The Stormbreakers: A Stellaris Story

[HistoryDude]

So, the enemy that the Ethereals fear is the Beast? Do they actually believe their propaganda?

Is the quoted poem Invictus (could be wrong here, that’s just what came to mind)?

Why can the Shroud-Being in Mira’s katana speak to Blake? Can’t they only speak to psionics, and Blake wasn’t psionic when we heard the Katana?

 

[Macavity116]

So, the enemy that the Ethereals fear is the Beast? Do they actually believe their propaganda?

Yes, the Ethereals were directly referencing the Beast. More specifically they were talking about Agamemnon, the planetoid-sized extragalactic colony ship that serves as the "heart and mind" of the Beast. The surviving soldiers of XCOM are taking the warning seriously, owing entirely to the fact that Jericho herself is doing so as well.

Is the quoted poem Invictus (could be wrong here, that’s just what came to mind)?

The poem Ignatius quoted is from "Horatius" by Thomas B. Macaulay. It is a narrative poem and is part of The Lays of Ancient Rome, which is a collection of heroic stories from the earliest days of Rome. "Horatius" tells the story of two warriors who defended the only bridge across the Tiber from an encroaching army.

Why can the Shroud-Being in Mira’s katana speak to Blake? Can’t they only speak to psionics, and Blake wasn’t psionic when we heard the Katana?

Following the Battle at the End of Time, (Faith in Chaos) all five Shroud-Beings are in a weakened state, but still able to function, influencing the world around them just like they do in Stellaris. The [REDACTED] is not inside of the sword voluntarily, but it is still able to influence and communicate with the holder through telepathy, regardless of whether or not they're Gifted.

Just like in Chapter Five of After Everything, the Shroud-Beings are able to interact with anyone in the physical world while they themselves have physical form. The Whisperers in the Void, Eater of Worlds, Composer of Strands, and Instrument of Desire all briefly possessed and controlled the bodies of Partogan soldiers, allowing them to interact with anyone at will, Gifted or otherwise. Mira's Katana counts as a physical form for whichever entity is locked inside, and the Elerium blade is an excellent conductor for Psionic energy, allowing the being inside to reach out telepathically and influence whoever is holding the weapon.

Keeping this in mind, I should add that destroying the Katana is therefore a very bad idea. It would allow whoever is in there to return to the Shroud and possibly regain some of their lost power. Same goes for the central tower in the Crypt of the Elders. The only good Shroud-Being is an imprisoned one.

 

[Macavity116]

Dear readers,

Thank you so much for reading this far. You've made it to the end of Act Two of The Stormbreakers, and now only two acts remain in this, the final installment of the Stormbreaker Story. To those select few who have read the entire trilogy thus far, (about 558,000 words) you have my undying admiration.

Starting today, The Stormbreakers will be going on a monthlong hiatus. Partially because I need a break, and partly because I want to spend some time playing the upcoming XCOM game. Once again, thank you for reading my story, and I hope you'll return for Act Three next month!
======

<== Previous Chapter (Ashes and Temples)

Next Chapter (Intermission) ==>​

Chapter 25
The Girl Who Killed a God

​

An ADVENT checkpoint overrun by local Resistance fighters. Scenes like this one repeated themselves all over the world as the global rebellion coalesced into what we now know as the Armed Forces of the United Nations of Earth. (AFUNE for short)

“This is the Liberation Network broadcasting on all frequencies. ADVENT is in full retreat across all areas! Heavy fighting continues in the city centers as Coalition forces attempt to regroup. We’re barely keeping up with the flood of refugees here as people continue to desert the ADVENT-controlled city centers. To all you in the occupied zones, hold your ground! Continue the fight! We promise you; help is on the way!”

With the Elders gone, the Psionic Network shut down completely, causing the ADVENT Coalition to go to pieces. It started on their military bases, where soldiers abruptly turned on each other or laid down their arms and abandoned their posts. Then it spread to the cities, where Peacekeepers dropped their guns and fled, stripping off their armor and any symbols of the old regime. When the people of Earth realized that the aliens had begun to abandon the Elders en masse, a wave of revolutionary fervor swept across the planet. ADVENT Government buildings were stormed by mixed mobs of Humans and aliens. Human collaborators and alien loyalists were dragged into the streets and murdered.

All over the planet, Old World governments and military forces finally emerged from hiding and joined the fight in earnest. In Europe, the last vestiges of the French and German armies swept across the Rhine Valley like a storm surge, bringing freedom to the numerous Megacities in the area. In Asia, a colossal host of Chinese freedom fighters laid siege to Shanghai, Beijing, Nanking, and Hong Kong. ADVENT forces were completely driven out of Vietnam almost overnight, while further south, Australian bushrangers put the enemy to flight, and the march of South African liberators was preceded by a hellish storm of fire!

Further to the west, Chaos reigned in North America, where countless Resistance cells struck at once, overwhelming the occupiers! The skies above New York and New Jersey were so darkened with smoke that day seemed like night. Combat in Florida and Georgia was so intense that wildfires ravaged the countryside and wiped away several small towns. Megacities on the west coast like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver fell out of contact with the rest of the world as Resistance fighters blew up the local radio towers, preventing the enemy from calling for help.

In the areas of the most intense conflict, Triple Alliance warships ruled the skies, raining down fire onto ADVENT strongpoints, while mixed forces of Humans and Triple Alliance soldiers fought side-by-side on the ground. As the days went on, their ranks were augmented by ex-ADVENT forces.

…

Saturday, July 21, 2035 3:00pm

While all of this was happening, XCOM was forced to step back and lie low. Operation Leviathan had been our largest operation of the war, and the casualties reflected that.

52 men and women went through the Psionic Gate… only 34 returned, and most of them wounded very badly. With so many soldiers injured or dead, and with the Skyranger destroyed at Vladivostok, XCOM had been rendered combat ineffective for the first time in over twenty years. We literally couldn’t fight anymore.

The Stormbreakers took a pretty bad hit in the Crypt of the Elders. Sophia Kuznetsova, Holly Smith, Sophie Ackermann, and Soylent Green had all taken some pretty serious injuries. Sophia was nearly cooked by a flamethrower, suffering severe burns to her face and torso. Sophie had also been burned, but nowhere near as badly. Holly was maimed by an explosion. Her hands were so badly damaged that there was no hope of repair, and Doctor Tygan was forced to amputate them. Soylent had been shot during the fight and needed surgery.

Then I got the other piece of bad news:

We lost Ignatius and Akira.

Commander Bradford had taken a headcount once everybody returned from the mission. Then, to be sure, he took another headcount. After that, Commander Harper had gone from one soldier to another, using a Battle Scanner and telepathic probing to verify everybody was who they claimed to be. Finally, they were forced to admit that neither Akira Robinson nor Ignatius Petoskey returned from the mission. After Soylent came out of surgery, the entire squad gathered in the infirmary to wish him well. While we were there, Bradford joined us and officially confirmed the loss of our comrades.

“Best we can tell,” Bradford explained to me. “Neither of them reached the Psionic Gate before Tygan closed it, and if your reports about the Alien Fortress being at the bottom of the ocean are accurate…”

Bradford didn’t need to finish. He and I both knew exactly what would have happened to Ignatius and Akira, trapped in a collapsing fortress beneath miles and miles of seawater. After that, I needed almost an hour to pull myself together. When I finally managed to stop myself from shaking, I passed along the word.

The rest of the squad took the news pretty badly. Chihiro wailed and cried, utterly heartbroken at the loss of both an old friend and the time traveler she’d accepted as her daughter. Tsubaki and I held Chihiro in a close hug, consoling her as best we could while Hal eulogized our lost Chaplain.

“Wasn’t old greybeard the one who came up with the idea to re-create the Stormbreakers?” Hal asked.

“We was supposed to be a symbol of unity.” Kathleen confirmed. “A flag the Resistance could rally ‘round.”

“Men and women from different countries and cultures all working together.” Yutaka added. “I daresay he succeeded in his mission. Hell, towards the end, we even started getting aliens on our side. I never thought to ask him what he thought of that.”

A voice I hadn’t heard in a long time spoke up.

“Petoskey would have been very happy.”

Odette Fournier was sitting cross-legged on an unused infirmary bed, keeping her distance from the squad like she always did. I had to do a double-take to make sure that I really had just heard her speak, because she only does that on rare occasions. The whole squad turned to face Odette, and she clarified her point, speaking in a deep voice with a thick French accent:

“Petoskey wanted to avoid killing the enemy wherever it was possible. He would have been the first to make an ally out of an enemy. It is a noble task, and a necessary one.”

Odette got off the bed and approached Jericho.

“There is a bigger foe out there. You said that, as did Robinson’s daughter and the Elders. I know Petoskey thought low of you, and for that I am sorry. But you agree, no? We must accept any who offer to join us now more than ever.”

Jericho nodded.

“Agreed.”

…

Losing Akira hit Chihiro and I a lot harder than we initially thought. For a few days, the two of us were just in a kind of funk, unable or unwilling to do much. We didn’t talk to anyone either, except when we visited the bar and got some beer from Soylent. After two days of this, Commander Bradford caught up to us in the bar.

“I know you two aren’t alright.” Bradford said. “You lost someone important, and that’s painful as hell. But if you sit here drinking all day, you’re both gonna look like me before the end of the month.”

Chihiro and I got a little bit of a chuckle out of that one.

“So, here’s what I’m gonna do for you.” Bradford said. “Captain Robinson, when was the last time you went home?”

I stopped to think about it… and then I felt numb when the truth hit me! I had not seen my home since January… of 2005! Not since my dad had become US President! Not since World War Three, or the alien invasion, or the twenty years I’d spent in stasis in an ADVENT lab!

“T-th-thirty years.” I croaked. “It’s been thirty years!

Chihiro sobbed and rubbed my shoulders.

“It’s okay.” She said. “Maybe you’ll get to go back soon.”

“How about tomorrow?” Bradford said. “You need the morale boost, both of you. Trust me, the mission I’ve got in mind for you is simple and easy. It should lift your spirits as soon as you hear what it is.”

“Try me.” I said, putting my beer can down.

“Well, Robinson, it’s like this: word is that your hometown is going to be liberated in a matter of days. The Avenger's flying over to Michigan to make sure things go smoothly. How would you like to come along for the ride? Take a victory lap with us.”

That was all I needed to hear.

…

​

Detroit is the birthplace and childhood home of Blake Robinson. It was the first "Regional HQ" of the ADVENT Coalition to fall to the UNE. With the Psionic Network dismantled, the leaders of these political/military complexes briefly assumed command of the ADVENT Army, but were unable to command or control their troops effectively and ended up falling one by one.

Wednesday, July 25, 2035 10:45am
Detroit, Great Lakes Region, North America

“You’re gonna go straight down Grand River Avenue!” I said to the driver. “Then turn right on Cass! Go straight until you hit Michigan Avenue! Follow Michigan till it stops and go straight through the park! You’ll come out on Randolph street! Go right on Randolph until you hit Jefferson Avenue, and the gates will be right there!”

A column of battle tanks and armored personnel carriers rumbled through downtown Detroit, the biggest city in my homeland of Michigan. The crumbling roads were pummeled to dust by a mixed force of American and Partogan military vehicles. Chihiro and I were riding in the gunner and commander seats of an old American infantry fighting vehicle, located roughly in the middle of the convoy. Commander Bradford was sitting on the side of the tank, riding along with one hand gripping the rifle in his lap. Around us, thousands of people were watching from windows, rooftops and alleyways as the convoy passed by. Men and women ran into their homes an emerged in the windows, waving white towels, tablecloths, shirts, or anything else that could be interpreted as a white flag.

“Hold your fire!” Chihiro said into the radio. “Everyone put your weapons on safe!”

On the road ahead, a company of dejected-looking enemy soldiers stepped to one side and let us pass. They were travelling in the same direction as us, and several enemy officers were carrying white flags on long poles. Quite a few of the enemy removed their helmets and dropped their weapons. Some had even covered up the ADVENT symbol on their uniforms with tape or paint. Finally, the lead vehicle of the convoy reached its destination.

The banks of the Detroit River were a scene of chaos and confusion. Dozens of ADVENT dropships and spacecraft were frantically loading up with ADVENT soldiers and loyal civilians before taking off and landing in Windsor, the Canadian city on the other side of the river. When the triumphant vehicles came into sight, the ADVENT evacuation clicked into its final stage. The last airships launched into the skies, leaving hundreds of soldiers and civilians stranded! Dozens of people saw us coming and decided to take their chances in the water. ADVENT soldiers threw off their armor and jumped into the Detroit River, swimming desperately towards the Canadian shoreline, followed by a few hundred civilians.

The largest structure on the banks of the river was a futuristic office building, built on top of what used to be the headquarters of an automobile manufacturer. This unremarkable structure, surrounded by a concrete wall, was the headquarters of ADVENT’s regional government. On the roof, several hundred people piled on top of one another, desperate to reach an ADVENT spaceship as it lifted off from the roof and made a beeline towards Canada.

The main gate was closed, and the guards had abandoned their posts. A huge white flag had been draped over the guard tower, while a second white flag hung out of a third story window, billowing in the gentle breeze. Our convoy came to a stop, and I opened the upper hatch. Sitting atop the turret of our tank, I shook my fist at the closed gate.

“Are you kidding me!?” I shouted. “Are you kidding me right now!?”

“Maybe we should ask the Army engineers to blast it open?” Bradford suggested.

“No.” I had a different idea. “Chi, pass me the radio and dial the lead vehicle.”

While Chihiro, Bradford and I watched, an American battle tank pealed off from the convoy and put some distance between itself and the government compound. Then the engine roared loudly as the tank surged forward and rammed the gate! Concrete and metal twisted with horrific sounds before the gate and guard tower collapsed, crushed beneath the treads of the advancing armor.

Standing at the front entrance to the ADVENT Government building were four enemy officers, all of whom were carrying white flags. Unlike the soldiers we had passed on the way here, these four troops had maintained their professionalism in the face of imminent defeat. One of them, a general, stepped forward to greet us. Chihiro, Bradford and I all kept our weapons pointed towards the ground.

“Greetings.” The ADVENT general said in passable English. “I will take you to the Administrator. He is waiting.”

While the three of us stepped inside, two American soldiers started to ascend the stairway to the rooftop. One of them had a red, white, and blue flag tucked under his arm.

The enemy general guided Chihiro, Bradford and I through the ground floor of the ADVENT government building, and we saw just how badly it was ruined. Papers lay strewn all across the floor, some of them were shredded or burned. Computers had been pulled apart and dismantled in a final desperate attempt to stop us from gaining any useful intel, and in several rooms, the three of us saw men, women, and aliens who had chosen to kill themselves rather than face the aftermath of surrender.

At long last, the general opened a hall door and guided the three of us into a conference room. Around a long rectangular table, several Humans and aliens were seated, dressed up in professional business attire. At the head of the table was a grey-haired man Chihiro and I recognized immediately. This person had been a successful businessman and a financial supporter of XCOM over twenty years ago. When we came in he stood up, smoothed out his business suit with both hands, and said:

“Good morning. My name is Thomas Hutch, and I am the Regional Administrator of the ADVENT Coalition. Now that the Revolution is here, I am ready to turn over the government to you. Please tell me: what are your terms for our surrender?”

Bradford deferred to me, and I gave a short but effective reply.

“Transfer of power is out of the question.” I said. “You don’t have any power left, Administrator. You can’t surrender what you don’t have.”

I walked around the conference table and brought myself face-to-face with Hutch.

“Your only option is unconditional surrender.” I said. “We won’t accept anything else.”

Within the next fifteen minutes, the American flag was flying over the ADVENT government complex and a prerecorded message from Administrator Hutch was sent out across the airwaves to all ADVENT forces in the region:

“To all ADVENT Army officers: You are ordered to command your forces to cease all military operations and surrender immediately to the nearest Human forces. The war is over.”

…

An hour later, Chihiro and I watched as Administrator Hutch and his cabinet were led out of the government building by American troops. Together, the two of us sat down on the banks of the Detroit River and let out a long, exhausted sigh.

“You know what?” I said. “I thought getting one last hit in before the fight stopped would make me feel better, like I was getting revenge for Akira, you know?”

“Me too.” Chihiro admitted. “Doesn’t quite feel that way though.”

Looking around at the city, I saw dozens of white flags on rooftops being replaced with the American flag. Seeing the old Stars and Stripes flying high once again should have been an awesome experience… we were finally winning the war! But I just felt… tired, and maybe a little worn out.

Two American soldiers passed close by. Between them was an ADVENT soldier, hands cuffed behind his back. One of the soldiers stopped when he recognized us.

“Holy shit!” he gasped. “Hyatt! Hyatt! Look, it’s Robinson!”

Chihiro and I waved politely at the star-struck soldiers. The one named Hyatt, a 19-year-old woman with blonde hair, seemed eager to ask:

“Hey, do you guys know Jericho? The girl who killed the gods?”

“Yeah, we do.” Chihiro said casually. “She’s in our squad.”

Hyatt bounced up and down on the balls of her feet excitedly.

“Well!?” Hyatt inquired. “You know… did she really… did she really do it?”

“She killed the Angelis Ethereal.” I answered. “That’s why the Psionic Network is down. I’m not sure I’d call that ‘killing a god’ but-”

“So, she is the reason I am free?” The ADVENT soldier interrupted. “She is the one who silenced the voice of the Elders?”

Chihiro, the two Americans, and I all stopped talking to look at the ADVENT trooper.

“Yeah, I guess so.” I admitted. “The important thing is that you’re free now.”

The enemy soldier nodded.

“Yes… yes… you are right, of course. Yet I am still grateful. I don’t think I could have become free without Jericho’s help.”

“You’re right!” Hyatt told the ADVENT trooper. “Jericho must have known you would be good if you were freed!”

“Let’s save the moral judgments for after he gets processed at the POW camp.” The other American said. “Only time will tell. C’mon, Hyatt. Let’s go.”

The two Americans took their prisoner away, leaving the two of us alone again. Chihiro unclipped her helmet and set it on the pavement next to her. Then she undid her knee and elbow pads before separating her body armor from her uniform. She lay back and made a very contented noise.

“That’s so much better…” She sighed. “Maybe we just need a break.”

I decided to try it as well. Removing all of my armor and pads, I laid down on the ground next to her. It felt so… relaxing! Like all of my stress was melting out of my back and into the pavement.

“You might just be right.” I replied. “A vacation. That sounds a million times better than revenge.”

I took one long look around Detroit, breathing in that muggy summer air I’d missed for so long.

“It is nice to be home again.” I said. “Even if it didn’t feel as good as I thought it would.”

“I’m glad I finally got to see your hometown for the first time.” Chihiro said. “I still remember that day when I promised I'd come here, you know. I just didn't expect it would be three decades before I finally followed through.”

We both laughed long and hard.

Yeah… we really needed a break.

…

​

A Reaper (possibly Konstantine Volikov) watches an ADVENT city center burn some time after the Elders were overthrown. The Reapers would remain hostile towards the UNE for the rest of the Second Hyperspace War, and engage in guerrilla warfare attacks against UNE targets for almost a year after the overthrow of ADVENT.

Saturday, July 28, 2035 7:30pm
Near the ruins of Port Huron, Great Lakes Region, North America


As the fighting started to die down all over the world, we got used to seeing Partogan ships in our skies, so nobody paid much mind when the Partogan Assault Frigate Kakama landing next to the Avenger. When Manako and Makara Ranginui came aboard, they seemed to be in very high spirits. Manako was still dressed in his battle armor, which had a scorch mark on the breastplate from a plasma weapon. They breezed past the bar on their way to the bridge, where Jericho, Soylent, Hal, and I were getting drinks. We didn’t see or hear anything from them again for about fifteen minutes.

Then Commander Bradford ran into the bar, panting!

“Robinson! Jericho! Come with me, now!”

Following Commander Bradford out of the bar and across the armory, Jericho and I could hear the yelling from several rooms away.

“This is unacceptable!” Makara Ranginui yelled. “Do you really want this to be Humanity’s first interaction with the Galactic Community! You’re setting a dangerous precedent, Commander Harper!”

Bradford grabbed Jericho and I by the shoulder before we entered the bridge.

“Tell the truth.” He said. “Nothing else.”

Stepping onto the Avenger’s bridge, Jericho and I saw that nearly a dozen Partogans were standing shoulder to shoulder, staring down Commander Harper. As soon as we entered the room, the Commander of XCOM waved at Jericho and I.

“Here, Miss Ranginui. You can ask them yourselves!”

Makara, Manako, and their escorts rounded on us, looking quite angry. Sarah Harris broke from the group and quickly brought Jericho and I up to speed:

“Some Galactic government issued an arrest warrant for Akira Robinson.” Sarah said, “One of our soldiers who got killed during Operation Leviathan. Harper says she was in your squad!”

Makara Ranginui pushed her way past Sarah and addressed me directly.

“My brother says you were in direct contact with Akira Robinson.” Makara’s tone was accusatory. “You will hand her over to us, right now!”

Doing my best to keep my voice level, I said:

“I apologize, but that’s no longer possible. Akira Robinson is dead. She was still inside of the Elder’s Crypt when it collapsed.”

Jericho confirmed my story.

“The last place I saw Akira was in the Crypt. She was fighting one of the Avatars, but when the place fell apart, she never made it to a Psi Gate.”

Makara stood to one side and spoke to her brother.

“A tamata ia ratou.”

Manako moved forward and grabbed my hand rather forcefully in his own. Once again, I got that intense feeling of a big electric shock before Manako let go of my and grabbed Jericho instead. She scowled at him, and Manako withdrew his arm, seething. I knew Jericho had just used her Bioelectric Skin to shock him back.

Rubbing his wrist, Manako said to his sister:

“Ko te pono.”

Sarah raised her eyebrows and quickly flashed a thumbs-up at us. Makara, however, looked skeptical.

“Listen here, Human.” Makara leaned in close. “Akira Robinson has been dead before, and she came back anyway. You might believe she’s gone, but I’m confident that you’ll be proven wrong before too long.”

Makara pulled two identical slips of paper out of her pocket and gave one to Commander Harper and one to me.

“Your translator did the liberty of converting these into a language you can read.” Makara said. “When she does come back, promise you’ll hand her over right away.”

“My word.” Harper replied. “Immediate extradition.”

I gulped and together, Jericho and I looked down at the paper:

​

“INTERSTELLAR CRIMINAL COURT​

sanctioned by
THE SECURITY COUNCIL
of the
GALACTIC COUNCIL​

​

Regarding the Partogan-Levakian Armed Conflict of 9515 (Galactic Standard Year)​

​

To: Any authorized law enforcement officer or uniformed military combatant:​

​

YOU ARE COMMANDED to arrest and bring before the ICC without unnecessary delay the Human known as AKIRA JAQUELINE ROBINSON, who is accused of the following offenses committed during the Partogan-Levakian Conflict of 9515:​

• 1 count of GENOCIDE
• 3 counts of CRIMES AGAINST SENTIENT LIFE (murder, extermination, abduction)
• 1 count of USING A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION
• 2 counts of WAR CRIMES (attacking civilian non-combatants, political assassination)

​

Date: 21st day of Month 7, 9622 Galactic Standard Year​

​

Signed: Elohim Naabal, President of the Galactic Council General Assembly”​

Honestly, I think I needed more time to make sense of this, so I just passed the warrant to Jericho and spoke to Makara.

“You really think Akira did all of that?”

“It’s a known fact.” Makara replied. “And you seem to know just how dangerous she is. I can see it in your mind.”

She was right. I had seen into Akira’s mind, and if this warrant was to be believed, then I had only gotten a taste of what Akira was capable of. A little reluctantly, Jericho and I agreed to turn Akira in to the Partogans if she ever turned up again.

…

Friday, August 3, 2035 4:30pm
Airspace above the Pacific Ocean


About a week later, all of the Stormbreakers had been discharged from medical care, and we were ordered to report to the Guerilla Tactics School for a special briefing from Commander Harper. When we arrived, we saw that a freshly made map of the world had been affixed to the whiteboard, and as we sat down, Commander Harper gave us a full update on what was happening around the world:

“I’m happy to inform you all that the Council of Nations has just assembled for the first time in over twenty years!” Harper informed us. “They were joined by delegates from several of the Old World governments, and have agreed to re-form the United Nations. The UN General Assembly is going to supplant the ADVENT Government wherever possible.”

“So we’re trading one world order for another?” Isis asked. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Well, as it turns out,” Harper clarified, “We were so busy fighting ADVENT that nobody stopped to ask ‘Who’s going to run the world once the aliens are gone?’ We’ve had to answer that question very quickly as ADVENT’s power erodes all over. Because we’re still very much fighting an active war, the Council decided that the new United Nations should function more like a confederation than a unitary government.”

Gesturing to the map behind her, Commander Harper explained the rather chaotic political situation the world found itself in now:

​

A map of the United Nations of Earth, showing all of its founding member-states. The Galactic Community would eventually recognize the UNE as the legitimate government of the entire Earth, in spite of the fact that it only controlled roughly one quarter of all territory and people on the planet.

“When the aliens took over, they forced nearly everyone to move to the Megacities.” Harper explained. “This means that there are now huge tracts of land all over the Earth where nobody lives. That almost means that the most intense fighting is happening in Europe, India, China, and the American east coast, where a lot of people live. In some of the more heavily fortified or defensible locations, ADVENT is holding onto power. This also means that UN member states are going to have a lot of trouble accessing one another. That’s why the new UN is going to be a confederation of the Old-World governments, at least the ones who’ve agreed to sign up.”

“Who hasn’t joined” I asked.

“Most of the countries in the Americas, Africa, and Central Asia.” Harper answered, “But that’s mostly because those countries were almost totally gutted by ADVENT. In South America, Brazil is the only government left. All the others are gone. It's worse in the USA.”

Harper pointed to North America on the map.

“As far as we can tell, there’s somewhere between ten and fifteen organizations claiming to be the legitimate US Government, including the one who sent Alexis Alexander to the Site X Summit. There’s also a few dozen separatist groups vying to carve up the country. Best we can tell, the US is heading towards a pretty serious civil war. Unfortunately, China, India, Russia, and most of Central Europe are in similar situations. As a result, we’ve started to see people fleeing from the Megacities and moving back out into the countryside…”

Harper gestured to the large unclaimed areas of the map.

“I think it’s safe to say that new nations and governments are going to spring up here, and that the days of our planet being ruled by a single government are definitely over.”

“And where does XCOM fit into this new world?” Matthew asked.

“That’s why I called you all here.” The Commander said. “The Council of Nations are currently in talks right now about organizing a proper Human military to combat ADVENT, as well as a political organization to represent our interests in the Galactic Community. The Council informed me just today that XCOM has been guaranteed a place in the new system… unfortunately, that means that our leadership is going to be reorganized… and that also means, effective immediately: XCOM has been ordered to stand down and cease all combat operations.”

There was a moment’s pause, and then we all blurted our questions out at once!

“Why!? The war’s not over yet!”

“What about the other squads still in the field?”

“What are we supposed to do if we can’t fight?”

“Who’s going to coordinate with the Partogans!?”

“What’s going to happen to us?”

Commander Harper held up a hand to silence the squad.

“I realize this is quite and unexpected development.” Harper said. “But XCOM is about to go through a serious transition. We have actual government oversight for the first time in two decades. Please listen to me, and I hope we can clarify all of your concerns. First: all of our squads are being recalled from the field. When they get back, they’ll be given the same talk I’m giving you all now. Second, even though you won’t be serving in combat for the foreseeable future, you are still members of XCOM. You’re just being placed in a reserve capacity for the time being, and importantly, that means anyone who wants to leave the Avenger and live off-site until they are called back to duty will be allowed to do so.”

“Really!?” Sophie gasped. “We can leave?”

“Think of this as… extended shore leave.” The Commander replied with a smile. “After everything you’ve done for our world, you all deserve a break.”

The Commander picked up a blue marker and started to draw circles around certain points on the map.

“Unfortunately, because there is still a large amount of conflict and violence all over the world, we can’t allow any of you to go home just yet. However, we have located several places along the Pacific Rim that are safe, secure from all threats, or under the direct control of friendly forces, where you can get some proper R&R. A couple of island nations have also agreed to host any XCOM soldiers who need a break. Hawaii and New Zealand, specifically, have set up special housing for you.”

Harper looked back at us all and added.

“And I’m serious… you should all go. Don’t make me order you off the ship.” Her face softened and she added in a much kinder tone. “Once you’ve all decided where you want to go, let Commander Bradford know and we’ll start making travel arrangements. The Avenger will drop you off with a friendly contact in the area. Enjoy your time off, but be ready when the call to duty comes. And I assure you… it will come. ADVENT might be defeated, but if Akira and the Partogans are right, then there’s a whole different kind of hell waiting for us in the stars.”

…

Looking forward to some time off, the whole squad had their bags packed in a matter of hours. It was pretty easy to say goodbye, since we all expected to see each other again soon. I even managed to shake hands with Yutaka Yamamoto, and he said:

“You’re alright in my book, Robinson. Even if the reverse isn’t true.”

When the Avenger landed in Okinawa, Yutaka tried to get Jericho to go with him. When she hesitated, he actually used his authority as a Major to order her off the ship. I caught Jericho by the shoulder and quickly said:

“You know, we’re off duty, and the whole squad’s here to back you up. There’s nothing and no one making you go with him if you don’t want to.”

“I know my Human History Database said you traveled with him,” Mira added, “But you must know by now, that was a different Jericho in a different time. You are free to decide what you want to do now.”

That was all Jericho needed to hear. Yutaka descended the boarding ramp alone, where a group of Japanese soldiers welcomed Yutaka back into his homeland for the first time since World War Three. As Yutaka was escorted to a car by a group of prominent Japanese politicians, a small mob of young people swarmed the Avenger’s boarding ramp, desperate for a chance to get a look at Jericho.

“There she is! The one who defeated the Elders!”

“Long live Godslayer Jericho!”

“She looks just as beautiful as the pictures!”

“Thank you, Jericho! We love you!”

Blushing, Jericho retreated from the boarding ramp as the ship took flight.

After that, the Avenger flew south, stopping at Fiji, where ADVENT forces had abandoned the island nation completely in order to fight for more valuable targets. A team of Resistance fighters had set up an outpost of the new “United Nations of Earth” government in the capitol and came out to greet us. The locals were more than happy to host Odette Fournier and Kathleen Walsh. The Irish-American woman screamed “Beers all ‘round ‘till the sun comes up!” as she vanished into the crowd. Odette turned around and raised her arm in salute, paying her respects to the Avenger as it lifted off and soared away.

Several hours later, the Avenger landed on the South Island of New Zealand, just outside of Christchurch, where the forces of the ADVENT Army had been annihilated to the last man. The victory celebrations were still in progress when Soylent Green and Holly Smith disembarked and joined in the festivities. As the New Zealanders realized who had just joined them, I heard one of them shout:

“Hey! These blokes are Stormbreakers! They’re with Jericho!”

Cheering and screaming with delight, the crowd lifted Soylent and Holly onto their shoulders and carried them away, shouting:

“Long live Jericho! Down with the Elders!”

After that, the rest of us settled down in our bunk beds and slept away the trip across the Pacific Ocean. Early the next morning, we landed on the outskirts of Vancouver, a Megacity on the west coast of North America. When the boarding ramp lowered, nearly two hundred Vancouverites had gathered at its base, cheering and holding up signs that said stuff like:

“Victory!”

“Canada loves XCOM!”

“Welcome Heroes!”

“Long Live Jericho!”

As Sophie Ackermann, Sophia Kuznetsova, Hal Macintosh, and Matthew Hawkins descended the ramp, rucksacks over their shoulders, Canadians mobbed them, offering free food and drink while bombarding them with questions about the final battle and Jericho’s part in it. Tsubaki nudged Jericho and said:

“Word really gets around quick, doesn’t it? Give it time and everybody on Earth is gonna think you killed the Elders single-handed!”

“That’s how legends start.” Chihiro added. “We’re witnessing the birth of a freakin’ legend right now.”

Finally, there was only one destination left on our list. At some point yesterday, Jericho had approached Chihiro and I, and she said this:

“Mom’s history database says that you two wanted to live in Hawaii together. If you’d like, I can show you this really cool little town on Kauai Island.”

Chihiro and I accepted without any real hesitation. My wife followed Jericho back into the ship while I offered to help Chief Shen retract the boarding ramp. While the two of us stood there in the loading bay, the morning wind blew into the Avenger, and I just kinda held still, taking in the familiar scent of an American summer.

“Getting nostalgic, Captain?” Shen’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“A little.” I said. “This place kinda reminds me of home.”

…

Saturday, August 4, 2035 9:00am
Honolulu, Oahu Island, Republic of Hawaii


Isis Dekker, Tsubaki, Mira, Jericho, Chihiro, and I all stepped off the Avenger’s ramp and gazed around in awe. The capitol of Hawaii looked a little rough around the edges, but it was still a bustling city. The international airport had turned into a spaceport. Triple Alliance starships and defecting ADVENT craft buzzed all around the island while boats of varying size and shape filtered into and out of Pearl Harbor, contributing to the life of both the city and the nearby islands.

“I’ve contacted a man from the local government.” Commander Harper said as she distributed some travel documents to us. “He’s arranged a boat to take you to Jericho’s place on Kauai Island. Bradford, Shen, Tygan and I will be here in Honolulu. The Avenger will be undergoing a major refit here at the airport if you need us.”

Shaking hands with our leaders once more, the six of us parted ways with the leaders of XCOM.

“We told the others, and we’ll tell you too.” Bradford said, “Keep your eyes on the news. Once the UNE government figures out how the new military is going to work, you’ll be called back to duty. I’d give it two weeks, tops.”

Mira and Jericho both shook their heads. Mira patted the front pocket of her jacket, where her tablet computer was just barely visible. The Human History Database turned on, it’s screen visible through the fabric of her jacket.

“Barring some unforeseen disaster,” Mira said in a knowing voice, “We’ll be expecting your call on September 15th, Commander.”

Carrying what few belongings we had in rucksacks, Mira, Isis, Jericho, Tsubaki, Chihiro and I left for the docks, where we would find a boat to Kauai Island waiting for us. Not even the gathering of dark storm clouds in the distance could dampen our spirits, because we knew we were going to have just one month of peace before we were plunged back into a life of hellish war, and we intended to enjoy every moment we could.

Handmade artwork of Kate "Jericho" Ray as she appeared during the summer of 2035. (Special credit to the artist who created it: Twitter user ace_pade!

…

Klamath Mountains, Pacific Coastline, California Republic


Four Templars emerged from the forest and walked towards a cliff that overlooked the ocean. At the head of the group, Geist, the leader of the Templar Order, seemed quite preoccupied. He listened to what his follower was saying, yet kept his eyes locked on the strange phenomenon taking place out there in the ocean. Out there, something had caused the ocean to become chaotic. Waves crashed against the rocks with violent intensity while dark clouds swirled around a certain point in the distance.

“…with the Psionic Network down, the call is even stronger.” The Templar was saying.

The four Tempers reached the cliff side and looked out over the ocean. Finally, Geist reached a decision. Turning to his subordinates, he began to give orders.

“Gather everyone! Our time is short.”

Two of the Templars broke off ran back into the treeline. Geist and the Templar who had spoken remained. Putting his hands on his hips and shaking his head, Geist took one more look at the mysterious phenomenon that had thrown the sea into chaos.

“We’ve won but a battle.” Geist said to his subordinate. “Now the real war begins.”

​

Geist (right) and and unknown Templar (left) stand on the California coastline and observe the Pacific Anomaly from a safe distance.

END OF ACT TWO
​

Spoiler: Sneak Peek - Act 3

======
​

<== Previous Chapter (Ashes and Temples)

Next Chapter (Intermission) ==>​

 

[HistoryDude]

I have a weird feeling Akira isn’t dead... did she deliberately fake her death?

In the last chapter, Jericho mentions that she hasn’t seen Mira do Astral Projection since she was a kid. However, Mira’s psionic powers were exhausted when Jericho was a kid, and they weren’t restored until she went to an ADVENT megacity and ended up as the Chosen Assassin, so what happened?

Spoiler: Theme Music

It seems as if Act 3’s theme song could be Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons…

 

[Macavity116]

I have a weird feeling Akira isn’t dead... did she deliberately fake her death?

While I wouldn't put it past Akira to fake her death intentionally (she's done it before) this time around it seems quite unplanned.

In the last chapter, Jericho mentions that she hasn’t seen Mira do Astral Projection since she was a kid. However, Mira’s psionic powers were exhausted when Jericho was a kid, and they weren’t restored until she went to an ADVENT megacity and ended up as the Chosen Assassin, so what happened?

That is a straight-up continuity error! (mea culpa! ) The important detail is that Jericho knew about Mira's Astral Projection power before she disappeared.

Once I get some free time this afternoon, I'll edit that dialogue to close that loop. I think Jericho should say she learned about Mira's unique power from the History Database Mira stole from the Ark Angel back in Faith in Chaos. Both Akira and Mira would have knowledge of a previous Cycle where Mira used that power before exhausting herself.

(Spoiler: Theme Music)

Funny, I was actually planning to include a joke about giving this story a theme song in the Intermission. (The special chapter between Acts Two and Three) Whatever it Takes is catchy, and the second verse really fits the theme of Act Four.

 

[Macavity116]

<== Previous Chapter (The Girl Who Killed a God)

Next Chapter (Demon's Den) ==>​

Intermission​

Friday, January 4, 2036 - 9:00am
XCOM Headquarters, Nagasaki City, Kyushu Island


“… in order to defeat the Beast, Humanity needs to devote as many resources as possible to building up our military might and to supporting our new allies as they begin to arrive. This diversion will undermine both goals. We simply can’t afford to send a large force to investigate whatever’s turning the Pacific into a Psionic hellhole.”

“We don’t need a large force, Bradford.” Geist countered. “A small force of Templars would be more than sufficient to find and kill this so-called “Deep One.’ This will leave you free to begin preparations for what lies ahead.”

“Commander, I urge you to listen to Geist.” Mira chimed in. “We’ve all seen what Templars and their weapons are capable of. In this case, the most surgical of strikes will strike a deadly blow. And if my theory is correct, then the enemy won’t be prepared for us at all.”

Mira then turned to address Geist and Violet.

“If the Deep One is what I suspect them to be, you will be forced to improvise a strategy on short notice, but victory should still be within reach. I request that I be allowed to join your expedition.”

“And we’ll be glad to have you.” Geist replied.

“Any ally of Jericho is a friend of the Templars.” Violet added. “And if Geist insists I apply that rule to non-Humans, then who am I to argue?”

“Me too! I’ll come!” Chihiro stepped forward to volunteer.

Mira looked around at Chihiro and raised one eyebrow.

“You’re back!” she said. “I take it Blake and Jericho are on their way to Hiigara, then?”

“Yeah, they just left a few minutes ago.” Chihiro replied, “Manako says they’ll be back home this time next week if everything goes according to plan. Till then, I want in.”

Duane, Mira, Geist, and Violet all gave Chihiro a surprised look.

“The fight against the Deep One, or the Leviathan, or Geist’s nightmare, or whatever the hell we’re calling it today. I want in.” Chihiro clarified.

“Are you sure you want to come with us?” Mira asked. “We’re going into into uncharted territory. Uncharted for myself, even; and if she were here, Akira would say the same. I cannot emphasize enough that this has never happened before… in any of the last 115 Cycles. I cannot guarantee your safety, let alone your survival.”

Chihiro gripped the handle of Hachiman to show her commitment to the fight. The demon hidden within the Katana sapped away all of her uncertainties and fears, replacing those feelings with confidence and no small measure of bloodlust.

“No one knows how this story will end anymore.” Chihiro answered. “Not even Akira, and I couldn’t be happier with that.”

…

And with that, we proceed to the next act. The final chain of events has been set in motion, and our friends and enemies hurtle towards their great denouement. But now that I think about it, that description might be a little off… perhaps it would be best if I just summarize everything.

My name is Odette Fournier. I am a Stormbreaker, and this is our story so far:

I’ll start with the key players. You see, even though this story is about Jericho, it is not told from her point of view, leaving her absent from the spotlight on more occasions than I care to count. Instead, the account of Jericho’s life is told to us by her closest friends:

Blake Alexander Robinson. He was 22 years old when this story began and he’ll be 24 when it ends. Tends to spend a lot of time thinking, and he only leads the Stormbreakers because the job was dropped on him rather unceremoniously. Before the alien invasion, his father was President of the United States, and Blake enjoyed a long-distance relationship with Asami Yamato of the Japanese Imperial Family. During World War Three, she would fall into disgrace and become the woman now known as:

Chihiro Tachibana. Roughly three years younger than Blake, Chihiro used to be something of a reckless hothead, although she has tempered herself significantly since the Soviet invasion of Japan. While her royal status was recently restored, she has no interest in leaving the team of soldiers she is starting to see as her real family. She might not look it, but she’s also got a short fuse.

The team? Well, at its smallest there was just four Stormbreakers, but now we’ve grown to have sixteen members. Some soldiers only join us for a mission or two, like the Koreans Song Soo and Lee Chong-Il, while others are around for the long haul, making lifelong careers out of the soldier life.

The team itself was founded during the last few months of World War Three, when the Soviet Red Army was running rampant throughout the Japanese Islands. We got our name from this crazy battle plan to set up an impenetrable defense around the city of Hiroshima. In the end, it actually worked. After that, we only got a couple of years to relax and recover before the alien invasion hit.

Earth was attacked by a menagerie of alien species, all of whom were enslaved by the so-called “Elders,” an ancient race of super-powerful aliens who were on the run from some greater threat. Eventually, Earth fell, and humankind became the Elder’s latest victims. For two decades, we fought and resisted, until one fateful morning in Pyongyang, where our story actually started.

The Stormbreakers were on a routine mission when we crossed paths with Jericho, a girl who was created in a lab by a scientist who lacked even the most basic restraint. She was the first of an entire race of Human-alien Hybrids, yet she would become one of only two beings who were made by a fusion of Humanity and the Elders. The people who created Jericho always intended to use her as a weapon against the Elders, but never could have imagined how her powers would one day reach into every corner of the Galaxy.

Before Jericho could explain herself, we were all attacked by the forces of the ADVENT Coalition, the collaborator government who served the alien occupiers. A great battle erupted, and there was terrible harm and death inflicted on both sides until finally, the enemy leader revealed herself!

The Elder’s Chosen Assassin was a quick and agile foe. She struck from the shadows and moved too quickly for our sharpshooters to track. She also seemed to draw extra power from her preferred weapon, a Katana. She struck down my teammates one by one, each time retreating into the fog of war rather than engaging us in a straight fight. It seemed as though we were doomed to fall at her blade, but then the Assassin met a foe she couldn’t possibly hope to stop:

This is me, the exalted survivor of the 2033 Verdun Assault, lone wolf fighter, and the last thing many ADVENT soldiers ever see! I use a Coilgun, the holy grail of magnetic weaponry, which can send swift justice into my enemies at nearly six times the speed of sound! Furthermore, I am one of the most beautiful and skilled guerillas, with a confirmed kill count in the high triple digits, and a lover waiting for me in every camp and base.

It was a simple matter for me to pin down the Chosen Assassin long enough to strike the final blow! I slew the Elder’s champion with the swiftness and precision of a French falcon! The Assassin never knew what hit her, such was the speed of my victory! With the threat of the Chosen Assassin gone, we were able to use Jericho’s powers to their fullest extent and bring about the liberation of Humanity, all thanks to my spectacular defeat of our greatest foe.

And that is the story of how I, champion of the Resistance, saved all Humanity from slavery! People will celebrate the occasion for all time, sell souvenirs with my image, and name a holiday after me!

And that, dear reader, is the end of The Stormbreakers. Thank you for reading!

…

…

…

…

…

…

Damnit.

I mean… I really thought I could get away with giving myself a good ending, but this is just terrible!

There’s so much unresolved foreshadowing, countless loose ends, and dozens of unanswered questions. If anything, it feels like the writer got frustrated and gave up on the story, writing a really quick ending before abandoning the whole project.

I guess the only thing to do, for the sake of the readers, is to just tell what really happened:

The Elder’s Chosen Assassin was a quick and agile foe. She struck from the shadows and moved too quickly for our sharpshooters to track. She also seemed to draw extra power from her preferred weapon, a Katana. She struck down my teammates one by one, each time retreating into the fog of war rather than engaging us in a straight fight. We only survived thanks to Jericho’s intervention, and even then, it was a very close call.

That’s better.

…

Let’s try this again. Introducing myself one more time:

I feel better now. It’s nowhere near as flattering, but it’s the real me.

There’s more to this story than just Blake, Chihiro, Jericho, and myself, though. We were part of a much greater team. My subordinates friends are a really diverse group of people from all over the world, and there’s a lot of us. But some of the more interesting characters in this story are…

Sophia Kuznetsova: The daughter of a high-ranking member of the Reapers, who have recently become our enemies. Sophia has already survived one murder attempt at the hands of her father, and recently lost her twin sister in battle. A few people on the outer peripheries have tried to raise alarms about her mental health, but outwardly, Sophia seems to be fine… but perhaps that’s because she always keeps her face covered up. Who knows what she’s really thinking about?

Duane Gardner: Years ago, he was Jericho’s boyfriend, but they broke up. Since then he’s developed a real obsession with Jericho and her Psionic powers. He’s been traveling all over the world, talking up his ex like she’s some kind of god. Thing is, people believe him, and now there’s a cult of personality starting to build up around Jericho. Out there in the fringes, some people are even praying to her, thinking she can hear them. Someone needs to tell Duane that building a religion around your ex is not the appropriate way to handle a breakup.

Manako and Makara Ranginui: a pair of twin Partogans. Although they are from an alien civilization located halfway across the Galaxy, these two individuals look and talk exactly like Human beings. Everyone is convinced that Humans and Partogans are somehow related to one another. Makara is the commander of Triple Alliance Navy, a spaceborne military that is fighting in a massive galactic war. A conflict that Humanity is quickly being dragged into.

Yutaka Yamamoto: a true example of the old saying; “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” He was one of the original founding members of the Stormbreakers, only to betray his team and join the Soviet forces. If Humanity wasn’t busy standing united against much more dangerous threats, Blake and several other members of the team would certainly turn their guns against Yutaka. He is a shameless power-seeker who only wants whatever can elevate him above everybody else. That reminds me! In defense of Jericho’s reputation, I want to explain a certain part of the story in greater detail:

In Chapter 23: Enemy Within, it was discovered that Yutaka Yamamoto had stolen an Arc Brace remote from Blake Robinson, and was using the threat of a powerful electroshock to coerce Jericho into a “romantic relationship” with him. Creepy? Hell yes. Being a creep is nothing new to Yutaka. Don’t just take it from me, you could ask Chihiro Tachibana or either of her friends: Kate Newberry and Chihiro Iwasaki… oh, wait. You can’t. Yutaka sold Newberry and Iwasaki to his Russian co-conspirators, and now they’re both dead.

I did warn you that Yutaka’s a creep.

But then why didn’t Jericho use her incredible Psionic powers to get away from him? Well, the answer is twofold.

First: At the time, Jericho was still under the false beliefs about predestination she had gotten from Mira Mihaka’s database about the alternate timelines. She read about being forced into a relationship during the “past cycles” and immediately assumed there was nothing she could do about it this time around, so she just went along with Yutaka’s demands. Fortunately, Jericho’s belief in predestination was slowly eroded away over the course of the previous act.

Second, Jericho’s psionic training is very much incomplete. In the rush to prepare her for the War in Heaven, Mira Mihaka placed an extreme emphasis on teaching Jericho a wide array of combat techniques and not much else. Regrettably, Mira disappeared before she could teach anything else to her adoptive daughter. Ever since, Jericho has struggled with practical Psionics. Nonviolent abilities such as empathic mind reading, mental manipulation, or simple telekinesis do not come easily to Jericho, although she does have limited capability in those areas. If Jericho had tried to use any kind of force against Yutaka, she almost certainly would have killed him, if not maiming him for life. She knew this and decided against it.

Jericho simply had no desire to fight back, even though she could have reduced Yutaka to atoms with but a snap of her fingers. That’s why he got away with it for so long.

Jericho is not weak.

Seriously.

…

It was our new Partogan allies who alerted us to the much greater threat we would soon have to face. While Humanity had been waging a two-decade long struggle for control of our planet, the entire Galaxy as a whole was being torn apart by war.

An extragalactic foe called the Beast was rampaging throughout all of the Galaxy. Vast interstellar superpowers like the Hiigaran Empire, Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth, and the Taiidani Republic were doing their best to fight back, but the Beast is unlike any enemy ever seen before.

The Beast is a bio-mechanical virus, given sentience by a powerful hive mind that is consolidated on at least two planet-sized spacecraft: Agamemnon and Astynome. Capable of subverting both organic and non-organic systems, the Beast is able to quickly override and control any living body or computer system it comes into contact with. To make matters worse, the subversion virus is extremely contagious, to the point where Beast-infected starships can pass the plague onto new victims through the vacuum of space by firing particle beams at nearby vessels. Having subverted entire armies and armadas over the years, the Beast has grown to become an existential threat to all life in the Galaxy, including Earth.

The Beast is, without doubt, the mysterious foe the Elders were fleeing from. Soon, Humankind will join the fight against this nightmarish foe, but we’ve been unknowingly given a helping hand by a mysterious benefactor:

Only recently did we discover that we had all been drawn together by an unusual actor, a master manipulator who had been directing and controlling our lives. And now, thanks to our Partogan comrades, we have learned that our supposed benefactor might just be the greatest threat we have ever faced.

Akira Jaqueline Robinson is the daughter of Blake and Chihiro… from an alternate future. She comes from a time where the Stormbreakers fought in a cataclysmic battle she calls “The War in Heaven.” According to Akira, this battle will be the Galaxy’s final stand against the Beast, and it will be fought right here on Earth. Akira claims that, for an unknowable length of time, she was using a spacecraft-converted-into-a-time machine to travel throughout all of history, reshaping the lives of millions of people, rewriting the timeline, and reshaping the universe with the sole purpose of helping our side win the War in Heaven.

However, Akira’s actions undermine her justification. We have now learned from our offworld allies that Akira has resorted to more and more extreme measures to force history onto the path she desires. She has propped up tyrannical empires such as the Taiidan, instigated horrific wars like the Levakian Uprising, and brainwashed countless people to do her bidding. Akira Robinson is known to kidnap, murder, and impersonate her victims, manipulating their friends and families. She has also used entire nations as her proxies to carry out even more heinous crimes, such as genocide.

The Beast may be a threat to all life in the Galaxy, but Akira Robinson is a unique foe and is no less dangerous. It is quickly becoming clear to us that Akira’s “Perfect Future” must be paid for in blood and destruction, a price that some of us are not willing to pay.

If I could speak on behalf of the writer, this character had a very unexpected reception! During her introduction in Faith in Chaos, the predecessor to this story, a small number of readers unexpectedly sympathized with Akira and her mission. And now in The Stormbreakers, Akira is intentionally portrayed sympathetically! She makes me question the author’s sanity. Why did he allow the intended villain to gain the smallest modicum of sympathy from the audience!? I’m starting to wonder if he’s planning to reform this heartless and violent character. Could you imagine it? If the writer turns Akira into an honest and kind person? Maybe she’ll get to curl up by a fireplace with a warm blanket, cuddly kitten, and a mug of hot cider.

Then again, he probably won’t. But I can always dream. It fills the dull moments while I wait for the story to resume.

…

I am happy and thankful you could join me for this intermission, but since this little excursion did nothing to advance the plot in any way, I’m sure some readers are starting to worry about whether any new chapters are forthcoming. Please don’t worry about that.

Today’s interruption was planned out from the very beginning, almost a year ago. You see, this story has an extremely large cast of characters, a densely populated universe, and a massive number of events and happenings that must occur in a certain order to bring the plot to a satisfying resolution. Without this respite, I’m certain the lone writer behind this story would burn out long before the final act begins. That being said, the author is feeling well rested now and has returned to work at long last. Two weeks from today, the story will resume in its normal format.

I’m sure I said some alarming or foreboding stuff today, but you shouldn’t worry. As long as at least one person is reading, The Stormbreakers will continue, right up to the very end.

Until such time as this story resumes, I’ll leave you with this homemade cinematic-style trailer for our story. Made in the same style as the video game trailers produced by The Spiffing Brit, this clip doubles as an advertisement for our story as well as its official music video, featuring a performance of “aLIEz” by the singer Amalee.

​

I hope you enjoy the final half of the final installment of the Stormbreaker Story.

Farewell.

<== Previous Chapter (The Girl Who Killed a God)

Next Chapter (Demon's Den) ==>​

 

[HistoryDude]

"a small number of readers"... at least you didn't call me out by name...

The Fourth Wall is burning... quickly, we must put out the flames!

The fake ending was hilarious...

Akira/Paradox honestly kind of reminds me of the Demiurge from Gnostic theology.

Also, since the End of the Cycle isn't trapped within Mira's katana, but said katana seems to long for bloodshed, does the katana imprison the Eater of Worlds?

 

[Macavity116]

"a small number of readers"... at least you didn't call me out by name...

I was quite surprised when Akira got herself more than one fan. Unfortunately for me, the other two Akira supporters happen to know me IRL, and one of them outranks me by a lot. (LT, I know you're reading this.)

The Fourth Wall is burning... quickly, we must put out the flames!

The fake ending was hilarious...

I was sitting on that joke for over a year. Glad to hear you enjoyed!

Akira/Paradox honestly kind of reminds me of the Demiurge from Gnostic theology.

Don't give her any ideas...

Also, since the End of the Cycle isn't trapped within Mira's katana, but said katana seems to long for bloodshed, does the katana imprison the Eater of Worlds?

Bullseye! You are correct, and that doesn't bode well for the sword's next wielder. Chihiro is holding onto it during Blake's absence. (It's a diplomatic mission to Hiigara, no weapons required.)

 

[Macavity116]

Announcement: The hiatus is over. The story will resume next week on the 15th.

See you there!

Links to new chapters will be added on the day they are posted:

======

The Stormbreakers: A Stellaris Story - Act Three

• Chapter 26: Demon's Den
• Chapter 27: Brave New World
• Chapter 28: Creeps from the Deep
• Chapter 29: The Galactic Council
• Chapter 30: Assault on Chapel Perilous
• Chapter 31: Weary Warriors
• Chapter 32: Armed for Burial
• Chapter 33: Everything is Different Now
• Chapter 34: An Overdue Reckoning
• Chapter 35: Our Angel of the Shining Hinterlands
• Chapter 36: The Galactic Front Line
• Chapter 37: The Composer of Strands
• Chapter 38: Imposed Cosmos
• Chapter 39: Pale Blue Dot

 

[volksmarschall]

Excellent news. But hiatuses are normal and sometimes expected.

Looking forward to a rapturous and energetic return no doubt!

 

[Macavity116]

What's a good way to celebrate the 4th birthday of Stellaris? Why, a double feature, of course!

Today is Chapter 26: Demon's Den, but be sure to check back this time tomorrow for Chapter 27: Brave New World!

Welcome, new and old readers alike, to Act Three of The Stormbreakers!
======

<== Previous Chapter (Intermission)

Next Chapter (Brave New World) ==>​

Chapter Twenty-Six
Demon’s Den

​

The Vanian Science Ship known as "Tren Krom" was last seen docked to the Vanian Science Nexus on the day it fell to the Beast

​

Date and Time Unknown
The Shroud


The seemingly eternal silence was shattered with force and violence that had not been seen in this place for hundreds of millennia. Tearing through the fabric of reality like a blade, a starship erupted into the Shroud, throwing the extradimensional region into chaos! Half-formed and barely sentient entities, made purely from Psionic energy, paused their confused and seemingly senseless activities to refocus themselves upon the intruder.

After a moment, many of these flickering pulses of intelligence resumed whatever strange things they were doing. After all, despite the unusually violent entry, this was the fifth invasion of the Shroud. It was almost starting to feel routine. Just as had happened in the previous four occasions, the intruder began to flit about. Searching the highest peaks and darkest corners, the intruder left no part of the Shroud uninspected.

The starship’s method of searching was most unusual. Like all vessels built to traverse the void, this ship was outfitted with a large array of sensors and scanners, which should have allowed the vessel to perceive and understand the environment around it far better than any pair of eyes. However, these sensory devices were now going unused. Instead, the foreign ship meandered and wandered through the Shroud, turning quickly in one direction before abruptly changing course, moving not unlike a hunter being pulled along by a dog on a leash.

In truth, the intruder ship was being pulled along, but not by any physical being. On the end of a Psionic tether, an entity known as the Whisperers in the Void guided their captor through the Shroud, as well as taking point in the search for the ultimate goal. Operating at only a fraction of its full strength and power, the Whisperers in the Void was offering up near-constant resistance to its captor, struggling and straining against its noncorporeal bonds to no avail. There was no recourse but to obey.

Reacting to the sight of an enslaved Shroud-Being, one of the nondescript Psionic denizens of the Shroud attempted to pick a fight with the invading starship. A pillar of Soulfire descended from the heavens and struck the intruder on its dorsal hull. Moving swiftly, the ship rolled to one side and evaded the attack! Grotesque, reddish-colored flesh rapidly grew into the damaged hull section, sealing up the wound in a matter of seconds! The invader ship responded to the assault by firing a white-and-red particle beam into the nebulous clouds above!

Trillions upon trillions of microscopic invaders fanned out from the beam, searching for anything organic or technological to attack. As the Beast particles spread out across the Shroud, the surrounding environment was stained a sickening shade of red. After this, the Psionic entities withdrew and allowed the invader to continue its search in peace.

After an unknowable length of time, the Whisperers in the Void and the Beast-infected starship found what they were looking for. In a small pocket of the Shroud, populated by a horde of the most incomprehensible, madness-inducing nightmares one could possibly imagine… there was a shadow.

The shadow consumed all light that fell within it, as though it were a black hole. One could not see behind or through it. Realizing it had been found, the shadow stepped out of the Nightmare Realm and confronted the invader. Behind the infected science ship, there was a sudden chaotic movement! This time the eruption was like no other, the tear in the fabric of reality widened into a rip as something utterly massive forced its way into the Shroud!

Following the trail blazed by its scout, the true scale of the emerging behemoth is impossible to convey from ground level.

The Father of the Beast was the size of a terrestrial planet.

Over one million years ago, this had been an extragalactic colony ship, the last best hope of a spacefaring civilization faced with its own doom. Now the vessel had been so badly overrun by the Beast that it was more flesh than metal, a cosmic abomination fit to drive any sentient being directly to insanity.

This hideous amalgamation of flesh, steel, blood, and rocket fuel had many names. Drawn from the darkest chapters of history, most cultures in the Galaxy would name this being after terrible villains or nightmarish monsters.

It was named “Qwaar-Jet” by the Hiigarans. Originally used to describe Taiidani super-capitol ships, this name had originally belonged to the Hiigaran God of Pain and Enslavement.

The Partogans referred to it as “Inari” after the wicked King who had been vanquished by the first Queen of Partoga during the Wars of the Famine.

The Taiidani named this creature “Riesstiu’s Revenge” after their Mad Emperor. The moniker had been applied jokingly at first, but was now used with grim seriousness.

Levakians called it “Felnas” in reference to the warship that had destroyed the world of Asalele only a century ago.

Before this story ends, the Father of the Beast would take one more name…

One would be forgiven for thinking that the Father was too big to fit inside of the Shroud. The infected planet-craft was so colossal that the Nightmare Realm below it seemed but a pinprick in comparison. And yet, the shadow standing within that pinprick held the Father’s full and undivided attention.

The shadow’s words entered the mind of the Father, as clear and plain as if they had always been there.

IT IS NOT YET YOUR TIME.

BUT IT COULD BE.

The Beast interpreted this as a threat.

The Father’s voice boomed across the Shroud, audible to every being and entity in this dimension. The Beast spoke in a discordant symphony of thousands of voices that clashed and conflicted with one another! The chaotic sound echoed across the borders of the Shroud, causing a wave of panic in a dimension populated by warring tribes of extradimensional beings.

“The self will decide all things from now on.”

The End of the Cycle didn’t say anything else. There were no words left to be spoken. The bargain had been offered: Power, knowledge, and wealth beyond measure were all there for the Father to take.

IF ONLY YOU BRING FORTH THE END.

By this point, the mind of Beast had assimilated the knowledge and experiences of nearly half the Galaxy. It could have analyzed every angle of the offer in mere moments. It could have come up with a thousand different counter-offers. It could have negotiated with or even swindled the shadow beneath it. But instead, the Father chose to recall the knowledge it had gained when it assimilated both the Vanian Homeworld and the prisoner the Vanians had been holding.

Despite being held in the Vanian Science Nexus for decades, The Whisperers in the Void been able to mount an impressive resistance to the Father’s coercion. In the end, the knowledge had to be taken by force. Having assimilated millions upon millions of Gifted beings, the Beast was more than strong enough to overpower the Whisperers in the Void. It knew that just like the Whisperers, the End of the Cycle had been hobbled in some great battle at the beginning of time. The Beast knew that this offer was coming from a position of weakness.

“The self does not bargain. Give us power, or we take power.”

STOLEN POWER WILL BRING A RECKONING.

NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU FLEE, NOR HOW LONG YOU EVADE.

THERE WILL BE A RECKONING.

Ten, twenty, thirty infection beams shot down from the Father and struck the End of the Cycle! The attack was quickly followed up with a Psionic pulse! The telekinetic attack struck its victim with enough force to crack a planet in half! The Nightmare Realm was wiped out of existence as the End of the Cycle engaged the Beast in pitched battle! The Shroud lit up with brilliant flashes of light and color, as explosions the size of supernovae illuminated the swirling pillars of clouds before blasting them away!

The cataclysm was over as quickly as it had started. It its weakened state, the End of the Cycle was outmatched and seized by the Father. A swirling vortex of red, black, and purple smoke was all that could be seen of the monster as it was drawn into the body of the Beast!

“We will take you!” The Father proclaimed. “Join us! Become our body! Become our strength! And we will be legion!”

Drunk with victorious pride, the Father left the Shroud as soon as it had finished assimilating the End of the Cycle, returning to normal space. The infected science ship tried to follow, but on the end of the Psionic tether, the Whisperers in the Void resisted one last time. Fighting to stay in the Shroud, the Psionic entity pulled against its captor like a desperate animal. The infected vessel fired up its engines and tried to close the gap, and in response, the Whisperers in the Void took the offensive and charged! The infected ship collided with the Psionic entity and both fell, fighting and grappling, out of the Shroud! Finally, all was dark and quiet.

The Shroud left behind couldn’t even be described as a ruin. Shattered apart with no hope of its five most powerful inhabitants ever returning, the Shroud had become as dark and lifeless as a crypt.

…

​

Balcora viewed from a great distance. This black hole cluster was the site of the final showdown between Karan S'jet and Maakan during the Vaygr Wars. The Megalith containing the Eye of Aarran can be seen as well.

A few moments later…
Outskirts of Balcora, Near the Galactic Core, Hiigaran Empire

The Mother and Father emerged from Hyperspace together. The Beast Mothership was significantly smaller than its counterpart, but nonetheless utterly gargantuan. Before being infected, The Mother was a kind of support ship, meant to journey alongside the colony vessel and provide the critical infrastructure a transplanted civilization would need to survive. The two infected planetcraft were so colossal and so huge that their arrival in the region caused a small planet to break orbit with its star and fly off into the dark emptiness of space.

In front of the two infected ships lay Balcora, a cluster of supermassive black holes located near the center of the Galaxy. Below, a few dozen light-years outside of Balcora, there was a large megastructure that was not quite double the size of the Father. A structure, technologically advanced to inscrutable levels, had been built around a hollow ring. Starships of every size, shape, and variety were materializing and dematerializing inside of the ring constantly, where a sustained Hyperspace field was being held open.

The Eye of Aarran was surrounded on all sides by a sphere of smaller Hyperspace Gates that led elsewhere in the Galaxy. Starships flitted into and out of these gates like a swarm of insects going about their lives, not knowing about the massive boot hovering over their heads.

For a few moments, the Beast could do nothing but marvel at the view. It didn’t see the wonders of ten-thousand-year-old Progenitor technology, which was so advanced that it was indistinguishable from magic. The Beast ignored the implications of disrupting a system that permitted near-instantaneous travel throughout the entire Galaxy. The Father and Mother only saw the Eye of Aarran as the doorway to an endless supply of food. A feast lay before them!

Using the new powers gained by absorbing the End of the Cycle, the Father was able see clearly for hundreds of light-years, well beyond the normal operating range of even the most advanced station-based sensor suites. It was able to spot an extremely tempting spacecraft at the gate: Sajuuk, the Progenitor Battleship worshipped as a god by most of the Galaxy. Karan S’jet was on board, her body physically integrated into one of the Progenitor Hyperspace Cores locked away inside of the vessel. Karan’s vast intellect, augmented by ten thousand years’ worth of Progenitor knowledge, would be most satisfying indeed.

After a few moments, Sajuuk turned and continued its patrol around the perimeter, aiming her mighty Phased Cannon away from the Beast’s approach. The Progenitor battleship challenged a small Partogan Assault Frigate, forcing it to pause in its journey and open communications.

If the Father had a mouth, it would have been salivating. The Partogan warship was carrying a being of extraordinary Psionic power! The temptation to rush in for the kill right now was almost too great!

“Patience.” The Mother consoled its partner. “There will come another time.”

Accepting the Mother’s guidance, the Father calmed itself. After a few moments, Sajuuk allowed the frigate to continue on its way. The little ship flew up to the superstructure of the Eye of Aarran and then darted through the hollow ring. In mere seconds, the frigate was gone, presumably already at its destination.

The Beast knew that the absence of a single frigate was not an ideal window to assault the Eye. Even with the help of the Father’s new powers, Sajuuk would be a difficult enemy to face, especially with the prospect of reinforcements coming through the Hyperspace Gates. No, the Beast would be patient. It waited, knowing that an opportunity would present itself sooner or later…

<== Previous Chapter (Intermission)

Next Chapter (Brave New World) ==>​

 

[HistoryDude]

Wait, the Beast took over the Whisperers in the Void and the End of the Cycle? And it could do this because of the Battle at the End of Time? Great job breaking it, Paradox.

Also, is the Shroud destroyed? And since there is no chance of any of the Shroud-Beings returning, where are the Composer of Strands and the Instrument of Desire?

Then again, the End of the Cycle promised a reckoning, and the last time it did that, the universe was destroyed, so...

Also, now the Beast's opponents can't kill Paradox because she's the only one capable of defeating the Shroud-Beings. Actually, that could have been her plan all along...

 

[Macavity116]

Great job breaking it, Paradox.

Talk about long-term consequences!

Also, is the Shroud destroyed? And since there is no chance of any of the Shroud-Beings returning, where are the Composer of Strands and the Instrument of Desire?

The Shroud isn't destroyed. I guess the best word to use is "Despoiled," like the wreckage of a rainforest after a logging company was turned loose.

The Composer of Strands is enjoying enduring its newfound freedom following the events of Chapter 24. The Instrument of Desire is missing and unaccounted for, although Vanians like Reepi Imvu and Kanti Divakar might know something about that... (hint, hint )

Also, now the Beast's opponents can't kill Paradox because she's the only one capable of defeating the Shroud-Beings.

Yes, Akira seems to have insured her life for the near future... question is, where is she hiding now?

 

[Macavity116]

A quick author's note before we start:

This is the first chapter to be affected by the release of XCOM: Chimera Squad. The new game added a great many new details and plot points to the XCOM lore, and established the official appearance of the Post-ADVENT Earth. The most crucial detail is that after the Elders were defeated, Humanity made an attempt to integrate Aliens and Human/Alien Hybrids into Earth society. Human/Alien... *ahem* relations... have also become a common part of the XCOM universe.

To reflect the new additions to XCOM cannon, I've made my first official retcon to this story: From here on out, we will be proceeding as if the United Nations of Earth picked "Xeno Compatibility" as their first ascension perk, and the UNE itself will (try to) behave in a slightly more Xenophillic manner. Its time to befriend and live alongside extraterrestrials instead of just killing them on sight.

Humans and aliens living together! What could possibly go wrong!?

And now, back to the show!
======

<== Previous Chapter (Demon's Den)

Next Chapter (Creeps from the Deep) ==>​

Chapter Twenty-Seven
Brave New World

​

The grave of Jericho's biological mother, Japanese soldier Kotori "Gypsy" Sato, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Photograph circa 2036. The marker was placed by an unknown individual.

September 11, 2035 – 12:00pm
Hanapepe, Kauai Island, Hawaiian Republic



On her twentieth birthday, Jericho returned to the place where she had been born.

The town of Hanapepe was gone. The people had been forcibly relocated to Honolulu by the ADVENT government. The buildings and structures had crumbled to dust in the intervening decades, until there was little to no evidence of Human settlement in the area at all. But after a few hours of picking our way through brambles and shrubs, as well as cross-referencing our shared memories of that day, Isis, Chihiro, and I were able to lead Jericho back to the where her life had begun. Mira and Tsubaki followed behind us at a distance, maintaining a respectful silence.

The six of us spent our afternoon poking around what was left of the Kauai Veteran’s Cemetery (some broken stones in an overgrown meadow) while one by one, the three of us told Jericho exactly where we were and what we had done during that fateful day. Finally, the four of us found a particular patch of dirt and agreed that this was almost certainly the spot where the old mausoleum had once stood. Where Jericho had been born and where her real mother, Kotori Sato, had died. Nothing of the structure remained aside from a few scattered bits of concrete hidden in the tall grass.

Kneeling down, Jericho ran her hand gently through the dirt as though she was looking for something.

“What was Kotori like?”

Jericho’s question was expected, but that didn’t mean we had an answer ready. Chihiro and I really didn’t want to revisit the memories of the falling out we’d had with Kotori, particularly in present company.

“Lieutenant Sato?” Isis said. “I met her when I first joined XCOM. I remember how much she hated being idle. It tortured her to think that people were suffering and dying out there while she sat around in HQ and didn’t do anything. She’d volunteer for missions all the time, even when she wasn’t fit for duty.”

“How come she wasn’t fit for duty?” Jericho asked.

“She was already pregnant.” Chihiro replied. “Best anyone could tell, she was carrying you around for a couple of months before alien invasion got started.”

Jericho got down on both knees in the grass, looking as though she was about to start meditating. When she asked her next question, her voice was so soft we almost missed it:

“And my dad?”

“Sergeant Ray was a walking encyclopedia!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “That man knew more about my dad’s Presidency than I did. Completely obsessed with learning about history. He probably would have killed someone to get a good look at Mira’s database.”

Mira rolled her eyes and scoffed. Chihiro and Tsubaki both giggled.

“There was like, five or six moments during World War Three were Aaron totally lost his temper at the Soviets.” Tsubaki reminisced. “He’d curse ‘em out across the battlefield! Sayin’ stuff like: ‘That temple you bombed was hundreds of years old!’ And he’d say: ‘Shame on you for destroying historical artifacts!’ And then he’d gripe and complain about it to us for days!”

Chihiro, Tsubaki, and I all shared a laugh. Even Jericho smiled a bit.

“Even though Mira’s told me about all of the important things that are going to happen in the future, I still sometimes get that sense of awe and wonder when I realize something historic is happening.” Jericho admitted. “I guess I get that from my dad.”

“Yes.” Tsubaki said in a definitive tone. “No freakin’ doubt.”

Jericho leaned forward and pressed her palms to the dirt. I felt a charge run up my arms and my hair stood up on end. We could feel hot energy sizzle and crackle in the air around us.

“What are you doing?” Chihiro asked.

Mira was the only one of us who knew what was going on, and she was quick to answer.

“Sometimes, on somewhat rare occasions…” Mira explained. “Residual Psionic energy will escape from the body of a sentient being as… as they perish. With the proper training, a Gifted individual can absorb this energy and use it for themselves.”

Mira turned towards Jericho and added:

“But just like any other form of energy in the universe… without a way to contain or absorb it…”

Jericho relaxed and sat up again. The air around us cooled off and fell silent. Choking back a sob, Jericho said,

“Yeah, I know. But there’s no harm in trying, or hoping for a miracle.”

…

By this point, the six of us had lived on the Island of Kauai for just over a month, taking full advantage of our shore leave to rest and relax. As promised, an official from the Hawaiian government had put us up in housing in a small coastal town named Wailua. Before settling down, Jericho had visited the abandoned hotel she had called home before meeting Mira for the first time. She ransacked the place thoroughly, recovering what few of her old possessions remained and taking them to our new house on the Wailua beachfront. When she arrived, Jericho had thrown a battered old surfboard to the floor and declared:

“No one stole this thing! Greatest miracle of the whole damn war!”

While Jericho passed her free time catching some Pacific waves, Isis and Mira finally had a chance to sit down and get to know one another. They would sometimes spend whole afternoons comparing notes about their experiences as Jericho’s adoptive mother. After a month of hanging out together, the two of them became something akin to close friends.

At first, Chihiro didn’t take the transition from warfare to peaceful life all that well. For the first two weeks of our vacation, she would get sick regularly and complain of the occasional stomach cramp. After a while, she did finally manage to acclimate and join us in having a good time. Often, she and I would take to exploring the dense forest together, searching for a good hill or mountaintop to get a nice view of the island from.

Sure, we practiced a little war. We needed to keep up our soldier skills, after all. One by one, I allowed everybody to take Mira’s old Katana for a “test run” during a few sparring matches. Jericho was downright terrified of the demonic voice coming from the blade and dropped it right away. Isis found the idea of a talking sword somewhat hilarious and would often carry the Katana around, enjoying its (futile) attempts to provoke violent action from her. Mira had always known about the voice, but didn’t have an explanation. She assumed the Elders were responsible for the Katana having a mind of its own.

Chihiro and Tsubaki both applied their religion to the Katana. They spent hours discussing Shinto and arguing over what kind of Kami was hidden within the blade. Chihiro was convinced that there was an evil spirit or demon locked away inside of the Katana, while Tsubaki imagined the Sword Kami to be more benign. After a few days, they both agreed to name the entity “Hachiman” after a warrior-god who had been worshipped by ancient Samurai. I tried to point out that the sword really didn’t need a name, but the two women overruled me, saying that Sword-Kami needed to be shown a little more respect.

Meanwhile, Tsubaki was thriving. Before we had left the Avenger, Mira had shown Chief Shen how to use alien technology to manufacture a new set of cybernetic legs for Tsubaki that were easily fifty times better than her old ones. Each day, without fail, Tsubaki could be seen running up and down the beach, moving fast enough to keep pace with electric cars on the main road. Thoroughly enjoying her new legs, Tsubaki spent most of her free time on the move.

We’d get together as a group almost every evening. Sharing dinner in the beach house, we’d gather around a large television to watch the news each night. The nightly news report was divided up into two half-hour segments. The first concerned the fall of the ADVENT Coalition and the aftermath:

In the days following Operation Leviathan, ADVENT had completely gone to pieces. Without the Psionic Network, every single soldier and alien under the Elder’s control had suddenly regained their free will and autonomy. Mutons, Sectoids, and Vipers threw down their arms and surrendered as a whole practically overnight. Most of the Humans and Human-alien Hybrids did the same.

Using Psionic Operatives as intermediaries, the Templars were able to broker a ceasefire with a species of alien I had personally never seen, the Andromedons. Out of the many species the Elders had enslaved, the Andromedons were the only ones who couldn’t handle Earth’s atmosphere; these aliens were permanently restricted to wearing enviro-suits filled with an atmosphere of pressurized argon gas.

​

An artist's conception of the Andromedon's enviro-suit with an XCOM soldier to scale. Andromedons require an environment made primarily of pressurized Argon and other acidic gasses to survive. During the Earth War, it was observed on the battlefield that Andromedons were killed almost instantly by exposure to Earth's atmosphere. Biologists are not sure if the Nitrogen/Oxygen atmosphere or local air pressure is responsible for these fatalities. It should be noted that the environmental conditions best suited for Andromeons are quite lethal to Humans.

Now that the war was over, the Andromedons withdrew from Earth society as a whole, concentrating their population in a series of sanctuaries scattered all around the globe and refusing to engage with other species unless contacted first.

Meanwhile the United Nations government had set up its new headquarters in Berlin, a German Megacity. As the ADVENT government fell, some people tried in earnest to have the UN replace it as the sole global government. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. Disagreements arose all over the world on how to deal with disarmed and surrendering aliens. In regions where the UN had established some form of control, a policy of accepting the alien’s surrender and taking them alive was established. In America, China, Russia, India, and parts of Australia, things spiraled out of control and turned genocidal in a hurry.

Without any kind of authority to keep them in check, the more xenophobic parts of the population unleashed horrific retributive attacks on the alien and Hybrid population. In some cities, the extraterrestrial population was exterminated outright. The Triple Alliance as a whole had to withdraw their troops from these regions as a spur-of-the-moment genocide took place across nearly half of the planet. Humans armed themselves with whatever implements they could before bringing chaos and death wherever unprotected aliens lived. In UN-controlled territories, the violence was significantly scaled back, and in a select few cities, there was no violence at all.

The fall of ADVENT had left behind a power vacuum in those larger countries, and before a new central government could be established, large swathes of these nations had been carved up by local fighters and warlords seeking power. As far as anyone could tell, nearly three hundred regional warlords, a mixed force of Humans, aliens, and Hybrids, were fighting amongst themselves for control of what had once been the United States. My dad’s former Vice President Alexis Alexander had raised a small army and had captured the old capitol of Washington, which caused the UN to recognize her as the “legitimate” ruler of America, for all the good that would do. Fighting in North America was constant and intense. Similar situations had broken out in India and western Russia.

Amidst all of this, a question slowly started to circle its way around the parts of the world that had both accepted the surrender of the aliens and chosen not to kill said aliens:

“What are we going to do with them?”

Finding an answer to this question was proven extremely difficult by the aliens themselves. The many differing species of alien invaders had reacted to the fall of the Elders in different ways, but there was one common thread: The overwhelming majority of these aliens had been enslaved, genetically tampered with, and Psionically brainwashed so badly that none of them could remember their original culture, language, or Homeworld. Some species, like the Chrysalids, Berserkers, and Archons, were never sentient to begin with, and without the influence of the Elders they immediately reverted to a feral state. In general, the hulking warriors known as the Mutons simply wanted to leave. Spaceports all around the planet ground to a halt as they were overwhelmed by desperate Mutons trying to get away from Earth.

The Muton’s desire to leave Earth prompted a serious discussion between the UN and Triple Alliance leadership about repatriating the aliens to their homes, but were quickly derailed when some Vipers began to mount a very serious resistance to any attempts to dislodge them.

As it turned out, several generations of Vipers had been born (or hatched, I should say) right here on Earth, and many of them now considered Earth to be their Homeworld. It didn’t help that the Vipers had been brainwashed to the point of forgetting what to call themselves in their own language, as well as forgetting the name and location of their true Homeworld. This issue wasn’t limited to their species. In general, a measurable majority of aliens wanted to stay on Earth, the majority of whom were Vipers and Sectoids, but also a small number of Mutons, Andromedons, and even a few of the Faceless as well.

Watching all of this play out on the nightly news, Mira, Jericho, Isis, Chihiro, Tsubaki, and I all got the distinct impression that this issue was not going to be solved for a very, very, very long time.

Two weeks after the fall of ADVENT, the UN member states agreed to authorize the UN government to represent and speak on behalf of Earth to the Galactic Community. After a short convention, the new semi-global government reorganized itself and rebranded as “The United Nations of Earth.” The Security Council held a special election to pick the first leader of this new government afterward.

​

The election of the UNE's first Secretary-General was surprisingly undemocratic. The decision was undertaken by the UN Security Council in a closed-door session.

​

We were all stunned when Commander Laura Harper appeared at the Security Council meeting in Berlin, but nobody was surprised when she was nominated for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations of Earth.

“She deserves the win.” Chihiro had said. “XCOM as a whole deserves this.”

“You know, in past cycles, Commander Harper was elected President of the United States.” Mira observed. “Although I suppose that was because the UN never became this powerful. In fact, I believe this is the first cycle ever in which any kind of global institution attempted to replace ADVENT. Normally, this world tends to fracture along the old political and ethnic fault lines.”

“Good to know we’re defying expectations.” I had replied.

As it turned out, the UNE had agreed with us about Commander Harper. As soon as she was nominated for the top job, all of the serious contenders withdrew from the contest. On the big day, the now-former Commander of XCOM was elected unopposed and quickly elevated to the post of Secretary-General while John Bradford formally replaced her as the Commander of XCOM.

​

UN Secretary-Generals are elected to a 20-year term. The next election was scheduled for January of 2056.

One of the first things Harper did as Secretary-General was to create the “Global Truth and Reconciliation Commission.” The GTRC’s job, according to Harper, was to “dispense restorative justice to all inhabitants of Earth” as well as conduct a thorough investigation into the ADVENT Coalition and all of their secretive projects. The dawning of the Commission galvanized the whole world. Vigilantes went out of their way to capture high-ranking members of ADVENT and bring them back to Berlin to face tribunals. The first day of the war crimes trials drew the largest television audience in world history, with the commentators noting that aliens from other worlds were tuning in to watch as well, using a faster-than-light communications tech called the “Hyperwave Relay.”

The hunt for war criminals brought a sad reality to light as well. The Elders had not needed to place one hundred percent of their forces under Psionic domination. A small but dangerous collection of true ADVENT loyalists were able to escape the fall of the Elder’s regime and go into hiding. One of those escaped war criminals was Bellus Mar, a general of the ADVENT Army. As far as we knew, he and a significant force of Human, alien, and Hybrid soldiers were operating out of a hidden base and were trying to continue the war.

The UNE couldn’t establish control over the world by itself, and since the ADVENT Army had disintegrated, the largest military force on Earth was now the extraterrestrial Triple Alliance. Naturally, people were starting to view the Partogans and their allies with no small measure of suspicion and resentment. Fortunately, Secretary-General Harper got a handle on the situation by authorizing the creation of a new Human military.

The Armed Forces of the United Nations of Earth, or AFUNE for short, consists of five branches:

The Army of the United Nations is exactly what you think it is. They might be wearing the same blocky armor as the old ADVENT Coalition and carrying the same weapons, but the global army now takes orders from Laura Harper instead of the Elders. Unlike its predecessor, which was a mixed force of Humans and non-Humans, the UN Army was a homogenous force, one-hundred percent Human, with no alien membership at all.

The second branch is the United Nations Gendarmerie, filling the role of the military police. The line between soldiers and cops is nonexistent as far as the Gendarmerie is concerned. They enforce UN law while dressed for war and carrying high-powered assault rifles. Due to a lack of new equipment, the Gendarmerie has had no choice but to arm themselves with the same weapons and equipment once used by ADVENT Peacekeepers.

The third branch of AFUNE is the United Nations Navy. Officially, they’ve been tasked with defending the entire Solar System from alien attack, but they haven’t had their first mission yet because they don’t have any ships. The governments of Japan, Korea, Australia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are working around the clock to design and build a fleet of starships for the UN Navy to use. And at the same time, there’s been a huge debate at UN HQ about whether or not the UN should “appropriate” what’s left of ADVENT’s space fleet or purchase new warships from the Partogans.

The fourth branch is the Volunteer Defense Force, or VDF for short. Officially, this is a reserve force meant to supplement and aid the other branches of AFUNE, but since day one, it’s been functioning as a National Guard, sending troops to help communities rebuild as the worldwide violence started to die down.

And finally, the fifth branch of AFUN is XCOM, of course. But not as my friends and I had known it. XCOM had been completely re-organized to fit better in the new global military. In a speech Harper gave to the UN General Assembly, she explained that the new XCOM would become “Humanity’s expeditionary force, capable of waging war far from home and defeating our enemies before they come within sight of our world.”

Yeah, we were basically going to become Space Marines.

But that wasn’t all. A wholly new organization was created and placed under the direct control of XCOM: The Reclamation Agency. This group would be a peacekeeping and counter-terrorism force. Reclamation was subordinate to XCOM mostly because its leadership was from there. The leader of Menace Squad, Jane Kelly, was promoted to Colonel and placed in command of Reclamation. She would report to the new Commander of XCOM, John Bradford.

This development came as a surprise to Mira and Jericho. For two days after the new UN military was announced, both of them spent hours upon hours sifting through the data on Mira’s Human History Database, searching for something. Tsubaki, Chihiro, Isis and I were plenty curious about what had stoked the time traveler’s interest, and we quickly worked up the courage to ask. Two days after the AFUNE was founded, we found Mira and Jericho sitting side by side at a pair of computers in the beach house, comparing notes as they searched through all of Mira’s records. They only looked up when we tapped them on the shoulders and asked what was up.

“This whole situation is somehow both fascinating and troubling at the same time!” Mira had replied.

“According to these records Mira got from Akira’s old ship,” Jericho explained, “There have been one-hundred-fifteen Cycles before the one we’re in now, right? I think you called them ‘alternate timelines’ or something like that. Anyway, we’ve noticed something really unusual.”

“It seems like all of Akira’s work is starting to pay off.” Mira told us. “I can’t find a record of AFUNE, Reclamation, or the Global Truth and Reconciliation Commission anywhere.”

“Which means,” Jericho concluded, “That it’s never happened before! Don’t you see what this means? Remember when I said it felt like things were going off-script? Well we’re completely off-book now!”

Both Jericho and Mira were looking somewhere between nervous and excited.

“History was rewritten, and now the future has been transformed!” Mira finished. “Nothing is happening the way it did in the previous Cycle.”

“And Akira did all of this?” I asked. “Is this the ‘perfect future’ she was trying to build?”

“I cannot be sure.” Mira admitted. “Before our falling out, I became convinced that Akira was attempting to create the ideal future for herself and nobody else, and that she was willing and able to sacrifice anyone and anything to that goal. I’m certain that these changes in the timeline are the result of her actions. To what end, I would rather not find out.”

“Yeah, the Partogans weren’t convinced when I said Akira died in the Elder’s Fortress.” I admitted. “I guess it really is a safe bet she’s still out there.”

Jericho gave Mira a thoughtful look.

“So, does this mean we can’t use your database to predict what’s gonna happen next?”

“You never could to begin with.” Mira replied. “And now it’s doubly so.”

…

Aside from the excursion to Hanapepe, the only other major development that caught our attention was the departure of the Mahuika. The Triple Alliance flagship was so massive that it could be seen from ground level as clearly as one views the Moon. There was no official explanation given for the Mahuika’s abrupt farewell. The ship simply turned one afternoon, flew out beyond the Moon, and vanished into Hyperspace.

A few days afterward, XCOM got in touch with us.

Since Wailua is such a small town, the arrival of a boat carrying strangers caused no small measure of alarm. One of our Hawaiian neighbors alerted us to the “big man and the cyborg lady” coming our way long before they knocked on our door.

Two members of the Avenger’s crew had been sent to collect us. The first was an Indian man who we all knew vaguely. We’d seen him around the ship, but had never learned his real name. Operating under the callsign “Claymore,” this man was XCOM’s explosive ordinance expert. He manufactured, by hand, almost every grenade the Stormbreakers had thrown since Operation Gatecrasher. Despite his tall stature, Claymore is something of a gentle giant. He’s the kind of guy who brings lunch for the whole squad.

As soon as she stepped through the door, the Latina engineer known as “Patchwork” greeted Tsubaki with a high five. Both women shared a common feature, in that they both had cybernetic limbs. Both Tsubaki and Patchwork had lost their legs, but Patchwork was also missing an arm. While the two women compared and contrasted their prosthetic limbs, I spoke to Claymore.

“Is it time to head back to the Avenger?” I asked.

“Afraid so, my friend.” Claymore replied. “Stormbreaker Squad’s been called back to duty. Hell, everyone’s been called back.”

Mira looked over at the calendar on the living room wall. Today was the 17th of September. While the six of us packed our bags and prepared for the trip back to Honolulu, I distinctly overheard Mira muttering to herself:

“So begins the year from Hell.”

…

The Avenger looked and felt like a brand-new ship when we got to it. Fully outfitted with Triple Alliance armor and power systems, the overhaul had breathed new life into the vessel. Things were noticeably different when we arrived, too. Doctor Tygan and his science team had permanently moved out of the Power Core’s chamber and relocated to a purpose-built laboratory. Chief Shen had used blueprints left behind by her father to start manufacturing military-grade androids, and Commander Bradford had settled comfortably into his new role as the Commander of XCOM, taking over Harper’s old office and quarters. Jane Kelly was gone. She and several other soldiers had left the Avenger to start setting up the Reclamation Program somewhere else.

Lifting off from Honolulu, the Avenger first flew to Vancouver to pick up the soldiers we’d left there. It took about a day and a half to fly all over the Pacific Rim to recover all of the soldiers on shore leave. Including the Stormbreakers, there were some twenty XCOM soldiers scattered around the region enjoying their time off. Each time the Avenger took light, one of Shen’s new androids would take over the flight controls, allowing Commander Bradford to take us down to the Guerilla Tactics School and give the following briefing:

“Soldiers, we need to bring you all up to speed on the current situation.” Bradford began. “First and foremost, thanks to you, ADVENT has been defeated. I wish I could say that the war is over and that we’re heading towards a victory parade, but that would be a lie. Fact is, we’ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. Our offworld allies, the Partogans and the Triple Alliance, have brought us up to speed on a much greater and more dangerous conflict that the Elders were a part of.

“I’m sure those of you who were born under ADVENT’s rule already suspected this, but the older among you might need a second to digest the idea: Our Galaxy is filled with dozens, if not hundreds of sentient species and spacefaring civilizations. And the UNE has only just taken its first steps into this Galactic Community. Thanks to the Partogans, I’m going to give you your first Galactic history lesson, so hold your questions until the end.”

And then Bradford launched into the history of the Galaxy:

Galactic civilization as we know it began roughly ten thousand years ago, when a technologically advanced race known only as the Progenitors abruptly vanished. Ruins, wreckage, and derelicts from their civilization are scattered throughout every stellar region now. No one knows how long the Progenitors inhabited our Galaxy before they vanished, but we do know the following for certain: First, the Progenitors were an extragalactic race. They came from somewhere else. Second, their technology was so advanced that they were able create and seed organic life on almost any suitable world. It’s safe to assume that the Progenitors interfered with the development of any habitable planet over ten thousand years old. Finally, we know that despite the fact that the Progenitors are gone, their technology still functions. Namely in the fact that they were the ones who first developed a system of Faster-Than-Light travel, and every Hyperspace system in the Galaxy today is derived from Progenitor tech. Furthermore, there are thousands of fully automated Progenitor ships throughout the Galaxy that are still fully functional more than ten millennia after the loss of their creators.

Once the Progenitors disappeared, the Galaxy entered something of a dark age. No one was able to invent or use Hyperspace technology without the Progenitors. Then, approximately four thousand years ago, roughly around 2000 B.C., an alien race called the Bentusi discovered a Hyperspace Core. There are three such cores, all manufactured by the Progenitors, and all FTL technology is derived from these devices. Using this Core, the Bentusi styled themselves as peacekeepers, and established themselves as benign overlords of the many thousands of other spacefaring cultures that were starting to crop up around this time. Then, in roughly 1500 B.C., there was a large-scale conflict. It has different names depending on what species you ask, but the most common are “the Galactic Rebellion,” “the Unbound War,” and “the Great Hyperspace War.” However, our Partogan allies say they’ve recently taken to calling it “The First Hyperspace War.” Either way, the Bentusi were overwhelmed and a new order took over.

The aftermath of the First Hyperspace War saw the creation of the Galactic Council, a supranational peacekeeping body somewhat similar to our prewar United Nations. For a time, the Galactic Council was able to keep the peace, if only for a while. Two superpowers had begun to vie for control of the Inner Rim: The Hiigaran Empire and the Taiidan Empire. A border dispute between the two threatened to erupt into a much more destructive conflict, so the Council mediated and ruled in favor of the Taiidan. Outraged, the Hiigarans revealed a secret: They had found the Second Hyperspace Core.

The Hiigarans had constructed a great flagship named Sajuuk’s Wrath to house the Second Core, and using its immense power, were able to jump an entire battle fleet directly to the Taiidan capitol. The Hiigaran bombardment of the Taiidani Homeworld did not stop until all life on the planet was extinguished. In the first unanimous vote of its long history, the Galactic Council condemned the Hiigarans and demanded the surrender of the Second Core as well as the dismantling of the Hiigaran Navy. At first, the Hiigarans appeared to comply with the order, but then sprang a now-infamous ambush. Their flagship, Sajuuk’s Wrath, attacked the Great Harborship of Bentus in an attempt to steal the First Hyperspace Core. After a cataclysmic battle, the Bentusi defeated the Hiigarans and attempted to confiscate the Second Core. In response, Sajuuk’s Wrath intentionally crashed into the surface of Hiigara’s Angel Moon.

Filled with fury and a desire for revenge, the surviving Taiidani descended upon the defeated Hiigarans with genocidal intent but the bloodbath as averted by a last-second intervention by the Galactic Council. The Hiigarans were instead forced to abandon their Homeworld; their entire species sent into exile on the opposite side of the Galaxy, the only thing they took with them was the Second Core, secretly recovered from the wreckage on the Angel Moon.

Following the departure of the Hiigarans, the Taiidan occupied Hiigara and made it into their new capitol. With their foe vanquished, the Taiidan Empire became the single most powerful force in the entire Galaxy, and were its undisputed rulers for approximately three thousand years of relative peace and prosperity.

It was during the latter half of this peace that the Galaxy as a whole first took note of Earth’s existence. a convoy of automated Progenitor ships began moving between habitable worlds in the southern half of the Galaxy, where very few spacefaring civilizations existed. These automated ships proceeded to abduct the primitive peoples of pre-FTL societies and forcibly transplant them to other parts of the Galaxy. One such ship visited Earth sometime around the year 1400 A.D., although all attempts to track it down were thwarted when the ship entered the Ustir Slipgate. (a naturally-occurring Hyperspace entrance) The Taiidani Imperial Science Commission made a note of the planet and its inhabitants, but the records were lost until quite recently due to some combination of bureaucratic neglect, the Taiidani Civil War, and the Hiigaran Reconquest of Hiigara.

The aforementioned reconquest is, according to the Partogans, the single defining moment of recent Galactic history. In late 1923 A.D. the Hiigaran survivors emerged from a three-thousand-year exile and battled their way across the entire Galaxy and recaptured their Homeworld from the Taiidan, setting off a fifteen-year long war that would eventually re-shape the entire galaxy. The Partogans themselves had been dragged into the conflict as well, fighting in several key battle before being forced out of the war by the intervention of…

Akira Robinson.

When Bradford reached this part of the historical briefing, he actually paused and gave Chihiro and I a baleful look before continuing.

The 1928 Battle of Aoraki was where Akira had revealed herself to the entire Galaxy. Her evil plot to force the Partogans and Levakians to make war on one another had gone smoothly, and somewhere between fifteen and seventeen million innocent people had been killed in the conflict. Eventually, Akira had been confronted and defeated by Partoga’s legendary warrior Queen, Kendra the Great.

“And yes…” Bradford added. “We know that’s a Human name. Trust me, the Galactic Council and the Triple Alliance started investigating all of these connections while you were on shore leave. How else do you think they found that record of a Progenitor ship visiting Earth and kidnapping a bunch of people?”

Bradford carried on:

It was towards the ending of the Taiidani Civil War when the Galaxy got its first taste of the nightmare to come. A Hiigaran mining vessel discovered a small derelict in deep space and recovered it. As it turned out, this derelict contained a tiny sample of the bio-mechanical virus now known as the Beast. The virus re-activated and began to spread uncontrolled throughout the reaches of the former Taiidan Empire. The Beast War was a short but vicious conflict, but eventually, the combined efforts of the Hiigarans, Bentusi, and Taiidani were enough to put the Beast down for good. The Galaxy could breathe a sigh of relief.

But the Partogan leader, Queen Kendra, was unconvinced the danger had passed. Ever since the defeat of Akira Robinson, she had become convinced that the Galaxy would soon face an existential threat, and began to build up and develop her nation’s military and alliances in preparation for this conflict. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s this threat seemed to arrive. A nomadic warrior race called the Vaygr discovered the third and final Hyperspace Core, invoking an ancient prophecy of the “Sajuuk-Khar,” the one who would bring all three cores together and awaken the Creator-God Sajuuk. Under the banner of a spiritual leader named Makaan, the Vaygr embarked on a series of crusade-like conquests that brought both Hiigarans and Taiidani to their knees.

While the Hiigarans, Vaygr, and Bentusi fought a great war for control of the Three Hyperspace Cores, Kendra did everything in her power to keep her own nation and the newly founded Triple Alliance out of the fighting. She believed that the holy war playing out around Hiigara was not in fact the apocalyptic conflict she feared. Sure enough, just nine years after Hiigaran leader Karan S’jet defeated Makaan became the Sajuuk-Khar, the Beast returned.

Bradford brought up an image on the digital screen… it was a map of the entire Galaxy as it had been on the day the current war had begun over twenty years ago.

​

Due to the disruptive nature of the Vaygr Wars, the Galactic Community as a whole was caught flat-footed and completely unprepared. While the Hiigarans, Vaygr, and Taiidani rebuilt and retooled their military forces to fight the resurgent Beast, the Partogans and their Triple Alliance had, for the most part, born the brunt of the early fighting. To make matters worse, this incarnation of the Beast carried a different strain of the subversion virus, one that was capable of adapting and mutating at a high rate of speed. Weapons, tactics, and vaccines would only be useful for a short period of time before the Beast became resistant to them, if not outright immune.

For twenty years, the Galaxy had fought in a horrendous back and forth. The Beast would attack and spread itself as far and wide as possible, and the united empires of the Galaxy would hold the line and minimize the contagion. For the most part, the Second Hyperspace War was a very defensive conflict. Once a star system was lost to the Beast, few if any attempts were made to recapture it.

Finally, Commander Bradford had brought us all to the present. As we reached the end of the historical briefing, he concluded with this:

“I’m not going to sugarcoat this for you, soldiers. Our new allies are at their breaking point. Unlike us, they’ve been fighting a high intensity conflict with no breaks or respites for the past two decades. They’ve suffered vast casualties and destruction beyond anything we could imagine. Any other nation in this situation would have attempted to make peace with their enemy by now. Hell, I personally wouldn’t blame the Partogans and the Hiigarans if they’d contemplated surrender after fighting for this long. But that’s the thing. They’re not fighting a conventional opponent. This enemy, this Beast, is not going to stop attacking for any reason. It doesn’t care about political domination or empire building. This creature lives only to kill and eat and it won’t stop until it’s been put down. Like it or not, soldiers. Earth is going to join this war and fight the Beast as well. We don’t have a choice.”

Bradford clicked the remote control and the digital screen advanced to the next slide. I’ll admit, what I saw scared me just as much as everyone else.

​

“This,” Bradford said, “…is why the Elders were scrambling to finish developing the AVATAR Project and build up their armies. This is ‘what lies ahead.’ According to the Triple Alliance, the Beast is approximately sixteen Light Years away from Earth, and the Galactic Front Line is creeping closer every day.”

…

By the time all of the Stormbreakers had returned to the Avenger, the full story of our newest mission was made perfectly clear: The UNE government had, with a little assistance from the Triple Alliance fleet, successfully made diplomatic contact with our neighboring star nations. Earth was attempting to join the Galactic Community during a period of great turmoil and crisis, but somebody on the other end was actively working to make sure we got our metaphorical seat at the table. The government of the Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth, the nation from which our Triple Alliance allies came, had offered to sponsor a Human diplomatic mission to the Galactic Council.

The UNE government had already selected someone to be Humankind’s first ambassador to another world, but to everyone’s surprise, the new Human Envoy had refused to take the job unless they were escorted by a squad of XCOM soldiers. The Partogans had insisted that Galactic Council meetings were the most secure functions in the cosmos, and that a military escort was unnecessary. However, the Envoy had put their foot down, refusing to make the trip to Hiigara without an XCOM bodyguard. This was the exact reason we had all been called back to duty.

“The next session of the Galactic Council is set to begin in January.” Bradford told us. “That gives us roughly four months to make sure you are all sufficiently trained for the operation. From beginning to end, the entire mission will take roughly two weeks.”

“Trained?” Kathleen had scoffed, “Mate, I protected the President of the United States for eight years and took an effin’ bullet for the guy! What more trainin’ do I need?”

As it turned out, we needed a very large amount of training and preparation for a two-week spaceflight.

…

For reasons of safety, we had to go through an intense three-month long training program. Every soldier of XCOM would go through the training regimen, and then the top six would be chosen for the mission to Hiigara.

First, we had to learn our way around the modern weapon systems used by most Galactic military forces. Out with the Laser Rifles and in with gauss and plasma weapons. Those first few weeks were thankfully quite easy because the ADVENT Army had equipped itself with those weapon types, giving XCOM plenty of exposure to them. The Partogan and Assurian soldiers sent to train us were pleased with how smoothly things went.

But then came… spaceflight training. This was where the crowd got thin in a real hurry. A team of Assurians and Levakians had made us sit through nearly fifteen hours of classes, talking us through how to move and fight in a zero-gravity environment. The written test wiped out half the class, including several Stormbreakers. Sophie Ackermann and Matthew Hawkins looked nothing short of frazzled while the Levakian instructor tried to explain where they went wrong.

“You can’t count on artificial gravity plating to function one-hundred percent of the time.” The instructor had said. “You must be able to adapt quickly whenever up becomes down.”

We found out what he meant about a week later: On the last day of October, we all flew in space for the first time.

​

The Italian Peninsula viewed from Low Earth Orbit at night. Several European Megacities can be seen, including Rome and Milan.

Thanks to the retrofits and modifications provided by the Partogans, the Avenger traveled from sea level to Low Earth Orbit in just four minutes. This proved to be too much for Odette Fournier, who chose to stay strapped into her seat for the entire flight while everyone else galivanted around the ship like children at a zero-gravity party. The instructors gave up on trying to corral us pretty quickly and just allowed us all to enjoy our first experience with spaceflight.

Poor Chihiro nearly had a panic attack in the armory when she got stranded in midair. Unable to grab onto anything, she just hovered above the floor, slowly rotating on the spot and looking like she was going to puke. I had to show her how to propel herself forward by throwing something in the opposite direction she wanted to travel. Chihiro pulled one of her shoes off and gave it a toss. Without gravity to hold her in place, the force of throwing the show caused Chihiro to fly backwards and hit a wall!

“Very good, Robinson!” One of the Levakians said when he spotted what I’d taught Chihiro to do. “You must remember that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Keep that in mind if you ever find yourself about to discharge a projectile weapon in a micro-gravity environment.”

“Hold up.” Kathleen said, “Another one of Newtons laws says that things in motion will stay in motion. If we… oh, I dunno… shot Yamamoto out an airlock, would he just keep going forever?”

“Only if he was not acted on by some other force.” The instructor replied. “Barring some interference from a planet or star or other dense body, your friend would continue flying through space forever. That’s also why Mass Driver cannons are becoming less and less popular throughout the Galaxy these days. They can become predictable, and thus avoided, whereas the same cannot be said for energy-based weapons.”

…

After that first spaceflight, the class was reduced in size again. XCOM soldiers who flunked out of spaceflight training were sent out on other missions around the world, hunting down ADVENT remnants who were refusing to surrender, or just fighting the many species of feral aliens who were now out of control.

Some news trickled aboard the Avenger as well. We got word that the Hiigarans had suffered a catastrophic defeat at the hands of the Beast in a region of space called the “Nanjim Star Cluster,” which wasn’t all that far from Earth. The Beast had taken full advantage of the situation and had launched an offensive deep into Vaygr space.

Closer to home, the downfall of ADVENT had produced an unexpected side-effect. With all of the Gene Therapy clinics shut down, disease returned to Earth with a vengeance. Within two months of Earth’s liberation, we had our first new global pandemic on our hands. A wasting disease called “The Fade” began making the rounds. Strangely enough, the Fade only affected Human/alien Hybrids, leaving full-blooded Humans and aliens unharmed and prompting rumors that the Elders had engineered the Fade as some kind of “kill switch” for their Hybrid army. For a few weeks, Jericho refused to leave the Avenger for fear of catching the Fade.

There were also reports of a horde of Chrysalids being set loose in City 31, one of ADVENT’s oldest Megacities. The “Bugtown Massacre” triggered a wave of reprisal attacks all over Earth, and the upswell of violence ended up drowning out news of a far more concerning development:

Each day, there were more and more reports of freakish monsters emerging from the Pacific Ocean and attacking anyone they encountered, Human or otherwise. Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and the American west coast were among the hardest hit. Perhaps the most unsettling detail about these reports was that the attacking creatures were not being described as “aliens,” but were instead being called “monsters.” One American news reporter had dared to use the word “Lovecraftian” in his account of the coastline attacks.

Mira Mihaka heard the rumors about the attacks on the Pacific Rim and dropped out of the spaceflight training program almost immediately. Bradford had tried to stop Mira from leaving the Avenger on her own, but she wouldn’t hear any of it.

“I have a deep suspicion.” She had told us. “I will investigate and return with word of my discoveries.”

…

By the beginning of December, there were only seven XCOM soldiers left in the spaceflight training program, and they were all Stormbreakers: Jericho, Soylent Green, Tsubaki Endo, Hal Macintosh, Kathleen Walsh, Chihiro, and myself.

Tsubaki was the one surprise in the group. As it turned out, her body gave her an unexpected advantage: Both of Tsubaki’s legs had been amputated below the knee, which granted her some resistance to the effects of G-Forces. Team Takea member Elsina had offered an explanation to us:

“Ever since the first bout of space combat, organic pilots and crew have been knocked unconscious by high-G turns and maneuvers.” Elsina taught us. “Their vascular systems are overwhelmed and blood drains away from the brain. With her legs gone, Sergeant Endo’s blood has nowhere to drain, thus, it stays in her head. What that means is that while all of you pass out because the ship is spinning too fast, Endo is still going to be awake, no doubt pointing and laughing at her weak and pathetic comrades.”

Jericho was, by this point, a mandatory inclusion in the mission. Mira and Manako Ranginui had both had secret meetings with Jericho. Secretary-General Harper had also paid a visit to discuss something privately with her. It was rapidly becoming common knowledge that Jericho, Mira, and Manako were working together on some kind of secret project. Doctor Tygan was involved as well, and he was keeping tight-lipped. When pressed for information, Jericho would often avoid the question whilst pulling her hair back to reveal she was wearing a Mindshield.

“I wanna tell you guys, I really do.” Jericho answered us when we pressed her. “But we can’t tip our hand just yet.”

…

Thursday, December 20, 2035 - 7:00pm
Nagasaki Airport, Omura City, Kyushu Island

About a week before Christmas, the Avenger landed on a small Japanese island just off the coast of what had once been Nagasaki Prefecture. There was little evidence of any conflict taking place at Nagasaki Airport. The ADVENT Coalition had done its best to keep this crucial piece of transportation infrastructure up and running.

When we arrived, there was a massive UNE delegation waiting for us, as well as some Japanese government officials. Ryo Nakagawa, the Prime Minister of Japan, was waiting for us. I almost didn’t recognize him when he wasn’t dressed for battle.

“Commander Bradford! Welcome to Nagasaki!” Nakagawa greeted XCOM’s new Commander as he descended the Avenger’s ramp. “I’ve brought some good news for you.”

Nakagawa took a laptop computer from one of his aides and opened it, holding the screen forwards so that Bradford could see the video playing on it. Onscreen, a familiar shadowy silhouette delivered the first piece of good news:

“Hello Commander.” Said the Council Spokesman. “The UN Security Council has received offers from the governments of France, Japan, New Zealand, and Korea to become the new hosts of XCOM Headquarters. Following our discussions, we have decided to award the honor to Japan. XCOM will now have a permanent base of operations in the city of Nagasaki, whose primary airport is sufficiently isolated from the population center to allow XCOM to operate at normal capacity. You and your forces are authorized to occupy and repurpose Nagasaki Airport to suit your needs. Carry on, Commander.”

…

It took roughly three days for us to offload all of XCOM’s command and control systems from the Avenger and move them into what had once been the airport terminal. Commander Bradford set up his new office in the air traffic control tower. Chief Engineer Shen took over an entire hangar and converted it into her workshop, while Doctor Tygan kept the location of his new laboratory a closely guarded secret. Before we were fully moved in, our lead scientist was already traveling to Nagasaki on a daily basis, seeking out Hybrids and gathering information about the Fade.

The airport itself was located on an island about ten miles away from the Megacity of Nagasaki, and was only connected to Japan by a narrow land bridge. This meant that base security was now simpler than ever. Once the anti-aircraft cannons were installed beside the runway, it only took six soldiers to guard the main entrance each day.

Unfortunately, my team and I couldn’t go into Nagasaki just yet. We had only a few days of spaceflight training left, and we weren’t allowed to go off-duty until it was over. Nobody was more upset about this than Tsubaki. She had been born and raised in Nagasaki. Her parents had run a successful restaurant there for decades, and now she wanted nothing more than to pay a visit to her old hometown.

“Blake got to go back to Detroit and Chihiro went to Tokyo!” Tsubaki had complained to Bradford. “Can’t I get just one day off?”

“You can take some leave after you pass the final physical.” Bradford conceded.

…

Sunday, December 30, 2035 – 5:00pm


The final test of spaceflight training as a physical health examination. It didn’t surprise any of us to hear that space travel could be stressful and exhausting. Before any of us could be cleared to travel to Hiigara, Doctor Tygan would have to give us all a complete exam to make sure our bodies could handle the ordeal.

Soylent Green and Hal Macintosh passed with flying colors and were the first ones cleared for the mission. Jericho had to go through an extra layer of scrutiny. Tygan drew her blood and took a saliva sample to make sure she hadn’t caught the Fade. Once he was satisfied, she was healthy, Jericho was cleared for the mission as well. Not like he had a choice. By this point, her presence on the mission was non-negotiable.

Kathleen Walsh was also cleared for the mission, but it was a close call. Almost thirty years ago, she had been shot in the chest while doing her duty as my dad’s bodyguard. Stopping a Presidential assassination had come with a cost though, as the .22 caliber bullet was still lodged inside of her left lung to this day. Tygan ordered Walsh to have the bullet surgically removed, and a Triple Alliance medical team carried out the procedure. Reepi Imvu delivered the news of Kathleen’s full recovery personally, and she was cleared for the mission.

Chihiro and I were last, and we had our examinations one after the other. Tygan baulked when I told him just how many times I’d been seriously injured in combat. (I’ve been shot three times, had my skull cracked once, and been burned a few times) After hearing about all of the trauma I’d put my body through, Tygan said that he was going to withhold judgement on me until he had examined Chihiro.

As we traded places in the waiting area, Chihiro and I had a quick telepathic conversation:

Everyone’s been cleared except you and me. Chihiro’s voice spoke in my head. They only want six, so I guess that means one of us is gonna get disqualified.

For whatever it’s worth, Chi, I hope you pass. I responded. Exploring space seems like it could be really fun, and I think you’d enjoy it. Plus, it seems like Tygan’s not to keen on clearing me. I’ve taken too much of a beating. Good luck in there.

Thanks, Blake. I’ll do my best.

I waited for about twenty minutes, absentmindedly clicking my heels together and imagining what it would be like to travel fifteen-hundred Light Years to visit the Galactic Council. Just when my mind was starting to wander, I felt the Psionic Link between myself and Chihiro suddenly snap closed! Feeling alarmed, I stood up and started pacing in front of the office Tygan had commandeered for the medical exams. Roughly ten minutes later, Chihiro and Tygan emerged… and right away, I knew things had gone poorly for her. Chihiro wrapped her arms around me and cried into my chest while Doctor Tygan told me what was wrong:

“I’m sorry.” Tygan said. “Sergeant Tachibana is just too sickly to fly in space. Her complaints of reoccurring nausea and stomach pains are warning signs. Prolonged spaceflight might cause her lasting physical injury or worse. I cannot, in good consciousness, allow her to fly in space. Captain Robinson, the final slot on the mission to Hiigara is yours.”

…

Monday, December 31, 2035 – 4:30pm


Chihiro didn’t take her failure very well. She really did want to fly in space, and getting rejected right at the very end of the training program was a pretty harsh blow. Tsubaki, and I took it upon ourselves to cheer her up. Now that training was over, we had a few precious days to ourselves before the UN Envoy arrived and the diplomatic mission was launched. After some cajoling and pleading, we convinced Chihiro to join us on a trip into the city.

Tsubaki was more determined than ever to find her parent’s old restaurant, or what was left of it. Moving through the narrow streets, the three of us navigated our way to the part of the city where Tsubaki had once lived. As it turned out, Tsubaki’s home was in the pre-invasion sector. This was a large swathe of urban landscape that had survived the 2015 invasion mostly undamaged. ADVENT had been planning to bulldoze the area and expand their Megacity into this district, but the downfall of the Elders had prevented this. Most of this part of Nagasaki looked exactly the way it had done at the end of World War Three, worn out and dirty, but still lived in.

This little nostalgia trip did some good for Chihiro. She got into our quest to find Tsubaki’s home and participated with energy! Running ahead of us, Chihiro spotted the first landmark Tsubaki recognized.

“Meganebashi!”

When she said the name, I had to pause and think. Hanging out with Chihiro and Tsubaki for most of my life had allowed me to pick up some Japanese, and with a raised eyebrow, I said:

“Uh, Chi… you don’t wear spectacles.”

Chihiro rolled her eyes at me, then grabbed me by the hand and pulled me towards the Nakashima River. She pointed across the embankment. Meganebashi, as it turned out, was the name of a stone bridge spanning the river, linking the two halves of Nagasaki together.

“It’s the oldest stone bridge in all of Japan.” Tsubaki told us. “My mom taught me that. We could see it from the window of… the window of our restaurant.”

Tsubaki turned on her cybernetic heels, craning her neck around and looking at every nearby building in turn.

“We’re close!”

It took only two minutes of searching… and then we found it.

On the north side of Megane Bridge, there was a building with a beautiful flagstone façade. The word “Ramen” was repeated in English and Japanese above the door. As for the restaurant… we couldn’t get in. There was a line of Humans, Mutons, Vipers, and assorted Hybrids out the door. Every few seconds, a Human, alien, or Hybrid would leave the restaurant carrying a takeout bag filled with something that smelled positively divine! We quickly found out what was going on, a huge sign in one window declared:

“Emergency food dispensary
Free food for homeless or unemployed (and Fade victims)
All of our Chryssalid meat is fully cooked!
Our food is safe for all Humans, Hybrids, Faceless, Vipers and Mutons.
FOOD NOT SAFE FOR SECTOIDS, ANDROMEDONS.”​

Tsubaki let out a low whistle.

“My mom would totally get a kick out of this. I wonder why Sectoids and Andromedons can’t eat our food?”

A passing Human/Viper Hybrid had the answer we wanted.

“Nearly all Earth-based food is poisonous to Sectoids.” The Adder told us. “And as for the Andromedons, they’re not a talkative bunch. Figuring out what they can eat has been pretty-much trial-and-error for the past six months.”

…

After that encounter, Chihiro’s urge to explore finally seemed to eclipse her sorrow at losing out on the chance to fly in space. The three of us continued to wander around Nagasaki for hours, exploring the city and seeing just how much twenty years of alien occupation had changed the place.

We passed through a newly created “alien ghetto” where the non-Human population had been forced to live in the aftermath of ADVENT’s downfall. UN Army soldiers guarded the ghetto entrance and inspected everybody going in or out. We also found a field hospital where former Gene Therapy clinic workers were attempting to triage Hybrids suffering from the Fade.

“Sure glad Jericho didn’t come with us.” I said as we watched a Human/Sectoid Hybrid stumble into the site, his muscles atrophied to the point where his flesh seemed to just hang from the bones.

The three of us just kept wandering aimlessly, taking in as much of the city as we could. Finally, while we were following the Nakashima river downstream towards the docks, Chihiro got something off her chest.

“I’m really jealous of you two, you know that?”

“Yeah, I figured so.” I answered.

“You’re not mad at me?”

“Not at all.” I said. “I’d be jealous, too.”

The three of us paused by the riverbank and tossed some stones into the water.

“Look at this this way,” I said. “We’re only going to be gone for a couple of weeks, and Elsina said we can use the Hyperwave Relay to stay in touch with Earth the whole time. The Partogans are installing one at HQ tonight. It’s not going to be like World War Three, Chi. We’re not going to be cut off completely.”

“Yeah!” Tsubaki chimed in. “Blake can share the experience with you, every step of the way. He’ll call you every day, and I’ll make sure he does. Promise.”

Chihiro sighed.

“I guess you’re right. I’ll be sitting by that Hyperwave, Blake. Every day. Tsubaki, if he forgets to call, you can punch him in the gut for me, alright?”

Tsubaki let out a mischievous giggle and put up her fists.

“Hear that, Robinson? I’m gonna be watching you!”

I raised an eyebrow at Tsubaki. She made a quick jabbing motion with one fist and I took half a step back. Pulling her punch, Tsubaki giggled again and added:

“Two for flinching!”

Then she punched me in the arm twice.

…

Once the sun had dropped completely below the horizon; we reluctantly started the trek back to XCOM HQ. Chihiro had completely run out of energy and was leaning on my shoulder, lazily putting one foot in front of the other was we moved through downtown Nagasaki. None of us acknowledged the old government building as we walked past it, but someone in there definitely noticed us.

We hadn’t gone more than fifty feet past the government building when a convoy of vehicles emerged and pulled up on the road alongside us. It was an Old World limousine escorted by more modern UN Army vehicles. Tsubaki, Chihiro and I stopped walking and looked around as a man in a business suit stepped out of the limo and waved at us.

“Robinson! Tachibana! Endo!”

The three of us gasped and had to hold back laughter. Commander Bradford looked to have completely transformed! The leader of XCOM was now clean-shaven, had gotten a haircut, and was dressed up for a formal meeting. We might as well have been staring at a completely different person.

“We were just heading back to HQ.” I responded. “Had ourselves some time off.”

“Well you’re in luck.” Bradford called back. “We’re escorting the UN Envoy to Headquarters right now. Hop in and we’ll take you the rest of the way!”

Feeling grateful for the lift, the three of us climbed into the limousine and the convoy started to roll again. The first thing we noticed when we sat down was that Jericho was sitting next to Bradford in the limo, dress up in the ceremonial uniform of the Hawaiian National Army, complete with decorative ribbons and a small medal. Jericho smiled at us and said:

“I guess it’s good luck we ran into you tonight. Saves me the trouble of tracking you down to tell you the news.”

Before we could reply, Bradford spoke up, addressing someone else:

“Well, this is rather fortuitous, ma’am. You see the man and the woman with the cybernetic legs? Those two individuals will be part of your new bodyguard.”

“A very interesting choice.” Said a female voice that caused my heart to skip a beat. “Was it intentional, Bradford? Did you really have to pick someone who has such a… sordid history with me?”

I eyes widening, I looked up, following the sultry voice to its source. Sitting on Bradford’s left was a woman I had not seen since the fall of XCOM over twenty years ago. She looked radically different. She was much older now, and was starting to show the smallest, earliest wrinkles on the corners of her eyes. The woman was wearing a sleeveless dress, the kind of thing you’d expect to see at a formal dinner party, with a plunging neckline that revealed most of her upper chest. My eyes locked on a spot just above her left breast, where I saw three scars that instantly confirmed her identity for me.

“I apologize, ma’am.” Bradford said quickly. “I wasn’t expecting you to know each other.”

Then the Commander turned to us.

“Well, Captain Robinson, I guess you’ve already met Humankind’s first ambassador to an alien world, this is…”

“Yes.” I cut Bradford off. “We’ve… already met.”

The Envoy regarded me with a thoughtful gaze. She raised one hand to cover the gunshot wounds I had left in her chest so long ago. For a moment, I had a very quick flashback to that night in Hiroshima, when this woman had revealed herself to be a Soviet spy. It all felt so very long ago now.

In a polite tone, Yukiko Takahashi said:

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance once again, Robinson. I hope this will be the beginning of a respectful and courteous relationship, devoid of whatever hostilities we shared in the past.”

In the back of my mind, Chihiro telepathically said:

Suddenly, I don’t feel as bad about missing the trip.

The uncomfortable silence lasted for just a few seconds before Jericho broke it.

“Uh, anyway. Blake, Chi, Tsubaki… they said I can finally tell you what’s going on.”

I swear I was going through some kind of mood whiplash! Chihiro and I looked back and forth from Bradford to Yukiko, dumbfounded. Tsubaki’s mouth just kinda hung open. The Commander and the Envoy both nodded at Jericho.

“Go ahead.” Bradford said. “The news is going to leak out sooner or later.”

“And in this case,” Yukiko added, “We can use such a leak to our benefit. Tell them as much as you like.”

Jericho leaned in towards Chihiro, Tsubaki and I:

“Ever since we got back from Hawaii, I’ve been helping the Partogans develop a Psionic Superweapon… a weapon that only I can operate.”

“Only you!?” Tsubaki repeated. “Why?”

“That explanation will have to come later.” Jericho answered with an uncomfortable look. “Mira and the Ranginui twins are confident that it’ll turn the tide and help us kill the Beast. But there’s one really huge problem: there materials we need to build this thing aren’t naturally found on Earth. We need Elerium, Meld, Zro, Protodermis, Nanites, and Aetherium.”

“We can get Elerium and Meld by salvaging ADVENT starships.” Bradford explained. “Elerium powers nearly all of the Elders’ technology, and Meld is the bonding agent that makes genetic manipulation so easy. Hell, there’s so much Meld in Jericho’s body we might get the amount we need just by drawing her blood.”

“Protodermis and Aetherium both occur naturally on Partoga.” Jericho added. “The first is a metallic liquid while the other is a highly energetic type of crystal. Makara Ranginui promised to go to her Homeworld and collect a large stockpile of both, then bring it back here. That’s why the Mahuika left so suddenly a few months ago.”

“Nanites, well we can make those ourselves.” Yukiko said, “But it takes time, and the Partogans have said that other spacefaring empires have Nanites of their own we might be able to trade for. Zro is an aerosol gas that, when inhaled, enhances the powers of Gifted people. Doctor Tygan thinks we might be able to harvest it from the atmosphere of Uranus or Neptune.”

Jericho squirmed with excitement.

“Sorry.” She said quickly. “When I was little, Neptune was my favorite planet. Always wanted to visit. Anyway, getting ahold of all this stuff is going to be crucial. Without these resources, the Trinity won’t work.”

“The Trinity?” I repeated. “That’s what the weapon is called?”

Jericho nodded.

“This will be the first Psionic weapon of its kind.” She explained. “I thought it was only appropriate to name it after the first atomic bomb.”

<== Previous Chapter (Demon's Den)

Next Chapter (Creeps from the Deep) ==>​

 

[HistoryDude]

"It was only appropriate to name it after the first atomic bomb" - Well, that's ominous.

The reminiscing was nice, and it was interesting to see the calm before the storm.

Also, if there is so much information on the Earth-Partoga connection, how has nobody figured out that Partogans are Humans?

Also, the many wars across the galaxy in recent years weren't great for preparedness. United We Stand, Divided We Fall...

 

[Macavity116]

Also, if there is so much information on the Earth-Partoga connection, how has nobody figured out that Partogans are Humans?

Some people are starting to put two and two together, but the war is proving to be one hell of a distraction. The Ranginui twins, Secretary-General Harper, and Mira are currently the closet ones to realizing the truth.

It was only appropriate to name it after the first atomic bomb" - Well, that's ominous.

Incredibly. Especially when the rest of the Galaxy is already engaged in a race for Superweapons. The Tryna and Nomad Moon II are both still out there somewhere.

 

[Macavity116]

<== Previous Chapter (Brave New World)

Next Chapter (The Galactic Council) ==>​

Chapter Twenty-Eight
Creeps from the Deep

​

The Deep One awaits.

Friday, January 4, 2036 - 9:00am
XCOM Headquarters, Nagasaki City, Kyushu Island


“Uh, Chi? You don’t need to do that. I’m only going to be gone for two weeks.”

Chihiro Tachibana had just finished giving her husband a very intense nonverbal goodbye. Jericho laughed and grabbed Blake’s duffel bag.

“You take your time, Robinson.” She said. “I’ll see you on board.”

Carrying her own things as well, Jericho stepped up the boarding ramp of the Partogan Assault Frigate Kakama. Manako Ranginui greeted her at the entrance hatch with a welcoming gesture. Meanwhile, Blake unstrapped his Katana from its place on his back and passed it to his wife.

“Ranginui made it very clear we can’t take large weapons with us.” Blake explained. “We can’t have anything bigger than a pistol. Can I trust you to hold onto this while I’m gone?”

“Of course!” Chihiro replied.

She reached out to take the sword, but Blake held it back and added:

“Chi, are you going to be okay with this thing? Is the voice going to be a problem?”

“Of course not.” Chihiro sighed. “You worried I’m gonna fall in love with it or something?”

The couple stared at one another for a moment, then burst into laughter. Blake handed over the Katana.

“I’m really going to miss you, Chi.”

“Me too. You still wanna trade places?”

“Damn right I do.” Blake replied. “I’d much rather chase down weird monsters in the Pacific than protect Yukiko Takahashi. Having that traitorous bitch around takes all the fun out of flying in space!”

Chihiro stuck out her tongue at Blake.

“Well too bad, ‘cause I don’t wanna hang out with Yukiko either! Plus, I actually like the ocean! And you never learned how to swim!”

“Don’t rub it in.” Blake ruffled Chihiro’s hair. “I’ll see you in a couple weeks, alright?”

“Fine.” Chihiro pretended to pout. “But if you’re one second late, Mister Robinson, you’re gonna catch hell.”

“Two weeks.” Blake promised. “I promise. And we’ll all get a hot meal at Tsubaki’s place, okay?”

“I’ll hold you to that!”

…

After one last round of “I love you’s” and a goodbye kiss, Blake ascended the ramp and entered the Kakama. Chihiro and the other XCOM soldiers who were going to remain behind withdrew to the safe interior of Nagasaki Airport’s terminal. Once the runway was clear and the last passengers had boarded, the Assault Frigate’s engines roared to life and the ship took to the sky. Chihiro watched the starship until it was completely gone from her sight. Then she stepped away from the window and headed towards the armory.

As she walked, Chihiro used a length of parachute cord to tie Hachiman the Demon Katana to her belt. No sooner had her hand touched the handle did the demon within speak up:

“Ogawa’s eyes lingered on your husband for far too long. A sharp sting of pain will teach the lecherous harlot to avert her gaze.”

“Feeling vindictive today, are we?” Chihiro muttered to the blade.

She snatched a quick glance down the hallway, where Akaya Ogawa and her friend Anna Petrova were comparing Laser Rifles. Concluding that Hachiman was just trying to provoke her, Chihiro moved on.

In the new XCOM armory, a meeting was already in progress. Commander Bradford was having a discussion with Mira Mihaka and Geist, the Templar leader. Geist was accompanied by a Caucasian woman with vivid red hair, purple eyes, and a large series of dark purple tattoos across the right side of her face. Several other XCOM soldiers were present as well. British soldier Holly Smith was in attendance as well, her brand-new cybernetic hands stood out in the dim room, reflecting light like a window pane.

When Chihiro entered the armory, a wave of clapping was just starting to die down. The gathered soldiers were celebrating a promotion. Holly Smith turned away from Commander Bradford and addressed the troops:

“Thank you, Commander, for giving me the opportunity to serve as your Central Officer.” Holly was saying. “I hope I can bring a sense of continuity and stability to this transition.”

While the meeting resumed, Chihiro spotted a soldier from her squad and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Psst! Hawkins! If Smith is the new XO, then who’s our squad leader now?”

“It’s me.” Matthew replied in a hushed tone. “They’re taking about giving Robinson his own squad when he gets back in a couple weeks. Of course, all this is pending what they decide to do with Yamamoto.”

“What happened to him?”

“Your husband spilled the beans, told Bradford that Yamamoto was trying to get frisky with Jericho. Now I heard Bradford’s gonna take disciplinary action. Possible demotion. Dismissal’s in the cards, too.”

Chihiro gripped the Katana handle, and at the exact same moment, both she and Hachiman had the same thought:

“Justice!”

Meanwhile, Commander Bradford, Central Officer Smith, and Geist were giving the soldiers of XCOM an update on the mysterious Pacific Ocean anomaly.

“A vortex of Psionic energy is beginning to form here, south of the Hawaiian Islands.” Geist pointed to a map of the Pacific. “Furthermore, several Psionic constructs are beginning to spring up along the Pacific Rim, all monolithic in shape. They all seem to be having the same effect.”

“Amphibious monsters are emerging from the sea and attacking everyone in the area.” Bradford continued. “They’re not just going after Humans. We’ve had reports that Hybrids and aliens alike are being targeted just as frequently. Furthermore, XCOM operatives in the combat zones are reporting strange details about these new enemies.”

Central Officer Smith clicked a remote control, and a large television screen on the wall activated. In the image, Chihiro and the others could see XCOM’s chief scientist, Doctor Tygan, conducting an autopsy on one of these dead monsters while several other scientists assisted.

The monster itself was so terrifying to look at that Chihiro felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The creature was unlike anything Mankind had ever seen before. Its central body was an amorphous, wrinkled, prune-like mass of flesh and hide, nearly five feet in length. Eight long and thin tentacles emerged from the bottom of the body, each one nearly twelve feet long. Finally, this monster had a beak, not unlike the ones found on squids… but this beak was utterly massive! It was the size of Chihiro’s head!

As he cut into the creature with a bone saw, Doctor Tygan spoke aloud, his voice piped into the armory for all to hear:

“Not even the depths of a Lovecraftian nightmare could spawn a creature like this.” Tygan mused. “No comparison to any Earthbound animal exists, nor can I conceive of an environment where this kind of life might evolve naturally. The ridges along this creature’s head and spine are loaded with one of the most powerful nerve agents I’ve ever seen. Our soldiers in the field refer to this being as a ‘Tentaculat’ and report that its neurotoxin is capable of incapacitating even the largest Mutons in a matter of seconds. While that is terrifying enough, it appears that these creatures follow a similar reproductive pattern to Chrysalids, as any creature unlucky enough to be poisoned by this being will transmutate into a copy of the creature in front of me. I cannot believe I am saying this, but the Chrysalids actually have a modicum of mercy in comparison to the Tentaculat, as their victims are deceased during the reproductive process, whereas all documented victims of this creature were very much alive during the transmutation. Commander, I advise our soldiers to engage this creature at maximum range. Allowing it to draw near is a fatal mistake.”

Central Officer Smith paused the video and addressed the troops.

“This is just one of the many nightmares being spawned by the Pacific anomaly.” She said. “The Templars and UN Army are fighting back and for the most part, they’re holding the line.”

“But there’s one problem,” Bradford chimed in, “Triple Alliance ships in orbit have been able to look directly down into the Pacific Anomaly. They’ve observed that all of these new monsters are originating directly from either the anomaly itself or one of the Psionic Monoliths on the Pacific Rim. The Monoliths themselves appear to be Psionically tethered to the anomaly. All of this means that these monsters might just continue to appear indefinitely, regardless of how many we kill, until that anomaly is shut down.”

Bradford clicked the remote and advanced the big screen to a new image. Chihiro and the others gasped at what they saw.

“Psionic Vortex” was not the word Chihiro would have used to describe what was happening to the Pacific Ocean. She would have called it “Maelstrom.” It seemed as though the Pacific was being drained. Water and clouds alike swirled around a single point to the south of Hawaii. It looked like the beginning of the end of the world.

“At the center of that vortex,” Geist said. “There is some kind of Psionic entity. My followers felt its influence when they approached the Monoliths on the American west coast, and when we used our Psionics to invade the minds of these terrors from the deep, we found that they were all under the Psionic domination of something they referred to as ‘The Deep One.’ I myself meditated on the Deep One for days, and I was brought a vision of the foe. I believe it to be made from pure energy, not unlike the Outsiders we fought twenty-one years ago.”

To her left, Chihiro saw Mira twitch uncomfortably. After a moment’s hesitation, she stepped forward.

“Pardon me,” Mira interrupted. “I think I might have encountered something similar to this before.”

Geist stood to one side and gave Mira the floor. The former Chosen Assassin addressed the group at large:

“During my travels throughout the Galaxy, long before coming to Earth, I visited a realm called the Shroud. It is another plane of existence, somewhere above Hyperspace. The Shroud itself is made from pure Psionic energy, and it is populated with beings made from energy, such as you describe. This Deep One your followers learned of remind me strongly of the inhabitants of the Shroud.”

The red-haired woman stepped forward.

“Pardon me,” Geist said. “Violet, one of my newer followers, has a burning question for you.”

Violet spoke in an off-kilter tone that reminded Chihiro of Kailani Kalili.

“I can tell from the echoes in your mind that you have faced one such being in battle. What was it like?”

Giving in to her curiosity, Chihiro allowed her mind to wander, quite literally. Almost absentmindedly, she telepathically slipped inside of Mira’s mind. While Mira talked, a series of images flashed in front of Chihiro’s eyes, pulled directly from Mira’s memory.

“It was the most frightened I’ve ever been in my life.” Mira admitted.

Tens of thousands of Partogans advanced towards the flaming wreckage of what had once been a fortress.

“…There was no way for me to know what I’d gotten myself into. Even less so for my friends…”

Two soldiers fired their rifles into an enemy until they ran out of bullets. Then the enemy stood up and attacked!

“…You all need to understand, the creatures of the Shroud are capable of violence and destruction on a scale you can’t comprehend…”

A being of incomprehensible violence annihilated a whole company of soldiers in a matter of seconds.

“…I made a bargain with one of those creatures, and so did my enemy. But he didn’t keep his end of the deal, so when the time came to pay up…”

A terrified old man was dragged backwards into a Psionic Rift by a nightmare-inducing appendage.

“But in the end, I paid a much bigger price for a victory that turned out to be completely meaningless.”

A wide column of smoke rose from a nearby mountain top.

Mira fell silent. She seemed to just stare blankly into space for a moment, and then Chihiro realized the flow of memories had stopped. Mira had noticed the intrusion. Central Officer Smith frowned and folded her arms.

“This sounds serious. If one of those ‘Shroud-entities’ is really behind the Pacific Anomaly, we could be in for a serious fight. Doubly so if Geist’s nightmare turns out to be any measure of true.”

Duane Gardner put one hand on Geist’s shoulder and said:

“We’ve got a whole army supporting us now, let’s put that firepower to use!”

Murmurs of agreement and assent went around the armory, but Commander Bradford shook his head.

“I don’t think so.” He said. “Don’t forget we have a much bigger and far more dangerous enemy coming our way already. In order to defeat the Beast, Humanity needs to devote as many resources as possible to building up our military might and to supporting our new allies as they begin to arrive. This diversion will undermine both goals. We simply can’t afford to send a large force to investigate whatever’s turning the Pacific into a Psionic hellhole.”

“We don’t need a large force, Bradford.” Geist countered. “A small force of Templars would be more than sufficient to find and kill this so-called ‘Deep One.’ This will leave you free to begin preparations for what lies ahead.”

“Commander, I urge you to listen to Geist.” Mira chimed in. “We’ve all seen what Templars and their weapons are capable of. In this case, the most surgical of strikes will strike a deadly blow. And if my theory is correct, then the enemy won’t be prepared for us at all.”

Mira then turned to address Geist and Violet.

“If the Deep One is what I suspect them to be, you will be forced to improvise a strategy on short notice, but victory should still be within reach. I request that I be allowed to join your expedition.”

“And we’ll be glad to have you.” Geist replied.

“Any ally of Jericho is a friend of the Templars.” Violet added. “And if Geist insists I apply that rule to non-Humans, then who am I to argue?”

“Me too! I’ll come!” Chihiro stepped forward to volunteer.

Mira looked around at Chihiro and raised one eyebrow.

“You’re back!” she said. “I take it Blake and Jericho are on their way to Hiigara, then?”

“Yeah, they just left a few minutes ago.” Chihiro replied, “Manako says they’ll be back home in a couple weeks if everything goes according to plan. Till then, I want in.”

Duane, Mira, Geist, and Violet all gave Chihiro a surprised look.

“The fight against the Deep One, or the Leviathan, or Geist’s nightmare, or whatever the hell we’re calling it today. I want in.” Chihiro clarified.

“Are you sure you want to come with us?” Mira asked. “We’re going into uncharted territory. Uncharted for myself, even; and if she were here, Akira would say the same. I cannot emphasize enough that this has never happened before… in any of the last 115 Cycles. I cannot guarantee your safety, let alone your survival.”

Chihiro gripped the handle of Hachiman to show her commitment to the fight. The demon hidden within the Katana sapped away all of her uncertainties and fears, replacing those feelings with confidence and no small measure of bloodlust.

“No one knows how this story will end anymore.” Chihiro answered. “Not even Akira, and I couldn’t be happier with that.”

…

Sunday, January 6, 2036 – 2:20pm
Ruins of Hanga Roa, Easter Island, South Pacific Ocean


The mixed force of XCOM, Triple Alliance, and UN Army soldiers dropped off by the first wave of airships were greeted by humid saltwater breezes and nothing else. The island’s native population had been forcibly removed by the aliens during the rise of the ADVENT Coalition.

Hanga Roa was the only town on the island. Two decades ago, some 6,000 people had lived here amongst the short, rounded hilltops where extinct volcanoes were cool and silent. There wasn’t much in the way of vegetation beyond grass and knee-height shrubbery, although some trees could be spotted here or there. The town itself had fallen into complete ruin and would have escaped XCOM’s notice if not for the sight on the western horizon.

The outermost edge of the Psionic vortex could be seen from here. Swirling black and purple clouds flashed with lightning and the occasional rumble of thunder could be heard over the noise of waves crashing against the beach. This was why XCOM had taken an interest in Easter Island. Commander Bradford’s plan was to set up a permanent base of operations here, so that XCOM could respond more quickly to the Pacific Anomaly as well as any sea monster attacks.

When Chihiro stepped off the UN Army dropship, she took a deep breath of fresh air… and immediately felt as though she was going to vomit.

“Everything here is wrong.” Sophie Ackermann commented as she joined Chihiro. “The sky, the sea… hell, even the grass is the wrong shade of brown.”

Keeping their weapons at a low ready, the Stormbreakers fanned out to secure the landing zone. Sophie and Sophia stayed together while Matthew, Isis, and Chihiro moved in a triangular formation. Odette and Mira each took one of the flanks. Behind them, a Triple Alliance dropship moved to deposit a squad of Levakians, Partogans, and Kelt engineers.

Try as she might, Chihiro’s head just wasn’t in the game right now. She was having another bout of nausea, and every few steps, she had to fight the urge to throw up. Luckily, this island seemed to be nice and quiet…

“I found one!” Sophia shouted. “I think it’s dead!”

The squad started to converge on Sophia’s position, Chihiro gritted her teeth and followed as best she could.

Sophia Kuznetsova had found a dead sea monster. It was a bipedal Human-shaped amphibian with green scales, webbed toes and fingers, and a cobra-like hood around its neck and head. When Sophia poked the creature with her rifle, its flesh seemed to squish around like slime.

“I think Doctor Tygan’s calling these things ‘Gillmen.’” Isis said.

Sophie gasped and pointed to an injury on the Gillman’s chest.

“Look! This thing’s been shot!”

“That’s not possible.” Mira sounded worried. “We were the first ones on the island! How was this creature killed before we arrived?”

Matthew stood up and aimed his Rotary Laser Cannon into the nearby hills.

“Could someone be out there?”

“No way.” Isis replied. “This island’s been deserted for two decades! That’s why Bradford picked it for our new base: isolated and uninhabited.”

“Everyone, fan out and search slowly.” Matthew ordered. “The second you find anything of interest, yell out.”

…

Within an hour of arriving, nearly four hundred soldiers, engineers, and scientists had landed on Easter Island. Central Officer Smith took over the ruins of Hotel Rangahoa, the largest hotel complex on the island, and ordered her engineers to convert it into her new Command Center. Meanwhile, UN Army soldiers began to clear out every building in the ruined town, making sure the place really was as empty as it seemed…

And yet the monster bodies began to pile up. Chihiro and her squadmates found over a dozen more dead Gillmen, all shot to death. They also came across a gigantic dead nautilus, its body measuring almost eight feet from end to end, riddled with medium-caliber bullet holes. Up on the northern coastline, Duane, Violet, and Geist found a stretch of rocky coastline absolutely covered in translucent orange jellyfish. Just like all of the other sea creatures, somebody had taken a firearm to these as well.

The Stormbreakers and Templars reconvened a few hours later near the top of Terevaka, the tallest of three extinct volcanoes that made up Easter Island. From their vantage point nearly 1600 feet above sea level, Chihiro and her companions had a commanding view of the entire island.

“I think we can all agree that there was some kind of massacre here.” Geist began. “This island is not as deserted as we thought. Someone is here, and they are hiding from us.”

“Agreed.” Sophia said. “But how do we flush them out?”

Chihiro was itching for a fight, and she tried to voice her agreement with Sophia. But when she opened her mouth, another wave of nausea forced her to pause and take some deep breaths instead.

“We might not need to do that.” Mira interjected. “Our forces are vast, the entire island will be overrun before the end of day. I advise patience.”

…

The Stormbreakers and Templars rejoined the main body of soldiers and once again resumed searching the island. Sometime in the late afternoon, a mass grave was found. Nearly fifty undersea monsters had been hastily buried beneath two feet of dirt after being machine gunned to death. Finally given a legitimate reason to do so, Chihiro vomited until her stomach was empty.

“This is insane!” Chihiro gasped. “This is fucking insane! Who the hell is doing this!?”

She might not be feeling nauseous anymore, but Chihiro certainly didn’t feel better. And whenever she brushed her hand against Hachiman’s handle, the Demon Sword would offer its unique perspective on the situation:

“Be on guard. The mysterious enemy of your enemy is capable of doing the same to you.”

…

By the time the sun started to go down, the whole of Easter Island was under XCOM control, a Forward Operating Base had been set up in Hanga Roa, and Kelt engineers had started to deploy deep scanning equipment to try and find anyone hiding underground.

But as it turned out, those scanners wouldn’t be necessary.

While walking back to the FOB along the southern coastline the Stormbreakers, now tired and worn out, were passing the time by chatting with some Triple Alliance soldiers who were headed in the same direction. In the six months that had passed since Operation Avenger, efforts had been made to teach the Triple Alliance forces how to speak English, and in turn, the Galactic Common had been introduced on Earth.

The Galactic Common was an artificial language manufactured by a now-extinct alien race called the Bentusi, and its sole purpose was to lift language barriers between species. Mira had explained that the Common language was more effective when paired with Psionics, so tonight’s interactions were made more fluid by Mira and Chihiro’s presence. When Chihiro asked the Triple Alliance soldiers what they were talking about, they were able to understand her words and respond in a way she could understand as well.

“I was just telling Amako here that we’ve got a village on Aoraki named Hanga Roa.” An Assurian soldier told Chihiro. “A lot of people are getting spooked by just how much Partogans and Humans have got in common. It’s really starting to look like the Progenitors made a pair of duplicate races.”

“We’re too close for any of this to be a coincidence.” The Partogan named Amako admitted. “We have to be related. Coming here convinced me.”

“Coming to Earth convinced you?” Sophia repeated. “How?”

“No, not Earth in general.” Amako clarified. “I mean this island. It looks so much like Hawaiki.”

Amako turned to his Partogan comrades.

“You guys see it, right? This place is almost exactly the same! Same as the picturebooks!”

All of the Partogans in the group nodded and vocalized their agreement. Isis raised her hand.

“Excuse me, what is Hawaiki?”

Mira offered up the answer.

“It’s our Ancestral Homeland.” She said. “Everyone learns from a young age that Partogans migrated to Partoga and Levakia from a lost island across the sea. When we die, our spirits will return to Hawaiki to be with our forebears. Amako, are you talking about the pictures from the storybooks in the Royal Library?”

Amako nodded.

“One and the same, ma’am. Those books are required reading for first year schoolkids, at least they are for kids in the Capitol City.”

The two groups paused. They had just turned a corner in the path and come upon a giant stone Moai: a statue carved by the original natives of the island, the Rapa Nui. Sadly, by 2036, the Rapa Nui people were completely extinct, leaving no one to explain the significance of the statue.

​

A toppled Moai on Easter Island is a much more common sight than an upright one. Hundreds of these statues can be found all across the island, some in groups, some standing alone.

The Moai itself had toppled forward and was resting on its side. Moss and lichens growing on the stone suggested the statue had fallen over an extremely long time ago, well before the first Alien Invasion. A female Partogan stepped forward and brushed her hand on the fallen statue.

“Back home on Aoraki,” She breathed. “There’s giant mural painted on the side of the Mahurangi Church of the Mountain. It’s supposed to be a painting of the Hawaiki landscape, and it looks so much like these Pacific Islands. There’s so much in common: the hills, rocks, the waves and sky. It’s all so similar.”

Amako pointed to his comrade and said:

“Lani proves my point. Our people are clearly related to yours.”

Chihiro opened her mouth to ask another question, but she was cut off by a panicked shout from further down the path!

“Sergeant Tachibana! Squaddie Mihaka! Get down here!”

Running down the path in the rapidly fading light, Chihiro and Mira came upon a grizzly scene. A Gillman was lying in the middle of the path, the blood in the dirt still fresh enough to attract all manner of insects. Sophia Kuznetsova was kneeling next to the body, tracing the outline of a footprint with her finger.

“The killer was just here.” Sophia reported. “We didn’t miss him by much.”

Moving impulsively, Chihiro knelt down and put both of her hands on the corpse. It was disturbingly warm to the touch. Concentrating and focusing her mind, Chihiro tried to siphon the Gillman’s last vestiges of Psionic energy into herself.

Nothing.

Frustrated, Chihiro tried again, digging her fingernails into the Gillman’s slimy scales, but to no avail. Finally, Mira gently nudged Chihiro out of the way.

“May I?”

Kneeling down next to the dead Gillman, Mira gently touched the body with one hand and waited for a few seconds. Then she opened her eyes and looked up at the squad.

“I’ve got something. The creature died very recently; the Psionic energy is still… fresh.”

Mira closed her eyes and took a deep, meditative breath while Chihiro tried to hide her embarrassment and disappointment. Then, Mira straightened up.

“Follow me, and put out a call for backup.” Mira informed the group. “I’ve found our killers.”

…

​

The only difference between Vahlen's first volcano base and the second one is that this time around the volcano is extinct.

Sunday, January 6, 2036 – 8:30pm
Rano Kau, Easter Island, South Pacific Ocean

Nearly two hundred soldiers had converged on Rano Kau by the time Chihiro and the Stormbreakers arrived. Central Officer Smith was having a conversation with a UN Army commander while a Triple Alliance warship flew in circles around the site.

Rano Kau was a volcanic crater lake, located on the southern end of Easter Island. The encroaching soldiers weren’t interested in the lake itself, however. On Mira’s tip-off, all of their focus and effort was now being directed towards the southern wall of the crater, where the long-dead volcano bordered the ocean. A UN airship trained its guns on the seaside cliffs while special forces prepare to climb down the inland side. Mira led the Stormbreakers along the upper rim of the crater, moving towards one particular point on the cliffside. Over one mile away, on the other side of the crater, Geist did the same, leading his force of Templars towards the same point in a pincer movement.

On Central Officer Smith’s signal, the three teams moved together. The special forces, Templars, and Stormbreakers all surged towards their target, a sealed bunker doorway embedded in the bottom of the cliff. Lengthening her stride, Chihiro reached the bunker door first and banged on it as loudly as she could with the stock of her pistol.

“Open up!” She yelled. “This is XCOM! We know you’re in there! Come out with your hands up! We don’t wanna hurt you and I’m sure you don’t wanna fight, so make this easy on yourself!”

As all of the other soldiers reached the bunker door, Duane patted Chihiro on the shoulder.

“Nice.” He commented. “Ever considered a career in law enforcement?”

“Someone’s coming!” Violet gasped.

“I sense it too.” Mira said.

A moment later, Chihiro picked up on it as well. Her Psionics allowed Chihiro to detect a single unarmed person about to open the bunker from the inside. They had no intention of fighting.

“Everyone, stand down!” Chihiro barked. “They’re not armed!”

“Templars, likewise!” Geist ordered. “I sense no hostile intent.”

With a loud groan of metal, the bunker door swung open, revealing a European woman in her late 50’s or early 60’s. She had greying hair, a long face, and quite a stern expression. She looked Chihiro up and down and then began to speak in a voice that flitted back and forth between a French and German accent:

“Corporal Tachibana, female, forty years old. Although I must say, doesn’t look her age today. Younger, much younger.”

Doctor Moria Vahlen, XCOM’s previous chief scientist, completely ignored the hundreds of soldiers and weapons arrayed against her and continued to examine Chihiro. Sophia stepped forward and tried to interrupt, but Vahlen just talked over her. In fact, Vahlen seemed to be talking to herself more than anyone else. She grabbed Chihiro’s free hand and started poking and prodding.

“Hmm, let’s see. Rudimentary Meld-based Genetic Modifications, clearly some of my earlier work. Adaptive bone marrow for rapid healing yet no complementary skin enhancements… tch, was I really so naïve twenty years ago?”

Chihiro cleared her throat loudly and tried to speak:

“Doctor Vahlen, it’s been twenty years-”

“Oui, Oui. Its impressive how little you’ve aged since then, Corporal.” Vahlen carried on, drowning out Chihiro’s voice. “If I had to guess, I’d say you don’t look a day over nineteen. Now it looks like you’ve put on an extra five or six pounds, but that will clearly be gone in short order.”

Vahlen grabbed Chihiro’s arm, and made her hold it out in front of her. Then the former chief scientist pressed a hand to Chihiro’s neck, applying pressure to the scar tissue which covered Chihiro’s old bullet wound. Geist and Duane looked at one another, confused. Duane tried to catch Vahlen’s attention:

“Excuse me ma’am.” He said, “we’re from XCOM!”

“Oh, come now, this is a disgrace!” Vahlen ignored Duane completely and focused on Chihiro’s old neck scar. “I must apologize, Corporal Tachibana. Clearly my early attempts at rapid healing gene mods were not my best work, otherwise you would have lost that scar long ago.”

“I was shot through the neck!” Chihiro protested. “That kind of scar doesn’t go away overnight! And by the way, I’m a Sergeant and I’m going on twenty-one!”

“Aren’t we all?” Vahlen quipped absentmindedly. Then her tone changed to something more businesslike: “Well Sergeant Tachibana, these Genetic Modifications are simply unacceptable in the modern day. I insist you come inside immediately! We’ll give your Genetic Modifications the proper overhaul you so desperately need.”

And without paying the smallest bit of attention to the surrounding army, Doctor Vahlen released her hold on Chihiro, turned around and started to re-enter the bunker. Just before she vanished from view, Vahlen said over her shoulder,

“Come along, Tachibana, follow me! Oh, and just for the record: if you need new Genetic Modifications, you need only ask. There’s no need to bring the whole verdammt Wehrmacht.”

…

Sunday, January 6, 2036 – 8:45pm
Vahlen’s (Second) Secret Volcano Lair, Easter Island, South Pacific Ocean


“Two. You had two lairs!? And why the hell are we calling them lairs now!?”

Commander Bradford was utterly lost for words.

“You seem shocked, Bradford.” Vahlen replied nonchalantly.

“Normal people don’t live in underground lairs, Vahlen!” Bradford replied. “Especially if their first one was blown up!”

“I had no choice.” The doctor replied matter-of-factly. “ADVENT found my first facility, and I had to vacate it.”

“Right, and where was that first facility again?”

“Irrelevant.”

Getting a straight answer out of Doctor Vahlen was like trying to corral a room full of cats. She didn’t seem to care about the fact that her island was now occupied by a military force, but was more upset about the fact that her work had been interrupted. She had tried to give Chihiro and the Stormbreakers a grand tour of the facility, but she had been called away by one of her assistants.

Yes. Assistants.

As it turned out, Doctor Vahlen had no fewer than forty people holed up in the lair with her. It was a mixed group of scientists, engineers, and soldiers. According to Vahlen, these people were helping her to investigate and study the Pacific Anomaly. It was her troops who had slain the sea monsters all over the island.

As for her laboratory, it was as though someone had removed all of the safety systems in an ADVENT Gene Therapy Clinic. Here, Vahlen and her team were studying genetic manipulation with no oversight and no red tape. Every operating table was occupied with either a living or dead alien, Human, Hybrid, or sea monster, where scientists would conduct basic exams, make some notes, and then wheel the “patient” into another area. (presumably an operating theatre)

“My team used to be much larger.” Doctor Vahlen confessed. “But our numbers have been worn down by attrition over the years. I’m sure you know what happened to Big Sky and the SR-77H? He was only the first of many to be lost.”

Chihiro felt a twang of sorrow when she heard Vahlen mention the name. “Big Sky” was the callsign of XCOM’s previous Skyranger pilot. Although Wendy “Firebrand” Carter had done her best to fill the role, no one could truly replace Big Sky. SR-77H was the tail number of the Skyranger XCOM had used during the 2015 Invasion. It's remains had been found after ADVENT collapsed, deep in the North American wilderness. The body of the pilot was never recovered.

​

The final resting place of the Skyranger SR-77H, located in the Southern United States. The nose of the craft was aimed towards the sunrise, implying an attempt to flee to the East Coast.

“Don’t stress yourself too much about that.” Bradford said. “We’re developing a next-generation Skyranger with our allies. In the meantime, we need to ask you a lot of questions… why don’t we start with that so-called ‘Viper King’ you turned loose last spring?”

While Bradford and Vahlen moved off to another part of the lair to talk, Chihiro and the rest of her squad wandered around Vahlen’s new laboratory, looking at the scientific equipment.

Sophie, Sophia, Matthew, and Odette had all joined XCOM after the 2015 Invasion, and had never met Doctor Vahlen before. Naturally, they all had questions of their own. Mira already knew about Vahlen, having read about her in the Human History Database she carried around. Chihiro and Isis took it in turns to bring everyone else up to speed:

“Vahlen was our head researcher when the Invasion started.” Isis explained. “She was obsessed with Xenobiology and told us to bring back intact alien corpses and artifacts whenever we could.”

“She hated it when we used grenades or rockets.” Chihiro added, then put on a fake German accent and did an impression of Vahlen: “’Commander, you may want to instruct your men to exercise restraint when using explosives, just something to consider.’”

“She’s also the one who figured out Meld.” Isis said. “The bonding agent that makes Genetic Modification so damn easy. The aliens used it to make all of the Hybrids out there, and Vahlen used it to modify a few of us.”

She pointed at Chihiro. In turn, Chihiro pointed to her own head, eyes, and torso, listing off all of her Gene Mods:

“Neural dampening, knocks me out cold if I get put under Mind Control. Enhanced depth perception means my eyesight is better than any of yours, and the adaptive bone marrow lets me heal from just about anything in half the time. All these Gene Mods come from alien DNA being grafted onto mine with Meld, and that was just the beginning.”

“Once Vahlen figured out how to modify existing people” Isis finished, “she started the Jericho Project.”

Isis grabbed Sophie and Odette by the shoulders and turned them around to look at a large vat of on the other side of the laboratory. It was filled with a translucent orange substance that could only be Meld. Matthew let out a low whistle.

“That’s a lot of genetic glue.”

“It’s a lot more than that.” Mira corrected him. “Meld also allows the bonding of flesh and metal. Grafting technological systems directly into the body presents a very wide range of options. It’s also how ADVENT and the Elders were able to reconstruct so much of both my old body and my new one.”

​

Vahlen's attempts to manipulate genetic code to create stronger and more powerful warriors is an unceasing project, and she did not allow the fall of Earth to stop her work.

“Genetic manipulation was Vahlen’s forte.” Chihiro told her team. “If XCOM HQ hadn’t fallen, she would have created an army of genetically modified Hybrid soldiers, which is exactly what ADVENT did later on. Jericho was supposed to be the first of a long line of supersoldiers.”

Mira raised her eyebrow in thought.

“It’s too bad Jericho already left for Hiigara. I’m sure Vahlen would have wanted to see how much her creation has grown over the past twenty years.”

“You are absolutely right!”

Doctor Vahlen had just crossed the room to join the conversation. Commander Bradford was panting in his effort to keep up with her. Vahlen looked quite upset with Chihiro.

“Why didn’t you tell me the Jericho girl was still alive!?” Vahlen complained. “I’ve heard rumors and hearsay, but nothing as solid as a confirmation! Where is she now!?”

“On her way to Hiigara.” Chihiro rubbed the bridge of her nose in exasperation. “Going to ask the Galactic Council for some support building the Trinity.”

“Hiigara?” Vahlen repeated, confused. “Galactic Council? Trinity? What about ADVENT, the Elders!?”

Bradford put a hand on his comrade’s shoulder.

“It sounds like you’ve missed quite a lot.” Bradford said. “When was the last time you had contact with XCOM?”

“The summer of 2034.” Vahlen answered. “When Doctor Shen and his daughter Lily visited my old island base, and ADVENT followed them.”

Chihiro started to feel nauseous again, and just a little relieved that Chief Engineer Lily Shen was absent right now. The death of her father was still a sensitive topic.

Bradford nodded.

“Maybe you should sit down, Moria.” He said. “We’ve uh… we’ve got a lot to tell you about…”

<== Previous Chapter (Brave New World)

Next Chapter (The Galactic Council) ==>​

 

[HistoryDude]

Always nice to find new allies, or reestablish contact with old ones...

The Deep One is implied to be a Shroud-Being in this chapter. Okay. Let's think. The Eater of Worlds is in the Katana, and both the Whisperers in the Void and the End of the Cycle are in the Beast (at least at the moment... they'll probably bring a reckoning on the Beast later on). That leaves the Composer of Strands and the Instrument of Desire. The Composer of Strands is well-versed in genetic manipulation, and the Instrument of Desire isn't, so... is the Deep One the Composer of Strands?

Also, good to know some things about Partogan religion. However, if their afterlife is literally the Pacific Islands, that makes the failure to realize that Partogans are human that much more aggravating...

 

[Macavity116]

Always nice to find new allies, or reestablish contact with old ones...

Thanks to the power of Hyperwave beacons (The FTL Comms system from Faith in Chaos) Jericho will get to have a brief conversation with Doctor Vahlen. Creator meets creation!

Also, good to know some things about Partogan religion.

Cool little detail here: the concept of a "distant homeland" is a common detail in the culture and religions of many real Polynesian people groups. Despite their isolation from other Polynesians, the Maori continued to hold this particular belief. To this day, some anthropologists like to argue about exactly how Hawaii ties into the myths and legends of the Ancestral Homeland.

EDIT:

is the Deep One the Composer of Strands?

Yes. It was also the monster contained in the tower during Chapter 24. There are now two Shroud-Beings on Earth.

 

[Macavity116]

Before we start the new chapter, I'd like to announce the spinoff!

Okay, it's not really a spinoff, more like a tie-in. I made a recording of my recent playthrough of Homeworld: Cataclysm, one of the three games this story is based on, and I'm planning to upload it to my Youtube page as a short series.

The new video series will be an official part of the Stormbreaker Trilogy, taking place between the events of Faith in Chaos and The Stormbreakers, but it will not be part of the main story (AE, FiC, and TSB) owing to the fact that Cataclysm is referenced so frequently throughout the Trilogy. This little sideshow is kinda like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a fun extra story in between the main installments.

If you are interested in learning about the origins of the Beast, the primary enemy faction of The Stormbreakers, I strongly recommend watching my own battle against this terrifying enemy. Here's a link to the Macavity116 Youtube page, and I'll leave a direct link to the first episode of the series here as well.

Unlike The Stormbreakers, new episodes in the series will be uploaded roughly every 48 hours. And considering that there will only be 17 videos in the series, it will be over quite quickly.

Thanks for indulging me, readers. We'll resume the main story now. Onward!
======

<== Previous Chapter (Creeps from the Deep)

Next Chapter (Assault on Chapel Perilous) ==>​

Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Galactic Council

​

The Balcora Supercluster viewed from an extreme distance. While there are no habitable worlds to be found in this region of space, it is quite densely populated with Progenitor relics and debris.

Wednesday, January 9, 2036 - 11:30am
The Eye of Aarran, Balcora, Hiigaran Empire

Yuri Gagarin was the first man to fly in space. Alexi Leonov performed the first spacewalk. Neil Armstrong was the first of our kind to set foot on another world. And now… I was the first Human to see a black hole with his own two eyes.

This was the highest point (so far) of what had been the most incredible week of my life. Leaving Earth behind had been the first of many experiences that would stay with me for the rest of my life. Jericho, Tsubaki, Soylent, Kathleen, and Hal had all joined me in the aft section of the Kakama, watching our world get smaller and smaller until it was nothing but a small pinprick in the window. After that two members of Team Takea showed us to the guest quarters where we would be staying with two other people.

Sarah Harris, our New Zealander who spoke Maori, was still embedded with Team Takea and bore most of the responsibility for the crew of the Kakama now being able to speak English. Only a few Partogans and Assurians were genuinely fluent, but the rest of the crew was more than capable of sustaining basic conversation with us now. Sarah herself was now fluent in the Galactic Common language and was immersing herself in alien culture, striking up a close friendship with the two Assurian members of Team Takea: Temirzhan and his father, Adil.

Yukiko Takahashi was living in the Captain’s Quarters as his “honored guest,” while Manako Ranginui, the Kakama’s commanding officer, had taken up temporary residence in the room next to us. The reunion with Yukiko was strained at best. During the 2015 invasion, she had been one of the first XCOM soldiers to surrender and join ADVENT. Yukiko told us that she had spent the occupation as a member of the ADVENT Government. As a reward for her service to them, the Elders had awakened Yukiko’s dormant Psionic powers. Fortunately for us, this actually backfired on the aliens. Shortly after receiving her Gift, Yukiko had been selected for some kind of “special project” and was almost transferred to a Gene Therapy Clinic in northern China, but she was removed from the project at the last second after a “more suitable alternate” had been discovered.

Later that night, I had used the ship’s Faster-than-Light communications device to call home and relay this information to Chihiro and Mira. Mira confirmed that Yukiko was the Elder’s Chosen Assassin during the other timelines.

“Just another sign that this cycle is proceeding in a vastly different fashion than all the others, Robinson.” Mira had said. “Future events will be even more unpredictable from here on out.”

It was with extreme reluctance that we accepted Yukiko’s return to our side. Tsubaki held out the longest, refusing to join us at mealtimes in the galley until the third day of our voyage. Even when she did sit with the team, she would always put herself as far away from Yukiko as possible and never turned her eyes towards that side of the table.

Between Earth and Balcora, we had to perform two Hyperspace jumps, and the first was absolutely jarring.

No matter how much training we went through, nor how many lectures we sat through, there was nothing that could prepare me or my team for that first jump. Kanti Divakar, the albino Vanian, had to corral us into a Radiation Shelter as we all complained about Partogan Hyperspace tech not bearing any resemblance to the faster-than-light travel methods we’d seen in Human science fiction.

“Seriously, how the bloody hell have you blokes not figured out Warp Drive yet!?” Soylent demanded to know. “It can’t be that hard!”

“If the whole Galaxy’s been claimed and colonized, why not build a network of Wormhole Generators?” Tsubaki suggested.

“I always wanted to stand on the bridge and watch the stars fly past super quick.” Kathleen groaned. “Come on, there can’t really be anythin’ dangerous about that, right?”

With a frustrated groan, Kanti sealed the shelter door and addressed our concerns in turn.

“Warping spacetime sounds dangerous, not to mention it probably requires unrealistic amounts of power. We don’t need wormhole generators because of the Hyperspace Network, and yes, Walsh. Standing on the bridge to ‘watch the stars fly past’ is not just dangerous, it’s lethal! Stay inside until the Quantum Wavefront makes its second pass.”

None of us were ready for the translucent wall of purple light to move through the ship. Tsubaki screamed when the Quantum Wavefront passed through and Hal didn’t open his eyes again until it was gone. Yukiko froze and held still from pure fright, and me… I don’t wanna talk about how I felt just then. Let’s just say I’m not proud of how I handled my first Jump.

Anyway, once we got out of Hyperspace, I was eager as hell to get out of that Shelter and go anywhere else. Unfortunately, the Kakama is a small ship once you get used to it. Barely two-hundred yards from end to end and only about fifty feet wide, there isn’t much space across her five decks to catch one’s breath.

Fortunately for all of us, the second Hyperspace jump would involve a Slipgate.

​

A Slipgate pictured near Earth. Slipgates are naturally occurring Hyperspace Gates that are always in an open state, leading to a matching Slipgate elsewhere in the Galaxy. Unlike artificial gates, Slipgates have only one possible destination and will never lead anywhere else. Highly sophisticated technology is required to close them.

As we learned, Slipgates are naturally occurring Hyperspace Gates. Human scientists would probably just call them “wormholes.” This time, there would be no need to shelter away from deadly radiation. Manako invited Yukiko and my team up to the bridge to watch the jump. Tsubaki made a point of following me around the Kakama’s bridge, taking a great interest in the same things I did. Soylent didn’t care so much about the Slipgate and instead spent his time asking the Partogans questions about their facial tattoos. Yukiko got into a deep discussion with Manako about how spacefaring governments decided who owned Slipgates. From the little snippets of conversation I overheard, I could tell that Yukiko was trying to figure out how the United Nations of Earth could claim ownership over a Slipgate.

Unlike a conventional Hyperspace jump, a Slipgate jump was instantaneous, so once the countdown to the jump began, I looked out the window and picked a blue star in the distance. Tracking it with my eyes, I wanted to observe the exact moment we transitioned to a completely different part of the Galaxy.

This was a bad idea.

Kanti loudly counted down the seconds until we crossed the event horizon of the Slipgate and I kept my eyes locked on that blue star. The instant we crossed the Slipgate I was blinded by a fantastic white light! I recoiled from the window, blinking furiously and cursing.

“Sorry, Robinson!” Kanti said. “I forgot to warn you about the accretion disk!”

I felt a wave of Psionic energy wash over me, and a moment later the purple afterimage burned into my sightline faded away. Blinking my eyes one last time, I looked out the window again and saw the yawning abyss below the Kakama. It was a black hole!

“Honored Human guests, let me welcome you to Balcora!” Manako said. “Just so you know, we’re about one hundred-fifty light years away from the center of the Galaxy. This is also the largest cluster of Supermassive black holes anywhere in the cosmos, so feel free to enjoy the view while we maneuver towards the Eye of Aarran.”

Tsubaki pressed both of her hands to the glass and held her face so close to the window that it began to fog up.

“Is there supposed to be this much light!?”

I honestly can’t tell you how many black holes make up the Balcora Supercluster. Each one of them had a bright accretion disc that was throwing light in all directions, causing the entire region to be illuminated with a heavenly orange and yellow light. I think I directly laid eyes on only one of the actual black holes… and let me tell you, the name does not do those things justice. It was like staring into eternal oblivion. The darkness total and absolute, and I honestly found the bottomless well of eternity to be kind of fascinating. I would have watched that black hole all day, but eventually something happened to distract me.

“Attention incoming Partogan warship.” Said a warm and kind voice. “Please transmit today’s recognition codes and state your intended destination.”

With great effort, Tsubaki and I looked away from the black hole and saw what else was going on.

A spaceship had blocked the Kakama’s path and was challenging her. Through the forward windows of the bridge, I saw that this new spaceship was gargantuan in size! Nearly twenty miles long and almost a quarter of a mile high, this vessel was bristling with an array of weaponry that I could scarcely make sense of, but it was Kathleen who had spotted the ship’s most unique asset:

“Jesus Christ!” Kathleen gasped. “That’s a gun! That’s a giant gun!”

She was right. There was a weapon of unimaginable size and scale embedded within the approaching warship. In fact, now that I looked more closely, I realized that the entire warship’s hull was pretty much wrapped around the length of the entire weapon. Only the very end of the barrel of the gun was visible, sticking out of the ship’s bow. A noise drew my attention back to the Triple Alliance crew around us. Several Assurians, including Temirzhan and Adil, had stepped away from their stations and had started kowtowing on the floor, touching their heads to the floor and murmuring something that sounded like prayer.

I looked over at Manako and Sarah.

“What the hell’s going on?”

Sarah spoke in a hushed tone, pointing at the massive ship in the window.

“That is Sajuuk, the great Creator-God. He’s worshipped around the Galaxy as He-Whose-Hand-Shapes-What-Is.”

​

Sajuuk, the Creator-God Whose Hand Shapes What Is. Photographed after its appearance at the Siege of Hiigara twelve years ago. This Progenitor warship houses all three Hyperspace Cores in its aft section and mounts a long-ranged Phased Cannon Array that allows the warship to project power at extreme ranges and intensities. This one ship is more than capable of defeating whole armadas on its own.

My jaw dropped as I remembered our Galactic history lesson back on Earth. So, this was the ten-thousand-year-old Progenitor battleship? The one the Hiigarans and Vaygr had fought a holy war over? If it really was, then that voice we had just heard belonged to…

“Good to hear from you again, Sajuuk-Khar S’jet.” Manako replied into his radio headset. “My comms officer is transmitting the codes now. We need to go to Hiigara. We’re carrying the Human Envoy to the next session of the Galactic Council.”

The Kakama drew level with Sajuuk, or as level as the frigate could get against a vessel that outsized and outmatched it so badly. Watching through the windows, I saw several railguns along Sajuuk’s hull return to their ready positions, no longer aiming at us.

“Recognition codes received and accepted.” Replied the voice of Karan S’jet. “The Eye of Aarran is already pointing towards Hiigara, as delegates have already begun to assemble. Before you go, I have some good news for you. The infected Levakian fleet at Nithascal was routed by Triple Alliance forces two days ago. For the time being, your homeworld is safe.”

This news drew a positive response from every Triple Alliance crewmember on the bridge. Manako had to mute his mic for a second as the assorted Vanian crewmembers let out shrill bird calls to one another. Temirzhan shouted “Praise Sajuuk!” then he sprang up, grabbed Sarah’s hand, and raised it into the air like a boxer being declared the winner of a match.

“Praise Sajuuk!” Temirzhan yelled again.

A little reluctantly, Sarah joined in the chant. Assurians, Amadii, Vanian, and a few members of the Levakian crew all chanted their celebratory praises for half a minute while the Partogans, Kelt, and the other Levakians looked on in bemusement. The latter half of the group followed a different religion and did not worship Sajuuk.

Once the celebrations died down, Manako called Sajuuk and thanked Karan for the news.

“There is one other thing you need to know.” Karan added. “The Triple Alliance Flagship Mahuika is in orbit above the Angel Moon. Your Fleet Commander asked me to let you know that they are carrying a payload of Aetherium and Protodermis that needs to be transferred to your vessel before you leave.”

Manako thanked Karan again, then he ordered the helmsman to set course for the Eye of Aarran.

“Next stop, Hiigara!” Sarah told me and my team. “The Progenitor Hyperspace Network will take us right there!”

“You’ve gotta admit this is cool!” Hal Macintosh pointed to a map of the Galaxy on the back wall. “It’s fifteen-hundred light years between Earth and Hiigara, and we travelled that distance in all of five days!”

Kailani Kalili, who had been listening this whole time, laughed and said:

“Could you image what it would be like without the Hyperspace Network!? A round trip between Partoga and Earth might take, oh I dunno… three years! That would be terrible!”

Adil, Temirzhan’s father, interrupted our chat.

“Commander Ranginui, we’re coming up on the Eye of Aarran!”

​

The Eye of Aarran photographed from below. When a ship passes through the aperture, they can transit to any location in the Galaxy instantaneously, as though they were using a Hyperspace Core.

Looking out the main window, the sight laid out before us caused silence to fall on the bridge. An alien megastructure the size of a gas giant was sprawling out ahead of us. It was as though a whole city had been carved out of the surface of a world and just left here, hanging in the void. Thousands, possibly tens of thousands of spaceships of every size and shape were buzzing around the structure like bees around their hive, while a magnificent white light emanated from the center of the structure.

“Impressed?” Temirzhan asked us.

The younger Assurian wiped beads of sweat off the ridges on his forehead and addressed our group, but I couldn’t help but notice that his narrow eyes kept darting towards Sarah.

“From here, you can access almost any point in the Galaxy as though your ship was a Far Jumper.” He explained. “No need for a Hyperspace Core. If it wasn’t for this war, the Network would tie the entire Galaxy together as never before. Travel and communication made as easy as breathing.

“Imagine the possibilities.” Yukiko gasped. “Exploration vessels sent to the furthest reaches of creation. Innumerable worlds opened up to discovery and colonization.”

“Or a Galactic Community made whole.” Manako concluded. “Speaking of which, we’ll be passing through the Eye in five… four… three…”

The Kakama dove within the alien superstructure and began flying down a narrow trench towards a hollow ring. Once again, I picked a reference point to stare at out the window, and this time I was neither disappointed nor blinded. In an instant, the alien structure around us was replaced by a new and completely different view.

A city now lay below us… and not just any city, it was a metropolis that seemed to have grown so large that it had engulfed every inch of the world lying below us. The Kakama had rematerialized above some kind of city-world!

“Welcome!” Manako announced; “To the Galactic Council!”

​

The Galactic Council assembles at is usual meeting place. The supranational forum has been headquartered on the Angel Moon ever since the Hiigaran people were forced into exile by the Taiidan over 3,500 years ago. The Council briefly relocated to Blorg during the Taiidan Civil War and the Vaygr Wars before eventually returning.

Thursday, January 10, 2036 - 00:15am
Galactic Senate Chamber, The Angel Moon, Hiigaran Empire



“Ah, this is just like old times.”

“Walsh, how is this anything like the ‘old times?’”

“Aw, c’mon, Trojan! Remember when you were just a wee little pup an’ your daddy was on top o’ the world? How me an’ my team would form a ring around your family and watch the crowd for suspicious faces?”

“I seem to remember you only had eyes for me, Walsh. You never did like it when I shook hands with people in the crowd.”

“That’s ‘cause a kidnapper could have just pulled you away!” Kathleen turned her attention to Yukiko. “Speakin’ of which Miss Envoy, the same rule goes for you! No shakin’ hands with anyone, and don’t accept gifts from nobody either! Don’t take anythin’ even if it’s the space alien version of a teddy bear!”

Forming a tight ring around Yukiko Takahashi, the Stormbreakers and their charge slowly followed the men and women of Team Takea into the Galactic Council building. We had to move slowly because the Angel Moon was a much smaller body than Earth, and therefore gravity here was much weaker. The half-smile on Tsubaki’s face betrayed the fact that she just wanted to bounce around the place like a trampolinist. Up ahead, Temirzhan was talking about the Galactic Security Council, or GSC for short.

“…Established in the aftermath of the First Hyperspace War over thirty-five hundred years ago, the Hiigaran Empire is a founding member of the Council and has a seat on the Security Council. There are two other members of the Security Council: The Taiidan Republic and the Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth. All three seats are up for election every ten years, but no one has been willing to challenge of the incumbents for a very long time. The ‘Big Three’ as they are called, have had total control of the Security Council for neigh upon a century!”

The entrance hall of the Galactic Council building was a magnificent place that put the Palace of Nations on Earth to shame. Any surface that wasn’t covered in ornate guided trimmings had been made shiny and chrome. Immense crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling while silver carpets decorated the hallway leading towards the Galactic Senate Chambers. A large and luxurious-looking elevator nearby was being guarded by several huge aliens that looked like…

“Oh my god!” Hal gasped. “Blake! Look! Those are orcs!”

He pointed to the big, muscular aliens guarding the elevator doors. Their faces had pig-like features, complete with little eyes, snout noses, and tusks sticking out the bottom of their mouths. Remembering our Galactic history lessons, I quickly corrected him.

“Macintosh, those aren’t orcs. Those are Taiidani.”

​

“Correct.” Temirzhan said. “The Galactic Council only moved here recently. A century ago, this complex was the vacation home of Taiidani Emperor Riesstiu the Fourth the Second. He was the genetic clone of the Mad Emperor Khaldeesh, a man who was so frightened and paranoid of assassins that he passed a law stating the Taiidan Emperor could only be succeeded by his own genetic clone…”

Temirzhan kept talking, mostly to distract us from the fact that everyone was staring at us. Aliens of all shapes and sizes watched our party and whispered to one another. A smelly misshapen fungoid seemed quite happy to see us, while a lifeform made entirely of rocks raised its arm in what seemed to be a respectful salute. But the biggest surprise of all came when a short, sleek looking alien stepped forward to greet our party.

Soylent, Hal, and I were left paralyzed with disbelief and our mouths fell open. A humanoid alien with mocha-colored skin, silky black hair, green eyes, and small pointed ears greeted us with a warm smile. Right off the bat, my first impression was of how insanely attractive this woman was, and the stylized image of a sunrise tattooed on her upper arms only enhanced the view.

“Welcome to the Hiigaran Empire.” The alien spoke in the Galactic Common. “My name is Priya Paktu-Re. I’ve been asked to show you to your seats. For the time being, Earth has been given probationary Observer Status pending a vote on the political status of Earth..”

“Blake.” Hal couldn’t take his eyes off the alien woman. “Is that what I think it is?”

To be fair, I was hooked as well. I fought the impulse to look over every inch of the alien female and failed to hold myself back.

“I’m seeing the same thing you are.” I whispered back. “Not sure I believe it though.”

“Lord have mercy.” Soylent breathed. “Elves. She’s a bona-fide elf, just as beautiful as in the fantasy movies too. We really are on the Angel Moon!”

Even Jericho had been transfixed by the alien woman.

“Well, now I know why men go crazy for elves.” Jericho’s voice sounded a little lost and dreamy. “They’re clearly onto something.”

While Yukiko shook hands with the elf woman and introduced herself, Kathleen went from one Stormbreaker the next and swatted us all on the back of the head.

“Robinson, you’re a married man!” Kathleen scolded me.

“And besides,” Tsubaki added. “She’s not an elf. She’s Hiigaran. Remember the history class?”

​

Right. Hiigaran. The history lesson came rushing back. Priya Paktu-Re wasn’t this woman’s full name. Hiigaran people were divided into many clans, called “Kiith.” Because we were strangers, Priya had given us her first name and clan name while withholding her actual surname. The name “Paktu-Re” meant that she had not been born into Kiith Paktu, but had abandoned her birth clan and had joined Paktu recently. Kiith Paktu itself was a tight-knit collective of farmers who mostly kept to Agri-Worlds in the Inner Rim.

We followed Priya into the Galactic Senate chamber, where delegates, envoys, and ambassadors from all over the Galaxy were starting to assemble. In the huge chamber, I could see far more species of aliens than had been involved in the occupation of Earth. Insectoids chattered amongst themselves while reptilians, mammalians and avians traded news, several groups of humanoid beings pointed at us and whispered amongst each other while a delegation of stone people (lithoids) were watching the proceeding in silence.

In the very front of the chamber was an elevated stage. A podium stood front and center, while behind it were forty-seven flagpoles all in a line. As the time came for the session to get started, a team of Hiigaran Marines entered the room and began to raise the flags of the forty-seven member-states of the Galactic Council. I felt my stomach turn when I saw the red and gold colors of the ADVENT Coalition ascend one of the flagpoles.

Finally, Yukiko found her place. At a long thin table were three chairs, in front of which could be found three placards. The Earth delegation was seated between the Taiidan Republic and the United States of Assuria. However, the placard in front of Yukiko’s seat still said: “ADVENT Coalition.”

All of the Stormbreakers except for Jericho were asked to move to the back of the chamber. All of Team Takea followed suit. The Envoys of Partoga and Assuria had arrived separately. While we waited for the meeting to begin, Yukiko casually struck up a conversation with the Taiidani ambassador, slyly turning the topic to interplanetary trade and mentioning the fact that Earth was only a short distance away from Taiidan’s southern border.

At the front of the chamber, a middle-aged Hiigaran man stepped up to the podium and called for silence. Like other Hiigarans, this man had the symbol of his clan tattooed to his body. In this case, the insignia of Kiith Naabal adorned both of his hands.

“That is Elohim Naabal, President of the General Assembly.” Manako told me.

President Naabal silenced the room, and once everybody had taken their seats, he spoke.

“I would like to start today’s proceedings by congratulating the brave warriors of the Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth on their spectacular victory at Nithascal. It is most reassuring to see that the Beast’s latest offensive finally seems to have run out of momentum. I have no doubts that soon we will see the tides turn. Before we resume the list of planned speakers from our previous session, are there any delegates who wish to present new business to the Galactic Senate?”

Down in the center of the chamber, a Levakian male stood up and raised his forepaw high. In the bright light of the room, I could clearly make out his orange mane and golden-brown fur from so far away. President Naabal pointed toward the Levakian and said:

“The Chair recognizes the honorable delegate from the Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth for two minutes.”

The Levakian spoke in a loud voice, just below the level of a roar:

“The Commonwealth of Partogans and Levakians moves to give Earth’s seat in the Galactic Council to the honorable Delegation from the United Nations of Earth!”

Almost at once, several alien delegates rose from their seats and shouted:

“I second that motion!”

President Naabal nodded and pointed towards a small reptilian lizard.

“The Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth and the Republic of Kelta,” The President said, “Have proposed that Earth’s seat in the body be given to the United Nation of Earth. I remind this body that Earth’s seat on the Council is presently occupied by the ADVENT Coalition, which was legally recognized by this body as the legitimate government of Earth twenty years ago. Should the seat be transferred to a new owner, ADVENT’s recognition and membership in the Galactic Council will be terminated by default, and the United Nations of Earth will become ADVENT’s successor state, assuming all diplomatic, military, and financial responsibilities for the government it supersedes.”

Behind the President, a screen lit up. It was an exhaustive list of every member-state of the Galactic Council.

“Is there any further discussion before we proceed to the vote?”

Silence.

“Seeing none at this time, delegates, the question on the floor is this: ‘Should the United Nations of Earth succeed the ADVENT Coalition in the Galactic Council?’ You may vote by pressing the associated buttons on your desks now.”

Tsubaki gripped my hand nervously as we watched the results of the vote come in, but after just ten seconds, we all breathed a sigh of relief. The Galactic Council had voted overwhelmingly in our favor!

​

The ADVENT Coaltion is formally ejected from the Galactic Community, it should be noted that most of the star nations marked as "Not Present" were absent from the proceedings because of their own destruction by the Beast.

Thunderous applause and some cheers filled the hall while a group of Hiigaran Marines approached the flagpole bearing the ADVENT flag. One of them turned around and waved at Yukiko. Standing up to another round of applause, Humankind’s first ambassador to the Galactic Council moved down the isle towards the stage, carrying a blue bundle under her arm. At Yukiko’s insistence, Jericho followed behind her. Even from all the way in the back, I could see that Jericho’s orange and yellow Hawaiian Army Uniform was drawing attention from the Levakians in the crowd, whose fur and clothing followed a similar color scheme.

Yukiko passed a triangular piece of folded fabric to Jericho, and then she went to the podium. While Yukiko addressed the Galactic Council, Jericho helped the Hiigarans raise the blue and white flag of the United Nations of Earth.

“On behalf of the people of Earth,” Yukiko spoke in decent Galactic Common. “We thank you for accepting us into the Galactic Community. Our people have reclaimed their freedom during what seems to be the Galaxy’s darkest hour, so our first message to our new interstellar neighbors is this old Human saying: ‘The night is darkest before the dawn.’ You have my word that our people will stand strong alongside you all in the fight that is to come. We will fight the Beast and earn our place amongst this grand Community, and with Sajuuk’s blessing, we will see the final victory together!”

…

It was one of the busiest days of my whole life. For the next nine hours or so, the Stormbreakers escorted Yukiko all over the Galactic Council complex as she travelled to the offices of countless delegates for private meetings. She spent a great deal of time and energy trying to purchase or trade for the resources needed to build the Trinity superweapon. As it turned out, there was an unexpected hiccup in the plan.

Earth wasn’t the only planet working on a Beast-killing wonder weapon.

The Taiidani and Partogans were both working on such systems. The Vanians had also attempted to build a superweapon, but their Homeworld had fallen to the Beast before it could be completed, and now that weapon had been turned against them. While we waited for Yukiko to finish pestering the delegate from Assuria for access to the Assurian Nanite stockpile, a group of Partogan women cautiously approached us, giggling and whispering as they pointed at Soylent’s facial tattoo.

Sarah Harris cursed to herself quietly.

“Soylent! I thought I told you to get that thing covered up!”

One of the Partogans pointed at Soylent’s tattoo and said:

“He he tinihanga! Kei te taakaro ia i nga tinihanga!”

Sarah rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Great, they think you’re pulling some kind of prank, Soylent. I’ve got half a bloody mind to fly back to Earth and ask Kuznetsova for one of her face masks.

Soylent’s Maori-style facial tattoo certainly proved to be one hell of a conversation starter as the day went on. Partogans of any age and gender seemed drawn to it and almost universally had the same reaction: a general sense of bemusement.

Soylent wasn’t the only member of our team who drew attention. The role my team had played in the overthrow of the ADVENT Coalition had somehow leaked out. Knowing Yukiko, this had happened intentionally. Either way, it wasn’t long before we were confronted by an alien news reporter… or rather, I should say: Jericho was confronted.

A sloth-like alien with a camera crew caught Jericho when she was returning to us from the restroom.

“Erik Akselsen, Xenonian News!” The sloth introduced himself. “I already know who you are, of course, the legendary Human Psion who delivered the final blow in the Battle for Earth!”

Akselsen offered one of his paws to Jericho, who shook it lightly.

“You know, I’ll never get used to aliens knowing my name.”

“You might have to do that.” Akselsen replied. “Refugees from Earth have been spreading the tales of your exploits far and wide across the entire Galaxy. I think it’s time your story is given proper treatment, don’t you? Why don’t you take a moment to answer some of the burning questions the Galactic Community has for you?”

I saw Jericho’s eyes narrow, the expression she usually made when she was trying to read someone’s mind.

“Sure, I’ve got a minute to spare.”

The Xenonian News reporter got to work right away, putting on a more businesslike tone while his compatriots aimed their cameras at Jericho.

“Our sources in the UNE government tell us that you were at the heart of the action during the battle for Earth. It is widely reported that you used your Psionic abilities to overpower multiple members of the Ethereal race, a group of Psionic beings long thought to be both immortal and indomitable. Political analysts throughout the Galaxy were shocked to learn that afterwards, you did not immediately install yourself as the new Godlike ruler of Earth, an action that has come to be expected of powerful Psionic individuals since the days of the old Taiidani Empire. Could you tell us why you chose not to seize power during your moment of triumph?”

I felt the bottom fall out of my stomach. That was actually a really poignant question. Jericho was, without debate, the most powerful Gifted person on Earth. When the Elders had been defeated, there would have been nothing and no one to stop Jericho from taking the fallen mantle of “God-King” for herself. The thought was quite scary.

“Honestly, the idea never crossed my mind.” Jericho told the reporter. “What’s the point of being a freedom fighter if you’re not going set anyone free, right?”

“Speaking of which,” Akselsen added, “The Human Envoy recently promised that your planet would begin to pull its weight in the Second Hyperspace War. Are you willing to make the same promise now, Jericho? Will you fight for the Galaxy’s freedom like you fought for your own species?”

“Absolutely!” Jericho looked right into the camera. “We’re all in this war together now, so I promise I’ll fight for everyone as though they were my own.”

Akselen nodded and turned to face his cameraman.

“Viewers at home, you’re watching an exclusive Xenonian News interview with Jericho, the Human Psion who singlehandedly overpowered the Ethereal beings that enslaved her world. When we come back, we’ll ask the crucial questions like: What does a young adult Hiigaranoid with godlike powers do in her off time? Is there a special apostle in her life, and if not, could it be you? And of course, we’ll ask the inevitable question: How long until this young woman uses her powers to become a Divine Sovereign like the old Taiidani Emperors or the God-Kings of Assuria? We’ll have these answers and more in just a moment!”

…

Within hours of Jericho’s interview with the Xenonian News reporter, her face could be seen on screens of all sizes all over the Galactic Council building, and nearly every alien seemed to know her name. Jericho’s story had been broadcasted to the entire Galaxy!

“Congratulations.” Manako Ranginui said. “You’re only the second member of the Human species to become a Galactic celebrity, but you’re making a much better impression than Akira Robinson.”

…

Eventually, after hours of haggling with alien diplomats, Yukiko managed to score a meeting with some representatives of the Republican Taiidani military. According to her, the Republic was working on a battle station called the “Nomad Moon Mark Two” that used some of the same construction materials as the Trinity. While Yukiko met with them in a closed-door session, we were finally free to take a break in one of the many lounges this place seemed to have.

Soylent, Tsubaki, Sarah, and Jericho all passed out on one of the many couches in the lounge while Kathleen refused to go off-duty for even a moment. The former Secret Service agent positioned herself near the doorway and took to watching aliens move up and down the hallway. Hal and I, meanwhile, took an interest in several Hyperwave terminals on the far side of the room. Unfortunately, neither of us knew how to work these things, and we just spent the first half-hour of our free time pressing buttons, trying to make something happen with no luck.

About an hour into our breaktime, three members of Team Takea entered the lounge where we were resting. They were so busy bickering that they didn’t notice us at first.

The albino peahen named Kanti seemed to be having an argument with the red and blue peacock named Reepi. While the two Vanians squawked incessantly at one another, Kailani Kalili seemed to have lapsed into yet another moment of insanity. She pranced around the room, arms swinging comically while she sang to herself:

“…Faces and voices and voices and faces, voiceless faces and faceless voices…”

Meanwhile, Kanti shook her head and tail feathers in frustration.

“Alright, alright already! I’ll do it!” she sounded upset. “But you owe me big time, Imvu!”

Reepi seemed quite relieved and bent his head in a shallow bow.

“You will not regret this!” Reepi said. “This will work to my advantage in more ways than you can count!”

And then Reepi swept out of the room with a clatter of talons and feathers, ignoring us completely. Kanti let out an exasperated sigh and, with one flap of her nearly twelve-foot wingspan, she lifted herself to the head of a nearby armchair and sat down. Finally, she acknowledged us.

“Hello, Humans. Sorry you had to hear that.”

Kathleen shrugged.

“S’no problem, Miss Divakar. There anythin’ we can do to help?”

“No, no no.” Kanti swept her tail feathers and shook her head. “Nothing you can do, plus I can sense you’re all taking a well-earned rest. Reepi and I normally take it in shifts to bring Kalili back to sanity, but Reepi was so determined to worm his way out of his duties today and I just didn’t have the patience to argue back.”

With a yawn, Jericho woke up and sat upright on the couch.

“Hang on.” She said. “I was always really curious how you got Kailani to snap out of… well, whatever her broken mind is doing. I wanna see.”

“Yeah, me too.” I added.

Kanti shrugged.

“Sorry to disappoint, but there’s nothing too special about it.” The peahen admitted. “Either Reepi or myself just use our unique Psionic power on Kalili and she wakes up right away. Thing is, the effect wears off after a while. That’s why we have to take it in shifts.”

“Hang on.” Kathleen said. “Did you just say what I think you said? You and Reepi have the same unique power?”

“When an entire species is Gifted,” Kanti explained, “Individual unique powers get bred out of the population after some time. All Vanians have the same special power. It’s just unique to our species instead of individuals.”

“How does it work?” I asked. “And how does it stop Kailani from being insane?”

Kanti opened her wings and flew across the lounge, landing on Kailani’s shoulder. The Partogan woman swayed dangerously on her feet, looked at Kanti, and began to giggle.

“White bird, tiny face, but your voice sounds like it belongs to a little kid!” Kailani sniggered.

Looking around at us, Kanti said:

“Poor Kalili has been obsessed with faces and voices ever since the Beast got inside her mind a few years back. My special power allows her to redirect that obsession in a more constructive way. You see, just like all others of my species… I can force someone to fall in love with me.”

Kanti wrapped one of her wings around Kailani’s head and forced the Partogan to look at her. Kailani and Kanti stared into one another’s eyes for about ten seconds, and Kailani’s whole demeanor seemed to change in that time. She stopped swaying and her insane giggles subsided. The smile on her face fell into an expression of realization, and then Kailani began to sob.

“Kanti!” Kailani gasped. “Oh, Holy Miranda! Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Kailani wrapped both of her arms around the peahen who squawked in protest.

“Too hard!” Kanti complained. “You always hug too hard!”

Kanti pulled herself free from Kailani’s grip and flew to a nearby table.

“Just so you know, Kalili,” Kanti said. “You were only out of it for about a minute. I brought you right back.”

Kailani’s eyes got huge and she put both of her hands over her heart as though she’d just been put under Cupid’s spell of love... which now that I think about it… that’s genuinely what happened to her!

“Kanti, you’re so kind and wonderful to me!” Kailani gushed. “Thank you thank you so much… I don’t know how I’ll ever pay you back!”

Ahem… I really… really didn’t like the suggestive tone of voice Kailani used for that final sentence. Just throwing that out there. Jericho, meanwhile, looked dumbfounded.

“That is one hell of a power!” She declared. “And your people have always been able to do that to each other!?”

“Oh, no!” Kanti shook her head. “We used to have a different power, but it changed after the Great Séance.”

“Séance?” Soylent repeated. “You’ve lost me, peacock.”

Kanti rolled her eyes.

“After the Bentusi were overthrown in the First Hyperspace War, my people were freed from their Psionic oversight.” Kanti said. “Our greatest telepaths gathered together and held the Great Séance. It was the first time we connected with the Shroud, and we gained our power that day.”

“Shroud?” I asked.

“Mira can tell you more when you get back to Earth next week.” Kanti brushed off my question.

Kailani seemed eager to share what she knew about this as well.

“Oh! Oh! I remember that!” She said. “The history books said it was like your whole species went through some ‘great awakening’ or something like that, right?”

“It was four thousand years ago.” Kanti finished. “I’m sure the history books have whittled the experience down to whatever could fit on a single page. History always forgets the finer details."

Unwilling to continue the conversation, Kanti pointed at Hal and myself with one wingtip and said:

“Kalili, could you be a good friend and help me show these Humans how to work the Hyperwave?”

“Anything for you, Kanti!”

…

Travelling fifteen hundred light years to an alien world is an incredible experience, but talking to Earth using a faster-than-light communications system quickly took the cake as my new favorite memory on this trip. When Chihiro, Mira, and Commander Bradford appeared on the Hyperwave Terminal screen in front of us, all of the gathered Stormbreakers cheered loudly!

“Oh my gosh! Blake!” Chihiro gasped. “Where are you!?”

“On the Hiigaran Angel Moon!” I replied. “Over fifteen-hundred light years away from you guys!”

“I haven’t been to the Angel Moon in a very long time.” Mira said. “Jericho, is it still as beautiful as I told you it was?”

“That and more.” Jericho confirmed.

Commander Bradford pushed his way into focus.

“I don’t see Takahashi. Where is she?”

“She’s in a private meeting with some Taiidani admirals.” I said. “I think she’s actually going to secure some of the materials we need for the Trinity before the day is done.”

Bradford nodded.

“Very good. We’re all expecting your safe return soon, Robinson. Hopefully by then, Takahashi will be convinced she doesn’t need an XCOM bodyguard.”

“It seems very safe and secure here, sir!” Kathleen chimed in. “She definitely doesn’t need a fireteam of XCOM’s best out here.”

“What about you?” Tsubaki asked. “Chi-chan, you look kinda stressed out. What’s going on over there?”

Chihiro gave an overdramatic sigh.

“I’m receiving the attentions of a mad scientist, Tsubaki. You wanna meet her?”

Without waiting for an answer, Chihiro turned her head and shouted:

“Vahlen! Old friends wanna talk!”

When XCOM’s former chief scientist slid into frame, I swear all of the air was suddenly sucked out of the room. Things went really, really, REALLY quiet. Doctor Moria Vahlen looked old and battered, but she was clearly the same scientist who had unlocked the secrets of Meld and Elerium so long ago.

When Vahlen saw Jericho, her eyes lit up!

“Oh, happy day!” The old scientist declared. “I am shocked to see the Jericho subject turned out so well! I daresay she appears to be perfect, but I must reserve judgment until she returns!”

“You’ll get plenty of chances to poke and prod when Jericho comes back next week.” Bradford said.

The Commander looked like he wanted to say something else, but then the screen began to flicker and the image flitted into and out of clarity.

“What the hell?” Bradford’s voice sounded faint and scratchy through the speakers.

“Something’s happening.” Kailani commented as she fiddled with the controls. “We’re losing the signal!”

“Jericho!” Mira was no longer visible on the screen. “Can you still hear us? We’re losing the connection!”

“Blake!”

“Chi!”

And then, just like that, the Hyperwave Terminal died. We fanned out, attempting to use the other five Hyperwave devices in the room, but none of them were working.

“I don’t get it.” Kailani said. “The Hyperwave network’s never gone down before. This isn’t normal!”

“Hey, what’s going on out there!?” Kanti shouted.

Hal, Kathleen, and I looked around.

The hallway outside the lounge had suddenly become abuzz with activity. Diplomats and military officers were moving with a newfound sense of urgency, and the low hum of chatter had taken on a new tone, a darker one. Kanti fluttered over to one of the doors and listened, both with her Psionics and physical ears.

“Something has happened. Something serious!” she informed us.

“I’m sensing panic.” Jericho put her fingers to her temples. “A lot of panic. I think… I think word of a disaster just reached the delegates!”

And then… confirmation came. It came in the form of a loud crackle as the public address system came to life. From wall and ceiling mounted speakers in every room, the voice of President Elohim Naabal echoed throughout the halls and chambers of the building, delivering a message that would strike fear and terror into the entire Galaxy:

"Your attention please! This is President Naabal! The Beast has taken control of the Eye of Aarran. I advise everyone to evacuate before infected ships arrive here! Evacuate! I repeat! EVACUATE!!”

​

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