Third Tiberium War
From Command and Conquer Wiki
The dust has barely settled on the Third Tiberium War, the most recent conflict between GDI, the Brotherhood of Nod and for the first time an extraterrestrial race, the Scrin.
Prior to the events of 2047, GDI had shut down over 60% of their military bases worldwide in order to cut costs and enable greater focus on the effort to curb Tiberium. The Brotherhood of Nod was in seeming disarray following the apparent death of their leader, Kane, and had been quiet for many years. GDI, by this time acting essentially as a world government, had control of all the uncontaminated Blue Zones and many of the contaminated but habitable Yellow Zones, in which the majority of the world's population resided. Nod operated virtualy unoposed in the Yellow Zones, with propaganda activity still taking place in spite of Kane's disappearance. Neither side controlled the Red Zones, areas where the surface had been so badly scarred by Tiberium mutation that it was unrecognizable as Earth and completely uninhabitable.
While individual nation states still existed, they were essentially of no importance, GDI having consolidated its power. With Nod's power seemingly diminishing GDI leaders became complacent, phasing out many of the organisation's older and more experimental forms of military equipment during the decade following the Second Tiberium War (including walkers, distruptors, hovering vehicles, and the Firestorm shields). GDI now considered Tiberium to be a higher priority than the Brotherhood. However, this temporary period of peace was soon revealed to be an illusion.
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[edit] The People
[edit] GDI
The civilian and military leaders of the Blue Zone countries and governments.
Redmond Boyle The Treasurer of GDI, Boyle was a media-savvy politician who attained the position of Director shortly after the war began.
Jack Granger A veteran GDI General, Granger was convinced that Nod remained a threat, despite appearances. A man of character, he was noted for strongly clashing with Boyle at times.
Kirce James A GDI strategist who briefed commanders on mission objectives and relayed intelligence to them in the field.
Sandra Telfair An InOps officer, Sandra assisted General Granger throughout the war, and provided intelligence briefs to commanders.
GDI Commander (TWIII) A skilled tactician who fought many of the key battles that turned to GDI's favor. Most of the intelligence on him is highly classified.
[edit] Nod
The highest echelon of the Brotherhood.
Kane The leader of the Brotherhood of Nod once again reappeared during the Third Tiberium war.
Kilian Qatar A decorated Nod General, and inner circle member. Despite being Kane's alleged second in command, Kilian was not briefed upon several parts of Kane's plan. Kilian was devoted to the people of Nod.
Ajay A devoted Nod Intelligence Officer, Ajay drew up several successful battle plans. He was loyal to Kane, and distrusted Qatar.
Nod Commander Although the evidence is uncertain, Nod internal memos mention a brilliant commander, loyal to Kane, as the architect of many of Nod's important victories.
[edit] Scrin
Although records gleaned from Scrin wreckage are sketchy, analysts seem to concur about several details.
Foreman 371 The foreman dispatched for harvesting operations on Earth. Was put in jeopardy by the premature operation, and tasked with discovering how the Scrin were deceived.
Supervisor The direct superior to the Foreman, the Supervisor gave 371 authorization to use military force for the investigation. Considered 371 and the entire Harvesting of Earth expendable.
Scrin AI The AI of 371's ship. Like the Nod AI CABAl, the Scrin AI had a mind of it's own, and actually ignored the supervisor's orders in order to save 371.
Overlord The apparent leader of the Scrin race. Mentioned many times by the Supervisor as interested in how organized resistance could occur. Chillingly, the last intercepted Scrin transmission recorded the overlord as saying 'Prepare a full invasion force. Earth will fall'.
[edit] The War
[edit] The Brotherhood Strikes Back
Following the Second Tiberium War and ensuing Firestorm Crisis, GDI took the threat of Nod less seriously, assuming that the second defeat of Kane would lead to peace. As Nod recruitment fell and the Brotherhood began abandoning bases, GDI analysts predicted years of peace. GDI's leadership, ignoring the voices of a small but vocal minority, such as Jack Granger and Nick Parker, cut defense funding, shifting GDI's focus to the containment of Tiberium. In 2047, while most of GDI's leadership was attending an energy summit aboard the space station Philadelphia, InOps detected renewed activity from the Brotherhood, with a suicide bombing leading the commander of the Northeastern Blue zone on a scouting mission in the North Carolina badlands. This turned out to be much more than a mere random attack, as GDI uncovered a large Nod base in the area. The commander was authorized to use an Ion Cannon to destroy the base, with Pentagon officials beginning to realize that Nod was planning something.
However, no one outside of the Brotherhood's most trusted ranks could have predicted what was really going on. Kane, the leader of Nod, had once again cheated death, and chose to appoint a commander that had been faithful to Nod's true purpose during his absence to go on a special mission, to start the Third Tiberium War. At roughly the same time as the North Carolina battle was being fought, the Nod commander assaulted Goddard Space Center, the command center of GDI's A-Sat defensive systems. With Fanatics, Militia, and elite Shadow Teams, the commander quickly demolished the base, taking the Ion Cannon network and GDI's missile defenses offline. Kane was pleased in the commander's masterful victory, and allowed him to launch a nuclear missile at the crux of GDI's leadership; the GDSS Philadelphia.
As stunned GDI officials in the Pentagon could only watch, the Philadelphia, holding GDI's most important civilian officials, was destroyed. Horrified newscasters, at a loss to explain the accident, were interrupted by Kane, revealing himself to the world yet again, and issuing a declaration that the Blue Zones would run red with GDI's blood. Right on cue, Nod forces worldwide launched assaults on every GDI controlled territory, meeting little to no resistance at first.
[edit] Initial Stages
During their assaults against the Blue Zones, Nod experienced tremendous success. Reykjavik fell, and soon the only GDI base with Central Command capability was the Pentagon, in Blue Zone B-2. The commander of the Goddard Raid was quickly sent to Washington, D.C., destroying Andrews AFB, capturing Hampton Roads and the White House, and wiping out a GDI force holding out North of D.C. The commander was recalled, and silently sent to Brazil, while GDI planned a counterattack.
The GDI's commander was first tasked with protecting the Pentagon, the last bastion of GDI military command. The GDI garrison in Washington was successful in securing the Pentagon, and then moved to push Nod out of the Washington Blue Zone. GDI managed to save Langley AFB and recapture Hampton Roads, restoring GDI air power and cutting off additional Nod reinforcements. With the Nod forces crippled and confused, GDI quickly moved to retake the White House, successfully turning the battle back in favor of GDI.
Meanwhile, Michael McNeil and his 22nd Infantry Division spearheaded the rescue of Doctor Takeda and the recovery of GDI's San Diego Naval base.
Thanks to GDI's success in Washington, GDI forces around the world began to simultaneously push Nod out of the Blue Zones, giving them time to reorganize and lick their wounds. Treasurer Redmond Boyle, now the highest ranking GDI official, was now promoted to GDI Director. He promised the public a swift and absolute victory over Nod, though GDI General Jack Granger was more sceptical.
[edit] Nod Operations in Brazil
Following the GDI route in Washington, Nod forces in South America braced for GDI retaliation. GDI attacked a suspicious Nod Lab in Brazil, leading Kane to send the commander to defend it. The commander quickly turned the tide and destroyed a nearby GDI base, allowing the scientists in the lab to complete components of a secret Tiberium weapon Kane was developing; a Liquid Tiberium Bomb. Kilian Qatar expressed doubt as to why Kane hid that part of the plan from her.
The commander then secured transportation out of South America, and destroyed a group of GDI anti-air sites keeping Nod from evacuating the Liquid Tiberium components to Sarajevo.
[edit] The Campaign for Egypt
Acting on intelligence gained from Nod prisoners, Granger secretly sent a strike force to a Nod biochem plant in Casabad, in Nod-controlled Africa. The commander quickly met up with a squad of Zone Troopers investigating the plant, which was utterly destroyed by GDI. Intelligence gleaned from the rubble revealed the Liquid Tiberium project to GDI, and the commander was quickly sent to destroy the port of Alexandria, in an attempt to stop the export of the bomb to Sarajevo. Though this failed, the commander remained in Egypt for one more mission; the destruction of the nuclear missile facility in Cairo, where the strike that destroyed the Philadelphia was launched. GDI secured a victory, and confiscated or destroyed almost all of Nod's nuclear arsenal.
[edit] The Liquid Tiberium Question
With the successful export of the Liquid Tiberium components, the Nod commander was recalled to Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, GDI gained intelligence that Nod had constructed a new Temple Prime atop the ruins of their old temple, destroyed in the First Tiberium War. Most of GDI's resources were sent to combat this, at the behest of Boyle and to much protest from Granger, who considered Temple Prime a waste of time and manpower.
This mobilization allowed GDI to intercept an Armageddon bomber carrying the Brazilian weapons components, which the Nod commander was quickly sent to retrieve. Despite heavy resistance (including Mammoth tanks) the Commander managed to secure the components with Avatar Warmechs and deliver them to Temple Prime, which was besieged by a GDI force. Despite Kilian Qatar's pleas for reinforcements to Ayers Rock, Kane redirected all of Nod's assets to defend Temple Prime. While the commander held GDI forces at bay, these reinforcements showed up, and quickly eradicated the GDI presence in the area. However, Temple Prime's defenders were stunned when the 'reinforcements' ordered that Kane stand down. The commander was quickly ordered to save the base from attack, and defeated the renegade Nod troops. Kane quickly sent the commander to Australia, to salvage what he could from Kilian's forces.
After establishing a foothold in Eastern Europe and destroying a large portion of Nods vehicles in Albana, the GDI commander had reached Temple Prime several days after the battle with the renegades. Though the temple had been greatly reinforced by this time, GDI forces slowly managed to topple the massive walls of Temple Prime, destroying special Ion Cannon disruptors that were built to defend the base from space attack.
With GDI's A-SAT system back online, Director Boyle ordered Temple Prime to be wiped out in the same fashion it was in the first Tiberium War. General Granger argued against this, reminding Boyle that Liquid Tiberium was being kept in Temple Prime. Boyle overruled him, and the Ion Cannon quickly destroyed the temple. However, as Granger had feared, the Liquid Tiberium Bomb detonated spectacularly, showering most of Eastern Europe with deadly fallout. Despite millions of GDI, Nod, and civilian dead, Director Boyle quickly noted that Kane's reign of terror had finally ended.
[edit] The Scrin
[edit] Arrival
After Temple Prime's destruction, and the Liquid Tiberium disaster, GDI deep-space satellites picked up motion on the edge of the solar system. This turned out to be a fleet of non-terrestrial ships, headed for Earth at "near-relativistic" speeds. Director Boyle ordered an Ion Cannon strike with the entire network of cannons, however, the craft merely dispersed into multiple smaller craft, landing in Red Zones across the world.
[edit] Nod's Last Stand
Although Kilian Qatar had been suspected of instigating the rebellion at Temple Prime, she became the de facto leader of Nod following the destruction of Temple Prime, Kane apparently having died. Despite misgivings, she recalled all Nod personnel to Australia, an act which Ajay called "our last stand". Determined to retake Earth one continent at a time, she sent the commander, and an elite detachment of Nod forces, to hijack GDI's nuclear weapons, in transit from a base in the Outback to Sydney. Despite handily accomplishing his goal, the Commander could not rest, for as soon as the weapons were hijacked, the Scrin made planetfall in Australia. Despite heavy opposition by this strange new enemy, the weapons were secured.
Kilian Qatar had quickly joined forces with the commander of GDI's A-NZ forces against the invaders, agreeing to help them defend Sydney. This was met with anger by Ajay. Qatar revealed that she also planned to have the Commander steal the launch codes for the nuclear warheads Nod had stolen. The Commander did so, and sufficiently weakened the aliens to allow GDI to strike back. However, in the ensuing evacuation of Sydney, Nod forces covering the GDI retreat received messages from Kane. The eradication of GDI was ordered, and the Nod commander used the nuclear weapons he had obtained to wipe out Sydney.
Kane quickly ordered Qatar's capture, and the Commander, granted access to only a single Avatar and a team of Saboteurs, successfully established a foothold south of Ayers Rock. Destroying Qatar's headquarters convinced her followers to repent; and the reunified Nod quickly destroyed a GDI force sent in retaliation for Sydney.
[edit] The Destruction of Eden
At the same time, New Eden, the crowning achievement of GDI's Tiberium eradication plan, and a vital research hub, fell to the invaders. Though Munich was destroyed, the GDI commander managed to guide the researchers to safety, while discovering that sonic emitters, designed for the destruction of Tiberium, had a powerful effect on the Scrin, damaging them severely. GDI set to work retaking the destroyed region, with a GDI commando, Fullerton rallying his outnumbered troops to victory at Stuttgart.
The momentum continued, with GDI striking back at Cologne, then moving to Bern. The city had been nearly wiped out, a giant crater full of blue Tiberium having apparently drawn the invaders to the city. GDI managed to defeat several alien bases, finally retaking New Eden.
[edit] The Italian Job
GDI intelligence confirmed that unbelievably, alien attacks on major cities were merely a diversion, while the aliens' true work, the construction of giant Thresholds had gone unnoticed.
At the same time, Kane had Kilian executed, and revealed that he had intended for Temple Prime to be destroyed by an Ion Cannon. The resulting Liquid Tiberium explosion would draw the invaders to Earth, and the towers they were building were Kane's true objective.
Both GDI and Nod forces congregated in the Red Zones. Nod revealed that it had a special weapon to use against the Scrin; an altered Catalyst Missile, severely damaging to the invaders. Nod then captured a Nerve Center, gaining the codes necessary to enter the Scrin Thresholds. Then, in a well-coordinated strike with a minimum amount of forces, the Nod Commander used vastly larger GDI and Scrin armies against each other, eradicating a significant presence on what used to be the banks of the Tiber River.
However, the opportunity to seize a tower was beginning to run out for Nod, as the GDI Commander successfully destroyed one, rallying GDI forces throughout the Red Zones. As the towers fell, Nod's Commander was sent to what used to be Mediterranean Coast. He successfully managed to stop GDI's attempts to destroy that last tower, while the Scrin hastily completed it.
Meanwhile, at Ground Zero, The GDI Commander was sent on his most important mission; the destruction of the Scrin Relay Node, a structure that provided Alien forces worldwide with vitally needed radiation. Director Boyle, in hiding in Reykjavik, authorized the commander to use a Liquid Tiberium weapon, built from confiscated Nod parts, to destroy the node, however, Granger disapproved, as it would both eradicate most of Europe and set a dangerous precedent. The commander accomplished his mission. Alien units worldwide literally began to fall apart upon the destruction of the Relay Node.
[edit] The Alien Agenda?
Following the destruction of the relay node, Futuretech Labs scientists began sifting through the remnants of the aliens, in order to understand what exactly was being planned. During the investigation, the scientists began to piece together the seeming mission of the Scrin forces. While this is primarily speculation, many scientists concur.
The invasion was apparently being led by a Foreman, roughly equivalent to human military commanders. These Foremen were caught off guard by Boyle's Ion Cannon strike, and were unprepared for hostile resistance. Upon landing, the Foreman was ordered by a Supervisor to set about lashing out at civilian targets, such as London. This was to divert human forces away from the construction of the Relay Node. The intensity of these attacks increased as the Scrin were met by human resistance that they were unprepared to face. The destruction of New Eden seems to be a result of this.
Scientists speculate that along with diversionary tactics, the Foreman also tasked with investigating the Liquid Tiberium Explosion. For instance, after Temple Prime's destruction, an alien army pillaged what remained of Croatia, apparently scouring the remaining Nod forces in Eastern Europe for information about the deliberate detonation.
Finally, with GDI and Nod forces pushing deep into the Red Zones, the Scrin Foremen were in mortal danger. Apparently needing regular Tiberium infusions to stay alive, the Foreman abandoned his investigation to defend a tower. Holding off a GDI assault, the Foreman's mothership was seen departing the only completed tower shortly before Nod forces seized it.
[edit] The Aftermath
With the Scrin attack halted and Kane having disappeared yet again, a lull settles over the world. However, following past events GDI InOps are wary to pronounce Kane dead. Kane's last movements were linked with the last remaining Scrin tower in Italy, which still stands, impervious to human attack. The Scrin, too, should perhaps not be presumed utterly defeated, as the Foreman (Scrin Commander) managed to facilitate a retreat before one of the Scrin towers got destroyed. Recent work by GDI operatives has revealed that the Scrin's devastating attack on Earth may not have even been an invasion attempt, but rather a mistaken effort to 'harvest' a deserted planet. If this is true, mankind may not have seen the last of the Scrin. GDI leaders can only assure the public that Earth will not fall in the face of an alien onslaught.
For now, the future remains uncertain... Time will tell, sooner or later, time will tell...
