RP XCOM2: Liberation of Earth

[ZombieSplitter53]

Black0ut & ZombieSplitter53
Comfort in the Arms of Another
Part One

People stared after the man who was running in his more formal attire as he ran at breakneck speed towards the bar. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! How could I have fucking forgot? Damn Shen for offering that extra work! Red recalled angrily, as he raced down to find Morrigan, who had already been waiting for a half-hour. Red burst through the doors, and after receiving a very cold and especially brutal stare from the bartender, paused to catch his breath, and survey his surroundings in order to find Morrigan. She's probably going to be so pissed at me...

He found her in one of the booths on the side of the room. She sat with the side of her head resting against one of her palms, staring out at the bar at nothing in particular. She sighed softly, her tired eyes only half open.

Walking a bit closer, Red noticed something didn't seem quite right with Morrigan. It's almost like she's worn out from doing something, something mentally draining. The Oglala Sioux observed, pausing to see any other signs, before taking a seat in the booth with her. "H-hey Morrigan... I'm so sorry for being late, Shen gave me some extra work, and I stayed late to finish it... is there way I can make this up to you?" Red asked nervously, a sheepish expression taking hold.

Morrigan blinked a few times, needing a moment to return her thoughts to the real world. "Huh? Oh, no, you're not that late." She glanced at the clock. "Oh... maybe you are. But it's okay. We all have to put in a little extra lately. I'm not going to crucify you for helping others. I should be grateful you bother with me at all." She took a deep breath. "Sorry. That came out more... self insulting then I meant it to."

Red gently grabbed her hands, as he gave her a concerned look. "Hey... I think you're an incredible woman who strives to do the best that she can, no matter the odds." Red attempted to soothe, "And besides, I'd stay by your side no matter what, for you are someone I can be fully open with. I'm sorry if I've made you feel this way, Morrigan."

Morrigan sighed. "You have nothing to apologize for, Mark. You've been incredibly patient with me. I'm just going through a rough patch. Something... hard..."

"Well, I'm here if you want to talk about it, Morrigan." Red offered.

Morrigan slowly nodded. "I think I have to. Even if I was okay keeping things from you, I might need your help making Brigid understand."

Red nodded slowly, intrigued and eager to help Morrigan with her problem. "So... what's bothering you?"

"Do you remember... that fight I was in during the defense? Where I was the only survivor... and I took out one of the anti-XCOM group's members?"

"Yeah...?" Red replied, recalling the moment in question. It scared the shit out of me when I heard, cause they didn't tell me if Morrigan had survived. I was having panic attacks until they told me she was safe... if only I had been assigned with her... Maybe she wouldn't be so stressed now...

Morrigan rubbed her eyes. "The leader of the group... i-it was Daniel Hunnigan. My... former husband."

Red stilled, as his expression became neutral. "And you either killed or wounded him." Mark guessed, while he began to rub Morrigan's hands.

"Killed." Morrigan turned her gaze away. "He's dead... no doubt. But the fact that I killed him isn't what bothers me. It's... the manner in which I killed him."

Red said nothing, instead opting to give Morrigan a hug, his usual methods of comfort not working on Morrigan.

"Oh, Mark," she said softly, her voice cracking. "I executed him. Like a cold blooded killer. I... I hate them so much... but besides our beliefs... am I any different from ADVENT?"

"You're far different than ADVENT. You're far kinder than anyone I know, and you put others before yourself." Red replied, "And if the situations were reversed, do you think he wouldn't do the same?"

"I think he'd do the exact same thing... and that's what I'm afraid of." Morrigan leaned back. "Can I tell you a secret fear of mine? Something I've never told anyone else?"

"You can tell me anything you want, and I won't judge." Mark replied, bracing himself mentally for what Morrigan would say.

Morrigan nodded. "I always joke about how I could have ended up in ADVENT instead of XCOM. Truth is... I-I really think that's true." She held her hands over her head. "The thing with Ember... learning about Nouja... the way I killed Daniel... it all got me thinking. I could have been one of them! I've been trying to think of exactly where my guilt stems from, and that's it. N-no one knows this, but the day they kicked down my door and hauled me away to be tortured in the name of peace, I was going to tell Daniel I wanted to join ADVENT. A-and... and that's it! I would have been one of them! The same cold, heartless bastards that... th-that torture innocents and manipulate the minds of kids and murder anyone who thinks the wrong thing... that would have been me."

"But that didn't happen. You're here, and while that is a disturbing revelation to have, you have nothing to worry about, Morrigan. And regardless of what could've happened, I think you would still have been the tender, sweet, and kind person you are. I know nothing could take that away." Red attempted to soothe, before he recalled what Morrigan would have to tell Brigid. "And... I'll take the blame for what happened to your ex-husband. That way, Brigid can be upset with me and not you."

Morrigan let out a grim chuckle. "That is... incredibly sweet of you. But... she needs to know that he is dead... and that I am the one who did it." She looked Red in the eyes. "Yakone told me I'm making too big a deal out of the details. That... that Brigid doesn't need to know that I could have taken him alive... she said that part doesn't matter, and should be left out."

"I... don't disagree, I suppose. Although... I would tell her the full story when she's older. Right now, she's too young to hear it, and probably would react more negatively to what you tell her at this age..." Red practically whispered, his voice taking on a more grave tone than usual.

Morrigan gave him a serious look. "You sound like you speak from experience."

Red was quiet for a moment, contemplating what he could say. "I... just have seen things as a detective that let me see things from other people's point of views." Red attempted to deflect, a single bead of forming on his head, as he tilted his head slightly.

Morrigan gently took his chin in hand, tilting his head towards her. "Hey, come on now. You've been so patient with me, listened to my problems and done all you can to make me feel better. Let me return the favor and talk to me here."

Red's eyes grew wild for a moment, but only for a moment. He groaned, accepting his inevitable defeat. "Alright, alright... you know my weak points a little too well..." Mark grumbled halfheartedly, pausing for a moment to avoid the issue, if only for an extra second. "So... I'm not perfect. I figure you already knew that, seeing as how you're still staying with me voluntarily, but I've done some things that'd make most people reconsider if they want to continue associating with me." Red scratched his head as he tried too hold up the easy-going smile he had used more often, but to no avail.

"I'm going to give you an advanced warning; the shit you want to hear is a bit... fucked up. It involves torture. And it'll explain why my former resistance was so eager to boot me out. So... If you want to back out of hearing it, I'd understand." Red warned gravely, a dark expression replacing the more sarcastic one he usually had.

Morrigan's eyes darted about as she thought about it, but after a few moments, she nodded. "I want to hear everything."

Red groaned, looking at the bar's entrance wistfully, before he returned his gaze to Morrigan, albeit slowly. "So it had been a bit of time after I had been with the resistance, like a year or two. Anyways, I found my ex as well, but... mine's a bit worse to tell. So, my unit, which was the closest to an ADVENT outpost, received word that it had minimal guards and no aliens, because of something they had found or some shit similar." Red explained, offering a grim chuckle.

"Turns out our informant had become a turncoat, and the firefight which would have been easy as hell turned into something where a unit of twelve were reduced to four. I... kinda wish I could turn back time and get everyone to go somewhere else but that facility... anyways, I found Sage, my ex. She was one of the defenders stationed there, and was the highest ranked at the facility. As my squad was retreating, I came across her. There was a scuffle, but I managed to drag her away from that hellhole..."

"I eventually found a place far from the outpost, some abandoned, decrepit building. I asked her about why she had betrayed, why things had changed. She... managed to break me even though I was the one who was interrogating. Eventually she found a way to insult every one I knew as well as Nick. I kinda lost it, partially to the shock of the battle and my injuries, and partially to what she was saying. I started to demand her to tell me any military information she knew about ADVENT. She gave me her rank, her name, and her serial number. After, a few hours... I snapped a bit further. I shot both of her kneecaps and her elbows, before I jammed my pocket knife into her shoulder. I... I actually don't remember much after that, besides asking her the same question. When I had calmed down a bit, Sage was... alive, but probably wishing she wasn't. There were too many wounds inflicted on her to identify all of them, but it was bad. Like blood-covering-my-hands-and-drenched-in-blood, kind of bad."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Black0ut & ZombieSplitter53
Comfort in the Arms of Another
Part Two

"I did call ADVENT to pick her up, but that was after I had patched her up as best as I could. I returned to find out I had been missing for about two or three days... which... wasn't..." Red stammered, trying to search for a word that'd describe his feelings, "I... I can't really describe how I felt because there were so many emotions I felt. But as far as I know, Sage survived and was still with ADVENT, but whether she joined Genesis or not I don't know. So... if you want to hit me, I understand."

Morrigan stared down at the table, apparently in shock. She slowly reached forward, lifted a small glass of whiskey in a heavily shaking hand and downing it. "I-I... think I need some more to drink," she said softly.

Red backed away from Morrigan to give her space, all the while cursing himself for his younger self's actions. If she doesn't want to continue dating me, I'd understand. Hell, if she loathed me, I wouldn't hold it against her, cause I already hate myself already...

"Mark." Morrigan slowly looked over to him, her expression sad but stern. "Come back here... please."

The Oglala Sioux moved closer, but lowered his head, too ashamed to look at Morrigan.

Morrigan took a long, deep breath. "What you did was... wrong. Beyond wrong. Terrible... monstrous... just... n-no one deserves to... go through what that woman did. Not even our worst enemies..."

Red continued to stare down. He began to brace himself mentally for what Morrigan would say, guessing that this marked the end of their relationship.

"B-but..." Morrigan sighed, holding on to her pants tightly. "I-I... I-I'm no better. In fact... i-if I was in your shoes... I might not have been able to stop myself. Either way... I-I understand."

"That's the thing," Red practically whispered, "I know you would have been able to stop. I should've been strong enough to avoid doing that but I wasn't. Just weak enough to cave into my anger." Mark took a deep breath before he looked up at Morrigan. "I'm not perfect by any means. Nor will I pretend that I'm anything but a horrible and despicable creature. You do deserve someone far better than me, someone with less blood on their hands. If... if you want to end things here..."

"Stop," Morrigan whispered, her voice cracking. "Please... don't say that. I don't... I-I can't... no matter what y-you did... I-I... I know the real you. A-and... I-I can't do this... I-I can't... make it through any of this if... i-if I don't h-have you. I-I know that... i-is selfish, but... please..." She covered her eyes and sobbed. "Please... don't leave me..."

Red quickly moved back, embracing Morrigan in a tight hug. "If that is what you wish of me, I will stay. I'm so sorry..."

"I am too." Tears continued to fall, but Morrigan managed a small smile in Red's arms. "We both have our burdens to bear. Our sins that make us question ourselves. But... if I can help you with yours... and you can help me with mine... that makes me feel a little better."

"Well, as long as you're happy, I'm happy." Red murmured, his hold on her becoming slightly tighter.

"No... not good enough." Morrigan looked him in the eyes. "I get the feeling it's been that way since the start. But I don't want that. I want you to be with me because it makes you happy... not because you want to make me happy. That's not a relationship. A relationship is about give and take from both sides, not me doing all the taking and you doing all the giving."

"You see... that's going to be a bit of a problem, 'cause I'm still going to do whatever I can to make you happy. And that's because being with you already makes me the happiest man alive. You make me a far better person and so... you already do enough for me." Mark replied softly, returning her gaze, "I love you Morrigan and nothing will ever change that."

Morrigan smiled sweetly. "I love you too. And with all the craziness right now... with aliens, and monstrous Overseers, and psion's and reflections and... everything complicating life, I just want to hold on to the simple fact that I've found someone that... that makes me truly happy for the first time in years. I... I want..." She fell silent for a few moments of thought, then stood up. Sore and a little burnt out from her last fight, she pushed that aside as she took Red's hand and pulled into urge him to stand. "Come on. Brigid is out right now, but I think your room is the safer option."

Mark stood up as well, his face reddening slightly. "I like the way you think, Morrigan." Mark replied, a small smile forming on his naturally stoic features.

"S-so... I-it's okay?" Morrigan asked. "Because... of I'm being honest, I've wanted to... for a while now."

"I felt the same... but I was waiting to make sure you wanted to." Red answered.

Morrigan nodded, and pulled him along, out of the bar. As she made her way to his room, there was a bit of eagerness in her step. "It's been, um... about three years," she said quietly.

"That's okay. It's been five for me, so you'll probably be a bit better off than me." Red replied, his voice becoming slightly deeper.

They arrived at Red's room, and Morrigan quickly locked the door. After a moment more of thought, she said, "We, um... we can keep the lights off if you want because... you know. My scars."

Red gently put his hands on her shoulders. "No, it's fine. Your scars aren't a detractor for me." Red's face turned a brighter shade of his namesake, his face looking more bashful, if only for a moment. "They're kind of... arousing, if I'm being a bit honest."

This brought another smile to the woman's face. "You always... know just what to say to make me feel good." She pressed against him and closed her eyes. "And now... I want to make you feel just as good." She laughed softly. "And get a bit out of it myself."

Mark said nothing, opting to let his actions speak for him, as he leaned his head down to passionately capture Morrigan's mouth with his own.

Morrigan kissed him back, just as passionately, letting her worries and pain melt away for the time being.

*****

One hour later...

The Irishwoman rested her head against Red's chest, the covers lazily draped over them. The two just enjoyed each other's touch for the time being. She wasn't sure about Mark, but Morrigan was spent. "I knew you'd probably be... proportionate to your big body," she said softly. "But... woof. I just wish we had done this a while ago."

"I'm kind of glad we waited. Made the whole experience better in my opinion." Red replied quietly, closing his eyes to savor the moment.

Morrigan nodded. Her eyes were heavy. Her mind was at peace for now. "I should probably head out before your roommate shows up. Just kinda... you know, want to lay here with you forever."

"I assure you the feeling is mutual. I'm kind of half-tempted to lock the door... but psions tend to get around things like that pretty quickly." Red sighed, not wanting to lose the comfortable moment he was experiencing.

"Yeah..." Despite agreeing, Morrigan laid in silence for a few more minutes before finally sighing and sitting up. A light layer of sweat glistened on her body, and she seemed more comfortable now despite the scars. Slowly slipping her clothes on, she said, "Next time, we'll go to my room. I'll have Brigid... have a sleepover with someone so we can have all the time we need, alright?"

Red slowly did the same, a smile forming as he still eyed Morrigan's curves. "I think that's a wonderful idea. Let's us be far more intimate with one another."

Morrigan nodded, noting his look which only made her smile wider. She walked over and leaned up, giving him a gentle kiss. "Until next time." She walked over to the door, but looked back before stepping out. "I... I love you, Mark. I really do. Thank you for giving me someone I can care for like this again."

Red's face softened, his feelings bubbling past the stoic safeguards he had erected. "No... thank you for being someone that I can let in, someone that can see me for who I truly am." Red replied as sweetly as his voice would allow, before whispering nearly inaudibly, "Even though I'm too prideful and stubborn to admit it..."

Morrigan nodded. "Not a problem, Mark. Not even a little." She blew him a kiss before stepping out, her body feeling ever so lighter.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

XCOM Mission Parameters

Pole City Control Tower, located in the heart of the Antarctic Megacity
1715 Hours, January 7th, 2039 [no specific time constraints]
Eliminate the Overseer of Antarctica

XCOM Forces

Menace 1-5

Alpha Fireteam
CAPT Kasun, Tomislav [Harrier]
SQ Proulx, Poinsettia [Juggernaut]

Beta Fireteam
CPL Belle, Stacie [Gunslinger]
SQ Lefebvre, Thibault [Grenadier]

Gamma Fireteam
CPL Tvarnov, Marx [Ranger]
SQ Stone, Anna [Ambusher]

Delta Fireteam
CPL “Red Hawk”, Mark [Specialist]
SQ Knight, Jaime [Gunslinger]

Epsilon Fireteam
CPL Cruz, Cornelia [Paramedic]
SQ Manamea, Keloe [Enforcer]

Theta Fireteam
CPL Alcatraz, Emile [Aerotrooper]
SQ Van Dam, Luke [Grenadier]

Lambda Fireteam
SPARK-001 “Fulmach”
A-SHIV U1 “Jabberwock”

Operation Industrius Rhea

Our next target wasn’t that hard to find. The Overseer of Antarctica is located within the administrative center of Antarctica’s capital megacity, aptly named Pole City. Because Merenu’beurmas lies within a heavily-protected urban area, it will be more crucial than it was for the last operation that stealth be utilized to get into the building itself. Firebrand will deposit the squad onto a large landing pad a dozen floors above ground level. This is the last layer of the building that we have data on. Most of the tower between the peacekeeper-guarded lower levels and a few top floors where the former Advent troops are likely to be present is unknown to the Resistance and our Genesis allies.

Provided we are able to take an elevator up to the top to face Rhea, that shouldn’t be a problem. In the event that we must ascend the building in a more direct fashion, however, we will be going in blind - so the squad should be ready for anything. Because the Ethereal that currently holds the title of Antarctica’s Overseer is not one of Shen’lutusus’s contemporaries - and because he hasn’t visited her domain personally - he was not able to provide us with much information about what we should expect. What he was able to tell us is that she is a very dutiful servant of the Path, and is unremarkable in behavior and conduct save for one anomaly.

Merenu’beurmas is known by an additional title: the Beastmaster.

***​

Pole City, Continent of Antarctica
1709 Hours, January 8th, 2039
Interior of the Skyranger

XCOM’s dropship was filled up to maximum capacity as it snuck past Protectorate Peacekeeper sensor arrays in order to infiltrate the megacity built atop the south pole. Within were ten regular-class soldiers, divided into five fireteams. The recently-promoted Corporal Stacie Belle led Beta, which consisted of the Gunslinger and one of the recently-recruited soldiers, a Grenadier named Thibault Lefebvre. Gamma was headed up by Ranger Marx Tvarnov - also a CPL - and included his cousin Anna Stone, who was an Ambusher. The man known as Red Hawk was in charge of Delta Fireteam, accompanied by another Gunslinger named Jaime Knight. A Paramedic that was a veteran of many battles named Cornelia Cruz commanded Keloe Manamea as the leader of Epsilon. And Theta was led by Aerotrooper Emile Alcatraz, and incorporated the infamous Luke Van Dam.

Sitting in the front two seats were pilots of XCOM’s superheavy suits of powered armor, who made up Fireteam Alpha. Captain Tomislav Kasun was in charge of the squad as a whole, and was accompanied by one of the recruits from Exalt. Poinsettia Proulx sat across from him, looking eager to fight. The Harrier’s Bedlam Armor and the Juggernaut’s Pavise Armor were both stored in the cargo bay of the Skyranger, alongside the SPARK unit Shen had taken from her father’s facility and refurbished as well as a Matterhorn-provided Alloy SHIV. All in all, there were twelve members of Menace 1-5, backed up by a pair of robots. A sizeable team for a powerful enemy.

The Skyranger slowed down as it neared the target dropzone. When it reached that location, the hatch opened up and allowed the twelve cadre troopers to drop out of their transport, invisible due to shadow generators their armor contained. They were able to make their way into an optimal ambush position to take out the Protectorate Peacekeepers that were guarding the area, and as soon as the SPARK ‘Fulmach’ and the SHIV ‘Jabberwock’ plummeted out of seemingly nowhere, both the cloaked soldiers and the two visible machines opened fire. The collection of former Advent soldiers that made up the landing pad’s contingent of troops stood no chance, and were taken down before they had much chance to shoot back - let alone do any damage to their surprise attackers.

Menace 1-5 approached the massive pair of doors that stood between them and the interior of the control tower. While Red Hawk hacked into the door’s controls (directly, as he had brought along a Mechound as his primary assistant instead of his Gremlin, which was mounted on his back), Firebrand dropped off the superheavy armor of the two XCOM heavy troopers. Tomislav and Poinsettia suited up, preparing for the fight that lay beyond the blockade. The two doors slowly slid open once they were unlocked, creating a chokepoint for the squad’s leader and the other soldier on his fireteam to send through gunfire from their upscaled weaponry. By the time the entrance was fully opened, the token resistance on the other side had been eliminated.

Tomislav nodded to Mark, having him work on gaining access to the cargo elevator that was on the left wall from the squad. “Alright, people… this has been easy so far, but remember, this is going to be the least challenging part. I’m sure you’ve all seen how deadly Mars was… expect Rhea to be no less dangerous.

“And we have no idea what it has in store for us?” Marx crossed his arms.

“Other than the fact that she’s probably got some vicious pets going off her alternative title?” Tomislav shook his head. “Not really. The information Shen’lutusus sent us suggested she was an effective tactician and strategist, and that she’s not nearly as volatile as Tien’lyssigan was. But no one on our side is familiar with her psionic abilities.”

Emile loaded his plasma battle rifle, and went over his other weapons. “Ugh more alien animals. I sure hope they’re not the size of a skyscraper like the last one.”

Luke patted Emile on his back. “Aw, don’t worry. If they are, I can kill them just like that giant dog.” Luke smiled at the thought at finally facing an Elder. He could barely contain himself.

Anna glared over at the two, replying coldly, “I would watch yourself, I’m sure some of these ‘alien animals’ could easily outthink you.”

Red peered, or rather glared at the device in front of him for a few seconds. Rubbing a hand over his head, he stood up, and promptly kicked the console. “It seems the aliens are learning… my protocols aren’t going to get us up the elevator, as they require a manual reaction from some sort of console on the top floor. Which means,” Red groaned, turning to look at Tomislav, “We’re taking the long way up.”

The Serbian officer sighed, the noise buzzing a bit mechanically due to the filter on his armor’s external speakers. “I guess we have no choice.” He began walking towards the large door across from the entrance, flanked by Poinsettia and Fulmach. “Be ready for anything, then.”

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Black0ut, Dahlexpert, DarkGemini24601, and Frostlich1228: “Operation Industrius Rhea, Part 1”

The door that led into the unknown regions of the Pole City Control Tower was both manually and electronically locked, as surely as the elevator call panel had been. However, this door could be bypassed through more direct means. Thibault loaded an anti-tank grenade, and had everyone stand back before he fired it directly at the center of the unyielding sliding doors. The blast blew open a large enough hole for the pair of heavy troopers to grip both sides with their mechanized gauntlets, and rip it open. This process had to be repeated a second time, as there was an airlock of swords between Menace 1-5 and the room that lay beyond. As they did so, light streamed in from artificial sunlight that made up the roof of an incredibly large chamber on the other side.

It was like walking into a different place entirely. The members of the XCOM squad felt a little warm, their insulated clothing not being entirely necessary due to the climate that had been contained within the massive room. The biome was unlike those on Earth. For a terrestrial alpine climate, one would expect cold weather and snow caps. But here, the simulated environment called for hot and humid mountainous terrain, replete with scattered vegetation adapted to the strangely-heated environment. The leaves were an orange-yellow color, and were attached to branches that twisted like corkscrews. These winding trees were as large as Californian redwoods, and made up a sort of alpine canopy through which the light from two orange stars streamed down.

Warning. I would recommend you all switch to your internal oxygen supply. The air here is breathable, but is not ideal for human respiration. There is a significant amount of methane gas present, Phobos informed the squad.

“Um... Nut am I good, or is my mask not enough?” Emile questioned his own A.I.

I recommend you do the same, that mask of yours is good at keeping your identity safe but not for this weather. Also we’re clear for now. No enemies in the surrounding area yet. Though due to that explosion I expect the cavalry to show up, in say a good two minutes. Nut looked around, searching for the holographic depiction of Phobos and not finding one. Still, she greeted, Well, hello there. I would love to get acquainted but we're going to be fighting soon. Damn shame.

“Please do not fluit with my friend's A.I. Now is not the time for that. I need you to keep an eye on the enemies and my equipment.” Emile switched to his internal oxygen supply while arguing with Nut.

Gotta have some fun, can’t be all worried and tense.

Tomislav shook his head. “For once I’m actually thankful that I got stuck with you and not some chatterbox like that.”

That’s hardly a compliment, but I suppose I’ll take it nevertheless.

The terrain itself was bumpy, with many rises and dells present - as well as some simulated ravines from which volcanic gases smoked out, where the rocks glowed or in some cases were overrun by flowing lava. Overall, though, it gradually sloped upwards, rising upwards towards a large plateau. Surrounding the edges of the plateau were the upper halves of the strange trees, and atop it were large boulders and stone arches designed as if they'd been shaped by the passage of wind through them. At the end of this upper zone was where the next door was located.

Stacie kept her meltdowner pistols in hand as she advanced up the slope towards the plateau with the rest of the squad. “What the hell is this place supposed to be, anyway? Is this what the Ethereal homeworld looks like?”

Surprisingly, she received an answer. A confident, collected, and yet a bit raspy voice came at the squad from all sides. “This hardly matches the splendor that Aetherum once held,” Merenu’beurmas intoned. “No, this resembles Shoraalar, the world on which we found the Balmadaar. I believe you know them as the Mutons. It is here I keep some of the more… shall we say primal members of their species? The ones we use as our frontline soldiers are the males. The females are much more vicious in nature, and cannot be adequately controlled as trained soldiers save for the demolitionists that make it into the Heavy Honor Guard’s ranks. Instead…” Rhea paused for a moment. “Well, why don’t I just introduce you to them?”

The plateau doors shuddered, and then split apart with a sudden and violent force. Smoke billowed out for a moment, and then heavy footsteps could be heard and felt as the squad’s enemies approached. Three Berserkers stomped out onto the rocky terrain, moving forward a few more steps before being followed by a fourth. This particular Berserker was visibly superior to the other three in combat power. Her calcified, durable muscles could hardly be seen, as they were integrated with alloyed armor for even further resistance to damage - much like the exterior coating of Hive Queens, except all that much more difficult to penetrate. She wore a helmet with a pair of horns jutting out, and had visors on either side of her head that glowed a sickly green.

Over the augmented Berserker’s hands, a massive pair of fist weapons were attached. They could only be described as ‘ground-pounders’, being comprised of spiked plates that could mechanically shoot forward for massive kinetic output that likely exceeded the strength of the KSM module on Tomislav’s armor. The ‘queen’ Berserker let out an unearthly, thundering screech that echoed throughout the terrarium. When she had finished her display of unbridled rage and ferocity, the Balmadaar’s master spoke.

“Pandora, kill them,” Rhea instructed simply.

“Holy… open fire!” Tomislav ordered with equal brevity. He lifted his upscaled Augerrifle and let loose a barrage of gunfire at one of the Berserkers in the front. The plasma shots didn’t do a great deal of damage, but at the very least the third tier lasers were enough to break through the superhardened flesh of the female Mutons - if only somewhat. The squad scored a multitude of minor wounds onto the three that served as Pandora’s vanguard before they started to rapidly close to melee range. On its own, the volley of gunfire wasn’t enough to fell any of them in time, however.

Luke smiled at not only the Berserker Queen, but at the three others coming at them as well. He replaced his regular ammo with a different magazine.” Hahahaha! Eat my bunker buster, you three wastes of space you're in my way you piles of meat!” Luke fired his plumegun at the three charging Berserkers, the heat from the plasma not only burning their flesh, but the ammunition was using tearing off pieces of calcified plating off their skin and getting into the meat. “I think I found a new dish to serve, burned Berserkers, ala Luke.”

How the hell can he be calm at a time like this? Stacie questioned, shooting at one of the monstrous Mutons with her DMR.

That’s a bunch of muscles… fuck this shit. H-hey Charon?! I kinda need ya buddy! Mark thought nervously, taking a few steps back, firing as he retreated.

As you wish. Charon’s voice spoke out, not merely to Mark, but to all XCOM soldiers. Charon materialized next to Mark, but no longer did he wear the guise of a normal wolf. Instead, he was bipedal, with two arms, one with sharp claws, the other a spike that seemed to gleam with a malevolent energy. His hind legs bended as he eyed his opponents, his fur a mismatch between silver and black. Oh… I’m going to enjoy this… Charon growled, as he swiped with the bone spear, which summoned a strong rift on two of the Berserkers. The storm chained them in place with its swirling power, leaving the last one to the XCOM forces as it built up in strength. None shall escape the storm…

“That’s new,” Tomislav noted. He would have commented further, but the free Berserker was heading his way. The Harrier swapped from his rifle to the flamethrower mounted on his right arm. The nozzle opened up, and a spray of plasma that weaved and throbbed through the air like a liquid’s consistency shot forward. The Berserker was bathed in the superheated stream, and half of the remaining plating on its body was broiled into dust. It let out a deafening roar of angry and agony, and staggered through the flamethrower blast, still moving forward despite its wounds.

Stepping in front of Tomislav with her shield up, Keloe opened fire into it, preparing to block a strike if it wound up getting too close. Anna followed up behind her, launching a deep violet mindfray into the head of the beast. The creature felt instantly disorientated as the helix passed into its skull, causing it to grip it’s head in pain, but continuing its charge, if much more clumsily. Taking note of this, Keloe turned to Marx, yelling, “Get your blade ready! I’ll take out its legs!”

 

[Dahlexpert]

Black0ut, Dahlexpert, DarkGemini24601, and Frostlich1228: “Operation Industrius Rhea, Part 2”

Marx nodded silently, staring the Muton down as Keloe and Anna both fired into its already vulnerable legs, the burning plasma melting its muscles and sending it careening into the ground as it slid to a halt. Marx quickly took this opportunity, rushing towards the beast as it struggled to pick itself up. The Muton didn’t go down without one last swipe towards Marx as he approached, however, but a well-timed leap from the ranger allowed him to bring his blade down into it’s neck, slicing almost clean through its flesh. After dealing the finishing blow, Marx quickly backed off, learning from his last encounter with this species and falling back towards Tomislav and his friends.

Phobos noted Marx’s purpose. “A good strategy,” he communicated over comms. “Aim for their heads, lest you wish to fight them as ‘zombies’ once they’ve taken lethal damage.”

The other two Berserkers had shown little regard for their own safety. Rather than remain in the eye of the storm that entrapped them, they instead rushed through the psychokinetic hurricane - heedless of the damage it caused them - and charged at the squad. One of them went straight for Poinsettia, forcing the Juggernaut to combine her two shields and hold up the bulwark to block a punch of enormous strength. The blow caused one of her boots to slide backwards, but the servos in her superheavy armor held strong otherwise.

Set grimaced, forced on the pure defensive nevertheless. “Would appreciate some assistance here,” the Exalt soldier requested, unnerved by the appearance of the Berserker practically breathing down her neck at this distance. The Alloy SHIV moved to help alongside Thibault and Stacie. The three of them opened fire, but at the angle they were at, headshots were a hard thing to get. The barrage of lasers nevertheless punctured several vital organs of the battered beast, and put a timer on its remaining life as it struggled to try and beat down Poinsettia.

Help soon arrived for the dying Berserker, however. Pandora had closed the distance now, and the shots taken against her seemed ineffectual against her armored hide. The Berserker Queen stomped towards the SHIV in particular, annoyed by the rattling noises the robot’s jetstream HMG made when it fired. She lifted one fist, and then thrust it down. The ground-pounder was released, moving with enough speed and force that a gust of wind shot out in all directions from it. The weapon impacted with the top of the heavily-armored alloy SHIV, and quite literally flattened the center of the robot - turning the machine into a crater.

“Oh, that’s not good. Hey, Nut? Got any weaknesses on this thing?” Emile asked hopefully.

No, though I recommend you stay in the air and become that annoying fly that gets on its nerves.

“Yeah, I got you.” Emile used his helmet radio to talk to Tomislav.” Tom, I’m going to get its attention, it can’t reach me while I’m in the air. While I have it distracted, have Luke use his firecracker to take bits of its armor off, then when its armor is gone you can burn it? Sound good?”

“I hope it’ll be that simple,” Tomislav responded. “I-mother fucker!” The other Berserker - initially having gone for Red Hawk but having changed targets when he used his cloak to get out of dodge - had decided to attack the Harrier. He was forced to meet its fist with his kinetic strike module. The resultant force from the impact of hardened flesh and alloyed weapon caused damage to both flesh and metal, and prompted the two to separate for a moment before striking at one another again. “No good, Emile! I’m not going to be able to help you two like this.”

“I can buy time,” Stacie offered. “Merlux, focus on reflexive assistance. Show me where Pandora’s going to hit before she moves to attack.”

“Understood. I will do my best,” the A.I. projection on her shoulder stated. “Just be careful.”

“I will be.” The Gunslinger activated her Wild West Hero mode, causing her profile vest to have the inverse intended effect of diverting attention. Instead, she aimed to make the Berserker Queen focus on her with a barrage that temporarily overheated her meltdowners. Feeling the heat of the gunshots, Pandora turned towards Stacie, and threw a ground-pounding punch at her with frightening speed. Merlux saw it coming, and Stacie stepped to the left of the strike as it whipped past her. More punches started to rain in her direction, and each time Stacie was able to run out of the way of the hits for the most part. She had no time to focus on what was going on around her save for the threat in front of her, but Merlux informed the Gunslinger of the situation around her.

Poinsettia was still grappling with the undying Berserker in her way, and Thibault was doing his best to keep shooting it with the hopes that it would suffer enough damage to cease functioning. Jaime was backing him up as well as she could. Tomislav was encountering similar problems, but he had more assistance on his end. Fulmach had used its shock drill to create a rupture in the ground, into which the Berserker facing Tom had dropped. Marx was in the process of sealing it in an earthen tomb, with Cornelia and Keloe doing everything in their power to ensure it wouldn’t climb back up as the Ranger concentrated.

That left only Anna, Mark, Luke, and Emile to assist her. On the spot where Stacie had weakened the monster with her meltdowners, Luke shredded Pandora’s armor even further. Emile and Anna were able to score some damage on the Berserker through the gap in its armor, and Mark reappeared to add to the gunfire pouring into the Queen’s side. However, while hurting it was a good idea, it came with an unavoidable consequence: the pain enraged Pandora. As she grew angrier, more adrenaline pumped through her, causing her movements to speed up and her punches to be harder.


“She’s getting to be too fast!” Merlux reported in a panic. “I’m not going to be able to keep up!”


One of the punches grazed Stacie, the exceedingly glancing hit still being enough to knock her to the side and nearly make her fall on her back. “S-shit! Then switch to cloaking and sound nullification, now!” As the Berserker went to finish Stacie off with a slam from both of its fists, the Gunslinger vanished - getting some distance from the monster.


Seeing the Berserker was no longer distracted with Stacie, Charon charged at it, ramming his bone spear into its back, while using his free hand to try and rake holes in its back. Unfortunately, the durable beast was affected very little by the physical attacks, merely stumbling forward a step. Like a human bitten by a mosquito, the furious alien threw a backhand at Charon, batting him away. Noting his failure at a physical attack, Charon opted to pour most of his strength, and subsequently Mark’s as well, into a powerful rift, in an attempt to damage the monster. Someone, anyone, hit the damn thing!

Anna looked around quickly, then an idea quickly popped into her mind as she spoke over the comms, “Can you distract it enough so that I can get close? It should be just weak enough that I can at least hold it still!”

“Oh, can I distract it, i’ll do more than that. Hey, Emile remember what I did to the Kerberant the first time? Keep it distracted for me, would you.” Luke switched his weapon out for his psi amp, and started to put his thermokinesis and firecracker together into the amp.

“Oh boy , his should be good.” Emile went further into the air raining down plasma at the giant Muton, Emile getting into the armor of the giant alien. Emile flew back around with his stormgun firing a spray of lasers at the Muton, getting its attention. He lead it away from the group so they wouldn’t get hit by Luke’s attack. “Alright Luke, light her up!”

“Ou I intend to.” Luke put out a great amount of power - not quite as much as the all-or-nothing attack he’d used against the Matterhorn Kerberant, but nothing to scoff at either. Sending it towards the Berserker Queen, he shouted, “Now die!” Luke launched the fireball at Pandora. The result was an explosion that destroyed the mutons armor completely, and some of her flesh the flames engulfed the muton in fire. The enhanced blaze seared her body horribly. When the smoke from the blast cleared, the burning had ceased just short of killing Pandora. Its chest had been torn open by the potent attack, and its two beating hearts could be seen for a moment before slow but visible regenesis started to kick in.


Before the creature had a chance to heal enough to cover its vital organs, however, Stacie rematerialized. She lifted a palm towards the Berserker Queen, draining her armor’s augmented elerium battery temporarily dry in order to amp up the strength of her sonic modulator. The device let loose a column of soundwaves powerful enough to shatter glass, and strong enough to pop the Berserker’s heart. “Got it!”

 

[Dahlexpert]

Black0ut, Dahlexpert, DarkGemini24601, and Frostlich1228: “Operation Industrius Rhea, Part 3”

And yet, it still stood. Even without blood pumping, she still had some time left on its life. Pandora started to look around, searching for a way to inflict damage before her life ran out - only for a hand from Charon to push her into the rift, and tear the beast from the inside out.

The four Berserkers were dead now, and a deathly silence overtook the arena of battle. After a moment more, Rhea remarked, “An impressive display of raw power. It is no surprise that XCOM was able to best Tien’lyssigan in a contest of strength. But that will not be enough to defeat Calypso. I will offer you one chance to surrender… refuse, and you shall be devoured by my second pet.”

“You really think we’re going to lay down our arms at this point?” Tomislav retorted.

“...I suppose not.” Merenu fell silent, leaving the team to progress.

Luke started to stand up, but his eyes did not lose their glow they were still a deep crimson like color. I feel weird, why do I feel like something in me is just waiting to come out? Luke shook his head and went with the group.

As they entered the next area, they were met with a bright, almost blinding golden sky. As their eyes adjusted and they looked around, they were standing in the middle of a massive, rolling green grassland, stretching all the way to the end of the room. The field was peppered with trees and small bushes, both of which had golden bark that matched the hue of the sky above them. Off to the right of the squad was a large lake, but the most standout features of this room were two sets of three cascading plateaus that climbed towards the sky, the tops of which had the same grass as the ground. Above, grey clouds had begun to roll in, covering the bright sun and slightly dimming the area the squad currently stood in.

“Pretty place,” Stacie commented, “though if the last venue was anything to go by we should still expect something nasty here.”

Tomislav eyed the doors on the far end of the chamber. “Rather than wait for the next set of enemies to charge us, why don’t we dig in and prepare for them?” he suggested. The Harrier went towards the middle of the room, reloading his Augerrifle. He had Poinsettia take up point closest to the door. Beside her, Keloe deployed her shield and set up her LMG. On Set’s other side, Fulmach stood his ground. Stacie and Jamie set up behind the gaps between the SPARK, Juggernaut, and Enforcer. Anna and Marx lurked in the shadows with their cloaks on, ready to jump in where needed. Thibault and Luke had their primary weapons out, ready to face whatever was to come with extreme prejudice. Cornelia, Red Hawk, and Emile lingered towards the back on either side of Tomislav.

While the strategy was an ideal one, Kasun had made one mistake. He’d assumed - as Stacie had - that the enemies would come through the door as they had before. Instead, the squad was beset by their next opponent so suddenly that they didn’t have any time to react. The ground split asunder below Tomislav, throwing him and the Paramedic, Specialist, Aerotrooper, and two Grenadiers nearby into the air, flying away from the center of the room. Rocks and dirt were tossed away alongside the hurled soldiers as a gigantic Chryssalid the size of a bus burst from the ground. Alongside it, all around the XCOM soldiers, a multitude of Chryssalids unburrowed as well and went on the attack - starting to shred the armor of the XCOM soldiers with their claws.

Marx reacted first as the Chryssalid closed in, taking two quickly slashes at them with his machetes. He killing one, but only damaged the other, forcing him to dodge out of the way to avoid being slashed by its claws. The Ranger could only move so fast, however. The sound of the bug’s claws shredding his shoulder armor filled the air.

As this happened, Anna was stunned, taking a few steps backwards into the waiting claws of one of the insects. Thankfully, Korelyive had her covered, countering the creature by blocking its attack with one claw and sinking the other into its body, beginning to (regrettably) drain it’s lifeforce.

Stacie and Jaime used their magnetic boots to get atop either shoulder of Poinsettia’s Pavise Armor to avoid being devoured alive, doing their best to protect the Juggernaut with rapid pistol shots. “Is this the sort of shit you put up with all the time?” Set growled, punting a Chryssalid away from herself and raising her energy shield around herself to limit the amount of Chryssalids the Gunslingers had to fight.

Both of them let loose a faceoff flurry of shots that rendered the nearby Chryssalids into corpses riddled with scorched holes. “It’s usually not quite this bad, honestly,” Stacie replied with a shake of her head.

Those that had been tossed to the side were not doing as well. Tomislav had managed to get up fairly quickly thanks to Phobos momentarily borrowing his armor’s servos, but even as he recovered and started tossing plasma flames over Chryssalids that got near Cornelia and Red Hawk, the rest nearby swarmed the two Grenadiers. Luke was able to defend himself with his pyrokinesis, but a Chryssalid Drake resistant to the flames slipped up from behind and sunk its claws into Thibault’s chest. It punctured his lungs, and then injected a parasitic solution into his neck through its teeth that caused his body to start to bloat into a cocoon form.

To make matters worse, the Broodmother that had risen up from the ground was not about to sit idly by and watch its brood fight and die. Rather, Calypso reached out with a powerful, psionically-gifted mind, and caused everyone on the battlefield to feel their anxiety and tension from the combat tripled. This rendered them more vulnerable to further mental attacks, and caused Cornelia - who had gotten up only to watch Thibault die - seize up in a panic.


Keloe meanwhile, preparing for an attack from the front, was completely caught off by the eruption and subsequent psionic attack. Huffing heavily, she turning to see a Chryssalid heading straight for her. Unable to react quickly enough with the panic affecting her, the insect was able to lodge a claw into her stomach. However as it went to inject her with its fangs, it was met with Keloe’s gun. She blocked the strike, then slammed her weapon into its face, forcing it to back up.

“D-Dammit…” Poinsettia muttered, struggling to maintain her cool after Calypso’s mass nervous breakdown wave. The Juggernaut knew that as is, the squad would be overwhelmed, and she had to act. “Belle, Knight, you’ll want to get off me.” The two jumped off behind her, and then the Exalt soldier drew on her PCS to use a psionic ability of her own. A psychic wave shot out from Set’s location, affecting the control chips lodged in the Chryssalids brains as surely as any other alien. The psionic ‘taunt’ as it were caused the vast majority of the bugs to turn towards her, and all rush in her direction. To avoid them shredding her armor into oblivion and then getting the meaty morsels within, the Juggernaut activated her tractor beam field. She focused it in a 135 angle originating from her back, keeping the chryssalids there off of her while she bashed away those in front with her shield. “Go after Calypso!” she urged her teammates fearfully. “I can’t keep this up for long!”


As Anna watched the Chryssalids swarm Poinsettia, she look up at the Broodmother before her, finding it hard to pull the trigger. Noticing her hesitation, and despite having even more of it herself, Korelyive spoke, “We don’t have to kill her, but we do have to fight her or all is lost! The joints of her legs, that is our target, we have to bring her down!”

Relaying the information over the comms, Anna took in a deep breath, firing her plasma caster, hoping the bring the behemoth queen down. It was only mildly phased, however; it was clear it would take much more firepower than that. Nor would Calypso sit around and take a beating. The Broodmother loosened another psychic attack, this time focused on a select few targets. All at once, Cornelia, Poinsettia, Luke, and Marx were assaulted with deafening mental static. Images, sounds, and emotions like fear and rage pumped into their brains, threatening to drive them temporarily - and violently - insane.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Dahlexpert, DarkGemini24601, and Frostlich1228: “Operation Industrius Rhea, Part 4”

The former two were unable to resist. Cornelia started punching wildly at Red Hawk, while Poinsettia began to fight recklessly - and suffered heavy damage to her armor for it.

Luke held his head, his mind shield was strong but the Broodmother’s influence was impressive.” Get out, get out of my head damn you!” Luke fired his plumegun at the massive chryssalid.

Marx was able to resist thanks to his psionics and it would’ve left him with a splitting headache to boot, but his condition proved more than helpful once again as he followed Anna’s call, pulling up sharpened stones all around the queen and driving them between the plates of her leg armor.

The cocoon that had once been Thibault hatched at this point, and a trio of newborns rushed at Luke while he was distracted. Tomislav saved him from being ripped apart, firing his armor’s mortar at the three and blowing them up with a plasma detonation - Luke’s blast padding shielding him from most of the blast that reached him. “Goddamnit! Fuck these things!” the Harrier cried out in frustration, taking aim with his mortar at a different target. An AT shell shot through the air, impacting one of the Broodmother’s legs and driving a deep wedge into it with the resulting explosion.

A plasma bolt hit the damaged leg, and was then followed by five others in rapid succession as both Stacie and Jamie fan-fired. The limb came clean off and the Broodmother stumbled - still able to stand, but only barely. “We’ve almost got it!” the Texan Gunslinger declared.

“Toppling the titan,” Fulmach echoed, lowering his elerium phase-cannon and charging up a potent blast. The SPARK unit fired until his weapon required time to cool down, but the incredible power of the huge rifle was enough to shear off a second frontal leg. Calypso toppled into a heap, rendered unable to move.

“This is our chance!” Marx yelled, gripping his plasma blades and taking off towards the creature’s head as he reared up for a colossal blow. Before he could attempt to finish it off, he heard his cousin’s voice from behind him.

Anna stepped forward, yelling and trying to stop him, “No! Stop!”

Her cry halted Marx’s advance just in front of the creature’s mouth. It tried to reach its maw forward to bite at Marx, but he was easily able to move out of the way of the immobile beast. Anna rushed over, sending Korelyive towards the Broodmother. In response to the approaching enemy, Calypso released a ring of soulfire from around itself, intending to scorch the minds of all those nearby. The blast was launched out at them, sending both the members of Gamma fireteam to the floor, causing Anna considerable pain. Marx picked himself up slowly, clearly furious, “Anna! What… we can’t…”

The argument was ended with the crack of an upscaled rifle. Fulmach’s shot punctured into Calypso’s cranial armor, and a follow-up shot from Tomislav melted its brain. The Broodmother moved no more. The psionic effects that had caused the members of the squad to be overwhelmed with anxiety or driven mad quickly abated with the death of the massive Chryssalid. The SPARK unit that had killed it calmly reported, “Enemy down.”

Anna picked herself up, rubbing her head before seeing the carcass of the queen she had been looking to save. She crushed dirt between her fingers, both her reflection and herself being filled with anger as she looked towards Tomislav, “Why would you...! You...! You killed her!”

The Harrier lowered his weapon, replying in a bewildered tone, “What are you talking about, Stone? Of course I killed it.”

"She was a healthy broodmother! Who knows what we could’ve learned from her! She could’ve saved my people!" Korelyive vocalized, forming fully.

Phobos’s voice echoed around the ghastly Chryssalid. “My user terminated an enemy,” he stated calmly. “We did not have the chance to incapacitate it, nor the capability to house a creature of Calypso’s size. This was the logical outcome. Besides,” the A.I. added, “XCOM’s primary objective is to liberate Earth from the aliens’ control. ‘Saving’ the Broodkin race is not.”

“Leave it to a soulless machine to fail to see the bigger picture…” Anna’s reflection growled.

“The fate of your species hardly matters to-”

“Phobos. That’s enough.” Tomislav shook his head. “Look. What happened to the alien races that were subjugated under the Elders is unfortunate, but I’m not risking the lives of those that serve under my command to try and work towards your personal goals. What Phobos was trying to say is that we have priorities, and orders that we need to follow. Our objective right now is to kill that Ethereal up top, and that’s what we need to focus on.”

“He’s right, how are we going to even fit that thing in the Avenger?” Marx added, standing up and checking on Keloe, “You need to be realistic Anna, I doubt they can even be saved anymore.”

“We have to try Marx…” Anna added, picking herself up and brushing herself off, “We have a Elder to kill? Then let’s kill a fucking Elder…”

“Ain't that the truth, we need to keep moving I’m sure the Elder is enjoying the show.” Luke looks around the room and shouts. “Are you enjoying the show, you damn coward? Are you finally going to face us or are you two scared to do your own dirty work?!” Luke questioned the Ethereal.

“Cowardice is irrelevant. You have been whittled down by my greatest guard dogs,” Rhea replied nonchalantly. “I will be seeing you soon.”

“Arrogant bitch…” Tomislav muttered. “Alright… Fulmach, dissolve Lambda Fireteam. You’ll be joining Stacie.”

“Understood,” the SPARK acknowledged.

Menace 1-5 moved to the door, and stepped through. They found themselves in a staircase that wound upwards, and was devoid of any Protectorate troops. The XCOM soldiers received no further resistance heading upwards, but when the staircase ended, the room that followed it wasn’t the top floor.

Instead, it was the interior of a factory. An assortment of gray and bronze colors dominated the scene, which consisted of machines lining the walls and assembly lines covering half of the floor in several long conveyor belts that curved into one another on the far wall. The pounding of crushers could be heard from the right, where the process begun by flattening alloys into strips that went into the production of armor plating alongside fabricators that were creating electronics. On the end of the assembly line, there was a cluster of Zephyr seeker models hanging from the ceiling - indicating just what was being made in this room.

Standing in the center of it all, in a windowless overseer’s chair that allowed a panoramic view of the production facility, was Merenu’beurmas herself. The blue-and-orange robed Ethereal clapped her upper two hands together. I do owe you congratulations on making it this far. Your strength and your resolve are both commendable, even if such traits are being directed to the wrong ends. Rhea leaned forward. Knowing how determined you are, however, I will not extend the offer of surrender a second time. Make your peace, for this assembly line shall be your grave. In the name of the Path, I will strike you down.

“You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to killing you. But I’m a nice guy, so I will offer you the same thing you offered us. Surrender now, or you will die.” Luke said to the Elder.

Rhea chuckled. Coming from you, Luke Van Dam, I know that is a legitimate threat. You are indeed dangerous… but I have means to deal with the danger you present.

Tomislav raised his Augerrifle. “Enough chit-chat. It’s time to die,” he told the Ethereal. He pulled the trigger, and found that no laser leapt out from his weapon’s barrel. “The hell?”

One of Rhea’s palms radiated orange. “Indeed,” the Overseer of Antarctica responded cooly, “it is time for you to die.” Her robes shimmered with bright energy of the same color, and that power spread to all of her palms. “Allow me to show you… just what I am capable of,” she spoke, even as her voice - and all other sounds in the room - ceased to be heard. Everything thing went completely silent, and all the lights in the chamber shut off with an inaudible click.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Dahlexpert, DarkGemini24601, and Frostlich1228: “Operation Industrius Rhea, Part 5”

Tomislav tried to give orders when the lights went out, but found that despite his mouth moving, his words couldn’t be heard. What the hell? What’s going on?

I am not certain…. My speakers are not working either, so this cannot be a perceptual trick. She is not using the blackout ability on you. I believe she has… cancelled out all sound in this room.

That’s possible?! Tom responded in shock. Alright, we’ll have to communicate via PCS telepathy. Everyone, switch to thermal vision!

Switching, Poinsettia reported. W-what the hell? My armor’s being torn to bits! I don’t see any attack, the temperature’s just lower than it should be…

Whether she could see it or not, the Juggernaut’s armor was being battered by something. Had the Sonokinesis not been in effect, she might have heard the sound of the cryo rift freezing and shattered her armor to the point of nonfunctionality. But, without the ability to see except in infrared, and being unable to hear, she wasn’t able to figure out what was going on. The psychokinetic storm specifically targeted her chestplate, and before she could figure out what to do, her armor was damaged to the point where Poinsettia was forced to eject - taking only a powered shield and a plasma pistol with her.

The rift moved on to Jaime, tearing up her armor, and then spitting her out - tossing her into a fabricator and rendering her unconscious from the force of the hit. Red Hawk was hit by a blackout from the Overseer, rendering him blind and causing him to be anxious enough for a psi panic to take him out of the fight via paralyzing fear.

Marx readied his blades, ready to swing at any shadow that passed too close to him. Without most of his senses, alongside his normal condition, Marx knew he would have to rely on his team for almost everything. The Russian had never felt more helpless than he did now.

There was only deathly silence as some of the members of Menace 1-5 determined Merenu’s location with their nightvision. They opened fire, but targeting a heat signature was much more difficult than shooting at a visible person - especially when the target was distorting their visual marker with a defensive cryokinetic mist.

It is interesting how one realizes they relied heavily on a sense only when they are deprived of it, Rhea mused as she deflected what shots did graze her with a telekinetic field. Without proper sight and without hearing at all… what can you truly do? Just like this… A trio of Zephyrs decloaked behind Cornelia, and all fired their narrow, armor-penetrating pulse lasers into her back - perforating her torso and sending her abruptly into the blackness of death. ...one by one… Fulmach attempted to advance in order to get a more accurate shot on Merenu, only to unwittingly step under one of the crushes and be quietly smashed into an inoperable condition by the industrial presser. ...you will fall.

Damn it, damn you, taking our sight and hearing. Nut give me something here, Emile requested.

With what, what can I do?

Can you see the target?

Yes. Calculating... I think I have an idea. Emile this Ethereal power works with darkness. So all we need to do is get some light in here, hm maybe Luke could help but he can’t hear anything. So the walls a good grenade throw will destroy the wall and bring sound back into the room.

Heh, that could work, but I’m blind here. I need you to guide me.

No problem. Nut discerned that Emile was too close to his allies for him to use a grenade. Hold on. Nut took over Emile's armor and flew up and away from the others. Alright just throw your grenade at the ground and let some light in here!


Emile threw a grenade at the ground, the explosion destroyed the wall and air started to enter the room from the outside. However, no sound came through. You appear to be under a grave misunderstanding about how Sonokinesis works, Merenu intoned, the light flooding into the room revealing her position. Though finding an alternative light source is clever… if futile. Equium, kill.

Something collided with Stacie, driving her into the ground. The form of a Prowler revealed itself, though this particular alien cat was clad in power armor and had claws that bristled with plasma. It swiped at the Gunslinger’s chestplate, tearing through it in quick succession. Because Equium had come from behind - and there was no noise to indicate what had occurred - the squad noticed a second or two late. H-Help! Stacie mentally cried out in a panic.

Tomislav’s hands were tied. His rifle had been rendered nonfunctional by a technokinetic interference that had been placed on it, and he couldn’t use any of his subsystems for fear that he’d hurt Stacie too. Dammit, she’s completely locked down our options!

Poinsettia did try to shoot the cat in the back with her pistol, but she only did minor damage to the plating with the sidearm. Can’t breach its armor with this!

Marx, able to pinpoint where the direction the psionic call for help was coming from, took off in that direction with his blades, finding the armored cat attacking his teammate and bringing his weapons down on top of it.

The plasma blades sunk into the armor, breaching it and singing the Prowler beneath. With a snarl that could not be heard, Equium swatted Stacie into a wall as he leapt backwards. Filthy human… A pair of Zephyrs decloaked on either side of him - as well as on either side of Emile. A few more harassed the others. The two near the Prowler shot at Marx, while the duo in the air targeted the Aerotrooper in their sights. Keloe quickly brought up her shield to block the lasers, giving Marx and Anna a chance to return fire themselves, both connecting at least a few shots on their respective Zephyrs. The lightly-armored robots were easily blown out of the air once hit, making no sound with their sparks as they were blown to bits.

Set used her pistol to good effect to take out one near Emile. At least I can do something with this stupid sidearm…

Nut assisted the Aeotrooper in dodging the shot from the other, and he took out the Zephyr with his own weapon. Tomislav could now make use of his mechanized fists at the very least, and charged forward at the Prowler for that very reason. He couldn’t land a hit on it now that the alien cat was using its precognition - an ability somewhat limited by the lack of sound to help with physical foresight but nevertheless still enough to play keep-away. Stacie shakily got to her feet, though had to take a moment to recover from nearly having her throat torn out.

Rhea didn’t allow the Gunslinger any reprieve. A narrow shard of ice formed in one of the Ethereal’s hands, and then shot forward. It hit where Equium had torn away Stacie’s armor, and punctured the middle of her torso. You too shall fall.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Dahlexpert, DarkGemini24601, and Frostlich1228: “Operation Industrius Rhea, Part 6”

Stacie clutched at the ice spike as crimson began to stream down over it and her hands. W-why the hell… does she keep… targeting me…?

Seeing this, Marx began to open fire on the Elder herself, at least hoping to take some heat off of them. Anna quickly psied him a warning, however, Be careful Marx! If she can make it quiet, I’m sure she can make it loud too!

How astute of you. Suddenly, all the sounds of the room came flooding back in - louder than they had been when the squad entered. The racket was enormous, and was enough to meddle with the concentration of the soldiers that remained standing. To make matters worse, Merenu chose that moment to affect Marx with an ability that combined well with the sonokintic amplification. She gave him ESP. Specifically, the Overseer heightened the Ranger’s sense of hearing. The hypersensitivity was enough to cause his ears to start to bleed from trauma, and it certainly made his head spin.

Suddenly a fireball went past the Elder in the attempt to get her attention. “Hey I’m not on to be ignored, or have you forgotten how dangerous I am?!”

“Oh, believe me, I have not.” Luke’s flames were suddenly quenched, the oxygen being stolen from the air around him. But, as I said, you are easily dealt with.

Luke started to choke from the lack of oxygen. I will not die like this, you must be mistaken otherwise. Luke used his firecracker on the Elder, launching multiple explosions at the Elder.

The blasts were nullified in much the same manner, as Merenu created an oxygen-deprived zone around herself through which the blasts couldn’t maintain their cohesion. “This is a waste of energy.” She lifted her lower left hand, and a surge of green surrounded it. Luke’s skin was imbued in a manner similar to how Yakone strengthened her flesh, but with one component missing: biokinesis. Without that stabilizing factor, Luke’s skin started to crack left and right, causing minor bleeding all over his body that, when added up, acted like a major wound.

Anna, having enough of being ineffectual in the fight against Rhea and still filled with rage at the loss of the Broodmother, directed as much energy as possible into her hand, hoping to at least get her guard down for a moment with the most potent psi insanity the ‘witch’ could muster, launching the twisting helix towards the head of the Elder.

The flashing images, sounds, and emotions staggered Merenu’beurmas, but an Overseer was psionically-resistant enough to not be driven mad by such an attack. It did distract her enough to force the Ethereal to retract any powers she was currently channeling. This freed up Tomislav’s gun, allowing him to shoot at Equium alongside Marx and keep the alien cat away from the others. Keloe and Poinsettia were finishing off some of the last of the Zephyrs. Emile had gotten over to Stacie, and (painfully) removed the ice spike from her and stabilized the wound for now with a medkit taken from the fallen Paramedic of the squad.

Menace 1-5, overall, was having a chance to regroup. And with the Overseer of Antarctica currently clearing her head with a psi inspiration, a very-angry Luke had the chance to advance. He was temporarily given enough oxygen to breath, but as Merenu began to recover she started to drain the air away from him again.

Luke’s eyes glowed through the glass of his helmet.” I’m gonna kill you, I will kill you, I will not die by suffocation or any of your other tricks.” Luke slammed his fist on the ground and a wave like burst to the elde. The attack knocked the Elder painfully into the wall behind her.

“Y...you… stay away from me!” Rhea lifted a hand, and applied technokinesis to Luke’s power armor - effectively turning the servos against him and locking him in place. With her other lower hand, she channeled further physical enhancement into Equium, allowing the cat to become enough of a threat that Keloe and Poinsettia had to face him alongside Tomislav and Marx once they were done with the Zephyrs. The Ethereal’s two upper arms were raised, and her palms open. It is time to finish this. The room’s sound levels returned to normal, though an incredibly booming noise came from both of her hands as she launched columns of condensed soundwaves strong enough to rip apart the metal floor. They destroyed it, rapidly heading towards Emile (and by extension Stacie) and Anna.

“We need to move!” Emile put Stacie on his shoulders and flew to Anna and got Anna off the ground, his gravitation subsystem jettisoning him away from the shockwave. “Way too close, Nut.”

You still have a shield generator that will defend you so your good, but for now we need to get Stacie out of the fight she’s too hurt.

“Right. Hey, Anna think you can take care of yourself for a moment?”

Before the Ambusher had a chance to respond, Merenu placed her palms together - telekinetically moving forward in order to get closer. You will not escape! The sonic attack widened, now battering and slowly ripping apart the armor of the soldiers without anywhere to run from it.

Stacie, I understand now why she’s been targeting us! Merlux broke through to his user even through the headache she was experiencing from the sonic shriek and her wound. It’s our sonic modulator! We can use it to counter her master psionic ability!

Then let’s… ruin her day… like she’s ruined ours… that’ll be some melancholy you can laugh at, right? Stacie thought with grim mirth. She shakily raised her hands - wincing at the disturbance in the lining over her wound that the motion caused - and activate her armor’s subsystem. The power was turned up to the maximum, and a sonic frequency came out of her palms like a flat shield. The wavelength she used scattered Rhea’s, and diffused it into a harmless frequency that sounded almost melodic in its tune.

At the same time, Tomislav had made use of his own A.I. subsystem to deal with the alien cat across from him. Inspired by the wide sonic attack Merenu had used, Phobos channeled a heatwave in a wide spit of fire that allowed Equium no means of escape. His armor was heated up to the point where it began to melt. Pain distracted him from his predictions, and some well-placed shots from Marx cut through his armor like hot butter and ended his life. Tomislav threw a mechanized fist up in the air in satisfaction, and turned towards a fuming Merenu. “Yeah, it is time to finish this, isn’t it?”

Is pissing her off really a good idea?

Dunno, but it’s cathartic as hell.

...fair enough.

Marx quickly turned his attention to the Elder who had been harassing his cousin. Taking a deep breath, the Russian began to slam his fists into the floor, hammering her shield with alloy pillar after pillar, trying to wear down Rhea’s defenses.

The Overseer was battered by the constant attacks, and - thrown off balance - she devoted her energies to maintaining her telekinetic shield. She stopped acting offensively, and had been effectively backed into a corner. Things only got worse for Merenu’beurmas from here on out, however. Jaime awakened from her unconscious slumber, and - despite being unsure of what had happened while she was out - put her psionics to some good use. She pumped her power into a blackout that rendered Rhea unable to see, and - for good measure - Stacie closed the distance and used her sonic modulator to create a field of nullified sound around the Ethereal.

“It’s time for you to die,” the Texan Gunslinger stated, raising her blitz pistols and cracking the shield open with some rapid fire. Realizing Rhea was vulnerable, Anna launched a powerful psychotic break towards her, directed at stopping her from forming another shield and keeping the team’s window open. So focused on physical defenses, Rhea couldn’t protect her mind in time - and clutched her head as she saw no light and heard no sound except for the flashes and voices in her head. Can’t… think… can’t…

Luke saw that the Ethereal was panicking. She was no longer channeling an armor lock on him. This was an opportunity to try something unique with his new power. “Well then let’s try a Luke original.” Luke charged the Ethereal, and got real close to her. Luke channeled his shockwave through his right arm and punched Merenu. The shockwave was released directly from Luke’s palm into the Ethereal, knocking her through the factory’s back wall. “Oh yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about!” Luke rushed after Rhea and stood over her.”Now, bye-bye Ethereal.” Luke channeled another shockwave punch this time adding sparking flames to it, preparing to finish her off.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Operation Industrius Rhea Epilogue

Tomislav stepped through the gap in the wall. “Luke, wait! This is the perfect opportunity to take one of them alive… we were nearly wiped out facing her without any expectations for her abilities. She would know about the Overseers that Shen’lutusus doesn’t.”

“I’m about to kill this thing, and now you're telling me to bring it home?” Luke looked over Merenu, seeing she was still alive. “Tch you're lucky it’s alive somehow.” He shook his head. “Heh... I got another power though. Shockwave huh, oh the possibilities I can do with this new ability.”

“Oh, I’m sure your girlfriend could think of something,” Tomislav joked, slowly letting the tension of battle ebb out of his system. “Stone, you think your Reflection could keep Rhea under? Wouldn’t want her waking up on the Skyranger or something.”

“If you take issue with us capturing this particular alien, well… keep in mind she would know how to return the Broodkin species to its original state better than anyone. She is the Beastmaster, after all,” Phobos noted.

Anna’s eyes widened at this idea, looking to Korelyive for approval. "I much as I wish to end the life of this monster for trapping my people like rats… Trapping it like one seems as though it would be acceptable as well."

Luke approached the Elder and removed her mask.” Well that’s my trophy. I don’t know what you're going to do to it. But take it up to eleven. I’m going to collect my Berserker queen trophy on the way back.” The Grenadier started heading back towards the stairs. “Oh, and good job Anna,” he said as he departed.

With everything seemingly decided, Anna approached the unconscious Elder. Her Reflection’s claws reached into Rhea. “Don’t worry… This won’t kill you… But it will hurt… And you will feel it all, I’ll make sure of that…"

 

[MarineAvenger]

Face Your Fear Part One (MarineAvenger and Dahlexpert)

On Board the Avenger before Operation Industrius Rhea

Luke walked into the bar with a glowing smile and when he noticed his friend Leon sitting in a stool enjoying a drink, he approached quickly, "Yo Leon, how you doing?" Luke grabbed a stool, sitting next to Leon.

On closer inspection, it was actually a bottle of whiskey he was enjoying. The Grenadier looked over to the side at Luke and responded with, "Fine I suppose."

"Really? I figured you be great. We got Yankone back, we killed an Elder, and we took over a whole city! And now you're getting married. Oh, and by the way I told you we would get Yankone back. I told you to have hope in it, and it happened."

"If you are here to rub it in my face, I will beat you halfway back to Sunday. But yes, we have her back now. Wait, how did you find out I am getting married? Who told you?"

Luke gave Leon an, ‘Are you kidding me?’ expression. "You proposed in the middle of a bar, after you two had an argument. You know the people here can't keep their mouths shut, but I have to say you did beat me. Because I also proposed to Alexis that same day. Heh, funny how we both felt that we wanted to give our girls a wonderful Christmas."

"You see, that's where you are wrong. I didn't propose to her merely because it was Christmas. You can't trivialize it like that. Ask yourself, why did you propose to Alexis?" Leon asked the red psion seriously.

"Why, because I love and trust her. She's fun and cool to be with. And she's not like any woman I met before. I know you proposed to Yakone for your own reasons, not just because it's Christmas."

"I just wish things were going smoother. I'm worried our downs are going to outweigh our ups." Leon admitted with a shake of his head.

"Well then, from one friend to another, just go with the flow of things. Me and Alexis go well together because we both look for a good time, and try to have fun with each other. In more ways than one. So think man, what is one thing you and Yak can do together besides training?"

"We have a daughter to raise now from a... Friend who died during the war of mine. Other then that, there isn't much other than training. We haven't done anything sexual yet. I've had no urge to, though I think she may. I have a lot on my plate in terms of leadership, in making sure I am prepared with Psyma and Fortis. I've never done anything with a girl before, so I have no real reason to get into the mood." Leon took a swig of his drink, shrugging.

Luke put his hand on his forehead. "Jesus Christ man, you are as stale as a board. Think outside the box, my god man! Look just follow your male instinct and just be spontaneous. Cook her dinner, take her off the ship. Hell, wherever we stop next take her off the ship and do something with her.” Luke downed some bourbon that he had ordered and continued, "Look Leon just try to be… I don't know, wow her."

"Stale as a board? Look Luke, I'll try but I think people expect too much from me. Relationships are new territory for me." The Grenadier noted sourly.

"What you think I'm better? I had one night stands, never a full blown relationships, Alexis is my first full blown partner. Look just, how do I put it... think of fun! Think of something that can be fun, like swimming or a drinking contest. Something that will make you and her happy, just take a break man."

"I haven't taken a break since I was a child, Luke. You do realize that? Sure, I have relaxed, but I've never been a civilian. Not like some people here. Not even like you. Crappy as your life has been, you've lived like a normal person. Well... 'normal'." He said, using air quotes when he used the word.

"Yeah, ‘normal’. Look Leon, then ask Yakone what does she want to do for fun and go with it. Does that help?"

"Well, if you think that's what's best. Maybe it wouldn't be hard to just get it straight from the source. I don't think Yakone would be into the whole romantic surprise thing. I don't... think she is that kind of girl."

"Well, you're dating her so I wouldn't know. But I'm sure Yakone will love to see that you're trying, don't you think?"

"Maybe. I suppose you could have a point. She did get rather upset when I admitted to her that I was fine how we were and I wasn't really looking to go farther. It's really how our argument began."

"Well, try going further with her. What's the worst that can happen? She says no. If so, then you pull back a little bit. Regardless, just take things step by step until you're ready." Luke chuckled at Leon. "This is what, the second time I'm trying to help you, and somehow you out rank me? You're losing your touch man." Luke said jokingly.

"Being a good soldier does not mean you are very good at being a human being." The Canadian man said with a shake of the head. "Besides, I am more powerful than you whether you want to admit it or not."

Luke spit out some of his bourbon and laughed loudly. "Oh, that's funny. See unlike you I took a chrissalid by me self, two mutons and killed that two story siege monster. You fought a captain and an ADVENT fire team- that nearly killed you by the way. Which reminds me, you're an idiot for that. Taking on five people by yourself, what's the matter with you?"

"Wasn't like I was looking for a fight. In all honesty, I just wanted some time alone, and got caught up in a fight with the ADVENT Task Force. But yes Luke, believe it or not, one on one I can beat you. The example you gave was me fighting three different battles when I was already pretty worn out, not only because I was running a lot, but because one of those Task Force members was an old friend. I could take you." The Major said with certainty.

"Who's fault was that? Look Leon, I don't know why people see me as a standard. For some reason people think, ‘Hey, if I beat Luke, I'm the toughest person in XCOM.’. Meanwhile nobody wants my job. My job is to wipe out the enemy force in mass so the others can move up. I can rip the enemy apart at a medium range, destroy their armor and burn whatever they give me in return. If you think you can beat me one on one," Luke shrugged his shoulders. "Go ahead, doesn't mean you can."

Leon shook his head. "You aren't the tough standard at all. Since when did me saying I could beat you be me admitting you are the strongest in XCOM? That title only goes to the Commander, not you. As for your job, sure it is a tough one, but we all have a place. You're a damage dealer, but you can't do my job. You aren't a leader in any capacity whatsoever. Too hot-headed and too focused on other priorities. We are all good at something, but in terms of fighting capabilities, you are better at group targets, not one on one. Whereas, taking on a sole target is my specialty."

"Oh, I can handle myself in a one on one fight. Remember I did fight a chryssalid by myself. And I know I'm not a leader, not even close to one. I'm good at destroying groups like you said, and heavily armored enemies. But you have to admit, I have to be the most dangerous person here. Hell, I wouldn't be the second most wanted person in the world otherwise."

"You... aren't second most wanted." Leon chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. "You sure do have a grand view of yourself in the large scale of things, don't you? A chryssalid is not that hard to kill. For most people, killing one is pretty simple so long as you can hit it or have a proper counter-attack close range. As for Mutons, they are slow and bulky. Killing one is definitely a feat, I won't take that from you. It would be a challenge for me, but I could certainly do it if I tried hard enough. And buddy..." This time Leon pat Luke on the back, "There is a very, very long list of people ahead of you the aliens care about more."

"I doubt that. A red psion that's a Grenadier? Me being a red psion is bad enough for them, that alone makes me the second most wanted person. But you are pretty good in your own right, though you bit off way more then you can chew for a leader. Taking on ADVENT by yourself is not a good leader. What if you got killed? I don't want to explain to Yakone and Gwen that there boyfriend/brother got killed being stupid. So please don't go facing groups of aliens by yourself, and I'm still better then you." Look took a sip of his bourbon.

"Luke, you really need to learn when you have no idea what you are talking about. First off, you are a dumbass, just making that clear. We are both Grenadiers, and if Atka is the most wanted person by the aliens, you are certainly not the second because you are a red. Because guess what? The leader of Genesis is a red psion. One who most likely IS the second most wanted in the world. And don't throw Yakone and Gwen in my face. I know how to be a leader because I have a tactical mind, a natural intuition, and I can operate knowing I have people behind my back. I did not bite off more than I can chew. Don't seek to claim I am not a fit leader because of one mistake that could happen to anyone. Even Atka herself has been taken off guard by ADVENT when she was fighting tooth and nail to get her sister back. Going to say she isn't fit to be a leader as well?"

 

[MarineAvenger]

Part Two

Leon chuckled a bit bitterly with a knowing smirk. "The main difference between you and me, and the reason why I will always win against you in the end is because I can think. I do not live my life emotionally, and I do not fight emotionally. I fight using my mind, and by knowing how to make my mind my greatest weapon. You'd like to think you are all that because of your ego, and as Yakone has made a clear example of, that can get you into deep shit. If you ever want to be a better man, you had better learn pretty quick the distinction between you and me. Otherwise you will always be a dumb street kid inside who thinks he can just brute force his way through anything. Because that attitude you hold... let's just say, you have our roles reversed. It'll be me going to Alexis telling her that you got yourself killed because you got it in your head that you could overcome a threat you couldn't take. I will always have a team behind my back. You will always fight alone. Even when you have people by your side."

Luke eyes started to glow, but he took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Who said I can't think during a fight? I fight alone so I can distract the enemy and keep their attention on me and away from everyone else so they can focus on primary targets. And yes I was a street kid, and did way more fuck up things that I'm not comfortable telling anyone. And it’s because of that, I decide to fight alone and use myself as bait.

Luke also chuckled. “Now as for Alexis, I will not die because I have something to come back to. I’m preparing for my life after this war. Do my emotions get the better of me, yes. The reason why that is is because a psion’s power magnifies with their emotion, and for me that's my anger. Let me explain something to you. I'm not allowed to get angry while I'm on this ship, if I do I can bring the whole thing down so I do keep my emotions in check. When it's just on the battlefield I’m allowed to vent. Now as for me fighting alone, I fight alone because if anyone had my power I have to be real careful not to go all out when I’m around people."

Luke took a sip of his drink and sighed, "Look, we can go back and forth with this, but can we admit that one is good at one thing and the other is good at another. And I’m working on my arrogance and it's coming along, but I can be smart Leon. I just chose to be a brute."

"And that mentality is the reason why you will never be promoted past the rank of Squaddie. You are the only one on the main roster rotation that is still at that rank. Yakone managed to reach Sergeant because she put in the effort to change herself. To be honest Luke, you've certainly grown a bit as a person, but those changes haven't been as big as you may have thought. You have to do some serious thinking about where your life is headed. You may have a vision of the future, but that vision can easily be brought down by your inaction to bettering yourself. I am sure your fiance would agree with that." The Major said with a finality to the statement. The finality of Leon knowing it was the truth.

Luke took another swig at his bourbon and shook his head."It's not that easy Leon, my demons are way worse the Yankoe’s. You think Ember was bad? I was way worst then Ember could have ever been. See, Ember killed because she was ordered to. Me, when I was younger I killed because not only did I want to, but because It was a means for survival. No, I may not be that person anymore but I still have my demons, and while I do keep a good cage on them they only come out when i'm fighting."

"Well you know what Luke, then break up with Alexis and find yourself a good prison or mental institution to keep yourself in. I am going to be brutally honest, once this war is over and you lose that battlefield, you won't be able to vent like you used to. No matter how hard you try, and no matter how much you think whatever you do helps. You are a fucked up dude, and you have issues that men in the past have never been -and in my opinion- should never be forgiven for. This war will likely give you a pardon from your past, but that doesn't give you a pardon from your head. Fix your shit. Else forget about being a husband, forget about being a father, and forget about being a normal person. Learn to let go of your demons and quick, and to find a way to lose that attitude, else one day you will hurt someone. Could be Alexis, could be your offspring, and you will have no one to blame but yourself. Change Luke. I only give you one warning. Stop being a brute because it is the easy fucking path. I mean come on. Nobody changes for no reason. Change is only enacted when you put in the effort to change. You hear me? Because this isn't my future at stake. It's yours. And this is the best advice you will get in your life Luke. Fix. Your. Shit. And do it quick before you regret it, because men like you, with your track record... never change on their own."

Luke took a deep breath and looked at Leon. “To think I thought you didn’t cared. Heh... fix myself, yeah that's going to be fun. I think I have a way of doing so, but doing it means I have to face my old self and go through some memories I kept hidden. But it's something I do have to do alone. I will not leave Alexis, she is what motivates me to be a better person and have something I can never have. And the thought of me even laying a finger on them when I’m not training scares me." Luke took a deep breath and looked at Leon. "Do you really think I can change, and face my demons?"

"If I didn't, than I would do everything in my power to make sure you wouldn't hurt people. That's what being a leader means Luke. To make sure that the people around you get through the storm safely. You have people to help you. Don't go through this all alone. Do what you have to do, but seek more outside help than you think you need. Because admit it Luke, you don't think well. That's why you have people like me to do it for you." Leon put a hand on Luke's shoulder, giving him a bit of a shake. "You're a member of this crew Luke. We'll protect you till the end. We beat the aliens together, and we beat demons together. Never forget that, alright? And once you've faced your past, then you have earned the future you want for yourself."

"I appreciate it, but they’re my demons and I will face it by myself. Not because I have to but I need to. I understand people will help me, especially Alexis. But this is my fight, the same way Yakone fought Ember, I need to fight mine alone. Though I'm sure you and others will be there in other ways." Luke started laugh. "Heh, what a day. I gave you advice on Yakone and you give me advice on my demons. Heh funny how things work, huh?"

"Not really seeing the punchline, but whatever." The Major said with a shrug, taking his drink and standing. "Just get yourself better. Because that's an order, soldier." He chuckled, walking off to leave Luke to his drink and thoughts.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

MarineAvenger and DarkGemini24601: “Diving Deeper, Part 1”

Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean
2012 Hours, January 8th, 2039
Onboard the X.S.S. Avenger
Floor 3, Port Wing
Room D-002

In the room of Leon and Yakone, Konny sat on her adopted mother’s bed, looking down at a magazine of an old sports catalog. She visually imbibed the multitude of sporting equipment with wide, wanting eyes. “And you see this one? Why would someone spend so much money on a soccer? I mean, seriously! Why so much?” she asked the Inuit-Caucasian next to her.

“Well, some people are sports elitists I guess,” Yakone responded with a shrug. “Personally, if the ball works, that’s good enough for me.”

“What are you into? Anything cool, or are you into boring sports, like baseball?” The twelve year old asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Baseball’s not boring…” Yakone responded with narrowed eyes. “But basketball is my principle passion when it comes to ballgames.”

Konny’s eyes widened, though she quickly cleared her throat. “I-Is that… so?”

Yakone raised an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t happen to be a basketball aficionado yourself, would you?”

“O-Of course not.” The Latino girl scoffed. “W-Who would ever be into that… stupid game?”

“Konny, I was able to read an ancient enigmatic alien’s body language. I can tell when you’re lying,” Yakone informed the girl with a smirk.

“I-I… I…” She looked down and puffed out her cheeks, giving a brief blush. “I love it…”

Yakone smiled. “It’s great, isn’t it? Doesn’t have the brutishness of football, and it’s more exciting in the moment than baseball. Perfect blend of engagement and style, I’d say.”

“Are you a good player? Or just all talk like you usually are?” Consuela asked with a roguish tone and large, toothy grin.

“Oh, I can play alright. Granted, I don’t get a chance to practice much outside of solo training, but I’m not a blowhard. At least when I’m arrogant it’s at least semi-warranted,” Yakone retorted.

“Well,” The younger girl set aside her magazine and turned towards Yakone, crossing her arms. “M-Maybe… I will… consider…” Suddenly her gaze turned away and she mumbled quickly, “Wantingtoplaywithyou.”

“I’d love to,” Yakone responded with a patient smile.

Konny perked up ever so slightly, turning her head so one eye looked at Yakone. She brushed some hair behind her ear and looked back down. “Good. You’d better… Mom.” She jabbed with a wry grin.

“Don’t you forget that you’re less than a decade younger than me, young woman,” Yakone riposted.

“Oh yeah? Well… that doesn’t matter to me. Because… because you are my mother now. The… the only one who bothered to be around anyways…” The magenta-haired girl pulled her legs close, her embarrassment now giving way to sadness instead as she became quickly quiet.

Yakone put an arm around Consuela’s shoulder. “I’m sorry things have been that way for you. I know how you feel, with my mother having given me little heed until the past few months. It’s rough.”

“Yeah, but… it is why I… I like you so much. I may use it to tease you, but… you do mean a lot to me. You give me attention and… there are things we both apparently like to do. I want this to work because if it doesn’t… then I am just… maybe a failure as a daughter.” the young girl admitted, closing her eyes as a few tears fell.

“None of that stuff is your fault, Konny,” Yakone replied, shaking her head. “Nor am I quick to blame your mother. Life just gets in the way of happy relationships sometimes.”

“It… won’t for us though… right?” The twelve year old looked at her caretaker with an almost-scared gaze.

Yakone shook her head. “Like hell it will. I won’t let that happen,” Yakone insisted. “My mother’s not completely at fault for the way our relationship was for the longest time, but she did make mistakes. And I know better than to fall into the same traps because of her.”

That terrified gaze wavered slightly and softened as moisture filled Consuela’s eyes, the girl launching forward, tightly hugging Yakone and crying into her. The Inuit-Caucasian returned the embrace, silently doing her best to comfort Konny. She ran a hand along the girl’s hair gently.

The door to the room opened, and Leon entered into the room slowly, smiling at the sight of his fiance comforting their newest family member. “Should I give you two some time alone?” He asked seriously, though there was a warmness to it, not a usual stoic question.

“I think we should be good,” Yakone responded gently, glancing at Konny to make sure that was okay with her. She looked up and nodded back, slowly letting go of Yakone and wiping her eyes.
“Well, if that’s the case, mind if I steal Yakone for a while? I think it has been enough time that… we should have a serious talk about something.” This time, his tone was serious, and Leon crossed his arms while looking at the Ranger in question.

Yakone nodded. “Alright, we can talk.” She rubbed Konny’s head. “Tomorrow we ought to go and have ourselves a basketball game, alright? One on one.”

“N-Not competitive alright? You could… probably kick my butt.” Konny admitted with a fair bit of reluctance.

“Don’t worry, I won’t humiliate you. I’d never let someone do the same to me. I’ll show you some tricks I’ve got up my sleeve instead,” Yakone promised sincerely.

Konny smiled, giving Yakone another quick hug, whispering her a quick, “thank you.” before letting go and picking up her magazine once more, opening it up so Yakone could leave with her father.

The Ranger got up from the bed, and walked out the door with Leon. “So what’s up?” she asked him cooly. “This have anything to do with the Declension we captured?”

The Grenadier let out a small laugh, shaking his head. “No, no, I did not come to collect you for anything business related. I… think we need to do something we haven’t really been doing a lot and… talk about us before we end up getting into another argument like we did in the bar. Unfortunately a proposal is not in my back pocket to try and advance us in the best of ways if that happened again, and I am not keen on losing you for almost a third time.”

“Leon, I don’t intend on breaking up with you after you’ve proposed to me. You don’t have anything to worry about,” Yakone tried to reassure him. “Though if you want to just relax and have a good time, that’s totally fine with me. Just don’t force it on the fear that I’m going to run out on you or vice versa.”

“I-I guess I really should worry if you assume that’s the reason I am doing this. No, no… doing this because, yes, I wanted to to relax and have a good time… for once in my damn life anyways. Thought I should give it a leap of faith and go out of my comfort zone for you,” the Canadian man admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

Yakone smiled. “Then let’s do that. I’m just trying to say that you shouldn’t overthink it.”

“Come on, this is me we are talking about. Over thinking things is second nature to me you know.” He joked, putting an arm around Yakone’s side, easily able to do it since their heights were about the same. “And I also got you a gift. Hope you don’t mind.”

“What’s that?” Yakone responded curiously.

“Well… it is no wedding ring but,” Leon reached into his green jacket’s pocket and he pulled out something enclosed in his fist and brought it in front of her gaze, opening all but two fingers so a bracelet with blue and orange beads on it dangled between his fingers. It was almost the exact same as the colored ones he no longer wore that had reminded him of his friends. He had stopped wearing them right after the mission Izzy had died.

Yakone took it, and gratefully put it around her right wrist. “I appreciate it. Thank you,” she responded. “I’ve been meaning to carve you an ivory spirit guardian, but between combat training, psionic training, proving grounds work, and time spent with Konny and friends I’ve been a tad busy.”

“That’s… an invested thing you don’t need to do for me. Besides, I would imagine carving a small you wouldn’t exactly be easy or fun,” her fiance said with a bit of an awkward tone, not exactly sure how to respond to her gift idea that flattered him.

“I’m still going to do it anyway, I just need a proper chance,” the Inuit-Caucasian woman responded, smirking. “Just let me know if a particular animal suits you.”

“Hm… try a lemming.” He said jokingly, shaking his head. “Wouldn’t that be a hell of a guardian?”

“Heh… funny, but I suppose it’ll be up to me until you think of something,” Yakone responded with a shrug.

“Well, you do know me better than I do myself sometimes. And I trust you with that most important of choices.” Leon leaned over and kissed the side of Yakone’s head, pulling away with a sigh. “I suppose you should know the itinerary of our little day together, huh?”

“What is the plan?” Yakone demanded in a teasing tone.

“Yakone… do you remember what the main point of our argument was? I… want to try and rectify that. I may not be entirely comfortable, but if I keep on thinking like that, I never will be. It’s unexplored territory for me, and if I don’t push myself to try something new, well… you may tell me not to worry about losing you, but damn it, I will if I can’t change my attitude towards our relationship. This isn’t a battlefield where tried and true tactics will always work. Gotta keep my form of attack… malleable. For us to work.”

Yakone’s eyes widened a little bit. “You really want to?”

“Want to? No. Do I want to try and get myself to a point where I will, yes. So today, I will take a step forward with you. Hopefully this will only lead to more leading forward until there is no doubt anymore that our relationship can be as strong as it should be. Especially considering that we are… likely behind most relationships at this point.”

“So what… precisely is this step forward?” Yakone questioned with an eyebrow raised. “You’re going to have to be specific.”

 

[DarkGemini24601]

MarineAvenger and DarkGemini24601: “Diving Deeper, Part 2”

Leon frowned. “You know damn well what I mean. Come on, don’t make me have to say it out loud.” he complained.

“I know what you mean in general, but for all I know you intend to do this in steps and I’m only going to get part of the whole package,” Yakone responded with an amused expression growing on her features.

Leon let out a groan and he walked forward and in front of Yakone, looking around so no one was around as he held her shoulders. “Look… I want to go down to the lowest part of this ship and… and visit that special room everyone knows about. And in that room, me and you are going to consummate our relationship. Entirely. Good enough?”

Yakone chuckled. “That’s good enough. Anything you need to do beforehand, or are we going right now?”

“W-Well now obviously. What would I need to do beforehand?” Leon questioned with a raised eyebrow of his own.

“Just wondered if you need time to mentally prepare or something. The idea of being embarrassed about something like this is foreign to me.”

Leon chuckled, shaking his head. “You make it sound like you’ve done this extensively before. Haven’t been doing stuff behind my back, have you?”

Yakone turned deathly pale. “N-No, I have not!”

The man blinked several times, not having expected that level of response from the girl who had been acting smug and in control just a moment ago. “Um… that… doesn’t really make me confident there.” He told her slowly, his hands pulling away. “You… haven’t, right?”

“I haven’t been cheating on you,” Yakone stated more directly - and there was a clear sincerity in her tone. She rubbed her forehead in frustration. “Guess I ought to… explain myself, huh?”

“Explain… what?” Leon asked, his tone having deflated. The last thing he wanted was an explanation about anything. That meant there had been something worth keeping secret to him.

“When I was… brainwashed and everything…” Yakone began slowly. She cleared her throat, and did her best to force herself to be to the point. “You know how Ember took the worst parts of me and magnified them? Well, in a similar vein… she brought out the… desire that I hid to… be with another woman.” Yakone held up a hand in order to emphasise a qualifier. “Two things. I’m still a virgin, and I would never dump you for a girl. It’s an interest, not an equivalent thing to how I feel about you. But I… messed around with that Mogul chick once. Was all giving, not receiving… but I still did that when I was Ember.” Yakone sighed, putting a palm over her eyes in expectation of a shitstorm.

At first, there was nothing at all. Leon looked at Yakone blankly, not balling his hand into a fist and getting angry, or showing any sadness. He brought his hand up and rubbed his palm, shuffling a bit. “I…” He looked down, shaking his head. “How… am I even supposed to respond to this? It was hard enough coming to terms with my sister, but… you too? And… even if it was a magnification that part of you… is still there. How…” Leon rubbed his forehead, not saying anything more than that.

“I… didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to think that it would be a problem or something…” Yakone whispered hoarsely, not removing her hand from her face. “I’m sorry, Leon…”

“No… you don’t… have to feel sorry. I’m not… angry, I… I’m not. Maybe just… maybe I am just disappointed. I thought… I had thought I knew a lot about you, but obviously not as much as I thought. And don’t take that the way I know you will. That isn’t me accusing you, it is me kicking myself for more of not knowing.” He looked to the side and walked to the wall, leaning against it and sliding down so he could sit. Running his knuckle across his palm, Leon shook his head slowly. “You… I don’t know if you realize or not but… but this is me being just… honest, okay? This… makes me feel like I… that I’ll never truly have a hundred percent of your heart, you know? How is any guy supposed to feel secure knowing that the girl he loves also has a curiosity in girls?”

“Because I’d never love a girl as much as I love you, dammit!” Yakone protested, removing her palm from her features to look into his eyes. “Do you at least trust me enough to know I’m not lying when I say that?”

Leon mulled over some responses in his head, rubbing the bottom of his nose as he looked away. “A month ago, I wouldn’t have. But… you’re my fiance now, and I… I do trust you, I do! I just… what am I supposed to do with this information? It is like asking me what I am supposed to think when learning that my girlfriend has… has a tail or something close like that. I mean, that is essentially how I feel like now. Feel like I’ve learn you have a hidden tail. Sure, it isn’t completely harmful but it is something you didn’t know about, and something out of the ordinary. So tell me Yakone,” Leon let out a laugh and held up his arms. “How am I supposed to react, because I can’t figure that question out here.”

“I don’t know, what sort of question is that? If you aren’t sure how to feel about something I sure as hell can’t tell you,” Yakone responded, frustration starting to leak through. “Should I not have told you? Are you telling me I should keep secret to avoid confusing you?” She clenched a fist. “Why is it that every other conversation you have with me leads me along an emotional rollercoaster? It wears me out…”

“I am sorry, but this is not some little thing to me that can be brushed aside no problem. Say you love me and try and assure me all that you want, but deep down that feels like it is a part of you I will never be able to have all of your heart because that curiousness will be there. Were there any other times while we were dating you’ve tried things?” Leon asked, completely exacerbated by the fact she was the one feeling worn out.

“No! I already told you I wouldn’t cheat on you, goddammit!” Yakone returned irritably.

Leon looked over the woman a few moments, and he reached out a hand to touch her arm. “Yakone, look… I… don’t entirely understand a lot of things, especially when it comes to us. But if you say you won’t, than I’ll be inclined to believe you. And not only that. The main reason I’m upset is that I may not be enough for you. If you think I am, then I want to put that to the test. I still want to go through with this… albeit stupid plan of mine. To give us both closure.”

Yakone sighed. “Leon, you are enough. I don’t know why you continue to act like you aren’t. Any attraction I feel to the same sex is almost purely physical, and can’t compare to how I feel about you both physically and emotionally. If you need some sort of tangible confirmation, then alright. But I’m telling you over and over that your concerns are unfounded.”

“Yakone, the reason I act the way I do is obvious,” Leon began, making himself look at her eyes. “And it’s because my greatest fear is losing you and the happiness I’ve found in you. Even above death, it’s a fear I just can’t escape. You’re my first love. That isn’t something that just means something lightly. Does that… explain things better?”

The Inuit-Caucasian woman took a deep breath. “Then let’s go and allay those fears.”

“Alright.” Leon affirmed with a nod, going besides the woman and looked over towards her, “I… you mean the world to me. No matter what, I’ll still always love you.”

“I know that… even if you have a habit of giving me heart attacks,” Yakone responded a bit mirthfully. The Ranger took his hand. “Come on,” she urged him, walking down towards the gravity lift.

***​

Yakone shut the private room’s door behind her and Leon, locking it with a quiet click. “You nervous at all?” she questioned her boyfriend as she went over to the small shelf on the wall to retrieve a pill.

“Let’s just say I had an easier time facing down Mars and his Reflection then I do when it comes to right now,” the Grenadier said, scratching the back of his head as his chest felt a bit constrained.

“Well, I’m anxious… but not necessarily for the same reasons as you.” Yakone procured one of the preemptive pills, and slipped it between her lips. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time… actually getting to be this intimate with you is almost too good to be true.”

“Was it another one of the dreams you had while locked up in Ember’s head as well?” The man asked with a hint of amusement to the question since he already knew about the marriage one.

“No… unfortunately. The wedding scene was just looping over and over without me entirely realizing it,” Yakone retorted with a laugh, putting the pill bottle back on the shelf. “Let me turn this back on you, though. Ever had a wet dream about me?” she questioned teasingly, turning to face him again.

“Actually, no, I haven’t. Was too focused on actually having you here before I let my mind wander to what I would do after you came back,.” Leon riposted dismissively, waving a hand. “After all, I don’t have a dirty mind like you do.”

“I’m fine with that distinction. I wouldn’t want to be some pure, demure maiden,” Yakone responded with a shake of her head, approaching Leon. “Ready to get started?”

“As ready as I am likely going to be,” her partner answered with a deep breath out. “Where do we start?”

Yakone captured Leon’s mouth with a passionate kiss, holding it for a few seconds. “Like this,” she whispered in response, before giving him another.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Spoiler: Sexual Content (not anything super graphic, but still, you have been warned)

“Increased Intimacy”

There was no restraint being held when they kissed, and like the other times they had done so, the Canadian man reciprocated the action just as intensely. He placed his hands on her sides, holding her close to him so that their bodies were as together as possible. Yakone savoured the contact for awhile, only breaking away after a minute or so to initiate the removal of Leon’s shirt.

As she has seen time and again during sessions in the gymnasium, Leon was at the height of his physical structure. Carrying his heavy equipment, hundreds upon hundreds of hours spent in the ship’s gym showed in his muscles. However, the place where Ember had stabbed her sword into him was now merely a faded scar down the center of his chest, a reminder he refused to get rid of. He reached down, mimicking the action she had done to him. Yakone assisted him with the action, pulling her t-shirt over her head and leaving her in a blue sports bra. While the Ranger had been through as much physical conditioning as her lover, half of the muscle created by such training went into toning her muscles as much as it did defining them, ensuring that her body was still plenty physically-appealing.

Yakone traced a finger down Leon’s chest, smiling at the sight. “Like I was saying, you’re plenty impressive.”

“Be that as it may, you are currently cheating. I don’t have any fabric covering my chest here,” he teased with something of a sly smile.

“Oh, how unfortunate. I wonder what you could do to rectify that imbalance,” Yakone responded coyly.

“Lazy ass.” Leon leaned forward, giving her cheek a kiss, then went lower to her neck as he reached around to unclasp the bra.

Yakone did not resist, allowing the last article of clothing on her upper body to fall to the floor. The young woman’s face did not flush, however. She merely smirked confidently. “You get to see them at last,” she remarked of the two large mounds that had been freed from their constraints.

“Quite a journey we took to get it that way as well,” He reached out and took her wrist, pulling the Ranger over to the bed. Leon sat down, pulling her into his lap as he began to let his hands do some exploring and experimenting.

Yakone closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a series of soft, pleased sighs as Leon’s hands kneaded her chest. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted you to do this…”

“After so long of watching all your friends get ahead of you, I’m sure.” Leon said, pulling Yakone against him as he embraced her tightly. “You’ll always be important to me. I promise you. From now on I’ll… try and show that more. I don’t want you to have doubts about our love like I’ve given you cause to have.”

“To be honest… you have worried me at times. But Leon… just remember…” Yakone kissed him deeply for a moment. “I love you so goddamn much. You know how much I wanted to be your wife…. The fact that such a desire was overpowering for me should show you how much I value our relationship. I wouldn’t leave you for the world,” she responded passionately, running a hand through his hair.

“Yeah. After all, who else can say their girlfriend defied an entire race just for the mere possibility she could marry a man?” he asked, his hand moving down her back and stopping at her pants. “Want to move on? I’ve seen your chest plenty of times with little left for the imagination but… this is something I’m glad you have refused to be an exhibitionist about.”

“You should thank Lily for some of my modesty… before you came on the ship I was training in the gym shirtless because there was no one around,” Yakone informed her boyfriend with a chuckle. “She persuaded me to be a little more careful.” The young woman moved off of Leon in order to help him pull down her black jeans, and then her boxers.

When she was fully undressed, his eyes were attracted downwards with a grin. Then he looked up at the woman curiously, questioning, “Keeping well kept just for me?” While he asked, his hand moved forward to cup between her legs and move to and fro.

Yakone leaned into him, sitting beside him as his fingers worked their magic. “I’m an exhibitionist, not a slob… might not wear cute lingerie like I’m sure some of my friends do, but I do take care of my appearance for you, yes.”

“Some of your friends, huh? Got to admit, I am curious about that one.” Leon put his arm around Yakone and turned them around so that she could lay down on the bed, moving his hand slowly to purposely tease.

“Well, I know for a fact that Alexis has quite the underwear collection…” Yakone squirmed a little, her forehead creasing. “I want more, Leon,” she told her lover rather straightforwardly, looking up into his eyes wantingly.

“Someone is being impatient. Alright, but I am just ignorant to the sexual arts. If you want something, come and get it yourself,” Leon challenged her, removing his hand from her to increase the want she would feel now that his stimulation was gone.

“Oh, I’m going to make you rue that decision,” Yakone responded. “If you’re going to tease me, I’m going to tease you back.” She got up from the bed, kissing Leon again and rubbing the front of his pants.

The Canadian man merely smirked. “You call that teasing? Good thing there’s a bed, because I may just have to take a nap if this is truly all you got.”

Yakone narrowed her eyes. “I’m just getting warmed up, asshole,” she retorted, slipping her fingers into the sides of his pants and pulling them down. Without the fabric in the way, she reached up and ran her fingers along the object in front of her.

Leon’s face twitched a bit, watching the display with a smirk the entire time. “Look’s like you really do have a natural mother in you. Soft hands working oh, so tenderly. Good, ‘cause I do feel that nap coming on,” he continued to tease.

His girlfriend scowled. “Alright, that’s it.” She held his length steady with one of her hands, and then took it into her mouth, using her tongue instead of her fingers now.

The Canadian man grit his teeth, holding one eye closed by the assault she now undertook. Leon placed a hand on her head, chuckling, “Smartass attitude aside, you are making me feel good.” he finally admitted.

Good, Yakone responded telepathically, brushing some of her hair back with her free hand as she continued to give him pleasure - bobbing her head back and forth.

A couple of minutes rolled by, and finally Leon looked down at Yakone, informing her, This is all well and good, but… you are being a bit left out. How about we move on to the main event I know you’ve been wanting?

Yakone drew back, standing back up and smiling. “Fine by me. I think I’ve paid you back for all the snark by now.”

“Now it’s time for me to get some payback for not having you for several months.” Leon reached out and assisted her so she could climb onto the bed and get into position over him. “You know it’s going to hurt, right?”

“I know. Though… most girls don’t have biokinesis. I’ll be fine,” Yakone responded with a cocky smirk. She placed her hands on either side of Leon, and then slowly lowered herself down onto him. There came a moment where she grimaced for a second as he took her virginity, but with a quick application of her healing psionics the pain faded away, and she let him enter her fully. The young woman rocked her hips back and forth, letting out a proper moan.

Leon groaned himself from the new feeling of being with a woman. He held Yakone lightly and moved himself as well, not wanting to merely remain idle and let her have all the fun. The Canadian man reached up his hand and placed it on her cheek. “I am loving this.”

“So am I,” Yakone responded, leaning down to kiss him again. “This feels so good, Leon. especially because it’s with you,” Leon’s fiancee told him, feeling a warmth in both her chest and her lower regions.

“Yeah, I agree there.” Placing his hands on her sides, once again they flipped, and Leon now took control. He had been deprived of his girlfriend for so long that all that pent up loneliness started to slowly slip away. Now that he had her, he was going to keep her, and make sure that she felt as loved as she deserved to be, even if they fought from time to time. His pace picked up, but with it, so did the intensity.

Yakone’s face was awash with pleasure, and she wrapped her legs around his hips as the pleasure only increased. “I love you so much,” she reiterated, gripping the bedsheets as she let him have his way with her.

“I know,” Leon whispered to her, leaning down to meet their lips for the countless time. His grip on her tightened a bit, and not much more time passed before Leon was met with his end, not having any worries about unloading into her with the pill in her system to prevent pregnancy. Yakone was grateful for that fact, for at its maximum, the pace he’d set and his peak brought her to her own climax. She cried out her lover’s name, and then laid back on her side, panting.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

MarineAvenger and DarkGemini24601: “Diving Deeper, Part 3”

Catching her breath after their vigorous session, Yakone breathed, “That was… everything I… hoped it would be…”

“Yeah… I… I’m glad we could do this finally. Sorry… for making you wait. Me holding us back was… selfish,” he admitted, placing their foreheads together as he caressed her face, smoothing away hair and stroking her cheek.

The young woman smiled. “I forgive you. It was worth the wait,” she replied lovingly, wrapping her arms around his back and enjoying the warm feeling of their bare flesh pressed together.

“Now that this barrier is broken down, there’s nothing really stopping this becoming a regular thing. Certainly would hear no complaint. And if it keeps you happy, then the sex is merely a bonus,” Leon whispered to her, chuckling.

“Doing this on a consistent basis? You’re going to make me have another orgasm just at the thought,” Yakone joked with a satisfied smile. “We’re going to be hogging this room a lot from now on, I imagine.”

Leon laughed, shaking his head, “As if you could wait to get all the way down here. I’m sure you’ll find the nearest broom closet to our room and lay claim.”

“I can’t deny the truth of that,” Yakone conceded with a snicker of her own. “We’re going to have to think of an excuse for Konny as to what we’re doing… unless you think she’s old enough to draw her own conclusions.”

“Nah, I don’t think so. If I have things my way, she won’t date till she’s thirty,” the father mused with a smirk.

“You’ll never win that argument, considering we’re here doing this when I’m twenty,” the young woman noted.

“Well that is because your overprotective Dad is about half a world away currently. Hers is right close by.”

Yakone rolled her eyes. “I suppose I should count myself lucky then.” More seriously, she mumbled, “though I do wonder sometimes what it would have been like if he hadn’t left…”

“Scratch up another thing we have in common.” Leon closed his eyes, admitting something not a lot of people on the ship knew, “I… don’t even remember my parents. I have… vague faces in my memories, but nothing else. It was taken away from me. I like to think ‘what if’ a lot too. Unfortunately I can’t do a lot about it now. You on the other hand… relationship with your mother is getting better, maybe you should reach out to the other half too. Make up for time lost.”

Yakone glanced up at the ceiling for a moment. “Maybe… it’s hard, because I know he’s done a lot of bad things, but when I met him during my time as a prisoner… I realized he’s not such a bad guy. That he just made some really bad mistakes. I want to reconcile with him; I just don’t want to compromise my principles by doing so.”

“I thought part of your principles was making sure those close to you are kept safe and happy. Pretty sure a father should count as someone you should keep close, even if he hasn’t been around. It’s your life and your choice. I can only support whatever course you take and make sure that you come better for it.”

“That is true…” Yakone shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose I do owe him a chance, anyway. He treated me kindly when I was at his mercy and he spared my boyfriend’s life, after all.”

“Right… now, I know you are no old lady, and I’ve seen your endurance. I think enough time has passed that we are rested up. Only a few more hours until Psyma wakes up after all, and if Konny ain’t old enough…” he let that thought trail off.

Yakone grinned broadly, rolling Leon onto his back. “Let’s get back to it, then.” And with that, she descended, intending to make their first experience together be a truly memorable occasion.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

DarkGemini24601 and MarineAvenger: “Remedial Reconciliation, Part 1”

Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean
0802 Hours, January 9th, 2039
Onboard the X.S.S. Avenger
Floor 6, Central Block
Command Quarters

Yakone yawned, leaning against the wall next to the door that led into her mother’s room. She felt a little groggy from oversleeping - having spent the night in her lover’s embrace. Usually she was up two or three hours before now, but the fact that’d she’d only awoken between seven and eight left her stuck in the process of gathering her sensibilities. Still, when she’d gotten dressed, the XCOM soldier had mulled over the exchange she’d had with Leon after their first bout. Ultimately, she couldn’t deny that she had a obligation to speak with her father again - and, on some level, wanted to see him a second time. It’s just a matter of convincing her…

The Ranger wasn’t quite sure what to expect. She hadn’t spoken with her mother in a couple of days, though she’d heard that the Inuit woman had been spending time with Maverick Squad and some of the other soldiers. This was an anomaly to Yakone. She’s not usually this… social. Something good must have happened, though I’m not sure what. So rather than disturb the Commander’s rest, Yakone waited for her to wake up on her own.

A few more minutes passed. An-Yi exited the command staff quarters first. Wondering if she perhaps had the answer, Yakone stopped her on her way to work. “Hey, Lily,” Yakone called out to her, prompting Shen to turn. “Can I ask you about something?”

Lily shrugged. “Sure. What is it?”

“Do you know what happened to Atka? I heard she’s in a better mood than she usually is.”

“Yeah. I’ve noticed firsthand.” Lily chuckled. “I was curious myself, but I didn’t want to bother her directly, so I asked around. Morrigan was the one to explain it to me. Apparently she and your mother had a talk, and Atka went through a… metamorphosis of sorts. She’s finally starting to let go of the past and let herself be happy again. It’s… really encouraging to see.”

Yakone smiled softly. “Is that so? Alright. Thanks, An-Yi.”

“You seem in a pretty good mood yourself,” the Chief noticed.

Yakone smirked knowingly. “I’ll tell you about it later. You’ve got work to do, don’t you?”

Lily rolled her eyes, poking Yakone’s chest with a finger. “I’m holding you to that. If my guess is right I demand to know the details.”

“I promise, I promise. Run along, greasemonkey.” Yakone bid her surrogate sister farewell, and then returned to her loitering position, awaiting her mother with much less anticipation now.

Soon enough, Atka opened the door, stepping out and pausing when she noticed her daughter. “Good morning, Yakone,” she greeted her warmly.

Yakone scrutinized her mother for a moment. She could swear that the color of Atka’s irises seemed to be a bit lighter, but it was a subtle enough change - if one had occurred at all - that a quick look wasn’t enough to get any real confirmation. “Good morning. I.. uh… had a question for you, mom.”

“Yes? What is it?” Atka responded calmly.

“I wanted to know if it would be… possible for you to arrange a meeting between… me and dad. I wanted to talk to him again,” Yakone requested with a mildly timid tone - one unusual for her.

Those words caused Atka to fall silent. Her expression went from a calm smile to a neutral, impassive gaze. She sighed, leaning against the wall next to Yakone. “I’ve been considering having a talk with him, myself. I’ve… put it off because I’m worried that I won’t be able to be reasonable. Gwen told me that I should… that I’d feel better if I did.” The Inuit woman closed her eyes for a moment. “I suppose that my animosity towards him is something I’ll have to let go of if I want to be happy.”

“You really have changed your mindset, haven’t you?”

Atka frowned, glaring at Yakone. “Who told you…”

The Commander’s daughter smirked, taking a step back. “I cannot disclose my sources.”

Atka rubbed her forehead. “I hope you aren’t going to make a mockery of what I’m trying to do… I really do want to let go…”

Yakone’s eyes widened, and she waved her hands in an ‘x’. “No, no. Sorry if I gave you that impression. I’m happy that you’re looking forward after all this time. The future’s looking bright, and I’m glad you get a chance to look in that direction for once.”

Atka smiled softly. “I suppose it is looking up. My daughter’s going to get married when this is all over, after all.”

Yakone’s features turned a little red at that. “I’ll let that jab pass, since you deserved a comeback…”

Her mother laughed lightly, causing Yakone to smile. When she calmed down, the Ambusher nodded her head in agreement. “I’m sure we can arrange a transport to Chicago. I was informed by one of his surrogates last night that he’d taken it back.”

“One of the task force members?” Yakone questioned.

Atka nodded. “2nd Captain Moreau was the one that spoke to me. Do you know her?”

“Through… Ember, unfortunately.” The Ranger sighed. “I feel bad knowing that only two of them are left… not all of those people were so bad. Izzy was Leon’s friend, and Jayden was just… misguided. I know that Stacie had to kill him, but it… still sucks.”

Atka nodded grimly. “That’s war, though.”

“Yeah… I suppose I should count my blessings that we didn’t have to continue fighting dad.”

“That is for the best,” Atka echoed. I just hope it remains that way, she thought as they walked to the communications room to arrange a Genesis transport to take them to the Genesis-captured capital of the North American continent.

***​

The craft that had come to pick them up arrived within hours, and after a brief time to refuel, the ship was on its way towards Chicago. A familiar face had greeted Yakone when she stepped in, that being the reptilian-human green face of Elise herself. “Good to see you still kicking Em… Yakone.” The young woman greeted with a slight bow. Her sleek black armor she had worn during the Task Force’s deployment was now gone. Now, she wore a snowy white uniform that almost resembled a navy officer outfit from the old world, though without the ridiculous cap, and there being a white scarf wrapped around her neck to hide the scales that creeped up her neck, merely leaving the rest of her face a smooth, though sickly pale green color. A patch on the left side of her arm now proudly displayed the Genesis emblem instead of ADVENT’s.

“Good to see you again, Elise,” the Ranger replied - the malice that could be found in Ember’s voice being absent from Yakone’s. The Inuit-Caucasian woman sat down in a chair next to her mother, strapping in for the highspeed flight.

“How have things been with you since your recapture?” The hybrid asked as she sat across from the two women, looking over Atka with curious eyes that showed she held some interest in the Commander’s presence for a meeting with her superior officer.

“Well, I’m not longer a psychotic bitch, so that’s always a bonus,” Yakone responded with an attempt at levity. “Sorry your first introduction to me was on such crappy terms.”

“Yes well… Desmond has often asked of me to forgive your actions during your time as Ember. At first I was hesitant to, but life is often too short to hold grudges. Forgive and forget they say, even if the person you are trying to forgive was indeed a psychotic bitch.” Letting out a sigh, the girl slumped down slightly in her seat. “It is sad though… really I am the only one left. Church took a bad hit during the recapture of the city when a shell had caused the building he was situated in to collapse. We… found him but his back is messed up bad. We’ve had healer look him over repeatedly but the damage is done. He walks with a limp, and has to use a cane now, so Mr. Walker forced him to serve more of an advisory role to the recruits that are flocking to us from their old posts who never really saw combat.”

Yakone nodded solemnly. “I respected Jayden. We might have disagreed on what was best for the world, but he had the same sort of fire that drives me. Lucia just seemed like a dutiful soldier for the most part… and Izzy…” The Ranger exhaled slowly. “I’m doing the best I can to take care of her daughter. I hope I do a good enough job to let Montoya rest in peace. Konny’s a good kid, and she deserves the best we can offer her.”

“And Izzy’s few friends who are still with Genesis would like to thank you for that. She spoke frequently about how her daughter had meant a lot to her, but her service in ADVENT was not something she wanted Konny brought up in or exposed to.” Elise closed her eyes, letting out a yawn. “Anyways, it’s going to be a few hours until we reach our destination. I’m going to get some shuteye while I can. Been working non-stop trying to keep the city secure. The Protectorate Peacekeepers just don’t want to give up. We have tank divisions set up on the walls around Chicago acting as artillery batteries. It was an amazing sight to behold, watching our armor and ships fly over the city. Something out of the movies.”

“Yeah… despite the bloodshed, the progress we’re making towards freedom is a sight to behold,” Yakone echoed. She closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair and following Elise’s example, drifting off to sleep and dreaming of XCOM’s flag flying over Chicago.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

DarkGemini24601 and MarineAvenger: “Remedial Reconciliation, Part 2”

Former United States of America
1939 Hours, January 9th, 2039
Chicago Capital Megacity

When the Genesis dropship made it to the city, the passengers were informed over the intercom in the ship, instructing them they would be at the tower within minutes. As they flew, Elise stood from her seat and went to the back of the bay, opening up the ramp in order to show the two occupants inside what the city looked like now. The gleaming, almost dreamlike megacity Yakone remembered looking over was now a husk of its former self. Block by block, the buildings looked bombed to hell and back, with smoke still billowing up from multiple points around the city.

However, it seemed that power still flowed throughout the city as lights still were dotted around here and there, and as they neared the tower, large spaces had been set aside in parks or packed in the city streets were filled with tents where people mingled about. They were too small from the dropship’s perspective to determine soldier from civilian.

The dropship made final preparations for arrival, and soon they touched down on the massive helipad atop the old Coalition tower, which looked -in comparison to the rest of the city- largely unscathed from the destruction the metropolis had endured. Elise stepped off first, looking back at the two women who followed after her. “The tide of battle for the city was changed here. A lot of Genesis sympathizers had formed a cell within the tower that made regular contact with us on an hour to hour basis. When the time came, the veil was lifted, and in about half an hour, our combined forces secured and captured our new HQ with ease. Pretty neat, huh?”

“I’d expect nothing less from Desmond, considering the strategic brilliance he showed in Matterhorn,” Atka remarked with a nod. “I’m glad that talent is being directed towards a good cause now.”

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this but… the Colonel has been acting strangely since you set up this meeting. He’s been closed off in his apartment, only allowing in the medics to help heal the heavy damage he sustained in battle. I… don’t know why he wanted to be alone, but he has been. Thought I should offer a word of warning.” Moreau noted with a hint of worry in her tone for her commanding officer.

Yakone nodded slowly. “I’ll… keep that in mind. I hope our visit will be a positive factor on his recovery.”

Elise nodded in affirmation, and led the two women into the building. Since his apartment was near the top of the tower, it was a short elevator ride before Yakone stepped out into the familiar hallway leading to the apartment where she had resided with her father as Ember. Posted outside his door was a pair of guards in white armor who saluted at Elise and quickly departed when she neared, the 2nd Captain looking back with a hopeful smile and waved her arm from the two they had permission to enter.

Yakone stepped in first, followed by a somewhat-reluctant Atka. The Commander was having second thoughts after all Elise had said, wondering if this was truly a good idea.

When the two were inside, Elise shut the door behind them to allow the women privacy with their meeting. Inside, everything was the exact same as Yakone remembered. However, at the moment the shutter of the rather luxurious apartment were lowered, semi-translucent from the inside; from the outside it would look completely opaque. Up on the landing of the second floor that led to the bedrooms was the man both of them had come to see. Desmond at the moment looked down at the two visitors with a face that -at the distance he was- was unreadable. What they could clearly notice was the lack of a shirt, and the reason for that was the mass of bandaging that covered his torso anyways. “I suppose… I should welcome you two. Though, it would be more fitting to say welcome back, to you Yakone.” His voice was raspy and weary, as if he hadn’t had anything to drink for a while.

“It’s good to be back on better terms.” Yakone walked over to the stairs, looking up at her father. “Do you need me to do anything for you? If your wounds need further healing I can help, or if you need water I can get you that.”

Atka slowly approached herself, shaking her head. “Unusual to see you in a position of weakness like this,” she said at last.

“The weakness is not something I exactly wanted. An unforeseen event happened that caused me to be injured as I am.” The Genesis leader walked to the top of the stairs and slowly began walking down them, holding onto the railing for support. “One of the turncoats who had helped us retake the tower turned out to actual be an Peacekeeper goon. Had a couple of plasma explosives attached to his chest from the scuttled armory and tried taking a good chunk of the Genesis chain of command with him. Luckily, we had some good psions around whose reaction time saved a lot of lives. Got my torso burned up protecting our distinguished captain and the one who took my position as Colonel of my forces.”

“I suppose you needed a replacement Commander since you no longer serve Uranus.” Atka chuckled. “The fact that you survived a point-blank plasma detonation is impressive.” Desmond was graced with a faint smile that hadn’t been directed his way for two decades. “I’m not sure what reason you attributed to my visit, but let me explain myself now. I… want to put past grievances behind us. I don’t want hatred to devour my heart anymore. Seeing you like this just reminds me that you’re human too… fallible… and that, had the circumstances been different, I might have made the same mistakes you did. I want to offer forgiveness for those actions.”

Desmond took in a deep breath, exhaling a bit unsteadily. “You… don’t know… just how long I’ve wanted to hear those words.” The man looked to Yakone, nodding his head. “I would take that water now. Get you and your mother something else too if you want. We have no shortage of supplies since taking the city, and Elise has fussed over getting me the best things to eat and drink.”

“Alright. The finest whiskey tokens can buy, then,” Yakone decided, hurrying off to give them some space.

“Feels like a load off my chest. I imagine you feel the same way. Like Atlas handing the world over to Hercules,” Atka remarked metaphorically.

“You always did like old literature and motifs. I remember how Madelyne constantly begged for you to tell her all you knew while me and Nash constantly threw shit about how boring it was.” Desmond chuckled a bit, moving towards the couch that sat in the living room. “I sure do miss her. Died too young. Must have killed Kevin in the years after too.”

Atka nodded. “Yeah. He’s a trooper though. Hid it well, and tried to keep us all positive. I could tell it took him a long time to get over her death. Think he did have romantic feelings for Wheeler, as much as he denied your accusations. I suppose Yakone’s ability to read people comes from you.”

“Perhaps. Though… she got most of her best qualities from her mother from what I have heard.” Desmond sat down slowly, groaning in pain as he lowered himself, placing a hand on his chest. “To answer your question of my survival, the answer is rather simple. Phoenix reacted long before I could have. If that bird hadn’t manifested itself, I would not be here right now.”

“Reflections are pretty handy. Wish we’d had them in the first war. Mine’s… actually changed quite a bit.” Atka brought out Blue World at her side, revealing the absence of its timepieces. “When I made my resolution, its source changed from despair to hope… it’s faster now, but a lot less durable… and it can’t protect my back.” Atka demonstrate by trying to turn her back to Blue World, but the thoughtform merely vanished halfway before moving back in front of its master.

“I suppose it could be an upgrade, though I am not as well attuned to your combat style as I was in the past… once.” The memories of them fighting side by side through thick and thin brought a tight, subtle smile to his lips.

Atka shrugged. “Well… who knows, maybe we’ll have a chance to rectify that in the future. A strong red psion always did bolster my more subtle abilities well, but the best one I have doesn’t do ‘teamwork’ well.”

“I… would like that. To fight by your side once more.” The leader of Genesis looked to the ceiling, placing a hand on his forehead. “I suppose since this is the first time we’ve been in the same place without guns pointed at one another, I think I can… finally properly tell you the truth. Continue what I had said during our confrontation. If I had… known you had been pregnant with Yakone, I would have stayed. I’ve figured it out by now that you yourself probably didn’t even know, so that isn’t me placing unnecessary blame on you. It’s just me being truthful. At the time, I was angry and depressed we had lost so much. But even so, I hadn’t stopped believing in you. Never stopped my love of you. There was more than one time I wanted to turn around but something just… kept me moving away. I suppose my own stubbornness,” the man guessed with a shrug.

“Believe me, if I’d known that I had Yakone at the time… I was desperate enough that I would have guilt-tripped you if that was what it took to make you stay. Fate just wasn’t on our side then. I’m just thankful that providence has seen fit to grant us this second chance now. To fight side by side again, and ensure a brighter tomorrow for Earth - to turn around the calamity we failed to stop all those years ago,” Atka stated confidently. “Compared to those lofty prospects, the resentment I held for you seems like the tiniest of barriers.”

 

[DarkGemini24601]

DarkGemini24601 and MarineAvenger: “Remedial Reconciliation, Part 3”

Desmond let out a restrained laugh, shaking his head. “Look at us. We’ve aged twenty years and still we act like the kids we were in X-COM. Yes, tiny barriers shouldn’t separate us any longer. My fear is you are not just here about patching our relationship though,” he looked to the side, his face slowly turning serious. “You have another reason of being here then merely just seeing me, don’t you?”

“I… wanted to make sure you understand something. It is related to patching things up… in that it involves insurance that we remain friendly.” Atka shook her head. “The less-roundabout way of putting it is that I want to make sure that when our common enemy is defeated, that we don’t turn on one another. Understand that the global governmental apparatus has to go. The Resistance came all this way in the name of freedom, and neither they nor I will take no for an answer in that regard. Even if I were to attempt some sort of compromise with you… I’m not certain those fighting for sovereignty would listen. Any other outcome besides the liberation we’ve sought will likely lead to further bloodshed.”

“Atka…” Desmond began, holding his side as he sat up straighter. “I don’t know if you’ve been feeling it too, but I am getting older. I am not as… spry as I could once be. Years of strong psionic use has taken its toll physically. I… I don’t have it in me to fight another war. And I don’t have it in my heart to drag the men who look up to me through the mud of a youthful fancy. I don’t know how much me giving my word will allay your fears, but when the aliens are gone, I am done fighting. I am done… living everyday in a struggle. All I want is to finally have some peace so that I can finally just… rest from the endless war and destruction.”

Atka nodded. “That’s.. that’s all I need to hear. I’m tired of all of this too.” She raised a hand to her cybernetic eye. “I’ve lost enough myself, and seen others lose enough, that I don’t want there to be conflict any further. I believe that peace can be achieved by succeeding in the goals XCOM set out to accomplish. I’ll entrust the future to those that are young and unjaded by decades of conflict.”

“I… I noticed that you weren’t… entirely whole when we fought one another.” Desmond moved close to her to look at her cybernetics. “How did this happen to you?”

“When we captured the Avenger from the aliens, our combat forces were in very low numbers. I went to fight alongside them, and well… fighting Mutons with beam lasers isn’t exactly an easy task. One of them had a grenade… and nearly killed me with it,” Atka recalled, the memory a painful one despite being nearly a decade old. “Lost Sarah on that operation, but we accomplished our mission. Victory tended to come at a heavy price in those days. You’re familiar with how Nouja came into the aliens’ possession, I’m sure.”

“Y-Yeah…” The ex- Advent Colonel rubbed his hands together slowly, “How… has she been doing since you guys got her back? I’ve been worried.”

“She’s alright. Working through her guilt like Yakone has been. Obviously it’s a bit rougher for someone who’s been brainwashed for two decades and hybridized… but she’s coping as best she can,” Atka responded evenly.

“Good. I tried… looking after her best I could, like I did when Yakone was Ember. Things with her were tough though, with how close she was to Cordiam. I didn’t find out until the war had been somewhat started officially what her true identity was. She didn’t remember me, but I did her remember her. All she reminded me of was you.” he admitted weakly.

“You really didn’t let go of me, huh?” Atka questioned.

“How could I Atka? You were the only woman in my entire life I’ve ever truly opened up to and loved. My memories with you… are the happiest I have to look back on in life. There were times I thought of just… trying to forget, but then I found out about our daughter, and the wound reopened so badly that it wasn’t something I could seal again. Nothing short of having my mind wiped like Nouja’s had been would have seen to that.”

“I… wish I could say exactly the same. It was… different for me.” Atka sighed deeply. “When you left, I felt so betrayed I thought I could never recover from it. I loved you enough that to have all that trust be for naught turned all my feelings into hatred. That was one of the main things that fueled me for so long. Now that I’ve put it behind me… I’m not sure how I feel. I can sense the remnants of the bond we have… but how to put the pieces back together - and how much can be fixed - is a big unknown to me.”

“I’m sorry,” Desmond nearly whispered looking down at his hand, clenching it weakly in a fist. “For… for hurting you like that. For ruining… everything.” the man said with such remorse in his tone, it was undeniable the pain he felt ran deep.

“As hard as it is… I do forgive you, Desmond. I don’t condone the things you’ve done by letting go of the animus I had towards you… but I recognize that dwelling on your shortcomings and holding onto hatred is a double-edged sword that hurts me as much as it hurts you.”

“I… is there… do you think… there is ever a possibility of going back? To the way we once were?” Desmond asked dryly. He knew the prospects of the answer were bleak, but he knew that deep down, the only worst thing she could say would be no.

“I… I don’t know,” Atka answered honestly. “Like I said, I’m not sure what I should feel at this point.”

“Best I can hope for I suppose.” Desmond offered Atka a smile, looking back towards the kitchen to see what Yakone was up to.

The Ranger had returned with a bottle of whiskey and three glasses already poured. She placed down the tray on a table, and gave the two a drink each, taking one for herself and immediately starting to drink it. “Alright… the stuff you have here is definitely pretty good.”

“Just don’t take it overboard. Don’t need you getting smashed and puking in the toilet all day long. I… just trust me on that one…” Her father told her, rubbing the back of his neck.

Yakone raised an eyebrow. “Yeah… I don’t think I want to ask.”

“All you need to know is that Nash is not a good person to have as a drinking buddy. That man could stuff down shots faster than even Bradford could back in the day. Not to mention the fact he becomes his own worst hype man.” Walker shook his head at the drudged up memory of him and his friend partying more than once.

“Weird, he doesn’t drink all that much anymore. Maybe that’s why,” Yakone noted with a shrug. She glanced between the two. “I… take it things are going well here?” she asked hopefully.

“Neither of us are hurling fireballs or icy helixes, so I suppose better than you were expecting. We’ve come to an agreement that after the aliens are disposed of, the fighting ends for good. Me and your mother are both getting too old to keep fighting a fruitless battle any longer. As for us personally… still very much up in the air.”

“Well, at least that’s progress,” Yakone offered in an attempt to be optimistic.

“Yes, it is. No matter what, I will always love you girls more than I ever have anyone else. Even if everything can’t go back to how it was before.” Desmond sipped his drink, and looked to his daughter for a moment. “Speaking of which… how is that boy you both almost killed and saved. Leon, if I recall correctly, right?”

Yakone smiled, rubbing the back of her neck a little nervously. “Well, things are going well between me and him…”

“She’s going to be Yakone Sinclair in a few months,” Atka specified with a smirk.

“Mom!” Yakone complained.

Desmond’s glass stopped right before his lips, and he slowly reached down and set it on the coffee table in front of the couch. “D-Did I… just hear that correctly?”

Tapping her foot anxiously, Yakone responded with as much confidence as she could muster, “Leon and I are getting married, yes.”

Desmond’s eyebrow twitched, and he brought up a shaking fist he was clenching it so hard. “I knew I should have blown his head off when I had the chance… that little weasel thinks he is good enough for my girl…” He growled, a bit of smoke billowing from his fist.

“Y-You will do no such thing!” Yakone protested. “It was my decision, dad!”

“Like hell it is! Next time I see him I am going to wring out that scrawny little neck of his, I swear it!” Desmond growled.

“Do you want me to possess you and make you hit sense into yourself?!”

“I’d like to see you try and take on your old man!” he yelled back, glaring into Yakone’s eyes before his angry face flickered for a brief moment, and suddenly the man began to laugh at their ridiculous display.

Yakone breathed a sigh of relief in response. “Thanks… now my adrenaline levels are high…”

That didn’t help his amused laughter. The woman’s father shook his head as he leaned forward, patting Yakone on the leg. “I’m proud of you, and of course I’m delighted to hear it. I… I wasn’t there to be your father, but I’m glad you found someone who could be your husband. To take care of you in my stead. Just don’t think it means I am letting you worm out of my life now that I have you.”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t have come here if I wanted nothing to do with you,” Yakone emphasized to him.

“Good.” Desmond looked away from Yakone and back over towards Atka, giving her a confident look she hadn’t seen for twenty years since the day they first met. “So… ready to win this war together? As a family?”

Atka nodded. “That would leave me more satisfied than anything.”

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Concupiscentia inimici lamentationibus
Part One

The Battleship Pera'lemis
Low Orbit over the planet Terra
300 km above the Library of Alexandria
Alexandria, Egypt, African Continent
1300 Hours (Local Time)

Far above the planet designated Terra, high enough to symbolize a position over it but close enough to be within reach should a firm grip be needed, the Ethereal Battleship called the Pera'lemis soared. Meaning 'Confidence in one's Superiority', the Pera'lemis was massive, dwarfing any comparative naval battleships of old Earth by at least 8 times the size, well over 1000 meters long. A large battleship of this class could only be beaten by the Ethereal Supra-Battleship, many of which were sadly lost along with the home world they fought to protect.

The Pera'lemis had full compliments of a variety of troops ready to be deployed, though this only made up around 25% of those on board. The rest of the occupants were meant to run and maintain the ship and to be prepared to take down anyone and anything that showed hostility. No one remained standing or flying when the Pera'lemis shot at them, and none had ever boarded it. The Commander of the ship, however, left nothing to chance, hence the armed soldiers ready to fight.

Said commanding officer, the Overseer of Africa, stood in the Command Center near the aft part of the ship. He stared at one of the screens, displaying the city of Alexandria below. So easy, he 'said' out loud. It would be so easy to just... wipe them out. I wonder... how would they react if they knew, without the Avatar project, their lives would be completely insignificant... and would be ended thusly?

"The humans are not important enough that you should pay them much mind," a mimic attendant commented with a bow. "The weakness your fellow Overseers showed in falling to them compares nothing to the might..."

Zemsis'Jiputer raised a hand to silence him. You should be happy that I am a patient one... and not one to cut down my people for speaking out of turn, even when they don't know what they say."

The mimic took a step back, and bowed deeper still. "Forgive me, Master!"

Zemsis turned to him. You may relax. But I suggest you mind your tongue in the future. He floated to the middle of the Bridge and addressed everyone. Now hear this. My fellow Elders, including Overseers Tien'lyssigan and Merenu’beurmas, did not fall because of their weakness. They fell because of XCOM's strength. The difference? That power and strength, even strength as great as mine, can all fall apart in the face of a foe that one underestimates. I will not make that same mistake. They are clearly hunting Overseers. When they come, I will not be caught off guard. I will not fall prey to superior tactics or ploys. I will not allow myself to be taken down because of negative emotions or underestimations. When they come... it will be my power versus theirs. Their intelligence versus mine. It will be the one who is truly superior that comes out victorious. And... that will be me.

Zemsis lowered himself into his seat and looked to a Sectoid. Bring me Captain Richardson. I believe it is time to get this over with. Once the Sectoid was gone, her turned his chair and watched the monitor of Egypt once more, thinking to himself, And it was another underestimation that led to so many problems. I told them they should have Purged Shen so long ago. How is it I can feel so bad for being right? What do you hope to accomplish, old friend? Her father is dead. Did that bring her back? And what of the others? Do you truly believe the lives of these humans are worth sacrificing the lives of you own kind?

A few minutes later, six members of the Pera'lemis's compliment of Protectorate Peacekeepers stepped into the Command Center. Five bowed, while the sixth took several steps ahead of them, lowering himself to a knee and bowing his head. "You summoned me, Master Zemsis?"

"Yes, Captain." Zemsis rose to his feet and spoke verbally, something he only did when he was addressing humans. Only he knew why. "I fear the rising number of Peacekeeper soldiers turned Genesis soldiers has me concerned. I was hoping you could give me that report of yours early."

"Um... yes, Master." Richardson reached into his side pack, pulling out a data pad and handing it to the Sectoid that had come to get him, who in turn carried it over to Zemsis. "I'm afraid it isn't quite complete, though."

"That is okay. I feel you have had enough time to get the part of it I wanted," Zemsis stated cryptically. He slowly cycled through the list on it. "And you swear by this?"

Richardson nodded. "Absolutely. As you can see, there are still many people in the unknown space. But the Peacekeepers soldiers in potential risk should be closely watched, and those in loyal would give their life for you."

"I see." Zemsis turned to a rather pale looking young human woman in the seat next to his chair, her head hairless and showing several cybernetic implants, her cybernetic eyes slightly glowing a deep blue. "Take this and analyze it for discrepancies. If you find nothing major, have everyone listed as loyal brought in for deep mental probing."

"M-Master Zemsis?!" Richardson climbed to his feet, worry in his eye. "D-do you not trust me to complete the task I was given? As I said, all those men and women are loyal, and would never become part of this Genesis. These five with me are your most loyal troops..."

"But you... are not." Zemsis turned back to the Peacekeeper soldier. "I am sorry, but the ruse is over."