Xcom2: Error from the deep: Mission 1

12:15, 10th of January 2040.
Mission: Sub Recovery, Northsea
Code nane: Operation Krypto

Cody sits in the Triton submarine, fiddling with his harpoon rifle. He has a bad feeling about this mission. His sleep lately had been disturbed by troubling dreams. Kris had laughed them off as merely an elder god trying to probe his mind. She at least seems in high spirits to meet this new alien threat, and Dani next to her is as excitable as always. Kane and Sora look eager to kick alien butt and Drew is, well drew.

In fact, all his friends are here in this ship, except for Macy and Gail left back at the base. Truth was, none of them were old enough to remember the first alien war when humanity had faced the very real threat of extinction. Earth had entered a new era of peace and stability, and the X-Com organization they were part of became viewed as a bygone of a more paranoid warlike time.

Cory said this was just what the aliens wanted of course. The Englishman stood up just then, to remind everyone of the mission. Two hours ago, the second unidentified submersible object was detected on sonar in euro syndicate waters and this time the combat subs managed to shoot it down. Now they were going to recover it and find out who it belongs to. “Right now we don't know what they look like, or what they want, or anything really. Now, I have my own theories I've been working on...” Cory was a great intelligence officer but he was no leader. Saki stood up and interrupted “Who cares who they are let's kick arse and take names!” Cody caught a quick glance and a smile between them as they sat down.

So the sub landed. Cody heard the sound of the landing gear clunking against the rocky seabed and bubbles escaping to the surface. Everyone was in their diving suite by now. The unmanned drone tank was sent out first. They watched the video feed of the murky waters. No sign of anything out of the ordinary. Cory gave the all clear to move out.

Gabe was in front of Cody when the sub's door slid open. He floats out and steps onto the sandy floor. His voice sounds more irritable over the distortions of the coms. “First bootprint of our first combat mission, big deal.”

Cody hears a high pitched sound like nothing he'd heard before and Gabe flew right back into cody. A red mist started swirl in the water where he had just been. Cody just stood there in shock as he realised Gabe's diving suit was ruptured.

Saki gave him a quick shove from behind. He saw something glint above on top of a rock formation. He fires his harpoon rifle on instinct. A shape falls down. He doesn't have time to check it. Saki is shooting at something to his left. She yells something exuberant on the coms so she must have gotten something. Mila's out of the sub too taking the left flank..

That's when he got his first look at one of them. A small creature pops out on the left using their own transport for cover. It has short limbs with webbed hands and feet, round body, and big bulbous head with unreadable large black eyes. Cody yells out a warning as the alien lets off several shots which miss, before ducking for cover again. Cody chases it around the corner and plants a harpoon in its big head. Even through the diving suit he hears its loud shrill death scream. He shudders.

****

Kris and Dani were at the back of the transport when it had landed. “We should be out there with everyone else!!!!” Dani says. Kris feels torn between wanting to meet these weird interesting aliens and keeping her friend safe. Even more right now she wants to keep Dani's mind off Gabe who was still lying on the floor, not moving

Ahead of them Drew and Kane leave the transport and take the right flank. Mila and Cody had taken the left and Kris sees Sora and Saki using the unmanned tank for cover as they advanced in the center. They duck behind it as alien grenades rain down in front of them.

Cory is the only other one left in the transport. He steps out briefly to fire his large torpedo launcher at an alien trying to ambush Saki and Sora from atop a rock formation. He steps back inside for cover and shuts the doors. “Dani, pass us another rocket will you love?” Dani is almost too eager to go fetch one and help him reload.

Kris looks out the window impatiently. She can't see the aliens. The water is too murky and all she can see are some sort of blasts coming from out from heavy cover. Saki and Sora abandon the tank to get behind their own rocks.

Then Saki spins around as she takes a hit.

“Saki!” Cory must have seen the same thing. But no sooner had he shouted that and taken a hurried step out of the sub does an alien blast hit him right in the chest too.

Kris grabs Dani and turns her away. She doesn't need to see this. “Dani, it's time we made them pay.” She picks up the biggest gun she can find, a multi-barreled gatling cannon while Dani holds onto her harpoon rifle. They take a deep breath. Then they burst out of the sub.

The alien who shot Cory stood on a rock. It almost seemed victorious, gloating even.

The two girls open up fire on full auto, the gatling cannon giving a large amount of noise and huge kick back. Kris definitely saw several bolts make contact with the aliens body before the water gets too filled with bubbles to see.

But when the water clears, the alien is still standing. Kris thought she saw an unkind glint in the things eye as it slowly and methodically aims at Dani to return fire.

Then a harpoon slams into its side finally dropping it.

****

“Mwuahahahaha, did you see that Kane? I got one!” Drew ducks back around the rock while she waits for Kane to catch up with her. They were taking the right flank by storm. Nothing could stop them now!

“Well done dear...” Drew turns around as Kane comes stumbling up to her, and falls into her arms.

“Kane?” There's real panic in her voice as Kane slips limply and falls to the seabed.

****

All Kris hears is Drew angrily shouting obscenities over the radio and sees her firing ineffectually at at an alien. Kris sweeps her cannon over the target, dropping it dead. “Just stay behind me Dani.”

She quickly advances and almost shoots Cody when he steps out from a rock up ahead. It seems the left flank didn't run into as much trouble and moved quickly.

Then her face twists in confusion as she sees Cody aim his gun in Drew's direction..

****

Cody cuts across the battlefield alongside a large rock and looks back. Kris, Dani, and Drew were all catching up. But they missed one! An alien had been hiding behind their lines and now creeps towards Drew. She seems unaware of the threat.

Cody doesn't have time to explain. he quickly takes aim and shoots the enemy before it gets the drop on her.

Then both Drew and Kris swing their weapons around towards him. “Hold fire!”

His eyes go wide and he ducks as harpoons and bolts roar right above him.

When the sound stops he finally opens his eyes, and turns around as an alien body floats down from the boulder behind him,

“I've never been so scared in me life than just right then!”

Kris's voice came back over the coms, entirely too cheerful. “Relax, we were gunning down that alien right behind you.”

Cody pauses and considers the average accuracy rates of X-com recruits. “I've never been so scared in me life than just right then”

Then Sora calls to everyone. “We've secured the alien vessel. No one's home. I think we've got them all!” Nonetheless Cody stays alert during the work of stripping the alien sub of all its interesting artifacts. And bringing back the bodies of Cory, Saki, and Kane.

***

Mission Report: 40% Casualties. Score: 113. X-COM rates this mission: OK. The alien artifacts and bodies recovered are enough to offset the cost it took to take them. The success will be used as an example of the organisation's good work to secure more funding. Replacement soldiers are already on their way to replace losses.

***

Most of the team sat around in silence. The scientists considered the mission a success and were now poring over their new alien toys. The bean counters were pleased that the expensive tank came back in one piece. The chief, a grey haired veteran, assured them all that in last war if they were lucky enough to come back with over half the team it was considered a solid victory worth celebrating.

But nobody celebrated.

Not until Kane hobbled out of that medical wing on crutches. Drew immediately threw herself around his neck, laughing.

Mila stood up hopeful. Kane gave a slight shake of his head. Mila faltered, then ran out of the room. Gabe wasn't coming back. Neither were Cory nor Saki. And Cody couldn't shake the feeling that none of them will by the time the war's over.

****

Next time, the team attempt to capture and intact USO. How will they get along with the two new mysterious team members. And how many will come back safely?