The Rise of Phoenix Company

Prologue

September 21st 2023
1954 Military Time
Inside of Phoenix Company HQ located in the Middle East.

Bilak would approach Shane as he was in the hospital room.

"Hey there, how is my partner holding up?" Bilak would say as he checked Shane's wound.

"You just never seem to die do you?" Shane said in a joking manner.

"Well I didn't go this far to die in some Soviet era relic. Besides, who else would lead Phoenix Company? I see that your humor wasn't damaged." Bilak responded with a smirk and a scoff.

"Well I didn't expect to get shot. You seem like you are here for a very different reason than just a visit. Come on, don't keep me guessing. What is it?"
Shane said as he sat up and looked at Bilak.

"Something is hitting me with a very familiar feeling after fighting Konni. Weren't they the group that drives us out of Verdansk?" Bilak asked.

"The name sounds familiar. I think so why?" Shane asked.

"I wanna know what we are dealing with is all. If need be I will go through old files on what we have from those operations." Bilak responded.

"Yeah, don't go too far without me tho, Doctors said I don't have too long before I am out at least within a day or two. I want to get back at them for putting me here like this." Shane said.

Bilak would grip Shane's hand in a handshake kind of way.

"Don't worry man, I will make sure I get you when I need you. But you need to stay here and rest for now. You will be of use later. But now is not the time. That understood soldier?" Bilak would say sternly to his friend as he would have a tight grip on his hand.

"Yes sir, I just wish we didn't lose so many people back then. You know just why now out of all times for them to come back as if we don't already have our hands full here." Shane said as he returned the grip and looked towards the window. He would sigh in stress as he thought about Verdansk.

Bilak would stand back and lean in the window seal.
"I don't know, but I don't like it at all. I didn't think much about it when I was on Ashika Island. When we got engaged by them I thought that they were maybe AQ or Shadow Company, but when they spoke Russian, something didn't feel right. Now I know why."

"Think they know that we were involved?" Shane asked.

"From the Intel I have gathered, all they know is Shadow Company's involvement in the facility raid. Our involvement was only known to Shepard and Graves. So for now we are safe." Bilak answered.

"Well that's some good news finally, after all the stuff that went wrong for the past year." Shane said.

"Well Shane, I will let you rest on that good news and hope to see you well rested tomorrow when you get released. We have work to do. Rest well Shane." Bilak said as he exited the room.

A short time later

Bilak would look through the files in his desk and pull out folders full of reports and intel from Verdansk.
The first folder was of one of the first operations Phoenix Company had ever done alongside the Armistice.

The name on the folder in black pen on the folder: Operation Headhunter