Vigilo Confido
is a Novelization of XCOM 2 written by Lighthearter. It begins shortly before Operation Gatecrasher, and chronicles the trials of the upstart XCOM resistance movement, shown primarily through the viewpoints of Commander Edward Gallant and Jane Kelly. However, there are many, many other perspectives, showing almost every conceivable view of the war. At the end of every chapter, the author includes an author's note that touches both on what happened in the fic and on his opinions about gameplay.
This work provides examples of:
- Ace Pilot: Firebrand, with the attitude to match.
- Action Fic, Quiet Drama Scene: Though the fic is full of action and fighting as XCOM and Advent do battle, there are quite a few moments where Gallant and others quietly sit and contemplate the odds and their decisions.
- There's an entire subplot in the first season set in Advent-controlled Paris, following a civilian going about her normal life, taking the Vichy Earth and Big Brother Is Watching aspects for granted. It brings home how different Earth has become in this future.
- The military funeral in Chapter 16.
- Action Girl: Jane Kelly is perhaps the most prominent, but Aileen Quinn, Da-Xia Liang, Elena Dragunova, Julie Richardson, and quite a few others certainly make the list.
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Everything to do with Julian.
- Answer Cut: In Chapter 15, Gallant wonders "What the hell are we even fighting for?" after losing half his field team in one op. The next scene shows Evangeline being abducted by Advent.
- Anyone Can Die: It's XCOM-based.
- Carlos Mendoza is perhaps the most notable example, having been built up to have a personal history with the Chosen and a family to avenge, only to be killed instantly by a stun lancer in Advent Strikes Back.
- Arc Words: Throughout Season Two, Gallant finds himself meditating on something his father said to him before he was crippled.Michael Gallant: "Sometimes, Edward, being in command just means you get to choose who dies."
- Ascended Extra: In the game, the "Angelis Ethereal" appears solely in the final mission to taunt the player from afar, never explicitly appearing in the flesh(although it is possible it was one of the Avatars in the final room). Here, she appears to be the Big Bad.
- Author Tract: Common in the author's notes, the most egregious example being the one for Chapter 14, where stun lancers make their first appearance. The note is literally titled "Motherf***ing STUN LANCERS" and goes on to rant about them for a while. The Rulers get a similar tract in 18.
- Battle Amongst the Flames: In Chapter 25, Jane and the Assassin handle the climactic sword duel in the burning ruins of the black site.
- Big Damn Kiss: Happens in Chapter 25 between Jane and David.
- Brainy Brunette: Lily, Jane, and Dragunova all are brunettes and none lack smarts.
- The Captain: Jane slowly grows into this over the course of the first season.
- The Chains of Commanding: A major element is Gallant struggling with his role as the resistance's "savior" despite his ailments and his mistakes.
- Character Development: As of the beginning of Season Two, Gallant is an awful lot more cheerful and sociable than he was previously, even going so far as to crack a practical joke on Shadow Man.
- Disabled Snarker: As a result of first a Career-Ending Injury and then twenty years in an alien Lotus-Eater Machine, Gallant is very bitter and very sick of everything happening around him, and veers between this and Disability as an Excuse for Jerkassery.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Gallant gets very touchy about people viewing him as a cripple.
- Everyone Can See It: As of the beginning of Season Two, Julie and Sylvie spend all their free time together, and when one is hurt the other completely loses their cool. They're only friends, just ask them.
- Exact Words: At one point when a mission is collapsing, Gallant orders Bradford to call Firebrand. Bradford argues that the team can't evac and simply leave the civvies to die. Gallant didn't want an EVAC - he wanted an air strike.
- Formula-Breaking Episode: Chapter 21 switches perspectives completely, leaving the entire main cast behind for a whole chapter structured around Zhang and his team. It happens again in 40, and after that in 45, though by that point Zhang and Fatima had received several scenes in normal chapters.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Gallant is the straightest example of this trope, being snarky at best and downright hostile at worst. But no matter what he has to say to or about anyone, when the chips come down he moves mountains for his people.
- Dragunova is abrasive and detached, but when the team returns after the first retaliation mission, she's the first one to welcome them, seeming genuinely concerned for Jane's well-being. She also shares her rare cigarettes without being prompted.
- Heroes Gone Fishing: Chapter 27 opens with Gallant, Shen, Tygan, Bradford, and Jane gathered together for... a game of Cluedo.
- Heroic Sacrifice: The straightest examples are Obsidian and Irina in the prologue, who both sacrifice themselves for Jane in one way or another.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Jane and Aileen are rarely apart and extremely close. Bradford and Gallant also have shades of this.
- Hope Spot: After Evangeline is sent to the black site she motivates herself to survive, no matter what it takes. In her next scene, she is refined.
- Knight in Sour Armor: Gallant is abrasive and coarse, with nothing good to say about much of anything, himself included. And yet, here he is, a fact he grouses about occasionally.
- Luke, You Are My Father: Bradford gets hit with this by Mariah at the beginning of Season Two.
- Mama Bear: What motivates Evangeline to survive in the black site? Realizing the aliens might go after Nathan next.
- Meaningful Name: Gallant's is obvious. So obvious, Bradford can't resist."Sir, no one questions your personal gallantry." Was that a pun? Gallant almost whacked the XO on that alone.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Bradford makes a casual reference to fistfighting a muton. He immediately clarifies that he never said he won.
- Original Character: Most of the soldiers count, but more prevalent is the oft-mentioned, never-seen Penny Ferguson, Gallant's nurse and secretary during his tenure at XCOM.
- Gallant himself counts as one of these, considering the Commander in the game has virtually no physical presence and is never named or gendered.
- Jiaying Shen, Lily's cousin, joins at the beginning of Season Two. Mariah Bradford also counts.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: The fic makes almost no effort to account for gameplay elements like turns and hit chance. Here, combat is handled realistically, equipment and upgrades that wouldn't be available until late in the game pop up much earlier, and soldiers aren't locked into certain promotions at certain levels.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: Gallant seems to have considered being tapped to command the XCOM Project as this.
- Sole Survivor: Gallant is implied to be this from his Ranger company.
- Jane is the only member of her resistance cell to make it through the first chapter. And then Gatecrasher, if you don't count Bradford.
- Shout-Out:
- The Warlock's mantra in Chapter 28:
- Bradford's sword is named "Glamdring".
- When Aileen sees Jane emerge from the burning black site and engage the Assassin, she screams "Come on, Irish! Kick her arse!"
- Dragunova scoffs that XCOM merely adopted the dark, while the Reapers were born in it.
- Bradford suggests that the Warlock may have "done a Manchurian Candidate" on Sylvie.
- Undying Loyalty: No matter what happens to make people question Gallant's leadership, Bradford never has anything negative to say about him.
- Wham Line: "Mariah Bradford...Dad."
- "You may call me Angelis."
- Wham Episode:
- Chapter 14: Mendoza is killed.
- Chapter 19: Zhang, Annette, and the Furies make their grand entrance in the nick of time.
- Chapter 27: The Avatar Project is revealed, and so is the fact that Mariah is Bradford's daughter.
- Chapter 45: Ashes and Temples
- Chapter 46: Angelis approaches Gallant in his dreams.
- You Shall Not Pass!: In Chapter 24, Menace raids the black site and rescues the still-living captives. They put them on a train to safety, and then elect to stand their ground and draw the attention of the local Advent garrison to ensure the survivors' escape.
