

Time is running short, as GDI scientist Dr.

Tratos' death was a major blow to GDI, as it not only severely damaged the relationship between GDI and the mutants, but also rendered them unable to translate the Tacitus. As GDI forces scrambled to restore order in multiple sectors, Nod forces assassinated Tratos on CABAL's orders. In order to reunite the Brotherhood, Nod recovered CABAL from GDI and threw their forces into disarray by luring Tiberian creatures to attack their civilian settlements. The taskforce successfully recovered the Tacitus from the Kodiak's wreckage.

In response, General Paul Cortez at Southern Cross assumed command of global GDI forces and formed the Firestorm Taskforce. However, as GDI forces were transporting the Tacitus to Tratos' compound for translation via the Kodiak, a massive ion storm caused the Kodiak to crash and cut off GDI forces worldwide from their headquarters, the space station Philadelphia. Tratos believed that the solution to Tiberium could be found in the Tacitus, the alien data matrix vital to Kane's plan. To make matters worse, the mutant antigen developed by Tratos and tested on Umagon turned out to be a failure, and the latter was driven insane by her mutation. Meanwhile, even though the Global Defense Initiative has won the war against Nod, they were losing the war against Tiberium, which continued to spread unchecked, poisoning the Earth. With the apparent death of Kane, the Brotherhood of Nod fractured as the generals of the Inner Circle each vied for power and Anton Slavik, Kane's right-hand man, struggled to maintain control.
