*** CLASSIFIED: ABOVE TOP SECRET ***
X-Com Command Staff Eyes Only
Excerpt Personal Journal, General McSwine
Day 152, Retaliation.
Any hopes that tensions would reduce after the end of May were short lived. First across my desk was a report from the science division about exactly what we were facing.
Based on the aliens' attack patterns, and interrogation of prisoners, we knew that we would have to take the fight to them, and we would have to capture one of their highest ranking officers to find out where. We would also need an attack craft unlike any we currently had available to take the fight off of Earth.
In the knowledge that the war was escalating further, we began research on the largest infantry weapon the aliens had been seen carrying.
That was when it happened, comms intercept came in from an alien scout looking for our base in South East Asia.
They were going to attempt to cripple us by striking at our manufacturing facilities. The interceptors launched to prevent them detecting the base, destroying the UFO over the sea, and we began plans to defend it if the worst happened.
Since the attack force would likely be composed of Snakemen and their horrific terror weapons the Chryssalids, the garrison in South East Asia would in no way be able to cope with the attack, so Colonel Shanks was transferred to the facility along with a team of experienced personnel, Jack Lavish, Schizzy, Looney, Bling Cat II, RootOfAllEvil, Doomsly McSlaughter, and Preacher Saul to defend the base. Additionally, there are two plasma armed hovertanks on site.
Since an attack on an X-Com facility would certainly be led by one of the aliens' highest ranked commanders, it would be an opportunity to take one alive on our turf as well, so construction began on a brig facility to hold captives on site.
Secrecy is still our best defence however, and the low speed of Interceptors compared to alien vessels makes it more likely that they will be able to scout out our position with future attempts. The race is now on to get the Firestorm in the sky to intercept aliens further out than an Interceptor can manage.
A ray of hope came from the science team, they had completed work on an antigravity harness for the Power Suit, allowing X-Com personnel equipped with the new Flying Suit to match the capability of the alien Floaters.
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X-Com Incident Report, 6th June
The faithlessness of the aliens in their pact with the USA was demonstrated when a floater ship appeared to harvest resources from North America.
An Interceptor launched from Europe and met the alien over the continental United States, a short chase ensued and the craft was shot down on the Canada/Alaskan border.
Report Ends
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X-Com Battle Report, UFO Crash Recovery 19
This mission further proved the durability of the Hovertank chassis. Running with a reduced crew due to the defensive preparations in Asia, the presence of the UCV was more important than ever. AceDiamond hovered out of the Skyranger into a hail of plasma fire. Every warning light on the board lit up red, but the tank stayed floating and stayed responsive.
Turning, he spotted the alien responsible.
And opened fire on it, burning it to the ground with the plasma cannon.
As the squad disembarked, more fire came from the west, but no hits were scored. The scout deployed on that flank spotted the alien and opened fire with his laser pistol, killing it.
The crash had done the rest.
Report Ends
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Mission Debriefing, General McSwine
The durability of the hovertank is a major asset at this time, as we are stretched thinner than ever. We will likely have cause to rely on it again.
Extra recruitment to defend X-Com facilities means we need more officers and sergeants as well.
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X-Com Daily Reports
Shortly after the last engagement, the first Firestorm was fully assembled.
Manufacturing attention turned towards producing plasma cannons to arm it with. These highly complex devices are almost as difficult to build as the craft itself.
The first opportunity to use the new craft, and the first sign that striking at X-Com is not the totality of the aliens' plans for June came shortly after the first cannon was built.
Launching with only one weapon installed, Ninjablu got his first chance to use the Firestorm in combat, the Elerium powered antigravity systems protecting him from massive G-forces as the craft streaked out to meet the latest intruder, destroying it over the Sea of Japan, long before it could reach it's target, and without the long chase that our previous interceptors would have needed to run the enemy down.
It wasn't long before the craft was needed again.
Another scout looking for the Asia facility. This time coming in over the North Pole. Ninjablu launched again, and intercepted the enemy over southern Russia, a safe distance away from the base.
Though he still only had one cannon mounted, the new Firestorm was more than a match for this small alien, and it crashed to earth, the Skyranger launched to clean up the survivors.
Report Ends
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X-Com Battle Report, UFO Crash Recovery 20
Deployment at this crash site was smooth. No alien fire greeted the squad, and they all exited in good order.
Scouting southeast of the LZ, AceDiamond spotted an alien silhouetted on a hilltop.
A classic error, for which Dekkarax was quick to punish it.
No more aliens were outside at the LZ, and aware of the manpower shortage and the gaping hole in the UFO roof, AceDiamond decided to take the UCV in first.
It's a fair bet that the list of things this Snakeman was expecting today didn't include a tank through the roof, so it stood there stunned whilst AceDiamond blasted it.
Report Ends
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Mission Debriefing, General McSwine
Another mission successful thanks to the versatility of the hovertank, and another mission where the wolf of retaliatory strike is kept from our door by rapid interceptor response.
