Author Topic: A Red Rag  (Read 2375 times)

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Offline Libby

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A Red Rag
« on: October 25, 2019, 09:37:05 PM »
OOC - Dave/Libby Productions

25th October 2019, Arrakeen, Soviet Republic of Kaitaine 8:45am (Aranye East Time)

The capital of Kaitaine was a strange place in parts it was a sprawling mass of white concrete buildings, a mosaic of identical squat residential block with the odd store or industrial unit dotted around. On the edges though houses clung to steep sided hills and these homes had gardens, yards and allotments, they harked back to a time before the Soviet had formed and today tended to be the residencies of Ministers or military figures.

Sarah Francis was the East Moreland ambassador to the Soviet. She assumed that in a past life she must have really upset someone to get this posting. It lacked the freedoms associated with other postings and her homelands relationship with the Soviet was a kind of marriage of convenience, it enabled the Morelanders to gather information while for Kaitaine it showed they had at least some support.  It was time for the weekly briefing with the Soviet Vice President and so Sarah was joined by her usual duo of Red Legionnaires and the four KDF outriders. She actually enjoyed her meetings with Vadik Pasternak, he was an intelligent man and efficent clearly the product of his military career. He had a dry sense of humour and she could see why the Kaitaine military liked him. There was however an edge to him something that made Sarah think that despite the charm and kindness he showed in the meetings there was a granite like edge to him.

Sarah was taking in the sight of the sun glinting off the calm blue sea as they headed from the cliff sides into the city itself. The city was quiet, it always was in terms of car traffic, the regular buses and trams took care of the neccesity for a daily traffic jam. It was as they turned into a lane between two residential blocks that Sarah saw the first of the KDF outriders go down. The Red Legionnaire driving the embassy car swerved and pressed his foot flat to the floor as the one on the back with Sarah pushed her to the floor taking out his pistol as the sound of bullets bouncing of metal. The other KDF outrider to their front fell as gun fire from windows above struck home. A truck pulled across the end of the lane and the driver reacted quicker than the outriders behind him and one of them slammed into the rear of the vehicle. The other was off and on foot, his rifle firing up towards one of the windows. The driver bounced the car over the fallen motorcycle it modified suspension making light work of the task. The shooting outrider crumpled against the wall as he was taken out. The way they'd come in closed up as a van backed into them, the two vehicles boots smashing together. As the driver tried to force the van out the way four black clad figures burst into the alley before them while four more appeared from over the top of the van. The Red in the rear was now unlocking the boot safe and dragging out rifles. The vehicle was armoured and would hopefully buy them time but they had nowhere to go. It was then they noticed that one of the figures had crawled alongside the vehicle and placed a shape charge on the door. The boom from it caused the three inside the vehicles to feel their ear drums burst followed by a metallic buzz. Hands reached in and while disorientated the Reds did their best to get shots off but it was a hopeless situation. Soon they were dragged out the car and following a flurry of boots and fists a black bag placed over their heads and thrown into the back of the van which sped off. Their ringing in their ears subsided just enough by then to hear the sirens of incoming KDF vehicles as they bounced around in the back of the fleeing vehicle.



25th October 2019, Northfort Palace, East Moreland 9:30am (Aranye East Time)

It hadn't been to long since King David had gone to bed. He'd been up working late on some details of a new health care policy with some of his Ministers. His bedside phone went and David picked it up. "Hello" the King replied trying to focus on the digital clock next to the phone.

"Your Majesty, sorry to wake you but there has been a kidnapping in Kaitaine. Ambassador Francis and her security detachment. We've already called a General Staff meeting." It was Quinn Germaine no doubt only awoken a few minutes earlier.

"I'll see them in the briefing room in ten minutes." The King hung up the phone, slipped out of bed and quickly washed his face in cold water hoping to wake himself up. He slipped into a shirt and trousers and hurried down to the basement of the Palace. General Katie Yacobs was already there, she was dressed in a tracksuit while next to her sat her daughter Grace, a member of the Intelligence Agency who the King had assigned to have special interest in Kaitaine. David had expected Redfern to be there but he wasn't but Brigadier Kelly was on a video screen, various ministers and aides finished the gathering to whom Quinn was already pouring very strong coffee for.  "Who is kicking us off?" David asked.

"That'll be me." Brigadier Kelly's voice came from the speakers. "We got a call from Sergeant Hadfield about an hour ago now. He was in the car with the ambassador. The recording has him narrate what was going on outside and essentially we're talking a highly organised, highly efficent hit. I'd be proud of it. They took out the four KDF motorbike escort then blew their way into the car and took the three of them. Seems they wanted our guys alive." Kelly played the call and David shifted uneasily at every explosion and gunshot. "We're working on the idea that this was a Bene Gesserit squad of some sort. I suspect from how it was carried out and the fact they knew our vehicles capabilities so well that bastard Gillespie, Corrino, whatever he's calling himself planned it."

"Where do we stand finding him?" David asked.

"We know he is in and around Seitch." Grace Yacobs spoke. " We've a four man team there on the look out and orders to neutralise or capture if they can." The King nodded.

The various people around the table gave their assessments and opinions for the next hour or so before it came time to act. "Assume its the Bene Gesserit" David began, "I want us to have the most senior person we have over there make contact with McPherson. I want a green light to send in a team to get our people back if a chance comes up. I also want measures in place to carry out strikes on targets in this territory controlled by the Theocracy."

"Yes Your Majesty" everyone got to their feet as the King stood indicating they had better be about their business. Just as the King was about to leave Quinn returned.

"Your Majesty you may want to see this." She used a remote control to flick the monitors to a new channel. A paused YouTube video was on.



YOUTUBE VIDEO

A trio of hooded figures filled the camera lense which pulled back to reveal four clearly female figures wearing masks and  carrying rifles stood behind and beside them. A figure at the front, a masked woman appeared.

"We are the Truthsayers of the Theocracy of Kaitaine." it began, "We have captured three Morelanders tresspassing on our territory waging war against us. As such we demand the complete ceasation of hositilies against us by East Moreland, we demand they cease their intelligence sharing arrangement and we demand they recognise our nation as the true and sovreign rulers of Kaitaine. We have shown we are capable of striking in both East Moreland and now in our own lands. This shall be the first and final warning we give to King David and his followers. We shall be in touch."

The screen showed the three hooded prisoners being unmasked to show their faces before the camera went off.



25th October 2019, Seitch, Kaitaine 10:30am (Aranye East Time)

Stacey Bradshaw burst into the Palace at Seitch her tablet grasped in her hand. She hurtled into the old throne room which served as a kind of mess hall for the Truthsayer officers. "Corporal slow down." A Liutenenant yelled at the youngster whose eyes darted about the room. Spotting her target she ran over. "Sir" she panted as she put the laptop down. "I've been getting loads of messages on social media about this." She stepped back and hit play allowing the video to run for Nathanial Corrino

"Ah shit" The man formerly known as James Gillespie, a respected Red Legionairre muttered. "You shown McNeill?" Nathanial drained his coffee and picked up the device.

"No" Bradshaw was the Truthsayers poster girl, a social media "influencer" althought Nathanial had no idea what that actually meant. She did however have a knack of finding things they could often use out there on the web but this video was worrying. They found Joanne McNeill in a side room drawing on a map updating it with details from reports. The pair showed her the video.

"Ah shit" she muttered. "Either one of the Arrakeen commanders has gone rouge or.....well I don't know. Its bad enough Corrino here having his own personal fanclub out there in the desert somewhere but those Badgers are gonna go apeshit over this. We need to find them before anything bad happens. The Morelanders already think we tried stealing nuclear waste and now we're apparently entering the kidnapping business."

"I'll see what I can do" Nathanial turned and headed out making his way to his office. He reached into his top draw and pulled out a mobile phone. He looked at the time, it was still early but he figured that meant they'd at least be in. He scanned down the contact list until he found the right number and hesitatingly set it ringing. It seemed an age until a groggy voice came from the other end.

"If this isn't Rollo MacAllister trying to seduce me then you can piss off" the voice came back.

"Alice" Nathanial said hesitatingly.

"Holy Fucking Helus" Alice Goodwin said as she sat up in bed. "Traitorous bastard." She was about to hang up.

"Alice I need you to give me five minutes." He waited half expecting the phone to go dead.

"Time starts now." Alice had got to know the then James when she'd flown helicopters for Red Legion and had been out for beers with Redfern and his team a number of times. She had fancied the bloke but he'd never shown any real interest and she was now thankful they'd never been anything other than drinking buddies.

"When you turn on the news you'll see your ambassador to Kaitaine has been kidnapped. They're blaming us. Its not us. I might be a traitor in your eyes but those two guys are my brothers in my eyes. I'd not let any action against the Red's be taken unless I had a choice. Hell they've been trying to kill me for weeks and I've done nothing. I know what I did and I deserve their scorn, but I still carry my sword, I still say the words before going into battle. Believe me when I say it wasn't us. I need a favour."

"You've about a minute left." Alice said.

"Get a message to Redfern for me. Tell him I'll find the guys and I'll get him whatever information I can. Those people are not Truthsayers."

"OK" Alice believed him. Gillespie had been a good Legionnaire and was devouted to his friends, or at least it had felt that way. He could have killed Redfern when the Major confronted him but he hadn't, he could have assassinated the King he'd had enough chances. Surely if he had an anti-Moreland agenda something would have happened long before now but the man was decorated war hero. The phone went dead and Alice jotted down the number before getting herself out of bed, showering and heading into the barracks which was a five minute walk from her little Aldfield Cottage.

The Barracks were a buzz of activity already, clearly word had reached of the kidnapping. A few of the guys were even chatting away in Celt, a clear sign they were polishing up on their language skills expecting a deployment. Alice was a common site around the base being what they called her, "a taxi driver" she headed towards the admin corridor. "Alex" she knocked on the door.

"They called you in?" Redfern was busy scribbling on a notepad as Alice dropped into the sofa behind the door.

"No. I've had a rather strange phone call." She spent the next few minutes talking Alex through what had been said and then answering his questions. "I think he's being honest" She concluded.

"Hmmm" Alex wasn't so sure. "I'm being asked to work with the intelligence agency on this, I'm on standby to head to Arrakeen, you're now on that bus. Head home pack a bag for a week and get back here. I've a feeling things are gonna get weird."

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: A Red Rag
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2019, 09:19:54 PM »
27th October 2019, Northfort, East Moreland, 4am (Aranye East Time)

Grace Yacobs handed out several packets of information to those sat around the table. "Over the last 48 hours we've seen a trail that has seen the vehicle the ambassador was in park up, switch to a convoy of three cars. The KGB have been able to spot where two of them have gone but one headed cross country and they lost CCTV coverage." She indicated to several of the images of the car. "Roughly twelve hours ago one of the cars headed into the Theocracy narrowly avoiding a fire fight at a checkpoint. The same car was then spotted in Harko by the KGB who have been observing the town. They moved what we believe is the ambassador into this building." On a map Grace showed them which one. "We believe they'll transfer her further into the Theocracy territory as the KGB have seen the Truthsayers preparing what looks like a supply convoy." Grace sat down allowing everyone time to flick through the images.

"We've a team in country." Brigadier Kelly began to explain, "They'd been searching for the deserter James Gillespie, we can move them to intercept along with assets we've got in Arrakeen working on intelligence matters. All together we can get 10 Red Legionnaires there within an hour."

"We think the road between Harko and Seitch is the spot for the attempt. We've seen a few convoys move that way previously but usually no more than 20 Truthsayers onboard and so as a result we should be able to stand a chance if we go for this bridge here." Kelly pointed to a spot on the map.

"And what if the intelligence isn't spot on?" King David asked.

"Well then we've taken out a convoy, maybe taken a few prisoners and we've shown that we can hit them. Downside being we don't know if they'll take it out on the hostages." Kelly outlined the situation as best he could.

The room went silent for a while before the King made a decision. "Green light it." He said standing and closing his folder. "Let me know when it starts please." The Red Legions Brigadier nodded and waited for the King to leave before making the appropriate communications.


27th October 2019, Northfort, East Moreland, 8am (Aranye East Time)

The four Red Legionnaires from close to Seitch had been picked up be helicopter and flown about 3km away from the road that meandered the edge of the desert linking Harko and Seitch. They'd meet up with six more Legionnaires who had been sifting through information in a KDF base in Arrakeen. The had set themselves up with three nestling in a rocky out crop that overlooked the road while the others formed a forward and rear pod ready to lay their ambush. The column was on the move, a East Moreland drone flying high above had shown that and the two trucks sandwiched the target car. They believed today the convoy was rather fuller than usual however not to a point to cause an issue.

The trio of vehicles started to become visible through the early morning heat haze and the bridge they had to cross was about 50 meters to the rear pods left. As the truck approached a loud boom filled the air as an explosive device went off under the bridge covering it in smoke. The convoy came to a skidding halt as the three snipers put armour piercing rounds into the engine blocks of the vehicles before beginning to pick off the Truthsayers leaping from the vehicle. The rear truck spluttered as it tried to reverse but a second explosion behind halted its crippled retreat. A gunfight carried on for around 90 seconds as the Truthsayers leaping out of vehicles had no idea where the shots outside where coming from until it was too late. The car in the middle was still spluttering with black smoke coming from the hole drilled by the first round. Thomas Barks broke cover when the pack of Truthsayers had been cleared and made his way to the side of the car, it windows were tinted and it was hard to see inside but he tried the passengers side rear door with a pistol in his hand, the rear of the car had a Truthsayer on his side fumbling for a weapon, Barks slapped her around the face with his pistol knocking her out as he scanned the rest of the car. The driver had a huge hole in their head and a groaning unconcious front seat passenger posed no threat. He peered past the now still Truthsayer and saw the figure of a woman, it wasn't the ambassador but she was dressed differently to the Truthsayers. "Prize is not in the vehcile, say again no Prize." he radioed in as he heard the sounds of gunfire die down. The teams were now scanning through the Truthsayers taking whatever they could find of use while treating the injured.

"Big Bird we require immediate lift off" Captain Robbie Peacock called in as his men handcuffed survivors and searched the dead. The sound of a helicopter came shortly after as a member of the Special Forces Aviation Wing brought a borrowed KDF helicopter in for a dusty touch down. The Red Legionnaires scooped up the injured and took them into the rear, it was only know the team began to notice they were all women, young women, most no older than 20 years of age and a pang of sadness came over a few of them. Barks approached half dragging a woman dressed in a flowing dress. "That is not an ambassador." Peacock said pointing at the woman Peacock now presented. "Who the hell are you?" He asked her in his bad Celtic.

"Screw you" the young blonde haired girl yelled at him as she still resisted. The Red Legionnaire officer placed plasti-cuffs on the girl before handing her off to a NCO who attached another pair to the girls first set of cuffs and then to the webbing straps that lined the walls usually used for strapping cargo to. Soon the team were treating the injured as they headed off back to Arrakeen.



 27th October 2019, Northfort, East Moreland, 8:15am (Aranye East Time)

"Your Majesty" Grace Yacobs put the phone down. They'd been watching the feed from the drone but had sadly lost voice connection. "All Red Legionnaires accounted for, sadly no ambassador but the team did take a non-Truthsayer prisoner. They're sending details now."

Moments later an image appeared on the data feed. "Who is that?" King David asked. Grace was already busy tapping away at her computer keyboard and didn't answer straight away, the King didn't interuppt understanding she was busy doing her magic. Around a minute later she twisted the screen to show a document.

"We have just captured Holly Cathcart" Grace said proudly.

"Who?" David asked.

"She is, we understand, the Honored Matres, or concubine, of a certain Nathanial Corrino aka James Gillespie. She's potentially a high value prisoner, and could be a good source of information." Grace explained. "Now if we couldn't get the ambassador back this isn't a bad return for the hit. It'll open up a few avenues. She's not, at least as far as I can tell, a military asset of any sort but potentially could be used in a prisoner exchange perhaps?"

"I'm not a fan of that but I'll take no options off the table." David stated.

"Yes Your Majesty" Grace watched as the King got up and paced the room.

"Pass my congratulations onto the team. Don't publicise who we have but see if we can somehow let it slip out to the Bene Gesserit. See if we can provoke some response from them. See if we can get another team into Kaitaine too. Its a good start."

Offline Libby

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Re: A Red Rag
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2019, 08:34:25 PM »
27th October 2019, Seicth, Theocracy of Kaitaine, 2pm (Aranye East Time)

"We've got confirmation" Joanne McNeill began to explain to those gathered round a small office desk in one of the rooms inside the Red Palace. "The ambush on the road took out our convoy, we've lost a few thousand rounds of ammunition, some anti-tank weapons we'd taken, boxes of military ration packs. In terms of people we've lost ten Truthsayers, a further ten captured and I'm sad to say Nathanial that doesn't include Holly."

Nathanial was sat at the side of Joanne. "Chances are they'll know who they have, the girls in the Truthsayers have been blogging about her and if I know the Morelanders." and there was no one in the Bene Gesserit's who knew them better, "they'll have kept her."

"You're saying this wasn't a KDF or KGB operation?" McNeill raised an eyebrow.

"Of course it wasn't them." Nathanial stood and made his way over to the map. "Close to a bridge to cut off forward motion. Didn't actually blow the bridge though as could have cut off a line of escape. KDF would have blown it. The way the engine block of the cars were taken out rather than blowing it up. The KDF go for the sledgehammer, this was more of a scalpal." Nathanial was rather relieved to hear how the attack had gone as straight away it had seemed more a Red Legion operation than a home grown one. It was to be expected after all the Morelanders had every reason to believe that the Truthsayers had kidnapped the East Moreland ambassador and knowing his former paymasters they'd be out looking for any chance to get her back. "We need to make sure that one of two things happen. The first is that we find out where they are taking Holly. The second is we find out where the hell the East Moreland ambassador is. If we can either free her, or if we can get the information out, then we can get the Morelanders possibily on our side and Holly back." He knew the likely course of action. Holly would be interrogated, then if nothing came out put on trial for terrorism and probably hanged.


27th October 2019, Arrakeen, Soviet Kaitaine, 3pm (Aranye East Time)

The room was devoid of windows and the only item other than the plain plaster walls was a radiator. A ring concreted into the floor centre anchored the chain round Ambassador Sarah Francis' ankle. She could move around pretty freely but the chain had still chaffed a bloody welt into her flesh. She'd been left a loaf of bread and some cheese along with a jug of water, they now sat on the floor in the opposite corner to a bucket she suspected was intended to be her toilet. She'd not seen anyone other than the black clothed and mask wearing guard who had appeared and brought the food. She had even lost track of how long she had been there. She knew the King wouldn't offer anything for her release and had resigned herself to death and now prayed to Jekar that it would be swift when it came. The fient sounds outside gave a hope that it was a Red Legion rescue attempt but everytime the door didn't suddenly burst open she went back to her dark thoughts. She wondered where the two Red's who were with her had ended up, she suspected they'd likely be dead after all they had little in terms of bargaining value compared to her.

Annabelle Stankovic had seen the van pull up over the far side of the airbase yesterday. It was an old section of the base that had once been used by the USR when the two nations had worked closely together. Now it was used for extra storage from time to time, or the occasional exercise. It was strange to see four of five black clad figures wandering about it "Probably some KGB shenanigans" her friend Jakob had said as she stood watching the area some hundred and fifty meters away.

"Probably" replied Annabelle as she unplugged the fuel nozzel from the jet they were working on. "Check the safeties on the ejector seat" the Kaitaine Air Force engineering Corporal ordered her junior. Jakob dutifully clambered up the steps and leaned into the cockpit.

"Yeah, all good" he yelled back down as he returned to ground level. "Must be nice being the KGB" he voiced as he helped coil up the refuelling hose. "I mean get to wear your own clothes to work. Get to do the cool jobs, hide away from the bigwig officers that love inspections and I even hear they get to eat like Kings." Jakob was like a beanstalk but could eat all day and night, Annabelle hated him for that. Well hated him for that, and the fact she was a Missionara Protectiva. Like many of the faithful in Kaitaine she'd joined the military in order to learn skills and gather information and now she was mentally making notes of what was happening. How many guards, what weapons, any routines. She didn't think this was like any exercise she'd seen as they never heard gunfire, it couldn't be some secret equipment storage as no large vehicle had turned up and nothing spcial in terms of equipment was visible. It may take her some time but she'd find out what was going on and then, as she always did she'd pass the information on.

Offline Libby

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Re: A Red Rag
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2019, 10:00:58 PM »
A joint post



Holly Cathcart was alone in a room as the rest of her Bene Gesserit supporting friends had been handed over to the KDF, sensing however that those captives would soon find themselves executed the Morelanders had elected to keep the news of the capture of such a high profile target their little secret, at least until the intelligence services had finished doing whatever they needed to do. " They'll not be able to hand over your ambassador. They haven't got her. You're fighting the wrong people." She insisted as Cpl Barks and Cpt.Peacock began talking to her again.

"Look love." Barks said matter of factly. "I wouldn't trust you as far as I can throw a tank."

"and Barks can't even do a chin up." Saxby interjected from behind the pair earning himself a disapproving look from the officer.

"As I was saying" Barks continued, "I wouldn't trust a word that comes out of your bitch mouth. I was there that day you lot tried stealing nuclear waste, no denying it that was you lot" he pointed an accusing finger. " Anyone willing to make a dirty bomb doesn't deserve trust or respect. You're scum" He concluded.

"You want us to start believing you that the Bene Gesserit aren't terrorists then you better stop acting like one. Kidnapping any Morelander is likely to get you a call from some very annoyed and well trained individuals, kidnapping an ambassador of East Moreland is likely to get you that in double quick time." Peacock was explaining. "You want to get back to your people you need to help us get the ambassador back to her people, us."

It was hopeless, even if Holly had wanted to tell them things she wasn't capable of doing so as she hadn't the fientist idea of where the ambassador was.



In Seitch a plan was being hatched, it would be a little bit messy but had been talked about for weeks even before the whole kidnapping incident had taken place. "I'm not convinced" Nathanial Corrino informed Joanne McNeill, the Truthsayer commander. "If the Soviet's had Holly they'd be announcing it to the word, can you imagine the propaganda, "Corrino's Whore to be executed" he mocked a Pravda headline. "I think one of two things is happening, first is they have no idea who they have or more likely the Morelanders have her hidden away somewhere and haven't told the Soviet's who they have."

"I still think nows the time. Our sources tell us that at least six Truthsayers have been taken to the Citadel, that means they now have around 30 there. Even if Holly isn't there it sends a message that we're not leaving people to be executed." McNeill was determined to make a rescue attempt.

"Let's imagine we've got the ability to get in, then to get the prisoners out. How the hell do you expect to get out of Arrakeen?" Nathanial knew how he'd do it, helicopters, but they had none.

"Boat" McNeill suggested.

"Small boats will be picked off by the Navy and they always have a Frigate sat in the bay, a big boat then if we can even outrun their ship we can't outrun a Zircon up the ass." Nathanial was more of a realist, it was an operation that he wouldn't even have fancied even if it was Red Legionnaires and the Special Forces Aviation Wing trying to pull it off, yet alone a bunch of partly trained Truthsayers with no real hardware.

"We've got to try." McNeill had been looking for some high profile assault for a while, the war was going quiet, the skirmishes in the mountain passes that split the plains from the desert had effectively split the nation in half. The fact the KDF were struggling to know who to trust within their ranks was helping to. More and more of the Air Force had been deserting or disappearing meaning that even wingmen and lead pilots had begun not trusting each other. " I'm going to have the place scouted again and see what we can come up with." She put aside the photo she was looking at and picked up the next field report she read it's overview written by one of the Truthsayers and smiled. " A source at Arrakeen Air Force base has picked up some kind of KGB operation there. Using the old USR facilities. Last time those things were used a few days later we got hit near Secundas. This means their up to something but the source wants a green light to take things out."

"Hang on" Nathanial said, "What if that's where they've got Holly? It's Morelanders not KGB?" It was worth considering. "Can we have her recce it rather than blow the place up?"

"I can ask." McNeill mused. "I'll green light her scouting it, if she can't scout it but can take it out then she'll have free reign to. Agreed?" Nathanial found the commander looking at him and hesitated.

"Agreed" he said rather reluctantly. Holly may not be his wife but he cared for her in more or less the same way he did Penelope and knowing she may now be killed in a sabotage attack worried him but it was a chance they had to take as around fifty Truthsayers had died the last time the KGB launched one of their sneaky raids. " I want to try getting a message to the Morelanders." Nathanial added.

"We should no quarrel with them. If you can convince them the nuke thing wasn't us and that we don't have the ambassador you feel free. Last thing I want are those Red Legion bastar...." she was about to insult them but understood that some weird sense of professional pride and loyalty meant Nathanial still considered them his friends, he even still carried a Red Legion sword on his webbing as well as a Honeybadger patch on jacket. "last thing I want is Red Legion coming after us." she corrected herself. The KDF were mainly underpaid conscripts and while they posesed special forces they were pretty much what would be considered slightly better trained line soldiers in most countries having a commando unit gunning for them was a problem she didn't want. The KGB were more likely to carry out raids rather than prolonged operations and beside they often were tied up in the cities hunting down the cells there and so weren't really an issue for McNeill. "Promise them nothing though." She finished the meeting and waited for the room to clear. She dialled a number of her phone. "Annabelle" It was the source at the Arrakeen Air Force base, "You've a green light. Do what you need to do. Look for the girl, blow the shit out of them if she'd not there."

"Roger" Annabelle hung up and began planning her next move.

Offline Libby

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Re: A Red Rag
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2019, 11:37:06 PM »
Joint Post



Annabelle had joined up with another of her fellow Truthsayers working as part of the Kaitaine Defence Force. Just like Annabelle Zusanna Melov had grown up among the secretive Bene Gesserit community and had joined the Air Force as a radar operator. The chaos the KDF were experiencing at the moment played into their hands and as such they'd acquired a set of night vision goggles and a spotters scope that allowed them to scan the complex the far side of the airbase. They had used the cover of darkness and an intricate knowledge of the base built up over months to move to a position under the refuelling truck used for the bases bombers. They knew no sorties had been planned and the liklihood of anyone coming even remotely close was minor. They had counted two guards walking pretty much a set pattern around the outside of the building however shadows inside suggested at least two more. They had a small window of around 40 seconds between the guards, it was close but it could be done.

Annabelle put her pack on her back and checked the fibre optic they'd brought with them. Zusanna checked the silenced pistol in her hand and the goggles on her head. They waited for their moment and kept low as they scurried across the runway and across the infield of the aerodrome. They crawled a good 200meters to bring them to the slight rise of the taxiway and they could now make out the faces of the guards through their PNG's. They began the count to time the gap and the 40 seconds held. They mentally measured the distance between a spot under a truck and the windows they had an interest in. 37....38.....39.....40.....41....42 the guard appeared around the corner as they had expected. They waited for him to complete his passage down the flank of the building and then they began counting again. 1....2....3....the duo hurried from the taxiway to the the position they'd spotted under the truck. The wiggled backwards into position with Annabelle holding the probe in hand while Zusanna had the pistol ready. 38....39....the guard came round the corner and casually wandered his way down the same route he'd been taking. Just like his comrade he went round the corner and the mental count began again as Annabelle hurried forward with Zusanna keeping watch by the truck. She didn't bother to look at the screen kept in her backpack but just ran the probe so that it could view inside and then hurried back. 36....37...they were both back under the truck. They repeated the process over and over for around 20 minutes until each of the six windows they could access in the building had been scanned. It was then a simple case of retracing their steps and making their way back to Zusanna's room in the accomodation block.

They looked over the footage that had been gathered in brief flashes through the windows. They could see rooms empty of anything other than tables and chairs, one room with four men asleep on camp beds with rifles beside them. In another room where two hooded figures, they looked like men shackled together. "The bodyguards" Annabelle whispered as they carried on reviewing the footage. Next was a room with a woman inside she had a chain from an ankle going to the radiator . "That's her" They exclaimed. Now all they needed to do was to get the Morelanders to believe they didn't have them.

Offline Libby

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Re: A Red Rag
« Reply #5 on: February 29, 2020, 10:10:05 PM »
The plan had been put in place and sat upon for the best part of a week. Annabelle and Zusanna had kept a close observation on the location and were 100% confident that the East Moreland ambassador and bodyguards were still inside. Kirsten Skeates had been drafted in the help out and it had been surprisingly easy to get her into the base, especially with the fact that a good 10% of the base were supporters of the Bene Gesserit cause. It would be a relatively smooth operation if everything went according to plan, if not then chaos would erupt on base.

Annabelle and Zusanna had recruited another young woman to help, Hanna was a medic by day but a childhood spent with the Truthsayers meant she was very comfortable around firearms. The trio had made their way over to the building where the 40 second patrol gap still took place. Annabelle and Zusanna had taken up positions on opposite corners of the building it meant the guards would never see what happened to each of them. As they passed the predetermined points the women stalked them from behind before plunging the wickedly sharp knives they carried into the necks while placed a hand across the mouth. They dragged the bodies back into the shadows as Kirsten kept watch through the rifle scope she'd been looking through from the training block on the opposite side of the runway. "You're clear" she informed them.

With the patrolling guards out of the way it meant that only the two inside remained a problem. They tried the door but it was locked and so Zusanna spoke quietly into her radio. "Fireworks needed" there was no need for a response in words as an immediate "BOOM!" filled the air as some of the others on the base ignited the charge in the nose wheel of one of the fighter planes, as soon as it went off sirens began ringing across the base of shadows could be seen hurtling around as people rushed to action stations, a few more explosions filled the air as Zusanna used it to cover the tiny door charge that took the door off its hinges. With service pistols at the ready the two women entered as Hanna stood watch. Kirsten saw a sillohette at the window and squeezed the trigger, the silencer on the rifle muffling the sound to become lost among the chaos on the base. Inside the block where the ambassador was Zusanna and Annabelle moved towards where they suspected the Ambassador was being kept. By their reckoning there would be one more guard inside unless the explosions had brought extra over. They prepared to enter the room and placed a final small door charge on the frame. It splintered the door and they rushed in, the guard was staggering backwards as he'd been just about to exit the room when it blew. Annabelle shot him square in the face and then twice more once he was in a heap on the floor. The Ambassador was handcuffed to a radiator and Zusanna used the bolt cutters to free her. "Lets go" She added lifting the woman to her feet, Annabelle was accessing the room where they believed the two bodyguards were and freed them using her own bolt cutters. "Move" she ordered them as they headed towards the way they'd come in.

"Incoming" Kirtsen's voice came over the radio as a military SUV approached the building, she waited for it to slow and then shot where she assumed the driver would be, it must have been a good shot as the vehicle swerved rapidly and nearly tipped over before crashing into a wall. From the rear seats someone exited but two rapid fire shots from across the runway put those to the ground. "Blow the fence" she instructed and somewhere on the base a Truthsayer sympathiser did exactly that letting off another charge as explosions of various sizes rocked the base. Kirsten watched as Zusanna, Annabelle and Hanna each took hold of one of the hostages and headed for the bases perimeter fence. Gunfire could be heard coming from the base as nervous KDF members opened fire on shadows and now on the six figures running towards the fence. Kirsten looked for targets of oppurtunity and put down a few people before dismantling her rifle and sliding it back into the roof tiles of the accomodation block. She scurried out and began meeting up with two other Truthsayer sympathisers who worked on the base, they had spare fire fighting gear and the trio began putting out a fire that they'd set themselves at a nearby hanger, the yellow jacket and oxygen mask covering Kirsten's identity.

As the rescue party exited the base through the broken fence a waiting pair of cars saw them bundle the hostages into them, pings of a few bullets hit the vehicle and a thud and scream indicated that one of the hostages were injured. Hanna dragged him into the vehicle and tried to stem the flow of blood from the man's chest but soon it was clear he was dead. The cars didn't stop as they hurtled away to a safehouse on the edge of Arrakeen and now the ambassador and the remaining bodyguard began their 2nd round of uncertainty having initially thought it was a Red Legion rescue, now something strange was afoot, why would Truthsayers attack Truthsayers. Something didn't add up.