Mission Four - Knives in Phnom Penh

Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022 06:22 UTC+7, which is 7:22, UTC+8

Cristina had brought down several waves of Iranian-manufactured and covertly imported Shahed Drones before collapsing. Still, it was clear that the Cambodian Pro-ASEAN Rebels were sitting ducks where they were now. So Dara Chea, standing beside Nico, stated, "We're going to have to evacuate the Convention Center anyway; leave the Chinese delegation behind. In the meantime, we have two choices; the Cambodian Grendemaire - Military Police - have their HQ in the south part of the city, which remains loyal to the assholes in the Government, and the Government Buildings themselves are in the northern part - Would you care to suggest a target?"

---

As the helicopters led by Sam arrived at the scene, bringing reinforcements and the prospect of evacuation, Myron would radio their new member and give his orders, "Specialist Sewojo - You've arrived at last! Begin evacuating important diplomatic personnel first; ASEAN and foreign observers only - Leave the Chinese and Russians behind. Also, the Cambodian forces surrounding this building have defected to our side; do not fire on them as long as that is the case."

Roberto, meanwhile, had managed to get to Cristina's location somehow and dragged her inside the building, where Myron and him could guarantee her safety. Then, news arrived that there was heavy fighting in the West of the city, where more forces were joining the Cambodian Rebels and fighting the Cambodian Government's loyalists. There was bloody combat in the East too, but the Government was flying in Russian and Venezuelan mercenaries to aid them in restoring order, meaning that the pro-ASEAN forces there were tied down and unable to help their allies.

Now, the Cambodian Government was ordering a large force to cross the bridges east of Diamond Island; Tanks, Infantry, and APCs, all supported by artillery.

The violence had not ended yet; if anything, it was accelerating.

---

The Cambodian Elite Troopers had incapacitated most of Task Force Obsidian but were now being attacked by members of their Regular Infantry who had decided to be loyal to ASEAN. Marta's counterattack then hit and punched out the last of the foes - Lieutenant Channery Chea herself, who slumped to the floor without any ceremony, just a soft 'thud'.

To spell it out clearly: Cambodian Elite Troopers bad, Regular Infantry (some of them) good. Nico's courage outside had gotten some of the Cambodians to side with them again. But now, with Nil heavily wounded, Henri catatonic, and Aoi disappearing for a while, it was clear that it was going to be a hard choice to stay and fight or join the evacuation.

And, as the rumble of vehicles and artillery was heard from the east, it was clear that they had to make a decision soon before it was made for them. All the while Noel Alonso, their leader, had disappeared, along with their portal maker, Callie.

They also had to mourn Qinghse's death.

@Gerlando@QJT@Amidatelion@Digmata@Chiro@Creative Chaos@PrinceAlbert

Sister Marta Rocha

Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022

Marta shuffles off the ground slowly, her once-pristine habit riddled with bloodstains and bullet holes. Her messy cowl reveals a few stray locks of honey hue, which do nothing to obscure her bloodshot eyes and tear-streaked face.

Typically, the Sister would try her best to present a more dignified image, but it's clear to everyone else that her last stunt pushed her conviction to its ragged limits.

"...Is... is anyone hurt... ?"

She clings to her armored fist and looks to the east, where the sound of rumbling artillery draws closer.

"I-I don't want to do that... ever again. Let's get out of here."

(Written in collaboration with @Letter Bee)

Berto tucked his face into the crook of his elbow as he touched Archie’s Lever to the hinges of the door, welding them into solid pieces of metal.

”We’re going to have to rejoin the fighting eventually, but let’s pick the time and place ourselves. And let the rest of our team worry about how they’re going to rescue the kids outside. Right now, our priority’s gotta be the people who are already inside the building, and getting them out of the building.”

Myron nodded and said, “You’re right, Berto. Damn it; I’m supposed to be experienced in espionage; how can I not have seen this coming?”

Either way, the man stood guard over Cristina, even as he asked Berto, “So, you dragged Volunteer Bernardino in? If so, that’s good, because I just received a call; Noel is missing - Presumed MIA.”

”You saw this coming. We planned for it. Crissy’s alive because you were prepared for this and you made sure I was. We keep her alive, we save everyone we can– lock down the birds in the hand before we start looking for birds in the bush. This is your plan, Boss; I’m just out here trying to prove you right.”

Berto moved on to welding the metal in the doorframe together. ”You wanna bring me some of those desks, Sir? Hilarious as it would be to hold this door when the soldiers start crawling through it, I want to be long gone by then.”

Myron nodded and dragged one of the desks to the door, before conjuring up his shield and saying, “Let me amend that plan you have.”

And in six seconds, he conjured up a sheet of thick metal, probably a portion of a prefabricated bunker, and said to Berto, “You can use this.”

”Perfect. What’s our next move?” Berto nailed the sheet into the doorway, Archie’s Lever ringing out like a gunshot a couple of times per second. He paused for a moment to admire his work, and let the ringing in his ears die down. ”Sorry about that, Boss. What’s our next move?”

Myron spoke, “We link up with Marta, Henri, Nil and Aoi - By the way, how did you find Cristina?”

Berto winces. It’s not his turn with Archie’s Lever, not yet– but it’d better be soon if he was going to be much help after this. Better not to let Myron see his shirt until they had time for Berto to take a break. ”Wasn’t easy!” He put a hand inside his jacket and felt the hot, wet stain spreading on his shirt. ”I had a hunch where she’d be. And another hunch. Just kept following them until I found a trail of dead bastards, and I followed it until I found a bunch of live bastards.”

He forgets himself for a moment, and makes a voila/BOOM gesture with his bloodied hands.

”Wouldn’t you know it, Boss, that’s right where I found her.”

Myron nodded at that and said, “I see. So she wound up killing a bunch of people who were going to defect to our side, but haven’t done so yet… This is bad, but also an understandable mistake. Either way, shall we start going to where the others are, now?”

”Well… you know what we call people who haven’t defected to our side yet, right? They didn’t look too friendly when I caught up to them. They can…” Berto gasped. ”They can surrender later. I’ll be happy to debrief them for you… Boss.” Berto sat down on the floor.

”Gonna need a moment here. Didn’t have much time for first aid on the way back.”

Glancing back at Berto, Myron asked, “Do you need first aid? We can’t have you dying on my watch.”

They were wasting time; Noel and Callie were gone, and Qingshe was dead or ‘dead’. Task Force Obsidian was at its weakest point ever and they had to live.

”Little bit of morphine and a stapler, I can help you carry Crissy until we’ve got time to breathe. After that, I’m gonna need a whole-ass medic and you’re probably gonna have to bribe them if you don’t want me forced to sit the rest of this one out. Reyes has a gambling problem if you can find her.”

Myron twitched as he said, “Not necessary; Marta is also a healer and our primary one. Now I hope she’s all right…”

He pushed on, further into the building. He needed to join up with the rest of the group now!

Nodding silently, Berto stripped off his ruined shirt and jacket, tore open a trauma pack, got into the morphine. He squeezed out half the standard dose, sighed audibly, and squeezed out half of the remainder before injecting himself. He took a couple of deep breaths… sighed again, and then started stapling gauze pads directly to his ribs with Archie’s Lever. When he was satisfied with his… well, satisfied, he slipped one of Cristina’s arms over his shoulders and followed Myron once more unto the breach.

Auxiliary Post made by @QJT (Fleshing Out NPC Responses)

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
American Embassy

"So?"

No staff members sat at this moment. They stood attentive at their posts. They hadn't the opportunity to sit down between clocking in and hearing the transpired events. The pressure was simply too great. Their superior paced erratically before the bulletproof windowpanes. When appointed, he expected a cushy gig, spending his tenure partying with the muckety mucks. He didn't expect the war. He certainly didn't foresee the conflict approaching his literal doorstep.

He inhaled once, then exhaled twice. The tension was focused on him; he'd redirect it elsewhere. "Call the President," he ordered.

In one continuous motion, an underling picked up a black business telephone and punched a single button. "This is the Cambodian Embassy. Relay us to- Well, obviously, haven't you seen the TV?" The lass leaned backward and sidestepped her foot. "We understand." Click. "He's coming, and will respond in fifteen."

"We don't have that much time!" he shouted, his unease sending shock waves across his subordinates. "Where the hell could he-"

His secretary reminded him of two analog clocks on the side wall, displaying in bold font "WASHINGTON DC" and "PHNOM PENH" respectively. They both showed identical positions; the left was 6:30 ante meridian and the right was 6:30 postmeridian. "President's away from the Oval Office, probably eating dinner or something."

"Fair enough," the dignitary deflated. "But if I don't hear a ring, I'm taking control of this situation from here. I have the prerogative." He sighed through puckered lips. "I won't be another Chris Stevens."

Manila, Philippines
Naval Station Jose Andrada
Admiralty

Throughout her career as his aide, Jasmine had never witnessed her boss cross his arms as he did presently. He stared at the screen, upright and rigid. His image was a stone, a monolith, but his eyes displayed a blend of anger and consternation that she'd dared not interrupt. But duties called, and lives were at stake. Few had the authority, fewer had the reaction times, and fewest had the willpower to act. "Admiral?"

Abasolo sighed. "Played us like a damn fiddle." He snapped to attention, his countenance glazing over and narrowing into cold calculation. "I need Villanueva, Mendoza, and Baltazar in this room, with their phones, immediately." He sat again at his desk, whipped out a ballpoint, and began to write.

Fortunately, the three officers worked in the same building. It took minutes and a handful of stark words to summon them hither. Abasolo pointed to Villanueva first. "Call the US President. Ask what assets they have locally. Let them know we have Task Force Obsidian in the area if they wish to pool resources to evacuate our parties." She ran the few feet necessary to establish a base.

Baltazar was next, fully prepared with a pencil and notepad. "Get the People's Republic of China," the admiral commanded. "Use the diplomatic channels. Give me their reaction to this, and their official statement."

And to the final minion, "You're the backup. I want you on the receiver, listening to the tone until I order you to punch in a number."

"Admiral." Villanueva had accomplished her task. "He's talking to the American embassy in Phnom Penh. We're twenty third in queue."

"How long would that take?" Jasmine asked.

"Hours. It'd be too late. Doesn't matter," Abasolo responded. "Stay on that line in case." He put a finger to his brow. "Mendoza, fetch me the Japanese."

After painstaking minutes, Mendoza relayed her result. "No dice. Something about the UN."

As if on cue, the television network switched to the visage of a pristine rectangular tower of blue glass. "Hold on, I'm receiving breaking news: the United Nations has convened an emergency special session to address this morning's hostile acts in Cambodia."

The admiral touched his forehead with his fingertip, closing his eyes and furrowing. He spoke his thought process largely to himself but broadly to his acquired staff. "The Americans put us on hold. The Philippines and the USA has a formal alliance, so everyone in front must be internal or allies. That means Japan, most likely, but they're preoccupied with their own internals. We need-" His vision jolted upward. "Jasmine, bring up a map of Phnom Penh, with embassies highlighted."

Jasmine's generation was immersed in tech; it took her mere seconds. "Prepared and ready, sir."

The Chinese actually, surprisingly, responded. Baltazar was left chattering away with his equivalent on the other side of the telephone, asking questions and writing the answers down.

Abasolo parsed through the dots on the screen. "We can't make it to the USA. They're across the city. Japan... it's eight minutes' walk. The Cambodians will be all over the place by then. Too risky." He clapped his hands. "Thailand. They're next door neighbors. Mendoza!" he announced. "Call the Royal Thais. Get an aide in their embassy to walk to the Japanese. Tell them to tell the Japanese to tell the Americans that Task Force Obsidian is in the delegation, and stands by to help them if possible."

"Sir!" Baltazar raised his hand. "The Chinese deny any involvement in the matter. Their delegation is also trapped behind hostile lines. Any action to pacify the Royal Cambodian Army is permitted."

"Because they don't think we're capable of anything anymore." Jasmine swallowed. "Do you think these really are just rogue elements?"

"Whatever I think, they've given us the green light. I plan to take advantage of it."

"But can Task Force Obsidian handle the entire Cambodian military?"

"What?" Abasolo took a moment to gather the data. "No, you misunderstand. They're not protecting the other nations; the other nations protect them. They'll be shielded by security and reinforced by the full American presence in the area. It's an advantage they might not survive without."

"And is it enough?"

Abasolo pursed his lips. "Then they wouldn't have a chance anyways. But I have faith in them. It's my Task Force Obsidian."

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
American Embassy

The American ambassador did sparingly little, merely direct his underlings to where they already headed and bark orders that they already heard while clutching the receiver. "President's orders! Everything goes in the furnace; no documents shall remain! Pack up your bags; we head out in fifteen!"

He returned to the conversation. "Yes, Mister President. We're proceeding without any hiccups. Now, where are the helicopters?" He stamped his foot, and his staff momentarily paused. "Then how the hell else are we supposed to evacuate?!... 'You're working on it.' Well, that changes everything, you sh- Yes, Mister President. I'm sorry for my tone. Please, we want assurances that... WHAT?!" He swayed motionless at the phone for a few seconds, then hung up, followed the cord to the outlet, and unplugged the cable. "He's on the phone with Japan." Perhaps his rashness had doomed them all.

Manila, Philippines
Naval Station Jose Andrada
Admiralty

Adrián Abasolo leaned back in his chair, staring at the television screen. His capabilities from Manila were exhausted to their fullest extent; he could only sit back and watch the chaos unfold. He heard the high energy newscasters drone on with meaningless updates. "In a surprise upset," the black box stated, "The UN Security Council and a majority of member states have denounced the Kingdom of Cambodia for the past hour's scandal."

His desk phone rang, and the admiral pounced on it. "Rear Admiral Adrián Abasolo."

"This is the President of the United States." It wasn't the president's voice (obviously; it was female), but upon a quick glance the country and area code checked out. Success. "You mentioned that Noble Arms Masters were nearby?"

"They're with our delegation, yes," the admiral confirmed, smiling between statements to hide his glee. "I'm certain you already have escape routes. We can help your security safely escort your delegates outside the city if you link the two parties together."

"What do you want in exchange?"

"We're allies. There's no catch."

The voice was almost too rapid for his understanding. "Understood. Our intel reports that the RCA has crossed the Norea Bridge. We're advising our own to head west into the city, where apparently we have friendly forces waiting to escort us. Follow close by; we'll inform them of your arrival and send an envoy to link up with Task Force Obsidian."

"Pleasure doing business with you, Mister President," Adrián quipped. "We'll let you reach your next appointment. Stay safe." Click. "It's a good day after all, Jasmine."

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Diamond Isle Convention Center

The Philippine diplomats had split off from the rushing river that departed the convention center. The head delegate pointed to a open window in the center. "There they are!" They'd successfully located their protection and now rushed towards it, fractured as it might have been.

They weren't the only ones. Three men jogged up, splotches of green and brown covering their uniforms and helmets. The forerunner pointed to the very same window, and one man behind him threw the grappling hook end of a rope up to the balcony. Within seconds, the men traversed the heights and now stood amidst the Noble Arms Masters. The apparent leader extended a hand for a handshake. "Major Patrick Thomas, US Air Force Special Operations Command." It was equally clear that he could scale the building effortlessly and that the speed at which he scaled it had taken a slight toll. He breathed heavily through his words. "Air Commandos," he clarified. "We're here to assist you as needed, to link up with the United States protection as we get everyone out. What's the situation?"

Mission Four - Knives in Phnom Penh

The Skies above Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022 06:45 UTC+7, which is 7:45, UTC+8

Mei Yuanyuan had left the Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, keeping her promise to leave Cristina and her friends alone. But that did not mean that she would not walk out of the building and conjure up her Noble Arm, the flying Sloop-of-War that was, despite her being against Noble Arms, her pride and joy. One day, when Noble Arms was not even a memory, she'd make enough money to construct one of her own, purely for vanity reasons.

But for now, the floating ship rose to the air, where the Cambodian Air Force was scrambling to control the airspace above Phnom Penh, their loyalties uncertain as they faced the most fearsome asset that ASEAN had in their arsenal - Lotus Squadron, Vietnam's best pilots in their best warplanes. To tell the truth, even she was not sure she could defeat them, or that she wanted to - As a former Disabler, she saw them as everything she wanted to be; proof that Humanity did not need Noble Arms to advance.

Sentimentality won out, and her ship's cannons, which could have fired back with the same potency as a modern anti-aircraft gun, sealed themselves up as the vessel itself turned around, ceremoniously signaling its Captain's decision to leave the battlefield, and doing so as slowly as possible, to signal that said decision was not out of cowardice. She then sent a radio message to everyone with an open channel, saying, "I am Mei Yuanyuan, formerly of the Chinese Foreign Volunteers' Squadron, and although I am an Arms Master, I have come not to fight for China or ASEAN, but rather to announce that the Disablers are reborn again, and have found a way to remove all Noble Arms - And even the memory of them - from existence."

As the Cambodian Air Force realized that they were going to face Lotus Squadron alone, as well as additional planes from the rest of ASEAN, many of them stood down and surrendered; others actively began to defect back to ASEAN's ranks, joining with Lotus Squadron rather than be utterly ravaged by them - The tide had turned.

Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022 06:50 UTC+7, which is 7:50, UTC+8

Myron, Berto, and Cristina had finally joined up with Marta, Henri, Aoi (and maybe Nico), and the Cambodian ASEAN Loyalists. Upon not seeing Noel, Myron grits his teeth and speaks, "I see that Yulian got here before us."

Turning to Marta, Myron spoke to her, Henri, and Aoi, "You three; you're still combat-effective, right? Same for Volunteer Nico Makri? If so, the Philippine Civilian Diplomats are being evacuated to the Thai Embassy, but we need to take stock of what we have right now - The People's Republic of China has denied involvement in this and is saying they won't help the Cambodian Government if we try and 'pacify them'. Why are they saying that? Because they do not think we can do this. Thankfully..."

He then looked at a text message he received, then showed it to everyone else; it said, in English: HELP IS COMING.

Don Muang Royal Air Force Base, Thailand - 11/11/2022 06:45 UTC+7, which is 7:45, UTC+8

ASEAN Forces, including Volunteer Units from the Philippines and America, had been training in the HQ of the Royal Thai Air Force; these included Arms Master Len Vuong, plus a few Filipinos, including Dior de Danggal, who had been specially requested to head to Thailand with some of his best assassins to prove his renewed loyalty to the Government of National Salvation. And of course, there was Airman Mykhailo Martinez, a Non-Arms Master who had come to the base with his KAI T-50 Golden Eagle (the F-50 Variant). They were now in a briefing room where a Female Thai Officer said, in clear and fluent English:

"Volunteers and ASEAN members, we have received bad news: The Cambodian Government, under its Prime Minister and his son, the leader of the Army, have trumped up charges against ASEAN-allied forces to justify a defection to China and an attack on ASEAN assets and ASEAN-loyal units, including those in a Peace Conference. The Chinese Government officially denies involvement, nor has it formally accepted the Cambodian defection. Still, the nation of Laos, once a fellow ASEAN member, has accepted People's Liberation Army troops into its borders and left ASEAN, declaring war on us in coordination with the Myanmar Military Junta and some of Cambodia's border forces."

A pause for her to let this news sink in, before she continued, "This breach of International Law cannot be condoned; you are to go to Phnom Penh with everything we can spare - Combat and Transport Planes and Helicopters. Cambodian Forces loyal to ASEAN are still holding the west of Phnom Penh, but the northern and southern portions of the city have gone all-in on the defection. Not just that, but the Cambodians have brought in Russian and Venezuelan mercenaries they have secretly hired with Chinese money to squash ASEAN-loyal forces in the East of the City. So here are your objectives: Fly to Phnom Penh, reinforce ASEAN and ASEAN-loyal troops, and punish the Cambodian Government for their betrayal - The Cambodian Air Force has defected back to ASEAN rather than face Lotus Squadron."

The Thai Officer then pulled out a map of Phnom Penh, before saying, "The main targets are the Royal Gendarmerie of Cambodia's HQ in the south section of the city, as well as the Royal Palace of Cambodia and the National Assembly Building. Do not cause excess collateral damage to the Royal Palace and the National Assembly Building - The Gendarmerie, however, must be made an example of..."

She then faced them and continued, "Any questions? You deploy in five minutes."

@Gerlando@Nimbus@QJT@Amidatelion@Digmata@Chiro@Creative Chaos@4wheathRmany@Urizen

Under imminent disposition of looming black seas, Dior gazed upon the presence of his fellow contenders in a sublime manner on this based caucus, indifferent yet objective in each cryptic look he gives to each member.

Most have already heard of the recent yet questionable allegiance of the Dangal to the alliance & as the clanhead or better addressed as the young Hunnid Mafiaboss of the Malayan turfs. Dior has a lot of expectations to exceed that's summarized to be the walking sacrifice for the atonements of his clansmen in these uneasy roads of justice, forgiveness wasn't something he relates nor wish. Hells is something for service & Dior is the atoning reaper that will drag the unjust for their dues, packing the right blend of souls.

Violence is the question and the answer is yes.

"I jest the fact that you're putting up questions, after everything that's said and done, this portrays your failure of credibility to address basic information, implying hidden information that may be vital and supposed we play right through it, then what?" Dior willingly mocked the addressor, after all he's not used working in the open and back in the day, under his father's tutelage and battlefield, there wasn't much talking because all they do is fulfill the mission and that's by killing anyone that is a liability and threat.

He was just nitpicking pettily or just outright skeptical but then again these people aren't Assassins

"As long as you lot don't get in my way, I won't kill you." Dior said so with a casual tone yet innocent smile like an angel, he is baby-faced after all, often mistaken as a middleschool kid, that includes the way he sounds, a kid yet he's factually an adult.

All of this sounded silly to him.

reaper will stand to the side completely stock still, staring at the board like a tiger would stare at a packed lunch. She'll casually hum this corrosion by the sisters of mercy, before saying " ill stick to ROE as best i can. after all, you got my contract" she'll smile with absolutely no warmth. "if there is nothing else, im ready for some action" and with that, shell jog to the runway, get into the XM-24 reaver, and taxi at the towers purview

on the way over to phenom penh, reaper will stay near the front of the mass of aircraft heading into Cambodian airspace. the XM-24 reaver has a balanced payload of multi-lock air to ground missiles, a trio of 500 pound joint-directed area munitions, a medium gunpod (for those close-in dogfights), and some high-velocity missiles for any fast little buggers who like to boom and zoom. "whos ready to blow some people sky-high or into giblets!" reaper calls over squadron comms, then turns on her civilian radio in the cockpit, tuning it to local Cambodian news as they cross the border. this is where the fun begins she thinks as the planes separate into various groups.

reaper will find lotus squadron and form up on them "reaper to lotus squadron, i am ready for tasking. i got a full load of fuel and munitions, and im itching to use em" she says. "send me somewhere fun, ya?"

Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022 06:50 UTC+7, which is 7:50, UTC+8

Myron, Berto, and Cristina had finally joined up with Marta, Henri, Aoi (and maybe Nico), and the Cambodian ASEAN Loyalists. Upon not seeing Noel, Myron grits his teeth and speaks, "I see that Yulian got here before us."

Turning to Marta, Myron spoke to her, Henri, and Aoi, "You three; you're still combat-effective, right? Same for Volunteer Nico Makri? If so, the Philippine Civilian Diplomats are being evacuated to the Thai Embassy, but we need to take stock of what we have right now - The People's Republic of China has denied involvement in this and is saying they won't help the Cambodian Government if we try and 'pacify them'. Why are they saying that? Because they do not think we can do this. Thankfully..."

He then looked at a text message he received, then showed it to everyone else; it said, in English: HELP IS COMING.

"Rescuing Noel's high priority and we gotta assume we've got a short window," Berto mused, "but he'd be the first to tell us the mission comes first. Yulian needs to get got and I got a stake in watching him get fucked; I think we all do, now, so... can we consider that a matter of 'operational morale', yeah? I'm not a hundred percent yet, but I'm not a fighter in the first place-- I'm good to go wherever you need me."

"If Uncle Dong-dong's giving us a free throw because he thinks we're weak... he's not going to make that mistake twice. ASEAN needs to punch above their weight on this: take the Khmer off the board, or get them back on our side, and put some rabbit blood in the PRC so they keep making mistakes. I think that's gonna fall on us, Obsidian; Brass is too 'big picture' and we can't count on the Americans being willing to go to the mat as long as the PRC doesn't force them to."

Berto shrugs, and stares at his feet for a few seconds. "I got nothing, Boss. Maybe we round up the rest of the kids and have a spitball session about everything we've got on our little Revolver Ocelot wannabes, or ways to get the royal family to turn this into a media circus?"

On one hand Henri was relieved in the arrival of additional forces, but that alone wouldn't ensure their survival, let alone triumph. There was a great risk of death, especially with Nil, who Henri had taken in his arms in shame of having frozen earlier.

"I can fight, yes" Henri confirmed to Myron, "My shield is as strong as ever, and I have plenty of stamina for my neutralization aura. However, I can't leave Nil exposed to harm. She needs medical attention, or stabilization, or anything that can ensure her survival."

He sighed, considering the situation.

"If the Chinese indeed believed the Cambodians can deal with us on our own, they either have something specifically prepared for us or..." The thought made Henri go silent. "They know I'm a liability..."

It actually made sense. Leonidas was an anti-magic Arm, and this building is highly enclosed. Henri would need to act as a front scout or limit Leonidas for melee. Otherwise the field would disarm the group as well as the enemy.

"I may need to split from you"

Kaden speaks up, his eyes look relaxed, like he isn't at all nervous about what's to come.

"Hey, everyone! I get that we’re all in this together, but let’s be real—if we’re gonna make it out in one piece, we need to work as a team. I know some of you are itching for action, and I’m all for it, but let’s not underestimate our opponents. I should tell y'all that I’ve got a thing for theatrics, but I’d prefer to come out of this alive, ya feel me?"

Kaden’s tone shifts slightly as he nods to Dior, acknowledging the tension. "And Dior, man, you sure are...something. Just remember, we're not here to kill each other, right? I mean, as long as you don’t get in my way, I’m cool too. But if you want to throw down afterward, I’m game. Just keep your eyes peeled. This isn’t a walk in the park, and I don’t want any surprises."

With a playful smirk, he gestures to the aircrafts. "Let’s get this show on the road! I’ve got my blades ready to light things up. And who knows? Maybe after this, we can all kick back and have a laugh over a movie or something. Sound good?"

Berto looked Nil over carefully. "Man, whoever put her back together is an artist. I can do field-expedient repairs with Archie's Lever, but this is fresh-off-the-factory-floor work-- she's even got that new human smell." He looked around at the rest of Task Force Obsidian's anxious, expectant faces. "No reason to keep her out of the fighting anymore. Yeah, I can wake her up."

In Berto's hands, Archie's Lever turned into a couple of electrode panels on long handles-- like a cross between dental mirrors, tongue depressors, and a cardiac defibrillator-- and gently slid them behind Nil's earlobes. "Sorry, Nilly. Remind me to buy you a drink when you forgive me."



It's not the voltage that kills you, it's the wattage. The voltage just hurts, and 100,000 volts hurts a lot, even if only for a split-second.

But it sure does put a little pep in your step.

@Gerlando

The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022 around 8:00 UTC+8

If one was to peer into Nil’s mind right before the imminent surge of activating electrons, they would likely see nothing concrete, a whirling mess of half-thoughts and contrasting signals from a body apparently both on the verge of death and in perfectly fine condition.

Not only the human body isn’t obviously made to sustain sudden crippling injuries, but it also isn’t made to recover at, actually magical, snap speed.

What remained now was the Zap, one could say a Shooking, in a singular moment everything was on fire, an immediate shock that felt worse than any bullet could cause.

You could say a reset button… if you do it by overloding the power supply.
Fortunately it was brief, and the BIOS was working, now to boot everything.

All this to say that Berto was successful, uncannily so in fact, as if he was an expert in electric shock therapy. Not that it currently mattered to Nil, the girl was too busy gasping for clues for a slow few seconds.

If she wasn’t the silent type the rest of Task force Obsidian would have definitely heard some curses, instead all they will get is Nil’s silence as she gathered her cognizance, it’s possible she was still recalibrating what words are.

Don Muang Royal Air Force Base

For a Friday, Len could not say today was something to celebrate. Awakening at 0600 hours wasn't a problem for the young man. The briefing wasn't a problem for foreign volunteer.

The problem, Len thought, is the mission.

The predicament of ASEAN personnel was dire, with both Arms Masters and regulars under fire. Typically, units were entirely composed of and commanded by Arms Masters exclusively or regulars exclusively, to minimize problematic power dynamics. But... among the Arms Masters assembled here... the highest-ranking, Len's superior, was ostensibly a kid.

As was the bearer of a perfume line's moniker.

Considering the gravity of the situation, the comfortable conclusion would be that there were multiple briefings like this across the base and ASEAN simply wanted all hands on deck to minimize the risk on individuals.

Considering the alternative conclusions... Len was going to rely on Argentarch more than ever before in his life—even more than the day his Noble Arm manifested. In his ambidextrous hands was a piece of white jade, 40cm in length. While listening to the words of Arrogance Personified, his thumbs absent-mindedly tracing the engravings along Argentarch's form, chimeric creatures and Chinese constellations.

Nothing quite like a flight at the break of dawn into the flames of war.

Mission Four - Knives in Phnom Penh - Limited GM Post (For the New Characters!)

Don Muang Royal Air Force Base, Thailand - 11/11/2022 06:47 UTC+7, which is 7:47, UTC+8

Pain. Hatred. Betrayal. Vengance.

Let go...

Mykhailo knew that the right thing to do was to calm down when others would have lost themselves in fear and hate. The Cambodian Government, no doubt dancing to the tune of the enemies of their people, had committed an act of treachery unprecedented in modern history. He was angry, yes, but right now, calmness was essential, especially when the Female Thai Officer was telling him to escort the transport plane that will be carrying Len Vuong, the American Arms Master, the Syrian-American Second Lieutenant Kaden Ashford, and of course, Dior de Danggal, the infamous traitor who had nevertheless worked himself back into the good graces of the people he betrayed.

This Transport Plane also carried a squad of Dior's infamous assassins; the plan was for them, Dior, Kaden, and Len to parachute down to the Cambodian National Assembly Building, where they could take Prime Minister H.S. and his son, the Commander of the Cambodian Army H.M., into custody and end the Anti-ASEAN coup.

Once the Female Thai Officer was done; he had not caught her name but he supposed that she was an aristocrat of some sort, Mykhailo nodded and went to his plane right away; Reaper was the attack dog, and he in turn was the defender...

The Skies above Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022 07:13 UTC+7, which is 8:13, UTC+8

Reaper succeeded in joining up with Lotus Squadron, and received a reply saying, "Good timing! Those traitors have brought over an entire battalion of Russian and Venezuelan Mercs, plus a squad of Iranian Drone Operators - Watch out, they're sending the last ones they have at you!"

And indeed, 13 Shahed Drones, unmanned aerial vehicles armed with high explosives, were headed towards Reaper's Plane, intent on suicide-bombing it to smithereens. It was going to take quite a bit of aerial maneuvering to avoid them, marksmanship to shoot them down with her own plane's weapons, and luck to avoid the shockwave from the fireballs that would result from the remote-controlled machines' destruction - Would she be able to do all three?

-------

Commander H.M. was no fool; he had ringed the National Assembly Building with the best Anti-Air Defenses that he could buy, autocannons and surface-to-air missiles and soldiers with rocket launchers, as well as what Arms Masters were willing to support him and his father. Thus, Mykhailo found his KAI T-50 (F-50 Variant) getting perforated with holes, leaving him with barely enough time to activate the ejection seat and parachute down towards a hostile killing ground.

His sacrifice, however, would allow the Transport Plane to drop Dior, Dior's Assassins, Kaden, and Len before it was hit by several missiles, blowing it up too (its pilot managed to eject as well if one was curious). However, this meant while they all parachuted downward, they had no way of getting out except to go through their foes - They would have to win or die.

Cambodian National Assembly Grounds - 11/11/2022 07:13 UTC+7, which is 8:13, UTC+8

Regular Soldiers were not to be underestimated even if you were an Arms Master, and there were a lot of them in the National Assembly grounds, which was also crawling with Light and Medium Tanks, plus a few Scout Cars. It was clear that Prime Minister H.S. was holding back his own Arms Masters for some reason; either he was confident in the killing ground he had set up, or more likely, that he knew that Dior was there and what the latter's Noble Arm could do...

@4wheathRmany@Urizen@aurebesh@LimeTime966

Transport, en route to Phnom Penh

Len is a fast eater. He always has been, since he first entered the school system, since he first entered the domestic workforce. Put everything eats in any day on the table and he could finish well within 20 minutes. Thos who knew Len know he enjoys food, but it certainly might not look it.

Argentarch, on the other hand... not so much. Len's Noble Arm, by nature, required immense quantities of energy to sustain its abilities, and obviously derived no pleasure.

Hence the sounds of mastication coming from Len's seat. The transport was a tad quieter than a helicopter, so the ears of those who looked his way might pick up just enough for their minds to fill in.

He was eating butter. It had had softened through the briefing, and earlier when he swiftly ate his actual breakfast after taking it out from his personal refrigerator.

Len was going to need it—he had never parachuted before. Nor had he faced such opposition. Nor alongside the frightening amount of volatile child-soldiers.

Warriors, Len corrected himself mentally. He wouldn't trust them to conduct themselves with significant integrity.

Len had decided before stepping into the aircraft that he was not going to step out.

It was the logical conclusion. He could be killed in the air, on the ground, by those he would fight, by those he would not, or his own mistakes.

Not with human feet, at least.

reaper will smile. they pay me the big bucks for this exact reason she thinks. "fox two" she'll call, dropping a pair of hi-velocity missiles into the incoming shaheds. "splash one drone" she'll chirp, pulling a 180 turn which makes her vision grey for a second, and heading for the buildings. their faster on the flat, so lets lead em through the financial district. im the only one crazy enough to try it, so lets see how they respond the XM-24's engine howls as she dances through high rises, a shahed will plow into a high-rise, its operator misjudging a turn. two down, 11 more to go, and im rapidly running out of buildings to dance through

reaper will pull an immelman out of the financial district, g-forces pushing her back into the acceleration chair as the reaver will climb, the shaheds following like a pack of hounds after a fox. one shahed will get a hair too close, but the drone operator was either excited or itchy on the trigger finger. the resulting blast shakes reapers teeth, but aside from scratched paint, no appreciable damage was caused. thats my dogfight luck gone she thinks, hitting the afterburners to blind the shaheds sensors while pulling a corkscrew maneuver to get behind the drones and open up with the medium gunpod. with black spots dotting her vision shell spray bullets at the shaheds, cutting a few of them down. The remainder will decelerate, attempting to cut reaper down like an executioner. reaper will pull a barrel roll, putting her dangerously close to G-LOC (gravity induced loss of consciousness)

clinging to awareness like a drowning man clings to driftwood, reaper will ask for a little assistance from lotus squadron, which hurts her pride, but survival is more important than trivial things like killing drones by yourself. reaper had learned that the hard way after bailing out over Afghanistan after being lit up by a zsu. three days of dodging mujh in Kandahar had been enough for her, and she wasnt gonna repeat it, especially not in a full-fledged SNAFU like this. reaper will play the delaying game, buyjng time to regain her composure. she'll snaffle a drone when its operator makes a mistake, but that puts her in a bind as the seven remaining drones will charge her, hoping to blow this merc out of the skies for good. thankfully, a little gunpod work and some skill puts the rest of the shaheds out of commission "still got it" reaper purrs contentedly, like a cat who just bagged a very annoying mouse and dropped it at the owners feet

Emergency Post

The Skies above Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022 07:15 UTC+7, which is 8:15, UTC+8

As Reaper led the drones pursuing her into the damn financial district, Lotus Squadron shot down said drones before they can hit a high-rise building that had Vietnamese investments as well as Chinese and Western ones. Nevertheless, Reaper would shoot down several other drones and when she called for help, Lotus Squadron would oblige by helping her 'take care' of the rest. Reaper would then get a message, first from Lotus Squadron saying, "Our enemies are not the civilians, pilot-for-hire. Don't do it again."

She also got a message from her employers, saying, "Your pay is going to be docked, Reaper! We hope you're happy!"

Either way, Lotus Squadron was making quick work of the AA defenses around the Royal Gendarmerie HQ, and were now strafing it and the soldiers within. Should Reaper follow them and do her job? There were also easier pickings further east, where the Russian and Venezuelan mercenaries brought in by the Cambodian Prime Minister, finding themselves not welcomed by the population, were breaking down in discipline and engaging in looting the businesses, hotels, and shops they saw all around them; how dare these people live so well when they and their families could not?!

@aurebesh

Mission Four - Knives in Phnom Penh

Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022 07:15 UTC+7, which is 8:15, UTC+8

Myron was about to panic; he was an intelligence analyst and a spy and only moderately combat-effective even with his Noble Arm; without Noel, he was just not good in a combat situation.

Nico and Aoi were not giving their input, nor was Marta, while Cristina was still out of commission and Nil was recovering. His next glance was at Henri and Roberto as they put forward plans that, quite frankly, he did not think would work without their combat-effective personnel in play, which they did not seem to be.

Then he received a notification on his communications device, and he briefly glanced at that, then said, "Guys, two things. One, help came; the Thai are sending everything they can spare to this city to help us, and we still have regular people here as reinforcements; the Americans are also sending commandoes to safeguard their diplomats, their embassy, and our civilian personnel, too. But the Royal Thai Air Force has sent their best reinforcements on a direct strike against the Cambodian Prime Minister, H.S., in the Cambodian National Assembly Building and they're encountering stiff resistance."

Looking at Henri and Roberto, he then said, "As for what you two said, we are not separating and while as for spitballing, the plan is to evacuate this building and either go southeast to the South Korean Embassy, or west to Phnom Penh International Airport, or go northwest to help out our new friends against the Cambodian Government; the troops Nico convinced to take our side have vehicles we can use to get to either, but we must get out of this building if we are to be of help."

Sounds of gunfire could be heard coming closer; the Cambodian Government forces and their mercenaries were closing in once more. In the absence of input from the ones with actual combat expertise, Myron had to make an executive decision.

"We're going," the young man said, "Henri, take point until we reach our allies' Transports. The rest of you, follow me and take Cristina; you're going to the Phnom Penh International Airport - It's clear that the shock of this has left you guys unable to fight any further."

Nico Makri had fought 'Yulian' and gotten the Cambodian troops surrounding the building to change sides. However, he went quiet and refused to give input, not realizing or even remembering what he had done for them or following up on his actions. Aoi Mikoto had talked big, but at the end of the day, had been too caught up in her thoughts and goals to help out. As for Marta, she had been injured, healed herself, and healed Nil, but then went inactive after that except for the most basic of movements.

It was clear that he would have to send them away; they were unfit to continue... While he was not.

"As for me..." Myron announced, "I'm going to keep fighting - Once you are on your way, I will use my Noble Arm to transport myself to the National Assembly Building. Be safe, everyone."

And then he went off to lead the way towards the transports; this group needed a break from the fighting and to recover from the betrayals they had undergone...

@Gerlando@QJT@Amidatelion@Digmata@Chiro@Creative Chaos@DammitVictor

Sister Marta Rocha

Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022

"No, I - wait."

Marta stands up from her position haltingly. Her wounds had mended as if they had never been there, but she had - rarely - been subject to such violence. Turns out being shot really hurt, never mind seeing your own vital organs fall out of your gut. The shock had damn near immobilized her.

"I still - have some vim in me. You'll need the backup... and I have a mean left hook."

Raising her left hand, it flashes white, revealing the armored gauntlet of wrath.

"I've never liked leaving anyone behind to make a run for it; I won't start now. Please."