DossiAARs - Prelude to The Stormbreakers

[Macavity116]

Hello all, I'm Macavity116 and I want to try something different.

Ever since the end of my second Stellaris Story, Faith in Chaos, I've been working on the third and final installment in my AAR trilogy: The Stormbreakers. Right now, I'm confident I'll be ready to start telling the new story sometime in late October or early November. But in the meantime, there's something else I need to do: Unlike its predecessors (After Everything and Faith in Chaos) The Stormbreakers is going to launch into the action right away. This means there won't be enough time to introduce all of the new heroes and protagonists before the action starts.

So instead I'm going to introduce all of the characters to you right now!

Starting today, this thread will play host to dossiers about all of the major characters of The Stormbreakers. Each dossier will contain personal histories, physical descriptions, and personality assessments about each character. Hopefully, this AAR will expand the Stormbreakers Universe and contribute to the worldbuilding process before my final AAR truly gets started.

DosiAARs isn't going to be a conventional AAR. If anything, I consider this to be a "supplemental guide/companion piece" for The Stormbreakers. Once my final AAR gets started, I'll include a link leading back here so that readers can have quick and easy access to all of the background information they'll need for The Stormbreakers.

If this is your first time reading one of my Stellaris Stories, welcome!

If you've read either After Everything or Faith in Chaos, then welcome back!


So, gathered friends... would you like to meet my final team of heroes?



======

DossiAARs - Prelude to The Stormbreakers

(Table of Contents: Click a chapter title to go directly to it.)

​

These are the men and women who will sacrifice much and risk all to save the Galaxy:

1. Blake "Trojan" Robinson
2. Chihiro "Blue Dragon" Tachibana
3. Hal "Steampunk" Macintosh
4. Holly "Doomsday" Smith
5. Homura "Supernova" Hanako
   
6. Ignatius "Rising Sun" Petoskey
7. Isis "Avenger" Dekker
8. Jake "Soylent" Green
9. Kate "Jericho" Ray
10. Kathleen "Nix" Walsh
11. Matthew "Alecto" Hawkins
12. Odette "Vampire" Fournier
13. Sophia "Antigone" Kuznetsova
14. Sophie "Icarus" Ackermann
15. Tsubaki "Fangirl" Endo
16. Yutaka "Doctor Freud" Yamamoto

​

Special Entries (My Sistership - A Short Stellaris Story):

A century after the events of Faith in Chaos, two Partogans rediscover a powerful technology that could change the course of the Second Hyperspace War, putting themselves on a collision course with disaster.

1. Manako Ranginui
2. Mira Mihaka (Part 1)
3. Makara "Mahuika" Ranginui
4. Mira Mihaka (Part 2)
5. Queen Kendra the Great

The Halloween Update

 

[stnylan]

Will be quite interested in seeing how some of these snippets, as it were

 

[Macavity116]

Full Name: Holly Jean Smith

Rank: Colonel

Callsign: Doomsday

Team Role: Leader

Date of Birth: March 8, 1989 (Age 26)

Place of Birth: Manchester, England


Biography: Holly Jean Smith is the widow of Charles, a British Royal Army soldier who was killed by Soviet forces during World War Three. Holly herself fought in the Japanese Front for two years before meeting the future Stormbreakers at the Siege of Hiroshima. Holly is one of the founding members of the Stormbreakers and was the only member of the team to come out of the battle unharmed. Holly remained in the British Army during the peace and was part of the Allied occupation of western Russia from 2013 until 2015. During the 2015 Alien Invasion, she was recruited to XCOM because of her leadership abilities and was quickly put in charge of a squad. Holly was captured by the ADVENT Coalition almost immediately after the birth of Jericho in September 2015. She was rescued from suspended animation in 2035 as part of Operation Gatecrasher. As the highest-ranking member of the team, Holly is now the de facto leader of the Stormbreakers.

Fought in the Siege of Hiroshima as a defender.

Supported Project Jericho.

Physical Description: Holly is a lifelong soldier; therefore, she is built like one. She stands five feet six inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds. Holly is Caucasian with mixed western European ancestry. (French, English, Welsh, Dutch) She has short dirty blonde hair, fair skin, and light blue eyes. The names of every soldier killed while serving under Holly’s command are tattooed on her back. Currently, Holly has 42 tattoos. Holly received Gene Mods through XCOM’s Genetics Lab during the 2015 Invasion.

Personality Assessment: Holly Smith is perhaps the single most destructive soldier ever fielded by XCOM. The words “Collateral Damage” have no meaning to her. She never has and still doesn’t care about how much damage she causes to civilian property during her pursuit of the Alien enemy. Despite her penchant for destruction, Holly is extremely protective of soldiers under her charge, and takes her duties as squad leader very seriously. She is a “mother of the troops” kind of soldier and is viewed favorably by her subordinates.

Additional Notes (Celebrity Status): Holly is one of the six founding members of the Stormbreakers, and is therefore considered to be a Japanese national hero. She doesn’t seem to care about this one way or the other.

Additional Notes (Genetic Modifications):

1. Brain: none
2. Eyes: none
3. Chest:
   • Adrenal Neurosympathy: During combat, Holly’s adrenal glands will overload, causing her body to emit pheromones that will trigger a powerful adrenaline rush in all nearby Humans.
4. Skin:
   • Iron Skin: Holly’s body is extremely resistant to physical injury.
5. Legs:
   • Adaptive Bone Marrow: Holly can recover from wounds and injuries twice as fast as a normal person.

 

[Macavity116]

Full Name: Yutaka Yamamoto

Rank: Captain

Callsign: Dr. Freud

Team Role: Battle Medic

Date of Birth: January 18, 1987

Place of Birth: Sapporo, Japan


Biography: Yutaka was studying to become a psychologist before the Soviet invasion of Japan, and witnessed the initial Soviet invasion of Hokkaido at the beginning of World War Three. In 2008, he joined the Japan Self Defense Force and served on the front lines of the war for about three years. He participated in the Sendai Campaign, the Encirclement of Kyoto, and all seven Battles of Tottori. In 2011, Yutaka secretly betrayed Japan to the Soviet Union and gave away crucial intelligence to the Russians that ultimately triggered the Siege of Hiroshima. The Soviet government promised him a position of power in a future Japanese Communist government after the war. Yutaka was asked to guide the Soviet Army into Hiroshima, where he was confronted by the six founding members of the Stormbreakers: Blake Robinson, Chihiro Tachibana, Aaron Ray, Kotori Sato, Holly Smith, and Jake Green. During their fight, Yutaka very nearly killed Chihiro Tachibana, and took advantage of her distress to escape. He lived in Post-Soviet Russia for three years after the Siege ended. During the 2015 Alien Invasion, he demonstrated an uncanny ability to treat injuries caused by alien weapons. It is a well-documented fact that people who have been shot with plasma and gauss weapons are much more likely to survive their injuries if Yutaka is given the chance to treat them. He continued to provide medical support to the East Asian Resistance throughout the rule of the ADVENT Coalition and was invited to join XCOM in 2028. In 2034 he formally joined the Stormbreakers. There was a fight between himself and Chihiro Tachibana when she rejoined the team in 2035. They have settled their differences since then, but are by no means friends.

Fought in the Siege of Hiroshima as an attacker.

Was not part of XCOM at the time of the Jericho Schism, thus he has no opinion on the subject.

Physical Description: Yutaka Yamamoto is five feet nine inches tall and weighs about 180 pounds. He is of mixed Japanese/Korean heritage and has black hair with hazel eyes.

Personality Assessment: Highly ambitious, Yutaka is a textbook “rank-chaser.” He is obsessed with personal promotion and advancement, he currently aspires to replace Holly Smith as the leader of the Stormbreakers. Some people say he might try to take over as Commander of XCOM as well. Yutaka is usually the first soldier to exit a fight when things go south, and always has an escape route ready for use. He is more than willing to use and abuse people for his own gain as well, and has developed incredible manipulation skills to that end.

Additional Notes (Celebrity Status): During the Siege of Hiroshima, Blake Robinson and Chihiro Tachibana alerted the Japanese government to Yutaka’s betrayal. They also spread the word to the defenders of the city and told all of their friends and comrades. Yutaka himself is now hated and reviled throughout most of Japan, although his perfidy was ultimately overshadowed by the double treason of Yukiko Takahashi, who betrayed Japan to the Russians alongside Yutaka and then sold out XCOM to the Aliens just three years later.

Additional Notes: (Politics): During the final days of World War Three, Yutaka renounced his Japanese citizenship and became a citizen of the Soviet Union, which collapsed a few days later. He does not have citizenship in the new Russian Federation, which makes Yutaka a man with no nation. Furthermore, Yutaka is not welcome in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, or Germany. (WWIII Allies)

 

[Macavity116]

What? Did you really think I came all the way out here without a narrative story to tell?
======

​

Chapter One​

February 18, 2028
Shipyard Nynrah, Beznar Star System, Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth


“Containment unit unlocked, all power signatures in the green.”

“System is pressuring. Atmosphere is stable on both sides.”

“Subject has entered the chamber.”

“Tracking progress.”

“Progress good. Subject integration underway. Standby for updates.”

Nearly fifteen thousand people from across six different species all held their collective breath. This would be the moment of truth. All across the drydock, spectators and workers alike tentatively held their breath, putting all of their hopes and prayers into the next few minutes.

Contained within the drydock itself was the mighty warship Mahuika. In the thirteen years that had passed since the beginning of the Second Hyperspace War, the Flagship of the Triple Alliance had fought many battles and now had a battered and beaten look to her. The retrofits the ship was receiving were certainly important, but there was one upgrade taking place deep within the vessel that had the potential to make the Mahuika into the most important ship in the Galaxy.

On the flagship’s bridge, it was impossible to take two steps without walking into someone. Assurians, Partogans, Levakians, reptilian Kelt, avian Vanians and Amadii, and Micore droids all milled about together, chatting with each other excitedly. Despite the fact that seven different species were represented here today, they all wore the same military uniform: one that bore the green and purple colors of the Triple Alliance. Originally a military force that represented the united and combined firepower of the Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth, the United States of Assuria, and the Micore Empire; the Triple Alliance had grown to incorporate many smaller nations that had been left by the wayside when the Galactic Council collapsed several years ago. It was now the second-largest military alliance in existence, rivalled only by the Hiigaran-led Galactic Alliance, which operated on the other side of the Galaxy.

At the dais in the center of the Mahuika’s bridge, a Partogan man with a powerful athletic body, intense purple eyes, and sleek silver hair waved his hand for attention, and the bridge fell silent. The man spoke up loudly and started the proceedings.

“I want to thank you all for attending this… well, it’s not really a ceremony, is it?” he joked. “For those of you who don’t know, I am Commander Manako Ranginui of the Commonwealth Green Guard. And I want to thank you all for coming to witness the completion of a project that my sister and I have spent the past six years of our lives working on.”

Behind him, the viewscreen lit up to reveal an overhead shot of a technologically sophisticated supercomputer core located somewhere deep inside the Mahuika. Onscreen, a group of scientists were hard at work on the most unusual thing one would ever expect to see in a supercomputer core: A medical bed.

And there was someone on it.

Manako held up a little remote control and clicked it.

“Hello sister!” Manako said loudly. “Can you hear us? You’ve got an audience for your big achievement!”

Onscreen, the scientists parted and allowed the camera to get a good view of the partially-naked Partogan female who was lying on the medical bed. Manako’s twin sister, Makara Ranginui, waved up at the camera. As she did so, nearly a hundred electrical cables strewn about the floor jostled and jumped in rhythm with her movements. Makara had the same face as her twin: angular with high cheekbones and full of pride. Makara would have had a head full of beautiful silver hair, but for this procedure, she had been shaved bald. Now some fifty electrical cables and wires of varying size and shape were now directly attached to the top, sides, and back of her head. In fact, Makara’s whole body was wired into the computer core. Most of the scientists in the room were simply here to make sure the cables didn’t get tangled or broken during Makara’s final move to the Nerve Center.

“Bro, you know I’m camera-shy!” Makara teased. “And I’ve been dying to get this done for years. Can’t we just get this show on the road!?”

“This is your show, Maka.” Manako replied, calling his sister by her nickname. “Go at your pace.”

“Thanks bro! Love you!” Maka said. Then she went back to speaking with the scientists around her.

Meanwhile, Manako continued addressing the Triple Alliance officers on the bridge:

“Over a century ago, the Hiigaran neuroscientist Karan S’jet unlocked the technology to become Unbound. She was physically integrated into her Mothership as its living Central Processing Unit. She used her cybernetic implants and bio-circuitry to process Quadrillions of packets of information every second. She was Fleet Command, in every sense of the word, able to micromanage an entire armada of warships while simultaneously maintaining and operating the internal systems of her Mothership.

“For one hundred years, Karan was the only Organic CPU in the Galaxy. Today, that will end. Thanks to the combined efforts and research of my sister and myself, plus a little help from our new Hiigaran friends, the Triple Alliance now stands ready to commission its first Organic CPU. Doctor Tuterangi! What’s our status?”

One of the scientists working in the Supercomputer Core turned to face the camera and addressed the audience.

“Miss Ranginui has been sedated and moved into the Nerve Center. She’ll be integrated into the Supercomputer Core momentarily.”

“The Nerve Center…” Manako explained to the watching crowd. “Is a specialized chamber designed specifically for Maka to live and work in. I’ll confess that our Nerve Center is nowhere near as ostentatious as the one used by Karan S’jet, but it will serve the same purpose. My sister will enjoy the same level of sensory input and control over the Mahuika that S’jet did over her own Mothership.”

There was a little excited chatter about this. The military leadership of the Triple Alliance was starting to think about something very specific, and Manako had read their minds. He smiled as he explained to them:

“Once Maka is fully integrated into the Mahuika’s central computer, the Flagship and all ships in her fleet will enjoy the benefits of being supported by the most powerful combat computer in the Galaxy! Triple Alliance reaction times, weapon precision, and logistic efficiency will improve tenfold, and I guarantee you all, the Beast will never know what hit it! And if she were awake right now, Maka would stake her life on this technology to back me up!”

The military leaders of the Triple Alliance started to applaud Manako’s little speech, but they were cut off by a sudden voice that came out of the intercom system above their heads:

“Nerve Center integration successful.”

Maka’s voice echoed throughout the entire flagship for just a moment before all of the lights and screens went out! For half a second, the Mahuika was plunged into absolute darkness. Then all the lights came back on! Manako looked giddy as he turned slowly on the spot, watching as computer screens all over the bridge flickered to life. He was awaiting confirmation that his sister had successfully transitioned into her new role as an Organic Computer.

“Maka?” Manako breathed softly. “Is that you? How do you feel?”

“This is Triple Alliance Fleet Command.” Maka’s voice gently filled the ship. “Flagship status report: Command on-line. Engineering on-line. Resourcing systems fully operational. Navigation on-line. Weapons systems fully charged. Hyperspace Module on-line. Drives on-line. Standby to commence main engine test.”

The Mahuika suddenly lurched beneath everyone's feet! The helm control screen showed that the flagships’s engines had been throttled up to “ahead one-third.” In the ship’s Nerve Center, Maka sent a mental command to the engines, shutting them down.

“Engine test complete. All standard drives are operational. The Flagship is standing by.”

This time, applause and cheers threatened to deafen everybody on the bridge! Dozens of hands slapped Manako on the back and there was loud popping sound as somebody uncorked a bottle of Madu Cabolo. In this long, bloody war full of painful defeats, it was good to have a little win like this every once in a while, no matter how small it was.

As the visiting officers started to filter out at the end of the day, Manako collapsed into a chair on the far side of the bridge and let out a deep sigh. All around him, the Mahuika let out many metallic groans and creeks as she settled into her scaffolding. It was almost as though the ship itself was taking a moment to relax as well.



December 2, 2028
Nithascal Star System, Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth


The moment of relaxation was short-lived. The Beast didn’t take any shore leave. As soon as military leadership was satisfied Maka had been fully integrated into the Mahuika’s systems, the Flagship of the Triple Alliance was pressed back into service. Somebody high up the chain of command had pulled a few strings somewhere, and Manako was allowed to stay aboard the ship on a permanent basis. Officially, he was a “Nerve Center Engineer.” In reality, he was just continuing the work he’d started with his sister. Every day it would be Manako’s duty to maintain and troubleshoot the advanced technology that allowed Maka to interface with the Supercomputer Core.

To an outsider, it looked like Manako was carrying out his duties in total silence and solitude. After all, his sister’s body was sealed away within a Stasis tube inside of the Nerve Center. While her mind was interfaced with the Mahuika’s Supercomputer Core, her body remained idle and unused. It would be reasonable for anyone to assume that Manako worked in silence because he had nobody to talk to. He was alone.

But Manako and Makara Ranginui were never alone. They always had each other.

At a very young age, the twins had discovered something wonderful. They could hear each other’s thoughts, experience sensations through one another, and share their minds with each other at will. As children, the Ranginui twins had done what any child would do with the power of telepathy: play pranks on their friends and get away with anything. Manako and Maka became something like neighborhood magicians, using their shared minds to astound and befuddle their peers, and a few adults as well.

Maka was an intensely curious girl. For her, every fourth or fifth sentence would begin with the word “Why” and her thirst for knowledge would sometimes get her into trouble. Luckily, Manako had fallen effortlessly into the role of overprotective brother. Manako could respond to his sister’s crying faster and more effectively than their own father. When the twins grew older their telepathic link, combined with Manako’s eagerness to protect and shield Maka, would often generate awkward and embarrassing situations, especially when Maka started looking for a boyfriend.

But it was during their early teenage years when Manako and Makara’s abilities were finally noticed by someone important. Their Grandmother, the current Queen of the Commonwealth, told Maka and Manako that they were “Gifted” and offered to give the twins a tool that would make their telepathy much more powerful. By pure good (or bad) luck, Manako and Maka had been sedated and sent into brain surgery on the same day the Second Hyperspace War began. When the twins woke up, they found that the universe around them had changed radically: Manako and Maka now had Psionic Amplifiers implanted inside their bodies, and the entire Galaxy was at war.

For a few years, the twins had split up. Manako enlisted in the Commonwealth Navy. He fought on the front lines of the Second Hyperspace War and rose to the rank of Commander in very short time, thanks in part to his now Amplified psychokinetic powers. Maka, meanwhile, became obsessed with the very concept of the Gift. She trained to become a scientist and studied the brain, looking for a way to use her Gift to aid the war effort on a large scale. Eventually, while the Galaxy burned around her, Maka made a breakthrough.

Reaching out to her brother from hundreds of light-years away, Maka called Manako back to her and they set about on her grand project: Maka would make herself into an Unbound. The name belonged to people who used cybernetic implants and bio-circuitry to permanently integrate themselves into a starship, becoming one and the same with their vessels. Sadly, the Unbound were a very rare group of sentients. The enigmatic Bentusi were an entire species of Unbound beings, but they had gone extinct a couple decades ago. The Vaygr Warlord Makaan had used an ingenious integration system, but his technology was lost along with his own life at the Battle of Balcora. The Hiigaran leader Karan S’jet had abandoned her original integration system and was currently inhabiting the Progenitor Battleship Sajuuk. As a result, there were no modern integration systems Makara could base her own on.

With few examples to work from, Maka and Manako had to start from scratch, but after nearly six years of work, here they were… as successful as they could possibly be. For the Ranginui twins, it was the first time in years that either one of them entertained the thought that the war could be won. Maka was convinced that she could use her Gift to make herself into the most powerful Unbound ever. Against an enemy like the Beast, the risk of trying was insignificant next to the promise of victory.

On this morning, just like any other, Manako started the day by saying hello to his sister through one of the thousands of microphones and cameras positioned throughout the Mahuika’s interior, then he moved up to the bridge and reported to Captain Enoka for his morning brief.

Captain Enoka had been fighting in the Second Hyperspace War since the day it had started. He had been one of the few people to escape from the Blorg Homeworld, the very first planet to fall to the Beast thirteen years ago. The man was haggard, worn, and appeared to have aged at least three decades over the last one. Hard to believe this battle-hardened commander was only five years older than Manako and Makara.

Of course, Captain Enoka had not told his life story to Manako. The male Ranginui twin had his own way of learning a person’s history:

Like most Gifted beings in the Galaxy (and there were shockingly few of them these days) Maka and Manako each had one special power that was unique to them and nobody else. While Maka’s power made it easier for her to talk with strange, foreign aliens, Manako’s unique power opened up an immense range of possibilities. Whenever Manako touched a living being, he could use a small fraction of his power to instantly learn all of the memories and experiences of that being. A simple handshake could teach Manako the entire life story of the individual, and he made use of this power whenever the opportunity arose. This way, Manako would always have the advantage in any conversation or activity with a person he’d touched. Manako made a point of shaking hands with Captain Enoka the first thing he did each morning, so that he would be alerted to any developments the Captain was keeping from his crew.

Today, before Captain Enoka had even begun to speak, Manako clasped the man’s hand in a firm but polite greeting and instantly learned that a civilian guest would be boarding the ship today, and that the Captain wasn’t too comfortable having her aboard.

“Commander Ranginui. Got a quick job for you.” Captain Enoka said as soon as Manako broke off their traditional morning handshake. “We have a visitor. Some woman from the Royal Science Academy just landed in the hangar bay about ten minutes ago. Admiralty says she’s here to study your sister and see how she holds up in combat. She’ll stay aboard for the duration of our tour along the Galactic Front Line. Go get her and drop her off in the Nerve Center, would you? Her name’s ‘Mira Mihaka.’ You can’t miss her. She’s only got one eye and she’s on the older side.”

Manako tried to hide the look of recognition on his face as he stepped off the bridge. He had heard that name many times before, but had never met the person it belonged to. He was intrigued.

The hangar bay was nearly thirty decks below the bridge, and elevators only went so far. Taking the last two decks by staircase and ladder, Manako was sweating under his uniform when he finally got to the hangar bay. Luckily, the woman he had been told to meet, this “Mira Mihaka,” was pretty easy to find. Against the muted colors of the Mahuika crew, she stood out like a brightly-colored leaf on dark waters.

Mira was wearing a sleek Commonwealth Navy flightsuit and leaning on the nosecone of a Hapaka-Class space superiority fighter. The Hapaka were smaller, lighter, and faster cousins of the now defunct Vako-Class, which had flown primarily during the Levakian Uprising almost a century ago. Mira herself was only carrying a laptop computer. It had a custom-fitted handle that allowed her to carry it much like a briefcase. She also wore a dark green eyepatch over her right eye socket. It had a stylized version of the old Kingdom of Partoga flag on it: three dots surrounded by a pair of double crescents, an artistic map of the Trecta Star System.

Even though Mira and Manako had never met before today, they both gave one another looks of recognition. Manako raised his hand to shake Mira’s, but he was surprised when she ignored it and walked around him. Manako shrugged this off and followed her out of the hangar bay. He knew he’d get another chance to read her memories.

While they rode the elevator up to the Supercomputer Core, Manako tried once again to learn Mira’s history. He reached across her chest to push the elevator buttons, and when he withdrew, Manako tried to brush his hand against Mira’s exposed forearm, but she quickly dropped her arm to one side and turned her whole body, fiddling with her laptop and keeping her suspicious eye on Manako. The tension passed after a few moments. For the rest of the journey, the two of them played the same game that occurred whenever a member of the Ranginui family crossed paths with a Mihaka: They tried to figure out how they were related to one another.

Mira went first:

“So, my dad was Matiu Mihaka, his dad was Namuna Mihaka, and his dad was Kuhina Nui Rakato Mihaka! Pretty neat, huh?”

“Wow!" Manako answered, "So your great-grandfather was Queen Kendra’s second Kuhina Nui, huh? Alright, I can beat that: My father was Rapata Ranginui, and my mother was Ahorangi Mihaka.”

Mira furrowed her brow.

“Wait a second, you don’t mean-“

“I do. Ahorangi Mihaka, my mother, was the youngest child of Queen Kendra the Great!”

Mira clasped her hands together in excitement.

“That’s so cool!” Mira squealed. “So your grandmother’s husband Eteka was my grandfather’s brother, so that would make us…”

They both did the math in their heads.

“That makes us second cousins.” Manako answered. “I think.”

“Yeah, I think that’s it.” Mira affirmed. “Of course, we could probably just ask your sister to double-check our math when we meet her. Speaking of Makara…”

Here we go. Manako had seen this coming.

“Look,” he said. “You can ask all the questions you want, Mira. But I can’t do justice to Maka’s work. You’ve just gotta see it for yourself, you know?”

“I know the feeling.” Mira said. “That’s why I spent so much time at the Science Academy. The Universe is just full of incredible things that just have to be seen to be believed. Like the Dimensional Horror in the Kel-Azan Republic.”

“Or the Eye of Aarran.” Manako added.

“Don’t forget the subterranean civilization on Isomon-3.”

“What about that First Hyperspace War battlefield in the Koreth’s Rift Sector? You know, the one where the Hiigarans got their famous Siege Cannon?”

“Oh, I remember that. That thing is almost as dangerous as the Paradox.”

At Mira’s last word, the atmosphere in the elevator suddenly got awkward. Mira seemed to realize she’d touched one of Manako’s nerves and bit her lip anxiously.

“You’re uh…” Manako picked his words carefully. “You’re not one of those people who thinks the Paradox is still alive, are you?”

Mira looked around the elevator uncomfortably.

“And you’re not?” She replied cautiously. “We’ve all seen those videos, cousin. I can’t convince myself she’s really dead. How can you?”

“How can you convince yourself she’s still alive?”

…

Maka’s chamber had to be kept as clean as possible to avoid contamination. A living CPU is useless if it’s sick, after all. Because Maka’s consciousness was currently dispersed throughout the ship’s Supercomputer banks, her body was completely unconscious and kept suspended in a Stasis pod. Mira ran her hands all over the unit, admiring the incredible technology that kept Maka’s body functioning while her mind was quite literally elsewhere. Manako just stood back and watched as Mira explored the room like a little kid, all the while making sure he didn’t obstruct any of the security cameras in the room. While Mira examined Maka’s integration system, Manako telepathically contacted his sister. She responded immediately:

So is this Mira? The scientist who wants to see me in combat, right?

Yes she is. Don’t worry, sis. I won’t let her pull your pod apart.

Very funny, bro. Have you read her memories yet?

She hasn’t given me the chance. I’ll let you know the minute I get in her head.

Finally, Mira said:

“The scientific reports don’t describe your work accurately, Manako. It’s almost like… like your sister is well and truly part of the ship.”

At once, Maka’s voice gently emitted from the intercom speaker, causing Mira to jump with surprise.

“Actually, Cousin Mira, it would be more accurate to say that ‘I am the ship now.’ The Mahuika is just as much a part of me as I am it.”

Mira looked awestruck.

“Fascinating! Can you explain how that works?”

“Well, it’s kind of hard to explain.” Maka’s voice said. “The Mahuika feels exactly like my body does… it feels like me, and I can feel and sense and perceive the outside world through it. Think of the Sensors Suite like the sensory cortex of my brain, the nuclear powerplant is my heart, and the whole ship chassis is kind of like my skeleton. I know it’s not a perfect translation, but what I’m trying to get at is that… This ship is my body now… it’s me. I am the Mahuika.”

Mira finally found one of the security cameras and looked directly into it.

“So… am I making eye contact with you right now?”

“Yes… but it’s very off-putting. It feels like you’re standing close enough to kiss me.”

Mira folded her arms and appeared to be hit by a profound thought.

“So… if the Mahu- I mean, if you go into combat and get hit by weapons fire, would it feel like you’ve been, oh I dunno, shot or stabbed?”

“I haven’t seen combat yet.” Maka answered. “But rest assured, I’ve thrown up a large number of both physical and mental defenses against such a scenario. Pain and mental fatigue will not impede my ability to control this ship during battle. Besides, nobody’s warned you about how protective my brother is for me. He’s the most effective shield I’ll ever have.”

Mira turned around just in time to see Manako blushing a little. He recovered and said:

“Speaking of combat, Mira. You were warned we’re flying towards the Galactic Front Line, right? We’ll be fighting the Beast before too long.”

Mira folded her arms and gave Manako a determined look.

“Bring it on!”

 

[stnylan]

I can't help but think in this universe things would proceed a lot more smoothly if folks stopped before embaring on giant leaps of achievement and technology.

But where would be the fun in that?

 

[Macavity116]

Full Name: Blake Alexander Robinson

Rank: Cadet

Callsign: Trojan

Team Role: Deputy Leader / Radio Telephone Operator

Date of Birth: June 30, 1993 (Age 22)

Place of Birth: Lansing, Michigan


Biography: Blake Alexander Robinson is the oldest son of US President J.D. Robinson. (2005-2013) He had a long-distance relationship with Japanese Princess Asami Yamato until the Soviet Union invaded Japan in December 2006. In 2009, Robinson joined the United States Army with the explicit purpose of going to the Japanese front to find his missing girlfriend. Robinson completed training and arrived on the frontline in late 2011 and reunited with Asami after a yearlong search. She was renamed Chihiro Tachibana after being expelled from the Imperial Family and banished from the Palace. Robinson and Tachibana took command of the Defenders of Hiroshima during the final day of the siege and held the city until the war ended on December 22, 2012.

After his father left office on January 20, 2013, Robinson lived in Nagasaki with Chihiro until February 2015 when both of them were contacted by the XCOM project and recruited. They were active combatants during the Invasion before being captured and interred by ADVENT from late 2015 to early 2035. After being rescued from captivity during Operation Gatecrasher, Blake has returned to active duty with XCOM. While Chihiro Tachibana claims that Blake is her husband, she not legally married to him.

Physical Description: Blake is five feet six inches tall and weighs roughly 185 pounds. He has light brown skin due to his mixed ancestry. He is half African and half Caucasian. Blake has short curly black hair and dark brown eyes. He has a large scar running along the left side of his throat. Blake received Gene Mods through XCOM’s Genetics Lab during the 2015 Invasion.

Personality Assessment: Blake is overly cautious and very thoughtful. He is a loyal team player and a competent soldier. Blake is also known for being very studious and is generally thought to be one of the most intelligent members of the team, second only to Yutaka Yamamoto. Blake is a textbook overplanner, choosing to stay quiet and listen to what everyone else has to say before volunteering his own thoughts. In preparing for combat, Blake almost never comes up with plans on his own, choosing instead to listen to everyone else’s ideas and adopting the one he thinks is best.

Additional Notes (Celebrity Status): Blake is considered a national hero in Japan due to his involvement in the (successful) defense of Hiroshima in 2012. He enjoys this to a limited degree, and prefers to draw people's attention to soldiers who were wounded or killed in the Siege.

Additional Notes (Genetic Modifications):

1. Brain: none
2. Eyes:
   • Hyper Reactive Pupils: Blake’s aim improves after missing a shot.
3. Chest:
   • Adrenaline Surge: Blake’s combat strength and abilities improve after being injured.
4. Skin: none
5. Legs:
   • Muscle Fiber Density: Blake has superhuman leg strength, can jump roughly thirty feet into the air, and survive a fall from roughly the same height unharmed.

 

[Macavity116]

Full Name: Chihiro Tachibana (Formerly known as: Chiho Tatsuya, Princess Asami Yamato)

Rank: Corporal

Callsign: Blue Dragon

Team Role: Sniper

Date of Birth: May 2, 1996 (Age 19)

Place of Birth: Kyoto, Japan


Biography: Born in Kyoto and raised in the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Former Princess Chihiro Tachibana is currently the sole surviving member of the Japanese Imperial Family. During World War Three, she was ejected from the Imperial Family and stripped of her Royal Status as punishment for running away from home and joining the military without parental permission. She fought on the Japanese front of World War Three from 2008 until the conflict ended in 2012. Alongside five others, she took command of the defenders of Hiroshima in 2012 and is still celebrated as a Japanese national hero for her defense of the city.

When the 2015 invasion started Chihiro and Blake were the loudest voices of opposition to Project Jericho, and attempted to sabotage the project at least once. Due to her extensive experience fighting behind enemy lines, Chihiro spent most of the 2015 Alien Invasion working as a Covert Operative for XCOM. She undermined the operations of the secret society EXALT all over the world before her cover was blown during the First Battle of Pyongyang. Chihiro was away on another mission when XCOM HQ fell to the aliens. She helped relocate Kotori Sato to Hawaii and witnessed the birth of Jericho before being captured by forces of the newly founded ADVENT Coalition. Placed in Suspended Animation for 20 years, Chihiro was subjected to a series of experiments as part of the AVATAR Project that caused her to develop Psionic Aptitude. Chihiro was rescued from captivity during Operation Gatecrasher. She has now returned to combat duty. While Blake Robinson claims Chihiro is his wife, he is not legally married to her.

Physical Description: Chihiro considers herself to be shorter and skinnier than most people her age. She is five feet two inches tall and weighs 125 pounds. As a former member of the Yamato Dynasty, her Japanese ancestry and heritage goes back an alleged 1,500 years. Chihiro has a round scar on the right side of her neck. (Gunshot wound) She has straight black hair that is lopsided. On the right side of her head, Chihiro’s hair is roughly waist-length. On the left side, her hair is cut short to just above shoulder-length. (During the Siege of Hiroshima, Chihiro’s left-hand pigtail was cut off by a Soviet soldier) Chihiro often wears her long hair in a left-side braid. Her eyes are a deep shade of blue. Chihiro received Gene Mods through XCOM’s Genetics Lab during the 2015 Invasion.

Personality Assessment: Chihiro is a reckless hothead with no discernable sense of self-preservation. Chihiro has a “shoot first-question later” philosophy in battle, (accompanied by a very itchy trigger finger) and is also very hyperactive and impulsive in her day-to-day activities. Chihiro shows little concern for the consequences of her actions, and seems to have that delusion of invincibility shared by most teenagers. She will always act on instinct, and tends to make life-affecting choices on a whim.

Additional Notes (Celebrity Status): Chihiro was one of the leaders of the defense of Hiroshima at the end of World War Three. She is generally considered to be a national hero by most Japanese people. She is embarrassed by this, as she believes all of the credit for the “Storm-Breaker Defense” should be given to the now-deceased Kotori Sato.

Additional Notes (Politics): Chihiro Tachibana is a controversial figure in Japanese politics. Shortly before the end of World War Three, she was expelled from the Imperial Family and stripped of her royal status as punishment for illegally enlisting in the military. The Japanese government-in-exile belives Chihiro has redeemed herself since then and are actively trying to have her royal status restored. Chihiro has expressed opposition to the idea on multiple occasions, keeping this political movement in check. However, if the ADVENT Coalition is overthrown and the original Japanese government is restored, the issue will have to be revisited.

Additional Notes (The Gift): Chihiro Tachibana possesses an “artificial Gift” induced by ADVENT scientists. She is equipped with a 2035-Era Mindshield. (Older Mindshields are made from Ethereal remains, and are much more powerful than the newer ones which are made from Sectoids.)

Additional Notes (Genetic Modifications):

1. Brain:
   • Neural Damping: Chihiro is highly resistant to Psionic attack. If Chihiro is successfully Mind Controlled, the control is cancelled and she is rendered comatose for several hours.
2. Eyes:
   • Depth Perception: Chihiro’s accuracy improves drastically when she has the high ground.
3. Chest: none
4. Skin: none
5. Legs:
   • Adaptive Bone Marrow: Chihiro can recover from wounds and injuries twice as fast as a normal person.

 

[HistoryDude]

Interesting. I’ll follow this. It should keep me satisfied until Stormbreakers, anyways.

Also, I see you have embraced the puns…
I wonder if our protagonists will really figure out who Mira is.

 

[Macavity116]

I see you have embraced the puns…
I wonder if our protagonists will really figure out who Mira is.

It was inevitable.

You're more than welcome to hang around for a couple weeks and find out. This is gonna be a short story.

 

[Macavity116]

My Sistership: A Short Stellaris Story

Chapter Two​

March 8, 2028
Jumia Star System, The Galactic Front Line, Blorg Commonality


Manako wasn’t getting much sleep tonight. It wasn’t because of nerves, though. This wasn’t his first stint in the Galactic Front Line. Ever since the Mahuika and her escort fleet arrived at the front there had been a general atmosphere of nervous tension throughout the ship. Everybody was jumpy, on edge, waiting nervously for first contact with the Beast. Meanwhile, the Mahuika continued to soar through the stars, moving determinately towards her objective.

Amon Gate was an old Hyperspace Gate built by an extragalactic race called the Progenitors. They had conquered and ruled over the entire galaxy before abruptly vanishing about ten thousand years ago. While the Progenitors themselves were gone, their technology survived. Progenitor ruins scattered all over the Galaxy concealed massive troves of knowledge and tech that was now being dug up and reverse-engineered by both sides of this terrible war.

Manako shuddered at the memory of the last time his fleet had encountered a Beast-Infected Keeper. Fully automated and uncrewed, Progenitor Keepers by themselves were already a nightmare to deal with, but give them an organic brain and a direct connection to the Beast hive mind, and they become the terror of the stars. Three years ago, Manako and Maka been part of a Triple Alliance strike fleet that had been pinned down by a single infected Keeper. The fleet itself consisted of over three thousand warships. When the battle was over, only half-a-dozen frigates had survived by Hyperspacing to safety. The rest of the strike group was annihilated. Manako and Maka had both narrowly escaped death that day.

Luckily, the Mahuika’s first combat mission would take her into a region of space not known for Progenitor relics. While the Blorg Commonality had been the first to fall to the Beast, their species was not out of the fight just yet. Several Blorg armadas had concentrated around the Amon Hyperspace Gate and the enclave were holding out heroically against the Beast siege. It was the Mahuika’s mission to break that siege and lift the pressure on their allies.

...Nope. This wasn't working. I'm still awake.

Reviewing old mission information wasn’t cutting it. No matter how much backstory and context he read through, Manako just wasn’t falling asleep. Reluctantly, he looked over at his alarm clock. He had been lying awake in his cot for nearly six hours. Frustrated, he reached out telepathically for the one person he knew he could talk to right now.

Really, bro? I’m in the middle of some sensor calibrations.

In other words, you’re looking at the pretty stars. I’ve been in your head all your life, Maka. I know when you’re bored.

Never could hide it, could I?

Kinda helps that you’re within arm’s reach of me.

The Stasis tube containing the unconscious body of Manako’s twin sister was only a few Bios away from him. He had been keeping his bunk bed in the Supercomputer Core ever since joining the Mahuika’s crew. While she tirelessly managed and maintained the Mahuika, Manako managed and maintained the many systems and subsystems that kept his sister alive. Manako’s overpowering urge to make sure his sister was safe was amplified by his Gift. If Maka felt even the slightest bit uncomfortable, he would know right away. Once in a while, he wondered if Maka thought he was pampering her. She almost always answered with a “yes.”

Maka’s body was motionless in the Stasis tube, but one of the security cameras in the corner slowly turned and refocused its lens on Manako while he sat upright and threw his blankets aside. Telepathically, he continued the conversation with Makara:

I can’t sleep.

That scientist Mira still bugging you?

Yup. She still won’t let me touch her.

Wow, bro! Even in your head that sounds creepy.

Shut up. You know what I mean.

Of course, Maka knew what her brother was upset about. Ever since coming aboard, Manako had been itching for a chance to quite literally “lay a finger” on Mira. That was all he needed to do to use his unique Psionic power and instantly learn all of Mira’s history and memories. It would make interacting with her a lot easier, since Manako would then hold all the cards.

But Mira wouldn’t let her guard down. Always on alert, she seemed to be actively avoiding physical contact with Manako; sidestepping him in the hallways, coldly refusing to return handshakes, and pulling away from even the lightest touch on the shoulder. When he was younger and still figuring out his powers, Manako had learned the hard way about how people reacted to unwelcome touching. But this was different. Mira wasn’t acting like someone who was trying to avoid unwanted contact...

Maka, I think she knows.

How could she? Your special power isn’t as obvious as mine.

I don't know. What if she's Gifted, too? Maybe she can hear us-

Stop.

No, seriously, Maka. What if Mira-

Manako! I said “STOP!” Listen! Do you hear that!?

For a moment, Manako broke off his telepathic conversation and stood up. He paced around the Supercomputer Core slowly, trying to pick up an audible noise.

“I don’t hear anything.” Manako admitted aloud.

No. Sound’s not coming from inside. It’s faint, hundreds of thousands of Kios away… It’s a distress call! Manako, I’m gonna forward this to the bridge! You should wake up the Captain!

…

Manako got to the bridge at roughly the same time as Mira herself. She set up her laptop in a nearby sensors terminal and said:

“I picked up a lot of activity in the Nerve Center. I figured you and your sister were onto something.”

Manako was about to answer when Captain Enoka returned to the bridge as well.

“Whoever’s sending out that distress call isn’t Triple Alliance.” The Captain said. “Our operating procedures forbid sending out distress calls on the Galactic Front Line.”

“Precisely.” Manako added. “It could draw in the Beast. We need to find the source of the signal and shut it down!”

While the bridge crew moved to their action stations and began to strap down their safety lines, Manako spoke to the ceiling.

“Maka! Please tell me you’ve got some more information for us.”

“I do.” Maka’s voice was calm and monotone, which made everybody on the bridge feel a little calmer. “The distress signal is coming from the northern border of the Micore Empire and the Blorg Commonality. It’s in the Blorg code. Translating now:”

A male computerized voice began to speak through the intercom system.

“This is the Blorg Friendship Invitation. We are the lead vessel in the refugee convoy fleeing the planet Mirovandia. We are under attack by Infected warships! We have lost our escort and are unarmed! Please assist! We are carrying thousands of Blorg refugees! Someone HELP US!! PLEASE HELP US!!”

Maka had been doing some calculations while the recording played.

“I’ve determined that Invitation and the rest of the refugee fleet are less than five light-years from our current position. It will take us mere minutes to reach them via Short Jump. I detect fifteen ships in the convoy. They are all unarmed. Furthermore, I detect an infected Carrier Strike Group nearby. It appears to be a mixed force of Hiigaran, Blorg, Amadii, Vanian, and Triple Alliance ships. Some four-thousand-five-hundred vessels altogether.”

Captain Enoka stepped up onto the dais and addressed everybody on the bridge.

“We can’t afford to let this lie! The Beast will convert those refugees into Biomatter. We cannot, under any circumstances, allow this to happen!”

In the back of Manako’s mind, Maka’s thoughts drifted lazily through.

He doesn’t have to sell this mission to me! I’ve had enough shakedown time! Let’s go kill the Beast!

Manako puffed out his chest and said proudly:

“My sister is ready for a fight, sir! Let’s show the Beast what the upgraded Mahuika can do!”

While the Triple Alliance Flagship changed course to intercept the infected fleet, Enoka, Mira, and Manako all went to work. Captain Enoka put out a call for reinforcements. Mira transmitted a report on the mission to Triple Alliance Science Command, and Manako did a final inspection of the weapon’s control stations, making sure that his sister could override crew input during a real emergency.

This was it. The Mahuika was going into battle!

 

[HistoryDude]

And so it begins…
Also, congrats! You figured out some of the truth... Mira was gifted, she just used it all up…
Wait, do they even know that the Gift can be used up?

 

[Macavity116]

Do they even know that the Gift can be used up?

Yes. By this point in Galactic history, the finite nature of the Gift is well known to all.

 

[Macavity116]

Full Name: Tsubaki Endo

Rank: None (Civilian)

Callsign: Fangirl

Team Role: Rifleman

Date of Birth: June 21, 1999 (age 36)

Place of Birth: Obama, Japan


Biography: 3500 child soldiers fought against the Soviets at the Second Battle of Obama in 2011. Only 15 lived to tell about it and Tsubaki Endo is one of them. Tsubaki will tell anyone who listens about how Blake Robinson and Chihiro Tachibana saved her life during that battle. In December 2012, Tsubaki fought alongside many future XCOM soldiers at the Siege of Hiroshima and earned several decorations for her bravery.

((ADDITIONAL NOTE provided by Blake Robinson: she wasn’t being brave, she was being stupid.))

Tsubaki was severely injured by a Soviet landmine right before the December 22 ceasefire went into effect. Both of her legs were amputated as a result. History books generally tout her as the “last casualty of World War Three.” Blake Robinson used up the very last of his father's political influence to help Tsubaki aquire a set of technologically advanced prosthetic legs about a year after the war ended. Because Tsubaki was underage when the aliens invaded, she was not brought into XCOM, despite her extensive combat experience. After Earth fell to the Aliens, Tsubaki joined the East Asian Resistance and undermined the ADVENT Coalition in Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Russian Far East for over a decade. At some point, she salvaged a new set of prosthetic legs from what remained of XCOM's SPARK project. Because her new legs were originally meant for use on a combat mec, she enjoys a slightly greater range of mobility and flexibility than most people do.

When asked about her motives for joining the Resistance, Tsubaki always said she wanted to "join XCOM and become a Stormbreaker like Blake-kun and Chihiro-kun." (Her words) She was invited to join XCOM in 2026 and joined the Stormbreakers in January of 2035. Blake and Chihiro were very surprised to find her when they rejoined the team a few months later, but were ultimately quite happy to have her as a teammate.

Fought in Hiroshima as a Defender.

Was not part of XCOM during the Jericho Schism, but claims to (retroactively) oppose Jericho's creation because "That's what Blake-kun and Chihiro-kun would have wanted." (Again, her words.)

Physical Description: Tsubaki Endo is about five feet three inches tall and weighs roughly 140 pounds. She has mixed Japanese/Korean ancestry. Her hair and eyes have both been altered so that she bears a slight resemblance to Chihiro Tachibana. Tsubaki’s eyes are naturally green, but she wears bright blue contact lenses. Her hair is naturally brown but is dyed black. Both of Tsubaki’s legs are amputated above the knee, a result of her stepping on a Soviet landmine mere seconds before the end of World War Three. Tsubaki’s legs have been replaced with a pair of cybernetic prosthetics that allow her a greater range of motion and flexibility as real Human legs.

Personality Assessment: Tsubaki is every hyper-obsessed fan seen in Old World movies and television. She hero-worships Blake and Chihiro and will happily do whatever they say. (Even if they said “Go away”) Tsubaki aspires to be just like Chihiro and has built a shrine to the former princess in a dark corner of the Avenger. Chihiro seems to know it’s there, but hasn’t done anything about it. Central Officer Bradford thinks that age has tempered her obsession a bit, but still considers it to be a problem.

 

[HistoryDude]

“She wasn’t being brave, she was being stupid” was priceless!

 

[Macavity116]

Full Name: Jake Ethan Green

Rank: Captain

Callsign: Soylent

Team Role: Sniper

Date of Birth: October 30, 1989 (age 46)

Place of Birth: Perth, Australia


Biography: Before the war, Jake was one of the most prominent brew masters in Australia. While many in Perth enjoyed his homemade beer, the Australian government prosecuted him for selling beer without the proper permits. To pay off his legal debts, Jake joined the military and was deployed to the Japanese Front of World War Three. He was separated from his unit during the Sendai Campaign and fell in with an international squad that eventually became the Stormbreakers. He famously convinced a whole platoon of Soviet soldiers to surrender to the Japanese during the Pacification of Kagawa by walking over to their lines under a white flag and sharing his (extremely potent) homebrew with them.

Near the end of the war, Jake's relationship with his fellow Stormbreakers was strained by his habit of "making a pass" at any and every woman he saw. Yutaka Yamamoto and Yukiko Takahashi tried to convince Jake to join them in their joint betrayal of Japan, they tempted him with a "beautiful Russian woman of his choice." Jake quietly strung them along by pretending to be picky, demanding to see more and more pictures of Russian women. Behind the scenes, he blew Yutaka and Yukiko's cover, revealing their betrayal to the Stormbreakers.

After WWIII ended, Jake returned to Perth and entered Hospitality School. He planned to open up his own bar, but never got the chance because the Aliens came out into the open in April 2015. Jake was recruited to XCOM after Holly Smith recommended him to the Commander. While Jake was a member of the Stormbreakers, he spent much of the Invasion operating alongside other squads in a support role. Jake is the only soldier to serve at least one mission in every XCOM squad.

He survived the Alien assault on XCOM headquarters and helped relocate Kotori Sato to Hawaii, but he was captured by the ADVENT Coalition after the birth of Jericho. Jake was rescued from Suspended Animation in 2035 as part of Operation Gatecrasher. As an XCOM soldier, Jake has proven himself a skilled marksman and a reliable teammate. In between combat missions, he keeps the Avenger’s bar well stocked with homemade beer. Once in a great while, the "brew" tastes so bad that Jake is accused of serving "Soylent Green" to the crew as an inside joke.

((DR. TYGAN’S NOTE: Commander… did you really give him permission to brew alcohol in my lab!?))

Physical Description: At six feet nine inches tall, Jake is the tallest Stormbreaker. He is also the heaviest, coming in at nearly 250 pounds of muscle. Jake is a black man with brown eyes and a bald head. The left side of his face is covered by a Maori Te Moko tattoo. Jake received Gene Mods through XCOM’s Genetics Lab during the 2015 Invasion.

Personality Assessment: Jake Green is a known womanizer, and has made a pass at every female soldier in XCOM at least once. Chief Engineer Lily Shen has been avoiding him since he came aboard. Every female Stormbreaker has been approached by him multiple times and yet he is somehow still single. Surprisingly, Jake’s cool attitude and outgoing demeanor have earned him a very large circle of friends. He remains on good terms with nearly all members of the Avenger's crew.

Additional Notes (Celebrity Status): Jake is a founding member of the Stormbreakers. He is considered a National Hero in Japan. He thoroughly enjoys this and has been caught exploiting this status to “get the girls” on many occasions.

Additional Notes (Genetic Modifications):

1. Brain:

· Neural Damping: Jake is highly resistant to Psionic attack. If Jake is successfully Mind Controlled, the control is cancelled and he is rendered comatose for several hours.​

2. Eyes:

· Depth Perception: Jake’s accuracy improves drastically when he has the high ground.​

3. Chest:

· Adrenal Neurosympathy: During combat, Jake’s adrenal glands will overload, causing his body to emit pheromones that will trigger a powerful adrenaline rush in all nearby Humans.​

4. Skin:

· Iron Skin: Jake’s body is extremely resistant to physical injury.​

5. Legs:

· Muscle Fiber Density: Jake has superhuman leg strength, can jump roughly thirty feet into the air, and survive a fall from roughly the same height unharmed.​

 

[HistoryDude]

Well, apparently he gets around...

I wonder what Jericho’s reaction to Mira knowing Jericho in a past universe... If Mira decides to tell...

Also, I wonder if Mira in the time travel from Faith in Chaos Interlude 4 was the 116th Cycle. If not, was it the 115th Cycle (which would mean the idea to go to Korea come from nothing, which is scientifically impossible).

 

[Macavity116]

I wonder what Jericho’s reaction to Mira knowing Jericho in a past universe... If Mira decides to tell...

Also, I wonder if Mira in the time travel from Faith in Chaos Interlude 4 was the 116th Cycle. If not, was it the 115th Cycle (which would mean the idea to go to Korea come from nothing, which is scientifically impossible).

Jericho encountered Mira somewhere between the ages of 10 and 11. She was still a kid, and probably would have accepted Mira's explanation of where she came from with little arguing. Remember: At the end of Faith in Chaos, Jericho (Who was 15 during the Epilogue) seemed to just roll with the idea of speaking to someone 99 years in the past. At a bare minimum, you can assume Jericho knows about Mira's escapades throughout time.

Sherlock Holmes once said: "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Mira did not go to the 115th Cycle. Like you said: it would have created an impossible situation. When Akira Abolished the End of the Cycle during Faith in Chaos, she broke time itself so badly that Mira was catapulted straight into the 116th Cycle, then pulled backwards into the 115th by Akira.

Basically, Mira got a head start on tampering with the current Cycle before Akira herself arrived in it.

 

[Macavity116]

Full Name: Isis Nadine Dekker

Rank: Sergeant

Callsign: Avenger

Team Role: Cyberwarrior

Date of Birth: September 1, 1995 (Age 33)

Place of Birth: Ypres, Belgium


Biography: Originally, Isis Dekker’s father had wanted a son. If he was disappointed in his daughter’s gender, then Mr. Dekker never vocalized it. He brought Isis into his auto repair shop to work at his side when she was just 7 years old. Isis soon found her talent for mechanical work and her father promoted her to the rank and role of apprentice before she turned 10. In between work and school, Isis passed her free time by building her own motorcycle from scratch in a barn.

When World War Three erupted in 2006, the 11-year-old Isis was itching for a fight with the Soviets, but the Belgian government had no interest in joining the war. Isis’ father encouraged her to study aircraft and train to become an airplane mechanic with the end goal of joining an Allied Air Force. At some point in 2010, Isis sweet-talked her way into a job repairing civilian passenger jets at Antwerp International Airport. She remained in this position for two years, growing more and more frustrated with how long the war was dragging on. In March of 2012, the German military suffered an extremely serious defeat against the Soviets at the Battle of Minsk, and the German government put out a call for volunteers. With her father’s blessing, Isis crossed the border and joined the German Luftwaffe. She was sent to a training facility to learn how to repair and maintain Eurofighters. Before she could complete her training, however, the war ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, Isis could not return home, as she was contractually obligated to remain in the Luftwaffe for another three years.

Isis was part of the Allied occupation of Western Russia from 2013 to 2015. She was stationed at an air force base near Sevastapol and lived on the Crimean Peninsula until the Alien Invaders came out into the open in April of 2015.

Due to her physical proximity to an XCOM airbase and preexisting knowledge of air combat systems, Isis was recruited to XCOM almost as soon as the Invasion got underway. Isis spent most of the war servicing XCOM’s fleet of Raven-class interceptors. After Earth was conquered, Isis survived the alien assault on XCOM headquarters and helped relocate Kotori Sato to the Hawaiian island of Kauai. However, this plan fell apart when the Aliens counter-detected the North Korean submarine Enforcer during its journey to Hawaii. Isis was the only XCOM soldier to escape capture during the Battle of Hanapepe, where Kotori gave birth to Jericho. Isis took Kotori’s baby and ran away from the battlefield while behind her Kotori was killed and her escorts captured.

Evading both the aliens and the soldiers of the newly founded ADVENT Coalition, Isis and Jericho lived on the island of Kauai for eight years. Isis made her home in a small village as far inland as she could get. She and Jericho would only descend towards the cities on the coastline on the rarest of occasions. Because she was not Gifted, Isis was unable to teach Jericho how to use or control her own considerable powers; instead, she encouraged the young girl to experiment by herself in the dense Hawaiian forest. Supposedly, Jericho was quite happy to do so.

In the summer of 2023, one of Jericho’s experiments went awry. She released a massive amount of Psionic energy into the environment around herself, causing thousands of flowers to bloom simultaneously. The energy wave attracted the attention of Kon-Mon Dessurik, the Elder’s Chosen Warlock. According to witness reports, he teleported directly into downtown Wailua and massacred the local Resistance fighters before advancing into the forest. Isis saw him coming and put up a fight in a heroic delaying action, shouting for Jericho to escape. The 8-year-old girl fled into the forest and was not seen by anyone again until 2035. Outraged at losing his quarry, The Chosen Warlock settled for Isis instead. He took her and teleported away.

The leadership of both XCOM and the American Resistance analyzed the witness reports and, with great reluctance, assumed that Isis and Jericho were both dead. The American Resistance was extremely surprised when they found Isis alive in an ADVENT prison in 2030. The American Resistance staged a mass breakout from this prison and Isis was freed. She operated as a member of the American Resistance for a few years until XCOM leadership learned about her survival. She was quickly recruited to XCOM and returned to the Avenger in 2032. Isis was then invited to join the Stormbreakers by Ignatius Petoskey. During Operation Gatecrasher, Isis led the squad known as Phantom 6-3, which carried out the rescue of several Stormbreakers from Suspended Animation while XCOM’s Commander was simultaneously rescued by Menace 1-5.

Since XCOM no longer has a fleet of aircraft, Isis has been retrained as a Combat Hacker and now works on the capture and study of alien technology alongside Chief Engineer Lily Shen. She also helps to reverse-engineer ADVENT weapons technology and has used that knowledge to develop one of XCOM’s most specialized weapon systems: the Skulljack. She carries one at all times and has the highest success rate with it, having extracted valuable intel directly out of the brains of no less than 5 ADVENT Officers.

Was at Basic Combat Training during the Siege of Hiroshima.

Supported Project Jericho. Isis is very fond of the girl and considers Jericho to be “somewhere between my friend and my family.”

Physical Description: Isis is a brown-skinned European of mixed heritage. DNA analysis suggests her ancestry goes back to the time and place of the Trans-Saharan slave trade, suggesting Isis is either an Arab or an African. She is five feet two inches tall and weighs about 135 pounds. She has straight black hair and brown eyes. Following her encounter with the Chosen Warlock, Isis has a series of scars on her right arm, marking the spot where he grabbed her.

Personality Assessment: Isis is a social butterfly, and is on friendly terms with all fourteen of her fellow Stormbreakers. She is often the connecting bridge between team members who don’t get along, such as Chihiro Tachibana and Yutaka Yamamoto. Isis seems to have a knack for mediation and is more than happy to help people talk through their interpersonal problems. The downside of this attitude is that Isis is a very non-confrontational person. In combat, she is usually the last member of the team to fire their weapon in anger, and will be the first to cease fire.

Additional Notes (Jericho Project): Isis raised Jericho from her infancy until the age of eight. She knows Jericho better than anyone else. Central Officer Bradford chose to keep Isis in reserve in anticipation of the day when Jericho finally returned to XCOM, when it would become Isis’ job to re-integrate Jericho into the organization.

 

[HistoryDude]

Jericho encountered Mira somewhere between the ages of 10 and 11. She was still a kid, and probably would have accepted Mira's explanation of where she came from with little arguing. Remember: At the end of Faith in Chaos, Jericho (Who was 15 during the Epilogue) seemed to just roll with the idea of speaking to someone 99 years in the past. At a bare minimum, you can assume Jericho knows about Mira's escapades throughout time.

Sherlock Holmes once said: "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Mira did not go to the 115th Cycle. Like you said: it would have created an impossible situation. When Akira Abolished the End of the Cycle during Faith in Chaos, she broke time itself so badly that Mira was catapulted straight into the 116th Cycle, then pulled backwards into the 115th by Akira.

Basically, Mira got a head start on tampering with the current Cycle before Akira herself arrived in it.

That makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up.

So, there is someone familiar with Jericho already on the team? Good to know...