Big update.
Skynerfed’s status as of the latter end of March.
Vodkaville’s status as of the latter end of March.
WelcomefromEarf has not been upgraded past its current listening post status. It may receive a hangar and space for troops and weapons in the future for defensive and interception purposes, but its role is not likely to expand beyond this.
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From: X-COM High Command
To: All personnel
Subject: Human resources
The greatest resource our forces currently possess are the skills and dedication of our soldiers. I know, that's a chilling thought, but that's the truth. Thankfully, our research teams at Pursues have come up with a means to extend the combat lifespan of our organization’s most experienced troops.
Some of you might be unnerved to see old friends again, but that’s the way it has to be if we are to win this war. I urge each of you to consider them just as human as they were before xenos weapons or smoke inhalation or friendly fire took them from us the first time.
--Commander Wong
With the arrival of our cybernetically augmented and repaired veterans, the halls at Skynerfed became a little bit more quiet. It was kind of chilling, but all the troops knew that desperate times called for desperate measures. Rumors began to abound that the HWPs were being altered to house mortally injured soldiers as well, negating the need for remote uplinks. Trooper Hawkwings’ annoyance was made quite clear in a forty-two minute video he sent to High Command, mostly containing slurred cursing, random gesticulating with various bottles of alcohol, and lewd asides about the quality of the Swiss nurses patching up the combat teams.
Doctor Surlethe’s research team reported another breakthrough, this time in general technological development.
It is our hope that these medikits will enable our troops to survive the deadly killer that is drifting smoke, as well as comforting the dying as they stare at the giant gaping holes the aliens are blasting in their chests and stomachs.
Doctor Bear’s interrogation of the alien survivors is ongoing. The teams heading our containment facilities are reporting difficulty with getting the captured Floater off the ceiling to report for its sessions, having to resort to brooms and very harsh language to get the damn thing down.
Chief Engineer Fnord, with Assistant Chief Engineer Acadamia’s assistance, has reported excellent profits from our laser cannon sales thus far. We expect to establish a fourth base in the Western Hemisphere soon, hopefully expanding our Persues complex into an active-duty interception facility.
Vodkaville’s radar proved useful soon after completion, spotting a UFO active over Siberia. PeZook and Phred were dispatched to bring it down. Unfortunately, the UFO hit the ground before we could shoot it down, and thus the two pilots circled overhead, eagerly waiting for it to lift off so we could blast it to pieces. Very soon, it lifted, and PeZook got the honors of loosing six Avalanche missiles up its tailpipe. The alien craft went down hard.
Under the command of Sergeant Vanas, a team was dispatched to search, secure, and clear the UFO crash site.
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UFO Crash Clearance
Squad: Vanas, ROBO-OHMA, ROBO-VENDETTA, ROBO-KARZA, ROBO-DECUE, ROBO-THUNDER, Darkevilme, Karrick, MJ12-7, Maxentius
Laser HWP: Piloted by Hawkwings
First Lieutenant Starglider, our resident Skyranger jockey, dropped the team within a hundred meters of the downed UFO. Hawk took the lead in the laser tank, scouting around the south side of the area while the squad disembarked. Our cyborg-ressurected troopers seemed to function just as solidly and skillfully as they had in life, though we noticed some decrease in their actual combat abilities, probably due to the trauma of being revived by
SCIENCE. For all intents and purposes, they operated just like regular rookies.
Hawkwings took fire from this building, and returned fire, exposing two floaters lurking within. The house was in line-of-sight of the Skyranger, which meant that the floaters could get a shot at the troopers disembarking. We dealt with this as X-COM does best.
We shot the shit out of the place.
This picture doesn’t show the sheer insane resilience of that Floater down on the ground floor. Every single soldier on the Skyranger disembarked and fired on him. Autocannon shots, rockets, direct hits with heavy laser beams . . . he ate it like some freaky xeno Terminator. It finally took a heavy laser beam from Maxentius to drop the bastard.
The squad quickly fanned out to search the buildings and make sure no enemies remained. A suspicious barn to the north drew Karrick’s attention, and he hit it twice with a high-ex rocket and an incendiary.
Movement was spotted in the upper levels of the ruined building the first two floaters had been lurking in. It turned out the one in the loft was only knocked unconscious by the angry fists of God pummeling the place. Robo-Decue was sent to capture the unarmed, dazed floater.
Meanwhile, the rest of the squad formed up to assault the UFO, with Maxentius and MJ12-7 moving to check the far corners of the farm for any enemy stragglers.
The interior was breached, and X-COM stormed the UFO with two three-man fireteams. Robo-Karza took a plasma blast to the torso, destroying critical organic and mechanical parts, and collapsed. Return fire from Darkevilme put it down.
Robo-Thunder and Robo-Ohma moved into the interior compartment and got off a shot with the new stun bomb launcher, which dropped two aliens. they fell back behind cover in the doorway, and found a third floater closing in.
They discharged their launcher at point-blank range, knocking themselves unconscious and dazing the alien. Darkevilme, Robo-Decue, and Robo-Vendetta moved in from the opposite side and put it down with another stun bomb, this time finishing it.
MJ12-7 fell victim to an unseen floater that had been lurking north of the UFO and east of the barn Karrick immolated. A single plasma bolt hit him while he was crossing a field. Hawkwings, Karrick, and Maxentius used their combined fire to blanket and put the last floater down.
Post-mission analysis:
We got an alien navigator plus three additional soldiers for interrogation. In addition,we took another intact UFO power source and fuel supply. The casualties suffered this time around (an expendable MJ12 and Karza . . . again . . . .) were well worth these gains.
However, High Command did see fit to hand out some promotions.
Colonel Zablorg.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
.
