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XCOM: Ranger

by Wanderer D

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Merit

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Ranger

Chapter 12: Merit

By Wanderer D

The screen showed multiple videos at the same time: An overview of the area, from the cameras on the Skyranger; Psychic network scans from the engineering and science teams, and body cameras from all four XCOM agents in the battlefield.

All of them were paused, except for one.

The first-person view showed a quick dash across a small span of forested area, going around a small fence, over a few crates and stopping behind an old, burnt-out car. The video's audio was muted, but several metrics were on display on it: cardiovascular scans, a voice modulator, GPS location in relation to the other team members, as well as a picture of the soldier, with their name, rank, nickname, and specialization.

Currently, the screen identified the soldier as Sunset Shimmer, Squaddie, Aka "The Commander", Specialization: Ranger. The camera followed her movement, coming around the front of the car just as the large, armored mass of muscles that was a muton, came charging at her.

The display showed her raising her gun. The biometrics marked an increase in her heartbeat and her hands lowered a little, a clear indication—from previous experience—of an incoming panic attack… provided she survived.

The camera captured the muton rearing back to slice down with the bayonet-like edge of its weapon… but then it stopped, as if reconsidering. The biometrics increased less than a second later, the shotgun was being moved up to aim straight at the muton's face.

The video stopped.

"Thoughts?"

Bradford and Tygan exchanged a look, while Lily simply shrugged.

"I don't know what to tell you, Commander," she said. "This is definitely not my specialty, but my dad never mentioned a muton hesitating to kill."

"Miss Shimmer," Tygan spoke after, glancing at the Commander, "has always had some sort of calming effect on aliens. Other soldiers have remarked on her uncanny ability to be dismissed as a threat when we were performing infiltration missions prior to your… release."

"I'm still not sure how this is possible," the Commander spoke up. "We have no explanation for her… how her powers work, why aliens instinctively trust her, or where she came from. From the reports, Pratal Mox met her in the remains of a small city infested with Lost…"

"Any tests so far performed on her, which are standard for all soldiers have revealed nothing strange about her…" Tygan began. "Except…"

"Yes?"

"If we go by Mox's first impressions, she was too clean to have come from a Native Settlement, and she had no previous experience with weapons before the Skirmishers taught her the basics," Tygan explained. "This would indicate an origin from a more peaceful environment, such as one of the new cities. However, she has no chip inside of her, and is missing the scars that would accompany such a removal, had it been performed."

He adjusted his glasses. "Furthermore, her education does not match standard New City fare. Her mathematical skills and language skills are very advanced, but her history is spotty from conversations we've had, and all she has learned of technology has been on the go." He coughed under the commander's expectant gaze. "Her learning ability is… certainly well above average."

The Commander leaned back. "Could she be one of Vahlen's experiments? We know the good doctor was… less than morally ambiguous when it came to those, and she did get her hand on some of the Valkyries before everything went to hell."

"I saw no indicators of such a thing, Commander," Tygan said slowly.

"I don't see what the problem is," Lily spoke up. "Look, Sunset's been with us for a couple of years, she's gone out on several missions trying to find you, Commander, to bring you back. She's never given us a cause for alarm… I-I understand why you'd wonder about her, given… well, all we've seen, but so far she's proven to be trustworthy." She motioned at Bradford. "Not to mention, she's traveled with Central all over the world. I'm sure he'd have seen something by now to make him doubt her if there were."

Bradford made a face at being put in the spotlight, but sighed and straightened up. "That's true, Commander, I can understand your hesitation, but she's been a loyal soldier, not to mention that she's been instrumental in building trusting relationships with all three of the factions—I'd say that as much as aliens like her, Skirmishers, Reapers and Templars all seem to do so as well… for different reasons."

"Oh?"

"Skirmishers, I'd fathom have the same reaction to her as aliens," Tygan said, raising an eyebrow. "But what about the other two?"

"Templars have… a lot of interest in her," Bradford said. "They are convinced she's psychic, which could explain at least why she has that calming effect on aliens. Geist once told me about a power certain psychics have been able to achieve, which basically calms anyone nearby in a small radius."

"That's indeed an interesting development," Tygan said, nodding. "And worth looking into. I can foresee several potential uses for such a power, if she possesses it."

"What about the Reapers?" Lily blurted out, curiosity getting the better of her.

Bradford smirked. "The Reapers find her endearing because, and I am quoting Volk, 'she looked like a rabbit surrounded by wolves that decided to go hunting with them only to discover that Elk are strong enough to toss you over them, and yet managed to get up and try again.'"

"And I… hesitate... to point this out, but I fear it is a factor worth bringing up, given that we are analyzing Sunset Shimmer's performance, loyalty and reliability," Tygan spoke up, "but, if we are doubtful of her loyalty to XCOM, why is it that she is given considerable more freedom with her team than the others, Commander?"

"What do you mean?" Lily asked.

"Surely you have noticed that the commander has not spoken to Sunset at all. In the field, the other teams have all been coordinated directly by the commander. And while Squaddie Sunset Shimmer might be known as 'the commander', she is not The Commander."

The three watched the commander contemplate Tygan's words. "I want to see how she does," the commander replied eventually, waving a hand at the video. "We all saw her confrontation with the Assassin, and her command on ground level hasn't been bad. I am a little concerned with her reaction to the muton, although it is… understandable. We all know that, as Jane Kelly put it, she was 'gutted like a fish'. I would expect anyone to have issues with aliens approaching them with sharp objects. On that note, Squaddie Kelly seems to trust her, and her psychological profile pretty much guarantees that's a tough sell."

The Commander paused and sighed. "I see a lot of myself in Sunset, and that is a major factor in my… trust of her… I'm very curious about how she will grow. Some are simply born to lead, and she is a diamond in the rough from my perspective. So far, she's proven herself capable. I find myself willing to give her this chance."

"That's more than enough for me, Commander," Bradford said, smiling a little.

At that moment, a transmission beeped on the commander's desk, and the familiar silhouette of a bald man appeared on a screen. "Hello, Commander," the Council Man said. "It is… good to see you again. As you imagine, there are many issues to be addressed, but I am forwarding you two items of… some importance."

The console beeped again, indicating files had been received.

"Until we meet again, Commander."

Sunset noticed the trembling first. "Uh, Shintaro?"

Her teammate was shaking in his seat, nervously moving his legs up and down while he held both hands tight together under his chin. He kept glancing at Paula's unconscious body, then away, only to look back at her.

When he heard her speak his name, he almost jumped. "What?"

"Are you okay?" Sunset asked. "You seem very distressed," she added as Jane walked back from the cockpit to take a seat across from them.

"Of course I'm distressed," he whispered. "Just a week ago, you were gutted in front of me. And today you're joking about your nickname as if nothing happened, and Paula got almost shredded in half by a grenade, and now you're acting as if everything is fine!"

"Hey, keep it down, soldier," Jane spoke up, glaring at him.

"No, no, I can't," Shintaro said, gulping as he looked from one woman to the other. "I can't. What if I end up like her?" he asked, pointing at Paula. "Or like Sunset? What if I get chopped in half by the Assassin?"

"Well, Sunset's here, alive and kicking, and Paula survived too," Jane pointed out. "What do you expect will happen? Weren't you part of a resistance group? You helped already on a couple of missions wh—"

"It was never like this, okay?!" Shintaro snapped, fidgeting in place and unwilling to look at them in the eyes. "It.. it was never like this. We sprung traps on small groups, we hunted them from full advantage… now we're… we're literally jumping into death-traps. A city full of zombies, and Sunset here just strides in, cracks jokes about movies and fights an invisible assassin!"

He looked up, eyes wild. "I couldn't see her! I couldn't see where she moved, or hear her or react! But Sunset caught her every time! And the reaper shot it before it even appeared, and the skirmisher threw a grappling hook at her before I could even raise my gun! And by the time I could, you," he pointed at Jane, "and the other two had killed that monster… only, we can't really kill it!"

"Shintaro, we just have a bit more experience with—" Sunset started to explain, but Shintaro just started shaking his head, not even letting her finish.

"Don't give me that crap, Sunset!" He all but growled. "You've been at this, what, four years? At most? I've been doing this since… since I was twelve! You can't tell me you have more experience, but you… you just deal with this weird shit all the time! Ex-ADVENT? You know them! People that eat aliens? You know them! Psychic warriors from a temple in the North of Asia? You goddamned know them! Immortal goddamned assassin from hell? You chat! The boss of the town we just ran in to save has a Viper and you flirt with it!"

He looked almost desperate. "Am I the only one that thinks that's not normal?" He wrapped his arms around himself. "Look. I'm not too fond of the idea of jumping into a gunfight, okay? And that's what we're doing. This wasn't a planned ambush, this was running into a firefight! We have lesser weapons, and our armor might as well be made of tissue paper for all the good it does against freaking plasma bolts!"

He seemed to realize he was shouting and slowly huddled into a rocking figure.

Sunset felt her breath catch when looking at the pitiful figure. Should I tell him how I panicked? That thinking of the Assassin makes me want to puke?' She shook her head, and looked up at Jane, who was glaring at Shintaro with something akin to disgust.

It was then that she caught herself thinking the last thing she thought she would think. 'What would Celestia do?' She shook her head. Celestia would be all smiles and encouragement. She'd tell this little pony, or human, that it was okay to be afraid, that he could do better.

What would her Gryphon teacher say? Certainly not something as inane and potentially disastrous as a pep talk. She took a deep breath. "Shintaro, when we get to the Avenger you're going straight to talk to a medical specialist. I'll recommend that you don't go into battle at all until you are deemed fit and willing… if you don't want to return…" she shook her head. "Then I will recommend Bradford reviews your skills. Maybe combat is not for you after all."

Shintaro slowed down his rocking and closed his eyes, sobbing a little.

Sunset could only hope that had been the right answer.

o.0.o End Chapter 12 o.0.o

Next Chapter: Chapter 13: Missions Estimated time remaining: 27 Hours, 25 Minutes
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