FourtyTwo

Sierra Vanguard (Espionage RP)

"We can do that, Qadir. I'll get in contact with you when needs be. But let us enjoy these pipes now, and talk business back at my compound." Sadiq said, taking another inhalation, as he looked over to Thom, or Hussain, his eyes already a little red. Thom knew that Sadiq had smoked far, far more than him, and kush in these parts was seriously strong. Even Thom had laid off it, and while getting stoned on a mission wasn't perhaps the best way to keep your reflexes, he had his eye on the goal. Besides, he knew that Lancaster, the extraordinaire of a person, would have this one in the bag. As he came back with the coffee, Sadiq looked to Thom again, after hitting the long pipe again.
"Hassam is a paranoid man. You must understand that. He things people are coming to get him. CIA people. Bad, bad people." He said, as Thom nodded.
"I don't blame him, he is a very strong leader of the holy." Thom said, as Sadiq nodded.
"Indeed. Anyway, just keep that in mind. Don't insult him. Or else he will have your head. I have seen him literally behead a traitor and two American journalists, the man is a very holy man indeed, but he does not forgive people who work against him." Sadiq added, Thom acutely aware of the video that this had happened on. There were few times where you browsed YouTube and prayed that you would rather see a Justin Bieber music video than the rest of the head-taking, though Thom did know that one was definitely decapitating any sense of the music industry anyway. None the less, the guy was fiery, and it would be interesting to see it in the flesh.

---

Martin watched the feed from Liberty, on the banks of screens, with the drone and Liberty's view visible.
"Well then, I guess carry on. Sierra has people like you with good reason." Martin spoke, as he observed Hassam, heading through the Bazaar, now being tracked. This was the person they were going for, that was absolutely certain. Martin could see that he was headed towards the northern end of the bazaar, right towards the hashish bar, and that if Lancaster had done as well as they had, they had gotten him to there. That proved to be correct, as Hassam and his entourage turned the corner out of the packed bazaar, the hashish bar on the second floor, with a set of stairs going up into the building. It was packed tightly in and amongst a whole set of terraced buildings, made out of varying building materials. Some sandstone, some clay and mud-built, all likely to fail building inspections.
"Liberty, we've got a confirmed sight that he's coming into the hashish bar, second floor. Entourage is following in. Prepare a breach, but hold until the word." Martin said, smirking.
"I do love it when you just thread everything together. They're all competent enough to get the job done. So now, you just need to watch a whole bunch of terrorists get floored." Martin said, chuckling, as he finished his glass, looking to Drevan.
"I'll get you a glass." He said, heading out the room, his headset still on.

---

Hassam entered inside, looking around, before looking at Sadiq. He had a scowl on his face, as he spoke to Sadiq in Arabic, not Pashto. Thom listened patiently, his Arabic so-so, but being able to discern the conversation.
"Sadiq, remember, I do not like time wasters. Don't drag me down for a group of smugglers. They better be worth what you say." He said, as Sadiq nodded, a little shy in the way he was.
"I understand, Boss. May Allah be merciful to all." Sadiq said, weakly back in Arabic, as the intimidating Taliban leader took a seat on the carpet, where Sadiq had been sitting. He changed to his Pashto, looking at both agents.
"So, Sadiq says you are reliable men. I don't trust stoned traders. You will say anything for money, not Allah." He said, looking at them.
"But, I digress. The Americans are far worse in this front. You will recieve any payment from me after you cross with what I give you to deliever. You do not check what it is, or question it. And you only answer to Sadiq personally from now on. You want to go to the Mosque, you go with Sadiq. I do not like rats. So you either turn now, or you follow me and help create the Kingdom of Allah." He said, sternly, as Thom nodded.

"I understand your wisdom, and I understand this. We can abide by this." He said, as Hassam looked.
"You aren't saying that because you're stoned. If you are, then please, I will have you hung by the very linen you sell."
"Of course not. I wish to serve. We will do exactly as you say, if it is true."
"Do not question me, brother. You are on a very slippery slope. Watch your tongue, before I feed it to the very mountain goats that your kind can belong with. Enshallah, Sadiq. You find idiots these days." Hassam said, bitter in his wording, as Thom knew that this was a very dangerous man indeed sitting opposite- easily enraged, it appeared, for a tiny comment that wouldn't have set anybody sane off. This man was clearly paranoid, and hard to get to.
"They're good men, Hassam. Give them a chance. They're not here to kill you." Sadiq supportively said, as Hassam sighed.
"Well, there's enough already trying, my paranoia is justified. But fine. Pass me the pipe. Also, I need a drink." He said back to Sadiq, looking over at Lancaster.
"Is the coffee good here? I haven't had the chance to ask." Hassam asked, as Thom adjusted his hand slowly, the tattered old Timex on his wrist being something that had a little more than a chronograph inside. It looked like it would fit on a trader, being of the right kind of watch. Turning the small screw on the side, he felt a slight click against his wrist, as he looked to Lancaster.

His left wrist sat on his left knee, poking in the right direction to strike Sadiq straight in the area around his neck. A tiny Cyanide-tipped poison dart was loaded in the watch's mechanism, and while Sadiq was a target of opportunity, he was expendable as far as Lancaster and Cavalier had agreed. The dart had enough propulsion to go about 5m, and it would likely spike through Sadiq's neck, coming out the other side and leaving a long trail of poison in his blood- that would instantly be pumped to his heart and brain, hitting smaller veins and arteries. He wasn't major enough a fish to fry out, but Hassam, oh, he was. Thom knew that Lancaster had Hassam covered, and in whatever way he planned it, Thom knew that once he was out cold, they'd have him out of here in no time at all, as the Taliban leader sat down. The men didn't smoke in the background- they watched the door, they watched outside, and looked stern. There was a good number of them, but that never meant that Liberty would have a problem.
"It isn't bad."

---

Martin could continue hearing this, aware that soon, it was going to be very dangerous indeed for everyone involved. If Liberty was ready, he knew that as soon as Lancaster or Cavalier gave the word that this would be on, as he walked back in, the bottle in hand as well as two glasses in his fingers. He placed it down on a desk behind Drevan, away from the computers, as he poured the scotch in.
"Well, his psychological profile does check out. Drevan, keep a watch, see if there's any particular groups lingering around the front. And do something creative with them that doesn't involve the drone's hellfires, if you get my gist." Martin added, as he continued listening to the events inside.
"Cavalier, Lancaster, let's take him alive then. On the word, and when Liberty sounds it, you make the move." Martin said coldly across the comms, watching the drone's feed of the building, the mics all coming when Martin selectively went through the list. This would be a situation that very, very soon, was going to explode. He let his team have a fairly free method of getting the job done, so long as it was. And at that moment, inside the hashish bar, Martin could tell that one very paranoid Taliban leader was about to get ripe for the taking.

Task Force Lima (COMPLETED)

Just waiting on Skyth before I'll post up. Looking back on my last post, it wasn't great, but I will have something to go on for the next one I feel.

Sierra Vanguard (Espionage RP)

Martin looked over to Drevan, looking at the multiple feeds he picked up, giving his approval with a simple quarter nod.
"Nicely done. Remember, let's avoid civilian casualties on this run. And if they trace the UAV's hack back to this IP, there will be hell to pay with the CIA. But you know what you're doing, just make sure you don't waste any weaponry or keep it in our AO any longer than needed." Martin simply said, as he looked over at Liberty's camera, being able to see what she saw. The ID of Hassam appeared to check out, and the two pictures matched from what he saw on her sent image, suggesting that this was the man indeed that they were hunting. He heard Liberty report in, before he gave his response.

----

Sadiq smiled at Lancaster and Cavalier, totally unaware of who they were.
"Of course, Qadir. Help yourself to coffee, though I hear the tea is better in these parts. My boss is in town, I can give him a phone call. Encrypted, of course, you never know what the CIA are up to in these parts. Anyway, you two seem pleasant, and I see no reason why he shouldn't meet you. Just give me a moment." He said, looking to the two traders across from him, taking his phone out as he headed outside, Thom looking across to George, with a certain look in his face. This was on. They were dragging him over, and making acquaintances with Sadiq had worked well. Now, they just had to spring this trap, once Hassam was in the building, and Cassie was in position to take down this little meeting.

----

On the other end, Martin had heard the conversation, the bug that ran in that hashish bar providing audio throughout. It was mostly boring, but from that moment, Martin knew things could get a little interesting.
"Drevan, get me a break on that encryption, call from that exact GPS co-ordinate to wherever it's going. With their tech, I guess that they will need to take time to form up a proxy, I give us about forty seconds to get in. I doubt it's strong none the less, but if you can triangulate the signal on the other end, we'll be able to focus on where Hassam is. Bring the Reaper's camera onto his signal's focus, and we'll be able to see his every move." He added, watching Drevan get to work, aware it was a task and a half. Lots of multi-tasking to do, but this all meant that Hassam was watched, observed under an electron microscope of detail. This wasn't the CIA, after all- this was a division in black ops far above, and the computing power that Sierra Vanguard had access to meant that they could track and trace people with tech that was far ahead of whatever they had. When inteligence agencies said that most of what was the computing powers that these agencies had in films was fiction, they were lying. Of course, it was wildly overblown in areas, but tracing, and effectively tracking people wasn't too hard, nor was cracking open some encrypted networks in little time. They would find out exactly where Hassam was going, through Liberty being on the ground, the UAV feed, his signal, and perhaps a promise from Sadiq that he'd come. The call was going through, and while Martin didn't know at first what they were talking about, they could feed it through following the conversation and he could have a look. His Pashto wasn't perfect, but it would be good enough to make it out.
"Liberty, we're coming close to a fix. Keep following it according to your phone and what Bugcatcher says." Martin said over the comms, as he looked over at the screen, watching Drevan at work.

----

Back in the Hashish bar, Sadiq came back after a couple of minutes, seeing Cavalier on the carpet at the pipe, taking a deep breath of the pipe.
"Wonderful." Thom said, exhaling, the warm heat and humid room definitely a little reminding of a Sauna. Still, it felt good to have some of this stuff in his lungs, it was so fresh compared to the backmarket things he got for his pipe back at home. It was a shameful addiction, but here, in Peshwar, it felt good to be hitting the Hindu Kush of local breed.
"I'll have my boss, Hassam, come and have a visit. He was around in town for some business, but I'm sure he can join in for a session on the pipes. So, you two in the business of trading, yes? Cross border? I could use a pair of men like you, to help my boss's breatheren in Afghanistan. It seems all you trade is linen, but you realize that there is a lot of money to be made. Perhaps my boss can convince you otherwise." Sadiq said, looking to the two, as Thom nodded.
"And since it appears you like the local hashish so much, I am sure that you could help out in harder parts of our drugs trede. What do you think? I mean, of course, think about it. But you two look like honest followers of Allah, and ought to be rewarded for it." Sadiq added, taking a strong hit, smirking.
"My friends in Britain say it's falling out of trend, yet look at us here!" He said, as Thom giggled a little, looking to George, then Sadiq.
"I'll think about it. I cannot speak for Qadir, but we do go across the border often. To Kabul, Kandahar, usually no further. There's a good trade going on, but if we get caught, I dare not think of the consequences." Thom said, putting a little reliable doubt into his statement, aware that he couldn't outright agree now. It would never happen, but he had to make it seem genuine.
"Oh, relax. Hassam runs the network getting things across the border, we need good people, not courageous ones for this. Just a few guns from Darra, on the back of a lorry amongst your linen would be fine. After all, you're reliable. And I put my trust lightly in people, so consider it a gratitude that I consider you. After all, you never know who is working out there." Sadiq said, Thom knowing full well that this was a sting, and that he wasn't letting a single word slip on anything.
"All you need to do is just drive across, you know. Easy money." Sadiq added, taking another hit, as Thom looked to Lancaster. He had gotten his coffee it appeared, and he was leaving the intricacies of this conversation with Sadiq to Lancaster right now. In Thom's ear, a light buzz came through, as he heard Kingmaker's voice come through.

----

"Lancaster, Cavalier listen close. We've got a feed on Hassam- he's headed your way, nicely done. Liberty has an operator kit at the moment, so when she arrives, you're going to want to keep your heads down. Remember the target, and the word." Martin simply said over the comms to the two in the hashish bar, aware that their tiny earpieces were subdernal behind their ear- almost impossible to make out beyond the mess of hair and beard that they currently had going. They just had to hear this, not respond, and Martin knew that it would at least prepare them for what was coming. He knew his fellow agents well- they could spring the trap when needed, and did their jobs well. He just had to make sure that there was no blowback, and while there were some risks they were taking, it was calculated. Martin could see Hassam's silhouette, highlighted specifically due to his signal trace, heading down the alleys and tight streets of Peshwar's market, barely wide enough for a car to fit down. He was headed to that Hashish bar, with his whole group of friends, AK's not visible but cut-down under their robes. Martin knew that from here, they were going to snatch him once he entered the hashish bar, and get him the fuck out of the area before the rest of his local friends realized what had happened.

Juggernauts (BigPapaBelial and kingkonrad) IC

Ross nodded, looking to Ramsay.
"I'm SAS, you may know some of the lads. Same process. I kinda wanted a little retribution at first, a patrol of mine got ambushed, and we were helpless. So when they said this was in place, it was a chance to have fun. Now, it's a case of using it for doing shit that you guys can't. It's slower, and maybe less versatile, but a force multiplier. I kept this, painted it black." Ross said, chuckling.
"Because it looks scary." Ross added, Ramsay nodding.
"I'd kill for something like that. Not friendly, but you know what I mean." He said, as Ross shook his head, knowing it was in jest.
"I guess so. Fuck." The Juggernaut replied, as they continued moving, the sound of the radio buzzing as their channel got a new set of people.

"Eagle, this is Cordite. We've got an OP set up about 1 klick from you. Exfil is coming closer for you, change of plan. We're going to need to do this fast- we're getting intel that the fuckers you pissed off are moving up into the area. We've got plenty of firepower to engage them with." Ross heard over his radio, and chuckled, as he realized who that was. Th
"Fucking hell..you haven't been watching us all this time have you?"

About a klick up, in a rocky hide, Andrew watched on through his spotting device, seeing the two larger armor clad figures, and two Navy SEALs.
"We observed for a while, but the point is, we're getting you out of there. About another 300m ahead of you, there's an area of flat land. You pop a purple smoke there when command rings through, they'll pick you up easily. It's good to see you alive. Shame about the airmen; if the best we can do is haul you out of here, so be it." Andrew added, the brown ghillie in the rocks, nestled under a nice boulder.
"Understood, Cordite. We're advancing there." Was the simple reply, as Andrew looked over to Nolan, nodding as he brought his XM500 forwards a little, a magazine sitting right by it. There had been patrols through the area here and there, but for now, it looked quiet in the surrounding area near the glacial river. That said, it could change- a technical, and Nolan and Andrew would have to fire many, many AP rounds and stop them dead in their tracks.

Ross moved up, looking to Carl, looking at his armored leg.
"Fuck me, I can't believe you're still going. That catches an infection.." Ross said, offering a shoulder for his colleague, noticing that his twisted ankle was definitely something that looked like it was affecting his movement.
"Once we're aboard, we're getting that shit off. You insisted earlier, but it won't last much longer." The West Country SAS Captain added, moving up, slowly and surely into the planned LZ.
"Command, Knight has made contact with Cordite, we've made it to the new LZ. We can pop smoke, over."
"Roger that, Knight. Drop purple, helicopter will be three minutes out." Ross heard, as he looked to Carl, as they headed over to the small bank by the river. Taking a grenade off his vest, he lobbed it forwards, exhaling as he moved downwards, the two SEALs keeping perimeter as they waited out. It was going to be long three minutes.

Burning Rubber (Bee and kingkonrad)

Seb couldn't help but smirk, knowing full well he could be an asshole at the best of times, feeling his pull on his BASE rig, on the bottom right corner as a simple rubber ball. From that, the pilot chute was stowed inside, and throwing that out at 150mph would pull his parachute out, and stopping him from going splat. It was physics, and simply put, without it, this shit wasn't possible. It was awesome, to say the least. Sunglasses still on, he breathed a deep breath, the steamy heat that he exhaled from his lungs showing just how cold it was. He smirked, looking to Ellie, nodding.
"Whenever you're ready, darling." Seb added, all Go Pros filming, as he slid forward on the rock, looking down at the snow below, aware he was going to follow her down, all the way. It was steep, and it was covered in rocky crags, but it was an awesome line, one that would be definitely doable. While the material between Seb's legs was a little restrictive whilst skiing, and prevented him from going full tilt, as he knew he could, doing this still something that he could pull off. He had them done up loose, and knew that when it came to the edge, he'd have to flick particularly hard, and they'd come out, though it was exceptionally risky to do whatever they did. Either way, he was prepared. Watching her head down, Seb smirked, as the powder carved under her skis. Pushing down, he landed on the fresh and spraying snow, and began skiing, carving above her as he smirked, chuckling with a nice whoop.

Skiing to the right of a set of rocks, he got in position above Ellie, following her down as they carved hard, the slope steep as they avoided rocky objects and ridges, a large dip throwing Seb a few meters airborne as he turned on landing, powder spraying downslope, chuckling as the sure-footed Austrian knew that it would take an Olympian to beat him at this. He was good, and knew full well this wasn't the most fun bit. On a freezing cold Norwegian mountain north of the Arctic circle, Seb turned his head to the sunrise, catching it nicely, knowing he'd add in a slow motion edit. He looked ahead, and avoided a pair of rocks, almost coming airborne with how much he carved, seeing Ellie below. They were coming closer and closer to the edge, another few hundred meters, Seb could guess. It was a while, but with a slope this steep, they were storming downwards. He didn't know how fast, but it was definitely something scary for any skiier to see, especially on slopes like this. Looking to his right, he saw the powder pour down, from his previous carving as well as Ellie's, aware that it was accumulating, big chunks going off as it spiraled downwards. Hopefully, it wouldn't generate an avalanche...the snow was too compact, he thought to himself.That was, till he got a look to his left, near a set of rocks. It looked intimidating, and was starting. Seb could tell.

"Shit." He simply said, not quiet or not loud, but just as an exlaimation, aware that the avalanche was indeed beginning. Seb could see the point that they were coming to, and no doubt, this was a moment he wanted to film. The camera on his leg, filming behind caught the torrent of snow coming down, as he knew to stay calm, feeling bits blast by at a tremendous speed, while the majority remained on their left, only starting to take more and more of the slope Speed up, reduce carving, and be ready for this, Seb said to himself. They needed to speed up to hit this cliff, and the slight reverb that sat at the end of it was their point. Below that, was about 50m worth of vertical clearance, and no hope in hell would they carry on skiing. They needed to go flying over that reverb, and they had merely seconds to ditch their skis and open their wingsuits...this was adrenaline alright. Watching Ellie, he followed suit, as they hurtled towards the end of the skiiable slope, knowing they weren't going to survive a fall without getting airborne, the notch giving a little airtime as Seb smirked. Escaping an avalanche with a wingsuit whilst skiing down a remote Norwegian mountain...this was gold. Ellie was in his full view, as he saw the white and gold figure get airborne.

Sierra Vanguard (Espionage RP)

Somewhere in London, England

Martin walked past the guard, nodding as he went through the first door. The room was spacious, wide open, with a glass view on the Thames outside. Blacked out glass, it almost acted as one way mirror. Walking towards the second retinal scan, he moved his eye in front of the laser, and a simple shot fired light at the back of his right eye, catching who this was. Martin Duncan Thatcher, Head of Sierra Vanguard, and most of the details that propped up on the guard's computer had black bars through it. The bald 45 year old section leader was nodded through, as the two heavy lift doors opened, Martin entering inside. Exhaling, the door shut, as he was taken down.

The lift doors opened, the facility small underneath MI5, but significant. It was a concrete cell, a basement below a basement, and probably could double as a nuclear bunker. 20m below the ground was deep, after all. The first corridor was thinly decorated, with few pieces to indicate you were in a top-secret, black ops espionage agency's room. Walking forward, Martin opened the door second on the left, walking into the office. It was nicely decorated, and definitely, appeared to be a warm, welcoming place compared to the cold concrete outside. It had a carpet, an oak desk, and a computer on it, though was nestled to the side and clearly looked a little more complicated than your standard affair, with a projector of sorts sat next to it. Taking a seat on the large black leather chair, he brought up the satellite feed, and picked up the tags of Lancaster, Liberty, and Cavalier. They were having fun in that hot hellhole, playing at secret identities. Gosh, it was good fun. Reminded Martin of his days as a field agent, it was good, but it had to end. This was something he did better, after all. Running things. The order of life. Taking a bottle of scotch on his desk, he gave it a whiff, before pouring a measure. He had to check on progress with Drevan, and he needed a drink.

----

Meanwhile....

Somewhere in Peshawar, Pakistan

The hashish bar was smokey, and smelled distinctly of one thing. Thom, or Cavalier, had thought to ask before they entered about the substances they smoked in here. It turned out, one such substance was one that Thom was very happy indeed that existed here in some form or measure. The hash was of excellent quality, and from the pipe, Thom took a good inhalation. Like Lancaster, they were dressed locally, and disguised locally. It was amazing what make up artists could do this day. He really did look like he was some sort of trader, tanned appropriately and wearing the correct clothes, worn to a correct degree to make him look just poor enough. A beard that he'd grown for the last few days had given him the full Hindu Kush look.
"This is most excellent hashish, Sadiq." He said, Thom's Pashto sounding local, and authentic. He had put practice into it, and smiled, as he inhaled again, laughing.
"I am very glad to hear it, Hussain! It is locally sourced, the money goes straight to local farmers. And those local farmers, they fund us! So I don't blame them at all. It is an excellent deal." Sadiq responded, the man sitting across from Thom with a pipe of his own, inhaling madly. He was a contact of a local Taliban leader, of whom Lancaster and Cavalier were here to take down a notch. English-born Mohamed Hassam was making moves, and it didn't look good. They were here to stop him before he decided that another valley would fall from the Pakistani government, and as radical as the latter was, it was better than having the Taliban around. Him being in Peshawar was perfect, and a snatch and grab was due in progress. The fact that Sadiq probably was affiliated with Hassam was why Lancaster and Cavalier were smoking pipes with him.
"Some more, my guests?" He asked, looking accross the bar, another six people reading books, and inhaling from the herbal pipes, this little place cosy and warm. The carpeted floor and comfortable seats were pleasant, but Thom knew how this would end. They'd get what they needed to know, and before Sadiq knew it, his session would be over indeed.

----

Walking into Drevan's cave of a tech room, he watched the hacker at work, standing in the door.
"You look like a man who needs some Scotch." Martin simply stated, walking inside, watching Drevan at work.
"I need you to keep tracking Hassam, one way or another. Liberty should be giving you eyes soon." Martin said, as he adjusted his bluetooth headset that he pulled from his pocket, putting it on, nodding to Drevan, as the comms link went through. Martin had let Liberty take her role in this operation, knowing full well what Lancaster and Cavalier would do. Cassie knew best when it came to environments like this. Hardline Islamic terrorists in a country where Sharia was the law; Martin would give Liberty the choice in terms of how she would follow her target, without arousing any suspicion, though no doubt it would be unorthofox.
"Liberty, it's Kingmaker. Lancaster and Cavalier are busy at the Hashish establishment talking to Sadiq. We're going to pull what we can from them. Keep following him, don't expose yourself. Remember your role. Find him, find out where he's going, and set up a trap to pull him out of that area, preferably alive." Martin said, as he looked to Drevan, the suited section leader looking firm and secure in his expression.
"Have the UGV ready. If this goes to shit, you need get them backup, fast. Keep monitoring the cell phones too, we might get a snippet of something soon."

Sierra Vanguard (Espionage RP)

Name: Thom Stark
Codename (Radio Call): Cavalier
Age: 31
Nationality: English
Role: Support Field Agent
Appearance


Picture taken at least a year ago. That's a vintage '64 Ben Bracken.

Thom is about 6"1 tall, and can often be seen wearing a beige colored Kilgour suit, with a white shirt and green tie. He often has a clean shaven or slightly stubbled face, and neat brown Oxfords at his feet, with a distinct Home Counties accent that sounds quintessentially English. Whilst his upbringing was more rough than most gentlemen, he still has a quite polite manner of speaking that he has aquired as an officer and field agent in MI5, though it is rough around the edges in some places. He can be occasionally be seen smoking a pipe- something that is perhaps a little more aspiring gentlemanly than a roll-up. He seems well built beneath his suit, and a pair burn scars on his should indicating that he has had tattoos removed.

Personality:

Thom is an interesting fellow, definitely espousing the traditional English stiff upper lip and gentlemanly characteristics. Like his boss, and similarly to Lancaster, in this regard. He is perhaps a little more reserved, and orthodox in his methods, leaving the carnage to his colleagues. He seems to be confident in most part, and whilst not always a leader, he knows what it takes to point out things that he catches in the corner of his eyes. Observant, and patient, but aware that he isn't the best of the best- that is better left for Lancaster and Liberty. He isn't as sharply tuned as Kingmaker, but he has a good head, and in practical situations, knows what he does best, supporting the other two in any way possible. He seems to be an aspiring gentleman, and perhaps has embraced it a little too much, not having the suave sarcasm of Lancaster just yet to really pull it off.

Service History:
Thom was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire in 1984, his father a Merchant Seaman, and his mother a housewife from a middle-class background. His parents had little time for him, and Thom often was on his own, up to no good and often fucking around. This said, his father did have aquired tastes- and throughout his youth, his dad did show him various alcoholic beverages, one that Thom remained good at identifying, as well as a certain gentlemanly nature. The fact he wondered did hit hard in school- and his grades were poor, though he showed promise in Maths, Physics and Foreign Languages, less so in other fields. He was not an academic, it appeared- but as a sportsman, he was reaching his physical pinnacle by the age of 15. He was the local Cross-Country champion, and a member of Swimming and Boxing clubs. He always looked forward to being 16, because he'd fulfill his dream of joining the Royal Marines Commando, as an enlisted Marine in 2000.

Thom was no officer, but he proved himself on various occasions, often being tagged along on Royal Navy reconnaissance parties on shore during the Invasion of Iraq in 2003, where he proved himself despite his young age. Being only 19 at the time, Thom found himself under fire and confident in sending it back, being suggested to become an officer instead. This he took on, being merely 22 years of age as he went through Sandhurst. Two tours later, and Thom had requested a transfer to the Royal Navy, looking for a different field of work to get involved in. Conflict had left Thom changed, and as an officer, he had become more of a "Rupert", or privileged officer than he had ever thought he would become. The last that Thom worked in the Royal Navy, he was in Signals, working aboard HMS Ark Royal in 2007. This was when he was offered a career change.

Thom's work at MI6 was one of a very interesting caliber indeed. He was taken immediately on as a field agent, and learned a variety of languages, learning how to fly helicopters and aircraft, among others gave Thom a broad and wide ranging skillset that made him ideal as a supporting agent. In many circumstances, Thom was able to get agents out of a sticky situation in foreign countries chased by militants, preventing the failure of missions by doing whatever was needed to complete their exfiltration. In 2009, this was a literal example when an MI6 agent was evacuated from an improvised jungle landing strip by Thom flying a paramotor, chased by hundreds of armed AK-wielding LRA militants in Uganda. Or providing a vital role in a wiretap operation against a major arms deal in Berlin, in 2010. This later evolved into Thom joining Sierra Vanguard, on his wide skillset and positive service history.

The group needed a supporting field agent, and he was drafted into the group in 2013, after several years of service in MI6's Asian and African branches. Thom has acquired a far greater gentlemanly taste than his background would expect him to do so, and whilst not an equal to Lancaster and Liberty in infiltration and acquiring information, he is able to be the third man of the group and help to get the job done, whatever the odds facing the team.

Other:

Thom drives a gun-metal grey 2008 Audi RS6 Avant, a car that whilst having a hefty price tag, is more than useful for getting from point A to point B in quick speed. And as an added bonus, it has a lot of room for bodies. The car has reversible plates, and has been resprayed multiple times, owing to it's use in operations in Europe and Britain, though safe for Thom to use.

Thom has an exceptional taste for whiskey. He is probably one of the best among the Sierra Vanguard team at telling apart drinks, something from his youth. It's uncanny. He also happens to enjoy smoking pipes, a vintage 1930s hazelnut pipe being the nicest of his collection. Wacky Backy has been mixed infrequently.

Sierra Vanguard (Espionage RP)

Name: Martin Thatcher
Codename (Radio Call): Kingmaker
Age: 45
Nationality: British (English)
Role: Section Leader
Appearance:



Picture taken approximately nine years ago. George W Bush did indeed photobomb this rare picture of Martin.

Martin stands at about 6"1, and looks intimidating, an agent of Sierra Vanguard in years past. He is bald, with his hair almost completely shaved short. Brown eyes, and a broken nose, as well as a scar running down the length of the side of his neck, not noticeable immediately at first but mostly healed. He has a fairly moderate build, and keeps in a moderate level of fitness, neither at his peak or lazy. He can usually be seen wearing a bespoke suit from Anderson & Sheppard on Saville Row, a distinct dark grey and with a black tie, his pin as Kingmaker attached in the building. A pair of Oxfords sit on his feet, and a pair of immaculate Ray Ban sunglasses sit on his face on a sunny day, when he is forced from his office to venture outside. He has no tattoos, or any other distinguishing feature, apart from his wrought steel appearance when he stares you in the eyes.

Personality:
Martin is an individual who unites the chaos that is Sierra Vanguard, being a former field agent and someone who has risen the ranks. He is not remorseless, but he has seen it all. Death, love, duty, honor. He has seen them come and go, and knows that Sierra Vanguard agents are one of a kind. He likes to say he runs a tight ship, but he knows full well he lets his agents do as they please, as they do their jobs as they know best. He will bring them in line whenever it is needed, and will be a bollocking that usually hits home, proving the point. Martin may appear on the outside as a tough and loud superior, but is sharp and intelligent, with both in copiously good quantities; being able to often hammer the point home. He is gentlemanly, and understands ettiuquette, though being from a middle class background, he doesn't forget his roots and probably swears more than most, this being perhaps anger at times. He isn't as cocky as perhaps Lancaster is, but neither is he as unorthodox as Liberty, taking a path as the section leader that balances the two quite well. A lack of criticism from his superiors on Sierra Vanguard's efforts in his last three years as section leader show that perhaps, Martin is quite good at keeping the team on point.

Service History:
Martin Duncan Thatcher was born in Oxford, England, in 1970, to a middle class family, growing up in a mixed environment of his dad's Army glory, and his mother's job as a doctor. He consistently proved to be stubborn as a mule when it came to doing well in school, but he did get good grades at the end for some reason- he was just born smart, and able to pull good results from nowhere. Martin was destined for something better than fucking around doing donuts in car parks and smoking weed, it would appear, whether he liked it or not. In 1988, he accepted an offer to the University of Cambridge, studying Philosophy, a subject that he studied for three years. He was a member of their Rugby Society, a highly prestigious social grouping, and number of others. He served in the TA as an officer, and while this wasn't anything notable, Martin's father was a former Major that had influenced his sphere of thought on doing this. His intelligence was duly noted, as he was approached by a member of the British Secret Intelligence Service, working for MI5 in his third year. This was something that did surprise Martin.

He was brought on board as an intelligence analyst, at first, being asked to work in MI5 in dealing with internal threats of terror. The dissolution of the Soviet Union had brought with it a variety of threats, and Martin was good at catching the gun runners and bootleggers before they became a threat to British society, picking up espionage work naturally, from 1991-1993. He was later placed into working on the field, something that he was taught to a greater extent by a variety of sources. From ex-SAS soldiers, to spymasters, he picked up the trade of espionage and the intricacies within. He learned languages rapidly, and was taught how to shoot, stab, and generally stop someone from killing you. It was something that came late, but Martin wasn't a physical slouch, back in these times. Skills that an agent would need, were ones that he picked up. For the next five years, he worked in MI6's division in South America, and from here, he was offered a spot in Sierra Vanguard in 1997.

In his time in Sierra Vanguard, for the over fifteen years, Martin was involved in a variety of operations. An assassination on Blair by hardline activists that never was reported on in 2001 (politics is not Martin's game- he does not care for political figures in the West), or the destruction of North Korea's long range missile capability in 2002. The killing of two infamously corrupt Swiss bankers at a hotel in Geneva under "mysterious circumstances" in 2005, of whom were funding Taliban-related insurgencies in Central Asia. The bust of psycho-active drug shipments from Columbia in 2009, that were responsible for the deaths of tens of party-goers in Ibiza, and virtually turning almost a whole grouping of farmers and insurgents beserk. He may not have been former military, but his sharp mind, and his even more efficiency nature, made him one of the agency's top. Of the skills required for a Sierra Vanguard agent, he mastered most. Speaking ten different languages with a pitch perfect fluency, being able to become almost someone else with a different alias, as well as perform high risk operations in countries with no backup, Martin proved he was very talented indeed in his time as an agent.

By 2012, he had aged, and of course, there were plenty of new agents waiting in the wings. So with the departure of the Section Leader, he was promoted, the head of MI6 knowing full well that Martin was the best man for the job. With age, came wisdom, and Martin's mind as a leader found people who were more than willing to continue Sierra Vanguard's mandate. He is good at his job. And most threats, be they critical to world security or minor, he has dealt with. The one that he now faces is one that perhaps will be beyond even his reach, as an experienced operator...and that would take a very scary threat indeed.

Other: Martin drives a black Jaguar XFR, proving the epitome of class is still with the British Section Head. Crossing London can sometimes be a boon at rush hour, so for when his team needs to be inspected arming up at the London Docklands, a black, unmarked Agusta-Westland AW109 is his heli-taxi across the nation's capital, with a capacity for the whole team. Usually carries a Samsung S5, with a custom built titanium case. Like a Swiss Army Knife, it contains more than just a smartphone in tools.

Sierra Vanguard (Espionage RP)

THIS RP IS CLOSED- IF YOU WANT TO INQUIRE ABOUT A VACANCY, PM ME AND I WILL BE IN CONTACT, WITHIN 48 HOURS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED IF YOU POST A CS. (or seriously, you'll be very lucky to live afterwards)

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Within the cellars of the MI6 building in London, England, there is a lift shaft that takes you about 20 meters underground. To get to that lift, you'll need to go through at least two retina scans, two pinpricks analyzing your blood, a dozen armed agents at their posts, and two very large steel doors. By this point, you are potentially the most extravagant and avant-garde of any operator working at MI5. You have Black Clearance, allowing you to piss off the roof if you so wished. Nobody knows what is on the other side of the lift doors, when you reach the bottom, apart from a small, select few. That select few is the section known as "Sierra Vanguard".

Sierra Vanguard was set up a SIS task force to ward off the face of international terrorism, in the face of increasingly ballsy terror attacks. It was an organization that could trace it's routes back to the post Second World War era, combating Nazi Partisans and Communist Guerrillas in the wake of Germany's partition in 1945. It is a secret service working at the highest level of discretion, not actually affiliated entirely with the British government. The only people that acknowledge and know of it's existence, is the Head of MI6, and the Secretary General of the United Nations. The force is mostly British, though other intelligence agencies transfer their most exceptional talent to the section to augment it's power in either information warfare or boots on the ground.

The task force was always small, but the pinnacle of a wider effort by the intelligence services. Always lavishly provided for, it's agents as competent in a casino dealing with huge sums of money as they were sneaking into complicated military installations. A needle-precise force that could deal with threats worldwide, using methods not available to any force in the world. Within 24 hours, it's agents can be deployed, and no threat is too large for them to take on. In today's world, Sierra Vanguard still operate as a force for good, against security threats worldwide, making sure that the wrong people don't make the wrong moves. Their operators have adopted to the modern world, and are armed with the latest spy gadgets, devices and weaponry to get the job done, and their digital support is as good as the physical agents. They are multilingual, and are as confident playing high stakes poker as they would be strangling guards. Witty, charming, a unique taste that an agent needs, even in 2015.

On many an occasion in the past, a Communist nuclear plot has been foiled by the brave men and women of Sierra Vanguard. Other times, the plans by rogue warlords in Columbia to sell drugs with dangerous, society-destroying hallucinogenics. Other times, it's been assassination plots on world leaders, from Thatcher to Bush, Ban-Ki-Moon to different groups of Popes. Sometimes, lives have been lost. But the world has no idea how much it owes to this tiny group.

There is only one problem. It's operators, as stated by section head, codename "Kingmaker", are "a colorful group". And while the job always gets done....it's operators are one of a kind.

Welcome to Sierra Vanguard.

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There we have it. An RP conjured up from the inspirations of many Spy fictions, Sierra Vanguard is as bespoke as a Saville Row suit. You need to be made of the right stuff. Inspiration for the RP includes Kingsman: The Secret Service, James Bond films (old and new), Splinter Cells (various), The Man from UNCLE, Spooks (UK series) along with references to previous RPs that I have ran with the three.

So, your operator. Bugcatcher. Liberty. Lancaster. Kingmaker. Cavalier. All very capable, in their own regards. And very interesting professionals indeed....

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CS SHEET:

Name:
Codename (Radio Call):
Age:
Nationality:
Role: (Field Agent? Hacker? Section Leader? For now, one of the first two.)
Appearance (picture/description- preferably the latter if any at all)
Personality:
Service History: (This part needs to be filled out as truthfully as possible. Blank sections are a possibility. This is on Kingmaker's desk, remember.)
Other: (The car they drive. The preferred independent tailor for their suits and Oxfords. Their favorite watch and smartphone. If you don't put it here, then flesh it out IC, as this is what builds your character's taste.)

Task Force Lima (COMPLETED)

It was ideal. The next scene catches up with the prologue, if you vaguely remember it. Crossing a street going towards a hotel, sirens blaring, Jan commanding the team to push up rapidly against more terrorists. I do plan on it being a good on, as my last post in itself wasn't that great.