Vox Talla For Ten
Commander’s Note:
War of the Chosen review here.
Let’s play part 1 here.
Let’s play part 2 here.
Let’s play part 3 here.
July 2035 (early)
The proof that the Elders and their Chosen lackeys may be powerful but are definitely not invincible have been a prize for XCOM resistance radio. Ever since the Assassin’s death, we’ve been hearing radio chatter of anti-ADVENT violence in the gleaming city streets. Even more amazing are the rumors that ADVENT troops are shaking off their mental conditioning and trying to make contact with the Skirmishers and other resistance groups.
We’re here to say that these are not rumors.
In one covert operation to extract an ADVENT surgeon (we heard he had worked with Dr Vahlen), we were planning to infiltrate over the roof of the Gene-therapy clinic where the doctor was working. Imagine our confusion when firebrand was signalled down to a neighbouring building. By an ADVENT lancer, no less.
While we still can’t understand ADVENT speech (Ad speak, the troopers call it. All noise, no content), she had actually managed to learn English. She told us that our planned insertion point had already been compromised.
Wil, the Reaper associate who has been swapping ninja-spy tips with Russ, went over to confirm the intel. It was legit. All patrols had been diverted and the roof of the clinic was swarming with Xenos, including the Viper King (the Elders had sent him in to clean up after the Assassin). In comparison, the streets were only patrolled by a small group of ADVENT. It helps to have friends in low places.
We heeded the lancer’s advice and took to the streets. The ADVENT patrol was summarily eliminated, and Russ snuck in to the clinic while the rest of the team took in supporting positions closer to the extraction point.
ADVENT caught on to what was going on, but it was too late. They dropped in reinforcement over us but were summarily cut down. Russ demonstrated why he got his Solitaire call sign by getting in and out of the clinic with the surgeon without alerting the patrols above him. We managed to exfiltrate without even seeing the Viper King (well, Wil did).
The trooper even managed to evac with us, requesting to join our team. It was a very strange, packed ride home, with an ADVENT surgeon and an ADVENT trooper in tow. Still, the trooper gave us good intel, and after a debrief to make sure she’s not a triple agent and some basic Skirmisher training, she should be free to join the ranks.
She tells us her nickname is demon. This is gonna end well.
July 2035 (late)
Gorramit. I swear ADVENT makes it a point to target the Skirmishers and ADVENT XCOM troopers first. It’s almost like they want to snuff out any possibility of rebellion from their own ranks.
Demon dropped in to the next covert op with us, this time into the abandoned sewers. She also had info that another ADVENT defector was there and ready to join our cause. When we arrived, the new trooper informed us that we had a limited window to destroy a key ADVENT transmitter, but that it was heavily protected.
We made the decision to try for it anyway, and I regret that decision.
When crossing an exposed walkway, The ADVENT trooper and Demon were spotted by several ADVENT troops, including a MEC and a Codex. They both provided covering fire for the rest of the team to catch up. Unfortunately, both were cut down by grenades and enemy fire.
Wil (the Reaper) took an alternate route to the transmitter to see if blowing it up was still a viable strategy. He opened the door… To find a the Viper King and his lackeys.
Fuck.
I yelled at the fire team to withdraw. We were already down one man (two if you count the ADVENT defector), and I didn’t want a rehash of Operation Diamond Giant. Ol’ One Eye and Pratal Mox had at least taught me that much.
We cleared the enemies who had LOS to us and then GTFO’ed. We might not have destroyed the transmitter, but we got out of there alive. I call that a win. I only wish I had made the call before we lost valuable men.
The month has been loaded with other lows. On another covert mission, the Warlock decided to perform a reprisal for the death of his sister by kidnapping our Templar Wes. I’ve been sending our men out to find as much as possible ever since. No information has surfaced yet, but I hope we’ll find out where Wes is kept soon. We owe him that much.
Commander’s Note:
For some reason right after the Chosen Assassin died, The ‘double agent’ resistance card became super useful. It procced twice in two missions, and I actually managed to EVAC the double agent the first time. Because I did have a ‘nameless’ Skirmisher on hand, I decided to write in that the first double agent decided to stay as an XCOM member.
Also, I just procced the Viper King in the Alien Facility mission just before the Assassin Chosen, so it makes sense (narratively) that he’s sent to replace the Assassin.
I also don’t like that you can’t take photos with the ‘free’ double agent troops.
