Status Report: Classic Ironman
It has been 2 months since the last status report, which detailed our situation as extremely dire. Egypt and Germany had surrendered, and repeated attempts to respond to alien incursions had been met with defeat and left the world in increasing panic. Funding was low and the ranks of our experienced operators had been decimated.
Immediately following the issuance of that report, India, Japan, and Russia withdrew from the project, seemingly sealing the fate of the project and perhaps the world. Then, in our moment of need, we managed to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Early yesterday morning, HQ received a priority distress call from the UK. With Lt Soto still in medbay and all other officers KIA, XCOM command staff had no option but to assign our last available operators to the strike team regardless of experience. 4 green rookies, with nothing but standard issue rifles and basic kevlar would be the only responders.
The strike team hit the ground and began a sweep of the perimeter in standard 2 by 2 cover formation. By edging along the perimeter, strike team was able to catch alien patrols unaware and neutralize them before they could retreat and alert their reinforcements. It was crucial to engage the enemy in small doses, as the strike team was outgunned and definitely outmanned. The battle climaxed as strike team breached a marketplace that had been garrisoned by sectoids and thin men. Gunfire and frag explosions rocked the interior of the building, but in the end all ET forces were destroyed. This was huge for our project, finally after so long we tasted victory again. 3 members of the strike team were promoted for their heroics, but the cost was dear. Rookie Martine took reaction fire from a sectoid while breaching the market building and bled out before he could receive medical attention. He will be remembered on the memorial wall with his brothers in arms.
This success led to increased funding and command staff immediately authorized completion of the training school and experimental weapons and armor. As of the date of this report laser rifles are rolling off the assembly line, carapace armor is being fitted to strike team members, and Lt "Raven" Soto has been approved for operational status by medical staff. The council of nations reconvened and approved XCOM for another month of funding, no doubt due to our late success in the UK. The XCOM project now has a 5 man strike team with experienced and newly equipped operaters standing by to respond to the next hostile action. Command is confident this could be the beginnig of a turning point in our defense of Earth.
