A glowing green bolt of plasma shot over the roof of the black SUV that the Night Owls were currently taking cover behind, followed by several more. The once historic and iconic architecture of Berlin was marred with scorch marks from plasma burns, the streets littered with residue from the strange pods and sparse gatherings of civilians encased in it. The Night Owls, led by Sgt. Mauss, were pinned down by the last remaining group of sectoids.

"GRENADE OUT!" Yelled Sardou, as he threw a grenade he had primed moments ago and tossed it over the hood of the SUV, landing in the midst of four sectoids. The plasma fire stopped briefly as the grenade landed and exploded, filling the air with a rewarding squeal of distorted screams. Quickly Sardou ducked down, just in time as the remaining sectoids opened fire once more focusing more on the remaining owls "That got their attention." He swiftly remarked, crouching next to Mauss as she pressed her back against the passenger door "Good. Now keep it up." Her voice devoid of any discernible emotion, before she took a breath and stood up. She leaned over the rear of the SUV and opened fire, while Sardou did the same over the hood "H-how we d-d-doing?" Spoke out Bastion, a heavy cough accompanying his words "I told you to keep quiet, Bastien." Mauss scolded him harshly, then a fierce look burned in her eyes "We're not going to lose." The aliens failed to realize that the other two squads were quickly closing in on their flanks and would soon have a firing line on them. Mausss appeared to be collected and calm, but on the inside she burned with hatred. Four of her squad were dead, four of her closest friends.

...

Chambers had been the worst of them all. They had barely gotten off the Skyranger when they were ambushed on both sides out of nowhere. The smell of burning flesh and the sight of a once friendly face melted down to the skull is one that cannot be forgotten. Guy was only 22 years old. With the help of the other two squads, they managed to push the alien invaders back but two more brave soldiers fell. Four had died within the first 15 minutes of engagement. The firefight only grew more intense they harder they pushed, they were simply outnumbered on the field. It was obvious that this first strike was the alien's way of sending a message.

Alarie...Lindholm...Artino...Chambers...Mauss would never forgive herself for their deaths, but she would do her best to avenge them "In position." A male voice came over the comms, followed by a second "So are we.". It was time to end this nightmarish battle and send these alien bastards to whatever hell awaited them "On my mark." Both Her and Sardou ducked back down, reloading their weapons. "One..." Her breath slowed "Two..." Her finger hovered over the trigger "Three!" Her voice yelled out and a hail of bullets rained down on the sectoids' position, splattering their blood across the rough pavement.

A electronic voice came over the comms, the voice of the Eurpean A.I named 'Arthur' "No other hostiles detected within the vicinity. Mission Accomplished. Proceed to the Skyranger for extraction." Mauss let out a exhausted sigh as she loosened the grip on her rifle "Copy that, on our way." Grief slipping into her voice. Before they regrouped and headed for extraction, Mauss took her rifle and fired a single shot into the large forehead of one of the sectoids, glaring at its corpse. Mauss made a mental count of the losses. 12 dead XCOM operatives as opposed to 49 sectoids. It was not good enough to win this war.





The XCOM Project has been fully activated and Skyrangers have been working around the clock to bring in the necessary crew and soldiers to staff each base properly. People from all walks of life and all over the world coming together for a singular purpose: The survival of Humanity. Each recruit received a coded message shortly after the Battle of Berlin concluded, announcing their services were needed. After being picked up in a remote location, each of you were taken to your respective bases inside a Skyranger filled with mostly other soldiers, and a few scientists and engineers.

The muffled sound of jet engines was constant throughout the flight, the interior designed like a typcial troop transport but with much higher tech. In each case, the pilot of the Skyranger announced once everyone was in "Take a seat and strap yourselves in. Secure your bags underneath your seats or on the shelving above your heads." His voice coming plainly through the speakers located above. Accompanying the flight, was a XCOM soldier dressed in full gear sitting at the back near the door to the cockpit.

A large bay door opened as the Skyranger descended, and closed once it was safely inside. After touching down, all the operatives were directed to an officer that would give them their Orientation including a list of rules and a tour of the facilities. The only areas fully restricted to soldiers were the base commander's office and the laboratories. Everyone was given free access to information about the aliens and it was recommended that they specifically read about the alien units. Once Orientation was done, they were assigned to a squad with a senior operative working as the squad leader.

Presently you are inside your designated barracks, a room with several beds and a few pieces of comfort furniture included such as a couch, a coffee table, and large monitor facing towards the couch. The monitor displayed the current status of each squad within XCOM and was constantly updating. You are waiting to meet with the members of your new squad, the people would be watching your back.

@Jangel13

The automatic sliding door to your barracks slide open as a grizzly bear of a man walks in, a thick black mustache curving around the edges of his lips. It is clear from the size of his arms that he could easily crush a person's skull. Despite his intimidating appearance, he walks right up to you with a small smile against his weathered face as he raised his right hand for a handshake "Lorzenso de Ávila." He simply says with a deep Brazilian accent, a friendliness in his tone.

Not long after he says this, Three others come in quick succession. A woman with piercing green eyes and half of her head shaved down short with the other half just below her chin, evidence of a scar running down from her shoulder towards her chest. She simply walks up against the wall and leans her back against it, observing the two of you. Second is another woman, Her curly, dark brown hair falls around just past her ears framing a gentle set of amber eyes. She proceeds to walk around the two of you and grabs a chair from the table, flipping around and sitting down with arms resting across the top "Oh, we're doing introductions already?" She asked coyly. "In that case, I am Velena Keiling." She announces proudly, a Jamican swing in her voice.

The third is a man with a young appearance, perhaps due to his freshly shaven face, and light brown hair. Dark blue eyes search the room clearly impressed as he makes his way in. He appears to be an American and as he turns the flag on his bag confirms it. None of them however seem to be the squad leader at the moment. The name of your squad was highlighted on the monitor: the Swift Vipers.

@thedman

A tall, bald man with brown colored eyes walked into the room "Joseph Vitali I take it? I am Cpt. Daniel Bradley. Welcome to the Iron Talons." The asked directly, the XCOM logo on his brown t-shirt was enough to ascertain this was the squad leader. His next move was the extension of his hand towards you, a look of respect in his eyes "I read your record. Impressive stuff, though I guess that's why you're here." Everyone in his base were here because they proved they had what it took to stand against the aliens. That meant that some of the toughest soldiers in the world would be joining up.

After your introduction, the rest of the squad slowly made their way into the barracks as well. First came Kathryn Sokolik, her height verged on the minimum for military service but she made up for it in how fit she was. Red hair fell just pass her shoulders, as she looked towards your with bright brown eyes "Nice to meet ya, Joe!" Plenty of energy in her voice for two people. Second came Patrick Wehinger, Sharp blue eyes matched well with his well kept blonde hair "Glad to meet you guys." He spoke with a sort of rural twist. The next person to arrive was Amiya Brooks, Her head was shaved down to nothing but a stubby mohawak which was dyed a dark purple. The look in her grayish-blue eyes suggested she might not be a people person as she simply nodded to acknowledge everyone. Lastly came Kahele Aolani, A man of clearly native Hawaiian descent "One big happy family, huh?" A smile on his face as he made it in.

@NPC@McSamsonite

Everyone was already gathered in the center of the barracks by the squad leader, Seraina Holzer. Her hair was short and dark brown on the sides while the top was parted to the right and blonde "Welcome to the Hell Hounds. My name is Maj. Serarina Holzer and I am your team leader. Now before we start introductions, let me be clear about one thing. I am your queen and you are my knights." A firm looked shone in her blue-gray eyes before it loosened with a hard smile "As long as you understand that, everything will go smoothly." She then turned towards a man with well-groomed short black hair and striking light blue eyes "Let's start with you. Name and previous military service." She stated like a command.

He straightened up his posture as a response to her authority "Augustin LeMahieu at your service. I served under the Special Operations Command with the Army." It was impossible not to acknowledge the french accent. Holzer nodded and affirmatively and then looked towards a tall man with cleanly buzzed black hair and a trimmed beard "Next." She asserted.

The man nodded and spoke out "Avery Johnson, with the British SAS. Pleasure to meet all of you." His dialect traced him back to Bristol, England. His dark brown eyes possessed a strange softness to them. Holzer turned immediately to the next person in her path "Next." She repeated.

Attention now fell upon a man with well-tanned skin, dark brown hair framing a strong jawline "Cyril Vassallos. I served with the 1st Raider Bridgade. The aliens aren't going to know what him them." He stated confidently. A half-smirk rose on Holzer's lips "Good." The last two that were left were Emily Verbeck from England and Trevor Hickory from Germany. She moved in front of Emily "Next." Once stated again. As soon as Emily gave the information requested, it would be Trevor's turn to answer the Squad leader.

@Zoey White@Evil Snowman

Inside of the barracks was relatively quiet, indicating that the walls were mostly sound-proof. This made sense when you thought about the base operating on a 24/7 schedule. People from all Oceania and Southern Asia were staffed at this base. Your squad, the Red Dragons, had entered the barracks as part of one group with your squad leader bringing up the rear.

As the door slid closed behind him, he clasped his hands together in front in the pocket where his rib-cage would stop "Greetings Red Dragons, I am your squad leader Lt. Kyo Jin-Hwan. XCOM is honored to have you." Whatever accent he might have had, seemed to be watered down from travel. XCOM was forced to pull recruits from other regions in order to fully staff the Oceania base, that also served as the Main Headquarters "I have read your files, but please introduce yourselves."

The first to speak up was an Australian, with thick light brown hair resting just over his ears "Donovan Rogers ready to kick some alien ass!" He said while given a small demonstration of a punt then realized he might have been out of line just a little "..Sir." he amended politely. Next after him came a woman from New Zealand with a chill to her gaze, her black hair tied back in a tight ponytail "My name is Tama Tuitama." It was brief with a certain coldness accompanying the words, it probable that she had some personal grief with the aliens.

Next up was a man with a large patch of skin on his right cheek that looked it had been heavily burned some time ago. Serious brown eyes surveyed his squad mates before he decided to speak up "You can call me Reyes. I look forward to serving with you all." He stated surprising warmly for his fierce appearance. That only left Nian and Nadezhda to answer the Lieutenant. From Orientation, It was possible they could be leaving for their first mission within six hours. It was important to learn names and establish that first line of trust.

@HachiRoku

The squad leader, Zhu Yun, walked into the Barracks and went straight to his bunk where he opened his footlocker open "My grandfather used to say that everything meeting is made better with a hard drink..." He finished just as he pulled out a glass bottle with a white tint, the label showing it was a kind of Sake. The bottle went onto the small coffee table in front of the couch followed by six cups. Zhu Yun proceeded to fill every cup about half-way, the amount about equal to a small shot "Take a sip and tell me your names. I Maj. Zhu Yun and I have been part of XCOM for nearly a decade. " He shared as he passed out the glasses "Why don't you start?" He asked while looking a woman with black hair that was longer in the front and got shorter as it went back, golden eyes looking down at the liquid before tightening her back and drinking it in one go "My name is Ratana Chao. It is a honor to be here." Her face twitched a little as the aftertaste of the alcohol hit.

Zhu Yun turned towards a man with black cropped hair, his features distinctive of the Indian sub-continent "I am Omar Mahanti, ready to take down the alien threat in this life or the next." With that he drank from his cup as Zhu Yun moved on to the next squad member, this one had her black hair done up in a bun. A serious look stiffened her features "Ichihara Maiya. It is my wish to work well with you." Down her throat went the burning alcohol. The last person before Hiroya was a burly-looking man with a thick beard and bald on to top of his head "Esmaeel Sayyad ready to serve." A certain wisdom accompanied his green eyes. At last it was Hiroya's turn, then it would be his choice whether to speak further with his squad or explore the base.

@Ciphra

Your squad assignment was different from the rest as you were sent to the Grim Crows, a more veteran squad of XCOM that was needing a fresh body to reinforce it. That was why instead of meeting a bunch of fresh faces in the barracks, you were faced with only one. Cpt. Helene Mauss. Her fearsome gaze with light purple eyes stared into you as she half-sat on the back of the couch, arms crossed. Oddly enough her hair was almost pure white, despite not looking that old. Nevertheless, she was here to welcome you to the team. "Cole Duponte. Father was KIA shortly after you were born, moved from the United States to France. Joined up with Legion and later special forces." She read all of this off without a second thought "That sound about right?" She asked rhetorically.

Without waiting for an answer she pushed herself off the ridge of the couch gently "Tell me Duponte, what do you know of the aliens so far?" Helene was probing him to see what kind of answer he would give. The last thing she needed was some gung-ho rookie to make the wrong mistake and get a chest full of plasma. The rest of the team were probably on their way to greet their new 'rook', though they knew to let her have first crack at him.

Angelo didn't pack much as he was getting ready to go into the XCOM project. He had known that he would be noticed after he killed so many of the greys but he didn't think he would be trusted into going into what was basically a black ops site. He went to the specified location only bringing with him a duffle bag full of clothes and a few personal belongings. Nothing of note of course like his father's jacket and his fiance's necklace and a picture of him and said, fiance. He wished he had someone to talk to before he left because if he had to hazard a guess once he goes inside-outside communication would be limited if any. He got into the skyranger and he put his bag under his seat before he strapped in and waited for the pilot to get them moving.

He got inside and he was mildly impressed at how much they had to work with but then again this was probably a huge undertaking for humanity as the last line of defense. He found his way into the barracks and he unpacked putting everything in his drawer that was provided for him. He then found his way to the couch that faced the monitor and soon he was greeted by a bear of a man that looked like he could snap Angelo like a twig if he wanted to. He didn't even need to ask to know that this guy would only be satisfied by using something as big as he was so he was in the heavy class. He then watched as two attractive looking women came in and one introduced herself. Then a fresh-faced kid came in looking in awe of the place around him. Angelo then wondered what was the minimum age to join this project but that was a thought for another time.

He could guess that it was time to introduce himself so he sat up a bit and said "Names Angelo. I am going to be the one marking targets in the field. Don't worry though, I am a crack shot" he said with a smirk wondering when their actual squad leader would show up to greet them. He was probably the only new guy unless that American kid counted. He had to go through orientation and all that though he wished he could drink more. Not being allowed to get drunk was a real drag especially considering that the things they would see together would make him have nightmares of that he had no doubt.

The attack on Berlin had left everyone at the NYPD in a state of near-panic for the past few days. Joe had been feeling it too, his daily briefings on the threats of radical Islamic terrorism being replaced by several emergency meetings on the alien menace. He had been stuck in conference rooms, trying to reassure public officials that the city would be safe, and trying to come up with a plan in case something like Berlin happened in New York. It was after getting home from work one day that he got the call.

The whole affair reminded him of his experiences working with the CIA in Iraq. He had barely had enough time to fill a duffel bag with essentials before being whisked off to join a top-secret, multinational military organization. While it meant he would have to leave home, along with his childhood dream of being a cop, some part of him was glad to be back on the frontlines. Plus, it meant he could take the fight to those alien bastards.

Walking into the barracks, he felt a sense of nostalgia to the beginning of his military career, which seemed like so long ago. He made an effort to shake everyone's hand and try to get to know them a little. They seemed like a nice bunch, although the one girl- Amiya, that's her name- clearly wasn't a people person, and didn't seem too impressed with him, he thought. After talking to everyone, he looked around at the group. "Hey, thanks guys. I'm sure we'll all get along great...like Kahele said, one big happy family, yeah?" He said in his thick New York accent, smiling.

Nian Zhen, Medic of the Red Dragons

Nian Zhen stood at attention, not making eye contact with the squad leader, her hands folded behind her back, standing as straight as she possibly could and her head pointed upwards. She wanted to make as good of an impression as possible for her superior.

"Sir, my name is Nian Zhen, sir!" She said, her light voice not betraying the sincerity and professionalism in her tone.

She was a medic. Though she currently had the standard fatigues of XCOM, she was proud to don the signature and identifiable red plus on her battle outfit. Currently, the honor was not available to her, but soon her new allies might need her help, and she'd be there for them. She knew it, as fast. Nian Zhen would try her hardest.

This is why, with no indication to do other wise, she acted as soldiery as possible- abandoning casualness and standing at full attention for the lieutenant. Already, the name of her squad was rattling around in her head and settling in. The Red Dragons. She was proud to be a Red Dragon.

---

Since the attack on Berlin Nadezhda had been kept busy. Being recalled to duty as the news quickly spread across the globe of the alien attack, and then again when she was contacted by some top secret organisation of offering her a chance to help save humanity from the alien threat. Nadezhda jumping at the chance to do her part. She took the offer barely a day later she went some remote location not far away to be picked up by an aircraft she never seen anything like before.

Once at the base Nadezhda listened closely during orientation making mental notes although as the person given spoke of just what she’d be protecting the planet form and brought up a picture of a sectoid as an example. Nadezhda felt her heart rate increase get several flashes of images of the things she saw in Berlin. But she pushed them down and focused on what being said and took comfort in the fact next time she saw one of those little large headed bastards she’d be armed and able to fight back.

Once in the barracks listened to the Lt. Kyo introduce himself. Nadezhda gave the man a quick salute. Before turning her attention to the rest of the squad as they introduced themselves. Making mental notes of their names. Nadezhda pleased she’d be working with another Australian.

Once everyone else had gone Nadezhda took a large sigh. Knowing it was her turn to introduce herself.
“I’m Nadezhda Moskvin pleased to meet you all. I’ll be your field engineer for the for seeable future look forward to working with and getting to know you all. Do not hesitate to call on me should I be of use to any of you.” she spoke giving small wave to everyone.

With her introduction done Nadezhda gave a contented sigh her stance shifting into a relaxed on as she folded her arms and a small smile formed. Nadezhda wondering just how well she’d get along with these people.

Trevor stayed in line, erect and straight-faced, despite his racing heart. He has never been in a military setting before, and he is quickly realizing his inadequate background compared to those surrounding him on this squad. Despite his current insecurities, he looked at each member as the others spoke. He looked at them in detail, scrutinizing their mannerisms and subconsciously noting their temperament.

On his turn, he spoke with his head forward, looking Maj in the eyes as he spoke: "My name is Trevor Hickory. I have no military experience to speak of, but my skills will be sufficient to speak for themselves." his heart felt like it might leap from his chest as he looked into Maj's hard eyes. He could tell she was scrutinizing him just as much as he did with the others, and that put him off quite a bit. Nonetheless, he continued to hold her gaze until she looked away. When she did, he realized he had been holding his breath. He let it out slowly.

So far, he really liked what he saw. He knew he didn't work well with new people, but he already prepared himself for that, and right now he constantly set aside judgements he made right off the bat. "These are my team members now." He thought. "If i expect them to trust my abilities, then i have to trust their intentions." He allowed himself a small smile of triumph over his own predictions and prejudices of the others.

@Jangel13

The woman leaning against the wall narrowed her eyes at Angelo's claim "You better be." It was clear words were not enough to convince her. Lorenzo glanced at her for a moment before speaking up "Her name is.." "Camila Martí." Her voice stated strongly interjecting "..yes. She gives everyone a hard time at first so don't worry." He spoke reassuringly. The American walked farther into the room and set his bag down next to one of beds, before speaking up "I guess that just leaves me then. I am Allen Graham. Making sure you can all keep fighting is my job." His voice light and whimsical.

Shortly after his introduction finished, the door to the barracks slide open revealing a sturdily built man with stern brown eyes and a signature military style buzz-cut. His darker complexion indicative of many years under a hot sun "No punches are being thrown this time so I see you are all getting along just fine." The tone of his voice did not make it clear whether he was pleased or irritated "I am your squad leader, Cpt. Nico Villacrés. Now that introductions are done, find your assigned locker and bed and finish unpacking. Inside your locker you'll find your personal armor set." Nico ordered as he walked up to the monitor and began looking through XCOM teams.

As squad leader, Nico's bed was the closest to the door but it was clear from what appeared to be a family photo that he had already settled in. Velena rose from her chair and returned it under the table from which it came. Lorenzo followed her to the large lockers built into the walls, where upon opening them found just what the Captain said. A armor set that was already adjusted to their size. Allen followed suit after picking his bag back up and then Camilla who had nothing but a large backpack.

@thedman

Despite Amiya being anti-social, the whole squad seemed to get together very well in the brief few minutes they've known each other. A global threat like the Alien Invasion seemed to bypass any pettiness people might normally have. Bradley seemed to crack a small smile at the harmonious interactions of his squad before speaking up loudly over the chatter "Nice to see we're off to a good start." He used a tone of voice that quickly got everyone's attention "If you take a look at the beds you'll notice a small plaque that has your name on it. Same goes for the lockers over there." First he indicated towards the beds, then over towards the lockers installed into the wall "The lockers are for personal storage as well as for your armor. I'd recommend putting it on once before we get our first mission." He advised.

He moved over to the monitor and tapped a finger on the squad's name, a symbol to its right was colored yellow with text that read 'On Standby' "I just want to make you all aware that we're on call if Command picks up alien activity. So get your stuff unpacked and be ready to head out, otherwise you're free to do as you please." His authoritative tone relaxed towards the end "Personally, I'm gonna grab a bite to eat." He grinned and headed out the door towards the mess hall. Kathryn took her two duffle bags over to her locker "So Joe, think we'll be heading out on first day?" She asked humorously as the rest of the squad began unpacking as well.

@Zoey White@Evil Snowman

A bright smile formed on the edges of Jin-Hwan's lips as Nadezhda finished, the names of the squad known to everyone here "It seems I have blessed with a great squad." A small chuckle escaping his lungs "That of course means now I expect a very successful first mission with you all." He stepped into the center of the room, already he gave off the vibe of a leader that cared about his squad "Now, take the time to unpack and relax while we still can. Though it is our first day together, we are on standby should the Aliens make their next move." He was more serious saying this "With that said, in your lockers you'll find your armor. It is important that it fits correctly when you put it on. The base A.I. will alert us if we are needed to gear up." He finished saying "Lastly, I will answer any question you might still have after orientation. Here at XCOM, we don't hide secrets from our soldiers." That last part was stated with an almost confidence.

@Zoey White
The man identified as Reyes came up to you after the Lieutenant finished "So you're our medic then?" He pointed to the red cross clearly visible on your uniform. The deep sound of his voice could be intimidating to some, but he spoke in a rather friendly tone "I got to say it is a relief knowing there is going to be someone down there to patch us up." A smile accompanied his words "Though no offense, I hope we don't need it." A soft chuckle breaking up the serious idea of injury.

@Evil Snowman
The other Australian went to his locker and began taking things out of his desert-camouflaged bag and putting into the locker. Most noticeable among them was a picture of Donovan and another male, perhaps 6 years older, with arms across each other's shoulders "So Nade', gotta say I'm relieved to have another Aussie in the squad. It's kinda funny though, You build stuff and I'm the one who blows it up." His head was turned from you but you could sense the grin on his face.

@McSamsonite

Major Holzer loomed over you for a few moments after hearing what you said, her eyes narrowing as if to peer directly into your soul then their weight lifted as she said "I hope so, you are part of XCOM now." before moving on to the last part of your squad, a British woman named Emily Verbeck. With everyone having now given their names and a small part of information about themselves, Major Holzer stepped back to her original spot and turned to face everyone "Take a very good look at the people around you. These are the people that will be watching out for you on the battlefield, where trust might decide success or failure. Remember that in the months to come." Her emphasis coming through clearly.

"Unpack your things and get yourselves situated. The lockers over there contain your armor. Make sure you are intimate with putting it on. Command could be sending us out within an hour." Just as she said, the monitor displayed clearly that the Hell Hounds were on standby meaning that if the aliens attacked it would be their squad heading out. Cyril spoke to you as he carried his items to the lockers and began unloading "You've never been in the military?" He asked with disbelief shaking his head as he put something in the locker's top shelf "What did you do to get XCOM's attention?" He asked

@NPC
Avery came over towards you as Holzer stopped speaking, probably interested in the other member from the United Kingdom "Seems like a tough but fair kind of woman. What do you think?" He softly asked, as to not let Holzer hear. The other soldiers in the squad seemed to be doing just as the Major said and unpacking what small amount of personal items there where. Small shelves above the assigned beds could hold small trinkets and such "I just know I don't want to piss her off." He commented

@AdmrlStalfos19

You arrive at a clearing in northern Japan as night falls, the area is lit up with prop-up LED light stands and the illumination of two aircraft. The one you come upon first has a black coating the glass has a dark outer tint, preventing you from seeing the pilot inside. Behind is what appears to be a very high-tech jet of a design that you have never seen. Standing next to the rear of the larger, black craft is a man dressed in tan combat armor. "We've been waiting for you, Miss Lawson. Please proceed onto the Skyranger with the others." He announces as you get closer.

Once inside, you are met with twelve other individuals that seem to be recruits just like you judging from the look in their faces and their lack of a set uniform. There is one in particular that seems to be rather enthusiastic about the situation, seeming to be in a conversation with another "Well I sure as hell didn't join the military for the pay! I wanted to serve my country, and now I have the chance to serve all of humanity. I don't see a more important job than that." His visible youth leaked into his tone, a sort of stubborn pride in that last statement. He appeared to be a half american, half koren if anything could be obtained from physical features.

The soldier came in behind you and walked towards the back of the craft, where a door seperated the cargo hold from the cockpit "The last recruit is on board." He spoke as he lifted his finger to an earpiece in his right ear. It was then that a voice came over the speakers above "Roger, beginning startup sequence. Everyone take a seat and strap in. We'll be lifting off in a few moments." The roar of the outside engines coming to life was muffled by the craft's wall.

Nian Zhen, Medic of the Red Dragons

Nian Zhen solemnly listened to Lt. Kyo Jin-Hwan, still standing at attention.

"Sir, no questions here, sir!" She said, her chipper, slightly accented, but overflowing with earnest voice called out once again. Once he finished, she relaxed only slightly, glancing around the barracks and spotting her bed. She nodded to herself, satisfied.

With no further questions, she turned to examine her bed, poking it, making sure the sheets were nice a folded, fluffing out the pillow. Reyes appeared, slightly startling her.

"So you're our medic then?" He pointed to the red cross clearly visible on her uniform. His voice, she inferred, could be very intimidating if he wanted too- it kinda was even if he wasn't trying to be.

"Yes, I am!" She affirmed him proudly, nodding rapidly and smiling. The insignia of the red plus sewn into her uniform above her left breast was an honor, the fact that next to it was the motto and XCOM coat of arms was a source of immense pride for the young soldier.

"I got to say it is a relief knowing there will be someone down there to patch us up," Reyes continued, smiling. "Though no offense, I hope we don't need it."

Nian Zhen was once again solemn, ignoring his chuckle and nodding seriously, her face straightening out. "Yes, Reyes, I hope you don't need it either." She said, her eyes somewhat glazing over as she remembered previous experience as a combat medic. She blinked and looked at him in the eyes and her expression grew lighter again.

"But, if you do get hurt, you should not worry. I think I am very good, " She continued.

"What do you do, Reyes? You look big and strong- heavy weapons, maybe?" Her small, bright eyes scanned his chest and shoulders for an insignia or mention of rank.

It had been a long flight to Tokyo, but after flying through pitch darkness for the past several hours, the plane that Kira Lawson had boarded finally landed on solid ground. As she disembarked, she noted a couple of military aircraft out in the distance. The first one she caught sight of looked to be a jet fighter of sorts. There were a few alterations to its structure here and there compared to those that she'd worked with before, but it didn't exactly strike her as jaw-dropping. However, the larger of the two aircraft was what caught Kira's eye. Its windows were tinted black, and as she came around the back to get a proper look at it, she noticed that the door was wide open, with a mass of personnel already inside. A male soldier stood just outside the door was, as if he was expecting Kira to arrive this whole time.

"We've been waiting for you, Miss Lawson," the man stated, "Please proceed onto the Skyranger with the others."

"You mean this thing, sir?" Kira asked the man, before turning to look at the aircraft again, giving it one last size up and down, '"Skyranger", eh?'

With that, she stepped inside and took one of the last two seats, strapping herself in the moment she parked her tush down. She'd only just finished ensuring she was actually secure and nothing was too tight on her when she overheard someone talking.

"Well I sure as hell didn't join the military for the pay! I wanted to serve my country, and now I have the chance to serve all of humanity. I don't see a more important job than that."

That was the same exact tone that Kira's fiance, Reece Baxter, always had to him. Sure, he was cocky as all hell, but he had a great aura of pride about him; and that was what Kira missed most about him. Her thoughts then drifted to her son, and then her three daughters. A single tear rolled down from Kira's right eye at a snail's pace, as she pulled out a cigarette box from one pocket and flipped it open. There were only a few cigarettes left, one of which protruded out from the corner of the box in a tempting manner.

Kira's nicotine addiction was starting to torment her at this point, and knowing exactly where her lighter was with its ease of access wasn't helping. But, using her better judgment, she flipped the box back closed and pocketed it again as the Skyranger's engines roared to life. There was a time and a place to light up a cigarette, and she had a feeling this was far from that time or that place.

"Tell me something, sir," Kira asked the first man, as the Skyranger was preparing to ascend, "How did your people come to know of me? And furthermore, what do you know of me?"

Trevor Hickory walked briskly to his locker and opened it with a relieved sigh. He loved seeing nothing but the necessities for life. His locker had only the XCOM related equipment. He was a minimalist and had decided to start this journey with only the items XCOM found prudent to delegate. "If they don't think I'll need more," he thought, "I probably won't need more." The only thing he had of his own was a black leather strap around his wrist with his name engraved on it; the only possession he owned from Tania. He thumbed the band absentmindedly as he thought back to that day she was murdered. "You'll pay." he said under his breath. "You'll all pay."

He was broken out of his reverie by the man Cyril. "You've never been in the military?" Cyril asked. Trevor looked at him as Cyril put something in his locker. Cyril. It was hard to read the man after just meeting him, but ultimately Trevor saw him as a good man. "This is a good start to my team." he thought as he shook his head in answer to Cyril's question.

"What did you do to get XCOM's attention?" cyril asked. Trevor looked at his locker again before answering.

"I have prior personal experience with the monsters." He answered. "And I have extensive stealth and tactical experience." He looked at Cyril again. "Apparently that experience was adequate enough to make me a Ranger now. What part do you play?"

---

Hearing her squad leader say he was blessed with a great squad made Nadezhda grin quite pleased to her new squad leader was not an ass and thought she’d be able to get along well with the man. Which pleased her greatly nothing worse than dealing with a commanding officer who had was not pleasant to be around especially since there was no way to really get away from them.

Being told to take the time to unpack Nadezhda nodded pleased she could set her bag down and unpack her things. Not that Nadezhda had a lot to unpack the woman preferring to travel light. Nadezhda going to her locker seeing it was next to the other Australian, making her feel a little happy.

As the man spoke to her Nadezhda gave a little laugh. Looking over at man seeing the picture.
“It is a little funny. I’ll make build you some fun stuff to blow up. But it seems X-COM know quality work.” she spoke opening her bag and slowly started to unpack its contents.
“Soooo, whos the other guy?” she asked glancing over at Donovan.
“He looks like a nice guy.” she added pulling out a baseball cap with the Royal Australian Engineers logo on it Inside had the names of her old squad. Putting on she felt a little bit more content wearing the parting gift her old squad had given to her. So she’d remember them given they like a family to her. Nadezhda reminding herself to always take it off before deploying.

Joe liked these people, he decided. He had been chatting with everyone (well, mostly everyone, Amiya was still acting a bit anti-social), and had got to know a little bit about each of them. He stopped talking as Bradley began his speech. He listened, taking note of the beds and the lockers, making a mental note to drop his bag off, and eventually change out of his civilian clothes. He was a soldier, now, after all. He looked to the monitor that said 'On Standby'. It was certainly different from his time in the army, where they were usually informed of a mission by an officer walking into the barracks and yelling at them to go to a briefing.

Taking his duffle bag to his locker, he looked to Kathryn as she asked him a question. "Good Lord, I hope not." He chuckled. "I just showed up here. I'd at least like a day to get settled, maybe hit the firing range." It had been something he had wanted to do. While he owned several firearms at home, and went out to the range at least once a week, it had been a very long time since he had to use a weapon in a combat situation. While he would miss his cushy desk job at the NYPD, he was a soldier, first and foremost. If he had to fight to protect humanity from the aliens, he would fight. And he'd rather be prepared going into said fight. After all, he didn't know what kinds of weapons XCOM used, although he guessed they wouldn't be that different from what he was used to.

Unless they had ray guns or something. Then, he'd have to learn a few new things.

Standing in front of his new team lead at ease, Cole looked thoughtfully blank. He kept eye contact, but it was as if he barely saw the woman in front of him. His posture showed that he was serious and fully attentive, so it wasn't as if he was being rude, he just had one of those looks in his eyes that showed neutrality. She briefly covered his record, it was obvious that they probably new about all of his classified work by the way she was talking about it, and that wasn't surprising given the resources he had seen so far. When she finally asked him a question that she wanted answered he immediately answered showing his attentiveness.

"Ma'am, what I know is that the enemy is an invasive, intelligent, and organized group. They have advanced weaponry, good amount of numbers, with military tactics of some degree, and many unknown variables that should be expected to throw our plans in disarray most likely. However I also know that they can be killed. If they can be killed then there is a way to win." While he had a French accent to a degree, you could still here his accent from home as well. He had a mix from the two places he lived since he'd only been away from the states for a little over half a decade now.

Commander Anderson held a data-pad in front of him, looking over the influx of recruits into each XCOM base. A week since the Battle of Berlin and not a single glimpse of a UFO on their satellites. For more reasons that he could list this troubled him deeply. A week of little contact with the aliens has allowed them to nearly fully staff their bases and prepare counter-measures. Why issue such a blatant declaration of war then allow the defenders to fortify?

The voice of Bradford broke up his thoughts "Commander, you need to see this." A urgency in Bradford's voice inspired the Commander to put down the data-pad and turn his attention to the GeoScape where the sight made his eyes widen "Multiple UFOs contacts have appeared coming through the atmosphere scattered across the planet." Anderson admired the professional way Bradford spoke when during these tense moments "What are we looking at Betty." He ordered, eyes watching as several red UFO-shaped objects moved across the GeoScape. A holographic image of one of the UFOs replaced the GeoScape momentarily "The majority of the UFOs do not match the signature of the one that attacked Berlin and are of a much smaller design. Their projected flight patterns suggest they are moving to civilian targets, likely to deploy more of the pods we saw in Berlin." A female, electronic voice came over the command center. Once she had finished speaking, the GeoScape returned to a global map and the red blip gone, their last locations over civilian centers just like Betty had predicted.

Anderson's eyes narrowed "Bradford, I want every base on alert now. Tell them to get their teams suited up and ready to go ASAP." He ordered with absolute authority, hands turning into tightly clenched fists "Roger, Sir. I'll relay the message to the other bases at once." Bradford dutifully replied. No matter what the Aliens' were planning, he would not allow another death toll like at Berlin. He sent a piercing gaze up at the GeoScape "Just you wait you alien bastards...we're coming for you." He muttered quietly under his breath.



@Jangel13
You and the rest of the Swift Vipers had just managed to unpack the last of your things, when the monitor that Nico had been looking at suddenly changed. A large information panel replaced the previous long list of squad names that was on the previous screen. This changed had only just occurred when a deep, robotic, male voice flooded the room from a speaker in the ceiling "Swift Vipers, report to the Hanger for deployment. Your briefing will be received en route to the mission location." As quickly as it came, the voice faded away leaving behind a feeling of tension and excitement in the barracks.

Nico took one last look at the monitor and turned to face the squad "Get suited up quickly. Once your armor is on, report directly to the armory for your weapon and equipment then proceed to the landing pad in the hangar. Got it? Now move!" He spoke quickly but fluently, then walked to his own locker and started putting on his armor "First day, first mission. My hands are tingling already...How about you Angelo?" Allen asked as he started putting the pieces of his standard-issued XCOM armor on. The rest of the team was doing the same, wasting little time on anything else.

@Zoey White
Reyes face brightened up a little at Nian's enthusiasm, his smile twisting in to a half-grin. It wasn't long before that faded along with the more serious tone of her voice. A look instead appearing that hinted he may have regretted his attempt at a joke. Once Nian seemed to perk up again, this look left his face and his friendly expression returned "That's music to my ears." He replied lightly at Nian's claim of excellence. A patch, in the same spot where Nian had her signature red cross, was sewn on his fatigues. The design featured a double-side long-sword with wings coming out from both sides "Not quite, I'm a ranger actually. Once I get in close, there's no stopping me!" He let out a loose, soft chuckle.

@Evil Snowman
Donovan laughed at her gracious offer "Don't start sweet talking me already." He replied teasingly before the conversation moved on to the other guy in his picture. A small smile broke out on his face as he held the photo up to the inside of the locker and pinned it with a magnet "My older brother and best mate in the whole world. I suppose I have him to thank for getting me here. This picture was actually taken when I just special forces training." He turned to look at you "Before you ask, He hasn't kicked the bucket just yet. After he got wounded in Afghanistan, he got sent home and should be working on the family farm right now." His eyes looked over the cap you currently held "He always said 'Soldiers got two families: The one they are born with, and the ones they fight alongside.'. Not much a poet I know." He grinned.

@Evil Snowman@Zoey White

A banner began to flash on the monitor, flashing red, that said 'Red Dragons, prepare for combat and report to the hangar immediately' . This was quickly followed by an overhead voice of a indiscriminate Asian female, a distortion in her otherwise lovely tone "Attention Red Dragons. A UFO was observed moments ago dropping off troops and abduction pods in Sydney, Australia. Retreive your weapons and equipment and proceed to the Hangar as soon as possible. Further briefing will be given on the flight there." The voice cut off and Lt. Ji-Hwan looked at his squad "Any more unpacking can wait. Equip your armor and head straight for the Armory. I'll be waiting at the Sky-ranger for you all." A small bow of his head and he exited the barracks in the direction of the armory.

@HachiRoku

The small amount of alochol was downed by the newly minted squad, the glasses placed back onto the coffee table. It seemed to be more part of a ritual than any form of actual drinking, perhaps the squad leader's way of honoring their first meeting as a team. Introductions however did not last very long "I hope we have a long service together as we-" Zhu Yun was in the middle of saying when the screen on the monitor changed in a instant. One thing was very clear from its display: they were no longer on standby.

A voice filled space of the barracks, seeming to come from every direction "Black cobras you are to ready up and proceed to the Skyranger waiting on the hangar immediately for your first mission. There is no time to waste." The electronic distortion of its voice was enough to deduce this was the base's A.I., simply named 'Kami', and its tone leaned neither towards male or female.

The relaxed expression on the squad leader's face faded as he quickly stood up "I'm going to kill the aliens if its only to share a stiff drink once in awhile. Alright Cobras, put your armor on and head straight for the armory." He lamented as he did the same, taking out his armor "You ever kill an alien?" Ichihara asked dead-serious as she slipped the torso piece on, simply looking forward into the metal depths of the locker.

@AdmrlStalfos19

The roar of the Skyranger's engines continued to increase until at last you could feel extra weight being pressed down on your shoulders as it began its vertical take-off. A patch on the side of the solider's shoulder-pad indicated he was a sergeant, at least within XCOM "Anytime someone comes in contact with the aliens, we find out one way or the other. I only know the basics of your background, Miss Lawson, but I can assure you that XCOM command knows everything. They are very thorough with their recruitment process." He replied in a professional manner.

The weight that was on your shoulders shifted to your waist as the Skyranger launched forward "...I lost him to cancer three years ago. The last thing he told me was 'If you ever get lost in the dark, find even the smallest light and chase it. Do that, and the world will never seem bleak.'" The man from before spoke again to the female recruit sitting next to him. Despite the heaviness of the subject, he didn't drop his smile. "I don't think I'll ever be able chase it so fearlessly like he did, but I've done my best so far."

A red warning light suddenly turned on inside the craft "Two UFO signatures on approach vector!" The voice of the pilot came over the speaker. The craft shook heavily as something slammed into the side, the lights flickering off and on "Dammit!" A loud curse following the hit. A different voice came over the speaker "Viper-1, fox two. Take it you bastards." It was presumably the voice of their fighter escort. A large explosion shook the entire craft, the sound wave piercing though the insulated walls "Enemy down. Moving to-" He was in the process of saying when "Shit! How the hell did it-" A second, different sounding explosion erupted outside the Skyranger followed by static.

Worry began to show in a few of the recruits faces, perhaps wondering if there service in XCOM was going to end right here and now "Stay calm everyone! Everything is goin-" The Skyranger violently rocked as a explosion erupted very close, sounding like its engine, and suddenly felt as though it was losing altitude as a immense heat could be felt coming from the cockpit. It took only a few moments before the Skyranger fell out of the sky and crashed into rice field in western China. As if by a miracle, the craft leveled out preventing a nose-dive into the marshy ground. Just as quickly as it had started, they had stopped moving. Miraculously, no one in the craft's hold seemed to be mortally injured.

@thedman

Kathryn smiled and laughed along with you as she pulled a few pieces of videogame memorabilia out of her bag and decorated the inside of her locker with it "I hear that, hopefully the aliens will oblige us for just today." While clearly sarcastic, the joke took a different turn when the Monitor no longer displayed 'On-Standby' for the Iron Talons. Instead 'Prepare for Depoylment' in red replaced those words, the screen changing to display their squad name at the top. Underneath laid information about the deployment zone and supporting squads "So much for that..." She said, feeling like she had just jinxed them.

A voice followed quickly after the monitor changed "Iron Talons. A UFO was detected off the shore of Florida. Intel suggests it has attacked a cruise liner heading for Europe. Gear up and head directly to the landing pad, additional briefing will be given en-route" The voice you remembered from the orientation. The base A.I. appropriately called Liberty. Bradley pulled open his locker, and began putting on his combat armor "Well you heard the lady, get suited up and head on to the armory for your weapon and equipment." He simply said.

Patrick shook his head with a disbelieving smile "No rest for the wicked.." He said audibly but soft like a whisper. Soon the entire squad was suiting up in their armor, Joe's armor was had more plating than the others whereas Patrick's seemed to be a stripped down version of it. Kahele had just finished putting his torso piece on when he look around to everyone "We watch each other's backs we'll come back in no time. Then we get to see how well they stocked the base's bar, eh?" A wicked smile came on his face at the last sentence. While it was against the rules to be intoxicated, that mainly referred to getting drunk like a freshmen party girl.

@McSamsonite

Cyril nodded "Seems like a perfect match then." He stopped his questioning right there, not deciding to pry any further "My role in the squad is Assault. Suites me just fine getting up an close with those freaks." A sliver of anger slipped into the last word. The last of Cyril's possessions were put in the locker, it seemed he didn't bring a whole lot with him "Let's bring the hurt down on them, yeah?"

Soon after you answered him, the monitor was no longer showing the list of all active XCOM squads. It shift to a large information panel about the Hell Hounds specifically, including the new status: Prepare to Deploy highlighted in red. Major Holzer was quick to see this and wasted no time "It looks like its time for battle! Get your armor on and we'll head straight for the armory! Let's move!" She hounded before moving towards her locker. The A.I. voice washed over the room "Hell Hounds. You are to-" It had began to say before Holzer yelled out "Late again Arthur. We're already moving." while pulling the torso piece over her right shoulder "A pleasure as always, Maj. Holzer." With that it was gone.

@Ciphra

Mauss simply stood still as you replied, staring at you directly in the eyes. Once you gave your answer, she appeared to contemplate for a few moments not breaking her gaze "I'm impressed with your answer, Duponte. I see too many recruits come in thinking that we'll be able to make them invincible against the alien threat." Her voice did not shift from the tough, neutral tone it currently had. His answer made her question however what it was exactly he had seen of the alien. "That is all I needed to hear. Make yourself at home, who knows how long..." She began to pace a little around the barracks couch when she saw the monitor change, from the yellow indicator that meant 'On-Standby' to the red one that alerted them that they were about to be deployed.

She turned her head back to Cole "Looks like I'll get to see you in action sooner than I thought." From all around the inside of the barracks came a voice "It appears as though not all of the Grim Crows are present. Cpt. Helene Mauss, assemble your team and prepare for take-off." The male voice was brisk and proper, though one could get a touch of rudeness from it "I'm aware, Arthur." A slight of irritation was in her response. "Your locker is over there. Get your armor on and follow me to the armory. The rest of the team will catch us on the Skyranger." Mauss walked over to her own locker and began suiting up, the armor of the crows however was not the same tan as the newer squad. The black color was a testament to the veterancy of the squad, one that Cole too would be donning.

@Ithradine

Angelo had stayed silent and simply listened to his squad leaders order to go and get himself set up. He got up from the couch and went to the bunk in the far corner away from the door and set himself up. He did wish he could drink more but one glass at a bar here would have to be enough. Then he noticed that something was happening so he went to the screen and it turned out they were being deployed. When he was ordered to suit up he didn't hesitate and he went to his locker grabbing his gear and strapping it on making sure it was secure. When Allen asked about his tingling hands he shook his head and said "nope, my hands are steady. I just want the target practice" he said cooly as he got ready. Once he was set he went with the others and grabbed his sniper rifle from the armory. He made sure that it was in full functioning order once he did that he cut his thumb with his combat knife and he pressed his bloody fingerprint on the stock adding his personal touch. He then got into the skyranger and waited to be briefed with everyone else.

Nian Zhen, Medic of the Red Dragons

Nian Zhen made am impressed face at Reyes' statement. "Up close? Sounds dangerous. I think-" Before she could continue, a warning was initiated. Sydney, Australia was under attack. It was time to move. Nian Zhen's face grew serious again.

"The time has come, Reyes." She said, squinting towards the speaker.

"Tiāndì jiān bùpà." She glanced at him briefly again with a determined look, before sprinting, her feet pounding the steel floor at quick intervals, to retrieve her gear at the armory. Her breathe began to quicken as she followed the labelled path to the armory, where she found the weapons locker labelled 'Nian Zhen'.

She flung it open, to find the pieces of kevlar and reinforced padding that went over her fatigues, as well as her weapons and most importantly, her medi-kit. Clipping her knee protection was easy. Then, she slipped into her body vest, which she reached behind her back to finish clipping in herself. Then, she attached the shoulder pads and fore-arm pads. Finally, she tilted her head back to make it easier to connect the chin-straps of her basic helmet. She had nothing covering her face, but if any blunt objects fell on her she would be more protected, and this way she had full vision to work.

Now, she wrapped the pistol holster around her left thigh, and the medpack holster around her right thigh. Her assault rifle was also waiting for her, and she attatched a few magazines to her belt and made sure the safety was on. Her heart fluttered from nervousness, but she steeled herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breathe.

"Tiāndì jiān bùpà..." The young medic murmered the mantra in her mother tongue quietly to herself a few times. Upon opening her eyes again, she found herself calmed. Physically and mentally prepared, she quickly jogged to the hanger, holding her rifle pointing downward. In the empty space she stood at attention once again for orders from her Lieutenant.

Joe smiled as he talked to Kathryn, putting away his duffle bag containing the essentials that he had managed to bring in time. There was a lot of things he still had to do, he thought. First, he had to learn the base's layout. Then, he'd have to spend some time on the range. Or maybe get a snack. Wonder if the food is any good here, he thought to himself. Although, knowing military food, he didn't have high expectations. Or, who knows, maybe they'd surprise him.

His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Kathryn turn to the monitor, and as he watched it go from 'On-Standby' to 'Prepare for Deployment'. "Ah, hell..." He let out a very deep sigh. Of course, they would have a mission on his first day. Of course. He stayed quiet as the AI spoke, taking in the information. A cruise ship, eh? Well, guess we're Marines now. Chuckling to his own little joke, he walked off to get suited up.

His armor was thicker than the others, which was to be expected. He'd always been the big guy of the squad. As he put it on, he could feel a strong sense of nostalgia. Been a while, hasn't it? Shaking his head, he looked up to the rest of the squad. "Well, I hope you're right. Anyways, let's stick together, and get this mission done. There's a Yankees game on later tonight, and if the aliens make me miss it, i'm going to find their leader and personally shove my foot up his slimy alien ass."

Trevor gave a grim nod at the word "freaks". He looked at Cyril as he said "Let's bring the hurt down on them, yeah?" Trevor looked into his eyes and nodded again, a little more sternly. "You can bet on it." He said just above a whisper. They look into each others' eyes and Trevor knew right then that Cyril felt exactly as he did about the alien invasion, and when push came to shove, Trevor could count on this man to have his back. A little of the tension Trevor felt eased off his shoulders. "I wouldn't mind getting a little close and personal, myself." Trevor said with a smirk. "Mind if I join you?" He asked as he pulled a full length sword out of his locker with a grin. Trevor shifted his attention back to his locker. Might as well test my armor to make sure it fits right, he thought...

He didn't even have time to reach into his locker to put his sword away before he heard Major Holzer yell "It looks like it's time for battle!" His head snapped up to look at her and he immediately saw the monitor that had changed to their new status. "Get your armor on and we'll head straight for the armory!" The Major continued. Trevor hastily put his sword in his locker and grabbed his armor. "Let's move!" He thought she had yelled the last words at him, so he yanked his armor free and threw it on without a second thought. Luckily, he only had a light breastplate with shoulder pads and leather helmet, which he thought looked more like a cap. He slipped it on easily and spared a glance at Cyril to see if he needed help donning his armor. He knew the assault armor could be similar to donning the armor of medieval knight. After making sure Cyril was ready, he would run to the armory.

Kira was the first to recover from the Skyranger's sudden crash landing, and raced to unstrap herself. She grabbed the biggest gun she could find, and kicked the door open before charging out in the open for a good 15 meters or so. It was far away enough so that she could get a proper gauge on her surroundings, but still close enough that she could always double back to the Skyranger if she ever needed to.

Her first instinct was to try and track down whatever it was that managed to blast the Skyranger out of the sky, and with that, Kira aimed her gun in the air and peered through the scope to see if she could see anything. There looked to be nothing there for the moment. However, there was still the possibility that the aliens would've landed their craft a safe distance away, so that they could dispatch some ground troops to "clean up" any survivors. And while these rice stalks would've be annoying to navigate through, they'd provide the perfect cover for them.

Deciding to cash in on that double back, Kira rushed back to the Skyranger, intending to scavenge something that she could use to cut the rice stalks down. It was here that she noticed that everyone else had shown signs of movement.

"Is everyone OK?" asked Kira, figuring that was the most respectable question to ask first. Then she'd ask for a machete or something.