Smike

my boss make a dollar, i make a dime. that's why i roleplay on company time.

Ditto on the profile picture, it's great. Good to meet you

Shattered Steel - An Ace Combat/Project Wingman/etc inspired aircraft-based RP

Fuka Nakano

Fuka dipped her head toward the Wonderkind, clicking her tongue sympathetically.

"Who knows about patrols, but those HAWKs typically have radar attached to them. Kitten's not exactly in a stealth bomber, so they're probably going to become aware of you quicker than you'd like."

The Warthog was iconic, but it was also as subtle as a crop duster towing a banner that said 'TARGET HERE.'

"When Chevy and I flew over they scrambled Mirages, fast. I doubt they've gotten any slower in the day since. This matters more for those of us dealing with Lampedusa; we outnumber their fighters, but if they get airborne, we run the risk of dropping bits of fuselage on the locals' heads. "

Ximena Huang

"Well then, I guess we'd better lead our friends on a merry dance away from the grandparents' timeshare. "

She wasn't overly concerned about collateral damage. She'd do her best to minimize it of course, but when it came down to it she'd put the life of herself and her flightmates ahead of the unfortunate civilians on the ground. Bystanders got roped into war all the time, it was just the nature of the beast.

...that wasn't the healthiest way of thinking. Spycraft and mercenary work had definitely taken a toll on her, twisting her priorities in ways that only intensive therapy could undo. Therapy was of course out of the question, so Ximena had to just focus on being the best combat pilot Shattered ever saw.

"That said, what's the plan if ground forces can't dislodge whoever's left after we have our fun?"

@Letter Bee @Rhona W

Smike's Sheets

Noah Agnew

Name: Noah Agnew

Callsign: Scouse. Derived from his accent.

Age: 50, March 31, 1964

Gender: Male

Nationality: English-American

Role in Team: Squad Leader and Demolitions.

Appearance:

Noah looks much younger than he truly is. Slightly shorter than average and on the skinnier side, Noah presents as an unassuming figure to the untrained eye. He finds this advantageous and thus encourages it by dressing very casually, preferring t-shirts and jeans to any sort of uniform or overtly militarized clothing.

Bio: Noah Agnew, originally Noah Henry, was born into hard circumstances. Of mixed American and and English parentage, his mother was native to the inner-city Toxteth region of Liverpool while his father left the state of Mississippi to escape poverty and a violent homelife, emigrating to the UK with the hope of making a living in music. This did not pan out, and the elder Henry took work as a barback and janitor in Liverpool. Despite being a noted white nationalist (having been known in his hometown as being fervently anti-integration and falling in with Britain's National Front after emigrating), he ended up being the common-law spouse of a woman of Trinidadian descent. Angry at the state of his life and prone to heavy drinking, Mr. Henry was verbally and sometimes physically abusive to his family, a situation which led Noah's parents to split up and reconnent multiple times over the course of his childhood.

They separated for good when he was thirteen years old, but by then Noah was already going down a bad path. He neglected school to hang out with hoodlums and picked up multiple citations for underage drinking and hooliganism. His mother, stretched thin working to care for him and his younger siblings, could not spend the time required to steer him onto a different path. The only thing Noah (now going by his mother's last name) showed much interest in was sports, a talented wrestler and football player. While he was quite good, it was clear he lacked the talent to make a career out of either. University was neither achievable nor something he cared about, and he had no experience in any of the trades. Thus the military presented itself as the most obvious path out of poverty. Agnew joined the Royal Commandos at age 16, being dubbed Scouse due to his pronounced accent.

Scouse struggled with the work at first but adapted quickly, managing to keep pace with the adult recruits and earning the green beret. However, being underage meant that he could not be deployed into conflict zones, so he was kept behind to serve in training exercises as part of OpFor units, picking up additional training in demolitions.

Scouse turned eighteen only two days before Argentina invaded the Falklands, and being a legal adult he was now able to be deployed by Her Majesty's armed forces as they saw. He went to the island with the rest of the Commandos, being fired upon for the first time while landing at San Carlos. From there he saw action against Argentine forces at the Battle of Mount Harriet, marching uphill in cold and wet conditions under shellfire. After the battle he continued on the 'yomp' to Port Stanley, briefly involved in an exchange of fire between his squad and an enemy patrol that had been caught out of position.

After the recapture of the Falklands he was granted leave which he spent visiting the Azores, developing an interest in recreational diving. Upon his return, he was sent to Northern Ireland as part of the long-running Operation Banner. In addition to the usual patrols and public order operations Scouse helped disrupt arms stockpiling by Irish separatist groups, often intercepting boats suspected of smuggling weapons. H e was lightly wounded during a raid on a private dock used as an unloading point by members of the PIRA, taking a bullet to the ribs but walking in relatively good condition due to his vest absorbing most of the impact.

Over the course of recuperation, he decided to try out for the Special Boat Squadron, motivated mainly by the need for excitement and a desire to prove himself the best. He went SBS as opposed to SAS purely because his newfound enjoyment of diving encouraged him to become certified as a frogman. His experience in selection and training, while intense, was similar to his time in Marine training. He struggled at first but fought to keep up with the pack, eventually distinguishing himself and becoming a proper Swimmer-Canoeist. His first deployment as part of special forces was again to Ireland, taking part in covert reconnaissance and direct action against Republican assets and hideouts. This included incidents that would likely be considered targeted assassination by the public at large.

Much of his work was still focused on intercepting weapons shipments from both foreign powers and individual supporters abroad, and it was in that capacity that he ended up working with the United States Federal Burea of Investigation. The FBI was working with British military and law enforcement agencies on a two-pronged investigation of a smuggling ring, each government focusing on suspects on their side of the Atlantic. Coordination was key to make sure that suspects in one nation weren't tipped off by those in the other, and Scouse made acquaintances with a number of FBI agents through over-the-phone conversations and the occasional in-person meeting. The operation was a success, with more than twenty suspects arrested and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of weapons confiscated.

With that wrapped up, Scouse was shunted off to Afghanistan to help the anti-Communist guerrillas as part of the wider Operation Cyclone. Elements of the SAS and SBS, now joined together as part of the United Kingdom Special Forces directorate, were stationed in Islamabad, Pakistan, and undertook operations to support the mujahedin still struggling against the Soviet Union. In an inverse of his previous assignments, Agnew ran guns across the border to friendly militias and sometimes engaged Afghan Army personnel in combat. On his third trip however his team was ambushed by an unknown force that was much better trained than the locals he had been facing. One MI6 agent was killed outright and one SAS operator was critically injured before they could escape, with Scouse taking another light wound from shrapnel. Later, intercepted communications would suggest that the enemy force had been from Spetznas group Vympel.

Agnew was taken off active duty to recuperate in Islamabad, ruminating on his life's path. The irony of going from chasing arms dealers to being one himself was not lost on him, and by his own account, he started to stray from the idea of his work being necessary. Regardless, he wasn't going to leave the one thing he was good at. After recovery, he went back into Afghanistan, this time targeting local intelligence operatives and informants for killing or rendition. This progressed into leading mujahideen raids into the Soviet republics, attacking supply depots and transportation hubs in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Chechnya.

Come the Gulf War, he and most of his teammates were rushed into Iraq as part of the Coalition's war efforts. He hunted roaming Scud missile crews and took part in the destruction of a major fiber optics network providing Iraq with signals intelligence. He was also involved in the hunt for a Soviet-Iraqi formation engaging in unconventional warfare; namely, the assassination and capture of Coalition officers in an attempt to force them into disarray. The commando group was cornered by Coalition armor and air units but managed to escape due to the efforts of a single unit that stayed behind to fight, a unit that Agnew assisted in the capture of.

By happenstance, the force was led by Vitalii Tkachenko, whom Scouse had encountered years ago in Afghanistan. Upon realizing that they had fought before the two struck up an unlikely friendship, keeping in touch after Vitalii was released at the end of hostilities.

With the war ending indecisively Scouse was officially made redundant and discharged, going to Italy to spend time relaxing along the Riviera and studying at local museums. He even finally earned a college degree, majoring in Renaissance Studies. In actuality, he was still very much part of UKSF, but now he was seconded to MI6's E Squadron. As part of Operation Gladio, he was involved in a covert war against insurgent groups, surveilling and sometimes acting against left-wing terrorist cells. He remained in this role until his cover was blown by an asset who had been picked up and tortured by members of the West German Revolutionary Cells on a trip to Munich.

After being forced to flee Italy, Agnew retired again, this time legitimately, leaving the SBS and emigrating in search of a change of pace. Being half-American he had citizenship, so after a relatively short time he was able to arrange his papers and enter the country on a permanent basis. Without work or much money he found himself in the same position he had as teen, and solved it in much the same way. Encouraged by his old acquaintances in the Agency and partially inspired by watching episodes of science-fiction drama The X Files, Scouse walked a field office and filled out the application packet to join the FBI.

He was too old by their usual standards but the requirement was waived on the strength of his exemplary military service and the fact that his name was already in FBI records as a competent investigator. Agnew breezed through the physical requirements and made a good showing academically, graduating near the top of his class before being assigned to the Seattle office. He was put on the hate crimes desk, investigating white nationalist and Christian Identity organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Motivated by disdain for his father (who he had long cut ties with), Agnew worked overtime combating right-wing extremism. He was commended for his role in dismantling a group tied to the Aryan Nations, as well as the now-defunct The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord militia.

Noah felt he had more purpose as an agent than a soldier, but he missed being an operator. Having spent his formative years as a commando and in the special forces, it was hard to shake the feeling that his talents were wasted. So he applied to the elite Hostage Rescue Team, the selection and training process easier for him than many of his much younger peers. As part of the HRT, he was involved in high-stakes hostage situations and incidents of domestic terrorism, sometimes working with Tier One units and other agencies. With Baja California ceded to the United States the FBI's territory greatly expanded, and Noah was sent southward to deal with both cartel activity and white nationalist terror cells establishing themselves in the new America. It was in this capacity that he first met Texas Ranger Arsala Khattak and reconnected with ex-Spetsnaz operator Vitalii Tkachenko, and was thus brought in by Tkachenko as one of the team leads for Operation Daytrip.

Analysis: Agnew is a seasoned veteran with a long career in both the military and law enforcement, with experience in a wide variety of environments and roles. While most of his career has been spent in relatively conventional conditions, his time in Afghanistan and Italy taught him how to operate in an isolated team for long periods of time, useful for an operation that will have little to no outside support. While not a dedicated intelligence agent he nevertheless has a grounding in espionage and counter-espionage. Tellingly, one of the Executive Officer's conditions for taking the job was that Agnew be brought into Daytrip as well.

Service History:

• Joined the Royal Marines at 16:1980
• Due to British regulations against minors was kept out of combat duty after completion of training. Instead spent an additional year Commando Training Centre Royal Marines taking part in exercises as part of OpFor teams in various scenarios. Given specialized demolitions training: 1980-1982
• Turned 18 two days before the Argentinian invasion of the Falklands, was thus deployed. Saw action at the Battle of Mount Harriet, was part of the famous 'yomp' to Port Stanley: 1982
• Sent to Northern Ireland as part of Operation Banner. Involved in the interception of weapon shipments, lightly wounded in a raid on a dock occupied by PIRA members: 1982-1984
• After recovery tried out for the Special Boat Squadron (later renamed the Special Boat Service), was successful. Sent back to Northern Ireland, now involved in covert reconnaissance and direct action inland: 1985-1988
• Liaised with the American FBI as part of combined operations against Irish separatist gunrunners. In a joint operation, FBI agents cracked down on suspected arms traffickers in the United States while Agnew and other SBS operatives intercepted ships based on information from said suspects. The operation was a success: 1987
• As part of the newly formed United Kingdom Special Forces, undertook covert action in Afghanistan as Operation Cyclone. Operating out of Islamabad, Pakistan, Agnew and elements of the SAS and MI6 smuggled arms across the border into Afghanistan. Came into contact with Soviet forces, again wounded in action and forced to retreat. It was later determined that said Soviets were part of Spetsnaz Vympel: 1987
• Recuperated in Islamabad before redeploying to Afghanistan, mostly targeting local intelligence assets. Later took part in Mujahadeen raids on the Soviet republics of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Chechnya: 1987-1991
• Sent to Iraq at the outbreak of the Gulf War. Hunted for truck-based Scud missiles and assisted in the destruction of an Iraqi fiber optic network. The most high-profile incident was when his unit supported Coalition armor and air cavalry attempting to corner a combined Soviet-Iraqi 'commando' group responsible for the assassination and capture of multiple Coalition officers. Most of the group escaped with prisoners in tow but a single squad stayed behind to fight, being captured by Agnew's team upon running out of ammo: 1991
• Officially retired from UKSF and went to Italy to travel and study, was actually working for MI6's E Squadron as part of Operation Gladio. Surveilled left-wing terror cells in Italy sometimes took direct action against them. Remained in country until cover was blown by an associate who was picked up and tortured by the West German Revolutionary Cells: 1991-1994
• Legitimately retired from the SBS and emigrated to the United States, applied to the FBI and went to the Academy for training: 1994-1995
• Upon graduation, sent to the Seattle field office. Investigated white nationalist and Christian Identity organizations in the Pacific Northwest, was commended for his work in dismantling a terrorist cell with connections to the Aryan Nations movement and the defunct The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord militia:1995-1998
• Applied to the Hostage Rescue Team, passes selection and advanced training: 1998-1999
• Served as an HRT operator, training with various Tier One units and law enforcement organizations from the United States and abroad in addition to taking part in operations: 1999 to 2003
• Involved in disaster response post-Heavenfall, deployed to the fractured Mexican territories to combat the surge in drug cartels as well as nascent pro-CAA militias. His familiarity with white nationalist organizations led to him being deployed in operations against right-wing cells in Mexico and the border states: 2003-2014

Primary Weapon:
L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle
-7.62 NATO
-L2A2 SUIT x4 sight
-XM148 grenade launcher clamped to underbarrel
-30 round L4A1 Bren magazines used in addition to standard 20 round magazines

MP5/10
-10mm Auto
-Aimpoint CompM4 red dot
-Retractable stock
-KAC Navy suppressor
-30 round magazine

Sidearm: USSOCOM MARK 23
-.45 ACP
-Integrated laser
-KAC MK23 suppressor
-12 round magazine

Ammunition:

• 7.62mm, armor-piercing
• 10 mm, jacketed hollow-point
• .45 ACP, jacketed hollow-point

Other Equipment:

• SPCS plate carrier with level IV plates, in dark blue.
• FAST Helmet with L-3 GPNVG-18 night vision and IR strobe
• SPCS plate carrier with level IV plates
• FM12 CBRN Mask
• Sordin Supreme MIL CC headset and Personal Role Radio
• Suunto Core watch
• Rugged military tablet
• Variety of explosives and detonators as required by circumstances, including L9 Bar Mines, C4, and detcord.
• M72 LAW

Family And Notable Acquaintances:

• Michael Henry: Father, deceased.
• Victoria Agnew: Mother
• Arsala Khattak: Friendly acquaintance and coworker from law enforcement operations in Mexico
• Vitalii Tkachenko: Longtime friend and comrade

Miscellaneous Details:

• Having been deployed to Mexico for an extended period, Scouse has a working knowledge of Spanish.

Arsala Khattak

Name: Arsala Khattak

Age: 43, DOB January 22, 1972

Callsign: Templeton. Her quiet, nervous demeanor in boot camp saw her dubbed "Jerry", but she was quickly renamed in the field due to her tendency to 'ratfuck' the MREs.

Gender: Female

Nationality: American, of Afghan origin

Role in Team: Squad Leader and Sniper/Human Intelligence

Appearance:
At 5'6", Arsala is relatively tall for a woman and very much so for a Pashtun, but is still shorter than most of the men she meets. Her build isn’t overly muscular but well-suited to hiking, lean and toned with a surprising amount of strength behind it. She tends to eschew traditional tactical clothing for simple but rugged western wear, sturdy hiking boots and jeans with a business casual shirt. The prerequisite hat and aviators are, of course, a constant, as is the leather duty belt.

Bio: Arsala was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, the daughter of government bureaucrats. Her parents joined the socialist Saur Revolution as part of the hardline Khalqist faction, but after it was turned on by the Soviet Union, they fled to the United States when she was seven years old. They settled in Austin, Texas, where she was encouraged to assimilate as best she could. Immersed in the local culture and speaking multiple languages at home, Arsala took an interest in hunting and basic Spanish proficiency, which eventually matured into hobbies of long-distance shooting and general linguistics. She was something of a prodigy in the latter, demonstrating both great interest and aptitude for languages. By the time she left high school, she was both a champion sharpshooter and a proficient polyglot, speaking English, Pashto, French, Spanish, and Dari, and was determined to learn more.

She planned to attend college but instead joined the military, enticed by the chance to serve her adopted country as well as the promise of Uncle Sam paying for her education afterwards. After going through boot camp she was sent to the Army's Defense Language to study Arabic. When the Persian Gulf War broke out in 1991, she and every other Arabic-speaking soldier in the Army were sent to fight. Arsala was attached to Delta Force's G-Squadron, assisting in reconnaissance and information gathering through her ability to communicate with locals due to her knowledge of the language and avoid the issues that came with foreign men questioning and searching women. She saw heavy combat against Iraqi and Soviet forces, earning the Bronze Star as well as a Purple Heart when she was exposed to mustard gas.

While her trial by fire assisting Delta demonstrated that she was good at war, Arsala wasn't entirely comfortable with it. Once her active service ended she went into civilian law enforcement, joining the Los Angeles Police Department at 24. It was in Los Angeles that she met her husband, the pair marrying within a year and having twins nine months later. Arsala transferred to the Texas Highway Patrol in 1998 to be closer to her parents.

In 2003 the family was supposed to go back to Los Angeles to visit their paternal grandparents, but the son fell sick. Arsala stayed behind with him while her husband and daughter flew to California. They were killed during the Heavenfall.

Losing her spouse and child simultaneously devastated Arsala, but she channeled her grief into her work. She remarried relatively quickly, finding a man in a similar situation as her with a surviving daughter. Arsala and her second husband agreed that their children needed two parents, determined to make it work for their sakes. Meanwhile, she served in the Highway Patrol with distinction, eventually applying to and joining the Texas Rangers in 2005. This gave her jurisdiction over the entire state, and while Rangers are typically assigned to a specific region the post-catastrophe chaos meant that she was traveling all over Texas. In addition to the standard duties of performing investigations and providing assistance to local law enforcement, Khattak joined the Ranger Reconnaissance Team. As the name implies, the unit performed both covert and overt surveillance of criminal organizations, particularly along the border. Due to the extreme situation, she actually spent time in Mexico itself working with both splintered government forces and private parties considered to be trustworthy.

It was there that she met Kennedy, as they worked on some of the same operations.

Analysis: While lacking the traditional 'operator' status of her colleagues, Arsala's experience in HUMANIT and law enforcement as well as her language skills and handiness with a rifle make her a more than reasonable choice for Operation Daytrip. She is somewhat reluctant to return to an overtly combative role. She was quite frank about the fact that she hated her wartime experience and that she became a cop knowing that she would only ever pull a trigger when things went wrong.

It's likely that had she not been specifically reccommended for the job by her colleague Scouse she would not have taken it. By her own admission, she agreed to join Daytrip because the pay would cover her family's mortgage while leaving plenty left over for her children's college funds. This motivation is more than acceptable for Daytrip's purposes.

Service History:

• Recruited at 18: 1990
• Deployed to Iraq as 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles", later attached to Delta Force G-Squadron. Saw combat against enemy infantry and armor, collected HUMANIT in a way male counterparts could not. Earned Purple Heart and Bronze Star: 1991
• Finished active duty component of service, enrolls in Individual Ready Reserve. Upon returning to the United States, she settled in California and joined the Los Angeles Police Academy. Served as a patrol officer, then a K9 handler: 1994-1998
• Transferred to the Texas Highway Patrol. Continuing to work as a dog handler, she showed initiative in community outreach efforts. Involved in a number of high-profile drug busts in rural West Texas and along the border: 1998-2003
• Went to college to study Linguistics while working: 2004-2008
• Applied to become a Texas Ranger: 2005
• Earned a master's degree in Civic Engagement: 2005-2007
• Performed standard duties of Rangers, providing assistance to local law enforcement as well as investigating officer-involved shootings. In addition, was part of the Ranger Reconnaissance Team. Covertly surveilled the border and patrolled areas where LEO presence was unfeasible. Again showed herself to be skilled in HUMANIT, displaying a knack for interrogation and the cultivation of informants as well as leveraging personal bonds forged with the community to open doors. Was part of joint operations between military and law enforcement targeting cartels in the destabilized border region of Mexico, working alongside Army Rangers, FBI, and Mexican authorities: 2006-2014
• Promoted to Captain: 2010
• Approached for Operation Daytrip: 2014

Primary Weapon:
To be selected from as mission parameters dictate

• SCAR MK 20 SSR:
  -7.62 NATO
  -Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-45x56 scope, with HISS-XLR clip-on thermal sight
  -Canted EoTech EXPS3 holographic sight
  -SOCOM762-RC suppressor
  -20 round magazine

• Desert Tech HTI
  -.50 BMG
  - Nightforce 12-42x56mm scope, HISS-XLR clip-on thermal sight
  -DesertTech Elite Iron Alpha suppressor
  -5 round magazine

• FN P90 Tactical LV
  -5.7×28mm
  -EOTech EXPS3 Holographic Sight
  -GSL P90 suppressor
  -Inbuilt laser sight
  -Rail-mounted flashlight

Sidearm:

• Nighthawk Custom GRP Recon 1911
  -9mm Luger
  -5 inch barrel
  -Omega K suppressor
  -Rail-mounted flashlight
  -Double stack upgrade converting it from 8 to 17 round magazines

Ammunition
To be selected from as mission parameters dictate

• 7.62, match grade
• .50 BMG, M1022 long-range sniper
• .50 BMG, Mk 211 HEIAP
• 5.7×28 SS190 armor-piercing
• 5.7×28 SB193 subsonic
• 9mm JHP, subsonic and supersonic variants

Other gear/weapons/equipment:

• IOTV style vest with ESAPI plates, in black.
• MOLLE II style rucksack, in black.
• Zeiss Victory Rangefinder/Binoculars
• M50 gas mask
• FAST Helmet with L-3 GPNVG-18 night vision and IR strobe
• SPCS plate carrier with level IV plates
• Sordin Supreme MIL CC headset and Personal Role Radio
• Suunto Core watch
• Rugged military tablet
• Randall Made Bowie Knife
• Encrypted cell phone and laptop with ballistics calculator
• Two CS/OC grenades
• Two M84 stun grenades
• TASER 7 electroshock weapon
• OC spray
• Lockpick set and pick gun
• Video borescope
• Two pairs of handcuffs
• Bundle of flexi-cuffs
• Rappelling Kit: Rope, descender, and climbing harness
• Hydration pouch
• Items for use in dealing with civilians. Khattak has access to a wide range of goods not all of which are carried on her, ranging from cash for bribes and damage payments to toys and candy for children to blankets, cooking oil and water purification tablets for handing out in areas with poor infrastructure.
• "Zaland'-Four year old Belgian Malinois, trained in detection as well as attack and sentry duties. Wears combined-threat body armor and goggles with attached camera so Arsala can see what he's doing. If required his harness can be clipped to Arsala's body so she can carry him.

Family and Notable Acquaintances:

• Hafez and Nāzo Khattak: Mother and father
• Regan King: First husband, missing and presumed dead
• Reza King: Son
• Rae King: Daughter, missing and presumed dead
• Morgan Taylor: Second husband
• Eva Taylor: Stepdaughter
• Noah Agnew: Friendly acquaintance and coworker from law enforcement operations in Mexico

Miscellanous Information:

• Besides her native English, Pashto, and Dari she speaks Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese with perfect or near-perfect fluency. She has a working knowledge of Russian and Arabic, but she's admittedly rusty.
• Arsala suffers from a relatively minor case of pseudodysphagia, a phobia of choking. This stems from her experience with gas in the Persian Gulf as well as the assumed drowning of her husband and daughter. While the phobia doesn't overly affect her daily life, she does sometimes suffer nightmares related to it.
• Khattak has only two hobbies, splitting her free time between keeping up her shooting and practicing her various languages. Both are perishable skills, so if she's not with her family or work she's either at the range or engaging with foreign media.

Vitalii Tkachenko

Name: Vitalii Tkachenko

Callsign: Kennedy. Given to him during his conscription days, in reference to his boyish looks and his visit to Boston as a child as part of a goodwill trip.

Age: 50, April 22, 1964.

Gender: Male

Nationality: Ukranian SSR

Role in Team: Executive Officer. Tkachenko is responsible for the management of Daytrip's day-to-day operations and is the primary team leader, as well as the go-between for Daytrip operatives, local resistance, and the high command.

Appearance:

While time has started to wear on Vitalii, he's nowhere near slowing down. Standing at 6'3 with broad shoulders and a powerful boxer's build, Kennedy presents as a force to be reckoned with. While no longer bound to military grooming requirements he sticks to them out of habit, staying clean-shaven and keeping his graying hair in a neatly trimmed and combed into a side-part. His civilian wear stays towards the profesional, dressing in slacks and button-ups when not in the field.

Bio: Vitalii was born in Dnipro, Ukraine SSR to an entirely unremarkable family. His parents were neither dissidents nor devoted to the state; his father worked diligently but without enthusiasm in a metallurgical plant, and his mother kept busy by caring for her father, an ailing veteran of the Great Patriotic War. His older brother was enrolled in a technical school to become a train engineer, a respectable but not noteworthy career.

It seemed likely that Vitalii would follow in their footsteps; he played sports but not well enough to be a professional, and his grades were satisfactory, not outstanding. The only notable incident was when he was selected to visit the United States with other students based on an essay he wrote about world peace.

Upon reaching 18 he was conscripted, as was typical for men his age without university deferments, and after basic training he was sent to Afghanistan, seeing action along the border of Pakistan at the Kyber Pass. It was there that he found purpose. He was a natural soldier who felt at home on the battlefield, describing the sensation of being shot at as 'clarifying'.

At the end of his tour he considered signing up again but instead sought a more elite path. He was invited to try out for the recently formed Directorate V of the KGB (commonly known as "Vympel") and passed the extremely rigorous selection process. After advanced training, he was sent back to Afghanistan, this time to support the Afghan Commando Forces in operations against the Mujahideen. He took part in search-and-destroy operations targeting insurgent weapon caches, destroying multiple ammunition dumps and capturing examples of American Stinger and British Blowpipe anti-air missiles. Eventually the situation stabilized for the Republic of Afghanistan and Vitalii (now known as Kennedy) was deployed to Angola.

His role on paper was to provide training to and serve as a planning advisor for the MPLA, which he did legitimately do. However, he was primarily focused on counterintelligence activities. Vympel was responsible for eliminating South African National Intelligence Service agents and likely encountered CIA operatives as well. UNITA, hemorrhaging manpower and material, put a bounty on the team equaling 50,000 dollars per member.

With the Communists now solidly winning the war he was again moved elsewhere, this time to Iraq. With tension between NATO and the Soviet-backed Hussein regime brewing it was deemed prudent to have forces on the ground shoring up defenses. Now a veteran with experience in supporting local forces, Kennedy was tasked with preparing for a guerrilla war. He organized members of the Fedayeen Saddam and Iraqi Popular Army, paramilitary forces lacking heavy armor and artillery, into insurgent cells that would be activated upon invasion. Part of their role would be securing temporary landing sites for the deployment of Spetznaz personnel.

Unsurprisingly, he was extremely busy during the Gulf War. He was given command of both Soviet and Iraqi special forces and ordered to harass the Coalition's operations by whatever means available. Kennedy did this by assembling a flying column made up of operators from the Republican Guard, Soviet Airborne, and various Spetznaz groups and engaging in hit-and-run attacks behind enemy lines. They targeted Coalition supply lines and HVTs, killing or capturing multiple American, French and British officers. He and his team intercepted or otherwise came into contact with enemy SOF multiple times, engaging British SAS and SBS as well as American Navy SEALs. In one notable incident, Kennedy and a small detachment put up a spirited defense against Coalition armor and air cavalry to buy time for Iraqi forces to catch up. He and his squad were forced to surrender upon running out of ammo, but their actions allowed the rest of the unit to escape with prisoners in tow. This earned him the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

He was held captive for about a month before the war ended. The rest of the 90s were comparatively quiet, with Kennedy working in Colombia and Turkey to support Marxist insurgents before being recalled back to the USSR to train the next generation of Vympel. He retired after twenty years of outstanding service and took up recreational diving.

The Heavenfall shattered all hopes for a peaceful life. The Soviet Union ceased to exist, and with it the bank account full of savings and the pension fund paying out monthly checks. Kennedy was initially approached by the nascent independent government of Ukraine and offered a job as chief security advisor. He took it, only to walk out within months. He was still loyal to the Socialist Republics, and thus could not work for a nation trying to distance itself from them.

He ended up moving to Mexico to work in private security, motivated in part by the beautiful water and the new wrecks scattered across the Gulf; a diver's paradise. He found employment training both remnant government forces and working as a mercenary for private militias and corporate entities, battling the now-much stronger cartels. It was during this period that he reconnected with Noah Agnew, whom he had met while in captivity and came across through their shared sport of diving, and Arsala Khattak, a Texas Ranger who often worked with law enforcement elements on the southern side of the border. His working with the American military and law enforcement is what led to him becoming known outside of the former Warsaw Pact, and thus he was recruited to be the Executive Officer of Operation Daytrip.

Analysis: Vitalii is inarguably elite, a veteran of open field, combined arms warfare and small-scale covert operations. Having spent twenty years in the KGB he understands discretion and can be trusted to lead sensitive missions such as Daytrip. He's used to leading teams of special forces and local allies, meaning he can work with troops from the Autodefensas and the BPLF. Equally importantly, he's a known mercenary. Vitalii has no particular loyalty to any one country or ideology still existent, making him an attractive figure to both the left and right wings of Daytrip's local contingent as he's unlikely to show any favoritism. Furthermore, his leading Daytrip lends credibility to any disavowal made by the N/UN in case the operation is compromised: he's a gun-for-hire brought in to lead other guns-for-hire.

Service History:

• Joined the Soviet Army at 18: 1982
• Served a tour of duty in Afghanistan: 1982-1984
• Left the Army to join the KGB's Directorate Vympel, underwent advanced training before being redeployed to Afghanistan to support the Afghan Commando Forces in operations against the Mujahideen: 1984-1987
• Sent to Angola ostensibly to provide training to the MPLA but was primarily involved in counterintelligence operations against NATO and South African agents: 1987-1990
• Deployed to Iraq in response to worsening tensions, training Iraqi forces and preparing the groundwork for a full-scale deployment of Vympel and other Spetznaz groups: 1990-1991
• Was highly active during the Gulf War, leading Soviet and Iraqi special forces against Coalition personnel. Commanding an ad hoc team composed of troops from the Soviet Airborne Forces, Republican Guard, and various Spetznaz detachments, Tkachenko worked behind enemy lines targeting American, British, and French HVTs. His team assassinated a number of Coalition officers and intercepted multiple SOF operations, seeing combat against the British SAS and SBS as well as the American Navy SEALs. In a notable incident, Kennedy and a few of his men mounted a fierce static defense against Coalition armor and air cavalry, scoring multiple tank kills and buying time for an Iraqi battalion to reach his force. Tkachenko and his squad were eventually surrounded and forced to surrender upon running out of ammo, but the rest of the force managed to escape with high-value prisoners in tow. He was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky in absentia: 1991
• Released from captivity shortly after the end of the war and deployed to Colombia to assist FARC by providing training and taking part in direct action against drug traffickers and right-wing militias: 1991-1994
• Covertly inserted into Turkey to assist the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front. Kennedy supplied the group with plastic explosives and directed them in the assassination of Turkish government figures and foreign business executives: 1994-1996
• Recalled to the Soviet Union to serve as a training instructor for new recruits to Vympel, promoted to the rank Senior Ensign (roughly equivalent to a Warrant Officer in NATO forces): 1996-2002
• Retired at 38 after twenty years of service: 2002
• The Heavenfall occured ; the Soviet Union is dissolved. Now, without a pension (or any sort of savings) Tkachenko was recruited by the fractured Ukrainian government to cobble together a special operations command. A Soviet loyalist through-and-through, he quickly resigned and emigrated to North America. Found work in Mexico in private security, training remnant government forces and various militias to fight the surging narcos. Worked with elements of the U.S. military and law enforcement in that capacity, leading to his being known to Operation Daytrip: 2003-2014

Primary Weapons:
AS Val
-9x39mm
-Integral Suppressor
-Modernized with Picatiny rail
-Trijicon ACOG sight
-Takes standard 20 round magazines as well as newer 30 round magazines

KS-23M:
-23×75mmR
-Variant of the original KS-23 with shortened barrel and removable wire stock
-Drilled and tapped to accept Trijicon RMR red dot sight
-3+1 tube magazine

FAMAE SAF-200:
-9×19mm Parabellum
-Aimpoint Micro T-1 red dot
-30 round magazine

Sidearm:
Inglis L9A1
-9×19mm Parabellum
-13 round magazine

Ammunition:

• 23mm, Shrapnel-25 buckshot shell with aproximate range of 25 meters
• 23mm, Barrikada slug
• 23mm, Zvezda flashbang round
• 9×39mm, SP-6 armor piercing
• 9x19mm, hollow point

Other Equipment:

• 6B45 vest with GRANIT plates, in EMR camouflage.
• ALICE load-carrying equipment with Chinese Type 85 chest rig
• FAST Helmet with L-3 GPNVG-18 night vision and IR strobe
• General Service Respirator
• Sordin Supreme MIL CC headset and Personal Role Radio
• Suunto Core watch
• Rugged military tablet
• L3A1 Bayonet
• Two RGO fragmentation grenades
• Two RG-60TB thermobaric grenades
• IFAK
• LShZ-2DTM helmet
• Gerber multitool
• Lensatic compass
• Hydration pouch

Family And Notable Acquaintance:

• Alexei and Mariya Tkachenko, father and mother, both deceased.
• Dmitry Tkachenko, brother.
• Noah Agnew: Longtime friend and comrade

Miscellanous Details:

• Vitalii is fluent in English and Spanish, and speaks passable French.

intro

Operation Daytrip

In the aftermath of the Heavenfall, some of the players changed but the game stayed the same. There's always some threat to the balance of power, some despot or warlord that needs to be removed for the good of the people and the stability of the region. When open warfare isn't an option, those in charge turn to dangerous people experienced in quick, quiet, and overall efficient operations.

You've been selected as one of them on the strength of your military service, your career in intelligence, or your time spent in law enforcement. You've been vetted as trustworthy and capable of keeping your mouth shut, and if all goes well you'll recieving a healthy bonus for your retirement fund. If it goes poorly, well-

you won't have to worry about it for long. Welcome to Daytrip.

Operation Daytrip Overview

Operation Daytrip is a covert mission being undertaken by operatives handpicked for their abilities and experience. While organized at the behest of various N/UN officials, it officially does not exist and cannot ever be linked to the organization. Its funds are pulled from the "black budget," which is closed to all but the highest authorities. As such, all actors involved are considered both expendable and deniable.

The goal of Daytrip is to facilitate regime change in the Pacific island nation of San Borondon, removing or killing long-time dictator General Henri Cheung. Cheung rose to power in the revolution against the island's monarchy and later ousted the first and only democratically elected leader in the 1970s. Since then, his reign has been marked by the curtailment of the political process, human rights violations, rampant cronyism and widespread corruption, as well as the torture, execution and forced disappearance of dissidents.

In addition to crimes against humanity, San Borondon's government also presents a threat to the N/UN and its constituent nations. Cheung has forged an alliance of convenience with the New Central African Alliance, setting up a labor exchange program in return for military aid. San Borondon presents a dilemma for the N/UN in the event of war with the NCAA, as they're likely to use the country as a forward operating base to target N/UN assets in the Pacific. Besides the NCAA, Cheung has also struck deals with megacorporations, namely Montrose Incorporated, NeoDyne Technologies, and Universal Manufacturing Conglomerate. The corps uses San Borondon as a place to manufacture goods without adhering to international restrictions on pollution or arms proliferation, blithely ignoring standards set by the N/UN. The money they spend keeping the Cheung regime happy is made back ten times over as they profit off of flooding markets with goods produced incredibly cheaply.

On top of that, it's believed that General Cheung has a working relationship with various international criminal organizations. He's suspected of harboring weapons and drug smugglers, human traffickers, pirates, and other malefactors in exchange for protection money, as well as using their foot soldiers as muscle.

The N/UN cannot turn a blind eye to the actions of General Cheung, but it cannot spare the manpower to oust him itself, nor would the international community approve. The NCAA would almost certainly retaliate if a friendly government was forcibly evicted by N/UN forces, and the megacorps would potentially do the same. This is to say nothing of China, which would only benefit from fanning the flames. Thus it turns to Operation Daytrip, as the nature of the mission means that any actions undertaken during it can be written off as the work of third-party mercenaries.

Daytrip simply cannot affect regime change on its own. Even if Cheung were killed tomorrow he would simply be replaced and the same business would continue. Daytrip will instead work with a coalition of already-existing resistance groups, supporting them through both direct and indirect action. The goal is for Daytrip to facilitate the ousting of General Cheung so that he can be replaced by a government less hostile to the N/UN.

Friendly Factions

Borondon People's Liberation Front: Dubbed "Los Campesinos", The Peasants, by the late King Cristóbal , the nickname has stuck. The BPLF was formed in the late 60s when multiple Communist militias operating around the countryside agreed to band together in an organized front as a response to repeated crackdowns. While they've managed to survive decades of low-intensity conflict they were forced onto the back foot, unable to stand up to the organized might of the military. For many years the BPLF could do no more harm to the government than hit-and-run attacks on isolated patrols and the occasional bombing of government installations, but they have a relatively strong prescence and are generally viewed positively by the rural farmers due to their hunting of bandits and tendency to redistrubute wealth 'requisitioned' from wealthy landowners and other enemies of the people.

The BPLF is historically reliant on clandestine foreign aid, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union its biggest source of arms and training has dried up. It's suspected that they receive some support from New China, but how much is unknown. Originally, the group was dedicated to the installation of a Marxist-Leninist state in San Borodon, but now there are different subfactions with different immediate goals. All of them want General Cheung dead or gone.

While individual cells and other units have their own leaders, the group as a whole is commanded by the Revolutionary Council, headed by Augustin Baptiste. Baptiste was a student and protege of the disgraced President Granger in his post-office life, and after Granger died Baptiste was inspired to fight for a free Borondon.

Brigades Unies d'Autodéfenses: Typically referred to as the Autodefensas, or Black Brigades in reference to their solid dark flag. The BUA is a confederation of right-wing paramilitaries that were originally tolerated by the Cheung regime but were eventually turned on due to their varied loyalties. The Brigades vary wildly in their reasoning; some are religious zealots who detest what they perceive as decadent immorality brought in by the West, while others are motivated to crush criminality leaching in from the tribal mountains and blighted urban spaces. A minority are out-and-out monarchists who wish to see the Acosta line returned to the throne. In all cases they are militant and highly opposed to Communism, and indeed many of the groups making up the Brigades were originally allied with the government against the BPLF.>/list>

However, as the regime turned against them, the paramilitaries banded together, united on their hatred of Cheung and the general belief that things would be better with him out of the picture. They have a strong presence in the cities where the power of the gangs makes anyone who stands against them popular, as well as among the large landowning families in the hinterlands. The Autodefensas are smaller in number than their leftist counterparts but tend to be better trained, due to a relatively high proportion of their leadership being ex-military or law enforcement, as well as being able to pay mercenaries to provide training via donations from their well-off sponsors. Additionally, a small but notable portion of them are actually members of the Borodonian diaspora who have come to fight for their homeland.

Their political leader is, perhaps surprisingly, a woman. Andrea Acosta is the sole legitimate daughter of the dead king and a former officer in the Japan Self-Defense Forces, traits that make her a natural commander of the country's militant right.

Neutral Factions

The Free Church Of San Borondon: The Free Church is a folk Catholic denomination native to the island, combining mainstream Christian beliefs with practices from the indigenous tribes and certain aspects of traditional African beliefs. It is not in full communion with the mainstream Catholic Church. Key differences include the Free Church's belief in protector spirits (known as doux fantômes, or gentle ghosts) and animal sacrifice. The Free Church venerates the Holy Trinity but also pays respect to Saint Vera, a semi-legendary figure who became infamous for beheading ten Spanish soldiers in a single night. Vera is a symbol of Borondonian strength and national identity, and many believe that she blessed the island in its fight against both European colonizers and the Empire of Japan. It holds traditionally conservative views on family and faith, although following in the tradition of Saint Vera many of its clergy are women.

The Free Church holds strong sway over San Borondon, and it can be a powerful political ally. The previous president was forced to resign in large part because he was castigated in sermons across the nation as being effeminate, decadent, and a traitor. It has largely supported General Cheung as a symbol of masculine strength and independence, but there's discontent on both ends. Some of Cheung's advisors consider the Church to be parasitical, leeching money and effort out of the populace in exchange for outdated rituals. Cheung himself likely concurs. On the other hand, powerful figures within the Church decry the Cheung regime as not being tough enough on societal rot and Western-imported values and indifferent to the suffering of the commoners.

Driving the wedge between the Church and State would be immensely difficult due to the historic distrust of outsiders, but success would be a huge boon to Daytrip.

Los Indios/Le Montagnards: The collective name for the indigenous tribes of San Borondon, the former from the Spanish who considered the residents of the island to be much the same as those of their American colonies, and the latter from the French, referring to their tendency to hole up in the central mountains. San Borondon's European, Native, and African populations have intermingled to such a degree that the majority of the population has indigenous heritage. In this instance, Montagnard and Indian refer to those people still living in tribes and villages separate from the more modern population centers. These people practice the same farming, hunting, and herding as they have for thousands of years, paying homage to the same deities they were honoring before sailing ships edged over the horizon. Some groups live in the lowlands and hills but many of them are scattered throughout the rainforests covering the Pequeños Pirineos.

Generally speaking, they're even more cautious of outsiders than the average San Borondian. Traditionally they're allowed to mind themselves as long as they don't interfere with the activities of the state, an arrangement often strained by conflict between native living spaces and heavy industry. Different tribes have different relationships with the Cheung regime and the Black Brigades/Campesinos, but generally speaking they are neutral parties. There is a tradition of mercenarism in the culture that can, in theory, be harnessed by Daytrip, but the Cheung regime has no qualms hiring them itself. Daytrip must be careful to avoid conflict with the Montagnards, as they know the terrain well enough to be a serious problem if angered.

Organized Crime: San Borondon is rife with criminal conspiracies, home-grown and foreign. It has long been a hub for smuggling of all sorts, the crowded capital city home to a wide variety of gangs vying for turf. Post-Heavenfall, the criminal element has only gotten larger, with members of various triads and cartels entering the country as part of the waves of refugees. Banditry plagues the roads outside the urban areas, fueled by poverty and lack of work. Many of the bandits have military experience, having deserted the Army with their guns and ammo.

The criminal element is largely controlled by General Cheung at the highest level, the big players making sure a cut of their profits makes its way to him and their violent activities are kept out of public view, but they're by no means loyal to anyone but themselves. For the most part Daytrip will be ignoring them, although they might need to be dealt with violently or otherwise.

Enemy Factions

The Armed Forces of San Borondon: Consisting of the Grand Army, Navy, Air Corps, and Special Operations Command, San Borondon's military is relatively small but well-trained and fairly capable. While it has limited experience in open warfare the Armed Forces have spent the decades since independence fighting one resistance or another, and most of its officers are battle-tested. The Army is naturally the largest component, with a sizable active and reserve force. The Navy and Air Corps are significantly smaller and primarily rely on surplus Cold War-era vehicles, lacking the capability to strike foreign targets and thus focusing on defending the island from pirates and other threats. The smallest branch is the Special Operations Command, which actually sees somewhat regular service overseas as part of joint operations with the NCAA.

As a whole, the Armed Forces are more loyal to San Borondon than they are Henri Cheung himself. While years of conflict have ensured that there is plenty of hate for both the Black Brigades and Los Campesinos, it is hoped that once Cheung is deposed the military leadership will be willing to work with the new government (if only to secure their safety and pay).

Special Rural Police: Commonly known as the Rurales, the SRP is a paramilitary organization descended from colonial-era mounted police. Like the Armed Forces they are often in combat with anti-government forces but also are responsible for dealing with bandits, hostile tribespeople, and other forms of civil unrest. They're armed with a variety of civilian and military weapons, some dating back to the Second World War, and lack any organized uniform outside of a simple armband with SRP emblazoned on it. Individual members typically cobble together fatigues of whatever pattern they can obtain.

Unlike the Armed Forces, it's unlikely that they'll be able to coexist with the post-Cheung government. The Rurales were reorganized soon after the General took power, converting them into a sort of imperial guard personally loyal to him. Members are not paid a regular salary but are granted multiple privileges, including the authority to confiscate money and property from suspects and immunity from civilian prosecution. They receive regular cash bonuses, and their officers make sure to raise morale by organizing celebrations with plenty of alcohol. All told, the Rurales are disorganized and less skilled than their regular Army counterparts, but they're motivated by both greed and patriotism, and there are a lot of them.

High Value Targets

Henri Cheung: The general-turned-dictator of San Borondon, and its longest-lasting leader since gaining independence. Cheung has a militant background; the son of a French-descended businesswoman and a Cantonese slave laborer brought in by the Japanese, his parents were involved in the uprising against the Japanese army. His mother used her shop as a staging ground for rebels and coordinated with other women to smuggle explosives, and his father led his fellow slaves against the guards (using a stolen bayonet to gut the officer overseeing his work detail). Their notable service led to them being respected in post-independence Borondon, and thus Henri was granted the opportunity to become a military cadet.

He excelled in training and was earmarked to serve as a liaison officer in the British Army upon his commissioning, taking the opportunity to study both English literature and world history. Upon returning to San Borondon, he quickly promoted through the ranks, impressing his superiors with his skills as a commander and in logistics. Although young, His natural aptitude combined with his popularity among the men made him a threat to the then-king of San Borondon, Cristóbal. Cheung was accused of being a part of the plot to overthrow the monarchy and was thrown in prison where he was starved and regularly beaten. He refused to give up any of his collaborators, and upon Cristóbal's execution he was freed by and promoted to Major-General.

Hardened by his experiences and already ambitious, Cheung set about shoring up support for himself among the island's elite. Seizing upon rumors surrounding his political rival President Owen Granger's sexuality and loyalty during the War of Independence, Cheung played a hand in forcing Cheung to resign, quickly installing himself as permanent leader.

Since then he's ruled San Borondon with an iron fist.

Kitty Cheung: Daughter of Henri Cheung, and major financier of the regime. Kitty is highly educated, having a degree in finance from Cambridge and a juris doctorate from Stanford. She spent much of her adult life working overseas as a corporate lawyer and hedge fund manager, and was accused multiple times of either masterminding or being involved with schemes to defraud the public. Nothing stuck however, and Kitty gained a reputation for being able to make huge returns for her clients quickly. This led to her fraternizing with the elite of the business world, and her Rolodex can rival anyone's.

After the Heavenfall, she returned to San Borondon to work directly for her father. She manages his personal cash flow, taking the bribes and protection money paid to him by various parties and investing it overseas in business ventures that are expected to boom and bust. She's accused of market manipulation, insider trading, and outright sabotage, and if she goes down, Henri loses most of his overseas assets.

Hugo Cheung: Henri's son and youngest child. Unlike his older sister Hugo is neither particularly subtle nor educated; he has a Doctorate of Humanities from San Borondon University but it's an honorary degree bestowed purely to curry favor. While Kitty was off studying and working her way up in the professional world he was busy partying with his entourage and raising hell for people who angered him. There are multiple instances where Hugo beat someone to death, and at least ten people have been murdered on his orders after upsetting him. He's violent, sadistic, and untouchable.

But he is shrewd, and charismatic when he wants to be. He's something of a playboy and a darling of the gossip columns, being spotted at fashion shows and on private beaches with all manner of celebrities. To the wider world, Hugo is a charmingly dim-witted patron of the arts with a love of beautiful women and blow, an effective cover for someone running a drug trafficking ring. To impress his father Hugo (likely assisted by a megacorp) personally funded the construction of industrial-grade chemical laboratories to produce huge quantities of opiates, methamphetamine, and party drugs such as MDMA. These are sold in bulk at low prices to his drug lord associates, flooding both North America and East Asia with narcotics. Removing him would cut off a source of funding for the Cheung regime as well striking a blow at international criminality.

Patrice Fortuño: Commander of the San Borondon Special Forces, handpicked for the role by General Cheung. Born into abject poverty, Patrice joined the army to escape starvation. By chance, General Cheung spotted him on a visit to the training camp and was impressed by his ferocity in combat exercises. He handpicked Fortuño as his favorite soldier, ensuring he was given as much tutoring as was required before placing him in the officer's academy. His drive and inclination for combat made him a natural fit to lead the nation's commando forces, and under Fortuño they have made a name for themselves fighting internal enemies as well as in overseas operations.

Fortuño is loyal above all else. Elements of the Black Brigades once tried to bribe him into assisting with assassanting General Cheung in return for a position of power in the new government, an offer he pretended to respond favorably to before personally leading a raid on the planners' compound and executing those who survived the initial firefight. He's also quite good at his job, unfortunately. Fortuño was trained at the School of the Americas and went through Ranger School, taking part in special operations attached to American and British SOF in the Gulf War. He knows how to fight an unconventional war, and once Operation Daytrip becomes known he's likely to involve himself personally.

Simón Aguilar: An aerospace engineer with a doctorate in physics and a strong grounding in chemistry, Dr. Aguilar studied at the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union as part of a technical assistance program. There his interest turned to rocketry and propulsion systems, inspired by the Space Race and the rise of the ICBM era. He was bright but not particularly motivated (evaluation records suggest that he had been reprimanded multiple times for tardiness, twice due to sleeping in after a night drinking), and he nearly lost his slot at the school. Nevertheless he managed to graduate and upon returning to his home country he found a job as the chief engineer at a heavy machinery plant. Aguilar's efficiency caught the eye of the regime, and he was rewarded after years of diligent labor with a promotion.

Post-Heavenfall, Aguilar has been working in his favored field. Intelligence suggests that General Cheung is looking to hugely enhance San Borondon's offensive capabilities by investing in missile technology. He already has access to ballistic missiles (mostly relatively short-range Scuds, although he might have access to intermediate or even long-range weapons systems with the collapse of so many militaries and the disappearance of much of their armories), but it's believed that he's put Simón to work on developing home-grown weapon systems. This would lessen San Borondon's reliance on foreign supplies and present a threat to N/UN naval forces in the event of conflict between it and the NCAA. In a worst-case scenario, Aguilar's team develops intercontinental capabilities, giving a dangerous regime the ability to strike targets in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. This cannot be allowed to happen, and thus Aguilar needs to be converted or killed.

Camilia Hagos: The long-time girlfriend of Hugo, an accomplished model, actress, and general media darling. Of Ethiopian-Cuban descent, Camilia grew up in poverty. It was only due to a chance meeting with a photographer that she got her start in modeling, and she seized the opportunity with strength born out of deprivation. She pivoted her fashion career into a film one, receiving modest acclaim for her acting and developing a legion of fans. Hagos mastered the art of selling something, be it an item or an idea, and it's that talent that makes her useful to the Cheung regime.

She fell into a long-term relationship with Hugo, and at some point she was put to work introducing the right people to the Cheungs and selling San Borondon as the perfect place to visit and invest in. She helps whitewash the regime, covering up crimes beneath layers of high-society glamor and cultured elegance. Anytime an unpleasant story sneaks out, she's the one who makes sure it gets buried. It's suspected that her loyalty is coerced at least as much as it is bought; she never leaves the island without a team of security loyal to Hugo.

OOC

This RP is set in @Rhona W's Heavenfall setting, an alternate history where the Cold War continued up through the 90s before the world was hit by multiple meteorites causing immense destruction and the reshaping of the geopolitical landscape. You can read through the primer he wrote Here, but the key information is the section on the New United Nations. You'll be playing as a member of an elite secret task force put together by the N/UN for the purpose of removing an unfriendly dictator from power in a covert operation. Your character does not have to be from the N/UN or a friendly nation (having a wide variety of nationalities on the team makes it easier to disavow) but you have some sort of elite military, intelligence, or law enforcement experience and are considered trustworthy. There is no space on the team for people who have only been mercenaries or are unable to work as part of a unit, ever part of the whole needs to be rock solid.

The tone will be largely serious and sometimes dark, but with room for levity. I don't intend for it to be nonstop action, there'll be periods of downtime for character interaction and whatnot. This story is largely unrelated to the Heavenfall RPs already ongoing, although there may be some references here and there.

The Rules

• Don't be a dick. Seriously. It's the most important one.
• GM has the final word. Obviously I’m going to hear out your suggestions and include them where fitting, but no is no.
• Try and post once a week, once every two is workable. Any less than that and I reserve the right to puppet or kill off your character as needed to keep things moving. If something comes up where you can’t post that’s fine, just tell me so I can write around you.
• This is a mature game, but the 18+ is for language and violence not smut. If it comes up, fade to black. Basically, don't break the Guild's rules.
• Match the tone. Your characters are all professionals undertaking a dangerous mission, you should be able to act as adults and work as a team. No lone wolves, no one too maverick to last in a chain of command. In terms of gear you're free to equip yourself as you see fit and should feel free to take things that are prototypical irl or simply uncommon, but no meme guns (deagles, swords, range toys, etc.). When in doubt, read the setting guide and ask.

Additional Disclaimer

This section ties into rule 1 from the above header, but I felt it warranted its own chunk. This RP and the setting its based in, while clearly different from reality, are heavily based on the real world. There will be political themes in this RP, and I leave it to you how your character reacts to them. Keep any drama IC; there will be low tolerance for out-of-character bickering.

The Technology

It's covered in-depth in the setting primer, but generally speaking technology consists of more advanced versions of what existed in real-2014 than anything fantastically science fiction. No lasers, no cybernetic limbs with weapons hidden inside them, artificial intelligence is fairly widespread but far from being truly intelligent. Many of the major advancements in the setting relate to manufacturing, vehicles, and vehicle-based weaponry and thus are outside the scope of this RP.

When you're picking your gear, choose weapons/equipment that existed by 2014 and was feasibly suited to military usage (even if it was only prototypical in real life.) Uncommon items are encouraged, outdated or impossible ones are banned. A REC7 or Vepr would be great choices, an Stg 44 or a laser rifle would not work.

Character Sheet

Name: Self-explanatory

Callsign: What you'll be referred to as when in the field. Typically based on a character trait or incident that stuck, often somewhat embarrassing and almost always bestowed by other people.

Age: Number and DOB. Minimum age is 25, and being as experienced as you are the odds are good that you're older than that.

Gender: Self-explanatory

Nationality: For ease of reference, this refers to the country you were born and grew up in. Your home might be some petty warlord's personal kingdom, but list what it used to be called.

Role in Team: It's assumed that everyone can shoot, drive, perform first and do all the other tasks that the work involves with a basic degree of competency. This is your specialization, the reason you in particular were singled out for Operation Daytrip. Demolitions, combat driving, and being a pointman are all examples.

Appearance: An image or a description, or even better, both. Illustrations are preferred, but nothing overly anime. No spiky or weirdly colored hair (unless, of course your character is dyeing it)

Bio: An overview of your life. Where you're from, where you grew up, the events that led you to join this merry band, all that jazz.

Analysis: An addendum to your biography, essentially summarizing what made you worth recruiting. Your skills, your attitude, any particular areas of expertise, what do you bring to the table?

Service History: A timeline of your military/police/intelligence/PMC activities from whenever you began to the present day. This can be as simple as a bullet list.

Primary Weapon: Your main weapon, some sort of long gun (rifle, submachine gun, shotgun, etc.) and any attachments it has. Include any alternates you might use in different circumstances. Operators may request any firearm deemed capable, but are strictly forbidden from bringing personal weapons so as to minimize simplify the process of covertly ferrying them to where they need to be.

Sidearm: Your secondary weapon, typically a handgun.

Ammunition: Any alternate ammo types you might use.

Other Equipment: Body armor, other types of weapons, specialized tools, anything you'd carry into a mission not covered by the above

Family And Notable Acquaintance: Important people in your life

Miscellanous Details: Anything worth noting not covered by the above

Standard Kit

The following items are given to all members of Daytrip, although they are free to request different models as long as they meet operational requirements.

• FAST Helmet with L-3 GPNVG-18 night vision and IR strobe
• SPCS plate carrier with level IV plates
• General Service Respirator
• Sordin Supreme MIL CC headset and Personal Role Radio
• Suunto Core watch
• Rugged military tablet

Operation Daytrip-A Heavenfall Story

Alright, I'm going to call it here. Thanks for the interest everyone, I'll get to work on an OOC and the character creation rules. Just as a heads up, this will be a Casual rp. I don't need novel-length posts with incredible prose entirely devoid of grammatical mistakes, but the limit is a good-sized paragraph or two every couple of weeks with at least some editing.

@Damo021 @PrinceAlexus @Letter Bee @Rhona W @Kensai @Finetales @Theyra @teenangstlife @Alfhedil @AvaP

Operation Daytrip-A Heavenfall Story

I didn’t expect to see so much interest so fast! It’s a nice problem to have.

While we’re over the original player limit I’ll leave this open to one or two more, since it seems to be popular.

Operation Daytrip-A Heavenfall Story

March 23rd, 2004. The world shatters.

They say the first meteor that struck us was smaller than the one that wiped out the dinosaurs—hardly a consolation when it was followed by a storm of projectiles. The Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, entire regions were devastated and millions killed by the impacts themselves or the tidal waves they generated, to say nothing of the chaos in the aftermath.

The old order was irrevocably broken. Entire cities were swallowed up and coastlines forever changed, an ecological disaster of a scale never seen in human history. In total, more than two billion people died.

And yet the more things change, the more they stay the same. In any crisis comes oppurtunity, and with the Cold War powers of the United States and the Soviet Union crippled or outright collapsed new players have entered the game. The world now tilts on a southern axis, with the balance of power having shifted to those nations that had been spared by the Heavenfall. Megacorporations rule their private kingdoms, able to do what they want without fear of backlash due to their control of industry and global trade. Criminal syndicates have taken advantage of the chaos and in many places superseded their remnant governments. Old borders have been carved up by squabbling feudal states, and the Neo United Nations, one of the international alliances trying to keep the carnage to a minimum, is stretched far too thin to deal with all of them at once.

Sometimes it falls on someone else to make things happen. PMCs are a regular part of geopolitics now, openly engaging with hostile nations and other mercenaries on behalf of their client states. However, not every conflict is one the N/UN wishes to be publicly involved in. There are times when even the use of PMCs is too transparent. When prudent, the N/UN turns to stealth and sabotage. The operators involved are experienced, intelligent, well-versed in subterfuge, and most importantly...

Entirely deniable.

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So, I've been inspired by @Rhona W to run an RP for the first time, using his Heavenfall setting. You can read the lore in the link Here, but the gist is that the Cold War didn't end in 1991, and the Soviet Union continued to exist as a world power until 2003 when the planet was rocked by a series of massive meteor strikes, the Heavenfall. While not quite science fiction the setting is very much advanced compared to real-life 2014, or even 2025.

Whereas Shattered Steel (the original RP) is centered around air combat, this one focuses on special forces operations, drawing heavily from military and espionage fiction. The characters would be elite operators inserted covertly to do elite operator stuff: kick in doors, shoot people, and exfiltrate under heavy fire.

In terms of tone I'm shooting for things like Sicario, Ghost Recon, and the Jason Bourne books/movies. While I'm not interested in strict adherence to realism I am going for 'heightened' reality as opposed to pure guns-akimbo old-school action movie logic.

Tone-wise, it'll be somewhat dark. The setup is that you're hired guns in a foreign country working with shady people to overthrow the local government, but said government has it coming. That said, we'll be keeping it professional. No gunning down civilians, no lone wolves who can't work with a team. It won't be nonstop action, I plan on including downtime so that characters can interact and form relationships.

As this is my first time GMing I'm looking to keep the group relatively small, four or five players. We might extend the roster down the line, but for now the team will be a single squad.

Shattered Steel - An Ace Combat/Project Wingman/etc inspired aircraft-based RP

Fuka Nakano

Fuka arched an eyebrow at Amelia's apparent realization, all sorts of thoughts running through the older woman's head. Most of them were amused; a young recruit trapped in a contract she didn't like was a tale as old as armies themselves. But Sparrow seemed farther up shit creek than she would have gotten had she just not read her papers well enough. What exactly was going on with the Luftwaffe that they would transfer an active pilot into a PMC, and why didn't the pilot know anything about it?

"Well, good luck to you I suppose. Hopefully you get that hashed out soon."

Fuka smirked dryly at the mention of her family, making a noncommittal noise as she shifted in her seat.

"I wouldn't say that. No, they're more disappointed than anything. I'm by far the lowest achiever among my siblings, so it's no surprise that my parents would be a bit put out by my career choice. Can you imagine them trying to talk about me at dinner parties?"

Her voice changed, getting higher in pitch as if to emulate an embarrassed mother.

"Oh yes, Fuka used to be an Army Ranger before she was wounded in service of her country, and then she became an officer in the Navy! We're very proud...what does she do now? Oh, ahem, well, she's a 'contractor' I think they call themselves? You know, guns for hire."

The Astor-Nakano boys were career officers; a major and a lieutenant-colonel. Three of the girls were politicians, and good ones too, well-versed in economics and diplomacy and a million other subjects that impacted their constituents. Yōko, the family darling, was staring down the barrel of a term as Prime Minister.

Fuka flew surplus aircraft and dropped bombs on people who didn't see it coming.

"Every family has to have a black sheep."

Ximena Huang

Kat seemed to buy into the whole brotherhood of soldiers deal, with her talk of providing fire support for those who needed it most. She was nobler than Ximena was by a damn sight...as if that weren't obvious. Kat had ideals and stood by them, Ximena fled her country to avoid being punished for her failure.

And yet there they were, sitting and soon fighting side by side. War was funny like that.

"Well I suppose any friends we have on the ground will be grateful to see you sliding through the sky above them."

Jefe sipped from her cup as Freyja (damn that bitch to Hell) riffed on her pills comment and Kat responded, looking over her sunglasses in amusement.

"I'll keep an eye out for the good stuff, just for you. I've never been on a base totally devoid of contraband; if you think everyone here is doing their jobs sober you're sorely mistaken."

Case in point: Ximena herself. God, she needed a drink.

Tablets pinged in unison and Freyja finally took the hint, Ximena giving her a friendly wave goodbye.

"Au revoir." she purred, before turning to face the Battle Kitten.

"So, what's there to do around here until it's time for the briefing?

Shattered Steel - Armoured Fist. An RP about modern armoured vehicles in an alternate world

I’m tentatively in, just depends on what time looks like coming up

Shattered Steel - An Ace Combat/Project Wingman/etc inspired aircraft-based RP

Fuka Nakano

"Germany must be pretty draconian if it can force you to be a mercenary." Fuka noted. "How does that work, you 'resign' from the Luftwaffe and then Shattered takes you in? Or are you still a part of the military, just...also involved in foreign conflict?"

The military had made her do a lot of things, but forcing a contract on her with some separate entity? That was a new one. It blurred the line between PMC and N/UN more than Shattered (and groups like it) already did, and someone more educated on geopolitics and military ethics could probably argue that it was immoral, but it wasn't like Fuka particularly cared. Things got fast and loose when you poached pilots from the military with the promise of higher pay.

She grinned at the apology, shrugging.

"None taken. I don't usually trust crazy chicks...no offense."

She rolled her shoulders, as if sitting still made her sore.

"Like I said, I was a naval aviator. It's why I'm in a Hornet; they needed people who could fly something carrier-capable. As for why I'm here-"

She raised her prosthetic arm, rubbing her thumb across the tips of her index and middle fingers.

"Same as most people, I'd imagine: The pay's better. Plus, I get to feel like I chose to join instead of just marching in lockstep with the family."

Shattered Steel - An Ace Combat/Project Wingman/etc inspired aircraft-based RP

Fuka Nakano

Eccentric personality, eh? At least she owned it. Certain characters in the team struck Fuka as being 'eccentric' (read: weird, potentially obnoxious) without the wherewithal to acknowledge it. Take the Ximena example, the intelligence analyst-turned-fighter jock who defected from the Chinese and took with her a pair of artificial eyes, a top-of-the-line American air superiority jet, and a machine gun she was strangely competent with. She floated in on a cloud of casual flippantness and likely earned ego, tell-tale signs of a story hidden behind all those redacted portions of her file.

Whatever it was, Fuka didn't want to find out about it. Ximena was like a teenager's idea of a fighter pilot: cocky attitude and aviator sunglasses, standing out from the crowd like there was a camera filming closeups. It was unprofessional, and Fuka hated nothing more than being unprofessional.

So Amelia was at least ahead of her.

"Sounds like you did a lot of hurry up and wait." she shrugged. "I was in the Navy for eight years, so only a couple more than you but they had me shooting from the get-go. First Latin America, then Japan and the South China Sea."

Serious business for a serious pilot.

"This is my first time in a merc outfit. Speaking of, how'd you end up playing gun for hire?"

Ximena Huang

Ximena laughed easily at Kat's joke. Pretty women were funnier; it was a scientific fact.

"Flying through enemy airspace in a Hog must be nerve-wracking. You have that titanium tub for a cockpit, sure, but still, it's not like the friendly folks on the ground are going to have trouble spotting you. But I guess getting to shoot the big gun makes up for the risk, eh?"

Jefe had to lean in to hear the much larger woman's much quieter voice, the size difference between them made more obvious at that angle. She couldn't even see Kat's swiping hand on the other side of her body! No doubt flying was a leg-numbing affair for her, a problem Ximena would be more than happy to help with after their next flight.

Her idle daydreaming of one-eyed warrior women and tender messages was quickly and cruelly shattered by the experience of Valkyrie, Ximena managing to keep her expression polite even as she silently cursed the Swede.

"Doesn't bother me." she lied, eyes flitting over the hand on Kat's shoulder before flicking away. "It's not like I own the table!"

Perhaps if she concentrated hard enough, she could give Freyja a migraine.

"The trick is to find either a very new doctor or a very experienced one and slip them a few bucks. The young ones need to pay for college and the old ones need to pay for retirement. Either way, they'll trade pills for profit!"

She was joking, of course-mostly. She had used that very strategy back in Mexico to secure a favor, but that was ancient history.