few were gingerly moving through the marsh.

"Bombs away!" Anna called as she readied her launcher and fired a series of missiles towards clusters of aliens. These weren't regular missiles, but ones containing long-term replicator nanites. Highly experimental, highly dangerous. According to Vahlen they'd last for two hours before self-destructing, which would be long enough to cause significant disruption.

Sierra's arsenal was slightly less dangerous, but would serve to disrupt the aliens quite nicely. She tossed a series of white phosphorus grenades in an even spread, aiming for Muton clusters, and before it became too dangerous, pulled up from her dive and shot over a vast swath of the alien lines, firing a continuous stream of the white poison from her wrist.

Ted kept his focus clear and direct, acting as a sniper from on high, dispensing smoke around him wherever he moved as he blasted psionic energy in direct beams into the Heralds, with sustained beams penetrating their vulnerable insides and causing them to fail. Unfortunately, this was more difficult to do since his position was being hammered with dozens of plasma bolts – while most of them missed, a few clipped him.

Sierra kept lower to the ground, knowing that was potentially a better way to remain harder to hit, so long as she retained her speed. She aimed her WHEEE cannon towards the swampy ground and fired, and just as she expected, the sheer electrical shock instantly killed anything living in that pool of water.

She repeated the same tactic several times more before taking some direct shots, forcing her to blast back up into the sky to reevaluate her tactics. The areas where Anna had fired were having an immediate impact, complete dead zones that were continuing to expand and consume. She'd hit the road itself, which was causing the most damage.

"Sierra! Incoming hostiles!" Anna called as she pulled around.

"I see them," Ted grunted grimly as he dodged from ground fire. "Only a matter of time until they stole our idea."

Sierra looked beyond, and saw at least two dozen figures launch from nowhere, and begin flying towards them. They appeared to be aliens of various types, and all of them had been augmented solely for flight in a way that looked just as good as the Archangel Armor, if not better. Black and gray, their mirrored opponents were geared and armed for a fight.

"Artemis-1, we've got aerial opposition," Sierra warned, bringing her body around to confront the enemies directly. "Ground assistance will be limited for the time being."

"No worries for now," Sierra could clearly hear the sounds of fighting in the background. "Whatever you did has disrupted them back here. Better make the most of it before the Battlemaster shows up."

"Copy," Sierra acknowledged, aiming her weapon as the flying aliens approached. Green plasma fired from their weapons, which was answered by Anna's autorifle and Ted's psionics. To her surprise she saw one of the aliens break in air and create a psionic shield in front of him – a Sectoid then. The shield absorbed the torrent of energy from Ted, but the rest of the aliens and two Archangels sped forward.

Her armor shuddered as some bolts scraped her, but she persisted, and just when she was on a collision course, she cut her engines, fell, twisted upwards and fired her WHEEE at the other pilot who took the full brunt of the electrical blast. The engines which appeared to be built into prosthetics exploded and the body plummeted from the sky like a stone.

Sierra reengaged her engines and kicked back up into the sky as the other aliens were circling around. They were clearly new at this, and she fully intended to exploit it. Anna had managed to get behind one, and fired a torrent of plasma into its back, sending it tumbling to the marsh below.

Ted had gotten exceptionally close to the Sectoid rival, and was overwhelming it with short bursts that constantly disrupted its barrier attempts. Anna fired a series of bolts, and it raised a shield to defend itself which was all Ted needed for a torrent of power to melt the head of the Sectoid and it fell from the sky.

Sierra was realizing that as useful as the WHEEE was, it wasn't ideal for air-to-air combat. Three of the aliens were teaming up on her, and her suit was suffering direct hits now. Evasive maneuvers were only going to do so much. "Three on me, need a distraction!"

"Keep flying forward, and do not stop," Ted warned. "Anna, keep them off me!"

"I'll do my best!"

Sierra shot forward, with the others in clear pursuit. She felt, rather than saw what happened. The air itself seemed to shift on a fundamental level when the Psionosphere was broken, and her imaginative mind saw the purple tint in her peripheral vision, and heard the whine as several were falling to the ground.

She braked, the alien shot over her and wasn't quick enough to recover from the direct shot from the WHEEE she put into it. "We need to get back," Anna snarled as she slammed directly into one of the aliens and sent both on a freefall, something she could manage, but the alien clearly couldn't. "Suit is taking damage." With a free hand she tore off one of the engines and kicked the spiraling alien downwards before recovering.

"Copy that," Sierra reluctantly agreed as she saw one of her engines getting to close to the threshold for comfort. "Artemis – we're not in ideal territory and our suits are taking damage. Please advise your status!"

"This is Artemis-1," Carmelita sounded hurt, though angry. "They're definitely onto us now, and they'll be dealing with a Shoggoth problem for a while yet. They've sent the big guns against us – retreating for now. Hussar strikes have also been highly effective. Think we've set them back a week, if not more."

"Copy, we're heading back to defense point GREEN now," Sierra said, performing a hard break to let the twin aliens pursuing her overshoot. She fired, but missed this time and they quickly turned back towards her. "Good luck."

"Good luck," Carmelita wheezed, before giving a battle shout. "Another behind you! Morrow! Tell Anna that strike on the road really screwed them up. She's getting a commendation when we get back."

"You hear that?" Sierra said to Anna as she blasted another alien out of the sky.

"Yeah, let's get back," she said. "I don't want my medal laid on my corpse."

Performing a variety of evasive measures, the Archangels shot back across the sky to relative safety, pursued by the aliens who had been sent to eliminate them, and when Sierra looked back, she saw that more units had been sent – Seekers. The big ones.

This is not going to be easy, she thought grimly. Not easy at all.

Miami Exterior, Florida – United States of America

4/2/2017 – 10:29 A.M.

The march to the city had been more arduous than they'd planned, but by this point the Battlemaster believed they'd brought it under control. Wraiths and Spectres had been enough to drive off the XCOM and ADVENT special forces which had harassed them continuously, while the Archons were enough to drive off, if not completely eliminate the Archangels.

The nanite plague that had been fired had delayed them significantly, and they'd been forced to utilize EMP devices wherever they suspected there to be XCOM nanites. The incident had ruined the road, rendered three Executors inoperable, requiring hours of dedicated work before they could be moved again.

It hadn't helped that along the way they'd had to deal with the occasional Human civilian who had ignored the ADVENT warnings and waged a one or two-man war against the aliens. These weren't regular civilians, but who the Battlemaster could only assume were exiled lunatics. While their weapons were primitive, they held copious amounts of them and sometimes even had domesticated wildlife they used against them.

They'd been dangerous enough to kill at least a few soldiers. Protocol now was to use an Executor to raze these houses to the ground. Overkill, but they did not have time or energy to deal with a protracted conflict with a delusional alien.

ADVENT, meanwhile, had been clever in their attacks. But that wouldn't work again, especially as the Battlemaster beheld their first line of defense as shelling and plasma fire sounded around him. The ADVENT artillery seemed to be fairly weak, so it was unlikely to be dedicated emplacements. The majority of defenses consisted of the MDUs, SHIVs, and sniper fire from the residences behind.

No dedicated Human soldiers, though engineers and other crews were maintaining the line, along with a steady supply of machines. Their own lines had been set up a short distance away, though the machine accuracy of the MDUs and SHIVs was lethal for Mutons and Runianarch. Heralds were performing far better, and were responsible for the vast majority of casualties.

ADVENT had their priorities in line though. As he watched, he saw that these MDUs were not the same iteration he'd seen before. These ones additionally had a rocket launcher attached to the shoulder – and every time a Herald appeared, all of the nearest MDUs would concentrate on it, and not even Heralds could withstand a dozen rockets flying in at once.

To him, it was almost impressive how many munitions the Humans had access to.

It had gone on long enough. It was time to break the lines.

"Move forward," he commanded to Yang and the Ravager who were stationed elsewhere on the line. There would only need to be a few breaches before the line would fall, and the Executors were right behind, which would make the following attacks easier.

"Moving," Yang said, and through their bond he felt it echo. He sent the same in reply, and grasped his sword. With it in hand, he charged forward towards the line, the air blurring around him as he dashed faster than the MDUs could target him. He performed a leap into the air, and slammed himself down with a hard telekinetic pull, emanating a shockwave which destabilized the MDUs nearest to him.

Several of the Human engineers and support team screamed as he appeared, and with one circular swipe he decapitated most and executed the rest. Two hands reached out and SHIVs on either side lifted and were thrown into MDUs and other soldiers with lethal speed. The machines swiveled to him, firing with laser and gauss weapons.

He dodged to the side, then slammed directly into an MDU, ripped off the head with one hand and stabbed downward into the heart of it from the opening. He established a personal telekinetic field around him, which would catch all of the rounds which the snipers were no doubt firing at him. They were not a concern now, as there were still more MDUs around him.

With a sharp gesture a trio of Humans were killed as they were flung hard into the barricade they'd established. Another hand closed to a fist as an MDU crumpled, which he tossed towards the residences where the snipers were nested. Stabbing and swiping with his sword he dismembered the MDUs recalling their vulnerabilities, and the SHIVs had no such armor protection.

Above him he saw Archangels flying, though wisely keeping their distance. Archons saw their cue, and now that the line was breached, they began swarming the Archangels, severely outnumbering them. That would occupy the snipers as well, and the Battlemaster returned to eradicating the machines and soldiers around him.

Blood and oil flowed and stained his armor and weapon. No soldier was able to stand against him, as it had always been. The shots which had been fired at him, he used to kill more when he shot them towards allies. The line had been breached in enough places, and Mutons and Spectres were pouring through the gaps, the latter beginning to convert the corpses into usable bodies.

Through their bond he sensed that Yang was similarly successful, and deep within her own trance. A shared experience of conflict and chaos as they carved their way through an enemy; it was a good feeling to have, after believing he wouldn't experience it again. Certainly not with an alien, but it turned out that was not necessarily an issue.

Then the line behind him exploded.

Everything even partially near the line was immediately vaporized, with dust, metal, rock, and wood being turned into lethal projectiles if not destroyed outright. Orange-yellow flames roared to life, and the Battlemaster saw it extended down the entire line. He immediately sensed Yang was fine, if surprised as well.

A trap then.

He saw the flames begin spreading and realized that it wasn't simple fire that had been laid, but the devastating chemical the Purifiers used. Chlorine trifluoride. Of course. He saw what ADVENT was doing, and it was certainly clever – and also told him they were willing to eventually sacrifice the city. Their objective now was clearly to delay and extract a heavy price.

The chemical flames burned through everything, and they would not dissipate for hours, and threatened to spread to his own forces – and the city itself. It provided an effective barrier between those on one side, and the other. He could move between the lines at will – the flames were not high enough to stop him from leaping – but for the rest, moving through was suicide.

"All Collective forces on this side of the barrier regroup with myself, Harbinger Shuren, or the Ravager," the Battlemaster commanded as he executed several more soldiers. "Do not approach the flames under any circumstances."

Slowly over the course of long hours the flames began diminishing, but not safe enough for passage yet, and the survivors on the other side were rallied and marching forward towards cover. Above the Archons were clearing out the snipers, done much easier with the MDUs gone, though the Archangels were picking them off with disturbing ease.

"Zar'Chon," the Battlemaster called as he crushed another MDU which had begun retreating to the next ADVENT line. "Activate REPLICA units and Banshees. Eliminate pre-determined targets. In addition, have them search for where ADVENT may have laid other traps for us. I doubt that was the only one."

"They will do so, Battlemaster," Ravarian answered. "Should they be detonated?"

"If at all possible," the Battlemaster confirmed. "Have the Cleanser Ships move in as well. Set them outside effective range."

"Before the towers are handled?"

"The towers will be handled," the Battlemaster promised, seeing several of the towers in the distance, likely where the next line was. "And when they are, we will strike."

Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam

4/2/2017 – 8:17 A.M.

Vietnam was one of lesser developed nations on Earth, at least compared to certain other countries, China being one of the most prominent ones close by. A lack of development which, historically, had benefited them in times of conflict. The open field, the jungles, the vegetation had all served to give them an advantage against invaders.

She had learned from it though. This was one instance where history would not repeat itself.

The mask hung on her waist as she walked across the fields towards Ho Chi Minh, one of the largest cities in the country. ADVENT would have a defensive presence there, and one of the few in the nation. When that was gone, then they would assume control over a significant region. The few civilians who lived on the outskirts were currently peacefully resting.

No need to kill them. They would be useful for what came next.

By now though they knew she was here, and no doubt mobilizing a response. Perhaps they believed that a single person could not take the city – and they would be correct. She did not intend to take the city herself, but she was going to do it intelligently. Surgically. Methodically. A dozen ADVENT soldiers on patrol saw her approach, froze, and raised their weapons.

Not running. A surprise.

She penetrated their minds within moments, unprotected as they were. Die.

All of them fell to the ground like limp puppets. As she moved aside their corpses with a slight telekinetic nudge, she reflected on how…easy it was to kill now. Life was much more fragile and more easily molded than most believed. Psionics granted the power to mold into whatever shape they wished. It didn't matter what the person was, they could be turned to become whatever you wanted.

Perhaps something to consider later. She was beginning to understand a little more how Revelean thought now. Examining what could be accomplished if one put their mind to it. Well, on a psychological level Vietnam would serve as an experiment of sorts; a deprogramming and subsequent reprogramming of a population.

Ahead she saw the ADVENT perimeter around the city. It was no Busan, but it held trenches at least two layers deep, a healthy spaced grouping of Flak Towers, and no doubt some artillery and tanks ready to fire behind it. She could make out snipers on the Towers and some of the buildings further in. Knowing how ADVENT operated, she suspected they had also seeded the area beforehand with mines.

She stopped walking perhaps a thousand yards away from the trenches. Outside the effective range of most weapons outside of snipers who were curiously holding their fire. Not that it would matter as a telekinetic barrier had been erected long before she'd reached this point. Lasers were a concern, but she could sense a number of basic emotions emanating from the lines.

They were waiting for her to make the first move.

Well, she would oblige.

Taking a firm stance, she clasped her hands behind her back and projected her voice into the minds of everyone in the city. It was not an invasive attack, but a simple telepathic message that all who were not protected would hear. A straight barrier appeared before her in case they misinterpreted her speech for vulnerability.

"This is Patricia Trask, Harbinger of the Imperator. Your city stands in opposition to the Imperator and the Ethereal Collective, and is incapable of victory against us. This is your sole opportunity to surrender before you are annihilated. Military forces will be treated well, and we do not intend to harm the civilian population regardless of the outcome."

She put a note of warning into her voice. "Be advised though that refusal will be dealt with harshly. Send a representative if you wish to discuss terms within the next ten minutes. I will wait."

She ceased her message and knelt on the ground, placing her hands on her knees, closing her eyes as she focused on her allied minds. She knew that – barring a surprise miracle – the city wouldn't surrender. Certainly not to her. In the meantime, she had other operations to coordinate. She locked onto the mind of Marian.

Begin the operation. The attack will begin shortly.

Yes, Harbinger.

She switched her mind to focus on Assimilator-2. Prepare your forces. Ready the Cleanser Ships.

At once, Harbinger. All fleets are standing by and awaiting your signal.

Through her bond with the Imperator, she felt him waiting. Observing. Curious to see her plan in action. As was she, and she looked forward to showcasing it in action. Psionics opened up many possibilities even ADVENT and XCOM had yet to exploit. Mostly due to power limitations and inexperience, but a disadvantage nonetheless.

She opened her eyes again, and saw that the trenches were firing on her; hundreds of projectiles were caught in her telekinetic field, while the remainder were bouncing off her shield. She allowed a smile as she watched the muzzle flashes and orange streaks from the rockets. A few Priests were also in the trenches it seemed, weak telepaths.

I suppose this is your answer then.

She unhooked the mask from her waist and placed it onto her face; hearing the click as she stiffened as the bond forged itself fully. Two minds became one, and yet again she understood the gulf that would forever separate her from the Imperator. The power he wielded was simply not comprehensible to anyone who was not her.

It was not ignorance; it simply could not be completely grasped.

Much like a Sovereign, she imagined.

She focused on Assimilator-2, her presence now domineering compared to her simple contact before. Begin firing.

Assimilator-2 didn't need to formulate a response, as he was already giving the orders. She leapt into the air, and kept herself afloat a couple meters off the ground, maintaining the barrier around her as she observed priority targets. However, she didn't need to have priority targets when she could eliminate all of them.

Hand glowing with psionic power, she extended it in the direction of the city, and above the trenches; above the towers; above the masses of soldiers and defenders, opened a massive portal that she constructed around the perimeter of the city. Right now, it could only be described as a psionic cloud; a closed opening.

Below ADVENT was diverting their attention to what she was creating. She even saw a few shots go up into the purple clouds, and predictably did nothing but go straight through. It took several minutes, but soon a ring was established over the city perimeter, and ADVENT appeared to have some idea of what she was doing.

Unfortunately, it was far too late.

Locking the portal in place, she connected it to a very specific point in space and the ring opened to spit down fire directly from Cleanser Ships far beyond the reach of ADVENT. Torrents of orange and red streaks slammed with Earth-shaking force into the ADVENT perimeter. Towers were stripped and their defenses shattered as they couldn't react in time.

The screams of pain, surprise, and terror soon reached her, and she allowed the relentless shelling to continue until the land around the city was razed to rubble and embers. Dust and ash filled the air. Cease firing she commanded, and immediately severed the portal. Move to the second phase.

There was still a city to capture, and even if the largest defenses had been annihilated, there were many more soldiers within the city itself – along with any who collaborated with them. Corrosive fire flowed around her as she extended a hand over the landscape before the exposed city, and a line of purple flame sprang before her as she set down.

She brought a hand back, and focused before and behind her; seconds later a dozen large portals appeared behind her, connected to her Dreadnought, Vitakar, and Desolan. Several of these portals manifested in the ashes of the ADVENT lines, and out stormed Lurainian and Wraith pods, along with teams of Archons.

Behind her was an amassed army of Mutons who marched out in formation, led by Assimilator-2 and I'Sari. With her army in the thousands behind her and the connections stable, Patricia let her arms fall to her side, and motioned towards the city. The line of purple fire moved as the arm marched, disintegrating the landscape and into the dirt itself to destroy any mines ADVENT may have laid.

ADVENT had been given their chance to surrender, and had squandered it.

The fight was not over, but victory was all but assured.

"Purge the city," she ordered. "If they are ADVENT, capture them if you can. Execute them if you cannot. Do not harm the civilians unless they interfere."

The commands received, the Collective marched on the city; firm in the resolve of the Harbinger who wielded the power of their leader. A power they witnessed this day.

A power ADVENT now bore witness to as well.

ADVENT Busan Defense Base, Busan – South Korea

4/2/2017 – 10:16 A.M.

"It's bad," Cho's face was grim as he stood before Duri and close to two dozen Tier-III Officers who'd all be summoned for an unspecified emergency. Even before he'd been called, Duri had suspected it was only a matter of time before they were moved somewhere else. Florida was the most obvious given the massive battle taking place.

This, however, was not how he expected it to go.

"Why the hell is she attacking Vietnam?" Jenkins, the officer he'd met a few times before asked, puzzled. "Odd place. Not to mention she's setting herself up to get screwed later."

"Vietcong 2.0," someone muttered. "They're going to be mad."

It was said as less of a joke, and more of a grim prediction, one Duri agreed with. "We don't know why Patricia is targeting Vietnam first," he continued. "But it's a lot worse than that. We've essentially lost all contact in that area. Communications are dead, Internet is being reported as spotty or off all around the country, and what little we do know is jumbled and incoherent."

"Define that, sir," an officer asked. "Incoherent as can't be made out, or incoherent as shouldn't be possible?"

"Both," Cho rubbed his forehead. "Unfortunately, our first source was a civilian that supposedly saw the start of the battle; ran to ADVENT, and said he saw a woman in white armor – Patricia – create storm clouds which brought down streaks of light that destroyed everything. Right now, ADVENT Intelligence is moving him to examine his memories to get a clearer picture."

"That's a new one," Duri mused. "Anything else?"

"We're writing off the city until we know what's going on there," Cho said. "Direct from ADVENT High Command. The strikes across the world which are targeting server farms connected to search engine companies are probably what they're more worried about, in all honesty. It's already caused significant damage for this region."

"I guess we're all getting moved over there?" Another officer asked.

"Bangkok, Thailand," Cho confirmed, tapping a button on the table and bringing it up on the holotable. "ADVENT forces are making that the main focus point, and from there strategy will be determined. Cambodia is within the affected sphere, and ADVENT special forces along with ADVENT Intelligence are investigating the region. Until new orders, that is where you will be stationed."

"You as well, LT?" Jenkins asked.

"Afraid not," he shook his head. "I'm still needed here. Busan is apparently not in any danger, but the rest of Southeast Asia is still very much under threat. I have no doubt you'll all kill plenty of aliens, but be careful, and don't expect it to be as nice as here."

"Yes, sir," Duri nodded, along with everyone else. "Do you have the name of our next LT?"

"No, they'll be assigned when you arrive," Cho clarified. "You'll be moving out within two days. Make sure your squads are all prepped and ready to go. All of you will be given direct updates as the situation progresses. Depending on how things develop, you may be moved elsewhere. As it stands, this is where you are going now. Expect that."

Oddly enough, Duri didn't feel much of anything at the news, despite knowing it was more dangerous than the relatively safe Busan. He supposed that where he was going, he would likely be given a shot at a few more higher-ranking aliens, and not the nameless and faceless grunts they'd destroyed.

And even if he did die…well, there were worse fates. Life as it was now was only about making life miserable for the aliens and avenging his family. He doubted that if he was face to face with Patricia, he'd actually be able to do anything to her, but he could at least say he'd try. Everyone who'd died because of the traitor deserved that much.

If he was lucky, he'd see XCOM execute her.

Probably wouldn't be that lucky. But he should be able to rack up a few more alien bodies. A new battlefront and a new adventure, this was, if nothing else, going to be an interesting time. He didn't know how his squad would feel about it, but no matter what, they would be ready to go as soon as he gave the order.

As all good soldiers did.

Miami, Florida – United States of America

4/6/2017 – 12:45 P.M.

She had never been in a battle even close to this intensity.

Every single step deeper into Miami was met with an endless torrent of projectiles, explosives, and fire. They'd been wrong when they'd assumed the houses were traps. They weren't, not completely. ADVENT forces were within them, who then made the Collective have to act to purge them, which resulted in them having to enter, and the buildings subsequently exploded.

The ADVENT soldiers presumably left before that point; Lancers she knew now, along with the odd XCOM soldier, who cut a swath to the next building and gradually picked off hundreds of Mutons and Runianarch. However, now there was a group that was before her now. With flames beginning to engulf the building, the six Lancers and lone XCOM soldier aimed their weapons and fired, some at her, others at the soldiers following her.

The XCOM soldier pulled out a longsword which was stained with yellow. A Templar.

Yang flourished her own weapons and dashed forward, throwing one of them at a Lancer, while throwing the other hand forward, sending a telekinetic wave that threw some of them back and destabilized the rest. The Templar threw several grenades which she intercepted telekinetically and threw far away angrily.

She didn't have time for this, and this was the wrong soldier to fight her. XCOM would have to do a lot better. Yanking a hand forward, their weapons flew out of their hands, and with the opposite one she lifted them up and crushed their skulls before throwing their corpses away. She fell to one knee at that once the rush left her.

They'd been fighting straight for…a few days now. She was not at her prime right now, and neither her or the Battlemaster would stop until the first Flak Tower line was taken. The Executors were almost in position, and that would begin marking the true turn of this battle. Gritting her teeth, she drew upon her link to the Battlemaster who she distantly knew was engaged in his own battles.

His reserves were far deeper than hers. They would carry her on.

Somewhat reinvigorated, she looked up to see that ADVENT persisted in their defense. More buildings exploded around her. Mortar shells slammed into the dirt, some killing more Mutons, while several others she deflected to the line ahead – a line she could see clearly now through the pounding, shouting, and weapons fire.

The Flak Towers were in full gear. The air battle which she was only barely following had taken place far above, but the Towers were still firing into the sky, and also at any Archons which dared get close. It provided a buffer of safety for the Archangels and ADVENT aircraft. They needed to be taken out.

Recalling her swords to her hand, she reached out towards a weakened wall from an exploded building, and yanked it. With almost a groan and crack, it tore off, and she threw the piece of the wall at the tower. To her disappointment, though not surprise, it didn't seem to have even made a dent. Pity, I'll have to do this myself.

"Prepare to move on the tower!" She commanded to the mass of soldiers behind her. For every one ADVENT killed, there were plenty to replace them, and while she'd tried to minimize unnecessary casualties, ADVENT made much of that impossible due to their planning. It certainly didn't mean they hadn't extracted their own toll.

Ravarian through several updates had shared information about how badly the deeper ADVENT lines had been hit, with large swaths of soldiers killed, though they'd eventually been driven back. Banshees were still in the lines, killing who they could, but with the sheer number of defenders, Yang knew that killing off even a thousand wasn't going to make a significant difference, even if they were ranking officers.

When it came down to it, this was one side shooting against another, and the heavy hitters weren't going to be killed by things like Banshees. The new and improved Vanguards were a significant asset however, as they were fully exploiting the open terrain to create barriers that soldiers rushed towards, their telepathic links with each other allowing a steady and continued advancement with minimal casualties.

Their main drawbacks were that they burnt out after a few hours and had to be continually rotated, and that ADVENT snipers were making concerted efforts to target them, causing the paired Zararch snipers to direct their fire to counter-sniping, leading to a slower march overall. However, at least here Yang could command the full attention of ADVENT.

She threw back the collected projectiles, and placed herself directly on a firm warpath as the Tower loomed ahead. She could see the defenders behind the barricade; many soldiers who weren't even full military; probably volunteers. They looked terrified as they saw her approach, firing their weapons wildly she telekinetically threw streams of debris towards them.

One brick hit a woman in the head; the speed turning it into a red mist. Metal spikes and shavings shredded and dismembered other soldiers, while the remaining random projectiles forced them to take cover behind the barricades. Muton Elites she had ordered to her location were now on-site, and were laying down streams of green plasma, effectively mitigating any defenses, allowing Yang to proceed without issue.

She looked up at the tower, then down at the entrance. It was extremely tall, durable, and intimidating. Fighting through that was not going to be fun. So she had to use every advantage she could, and in a way they wouldn't necessarily expect. Plasma and orange projectiles streaking around her, she bent her knees, and leapt upwards, her genetic enhancement sufficient to propel her to the top of the tower.

Using telekinesis as a cord, she amplified her speed, and then slammed down onto the center of the tower, knocking the operators to the ground. With several quick pushes, most of the operators were thrown off the building and the remainder were slain by her weapons. She looked around to see if there was a computer station, and she found something that appeared to be one.

Since she didn't have time at the moment to figure it out, she located the massive cords plugged into the computer and unplugged all of them, assuming at least one was for power. The massive AA guns on the top went silent, and she located the hatch to descend. She yanked it open and began marching down. The soldiers inside shouted in surprise right before she killed all of them.

She repeated the process, noting how loud everything was in here. It was a very organized area, she had to admit. The problem was that it was designed to keep people from coming up, not down. Not to mention that they weren't prepared for someone like her. At all. Down she continued fighting, and by the next few rows the soldiers were prepared.

Her armor was scorched, dented, and blackened from the barrage of fire she received. The sounds were loud and distracting, especially after her days of fighting, but she pressed on, killing all of the soldiers effectively. With a ferocious yank, she outright destroyed the computers, not having the energy or patience to disable them now.

Before she descended further, she took a breath, and drew some more upon the Battlemaster, who was taking notice of how much she was drained. Some concern emanated through the link. A weary smile appeared on her face at that. I'm fine, it's almost done. Once the first tower was taken, it would be a domino effect.

Below her she could faintly sense fighting and Collective soldiers, and sure enough, when she reached the next level, she saw them cleaning up the last of the defenders. Unlike her efforts, it had not come without great cost. All of them were Vitakara, as the Mutons couldn't actually fit into the Towers. There were bodies everywhere, and Zararch operatives were rushing in now that the fighting was done.

"Tower is clear," she said, trying to keep her voice clear as she took off her helmet. "Water."

One of the soldiers tossed her a water bottle which she drank in a few seconds, before telekinetically summoning another one which she splashed across her face, feeling far better when the cold liquid hit. Crumpling it into a small plastic ball, she put her helmet back on and marched out of the tower.

In the levels below the carnage was even worse. The floors were coated in a thin layer of blood and bodily fluids, with alien and Human corpses strewn in various states of destruction. Some bodies were ripped to pieces, others were simply shredded if technically whole. More had just suffered a few fatal wounds and died.

There was no clear path to the exit without stepping over bodies. The door had been blown open, and there was additional carnage outside. Stepping back out into the hot Florida sun, she looked down the line to see more Collective forces were reaching the towers and more were going silent. They were making progress.

We're going to win. She gripped her swords tight in her hands as she prepared to move down the line. It's only a matter of time.

Miami, Florida – United States of America

4/8/2017 – 4:23 P.M.

The stench of chemicals, fire, and machines had become something everyone had gotten used to over the week since the battle had begun. The pounding of artillery and screams of the wounded had become background noise in the constant push of war. The Battlemaster no longer knew how many he had killed, only that it numbered in the thousands.

Hour after hour he marched along the lines, killing and annihilating all in his path. Nothing could stand against him for long, as was expected. Yet the sheer number itself proved a toll; and the scale of the conflict itself was proving to be the biggest hurdle. ADVENT had devised a clever contingency where for each battle line they passed, it was rigged with their chemical fire.

Now though, the Executors were here, and they would show no mercy.

Blaster Bombs, nanite missiles, and plasma warheads roared overhead, many shot down by the Flak Towers which still lined the third point, but enough hit that a healthy barrage of explosives were heard and felt in the distance. Entire blocks were leveled in regular intervals, as the Collective forces slowly advanced.

"There is an XCOM squad approaching," the Battlefield CODEX warned. "Psion, classification Aegii. Accompaniment appears to be other XCOM soldiers."

"Identification?" The Battlemaster asked as he dashed towards a small group of Lancers and promptly executed them with several swings of his sword and crushing their bodies with telekinesis.

"Unknown. Appears highly skilled."

"Understood. Direct nearby Banshees and Wraith Seeker Units to my position."

The sabotage, assassinations, and general mayhem caused by their assault had taken a toll on ADVENT. As he kept advancing, it became clear there was far less of a clear chain of command, and orders had devolved to simply defending their positions. ADVENT had kept managing to fight off the attacks, but they'd only been partially successful in actually destroying the units.

This tower coming up appeared more organized and protected, likely due to XCOM supporting it. Without warning a psionic barrier manifested before him and behind him, cutting him off. Immediately he directed all of his telekinetic energy towards the area in front of him, shredding the barricades and killing or wounding those closest, while throwing everyone else back.

The XCOM soldier in question did not appear to be overly shaken, and thrust a hand out, with three barriers extending around him, which the Battlemaster dodged to the side to avoid while throwing several bodies and rubble at the psion who created a barrier in front of him to block them. Well, this was going to be an interesting challenge.

A prelude to Aegis, perhaps.

There were few times this battle he'd descended into his trance. Situations typically did not require it. But here, with the danger of psionic barriers in play, along with a psion who had some skill in using them, it was necessary. Speed was essential here, and ensuring his reaction was as fast as possible was necessary for survival.

He tossed rubble and debris in a constant stream towards the psion, as well as the other XCOM soldiers who were moving to flank him. With a flick of one wrist he sent one flying, while another he threw up into the air and away. Barriers materialized around him, one slamming into his arm and pushing him off-balance which he quickly corrected.

He jumped into the air and transitioned into a psionic dash towards the psion who just erected a barrier in front of himself which the Battlemaster slammed into with enough force to make the psion take a step back. With a telekinetic pull he uprooted the psion into the air, reached up, and slammed him back to the ground.

Inexplicably, the psion maintained enough concentration to create another barrier which slammed directly into his chest, sending him a few steps back while ADVENT soldiers around him kept firing and throwing grenades. The Battlemaster thrust out hands in all directions, creating a shockwave powerful enough to break bones and send those not slammed into a wall flying away.

The psion had pushed himself to his feet, though was clearly unsteady. The Battlemaster lifted a chunk of rubble and threw it at him while using telekinesis to freeze the man in place. Frozen, the psion still managed to erect a shield that blocked the rubble, while two more barriers appeared around the Battlemaster, one aimed for his head, the other for his chest.

He spun to the side, and thrust out an arm to crush the psion completely.

Just as a psionic barrier appeared right as he was reaching out, cutting through the limb at the elbow and flopping to the ground. The telekinetic grip didn't quite vanish, and the Battlemaster idly noted that the limbs of the psion cracked, but it was nowhere as directed and lethal as he'd planned. Pain like he'd not felt in decades registered, a white-hot pain and the loss of control.

Blue blood spurted out of the wound as the suit enacted the contingencies to stop blood loss. Above him six Archangels appeared, spewing plasma fire down on him, with a psion shooting energy from his hands, forcing him to move and defend himself. Seekers began engaging, and he saw one of the Archangels land and airlift the psion away which he was incapable of stopping due to the barrage of fire.

He lifted a good hand and directed his grip to the airspace above him and tightened it. Some of the jets on a couple pilots sparked and one exploded, sending them into a downfall, while the others moved to help them while avoiding the fire of the Seekers than pursued them. The Battlemaster recalled the severed arm to a free hand and marched to safer lines, knowing better than to continue fighting with this injury.

The loss of a limb was not significant. It could easily be regrown and replaced. It was a temporary pain – and a good reminder that there would come a point where he would face someone who could defeat him. It was a painful reminder that he was still outmatched against Aegis, who was far more skilled than that Human had been.

Though that Human…it had perhaps been one of the most skilled he had encountered. Dangerous. Someone he needed to have eliminated.

"Battlemaster," the Zar'Chon called. "I've been informed you've suffered injuries. How severe?"

"One forearm, wound is sealed," he answered, still moving. "Nothing significant. There is a particularly skilled XCOM Aegii psion in the vicinity. Provide his image as a priority target."

"Acknowledged, and there have been additional developments in what we've learned," Ravarian paused. "A Banshee managed to penetrate their main base of operations and found multiple references to the detonation of nuclear weapons. You've specifically been mentioned as a priority target."

The Battlemaster was less surprised at that, and more surprised at the methods. "They are planning to destroy one of their own cities to kill me? With their soldiers still within?"

"Unclear, information gathering was incomplete and the respective unit destroyed," Ravarian clarified. "But I will note that we still do not detect nuclear signatures in the city. Which means they may be waiting until a majority of our forces – or you – are within the radius of the explosion."

"I see," the Battlemaster looked to the skyline deeper within the city. "If that is their intention…then we must tread carefully. Acquire information on modern nuclear weapons and their effective radiuses. We will not willingly allow ADVENT to spring their trap."

Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam

4/2/2017 – 11:51 A.M.

The capture of the city was proceeding well, with surprisingly little resistance. Patricia was on the outskirts, partially devoting her concentration towards the location, pacification, and execution of ADVENT soldiers and personnel throughout the city while Sectoid-led teams conducted house-by-house searches to root out everyone inside.

Only part of her concentration, as the other portion was focused on the inevitable response. She knew better than to think one wouldn't be coming, and would be surprised if that was the case. While it wasn't completely out of the question that ADVENT would cede this victory to her and not risk anyone else…it seemed out of character.

A token response was needed. They couldn't just let her come and take control of a city in a matter of hours. It would be XCOM, ADVENT special forces, or if they really wanted to test her, one of the Agents of T'Leth. That would be a true test of her strength and connection to the Imperator. In a way she hoped that one of his puppets would come.

There were signs that would happen.

As the morning had progressed, she had noticed that the clouds had slowly begun darkening, turning the sky overcast. Wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped slightly. Manipulation of the weather was certainly possible through psionics, and she wondered how close T'Leth was right now…

In any case, she would be prepared.

Ensure Cleanser Ships are ready to fire on my command, she sent to Marian telepathically. I suspect something is coming.

They await your command, Harbinger.

The Imperator himself agreed that this was proceeding too well. There would be something that would happen, it was only a matter of time. While they waited, Collective transports had landed in the area, beginning to raze the land for conversion, and to deploy engineers, mechanics, and other support teams to begin establishing new infrastructure.

Like a loud crack it was noticed by her; the appearance of a new mind. A powerful psion had just arrived. Patricia's head swung to a hill a short distance behind her where someone walked through a curious portal of shimmering blue and white. A minor curiosity of hers remained on why the color of power differed on the wielder.

Although they channeled the power of a Sovereign. Perhaps this level was simply unattainable for everyone else. No matter, they would be dealt with.

Patricia hardened her telekinetic field around her, as well as enshrined herself in purple psionic armor as she teleported to a distance where only a few dozen yards separated them. To their curiosity, they saw that it was a woman, though not one that either of them were aware of – nor was she armored like the other T'Leth Agents they'd seen.

The armor was a bone-grey color, harsher than the stone-gray of the others. It seemed thinner and more segmented as well, with red underclothing visible of a silk-like material. The chest armor did not seem fully protected, and reminded her of a ribcage with metal crisscrossing over the chest. Similar styles of armor covered the arms, culminating in ridged gauntlets with the fingers ending in metal points.

Curiously, all of the armor was etched in glyphs and a language she could only assume was one long dead or alien. A Sovereign language most likely. A red shoulder cape was draped over her left shoulder, whose hand held her helmet – a mask that had a smooth skulltop and black voids for eyes. A helmet for intimidation if she had to guess.

The other hand held a staff, or more accurately, a spike. Metal and simple, atop it was a Sovereign orb which glowed brightly, while the bottom was tipped as a spike. The woman bearing the armor herself was one of the tallest women Patricia had ever seen. Taller than Saudia even, though not quite reaching her own new height.

Long brown hair fluttered in the wind, framing a pale face whose expression made her seem even colder. Green eyes flashed with contempt, and every aspect of her posture screamed disgust at what she saw. The hill she stood on gave her a slight height advantage, allowing her to look down upon the Harbinger.

"Who are you?" She asked, cocking her head slightly. "You aren't like the others."

The woman planted the staff in the ground in a singular motion and appraised Patricia fully, and with utter contempt. "I am Lavallic ir Nara, traitor," her voice was sharp and curt, each word said with the air of someone who thought especially poorly of the target. "An Agent of T'Leth. You and your Imperator would be wise to leave, before this becomes worse for you."

Her eyes flashed, and Patricia felt a vast telepathic attack go out over the nearby area; a telepathic command she'd performed quite often. She imagined it was a simple command; attack; kill; along those lines. Easy to defend against, but effective for the unshielded. Nearby Mutons and Vitakara soldiers began turning on and attacking each other while others resisted the weaker command.

Cease. She sent out the command of her own, and felt it ripple through the nearby ranks, though a piercing attack from the woman interrupted her. She had faith her soldiers would be able to handle the situation.

Patricia smiled under the helmet after the dual displays of power. "An honor, ir Nara. You will be the first Agent I eliminate."

Ir Nara placed her helmet on in one motion and with her other hand blasted white lightning from the other which Patricia blocked with a psionic shield while launching an telepathic attack against the woman. With the opposite hand she raised it to the sky and several lighting strikes manifested and began striking unprepared soldiers. Surprisingly, she also had extremely strong mental defenses – which weren't being actively shielded by T'Leth.

Patricia lifted a hand and shattered the Psionosphere around ir Nara, turning it into a lethal Tempest. Ir Nara stepped through a portal and reappeared a short distance away, thrusting both hands forward and sending a psionic shockwave powerful enough to send Patricia flying backwards, which she corrected within seconds and slammed down into the ground – though not before creating a portal right behind the woman, and slamming into her.

She heard ir Nara snarl and was forced to let go when her entire body became electrified, but in response this allowed Patricia to acquire a firm telekinetic grip and begin squeezing. A sudden piercing telepathic attack disrupted her, one far more powerful than any she had experienced, and had it not been for their bond, it would have broken through.

"You should have listened, Patricia," T'Leth rumbled in her mind. "Neither you nor your Imperator can defeat me."

She didn't respond, but blasted the staff with psionic energy as ir Nara fell into another portal of her own design. With her free hand she opened a portal and six Mosrimor orbs fell out and activated, nanites swirling around them as they came online. Patricia moved into her own portal and reappeared where she'd begun, as both women appraised what to do next.

Ir Nara paced stiffly and aggressively, like a beast stalking prey. A hand shot out, shooting several bolts of lightning at Patricia and nearby aliens, which she easily blocked, before lifting a hand and shooting back a stream of her own which ir Nara deflected with a wave of her hand, sending the warped bolt directly into a nearby group of Mutons.

Patricia launched every single attack she could against the woman. Her telepathic one was resisted, but did slow her down. The telekinetic pull broke the dirt under her and the tops of her feet sank into it, an artificial weight pulling her into the Earth. The air around her crackled and broke as the corrosive power leaked through, ripping apart her cape and damaging the armor.

Open fire Patricia commanded her Cleanser Ship as ir Nara screamed in rage, then dirt, rocks, unlucky soldiers, and everything else nearby went flying; the shockwave being large and powerful enough to envelop her. Patricia quickly caught herself and hovered in mid-air briefly as ir Nara planted a foot in the ground and first extended it to the Mutons who were starting to fire at her, causing them to crumple to the ground; dead from a telepathic command, which extended far beyond the initial group as several hundred eventually crumpled over.

With her other one she lifted it up to the sky, and without warning the sky turned white. It hit Patricia immediately; a chill from a blizzard which came roaring in from a portal ir Nara had created, connected to some ice planet most likely, if not on Earth itself. Snow and ice pelted down, a cold she had never experienced before, at least not in such intensity.

Ir Nara was not affected, and if anything, the drastic temperature change seemed to rejuvenate her. With another hand she gestured, and other portals manifested around Patricia, which spewed out torrents of the cold that amplified the freezing effect. Creative, she grudgingly admitted, feeling cold enough that she began using Biopathy on herself to ensure she wasn't frozen outright, while encasing herself in a psionic shield.

The shield did very little for the sheer cold, unfortunately. Two can play at this game.

She opened four portals around ir Nara, all connected to the area the Cleanser Ships were firing, and ir Nara now faced the full firepower of a fleet of Cleanser Ships and with a surprised yelp just barely got a psionic shield deployed around her, though not before she was hit by several direct shots, shredding her armor and seeming to tear off her left arm.

Leaking red, she maintained the shield as Patricia redirected the portals towards her, anchoring herself telekinetically to ensure she wasn't sucked into space. The portals above that had spewed cold were closed, though the snow lingered and chilled all around it. For good measure she lifted a hand and blasted psionic energy at the retreating woman, which was absorbed, but now there seemed to be some weariness in her defense.

Perfect.

With a disgusted snarl, the woman threw her good arm back and stepped into a portal, briefly reappeared to grab the staff which had managed to somehow destroy four of the orbs in her absence of paying attention, and then vanished. She still felt chilled, quite literally, from the experience, but elated at the same time.

We did it.

One Agent she had beaten, if not killed. It was unlikely that particular trick was going to work again, but it certainly wasn't the only one she could pull off. She'd been good, but Patricia could tell that fighting was not something she was accustomed to doing – or at least not when her opponent was just as skilled.

She'd be dangerous one day, but Patricia intended her to be dead long before that point.

There might be another attack, but now she felt that they were clear in a way. ADVENT would strike back – but the next time it would be on their terms. Turning back to the city, she prepared to finish clearing up, and beginning the proper conversion into the first proper Human city under the control of the Ethereal Collective.

Miami, Florida – United States of America

4/12/2017 – 4:09 P.M.

The end was coming, and Sierra knew that her limit was going to be reached. But in the end, it might not matter because the snowball effect the Collective brought to bear was in full effect. It had taken a couple weeks, but Miami was going to fall. Executors were reliably shelling and destroying entire blocks which went up in green explosions, while others were consumed by nanite projectiles.

The brief moment of hope they'd experienced when Geist had severed an arm from the Battlemaster had faded when he'd shown up a day later, seemingly no worse for wear. Everyone still left alive was battered, exhausted, and ready to nuke this place and take out as many aliens as possible. One by one the Flak Towers were destroyed or appropriated, rendering one of their greatest advantages a liability.

On the plus side, Sierra and the rest of them had a kill count in the hundreds from this battle alone. She wasn't the only one either. Genetic enhancement and advanced technology, not to mention the high ground and superior maneuverability played to their strengths. Though not without its costs. Her body felt battered, her mind was exhausted, and her suit had so many scratches it looked like it had survived a minefield.

In a way, it had.

Sierra stood upon one of the taller skyscrapers before the larger skyline as Cleanser Ships loomed overhead. With the Flak Towers contained and mitigated, and the ADVENT and XCOM air forces pushed back, they had license to move in and raze whatever they wanted to the ground. Aegis would have normally been brought in now – but he was over in Asia of all places to deal with the attack Patricia was leading.

"They're moving in now," Anna said, coming in to land beside her, weapon hissing from the heat. "They know something is up by now. They're going to raze the city center to the ground. We need to have them sound the evacuation and kill what we can before it's too late."

"I agree," Sierra nodded as she watched the Archons, as they learned they were called, swarm one of the few remaining Flak Towers, picking off the soldiers on top, and then landing to appropriate them. The numbers just seemed to be…endless. This war of attrition was impossible, and she wondered if they'd even made a dent in their numbers. "We need to end this now."

ADVENT had suffered their own losses. The International Airport had been bombed to cinders hours ago; though it had taken constant shelling to overcome the psionic shields Priests had deployed. Geist, being the idiot he was, had almost been killed (again), though his actions had likely contained the blast from killing anyone else.

XCOM in general was holding on to what little they had. Everyone had some degree of treated injuries, even with their enhancements, and all of them were exhausted. Days of straight fighting; shelling; weapons fire; conflict 24/7, it took a toll to the point that Sierra knew she was going to be hearing the thundering of Flak Towers in her sleep for weeks afterwards.

"Carmelita, Kane, Geist," Sierra sent on her radio. "Come in."

"What?" Geist answered curtly. "Air support would be useful."

"Yes, yes, I'm aware," Sierra looked up. "But there are Cleanser Ships coming down, and last I checked, it's been a full day since the Battlemaster has been seen. They're going to level the city if we don't leave now. They know something is up."

"I've assumed as much," Geist answered, sounding strained. "No information extracted from soldiers, but they are expecting the Cleanser Ships to act soon. I'm waiting for something from ADVENT command."

"ADVENT command is gone for now!" Anna interrupted. "The fucking Seekers have been assassinating officers left and right. Signals are going in and out. We need to take the initiative and cut our losses before it's too late."

"We have to wait for the Battlemaster," Kane interjected, with Sierra hearing weapons firing in the background. "If we don't, this is all for nothing."

"He's not taking the bait," Carmelita grunted. "Hate to say it, but we'll have to kill what we can, and get him another time."

Kane didn't object further, but offered a clear and disgusted "Acknowledged," before returning to firing. Sierra wasn't happy they weren't killing the Battlemaster either, but at this point they needed to accept it and move on.

"Sound it then," Sierra called as the Cleanser Ships began firing. The projectiles thankfully didn't aim towards the city, but along the islands and Miami Beach itself. She watched in a mournful sadness as the skyline crumbled under the sustained and concentrated fire. There went all the defenses and artillery.

"Doing so now," Geist stated. "Cover our exits."

"Acknowledged," Sierra said, kicking her engines into gear and flying down for the last hurrah in the defense of Miami. It was interesting that knowing what was coming; that they had ultimately lost this battle, it gave her a sense of relief; allowed her to focus more easily. She was fortunate she wasn't in charge of coordinating the retreat, and her role was dropping white phosphorus and smoke grenades along the choke points, while occasionally destroying an out-of-position alien squad with a cannon burst.

Time was ticking, and she saw that the planned MDUs that had been kept in reserve were being deployed as the sacrificial units before the bomb was set off. The soldiers and remaining militia and volunteers were rushing away as the Archangels, XCOM, and ADVENT special forces covered their retreat.

More orange and yellow streaks rained down, but they were again directed towards the Miami skyline and the island. Both were probably now rubble, but anything which was distracting them was something that was buying precious time to get everyone evacuated. After what felt like hours, they were at the Gateways, and the nuclear bomb was set on a timer.

"We've done all we can," Geist said as the last of the defenders marched through the structures. "Time to go."

"How long until detonation?" Sierra asked, glancing at where the weapon was situated.

"Three minutes," he said, as they both moved towards the swirling purple energy. "I suggest we leave now."

Miami, Florida – United States of America

4/12/2017 – 4:47 P.M.

"They are surrounded and losing ground by the minute," the Battlemaster said to the hologram of Ravarian. "If this is a trap, we will know soon enough."

"I'm curious if they will go through with it now," Ravarian looked at a display on his hand. "They've surely noticed you have not been on the front lines."

"I dislike this," the Battlemaster stated, palm over the point of his hilt. "ADVENT may have successfully found a means of deterring me. As a result, our progress has been slowed on the assumption that this is a trap."

"And if you're wrong, you die," Yang interjected, arms crossed. "Not taking that chance, especially since you came close already. It only takes once, and your coordination is just as important here. Disciple-7 can be used elsewhere."

"Indeed," Ravarian gave a sharp nod. "We will find a way to deal with these types of threats from ADVENT in the future. This will be a test of ADVENT's resolve. Even if you're not there, there are a considerable number of forces in the city. If they use their most powerful nuclear bombs, it could destroy the entire city. Time to see if-"

The entire ground shook and the Battlemaster gripped his sword and dashed out, Yang immediately placed her helmet on and sealed it before following him, and they stepped out of the small command compound to see the orange-tinged cloud rising in the distance. The shockwave hit them a few seconds later, definitely not that strong, but they could see the effects.

They heard the sound of cracks, collapsing buildings from the shockwave and pressure, and the screams of those who'd been caught outside the radius of the explosion, but within the sphere where their skin was shredded and melted. He'd researched the effects of nuclear weapons in the event that one was deployed against him.

"Area of effect appears to be nearly eighty-five percent of the city boundaries," the CODEX informed. "Losses are currently being calculated."

"Thousands," Yang said quietly as they watched the mushroom cloud go further into the air and begin dissipating. "Almost everyone in that city is dead now. No detection at all? None?"

"Spike in nuclear energy was detected approximately thirty seconds to detonation," the CODEX answered mechanically. "Warnings were issued to nearest units."

"Not nearly fast enough," the Battlemaster said grimly. "They did it through a Gateway. As expected."

"Yeah," Yang sheathed her weapons. "It's over then. We won."

It was technically a victory, but the Battlemaster didn't know how much that was worth in this particular case. It had been less about taking the land as beating ADVENT itself. Now though…he wondered if ADVENT had even intended to win the battle at all. They'd steadily retreated, extracting as heavy a price as they could over the course of weeks.

The Humans had been averse to destroying their cities before, or using them in any kind of capacity outside of disabling electronics. He wondered what had changed now that they would detonate one even though they knew he wouldn't be caught in it. Was it always the plan to destroy the city regardless of his presence?

He supposed it didn't matter. They'd crossed this line, and they would do it again. They had held onto their own trump card for quite some time, but now they were feeling threatened enough to use it. In a way…this was a good sign. It meant they were scared and concerned enough to do whatever it took to stop him.

"Current losses to the detonation total to approximately two hundred and fifty-three thousand, one hundred and sixty-three," the CODEX stated. "Breakdown of specific units is ongoing."

"Are injured units accounted for?" He asked.

"Negative, medical and engineering teams are currently moving in to extract still living or functioning units."

"What about radiation?" Yang asked.

"Your suits will be able to tolerate radiation for a short period provided all decontamination protocols are followed," the CODEX answered. "Currently only a small portion of the city near the blast radius consists of radioactive material. Winds are estimated to spread it throughout the area within the next several hours. It is recommended you vacate the area."

Yang looked up to him. "We should get as many of them out as we can alive. We owe them that much."

"Yes," he agreed, resting a hand on her shoulder, pleased she'd suggested it. "The Collective will be able to cleanse us of any radiation or infection afterwards. The soldiers who fought should not be abandoned."

"Andromedon Contamination Operatives have been requested and are on their way to assist in the containment and cleansing of the area," the CODEX stated, not missing a beat even though they'd ignored its suggestion. "It is highly recommended that you consult with the medical station to adequately prepare your bodies for potential radioactive contamination."

"Then we go there," the Battlemaster began walking in that direction, Yang close behind him. "We will take what ADVENT keeps trying to deny us, no matter how much they try and stop us."

Office of the Chancellor, ADVENT HQ – Switzerland

4/12/2017 – 5:16 P.M.

"Chancellor, the report."

"Thank you," Saudia took the beige file, and given the grim expression on the face of her secretary, she knew it had happened. Within a half hour media would be reporting it, and no later than two hours she'd be before the press to justify the detonation of a nuclear weapon within a major Human city.

She opened it up, and was greeted with a fairly brief report, detailing casualties, estimated cost to the Collective, scientific estimation on radiation duration and overall damage, cost to ADVENT, and what the immediate aftermath was. It had been a while coming, and with the chain of command being slowly decimated, it was somewhat notable that a retreat had been able to be organized at all.

Sitting alone, she read quietly and quickly. Overall, the objective had been largely met. There was no confirmation that the Battlemaster or Yang Shuren had died in the explosion, though they'd been warned that the Battlemaster might have learned of their intentions. Not surprising in retrospect, as that was a secret that didn't even need intel to correctly guess.

However, the estimated casualties inflicted were…staggering. Between one and one-point-five million Collective units destroyed or killed. No percentages on how many of those were Mutons and less valuable units, but that was a number that was disproportionately high compared to ADVENT's own losses.

Those entailed the city, all of the defenses, and roughly sixty-two thousand volunteers, militia, soldiers, and mechanical units. Not a bad trade, all things considered. Even more so when taken into consideration that approximately a fifth of those casualties only began racking up when the Executors had been moved into effective ranges.

A snowball effect. One which she feared could be replicated everywhere now. If the Collective was willing to throw over a million soldiers to their deaths, even Busan might eventually succumb. Perhaps, but it still wasn't a guarantee yet…as they hadn't even intended to win this. She wondered how much the number truly mattered.

The Battlemaster was still alive. So was his puppet.

They were the important targets. A good piece of news was the harm which had been inflicted on the Battlemaster. Footage she and ADVENT had acquired, and would be using. Something to show that even the Battlemaster was vulnerable. Unfortunately, the Battlemaster was becoming a lesser problem compared to the rest of the world.

Patricia's surprise attacks had devoted a significant amount of attention, and like a plague she and her forces were spreading through the region. More and more fronts were breaking out across the world, and at a certain point they wouldn't be able to focus on all of them. Right now, Patricia was the priority target, but the Battlemaster and the First Guardian down in South America were close behind.

Pictures were also included in the report; an image of the explosion from the nuke, the aftermath, with dozens showcasing the devastation inflicted upon the city. For the first time in…decades…a nuclear weapon had been detonated on Earth for war. Justified, but it was still going to be difficult for some people to swallow.

Especially since they might have to do it again.

No, they would have to do it again.

They'd crossed this line, and there was no going back. There were going to be many more difficult decisions ahead, and they needed something to give them the critical advantage necessary to stop the Collective. Numbers wouldn't do it, and being smart was useless if they lost anyway. Trading in general wasn't a viable strategy in this war.

What was coming next was not confirmed, but all indications pointed towards a concerted attack against Tampa, which was both good and bad. Unlike Miami, Tampa housed ADVENT Special Forces Command, and the city had been fortified long ago. It was not Busan, but it was close. This was something the Collective would not be able to take easily.

However, that depended on just how badly the Collective wanted to take it. If they sent multiple Ethereals to capture it, it might be more difficult to defend. Regardless, it was likely that was where the next conflict in Florida would take place. ADVENT High Command was preparing for it in any case, and she saw no reason to dissuade them.

She set the file down and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. The pressure needed to be lessened in some way, and as long as they were confined to Earth, that would not let up. Seafoam and Atlantis were months out at best, and none of their alien allies were in a position to risk revealing themselves as allies, though it might buy some time.

Temporary solutions. T'Leth needed to be their trump card, and while his agents were keeping Patricia at bay for now, it needed to be more. They might have to get creative, but there had to be other ways to leverage him without exposing him to the world. Or in a way which wouldn't necessitate intervention by the other Sovereign associates of the Imperator.

Breakthroughs were necessary at this point. Psionic, scientific, technology, anything to delay, destroy, and defend for as long as possible. If it wasn't clear already, Ethereals needed to die; their soldiers needed to live through hell; Earth needed to be turned as inhospitable as possible to the alien and their allies.

This wasn't even taking into account Betos and the SAS.

She pursed her lips. She was tempted at this point to nuke every SAS country and end them for good. Were it not for the fact that would have certain negative ramifications diplomatically and for the planet, not to mention the Collective would likely intercept them if they were launched, she would have considered suggesting it.

However, she was aware that T'Leth had access to individuals who could teleport. She was unaware of the extent, but she figured that it was powerful enough to traverse the world. In fact, a plan began forming in her mind. The Collective may adapt afterwards, but the initial strikes could be devastating.

Assuming it was possible.

She'd have to speak to them and determine it for herself.

In the meantime, she had a speech to prepare for. Turning her attention to her computer screen, she brought up the document she'd written long ago in preparation for this day. A general outline, and now one she had to adapt for the specifics of the event. Perhaps she would add something extra.

An address to Collective and ADVENT alike. A simple message of what was willing to be sacrificed in this war. It was easy to know what they fought for, but the aliens? They were here on the commands of their masters.

She wondered how many of the aliens fighting now realized that, and those that did, how long it would take before that wouldn't be enough.

To be continued in Chapter 55:

Siege: Tampa