Extra-terrestrial Command Logistics Support Base: November Point Greenland, 0114 Hours GMT

            The burning remnants of guard tower four had collapsed down around the concrete foundations, burying the catwalk beneath in smoldering rubble and pieces of the surrounding defensive revetments.  A low groan issued from the pile of twisted metal and splintered wood as a blackened and bleeding hand scrabbled at the wreckage to free the man trapped beneath.  Battered and broken, Sullivan managed to extricate himelf and crawl painfully out of the remnants.  Grant's right arm was a symphony of pain after the fall from the tower, the interior muscle and bone felt shattered.  It hurt every time he breathed, leading the veteran soldier to suspect at least one broken rib and his legs didn't seem to want to support him though the red streaks criss-crossing his vision seemed to be clearing.
            The cannon!  What was left of the security force would need it to survive and the Chief managed a sort of half-roll back towards the rubble he had extricated himself from, luckily he hadn't landed on top of the big weapon as he followed it down.  The MSAW was still more or less in one piece though the targetting scope seemed to have exploded outward on impact, only a hundred or so rounds had fallen down after the gun from the now atomized ammunition drum, it would have to be enough.  Bracing his uncooperative feet against a pile of charred concrete, the wounded soldier managed to prop the gun in the crook of his good arm while he tried to assess the situation.  The deadly rocket fire had stopped for the moment as apparently the aggressor force had run out of targets, sporadic fire still continued from the inner command compound even as additional explosions rocked store houses and facilities near the port, whatever the raid's objective was, it wasn't to overrun the base.
         Grant winced in agony as he tried to key his comset with his bad hand, he dropped prone again, propping the cannon against a nearby concrete block before trying the commo headset once more.  Static crackled over the dead comnet before a strangely familiar yet mechanical voice issued over the carrier band, "Threat Target 4 neutralized, Threat Target 6 neutralized,  CGC 38 mark.....CGP 113 mark...target, FIREORDER 2222A, MOVEORDER 4141B", The Chief smiled even through his pain, even through the lapse in command and resulting chaos, the real professional's had taken over.  A group of XCOM Heavy Weapon's Platform's fighting in unison was a profoundly impressive display to behold as the hyper-efficient machines searched out their prey and then shot swift and straight with the precision of hunting wasps, expending the minimum amount of firepower and energy to do the job.
        Two Coelecanth Submersible Fighting Vehicles were apparently being led in a counter-attack by a third HWP and the results were truly marvelous to behold, the remnants of Sullivan's security detachment had apparently rallied around the tanks and they were further joined by the base ready reaction platoon armed with the heavy weapons he'd authorized before he'd been taken out of action.  Even now, the attacking alien force seemed to be falling back before the onslaught, retreating into the darkness of the seawall and the pier complex. Sullivan saw the danger immediately.  A moment before he could call out a warning over the comnet, pre-positioned charges surrounding the docks and supply barges went off, shredding the remaining enemy troops and collapsing the surrounding structures.  The access routes to the enemy exfiltration zone were cut off, Sullivan's last thought was rage at the impotence of his commander before a renewed blaze of pain turned off the lights.  The Chief sagged to his knees and knew nothing more.

Extra-terrestrial Command Logistics Support Base: November Point, Greenland, 0342 Hours GMT

            The first XCOM reinforcements to arrive at the stricken base was a Heavy Weapon's Platoon dispatched from COMBASE:NOVA, normally a ready alert platoon would have been on station in ten to fifteen minutes but one of the enemies secondary targets had been the base communications tower.  Further, the war had officially been over for two month's and no one was on their toes, it had taken a full half-hour for the comtech's on duty at the NOVA Global CIC to notice that the routine status signal from November had dropped off the map.  When repeated hyperwave transmissions to the base had failed to raise even a polite "hello" Admiral Simms had been awakened and a ready reaction platoon scrambled, however, by that time November Point was well and truly fucked.
            Once the response team had deployed from their Triton transport sub and assessed the situation, CINC XCOM hadn't waited for first light to send in support.  Three other standard platoons armed with sonic weapons and primarily powered ion armor had landed twenty minutes later to fully secure the perimeter.  That plus a reinforced recondo team and several HWP's from OPSBASE:SPEAR in the North Sea brought the combined number of troops in the area to over 50, the biggest assembly of XCOM soldiers since the last mission of the Second Alien War.  None of which mattered now.
            The rain keeping the various fires in check had tapered off close to two in the morning, leaving nothing to stop the slow destruction of the mostly wood warehouses.  The hardened ammunition bunkers and concrete fortifications had fared slightly better but shrapnel and sonic weaponry had seriously weakened most of what hadn't been devestated outright.  What was left of the base security force had been diverted primarily to fight the raging fires at the fuel farm and in the surrounding base sub-divisions.  No one had even thought to set up a secure perimeter until Chief Sullivan had been brought in on a stretcher and nearly had to be sedated while screaming the order.  Then the relief team had arrived.
            It hadn't taken much longer for the brass to arrive once the perimeter had been declared secure.  Admiral Simms had sent her chief trouble-shooter (emphasis on shooter) from NOVA while she stayed behind to coordinate XCOM overall defense readiness in the aftermath, if one base had been hit, other's might be next.  Brigadier General "Shotgun" Saunders V. Leland took in the wreckage as he debarked from a Triton transport at the bases hurriedly cleared auxillary VTOL landing field.  The main field had been cratered by sonic pulsers rendering the hardpan unusable along with damaging most of the aircraft that had been parked nearby on the flight line.  "We'll set up at the Base Command Center"  was all the hardened veteran said to the wary soldiers following him before walking off the field towards the central compound.  The General's guard element and aide's scurried to catch up with the old man's loping infantry stride.
            The General's path took him through several hastily established check points where nervous young sentries in white beret's quickly saluted and allowed him to pass.  Saunder's figured they were probably new troops from the NORLANT confederation Regional Operations Command of XCOM, the guys who cleaned up after the first line XCOM troops got done, they didn't have the look of experienced soldiers.  Captain Howards turned from where he was talking to an anxious junior-officer and started in surprise as General Leland stormed in.  "All of you, take a stroll."  the old man said.  No one had to be told twice, the
chaotic atmosphere of the command center evaporated with the speed of a burst balloon as the technicians and command staff trying to direct salvage and repair operations all over the base vacated en-mass.  Howards made an obvious attempt to square his wrinkled uniform as the General's adjutants and staff immediately began setting up shop.
            "General sir, I..."  Howards looked like a deer about to be shot as Leland fixed his gunsight like gaze on the younger man.  "As per CINC XCOM's orders I am relieving you of command as of 0120 hours immediately now."  Leland's voice was like a gravel avalanche causing Howards to flinch noticeably.  "I want you and all of the people who made it through this fight on immediate departure to COMBASE:NOVA soonest, CINC and the Global Command Staff will be debriefing you personally and we will DAMN well get to the bottom of this goatfuck!!"  Howards tried to open his mouth to respond.  "Do not speak, just do!!"  Leland's voice broke as he used his very best drill instructor command tone.  "Give the order's to the base staff and any remaining personnel to be on the shuttles as soon as they can pack an overnight bag, they may be in for an extended stay at HQ, and any remaining wounded you have in the base infirmary are to be moved to the evac Triton.  My people and the ROC troops will take care of securing the perimeter and getting whatever supply lifts are still in one piece ready for loading on the SEALIFT transport Typhoon, when she gets here."  Howards was almost invisible at this point.  "DISMISSED!!"  "SIR, YES, SIR!!!" Howards yelled out in his best XCOM boot training style as he turned with drill-team precision and headed out the door.
            Leland had already turned to address his adjutant, Lieutenant Colonel Pierson, after sliding his piercing gaze off the retreating form of the naval captain.  "Sal, I want a preliminary damage report by 0500 hours so we know what needs to be fixed first once the sun comes up."  "Yes, sir"  the tightly efficient woman in the white XCOM beret saluted smartly and keyed her communication headset.  "Wilson, I want every security log and sensor record taken apart piece by piece and analyzed, I want to know where the black hats came from and what they came for"  Major Wilson sat at a base command holo-console and started to work.  The rest of the General's staff was already scrambling to set up comm's and organize the repair work going on around the base as the old man took a seat and removed his beret in order to put on his own headset.
            "Let's get to work, people"  the General smiled tightly as his team got moving, "I want the entire perimeter checked and surveyed and then Pierson and I will get wet and survey the bottom of the harbor."  A lot had to be done and even though "Shotgun" Leland didn't know it, time was already running out.