As the Skyranger descended onto the crash site, the alien craft loomed in our view, a grotesque structure amidst the serene woodland. Its surface was scorched and dented from our Interceptor's assault and the subsequent crash, but it was largely intact.
"Eyes up, squad," I called out, my voice ringing clear in the confined space of the Skyranger. "We don't know what we're dealing with here. Stay sharp."
As soon as the doors of the Skyranger opened, we rushed out, our feet crunching on the scorched ground. The crashed UFO was ideally positioned in front of us, its alien design standing out against the surroundings' dimly lighted, deep forest. The large trees cast a long shade over the surrounding area. In the dimming daylight, the downed UFO looked even more terrifying, its alien design emphasised by flickering flames emanating from its intact shell.
We went about it methodically and cautiously. Every tree might provide protection, and every shade might hide a threat. Despite our victory in the heavens, we were not secure. This was now their territory. As we neared the crash site, uneasiness began to take hold. Not only was there weird landscapes and flaming wreckage, but our reality had been slashed through. Silence was the cause. There was a complete quiet that almost seemed oppressive.
Bullseye said, "It's quiet, way too quiet."
"He's right, find cover, and hold," I said as we all moved into ideal positions, each defending the other. During our hold, I could hear my team's breathing become more rapid. We have every right to be concerned.
As we prepared to move we heard a bush rustle quite close to Titan.
"Titan Lay waste to it!"
"Roger!" As he unleashed his heavy weapon we hear a ominous shriek one we haven't heard until now.
"I think that was a warning," Medusa explained.
"Let them come, we're ready," Titan said, his heavy weapon levelled and loaded.
Titan appears to accept their challenge as a group of aliens charge him. He let out a loud war cry as they got closer, to which the group answered in kind. Titan, Medusa, and I are now emptying our clips into the opponent.
"Suppressing fire! Reloading"
"Incoming from the east" Bullseyes echoed as sniper bullets struck their intended target.
"Throw everything you've got at them!" We cannot afford to be surrounded!" I screamed angrily. As I unloaded and prepared a grenade, a strong green blast demolished several adjacent trees, but to my surprise, my squad did not react as expected; instead, they maintained a calm that enabled me the courage to act.
"If you want to go, then let's go."
I leaped out of cover and fired a precise volley of shots into several aliens. When I ran out of ammunition, I quickly grabbed my handgun and used the trees as shields as the alien guns torched the area around me. I can see an alien shooting at Medusa, who served as Titan's cover, from my peripheral vision.
"Oh no, you don't." My adrenaline was pumping like crazy as I went up to the alien, fired one shot, threw my gun, grabbed a battle knife, and tackled it with my arms around its neck, ready to stab its eye. I paused for a moment since I had made a hasty judgment and had not noticed the purple thread going in the opposite way behind me.
As I turn, I witness an alien being swiftly knocked to the ground by a headshot.
"I've got you, captain!" Bullseye is actually a lifesaver.
Myself and Bullseyes finished taking out the reinforcements before assisting Titan and Medusa in clearing out the main unit.
"Strike-1 roll call"
"Titan in!"
"Bullseye here, sir"
"Medusa is here."
"All right, let's reassemble close to the entrance, and make sure you're prepared for another fight."
With a silent nod, I directed the team into position. Me and Titan took cover on either side of the entrance, while Medusa held her ground, ready to react. As Bullseye pried open a door, a chill ran down my spine. The interior was as alien as the exterior, the strange architecture illuminated by an eerie, pulsating glow
We entered cautiously, our boots soundless on the strange metallic floor. As we advanced, an alien figure emerged from the shadows. Tall and slender, Their bodies seemed almost crystalline, emitting a soft glow that illuminated their sharp, angular features. it moved with a grace that belied its grotesque, inhuman form. Its skin shimmered with a pearlescent sheen, and its eyes - large, black orbs - reflected no light.
They were unlike any alien species we had encountered before. They were beautiful in a haunting, otherworldly way, yet their very existence was a stark reminder of our situation.
"Contact," Bullseyes voice whispered through the comms. "Engaging."
They noticed us almost immediately, their glowing eyes locking onto us. For a moment, we stood there, a standoff between the inhabitants of two different worlds. Then, with a sound like shattering glass, they moved, their bodies blurring with speed.
The shock lasted only a second before our training kicked in. We dove for cover, plasma fire sizzling through the air where we'd stood. The alien - the 'Outsider' as the science team dubbed it, recoiled, then retaliated with a weapon that emitted a blinding beam of energy. The sounds of energy weapons filled the chamber, our bullets clashing against the strange blue bolts of the Outsiders.
The fight was intense, the confined space amplifying the chaos. The Outsider was formidable, its movements fast and fluid
Titan provided covering fire, his rifle barking out plasma bolts, while Bullseye maneuvered for a flanking position.
"Bullseye, get to their side. Titan, keep their attention."
Their acknowledgments came in between the sounds of discharge and ricocheting energy, the team working in harmony despite the chaos.
The battle was fierce, time warping as adrenaline pumped through my veins. The Outsiders were a potent enemy, but we adapted, we persevered. With each passing second, our teamwork shone, our tactics evolving, our shots finding their mark.
With a well-placed shot, Bullseye took down the first Outsider, its body shattering into fragments of light. Titan's suppressive fire held the others in place, giving Medusa the opportunity she needed. From the shadows, she struck, her shot taking down another Outsider.
The final Outsider fell to my shot. As its body shattered, the control room plunged into silence, save for our heavy breathing. The adrenaline began to fade, replaced with a sense of relief, and a deeper understanding of our enemy.
I paused to look at the shattered remains of the Outsiders as we gathered. They stood apart from previous foes in terms of both appearance and capabilities. This experience served as a sobering reminder that we were facing an unknown force with far more advanced technology.
But as I looked around at my squad – at Bullseye who was already on the lookout for more enemies, at Titan who was inspecting our surroundings, at Medusa who was already scanning the alien consoles – I felt a surge of confidence. We were XCOM, the first and last line of defense. And whatever the enemy threw at us, we would face it head-on.
The mission was far from over. We had a UFO to explore, technologies to uncover, and a threat to understand. As we combed the ship for intelligence - gathering samples, documenting our findings - I couldn't shake off the feeling of being a stranger in a strange land. This was not just an alien ship; this was a piece of another world, another reality, now intertwined with ours.