NationStates Jolt Archive

There was a crisp knock at the office door and a small group of Special Protection Service agents trooped into the spacious, light-filled office followed by a lanky dark-haired woman in an interview suit and heels. Councilor Alexandra Michelin looked up from her computer and faced the group with a calm expression and sharp grey-blue eyes.

"Councilor Michelin," the tall secretary said, "the agents are here to escort you to the League of Women Voters brunch."

The councilor sighed almost imperceptibly and logged out of her computer. "I thought Claudia was doing this thing this year," Alexandra said, referring to Councilor Claudia Lavigne, the only other female on the five-member Zinairian Executive Council.

"No offense intended towards Councilor Lavigne, but the women of the League seem to find you less...grating."

"Give me thirty years and we'll see."

"Yes, ma'am," the secretary said, offering Alexandra a long overcoat.

"It looks warm out," Alexandra said, waving the coat away.

"It's sunny but cold, ma'am."

"I'll be fine."

"Madame Councilor," the first SPS agent said, obviously growing impatient, "are you ready to go?"

She nodded and was ushered out the door by the agents.

The small group exited the capitol building through the back door and the agents escorted Alexandra and her assistant to the waiting motorcade. The column of vehicles was already started and the dozen or so engines rumbled softly as the agents opened the back door of one of two ZMW X7 SUVs and ushered the councilor and her assistant in. Alexandra slid to the center of the cool leather bench, pressed between a beefy agent and her bony assistant.

Several moments later, one of the SPS agents received a notification through the headset in his ear.

"Sweep cars are about eight minutes out, let's get 'em going," the agent said to the other two SPS personnel.

One of the agents walked to the front of the motorcade and hit the roof of the leading police car twice. Several moments later, the two Zinaire City Police ZMW S5 sedans, lights flashing, pulled away and began the procession. The sedans were followed by two ZMW X5 SUVS driven by the SPS. One of these SUVs had the back window popped open to reveal several armored agents with K29 carbines crouching in the back. These cars were followed by the councilor's X7 and then a second, passengerless X7. This was followed by two more X5s and a handful of vans holding reporters and more of the councilor's staff. Finally, two more ZCPD sedans brought up the rear.

Because five councilors shared executive power, none of their motorcades were an especially grand affair. The streets that the procession traveled along were still open to regular traffic, but most of it pulled to the side and watched as the motorcade charged down the street. At each intersection along the route, a municipal motorcycle cop stood next to his bike, hands folded behind his back.

In the councilor's car, Alexandra's assistant fidgeted with a thin blue folder embossed with the Executive Council's seal.

"Do you want to go over your speech one more time, ma'am?"

The councilor shrugged and her assistant pulled a sheet of paper from the folder and handed it to her. The councilor began reciting the speech in a desaturated monotone:

"Ladies, I'm pleased to once again–"

Suddenly, from outside, they heard a commotion– the screech of tires then several shots fired from a handgun. Alexandra's assistant looked out the window to see several black vans speeding down the next pair of cross streets and and the motorcycle cops firing in vain at the vans. As the vans sped into the intersection, blocking the motorcade's path, a masked man within the van fired his brand new ACOM rifle at the motorcycle cops through the open sliding door of the van.

The bodyguard threw the councilor to the floor of the SUV and cursed wildly as the driving agent tried to find a way out.

"Shit," muttered the driver, "how did no one know about this?"

As the motorcade attempted to perform a U-turn en masse, two more vans speed into the previous intersection, blocking the motorcade in.

"Fuck," said the driver, "we're all going to die."

OOC: And scene. Okay, now someone can play as the terrorists (which are members of ZAFT (http://wikistates.outwardhosting.com/wiki/ZAFT), an organization that believes all women should be removed from political power), one of the journalists in the motorcade or a civilian that happened to get blocked in along with the motorcade. There will be more opportunities to get involved as this plays out and appears on the news. Please TG/PM me before you post. And yes, if I don't like you, I won't let you post.

(OOC: Sorry for the OOC comment, but couldn't resist to give you a thumbs up because this reminds me of Spacemoose (http://www.subvulture.com/spacemoose/take_back.gif))

OOC: Since no one else seems to be posting, I guess this will be a story thread until someone else sees fit to jump in.

The SPS agents had numbers and training on their side, but the terrorists had all but the CAT members outgunned. The ten CAT members wore heavier armor and carried K29 carbines and the agents in Alexandra's vehicle carried VP90 personal defense weapons in addition to their pistols, but the other ten agents had only their Diablo handguns. The terrorists, on the other hand, all seemed to be carrying assault rifles. For the agents, the safety of their armored vehicles was certainly tempting.

Operating in the limited space that the block of four-lane road afforded them, the drivers maneuvered the armored SUVS into two lines, creating some protection for the VIP and the civilians.

As the cars pulled into position, one of the terrorists, who wore a balaclava and wore cheap body armor, clamored onto the roof of a van and fired several rounds from his rifle into the air.

"We're here to protest the tyranny of female politicians and restore the world to the patriarchal state it should have remained!"

The terrorist punctuated his statement with several more shots from his ACOM. By this point, the SPS agents had formed a line at their makeshift barricades, using the armored vehicles as cover. The agents on the north barricade had their guns trained on the leader as he continued to rant about the evils of women.

The agents in Alexandra's vehicle had remained and the man in the passenger seat was busy coordinating a response from the national police.

"Don't worry, madame councilor," the agent who was pressed against Alexandra assured her, "I'm sure we'll get out of here safe and sound."

As the councilor looked past the lines of cars, she could see that municipal police were beginning to block traffic on the neighboring blocks. She focused on this activity rather than watching the terrorist blather or the SPS agents track the masked men with their guns.

The terrorist leader seemed to wrap things up then he jumped down from the roof of the van. The other terrorists dismounted the vans and advanced on the SUVs.

A cacophony of yelling began as the SPS agents ordered the terrorists to cease their advance. As the agents' fingers inched closer to pulling their triggers, the terrorists stopped, leveling their guns at the agents from only a couple meters away. The men stood there staring each other down, waiting to see who would make the first move

OOC: Posting as the ZAFT. This is Neo-Erusea, just so you all know if you want to TG me you should send it to my main nation.

IC: Alain de Ouille, the leader of the ZAFT hit men sent to take down the Zinairian Councilor Alexandra Michelin, stopped his advance about a meter and a half before the rest of the men with him. They aimed their new Doomani rifles and took aim at the SPS agents, halting their advance in the roadway ahead of the motorcade. Behind approached another group of ZAFT fighters, armed to the teeth with automatic weaponry a hatred of feminism.

"You call yourselves' men!?!" cried out Alain, "Look at this, how pathetic you all are. This women, this whore, you are protecting does nothing but to lower us and enrich herself with Zinaire's capital!"

The terrorists continued standing tensely, waiting, and anxious of what was to come. The ensueing firefight would not be a pretty one when all hell breaks loose... Alain began to pace left and right casually while speaking propaganda to the SPS agents, holding his rifle upwards rested on his shoulder and constantly looking an agent in the eye.

"We have you surrounded and outgunned, there is no need to die for this b*tch here today. Put down your weapons, and hand over the councilor!"

All around anyone could see the assembly of police officers forming, blocking off traffic, preparing for a standoff. Any halfwit was able to tell that time not on the side of the ZAFT terrorists. And it was running out very quickly. One particularly nervous man could already feel the sweat of his face, anxiety and the head of wearing a ski mask in plain daylight. All that was visible of this man was a small portion of his face with his bright blue eyes, and his white hands. He adjusted himself, somewhat trying to move back his battle dress uniform with his shoulders, and changing his grip on his rifle. He breathed in and exhaled slowly, took a gulp, and closed his left eye to aim at an SPS agent to the left.