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[Moonlight]

RECOVERED: 2 x Sectoid Corpses, 5 x Drone Wrecks, 12 x Elerium, 16 x Alien Alloys, 8 x Weapon Fragments, 18 x MELD, 1 x UFO Flight Computer, 1 x UFO Flight Computer (Damaged), 1 x UFO Power Source (Damaged)

KILLS/MISSION BOARD – STRIKE TEAM OMEGA
Moonlight: 7 | 2 (+3)
Decoyplatypus: 2 | 4 (+1)
Bassforever: 2 | 1 (+2)
Feonix: 1 | 2 (-)
Grexeno: 0 | 1 (-)

HK-47: 2 | 1 (+2)

NB: LCLP Moonlight has been assigned to Contact Team Alpha.

Haha, finally hit the big leagues.

Seriously though, hope these cans keep gunning for the X-rays and keep away from our jobs. Fuckers keep trucking. Getting dismissed 'cause Skynet figured out the square root of 'toid murder would kinda suck.

 

[decoyplatypus]

I love that I'm talking shit to the rookies and robot (may he tank forever) when I've got to be one of the least deadly soldiers in XCOM.

 

[Doczu]

Man, you're just racist.

I'm not racist! Some of my best gadgets are electronic.

I love that I'm talking shit to the rookies and robot (may he tank forever) when I've got to be one of the least deadly soldiers in XCOM.

It's all about character

 

[Jintor]

CLASSIFIED TOP SECRET
//ENGAGEMENT REPORT 007 – UFO_007//
14 April 2016

XCOM SECURE CHANNEL - AUDIO TRANSCRIPT EXCERPT

DirOps: I’m here, McNum. What’s the situation?
Central: Something’s inbound for the West Coast, sir.
DirOps: Size?
Central: Larger than small, smaller than large.
DirOps: …so… medium.
Central: ...um… I guess?

DirOps: Who’s in the air?
Central: Appiah and Hekk are in the shop, but everyone else is inbound as we speak.
DirOps: Clear Beagle to engage. Standard first-encounter profile; PB and Joey on backup.
Central: Right. Let’s do this. Raven-4, do you copy?
Beagle: [unintelligible Australian whooping]

Comms: Raven-4 has engaged the target… missiles away.
Beagle: [unintelligible Australian swearing]
Comms: Two hits – they're trading fire – pull out, Raven-4, pull out!
Beagle: [unintelligible Australian swearing]

Comms: Sir, the craft is speeding up.
DirOps: We laid some good hits in…
PBAlfredo: Joey and I can take it, sir. They didn't annihilate Beagle in one strike, so...
Beagle: [unintelligible Australian tones of agreement]
GoodCoffeeJoey: Yeah, exactly!
DirOps: You’re cleared to engage, Raven-1, Raven-5. Raven-4, RTB.
PBAlfredo: Huuu-ey! Let’s blast this sucker out of the skies!

 

[PBalfredo]

[Audible music being played on contraband cassette player in RAVEN-1's cockpit]

 

[Jintor]

<--timestamp advance +4 minutes-->

PBAlfredo: Re-engaging&#8230; let&#8217;s see you eat missile, you oversized Frisbee!
GoodCoffeeJoey: Coming in hot! Locked on&#8230; missiles away!
PBAlfredo: Fox one&#8230; Fox one&#8230;
GoodCoffeeJoey: Copy that &#8211;
PBalfredo: Taking heavy fire!

PBalfredo: Engine one&#8217;s gone&#8230; breaking &#8211; good hunting, Joey.

GoodCoffeeJoey: Acknowledged, Raven-Lead &#8211; contact is pinwheeling &#8211; speed 45, looping- engagement range re-established!
Beagle: [unintelligible Australian cheering]
GoodCoffeeJoey: Fox one&#8230; contact! &#8211; I&#8217;m hit!
PBalfredo: Good kill! Splash one.
Central: Good kill, good kill Raven-5. Instruments reporting status nominal.
GoodCoffeeJoey: Yeah, just a glancing blow. RTB?
Central: Confirmed, Joey, RTB. Congratulations on your first kill.

GoodCoffeeJoey: Just a pity there&#8217;s no crash site to pick over.
Central: We&#8217;ll take the victories we can get, Raven-5. Central out.

---

XCOM PILOT KILLBOARD
PBAlfredo: 2 [2 x scout]
_Hekk05: 2 [2 x scout]
GoodCoffeeJoey: 1 [1 x medium]
Appiah: 1 [1 x fighter]

 

[AbsolutBro]

Love let's plays of this game!

!Signup

 

[Jintor]

CLASSIFIED RF4_CETA_FOXTROT // INTERNAL MEMORANDUM >> COMMAND LEVEL MEETING 02 SUMMARY //
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS >> ALL

We’ve made major strides over the past two weeks, with the intact capture of UFO-004 (“Abductor” Class Vessel) bringing in a slew of new materials and tech for our Science Team to investigate. However, most of our more promising results have not come from miracle discoveries prompted by these new technologies, but from our more traditional research avenues.

Portable focused laser array research has proven particularly fruitful, with Dr. Bovington’s team showing off a slew of jury-rigged prototypes enabled by the heat-resilient properties of the recovered alien alloys. Iterations on these weapons are anticipated to become the next standard line of weaponry for our Contact Teams in the near future.

With much of our current budget being poured into base construction, we are currently only able to afford to begin fabrication of field-ready versions of [2 x Laser Rifles] and [1 x Gatling Laser] at this juncture. The current deficit of qualified Engineers is also causing problems with our supply chain; they’re going to be a little while coming, so don’t stop your ballistics training just yet.

Speaking of construction, the Officer Training School on LVL-1 is feature-complete and is currently coming online, with additional Workshop and Laboratory spaces anticipated to begin operation in slightly over a week.

Although the Committee is currently reviewing the relevant transcripts and mission records to determine XCOM’s first promotions to Lieutenants, they have authorised a variety of upgrades to BELIEVE-1 in anticipation of larger squad deployments. Bandwidth, decryption and processing improvements will allow us to field one additional trooper per Contact Team with no loss of sensory data.

Field-testing of the HK-47 SHIV is on-going, but results have proven acceptable in the short term. Based on data received, recommended usage of SHIVs is as fast, expendable scouts or MELD collectors (following further biometrics spoof testing), or as a stop-gap measure to avoid fatiguing an entire Contact Team.

Analytics has nothing confirmed to report regarding the observed pattern of alien operations at this time.

--- END COMMUNICATION ---

 

[Baalzebup]

One more battle-buddy on the field and limited access to frickin' laser beam weaponry! Talk about improving the odds. Can't wait to get my hands on one of those puppies and start carving my initials on invader foreheads.

 

[_hekk05]

So err, Science Team. Any idea if you can jury rig one of those plasma cannons scavenged from that large UFO onto a skyranger?

You know, so I can set off more fireworks.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Command, requesting deployment on the first op available when the new weapons roll out? I was snooping around Engineering and I saw some of the specs, I need to test those bad boys out ASAP.

Feeling a mighty need to FIRE MAH LASER.

 

[Doczu]

Science Team, is there any progress regarding laser sniper rifles?

 

[Jintor]

So err, Science Team. Any idea if you can jury rig one of those plasma cannons scavenged from that large UFO onto a skyranger?

You know, so I can set off more fireworks.

Firstly, welcome back to service, pilot; it's been a less... interesting place without you around.

Unfortunately, reverse-engineering alien plasma technology is beyond our capabilities at this juncture, much less strapping it to a modified prototype VTOL transport running the world's most sophisticated data sensor array without seriously compromising weight and energy output standards. We'll let you know if there are any developments on armaments for our Interceptor fleet, however.

Command, requesting deployment on the first op available when the new weapons roll out? I was snooping around Engineering and I saw some of the specs, I need to test those bad boys out ASAP.

Feeling a mighty need to FIRE MAH LASER.

We'll see what we can do, soldier, although you should note that as an Assault-class trooper you'll probably be restricted to ballistic shotguns even when Laser technology becomes field-ready. The amount of power needed to fire a spread of light capable of acting at the same capacity as a shotgun blast is somewhat prohibitive right now, at least in something hand-held.

Science Team, is there any progress regarding laser sniper rifles?

Dr. Bovington's team has some theories regarding ways to retain thermal energy over longer distances without dissipation in an accurate and effective manner, but it's currently taking tertiary priority. Immediate research assets are going into further alloy research in an attempt to improve our current armour loadouts.

 

[McNum]

We'll see what we can do, soldier, although you should note that as an Assault-class trooper you'll probably be restricted to ballistic shotguns even when Laser technology becomes field-ready. The amount of power needed to fire a spread of light capable of acting at the same capacity as a shotgun blast is somewhat prohibitive right now.

As an aside, you know your science team is on the right side of the brilliant/mad line when the response to "Can you make a Laser Shotgun?" is "Not yet, but probably." And no, I'm not telling which side of brilliant/mad is the right one, you decide.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Well... I can wait. I can be patient.

Some day... some day.

 

[hooijdonk17]

Dear Science Team.

Them laser cannons, on our birds, now.

Please.

Thanks,
Appiah

 

[Jintor]

Dear Science Team.

Them laser cannons, on our birds, now.

Please.

Thanks,
Appiah

Even with an interceptor's first-in-class

Spoiler

[REDACTED]

power cells in play we don't currently have a good solution to the thermal dissipation issues at ranges of over approximately half a kilometer, making it impractical for aerial combat. As above, we have some theories as to what might make this feasible, but it'll have to wait for the moment.

 

[Doczu]

Dr. Bovington's team has some theories regarding ways to retain thermal energy over longer distances without dissipation in an accurate and effective manner, but it's currently taking tertiary priority. Immediate research assets are going into further alloy research in an attempt to improve our current armour loadouts.

Thank you for the response. Better armor is always welcome.

 

[Feonix]

As soon as you can get one of these babies to fire as fast as my LMG without overheating and exploding in my face, feel free to hand it over to me. Otherwise, I'll be more than happy mowing grays down with good old fashioned lead.

Good work Science Team! Now to get us some heavier armor...

 

[_hekk05]

Firstly, welcome back to service, pilot; it's been a less... interesting place without you around.

Unfortunately, reverse-engineering alien plasma technology is beyond our capabilities at this juncture, much less strapping it to a modified prototype VTOL transport running the world's most sophisticated data sensor array without seriously compromising weight and energy output standards. We'll let you know if there are any developments on armaments for our Interceptor fleet, however.

Its great to be back. Although science has been giving me the evil eye for completely destroying their precious alien wreckages 2 times in a row.

 

[Incendiary]

Okay guys - I know I might be thinking a little outside the box here, but bear with me. What if we put research into...wait for it...laser GRENADES?!

Eh? Eh? Not a bad idea, right? Hey! Where are all of you going??

 

[Feonix]

Okay guys - I know I might be thinking a little outside the box here, but bear with me. What if we put research into...wait for it...laser GRENADES?!

Eh? Eh? Not a bad idea, right? Hey! Where are all of you going??

Why stop there?

Wait... Could we make lightsabers?

 

[hooijdonk17]

Why stop there?

Wait... Could we make lightsabers?

Now you might be onto something here.. If only we could also use Sectoids Mind Tricks we could field proper Jedi.

First dibs on an X-Wing.

 

[Doczu]

Now you might be onto something here.. If only we could also use Sectoids Mind Tricks we could field proper Jedi.

First dibs on an X-Wing.

Fuck X-Wings. I want the xenos to say "That's no moon" when we arrive to thier planet... Hopefully someday.

 

[hooijdonk17]

Fuck X-Wings. I want the xenos to say "That's no moon" when we arrive to thier planet... Hopefully someday.

Let's not forget to assemble the exhaust port covers and we should be golden.

 

[Jintor]

PRIORITY ALERT ONE &#8211; EMERGENCY BRIEFING
ALL CONTACT TEAM PERSONEL PLEASE STAND BY

First we had reports of UFOs bombing civilian infrastructure in Argentinia, and now this.

Team &#8211; an alien terror unit has deployed into Cordoba, Argentina, and is indiscriminately murdering civilians in the streets. We don&#8217;t know why, we don&#8217;t know how. The Argentinian Army has evacuated the surrounding area but is unwilling to move into the AO at present.

We&#8217;ve done some fast talking with the Argentinians and have one chance to deploy a surgical strike before they make moves of their own. Alpha, your orders are to eliminate all hostiles in the AO while rescuing as many civilians as possible. In the event you are unable to secure the objective, the Argentinian military is going to carpet-bomb one of their own cities into the dirt.

This is what you&#8217;ve trained for. This is what you&#8217;re good at. Take no prisoners and save some lives. Central out.

 

[McNum]

The aliens are attacking a city directly? That doesn't seem to fit their usual MO. What could they be up to here... Is this a planned part of their invasion? Is it revenge for us taking down one of their big ships? Or is it a trap... for us?

Truth be told, I'm suspecting this is a trap, they pretty much have us by the numbers. We cannot ignore this, as the commander said, this is what we do. We go in and save civvies from aliens. But assuming we're facing an intelligent opponent, they would know this, too. At least to the point that someone has been messing with their operations for the last one and a half months.

They're calling us out. And we have to respond. Be careful out there, but show no mercy. Show them we're up to their attempt at a challenge!

 

[Baalzebup]

Goddamn E.T is openly gunning the civvies down in a major city? Those fuckers! We need to get some boots on the ground ASAP and light those shitheads up, big time.

E.T needs to die!

 

[Jintor]

CLASSIFIED TOP SECRET
//INCIDENT REPORT_0013//
OPERATION DEMON MOUNTAIN
<<CORDOBA, ARGENTINIA>>
18 April 2016

CONTACT TEAM ALPHA
LCPL Sober (Gunner)
LCPL A Sentient Keyboard (Rocketeer)
SPEC Baalzebup (Infantry)
SPEC Poodlestrike (Assault)
SPEC Deraldin (Engineer)
SPEC Verbatimo (Medic)
SPEC Palehorse (Scout)

--- Audio Transcript Excerpt – CONTACT TEAM ALPHA ---

Sober: Touchdown!
Baalzepub: LZ’s clear, move it, move it!
Deraldin: Confirm clear!
A Sentient Keyboard: Moving.

Sober: That Skyranger stealth-tech is worth its weight in goddamn gold. Sentient, take left roof. one team on the right roof, advance!
A Sentient Keyboard: Deploying battle scanner…

A Sentient Keyboard: We’ve got civvies hiding by that fenced-off lot and…

A Sentient Keyboard: A pack of floaters moving in on their position. Left roof seems clear though.
Sober: Alright. Right team, advance; Left team, prepare to-
Poodlestrike: BUGS, INCOMING!

 

[Jintor]

Deraldin: Shit!
Sober: Wha-

[assault rifle fire]
[shotgun blast]

Baalzebup: Sober, get outta ther- holy shit-

[assault rifle fire]

Poodlestrike: Floaters moving in, too!

[shotgun blast]
[assault rifle fire]

 

[Hazaro]

F

 

[Clevinger]

:O

 

[_hekk05]

Stay frosty folks.

Spoiler

Technically, if jintor has a shotgun near the bugs, he can use him to take out the bug with 4 health, move the guy out, and clear the area with 2 grenades. The only candidate for that is the guy to the upper right of the surrounded guy. Unless, of course, our laser weaponry is used to great effect.

 

[Jintor]

Sober: GET- THOSE- FUCKING- BUGS!

A Sentient Keyboard: Poodle, Baaz, get the fuck out of there! Shredder armed-
Poodlestrike: Running-
Baazlebup: I&#8217;m clear!
A Sentient Keyboard: Going loud!
Deraldin: &#8216;nade following!

[shredder missile launch]
[explosion]

[explosion]

Baazlebup: One left!
Palehorse: Charging-

[assault rifle fire]

[shotgun blast]

[shotgun blast]

Poodlestrike: Took care of mine, too.
Sober: Good work team- but no rest for the wicked.

 

[dkoy]

What a mess....

Or not

Spoiler

since i posted too late

 

[Jintor]

[assault rifle fire]

Verbatimo: This one’s flanking us-
Palehorse: Civvies running for cover!
Sober: We’ll grab ‘em if we have the time! Where’re the floaters?

[assault rifle fire]
[assault rifle fire]

Deraldin: Scratch one.
Palehorse: They’re closing in on the civvies in the fence lot, sir.

Sober: Right… so that’s how they want to play this. Baazlebup, head through building right, see if you can’t surprise them through that door up there or something.

[LMG fire]

Sober: Keeping overwatch…

[ballistic pistol fire]

Poodlestrike: They’re moving up-

[plasma carbine discharge]

Poodlestrike: They’re executing civilians!
Verbatimo: Those sons of bitches!

 

[_hekk05]

Or he could shimmy up a pipe. Climbing ropes in Basic doesn't seem so bad now does it?

 

[Poodlestrike]

Executing civilians, those motherfucking shiteaters! I'm gonna ram my shotty so far up their asses, when I fire, I'll hit daylight!

 

[Jintor]

Baalzebup: I’m being watched-

A Sentient Keyboard: Firing-

[plasma carbine discharge]
[SMG fire]

A Sentient Keyboard: What the fuck was that?!?
Palehorse: What's wrong?
A Sentient Keyboard: They're not allowed to shoot you before you shoot them! That's against the rules!
Verbatimo: Yeah, yeah, suck it up.

Deraldin: Moving to assist Baal-
Baalzebup: Hey, wait-

[assault rifle fire]

Baalzebup: Bro, I had this.

[explosion]

Deraldin: Well, fantastic.
Baalzebup: The thought’s appreciated, but-

[LMG fire]

Sober: Banter later, Alpha – there’s still civvies up there.

 

[Jintor]

Palehorse: Moving to assist Baal with breach-

[plasma carbine discharge]
[plasma carbine discharge]
[plasma carbine discharge]
[plasma carbine discharge]
[plasma carbine discharge]

A Sentient Keyboard: Hrrgh!

A Sentient Keyboard: I’m alright! I’m alright.
Sober: Head down, Keyboard! Firing-

[LMG fire]

Verbatimo: Get back here, Keyboard, we can field-dress it.
A Sentient Keyboard: Shit… I think that nearly went… straight through the armour.
Verbatimo: Yeah, floaters got bigger guns than ETs.

A Sentient Keyboard: Woah. What’s in those things?
Verbatimo: You don’t wanna know. Keyboard is field-ready, Alpha, what’s the situation?
Baalzebup: Me and Palehorse are ready to ambush-

[plasma carbine discharge]
[screaming]

Baalzebup: -but it sounds like they’re-

[plasma carbine discharge]
[screaming]

Baalzebup: -still killing civilians.

 

[Jintor]

Sober: Oh, they’re gonna pay. Alpha, weapons free!
Palehorse: Roger!

[shotgun blast]
[continual LMG fire]
[assault rifle fire]

Baalzebup: I got something for ya, you civvie-murdering freak!

A Sentient Keyboard: Me too.
Sober: Keyboard, wait-

[rocket launch]

[explosion]

 

[Jintor]

Sober: Keyboard, did it ever occur to you there might be civilians behind that fence?
A Sentient Keyboard: The thought did cross my mind, but there weren’t, were there?
Sober: I’m sure the commander will have words for you when we get back.
A Sentient Keyboard: I’m gonna be high as a kite on morphine for the next week, Sober. I don’t particularly care.
Verbatimo: Heads down!

[plasma carbine discharge]

Baalzebup: They’re still fucking gunning for the civvies-

[plasma carbine discharge]

Palehorse: Also us.
Baalzebup: Multitasking sons of bitches.

 

[Jintor]

[LMG fire]

Sober: Take care of that last one before it kills all the goddamn civilians!
Palehorse: Right, right.
A Sentient Keyboard: Firing-

[SMG fire]
[automatic rifle fire]

Palehorse: Charging-
Baalzebup: Copy that, supporting.

[shotgun blast]
[automatic rifle fire]

Baalzebup: Target down.
Palehorse: That’s the last of this clump.
Sober: BELIEVE-1 says that might be the last of them in this area. Pair off and sweep, Alpha, check your corners; we don’t want to be surprised by any baby… chrysallids or something if we can’t help it. Grab the civilians, get them on the evac ASAP.
Verbatimo: There’s seven of us, sir. What are you gonna be doing?
Sober: I’m gonna radio Command and let them know to call off the airstrike so we don’t all get blown to kingdom come for no goddamn reason. Christ… fucking bugs.

--- MISSION TRANSCRIPT ENDS ---

 

[Jintor]

Promotions: SPEC Poodlestrike promoted to LCLP | SPEC Baalzebup promoted to LCLP | LCLP A Sentient &#8220;Buster&#8221; Keyboard promoted to CPL | LCLP &#8220;Nuke&#8221; Sober promoted to CPL

Recovered: 5 x Floater corpses, 1 x Chrysallid corpse, 5 x Elerium, 5 x Alien Alloys, 5 x Weapon Fragments, 2 x MELD

KILLS/MISSION BOARD &#8211; CONTACT TEAM ALPHA
A Sentient Keyboard: 9 | 4 (+2)
Sober: 6 | 5 (+1)
Baalzebup: 5 | 3 (+2)
Deraldin: 5 | 2 (+4)
Poodlestrike: 4 | 3 (+1)
Palehorse: 4 | 2 (+2)
Verbatimo: 3 | 2 (-)

NB. SPEC Deraldin and SPEC Palehorse have been assigned to Contact Team Alpha

 

[Baalzebup]

Command, that was messed up. Those fricking bastards shot at unarmed, fleeing civilians even when we were bearing down on them, guns blazing. What the hell are they doing? It doesn't make any sense. Its like they have zero self-preservation instinct.

 

[McNum]

We should consider the option that a strike like this is a suicide mission for the aliens. It's not an unheard of strategy among human terrorists, going to a civilian area, intent on causing as much damage and mayhem as possible before dying for the cause.

Survival may never have been their intent.

I suggest we designate city strikes like this one "Terror Missions" for the time being, due the death and destruction at all costs MO of the aliens observed here.

 

[PBalfredo]

Commander, I'm passing along a request from

Spoiler

REDACTED

for a report on the specialized training our contact team members have been receiving upon promotions. Seems someone's interested in what makes our contact squads perform as well as they do.

Not sure how I got pegged as a messenger. Our communications are still online and secure, right?

 

[Jintor]

Re: Inquiry regarding current specialist training

F.Lt. PBAlfredo,

Your inquiry has been received and is currently processing, but has been ranked as a low priority task. Information will be forthcoming following the next mission review session.​

Brig. McNum
United Nations Extraterrestrial Combat Unit
C&C Operations Team
"VIGILO CONFIDO"

 

[Jintor]

Argentina is still being targeted by the alien menace. Abductions in Corrientes, this time. Moderate opposition is to be expected.

Be careful, team; seems the time for sectoids is over. Analysis is predicting heavier drone and floater concentrations from here on out. Stay alert, stay alive. And good luck.

 

[Jintor]

CLASSIFIED TOP SECRET
//INCIDENT REPORT_014//
OPERATION BLACK GRAVE
<<CORRIENTES, ARGENTINA>>
19 April 2016

STRIKE TEAM OMEGA
CPL Tangaroo (Scout)
LCPL Clevinger (Infantry)
SPEC Danj (Gunner)
SPEC Zod the Bear (Rocketeer)
PFC Soulstar
PFC Lostecho
PFC Dkoy

--- Audio Transcript Excerpt: STRIKE TEAM OMEGA ---

Tangaroo: This is the worst op name they’ve come up with yet.
Danj: Oh, you preferred Bloody Ring?
Clevinger: That one was at least funny. This is just… ominous.
Zod the Bear: And we’re setting down in a graveyard. All the pins just keep lining up.
Clevinger: Who the heck abducts people from a graveyard?!?
Danj: More to the point, what kind of people are just hanging around in a graveyard anyway?
Tangaroo: Maybe it’s just a spot of midnight mourning. I don’t know how they do it in Argentina.

Soulstar: He was with Alpha-Bravo, man! On Bloody Ring!
Lostecho: Yeah… heard he didn’t even get scratched.
Soulstar: None of them got scratched! Can you believe it? Twenty-four goddamn aliens without a scratch! What kind of monsters are these guys?
Dkoy: Just check the damn weapons, alright? Don’t want to die out there tonight…
Lostecho: Yeah man, keep your head in the game. There’s gonna be loads of kills on this op too.
Soulstar: Alright, alright… just…
Lostecho: You can ask for his autograph after the damn op.
Soulstar: Right, I got it…

Bigsky: Wheels down, people. Get your fanboying off my goddamn ship.