Chapter 35: Our Angel of the Shining Hinterlands
Hello all! I'm back!
I was actually planning to start posting chapters again last Saturday, but the Army's plans never survive first contact with... well... anything. I got home two days late.
But now it's time to get back to work. I have no intention to leave this story unfinished, especially when we're just 13 chapters away from the ending! Let's go!
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Friday, May 2, 2036 – 8:00am
Headquarters of the UN Reclamation Agency, Berlin, Germany
In the core of the German capitol city, a convoy of government vehicles came to a stop in front of an imposing government building. As a group, the Stormbreakers exited the armored limousine and started walking towards the Altes Stadthaus. This structure had been a government building for over one hundred years. It had survived multiple wars and occupations, and now the UN had scooped it up for its own purposes.
Isis, Sophie, Sophia, Yutaka, and Matthew all went in first, while Odette held the door open for Chihiro. Chihiro herself was a little encumbered. She was wearing a baby carrier sling across her front, and Himawari was enjoying the ride, reaching her little hands out to grab at anything that looked interesting.
Several high-ranking members of the UN government were waiting in the lobby, along with a small mob of news reporters, Earthborn or otherwise. Standing together in the lobby was UN Secretary-General Laura Harper, Japanese Prime Minister Ryo Nakagawa, and the newly elected Hawaiian President Robert Lansing. (A twig of a man with no muscles to speak of) Odette put out one arm to stop Chihiro from walking past the group. She played along, only pretending to be surprised. Word of today’s events had leaked out some time ago, and Chihiro had made her peace with what was about to happen.
The other Stormbreakers, with knowing looks on their faces, gathered in front of the three leaders and stood at the position of attention. News cameras buzzed and clicked around them while Odette gently steered Chihiro towards the front of the group. Even Himawari seemed to have clued in on the fact that something important was happening and fell (mostly) silent. President Lansing spoke first:
“Sergeant Chihiro Tachibana, as a soldier of XCOM, it is your duty to protect all life on Earth from those who would seek to harm the good inhabitants of the Earth. On the night of February 15th, you demonstrated the highest levels of courage and bravery in the execution of that duty, by continuing to attack an overwhelming foe after all of your comrades had been forced to stop their own efforts. You fought to protect a town of Hawaiians you had never known before that night. Please accept the gratitude of the Hawaiian Republic, along with this…”
President Lansing unfurled a roll of paper that had been stamped with an official seal. He showed it first to the news cameras and then to Chihiro. It said:
“You and your daughter will always find friends and family amongst our people.” Lansing finished. “You are one of us now.”
Prime Minister Nakagawa went next. With both hands, he offered a small medal to Chihiro. It consisted of a hemispherical ruby surrounded by a white pattern of rays shooting out in all directions. He rendered a short speech that he had clearly spent some time to memorize:
“By the grace of Heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on the throne occupied by the same dynasty from time immemorial, I confer the Fourth Class of the Order of the Rising Sun upon her Highness Chihiro. It is given this day in recognition of heroic acts performed on behalf of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force between the years of 2008 and 2036, and in homage to her contribution to the Liberation of Japan.”
While Chihiro accepted the medal, Secretary-General presented the third and final honor:
“Since the dawn of warfare, women have picked up arms and served in the front lines, often over the objections of their male counterparts. There are countless examples throughout history of women who rose to become great warriors and skilled leaders, but only a select few are remembered by history. Today, Sergeant Tachibana will join those ranks alongside great heroes like Opha May Johnson, Alexandra Kudasheva, Roza Shanina, Nakano Takeko, and Queen Boudicca. I’m proud to present her with XCOM’s highest award for heroism: The Star of Terra!”
With three awards in hand, Chihiro couldn’t salute. President Lansing clapped his hands and started a round of applause in the group of spectators. Ryo bowed, and the Secretary-General just smiled. After the award ceremony, the three leaders hung around for just a few minutes more to have a photo opportunity with the Stormbreakers and Chihiro before they moved off to the next event on their itinerary. Chihiro finally got a chance to relax, stuffing the two medals into her pocket before Himawari could get the chance to start chewing on them. Meanwhile, Chihiro’s fellow squadmates and a few extra guests swarmed around her in an impromptu celebration. Adrien Fournier and Miranda Robinson, two members of Blake’s extended family, both offered to take a turn playing with Himawari and keep her busy while Chihiro was called away by someone else.
Commander Bradford and Central Officer Smith had watched the ceremony from a distance. They were both wearing dress uniforms and carrying briefcases. There was a folded slip of paper in Holly’s free hand. Chihiro got a sinking feeling in her stomach as she approached them. She already knew what they were going to say.
“Hey, Sergeant.” Bradford didn’t look Chihiro in the eye. “So, Smith and I made a decision and-”
Holly cut him off with a scolding tone of voice.
“Bradford, are you daft!? The woman can read minds! She already knows!”
The Commander’s face fell. He gave Chihiro an apologetic look.
“I’m so sorry.” He finally said. “But you know XCOM has a strict policy against separating children from their mothers.”
Bradford really was sorry. Chihiro could sense that. She could see the echoes of stress in his mind, where Bradford had spent weeks trying to figure out a legitimate reason to do this. He was desperate to avoid saying: “I’m doing this because you had a child.” He was afraid of being perceived as a sexist.
Unfortunately, it was the truth. The ugly truth that no one wanted to admit. Holly launched into an excuse:
“We can’t, in good conscience, send you into combat anymore. We considered a lot of alternatives, honestly.”
Putting her hands on her hips, Chihiro said:
“You wanted to give me a nine-to-five desk job.”
“Yeah. We thought about that.” Holly admitted. “But it’s just not right for the baby. She’s young and she’s got special needs. We had to do what was best for both you and Himawari.”
Chihiro nodded.
“Yeah. I know.” She sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”
Bradford handed the slip of paper to Chihiro.
“As of noon today,” he explained, “You are dismissed from XCOM and honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United Nations of Earth. In compliance with the 2036 Accords, you are entitled to a basic veteran’s pension for the rest of your life, along with free healthcare and housing so long as you live in a city controlled by a UN member-state. This document has all the info you need to get your entitlements from the UN government.”
Looking over her discharge papers, Chihiro spotted a discrepancy:
“Hang on, my pension paperwork says that I’m an ‘Unmarried single mother!’ That’s not right! Shouldn’t I get something for Blake? AFUNE declared him dead! Don’t I get a widow’s pension?”
“We looked for loopholes.” Bradford answered. “I swear we did.”
Chihiro could tell he was telling the truth. In her Psionic mind’s eye, Chihiro saw that Bradford’s mind seemed to light up in a peculiar way whenever he admitted to some kind of failure, like he was doing now.
“Thing is,” Holly explained, “You and Captain Robinson were never married in a legally-binding way. XCOM never recognized the union, so there’s no government on Earth that’ll give you a widow’s pension. Hell, in all of our records, your daughter’s name is listed as Himawari Tachibana, a child with no father. As soon as we got a government to report to, our hands got tied up in red tape. I’m sorry to say, but from a legal standpoint, the only people allowed the fallen warrior pension on Robinson’s life are his actual blood relatives: the Robinson and Fournier families.
Chihiro found something else on the sheet that alarmed her:
“I have to give back all my equipment!?”
“All weapons, armor, and utility items, yes.” Holly answered, then she leaned in close and whispered, “Just between you and me, though: I told the Quartermaster you lost your sword during the fight on Lanai. We wrote it off as a loss. Just don’t let anyone see you take it.”
Okay. That was actually kinda cool.
…
It was a busy morning for Chihiro, but before lunch was over, things were taking yet another turn.
She and the other Stormbreakers had not come to Berlin for just the award ceremony. No, the main event started around noon. At the central meeting hall, Chihiro flashed her invitation to the guard and was allowed into the audience gallery where the rest of her now-former comrades were waiting. Sitting down near the balcony railing, Chihiro and Himawari quickly found themselves sandwiched between Odette Fournier and her father, Adrien, both of whom wanted to play with the baby. Himawari looked back and forth between the two French people, then up at her mother in confusion.
Giggling, Chihiro pulled a small dictionary of Sign Language out of her pocket. First, she pointed to Odette and said “cousin” out loud while simultaneously spelling out the word with her free hand. Then she pointed to Adrien, and said “uncle” while again spelling the word in Sign Language. Too young to understand any of this, Himawari gargled and started sucking on her own fingers.
Meanwhile, down below on the assembly hall floor, a meeting of the Global Truth and Reconciliation Commission was in progress. Director Jane Kelly and the other leading members of the GTRC called the session to order and announced that they were going to resume yesterday’s business.
“I’m told that our witness is ready to face the individual she made accusations against.” Jane Kelly said. “Will the Skirmisher delegation please approach the stand?”
Looking over the railing, Chihiro spotted three ex-ADVENT soldiers, two of whom she recognized. Betos, the leader of the Skirmisher faction, and her lieutenant, Pratal Mox, were escorting a female Skirmisher to the witness stand.
“Will you please tell us your name and stellar origin status for the record?” Jane asked.
The female Skirmisher replied in a thick Australian accent:
“They call me ‘Zephyr’ and I’m Terrestrial.”
“Good.” Jane said. “Are you ready to confront the individual you have accused of war crimes today?”
“Yes.” Zephyr replied. “Please.”
Jane raised her voice so that someone in the back could hear her.
“Mira Mihaka! Please approach the commission!”
Mira was escorted into the chamber by four Reclamation Agents. (three Humans and a Sectoid) For the vast majority of spectators on the upper level, this was their first time seeing the Chosen Assassin in-person. Chihiro had to hunch over as the Viper in the seat behind her reared up to get a better look.
While Mira took her place at the defendant’s stand, Jane read aloud from a paper that a Reclamation Agent had passed to her.
“The Commission acknowledges the presence of Mira Mihaka, the Exoterrestrial Hybrid individual accused by Miss Zephyr of conducting extrajudicial killings of ADVENT Army deserters while under the alias of ‘The Elder’s Chosen Assassin.’ Miss Zephyr, do you recognize the individual to your right?”
Zephyr cast a quick look at Mira, who kept her face passive, before responding:
“Yes.”
“Who is she?”
“That is Vox Prima. Elder Assassin.” Zephyr answered. “Relentless death that stalked my kind. She’s the butcher of freed ADVENT.”
“Miss Mihaka,” Jane inquired. “Did you serve in the ADVENT Army at any point between 2015 and 2035?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Did you operate as the Chosen Assassin?”
“Yes. I was the Elder’s hand of vengeance for a period of roughly five years.”
“Did you execute ADVENT soldiers who had refused to fight against Human forces?”
“Yes.”
“Were these soldiers given a trial beforehand?”
“No.”
“How many executions?”
“One-thousand-one-hundred-forty-two.”
Awed gasps and horrified screams ran through the audience gallery. Jane pressed on.
“Did you hunt down ADVENT soldiers who had deserted the ADVENT Army? These individuals may or may not have been Skirmishers.”
“Yes.”
“What happened to these deserters when you caught them.”
“I executed them.”
“How?”
“With my sword.”
“Where is this weapon now?”
Before Mira could answer, someone interrupted her.
“Excuse me!”
It was the Commander of XCOM. Bradford approached the Commission and answered Jane’s question on Mira’s behalf:
“That sword was confiscated from Miss Mihaka when she defected over to our side. It was pressed into service on my order and was recently lost during a combat operation on the island of Lanai. I apologize. It was reckless of us.”
Jane wrote down a note in the margins of her paperwork.
“I see.” She continued. “Miss Mihaka, during the testimony she gave yesterday, Zephyr accused you of attacking and killing ADVENT Army soldiers who had deserted their posts, thrown down their weapons, and become noncombatants. Killing individuals who have surrendered, disarmed themselves, or otherwise become noncombatants and no longer pose a physical threat is a class two War Crime as defined by the 2036 Accords. Depending on the severity of the crime and the discretion of the courts, you could be punished with a life sentence in prison or death by electrocution. However, you made a conscious decision to defect to our side during the war; post-conflict, you briefly fled from our agents but have been cooperative ever since your apprehension, and you have confessed to the crimes you were accused of. Keeping these details in mind, you have satisfied the eligibility requirements for amnesty. Will you petition the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for amnesty at this time?”
“Yes.” Mira answered.
The Skirmisher named Zephyr pressed both of her hands to the tabletop and leaned towards Mira.
“Say, Mihaka…. Do you regret any of it?”
Mira looked over at her former enemy.
“Serving the Elders? Absolutely.” She replied. “I fought because I had no choice. The Elders power was absolute. If the soldiers of Stormbreaker Squad had not broken through to me, I never would have been able to break the Elder’s hold over me. I would have died not knowing my own freedom was possible. For that intervention, I am grateful.”
Keeping her face expressionless, Zephyr stared at Mira silently. Meanwhile, Jane and the other members of the Truth Commission were having a quick discussion amongst themselves. Finally, the former XCOM Colonel addressed Mira:
“This Commission has agreed to hear your application for amnesty of class two War Crimes committed in service of the Elders between 2030 and 2035. Before we proceed to the final decision, we will require you to submit a full written confession of all crimes you committed during your service to the Elders. Furthermore, you must publicly ask your accuser for forgiveness. You are not required to receive it. You need only ask. Do you understand the requirements we’ve set?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
…
The hearing did not adjourn until sometime in the early evening. There was so much more to do once Mira and Zephyr’s time was up.
The were many people being investigated. Before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission parted ways for the night, a few former members of the ADVENT Government had accused Konstantine Volikov and his Reapers of war crimes, and several members of the alien and Hybrid communities backed them up. Before too long, there was a general rallying cry going around the hearing, demanding the Reapers be brought to justice.
The straw that broke the camel’s back, though, was Sophia Kuznetsova. She requested to speak before the commission as a character witness. She told everyone the story of how her own father, the Reaper known as Ivan Kuznetsov, had tried to murder her after discovering the fact that she preferred being with women. Sophia punctuated her story by partially removing her headscarf, giving the commission (and also the news cameras) a very brief view of her mutilated face. When she explained exactly how her father had caused the injury, she single-handedly turned the audience (and possibly most of the world) against the Reapers. Arrest warrants were issued in short order.
Meanwhile, Chihiro said her goodbyes to her comrades.
Now that her military service had formally come to an end, Chihiro would only be allowed back onto XCOM’s base at Easter Island for a short time to clear out her locker and collect her final paycheck. After that, Wendy Carter would fly Chihiro back to her “Home on-record.”
Now, Chihiro had a very strong hunch that she wouldn’t be able to get back into the Nagasaki apartment where she and Blake had lived before the alien invasion. Figuring out a place to live was just starting to come to the forefront of Chihiro’s mind as she hugged the six remaining Stormbreakers, who would be leaving from Berlin and traveling directly to their next mission site in the Philippines. Himawari giggled as Odette Fournier planted a kiss on her forehead; and then Odette stood up and spoke:
“I’ve got your husband’s money.”
It was so uncommon, so profoundly out-of-character for Odette to engage in private conversation with her teammates that Chihiro had to do a double-take just to make sure she knew who was speaking. Odette repeated herself in that same gruff masculine voice, which sounded strained and a little weak from lack of use.
“The UN started sending a fallen warrior stipend to my father.” Odette clarified and jerked her thumb towards the Frenchman who was talking to Bradford. “Apparently, he is Blake’s ‘closest male relative’ or something stupid like that. Anyway, I intercepted the money. Figured you needed it more than my father. This should help you find a new home.”
Odette hugged Chihiro one last time and press a heavy envelope into her palm. As she walked away, Odette got behind her father and smacked him on the back of the head with so much force that he stumbled forward and crashed into Bradford, earning an angry tirade from XCOM’s Commander. Chihiro, meanwhile, quickly opened the envelope and found a government check entitling the “Surviving Family of Blake Alexander Robinson” to several thousand Credits.
More than enough for an apartment or a small house. Chihiro smiled.
…
Chihiro had to wait for another vehicle to transport her to the airport. Since she was now just a civilian, she couldn’t ride back with the Stormbreakers. Settling down in the Altes Stadthaus lobby, Chihiro passed the time by watching a TV news report while Himawari fell asleep on her mother’s chest.
Onscreen, a reporter talked about how more and more alien ships were arriving above Earth from all over the Galaxy. Members of almost every spacefaring civilization had assembled in low Earth orbit. Some were refugees from Hiigara and Taiidan, both worlds had recently fallen to the Beast. Others had come from much farther away, such as Assuria, Partoga, and even Paku Nui, which was on the far side of the Galaxy. These wayward travelers brought alarming stories about the war.
The Beast was rampaging unchecked across the Galaxy. The Partogan-led Triple Alliance and its Hiigaran counterpart were suffering a rapid succession of horrific defeats, and the Galactic Front Line had now reached Sirius, a star system dangerously close to Earth. But this wasn’t the most intriguing thing of note.
A huge armada of Triple Alliance warships had materialized in the Shining Hinterlands, a region of space that marked the border between the Hiigaran Empire and what was now generally considered to be “Human space.” The constant stream of ships arriving at Earth each day brought reports that this fleet was battling its way through the Beast and was making its way to Earth as fast as possible. This fleet was, according to rumor, under the supernatural protection of some kind of “Space Angel” who wielded great power.
Nearly every news caster and military expert on Earth had assumed that this “Space Angel” was either the Partogan Queen Kendra, Hiigaran leader Karan Sjet, or Triple Alliance Admiral Makara Ranginui… but Chihiro could think of one other name… and she dared to hope for a miracle.
Someone sat down next to Chihiro on the sofa and joined her in watching the newscast.
“Fascinating.” Mira Mihaka said. “So many ships and races, all beginning to gather here. It feels like they know something profound, but in reality, they’re mostly just chasing rumors.”
Himawari grabbed one of Mira’s fingers in her sleep and held on tightly.
“Hey, Mira.” Chihiro said. “How are you?”
“Being kept busy.” The former Chosen Assassin admitted. “The GTRC has no limit to the questions they ask or testimonies they demand. All of my own investigations have come to a stop until I can bring my case to a resolution.”
“Well, I’ll tell Hawkins and the squad to keep all of that Pacific Anomaly madness under control for you, alright?” Chihiro cracked a small smile. “No matter where I end up living in Japan, I’m going to be really close to the waterline. If I have to crack a Tarsoth’s skull because they were slacking off, I’ll sic the Templars on ‘em.”
Mira laughed, then she seemed to get serious.
“That reminds me. I wanted to ask for your help.”
“My help?” Chihiro asked. “You know who you’re talking to, right? I’m kinda busy these days, even if I’m not a soldier anymore.”
As if to prove Chihiro’s point, Himawari woke up and began to cry. Chihiro swept the baby up in her arms and started rocking back and forth, patting her child in a soothing way.
“I am sorry AFUNE cut you loose.” Mira raised her voice to be heard above Himawari’s wails.
“Of course, you probably knew about that already.” Chihiro tried to make her voice sound casual, but a little bit of contempt slipped through.
Stung, Mira took a second to reply. As Himawari calmed down, Mira said:
“Well, that’s just the thing, Chihiro. This has never happened before.”
Chihiro looked around at Mira.
“Huh?”
Mira leaned in close.
“One-hundred fifteen Cycles have gone by.” Mira said. “And there has never been one where you were thrown out of XCOM before the War in Heaven.” Mira explained. “This is the first time you were sidelined before the final fight.”
Reading into this, Chihiro said:
“Lemme guess. This is the first time I had a baby before the big day, right?”
“Well, yes.” Mira admitted. “Normally, you give birth during the War in Heaven.”
Chihiro’s eyes went wide. She very much regretted that last comment as unbidden images crept through her mind, ensuring she would have nightmares tonight.
“Okay! I… uh, I think I prefer this timeline.” Chihiro squeaked.
Mira shifted her tone, looking furtively about as though checking or eavesdroppers.
“You know why things are going so differently, right?” Mira asked. “It’s Akira. There’s no doubt in my mind she’s tampering with our lives again, in disguise as she normally does.”
“Normally?” Chihiro asked. “She revealed herself to Blake and I, like, twice.”
“To you.” Mira corrected her. “I worked with Akira for years. In every Cycle, she feels comfortable revealing herself to you. Most other times, she will conceal her identity. This is where I need your help, Chihiro. And I promise to pay you well for your services.”
“Pay me?” Chihiro repeated. “Where are you getting money from?”
“Trinity Project.” Mira answered. “They call me a ‘Remote Consultant’ and pay me in UN Credits. Help me out here and I’ll give you a share: I need two people Psionically probed, and I can’t do it myself. The Truth Commission and the Trinity are both keeping me occupied.”
Chihiro hesitated for a moment.
“You just want me to look in a couple people’s heads?”
“Yes.”
“Spy. You want me to telepathically spy on people?”
“You just want to hear me say: ‘I want you to be my spy.’”
“C’mon! Say it!”
Mira pulled a tablet computer out of her pocket and brought up two pictures. Chihiro recognized them both. It was Duane Gardner and Violet, two members of the Templar Order.
“You want me to poke around in the heads of Jericho’s ex and a recently crazy person?” Chihiro visibly deflated with disappointment. “Man, I thought I was gonna get to, like, plant an idea in Geist’s head or something.”
Mira raised an eyebrow at Chihiro, but pressed on.
“I have very strong reason to believe that Akira is focused on Duane.” Mira explained. “And that she is using or manipulating him to some end. Somehow, Akira has a place for him in her twisted vision of the future. I need to know exactly what Akira has planned for Duane, and more specifically, I need to know what his Unique Psionic power is.”
“Hang on, you don’t already know?” Chihiro asked.
Mira shook her head.
“Duane’s unique power appears to be a source of contention amongst the Templars.” Mira said. “In many Cycles, including my own, there was a dispute between Duane and Jericho shortly before the War in Heaven. Jericho wanted him to refrain from using his special abilities for some reason. Duane disagreed with her, and the two of them came to blows. After the Beast was defeated, the Templar Order fell into schism and fractured, with the supporters of Duane and Jericho parting ways. By the time my own life began, the Templars were engaged in civil war, fighting one another over a century-old debate. The result of all this is that any knowledge of Duane’s unique power ends up being lost. Akira doesn’t have a record of it, and neither do I. However, we might have a way to find out…”
Mira tapped the picture of Violet.
“You said it yourself. This woman has not been herself since the night you fought the Tren Krom in Lanai. According to Triple Alliance records, that ship was last seen at the Science Nexus, a place where Vanians were experimenting with technologies that allowed them to send entire starships into the Shroud. Akira must have had a hand in its sudden appearance on Earth, and I’m convinced Akira has replaced this ‘Violet’ woman with herself.”
Chihiro’s jaw fell open.
“You think that’s Akira!? Violet!?”
Mira nodded. After a moment, Chihiro collected herself.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Simple.” Mira answered. “I want you to confirm Violet’s identity, and then check Duane to see if he is under Mind Control. If he is, break it. If not, find out what his unique power is. Then come back to me. I’ll most likely still be here in Berlin.”
“One question.” Chihiro said. “Actually, more like two or three: Where are these two? How am I supposed to get to them and back again? What the hell am I supposed to do with Himawari while I’m possibly confronting Akira!?”
Mira waved a hand dismissively.
“Don’t worry.” She said. “I’ve considered those angles already. If Akira really has gotten close to Duane, as I fear, I have a way to hide you from her: I’m going to teach you a Psionic technique that should keep you safe. Furthermore, I’ve devised a simple but effective cover for you to travel without drawing attention: You are looking for a place to live, right?”
Chihiro raised her eyebrows. She could see where Mira was going with this.
“I’m not moving back to Tokyo, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Not Tokyo, of course.” Mira smiled and shook her head. “I was thinking somewhere further out to sea…”
…
Monday, May 12, 2036 – 11:00am
Honolulu Spaceport, Oahu Island, Republic of Hawaii
There were so many people crammed into the spaceport that Chihiro felt like she was fighting an ocean tide. Thousands of Humans, Hybrids, and aliens of varying species all bustled about the terminal, moving in roughly the same direction. It seemed as though everyone wanted to get into Honolulu. After nearly an hour of battling her way through the crowd, Chihiro and Himawari finally reached the entry station they were looking for.
The word “Immigration” was repeated on a large sign in English, Hawaiian, the Hybrid language, Japanese, and French. At the kiosk, a wide array of Humans and non-Humans waited in line for their turn to enter Hawaii. Luckily for Chihiro, the line moved rather quickly today.
A pleasant-looking woman smiled at Himawari, who was riding on Chihiro’s back via her baby carrier, then said:
“Welcome to Hawaii. Is this a temporary visit or do you plan to stay long-term?”
“Long-term.” Chihiro answered. “I wanted to find a place to settle down with the little one.”
“The Hawaiian immigration process is a little more difficult than normal.” The Kiosk lady explained. “Our country has recently been subjected to attacks from the sea, which means we have to house everyone further inland, something that’s difficult to do on an island nation, you understand. We can issue you a temporary residency permit until the details are hammered out at a later date. I just need your identifying documents.”
After all this time, the only form of ID Chihiro still had on her person was her XCOM ID card and her JSDF dog tags. She also handed over the honorary citizenship certificate she’d gotten from the Hawaiian President. The Kiosk lady looked over the certificate for a few moments, then said she needed to make a phone call. Chihiro and Himawari were pulled aside into a waiting area, and about fifteen minutes later, a small group of Hawaiian government officials came in.
Things proceeded exactly as Mira had said they would: As soon as Chihiro’s residency visa was approved, the UN Housing Authority helped her rent out an upper-middle class apartment in downtown Honolulu, (the money Odette gave to Chihiro ended up being a big help here) and once she was moved in, she was introduced to a specialized children’s hospital that catered to children with physical disabilities, where the UN would provide free medical service for both Chihiro and her daughter.
As for Chihiro’s new apartment, it had once been part of a complex that housed ADVENT government officials, who had since been forced to move out. As such, it was fully kitted out with the latest in ADVENT technology, and the whole place looked disturbingly similar to the “Home of the Future” advertised in ADVENT propaganda. A voice-activated digital screen dominated the living room, stretching from floor to ceiling and allowing Chihiro to either watch television or make video calls. Within an hour of programming her contact info into the computer, Chihiro got her first video call.
Sophia Kuznetsova contacted Chihiro from XCOM HQ in Japan, appearing on the big screen. As it turned out, Sophia had desperately needed someone to talk to for the past couple of days, and Chihiro ended up being the first person to hold a meaningful conversation with Sophia in the past week. Sophia had suffered a nervous breakdown after revealing her face to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Berlin, an event that had been broadcasted all over the world and had drawn quite a lot of attention onto her. News agencies had displayed images of her mutilated face for the entire planet to see. Comedians were having a field day with Sophia’s story, while other politicians had actively tried to discredit her.
Right now, Sophia just needed to hear a reassuring voice.
“Everyone’s talking about me behind my back.” Sophia sniffled, on the verge of tears. “Everywhere I go, there’s people saying horrible stuff me! There’s hate mail with my name on it showing up at HQ, coming from Russia!”
Sophia’s home country was known for being somewhat hostile towards people like her, and the sight of a lesbian wearing the Soviet hammer and sickle on her uniform had produced a vitriolic response from her fellow countrymen. The news of hate mail from Russia made Chihiro feel a little sick, and she did her best to make Sophia feel better.
“Forget about them.” Chihiro told Sophia. “I’m here for you. So is the rest of the Squad. You can talk to me anytime.”
“Yeah, right.” Sophia scoffed, then she mumbled. “No one talked to me before. No one cares about me… Nobody.”
Then Himawari crawled towards the digital screen and put her hand on it, trying to touch the image of Sophia. The two women looked at the baby and shared a laugh.
…
The next day, Chihiro prepared to hunt down Duane Gardner. Before she could start, however, she needed to use the new Psionic technique Mira had taught her.
Standing between a mirror and Himawari, Chihiro focused her mind intensely on a mental image of herself, before beginning to alter and reshape it. Psionic Manipulation is a curious power: It only worked if the user was being directly observed or watched. Chihiro wasn’t changing her physical appearance. Instead, she was altering Himawari’s perception of her. After several moments, the baby Robinson’s smile fell as the familiar person in front of her transformed into a complete stranger.
From Himawari’s point of view, Chihiro’s eyes faded from blue to hazel, she became a little taller, and her straight black hair became messy and brown. Finally, to cap off the change, Chihiro tried to speak to Himawari, but instead of the usual slightly-high pitched tone paired with a metro Tokyo accent, Chihiro’s voice was lower, and had the kind of “country girl” accent you’d expect from someone who had grown up in rural Japan.
“Hana-chan, do you recognize me?” Chihiro asked.
Himawari did not recognize her mother. This strange woman in the apartment was clearly Akaya Ogawa, an XCOM soldier stationed at the base on Easter Island. Not knowing where her mother was and starting to become afraid, Himawari burst into tears! Reflexively, Chihiro dropped her Psionic disguise and picked up her daughter in a gentle hug. Patting Himawari’s head and whispering reassuring words, Chihiro made a note on her mental checklist. All the prep work was done. It was time to get to work.
There was one big obstacle stopping Chihiro from finding Duane Gardner: the disappearance of the Templar Order.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Lanai, the Templars had suspended their cooperation with XCOM and had gone underground. Geist was out of contact with AFUNE, and nobody Chihiro called could give her a useful answer. The only times the Templars emerged from hiding was during brief fights with the sea monsters or the Reapers. To make matters worse, Chihiro was no longer a member of AFUNE, meaning that she had lost access to any classified Intel reports that might have helped her track down the Templars. She would have to seek out Duane another way. Mira was certain he was on the island of Oahu, but couldn’t narrow the search area down below that.
“I saw his name on a list of known Templars who had passed through Hawaiian customs.” Mira had said. “He entered the country, but never left. He was born and raised there, so I doubt he’s in any hurry to leave.”
Chihiro took to patrolling the streets around the Honolulu Spaceport, using Psionic Manipulation to fudge her identity to anyone who looked at her twice. Mira had told her that some of the new aliens arriving on Earth were going out of their way to try and find the Templar Order, and that following them would be the quickest way to track down Duane Gardner and Violet, the woman now suspected of being a disguised Akira.
Lucky for Chihiro, there were a lot of such aliens to follow. For the past month, thousands of starships from the Galactic Alliance had started arriving at Earth, and now the streets of Honolulu were packed to bursting with Hiigarans, Taiidani, Scyldari, Blorg, Voor, Kel-Azan, and other aliens from the Hiigaran sphere of influence.
Walking around the city was a jarring experience for Chihiro. She had still not gotten used to wearing civilian clothing, and found her outfit of choice, a tee-shirt and jean skirt, to be very uncomfortable. To make matters worse, people seemed to look at her differently. She just didn’t look like a soldier anymore, and Himawari (who was riding along in her baby carrier as always) had a noticeably darker skin color than her mother, which also drew curious eyes. Using the excuse of “window shopping for a new outfit” to pace up and down the street, Chihiro kept looking from left to right, observing people while keeping on the move.
It didn’t take long for Chihiro to find a lead. Towards the end of her second day of searching, Chihiro had given her daughter a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun at bay, and Himawari found ways to entertain herself while Chihiro navigated the city streets. One of those ways popped up while Chihiro was trying to side-step around a man who was passing out flyers on a street corner. Himawari reached out with both of her little hands and successfully snatched a sheet of paper from the recruiter while Chihiro had her back turned. The man’s loud laughter caught Chihiro’s attention and she turned around.
“Your girl’s got a real gift!” the man said before moving off to distribute flyers elsewhere on the block.
Chihiro unfastened her baby carrier and repositioned it so that Himawari was up front. She found her daughter crumpling up the flyer for fun. The baby looked up at her mother and held up the ruined advertisement. Chihiro unfolded the paper and gave it the most cursory of glances before she froze, reading and re-reading the paper just to make sure she really had seen what she thought she did. In bright yellow letters on a blue field, the poster declared:
Answer the call! Our Angel of the Shining Hinterlands needs your help to defeat the Beast! Join Jericho’s Progeny today! Seek out your local Templars and do your part for victory!
In the center of the poster was an image of a Human and several aliens, standing side by side and wearing the same black and yellow uniform while a stylized starship flew above them.
Chihiro’s heart raced! This was it! This had to be the way to finding Duane! Thinking quickly, Chihiro disguised herself, scrambling everybody’s perception of her to the point where no one would be able to recall their first meeting with her. Then she looked around to see where the man with the flyers had gone. He was nearby, having stopped two Sectoids and a Viper and evangelizing to them. Securing the baby carrier straps, Chihiro walked at a brisk pace to catch up with him.
“…Jericho is full of love and forgiveness.” The man was saying. “She will see you as more than her former enemies. We are all united in the fight against the Beast now, so you will be more than welcome amongst the Progeny!”
“Excuse me!” Chihiro panted, having finally caught up. “I was wondering if you could tell me-”
The man turned around, saw Chihiro, failed to realize he’d met her before and spoke with great enthusiasm:
“Yes! A new mother! Surely you of all people will know about the importance of Jericho’s work!”
“Ah… sure.” Chihiro replied, trying to keep her answers cryptic. “I mean, I guess so. I actually saw Jericho once before the Elders fell.”
The aliens didn’t seem to notice that their jaws had fallen open. The Viper in particular seemed awestruck. The man raised his arms as though he intended to embrace Chihiro and the two aliens in a group hug.
“I believe we could find all of you a place in Jericho’s Progeny.” He said. “Let me get you some contact details, and you can come meet us at our next gathering.”
…
Thursday, May 15, 2036 – 10:00pm
Kaneohe Crater, Oahu Island, Republic of Hawaii
Right now, Chihiro couldn’t help but envy Himawari.
Before coming out here tonight, Chihiro had taken extra precautions, knowing that she might not be coming home until very early tomorrow morning. She had bought a warm fuzzy coat for Himawari to wear, and had wrapped her baby up in several layers. Chihiro was so focused on making sure her daughter stayed warm that she had neglected her own outfit. Secured snugly in her carrier harness, Himawari fell asleep as soon as the trip began.
So, while Himawari got some shuteye, Chihiro followed the instructions given to her by the Progeny recruiter. She followed Interstate H3, one of the country’s main highways, to the northwest. After walking for about a mile, she finally got far enough away from the city that she was completely alone. Chihiro picked out a mental image of herself that would become her next Psionic disguise. She planned to make small changes to her body shape, hair and eyes. It would be an easy illusion to maintain, but would be enough to mask her identity. She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of process Akira went through picking out disguises.
She’s my daughter. Chihiro thought to herself. Maybe she does Psionic disguises the same way I do.
The sun had fully set and it was starting to get quite cold out. Chihiro found herself wishing she had dressed in a warmer outfit. Skirts and short sleeves might be nice in the daytime, but now Chihiro realized just how much she’d taken her heavy military uniform for granted as misty clouds escaped her mouth with each shivering breath.
Before too long, Chihiro crossed paths with a large open-top truck parked on the side of the road. In the back were about a dozen Humans, aliens, and Hybrids, all chattering excitedly. Chihiro didn’t need the Gift to know that they were all talking about the same thing: The Angel of the Shining Hinterlands, She of the Void who was battling her way across the Galaxy to save us all.
They were talking about Jericho.
As soon as she came within sight of the others, Chihiro threw on her Psionic disguise exactly how Mira had taught her to do, reaching into minds and subtly tweaking the way people looked at her. By the time anyone acknowledged her presence, Chihiro had fully hidden herself behind a false image. The Progeny recruiter jumped out of the driver’s seat to give Chihiro a welcoming hug and offer her a place with the other passengers. She found the group of travelers to be quite kind and welcoming. A Levakian male had curled up on the floor and was sharing his body heat with two Vipers, who probably would have frozen in the frigid cold tonight. The pair of cold-blooded aliens gave the lion grateful expressions as they slithered underneath his large furry body. A Kelt traveler took interest in Himawari and spent the journey watching her sleep in Chihiro’s lap.
The truck rolled out, heading further north while the passengers continued to share rumors and speculation about what Jericho was like and how she would defeat the Beast. Chihiro engaged as well, telling stories of the battles she’d fought with Jericho against the Elders, but intentionally leaving out any mention of her own presence at those conflicts. She wanted to stay as low-key as possible tonight.
Finally, after about half an hour of driving, they arrived at their destination: the city of Kanehoe… or what was left of it.
Twenty-one years ago, Kanehoe had been a thriving resort town on the northern shores of Oahu. A playground of the wealthy and powerful, people who got to stay in Kanehoe had advanced all the way to the top of the Old World hierarchy. When the aliens had invaded, Kanehoe was targeted heavily by abductor pods, and most of the population ended up in either the alien’s underground base or in the hold of the Temple Ship. Then, just a few days before the surrender of Earth, a squad of alien infiltrators planted a plasma bomb in the city center. A team of XCOM soldiers attempted to defuse the weapon, but they were too late. Kanehoe was annihilated in a single blast.
These days, all that remained of the town as a shallow crater, roughly four miles wide and about fifty feet deep. It was also slowly filling with seawater. A salty swamp occupied the deepest parts of the crater, about two miles away from the rim. In the near future, this place might become Oahu’s newest harbor. But tonight, it was a meeting place.
As she clambered out of the truck, Chihiro saw that some two hundred Humans and aliens were sitting together on the rim of the crater, looking down on something happening below them. Excited chatter filled the air, as did a general sense of apprehension. Following a pair of Mutons up the hill, Chihiro looked into the Kanehoe Crater and gasped.
Someone had clearly spent the past day, and perhaps more, carving an intricate image into the surface of the crater. Narrow trenches and piles of dirt had been arranged across nearly five hundred yards of ground, and to top it all off, a small bonfire had been lit at the intersection of several of these lines. As her eyes adjusted to the growing darkness, Chihiro realized exactly what this massive drawing was:
A starchart had been carved into the ground, turning the crater floor into a map of Human-controlled space and the surrounding Galactic plane. An arrow pointed towards the bonfire itself and the words “You are here” were written in the sand below it. Chihiro looked up into the night sky and started matching stars to their respective points on the big map in front of her. As Chihiro sat down between a Levakian female and a pair of Assurian men, a voice called out from the darkness, startling the group.
“Welcome, friends! On behalf of Jericho herself, we are pleased you could come!”
Duane Gardner and Violet finally appeared.
Both Templars looked different from when Chihiro had last seen them on Lanai Island. Violet (Assuming this wasn’t Akira in disguise) had radically changed her appearance. She had shaved the sides of her head, giving herself a punkish mohawk hairstyle and revealing the full extent of the purple tattoo on the right side of her face. The ink splotch wrapped all the way around to the back of her head, and under this lighting, it looked more like a scar or a burn.
Duane, meanwhile, had the look of someone who had decided that it was time to get serious. While he wasn’t wearing the typical Templar body armor, he was wearing a pair of Celestial Gauntlets, which crackled and hummed in tune with the nearby bonfire. Chihiro remembered Mira’s instructions clearly: Be patient and wait. See if Duane volunteered the knowledge on his own before trying to extract it, and avoid direct contact with Violet until her identity was confirmed.
Duane addressed the gathering:
“My friends, you have heard the call and answered! Jericho is on her way home to us now, yet the forces she will bring with her are not enough to vanquish the Beast! We will need to contribute all we can to the final effort. Every day, more and more alien ships arrive at Earth, and our numbers are bolstered further! But there is still so much we can do!”
Violet pulled a burning tree branch from the fire. Holding it over her head, she marched out to one specific point on the map and stood still.
“According to reports from the newest arrivals,” Violet spoke to the assembled group, “Jericho and her allies were last seen here in Abbasid, just beyond the Galactic Core.”
Violet planted her torch in the ground and then took a few steps back.
“Eyewitness reports suggest the Father of the Beast is also traveling towards Earth, but it’s moving much more slowly.” She continued. “A group of Hiigaran flyboys who arrived the other day tell us that Jericho will return to Earth sometime in late July, and that the Beast will arrive a few days later. This leaves us with only a short time to prepare.”
“Prepare for what?” A Partogan asked.
Duane raised one hand and pointed towards the southern horizon.
“I have learned an important truth.” Duane said. “The Deep One, the creature responsible for the attacks on our islands and coastlines, must be defeated before Jericho returns home! I was told by an ally who has been fighting this war far longer than any of us!”
Chihiro sat up, excited! This was it! She was certain that Duane was about to reveal he had spoken to Akira! But then…
Himawari began to cry!
The infant’s wails drowned out the sound of Duane’s voice! Flustered, Chihiro tried to quickly find out what had upset her daughter as well as silence her. To make matters worse, any chance of hearing Duane’s speech was shut down by the reactions of those around her. Several Humans and Sectoids demanded Chihiro silence her baby using particularly rude language. A Hybrid dressed in Skirmisher armor stood up and shuffled towards another area of the crater, causing other group attendees to complain at his behavior. There was also an unexpected show of generosity as well. The lioness sitting next to Chihiro lay down on all fours and put her head in Chihiro’s lap, gently nuzzling Himawari with her big feline nose. Then the lioness began to make a low rumbling noise that sounded a little like purring. Himawari hiccupped and rolled over in her mother’s lap, leaning against the lioness’ warm body and falling silent once more. The combination of warm fur and the gentle rumble had lulled the baby right back to sleep. By the time order was restored, Duane had moved on to another point of discussion.
“… My comrades are able to provide the equipment and training you need to do your part in the coming battle. The Deep One may be frightening, but it is not an Elder. It is a creature of flesh and blood, and such creatures can be killed just like any other…”
Chihiro quietly cursed to herself. She knew she had just missed something important. Just when she was thinking about using Psionics to forcefully extract the crucial knowledge from Duane, she felt a dull sensation roll over her body. Duane and Violet both fell silent as a Psionic Blackout engulfed across the Progeny meeting! Sectoids and Vanians alike seemed to be on the verge of panic as their Gift shut down!
“Please, everyone! Remain calm!” Duane addressed the crowd. “The Blackout will end momentarily!”
Knowing that this might just be her only chance to act without being caught, Chihiro picked a target at random!
Eenie… meanie… miney… you!
Without any reason or justification, Chihiro picked Duane. When her Gift came back, she would have mere seconds to infiltrate his mind and gather information before he started putting his own defenses back up. The Levakian sensed Chihiro becoming tense and started to purr a little more loudly.
“Be calm.” The Levakian rumbled. “It will pass sooner than you know.”
Seconds went by. Himawari woke up and started babbling. A Human, several Sectoids, and a few Hybrids started shouting at Duane and Violet, demanding an explanation for the blackouts. Both Templars put their hands up and tried to calm the crowd. Chihiro focused her mind exclusively on Duane. Every second, she renewed her attempts to read his mind. Himawari almost broke her mother’s focus by sitting upright and trying to hug the lioness. But then… The Gift came back, and Chihiro launched her consciousness into Duane’s at full intensity!
Chihiro was inside of Duane’s mind for all of two seconds! In that time, she was presented with a nightmarish vision:
Duane stood alone on a battlefield. The skies were filled with smoke and embers, while around him, the broken bodies of countless soldiers lay strewn about in a sea of blood. Most of the corpses were still fresh and warm. Gathering his willpower, Duane used his Gift to extract the last living energy from the fallen, leaving the dead cold and stiff, as though the battlefield was several years old. As he drew strength from those who had fallen in battle, Duane left a path of decay behind him. His powers grew and amplified, exactly the same way Jericho’s could… except he drew energy from a much darker source. Blood dried, bones bleached, and color faded as Duane fed on Death itself, becoming strong and powerful; enough even to fight the Deep One.
Feeling not unlike like a snapped rubber band, Chihiro retreated from Duane’s mind and quickly shielded herself from mental probing. Himawari sensed the sudden change in her mother’s demeanor, as did the friendly Levakian. Both lioness and infant looked up at Chihiro.
“Is everything alright?” The Levakian asked.
“No.” Chihiro admitted. “I don’t think it is.”
Duane and Violet also seemed to have been put on alert. They looked at one another anxiously before trying to draw the meeting to a close.
“Of course, we are not ADVENT. We will not force you to join this battle.” Violet said to the group. “Jericho volunteered herself for this fight, so therefore, the Progeny will only accept volunteers as well. Any who do not wish to join tonight are free to leave, and if you change your mind, you will always be welcome.”
“So,” Violet picked up her torch. “Who will join the Progeny tonight? Who will answer Jericho’s call and fight for her?”
…
The next day, halfway around the world, Mira Mihaka received a surprise phone call from Chihiro. Mira quickly checked her calendar and realized Chihiro was reporting in far earlier than planned. Hoping that Chihiro was going to deliver some useful intel, she answered the call right away. Mira never got the chance to say “Hello.” Instead, she was taken by surprise as Chihiro screamed across the airwaves:
“MIRA! AKIRA’S PLANNING A MASSACRE! SHE’S GONNA KILL ‘EM ALL!!”
I was actually planning to start posting chapters again last Saturday, but the Army's plans never survive first contact with... well... anything. I got home two days late.
But now it's time to get back to work. I have no intention to leave this story unfinished, especially when we're just 13 chapters away from the ending! Let's go!
======
Chapter Thirty-Five
Our Angel of the Shining Hinterlands
Our Angel of the Shining Hinterlands
Caption said:
Friday, May 2, 2036 – 8:00am
Headquarters of the UN Reclamation Agency, Berlin, Germany
In the core of the German capitol city, a convoy of government vehicles came to a stop in front of an imposing government building. As a group, the Stormbreakers exited the armored limousine and started walking towards the Altes Stadthaus. This structure had been a government building for over one hundred years. It had survived multiple wars and occupations, and now the UN had scooped it up for its own purposes.
Isis, Sophie, Sophia, Yutaka, and Matthew all went in first, while Odette held the door open for Chihiro. Chihiro herself was a little encumbered. She was wearing a baby carrier sling across her front, and Himawari was enjoying the ride, reaching her little hands out to grab at anything that looked interesting.
Several high-ranking members of the UN government were waiting in the lobby, along with a small mob of news reporters, Earthborn or otherwise. Standing together in the lobby was UN Secretary-General Laura Harper, Japanese Prime Minister Ryo Nakagawa, and the newly elected Hawaiian President Robert Lansing. (A twig of a man with no muscles to speak of) Odette put out one arm to stop Chihiro from walking past the group. She played along, only pretending to be surprised. Word of today’s events had leaked out some time ago, and Chihiro had made her peace with what was about to happen.
The other Stormbreakers, with knowing looks on their faces, gathered in front of the three leaders and stood at the position of attention. News cameras buzzed and clicked around them while Odette gently steered Chihiro towards the front of the group. Even Himawari seemed to have clued in on the fact that something important was happening and fell (mostly) silent. President Lansing spoke first:
“Sergeant Chihiro Tachibana, as a soldier of XCOM, it is your duty to protect all life on Earth from those who would seek to harm the good inhabitants of the Earth. On the night of February 15th, you demonstrated the highest levels of courage and bravery in the execution of that duty, by continuing to attack an overwhelming foe after all of your comrades had been forced to stop their own efforts. You fought to protect a town of Hawaiians you had never known before that night. Please accept the gratitude of the Hawaiian Republic, along with this…”
President Lansing unfurled a roll of paper that had been stamped with an official seal. He showed it first to the news cameras and then to Chihiro. It said:
“Be it known to all that
Her Imperial Highness, the Princess Chihiro of Chiyako
Has on this 2nd day of MAY 2036
Been appointed an HONORARY CITIZEN of the Republic of Hawaii”
Her Imperial Highness, the Princess Chihiro of Chiyako
Has on this 2nd day of MAY 2036
Been appointed an HONORARY CITIZEN of the Republic of Hawaii”
“You and your daughter will always find friends and family amongst our people.” Lansing finished. “You are one of us now.”
Prime Minister Nakagawa went next. With both hands, he offered a small medal to Chihiro. It consisted of a hemispherical ruby surrounded by a white pattern of rays shooting out in all directions. He rendered a short speech that he had clearly spent some time to memorize:
“By the grace of Heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on the throne occupied by the same dynasty from time immemorial, I confer the Fourth Class of the Order of the Rising Sun upon her Highness Chihiro. It is given this day in recognition of heroic acts performed on behalf of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force between the years of 2008 and 2036, and in homage to her contribution to the Liberation of Japan.”
While Chihiro accepted the medal, Secretary-General presented the third and final honor:
“Since the dawn of warfare, women have picked up arms and served in the front lines, often over the objections of their male counterparts. There are countless examples throughout history of women who rose to become great warriors and skilled leaders, but only a select few are remembered by history. Today, Sergeant Tachibana will join those ranks alongside great heroes like Opha May Johnson, Alexandra Kudasheva, Roza Shanina, Nakano Takeko, and Queen Boudicca. I’m proud to present her with XCOM’s highest award for heroism: The Star of Terra!”
Caption said:
With three awards in hand, Chihiro couldn’t salute. President Lansing clapped his hands and started a round of applause in the group of spectators. Ryo bowed, and the Secretary-General just smiled. After the award ceremony, the three leaders hung around for just a few minutes more to have a photo opportunity with the Stormbreakers and Chihiro before they moved off to the next event on their itinerary. Chihiro finally got a chance to relax, stuffing the two medals into her pocket before Himawari could get the chance to start chewing on them. Meanwhile, Chihiro’s fellow squadmates and a few extra guests swarmed around her in an impromptu celebration. Adrien Fournier and Miranda Robinson, two members of Blake’s extended family, both offered to take a turn playing with Himawari and keep her busy while Chihiro was called away by someone else.
Commander Bradford and Central Officer Smith had watched the ceremony from a distance. They were both wearing dress uniforms and carrying briefcases. There was a folded slip of paper in Holly’s free hand. Chihiro got a sinking feeling in her stomach as she approached them. She already knew what they were going to say.
“Hey, Sergeant.” Bradford didn’t look Chihiro in the eye. “So, Smith and I made a decision and-”
Holly cut him off with a scolding tone of voice.
“Bradford, are you daft!? The woman can read minds! She already knows!”
The Commander’s face fell. He gave Chihiro an apologetic look.
“I’m so sorry.” He finally said. “But you know XCOM has a strict policy against separating children from their mothers.”
Bradford really was sorry. Chihiro could sense that. She could see the echoes of stress in his mind, where Bradford had spent weeks trying to figure out a legitimate reason to do this. He was desperate to avoid saying: “I’m doing this because you had a child.” He was afraid of being perceived as a sexist.
Unfortunately, it was the truth. The ugly truth that no one wanted to admit. Holly launched into an excuse:
“We can’t, in good conscience, send you into combat anymore. We considered a lot of alternatives, honestly.”
Putting her hands on her hips, Chihiro said:
“You wanted to give me a nine-to-five desk job.”
“Yeah. We thought about that.” Holly admitted. “But it’s just not right for the baby. She’s young and she’s got special needs. We had to do what was best for both you and Himawari.”
Chihiro nodded.
“Yeah. I know.” She sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”
Bradford handed the slip of paper to Chihiro.
“As of noon today,” he explained, “You are dismissed from XCOM and honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United Nations of Earth. In compliance with the 2036 Accords, you are entitled to a basic veteran’s pension for the rest of your life, along with free healthcare and housing so long as you live in a city controlled by a UN member-state. This document has all the info you need to get your entitlements from the UN government.”
Looking over her discharge papers, Chihiro spotted a discrepancy:
“Hang on, my pension paperwork says that I’m an ‘Unmarried single mother!’ That’s not right! Shouldn’t I get something for Blake? AFUNE declared him dead! Don’t I get a widow’s pension?”
“We looked for loopholes.” Bradford answered. “I swear we did.”
Chihiro could tell he was telling the truth. In her Psionic mind’s eye, Chihiro saw that Bradford’s mind seemed to light up in a peculiar way whenever he admitted to some kind of failure, like he was doing now.
“Thing is,” Holly explained, “You and Captain Robinson were never married in a legally-binding way. XCOM never recognized the union, so there’s no government on Earth that’ll give you a widow’s pension. Hell, in all of our records, your daughter’s name is listed as Himawari Tachibana, a child with no father. As soon as we got a government to report to, our hands got tied up in red tape. I’m sorry to say, but from a legal standpoint, the only people allowed the fallen warrior pension on Robinson’s life are his actual blood relatives: the Robinson and Fournier families.
Chihiro found something else on the sheet that alarmed her:
“I have to give back all my equipment!?”
“All weapons, armor, and utility items, yes.” Holly answered, then she leaned in close and whispered, “Just between you and me, though: I told the Quartermaster you lost your sword during the fight on Lanai. We wrote it off as a loss. Just don’t let anyone see you take it.”
Okay. That was actually kinda cool.
…
It was a busy morning for Chihiro, but before lunch was over, things were taking yet another turn.
She and the other Stormbreakers had not come to Berlin for just the award ceremony. No, the main event started around noon. At the central meeting hall, Chihiro flashed her invitation to the guard and was allowed into the audience gallery where the rest of her now-former comrades were waiting. Sitting down near the balcony railing, Chihiro and Himawari quickly found themselves sandwiched between Odette Fournier and her father, Adrien, both of whom wanted to play with the baby. Himawari looked back and forth between the two French people, then up at her mother in confusion.
Giggling, Chihiro pulled a small dictionary of Sign Language out of her pocket. First, she pointed to Odette and said “cousin” out loud while simultaneously spelling out the word with her free hand. Then she pointed to Adrien, and said “uncle” while again spelling the word in Sign Language. Too young to understand any of this, Himawari gargled and started sucking on her own fingers.
Meanwhile, down below on the assembly hall floor, a meeting of the Global Truth and Reconciliation Commission was in progress. Director Jane Kelly and the other leading members of the GTRC called the session to order and announced that they were going to resume yesterday’s business.
“I’m told that our witness is ready to face the individual she made accusations against.” Jane Kelly said. “Will the Skirmisher delegation please approach the stand?”
Looking over the railing, Chihiro spotted three ex-ADVENT soldiers, two of whom she recognized. Betos, the leader of the Skirmisher faction, and her lieutenant, Pratal Mox, were escorting a female Skirmisher to the witness stand.
“Will you please tell us your name and stellar origin status for the record?” Jane asked.
The female Skirmisher replied in a thick Australian accent:
“They call me ‘Zephyr’ and I’m Terrestrial.”
“Good.” Jane said. “Are you ready to confront the individual you have accused of war crimes today?”
“Yes.” Zephyr replied. “Please.”
Jane raised her voice so that someone in the back could hear her.
“Mira Mihaka! Please approach the commission!”
Mira was escorted into the chamber by four Reclamation Agents. (three Humans and a Sectoid) For the vast majority of spectators on the upper level, this was their first time seeing the Chosen Assassin in-person. Chihiro had to hunch over as the Viper in the seat behind her reared up to get a better look.
While Mira took her place at the defendant’s stand, Jane read aloud from a paper that a Reclamation Agent had passed to her.
“The Commission acknowledges the presence of Mira Mihaka, the Exoterrestrial Hybrid individual accused by Miss Zephyr of conducting extrajudicial killings of ADVENT Army deserters while under the alias of ‘The Elder’s Chosen Assassin.’ Miss Zephyr, do you recognize the individual to your right?”
Zephyr cast a quick look at Mira, who kept her face passive, before responding:
“Yes.”
“Who is she?”
“That is Vox Prima. Elder Assassin.” Zephyr answered. “Relentless death that stalked my kind. She’s the butcher of freed ADVENT.”
“Miss Mihaka,” Jane inquired. “Did you serve in the ADVENT Army at any point between 2015 and 2035?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Did you operate as the Chosen Assassin?”
“Yes. I was the Elder’s hand of vengeance for a period of roughly five years.”
“Did you execute ADVENT soldiers who had refused to fight against Human forces?”
“Yes.”
“Were these soldiers given a trial beforehand?”
“No.”
“How many executions?”
“One-thousand-one-hundred-forty-two.”
Awed gasps and horrified screams ran through the audience gallery. Jane pressed on.
“Did you hunt down ADVENT soldiers who had deserted the ADVENT Army? These individuals may or may not have been Skirmishers.”
“Yes.”
“What happened to these deserters when you caught them.”
“I executed them.”
“How?”
“With my sword.”
“Where is this weapon now?”
Before Mira could answer, someone interrupted her.
“Excuse me!”
It was the Commander of XCOM. Bradford approached the Commission and answered Jane’s question on Mira’s behalf:
“That sword was confiscated from Miss Mihaka when she defected over to our side. It was pressed into service on my order and was recently lost during a combat operation on the island of Lanai. I apologize. It was reckless of us.”
Jane wrote down a note in the margins of her paperwork.
“I see.” She continued. “Miss Mihaka, during the testimony she gave yesterday, Zephyr accused you of attacking and killing ADVENT Army soldiers who had deserted their posts, thrown down their weapons, and become noncombatants. Killing individuals who have surrendered, disarmed themselves, or otherwise become noncombatants and no longer pose a physical threat is a class two War Crime as defined by the 2036 Accords. Depending on the severity of the crime and the discretion of the courts, you could be punished with a life sentence in prison or death by electrocution. However, you made a conscious decision to defect to our side during the war; post-conflict, you briefly fled from our agents but have been cooperative ever since your apprehension, and you have confessed to the crimes you were accused of. Keeping these details in mind, you have satisfied the eligibility requirements for amnesty. Will you petition the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for amnesty at this time?”
“Yes.” Mira answered.
The Skirmisher named Zephyr pressed both of her hands to the tabletop and leaned towards Mira.
“Say, Mihaka…. Do you regret any of it?”
Mira looked over at her former enemy.
“Serving the Elders? Absolutely.” She replied. “I fought because I had no choice. The Elders power was absolute. If the soldiers of Stormbreaker Squad had not broken through to me, I never would have been able to break the Elder’s hold over me. I would have died not knowing my own freedom was possible. For that intervention, I am grateful.”
Keeping her face expressionless, Zephyr stared at Mira silently. Meanwhile, Jane and the other members of the Truth Commission were having a quick discussion amongst themselves. Finally, the former XCOM Colonel addressed Mira:
“This Commission has agreed to hear your application for amnesty of class two War Crimes committed in service of the Elders between 2030 and 2035. Before we proceed to the final decision, we will require you to submit a full written confession of all crimes you committed during your service to the Elders. Furthermore, you must publicly ask your accuser for forgiveness. You are not required to receive it. You need only ask. Do you understand the requirements we’ve set?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
…
The hearing did not adjourn until sometime in the early evening. There was so much more to do once Mira and Zephyr’s time was up.
The were many people being investigated. Before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission parted ways for the night, a few former members of the ADVENT Government had accused Konstantine Volikov and his Reapers of war crimes, and several members of the alien and Hybrid communities backed them up. Before too long, there was a general rallying cry going around the hearing, demanding the Reapers be brought to justice.
The straw that broke the camel’s back, though, was Sophia Kuznetsova. She requested to speak before the commission as a character witness. She told everyone the story of how her own father, the Reaper known as Ivan Kuznetsov, had tried to murder her after discovering the fact that she preferred being with women. Sophia punctuated her story by partially removing her headscarf, giving the commission (and also the news cameras) a very brief view of her mutilated face. When she explained exactly how her father had caused the injury, she single-handedly turned the audience (and possibly most of the world) against the Reapers. Arrest warrants were issued in short order.
Meanwhile, Chihiro said her goodbyes to her comrades.
Now that her military service had formally come to an end, Chihiro would only be allowed back onto XCOM’s base at Easter Island for a short time to clear out her locker and collect her final paycheck. After that, Wendy Carter would fly Chihiro back to her “Home on-record.”
Now, Chihiro had a very strong hunch that she wouldn’t be able to get back into the Nagasaki apartment where she and Blake had lived before the alien invasion. Figuring out a place to live was just starting to come to the forefront of Chihiro’s mind as she hugged the six remaining Stormbreakers, who would be leaving from Berlin and traveling directly to their next mission site in the Philippines. Himawari giggled as Odette Fournier planted a kiss on her forehead; and then Odette stood up and spoke:
“I’ve got your husband’s money.”
It was so uncommon, so profoundly out-of-character for Odette to engage in private conversation with her teammates that Chihiro had to do a double-take just to make sure she knew who was speaking. Odette repeated herself in that same gruff masculine voice, which sounded strained and a little weak from lack of use.
“The UN started sending a fallen warrior stipend to my father.” Odette clarified and jerked her thumb towards the Frenchman who was talking to Bradford. “Apparently, he is Blake’s ‘closest male relative’ or something stupid like that. Anyway, I intercepted the money. Figured you needed it more than my father. This should help you find a new home.”
Odette hugged Chihiro one last time and press a heavy envelope into her palm. As she walked away, Odette got behind her father and smacked him on the back of the head with so much force that he stumbled forward and crashed into Bradford, earning an angry tirade from XCOM’s Commander. Chihiro, meanwhile, quickly opened the envelope and found a government check entitling the “Surviving Family of Blake Alexander Robinson” to several thousand Credits.
More than enough for an apartment or a small house. Chihiro smiled.
…
Chihiro had to wait for another vehicle to transport her to the airport. Since she was now just a civilian, she couldn’t ride back with the Stormbreakers. Settling down in the Altes Stadthaus lobby, Chihiro passed the time by watching a TV news report while Himawari fell asleep on her mother’s chest.
Onscreen, a reporter talked about how more and more alien ships were arriving above Earth from all over the Galaxy. Members of almost every spacefaring civilization had assembled in low Earth orbit. Some were refugees from Hiigara and Taiidan, both worlds had recently fallen to the Beast. Others had come from much farther away, such as Assuria, Partoga, and even Paku Nui, which was on the far side of the Galaxy. These wayward travelers brought alarming stories about the war.
The Beast was rampaging unchecked across the Galaxy. The Partogan-led Triple Alliance and its Hiigaran counterpart were suffering a rapid succession of horrific defeats, and the Galactic Front Line had now reached Sirius, a star system dangerously close to Earth. But this wasn’t the most intriguing thing of note.
A huge armada of Triple Alliance warships had materialized in the Shining Hinterlands, a region of space that marked the border between the Hiigaran Empire and what was now generally considered to be “Human space.” The constant stream of ships arriving at Earth each day brought reports that this fleet was battling its way through the Beast and was making its way to Earth as fast as possible. This fleet was, according to rumor, under the supernatural protection of some kind of “Space Angel” who wielded great power.
Nearly every news caster and military expert on Earth had assumed that this “Space Angel” was either the Partogan Queen Kendra, Hiigaran leader Karan Sjet, or Triple Alliance Admiral Makara Ranginui… but Chihiro could think of one other name… and she dared to hope for a miracle.
Someone sat down next to Chihiro on the sofa and joined her in watching the newscast.
“Fascinating.” Mira Mihaka said. “So many ships and races, all beginning to gather here. It feels like they know something profound, but in reality, they’re mostly just chasing rumors.”
Himawari grabbed one of Mira’s fingers in her sleep and held on tightly.
“Hey, Mira.” Chihiro said. “How are you?”
“Being kept busy.” The former Chosen Assassin admitted. “The GTRC has no limit to the questions they ask or testimonies they demand. All of my own investigations have come to a stop until I can bring my case to a resolution.”
“Well, I’ll tell Hawkins and the squad to keep all of that Pacific Anomaly madness under control for you, alright?” Chihiro cracked a small smile. “No matter where I end up living in Japan, I’m going to be really close to the waterline. If I have to crack a Tarsoth’s skull because they were slacking off, I’ll sic the Templars on ‘em.”
Mira laughed, then she seemed to get serious.
“That reminds me. I wanted to ask for your help.”
“My help?” Chihiro asked. “You know who you’re talking to, right? I’m kinda busy these days, even if I’m not a soldier anymore.”
As if to prove Chihiro’s point, Himawari woke up and began to cry. Chihiro swept the baby up in her arms and started rocking back and forth, patting her child in a soothing way.
“I am sorry AFUNE cut you loose.” Mira raised her voice to be heard above Himawari’s wails.
“Of course, you probably knew about that already.” Chihiro tried to make her voice sound casual, but a little bit of contempt slipped through.
Stung, Mira took a second to reply. As Himawari calmed down, Mira said:
“Well, that’s just the thing, Chihiro. This has never happened before.”
Chihiro looked around at Mira.
“Huh?”
Mira leaned in close.
“One-hundred fifteen Cycles have gone by.” Mira said. “And there has never been one where you were thrown out of XCOM before the War in Heaven.” Mira explained. “This is the first time you were sidelined before the final fight.”
Reading into this, Chihiro said:
“Lemme guess. This is the first time I had a baby before the big day, right?”
“Well, yes.” Mira admitted. “Normally, you give birth during the War in Heaven.”
Chihiro’s eyes went wide. She very much regretted that last comment as unbidden images crept through her mind, ensuring she would have nightmares tonight.
“Okay! I… uh, I think I prefer this timeline.” Chihiro squeaked.
Mira shifted her tone, looking furtively about as though checking or eavesdroppers.
“You know why things are going so differently, right?” Mira asked. “It’s Akira. There’s no doubt in my mind she’s tampering with our lives again, in disguise as she normally does.”
“Normally?” Chihiro asked. “She revealed herself to Blake and I, like, twice.”
“To you.” Mira corrected her. “I worked with Akira for years. In every Cycle, she feels comfortable revealing herself to you. Most other times, she will conceal her identity. This is where I need your help, Chihiro. And I promise to pay you well for your services.”
“Pay me?” Chihiro repeated. “Where are you getting money from?”
“Trinity Project.” Mira answered. “They call me a ‘Remote Consultant’ and pay me in UN Credits. Help me out here and I’ll give you a share: I need two people Psionically probed, and I can’t do it myself. The Truth Commission and the Trinity are both keeping me occupied.”
Chihiro hesitated for a moment.
“You just want me to look in a couple people’s heads?”
“Yes.”
“Spy. You want me to telepathically spy on people?”
“You just want to hear me say: ‘I want you to be my spy.’”
“C’mon! Say it!”
Mira pulled a tablet computer out of her pocket and brought up two pictures. Chihiro recognized them both. It was Duane Gardner and Violet, two members of the Templar Order.
“You want me to poke around in the heads of Jericho’s ex and a recently crazy person?” Chihiro visibly deflated with disappointment. “Man, I thought I was gonna get to, like, plant an idea in Geist’s head or something.”
Mira raised an eyebrow at Chihiro, but pressed on.
“I have very strong reason to believe that Akira is focused on Duane.” Mira explained. “And that she is using or manipulating him to some end. Somehow, Akira has a place for him in her twisted vision of the future. I need to know exactly what Akira has planned for Duane, and more specifically, I need to know what his Unique Psionic power is.”
“Hang on, you don’t already know?” Chihiro asked.
Mira shook her head.
“Duane’s unique power appears to be a source of contention amongst the Templars.” Mira said. “In many Cycles, including my own, there was a dispute between Duane and Jericho shortly before the War in Heaven. Jericho wanted him to refrain from using his special abilities for some reason. Duane disagreed with her, and the two of them came to blows. After the Beast was defeated, the Templar Order fell into schism and fractured, with the supporters of Duane and Jericho parting ways. By the time my own life began, the Templars were engaged in civil war, fighting one another over a century-old debate. The result of all this is that any knowledge of Duane’s unique power ends up being lost. Akira doesn’t have a record of it, and neither do I. However, we might have a way to find out…”
Mira tapped the picture of Violet.
“You said it yourself. This woman has not been herself since the night you fought the Tren Krom in Lanai. According to Triple Alliance records, that ship was last seen at the Science Nexus, a place where Vanians were experimenting with technologies that allowed them to send entire starships into the Shroud. Akira must have had a hand in its sudden appearance on Earth, and I’m convinced Akira has replaced this ‘Violet’ woman with herself.”
Chihiro’s jaw fell open.
“You think that’s Akira!? Violet!?”
Mira nodded. After a moment, Chihiro collected herself.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Simple.” Mira answered. “I want you to confirm Violet’s identity, and then check Duane to see if he is under Mind Control. If he is, break it. If not, find out what his unique power is. Then come back to me. I’ll most likely still be here in Berlin.”
“One question.” Chihiro said. “Actually, more like two or three: Where are these two? How am I supposed to get to them and back again? What the hell am I supposed to do with Himawari while I’m possibly confronting Akira!?”
Mira waved a hand dismissively.
“Don’t worry.” She said. “I’ve considered those angles already. If Akira really has gotten close to Duane, as I fear, I have a way to hide you from her: I’m going to teach you a Psionic technique that should keep you safe. Furthermore, I’ve devised a simple but effective cover for you to travel without drawing attention: You are looking for a place to live, right?”
Chihiro raised her eyebrows. She could see where Mira was going with this.
“I’m not moving back to Tokyo, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Not Tokyo, of course.” Mira smiled and shook her head. “I was thinking somewhere further out to sea…”
…
Monday, May 12, 2036 – 11:00am
Honolulu Spaceport, Oahu Island, Republic of Hawaii
There were so many people crammed into the spaceport that Chihiro felt like she was fighting an ocean tide. Thousands of Humans, Hybrids, and aliens of varying species all bustled about the terminal, moving in roughly the same direction. It seemed as though everyone wanted to get into Honolulu. After nearly an hour of battling her way through the crowd, Chihiro and Himawari finally reached the entry station they were looking for.
The word “Immigration” was repeated on a large sign in English, Hawaiian, the Hybrid language, Japanese, and French. At the kiosk, a wide array of Humans and non-Humans waited in line for their turn to enter Hawaii. Luckily for Chihiro, the line moved rather quickly today.
A pleasant-looking woman smiled at Himawari, who was riding on Chihiro’s back via her baby carrier, then said:
“Welcome to Hawaii. Is this a temporary visit or do you plan to stay long-term?”
“Long-term.” Chihiro answered. “I wanted to find a place to settle down with the little one.”
“The Hawaiian immigration process is a little more difficult than normal.” The Kiosk lady explained. “Our country has recently been subjected to attacks from the sea, which means we have to house everyone further inland, something that’s difficult to do on an island nation, you understand. We can issue you a temporary residency permit until the details are hammered out at a later date. I just need your identifying documents.”
After all this time, the only form of ID Chihiro still had on her person was her XCOM ID card and her JSDF dog tags. She also handed over the honorary citizenship certificate she’d gotten from the Hawaiian President. The Kiosk lady looked over the certificate for a few moments, then said she needed to make a phone call. Chihiro and Himawari were pulled aside into a waiting area, and about fifteen minutes later, a small group of Hawaiian government officials came in.
Things proceeded exactly as Mira had said they would: As soon as Chihiro’s residency visa was approved, the UN Housing Authority helped her rent out an upper-middle class apartment in downtown Honolulu, (the money Odette gave to Chihiro ended up being a big help here) and once she was moved in, she was introduced to a specialized children’s hospital that catered to children with physical disabilities, where the UN would provide free medical service for both Chihiro and her daughter.
As for Chihiro’s new apartment, it had once been part of a complex that housed ADVENT government officials, who had since been forced to move out. As such, it was fully kitted out with the latest in ADVENT technology, and the whole place looked disturbingly similar to the “Home of the Future” advertised in ADVENT propaganda. A voice-activated digital screen dominated the living room, stretching from floor to ceiling and allowing Chihiro to either watch television or make video calls. Within an hour of programming her contact info into the computer, Chihiro got her first video call.
Sophia Kuznetsova contacted Chihiro from XCOM HQ in Japan, appearing on the big screen. As it turned out, Sophia had desperately needed someone to talk to for the past couple of days, and Chihiro ended up being the first person to hold a meaningful conversation with Sophia in the past week. Sophia had suffered a nervous breakdown after revealing her face to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Berlin, an event that had been broadcasted all over the world and had drawn quite a lot of attention onto her. News agencies had displayed images of her mutilated face for the entire planet to see. Comedians were having a field day with Sophia’s story, while other politicians had actively tried to discredit her.
Right now, Sophia just needed to hear a reassuring voice.
“Everyone’s talking about me behind my back.” Sophia sniffled, on the verge of tears. “Everywhere I go, there’s people saying horrible stuff me! There’s hate mail with my name on it showing up at HQ, coming from Russia!”
Sophia’s home country was known for being somewhat hostile towards people like her, and the sight of a lesbian wearing the Soviet hammer and sickle on her uniform had produced a vitriolic response from her fellow countrymen. The news of hate mail from Russia made Chihiro feel a little sick, and she did her best to make Sophia feel better.
“Forget about them.” Chihiro told Sophia. “I’m here for you. So is the rest of the Squad. You can talk to me anytime.”
“Yeah, right.” Sophia scoffed, then she mumbled. “No one talked to me before. No one cares about me… Nobody.”
Then Himawari crawled towards the digital screen and put her hand on it, trying to touch the image of Sophia. The two women looked at the baby and shared a laugh.
…
The next day, Chihiro prepared to hunt down Duane Gardner. Before she could start, however, she needed to use the new Psionic technique Mira had taught her.
Standing between a mirror and Himawari, Chihiro focused her mind intensely on a mental image of herself, before beginning to alter and reshape it. Psionic Manipulation is a curious power: It only worked if the user was being directly observed or watched. Chihiro wasn’t changing her physical appearance. Instead, she was altering Himawari’s perception of her. After several moments, the baby Robinson’s smile fell as the familiar person in front of her transformed into a complete stranger.
From Himawari’s point of view, Chihiro’s eyes faded from blue to hazel, she became a little taller, and her straight black hair became messy and brown. Finally, to cap off the change, Chihiro tried to speak to Himawari, but instead of the usual slightly-high pitched tone paired with a metro Tokyo accent, Chihiro’s voice was lower, and had the kind of “country girl” accent you’d expect from someone who had grown up in rural Japan.
“Hana-chan, do you recognize me?” Chihiro asked.
Himawari did not recognize her mother. This strange woman in the apartment was clearly Akaya Ogawa, an XCOM soldier stationed at the base on Easter Island. Not knowing where her mother was and starting to become afraid, Himawari burst into tears! Reflexively, Chihiro dropped her Psionic disguise and picked up her daughter in a gentle hug. Patting Himawari’s head and whispering reassuring words, Chihiro made a note on her mental checklist. All the prep work was done. It was time to get to work.
There was one big obstacle stopping Chihiro from finding Duane Gardner: the disappearance of the Templar Order.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Lanai, the Templars had suspended their cooperation with XCOM and had gone underground. Geist was out of contact with AFUNE, and nobody Chihiro called could give her a useful answer. The only times the Templars emerged from hiding was during brief fights with the sea monsters or the Reapers. To make matters worse, Chihiro was no longer a member of AFUNE, meaning that she had lost access to any classified Intel reports that might have helped her track down the Templars. She would have to seek out Duane another way. Mira was certain he was on the island of Oahu, but couldn’t narrow the search area down below that.
“I saw his name on a list of known Templars who had passed through Hawaiian customs.” Mira had said. “He entered the country, but never left. He was born and raised there, so I doubt he’s in any hurry to leave.”
Chihiro took to patrolling the streets around the Honolulu Spaceport, using Psionic Manipulation to fudge her identity to anyone who looked at her twice. Mira had told her that some of the new aliens arriving on Earth were going out of their way to try and find the Templar Order, and that following them would be the quickest way to track down Duane Gardner and Violet, the woman now suspected of being a disguised Akira.
Lucky for Chihiro, there were a lot of such aliens to follow. For the past month, thousands of starships from the Galactic Alliance had started arriving at Earth, and now the streets of Honolulu were packed to bursting with Hiigarans, Taiidani, Scyldari, Blorg, Voor, Kel-Azan, and other aliens from the Hiigaran sphere of influence.
Walking around the city was a jarring experience for Chihiro. She had still not gotten used to wearing civilian clothing, and found her outfit of choice, a tee-shirt and jean skirt, to be very uncomfortable. To make matters worse, people seemed to look at her differently. She just didn’t look like a soldier anymore, and Himawari (who was riding along in her baby carrier as always) had a noticeably darker skin color than her mother, which also drew curious eyes. Using the excuse of “window shopping for a new outfit” to pace up and down the street, Chihiro kept looking from left to right, observing people while keeping on the move.
It didn’t take long for Chihiro to find a lead. Towards the end of her second day of searching, Chihiro had given her daughter a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun at bay, and Himawari found ways to entertain herself while Chihiro navigated the city streets. One of those ways popped up while Chihiro was trying to side-step around a man who was passing out flyers on a street corner. Himawari reached out with both of her little hands and successfully snatched a sheet of paper from the recruiter while Chihiro had her back turned. The man’s loud laughter caught Chihiro’s attention and she turned around.
“Your girl’s got a real gift!” the man said before moving off to distribute flyers elsewhere on the block.
Chihiro unfastened her baby carrier and repositioned it so that Himawari was up front. She found her daughter crumpling up the flyer for fun. The baby looked up at her mother and held up the ruined advertisement. Chihiro unfolded the paper and gave it the most cursory of glances before she froze, reading and re-reading the paper just to make sure she really had seen what she thought she did. In bright yellow letters on a blue field, the poster declared:
Answer the call! Our Angel of the Shining Hinterlands needs your help to defeat the Beast! Join Jericho’s Progeny today! Seek out your local Templars and do your part for victory!
In the center of the poster was an image of a Human and several aliens, standing side by side and wearing the same black and yellow uniform while a stylized starship flew above them.
Chihiro’s heart raced! This was it! This had to be the way to finding Duane! Thinking quickly, Chihiro disguised herself, scrambling everybody’s perception of her to the point where no one would be able to recall their first meeting with her. Then she looked around to see where the man with the flyers had gone. He was nearby, having stopped two Sectoids and a Viper and evangelizing to them. Securing the baby carrier straps, Chihiro walked at a brisk pace to catch up with him.
“…Jericho is full of love and forgiveness.” The man was saying. “She will see you as more than her former enemies. We are all united in the fight against the Beast now, so you will be more than welcome amongst the Progeny!”
“Excuse me!” Chihiro panted, having finally caught up. “I was wondering if you could tell me-”
The man turned around, saw Chihiro, failed to realize he’d met her before and spoke with great enthusiasm:
“Yes! A new mother! Surely you of all people will know about the importance of Jericho’s work!”
“Ah… sure.” Chihiro replied, trying to keep her answers cryptic. “I mean, I guess so. I actually saw Jericho once before the Elders fell.”
The aliens didn’t seem to notice that their jaws had fallen open. The Viper in particular seemed awestruck. The man raised his arms as though he intended to embrace Chihiro and the two aliens in a group hug.
“I believe we could find all of you a place in Jericho’s Progeny.” He said. “Let me get you some contact details, and you can come meet us at our next gathering.”
…
Thursday, May 15, 2036 – 10:00pm
Kaneohe Crater, Oahu Island, Republic of Hawaii
Right now, Chihiro couldn’t help but envy Himawari.
Before coming out here tonight, Chihiro had taken extra precautions, knowing that she might not be coming home until very early tomorrow morning. She had bought a warm fuzzy coat for Himawari to wear, and had wrapped her baby up in several layers. Chihiro was so focused on making sure her daughter stayed warm that she had neglected her own outfit. Secured snugly in her carrier harness, Himawari fell asleep as soon as the trip began.
So, while Himawari got some shuteye, Chihiro followed the instructions given to her by the Progeny recruiter. She followed Interstate H3, one of the country’s main highways, to the northwest. After walking for about a mile, she finally got far enough away from the city that she was completely alone. Chihiro picked out a mental image of herself that would become her next Psionic disguise. She planned to make small changes to her body shape, hair and eyes. It would be an easy illusion to maintain, but would be enough to mask her identity. She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of process Akira went through picking out disguises.
She’s my daughter. Chihiro thought to herself. Maybe she does Psionic disguises the same way I do.
The sun had fully set and it was starting to get quite cold out. Chihiro found herself wishing she had dressed in a warmer outfit. Skirts and short sleeves might be nice in the daytime, but now Chihiro realized just how much she’d taken her heavy military uniform for granted as misty clouds escaped her mouth with each shivering breath.
Before too long, Chihiro crossed paths with a large open-top truck parked on the side of the road. In the back were about a dozen Humans, aliens, and Hybrids, all chattering excitedly. Chihiro didn’t need the Gift to know that they were all talking about the same thing: The Angel of the Shining Hinterlands, She of the Void who was battling her way across the Galaxy to save us all.
They were talking about Jericho.
As soon as she came within sight of the others, Chihiro threw on her Psionic disguise exactly how Mira had taught her to do, reaching into minds and subtly tweaking the way people looked at her. By the time anyone acknowledged her presence, Chihiro had fully hidden herself behind a false image. The Progeny recruiter jumped out of the driver’s seat to give Chihiro a welcoming hug and offer her a place with the other passengers. She found the group of travelers to be quite kind and welcoming. A Levakian male had curled up on the floor and was sharing his body heat with two Vipers, who probably would have frozen in the frigid cold tonight. The pair of cold-blooded aliens gave the lion grateful expressions as they slithered underneath his large furry body. A Kelt traveler took interest in Himawari and spent the journey watching her sleep in Chihiro’s lap.
The truck rolled out, heading further north while the passengers continued to share rumors and speculation about what Jericho was like and how she would defeat the Beast. Chihiro engaged as well, telling stories of the battles she’d fought with Jericho against the Elders, but intentionally leaving out any mention of her own presence at those conflicts. She wanted to stay as low-key as possible tonight.
Finally, after about half an hour of driving, they arrived at their destination: the city of Kanehoe… or what was left of it.
Twenty-one years ago, Kanehoe had been a thriving resort town on the northern shores of Oahu. A playground of the wealthy and powerful, people who got to stay in Kanehoe had advanced all the way to the top of the Old World hierarchy. When the aliens had invaded, Kanehoe was targeted heavily by abductor pods, and most of the population ended up in either the alien’s underground base or in the hold of the Temple Ship. Then, just a few days before the surrender of Earth, a squad of alien infiltrators planted a plasma bomb in the city center. A team of XCOM soldiers attempted to defuse the weapon, but they were too late. Kanehoe was annihilated in a single blast.
These days, all that remained of the town as a shallow crater, roughly four miles wide and about fifty feet deep. It was also slowly filling with seawater. A salty swamp occupied the deepest parts of the crater, about two miles away from the rim. In the near future, this place might become Oahu’s newest harbor. But tonight, it was a meeting place.
As she clambered out of the truck, Chihiro saw that some two hundred Humans and aliens were sitting together on the rim of the crater, looking down on something happening below them. Excited chatter filled the air, as did a general sense of apprehension. Following a pair of Mutons up the hill, Chihiro looked into the Kanehoe Crater and gasped.
Someone had clearly spent the past day, and perhaps more, carving an intricate image into the surface of the crater. Narrow trenches and piles of dirt had been arranged across nearly five hundred yards of ground, and to top it all off, a small bonfire had been lit at the intersection of several of these lines. As her eyes adjusted to the growing darkness, Chihiro realized exactly what this massive drawing was:
A starchart had been carved into the ground, turning the crater floor into a map of Human-controlled space and the surrounding Galactic plane. An arrow pointed towards the bonfire itself and the words “You are here” were written in the sand below it. Chihiro looked up into the night sky and started matching stars to their respective points on the big map in front of her. As Chihiro sat down between a Levakian female and a pair of Assurian men, a voice called out from the darkness, startling the group.
“Welcome, friends! On behalf of Jericho herself, we are pleased you could come!”
Duane Gardner and Violet finally appeared.
Both Templars looked different from when Chihiro had last seen them on Lanai Island. Violet (Assuming this wasn’t Akira in disguise) had radically changed her appearance. She had shaved the sides of her head, giving herself a punkish mohawk hairstyle and revealing the full extent of the purple tattoo on the right side of her face. The ink splotch wrapped all the way around to the back of her head, and under this lighting, it looked more like a scar or a burn.
Duane, meanwhile, had the look of someone who had decided that it was time to get serious. While he wasn’t wearing the typical Templar body armor, he was wearing a pair of Celestial Gauntlets, which crackled and hummed in tune with the nearby bonfire. Chihiro remembered Mira’s instructions clearly: Be patient and wait. See if Duane volunteered the knowledge on his own before trying to extract it, and avoid direct contact with Violet until her identity was confirmed.
Duane addressed the gathering:
“My friends, you have heard the call and answered! Jericho is on her way home to us now, yet the forces she will bring with her are not enough to vanquish the Beast! We will need to contribute all we can to the final effort. Every day, more and more alien ships arrive at Earth, and our numbers are bolstered further! But there is still so much we can do!”
Violet pulled a burning tree branch from the fire. Holding it over her head, she marched out to one specific point on the map and stood still.
“According to reports from the newest arrivals,” Violet spoke to the assembled group, “Jericho and her allies were last seen here in Abbasid, just beyond the Galactic Core.”
Violet planted her torch in the ground and then took a few steps back.
“Eyewitness reports suggest the Father of the Beast is also traveling towards Earth, but it’s moving much more slowly.” She continued. “A group of Hiigaran flyboys who arrived the other day tell us that Jericho will return to Earth sometime in late July, and that the Beast will arrive a few days later. This leaves us with only a short time to prepare.”
“Prepare for what?” A Partogan asked.
Duane raised one hand and pointed towards the southern horizon.
“I have learned an important truth.” Duane said. “The Deep One, the creature responsible for the attacks on our islands and coastlines, must be defeated before Jericho returns home! I was told by an ally who has been fighting this war far longer than any of us!”
Chihiro sat up, excited! This was it! She was certain that Duane was about to reveal he had spoken to Akira! But then…
Himawari began to cry!
The infant’s wails drowned out the sound of Duane’s voice! Flustered, Chihiro tried to quickly find out what had upset her daughter as well as silence her. To make matters worse, any chance of hearing Duane’s speech was shut down by the reactions of those around her. Several Humans and Sectoids demanded Chihiro silence her baby using particularly rude language. A Hybrid dressed in Skirmisher armor stood up and shuffled towards another area of the crater, causing other group attendees to complain at his behavior. There was also an unexpected show of generosity as well. The lioness sitting next to Chihiro lay down on all fours and put her head in Chihiro’s lap, gently nuzzling Himawari with her big feline nose. Then the lioness began to make a low rumbling noise that sounded a little like purring. Himawari hiccupped and rolled over in her mother’s lap, leaning against the lioness’ warm body and falling silent once more. The combination of warm fur and the gentle rumble had lulled the baby right back to sleep. By the time order was restored, Duane had moved on to another point of discussion.
“… My comrades are able to provide the equipment and training you need to do your part in the coming battle. The Deep One may be frightening, but it is not an Elder. It is a creature of flesh and blood, and such creatures can be killed just like any other…”
Chihiro quietly cursed to herself. She knew she had just missed something important. Just when she was thinking about using Psionics to forcefully extract the crucial knowledge from Duane, she felt a dull sensation roll over her body. Duane and Violet both fell silent as a Psionic Blackout engulfed across the Progeny meeting! Sectoids and Vanians alike seemed to be on the verge of panic as their Gift shut down!
“Please, everyone! Remain calm!” Duane addressed the crowd. “The Blackout will end momentarily!”
Knowing that this might just be her only chance to act without being caught, Chihiro picked a target at random!
Eenie… meanie… miney… you!
Without any reason or justification, Chihiro picked Duane. When her Gift came back, she would have mere seconds to infiltrate his mind and gather information before he started putting his own defenses back up. The Levakian sensed Chihiro becoming tense and started to purr a little more loudly.
“Be calm.” The Levakian rumbled. “It will pass sooner than you know.”
Seconds went by. Himawari woke up and started babbling. A Human, several Sectoids, and a few Hybrids started shouting at Duane and Violet, demanding an explanation for the blackouts. Both Templars put their hands up and tried to calm the crowd. Chihiro focused her mind exclusively on Duane. Every second, she renewed her attempts to read his mind. Himawari almost broke her mother’s focus by sitting upright and trying to hug the lioness. But then… The Gift came back, and Chihiro launched her consciousness into Duane’s at full intensity!
Chihiro was inside of Duane’s mind for all of two seconds! In that time, she was presented with a nightmarish vision:
Duane stood alone on a battlefield. The skies were filled with smoke and embers, while around him, the broken bodies of countless soldiers lay strewn about in a sea of blood. Most of the corpses were still fresh and warm. Gathering his willpower, Duane used his Gift to extract the last living energy from the fallen, leaving the dead cold and stiff, as though the battlefield was several years old. As he drew strength from those who had fallen in battle, Duane left a path of decay behind him. His powers grew and amplified, exactly the same way Jericho’s could… except he drew energy from a much darker source. Blood dried, bones bleached, and color faded as Duane fed on Death itself, becoming strong and powerful; enough even to fight the Deep One.
Feeling not unlike like a snapped rubber band, Chihiro retreated from Duane’s mind and quickly shielded herself from mental probing. Himawari sensed the sudden change in her mother’s demeanor, as did the friendly Levakian. Both lioness and infant looked up at Chihiro.
“Is everything alright?” The Levakian asked.
“No.” Chihiro admitted. “I don’t think it is.”
Duane and Violet also seemed to have been put on alert. They looked at one another anxiously before trying to draw the meeting to a close.
“Of course, we are not ADVENT. We will not force you to join this battle.” Violet said to the group. “Jericho volunteered herself for this fight, so therefore, the Progeny will only accept volunteers as well. Any who do not wish to join tonight are free to leave, and if you change your mind, you will always be welcome.”
“So,” Violet picked up her torch. “Who will join the Progeny tonight? Who will answer Jericho’s call and fight for her?”
…
The next day, halfway around the world, Mira Mihaka received a surprise phone call from Chihiro. Mira quickly checked her calendar and realized Chihiro was reporting in far earlier than planned. Hoping that Chihiro was going to deliver some useful intel, she answered the call right away. Mira never got the chance to say “Hello.” Instead, she was taken by surprise as Chihiro screamed across the airwaves:
“MIRA! AKIRA’S PLANNING A MASSACRE! SHE’S GONNA KILL ‘EM ALL!!”
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