Somewhere off the coast of Corsica



They called it La Source. Or in other words, the HQ for Raven Squad, the crystal-clear waters of the Med and the rocky granite-sandstone of the Corsican shore revealing a small island off the big island's mainland itself, like so many here, a beautiful little spot in the setting evening sun.

They called it home more than that, and it was a unique one at that. An old French naval facility built into the side of a cliffside, the base occupied the small island's perimeter but looked striking at that. It was built by the Nazis in the Second World War but found to be of no use for a local naval station after 30 years in service, so was quietly aquired by someone to be put to something else, Skye had to guess. Then most likely passed to Raven Squad as their little base of operations, home for them to use. Remodelled and remade into the home base for a team that might need to be anywhere at a given notice, and so they needed a place that they could call their own. The inner concrete walls were painted a striking white and grey, and looked modern, in spite of the old appearance of the facility.

The facility had five storeys to it, including the cave that the base was built on top of that had the calm water sitting inside it with various boats, and from there, the second storey being the largest with a deep cavern that multi-tasked as a multi-purpose training area, shooting range and armoury for the team. The team's gym was located there, with a cut-off area for the team's heavies, who altogether used equipment that was totally different- kettlebells and concrete blocks that looked more at home to be lifted by forklift rather than by people. The third storey had the team's accomodation, a series of indiviual quarters, the fourth a rec and lounge room with a panoramic view that incorperated a kitchen and bar, and the fifth, well, partly the property of Skye and partly the briefing rooms. The walls were a mix of chiselled stone with concrete built into them, with paint and LED lighting making it seem at least a little brighter.

A large helipad sat at the top of the cliffside, hidden from the sea by a rock formation and a stout lighthouse that lay barren inside, the helipad hosting their V22 Osprey as well as a small hangar-like building that contained a fairly exotic vehicle pool that could be loaded in or taken down onto a boat. The rest of the island wasn't large- it was more a lump of rock in the ocean, maybe a mile squared in size, but it was empty and mostly just rocks and hardy dunes. The small encampment for rotational support staff, ranging from techs for the vehicles and V22, logistics teams and various SIGINT postings finished up La Source as a location on the other side of the island, only on a need to know basis of what was going on.

It was everything an evil genius would love. Lucky the people who wanted to stop those sorts had it to themselves. Any locals or tourists must have thought it was some billionaire's little palace, because nobody would have assumed it made any sense beyond the cove at the bottom and the fancy looking one-way glass of the rec room and well, Raven Squad's team leader.

======================================

1900 Hours

Skye loaded the SIG, the rifle tight in her hands she unloaded rounds down range, the sound of metal plinking from rounds drilling them echoing yet satisfying, the Scot switching from the canted sight to the main magnified optic itself, tailoring it in and letting the rounds fly down range. It was almost a catharsis, the use of her rifle something to take her mind off things, and nearly the end of her day's routine. Admin done, a new rotation of the team in after some previous wetwork, her usual daily run and swim and now something she wanted to catch up on- her rifle's new barrel and optics fitting, something she wanted to get right. And the way she had drilled the metal target, she was happy it was right.

The large German behind her could spot that too.

"You clearly did not need my services today. That is a shame, Frau Lyons."

"Alright, Laura. You might be keen to keep busy. But I'm more than capable." Skye replied with a sultry undertone as she stared at the target, then clearing the chamber and taking the empty mag out, taking the rifle to hand as she turned to see her, barely phased by the large German giantess's prescence, chuckling as she stood right up to her, a thing nobody had the right to do.

"You know, most people need accuracy. But I understand, setting things on fire is just more fun for you, isn't it?" Skye couldn't help but giggle, Laura responding in turn, shrugging her shoulders as she walked over, herself checking the workbench she had, with a large Mk19 grenade launcher heaped atop it, her secondary toy for when she wasn't gonna set people on fire.

"Or just blowing them up. You know, I can shoot straight, just uhhh....well, it just seems like too much work to not cover the area in munitions. Quantity, not quality, ja!" Laura replied, Skye laughing and shaking her head, putting her SIG back into the armoury's lockup, back where her gear was, near her exo and the rest of her combat loadout, availible on short notice. Skye kept quiet for a moment, before turning to Laura again, the Scot wearing a typical navy-blue t-shirt and jeans, sans the ear defenders she'd needed for the range now. She picked up a case next to her weapon store, something else she wanted to take up with her.

"I'm headed to the rec room. You coming along?" Skye asked, the giant German shrugging, herself heading back to another workbench, hauling a large pair of MGs onto it, knowing she had her orders still to finish- as silly as she was, she wasn't gonna disobey Skye, at least, not after last time.

"Nein, I've got some more work to do. Jamie's equipment still need work. I know he loves working on it, but I have a few things to run through. I am a professional, Skye, when you tell me to do something, I..."

"When I last told you to do something, you got into a cardboard box and you nearly choked out Glitch with that hind of yours. And professional...jaysus, Laura, you're literally the opposite." Skye commented in return, chuckling, Laura knowing she had her own reply.

"Well, he must have enjoyed it."

"I don't think he did? Later on." Skye felt more confident in her own reply, and with that, left Laura to her own devices, leaving behind the armoury and heading out, on her way towards the team's rec room.

Stepping into the lift, Skye had the chance to think about the team, and who they were a little. She had a few things to sort, and the rest of the team after their daily jobs would be in the rec room by now, Skye coming in a bit late.

There was Jaguar, or Mateo- a capable, adept infiltrator, the guy she could count on to sneak and wreck havok, with an ability to sabotage, hack and get behind lines like no other operator- yet wasn't a totally cold asswipe.

There was Jamie, or Scion- the son of the legends, not many of whom had really heard the name, but was someone who Skye had no doubts about their ability regarding as a heavy operative, carrying the torch that his parents did. And no doubt no less savage.

There was Xander, or Glitch, an unpredictable, capable hacker who seemed to be a specialist in this modern age of warfare, able to outdo the enemy's electronic warfare and maximise their own. A loose cannon, the sarky comedian of the group, but capable in what he did.

Oh, and Ghost, the....well, she couldn't tell. She was so quiet, so intensely machined she swore behind those eyes was a machine, but no, it was DNA and flesh and blood, the training results said so. An infiltrator with not much heart, but all brain. Perhaps it made her so good at what she did, and Skye didn't want to ask many questions, apart from the mostly redacted report she'd gotten from Oracle.

Then Misa, or Bobi. The team's first mechanised heavy, an opposite world to that of Jamie's platform. A risk to be sure given the history, but someone who probably matched Mateo's will for revenge. Odd that, it almost fuelled people, blowing, blasting, turning shit inside out. Perhaps on their holidays they'd get what they wanted, here, it was business. Mostly.

And last but not least...there was Grayson, or Brazen. A foil, an antithesis to Skye Rosalind Lyons, someone she'd heard about and yet wasn't sure if she'd ever see herself working with, but someone who was the mysterious other on her programme, someone who as much as she respected, was...bloody English as they came.

====

The lift doors opened, and Skye stepped out, the red-haired Scot having her locks tucked into a ponytail, her navy shirt a practical contrast to her blue-coloured jeans and brown trail shoes. She had a certain confidence in the way she walked, a certain aura, the kind of look that very much radiated an energy of casual, yet authority, brewing beneath the surface. Many had taken her short at first looks, many didn't make that mistake. But it came with proving people wrong, and never stopping. She never wished to, and never wanted to stop being involved. The smell of the kitchen was ever so satisfying, as she rounded the corner and came right through.

The rec room was a a spatious, airy lounge with a bar and kitchen in one corner, beanbags, chairs and sofas scattered about and a feeling of generally being opened out. For a small squad that was Raven, it was luxury, and a calming presence as she headed over to the cooler, and finding a bottle, she found hers, in another case that she could draw. The evening sunset sat on the horizon, with Skye breaking the silence.

"So, yous thought I'd just leave you sitting here, wondering about what we'd do. Nae, I got yous something to get chatting. And whoever is making that food....that is simply magnificent." Skye's leadership seemed straight, direct, and yet like any good mum, never too condecending. Not when it didn't need to be, with six glasses on the table.

And the loosener? A '72 Single Malt, Tobermory, Isle of Mull Whisky. A glass of that on the table for her, a gentle wick to start her off, and she felt more in the mood. That and for the rest of the team to have that were coming through, because well, it was the start of the new batch. With that, she opened the other case she'd brought down and quietly got to work with it, which revealed a cherry oak fiddle, an instrument she treasured very much. The chatter was going on but she thought to fill in the blank, and leaning against the wall, she began to find her tune. A Scots instrument that scored home, literally every loch, mountain and valley felt like this had it playing when she was back in her head. A tune she knew might bring a few people in, given the door was open, and get them all together.

Fiddle

For a moment, she wasn't on a Corsican island. She was home, and it always felt like it took the edge off her mental state, a quiet solace that she could sooth into.

Greyson was sitting, legs crossed over on a low sofa of undeniably european make; the sort that makes you squat over if you're more than 4 foot tall and says: “you can perch here, but i hope you dont intend on staying for long”. A low coffee table was also in front of him. On the table was a cup with a slice of lemon in it, teabag label hanging down which said “nettle”. There were also a few personnel files scattered around and one in his hands which was reading. He did not look up when Skye came into the rec room… generally its the custom that you don't have to stand to attention when in the rec room, unless someone says so.

Most of the personnel file history was redacted of-course, which Brazen considered an occupational hazard for someone trying to figure out what the teams strengths were, and how best to support them. But his experience in the field allowed him to make some guesses. The rest he’d just have to learn in action.

He finally looked up at Skye:

“Y’know a single cruise missile would mess this whole base up… beyond that all we've got is Glitches’ countermeasures and that CIWS i saw hiding on the roof… ive never seen one with a railgun though… i hope it doesnt lag.” he said almost to no one in particular. He had an inherent scepticism for new technology, even his own.

When Skye hinted at a briefing for the mission he snapped the personnel file closed immediately, revealing the name on it was “Brazen”. This was now time for business…

“Good, i do hate to be scrambled for action before i even know who the opposition is…”

Among the chatter in the rec room, one could very easily pick out the sound of laughter coming in a little louder than the rest. Leaning against the counter of the bar was the source of the laughter, a 180 cm tall Australian chap sporting a maroon button up shirt with the top buttons undone untucked from a pair of black jeans that were just long enough to barely touch his shoes; a pair of trail shoes much like Skye’s only in a dark gray. It was none other than Xander Clarke: Callsign “Glitch”, Raven’s own expert in all things tech, and self proclaimed jokester. Grasped in his hand was a half full pint of beer, very clearly not his first of the night, as he waved it around while regaling a story of a recent adventure to anyone who would listen.

“So the plane is going down right over the Persian Gulf, and our only way out is driving a god damned BTR out the massive hole we made in the cargo bay. So we say ‘fuck it’, hop in and slam on the gas! Now, I’m thinking we’ve got to be the biggest loons in the world to try this, but nah! Six! I repeat, six of those mercs decided ‘Not without us, ya don’t!’ and dove after us! Half the drongos didn't even have parachutes! Not that it would have done 'em any good. With the firepower we had, most of ‘em were pretty much swiss cheese before we hit the water.”

Xan chuckled at the last part of his story before raising his glass to his lips. Just as he took a slip, a new arrival to the party walked in. As soon as Xan spied their commander's red hair, he set his glass down and pushed himself from the bar to greet her.

"Oi Mum! Good to see ya! Pull up a chair! Grab a cold one!" Xan said pointing his thumb back to the bar. There were plenty of more proper or professional titles Xan should have used when addressing his superior, but he preferred the one that suited her most. Even if she disapproved.

"Aww you shouldn't have." Xan said as Skye broke out what was very clearly an expensive bottle of whiskey for the team. "I should probably pass, I'm four in already… Oh what the hell? I'm not driving anywhere tonight." Xan concluded cheerfully. He turned back to the bar to grab an old fashioned glass, but ended up grabbing an extra after he overheard Greyson’s remarks about the bases' defenses.

“Lag?” Xan asked as he placed the glasses on the table and began to pour a drink in each. “Mate, nearly every important piece of hardware here was either built, tested, and or fully installed by the lovely Laura Zeiss. Ya can’t beat German engineering, and that sheila is best of the best. Course, if you have a complaint or concern you could always take it up with her. Just, uh, make sure she’s not holding any heavy weaponry. Or large objects that aren’t bolted down.”

As he spoke, Xan picked up the glasses and casually walked over to where Greyson was seated and held one out for him to take. Should he accept, Xan would clink his glass against the brit’s. If not, he would simply attempt the same offer to someone else in the room. Either way resulted in him continuing his little rant.

“But if the counter measures are your worry, I promise you, not even a seagull can get close to us without proper clearance. But by all means, if you think you can bypass them, be my guest. I’m sure ol’ Mat has given it a go before.” he jested with a sly wink in Mateo’s direction. He took a sip from his glass and immediately made a sour face as he attempted to swallow. It wasn’t that he didn’t like whiskey, he just didn’t drink it that often and was not prepared for the strong taste from such a refined vintage.

“Woo!” Xan let out softly as he was able to get the spirit down. “Tastes like wood and has a hell of a punch. Jamie! How come this ain’t your callsign?”

0500

Like clockwork, Misa woke up and began her standard morning routine. She made her bed, showered, then got dressed. She stepped out of her room and was greeted by Buki who was standing guard.

“Good morning Miss Ysuki,” Buki greeted.

Misa gave her companion a nod before heading out. First thing on the agenda was the gym. Buki was an exceptional support AI but was lacking in the combat department. She had updated his learning algorithms, but since it was not her field of expertise, it was slow, to say the least. When not using her tactical suit, Buki was piloting it. She needed him to be competent in combat, so she has been sparing with him to help his database and abilities. 74 hours in, and he has shown little improvement. Maybe today is the day something clicks.

It only took a few minutes for Misa to reach the gym. She had taken great care to pick a room that was close to every facility. Efficiency is key after all. Once she arrived, Misa went to the sectioned off area for the heavy assault members of the squad filled with special equipment, but she mainly used it as an arena. “Buki, we are working on hand to hand to hand combat. You have 4 hours to try and bring me to the ground. No firearms. Everything else is valid,” Misa said as she set a timer.

“Begin—“

Misa immediately rushed the large suit and slipped under him with ease. With a bit of leverage, she grabbed Buki’s head and dragged him down to the ground.

Misa lets out a long sigh then said, “again”

This time she faked him out and kicked his optics before tripping him.

“Again”

“Again...”

“Again......”

After 4 hours of no noticeable progress, Misa decided that was enough for the morning. She had other tasks to complete that day. Marching the walk of failure, she headed to the kitchen to make everyone lunch. She never revealed that she was the one doing the cooking, and food would just appear on the table or in the fridge comes meal time. Needless to say, it was a role she enjoyed playing. It was better for keeping up her appearance within the group.

Lunch quickly came and passed. Then for the rest of the afternoon, Misa tinkered with Buki before it was time for dinner. She set a pot of Curry on the stove before having a seat in the rec room. It was a nice and open space but could use some plants to break up the concrete. Thought the massive industrial kitchen was much appreciated.

Misa made herself a cup of tea and some dangos before sitting down at the sofa table. She set a mat on the floor before sitting down on her knees. It would have been a nice and relaxing night if not for the loud and obnoxious laughter of a certain man.

Misa did her best to ignore Xander’s loudness, but he did make her think about the team and what a dysfunctional group they were. Dysfunctional in the social sense as she was sure everyone here is extremely skilled. But there are those that she would keep at arm's length like Grayson and Yinmei. Then there are her fellow Heavies like Jamie and Laura who are a bit too loud for her taste but it was not unbearable. Xander is Xander. She cannot fault the man for being loud but there is a time and place. And then there is Mateo, they are too alike making her dislike him by default.

Misa looked up for the first time when she heard Skye arrive. “Good evening Captain. I believe we’re having curry for dinner.” Misa watched as Skye picked up her instrument and began playing a nice tune. Skye was a woman of many talents, to her surprise. She expected the captain of a squad like Raven to be some emotionless military grunt who only spouted orders.

Misa's eyes twitch slightly when Xander addressed Skye as 'mum'. It was CLEARLY disrespectful, and there were countless other titles he could have used and yet he did not. Though a twitch of the eye was all one could notice as she kept her face perfectly still.

It'd been up at dawn for him. Just like some others. He'd grown up under the wings of Drakes and Dragons, who had hammered into him a regime of personal care and fitness.

So as Misa and Buki worked on their grappling. There had been a steady Clang....Clang....Clang Of a heavy bad and several hundred pounds of weights being moves. It's a leg day apparently as Jamie had been doing squats in a corner, the tall man grunting with each movement. No telling how much is on the bar, but it's enough to give the giant of a young man a work out.

As Misa continued to work, Jamie moved on to other exercises. Weighted crunches, working on his arms, more squats and leg work. Rowing. So much more. Even after the pair were wrapping up, the big man has a knee up on a bench and is working his arms, while weights are belted about his wrists and legs. It's grunts though no yells or growls, just soft grunts.

When Misa leaves Jamie has just started some cardio, running around the gym perimeter. This whole time not really paying huge amounts of attention to the pair, it's none of his business honestly. But it's interesting to see how Misa is training her AI, quite impressive really. He should message his uncle Carl, he's been working on an AI for the new suits the Blue Sword Juggs have been testing. Maybe he should mention Misa and what she's doing. It might help him.

------------

After sometime and a good shower, as well as a change of clothes, the big man of mixed blood, but of nearly everything good his parents could have given him genetically, arrives in the Rex Room. Prowling in like an apex predator could, but with none of thje bravado of someone who is used to being a predator. In fact he looks almost diffident. Which well...could be seen as strange as the stories of the young man say he's already blooded on the battlefield with Blue Sword, so why would he be shy and unconfident?

Fascinating.

He looks about the room, and quirks his head to the side, stepping over and sitting in an arm chair, ignoring the squeal of tortured springs as his big heavy frame folds into the chair. his attention is on the commander. And her music. A slow smile parts his features and he leans in closing his eyes and drifting on the music. The look of a giant cat maybe, trusting and quiet, but ready to spring into violence.

Jamie sits and enjoys the moment, mind on the music, fingers brushing his sweat pants in time to the fiddle playing, looking for all the world like nothing is the matter, and the people in the room aren't all trained killers somehow. With that fiddle playing, to Jamie anyway, known as Scion, son of Legends, it's just a gathering of like minded people, enjoying some time together.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

Even Xander calling to him about something else being his callsign does not bring him out of the happy little moment. The mention of food, not that either. There is a certain nourishment of the soul when it comes to music. Food can wait, your soul and your peace cannot.

While the others were doing their own thing in the rec room. Mateo was behind the bar wearing a grey shirt with black jeans, silently mixing himself a drink. Specifically a ,Canelazo, a popular drink from back home in Colombia. There were several versions of the cocktail, but the one that Mateo is making is made from rum, sugar, and cinnamon. A basic version of the drink but one that he enjoys. Or would enjoy it more if they had some aguardiente, but it seems that the bar does not have any. Kinda makes sense since it is mainly a South American drink. Still, he is going to change that one of these days.

Mateo finished mixing his drink and took a single sip of it once Xander had started his story. A crazy but entertaining story. And it makes him think of what the others have been through and a reminder that he is among the few here with a nonmilitary background. It felt kinda weird to him, here being with a group of veteran soldiers and ex-spec ops. Here he is, an ex-government agent. Granted, he is a skilled operative, and he has seen combat and killed. Just not one meant for the frontline like most of the team. But behind the scenes is where you would find him during a mission.

He was busy drinking his drink when he spotted his commander Skye enter the rec room. "Hey, boss," he said to her. "Ready to join the rest of us, I see." Saying it with a half smile. She is much different from his old boss back in the DNI. That backstabbing old man, Mateo tensed as he remembered his time in the DNI. Probably should have listened to his father about how corrupt the country was, or he would have never been betrayed like that.

Mateo shook his head and started making another Canelazo, calming himself. That was his old boss, his old group. This time it should be different, right? Skye is nothing like his old boss, and Raven Squad is diffident, or maybe that is just wishful thinking. And he does not want to be betrayed again. So he will be keeping an open eye just in case, but so far, nothing seems to indicate that.

Catching the tell end of Xander's talking about him and the security of the base. Making a light chuckle, "I think we are secure here, but now that you have said it. I have not tested the security of this place myself, but I do not need to." Finishing making his drink and taking a gulp. Besides Xander's loudness, the night has been good, and when Skye got out her violin and started playing. Mateo, with drink in hand, made his way to the couch and sat down. Relaxing and taking another sip from his drink. You can say what you want about Skye, but she sure knows how to make someone feel at home.

Skye chuckled, the team's chirpy nature always getting the better of her. They were a fun bunch, and every rotation meant something different. They weren't the only ones, as she calmly stopped playing, the team here, and this group right here. Mateo with his drink, Jamie towering over the rest in a silent contemplation, Xander chatting shit, Misa looking disaprovingly and making curry, oh, and Greyson. Of course, being observant as usual. She placed the fiddle by her side gently, letting a wry chuckle loose, the redhead aware that Xan had already tailed it off.

@Steel Legion

"Who'd you piss off, Greyson? I tend to find when you leave the loose ends tied, you worry less. The site's got an digital air-gap...and well, has a fuck-off CIWS. Laura and a few techs behind the scenes did the magic, it makes this place somewhere you wouldn't look at. You dinnea' change from what I remember. Always a pragmatist. I'll let you test it if you like." Skye commented, putting her legs across in a fold, eyeing him up, the fellow British operative someone she could tease, even in spite of her iron-like fire.
"You should relax. I wouldn't get you drunk before an op. Well....I might get you one down to ease you in. We're not back in London anymore, aye?" Skye added, Xander coming in and chipping in with his own commentary, chatty as always but someone despite all her grievances, trusted enough. She saw he was trying to get the looser side of her, but same time, she was trying to straighten him out. Make him more...professional. Albeit that wasn't a word you used for him. He made Deadpool seem cold.

@Awesomoman64

"Heh, that is a funny story. One too many beers I think though? Or....well, you really must have been in the shit with your CO to go that far....I mean, who would do such a thing?" Skye's reaction made it very clear to the group she was letting on something more, because even in spite of Xander's bullshit, oh, it was so, so true, giggling quietly in a form that seemed like it touched on her more human side, the part of her that warmed to him sometimes. Then there was Misa, the appetising smell of the curry she was cooking away quietly reflecting her usual nature. She was perhaps not the best mesh with everyone, but with her armour, she was relentless, capable and part of a very different breed. Cooking away quietly, perhaps it was her own way to payback even without saying a word- but Skye knew the team would have their rota issued soon for dinners. Someone was cooking every night, and she was on it too. Lead by example and all that- the perk they had of not living on a bootcamp meant they had to actually look after themselves. And even for the best, that felt tricky for the former Major...

@DawningAurora

"It smells very good, Misa. Katsu, I think?" Skye commented, sipping down her whisky, watching her twitch, knowing her and Xan might have been like oil and water, but still, they'd back each other. She clearly didn't like how Xan spoke, but then again, neither did Skye. It's why she gave him extra shit and Misa a little less.
"You know, I think you and Xander need to spend more time together. AI programming, robotics....wait, fuck, no, that is a terrible idea. But still...any overlap we can get works here, I guess." Skye interrupted herself, chuckling away as she downed the rest of her glass, knowing her own irony, looking across to the other two in the room.

One that took up more room, the more traditional giant, the son of two legends no less. On a good day Skye wished she'd gotten to know them, the infamous Natalie and Victor, of yesteryear. Then again, if they were anywhere as fucking crazy as Laura, maybe not. Jamie seemed solemn, caln and quiet, embracing the moment altogether. She didn't bother him, knowing when the man had something to say, he'd say it.

@Theyra

The other was Mateo, the quiet agent sipping down a cocktail, then another, relaxing at the best he could. He certainly had some demons to slay, but then again, it was usually a little fire. She knew he kept something on the side regarding the cartel, and so did she. After all, Black Flag had to get its funding from someone. And the places they got it were sometimes less than clean.
"We should put you to work on that, Mateo. Don't give me ideas." Skye retorted back, the calm, calculated and orderly manner of Skye coming back into frame, the red-haired Scot knowing it would tease him, open him a up a little, albeit remind him at that cost.

As the team settled in, Skye had the opportunity to get the feel for the room, and with everyone with a beverage, or at least, settled in, she looked across to the team and knew it was time to spill the beans. The drink had at least levelled everyone, or taken the edges off. Another glass of the whisky followed after Skye, who only relished the chance to have a decent drink. None of this other shite, if you were gonna have a drink, it had to be this.

--

"Thought I'd all get you settled before I tell you what's next. There's a juicy piece of intel that landed on my desk after a recent wetwork in the French Pacific. Given Black Flag decided to try and steal data off a fairly tasty data centre, we've got the chance to get our own back. There's a formerly abandoned military encampment in a canyon in the Cape Verde islands, on Ilha de Santo Antao, and right there we have reason to believe there's a few HVTs from the group there. Including one Alain Fouqualier, ex-Foreign Legion, full blooded Algerian scumbag who is a target of interest. And I'd kinda like him dead for interrupting our last R&R, so.....we have ourselves a little capture mission. I'll be working tonight on the details. But I need you guys to take a few different roles, because we're going to assault the place. Local support is minimal, so it's all on us. I'll fill in the details, but I'll give you an overview for now."

"Lights, you're on duty to infiltrate- Mateo, I need you on hand to get inside the base and make sure those HVTs don't escape, whatever it takes -and any base defenses to be sabotaged. Use whatever infiltration methiod suits you- given it's a canyon, a wingsuit or a clamber might be best. Turrets, and possibly even a small mechanised unit that's on site might need sorting. Greyson, Xan, you're with me- we're taking a buggy into the base, and directly going in to clear a few checkpoints, before we hit the site itself. Jamie, Misa, due to the SAM sites, I've got something more creative for you both. I assume you're familiar with the use of a high-altitude helium balloon and a parachute system, because it's how I'm gonna keep you out of SAM range."

"So it's the usual sort of equipment- regular to long range gear, and enemies that you aren't going to find as easy to frag as usual. Just to remind you, they aren't all skinnies with AKs. They know what they're doing, and many of them are mercenaries, formerly from other elite forces. They aren't going to hestitate, and there will be more of them than us. But we get this done, we get our HVTs, we get out quick, we get a fucking dent in them. All good?"

---

“Yeah well, don’t worry. I have ideas for how to show my CO how much I appreciate it.” Xan replied to Skye’s comment with a devious grin and a small cackle.

No one in that facility was safe from Xan’s antics, not even his superiors: direct or otherwise. The only difference was he’d end up paying for every little infraction more so than with his fellow squadmates. After all, they couldn’t order him to do a solo mission in the heart of the outback for 3 weeks. The people in charge could. Yet much to their chagrin, this did not deter him. If anything it made him more determined with his shenanigans.

Though he had turned his attention away from Skye and missed her mention of Misa’s cooking, he was immediately drawn back in when she mentioned the idea of having the heavy class work with him a bit more. His head perked up like a dog hearing its name before he sauntered over to Misa and leaned against the sofa next to her.

“Oh please make that a direct order.” Xan requested with a smirk. His mischievous gaze locked with the dark haired woman as he finished his thought. “I’ve been wanting to take a crack at that bot since the moment I laid eyes on it. Who knows what kind of improvements I could make? Maybe I could program a sense of humor, then at least one of you would get my jokes.”

The aussie snickered to himself as he took another sip from his glass of scotch. He was just kidding around for the most part. While he wouldn’t say no if his assistance was requested, he of all people understood what it was like to have a personal project. Something that only he had worked on and was the sole creator of. But Misa didn’t need to know that. What fun would there be in teasing her if she thought Xan wasn’t genuine in wanting a sneak peek under Buki’s hood?

Against all odds, Xan was able to quiet down while Skye gave them a quick overview of the mission they would be undertaking. And much sooner than he had anticipated.

“So I am driving? Bloody hell.” Xan exclaimed with an eye roll. “Thanks for the heads up, mum. What would you have done if I had been on the sauce all night?”

Pushing himself off the sofa, Xan headed back to the bar and grabbed his half full pint he had abandoned earlier. It was downright criminal to waste these delicious beverages, but he had to be responsible. Xan took about two steps towards the sink, his eyes lowered to look at the transparent brown liquids he held in his hands. He didn’t have it in him to just toss such fine drinks down the drain, but there was no way anyone else was going to take them. Slowly he raised his head and took a deep breath. He knew what must be done. With one big swig he sent the scotch down the hatch. He placed the glass on the counter, and the same motion raised the pint to his lips and chugged what beer remained. He slammed the beer glass down next to the old fashioned, then lifted his gaze up to Mateo and pointed at the man behind the bar.

“Mat, I’m gonna need you to work some magic for me, mate. About an hour or two before we leave, I need you to brew some of Colombia’s finest. It needs to be strong enough to kick this alcohol out and send any hangover packing, but not so much that it blows up my heart. Well not right away, at least. If it shortens me lifespan a few years. Eh. I probably wasn’t gonna get to ‘em anyway.”

@Awesomoman64

He turned back to the bar to grab an old fashioned glass, but ended up grabbing an extra after he overheard Greyson’s remarks about the bases' defenses.

“Lag?” Xan asked as he placed the glasses on the table and began to pour a drink in each. “Mate, nearly every important piece of hardware here was either built, tested, and or fully installed by the lovely Laura Zeiss. Ya can’t beat German engineering, and that sheila is best of the best. Course, if you have a complaint or concern you could always take it up with her. Just, uh, make sure she’s not holding any heavy weaponry. Or large objects that aren’t bolted down.”

As he spoke, Xan picked up the glasses and casually walked over to where Greyson was seated and held one out for him to take. Should he accept, Xan would clink his glass against the brit’s. If not, he would simply attempt the same offer to someone else in the room. Either way resulted in him continuing his little rant.

“But if the counter measures are your worry, I promise you, not even a seagull can get close to us without proper clearance. But by all means, if you think you can bypass them, be my guest. I’m sure ol’ Mat has given it a go before.” he jested with a sly wink in Mateo’s direction. He took a sip from his glass and immediately made a sour face as he attempted to swallow. It wasn’t that he didn’t like whiskey, he just didn’t drink it that often and was not prepared for the strong taste from such a refined vintage.

Greyson lent forward somewhat taken off guard and reached his hand out and took the glass. “thank you” Once it had about a finger poured in it. He almost reflexively flicked out his arm and checked his watch. "I suppose im off duty" he mumbled. He looked at his team and his demeanor changed almost imperceptibly. He was no stranger to alcohol, he had been around many SAS soldiers during his training and they had insisted he go for "a skinfull", then they would all head back to the shooting range and attempt to complete it while drunk to sharpen their skills.

He looked up directly at Xan and his eyes seemed to glisten when he said "german engineering cant do everything", as a rye smile crept across his face. Anyway if i want to annoy Ziess i'll put you up to the job.

"Who'd you piss off, Greyson? I tend to find when you leave the loose ends tied, you worry less. The site's got an digital air-gap...and well, has a fuck-off CIWS. Laura and a few techs behind the scenes did the magic, it makes this place somewhere you wouldn't look at. You dinnea' change from what I remember. Always a pragmatist. I'll let you test it if you like." Skye commented, putting her legs across in a fold, eyeing him up, the fellow British operative someone she could tease, even in spite of her iron-like fire.
"You should relax. I wouldn't get you drunk before an op. Well....I might get you one down to ease you in. We're not back in London anymore, aye?"

Greyson replied to the question. "Who havent i pissed off? I am a wide and prolific pisser-offer, it is the title of most of my debriefings... My strategy is to piss off the opposition in so many different ways that they are completely inconvenienced. Afterall, they can only kill you once. So the side comes out ahead."

Greyson briefly considered for a moment how he’d tackle attacking the base, personally. He quickly concluded that he would never risk taking on his own team. If there was an answer, it was probably divide and conquer. Which is why he needed to make sure this never happened. He wouldn't give black flag the opportunity to isolate members of the team… but before he could go deeper into thought, someone spoke.

"Thought I'd all get you settled before I tell you what's next. There's a juicy piece of intel that landed on my desk after a recent wetwork in the French Pacific. Given Black Flag decided to try and steal data off a fairly tasty data centre, we've got the chance to get our own back. There's a formerly abandoned military encampment in a canyon in the Cape Verde islands, on Ilha de Santo Antao, and right there we have reason to believe there's a few HVTs from the group there. Including one Alain Fouqualier, ex-Foreign Legion, full blooded Algerian scumbag who is a target of interest. And I'd kinda like him dead for interrupting our last R&R, so.....we have ourselves a little capture mission. I'll be working tonight on the details. But I need you guys to take a few different roles, because we're going to assault the place. Local support is minimal, so it's all on us. I'll fill in the details, but I'll give you an overview for now."

"Lights, you're on duty to infiltrate- Mateo, I need you on hand to get inside the base and make sure those HVTs don't escape, whatever it takes -and any base defenses to be sabotaged. Use whatever infiltration methiod suits you- given it's a canyon, a wingsuit or a clamber might be best. Turrets, and possibly even a small mechanised unit that's on site might need sorting. Greyson, Xan, you're with me- we're taking a buggy into the base, and directly going in to clear a few checkpoints, before we hit the site itself. Jamie, Misa, due to the SAM sites, I've got something more creative for you both. I assume you're familiar with the use of a high-altitude helium balloon and a parachute system, because it's how I'm gonna keep you out of SAM range."

"So it's the usual sort of equipment- regular to long range gear, and enemies that you aren't going to find as easy to frag as usual. Just to remind you, they aren't all skinnies with AKs. They know what they're doing, and many of them are mercenaries, formerly from other elite forces. They aren't going to hestitate, and there will be more of them than us. But we get this done, we get our HVTs, we get out quick, we get a fucking dent in them. All good?"

“Yeas Ma-am.” He sounded off.

From what he was hearing it sounded like the Lights had the hardest job. Sure more firepower would be directed at them once the empty shells started hitting the sand. And the smart firepower would then switch to the Heavies. But the Lights had to go in first, so they had to work within the most existing contraints. The goalposts would be at their absolute tightest for them. For this reason he gave them a grudging respect. They were the forlorn hope, the vanguard. The most his fireteam could do is provide a big noisy distraction. But who? In our line of work gets distracted by this trick anymore?

He immediately spoke. “Queen? I would feel much better if Jaguar and Ghost worked together. I don't want them to be isolated without being able to rely on one other. I am a proponent of the battle buddy system and i think that although the speed of the sabotage would be greater if they were independent, we’d be in danger of exchanging one highly valuable operative for atmost 3 minutes inside their OODA loop. I'd rather have the operative for the full duration of the battle. Being 1 down is usually the start of a irrecoverable losing streak. It is usually the first indicator of who will win. And from a ethical standpoint, i dont trade lives. No one gets left behind and so on...”

“This is my professional opinion,” He said in the calm manner of an accountant.

“Absolutely not,” Misa responded when Skye suggested that she should work more with Xander. He was loud, obnoxious, and has no sense of personal space. The only thing that man has going for him is being entertaining.

Misa clicked her tongue as Skye invoked Xander’s name prompting him to come over. He sat across from her with a mischievous grin on his face. She paid him no mind and continue to sip on her tea but when he mentioned Buki, she turned and matched his gaze. “His name is Buki and you will do well to remember that,” Misa took a sip of her tea before continuing, “But I’ll humor you, Xander. If you can beat me in a 1 v 1 combat scenario I’ll let you do add whatever you want into Buki’s programming or design.”

Xander was a tech specialist so she had great confidence that she could beat him in combat. Hopefully, this would get him off of her case. Then again, that man seems like someone who enjoyed a challenge, so she might have achieved the complete opposite outcome. Worse case scenario, Xander would win and add something to Buki. Not a huge loss since he is a tech specialist and would most likely improve Buki in some way. Though, she couldn’t begin to fathom how anyone would understand his jokes much less program them.

When Skye began explaining their mission, Misa turned and gave her the utmost attention. An extraction mission from a canyon base with a high level of security and limited maneuverability. She was indeed familiar with a high-altitude drop using parachutes, but she would need to make adjustments to Buki beforehand. He was prone to freezing at the joints in extremely cold temperatures.

“Understood,” Misa said as Skye finished her briefing.

Misa then turned to look at Jamie who was sitting ever so still in that armchair. Despite being fellow heavies, she hasn’t had much interaction with the big man since coming here. He frequented the gym for the heavies but that was the extent of their interactions. “Well, it looks like I finally get the pleasure to work with you, Jamie. I cannot wait to see what the son of legends has to offer,” Misa said with a faint smile. She was somewhat excited to work with him. he seems very capable from that showing in the gym.

“Now if you excuse me, I have something to take care of,” Misa said before standing up. She gave Skye a small bow before leaving for the kitchen. Skye mentioned Katsu so she also got started on frying up some chicken cutlets while also putting some final touches to the curry,

Sometime later, she sent Buki to fetch everyone for dinner.

Mateo simply chuckled at what Skye said to him before getting serious when she brought up the details of their next mission, and he put his drink away. So a capture mission in French Pacific. He would like to know specifically how many HVTs there are, but he can settle with a few. Hopefully, they will be in one place, but that is wishful thinking. Either way, he was already thinking of which approach he wanted to take and what to bring with him on the mission.

Then Xander approached him about needing something strong. "Uhhhh," at first, unsure what to make, then it came to him, and he looked at the alcohol behind him. "Well, I do know of one drink that will do the job, and I think we have the ingredients." Mateo made a nervous chuckle, he has not made that cocktail in a long time, and the last he saw someone drink that cocktail... Well, the liquor sure left him alright. Time to see how Xander reacts to it. So Mateo, without a word, goes on and making the cocktail known to him as the Hangover Cure. It did not take long to make, and when he was done, he placed it on the counter in front of Xander. "Here you go, and good luck with it," Mateo said with a hint of concern.

Next was listening to Greyson's suggestion. Nice to see that someone other than Skye cared about his survival during the mission. Though he is used to working solo during a mission. Sneaking behind enemy lines and causing chaos or stealing something valuable from the enemy. Mateo does know he has the hard part of infiltrating the base and keeping the HVTs from escaping, and it might be easier if he had a teammate with him.

"I know it is your order, Queen, but, like with what Brazen said. It would be nice to have a second set of hands with keeping the HVTs from escaping. But that is your call, Queen." Time to see what Queen says now, and hopefully, Xander can handle the Hangover Cure. Please handle the cocktail well, he thought as he waited for an answer from Queen.

Skye smiled, the group having their moment to soak up the plan, and Xander soaking up the remnant of his beer. There was no breathalyser on hand....well, so long as he could walk.

@Awesomoman64

"Don't get too aroused. Or shitfaced. I'll leave you to whatever Mateo comes up with." Skye's mannerism was dry, the red braided hair that the Scot had being brushed over her shoulder as she looked to Greyson and Mateo next, knowing they had some concerns, and well, it was something Skye had thought on. After all, it looked like they were light of Ghost on this run, not ideal, but still, they could make it work with what they had.

@Theyra@Steel Legion

"We seem to be an infiltrator light. And besides, I'm not asking you to pin them down and lay on top of them. Just to make sure they have fewer options before we arrive. More infiltrators makes more for compromises, Mateo- if they run out of options then that's enough. Everything else, I leave to you." Skye's decision did seem odd, sending him in with more risk, no buddy, and no help would often be a suicidal move in a usual operation. But then again, the team worked on utilising that multi-talented aspect of it, and she trusted that he could hold out until they arrived. Creativity over strength in numbers, quality over quantity. You didn't need a platoon of men, you needed a few well placed, well equipped individuals and all hell could be wrought.

"I know you don't want to be with me, Greyson. But you are riding shotgun." Skye's smirk was almost the same kind of shit she gave to Xander, shrugging her shoulders as she looked across to the other two members, the Heavies.

@DawningAurora

"Sounds delish. We'll join you when ready. I'm sure we'll get a prompt." Skye politely replied, the ability of the Scot to tailor herself to the team sometimes uncanny, always in control, always one step forward yet still a little in that territory of having that strong, unrelenting drive. Her curse was never stopping, and it was ever present, a subtle lack of fucks that made her as powerful as a lone wolf as she was in commanding. She knew it was a difficulty, but it meant getting the most out of her team...no matter how much they might have disagreed about 1v1 hackathons.

---------------









0600 Hours

The island was a truly odd looking one- more like a Hawaiian island compared to the rest of Cape Verde, the deep volcanic canyons were semi-arid with greenery in the heights, and desert sand at the shores. Higher up in the canyons, nobody would have known Black Flag were here- but Raven knew, and they were coming to hit their site hard, and very much take them apart. That was the plan, at least. The team had geared up and was ready for combat in mid-long range styled combat, though in the base itself, an old village, it would be tricky- the canyon was steep and like virtually going up a mountain. Escape routes nil, but that made it just as risky getting in. So a split strategy meant they were hitting them from all angles- inside, from the sky, and from the tracks leading in. The dawn sky had cracked, and the gentle glow of orange had slightly risen over the green-brown mountains, revealing a landscape of dirt roads and wild, remote paradise.

In the interim, the team had the opportunity to gear up, and from them to where they were now, were getting ready to be in position. With the Heavies very, very high in the sky, at a point where they likely would be looking at the curvature of the earth and the faint of the island below, the rest of the team were boots on the ground, and in position. Mateo likely skulking the base, while Greyson, Skye and Xander were in the valley, rendezvousing with their transport drop.

Skye with her exo seemed more warrior like than the woman some would see, almost androgynous given her height and game face on now. Fatigues, MG3, Gustav MAAWS, oh, and extra ammo for both. The Osiris Exoskeleton unit, a light carbon-composite and aluminium framed second-generation combat carrying exo and a singular jump-pack did the job for her, providing a fairly typical load-bearing vest, ballistic protection, the MTP fatigues contrasted by navy/green tartan pattern on the exoskeleton's actual frame itself. An updated Ops-Core looking-like helmet followed suit, as did a navy blue baseball cap that tucked under facing backwards, with a holographic display up on her tactical glasses. Skye's setup was more than sometimes a regular medium would have, it made her fast, nimble, heavy hitting and quick. Perhaps not as hacker focussed, but she could more or less run like a greyhound and chase the team, like a real team mum would. The buzzsaw loaded, Skye felt the cells power on and the weight get pulled back, the LMG go from a bag of bricks to feeling like an MP5 in her hands, and like she felt like an invisible cable was pulling her up and along. It never got old, and while Skye Rosalind Lyons may have been a cute-looking redhead, right now, she looked like the mid-21st century's equivalent of a Highlander about to go scalp some English fuckers, a resolute, burning figure on her face.

The small barn had contained what was an old-school looking Desert Patrol Vehicle, updated naturally for this sort of terrain- chunkier tyres, three seats, and a supercharged engine in the back for extra welly. No doubt this was the bastardised Mad Max vehicle that only the Aussie could pilot, but it was something she could approve on the budget request. Unarmed to save weight, but then again, they were all carrying enough- and had been delivered in the dead of night through a local courier. Just another local tourist attraction, except this one had more horses to pack and it would more than do the job.

"Alrighty then. This ride's ours, no more walking. Should give us an entry and a half. Glitch, you've got the keys. Dinnae fuckin' crash or else it's on your insurance. Brazen, you've got front, I'll set up my gun on the rail. We'll need to keep the speed up and run up the canyon into their base, speeding through any checkpoints. This one's a smash and grab. Moment we knock out their SAMs, secure their HVTs and any data we have lying around, the cavalry can help us mop up." Skye added, sweeping the barn, putting hand to ear, adjusting her comms channel.

"Boba, Scion, how are you two up there? Should be around 110,000 on the altimeter for you now, and one hell of a view. We're gonna start our run into site, so long as we keep our foot down, we should be able to meet you there. Long, long way down so I don't imagine you'll be there soon." Skye knew that the team above would more likely than not have a very different view of the world, and well, would be coming directly on top of things with their method. She knew if the rest of the team had followed, they'd have been more likely cut to pieces- that and the fact the Heavies had their more direct approach always helped. Taking a route cutting through at least allowed them to trim the fat as it were, and at least knock out resistance on their way in.

"Jaguar, if you're in position on overwatch, now's the time if you want to start sneaking in. Satellite recon tells me the base is around an old hillside village, all abandoned. Lots of good sniping spots, and the canyon's fairly deep. Hard to say where the HVTs are, but if you can neutralise SAM sites, helicopters, any IFVs, anything at all, it'll make our assault easier. Remember, stay in the shadows and pick them off, if they raise the alarm, they won't have much to run."

Jamie had gotten up once during the whole little get together before things became serious. And had poured himself a glass of Spicebox Canadian Whiskey, an affection that one of his uncles had gotten him into. A little extra burn as a drink goes down sure as hell doesn't hurt. He'd sat and sipped, at it, and mellowed a fair bit. As the night went on he'd sat quietly and listened and watched, there'd be time to truly say his peace later. For now he wanted to observe.

------

Later as they sat and nursed plates of food and drink it was that Queen gave them the low down of the operation in mind. The Lights and Mediums of the group had it straightforward. He grinned abit, "Interesting madam. Your section of the operation sounds pretty simple."

After though as it was detailed what she had in mind for himself and Misa, he couldn't help but laugh. He looked across at Skye and nods, "If you like, in the future, I could ask my mother Colonel Denisova-Kanatariio for her version of the ballons. She had a version made to lift her in full armor as well. But for now yes madam I'm very familiar with the use of such ballons. Won't let you down madam."

--------

And still later found the Son of Brutal and Scion drifting on the air. A small pulse motor pushing him along assisted by a tail wind. Barely anything to really give an AAA or Manpad to lock on to him in the air. It's almost casual how he'd slung himself up into the wires hold up there so he's reclined and drifting. He remembers stories from his parents of them doing this too. And a few other things besides. But that's not something he wants to think of.

He remember his father saying that when close enough they could even provide CAS from the ballons. The rocket pod and his twinned HMGs would cause quite a stir from the air. Either way he drifted. The view of Ilha de Santo Antão, Cape Verde is wonderful from so far above. He clicks his comms with his chin as the sound of Queen's voice came to him, "This is Scion, I have some wonderful aerial photos of the area here madam. I'll show you when we're out of the AO. The sunrise as we crested into the AO was wonderful the clouds and hills and light. If this wasn't an operation I could submit it for some kind of award one thinks." He checked the timer for the mission, "Judging by the clock, should be a bit longer. We can start CAS before cutting cords and joining on the ground." He looked about in the sky then spotted Boba, "How are you doing over there Boba? Enjoying yourself? It's relaxing up here isn't it?"