Such Is the Nature of Revenge

"Such Is The Nature Of Revenge" is the 15th mission and last level of the award-winning video game The Operative: No One Lives Forever. As the fourth and final installment of the "Alpine Quartet", it concludes the quest to find the list of H.A.R.M.'s intended victims and resolves all other unanswered questions that were raised throughout the game. The Game of the Year Edition features a bonus level entitled Rest and Relaxation, which takes place a few days after the events of this level and features a story-line of its own.

Briefing
You've escaped with the list.

The Baroness has escaped, but it's only a matter of time before she's brought to justice.

Volkov and Baron Dumas are dead.

''Meanwhile, Armstrong has vanished but it seems unlikely that you will have anything to fear from him. All that is left is to report the good news to Command.''

Scene 1
Making it back to town, Cate Archer contacts Mr. Jones through a payphone about her retrieving the list. She is suddenly beset by Baroness Dumas who tries to kill her, but is too slow for Archer. Thereupon, the Baroness states that H.A.R.M will persist even with her death, and reveals that she has infected herself, threatening to blow at any minute. Archer then rushes through the village to get civilians off the streets, taking out a pack of H.A.R.M soldiers in the process. Once everyone has taken shelter, the Baroness only makes a small explosion, with Archer indifferently pitying her death.

Scene 2
Following her great success, Archer reports back to the briefing room, having just made a toast with Mr. Jones. Even Mr. Smith admits that he was wrong in how he viewed Archer's capacity to accomplish her missions. Mr Jones wishes to send Archer on a vacation, but is reluctant due to UNITY's disadvantaged state. She agrees anyway, and they all reflect on how they resolved the crisis before they leave.

The next morning, Archer visits Bruno Lawrie's grave, only to be startled by Tom Goodman, whom she believed to be dead. He tells her he was working for H.A.R.M. in the hopes of making a greater profit, which he will now never receive due to Archer's interference. She fruitlessly attempts to make Tom recognize what he has done, culminating in a brutal gunfight between the two agents.

In the end, Archer is able to defeat Goodman and orders him to drop his gun. Without warning, he is shot by Mr. Smith, falling into a freshly-dug grave. Smith then points his gun at Archer but is shot by Mr. Jones, who states that Mr. Smith was the traitor who sold out UNITY. She is taken by surprise again when Lawrie shows up, which Smith uses as his chance to kill Archer for good. Nonetheless, he is too slow, and is felled by her hand instead. Lawrie immediately reveals that he faked his own death in order to uncover Smithy's treacherous activities in secret.

Lawrie goes on to explain the events of the last several days: Troubled and humiliated by his resignation from the field, Mr. Smith schemed to ruin Mr. Jones' reputation, taking over UNITY for himself. To achieve this goal, he hired Melvin Blitzny, a former Vacuum Cleaner salesman from Akron Ohio, to impersonate UNITY agent Tom Goodman for whom he had laid a deadly trap in Amsterdam. He then chose H.A.R.M as his benefactor to engineer an international incident that would drastically weaken UNITY enough for them to surrender. Every mission that Archer was sent on was a trap meant to kill her, with Blitzny's scuttling of the freighter being only one such attempt. Smith could not be properly convicted until Lawrie found the necessary evidence, most of which Archer had uncovered through her struggles and efforts. The last piece of proof was the puppet that he picked up in Smith's apartment.

Archer, while relieved that the incident has been resolved, is also enraged that Lawrie deceived her thusly. Her irritation comes to a head when she learns that Lawrie was discretely watching her pay respects at his always-empty grave, compelling her to chase him around the graveyard.
 * End credits roll

Final Cutscene
Meanwhile, in an unspecified location, Dmitrij Volkov (who is very much alive) informs someone of "bad news". The Director replies that he is "already aware of the situation" and that they'll just "have to do better next time, won't we".

Scene 1
Crouch and shoot very fast at Baroness. There are good and bad news: she turned out to have little health and that she's gonna explode! Kill the enemy on balcony, left to the payphone, there are letter on the ground and ammo box. Then run forward and to the left, go to pub and take film roll on the table. Go to the next part, kill the enemy on balcony. Go forward and warn a girl by corner, take Hampton MPL 9mm SMG. Turn back, go through tunnel. Go to left, after that kill two thugs in the fourth part. While doing so, don't forget to interact with civillians to warn them.

Scene 2
As the boss battle starts, Tom will run for the farthest row of gravestones before opening fire. There is an ammunition box to the right of the player behind the monument where the player starts. Tom will constantly alternate between gravestones, along with a tree, attacking with cyanide-tipped bullets each time. Unless the player leaves their position, Goodman will stick to the aforementioned row, trying to deal damage. If the player is brave enough to step out, they can switch covering positions for a clearer view or lure Goodman over, as well as to gather the last intelligence items and gear in this level.

Memorable quotes
Baroness Dumas: "Know this, little girl. H.A.R.M. does not die with me."

(after the explosion)

Cate Archer: "Poor pathetic creature."

Mr. Jones: "Saving the world is our job, you see. If we do it properly, nobody even knows the world was in jeopardy to begin with. Not a lot of fanfare, I suppose. Just the satisfaction of a job well done."

References from the end credits

 * The Operative: No One Lives Forever End Credits

Trivia

 * The map used for Scene 1 is the exact same location as Alpine Intrigue Scene 1, only now the plot takes place during the day, and the level begins at the end point, working its way back to the start.
 * Although usually impossible to talk to once frightened by a weapon, the civilians in Scene 1 will instantly listen to the player when warned to get inside. This is unlike Dr. Schenker, whom can be interacted with at all times.
 * While the Baron exploded strongly enough to destroy an entire chateau and, before that, the banker in Shilling's going off flattened an entire block of houses, the Baroness in Scene 1 seems to create a blast that barely licks the walls around her when the player succeeds.
 * Regardless, failing to get all the people inside shows Cate looking on into blinding light as the Baroness blows up, implying that the resulting explosion was huge.
 * Using either the Stun Gas or Sleeping Gas on the Baroness (not recommended) will result in glitches for the subsequent cut scene. The Sleeping Gas will cause the Baroness to detonate immediately, whereas the Stun Gas will cause her to run away, forcing the player to skip the cutscene in order to proceed.
 * In the original NOLF version, choosing to Select equipment allows Archer to bring her own Petri .38 Airweight Revolver with custom ammo for usage in Scene 1. In the GOTY version, Select Equipment option only allows choosing wearable gadgets, so Archer is stuck with a default Revolver's FMJ ammo.
 * Shooting the Baroness as she prepares to explode has no effect on her (except for some blood loss if blood-mode is switched on). However, when Archer herself threatens to explode in The Indomitable Cate Archer Scene 3, she is vulnerable to enemy fire and can be killed without the reagent taking effect.
 * Most missions are failed if three or more civilians are killed by enemy fire, but, in the case of Scene 1, the mission is failed on any deaths by enemy fire.
 * The graveyard in Scene 2 is riddled with Intelligence items, ammo boxes and even Antitoxin. The antitoxin is especially useful as Tom uses cyanide-tipped bullets.
 * The flower Cate left by Bruno's grave back in Requiem for a Spy is missing.
 * Tom Goodman/Melvin Blitzny is the only character whose expression changes in the game. Here he is angry while in every other level he is always smiling.
 * An intelligence item from H.A.R.M. found in the graveyard reveals that Melvin Blitzny was known as Agent 4809 and that he had located a complete CT-180 Utility Launcher.
 * This is the first scene where Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith are seen outside of the war room.
 * It is strange that the higher-ups of UNITY would be watching, from walking distance, their agents shooting at each other, and interfere with the proceedings that follow. Then again, they may have planned in advance to meet their respective agents at the cemetery.
 * If the final cut scene is skipped, the game cuts straight to the mission report/main menu screen. One has to patiently wait through the entire credits to see the final cut scene between Volkov and The Director.