NationStates Jolt Archive

In recent months, the region known as the Black Marsh has been located, and some interior areas have been designated as suitable for colonization. Driddain Inc., a large multinational corporation, has started to send survey teams into the marsh, in hopes of locating metal deposits. Some of these survey teams haven't returned. Those that do bring tales of strange creatures attacking without warning, seemingly from nowhere. None of these creatures has been killed or caught, scientific study is impossible without a body. Driddain Inc. is still giving out survey grants and selling land rights. Claiming the plots for your own won't be as simple.

OOC: This is a semi-introductory RP for this nation, it's also a bit of an exploration RP. There will be some contact with unknown races. I'd like the tech level to be kept modern, no laser guns and gauss weapons, etc. Your survey team/colonists can carry any modern weapon that such a group might carry. Remeber, you aren't expecting to enter combat, so no lugging of .50 HMG's through the marshes and bogs by an egghead team. Your team is allowed access to vehicles, like unarmed Humvee's, ATV's, mountain bikes, that kinda thing. The enviroment is tropical, lots of rain and standing water. There are lots of tall trees and a few open clearings, some large enough to house a small base camp. Various types of metals, both real and 'fantasy' are common in the deeper parts of the marsh, like mithrill and steel. Adamantium is rumored to be in the deepest parts of the marsh, as well as other types yet to be discovered. Uranium and coal are also present.

OOC: Driddain is one of my puppets. It's a big corporate nation. Seriously, this might actually be fun.

OOC: Could you give us some sort of opening? Like a request for services?

And, remember me? :)

OOC: Can I have a character join up with another nation. Character is a nurse and wants to join up. Any nation willing to have her join in this expedition?

OOC: OK.

IC:

A large, garishly decorated annoucement crosses the TV screens of national leaders across NS Earth.

A very snazzy-sounding male voice floats across the airwaves.

"Tired of your urban surroundings? Your nation out of resources? Then try the Black Marsh!"

The screen shows a beautiful scene shot in Florida, of a Carribien-blue lagoon with swaying palmtrees.

"The Black Marsh is uninhabited, making it a great place for that new factory! Driddain Inc. is selling landgrants and mining rights! Yes that's right, they're letting YOU have all the fun! Just contact them at 2-900-MARSH. That's 2-900-M-A-R-S-H!"

The screen pans back to the same peaceful scene, with the swaying palms.

OOC: How's that for an interlude?

OOC: Just fine.
IC:

Hmm, that could be such a deal. There has to be a catch.

Master Ensor walks over to the phone, purple robe flowing behind him.

Let's see, nine for an outside line, fourteen for international call, and 2-900-MARSH....

He dials appropriately.

"Hi, sexy."

He slams the phone back down.

Confounded phones. They rewire the whole building, but no.....

The next time he gets it however, and it talking to someone who might know what they are talking about.

"Hello, how might I purchase the land advertised in the ad? And what's the catch?"

*click*

The palm trees faded into oblivion as the television clicked off, blackness filling the flat screen. A tall man, clad in an expensive looking black suit turned away from the now-dead television, straightening up as he did so. Reaching over, he pressed a button on his desk, smiling as an intercom buzzed to life.

"Marsha? Get me the head of field operations please," spoke the man in an oily voice.

-Two hours later-

"What the hell? 'The Black Marsh?'" muttered a tall man wearing a baseball cap as he walked down a warehouse corridor packed with equipment. Vehicles sat under supply tarps and thousands of metal boxes lay stacked on tall shelves. "I'm supposed to have a team outfitted in under twelve hours?"

His companion, a shorter balding man in a cheap suit only smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "What the boss says, we do. That's the way it works in a corporation."

The baseball-capped man shook his head as he slammed down the trunk of a green Land Rover. "Well if that's what the boss wants, we'll be bound for the Black Marsh in seven hours."

"Read me the checklist."

The baseball capped man groaned and called up a display on a portable datapad, reading as the two men walked. "Inflatable tents, water recycling unit, several thousand pounds of preserved food, battery powered generator, surveying equipment, GPS locator, communications boom, three Land Rovers, five inflatable boats, two ATV's, first aid equipment...."

"Thank you, that'll be quite enough," said the short man, cutting the speaker off with a waves of his hand. "And your current timeline is?"

"Projected departure in seven hours."

"I'll inform the office of the timeline," said the shorter man as he moved away. Stopping dead in his tracks, he said without turning around, "And you have the proper...defensive measures right?"

"Yeah we've got them," spoke the man in the cap. With only a nod to acknowledge he'd heard, the balding man left. Muttering to himself, the figure in the cap opened up a long plastic case, muttering, "Why do we have to bring these along?" He reached down, running his fingers over something in the case before turning away to check on the supplies.

Inside the case, light gleamed off several metal M16-A2 assault rifles....

OOC: AmandaTheGreat, I'd be glad to have your character join up with the expedition in the next writing.

OOC: Can I join? if so he is the post

IC: John Cadbury gased into the Television, he knew there had to be some sort of catch, but still, that palm tree looked pretty good.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number

After a long talk with a man that sounded like he had just been injected with morphine (No person should be so happy) he had just been granted permission to send a samll group of scientists to survey the area.

Meanwhile at a middle-class apartment, Hector Grught was called, it was his boss.

"Hector how would you like to put in a little field work for the company"

"Sounds good to me, where is it and what is the pay?" asked Hector

'The Balck Marsh, and if the area is worthwhile, we might sell the permits to several interested mining companies, which means you could get up to half a million Incas!"

"Whoa." said Hector, temporarily phased "Alright, I'l do it"

"Excellent, be at the Main Building of the Department of Sciences in half an hour, you will be given supplies and two interns to work with"

"Great, Interns" Hector muttered to himself as he hung up the phone

Carrie Latre turned the TV off. She was tired of the same old same old commercials. She stretched and walked to the window. It was raining. The sky was a dim gray and the rain splashed with a force that it bounced. She frowned. She loved the rain, but this was just depressing. The phone rang.
"Hello, is this Miss Lat...re?"
Carrie smiled. "Yes, this is."
There was a slight pause,"Where you just watching TV?"
"Ummm...yes," sounding a bit annoyed.
"Did you see the commercial about the Black Marsh?"
"Sure did, please just get to the point I have things to do." She was losing her patient.
"Well, we were wondering if you would help us with your expertise? We heard that you have been to various thrid world nations and have assisted them."
Cutting the person on the other line off,"Yes, I have, but you want me to go there?"
"Well, yes we would appreciate that. We would like to have you in the airport and ready for take off in five hours. Would you be prepared enough for that?"
"I have a few questions to.."
Cutting her off quickly, "We understand that, but we will inform you more on the trip. We need you assistance though."
Carrie had troubles saying no. She sighed. I need to get a backbone. "Sure."
"Okay, we have your ticket at the airport. Someone will be waiting for you and will tell you more later. Thank you and good day." The line was cut after that. She hung the phone up and began to pack. She walked to her car and drove to the airport. It was strange that these people would know what she looked like.
She had vibrant red hair that went to the small of her back, which is normally pulled back in a ponytail. Her face is oval and pale, but creamy and dominant checkbones. Her lips are full and pouty. Her eyes were the colour of emerald. She stood at a mere five feet five. Her legs were long and slim, but tone. Her overall body was fit and tone. She was a nurse who worked in various floors when needed. Her job description went from OB to ER and ICU. She had previously returned from Kosovo working with the local nurses to provide a clean environment. She is 28 years old and single, even though she looks like she is in the early years of 20s.
She stood by the ticket office waiting for further instruction. She was wearing like khaki pants and loose blouse. She carried a small, black, leather breifcase. Also, their were two bags. One contained clothes. The other consisted of books for references, supplies, and neccessities. She packed as lightly as she could granted her supplies took up the majority.
OOC: Waiting for your person now.

A small Neralli airship departs from the Home Fleet, bound for the Black Marsh, following a near-unanimous vote to check out this new area...and the truth of the commercial. First Speaker was not pleased by the interruption of Junkyard Wars for such garbage....
(OOC: Nor could you blame him, really. It's something of a national pastime to the Neralli. At any rate...small village, arriving later than the other teams and unannounced...we'll see what comes of this, ne?)
-------------
What you need to know about Neralli (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=91505)

"Yes boss, I see her now....no boss, no I won't mess it up like I did the last assignment! What? Hello? You're breaking up boss," spoke the young man as he hung up, feigning cellular difficulty. Slipping the cell into the pocket of his Saville Row dress shirt, he turned away from the ticket counter.

An employee of the South Dalanian based corporation, Primestar, Daniel Lee had been sent by his superiors to meet and greet an important business representative that his corporation had invited on an expedition. The woman his bosses had selected for the job had been screened by several different departments...Diplomatic, Personnel, Field Operations, Analysis...and all their conclusions had come back postive. Out of a number of candidates this one woman's name had come to the top of the list again and again. A woman by the name of Carrie Latre.

It wasn't like he was just a desk jockey sent to do the company's dirty work....he was a proven team field leader, having done fieldwork in three different locations over the past two years. He was used to being down in the dirt with his teammates, something which had no doubt been appealing to the bosses when they assigned him.

He'd tried to look presentable for the meeting, after all, he wanted to look his best...put up a good front for the company and all that crap. So he'd shaved, neatly gelled his hair into the short forward facing spikes he walways wore and had worn one of the nicer suits he had. His Asian features and chiseled face stood out above the collar and he shifted nervously from foot to foot, worry stamped on his features.

Seeing the woman enter the terminal and look around, he hurried across the polished marble flooring, hearing his shoes click on the hard surface. As she turned to face him, he smiled and extended his hand out to her. "Hi, I'm Daniel Lee of Primestar. My bosses sent me to welcome you to our expedition."

"I didn't think she'd be so good looking though," he thought to himself.

OOC: waiting for your response

'Man, have I missed this place...' The mercenary, Dekker Bray, thought to himself as he gazed out into the wild and untamed country. He was equipped decently, with his trusty AMT 1911A1 Hardballer, M4 assault carbine, and his survival knife. Jungle-pattern BDU's complete with hat and special boots allowed him to blend in to an extent. He waited in the Driddain Inc. basecamp for some egghead party to arrive, and offer him a fee. He knew what was out there, he'd traveled the swamps a few times, but he wasn't about to deprive himself of a paycheck, so he'd keep that info to himself.

OOC: Old friend of WA, asked me to bring Dekker into this, somehow.

The Driddain Inc. basecamp was a place of ceaseless activity, military guards running about the place, making sure the defensive measures were in place. Scientists scuttled about, fawning over plant samples and micro-organisums. Prefab buildings and various military structures were neatly lain out in the large clearing.

Facilities:
Research Post
Inventory Post (Store)
Armory
Motorpool
Barracks
Laboratory
Holding Cells
Brig
Front Gate
Rear Gate
Driddain Inc. Corporate Administration Office

OOC: For more adventerous teams, you can try to capture one of the locals. Driddish scientists are chomping at the bit to study them. You can purchase Driddish equipment from these stores, and rent Driddish vehicles. If it's one thing the Driddish do well it's make cars and guns.
This is WA, as my powerful corporate-nation puppet. The actual WA won't respond until teams enter the Marsh.

OOC: Was someone going to talk to my guy on the phone? :P

OOC: I'm leaving that up to you. Just get to the Marsh, then the fun stuff will start.

OOC: I'm leaving that up to you. Just get to the Marsh, then the fun stuff will start.

OOC: Okay.
IC:

"No catch?"

That's not possible, but I'll just see about that.

Ensor writes out the order to take several military officers to secure the location for mining and property identification. They arrive at base camp some time later.

"You know, the lack of supplies we have disturbs me."

"What on Earth do we need them for? We go in, they sign the papers, and we are out, and Agracultured takes over. This isn't hard."

"Okay..."

They arrive at the gates, decked out on full military garb.

"Captain Sqee and Major Bennett reporting; we are to claim this plot of land, deep in the Marsh. Is this acceptable to you?"

He holds a map forward, with the appropriate parts marked off.

The small twin engined turbo-prop landed with a bump, filling the air with a cloud of dust from the landing strip. As the pilot powered down the two turbines, the rear cargo doors slid open, disgorging a crew of about ten men, who proceeded to remove a number of plastic and metal cases stamped with a strange logo and the word, "Primestar."

Stephen Cheung removed his broadbrimmed canvas hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The temperature was a little hot today, somewhere in the middle 90's and the turbo prop hadn't had any AC in it. He felt a little guilty for being so dependent on technology, but hey, he was a geophysicist, not a commando and he'd spent the last three years doing lab research instead of fieldwork.

He'd been put in charge of the first team, which would arrive and set up base camp before the main team arrived tomorrow, led by Daniel Lee, one of Primestar's experienced field leaders. However, even Lee didn't know the terrain around here and so Cheung had been authorized to find a guide. Field Operations had given him a name of a guy who operated down here, a rough character who knew the terrain and could get around in it. He didn't come cheaply, so Primestar had given him access to a credit bank account with a nearly unlimited ceiling. However, it was understood that the more he had to spend, the more trouble he'd be in when he got back.

Spotting a rugged character leaning against a nearby building wearing jungle pattern BDU's, Stephen rushed over towards him, asking, "Are you by any chance, Dekker Bray?"

OOC: I'm leaving that up to you. Just get to the Marsh, then the fun stuff will start.

OOC: Okay.
IC:

"No catch?"

That's not possible, but I'll just see about that.

Ensor writes out the order to take several military officers to secure the location for mining and property identification. They arrive at base camp some time later.

"You know, the lack of supplies we have disturbs me."

"What on Earth do we need them for? We go in, they sign the papers, and we are out, and Agracultured takes over. This isn't hard."

"Okay..."

They arrive at the gates, decked out on full military garb.

"Captain Sqee and Major Bennett reporting; we are to claim this plot of land, deep in the Marsh. Is this acceptable to you?"

He holds a map forward, with the appropriate parts marked off.

Seven Driddish MP's surround them, keeping hands near their Driddish made Puma .38 caliber semi-automatics.

"HALT! Sir, there are no military personnel beyond this point, unless they represent a nation allied with the Republic. I am afraid your troops will need to wait in the base camp."

The MP is dressed in red and black, with a scorpion's tail logo on his helmet and right shoulder.

The small twin engined turbo-prop landed with a bump, filling the air with a cloud of dust from the landing strip. As the pilot powered down the two turbines, the rear cargo doors slid open, disgorging a crew of about ten men, who proceeded to remove a number of plastic and metal cases stamped with a strange logo and the word, "Primestar."

Stephen Cheung removed his broadbrimmed canvas hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The temperature was a little hot today, somewhere in the middle 90's and the turbo prop hadn't had any AC in it. He felt a little guilty for being so dependent on technology, but hey, he was a geophysicist, not a commando and he'd spent the last three years doing lab research instead of fieldwork.

He'd been put in charge of the first team, which would arrive and set up base camp before the main team arrived tomorrow, led by Daniel Lee, one of Primestar's experienced field leaders. However, even Lee didn't know the terrain around here and so Cheung had been authorized to find a guide. Field Operations had given him a name of a guy who operated down here, a rough character who knew the terrain and could get around in it. He didn't come cheaply, so Primestar had given him access to a credit bank account with a nearly unlimited ceiling. However, it was understood that the more he had to spend, the more trouble he'd be in when he got back.

Spotting a rugged character leaning against a nearby building wearing jungle pattern BDU's, Stephen rushed over towards him, asking, "Are you by any chance, Dekker Bray?"

Dekker picks up his M4, fixing the man in his cold blue gaze.

"Depends. You gonna make it worth my time?"

Dekker was going to have some fun with this one, he was sure of that. This fella belonged behind a desk, or in a lab coat. Either way, he needed to be far, far away from the Marsh. Still, he probably had money, and money was good.

Cheung flinched under the man's cold icy stare. "Geeze, this guy really is intimidating," thought Cheung as he looked over the rugged figure in front of him.

"Ah yes. Well I represent a fairly large corporation....a...err...mining company in essence...and we'd like you to help guide our expedition into the field," stammered Cheung in a nervous tone. "Ah..as for money, my company has authorized me to inform you that the price begins at 200,000 dollars and has a cap of 600-800,000. Of course...that can be negotiated," stammered the nervous looking man as he wiped another layer of sweat from his forehead.

Dekker almost smiled. This was going to be easy.

"Running rate for a merc of my caliber is seven hundred grand, USD. For that, I'll take you in, walk you around for a while, and bring you back out again. Wheter you walk out or get carried out, is going to be based on your choices while you're in there. One other thing: Anybody else besides you going on this little picnic? No extra charge, but it helps to know how many folks I have to account for."

Dekker stretches, his barrel chest pulling the cloth of the BDU shirt taunt. He'd been standing around longer than he liked. That was the price he paid for a contract, if he went out into the Marsh, he'd miss a client and his fee would get cut, something he didn't want, nor could he afford, at the moment.

Cheung stammered. "Ah...well there is another party coming in that will be going with us...and..."

A hand came down on his shoulder and Cheung almost screamed in terror. Turning, he sighed in relief when he saw it was only Lee. "Dammit! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Lee grinned. "I see you managed to find our contact. Go lie down, Cheung. I'll take over from here."

Having changed into rip-stop khaki jungle fatigues, a boonie hat and combat webbing, Lee appeared far more suited to handle the terrain than Cheung was. In addition, he also carried an M16-A2 assault rifle slung over his right shoulder.

"Total party should be about 15-20," spoke Lee calmly and quietly. "I hope that's not a problem for you."

OOC: I will be signing off to sleep soon, so any new responses from me will come tomorrow. I'm on PST. Sorry for any inconvenience ^^;;

Dekker chuckled. The fella wasn't going to last long out here, if such a small thing could freak him out.

"Now who are you? Twitchy's already got my rate. Maybe you can tell me what you're looking for, I'm a merc, not a surveyor."

Again, Dekker fixes the man in his icy blue glare, his personal test of character.

OOC: Hell, I'm on EST, and it's 2:40 AM here. The joys of the weekends...

OOC: Ah the hell with it, RP now, sleep later.

Lee grinned. "This guy is real savvy," he thought to himself. "We're part of a mining consortium known as Primestar. We mostly supply materials to companies producing electronics...you know, raw materials and stuff like that. The twitchy nervous guy you just met is Stephen Cheung. He's a brilliant geophysicist, unfortunately for him, he's afraid of his own shadow. That's what you get when you spend years working in labs."

Lee noticed that the cold blue eyes were still fixed on him. "You're probably wondering if I'm like Cheung, if I'm one of those pansy lab rats," he said with a grin. "I'm not a merc like you...but I have done field work. I was with a tin survery party in the equatorial jungle, worked an oil field in the desert and took core samples in the Arctic. Not all of that was peaceful either," he said, tapping the receiver of the M16. "I've gotten my share of wounds too, unlike Cheung."

OOC: Actually being booted off now...key strokes woke my dad up (light sleeper) so now I'm being kicked off...the joys of being 17 eh? Sorry man ><. I'll be back tomorrow to continue the trek.

OOC: Aight.

IC:
'Finally, this fella might actually last.' Least he's been shot once or twice, it built character in Dekker's opinion.

"That didn't answer my question. I want to know where to take your team, exact locations, equipment limitations, that kinda thing. It ain't a friendly jungle, and the natives are a helluva lot worse. If disease doesn't ya, it's pretty likely they will. Not with me riding along, I know a few of 'em pretty well, they respect my skill in unarmed combat, and my skill with a knife. They don't like vehicles an' guns, think they're too noisy. You'll find out soon enough."

Twenty people would be difficult to protect on his own, he hoped some of them could actually use their weapons. Hell, he'd make a mental note for some target practice on some of the local game.

Seven Driddish MP's surround them, keeping hands near their Driddish made Puma .38 caliber semi-automatics.

"HALT! Sir, there are no military personnel beyond this point, unless they represent a nation allied with the Republic. I am afraid your troops will need to wait in the base camp."

The MP is dressed in red and black, with a scorpion's tail logo on his helmet and right shoulder.

OOC: Remember, it's just the two Officers.
IC:


They were a bit taken aback by this comment. They were not used to being treated his way.

"Sir? We are unarmed. We came here to negotiate these terms. If we were hostile, we'd have come with many more men. Please let us in."

The Captain shifted with some nervousness. Both he and the Major were used to more respect.

Lee set his pack down on the ground, reaching in to retrieve a GPS unit. Thumbing the unit on, he deftly moved the cursor to display the exact coordinate grids, showing the location to the tall mercenary.

"We've got enough food to last a good two to three weeks as well as three water recycling units originally designed for space operations. Basic necessities shouldn't be a problem. In communications, we're running a thirteen foot extendable satellite linkup along with a GPS location device, which will keep us on track. Defensive weapons include fifteen M16-A2's and a number of automated machine pistols set on tripods. Ammunition is 5.56mm. Shelter will be provided via inflatable tents which are constructed of silver nylon."

Lee looked up from his datapad. "Is that information sufficient?"

OOC: Oh boy! I missed a lot. Well, sorry when I get time to go out I do. Went to a few parties and then about 4 in the morning the fog was real bad so I wasn't able to get back here till now. Sorry. I will have to speed things up a bit.
IC: Carrie smiled and grabbed his hand to shake it. "Nice to meet you Lee. I am curious as to what exactly we will be doing over there. The phone call I got was not very thorough on information and they said you would be giving me more." She began to walk over to the counter and she grabbed her bags. "Hello, my name is Carrie Latre. I need to get my..."
The receptionist smiled,"So, you are the one we were waiting for. Here you go mam and have a safe trip and good luck." The ticket was handed to Carrie. Carrie gathered up her things again and began to walk to the terminal. "Are you coming? Fill me in on the way, please."

Seven Driddish MP's surround them, keeping hands near their Driddish made Puma .38 caliber semi-automatics.

"HALT! Sir, there are no military personnel beyond this point, unless they represent a nation allied with the Republic. I am afraid your troops will need to wait in the base camp."

The MP is dressed in red and black, with a scorpion's tail logo on his helmet and right shoulder.

OOC: Remember, it's just the two Officers.
IC:


They were a bit taken aback by this comment. They were not used to being treated his way.

"Sir? We are unarmed. We came here to negotiate these terms. If we were hostile, we'd have come with many more men. Please let us in."

The Captain shifted with some nervousness. Both he and the Major were used to more respect.


The MP doesn't move.

"We will relieve you of your weapons for the time being. When we are sure about your purpose and identity, they will be returned to you."

Two MP's remove any weapons from the vehicle, placing them in a footlocker for safekeeping. The guards in the towers on either side of the gate lower their Arachnid PMG's, Driddain's best selling CQB weapon, and let the Imnsvale personnel through.

OOC: A PMG can be purchased from the Armory. PMG=(P)ersonal (M)ini(G)un. Jackal 14mm SMG's and Puma .38's are also for sale.

Lee set his pack down on the ground, reaching in to retrieve a GPS unit. Thumbing the unit on, he deftly moved the cursor to display the exact coordinate grids, showing the location to the tall mercenary.

"We've got enough food to last a good two to three weeks as well as three water recycling units originally designed for space operations. Basic necessities shouldn't be a problem. In communications, we're running a thirteen foot extendable satellite linkup along with a GPS location device, which will keep us on track. Defensive weapons include fifteen M16-A2's and a number of automated machine pistols set on tripods. Ammunition is 5.56mm. Shelter will be provided via inflatable tents which are constructed of silver nylon."

Lee looked up from his datapad. "Is that information sufficient?"

Dekker sets his M4 down, leaning it against the building.

"I've got my own stuff for that kinda thing, and there's plently of water out there. You might wanna rethink that tent color, though. Just throw some camo netting over them and I think it'll work. By the way, how well can your boys an' girls shoot? The locals can locate you if you fire off too many rounds. We're also gonna need a medic."

The MP doesn't move.

"We will relieve you of your weapons for the time being. When we are sure about your purpose and identity, they will be returned to you."

Two MP's remove any weapons from the vehicle, placing them in a footlocker for safekeeping. The guards in the towers on either side of the gate lower their Arachnid PMG's, Driddain's best selling CQB weapon, and let the Imnsvale personnel through.

OOC: A PMG can be purchased from the Armory. PMG=(P)ersonal (M)ini(G)un. Jackal 14mm SMG's and Puma .38's are also for sale.

OOC: They don't have weapons at all, they aren't staying. :) It'll be the Agracultured prospectors who get in trouble.
IC:

"I'd be curious as to what you consider weapons. Wold you like us to remove our pens from our uniforms? They could be used as stabbing instruments!"

"CAPTAIN!"

"Sir?"

"You will remain silent."

The Captain nodded.

"Sir, where might I discuss the terms of our purchase from your government?"

The Major shifted again. All these people with weapons, something wasn't right. He resisted the urge to fidget with his insignia.

OOC: I figured they'd at least have sidearms.

IC:

A guard patrolling atop the outer wall sees something rustling in the bushes. As he leans over the wall a bit for something of a closer look, and arrow thuds into his chest with enough force to knock him off of the wall. He lands with a crash below his post, the chitin arrow lodged in the composite shock plate that was standard issue in all Driddish combat vests.

"We're under attack!"

The PMG-wielding tower guards rake the underbrush with 9mm rounds, and the MP's draw their Puma's, pulling the Imnsvale troops into the base camp. As the gunsmoke settles, the attacked guard is admitted to the field hospital with internal injuries from his twelve-foot fall. No bodies are found, the strange arrow is all that remains.

Some time after the confusion, a catamaran-hulled Neralli airship sails overhead...completely bypassing the Driddain base camp.
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What you need to know about Neralli (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=91505)

OOC: No reason to. Although they would have been nice... ;)
IC:

God damn it. I just wanted to come here, buy the land, and hand it over to Agracultured....

"Is everyone okay?"

(OOC: This section of the post is prior to Lee talking to Dekker)

The flight had taken the better part of ten hours, but Lee had managed to grab some sleep as the big 747 had flown on. He'd managed to bring Carrie up to speed on the situation, informing her about the nature of the minerals they'd be searching for, team members...that short of thing. She'd also been informed of the nature of the medical supplies being carried by the party and what her duties would be in the nature of a medical emergency. She'd picked it all up quickly, something that, no doubt was attributed to her years as a nurse in Kosovo.

As the jet approached its final descent into the area, Lee moved to a nearby locker and removed a bundle of company-issue clothes which consisted of a black belt, khaki green shorts, a white t-shirt, a green button-down shirt and a broadbrimmed bush hat. On top of the pile was a holstered Glock .9mm handgun. Handing the young nurse the pile of clothes, Lee said, "Here. You might want to change into these before landing, the climate's a little warm where we're going, plus the color scheme will help you blend in. The handgun is optional...we might not need it...but you never know."

Standing up, the young agent moved towards the back of the plane to give the young woman some privacy, as well as to change into his own gear; camoflage rip-stop fatigues and a khaki green ammunition bandolier. If his last trip in the jungle was anything to go by, the camoflage would come in VERY handy.

(OOC: This next part is responding to Dekker's question)

Lee chuckled softly. "You really know your stuff," he said with a large grin. "The nylon tents themselves are camoflage painted...rip stop greens and browns I believe. In addition to the analysts and geophysicists, we've got several of Primestar's security best. Top of the class in terms of rifle and handgun accuracy and they've received survival training from a number of private mercenary concerns. We should be able to handle what comes our way out there."

The roar of twin jet-like engines fill the sky at afterburn, then lul into a quiet hum. A pair of creatures in mechanized and heavilly armed body armor land quietly at the base camp. Two logos are emblazened in the right arms. One of the Empire of Draconic States, the other of Dragon Corp, the largest multinational corporation in the Empire.. responsible for the entirity of the Imperial Military Equipment Market.

"Greetings from Dragon Corp International." One of the suits states through a translators to an MP. "I'm Security Officer Granx. I'm a X-290 cybernetic construct. We were notified you are distributing land plots to those willing to colonize them. We're looking for a suitable location for an additional X-50 Heavy Tank Manufacturing faciility. We would like to assist you in whatever way you feel that we can in your endeavours."

The suits look like an exoskeleton in a generally draconic shape powered by some sort of jet-like power plant running on a non-petroleum propellant.

The Empire of Draconic States Website (http://www.freewebs.com/vortex79/index.htm) (To be updated soon.)
(A puppetless Region, Certified by Scolo der Game Mod)
EODS DEFCON LEVEL: 5 (peace)
National Anthem: Roll Tide - Nightwish
http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/dragonisia.jpg

OOC: Dude, did you read the first post? That little part about modern tech? Light weapons?

Dekker nods.

"That's all well and good, but can they handle themselves up close and personal? Like I said before, the natives don't use guns, and they don't show themselves unless they want to. That said, when are we leaving?"

Carrie listened intently as Lee spoke. She was anticipating this trip and grew more anxious in both ways, excited and nervous. She grabbed the gear and went to change. She was skinny, but this thing must have been designed for a woman of her height, but the weight of a twelve year old. It clung to her curves, but in an appealing way. She tucked the outer shirt into her pants. If the terrian would be anything like she expected she didn't want to be caught on something. She looked the last peice of the outfit, it was optional. Yet, they wouldn't have provided it if it wasn't needed. Carrie wasn't prone on violence, she provided the care. She would not want to cause the need for care. That would really just defeat her purpose there. She stared at the gun and sighed. She remembered a saying all of her teachers told them when they were students. It is hard to care for others when you do not care for yourself first. With that in mind she took the gun, praying she would not need it. She put it in her right boot to hide it. Children did not need to see such violent weapons, even though she was sure they had, but she would not supply them with that fear. She walked back out to their seats to find Lee sleeping. She smiled and settled next to him. She could not sleep, the adrenaline in her body keep her up. Soon they arrived and she woke Lee up. They walked out and meet the other members that had gathered there.
OOC: Sorry. It is hard to catch up when so many things have happened. So, I was thinking we all meet then the attack happens, but just a mere suggession.

OOC: ATG, the Driddish basecamp has been attacked numerous times over the past few days, but nothing serious, no fatalities as of yet.

And now for Driddain's character...

IC:
A man sits alone at a table in the basecamp's bar. He was handsome, with long black hair like most Drids, tied back in a short ponytail at the nape of his neck. His green eyes shone with intellegence, and his cut and muscular build suggested that he was more suited to combat than exploration. The man's name was Jace Aclyder, a former Driddish SWAT officer. Aclyder had served for five years in Driddain's armed forces as a Marine, before joining the Driddish National Police Department, or DNPD. He'd seen more combat in the past few months as a SWAT trooper than he had as a Driddish Marine, during a terrorist takeover of the Driddish foreign embassy, back home in Driddain. He'd resigned shortly afterwards, slipping into 'freelance' work. Jace didn't know what else to do, he didn't have any other skills. The DNPD had taught him to handle an SMG with skill, and the DMC had taught him to fire assault rifles and handguns, hoing his skills to a high degree. He'd wait here, hopefully someone would offer him some work. Jace had heard Dekker Bray was in the area, maybe he'd learn a thing or two from him....

OOC: Can I just assume the two Officers negotiated the terms, and the Agricultured men are already here?

OOC: Yes, that's fine.

The three men walked in to the base, showed their proper identification, and proceeded to the bar. They had already been briefed, and were awaiting some sort of sleeping arrangements. Almad, ever the paranoid one, snuck a pistol in, but if it ever needed to be used, he'd be too busy shaking and curling up in a fetal position to be able to use it.

"Huzza, mates! Might thar be some ale?"

"Dan, must you?"

"Aye!"

Wallace sighed.

OOC: sorry for the late delay guys, been wrapped up in schoolwork lately...><

"Is all the equipment off the plane?" shouted Lee over the roar of the engines as the turboprop taxied down the runway for departure.

"Yes sir!" shouted the Primestar operative. "Want me to go fetch Dr. Cheung?"

Lee nodded. "Go and get him. And tell Carrie to come too, we'll be moving out within the next several hours." Turning to Dekker, he flashed a brief grin saying, "Whenever you're ready Mr. Dekker."

Carrie came running up to Lee. "Everything is perpared. I am ready and who is this Mr. Dekker? I have not met him, yet."

The tall and powerfully-built man standing near Lee speaks up. He's a good-looking fellow, with light brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and a tall and powerful frame. Dekker is dressed in jungle-pattern BDU's and combat boots, with a pair of fingerless tactical gloves and a jungle hat. A .45 Hardballer hangs under his left shoulder and a survival knife hangs on his belt; as do several 5.56mm and .45 caliber clips; a pouch containing weapons cleaning supplies and a few sticks of greasepaint; and a canteen. He holds an M4 Carbine in front of him, ready to swing up and fire at a moment's notice.

"I'm Dekker."

He says, extending his right hand to Carrie.

'Hopefully she's a medic, 'cause we're gonna need one.' Dekker's eyes fall on the bulge in her right sock. 'She'd better get the handgun outta there and into a more convient place if she's gonna last more than an hour out in the bush.' Dekker kept his thoughts to himself, it was bad for buisness to critisize other retainers of your client.

The three men walked in to the base, showed their proper identification, and proceeded to the bar. They had already been briefed, and were awaiting some sort of sleeping arrangements. Almad, ever the paranoid one, snuck a pistol in, but if it ever needed to be used, he'd be too busy shaking and curling up in a fetal position to be able to use it.

"Huzza, mates! Might thar be some ale?"

"Dan, must you?"

"Aye!"

Wallace sighed.

A voice speaks to them from a far corner.

"Trust me, you don't want it. We Driddish can't make booze worth a damn."

The man speaking is Jace Aclyder, former DNPD officer and rookie mercenary.

Carrie took his hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you." She backed up and blushed. She saw his eyes stop at were the gun was located at. "I didn't know were to put it." She laughed. "Any ideas?"

Dekker thinks for a moment.

"May I?"

He holds out the same hand for her sidearm.

She bends over and pulls the gun out of her boot. She places the gun onto Dekker's outreached hand. "Okay, here ya go. Now what? I am pretty naive with guns. Normally I am the one saving the person with the gunshot wound, not the one causing the wound. I never even bother to own one for protection. I have taken self-defense classes and some advanced kirates and those tupes of courses. No, do not blame me for being ignorant. Guns are my last resort I guess." She shrugged her should at this.

Dekker nods.

"Unarmed combat is my speciality."

He steps behind her, sliding the Glock into the waist band of her pants at the small of her back. 'Nice ass...' He thought to himself.

"Makes it a bit easier to get to if something jumps at ya. I take it you're the medic?"

Carrie spins around to face Dekker. "Thanks. Yes, I am the mediac. Well, I am a nurse. I have been to third world countries and assisted. There was danger there, but I have not needed a gun before." She frowns. "Why would we need a gun in the first place? Will I be by myself to need one. I assumed we would at least be in pairs or a small group. That would make sense if there was danger, right?" Carrie kept moving around, she was not used to the gun at her waist, but her back was adjusting.

Dekker nods.

"It's never a good idea to travel on your own in unknown territory, but let's assume that your partner is the first one killed in an ambush. You'd be alone, and unarmed, against one or more armed hostiles. That's not a place you want to be, even if you're a badass fighter. Some of the natives don't like anything that doesn't look like them, and feel inclinded to attack."

He turns to Lee.

"When we gonna start this shin-dig?"

"Mr. Dekker, do you think that maybe they just don't like the equipment because they known the destruction it causes. You seem to forget so quickly I have worked with different cultures. They can accept people of different oolor if they do not pose a threat to them. I do not know what natives you talk about, but I suppose some are not as friendly. I just assume I use the the good Lord gave me and not promote aggression to these people. She frowned. "But I suppose I shall comply if you advise it. What are your expertise in this area? Are you familar with these natives?"

Again, Dekker nods.

"First off, we ain't dealin' with people of different colors, these things are a different species entirely. I was at Mogadishu, I know about racial tensions, culture clashes, that kinda thing. To answer your second question, my best friend is an Argonian exile. You might have heard of him, his name's Whiptail. I've also trained out here with my RDMA unit, excellent place to practice camoflodge and jungle warfare."

Dekker shifts slightly, boredom setting in.

"By the way, I'm Dekker, not 'Mr. Dekker', or 'Mr. Bray'. I'm not a fan of titles."

Carrie took a step back. That was frigid. She smiled and said, "Sorry, Dekker. I will make sure to say that next time. " She turned around and frowned. Someone was having a bad day and she didn't like it when it was projected onto others. She would not let him affect her. She stood away from him and thought maybe she should be distant to him. A man like that would only make her feel bad about herself. For some reason it seemed that this guy thought he was right no matter what. She looked around for Lee. At least she knew she could talk with him and not feel as if she was being judged. "Hey Dekker, ya know where Lee went?"

He shrugs.

"Your guess is as good as mine, he was here a few minutes ago."

Dekker observes his reaction, and realizes he'd been a bit too blunt. He'd be a bit less direct in the future, this woman didn't need to hear his opinion on everything.

Carrie remained quiet. She wondered what she did to this Dekker to make him so cold and distant to her. It bugged her, she was not used to it. Therefore, she would be direct and just ask him. She walked up to him.

"Sorry to bother you again, DEKKER (pronoucing his name louder), but seeming we shall be working with each other, I feel we need to get something straight here. Do you have a problem with me? If so I can work around that. I do not want this to affect my job here and I do not like to hold grudges, especially if you get hurt, I do not want to slack on my obligations to help you because there is uncovered ground between us. So, just get it out. I don't mind if you don't like me. I will just know to keep my distance then." She stood stiff in front of him awaiting his answer. She could be cold if she wanted to be.

"Yes boss, we're ready to go," muttered Lee quickly into the black satellite phone he held as he stood off to the side. "No, I didn't anticipate events to be going this quickly." Straightening up as if in anger, he uttered, "I don't care what the stockholders say...we'll beat the consortium to the site, God help me! Discom!"

Hanging up the phone, Lee shoved it back into the khaki pack he wore. Reaching down to adjust the magazine vest, he smiled as he surveyed his work. In accordance with Dekker's advice on the local terrain as well as the natives, Lee had finished putting on the rest of his gear. A Cold Steel combat knife swung from camoflaged combat webbing draped over his BDU's, a large canteen hung from the back webbing, an assortment of grenades (flash, smoke and frag) swung from his belt and he wore a GPS unit on his right hip. On his left hip rode a military issue holster containing a black Beretta M9 handgun and several fully loaded .9mm clips. He had also taken the precaution of changing his rifle...instead of the 5.56mm M16-A2, Lee was now carrying the heavier 7.62mm G3-A3 assault rifle. He had swapped out the magazines as well and was now ready to go.

Walking over to where Dekker and Carrie stood facing off with each other, it was apparent that the introduction hadn't gone as well as it could have. Luckily Dekker was too professional to let something like this get in the way of a job and Carrie had enough field experience to know that this was a trivial disagreement. Good thing too. He'd need both of them focused and concentrated when it got hot.

Noticing that Cheung was awake and ready to go, as was the rest of the Primestar team, Lee walked up to Dekker and Carrie. Swinging the long assault rifle over his shoulder, Lee flashed an embarrased grin. "Sorry people, needed to check in with home base. But anytime you're ready to go, we're ready to go. Just say the word."

Carrie remained quiet. She wondered what she did to this Dekker to make him so cold and distant to her. It bugged her, she was not used to it. Therefore, she would be direct and just ask him. She walked up to him.

"Sorry to bother you again, DEKKER (pronoucing his name louder), but seeming we shall be working with each other, I feel we need to get something straight here. Do you have a problem with me? If so I can work around that. I do not want this to affect my job here and I do not like to hold grudges, especially if you get hurt, I do not want to slack on my obligations to help you because there is uncovered ground between us. So, just get it out. I don't mind if you don't like me. I will just know to keep my distance then." She stood stiff in front of him awaiting his answer. She could be cold if she wanted to be.

'And they say there's nothing cold in the Marsh...'

"I ain't got a problem with you, I just like my friends to call me Dekker. Hell, the folks in my unit don't even use my rank. To tell ya the truth it makes my skin crawl. Where where you in Kosovo? I spent a bit of time there, working as an advisor for the UN peacekeeping forces."

Dekker eyes Lee's new choice of weaponry. 'Hope he can manage the recoil on that thing... but not a bad choice. H&K makes some good gear, even if they are German...'

Carrie smiled onces again, "Oh, well I am sorry I did not know I was just trying to be professional. I will call you by what you choose. I was in the city of Orahovak. I had plenty to work with there. Where were you located at? Lee I think we are all anxious to go." She motioned Dekker to follow her and Lee as they were preparing to go. Well, I am glad we got that figured out. She didn't want him to be spoiled by his personality because he was nice to look at. She always fell for blue eyes, but she wouldn't allow that now. This was a business trip. She repeated in her head, as she was with Dekker and Lee, both being attractive.

The initial trip into the bush had taken a couple of hours....by Lee's estimates they weren't far off the GPS unit. Dekker was out in front with couple of Primsetar's security best...on point and vigilant as usual. According to the intial information Lee had received, the intial first part of the Marsh wasn't too bad...rather like his expedition to the Southern Jungles back in '96. He found the climate simliar; sticky, humid and hot. Typical equatorial jungle.

Lee raised his attention from the little waterproof device to look back at Carrie. She was moving pretty good for her first time in the jungle; she hadn't tired out yet (unlike Cheung who was huffing and puffing his way somewhere in the rear of the expedition.) Although she looked a little tired (and as sweaty as the rest of them) her looks hadn't decreased. "In fact...."he silently mused to himself. "She looks better out here in the field than she did back in the airport terminal."

A slight smile crossed his face and he gave her a little nod before resuming his trek into the jungle...

*bump*

Dekker leads the expedition through a series of dense thickets, staying clear of open clearings. They arrive at a small rock formation. Dekker pokes around the base and locates a small cave. He waves Lee towards him.

"Yo, check this out... think there's ore in there?"

Dekker asks, tossing a light stick inside the opening.

"Possibly," murmured Lee in response. Turning back towards the convoy, he shouted, "Cheung! Get up here! We need you on this!"

With some difficulty, Cheung managed to elbow his way through the convoy. Upon seeing the mouth of the cave he started back. "You want me to go in there!? You know I'm claustrophobic!"

Lee shucked the G3-A3 off his shoulder and handed it to Carrie to hold. The close confines of that tunnel would make the big rifle far to unwieldly to use in close quarters...the M9 was far better suited for this. "I don't care, Cheung, you're the only one who knows what this crap looks like....so you're coming along for the ride."

Lee glanced back at Dekker. "You want to come along too? I think Cheung here is a little too uppity for just me to handle."

Carrie took the gun with ease. She looked up at Lee. "hey, why don't I go in there. I am small enough to fit through. Just explain exactly what I need to be looking for. I will need like. My pen light just won't cover much ground in there. I am not claustrophobic." She smiled hoping to win the postion over. She felt she had to prove she was a wuss to Dekker. She knew Lee would trust her, but she wanted persmission anyway. She pulled off her greenish long sleeve shirt to reveil a small white shirt soaked with sweat. She didn't care, but she was so hot. It stuck to her and if she wasn't so professional and the only woman out here she would have taken that off to. The small gun she was given still was in her the back of her pants at her waist. She felt the drops of sweat roll down her face and she wiped it away. She pushed her way past teh men and said, "So, what is it going to be?"

Lee pondered it for a second. "I don't like the thought of you going in there by yourself," he said with obvious hesitation. He took a look at the mouth of the cave. "But it would be a tough squeeze for either Dekker or myself although Cheung could probably fit in there," he said giving a glance at the wiry lab rat.

Reaching over, he took the heavy rifle back from Carrie and then reached into his pack, removing a black steel Mag Light with a large bulb. He handed the heavy flashlight to Carrie, then as an afterthought, removed the M9 pistol from his waist and handed it to her as well. Reaching back into his pack, he removed a radio with an attached throat mike and earpiece. Placing the radio in her pants pocket, he gingerly reached out to clip the mike at the top of her sweat-stained white shirt, then ran the earpiece up, placing it in her right ear. "You'll be able to hear and speak to us with this."

"But I'm still afraid!" whined Cheung.

"Don't stress about it man," grinned Lee as he slapped him on the back. "Carrie will watch your back." He turned to rejoin the main party.

"Oh yeah...and Carrie?" he said as he turned back with a look of concern. "Good luck."

The three men walked in to the base, showed their proper identification, and proceeded to the bar. They had already been briefed, and were awaiting some sort of sleeping arrangements. Almad, ever the paranoid one, snuck a pistol in, but if it ever needed to be used, he'd be too busy shaking and curling up in a fetal position to be able to use it.

"Huzza, mates! Might thar be some ale?"

"Dan, must you?"

"Aye!"

Wallace sighed.

A voice speaks to them from a far corner.

"Trust me, you don't want it. We Driddish can't make booze worth a damn."

The man speaking is Jace Aclyder, former DNPD officer and rookie mercenary.

Dan shirked back a little.

"Oh...well...uh..."

Wallace smiled. "What do you suggest for two foreign explorers sent to scout the area?"

Carrie smiled. "Thanks. But who will watch my back?" She winked at the comment and walked towards the entrance of the cave. She bent down and shone the light into it, it barely shone anything. The dark consumed the light. She moved the light over towards the side of the cave and at the bottom. She noticed a small darker spot and got closer to it. She reached down and put her fingers into the area in the dirt. She stood up and rubbed her fingers together. She walked over to where the guys were gathered. She put her fingers up and said, "Blood. I don't know if it is from a dead prey or just a wounded animal. Not enough on the ground, but I know something was bleeding and recently. The dirt is still moist. " She remained silent. She wasn't expecting anything good to come of this. Someone had asked her if she knew what kind of blood it was. She frowned, "I don't have the proper equipment with me. There is not electricity available to power the miscroscopes." There was a low rumble. It echoed through the cave. It sounded as if something breathing very loud, but slow. The cave being small could just be increasing the intensity of the sound. Carrie looked wide eyed at the guys and whispered, "What was that?" She turned towards the cave and brought the gun up, while hte flash light was put on the ground facing directly into the cave. She took her other gun from the back of her waist and pointed both guns at the cave. One slightly above the center and the other towards the bottom portion. Her body was trembling, but she steadied her hands and the guns did not move. "Now what?"

"What the hell?" muttered Lee as he reached for the G3-A3. Swinging the long rifle off of his shoulder, he raised it to shoulder height, sighting down the tunnel. Next to him, the two Primestar operatives unslung their M16-A2 assault rifles, aiming them in the same direction as Lee.

"Oh my god!" shouted Cheung as he dashed away from the opening of the cave. Screaming in panic, he rushed to the back of the convoy yelling, "We're all going to die!"

"Shut up Cheung!" shouted Lee as he continued to sight down the end of the tunnel. Motioning to the security operative next to him, he ordered, "Lina, take point. We'll cover you."

The female security operative nodded and moved forward, attaching a lightweight flashlight to the end of her rifle as she did so. Cautiously moving forward, she raised the rifle as she moved. She stepped around the blood puddle, pausing to say, "I don't see---"

Something reached out and knocked the rifle from her hands. The light sputtered out, engulfing the cave in darkness.

"Oh my god," moaned Lee as he kept his rifle trained on the dark tunnel. From inside the tunnel, a round of shrill screams echoed off the rock walls accompanied by the sound of cloth ripping and flesh tearing. Suddenly, the screams were cut short, replaced by the same growling that had sent Cheung running for cover.

The security operative next to Lee screamed something without words. Pulling the trigger of his rifle, he continued screaming as the blast from his assault rifle drowned out his words. All around him, security forces fired into the tunnel. Lee joined them, raising his rifle and firing, feeling the kick in his shoulder as the big 7.62mm rifle ejected casing after casing as it fired into the depths of the tunnel.

"Cease fire! Cease fire! Conserve ammunition!" shouted Lee. Gradually the firing slowed to a trickle and eventually stopped.

"Dekker! What the hell was that?"

Dekker shrugs, setting his M4 next to the cave entrance.

"Only one way to find out."

He draws his .45 Hardballer, moving into the cave in a Weaver stance, with both hands on the gun. As he moves forward, something leaps at him, and catches a pair of .45 Black Talons in the chest.

"Throw me that lightstick, I can't see a damn thing. Muzzle flare ruined my nightvision..."

Dekker keeps his handgun trained on the thing, and prods it lightly with his foot.

Outside in the underbrush, shadowy shapes can faintly be seen, moving without sound, undetected by the convoy of surveyors.

Lee slipped the G3-A3 back over his shoulder, tugging at the strap as he re-slung the smoking rifle. Reaching out, he took the Mag Lite from Carrie as well as one of the handguns and stepped forward into the tunnel. Training the light on the ground, the young agent stepped forward. As he did, the badly mauled form of the female Primestar operative came into view.

"Oh my god," muttered Lee as his eyes roved over the horribly slashed form. The corpse had been brutally mutilated; deep slashing wounds covered the face and chest. The woman's camoflage gear had been torn wide open, revealing deep wounds into the vital organs. Blood welled up from several deep slashes in the woman's chest....whatever had attacked her had apparently attempted to rip her heart from her body. Blood flowed freely over the floor, creating a stagnant crimson pool in the dirt of the cave.


"Carrie! Get up here and see what you can do!" shouted Lee, although he suspected that there was nothing that could be done in this case.

With a tightening in his chest, Lee shone the light over by Dekker's feet, revealing the image of a large clawed furry beast. A long snout, tipped with sharp and jagged teeth lay snarled in death as bluish blood pumped out of two ragged bullet holes that had been punched in the creature's torso. "Excellent shooting," thought Lee to himself.

With one booted foot, he nudged the dead animal. "You recognize this....thing?" he asked as he turned to the grimacing mercenary.

*bump*

Carrie was in shock when everything happened. She was blank and didn't really know exactly know what was going on. She came back to reality when she heard her name called. She ran to where Lee was and looked at the female that was torn up and mauled. She shook her head. She bent over and placed her two fingers on her carotid artery. She didn't feel a pulse. She bent even closer and tried to feel any air flowing out. She stood up and said,"There is nothing I can do. She is dead. I am sorry." She took a step back and looked at the thing. "What a cute little thing," her voice saturated with sarcasm. "Now, what?"

Lee was about to reply when he first noticed the fierce shaking of the bushes around the expedition. Taking back his G3-A3, he leveled it at the bushes, shouting for all the security personnel to stay sharp. Stepping in front of Carrie, so as to shield her, he raised the big rifle in the direction of the bushes.

With a whistling noise, an arrow buried itself in the camoflage webbing of the nearest security operative, glancing harmelessly off the flak jacket the man wore under the BDU's. The operative looked around in a panic, snapping his M16 up to the firing position.

Another volley of arrows whistled into the expedition, some glancing harmlessly off of gear and equipment...others lodged into unprotected areas. Two geologists in the back shouted in pain as they were struck with arrows...the projectiles burying themselves deep in the men's unprotected forearms.

Lee jerked the trigger of the G3, feeling the rifle buck as it opened up on full automatic. A flurry of 7.62mm rounds slashed into the underbrush, cutting down branches and foliage as the bullets struck home. The rifle roared, firing until it clicked empty.

Hefting the gun at length, Lee stepped forward towards the shattered underbrush. Hastily ejecting the spent clip, he shoved a new one in, relaxing as he reloaded the rifle. Moving forward, he parted the foliage, only to hear a whistling sound and a brief flash of pain in his left shoulder. Looking down, he saw the pointed end of a dart embedded lightly in the flesh....a bluish tinge seemed to stain the tip.

Pulling the dart from his shoulder, he snapped it in half and flun it away...only to have a wave of dizzyness come over. Trying to stand, he slipped and fell one one knee, coughing violently as he did so.

"A...neurotoxin?" he thought to himself as darkness set in on his vision.

Carrie followed Lee and saw him fall. She realized the dart had activated his parasmypathetic system. Therefore, she would counter act that with his sympathetis system. She reached into her pocket and grabbed out a pen. It wasn't a pen though. It was an Epi-pen. A pen that was actually had a sufficient dose of epinephrine to stimulate his sympathetic system.

She bent down and took his pulse. It was 43. This is very low she said to herself. (The average pulse is 60-80). She carefully shifted him to his side supporting his neck. She unbuttoned his pants and pulled them slightly down. She pulled up his boxers *if he is wearing them*. No time to be clean about things. She found her landmark and Z-tracked. She darted the pen to his skin and pushed the top down slowly. She did not want to have a toxic reaction to that. She released her fingers and pulled the pen out and released the safety top to cover the needle. She would just have to put it in a sharps box later. She pulled up his pants and secured him on his side in case he was to have nausea and would start vomiting. She checked his pulse again. It was better it was at 58. She waited five minutes and checked again, now it was 64. He began to wake and she asked him if he was okay. "How do you feel?" She noticed a cut on his forehead and got an alcohol swab and was dabbing his forehead. "There now it is clean. I had time to clean area not where I gave you the shot, but I do not think it would be that dirty. The area will be sore for a while. I do not foresee you having any reaction to it." (The shot was given ventral gluteal, which is around where your hip bone would be). "Do you think you can stand?"

OOC: Are my people still in the bar, unaware of this?

'Shit, f**kin' shit...'

Dekker thinks to himself as he bolts out of the cave, holstering his handgun and grabbing him M4, firing a burst into the underbrush.

"Everybody grab some cover and keep your heads down!"

Dekker himself rushes to Lee and Carrie, bodily hauling both of them behind a vehicle.

"Argonian warparty. They'll shoot till they run outta arrows, then they rush us with spears and other sharp, pointy stuff. Keep that Glock handy, aight?"

Dekker sprays a burst around the corner of the vehicle, aiming at nothing in particular.

'Shit, f**kin' shit...'

Dekker thinks to himself as he bolts out of the cave, holstering his handgun and grabbing him M4, firing a burst into the underbrush.

"Everybody grab some cover and keep your heads down!"

Dekker himself rushes to Lee and Carrie, bodily hauling both of them behind a vehicle.

"Argonian warparty. They'll shoot till they run outta arrows, then they rush us with spears and other sharp, pointy stuff. Keep that Glock handy, aight?"

Dekker sprays a burst around the corner of the vehicle, aiming at nothing in particular.

Carrie kept quiet until in the vehicle. She thought it silly to be carried, but did not make that aware to the others. She, however, said, "Was that totally neccessary, Dekker? I mean I suppose we were in their territory and they felt harmed. Maybe we could have talked things over. You are lucky I stablized Lee's neck and found no damage eitherwise it would have be worsened by that haul. So, we just wait until they leave or do we find a new route?"

'Again with the "Violence is not the answer" stuff...'

"You're right, we're in their territory, and they obviously don't like it. Argonians are really protective of their territory, and don't like outsiders. I'd agree with you if they didn't fire the first shot, it's a waste of good ammo. Oh yeah, sorry about the rough haul, figured you'd want to work on Lee, not join him."

An arrow thunks into the dirt a foot from the corner of the vehicle.

'Again with the "Violence is not the answer" stuff...'

"You're right, we're in their territory, and they obviously don't like it. Argonians are really protective of their territory, and don't like outsiders. I'd agree with you if they didn't fire the first shot, it's a waste of good ammo. Oh yeah, sorry about the rough haul, figured you'd want to work on Lee, not join him."

An arrow thunks into the dirt a foot from the corner of the vehicle.

The three men walked in to the base, showed their proper identification, and proceeded to the bar. They had already been briefed, and were awaiting some sort of sleeping arrangements. Almad, ever the paranoid one, snuck a pistol in, but if it ever needed to be used, he'd be too busy shaking and curling up in a fetal position to be able to use it.

"Huzza, mates! Might thar be some ale?"

"Dan, must you?"

"Aye!"

Wallace sighed.

A voice speaks to them from a far corner.

"Trust me, you don't want it. We Driddish can't make booze worth a damn."

The man speaking is Jace Aclyder, former DNPD officer and rookie mercenary.

Dan shirked back a little.

"Oh...well...uh..."

Wallace smiled. "What do you suggest for two foreign explorers sent to scout the area?"

Jace sits back a bit in his chair, an SMG of unknown type sitting on the table in front of him.

"Anything but the Driddish Ale."

He says with a laugh.

The three men walked in to the base, showed their proper identification, and proceeded to the bar. They had already been briefed, and were awaiting some sort of sleeping arrangements. Almad, ever the paranoid one, snuck a pistol in, but if it ever needed to be used, he'd be too busy shaking and curling up in a fetal position to be able to use it.

"Huzza, mates! Might thar be some ale?"

"Dan, must you?"

"Aye!"

Wallace sighed.

A voice speaks to them from a far corner.

"Trust me, you don't want it. We Driddish can't make booze worth a damn."

The man speaking is Jace Aclyder, former DNPD officer and rookie mercenary.

Dan shirked back a little.

"Oh...well...uh..."

Wallace smiled. "What do you suggest for two foreign explorers sent to scout the area?"

Jace sits back a bit in his chair, an SMG of unknown type sitting on the table in front of him.

"Anything but the Driddish Ale."

He says with a laugh.

The three men walked in to the base, showed their proper identification, and proceeded to the bar. They had already been briefed, and were awaiting some sort of sleeping arrangements. Almad, ever the paranoid one, snuck a pistol in, but if it ever needed to be used, he'd be too busy shaking and curling up in a fetal position to be able to use it.

"Huzza, mates! Might thar be some ale?"

"Dan, must you?"

"Aye!"

Wallace sighed.

A voice speaks to them from a far corner.

"Trust me, you don't want it. We Driddish can't make booze worth a damn."

The man speaking is Jace Aclyder, former DNPD officer and rookie mercenary.

Dan shirked back a little.

"Oh...well...uh..."

Wallace smiled. "What do you suggest for two foreign explorers sent to scout the area?"

Jace sits back a bit in his chair, an SMG of unknown type sitting on the table in front of him.

"Anything but the Driddish Ale."

He says with a laugh.

As the light falls on the SMG and they notice it, they both step back.

"Goodness, what would you need that for?"

"We heard the swamps were dangerous, but that bad?"

"And why do you have it in the bar?"

They were talking over each other. You'd think they've never seen a weapon before.

Suppose he is insane. That would not be good.

Carrie smiles at Dekker. "I suppose you are correct. You don't want to lose the medic." She saw the arrow stick the ground. It is a good thing they do not have a good aim, or do they and they just want to scare us a way from something else. Could they be hiding something. She turned around and saw the arrows filling, but not hitting any moving targets. How strange. She turned back around and then intense tearing and pain came from her left side of her back and through to the front. She looked down. She was in shock then. She started to shake uncontrollably. She touched the arrow that went through her body. It had her blood on the end. She didn't know what to do and the world was beginning to fade. Of all the ironic things to occur. She blinked. Pain was increasing and she still couldn't see, but these people would need her and had little knowledge of what could be done. She begin to see, but it was all fuzzy. Finally, she got her sight back. She grabbed the end with the pointed tip and broke it. She asked quietly, "Someone have fire or maybe a lighter. When I pull this out burn the holes and then I will clean with the alcohol swabs." She pull the pole out quickly and someone set her wound to fire. She screamed as it burned her good flesh next to the wound. She lost sensation and then she cleaned the wound in the front. Someone cleaned the wound in her back, she couldn't remember who, but it was someone she should have known. Her respirations were increasing by the moment, but were shallow and she was developing tachycardia, a high heart rate. She became dizzy again. She slumped on the near by person and slide down into the ground, which was saturated with the majority of her blood lost. She had stained her white shirt bright red and her hands were caked with coagulating blood. Her respirations were decreasing now and she was convulsing. Her lips and fingers were turning blue, she remained to be sleeping, after the convulsions she was silent. Her breathing was still there, but barely audible.

'F**K!' Dekker thought to himself.

"You. Watch her. I'm try an' drive these bastards off..."

Dekker unslings a grenade from his bandolier and hurls it into the underbrush, in the direction of the arrowfire. The small fragmentation device explodes, killing a few of the attacking warriors. The rest take flight, scared by the blast.

DELETED

Carrie jolted upright and screamed in pain. It felt that like a million small knifes were being stabbed repeatedly into her stomach and back. She was sobbing and trying to control the pain. She thought maybe she could convince herself there was none, but her thoughts were delirious and the pain remained. She was diaphoretic. The sweat was worse then in the heat. Her face was flush and her eyes wide. She mumbled repeatedly, "At least not a major organ, only intestines, not kidney...not kidney." Her eyes began to roll and she continued to protect her wound. Her breathing was deep, as if not receiving any oxygen to her cells. She looked at Lee. "Anyone else hurt? They are more important at this moment." She began to calm herself, the pain remained, but she would not let it take over.

The young agent sat up with a grimace. He'd blanked out during the firefight...all he remembered was the initial attack itself. His upper shoulder blazed with pain and felt more than a little sore from the impact of the dart which had struck him. Obviously the expedition had taken a fair beating as they had set up camp in a small clearing nearly adjacent to the cave they had been exploring. Dekker and the security operatives were nowhere to be seen....most likely on guard duty and the rest of the team was either sitting around checking equipment or sleeping.

There was no fire blazing which had probably been Dekker's idea...the flames would have clearly advertised their position to anyone interested in raiding the campsite.

Rubbing his eyes, Lee looked around, spotting Carrie leaning against a nearby log. The first thing he noticed was a large spot of dark coagulated blood on the back of her shirt....like she'd been shot with something. Creeping over, he gently touched her shoulder, then started back a little when she stirred.

"Hey...are you feeling ok?"

Carrie lifted her head. She was not asleep. Her eyes were hazy and she replied, "Yeah, I will be. You don't by chance have any liver meat around here? I don't have iron supplements and I am anemic, from all the blood loss. Thanks for checking to see if I am okay." She smiled weakly. Her eyes moved to where his hand was and she reached up and grabbed it. She held it firmly and stroked it a few times. His hand was warm, while hers was ice cold.She sighs, "Of all the luck. I just need to recorporate. Are they any others that are hurt?"

'Good. Lee's awake...'

"You two all right? They shouldn't be back for a while. I'd never tried a grenade until now, but it don't seem like they enjoy them."

He looks at Carrie.

"You gonna make it?"

He asks with a hint of concern.

The three men walked in to the base, showed their proper identification, and proceeded to the bar. They had already been briefed, and were awaiting some sort of sleeping arrangements. Almad, ever the paranoid one, snuck a pistol in, but if it ever needed to be used, he'd be too busy shaking and curling up in a fetal position to be able to use it.

"Huzza, mates! Might thar be some ale?"

"Dan, must you?"

"Aye!"

Wallace sighed.

A voice speaks to them from a far corner.

"Trust me, you don't want it. We Driddish can't make booze worth a damn."

The man speaking is Jace Aclyder, former DNPD officer and rookie mercenary.

Dan shirked back a little.

"Oh...well...uh..."

Wallace smiled. "What do you suggest for two foreign explorers sent to scout the area?"

Jace sits back a bit in his chair, an SMG of unknown type sitting on the table in front of him.

"Anything but the Driddish Ale."

He says with a laugh.

As the light falls on the SMG and they notice it, they both step back.

"Goodness, what would you need that for?"

"We heard the swamps were dangerous, but that bad?"

"And why do you have it in the bar?"

They were talking over each other. You'd think they've never seen a weapon before.

Suppose he is insane. That would not be good.

Jace reguards the man with a puzzled look.

"I'm a merc, mercs usually carry guns with them."

Carrie met Dekker's eyes and said, "I will be okay. Don't worry." She smiled and asked, "Are you okay?"

As the light falls on the SMG and they notice it, they both step back.

"Goodness, what would you need that for?"

"We heard the swamps were dangerous, but that bad?"

"And why do you have it in the bar?"

They were talking over each other. You'd think they've never seen a weapon before.

Suppose he is insane. That would not be good.

Jace reguards the man with a puzzled look.

"I'm a merc, mercs usually carry guns with them."

"But in a bar? Are we really in danger here?"

They glance around nervously, every smile in the bar was a demonic leer. Every slightly drunk person was itching to start a bar fight, likely with lots of broken glass.

Acylder looks at the speaker.

"Uh... no. I don't have any other place to put it at the moment, so it's sitting in front of me."

Carrie met Dekker's eyes and said, "I will be okay. Don't worry." She smiled and asked, "Are you okay?"

Dekker shrugs.

"I'm down a grenade and a few dozen rounds of ammo, but other than that, I'm fine."

Acylder looks at the speaker.

"Uh... no. I don't have any other place to put it at the moment, so it's sitting in front of me."

"Could we sit down?"

The mercenary seemed less dangerous than the other patrons in the bar, and if they turned on them, they'd be behind the gun.

He shrugs.

"Hell, why not?"

"Oh." Carrie was getting annoyed by his coldness. What is this guy's deal. She shivered just by his iceness and no remote sense of empathy. She was determined to break the steel, but she hoped she didn't get pissed off during the process.

Dekker notices her shiver.

"Grenades are expensive, as are 5.56's. Hell, a box of .45's is about thirty bucks for fifty rounds."

He seems to remeber something.

"You know how to use that Glock you've got? I'm not busy at the moment, so I could show ya how."

Dekker asks as he sits down across from her.

Carrie smiled. Hmm. I wonder what his intentions are. "Sure, but it really can't be that hard." She braced her back and her stomach, by placing both hands, one hand over each wound. She did not want them over and it would suppress the intense sharp pains when she moved. She slowly got in front of Dekker. She looked up and said, "Please, show me. I have much to learn and teach." She rose her eyebrow and waited his response.

Dekker rises and draws his own sidearm, an AMT Hardballer, and aims it at a nearby tree.

"The best stance for a semi-auto is a weaver stance."

Dekker stands slightly to the side, with both hands on his weapon, the left in front of the right.

"If you're right handed, you want to push with your right hand and pull with your left. This allows the recoil to travel backwards through your arm without throwing your aim off. The Glock is nice because it has lithium sights, which allow for better night-time shooting. Line up your target with the post on the front of your weapon, and center the yellow line between the notch on the back. When you've lined your target up, squeeze, don't pull, the trigger. In my case, I can also pull back the hammer for a single action shot, which is a bit more accurate. The Glock doesn't have an external hammer, so that ain't possible. You catch all that?"

Dekker asks, trying to be as informative as possible without boring the hell out of Carrie. 'Next we'll see if she knows how to reload the thing.'

OOC: I got to fire a pair of Glocks today, one a 9mm and the other a .45 caliber. Same configuration and operation, just a different caliber. They're sweet weapons, better than I thought they were.

The young agent had returned from scouting around for the iron supplements that Carrie had requested. No one in the party had anything in the way of tablets or pills....but Lee did remember Carrie saying something about liver being high in iron.

Then he remembered the animal in the tunnel...

A little later, the smell of roasting meat filled the air as a chunk of freshly cut Marsh-beast liver simmered on an aluminum cook pan. The young agent deftly flipped the meat with all the finesse of a chef, whistling a tune to himself as he did. Off to the side, he watched as Dekker instructed Carrie on the use of the Glock he'd given her. He felt a twinge of jealousy as he watched the two inspect weapon after weapon, but soon shrugged it off. They were all on the same side here.

Noticing that the shirt Carrie wore was bloodstained from the dart, he opened his pack, removing a white t-shirt emblazoned with the Primestar security logo. Taking the now-cooked meat, an aluminum fork and the shirt over to her, he set all three items down next to her. Taking a seat, he turned to Dekker. "That was some exemplary shooting back there, man," grinned the young agent as he looked towards the bush. "I had a similiar run in with a tribe in the Southern Jungle, it's where I got this," he said pointing to a wound on his upper arm.

His tone quickly turned to business. "Cheung thinks there's an ore body located a few klicks to the northeast of here. If we can reach it in two days, we'll be right on the timeline."

He shrugs.

"Hell, why not?"

They plop down and sit rather far away.

"So, why are you here? Do you need work?"

Aclyder nods.

"Sure do. How'd you guess?"

He fiddles with the SMG, a Driddish model known as the 'Jackal', chambered for a .38 caliber round, the same as the Driddish standard issue sidearm, the 'Puma'.

"Luck. How would you like some work? We need some protection while we survey the area for our corporation. Agracultured would like us back alive, preferably."

Suddenly the bar seemed far less evil. Money changes many things.

Carrie watched intently as Dekker explained all the weapons. She was absorbing all of the information. She hoped she would retain all this information.
She smiled at Lee as he returned.
"How are you doing?"

Dekker gives Lee a short salute with his pistol.

"Thanks. CQB is my strong suit."

OOC: That was a little late, sorry SD.

"Luck. How would you like some work? We need some protection while we survey the area for our corporation. Agracultured would like us back alive, preferably."

Suddenly the bar seemed far less evil. Money changes many things.

"Aight. I want thirty thousad USD. That acceptable?"

"Thirty thousand what? Where are you from?"

Wallace thought a moment.

"We'll give you ten thousand Crellars, plus one hundred a day. You get your food, room, everything for free. Or we can wait two days and get three guards for free from Agracultured. We'd like to start as soon as possible, which is why we'd be willing to pay you."

Acylder's green eyes eye him warily.

"I'm Driddish, we use Drudins, but USD is standard mercenary and hitman pay. I'll take your offer. A group just left this morning, maybe we'll catch up to them."

He grabs the SMG and begins to rise from his seat.

The rest of the night passed without incident....

The morning trek across the jungle to Cheung's site was grueling. Although they knew the precise distance (thanks to the satellite grid displayed by the GPS unit) the terrain was completely unknown to them. Thick vines, heavy underbrush and a fairly swollen river had proven to be formidable obstacles and by the time the team had reached the site and set up camp, the team was bone-tired.

"Analyze those samples for electron balance," spoke Cheung as he focused an ore sample through a microscope. "I want a complete diagnostic done on the chemical makeup of this sample."

"Already done," spoke another geeky looking tech off to the side. "Composition is similiar to that found in sillicon....we haven't tested it for electrical or ionic capabilities yet though."

Away from the pitched tents and the lab equipment, the more practical members of the expedition were settling in. Under Dekker's direction, the team's porters and security personnel had organized a system of guards and had set up night-vision tracking cameras in several areas. A fire burned towards the center of the camp, creating light and heating the hot meal that blazed merrily over the fire. Not exactly five star cuisine, but better than stale MRE's anyways.

A few of the security operatives had spotted what looked like a natural hot spring a short distance from the camp and had spent part of the afternoon frolicking and messing the place about. By the time Lee had gotten there though, the place was deserted. That suited the security operative just fine. Quickly shucking his camoflage BDU's, boots, company shirt and boxers, the security operative relaxed in the hot water...although he did make sure that his G-3 was within easy reach. As he lay back in the hot water, he smiled as he felt the twinge in his shoulder ebb away.

"Guess fieldwork does have its perks after all," he said with a grin.

-Primestar Headquarters, South Dalania-

A tall man dressed in an expensive suit busily paced a room full of multimillion dollar communications equipment. He had a concerned look on his face as he paced the room nervously.

"Sir?" spoke a younger man as he opened the room's door. "The latest intelsat report is in...the Imnsvale consortium has just left the main camp. They're headed in the same direction as our team."

"Damn!" swore the dark-suited man as he frowned. "Are they after ore as well?"

"No sir, they're inspecting possible agricultural sites. However, if they happen to stumble onto that ore, we may find we have competition for it. They have more than a few geologists on their staff."

The man slammed his fist down on a console, nearly shattering the glass. "Radio the expedition. I want them to complete their work as soon as possible...we stand to either gain or lose a billion dollar contract here...a contract I do not intend to lose..."

Carrie had rested the whole day and awakened in the night. She was feeling pretty dirtly and had heard they had located a hot spring a bit away. Most of the group was around the fire and were eating or they were sleeping. She slipped away with a towel and some soup, antibacteral. She wanted to clean her wound. She was not going to let it get infected. It had healed over and was now fleshy pink. A good sign that it was healing. No infection was noted.

She found the hot spring easily. No one near by that she noticed. OOC: Lee was there, but she could not see him, nor did he hear her come. IC: She undressed and slipped into the warm water. She figured there would be no bacteria of the sort in a hot spring. The water was too hot for that. she lathered up and then she washed her body. The aches were being soothed away. She rinsed the soup away and ducked her head unde the water to rinse the soup out of her hair. She came out of the water and spotted Lee. "EKK!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!! I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE!!!" She started to sputter because she got soem water in her mouth and down her trachea. She didn't move away and wasn't about to get out. She was naked. "Now, what do I do?" She whispered, but loud enough so Lee could hear.

A loud splash startled Lee from his reverie.

With a shout that included more than a few obscenities, Lee grabbed his G3 from the bank, swinging it around towards the direction of the splash. Sighting down the barrel, his shock turned to surprise as he found that he had Carrie's face framed in the sights.

"Oh...its you," muttered Lee as he lowered the rifle and placed it back on the bank. "I didn't hear you get in."

He flushed a slight crimson color as he noticed that both of them were wearing the exact same thing....which amounted to nothing. An embarrassed look came over his face as he raised his eyes skyward, trying to keep them off what he could see of her in an attempt to honor her dignity. He noticed her clothes were crumpled at the edge of the hot spring...evidently she'd managed to get in without his knowing....which meant his jungle skills were sorely slipping.

"This is a fine mess we seem to have got ourselves into," he said in an embarassed tone as he stared skyward.

He didn't mind being naked in the hot spring (after all there were plenty back home) but the ones back home usually didn't mix the men and women together in the same part.

"She looks damn sexy though, if you ask me," he thought to himself as he kept staring skyward.

His conscience slapped him upside the head and he was silent...

Dekker is awakened from a light doze by a nearby scream. He comes crashing through the underbrush with his M4 raised, scanning hastily for threats. The light attached to the end of the weapon falls on Carrie, then quickly moves to a less embarrising target.

"Girl, cover yourself. I'm sure your husband don't want you showin' your ass to the entire survey team..."

Dekker says as he angles his head away. He shucks off his BDU jacket and throws it in her direction.

"That ought to cover the important stuff..."

In the distance, a party of Argonian hunters hear the scream and slowly advance towards the hot springs. These are hunters from the Argonian elder family Quickclaw, and are usually friendly, unless shot at. They silently move into the clearing around the springs, their scaly bodies blending with the night, netch leather armor moving with them without a squeak, fitting like a second skin. They are armed with bows and arrows, the fighting style of the Quickclaw family being the unarmed art of 'Infinite Mystical Claw'.

OOC: I'll control my warriors this time, South Dalania.

Acylder's green eyes eye him warily.

"I'm Driddish, we use Drudins, but USD is standard mercenary and hitman pay. I'll take your offer. A group just left this morning, maybe we'll catch up to them."

He grabs the SMG and begins to rise from his seat.

They pivot in their seats to face him.

"Catch up to them? We likely aren't even going in the same direction as they are."

Looking back now, Lee noticed with alarm that a group of scaly figures armed with what appeared to be bows and lethal looking claws had circled the group. His hand darted out for his G3...but stopped in its tracks.

"If they'd wanted to kill us, they could have done it without letting us know they were there..." thought Lee to himself as he pulled his hand back away from the heavy assault rifle.

Shooting a glance over at Dekker, he asked, "Who are these guys?"

Carrie glared at Dekker,"There is no husband or boyfriend and I can handle myself. Gee this is coming off like a twisted porno flick." She throws the jacket back to Dekker. "I would rather be naked. Ha, then wear that thing." She flipped her wet hair in his direction. She knew the natives were there, but wasn't worried. She had bore enough pain. If more came she could handle. She had an idea. Many of their native women wore little or none clothing. Maybe she could negotiate with them. She walked out of the water. She hoped they didn't notice her knees shake. No room for embarrassment. We really need to save our ass. She laughed at that. She walked up to them and bowed her head at who seemed to be the leader of the crew. She did not connect her eyes to theirs. She assumed that would be out of respect to not connect. She bent down, as if to be on her knees. She still was on her feet and her hands were in a position to defend herself without the natives realising. She just hoped Lee and Dekker wouldn't do anything dumb. She was not in a position to be shot again. She hoped these natives spoke some english. "Sorry, I needed to wash myself. Is there something you want?" She looked up at the native. She tried to make herself look inferior to them. She would deal with Dekker and Lee seeing her naked later. Life came before embarrassment.

Lee's eyes widened as Carrie climbed up out of the pool and walked over towards the natives....still wearing absolutely nothing.

"So much for modesty," he muttered as he watched her bow to the lead native as if taking a respectful position. With everyone distracted, the agent seized the moment; climbing out of the spring, he quickly slipped into his boxers and pants. Grabbing the G3 from the ground, he slung the automatic rifle over his bare shoulder and waited.

If the natives had any sort of hostility towards a naked human female, they didn't seem to show it. Rather they seemed to simply look over her in a strange almost confused look. Dekker didn't seem to be making any hostile moves either, so Lee decided it was better to keep the rifle out at this point.

OOC: wandering argonians I am waiting on the natives to respond.

Dekker shrugs, trying with difficulty to keep his eyes off of Carrie's ass. 'If I could just get a handfull of that...'

"Suit yourself. Seriously."

He faces the new arrivals, and bows in an asian fashion, setting his M4 aside.

"Quickclaw clan hunters... they're usually pretty friendly."

He whispers over his shoulder.

The lead hunter returns the respective bow.

"This is odd, Nak'Tarash. You usually hunt alone."

The leader, a toned specimen with several golden rings in his ear-fins, says to Dekker.

He looks at Carrie, then back to Dekker.

"This is strange, Nak'Tarash. Do all females of your race go about without coverings?"

He bends down to look face-to-face with Carrie, his reptillian snout an inch or two away from her nose. His bright black eyes stare into hers, and he narrows them in curiosity.

Lee grinned at the native leader's questions. The natives were obviously curious about the fact that Carrie still remained naked while everyone else was clothed....at least he was now. He was glad he'd had the foresight to put HIS clothes on.

Dropping the G3 to the ground next to him, the young operative strode forward, bowing in a snap briskly military manner that he had learned from his days as a martial arts student.

"Usually not hostile, eh?" he whispered to Dekker. "If these guys are the good guys...then where are the hostiles?"

A pink colour flushed Carrie's face. It extended down to her neck. She smiled and said, "Clothes who needs them. Gee, didn't you know it is the style not to wear them?" She turned and stood her chin in the air. "She glared at the guys, "I hope you enjoyed that because it won't be happening again." She grabbed her clothes, she was dry now, except for her hair. She quickly put them on and she stood there with cross arms. she mumbled to herself. "That is the last time I try anything that daring to help out. Stick to medicine, girl."

"The Nak'Tarash has earned the respect of our people. Like his namesake he is a skilled and clever hunter. He is welcome within the Quickclaw clan, but others are not as trusting of outsiders as we. There was a Kath Clan warparty in the area, which we fought with for several hours. The female mentioned something about medicine..."

He looks towards Carrie again, still curious about her red hair. 'The Nak'Tarash spoke of his mate having this color of fur... perhaps this is she?'

"One of our warriors has fallen in battle, perhaps you could aid him? Our knowledge of wound-healing is limited."

The warriors bring forward a badly slashed Argonian warrior, his leather cuirass covered in thick red blood. The wound is to the upper chest area, possibly having knicked a major artery.

OOC: Argonians are bipedal lizards with much the same anatomy as humans. Just FYI.

"The Nak'Tarash has earned the respect of our people. Like his namesake he is a skilled and clever hunter. He is welcome within the Quickclaw clan, but others are not as trusting of outsiders as we. There was a Kath Clan warparty in the area, which we fought with for several hours. The female mentioned something about medicine..."

He looks towards Carrie again, still curious about her red hair. 'The Nak'Tarash spoke of his mate having this color of fur... perhaps this is she?'

"One of our warriors has fallen in battle, perhaps you could aid him? Our knowledge of wound-healing is limited."

The warriors bring forward a badly slashed Argonian warrior, his leather cuirass covered in thick red blood. The wound is to the upper chest area, possibly having knicked a major artery.

OOC: Argonians are bipedal lizards with much the same anatomy as humans. Just FYI.

'Damn... somebody f**ked him up...' Dekker thought to himself. Kath warriors were known for the 'Angry Viper' martial arts style, which involved a pair of poisoned knives to symbolize the serpent's fangs. Argonians were immune to poisons, so glancing knicks wheren't fatal. The one who had gashed the warrior open had some serious skill with a knife, comparable to his.

"Hey, if I wanted to get wet, I'd have jumped in after ya."

Dekker says jokingly as he wipes water from her hair from his face, and shrugs on his BDU jacket.

"Yeah, I can see what I can do." She was very skilled in sterile wound dressing, this could definitely aid this man. Carrie went over to see him. She wanted to assess the wound. Any nurse knew the first step was assessment. She looked at the size of the wound and the depth. She looked for any signs of infection. She noted known at this time. The discharge was serioussangious. A redish clear discharge. She told them to wait here while she ran back to the site and gathered the necessary materials. As she approached the site the people gave her looks of wonderment and awe. She gathered her materials. She came back to the man and went down on her knees, to lessen any strain on her back. She had a plastic container filled with isopropyl alcohol and cleaned the wound. She grabbed a plastic container and opened it carefully. She started to prepare a sterile field next to him. She opened the sheet and laid it next to his arm. She opened the sterile gloves and placed them on her hands. Next, she grabbed the the gauze and opened it over the sterile field and dropped it on there. She was carefull not to touch it with any part of her body. She did not want to contaminate it. Once, she finished getting that ready she opened the container of sterile water. She took some sterile dressing and placed it in the container, then she poured the water over the dressing. She took the dressing in her hands and squeezed the liquid out. She began to lightly pack the wound from the inside out. Once, all of the dressing was in the wound. She cover it up with the AB gauze that was on the sterile field. She then didn't need the sterile technique and grabbed some paper tape, tape used to not disrupt skin integrity. "There all done." She gathered up her materials and disposed of them. She turned to him. "I will have to take out that dressing tommorrow. I also need to administer some pain medication an half hour before I debride it. That means when I pull out the dressing it will be dry and will pull away the dead skin. I might also have to do it again. It all depends on how it heals. It appears to be a dead cut, but it is not. You skin was just lacerated many times. It appears to be deep because it covers a large area. Now, we have to discuss when I can see you next. Also, I must educate you on the cleanliness of the wound. You must keep it clean to avoid infection because that can lead to tissue damage and eventually tissue dealth. Although, you are not trained for a sterile, or aseptic technique you can still perform a clean one. Wash your hands before touching it and try to wear gloves." She handed him a box of large non-latex gloves. She also gave them an bottle of antimicrobial handwash, a tube of triple-antimicrobial ointment and a box of gauze. "You may use this after I am certain there will be no need for my help and infetion can be prevented. Is this all understood?"

She backed up to were Lee was and she asked him quietly so only he hears, "Why do they look at me like that? As if I am someone they would recognize? For cripes sake, I am white as can be and have red hair."

Dekker rolls his eyes, then looks to the leader to translate.

"I don't think he understood a damn thing you just said, Carrie."

He gestures in the direction of the Argonians.

"He ain't gonna need any pain meds, that'd be an insult to his honor as a warrior."

Dekker leans forward a bit, and whispers in her ear.

"I think you've made some friends..."

Carrie glares at Dekker, tension could be seen between the two. Then she leans forward into his ear and whispers, "I think they understood me because they were talking in English before hand. Besides I tried to make it as simple as possible for you, not them." Her hot breath became cool as she whispered, "This could be a good thing if we made friends. And I didn't use force. I just got down to the bare of it." Just lightly touching his auricle she says, "Your welcome." She faces the leader and awaits what he has to say. A smirk is still on her face, but it is friendly for the natives.

Dekker points a finger in her direction.

"I'm just tryin' to keep that pretty little ass of yours in one piece. Argonians are real big on honor, and I've seen them kill each other over it several times."

He whispers as he lightly smacks her on the behind.

He turns to the leader.

"Since when do ya'll speak english?"

[quote="Wandering Argonians"]"The Nak'Tarash has earned the respect of our people. Like his namesake he is a skilled and clever hunter. He is welcome within the Quickclaw clan, but others are not as trusting of outsiders as we. There was a Kath Clan warparty in the area, which we fought with for several hours. The female mentioned something about medicine..."

He looks towards Carrie again, still curious about her red hair. 'The Nak'Tarash spoke of his mate having this color of fur... perhaps this is she?'

"One of our warriors has fallen in battle, perhaps you could aid him? Our knowledge of wound-healing is limited."

OOC: I think that would be the english the Argonians are talking in, unless for our purposes it is writen in english so we can read it.

IC: She wiped her head around, with a look of shock drawn across her face and her eyes wide. She shoes Dekker's hand away and says, "Why do you care about my pretty little ass?" She pauses and smiles, "Hmm. Thanks." Her face turns pale pink again.

OOC: Where has SD been we need Lee here, don't we?

OOC: Sorry, I came down with the flu for awhile....wasn't feeling too great ><

The young agent had been listening into the conversation when he noticed something flashing on his watch. Thumbing a diode on the side, he grimaced as the mini GPS device printed up their current location.

They were still ten hours off their projected timeline.

"Dammit," muttered Lee as he turned to Dekker. "Would these guys take it rudely if we moved out soon? We're falling behind on schedule."

Turning to the apparent leader of the hunters, he slung the G3 over his shoulder asking, "And these hostiles....when might we expect to encounter them?"

OOC: That stinks. Did you not get your flu shot?

IC: Carrie hoped to leave, anything would be better than this. It can get worse that it already has been. I mean getting shot with an arrow that is fine. She can deal with pain, but this is something less two guys are not going to let go. Her embarrassment and the fact she was naked. She would love to met up with these hostiles, just as long as she didn't get naked again.

OOC: Sorry for not posting for a few days, I've caught the damn flu. Old man winter is going to get his ass beat if I catch him... :twisted:

IC:

Dekker raises an eyebrow in curiosity

"The fact that it's there."

He turns to Lee.

"Why not ask them? They might be able to help, nobody knows the Marsh better than an Argonian hunter."

The lead hunter reguards Dekker with suspicion.

"Whiptail spoke highly of your skill as a hunter, Nak'Tarash. Perhaps warpaint you wear has dulled your perception. Indeed, it was Whiptail who taught a select few of the Quickclaw House to speak your 'English'. Unfortunately, your 'English' name still hurts my tongue. Have you heard from Whiptail lately? Tales of his deeds have reached the Marsh from distant lands, from our brothers abroad. The Elders would be eager to hear news from a close companion like yourself."

OOC:
The Argonian language is nearly impossible for humans to speak, as it contains several noises that only Argonians can produce. It is translateable, however. Dekker should be able to read Argonian, I belive Whiptail taught him to some time ago. One last note, the term hunter is universal to anyone who kills, a warrior being a hunter of other warriors, that kind of thing. Argonians are somewhat primal in their logic.

Carrie leans forward and asks, "Who is this Whiptail?"

Dekker leans closer to whisper in her ear.

"Whiptail is a good friend of mine, a national hero of sorts in the Marsh. Damn good fighter, too."

The leader of the hunting pack nods.

"The Nak'Tarash speaks the truth. Whiptail united the Argonian tribes under a single banner, and defeated the Dark Argonian warchief. He is a legend in the Marsh."

Carrie mouthed Oh. "Well, he isn't a legend where I am from. Maybe I shall met with Whiptail some day, eh? Then I can ask him how he did it."

The leader of the hunters nods.

"Whiptail wanders the lands aimlessly. Perhaps you will encounter him during your travels.[/i]

"Would we really want to run into him? Would he even be here? And if so, why isn't he helping with this expedition?"

"Would we really want to run into him? Would he even be here? And if so, why isn't he helping with this expedition?"

The hunter shakes his head.

"I'm afraid not, Whiptail has exiled himself from the Marsh. He occasionally returns to his hut, which is deep inside the Marsh, but those occasions are rare."

Carrie looked confused. Her face wrinkled as she tried to figure this out. "Why would he exile himself from this land?"

The hunters debate among themselves in their own language for a few minutes. The debate concerns the tale of Whiptail's fall, and its significance to the Argonian people. After about ten minutes pass, the lead hunter speaks.

"Many centuries ago, there was a civil war of sorts between the Argonians and the Dark Argonians. The wars raged for many years, claiming the lives of many fine young warriors on both sides. Despite the fewer numbers that the Dark Argonians possessed, they where driving our people back. At this time, Whiptail had been abroad for around sixty years, working as a sailor and training under the great sword masters of Hammerfel. He had three brothers, all of which had fallen to the Dark Argonian Warchief Rezlor Darkclaw. The Longtail clan is known for their long tails and skill as warriors and hunters, and no other warriors than Darkclaw could stand against them. Whiptail returned to the Marsh with a wife, a pretty young thing he had taken as his mate during his travels. Usually, young warriors are chosen by females of the same age after their Warriors' Trials, but Whiptail had slipped away as soon as the trials where complete. As he returned to the village, Dark Argonian warriors where flooding into the village, and Whiptail fought back against them, swiftly killing all who stood against him. Darkclaw challenged him, and after a long battle, was slain as well. After the battle there was a great feast, and as Whiptail returned to his family hut to prepare, he found his mate and his four hatchlings brutally slain. As he grieved, he stumbled across a bloody sword from an Elder family that he had had problems with in the past, before his time in the wide world.

Whiptail flew into a rage, charging into the Elder family's compound and slaying the house warriors that opposed him. As the house elder came to meet him, Whiptail cut his head off and threw it into the street. Several of the warrior-priests, the Claws of Makaal, where dispatched to contain him, but three fell before they could do so. Our diety, Makaal cursed Whiptail with the Night-Curse, and the Curse-of-the-Sacred-Blood. These curses turned Whiptail into a Dark Argonian, and gave him a hunger for blood. Whiptail's curse is not vampiric, he requires food to sustain himself, but requires the taste of blood to retain his sanity. Makaal also informed him of the real killers of his family, the Elder Family Darkclaw. Whiptail advanced into the Dark Argonian village and wiped out the Darkclaw clan enitirely, and brought peace between the tribes. After doing so, even though he was named a national hero, Whiptail exiled himself, devoting his eternal life to hunting vampires and criminals."