Chapter 4 - Supero Omnia

June 4th, 2042

Arnus, Falmart

Fort Strange

Research Report

Codename: Livy

Debrief of former XCOM head of research

"John, we don't have time for this. How many people can you move through the gate within the next forty-eight hours?"

Bradford looked at her with confusion evident on his face. "Why would that matt- oh." John finally pieced together Vahlen's viewpoint. She was last seen fleeing from her own experiments in a makeshift lab facility. "Moira, it's not what you think. We won. We're staying on Earth." Bradford realized Vahlen thought they fled through the gate to escape the Ethereals.

"What? How? How would you have won with such a small force, if the soldiers you brought through to here are any indication."

"Yeah, I suppose the small scale of this operation might confuse you. We won, it was just costly. We can't spare too many resources towards soldiers when we have so much to rebuild." Bradford looked down, reminded of the costs of victory once again.

"Tell me what happened, John."

"We found the commander and built the resistance. We also got lucky. The Ethereals - the Elders - they were a dying race. That's why they wanted Earth. They needed human genetic material to craft the perfect host bodies. They needed strong, virile, intelligent, and psionically gifted bodies. They used us as the linchpin for it all. They died to defend the AVATAR project that would have given them these bodies. It was a hard fight, and we lost a lot of good people to stop that project, but it wasn't the end of it." Bradford shook his head and looked up at Vahlen.

"What came after was a nightmare. Without a master, the dogs slipped their leash. They had no direction and not chance of winning, but they could bite back hard. Every alien and ADVENT trooper went on a simultaneous killing spree. It was chaos. Hundreds of millions died from that alone. And the cost was repeated again and again. We killed the loyalists. Another chunk of humanity gone. There was starvation, civil unrest, and disease. The aliens set themselves up as the crutch that everyone in the ADVENT controlled cities relied on. When they turned hostile, there was nothing left to rely on. Koltsovo was in disrepair. When you have access to geneclinics, no one bothered to maintain the former WHO facilities. Smallpox got loose from there. There's little agriculture left. The aliens fed everyone with lab grown food. That means it took PhD doctors and million dollar facilities just to put food on the table. No police, no real human government. You can imagine. The resistance networks we built up to undermine the ethereals had to learn to become soldiers to eradicate the ADVENT presence all the while restoring needed services as we fought through the cities."

Vahlen had been listening with her mouth covered and her eyes watering. "Where do we stand now?" She managed to shakily ask.

"We estimate the global population is at two billion from its peak of eight billion. The economy is completely tanked. Right now, the commander is the military dictator of the world. Working through regional resistance cell leaders we're calling regional governors, we hope to restore some semblance of responsible civilian governance. When the gate opened, the indigenous people here raised hell in Tokyo and kidnapped a bunch of folks. We're here to bring them back."

After a period of silence, Vahlen spoke again. "This changes everything. I need to get in touch with the Wanderers. Can you meet us somewhere?"

"Who are 'the Wanderers'? And why do you want us to meet them?"

"They are one of the earliests conquests of the Ethereals." Vahlen smiled wanly. "The people here worship them as gods. They're the ones the Ethereals first took the secrets of psionics from. The Wanderers were an advanced race, but peaceful and ill suited to fight. The Ethereals overran their entire civilization and committed genocide. A few of the more gifted Wanderers had a quirk in their psionics that permitted them to persist as a sort of psionic ghost for tens of thousands of years. They can tell us so much that we didn't know about our common enemy."

There were still many questions to be answered, but Bradford was satisfied it was the same Moira Vahlen he knew from long ago. He offered her a room and told her he would be available the next morning. In the meantime, there were operations to oversee. First among them would be launching the reconsats made to find the missing persons.

Although humanity's resources were limited, alien technology allowed for greater results on the cheap. What would have once taken hundreds of millions of dollars worth of rocket fuel now only took a few milligrams of Elerium. It was on this premise that XCOM's operations in this new world were even feasible. Indeed, once the worldwide economy was back on its feet and environmental degradation repaired, it was widely believed mankind would have the tools necessary to be extraplanetary.

For now, the ability alien technology immediately afforded was cheap and reliable means of achieving orbital spaceflight. Although still not fully understood, alien gravity wave propulsion, allows for acute control over the launch vehicle. Launches become much less reliant on meeting launch windows and utilizing gravity turns. Flight becomes closer to swimming rather than controlled falling. In the end, twelve recon satellites were placed in low planetary orbit around the new world and immediately began scanning. It took an hour to find its first target.

June 5th, 2042

Coda Village, Falmart

Operation Blind Stranger - Extract VIP, Residence of Cato El Altestan

As far as enslavement went, it wasn't bad. Indeed, Hideo Atami had been expecting worse. There was no back breaking labor, violence, or sexual exploitation - not that that was a huge worry for a slightly overweight, average-looking young man. Instead, he had spent the week trying to teach English to Gandalf the goofy and his kuudere young assistant. He tried his native nihongo at first, but they seemed to pick up English more quickly. The pair spent most of their time reading books and took turns speaking to Hideo. He quickly realized he was a tutor and interview subject that couldn't refuse. Could have been worse. At least they fed him.

Eventually, he learned their names - Cato was Gandalf, and Leilei was the little blue-haired chick. She was also cute in a way that made Hideo feel a little creeped out with himself. Precocious too. In only a week she was conversational and interested in everything Hideo had to say.

"You say there was war on your world?" Leilei asked.

Hideo nodded. "Yes."

"With who? Other people like us?"

"No. They were aliens." The state of astronomy in this world wasn't very developed. Hideo realized there wasn't a cultural legacy of sci-fi and other speculative fiction either.

"What is this word? A-lien." The young mage asked.

"They are people that come from very far away and come down through the sky." Hideo scratched his head. "It's hard to explain. Do you know what the stars are?" He asked Leilei, pointing up at the night sky.

"The council of Rondel, our most knowledgeable scholars, say it is the light from the next sphere. Its intensity can open holes in the curtain that separates our sphere from the next."

Hideo chuckled despite himself. "That's cute."

"Why do you say that?" Cato cut in. He had been half listening from across the room, closer to his preferred spot by the fireplace.

"Well, we know exactly what the stars are. And it's from a sphere but not the way you think." Hideo explained.

"And how do your people know this, huh?"

"Because our invaders came from there. We ourselves have instruments to observe that far out. We've even been to our moon." Hideo said seriously to sweep aside Cato's mocking tone. "Stars are far away suns. Around those suns are worlds, we call them planets. The aliens that invaded us came from one of these planets."

"I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood you. Did you say you can travel to other worlds?" Cato asked hesitantly.

"Not yet, only our moon." Though Hideo wasn't the most educated person, he still had some post secondary education and was fluent in English and Alien. He worked as a civil clerk taking care of records and doing data entry when ADVENT ruled the world. Hideo was no astronomer, but he didn't need to be to explain the basics to these primitives, even as naturally intelligent as they were. He described how the sun and stars were balls of fire many times the size of any planet. He gave them some sense of vast interstellar distances and made it clear how advanced and powerful the Elders were. Even before the Elders came to dominate Earth, mankind itself was far more advanced than on Falmart. Their knowledge was beyond reproach to these primitives.

Before Hideo finished his lecture, the cottage was lit by light far greater than the fire in the hearth and the candles on the table. The door of the cottage was blown off its flimsy frame and armed individuals burst in with weapons drawn. Hideo jumped in front of Leilei and Cato with his armed raised in a placating gesture. "Matte! Wait. They aren't dangerous!"

The lady in the lead replied. "Okay, but let's get going." She waved Hideo forward. The team made its way to the fastropes coming from the Skyranger and began extracting. What they did not expect was for a blue-haired anime character to tap them on the back and ask "can we come with you?"

"As difficult as it is to believe, my people have vanquished the Ethereals. I don't see why any ploy of theirs would result in so much equipment in the hands of my people and under the command of my former colleague." Vahlen reported to the gods of Falmart - her Wanderer friends. They had declared her the "high apostle" in order to give her some authority with the servitors of each individual Wanderer. Rory Mercury, Emroy's apostle, was quite taken with Vahlen and her upturning of the established order when she first arrived. The pubescent-looking girl of a juggernaut looked at others the way a lion looks at its prey. But with Vahlen, there was a real underlying respect.

Zufmuut, the leader of the "pantheon", was the first to voice an alternative to the Wanderer's original plans. They had thought they were offering sanctuary, but now felt a little lost without their grand purpose. "Perhaps we should surrender control of Falmart to Vahlen's people. They need leadership they can see and touch."

Flare the "Sun God", often aligned with Zufmuut, was more cautious, but ultimately agreeable. "Eventually, yes. These higher humans should take up the burden of leadership. We should still meet with them, I think."

"Agreed." Hardy stated, mirroring the sentiment of the rest of the gods. "As Flare has said, perhaps our counsel is still needed before they can bear the mantle."

"The only problem is that we do not see the Saderans peacefully ceding their control." La and Elange interjected.

"They would dare disobey us?" Deldort, god of covenants, questioned.

"On Earth, we have a saying. Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. Given the choice between power and piety, the Emperor Molt or his crown prince will choose power." Vahlen supplied.

"Then how should we proceed?" Zufmuut asked.

"We must make it clear to the peoples that they would prefer the rule of their father culture. Molt will capitulate when he finds himself without options."

June 6th, 2042

Temple of Hardy

Belnago, Falmart

"Mother, is my Taquinon safe in Hardy's embrace?"

The old crone, a senior disciple of Hardy's replied in soothing tones. "Of course, child. His soul rests with his forebears in Eladia." She named Falmart's version of a positive afterlife.

The middle aged woman breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you think I should let Tavinus follow in his brother's footsteps to seek vengeance? He speaks of joining the Emperor's new levies every day. He looked up to Taquinon so very much."

Mother Vania, the priestess of Hardy, felt Hardy's presence in her mind. "No, my child. Moltus has challenged power beyond his reckoning and will pay for it. Do not sacrifice your remaining child upon the altar of imperial avarice."

"What do you mean, Mother? Are we in danger?"

"Not if we do not challenge the invaders." Her old scratchy voice warned her ward. "They are a peoples whose grandeur far outweighs Sadera. The gods have even spoken about departing for the high heavens and leaving all of creation in the stewardship of these newcomers."

A gasp came from the worshiper. "Are they truly so formidable? The bards and heralds tell us they are men like us."

"True. But that is like comparing a wyvern rider to a savage with sticks and rocks. Heed Hardy's words. The Empire hath tread on a Gryphon's tail."

June 8th, 2042

Imperial Throne Room

Sadera City, Falmart

"It is rather odd, your Majesty. The temples are, all at once, lauding the invaders, subtly. At the same time, they paint us villains." Count Marcus, the Emperor's eyes and ears, reported. The man was a gifted actor and Moltus used him to worm his way into places he wanted influence. The ubiquitous looking minister was ideal for such a role.

"Oh? Do we not gift the temples enough gold to buy their favor?" Emperor Moltus, ever the cynic, asked.

"It is quite a queer thing, your majesty. In my time, I have come to know many high ranking priests and priestesses of the temples. They admit they carry on in a rather mundane way most of the time. Only rarely does the temple receive an edict from a god. It chills my blood to say this, but every temple has reported divine guidance at the same time."

"Such a thing can still be feigned, however. Isn't that correct? You once told me only the most puissant of the temples ever contact their gods. Couldn't this just be treason from the mothers and fathers of the temple?" Moltus reasoned.

"It is possible, I concede."

"Could we not ask those temple fathers in our pocket to declare charlatanry in their ranks?" Moltus asked his minister.

"Perhaps. I'd like to speak with whoever had these visions myself, actually. What of the possibility they are truthful. What if the gods are not on our side?"

"Why have they not acted against us directly if they so preferred these invaders?"

Marcus's eyes lit up in recognition. "Wise point your majesty. I had scarcely considered that."

"They have not acted against us because the invaders do not require any aid. They seem to be doing just fine annihilating any army that encounters them." Interjected a new speaker. Both men recognized the voice as Moltus's headstrong young daughter. "These invaders, according to my sources, have faced a quarter million warriors and triumphed handily despite being a fraction of the size of the armies they battled." Princess Pina Co Lada's acerbic tongue had been known to crush the spirits of many a young patrician son. Moltus also realized she could be right in this instance. What if the gods stayed their hand simply because the new enemy was that powerful?

"Daughter. Perhaps you may be right. But with our ruinous defeats, how can we know for sure? A terrified survivor makes for a poor witness. We need troops to find the enemy, assess them, and return whole. Can your Legio-CIV Order of the Rose do this?" As loathe as he was to sacrifice a child of his, Moltus judged the situation warranted such. Contrary to what a strong Emperor was supposed to do, Moltus coddled his young, illegitimate daughter. His two sons by the Empress were matters of state. Pina was a result of love. She reminded him of her mother, a concubine who Moltus fell deeply into love with.

If he allowed himself to be optimistic, he thought mayhaps the invaders might let down their guard for a delicate face. As a member of the Imperial Peerage, Pina was also qualified to conduct diplomacy if necessary. Although, that would require sweeter words coming from her than the fire she was known for. Moltus would hope for the best from his daughter.

June 8th, 2042

Arnus, Falmart

Fort Strange

"What did you call this again?" Liao Hua asked the little, blue-haired girl. The concoction in his bowl tasted like beef. It had been a long time since he had had real meat. Back home, food was a brick or two of a particular macro-nutrient blend with some chemical flavorings added.

"Ma Nuga."

"Ma Nu-ga." Liao tried out the sounds. It was fairly easy as the girl did not correct him. Mostly, his attention was focused on savoring the real meat in front of him. He could not remember the last time he had been able to make niu nan mian for himself. The large chunk of, what amounted to brisket, was easy to stew with local greens and shared with the rest of his unit, based mostly from around Zhaoqing. The Vietnamese unit from Hoi An made Pho with the bones of the creature while the Korean unit from Suwon made off with the short ribs.

The rank and file were not the only ones impressed. In the base's CIC, brevet General Bradford understood what the natural bounty of this world meant for his troops and his world. Drafting a report back to the Commander, he had to think long and hard about changing the scope of the op on this world.

connecting/:X6 []

Commander,

I want to get your approval to open up the scope of our operations on this world - named Falmart by the indigenous people.

First some salient points:

1 - The dominant polity on this world is responsible for the atrocities committed in Tokyo. They treat their own populations just as poorly.

2 - We have reason to believe we will have significant partisan support. A well known former associate of ours - Doctor Moira Vahlen, former XCOM head of research (Gx-14D) - is present on this world. Her debriefing revealed that she was in good standing with the entities on this world worshipped by the natives as "gods". The temples and disenfranchised smallfolk would be on our side.

3 - Significant resources exist on this world. First and foremost, this world has many species of flora and fauna preliminary reports say would go a long way towards restoring biodiversity on our world.

4 - The entities known as the "gods" of Falmart have a wealth of intel. They are a very old and psionically active race. Or were. Who knows what technological and historical secrets they have?

5 - A feasible plan of action exists. Control over the large territory is possible through existing institutions, one of which - the religious institutions - are already friendly towards us. The opportunity to install a friendly interim government might be possible after deposing the current ruler as well.

Respectfully,

Gen. J. Bradford, CO Resistance Expeditionary Forces