NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC stuff, IC stuff in following posts.

1: Starting Now (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2983222)
2: True Patriots (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3013910)
3: "Something Great and Terrible" (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3111134)

IN OUR LAST EPISODE....
* * *

FIFA Headquarters

"That was... disturbing. Effecient, yes, but... disturbing."

"See why we require consent, eh?"

On the way back from the cell, Eisen scribbled on her datapad, ignoring Eaton's health for the moment. "Where the heck is this place?"

"Foothills of the Canterras Mountains somewhere, I'm not sure. This Stazler guy, I'm guessing he's there too. Um." She paused for a moment. "I can punch in a call to NISAK, see if they can get some sats on this place."

* * *

West of Solaris

The storm was a fast-forming one, swirling over the sea as it pressed to the east.

* * *

Enjoy.

[Scroll down a bit.]

[Nothing to see here.]

4: Thunderclap

AirKonania flight 1337 -- North of SIA/S

Webster had been flying for AirKonania for 6 years now, and still never got used to the rain. Solaris International Airport/Skyport sat near the sea, so she had to along the coast to get to it, which was a nightmare in bad weather. It made her wish that she had chosen to divert elsewhere, but she had never done that before and wished not to ruin her record. Her copilot, however, thought the whole situation humorous.

"And we go up, and we go down. And we should've landed at Nannis, but Jen said 'Oh, no, of course not--'"

"Shut up, I'm trying to work. AK1337 to Solaris ground, visability up here is about zero, we're flying by wire. Sheets of rain coming down, now. It's pretty bad up here, we're coming in. Almost above you, now."

"Tower, AK1337, roger. There's a few more flights behind you, so hurry it up, will ya? I wanna go home."

* * *

Pandoroq

"So you know what you're doing?" Stalzer asked.

"Of course. If it's there, like the report said it would be, I can use it." He smiled like a little kid in a toy store. "Weather's working out just fine. This is going to be great!"

* * *

North of SIA/S

One of the the pilotless radardrones flew in wide circles north of the skyport. Without warning, it banked to the left, pushing through the storm cloud.

* * *

TranSat 2210 -- Earth Orbit

The satellite swiveled as it came into the window above Konania, pointing it's transmitter downward--

* * *

Solaris International Airport/Skyport

Had it sentience and the ability to do so, the skyport itself would have cried out in pain. A massive amount of information and electrical pulses were being sent to it, jamming all the radars and recievers in a ten mile radius.

* * *

North of SIA/S

The radardrone was flying downward now, fixed in a single direction.

* * *

AirKonania flight 1337 -- Above SIA/S

Sparks danced across the console, and the instruments went off.

"Whoa, whoa, what's this-- AK1337-Sol tower, this isn't funny! What's going on!"

"AK1337, I'm not--" static-- "we're--"

Webster blinked. "Some static's working on them-- head down through the clouds, let's get out of this mess." The massive airliner surged downward, heading to the runway, finally breaking through--

* * *

--the radar drone continued, unknowingly, toward the aircraft that had become its target--

* * *
--the SAMs split, heading toward their different aircraft--

* * *

AirKonania flight 1337 -- North of SIA/S

--nobody on the liner would ever know what happened. An explosion ripped through the disoriented eight-engined aircraft, depressurizing the cabin. Passangers were either killed or pulled out of the fuselage into the storm around them.

* * *

Control Tower -- Solaris International Airport/Skyport

There was stunned silence throughout the room, and then a universal feeling of of panic. A controller took is binoculars, and looked upward through the glass, seeing a growing point of light in the sky. He stood there for a moment, then ducked away-- "Aircraft is coming down! Clear the tower! Clear the tower!"

There was a roar, the sound of shattering glass, and a flash of bright light--for an irrational moment, he thought a nuclear weapon had gone off--

* * *

Solaris International Airport/Skyport

The explosion was massive, and was not the last-- other planes dropped out of the sky. One hit the sea. Another landed less than 200 meters away from a terminal, forcing broken glass and rain into the crowd inside the building. An electrical transformer was destroyed, and the complex faded to black.

* * *

FIFA -- Solaris

The sound was unmistakeable. The building itself shook. Nolan looked down at his feet, and for a breif moment he tried to recall the last time there had been a quake on the western side of the Peninsula. Never, in his memory. The building shook again, and the lights dimmed for a few seconds before returning to normal.

Nolan looked up at the others in the room, then at the door when it came open, showing an obviously angered security guard: "All of you, out!"

"What's going on?"

"FLASH-EVAC notice-- somthing's up at SIAS. That's all I know. Let's go!"

Gustav looked at Natalya, then at the guard, finally at Nolan.

The next thing he did, was following all of them out of the building, staying close to Natalya, who looked rather annoyed, probably since she hated not knowing... well, anything.

He didn´t know, nobody knew, the true horror of the events unfolding...

But that should change, soon.

The stealthy tag of doom

* * *

Pandoroq

Stalzer smiled. Better than expected.

* * *

Nannis

The Konanian National Defense Force had taken the action of shutting down TranSat2210, but the damage had been done. SIAS was offline, and flights would have to be redirected to either Tripera to the east or Nannis to the North. The agreement around the table had been unanimous, this had been no accident.

The first video was recorded by one of two cameras on the starboard wing of AK1337. It aired later that day, on both the CBC and IBN. It was rather hard to see, since the recording had taken place in a stormcloud in early evening, but clearly visable was the flash, an explosion, and nothing else. The rest transmission had been lost.

The second video was much different. It was positioned below the wing and used a sort of night-vision system to capture a video. The wing shielded the camera from the heat coming from the engines and the rain pounding from above. Because of this, it was easy to discern a bright spot strike the underside of the aircraft. It was exactly as the KNDF had feared-- a SAM from a nearby battery.

But when Paul Winters, a weapons systems programmer for the battery's manufacturer, was arrested by FIFA at his home in the suburbs of Solaris (while he was watching the news, incidentally), he had no idea why. He quickly got sick and tired of having to explain to these people that he had done nothing wrong.

That wasn't the problem, they told him. They were taking him anyway.

* * *

Solaris

Silently, Eaton was led out of the cell, down the stairwell, and onto the street, where he was forced to wait with several armed guards. Of course, from here, he could get a clear view of the smoke billowing into the sky to the west. His lips formed a small smile.

Nolan, a few meters away, sighed heavily at what he was being told through his cell. He'd have to get his aerial pictures from NISAK another way. He talked with Michelle for a moment, and both nodded, having come to a decision.

"Hey, Gustav, Natalya! The KNDF has someone they want us-- all five of us," he emphasized, motioning to Eaton. "--to talk to. He's being held across the city, at NISAK. We're gonna get there via vertijet." On the way Eisen explained what had happened-- the sat, the SAMs, and the aircraft-- while Nolan watched the traffic below. Everyone was trying to get out of town. He didn't blame them.

"We'll meet this Winters guy there. At the same time, we'll try to get some sat-pics of this Pandoroq place. Any questions?" he heard her ask the two Angstians.

* * *

OOC: [/timewarp.]

Gustav and Natalya were just looking at the smoke, looking... Well, the Konanians would probably consider it shocked though the truth was, they were... intrigued. They liked it, the chaos, the destruction... The challenge.

"Right now... Only... How do we stop this?" Natalya answered in her surprisingly cold, unemotional voice.

Pretty impressive.
Yes. 'Tis shiny. Gotta find and question this guys. I`m intrigued by them.
Heh. So am I.

Michelle Eisen, honestly, had no idea how to answer that. The vertijet landed.

* * *

An office at NISAK

Adam Dower sipped a cup of coffee as he wandered around. The room was rather tense. Desks were spread out randomly, as if some giant child had simply dropped them there. On top of (and around) each was probably a mess of papers with an overflowing wastebasket. Analysts like himself were used to this organized chaos, only amplified by the current crisis. Supposedly they got more work done this way.

Dower sipped again, moving to a table where a coworker was perusing a transparent satellite photo. After circling a few areas on the image, he tossed it aside. Dower picked it up. "What's this?"

"Came in this morning. Some little town down south in the mountains, cult or something."

Dower looked at it carefully, noting the circled spots. There was vertijet of some sort sitting in the central square, and some dots off to the side... He swallowed his immediate surprise. "These guys here, they have rifles. I think these are the ones I'm looking for."

"Aye. Target practice or something."

"Practice for what?" Adam paused. Something clicked. "Nick, remember to show people things like this, okay? Who wanted these?"

"Should be coming in soon. Wanted to look at the guy we have here."

Dower nodded and rushed out the door and to the right, dropping his styrofoam cup into an already overflowing trashcan. It bounced off, spilling its contents onto the floor.

* * *

"Look, I don't know who you are, or what you want, but I'll tell you for the millionth time. My code... is perfect." Winters sat with his hands cuffed in his lap. He was in a room alone, the walls were painted completely white. There was no visible doorway. He was talking to a speaker and holographic camera embedded in the wall a small spherical drone that seemed to dart back and forth across the room as it asked questions. Stressing technique. He knew his projection was at the center of a room somewhere, possibly not even in this building.

"We know, Mr. Winters," the dry, unsympythatic voice responded. "Here, we'll--" There was the creaking sound of a door opening. Someone left the microphone on, Winters thought with a small smirk. "Oh. Ms. Eisen, Mr. Nolan and your... comrades." The tone had something less than I'm-happy-to-see-you. "Mr. Winters, please repeat your statement on how your system works."

Winters sighed. "You have my statement, I'll be very breif. The missles fire if some of a variety of conditions are met. Among these are a check to see if there is a chance of an unknown military prescence overhead. In another it asks if there are there any signals characteristic of an enemy force-- jamming, static transmissions, et cetera. There are many, they are listed in the manual, the code, and in my previous statement."

The voice came back again. "Is there any chance of any, oh, I dunno, delibertly placed mistakes in your code?"

"No, sir. I was a soldier. I swore an oath to my country and I intend to stand by it." Just in case they needed to be reminded.

"Mhm." A breif silence.

Another voice, completly new to the conversation. Must be the Nolan guy. "Is it possible that the missles might fire accidentally?"

"I don't see how."

"Say, a few of these conditions were met... it saw a few aircraft in the sky, some static... but it was a false alarm of sorts?"

"I suppose that is a possiblity, sir."

"Mhm." More silence, then some muttering. The lights went off in the room, and the outline of a doorway suddenly appeared in the wall. "You're free to go, Mr. Winters."

* * *

Pandoroq

So Eaton had not returned.

Stalzer couldn't say he was surprised; ol' Mike had been an idiot anyway and probably walked right into the hands of the authorities. Perhaps it had been a mistake choosing him for that particular job... or not.

He checked his watch. The satellite should have passed over thirty minutes ago. It was time to depart.

The vertijet sitting outside would take him to a nearby harbor. From there, he would take his boat to... a safer place. Quickly grabbing his breifcase and mini-moustache comb-- don't leave home without it-- he ran out the door.

[ooc: bwahaha. Any particular place you'd want him to go? Or should I hide him in Konania?]

* * *

[ooc: Particular place? Nah. Though i`m certain that there are enough... private investors in DA willing to hide everyone for enough money ;)]

Konania

Gustav and Natalya were alone, resting for a few minutes. It had been a fairly... busy day.

"Well... Now that we know their... base, it should be fairly easy to... stop this, don´t you think so?"
"Depends." Natalya looked at the horizon, pondering... things. "It is unlikely for him to be stupid enough to stay... By now, he will most likely know that one of hius guys has been catched."
"True." Gustav nodded. "So?"
"Well..." Natalya hesitated. "We need to be lucky." We should probably coordinate with our people at home. It is unlikely that we can catch them in Konania, but a few will probably escape...
I see your point...
Good. You will do it.

DA

"So... We`re going to... bairt them?"
"Assuming that they look for some kind of safe place, yes. Though, considering our... specialities..."
"Yes, yes, I know. It is unlikely."
"But not impossible. Actually, I could almost bet that there are enough private entrepreneurs offering their services for this kind of thing, anyway. Of course, they are in our way..."

The two men looked at each other, and laughed. "It wont be a problem. Hopefully. Now, about the continuing work on the 'six sisters'..."
"Yes. Listen..."

Avalon

To {Der Angst}
From {Cordell:Konania}
Subj {Operation}

By executive order, the Konanian National Defense Force is planning an operation to rid the Southern region of the Konanian Peninsula of terrorists at least for the moment. We felt that you might wish to send aid be it militarily or simply to observe. Details are enclosed in the attacthment.

Attached: Pandoroq.dat

A. Davinik, Cheif
Department of World Affairs
Konanian Federal Republic

* * *

Pandoroq

Four vans had left the city, carring groups of four. Their passangers were armed.

* * *

Somewhere East of the Konanian Coastline

The shore of the Peninsula was nowhere in site. Stalzer's ship, flying the flag of some other nation in Sisgardia, was skimming over the sea, moving east.

* * *

Avalon -- Konania

"This is the information we have. Illegal activities within the compound designated as PANDOROQ in the southern region of the Republic, with nearly confirmed sponsorship of terrorism. He leads the town with an iron fist, and his men are reportedly well armed. Their leader, David Stalzer, is a known enemy of the State and her peoples..."

It would have to be fast, it would have to be secret, and it would have to be perfect.

Two hundred and fifty troops, a small allotment of light armored vehicles, and twelve AVJ.101 Condor assault vertijets were to be sent against the town of Pandoroq. Backing them up would be eight MLRS rocket artillery, spread out in the plateaus above the city and able to fire on any location in the complex. Two thousand more troops and a group of fighters could be called in case things became difficult.

This, against a town of about two thousand with a rather untrained militia of about half that. The KNDF High Command was not taking chances, and took none in choosing a leader for this operation:

* * *

His name was Edward James Brider, a colonel in the Konanain National Army. His record was one that military leaders dream of, nearly without blemish. He knew how to lead, win, and take few casualties. He was a master in the arts of war. Thus, he would be the cheif field commander in the operation to secure Pandoroq and the surrounding region.

When he got the order, their transport would begin. Until then, he would wait.

Brider could be -very- patient when he needed to be.

Marianne was laying close to him, on his chest, her naked body, only covered by the blanket, slowly moving with his breath.

She chuckled, seeing his face, his eyes closed. Cute...

Marianne was a part of the (small) Angstian... Well, delegation that was supposed to watch, to learn, probably even to act with the Konanians preparing for the assault against the terrorists.

And unlike her three male colleagues, she had quickly found someone... well, precious in the Konanian contingent.

It had been an amusing day... A beautiful day. They had almost forgotten that their job was to kill. And neither of them cared about it... Being enough for themselves, the two.

And in the end... They had found themselves together... Alone...

It had been too good an opportunity to miss.

"What is it?" He asked, sleepy, his eyes still closed, as she stroked over his cheeks.

Nothing... Nothing at all. She knew that it annoyed him when she touches his mind... It was her little game, and she enjoyed it. So did he, though he would never admit it.

Please... stop that.

Pft... "Ok."

"Thanks." Kissing her, she closed her eyes, loving his touch... "Would you mind...?"

A giggle. "Not at all."

And they were upon each other, laughing, enjoying their life... Forgetting the fact that tomorrow, both would face death... Neither one wanted to think about it... Neither one would ever accept it.

They just wanted to be there... for each other.

[ooc: EDITED, since I absolutely hated the 'lil piece of nothing I had written before. A few liberties taken, since I don´t know if this is even possible in Konania ;)]

[*twitchsnort* Well! At least you didn't go into detail ;) Technically, he could get in trouble, if he was seen-- and, btw, sorry for no posts, I was away a few days. I'll try to get one finished soon, in which Stazler lands somewhere, and said attack begins.]

Coast [OOC: I hope this is alright.]

The ship's course was more or less direct. It ran upshore on the coast of Der Angst within Sisgardia. Stazler and his associates disembarked, dropping over the edge of the boat, grabbing their PAR-forty-fours. It was scuttled quickly.

"If someone offers aid, accept. If we are recognized, kill and dispose of the body. Find a place to hide until we can get a signal out."

They trekked northward, following the shoreline.

* * *

Continued here: http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3247319