NationStates Jolt Archive

Unknown airspace.

A large shadow passed over a rolling landscape. In the sky, what looked like an oversized American dreadnought floated steadily towards the East. Too either side and behind, battleships and cruisers follow in it's wake, gunmetal grey hulls devoid of anything but paint and rust. The only apparent difference are the guns nestled on the underside of the great ships, and the four great propellers on each side. A message was constantly broadcasted from the largest ship for all to hear it.

"This is the Fist of Iron, flagship of the Third Skyship Fleet. We wish to peacefully land and take on supplies and technology, and allow our citizens to feel land under their feet. If there are any who would accommodate us, broadcast on frequency 49.5."

Belkan Airspace Control

The one lone blip caused alarm, and when it multiplied into several, an alert was sounded. Anti-aircraft weapons were trained on the targets, but then a message was recieved from the unknown aircraft. Deciding to ask first, and shoot only as nescissary, the Airspace Director hailed the ships:

"Fist of Iron, this is Captain Chauncey of the Belkan Imperial Air Force. You have entered Imperial Airspace, please be advised. We will send a fighter escort to your location to guide you to a nearby airstrip, or you can change course. Please respond."

Belkan Imperial Airspace.

Interrupting the broadcast in mid sentence, a man with a clear voice, speaking in clipped tones that have a slight European tinge to them said, "Good morning, Captain Chauncey. This is Executive Officer Reynaud Iblin, of the Fist of Iron. We are dispatching two Light Transport Craft to land and take on supplies as the requisition officers see fit." There is a brief pause, then,
"Captain Chauncey, Admiral Igrin, commander of the Third Skyships Detachment, humbly requests that a transport be allowed to deliver a group of civilians to the surface that they might utilize the services of a nearby city. They would be just as any other tourists. The Cruisers Packrat and Oxcart are awaiting your escort." The transmission ended, apparently awaiting a response.

MT or FT?

((MT-PMT, kind of alternate tech. As I wrote, they have massive ships capable of sustained flight, but it's all very old. Not 10 millennium year old alien tech, but the oldest Skyships are older than most ships in service now.))

Aboard Packrat, over Belkaros.

Ship Master Kal Rodrek stood on the Bridge, surveying the early morning sky. The Chronometer before him read five thirty AM, but Rodrek was wide awake, having just risen, and having received a cup of kaffa from the Steward. He checked the position of Fist of Iron's guide light. Above and to the right of Packrat, right where it should be. The transmitter squawked a warning. Communications Officer Ubrecht answered it and, after listening for a moment, turned in his chair to look at his Ship Master.
"Sir, we have a transmission from the surface in response to the Iron's message. The Admiral requests that you await an escort being sent to meet us and Oxcart, and take on supplies as we see fit."
Kal nodded, considering the request. "Inform the Admiral that we will carry this mission out. Helm, we are awaiting guides, and escort of unknown kind. Make ready to drop altitude and turn towards coordinates." Both stations answered 'Aye, sir', and went about their business.

Bump.

Five Su-57B air dominance fighters sped towards the airships, signaling their role as escorts. They sent co-ordinates to the transports and matched their speed, nearly stalling their Tesla bladless turbine engines. The aircraft headed toward Pervigil Airforce Base, where weapons, supplies, and temporary shelters were being amassed in anticipation of the skyship's arrival. The Emperor was schedueled to meet with the leader of the fleet at their arrival, and hoped to establish a positive relationship with his people. The nearby city, Serpenorstra, prepared to greet the newcomers with open arms, as pubs, resteraunts, hotels and shops set out more colorful displays than those used to attract the mostly colorblind Belkan populace.

Aboard Packrat.

In the Embarkation Deck, five urban camouflage FV-430 Armored Personnel Carriers, holding fifty Marines and Ship Master Kal Rodrek prepared to leave, as well as one hundred fifty assorted crew members, manning varied dock machineries. The PA system warned the whole ship they were about to land, and with that, they touched down. There was a massive rumble throughout the entire ship, followed by the grinding of metal on metal, as the entire starboard wall of the Deck lowered, becoming one, huge gangplank. Standing in the lead APC's command hatch, the Ship Master used the radio to speak to the assembled foreigners outside.

'This is Kal Rodrek, Ship Master of Packrat, and Captain of the Third Skyship Fleet. I am requesting permission to come ashore, along with the detachment of Marines and dockers I have brought with me."

Emperor Mundus stood back and watched the gangplank unfold. He walked towards Ship Master Rodrek's APC and bowed.
"Welcome to Belkaros, Master Rodrek! I am Emperor Gnaeus Mundus the First. Please feel free to disembark, though I can assure you such security is not required. The supplies you requested have been amassed, and the citizens of the nearby city of Serpenorstra will accept whatever currency or trade your people possess in exchange for their services. Be aware that marijuana sale and prostitution are legal, government regulated industries in Belkaros, but I will do my best to ensure that your people are not corrupted by these forces should you not wish it. With that, I invite you and all you would have as your company as guests to dine with me this evening." said the Emperor, his regal voice resonating off the rusted metal of the airship.

Kal smiled stiffly as he climbed from the APC and bowed to Emperor Mundus.
"Your Majesty, both services will be much appreciated by all concerned. I should warn you that we have no civilians aboard Packrat, as they are aboard Oxcart. As to the matter of security, two APC's and twenty marines will stay with me, while they take in shifts to enter the city, twenty on guard duty here, ten off. My Exec, Fareyd, will inform you of the details of Oxcart."

The tall man paused as a dark skinned officer behind him spoke with an obvious African accent. "Your Majesty, she is larger than the ship you see before you by around a hundred and fifty tonnes. She carries nearly a hundred marines, and thrice that in assorted crew members. Added to that, she brought around a hundred civvies, and more are on the way. If we may begin?" He then waved to the waiting crew, who then rolled out on assorted forklifts and motorized flatbed carts, and began to load the supplies awaiting them.

Bump.

"By all means, mihi casam est tu casam" said Mundus, waiving his arms toward the crates as the Latin rolled off his toungue.

"The supplies here are only basic refugee supplies, food rations, water rations, simple clothing, shoes and basic tools. For more specific supplies, for example tobacco or something to give those rations some flavor, I will have to contact local distribution centers, and the people would probably expect something in return. The same is true with the barracks set up on base and the in-town dormatories, though yourselves and families can stay for free as ambassadors in any local inn or hotel you wish. If you need weaponry and ammunition, we will have to negotiate, or at least get to know one another better, not that I don't trust you, but if one of your enemies is one of my friends, I look like an idiot for arming you." said Mundus, still cheerful.

As the unloading took place, landing lights and fighters aided the Packrat touch down. Unloading civilians were greeted by Belkan merchants allowed into the base selling books, scarves, pipes and other trinkets, while others offered lodging, pubs and warm meals.

Ship Master Kal nodded, thinking carefully. "We will require more fruits and vegetables than protein foods, as even with such an advanced navy, scurvy is not unheard of, though it is usually more localized to single ships, or groups of ships. Thusly it is important that our hold isn't... cluttered, shall we say, with less important commodities. Luxury is nice to have, but you can't survive on cigars and wine." As he spoke, Oxcart landed, and gangplanks lowered from the top of the ship. A strong wind kicked up as the combined force of the ship landing and planks being lowered displaced a large amount of air.

"You will notice," Kal said, "That they are using smaller ramps from different parts of the ship than we used. This is because that is our cargo hold, while Oxcart is mainly a... what word to use..."

Mundus nodded. "Our rations kits are mostly vitamin enhanced soy products. Fresh fruits (OOC-just typed 'froots' the first time. I am pathetic) and vegitables can be added to these. Perhaps a hydrophonic farming system would be a good addition to your ships? Something to allow the creation of fresh food all the time?"

"Either way," he said, turning towards his car and gesturing for Kal to follow him, "we can discuss these matters over dinner. Please follow my car."

Mundus's car led the APC from the base into the nearby city. After a series of turns, the micro-motorcade came to a halt in front of a tall, ornate building. Mundus led his guests from their vehicles into the building, where they were greeted by several waiters, who escorted the group into an elevator, which led to the top floor of the building and a small, beautiful resteraunt.

****INCOMING DATABURST****
***COMPILING TRANSMISSION***
**ENCRYPTION LEVEL 10 - MAXIMUM SECURITY**
*QUANTUM KEY TYPE = EKERT SCHEME*
*DECRYPTION COMMENCING...*
MESSAGE:
To: Intel Node 03
From: Task Force Alpha

We are monitoring the large force of skyships in the area. Based on the intel from Task Force Beta, the terrorist should be on one of those vessels.

Task Force Gamma reported that the terrorist's partner died from trauma and blood loss shortly after the attack 60 km west of the border of Belkaros. His gunship is damaged but salvageable, and information retrieved from the black box and nav console indicates a course that leads to a point approximately 20 km northwest of Pervigil airbase, across the border.

It is probable that the two partners intended to rendezvous at the point. Preliminary satellite scans by the ARCTURUS network indicate the existence of grassland-type vegetation, and the existence of several caves.

No further relevant information was retrieved from the gunship and it appears the partner destroyed most of the remaining documents and data drives on board. It remains unclear how the gunship was to pass through the border undetected, but from what little we were able to gather from the surviving data drives, the rendezvous was to occur approximately 2 hours from now.

It is critical that the government of Belkaros be notified of the situation. This terrorist may be planning another radiological attack, and any of Belkaros' major civilian centers will be his next target. It is likely that the terrorist will leave the skyships within the next 2 hours to reach the rendezvous point. We must be granted permission by their government to safely cross the border in order for us to successfully stop the terrorist from disappearing altogether.

SIGNATURE STAMP: 01103-0603082246
***END TRANSMISSION***
****END DATABURST****

Walking into the building, Kal said, "Your Majesty, the men you see with me are Andrew Ferragore, Chief of Security, and Commander Steffan Polir, Captain of my Marines." As the tall Captain sat in the beautiful restaurant, he turned back to the conversation at the airport. "I thought of what the Oxcart's function is. I believe that you would call it a civilian transport, in peacetime at least. However, one has to understand that the word 'civilian' is nearly meaningless in our society, as everyone submits for crew work at some point, thusly holding a rank at all times.

"Thus, I think the closest phrase I can come to is 'shore leave', as they act as civilians on vacation. They will go to monuments and bars, partake in your nightlife, I would guess, and return to the ships in two days time. I would hear more of this city, if not your nation as a whole, You Majesty."

"Well, Serpenorstra is an ancient city, who's name in Belkan Latin means literally North-Gate. Once upon a time, this point was the Northernmost point of the Imperium, which was then known as Belka. The original gateway, guardhouses, and city walls can still be seen in the city center, one of the few remaining complete Belkan city walls today. The Imperium today is a psudo-socialist nation governed by myself and an elected parliment and prime-minister. The Emperor has more or less equal power to the parliment, with a system of checks and balances to keep one side or the other from becoming too powerful. Our system is viewed as oppressive by more "civilized" nations, but my people are not unhappy. We have sacrificed political freedom for economic and personal freedom, a fair trade by Belkan views." explained the Emperor, breaking as a waiter handed out menues, placed a tray of flatbreads, spices and meats in front of the guests, poured water, and offered liquors and cigars to the guests.
The Emperor spoke again, "Enough of Belkaros for now. Please, tell me of yourselves. How did you come to posess those craft? Are you exiles? Nomads? I find it fascinating."

Ship Master Kal began with an air of excitement, his formality quickly dropping away. "As far as we've been able to tell, our flagship, the Fist of Iron was built as a secret military attempt to create an airborne craft large enough to do serious damage, and due to the basic design, we believe it was either America or Britain. However, the project was apparently abandoned by the Government of said country, probably in favor of jets and new wet-ships, as we call them. As far as we can tell, they thought it too expensive and moved on. However, the prototype remained fully operational and was stolen by some rogues who became our officers and took the engineers with them. This is all speculation, of course, derived from markings on certain parts of the ship and half-baked logs taken when they left wherever they left from." The Captain paused to order, and accept his drink.

"What we do know is that the Fist is fully capable of converting wet-ships into aircraft! She has a fully operational machine shop capable of building cruisers and other, heavier craft given enough materials. Which comes back to why we land and take on supplies. Sometimes, we'll come across lands that have been savaged by war or natural disaster. Occasionally, very occasionally, it's only happened three times, we will take survivors with us.

While I'm not at liberty to say where or who, we have taken on nearly twice our original number in people who simply sign. With the governments permission of course. We don't land in some remote area and simply conscript anyone we want. We obtain grants, allow tours, and if any are interested, they sign with us. It may interest you to know that we get more naval personnel than airforce, militarily speaking, as we also take civilians and train them as our own."

****INCOMING DATABURST****
***COMPILING TRANSMISSION***
**ENCRYPTION LEVEL 10 - MAXIMUM SECURITY**
*QUANTUM KEY TYPE = EKERT SCHEME*
*DECRYPTION COMMENCING...*
MESSAGE:
To: The Government of Belkaros
From: CENTCOM, Federation of the Technocratic Unionates

Greetings from the Technate.

It has come to our attention that the skyship fleet at Pervigil base may be unknowingly harboring a terrorist. The terrorist is likely armed with personal firearms and will attempt to leave the base within the next 1 hour and 40 minutes. Our task forces stationed near the border will send you the anticipated coordinates of his next stop and request that border permission be granted to help coordinate an effective ambush against the terrorist.

This target is a madman and has been responsible for several radiological attacks on our fringe military outposts as well as an attempted attack in our Capital, the Technopolis Arcology. A member of a radical anarchist group, he will not restrict his attacks to our nation alone. It is imperative that he is neutralized with all due speed before he attacks again. Recent intelligence confirms with 85% probability that if he successfully evades detection, he will attack one of your major metropolitan centers within the next 4 days.

In order to minimize casualties, it would be preferable to ambush the suspect while he is en route to the rendezvous point instead of in the midst of the skyships. The obvious risk involved is that our window of opportunity is very short before he escapes detection altogether. In any case we will attempt to establish contact with the leaders of the Skyship convoy and notify them of the situation. If we're lucky, we may be able to neutralize the terrorist sooner than we think.

SIGNATURE STAMP: 0001-0605080216
***END TRANSMISSION***
****END DATABURST****

****INCOMING DATABURST****
***COMPILING TRANSMISSION***
**ENCRYPTION LEVEL 10 - MAXIMUM SECURITY**
*QUANTUM KEY TYPE = EKERT SCHEME*
*DECRYPTION COMMENCING...*
MESSAGE:
To: Executive Officer Iblin, Flagship Fist of Iron, Third Skyship Fleet
From: CENTCOM, Federation of the Technocratic Unionates

Greetings from the Technate.

We have evidence that a terrorist is currently on board one of your skyships. This terrorist is a member of an extremist anarchist group and is likely armed and dangerous. We estimate he will depart from your fleet in under 1 hour and 35 minutes. In the interest of minimizing casualties, it may be preferable to dispatch the suspect after he has left your fleet.

To this end, we request that any of your available resources be used to monitor the status of the terrorist and his whereabouts. If the opportunity arises for you to neutralize him yourself, by all means do not hesitate to do so.

There is a remote possibility that the terrorist may attack your fleet itself, although he prefers soft targets. At any rate, be advised that the terrorist specializes in radiological weaponry. The possibility of him procuring materials is low to moderate, as he has a history of resourcefulness at the most inopportune times, so be on guard.

We have contacted the government of Belkaros for permission to cross the border. If granted permission, we may send in one of our task forces to aid in dispatching the terrorist, as we have had considerable experience in combating both him and his followers.

Until we receive permission to cross the border, we will monitor the situation from afar.

SIGNATURE STAMP: 0001-0605080227
***END TRANSMISSION***
****END DATABURST****

The databurst was recieved in Belka and forewarded to the command center of Pervigil Airforce Base. The Base Commander, Solomon Ludus, ordered the skyships and those onboard to stay on board and re-board their craft, then sealed the base, locking all enterances and exits, while electricity flowed through the fences behind the concrete walls that surrounded the base. All base personel were issued RAD-suits and decontamination gear, and similarly equipped troops surrounded the ships. They allowed the supply loading to continue, but under their watchful eye, and set up security checkpoints around the craft to start allowing people off the ships and back into the city, but no precaution would be overlooked.

At the restaraunt...
The Emperor cringed as he heard the news via his PDA, not wanting to start a conflict with his guests. He spoke carefully.
"Commander, I have recieved an alarming threat about a stow-away aboard one of your ships. I have sent all of your personel back to their crafts while the base is searched, then they will be allowed back onto the base, then into the city via security checkpoints. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but the saftey of both our peoples is at risk."

From Belka
FROM THE DESK OF PRIME MINISTER RACHAEL JONOVAN
TO-CENTCOM, FEDERATION OF THE TECHNOCRATIC UNIONATES
Technate,
Our people have taken precautions against an immediate attack, but would welcome your expertese and prior experience in capturing this terrorist. You are hereby authorized to move what forces you deem nescissary into Belkaros to aid in the capture and destruction of this threat. We can only hope this situation is resolved without any lives lost.
Yours,
Rachael Jonovan,
Prime Minister of the Imperium of Belkaros

As the sun settled, a warm red glow blanketed the landscape. A small Courier-class military transport quietly touched down in the small outcropping of caves, just in sight of Pervigil airbase. The front hatch opened and two assassin drones jumped to the ground on all four legs. Immediately they brandished their neurotoxin rifles and established a perimeter. Their plated exoskeleton gleamed in the dusk light as they clambered to defensive positions above the caves. The transport took off as quietly as it landed, and immediately the Stealth Protocol was activated. The drones modified their exoskeleton's refractive indices using piezoelectric actuators embedded in the armor. Within half a minute the drones disappeared amongst the rocks, with only small clouds of dust ever betraying a foreign presence there.

Kal blinked in surprise. Sitting up in his chair, he asked, "Is your source aware of which ship he is stowed away on? Because neither ship landed here has docked in the last two months. However, the Manticore just received a shipment a week or so ago, and it's possible that the fugitive switched ships."

Kal shifted nervously, apparently uneasy about going so deep into the workings of his fleet.

"The Manticore never lands, as it is a large battleship, second only to the Fist of Iron, and has to be supplied by a smaller ship, which is my current function here. As such, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to board and investigate for a runaway. It may help if I knew what he was being charged with."

"The terrorist has perpitrated several radiological attacks, or so I am told. The information came from the Technocratic Union States, the victims of his previous attacks. More than that I do not know, but feel free to contact them for details, as well as any of your people you need to warn." said Mundus, a waiter appearing with a computer and phone device.

The modified Thanatos-class gunship approached Pervigil airbase with its four main thrusters glowing a pale blue, in contrast to the reddening sky. The gunship established contact with the base and soon landed on the airfield. Within minutes a trio of Assassin drones clambered out, which soon established a perimeter. Next, the ship's Captain and four members of the crew, followed by a team of counter-terrorism specialists from Intel Node 03 stood by the gunship entrance, awaiting members from the Belkaros government and the Skyships' executive officers to meet them.

Every man, woman and child who had landed with Oxcart were recalled to the ship and lifted off immediately. The ten off-duty marines were found in a local drinking den and taken back to their quarters, while the other forty made a complete investigation of the ship, making sure there were no stow-a-ways. Both ships were informed of the danger, and they made haste to rejoin their fleet. A message made it to the Manticore, and her Captain began a thorough cleansing of his ship. Due to the size of the craft, however, the search could last a day or so.

The Assassin drones silently continued their patrols in the remote, hilly area. With another drone squad at the base only a short distance away, it was a matter of time before the terrorist was neutralized. As night fell, the drones made the first radsweep of the area after receiving the green light from CENTCOM.

Command Center, Intel Node 03, 90 miles west of Belkaros border

"Sir, we're receiving a databurst from drone group 01."

"What is it now?" The Executive Intel Officer frowned. The past five days had been frustrating, to say the least. After following many false leads they had finally pinned down the mastermind terrorist... or so it seemed. The worried look on his Comm officer's face didn't look good at all.

"Sir, they appear to be picking up a radioactive signal in one of the caves. The drones have activated their defensive search subroutines and are preparing to probe the cave. Sir, from the incoming raw data we may have hit the jackpot, but it's bigger - a lot bigger - than we thought."

The EIO's brow furrowed and he rubbed the three-day growth on his chin, pacing the command deck in deep thought. His mind kept growing cloudy as he tried to formulate a plan of action. Maybe I should've listened to the Medical Officer, he thought dryly. The entire team was operating on the past few days in a continuous Condition Red Protocol; sleep was restricted to only a few hours a day, but the EIO would often forfeit his sleep hours to pore over the intel databursts and the dossier on the terrorist. Now that decision came back to haunt him. Just a little longer, he thought, and we'll have plenty of time to rest. He walked over to his table, picked up his cup of cold coffee, and began to issue orders.

At the caves

The Assassins received the orders and immediately one of them silently approached the cave. All sensors and self-diagnostics checked out, and there appeared to be no booby traps in the cave entrance. The drone started to probe the cave's dimensions; the cave was only ten feet high at the most, and appeared to end some five-hundred feet back. It was at this point where the radioactive signatures originated. The drone began to move forward cautiously, with all weapons at the ready...

Aboard the Manticore

The terrorist suddenly awoke to the loud beeping of his transceiver. He slipped off the bed and activated the screen. He stumbled a little as he tripped over the foot of the dead crewman laying under his bed. As an afterthought the terrorist kicked the man's foot underneath the bed and began to review the newest databurst from the SPYDERCAM attached to the Courier-class's fuel hatch. It was a well-known blind spot on the older Courier models, at least well-known to CENTCOM, and this Courier wasn't scheduled for an overhaul until at least two weeks from now - a situation that worked to his benefit. He already knew from the last video databursts that the Assassins were already on the ground. The newest alert was merely to signal the start of phase two of his contingency plan, as it was a matter of time before the robotic drones achieved their goals. If the drones got to the hidden transport vessel in the cave, his plan would be a bust.

With that in mind, he reached over to his rucksack and pulled out a small, three-inch-sided pearlescent cube. Activating the holo-cube's interface, he accessed the security codes needed to activate the final phase of the contingency plan. If all went well and if he took the right precautions, he reasoned, Pervigil airbase would remain uninhabitable for generations and the attack would strike fear in the hearts of all military members in Belkaros.

Now all he needed was a rad suit...

Near the caves
The Belkans would take no risks in capturing the terrorist. A Centurion was sent in armed with a heavy flamethrower, a Resicorp model, and the monster began its advance into the darkness of the cave, flanked by the assasins, illuminating the cave with intense heat and flame. Outside, several Malus hunter teams used thermal scanners to track the terrorist's movements, though with the advance of the Centurion's flame, the scan would soon be useless.

In the airbase
The people onboard the airships were once again allowed to leave their ships freely. The rest of the supplies were brought onboard their craft, and the local businesses were re-opened to them.

OOC: Techno, I think you missed something. Manticore is the second largest ship in the fleet. Definitely not a Courier class.

IC: Aboard the Manticore.

Sergeant Einhaa exited the tenth cabin they had checked on this level, shaking his head in confusion. They had recieved a message from the Captain of the Packrat, informing them that there was possibly a terrorist onboard. The Commander of the ship's Marines immediately ordered a ship wide search for anyone not in the crew. So far, neither the Commander or the Sergeant had been able to detect the presence of anyone out of the ordinary. His walkie-talkie squawked, "Sergeant Einhaa, this is Sergeant Forlas," at him.

"Einhaa here," he replied, adjusting his grip on his rifle. It was a beast of a fire arm, firing a round that would put a fist sized hole in a man.

"Einhaa, report in. Any sign of the unwelcome guest?"

"None, sir. We're in cabin six, approaching cabin five. The door is ajar. I'll keep you posted."

OOC: Techno, I think you missed something. Manticore is the second largest ship in the fleet. Definitely not a Courier class.


OCC: The SPYDERCAM was placed on one of my own Courier-class transports - the one that dropped the drones. The only reliable way for someone to move into a secure facility and do that is if he/she had an accomplice embedded in the military hierarchy - hence the now-dead partner that I mentioned earlier (I will go into further detail regarding the terrorist's partner in a few days - I'm a bit busy atm). Sorry if that wasn't clear earlier.

OOC: Then why did it say Aboard the Manticore?

A disarmed civilian painted V-22 Osprey approached the landing site from the south. It was arriving from the nation of Barokin, but it hailed from Deserted Territories. An old DT military stencil was barely visible on the wind and sand worn exterior. Its occupants were 8 men, none with any title or position at the moment, though 6 of them were ex-DT secret service, one was an ex-DT military pilot, and one was the former Sultan of Deserted Territories. He had done quite a bit of nation hopping in the plane since the Vizor had overthrown him last summer and had decided it was neccessary to move again with the outbreak of another Corporate Allinace war.

As the Osprey obtained permission to land at landing pad number 7, it came to bear on the sight of an airship flotilla crowding the area. The Sultan in the co-pilots seat lowered his headset and stared with wonder at the sight. He had always had the dream of controlling such a fleet, and had even started such a program before being pushed from power in a viscous coup. In fact, he had read earlier that the Vizor had luanched that program and that DT's first airship was on its way to the conflict in Shofercia. The Sultan wanted nothing more than to land here and see these ships.

Unfortunatly, the head of his secret service had other plans. "Oh no," the balding Captain Rayome said, "Whatever that is, we don't want to be involved. Turn the plane around."
"No can do," the pilot responded. "Had trouble enough getting in here, and they aren't likely to let me turn around... something about a terror threat."
"Splendid, Rick, now the Sultan is in the middle of a potential international crisis."
"Meh, he doesn't look concerned."

And he didn't, he gazed in almost childish wonder at the heaving ships as they navigated to the landing pad, lowering landing gear and angling the rotors vertical for a smooth landing. A RST-V "Shadow" was strapped into the back between the 6 agents but it wasn't unloaded as 5 of them and the Sultan stepped off. The pilot and one agent stayed with the V-22.

The 5 agents did have concealed auto-revolveders on them but they had no intention to use them aggresivly. They corried them for the sole reason that the man they traveled with was the rightly leader of a nation of 4 billion and they inteneded to see him back into that position.

OOC: Does anyone here have a problem if I downsize my fleet to Fist of Iron, Manticore, Packrat and Oxcart? Plus a couple other support ships? Because having sixty floating ships just doesn't feel right.

OOC- I don't mind. Its your nation, do what feels comfortable.

Commander Ludus limped over to the new arrivals, wearing full armor, minus a helmet, which was slung under his arm, and flanked by guards. He approached the men, bowed, and extended his hand.
"I am Admiral Solomon Ludus, Commander of Pervigil Airforce Base. I am not completley clear as to who you are, but welcome to Belkaros, though your visit has not come at the best time."

Bridge of the Fist of Iron

Captain Togir Bylan sat in the Command chair, brooding over the recent events. He had a decision to make. Risk his crew in a foreign country that they had no relations with, or leave Captain Rodrek to his fate and return to Calth empty handed. As he stewed over this dilemma, one of the Ensigns turned to him.

"Sir, unidentified VTOL just landed at Pervigil Airforce Base. From the security, it appears to be a foreign ambassador of some sort."

Bylan nodded thoughtfully. After a moment of consideration he said,"
"Keep me posted, Ensign Caldus. He might prove a valuable ally."

OOC: Then why did it say Aboard the Manticore?

OOC: The terrorist is aboard the Manticore. The signal he received was from the SPYDERCAM that was attached to the Courier transport that landed in the caves. The cam was attached long before he boarded the Manticore, as an element in his backup plan.

OOC- I don't mind. Its your nation, do what feels comfortable.

Commander Ludus limped over to the new arrivals, wearing full armor, minus a helmet, which was slung under his arm, and flanked by guards. He approached the men, bowed, and extended his hand.
"I am Admiral Solomon Ludus, Commander of Pervigil Airforce Base. I am not completley clear as to who you are, but welcome to Belkaros, though your visit has not come at the best time."

The Sultan comfortably lead his 5 guards who followed him rather casualy. The Sultan bowed in turn and extended his own hand in reciprocation, "I am Arnold Clevinger, an conslutant for Deserted Territories Land Reclamation Services. I travel abroad to lend the helping hand of DTR to any nation that requires it," he casually told this lie. But then went on with truth "My travels have found me here, but not on the subject of business. I'm afraid these airships have caught my eye, they have long been a passion of mine. They are magnifenct creatures," he stared at them with wonder breifly.

"I assume these are your ships, since so many have gathered in your air base. How did you ever aquire the finances and technolgy for these? They are obviously aged and still in their prime at that, your nation must have been just a bud when it built these."

The Sultan could tell the ships were foreign but in the interest of maintaining his act he played dumb on this point.

*Bump*

"These airships belong to a group of travelers who are staying with us" said Ludus, admiring the ships. "Belkaros does, however, have a large airship corps. that utalizes Tesla-Zeppelin craft not so unlike these. Forgive me for my suspicion, but something about your manorisms, speach and guards suggest you are more than a consultant. You have nothing, to fear from us. Even if you are an enemy of Belkaros, you will be allowed to leave unscathed. If you are in hiding, your identity will be kept secret, and perhaps we will be able to help you."

Commander Ludus limped over to the new arrivals, wearing full armor, minus a helmet, which was slung under his arm, and flanked by guards. He approached the men, bowed, and extended his hand.
"I am Admiral Solomon Ludus, Commander of Pervigil Airforce Base. I am not completley clear as to who you are, but welcome to Belkaros, though your visit has not come at the best time."

Commander Al-Khalili extended his prosthetic right hand in return. "I am Commander Al-Khalili of the Technocratic Unionates Intel Node 03, and these are my Subcommanders." He gestured to the two men in night-urban fatigues. "Subcommanders Cherenkov and Dirac will assist your teams in capturing the terrorist. My apologies, Commander Ludus, but additional formalities will have to wait until we finish this job." With that, he issued orders to the Assassin drones guarding the gunship...

Near the caves
The Belkans would take no risks in capturing the terrorist. A Centurion was sent in armed with a heavy flamethrower, a Resicorp model, and the monster began its advance into the darkness of the cave, flanked by the assasins, illuminating the cave with intense heat and flame. Outside, several Malus hunter teams used thermal scanners to track the terrorist's movements, though with the advance of the Centurion's flame, the scan would soon be useless.

In the airbase
The people onboard the airships were once again allowed to leave their ships freely. The rest of the supplies were brought onboard their craft, and the local businesses were re-opened to them.

In the cave

The Assassins continued to probe the cave, flanking the Centurion unit. The flames from the Centurion lit up the cave, throwing the cracks and jagged stalactites into sharp relief. The heat distorted the air in the cave and kicked up the dust as the warm air mixed with the cold, damp cave air.

That's when one of the Assassin drones detected a large object, apparently hidden in the back of the cave. The drone alerted the others and cautiously began to approach the object...



Sergeant Einhaa exited the tenth cabin they had checked on this level, shaking his head in confusion. They had recieved a message from the Captain of the Packrat, informing them that there was possibly a terrorist onboard. The Commander of the ship's Marines immediately ordered a ship wide search for anyone not in the crew. So far, neither the Commander or the Sergeant had been able to detect the presence of anyone out of the ordinary. His walkie-talkie squawked, "Sergeant Einhaa, this is Sergeant Forlas," at him.

"Einhaa here," he replied, adjusting his grip on his rifle. It was a beast of a fire arm, firing a round that would put a fist sized hole in a man.

"Einhaa, report in. Any sign of the unwelcome guest?"

"None, sir. We're in cabin six, approaching cabin five. The door is ajar. I'll keep you posted."


The terrorist finished wiping the blood off the radsuit visor when his proximity alarm beeped. They've found me, he realized. It was too quick; he didn't have much time before the marines burst into the room. He quickly activated the transponder and sent a message in the direction of the caves. In the next ten seconds it soon dawned on him that he would not be alive to see his career-defining attack take place. If they catch me it'll be worse than dying, he thought. They would deport him back to the Technate and his capture would be publicized, thus striking a decisive psychological blow to the other members of his movement. My brethren will not see me paraded in the media like a common criminal, he decided. If I'm going down, I'm taking them with me.With that he lunged for the C4 remote on the bed just as the marines burst into the room.
For peace, his last thoughts echoed.
The cabin erupted in a colossal explosion.


Command Center, Intel Node 03, ten seconds later

"Sir, Assassin 02 is attempting to scan the anomaly... it should be the first of many of the weapons in the hidden cache if we're lucky but it's rather large and unusually-shaped for a standard radiological weapon."

As he finished speaking, the Comm Officer looked up quizzically at the Executive Intel Officer. The EIO found this rather disconcerting. "Run a size and shape comparison between the raw data and our archives," he said. If his hunch proved right (and in this case, he wished it wouldn't), then the terrorist had developed yet another new delivery system for his radiological terror attacks.

"SIR!"

The EIO whipped around, staring at the Comm Officer.

"The drones are picking up a large energy buildup in the cave! It's a booby trap!"

The EIO froze. He realized he only had a few seconds.

"Order Defense Protocol Alpha NOW!"

At the cave, three seconds later

The Assassins activated their refractive shield projectors just as the rear end of the cave collapsed in a large fireball. The Centurion was nowhere to be seen as the flames and loose debris roared over the drones, so they couldn't tell if the Belkaros unit survived or not. As the explosion subsided and the cavern stabilized, a large object flew quickly over the Assassin drones' heads and out of the cave into the night.

Command Center, Intel Node 03, ten seconds after the cave explosion

"What the hell was that!?"

"It appears it was a series of EMP flux bombs set as a booby trap. About two seconds before the charge buildup a databurst was intercepted, coming from the skyships' direction. All the Assassins survived with minimal EM damage thanks to the shielding, but Assassin 01's shield projector bore the brunt of the explosion and was disabled."

The EIO rushed to the main sensor map. The other officers in the room were furiously working their consoles, coordinating additional forces in the event of more attacks. "Order the Assassins to pull out now!"

"Sir, there's more! A large object has been detected by the ARCTURUS satellite network and is heading for Pervigil airbase!"

"Identify!" The EIO barked.

"It's a modified Courier-class transport, mod type 4. There's heavy ECM shielding and we're having trouble trying to get past the sensor shielding within the transport. It looks like it's activated some sort of active sensor block. We're trying to hack the system but it'll take time."

Mod type 4, the EIO thought. The Courier-class transport's modular systems allowed for the replacement of the cockpit with a complex AI system. It was a popular choice for transporting valuables in inhospitable areas.

Or as a guided missile, the EIO realized.

"Notify Commander Al-Khalili at once. Order the Interceptors from Subterranean Base 03 to close in on that missile and ready the HADES network in case the Interceptors fail. That transport must be stopped at all costs!"

The Sultan paused and looked at the Admiral before speaking. "You are certainly not to be duped commander. No I am no consultant for DTR, but you must understand my previous apprehension to reveal my true identity right away. While my enemies do not include Belkaros, they are far reaching and powerful.

"I am the Sultan of Deserted Territories, a desert nation of 4 billion. I was forced to leave my position when my second in command, the Grand Vizor, staged a violent coup. I have eluded him this last year and have found myself in your great nation. I will not however require any additional help in protecting myself. I have a trusty band of guards and we are well equipped to protect ourselves until which time I may resume my office. However, you hospitallity would be greatly appreciated, especially if you could allow me to tour some of your magnificent airships."

Captain Rayome was less than thrilled that the Sultan had revealed everything but he was something of a free spirit and the Captain knew there would've been no stopping him once he made his mind up. That being said, he issued a few subtle commands to the other agents who promptly took on a more serious air, dropping their thin disguises.

The Captain had his head on a swivel now, inspecting the airships high above and taking into account the relative commotion of people surging on and off airships. There seemed to be some kind of crisis going on. Before he could inquire however, an explosion was heard in one of the airships above and flames could be seen as it breached the envelope. The base exploded into commotion with civilians and soldiers alike running in a chaotic swarm around the group.

An agent dove on the Sultan but he reserved his dignity and stayed on his feet, shrugging the well-build agent to the ground without loosing his footing. "That will not be neccessary," he told the Captain. The agents closed in around his back, guns not yet drawn but with their hands on their holsters.

On base...
The Commander threw on his helmet as he got to his feet after the blast, limping even more heavily, having lost his left leg years ago. One of his guards had been impailed by a large shard of metal while protecting the commander. He bled to death in seconds as his comrades scrambled around him, fire and rescue crews trying to aid the flaming airship crew while military forces attempted to calm the crowds and quell potential threats.
"Come with me quiclky, your Emminance!" shouted the Commander to the Sultan and his men as he was helped into a waiting transport.

In the cave...
The Centurion struggled to its feet, dropping the remains of the ruined flamethrower along with the lower half of its arm, which had been immolated with the rupture of the flamer's fuel tank. It radioed the base about the launch, at which point EMS and anti-missile systems were being jerry-rigged (OOC- If thats a racial slur, sorry) to fire from vehicles and landed planes at the incoming weapon.

Captain Bylan was thrown nearly out of his chair by a massive shockwave, which was accompanied by a fierce explosion. Gripping the arm of his command chair, he rose, shouting, "All stations, status report!"
"Helm, we're listing badly to starboard."
"Comms are out, Captain."
"We've lost contact with the Marine's search team, sir. I think they found the terrorist."

The Sultan paused and looked at the Admiral before speaking. "You are certainly not to be duped commander. No I am no consultant for DTR, but you must understand my previous apprehension to reveal my true identity right away. While my enemies do not include Belkaros, they are far reaching and powerful.

"I am the Sultan of Deserted Territories, a desert nation of 4 billion. I was forced to leave my position when my second in command, the Grand Vizor, staged a violent coup. I have eluded him this last year and have found myself in your great nation. I will not however require any additional help in protecting myself. I have a trusty band of guards and we are well equipped to protect ourselves until which time I may resume my office. However, you hospitallity would be greatly appreciated, especially if you could allow me to tour some of your magnificent airships."

Captain Rayome was less than thrilled that the Sultan had revealed everything but he was something of a free spirit and the Captain knew there would've been no stopping him once he made his mind up. That being said, he issued a few subtle commands to the other agents who promptly took on a more serious air, dropping their thin disguises.

The Captain had his head on a swivel now, inspecting the airships high above and taking into account the relative commotion of people surging on and off airships. There seemed to be some kind of crisis going on. Before he could inquire however, an explosion was heard in one of the airships above and flames could be seen as it breached the envelope. The base exploded into commotion with civilians and soldiers alike running in a chaotic swarm around the group.

An agent dove on the Sultan but he reserved his dignity and stayed on his feet, shrugging the well-build agent to the ground without loosing his footing. "That will not be neccessary," he told the Captain. The agents closed in around his back, guns not yet drawn but with their hands on their holsters.

OOC: Do you have any further plans with the "Grand Vizor" regarding this story? If not, I was wondering if we could involve him further in our plot - perhaps as an expansionist who overthrew the Sultanand is attempting to destabilize the region to his advantage by funding various terror groups like the one we're seeing here. If you have other plans with him, by all means let me know. Of course, you can be responsible for the role of the Grand Vizor if you want (since you created him), but it's totally up to you.

(OOC: not in this story. He is currently handling the invasion of DT by... well a goodly portion of the II community. If you want to orchestrate something happening with the Sultan here under the authority of the Vizor I'd be cool with doing an assasination-type story in here.)

The Sultan moved quickly to follow the Admiral into the transport, his guards following suit behind him.
"There seems to be trouble about," the Sultan said dryly. "Happens to the best of us."

OOC: I'm changing my officer's abbreviated title from EIO to XIO (Still stands for the same thing) - it sounds better and I don't have to feel like I'm about to belt out another "Old Macdonald Had a Farm" each time I type it. :)

And DT - thanks for letting me know. I'll think about doing something like that with the Sultan (like an assassination plot) over the next few days.

Seventy miles from Pervigil Airbase

Three small robotic Interceptors whizzed towards the runaway transport, hugging the ground and relaying targeting information back to Intel Node 03. Their triangular-shaped, black bodies began to blur as they activated their defensive cloaking measures. In a matter of minutes they caught up with the Courier transport. The lead Interceptor began to scan the transport...

Command Center, Intel Node 03

"Sir, we have a problem."

The XIO looked up from the holodisplay at the Comm Officer.

"Kestrel-1 has scanned the transport. The ship is rigged with external Dandelion-model cluster charges. If the HADES network attacks with the orbital rail guns, we'll risk spreading the radioactive material across the entire region."

The XIO thought carefully for a moment. He knew that this would render the HADES network effectively useless. There would be too many targets for the network to deal with at once if the clusters were triggered. Then he issued orders -

"Order the Interceptors to disable the transport if possible. What about the system hack?"

"We're still working on it, sir. We should have full control of the ship within the next 8 minutes."

"It'll have to be 7 minutes, because that's our ETA until Pervigil is hit - assuming our Interceptors don't slow it down..."


Sixty miles from Pervigil Airbase

The Interceptors quickly switch to focused EMP burst guns. Just as the lead Interceptor charged its weapon, a power surge temporarily caused the cloaking device to fail, registering on the Courier's aft sensors. A blinding flash emanated from the rear of the transport. The shockwave slammed into all three Interceptors. The lead Interceptor collided with another one behind it, causing both to spiral out of control and slam into the ground at mach speeds. The third Interceptor started to lose lift, with ribbons of electricity traveling across its hull. The cloaking device was disabled and the last Interceptor began to spiral towards the ground - but not without a parting shot. The EMP burst hit the transport and travelled across its hull, and the transport began to slow down...

Command Center, Intel Node 03

"Sir! The transport...!"

The XIO watched in anger as the holodisplay showed the Courier taking down the Interceptors.

"How in the hell did he get ahold of the Fishnet?" He barked. The Fishnet was a defensive weapon used exclusively by the NanoFab's Elite Guard. It was a one-time use weapon that released a highly reactive EMP net, disabling all electronic components that get in the way. It was strong enough to deal with most types of conventional ECM shielding, including that of Interceptors. How did the terrorist get ahold of one of those?

"Chances are, sir, the partner must've had a contact within the NanoFab."

The XIO didn't like the sound of that. The NanoFab (or the Nanomaterials Fabrication Cooperative) was the primary defense conglomerate responsible for much of the Technate's R&D work in high-energy weapons and materials technology. If they've been compromised, the situation was much more sensitive than earlier thought.

"What's the story on the transport?"

"It seems Kestrel-3 managed to disable one of its primary engine blocks before it crashed. The Courier is running at half-speed and the primary core has been shut down. ETA has been recalculated to 13 minutes and 44 seconds."

"And the Interceptors?"

The Comm Officer looked up from his screen. "Kestrel-1 and Kestrel-2 are reporting severe hull damage, and they've begun Self-Regen Protocols. They'll be at MOL (Minimum Operating Levels) in under half an hour, so we won't need to send in recovery teams. Kestrel-3 was only disabled but suffered a few nicks on its descent. It'll be MOL in two minutes, sir."

The XIO gazed steadily at the holodisplay, his face grim.

"Order Kestrel-3 to re-engage the Courier once it's at MOL."

"But sir, if the Courier has another Fishnet-"

"I know, Comm. It'll be up to the Belkaros military to stop the craft if that happens. Inform the Belkaros task force near the Pervigil base that the ship's hull integrity must be preserved as much as possible and to go for the engines and secondary power grids. If the transport explodes, it'll spell disaster for all of us."

Command Deck, UTS Thanatos 03-01, Pervigil Airbase

Commander Al-Khalili sat in his chair aboard the gunship. After the explosion, he ordered all his subordinates back to the gunship and with the Assassins establishing a perimeter, it would minimize the risk of anyone setting off more booby traps. He coordinated search parties with the Belkaros military and the Sultan, and soon another group of Assassins was crawling through the base, searching for more evidence...

That's when his Commlink beeped.

"Sir! We have an incoming message from IN-03!"

Al-Khalili looked at Subcommander Dirac, who was quickly working the holodisplay. "There's a rogue transport en route to the base. It's a modified Courier-class, mod type 4, so we should expect-"

"A missile refit, I know," Al-Khalili cut him off. He had already dealt with such attacks in the past, one of which cost him his arm. His brow furrowed in concentration as he thought carefully. "What's the transport's status?"

"Hull integrity is holding, but primary reactor core and grid is down. They tried to set Interceptors on the vessel and managed to hit it, but there was a Fishnet discharge and IN-03 reports a Dandelion on board. The ship is running on secondary power and reduced speed. ETA 12 minutes."

That explains why HADES didn't take it down, Commander Al-Khalili mused. But now all they needed to do was to disable the craft, either by hacking the system or another focused EMP burst. Since Intel Node 03 was already working on the hack, his mission was clear.

"Prepare to lift off and intercept the transport. We must disable it at all costs."

--BROADCASTING OMEGA SIX, STAND BY...--

"All warships and craft transporting military equipment and personnel under the command of the Fist of Iron, this is Captain Togir Bylan. I hereby order all ships to be made ready for anti-terrorist action, as well as prepared to evacuate immediately should our safety be threatened. Those ships carrying civilians are to return immediately to safe port in Calth, or any other place they can take refuge. This is a priority two order. Iron out."

--END BROADCAST. SAVE Y/N?--

Bump

Bump

Bump^2

(Another post coming in a few days)

Sorry, I've been busy.

Anyone still interested in continuing this thread?