NationStates Jolt Archive

General Kazim stepped out of his Mercedes-Benz at the sidewalk in front of the Ministry of Arms in Central Bamako. He walked down the polished marble hallways to an elevator labeled restricted. He flashed his Security Pass to the two Federation Guards standing in front of it. They glanced at it and let him pass. The elevator sank down several floors and came to a stop at level B4. He walked out of the elevator and headed down the shiny black halls to a large metal door labeled Joint Security Command. He flashed his pass yet again to the Federation Guard there and was let in. Inside sat three men at a table observing a map of East Africa. In a room next to them behind a soundproof glass wall was a large setup of computers and personell coordinating numerous military and security personell across federation lands.
"Greetings, Gentlemen." said Kazim. "As you may have been informed of earlier, we are now on a mission to take out the Emir of the ALM. This is a lot more touchy than our last attempted hit and demands the cooperation of all three of your departments and the 675th CT's. It is imperitive that we succeed, for if we are discovered this time, we could have the whole entire RSA on our asses."

"I agree." said, Commander Barrak, head of the IWD. "It seems we need more people of different specialties this time. Akhmed and the Captain picked an inneficient assassin and were too careless in their hunt for Jaun Carlos."

"Yes, indeed." said Kazim. "The IWD is still going to perform the brute force of the operation, alond with elements of the 675th."

"I plan to use my men to decide if the operation is ready to be set into play using some spies placed in Djibouti." said Commander Tikrit, leader of the ISD. "They will get a visual on the target before the takedown."

"Good. And what about your men, Commander?" Kazim said to the third man at the table.

"I plan to have my men play a supporting role off the coast of Djibouti with the remaining elements of the 675th and will storm the city in case of emergency." said Commander Farrajad, head of the SWD.

"Okay, everyone. It seems the plan is in order. All of you get your men prepared for the hit. I will ready the CT's and other military elements. May the FSWA be victorious on this day." said Kazim. He then left the room and returned to his office.

Nouakchott, Mauritania

A group of about 300 men climbed aboard a large tanker with Senegali Markings and registration painted on the side. The SSS Sea Scorpion shoved off shortly afterwards, chugging out of the harbor at a slow pace. It veered north, heading towards the Mediterranean Sea. The men aboard knew exactly what they were doing in the coming month and regretted not one bit of their mission.

Mediterranean Sea, about thirty miles out from the Suez Canal

Captain Asaf Amar steered the big tanker slowly towards the ALM-held Suez Canal. He hailed them on the radio and asked for passage. Meanwhile, belowdecks in a newly constructed room in the cargo hold, the operation briefing was being held. Each of the four Commanders of the involved parties, the IWD, the SWD, the ISD, and the 675th CT's stood in front of the group and laid out the plan of attack and completion.

"Suez Canal Command, do you copy." asked the Captain. "We are requesting passage through the canal."

[ooc: if that's a military tanker, then no... if's a civilian tanker, then yes. Simple as that. Unfortunately, I can't say whether it's one or the other... and this is going into my lovely Reference thread now!]

[ooc: if that's a military tanker, then no... if's a civilian tanker, then yes. Simple as that. Unfortunately, I can't say whether it's one or the other... and this is going into my lovely Reference thread now!]

It is a civilian tanker registered in Senegal, sorry for not specifying. I was thinking of an oil tanker at the time and didnt think much of it.

Permission is granted.

The Scorpion sailed through the Suez Canal, its crew happily waving to the workers on either side of them. The first major obstacle was cleared, and now Djibouti was but a stone's throw away.

0100 Hours, SS Scorpion, at anchor two miles out of Djibouti, Djibouti

The bleak overcast sky cast a gloomy darkness over the waters near the city. A mil Mi-8 took off from the deck of the tanker and began to circle the city. At the same time, two tender boats shoved off from the tanker and moved in on the city. On board were close to thirty men of teh IWD and 675th CT troops, dressed in traditional clothing of the area. All were heavily armed and ready to perform their task. The boats landed on the beach a few minutes later and the men piled off. Each team moved into the city and acted as normal as possible to evade suspicion. Meanwhile, the Mi-8 monitered the situation from above with several SWD and intelligence personell on board. The doors and hatches were shut, but there were two 7.62mm Machine Guns on board if anything got too messy.

0130 hours, Djibouti, Djibouti

The assassination team departed the boats and ran up the beach towards the city. The tender boats returned to the tanker which then pulled up anchor and moved further South down the coast to the retrieval area. They split up into groups and moved into the city.

Djibouti, Djibouti

Most of the men in the hit team were waiting in and old warehouse about five minutes from the Emir's residence. The nine other men in the team each split up to a different spot around the residence scoping out the area. They would recon the area for a few days, then after seeing his daily routine, the hit men would take out the Emir.

Djibouti, Djibouti

After close to a week of surveilance, the teams had noticed three things the Emir did.

1) He usually ate breakfast at a medium-sized resteraunt in the central district.

2) He sat on his porch every day for about five minutes.

3) He drove over to the great 6th Reich's delegation every day to discuss whatever they were doing.

The thirty men were split up between the three spots and waited for him to show up and strike.

[ooc: revisions:

After close to a week of surveilance, the teams had noticed three things the Emir did.

1) He usually ate meals at his Royal Residence, catered by servants.

2) He sat on his porch every day from 5:30am to 6:00am, assumably to watch the sun rise.

3) The TG6R's delegation resided at the Royal Residence, and they talked from about lunchtime to 3:00pm at the latest.

The thirty men were split up between the three spots and waited for him to show up and strike.

Just to say, he's going to be exposed a lot while he's watching the rocket launch coming up very soon - it will be just him and the TG6R delegate all alone at the top of a pavallion at the space center. The assassins wouldn't need stringent intelligence, because it's widely publicized about his appearance. Sorry to have ignored this - RL does love me :D.

The assassins sat in wait for the rocket launch to occur...

Public declarations went around, indicating the day of the launch to arrive soon. The Emir's consort was still guarding him tightly, but they were unaware that violent elements were still actively seeking to kill him. Preparations were continuing as normal, to prepare for the arrival of other esteemed guests and the populations wishing to witness the spectacle.

"The rocket launch is to commence later today." said The SWD Colonel. "Has surveilance come up with a position yet?"

"We suspect that he is either going to drive to the space launch site and observe there, or he is going to just watch it from his porch." said an SWD operative.

"Which porch? He has hundreds of them!"

"The one he reads at every morning."

"Good. Tell the crews to ready up. I want someone with a good view of that porch!"

"How are we going to get him?"

"I don't care. Be creative."

Outside the Emir's porch, Djibouti

The two IWD soldiers crawled up on the roof of the apartment 500m away.

"Jajaro, give me windage and elevation." said the sniper.

"Wind is 3k/h East, elevation is thirty feet." replied the spotter.

The sniper adjusted accordingly and soon was ready to fire. Their radio crackled to life.

Hit team, take the shot. All of the other men are being extracted down the way, so it's all you on this one. Make it count. SkyWatch, out.

The sniper, knowing well what could happen if he screwed the shot, took a deep breath. "Allah, give me strength." he mumbled. After taking aim, he exhaled, and fired.

Outside the Emir's porch, Djibouti

The two IWD soldiers crawled up on the roof of the apartment 500m away.

"Jajaro, give me windage and elevation." said the sniper.

"Wind is 3k/h East, elevation is thirty feet." replied the spotter.

The sniper adjusted accordingly and soon was ready to fire. Their radio crackled to life.

Hit team, take the shot. All of the other men are being extracted down the way, so it's all you on this one. Make it count. SkyWatch, out.

The sniper, knowing well what could happen if he screwed the shot, took a deep breath. "Allah, give me strength." he mumbled. After taking aim, he exhaled, and fired.

The two hours had passed, the rocket launch was successful.

But news was suspicious of the events surrounding the Emir's palisade.

The news from the Royal Palisade was the life the Emir - he was shot in the chest by a stray shot from a long distance. The bullet made a clear indentation in the wall surrounding the palisade, and immediately agents and guards surrounded both the Emir and Herr Göring of the Monocracy. They brought Herr Göring out carefully, thinking that the shot was intended for him at first, and extracted the Emir for attention at the hospital. The news leaked sparsely on the radio networks around the city following the success of the rocket.

IC:

A message from the Prime Minister's Office in Al Qahirah -

"As the world knows, the Emir and commander of Alif Laam Miim is now dead. Those responsible know our intentions, those counted among our friends share our grief, those counted among our enemies will only temporarily rejoice, because we will not let such a travesty pass slightly.

"I come with details concerning the will and testament of the late Emir. As part of his Royal Succession, it has been decided by His Majesty to anoint Crown Prince Aziz as Salah as the new Emir of Alif Laam Miim. While His Majesty is away in Paris, we cannot perform the ceremony to ordain him officially, but I pray Allah's blessings nonetheless for him, as he bears the burden of these killers. He carries the weight of a great land that shows great potential for the world. It is my hope that he does well with this potential. I may soon be leaving my post, due to age and political will, but he stays until the end of his life - when Allah commands it. May he be blessed with wisdom and power, for he will need it most when he is our faithful leader.

"I wish I could share more, but grief holds the country, and while I can make no edict concerning the state of mourning, I believe it is true that the Emirate is already in mourning, as I have seen the streets shrouded in a dark veil. Later today, I intend to join them, and I may pray that Allah cover the world with His Gracious Veil, to show us that Allah shares our misery, and to show our assailants that their time is near an end. As Salaam alaikum."

The official news...

By this time, Emirate security forces were clamping down on the city of Djibouti, hoping to find evidence of the perpetrators. Using the latest available intelligence, JIHADI terrorists were not responsible for the assassination, which made the prospect of nationalized terrorism the likely culprit. But in order to determine the truth, they would have to find the killers first.

[ooc: a big bump to get this moving on so we can finish adding Western Sahara to the story]

The two snipers went into an alley and began planning their escape.

"Take the rifle apart." said the sniper. The spotter began hastily taking it apart piece from piece and layed it on the ground. The sniper went over to a dumpster and pulled out a bag of what seemed to be resteraunt waste.

"Shove it in." he said. The spotter nodded and shoved the parts of the SVD into the waste, then threw it back in the dumpster. They then began making their way towards the edge of the city to attempt to escape.

All accesses to the city were blocked off. The only available route of escape would be by train, which the Emirate Security Forces had arranged to continue supplying the city with food and services in the quarantine. For the Emirate, it was the largest metropolitan quarantine in its history, with roughly half a million people isolated in the city. If the assailants planned to escape by train, they would have to bypass the security and the personnel working day and night there. At the slightest suspicion, elite CTF troops were stationed inside and outside the city to react within 10 minutes to any trouble.

In addition, patrols were cycling through the city, performing routine checks on civilians and citizens in the city. The forces were awfully courteous, to amend for the violations being committed. Nearly everyone understood the nature of the quarantine, and those few who didn't were questioned at the police station for an hour. The city made every attempt to remain hospitable to the populace despite the hardships.

The Operative Crew had long since abandoned the assassins who still sat in wait inside Djibouti. Their training should have prepared them for what to do next, and that would be put to the test.

"This is complete bullshit..." said the sniper.

"I know, but we must deal with it." replied the spotter. "Do you want to die making a dash for the edge?"

"No, but if I have to eat one more piece of garbage or leftover food from someone, then I just might go insane!"

"Yes, I know, but we have to keep waiting it out." The spotter sighed. "We've been here for months..."

The two had made a living in the city by sitting around in an alley in tattered clothing scrounging around in the leftovers of a small resteraunt each day for food. There was the occasional good samaritan who would give them some fresh bread or something, but mostly they ate whatever came out of the door. They had large beards by now with months of no shaving and it was starting to really get to them. Just a little more time had turned into months of waiting, and it had finally started to take its toll.

The toll taken upon the assassins was not only taken upon them but in fact the entire population in Djibouti. Granted, food and supplied were entering the city, but there was too few to dispense fully. Indeed, the siege and quarantine of the city was taking its toll on the people, and when the people of the city were broken - Heaven knows what would happen.

The Emir's Council discussed the possible measures that could be taken to ensure that the assassins would not escape into the wild.

"There is very little that we can do except wait."

"Wait is precisely what we have done!"

"But if we lift the siege, they will surely escape us. The deserts are not too far, and the area is highly urbanized. The only sure way to catch is to keep them boxed in the city."

"But we already know that. And we have done that. Unfortunately, we're also boxing in the people of that city. Have you any idea how many people there are? 500,000 - at least! And we're feeding them through one hole in the city. This is costing us extensive quantities of supplies and money, and we're not getting any closer to getting these men. For all that we know, they might already be dead!"

That last notion brought quiet murmurs to the table. The Emir was silent throughout the whole ordeal, the young Aziz pondering the while what was the best option. He was not a tyrant by any measure, but certainly he did not want to make things worse than they had to be. He had more resolve than his father - Jalal - and hopefully, this resolve would be sufficient to end the crisis.

"We have TG6R agents cooperating in the case," Aziz said. "We have our own forces also following. We will give this two more weeks. Than I will call the siege off. But let the people know that it will be four weeks; that way, the murderers do not think that they can prepare for the day before it happens."

The agents arrived in their temporary safe house between the European Quarter and the Central Market of the city of Djibouti, after buying a cheap nondescript automobile on the streets. Upon entering the safe house, they tacitly scanned every inch of the safe house for signs of any bugs. After the safe house had been secured, the agents rigged the house with their own bugs, which were to be broadcast in real-time to MND intelligence analysts back in Germany, in order to ensure that no one intruded while they were away.

Ghazwan and Sabri left the safe house on foot as previously planned; Ayham, the intellectual collection commander, left in the newly acquired car. Ghazwan and Sabri would travel individually to each of the suspected locations escape locations that were provided in the ALM briefing. At each location, the agent would shoot with a special device a miniature camera onto a high surface, which would broadcast information in real-time back to the MND and could remotely be ordered to self-destruct if necessary. Sabri briefly smiled after thinking of the plan; the MND certainly had a large budget, he thought. Meanwhile, Ayham would inspect the locations in his car.

translocated from here:

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13151143&postcount=1516

The sniper and spotter were sitting in their alley, listening to the day's noises when the broadcast came over the air.

"Four weeks!" cheered the sniper exstatically. "We can finally leave this shithole!"

"But once we get out...if we get out, how the hell are we going to cross the continent to the FSWA?" asked the spotter.

The sniper paused and thought about it. Safety was a good 3000 miles away, and there was a big, empty and unforgiving desert in the way. "We need to establish contact with command." he said. "But first off, we need to leave Djibouti. I propose we set course for Tripoli in the North. We'll be out of harm's way and we should be able to get extracted by the military."

"That will take another two months..." grumbled the spotter.

"Well, we could always take a train, but I know for a fact we don't have any money to buy two trans-continental tickets with."

"Then we'll steal it or something. I refuse to spend more than five weeks away from home."

"Fine. The train it is. But we are not doing this here. We will move north to Eritrea, rob someone, maybe break into someone's house and get cleaned up, then depart for home. At most this will take three weeks."

"It is settled then."

Ayham finally arrived outside of the port of Djibouti in his rusty car; he drove by the port, broadcasting a video of the port back to the MND as he went along. At one point, he shot a miniature camera high onto a wall facing the port. Ayham, a veteran in the MND, did not notice anything out of the ordinary; MND analysts were researching each ship meticulously. Soon, Ayham received a call on his satellite telephone.

"Good day, Dhakir. You wanted an update on the deal?" a voice asked him.
"Yes," Ayham responded.
"It's done. No problems, nothing unusual."
"Excellent. We should be rich soon. Have a nice day."
"Good day."

Ayham continued to check the area around the railroad connecting to the port.

Meanwhile, Ghazwan and Sabri were on their separate ways to the rail link out of the city, checking the general area for suspicious activity while disguised as normal citizens of Djibouti in traditional Djibouti dress. Like Ayham, they were broadcasting information through concealed cameras back to the MND as they went along.

Two weeks. They were nearly done...

The Emir called for a messenger to tell the MND agents that they had little time left before the city would be opened. He hoped for the sake of all that it would be done before the end.

OOC: 1. Sorry for the delay (it's a bad time of the year for me). 2. I don't want to godmod by saying that the assassins without a doubt in the view of the MND agents, but given that Ghazwan and Sabri are highly trained and covering the rail escape route through two different approaches, it's highly likely that there'll be a confrontation.

IC:

Ghazwan and Sabri finished their separate approaches to the rail exit out of the city. They knew that this was the most likely escape route; not only did ALM provide it as a suspected escape route, but rail was currently the most feasible way out of the city. They had arms at the ready. Both could communicate if necessary, but they would otherwise be separate and silent.

Ayham finished his inspection of the port area; he continued to drive around the railroad, planting the miniature video cameras at key locations.

Finally, after months of waiting, the two began to make their plan come into reality. Stealing a small pair of scissors from a store, they trimmed their beards that had grown during the wait down to short goatees. On the way to the station, they snatched some clothes that were drying on a line and put them on, though the ones the spotter took were a little too small for him. They had some money saved up from all the begging over the months, so the tickets would be covered, even though they would most likely be in the shabbiest class of the train.

Heading into the station, they moved up to the cashier and bought two second class coach tickets for Asmara. The train was bound to leave in an hour, so they moved over to a bench near their track and sat down.

"What are we going to do once we get to Asmara?" asked the Ali (The Spotter).

Kemal (The Sniper) looked over his shoulder for a moment and scanned the crowd. All seemed to be normal, so he began to speak. "Well, from Asmara we are going to have to come up with enough money to get another ticket to Tripoli. From there the it will be a bit more tough. We will have to reestablish contact with HQ, then arrange a pickup. Do you still remember your ID Code?"

"Yeah," replied Ali. "Hotel Zulu Alpha Zulu Six Five Niner"

"Good. We'll need that if we want them to take us seriously. In the mean time, lets just wait here for the train."

And the two sat Ali, snatching a newspaper from the free pile near their bench and reading it. The only interesting news he saw was that the great war in the America's had ended, a relief to much of the world. Other than that, it was junk.

OOC: Finally some action. :D

(S)IC:

Ghazwan and Sabri were sitting patiently at their posts. Unlike the port, where unusual shipping activity is quite easy to spot, the only way to find unusual is to sit there. Thus, they would remain until the last train left for the day.

Ghazwan sat in the corner of the station building, within listening distance of the ticket counter. He pretended to be reading La Nation, the only Djiboutian newspaper. He carefully noted anyone who walked in, but kept his eyes mostly on the newspaper. Sabri was also reading the same newspaper, but on a bench on the platform. Both blended in well with their surroundings, as they looked as if they were normal Djiboutian citizens.

Ghazwan did not notice anything unusual as the assassins bought their tickets and headed to the platform; he continued reading his newspaper.

Sabri noticed the growing presence on the platform as more passengers arrived to wait for the train, but did not think anything of it. He knew it would be a long day.

"...Hotel Zulu...Niner," he heard coming from a group of commoners on the platform.

He kept a straight face, continuing to read the newspaper. Commoners speaking with the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet...that's a bit unusual, he noted.

His satellite telephone vibrated; he answered and exchanged greetings with the front company employee, both speaking in Arabic.

"Did you see the news?" the MND analyst asked.
"Yes. I'm just sitting here reading the news right now, and I just saw it. Quite interesting," Sabri responded.

Sabri knew what that meant.

The analysts assigned to the case at MND quickly extracted still images of the suspected assassins from the video feeds of Ghazwan and Sabri. Then the MND sent ALM intelligence an encrypted message:

URGENT
TO: ALM intelligence
FROM: MND

One of our agents in Djibouti spotted suspicious activity at the train station. This is time sensitive; we suspect that the suspected assassins are about to board a train to Asmara within the hour. We understand that it is best if the suspects are kept alive.

Our agents will neutralize (non-lethally) the suspects if either the suspects make an attempt at egress, or if ALM forces forces approach the area to assist in the operation. If they are armed and respond violently, our agents may also use lethal force in self-defense.

We have two agents on the scene, with one due to arrive shortly. Part of Göring's plainclothes security detail and emergency medical technician team are on their way, to arrive after the third agent, while the remainder will stay with Göring.

Attached are still photographs of the suspects captured from the video feeds of our two agents.

Ghazwan soon received a similar call; he headed downstairs to the platform with a ticket to Asmara visibly in his hand, sitting down on a bench near the entrance to the station building. I better get reimbursed for the cost of this ticket, he thought.

Sabri and Ghazwan waited, inconspicuously reading their newspapers; Sabri even started to talk over his satellite telephone to someone about the finance section. Yet both were ready to shoot at the suspicious men with their miniature-video camera-shooting guns to knock them out, should ALM security forces arrive or the men try to make any moves.

((I would like to know if we are using current military deployments for our nations and if so I would like to get involved in the Operations with a rouge Foreign Legion Company to help out the terrorists.))

((I would like to know if we are using current military deployments for our nations and if so I would like to get involved in the Operations with a rouge Foreign Legion Company to help out the terrorists.))

OOC: I'd ask ALM or TG6R about that.

EDIT: Sorry, I misunderstood the wording. There are only two assassins there, the sniper and the spotter, and they travel as a pair (as shown by pretty much every post made involving them in this thread) so knocking out one and expecting the other to continue on without noticing/caring is a bit of a stretch. Therefore, I think your number two option (the following one) would work well if either:
A) ALM doesn't arrive there on time,
or,
B) They aren't both taken down at the platform.

OOC (mainly to Candistan, but ALM should note this as well):

Since the assassins arrived at the station with an hour to spare, while it took between 10-15 minutes for the MND to arrange everything with MND and the MND to forward the information to ALM, then there's still around 45 minutes of crucial time before the train arrives (I have a feeling that I misled you with ambiguous wording, especially the Ghazwan holding a ticket part; I meant for that to mean: 1. that he looks like a normal passenger, not some random guy on the platform 2. that he may follow onto the train if the intervention is not fully successful).

I would prefer to wait for ALM's reaction to the MND message before assuming that ALM does not intervene, but even if ALM had not intervened, at least one of the assassins would have been non-fatally neutralized by one of my agents (remember that I wrote that they would intervene if ALM did not by the time the train arrived).

The "quick fix" to this, provided that the ALM forces do not react with such short notice, would be to have one of assassins get knocked out as he boards the train (and then dragged by Sabri out of view), unnoticed by the others (who are then unknowingly followed by Ghazwan).

OOC: Just a bump to see the edit I made to the other post.

OOC: Sorry about the wording of that post again; it's really my fault for causing the confusion. You're also absolutely right about how the neutralization part needs to be hit or miss. I may not be able to respond until Monday, but for now we can wait for action on ALM's part.

OOC: Sounds good, I'll wait for his post.

[ooc: just here for my weekly showing]

SIC: The Emir received positive news from the MND agents, and when he was asked if he wanted to intervene, he shook his head: "If they have found any evidence of their presence... then they are already well-ahead of us. Let them do as they need to do."

IC:

Even as the MND agents were trailing the assassins, the city was tired. And the city yearned to breathe free again. And the Emir, having decided that the MND were trained professionals enough; he called to open the city, and the trains came rumbling to the cheering crowds. Trains were piling in, but at the moment, only two trains were being boarded for departure - to Asmara, and to Khartoum. In time, the economic damage to the city's siege would be calculated and estimated, but in the meantime, the city would be subject to one of the Emirate's biggest expansion and improvement projects - hopefully to make its recovery less painful.

In the meantime, the Emir and his government eagerly awaited news from the MND agents before letting all doubt cast to the wind.

Sabri got news from his "associate" with whom he was talking on his satellite telephone that the new plan was to follow the assassins. He mentioned that he had to catch the next train to Asmara, and then hung up to get ready to leave. Ghazwan tacitly noted Sabri's actions; he prepared to board the train as well.

Meanwhile, Göring left with all of his security team to the Monocratic A380, where he was joined by Ayham. The Monocratic Office of Foreign Affairs sent a message to ALM stating that he wished to stop at Massawa International Airport to show that the A380 is capable of servicing such airports, while he was on his way back to Berlin. But the real reason would be to drop off Ayham so that he could tail the assassins once they were in Eritrea.

The flight crew filed an IFR flight plan to HHMS (Massawa airport).

"The train is here, Ali." said Kemal, stepping up onto the platform and stretching his arms. Ali smiled and followed, flashing his ticket to the train master as he stepped aboard.

"Finally, we can head home." said Ali, opening up the cab door to their small four seat room and walking in. They sat down and shut the door, sliding the little bolt into place. The train whistled, then a small jolt signalled it had set off for Asmara.

A few minutes passed before either of them spoke.

"What are we going to do once we reach Asmara?" asked Ali, eating a small piece of bread he got from the train.

"We need to get more money somehow." replied Kemal, thinking hard. "It shouldn't be too hard, but still, important nonetheless. I would go for a store, but maybe stowing away could be a good option."

"No, it's too risky..." replied Ali. "That could involve the authorities, which means the end of us when they find out where we're from."

"So would a store theft." retorted Kemal.

"But it would be easier to steal some money from a store! All we need is small change for a cheap ticket and we're set!"

"We'll figure it out. Meanwhile, I think we need to be more concerned about getting a hold of the IWD."

"Why them? The SWD is much more suited for this situation. All the IWD would do is some risky low tech solution! At least the SWD can come in with well SpecOps!"

"True, the IWD is 'irregular' for a reason. I think if we somehow got a cell phone we could get it done. We'll steal one."

"We steal everything..."

"It works, doesnt it?"

Sabri got news from his "associate" with whom he was talking on his satellite telephone that the new plan was to follow the assassins. He mentioned that he had to catch the next train to Asmara, and then hung up to get ready to leave. Ghazwan tacitly noted Sabri's actions; he prepared to board the train as well.

Meanwhile, Göring left with all of his security team to the Monocratic A380, where he was joined by Ayham. The Monocratic Office of Foreign Affairs sent a message to ALM stating that he wished to stop at Massawa International Airport to show that the A380 is capable of servicing such airports, while he was on his way back to Berlin. But the real reason would be to drop off Ayham so that he could tail the assassins once they were in Eritrea.

The flight crew filed an IFR flight plan to HHMS (Massawa airport).

The Emir's office managing airport controls reviewed the request - thinking it was odd. But seeing no obvious reason to deny the request, granted approval for the flight plan.

The flight crew reviewed the approved flight plan:
HDAM SID MANDA R775 SB W180 TESOT DCT HHMS DCT DANAK R777 SAA V640 KAPET UB535 LADAR B549 KIVEL UM551 DONSA R456 LELEM DCT VRMM RMK ETA/ETD HHMS 1300/1430

The initial flight level was FL420 to Massawa (HHMS), followed by FL410 for the segment to Malé (VRMM). The planned stopover would be from 1300Z to 1430Z (GMT).

Soon, the Airbus A380 was in the air.

Meanwhile, the agents on the train settled into separate rooms on the train. One sat in the room directly next to the assassins. After setting up a listening bug on the wall, which would transmit back to the MND in Germany, he returned to reading his newspaper. The other agent sat in a room near the exit, while also reading his newspaper.

About an hour into the ride, Ali got an idea.

"Kemal, don't these trains have phones on them?" he asked.

"I don't know," said kemal. "Go look and see. I'll wait here for you."

"Alright," said Ali as he opened the door and shut it behind him. Kemal glanced up at the bolt and slid it into place again.

Ali, stepping into the hall, looked both ways down the hall. No one was there other than a man sitting by the exit. Walking up near the man, he glanced around for a phone. He noticed a small room with a phone painted on the door and stepped inside. Slipping a few coins into the slot, he began to dial the number to his base's operator. It rang six times, and just as he began to lose hope, a voice came over the line.

"Bamako North Barracks, Colonel Moro's office. How may I help you?"

Ghazwan appeared not to pay any attention at all to the movement; he kept his eyes on the newspaper but continued to listen. He knew that he was in for a long journey.

Meanwhile, the Airbus A380 began its approach to runway 25 at Massawa (HHMS). After listening to the HHMS ATIS on 112.7, the crew confirmed that conditions were suitable for a visual runway 25 landing. Göring, meanwhile, prepared and practiced his speech.

"Listen," said Ali, his hand covering the transmitter and his mouth. "This is Sergeant Ali al-Ramaa, ID Code 8126ZAZU. I need to speak to the Colonel immediately!"

"One moment...wait, it says you've been MIA eight months!" said the puzzled operator.

"Just connect me!" said Ali in a harsh voice.

"Okay, hold please."

The line cut to some elevator music before a gruff man answered the phone.

"Colonel Moro, state your purpose."

"Colonel, this is Sergeant al-Ramaa. I only have two minutes to say this so please listen. Sergeant Kemal Az-Zawan and myself have been traped in Djibouti for the past eight months following the successful assassination of the Emir. We finally escaped and need a way back home."

"Where are you headed?" asked the Colonel as he jotted info down on a piece of paper.

"We are on a train headed for Asmara. From there we are going to try to get to Tripoli in Libya, but it will be hard. We need assistance in any way you can."

"I'll call the SWD. I need you to buy a prepaid phone in Asmara and call this number. Remember it! It's +223-544327-86. You will recieve further instructions from there. Goo..."

The Colonel couldn't his sentance since the minutes were up.

"Damnit..." said Ali as he hung up the phone. Walking out of the booth, he stepped down the hall and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" asked Kemal.

"Ali," said Ali. The door slid open and Ali stepped inside before Kemal locked it again.

"Any news?" asked Kemal.

"Yes. I got a hold of Colonel Moro. He is going to try to get the SWD to help."

"Praise God!" exclaimed Kemal in relief.

"We have to call a number he gave me on a prepaid phone once we get to Asmara. I don't think we will be able to get an immediate extraction, but I'm sure we will recieve aid on the way."

"Good." said Kemal. "Let us be blessed."

"Indeed," said Ali. "Let us be blessed."

OOC: Sorry about the delay, again. But I appreciate the sense of humor. :)

SIC:

Six analysts (half assigned to Ghazwan, the other half assigned to Sabri), a liaison officer, and one staff operations officer were monitoring the unfolding events in the operation in Djibouti while at MND headquarters. Up to this point in time, they only were able to discover a few things, namely: 1. The two men were the two assassins, or part of another high-profile spy operation. 2. One assassin is named Ali, the other is named Kemal. The full names are unknown, while the first names could be fake. 3. They are traveling to Asmara. 4. They are associated with a foreign state. There was also mention of "SWD" and "IWD"; the analysts assigned to the case were not familiar with those abbreviations, and sent to the military analyst division for review.

The room was now in complete silence. The analysts were listening to the two live audio feeds on the train, while the liaison officer read the daily OSINT (foreign media) report on ALM and ALM Djibouti. Suddenly, the Sabri team passed a note to the Ghazwan team; it read, Telefonanruf ["telephone call"].

The three analysts waited patiently. Soon enough, they heard muffled sounds that must have been the telephone conversation. They listened meticulously, but to almost no avail. They did nevertheless, hear, "I need to speak to the Colonel immediately!" "Just connect me!" and "Damn it!"

"The sound quality is too poor to understand; this segment of the feed needs to be sent to tech for editing and then returned to us," one of the analysts concluded.

Just then, the military analysts returned the message about the acronyms: they were part of the FSWA military.

The liaison officer sent a message to ALM:
TOP SECRET HUMINT
TO: ALM Intelligence
From: MND

Our agents are on the train. This far, we have been able to determine the following:

1. The two men are the two assassins, or part of another high-profile spy operation.
2. They are affiliated in some way with the FSWA.
3. One assassin is named Ali, the other is named Kemal. Caveat: The full names are unknown, while the first names could be fake. Facial recognition tests turned up nothing, meaning that they never visited any part of the Monocracy.
4. They are traveling to Asmara.

Asmara

The train pulled into the city and screeched to a halt in the station.

"We're here," said Kemal, getting up and opening the door. The two men walked out and stepped onto the platform.

"We need a prepaid." said Ali, pointing to a small stand selling miscellaneous items. Kemal purchased one with ten minutes on it and motioned to Ali to move over to the streets outside. Sitting down on a bench, they decided what to do.

"I say we wait a few hours to call. It will take a little while for them to get here." said Kemal.

"Yes," replied Ali. "I agree."

Three hours earlier, Nouakchott

SWD Station 19

Four men left the SWD station, heading over to the Nouakchott International Airport and stepping onto a plane bound for Asmara. Equipped with Senegalese Passports, a sizeable amount of money and some stowed away special equipment, they took off and began their flight.

OOC: Sorry about the delay, again. But I appreciate the sense of humor. :)

SIC:

Six analysts (half assigned to Ghazwan, the other half assigned to Sabri), a liaison officer, and one staff operations officer were monitoring the unfolding events in the operation in Djibouti while at MND headquarters. Up to this point in time, they only were able to discover a few things, namely: 1. The two men were the two assassins, or part of another high-profile spy operation. 2. One assassin is named Ali, the other is named Kemal. The full names are unknown, while the first names could be fake. 3. They are traveling to Asmara. 4. They are associated with a foreign state. There was also mention of "SWD" and "IWD"; the analysts assigned to the case were not familiar with those abbreviations, and sent to the military analyst division for review.

The room was now in complete silence. The analysts were listening to the two live audio feeds on the train, while the liaison officer read the daily OSINT (foreign media) report on ALM and ALM Djibouti. Suddenly, the Sabri team passed a note to the Ghazwan team; it read, Telefonanruf ["telephone call"].

The three analysts waited patiently. Soon enough, they heard muffled sounds that must have been the telephone conversation. They listened meticulously, but to almost no avail. They did nevertheless, hear, "I need to speak to the Colonel immediately!" "Just connect me!" and "Damn it!"

"The sound quality is too poor to understand; this segment of the feed needs to be sent to tech for editing and then returned to us," one of the analysts concluded.

Just then, the military analysts returned the message about the acronyms: they were part of the FSWA military.

The liaison officer sent a message to ALM:
TOP SECRET HUMINT
TO: ALM Intelligence
From: MND

Our agents are on the train. This far, we have been able to determine the following:

1. The two men are the two assassins, or part of another high-profile spy operation.
2. They are affiliated in some way with the FSWA.
3. One assassin is named Ali, the other is named Kemal. Caveat: The full names are unknown, while the first names could be fake. Facial recognition tests turned up nothing, meaning that they never visited any part of the Monocracy.
4. They are traveling to Asmara.

SIC:

Encrypted response to MND:

We are pleased to hear this progress. We need to be more definitive about their intentions - where are they going? What are they doing? What are they wearing? Do they appear Arabic? Or Sistani? Or Ashertonian? We need to know!

We will cover your trail, and ensure that these vile murderers are met with justice. If need be, you have our permission to eliminate them as a threat, but only after we know who authorized their attack. Until then, Allah be with you!


SIC-

The Emir received the important call from the Intelligence Agency, and he seemed to be very pleased with it. "Come now. Let us head to Asmara."

That struck the agents as odd. "Go there now? The murderers of your father are there!"

"I know. What a better place to draw them out?"

The agents looked at each other, now confused. "What is it that you want?"

"I want a train to Asmara. Declare to the entire Emirate that I will leave tomorrow to oversee something in Asmara tomorrow. Make up a story or something like that, but do not let the murderers know that I seek them."

"Do you want to talk to them?"

"Maybe. I don't care. I just need to go now."

OOC: I'll post thise for time's sake.

Asmara

The four men disembarked the plane and caught a cab into town. Walking to a cafe, they sat down and ordered some drinks.

"When is the principle making contact," asked one of the men, Lieutenant Jabir.

"Soon," replied Captain Hakim. "Within the hour."

At the bench...

"I'm calling them." said Ali, dialing the number.

"Alright." said Kemal. "Go for it."

The phone rang twice, then Hakim's voice came over the line.

"Hello?" said Ali.

"Sergeant," said Hakim.

"This is the SWD right?"

"No. We are The Guardians. Call us as such from this moment on."

"Yes sir."

"We will be watching you every hour, minute and second you are in Asmara and anywhere afterwards until this concludes. We will see you, but you won't see us. Do as we say, and all will go well. Sway from our directions, however, and your chances of living through this are slim. Go to Cafe Asmara. It is near the train station to the North. You will find a bag in the bathroom with some things you two might need."

"Yes, sir. We'll do our..."

Hakim hung up before he could finish.

"Where are we going?" asked Kemal.

"Cafe Asmara." replied Ali. "You get to talk next time Kemal. They are too mysterious for my liking..."

The Emir stepped off the train in Asmara, with a small contingent of guards accompanying him. The Emir's closest advisers remained cautious of every step that the Emir took, fearing that his presence might elicit too much attention from those who would otherwise seek harm upon him.

Almost immediately stepping off the train, Aziz did the one thing that they hoped to avoid - draw a crowd.

"My people!" he yelled, standing near the pulpit of the train entrance. Refugees and citizens alike drew near to hear him speak. "I have seen the devastation of our people, and I have witnessed Allah's merciful hand. I have seen the blood of our blood shed for the crimes of the infidels. I have seen their murder, and I assure you today! They will be found, and by Allah's grace, may they receive their dues! For we have struggled against terrorists for many years. We have taken arms with them, against them, and now we are forever torn from them! They sought to drive us into strife, but we have shown them that we are the stronger people. They are cowards who hide behind the innocent and equally shed their blood to hide them still. To them! I cry! Come! Here I am! And I will stand against their oppression, and I will unite against them the people of Islam! And Islam shall pour the tears for the dead and dress them dry with the blood of her enemies! We shall conquer the infidels! And they will rue the day they turned from Allah!"

The crowds cheered, while the guards wondered if their Emir was seeking the enemy or seeking to create new ones.

Cafe Asmara

Kemal and Ali walked up the street to the Cafe, looking around to see if anything was there. They took a table and ordered some water and looked at the menu.

"Where did they say the bag was?" asked Kemal.

"In the bathroom." replied Ali. "I'll go look for it. I'll be back in a few."

Ali got up and walked across the cafe into the men's bathroom. He checked the stalls and found nothing. Just as he was about to give up, he noticed an arrow on the wall. Following it, he saw it led to a small cabinet. He opened it up and removed what he was meant to find; a small black backpack. He peeked inside, then left the bathroom and returned to Kemal.

"What's in the bag?" asked Kemal.

"Let's look and see," said Ali, unzipping the main pouch and removing the contents. He took out a wad of cash, a RIZR Cell Phone, a Handheld GPS System, false Senegali Identities and a small cylinder labeled CN-6. Ali opened it up and saw two small caplets inside. Just then, the cell phone from the bag rang. Ali picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?"

Across the street, at a cafe table...

Hakim and Jabir sat at the table, looking at Ali and Kemal covertly using a small fiber-optic camera feeding to a PDA on the table.

"Hello, Sergeant." said Hakim into the phone.

"The Guardians?" asked Ali.

"Yes. We see you've collected the package. Is everything there?"

"Yes, sir, but what are these pills?"

"If you are apprehended, you two are to take those immediately. Fail to do so and we'll be back for you, but you won't be leaving ALM alive."

"Very reassuring, sir."

Jabir motioned to Hakim towards the PDA. Looking down, he saw a text message appear on the screen from one of the other SWD Operatives in Asmara, Lieutenant Rabi.

We have a problem. Emir in Asmara. They're on to us. Estimated Threat Level: Orange. Suggestions?

"Stay where you are, Sergeant. expect a call in ten minutes." said Hakim, hanging up the phone. He turned back to Jabir and frowned. "Why would the Emir be here, of all places?"

Jabir queried his laptop while speaking to Hakim. "Intelligence shows no scheduled tour or meeting in Asmara at this time, so this must be short notice. Either he's on holiday, which is unlikely, or ALM is on to us."

"That's impossible," said Hakim. "Those two left Djibouti at the same time as the other people quarantined there did. There must have been at least 30,000 people leaving the city when they did."

"Could they be getting outside help?" asked Jabir, continuing his search.

"Maybe," said Hakim. "But there are only a few groups who I could see doing that. The RUN is an option, as is TG6R. There are also former Kopparberg Loyalists that may be out looking for a buck, and we can't rule out Sharinians, the Indians or the Russians."

"Well, the RUN isn't as high on the list as the others since after all, they're our allies." said Jabir. "Even with our last little job for those Sahrawi after King Juan Carlos, I'm almost positive that they have no idea we were behind it. The Great 6th Reich is a valid option, and in my eyes the most likely. The Emir was with the Chancellor at the time of his assassination, so I wouldn't be surprised if their MND is looking into it with the ALM. The Kopparbergs are really low on the list. With their country already in Anarchy and our Expeditionary Force encroaching on Niger, they have far more important things on their hands. Sharinians don't have a reason to look into this, neither do the Indians or the Russians. As far as I'm concerned, it's the Operatives."

"Good point," said Hakim. "Tell all Operatives to await further instructions and to keep their guard on high alert. These Europeans mean business, and we cannot allow the source of the assassination fall into the hands of ALM or the MND."

"What should we do if the principle is apprehended?" asked Jabir.

"If that occurs, their is an immediate SKO on both of them."

"Yes, sir. I'll forward the rest of the team the orders."

The Airbus A380 touched down on runway 25 at Massawa, turned around at the end of the runway, entered one of only two taxiways at the airport, and finally stopped on the apron.

After the pilots conducted the shutdown checklist, men in black suits stormed out of the door. Twenty men in total rushed out of the door; although in plain clothes, all of the men were carrying concealed the Steyr Tactical Machine Pistol with laser sights. After establishing a perimeter around the aircraft, ten identically dressed men followed, taking up high-elevation positions, including the top of the aircraft and terminal, with their AMP Technical Services DSR-1 sniper rifles, fully loaded with 7.62mm Saboted Light Armor Penetrator (SLAP) ammunition. Men continued to rush out the door, some appearing to serve as spotters for the counter-sniper team, others heading into the crowd to serve as lookouts.

In the midst of this, Ayham, dressed as part of the security detail, headed to a bathroom in the terminal, where he changed into street clothes. He then got in a taxi, telling the driver to get to Asmara as quickly as possible. Once there, he would alternate tailing and stakeout missions with the other two agents.

After the ten minute delay, Göring finally appeared at the door of aircraft, flanked by three bodyguards. Under the constant flashes of photographers' cameras, he slowly made his way down the red carpet to the podium, where he gave a fifteen-minute speech about the importance of GSR-ALM relations, stressing economic relations in his speech. Göring noted that Massawa may see more Airbus A380s in the future as relations remain strong between the Great Sixth Reich and ALM. He then walked up the steps of the A380, waved goodbye to the crowd, and disappeared into the aircraft. Ten minutes later, the A380 was on its way to Malé, and the transcript of his speech was published on the Office of Foreign Affair's Web site, with a prominent headline, picture, and excerpt on the main page.

Meanwhile, the remaining operatives were cautiously tailing the suspected assassins in Asmara. They were under strict orders to avoid detection; thus, they only were concerned with knowing the location of the suspected assassins rather than finding anything more out about them.

OOC: I'm a bit behind in my posts; the speech really takes places as the first café scene is happening, while Ayham arrives in Asmara in time for the last post.

OOC: Okay, sounds good. So should I wait for your agents to get back in the game so you can catch up?

OOC: Okay, sounds good. So should I wait for your agents to get back in the game so you can catch up?
OOC: Not after this post...

SIC to ALM:

"In response to your inquiry:

After extensive audio work, we have been able to understand the audio from yesterday's telephone call to Colonel Moro on the train. There are two suspects--Sergeant Ali al-Ramaa and Sergeant Kemal Az-Zawan, both of whom are SWD operatives. They plan to head to Tripoli from Asmara. That is all that we know at this point."

OOC to ALM: You asked for information about their appearances in your second last post, but remember that the MND sent ALM intelligence the pictures of the suspects awhile ago.

SIC (just before the second café scene, and I honestly thought of having the MND agent go to bathroom before knowing that the SWD agent was going to do that):

All three agents were now in Asmara, all still dressed as locals, driving "local" (i.e. not desirable) cars. Ayham, who was dressed as a taxi driver and driving a taxi cab, all of which he obtained through bribing a taxi driver, now led the tail of suspects. As the suspects entered the café, he headed to the bathroom in that café. He honestly had to use the facilities himself, after the long journey from the Massawa airport, but he also quickly made two unnoticeable holes in the bathroom wall for an extremely miniature camera and listening device, so small that they could not transmit, but rather had to be picked up. Flushing the toilet, he headed out after ending a brief argument with the owner about taxi drivers using the bathroom without buying anything, finally leaving the café just as Ali walked into the bathroom. When the men left, Sabri entered to retrieve the devices, while Ghazwan tailed the men from a distance.

OOC to Candistan: If your men don't leave in that manner, then ignore the last part of my post.

OOC: They're actually leaving the cafe right now.

IC: Ali and Kemal sat and waited for the call. By now, they were somewhat nervous with The Guardians hanging up on them abruptly, giving them a sense of alarm. Finally, after ten minutes, the phone rang.

"Hello?" said Ali.

"Listen, Sergeant, we have a problem." said Hakim on the other end of the line. "Due to unforseen circumstances, you and Sergeant Az-Zawan are to listen carefully and do exactly as I say. Both of you stand up and leave the cafe. Exit and head up the North street towards the main market. Remember, we are always watching." And with that, he hung up.

At the same time, Jabir was sending a message to the other two Operatives.

Alert Status is Red. Imperative that principle is either extracted or silenced. Lethal Force is authorized SOLELY on the principle. They cannot be allowed to leak any more information leading to the source than they already have. A waypoint is being transmitted to your PDAs now.

"Is it sent, Lieutenant?" asked Hakim as he slid his hand into his vest, taking the safety off of his Skorpion Machine Pistol.

"Yes, Captain." said Jabir, doing the same to his Micro Uzi.

"Okay, good. I don't trust this situation. keep an eye on the Principle and be sure they don't sway from anything we tell them to do. Remember, if anyone, ALM or otherwise, interferes and threatens the success of this mission beyond repair, eliminate the Principle. They are inexperienced, low grade military personell and are semi-expendable." said Hakim as he got up and walked with Jubir up to the end of the North street, following somewhat out of sight from the two snipers. "Keep an eye out, Jubir. You never know where the other side could be lurking."

"I can only hope they are thinking the same about us, Captain." said Jubir. "There they are," he said, nodding his head towards the two snipers who were making their way to their ordered location.

Meanwhile, the other two operatives had readied their weapons, Lieutenant Rabi and Lieutenant Ramaal did the same, Rabi with his Skorpion and Ramaal with his CZ05 .40 Pistol as they headed towards the waypoint marked on their PDAs. Arriving soon after it was sent, they stood at the other side of the road looking at Jubir and Hakim. Hakim made some subtle signals indicating the location of the Principle, which Rabi acknowledged with a nod. Everyone was in position for the next move.

Sabri walked into the bathroom, easily finding the devices. He transmitted the audio and video data back the MND while he used the toilet himself.

Ayham was already in his taxi down the street as the suspects began moving on foot. For now, he would let Ghazwan tail the suspects from a distance on foot, while Sabri would later get into the taxi from the café, if the suspects moved longer than a few blocks.

Hakim and Jabir waited on the side of the road, calling the two assassins again. While it rang, Jabir scanned the crowds of people on the streets.

"We have to pick out anyone following them." said Jabir. "If anyone is after the principle, the mission could be jeopardized."

"Keep a wary eye, Lieutenant." replied Hakim. The phone stopped ringing and Ali's voice came over the line.

"Hello?"

"Sergeant, listen carefully to my directions." said Hakim, looking through the crowds. "Continue through the North Market towards the train station. Stop a few times and pretend to be browsing some goods while you move through. Once you reach the end of the Market, take a left turn into the alley between the Pharmacy and the tan apartments. Once you go into the alley, await further instructions from me. We'll be on the phone the entire time."

"Yes sir," said Ali, motioning for Kemal to follow him. While they did as they were told, Jabir got on the phone with Rabi and Ramaal.

"Lieutenant Ramaal, secure the alley marked on your PDAs." said Jabir.

"Affirmative, Lieutenant." said Ramaal. The two Operatives slid into the alley and looked around. The only person in the alley was a bum sitting idly on a back stoop of an apartment. Ramaal looked around, and seeing nobody in the line of sight, unleashed a quick, accurate flurry of melee strikes to the man's head, rendering him unconcious. While Rabi stood watch, Ramaal took the man and tossed him in a nearby dumpster, closing the top.

"Alley is clear," reported Rabi.

"Acknkowledged." said Jabir. "Vacate the alley opposite the way you came in and set up watch for the Principle. You'll have to relay their movements to us while we switch positions.

"Affirmative."

While the two snipers did as they were told and entered the alley, Hakim and Jabir walked towards the end of the market adjacent to the alley.

"Why didn't we send them in a direct route to the station, Captain?" asked Jabir while they moved.

"If my suspicions are true, then you will see..."

OOC: I thought that I posted, but I apparently didn't. Sorry about that!

IC:

Ghazwan was tailing the suspects on foot from the café through the market. Abruptly, the men stopped to buy something. Ghazwan, about fifty yards away (it was a cold tail), also stopped. He bought some jewelry for his girlfriend, in the meantime.

However, the suspects stopped again. Ghazwan kept going this time; he knew something might be up, because the market wasn't that interesting. With the distance shortening in the tail, the suspects stopped again.

Ghazwan passed the assassins while carrying on tightly to his newly purchased goods, like a everyone else leaving the crowded market. He continued on to the taxi at the end of market. After a man (Sabri) stepped out, he got in, and the taxi drove off down the block to avoid suspicion.

Ali and Kemal moved into the alley and waited for further instructions. Meanwhile, Hakim and Jabir watched the alley entrance.

"It seems I overestimated the tenacity of our adversaries, Lieutenant." said Hakim as he walked up the road towards Rabi and Ramaal.

"It could be worse, Captain." said Jabir. "Those agents you were worried about could have shown themselves."

"True, but I'm not letting my guard down to have our mission compromised under our noses." replied Hakim as he approached Rabi and Ramaal. Stepping next to them, Hakim called the two snipers on the bluetooth.

"Hello?"

"Greetings, Sergeant. You two have made it past safely. Now, proceed on foot to the Asmara National Airport. Buy yourselves tickets to Tripoli once you arrive. We will be watching."

"Yes, sir."

The four men called a cab and were soon picked up and taken to the airport where they waited for the snipers to arrive. Meanwhile, Ali and Kemal began the two mile walk to the airport, wondering what layed in store for them.

Conflict in Nigeria was brewing, and the Emir's advisors finally won that stupid argument over whether his presence was necessary or not. But according to his operatives, the MND agents already have the situatio in hand. To intervene any more would be to hinder a "really good thing." Plus, now knowing the limited amount of information, the Emir was safe to leave the city. Still, the involvement of the SWD highlighted the absence of Islamic radicals. What now?

OOC: Firefox lost the post that I spend two hours writing. Here's a shortened version.

IC (with SIC intentions):

Sabri got out of the taxi just before Ghazwan got in the taxi. Ghazwan and Ayham continued around a few blocks in the taxi.

Sabri walked over to look at the merchandise within view but several yards away from the entrance to the ally. He only looked up at the ally once, long enough to remember the figures but nothing else. He bought a few goods to maintain his cover while he waited.

When the four men headed to a waiting taxi, he speed-dailed and hung up on Ayham on his satellite telephone in his pocket while briefly glancing at the four men.

Ghazwan got out the taxi; Sabri got in. Ayham and Sabri tailed the taxi in Ayham's own taxi five cars behind. Ghazwan, meanwhile, tailed the other two men from a distance on foot.

SIC to ALM:

URGENT!

At least four men whom we believe to be connected to the assassination are attempting to leave Asmara. We request that ALM prepares for the interdiction mission, including offering immediate assistance in detaining the four men. Our agents will intervene when the four men reach the ticket counter, aiming to knock them to ensure that they do not return fire or commit suicide. We would greatly appreciate it if at least a couple plainclothes ALM security force members would assist at the location (we currently have two agents on the trail of four men, meaning that we currently could only knock two out at a time), which may be the train station or the airport. We would also appreciate it if ALM could have immigration officials or another non-threatening police force stop the other two suspects for questioning about something sounding routine; while they are distracted, the men could be safely detained by the one MND agent on their tail, but preferably also some ALM security force members to ensure success. After detainment, they must be strip-searched and separated from all of their belongings for security reasons.

-MND

OOC: Not to be a jerk, but how exactly do your agents know mine are there? Mine aren't even sure yours are, just suspicious. Plus, mine are pretty much doing the same thing as yours, blending in with the crowd and looking inconspicuous. The alley ploy was just to see if there were any people following, and since no one followed, the Operatives are pretty sure no one is tracking them at the current time.

OOC: This is how I pictured it in my head (the two snipers are the pink dots on the bottom, being tailed initially by Ghazwan--the yellow dot on the bottom--from time point 1-2, with Sabri picking up the tail at time point 3 and finding the two guys, whom he's been tailing for the last few days and could see from his taxi; Sabri briefly sees the other four men with the snipers, but does not know for sure whether they are connected to the assassination):
http://i25.tinypic.com/2h6g7cm.jpg

Edit: What do you think should happen from this RP?

[ooc: I will wait to reply to the URGENT MESSAGE until after you guys settle this dispute. Then maybe? we can settle on killing a few people?]

OOC: Sorry, I guess I didn't make it very clear about what the SWD people did. The Operatives left in a taxi before the snipers did, making no physical contact with them as seen here:


"Greetings, Sergeant. You two have made it past safely. Now, proceed on foot to the Asmara National Airport. Buy yourselves tickets to Tripoli once you arrive. We will be watching."


That's on the phone, out of sight range from the snipers like theyre usual operations. The way I thought this would go beyond Asmara would be either flying to Tripoli and having the climax go down in/around the city, or (depending on if you both like the first option better) making it a little more interesting and having the snipers flee into Algeria by motor vehicle through Libya and South Tunisia where a special forces incursion by helicopter could be a final showdawn sort of thing to make or break the long effort to get the snipers out of ALM. It's up to both of you to decide which one you like better. I don't mind either one.

OOC: Sorry, I guess I didn't make it very clear about what the SWD people did. The Operatives left in a taxi before the snipers did, making no physical contact with them as seen here:



That's on the phone, out of sight range from the snipers like theyre usual operations. The way I thought this would go beyond Asmara would be either flying to Tripoli and having the climax go down in/around the city, or (depending on if you both like the first option better) making it a little more interesting and having the snipers flee into Algeria by motor vehicle through Libya and South Tunisia where a special forces incursion by helicopter could be a final showdawn sort of thing to make or break the long effort to get the snipers out of ALM. It's up to both of you to decide which one you like better. I don't mind either one.
OOC: Oh! They're on the telephone! Sorry, I didn't catch that!

IC:

After the two snipers had left, Ghazwan got out of the taxi. He would jog down side streets on the right side of the snipers, blending into the crowd while making sure the snipers did not turn right. Ayham did the same thing with his taxi on the left. Sabri, meanwhile, took up the tail from behind at a safe distance.

"I see the Principle leaving," said Ramaal.

"Good, right on track." said Hakim. "Rabi, Ramaal, I want you two to head to the airport, get tickets, and fly to Tripoli. We will reestablish contact once Jabir and myself arrive."

"Yes, Captain." said Rabi. He and Ramaal got into the taxi and headed off to the airport before departing to Tripoli.

"Jabir," said Hakim. "I am going to move ahead to the airport. I need you to follow along the two snipers and make sure nothing bad happens to them." Hakim flagged a taxi and opened the door. "And be wary, Jabir. There still may be enemies around. Stay alert." Shutting the door, the taxi drove off, leaving Jabir alone on the sidewalk. He turned North and began following the two snipers, quickly getting a fix on them and following behind, out of sight. He remained inconspicuous, stopping a few times along the way to by a pack of gum or a bottle of water to remain in character.

All three agents clandestinely followed the path of the snipers. Sabri, the only one on the same street as the snipers, followed at his farthest distance yet, taking the time to buy more items in shops; his only assignment was to notice any turns or stops that the snipers made.

After walking to the airport, Jabir watched as the two snipers purchased their tickets and move to their concourse. After purchasing his ticket, Jabir followed and and sat down in the waiting area. The plane was scheduled for boarding in ten minutes, so now all he had to do was wait.

The agents slowly made their way to the airport during their tail of the suspects. But to avoid suspicion, the agents bought tickets for and prepared to board an airplane bound for Cairo; the MND sent a secure message to ALM informing ALM that fresh agents would replace the existing three agents as the tail continued into Tripoli.

The plane took off and the ride was mostly uneventful. A few turbulents here and there, a slight crosswind and a somewhat bumpy landing later, they had arrived in Tripoli. The occupants of the plane disembarked, and Jabir began tailing the two snipers once again. He observed them grab their bags and move out to the pickup area. One thing seemed a little odd. A man holding a sign with Kemal's name on it waved them into a cab and started tossing their bags in. Jabir moved over to the parking ramp and looked around. Seeing nobody around, he knelt beside a small moped and hotwired it. He looked again to be sure no one was looking and drove the scooter out behind the cab. He waited for a moment, then followed it onto the main road as it pulled out.

OOC: I'll make a longer post later this week. Just assume that there is a tail from another taxi cab (with the MND agents) a safe distance away.

The Intelligence Department at the Ministry of Domestic Affairs was lively as they continued to monitor every single public transportation leaving for Tripoli. Buses, trains, planes, even ships. Earlier intelligence contributed by MND agents suggested the next destination was Tripoli, even as no one suspected that Tripoli would have been a very logical location to reconnoiter. They would continue to wait for an update from the MND agents, while those in Tripoli prepared to receive a call.

Who was there in Tripoli was none other than Ghazi Hassan. His recent tour in Kenya had literally scarred his impressions of the world. His entire operating team was killed; his contacts were killed. And nearly everywhere he went, there was a trail of blood. Not that he was a devout murderer; he told himself everyday that he would atone for his sins, but not until his duty to ALM was done. Now he had been called to Tripoli, thinking that it was probably a vacation time.

He met with his contact at the beach, dressed for a swim.

"It's been a long time since I've had some rest and relaxation," he remarked.

His contact, dressed in a formal suit, shook his head. "It's not rest and relaxation, but you've got a good cover on."

Hassan sighed. "Who do you want me to kill?"

The man hit a button on his cell phone, prompting Hassan to pick up his cell phone. He turned away, apologizing. "I'm sorry I've got a call."

He took the phone and listened to the voice on the phone. "Salaamu alaikum, Hassan. It's been some time since Nairobi."

"It has been, sir."

"Well, you've got a special mission. We've got murderers on the loose, and they're coming your way."

"What way? I'm on vacation."

"Tripoli is their reported next destination, so you're there to intercept them. Kill them after getting information from them. We suspect that they are SWD agents, based on reports from the MND intelligence, who are conducting their own chase."

"Okay. I'll see what I can do. But you do realize that I am on vacation."

"The pictures and profiles of the men will be in the parcel at your hotel. Pick up the box for a Mr. Yusuf Ghalayani, and sign 'ALM', so we know that you picked up the package. This is the top priority for the Emirate right now, so you are our last hope of achieving peace. May Allah be with you."

"Thanks. I'll try getting to it immediately."

He hung up the phone at that, turning to his contact. "I'll have a swim first and then get on to work. Life can be so hectic sometimes."

"Well, just be sure to get to work as soon as you can. I've got other things to manage. If you need help, I'll be at the office downtown. I'm on 443."

"Alright."

Hassan sighed again, as he prepared to enter the waves at the beach. It was yet another long stretch of misery.

[ooc: TG6R, I'm not replying to the URGENT message, since I think it's kinda out of place. I'm using the intelligence however that you sent to me before then; I'm figuring that Hassan could work alone until you get into Tripoli, and maybe meet up by accident.]

OOC: I can make this quite simple for everyone...

SIC:

Two taxis, which the fresh MND agents entered after arriving at the airport, followed the snipers from a safe distance away. The agents used two taxis in case any enemy agent became suspicious of one of the taxis.

Meanwhile, the MND sent a message to ALM stating that ALM should intervene in Tripoli. The three new MND agents could assist, but the operation should be under ALM control.

OOC: I think it would be best to bring this RP to a climax now, so as soon as I think of a way for the snipers to screw up big time and really get things going, I'll post it.

OOC: I think it would be best to bring this RP to a climax now, so as soon as I think of a way for the snipers to screw up big time and really get things going, I'll post it.

[ooc: preferably in Tripoli... my guy is there already, in anticipation that the guys will be arriving. My problem at the moment is that I don't know where and when they will be arriving, let alone by what means. I'm going to have Hassan correctly guess the airport, since he's probably the only person in the Intelligence community in ALM that has that kind of experience.]

The taxi pulled up to a stop and the two men got out at a cafe. Jabir watched them eat before they called another cab down. their orders had been to move to a used car dealership and buy them a ride to get into the desert for a pickup by aircraft. While Jabir observed them get into the taxi, he saw something that made his heart sink. As the cab pulled away, he saw the cell phone, their only means of communication, sitting on the table. He called Hakim while he ran towards the cafe.

"Hakim, we have a problem," he reported, hopping the small gate into the table area.

"What is it, Jabir?"

"They forgot their cell phone at a cafe," he said, snatching it off the table and sprinting back to the running moped. "And they're heading away from me as I speak."

"Damn," cursed Hakim. "Enact a Search and Destroy protocol. They're back to where they started, and this time we're running too thin a wire to fail."

"Yes, Captain," said Jabir, checking his AKS-74u inside his coat. "I'll move in on them."


Meanwhile, in the cab...

Kemal and Ali had told the cabbie to drive them to the North side of town where they were to await further directions from the SWD. After the five minute drive, the two men paid their fare, using the rest of their money, and sat down at a bench. A few minutes passed and Kemal grew anxious. He reached in his pocket for the phone, but to his disbelief, it wasn't there.

"Ali...do you have the phone?" he asked in a nervous tone.

"No...you can't be serious." said Ali with a blank look on his face. "Tell me you didn't lose the phone."

Kemal broke into a sweat. "I think we left it at the cafe..."

"Oh, my god, why!" exclaimed Ali, throwing a drink he had across the plaza.

The two frustrated men didn't notice the moped stop fifty meters away from them.

Jabir moved over to a pillar and called Hakim.

"I have them in my sights, get everyone over to my position immediately!" Jabir said.

"We're on our way as we speak. Stand by, Jabir."

With orders to stand down until further notice, Jabir just waited and kept an eye on the principle. Little did he know, the SWD's plan to tie off this loose end was to go horribly awry.

OOC: ALM, I need a response to this:
"Meanwhile, the MND sent a message to ALM stating that ALM should intervene in Tripoli. The three new MND agents could assist, but the operation should be under ALM control."