[i][u][b]The UGS Patton, Lieutenant Joseph Scott's Office[/u][/i][/b]

Joseph sat at his desk staring blankly at some paperwork. An XCR officer they had captured recently was identified as Sergeant Goorit's sister, and that wasn't good. While Joseph was quite happy that Johnathon had found a lost relative from his future, this was a liability... A liability that needed to be taken care of.

Scott: [i]He found his sister...[/i]

The lieutenant had a hard time paying attention to what he was doing before, which was simply scheduling training times for Alpha squad members. The discovery of Faith Goorit really woke him up from what he figured was a dream. Up until now, the XCR felt like just another enemy. An enemy like the Starspawn, the Black Spear, the Ascadian Purification Index, the Phasers, the Nephilim... But now he suddenly realized... He was not fighting an enemy, he was fighting human beings.

Humans with lives of their own, humans with the same interest in mind... To protect Earth from the devastation of the alien menace. What was happening here was a conflict in tactics. Colonel Dogget was from the future and saw an opportunity to prevent a catastrophe. By eliminating the opposition in the past, he might be able to protect Earth in the future.

Scott: [i]A question I was asked in my youth. "If you could go back in time and kill Hitler as a baby, would you do it?"[/i]

Events went off in Joseph's mind. In his hometown, things were so bad since Alien War II the people lost faith in life itself. It was because of that, that he was able to get into police work at such a young age. They needed order and control, and the city had become desperate for manpower. That was twenty years ago...

What would things be like after the nigh Armageddon that Dogget described? The whole planet becoming the battleground of two other foes, no longer would there be a "home" to go to. What would order be like? Obviously there had to be some order, perhaps it took the martyrization of Earth to bring about the X-COM Resistance. Despite the name, XCR was nothing like X-COM. It was a full military organization with a borrowed name, perhaps to instill a form of patriotism.

They were used to fighting, and were desperate as hell. The X-COM Resistance fighting tactics was that of Guerilla warfare, from what was observed. Their technology was advanced into a science unknown, a science that would surely put a few theories out of business. They had the power to become invisible, teleport soldiers across terrain, they had energy weapons with the power of ten plasma cannons packed into a light pistol... But they were also amateurs to what X-COM was used to. Being up front soldiers, mobile infantry, and the like, they were used to fighting on the front lines.

Were it not for a lucky shot from the Ascadian fleet, the Dorian Gray would never have been even discovered let alone destroyed. It's a good bet that defecting XCR Naval officers had something to do with it.

Scott: [i]They are the enemy. But they are also human.[/i]

Snapping out of his little trance, Joseph reached across his desk and grabbed a mug of coffee (Or rather the Ascadian equivalent). Taking a few quick sips from the hot murky contents, he looked back at the papers on his desk. Continuing his nibbling at the steamy cup, Joseph thought aloud.

Scott: [b]I need to keep him away from Faith...[/b] [i]I'm happy Shadow has found somebody to relate with. But I can't let it interfere.[/i]

He hesitantly placed the cup of coffee back down on the desk. It rested upon a pile of his paperwork instead of the coaster collecting dust on the side. Subconcsiously, Joseph was hoping the coffee would spill onto the papers and ruin them... So he wouldn't have to friggin' do them.

He stood up and, after a good stretch and shirt tug, he moved over to the communicator on the wall of his office. He traced his finger around the "Send" button and thought to himself.

Scott: [i]I'll be a hypocrite... But better that than careless.[/i]

Finally pressing down, he spoke into the terminal.

Scott: *CLICK* [b]Lieutenant Joseph Scott to Sergeant Johnathan Goorit. Please come to my office as soon as you can. Repeat... This is Lieutenant Joseph Scott. Sergeant Shadow, to my office.[/b] *CLICK*

He stood back from the comm and went back to his desk. Standing on the side opposing his chair, he picked up the cup of coffee. It left a ring of brown on his paperwork. He let out a sigh of frustration...